#not joking when i say rivers is a vampire is one of the best songs i know

[daz4i]

funniest band in the world

[dianapocalypse]

Alright y’all, with the release of Mass Effect: Legendary Edition, it’s time for me to share my playlist for the entire trilogy.

I’ve refined this over like six years so scientifically speaking it’s probably good right. oh also it’s four hours long. so if you have a road trip or a boring job, this one’s for you. disclaimer, it’s entirely possible I have garbage taste in music. I also missed some characters and moments because there’s 65 songs here and I am merely human.

If you don’t have the patience for four hours, I recommend starting at track 45 and listening to the end, as the Mass Effect 3 portion is the strongest in my opinion.

UNDER THE CUT FOR DESCRIPTIONS WE GO!

FIRST MOVEMENT - MASS EFFECT 1

1. Atlas - Coldplay Eden Prime

“Sometimes the wire Must tense for the note Caught in the fire, say oh We're about to explode“

I really like the atmosphere of this song. It’s ominous, but also somehow hopeful, and makes me feel like Something Huge Is Coming.

2. I Will Not Sing A Hateful Song - Constantines Paragon Shepard

“But I was also born and raised To always speak and listen clear To know the last sound that I make Could be the last sound that I hear“

OK, listen, I think this song is about vampires, and I’m not sure if it’s supposed to be a metaphor or not. But I think this is a great song about controlling one’s temper, about knowing that you have to Rise Above the parts of you that want to lash out sometimes to get things done and have peace. Seeing as how paragon Shepard, to me, always seems like they’re three deep breaths away from snapping, but manage to keep it in check, it fits them to a T.

And also maybe they’re a vampire.

3. Hard to Kill - Beth Crowley Renegade Shepard

“So I let the rumors Turn me into a legend 'Cause I'm only human But a good myth is hard to kill”

This one’s a recent addition, but holy cow, I love it for Renegade Shep, particularly an Earthborn or Ruthless, but it works for any of them.

4. We Own the Skies - Five Iron Frenzy Joker

“My hands are bleeding where they often crack The stars will sometimes burn with longing Through the choking black Of night shifts piling each against the next”

This really vibes with Joker’s backstory for me, his super driven serious self in flight school, contrasted with who he is when he can fly a ship. He’s the best pilot in the goddamn fleet and I love him.

5. I Just Wanna See - Smash Mouth Kaidan Alenko

“Mister moon checkin' on how y'all livin' The stars all winkin' at the day that's dimmin' I just wanna see”

This song fits into his reactions to first showing up at the Citadel and his former romanticism about living in space. Ironically, it’s a song about Earth, but I feel like it works well for him. Also, Smash Mouth absolutely sounds like the kind of music Kaidan would listen to, no I will not be taking questions or constructive criticism.

6. Don’t Give Up - Noisettes Ashley Williams

“She's got a talented face and a suitcase Ain't got no desire to go no place In her case she's got no desire with her hand in the flame say's she don't feel the fire “

The energy of this song is just perfect for Ashley’s no-nonsense chip on her shoulder attitude.

7. About As Helpful As You Can Be Without Being Any Help At All - Dan Mangan The Council

“I was thrown in the boat/Cast out to sea Friendly with waves/There were sharks below Hungry for me/So I dangled my leg”

I mean, the title says it all.

8. The Captain - Guster Anderson

“Courageous, just like the captain Marching forward with no doubt in his head”

I have adored this song ever since my friend played it for me, and it’s the ultimate mentor-protégé jam for me.

9. Secret Agent Man - Johnny Rivers Garrus Vakarian

“Here's a man who leads a life of danger To everyone he meets he stays a stranger Oh, with every move he makes another chance he takes The odds are he won't live to see tomorrow”

I have to poke a little fun at Garrus and how seriously he takes himself in Mass Effect 1. I romanced him across four playthrus, I’m allowed!

10. I’m Getting Too Old For This Shit - Kill Lincoln Urdnot Wrex

“This random apathy/I swear it's killing me But I guess it's all the same, till the devil knows my name”

I don’t know ANYTHING about this band, but this song fits Wrex’s disillusionment with the Krogan well, plus, like. The title. (And also, that he secretly DOES care what happens to the Krogan.)

11. Bird Song - Juniper Vale Tali���zorah nar Rayya

“I want to dance on the horizon line But there is something I am caged behind I have a heart made for take flight But I'm low, so low”

I adore this song and the sound of Juniper Vale in general. The etherealness of this one, combined with the youthful optimism, feels very Tali. The line about ‘something I am caged behind’ works well for the suits, too. This one’s especially good if you’re a Talimancer!

12. 11. Green Garden - Laura Mvula Liara T’Soni

“And I’ll fly on the wings of a butterfly High as a tree top and down again Putting my bag down, taking my shoes off Walk on the carpet of green velvet”

I really like this song’s vibes and I feel like Liara fits it well, particularly in ME1, before all her youthful optimism is stripped from her. The scenery descriptions feel very Thessia, too.

13. Feed Me (Git It) - Little Shop of Horrors The Thorian 

“The guy sure looks like plant food to me!”

Do you get it. Do you get my joke. It’s because the Thorian is a plant that eats people. (I’m not funny)

14. Blindness - Metric Matriarch Benezia

“I was a blind fool, never complained All the survivors singing in the rain “

I don’t love the use of blind here as a negative, albeit metaphorical, descriptor, but I think this song fits Benezia’s indoctrination and death well. If you have suggestions for another, though, let me know!

15. Technologic - Daft Punk Saren

“Buy it, use it, break it, fix it, trash it, change it, mail, upgrade it”

I just think it’s Neat

16. Watershed - Vienna Teng The Reapers

“ While you were building your empires I was still sleeping”

I think this is the song that inspired the entire playlist. Vienna Teng sat down and decided to write a song from the perspective of a natural disaster, and it’s so ominous and gut-wrenching.

17. Hourglass - The Hush Sound Virmire

“This is how it ends We believe every lie and say we'll be friends How long will it last? Before we scratch all the scripts and we rework the cast “

hahahahah rework the cast get it because you have to pick who DIES

Seriously tho I really like this song for Virmire and that moment of choice that feels like it lasts 100 years on some playthroughts.

18. Pompeii - Bastille The Siege of the Citadel

“ And the walls kept tumbling down In the city that we love”

Throwback to when this song was on the radio like three times an hour. Which is around the time I made the first draft of this playlist, incidentally! It’s such a good Final Battle Jam for the Citadel, and the part about “if you close your eyes/does it almost feel like nothing’s changed at all” I think work really well for Shepard in this sequence. Shepard knew the Reapers were coming, had been fighting them all along; this attack on the Citadel is just retreading familiar territory for them, as horrifying as the war being brought to their doorstep is for the Citadel’s citizens and the council. James Vega has some good dialogue about that kind of thing in ME3.

INTERLUDE THE FIRST

19. Starships - Nicki Minaj The Normandy Crew

Starships were meant to fly Hands up and touch the sky

I like to have a little fun OK

20. Gravity - Yoko Kanno The Death of Commander Shepard

“Am I alone? is somebody there beyond these heavy aching feet still the road keeps on telling me to go on”

Welcome to mood whiplash, it’s my specialty! This is the part where you die. I think it also works for her coma very well, when she’s just drifting between life and death, not sure what’s going on, but something keeps trying to pull her back to the world.

SECOND MOVEMENT - MASS EFFECT 2

21. The Phoenix - Fall Out Boy The Lazarus Project

“Hey young blood, doesn't it feel like our time is running out? I'm gonna change you like a remix Then I'll raise you like a phoenix “

this song has no right to go as hard as it does and if  you think it’s melodramatic shut up

22. My Body Is A Cage - Peter Gabriel Commander Shepard

“I'm living in an age Whose name I don't know Though the fear keeps me moving Still my heart beats so slow “

This works particularly well if you romanced The Virmire Survivor, but this song captures the energy of Shepard freaking out bc they are trapped with Cerberus, because Cerberus rebuilt their body from the ground up. That jarring, caged feeling is so palpable in ME2 that when they gave me back Joker the first time I played, I BURST INTO SOBS from relief.

23. The Lady is a Vamp - The Spice Girls Miranda Lawson

“That's all in the past, legends built to last But she's got something new”

Listen. She’s a bond babe. Handbags, heels and pistols rock. She’s got class. This is a song about Miranda. That is all.

24. Kryptonite - 3 Doors Down Jacob Taylor

“ I watched the world float to the dark side of the moon After all I knew, it had to be something to do with you “

This one’s about the Vibes for me. Also can apply to his past relationship with Miranda. I’m also super showing my age on this song, oof haha.

25. Stable Song - Death Cab For Cutie Colony Abduction

“Rows of deserted houses all Our stable mates highway bound “

I really like the mood of this one for showing up on the very first abducted colony, the eerieness and sadness of it all and Shepard’s resolve to do something about it.

26. Konichiwa Bitches - Robyn Kasumi Goto

“I'm so very hot that when I rob your mansion You ain't call the cops, you call the fire station”

THAT COUPLET ALONE MAKES THE ENTIRE SONG. I love how playful and cheeky it is.

27. Seven Nation Army Glitch Mob Remix - The White Stripes, Glitch Mob Zaeed Massani

“And I'm talking to myself at night Because I can't forget Back and forth through my mind Behind a cigarette”

Pretty sure we all had this on some playlist or another when it came out, and it’s the perfect Badass With A Grudge song.

28. Science is Real - They Might Be Giants Mordin Solus

“ And when a theory emerges Consistent with the facts The proof is with science The truth is with science “

This one actually got added by my wife to replace a song that wasn’t on Spotify, but that has the same energy; Hank Green’s “I Fucking Love Science”. I get more into the emotional side of Mordin in the ME3 section, but I also really just love his Hamster On Coffee energy and this song captures it really well.

29. Prove Yourself - Radiohead Garrus Vakarian

“I can't afford to breathe in this town Nowhere to sit without a gun in my hand Hooked back up to the cathode ray

I'm better off dead “

The absolute rock bottom mental state Garrus is in when you get back to him in ME2 is so heartwrenching. Might not always agree with my boy’s methods, but he’s one of my favorite fictional characters of all time.

30. Rat a Tat - Fallout Boy Feat. Courtney Love Jack

“We are professional ashes of roses, this kerosene's live You settled your score, this is where you come to beg”

It helps that Courtney Love sounds exactly like Jack to me, NGL.

31. Defeat You - Smash Mouth Grunt

“Hey I know what you've done It makes it that much better to defeat you “

Only I am brave enough to put two songs by Smash Mouth on the same playlist, to be shared in 2021

32. The Boy Who Blocked His Own Shot - Brand New Horizon/The Virmire Survivor

“If it makes you less sad I will die by your hand Hope you find out what you want Already know what I am “

Hits harder if you romanced the Virmire Survivor. Mostly from Shep’s perspective. This is a Shep that feels Bad after that encounter rather than Mad, so Your Mileage May Vary.

33. Violet Stars Happy Hunting! - Janelle Monae Tali’zorah vas Neema

“I'm an alien from outer space I'm a cyber-girl without a face a heart or a mind”

I just like the vibes of this one for Tali! I know it’s more about an actual AI but...IDK. I like it. So there.

34. Comfortably Numb - Pink Floyd Thane Krios

“There is no pain you are receding A distant ship smoke on the horizon”

This song works both on a Literal level with his Kepral’s syndrome struggles, but also Metaphorical re: his Battle Sleep. Plus, Thane is a dad, so he gets Dad Rock.

35. My Medea - Vienna Teng Samara

“For I have made her prison be Her every step away from me And this child I would destroy If you tried to set her free “

Mom of the year award, here

36. Toxic - Britney Spears Morinth

“There's no escape, I can't wait I need a hit, baby, give me it You're dangerous, I'm loving it”

If Morinth weren’t so under-utilized after recruitment and didn’t get killed off in the background of ME3 I’d probably actually recruit her sometimes. I almost did on my most recent playthru bc that Shepard just HATES SPACE COPS. Anyway the song explains itself

37. Turn me On - David Guetta feat. Nicki Minaj EDI/The Collector Attack

“My body needs a hero Come and save me Something tells me you know how to save me”

I know this song is a metaphor but also it works really well both literally and metaphorically for Joker saving EDI

38. Robots - Dan Mangan Legion

“Robots need love too They want to be loved by you “

The Geth just want to live peacefullyyyyyy 

39. Be Still - The Killers Love Interest Theme

“Be still / someday you’ll leave fearlessness on your sleeve”

This song works so well for the night before Omega-4. If you had an ME2 love interest, anyway. Also “fearlessness on your sleeve” is one of my favorite set of words ever written.

40. No Cars Go - Arcade Fire The Omega-4 Relay

“We know a place no spaceships go We know a place where no subs go “

This one’s pretty literal.

41. Rocketman - Elton John Suicide Mission

“ And I think it's gonna be a long, long time 'Til touchdown brings me 'round again to find I'm not the man they think I am at home “

I like sneaking some Classics onto my playlists, and I think this is how I generally approach Shepard’s mindset during the Suicide Mission, mostly the chorus. I’m also a sucker for ballads during action sequences. This one isn’t a perfect 1:1 but the Vibes check out.

42. Blast Off - David Guetta feat. Kaz James The Normandy Crew

“Got all my people with me And none of us give a fuck So put dem hands up higher Let's smash this party up”

You have to imagine they partied HARD after recovering from Suicide Mission, but before Shep got arrested, right??? This is the Starships for ME2.

INTERLUDE THE SECOND

43. I’m Not Your Hero - Tegan and Sara Liara T’soni

“ Feeling like I am now lighting up the hall I was used to standing in the shadow of a damaged heart Learning all I know now, losing all I did I never used to feel like I'd be standing so far ahead “

This feels like a good coming of age moment for Liara, as she copes with the choices she made in the 2 years of Shepard’s death (giving them to Cerberus), losing Feron, etc. This is her coming into her own as the Shadow Broker. She’s not meant to be an uncomplicated Big Damn Hero, but she can do good from this position.

44. The Well and the Lighthouse - Arcade Fire The Alpha Relay Incident

“I'm serving time All for a crime I did commit You want the truth? You know I'd do it all again“

These opening lines I feel capture the Alpha Relay Incident really well, and how Shepard did what they HAD to do there, and would do it again, but it still feels like shit. I always wished there was more choice on that mission, but also, having something like that happen without player agency is interesting. Shepard is at their most interesting, I think, in times where we DON’T have a say in what happens to them.

45. Reignite - Malukah Commander Shepard

“Crush my heart into embers, and I will reignite”

Is it cheating to use a Mass Effect fan song on my playlist? I certainly don’t think so, and this is the best Mass Effect fan song ever written.

THIRD MOVEMENT - MASS EFFECT 3

46. This Is War - Thirty Seconds to Mars Leaving Earth

“It's the moment of truth, and the moment to lie The moment to live and the moment to die The moment to fight, the moment to fight To fight, to fight, to fight “

It feels Too Easy to use this here but I’m gonna anyway. You’ve seen AMVs of this set to everything. It’s the ending song of DA:O. It’s the quintessential World At War song.

47. Battleborn - The Killers James Vega

“Up against the wall There's something dying on the street When they knock you down You're gonna get back on your feet”

James Vega is massively underrated and I will love him til I’m cold in the ground. Aro icon.

48. Handlebars - Flobots The Illusive Man

“I can hand out a million vaccinations Or let 'em all die of exasperation Have 'em all healed of their lacerations Have 'em all killed by assassination”

The way this song escalates fits TIM and Cerberus’s fall back into being Just Full On Evil really well. Perfect song for a power trip.

49. Here I Dreamt I Was An Architect - The Decemberists The Virmire Survivor

“And I am nothing of a builder But here I dreamt I was an architect And I built this balustrade To keep you home, to keep you safe From the outside world”

I like this song for how the Virmire Survivor feels about their survivor’s guilt and also about Shepard. I honestly wish they were both more heavily utilized in ME2 and 3, but I realize it’s hard to write a ton of content for characters who just aren’t in half of all peoples’ playthrus.

50. Heaven Knows - The Pretty Reckless Grisson Academy

“One, two, three and four, the devil's knocking at your door Caught in the eye of a dead man's lie Show your life with your head held high“

This song is so perfect for Jack and her biotic kids that she’s one of the only returning characters that gets her own song on this playlist

51. The Great Fire - OK Go Javik

“But when the flames die down, and everything is gone, Will there be fire under the ashes still?”

Self explanatory. Javik is the fire remaining under the ashes.

52. Bring the Hammer Down - Paragon Priority: Tuchanka/Kalros

“ Hammer strikes the anvil A rage that breaks the chain Strikes down like a lightening In our ranks “

KALROOOOOS

53. Wake Up - Arcade Fire Curing The Genophage/Mordin Solus

“If the children don't grow up, Our bodies get bigger but our hearts get torn up. We're just a million little gods causin' rain storms, turnin' every good thing to Rust I guess we'll just have to adjust”

I just really love this song as an image of Mordin’s spirit looking out over Tuchanka as the genophage cure is dispersed, and watching over future generations. If you didn’t cure the genophage, how dare you. No song for you.

Anyway started tearing up listening to this one while writing the description don’t look at me

54. Ballad of a Politician - Regina Spektor Councillor Udina/Priority Citadel 2

“A man inside a room is shaking hands with other men This is how it happens/Our carefully laid plans”

traitor

55. Cyborgs vs. Robots - Ludo The Geth-Quarian War

“But your iron fist will never knock me down 'Cause I'm powered By a conscious right to conduct my life without fear.”

This is probably a bit silly for this awful war. But also. It does fit. You can’t tell me it doesn’t. Just save them both at the end and you can feel fine having some fun with it!

56. Artificial Heart - Jonathan Coulton The Geth

“It's not a real heart It is a real artificial heart”

Just a little fun with the Geth! This works best with Reaper Upgrades.

57. With A Little Help From My Friends - Joe Anderson, Jim Sturgess The Citadel DLC

“What do you see when you turn out the light? I can't tell you, but I know it's mine

Oh, I get by with a little help from my friends”

I happen to prefer this version to any other because of how much fun it sounds like they’re having

58. Dark In Here - The Mountain Goats Priority: Earth

“Steal away at sundown, pick a place to hide Check for signs of ambush, hunker down inside Tired of running, tired of never standing still Hear them riding up the hill“

You know I had to get the Goats in here. Would it be a fan playlist if there wasn’t one?

59. Adieu - Yoko Kanno Leaving your Love Interest/Shepard and the Beam

“My love for you burns deep inside me / So strong Embers of times we had And now, here I stand / Lost in a memory I see your face, and smile”

...do I need to say more than that?

60. My Way (Minor Key) - Chase Holfelder The Indoctrination of The Illusive Man

“Regrets, I've had a few/But then again, too few to mention I did what I had to do/I saw it through, without exemption“

This cover takes this song from something I tolerate when I hear it to one of my FAVORITE songs. The frenzied way he sings the “through it all” verse is PEAK Indoctrinated TIM.

61. I’m Alive - Disturbed Refusal 

“There will never be a reason why I will surrender to your advice To change myself, I'd rather die/Though they will not understand”

Honestly I didn’t “get” the Refusal ending until I heard this song, then I was like, OH, I SEE IT ALL SO CLEARLY NOW. This is my favorite in-universe Shepard take on the Refusal ending. I always got it from the player’s perspective of being dissatisfied with the options, but this one puts it into the world for me. This is a Shepard who does not trust the Starchild. This is a Shepard that chooses to end things on their own terms rather than submit to their designs.

62. Machine - Regina Spektor Control 

“I collect my moments Into a correspondence With a mightier power Who just lacks my perspective And who lacks my organics And who covets my defects “

I used to have Adieu here, actually, because like Refusal, I didn’t used to GET the Control ending. Now, I do, in part thanks to hearing this song. I mean, just go look at the full lyrics. If this song hadn’t been written years before the end of Mass Effect 3, I’d swear it was a fan song for it.

63. Maybe Tomorrow - Yuki Kajiura Destroy 

“The moon is gone And the night is still so dark I'm a little bit afraid of tomorrow“

I’m a Destroy Ending person, I won’t lie. Full on “the starchild is a liar and my synthetic friends are FINE” indoctrination theory level destroy ending. But this song is not about that. It’s about the canonical destroy ending, and if you prefer a Shep that survives it, this song’s for you.

This song captures the exhaustion and melancholy of the end of a long journey so well. Shepard is afraid of what comes next, the collateral damage resulting from their actions. But they know that, at least, it’s over now. Maybe tomorrow will be better.

