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rosettyller · 8 months

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some analysis of this scene from 2x02, because i am going absolutely insane over it:

first up: it's 2 500 BCE. They've known each other for around 1500 years at this point, but they haven't been meeting up very often; it's implied at this point, that they've only met at the Garden, and the Flood, and now here (as well as in Heaven, but there's varying interpretations about how much they each remember of Heaven).

(worth noting that these meetings are all bible-related meetings)

So, they don't know each other very well at all. This is why Aziraphale approaches Crowley so cautiously (apart from the fact that he thinks Crowley's going around murdering goats and soon kids). He doesn't know what happened to Crowley when he Fell, how he changed when he fell in with Lucifer, how God's rejection has warped Crowley's perspective or changed his morals (their meeting at the Flood seemed quite short, not enough time to get a definite picture.)

Aziraphale is still seeing Crowley as demonic, although there's already that thread of doubt - can you really see him trying to talk Hastur or Ligur out of this the way he does Crowley?

Aziraphale clings to the memory of Angel Crowley - Crowley gets quite defensive.

Here, Crowley reinforces that he's changed - personally I don't believe that he did fight in the War, but his views of God's Plan definitely got more extreme than "thats terrible god should get a suggestion box".

But, I also believe that here, Crowley is reinforcing that he is no longer an angel, and therefore no longer has to play by angel rules. He can do what he wants. He's a demon, it's in his job description.

And of course, that he is a demon, and he is Evil, and of course he would kill goats.

(more under the cut, because I just can't stop talking)

This shot is very yellow. Crowley's hair being the season 1 orange rather than red, the yellow walls, all accentuate the colour of Crowley's eyes, highlighting the physical reminder of Crowley's demonic nature.

I couldn't be bothered to gif it, but here, Crowley leans forward into Aziraphale's face. There are two reasons for this:

Get his yellow Demon Eyes right in Aziraphale face, just to hammer home his point.

It's an aggressive action, moving into someone's personal space like that. Saying, I could hurt you, I'm violent and aggressive and dangerous, I killed those goats, the kids are next.

The way the light hits Crowley's eyes in the above shot and the below shot also make them a very bright yellow. (Edit: I think someone pointed out that Crowley is making his eyes glow, but the overall yellowness of the scene serves to highlight this)

Clever wording on Crowley's part, because as we will find out, he faked the destruction of the goats to keep them safe, while making himself sound very evil.

You'll notice the repetition of "blameless"; this makes him seem even more evil, hurting the innocent, but also gives deeper insight into one of Crowley's biggest issues: hurting the innocent. What have they done to deserve this? Nothing.

This ties in quite nicely with what we have seen before of Crowley and free will; he gives people the option to sin. It's their actions that decide whether they end up in Heaven or Hell; they get what they deserve for their actions. He just makes it easier to choose Hell. (see: phone lines being down making people crankier and encouraging them to be horrible to each other, but it still being their choice, setting the holy water bucket above the door, so it's Ligur's choice to come in after Crowley that gets him killed.)

Note also the use of "long":

Aziraphale says to "tell me you want to do this". "Long" has rather stronger connotations than "want", but also rawer, more fundamental. Crowley is reminding Aziraphale that he is a demon, and that he has the traits of a demon, this is what he is now. He longs for violence, for destruction.

Aziraphale looks quite sad here. If you watch the video I linked, his previous conviction that Crowley doesn't want to do it is very strong. He fully believes in Crowley, that all he needs to do is reframe not killing the kids as within the rules of Hell, the way Crowley so often comes to do for Aziraphale ("Then you can't be certain that thwarting me isn't part of the divine plan too. I mean, you're supposed to thwart the wiles of the Evil One at every turn, aren't you?" "If you put it that way, Heaven couldn't actually mind me thwarting you.").

Aziraphale believed Crowley was still good, that the angel he remembered was still in there. But Crowley rejects it - and it hurts. Crowley has become what a demon should be.

Crowley looks quite sorrowful here, too: he already cares for Aziraphale (he fell in love at the Garden), and it hurts to decieve him, to disappoint him, to hurt him.

I would argue that here, Crowley is scared.

He's in shadow, which dims the yellows; his undemonic nature is about to be revealed.

And that is not safe, because Hell does not send rude notes. And here, Crowley is not doing just any temptation, but trying to help Satan win a bet (supposedly). And out of every demon in Hell, Satan is the one you want to piss off the least.

But here, Crowley is scared because Aziraphale could reveal him - because Aziraphale is on God's side, and because it is revealed that Crowley is not nearly as demonic as he makes himself out to be. He's vulnerable. Aziraphale could scorn him, hurt him. But instead:

Aziraphale is incredibly smug. "I knew I was right", he says. "I knew you were still good".

And here is another issue: Aziraphale conflates God/Heaven/angels with good, and demons/Hell with bad.

And Crowley does not see Heaven as good. He doesn't want Aziraphale to see his angelic core past the demonic exterior. He's on his own side.

This, for Aziraphale, confirms that "the angel you knew is not me", is not correct.

And I think, out of the three minisodes, it's this one that does the most for fleshing out Aziraphale and Crowley's frames of mind this series, and why they choose what they choose in ep6.

Aziraphale has been proven right about Crowley's angelic nature, and that he wants to do good, but can't, for fear of Hell's retribution.

And Crowley does not see Heaven as good. He recognises that being an angel again will not allow him the freedom to do good. (as Aziraphale had to try and talk a demon into helping him save the kids from God.)

#good omens #crowley #aziraphale #meta #good omens meta #job minisode #ineffable husbands #aziracrow #go meta #good omens analysis #late.meta

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queerfables · 7 months

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I'm still working out what the significance of this is, but I'm now surer than ever:

In season 2, Aziraphale's bookshop is the Garden of Eden.

What first tipped me off was the end of 2x01, when Gabriel asks about Outside, and Crowley urgently warns him that he needs to stay inside the bookshop. It reverberated against the themes of season 1, where choosing freedom over safety is symbolised by Leaving the Garden. Supporting this connection, one of the songs on the season 2 soundtrack is called Leaving the Bookshop; it plays in 2x06 when Crowley escorts Nina and Maggie outside.

