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bagopucks · 2 months

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T. Zegras - Can He Sing?

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Trevor Zegras x Fem!reader

Requested✨

Word Count: 2.1k

Warning(s): None?

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“We’re ready when you are.”

“I’m good. Trev?”

“Uh yeah… I think so.”

“You’ll be fine.”

“Filming.”

“Hello! I’m Macy Grey and today we’re here with the singer-songwriter who brought you the famous album Silly Love Songs. And her lover Trevor Zegras from the Anaheim Ducks. On behalf of myself and the studio I want to thank you both for coming out today.”

“Of course! I love getting in touch with interviewers. Especially from locally known studios.”

“When I was informed you were in town for the All Stars, I wasn’t sure if you’d have the time, but I’m so happy you were able to fit us into your schedule.”

“Absolutely. I should be thanking you for letting Trevor come though. I know your forte isn’t exactly hockey players.”

Large studio interviews were a waste of time. It was something I always resented, and something that even morally never agreed with me. Large studios only wanted to get news first to make the most money. Smaller places offered a more personal environment and a more comfortable atmosphere. It was the only reason why I had invited Trevor along. I didn’t want him involved too much in the social half of my career, mostly because the industry and jealous fans could be cruel to artists’ lovers. But I reasoned with myself that one interview wouldn’t hurt. Especially with someone like Macy Grey. She was always so kind and open to friends, family, or significant others of musicians.

“To kick us off, I’d love to talk more on the exact reason why you’re in town. Everyone is aware of your successes, but let’s fill the crowd in on Trevor’s.”

“Where to start?” I glanced at Trevor, who let out that awkward wheezy laugh. He was uncharacteristically quiet, but this was a new thing for him. Usually hockey interviews happened when there were loads of other people around. These interviews were far more private. “He was voted in as one of the players this year to play in the All Stars, and he’s competing in a few skills competitions as well. He won a gold medal with Team USA one year before the NHL, he attended Boston University before being drafted.. what else?” I hoped to get him to join in, but Trevor looked fairly comfortable letting me do all the talking. I could fix that though.

“Trevor was voted most likely to cry in a haunted house this year for team superlatives.” I smirked as soon as I heard him gasp.

“Yeah, that’s enough of that,” Trevor cut in. “I’m not a baby, write that down.” He pointed toward Macy, as if the woman had some sort of notepad in her hands. “I’m just jumpy. It’s normal.” His blue eyes shifted toward me with a playful glare, Macy laughed softly at the exchange.

“Well, Trevor. It seems like you’re a pretty successful person yourself. Would you mind me asking how you two met?”

“Oh I love this story.”

“Me too,” Trevor chimed in, crossing his legs one over the other, and leaning forward like a kid during story time.

“So, I was in New York for a performance in MSG, and the Ducks were in town too for a game” I smiled, leaning back in my chair and trying to get comfortable. “My best friend had joined me for the eastern leg of the tour at the time, so we decided to go out for drinks downtown. My favorite bar in the city is 230 Fifth Rooftop Bar. So my best friend, Shelby and I, we just got two glasses of champagne and settled at a high table to watch the sunset. We’re minding our own business.. for the most part, but there’s this group of guys that are just carrying on. They’re loud and obnoxious and they look like your stereotypical frat guys. At one point Shelby had enough, and she got up to go yell at them.” I peeked at Trevor, his smile growing wider. He knew very well that this was the part where he came in. “So Shelby’s yelling at that group of guys, and I finally got up to go wrangle her. And just as I’m approaching.. I kinda stopped and asked myself if it was a good idea. Shelby doesn’t like to be told to stop much. Then I hear this voice right next to me. Scared the shit out of me. And the voice goes, “She yours?” I laughed softly, as did Macy.

“I apologized profusely for her behavior, and-“

“But I told her I wasn’t the one getting yelled at. So it didn’t bother me.” Trevor cut in with a toothy grin. “Then I bought her another glass of champagne and the rest is history.”

“Don’t forget about the part where you booked your hotel room for an extra night to see me perform.” I teased, “And bribed security into getting backstage to see me and ask for my number.”

“Those details don’t make me sound as cool though,” Trevor whined.

“That’s a really sweet story.” Macy chimed in.

“Thank you.”

“So he asked for your number, but who asked who out?”

“To simplify a long story, Trevor was beating around the bush too much for a little while, so one night be brought me flowers before an away game and I told him when he got back, we were going to go on our first date as an official couple.” Macy and I laughed in unison.

“And were there any arguments to that demand?”

“Not from me, no.” Trevor giggled. “I was more than happy to put a label on it.”

“And how long have you been together?”

“Two years. Three at the end of All Star Week.”

“How adorable! You guys must be a strong couple then.”

“Oh one hundred percent.” Trevor smiled as he spoke.

“Now, the question on everyone’s minds is.. can he sing?”

“Yes!”

“Absolutely not.” I corrected Trevor ruthlessly. “He thinks he can.. but he can’t.” I chuckled, glancing at the sandy blonde to see his look of pure betrayal.

“Does that mean we won’t be hearing any duets?”

“I wouldn’t say that,” I answered slyly, earning a surprised look from Macy. “Trev is featured on the album.. speaking. His features are mostly just backtracks.”

“I know this may be asking a lot but- is there any chance we could get a sneak peek at that?”

“For you Macy? I would love to.” I watched the girl’s eyes light up. I pulled my phone from my pocket and opened my files, scrolling through for a moment before I stood and dragged my chair closer to the woman’s.

“This song is called Spellbound. It was actually the first song I produced for this new album. I took some of my inspiration from the song Witchy Woman by the Eagles. The reason being, this was written during halloween, and that is just one of my favorite spooky songs. For this piece, I wanted it to feel supernaturally devoted to Trevor. Like.. kind of like.. like a love where one person idolizes the other, but not necessarily in an obsessive or toxic way. I think the lyrics and the tune teetering on the edge of insanity really adds to the supernatural edge and it also makes this song unique to Trevor. I can’t say I’ll ever produce another song like this, nor do I think anyone else will. Classic rock isn’t exactly my genre, nor do I plan for it to be. So this track really sticks out. Which is the main reason why I chose to give this song its own cover art. And I’ll be releasing it as the first single.” It was a lot of information to offer, but I was very passionate about the things I dedicated to Trevor. Especially this song.

Most of my music got old after constantly rerecording lyrics and harmonies, or sorting out instruments. But this song never did. I loved it through and through.

“This sounds amazing and so.. intricate. How long did it take in total from thinking of the idea to finalizing the song?”

“A full month maybe? I hadn’t been exactly itching to make a new album, so I knew if I was going to, my basis for it was going to have to be amazing. And I think I did a fairly good job.” I paused. “I hope so..”

“I’m sure it’s amazing. Let’s hear it!”

I wasted no time in playing the track, a steel guitar and stylized keyboard opening the musical scene. I was a person who loved using clips of recordings in my music, whether it was from everyday life, or a random video in my camera roll, or even if I took the recording of the sound specifically for a song. It was one of my many musical signatures, but the one I was most known for. Atop the smooth music, came the faded clinging of pans, and Trevor’s soft voice. “I can’t wait for you to be home.. Fuck I miss you so much.” It had been a voicemail, but my sound producers managed to give it a more authentic feel, as if someone was in the room with him recording instead of it being spoken into a phone mic. The music itself was fairly calm and collected. Certain instruments helped it sound taboo and old, but the lyrics were the driving factor that made it sound almost insane. A part of me worried my audience wouldn’t take to the song well, but Macy seemed enthralled from the start of the track.

I eyed her expressions carefully through every second, smiling to myself when she seemed particularly intrigued by a section. And I had to admit, it boosted my ego to hear Trevor not too far off in his own chair humming the song to himself. I could live with myself if everyone hated the song, as long as he loved it.

Near the bridge, Trevor’s voice returned, “I’m gonna keep you forever.” This section had been specifically recorded in the studio, and despite my endless attempts to get him to take it seriously, he had giggled at the end of every take. Eventually I settled on knowing I wouldn’t have it the exact way I wanted it, and we used the take with the least amount of amusement in his voice. At the end of the day when we put it all together, his laugh only ended up adding to the crazy feel of the song.

Near the end of the track, Macy finally spoke up.

“This is the weirdest and most mentally satisfying song I have ever heard.”

I breathed a sigh of relief.

“Really?”

“You’re so right, it sounds nothing like what you usually produce, but it still has your essence in it. You can tell it’s your songwriting. I think this song is going to be crazy successful. And I also think having Trevor on it is going to make people go nuts” I would be lying if I said I hadn’t thought of that. I knew my fans would love to see Trevor featured.

“Thank you so much. I’m so excited to release the song.” I admitted with a slight grin.

“I’m just excited that I’ll be able to listen to it without having to say “babe can you sing me that song” every time I wanna hear it.” Trevor teased, causing my cheeks to flush as our eyes met.

“You don’t like her singing to you?” Macy joked.

“God no. I love it when she sings. I just hate how much I get made fun of when I ask her to do it.” The three of us laughed.

“Sounds to me like you have a pretty devoted girlfriend.”

“She did write a weirdly obsessive song about me.” Trevor agreed pridefully. “The first of many, right babe?” His question made my brow rise in surprise.

“We’ll see, Ziggy.”

“That’s a good answer. Can’t give too much away just yet.” My eyes trailed back to Macy. Our time was drawing to a close. “I hate to cut us short but I think we’re reaching our limit. And I know you have your own tight schedule today.” She paused. “I really wanna thank you again for making enough time to come out. It means a lot.”

“Mace, I think I speak for the both of us when I say we had so much fun being here. You always conduct the best interviews.” The woman blushed.

“We can come back anytime.” Trevor added, catching me off guard.

“I’ll have to take you up on that offer the next time you’re in town.” Macy grinned. “I hope you both enjoy the All Stars, and rock the red carpet of course.”

“Thank you so much. We definitely hope to.”

“I’ll be watching on tv.”

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#nhl imagine #nhl x reader #jack hughes #ella’s thoughts #quinn hughes #trevor zegras #nico hischier #ella’s updates #ella’s asks #cole caufield #trevor zegras blurb #trevor zegras imagine #trevor zegras x reader

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callsign-bunnie · 6 months

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Hex Boys - Chapter 1

A popular music label ran by a man by the name of Herschel Shepherd was opening a band camp that year. Why? Well, the Label said they wanted to inspire new artists, but it was very well known that it was just another money maker. Band camps brought in a lot of money, and this one was projected to bring in a ton.

See, the “structure” of this camp was every year from September to December, it would have camp, and twelve up and coming bands would be chosen to be able attend. In November and December, a sort of “battle of the bands” would be done where the twelve bands would compete on live TV, and the winner would get a guaranteed spot with the record label.

This label was huge, so getting a guaranteed sign on with them would definitely be something worth competing over.

Of course, though, they needed publicity and not just from bands signed under their label. In fact, they’d even partnered with a few other labels so the second place and runner up would also have guaranteed spots. So, to get this publicity, they’d invited twelve very well known rock bands to compete.

First to receive the invite was, of course, Shepherd’s son Phillip Graves. He also received a list of the other bands that would be competing, and low and behold, Disciples of Death had made the cut. However… an up and coming band had mysteriously received an invite.

Of course they would, even without their connection to Graves’ band, Servants of Shadow, as they were very quickly rising in popularity for being one of the first all Omega Male bands. Hex Boys, they called themselves. Their music was on the order of Evanescence, and their pride in anonymity as well as Succubus, the lead singer, and Selkie’s behavior had led to them getting very popular very fast.

It didn’t help that everyone was convinced Succubus and Graves were mated, due to their on stage behavior. This wasn’t remotely true, but hey, it got them publicity, so who fucking cared. It was all an act.

Disciples of Death had hardly been able to resist the invite, as it was both a sign that they were high up in the scene, as well as a chance to crush Servants of Shadow, their very long standing rival.

They’d gone to high school with each other, both bands, and even college, and it was very well known that the lead of SoS and DoD’s drummer, Alejandro Vargas, despised each other. To the point that people would invite them to parties, together, just to watch them fight and for a good scandal. Neither had an exactly healthy relationship with alcohol or drugs, so it was fairly easy to antagonize one or the other into such a skirmish.

Tied End Records would like to invite you to compete against 11 other well known bands for the opening of Camp Militant! You will be competing over the course of two months and will receive a guaranteed contract pay. This is just a friendly competition meant to market the camp, but we believe that the contract pay and the publicity will be more than enough temptation to draw you in.

If you would like to join the competition, you can confirm your presence. November 1st will be when you arrive at the amphitheater to finish registration and when you can meet the other bands you will be competing again.

Remember, this is all friendly!

-H. Shepherd, CEO/Owner of Tied End Records

Shockingly, or not really, all twelve bands had confirmed they would show up. Alejandro had, of course, brought the invitation to Ghost with a grin. “A chance to crush Servants of Shadow, and Phillip Graves. I mean, think about it, a way to definitely say we’re better.”

Ghost rolled his eyes, but he took the paper. “Why not just email us? Whatever. His father owns the camp, I doubt we’re winning.”

“Which will just make it more insulting when we crush that Nepo baby into smithereens.” Alejandro’s grin only widened. “I’m sure Alex and Farah would have no problem with it. It’s not as if we have anything booked for those months.”

Ghost still didn’t look convinced. “If we lose, it would be pretty embarrassing.”

“No. Like you said, Graves’ father is the owner. It would be… expected.” Both alphas startled at Farah’s voice, who’d walked in. “I think we should do it.” She hopped up onto the counter, drinking decaf coffee. “It would be… fun.”

“What would be fun?” Alex came in, rubbing over his face. “Please tell me it’s nothing illegal.”

“It’s not illegal!” Alejandro took the invitation back and showed it to Alex. “A Battle Of The Bands.”

“How juvenile.” Ghost muttered. “If you three want to, then I’m down. But… I don’t know.”

“Te preocupas demasiado,” Alejandro snorted before shaking his head. “I agree, I think it will be fun! Farah’s right, who will care if we don’t win? Even though I do not plan on losing, planeo estrellar su cara contra mi superioridad.”

“ Our superiority.” Alex reminded, but Alejandro just waved him off. Alex and Farah shared an amused look, since most of the beef was just between Alejandro and Graves. Well, sort of. SoS’s bassist, Mila, had flirted with Farah’s girlfriend. She’d neither forgiven nor forgotten.

Regardless, Alex and Farah had both agreed to do it, and so Ghost had conceded. Which meant they were signed up.

November 1st rolled around and everyone had started to arrive to the amphitheater where the competition was being held. On each of the screens in the lobby were “key performances” by each of the bands, so that way everyone could see who they were competing against.

Obviously, the first to be displayed was Servants of Shadow, playing their first completely sold out arena show. The four alphas would concede that they weren’t too bad.

They actually consisted of six members, which was a lot, but apparently they were all pretty close to each other, so they made it work. Their music was definitely rock, but it had country influence. Their drummer was known as Velikan, and he was masked like Ghost, and they had two bassists. Mila, who played a heavy bass line, and Oz who was mostly supplemental. It was shocking that it worked, but it did. Roze was the name of their guitarist, though they had another named Arthur who occasionally performed, and then Graves was their lead singer.

They were a very popular band, riding off of Shepherd’s influence in the music industry, though Graves did make a fair effort to be separate from his father. However, it was just another all alpha band with no real gimmick or thing that set it apart.

See, Alejandro’s ability to fluidly add Spanish and Mexican influence into DoD’s music had very easily set them apart from other bands. This combined with two of the members not being white and Farah occasionally adding arabic influence had given them a way to stand out. Ghost also helped, as intrigue over who he might be had also given them a decent amount of publicity. While they all had their fair share of “edits”, Ghost topped them in sheer numbers, though he never interacted with fans.

That was Alejandro’s job.

“Hey, who’s grinding on Graves?” Alex spoke up, as they’d all paused to watch the screen. Their instruments were still being brought in, so they really had nothing better to do.

He was speaking about the omega who was performing with Graves, and they were pressed fairly close to each other, though most of the omega was obscured by the current camera angle. The omega had a fairly impressive voice and it was so familiar to Alejandro, though he just couldn’t place it.

“Succubus.” Farah spoke up, nodding. “Lead singer of another band that I think is competing. It’s rumored they’re dating.”

“What’s the name of the band?” Alejandro asked, glancing at her. Alex was just as curious, since the name Succubus was… well, sort of odd. Intriguing.

“Hex Boys.” Farah nodded. “Oh, shit, Malika is calling, I’ll be right back.” She left before they could get any other explanation, which was fine. She was a massive simp for Malika, so none of them were shocked that she just ditched to talk to her.

“Hex Boys…” Ghost said, looking almost as if he was turning the name over in his mouth, like it was some sort of oddly flavored wine. “It’s very juvenile.”

“Is that your new favorite word?” Alex teased, but then ultimately agreed. “I think I like it, though.”

Alejandro thought it was an intriguing name. Simple, like a bunch of kids getting together and having fun. Huh. His intrigue was definitely increased when succubus started to sing in Spanish, to the song they were performing together.

He decided he’d definitely have to meet them.

Disciples of Death’s “key performance” was actually next, which surprised them. “I’m starting to think we’ve been duped.” Ghost grumbled, since the little announcer voice immediately included about Graves and Alejandro’s rivalry. “I think they’re going to use you as marketing.”

“Let them.” Alejandro shrugged. “Our mutual dislike is publicity, I don’t care as long as this ends with me on top.”

Both of the others just snorted in response. They barely watched the performance, as it was just the one when Farah was introduced. She’d replaced Valeria when Valeria ditched to become a solo artist. Farah was Alex’s adopted sister, so he’d just brought her on board. It was definitely a key performance, though, as they’d also completely revamped their sound and style to accommodate her. Alejandro had decided Valeria screwing them over had been one of the best worst things to happen to them, since their music had definitely benefited from the replacement.

Then, Hex Boys were next. All three perked up, shamelessly, as the display had definitely caught their attention. Shockingly, however, their key performance was an opener, not a full performance. According to the announcer, they rarely performed alone, mostly opening for Servants of Shadow, though they had a ton of recorded and released music. Granted, they’d apparently only been performing for around three years.

Alejandro watched them with keen interest, keeping his eyes on the lead singer, Succubus. He looked more and more familiar to Alejandro, and Alejandro started to wonder if he knew him, somehow. Maybe they’d been at a party together and Alejandro didn’t know it or… hell, maybe they’d even hooked up.

As Alejandro focused more and more on the singer, listening to him sing, it hit him right as he realized he knew every lyric, despite never listening to their music. No, he’d never “hooked up” with this singer. Though they’d had a lot of sex. An embarrassing amount of sex.

Alejandro looked over at the other two, sighing when he realized both had also recognized the singer. Though, both had their eyes glued to the screen. Of course they did. Why? Because Alejandro’s ex boyfriend, Rodolfo Parra, was on the screen. Grinding on his drummer, another omega who none of them knew the name of.

Alex slowly turned to stare at Alejandro before crossing his arms. “Your ex boyfriend is Succubus. That’s your ex boyfriend.”

“Yeah.”

“That’s your ex boyfriend, opening for our biggest rival, Servants of Shadow.”

“Yep.”

“That’s your ex boyfriend, opening for our biggest rival, Servants of Shadow, while pretending to ride his drummer.”

“Si.”

“What the fuck, Vargas.”

Ghost shrugged, coming over. “Slap his ass, tell him to knock it off.”

“Somehow,” Alejandro started, reaching up to pinch the bridge of his nose, “I don’t think that will work.”

Both of the other alphas snorted, while Farah came back over, finally. “They apparently play into a lot of mythos. Some of their biggest critics genuinely believe they’re the creatures they play into. They’re called Satanic.”

“I really doubt they’re satanic. What else do you know about them?” Alejandro sighed, turning to her, fully.

“Well… Hex Boys is made up of four separate members, one of the first all Omega bands, or rather, Omega Male bands.” Omega female or mixed omega bands were quite common, but not one that was all omegas, and not ones that sang like the lead, Succubus, sang. “The four members, Succubus, Siren, Nixie, and Selkie are very anonymous, no one knows who they are but their manager, John Price-”

“Wait- Wait. Our John Price?? Like… Mom’s best friend, John Price??” Alex asked. “How have we never met them??”

“Because they are very strictly anonymous.” Farah shrugged. “Price wouldn’t have let us.”

It was rumored that Nixie and Siren were John Price’s adopted sons Kyle and Roach, but… Roach was known to be mute and Kyle was apparently not one for the spotlight. But, no one could quite pinpoint Succubus and Selkie. This was funny when neither even wore masks like Nixie and Siren did. But, their makeup was apparently very carefully crafted to block cameras, even in public, as it had some sort of particle in it that reflected all light and made paparazzi photos just completely useless.

So, unless you personally knew the band members, like Alejandro did, you wouldn’t be able to figure out who they were. Even now, it was very hard to make out their facial features on the tv, but Alejandro would know that body anywhere, even if he didn’t recognize the lyrics and his face.

“I can’t believe he did it.” Alex shook his head, turning back to the monitor. “I mean… he said he would. He’s Rodolfo, he always does what he says he will. But I can’t believe this one. Did you even know he could sing, Alejandro?”

“Sort of! He would sing our music in the shower, but… I can’t believe he’d start an entire band, either.” Alejandro muttered. “Especially that he’s opening for Graves’ band. That’s low.”

Farah laughed, loudly, unperturbed by the three glares she received from the other. “Look, you’re all three my friends, my only friends, but let's face it, you treated him like shit. Omegas that want attention will get it somewhere, and he’s getting it.”