64. Waiting For the End - Linkin Park Synthesis

“ I know what it takes to move on I know how it feels to lie All I wanna do is trade this life for something new Holding on to what I haven't got”

This is one of my favorite songs of all time. The hardest part of ending is starting again. Oof. Gets me every single time. Shepard finding the resolve to sacrifice themself for the hope of something better, of things not going how they planned, ever, of learning to make peace with that and the people who loved them learning to carry on without them? OOF.

65. Shine - Vienna Teng Epilogue

“Shine with all the untold Hold the light given unto you Find the love to unfold In this broken world we choose“

Vienna Teng is a master of capturing life’s softer emotions, and this fits perfectly with the epilogue scene for me. Tell me again about the Shepard.

“Find the love to unfold in this broken world we choose” has to be one of the greatest lines about the human experience ever written.

[brideofcthulhu10]

Hey all my sweet fang babes! This one is for all my Dwayne-lovers starved for attention!

Dwayne Slow Dancing with His Fem!S/O Fluff

It was a slower winter day during Santa Carla’s off season when you decided to invite Dwayne over for a stay-at-home dinner date; your treat. The guys had no interest in intruding on your mushy gushy date nonsense, so for once it really would just be you and him at your apartment. While it never snowed in your coastal city, it had grown significantly colder as Thanksgiving passed leading on to Christmas. The guys had already eagerly come by a week prior to help you set up the tree, crudely stringing up lights you didn't have the heart to fix them. Paul and Marko were so proud of themselves for putting them up! Even David managed to lift a few fingers to help toss a few ornaments up. They always wanted to come over more during the fall and winter. Mostly just because winter time meant you made twice the treats as usual when they visited. It was hard not to spoil them! Not because they were sweet, but these road hogs hardly ever ate anything other than take out, and frankly you didn’t have the heart to tell them those chow mein noodles were the greasiest things you had ever seen even before David’s obnoxious worm trick. Although you were pretty sure they didn’t care. But, you’d rather they eat something that wasn’t reheated in a microwave.

Dwayne was in your living room sifting through VHSs trying to locate the best movie for the night in front of your television. There were three piles he had accumulated so far, hunched over with his chin resting on his knuckles with a perplexing furrow to his firm brow. Honestly, the sight was hilarious. Like a modern The Thinker caught between The Nightmare on Elm Street or Little Shop of Horrors. Frankly you weren’t all that concerned with what to watch tonight, you were just happy to have some alone time with your boyfriend. The word seemed to make your cheeks flare, looking down at your cutting board lest you be caught staring again.

“Babe you can put on whatever, I really don’t mind,” you insist, rapidly gliding your knife over a row of red bell peppers until they were sliced and diced into little bits.

“I hardly get to watch anything at the hotel,” Dwayne spoke up, leaning back on his butt to relieve the knot forming between his shoulder blades. "I want to take advantage of the opportunity to watch something newer, I didn't get to see Little Shop when it came out last year."

You had been to said hotel on previous nights out with the wild pack of vampires, and it was a complete wonder how the demolished landmark still remained stable. Years of neglect corroded wood until they melded into cavernous systems clinging to the architecture with spindly rivers of root systems stemming from above. Pests of varying types roosted in the rafters and hidden corners, you nearly yelped when a rat ran right across your foot. Apparently the critters had associated people with food after Marko had begun sharing his meals with them, and still didn’t quite understand why having a pack of rodents that never wanted to leave your home was a bad thing. While you absolutely refused to be their little maid, you nearly had a panic attack coming across the discarded containers of food riddled with bugs that you ended up throwing out; although you were incredibly tempted to throw them at David who found the whole ordeal amusing. They were men. Hardly. They were gross, wild teenage boys who’d yet to come across a female who didn’t cower at their mighty vampire strength. But you had known Dwayne for a few years by this point. You grew to trust him, to trust them. The threat of disembowelment by a pack of beasts wasn’t exactly much of a threat, especially since you weren’t aware of it until last year. The jarring news had first come across as a joke.

Vampires? Right, and you’re the tooth fairy. But you had come to witness it first hand, completely by accident. A drunken bar patron on the boardwalk had been harassing you on Halloween and flipped your skirt up to eagerly announce to his equally inebriated friends the color of your underwear. Naturally Dwayne had punched him several feet, but you had assumed that was the end of it until hours later he had excused himself for an unusually long period of time. The absence worried you for a number of reasons, leading you to follow him. Between dumpsters, barely illuminated by the eerie glow of moonlight, you watched his back twist. He looked like he was ripping something open. There was no expression across your face while he tore into the man’s neck, rather you had begun walking backwards when your heel had tapped into a hollow aluminum can alerting your position. Dwayne had flown to you, and while you anticipated his attack… he was telling you how unsafe it was to wander at night. Later you both had talked through the ordeal, how he came to be the way he was. The only thing to remember from it all is despite his nature, he’d never hurt you.

‘Thank god for that, otherwise this would be going to waste,’ an amused thought teased your brain, pulling you away from the twisty trail of nostalgia that kept you firmly planted in place. Thankfully you had been snapped back into reality, carefully lifting up the cutting board and scraping the peppers and sausage you finished chopping into the frying pan. Dwayne had finally finished his tower of ‘no’ films, finally sold on Little Shop of Horrors and left to clean up his mess. And now left to still wait for you to finish the meal. He wasn’t even quite sure what you were making. Casually the vampire waltzed into your kitchen, leaning his elbows on the counter top watching you do a little two step sway to Depeche Mode on the radio nestled beside your stove top. He couldn’t help but chuckle at your chipper motions, stepping around to catch you in his arms as you turn around mid-dance.

You couldn’t help but giggle as you crashed into his chest, wrapping your arms around his neck with a tender smile, lost in his hypnotic gaze. “Dwayne, it’s gonna burn,” you try to remind him, still lost in deep pools of amber. He glanced up, leaning forward just past you to click off the burner just as the low bass strums began to play over the radio. 

“There,” he offered, stepping back with his iron arms wrapped around your waist. “Now it won’t burn.”

The Moody Blues sung of nights wrapped in satin, letters written never meant to be sent. You could feel yourself swaying in his arms, one step then two. There was no extravagant choreography riddled with dips and lifts. 

“Beauty I'd always missed, With these eyes before. Just what the truth is, I can't say any more”

Your melodic laugh carried over the powerful chorus, carefully stepping when he clumsily grasped you hand for a dizzying spin before stumbling your back into him. Dwayne’s own booming laugh warmed your heart, laying his head up against your hair.

“...Just what you want to be, you will be in the end… And I love you… Yes I love you! Oh how I love you!”

You spun around again to face him, his neck craning over to nuzzle his forehead against your own. You were amazed neither of you had crashed into the countertop yet, unable to contain your yelp as he lifted you up in the air. The song had slowed to the end, yet you remained above in the air leaning just over his shoulders. Had you even reached the ground? It felt like you had been walking on air even as your toes gently landed back down on cold linoleum tiles. Dwayne had been equally dazed in an ethereal high, still tightly clutching you to himself until a new song had cut through the romantic haze left behind. Again his laugh bubbled in your ears, sneaking mischievous pecks across the nape of your neck.

“I guess we should eat before it gets cold,” he asked, glancing behind you at the steaming sausage and vegetables scattered between chunks of seasoned rice. 

“Well,” you began to ponder, glancing up at him. A huge smile spread across your cheeks as you leaned back with his hands still clasping your waist to turn up the volume knob on your radio. “Maybe just… one more dance.”

[cryptidsandcatacombs]

What If I Killed Someone For You

Rating: absolutely postively adult for violent yandere content. Anyone under the age of 18 better go away. No reading allowed for anyone under the age of 18. Plus there's like one adult joke in here so no one under the age of 18 allowed for that reason either.

Summary: This is literally fueled by my love of yandere content #nojudgingcringecultureisdeadandikilledit. Noe better watch himself because he's been my muse lately. Anyways uuuu idk yandere stuff here so you know someone's getting stabbed. We should probably do something about that, but we're not gonna. Thems the rules chief. No, you can't stop it either you total fucking killjoy. I'll start stealing toes if you do. What will I do with said toes? Black markets are a lucrative business and I need the money cause I'm broke fam. So really it's the economy's fault that I'm chopping toes. Say thanks late stage capitalism. This is brought to you by idk the monster under your bed who chops off the toes for me. He gets paid by the hour so try no to run too much ok.

Oh and this fic contains lyrics from If I killed someone for you by Alec Benjamin. Yes I'm inserting song lyrics into a fic like it's the early 2000s.

I'm packing up my things and I'm wiping down the walls I'm rinsing off my clothes and I'm walking through the halls I did it all for her So I felt nothing at all I don't know what she'll say So I'll ask her when she calls

Would you love me more? If I killed someone for you

Oz was considered by most a laid back sort of guy. Never angered easily. He can get frustrated like every other person, but not so easily angered.

However, despite his laid back nature, he had a vice. Jealousy. One that he was very self aware of. He often tried not to let it get the better of him, but there it was. A beast clad in green with eyes of emerald staring him directly in the fact tempting him with its siren song.

The siren song came in the form of Noe Archiviste and....whoever this girl was that was hanging all over Noe right now. She had a voice as sweet as molasses and brown curls that fell down her shoulders like waterfalls. She would run her hands over Noe and look at him with her doe eyes. She was a cute on overall. Couldn't blame Noe for taking interest if it was there.

He seemed to not the mind the attention he received from the lady...nor the frivolous compliments....nor the blatantly flirty way she seems to be touching him with every caress of his hands into hers and the way she wraps her arms around his neck.

Oz's eye twitched. Oz could have stuffed down all this rage and envy that suddenly sprouted from the ether, but jealousy was truly Oz's vice. One he wasn't planning to fix any time soon. He wanted to sit there and be happy for his dearest Noe. Stay to the sidelines and be happy for his good fortune for love is one of the greatest things you can find.

However, there was another urge. One just as strong.

"I want her to die," cried Oz's thoughts. "I want her gone. She can't take Noe away from me. She can't. I know him and I aren't together in a romantic sense, but...I don't want her taking away my chance either. She has to go"

"Now now Oz," said another voice in Oz's head, "You know that's wrong. You can't go around getting rid of anyone you see as a competition or obstacle towards someone you care about."

Oz was prone to scolding himself at times like these. He always held himself to high moral standards. Sometimes too high. To the point of self-loathing. Impressive if you ask the writer. Self awareness? Bitch please for shame. This isn't a call out post for myself. What is it you may ask? Hey, we're getting off topic you little trickster. You're supposed to be a reader. Not breaking the fourth wall.

"Yes yes I know I can't do that. I'm not going to. That still doesn't save me from any form of feral urge to wring her neck and ship her body down the river and hope and have her loved ones pray she can be identified by her dental records. Fuck does she even love him. What if she's out to hurt him or worse just wants him for his body? Look at him! He's gorgeous. Who can blame her? What if she doesn't love him like I do," said Oz's internal thoughts.

"Oz you're being dumb. She might love him unconditionally too and he deserves that for himself," Oz argued internally with himself back.

"I know I know, but I'm just saying what if. I just don't like the idea of him getting hurt nor the idea of her taking him away from me. I'm entitled to that feeling aren't I," Oz continued to debate with his voice of reason.

"Fair, but lets just wait and see. He's a big boy and can handle himself," Oz's voice of reason stated.

"Yeah a big boy in more ways than one I bet," said the third internal Oz voice of being horny and all around slutty that constantly lives there.

"This is getting us nowhere," Oz himself decided to just cut the internal argument off before it turns into a blood match to the death. This was disturbing his routine of stalking Noe for ...research purposes.

Oz looked over to now see them sitting down at the nearby cafe. They were seated across from each other. Oz noted Noe might be enjoying his usual coffee or tea. He liked it extra sweet either way. The man has one hell of a sweet tooth.

"Yeah I bet that brown haired hussie doesn't know that, but I do," Oz thought to himself smugly.

Oz looked back at Noe's companion to see her touching his arm and doing the egregious crime of looking into his magnificent purple eyes. Wait....was she now touching his face?

"You lucky bitch," Oz thought to himself this time with anger brows drawn on the words for dramatic emphasis.

Oz ran his fingers through his hair in frustration. "Damn it! How long is this date going to last? I hope it stops before I puke up a lung," Oz thought to himself this time internally rolling in pain.

Hours passed and Oz with surprising tenacity had stayed there all day following Noe around with the clever disguise of wearing a hat and ya know some shabby clothes. Truly no way he could be recognized. Yep, he's got it all figured out.

Oz decided to follow them home from a fair distance. Oz looked up to see the sunset. It was starting to get dark and Oz hated the dark, but he hated certain people who might harm those he loves even more. A little nyctophobia isn't gonna hurt.

Oz followed quietly until he noticed they stopped in front of a flat. It was her flat. Noe escorted her to the door like the gentleman he is and waved her good night. Oz had found a nice dark alleyway to hide in so he wouldn't be spotted.

Noe headed towards Oz's direction which caused Oz to hide deeper into the darkness. Oz bit his lip from the anxiety of being found and having some explaining to do. Like who was he kidding? This disguise was paper thin!

Noe looked like he was passing by Oz, then stopped. Oz froze. Oh god had he spotted him?

Before Oz could register what happened next, Noe had gone in a flash. Oz knew he was fast, but he couldn't see where he went.

It was then a grunt and the sound of what seemed to be something getting bashed against the wall behind Oz. Oz slowly turned to find Noe whose hand was pressing something against the wall.

It was then he grabbed whatever he was holding and slammed it again. Oz stared into the darkness to see his eyes glowing red to match the blood on his gloves.

After another slam, the clear sound of bone cracking from the impact could be heard. Noe dropped, what Oz could assume, the now lifeless body of the person he just killed.

Noe turned to see Oz and Oz froze. "Ok ok maybe he doesn't know it's you," Oz thought to himself. "Oh I know."

"Aye top of the morning to you," Oz did in his best Irish accent that he could muster.

Noe leaned down and inspected Oz. Oz could only look at Noe confused as Noe lifted Oz's arms and looked over Oz's face and the rest of his person.

Noe then gave a sigh of relief. "Good, I was afraid he had hurt you Oz," Noe said putting a hand on Oz's shoulder.

"Wait, you knew it was me," Oz said face turning hot.

"I mean, I'd recognize you from anywhere. You're not hard to miss," Noe pointed out.

"Oh uuu so what happened exactly," Oz asked now curious about the now lifeless elephant in the room.

Oz went to look at the supposed body only for Noe to yank him back and shook his head no.

"You're squeamish," Noe said taking his bloody glove off, putting his now bare hand on Oz's face,"I wouldn't look."

Oz shuddered taking Noe's advice.

"The man had been following you. I know of him. That vampire right there would have killed you where you stood if I hadn't done something," Noe said honestly.

Oz batted his lashes in shock taken aback. "I...almost died," Oz asked.

Noe nodded. "Fortunately, he doesn't kill in broad daylight, so I had to wait til night. I had just noticed him following you today. I don't know how long he's been doing it for, but if I had noticed earlier, he would have been dead on the first day," Noe nearly growled out. "I'd rather not have killed him in broad daylight either,ut if I had to, I would have," Noe wanted to point out. "If he had attacked you, I absolutely would have."(edited)

Oz turned pale. "W-wait, when did you notice I was...," Oz said not knowing how to word his next question.

"Following me," Noe asked for him, "Since I left the house. You're not exactly subtle."

Oz blushed. "Oh uh sorry I was just curious as to what your daily routine was like and then I noticed you had a female companion, so I was trying to see if you were safe," Oz said nervously.

"Her? She was lonely and needed company, so I obliged. She's a bit friendly, but so am I," Noe pointed out.

"So are you...interested in her? Dating her even," Oz asked getting to the point.

Noe shook his head. "Not in the slightest," Noe said heading towards the body making effort to cover it up. "I'll dispose of the body in a minute. Let's take the back ways so I'm not caught soaked in blood. I need to get you home," Noe said quickly leading him back.

"Wait what if someone finds it," Oz asked fearfully.

"This will be quick," Noe said picking up Oz and speeding off.

Oz could often forget how fast this unstoppable force of a man was.

A few minutes later, Oz was back on his doorstep. Oz rubbed the back of his neck looking towards Noe wondering what Noe was going to do now.

"Now, go inside and don't come check on me. I don't want to have to hide more bodies this evening should more make the fatal mistake of coming after you," Noe said waiting til Oz got to his door.

"Ok ok," Oz said opening his door.

Oz waved Noe off as he sped away to do the dirty work.

Later that night, Oz flopped over into the bed still registering the fact he just saw Noe Archiviste straight up body a man. The sweet, gentle lamb of a man just increased the body count this evening. The man was now a statistic in vampire based deaths. Truly mystifying.

Oz wanted to stay up and see if Noe was going to be ok. However, sleep took Oz before Oz could make any quick decisions. It had been a long day.

As Oz slept, Noe crept in with any blood soaked clothes supposedly disposed of. Noe bent down and ran his fingers through Oz's hair.

Noe's fingers drifted to Oz's pulse on his neck. Long has Noe fantasized about marking Oz's neck. The thought made him shiver, but he couldn't. He couldn't bare to do it with him possibly not consent as marking someone like that is a big deal.

Noe pressed a little more of the pulse of Oz's neck. The beat made Noe's heart race and what Noe could swear was drool. To be so intimate with Oz to the point he trusts Noe to drink his blood. It was enough to make him shiver.

Noe shook himself from these thoughts. He couldn't give in. Not without Oz's permission.

Noe got up quietly and shut Oz's door bedroom door behind him as he left. He couldn't bare to kiss Oz's face good night as he was afraid it would trigger something in him.

Noe fled out the door into the dead of night towards his place. He wouldn't let any harm come to Oz. Even if that danger was himself.

[jokertrap-ran]

[Drama CD]   AGF’19  Uta No Prince Sama: Sweets Vampire ~Key towards your heart~ Side: Mikaze Ai

Company: Broccoli CV: Aoi Shouta (蒼井 翔太)

*Commissioned by Gryphy,  Thank you! *Spoiler free: Translations under cut

Commissions are OPEN!!

A place where only the chosen can tread upon; a forbidden mansion. The enthralling scent of sweet chocolate and freshly baked confectioneries drifts in the air, enticing and ensnaring the poor souls that dare step foot into the mansion.

And sleeping within the tightly enclosed chocolate coffins…

Were none other than Vampires. Eternal, immortal, immaculate and seeking love forevermore. The only things that can awaken these slumbering being are a secret key and your sweet, delicious love.

And that key, is proof that you’ve entered a contract with one of the dwelling vampires in the mansion. Such an innocent and pure love you bring; so much power. Thus, the vampire will wait upon you. In exchange for the immense power they gain in return.

Now…

Use that burning passion of yours to melt these glacial icy hearts that never beat…

For a sought after, never-ending, immortally eternal love. I wonder if you know how long I’ve waited for such a moment to come. Proceed accordingly, follow your heart and tread lightly. For everything is within the palm of your hand.

Sweets Vampire: Key to melt your heart

⊹ ˚✩ ━━━━━━━ ༻ ✩ ༺ ━━━━━━━ ✩˚ ⊹

Nice to meet you. Welcome to this mansion. You’re warm. You have a body temperature. I see, you must be human then. And that key you’re holding…that’s the proof of contract. From the information I’m getting, I infer that you’re my master? Could I take a look at that key you have there? I wish to see if it’s authentic.

Hmm…Yes. It’s just as I deduced. Although, I did feel an odd sensation when I saw the key within your grasp. Something about it just told me that you were holding onto the real thing, without a doubt. This applies to when I first set my eyes on you as well. Or rather, this is the first time I’ve felt this way towards a human.

You’re not moving even a fraction of an inch. What’s wrong? Still breathing? Well, I suppose you’d be surprised by all of this. I’m pretty sure this is the first time you’re up face-to-face with a vampire too. Not to mention that they also do tell you that you should be prepared to lose your life when you encounter one. 

Hm? You’re interested in the colour of my hair and eyes rather than the fact that I’m a living, breathing vampire? That’s the same reaction almost everyone has when they see me. I know it; I’m aware. It’s a strange colour to see around here, right? It’s beautiful? Well…that’s…I think that’s the first time anyone’s ever said that to me. Do you really think it’s beautiful? Don’t get so close to me. I don’t know what I’d do if you keep staring at me intensely. Would you please not indiscriminate me? It makes it hard for me to settle down if you do that. The colour entices you? My eyes? I don’t have the power of allurement, though. Yeah. I get it, so let’s just keep the praises at that, okay? Don’t try doing a round-about and use examples instead either. Don’t quote stories, tales and fables either. No, you were being so profoundly serious about it that I thought I should crack a joke.