There's an even clearer indicator of the symbolism, though, and I am so fascinated by the implications. When Gabriel first arrives at the bookshop in a state of undress, one of the things he says to Aziraphale is:

"Who told you I was naked?"

It's a funny line but it's also surprisingly biblically significant. In Genesis, Adam and Eve's loss of innocence after eating the fruit of knowledge is shown by their realisation they are naked. In this scene, Gabriel is like them before this transgression, innocent and unconscious of his own nakedness.

But it's even more on the nose than that, because in Genesis, when God appears to Adam after he eats the fruit, Adam hides, and then admits he's afraid because he's naked. And I quote directly, Genesis 3:11 (New International Version):

And [God] said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?”

I'm sure this reference is intended. It's too similar to be a coincidence. So Gabriel's memory loss is comparable to the innocence that preceded the Fall of Man, and that's fascinating in its own right. This also makes the bookshop, where he is protected so long as he stays inside its walls, a clear parallel to Eden.

In relation to Gabriel, I think Beelzebub is Eve, offering Adam the knowledge of good and evil in the form of a fly holding his hidden memories. An argument could be made that they are the serpent to his Eve, but I think the partnered dynamic makes this a more fitting interpretation.

I'm still thinking on the roles that Crowley and Aziraphale play in this analogy. I keep coming back to Gabriel's line, "I don't go outside, and now I have two friends." If this is Eden, who are his friends? Are Crowley and Aziraphale reprising their roles as the serpent and the guardian? Are they God and Satan playing games with their own little universe, perhaps? Or are they Adam and Eve?

Obviously, if the bookshop is Eden, this has major implications for Crowley and Aziraphale too in the context of their break up. With this framing, Crowley telling Aziraphale, "You can't leave this bookshop" becomes a fascinating twist on his traditional role. He's asking Aziraphale to stay with him in blissful ignorance, rather than confront the truth of their world. I'm not arguing that this is the only level at which this line should be read, but it's one that's worth considering.

You may also notice that in light of this biblical reference, "Who told you I was naked" becomes the first time amnesiac Gabriel echoes the words of God. I'm really not sure what these echoes mean, but they sure do intrigue me.

#good omens #good omens meta #fable talks good omens

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ineffable-suffering · 7 months

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The Curious Incident of The Flaming Sword in Good Omens

Just like so many other Good Omens red herrings, hints and *Aziraphale voice* clues, the question of 'What the fuck ist the deal with Aziraphale's flaming sword' has been absolutely tormenting my mind ever since S1 dropped all those years ago.

And while many of my other questions about S2 (like 'What the fuck is the deal with the Eccles cakes' or 'Who the fuck made the Gabriel statue') remain unanswered and could, possibly, just not matter at all and I should just get the fuck over them– the unsolved case of Aziraphale's flaming sword in S1 has always seemed like a weirdly important blind spot to me.

So, in an attempt to finally solve this knot in my brain, I made a timeline for the bloody Flaming Sword because what else would I spend my Friday evening on. Here goes nothing, I thought:

Aziraphale gets issued the sword by Heaven to guard the Garden of Eden in 4004 BC, and gives it away to the humans.

God asks him about it right after they humans have left Eden, Aziraphale lies to her and before even finishing speaking, God just loggs off and doesn't seem to care anymore.

The sword seems to be lost for the next 6000 years to follow and, once again, no one really cares.

The first time we see it again is when the International Express Man delivers it to War in the present day.

The next time we see it after that, is when Pepper effectively kicks war in the shin, makes her drop the sword and proceeds to anihilate her with it.

Brian and Wensleydale do the same to Famine and Pollution.

Aziraphale then wields the sword once more, despite never having to really use it (but hey, it looks capital-B Badass).

Lastly, our Holy Delivery Guy then picks up the sword together with the other (now deceased?) Horsmen's artefacts and they once again vanish.

Needless to say, I found myself nothing the wiser after making this timeline. It seemed completely useless. I still had no idea why the sword even existed and why they kept making such a big fucking fuss about it all throughout Season 1. So, I decided to make another list, this time with all the random ass questions I had about this random ass sword:

Why was it issued to Aziraphale in the first place? Since when does an angel need a random flaming weapon to protect two (2) humans that are already being guarded by a hundred-meter-high wall, when he could very well just miracle away any and every threat to both himself and them?

Was he given the sword to defend himself against demons? If so, why would they give him a burning blade instead of, for example, a Supersoaker full of Holy Water? (Sure, I'm fairly certain Supersoakers hadn't been invented yet, but you catch my drift)

Is the sword actually burning with hellfire? If so, it would a) still be a pretty useless weapon against demons, but also b) possibly explain why Pepper, Brian and Wensleydale were able to kill or at least temporarily get rid of three of the four Horsemen of the Apocalypse (who, be they whatever they actually are, surely count as some sort of immortal entities just like angels and demons do)

Did the sword actually kill War, Pollution and Famine? After all, the World as we knew it did get reinstated by Adam again once they managed to stop Armageddon. Does that mean that the three Horsemen were revived again too? Unless Season 2 takes place in a war-less, pollution-less and famine-less world, they must have somehow made their return (or never really died in the first place)

Where. The Fuck. Is. The Sword. Now? And why does it bother me so much???????

Alas, just like so many other questions, these too seemed to remain unsolved. And since the fucking sword didn't make a comeback in S2, I guessed that it probably just wasn't more than ... well, a randomly flaming, randomly misplaced, randomly unexplained Flaming Sword.

Nothing more than a plot device.

Hmm, right. A ... plot device.

Hang on. (And that's when it finally hit me.)

It's a fucking plot device.

Most authors and consumers of media are familiar with the use of plot devices in story telling. However, I personally had only every seen characters be used as such, to merely bring an important point across or further underline or advance a story's or main character's development or plot.

It wasn't until I was about to simply give up because I couldn't see my way out of the seemingly unlimited sword-related questions anymore, that I realized: There are no answers to those questions. Just like there are no deeper meanings to any other plot devices. Their sole purpose it so shine some light onto another, more important thing, story or character.