Alejandro rolled his eyes, “but he’s not like that. Or… I thought he wasn’t. I genuinely thought he’d never enjoy being on the stage.”

“He wanted your attention.” Farah reminded, before chuckling softly at the glare she received. “Regardless, he's getting attention somewhere. From Phillip Graves, apparently.”

Alejandro rolled his shoulders, very much not liking the sound of that, but deciding he needed to at least pretend he was over Rodolfo. “Well, we’ll be competing against them. And, we’ll crush them. Both of them.”

All four seemed confident in this. Or… they did until Rodolfo hit a ridiculously high note while half hanging off the stage, his back completely arched. “Fuck… Maybe not.” Ghost said, and while his statement startled all three, none of them were really disagreeing.

Alejandro actually knew the lyrics to this song, because Rodolfo had written them for what was supposed to be their song, DoD of course, but he’d taken all rights to his music with him, when he left.

So, he could hum along when Rodolfo started the bridge, which went

You broke my heart, you left it in pieces .

But, “pieces” would devolve into sort of a low scream. However, if Alejandro remembered correctly, Rodolfo couldn’t scream. Nor did Alejandro recall that he had any desire to. So, he was very shocked when the line did devolve into that scream.

However, it was very obviously not Rodolfo’s voice as he’d stopped singing and was moving to his choreography, and the screaming was very high pitched. It was honestly more like screeching, but a lot more pleasant to listen to.

“What the fuck is that coming from?” Alex asked, his eyes wider than they’d probably ever been before. “That’s not your ex.”

Then the source became clear as Siren was in the middle of the stage, his keyboard abandoned. His head was thrown back, a microphone to the mouth in his mask. The screech rose and rose until it was impossibly high, especially for a male omega, and then as it finished, Siren just crumpled to the ground, though the lack of other band members’ reaction proved it was clearly meant to happen. It was a fairly emotion invoking collapse, clearly meant to simulate a collapse into sobs, as Siren was holding his chest, the microphone discarded in front of him.

“If that is Roach,” Farah started, her expression one of awe, “that would be why he doesn’t talk. He’d have to preserve his vocal chords in every possible way he can.”

“Christ.” Ghost murmured, and all three nodded in agreement. “I can’t believe such a tiny thing makes that fucking noise.”

“He’s trained for years.” Everyone startled at Rodolfo, behind them, who was amused. “He’d probably thank you for the compliments. However, no, he doesn’t speak in real life. Can’t at all or he can’t make those noises.”

Rodolfo laughed softly as they all slowly turned to look at him. He’d came for the same reason they had, which was to finish his sign up process. “Though, Nixie can get pretty high, too. He’s too shy to sing, though.”

Farah smiled and stepped forward. “It’s nice to meet you, Rodolfo right?”

Rodolfo shook her hand and then nodded. “Yes, Rodolfo. You joined after Ale and I broke up, right?”

“I did.” Farah laughed, softly. Rodolfo decided he liked her, since the other three dumbasses were still just staring at him. “I see you started your own band.”

“Hex Boys, yeah.” Rodolfo couldn’t help grinning, nodding a little. “And you replaced Valeria?”

“I did.” Farah chuckled. “Though mostly guitar. I’m not much of a vocalist.”

“Ah. Admittedly, I don’t listen to much of your music.” Rodolfo feigned an apologetic smile. “Actually, the boys should be coming in, soon, if you want to meet them.”

“No thanks.” Alejandro spoke up before anyone else could, crossing his arms. Rodolfo resisted rolling his eyes as he watched Alejandro get a cocky grin on his face. “Unless you want us to meet them.”

Rodolfo did roll his eyes. “No. I just thought I’d be polite.”

Alejandro’s smile dropped and then his face turned to a bit more of a scowl, though Rodolfo knew him enough to know it was forced. “Is that my shirt?”

Rodolfo would admit that he’d done that on purpose. “Oh? Is it?” He looked down at himself and then shrugged, pulling it off and handing it over, resisting laughing at how startled Alejandro looked by the action. “I may have sprayed my perfume on it, so I’m sorry if it smells like me. I got ready in a rush, today.”

He picked up on the way Alex’s and Ghost’s eyes immediately moved over his body, especially over the succubi tattoo he’d gotten as a joke with Soap, and he laughed when Alejandro elbowed both of them. “Anyway, I have to go. Need to finish signing up. Adios.” He waved before turning and leaving before anyone could say anything, quite pleased with himself.

He grinned as he saw Soap enter the building. They’d ridden separately, as Rodolfo and Gaz had ridden together, so that Soap and Roach could have alone time and so Rodolfo and Gaz could have some peace. They were sweet, but they were all over each other sometimes, and Rodolfo and Gaz had decided they didn’t want to deal with that.

That wasn’t to say that Gaz and Rudy hadn’t messed around, any, but they were just friends. Soap and Roach were borderline gross. “Soap!” He called, noticing Soap was glancing around. Soap had a couple of his drum bags.

“Rudy! You made it! I didn’t see Gaz’s Kia, so I was worried.” Soap said, rushing over to him. “Roach found Price’s car, so he’s talking to his dad.”

Rodolfo nodded in understanding, taking one of the smaller drum bags from Soap. “Did Gaz’s guitar get brought in?”

“Yeah, the valet took it.” Soap made a face, likely at the valet. He and Rodolfo still weren’t used to all of the luxuries that being rock stars provided. Gaz and Roach had grew up in the lifestyle, as Laswell and Price had had their own band before Price retired and started 141 Management. But Soap and Rodolfo…

Well, Soap had been an orphan growing up and Rodolfo, despite Alejandro’s wealth, had grown up poor. “You see your ex?”

“Oh yeah.” Rodolfo snorted, since he’d more than seen him. He gestured to his still bare chest and Soap laughed, softly. “He took the bait. You should have seen his face when I took my shirt off, Soap. Or… his shirt.”

Really, Rodolfo had gone full scorched earth and had burnt any clothes of Alejandro’s he’d had left when he left. But, Rodolfo had found out that Soap had a shirt exactly like one of the ones Alejandro had had, so they’d concocted a plan, or Gaz had, for Rodolfo to wear the shirt and then pull his stunt.

Rodolfo never would have done that, naturally. But… his public persona of Succubus was sexual and confident, and Succubus definitely would have. His antithesis.

Soap grinned ear to ear at the knowledge. “I would have killed to see it. Hey, where’s Graves? He and his crew should have arrived and he wanted me to meet some people.”

“Yeah, he’s arrived.” Gaz finally showed up, chuckling. “Took his fiance and booked it to the hotel when he saw Alejandro’s van. Lucas was paler than I’ve ever seen him. I don’t know how they expect to keep hiding their relationship with Alejandro here. He’s going to notice.”

Rodolfo snorted, since it was his ace card if things went south with Alejandro too quickly. “I’ll be here. Everyone thinks Succubus and Graves are dating, remember?” He teased, rolling his shoulders a little. “I’ll handle it.”

Really, neither he nor Graves had really denied or confirmed the rumors. It was convenient, with Graves dating Alejandro’s nephew. Or… well, engaged as of a few weeks ago. Sometimes, he and Graves would play into it, if the paparazzi started to dig too much into Graves’ personal life. However, Rodolfo had no problem screwing over Graves to get what he wanted. Graves would do the same.

“I can’t wait for him to put those pieces together, by the way.” Soap chuckled, before his eyes seemed to fix on something. “Rodolfo, you have a few watchers.”

Rodolfo could tell from the slight smirk on Soap’s face exactly who was watching him, turning to see Alejandro and Alex had moved to the lobby as well, though they were at a distance that neither would be able to hear the other. He feigned disinterest, gesturing to them as if he was pointing out who Alejandro was. “He’s cute.” Soap joked and Rodolfo lightly hit his arm. “Who’s blondie?”

“Alex.” Rodolfo nodded. “Kate Laswell’s adopted son. Her adopted daughter is their guitarist. Anyway, Alex was their bassist, but he never took the band too seriously.” He did note the way Gaz’s eyes lingered on Alex before he turned back around. “I guess he does, now, but he was college focused at the time. Don’t even think about it, Kyle.”

“I’m not!” Gaz pouted and then shrugged. “Dad wouldn’t approve, anyway. He doesn’t want me to date anyone in the music industry. Says rock star alphas are pieces of shit.”

“He’d know,” Soap snorted, though this was clearly just a rib at the fact that Price used to be a rockstar alpha. “Regardless, I think I agree with Rudy. If he’s still willingly friends with Alejandro, he can’t be that great.”

“No, he’s fine, just a massive pushover from what I remember.” Rodolfo laughed, softly, and then shrugged. “Before he was adopted, he was christian, and I don’t think that ever faded, so he’s never really been with an omega. That could have changed, but I doubt it.”

Rodolfo almost immediately regretted his words as Gaz immediately softened and glanced back again. “How awful…” Gaz murmured.

“No!” Soap and Rodolfo both said, and Gaz jumped before his face went dark red again. “No.” Soap repeated.

Gaz rolled his eyes, “I’m not thinking about it. Where’s my brother?”

“With your dad.” Soap answered, nudging his head in the direction of the doors. “Anyway, I’m going to go make sure the valet doesn’t fuck up my drums.”

“I’m going to find my dad and brother, then.” Gaz nodded.

So, Rodolfo sighed, “I’ll get us checked into the hotel. I’ve heard we got a pretty big room. Courtesy of Graves. Apparently, he guilt tripped his dad.”

“Perfect.” Gaz grinned and then they all finally separated.

Rodolfo stepped out from the bathroom, where he was brushing his teeth. He had to immediately reach up to stabilize the towel on his head. “Aye! Can none of the three of you answer a door??”

All four had finally settled into their hotel room, and Rodolfo had thought he could leave them to shower and brush his teeth, but apparently not, as the door was being knocked on and none of the other three were in sight to answer it. “Tu poco fiable.” He muttered before shaking his head.

Another knock came and Rodolfo groaned. “Just give me a fucking minute!” He yelled, rushing to his suitcase to pull on panties and a tee shirt, not quite wanting to answer the door naked, even with his persona. He looked through the peephole, frowning when he saw Alejandro was there.

Opening the door revealed he was leaned against the doorframe and Rodolfo almost slammed the door in his face as the smug look he got. “Alejandro.” Rodolfo stated, leaning to the side to spit the toothpaste in his mouth out before straightening and crossing his arms. “Can I help you?”

“You still have some makeup on your face.” Alejandro chuckled, reaching up and using his thumb to swipe up what was likely remnants of Rodolfo’s eyeliner. “I came by to catch up.”

Rodolfo bristled, both at the action, and the way he immediately blushed from it. “Oh? Lástima para ti, it’s a bad time right now.”

Alejandro raised an eyebrow before leaning in and glancing around the room. “It is?” He asked, his expression unconvinced.

Rodolfo gave him the fakest smile he could manage. “Unfortunately, it is. Siren decided he wanted to have a pillow fight and we omegas take those very seriously, you know.”

“Oh?” Alejandro laughed, leaning against the doorframe, again. “Well, then, by all means, I shouldn’t interrupt. I would hate to interfere with such a serious event.”

Rodolfo narrowed his eyes and considered smacking Alejandro, though he doubted it would get him anywhere. Regardless, he shook it off and started to close the door. “Of course. So, you should probably go, it’s about to start-”

He was cut off by Alejandro catching the door and stopping him, his expression suddenly serious. “Wait- Alright, look, you got me. We… reconsidered your offer to meet the boys and so they sent me to ask if tomorrow, you guys would consider… hanging out with us so we can get to know them.”

Rodolfo blinked, staring at Alejandro. “No.”

“No??”

“Tomorrow is orientation, remember? We’ll be busy all day.” Rodolfo chuckled, at how surprised Alejandro looked. “However, I’ll talk to the others and see how they feel about it. I’m sure something can be arranged for Friday, or even Saturday. They’re pretty curious to meet my ex-boyfriend's band.”

“Is that all they know us as? I’m hurt.” Alejandro put a hand over his chest, though he was laughing. “I would think we deserve more credit than that.”

“Hardly.” Rodolfo rolled his eyes. He again went to close the door, but was stopped.

“Are you fucking Phillip Graves?” Alejandro asked, his expression very suddenly deeply serious.

Rodolfo blinked and then he laughed, softly. Poor Soap wouldn’t get to witness many of the reactions, it seemed. “Well… if I was, which I will neither confirm nor deny, it isn’t exactly any of your business, is it?”

“Yes it fucking is! He’s my rival-”

“And I’m not your boyfriend. I broke up with you, remember?” Rodolfo shook his head. “My sex life is no longer your concern. Who I fuck and who I date is no longer your concern.” He cut off Alejandro when Alejandro went to speak. “No. It is none of your business. Anyway, thank you for stopping by, but I’m very tired and would like to sleep. Tomorrow’s a big day.”

Finally, he managed to close the door, Alejandro not stopping him that time. God, he couldn’t believe him! He was so cocky and arrogant, and- Rodolfo sometimes wondered what he’d ever seen in Alejandro.

Another knock on the door had Rodolfo whipping around, yanking it open and preparing to unload onto Alejandro, asking him where the fuck he’d gotten his audacity from. “Alejandro, I swear to god-”

He was met, instead, with a very startled pizza guy, who just kind of awkwardly held up the boxes. “Pizza?”

“Right.” Rodolfo relaxed, shaking his head. He quickly fell back into his persona, giving a flirty sort of half grin. Glancing to the left revealed Alejandro was still nearby, having stopped to talk to someone in the hallway. “You’re cute.” He said, knowing Alejandro would be able to hear. “What’s your name?”

“Ethan.” He mumbled, and Rodolfo could smell Beta on him.

“You a fan of any of the bands here?” Rodolfo asked, taking the receipt so he could sign it, and occasionally glancing to make sure Alejandro was still there.

“My sister really loves your band, actually.” Ethan appeared to flush. “She’s paid for several tickets for this event just to see you guys.”

“Aw, that’s cute!” Rodolfo started at Soap’s voice behind him as Soap slid up beside Rodolfo. “Hi, I’m Selkie! Did he bring the pizza?”

“All four of them.” Rodolfo confirmed and then turned back to Ethan. “Who’s her favorite member? You can be honest.”

“Oh uh… Nixie.” Ethan blushed even darker as Soap approached, and Rodolfo had a feeling Selkie might be Ethan’s favorite.

“Ah, well Nixie doesn’t have his mask right now.” Rodolfo smiled and shared a look with Soap, who’d just glanced into the hallway. The look he was given said that Soap had seen Alejandro, who was now watching them. “But, if you give me a moment, I can get you an autograph?”

“Really?? Oh, she’d die!” Ethan perked up and grinned before seeming to turn bashful. “That is… if it’s okay.”

Rodolfo gestured for Soap to tip the kid before heading off to Gaz and his shared room, where Roach and Gaz were in their own towels and watching TV. “Gaz, you’re the favorite member to the pizza guy’s sister.”

“Ah.” Gaz nodded, getting up and getting into a bag where they had tee shirts. He got out a sharpie and uncapped it before quickly signing it. This was something they did, often, which was why they kept tee shirts on hand. He made his signature pretty big, and then Roach signed it with a much smaller signature, before Rodolfo did the same.

He left the pizzas, chuckling as Roach immediately happily got a slice out of his own box. Rodolfo then took the shirt and the sharpie to Soap, who was chatting with the pizza guy about one of their concerts.

Soap signed the shirt as soon as Rodolfo handed it over, barely breaking his conversation. This was practically muscle memory, at that point. They then handed the shirt over, and Rodolfo considered. “Hey, Soap, wanna give him a picture to go with it?”

Soap raised an eyebrow, but Rodolfo just covered half of his face with his hand, and Soap ahhed. They’d done those pictures before. Nixie and Siren would take pictures with their masks on but Soap and Rodolfo could usually get away with obscuring their face.

Ethan turned very dark red. “That would be awesome, thank you so much.”

Rodolfo waited for Ethan to get out his phone before turning him around. Soap and Rodolfo both moved to kiss his cheek, covering their faces, though both had distinctive enough tattoos that he knew it would be obvious it was them in the picture.

When it was over, he glanced at Alejandro and saw that he was glaring at them, though he turned around and left as soon as he noticed Rodolfo looking at him. Grinning, he shared another look with Soap before turning back to Ethan. “If you like Servants of Shadow, their suite is 346B. Tell them Succubus sent you, and they’ll give you some stuff.”

“You’re amazing…” Ethan looked in awe. “Like, seriously. Truly awesome.”

Soap laughed, softly, and then they finally waved the kid off, seeing him practically sprint off in the direction of Graves’ suite. “I’ll text him to give the kid one of our merch boxes for his sister.” Their merch boxes weren’t super decadent, just coming with some arm bands, a water bottle, and a beanie. Oh, and a random 9x11 pre-signed poster.

“Sweet kid. Even better use.” Rodolfo gestured in the direction Alejandro had gone before closing the door. “Anyway, pizza?”

“Hell yeah,” Soap said, quickly getting out his phone and sending that text. “God, I wish I’d gotten a picture of Alejandro’s face.”

“Me too.”

Do you want to be added to this taglist? Reply to this post that you wish to be added to the taglist and I will start to tag you in it every time I post it. You can also use this form!

Ships: @the-pluto-828 @Humanmilkerr @vergilnelosparda @cathsolos @thegodofsleep @lieutenant-storm @roachboy @toasterduck23 @del79jji @thisisthedarknessofmymind @stardust-medic99 @spacedout-ace @ornitorinco @crazy-phan-girl13 @loartacc @cowboyscruffy @lvndr-swtr @green--beenie @idiot_rxxcoon @pandanini @chaotic-pastel-science-babe @wittymanatee @captainsimcoe @thatnerdnamedtj @snootlestheangel

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(I'm sorry if you've filled out the taglist and aren't being tagged, I'm having some issues with googleforms! I will have it fixed soon!)

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phoenix-is-the-hottest-thing · 1 year

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oh do you associate ship in a bottle with Mobius? Out of curiosity can you elaborate on why?

This is gonna be a mix of quick character analysis, an actual explanation, and my mental AMV.

The song is about someone who's self-isolating and putting up a strong front as everything falls apart around them. I think it fits Mobius's arc in PE very well.

The singer (who is really talking to themself in second person) started with a hard-earned self-built space, the glass bottle ("glass ceiling, walls, and floor", doesn't that imagery remind you of her lab?). This ship in a bottle was built by their own efforts, as somewhere walled away from pain where they demonstrate high skill— just like Mobius and her lab, which she has earned through her hard work and the subsequent recognition, which also becomes the place where she's respected and, well, where she uses her brains.

In particular, "But nothing can touch your happy thoughts anymore" matches up how confident Mobius is shown to be early on, especially with the "picking apart your brain" image. Despite being widely disliked on a personal level, look at how she's completely dominating the conversation when she recruits MEI into MOTH (Mobius: Good News): Mobius was happy and comfortable with her competence in her line of work. The Honkai wasn't that bad yet, it was a challenge (the "blue waves crashing into it", present but not yet threatening), a humbling challenge but a challenge she was thriving off of, eager to uncover its secrets.

"Pick your brain apart and build it again" can also be seen as building the Elysian Realm, but I'd say at this point in the song that's more foreshadowing. The premise is simply: The ship is Mobius's lab, and her lab is her safe space, where she is respected and content to pursue her work. She has earned this place alone, with her own efforts and skills.

Emphasis on alone and self-made for that second stanza, I think it's fairly evident where the metaphor is getting at once we've established the parallel. She's striving to transcend the gods on her own.

The chorus, however, peels off her mask. Things ARE falling apart. In the first round, I'd picture adult Mobius and her actual child self, the one who was abused and decided to make humanity evolve past the weaknesses of flesh as a result.

If the first few stanza are set early on in the timeline, after the chorus we find ourselves after Klein's death. The singer admits to crying, the water rising (can't cope anymore), the glass protection of their safe space is cracking. The ship is leaking water now, and there are many more that have sunk— despite this, the singer carries on.

For Mobius, things are seriously fucked now, and her demeanor has begun to break down. People leave her, either by dying (Klein) or out of disgust (Nuwa and Fuxi) but she still sets out for her goals. She'll do it even if she has to do it alone. That's how she's always done things, but now she carries the weight of those who can't carry on, too.

I'm not factoring ELF Klein here because 1. obvious the song wasn't written for Mobius, and more importantly 2. Mobius never meant for Klein to follow her all the way, she wanted her to be free. She would've LIKED that, but I don't think she DESIRED it, so she left her behind with the Realm. Mobius is very into "if you love them let them go", and I believe she was always planning to set off alone to an extent...

The song points out the singer is losing what kept them sane, and that's absolutely true for Mobius, she started out playful (some of the time) and became much more sullen and cold after Klein's death.

Then the chorus is back, but this time instead of actual child Mobius, I'd see the Sim talking to the real one, trying to tempt her into committing suicide and letting her be the "real and only" one. Instead of the tethering of denying trauma, it's a beckoning towards the abyss, it's turned malicious...

I could see the final chorus as specifically the background to Mobius's goodbyes and the hologram messages Mobius leaves for her creations.

And in the end, has the sim won...?

As we would later see... no, she didn't. The captain kept sailing on her own. Mobius always had her eyes set no closer than the horizon~

ANYWAY I'm very tired because I did hard things with people all day and woke up stupidly early so I hope this is coherent. Other people feel free to add to this. Would love to see a lyricstuck of this someday... Or hear about other songs people associate with her??

