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the-al-chemist · 1 year

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When Stars Ignite Christmas Special

HPHM ROCKSTAR AU

I think the title gives this one away. @kc-needs-coffee, thank you for your insane talent, your integrity, your incredible stories (both real and fictional), your wit, your wisdom, and your warmth. Oh, and your book/film/music/coffee/travel recommendations. This one’s for you. Merry Christmas, you filthy animal.

Note: This story takes place in the Rockstar AU, which as a rule, has a mature tone and subject matter. This specific chapter contains a reference to alcohol. All things considered, that is actually very tame for the Rockstar AU.

They’ve got cars big as bars, they’ve got rivers of gold, but the wind whips right through you, it’s no place for the old

When you first took my hand on that cold Christmas Eve, you promised me Broadway was waiting for me

You were handsome, you were pretty

Queen of New York City

When the band finished playing, they howled out for more…

~ The Pogues and Kirsty MacColl - Fairytale of New York ~

The snow was no longer falling, but a thick sheet of it had settled over the park. Artemis pulled her coat tighter around her as she lit her cigarette, feeling its heat warm her as she inhaled. She blew the smoke out, but did not watch it unfurl through the air, instead paying attention to her surroundings: the tourists playing in the snow or riding in horse-drawn carriages, the thin ice layer covering the large pond and the trees dusted white with frost under the already setting sun. If it were not for the lights and the sounds of taxis and the skyscrapers behind her, she might not have known that she was in a city at all, let alone one of the greatest cities in the world.

Through the crowds of people, she made out a familiar-looking head of red hair in the distance, and a black leather-gloved hand raised to wave at her in greeting. Artemis smiled and stubbed out her cigarette before walking over to the person waving, a red-headed, blue-eyed woman dressed in a black wool coat and with a blanket-like scarf with a checked pattern reminiscent of a chessboard.

“Artemis! It’s great to see you,” said Katriona Cassiopeia, as Artemis approached her on the path.

“You too, KC,” Artemis replied. “Thanks again for inviting me.”

“Don’t be silly, it’s Christmas. The more the merrier. I’m just glad you decided to take us up on the offer.”

The offer had been this: KC and her husband Murphy McNully, Artemis’ bosses and friends, owned a flat to the west of Central Park, and had invited Artemis to stay with them over Christmas while Equinox’s stateside tour was on a short break between locations for the holidays. Considering that the first location on the next leg of the tour was New York City, KC had suggested that it may be the most logical thing to do, and for Artemis herself, it had not only saved her from spending the holidays alone, but had meant that she would be able to do something she had always longed to do: experience New York at Christmas.

“What do you think so far?” asked KC, as they strolled down a tree-lined boulevard together.

“So far, I feel like I’m in a movie. When Harry Met Sally or something.” They walked past a woman feeding pigeons, and Artemis grinned at the sight. “I’m really trying not to get my hopes up too much, though.”

“Why is that?”

“Oh, Charlie just said that I should lower my expectations. Apparently, New York wasn’t for him.”

“That’s because Charlie would rather spend Christmas in a wooden hut in the arse end of nowhere like a lumberjack,” KC rolled her eyes. “Expect away. Christmas in the city is every bit as magical as you’ve been led to believe, you’ll see. Come on.”

They walked around the edge of the pond and reached the edge of the park. KC walked towards an old lamppost, past which a plaza could be seen across the street, as if to leave. Artemis frowned.

“Are we not going to see Central Park?”

“Sure, just not right now. We’ll do that when it’s light,” KC told her. She smiled at Artemis. “Don’t worry, you won’t miss out on anything. I’ve made an itinerary.” She pulled out her phone and read aloud:

“So, tomorrow we have brunch at Sadelle’s, then shopping on Fifth and Madison, followed by Broadway in the evening. The day after that we can come back here to explore, then later I’ve got tickets to The Nutcracker at the Lincoln Centre.”

“As in the ballet?” Artemis wrinkled her nose.

“It’s festive. You’ll love it, trust me. Same goes for the Rockettes’ Christmas Spectacular, which we will be seeing after dinner tonight, and baseball, obviously.”

“Obviously.”

“Look, if you’re going to be working backstage at Madison Square Gardens, you at least need to see a game there first. But we’re getting ahead of ourselves. Where were we?” KC returned to her phone. “Oh, yeah. On Christmas Eve, we’ll need to finish getting stuff ready, but we’ll go out in the evening, see some lights and find a bar in the Village where you can dance on the tables like you’re in the cast of Rent.”

“What’s Rent?”

KC sighed and shook her head before typing something on her phone. Artemis craned her neck to see what it was, and noticed that KC had added three words to her list of activities for Artemis’ stay:

Go see Rent.

“Okay,” said Artemis, nodding slowly. “So, that’s what we’ll be doing in the next few days. What about before dinner and the rocket thing? What’s first on the list?”

“First of all? Coffee.”

Artemis laughed. “Dirty and Irish, right?”

“Just the way I like it,” KC’s lips twitched. “And then… Well, how much do you like Christmas trees?”

Once they had coffees to warm their hands, the two of them made their way down Fifth Avenue, stopping to look at a fountain and making a quick detour to look at the illuminated, glittering shop window of Tiffany and Co. Opposite a large cathedral with a gothic frontage that did not match the buildings surrounding it, stood a complex of tall concrete buildings, their facades all lit up with bright Christmas lights.

“Wow,” said Artemis, her eyes wide. KC laughed, not unkindly.

“Oh, you’ve not seen anything yet.”

Together, they crossed the street and entered the complex via a narrow boulevard with a central row of flowerbeds lined with fairy light statues shaped like angels blowing golden horns. At the far end was an ice rink and a Christmas tree, and as they neared it, Artemis’ jaw dropped.

The Christmas tree was taller and bushier than any she had seen in her life, decorated with what looked like a million different baubles and tiny lights. Artemis stared at it in a stunned silence.

“Excuse me, ma’am,” said a voice, interrupting her awe, and Artemis stepped sideways to allow a man in a police uniform to pass her. She watched him join another policeman standing near by, and a moment later, a third joined them.

“How many of them are there?” she asked KC, as a fourth police officer entered the scene. “What are they-”

“Ladies and gentleman,” a fifth officer announced. “We are sorry to interrupt your evening. We are the New York City Police Department, and we’ve got a little surprise planned for you.” He looked around him, smiled, and began to sing:

“Start spreading the news, I’m leaving today…”

At his words, several more people, men and women, some in uniform, others not, some holding instruments, some not, all gathered in the centre of the plaza opposite the Christmas tree. With each line of the song, more instruments and voices joined the choir, including those of the crowd around them, all laughing, swaying, and filming the scene on their phones.

“I want to wake up in a city that never sleeps…”

KC leaned towards Artemis and said something that couldn’t be heard over the sound of the music.

“What?” Artemis shouted back to her.

“If I can make it there, I’ll make it anywhere…”

“I said,” KC repeated, also with her voice raised, “is this the sort of thing you were expecting?”

“It’s up to you…”

Artemis smiled and shook her head. “It’s better!”

“New York, New York!”

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no53472 · 4 years

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This Song

...is for a proud songwriter/boyfriend lmao

Of course I’m still clowning over this AU. Will it be stopping anytime soon, you ask? Lol idk

Gif stills for funsies:

(Fun fact: I was present in that concert audience in the second pic lol. What a night.)

#my art #fanart #hphm #badeea ali #talbott winger #badeea x talbott #taldeea #rockstar au #my gif

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cesvaults · 3 years

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now that I'm having an obsession with Måneskin after E***vision you just create Talbott with leather clothes and rock aesthetics ................. I'm not ok

#i’m having a heart attack but in a good way #can’t believe i’m hiped by the bird boy what #anyways WONDERFUL WORK THANKS FOR CREATE IT #hphm #hogwarts mystery #talbott winger #rockstar au i guess #ce’s thoughts

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lifeofkaze · 1 year

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Before the Spark

CHAPTER 5: SHOOTING FOR THE STARS

Find the masterpost here, the previous chapter here, and the next one here.

General Warning: This story is part of the HPHM Rockstar AU. As such, there is a general warning of the possible occurrence of NSFW / mature topics. These can include sexual depictions or references, inappropriate language, (ab)use of alcohol, drug abuse, and smoking. Specific warnings for each particular chapter will be given in advance.

Warning: Alcohol, mentions of drug consumption. Reid van de Lune (in mention) belongs to @kc-and-co

Had to have high, high hopes for a living

Shooting for the stars when I couldn’t make a killing

Didn’t have a dime but I always had a vision

Always had high, high hopes

~ Panic! At The Disco - High Hopes ~

On the evening of the MMU open-stage night, the club the committee had selected was crowded, much more so than Orion had expected. Keeping to the side of the packed dance floor, he shifted his weight from one foot to the other, his eyes wandering to the small stage at the far side of the room. It was average in size, but the equipment provided for the attending artists looked surprisingly decent. A fresh set had just started; after that, it would be his and Merula’s turn.

A flutter of nerves rose in his chest, much stronger than usual before a gig. Maybe it was the low level of oxygen, or the faint smell of weed in the air, or something else entirely, but Orion felt different. There was a restlessness in him that made it hard for him to stay still. He breathed in the stuffy air, holding it in his lungs for a moment before exhaling again; it didn’t help.

“Here,” said Merula, who had been pushing through the crowd with two small glasses in hand, one of which she now held out to him. “What’s the matter? You look like you’re about to shit yourself.”

Orion’s eyebrows rose, but he took the shot anyway. “Your choice of words is distinguished as always.”

“Can’t say it’s not true.” Her face softened. “Relax. It’s just a stupid little gig in a stupid little club. We’ve done about a million of these.”

Thoughtfully, Orion turned the glass in his hands, watching the colourful lights reflecting in the alcohol inside as it moved. “I am aware. Yet is it wise to fight what’s rising to the surface from the depths of our hearts? Shouldn’t we embrace whichever state our spirits are in to reach a balanced state of mind?”

Merula snorted. “Stop waffling. Drink.”

Shrugging to himself, Orion brought the shot glass to his lips and drank. The tequila inside was sharp, burning down his mouth and throat. He fought the urge to grimace at the feeling of it, but it had the intended effect; the flutter in his stomach had ceased.

“They’re shit, aren’t they?” Merula said after she had drank as well, her violet-coloured eyes watching the band currently on stage.

“They’re not,” Orion shook his head, nodding at the dancing crowd. “Their music has channelled the exuberance of so many into a shared notion of joy. What more could you want as an artist?”

“How about some quality?”

The corners of Orion’s mouth twitched, but his smile flickered out again quickly. He watched the singer moving about the stage and firing up the crowd, his stage fright flaring up again, stronger than before. All the artists had been well received, which was precisely what concerned him. The songs he had selected to play tonight were different from the rest, and very much so. Looking at the ecstatic crowd, Orion worried that he had misjudged his hand; suddenly, he wished Merula had brought a second shot.

