#we all BEEN in spooky month hell since then

[vellichorom]

my friends & i have big thoughts about bob,,, THUS! i draw our respective interpretations !!!! as you do

TOP DRAWN LAST NIGHT WHEREAS THE BOTTOM WAS DRAWN IN NOVEMBER '22! LOOK AT THAT

( ft @thedoodlecorner's " Vel " & @lemoneychicken's " Borpse " ~ )

[ivoryrebellionmess]

Spooky Remorses III

Part I Part 2

Summary: You dated Jax for a year and a half, it was great. You fought sure, but that's a given if you´re both stubborn (and he's constantly in danger). Gemma didn't like the relationship, and she made sure that it ended. Now, months after the breakup, your friend takes you to a Halloween party that just happens to be SAMCRO´s.

warnings: 18+, mdni

A/N: hiii so sorry for taking this long. hope you like it <3

tw: foul language, kinda hooking up with your ex, jealous jax, smoking,a little bit of spice, alcohol, gemma being mean af

Word count: 5451

Jax cursed the moment it happened, light and noise snapping him into reality. Anger and frustration bubbling up inside him again as he took a step back, missing your touch immediately. It was too late to hide what had been happening. Just in case you thought otherwise, Tigs face as he studied the both of you made it clear. His demeanor went from shock to amusement in a matter of seconds. He knew he had interrupted something.

A sly grin spread around his mouth as he teased. ¨Well, well…what do we have here?¨. He was slurring, which meant he was drunk, which meant the little common sense he usually had would be nowhere to be found. This was not a good moment for him to be running his mouth. 

But you could not worry about that right now, your mind working on finding an excuse, gulping as you realized none would be believable. Even if he was tense, Jax managed to get his voice to sound casual, ¨It ain't what you think, man¨. You studied him, he really did seem calm. You could only pray you looked half as composed as he did.

It probably didn't matter, since Tig´s motivation seemed to be pushing Jax´s buttons. He eyed you, taking in your divelished state, and nodded towards Jax, ¨Looked like were about to rip each other's clothes off in public, brother¨. 

The bluntness (and accuracy) ripped a surprised chuckle from your throat. Jax shot you a warning glare, he didn't need you egging Tig. His brother took a step closer, ¨Come ooon, what were you really up to?¨. He was teasing, the answer was obvious. About as obvious as the blonde man´s anger. 

Only then you noticed the cigarette, carefully placed on the picnic table. Needing something to do, you took a drag.

Jax´s voice turned your attention back to them. ¨I said it wasn't what you think. We were just talking¨ . You could tell he was trying to control his irritation, and you wondered how much more he could take before doing something stupid. Something else , the voice in your head reminded you, everything that had unfolded against that picnic table had been stupid. 

Once again, the door opening shed light and noise on the parking of the clubhouse; a very different scene unfolding this time. Chibs came out laughing and screaming, ¨Is the screaming match over or do I still get to watch some?¨. He had clearly been ready to get a jab at your fighting with Jax. This only made Tig smirk, shooting back, ¨Oh, I bet they were about to scream¨. 

Even if you had stayed away for months, their mannerisms didn't surprise you, and they sure as hell didn't scare you. So you just replied, taking another drag, ¨We were just having a smoke¨. The small time out you had awarded yourself had actually calmed you down, your voice coming out almost normal. As if your biggest desire wasn´t hearing Jax moan your name. 

The tension between you did not go unnoticed by the scott, it seemed to amuse him. ¨Just a smoke, aye? Looks like a lot more than that¨.

To that, you only shrugged, not daring to let your eyes wander to Jax. ¨So maybe it was a smoke and a talk, so what¨. Jax was silent, trying to keep his expression neutral. It was hard to do when all he could think about were your thighs around his head. The little capacity for logical thinking he had knew his brothers would not buy your lies. No one would. Even if they didn't, he needed them away, he needed you alone again. Maybe you'd still be caught up in the heat of the moment and he could get you into bed. Or anywhere really, as long as no one could interrupt. The longer they stayed there, the longer your brain had to racionalize how bad of an idea having sex with him was.  So he breathed deeply before speaking, ¨Yeah, a talk and a smoke¨. 

Chibs clearly read the situation and nodded, never losing the grin on his face. As he started walking back to the party, Tig decided he hadnt had enough fun yet, poking again. ¨Whatever you say brother¨. He patted Jax on the back after mocking him. That successfully riled Jax up, his warning was low. ¨Watch it¨.

You could see the anger in his shoulders, the way his jaw was clenched, his knuckles white. You looked over at Chibs for help, there was no need for the situation to escalate. But nice as he was, he was still a Son, and he would not get between his brothers. You were starting to get anxious, the shift in the atmosphere was noticeable. Not playful anymore, no one was grinning, no one was laughing. 

¨What's the matter Jax, cant handle some friendly banter?¨. It made you cringe, you took a step towards them before you could think about it. 

Jax´s gaze went to you for a second, his muscles tensing. He knew why you'd done it, if Tig kept it up it could very easily lead to a fight. As much as he didnt want that to happen, his brother was pushing his buttons, all of them. ¨You know I can handle it¨, his teeth clenching, ¨We´re not here to have a pissing contest¨. He was trying to stop the fight from happening, he really was, you could tell. 

So you looked at Tig, who seemed to be having the time of his life. He raised an eyebrow at you, wondering if that was an easier route to bothering Jax. As soon as his blue eyes landed on you, you regretted ever moving. Jax´s patience was probably running short after your little ¨talk¨. It always was, to be fair. But someone coming for the people he cared about, that was his weak spot, even on his best day. ¨Just having some fun, brother¨. 

You looked at the blonde, his smoldering gaze already on you. He could see the worry in your eyes, and it somehow helped him keep it together.

It was only the calm before the storm.

He took a deep breath, and with his exhale came a low growl, ¨You´re playing with fire¨.

You couldn't help but bite your lip, his growl going right to where you needed him most. Even if it was subtle, Jax noticed, even now he had an effect on you. His eyes darkened, his anger growing. Angry that you also had an effect on him, angry that his brother had interrupted, angry that he let you go. 

The short interaction had not gone unnoticed by Tig, who had decided this would be his winning statement apparently. ¨I´d like to play with that fire, if you're not gonna finish what you started¨. He hadnt meant it, hadn't even looked at you. That didn't matter. Not to you. Not to Jax. 

Before you could speak up for yourself, Jax stepped forward, ready to start an actual fight. You caught his arm, trying to stop him. He turned to look at you, ¨He needs a lesson¨, he grumbled. Worry was dripping from all of you: your eyes, the hand on his arm, the fingers gripping his skin. There was a plea in your eyes.  A plea to prove to you that he was different from what he used to be. A plea to give you a reason to stay. You came even closer, your chest touching his back, and whispered into his shoulder. ¨Baby, it's not worth it¨.

He could feel your body pressing up against him, your breath on his neck, the way ¨baby¨ had fallen from your lips,...He wanted to prove to you that he could be different. So he let out a deep breath, slowly. Frustration and desire burning within him. You were right. It wasn't worth it. 

You felt like you could finally breathe, you let your head rest against Jax´s back, your hand absimentally running up and down his forearm. 

It didn't last, Tig couldn't help himself, letting out a last jab as he turned around. ¨Guess you two lovebirds going to make up now, you're welcome¨. You dropped your arms yo your sides, muttering under your breath, ¨For fucks sake Tig¨. And you truly couldn't blame him when Jax finally grabbed him by the collar and punched him. 

His anger took the best of him, slamming his brother against the wall. Tig had pushed and pushed, and was now getting the fruits of his hard labour. Watching the fight unfold, you mentally prepared yourself to clean up Jax after. This was what you´d been dreading since Tig came out. It was scary how quick you seemed to be able to fall back into the violent routine. Instead of freaking out, you were making a list of the injuries Jax would have, and how to patch him up. You were freaking out too, of course, in the background.

You could take the sight of a few punches and minor injuries. But then the fight started to escalate, you looked at Chibs. He seemed worried, he hadn't moved and he wouldn't. This was a matter between Jax and Tig. But at least he seemed worried, right?

They were both covered in sweat, their faces bloody and their breathing ragged. Still it didn't look like they were willing to give in. Well, they would stop, one way or another. Against your better judgment, you stepped closer. Close enough that they could accidentally hit you. 

¨Aye, stop that!¨, you just pretended not to hear Chib´s warning. You heard him get closer as well. And you were not the only one. 

The bloody men looked up at you when they heard Chibs yell, surprised at your closeness. They had been so focused on each other they hadn't noticed your approach. Tig´s eyes showed disbelief and something close to pride, Jax´s darkened. He was bothered, what a surprise. 

Your eyes were sternly going from one set of blue eyes to the other, ¨You two done now?¨. Tig chuckled at your bravery, treating them like misbehaving children. Jax´s eyes softened, as he wiped blood from his lip. ¨Yeah, we´re done¨. 

They got up and hugged it out. Unbelievable. 

¨Great¨, you held your hand to Jax, ¨C´mon, let's get you cleaned up¨. You knew the gesture meant something to the guys who were a part of the club. It meant something to you too, it just happened to be something different. You did not give a flying fuck if they took this a sign of a great old lady or whatever. You hoped neither did Jax. He looked at your hand, at you, at his brothers. He knew the other bikers were sizing up the situation, he didn't care right now. All that he cared about was the way you were looking at him, the way you cared for him. So he took your hand, allowing you to lead him. 

As you walked you looked at Tig, ¨You good?¨. He nodded, smiling. ¨Nothing I can't handle, doll¨

You didn't smile back, instead giving him a piece of your mind. ¨Don't ever speak about me that way again¨. It wasn't a warning. It wasn't a threat. It was a statement.

You then turned to keep walking, going straight to Jax´s room, knowing the route by heart. His hand was still on yours, neither of you cared about the outrageous amount of looks you were getting as you entered the clubhouse. He only cared about the way your fingers were intertwined. You only cared about repeating yourself: this was the last time you did this. You didn't believe it. His hand in yours didn't let you believe it. It was such a small gesture. And yet it felt like so much more. 

As you entered the room, he shut the door, enjoying the darkness and silence. His eyes were roaming your body in front of him. Your soft voice stopped a string of ungentlemanly thoughts. ¨Wheres the first aid kit?¨

He started to walk to the bathroom when you scoffed ¨Sit, where is it?¨

He wanted to get it himself, to not let you win, but his body thought something else. Jax made his way to the bed as he answered with a sigh, ¨You know¨. You did, you knew a lot, maybe too much. So, with that, you made your way to the bathroom and opened the cabinet where you knew you´d find what you were looking for. 

Taking a deep breath, you made your way to stand between his legs, leaving the first aid kit on the bed. You brushed the hair out of his face to examine the damage. He let you, simply looking up at you. 

Jax could feel the heat from your body, the tingle of your fingers against his forehead, a familiar feeling started to settle in his stomach. 

¨You won't need stitches so that's good¨, you seemed unaffected by the closeness. But the way your fingers were tracing his face certainly affected Jax. He had seen this before, you switching into nurse mode as a way to cope with the anger his injuries caused you. 

¨How´s the rest of your body feeling? Any cut I need to clean up urgently?¨. Even if he understood what was happening, he couldn't help but feel disappointed that you weren't closer, caressing him…treating him as a lover instead of a patient. But you were not his lover, not any more. He wasn't fooling himself either, this was how you´d acted most of the times you had had to patch him up. 

No matter how you looked, your head was swirling with a million thoughts and feelings: this is  a mistake, you shouldn't be here, leave now, you promised to yourself you wouldn't do this again, look at him, he is so pretty, he needs you now, no he doesn't, he's an adult, he did this to himself, it's not your responsibility to fix him. 

It was his smooth voice that stopped your brain, ¨Uh, rest of me is fine. Nothing serious, just some scrapes and cuts¨. He was trying to calm you, seeing right through your facade. It did not work, riling you up even more. 

Your voice came out sharper than you mean to, ¨I'll say if it's serious or not¨. Not giving him time to reply, you grabbed a gauze and disinfectant. ¨This is gonna sting¨

Jax swallowed nervously,  whether that was because of the pain to come or your cold attitude you didn't know. When he looked up at you his heart skipped a beat. ¨Go ahead. I can take it¨. Something about his bravado bothered you, it seemed like he was proud he could take a few punches. ¨Yeah well, you don't have to¨ you started cleaning a cut in forehead ¨That was stupid¨

He didn't answer right away, or at all for that matter. He did, however, wince when the disinfectant touched the wound. Not a sound came from his mouth. That did not mean he was still, at all. It wasn't only the pain, it was your closeness. Jax wanted nothing more than grabbing your hips and pulling you into him. Even if you were being cold, you used to straddle him when you were dating, letting his hands roam your body. Not this time. This time felt aseptic on your end. It was a defense mechanism, you couldn't let yourself fall into this routine again. You still remembered the anxiety, the sleepless nights knowing he was in danger, the fights, the jealousy. And worst of all, his mother, a constant presence in his life, undermining your every move. Maybe you could´ve taken it if it had just been the memories from months ago. Maybe. But now? After what had just happened? All of those got mixed up with his rough breaths, his lips on yours, the taste of his kisses. And you couldn't help but yearn for it to happen again. That bothered you the most, the good parts of relationships usually weighed more on you than the bad ones. 

And the good parts with Jax were great, he was caring, attentive, you could have named a million qualities. But nothing mattered more than the way the world didn't seem to matter as long as you were together, the way your stress dissipated as soon as you saw him, as soon as your hands were on his body. With Jax living such a dangerous life, that had been especially addictive. The absolute relief after he came back from a run. 

The bad had been there too,of course, now more present than it had ever been after the breakup. You´d been in this position way too many times, patching him up after a fight that could've been easily avoided. Yes, you agreed that Tig had it coming, but only because you knew Jax, he had little to no control. The only way he knew to defend himself was violence. At first, you thought you could fix him, teach him another way,...

But there was no other way if you were a Son. 

How you managed to make your voice sound emotionless despite your internal turmoil, you didn't know. ¨Was it worth it?¨. It was an unfair question, you knew, but you didn't care. After realizing the harshness of your question, your hand instinctively went to his cheek, then following a route of its own to tangle in the hair at the back of his neck. 

Jax tried to speak, but the words kept getting stuck on his throat. Or in his head. What was he supposed to answer? He knew what you wanted to hear, but he wasn't sure he could give that to you, not without lying. So he was honest, ¨I don´t know¨.

Using the leverage of your hand tangled on his neck, you tilted his head to look at a cut on his chin. ¨Typical¨, you scoffed at his answer. Clearly you weren't happy with it. 

This time, when the gauze grazed his skin, the blonde hissed. Focusing on the feeling of your hand touching him made the pain slightly less…well, painful. He could see the frustration in your eyes, and it made him feel guilty. Guilt was not what his tone showed when he retorted, ¨It´s not that simple¨

When your eyes locked on his, your cold mask was gone, something much deeper replacing it. ¨Yes it fucking is¨, your voice trembled as you wiped the blood under his nose and checked that it wasnt broken. Even through the pounding in his ears, he could tell the tremble of your voice had nothing to do with weakness or sadness. Maybe in a second level. But the surface was plain anger. Maybe mixed with something else? That much he could not decipher, the pain in his head more present with every passing second. 

Your brows furrowed as your eyes zoned in the cut you were dreading the most, the one on his lower lip. You tilted his head and held him steady as you cleaned him up. His breath hitched. He looked up at you. You were beautiful, concentration evident on your face. He had no doubts now, he knew he still loved you. He knew he would never stop. You could have, should have left. But you were there, taking care of him. Did you still have feelings for him? Had he completely messed up, or could you work things out?

The second the gauze made contact with his skin, those thoughts stopped. All of his energy focused on not flinching, not making a sound. You caught onto that, you always did. And you rolled your eyes, you could not believe he was still playing tough. 