Full song lyrics below the cut~

You can fit everything you know In a bottle for you to show Pick your brain apart and put it in (pick your brain apart) And build it again With needles and pins Everything you have earned is a ship With blue waves crashing into it But nothing can touch your happy thoughts anymore (nothing can touch your happy thoughts anymore) With your glass ceiling, walls, and floor

Sailing on a ship in a bottle Anchor all your thoughts to the bottom Pulling ropes and pulling your head back To see what is breaking the foremast You set sail alone there is no crew No one on the deck who can help you This is all your own battle to win This is your ship and you are the captain

Oh, captain, let's make a deal Where we both say the things that we both really feel I feel scared and I'm starting to sink And I only sink deeper the deeper I think Oh, captain Oh, captain, deal Oh, captain deal Oh, captain deal Oh woah

There are red spots under your eyes From when you cry Into the sky Ocean waters rising above your neck, mmm You feel the glass Start to crack

Sailing on a ship in a bottle Water's leaking through holes in the bottom Flying flags of ships that have long since Sat at the floor of the sea, but in defense You set sail alone there is no crew No one on the deck who can help you This is all your own battle to win This is your ship and you are the captain

Oh, captain, let's make a deal Where we both say the things that we both really feel I feel scared and I'm starting to sink And I only sink deeper the deeper I think Oh, captain, make up your mind Before the salt burns your eyes and you run out of time 'cause you're popping the cork You get lost in your brain And you lose touch with all the things that made you feel sane Oh, captain Oh, captain, deal Oh, captain deal Oh, captain deal Oh woah

Woah-oh-oh-oh-oh Woah-oh-oh-oh-oh Woah-oh-oh-oh-oh

#asks #honkai impact #hi3 #mobius #lyricstuck #one day......#for now it's in my brain

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project1939 · 14 days

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100+ Films of 1952

Film number 114: The Las Vegas Story

Release date: January 30th, 1952

Studio: RKO

Genre: noir/crime

Director: Robert Stevenson

Producer: Robert Sparks, Howard Hughes, Samuel Bischoff

Actors: Jane Russell, Victor Mature, Vincent Price, Hoagy Carmichael

Plot summary: Lounge singer Linda returns to Las Vegas with her gambling addicted husband Lloyd. While he loses thousands at the craps table, things heat up in a reunion with her ex, Dave, a police lieutenant. When Linda’s $150,000 necklace goes missing and a casino owner is murdered, Dave is left trying to untangle the mystery.

My Rating (out of 5 stars): ***

This is your basic three star “meh” movie. It’s competently made, generally well-acted, and has a fairly interesting plot... but it’s lacking something that would make it a really good film. It’s not a terrible way to spend 90 minutes, but there are many many 1952 films I’ve seen that I would recommend more. (Minor spoilers)

The Good:

The main mystery in the plot. Who killed Clayton and why? As things unfolded, I believed three different people were to blame, and I was genuinely surprised at who the big villain was.

I liked Victor Mature in this. Sometimes he can be a little vanilla for me, but he was good here. He wasn't outstanding, but it worked.

Vincent Price was an expert creep, as always.

The penultimate part of the chase scene at the end was pretty thrilling, even if the very end wasn’t as good (see below). The scenes with roadblocks and a helicopter chasing a car were good.

Thighs! Can I say it again? I love that 1950s female movie stars actually get to have fuller softer and larger thighs. (At least compared to today.) Jane Russell looked scrumptious in a bathing suit scene.

The Bad:

First off- the title! Calling it The Las Vegas Story made it seem like it might be fictionalized history about the city’s origins, but that wasn’t it at all. Why not call it Las Vegas Story, or even A Las Vegas story? Putting The in felt wrong.

Jane Russell. Sorry to say it, but she is just not good in this. It seems like she’s perpetually sedated and can barely open her eyes or actually move her mouth. She didn’t really even smile. I’ve seen her in two other 1952 films so far, and this is always kind of the case with her, but here it was particularly bad.

Jane Russell’s costumes. She is a stunning woman known for her beautiful curves, but you wouldn’t really know it from this film. Nothing she wore flattered her or accentuated her assets. (Except the swimsuit mentioned above, and only marginally)

A weird Hoagy Carmichael “comedy” song about monkeys. It completely ground the plot to a halt in the middle of the movie, and it wasn’t funny at all.

The final part of the chase scene at the end didn’t thrill me. Sometimes taking non-diegetic music out of high-tension moments can work (see the final sword fight in Scaramouche), but here it felt kind of tedious.

The ceaseless objectification of Jane Russell. There isn’t a man alive in her films (or her radio and tv appearances) who can refrain from ogling her and verbalizing all of their thoughts about her body. Examples? When one guy who briefly knew Russell’s character said, “I never forget face,” her own husband turns to her and says, “That man obviously has no eye for figures!” Another time when Linda was basically carjacked, one cop asks if he were the bad guy, “Where would you head to?” another one answers, “With a dish like that, I’d probably park first!” Ughhhhh.

The little side plot of an underage couple wanting to marry. It just didn’t work for me.

Another casualty of the Hollywood blacklist. The main writer on this, Paul Jerrico, had his name taken off the credits because of ties to communist organizations. He was blacklisted in Hollywood for nearly the rest of his career.

#1952 #1952 movies #100 films of 1952

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susiequaz12 · 3 years

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Carrot Top 26- Self Betrayal

Here is part 26 of Andrew’s story, and Whumptober day 5. Carrot Boi’s masterlist is here, and his previous part is here. Prompt: Betrayal. This chapter is a bit long, it’s a little bit of a recap to all that happened, but still important to the story.

CW: bandages, unconscious whumpee, references to multiple past injuries, references to beatings, mentions of blood, possessive whumper, dehumanization.

- - -

Dr. Tusik and Justin had just finished bandaging up Andrew’s feet, when Ali and Mickie showed up into the room.

Mickie stood in the doorway, holding onto the door frame, while Ali cautiously approached the bed.

“How- how’s he doing?” She asked.

Tusik set down the roll of bandages in his hand.

“Better. Much better. We bandaged his back and his feet just fine and he’s getting an iv for some fluids right now.”

“He fell back sleep a few moments ago.” Justin added. “He’ll probably be fine, but he- he just seems so out of it-” There was a seeming hollowness to Justin’s face. A dissociation after seeing his injuries, or a mental block- to keep him from thinking about it all. He kept finding things to busy him as he spoke. Picking up a bandage and moving it around, putting random things away- “-It’s like he doesn’t know where he is, or what’s going on.”

“Justin is right.” Tusik nodded. “I’m afraid the bulk of his recovery is going to be mental. There’s only so many bandages and stitches we can use.”

Mickie stepped forward on shaky legs, her eyes not once moving off of her brother.

“Actually- we, we had an idea about that. About how to help.”

“Go on.” Tusik stated.

Mickie looked towards Ali as she began to explain.

“I’ve gone inside someone’s mind before. I can- sorta view their memories.” Justin came to stand near his girlfriend as she spoke, fiddling with her hands. “I don’t do it often because unless someone lets me, I have to force my way into their mind, and I- I don’t-” She breathed deeply. Justin reached down to squeeze her hand. “I don’t prefer to-But I could. With Andrew- for Andrew. I could go in his mind and be able to understand everything that happened.”

“Are you sure Vnuchka?” The Dr. set down the tool in his hand to face the girl. “You won’t overexert yourself? You’ve already done quite a bit of healing today.”

Ali returned the squeeze to Justin’s hand and nodded.

“I- I can do it. I have to.”

Mickie nodded. “Think about it anyways- Howe was useless. He didn’t know what happened, he just patched Andrew up. If he- when he wakes up- like, fully wakes up- he’s probably not going to be the same immediately.” Mickie took a step closer to the bed and reached out her hand, but quickly pulled it back. “He might have- have triggers, or stuff that bothers him, that’ll send him back there you know? It’ll- it’ll be better if we can know what happened so that we can be careful and avoid hurting him even more.”

“You’re saying he- he might have, what? PTSD?” Justin asked.

“It’s a very real possibility, Justin.” Tusik stated. “It wouldn’t surprise me if he developed at least a bit of trauma from all that he’s been through.”

“It’ll be better for him in the long run if at least one of us knows what happened.” Ali stated. “I can do it- I’ve got the strength still.”

“Alright.” Tusik said. “Go ahead, dear.”

Ali glanced around. “I’ll need everyone to leave, please.” Reluctantly, and after some pestering, Mickie and Justin left the room. “Tusik? You too?”

The old doctor tried to protest but Ali gave him a stern look. She needed to be alone. He could leave his patient for a few moments.

“Thank you.”

“Careful vnuchka. I’ll be right outside.”

Ali nodded, and then sat on the edge of the bed. He looked so incredibly still. She glanced above his head to the wall where all his memories and keepsakes were kept.

Posters from bands and musicals covered his walls, except for a section above the bed- that was plastered with millions of photos. Polaroids- paper cutouts, printed photos- the wall was covered with smiling faces of Ali, Justin, his mom- sisters, and everyone else he held dear. It was a menagerie of color and euphoria, plastered in a beautiful disarray. It was Andrew.

Ali took a closer look, and let her eyes linger on the memories.

There was that photo he’d taken of her covered in popcorn during their first movie night. She had woken up with kernels still in her hair the next morning- they were in seventh grade. A couple pictures of him and his sisters lined the walls. One of them he had Mickie on his back, and was holding Erika in his arms. They were all smiling.

And then there were those of all three of them. Him, Ali, and Justin. When Justin finally opened up to them and became more of a close friend during high school- That trip they took to the amusement park. Ali had a giant stuffed bear in her arms and a hat falling over her eyes, with a boy on either side of her, kissing her cheeks. The two of them had tried for hours competing to win her something from the carnival games. They finally decided to work together, and had stuffed themselves in a photo booth afterwards to document the event.

She wiped away a happy tear from the memory and pulled out her phone, a song coming to her mind.

It was one Andrew always sang. The notes resting easy in his voice, the melody fairly simple. He wasn’t an astounding singer, but he never sounded bad.

The first notes of the piano started echoing, the chords resonating around the room, and Ali breathed.

The moments when Ali had previously entered someone’s mind had been rare occasions. It had only been used in the past for interrogation, or during her training. Never for something this serious.

The room was clear. The noise of the piano cutting through the eerie silence, and she wished that she had kept everyone else in the room- but she could focus better this way.

He was so still- lying there on top of his blankets.

She tried not to look at him too much. She would be already seeing far more than she wanted to know.

She gently pulled herself up onto the bed next to him so they were laying side by side. Her mind instantly flashed to those nights in the summer in high school where they would lay like this and look at the stars.

She reached over and gently grabbed his frail hand in hers. His fingers were limp and cold, but she held tight. She tilted her head to the side until it was brushing up against his, and closed her eyes, right as the singer began to echo the words to the song.

Here I am, Here I am. And the light, is dying.

Ali felt guilt.

She felt Andrew’s guilt. And he felt terrible.

Ali would admit that he had said some hurtful things to her and Justin that night. But nothing felt worse than knowing they could’ve prevented what happened to him.

She could understand that he sincerely believed he had angered his friends, and that because of that, he deserved every single thing that happened to him.

That belief was prominent and clear throughout his whole captivity.

And then Ali felt dread.

That sinking feeling in your gut as something terrible happens, as you get in trouble, or in a situation more terrible than you thought.

Ali felt that pit in her stomach as Andrew was grabbed out of the alleyway. As he was shoved down, restrained, knocked unconscious, and dragged to the man they all hated the most.

Where are you? Where are you? Will you answer me?

And then there was anger.

As Andrew stood in front of that terrible man.

Anger, as he was beaten with a rod, and humiliated.

Ali watched, as Splice made him choose between his instruments of pain. She felt anger rise in herself as her friend was electrocuted. And then, as he was tied up and whipped. Even more, as Splice continued to utilize his library of torment, in just the first few hours of his arrival.

She felt the pain in her shoulders and neck, as he was stretched, and tied down in a torturous position, and left there.

She could feel in her chest as Andrew’s anger turned to confusion, which turned to fear, and then just the will to survive, and remember to breathe. But her anger remained.

That anger bubbled inside her like the blood that broke to the surface of his skin, bubbling, with every word that man spoke. Every touch, every glance, every weapon.

“I want to hear you beg.”

“You’re not that pathetic, are you?”

“You will listen, when I tell you to do something, understand?”

The anger grew inside of Ali as she felt, saw, and witnessed everything that happened to Andrew, but this was just the beginning.

All alone, in the quiet. And my ears, are thirsty.

For a brief spark, there was hope.

She witnessed as Andrew met the young doctor, and felt just a little safer with him.

But then that hope was crushed. Again, and again.

Ali seemed like she was sitting in the room with Andrew, where he lie on the bed next to Howe. But she was floating, just observing everything, helpless, as she watched and witnessed.

Splice approached Andrew where he lay, and she could feel the fear behind his eyes, but there was stubbornness etched onto his face.

She clenched her fists and bit into her cheeks as she tried to remain calm. She had to stay calm- or she would be forced out of Andrew’s mind. But it grew increasingly more difficult the more and more Splice taunted him.

“I gave you a gift. You need to respond politely. Come on now, use your manners.”

Andrew was screaming.

“What do you say?”

There were tears down his face.

He submitted.

And Ali felt betrayal.

She felt Andrew’s betrayal as he had turned against himself, and his desire to stay strong. But he had betrayed the one thing he had told himself he wouldn’t do. He no longer felt strong.

For your voice- for your voice Can you answer me?

The next events Ali witnessed were crushing- literally.

Her fists shook as he remained defiant, refusing to break. As his head was slammed into the table, blood pouring down his face.

He was grabbed and dragged outside, tied down onto a table.

Her head reeled as she tried to maintain the connection- her anger was growing.

“I will make you apologize.”

“Screw you.”

Andrew couldn’t breathe. Ali could feel the panic rising in his chest as he tried to flow the air through his lungs.

That panic lead to fear- which led to pain- which led to desperation.

And he betrayed himself once more.

If I try, maybe I can see your shadow In the sodium light that masquerades as moon If I try, I might take off like a sparrow And I'll travel along a guiding breeze

Three words echoed through his brain. It sounded like a megaphone, bouncing off of empty walls. The words reverberated through Ali’s mind. Each time they were repeated, she felt Andrew lose a little more of himself.

“I. Own. You.”

And the next words that repeated further solidified that in Andrew’s mind.

“Who do you belong to?”

“You.”

“What are you?”

“A tool. Used how you see fit.”

“Where, and when?”

“Here, and for forever.”

“And lastly, why?”

“Because I deserve it. Because I’m worthless.”

“That’s right. This is no longer your life- but mine.”

Very soon, very soon That's the sound of longing Are you there? Are you there? Will you answer me?

Ali was losing the connection. She had felt so angry and frustrated, and sad and disgusted, that she felt herself slipping from Andrew’s mind. The faint sound of a clarinet in the background echoed through the song, and she fought to keep the connection.

She could tell she was almost done- she just had to finish.

Andrew was collared, muzzled, beaten, bloody, and broken.

He had betrayed himself, and fully gave in.

The pain became too much, the constant battle between himself, and that man. So he gave up. And Ali could see him slowly becoming everything that Splice wanted him to be, doing everything he was asked, taking every punishment, submitting to every command.

“You can be good right?”

Andrew was nodding.

He was obeying, he was following, and he was slowly decaying.

In my dreams, my beloved lies beside me When the sun lights the room, I find it's only me Only me when the sun is gone.

The memories rushed by faster now. She could tell they were getting closer to the present.

Andrew was terrified. He was so scared, and in so much pain, and so exhausted, that when he finally saw his friends again, he didn’t recognize them.

Ali understood that he was so focused on avoiding pain, and being good, that he didn’t even comprehend his saving grace, as it stood before his eyes.

And then, when he was finally able to comprehend what happened, he was punished again. He was beaten bloody, he was branded, burned, scarred, and tortured. And he was led to believe that everyone he loved had died.

No wonder he had been so out of it, anytime he was awake for more than a moment he was confused. Or in disbelief or misunderstanding.

Because according to him, everyone was dead.

And he probably thought that he was too.

Only me. With the world all around me. When the sun and moon and stars are gone, what’s left is only you.

Ali had to fix this.

Her entire body was shaking, she had never stayed inside someone’s mind for so long before. She clenched her fists, focused her breathing, and projected her thoughts, forcing the truth into Andrew’s mind.

She echoed words and phrases of love, of peace, of safety, over and over again, until they were shouting louder than his own megaphone of pain. Until she was sure he could hear her.

You belong to yourself.

You are Andrew. A friend, a brother, and you are worthy of love, and peace.

You are safe, at home. And we will always be with you.

Because you deserve it. You are worthy, and you are more than a tool to be used.

Because we love you.

Andrew- we love you!

Will you answer me? Answer me.

- - -

@imagination1reality0 @just-a-whumping-racoon-with-wifi @thehopelessopus @burtlederp @whump-me-all-night-long @yesthisiswhump

youtube

There’s the video of the song from this chapter. It’s called “Answer Me” from The Band’s Visit.

#whumptober2021 #no.5 #betrayed #oc #my ocs #whump #whumpwriting #unconscious whumpee #blood #restrained #torture #referenced injuries #superpower whump #Carrot Top #caretaker #just to reiterate Ali's words to all of you #you are worthy of love and peace

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haledamage · 3 years

Note

astral for whoever you want :D

astral - of or relating to the stars

unsurprisingly, it’s Greedfall again, but not Nadia/Kurt for once! Instead, it’s Nadia/Vasco! pre-relationship but definitely flirting, on the boat ship to Teer Fradee.

---

Just before sunset, one of the crewmates of the Sea Horse had brought out a fiddle, and then had been joined with concertina, pennywhistle, and drum. By full dark, more than a dozen others - Naut, Coin Guard, and Congregation alike - had answered the call of music, and now laughter and singing drifted on the gentle ocean breeze as they danced along the deck.

Nadia leaned on the railing near the helm, watching the revelry but not joining in herself. They’d been out at sea a little over a month now, and while she had started to feel a bit of kinship with the sailors and soldiers in their entourage, she didn’t feel comfortable imposing on their merriment.

She became aware of the steady thud of approaching footsteps, and turned as Captain Vasco joined her at the rail. He had eschewed his hat, most likely because the sun was down, and he looked younger without it, less formidable. He always had such an air of easy authority about him, the kind that made you want to listen when he spoke, that it was easy to forget that he was only a year or two older than she was. She found herself both envious of and intrigued by it.

He turned his head enough to catch her eye, smiling slightly as if to let her know that he’d caught her staring. “Good evening, Your Excellency.”

“Good evening, Captain.” She gestured toward the musicians. “You’re not going to join in?”

“Someone needs to make sure the ship doesn’t sink while they’re slacking off,” he said, but she could hear the fondness in his voice. He loved his crew as much as they loved him. “They like to have a little festivity sometimes on calm nights like this. Music, dancing, drinking. Keeps morale up, and as long as no one is too drunk to do their jobs, I see no reason to stop them.”

“Do you play any instruments, Captain?” Nadia asked, hoping to take the opportunity to learn a little more about him.

He shook his head. “Flavia tried to teach me the fiddle, but I didn’t take to it. Not a bad singer, though.” He looked away from the growing dance floor and turned the full force of his attention her way. “What about you?”

“I was a very mediocre piano player for three years before my teacher gave it up as hopeless.” She had tried, really she had. Madam Duret had told her she simply ‘didn’t possess the gift’ for music.

“Can you sing?”

She shrugged. “Good enough for tavern halls.”

Vasco laughed, the sound as light and lovely as the fiddle below. “That’s all that matters.”

They fell silent, and Nadia’s eyes drifted away from the dancers and up to the sky above them. It was nearly cloudless, and the lanterns on the ship and waning moon weren’t bright enough to interfere with the vast and breathtaking view. Her preferred studies had always been more earthbound, but she suddenly understood the draw of astronomy. She couldn’t imagine ever getting tired of such a sight.

“Are there always so many stars?” she whispered.

“There are.” He matched her tone, though instead of awe his voice held curiosity. “Can’t see them like this from the city, I suppose.”

“It’s beautiful.”

“Yes. Beautiful.” Something about the way he said it drew her gaze down from the sky, only to find his eyes already on her. As soon as he noticed her looking, he glanced back up at the stars. “How much do you know about them?”

She considered his admittedly handsome profile in the dim lantern light, but his face wasn’t giving away any hint of what he was thinking. After a few moments of quiet contemplation, she gave in and took the bait. “Probably not as much as you, but I’ve studied star charts before.”

Vasco nodded sagely, though she didn't miss the twitch at the corner of his lips that said he was stifling a smile. "You know, we Nauts have different names for constellations than what you’d find on those charts."

"I’ll bet you do." Nadia was fairly sure she'd heard that line before, though never with quite so much sincerity. "And what would it cost me to learn some of the Nauts’ vaunted secrets?"

She expected 'let me buy you a drink,' maybe even an offer of dinner. That was how these conversations usually went. Instead, he just leaned closer, close enough that their shoulders brushed, and murmured, "You could say please."

There was no way it was that simple. She could almost feel the trap closing around her, and yet she still found herself tempted. Surprisingly so. Maybe it had something to do with the captain's natural charisma. Maybe she simply liked having the undivided attention of a handsome sailor, for however long it lasted.

Before she could answer, a voice rang out from below.

"Captain!" It was Jonas, who had finally noticed the two of them standing in the wings. He sat on a crate holding a musical instrument Nadia had never seen before, waving one arm wildly to get their attention. "Where’s your sense of hospitality? Ask the lady for a dance!"

“Jonas, I could not agree more.” With a graceful flourishing bow, Vasco offered Nadia his hand and a playful smile. “Would you do me the honor of a dance, Your Excellency?”