And in this case, that character is Aziraphale. Or more so Aziraphale's choices and his relationship with and belief in God and Heaven. The Flaming Sword (or more so Aziraphale's giving-away of it) is the first way of showing us that Aziraphale:

doesn't always aka pretty much never obey God's will (even all the way back in The Beginning),

will lie to God about disobeying Her

and possibly, just like Crowley joked about, was the one who by trying to do a Good Thing, accidentally gave away something that would later somehow become a literal War weapon, lmao

It also tells us that:

God apparently doesn't always care or cast them out of Heaven when an angel actively disobeys and lies to Her. Or, for all we know, Aziraphale giving the sword away and not admitting to it was somehow part of Her Ineffable Plan anyway.

Heaven is apparently absolutely useless at keeping track of its very few ethereal belongings. That's what you get for outsourcing work, you capitalists.

Right at The End, the sword returns to its owner who had it right in The Beginning too: Aziraphale. And not just that: It actually ends up saving the humans. For the second time. First all the way back in Eden, when it was just Adam and Eve. And now, 6000 years later, at what would have been the end of the World. Very poetic, *wipes away tear*

So yeah, there you go. That's the big revelation I have come to. Would I have preferred to uncover yet another sneaky Gaimanian easter egg just so I could wave it in your face like some sort of a puzzle solved at a scavenger hunt?

Sure.

But hey, sometimes flaming sword plot devices are just that. And I'll make my peace (or War?) with it.

#good omens #good omens s1 #gos1 #aziraphale #the flaming sword #this has been haunting me for years #because im insane in the membrane #alas i solved it #or something like that #my own meta

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eviebane · 4 months

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you guys loved my part 1 and 2 of Badly Explained Good Omens so i'm just going to keep doing it. fight me. (disclaimer: this series will be written when i'm either sleep deprived, caffeine overloaded, or drunk. feel free to speculate which one it is this time)

right so Season 1 of Good Omens is basically, these two man-shaped creatures who definitely don't want to lick each other's faces get together in a park full of spies & snitches so they can talk without raising suspicion (foolproof plan, obviously). it's basically a romeo and juliet thing, except romeo is an angelic bookseller hoarder and juilet is a snake demon who will make u re-evaluate your sexual orientation. and possibly give you gender envy. your average stuff, right.

so gender envy boy (Crowley) goes, hey, my lot made me uber the devil's son to an american diplomat the other night, and the angel (Aziraphale) goes, if you're going to destroy the world via evil baby style, can you lot at least not make it into some cheesy american movie. at least make it something actually cool. anyway so they're chatting about the end of the world, as you do, and Crowley goes y'know, Hell is gonna fuck the whole world up and Azi goes Nah, we beat your dumbarses before, we will again, and Crowley goes ANYWAY if everyone gets slaughtered, guess what? no more food, no more music. your life is gonna be boring af

so they go on a little date and Crowley keeps winding him up about how boring shit's gonna be when all the humans have been murdered in the ethereal/occult purge, and Aziraphale finally goes Yeah OK, but you realise I can't do shit about it right? like it's God's will and Crowley goes Nah nah nah, look. Look. Right. so I gotta look after this devil child for a few years and use my sexy nanny vibes to make sure he's evil. why don't YOU also infiltrate this devil child's household and teach him not to kill snails? it'll be like cosmic balance. yin/yang. the kid will be a normal little shit like most preteen boys, rather than starting apocalypses little shit.

Aziraphale is so captivated by his slutty charm and sparkling eyes that he agrees.

so they stalk the kid, dress up like old welsh gardeners and dominatrix nanny to teach him to love slugs and crush his foes under his boot. surprisingly, the kid is relatively normal. although he hates dinosaurs, so that's obviously concerning. Crowley suggests cold blooded murder of the child but Aziraphale's like Nah why don't i cosplay Fell the Marvellous again at his birthday party and Crowley goes why the fuck do I love this loser

anyway so as it turns out, the nuns that Crowley uber'd this baby to 11 years ago ended up with the wrong parents. The best friends husbands roadtrip to go fuck up the nuns, but actually Crowley's maggot colleague (no thats not an insult) burned the nunnery down and it's now a paintball arena, where currently a bunch of repressed office workers are shooting each other. there's a noteworthy bit where the husbands get hit with a paintball, Crowley becomes a naga (except reverse the top and bottom bits. Yeah it's terrifying) just to make a dude shit himself, then Aziraphale puppy dog eyes Crowley to get the stain off his coat because it ruins his vibes and that's not kool.

Crowley tries to make out with Aziraphale against the wall but then forgets the kissing part, then he bippity-boppity-boos a surviving ex-nun so they can interrogate her. the whole trip is pretty useless and it ends up becoming just them two flirt-fighting for a day. Oh also Crowley runs over a witch, but it's fine because she's an American

As it turns out, the witch left a book behind in Crowley's car and Aziraphale yoinks it like the book kleptomaniac he is, then binges it like your new favourite 150k fanfic

Crowley literally climbs the walls in boredom (unfortunately got cut, but still happened in my mind). They eventually meet up in Secret Rendezvous Spot #3 where they have a lover's quarrel and Crowley slut walks off

Next thing ya know, there's a witchfinder (yea don't worry too much about him) at Aziraphale's door and he tries to exorcise him via a prophecy book, a cute little retro desk bell and a fuckin lighter. Anyway.

So Aziraphale was trying to talk to God before the nutbag showed up via a magic angel circle that does a little star trek hologram. He ends up talking to God's secretary (not the fun kind) and he's like, Yeah no God's having PTO rn. Also you're being drafted into war 'cause shit's about to go down and Aziraphale's like Ahhh ok cool neat. let me just like, do a bit of tidying up first, oh and I have to pick up the dry cleaning, um then I need to make dinner, so anyway i'll be there soon. totally. yup. so excited to go fight hot sexy with pretty yellow eyes- bad, evil demons.