Jax eventually winced, his eyes finally leaving yours. It did soften you, it shouldn't but it did. So you blew a little on his lips, hoping it would alleviate his pain. Your voice was barely above a whisper when you said ¨Sorry¨. 

Jax closed his eyes, letting himself enjoy the feeling of your breath on him. He missed you, having you close, your touch,... When he opened his eyes, he saw the conflict in your eyes clear as day. There was anger, frustration, and something else.

You took a step back. You saw his hand run down his leg, on its way to get a hold of you, to stop you. A sigh left your lips as you sat next to him and extended your palm, ¨Gimme your hand¨.

His knuckles were bloody and already starting to bruise. For some reason, you wanted to cut him some slack, so you teased him. 

¨We also had not done this in a long time¨. Placing his hand on your thigh might not have been the greatest idea. Without even thinking about it his fingers wrapped around your knee. The squeezee brought back so many memories, memories a part of you wanted to repeat. 

He answered lowly, ¨No, we haven't¨ . You could hear the smile on his voice though. 

Maybe it was the familiarity of the scene, but your mouth moved before you could think. ¨Sure didn't miss this¨.

It took Jax a few seconds to process your words, eyes burning into your thigh. He noticed your flush, the way you seemed to be having a hard time keeping it together. He chuckled softly at your jab, moving his hand up. ¨You never complained about it before¨.

A smile crept into your lips, no matter how much you tried to stop it. ¨I was too busy complaining about the fighting to also complain about patching you up¨.

You were both smiling now, his hand higher and higher, closing in the hem of your dress. The tension, a mix of anger and desire, made the air thick. Most importantly, it made it hard to focus on anything else. The sting of the disinfectant was still there, nothing compared to the pain in his chest. He knew his teasing tone would get to you, ¨And here I thought you enjoyed nursing me back to health¨. 

It bothered you, because it was partly true, you did enjoy it. ¨I wish I didn't need to¨. A pang of hurt crossed your eyes at the sight of the cuts in his face. That was also true, you wished he didn't get himself in situations like that. 

The ache in your eyes made Jax want to pull you into his arms and take care of you. Instead of doing that, he squeezed your thigh harder. ¨I know¨, he fought the urge to lean into you, ¨I´m sorry¨. 

You took a deep breath, Jax though you seemed to be trying to be composing yourself. ¨So, who's been cleaning you up these last few months?¨. You´d finished cleaning his knuckles but made no move to let go of his hand.

¨No one¨. Jax looked over at you. ¨I´ve been doing it myself¨.

You shook your head, stifling a laugh. A bitter one. ¨So fucking stubborn¨.

As you examined his hand, the other flew to your thigh. His fingers gently caressed your skin, eyes looked on yours. The next time he spoke, his voice was laced with playful defensiveness, ¨I prefer the term independent¨.

You enjoyed the banter, the playful jabs. You were still trying not to smile when you looked at his blue eyes, ¨Bite me-¨.

His hand started tracing patterns on your upper thigh, the hem of your dress didn't seem to be a barrier anymore. The other one caressed the back of your neck, making sure your stare didn't leave his. But they did, you were looking at his lips, they were now wearing a smirk. 

¨Is that a dare or a request, darlin´?¨

Shaking your head as you untangled yourself from him, you laughed. ¨Okay¨, you got up and stood in front of him, ¨Take off your shirt¨.

Jax let his eyes explore your figure, letting out a low whistle. He got up and obeyed. You told yourself you were studying his bruises. It was a lie, your eyes had immediately gone to his v line, then slowly made their way up, studying every inch of his exposed skin. 

You still managed to scoff when you saw his grin. ¨Drop the cockyness, I have to check the cuts¨. Your eyes betrayed you once again. His neck. His arms. His hands. His hips. Thankfully his voice stopped your train of thought, which would lead nowhere good. He shouldn't have sex in his condition, you had to get your shit together. ¨Sorry, sweetheart. Can't help it with you looking at me like that¨. You smiled, shaking your head. 

For the second time that night, a door opening interrupted an intimate moment between you. Gemma stood on the doorway, hands on her hips. Everything about her screamed I´m not happy about this. 

¨Hey baby, need help cleaning up? I heard what happened¨. The vibe was as tense as it could, she did not acknowledge you, and you did not acknowledge her. She had been the reason you two had broken up, so you clearly were not happy about her presence. 

Jax seemed to deflate at his mothers presence. He swallowed, realizing how the scene looked. The intimacy of the scene was palpable…until four seconds before. After a few seconds of Jax not answering, you took initiative on the conversation. ¨Everything's under control here¨. 

At the sound of your voice he seemed to wake up, ¨Yeah, she was helping me¨.  Gemma's eyes slowly made their way to you, icy and sharp. ¨Was she now?¨. You squared up, ready for a fight. 

Jax took a step towards you, knowing how ugly things could get between you and his mother. It did nothing but rile you up, ¨I guess I was faster¨, the than you was left unsaid. But understood by all. 

Gemma narrowed her eyes, taking a step into the room. ¨And what's that supposed to mean¨

If anyone who knew you had to say what your biggest flaw was, the answer would be unanimous. You were mouthy. So, as expected, you snapped, your voice higher. ¨Just saying, I was here cleaning him up first¨.

The other woman puffed, ¨Been taking care of him longer than you have, sweetheart¨. She looked about ready to throw a punch. You were scared she might. So was Jax apparently, since he stepped in front of his mother. 

¨Stop, both of you. This is not the time or place¨. You looked at him, wondering if this was him stepping up for you. For the first time. So you stepped back and tried not to make it  worse. You could see his shoulders relax slightly, then turning to Gemma. His voice was dripping with authority, ¨Mom, I appreciate your concern, but she's right. She was here first and she´s the one taking care of me¨.

The authoritative voice was hot, but the fact that he was defending you? You could've died on the spot. So many thoughts started filling your head, ways to thank him. Jax saw the look in your eyes, slightly darkened and full of hunger. 

He looked back at his mother, ¨Maybe you should go, let us finish here¨. Your gaze went to Gemma, genuinely curious as to how she'd react. Her jaw was clenching, she knew she'd lost this fight. That did not mean she had to concede graciously. She turned, leaving the room and slamming the door. 

Jax sat back on his bed, running his hands through his hair. ¨I swear, she´s gonna give me a heart attack one day¨.

Your voice was calm as you sat next to him, rubbing his back, ¨I hope not¨. A low moan left his lips when your hand landed on his back. 

¨Ain't no one I'd rather have give me a heart attack than you, baby¨. His laugh was a low rumble. A rumble left unheard by you, his sentence awakening something in your stomach. He could see the effect of his words on you, a lazy grin appearing on his lips. Jax leaned into your touch, ¨What´s going on in that pretty little head of yours?¨, his voice was soft. 

¨Nothing¨, your hand came across something wet. Blood. ¨You have a cut there?¨. You were already reaching for the gauzes. 

¨Must´ve gotten it in the fight, I´m all banged up¨. He smiled at you, eyes sparkling. ¨But I´ve had worse, darlin´¨.

The gauze already going over the wound, you didnt loose a beat. ¨Yeah, well, you´re about to¨. You loved the comfortable place you were at right now. Jax did too, a laugh making his chest rumble. 

¨You´re full of sass tonight, aint´ya?¨

That took you by surprise, you´d always been sassy. Especially around Jax. ¨Wasn´t I always?¨. The hand on his back went up to his neck, and there you felt his shoulders go up and down as he laughed. 

¨Nah, not like this. You´ve always had a tongue but tonight, sweetheart? You´re just going out of your way to give me a hard time¨. You scoffed at that, shaking your head. ¨Maybe you deserve it¨.

Jax´s eyes sparkled with mischief, ¨Oh yeah? And what do you think I deserve?¨. His voice got lower, and you felt it on every part of your body. Some more than others. You got up and threw the gauze in the trash, then kneeling in front of him. ¨You´re going out of your way to piss me off lately¨.

He loved this vision of you, fiery, feisty and ready to snap at him. He lowered his face closer to yours, and purred ¨And how am I doing that exactly, baby?¨.

¨You´re trying to get me all riled up¨, as you looked at his naked torso you saw bruises forming, ¨Fuck Jax-¨.

He chuckled, trying to dismiss your worry. ¨Come on, darlin´. Not the first time I´ve been all banged up…also not gonna be the last¨. He pulled you up, hoisting you onto his lap, his body warm against yours. 

You caressed his face, ¨That's the problem, I can't handle you getting hurt over and over again¨. His expression softened, his heart aching. Jax knew you were worried about him, he knew you cared. You knew that too, that was the problem.

¨I know¨, his voice was soft, ¨But this is my life¨. He was tired, you could tell. And if you were being honest, you did not want to have this conversation. So you didn't. You got up and looked at him, he was a mess.

¨You should take a shower, you look like shit¨. His laugh warmed your heart, his eyes were sparkling.

¨Ain't you a sweetheart, telling me I look like crap¨. But as he looked down, he realized he did. ¨Guess you´re right, not the prettiest sight huh?¨

¨Not right now¨, you were still laughing when you signaled the bathroom door, ¨Go on, I'll bring you something for the pain¨. 

Jax shook his head, but got up and started walking to the bathroom. He appreciated your honesty, any other woman taking care of him would´ve lied. Not you, you straight up told him he looked like shit. He loved that. ¨I´ll go shower, but you better bring some good painkillers¨. His tone was lighthearted.

¨Oh yeah, you´re gonna need them¨, you couldn't help but tease him as you made your way to the door. 

Jax rolled his eyes, pretending to be bothered. ¨You´re enjoying this way too much¨. With that, he stepped closer. You smiled, not stepping back. He kept going until he was towering over you. He was wearing a smug smirk, that could be very good or very bad news. ¨You just love seeing me like this, don't ya? All banged up, needing your help, ...¨

Bad news it was then. Your demeanor changed radically, playfulness long gone. ¨No, I don´t¨.

His smile faded, knowing he had ruined the moment. ¨Sorry, darlin´. I was trying to lighten the mood¨. One of his hand traveled up your arm, caressing you. 

¨I know, I´m just messing with you¨. You laughed lightly.

He mirrored your smile, ¨I swear, you´re gonna be the death of me¨.

As he started to walk to the bathroom, he looked at you over his shoulder, ¨Gonna stick around while I shower? Make sure I don't faint?¨. The domesticity of it all was drowning, nor necessarily in a bad way, but it was a lot. You winked at him, ¨Sure¨

¨No peeping¨, he gave you a stern look before closing the door. 

[megamindsecretlair]

Hey, since you made a Fic where Tyrone was a vampire, Could you do one where he’s a demon the reader does a deal with. He does the reader a favour and exchange, he has a night with them?

A/N: Whew. I'm trying to get to some of these requests! Forgive me for taking so long!

With This Sin

Pairing: Demon!Tyrone x Spooky!Black!Fem!/ Plus Size reader

Warnings: 18+, Minors DNI, You are in charge of your own reading experience. Intentional use of AAVE. FILTH. PWP, cursing, PIV, oral (female receiving), dirty talk, praise kink, all consensual. Use of pet names. There is a power imbalance, there is a sexual favor being exchanged, but it's consensual. Use of magic. Mentions of Hell. ONE SHOT.

Summary: See ask. You found a spell in a thrift store and decided to try it, not knowing if it would work or not. When it does, you're unprepared for what awaits you.

Word Count: 5,242k

A/N: I hope ya'll ain't think I forgot about my baby. He just needed some rest. He been working overtime these past few months, LOL. Who's ready for more spooky Tyrone? I've been teasing this so long that it felt like I was the only one excited. Ah well, LOL. Sorry about the wait, but I hope you enjoy! Please, please consider commenting and reblogging to help support writers! And please put ages in bios! Or get blockt!

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You checked and double checked the incantations, the warnings, and the ingredients you gathered. The spell was written on old parchment and the wrinkly paper crinkled in your hand as you smoothed it out. Reading by a full moon was hard, but you didn’t want to damage the paper further.

When you found it in the thrift shop, you knew it was special. While you didn’t truly think this could work, why not try it? You had nothing to do and your friends were off being boring bitches at the club, shaking ass for lame fuck boys who didn’t have the dick to back up all their talk. 

The blades of grass sank beneath your knees as you fidgeted. You were nervous. Of course you were nervous. What if it really did work? What if? 

A quiet breeze caressed your exposed shoulders in your tank top. The instructions were too faint to see what else you were supposed to wear. You opted for a long skirt to protect your skin from any creepy crawlies in the ground. You loved nature, but not that much. 

You stood up from the ground and rechecked the circle you made. According to the spell, you were to spend all month collecting interesting rocks, seashells, pebbles, or whatever else that was shiny and happened to catch your eye. You made one giant circle, big enough to hopefully contain what you were going to summon. 

At the directional gates, you placed items of great value to you. You placed a necklace handed down to you at the North gate, a rook from a chess set at the West gate, a yo-yo at the East gate, and a photo of your grandmother at the South gate. You walked the circle to ensure that there were no gaps that the demon could slip through. No loopholes it could worm its way past.

The only thing left to do was…the actual spell. You took a few deep breaths, listening to the music of the meadow you were in. Finding this open place, away from nosy passersby, under direct moonlight, was a challenge and a half. You were about to give up when you found this place. 

There were sounds of chirping, crickets, and the breeze playing in the giant trees overhead. Your breathing slowed until it matched the natural rhythm of the space around you. Your feet were bare and your toes burrowed into the grass. Your hands were spread, fingers wiggling to ground yourself in your body. 

Here it goes…

You began the spell, chanting the exact words from the parchment. You studied it so many times, consulting several pronunciation websites, that you knew it by heart. You needed clear speech, clear thought, and intent in order to accomplish your goal. 

At first nothing happened. You kept going, watching the circle intently for any hint of a change. By the third stanza of the spell, the air before you shimmered like heat off of asphalt. Your heart leapt in your chest but you didn’t stop. You continued, focusing all of your energy to summoning a demon with enough power to accomplish your goal. 

The air split, like two hands poked through and ripped the fabric of reality. Red smoke seeped through, spilling into the circle and brushing against the boundary of the circle. You watched for any areas it might seep through. It held. 

It was working! Your heart worked double time, too excited to contain it in your chest. A grin crossed your face, eyes opened wider. You didn’t want to miss a thing. 

Out of the smoke, there was movement. There was so much red smoke, you couldn’t see what was coming out. Were there tentacles? Bones? Husks? Was it a meat suit? It could be anything.

On the last stanza, your voice rose. Amplified in the meadow. The birds stopped chittering. The breeze increased, blowing against you and making you sway. You continued. Mother Nature herself was watching what you were bringing into this world. Trying to stop you with the first element available to her. 

You planted your feet, hoping she wouldn’t open the ground beneath you and swallow you down to Hell. You were more of a cold weather type of girly. Plus you’d miss ice cream too much.

The final word dropped from your lips as a booming crack ripped through the open sky. You looked above for any sign of thunder or lightning. 

The sound of a sigh brought your attention to the circle. There stood…a man? He rolled his neck, stretched his arms as if he were waking from a long nap. He walked around the circle. Beyond him, the split in the air was still open, spilling that red smoke. The man kicked it up as he walked the around it.

Power radiated off of him. It made you take a few steps back as you were staggered by it. The sheer magnitude of it was impressive and only your little circle kept him in line.

He reached out his hand, pulling his hand back as if the boundary hurt him. You licked your lips and watched him. You did it! But what exactly did you do? Your impressions of demons were ugly, winged creatures with clawed feet and devil horns. 

This guy was…just a guy. He had thick, coiled hair. Wide lips. He wore black sunglasses, a black suit with a black turtleneck underneath. A gold chain was the brightest thing on him, glistening in the moonlight. His rich ebony skin was flawless. High cheekbones. 