Your eyes seem to view things in a different manner compared to the general populace. Everyone calls me a demon’s spawn, you see. I’m…kind? That’s the first I’m hearing of that too. You’re a really odd individual, aren’t you?

I wonder why…what’s this feeling I feel for you? I can’t really explain it well, but my chest…it’s starting to feel warm. And I feel like this isn’t because of that key you’re wielding. Your influence upon my being has caused some abnormalities within my being. I feel strange. I don’t know what to do… Hey? What should I do during times like this? I should just follow my heart and do whatever it tells me to do? I don’t really have a good grasp on human feelings. Actually, I don’t even know if I was originally a human in the first place. I heard that I was deemed as a “demon’s spawn” and abandoned soon after I was born. Or so I heard. I don’t remember anything from my past. No, I don’t have a single memory of my early days. Not even any childhood memories. Even if I try to remember, there’s absolutely nothing in my memory to recall. I can only remember things from after I became a vampire. Nothing has changed from what and how I am right now, though. I don’t know who turned me and I don’t know anything about myself either. Even my name, Ai. It just eventually became my name since everyone was calling me that. There’s absolutely nothing that proves that my real name’s actually Ai.

You might not believe it, but that’s the truth of it. But there was someone, a parental figure of mine. He was a tremendously strong vampire who taught me about the ins and outs of the world and how to survive it like he did in his long life. He came from a human lineage and he brought me up as if I was a human. He blended in with the humans and co-existed with them. But the others around him couldn’t really accept me into their fray. Perhaps it was the influence of the odd colouring of my hair and eyes, but everyone thought I was cursed. No one bothered about me; they ignored my existence and tried to steer away from me. Why are you pulling such an expression? You’re simply hearing out my story. Huh? That expression’s…for my sake? Somehow, my chest is starting to hurt when I see you feeling so down. I can’t really breathe, it’s a suffocating feeling. Could this feeling be what you humans call sadness…? If so, then… I suppose I’ve been sadder than I thought I originally was all this time.

Hey, don’t cry. I’ll make you smile; bring a smile onto your face. No, that’s a wrong way to put it. It’s not just for your sake, but I suppose I’m also doing it because I hate to see you sad. I don’t want to make you suffer from the feeling of being sad ever again. I want you to laugh! I want you to be happy! I wonder why…that’s what I feel really strongly about now at this moment in time.

Heh. That’s right. This expression looks way better on you. Ah, how warm. I can feel the feelings you’ve conveyed to me yet again. I think this is what they call happiness. I’ve only ever felt this many feelings in concession after having met Otoya and Cecil. They’re like family to me, because the one who made me into a vampire, made them into ones too. Otoya…he’s the polar opposite of me, so it took quite some time for me to get used to being around him. I think he got used to me real quick though. He’s quite hard-headed and I’ve never quite met another as persistent as him. We’ve been together for a long time now, but sometimes I still question his actions. And as for Cecil, he was persecuted for being a foreigner. We have similar woes of being alienated from others so we got along like a fish in water. He would often accommodate his actions according to my mood, so he was really easy to talk to. He sometimes surprises me with his bold actions, but I suppose that’s one of his good points. It’s really reassuring, being around him. Despite how he always shows up on a daily basis despite how long we’ve been living together, I don’t think I’ll ever get bored of his presence. His presence makes our long eternal life one of fun. For example, he’d drag both of us out on a walk every night. You’d think it normal, but then something unexpected happens out of the blue! The last time we did that, Otoya thought It’d be funny to jump-scare Cecil but ended up falling into the river nearby. And Cecil was of no help either since his biggest fear in this world’s water, of all things. So they both tried getting out of there by grabbing onto the nearby tree trunk. I suppose it has only been this fun so far thanks to the two of them being in my life. But…

I’ve found another side of myself ever since meeting you.

It’s not actually the first time I felt compelled to do something for others sake. Of course, I don’t normally think about it but even I do…once in a while. Still…These feelings I have for you are different from all those. You’re special. More so than anyone else out there.

I want to save you from the deep well of sadness. I want you to always keep on smiling. I think I’ll even do anything if that’s what it takes to make that a reality. I wonder what these feelings are…I want to learn more about it. Is it correct to call this “love”? I’m glad I got it right. And you…you feel the same too? What a miracle it must be! I never thought that a day with so much goodness in it would ever come…

Oh yes, I read about it in a book but they did say that two people in love with each other should kiss, yes? Um…like this? Sorry. I didn’t mean to surprise you. I just wanted to express my love to you, but it seems like I was going about it wrongly. 

Thank you for your forgiveness. I’ll try my best to remember and learn. So we’ll exchange our feelings like this…I’ll give you my love and you’ll return it back in turn. We’ll continue on down this path until we come to understand each other, okay? We don’t have to follow any examples. I want to find something that’s just “us”. These feelings dwelling deep in my heart are mine, so…no, they are ours. It might take some time, but will you search for it together with me? A song of love, something fitting for us two.

[drethanramslay]

Hand that you hold

Pairing: Kamilah x MC (Dakota Rivers)

Summary: Marriage is a beautiful union of two souls. When two people whose soul's sing for each other, it's then you know that that person is worth keeping around.

Word count: 3.4 K words

Warning: NONE. Its pretty much fluff and a bit of swearing

Masterlist

Taglist: @miyakokurono @trappedinfandoms @vampiregirlsblog (lemme know if you want to be tagged)

Song: Hand that you hold by Dan Owen

Forgive me for any mistakes 🥺

"I swear on my fangs Justin, if there is even a decoration out of place, it's your ass on the line." Dakota spoke into the phone with a cool voice. Lindsay was going around her like a mother hen, making the final alterations to her wedding dress.

Today was the day and things were already going berserk.

"Ummm I don't know what are you talking about...?" Justin Mercado spoke, with a tremble in his voice.

"Oh really? So whose employee was the one who flipped a fucking table in her blind rage, hmm? And I had asked you to leave the cobblestone path alone, but some dumbass on your team went ahead and put roses. ROSES?! That's so damn cliche and I specifically asked for non cliche and unique things. What had I asked for?"

"Non cliche and unique. We are already cleaning that up." Justin audibly gulped.

"When I had last come down, the fairy lights were not up and the podium where I am supposed to get married, does not have the flower arch up yet?! It's six in the fucking evening, the moment the sun sets people are going to start coming. The greenhouse doesn't have the floating lights yet. Just because we are supernaturals and have heightened senses doesn't mean we to drink and socialize in the dark!!"

"Yes ma'am we are almo-" Justin began but Dakota cut her off.

"When I asked for your services, I was promised the best. The only thing I am getting best is problems.... and an amazing wedding dress."

Lindsay blushed as she looked down at her feet. Dakota gave her a small encouraging smile.

"Ma'am that was a...a honest mistake. The decorations are all set, the tables have the pastel flower basket centre pieces. The food caterer reached and have started plating the appetizers. The bar is open and well stocked with blood and alcohol. We are good to go for your first guest."

"Good. I want this day to be perfect for my wife. For the love of the moon, if anything else goes wrong, I will skin your hide and make a carpet out if it. Got it?" Dakota threatened him. She hung up the phone and Lily snickered in the background.

"God Dakota you are such a bridezilla." Dakota just sighed, "I just...want it to be perfect. Agreed it's a small and intimate ceremony but still."

"It's gonna be lit af. The talk of the century. So don't worry. You just worry on sitting still and looking pretty." Lily said as she went into the adjacent bathroom to change.

Dakota sighed, for what seemed as the millionth time, as she turned towards the mirror to see herself. The person in the reflection had the same grey eyes and pale skin. But, she looked gorgeous. Almost like a different person.

She had decided to throw the traditional white wedding dress out of the window and went for something more unique, just like their love. She had opted for a baby blue wedding dress with layers of chiffon, making it look like ballroom gown. It was sleeveless but the neck of the gown extended till her midriff.

God Kami is going to lose her mind... Dakota thought, smiling slyly.

There were pastel colour flowers embroidered into the net like material which made her look like a blossoming flower. Just like after a long harsh winter, spring comes, causing the flowers to bloom, similarly, after three grueling years of fighting off the bad guys and loosing so many people, they finally have happiness and peace.

And there is no other way she would like to commemorate this happy occasion.

Her blonde hair had been tied into a low bun, stubborn strands of hair escaping it. Lindsay helped her put on the blue stone 'ridiculous' tiara, which Kamilah had bought her after the harrowing fiasco.

Dakota smiled to herself as she wore it, reminiscing the day in the empty jewelry store. "I'm such a pretty, pretty princess, dammit." Dakota spoke, from her memory.

"Yes that you are, Ms. Rivers. I must say that you are one of the most prettiest brides I have ever seen. The henna tattoos on your hands are just making you look so unique...IN A GOOD WAY." Lindsay spoke, as she flushed.

Dakota looked down at the henna designs on her hand. She wanted to respect Kamilah's Egyptian heritage so they both got henna tattoos on their hands just two days before the marriage. As they got them done, they laughed and swapped stories.

It was such a pleasant experience.

"Thank you so much Lindsay, this wedding dress is just perfect. Wouldn't have been possible without your hard work." Dakota said earnestly as she squeezed her hands, as a sign of gratitude.

Lindsay flushed and dipped her head and walked out of the dressing room. Dakota sat down near the large mirror and checked her make up. She was just finishing up her touch ups when Lily stepped out of the bathroom in a black suit. She was wearing formal trousers and a blazer, which showed the valley of her breasts. She had paired this with a golden pendant, which went till her midriff. She finished of her look with a pair of black stilettos.

"Damn Lily, you looking hot." Dakota told her.

Lily smiled and she walked to the mirror and placed her hands on Dakota's shoulder. "You are looking so gorgeous.... I am so, so happy for you. You deserve all the happiness in the world."

Dakota reached and held her best friends hand, unable to say anything because of the intense emotions she was feeling.

"I just wish Jax was here..." Dakota said as tears pooled on the corner of her eyes.

Lily sighed. "I bet he has got first row seats to this function. Being the boomer he is, he would end up coming an hour earlier than the starting time!!"

Both of them laughed out loud, making the sad atmosphere, a little lighter.

"C'mon girl. Let's gets you on the podium so that you can watch your sexy wife walk down the aisle."

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

Justin had not screwed up.

Which was a huge relief.

Kamilah and Dakota had decided that they would have the ceremony in a private garden. Nothing to big. Dakota had made several mood boards about the way she wanted to decorate the garden and the adjacent greenhouse.

The greenhouse would be the place where food, drinks and the reception would be held.

The greenhouse was like a magical place of its own. It was a mix of glass and wood which complemented each other perfectly. Green vines hung from the roof, over the tables. The hanging lights amidst them made it look enchanted. The tables were covered with simple white tablecloths but the center pieces along with the tealight candles, really made the entire venue colorful.

The party favours had been placed on each chair. Kamilah decided to order baklava and give it out as party favours. Dakota hundred percent agreed because she may or may not have had a box or two of those sweet, sinful delights.

Everything looked perfect.

The guests were already present when she came down to the greenhouse. They were laughing, drinking and mingling. When she entered the place everyone stopped their conversation and turned to look at her. Even though she was one of the most powerful vampires of their time, the person who slayed Rheya, the goddess, she still felt so awkward when everyone's eyes were on her.

Dakota shyly waved before speaking, "Hey guys! Thank you so much for coming. The appetizers are being distributed and the bar is open. We will be starting the ceremony in half an hour."

Nikhil was the first one to come up to her. "Ah Miss Dakota! You look as ethereal as a fairy. I'm in awe."

"Thank you so much for your kind words Nikhil. I must thank you for helping in finding the venue."

"It was my utmost pleasure Miss. Go on, greet your other guests. If you need any help, I am at your beck and call."

Smiling Dakota headed to meet the other vamps. Serafine had donned a beautiful evening gown. Adrian was standing there with a drink in his hand, wearing a black tux. When she reached them, they stopped their conversation and turned to greet her.

"Hey Sera! Hey Senator Adrian." Dakota said with a teasing smile. Adrian groaned while Serafine let out an elegant laugh. "Oh my love, you look so gorgeous. Kamilah is indeed a lucky woman to have met you." Serafine said as she hugged Dakota, and kissed her cheeks.

"Thank you for coming. I know you were busy with the opening of your nightclub." Serafine just waved her hand. "Ah those things come and go. But seeing Kamilah settle down, never. Couldn't miss it for the life of it."

"Kamilah was saying that you managed most of the decorations. Must say that they look beautiful." Adrian complemented her. "Thank you Adrian. Can't say it was easy. I may or may not have threatened four people today." They laughed and Adrian checked the time in his watch.

"Gotta go and check on Kamilah. I hope she doesn't have a breakdown. It wasn't fun the last time." Adrian grumbled as he gave Dakota a side hug.

Dakota then headed to the New Orleans gang who were laughing loudly. "Hey Cal, Krom, Ivy."

"EEEEE!! Thank you for inviting me. I may be dead but all these cute ceremonies almost make me feel alive." Ivy said as she hugged Dakota.

Krom groaned. "Can you go one day without the death jokes?"

"Over my dead body." Ivy shot back.

Krom just threw his huge hands up with defeat. "I can't win. I give up."

"Congrats Dakota! Still can't thank you enough for helping me escape from the weirdo's place." Cal said as he shook her hands.

"Cal... We sang karaoke together. I think we are past the 'thank you stage'."

"Oh. My. God. Cal you did karaoke?!" The petite girl with ombre hair beside him squealed. Cal started cursing under his breath. "Yeah babe. It was before we met."

"Can you please send the video to me? Also how rude of me. I am Alex Reyez-Elrich." She extended her hand and Dakota shook it.

"Wait, are you the heir of lord Elrich? I have heard so much about you!! Shit, should I call you 'lady' or 'duchess'?"

Alex let out a laugh. "Don't worry Dakota. Lady is the title they use for my step mom. And, I could say the same about you!! I can feel the power in your veins. And I have read about how you revolutionized the entire vampire- human coexistence. I'm impressed."

"Thank you for coming. By the way, where is Garrus?"

"Behind the bar obvio. You can talk to him later. It's time." Ivy said as she took a sip of her whiskey on rocks.

It's time for my wedding. Dakota smiled at that thought.

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

"Kamilah if you continue pacing around the room I swear I will put your ass on the ground." Adrian groaned.

"You wouldn't stand a chance against me." Kamilah shot back.

Kamilah sighed as she sat down near the dressing table, staring at her reflection. She had decided to wear a suit instead of the usual gown. It was porcelain white, and it fit her perfectly. There were occasional patches of embroidery on the blazer which made it look so elegant. Her hair had been left open, looking glossy underneath the yellow tinted lights. Her lips were painted red and she had put minimal make up. She was wearing her brother's pendant. She reached to touch it, wishing that he was watching over her from heaven.

Henna tattoos designed her hands and she smiled looking down at them. She would have been happy even if they got married in a courthouse, but she appreciated the gesture. Dakota was so incessant to follow the ritual and she just couldn't say no to that beautiful face.

Letting out a breath she didn’t know she was holding, she wore the white stilettos and stood up.

"Last chance to escape. Tell me and I will be your getaway driver." Adrian teased.

"Shut up Raines. It's not helping."

Adrian laughed before he clasped her shoulder. "Kamilah you deserve a happy ending. Dakota is perfect for you and I can see how much she loves you. You don't have to doubt her or her love for you."

"I'm just so nervous.." Kamilah wiped her palms on her trouser pants.

"And that's totally normal. I remember when I married my wife, I was so scared that I jumbled up the vows!!" Adrian laughed.

"If this is your way of comforting me, please shut up at this instant." Kamilah said as she picked up her bouquet of wild flowers, tied with a blue ribbon.

He offered his arm to her and Kamilah grabbed it and walked out.

"Thank you brother...for everything."

Adrian smiled and squeezed her arm. "Let's go and get you a wife."

I'm getting married to the love of my life, my habibti. Kamilah thought as a beautiful smile stretched on her face.

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

"Fuck." Dakota breathed out as she saw the fairy lights darken again. "Goddammit! Justin get your ass right her-"

Dakota was cut off as Alex tapped her shoulder, in the dark.

"Dakota, if you don't mind... I can help with your light setting. I don't see it getting better anytime soon."

"Thank you so much Alex. I owe you a bottle of wine after this."

"Mention not." Alex whispered under her breath and rubbed her fingers together and snapped. A ball of yellow light started growing on her palm. It kept on growing until it was the size of a basket ball. Dakota was in awe.

Alex threw her hands up into the air and clapped, resulting in the giant glowing ball to rise in the air and split into its smaller counterparts. Alex waved her hands and the the small light balls spread all over the garden and gazebo, illuminating it in a soft yellow light.

"Yeah that should do it." Alex said as she winked at Dakota.

"Damn girl..." Lily breathed out before regaining her composure and clapping to get the attention of the guests.

"Hey people! Please sit your asses down, we have to get my girl married on time." People took their places and Dakota climbed up the steps of the gazebo.

The cobblestone path led to the gazebo. There were white chairs on either side of it which were slowly being filled by the guests. The gazebo had a teal blue roof which was supported by the white wooden pillars. There were intricate designs on the railing. The entrance of the gazebo had a beautiful flower arch, decorated with pink and white wildflowers.

Everything finally came together.

The Wedding March played and Dakota stood straighter, clutching her bouquet of flowers, to hide how her hands were trembling. She was so nervous. Her heart was racing and she could feel sweat on the back of her neck. She let out a breath, to dissipate her nervousness.

Her eyes landed on the aisle and when she saw Kamilah, all the breath in her body vanished.

Kamilah was walking with her head held high. She was clutching the bouquet and held Adrian's arm. She looked at the gazebo and she was in a trans.

It wasn't Adrian who was holding her, but the grey eyes that tethered her to this world. Reminding her that this was real. She felt like she was floating in a sea of euphoria, but the woman in front of her anchored her. Even if a nuclear missile were to fall out if the sky, or a unicorn was to show up here, she still wouldn't be able to take her eyes off Dakota.

Her love. Her baby. Her habibti.

It was the same thing for Dakota. Time seemed to slow down, people began to vanish until it was just Kamilah and her. Tears welled up in her eyes, by the sheer beauty of this moment. She knew, that this would be the one moment she would never ever forget till the end of time. How her Kami walked down the aisle to her.

Her soulmate. Her rock. Her Queen.

Adrian handed Kamilah to Dakota and patted her shoulder. "Take care of my sister Dakota. Congratulations." Dakota dipped her head. Kamilah reached the podium, and Dakota could see tears pooling in Kamilah's eyes. "Why are you crying?" Dakota joked through her tears.

"The same reason you are habibti." Kamilah answered, with a bright smile that illuminated the entire room. Dakota giggled and reached for Kamilah's hand. They held hands and turned towards the priest.

"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here this evening to witness the beautiful union of these women in holy matrimony. Please sit down." The priest said and the guests sat down.

"If you have your vows written, please tell them."

Dakota turned towards Kamilah and started saying her vows. "Kamilah, before you my life was empty. I never really cared about love, but now, here I am, with you. I see these vows not as promises but as privileges: I get to laugh with you and cry with you, care for you and share with you. I get to run with you and walk with you, build with you, and live with you.

"I’ve seen your kindness and your strength. I’ve seen you patient and frayed. We have been through everything. Through thick and thin. And I know, what a great team we make. Together we are so strong and exquisite."

"You are my favorite person, and I choose you to be my partner in all of eternity. I vow to take you as my wife. Let's be awesome together, even when the world isn't so awesome at times. My heart is yours. Forevermore."

Kamilah took a deep breath, as tears of joy rolled down her face. Smiling, she began her vows. "Love...was something that I never understood. It was a question unanswered. Though I have been with different men and women, deep down I knew, that it was not love. I didn't fall in love with you. I walked into love with you, with my eyes wide open, choosing to take every step along the way."

"I want nothing more than to share my future with you—my triumphs and my challenges, my joys and my sorrows. Together, I know we can accomplish the life we both dream of living. You are beautiful inside and out. You warm my heart and make me soar. You are my queen, and now my forever best friend."

"You are my first, my last, my everything. You are mine until the end of time, and I am yours for as long as you'll have me."

Dakota was crying. Her heart was bursting with overwhelming love for the Egyptian grace in front of her.

Lula, the ring bearer got the rings. Kamilah slipped the elegant diamond ring on to Dakota's ring finger. Dakota slipped a dainty platinum ring with diamonds on it into Kamilah's ring finger.

The priest continued. " If anyone objects this marriage, speak now or forever hold your peace."

Dakota gave a hard glare to the guests, daring someone to say something. The power emanating from her veins was so strong, that Kamilah's eyes widened and the priest shivered. The guests looked as if they were going to suffocate.

Silence.