Aziraphale accidently cha cha slides into the circle and his body crumbles (same) and he pops into Heaven without a body. He gets yelled at by Anderson for not having a body or that sword he gave the humans 6000 years ago, and honestly I can't help but think it's Heaven's fault for not stock taking enough

Aziraphale's like Haha yeah Anderson I'm not fighting no war, I have a hot sexy yellow-eyed pretty beautiful smart funny demon to ki- uuuh, I mean, I'm a pacifist now, BYE and he yeets himself back to the mortal plane via a floaty picture of Earth

He finds Crowley going on a bender and doodling A+C=<3 on the pub table. Aziraphale's like Right Crowley get your shit together, we got an Apocalypse to stop in Tadfield

Crowley ends up getting trapped in London via a giant doom circle of fire that he designed, but he's like Ah nah fuck it, my Bentley can take it and it DOES. I mean it does explode, but only after it gets him to Tadfield. What a stellar car. 10/10

The husbands try to murder the child with a fireworks gun, that fails, then they watch the child encourage his friends to insult three cosmic beings to death. Yah it actually works, too.

The child then insults Lucifer into the void, and that's it, ba ba boom, apocalypse averted. The husbands do what they do best; get crunk.

Heaven & Hell kidnap the husbands and tries to give them their Worst Employee of the Century rewards, but the husbands survive it via clever trickery and Being A Little Shit, and they ride off into the sunset and confess their love at the Ritz via affectionate insults

the end

season 2

#good omens #crowley #aziraphale #ineffable husbands #aziracrow #goodomens #gomens #badly explained good omens #crack #for the record i have written an entire (yes all 4 books) summary of the hunger games if anyone wants it. its as appalling as this is

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chaifootsteps · 2 months

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Over the Garden Wall had ten episodes, three of which are 11 minutes long and seven are 12 minutes. The series is 117 minutes, which is 1 hour, 57 minutes long, yet it had slower pacing than Hazbin Hotel's first season, which had eight 30-minute episodes, averaging out to 240 minutes, or 4 hours.

Even Infinity Train's first season, which has ten eleven-minute episodes, did better with its pacing than Hazbin Hotel, despite only having 110 minutes, a.k.a., 1 hour, 50 minutes. Both OTGW and Infinity Train had half the time Vivziepop had, but had slower pacing and better development than Hazbin Hotel.

Helluva Boss, a show she has control over, has poor pacing, character, and world development because she doesn't have the patience to explore her story slowly. Vivziepop is the issue with the pacing in her writing, not the length of her shows.

Exactly. Other shows have done so much more with a tenth of the resources and opportunities she's been given.

#Anoymous #hazbin hotel critical #viv stuff #actual blog post

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anonimusunnoaniswriting · 10 days

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𝑮𝒐𝒐𝒅 𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈, 𝑴𝒚 𝑳𝒂𝒅𝒚 | 𝑷𝒂𝒓𝒕 𝟐

(𝑺𝒆𝒃𝒂𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒂𝒏 𝑴𝒊𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒆𝒍𝒊𝒔 𝒙 𝑹𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒆𝒓)

⚠️MDNI. 18+ ADULTS ONLY⚠️

🎀Age in bio or blocked🎀

Rating: Mature

Category: F/M

Fandom: Kuroshitsuji | Black Butler

Relationship: Sebastian Michaelis/CielsCousin!Reader

Characters: Sebastian Michaelis; Reader; Ciel Phantomhive; Elizabeth Midford

Summary: After spending the day with your cousin and his fiance, the night air makes for pleasant company, as does the butler who reveals a dark secret...

Additional Tags: Fluff and Smut; Eventual Smut; Neck Kissing; Kissing; Gentle Kissing; Surprise Kissing; Making Out; Implied Sexual Content; Phantomhive manor; Reader-Insert; Victorian

A/N: not beta read. We die like men. Again.

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3

𝕮𝖍𝖆𝖕𝖙𝖊𝖗 2: 𝕿𝖍𝖆𝖙 𝕭𝖚𝖙𝖑𝖊𝖗; 𝕴𝖓 𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝕹𝖎𝖌𝖍𝖙

The day passed without much incident. A wall seemed to have broken down, between you and the butler after your morning rendezvous. Throughout the day, he looked after both your needs and his young master’s as well. You had spent some time with your cousin today as he hadn’t had too much on his schedule like he usually did. Breakfast, luncheon and supper were all had with the boy who kept your mind occupied with discussions on business and society. And Sebastian served you while also making sure to linger longer than necessary by your side, whether it was him pouring wine into your glass, or brushing against you while bringing you your plate. Surreptitious movements that luckily went unnoticed by your young cousin.

Lady Elizabeth joined the two of you for supper. Though she was from your side of the family you had never met the child personally. The girl had a lot of energy. She loved dressing up as was evident from her clothing. You had heard of her mother being a fearsome lady, one who could fight a tiger barehanded and win, but the daughter carried no such resemblance.

“ –And then, Mother let me make two more dresses to match with the jewellery she bought me!” You had missed the initial conversation but gleaned from the few lines that she had an affinity for fashion and clothing. It was not unlike a lady of her stature.

“Oh when I was your age, I loved getting new dresses made!” You smiled at her. “After I fell sick the first time, however, I started to dislike it a bit.” It was true. You used to have dresses made by the dozen. The seamstress saw your home more than her own shop! But your repeated illnesses have changed this. Every measurement taken anew showed how your body had changed. Warped into the form of the disease. And standing for the tape was exhausting. You found comfort in the clothing you already owned and preferred to have less made.

Elizabeth frowned. “Perhaps, Lady Phantomhive, you can come with me and we can have the tailor take your measurements too for a gown. I’m sure your mama and papa wouldn’t mind!” You blushed and shook your head. Perhaps your parents wouldn’t and even if you did have the energy to stand tomorrow, you would have to cover up the innumerable marks Sebastian left on you from your morning's tryst.

You laughed a nervous chuckle and replied, “Perhaps for the next season, I seem to have plenty of splendid dresses in my armada for the moment…”

Ciel retired to bed, soon after Elizabeth left to go back home. You sometimes forgot he was only 12 – his mannerisms far beyond his age. You walked out to the balcony. The garden was painted silver in the moonlight. Despite being quite clumsy, Finnian did a good job of maintaining it you thought to yourself.

“After all I did today to make sure you didn’t catch a cold, my lady, here you are inviting it yourself.” Sebastian’s voice came from behind, startling you. You turned your head to look as he emerged from the shadows draping a warm cloak over your shoulders. “Would you like to go for a walk my lady?” he asked. Once again, you thought you saw a flash of red in his eyes, but it was gone as soon as you took another glance. You nodded at him.

