#sing! freedom symphony

[haventseensun]

furishin posting again

[salty-aivia]

Furishin posting ,,,

[virtualfungus]

[deadly-diminuendo]

Those Three Little Words

a short spawn astarion x fem!tav reader oneshot / nsfw / ~1k words

Summary: Every year you and Astarion return to the place where he began his life anew and every year you indulge in your love for each other.

(Or: a short and saccharine tribute to graveyard sex)

CW/Tags: piv sex, oral sex, pregnant Tav, graveyard sex, elf ear play, tooth-rotting sweetness, post-game

Read on AO3

Or read below...

I love you.

The words spill from his lips and then echo from yours, again, again, again. A refrain neither of you ever tire of repeating.

You love him. You love him. You love him.

And though your spoken affections always fade into a symphony of sighs, you know every caress, every kiss, every moment of bliss is another declaration of your devotion to one another.

The love between you is sweetness. Safety. Care, compassion, companionship. Shared laughter and shared tears. An anchor in the wild waves of a stormy night.

And it is passion, pleasure, paradise. Sensual secrets. Hours spent intertwined. Fire and flames and a thirst you can never quite quench.

But, oh, how you try.

Astarion lays you down beneath a midnight sky—a canvas dotted with sparkling stars and lit by a bewitching moon—and yet as you gaze above all you see is the adoration in his eyes.

He loves you. He loves you. He loves you.

The night he told you meant the world to you—and still you know it meant so much more to him. It was also reclamation, renewal, rebirth. That his first act of his second life was to indulge in his love for you made your heart sing.

It is here, at his grave, where he laid his past to rest and it is here where the two of you return year after year to celebrate freedom, celebrate love, celebrate life.

You bask in the nostalgia of it all, your body aching to replay and to reenact all the ways you connected and bonded and merged. The tenderness of memories past and the radiant hopes of the future and the precious now all come together here. You have so much to be grateful for—the ring on your finger and the babe in your belly among the latest and greatest testaments to your love.

A soft laugh falls from your lips as his knee slides under yours, spreading you open. A familiar gesture forever part of this yearly ritual. He grins back at you and you beam at this sense of levity you share; the comfort, the ease, the fun that comes from a true understanding and unconditional acceptance of each other.

He peppers little kisses everywhere, and you giggle. His lips linger on the swell of your stomach, and you sigh. He licks a thick stripe along your slit, and you moan.

You claw at the earth below, not concerned in the least about the dirt under your nails nor the mess he will make of you, your mind blank but for the bliss his tongue brings. He knows you would surrender to his deepest desires—at any time, really, but especially on a night as meaningful as this—and yet he chooses to put your pleasure first. You suppose it is as he once told you.

You were the answer to his prayers and so he will dedicate himself to your worship.

Astarion works you expertly, tongue dipping between your folds and flicking against your clit, an expression of his stunning fluency in your body language. Heat coils within your core until it snaps, his name a shrill cry you can no longer suppress as pleasure pulses through you.

He cannot help but to make a little joke about you waking the dead and you give him a playful swat. And though your limbs are still shaking, you think it time to turn the tables, time to tease him and tempt him until he is throbbing to be one with you.

You start with his ear, tracing a single finger from soft lobe to pointed tip, smiling at the way it flushes beneath your touch. He whimpers, and nods, and those gorgeous eyes fall closed, and you know you have him. He lets you play with him as you like, guiding him to sit back against the tombstone and immerse himself in you. You give his ear a lick. A nibble. A kiss.

Your lips trail down his neck and across his chest, admiring his lithe frame and lean muscle, and you want him, and you need him, and you love him, oh, so impossibly much.

You settle between his legs, and you wait for that final nod that grants you this gift, this chance to give to him what he gives to you so fervently. And when he offers his assent, hungry eyes heavy-lidded with lust, you take him into your eager mouth.

You stroke and you suck, swishing your tongue to work the underside, seeking out those sweet sounds that signal his satisfaction. You revel in the way he loses himself in pleasure, head lolled back, jaw open, groaning, moaning, trusting in you. 

To you he is a lover, a partner, a husband, a father to the little life growing inside you. He is everything. He deserves everything. And you will give him everything you have.

Though it comes as no surprise to you when he gives you a reluctant but gentle nudge, his need to bury himself within you stronger than his urge to spill down your throat—and so you roll onto your back as he clambers over you, his usual finesse lost in his feral desperation to fuck you.

He sinks into you. You wriggle and you writhe, making no more attempts to stifle your cries. In this moment the world is his and yours alone. Together you are whole. He plunges into you with animalistic abandon, as if his sole purpose is to stuff you full of seed, as if you aren’t already plump with his child.

I love you. Those three little words spoken from his lips are what makes you fall to pieces beneath him as he finds his release inside you. You tremble as you ride out every last second, savouring every sensation you share with the man you love more than anything.

You lie together, marvelling at how lucky you are to be by his side, to be part of his life as he learns to live again, to have built this life together, to have created a whole new life inside you, a miracle that makes you both smile.

And yet all you say is those same three little words.

I love you.

+++ Thank you for reading! A bit shorter than my usual work, but I wanted to get something out into the world as I continue to chip away on a few other wips!

My AO3 | My Masterlist

[rubra-wav]

May I Request a part 2 to Dealbreaker!Reader (same characters) but it’s the characters reactions to the reader surprisingly breaking their deal? I loved what you wrote!

Angel, Husk and Alastor with a dealbreaker S/O pt. 2

[ Part 1 ] < > [ More lore on DBs ]

A/N Thank you so much, I'm glad you liked it, I loved writing this and the last one. Dealbreaker lore brainrot fr.

With how dealbreaking usually goes, it's not instantly a happy ending, unfortunately. These are all pretty happy endings, though.

Fairly long reads for all of these, but it's worth it, I promise 🙏

!(MY REQUESTS ARE NOT OPEN RN. THIS IS JUST LEFT OVER FROM WHEN THEY LAST WERE.)!

Cw: SFW, depictions of violence, mentions of murder, Husk and Angel's is romantic, Alastor's is platonic, gn reader, male reader in mind for Angel's (forgot to add this aaaages back omg)

**Alastor's is written under the assumption that the Lilith owning his soul theory is real + is making a great big assumptions about Lilith + the nature of her deal that will likely be disproven.