“Call me Nadia.” She curtseyed and slipped her hand into his. “And I would love to.”

He led her down the stairs toward the rest of the dancers, and none of them even pretended not to be watching them approach. He spun her twice before pulling her flush against him, his movements showy enough to entertain their audience, but obviously competent. Someone wolf-whistled at them; Nadia was fairly sure it was Constantin, but didn’t look to find out.

The band struck up something vaguely resembling a waltz, fast enough to alleviate most of the awkwardness that came with dancing with an unfamiliar partner but not so fast that it wanted to turn into a jig.

Vasco was an excellent partner. His lead was confident and clear, but never pushy or demanding; he simply moved, and trusted her to follow. If this was the same way he led his ship, it was no wonder his crew was so loyal to him.

As the next song slowed down enough to give them a chance to breathe, she told him so. “Captain, you are quite the skilled dancer.”

“You can call me Vasco.” They briefly separated in order to let another couple twirl past them, moving much faster than the speed of the music dictated. He took her hand again as soon as he was able, his other falling to her waist to bring her close. “So are you. A good dancer, I mean. But I suppose you have to be.”

“True. It’s part of my job.” Nadia hesitated to continue, but decided that a little honesty couldn’t hurt. “It’s been a long time since I’ve had this much fun with it.”

“Well, the night’s still young.” The song ended, and Vasco lowered her into a deep dip. It surprised a loud, delighted laugh from her, and something softened at the edges of his smile. “Let’s see if we can do better than that.”

#greedfall #nadia de sardet #nadia/vasco #HELP I LOVE THEM #I started this intending it to be a friendship piece and then they started flirting #their vibe is so *different* than nadia/kurt and I enjoy that immensely #nadia is like ‘sailors never take me seriously or show any real interest in me and to prove it I shall flirt with you’#and vasco is like ‘nobles are all greedy and only interested in exploiting us and to prove it I shall flirt with you’#JOKE’S ON THEM they’re in love now

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thorne93 · 3 years

Text

History Repeats (Part 4)

Prompt: Life’s hard, right? Well throw in a not so great job, a broken heart, and chasing a pipe dream in LA. But could someone come along to make all the bad shit disappear? Or is he just another heartbreak waiting around the bend?

Warnings: language, drug addiction, alcohol addiction, angst/heartbreak, adult themes (??)

Word Count: 2386

Note: Aesthetic made by @mrs-dragneel-stark-solo because she’s absolutely amazing Beta’d by @like-a-bag-of-potatoes and @mrs-dragneel-stark-solo . Brainstorming from @carryonmyswansong

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Before you knew it, you’d fallen into a routine with Hayden, somewhat. It wasn’t like clockwork, but there was definitely something that had become part of your pattern.

It seemed that Hayden would drop by a few nights a week and ask if you wanted to hang in his room after you got off. You always said yes because for the first several nights, it was a good way to vent and relieve some stress. You two swapped stories of hard working days, then it always seemed to work into the heartbreak you were both still going through. Realizing that not being with your exes was best, and accepting that fate were two very different things, especially for Hayden, having a daughter made it all the worse.

But after a while, the visits went from bonding, being each other’s support, to being fun filled and like normal friendly hang outs. The two of you talked about Rachel and Jason less, and talked more about yourselves. At one point, he even hooked up his video game console and for several visits, they turned into video game tournaments between you two. It was a fun, easy way to blow off steam after work.

Of course, sometimes you couldn't meet because he had an early day or you were exhausted from your shift, and that was okay. This was just two friends hanging out and there was no pressure for either of you to constantly want to hang out. In fact, for both of yours’ sakes, and for the sake of the anxiety that you both had, you didn’t over do it, knowing that being sociable for a long time wore on you both.

He listened to you about wanting to be a singer and you shared some of your lyrics with him and he told you stories of his aspirations as an actor and things he was proud and not proud of. Every time he talked about his acting, you felt awful because you were pretty sure you’d only seen two or three of his movies, so you couldn’t tell him your thoughts on any of his work. But he never seemed to mind, he was just happy to have someone that even wanted to talk with him about it.

Tonight, nearly a month after the first time you’d hung out, you’d gotten onto the topic of how you got into singing, and feeling that it was the only thing you were above average at.

“You can’t be serious,” Hayden admonished.

“No, I am. Come on, name one quality about me that’s better than average,” you challenged, knowing he wouldn’t come up with anything.

“You’re an excellent manager,” he noted.

You laughed, throwing your head back. “Oh, thanks. I’m so good at my job. I’m good at organizing people and running a shift. Big whoop.”

“Okay, fine. How were you in school?”

“Average. I made B’s most of the time.”

“Well you kick my ass on Overwatch all the time, so there’s that,” he said and you wrinkled your nose at him.

“Har, Har. No. I’m talking real, true talent. Like you! With acting!” you said, pushing on his leg slightly.

“I’m not so sure,” he remarked with an eyebrow twitch and half smile. “But I will say I was fairly good at tennis. Almost got a full scholarship and almost competed on a professional level.”

“See? Like that. That’s amazing. I can’t swing at a damn ball to save my life,” you said, falling back on the couch and throwing your arm over your face, tired from your work day.

“I bet that’s not true,” Hayden tried in an overly sweet voice.

“You’d lose that bet,” you said, your arm still covering your eyes.

“Good thing I’m not a gambler,” he joked with a laugh and you returned it.

“I’ll just stick to what I know best,” you said, sighing.

“Or...I could show you,” he quietly said. So quiet, you weren’t sure that’s what he said.

“What?” you asked as you sat up and removed your arm, looking at him.

Clearing his throat, he repeated himself, speaking up as he did so. “I could show you. How to swing at a ball. Then maybe, in your eyes, you’ll be good at something.”

You eyed him for a moment suspiciously, then you began to laugh as if it were absurd.

“No...Why?”

He shrugged, his eyes darting forwards, his elbows on his knees as he was leaned forward. “Like I said, to help you.”

“That’s it?”

“Jesus, Y/N, why are you so skeptical of someone wanting to help you?” he asked, and it meant to come out as a tease, as a joke, but his tone was harsher than he intended.

He went to apologize, opening his mouth to do so, but you stopped him. Hanging your head, and toying with your fingers, you softly answered, “Because I’ve never had it happen and it be innocent. People don’t just...help people for the hell of it.”

“Well I do and I’m going to help you be a good tennis player,” he vowed.

“Oh, really, Hayden, you don’t want a racket in my hand. I’ll kill you,” you said, shaking your head. “It’ll fly out of my hand and crack your skull. Or I’ll launch a ball right into your chest.”

He laughed, not taking you seriously. “I doubt any of that will happen.”

“I’m serious! This is a terrible idea!” you said, raising your voice, despite the fact that you were about to laugh too. “You really don’t want me handling sports equipment!”

“I’m sure I’ll survive,” he assured. “We’re going.”

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

Now, it was three days later, it was your day off and his, and Hayden was taking you two a recreation center to teach you tennis.

You dressed in shorts and a t-shirt, something comfortable because you had a feeling you’d be moving a lot more than usual. Hayden was looking rather adorable in shorts, a polo, and a baseball cap. He really did look like a tennis player.

The two of you grabbed the equipment and made your way to an indoor court, setting up. All the while you were so worried you wouldn’t be able to hit a single ball. He got everything in place, handed you a racket, then took his place on the other side of the court.

“Have you ever played?” he called across the court.

“A few times in high school.”

“So you remember the rules?”

You shook your head. “No, not really.”

“Okay, no problem,” he said before diving into the rules and logistics of the game. If the ball landed here, this happened, if you hit it here, this happened. If the ball comes at you like this, swing the racket like so...so on and so on. He was a really good teacher. He kept things simple and concise, perfect for you since you never played sports.

Then, the batting began and you were a disaster on the court. You couldn’t hit the broadside of a barn, you were flailing wildly everywhere, and you were slow. Hayden laughed once or twice, but you couldn’t blame him, in fact, it was kind of cute when he laughed at you, because to be honest, you were laughing at your efforts too.

“Time out,” Hayden suddenly said as he walked over to you. “I think I see the problem,” he noted as he approached you, getting so close you could feel the heat off his body.

“What?” you wondered as you looked down at your hands, feet, and racket, curious as to what he saw.

“Your footing,” he explained. “Half of tennis is making sure you’re setting your body up to accept the ball, no matter which direction it comes from,” he said as he moved behind you and put his hands on your hips and pivoted them and you followed the motion, trying to suppress the shiver that wanted to escape due to his nimble hands on your sides. Hayden was your friend, and the last thing you needed was to develop feelings for him.

“Now set your left foot a little more towards the net,” he instructed softly and you did as you were told. “Now bend slightly at the hips, a little more forward. Great!” he said, stepping back and eyeing you. “You’re holding the racket all wrong. It’s not a baseball bat, you don’t need to grip it like this,” he said, showing you how you were doing it. “If we were playing baseball, that would be perfect. A nice, strong, hold. But in tennis, you need a looser wrist, some range of movement, so that if the ball goes a little farther than you expected or comes back to the left, rather than the right, as you anticipated, you can pivot and shift quickly.”

You nodded, understanding.

“Okay, so take your racket,” he said and you took it in both hands, and he slid behind you once more, his chest pressed flush against your back as his body molded around yours in order to show you better. “Now put your hand here,” he said quietly, his voice practically right beside your ear as he took his hand and held yours and placed it on the racket correctly. “And the other, here,” he instructed, physically moving your hand again, adjusting your fingers as need be. “There we are,” he said, a smile in his voice and you turned to smile at him proud that you were finally in a good stance.

Yet, when you turned your head, he was gazing at you already, his eyes were smoldering. Your mouth went dry as your eyes went between his stare and his lips, his hold still firm around you. There was a charge in the air that was nearly strangling you two. Neither of you dared move, your eyes just holding the gaze that you shared, afraid to do what you wanted to do so badly.

Eventually you both of you moved at the same time, clearing your throats.

“Thanks for showing me that,” you quickly said, trying to erase the tension still hanging in the air.

“Yeah, yeah, any time. I’ll just...go over here and we’ll try again, now that you know how to hold it.”

You nodded, as he took his spot on the other side of the net. He served the ball, and you didn’t hit it the first time, but on the third try, you did, and it felt great. You cheered and jumped, excited that you were finally getting the hang of this, while he congratulated you and ran up to give you a high five which you happily returned.

The two of you continued to play, and it was actually fun now that you could somewhat play. You still were no where near his level of expertise, but you were much better than you had been when you started this afternoon.

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

After tennis, the two of you had worked up an appetite so Hayden offered to take you to dinner.

“Are you sure you want to?” you asked, knowing he sort of hated being out due to potential media coverage.

“Yeah, it’ll be fine,” he assured with a shrug and a smile as you two got back to his car.

“I don’t want to make you do anything you don’t wanna do…” you said uneasily. Of course, you’d love to hang out outside of his hotel room, but if it would put him in a situation he didn’t want to be in, then you didn’t want to do that.

“No, I’m more than happy to go,” he said with a smile.

“Well if you’re up to it, I’d love to,” you agreed with a grin.

With that, you two found a nice restaurant that was tucked away from everything else, off of main streets and areas, a perfect place for a man not wanting to be seen. The two of you had a great meal, chatting about tennis and he said maybe one day he’d teach you hockey and with an instructor like him, you actually jumped at the chance. Laughter about your performance today went between you two as you shared old stories about your little experience with athleticism and he told you all about his experience and how he almost went pro.

All in all, it was a wonderful day, and it didn’t stop there. The two of you went on a stroll in the park that was just a couple blocks over. Walking side by side, taking in the beautiful, simple sights of nature, it was so serene. Being around Hayden was so easy and effortless.

You hadn’t really talked to your old friends in a while and Jason and you hadn’t spoken since the breakup. But you didn’t really miss them. You didn’t miss constantly pretending to enjoy being out and about all night. You didn’t miss that when you and Jason broke up, no one really checked on you or cared too much. The first day or two, you got a couple of texts from friends, but after that, it was radio silence. No one asked again how you were doing after that, and for you, it sent a pretty big signal that they weren’t the type of friends you could count on in a bad situation. That made it evident they didn’t need to be in your life.

Same for Jason. He didn’t talk to you about your issues, he just decided for the both of you that he didn’t want to be in a relationship any more so he just ended it. No talk. No discussion. Just a “this isn’t working out” speech and he was out of your life. He didn’t even respect you enough to talk about it or give you much closure.

Hayden didn’t seem like a man who would do that. A man who would abandon friends in their time of need, or just up and leave without much of an explanation. That’s what you liked about him. He was sweet and reliable and it was refreshing.

After the walk, he drove you back to your place, where you hugged him tight and thanked him for a wonderful day out. Thank your lucky stars you had a friend like him.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Forever Tag:

@essie1876

@magpiegirl80

@letsgetfuckingsuperwholocked

@marvel-imagines-yes-please

@missinstantgratification

@thejemersoninferno

@rda1989

@munlis

@thefridgeismybestie

@bubblyanarocks3

@igiveupicantthinkofausername

@kaliforniacoastalteens

@feelmyroarrrr

@kaeling

@friendlyneighbourhoodweirdo

@damalseer

@heyitscam99

@yknott81

@sorryimacrapwriter

@glitterquadricorn

@bittersweetunicorm

@alyssaj23

@sea040561

@princess76179

@thisismysecrethappyplace

@sarahp879

@malfoysqueen14

@ellallheart

@breezy1415

@marvelmayo

@lyniboy

@paintballkid711

@pandacookieowo

@beiroviski

Hayden Christensen:

@coldlilheart

@haydens-moles

History Repeats:

@multifandomblog315

#history repeats #hayden christensen x reader #hayden christiensen fic #hayden christensen

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our-chaotic-beginnings · 4 years

Note

Can I request bakusquad on a first date?

The long awaited request has been filled! Hopefully tungle.hell doesn’t kill be with word count caps. I hope you enjoy!

Mina Ashido

She’d take you out on a first date to the mall! A lighthearted day of shopping (or window shopping if you’d prefer) and hanging out is her idea of a great first date!

Your first stop would be to the local café to grab some much needed caffeine to keep your energy up throughout the day. She always orders drinks with caramel and chocolate to keep her sweet tooth happy, and she’ll gladly offer to pay for yours if you’d want.

Your next stop is to your favorite store! You’ll both have a day at trying on outfits and finding the best styles for each other. She loves thrifting as well so you may find yourself bouncing from shop to shop, hand holding her tightly to make sure you keep up.

Whenever you feel your bellies rumbling, you make a beeline for the food court. If you surprise her by tugging her to your favorite fast food station, she’ll let out a laugh lighter than air and give you a small peck on the cheek. She’s happy that you’re able to keep up with her energy.

After you’ve eaten to your heart’s delight, you’re off to the arcade! Mina bets that you can’t beat her at Dance Dance Revolution, and you’re not one to say no to a challenge. You spend hours dancing at this machine, drawing a crowd around as you do your best to gain the upper hand. When you manage to get a perfect score on a song, she rushes over to you to give you a high five and the biggest hug she can muster.

“That was awesome! You’ve gotta show me how you got so awesome at this game! I’ve got Just Dance in my room, wanna see if you can beat me there?”

Katsuki Bakugou

As loud and brash as he is, Katsuki isn’t the one to instigate your first date. All of BakuSquad could see how he wasn’t as harsh with you, so they decided to set him up for a first date with you. So when he found himself at the meeting spot just outside an amusement park with you frantically checking your phone and looking around for someone, he knew that you’d both been set up by your friends.

He marched up to you and let out a groan. When you had noticed him, you came to the understanding that his friends were meddling with you. However, you shouldn’t let these free tickets with all day passes go to waste, right? With hands in respective pockets, you entered the park side by side.

While you both were fairly uncomfortable and awkward in the first hour of hanging around the park, once you two got onto a ride, you both warmed up to each other. You were riding one of the faster coasters, one that slowly pulled you atop a hill onto to launch you downward and through loop-de-loops.

While you were screaming your head off on the drop, Katsuki was giving a full-hearted laugh that ended with a smirk. A smirk that quickly morphed into a small ‘o’ of surprise when you grabbed his hand. His face flushed as he glanced between your hand gripping his for dear life and how your eyes were squeezed shut. The shock from your boldness faded from him, face returning to his normal hue (albeit dusted with a soft pink blush), and he squeezed your hand back.

Minutes later, the two of you were exiting the ride, and he escorted you, hands still together, over to a shaded table for you to calm down after the ride. Realization hit you that you were holding hands and you tried to pull away, but Katsuki just smirked and squeezed your hand tighter.

“Trying to run away from me now? Tch, you could’ve told me you don’t like the faster rides, dumbass. Let’s go find something more your speed. I can’t be the loser that lets his date feel uncomfortable.”

Kyouka Jirou

As the daughter of two music lovers, her idea for a first date is to a concert. She branched out to a genre that wasn’t her style, more of yours actually, so she knew you’d love it. With a few of her mom’s connections, Kyouka managed to score a couple of front row seats for the two of you.

During the breaks of the opening acts, she makes her best attempts at small talk. When the awkwardness washes over, you chuckle and give her hand a squeeze. You know she’s out of her comfort zone, so you try to ease her nerves by talking about what you liked about the music. You’ve struck a chord with her then, and so when you both aren’t vibing with the music you both chat about how good the guitarist’s riffs were or how you could see how much fun the lead singer was having as she flitted from one end of the stage to the other.

Your attention’s drawn to the stage when the main act appears, Kyouka’s fingers interlacing with yours as she anticipated the first strum of the base for their opening song.

Melodies and choruses passed, and it felt like time had stopped until the band was announcing their last song of the night. However, Kyouka could barely focus on the stage; her eyes were glued to you, taking in your overflowing enjoyment. With every song, you were energetically performing in your seat; you were far more captivating than the girl adjusting the mic on the jumbo screen.

Contrasting to the upbeat, fast paced songs that they had started their set with, a soft tune floated through the venue. The guitarist had exchanged his normal electric guitar for an acoustic guitar. Cliché and mushy words accompanied the gentle music, and Kyouka could feel her heart pound. The band was ending the concert with a love song, a preview of their new album if she remembered the earlier announcement correctly. The singer’s voice gradually built up from a whisper to a resounding belting that echoed through the silent crowd. A split second of silence followed as the singer took another breath; you followed suit to prepare for the next verse, unaware of what Kyouka planned. You turned to check how she was feeling about the song only to find her lips on yours.

“I know that this band was the headliner tonight, but you were the real star of this show. Wanna listen to all their albums on the way back tonight?”

Denki Kaminari

Denki’s idea of an ideal date is just inviting you to hang out with his friends. Some may see it as awkward, but he sees it as the best way to introduce you and to get to know you in a group setting. Today, he dragged you along to his squad’s gaming day, with today being a MarioKart tournament.

Before you even said a word, his friends (with the exclusion of the feistiest member of their crew) swarmed you. They asked who you were, if you had a quirk, and how you’d managed to agree to date their goofiest friend. You laughed and answered their questions with ease, pulling the flustered blonde closer to your side as you joked about accidentally getting shocked by him during your first meeting with him.

Any awkwardness subsided once a controller was in your hand. The unofficial leader of their group pushed a black controller to you, almost a challenge to see if you were good enough for Denki. Everyone was competing in this grand prix solely made up of Rainbow Road at the highest level of difficulty. You agreed wholeheartedly and set out customizing your bike (as you preferred them to the carts) to create the ultimate racer.

The first of the four rounds started off with a blast, with you managing to blow out as you got used to the controls. You ended up way back in 6th place, with only Hanta falling behind you at 8th with NPCs littering the places unoccupied by the other players. The next two rounds fared better with you placing 3rd in the second round and 2nd in the third round. With the final round seconds away, you were shocked to find that your points were tied with the hotheaded Katsuki. This last round would determine it all.

Denki massaged your shoulders during the brief break before the final round (as he was eliminated in the second round with an unlucky last place), whispering encouraging words to hype you up. He was worried about Katsuki’s verbal beating he’d give if he didn’t win; the blonde had been at the receiving end of many of those. Those worries all melted away as he saw the way you were weaving through the NPCs, using them to shield yourself from the explosive boy’s neverending supply of shells. You were neck and neck; in first and second place for the majority of the round. Tensions were high, the room making the group’s chants of your name echo into your very soul. You didn’t even realize you had managed to win; as soon as you crossed the finish line, Denki had you pulled into your lap and was pressing his lips lightly to your cheek.

“You did it! You beat our reigning champ! You’re definitely a keeper if you can even beat Mr. Hot Head himself! You want to do this again sometime, maybe one on one?”

Eijirou Kirishima

As health conscious and ‘manly’ as he is, Eijirou offered a simple walk in the park as your first date together. He would’ve offered to work out together, but some of his other friends (namely Mina and Denki) vetoed that. He chose a weekend that was expected to have a sunny forecast and chose a park that was more than just grass and pathways.

You both met up by the vending machines, him buying you your drink of choice and grabbing himself a bottle of water. Eijirou kept the conversation light, discussing the recent class you both had about team tactics. He had been absolutely enthralled watching how you effortlessly pulled off a combination move with Momo and Tsu. His hand casually reached for yours, grinning wide to show off his pearly teeth as your cheeks bloomed with a pale pink.

Soon you came upon a mostly deserted play set with three sets of swings. You both came to an agreement to swing in the shaded area as a short reprieve from the sun. The conversation shifted from tactics to inspirations as you recounted your first experience with a pro hero: a pro hero from your hometown had taught a general safety course and ended up rescuing an eight-year-old you from flying away when a friend’s wind producing quirk accidentally activated. You recounted your amazement about how she jumped up a few meters to grab you and gently returned you to your spot without making a huge scene about scolding your friend. Her calm attitude and quick reflexes really inspired you to strive to be a hero, especially a hero with attention to handling cases with children involved.