Sebastian took your hand and in one swift cat-like movement you found yourself in his arms flying through the air. You clung to his shoulders the night air whipping through your hair and biting at your cheeks. “Sebastian! Where are we going!” But the whistling of the wind drowned out your words.

When he finally landed, you looked around you, the garden was far, This was a denser shrubbery, almost like the maze Finnian so religiously took care to grow. “Should you be so far from the manor?” You asked him breathless, even though all you had done was be carried from one place to another. “Ciel might call for you or something.”

He shook his head. “You needn’t worry about that, my lady. The young master doesn’t wake till morning – when I wake him and I’m sure the manor will be fine without me for a bit.”

He smiles, reassuring you, and takes your hand, clasping it in his gloved ones. You begin to walk alongside him, his stride is shorter, making sure you can keep up, even in your bedroom slippers. Soon you come across a gazebo. The butler then invites you to sit and takes a seat beside you. “I do hope this isn’t too forward of me, my lady but I wish to continue where we had left off this morning.” You blush and avoid his gaze. You know that society would never approve of the relationship the two of you had. If anyone ever found out, it would bring shame to you and your family. You would be looked down upon for the longest time. “My lady?” Sebastian inquires after not hearing anything from you.

“Sebastian…” you start. But you don’t know how to form what you are feeling. “I- I-” you stutter. Then sigh. He puts his hand on your cheek and makes you look at him.

“My lady, if you want this to stop—” he begins but is cut off when you place your hand over his mouth.

“Believe me that is not what I want.” You say to him. “You are different Sebastian. I don’t get what you want. Your feelings are not of love. They aren’t for my money. And I feel you lust after me but that doesn’t come out too clearly either. I suppose, in a way, I am confused.” You get up, take a few steps forward and turn to look at him. “I have had men who have come to me for all the things I mentioned before. I have had those who might have actually loved me, those who merely wanted me as another trophy to claim, and even those who have come only to try and gain my hand in marriage but in reality who want to marry my father’s wealth. But you Sebastian, something about you is so different. I suppose it may be because you are the first man I have felt attracted to.” Your following chuckle is hesitant. “I am—afraid of you.”

Sebastian smirks. “Your way of seeing things is so intriguing my lady.” He says. “I can assure you my lady that I am not here for your money. I have no need for the material things that humans treasure so much.” He spits. “As for lusting after you; you have deduced almost correctly, but what I feel for you is more...” You don’t know when he got up, but turning to look you find Sebastian flush against your back. His eyes are red, the same red you tried to convince yourself you hadn't seen, but it was unmistakable. Your eyes widen and you try to take a step back, away from his imposing figure, only to find yourself trapped between him and the gazebo.

“You see my lady,” he continues, nose nuzzling against your neck, “Demons and humans have very little in common, but there is one thing we do share; the feeling of lust is very strong in us both. Humans can feel love. All demons can feel though; is lust. But you, you make me feel something different from just lust. Something more—burning. Is it love? I don’t know... I’ve never known that feeling.”

You don’t know what to say anymore. You should be frozen in fear, What did Sebastian mean, saying he was a demon? A murderer? Or a biblical fantasy? His lips were now on your skin, inhaling your scent, and you felt a pool of warmth in your lower belly. “D- demon? What does that even mean?” you falter.

“What I mean, my lady, is that the only reason I am here is because of a contract I have made with your dear young cousin. You should thank him for our very meeting.” He tells you.

“You mean you’re a demon. Like – from legends and stories?”

“I can assure you. I am no story” he says, planting a searing kiss on your neck. That was all it took to set you on fire. It made sense. The inhuman capabilities. The absolute perfection of his being. He was a demon! “You aren’t running from me my lady?” he asked as you melted under his touch.

“Surely, you jest Sebastian!” You say. Your voice quavers but you stand your ground.

“About what my lady?”

“About this demon nonsense!”

“I never lie to my lady.” He says. “You said yourself, there is something you find different about me.” He kisses you. “I am simply a demon, and a butler.”

***

Since you were tired from being out for so long, Sebastian swiftly carried you back to the mansion and took you to your room where there was a cup of hot chamomile tea waiting for you. He really took everything into account. There is no doubt about it in your mind now. Sebastian had to be a demon. His speed is inhuman. His eyes are reptilian, gleaming in the darkness. And then those teeth that scraped against your neck. Whatever he is, he definitely isn’t human.

As he helps you get ready for bed you realised that you didn’t mind. Sebastian may not have been a human, and he may have been a butler, but the way he made you feel surpassed all of that. “Sebastian…” You turn to him as he undresses you. You take off his coat. “I don’t care what you are.” You take off his vest. His eyes widen, and he stares at you. He can smell your arousal. Here you are half naked before him, taking off his clothes. Telling him you don’t care what he is. You want him. You feel things for him. Your scent drives him wild and he doesn’t even register you undoing his necktie and then his shirt buttons. When you try to take his shirt off and he doesn’t move to allow you to slip it off him, you suddenly think that perhaps he doesn’t want this. “I’m so sorry!” You say. “I thought you wanted this.” Sebastian finally wakes from his stupor and looks at you.

“I do want this. I just can’t believe that someone as beautiful and lovely as you truly wants something as vile and cruel as me.” He says and softly kisses your head. Then without warning he pushes you onto the bed and says, “But, my lady, who gave you the permission to take my clothes off?” He growls. The change in demeanour startles you.

“Sebas—” you start, but he does not let you finish. In a moment, his lips are upon yours. He swiftly and rips off your underclothes, while still kissing your mouth. His hands glide along the curves of your body and he holds you closer while plunging his tongue into your mouth.

He has never tasted anything like you before. He cannot fathom how in all the years he has lived he has never tasted anything like you. “I guess it’s something Phantomhives have in common eh? A taste like no other. I could feast on you all day.” He mutters half to himself.

“What–?” you ask breathlessly.

“You taste, sinful.”

He winks at you and pulls his glove off his left hand with his sharp teeth. His nails are black and on the back of his hand is a pentagram inside two circles. The outer, made of pointy diamond shapes. “My contract seal— nothing for you to worry your pretty little head about, my lady.” he says, seeing you looking at it.