When it was time for them to enter the stage, Orion’s heartbeat increased with every step he took towards it, but once he picked up his guitar, the trembling of his hands suddenly stopped. Calm descended on him as he stepped towards the microphone at the stage’s edge.

“Good evening, friends,” he said, his amplified voice carrying through the room. “What better than music and good company to celebrate the end of the year, another step completed on our journeys toward the future.”

From down below, Orion’s friend Reid van de Lune looked up at him, raising his drink in an encouraging gesture. Orion took a deep breath and forced the last remnants of stage fright from his mind.

“From what I can see, good company we have in abundance. Now, let us see if our music will help your spirits soar tonight.”

As Orion stepped back to let Merula take the microphone, he caught her somewhat bewildered glance. He sighed inwardly; that hadn’t been one of his better stage announcements.

When the first notes of Merula’s electric piano began to sound, however, all his self-doubt was forgotten. The crowd had become quiet, and few people were dancing anymore; they were listening. From what Orion could see through the stage lights, people were nodding their heads, smiling, clapping, and cheering them on. He was acting on instinct now, engaging with them without really thinking about it. As always when he was on stage, he was in a world of his own, the one place where he felt truly and entirely in tune with all of himself.

After their set was done and they had taken their bows, there was a broad smile on Orion’s face as they left the stage. A couple of people - some of whom he knew and more of whom he didn’t - came to congratulate them or give them an appreciative clap on the back. Orion soaked it up, feeling as if walking on clouds, and even on Merula’s face, the barest hint of a smile was to be found.

Having gotten themselves a celebratory round of drinks, Orion looked around the club.

“Do you know where Reid has gone?”

Merula rolled her eyes. “Bet you a fiver he’s lying in some corner high as fuck.”

Nonetheless, she scanned the crowd until nodding in the direction of the bathrooms. Following her gaze, Orion could spot Reid as well, closely intertwined with a girl with flaming red hair.

“Looks like your mate’s luckier than you tonight,” Merula sneered. Suddenly she tensed, her features turning from amused to a mixture of annoyed and wary. “Fuck that. Cheered too soon, I guess.”

Two people had broken from the mass of the crowd and were now headed directly towards Orion’s and Merula’s table. Orion was surprised to recognise the girl with the blue hair who had invited them. Her friend - the girl with the ponytail - was walking closely behind her.

“The fates seem to be kind after all,” Orion greeted them with a smile as they approached them.

“Sure mate, if you say so,” the blue-haired girl shrugged, exchanging a glance with her friend Orion couldn’t quite read. “You sure were smashing up there.”

“Your praise is received with humble gratitude.”

There it was again, the quick glance between the two women. The blue-haired one drew her brows together in a frown. “Do you always waffle like that?”

“No, only on Saturdays,” Merula suddenly butted in. Her eyes flicked between the two newcomers. “What do you want?”

“Just a chat, mate. Relax.”

“You’ve had one. Now buzz off.”

Visibly bristling, the blue-haired girl opened her mouth to speak but was silenced by a warning look from her friend.

“How about we all take a breather and calm down,” the girl with the ponytail suggested. “Hi, I’m Lizzie.”

She extended her hand, and Orion shook it. He was surprised at how calloused it felt, especially around the heels. He didn’t fight the smile forming on his face.

“I’m Orion. And this here is my sister, Merula.”

“Your sister?” Lizzie asked, a surprised look crossing her face. She looked like she wanted to say more but thought better of it upon seeing the dark look on Merula’s face. Trying to steer Lizzie’s attention elsewhere, Orion nodded at the blue-haired girl.

“And who is your friend?”

Lizzie blinked, as if broken from her thoughts. “Oh, sorry. This is Skye. Skye Parkin.”

“Parkin?” Merula frowned. “As in, Ethan Parkin? Ex-member of The Wanderers and now manager and producer Ethan Parkin?”

Skye nodded, looking somewhat satisfied. “That’s me dad.”

Orion looked at Skye, suddenly intrigued. He had heard that the youngest daughter of rock legend Ethan Parkin was attending MMU but hadn’t thought the universe would be gracious enough to make her cross paths with him.

“What are names but smoke and mirrors?” he said regardless, offering Skye his hand as well. “No matter who you are, it is nice to meet you, Skye.”

Skye grunted in agreement, shaking his hand more forcefully than Lizzie had. “You really do like talking, don’t you? Anyway,” she went on without waiting for Orion to reply, “what you’re doing there - on stage, that is - that’s some impressive shit. You’re composing yourself, right?”

Orion nodded. “Every note is a piece of me, and I’m glad to share it with whoever cares to listen.”

“That’s smashing because I like listening. A lot, actually. And that’s why there’s something we need to talk about.”

Orion listened to Skye Parkin telling them of her plan of forming a band with them, his eyebrows rising at the rate Merula’s were drawing together. Clearly, she wasn’t fond of the idea, and Orion could see why. Skye - however big her name - was a stranger to them, and there already was a bristling tension between her and Merula that could turn out to be trouble. It was crazy to even consider accepting Skye’s proposition - crazy and thoroughly tempting. There was a feeling in the back of Orion’s mind that this was exactly where the universe had wanted him to be, a feeling that increased with every one of Skye’s words.

Sometimes, it took courage to explore what lay beyond the beaten path. To those who had no trust, courage always looked like foolishness.

“What instruments do you even play?” Merula snorted, not half as enticed by the prospect of working with Skye as Orion was. “You say you need us, but I don’t see us needing you.”

“I play the drums,” Lizzie tentatively answered, prompting Merula to snort.

“Sure you do.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“That you look more like a groupie than a drummer to me.”

“Funny, you look more like a bitch than a nice person to me,” Lizzie snapped back, receiving an elbow to the side from Skye a moment later.

“Shut up, Jameson. She doesn’t mean that,” she added, directed at Merula, but judging by Lizzie’s pressed-together lips, Orion had the notion that she very much had.

“What about you, Skye?” he quickly asked to dissolve the tension. “What sets your heart aflame?”

“Oh, what I play, you mean,” Skye said after blankly staring at him for a moment. “Loads of things, actually. Mostly bass, though.”

“An interesting choice. Not many people favour the bass over the guitar.”

“Well, I do.”

“And I’m certain you excel. The bass is an admirable instrument, I think. To the ignorant eye, it often falls short compared to its sister, but without the sturdy foundation of the bass, every song is bound to ring hollow in the end.”

“Yeah,” Skye said slowly. “My brothers play the guitar, and me dad did, too. Gotta stick out somewhat, right?”

“Would you look at that?” Merula muttered. “Daddy’s girl, trying to be a rebel.”

“You need a bass, don’t you?” Skye replied with flashing eyes. “Pressing some keys and sighing into a mic all the while? Screams ‘come and look at me’ if I’ve ever seen it.”

“Maybe we should go and get new drinks,” Lizzie chimed in, moving slightly to stand in the line of sight between the two glowering women. Giving Merula a dark look, Skye shrugged and turned away.

“Sure thing, Jameson. You pay.”

“Whatever.” Lizzie looked at Orion and Merula questioningly. “What do you want?”

“I’d be fine with whatever you decide is adequate for the moment,” Orion said, then added, “You really don’t need to do this, though.”

A captivating smile showed on Lizzie’s face. “But I want to.”

“What did you have?” Merula wanted to know, eyeing the remnants of bright red liquid in Lizzie’s glass.

“Cherry margarita.”

“Fancy shit. Didn’t know they had it here.”

“They don’t. I just happened to know the barkeep. What?” Lizzie asked, frowning at Orion, whose face had split into a smile, with a frown.

“Your choice of drink is not surprising,” he explained, chuckling to himself. “If anything, it’s steadiness that makes for the reliable.” When Lizzie’s frown deepened, he clarified, “You do like your cherry-flavoured drinks, don’t you?”

“Is there a problem with that? Cherries are the most… oh!” Lizzie’s eyes widened before she dipped her head back, laughing. “The cherry iced tea, of course! I did have a feeling my generous donor wasn’t your sister here. Tell you what, I think it’s only fair to pay you in kind - one round of super sneaky cherry margaritas coming your way!”

Skye made a face at that. “I hate that sweet stuff, and you know it.”

“Tough luck, Parkin. Take what’s offered or pay for it yourself.”

Still arguing, Lizzie and Skye took off to the bar, leaving Orion and Merula to themselves.

“Of course she knows the fucking barkeep,” Merula muttered as she turned to Orion. “What the fuck was that?”

“That,” Orion replied, “was the most unexpected of encounters, I’d wager. What do you think?”

Merula huffed and crossed her arms in front of her chest. “Don’t know, honestly. That Parkin has a big mouth, talks shit if I’ve ever seen it, but at least she doesn’t back down. The other, though…” She shook her head, short, curly hair flying. “Not sure about that one, not gonna lie.”

Orion had expected as much. Lizzie seemed like the type of person who was quick to make friends and comfortable with the attention she attracted - the epitome of everything Merula despised.

His eyes wandered to the bar, where Lizzie was talking with a young barkeep dressed in an outrageously bright, patterned shirt. Wearing worn-looking sneakers instead of heels, she had to stand on her tiptoes to shout into the young man’s ear. There was something about her that seemed effortless and fun, and - contrary to Merula - Orion was sure that she wasn’t putting on an act.

He was abruptly brought out of his musings by Merula snapping her fingers in front of his eyes.

“Stop staring like a fucking creep,” she told him with a snort. “Trust me, girls like her bring nothing but trouble.”

“Don’t burden yourself with pointless worry. What you deem staring was nothing but a coincidence. I was merely following a train of thought.”

“Yeah, sure.”

“What trouble would there lie in connecting with a like-minded spirit like Lizzie anyway?” He laughed quietly. “You act like I want to go and marry her.”

“Sure, that is absolutely what I thought you wanted to do with her.”

Orion’s somewhat guilty reply was interrupted by Lizzie’s and Skye’s return, each carrying two glasses of a sweetly-smelling, bright red drink. Having taken her first sip and pulled a face at it, Skye turned to Orion and Merula.

“How is it, now? Interested in teaming up?”

“From what I can see, the prospects of your proposition are certainly alluring.” Orion turned to Lizzie, who had remained quietly focused on stirring her drink. So far, Skye had only been speaking for herself, and Orion wanted to know more.

“What about you, Lizzie? Will you be part of this journey as well?”

Lizzie hesitated, sharing a brief glance with Skye before she nodded. “I guess so.”

“It is settled then,” Orion smiled and raised his glass. “Let us walk this new path together and see where it will take us.”

Next to him, Merula rolled her eyes and mumbled something as they all touched glasses, but Orion didn’t care. Skye had leaned over to Lizzie, saying something into her ear, to which Lizzie only shrugged. A small smile appeared on her face as she locked eyes with him. After a moment, Orion looked away.