“Not bad, human. Not bad,” he said. His voice was like sin personified. His voice invited all kinds of dirty fantasies, dark thoughts, and naughty ideas. It reached down into your core and rubbed against it like a cat. 

You placed a hand over your chest to calm it down. It should not have that type of effect on you. And yet…as far as demons went, he was damn handsome. You knew why devils were portrayed by the hottest people now. You’d almost sell your soul too if it meant you could hear more.

He faced you, looking at you over the top of his sunglasses. His eyes were slanted like cat’s eyes, a mix of orange and red. It was the only outward sign of his otherworldliness. His presence alone nearly choked you. 

“You’re really a…demon,” you said.

He grinned, showing off a neat row of teeth. The smile made your knees weak. You had to step in place to knock some sense back into yourself. 

“Demon is such a human word,” he said. 

“So what do you call yourselves then?” You asked.

“You can’t pronounce it,” he said, the grin never leaving his face. 

You rolled your eyes. “Sure,” you said. “What’s your name then?” 

He chuckled, the sound smooth and slow as molasses. “Do you not know how this works, little human? Are you playing with grandma’s cookbook again?”

You folded your arms. “To be honest, I didn’t think this was going to work,” you said. You approached the circle but kept a respectful distance. Just because he seemed to be confined, didn’t mean he actually was. He could be trying to play you. Fool you. Trick you. Any minute he could step over a gate and snatch you up, killing you dead.

You walked around the circle. He continued to face forward. The suit jacket hid his backside, but there was plenty of moonlight overhead to highlight his features. When you made it back to his front, he tilted his head and licked his lips.

“What year is it?” He asked.

“2024,” you answered.

He tilted his head back towards the moonlight as if he were soaking it up. He merely sniffed the air, breathed deeply. Guess that answered the question on if he needed to breathe. If Hell or wherever he was from had oxygen. 

“Been a long time since I’ve been summoned. Your kind has forgotten why they’re scared of the dark. Your funny little lights and machines to scare away the big, bad, shadows creeping through the world,” he said. 

“According to this, I summon you and I get to ask for anything I want in exchange for a sacrifice. A sacrifice of great detriment to me that does not result in loss of limb, life, or otherwise get permanently maimed or disfigured?” You asked.

The man ran his tongue across his teeth, looking at you with renewed interest. He pushed his glasses up his face and placed a hand in the air like a mime. He pushed against the boundary as if there really was a wall right there. He leaned forward and tilted his head.

“Little human’s done her homework,” he said. “I’m not in that type of business. Blood, gore, and the like don’t excite me.”

“What does excite you?” You didn’t intend for that to sound flirty. Or like an invitation. Your voice naturally dipped, became sultry, breathy. 

He licked his lips slowly. You couldn’t see his eyes but you got the sense that he was paying attention to you. To the way your breathing increased, chest rising and falling a bit quicker. What else would he notice? What else could he see? Sense? You had a million questions but the full moon only lasted so long. 

“Well? What is it that you desire?” He asked.

“I want money,” you said. The man grinned but you continued, undeterred. “I want billions of generational money that sets up me and my descendants for thousands of years. It can never be taken away, stolen, conned, given away, or the target of nefarious conspiracies.” You added more caveats, things you didn’t consider before but had to.

You didn’t care if it was shallow. You didn’t care if it was selfish. You didn’t care that this was a petty fucking reason to summon a demon and play with the natural order of the world. You were tired. Tired in your soul. 

Your ancestors’ weariness was engraved in each bone in your body. You came from kings and queens. Entire Black ass empires that were world leaders in education, medicine, and agriculture. Thousands of years of dignity, unity, and a beautiful culture. Until four hundred years of bullshit that you were still paying for. Fighting for crumbs.

Your black ass was tired. Tired of the struggle bus. Tired of working and working with nothing to show for it. The powers in charge worked tirelessly to keep their boot on your neck. To keep your children poor and their children even poorer. So what if you wanted to game the system? Who the hell was gon’ stop you? 

The man laughed. A deep rumbling laugh that started in his chest and echoed as it came out of his mouth. “I like you,” he said.

The smile was on your face before you realized that you should not be that happy that a demon liked you. This whole scene was surreal but if he could truly deliver? You and your people were set for thousands of years. And you weren’t going to keep it entirely to yourself. 

You were going to help your friends, charity, start scholarships, all kinds of rewards for Black kids. You were going to pay their tuition, sponsor their businesses; you were going to be the Black Mary Poppins. You were going to upset the financial sector to the point that you’d have them mu’fuckas shaking in their boots to see what you would do next.

“So how does this work? Do you snap your fingers and boom, my bank account is rolling in money? Do you create the money? Can I take it from decrepit old white men who really shouldn’t be alive at this point?” You asked. 

The man straightened up and put his hands in his pockets. He looked up at the moon overhead. Soon, it would begin its next phase, transitioning away from a completely full moon. The parchment mentioned something of a time limit. Sort of like Cinderella. There was only so much time that Mother Nature would allow an intruder in her space.

“Does your little paper explain how I give you what you want?” He asked. “An ask like this requires a lot of power.”

“Power you don’t have?” You asked.

He rocked on his heels and grinned. “I have the power. But nothing is free. When I work in this…realm, let’s just say I need something to bond to.”

“Something like…?”  

He grinned and stared at you, you assumed. For all you knew, he was watching TV behind those glasses. Though you didn’t think so. He was too intense. Too focused. Too in tune with this dance between you. 

He waited there so long that your nerves got the best of you. “What do you need to bond to?” 

“Moments of heightened emotion. There’s power in anger, desperation, love…desire,” he said.

You scoffed and shook your head. “Sex? You’re saying you need to have sex with me in order to grant my request?” 

“If that’s where your mind went, who am I to argue?” He asked. 

A strangled, garbled sound left you. There was no way…there was no earthly way that you would open your body up to a demon just for you to get money. You weren’t a sex worker. You respected the profession but you needed a little more loving before you opened your legs. Certainly not to a supernatural being. No matter how many times your pussy fluttered whenever he spoke or the twinge of excitement low in your belly whenever he smirked or smiled.

“How do I even know you can do what you claim? You could be a liar,” you said. 

He nodded. “I can give you a demonstration. A kiss?” 

You folded your arms across your chest, feeling entirely too exposed all of a sudden. But…an errant, naughty thought bounced in your mind. 

What if it did work? Wouldn’t that be worth it? You and your people would have security. Something no one – other than rich people – got. You’d be able to live a life of luxury and leisure. Spending your days enjoying life, rather than stuck at a 9-5 you hated. Broke down, beat down, and old before you reached thirty-five. 

You stepped forward. “You can’t cross the line, but I can and no harm can befall me in the circle I created,” you said. “Right?” 

He sighed. “You was one of them teacher’s pets weren’t you?” 

“I like to be prepared.” This was insane. This was wrong. This was so beyond fucked up that you should banish him and find some other way to get what you wanted. But hell, if nothing else, you had a wild story to tell at parties. No one would believe you fucked a demon, but they didn’t have to. 

You took a deep breath and made sure to step over the circle of stones and shells and not through it. The man smiled as you stepped onto his side. His powerful aura was even more intense inside of the circle. As if he contained the combined might and power of all eight planets and their density was going to crush you. 

It was a bit hard to breathe around it. You began to pant as if you ran three marathons, weak and swaying. The man rubbed his hands together and his power began to recede. You hunched over, hands on your knees, as you sucked in more oxygen. 

There was still red smoke seeping from the gaping wound in the world, but you stayed far away from it. The last thing you needed was to be stuck on the other side. If you did survive, you had no way of getting back. 

He waited patiently as you regained some strength. You straightened up slowly, testing your body by shaking out your limbs. You were okay, you were okay. 

“I don’t even know what to call you,” you said. “If I’m going to give you my body, I ought to know your name.”

He smiled. “You may call me Tyrone,” he said. 

As far as names went, it wasn’t a bad thing. At least it was nothing crazy like Aurelius. Tyrone seemed to suit him for some reason. Besides his eyes, he could fit in with any other Black man off the street today. Then again, no one would mistake him for human if he walked past them. 

He walked closer to you. It took all of your willpower not to move. He reached out with a hand and ran it up your arm. You shivered from his touch. A full body shiver that almost set your teeth to chattering. But you felt it like a deep pull low in your belly.

He leaned in closer, taking a deep audible breath. You closed your eyes, the moment calling for a type of intimacy you couldn’t see with your eyes. You could only feel as he moved his nose across your cheek. Stepped closer and brought his chest closer to yours. He was incredibly warm. Waves of heat dripping off of him and making you forget that you were standing in the middle of a meadow. 

He brought his lips closer to yours but didn’t kiss you yet. Your lips parted, waiting for the contact. He paused, on the precipice of kissing you. 

Moving felt like it would break the moment. Destroy this bubble. You found yourself leaning forward, impatient for his lips. You felt him smile before he closed the gap and touched his lips to yours.

You gasped as power flooded through him to you by this small contact. It was as if you jumped into a pool of static. Electricity danced along your skin and underneath. He didn’t move his lips or seek more. He stood there, not touching you or pulling you closer.

The power became unbearable and he finally pulled away. It seemed like it took ages for your eyes to open. You gasped, a deep lungful of air that burned your lungs. The world seemed sharper or clearer. As if you had been blind your entire life and suddenly could see. 

He seemed to glow with some inner light that gave him a fuzzy outline. You looked towards the meadow and the green seemed more vibrant. The colors brighter. The glow bugs and birds looking down at you from the trees were curious little things. You could count how many feathers were on their tiny bodies.

“Check your little box,” he said.

His deep voice snapped you out of your rambling thoughts. You fished around your pockets for your phone. You pulled up your banking app. Your account had a few more commas in it and you clutched your chest seeing it.

“Oh shit!” You screamed. You screamed some more and looked at him. “Shit! Shit!” 

He chuckled and moved closer still. His lips caressed your cheek, temple, and moved closer to your ear. “Imagine what I could do with more than a kiss,” he said.

You dropped your phone to the ground. With that kind of money, you could buy an entire phone company. You could buy several. You moved your head and looked at him. He still wore his glasses so you reached up to remove them. He leaned back and cocked his head to the side.

“Are you sure? I can become whatever you want. What tickles your pussy? Wolves? Lions? The latest celebrity fucktoy?” 

“You. If I’m being honest,” you said. Now that you allowed yourself to feel the attraction and not just dismiss it, it was screaming at you from all sides that he was gorgeous. That he was unlike anything else you had ever seen or would see. Being with him would change your life on a fundamental level.

Accepting him into your body would change you atom by atom and you were perfectly fine with it. You continued to remove his glasses, taking in his strange eyes. He grinned as you did so. 

His fingers lightly grazed your skin as he lifted the hem of your shirt. You helped him take it off of you. You wore no bra underneath and Tyrone greedily looked at your titties. He held each one in each of his hands and kneaded your flesh. Playing with your soft, squishy mounds and running his thumbs across your nipples.

Your growing desire pooled in your panties and you squirmed from his questing hands. He held you reverently, like a goddess and he was a mere supplicant. He either dialed back his power or it only happened when his lips touched yours. While your skin tingled from the earlier contact, you didn’t feel like you were going to jump right out of your bones. 

His hands continued to play with your titties. He pinched your nipples between his fingers and you gasped, a tiny whine leaving your mouth. He grinned and did it again, not stopping until he elicited that same whine from you. 

“Oh fuck, that feels so good,” you said.

Tyrone captured your lips with his. Power ebbed and flowed between you and it wasn’t as intense as before. This you could stand. You appreciated even that bit of effort. 

His hands moved downwards, playing with your tummy and squeezing. “You’re so soft,” he whispered against your lips. “I could get lost in you.” His tongue played with yours, quietly seeking entry into your mouth.

“Fuck,” you moaned. His big, rough hands were the perfect contrast against your smooth skin. He continued to move downward, pushing your skirt and panties down to pool at your feet. 

You moved his jacket off of him. You took your time removing his shirt as well. He wasn’t gross underneath. You blew out a tiny sigh. Surely, he had to be anatomically correct if he got his rocks off seducing people that summoned him. 

He had a solid, muscle-bound stomach that you could bounce a quarter off of if he flexed. His arms were huge. And felt like rock underneath your hands. His pants were next, flowing down over strong hips, thick thighs, and long legs. You wanted to take a bite out of his ass. 

Now you were both naked, both gripping at each other’s bodies like you didn’t know where to start first. Where to kiss or grab or lick. You settled on licking his chest to see if he tasted as good as he looked. He tasted even better. The chain around his neck was settled like a weight around his neck. You played with it, while he dropped his head to your shoulders and kissed you there.

He nibbled on your skin while your hands traveled over his body. He didn’t need to pour his magic all over you in order for you to feel dizzy with desire. You were shaking with the burning need to take him. To ride him. Your hands cupped the length of him and you froze.

That…couldn’t be right. He couldn’t be that damn big. Your mouth dropped open as your hand continued to stroke him. He was long and thick, with a nice bulbous head that leaked precum. You…were in danger.

As if reading your thoughts, he dropped to his knees and took you with him. You gasped, finding a blanket beneath you now. You saw hints of red around the red smoke. Giving the illusion that you were sitting on a bed of red clouds in the sky.

He pushed you onto your back and gripped your knees. He grinned, eyes seeming to glow, as he pried your legs apart. You moaned, gyrating on the softest blanket you’d ever felt. It was a bit fuzzy and felt amazing on your back. 

Was the red smoke full of an aphrodisiac? Because you felt like your skin was going to burn off unless he did something. Anything to your body besides kiss and nibble on it. You were growing needier by the second. He massaged your thighs as he took in the sight of your dripping pussy.

He dropped to his stomach. No words. No warning. He flattened his tongue out and licked you from your entrance to your clit and you moaned, loud and desperate. “Oh fuck! Tyrone, please,” you said. 

“Please what, little human?” He asked. He returned to licking you, suckling at the sweet nectar your body produced. You trembled in his hands, trying to close your legs against his delicious mouth. It was too much!

Words left you as you surrendered to the pleasure. To the incredible, out of body experience you were having. His shoulders were too big to close against. He moved a little higher to ensure that you could not deny him your body. Could not deny the passion and desire flowing out of you and filling him up like a battery.

He moved his arms up to grab onto your nipples once more and roll them between his fingers. Your body arched off of the ground. “Oh fuck! Ouee, fuck, right there,” you moaned. 

His tongue flicked your clit and you were soon making teetering wails. You came with a viciously loud, echoing moan. If there was anyone nearby, they’d certainly hear you. Hear your screams in the meadow as this demon licked, sucked, and moaned into your pussy.

Your nails dug into his shoulders, trying to push or fight him off. As if that would help with the intense pleasure you were feeling. Like the orgasm couldn’t be contained in your body. Like it had to be let out somehow but was restricted by the confines of your skin. 

Tyrone’s gold chain was cold against your skin, but did little to help. Did little to help pull you back to reality. Eventually, your body did take over and you calmed down from such an intense feeling.

Tyrone kissed up your body, leaving wet kisses on your lower belly and between your breasts. He suckled one nipple into his mouth before continuing up and capturing your lips. Fuck, you smelled divine on his lips. Tasted just as good on his tongue. He kissed your jaw and your neck, licking the delicate skin there.

Your bottom lip quivered. You were still so needy for him. Needing to be filled. You were hollow. Empty. There was no existence in this life worth a damn unless he was sliding that piece of art he had in between your legs.

“Please, Tyrone. Please, it hurts so bad. I need you inside me,” you begged.

“I don’t want to hurt you,” he said. He tugged on your neck with his teeth and you cried out, gyrating your hips against his.