Sebastian trails his hand down your stomach. His black tipped fingers enter your folds which are already moist with your arousal. Lowering his head, he nibbles on your neck. You breathe in deeply and wish he would take off his clothes to allow you to see him but he had made it pretty clear who was in charge of the taking off of the clothing. His hand playing around with you down under barely ghosted over your skin. You involuntarily bucked your hips trying to get him to touch you. The move immediately made the demon smirk and say, “Look at you, so eager to be fucked.”

You feel your cheeks heat much like your core. His words are so unexpectedly crude. “Please,” you moan, “please touch me…”

To be continued…

A/N: hahah don't hurt me. Likes and reblogs are appreciated. Comments get you kissies.

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soulfulazrael · 2 months

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I think the Vs being in the same season as Heaven was such a massive error. Seriously they barely showed up and the stakes got fucked because honeslty what threat do the Vs actually pose? Charlie herself could probably bitch slap them and even if she didn't want to, she could cry to her daddy and have Lucifer to do it and then shred Angel's contract in a paper shredder. They already sent Heaven packing, the Vs themselves don't pose a threat and would need some other op villain to prop them up(Probably Eve or Roo or whatever).

Like all Vox did was get pissy at Alastor and for some reason has a crush on him? Like this just feels like fan service for shippers? Like can we just have people be rivals? And Velvette sang. Val is the only who did anything and even then, it doesn't really go anywhere because they shove this heaven stuff in at the same time.

Yeah. I think this is the example of how little patience Viv had when it comes to Hazbin Hotel. Yes. She had no clue if she was gonna get Season 2, but she should have adapted and instead of shoving everything into one season she should have tried to make season 1 feel like a cohesive and well done story that has a beginning, middle and end. Treat it like a one season series like Over The Garden Wall where while she cannot put all of her ideas into it she can put in some of them and give them time necessary for them to be developed into something great.

To me they should have cut MOST of the plot lines and put in maybe only Angel Redemption where you can focus on it. Let this one idea be focused on and be well developed. Let it be the overarching goal of the season. Redeeming your first sinner and make it feel impactful so even if you do not have a season 2 you still have one cohesive story with beginning, middle and end that can end on an impactful and hopeful note as you explore what it means to redeem someone and feel the weight of redemption when it finally happens. You can explore in depth the most important element of the story, the thing that this story is build upon and what the titular Hotel is all about. Redemption. Through that you can delve into Angel's character, show his flaws and issues that he has to overcome, sins he committed in life he has to atone for and get over and people that he hurt through them. Delve into this idea and explore it as much as you can and when redemption happens you know how much it takes to redeem someone and what it means. And then if you DO get Season 2 you can show this happen a lot faster with more sinners and that would lead to sense of progression around which you can write more drama. Maybe with Charlie who may be getting more and more conflicted as she sees people she grows to care about go away.

Also this allows you to take more time with character interactions. Make them more varied. Maybe through trying to get this one person redeemed you can have everyone contribute in their own way where you can either learn more about them, Angel or both and around that can be made unique interactions between ALL of the characters and it lets you explore more of the hotel which helps you care about it. And it also can lead you to introduce more characters, but those would be all centered around this story and one goal, making it make sense and be cohesive when they show up. It would immensely help with character interactions which are LAUGHABLY sparse as characters barely interact with one another besides the ship pairs like Vaggie and Charlie or Husk and Angel where neither of those even have much of a chemistry at all and require the audience to already be invested in those. Which makes the entire cast feel very shallow. Not to mention that we barely spend any time at the hotel and we see barely any location inside it besides the main hall so when it finally is broken we feel nothing as we barely got to know that location. And it's fixed in ONE song. That's not how you do it. Think about it. All of those emotional beats. First redeemed sinner. Death of Pentious. Death of Dazzle. Destruction of the Hotel. Appearance of Heaven. All of it feels WEAK as none of those ideas were given proper time and so they are barely noticeable. And that was the ONLY chance Viv had at doing those. And she wasted them on this rushed season.

And let me tell you. If I had a choice between putting all of my ideas into one story and almost all of them being underdeveloped and bad in execution or putting fewer ones and letting them be developed into something great then I choose the latter. People may not see all of my ideas, but those they will, they will remember and looked back at fondly. Something I DO NOT think will happen with this.

My idea for seasons of this series would be like this:

Season 1 - redeeming first Sinner who is Angel Dust and main villain is Val. Exploration of Angel and many other characters through trying to get him to achieve redemption where each character gets explored as they try to help out in their own way and either you learn more about Angel or a member of the cast. Ends on Angel ascending and Val beaten and killed by other Vees who in this version may be abused by him and they end up being antagonists of next season.

Season 2 - Other 2 Vees become antagonists as Charlie is now redeeming far more sinners, but she starts to grow weary as she realizes she will be alone eventually which Alastor also exploits to corrupt her. Ends on maybe Velvette being killed as Vox himself may find a way to also attain more power and Charlie becomes more corrupted and destroys a lot of her work while Alastor regrets his actions.

Season 3 - Dealing with Vox and fixing Charlie. Heaven is now being more hinted at and Lucifer himself is now far more involved (who is not as positive character as in the show). Eventually leads to Heaven getting closer as Hotel stops working during this time and population increases again.

Season 4- Heaven and Hell in conflict as everyone tries to fix their mistakes. Maybe ends with both Heaven and Hell now rejecting the main crew as maybe at the end Hazbin Hotel becomes actual Purgatory where sinners can be judged when they die. Abandoned by both Hell and Heaven Charlie and those who remain can forge their own paradise and their own purpose beyond Mandates of Heaven and Cruelty of Hell.

Just an idea

#hazbin hotel criticism #hazbin hotel #hazbin hotel critique #hazbin hotel critical #vivziepop critical #vivziepop criticism #vivziepop #hazbin hotel rewrite

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innefableidiot · 4 months

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I love how you can tell how much these two goobers love how their little love story at the garden of eden, because in season 1 in the last episode aziraphale was SO excited to talk about how he and Crowley met at the garden of eden, and then in season 2 Crowley says the line "you mean like a sudden rainstorm forces them together beneath a canopy, they look into each other's eyes and realise they were made for eachother" which is literally him referencing how he and Aziraphale met on the wall where aziraphale held his wing over Crowley to shield him against the rain

#good omens #crowly x aziraphale #anthony j crowley #good omens 2 #aziracrow #aziraphale #innefable husbands #crowley good omens #inneffable idiots

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jgoddesstarot · 7 months

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Pick-A-Pile: Family Dynamics: How Does Your Future Spouse Interact With Their Family?