The prospect of having her - having both of them - on board with this new project was intriguing, but he had to call himself to order. Merula had a point about what she had said about Lizzie earlier; people like her had the habit of bringing trouble in their wake if he let them get too close. If Lizzie was to be a part of his future - for however long it may be - he knew better than to tamper with fate in favour of a moment of fancy. This was the chance he had been waiting for, and Orion was determined not to let himself be distracted by a sideshow.

A commotion went through the club, excited murmurs rising around them as head after head turned toward the door. A man with a receding, dark brown hairline and a slightly grizzled beard had entered the room. He looked out of place with his fancy glasses, not-so-fancy jeans, and a faded The Who shirt, yet if he felt uncomfortable with so many people staring at him, he didn’t show it. Ethan Parkin had never been one to mind the spotlight.

Upon seeing her father, Skye took a deep breath and downed the rest of her still half-full drink.

“Well, here goes nothing. Let’s get this party started.”

She indicated for them to follow her and pushed through the crowd towards the exit. Giving Orion a reassuring smile, Lizzie turned and walked after her friend. Orion watched her go, his mouth suddenly dry, his heart beating in his ears. It took him what felt like an eternity to set his feet into motion, but a sense of determination overcame him as he finally did.

This was it, he was sure of it - the first steps on his path toward the future.

#hphm #hogwarts mystery #orion amari #merula snyde #quidditch #skye parkin #lizzie jameson #rockstar au #rockstar prequel #before the spark

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lifeofkaze · 1 year

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Before the Spark

CHAPTER 6: IN A SPIN

Find the masterpost here, and the previous chapter here.

A/N: David Willows (in mention) belongs to @that-scouse-wizard Warning: alcohol

The world’s in a spin now

It’s time for a change

We know we can win now

~ The Who - Detour ~

Since moving from her parents’ home in Dorset to Manchester, Lizzie hadn’t skipped a lot of university events. The student union parties usually were among her favourites, but - much to her dismay - the open stage night was shaping up to be a rather dull affair.

She and Skye had come to the club at the beginning of the evening, helping with the stage set-up and the decorations. The equipment Skye had organised was good, but so far, the bands had yet to make much use of it. The music blasting from the speakers was danceable, and the people seemed to enjoy themselves, but to Lizzie, all of it sounded like she had heard it a million times before.

The crowd filling the small club wasn’t her cup of tea, either. Lizzie had spotted a couple of her friends but didn’t feel the urge to join them. There had been the odd bloke trying to chat her up, too, but she had turned all of them down as well.

Skye, who was loitering about the bar, seemed to share Lizzie’s notion about how their evening was going, watching the band on stage with a mixture of boredom and dismissiveness. She rolled her eyes at Lizzie.

“Quite the shitshow, ain’t it?”

Lizzie shrugged. “Could be worse.”

“If Simon Cowell showed his arse on stage, maybe,” Skye snorted in return. “Last time I was that bored was watching the Eurovision.”

“Weren’t you piss drunk then?”

“Only way to survive that bloody thing, if you ask me.”

“Well, I thought it was fun.”

“Course you did. Got busy with that guy from law school, didn’t you?” Not waiting for a reply, Skye looked her up and down critically. “Don’t seem much in the mood for fun tonight, though. What’s the matter?”

“Nothing,” Lizzie mumbled, pointedly stirring her drink with her straw. “Just not my night tonight, is it?”

Skye rolled her eyes once more. “Is this about Willows again?”

“I don’t wanna talk about it,” Lizzie sighed. “Can’t we just enjoy the music in peace?”

“If that’s what you call music,” Skye muttered but let the topic rest. Lizzie was glad for it; she was too restless to argue tonight.

Her eyes wandering over the crowd, Lizzie told herself she wasn’t looking for anyone in particular, even though she knew it wasn’t true. She hoped the two musicians from the canal Skye had invited - the ones working at the uni café - had decided to come after all. Lizzie was excited at the prospect of getting another chance at listening to them but also felt guilty at being more than a little intrigued by Skye’s idea to make them join her new band when her loyalty should lie with David and the rest of their group.

After the day Skye had taken her running by the canal, her conflicting thoughts on the matter had become so overwhelming that Lizzie had opted out of band rehearsal. As a result, she was abuzz with unspent energy now, with no idea where to effectively put it. She thought about how nice it would be to jump onto the stage and forget everything over the beat reverberating through her body. When playing the drums, Lizzie was in control, the energy she put into her play reflected back at her a hundred times over. The connection between her and the people willing to listen was a magic of its own, the most addictive thing she had ever known.

“You want to be up there, right?” Skye asked, breaking Lizzie from her thoughts. She answered with a shrug.

“Don’t you?”

“Sure thing. There’s a stage, I want to be on it.” Skye flashed her a grin. “Wouldn’t be a proper Parkin if I didn’t.”

Lizzie hummed in response, clapping politely as the band finished their set and left the stage. She recognised the pair stepping into the spotlight next immediately - the couple from the coffee shop.

“Good evening, friends,” the guy with the guitar said into the microphone. “What better than music and good company to celebrate the end of the year, another step completed on our journeys toward the future.”

Lizzie and Skye exchanged glances, Skye rolling her eyes but grinning as she did so. For the first time that night, Lizzie felt a smile forming on her face; she was excited to hear what the two of them had in store.

“From what I can see, good company we have in abundance. Now, let us see if our music will help your spirits soar tonight.”

He stepped away from the microphone to make room for his friend, and Skye leaned over to say into Lizzie’s ear, “Let me tell you this - should this shit work out, he’s gonna let me do the talking.”

“Sure, because you’re such a charmer.”

“Shut the fuck up.”

“Case in point.”

“Fine, you can do it, then.”

At that, Lizzie rolled her eyes. “Nice try.”

Grinning to herself, Skye turned her attention to the stage where the first song had just begun. It was quick in pace and quite upbeat, but since it was only an acoustic guitar and a keyboard playing, it wasn’t a song fit for dancing. Lizzie watched the crowd, curious how the people would take such a drastic change in style, and was pleasantly surprised to see how more and more people stopped their whispering to get fully immersed in the melodies drifting down from the stage.

When the last song was over, and the two musicians had taken their bow, Skye pushed herself off the bar with a determined motion.

“What’s your final verdict, Jameson?”

Lizzie hesitated. “I still think they’re brilliant, but… Skye, really, I don’t know about this.”

“There’s nothing to not know,” Skye shook her head. “We both like them, and they’re bloody good at what they’re doing. We’re gonna do this. Come on.”

Bewildered, Lizzie watched Skye grab her drink and turn to go. “What, right now?”

Skye cast an impatient look across her shoulder. “Want to wait for The Beatles to come again? Move your butt.”

It was all Lizzie could do to keep up with Skye as she manoeuvred through the throng. A fluttery sensation spread through her stomach as she spotted the guy with the black hair and his friend, who had played the piano, by the bar’s backstage area. Suddenly, she thought about just turning around and leaving again, but Skye had already pushed through the last barrier of people and planted herself in front of them.

“The fates seem to be kind after all,” the black-haired man smiled, casting a curious look between Lizzie and Skye.

“Sure mate, if you say so,” Skye shrugged, giving Lizzie a quick but meaningful look. “You sure were smashing up there.”

“Your praise is received with humble gratitude,” the man replied. Lizzie blinked. She had put off Skye’s remark about his strange way of talking as her usual exaggeration, but for once, it looked like she had been right.

“Do you always waffle like that?” Skye wanted to know, voicing Lizzie’s exact thoughts. It was the girl with the violet eyes, however, who spoke up.

“No, only on Saturdays. What do you want?”

“Just a chat, mate. Relax.”

“You’ve had one. Now buzz off.”

Lizzie could feel Skye’s temper rising at an alarming rate. Not wanting things to go wrong before they had so much as introduced themselves, she decided to step in.

“How about we all take a breather and calm down,” she suggested, extending her hand. “Hi, I’m Lizzie.”

She shook hands with the guy with the long black hair, who introduced himself as Orion. He had a warm smile matching the tone of his voice, and which Lizzie found herself returning. He introduced the surly girl with the violet eyes as his sister Merula. Upon hearing this, Lizzie’s eyebrows shot up.

“Your sister?” she blurted out, biting the insides of her cheek a moment later. The look on Merula’s face was defensive, almost hostile, even. Lizzie knew better than to ask any further; it wasn’t any of her business, after all.

“And who is your friend?” Orion asked, drawing Lizzie’s attention away from Merula.

“Oh, sorry,” Lizzie said, heat rising to her cheeks. “This is Skye. Skye Parkin.”

She listened silently as Skye presented her plan to Merula and Orion but soon stopped paying proper attention and watched their new friends instead. Orion did have a strange way of speaking, but she had quickly gotten the hang of it; beneath the complicated metaphors and long-windedness, Orion sounded like a really decent guy. He wasn’t too bad to look at either, but it was his smile, warm and infectious, that almost had her staring.

As Orion’s eyes flickered to her momentarily, Lizzie startled, immediately dropping her gaze. This was pointless; if they wanted to get this to work, she would have put him out of her mind, right here and now. If she was going to take a detour from her plans to try for the music road instead, Lizzie was determined to take things seriously.

“What instruments do you even play?” Merula suddenly asked. Almost grateful to be broken from her musings, Lizzie turned to her.

“I play the drums,” she said, hesitating upon seeing a dismissive expression forming on Merula’s face.

“Sure you do.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“That you look more like a groupie than a drummer to me.”

Lizzie crossed her arms in front of her chest. She was used to getting sceptical reactions about her hobby at best, but something about Merula’s tone - and the fact that she was a woman herself - made her bristle more than she had expected. Her voice was sharp when she replied,

“Funny, you look more like a bitch than a nice person to me.”

“Shut it, Jameson,” Skye butted in a moment later, giving Lizzie an elbow to the side. “She doesn’t mean that.

Lizzie very much wanted to tell her that she did, indeed, mean it but - for the sake of peace - stopped herself in time. The effort on her part was futile, however, when it took Merula only a few moments before she began dealing out jibes again. To not let things escalate any further, Lizzie offered to get a fresh round of drinks, dragging Skye away with her toward the bustling bar. Pushing through the people waiting for their drinks, she waved to a young man with an outrageously bright, patterned shirt working behind the counter.

“What can I do for my favourite customers?” he asked, smiling broadly as he tossed his cocktail shaker in the air and caught it with his other hand. “A minty mojito? Strawberry daiquiri? Or a classic caipirinha?”

“Could I maybe get another four of these?” Lizzie asked, pushing her empty glass toward him. The barkeep’s brows shot upwards.

“These were supposed to be our secret, you know?”

Lizzie put on her best smile. “Come on, for me.”

Acting like he had to consider her request, the barkeep eventually winked at her. “Fine, but only because it’s you. Who are they for, even?” he asked as he proceeded to pour tequila and cherry liquor into a fresh cocktail shaker. “Those guys who were playing earlier? They were quite good, don’t you think? I saw you hitting them up.”