Dakota rolled in the power, reducing the intensity so that the priest could speak without wetting his pants.

"Do you, Kamilah Sayeed take Dakota Rivers as your wife?"

"I do."

"Do you, Dakota Rivers take Kamilah Sayeed to be your wife?"

"I super do."

"With the power vested in me by the state of New York, I now pronounce you wife and wife. You may seal this union with a kiss."

Kamilah bent down and kissed Dakota chastely. Dakota wrapped her hands around Kamilah's waist and hugged her. It felt as if fireworks were going off in her heart and the feeling of her wife, in her arms was such an amazing feeling.

My wife...never going to get old of that. Kamilah though as she kissed Dakota under the starry night, a promise that she was going to stand by her wife’s side forever and always.

I think my heart melted. UWU

lowkey sad that bloodbound ended but hey! we got to marry her :))

like, reblog and let me know how you liked the one shot :))

[scarletwellyboots]

a (semi) comprehensive list of the moments i fell in love listening to the horror and the wild

the rockrose and the thistle

LOVE opening with the howling wind

joey’s northern accent slipping in super strong for “trying desperately to sew / and i know the kindest thing”

madeleine’s almost whispered harmony

“may i, i ask, may i”

the switch to madeleine only for the last two lines

the horror and the wild

how loud and immediate it starts

“you’re the words that i promise i don’t mean”

the growls ! this has been covered but “promise” is. important

the silence for “remember me i ask”

madeleine’s beautiful “day by day” in the back of joey’s verse

FRET NOT DEAR HEART LET NOT THEM HEAR

between “welcome to the storm” and “i am thunder” the drums sound like a clap of thunder

idk music terms but their differing harmonies for “wild”

the strings !! especially how they continue under “remember me”

madeleine’s slower “you passed your fingers” on the last repetition

not finishing “i am the wild”??? letting the instrumentation finish the phrase?? the way the song feels unfinished?? incredible

wild blue yonder

it’s so pretty!! it starts so sunny :)

“without...” “YOU”

“i woulda gone so much blonder” lyrical genius

the build of “so one last time love come and rip my clothes off”

i am in fact a slut for counterpoint duets so i’m in love with this band

“flirting” / “wasn’t flirting”

“halt!” and the silence that follows

the accent on “covers”

listen we talk about “dear heart” but “lover” and “darling” and all the pet names they use are so soft and so delightfully like. fey

“every stone you threw i stood on to better see the view”

the silence after “fear of sound”

“i’m lost” / “i’m found” “in you”

the melody of “so tight i’d bruise you” and like. the lilt in “bruise” !!

i love the background vocals kicking in for “build this world”

“or a robot vampire i dunno” like i said. lyrical genius

“hoooooold melover” i love the drawn-out note followed by how quick the next bit is

so many of their songs feel like they finish on a breath in? they feel like unfinished thoughts and i adore it

welly boots

the soft guitar intro i’m !!

“i am above you and i love you”

“i’ll be with you all along as long as you are kind to those who are not strong and cannot find their scarlet welly boots” i’m

the lilt on “hard” is !

the melody of the section from “when you scream it’s not fair” to “if only you could hear my voice”

the instrumental coming in before the end of “i’m not still there”

and GOD the percussion and the marching feel of the beat

“you were supposed to be my light” ok just rip my heart out thanks

the melody of “when you scream ‘i’m not alright’” to “how could you leave me here” is the same as “when you scream it’s not fair” but stronger and more desperate

“leave me here” feels like a scream

“i know you’re strong enough to do this on your own”

madeleine’s offset repetition of “strong enough to do this”

sometimes she says “stronger on your own” and i. LYRICS

the slowing to the original drum beat to the original guitar

“oh jesus christ you’ll miss me”

the breathlessness of “stairs” fuck me up why don’t you.

“a brand new pair of scarlet welly boots” cool i didn’t need a heart

the guitar outro is so soft !

farewell wanderlust

hello piano !

EVERYTHING about madeleine’s voice in the first verse

the contrast of joey’s almost spoken baritone

the way she hits the ends of syllables

“hey darlin’ hey”

the slide on “say”

the quiet almost heartbeat-sounding percussion

“i promise you i’ll be better”

the growl on “rubbing” and “rugs”

“it’s my curse / to try and make it right but by trying make it worse”

“the jesus of wishing to christ he’ll come back” !!

the quieting to “farewell wanderlust” and the lilt of it

she’s down DUN DUN she’s dead DUN DUN

joey’s “you alright?” and how deep his voice is compared to hers

madeleine singing “something more comfortable” and joey speaking “be our guest”

the piano mimics madeleine’s voice for “hoik! of her bra”

joey’s voice is so throaty it sounds almost like he’s been crying we love an emotive king

“i promise you i’m not broken / i promise you there’s more / more to come, more to reach for, more to hurl at the door”

“this here isn’t makeup, it’s a porcelain tomb”

THIS HERE IS NOT SINGING I’M JUST SCREAMING IN TUNE

the lack of instruments for “i’m just screaming in tune” so that he really is

he’s down DUN DUN he’s dead DUN DUN

the quieter “s/he’s down” section at the end

again it finishes like there’s more to be said

fair

the shuffling of the recording noises i !

the breathlessness! how he speaks/whispers “can’t be said”

“today i somehow understand the reason i was born”

“he’s got so much fucking hair” i’m.

“she is stronger than he’s ever been”

“when i’m actually...really fucking...cross at you for something”

“it’s not fair how much i love you” cool okay back to ripping my heart out

“inundated with the fated thought of you” is So pretty

“darling i was born to press my head between your shoulder blades”

“dear heart it’s me” again with the dear heart !!

“just trying to watch the office....with my yoghurt” lyrical genius

the switch of him/her in the second chorus !

the breaks in joey’s voice for unreasonable i’m weeping like ! he talked once about being allowed to feel like his voice doesn’t have to be perfect and it shows here with the breaks lending themselves to the emotion of the song

for him standing next to her people will think he’s alright but people will think she’s cool which really shows characterizations

the whisper of “darling rooftop wreck”

“that’s what she said” i’m.

madeleine only coming in to the song for “where have you been”

“it’s not fair ‘cause you make me ache you bastard”

that unwanted animal

strap in lads

the almost-whisper of some of the lines is !

the actual whisper of “you light the candle”

“bairns” we love two forest spirits

“to love me” is whispered despite “you try so loud” so of course she can’t hear it

joey’s background line !!!

THE SCRATCHING

joey coming into the main melody only for “what.” and then the “dear” being whispered

“throw the plate at the wall” can you tell i really love the whispered lines

THE INSTRUMENTS and the growling background vocals listen it surprised and amazed me so much this is where i smacked my head on the wall

“but fuck all your plans i’m bored” yes characterizations

“i make shipwrecks out of my dress”

joey’s higher harmonization feels so desperate when usually he’s the lower range of the harmony

“you rip my ribcage open / and devour what’s truly yours”

the repeated lyrics from battle cries but in a different melody i’m so serious what a lyrical genius

the melody matching the beat of the guitar for “it can hear you / it wants me to”

(let me out!)

just. the alliterative sounds of “hollow holofernes”

the fucking. “no not i” please sir you can’t do that to me

the final violin note like a final cry

marbles

MARBLES

lowering madeleine’s parts sounds so much softer and more relaxed

love being able to hear the movement of hands along the guitar neck

counterpoint conversation songs are so ! good !

“i chipped my teeth on every joke you cracked”

“you stole the best years of my life” “i’ll give them back”

“sure as hell can’t lie to me/you now”

i LOVE their different melodies for “i will wait and hope”

also i think they switched melody lines from the beechmast version? not sure though

“your eyes aren’t rivers there to weep but a place for crows to rest their feet”

the little pause before “went”

“oh god” and a little laugh

i miss madeleine’s “do you think i’m sexy” but

WORKIN’ SHIFTS TIL WE CRIED listen i LOVE the lyric change

how quick and natural the back and forth is it feels like a quick conversation it’s delightful

“you’re not flawed darling you’re just a little under-rehearsed”

“you, you’d reply with a drink in your hand/glint in your eye”

“i’m all yours/oh dear god dear heart i’m here”

the humming!!

“i’ve loved you for a hundred years” “certainly fucking feels like it”

NOW I GET TO MEET YOU FOR THE FIRST TIME EVERY SINGLE DAY

the build on that line !!

joey’s sustained notes while madeleine sings the chorus

madeleine’s vocalizations !! queen

joey joining in for just one of her little vocalizations

the song finishes before she’s gotten through even the first half of her vocalization line it feels so unfinished but so good that way

battle cries

COUNTERPOINT

with headphones joey is in your left ear and madeleine’s in your right and i wish they did it stronger but even what we have is so good

“who died” “who’ll save you” and the juxtaposition of “who died and made you king of it all” with “who’ll save you when you fall”

“some fictions we took to mean fate believe me i know” and she says “yes” so that they say no and yes at the same time

“tell the truth to me love!”

“look at me as you say this” “you’re home”

the whole “would be proud to have known” especially considering characterization of her speaker and his

dear heart!! it’s just. so soft

“that creaking you hear in my bones is not pain it’s applause”

the little laugh after the chorus!!

“with you i could summon” “come on love”

“watch them dance out the plays that we wrote from the heart” / “sing your notes, play your part” and the various meanings of “play” they use

“we were gods” “we were kids.”

“our devils broke ranks” “oh dear god”

“binge watch a box set, drink wine, reminisce” just sounds So Nice

“this isn’t a breakup dear heart it’s a season finale!”

the vocalizations!! the background vocals!!

the back-and-forth of “it’s not pain” “it’s applause”

the drums that quiet to the guitar for the last verse

the way joey hits consonants when he sings quietly like this

the rise and crash of the rhythm here is like. it almost feels iambic can you tell i’m an english major studying renaissance lit currently

“now at the end” “at the end of all things”

ending the album with “i’m doing fine” !!!!!

even now it feels like a single beat off from being finished which is a really cool feeling ! like it leaves you wanting more feeling like there’s more to be said like the story isn’t done like there’s something missing idk big fan

[aion-rsa]

The Umbrella Academy Season 2 Complete Easter Egg and Reference Guide

https://ift.tt/eA8V8J

The following contains spoilers for The Umbrella Academy season 2. 

The Umbrella Academy wears its influences on its sleeve. Gerard Way and Gabriel Bá’s original comic and the Netflix series it was adapted into pay a great debt to properties like X-Men, Doom Patrol, and even The Royal Tenenbaums.

Now for its second season, The Umbrella Academy is even more devoted to Easter eggs, references, and many other real life and pop culture homages. This batch of episodes takes the Hargreeves family back to the early ‘60s where they encounter a whole new host of inspirations.

“There are tons,” showrunner Steve Blackman says of season 2 Easter eggs. “We specifically wanted to sit down and say, ‘Here are the Easter eggs we want to put in, let’s make a list of them.’ They’re everywhere. I think the fans will get a real kick once you start realizing what we’ve put in.”

Follow along with us as we catalogue every possible Easter egg and reference in The Umbrella Academy season 2. Hopefully we can clarify a thing or two about this season along the way. And hopefully you, dear reader, can help point out what we surely missed.

The Umbrella Academy Season 2 Episode 1: Right Back Where We Started

This episode takes its name from Maxine Nightingale’s “Right Back Where We Started From.” And indeed that song plays as the Hargreeves family arrives in the ‘60s and tries to acclimate to their surroundings. 

The season opens with the lunar-induced apocalypse that kills billions of people on Earth. The world’s destruction was essentially confirmed at the end of The Umbrella Academy season 1 but is re-confirmed here. In the original comic book, the planet is destroyed midway through volume 2 “Dallas” when Hazel and Cha-Cha detonate a nuke they stole from Reginald Hargreeves’s stash. Thankfully in this season, just as in “Dallas,” The Umbrella Academy makes it safely back in time and gets a chance to undo things.

For organizational purposes here is where each member of The Umbrella Academy lands in the early 1960s, along with what movie is playing on the local cinema’s marquee:

February 11, 1960 – Klaus and Ben –  The movie is Curse of the Undead.

1961 – Allison – The movie is The Curse of the Werewolf.

1962 – Luther – Movie not visible.

September 1, 1963 – Diego – Movie not visible.

October 12, 1963 – Vanya – The movie is Kiss of the Vampire.

November 25, 1963 – Five – Movie is still Kiss of the Vampire.

The song playing during this latest apocalypse is Frank Sinatra’s “My Way.”

This thrilling series finale-esque apocalypse sequence also provides viewers with a decent reminder of what each Umbrella siblings’ power is:

Vanya uses sound to generate enormous, explosive power. 

Klaus can communicate with the dead and in this instance is even able to summon the ghosts of U.S. soldiers to do battle against the Soviets.

Luther is super strong. And surprisingly flame retardant. 

Ben (still dead) is able to produce monstrous tentacles from his stomach. In the comic series it is explained that he summons monsters from another dimension. 

Allison quite literally possesses the power of suggestion. Her phrase “I heard a rumor” bewitches whoever hears it to do what she says. 

Diego is super accurate with knives and seemingly takes his combat training more seriously than anyone in the Academy. In the comics, Diego  is able to survive without breathing but for the second season in the row that appears to have not made it to the TV show. “You got Jason Momoa doing that a hundred times better anyway,” David Castañeda told Den of Geek during a set visit. 

Number Five can travel through time but obviously rather imprecisely. He uses that power on a smaller scale to pop through space-time during fist fights.

Hazel makes his triumphant and brief return to the series…looking somewhere between Nick Offerman and Gandalf. He likes to call Five “old-timer” because despite having his childhood body, Five is actually in his late ‘50s. 

This time around, the world will end on November 25, 1963 – notably three days after the assassination of President John F. Kennedy in Dallas. 

Diego trots out a Star Wars joke about Luke Skywalker’s daddy issues that obviously no one in the asylum is able to understand, with Star Wars 14 years away from release. 

Diego’s friend at the hospital is new character Lila, played by Ritu Arya. Lila has no comparable character in the comic series and is purely a show invention. Arya is best known for her work in Humans and Last Christmas.

Klaus and Ben were in San Francisco for three years before heading back to Dallas. In that time, Klaus started a cult. California was a hotspot for cults in the late ‘60s and early ‘70s. Klaus was a little ahead of the game. 

Allison is preparing to participate in a sit-in with her Black peers. As early as the ‘40s but chiefly during the ‘50s and early ‘60s, sit-ins were tactics used by Civil Rights organizers in which protesters would occupy an area and refuse to move. Some of the most famous sit-ins involved Black Americans sitting at lunch counters or tables in all-white restaurants and requesting service. As Dan Fienberg points out in his season 2 review, Civil Rights organizers had largely ceased this practice by 1963.

The song playing during Diego’s time in isolation is a cover of Gnarls Barkley’s “Crazy” by Daniela Andrade.

The song playing as Diego and Lila escape is “Comin’ Home Baby” by Mel Tormé. 

Luther is working for Jack Ruby – an unlikely important figure in American history. Ruby was a well-known nightclub owner in Dallas who was tied to mob activities such as illegal gambling, drugs, and prostitution. On November 24, 1963 (one day before the world “ends”), Ruby approached JFK’s killer Lee Harvey Oswald as police were escorting him from prison to court and fatally shot him at close range. 

The Umbrella Academy Season 2 Episode 2: The Frankel Footage

The title of this episode is clearly a take on “The Zapruder Film.” The Zapruder Film is footage of the JFK assassination recorded by Texas clothing manufacturer Abraham Zapruder. It is believed to be the most complete visual documentation of the JFK assassination and was used by the Warren Commission that investigated the asssassination. It’s also become fodder for conspiracy theories.

In the reality of The Umbrella Academy, The Frankel Footage is what Hazel slipped into Five’s pocket before he died. It documents JFK’s motorcade from the perspective of Dan and Ethel Frankel on Dealey Plaza. The Frankel Footage uncovers none other than Reginald Hargreeves holding an umbrella on the grassy knoll. 

Interestingly, “The Umbrella Man” is a real figure in the complicated lore of the JFK assassination. A figure holding a black umbrella appears in the Zapruder film and at one point spins his umbrella as the President’s motorcade passes by. This led to theories that, among other things, the umbrella man was a CIA plant who signaled to Lee Harvey Oswald via his umbrella to fire the fatal shots. In reality, the Umbrella Man was discovered to be Louie Steven Witt in 1978. Witt said he brought the umbrella to the motorcade to heckle Kennedy. Kennedy’s father Joe had been a fan of Nazi-appeasing British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain. A black umbrella was Chamberlain’s trademark accessory. 

The Handler lives! A bullet to the head doesn’t do as much damage as one would think on The Umbrella Academy. “Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo” from Cinderella plays as The Handler is spared from the incinerator. 

The Handler’s boss at the Commission is a goldfish in a tank atop an otherwise human body. His name is “A.J.” and later on it’s revealed his last name is “Carmichael.” This comes directly from The Umbrella Academy comic where the head of the “Temps Aeternalis” is revealed to be a shubunkin goldfish named Carmichael. 

“Well it finally happened – that gorilla DNA took over your mind,” Five tells Luther. This quick aside confirms that Reginald utilized gorilla DNA to save Luther’s life after a mission gone wrong. 

“Who’s Diego?” Elliot (Kevin Rankin) asks Five. “Imagine Batman and then aim lower,” Five responds. 

When Klaus meets one of his old followers in a holding cell and the follower asks for words of wisdom, Klaus replies with “Don’t go chasing waterfalls. Stick to the rivers and the lakes that you’re used to.” This is a lyric from TLC’s 1995 song “Waterfalls.” 

All the “Children of the Prophet” have “Hello” and “Goodbye” tattooed or scribbled on either palm. This is in reference to Klaus’s tattoos of the same nature. In the comics, Klaus’s callsign is “The Seance” and those tattoos mimic the setup of most Ouija boards. 

Reginald Hargreeves owns D.S. Umbrella in Dallas. We see him open this business in the enigmatic opener of The Umbrella Academy season 1’s final episode. That episode also seemed to suggest that he’s an alien. 

Baby Pogo makes his first appearance! Pogo is a chimpanzee with the intelligence of a human. He was Hargreeves’s steadfast friend and probably the only positive influence in the young Hargreeves children’s lives. He was killed by Vanya in season 1. 

Five finds an invitation to Hargreeves from the Consulate of Mexico and one Mr. Hoyt Hillenkoetter. Roscoe Henry Hillenkoetter was the first director of the CIA in real life. 

The song playing as Diego fights his father is “I’m a Man” by Spencer Davis Group.

The Umbrella Academy Season 2 Episode 3: The Swedish Job

“The Swedish Job” is likely a reference to the classic ‘60s action film (and its 2003 remake) The Italian Job.

Let’s talk about The Swedes a little more. The Swedes are not present in the Umbrella Academy comic book. They fill a similar role to what Hazel and Cha-Cha do in the second volume of the comic as agents of The Commission (or Temps Aeternalis in the book). But with the show having burned Hazel and Cha-Cha on season 1, it likely needed a replacement here. Most assassins in the Commission are colorful characters so The Swede’s pale weirdness makes enough sense. 

“Sunny” by Boney M. plays over the opening montage of Klaus’s time as a cult leader.

Five is tracking soundwaves at Morty’s as that’s a surefire way to find Vanya. 

The man holding a “The End is Nigh” sign is certainly an homage to Watchmen. Watchmen was influential for Umbrella Academy writer Gerard Way…and just about everyone else. 

The Handler’s outfit as she intimidates a child at a pet shop closely resembles ‘60s fashion popularized by Jackie Onassis Kennedy – fitting given this season’s focus. 

Five’s coffee obsession continues apace in this episode. 

Klaus meets Dave, the love of his life, at Glenoak’s Hardware. Klaus had previously traveled to the 1960s in season 1 where he joined the Vietnam war effort and fell in love with fellow soldier Dave. Dave obviously has no recollection of it as it hasn’t happened for him yet. Or maybe it never will…time travel is weird. 

The song playing at episode’s end is “Golden Brown” by The Stranglers. 

The Umbrella Academy Season 2 Episode 4: The Majestic 12

“The Majestic 12” is a real organization…or purported to be real by conspiracy theorists. It’s said that The Majestic 12 was created by Harry S. Truman in 1947 and made up of scientists, military leaders, and government officials to investigate alien spacecraft. Elliot describes the Majestic 12 as a “shadow government.” Of course Reginald Hargreeves would be a part of it.

The Handler recovered young Lila in London, England in 1993. She appears to be about four years old at that time. If so, that would put her birth year at a very significant…1989.

The music budget this season continues to be insane. The song playing as Klaus falls back into alcoholism and addiction is Styx’s “Renegade.” Obviously.