👑Check out my masterlist to see all of my pick-a-card readings😊

✨ Visit my shops at Ko-fi.com or J.Goddess Tarot✨

🔮Disclaimer: This reading is for entertainment purposes only. Tarot readings are based upon my intuitive interpretation of the cards and about possibilities based on your current energy. Energy is forever changing and nothing is set in stone. Always remember, you have your own free will to make whatever decision you feel is best.

🔮How I read: I use a mix of tarot cards, oracle cards, along with my intuitive abilities of claircognizance, clairaudience, and clairsentience.

🔮How this works: Close your eyes and take deep breaths, pick the pile you are most drawn to. If you aren’t drawn to any pile then that’s okay, these messages aren’t for you at this time.

Pile 1

Tarot Cards: Death, 7 of Pentacles, Knight of Pentacles, Ace of Pentacle, 4 of Swords

Hi my captivating Pile 1's, brace yourself for a tantalizing journey through the vibrant tapestry of your future lover's family dynamics. Ready for the revelations?

First, let's enter a realm of transformation—a space where old realities crumble, giving way to new horizons. Imagine a grand ancestral mansion shifting its walls and corridors, changing its very essence. Such is the profound metamorphosis that has molded your future spouse's family. This change—whether it's the winds of fortune turning or migrating to new shores—has profoundly infused their essence, shaping their familial ties with a blend of nostalgia and acceptance.

Journeying deeper, we find a lush garden where every tree and shrub has been meticulously nurtured over the years. Here, your lover emerges as the devoted gardener, their hands lovingly tending to the familial roots, ensuring that bonds flourish and thrive. They appreciate the slow dance of time, understanding that the most profound connections are nurtured patiently, season after season.

Now, amidst this verdant expanse, stands a sentinel—a knight in shining armor, steadfast and unyielding. This is your partner, the unwavering backbone of their family, always present in times of need. Their feet planted firmly on the ground, they bring pragmatism and reliability to family affairs, ensuring that everyone feels safe and cherished.

But, oh! The story doesn't end here. Amidst the lushness, there's an aura of newness—a gleam of golden opportunities. Your future love is the trailblazer, the one igniting fresh traditions, the beacon guiding their clan to embrace novelty, all while cherishing their rich legacy.

Yet, amidst all this hustle, there's a serene sanctuary—a quiet spot where time stands still. Here, your lover retreats, understanding the sacredness of rejuvenation. They champion the balance between fervent family engagements and soulful solace, ensuring harmony flows through every vein of their lineage.

In wrapping up our delicious saga, delectable Pile 1's, your future love emerges as a potent blend of resilience, dedication, practicality, innovation, and tranquility. They are the heartbeat of their family, a force of stability and renewal. As the threads of destiny intertwine, savor this glimpse into the rich familial tapestry that awaits you

Pile 2

Tarot Cards: Ace of Swords (in reverse), Knight of Wands, 10 of Wands, The Chariot, 5 of Cups

Hey my sultry Pile 2's, fasten your seatbelts as we embark on an exhilarating voyage into the heart and soul of your future beloved, especially the intricate dance of their family dynamics.

Picture a serene moonlit night, where a secretive veil cloaks the stars. Just like that mysterious night, your future partner possesses an art of concealment, especially when family matters arise. They are the silent guardians, preferring to shield their emotions in favor of preserving familial harmony, ensuring no storm disrupts the tranquil waters.

Yet, beneath this gentle facade, a tempest of fiery passion rages. Imagine a blazing phoenix, soaring high and fiercely guarding its realm. That's your future lover when their family's sanctity is at stake. They're a spirited protector, ready to leap into action, driven by a blazing heart that might occasionally prompt them to leap before they look. But rest assured, their intentions are as pure as gold.

But oh, how the universe plays its dualities! This fiery phoenix also carries the weight of the world on its wings. They're the anchor, the one who stands tall amidst family storms, absorbing every thunder and lightning, ensuring no harm befalls their kin. Sometimes it's a labor of love, and at others, a duty they can't escape.

Yet, against these raging storms and burdens, stands a fearless charioteer—your future spouse, taking the reins of their family chariot, navigating through life's tumultuous terrains with unyielding focus. Balancing passion and responsibility, they ensure their family sails smoothly towards their shared destiny.

Amidst these tales of courage and resilience, there's a chapter of heartache. A past that's seen shadows of loss or perhaps unmet expectations. But it's these very shadows that have molded them into the beacon of hope, teaching them to find the silver lining even in the cloudiest of skies.

Drawing our thrilling escapade to its end, my enticing Pile 2's, we unveil a partner enveloped in layers of fierce protection, fiery passion, unspoken sacrifices, unwavering determination, and the wisdom of their past. Their dance with family is both intense and tender, replete with challenges yet underscored by undying love. While these cards are but whispers of fate, always remember: Destiny is a two-player game. Embrace the anticipation and trust in the cosmic dance of love and life.

Pile 3

Tarot Cards: 6 of Swords, 3 of Cups (in reverse), Queen of Pentacles (in reverse), Page of Wands, Knight of Swords

Ah, my captivating Pile 3's, let's embark on a tantalizing journey through the tapestry of your future spouse's family dynamics.

Picture a sailboat gently cutting through stormy seas, setting its compass toward tranquil waters. Your future beloved, it appears, has masterfully navigated their way out of family tempests. They've journeyed from choppy family ties to calmer connections, gracefully steering clear of conflicts to safeguard their peace.

However, beneath this serenity lies a whispered melancholy, like a solitary bird against a dusky sky. There's a quiet space between them and their kin, a distance that feels more emotional than physical. Perhaps the sound of clinking glasses and laughter during family feasts doesn't resonate with the same fervor. Yet, remember, this silence is their protective shield, a sanctuary carved from lessons of yesteryears.