“They were, but we haven’t hit them up.”

“Haven’t you now?”

“Not in the way you think,” Lizzie conceded. She cast a quick look over her shoulder to where Merula and Orion were waiting. They were talking among themselves, Orion listening to what Merula was saying. For a moment, their eyes met, and Lizzie felt the heat creep up her neck. She turned away, only to be met with Skye’s impatient-looking face.

“Cross your legs, will you? We ain’t doing this for fun.”

“I wasn’t -,” Lizzie began to protest, but Skye silenced her by holding up her hand.

“Yes. You were. Now get yourself together, I need this thing to work.”

“I know,” Lizzie sighed. “Me, too. I feel like there’s some real potential in this. But do you think it might actually work out? Orion seems like a nice enough guy, but this Merula… I don’t know about her.”

“She may have a stick up her bum, but she’s too good to write her off just like that,” Skye shrugged. “She’ll loosen up in no time, you’ll see. Has anyone ever escaped your bloody awful charm?”

Lizzie made a thoughtful noise. “If you put it that way…”

Skye suddenly looked serious. “Does that mean it’s a deal, then? You’re definitely in?”

Lizzie hesitated. Deep down, she knew what she wanted, and it was to join Skye and their new friends. The prospects were too tempting. She had to think of David and their band again; if she agreed to Skye’s offer and left him hanging, it would be a massive blow to him. He would probably be mad at her, rightly and justifiably so; knowing this didn’t make accepting the fact any easier, though.

“Just bite the bullet and say yes already,” Skye shook her head at Lizzie’s prolonged silence. “You want this, too, and you and I both know it.”

Sighing deeply, Lizzie nodded her consent. “Okay, fine. Fine. I’m in.”

“Smashing! Let’s break the good news, shall we?”

With a broad grin on her face, Skye picked up two of the four glasses standing in front of them. When they had returned and handed over the drinks, she looked at Merula and Orion expectantly.

“How is it, now? Interested in teaming up?”

The unlikely pair exchanged a glance, then nodded their hands. A triumphant grin spread on Skye’s face, a feeling Lizzie herself couldn’t quite match; knowing that she had to break the news to David as soon as possible was already dampening her mood considerably.

“What about you, Lizzie?” Orion suddenly asked her. “Will you be part of this journey as well?”

Feeling Skye’s encouraging look on her, Lizzie nodded tentatively. “I guess so.”

“It is settled then,” Orion smiled, raising his glass toward her and Skye. The calm confidence on his face was infectious, making Lizzie smile along. “Let us walk this new path together and see where it will take us.”

They had just touched glasses on their new endeavour when a sudden noise went through the club, and more and more people turned their heads towards the entrance. As Lizzie did so, too, she could spy the figure of Ethan Parkin - living rock legend and father of Skye’s - standing by the door. He looked around the room, nodding expectantly when his eyes fell on his daughter. Looking suddenly tense, Skye took a deep breath and chucked down the remainders of her drink in one go.

“Well, here goes nothing. Let’s get this party started.”

She pushed through the crowd in the direction of her father, Lizzie, Orion, and Merula following behind. Lizzie had met Ethan Parkin before, but there was still a pang of nerves fluttering in her chest. When Orion caught up with her, she could make out the same tension on his face, so she gave him an encouraging smile.

“Don’t worry. He’s not half as bad as people make him out to be.”

Orion looked surprised. “You know him?”

“Skye introduced us, yeah. They’re quite alike, Skye and her dad. If you know how to handle the one, you’ll only have little trouble dealing with the other.”

“Like father, like daughter, I supposed,” Orion mumbled, brushing his hair from his eyes with a quick gesture of his hand. “It’s just… talking with someone who has achieved things I couldn’t imagine in my boldest dreams about my music…” He laughed weakly. “I’ll admit, the prospect is a little daunting.”

“I’d be bloody terrified,” Lizzie said, earning herself a grateful, if somewhat shaky, smile from Orion. “You don’t have to worry, though. Trust me. Ethan really knows his stuff. You’ll blow him away with your songs.”

Orion’s eyes met Lizzie’s. “You think so?”

“I know so,” she smiled back at him. “Wait and see. What comes now is going to be legendary.”

#hphm #hogwarts mystery #orion amari #merula snyde #quidditch #skye parkin #lizzie jameson #rockstar au #rockstar prequel #before the spark

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lifeofkaze · 2 years

Text

Before the Spark

CHAPTER 2: MARDY BUM

Find the masterpost here, the previous chapter here, and the next one here.

A/N: David Willows belongs to @that-scouse-wizard. Warning: language.

Well now then Mardy Bum

I've seen your frown

And it's like looking down the barrel of a gun

And it goes off

~Arctic Monkeys - Mardy Bum ~

The little café nestled between the big old trees of All Saints Park on the campus of Manchester Metropolitan University was one of Lizzie’s favourite places to spend her time. It was a nice, quiet spot with cosy, upholstered wicker chairs, a nice view of the park, and the best coffee in the immediate area surrounding the campus.

Lizzie came here often - almost daily - to study, hang out with her friends, or just enjoy the bustle of university life around her. That was probably what she liked best about the café - it was located in the heart of Manchester, but there was a certain peace in sitting underneath the trees with a coffee in hand and listening to the wind ruffling through the leaves above.

Most people stopping by the café came here for the same reasons, to take a breather and relax for a little while. Some of them weren’t as relaxed as Lizzie would have liked them to be, though; it had happened more than once that she’d had to face the irritation of another guest, telling her to knock it off with her noise.

Lizzie was usually sorry, but never for longer than a second. Her constant need to move and tap her fingers or foot against something wasn’t something she could just stop. It was a habit she’d had since she had learned to play the drums as a little girl and had become so engraved in her behaviour that it had turned into more of an unconscious thing.

For a Northern English summer, the weather had been unusually nice as of late, and Lizzie and her friends had gathered in the café to enjoy the sun and study for their upcoming exams. Most of their good intentions had been discarded with their second round of coffee, however, and now their books were lying forgotten in front of them.

“I’m just saying,” Lizzie’s friend and roommate Skye Parkin said and shook her head, her messy brown hair with the dyed blue ends falling into her eyes. “If we’re gonna do it, we’re gonna have to do it now. Dad says the market’s good for new artists at the moment, and he knows just the right people.”

“‘If we’re gonna do it’ being the key here,” Lizzie rolled her eyes. She took her coffee and swirled the cup to make the three shots of syrup that had settled on the ground disperse again. “You can’t do much music with just a drummer and a bass player.”

“Oh, please,” Skye snorted. “As if there weren’t a shit ton of blokes with guitars lining up to work with us.”

“Work with your dad, you mean. And it’s not like any of us can sing either.”

“If that’s the least of your concerns, there’s -”

“It’s not,” Lizzie cut her off, feeling her patience shorten. They’d had this discussion numerous times in the last few weeks, and she was growing sick of it. “Have you ever considered that maybe I don’t want to be in a band with you?”

Skye snorted again, but this time with laughter. “Why wouldn’t you, Jameson? I’m a fucking delight.”

“You’re a fucking nuisance.”

“You don’t mean that.”

“You bet I do.”

The two girls shared a chuckle, followed by a short silence.

“So you’re thinking about it?” Skye asked after another moment, making Lizzie dip her head back into her neck with an exasperated sigh.

“Can’t you just give it a rest?”

“Not until you say yes.”

“You’re in for the long haul then. I don’t even see why it has to be me. Your dad must know hundreds of drummers.”

“Because you’re bloody amazing on the kit,” Skye said, completely serious, before a smug grin formed on her face. “And because you put up with me.”

“Fuck knows why,” Lizzie grumbled. “But you’re barking up the wrong tree here. I’m not even free, and you know it.”

Skye made a dismissive gesture with her hand. “That funny little cover band you have with Willows? Come on, it’s not like that’s getting you anywhere.”

“Good to know,” David Willows, Lizzie’s classmate and founder of the band she was currently playing in, spoke up with a wry tone. “You’re just moping we didn’t ask you to join.”

Lizzie gave him a pleading look. “Can you make her see sense, please?”

“I’d love to, mate, but I gotta run. A girl from my hall desperately wanted help with her training.”

David looked smug as he said so, making Skye scoff and Lizzie shake her head with a badly subdued grin. He downed the rest of his coffee and stuffed his book into the red-and-white rucksack with the crest of Liverpool FC on it. Skye looked at him in disgust.

“One day, they’re gonna mug you for this.”

“Worth it,” David shrugged before directing a questioning look at Lizzie. “Do you want me to save you a seat in Biomechanics tomorrow?”

“Back row, please.”

“Naturally. Ladies.”

With a wink, David tipped his fingers against his temples and made his way across the grass of All Saints Park toward the university buildings. Skye looked after him and shook her head.

“Blokes like him are the reason I can’t be bothered with them.”

They spent the rest of their afternoon in the café, chatting about football, their exams, and the general gossip. Lizzie waved a pretty blonde girl over, a chemistry student living in the same hall as Lizzie and Skye. She had just arrived, walking behind a black-haired guy and a smaller woman with odd, violet-coloured eyes; Lizzie thought they might be working in the café but wasn’t quite sure of it. The blonde girl waved back and bounded over, beginning to talk in an excited stream of chatter before she had even sat down.

She told them about the event she was helping organise, a big party to celebrate the end of the semester. Apparently, she had been working on convincing the planning committee to turn the party into an open stage night to make it more immersive.

At the mention of an open stage, Skye’s eyes lit up. She glanced at Lizzie, but before she had the chance to say anything, Lizzie quickly rose to her feet.

“Enough talking for today,” she said as she pushed her notes into a pile. “I don’t know about you, but I’ve still got some actual studying to do.”

Skye made a face but began packing up her things as well. She turned to leave, pausing with a frown when Lizzie didn’t follow her. “What now, Jameson? I thought you wanted to go.”

“I’ll be with you in a sec,” Lizzie replied, fishing her purse from the bottom of her bag. “I just want to get myself another cherry iced tea.”

“Not like you had three already,” Skye muttered. “Wouldn’t be surprised if you turned into a cherry yourself, at the rate you’re drinking this shit.”

“And wouldn’t I be a delicious one.”

Skye grinned and shook her head as Lizzie disappeared inside the café. “Just hurry the fuck up, yeah?”

As the days leading up to their exams flew past, Skye wouldn’t stop pestering Lizzie about her idea for a new band. Preparations were strenuous, and Lizzie soon reached a point where the simple act of Skye opening her mouth was enough to earn herself a warning glare.

Having lived together for close to a year now, it didn’t surprise Lizzie when that didn’t stop Skye, however. On a particularly rainy day, on their way home from the gym, where Lizzie had been training for an upcoming physical exam, it was finally enough.