She's a great big mystery, I'm just heavily leaning into pure theory in that one.

Angel

- When you break his contract, Angel is overwhelmed with a potent mixture of relief and gratitude.

- The path this far had been fairly easy as far as the process of actually breaking the contract goes.

- The chains on him were poorly crafted and the format was extremely simple with a lot of loopholes to bust the contract wide open.

- It was honestly much harder to fully knock Angel out of the all-encompassing fear-rooted belief that he was doing something incredibly wrong after years of Val's manipulation and control over every part of him.

- It didn't take long to make the counter-contract, just a few minutes referencing the draft as you quickly wrote everything down upon the page pressed against the filthy bench you were sitting at. Angel hovered over you anxiously wringing his hands as he watched you work.

- The lock on his prison cell was quickly broken, along with the actual collar around his neck.

- You cheered as you threw your arms around the disbelieving man next to you. Angel cracked a smile, giddy as he realised that you had done it.

- This peace was short-lived, however.

- You now had to deal with the consequences of actually breaking Angel's deal. Valentino does not take kindly to people taking his toys away from him, especially not one of his top money-makers and favourite souls.

- You had, of course, crafted the counter-contract that was now clutched in your palm in some random location far away from the hotel so Val wouldn't be knocking at the front door knowing it was done then and there.

- However, you two still needed to run.

- Hand in hand, you run away from the approaching sound of distant but loudly approaching cars with the sound of gunshots echoing, legs and lungs burning with exertion.

- As a contrast to your very evident worry, Angel is laughing joyously and more boisterously then he thinks he ever has as the feeling of the heavy sensation of the collar that has been weighing on him is lifts alongside the inability to speak his real name without choking on it.

- The feeling of his newfound freedom and adrenaline mixes in his body, making his blood sing out in his veins like a symphony. An indescribably rich sensation of being alive that he thought he'd never be able to feel again while sober.

- "So long, you overly tall rat bastard! I've found something that's better then anything you could ever fucking give me!" Angel yells out into the warm air of the night as he flips off the general direction of the sound of the gunshots, laughing all the way as you get to the getaway car.

- You're panting as you crank the car into gear, speeding away and putting the glowing counter-contract on the back seat.

- As the distant sounds of gunshots fades into the distance behind you, you turn to the passenger side of the car to make absolutely sure Angel is really okay as he calms down from the high of the chase.

- Your boyfriend is absolutely beaming next to you, glowing with a sense of natural light you'd never before seen in your time being together. It's a beautiful contrast to the artificial sense of life you are so used to seeing broadcast within the studio and his films.

- He looks so different, and not only due to the disguise he had decided upon to lay low until shit calmed down a bit.

- As you make it to your destination - a small house youd been allowed to stay at courtesy of Charlie - you put the car into park and sit there for a for a few seconds.

- "Holy shit. I did it. I actually freed you. And we're not dead." You said, stunned.

- Angel snickered, unbuckling his seat belt and leaning over to you to kiss you on the cheek. "Never doubted you for a second, baby."

- You laugh, relieved, turning to him and gently pull his face close to yours, kissing him deeply. You chuckle at the feeling of the giant smile on Angel's face.

- As you move to settle in to live in the small house for a couple of weeks, you regret turning on the television.

- Angel's face flashes across the screen with text quickly scrolling past a smiling but seemingly close to tweaking Vox on the screen, the man looking like he's about to absolutely lose his shit if one more mild inconvenience happens. The Video Star's eye twitches sightly as if hearing something irritating as he speaks.

- "There is a hefty reward for anyone who can find Angel Dust and the dealbreaker who has interfered with his contract. Any useful information will be welcome. To give us tips, go to the website listed below or call-" You switch the TV off, unplugging it as well just in case.

- If Vox got well and truly involved in this situation to attempt to placate Valentino as soon as possible, this would be even more difficult of a situation. You hadn't much considered the rest of the vees getting involved, assuming they would stsy in their own lanes while Valentino stopped being pissy.

- You shake your head, and move to go to the room where Angel is unpacking. The outside world could wait until later. All that shit could wait until later.

- Angel smiles at you as you walk into the room, such a lightness in it that makes your heart burn.

- You hug him tightly and then fall down on your side into the bed, both of you laughing joyously and filling the empty house with life.

- The road ahead would not be easy, but you were finally on the road to starting your life with him.

- Your life with him as Anothony, not Angel Dust.

Husk

- The road to forming a counter-contract was hard as all hell.

- Alastor's deals are absolutely air tight, crafted with the uptmost skill and attention to detail, so you finding a vague clause to dig your claws into to get it rolling after weeks of arduously reviewing it again and again was a goddamn miracle.

- When he saw that you had made progress, he's shocked as can be. Has a 'well I'll be' moment as you point it out to him after another sleepless night as he wanders up to you.

- Feels bad for fully doubting you after that. He's still pessimistic about your chances of actually succeeding in the counter-contract, but the flame of hope inside of him sparks to embers as you manage to do what nobody has managed to even remotely succeed to do in centuries.

- When you make further progress, he becomes deeply afraid for your safety. If Alastor ever found out you'd been able to get this far, you'd be toast.

- Never in a million years would Alastor allow someone who's managed to undermine his skills to this degree to live. When you say that you've got it covered when he brings it up, he's incredibly skeptical and is even more concerned when you say you can't tell him 'just in case'.

- Is in utter disbelief when you insist you just stay in the hotel as you actually write the counter-contract to break the deal while Alastor is out doing some shenanigans.

- When you say that you don't, in fact, have a death wish, he's extremely stressed and sweating bullets as you begin to write what you'd been drafting for weeks.

- The lights flash and then go out as you're about halfway through writing the contract. Unnatural green light fills the room and Alastor casts a great big shadow on the wall as he materialises out of nowhere.

- Husk feels dread sink into every part of himself.

- The ground shakes as Alastor physically shows up, much larger then usual and snarling. "What do you think you're doing."

- His voice is dripping with malice and static which hurts your ears greatly, but the movement of your pen on the page doesn't stop even though you can feel your heart thudding in terror and your vision is becoming blurry.

- Husk feels nauseous as Alastor looks down at you, growing all the more aggressive the more he feels his hold on Husk slipping.