Luther is enjoying some Texas barbecue when he encounters Allison again. This leads to two relevant points.

Texas barbecue is the best in the country.

With Luther’s increased appreciation for food, The Umbrella Academy season 2 is paying slight homage to the comic’s “Fat Luther” storyline. Following the events of the first comic volume, Luther becomes complacent, depressed, and ultimately, obese. “There’s certainly a nod to that in this season,” Tom Hopper told Den of Geek. “There was a question mark over the fact that Thor did the whole thing already (in Avengers: Endgame.”

Diego meets his mother at the swanky Dallas party. When Diego and his siblings knew “Grace,” she was merely a robot created by Reginald. Here she is a living, breathing woman who knows her date by “Reggie.” 

Harlan has a sparrow toy. Make note of this as sparrow imagery pops up a few times this season. Birds are all over The Handler’s clothing choices for instance. That ends up being tremendously relevant to the conclusion of season 2. 

Sissy and Vanya share a kiss and then more. Vanya is the second confirmed LGBTQ Umbrella Academy member. “Having that be such a big part of the show and Vanya’s life is exciting for me,” Ellen Page told Den of Geek. 

Luther just flat out loves drugs now. After his LSD trip in season 1, he follows that up with nitrous this season. That leads to this hilarious exchange with Elliot:

“My dad died too. He left me on the moon.” *howling, uncontrollable laughter*

The song at episode’s end is “I Was Made For Lovin’ You” by KISS. 

The Umbrella Academy Season 2 Episode 5: Valhalla

The episode’s title is named after “Valhalla,” a majestic hall ruled over by Odin in Asgard in Norse mythology. 

Poor Pogo was a space monkey. The United States, U.S.S.R., and France launched dozens of primates into space from 1948 through 1996 (!!!) to test space flight’s effects on humanity’s close cousins. When Pogo’s space flight went poorly, Reginald appears to have resurrected him with a similar serum to which he gave Luther. Is it possible that Luther got gorilla DNA and Pogo got human DNA?

Luther took a bus trip to see his father in the ‘60s. And the map that displays Luther’s trip offers up an interesting clue as to the whereabouts of The Umbrella Academy. The Umbrella Academy is filmed in Toronto though it’s never mentioned what city Toronto is standing in for in the show. In the comics it’s known as only “The City.” Here, Luther’s bus ride seems to end around Indianapolis of all places. It seems as though The Umbrella Academy is in the Midwest. 

Ambrosia was a gelatinous fruit salad popular in the ‘60s. It was and is an affront to humanity. 

The team’s breakdown of the many ways they could have destroyed the timeline is amusing to say the least:

“Diego has been stalking Lee Harvey Oswald.” – Luther

“You’ve been working for Jack Ruby!” – Diego

“Allison has been very involved in local politics.” – Klaus 

“Ok, you started a cult.” – Allison 

“I’m just a nanny on a farm. I don’t have anything to do with all of that.” – Vanya

“Face it. The only healthy relationship in this family is when Five was banging that mannequin,” Klaus says. This is a reference to Five’s mannequin lover, Dolores, from his time alone in the post-apocalypse future. 

Klaus, Allison, and Vanya dance to Sam Cooke’s “Twistin’ the Night Away.” 

The song playing as Five and Lila fight is a ska cover of Billie Eilish’s “Bad Guy” by The Interrupters. 

The song playing as the two surviving Swedes consign their fallen brother to Valhalla is a cover of Adele’s “Hello” by Swedish artist My Kullsvik.

The Umbrella Academy Season 2 Episode 6: A Light Supper

Reginald invites his “pursuers” to 1624 Magnolia Street, Dallas. This address appears to be a parking lot currently. 

“So there was a Black president?” Raymond asks Allison of the future. There was indeed, Ray.

“Hold on I’m Coming” by Sam and Dave plays as Allison and Ray have their day out on the town. 

“Sixteen years in the grave and you finally turned into your father,” Klaus tells Ben. Given the Hargreeves’s 1989 birth year and 2019 current year of the show, Ben must have been around 14 when he died. 

Dave has already signed up for the Army ahead of schedule, suggesting that the Hargreeves’ presence in 1963 really is altering the timeline. 

The song playing as the Hargreeves approach their Tiki Lounge meeting is “The Order of Death” by Public Image Ltd.

Ben can now officially inhabit Klaus. This is an evolution of Klaus’s power of being able to communicate with the dead. Robert Sheehan said of this development: “(Klaus) can’t be as selfish anymore because (Ben) has this thing over me that he can do. We have a lot of fun with it and stuff, but it’s kind of about sobriety. I think Klaus and Ben’s relationship is entirely about sobriety versus addiction, for somebody who’s lived with addiction for so long.”

As Five will tell Luther and Diego in episode 7, Öga for  Öga is Swedish for “An eye for an eye.”

The Umbrella Academy Season 2 Episode 7: Öga for Öga

A candy bar in the vending machine in 1982 Oshkosh, Wisconsin is a “Pogos-Gogos.” Pogo was likely a famous pop culture figure due to his space flight…and ability to speak English.

When Five takes an axe to the Commission executive board in 1982 Wisconsin, it’s hard not to think of American Psycho. Aiden Gallagher is a dead ringer for a young Patrick Bateman.

The song playing as Ben experiences life in Klaus’s body is “Sister of Pearl” by Baio.

We find out the name of Klaus’s cult is “Destiny’s Children.” Klaus is really working his knowledge of ‘90s R&B groups here.

The song playing as Allison battles The Swedes is “Everybody” by Backstreet Boys.

“I heard a rumor you killed your brother,” Allison tells one of the two remaining Swedes. It’s not clear why she assumes that they are brothers. But the fact that the lead Swede follows through means that Allison was correct. Otherwise The Swede would have hopped on a plane to seek out his real brother to kill.

“It was a simple task – just be here! We didn’t have to kill a giant sea serpent, fight off an army of mutants,” Five says of his team’s failure to rendezvous at the right time to escape the ’60s. The “kill a giant sea serpent” could be a reference to a brief moment in the comic’s one-off issue “But the Past Ain’t Through With You.” Sometime in the past, The Umbrella Academy defeated a sea serpent that attacked Japan because it was insulted that a toy-maker make unlicensed plush toys of it.

The Umbrella Academy Season 2 Episode 8: The Seven Stages

The FBI does have an office in Dallas but it’s about 10 miles away from Dealey Plaza and not directly behind the grassy knoll as depicted here. Or at least that’s what they want you to think…

Vanya is able to reflexively answer the FBI questioner back in Russian because Reginald Hargreeves was a strict teacher of foreign languages to The Umbrella Academy. 

Grace finds photos of Fidel Castro, Lyndon B. Johnson, JFK, and a map of his motorcade route in Reggie’s files. This is a clear indication to her that Reggie is involved in an upcoming attempt against the President’s life. Grace also sees plans for a “televator.” This is the elevator teleportation device Reginald will one day build.

There are five stages of grief but apparently seven stages of side effects from confronting one’s self in the same timeline. Five lists them out thusly:

1. Denial

2. Itching

3. Extreme Thirst and Urination

4. Excessive Gas

5. Acute Paranoia

6. Uncontrolled Perspiration

7. Homicidal Rage

As Vanya begins her LSD trip, the song that plays is “Pepper” by Butthole Surfers. Some of the lyrics are particularly apt for this season – “they were all in love with dying, they were doing it in Texas.”

Diego discovers that Vanya will be the cause of the apocalypse yet again in 1963, which makes an argument that The Umbrella Academy operates under Devs-style determinism.

Around the 23-minute mark someone holding a Cha-Cha mask can be seen off in the distance at Commission HQ. The individual’s face can’t be seen but it’s not out of the question that this could be Cha-Cha. Commission assassins appear to age in an unusual manner. Alternatively this could be an assassin who donned the cartoonish helmet before Cha-Cha. Showrunner Steve Blackman says that either interpretation is valid: “In the Commission, it’s always 1963, but it never changes time. So that very well could have been Cha-Cha holding the mask.”

In her LSD nightmare, Vanya is chastised by Reginald for wanting to live “a silly life on a silly farm.” One of the issues of “Dallas” is titled “A Perfect Life” and deals partly with Luther imagining a tranquil domestic life with Allison. 

The Umbrella Academy Season 2 Episode 9: 743

The episode gets its name from the case number in which Five executed Lila’s parents on The Handler’s orders.

Klaus references Antonio Banderas in complimenting Diego’s hair. Diego is legitimately touched. 

Much of this episode takes place in or around Dealey Plaza – the location where John F. Kennedy was assassinated. The sections of note in Dealey Plaza are the book depository where Lee Harvey Oswald fired his rifle from and the grassy knoll where some people believe a second shooter shot JFK. The Umbrella Academy doesn’t make a trip to the book depository but does briefly show the grassy knoll with Reggie Hargreeves and his umbrella. Luther and the two Fives spend most of their time in a parking lot behind the grassy knoll.

Fittingly, the song that plays as young Five fights old Five is “Dancing With Myself” by Billy Idol’s band Generation X.

Much of Vanya’s acid trip is set to Bach’s “Partita No. 2 in D Minor” on violin. There is a lot of violin imagery as well. This is fitting given Vanya’s aptitude for the instrument. She receives the villainess name “White Violin” in the comic series.

“Dad treated you like a bomb before you were one,” Ben tells Vanya.  The final issue of The Umbrella Academy Volume 1 is titled “Finale, Or, Brothers and Sisters, I Am an Atomic Bomb.”

Ben also tells Vanya he died “17 years ago” which seems at odds with Klaus’s declaration that Ben died “16 years ago.” Klaus and Ben have been in Dallas for three years though, so Ben died 19-20 years ago, depending on who is right. The year is also 1963 so Ben technically won’t die for another 42 or 43 years. Time travel is weird. 

Luther and Young Five send Old Five back to the very start of The Umbrella Academy series, which avoids a truly mind-bending number of paradoxes. 

Though it was teased in the show’s first season, Reginald Hargreeves reveals himself to be well and truly an alien in the final moments of this episode. Reggie unzips his skin mask, discards it, and then violently murders his Majestic 12 colleagues at the Tiki Lounge for them killing Kennedy against his wishes. This is a bit of information that the comic book is shockingly upfront about, casually revealing on the series’ second-ever page that Hargreeves is an alien and never addressing it further. 

Before they’re slaughtered, the Majestic 12 claim that Reggie has interests on the dark side of the Moon. Perhaps Luther’s trip to the moon wasn’t pointless after all. 

The episode concludes with a new song from Umbrella Academy creator and My Chemical Romance frontman Gerard Way called “Here Comes the End.”

The Umbrella Academy Season 2 Episode 10: The End of Something

This is the first time we’ve seen Ben’s funeral. His little casket is covered with squid iconography – a tribute to his power. 

The Umbrella Academy are now all suspects in JFK’s death. That’s bound to change the timeline, right? Indeed it probably does based on this episode and the season’s conclusion. It’s also interesting just how inherently suspicious each member of the Umbrella Academy would be to 1963 society. Vanya has an Eastern European-sounding name and can speak Russian. Diego is Cuban. Allison is a Black revolutionary. Luther is an enormous bare-knuckle brawler. Klaus is a cult leader. All intimidating stuff. 

The army of Commission goons that The Handler summons to take care of the Umbrella team is full of colorful masks and helmets a la Hazel and Cha-Cha. 

On our set visit for The Umbrella Academy season 2, Five actor Aiden Gallagher revealed that several characters would discover “sub-powers” Gallagher said: “I was talking to Steve (Blackman) about this, and how it works is in season one, we sort of get hints about all the characters powers and in season two, we really see more so the extent how far that can go. How different elements of each character’s powers actually means that they have this sub-power.” Diego seems to come across a subpower in this final battle when he appears to be able to stop bullets. Blackman explains the power thusly:

“If you think about Diego’s power, he can, with his mind, control trajectory of objects. Basically he likes throwing, so he can throw his knife and he can make it go in weird, odd curvatures and directions. All of them stopped their training in their adolescence when the family broke up, and they are still learning about their powers and their powers are still evolving. As I go through seasons we’ll see more of that. But moving a knife through the air – an extension of that is then being able to manipulate bullets through the air.”

Speaking of powers, Lila appears to have…well, all of them. Lila displays Vanya’s power, Allison’s power, and Five’s power in fights with each of them. But as Klaus, likely correctly, theorizes later, Lila can only mirror one of their powers at a time. Her ability is mimicry. Diego surmises that this means Lila is one of them – one of the 43 children born on October 1, 1989. That’s why The Handler went out of her way to kill her parents and adopt her. 

Allison leaves a letter for Ray in a copy of Jules Verne’s From the Earth to the Moon. A fitting book for the story of The Umbrella Academy and this season. 

The song playing during the closing montage is a cover of Chris Isaak’s “Wicked Games” by Parra for Cuva featuring Anna Naklab.

Luther calls Jack Ruby, presumably to convince him not to kill Lee Harvey Oswald. But Jack has already picked up his gun. 

Ah, The Sparrow Academy. We delved deep into what the ending of The Umbrella Academy season 2 means over here. For now, know that The Sparrow Academy is likely lifted from Volume 3 of The Umbrella Academy comics, “Hotel Oblivion.” We say “likely” because the team doesn’t have an official name but it does invoke a lot of Sparrow imagery. The Sparrow Academy turns up at the very end of volume “Hotel Oblivion.” In the show, The Sparrow Academy seems to exist in an alternate universe created by The Umbrella Academy’s actions in Dallas. In the comic, it is implied that they are simply seven other extraordinary children born on October 1, 1989. This could prove to be the case in the show as well…save for Ben Hargreeves, who we are obviously already familiar with. 

The post The Umbrella Academy Season 2 Complete Easter Egg and Reference Guide appeared first on Den of Geek.

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[writersblock2point0]

Sweet Serial Killer, Part 2

Oh wow guys! I actually did it! Omg. I’m so proud of myself.

Now, I really need ya’ll to read this next bit. 

Warnings!

Blood, gore, like omfg so much gore. Skinning, flaying a man, death(don’t worry, no one important-duh) and Jerome being a fucking badass. This iss very VERY dark material, like sickening to most(or some of you, lets be honest, if you were wanting more after the first one ya’ll be a little fucked up). 

Okay, so I hope ya’ll enjoy. This is more relationship building with the three main boys(A,M,C) omfg I'm totally calling them AMC from now on! So yeah, amc bond building with Jerome but also the others. Like, super cute but in a demented and concerning way? I was also inspired by GoT with this. (Go House Bolton*coughcough) 

Also, the song mentioned in this is Teddy Bears Picnic, if you were curious. It’s a creepy, but favorite of mine. 

The rain hits the world outside. Drops running down the large window as I sat at the small square table, a small cup of coffee in hand as I watched the drops compete with one another. When two would combine, I’d move to another, and then another.

I looked up when I heard the soft clicking of heels, turning to see Jane suddenly peering down at me. She was wearing this cute dress that was black and lace. It ended at her knees, and the sleeves puffed but ended at her elbows. It had a high collar, and held her Volturi crest as a brooch. Her hair was pulled back into a tight bun, elegantly braided and looked softer than silk. Her red eyes were accented by her bold makeup.

I smile up at her, “Janie! So lovely to see you here, what are the odds?”

She doesn’t reciprocate a smile. “The masters want you home. You’ve been gone for a while.”

I smirk, “What? Only them? You sure you didn’t miss me?” She doesn’t answer, and doesn’t look impressed as I sigh and tell her to sit. She does, sitting taller than ever and with an air of propriety. If I didn’t know any better, I’d take her as a trophy. I’d keep her hair, and eyes, and those lovely lips. I wonder if there’s a way to make a body last as long as I would like it to, other than the obvious.

Vampires. I hum to myself, sipping my coffee as I look out the window again. Aro, the head of this family, along with Marcus and Caius offered me a home and something I haven’t had in a long time. Love. Did they love me? No, perhaps they loved the things I do; my mind, my creations, my art. A trill of pleasure slithered down my spine at the thought. Yes, my art.

Still, vampires. Who would have ever guessed. I freeze as I see a child walking down the street, a yellow umbrella and a pair of bright red rain boots. From the white dress, I could see it was a girl, with long yellow hair and light skin. I held my breath as flashes flickered inside my head, images of what to do, how to do it. I watched her turn to look at a woman with a baby and a obviously round belly calling to her. I relaxed as I turned back to Jane. Giving her a smile, and finished my coffee.

The castle was quiet when we entered, other than the brunette receptionist greeting us. The one that was here when I first arrived didn’t make it long. It wasn’t because of me, but a guard lost control. Sad, I would have liked to hear her beg, her voice was always so lovely. What was her name again?

We walked in silence to the library, a place the masters often were. It was a large room, bigger than my childhood home, filled with old books, ones with pictures and ones without them, ones in different languages, and ones that were actually journals. They even had scrolls.

The doors opened, and I followed Jane in. The air was stiff, but it wasn’t like these vampires needed to breathe, or open a goddamn window. It smelled of paper and wood, and dust. I stand still as we come to the table they are seated at. Marcus is sitting, a comically large book in front of him, and his long boney hand smoothly flips a page, not making any sound as he does so.

Aro was standing with a book in hand, eyes flashing over the pages before he turns them.

Caius was sitting in a chair, but he wasn’t reading. He was staring me down. I’m wondering why he looks less pissed than he usually does. Perhaps there was a feeding today and I didn’t know about it. I do not attend those, for my own safety, as Aro puts it.

“So nice of you to join us, Jerome.” I turn to Aro, seeing his eyes on me. He shuts his book, and in a blink of an eye is standing before me, palms out and fingers wiggling in a ‘gimme gimme’ way. His face is frozen in a stoic grin as I let him see.

“Hm, still looking for inspiration?”

“Yeah, though I’m willing to wait. Are you?”

He lets my hand go, grinning at me in surprise, head tilted down as his eyes narrowed in amusement, as if I made an inappropriate joke, as if I was flirting. “Of course, you always make it worth the wait dear.”

I sniff, my lungs uncomfortable with the air. I nod, turning to the closest window and opening it. The rain smelled refreshing, and I let the breeze comb through my hair as I hear the book pages ruffle in the wind.

“Why must you always open that blasted window Jerome.” It was no question, but a bitten remark from Caius. I feel myself smirk, and I look at him from over my shoulder.

“Why must I breathe you ask?” His eyebrows raise, as if I offended him. “I’m hurt, Sir, I thought you wanted me alive and kicking. Without me, you don’t have your fun.”

He narrowed his gaze, “You call what you do fun?”

“For me it is, for you? Hm, no.” I smirk, glancing at him from the corner of my eye, “But you like to watch, don’t you.” He glowered even more at my remark. I hum, looking outside. I was still at a loss as to what to do next. I didn’t have a victim; usually I got one and then the inspiration would come to me. But not so much these days. It’s been four days, since I’ve started looking. I needed to scratch the itch, just reach over and sink my nails into my skin and dig. Dig until skin peeled off, until blood stained my fingers, and screams shredded my ears. Not my screams of course, no, that wouldn’t do. How could I enjoy it if I was screaming the whole time? No, the screaming was for the victims, my sweet little victims.

“You're spacing again, dear.” Aro’s voice is a far away echo that travels closer as my thoughts are waved away. I hum, turning to look at him. I know I look dazed, perhaps even a little high.

“I’m sorry, did you say something?”

Aro grins, like a proud father looking at a monstrous child destroying a toy. So loving and oblivious to what their child will grow to be, but I suppose Aro is encouraging my future.

“Be patient child, you will find the one.” Marcus’s weazed advice is almost calming, but I still cannot help feel a twinge of annoyance. I am calm, and I am patient. Who said I wasn’t? Nevertheless, I send the three of them a charming smile, wild thoughts flowing through my brain like a river. Persistent and untamable.

“I hope so,” I reply, watching a bird land on a ledge of a window across the city. For your own sake.

~

I smiled as I dragged the body in by the ropes I tied around the man's ankles. I found the perfect one. Dark silky hair, long lashes that tears would just cling to, beautiful blue eyes. I pass by Demetri and Felix, both give me charming sinister smiles.

“Murder on the agenda today?”

I hum, “Not until next Tuesday,” I stop pulling, letting the rope fall off my shoulder as I turn to gaze down at my new plaything. He was a looker. He’d be a gorgeous vampire. I sigh, tilting my head, too bad he wouldn’t be pretty for too much longer. Perhaps I’ll keep his skin.

“Would you like some help?” Demetri offers, red eyes unblinking as he stares me down.

I nod, “Yes, please. I want him perfect.” I watch as Demetri holds the limb figure, wincing as his shoes drag. “Be gentle, if he bruises too much it won’t look right.”

“What do you have planned for us this time?”