“Can’t you just shut up even for a second?” she snapped, angrily adjusting the strap of her gym bag on her shoulder. “You and your stupid band are costing me my last bloody nerve. There’s enough on my plate as it is. At this point, you’d need a fucking miracle for me to join you, so just drop it!”

“Woah,” Skye replied, raising her hands defensively. “Someone’s mardy today. Look at how much bullshit you’re talking.”

Seeing Lizzie’s quickly darkening look, Skye gave her a little push towards the café they were just passing. “What you need is either a good shag or some caffeine. Or maybe some sugar, but that’s the same with you anyway. Go get yourself a coffee, and then we can talk.”

Lizzie rolled her eyes but left Skye standing underneath the dripping canopy on the café’s terrace anyway. When she entered the café, she found it to be as good as empty. Only a few students had braved the rain, all of them sitting scattered around the room with steaming mugs and laptops on the tables in front of them.

The baristas seemed to be having a quiet shift, too. Two of them were busy staking stock, while a third - the girl with the violet-coloured eyes and a flashy orange streak in her dark hair - was sitting on the counter, picking at a hole in her ripped jeans with a bored expression on her face. As Lizzie approached the counter, one of the other baristas - the dark-haired guy Lizzie had often seen with the girl - said something that made her roll her eyes. She hopped off the counter a moment later and met Lizzie at the checkout.

“Hi, what can I do for you?”

She sounded bored, and Lizzie wondered how long she’d been sitting there with nothing to do. Lizzie herself would have probably gone mad with nothing to do for several hours in a row. She was broken out of her thoughts when the girl behind the counter repeated her question, sounding more annoyed than bored this time.

“So, what do you want?”

“I’ll have a cherry iced tea, please.” Lizzie gave the girl a friendly smile, which was met by an indifferent shrug.

“Cherry iced tea is off the menu.”

The news took Lizzie by surprise. “Oh, what a shame! Why’s that?”

“Do I look like I know? We just don’t have it anymore. Pick something else.”

Unsure of what to order instead, Lizzie studied the chalkboard hanging from the ceiling. She had been so set on getting herself her favourite pick-me-up that nothing she could spot on the menu had quite the same appeal. When after almost a minute Lizzie still hadn’t reached a conclusion, the barista made an impatient noise.

“Are you quite done now? I’ve got other things to do.”

With a flare of irritation, Lizzie ordered a hazelnut latte, which the girl with the violet eyes promptly went to prepare. She passed her black-haired friend on the way to the coffee machine and stopped for a moment to quietly speak to him. Then, for whatever reason, she walked past the coffee machine and towards a different part of the counter. Lizzie’s frown turned into astonishment when the girl returned, carrying a clear plastic cup with ice cubes and a bright red liquid inside.

“I thought you don’t have cherry iced tea anymore,” she said as she was handed her order.

“Apparently, we do,” the barista replied with a roll of her eyes.

Lizzie reached into her pocket to get her purse out when the other girl shook her head. “It’s on the house.”

“Thanks,” Lizzie said, her astonishment growing even further. “Why’s that?”

“Take it as a reward for finally shutting up and leaving me alone.”

Lizzie looked at the two other baristas working in the café today. Her eyes met the ones of the dark-haired one before he quickly concentrated on the list he’d been working on again. Lizzie wondered if the iced tea was on him and - if so - why he’d give her one for free but eventually, she shrugged it off; she’d rather enjoy a good thing than question it. She reached into her purse and placed a couple of coins on the counter anyway.

“Please tell whoever is happy for me to shut up and leave thank you.”

The barista looked between Lizzie and the money with an incredulous expression. “I said it’s for free.”

“There’s no price for making my day better,” Lizzie smiled, stirring her iced tea with the straw. The sound of the ice cubes rattling against the cup made her mood lift almost instantly.

Taking the money off the counter, the barista muttered, “Absolutely mental,” to herself, but Lizzie didn’t care. She turned away with a happy smile, taking the first sip of the deliciously fruity tea. Her smile still lingered as she stepped out into the rain again. Skye began speaking again the minute Lizzie left the café, but this time, Lizzie didn’t mind the naggin.

With the taste of cherries on her tongue, even Skye Parkin was becoming almost bearable.

#hphm #hogwarts mystery #quidditch #orion amari #merula snyde #skye parkin #lizzie jameson #rockstar au #rockstar prequel #before the spark

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lifeofkaze · 2 years

Text

Before the Spark

CHAPTER 1: CAPPUCINO BAR

Find the masterpost here, the previous chapter here, and the next one here.

A/N: Samantha O'Connell was kindly lent to me by @samshogwarts. Warning: mild language, references to smoking and drug abuse (weed).

Well everyone was inside talkin'

In the cappuccino bar

Had to get outside rockin'

Playin’ on the old guitar

~Jonathan Richman - Cappuccino Bar ~

Steam rose into the air with a loud hissing noise, fogging the gleaming chrome of the expensive espresso machine. Orion moved his head out of the way, waiting until the cloud had dissipated, before removing the cup with the pitch-black espresso from underneath the tap. He poured it into the portable cup sitting next to the machine, added whipped cream and a shot of vanilla syrup with practised movements, and screwed the lid back on. He smiled as he handed the turquoise-coloured cup with white polka dots and cat whiskers back to its waiting owner.

"A decaf iced caramel frappuccino with an extra vanilla shot for Samantha. Here you go."

"Thank you," the girl on the other side of the counter smiled at him. Her green eyes were friendly as she glanced up from the book she had been reading whilst waiting for her coffee. "You have no idea how much I needed that. You're a lifesaver."

Orion inclined his head, reciprocating her smile. "There's nothing like a hot drink and a friendly smile to warm the soul. That's what we're here for."

"And thank God you are," the girl laughed as she picked up her coffee and put her headphones - adorned with cat ears as well - back on. "Have a nice day."

"You too," Orion smiled before turning to his next order. Wiping off the remnants of ground espresso beans on his apron, he let his eyes wander through the small café on the campus of Manchester Metropolitan University. The room with the wooden tables and wicker chairs was relatively empty, but it was a busy day nonetheless. The sun had been showing its face a lot lately; the students of MMU were flocking outside, socialising, studying for their upcoming exams, or simply enjoying the weather, and all of them in dire need of caffeine.

With a sigh, Orion thought about the philosophy books sitting in his bag in the changing room. His exam in Greek philosophy was in less than a week, but between his job at the café, working at the small yoga studio he occasionally gave classes at and his music, there just hadn't been much time to catch up on the ideas of Plutarch, Aristotle and the lot. The situation wasn't ideal, but it couldn't be helped. After all, even the great thinkers of old had needed to eat.

As he waited for a double espresso shot to run through, he looked through the big glass front and to the terrace outside. It was set up with the same tables and chairs as inside, each decorated with small, colourful pots of plants, but where the interior of the café was empty, every single table on the terrace was occupied.

At one of the tables, a group of students was sitting, a book and a cup in front of each of them. Orion recognised them; they often came to the café to eat and study. He didn't remember them ordering anything, though, so they had probably arrived before his shift had started.

His eyes fell on one of the girls, who was just leaning back into her chair. She seemed to be arguing with her friend sitting next to her, a stocky girl with freckles and noticeable brown hair, the ends of which were dyed a bright blue. The other girl was shaking her head, her long, light brown ponytail swishing from side to side as she did so. One of their other friends must have said something funny because she began to laugh, the sound carrying into the café through the widely opened door.

Orion had seen her before. She came here almost daily, always accompanied by a variety of friends. They would sit in the café or on the terrace or get their drinks and lounge on a blanket in the shade of the big trees. No matter who she was coming in with, though, the girl with the ponytail always seemed to be the centre of the group, somehow shining a little brighter than the rest of them.

Unlike most other guests, she had chosen a seat in the direct sun. The light was shimmering on her hair, turning it to an almost dark blonde shade, and the tanned skin on her bare arms was accentuated nicely by the simple white top she was wearing. She rested her chin on her hand as she watched one of her friends say something with an amused expression on her face and took a large sip of her coffee. Orion couldn't help but think that she looked pretty. Really fucking pretty.

He continued watching the girl and her friends from time to time as he worked. He didn't know why, but there was something about her he found oddly intriguing. She was radiating a captivating energy Orion could feel even from across the other side of the tall windows. Whenever he looked over, she was moving, even if only slightly. She was never wholly still; either her fingers were tapping or her foot bouncing up and down, but it didn't look like she was nervous or agitated. If any, it seemed to be something unconscious, a natural part of her instead of an expression of her emotional state.

There were some other things Orion knew about her as well. Aside from her being obviously very popular with her peers, every coffee he had ever seen her order had been obnoxiously sweet, with an amount of sugar and additives that would have made most people sick. There was one thing she was ordering more than anything else, however, and that was their café's summer special - homemade cherry-flavoured iced tea - the sight of which never failed to make her smile.

The thought of the girl with the ponytail lingered with Orion even after she and her friends had long gone as he continued working until, eventually, she was driven from his mind.

It was almost a week until Orion saw her next. The weather had taken a turn for the worse, and it had been raining for two days straight. What with the exams being on their doorstep, most people had resorted to continuing their studies indoors.

Orion's shift at the café had been quiet so far, bordering on the edge of being boring. For the past hour or so, he had busied himself with taking stocks of their supplies when the soft chiming of the bells above the door told him that a new customer had arrived. Without looking up from his list of items, he nodded to one of the other people he was sharing his shift with.

"Can you go and take care of them? I'm not quite done here yet."

"Whatever," Merula Snyde said with a roll of her violet-coloured eyes, hopping down from the counter she had been sitting on. She wasn't supposed to do that, but - like she had done since their shared childhood at the orphanage - Merula couldn't have cared less about what or what not she was supposed to do.

"Hi, what can I do for you?" Orion heard Merula's bored drawl a moment later. His wry smile turned into an astounded expression when he heard the voice of Merula's customer, prompting him to look up from his clipboard.

The girl with the ponytail was standing on the other side of the counter. She was wearing workout gear underneath a light jacket with the MMU crest over her heart. She must have come from the gym; her hair was too wet for it to come from the rain outside, and she had a big gym bag slung over her shoulder. She was tapping her finger against its strap, but this time she looked more tense than usual. But it was exams week; everyone was more tense than usual.

"So," Merula said again, making the girl snap out of whatever thoughts she'd been having, "what do you want?"

"I'll have a cherry iced tea, please," she replied, giving Merula a small smile that wasn't returned.

"Cherry iced tea is off the menu."

The girl's eyes widened. "Oh, what a shame! Why's that?"

"Do I look like I know?" Merula shrugged. "We just don't have it anymore. Pick something else."

The girl studied the menu on the chalkboard above their heads with an undecided look. When she hadn't decided on an alternative after almost a minute, Merula made an impatient noise.

"Are you quite done now? I've got other things to do."