- Husk fights a panicked yell as Alastor's neck snaps to the side loudly, now looking directly at him with an absolutely vile grin on his face. He cannot make it in time as Alastor's hand moves to crush you, and he fears the absolute worst as you are no longer in his sights.

- His deep despair is interrupted however, as from underneath Alastor's palm great big rose briers grow from underneath and pry it backwards, revealing you still writing - albeit looking extremely stressed - and the figure of Rosie who looks rather angry at Al.

- Alastor's eyes widen in shock and disbelief that one of his oldest friends are currently blocking him from destroying the one trying to take his property.

- Husk hardly hears the back and forth and stalling that goes on between the two overlords as he's running to you to try and pull you the hell out of here.

- He stops in place as he feels it, and hears Alastor let out a terrifying frustrated growling noise. The green collar and chain around his throat appears, and then it breaks with a loud snapping sound. You've succeeded.

- You actually fucking did it.

- The next few moment are a blur as Husk is rendered motionless and speechless, eyes wide and tears pricking at the corners of his eyes as if he's about to wake up from this moment.

- He slowly walks towards you, looking to the side blankly as Alastor shrinks back to his normal size and is escorted out of the hotel with a look of pure bewilderment on his face by a now smiling and laughing Rosie. The leader of the cannibals winks at you and gives you a thumbs up as she leaves.

- You turn to Husk and grin at him wearily, still sweating nervously with clear relief on your face. You literally could have just died.

- Husk sinks to his knees beside you from where you sit on the ground, having fallen from your chair as Alastor tried to crush you.

- Husk grips your face in his shaking hands as he looks up at you. He can now see that one of your eyes is black with a deal you've made yourself but for now he doesn't address it.

- "Thank you." His voice is hoarse, low. Tears stream down his face for the first time in a long long time.

- Your face crumples as you allow your brave face to fall to bits. Your heart is still racing and you are still getting over the fear you felt.

- Husk pulls your crying face to his, leaning his forehead against yours as he wraps his arms tightly around you. "Thank you so much." Husk says, closing his eyes and causing more tears to roll down his cheeks.

- "If you ever do something that fucking stupid again, I'll not be humouring you." He added after the wonderful moment stretched out for a couple of seconds.

- You laugh softly, and nuzzle into his cheek as you kiss it. "You're welcome, Husker my love."

- Husk hums in fake annoyance, but he cannot even hide how much lighter he feels.

- The bonds which had kept him trapped for decades had been broken down all at once, leaving him free.

- He had no idea what kind of deal you made with Rosie, but he sure hoped it kept Alastor the fuck away from you and him for the rest of your lives.

- And, for your sake, he desperately hopes it is not the type of deal you will regret making later.

Alastor

- The path to dealbreaking Alastor's is bar fucking none with difficulty, mostly because he doesn't want your help.

- Hurts his his ego so much to see that even though his consistent efforts to tell you to get lost have failed. He's opted to scaring you off multiple times and yet you're still relentless.

- After yet another time of him growing into that massive form and snarling down at you, you snap.

- "Maybe I'm 'overestimating my abilities', but what if I'm not? What if a fresh pair of eyes are what you need rather than you just pissing off to your radio tower and staring at everything until you have a mental breakdown over it!" You yell at him weakly as he turns his back to leave. Blood is dripping from the corner of your mouth, and you're only just regaining your vision from the former static, which blacked it out.

- Alastor stops in his tracks, startled that you know about that too.

- "Maybe I don't have as much experience as you, but I have a different mind and way of looking at things! What if that's exactly why you can't break it? What if whoever it is knows how you think so they've designed this thing so you can't do this alone?"

- You can't see Alastor's face, but he's standing there still not saying anything. One of his ears is pointed backwards in your direction. He's actually listening.

- You gulp, and stand up shakily. "What if they knew that you would never seek assistance, so they've done things which won't be visible to you and only you. If you just give me a chance." You're no longer shouting, rather speaking in a tone you're trying to keep even despite how afraid you are.

- Alastor grits his teeth, ears twitching as he considers it. He's pissed off because you're actually making a good point.

- It goes against every instinct in his body, but suddenly, he's right in front of you, holding out his hand to you as he glares menacingly at you. "A week, and if you find nothing, you will never fucking approach this with me again, or share what you have seen and heard about my deal with anybody."

- You gulp audibly. It's a ridiculously slim deadline for this kind of business, but it's more than nothing. As you accept the deal, he utters a single word you're shocked to hear.

- "Lilith."

- Without any further words, he disappears, leaving a glowing copy of the contract at your feet.

- The week of reviewing the contract was utter fucking hell.

- it's not just that the contract was super air tight, it's just that it was so ridiculously complicated and hard to understand that you could hardly fucking comprehend what you were reading most of the time. It was utterly maddening.

- Your breakthrough, however, came not through solely just reading the words, but from actually talking to Lucifer himself about Lilith when he came to visit the hotel while Alastor left.

- As per the deal, you didn't share anything about the contract, but you did ask about her in private with him and he was actually surprisingly happy to discuss her.

- So that's, how on the last day of the deadline, you cracked the contract wide open with a counter-contract draft you had written in a few hours.

- Alastor almost screams out in pure unadulterated fury when he sees what you've written and hears the explanation behind it.

- Lilith wasn't some skilled dealmaker hellbent on controlling demons. She was a broken down dreamer who had no idea what she was actually doing in the contract, but being Lilith, her words held so much weight that they'd chained him despite that.

- It actually takes every bone in your body to not burst out laughing with how utterly humiliated he looks.

- His ears are pressed forward on his head, and he's making an odd high-pitched audio feedback kind of sound as his face is hidden in his hands.

- He'd been stressing over this thing for years as a skilled dealmaker looking at it, and yet that was exactly why he couldn't do it.

- Couldn't do what you did in a fucking week.

- "So, do you want me to undo this thing now or-?"

- You startle as suddenly he's in front of you, both hands on either one of your shoulders.

- you try so hard to not snicker as you see his expression finally, but fail. He's pressing his still ever-smiling mouth into a crooked line, eyes squeezed shut and brow furrowed. Dark flush covers his cheeks and neck.