“Something long, something I need to think carefully about. Too much at once and he will die, too little, it is boring.” I speak freely, knowing that usually I surprise them all. I like to be secretive. Very secretive.

~

My nerves fluttered inside of me. My stomach swelled with each step and I was so eager to get to my special boy. I hummed to myself, a jolly little tune, pushing the doors opened as I entered the room that the Master’s themselves set up perfectly for me. There were their chairs, not that they would have an issue standing forever, but they were royalty, so of course they needed designated seats. Each master was seated in his respected seat. A guard on each side of them. A few were by the doors, letting me pass as I pushed a small trolly in. It squeaked as I rounded the large wooden X. I could sense Caius’s agitation on my back. I would need to fix the wheel if I didn’t want to hear him complain for an hour.

I rub my fingers, so happy to have finally found one so special. My perfect boy. He would be the best yet.

“My sweet,” Aro smiles, eyes light with curiosity as he watched me. He waves me over, but I stand still. He wanted to see, but I shook my head.

“No.” Reaching up, I let my finger tips fall over the bare ribs of my boy, feeling him shutter as my fingers were probably cold. I hummed as I saw his nipples harden from the sensation, though I doubt it was because of arousal. “It’s a supposed to be a surprise.” I look to him, “You’ll ruin the fun.” Aro sat back, taking my small, useless warning to heart. I was human, I couldn’t hurt him, but perhaps I would be turned and I knew newborns were dangerous.

I slowly lift the sack I made sure Demetri placed over the boys head. He winced at the low light of the torchest, casting a yellow glow over the room as he took in everything around him.

“What-what is this?” He was english, coming from somewhere I wasn’t able to pinpoint but the accent was cute. I wondered if you could hear it in his screams.

“Shhh,” I place a finger to his lips, stepping closer to him. It wasn’t that warm in this room, and his body was already shivering. I frowned, turning to Aro. “Can we turn up the heat?”

“Is it necessary?” Caius replied, and I nodded. He snapped his fingers and two lower guards quickly left.

“Don’t worry, we’ll get you warm soon enough. You’re gunna need it.” I grin, and he’s already got tears in his eyes. I love it. They pool under his eyes, reddening his cheeks as they stick to his lashes. Just like I had hoped. I spend a few moments admiring his face, he was so pretty.

“If you would, Jerome.” Caius complains, and I pause in tracing the boy’s cheek bones. “Start already!”

I clench my jaw, “It is not warm enough. I want him to sweat.”

“Why? So you can order for the room to be cooled?” He shot back, and I hissed.

“Be patient you old hag, I am trying to enjoy this!” His eyebrow shoots up, and I give him a charming smile, “It will be fun. Now, let me work.” He doesn't say anything, but his eyes have darkened in the low lighting.

“I’m sorry, he is such a rude man.” I whisper to him, going back to following his jaw. “He is very old you see,” I move to the side, taking the boys chin and turning him so he is looking at Caius, “He does not allow himself to enjoy the little things. Like how pretty you are. Isn’t he pretty Caius?” I use his first name, knowing how it irks him. I grin at how Caius’ hand twitches as he glares at the boy. “Hm?”

“Jerome.” I sighs, seeing a bead of sweat roll down the boy’s neck. He’s ready. I reach over to the trolly, taking the comically clean white sheet and lifting it, making sure my special boy can’t see what is on it. He wouldn’t like it too much. No, and I want him guessing.

I take a very thin blade, one I had picked out just a few days ago specifically for this.

“Tell me, what is your name?”

“Llion.” His voice was barely a whisper as he watched me, eyes such a beautiful crystal. It was like looking at a broken sky.

“Llion,” I parroted, bringing the blade out and he shifts in fear as he sees it. “Now, I need you to hold very, very, still for me.” I stand in front of him, “Can you do that?”

He’s looking around, probably for help or an escape, but when he finds none, he resolves so silently nodding. “Yes.”

“Good.” I boop him on the nose, “I knew you could be a good boy. Now, I have another question for you. Have you ever read a book, called a Song of Ice and Fire?”

He furrows his brow, shaking his head.

“Well, there is a quote, from there that I just love.” I smile, holding my hands behind my back, “It goes like this,

‘A naked man has few secrets; a flayed man has none’.”

His eyes widen, and I take it all in.

“No! No, please!”

I grab him by the face, holding him still as he cries. “Stop. I said, stay still.” I hold his arm, and begin. I watched a few videos on skinning animals, and so I have a vague idea of what I want to do. I hum the same song I sang before, content in my work as I ignore his jerking and screams. I smiled as I sliced a piece from the top of his wrists to elbow. The skin was thin and floppy as I dangled it in front of his face.

I didn’t even bother to look, just tossing the piece away from me and hearing it hit the stone floor with a nice wet splat. Poor Llion was sobbing, shuttering with pain as he kept his head down. I marveled at what it looked like underneath his skin, running a finger over it and shivering at the feel. It made him make a funny noise.

I worked quietly, pausing to admire his bare arm as I worked my way up to his shoulder. I just began to reach it when a large mass suddenly pushed me away, causing me to fly back and onto my ass. A guard was on Llion like a cat on a mouse, teeth sunken into his fleshless limb. Llion screamed as, what I assume is the venom, hit him, also the biting of course. I wrinkled my nose, shaking with anger as I stared the vampire down.

How dare he!

“Jane!” I bit out, and smiled as the vampire crumbled under her gaze, feeding stopped as he froze in agony. I reached into my pocket and flipped my lighter open, calmly lighting him on fire before watching him erupt into flames. He would not be able to run the flames out, while he was still frozen in such pain.

I registered Llion’s screams, the venom working it’s way into him.

I spot a large machete on the floor, next to the overturned cart, and I pick it up, and shrug with a look at Llion’s arm. I hold his shoulder before hacking away at his socket. The arm falls from him, dangling in the air as it was still held up by a shackle. I take it and pull it apart, the bones and muscle causing a little strain, but without the skin, it seems to pull apart fairly well. I look to the other guards, eyes black as the stair me down. They are across the way, the burning vampire between us. The lower guard is silently screaming as he begins to crumble into dust. The flames are fanning me, and I bask in the heat they give. I sneer, looking them over and then at the arm.

“If you were that hungry, you could have just asked.” I throw the arm towards them, letting it fly through the arm and land with a slap and a roll, stopping at their feet. They don’t move, “Go ahead,” I can feel the tension in the room, and I soak it all in, letting it feed my anger. “Eat it.”

A guard, with a dark complexion and strong jawline, picks it up and holds it out to the others.

I throw my arms out, “Enjoy!” I give a mock bow, before turning back to Llion. He is crying, but isn’t screeching anymore. I see how much his wound is bleeding, and I place my blade over the guard’s dying flames, getting it red hot. I roll my eyes and carderize the wound.

“We can’t have you dying on us, can we Llion?”

[krispyweiss]

I’m With Her at Southern Theatre, Columbus, Ohio, Nov. 5, 2018

In the 11 months they’ve been touring behind See You Around, Sara Watkins, Sarah Jarosz and Aoife O’Donovan - I’m With Her - have become even more comfortable with one another, leading the trio to take a few chances with their setlists and arrangements with excellent results.

As such, the band spent about a third of its 80-minute, Monday-night concert inside Columbus’ Southern Theatre arrayed around a single mic at the lip of the stage, cracking jokes and playing tracks from their solo albums, and covering tunes such as Bill Monroe’s “Lord Lead Me On” and Vampire Weekend’s “Hannah Hunt.”

Watkins, on ukulele, opened the solo portion with her tender "You and Me," her bandmates chiming in on harmony; Jarosz followed with "Still Life," Watkins on fiddle and O'Donovan, who followed with "Thursday's Child," on guitar.

Remaining at the front of the stage, I'm With Her played the traditional instrumental "Big Sciota" in honor of Columbus' Scioto River. This segued into their own wordless number "Waitsfield," which found the players, on fiddle, mandolin and guitar, increasing the tempo before stopping on a dime and causing the audience to wait a split second before erupting with joyful applause that had the musicians smiling appreciatively.

Watkins (who also played acoustic and electric guitar) and Jarosz (banjo, mandolin, bass mandolin, electric guitar) are the band's soloing multi-instrumentalists, while O'Donovan holds down the rhythm on acoustic. When they sing, the friends who came together as the impromptu openers for a 2014 Punch Brothers concert, sound like sisters, forging a tight harmony that often sounds like one voice - impossibly pristine and beautiful.

That Watkins, Jarosz and O'Donovan enjoy playing together is evident not only in their music, but their interactions. They joke like sisters - Jarosz stopping herself after saying "alrighty" because O'Donovan recently pointed out she says it all the time and joshing with Watkins about a fishing hobby she doesn't really engage in. And when they play, the musicians are zeroed in on each other with laser focus, smiles appearing and fading as one or the other plays an especially inventive line or sings an especially gorgeous note.

It's a privilege to behold.

Sounds Bites experienced his first chills of the night on song No. 3, a modern-day spiritual from See You Around titled "Wild One." It continued all evening, as the band celebrated the small things in life on "Ain't That Fine," sung Johnny Cash's words to their original music on "Chinky Pin Hill," got sultry on "Ryland (Under the Apple Tree)," on which O'Donovan showed off powerful range, and nodded to the displaced on Watkins' "Overland," which provided the name for the tour and sounds like it's 100 years old even though it came out in 2018.

Though I'm With Her are incomparable, the closest thing might be Crosby, Stills and Nash, if that group ditched the rock 'n' roll and managed to stay on key always. Their version of John Hiatt's "Crossing Muddy Waters" is to Hiatt as CSN's "Blackbrid is to the Beatles - an improvement on what’s already essentially perfect. There really are no words to describe the intensity of their performances, which have been on a steady uphill climb on their three Ohio appearances in the past 15 months, even though their first of those, in Cincinnati, seemed impossible to improve upon.

For the single encore - Bob Dylan's "Ring Them Bells" - singer Jarosz picked up her bass mandolin, Watkins the fiddle and O'Donovan stuck to harmony vocals. And it seemed only right a concert that channeled the divine - and whose only flaw was it didn’t last three hours - would end with a quasi-religious number that had the house on its feet for the second time of the night.

While I'm With Her sound like siblings, the Brother Brothers - twins David and Adam Moss - actually are. Playing cello and guitar (David) and fiddle and guitar (Adam), the Mosses are the logical extension of the Milk Carton Kids via Simon & Garfunkel. Their terrific, 40-minute opening set included tracks from their debut, Some People I Know, and closed with a fiddle-and-cello rendition of Peter Rowan's "One More Lifetime" that earned them an uproarious ovation.

Had they been opening for anyone but I'm With Her, they might have stolen the show. As it went, the Brother Brothers were simply an exquisite appetizer before 2018's best touring band served up the main course

Grade card: I’m With Her at Southern Theatre - 11/5/18 - A+

11/6/18

See more photos here.

[thenotoriousscuttlecliff]

Moffat Era Rewatch: The Time of Angels/Flesh and Stone

"What if we had ideas that could think for themselves? What if one day our dreams no longer needed us? When these things occur and are held to be true, the time will be upon us. The Time of Angels."

Warning: Spoilers Sweetie

Here’s Mike Skinner, making one of the most unexpected and random celebrity cameos in Doctor Who history. Mind you, it’s one that is probably not going to age well. He’s not as famous now as he was in 2010.  

Nice shoes. I wonder who they belong to? 

“12,000 Years Later.” This entire opening sequence is just Moffat at his very best. Credit should also go to Adam Smith, who directed this two-parter and ‘The Eleventh Hour’, but oddly hasn’t worked on the show since.  

Can you imaging the Doctor running around the Natural History Museum shouting “Wrong! Wrong!” at everything? 

There she is people, the one and only Professor Doctor River Song. 

Again with the thieving, the Doctor is really not a good role model for kids.  

Now that is how you make an exit.

The Doctor is clearly loving every second of this. No one gets his blood pumping quite like River.  

River is better at flying the TARDIS than the Doctor, which makes a lot of people mad, because god forbid someone is better than the Doctor at something, but come on, he is a terrible pilot who won’t even so much as look at the manual. He only ever get anywhere because the TARDIS needs him to. 

“Its not supposed to make that noise, you leave the breaks on.” This joke is worth if for Matt’s impression of the TARDIS. 

“...that woman is not dragging me into anything.” You keep telling yourself that, Doctor. 

“Spoilers!” 

This was beach scene was the very first thing they shot and Matt’s hair is almost out of control.  

Iain Glen as Father Octavian, one of my favourite DW guest stars. 

“Is River Song your wife?” Amy asking the really important questions.

And here’s Matt being Matt and breaking the sets. 

I wish I would read at the same speed as the Doctor. 

Creepy Angel being creepy. 

“I’ve got pictures of all your faces” Not all as it turns out. 

Love Amy winking in turn. 

While the Time Lord and the professor are outside, Amy figures out how to stop the Angel and save herself.  

Matt showing off his footie skills. 

River got her bedside manner from her dad. 

“You’re so his wife” 

If Bob is a sacred name is there a Saint Bob in the future? 

I have no issue with this episode changing how the Angels kill people. With all the energy from the ship there was no need to send people back in time for food. 

Penny in the air...

“Oh.”

...and the penny drops.  

RIP Sacred Bob.

“And when you've flown away in your little blue box, I'll explain that to their families.” Octavian has you all figured out, Doctor.

“Amy Pond, you are magnificent.” Yes she is. 

“Didn't anyone ever tell you there's one thing you never put in a trap, if you're smart, if you value your continued existence, if you have any plans about seeing tomorrow, there's one thing you never, ever put in a trap...Me.” One of the Doctor’s best “don’t fuck with me” speeches. 

 Damn, this is intense. 

“This is a Galaxy class ship” No, this is a Galaxy class ship: 

Oxygen factory. Love it.  

“I made him say comfy chair” Hehe.

This is where Moffat really starts to do things differently from his predecessor. In the previous season the story arc was always a vague something happening in the background, so much so that the main character were often unaware of it until the season finale. Now we have the Doctor not only being aware of the threat by episode five, but he’s even explained what it is, although we are still in the dark as to what exactly caused it. 

The Doctor lost his jacket, which was more important than we realised. 

“I hate you” “No, you don’t” *Shipper glee* 

“I’ll do a thing.” “What thing?” “I don’t know, it’s a thing in progress. Respect the thing.” The Doctor admitting that he makes it up as he goes.  

The Doctor has his jacket back. Continuity hiccup or something more?

Look at this fucker’s face. Finding out she’s a convict only made her hotter. 

They tell her not to open her eyes for more than a second and she has them open for nearly 18. Yes, I counted. 

“What other two?” dum Dum DUM!!!! 

“Time can be unwritten” 

 RIP Father Octavian. 

Okay, so now we’ve reached the first of this episode’s two big missteps. Having Amy walk through the Angels with her eyes closed pretending she can see was just silly and make the Angels look a bit thick. Oh, and we never should have seen the Angels move. 

“River Song I could bloody kiss you.”

Bye bye, Angel Bob. 

“You. Me. Handcuffs. Must it always end this way?” *Shipper sobbing*

This is a very nice shot:

And here is the episode’s other big misstep. Amy throwing herself at the Doctor was not a good idea. Even Moffat admits it was a mistake he would undo if he could. 

Next Time: The Vampires of Venice

[theklancecollection]

Spooky Reads

I know, I know, Halloween’s gone but let’s be real. After Klance, this blog is dedicated to all things that go bump in the night.

Below the cut are 36 fics and as always, read at your own discretion. :)

Elves on Halloween - Raylou

Word Count: 2, 364

Summary: They hadn’t taken the kids to downtown Altea’s Halloween festival yet, but Keith was ready to fall into bed and call it a day; wrestling five teenyboppers into overly complicated, theatrical-quality costumes while knee-walking on a cold hardwood floor was killer. 

life is not the things that we do, it's who we're doing them with - roteli

Word Count: 1, 827

Summary: Lance is pining for the guy he's already dating. 

death sits in the seat next to me - smokesque

Word Count: 1, 965

Summary: “Maybe I’ll summon a demon so I have someone to hang out with,” Lance says and he’s joking, but only a little bit. Halloween really sucks when your best friend lives halfway across the country.

(in which lance unwittingly wills a demon into his home and they watch bad movies together because god forbid i let keith and lance be anything but domestic)

Trick Or Treat - how_about_no

Word Count: 2, 243

Summary: Keith has to take Shiro and Allura's kid out trick or treating, and ends up meeting an amazing boy with bright blue eyes and a beautiful smile. 

You're the Cat to My Witch - heavenlyrare

Word Count: 1, 154

Summary: Lance and Keith dress up for Halloween! 

Arachi - GemmaRose 

Word Count: 6, 392

Summary: Seriously, what are the odds of them freeing a planet with a culture revolving around costumes the day before Halloween? 

Glow Stars - KuroRiya

Word Count: 11, 283

Summary: Halloween had always been a favorite holiday of Keith's. That would surprise most people, if he admitted to it, but that was exactly the point. The reason he liked the holiday was that it gave him a chance to act, well, not himself. 

Support, Understand, Care, Comfort - coachdad (catsnore)

Word Count: 8, 429

Summary: Keith is dragged to a Halloween party by Pidge and Shiro, much to his displeasure. Oh well, at least it's a chance to show off the costume he's been working on for months. He's the best vampire in the party by far. That is until he sees the sparkly costume from across the room... 

Walking Across The Sky (Pumpkin Spice Edition) - killingmonsterswritingthings

Word Count: 3, 867

Summary: Time passed differently in space. This was both a fact and an experience Lance had made.

So it came as a bit of a surprise when he checked Earth calendars and counted days and realized it was the middle of October already.

Between Keith's birthday and Halloween, the Voltron crew had more than enough reason for a party.

Bloodsucker - Sidi

Word Count: 11, 562

Summary: Lance catches something nasty on an isolated planet. 

Things - MemeKonVLD (MemeKonYA)

Word Count: 1, 929

Summary: He only senses something is wrong when he tries to get his cup and knocks it over, instead, and then has trouble coordinating his limbs to clean the spill up with the elegant, shimmering cloth that he thinks looks too pretty to dirty up with his mess, in a deep red that grows darker and looks sort of unsettling when he stains it with his sweet smelling drink. 

Horrific screams and sweet, caramelized apples. - moonandstarlight

Word Count: 3, 770

Summary: Halloween comes with many goods; haunted houses, clowns, and nightmares.

Might only sound like bad experiences, but at least they had fun explaining it to Coran and Allura, and Keith got a kiss.

Dance of the Necrolancer - battleshidge (Amiria_Raven)

Word Count: 5, 972

Summary: The light was playing tricks on him, because Lance thought there was a red flush across the back of Keith’s neck. That was preposterous, so he shook himself and agreed, “Yeah, yeah, whatever, Frankenmullet. Let’s just listen for our cards.” 

The Vampire and Keith's Lasagna - ambivalentlangst

Word Count: 2, 722

Summary: Halloween was supposed to be spent at Allura's art gallery. Keith was not supposed to get sucked into a massive party that left him as a shambling drunk mess, but things do not always so as they are supposed to. Maybe that phenomena is what could be used to explain the vampire in the backseat of his car, eating his leftover lasagna. 

Keith's Holiday Crisis - shakethatcas

Word Count: 291

Summary: “You’ve got to be kidding me,” is the first thing out of Keith’s mouth when they walk into the store.

reflection - ssuppositiouss

Word Count: 10, 890

Summary: Lance is tired of being the weakest of his family, the boy a prophecy has claimed is worth nothing. Breaking into the witch's house is supposed to build up his confidence, but instead he finds a mirror and meets a boy and realizes that maybe his life isn't so bad after all.

fic for the halloween gift exchange on tumblr

if the silence was a song - angstinspace

Word Count: 14, 981

Summary: “It’s … Your show is on so late at night,” Keith tries to explain, as if Lance didn’t know this already. “I guess I was just wondering why that is.”

A crackling silence answers him, and Keith’s stomach sinks. Did Lance hang up? Keith can’t exactly blame him.

But then he hears Lance make a noise––a short huff of breath that might have been either an impatient sigh or a quiet laugh … Keith has no clue.

“That’s the reason you’re calling? To complain about my time slot?”

or, Keith starts anonymously calling Lance's college radio show and develops an unexpected crush.

A Bootiful Night - fllorona

Word Count: 3, 863

Summary: "Aren't you a little too old for trick or treating?" Keith said as he raised an eyebrow. The stranger scoffed. "Says the Twilight reject." 

Trick-or-Treat - EmmaOfZilon

Word Count: 356

Summary: An AU in which Keith and Lance became friends as little kids when they both wore paladin costumes on Halloween. 