Orion winced at Merula's tone. She'd been trying to quit smoking for a week now and was even more prickly than usual because of it. Still, she shouldn't speak to their customers like that.

The girl decided on a hazelnut latte with a tight-lipped expression on her face. As Merula walked past Orion toward the coffee machine, he fished something out of the cardboard box he'd been going through. Having checked that the girl behind the checkout wouldn't be able to see it, he held it out to Merula.

"Take that."

Merula arched an eyebrow, casting a sceptical look between the bottle of cherry syrup and Orion's face. "What do you want me to do with that?"

"Make some cherry iced tea."

Merula's eyebrow rose even higher. "I thought you bought the last one for yourself. Wasn't that fucking expensive?"

Even with their employee discount, it had been. When they had to turn each penny to pay for tuition, rent, and other base necessities, even a few pounds spent on a bottle of syrup hurt. But Orion had grown curious about the cherry iced tea he had seen the girl with the ponytail order over and over again, so he had tried it for himself. He'd had to admit, the taste was actually quite addictive.

"It doesn't matter, you won't use the whole bottle anyway. Oh, and Merula," Orion added as Merula took the bottle from his hands, "don't charge her for it."

Merula made a dismissive sound Orion took as a sign that she had understood. "Do you want me to tell her it's from you?"

He shook his head. "Making our customers smile is reward enough for me."

"Whatever you and your strange Dutch friend have been brewing up lately, you need to stop smoking that shit," Merula muttered but turned to go and put some ice into a clear plastic cup anyway.

When she handed the girl her iced tea, a look of surprise crossed her face and the tension vanished from her body. She said something to Merula, who shook her head. For just a moment, the girl with the ponytail looked over to where Orion was working, a questioning look in her blue eyes. Orion bent deeper over his lists, suddenly very intent on making sure the number of coffee packs he had been counting definitely was the correct one. When the girl had left, Merula returned to Orion, carrying several coins in her hand.

"Want to know what she said to me when I told her the drink's on the house?"

"I'm confident you're about to enlighten me."

"She gave me this and said there's no price for making her day better," Merula snorted. "No wonder you're gawking at her like that. She's just as mental as you are. I hope you didn't expect me to share that with you," she added, ignoring the joined tip jar and stuffing the coins into the pocket of her jeans before returning back to her perch on the counter.

Orion let her, watching as the girl with the ponytail left the cafe with her cherry iced tea. Her friend with the blue hair was waiting for her outside, saying something that made her laugh. As they turned to leave, the girl took the first sip of her iced tea, and there it was again - the happy, carefree smile that was making the day outside just a little less gloomy - and Orion found himself confirmed.

Sometimes, a smile really was reward enough.

#hphm #hogwarts mystery #orion amari #merula snyde #quidditch #lizzie jameson #rockstar au #rockstar prequel #before the spark

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lifeofkaze · 1 year

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Exciting News from the Rockstar Verse!

On Christmas Day, I opened my phone unsuspectingly as a new Wattpad notification popped up to tell me I got a message.

Little did I know that it was one of the best, most exciting gifts ever - @the-al-chemist and my treasured Rockstar AU story When Stars Ignite is to be featured on the January shortlist of the StoriesUndiscovered Ambassador program!

I'm still a little at a loss on what to say, but saying I'm over the moon with how happy it makes me that a story that is so close to my heart has been chosen for such an amazing program is almost lie enough to make me cry.

It was a really good Christmas Day, indeed 💛💛💛

#hphm #hogwarts mystery #rockstar au #when stars ignite #I'm still so excited omg

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lifeofkaze · 1 year

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Before the Spark

CHAPTER 4: GONNA MEET YA

Find the masterpost here, the previous chapter here, and the next one here.

A/N: David Willows (in mention) belongs to @that-scouse-wizard. Warning: mild language

One way or another I'm gonna see ya

I'm gonna meet ya, meet ya, meet ya, meet ya,

One day, maybe next week

I'm gonna meet ya, I'm gonna meet ya, I'll meet ya

~ Blondie - One Way or Another ~

Skye was excited, Lizzie could tell.

She had been excited all morning, but ever since she had come back from a phone call with her father, her restlessness was palpable. She was brimming with energy, so her suggesting going on an out-of-turn run hadn’t come as a surprise. Impatiently waiting for Lizzie to get changed into her running gear, Skye barely left her enough time to refill her water bottle before dragging her out into the streets.

They took a route Lizzie had never run before. It led them away from the university and along some unremarkable parts of the city, until they eventually reached a walkway by the side of a small canal. Despite her good shape, it took Lizzie a good deal of effort to keep up with Skye, and by the time they had run about half the length of the canal, she was breathing heavily.

“What the hell has gotten into you?” Lizzie gasped when Skye finally slowed her manic pace to a more moderate jog.

“Gonna show you in a sec,” Skye grinned, her chest rising and falling rapidly as well.

A little further ahead, a group of people had gathered, and it was there that Skye was headed. Once they were close enough, Lizzie could make out the sound of a woman’s voice accompanied by an acoustic guitar. When they had reached the edge of the crowd, Skye came to a halt.

“You gotta check this out.”

Through a gap between the people, two musicians could be seen. Looking at them, a strange feeling of recognition tugged at the edge of Lizzie’s consciousness; somehow, the two of them seemed familiar. It was only when she spotted the bright orange streak in the woman’s dark hair that she made the connection.

“Aren’t they the guys from the campus café?” she asked in astonishment.

Skye frowned, tilting her head to the side. “I don’t know. Are they?”

“Yeah, I think so.”

Lizzie didn’t know how she hadn’t been able to see it straightaway. It definitely was the surly girl who had given her a free cherry iced tea the other day, as well as her friend she usually shared her shifts with. He looked different to when he was working in the café, however. The black hair he normally wore pulled back in a small bun was hanging loosely around his face, the tips just so touching the top of his shoulders. His brow was slightly furrowed, but there was a smile on his lips as he played the black guitar strung around his shoulders.

“Discovered them the other day when I was out alone,” Skye broke Lizzie from her thoughts. “Came back here to listen almost every day.”

“They’re really good.”

“You bet they are,” Skye nodded. She gave Lizzie a sideways glance. “They’re quite the band.”

“Two people hardly make a band.”

A smirk formed on Skye’s face. “Aye, but four do.”

The penny finally dropped on Lizzie. Her face darkening, she shook her head from side to side. “For the last time, Skye - no. I don’t want to be in a band with you.”

“You said we needed a singer and someone who can play the guitar,” Skye said angrily. “Just listen to them, they’re bloody brilliant! And they’re doing original songs, too, not some half-arsed covers like the shit you’re doing at the moment. What else could you want?”

“How about a new roommate?”

The two street performers had just struck up a new song that drew Lizzie’s attention. The melody was complex yet atmospheric, quick picking patterns on the guitar exchanging with softly strummed chords. The voice of the woman carried wide and clear above it all, sounding a lot sweeter than what Lizzie would have thought. When she and her friend sang together in harmony during the chorus, a shiver ran down her spine.

The girl with the orange streak in her hair was shaking a tambourine in a basic rhythm, but Lizzie’s mind was already a step ahead, adding different patterns, pauses and fills to the beat to give the song more depth, all without her even wanting to.

“They’re really good,” she whispered, too absorbed in the music to notice Skye’s smug grin.

“As smashing as they get,” she nodded. “Don’t know about you, but I ain’t gonna let such talent pass by when I see it.”

She pulled a folded piece of paper from her pocket, which Lizzie recognised as a flyer for the upcoming open stage night on MMU campus. Unsure of what to say, her eyes flicked between the street performers and her friend.

“I don’t know about this, Skye.”

“What are you getting your knickers in a twist about?” Skye rolled her eyes. “They’re all you told me to go find, so what’s your problem?”

“My problem is that I already have a band.”

Skye snorted. “And where’s that band taking you? Covering some ancient songs in a dark cellar with egg cartons on the walls. That’s the way to go, Jameson, well done. I’ll think of you when I accept my first Brit Award.”

“Modesty has always been your biggest strength,” Lizzie said flatly, but she knew that Skye was right. Playing for David’s cover band had been fun in the beginning, but cover songs weren’t exciting in the long run. She had become increasingly restless during their rehearsals, but David was her friend, and he loved their band. She couldn’t just abandon a friend like this… or could she?

“I guess, checking them out won’t do no harm,” she said slowly. “If you get them to play at the open stage night, I’ll have a think about this.”

A triumphant grin spread across Skye’s face. “Child’s play, Jameson. Watch and learn.”

Lizzie sighed as Skye pushed to the front of the crowd, not minding the people hastily stepping out of her way. Taking small sips of her water, she watched Skye exchange a few words with the dark-haired man at the guitar, smoothing out the crumpled flyer and handing it to him. He nodded his head in thanks and put it into the guitar case at his feet; the sight made Lizzie feel oddly nervous.

“How did it go?” she asked when Skye returned with a mixture of satisfaction and confusion on her face.

“Oh, smashing, like giving a toddler a drumstick. You’d know all about how that sounds.”

“Aren’t you funny.”

“Can’t deny what’s true.” Skye’s look grew thoughtful. “That bloke, though, he’s weird. Didn’t understand half the stuff he said.”

“Oh?” Lizzie raised her eyebrows. “Isn’t he from here?”

“He is,” Skye said and shrugged. “You’ll see at the party, I guess. What do you say? Race you to Old Trafford, loser pays for drinks?”

“Can you even afford that, Parkin?”

“What, you emptying your pockets? Sure can.”

And with that she was off, darting away through the people coming their way. Lizzie cursed and made to follow her. She looked back to where the dark-haired guy from the café was re-tuning his guitar, and for just a moment, their eyes crossed paths. The corners of his mouth rising into a smile, Lizzie turned away, her steps pounding in time with the melody that never left her ear.

#hphm #hogwarts mystery #orion amari #merula snyde #quidditch #skye parkin #lizzie jameson #rockstar au #rockstar prequel #before the spark

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lifeofkaze · 2 years

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Afterglow

Summer Break Challenge, Day 6: Fireworks

Lizzie Jameson x Orion Amari, Rockstar AU

Artemis Hexley - of course - belongs to the co-creator of this AU, @the-al-chemist. Katriona Cassiopeia is the lovely brainchild of @kc-and-co. Find all the stories of this challenge here. This challenge was created by the lovely person that is @usernoneexistent

Warning: Mentions of alcohol and smoking (cigarettes, weed). Rockstar typical allusions to NSFW activities, because, of course.

Oh, I won't be silent and I won't let go

I will hold on tighter 'til the afterglow

And we'll burn so bright 'til the darkness softly clears

~ Ed Sheeran - Afterglow ~

The sun had long gone down when Lizzie stepped out of the hut - or lodge, as Charlie was calling it - by the shore of Lake Michigan. She stretched languidly, tilting her head from side to side and wincing at the sharp crack in her neck as she did so.