- "Yes. Please." He says those words as if they are poison in his mouth. "I'm.. Sorry. That I underestimated you." Alastor opens his eyes to look at you as he begins to regain his composure a bit more, the hard part of this interaction being over with.

- Fortunately, and also infuriatingly, Alastor had not had his soul contract used once. Lilith simply had him in her back pocket and didn't lift a finger whenever she felt him try to break it again and again. It's like she didn't even give a fuck that she literally owned him.

- This fact burnt hot embarrassment and frustration into him as it destroyed his ego, but now it was a relief as she would most likely not try and come after him. Or you for that matter.

- His claws grip painfully into your shoulders as you fail to stop snickering loudly in disbelief that he actually apologised. Admitted losing essentially.

- "S-sorry! I just can't believe I'm seeing you like this." You apologised.

- Alastor gritted his teeth. "Don't get used to it." He growls before his mask slips right back on like it never happened. "I'm simply admitting my mistake in assuming you could not do this, darling! It turns out you truly can't teach an old dog new tricks. Or deer, in this case." He clears his throat, straightening up.

- You smile up at him, heavy bags under your eyes from where you've barely slept for the past week pouring over this.

- "If it makes you feel any better, it makes sense why you couldn't solve this thing. It's utter bullshit nonsense." You shake your head at the contract.

- The deal was undone embarrassingly quickly after that using the draft you had written. No pushback at all on it.

- Alastor feels his collar slacken and break to bits as you write the counter-contract and sighs with extreme relief as he watches the other contract disintegrate, feeling the power which had been stolen coming back as it turns to dust. It doesn't cure the utter humiliation that still sits heavy upon his shoulders however.

- After everything, he would threaten to kill you if you tell anyone about what went on or how he had fallen apart. Though, it would be a lie to say you two don't grow significantly closer.

- Alastor is still hesitant to fully let his guard down around you, however the massive wake that existed between you two even as fairly good friends has now significantly closed.

- He's still a lying, scheming asshole, but he'll be much more inclined to not be so much with you considering you've kept multiple giant blows to his ego fully secret.

This was a lot longer than what I usually write for requests holy moly, but I absolutely loved writing these. I hope I fulfilled your vision anon 🙏

You get through Angel's and Husk's, which are really emotional and sweet, then you get to Alastor's 💀

Masterlist

[elizabeth-holland24]

The Beast Within-Chapter 2 (Part 2)

Back in the village, the familiar din of laughter and cheer filled the pub. Gaston was in his usual element, drinking in the admiration of the townsfolk as they clinked mugs and boasted about his many supposed victories. LeFou hung at his side, singing his praises with theatrical enthusiasm. But when Maverick barged in, the atmosphere shifted. His voice, frantic and raw, cut through the noise like a blade. “Someone, please, help me!” he shouted, his face pale, his eyes wild with desperation. A hush fell over the crowd. The bartender placed a steadying hand on Maverick’s shoulder, his voice gruff but concerned. “Pete, calm down. You’re sounding… unhinged.” Maverick shook his head, wrenching himself free from the man’s grasp. “I can’t calm down! He’s got her—he’s got Mausi! She’s trapped in that godforsaken castle with… with a beast.” A ripple of laughter echoed through the room, though it was tinged with nervousness. “Pete, are you sure you didn’t knock your head?” the bartender scoffed. But among the jeering crowd, two figures sat quietly in the shadows, their expressions unreadable, their gazes fixed on Maverick. When they heard the words “Mausi” and “danger,” their postures shifted subtly, as if they were ready to spring into action. One of them, hidden near the back, clenched his jaw and leaned forward, listening intently. The dim light caught his face briefly—a glint of recognition flickered in his eyes before he receded into shadow once more, conflicted. Back at the bar, Gaston puffed out his chest, emboldened by the murmurs of the crowd. “When has Pete ever lied to us?” he declared, his voice booming. “If he says there’s a monster, then I say we hunt it down and bring Mausi back!” As the crowd rallied around Gaston, the figure in the back kept his silence, knowing that his chance to act would come—but only when the time was right. He would remain unseen, guarding Mausi from the sidelines, watching as events unfolded.

Down in the kitchen, a wild scene unfolded like a page from a fairy tale. Pots clanged together in a symphony of chaos that echoed off the ancient stone walls. The air was thick with the savoury aroma of simmering soup, spiced with thyme and rosemary, warming the cold atmosphere that hung over the castle. Rays of afternoon light streamed through the narrow windows, casting the busy room in a soft golden glow as Rooster; Natasha, and the enchanted objects bustled about, chattering over each other with an excited energy that hadn’t been felt in years.

“We might finally have a chance!” a whisk exclaimed, nearly vibrating off the table in excitement. “After all these years, to think we could be free!”

Natasha moved between the clamour, humming as she stirred a pot, her grin bright and infectious. “I can already taste freedom in this soup! Just imagine it—our bodies restored, dancing under the stars again!”

But in a shadowed corner, Jake—Hangman—stood with his arms crossed, a dark presence amidst the buoyant chatter, his expression taut. He watched the scene unfold, Rooster and Coyote caught in the whirlwind of optimism that had swept through the kitchen, and he bristled. None of this had been his choice, and yet here they all were, defying his rules. Jake's tone sliced through the room like a winter draft.

“You’re making her dinner?” he growled, his voice a dangerous edge that quieted the room. “Since when did we agree to serve the prisoner?”

Rooster turned toward him, unbothered by Jake’s icy stare. “Jake, we thought maybe… you could use the company.” His voice was gentle, as if testing the waters.

Jake scoffed, shaking his head in disbelief. “Company? I made her a prisoner here,” he bit out, his jaw tightening. “Do you think she’ll want to sit around and chat, happy as can be, with the one who locked her away?”

Coyote took a steadying breath, stepping into the tension with his usual calm. “Jake, look. She didn’t come here for herself—she traded her life for her father’s. If she’s staying here, she deserves a little kindness. That’s why we gave her the best room.”

Jake’s eyes flashed. “The best room?” He raised an eyebrow, his voice dripping with frustration. “You did that without asking me? This is my castle, and you think it’s fine to ignore my rules?”

Rooster met his glare, unyielding. “Jake, if she’s the one who could break this spell, then she deserves a fair chance. Besides, if anyone’s to blame, it’s you. You’re the one who forced her to stay.”