Beneath the Bed - LyraTerravale

Word Count: 2, 822

Summary: Monster-under-the-bed Klance au, baby Keith's willing to fight anyone to prove something, even the supposed monster that has been causing trouble from under his bed.

Outside - OphiliaNightshade

Word Count: 3, 000

Summary: Keith and Lance go out together for an Early Halloween date. Lance is cold and sort of regrets going into the Corn Maze. Until Keith decides to warm things up a bit. 

of hallows' eves and spending them with "friends" - smol_bird

Word Count: 1, 479

Summary: To put it simply, it was Halloween, and Lance McClain can’t have been more excited. 

Pining, fangs and pointed hats (KLANCE) - Rendazzled

Word Count: 2, 189

Summary: All Lance did was look at the pretty boy in most of his classes.

all the pretty boy wanted to do was stare back.

one day, when Lance wrote his number on a bathroom stall door, he got an anonymous message. they decided to meet up, and we'll see what happens.

Can you date a ghost? - dealio

Word Count: 3, 198

Summary: As soon as he was home, though, instead of going to bed like any sensible student would, he was on his computer, frantically typing into yahoo answers: Can you date a ghost?

Details: So I was checking out this haunted mansion and I met this boy there who claimed to own it. We hit it off and he's really cute. But he turned out to be a ghost??? Is it possible to date a ghost??? Only serious answers, please!

Love Sucks - kingofthesun

Word Count: 2, 430

Summary: The whole scene was the opposite of what Lance wanted. He stood soaked in the rain, red splattered across his favorite winter flannel, his mouth dripping the same sickly substance. His fangs had already retracted, the tears in his lips being the only evidence that they were there in the first place. Nevertheless, Keith watched him with the same curiosity and love that he did the first time they met. 

The Technicalities of Dating - MoonlitWaterSunnyRiver

Word Count: 1, 165

Summary: In which Lance can't figure out if he's dating Keith or just making out with him, trying to do Halloween in the middle of space is hard, and Keith can't believe he's actually the socially ept one for once. 

opal quartz and love potions - a_zzurra

Word Count: 10, 254

Summary: “Do you like the hat? It’s kind of a joke, I just wanted to see if you’d laugh.”

If Lance had to pinpoint a moment when it all started, this might have been it. Keith bathed in golden early morning light, smiling shyly and stirring the cauldron. Red flowers the colour of his markings curled in his hair and that witch’s hat lopsided on his head.

(Keith is an Altean witch. He just wants to sit undisturbed in his dark market stall with his small red cat, brewing potions and selling crystals. Lance couldn't care less for fancy brews and crystal balls. He just wants to buy a love potion for Plaxum, the pretty mermaid girl from the river. So of course it's a complete accident when he comes barrelling into Keith's life, breaking all his potion vials, and the initial hot spark between them turns into a blazing inferno.)

In A Pinch - tomachan

Word Count: 1, 006

Summary: VLDHalloween event gift with the prompt : A lost dog is the reason why you stop gathering candy to find the dog's owner. 

How To Date A Werewolf In 5 Simple Steps - wrenowitch

Word Count: 25, 126

Summary: How To Date A Werewolf In 5 Simple Steps

by Keith Kogane

Step 0: Don't do it. - or, the au where lance is a werewolf and keith deals with that mess

Garlic and Silver, Oh My! - Redgay

Word Count: 1, 097

Summary: I'm so ready for halloween so here's a quick lil vampire/ werewolf fic cause why not? 

Video Games and Fake Boyfriends - GlassAlice

Word Count: 12, 858

Summary: There was no way they were going to stand idly by while the others made bets about their private lives. Lance looked over at Keith during breakfast the next day. They had discussed their plan to get together so it looked natural from an outside perspective. Pidge was planning a Halloween party for everyone, after Lance had casually dropped that it was October, so they decided that was when they were going to tell everyone they knew about the bet.

Until then, it was time to play with their friends’ emotions.

bite me (there’s a snake in my boot) - ljghtswood

Word Count: 4, 529

Summary: “But Lance! Doesn’t Keef have to dress up too? Where’s his costume?”

“Wow you’re right!” Lance rummages through his closet. He finds the outfit he wore for halloween the year before and holds it up saying, “Is this okay?”

Keith inwardly groans. Out of all the costumes Lance probably had, lance was making him go as a vampire?! He just gives him a you’ve got to be kidding me look.

Lance shrugs his shoulders. “Hey, it’s not my fault you have the complexion of a porcelain doll.” Plus, he thought, you’d make a hot vampire. Of course he’d never admit that out loud. Keith was still oblivious to his crush, and he planned to keep it that way. It was obvious he didn’t feel the same.

Please, don't bite - kagseyamas

Word Count: 3, 728

Summary: Why is it, that every time Lance celebrates a holiday, he wakes up confused, extremely hungover, and next to the same, attractive stranger?

In which Lance and Keith have a thing for the holidays.

Trick or Treat - oh_imintrouble

Word Count: 1, 335

Summary: Lance just wants that "perfect movie moment" and all he needs is a kiss from Keith 

Trick or Treat - Silas_Writes

Word Count: 1, 400

Summary: ANONYMOUS WHISPERED: (Insert cliche porno scene here) Keith is dared to go trick or treating costume and all (he’s like 22- 25) by Pidge. Cue older lance in a almost translucent silk robe answering the door. (That is also the neighbor he has had a huge crush on & also the neighbor who washes his car on Saturdays when he thinks nobody will notice him with some form of daisy dukes on)He says “, I’m all out of candy but I’m sure there’s something else I can give you for a treat.” You can take it from there wink wink. 

Help, We're Lost In A Corn Maze - Samyx914

Word Count: 3, 724

Summary: I take a right and then a left. And another left. One more left for good measure and I nearly trip over some corn stalk, is that what they’re called, on the ground. I steady myself and take a right.

“Holy fuck!” There’s a guy, sitting in the corner in the dark. He screams too.

“Listen, I am not about to get chased through here by a damn zombie, alright?” He laughs and stands up, holding his hands up in defense. He’s about my height, with dark hair. I can’t tell if it’s black or brown.

“I’m not a zombie. I don’t work here. I just got lost.” I take a breath.

“Thank God. I do not have the energy to run.” He laughs again.

In which Lance is bummed that his parents are making him go to a pumpkin patch with his little sister (instead of to Pidge's party), but things take an interesting turn.

[ineffectualdemon]

Weird moments in my life

1. When I was the only person in my school to think “Vote for Megan: She’s finger lickin’ good” could be taken as innuendo

2. The time two girls were having a conversation and the cadence was English but I couldn’t understand a word they were saying and I genuinely thought I’d lost my ability to understand language. Turned out they were foreign exchange students speaking Dutch.

3. The time I was woken up by a rooster and it turned out that our neighbour bought one to piss off another neighbour but when I first heard it I was half awake and confused as fuck.

4. There was a street in my home town that my Grandma used to drive us down that never had any people on it. No matter when you went down it you never saw a soul. There would be abandoned toys in front yards, doors open, groceries abandoned on the ground but no sign of people. We were convinced it was where all the cryptids lived and my Grandma would randomly drive down it to try and catch them out.

4. Driving through the forest of Oregon with my family in the middle of the night to come across a “town” of three trailers with shrooms painted on it. There was a hitchhiker. We’re pretty sure he had red eyes. We didn’t stop. Especially as “Red Right Hand” started playing on the radio as we approached.

5. The time an outing was planned for the state officers of the sorta Christian youth club I belonged to and we ended up touring an old timey brothel and opium den. Again I was the only one who questioned the hypocrisy of this especially as the tour guide was basically “Being a whore here was actually kinda awesome because the Mistress was the best”

6. When a camp Counselor dressed in drag and lip synced to an Adam Sandler song. This was Church Camp. It was awesome but surreal. (Also at this church camp there were a lot of Aussie counselors and a New Zealand one and the Aussies kept making sheep fucker jokes. I also was accused of being a vampire and we took turns painting a different counsellors naked torso. It was in many ways a weird camp because that all happened but also: bible study)

7. Friend and I stopped in an apple orchard at night and scrambled through it so we were by the river and found a stick I later made into a wand. We were never able to locate that particular orchard again despite driving up and down that road all the fucking time

[snowkatze]

How Would You Feel

For @snowbaz-feda. Part four of the OS series about Ed Sheeran’s new album ‘Divide’. Based on the song ‘How Would You Feel’, lyrics bolt and in italics. Eraser, Happier, Save Myself

Genre: Fluff Word Count: 2079 Summary: Baz writes poems about how Simon would react if he told him about his feelings. Over the years, his view on that changes.

Baz sat on his bed, staring at the white wall on the other side of the room. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Simon shifting on his own bed. A short while, he observed Simon without looking at him. Then he redirected his gaze on the notebook in front of him.

He set the pen at the the top left of the paper, then he put it down again. He shot Simon a quick glance, who was looking at him, suspicious. Baz sighed so quietly that Simon wouldn't have been able to hear it. It was still torture. Now that he knew. Now that he had finally figured it all out. Lately, Simon had been sneaking up on him all the time. That's when Baz had noticed the weird urges he was having. To turn around when Simon followed him and pull him in his arms. To calm him down when he was about to go off. To kiss him when he had the chance. It was torture to be aware of these urges. Eventually, Baz set the pen on the paper once again, writing 'A poem'. He noticed that Simon was observing him. He wasn't even subtle about it. It drove Baz to insanity. He held on to the paper, his heart beating fast. He felt so many things that sometimes he thought he'd rather feel nothing at all. Now his feelings sprawled out in black ink on the paper in front of him.

A poem

How would you feel

If I told you

I loved you I don't know

but I can imagine it

on your face

brows

furrowing

confusion

lips

sneering

anger

eyes

glinting

disgust

cheeks

blushing

embarrassment nose

wrinkling

hatred

mouth

opening

shock

Would you believe

the one you call

a liar Would you laugh

at the one you'll call

ridiculous

Call me a fool a joke a liar Your face is a poem

It tells stories

That's how you'd feel

If I told you I loved you

Baz felt like crying. Like burning the paper. Like tearing it into tiny little pieces. Like screaming out loud. But he did none of these things. Simon wasn't allowed to see him as human. He was supposed to see him as a monster. And monsters didn't have any feelings. So instead, Baz folded the paper really carefully. Then he put it in a book inside of his drawers, to make sure that Simon would never find it. Baz wouldn't put it past him, to rummage inside his drawer to know what he had written. He probably thought Baz had written down some evil plot, death threats to the mage or a love letter to the king of vampires. Well. Probably not the king of vampires, but Agatha. So Baz wouldn't cry.

That night, down in the catacombs, when he heard Simon's footsteps on the stone floor as he followed him, Baz swore to himself that he'd never tell Simon how he felt. Never. It wouldn't do any good. Simon would probably be less surprised if he stabbed him. And to know that broke Baz' heart. But then again, so did everything. It was three years later when Baz wrote another poem. Being on a truce with Simon, sometimes it felt like burning alive. Sometimes it almost felt like they were friends.

Friends. Could Simon Snow and Baz Pitch ever be friends? In what universe? What if they weren't enemies? Would they be friends? Could they? Maybe they could. If. If Simon never knew that Baz loved him. Maybe Simon really was too stupid to figure it out. Pretending got harder the closer they got. So Baz took out the piece of paper he'd written a long time ago and read often since then, just to remind himself where they stood. To remind himself of what could never happen. To stay sane. And then he started writing again. What would you do

If I told you

I loved you fist

raised

to punch me spittle

spit

to humiliate me

magic

gone off

to hit me sword

summoned

to kill me

or maybe

you'd disappoint me

and do

none

of these things

maybe you'd merely

raise an eyebrow

spare me a glance

of pity

and say

'I'm sorry. Baz.' 'I don't feel the same.' Don't you know

that I'd rather be stabbed

than feel

your pity

Don't call me

pathetic

but I'd love to

die

in your arms

The first time Baz thought about telling him, the world was on fire. Everything around them was aflame. And Baz tought. I'm ready now. I'm ready to let him know. I'll kiss him now, and let it be the last thing I ever do. For once in my life, I'll be brave.

But Baz wasn't brave. He hesitated. The flames danced in Simon's eyes and Baz wanted nothing more than to kiss him right in that moment. Kiss him, and whisper it in his ear. He didn't want to take this secret to his grave. He wanted him to know. 'I love you, Simon Snow,' he'd say. And then he'd spell him away. But how would Simon feel, then? Knowing he loved him and died? Sadness. Pity. Hurt. Regret. Betrayal. For keeping this secret, for so long. Simon didn't deserve to feel that way. Baz had hurt him enough already.

Kiss him?, Baz thought. And then – suddenly – he felt Simon's lips on his and everything else went away.

At the end of the year, when Baz was gathering his things from his room in Watford because he was going to leave the school, Baz found the paper in the back of his bedside drawer. He read the lines again and decided that he had to write another part. He sat back on his bed, looking around the room where so many fights between him and Simon had happened. Where he had watched Simon sleep countless times. This room, that had felt more like home than his father's mansion ever had. It felt weird to leave it. He knew that he was going to miss it. Then, Baz' gaze settled on the blank paper and he started writing again. How would you feel If I told you I loved you

brows

raised

pleasant surprise

lips

smiling

happiness

eyes

glinting

madness

eyes

softening

love

as if you were

crazy in love with me I don't know

if that's what would happen But I hope I think you might I don't know

but I'm not afraid

any more

A few weeks later, Baz had stayed the night at Simon's apartment. Penny was visiting Micah in America, so they were the only ones home when the fire alarm had gone of in the middle of the night. It turned out that the battery needed exchanging and after that, the house went quiet again. By then, it was five o'clock and they tried to go back to bed, but none of them was able to fall asleep again. So instead, Baz grabbed Simon's hand. Together, they went up to the top of the skyscraper. The roof was covered in grass and they sat side by side, watching over the city. Somehow, the world felt magical that way. Baz slowly moved his hand closer to Simon's and when Simon felt the soft touch, he enclosed Baz' hand in his own. They laid back and looked up at the stars. There were a few clouds and the lights of the city were too bright, so they weren't able to see them very well. In that moment, Baz was thoroughly glad to be alive. Weird. How strange it was that he felt like that very often with Simon. It didn't use to be that way.

The silence that settled between them wasn't uncomfortable at all. And then. Baz started thinking. What if. What if he said it right now. You are the one boy And you know that it's true I'm feeling younger Every time that I'm alone with you

We were sitting in a parked car Stealing kisses in the front yard We got questions we should not ask but

How would you feel, if I told you I loved you? It's just something that I want to do I'll be taking my time, spending my life Falling deeper in love with you So tell me that you love me too

Is it really worth the risk? Could Simon ever love me? Truly? After all that I've done?

Baz didn't know what to think any more. He remembered his vow never to tell him. Would he ruin the moment if he said it right now? Would he ruin everything? Maybe Simon didn't want a relationship with a loser who couldn't help but love him. Or maybe. Maybe he did. Maybe there was a chance now that Simon actually felt the same. Baz remembered the poem he had written and in his mind, he added a few lines. What would you do

If I told you

I loved you a hand

lifted

to cup my cheek

lips

placed on mine

to kiss me

mouth

moving

to tell me You love me too

'Simon,' Baz whispered. Nothing mattered but this. It was now or never. If he was going to say it any time at all, it would be now. 'I have to tell you something.' In the summer, as the lilacs bloom Love flows deeper than the river Every moment that I spend with you We were sat upon our best friend's roof I had both of my arms round you Watching the sunrise replace the moon

Simon hummed in agreement and Baz sat upright. Simon followed him and raised an eyebrow in confusion. Barely noticeable, he grabbed Baz' hand tighter. 'Sure,' Simon smiled nervously. 'Is something wrong?' Baz lifted his hand and gently touched the side of Simon's face. Carefully, he pulled him closer and put their foreheads together.

The sun started rising, but none of them even thought to watch the sunset. Baz closed his eyes, as if he were in pain.

'I don't think I can keep quiet about this any longer.' Then he opened his eyes again and he stared at Simon for a long moment. His bronze curls were practically glowing in the sunlight. Simon titled his head and he looked like a lost puppy. Baz felt his heart swelling inside his chest. So much. So, so much. Damn. 'Whatever you're going to say about this is fine. You don't have to answer at all. But- I need to say it now.' 'Baz. Just tell me.' He felt like he needed to shout it, but all that came out of his mouth was a whisper.

'I love you.' How would you feel, if I told you I loved you? It's just something that I want to do I'll be taking my time, spending my life Falling deeper in love with you So tell me that you love me too

There was silence. Simon's eyes went wide. Baz smiled. Softly, at first, but then it started to spread all over his face. He smiled so widely that the skin around his eyes started to crickle. A dimple on his right cheek became visible. The sunlight illuminated them both.

Baz had imagined so many reactions over such a long time, but never once had he thought that there would be no reaction at all.

It's okay, Baz wanted to say. I'm fine just loving you. You don't need to love me the same way I do.

Instead, he whispered: 'So much, Simon. I love you so, so much.' And he leaned forward to press a soft kiss on his lips.

'I love you. I love you! I love you?' He couldn't get enough of saying it. And he started laughing because suddenly everything seemed hilarious.

'I,' he laughed, 'love... you.' Simon was still staring at him.

Tell me that you love me too.

'Baz...' He seemed speechless. 'What... What did you expect me to say?' 'Nothing, Simon, you don't have to say anything, it's fine, I - ' 'I love you. Of course I do, Baz, what did you think?' If even possible, Baz' smile got wider. He hugged Simon and pressed him against his body, breathing in his scent.

'How do you feel?'

'I feel like I'm going to cry.' 'Because you're sad?' As Baz said that, it really sounded like a question.

'Because I'm really fucking happy, you idiot.'

[wethreedovahkiin]

Chapter 1:Introduction

Introduction: You're Dragonborn Too?

Three strangers meet in an inn and all of them claim to have been called by the Greybeards. Could they really all be Dragonborn? Only time will tell.

Click the read-more to read or Read on AO3 here [xxxx]

The sun was kissing the horizon when they arrived at the small town of Ivarstead. Making their way through, Erik craned his neck to look up at the mountain they would soon be climbing and gave a long whistle. Alepotrypa let her gaze run up and down the mountain, but she made no other comments and kept walking. Erik hummed questioningly.

“Mam, do you think perhaps we should wait until morning to start our climb? Nightfall will surely fall upon us before we make it to the top.”

Alepotrypa waved a gauntlet covered hand in dismissal. “We’ll be fine. I want to get this business settled as quickly as I can,” she answered. Erik nodded and shifted the weight of his sword on his hip. There was little gained from arguing with his employer, something he had learned early on in their adventuring career. He too wanted answers, but he also would like to reach the top of the seven thousand stairs in one piece.

The sun sunk ever lower as the two reached a bridge separating them from their goal. Alepotrypa had one foot on the stone bridge when a local man suddenly shouted, “Wait!” The duo turned to him as he made his way up from the river below the bridge, fresh caught fish hanging from lines in his hand. He panted as he came to a stop in front of them.

“Good evening, sir,” Erik greeted. The man nodded at him.

“Good evening, yourselves. Are you two planning on making the climb to High Hrothgar?” The man asked, pointing towards the top of the mountain.

Erik nodded, “Yes, sir, we are.” He glanced to Alepotrypa, unsure how much of their quest she was willing to give away. She just nodded at the man in answer.

“Tonight?” He asked, a slip of panic in his voice.

“Yes…” Alepotrypa narrowed her eyes at him.

“Oh, no,” the man shook his head solemnly. He shifted the fish in his hand. “I wouldn’t do that if I were you. The road is dangerous in the day time alone. I couldn’t even imagine what comes out at night. You’d best get a room at the inn and start your climb in the morning.”

“That does sound like a good-,” Erik started but was cut off as Alepotrypa put a heavy hand on his shoulder.

“I’m sure we can handle ourselves, but thank you for the concern,” She said, starting to turn back towards the bridge. The man threw his hand out, the one holding his fish, causing her to recoil back from the swinging, slimy, animals. She narrowed her eyes at him. “Sir, believe-,”

“Miss, I am sure that you wield that great sword at your hip with much power and skill, but you do not know what lives in these hills,” The man’s voice got low and a shudder ran up his spine. “I greatly advise that you do not make this climb at night. Let me pay for a room in the inn for you and a nice flagon of mead! I insist!” He gestured back into town, assumedly in the direction of the inn.

Erik looked up at Alepotrypa, who was trying and failing to keep a scowl off her face, and nudged her with his elbow. She looked to him as he said, giving a shrug and little smile, “It’s just one night.” Employer and apprentice stared at each other for a beat before Alepotrypa sighed in defeat, her shoulders slumping forward. Erik grinned.