The other members of Equinox had laid down their instruments over two hours ago, but Lizzie had hung back in the rehearsal room to practice and get a little energy out of her system. Judging by the numbness of her arms, she might have overdone it a little this time.

She tried to walk as if not every muscle in her body was already hurting, lured to the lakeshore by the soft sound of an acoustic guitar she would have known under a thousand. On the small wooden pier looking out over the lake, Orion and KC, their friend and tour manager, were sitting. Orion had his back to her, one leg tucked underneath him and the other dangling above the water. He was playing a soft melody Lizzie recognised immediately. KC was lying on the warm wood next to him, looking at the starry sky overhead.

As Lizzie approached, KC blew a cloud of unmistakably smelling smoke into the air and sighed contentiously. Lizzie dramatically waved her hand in front of her face as she knelt down and closed her arms around Orion from behind.

"I could smell the two of you from a mile away," she grinned, giving Orion a quick kiss on the cheek.

"Not us, him," KC sighed, tapping the ash from the glowing ash of her joint before she passed it back to Orion. Even though the sun had gone down, she was still wearing her sunglasses, pushing them up and down her nose as if it was the most fascinating thing in the world. "He's the dirty hippie. I smell divine."

"Of course you do, my sweet sister in the stars," Orion mused, a detached quality to his voice. "Considering all the money you spent on overpriced perfumes, everything else would have been a surprise."

"What do you know of perfume," KC wrinkled her nose. "At least I don't smell like kitchen herbs."

Orion laughed softly, Lizzie joining in. "I like the smell of kitchen herbs," she told KC. "It usually means that I don't have to cook. Do you know what else I like? This," she added, tugging at the hood of Orion's black sweater. "I wanted to wear this tonight."

A smirk played around Orion's lips. "You are more than welcome to take it off me."

Next to them, KC made a retching sound. "Can you just not?"

"Don't worry, my mood has been spoiled," Lizzie replied, laughing out loud as she saw the look on Orion's face.

"Why's that?"

Now it was Lizzie's turn to make a face. "I got kicked out of the rehearsal room."

KC propped herself up on her elbows, putting down her sunglasses for good. "That sounds like tea. Spill it."

"I was just about done with the last practice I was doing when Skye and Erika decided the mixing room was a stellar place to get busy."

"You were literally hitting metal plates against each other. They didn't hear you?"

Lizzie shrugged helplessly. "Apparently not."

"Ugh," KC said wholeheartedly. "I'll never get the two of them. I wouldn't say no to Erika, but Parkin?" She snorted. "No fucking thanks."

"Love doesn't seek, it finds. When, where, or with whom is not for us to decide," Orion mused, leaning against Lizzie for support. Lizzie had to stifle another laugh as she saw KC rolling her eyes. When she was done scoffing, the red-headed tour manager nudged Orion with her foot.

"Where are your manners, hippie? Why haven't you invited Liz to join us?"

Orion let his head fall against Lizzie's shoulder, looking up at her from beneath his dark lashes. "Your company would brighten our evening like the stars in the sky, drummer girl."

Lizzie heard KC mumble, "I'm having second thoughts," and shook her head.

"I've been practising all day, I'm starving. I'll check what Charlie is doing at the barbecue and maybe come back later."

"We'll be wherever the universe takes us," Orion sighed, falling slightly backwards as Lizzie stood up and robbed him of her support.

"Sure you do."

Leaving KC and Orion to their devices, Lizzie made her way over to the campfire, where Charlie had been tasked with preparing the food. The others had already eaten and scattered, but knowing her since childhood, Charlie had faithfully waited for Lizzie before he put the food away. As was to be expected whenever there was an open fire in sight, he was joined by Artemis Hexley, their band's pyrotechnician with a talent as fiery as her temper.

Artemis was sitting on a log surrounding the fire, a lit cigarette between her fingers and staring into the flames as Charlie fiddled with the food. She nodded her head as Lizzie slumped onto the log next to her.

"Thought you'd gone missing, rockstar," Charlie laughed as he tossed Lizzie a beer. "Though with the racket you've been making, finding you would be a breeze."

"It's called music, Charlie. Look it up," Lizzie shot back, leaning forward and inspecting what he had put over the fire. "What do you have for me?"

"I can offer veggie skewers, tofu burgers or marinated eggplant."

Lizzie raised her eyebrows. "That sounds awfully healthy. I believe you still owe me some chicken nuggets. Any chance for those?"

"Sorry," Charlie shrugged. "You told Orion to get whatever for you. In for a penny, in for a pound, right?"

"Whatever," Lizzie sighed. "I'm about to eat anything."

"I brought some hot dogs if you want them," Artemis suddenly piped up. "And these, too." She reached for something standing next to her feet, holding a bag of marshmallows in red, white and blue under Lizzie's nose.

"Celebrating Independence Day in style, I see," Lizzie grinned, reached for a red one and speared it on one of the sticks Artemis handed her.

"Some sugar to go with the healthy shit. You know, balance," Artemis said wryly, making Lizzie snort into her beer.

Lizzie stayed with Charlie and Artemis for a bit longer after she had eaten, enjoying the warmth of the fire and their easy banter. As the evening drew on, Artemis repeatedly checked her watch. It was beautiful, a dark blue face with moons and stars on it. Lizzie thought it looked too big for Artemis, but most things did.

"The fireworks won't start by you looking at the time every five seconds," Charlie sighed.

"You said they'd start as soon as it's dark."

"I said I think they'll start as soon as it's dark. Not like I know. Maybe they're having some difficulties."

"Probably amateurs."

"They do this every year, Artemis, and it's a big display. It's Independence Day. Not like they're hiring some renegade pyro techs who aren't even signed off for the job."

Artemis pulled a face while Lizzie pressed her lips together not to laugh. After another fifteen minutes of waiting, a high-pitched, wailing sound could be heard from afar. A moment later, the black sky over the water was lit by a bright red explosion, the sparks spreading in a gigantic sphere reflected in the water. It was followed by a blue and a white one shortly after.

"How gorgeous," Lizzie sighed, mesmerised by the display. Next to her, Charlie made a vague noise.

"Red, white and blue, huh?"

"What? I think it's pretty."

"Of course you do, rockstar."

"It's the 101 of fireworks," Artemis said. "It's not a big deal."

"There's so much they could have done," Charlie nodded. "Smaller explosions going in between."

"Big sparkly ones that look like stars."

"Look at your professional vocabulary. But yeah, that would work. Or space them out to form an arc. Play with the glow effects a little more."

Lizzie sighed in exasperation. "Can't you two just enjoy the fireworks for once? You're off duty."

"We're never off duty when it comes to fireworks."

A smile formed on Lizzie's face. "That's good because I got something for you. Wait a second."

She jumped to her feet and bounded back towards the huts, leaving a bewildered-looking Artemis and Charlie behind. When she returned, she pulled a small packet from behind her back, holding it out to them. Charlie raised his eyebrows.

"Sparklers? Really?"

Artemis wasn't as sceptical. She had already taken the packet from Lizzie, drawn two sparklers out and lit them with the fire from her lighter. She held one of them out to Charlie.

"If you don't want them, I'm burning all of them alone."

"As if," Charlie shook his head and took the sparkler from Artemis' outstretched hand.

Lizzie left them to it, watching from the distance how the sparklers Artemis was waving were leaving glowing traces in the dark. She didn't have to turn her head to see who had joined her when she felt someone stepping close to her side. Instead, she smiled and rested her head against Orion's shoulder as he draped his arm around her.

"Do you remember the last fireworks we shared beneath a summer sky?" he asked quietly, his fingers brushing over the exposed skin of Lizzie's shoulders. She couldn't help but chuckle.

"Literally or figuratively? Because the latter I remember perfectly well."

"You're impossible."

"Look who's talking."

Orion laughed softly, a deep and melodious sound that made Lizzie's heart flutter whenever she heard it. "I mean the fireworks at Glastonbury. Can you believe how much has changed in less than a year?"

"Is it almost a year already?" Lizzie asked, genuinely surprised. It felt like their kiss on the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury had been both yesterday and a lifetime ago.

"It is," Orion nodded, letting go of Lizzie's shoulder. "I got something for you."

He reached into the back pocket of his trousers, and Lizzie's eyebrows shot up. "If that's a ring, you can go jump in the lake with it."

"Your charm never fails to astound me," Orion replied wryly, but Lizzie could hear the laughter in his voice. "It's less exciting, I'm afraid. And yet," he added as he pulled another two sparklers from his pocket, "isn't the fleetingness of a perfect moment the most exhilarating thing we could ever hope to experience?"

"In any case, I prefer those to a ring any time."

Orion lit one sparkler with the flame from his lighter and handed it to Lizzie before igniting the second on the tip of hers. Lizzie took Orion's hand and pulled him back towards their friends around the campfire with a carefree laugh. She broke into a run, shrieking as Orion chased after her, the light from their sparklers leaving a glowing shadow in the night.

#hphm #hogwarts mystery #quidditch #orion amari #charlie weasley #lizzie jameson #artemis hexley #katriona cassiopeia #rockstar au #summer break challenge 2022

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lifeofkaze · 2 years

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Whoever believed me when I said there wouldn't be new Rockstar content... oops.

Masterlist for the WSI prequel mini-series dropping in 2 days! ✨

#hphm #hogwarts mystery #quidditch #orion amari #lizzie jameson #rockstar au #before the spark #oops i did it again

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lifeofkaze · 1 year

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Before the Spark

CHAPTER 3: WIND OF CHANGE

Find the masterpost here, the previous chapter here, and the next one here.

The future’s in the air

I can feel it everywhere

Blowing with the wind of change

~ Scorpions - Wind of Change ~

The exam week had finally passed, and it was like a collective sigh of relief had gone through Manchester Metropolitan University. As if to celebrate the students’ regained freedom, the incessant rain had stopped and the temperatures picked up again. It wasn’t as nice as it had been before, but the sun was out and the afternoon air mellow.

Being able to return his attention to his music was like a breath of fresh air for Orion. Seeing as he didn’t have much time to study, his exams went better than he had expected. With having to affirm his scholarships taken off his mind, his creativity surged and he was able to complete the songs he had been working on during the year. Satisfied with the outcome, he and Merula had taken to performing them in their favourite spot by a small canal for the past couple of days.

It was a good time for street performances. Relieved that the rain was over, people were flocking outside, the picturesque path by the water a popular spot for taking a walk, enjoying some ice cream from the stall down the road, or - of course - listening to some music to set the scene.

In a break between two songs, Orion did a quick calculation of the coins gleaming in the case of his guitar. There were quite a few of them, even more than there had been the day before. Knowing that his music was speaking to the people was the real reward, but having additional money coming in aside from his scholarships and two side jobs wasn’t hurting either.