Eijirou relaxed into the swing, swaying as he explained how Crimson Riot’s manly ideology and willpower to confront danger without any hesitation brought himself out of a dark time of self-doubt. The pro hero turned into an idol, influencing the boy to take on his well-known red hair and paying homage to the Crimson Riot with his own hero name Red Riot. Her further went on to explain that while he admires the manliness of the hero, he doesn’t mean that he admires the masculinity aspect of the word.

He knows the courage and determination of manliness comes in many forms; he exclaims that you exemplify that manliness, especially after learning about what happened during your training at a hero agency based in Hosu City. You had managed to hold off two villains twice your size on your own while waiting for reinforcements to arrive during a small hideout raid. Eijirou was so caught up in explaining his admiration that he hadn’t even noticed that he was slightly pulling you both towards the edge of the raised walking path. He made one wrong step and started falling towards the ground, only to have you grip his hand tightly and yank him back onto the walkway and directly into you. With a blushing face that rivalled his hair, the boy recovered from his blunder with a full-bellied laugh.

“I know I’ve been going on and on about how manly you are and how awesome your training is going. After this, I think I’m really falling for you. You’re my hero today!”

Hanta Sero

A laidback date for a laidback guy, Hanta decides to do a casual movie at home for your first date. He first takes you to the convenience store to pick up all the snacks that you’ll need for the movie marathon. He scored some copies of a childhood classic series that he knew you liked, so he wanted to make sure you both would have enough to last the eight-hour binge.

While you grabbed the popcorn, he snuck over to where the dried fruit were. Despite all of his friends’ eating habits, Hanta favored the healthier options. Although he wouldn’t mind a little sugar now and then if it were you giving it to him. Little did he know that you were lurking around the candy aisle with a specific target in mind. After a few minutes of browsing the shelves, the black-haired teen settled on a large bag of a mixed variety of snacks and met you by the checkout counter.

Hanta paid for your goodies and you walked hand in hand back to his room. After situating the hammock into place and gathering any pillows or blankets you needed, you settled in next to each other and turned on the first of many movies. You both lay there cuddling, him being the large spoon so that he’d have more room to maneuver his elbows so that they wouldn’t dig into you.

Time sped by as you both lay there and enjoyed the corny visual gags that seemed like it was just yesterday that you were watching for the first time. In between laughing your hearts out and stuffing your cheeks with popcorn, neither of you could feel the beating of each other’s hearts against one another nor the warm mood settling about the two of you. The snacks were dwindling, only one bag left unopened as you two reached the final film.

He was the one who grabbed the bag, eyebrows quirking up as he read the contents. Sugar coated orange slices; something Hanta hadn’t eaten before. He asked why you got these instead of anything else. You blushed and gingerly took one out of the bag, mumbling a response along the lines of thinking he may like them. He chuckled and pushed into you, shifting just enough to where he could snatch the treat from your hands with his lips.

“Well what do you know, these are pretty good. If these are halfway as sweet as you, then I’m in good company!”

#mina ashido #mina ashido x reader #katsuki bakugou #katsuki bakugou x reader #kyouka jirou #kyouka jirou x reader #denki kaminari #denki kaminari x reader #eijirou kirishima #eijirou kirishima x reader #hanta sero #hanta sero x reader #bnha imagines #bnha x reader #bnha scenarios #bnha headcanons #requested

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quillyfied · 4 years

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Mega Good Omens Fic Rec Post 4

I LIIIIIIIVE

99 titles on this list again and once again we have an extra category, and I am pumped that I finally got this one done! Got a lot of holiday overflow but suck it up bc here it comes. As a refresher, the categories are: Jaunts through History/Canon, South Downs, Post-Apocalypse, Bus Ride/Night Before/Heaven and Hell, AU/UA, Soft, Before (exclusive to this list and List 2, meaning takes place almost exclusively Before Canon, as in The Fall/Creation/etc), Touch-Starved/Body Worship/Wings, Bonus, and H/C /Whump/BAMF. Warnings for gore and explicit material present where applicable. I don’t read smut fics but sometimes more adult material sneaks in there.

Mega GOmens Fic Rec Post MASTER

PLEASE LET ME KNOW IF A LINK IS BROKEN OR IF I MISATTRIBUTED AN AUTHOR.

JAUNTS THROUGH HISTORY/CANON

1. You are a Call to Motion – @freyjawriter24 (G, the one where Aziraphale would like to dance but doesn’t. Very sweet and soft and kinda sad, follows Aziraphale through history wanting to dance (specifically with Crowley) until he finally gets to. The pining is so good, y’all.)

2. I love you because I know no other way than this – kriswithakay (T, the one where Aziraphale and Crowley use the excuse of being spectacularly drunk to get in little touches and kisses throughout history. This one is so sad and so full of yearning, the whole time you just wish they would face each other sober. It’s so quiet and beautiful.)

3. A Simple Thing – Sir_Bedevere (T, the one where Aziraphale gives out forehead kisses and Crowley is jelly about it. Continuing with the trend of being achingly sad and tender, this fic packs a wallop in that department. Forehead kisses aren’t always given at the happiest of times, after all. Also Crowley continues his stint as a pine tree and it’s painful.)

4. The Problem with Saints – Lurlur, D20Owlbear, robynthemagpie_writes, Wyvernquill (T and G, the series where it’s Catholic but funny. This series is weird and it’s hilarious and I hope there will be more, because this series goes through some fairly niche Catholic saint stories and the retelling of them featuring the Ineffable Husbands is hysterical. I don’t even want to tell y’all too much about it, just go read them and laugh with me, because they’re beautiful.)

5. When The Things You’ve Planned Need a Helping Hand – Proskenion (T, the one where Crowley and Aziraphale run into each other in the 1920s. Flapper!Crowley being a lounge singer is the centerpiece of this one, which is delightful enough, but throw in some canon-typical friction over the Arrangement and a chance for Aziraphale to come to the rescue, it’s a lovely little romp that has just the right edge of emotional tenderness to take the sting out of said earlier friction. Or add to it. Just depends on your point of view, really.)

6. The Serpent and the Lady – @summerofspock (T, the one where Aziraphale is Lady Fair and Crowley is competing in a tournament for his favor. Has female-presenting Aziraphale still using male pronouns bc that’s just what he’s comfortable with, and definitely, definitely has that Disney animated Robin Hood flavor. This fic scratches so many of my itches—Aziraphale in a dress, Crowley being a dashing BAMF, chivalric courtship, swordplay, armor, hand-sewn tokens of favor. A delicious little diversion, very worth it a++++.)

7. Sunlight and Water – @themoonmothwrites (M, the one where Aziraphale is a flirty drunk and Crowley has to be the sensible one. M for some racy elements but not explicit. This one is fun but then takes a direct left into Feels Town, which, when coupled with @cassieoh’s art, just makes the whole experience dreadfully unfair. A gorgeous little story, and the ending is just *chef’s kiss*.)

8. Sloth – libbyfay (T, the one where Aziraphale checks in on Crowley after the fourteenth century. This one is a delight, and includes Aziraphale recommending The Canterbury Tales, as well as a back-and-forth about depression versus Sloth and a lot of talking around feelings. Must absolutely be read in conjunction with the next rec in the list, which is something of a continuation. )

9. I have an aungel which that loveth me – HolRose (NR, the one where Crowley follows up on The Canterbury Tales recommendation from Aziraphale and it gets a bit deep. A continuation of the previous rec, and oof, y’all. This one gets hella sad, which hits pretty hard after Crowley laughing his head off about the funny bits in Canterbury Tales. There’s also Feelings, which are desperate and tender and guys they don’t even kiss but it’s still breathtaking. They love each other so much.)

10. (heaven is) a place on earth – rattatatosk (G, the one where Aziraphale nearly loses his bookshop. This takes place during the deleted scene from the 1800 opening of the bookshop, and has oodles of Aziraphale building himself a home and being devastated about nearly losing it. Not a nesting fic in the traditional sense (meaning it isn’t about building a home for himself and Crowley, it’s definitely just for him), but for fans of happy Aziraphale being fluffy and content in his bookshop, here you go.)

11. No other news to report – @argentconflagration (T, the one where Aziraphale is torn up about an assignment. Y’all want Crowley interfering in angelic plans? Y’all want tenderness and holding? Y’all want Aziraphale letting himself be bested? Then stay a while, because this one is a heart-wrecker. Featuring a very sick and very devout child, and female-presenting Crowley.)

12. These Things Were Here – @MajorEnglishEsquire (T, the one where Crowley resorts to snake form to deal with his feelings. This one is long and it’s emotional; Crowley reverts down to being a snake whenever he gets especially bad assignments from Hell, and it’s about him and Aziraphale finding balance and harmony between themselves when Crowley is like this. Very sweet and very tender and very sad.)

13. Crossing Paths – @amuseoffyre (G, the one where Crowley and Aziraphale meet every few years. This is your typical “through the ages” fic but it’s Fyre writing it, and that means it has so much humor and heart and history in it it’s practically like reading deleted scenes of the show. The boys are so in-character and their love is subtle and slow-boiling but there. Highly recommended, absolutely.)

14. apples (per the author’s intention) – @lwtis (T, the one where apples is a recurring theme in their friendship. This one is hilarious and it’s heartfelt and I quite enjoyed it; the bits where Aziraphale is absolutely convinced this is a temptation of some kind are particularly juicy (not unlike Crowley’s backside in a certain pair of trousers). Crowley absolutely knows how to beat a joke to death and he does it with style.)

SOUTH DOWNS

15. up in our bedroom, after the war – @rufeepeach (T, the one where Crowley and Aziraphale need to get away to process things. In this one, they more vacation to the South Downs rather than move there, but them working through the awkwardness of Armageddon’s fighting and gently taking their relationship to its natural conclusion is beautiful and good. It isn’t urgent or desperate, just quiet and understated and organic. A lovely piece.)

16. Somewhere Alive and Green – @thetunewillcome (T, the one where they make a necessary move. This one is quiet and reflective, as a good South Downs fic should be, and though it’s short I think it’s wonderfully healing. Very good.)

POST-APOCALYPSE

17. England’s pleasant pastures seen – @squidsticks (T, the one where Aziraphale has an appointment with a book collector and Crowley offers to drive. Y’all it’s so sweet and, dare I say, uplifting, how much they love each other. Someone drops the “husband” word at some point and someone else has a joyful fit over it and I bet you can tell who does what. There’s also a lot of teasing and the kind of easy banter that comes with knowing someone for so long. V. good.)

18. you have built nests from all my bark – @mutalune (T, the one where Crowley is nesting as an aggressive courting maneuver. This fic is so much fun. Highlights include Michael thinking Aziraphale must have a special connection with the Almighty and trying to emulate his lifestyle in order to have one herself, Crowley getting irrationally jealous over it all and constructing the finest nest known to reality (including cupholders, which I now also want in all my pillow piles), Dagon looking for a very similar thing from Crowley that Michael wants from Aziraphale, and lots of delicious humor and unexpected character interactions. I highly recommend this one if you’re having a bad day.)

19. Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance – @divisionten (T, the one where Crowley and Aziraphale find out how to get around Heaven and Hell and it’s through summons. More of an anthology than a solid story, and it’s such a fascinating universe, liberally layered with overcoming trust issues and adjusting to being in a loving relationship, and it’s Good Food y’all, trust me on this.)

20. That’s Not Funny – cyankelpie (G, the one where they’re exceptionally drunk and Crowley says I Love You and Aziraphale thinks he’s joking. This one is sharper than expected but it makes the moment where they finally have everything out in the open so much sweeter. Lots of protective Crowley and very confused Aziraphale.)

21. Stars – @lyricwritesprose (G, the series that’s a spinoff of Tales of the Them that’s about Crowley and the stars, ostensibly. It’s a spinoff bc it deals with Aziraphale’s point of view, too, and their careful navigation of a complicated subject in Crowley’s history. Very soft and bittersweet.)

22. In Action How Like an Angel – PinkPenguinParade (T/NR/M, the series where Aziraphale stumbles into making some useful wards and then Crowley gets taken. Rated high for safety but the violence is truly not that bad and the sex jokes are very mild. Come for cool worldbuilding, stay for BAMF!Aziraphale, and have some extra bits of Anathema and Newt being very good and helpful friends on top!)

23. Let’s share a drink! – @nohaijiachi (G, the one where Aziraphale gets horribly discorporated and gets his body back fairly quickly thanks to quick thinking and Gabriel being easy to gross out. This one is a bit gross, fair warning, but it’s not too graphic, and it’s hilarious besides. Peak Bastard Aziraphale Hours, this one is. If you like reading about Gabriel getting messed with, welcome to the party.)

24. Metastable – MrsCaufield (Not Rated, the one where Aziraphale is having an existential crisis post-Armageddon. Featuring lots of miscommunication, some mild jealousy, and Aziraphale figuring himself out, which is always lovely to read about. Misunderstandings and two supernatural beings being grossly in love, can’t get better than this!)

25. Taking Steps – @joyandotherstories (G, the one where Aziraphale decides he wants to take salsa dancing lessons and Crowley agrees. Oh, y’all. You like pining? You like awkward touching? Do you perhaps like…faked relationships turning into real relationships? You’d best have a seat and dive into this one, because the payoff is many-layered and just phenomenal. The pride in these idiots not only learning to dance but learning to be open about how much they love each other is so good.)

BUS RIDE/NIGHT BEFORE/HEAVEN AND HELL

26. Introspection and Starlight – d20owlbear (T, the one where Aziraphale has a breakdown and is hold. I seem to have a special taste for Aziraphale breaking down, and this one is Hecking Delicious—it’s a slow break but it’s so achingly tender and emotional, especially once sleepy Crowley gets on the scene. Apologies are made and two very tired beings just hold each other at the end of it all and it’s so good.)

27. The Longest Night – @charlottemadison42 (T, the series where Crowley and Aziraphale are taking slow and important steps. Three fics in the series so far, and each one captures their hilarious and effortless dynamic so well while still paying homage to their quiet love. There are so many cool details to explore, ESPECIALLY in the bodyswap fics, and overall they are a really fun and thoughtful look at how the Night the World Didn’t End could’ve gone. OH AND A FOURTH ONE HAS GONE UP WHILE I WAS WORKING ON THIS LIST and you guyssss so much good content about Crowley’s (Presumably) Foot Thing and Shoes, omg. A treasure.)

28. Last Confessions and Hopeless Loves – @girlwholovesherwords (G, the one where they very neatly and annoyingly slot into their new dynamic. This one is so matter-of-fact and tongue-in-cheek I about died laughing, which is amazing given that it’s less than 3k words. A very good little egg.)

29. Choose Your Faces Wisely – @cheeseandonioncrisps (G, the one where Crowley and Aziraphale set the record straight on how they portrayed each other. This is a fun one based on the very good meta bits floating around (which have been bolstered by Neil Gaiman’s commentary in the DVDs I will have you know) that their performances in each other’s skins is how they see each other and how different that is from how they see themselves and guys it’s so good, I wanted this conversation to last forever and ever.)

30. and I just want to love you, to love you, to love you well – BrinneyFriday (T, the one where apologies are made and kisses are had. Guys it’s so soft. Oh my gosh you guys the tenderness is unreal. There’s Crowley falling asleep in Aziraphale’s lap and there’s deciding they’re stronger together and guys pls it’s so good just read it pleASE—)

AU/UA

31. A Curious Case of Miracles on Marlborough Street – @nihilnovisubsole (M, the one where there might be such a thing as too much of a good thing. M for sexual humor and situations but nothing all that graphic. Y’all it’s the “angels accidentally cast miracles when they orgasm” crack given the serious treatment it deserves, and this fic also wins awards for its brilliant OC angel Sabrael, Keeper of Miracles. The icing on the cake? Beautiful artistic accompaniment to go along with the brilliant writing. Just delightful, a whole entire treat. An afternoon delight indeed.)

32. Too Much of a Good Thing – @yamisnuffles (G, T, the series where Crowley and Aziraphale are both angels and things are a bit different. It’s not fair that yamisnuffles is a distinctive and wonderful artist, they have to be a good writer, too, and be terribly talented at telling a good story. Crowley’s character arc and emotional growth as a disgraced angel cursed to live as a snake for a while is fabulous, and it’s only ramping up, so jump on the train now! It’s a good train!)

33. Measures of Freedom – KazLangston (T, the one where Crowley is an acquisition made by one Mr. AZ Fell. This is one of those “turn left” AUs where they’re still an angel and a demon, they just didn’t meet in Eden. Instead, they meet because Crowley gets himself captured and Aziraphale doesn’t think it’s safe to let a real, dangerous demon loose. Their relationship is very combative and antagonistic but it softens; the emotional journey they go on from clear enemies to clear friends is fantastic.)

34. Somewhere Down Below – jane_with_a_j (T, the series where Aziraphale is captured as an incentive for Crowley to jump masters in Hell. There’s lots of hurt!Aziraphale in this one, as tends to happen to an angel captive in Hell, and an excruciating amount of pining that doesn’t so much counterbalance the angst so much as spice it up enormously. There’s intrigue, there’s a daring escape, it’s radical, folks.)

35. How it Happens – @captainqueernerd (T, the one that’s based on a comic and both are DELIGHTFUL. The fic here is an extension of the comic and so sweet, oh my goodness how sweet it is. The best bits aren’t even when they cover the comic’s events—it’s AFTER that is the real treat. I’ll hand out brownie points to anyone who can find the sentence that made me put down my laptop before I accidentally chucked it while laughing too hard.)

36. mors certissima – @northerntrash (T, the Hades and Persephone AU where Aziraphale is Hades and Crowley is Persephone and they’re all doing their best. This is a super fun one, beautifully written and lovely original lore that has Aziraphale really coming into his own as a god of death and what that means for the wider pantheon and the world. And IT’S ABOUT TO GO DOWN where the fic is at the moment, I’m pumped for the conclusion!)

37. It’s All Greek to Me (that is, Ineffable) – @ulspi (UR, the series where Crowley and Aziraphale are cast in different mythological roles in each fic. This one’s gorgeous, you guys, haunting and romantic and each fic has a distinct flavor that is impossibly good. A beautiful way to spend a rainy afternoon, in my opinion.)

38. The Princess and the Serpent – @longforgottenhymn (G, the one where Aziraphale takes Crowley to King Arthur’s court to get a nobleman off his back and oh no, fake dating becomes real dating, oh no. You think you’re ready for this fic? FOOL. This fic is going to carve you up from the inside out and you won’t even be READY for it even if you know it’s coming. This fic is going to promise intimacy and deliver in terrible, terrible tenderness. I am being melodramatic but THIS FIC. THIS FIC IS SO GOOD. This fic is not what I was expecting and it hits HARD because of that.)

39. Wicked dance – pirripipi (T, the one that’s a royal AU with incredible depth and complexity. Listen, what this fic might lack in polish it more than makes up for in flat-out interesting worldbuilding. The characterization is on point and the nonlinear storytelling is very well-handled. And that ending! So triumphant, so utterly joyful. What a joy this fic is! Just wait until you see the Garden of Eden, it’s SPECTACULAR.)

40. The sun doesn’t set on the shoreline – VinWrit (G, the one that’s a selkie and siren AU. This one feels more like it’s being told in microfiction installments and that’s certainly interesting on its own, but it reads like a horror story and it’s chock full of worldbuilding, and the characterization of Crowley especially just breaks my heart right in two. What a great little story.)

41. An Angel’s Hope – @braver-stronger-smarter (M, the one that’s a crossover with the Kiesha’ra book series by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes and it’s delicious AF. Not sure why it’s rated M, but it does deal with a war and the fallout of dealing with constant violence and death. Explains things well enough that you don’t need to have read the Kiesha’ra to understand what’s going on (or, like, if it’s been well over a decade since you last read it…), and the integration of Crowley and Aziraphale into the main plot of these shapeshifter snake and bird cultures is effortless. Can’t wait to see where this one goes (bc even if it just follows the plot of Hawksong, it’s sure to be an exciting ride). (Side note, read the Kiesha’ra, it’s a good series.))

42. By Grace – @seaskystone (G, the one that’s the little soulmate AU that could. Not very long but still highly impactful in my opinion, featuring Crowley and Aziraphale meeting in heaven and knowing right away they’re meant for each other, but canon still happens as it does. Short and bittersweet and pretty.)

43. The Ones Who Walk Away from Nevaeh – @soft-october-night (T, the one that’s the “The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas” AU none of us ever even knew we needed but heck if we didn’t get it anyway. If you aren’t familiar, “Omelas” is a short story by Ursula K LeGuin that I absolutely believe you must read in order to get the full impact of this and what the author does with the story with regard to our two boys, it’s earth-shattering. Soft-october-night does it again, just goes and makes outstanding AUs that own my entire soul like it ain’t no thing. Completely unfair.)

44. Take the Fall (What’s a Second Time) – @triffidsandcuckoos (T, the one where Crawly does what it says on the tin. This one includes a nice helping of Crowley suffering from chronic pain as a consequence of taking the blame for the apple business, and some sweet care from Aziraphale, who is well aware it’s his fault. An interesting take and a heartwarming story (even if suffering from chronic pain is the pits and there’s no way around that).)

45. forgotten (but not gone) – @writeonclara (T, the one where their memories are taken and Crowley and Aziraphale still manage to stay away from each other for about .04 seconds. This one has some hard edges and it is a harrowing story about accepting others and yourself, and having faith in yourself and your loved one, but the way they can’t keep their hands to themselves when all the stops are pulled out is frankly hilarious and I commend this story whole-heartedly for committing to that.)