A flicker of frustration deepened in Jake’s expression, but he said nothing. His gaze dropped, and his jaw clenched, an intense storm of emotions brewing just beneath his stern facade. Rooster’s words had hit a nerve. He knew his friends were right, but letting down his guard—showing any semblance of softness—was a risk he’d spent years avoiding. How could he even think about trying to be “worthy” of someone like Mausi when he was hiding behind a wall as thick as the castle’s own stone?

The doubts swirled in his mind, unspoken, tightly held behind his steely exterior.

A calm but resolute voice interrupted his thoughts. Penny spoke up from the other side of the room, her gaze meeting his. “We don’t judge people by the sins of their parents, Jake. And neither should you.”

Jake’s expression remained rigid, but her words landed. They were all thinking it—that he was as much a prisoner of this curse as they were. But admitting that felt like exposing too much, and so he stood, his guard as rigid as ever. He’d let them make their dinner, show Mausi whatever kindness they saw fit, but he wouldn’t allow himself to hope. If his own parents hadn’t found him worthy, how could he expect her to?

Yet, a hint of unease tugged at him, a whisper of what could be. And that was the most dangerous feeling of all.

Rooster, sensing a shift in Jake’s silence, continued with resolve. “This could be our only chance, Jake. You can stay bitter, or you can try. If she’s the one, this spell could be broken, and we’d finally be free.”

“Free…” Jake muttered, the word tasting both bitter and sweet. The others didn’t know his inner battle, and he wasn’t about to show them. But he’d play along, if only to quiet them down and keep control. He could go through the motions, watch them all get caught up in their dreams, even if he was certain this could lead to nothing but disappointment.

Jake stood outside Mausi’s door, arms crossed and jaw tight, as his friends huddled around him. Penny’s unyielding gaze bore into him, and he knew he couldn’t escape this. He let out a long breath, feeling their expectation, their hope. It’s only dinner, he told himself, and knocked hard on the door.

“Join me for dinner. That was not a request,” he commanded, turning as if to walk away.

“Jake!” Penny hissed, exasperated. “Be patient, would you? The girl’s lost everything in a day—her father, her freedom.” Her voice softened. “You owe her a little kindness.”

“Kindness,” he muttered under his breath, as though it were an unfamiliar taste. Before he could slip away, Rooster jumped in.

“Yeah, the poor thing’s probably terrified!” he added, sparing a sympathetic glance at the door.

What they didn’t know was that Mausi, on the other side, was anything but terrified. She had torn the heavy fabric of her gown, knotting it into a makeshift rope, intent on making an escape out the window.

Reluctantly, Jake knocked again, softer this time, stifling his irritation.

“Just a minute!” her voice called, defiant and clear.

Rooster’s face brightened, and he gestured for Jake to wait. “See? She’s coming around. Just remember—gentle,” he reminded him, a bit of a grin peeking through.

“Charming,” added Natasha with a wink.

“And sweet,” Penny chimed in, her tone teasing.

Jake shot them all a scathing look. “I do remember how to talk to a lady, you know. They used to line up for my charm,” he muttered, letting his old confidence slip through. He tried his trademark smirk, but as his beastly features contorted, it came out as a snarl, his fangs glinting. Rooster winced.

“Oh mon dieu,” Natasha sighed, covering her eyes. “Yeah, lose the smirk, Jake. You aren’t quite who you used to be.”

Grimacing, Jake turned back to the door and knocked once more, forcing the impatience from his voice. “Will you join me for dinner?” he asked, glancing back at his friends, his brow furrowed with frustration. Is this what they wanted?

From inside came her answer, sharp and laced with defiance. “You take me prisoner, strip me of my freedom, and now you want to dine with me? Are you actually insane?”

Jake’s patience finally snapped. He could feel the tension unravel, his irritation bubbling over as he reverted to his old self, Hangman, the one who brooked no resistance. His friends exchanged worried looks, but they were too late to intervene.

Jake pounded on the door, his voice a low growl. “I told you to join me for dinner,” he spat, each word more forceful than the last.

Silence. And then, with unyielding boldness, Mausi’s voice rang out from within. “And I told you no! I’ll starve before I eat with you.”

The words cut through him, sharp as a blade. Fury simmered beneath his calm facade, but something else twisted there too—a glimmer of something far more vulnerable. He looked back at his friends, bitterness flashing in his eyes. “Fine. If she doesn’t want to eat with me, then she doesn’t eat at all,” he growled, storming off down the hallway.

As his footsteps echoed, Penny watched him go, a look of concern shadowing her face. “He’s pushing her away,” she whispered, her voice laced with worry.

Rooster gave her a sympathetic nod. “Maybe, but I don’t think he even realizes he’s doing it.” He looked back at Mausi’s door, frowning. “For both their sakes, I hope he learns before it’s too late.”

Behind the closed door, Mausi stood with her makeshift rope, her heart pounding from the encounter. She wasn’t afraid of him; no, she saw through him—a storm on the outside, yes, but inside, there was something hidden, something he seemed desperate to conceal. She brushed off the thought, straightened her shoulders, and returned to her rope, her resolve as fierce as ever.

Word count 4131

A/N: Hey, so I'm back. I'm so sorry I didn't publish anything last week, but between my exam, my classes, homework and some personal problems I lost track and I couldn't write anything. Hopefully this week is less stressful, and I manage to publish Chapter 3 as well, since I'm pretty excited for what I have in mind. Also, finally we get to see who is who from the dagger squad, I'm still trying to see who could Bob be, but apart from that I think I did a pretty good job. Besides, who do you think is that other person looking out for Mausi? Anyway I hope you enjoy this chapter I keep having too separate it into two parts for being too long, so I'm sorry, I'll try to make them shorter if you guys want. Also thank you so much for the love and support on this story. Don't forget to comment, like and reblog, so I know if you are enjoying it. I might do a tag list if you guys want. But yeah, I think that's all. Thanks for reading <3

[iwannabe-l-l-l-l-legendary]

So I had a Thought. Feel free to read the Thought.

So for those who have read KotLC and heard/watched Hamilton, this will appeal to you. Even if you haven't, it's fine. I'll explain what I'm trying to say anyway.