“Please, please. I can’t stand it anymore,” you cried. Your voice wobbled a bit as tears gathered in your eyes. You were drunk with lust. Out of your mind. “Please.”

Tyrone lifted onto his hands and moved his knees forward. It pushed your thighs back until you were nearly folded in half. He watched you as he moved his hips and moved his dick against your wet folds.

You moaned from that alone. You sniffled, a few tears finally escaping your eyes and trailing down the side of your face and into your hair. You just needed to be complete. To be filled up. To have him…

“Oh fuck,” you rasped. He pushed inside with one hard thrust, cutting off your insane line of thinking. 

You clutched him to you as if you could absorb him into your body. You’d have to settle for the fact that he was as close as possible already. You bit his shoulder because there wasn’t enough air to scream.

He moved his hips in hard, deep strokes that made you hike your legs higher. Scratch at his back. Your titties bounced with each stroke and he licked his lips. 

Every few strokes, he’d drop down into a push up and suck a nipple into his mouth. He alternated between the two so each one got as much attention as the other. He rolled the sensitive little buds between his teeth, pushing you into another orgasm. 

On the heels of that one ending, he pushed you into another. Curses fell from your mouth like sparks from fireworks lighting up the sky. You looked towards the moon as Tyrone possessed you. Claimed you. Ruined you here right in this meadow. 

He licked the swell of your breasts as moans and grunts escaped him as well. As he closed his eyes and lost himself inside you. He groaned as he nutted, filling you to the brim with his cum. 

You came at the same time, widening your eyes as you looked at him. He looked at you as if you held all the secrets of the universe. Staring like he lived or died on your word. A different kind of power flowed between you. Something unnameable. Sacred. Cherished.

He grunted as he spilled every last drop and then removed himself from between your legs. That desperate clinginess from earlier began to dissipate. You huffed, falling back against the blanket and stared up at the night sky. 

“You will have all that you asked for,” he said. He was out of breath, same as you. You felt like you had been irrevocably changed. Unmade. Made in his image. He turned on his side and pulled you into him.

You turned to face him. You both laid there and panted, coming down from this incredible bond. “Thank you,” you whispered to him.

“The gratitude belongs with me, little human. I’ve never…experienced something like that before,” he said. He grinned. You couldn’t resist kissing him some more.

You began to tremble from the cold. He stole the heat right out of your body. He rubbed your arms, side, and ass, any bits he could get his hands on. 

You saw the look in his eyes before he said a word. “I know you have to go. It’s okay,” you said.

He grabbed your hand and brought it to his lips. He called your name softly. You weren’t even going to ask how he knew it at this point. Maybe he could read minds or something in the spell allowed him to know you. But he kissed each of your fingers and looked at you.

“You ever think of anything else you want, you know how to reach me,” he said.

You giggled and rolled your eyes. Yeah right. You could not have a standing monthly date with a fucking demon. Though the idea wasn’t without merit. How in the hell were you supposed to ride a mediocre dick after this? 

His lips returned to yours, lazy, sloppy things that made you giggle and gasp in between. He kissed you until the very last second, the pull of the moon signaling the end of your time together. You sat up and watched him as he stepped back through the gap in the world. He blew you a kiss and disappeared inside. It sealed itself behind him and you laid back down on the soft grass, staring up and up.

You would never meet someone like Tyrone. And you feared that you’d search for him everywhere now. In every blade of grass, flower bloomed, star that blinked, or whenever you heard a song that reminded you of him. You only hoped that wherever he was, he spared a thought for you as well.

The end.

Well, well. If you need some more after that, you're in luck! The Secret Tyrone Files

[gaybananabread]

For the TT prompts, how about Lee!Miguel and any ler for day 5 or Ler!Peter B. with any lee for day 24?

TickleTober Day 5 - Boo!

~I can’t believe I haven’t written anything for Lyla yet! Really wanted to do the “lee mood spook” trope with Miggy; our AI gal was the perfect candidate! Got back into writing after a particularly bad slump with this one, so hopefully it’s okay. Thank you for requesting; have a happy spooky season!~

Lee: Miguel O’Hara

Ler: Lyla

Summary: Miguel is having one of his famous “I’m not in a lee mood” lee moods. After spooking him and catching on, Lyla decides to give her boss/bestie a hand…or eight.

Warnings: none! This is a tickle fic, so if you don’t like that, scroll away!!

Miguel was a closed-off man, to say the least. Few ever knew what was going on in his head, and those who did only knew what he wanted to reveal, which was never much.

Most of the time, that was how Miguel liked it; in a place where everyone had the same base traumas and sad backstories, it was nice to keep some air of mysterious individuality. Other times, he wished people could tell when he needed things… Not that he’d ever tell them, of course. He could handle himself, with or without support.

It was when a very specific problem arose that he started to second-guess himself.

The irritable Spider-Man had woken up feeling oddly giddy, a fluttery feeling in his chest. He craved a certain, very embarrassing touch. While he wished one of the other spiders would help him, there was no way in hell he was gonna tell anyone about his predicament.

That’s how he ended up in his office, door locked, scrolling through the fluffier side of the internet to try and deal with his mood in the most indirect way possible. The teasing audios, blurbs, and sketches were sort-of helping, allowing him to let out a giggle or two and relieve a bit of the giddy pressure in his chest.

He was fully absorbed into a short tease, squirming a bit as he read each word. The man imagined everything mentioned happening to him: the squeezes, the nibbles, the stupid teases, the affection in it all… He didn’t even think to check and see what Lyla was up to.

Turns out, she was up to terrorizing him.

“BOO!”

Letting out a sound he wasn’t proud of, Miguel jumped, immediately closing his floating screens. He did his best to glare at the holographic woman, but the blush on his cheeks dampened the effect. Lyla noticed almost immediately.

“Wait, are you blushing? Aww, Miggs, no need to be embarrassed! Everyone gets spooked sometimes.” She teased him, zipping over to float above his shoulder.

Thanks to Miguel’s need to overachieve with tech, Lyla had the capability to “touch” things when she wanted to; he’d spent months developing that part of her base code. So, when she playfully poked his ear, he felt every bit of the slightly sparky contact.

“Grk- LYLA! W-what have I told you about disturbing me when the door is locked?!” Miguel tried to scold her, sounding like a disgruntled father. She just rolled her eyes, a small scoff leaving her tiny mouth.

“Oh, c’mon. I made sure you weren’t doing anything important! The website you were on wasn’t naughty or marked as admin, just-” Lyla paused, her digital brows furrowing at the URL specifics. “Tumblr? Why were you on Tumblr?”

“I was…checking some potential members’ digital footprints,” he lied, struggling to stay still and stoic. Her attention made him squirmy, but he couldn’t busy his hands with the screens; if he tried, the very teasy post he was viewing would be on full display for the digital menace.

“Since when are we stalking new members?” She rolled her eyes, obviously not believing the man. Floating up high above his head, she checked his screen specifics.

“It can't be that- oh.” Lyla paused when she read the post, her digital eyes widening for a moment. It was…very specific, to say the least.

Miguel pinched his temples and groaned at her realization. How could he have been so careless as to forget Lyla could just check his browser whenever she felt like it?

“Are you in a…lee mood?” Lyla tried the words out, trying to understand what was going on with her boss. It wasn't the first time someone in the Society had the liking for those things, but it was the first she'd heard of it from him.

“Cállate, Lyla.” He was being a bit nasty, but Miguel was embarrassed, ashamed, and flustered all at once. How could she just ask that so casually?! It felt like an attack, though he knew it wasn't.

The sentient AI was at a crossroads then. She could have backed off, surrendered, and left Miguel to be a moody little shit-fuck. Or. She could deal with his mood head-on and get him to quit being such a jerk. It was an obvious choice.

“Shut up? Really, Miguel? To think I was trying to be nice to you.” Rolling her eyes in mock anger, she jabbed his side. Sure enough, he growled, swiping a claw at her; it went right through her, of course.

“Lyla, I swear, if you even-”

Before he could finish his empty threat, Lyla attacked. The three-inch tangible hologram zapped behind his head, fluttering all ten of her fingers against the back of his neck.

Miguel squeaked, jerking his shoulders upwards to try and protect his neck. Lyla pursued the sound, using her digital body to her advantage to avoid his claws while still tickling him.

“L-Lyla! Gehet away from me, now!” He tried to growl at his assistant, but the underlying giggles took away the venom in the sound. The giddy feeling in his chest swelled, a blush settling on his cheeks.

“You don’t really want that, do you, Migs?” Lyla teased, moving to scribble along the backs of Miguel’s ribs. Arching his back, he swiped at her, a strangled laugh catching in his throat. It was taking everything he had not to laugh or giggle, but her insistent, unstoppable scribbling was driving him crazy.

“Yes I dohoho!” He cursed the giggles that slipped out, hugging his ribs in an attempt to hide from her evil fingers. While he did want to be tickled, he preferred not to give her any more teasing ammo against him; Lyla was evil enough as it was.

While she was enjoying his attempts at stoicism, Lyla was after a more audible response. She could only reach so far with her small hands… Unless she got more, that is.

Backing off for just a second, the AI made a few copies of herself. She hadn’t used the feature since Miles’s grand escape, since it took quite a bit of focus to maintain. That just seemed like the perfect time to abuse her power.

The man’s eyes widened, filling with subtle excitement before narrowing dangerously. “Lyla, I swear, if you so much as think about touching me-”

Forty little wiggling fingers cut off Miguel's empty threat, a strangled squeal warbling in his throat. Staggering, he gripped the edge of his desk console hard enough to leave claw marks, unable to repress his reactions any longer.

“L-LYHYLAHAHAHA!”

There were ten fingers on the backs of his ribs, ten on his neck, ten on each hip, and ten alternating between his two ears. He did his best to try and grab her little projections, but she was purposefully sticking to his blind spots.

Miguel was in contradictory hell. On one hand, the fluttery feeling was being acknowledged, swelling in his chest quite pleasantly as she tickled him.

On the other hand, it was so fucking embarrassing; he was at his weakest when he was being tickled, much less in the workplace. Where anyone could walk in on them. It made him nervous in the most giddy way.

“What’s wrong, boss? Ticklish?” Okay, maybe she was pushing her luck, but c’mon! Miguel was such a hardass; it was nice to see him laugh so freely, especially when he was enjoying himself.

“SHUHUHAHAT UHUHAHAP!” Miguel pretty much lost it, stumbling back to lean against his desk as he laughed. It was hard to focus on anything but the tickles; he wasn’t sure he wanted to try anyway.

While Lyla would’ve been willing to carry on the silly moment, a motion sensor alerted her of an incoming spider: Hobie Brown. He probably would’ve just found the scene amusing, but she didn’t want to push Miguel’s boundaries.

At a moment’s notice, two of the copies glitched out of the air. Her main form went to greet the punk while the other hung back to rub each side of Miguel’s neck soothingly; it was the closest she could give to a calming back rub.

Miguel clamped a hand over his mouth, muffling the leftover giggles that streamed out of his mouth. He was about to ask why she stopped when he heard the door to his office slide open. A warm glow of appreciation swelled in his chest when he heard Lyla help and politely redirect the teen elsewhere. Lyla truly was a good friend, if a touch evil.

Once Hobie was gone, Lyla focused her efforts fully back on Miguel. “You okay, boss? Need me to request anything from the cafeteria?”

“I’m fine…” He grumbled the words into his palm, trying to hide his affection for her. The lack of annoyance in his tone told her everything she needed to know. The tickles helped, whether he would tell her that or not.

“Good. And hey, if you ever need a good giggle again, I’ll always be here~” She teased him, dragging one digitally manicured nail up the back of his neck. The squeak her action received was worth his glare.

“If you don’t stop talking, you’re gonna be filing new medical records all weekend.” Miguel’s growl was hardly up to par with its usual menace, giving him away. He couldn’t help it; having that lee mood dealt with, while quick and embarrassing, put him in a good mood.

“Sure, sure. I’m gonna go scan in the latest mission reports; see ya later, Miggs!” With a knowing smirk, she blipped from the room, leaving him alone with his thoughts.

That was…fuck. He felt lighter, a small smile tugging at his lips; in the privacy of his office, he let it come. While there was no way in hell he’d ever live it down, he was glad to have someone to help. Even if that someone was an evil little sass queen.

He closed the inciting Tumblr page and got back to work. The thought of later giggles and teasing conversations kept a small, manageably happy grin on his face for the rest of the day. Maybe some secrets were worth sharing.

[hlficlibrary]

HL Fic Library 💕 Established Relationship

Remember to leave kudos and a comment on the fics you enjoyed to show your appreciation! You can find our other recs here.

💕 We Are Only Just Beginning by @afirethatcannotdie {E, 129k}

In the dim light of a dorm kitchen, Harry Styles meets a boy who flips his life upside down. Three years later, he's a senior in college, ready to take on the world with the love of his life by his side. And then Louis Tomlinson admits he doesn't know what he wants to do after college after all, and Harry's world flips again, this time not so pleasantly. He can't imagine his life without Louis, but he's starting to worry he might have to.

A college AU featuring lots of domestic sappiness, waffles, tattoos, late nights and early mornings, and above all, Louis and Harry against the world.

💕 Been Together Since Way Back When by @alivingfire {E, 95k}

Louis Tomlinson is a law student with a simple but effective four step plan: 1. Finish law school. 2. Get hired somewhere awesome. 3. Marry his best friend and boyfriend of two years, Harry. 4. Live happily ever after.

Harry Styles doesn't know what he wants to do with his life, where he wants to go, who he wants to be, or if he even wants the college degree he's almost completed. All he does know is who he’ll be with forever, as long as Louis wants to keep him around.

Or: the painfully realistic college au where everyone's poor, lovesick, tired of school, terrified of the future, and still having the greatest times of their lives.

💕 Such Good Luck by @casuallyhl {E, 66k}

Louis smiles at Harry’s words, leaning into his touch. “Tell me again.”

Smiling, Harry takes Louis into his arms. Pressing gentle kisses to his face, Harry murmurs, “In six months’ time, I will have my twenty-fifth birthday. On that day, my portion of the inheritance will become legally mine. And I plan that very day to announce to my family that I have found love.” Harry chuckles as he runs his lips lightly along Louis’ cheekbone. “That, in fact, I found love when I was twenty-one years old, and that I have loved and been loved every day since.”

Or, an Edwardian AU where Harry is a young aristocratic lord and Louis is a working class dairy farmer. Secrets are a necessary part of their relationship, but Louis has one that could topple their whole world.

💕 Swallow My Words (series) by YesIsAWorld / @louandhazaf {T, 41k}

Senior year is stressful. On top of balancing school work, family, and friends, Harry's lacrosse team is vying to win the state championship, he's not sure where he's going to college yet, and he has a secret boyfriend that no one can know about.

💕 yeah, he's a looker (but i really think it's guts that matter most) by devilinmybrain / @thedevilinmybrain {E, 40k}

Five times Oli was asked to do something that was outside of his job description, and the one time he didn't have to be asked.

💕 Lover Boy by @brightgolden {E, 27k}

“I’d love to meet your lover boy one day,” Lottie says suddenly as she pours Louis a whiskey on the rocks after their dinner.

OR Where Louis wants to tell everyone about his relationship with Harry, but his boyfriend clearly thinks otherwise.

💕 Spellbound by lovelarry10 / @chloehl10 {T, 22k}

Louis’ a shifter. Harry’s a witch. The only problem is, they’re hiding those things from each other.

Will they be able to keep their secrets hidden at the most spooky time of year?

💕 You Were Mine by @brightlyharry {E, 20k}

Harry and Louis hardly speak to each other unless they're fighting. Harry has ran out of ways to try to repair their broken marriage and Louis can't be bothered to even try. When the loneliness becomes too much, he joins a new social media app. It doesn't take him long to make a new friend on there that helps pull him out of his solitary hell. The more they talk, the more Harry finds comfort in his anonymous friend. He is smiling and laughing again for the first time in months.