46. It’s Not the Years, it’s the Mileage – @moveslikebucky (T, the one that’s an Indiana Jones AU based on @yamisnuffles’ art. You want Aziraphale doing his best in an Indy role while still being an angel? You want Crowley owning a bar and it DOESN’T suck? You want pining and heartache and hilarity? Park it, then, folks, you don’t even need to know the Indiana Jones films to enjoy it (I certainly don’t and I am aware of this failing, thank you).)

47. or the look or the words – @taizi (T, the one where they just keep getting married and it doesn’t stop from happening. Guys they are literally married HUNDREDS OF TIMES throughout history STARTING AT THE ARK. They are literally so soft and so in love and I am beside myself right now, please love yourself and practice some self-care by reading this fic.)

48. Give me a title, I’ll give you my heart – @nohaijiachi (T, the one that’s a human AU based on fanart and it’s great. Single dad Aziraphale with a cautious past, determined son Adam who is gonna get his dad a date if it’s the last thing he does, utterly besotted Crowley who is excellent at being gentle and also a great beta reader…a surprisingly emotional and fun piece, very good.)

49. what if you fall? oh, but my darling, what if i fly? – Doggoos (T, the one where they loved in Heaven and outside interference tore them apart. I LOST THIS FIC AND SPENT FOREVER TRYING TO FIND IT AGAIN. The one detail that kept me going? Crowley (as Raphael) and Aziraphale exchange jewelry before Gabriel sticks his stupid nose in it and the jewelry is visually stunning and emotionally gorgeous. It’s emotional and it’s fraught and there’s erased memories to contend with but holy COW, y’all. They’re so in love.)

50. Snakes and Stones (the Crowley/Aziraphale Human AU) – @deerstalkerdeathfrisbee (G, the series where it’s exactly what it says it is. The opening fic for this series is where literally everyone in Aziraphale’s dorm thinks his boyfriend is made up and Aziraphale has the enormous pleasure of proving them all wrong. It has great Newt characterization and, surprisingly, Gabriel being likeable, though he has to work for it. It’s fun and a little silly and I adore it.)

51. in the arms of the ocean (so sweet and so cold) – robynthemagpie_writes, agent_of_mischief (T, the one where Aziraphale becomes a lighthouse keeper and Crowley is probably a sea monster. This is a horror story and it’s a love story and while reading it kept me awake at night, thinking about it also kept me very much awake at night. I am the world’s biggest chicken and the spoop is real, friends, but more than that, it’s the horrors lurking in Aziraphale’s past (and probably Crowley’s, I have some theories) that are the heartbreaking bit. Not for the faint-hearted, it goes hard and I have a feeling it’s only going to go harder.)

52. i’ve found a way (a way to make you smile) – @fremulon (T, the one that’s an AU of The Office. Requires no knowledge of The Office but I’m sure it helps. This is one I kept putting off and deeply regret doing so (though, on the other hand, waiting so long to read it meant that I caught up the night before the last chapter went up, so HA). Y’all, it’s so funny and so relatable as an adult stuck in a dead-end job I don’t like, and the romance between Aziraphale and Crowley is so simple and so sweet. I just love it and I love this fic and I want you to read it immediately right now.)

53. I Know Places We Won’t Be Found – FangsScalesSkin (T, the one where Crowley and Aziraphale run away together from the Garden of Eden. I have been waiting for someone to write this forever and it’s finally happening. And it’s got such fun worldbuilding, and their interactions are so cute, and I just love them and want them to be okay and to be married forever and ever.)

54. an imitation of the garden of eden – @dyslexiccrowley (T, the one that’s a D&D-inspired AU. Speaking of AUs that come out of hecking nowhere, here’s one! This one is a really fun adventure, and if you thought me turning the Bentley into a horse in several of my fics was fun, this one beats me out by a country mile and I couldn’t be more gleeful about it because THE BENTLEY IS A DRAGON. I could deffo see the dnd elements throughout but the flavor of it is so unique, I thoroughly enjoyed the adventure and the character moments.)

55. Hell is Just a Sauna – @anthonyjcrowiey (T, the one that’s a “Ten Things I Hate About You” AU. I haven’t seen the film (though I have read Taming of the Shrew and I have been on Tumblr long enough to absorb several gifsets), but this fic was still so good and managed to hook me right in regardless of that fact. I can’t wait for it to finish up, we’re on the emotional crux of the plot and it’s tearing me up how it’s been left!)

56. be mine tonight (be mine forever) – @qorktrees (T, the one that’s a literal “fake dating becomes real dating” AU. Human AU, and these idiots I SWEAR. Aziraphale needs a date for the office Christmas party, Crowley is available and bribable, and of course it ends in their ruse becoming the real deal, this is fanfiction for crying out loud. It happens so sweetly, though, you’ve gotta see this.)

57. Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes – @gigglesnortbangdead (T, the one where Heaven and Hell turn enemies into children instead of smiting. Oh, goodness gracious y’all are not ready for this one. You aren’t ready for the way being turned into a child affects an angel or a demon. You aren’t ready for the myriad ways bb!Crowley is gonna tug at your heartstrings. You aren’t ready for the way Aziraphale is when it finally happens to him. You AREN’T READY. This is precisely why you should go read it right now immediately, to see just how unready you really are. You should take care of that at this exact moment.)

58. Ineffably Yours – SecondHandNews (M, the series where Crowley and Aziraphale choose each other and keep choosing each other. Listen to me: this series is the length of several novels. I have only read the first one, after stumbling on a side-story that was really good and not realizing it was a side-story of a bigger series until I’d finished it. I am planning on reading the rest of the series, which is still updating. I am a little terrified at this titan who has managed to write over 360K words since June in this one series alone. The first one absolutely had me biting my nails and rocking back and forth in an anxious haze, and it’s so tender and so beautiful and SO NERVE-WRACKING. Crowley and Aziraphale learn the Rapture is coming and they just…kinda snap, really. Stop avoiding each other, start choosing each other, and all the twists and turns that comes with it. Just. Really outstanding work, I am an anxious mess but it’s good XD)

JUST SOFT

59. Where to Start – @freyjawriter24 (T, the one where Crowley nearly kisses Aziraphale throughout history like A LOT. Guys you wanna feel the pine crushing into your soul? You want to feel that deep ache of wanting to touch so badly but holding back out of sheer desperate force of will? Read this, prepare to have your knees appropriately weakened from the longing.)

60. A Softer Fall – @themoonmothwrites (T, the one that’s the wall shoving but soft. Bury me in this one, boys, my corpse will rest well for eternity, because holy COW the longing and the fear and the reassurances…my heart is a marshmallow now and it’s this fic’s fault.)

61. for the dancing and the dreaming – @une-danse-macabre (G, the one where Aziraphale proposes. Listen I know this entire section of the post is for Soft Fic but this is Softe Fic and I am not joking even a little bit. Crowley desperately deflecting using humor bc he is so overwhelmed? It’s more likely than you think. Read this, it’s a beautiful little shot of humor and romance.)

62. in candlelight, we dance – SaerM (T, the one where they take a shower together. I have a deep and abiding weakness for bathing fic, and even better, it’s not a sex fic! Just two ineffable partners being tender and washing each other and being together. So sweet and good.)

63. A Pile of Pillows – @waffleironbiddingwar (T, the one where Aziraphale seems to have built a nest during a weekend apart. There’s a few cute nesting fics in this here post but this is one of my very favorites; even has some wing grooming, and lots of teasing and kissing. Very cute!)

64. When the Wind Changes – Star_less (G, the one where Crowley makes faces at babies. Listen. LISTEN. You don’t have to personally like kids to go all gooey over how much Crowley seems to like kids, entirely without meaning to. It’s too cute. Someone call the Cute Police.)

65. with adorations, with fertile tears – waywarder (T, the one where there’s an emotional meltdown while watching a high school production of Twelfth Night. So sweet and unsure and awkward, this one; it’s canon-verse, Aziraphale just drags Crowley to a high school production and then proceeds to very nearly have an angelic aneurysm over trying to hold his hand. If you’ve a soft spot for the Ineffable Husbands quoting Shakespeare at each other, welcome to the party, you’ve arrived.)

66. Sleeping Angel – @whatawriterwields (G, the one where Aziraphale is asleep on Crowley’s chest. It should be noted that this writer wields tenderness like a weapon, stiletto right between the ribs to knock all that breath right out of you, which is a much more gruesome descriptor than I probably should’ve used but YOU GUYS CROWLEY TALKS TO AZIRAPHALE IN HIS SLEEP AND IT’S SO SWEET AND I CAN’T BREATHE.)

67. in so many words – @asideofourown (G, the one where Aziraphale has trouble saying “I love you.” This one made me laugh and “aww” in equal measure, but to get you to click on the link and read as fast as I did, Aziraphale says “thank you” the first time Crowley says “I love you” and I DIED.)

68. A First Christmas, Once Again – lalaland666 (G, the one where Crowley and Aziraphale get to celebrate Christmas together. This one has a fun twist on why Aziraphale dislikes the holidays and a really cute Crowley getting excited for them, and I think it’s well worth reading whether or not you find the December holiday season celebratory or not.)

69. (i love you) as you are – @asideofourown (T, the one where Crowley tries to change to be more like Aziraphale in order to keep him and it’s heartbreaking. Listen, this writer is great and more often than not draws me in bc the dialogue is so good, but this one just crushed my heart into pieces, because Crowley is trying SO HARD and he doesn’t have to but doesn’t realize that he doesn’t have to and AUGH.)

70. the commendation – @forineffablereasons (G, the one where Aziraphale’s ring is itself a commendation from Heaven. This one is short and sweet but it GUTS me every time, just over Aziraphale and how much Heaven screwed him over and failed him by making him feel like the failure. Something this short should not hurt me so much AND YET. Crowley makes it better. Obviously.)

71. the other way round – @forineffablereasons (G, the one where Aziraphale lays in Crowley’s lap instead. Listen we all love it when Crowley puts his head in Aziraphale’s lap but this writer has the right of it, we don’t see it nearly enough the other way round and HHHHGK. The tenderness. The softness. It BURNS.)

72. Every Song in Every Key – @impishtubist (T, the one with the seriously misleading summary. I mean this in the best possible way. Crowley being the one to enjoy the holidays is fun enough, but the true meat of this fic came out of nowhere and it hit me square in the squishy bits. One of the tags is “kid fic” for a little bit of a hint but I shan’t spoil it for you, just go read about Crowley being soft.)

73. shed a sweet light – @areyougonnabe (T, the one that’s not anti-holiday so much as a non-holiday holiday fic. That was probably confusing for you BUT IN ESSENCE: Aziraphale has been around too long to get too attached to any particular holiday (plus time passes so differently when you’re immortal), and attracts the ire of holiday influencers. It gets surprisingly dire, and then delightfully Jewish. Has the exact heart that every holiday story hopes for: quiet, enduring love amidst the chaos. A beautiful little thing.)

BEFORE

74. Unexpected Variables – @seaskystone (T, the one where God keeps having to reset the universe. Hands-down the most hilarious fic on the list just by virtue of God’s impending migraine in dealing with Crowley and Aziraphale, who are so incompetent and I love them so much.)

75. Astralphysiastrics – @wortlby2 (T, the one where Crowley and Aziraphale finally talk about Before. This one’s “Before” elements take place in flashbacks but given that they’re a pretty significant portion of the fic, I put it in this category anyway. Guys this one HURTS, but there’s healing in it, too, which is a beautiful balance. Ends nice and fluffy, which is a good landing after the flashbacks are done tossing you about.)

TOUCH-STARVED/BODY WORSHIP/WINGS

76. To Preen a Songbird – @tiger-in-the-flightdeck (T, the one that’s just some good old-fashioned preening, y’all. Prepare for these idiots being silly and bantering and teasing, because the back-and-forth is so good. SO good. So very, very good.)

77. Life Hurts (But Not With You) – Spider_Lilly (T, the series that’s about Aziraphale letting Crowley preen him. This one takes a pretty serious turn and talks about what happens to angels with slightly more realistic-type wings who don’t have help preening. Fair warning, there’s a bit of grossness with impacted preen glands (which are oil glands) and if you are squeamish I would tread carefully, bc it can get a bit disturbing when Crowley has to help deal with them, but if you like realistic wing care, this is the series for you. Also love. Also pining. Also they’re kind of the same story from different perspectives and the one from Aziraphale’s perspective is SO MUCH WORSE EMOTIONALLY. A good bit of catharsis fic, for sure.)

78. Descent Suspension – @onheil-ferguson (M, the one where Crowley could use some tying up. M for shibari but it’s nonsexual. Book!verse. I apparently have a thing for nonsexual BDSM and bondage, because this fic absolutely took my breath away. It’s very calm and understated and dignified, just feels quiet. A beautiful piece, for sure.)

79. The End (of the Beginning) or A Not-So-Nice or Accurate Guide to Sex on a Stick, By Anthony J. Crowley, Demon. – @fantasticallyobscure (T, the one where Crowley has been trying sex with all the wrong people. Not explicit at all, just has a lot of discussions about sex, which can be off-putting but now you know going in (if the title didn’t give it away). Basically Crowley keeps trying sex with people who have his same physical build and loses his appetite for it, until he and Aziraphale finally get their heads on straight and Aziraphale wants to try it. Some hilarious metaphors and a lot of adorable Aziraphale being jealous, which is a trip. A wonderful little romp, for sure!)

80. You Are Unbreaking (Though Quaking) – @lesbianscrowleys (T, the one where Aziraphale works through his knee-jerk reactions to being touched. A very good little snapshot of healing and working through things while communicating with your partner, and there’s a fun side-story about accepting who you are that underscores the main theme rather well. Crowley is so good and patient and Aziraphale is trying so hard.)

81. A Treatise Concerning Religious Affectations – forthegreatergood (T, the one where there are discussions of religious ecstasy versus regular ecstasy. This one involves more or less orgasming via manipulation of miraculous brain chemistry, and it’s a little bit funky, but you get in the vibe of the fic pretty quickly, I think, the writer is good about setting the tone. And it’s adversarial as all heck, this is a legitimate disagreement Crowley and Aziraphale are having and you feel every weighty second of it. It’s sensual, I think, but not necessarily erotic, and that’s a hard needle to thread and they do it very well.)

82. 451°F – @purple-suits (G, the one after the church bombing where Aziraphale wants so badly it hurts. Guys, oh you guys, the pure need in this one isn’t even really sexual but it HURTS, it is so physical and raw and achey. It absolutely put about five more aches under my skin just from secondhand need. Oh, y’all. Oh beans.)

BONUS

83. Chaos Theory – @themoonmothwrites (T, the series that’s about Adam hitting on Warlock in a bar and then reintroducing him to his old nanny and gardener. This one is 1. prime Adam/Warlock material, and 2. PRIME Warlock/facing his feelings and confronting his past and figuring out his future material. I have the weakest spot possible for Warlock Dowling and this one hits that spot like a LOT.)

84. Through the branches there’s a son that’s always shone – @jessicafish (G, the one with a contented Warlock. This one is a Halloween fic that has the softest Warlock and Crowley interaction of all time, it’s so short but it hits so hard and I must thank it for my life, really.)

85. Love, And Its Interference With The Nature of Reality – @souljellied (M, the one where Adam has a big ole crush and reality is warping for Warlock. M for some saucy makeouts at the start but it’s pretty tame. Guys if the fact that at one point the headlines in a news stand all read “TOP TEN REASONS TO DATE ADAM YOUNG” before Warlock blinks and they all change back to normal isn’t a good enough reason to read this fic then I don’t know what to tell you, it’s so delightfully tongue-in-cheek about Adam’s effect on reality and so funny and so sweet, even if it does end on a note that makes me howl for wanting a continuation.)

86. Slumber Party Summons and Aftereffects – @joyandotherstories (G, the series where Crowley gets summoned by a party of teenage girls and has a very heartfelt, productive evening with them. I dragged my feet on this story for incomprehensible reasons so DON’T YOU MAKE MY MISTAKES. The teenage girls who summon Crowley are so sweet and loveable, each and every one of them, and guys they ship Crowley and Aziraphale so hard when they finally pry Crowley’s life story out of him, with help from some memory projection witchery. It’s so good, y’all, so cute and so fresh. Just the best.)

87. Christmas Delivery – Daegaer (G, the one where Gabriel sends obnoxious Christmas cards and they are the highlight of Heaven’s holiday (to make merciless fun of). It should be noted that these Christmas cards all feature artistic renderings of Gabriel himself. I about died laughing and it’s canon now in my heart. I should not be endeared to the Archangels but here we are.)

88. and i don’t care if you don’t want me (i’m yours anyhow) – shaekspeares (T, the one where Warlock is figuring himself out at uni. This one is complex and deadpan and has such a good representation of Warlock and what he could grow to be, plus that excellent Warlock/Adam content I am always here for and Warlock having a complete meltdown over the idea that his former nanny and gardener were sent by his parents to spy on him, but not that they’re an angel and a demon. This kid has his priorities in order. Well, no, he doesn’t, but it’s fun to watch him get there. And he and Adam have the best dynamic ever, it’s full of friction and no small amount of adversarial energy turning sweet over time. This fic is physically healing to read and we aren’t even done yet. A fantastic addition to the fandom, if just for what Warlock does to the British equivalent of the Young Republican student body.)

89. Demonology and the Tri-Phasic Model of Trauma: An Integrative Approach – Nnm (T, the one where Crowley gets a therapist. I know most of you should know this, or at least have heard of it, but pipe down bc I finally got around to reading it and it’s AMAZING. If you’re a human who’s gone to a good therapist or who needs to, this story’s protagonist is phenomenal. And she’s not static in her own journey, either, she grows and heals along with Crowley, and it’s not linear or clean or simple. Like real life, it has dips and turns and bad patches, but the healing is palpable. A masterwork, truly, just real dadgum good, y’all.)

H/C /WHUMP/BAMF

90. I Don’t Want the World to See Me – @coulson-is-an-avenger (T, the one where they navigate an unexpected boundary concerning Crowley’s glasses. People who flinch every time they read about Aziraphale taking off Crowley’s glasses without permission rejoice: we have a fix-it fic for you. It’s tender in every sense of the word, and shows great boundary communication (y’know after the immediate scare is over), and all around is incredibly worth the read.)

91. Still Waking Up – @sleepymccoy (T, the one that’s trauma recovery with lots of bed-sharing and pining. Friendos if you want to feel every inch of that slow burn, you’ve arrived. This fic is careful and it’s emotionally ragged-edged and it’s just so dang pretty as Crowley and Aziraphale work through their separate issues and come to terms with what it means to them to be together with each other.)

92. Borrowed Scars – dreamsofspike (M, the one where Aziraphale finds out what Crowley goes through when he’s in Hell. M for implied/referenced rape and onscreen torture (and like some heavy petting that gets interrupted by feels). This one’s heavy, y’all, heavier than my usual fare, bc Aziraphale is in Hell wearing Crowley’s body when he finds this out so it’s pretty firsthand. Most of the bad bits are told in flashbacks but there’s also the healing part where Crowley finds out and he and Aziraphale have to have a heart-to-heart about what happened and how it’s never going to happen again. Drags you through the mud but then sets you back on your feet, a very good little number, I thought.)

93. Surviving Hell – @whatawriterwields (T, the series where Crowley’s coping mechanism is to shut down and then that coping mechanism becomes maladaptive in the new world. If you’re like me, you’re used to this writer writing the fluffiest creations known to man, so this foray into deeper territory socks like a cannonball right in the gut. Crowley’s healing process is long and it’s slow, with so much aching tender care from Aziraphale it is physically painful in a way. Can’t wait for it to update, I am INVESTED.)

94. Easier than Air – @a-candle-for-sherlock (G, the one where Aziraphale finally deals with stuff. This is a collection of panic attacks, as a warning; Aziraphale’s entire six-thousand-year life is catching up to him, living under Heaven’s eye and knowing he doesn’t measure up, still trying to be with Crowley even though knowing the danger…it’s a lot on a person, and it all kinda comes crashing down after Armageddon’t. Crowley takes care of him, talks and holds him through it all, and it’s so sweet, so freeing to vicariously fall apart through Aziraphale and be held through it by Crowley. Just. Augh.)

95. So Still I Wait – HotCrossPigeon (T, the one where Heaven locks Aziraphale in a void, basically, for three months, and then dump him back on earth for Crowley to pick up the pieces. Guys this one is part of a “hurt Aziraphale” series and it delivers. Aziraphale is his usual soft, silly self all throughout and that makes it hurt worse when he’s suffering, and downright agonizing when he’s trying to recover. Heaven is horrible to him throughout, and Crowley is so gentle and scared, and honestly I don’t know how I didn’t just keel over while reading it. This takes touch-starved to an extreme that booted it from the Touch-Starved category and into this one, because WOW. WOW.)

96. Flaming Like Anything – @thepoetoftime (NR, the one where any weapon Aziraphale holds flames. This one isn’t silly, exactly, but it is hilarious watching Aziraphale flame things like a stick and an umbrella and then absolutely CREAM his foes with them. Never stood a chance, poor souls. A wonderful read, with a surprising twist near the end I highly recommend savoring, it’s too good a mental image.)