So: In "The World Was Wide Enough" from the end of Hamilton, right as Burr fires his gun, the time slows down, and Hamilton says all of the thoughts whirling through his mind at once. If you change/get rid of a few words, then it fits perfectly with what I think went through Keefe's mind in Legacy as the shadow and light consumed him on the throne. If you haven't heard the song, here is the speech, but modified to fit Keefe:

I imagine death so much it feels more like a memory Is this where it gets me, on my feet, sev'ral feet ahead of me? I see it coming, do I run or fire my gun or let it be? There is no beat, no melody Burr My mother, my first friend, my enemy Maybe the last face I ever see If I throw away my shot, is this how you'll remember me? What if this bullet is my legacy?

Legacy, what is a legacy? It's planting seeds in a garden you never get to see I wrote some notes at the beginning of a song someone will sing for me America, you great unfinished symphony, you sent for me You let me make a difference, a place where even orphan immigrants Can leave their fingerprints and rise up I'm running out of time, I'm running, and my time's up Wise up, eyes up I catch a glimpse of the other side Laurens leads a soldiers' chorus on the other side My son is on the other side He's with my mother on the other side Washington is watching from the other side Teach me how to say goodbye Rise up, rise up, rise up, Eliza!

My love, take your time I'll see you on the other side Raise a glass to freedom

So yes, that seems like something Keefe would be thinking, especially since he thinks he's probably about to die, and that his own mom killed him. (the angst but in song form)

[jarondont]

[HERMES, spoken]

Now everybody knows that walls have ears

[TELEMACHUS]

Is it true?

[SOULS]

Is it true?

[HADES, spoken]

What's that noise?

[HERMES, spoken]

And the walls had heard what the boy was saying

[TELEMACHUS]

Is it true?

[SOULS]

Is it true?

[HADES, spoken]

It's the boy!

[HERMES, sang]

A million tons of stone and steel...

[TELEMACHUS]

Is it true?

[SOULS]

Is it true?

[HERMES]

Echoed his refrain

[SOULS]

Low, keep your head, keep your head low

Oh, you gotta keep your head low

If you wanna keep your head

Oh, you gotta keep your head low

Keep your head, keep your head low

Oh, you gotta keep your head low

If you wanna keep your head

Oh, you gotta-

[ANDROMACHE & HELENUS]

Why do we turn away when our brother is bleeding?

[SOULS]

Oh, keep your head-

[POLITES & EURYLOCHUS]

Why do we build the wall and then call it freedom?

[SOULS]

Oh, keep your head-

[ACHILLES + PERIMEDES]

If we're free!

[PATROCLUS + ELPENOR]

Tell me why!

[HECTOR & CASSANDRA & PARIS]

I can't look in my brother's eye?

[SOULS]

Keep your head-

[HADES]

Young man

Got to hand it to you

Guess you don't scare easy, do ya?

Are you brave or stupid, son?

Doesn't matter which one

'Cause it seems your song made quite a strong impression on my wife

But it takes more than singin' songs to keep a woman in your arms

Take it from a man no longer young

If you want to hold a woman, son

Hang a chain around her throat

Made of many carat gold

Shackle her from wrist to wrist

With sterling silver bracelets

Fill her pockets full of stones

Precious ones, diamonds

Bind her with a golden band

Take it from an old man

[SOULS]

Ooohhh

[TELEMACHUS]

If I raise my voice-

[WORKERS, one-by-one]

If I raise my voice

If I raise my voice

If I raise my-

[THE FATES and COMPANY]

Keep your head low

[NAUSICAA]

If I raise my head-

[WORKERS]

If I raise my head

If I raise my head

If I raise my-

[THE FATES and SOULS]

Keep your head low

[NAUSICAA]

Could I change my fate?

[THE FATES and COMPANY]

Could I change-

Could I change-

Could I change my fate? Oh, you gotta keep your head low

[TELEMACHUS]

If I raise my voice could I-

[SOULS]

Keep your head low!

[TELEMACHUS and NAUSICAA]

Could I change the way it is?

[SOULS]

Why do we turn away instead of standing with him?

Oh, keep your head-

Why are we digging our own graves for a living?

Oh, keep your head-

If we're free

Tell me why

We can't even stand upright?

If we're free

Tell me when

We can stand with our fellow man

Keep your head-

[HADES]

Young man, I was young once too

Sang a song of love like you

Son, I too, was left behind

Turned on one too many times

Now I sing a different song

One I can depend upon

A simple tune, a steady beat

The music of machinery

You hear that heavy metal sound?

The symphony of Hadestown

And in this symphony of mine

Of power cords and power lines

Young man, you can strum your lyre

I have strung the world in wire

Young man, you can sing your ditty

I CONDUCT THE ELECTRIC CITY!

I'll tell you what, young man

Since my wife is such a fan

And since I'm going to count to three

And put you out of your misery

One!-- give me one more song

One more song before I send you

Two!-- to the great beyond

Where nobody can hear you singing

Three!--sing a song for me

Make me laugh, make me weep

Make the king feel young again

Sing for an old man!

OHHH THIS IS SO GOOD! THE OTHER CHARACTERS COMING IN YESSSS

[the-90s-music-colosseum]

The 90s MV Melee - round 1!

Here are all 64 of this round's matchups! All polls are linked here. Enjoy the tournament and send in propaganda if you'd like to!

Sober vs Scream When Do I Get To Sing My Way vs Are You Gonna Go My Way Sugar Water vs All Star Only You vs Everlong Jeremy vs What's My Age Again Virtual Insanity vs Steal My Sunshine Nothing Compares 2 U vs Bachelorette The Devil Went Down To Georgia vs Heart Shaped Box Freak On A Leash vs Ava Adore Shiny Happy People vs Where It's At Californication vs Quote Unquote (Travolta) November Rain vs Symphony Of Destruction Until It Sleeps vs Baby Got Back Barbie Girl vs Freedom '90 Black Hole Sun vs Let Forever Be Smells Like Teen Spirit vs I'm Afraid Of Americans Peaches vs Jesus Christ Pose Doo-Wop (That Thing) vs This Is Hardcore Fire On Babylon vs Birdhouse In Your Soul Nancy Boy vs No Rain ...Baby One More Time vs Love's Sweet Exile Intergalactic vs Bull In The Heather I Stay Away vs Everybody (Backstreet's Back) Wynona's Big Brown Beaver vs High Hopes Criminal vs Midlife Crisis Cut Your Hair vs Around The World Don't Speak vs Too Funky Smells Like Nirvana vs Man! I Feel Like A Woman Gimme Some More vs Tha Crossroads Gin and Juice vs Praise You Closer vs Vogue Push It vs Streets Of Philadelphia