He soon discovers that Louis is smiling again too, and it's not because of him.

💕 Dance Me (to the End of Love) by @phdmama {E, 19k}

You would think that it's a simple process - you meet, you fall in love, you get married. But when you add one lawyer and one overly-competitive high school teacher to that equation, it's no longer a straight line from beginning to end. Or the story of how a simple proposal becomes a competition where no one loses in the end.

💕 On Thin Ice by @neondiamond {E, 16k}

As the goaltender for one of the best hockey teams in the world, Harry never expected participating in his second winter Olympics would be so eventful. His hidden long-term relationship with the captain of their biggest rival team may have something to do with it.

💕 Another One For The Road by @reminiscingintherain {T, 15k,}

She looked up at Louis with a smile. "Congratulations Louis. You're pregnant." "Oh fuck," he said softly, before his eyes rolled up into the back of his head and he promptly passed out.

Or the one where Louis' on tour when he finds out the hard way that men can get pregnant too....

💕 Wild As You by bluegreenish / @greenblueish {M, 9k}

As much as Harry had not been overjoyed at the prospect of leaving Minnesota behind and starting high school in rural central Nebraska, it had definitely changed his life in ways staying at his childhood home never would have. Within days he had found fellow students to sit with at lunch, within weeks he had considered them friends, within months he had learned to love Nebraska, and within four years, he had wildly fallen in love with Louis Tomlinson.

or, a story about how Harry figures out whether the ideal of a house with a white picket fence in the suburbs of a medium-sized city is what he wants, or whether Louis' sheep ranch is the home his heart really desires.

💕 caught up in your love affair by @disgruntledkittenface {NR, 8k}

“And the corgis took to you straightaway,” Harry remarks.

“That’s true,” Louis chuckles.

  “I’ve spent the last 29 years being barked at,” Harry deadpans, jerking his hand toward Louis, “this one walks in, absolutely nothing.”

 Louis outright giggles at that, saying, “They were just lying on my feet during tea.”

 “Wagging tails,” Harry says, shaking his head.

 “It’s because they don’t understand flirting,” Louis tells him, “you can’t charm them the way you do everyone else.”

Royal AU. Prince Harry announces his engagement to Louis Tomlinson in an interview with longtime friend and BBC host Nick Grimshaw. Inspired by Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.

💕 So Much Left to Say by myownspark / @myownsparknow {M, 7k}

Harry remembers Louis stalking along the Cougar’s sideline as the final seconds of the game ticked away. He was apart from everyone, with his arms crossed and his head down, sort of fragile looking even in his pads and helmet. Harry’s fingers actually itched to hold his hand, just as they do now. He holds the phone up to take a selfie and smiles into the camera, trying to ask Louis a question with his eyes. (Are you really okay? Tell me the truth. I bet you’re sitting on your bed, playing Madden, sulking. If you want to see me, I’ll come. I know you better than anyone. You’re sad. I’d like to come.) He pushes send.

(Harry and Louis play for rival high school football teams, and when they play against each other in the Homecoming game, someone has to lose.)

💕 As one we are everything/We are everything we need by louloubaby92 / @louloubabys1992 {M, 5k}

Harry finally marries the love of his life. He's got the mating mark, he's got Louis' ring on his finger.

And now, he's on his honeymoon. Louis is but a door away, waiting for him.

Honestly, he doesn't understand why he's nervous.

💕 Tuca Tuca (ILikeYouILikeYouILikeYou) by @persephoneflouwers {E, 4k}

The San Francisco getaway AU, where Harry is needy and Louis has a flight to LA in a few hours.

💕 sensitive to pressure by momentofclarity / @gaycousinlarry {E, 4k}

Harry’s breath stutters on its way up his throat, his cheeks heating more with each step as Louis gets closer and Harry can’t move. Feet stuck to the carpet, heavy and unwilling, unable to shuffle away or take control, stuck in place and waiting.

💕 Gonna Dress You Up In My Love by @fallinglikethis {T, 3k}

Harry decides to take up knitting. He's horrible at it. Louis wears everything anyway.

💕 lying close to you by @nouies {NR, 2k}

Harry’s been living for twenty-five years but he’s only felt alive for the past two.

[goodomenscalendar]

What is this? | Submit your own event or tag us! | Be sure to click through to the original post for the latest updates! Last edited: October 12th.

Ending Events

Good Omens Holiday Exchange | Prompt Claims close Oct 4th

The Good Omens Holiday Exchange has operated every holiday season since 2005, so by now it's something we consider a fandom institution-- and you could be a part of it this year! Sign-ups are closed, but you can still claim a prompt to fill for someone else! - @goexchange-mods - Claims List -

GOAD Fall Ball Kink Thrall | 18+ | Sign-ups close Oct 31st

Autumnal kink roulette split into two sections. One 'edge' event taking place over a month of writing or drawing. One 'heat' sprint style event weekly on the sub (over the posting period). Prompts sent out November 1st! - @goodomensafterdark - Reddit -

Good Omens Fairy Tale Bang | Posting continues!

This is a Good Omens Mini Bang themed entirely around Fairy Tales! Writing your own or adapting a favorite! All versions of all Fairy Tales and Mythology are welcome! Featuring both SFW and NSFW content. - @fairytalegobang - AO3 Collection -

DIWS: Silver Screen Bang | Posting continues!

The Good Omens Silver Screen Bang brings writers and artists together to retell a movie through a Good Omens lens! AUs and fusions welcome! Featuring both SFW and NSFW content. - @do-it-with-style-events - Twitter - AO3 Collection -

Good Omens Theater Bang | Posting continues!

A Good Omens bang dedicated to theatrical plays and musicals! Featuring both SFW and NSFW content. - @gomens-theatre-bang - AO3 Collection -

Ongoing Events

Chill Omenstober | Runs all month!

A chill list of Good Omens themed October prompts filled with lots of break days. Feel free to use with any form of art! Good luck and have fun! - Prompt List -

Ineffable Kinktober | Runs all month!

A month-long prompt list full of truly Ineffable kinks! This isn't a challenge, do as many or as few as you are inspired to! - Prompt List - Twitter - AO3 Collection -

Inktober | Runs all month!

Classic Inktober: make a drawing in ink, and post it! Inktober is about growing and improving and forming positive habits, so the more you’re consistent the better. - Prompt List - Twitter - Reddit -

Whumptober | Runs all month!

Whumptober is a month-long, prompt-based creation challenge (think: Inktober, but whumpier). There are 31 official themes this year - one for each day of the month - which can be used, skipped, or combined in any way you’d like! - @whumptober - AO3 Collection -

Upcoming Events

Thwarting Wiles Zine: Vol 2 | 18+ | Applications open Oct 5th

A bottom!Crowley Good Omens zine. This is an 18+ zine, so no minors will be accepted. - @thwartingwileszine - Twitter -

Ineffably Grey Zine | Pre-orders open Oct 18th

From the Grand Opening in 1898 to modern times, follow this Demon and his Angel on their adventures, and the routines that surely follow at a table for two for An Evening At the Ritz! All proceeds donated to The National Center for Transgender Equality. - @ineffablygrey - Twitter - Instagram - BigCartel -

The Ineffable Society: Langhorne, PA Meetup | October 19th

A free-to-attend Good Omens fandom meetup in the States. Just outside Philadelphia, PA. All ages welcome; under 18 must attend with guardian. Masks required in our Event spaces—help keep your fellow fans safe! - @theineffablesociety - Twitter -

Good Omens Spooky Bang | Posting begins Oct 28th

A spooky Good Omens bang to kick off the autumn season! Whether it's Aziraphale pumpkin-picking, a pumpkin spice latte coffee shop AU, or Hell hosting a Halloween bash, you're invited to the Spooky Bang! Featuring both SFW and NSFW content. - @spooky-bang-good-omens -

Ineffable Secret Angel Event | Sign-ups TBD

When you register for the event, you will be randomly assigned to another participant, who will not know they have been assigned to you. You will then create fanart or write a fanfiction for this person, which you will present to them as a winter gift! Join the Good Omens Reference Library Server to participate! - Info Post - Discord Server -

On The Horizon

Keep an eye out for these works-in-progress in the coming months!

Good Omens Frames | @gomensframes Good Omens Monster Bangers Bang | @gomonsterbangersbang

[about-faces]

I'm still loving Gotham Nocturne and I wish it was getting the love/respect/attention is deserves. I've spoken several people who haven't been reading the current Detective Comics run because they're Batmanned Out (good lord, do I get it) and they see it as just another attempt at some kind of "ultimate Batman story with Batman fighting the ultimate evil," which I strongly disagree with.

THAT SAID... as time has gone on, and the story seems to be reaching its finale, there are a few things that stand out of me as problems with this epic storyline.

1.) It's one of the most egregious examples of "writing for the trade paperback." This simply isn't a story that's meant to be read month-to-month. It's too slow, with too little "happening," at least on the superficial level. Paradoxically, it's NOT a story that should be binged! The best comparison that comes to mind is Better Call Saul, since that's the only other example of serialized media that's meticulously slow-paced yet INCREDIBLY RICH for those willing to engage with it on its level rather than expecting it to be Breaking Bad (or in Nocturne's case, a typical Batman story.) Ram V is capable of writing super-engaging monthly issues, as the fantastic Rare Flavours proves, but that brings us to...

2.) The story is sprawling. Maybe even TOO sprawling. When it comes to people who are sick of Batman, I try to sell them on the fact that this story is about GOTHAM AS A WHOLE, right down to the villains who call it home, and how everyone there is as intrinsically a part of Gotham as Batman is. But ensemble stories like that are tricky, and it makes the focus feel all over the place at times, with alternately too much and too little attention being paid to the main players, Batman included. It's a balance that was handled beautifully with Batman: The Audio Adventures, but it seems a bit more awkward here. Again, it's hard to pull off!

Like, we have characters pop up and then vanishing without explanation. We got Azrael back in the AzBats armor for the first time in decades, like, holy shit! That should be a HUGE development! And then, poof, he vanished! There's simply no time to explore Jean-Paul's character because there's so many other things the narrative needs to explore.

This feels like it would have really benefited from a companion series, something to focus on the characters the way the backup stories have done, but just more so. I think about how Peter Tomasi would write companion books to the main big storylines written by Geoff Johns, Grant Morrison, and Scott Snyder, and how he'd focus on character, which always enriched the greater "big important storyline." Which, in turn, also brings me to...

3.) The backup stories have really lost a lot of their punch since they stopped being written by Si Spurrier and were taken over by Dan Watters. Watters is incredibly capable, make no mistake, and his Cheshire/Lian Harper story is one of my favorite parts of this entire saga. But by and large, his tales focus more on the spooky and weird sides of what's happening with Nocturne, whereas Spurrier's stories were more focused on characters navigating the weirdness of the events. As a result, Spurrier gave us what I consider to be some of the very best stories about Jim Gordon, Harvey Dent, and Victor Fries ever written. I really miss those, and how they enriched Ram V's (possibly overly-ambitious) narrative.

Ultimately, Gotham Nocturne feels like the Batman equivalent to an arthouse film, which means it's going to be appreciated by a handful of nerds while leaving most other fans cold, and I can't really blame them. If anything makes me sad about all this, it's how all this incredible character work with Bruce, Harvey, Victor, Talia, and others is going to be ignored. Hell, it already is, given the complete lack of acknowledgement we've seen in other Bat-books for what's going on in Nocturne.

At this point, I just hope it sticks the landing in the finale, because I want to be able to have a complete, satisfying epic to recommend to people who want something a bit richer than the typical "guy in Bat costume punches clown" stories we usually get.

[ccspostagebox]

Okay I'm just going to dump my thoughts here on Spooky Month 6 and it's ending.

SPOILERS BELOW.

Alrighty. So. From what I can tell and what others have already said, it was implied that Father Gregor had become a sacrifice for The Eyes after the cult practically threw him to the wolves.

However, I feel like there might be one of possibly two ways this goes.

1. He's actually been killed off. (And why I think that might not be likely. I am a death denier at heart </3)

* Since Father Gregor is starting to uncover aspects of the town that may begin to unnerve some of the residents there, it would be wise of them to get rid of him to prevent backstabbing and to prevent suspicions of what's really going on behind the scenes.

* Nobody seems to really trust Father Gregor except Skid and Pump (even though they do seem rather hesitant to trust him as well, said trust likely majorly broken when Moloch was turned to stone/dust.). And, well, nobody is going to bat an eye about a guy they barely know, right? However, this can create issues as the residents may be suspicious of where the "random guy" has gone.

*I suspect The Eyes may have a bigger part for Father Gregor to play in the cult or in the town, yet I cannot begin to speculate what that role may be yet.

2. He has been...changed.

*I personally feel like some people focus on the more physical aspects of being "sacrificed" when it comes to this scene near the end. While being a sacrifice can mean being physically slaughtered or killed, it can also mean giving up something of extreme value to you or surrendering, which is more on the mental or emotional side of things. I feel like Father Gregor may have been harmed partially physically, yet had the most damage done with "sacrificing" his own faith to surrender to The Eyes. This would be evident in his expression and body language. He is looking into the face of what is practically a god himself. If you were in his position and saw a being in much higher power and control than you, tell me you would not be scared shitless. I guarantee most of us cannot claim as such.

* In his body language, he doesn't really appear to me as if he is offering himself up to be killed. It seems more like an act of peace. He knows he cannot win with any use of protest or violence like he did with the demonic possessions of Moloch using the residents. He is getting on his knees and opening his arms as a sign of peace, a sign of surrender. This man has seen the face of God, and is not going to risk anything by a simple wrong move or action. It looks to me more like a plea for mercy, a plea for The Eyes to have a speck of pity for him. Dude is fucking terrified, and he knows that his plea may go fully unanswered as he is left to be lamb to the slaughter.

*In this absolutely beautiful credits art in the ending, it depicts Father Gregor clearly reaching towards The Eyes, as if seeking for help or assistance before he is possibly brought to Moloch's underworld. The contrast of the cult being a "heaven" vs Moloch's underworld being clearly "hell" makes me wonder if The Eyes may actually decide to have mercy on Father Gregor. He has clearly been shown to have mercy on the misguided and naive (E.g. Skid and Pump.), yet also displays traits of being poor on judgement of whom to "save" (e.g. Bob Velseb), making them practically insane by the end of their run or course. The way Father Gregor has wings and reaches for The Eyes makes me think that perhaps The Eyes plans to make him a secondary leader or main spokesperson for the cult. After all, even though nobody knows him that much, would you not take a highly respected man of a God's word as the truth? Many people, especially the residents of the town, may be much more likely to give into the cult's demands after its been "approved" by a man of faith.

Of course, these are just my thoughts, nothing is concrete. We can only go off of the tidbits we are given so far.

[cloveroctobers]

FAR FETCHED — Roman Reigns [October Prompts] 🧡

A/N: Idk I didn’t expect Roman to beat everyone else but it was close and I’m not mad about it lol! Y’all been waiting on a part 2 from me since that one thing I wrote back in May and this unfortunately is not that lmao…I had a title picked out and everything and even started writing but its just not working for me! Which is why I always say I don’t do part two’s! Still hope you guys like this little spooky piece though! 🧡

S/N & WARNINGS: also inspired by my old fav show—charmed, which I’m binge watching during this lovely season! I was more of a charmed girlie while the rest were Buffy girls 🤷🏽‍♀️ + dark! Roman & themes + language ofc! Also the fact that this is dropping a little before October??? Originally y’all weren’t getting this until Tuesday but…I had time okay! Also I apologize if the bit of Samoan I used is incorrect!

PROMPT IS FROM HERE & I’m using: Prompt #644: “Can we go on one date without you causing someone trauma?” - “Babe, I’m a demon. What do you expect me to do?”