97. Love Seeketh Not Itself to Please – @dietraumerei (T, the one where Aziraphale is hurt by a summoning and Crowley takes him to Heaven for healing. This one hurts on so many levels I don’t know where to begin. There’s the physical hurt—obviously—but then there’s the tension of our favorite reprobates being back in Heaven, and a moment where the rug is pulled that is disorienting and just…hateful, absolutely hateful, but in the weirdest, most relieving way. I cannot explain this to you, you must read it. And then sweet, sweet aftercare, because of course. I wouldn’t recommend it to you if there wasn’t any comfort in it, and this writer in particular has historically done excellently with the comfort aspect; this is certainly no different. It absolutely tickled my fancy.)

98. Cry for Absolution – forthegreatergood (T, the one where a miscommunication causes six thousand years of touch avoidance. Guys. GUYS. Crowley thinks his touch hurts Aziraphale and you know what it actually does? It actually hurts ME, personally, watching Crowley misread Aziraphale’s little gasps and flinches as pain rather than shock. Then they fight about it, and things resolve, but HHHNG. THAT PINING. THAT TOUCH-STARVED LONGING.)

99. White Walls and Dead Air – BabyHoldMyFlower (G, the one where Crowley has to physically take Aziraphale away from the plague. This one lands in this category rather than in the Body Worship/Touch-Starved/Wings category is the sheer (DESERVED) emotional vitriol Aziraphale has bottled up in him, the anger at God and Heaven, and how ragged he is from trying to stay ahead of the plague but just not being able to. Crowley helps, because of course he does, but this fic is the emotional equivalent of being put through a wringer. It’s exhausting and it’s beautiful.)

#good omens #good omens fic recs #mega gomens fic rec list #i guess i'm just gonna keep making these until i die #or until my gomens interest wanes #whichever comes first #phew what a big baby this post is

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janiedean · 3 years

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Hi hello! So happy to be able to offer you something 😊

Redfish, Blame it on the love of Rock-'n'-roll

*RUBS HANDS* THANK YOU VERY VERY MUCH *cracks knuckles*

[leave me bon jovi inspired prompts!]

blame it on the love of rock n’ roll (jonc/brynden, past one sided jonc/rhaegar, jaime, oberyn, jon s.;, pg13)

“He can’t have - he can’t just have done that,” Jaime Lannister says for the umpteenth time in the last thirty minutes, and - in any other case, Jon would have told him yes, I know, I’m entirely fucking aware, I have the offspring to show for it currently sleeping in my spare room right behind us, but all things considered... he can’t blame him. He really can’t.

“Well,” Oberyn says, shrugging, sitting across Jon’s sofa in a way that honestly should be reserved for R-rated movies, but he’ll leave it at that, it’s too hot and he’s too tired to tell him to do any different, “he has, and while I suppose that for him this entire exercise was a past time, but I think it doesn’t solve our main problem here, which is that next week we should audition for a record deal, and we can’t exactly do it without the lead singer, so how does anyone here suggest to proceed? Because as resourceful as I usually am, I have zilch here, and we’re never going to find anyone who’s going to learn all the songs in a week.”

Jon wants to scream.

Fact is: when he and Rhaegar and Oberyn stared playing together in Oberyn’s father’s basement in high school, it was for shits and giggles and because they wanted to play Nirvana covers and impress girls, or better, Rhaegar wanted to impress girls, he wanted to impress Rhaegar (and maybe guys, but mainly Rhaegar) and Oberyn wanted to impress everyone regardless of gender, but then... they had fun, and it stuck, and they started actually writing their own songs, and then Rhaegar said that he was tired of playing guitar if he had to concentrate on singing and while they were in uni they searched for a guitarist, and -

Well, Jaime Lannister had showed up, and he had been a tad younger than them and obviously had a lot of family trauma to share looking at his lyrics, but he was fucking good, and so they took him, and -

And after some five years of grueling sets in pubs they did manage to land a meeting with this guy Mance Ryder from an indie label who apparently liked them very much, and it would be a damned record deal, and that’s when Rhaegar decides that he’s going to... elope with his girlfriend and leave their six-month old with Jon himself and they’re going to find themselves in India or whatever and that’s not going into the fact that the six-month old was born after a bad split from Oberyn’s sister and it’s a miracle Oberyn hadn’t murdered him in the spirit of friendship and being in the goddamned same band.

Fucking hell.

And now both Lannister and Oberyn are looking at him because they’re apparently in the only band in existence where the decision-maker is the fucking bassist, that’d be him.

Fucking hell.

“Okay,” he says, “well. No, we can’t find another singer, not at short notice. Especially since they didn’t say what songs they want to hear so what if they just ask out of the blue, but.” He closes his eyes, tries to think about it. There has to be a way to get out of this mess, and certainly he isn’t good enough of a singer to take Rhaegar’s place -

Wait a fucking second.

“Okay,” he says, “Jaime.”

“... Yes?”

“From this moment on you’re on vocals.”

“What the hell? Jon, I’m -”

“You wrote more than half of the lyrics, you know them and you can sing worth a damn, which is way more than me and him can say for ourselves, and while finding a new singer is impossible, a new guitarist - well, someone good can learn most of the songs and improvise in case. Sure as fuck it’s less of a long shot.”

“But -”

“But nothing, Jaime. I know you liked it better if someone else sang about how shitty your sister is, but if we want this deal it’s either you or no one else. And now - now let’s just get online and send the word out. It’s Wednesday, we have to audition Friday next week, we can fucking hope it’s long enough for someone to show up.”

Two hours later, he’s sent Oberyn and Jaime off with a bunch of flyers and he has put online ads too - he also knows that it’s highly fucking unlikely that a skilled guitarist enough to improvise like that will walk into his house in the fucking middle of July being a good fit. Sure, there’s the possible record deal thing up that might sweeten the pot, but.

But he’s nowhere near sure that it’d be enough.

Still.

They’ll see. And Oberyn and Jaime better be there every single afternoon until Friday next week.

The next Wednesday, the heat is unbearable, his namesake is crying desperately because it’s too hot, Jaime and Oberyn are failing to calm him and Jon has just sent away the umpteenth college kid who tried to audition and was a shit fit and just cared for the record deal.

“We’re fucked, aren’t we,” Oberyn says, matter of fact, as Jaime finally manages to get the younger Jon to calm down.

Considering that Rhaegar hasn’t answered a single message -

Fuck, Jon had been trying to get over him for ages.

He’s sure this might be what actually makes sure he does.

“Probably,” Jon says, “unless some miracle happens right the fuck now, but -”

His phone starts ringing.

It’s an unknown number.

Jon takes it.

“Yes?” He asks, tentatively.

“Jon Connington?” A deep male voice asks, slightly gruff, but Jon can’t help thinking it’s nice. It has a lovely warm baritone to it, for sure.

“That’d be me.”

“My name is Brynden Tully. I’m calling for the Kingsguard audition.”

Jon doesn’t want to say that this guy sounds competent, but.

But.

“If you haven’t filled that position already, of course.”

“Oh, no. Not at all. You’re welcome to come even now - the place isn’t ideal, but... we don’t have the studio, this week.”

“Not a problem at all. Should I come to the address that was on the ad?”

“Yes,” Jon says, “it’s - it’s my house. We’ll meet you outside, I have all the gear in the garage.”

“Very well. I could be there in half an hour - or two, if I have to go back home and get my own guitar -”

“No,” Jon says, “it’s all right, I have more than one that you can use. Thank you, I -”

“You haven’t tried me yet,” the man replies, and he sounds like he’s smiling, and the call closes.

“Well,” he says, “let’s get to the garage and let’s hope this one guy is the miracle.”

“Did it sound like he could be?” Oberyn asks while Jaime says he’ll go get something to put the poor kid in while he has to listen to them, at least Rhaegar left him with the fucking supplies to care for him.

“He sounded more competent than any of the other guys who showed up.” The whole fifteen of them, but never mind that.

Jon walks down to the garage, already sweating the moment he sets foot out of the house. Fucking hell. This is the hottest summer he can remember in years, he just hopes he doesn’t end up fainting while they rehearse. Now that wouldn’t convince anyone to join his band, right?

They manage to get settled fairly soon - sure, Oberyn hasn’t played with that drum kit in years and Jaime is grumbling that not playing will be fucking weird, and the younger Jon at least doesn’t seem too bothered by their tuning, and then -

“I imagine these are the Kingsguard’s quarters?”

Jon raises his head from his bass, staring at the man who just came inside the garage, and -

Well, fuck.

Having been into Rhaegar for all of his life, he has always found people older than him hot on a general notion, but he never looked into it. But this guy - fuck. He has to have at least fifteen years on him, never mind Lannister, that would make it at least twenty, but he’s hot, with auburn hair with just the slightest hint of silver here and there, a short beard and bright blue eyes on a face with tanned skin and a few lines here and there. He’s also wearing jeans, dark boots and a fucking black leather jacket in the middle of this heat, and how does anyone do that without fainting, but - but honestly, Jon kind of never was so instantly attracted to anyone in his entire life bar Rhaegar, and - yeah.

Let’s not just discuss that now.

“Yes,” he says. “Brynden Tully, right?”

“In the flesh. I see that you are... somehow in trouble?”

“What gave that out?” Jaime smirks. “The garage, the fact that we had a week to audition before a record deal or that we’re looking after a kid that doesn’t belong to either of us?”

“All of that, honestly,” Brynden replies, “but the kid would be the most glaring one. The rest... happens. Also, the ad said you looked for a guitarist and if someone knows anything about the scene, I’d have thought golden boy here had quit.”

Jon decides that it’s the case to be upfront.

“Yeah, well.” He sighs. “The kid belongs to our former singer. Who has eloped with his girlfriend in the middle of the night last week because of family disagreements and shit and he left us like this. Fact is, auditioning a singer is a whole goddamned mess, and golden boy there writes most of the lyrics anyway and can carry a tune, so I have not democratically decided to put him on that and audition for the guitarist instead.”

“Thanks for recognizing it was not democratic,” Jaime mutters.

“Well, I’d have voted with him,” Oberyn replies, rolling a drumstick in his hand.

“So,” Jon sighs, “we actually need the guitarist instead. I understand that learning an entire repertoire in a day if you’re a fit might be a problem, but -”

“I think that shouldn’t be a problem.”

“Wait, how?”

The man smiles ever so slightly. “First thing, I didn’t read that ad from the internet. I learned about this because my niece is engaged to your singer’s girlfriend’s brother and she called me up telling me about it.”

“Wait, you’re - oh, shit, Catelyn Tully, I didn’t even -”

“So,” Brynden smirks wider, “my niece, who’s known me for years, knows that the only reason I never was in a band that actually got a record deal was that I got kicked out of the house back in the day because the relatives didn’t like my sentimental preferences.” A wink. Oh. “And thing is, I’m good. Improvising type good. But at that point I couldn’t survive on it and so I found a more boring job, but I never stopped playing and I go to gigs and I know the circuit and I actually did listen to most of your songs, that demo you were selling last year was really good. So... I actually do know most of them. And I made enough money now to afford actually playing full time.”

“Then,” Jon says, not believing his luck, “I think we should just try you already. Just pick any guitar from the stands. We can do one of our usual covers to start with and then a few of ours.”

“Sounds good. I’ll go serve myself, then.”

He goes to where Jon keeps the guitar stands, chooses a red Stratocaster and goes to join them while Jaime seems to try and find a decent position, for someone that outwardly charming you’d think he would want to be a lead singer, and yet.

Never mind.

Please let him be the right one, Jon thinks, and if maybe he wasn’t just thinking about it in band terms, well, no one has to know.

“You’re hired,” he says to Brynden five songs later. “And you,” he tells Jaime, “you can sing, just - please try to not be awkward as hell tomorrow. You can do it, I swear.”

“That’s what you say,” Jaime scoffs, “but yeah. What - you’re good. Enough that I almost don’t hate the idea of not playing those solos anymore.”

“I say that if Rhaegar ever wants to come back we tell him to fuck off,” Oberyn proclaims. “And I’d say welcome to the club. If we fail the audition please don’t leave.”

Brynden laughs, putting the guitar away. “Oh, I had missed doing this regularly. Don’t think I won’t.”

“Well,” Jaime says, “it’s late and I need to - psych myself up. I’ll - I’ll go get a drink. And be in touch.”

He stalks out of the garage, looking like he’ll faint.

“I’ll go after him,” Oberyn says. “Don’t worry, I’ll get him to relax one way or the other.”

“You know he’s straight!” Jon calls after him, but they both already disappeared beyond his driveway.

Whatever. Maybe Oberyn is gonna find him a decent lay. Anything as long as he projects some confidence the day after tomorrow.

“You know,” Brynden says, “I was going to ask if you wanted to come out for a drink to celebrate, but I understand that if you have to mind the kid -”

Jon stops dead in his tracks, turning to look up at Brynden, who - who is half-grinning at him in the way people do when asking to buy someone a drink because they’re interested and fuck Jon really wants to kiss him, and he has a feeling he’s going to hang around in the band a lot, and -

“Tell you what,” he says, “I do, but I also have alcohol upstairs. Fancy it if I make you that drink?”

“Oh,” Brynden says, “excellent compromise, I say. Lead on.”

He smiles.

Jon smiles back.

Ten years later

“You’re not saying that the first time you two smooched I was watching,” Jon Stark groans from his seat in Jaime’s cramped living room where they’re celebrating having come back from their last UK tour during which Brynden not-so-incidentally asked Jon if he would want to make things official in the backstage after the last show, a question to Jon enthusiastically answered yes just before frenching him in front of each single roadie still moving around the place.

“No,” Brynden says, “you were actually dead to the world after having cried your eyes out for one hour, and we didn’t do anything else, but you were in the same room.”

“Gross,” the kid snorts, and Jon is just thankful that he eventually ended up with Ned and Cat because he certainly wasn’t going to raise a kid properly and that he’s not visibly traumatized by how shitty his biological parents have been to him. Never mind that Rhaegar never apologized for bailing but eventually said well you sound a lot better like this, and - Jon will always love him in a way, but he was truly over him romantically at that point.

“I’d say,” Jon says, “that you should be honored that you were not-watching-but-there the day I smooched the love of my life, but what have you.”

“Oh,” Jaime snorts, “you are writing the love ballads now.”

“Forget it,” Jon replies, “wouldn’t Brienne be sad about it?”

“Please,” the girl in question says from the kitchen where she forbade any of them to enter while she got dinner ready, all of you except Oberyn can’t cook for shit, I’m not risking it, “I think you all can stand some variety from me. And congratulations.”

"Gross,” the other Jon replies, and - he lets that go, he’s ten, everything in that sense is probably gross to him, and then rough, calloused fingers hold his and -

“The love of my life now? Maybe you should write me a ballad.”

“Hm,” Jon replies, “maybe I will, but just if you do the same. Maybe Lannister deserves a break from songwriting.”

“Think I can handle it,” Brynden says, and so what if he can hear Jaime in the background telling them that if they don’t go down at it too hard they can use their bed while they kiss?

Who cares.

Maybe they’ll even take him up on the offer. What he knows is that he can’t wait to make things official and to write that damned ballad.

Oh, yes, he thinks, life is good, and then he kisses Brynden harder and tunes out anything else going on in the room.

End.

#redfish #jon connington #brynden tully #cowt fic for ts #my fic #I FINISHED SOMETHING HALLELUJAH #let me go fill the rest after dinner #jksdgljk #thank you!!!! i loved writing this #jaime x brienne for ts #ulspi #ask post

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chiveburger · 3 years

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there’s a new hong kong singing competition, and all the contestants are finally competing on stage and in full honesty... they’re all fairly subpar. maybe out of the 15? or 10? theres 1 guy who I like. I also don’t think their vocal teachers ever tell the contestants when a song is not suitable for them or their voice. so you have some people choosing the hardest songs sung by the the most recognized singers in asia. even hacken when judging basically said “well I didn’t want to tell her this song didn’t fit her because she already chose it for the stage” like?? you could’ve told her before it got to that point? they don’t choose a song and go on stage. they rehearse, practice and work in partnership with the band and audio team... It’s not cheating to choose a song that is within your range and one that actually showcases the qualities in your voice. so either some of these boy and girls went on stage to sing a song that even ACTUAL singers consider hard just to boast or they were never informed they shouldn’t be singing it, at least not yet. also for the first performance it makes no sense for some of these rookie singers to choose such challenging songs? why would you do that to yourself. It’s episode one. they promoted this show as one with contestants who were the best of the best and they’re not even that good... I’m not a singer like everyone I’m just listening with my bare ears but some of the performances that got praises were ones I would NEVER want to hear in my life. I also know everyone one this show is young but this kind of proves why nobody in hong kong in this generation ever makes it as a global star except for someone like gem

#unless u go into kpop...#borger diary

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newandfiguringitout · 4 years

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May 2nd Harpoon

Yes I know it is late at night, yes I know the whump doesn’t come in until the end, and yes I do realize that this copies pirates of the Caribbean. I’m sorry okay. This is a direct continuation of this piece which was the writing challenge for yesterday. I will again apologize for not writing this very well, I am not very good at writing but hope to improve over the month.

CW: mentions of dehydration, humiliation, aches and pains, rope burn, minor gore/allusion to gore, idk but best to be safe.

He guessed it had been around noon when Rig had visited him, thankfully the pirates seemed to have forgotten about their captive and no one had bothered him. Dalton would still get the occasional spray from the sea, salt getting in his eyes and irritating the newly formed welts on his wrists. However he tried to look on the bright side, and the sun had moved over on the starboard side of the vessel. So it no longer blinded him into oblivion and his headache was getting better. The water Riggy had brought him had been like a gift from the gods above, almost completely driving out the wool in his head until there was only peach fuzz remaining.

Dalton tried to let his thoughts dance with the waves below him, but they kept turning back to mermaids. Riggs had been so afraid while listening to him speak, and the quiet intensity as he spoke of them. . . It was strange. The look in his eyes had been haunted, almost as if the lad spoke from fist hand. He had probably spent most of his life on this ship already, what with the way he spoke about the ship, but he didn’t speak of any father on board. Dalton found it difficult to imagine the kid knowing his father and not mentioning him in one of his stories.

“Oi, stowaway!" Dalton jerked from his thoughts and craned his neck to the same pirate from before. Now that the sun had moved to a different location, he was able to see the other man clearly. He had a sharp jaw lined with several weeks of dark stubble on tan skin. If Dalton had to guess he would say the man was in his mid, maybe late twenties. He had a faded blue bandana covering most of his head, a bit of black hair stuck out the bottom. Dalton would've killed for a bandana right now.

His own shoulder length hair was beginning to look rather, eh, messy. It was plastered to his face and itchy with sweat. He usually kept it tied back with a strip of cloth, but his tie had come out while they strapped him to the anchor. He missed his hair tie.

"You wanna get off that?" The question throws Dalton a bit off, but oh that sounded like a dream come true. The aches and pains of standing like this all day were adding up. He could hardly think of a muscle that was not sore.

"If you're offering, I would not decline." He answered smoothly. Trying very hard to appear unaffected by the heavenly offer.

The pirate grinned, surprisingly not missing a tooth. "Then earn it."

Confusion danced along the captive's face. "I beg your pardon?"

"Sing. You look like you know a tune or two. Sing and we'll stuff ya back in the brig." Dalton wasn't sure if the man was poking fun at him or not. But the brig sounded very, very lovely.

"Why do you want me to sing?"

"Does it matter?" The man seemed amused at the question. "You sing or you stay right there on that anchor, the choice is yours Dolly."

Dalton's face burned at the nickname, but it wasn't as noticeable in the light of the soon to be setting sun. "What would you like me to sing?"

"Doesn't fucking matter," the pirate threw his hands in the air, exasperated probably, "just sing for a while and we’ll let you down.”

Dalton sighed and glanced down at the water and began the first verse of 'Waif in the Waters' a classic ballad about a man falling in love with his reflection. It was based on a Greek myth, but myths right now seemed oddly appropriate.

His voice carried out over the waters, he wasn’t sure how the crew was supposed to hear him but Dalton had the gnawing suspicion that the songs weren’t meant for them. The words were easy and the tune fairly simple, the type of song a drunkard would start only for the rest of the bar to carry into the street outside.

When he reached the chorus, he extended it, forcing the song to lengthen. Dalton was fairly confident in his easy baritone, exceedingly grateful for not taking choral lessons and learning to sing a tenor pitch. Not that he cared about the opinions of pirates, but it would be far worse to sing with them laughing at him.

When he reached the end of the song, the sun had begun to sink, giving way for the horizon to darken. The pirate ordered him to sing louder, so he obliged. He began to work his way through every single tavern song he knew and even threw in an epic poem turned ballad. No one seemed to mind his singing and he figured he shouldn’t stop.

By this time the sun had sunk beneath the surface of the waves, the crew had lit lanterns and torches to compete against the engulfing darkness. It made Dalton feel very alone to be just outside the bubble of light, normally that wouldn’t bother him, but the feeling of isolation hurt. It hurt more than he cared to ever admit, or ever would admit willingly. But the ache of loneliness dug deep inside and burrowed a den in his chest, refusing to leave.

“Sing us a love song,” the same pirate called down to him, “you’ve got to know one or two of those.” Laughter erupted from the deck.

Swallowing hard, Dalton racked his mind for a decent tune. Like a whisper on a breeze, he began to sing. The song he chose was an old ballad, traditionally sung by a man with a large female accompaniment, started soft and airy. There was often a harp or a flute playing alongside the singer, until the song took a dark turn. What started as a delicate courtship was thrown into a fury of violent staccato describing a demon, it was filled with strong brass and a nearly overwhelming amount of energy and passion. It alternated between the love of the couple and the stalking of the demon. Each change was sudden and unexpected, even if you hear it many times in a row the swift changes never fail to make you jump. Even the performers themselves would appear shocked as if they themselves hadn’t anticipated what they would play.