Common People vs Nice Guys Finish Last Losing My Religion vs Big Me Smack My Bitch Up vs Walking On Broken Glass Sky's The Limit vs Hunger Strike California Love vs Paranoid Android I'd Do Anything For Love vs The Boy Is Mine Un Point C'est Toi vs Where The Wild Roses Grow No Scrubs vs You Get What You Give Ironic vs Dragula Under The Bridge vs Black Or White All Is Full Of Love vs Scenario Right Now vs Step By Step Drop vs Wonderwall Digging In The Dirt vs Karmacoma Waterfalls vs Elektrobank Say You'll Be There vs Nuthin' But A "G" Thang One Week vs Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm Dead Man Walking vs My Name Is Guerrilla Radio vs Pure Morning Basket Case vs Foule Sentimentale Three Little Pigs vs Just Do The Evolution vs Pumping On Your Stereo Hyptonize vs The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly) Parklife vs Sugarcube Sabotage vs Amish Paradise Tonight Tonight vs Loser Wannabe vs Buddy Holly Coffee and TV vs Bitter Sweet Symphony Bedtime Story vs Gangsta's Paradise The Bad Touch vs U Can't Touch This Man Size vs Come To Daddy Ton Invitation vs Groove Is In The Heart

Use #round 1 to scroll through all polls. Also check out #mv of the day!

Past tournaments - #90s album battle royale // #most attractive 90s musician // #the 90s song ever (playlist)

join ColosseumCord! // visit me at my main @goodmotorfinger if you'd perchance be interested in hearing me yap about bands, cars and sci-fi

[haventseensun]

furishin posting

[salty-aivia]

Yeah no ive been exclusively drawing mao as a yakuza character the past 3 days anyway

[virtualfungus]

[tragicallycrispygirl]

I haven't listened to anything but Guilty Gear soundtracks for like a month (since Symphony released) and for a while I didn't really appreciate how fucking good the songs were but they're SO GOOD

A super underrated part of their composition that I don't really see people talk about is the level of complexity that the instrumentals get into without being overwhelmingly loud. It adds such beautiful relistenability, because you can seemingly always hear something new in a lot of the songs. ON TOP OF THAT, they help to capture the vibes of a character supremely well

For example, Sol's Xrd theme, Give Me a Break, starts with a thick, grindy, intense guitar riff. Then slow, crashing drums and cymbals come in, adding to the sense of weight the song already has, along with subtle clacking (i don't know what the instrument is but clacking is the best descriptor, it might be a cowbell?) to help keep the pace and fill out the song. A bass is there too, adding a nice smooth underlying layer of deep notes to the song. Finally, a lead guitar comes in and the grindy rhythm guitar moves to the background of the song, exchanged for a more melodic guitar in a higher pitch, but still with the longer, more intense notes. This is in the first 10 seconds.

It all blends into a rich and dense layered cake of a song, allowing for freedom of expression from the lead guitar, while not relying on it too heavily to carry the song. (It absolutely is the best part of the song, but the background instrumentals are just as important)

Drift (Happy Chaos' theme) does this so fucking well, so fucking fucking beautifully well. When the outro starts, you hear Naoki's vocals, over a piano and some sparse strings, before cymbals crash in with trumpets and a choir and booming drums to accentuate the climax of the song, cutting out as Naoki says "Please don't stop the flow!" It then goes back to the very fast heavy-metal-esque drums and guitar and bass, but WITH the strings and choir backing up Naoki's singing and holy fucking shit it's amazing amazing oh my goooood

Symphony (A.B.A.'s Strive theme) was what really got me hooked onto it, though. The last two minutes of that song are fucking PEAK music. It starts with light drums, an organ, and a bass backing up a piano, cutting the formerly intense tone of the song for a nice break from the intensity. Naoki comes in, shortly followed by that classic grindy Guilty Gear guitar, as the piano and drums speed up to match a slowly rising intensity, before breaking into the final verse and chorus, with Naoki vocalizing over intense drums and guitar (as well as a bass but i do struggle to pick it out,) with the piano providing the main melody. Choral "la la la la" chants accompany the cries of "Break out, break out," filling it out perfectly for the tone of the song

It's honestly extremely difficult to properly articulate how it all comes together in the end for the songs. It ends up being a complex, emotional, BANGER. Go listen to the music from these soundtracks and when you do, pay attention to the main melody, then listen to them again and again and again and again and pick out the little extras in the background to truly understand WHY Guilty Gear music is so good.

[nariism]

how to love

pair. diluc ragnvindr x gn!reader

content: pure tooth-rotting fluff

diluc ragnvindr would never love again. that's what he told himself when he returned from the icy north of snezhnaya.

but there's something in the way he sways you, barefoot in the grounds of the winery with the smell of grapes and crystalflies and the sunset on your face. you're singing and dancing together, humming a tune he's sure you learned from the gods themselves. it's quiet - no one else is here to witness the both of you and you're pulling him into a hug that makes him feel like a boy again.

there's something in the way you jump into the lake surrounding the city, the way you're kicking cold water at him. the way you're slowly smoothing out the crease of his frown. dreamy sighs and kisses, fingers tracing his jaw, teeth knocking, chests heaving; he can feel every exhale that leaves you filling in his own ribcage. your hands are wet and his hair will surely be tangled later, but he doesn't care.

there's something in the way you're tugging him along, sprinting through fields upon fields of dandelions and windwheel asters. he can't even keep up, not with his heavy boots and coat, but he's running nonetheless with you. it's an orchestra of giggles and a symphony of bliss. music blooms in his heart where he thought it would lie silent forever, the steady rhythm of his in tandem with yours.

there's something in the way you perch yourself along the walls surrounding the city, breeze all-powerful as if blessed by barbatos himself. it blows the hair out of your face so he can see you fully. and he's almost certain his heart is leaping into his throat when you lean back, eyes shining toward the heavens. you scream out anything and everything on your mind. "let's have wild boar stew for dinner tonight!" you yell to the sky in a fit of laughter, earning you plenty of strange looks from the knights guarding the gate below you. he can always apologize to them later with his usual professional facade up, but right now he wants to kiss you. he does kiss you. it's freedom - that's what it is with you. he's free.

you're teaching him how to love life again. how to love the world, and how to make peace with himself. how to love the place he grew up. how to love cold water and the thrill of heights and dandelion seeds carried away in the wind. how to love and how to fall in love.