He remembered the time when he’d just begun writing songs, after having spent years and years of learning, playing and eventually adjusting the creations of others. Back then, no one had wanted to listen to him and - granted - what he had been coming up with had been far from refined, to put it mildly.

Things were different now. People paused when they were performing, listening to his music with ponderous expressions. Having a steadily growing number of spectators was nice, but Orion wished that there were more than ten people stopping by at a time. He and Merula were stuck in a limbo, with too little of an audience to sustain a living and too big of one to drop it and put their focus on something else. The corners of his mouth twitched at the idea; as if he could ever forsake his music.

The thought lingered with him as he retuned his guitar. For a moment, Orion wondered whether the path he had chosen for himself would turn out to be a dead-end. He firmly believed that if he walked through life with an open mind and heart, whatever was meant for him would come his way, but would he be able to spot the fleeting look of chance if he was unwilling to stray from his path every now and again?

Across the people gathered on the walkway, Orion could see the handrail behind which the canal was flowing. A colourful poster was stuck to the metalwork, advertising a party on the MMU campus in two days time. He remembered his friend Reid telling him about it; apparently, the party was going to be an open stage night. Reid was eager to go, Merula very much not so. Orion himself was undecided; he didn’t like the idea of so many people in such a small space, but the prospect of listening to live music - and maybe even performing himself - was tickling his interest.

He pushed the thought aside as his fingers found their place on the neck of his guitar. When Merula began to sing, Orion’s world was reduced to the feeling of the strings beneath his fingertips. He let his eyes wander over their small audience without really looking at anyone in particular when something caught his attention.

There, at the back of the crowd, two new listeners were standing. Orion knew them instantly. He had seen the girl with the unmistakable blue hair run past this spot before, but today, she wasn’t alone; she had brought her friend with her, the girl with the ponytail and the unquenchable thirst for cherry iced tea.

They must have just arrived, both of them in running gear and slightly out of breath. The blue-haired girl was all in black, taking big gulps from the water bottle she and her friend were sharing. The girl with the ponytail was wearing black running shorts as well, and a bright red, slightly cropped top that showed the tanned skin of her stomach.

Cherry red, Orion thought to himself, a smirk stealing onto his features. How fitting.

The two of them stayed and listened for a bit, passing the water bottle between them. Something about them struck Orion as odd. The way they listened was strangely intense; they weren’t just letting the music drift past them like most people did, they were actually taking it in. Feeling an unusual flutter of nerves, Orion forced himself to let the thought go and sink deeper into the song they were performing.

He kept an eye on the two women when Merula and he stopped for a break. They were leaning against the railing with the poster, looking as if they were arguing about something. It was mostly the blue-haired one talking, all wide gestures and excitement. The girl with the ponytail looked sceptical at first until her expression began to change. Eventually, she shook her head and shrugged.

With a triumphant grin, the blue-haired girl made her way over to Orion and Merula. She threw a handful of coins into Orion’s guitar case and nodded at them.

“Mighty fine work you’re doing there, mate,” she said with a broad Scottish accent. “Have you ever thought of stepping up your game?”

“If you want to sell us some shit, get lost,” Merula piped up. She sounded aggressive, most likely in dire need of a cigarette. The blue-haired girl frowned, so Orion quickly raised his hands in a placative way.

“Music is like water, my friend. It flows wherever it finds an opening, the most narrow path sufficient for it to follow its natural course. Like our music, we follow wherever our hearts take us.”

The blue-haired girl looked at him with a puzzled expression, her upper lip slightly drawn. Orion waited patiently; he was used to getting this kind of reaction. A moment later, she seemed to have come to her senses.

“Whatever works for you.” She reached into the pocket of her shorts and produced a worse-for-wear-looking flyer, which she held out to them. “Would be smashing if your water decided to flow here. There’s gonna be loads of sick gigs showing up. You’d fit right among them.”

Orion took the flyer with the same logo he had seen on the poster stuck to the railing. “If the fates are kind, we’ll meet again.”

“If your fates aren’t all doolally, you’ll be there,” she called over her shoulder before rejoining her friend at the back of the crowd. They shared a few words while the blue-haired girl emptied their water bottle, wiping her mouth on the sleeve of her shirt. As they turned to go, Orion’s gaze crossed paths with the girl with the ponytail before she turned away as well. He watched her catching up to her friend with smooth, quick strides, her hair bouncing up and down as she dipped in and out of the shadows of the trees.

“Hey,” Merula’s sharp voice brought his thoughts back to the here and now, “stop gawking and focus. We got some songs to play.”

Shaking his head to himself, Orion pushed the girl with the ponytail from his mind to adjust the guitar strap around his shoulders. His eyes fell on the flyer lying among the coins in the case at his feet. A tingling sensation ran down his spine as a thought formed in the back of his head.

Chance was a fickle thing. Maybe it came in the form of a battered flyer and a strange Scottish girl with blue hair.

Maybe it was time for a change.

#hphm #hogwarts mystery #orion amari #merula snyde #quidditch #skye parkin #lizzie jameson #rockstar au #rockstar prequel #before the spark

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lifeofkaze · 2 years

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Is my canon's-resident-MF and Rockstar-Troublemaker trying to sweet-talk me into making him an actual side-OC because he knows I have a weakness for redemption arcs?

Does he already have a playlist that kicked Ava's playlist off her throne?

I'm not saying yes, but... y'know.

#hphm #hogwarts mystery #rockstar au #jason everett #oh ffs #I don't have time for this shit #go away and do what Rockstars do Ev #but don't get on my nerves

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lifeofkaze · 2 years

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Summer Break Challenge 2022 - Masterlist

Find all chapters of @usernoneexistent Summer Break Challenge here ☀️☀️☀️

Day 1: Sea Shells - The Song of Heart's Desire Selene Fraser, Henry Lovecraft Henry is telling Selene a story about the sea that isn't sad. Or, at least, he's trying.

Day 2: Hat - Hat-Hunting Carolyn Nyberg x Bradford Pendleton Brady has an unfortunate meeting with a seagull at the beach. Who will prevail?

Day 3: Watermelon - The Seeds of Friendship HPMA Breakfast Club What could make a birthday better than spending it with your best girlfriends, homemade lemonade and snacks?

Day 4: Travel 1 - The Sky's the Limit Ava Campbell x Charlie Weasley Ava has severe packing stress. Good thing Charlie knows how to deal with fire-breathing creatures.

Day 4: Travel 2 - Around the Globe Reva Amari x Dante Lopez If you have two travellers planning a trip, finding a destination should be easy, right? Right.

Day 5: Water - Conspiring Collaborators Lizzie Jameson x Orion Amari The only thing Lizzie wanted from her visit to the U.S. was for her brother Jake and her boyfriend Orion to get along. Be careful what you wish for.

Day 6: Fireworks - Afterglow Lizzie Jameson x Orion Amari, Rockstar AU The Rockstars spent their time rehearsing their new songs in the U.S. It's the 4th of July and everyone is waiting for the big fireworks to start. Not like anyone could complain about that.

Day 7: Sunset - On the Mountain There's Quiet Dylan Amari, Rory McTavish Dana thought going on a hike with Rory and his girlfriend Rylie would be a great idea. Dylan thought going on a hike with Rory and his girlfriend Rylie would be a terrible idea. Too bad Dana didn't listen.

#hogwarts mystery #hogwarts legacy #magic awakened #orion amari #charlie weasley #hphm #hphl #hpma #masterlist #summer break challenge 2022 #rockstar au #lizzie jameson #ava campbell #reva amari #dylan amari #danielle parkin #carolyn nyberg #henry lovecraft #selene fraser

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the-al-chemist · 2 years

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Happy FFWF! 💙 What made you decide to rewrite the HPHM story (besides JC's incompetence)?

Happy FFWF! 💛 (Yes, I know it is no longer Friday in any time zone, but I’m disorganised and busy. Sorry.)

Okay, a long story. I always loved writing stories as a child/young teenager, to the point that as a kid I wanted to be an author when I grew up. Getting older, this seemed like a unrealistic goal, so I kind of lost my spark for writing, and though I had the occasional idea strike me, with life getting busier the older I got, the less I had the time to get back into it.

Fast forward to 2020, and suddenly I had a lot more time on my hands. It seemed as good a time as ever to try my hand at writing again, especially since the story ideas that never really stopped coming to me now were really trying to push at my conscience. The problem was that I no longer remembered my writing process, I had no recollection of my writing style, and I had absolutely no confidence in my own abilities.

One of my friends writes poetry and has self-published two incredible anthologies. She once told me that writing fanfiction was the best thing she ever did for developing her skills, style, and method of writing, so I thought that maybe this would be a good place to start.

So, there’s the backstory. Here are the reasons for my choosing a full HPHM adaptation for my writing practice:

I knew that if I was going to write fanfiction, it would have to be Harry Potter. I know these stories, this universe, and these characters very well, and the HP universe is so wide and has a lot of potential for writing material that draws on familiar characters and worldbuilding but has a semi-original plot. I even had a character in the universe: Artemis, my MC from the game of HPHM, which I had just started playing again whilst furloughed.

Unfortunately, Artemis was still very much the MC of HPHM at that point, so she wasn’t really developed as a character in her own right. I wanted to get to know her more as a person before I started using her to write original stories, so I started to think more about her backstory.

At the same time, I hadn’t played HPHM since it first came out, and a lot of the friendship activities kept asking me for details about the previous years, which I couldn’t remember. So, I looked up the plot of the first few years to jog my memory, and remembered how cute and fun the game was when it first started, before it started becoming about romance sidequests in which Charlie Weasley wasn’t even a date option. After I accidentally spoilered *that* event for myself, I realised that there really might be potential in this story that was being missed.

I love mysteries and fan theories, and whilst reading about the plot of HPHM as a whole, thinking about Artemis’ lore, and speculating about the possible lore of the Cursed Vaults, I started pulling the two together. Then the lightbulb went off in my head: if I adapted the story - the entire story, weaving together the main plot, sidequests, Quidditch story, and my own lore/headcanons - into a novel series, I would be able to solely concentrate on the writing process and my narrative style.

I originally planned to write the adaptation until I was comfortable enough with what I was doing to write my own material, at first fanfic, and then OG stories. Basically, it was meant to be a tiny baby step on my way to becoming a “real” writer. I wasn’t intending to even publish any of it, just my post-Hogwarts stories. But after writing the first draft of Year 3 and moving onto Year 4, I decided that I actually loved what I was writing and was proud of it. So, I finished the first draft of Year 4, went back and basically rewrote Year 1, and published the whole thing on AO3.

Fifteen months later, I’m still here adapting. But I’m finally writing Year 7, which is probably fifty percent original material. And there’s the Rockstar AU, Learning to Fly, and a few short stories for Artemis already published, so the original plan has sort of worked. I’ve just done it in a very long-winded way, that’s all…

#al speaks #the hexley saga #hogwarts mystery #hphm fic #happy ffwf!

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