It was a fairly difficult piece, but it had been the only one that came to mind. Dalton closed his eyes to focus only on the song when something whacked his head, causing him to stop. Confused Dalton looked up to see Rigg, wide eyed. His questions died on his tongue when the song didn’t stop.

Dalton’s eyes widened as he looked out over the darkened waters. Scattered over the now calm surface were half a dozen floating things. Heads. Faces of ethereal beauty, all singing in unison to the love song.

They looked so lonely out there. Only them speckling the surface of the waters, so cold and alone. They don’t have to be alone, we could be alone together.

Transfixed, he watched the nearest mermaid come closer. She was beautiful, her eyes nearly glowing a deep amber. Like pools of honey. Songs could be sung of only her eyes, deep pools, he could fall into eyes like those. He would be content, only to stare into the beautiful eyes. Her skin was a rich whisky color, and tattooed with flowing white lines. The very sea itself seemed trapped within those thick curving lines, flowing over her face, neck, and the tops of her shoulders.

Rig retreated up the ship, back on deck but Dalton hardly registered it. His core focus was on the angel below him. She had moved closer, now hardly a dozen feet from him. He struggled against the bonds, if he could just go to her, she wouldn’t be so lonely. He could help. If only the ropes didn’t bind him up here, away from her.

He felt so wrong, to be up here, away from her. So close, so very close. Tears pricked his eyes as he doubled his efforts to get free. He had to get to her, had to be near her. She was everything. If his tongue knew how to work he would beg to be let down, beg to go to her. He needed her.

She looked up at him with lonely eyes. She wanted him down. Her face silently begging him to join her. His eyes stayed locked on hers as she swam even closer. Tail becoming visible beneath the churning waters. It was also marked with the flowing white tattoos that decorated the rest of her.

Their eyes stayed locked together, inseparable need binding them together. They stayed locked together right up until the moment the harpoon sliced through her lower tail.

#whump #whumpblr #WaterWhump2020 #ww-no.2 #harpoon #dehydration: tw #humiliation: tw #gore: tw #not alot and just at the end tho #mermaids #pirates #i know nothing of boats or ships #yes this is pirates of the caribbean

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rahabs · 4 years

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tagged by the lovely @davesgahan ❤ merci my friend!

name: cheyenne nicknames: chey, melia zodiac: aries height: 167cm (just under 5′6″) languages: english, german, latin, old english nationality: canadian (first nations/cree + irish) favourite season: winter favourite flower: gorse, tiger lily favourite scent: smoked leather and campfire. also, anything with vanilla. I also love citrus. favourite fictional character: oh so many that I will likely forget. excluding fictional portrayals of known historical figures (which elimates a lot) and my OCs: revan, odysseus, percy weasley, kylo ren, reynard the fox, bertilak de hautdesert (the green knight) coffee, hot tea, or hot chocolate?: tea or hot chocolate. average sleep: 3-5 hours. dogs or cats?: dogs. unfortunately, I have a fairly severe allergy to cats, save a few breeds. number of blankets: four, but one is a down quilt. dream trip: across the uk, across ireland, across germany & austria, and a desert crossing. I have been fortunate enough to do all of these, save the last. blog established: god, august 2011 I believe. random fact: most people didn’t realise I’d cut my hair to my jawline for months because thanks to years of dance I am an expert at putting my hair in various types of buns and making those buns look at least semi-substantive (aka like I actually have enough hair to do it traditionally, which I don’t), and because I hit the gym a lot, I usually have my hair up. so when I wore it down, I had ten different people tell me it looked great and asked when I cut it, even though I’d cut it over a month ago. also, I’m a natural redhead of sorts (I was born with three different hair colours and right now if I let it grow out it would be a golden-brown auburn, which is very annoying since red hair is hard to cover with dye). gender: female. current time: 21:21 (9:21 PM) favourite artists: I assume this means music? nightwish, loreena mckennitt, fidil, powerwolf, stoneburner, delain, thomas tallis, william byrd, palestrina, arash, lindsey stirling, scorpions, within temptation, kamelot, clamavi de profundis, etc. stuck in my head: uist tramping song. last movie I saw: some like it hot (1959) last thing I googled: indian act amendments. other blogs: I have a couple sideblogs, largely for storing things. do I get asks?: not often anymore, unfortunately. reason for URL: I wanted a more neutral URL that wasn’t specific to any one thing, and of course, I can never resist a good plague doctor reference. followers/following: I just hit 1850 followers today (it’s actually been sitting consistently in the 1800 range for about five years now), and following 105 blogs! lucky number: seven. currently wearing: army green leggings, my faculty of law fleece sweater, and two ankle braces. dream job: truthfully I always wanted to dance professionally, but was physically barred from it due to chronic injuries. I also wanted to be a stage performer re singing, but I’m not cutthroat with music and hate competing witth music, so, lawyer, and published author of historical fiction. favourite foods: fish, milchreis, strawberries, oatmeal, irish stew, ice cream, carrots & hummus, curries. instruments: piano, clarinet (e flat, bass), oboe, saxophone (alto, tenor). I’m also a singer (coloratura soprano with a four octave vocal range). favourite song: many, including die schatten werden länger from elisabeth das musical; last of the wilds by nightwish; the highwayman by loreena mckennitt; allegri’s miserere; jyn erso & hope suit by michael giacchino; the red baron by sabaton; joey batey’s redition of toss a coin to your witcher; and various folk songs and old historical bits including ai vis lo lop, non é gran cousa, the rocky road to dublin, star of the county down, twa recruitin’ sergeants, etc.

tagging: @allegoriesinmediasres @temporisfilia, and I tagged a bunch of people earlier today, so if I tagged you then, you are tagged again! And if I didn’t tag you, and you want to do this, then I hearby tag you! My brain is unfortunately mush after three hours of law school classes, two hours of CBs, and two hours of actual real-world legal application.

#tag games #me #about me #long post

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migleefulmoments · 4 years

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The speculation that the tinhats have been tossing around the last couple of days (Darren ghost-writing music for big pop artists) is exactly how their new “facts” get added to their list. They spend a few days making up some BS and then later they will refer back to it as if it’s a proven fact.

Anonymous said: What is this new nonsense about Darren ghostwriting for Mariah Carey and others? What did I miss? Are they high?

Anonymous said: Oh Abby, when will the lies stop? You're making up bullshit about Darren ghostwriting songs now? Where did this come up from? Must have been from the drinks you and your friend had the other night. A drunken conversation of 'What if's and How about's' that will keep your little coven hanging on to your every word for weeks. You're a liar, Abby. You have mental issues. You need help. At least this is fairly harmless, I mean, you're not saying anything Anti-Mia, but still you're lying. Ugh.

Anonymous said: Did the tinhats seriously imply that maybe Darren wrote Taylor Swift’s “Out of the Woods” song? And then when someone pointed out that Taylor writes her own songs (including that one) they decided that Darren used the phrase “out of the woods” because he relates to that song. Sometimes I think they have reached the pinnacle of insanity and then they make these absurd reaches out of nowhere. They truly do believe that the entire world revolves around Darren.

Anonymous said: "I have always wondered how D got out of his record contract and this just might be an explanation." Ok I can't make sense of what the heck she's even trying to say in the rest of this post but Naya, Kevin and Amber were all dropped by their label (I think it was Columbia) because execs didn't expect their albums to make enough money. I suspect the same happened to Darren. I really doubt that there's anything more to it than that.

1. This IS EXACTLY HOW batshitcrazy cc lies get turned into facts. Roughedreconteur is nuts- their posts are always insane with tangents that nobody else would ever imagine. Abby used to disagree with them as they don’t seem to actually like Darren but lately, they are coming in with things that don’t offend her and she plays along, pretending that Rouged’s nutjob ideas are valid- it’s the US media pretending that when Trump makes a statement that is an outright lie it’s ok to repeat it likes it true or makes sense instead of calling him out. This time Abby really got swept up in the idea that Darren said on his Text message that he was almost “out of the woods”. Those of us who live in reality know that “out of the woods” is a commonly used saying that many people use to contact they are almost done with the worst of it- whether that is an illness “Dr, is he out of the woods yet?” or work-related projects like Darren did or just like what Trump thinks is happening now that McConnell already said he was “lock-step with Trump” because he doesn’t understand that he has already been impeached and that won’t go away, ever or literally you are coming home from a hike and you almost “out of the woods"ba-dum-pa. It wasn’t a reference to Taylor Swift’s song. Taylor does actually write her music, she started out as a writer when she was 15. Ironically, one of the tinhatters mentioned that Darren went to a Taylor Swift concert and her mom hugged him- that may have happened but I know for sure he went to a T.Swift concert and Taylor was walking down the aisle from her outer stage back to mainstage and she saw him and hugged him and I know this becuase I was there. This is the sum total of the evidence they going on to arrive at “Darren wrote ‘Out Of The Woods” and was referencing it.

2. One only needs to spend 4 min with Wikipedia to realize that Taylor and Jack Antanoff wrote the damn song- not Darren Criss.

3 Taylor’s Label was Big Machine Record, not Columbia

4. I am also pretty sure that Columbia dropped Darren’s album because they believed it wasn’t commercially viable. Record labels don’t care if the singers like their albums. Lots of people have had music they didn’t like released anyway. Record labels are out to make money and they will do whatever they can to recoup expenses they spent on making the album but putting out a nonviable album is even more expensive and sometimes they cut their loses. Darren certainly didn’t have the power to shelf his own album or to cut some drug deal with the company to ghostwrite to what? Pay them back for the expense or to Ghostwrite until he’s paid off some arbitrary debt? But as you pointed out- the Taylor and Mariah weren’t on Columbia when Darren was (Mariah was at some point)

5. As for how they got to Mariah Carey- Darren sang Mariah Carey on Lip Sync Battle and “he has no known connection to her” and according to Abby and Rouged, people always sing songs connected to them (I don’t watch it much but I’m pretty sure that isn’t true). It looks to me like Darren was slotted into a show that was clearly just a Mariah tribute. I suspect it had to do with timing and nothing more. Lots of people battle someone they are connected to but that isn’t a requirement. Rouged claimed the star he battled was LA Reid (It was Jermaine Dupri). Jermaine co-wrote and produced many of Mariah's biggest hits although Heartbreaker written by Mariah and Jay-Z and produced by DJ Clue. Rouged argued that LA Reid is connected to Mariah Carey (he was- he was her label head for many years). When someone pointed out that it was Jermaine, not LA Reid, Rouged’s excuse was she can’t tell the difference between LA Reid (who is 63 years old), Jermaine Dupri (who is quite short and 47 years old), and P Diddy (who is 50). Dude, those 3 men look nothing alike.

6. Nobody even mentioned Rouged’s nonsense about how Ryan Murphy wanted to get song rights quickly so he had the cast themselves work their magic to obtain those rights WTAF? I am quite sure that the process for obtaining rights was something the legal department did and it wasn’t like Ryan called up the singer and asked- it would have been something official done through their representatives. Clearly, Chris Martin said “no” so we know they had input but it still wasn’t Ryan called Chris and Chris said “no” but later he said “yes” and that was that- no legal papers were signed.

7. Abby claims there us a “Mia figure’ in Royalties, not sure what the hell that means

8. Abby and Flowers are trying to make Mariah’s butterfly thing and Chris’s Butterfly IGs into something so Abby claimed Chris posted a pic of himself in front of the butterfly mural “before the battle”. Well, yes he did...it’s dated August 2018 which is before Darren’s Jan 24, 2019, Lip Syn Battle...on that, she isn’t wrong LOL.

This is honestly one of the most harebrained theories I’ve read to date as it relies entirely on multiple things that aren’t even real

The actual posts under a cut because they are looong

rougedraconteur asked: Whenever something really strange happens like the “cough hacking “cough” of an ENTIRE site to the point of shutting it down, that has had only minimal action from a questionable enterprise that has failed in most ways and has had at least one party sending desperate signals and the other acting like they had cut them off already, that means something, but probably not exactly what it looks like on its face. I think D’s response, saying HE, not WE, is “almost out of the woods,” is telling.

ajw720 answered: Look at that song again. Look how specific some of it is. Lying on your couch. The feel of your necklace around my neck. You put on the brakes too soon, 20 stitches in a hospital room. All the wolves, the ice and snow of being frozen out, attacked by the enchanted forest itself and caught by vines just when you had almost made it to the ocean. You get there, and find…yourself. Or just someone like you? The mirror image, what that journey made you into, or something else, more real?

So, I think it is possible that “Royalties” may spoof some very famous “songwriters.” That IS the premise, and D has set him and an M type “just ugh” up as a “songwriting team.” One that is, in THAT clip, not so great, and in fact terrible. But, D is in deep with the professional songwriters guild. THAT, is fact. But why, exactly? Is he “ghostwriting” for someone famous for writing ALL their own songs? Mariah just got into their Hall of Fame, gossip is she wrote nothing much, all ghosted.

So, Royalties? Will it make fun of that type power pop star? Will they be credited, or “ghosted” so the star gets all or most of the credit? Mariah is not the only power pop star D has been associated with, in strange but oddly significant ways. It is very telling that most celebs on Lip Sync Battle compete against a former co-star, “significant other,” or old pal. Not D, and that meant something. L.A. Reid has a long connection with Mariah. To the public, D has no connection with either.

So, when you do a Mariah tribute on a show as kitschy popular with superfans of celebs as Lip Synch Battle, you would OF COURSE pick L.A. Reid, who is a power producer of more than a little questionable reputation and no real entertainer on his own, really, but well connected as her long-time producer/rumored former lover/long time cheerleader and friend. And D. Who is WHAT to them both, exactly? That whole thing NEVER made sense, except that D BECAME Mariah, and stole that show. Hmmmm…

Who else does D know that is a huge star that writes their own songs? In fact, is known for that, even critically praised, well above her singing abilities? Tay/lor. He was at one of her concerts, and was greeted in the crowd by her mom. He has been behind her in another venue, they have crossed paths. At this point, she has certainly been managed, or managed herself, much better than Bieber, her male counterpart. IF she has ghostwriters, they would be well-hidden and tightly secured.

**************************************************

Hello @rougedraconteur. Cough, cough, hack indeed. I will never believe some random person went and deleted posts and blocked people from a band’s SM that most people have never heard of. In my opinion, inside job, meant to send a direct message, which to us is unclear, but the recipient received it, of that i have no question (I have wondered if D has tried to withhold the new EP, nothing else much makes sense especially in light of his brother seemingly struggling to pay the bills).

Really interesting on the song reference in the tweet “once I’m out of the woods”, I have never heard that song, but wow, how close is this to what i perceive as reality? This could BE D and now that i understand the reference, just like i think he wrote the tweets from NYE when he said “and here we are now, I made it, we made it. I’ve been looking forward to to this for a long time…the Soaring Twenties…seeing clearly in 2020”, I am starting to lean he wrote these tweets that indicated he was “tending to some other obligations” (which include a fake wedding, endless promotion for Swiller, Fashion Shows, Family Honeymoon in the Philippines, TB commercials and other endless adds, and promoting SK). Far too smart for the Jumping Jackass or PBB. And well, in combination, an interesting series of tweets.

For those other who don’t know the song:

Looking at it now It all seems so simple We were lying on your couch I remember You took a Polaroid of us Then discovered (then discovered) The rest of the world was black and white But we were in screaming color And I remember thinking

Are we out of the woods yet? Are we out of the woods yet? Are we out of the woods yet? Are we out of the woods? Are we in the clear yet? Are we in the clear yet? Are we in the clear yet? In the clear yet, good

Are we out of the woods

Looking at it now Last December (last December) We were built to fall apart Then fall back together (back together) Ooh your necklace hanging from my neck The night we couldn’t quite forget When we decided (we decided) to move the furniture so we could dance Baby, like we stood a chance Two paper airplanes flying, flying, flying And I remember thinking

Are we out of the woods?

Remember when you hit the brakes too soon Twenty stitches in a hospital room When you started crying baby, I did too But when the sun came up I was looking at you Remember when we couldn’t take the heat I walked out, I said, I’m setting you free But the monsters turned out to be just trees When the sun came up you were looking at me

You were looking at me

Oh! You were looking at me

Are we out of the woods yet? Are we out of the woods yet? Are we out of the woods yet? Are we out of the woods? (I remember) Are we in the clear yet? Are we in the clear yet? Are we in the clear yet? Are we in the clear yet? (Oh, I remember)Are we out of the woods yet? Are we out of the woods yet? Are we out of the woods yet? Are we out of the woods? Are we in the clear yet? Are we in the clear yet? Are we in the clear yet? In the clear yet, good

Dare I hope that perhaps D is really optimistic about the year ahead? Because add in the HW stuff (on 2 most anticipated queer shows of 2020 lists, the reference to SB being leaked, what we know about the other characters, what we don’t know about Raymond, and the otherwise silence about the show), things are, shall we say, interesting.

On R/oyalties, a/k/a the show that is used to pay out every user/leach in his life (SK, RR, PBB, Algorithm Winners, etc), my understanding, and it is limited, is that they are in fact writing songs for popular, mainstream artists. Unclear if they are named songwriters or if they will be “ghosting” for people and based on the fact that the first artist is played by CT, I would venture to guess that they talent isn’t that amazing, so yes in many ways, making fun of the talent and pointing out that behind most of these mainstream acts are writers we never know or see.

On D himself ghosting, quite possible right? It could explain a lot. Including, if he bought it, being pushed to buy a $3 million home for his beard (which could possible be an agreed upon pay out). I have always wondered how D got out of his record contract and this just might be an explanation. Perhaps he agreed that instead of releasing his own music that was not authentically him, he agreed to write music for other artists that may or may not include the above reference individuals? No question, his spot on Lip Sync Battle was odd if there is no association to MC and yes, she has a clear and obvious connection to to L.A. This is no question, something to think about and ponder. He is an incredibly talented songwriter who, to date, has not released, that we are aware of, a ton of material. It would make sense if he is writing for others and I would guess ghosting would pay well. You definitely made me think.

mmack062. 1Just a quick correction, it was Jermaine Dupri (Janet Jackson’s former fiance) not LA Reid on LSB with D.

ajw720 Thanks @mmack0621!

flowersintheattic254 Only 2 things spring to mind here. 1. Was the run of butterfly posts from C prior to and after D’s lipsynch performance so maybe he has ghost written for MK and 2. Once ‘he’s out of the woods’. It may be a reference to a TS song, but considering the location for the sham was in the woods I would like to hope he’s near to escaping and out of the woods soon 😉.

ajw720 @flowersintheattic254 perhaps a double meaning then?

C posted this before the battle.

rougedraconteur. I like this, and I like Tay/lor, although that is a recent development, on my part, but I think she is coming more into her own with more near total control over HER mammoth “overnight” breakout career than she ever had before. Remind you of somebody? Getting there, anyway. And yeah, some folks have to write under another name, for various reasons.

Butterfly IS a Mari/ah Car/ey Trademark, but it is for Tay, too. She posted a giant butterfly on a wall in Nashville with her most recent album. Not saying we are right, in either case or with the connections, but I believe you should look at everything and how it might connect, as a possible piece of this puzzle. Mar/iah was recently inducted into Songwriters Hall of Fame, as a recent piece of gossip I saw stated, though she was unqualified for it. Ghostwriters who CAN’T be revealed because the celeb and management won’t allow it, as detremental to the Big Star who is a MoneyMaker.

Can anyone verify that D’s old roomie Je/ff Jerni/gan, who went with D to Ka/tyPer/ry’s western bday party, around 2012 or 2013 maybe, during THOSE years, was with ASCAP in some “official” capacity, and that his sister worked in a big-sounding job with F/ox At that time? Connections. I know JJ has moved on now, but D has always been involved with ASCAP and recognized as a SONGWRITER, even by Gl/ee and RIB, and hung around with other songwriters and big pop stars kind of above his pay grade at the time, if you get my drift.

Think of the swiftie songs both D AND C have sung or lipsynced to in their online posts. They connect to at least some of her stuff in SOME way. And that’s a fact.

ajw720 Just adding a few significant facts. The Human EP was released on my birthday in 2010 (July 20) a few months prior to rocketing to stardom, seemingly giving him an even bigger platform to have his music heard. Since that time, D has released very few original songs (almost 10 years) even though we know he was signed to a record deal with Columbia for several years and he has told us that he wrote and recorded many songs for an eventual album that was never released. He even spent an entire summer in the UK writing songs with people like B/runo M/ars. And Columbia funded a summer tour to test his songs and popularity. A tour that sold out. So what has D released?

1 Solo EP with 4 original songs, one of which he claimed was written many years ago when he 1st performed it (untrue written during LU) and 1 of which he has given his brother credit for writing the chorus.

1 EP with his brother with 4 original songs, which he claims were mainly written by his brother

1 SK show back in 2011

2 original songs performed on G/lee

And 4 or 5 songs for the LU tour, none of which were released (I don’t count IDM as that wasn’t specifically written for the tour and only performed once). And ONE of those songs was “ghostwritten” by wa/tsky (either Pheromones or PPG)

The songs he wrote for R/oyalties yet to be released

In 10 years, he has released FOUR solo tunes, FOUR, despite being signed to a huge contract. FOUR, on an indy label. And I believe he only released them because he was forced by contract as he owed it to the Jumping Jackass (hence the name H/omework, a chore that has to be done). And a total of, not including R/oyalties, maybe 30 including a musical for his theater group that was performed 9 years ago. Where has all his music gone? Now, I am certain he is holding back on solo tunes because he does not want them associated with PBB. But still, it is a least worth questioning.

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