© ALABOADOA 2023 — please do not translate or post my works to other platforms.

[thedemonofcat]

Throughout his journeys, Jaskier had frequently earned the moniker of "Songbird." This nickname was not merely bestowed upon him due to his enchanting melodies, but also because of his naturally cheerful and radiant disposition.

Then one day after Geralt yelled at him on the mountain, Jaskier's world took a dark turn. He found himself ensnared by a Rogue Mage, a sorcerer harboring deep resentment towards Geralt for a prior transgression. However, amidst the Mage's animosity, an unsettling revelation surfaced: he found Jaskier's beauty captivating. Driven by a twisted desire, the Mage decided to impose a curse upon Jaskier, transforming him into a literal songbird, rendering him incapable of any form of communication except through chirps and tweets. Trapped within an exquisite yet confining cage, Jaskier became an object of the Mage's sadistic pleasure.

After tirelessly searching for Jaskier for months, consumed by remorse over his heated outburst, Geralt finally discovered the whereabouts of the Mage responsible for Jaskier's captivity. Determined to rescue his friend and make amends, Geralt confronted the Mage, ready to fight if necessary. However, the Mage's words carried a dire warning: if Geralt were to slay him, Jaskier would be condemned to eternal imprisonment.

Sensing an opportunity, the Mage proposed a dangerous bargain to Geralt, offering a potential resolution to their predicament.

Within a chamber crowded with hundreds of birds, concealed among them was the transformed Jaskier. The Mage presented Geralt with a formidable challenge: if the Witcher could correctly identify which bird was Jaskier, both would be granted their freedom. However, failure to discern Jaskier's avian form would result in his continued imprisonment as a bird, while Geralt himself would be petrified into a stone statue for eternity

As Geralt stepped into the room, the air filled with a symphony of vibrant and boisterous avian calls. A sense of unease washed over him, gradually realizing that he had never taken the time to truly know Jaskier well enough to distinguish him among the birds. Waves of remorse coursed through Geralt as he acknowledged the weight of his past actions, both the harsh words spoken on the mountain and his failure to be the friend that Jaskier deserved.

Apologizing from the depths of his heart, Geralt expressed his love for Jaskier and his longing to be reunited with him. Amidst the chorus of melodies, Geralt's eyes darted across the fluttering creatures. Then, amidst the singing flock, he noticed one bird perched silently, its gaze fixed upon him with a glimmer of recognition. In that moment, Geralt understood that the melancholy bird, sitting alone on its perch, was indeed Jaskier.

The beauty of the surroundings couldn't mask the fact that it was still a cage, and Geralt knew all too well that Jaskier detested being confined.

Having successfully identified the true form of Jaskier, Geralt found himself face-to-face with the human version of his beloved bard. Jaskier's eyes brimmed with desperation as he posed the question that lingered in his heart: Did Geralt truly love him? In response, Geralt silenced any doubt or hesitation by leaning in and pressing his lips against Jaskier's, a tender kiss that conveyed more than words ever could. The Bard's visage transformed into one of pure joy and contentment.

However, their fleeting moment of happiness was interrupted by the gloating Mage, who spitefully declared that although they were allowed to leave for now, vengeance would eventually come knocking. With a resolve forged by his disdain for unresolved matters, Geralt swiftly dispatched the Mage, ensuring that no loose ends remained.

Together, Geralt and Jaskier embarked on their journey towards their own interpretation of a happily ever after

[hamiltonconfessions-but-better]

LOOK EM IN THE EYE AIM NO HIGHER! SUMMON ALL THE COURAGE U REQUIRE! THEN COUNT!

one

two

three

four

five

six

seven

eight

nine

number

TEN

PACES FIRE!

⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚⋆ ˚｡⋆

I imagine death so much it feels more like a memory. Is this where it gets me? On my feet, several feet ahead of me? If I see it coming do I run or fire my gun or let it be?

there is no beat. no melody.

Burr, my first friend my enemy. Maybe the last face I ever see. If I throw away my shot, is this how you remember me? What if this bullet is my legacy-

LEGACY

What is a legacy..?

Its planting seeds in a garden you never get to see. I wrote some notes at the beginning of a song someone will sing for me,

AMERICA! You GREAT UNFINISHED SYMPHONY! You sent for me!

…You let me make a difference, a place where even orphan immigrants can leave their fingerprints and-

r i s e U P

ImrunningoutoftimeimrunningandmytimesUP

w

i

s

e

u

p

eyes

up.

…

…

I catch a

GLIMPSE

of the

OTHER SIDE.

my boyfriend Laurens leads a soldiers chorus on the

OTHER SIDE

.

my S O N is on the

OTHER SIDE

he’s with my mother on the

OTHER SIDE

WASHINGTON

is

W A T H I N G

C(aseoh)

from the

OTHER SIDE

teach me how to say

⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚⋆ ˚｡⋆ GOODBYE ⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚⋆ ˚｡⋆

rise up

r i s e u p

r i s e u p

ELIZA

…

…

…

…

my love…

take your time.

I’ll see you on the

OTHER SIDE

…

…

raise

a glass to freedom.

⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚⋆ ˚｡⋆

he aims his pistol at the sky..

WAIT!

⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚⋆ ˚｡⋆

I strike him right between his ribs.

I

w a l k

towards him but I am

u

s

h

e

r

e

d

a

w

a

y

they

R O W

him back across the hudson.

I get a drink.

(aaaaaaaa~)

I hear

W A I L I N G

In the streets.

Somebody tells me,

“You’d better hide.”

they say

ANGELICA

and

ELIZA

(and peggy…?)

we’re both at his side when he

D I E D.

⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚⋆ ˚｡⋆

i just wasted 20 minutes typing allat

anyway here’s my confession:

peggy is the best character.

.