O⸝⸝⸝)-⃝⃤ O⸝⸝⸝)-⃝⃤ O⸝⸝⸝)-⃝⃤ O⸝⸝⸝)-⃝⃤ O⸝⸝⸝)-⃝⃤ O⸝⸝⸝)-⃝⃤

Being involved with a demon was many things but it’s not like you could have done much to hide it. Not when the upside was slowly getting used to all sorts of creatures—other than human—that came out to play on this side of town whenever they felt like it. And certainly not when many knew your man as Thee Roman Reigns, chief of the underworld. Well it was speculated and those that knew that rumor…were not wrong! You knew him as his human name, actually held him as he died some years ago as Joe Anoaʻi and come back as Roman. “Joe,” was what he wanted you to call him since that’s what you once knew, although that part of him was killed by the hands of his human mother.

Yeah…it’s as fucked up as it sounds but you both dealt with it in your own ways. Roman claimed that joe was still in there, that he felt most like what he once was when he’s with you. His parents lied about his true identity for years and sure his father did some things that were questionable but Joe never would have thought that his father’s species was also running through his blood as well. Joe can say that he didn’t blame his mother for being upset about it all but he was her son, he didn’t ask to be this way.

It was something she deeply regretted, coming from a family of Italian hunters apparently—something she thought would never kick in or even trained to have the skill. Hunters (besides the cops) weren’t as common in this side of town but the world shifted when she tried to kill her son. Once Joe found out what he was considering that he was brought back to life in the underworld…he had to have that difficult conversation with his father, his siblings, and various of family members…which meant the world as he once knew it…changed drastically.

Joe never thought hell was the place for him…so he didn’t spend much time there…(in simplest terms, yes the underworld was a part of hell but apparently there was even a lower level and that’s where the worse of the worse took place and where Joe had to do things he would never tell you about) only when he had to handle business. One thing Joe and Roman had in common? Was handling shit.

He especially loved you calling him by his birth name when you screamed out his name, officially joining the mile high club on your way back home. (On the upside, since you were very much human!) Half of the time he came up from the underworld on business, October and May happened to be his most busiest of months up here but figured you could use a trip away from daily life, which you had no problem tagging along to feel the Florida air and see the palm trees.

The vacation glow was one of many glows, Joe enjoyed to see on you but knew once you got back to life in town, your stress levels would be back on high. You were more paranoid with life here since you had all sorts of feds and hunters questioning you about your involvement with Joe. They knew he was supposed to be dead, had his family under careful watch, even had a warrant out for his father’s arrest—it was a shame on their part—not having a inside person in the underworld who could inform them that Mr. Anoaʻi already unfortunately passed on, soul and all.

Sika was always on their radar for as long as you’ve known Joe, along with his uncle Afa. Those brothers had no problem raising hell—no pun intended—on the upside but to them it was all in good fun. Never would you have guessed that it had to do with what they truly were. There were many secrets in this city, sure there were a few museums that told the history of this town but most locals deemed it as myths and to boost its appeal. It was more of a village back then before transforming to its now busy city life centuries later.

The pests and hunters best bet was you, knowing your history together and how you were the one who tried to hold onto Joe as he clung to life. They loved bringing that traumatic memory up and even suspected that you managed to take his body from the morgue. Sometimes it was a little funny, which you learned to see the humor in as time went on and Joe came back into your life. Laughter was one of the main things that kept you sane to be honest! They just didn’t get it, they didn’t have the power—no fed or Hunter did—to take Joe down.

“Can we go on one date without you causing someone trauma?” You scowled after tossing the front door back to your Victorian that you inherited from your late grandmother.

Joe causally strolled into the house as if the both of you weren’t drenched from the autumn rain. Slamming the door behind him, you then used the wallpaper covered wall for support while you began to pluck off your heels.

“Babe, I’m a demon.” Joe replied with his hands clasped in front of him, “What do you expect me to do?”

You scoffed, hanging your damp rain coat up and placing your bag on the side table, “you’re half,” you argued before stomping towards the kitchen, “which means you’re not a hundred percent evil and he was just some kid—

“Fuck all that, he was trying to flirt with what’s mine as if he doesn’t know who I am. So? I showed him exactly who I am.” Joe answered as he pulled back one of the island chairs to sit in comfortably.

Pulling out the jug of leftover cider you spin back to face the bearded man, “He didn’t know any better and you could have sent him into cardiac arrest with what you pulled. Not only that?! What if he would have called it in and we got swarmed by the cops?”

Joe laughed with his shoulders, “I pretty much got most of these businesses on lock. The gyms arent my only holy grails but you shouldn’t worry so much…because if you are…maybe you should take the move to Florida where you’ll be better protected.”

Majority of his family (and yours) was still there so it only made sense to him.

It was a conversation as old as time. Once you came to terms with Roman actually being alive and being what he is, which also took lots of processing, he immediately wanted you to leave this town. He knew the small amount of family that was still here, about an hour away, can handle themselves but you were mostly out here on your own. The feds already tried to take his mother before he made the decision to bring her to the underworld himself. It wasn’t something his father ever wanted but Roman had a choice to make and he still protected his own. He didn’t like you questioning him about having his mother “locked up” in his own prison but he preferred to have her under his own care than waiting for a death sentence by those only trying to expose them all.

The only thing he shared was that she did ask about you as much as you did of her.

“Who’s going to protect that kid?” You question around the rim glass while Joe sends you a blank look.

Joe thought it was all fun and games to scare the mess out—what you keep calling—the harmless college kid. Yes he was a little too touchy and overly friendly as your server but most people didn’t try Joe regardless of what they knew of him and solely just off appearance. You weren’t picking sides like Joe tried to throw at you in the passenger side on the way back home, you just didn’t let the kid’s flirtations get to you. You knew your man was getting aggravated the more his eyes focused on the kid touching your shoulder and his jaw tightened.

You weren’t sure who you should have felt more sorry for, that almost broken plate Roman was cutting into or what the kid was about to experience.

The specs of sea foam that swirled in place of Joe’s usual brown should have been enough of a giveaway but you tried to ease his frustrations with your hand placed in his instead. The last straw was when the kid asked what you two were getting into after dinner—it was more directed at you mind you—as if you didn’t just get in from a flight. So what did Joe do?

Let the monster out.

His eyes were what changed first, from dark brown to that bright sea hue. It was always insane work watching it change right in front of you, how the hue almost swirled like a used paint brush being dipped in water. You let go of his hand while his nostrils flared, quickly grabbing the utensils out of the way while he sharply set his eyes on the young man that stood closer to you. Your mouth opened ready to warn the server that you were ready for the check but a deep haunting tone commanded the young man to look Roman’s way.

That’s when you heard the sickening cracking of Roman’s skull splitting down the middle and you quickly closed your eyes and turned your attention elsewhere as Roman was on demon time.

“Maybe you should go and marry him since you’re still worried about him.”

Your brows raised at the jab as you set the cup back on the island, “you know what, maybe I should since the asshole I’m looking at, that I’ve been dating for years won’t give me that type of commitment.”

He knows he shouldn’t have said that, his hand going out to grab your wrist as you’re ready to exit the kitchen and get away from him. Joe’s been working your nerves but not the good kind lately. This was also a conversation that’s been had plenty of times, back when he was a football player, you had to deal with all sorts of women throwing themselves at him, which fed his ego but he always reassured you that they weren’t what he needed or wanted.

That was back when you were just friends. Friends that looked at each other with such adoration and would do anything to make each other happy. It wasn’t much longer after that he asked you to be his forever and that’s what it felt like. You just didn’t have the legal papers and Joe’s always knew how much a union that special mattered to you. He respected it then and thought about it himself, even got input from those closest to him but as he embraced this new life, the rules changed.

They always did.

“You know I love you more than anything right?”

You rolled your eyes, “don’t start that shit with me tonight, Joseph. I don’t wanna hear it.”

“Oh, it’s Joseph now?”

“Yeah.”

“It’s like that?”

“Yup, it’s like that.” You stated, which made Joe huff and get to his feet while still holding onto your wrist.

His hold moved to grab both sides of your neck, tilting your head to meet his stare, the darkest of brown but with the right amount of warmth in the center, just for you.

“…it would make me the happiest man alive—well—

He chuckled while you lightly shake your head in his hands, “I told you it would complicate things for the both of us because we would automatically have to clear it with the underworld and I don’t want to put you through that.”

What was there to clear when he was the number one ruler? You didn’t get it and he kept leaving you in the dark about it. You knew when Joe was hiding something from you.

“Right…it’s feeling like that’s what you’ve been doing lately since you found out what you truly are. Telling me instead of discussing it with me.” You inform, “I understand that you’re the man in charge down there but why would we have to go through all that when I know you still have some sort of pull here too. We could always elope?”

That still included paper work and he was supposed to be a dead man…who still lurked in the shadows from time to time and could never be found when he wasn’t hiding by the feds or hunters.

“There’s nothing wrong with that but I know that’s not the kind of wedding you dreamed of.” Joe says to you gently, “…and I wish I could give that to you. What we have now is genuine, always will be…going forth with that step could potentially ruin everything. I don’t know what else to tell you.”

Your blood felt like it was inside of a kettle, whistling and boiling away. Sure there were things you could never understand about the underworld, not even google could tell you the real deal and you knew a few witches in town but you weren’t sure how much you truly wanted to know anyway! However, ever since Joe became Roman and the chief, things were starting to feel further from your grasp.

“You keep telling me a whole lotta nothing, Joseph.” You try to look away but Joe���s not having that.

He nudged your face with his thumbs back to meet his eyes but he can tell you’re upset, “hey, don’t get snappy over something you don’t get. You’re the best thing that’s ever been in my life and I would be a dumbass to not want that on paper. I just need you to trust that if I can find a way to make this work, without us both getting hurt…I’d do it in a heartbeat.”

You repeated, “without us getting hurt?” Followed by a frown, “do you mean that literally?”

This was the most he hinted about marriage in the underworld. Usually he would do his best to dodge it, which actually hurt your feelings sometimes. Why wouldn’t he want to marry you?

Little did you know it wasn’t like that at all.

“I said too much—

“Joe!” You call his name as he steps back from you and it’s your turn to get in his space.

He puts his back to you, pushing the chair back in and starts pulling off his suit jacket, revealing a sleeveless black t-shirt underneath. He always ran hot, especially with his new transformation.

“What aren’t you telling me? I mean I’m not jumping through hoops to be the queen of the damned or anything and none of those other demonic bitches better not be either—

Joe feels his lips quirk up in his amusement as he chuckles, glancing at you over his shoulder, “rings of fire are a thing there but I already told you, nobody compares.”

Tilting your head to the side you reply, “So…there are bitches down there that I need to press?”

Joe laughs, “…Who?”

“I know that’s right because I’ll dig my way there if I have to.”

“Now who’s doing the most, huh?”

You flick your hair behind your shoulder with a roll of your eyes. It’s not like you blamed Roman for acting that way, there were things you didn’t understand as a mortal and half of the time you didn’t want to, you just wanted him to be careful and to keep loving you. Sika’s actions caught up to him in the end once he fled back to the underworld after what his wife pulled. At least you weren’t splitting yourself in half or releasing parasites from your face to get others to back off…even if you had that ability you don’t think you would have pulled that shit, especially if people were looking for you.

Joe’s pulling you back into his arms again, lips pressing to your forehead as he rubs your back. Being in his arms was the best place you could ever be but part of you was beginning to feel: if you had to be in the underworld to be his wife, you’d consider it. No matter how much it hurt, you’d do it all for Joe.

Which is why you pushed that thought alone to the back of your mind, knowing you were about to get his bloodline involved to get some answers as you pulled Joe towards the stairs.

“Oh I get to stay tonight? No banishing me?” Joe teased as you start going up the stairs with his fingers interlaced with yours.

You scoff followed by a big yawn, “don’t push me,” you joke, “it’s a new night and the flight is actually catching up to me so I need my body pillow.”

As you got to the second level of the home, joe is squeezing you again from behind, his lips pressing a kiss in the bare space between your neck and shoulder. “Alright, I’ll allow you taking advantage of my body slide since I love you so much and wouldn’t want to give it to anybody else, even when you’re the biggest brat I know.”

He using a free hand to give your backside a nice slap, loving how it bounced back just for him. He licks his lips at the sight while you playfully elbow him the closer you get to your bedroom.

“Ou te alofa ia te oe ma loʻu loto atoa ma loʻu agaga.” You say to him as you turn to him in the doorway of your bedroom and you knew by Joe’s pretty grin that he always appreciated you using his native tongue.

Your arms go up and around his neck when he leans to place his lips right on yours, soft lips always so gentle at first but firm enough to let you know his intentions of love, his beard pricked your face, noses brushed against each other, with his scent smothering you just the way you liked it while you breathed him in, and his hands went to your hips before he leads you into the room for the night.

And as he lays with you on his chest wide awake in the dark of the rainy nightfall, peacefully listening to the sound of you breathing, he knows just how much you love him and that’s what terrifies him the most, now knowing at what cost.

Joe wouldn’t allow you to give up your soul to the underworld in order to be his eternal wife, it was only a matter of time for himself considering this is partly what he was meant to be but Roman?

Was another story.

That was a internal battle within itself.

O⸝⸝⸝)-⃝⃤ O⸝⸝⸝)-⃝⃤ O⸝⸝⸝)-⃝⃤ O⸝⸝⸝)-⃝⃤ O⸝⸝⸝)-⃝⃤ O⸝⸝⸝)-⃝⃤

Continue with my October anthology prompts here.

[black-arcana]

HALESTORM Is '70' Or '80 Percent' Done Making New Album: 'We're Excited About It'

In a new interview with PK of Louisville, Kentucky's ALT 105.1 radio station, HALESTORM frontwoman Lzzy Hale spoke about the progress of the recording sessions for the band's follow-up to 2022's "Back From The Dead" album. Lzzy said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "We've had three separate sessions in the studio with — we're making a record with [producer] Dave Cobb. And he's actually a huge closet metal fan, and so he's really excited. And so we're making this great music, but we're constantly touring. So we've had, like, three different sessions in the studio. We're probably — what? — 70, 80, maybe, percent there. We have a studio in our house and so I'm doing a lot of the finishing touches on vocals and sewing everything up, doing solos and all that. And then we get back in in December to just say, 'Okay, this is good.' And then, yeah. And then there we are. So we're excited about it. We really are."

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

Lzzy previously talked about working with Cobb earlier this month in an interview with "The Morning After With Nic & Big J" on the 100.3 The X Rocks radio station. She said: "It's been a really crazy whirlwind making [the new album]. We ended up going in with Dave Cobb, the producer. And it's something completely different than what we've ever had. We literally rolled in with all of our baggage, all of our songs, our riffs, the whole thing, and he's, like, 'No, we're not gonna do any of that. We're just gonna start.' And I'm, like, 'What? There's no plan? What's happening.' And it's kind of beautiful 'cause all of us are very ADHD, and we're locked together in this house in Savannah, Georgia, which, if you've ever been to Savannah, Georgia, there's no scene. It's a spooky historic town with a lot of Spanish moss. And we're locked — literally I'm saying locked, because we locked the doors — we're locked in this house full of every piece of equipment you could ever need. It's all set up. The board is there — everything — and we're all unsupervised. Which I can't tell you the last time that has happened making an album — probably since the first record, [when] we were all living in an apartment together. So, all of our inner children are screaming and we're all just getting into the sandbox and playing, 'Hey, I brought some LEGOs. You brought a rocket. Let's see if we can get it to space.' And so all of this stuff has really been coming together in such a weird and organic way, to the point that it's very much peeling back the onion of what is HALESTORM.