“There’s no need for you to pay, but could you kindly show us the way to the inn?”

~

Slumping off the heavy armor from his back and onto his bed, Erik stretched his arms over his head and leaned backwards, groaning when his back popped in a few places. He moved the armor to the chest at the foot of the bed and debated about storing his sword as well, but ultimately decided to keep it on his person. Just in case. Looking over, Alepotrypa had removed her helmet and placed it in her own chest, but she seemed content enough to keep the rest of her heavy carved armor on. She didn’t take her helm off very much, but Erik always liked it when she did. Her Altmer features were strong and striking, and Erik felt proud to be apprenticing under someone of her stature, despite what many of his Nord cousins would say. Alepotrypa cocked her head towards the door of their room. “Thirsty?”

With a flagon of mead each, the duo sat down at an empty table near the hearth fire in the middle of the inn. The sun hadn’t set all the way yet, but Wilhelm, the innkeeper, was going around to each table and lighting the candles that sat upon them. The bard plucked on her lute softly from a stool near the fire, humming a gentle song. There were a few people scattered amongst the other tables including two Nord men having a quiet conversation and a lone figure with their hood pulled up sipping a bottle of wine. The fisherman, Klimmek they learned his name was, who had led the way to the inn, was currently seated at the bar front.

Erik took a swig of his drink, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. He smiled and thanked Wilhelm when the man lit the candles on their table, and reached out for a piece of cheese that sat on a plate in front of him. He broke it in half and offered half to his companion, whom he at that point noticed was holding her cup to her lips but not drinking. Instead she was staring at the lone figure at the table across the way from them, her eyes practically burning holes into their back. Erik tapped her arm gently, “Mam?”

Alepotrypa started, almost sloshing her mead from her cup, and looked down at Erik who gazed at her with concern. He still held out the half of cheese wedge, so she took it from him and thanked him, taking a bite. “Is everything alright?” Erik asked, biting into his own food.

His employer tilted her head towards the lone figure and loud enough so that only he could hear said, “That person is a vampire.” Erik swore he saw the alleged vampire’s shoulders suddenly hunch as if they were trying to shrink down and hide. Alepotrypa’s grip on her cup tightened. “A powerful one at that. I smelled it when we walked in, but I couldn’t pinpoint who it was till now.”

“Should we do something about it?”

“We will, but not in here. Let’s wait until we can get it alone,” She took a deep drink. “Just keep an eye on it for now.” Erik nodded solemnly and took another bite from his cheese wedge. A companionable silence fell over them as they ate and listened to the bard’s soft music. They waved goodbye to Klimmek when he left a few minutes later, wishing him a good night, and Erik got up to get refills on their drinks. When he sat back down, two new individuals were entering the inn, a Khajiit and a Nord.

“Ahh!” exclaimed the Khajiit much too loudly for the current atmosphere, his tail swishing back and forth from under his armor. “It is so warm in here, Argis!” His partner, Argis, just nodded at him and set a heavy hand on the small of his back, leading him to the bar where Wilhelm stood cleaning a flagon. The two paid for a room, disappeared into it for a few minutes, and then reappeared with less armor. They ordered drinks and sat down at the empty table to the left of Alepotrypa and Erik.

Erik couldn’t help but stare at the Khajiit. He had seen so few of them, mostly in passing as they sold their wares along roads, that being so close he wanted to take in everything about him. An elbow to his side told him that his employer thought this rude and to stop it right then.

Argis pulled out a worn leather bound notebook, opened it to a bookmarked page, and began writing in it. The Khajiit scooted so close to him he was practically in his lap and watched as he wrote. After a few minutes the Khajiit, who had no idea what volume control was, pointed to something on the page and shook his head, “No, no! It was not brown! It was definitely bronze. Ricardio remembers this well.” Argis paused for a second and then continued writing under close scrutiny of the Khajiit, Ricardio. A few more sentences and he once again pointed a claw at the page and questioned, “Is that how that is spelled? Is it not D-O-V-A-H? Do-VAHkiin?” Argis studied the word a moment before correcting it, Ricardio grinning. What they did not notice was that three others in the inn suddenly looked over at them at the utterance of the ancient word.

Erik tapped Alepotrypa’s arm and whispered, “Mam, what do you think it means?” but she just shushed him and continued eavesdropping. Not that it was very hard to do so with the way Ricardio spoke. He had finished his drink and thus untangled himself from Argis and went up to the bar to get a refill. He thanked Wilhelm when he handed him the full cup.

“You’re not from around here, are you?” Wilhelm asked conversationally. Ricardio shook his head and grinned.

“Ah, what gave it away? Ricardio’s accent or tail?” He laughed at his own joke and Wilhelm chuckled. “Ricardio has actually lived in Skyrim for many years now, but this is the first time visiting Ivarstead.”

“And what brings you to our little town?”

“We,” he pointed back to Argis who was still writing. “Are going to see the Greybeards!”

“Ah, well good luck to you. The Greybeards are a solitary lot. I don't think they've ever ventured outside their monastery. We get the occasional pilgrim passing through here on their way to the summit, but almost all of them have returned disappointed,” Wilhelm informed. Ricardio nodded and assured Wilhelm that they definitely would get an audience with the Greybeards, he was positive of it. Wilhelm gave him an ‘if you say so’ look. He thanked Wilhelm for the drink and talk and sat back down next to Argis, who had just put his journal away. Before either one of them could take a drink, a figure sat down at their table directly across from them.

Alepotrypa’s head whipped back to the table across from her as she did a double take. When had the vampire risen and moved all the way across the room? Erik did the same thing, his hand instinctively going to his sword hilt at his waist. Alepotrypa bade him wait, curious to see what the vampire wanted with the couple, but ready to attack at a moment’s notice.

“Oh, hello!” Ricardio greeted the figure with only vague uncertainty. He glanced around the inn, confirming the fact that there were empty tables, so why had this person sat down with them? Argis narrowed his eyes at the newcomer.

“Hello,” uttered a smooth voice from under the hood. The vampire placed her elbows on the table and gestured towards the couple nonchalantly. “I couldn’t help but overhear you talking about going up to High Hrothgar to see the Greybeards.” Ricardio nodded. “That is the very reason I am here too.” When she tilted her head back, Ricardio could see yellow eyes shining bright in the darkness of her hood.

“A-are you a pilgrim?” He asked, scooting minutely closer to Argis who placed his arm around his waist.

“No,” The vampire replied with a slow drawl. She glanced over to neighboring table where the other duo sat (and were busy pretending like they weren’t eavesdropping) and then back to Ricardio. “I was summoned by the Greybeards.” Both couples gasped, and then Ricardio grinned and started giggling.

“That’s why we came!” He patted Argis’s shoulder excitedly.

“Oh? Where did you hear the call?”

“Ah! We were outside of Markarth just a ways fighting uh…”

“Bandits,” Argis supplied, deadpan.

“Bandits! Yes! And we were on our way back, when suddenly a dragon shows up! A bronze dragon,” Ricardio looked pointedly at Argis who rolled his good eye. “So, we fight and take it down, yes? But suddenly, it begins to glow, and Ricardio begins to glow, and it is like Ricardio absorbed the dragon’s soul. Was very exciting, yes?” He looks to Argis who nods and then back at the stranger. “It is not long after that the sky shakes with the sound of the Greybeards calling out-,”

“Dovahkiin?” Ricardio, Alepotrypa, and the stranger all say in unison. Ricardio and the stranger look over at Alepotrypa in confusion. She finished her drink before standing and making her way to the end of the adjacent table, Erik right behind her. Ricardio leaned forward to greet her while the vampire leaned away.

“You heard it too? And felt the pull to answer it?” The stranger questioned with a sharp tongue.

“Yes, I did,” Alepotrypa snapped back in the same tone. “We,” Erik waved. “Killed a dragon about a mile from Windhelm, and I too seemed to absorb its essence. It was then the Greybeards called, and I knew where I was meant to go.” She glared at the darkness under the hood but when she looked to Ricardio she was surprised the man hadn’t burst apart from excitement. He was practically vibrating in his seat, a huge smile plastered on his face. “What about you? What’s your story?” She asked the vampire, crossing her arms over her chest.

The vampire chuckled and circled her hand in the air dismissively, “I too took down a dragon, right outside Whiterun, consumed its soul, and heard the call. People who were around at the time kept calling me ‘Dragonborn, Dragonborn’, and so here I am to figure out what it all means.”

“But what does this mean? I’ve never heard of there being three Dragonborn at once,” Erik spoke up from beside Alepotrypa.

Argis nodded in agreement. “He’s right. I’ve never heard any legend mention multiples,” he said in a gruff voice.

“That’s what makes this so exciting! Oh, Ricardio cannot wait to see the Greybeards and hear what they have to say about this!” Ricardio clapped his hands excitedly, small bits of sparks shooting from them. “When are you planning to climb the seven thousand steps? We were going to head out at first light.”

“That is when we were planning to go too,” Alepotrypa said, moving her hands to her hips and looking towards the vampire with a raised eyebrow.

Glancing at the window behind her apprehensively, the sun was completely set now, the vampire nodded slowly and said, “Yes… first light. That was my plan as well.”

Ricardio clapped his hands again. “Then it’s settled! Let’s all meet at the bridge in the morning and we can set off together!” The others nodded and agreed. “Great!” Ricardio stood suddenly like he was going to run off to bed that second so that he would be ever closer to the morning.

“Uh, perhaps we should introduce ourselves before we do anything?” Erik suggested. Ricardio gasped and his hands flew to his face.

“OH! How rude! I apologize! Please, call me Ricardio, and this is my husband Argis,” Argis waved.

“I am Alepotrypa, and this is my apprentice Erik,” Said apprentice nudged her and she rolled her eyes. “Sorry. Erik the Slayer.” Erik beamed and Ricardio chuckled. As they turned to the final member of the group, she reached up and pulled back her hood. Her shining yellow eyes were dulled in the candle light, but when she smiled her teeth were sharp and white.

“My name is Katasandra. Pleased to make all of your acquaintances,” She said, spinning her hand in the air and bowing her head. Alepotrypa scrunched her nose in displeasure. Of course it would be a Bosmer. Katasandra shot Alepotrypa a stern look, but then smirked and winked at her. Alepotrypa glared.

“Wonderful!” Ricardio giggled. “Katasandra, Alepotrypa, Erik the Slayer! May you all rest well tonight for tomorrow we begin a long journey together.”

[swiftyswiz]

Just Bored Questions

1. describe yourself. I’m probably too loyal for my own good, but I like to say I’m a lovely person who just doubts herself more than she should.

2. if you could go anywhere for a week all expenses paid where would it be? Definitely anywhere in Europe. Hands down. I love the history there and just want to explore it!

3. do you have siblings? Yes, I have two. An older brother (20) and a younger sister (13).

4. what is your favorite constellation, why? Hmm, maybe the southern cross? I am Australian and I know for a fact that this is the only constellation I’ve ever seen in my life. I know, this is a bad answer, but I honestly don’t have one. 

5. favourite colour. My favourite colour right now is yellow. I don’t have a real reason for it. Maybe because yellow just helps me cheer up after a bad day.

6. what kind of music do you listen to? A bit of everything, really. Well, except for rap and country. I’m just very iffy with many modern rappers. And most country songs just bore me to death. Sorry country/rap lovers! Just a personal opinion of mine.

7. favorite flower. Like the constellations, I don’t really have one, but I would probably say lilacs. I don’t have a specific reason for it. I just really love them.

8. if you could do magic, what is the first spell you would learn? The first spell? To travel across the world to my online friends (aka online family)!

9. favourite childhood memory. God, I honestly don’t know. Maybe the time I played on my older brother’s Xbox 360 and played some WWE, but this was years ago.

10. have you ever been cheated on? Dudes, I haven’t even dated before! #LonelySquadWhereYouAt?

11. if you could describe your perfect room, what would it be? A skylight, aesthetic ass bookshelves, many geeky/bookwormy posters, fairy lights, nerdy bed covers, etc.

12. favourite animal. Hmm, maybe a Cassowary? Like, I just love how amazing they are. I mean, my name is “Cassandra” and “Cassowary” is my nickname so...

13. what was the last photo you took of? It was a picture of my Pringles collection, and yes. I stock up on Pringles cans.

14. do you believe in soul mates? I would love to say yes, but, sadly, no. I do not.

15. do you hang toilet paper over or under? Under? I think?

16. your go-to place to eat & your favourite thing to get there. I actually don’t go out much, but there is this on Fish and Chips store in my town and holy damn. Their grilled fish and chips are divine!

17. do you believe everything happens for a reason? I mean, no, not really. I know some mind-fucking science that could probably prove this belief wrong, but I’ll keep that away from y’all’s knowledge because trust me. It really is mind-fucking.

18. guilty pressures? Probably some JB and 1D songs. Like, I’m not a hella fan of their music, but there are a few songs I love by them

19. favourite mythical creature, why? Okay, maybe vampires? Like, these bloody creatures (pun intended) are just lovely people! They have a group to care for each other. These amazing creatures live forever! They’re just amazing. I can’t express that enough!

20. something most people don’t know about you. I’m actually still confused about my sexuality. I won’t even lie. I know for a fact that I’m not completely straight, but I just wanna know where I belong and which category I can put myself under.

21. where did you grow up, what was it like? Well, my family moved a lot when I was little, but I grew up more in the town I am in still to this day. It’s a coastal town with a large population, but I have barely explored it! It’s pretty cool, but the weather is an annoying piece of shit! It doesn’t know when to rain, be nice and cool, or humid as fuck!

22. do you believe aliens exist? I mean, correctly we’re aliens so... Yeah?

23. what was your last google search? I was looking up how to spell “delving”.

24. what did your last relationship teach you? Like I said before, I have never dated someone.

25. would you relocate for love? Maybe? But I’m 15 so, not yet?

26. do you hold grudges or forgive easy? A bit of both, to be honest. I hold grudges if you threaten or hurt my blood/non-blood family, but if I hear both sides of the story, I will probably be forgiving.

27. favourite book. God, okay. So there’s this book (yes, an actual book; not a fanfiction!) that had a large impact on my aspiration to become an author. It was The Anthem Force Chronicles by hollyorange.

28. do you consider yourself an extrovert or introvert? Introvert. Like, actual. I can hang and chat with people, but I find comfort in being alone.

29. have you ever kept a journal, do you now? I have never had a journal, which is odd. I don’t even have one now and I’m supposed to be a writer!

30. top 5 favorite movies. #1: Grown Ups (2010) [A comedy worth watching] #2: Lion King (1994) [Yes, an absolute classic!] #3: Pacific Rim (2013) [A sci-fi movie that has made me quite emotional if I’ll be honest. Really is something to look at.] #4: Jupiter Ascending (2015) [Probably not a very known movie, but I just love the concept of it] #5: Bright (2017) [Despite being a rushed plot, it was still a pretty funny movie. I really enjoyed watching it!]

31. do you believe that everything happens for a reason? Repeated question? Hello?

32. what is your greatest fear? Heights and being forgotten.

33. favourite alcoholic beverage. Um, I’m underage?

34. most embarrassing thing you’ve done. Omg, there are so many things I’ve done that are embarrassing, but the most embarrassing thing I’ve done was last year. We were doing a presentation in English and I was shaking from nerves, the Powerpoint went wrong... God, it was just a mess!

35. do you believe in ghosts? When I was little, yes, but I don’t anymore.

36. what is the best and worst part of your personality? I’m loyal so I stick to what I believe in and care about my friends and family, but this is also a major weakness of mine. It means when I lose one of them, I will forever blame myself for losing them.

37. should you split the dinner bill? I?? Don’t?? Have?? Any?? Money?? To?? Pay?? With??

38. are you a good liar? No. All you have to do is to look me straight in the eye and I’ll be a smiling, giggling mess.

39. what keeps you up at night? Maybe the constant anxiety that I’ll be a failure and never be able to have a proper job? Not entirely sure...

40. would you rather go without your phone or music? Phone. (1) I don’t even have a phone at the moment. I broke it last year and (2) I have a tablet so I basically have my music and an extra large phone,

41. do you believe in god? No.

42. how do you relax when frustrated? Listen to music or just rant/cry about it to my older brother or mother.

43. what’s something that offends you? Something that majorly offends me? I think it is to assume I don’t want to hang out with people. Like, I know I’m an introvert, but that doesn’t mean I don’t want to hang out!

44. favourite food. It’s a hard choice between Apple Pie and Roast Beef.

45. if you were on a 10 hour flight and could sit and talk to any person the entire time, who would it be? My two online best friends (aka online sisters). Won’t say their names for privacy reason.

46. when do you feel the most confident? When I have written a very good story and I’m just so proud of myself for thinking up this idea.

47. what do you do on your free time? Read, write, converse with my family... That’s about it.

48. is there anyone who has completely lost your respect. Yes, a few people actually.

49. have you ever broken someone’s heart? Like I said; I. Have. Never. Dated.

50. did/do you play sports in school? No. I’m an unsporty person.

51. when are you happiest? When I’m playing UNO with my family.

52. coffee or tea? Tea! But I do love me some Expresso Ice Coffee.

53. what is one possession you own you wouldn’t want to live without? I think it’s the stuffed rabbit my dad got me. I don’t usually ask for much, but when I saw that rabbit, he bought it within a heartbeat. I won’t lie, still to this day I sleep with that rabbit as a way to comfort me during hard times.

54. what is the first thing you notice about a person? Their awkward gestures of trying to continue a conversation with me.

55. what is your favourite season, why? Spring because I’m born on the first of Spring. I know it’s a lame reason, but I just don’t have a proper favourite season.

56. what makes you laugh? Little fandom jokes that only true fans get. Like the Banana bus meme that Vanoss and the crew made years ago.

57. are you a clean or messy person? Clean.

58. what is important for a successful relationship? Still being single~

59. what was your upcoming like? So far it’s been a roller-coaster of emotions.

60. favourite holiday? Christmas because my family makes it very family based.

61. what is the first thing you’d do if you won the lottery? I would call (or run to) my parents saying, “Mum! Dad! I’ve won the lotto! Get (Brother’s name) and (Siter’s name) here! We need to start planning out our new house!”

62. what’s the best pizza topping combination? In Australia, Pizza Hut has this pizza called “BBQ Meatlovers” and it is just to die for. It’s so nice!

63. favorite outdoor activity. Hmm, I don’t go outside much, but I like walking by the river that is near my house.

64. how are you? honestly. Good. Stressed about exams and assessments, but good.

65. would you rather go camping in the woods or stay at a beach resort? Camping. I wanna experience the forest and actually catch a fish!

66. what is the most beautiful thing in nature? Rows of flowers.

67. favourite type of candy? Anything that is Caramel flavoured, but my personal favourite is Caramel Tim Tam’s.

68. if your life was a book, what would be the title? “Aussie Chick Meets Reality”.

69. what movie quotes do you use of a regular bases? “You like Jazz?” - The Bee Movie (2007) “If they kill you... walk it off.” - Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015) “You know nothing, Jon Snow.” - Game of Thrones (2011 - 2019)

70. what was cool when you were young but not cool now? I think it was using any kind of abbreviation. Nowadays, if you said it I’d just give you the look of shame and cringe.

71. what’s the craziest conversation you have ever evesdropped on? If I’ll be honest, I don’t eavesdrop, but one of the weirdest things I’ve heard in a conversation before would be someone shouting “Run! Zombies will fuck you senseless!” I just-- I’m just very concerned.

72. what’s the most interesting documentary you’ve ever watched? I watched it recently, actually. It was about the atomic bomb testing in the USA. It was just very interesting to know this happened.

73. what’s the worst hairstyle you’ve had? A ponytail.

74. what do you like to cook? Right now? Maybe some scrambled eggs...

75. what’s the coolest animal you’ve seen in the wild? A kangaroo actually just chilling in some construction work nearby.

76. what’s the funniest tv show you’ve ever seen? Brooklyn Nine-Nine. Hands down have made my days better than anyone could ever know.

77. do you usually follow your heart or your head? Head.

78. what is your favorite quote? “I am a lost boy from Neverland. Usually hanging out with Peter Pan.” - Lost Boy by Ruth B

79. what’s the weirdest crush you have ever had? I’ve had a crush on plenty of fictional characters so... You tell me.

80. what’s your love language? Spanish.

81. do you ever feel alone? Yep.

82. ever been bullied? Too many times.

83. are you usually early or late? Early.

84. what kind of art do you enjoy most? A mixture of Modern and the Renaissance.

85. what do you wish you knew more about? History. Really! Any piece of history I’d just love to learn more about

These questions were made by @maerdasti