"My brother [HALESTORM drummer Arejay Hale] and I have had many moments while making this record where we look at each other and we're, like, 'This reminds me of when we were 14.' It's just wild," Lzzy added. "So, I'm very excited for everyone to hear it and I'm excited for it to be done. And so hopefully we wrap it up in December and get get it the hell out — out of my house. [Laughs]"

Elaborating on the songwriting process this time around and how it was different to some of HALESTORM's previous records, Lzzy said: "I think that the big lesson in the front of the race here that has been answered is that usually the weirdest ideas are the best. And sometimes it's the things that you don't think are very good that everyone collectively is, like, 'No, that's actually great.' And I think that that's been the beautiful thing is that the four of us, even though… I mean, my brother's 37 — he's the young gun, but we're all in our early forties — and we've been doing this a long time together. And so to have that kind of reconnection to who you are as people and as friends and really having that kind of come out in the music and it not be this kind of assembly line, like, 'Okay, Lzzy wrote 12 songs. We all really like 'em. Let's record 'em.' Or, 'Hey, we have this collection. And we have a month to be in the studio. Let's just go and bang it out.' We've really kind of taken the time to really let the music tell us what to do and honestly let our weird brains tell us what to do, because we're all terrible adults [laughs], and I think that we were never meant to be. So it's been nice to just kind of have the freedom to do whatever the hell we want and then worry about the consequences later. [Laughs]"

This past July, Arejay was asked by The VORTX Podcast with host Ethan Jackson about HALESTORM's decision to work with Cobb this time around. Arejay said: "It's always good for a band to, if you want your sound to evolve, bring in some fresh minds into it. And the cool thing about Dave is that he's a total hard rock and metalhead at heart. A lot of his most successful projects have been a lot of country, a lot of alternative — I mean, he's all over the spectrum — so when works with us, you can tell… There's a really great mutual respect between [us], 'cause we've been doing this long enough and he's been doing it for so long. We've been a huge fan of his as well, so there's a lot of mutual respect between the two of us, and you can feel it in the room."

Asked if he and his HALESTORM bandmates set a date for themselves for when they want to be done with a record, Arejay said: "It used to be a lot more stringent in the early days. 'Cause when you're trying to get the band off the ground, you really wanna kind of keep that momentum going. But our last couple of records have been a little bit more laid back, which is nice. It kind of gives it room to breathe. It gives us time to like really assess where we wanna go. And definitely COVID changed everything."

On the topic of whether the HALESTORM members do more work remotely now or if they still all get together in the studio and collaborate on ideas in one room, Arejay said: "Oh, it's so much more effective for us to be in the same room. I think it kind of forces you to just… I guess we work well under pressure, 'cause, going back to your last question… We definitely feel the pressure to get the album out at a certain time, but what really cranks up the pressure is the fact that we're leaving Nashville and going to Savannah for only a set period of time, 'cause Dave [only has certain] windows [of availability]. And it really forces us to just dig into your gut and just pull things out. And when we're all together in the room and Joe [Hottinger, HALESTORM guitarist] starts playing around with the riff and I start jamming with them, things just come out, things just happen. There's a magic there."

In June, Lzzy told Decker of the rock station Razor 94.7/104.7 (WZOR) that she and her HALESTORM bandmates initially "got a lot of pushback" from their team about the prospect of working with Cobb. She recalled: "We were saying, 'Oh, wouldn't it be cool to do a record with Dave Cobb? Because that would be something that nobody would really expect from us. And I bet you he would come up with some crazy ideas. Don't know the guy, but let's figure it out.' And everybody on our team was, like, 'No, no, he's too busy. That's not you. He's got this stuff going. He's got, like, nine Grammys with Chris Stapleton. That's not your scene.' And so we kept pushing back. We're, like, 'No, no, no. Just ask him. Just ask him. We can handle rejection, but just ask him.' And so finally, our A&R guy at our label is, like, 'Fine, I'll reach out. Whatever. Just stop bugging me.' And so he reached out, and then he called me, like, the next day. He's, like, 'Hey, I heard back from Dave Cobb. And guess what? Not only does he absolutely know who you are, but he's been wanting to make a record with you for, like, seven years. And he has a plan already of how he wants to do it.' And we're, like, 'What? This is sick.' So anyway, we went to go test the waters, and we go into the studio. And look, I write every day. When I die, there's gonna be so much that everyone has to sift through, just gibberish songs, all that. So I always have, like, a bank with me, like, 'Here's riffs, here's songs, here's subject titles, here's poetry.' And he was, like, 'No, no, no. We're not gonna do anything that you already have. Nothing.' I'm, like, 'Uh. What?' And he's, like, 'No, we're just gonna start.' Everyone's sitting in a circle and we're, like, gonna kumbaya. So everyone got an instrument, like, 'All right. So what are we feeling today?' I'm, like, 'Is this a therapy session?' And we ended up — it's crazy, 'cause then we'll like grab on to something 'cause of that pressure of, like, 'Well, I was thinking about this as this is happening.' 'Cool. Let's go there.' And so he has this amazing instincts that are very, like, you can't see it when you're in it. And then, as soon as we start like putting stuff together, we kind of zoom out and, like, 'Oh, wait a minute. This is so wild and awesome and exactly what we do.' So it's very strange. But we're all very free. And then the other thing is that while we're writing it, we're recording it at the same time. So these tracks are, like, us discovering the song for the first time as well as we're performing them. There are some things that we're performing them all at the same time. There's one track in particular that we completely forgot to put the click track on, and we did like three takes like that, and then we're, like, 'Oh, wait. We don't even have a click going.' Arejay said something, like, 'Were we supposed to have like a click track so we all are on time together?' And everyone's, like, 'We didn't even notice it was gone.' And so we did another take with the click. We're, like, 'No, we like that other one better.' So there's stuff like that. A lot of weird surprises. There's a lot of space. And we're really excited because we're not going country or anything like that, or Americana. This is such a new — it's got so much teeth, and it's so different than what we just did with 'Back From The Dead', but in this almost weightier, heavier way. And the lyrics are — I'm tackling subjects I've never tackled before because I'm having the freedom to do so. So I'm very excited."

HALESTORM and I PREVAIL recently embarked on summer 2024 co-headlining tour. Produced by Live Nation, the trek kicked off on July 9 in Raleigh and ran through August 17 in Las Vegas. HOLLYWOOD UNDEAD and FIT FOR A KING served as support. The tour was also the catalyst and the creative spark for HALESTORM and I PREVAIL's collaborative track "Can U See Me In The Dark?", which was released in June.

"Back From The Dead" has tallied over 100 million streams worldwide. Rolling Stone called the title track "a biting but cathartic howler about overcoming all obstacles," and that song as well as "The Steeple" marked their fifth and sixth number ones at rock radio, respectively. Associated Press said the album "will definitely be in the running for best hard rock/metal album of the year." Their previous album, "Vicious", earned the band their second Grammy nomination, for "Best Hard Rock Performance" for the song "Uncomfortable", the band's fourth #1 at rock radio, and led Loudwire to name HALESTORM "Rock Artist Of The Decade" in 2019.

Fronted by Lzzy with Arejay, guitarist Joe Hottinger and bass player Josh Smith, HALESTORM's music has earned multiple platinum and gold certifications from the RIAA, and the band has earned a reputation as a powerful live music force, headlining sold-out shows and topping festival bills around the world, and sharing the stage with icons including HEAVEN & HELL, Alice Cooper, Joan Jett and JUDAS PRIEST. Additionally, Lzzy was named the first female brand ambassador for Gibson and served as host of AXS TV's "A Year In Music".

[popculturebuffet]

Pirate Month III Finale: Garfield's Halloween Adventure (Here Comes Garfield) (Patreon Review for Emma Fici)

Arrr me hearties and welcome to the FINAL instalment of Pirate Month. I gotta say this may be our best yet: while I had my doubts going in from the weirdness of the wiggles to the heights of pirates 2 this has been a lot of fun and reminded me of the possiblity of this.

Speaking of which we're ending on a high as we return to Here Comes Garfield my look at garfield's career in specials and film. We'll be taking another break next month, like muppet maddness emma's allowed me to be flexible, but rest assured i'm having a lot of fun with these and while I consdiered doing Garfield In Paradise as I wanted some summer fun.. I ultimately couldn't deny what fit here best. Don't worry we have just the right treat for halloween though.. after all halloween's all about putting on another face.. and garfield's had 9.. or shall we say 13.

On that tease for next time, let's talk about the special before us. Garfield's Halloween Adventure is his fourth special, and i'd say one of the most remembered. While Garfield's other holiday specials have failed to catch a ton of attention outside garfield fans and those who grew up with it, Halloween Adventure seems to get talked about more.

It's easy to see why: Halloween Adventure is the best of the three. Christmas is awesome and I talked about why last month, having a ton of heart and a clear perosnal bent from Jim Davis, and Thanksgiving... sure does exist. But Halloween both perfectly fits the season and garfield all at once: it's got all the coziness of halloween from trying on costumes to carving pumpkins to the eerie yet fun atmosphere of trick or treating.. and all teh scares with a few smaller ones spread about, nothing too severe.. and then a spooky enough final act that comes out of nowhere and just.. works. While garfield woudl take a genuine stabs at horror later with a segment in the 9 lives book and a week of strips where he wakes up to find the house long abandoned and john and odie long gone, this is more just some fun. As Davis himself said, it's more a regular garfield story with some scares at the end for four year olds. IT's a fun, breezy specail I can't wait to break down.

We open on a crisp and cozy halloween morning around 5am as we get the debut of a legend: On the TV Binky the Clown wakes Garfield for exercises.

Binky is one of the best garfield recurring characters, played by John's va Thom Huge. While he started here he'd quickly become a key part of garfield and friends when it aried, showing up regularly, having tons of fan support and even making it into the strip

I was also shocked to find when looking him up on the garfield wiki he has his own burger chain binky burger, which seems to show up more than he does

It's also amazing how much of the guy was down from the start: his hammy personality, catchphrase of "HEYYYYYY KIIIIIDDDS", antagonism of Garfield and general obnoxious hostility. Despite not being physically present you can tell WHY Garfield hates this guy most of the time and why Davis and co brought him back for Garfield and Friends. He hasn't been properly brought back since, likely because Thom Huge retired though he did make cameos on products in the garfield movie. He feels like a protypical Krusty the Clown: children's tv host, merchandises himself to hell, has run ins with the main characters but firmly existed before him. I think the creators just had similar childhoods growing up with tv clowns and took them in diffrent directions: Krusty is enthusastic on screen burnt out and kinda sleazzy off while Binky is ALWAYS on, just as much of a dick as krusty but that kind of manic. As seen above in the strip even when he's being a dick it's clear he takes his craft VERY seriously.

So Binky making fat jokes, calling people who don't exercise worthless and generally being the clown prince of dickheads is both deeply entertaning and causes Garfield to change the channel... only to change it back when Binky mentions candy. Garfield's reminded it's halloween and wnats to be in shape to get candy dosen't he.

We launch into our standard Lou Rawls opening number and as usual it's a lot of fun. This is the Night is a fun song about going out to trick or treat. The man never failed to make his song the best minute of the special. And he's got another later lucky us.

So Garfield does what he does best.. harasses john, scaring him so he ends up wearing a pumpkin on his head as is his lot in life. I do like how this special really leans into one of my faviorite aspects: Garfield is more than anything John's spoiled son. The age varies, usually he's a bratty teen but here he comes off more like a big kid, and that sponebobian flexiblity really works for the character. Garfile dhas a blankie and flights of fantasy btu generally just vegges out and spends all johns money. He can be a kid or a teen depending on what joke works better and his status as a cat means which one dosen't firmly matter.

Anyways garfield decides to get candy candy candy, and soon runs into odie who scares him using the same pumpkin what ended up on john. Naturally he dosen't find it amusing. I hadn't noticed before but the first half of this special is a nice slow burn: for the first 2/3 it's just normal garfield stuff but on HALLOWEEN, and the holiday fits him well: it's all about spooky stuff, which he's been shown to love when it's not real as garfield watching late night double features is a recurring thing in the strip, and excess, which is his whole deal.

So to get more of that candy candy candy, Garfield enlists odie, who true to form is too stupid to know wha thalloween is so garfield says dogs help cats get candy candy candy. And just to go ahead and tackle it, Garfile'ds regular increasingly manic shouts of CANDY CANDY CANDY are amazing and a testiament to Lorenzo music's talent

Speaking of testiaments to Lorenzo music's talents, the next musical number, of three is what should I be and it's one of only TWO times Garfield sings in the all 12 specials. And Lorenzo makes a meal of it it's a fun song about how he could be whatever he wants from a "an astronaut a robot a king or a clown or a alien creature going out on the town" with some nicely spooky image of garfield as a vampire bat or a big black halloween cat. It's a fun jaunty number and cute as hell.

Eventually, and the reason why we're here, Garfield settles on pirates. His pillaging John's Lasanga is both predictable and shocking of him to not you know, have some ready. IT's late enough in the characters history he should just accept this is his fate to feed a cat Lasanga and move on with his life.

So with that our heroes head out into the night, and garfield threatens a woman who only gives him one.. and she takes it seriously as garfield won't murder over much, not worth the effort but he will murder anyone in his way of food Jon included. He once strangeled the guy for not getting up to feed him

And that was year one garfield. I'm suprised John's neck isn't in a brace forevermore from that.

So after getting plenty of candy we get our final musical number, as Lou Rawls sings for garfield that the one thing he's not is a scardy cat, my faviorite song of the special. I love his smooth vocals and the sheer weirdness of this section as every trick or treater garfield unmasks, trying to prove to odie it's just kayfabe bro is some sort of monster. I mean come on guys when else are they going to get out and party, get candy or go to an I hate my ex party. Let em have their fun.

So with that Garfield has a scheme as he notices another neighborhood across the river and a small boat and being a pirate decides to set sail. This goes as poorly as you'd expect as they soon get lost.

This is where the last act kicks in and it's a doozy: okay so for the last act the pirate stuff ramps up and it's why I couldnt' resisit including it. while Garfiled wearing a pirate costume is frankly enough to fit pirate month, Wiggles having about 5 minutes of pirate nonsense sure did, it's this last part that made it essential. It's an act dripping with atmosphere gorgeous animation and one creepy old man.

So garfield knocks on a house and decides when he dosen't get an answer to sneak in at night and wreck up the place. Instead turns out there's a person there an old man lit only by fire light alone in a creepy old mansion. Garfield's reactoin is an understandable

But the old man tells them to stay. He's played by tv and film vet C Lindsay Workman who just had a perfectly deep booming voice.

It's here he regails us with a tale: 100 years ago some pirates hid their gold swearing everyone to secrecy.. including a lowly cabin boy

Yup. They vowed to come back in 100 years to get back their gold. And tonight's that night. Garfield decides wisely to RUN RUN BITCH RUN USE ODIE AS A SHIELD RUN but our dynamic duo find the old man stole their boat and now there's a ghost in this home, and it's not better than being a alone. Since this house is haunted and that's not the way tehyw ant it garfield hides but gets found out in a quick gag. The ghosts.. look amazing using rotoscoping to give them this nice pale blue look as they search for their gold. It's a fun tense sequence as our heroes barely escape jumping for it and taking it to the river, dipping in the water.. only for Garfield to realize he can't swim. Sadly he hadn't learned a crucial fact just yet he'd learn later that year.

Thankfully odie has the strength of a mack truck and lifts him. We get a genuinely touching ending too: the pirates get their gold.. and Garfield, in a move he FULLY admits is out of character and casues him some pain... gives Odie his fair share of their candy, as the old man left it behind.. either after the pirates murdered him or he retreated back into the depths of hell.. or into a hosting gig s he's later shown hosting a pirate movie marathon.

And so with that button Pirate Month ends and so does this special. Halloween Adventure is possibly the best garfield specail, only slightly behind babes and bullets, a fun heartfelt and breezy thrill ride that gets halloween and garfield just right while throwing one small bit of heart in at the end that works. IT's funny, spooky and good stuff

Ranking wise...

Next Time: With this gone and september off what will we do for the actual halloween? Well as I hinted when you've got 9 lives you've got nine ways to loose as we look at BOTH major versions of garfield's nine lives: the original book and it's special adaptation.

[where-are-the-spooky-gays-2]

*materializes into existence*

Hey there :D

I haven't sent an ask in... I don't remember. This is very long.

Calling this the QPP Fae AU.

(cw/tw: mention of death & dead parent, implied/referenced mistreatment & alienation, possible grief and denial, disappearance/missing person, not being believed, abandonment issues, fear of being alone, fear of vulnerability & trusting others, massive anxiety mention, hunters, mention of questioning ones humanity)

Spooky Gays in a qpp. One is a human, the other is some fae creature in disguise. Not the ones ya think.

Fae Virgil not wanting to deal with most humans can they're really mean and weird and why did one of them just down chemicals for a media challenge, huh??

Human Remus being his feral, chaotic self & Virgil genuinely believing he's a fellow fae. No human does that shit, you have no shame, sir, and don't give a shit about human rules, ain't no way you're a human. Remus is very much not like his peers at all, but he loves himself for it. The weirder he is, the better. He rather be alienated from those strict jerks.

It's not like he wants genuine connection, haha, shut up

Remus tells Virgil that actually he's human, but he thinks being mistaken for fae is the best thing ever. Virgil does not believe him for a while before just accepting his human is just a massive feral weirdo.

Virgil and Remus end up in a qpp/partnership. They slowly show trust and vulnerability to each other & find out things about one another. Like Remus' fear of being alone or his abandonment issues that may or may not being related to his missing twin brother who's being missing for almost six months by now. Or like Virgil's massive anxiety bc of unfair shit from other fae & meanie humans/human hunters. Also his fear of trusting others bc he's so used to be betrayed and hurt. They help each other out w/ their things.

And maybe h/c qpp turns into a mystery and thriller as they search for Remus' missing brother, Roman, who disappeared right after a trip into the woods and hasn't been seen since. Remus believes he's still alive somewhere but no one believes him. The townsfolk held a memorial/funeral that Remus refused to attend bc "he's still alive, what are you doing, we have to find him, idiots". Virgil is the only one who kinda believes him bc lots of ppl disappear into the woods and end up in the fae world, it happens a lot, so maybe he's there? So, Virgil uses his fae connections to help look for him & he and Remus look in Roman's fave spots in the woods. As this happens, Remus tells stories of when the twins were younger and they'd go camping w/ each other & how they'd play pretend a lot & when they played make believe Re chose to be a Duke & Ro chose to be a Prince & their mom Rhea would pretend with them sometimes and pretend to be this epic Dragon-Witch or some badass queen. And yus, Rhea is named after the actual mother of Romulus and Remus from the myth.

On this goes, and they find Roman. Not how you'd think. Maybe he'd be dead, maybe he'd be in the fae world. It's neither, kinda. They discover that Roman is, in fact, fae himself and is a changeling with a human form. Which raises so many questions of how the fuck that happened, does that mean Re and Roman aren't actually biological twins, but he's still his brother right, you're still my twin brother, how did he figure that out, he's more human than Remus is, how in the hell? Ya see, all those questions are put off bc Remus found his lost brother and hugs him so tight that he could break him if he wanted. The twins hug each other tightly and Virgil watches fondly in support from the background.

Turns out, Roman started questioning his humanity and discovered he may be fae, so he staged a 'mysterious disappearance' and ran off to figure himself out. He discovered himself, who he really is, what he really is, and he has missed Remus so so much. Remus is like "you asshole why did you tell me they said you were dead pls never leave again I missed you you bastard" and yep, more brother hugs for these two. Virgil and Roman meet, and Ro of course teases Re over having a partner in the most sibling way possible and everything turns out okay! The most likely to be fae isn't fae, and the other "normal" ppl are actually fae and Remus has everyone he cares about again (excluding his Mom cause she's dead but eh).

Anyway, Roman made friends with a fae Logan and Patton & made rivals with a witch/sorceress transfemme Janus. Remus is the only full-on, not magical, human in this entire group. Which is the funniest shit ever.

Oh yeah, and Rhea was a single Mom when she was alive. Best Mom Award, fr. Took the twins camping & indulged them in their interests (to a healthy degree). One of the few who ever supported Remus for being himself.

So, a qpp Dukexiety idea that leads into a mystery about fae, brothers, and transfemme witches. About family and most Dukexiety being dorks together as they go on this journey.

Hope ya enjoy!

Heyo! :}D That literally sounds S O fucking cool I L O V E L O V E L O V E E V E R Y T H I N G about this oml!!! There's S O much I already adore it's got Mystery, Fantasy aspects, The Spooky Gays adventuring and being absolute dorks and trusting to each other, Hilarious concepts (Forever cackling at both the fact that Ree is chaotic and unhinged as shit to the point where Vee doesn't even believe him when he says he's human at first and that the poor Emo Fae's QPP is literally the only non magical person in the group don't worry the C H A O S makes up for it Bud XD) The perfect amount of A N G S T and F L U F F ratio, Wholesome Creativitwins moments (Rhea is forever a Queen for raising such wonderful sons <3) Twists, and just ahhhh I desperately N E E D this <3!!!

[catsockpuppet]

since you said its ok fhdh

marco is either a pure gremlin, or a sweetheart

he usually nice to you until you prove you do not deserve the kindness. Hell hes nice to rich boy roy/silly Hes also somewhat verrry easy to piss off, but can hold his tongue well. (he might steal your mailbox though, or other stuff.. or give you a bloody nose either one)

Marco has sorta never really had a childhood due to his family sorta making marco into the person who takes care of his siblings with his little sister (shes 1 year younger than him) at like..7- (we dont like his parents >:( )

marco was a smart person and tried to sorta..get a job at nasa due to his love for the stars, but sorta just dropped out and moved out of town to whererver spooky month is since he was scared his parents would be disappointed in him, which wasn't the truth they did love him, he just sorta puts unhealthy expectations on himself.. (he still talks to his siblings tho! And they call him "lil papa" )

anyways hes friends with the spooky kids almost immediately when he moved in, and sorta got roped into going into the old mansion and sortaaa maybeeee got turned into a vessel for eyes. He doesn't really remember much of that night

Hes highschool friends with streber and they are just "share a braincell" gang pretty much, anddddd is a victim of bob, he was just verrrry lucky to have head butted him justtt the right amount to make him stumble and run off- hes still pretty traumatized about the event and sorta shuts himself off if someone mentions bob

Uhhh oh he has kleptomania! He usually steals thing all the time with nooo memory about it! Also he sorta has shitty memory and forgetting small things all the time..

uhh i think thats it fhdhdj im sorry i rambled a bunch i tried to keep it short fjdj

yaya marco!!! yippee!!!

okay! i think the start of his life would be the same, eventually marco would move to the costal area the haunted ocean au takes place in though! instead of being a vessel for eyes though, i think marco would’ve straight up been sacrificed. maybe the first person skiddad sacrificed to eyes when he went to find it.

after being sacrificed marco would come back as a jellyfish-like merfolk, but, one that cannot leave the ocean. sacrifices can’t leave the ocean

[amateurmonastic]

November is the spooky month

BLOG: All Saints and All Souls

Halloween is past, with all its vampires, witches, werewolves, and classic movies starring Vincent Price or Christopher Lee. (It was 80F here, albeit with low humidity.) Yesterday shone with the brightness of the saints in light: "O how glorious is the kingdom in which the saints rejoice with Christ!" (from the antiphon to the Magnificat at second Vespers of All Saints Day)

Today is All Souls Day, sometimes called the Commemoration of All Faithful Departed, and now, with all the saints and all the souls mentioned, now is when my spooky season begins.

Nowadays the "saints" of All Saints Day are understood as those who were extraordinary, notable Christians, such as the Apostles of the New Testament, the martyrs of the first two or three centuries, the outstanding monastics and mendicants like St. Benedict, St. Francis, St. Teresa of Avila. There are many others who are honored who may or may not have been officially canonized by Roman Catholic authority but have become important to many Christians, like Hildegard of Bingen, Julian of Norwich, or Dorothy Day. That leaves All Souls' Day as a time to pray for the eternal welfare of all the ordinary, unknown Christians who didn't do anything heroic, like your parents (if they were baptized) or that devout old lady who used to babysit you.

However, I read something years ago, asserted by an Episcopalian priest and monk, that has stuck with me ever since. He said that originally, "all the saints" meant all baptized Christians, living and departed, heroic or average, virtuous or sinful. In the letters of the New Testament, Peter and Paul refer to what we could call the Church, capital C, as the saints. Anyone who has confessed faith in Jesus and been baptized in the Trinity is a saint, sanctified, made holy, destined for heaven.

The souls, according to this priest, for whom we pray on the day following All Saints meant everybody else: everyone who had died outside the Church, whether members of another religion, or Christians who had turned bad and died at odds with God. In this theology, anyone who hadn't confessed Jesus and been baptized was destined for hell, but the Church took one day to pray explicitly for their salvation, for a second chance that they might or might not get.

Do I believe that anyone who isn't a Christian will have some kind of punishment after death? No, I don't. But this older theology does explain the fear and trembling of the old Requiem Mass texts, the fear that even a Christian soul might fall into the pains of hell, the bottomless pit, the lion's mouth, Tartarus, the eternal darkness, without the guidance of the archangel Michael, the standard-bearer, and the prayers of the faithful still on earth.

What I do believe, as an Episcopalian but also a polytheist, is that anyone who has devotion and faith in a deity will be received by that deity after death, unless they have so deeply offended that deity's values as to make it impossible. To use a standard sort of example, I would assume that Joseph Stalin was baptized into the Orthodox Church as an infant, but having rejected all religion and carried out many atrocities in pursuit of his own power and security, he wouldn't want to be with Jesus even if Jesus invited him. I believe that Jesus is willing to receive anyone who turns to him, at whatever point in their life or afterlife.

However, not everyone has a devotion to a deity, or follows a school of spiritual practice. Not everyone even gets a formal burial. The Tibetan Buddhist Book of the Dead assumes that death is confusing, disorienting, and frightening; it attempts to offer direction to the dying or dead person, if not to enlightenment, then to a rebirth with a chance at enlightenment. I think that if a person isn't spiritually aware to a certain extent, their experience of death might not be heaven or hell, purgatory or reincarnation, but a sort of dull, shadowy half-life, as implied by the Hebrew Sheol, most of the Greek underworld, and the realm of Hel in Norse mythology--a place with neither punishment nor joy, no torment, no fulfillment, no meaning.

It is of those souls I think on All Souls' Day and through the month of November as the temperatures drop (though not as far as they used to), as the winds start to whine and howl around the corners of my building, as the texts of the liturgy increasingly look forward to Advent, to the promise of the Second Coming and the remaking of all things. It is for them I have lit a candle and put out a glass of pure water, not exactly an Anglican custom but not in opposition to the prayers of the Church. A little water for refreshment, a little light in the darkness. Follow the sound of voices singing, "O quam gloriosum est...." There is a way home through the dark for all of us.

[acefaun]

Does anybody miss our old days ( few months ago), when we were active? When we were interacting with each other?

YES 🥺 Lord, that was the best time.

The post-Renaissance boom that might be going on under my nose? I've been thinking about how sad it is, that I've been basically non-existent on Instagram for the past couple years which I used to thrive on, and I haven't been on Tumblr in forever. 😵‍💫 But I'm slowly, very slowly working on a funny mother's day fic at least. So, ✨ we got something in progress. I'm tryna get back into it!

I'm also trying to get back into actually reading fics, because inspiration feeds inspiration, ya know? And people got nice things I've never seen. But I haven't had time to just sit and read. I've still got a fun Hobbit book I haven't been able to pick up!

But to be fair, I didn't have 2 jobs a few months ago... Now I suddenly had to pick up slack and work a morning job and run a business in the afternoon. And my banner came out nice for the business! We even have cool work tshirts now that I'm selling.

Along with those two jobs, I also got a girlfriend last month. 😚 I never thought I'd date someone with a child, but here I am. 👀 It's fine! We've been besties since high school so it seems like it was a matter of time. I was already named the nanny of the little bean so now I'm just even more part of the family. It's a nice emotional recharge when my jobs get to be too much. I suggest an emotional-recharge girlfriend for anyone in need.

She's got me started watching Hazbin Hotel with her. And I've been on a Alastor/Lucifer kick lately.

Alastor because scary deer man. Spooky radio demon. 🥴

Alastor=Deer Me=Faun Alastor=Me

And Lucifer because... Well, King of Hell, am I right? 🔥💕 Powerful King man. Sad fallen angel dude that sings beautifully and has a quirky fixation? I want.

But yes! 🥺 Once I finish all this extra business prep stuff, I hope I have more free time to be creative again. I'm writing a total of two sentences a day at this point and I'm not getting anything finished. But I have unwritten ideas and plots and that's what counts right? No? It only counts if it's posted and readable. ✨ I'll get there eventually.

Until then.... Let's just say what great fandoms we have and hope our patience can last a bit longer before our next mental breakdown! ✨

[leiflitter]

The Quotable Catton

Putting some of this one under a cut for NSFW reasons. Felix is a yappy fucker in more ways than one.

“Clean bill of health. Apparently I am a little deficient in vitamin D, but I'm sure you can help with that.” [...] “Also had a delivery notification, so how about I be a gent and carry those bags for you? And you can make a big fuss of me when we get back to the car for being awfully brave. I didn't even complain when they took my blood- well, complain much… Then, when we get home, I can stab you a bit.”

Chapter 53

“That's a risk I'm willing to take. I've got very good lawyers, Ollie.” [...] “They'd get me off, but I'd far rather you did, you little tease.” 

Chapter 53

“Eenie meenie miney mo, catch a tiger by it's toe, if he squeals let him go…” [...] “Cock out, boyscout.” 

Chapter 54

“Oh, come off it, Oliver. You think you're subtle? I see you looking, you know.” [...] “I know you're bent, mate. I must say it'd be nice to get a blowie from someone who actually likes cock.”

Chapter 54

“Don't play coy, Ollie, it's a cock. We both have ‘em, and we both know you're about ten seconds away from begging for me to stick it in one of your holes. What was I saying…? Oh, right. So. If Lu comes home and I'm balls-deep in your arse on the bloody dining room table, then what chance do either of us have of getting away with it? But… Well, that's what you want, isn't it? Fucking hell, are you always this much of a shameless slut, or is it especially for me?”

Chapter 55

“Ollie, you're too bloody sexy and it makes it very, very hard for me to be a twat to you.” 

Chapter 55

“Right. Where were we? I promise I'll be so impolite, Ollie… Alright. You're a shameless slut. Right.” [...] “That's… Oh, shit. Line, Olls?”

Chapter 55

“You can leave, you know. I'm just going to follow you. Easy peasy… and I think I said that you can leave if you get sick of us, so unless you're sick of me…”

Chapter 56

“Me and Ollie are up to his parents’ for New Years, so you can all have a ghost party if you'd like. No snogging any long-dead Cattons, Venetia, I don't care if you're dead, it's still incest. I, um. I miss you all.” [...] “I wish you could, you know, give me a call or pop back for a visit in the summer? If you can, then… Let me know, but not in a spooky way. I love you.”

Chapter 56

“Look, Olls, I know I'm not divorced yet, and it's been… a month since Oxford, and not even two weeks of you being here, but I want to. I'm sorry I don't have a ring and I'm not on one knee, and it's not romantic but I really, really mean it. How about it?”

Chapter 56