Now, think of a warm hearth, radiating comfort. Curiously, this warmth seems elusive when it comes to their familial ties. It's not that they lack a nurturing spirit; it's just that they've found it challenging to channel it within the family's confines, perhaps holding back from the traditional roles of providing and caregiving.

But ah, there's a twist in our tale! Envision a vibrant flame, dancing with wild abandon. That's the spirit of your future spouse—unyielding, passionate, and bursting with curiosity. Their bond with their family might deviate from the norm, but it's fueled by a desire for a fresh, innovative approach. They're the wildflowers amidst roses, standing out with their unique, fiery essence.

Imagine a swift falcon, diving decisively to its prey. That's your beloved when faced with family matters—direct, unhesitant, and quick to address concerns. They don't let issues fester, choosing instead to face them head-on.

Drawing our thrilling escapade to its end, my enticing Pile 3's, we unveil a future partner who's gracefully danced with family challenges, displaying resilience, wisdom, and a fiery individuality. Their family song might not fit the traditional tunes, but it's undeniably rich in character and depth. Let's savor the symphony of these cards and relish in the anticipation of what's to come. After all, every note and rhythm sketches a piece of the fascinating enigma that is your future spouse.

Other Resources:

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#tarot community #tarot reading #jgoddess tarot #j goddess tarot #pick a pile #pick a card #tarot pick a card #pick a card reading #intuitive tarot reader #future spouse readings #bipoc tarot reader #bipoc #support bipoc #future spouse pick a pile #future spouse #future spouse pick a card #future spouse reading #family dynamics with future spouse

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betterthanburrow · 9 months

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heyo!! this sounds like a weird request but can you can an insta au with a reader who’s a kpop idol ???

Celebrity Crush - Instagram AU

(Bengals QuarterBack! Joe Burrow x K-Pop Idol! OC)

liked by 570,815 users

Bengals: If the internet breaks, this is why.

view all 30,405 comments

username1: MVP SEASON INCOMING ‼️

username2: the Bengals page is really trying to turn my gay at this point…

username3: 🤤🤤🤤🤤🤤🤤🤤🤤🤤

username4: he could tell me to jump into an active volcano and i’ll do a swan dive!

username5: hard to look ❌hard while looking at ✅

liked by 1,009,513 users

yourinstagram: Night 1 in New York!

Thank you, I love you 🤍

keep dreaming, loving, and doing what you gotta do!

Thank you for a lot of love last night!

view all 420,075 comments

username1: the concert was so much fun!

thegarden: 🤍🤍🤍

username2: NEW YORK LOVES YOU!

liked by 99,513 users

ALLKPOP: Cincinnati Bengals Quarterback Joe Burrow revealed in the Media Press Conference that he is a big fan of K-POP Soloist Y/FN Y/LN and he said that she is his celebrity crush and that everyone should go listen to her new album that was released in April.

Who Knew That The NFL QB is a K-POP Fan?!

view all 50,111 comments

username1: i never thought that my two worlds would collide 😵‍💫 i don’t know how to react to this information

username2: i’ve seen this guy all of my FYP… he’s hot!

↳ usermame3: he’s even hotter now that he’s admitted to being a fan of Y/N!

username4: A NFL QB LIKES K-POP?! WHAT UNIVERSE TIMELINE ARE WE LIVING IN?!

liked by 690,205

WORLDWIDE_Y/NUPDATES: Y/N’S INSTA-STORIES

view all 101,630 comments

username1: this is the first time Y/N has acknowledged a celebrity when they say they like her music 😳

username2: the kissy face and pink heart emojis 😶

username3: nice choice of emojis @.yourinstagram

username4: as a burrow girl and a Y/N fan… i think i might pass out seeing my two faves interacting 🫨

liked by 20,513 users

lovely_Y/N09: LOOK WHAT I SAW ON TWITTER?!

view all 9,055 comments

username1: WAIT WAIT WAIT WAIT WAIT… WHAT?!

username2: now i understand why Y/N decided to acknowledge that Joe Burrow listens to her music…

username3: Y/N IS A BURROW GIRL?!

↳ username4: i didn’t even know she liked american football… who introduced her to the world of sports?!

username5: i want to be a fly on the wall when Y/N found out that Joe Burrow listens to her music.

username6: this is the wildest thing to happen in the K-Pop World in a very very very very very long time 😳

liked by joeyb_9 and 1,505,013 users

yourinstagram: Night Two in New York!

Thank You So Much… I Love You 🤍

being able to perform multiple tour shows at Madison Square Garden is an honor and i’m so thankful for the love and support you all have shown me on tour.

view all 222,009 comments

thegarden: you’re always welcome at MSG!

username1: I LOVE YOU SO MUCH

username2: i can’t believe tour will be over soon ☹️

username3: WE’RE SO PROUD OF YOU!!!!!

joeyb_9: you need to do a concert in Cincinnati.

↳ yourinstagram: new tour dates are coming soon 😊

Author’s Note:

i used to be a fan of k-pop (i only listened to one boy group, a few girl groups, and a few soloists) so it was kinda interesting to combine one of my old interests with one of my new interests.

it’s been a while since i’ve published a requested Instagram AU, thank you all for the patience as i’m trying to catch up on all the IG AU requests that are in my Inbox at the time.

if you have a Instagram AU request, please send the IG AU request to my Inbox and i’ll try to get the requested Instagram AU published as fast as i can!

thank you all for the love and support! 🤍

#Joe Burrow #NFL #CFB #LSU Tigers #Cincinnati Bengals #Joe Burrow Fanfiction #Joe Burrow Fanfic #Joe Burrow Fic #Joe Burrow x Reader #Joe Burrow x OC #Joe Burrow x Y/N #Joe Burrow Instagram #Joe Burrow Instagram AU #NFL Fanfiction #NFL Instagram #NFL Instagram AU #Instagram #Instagram AU

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withclawandvine · 1 year

Text

‘tis the damn season my friends. and what do you know, i actually have something to share this year, it’s a christmas elriel month miracle! so without further ado, allow me to present—

elriel month, week 1: shy glances & restricted touches

summary: elain and azriel share a dance at nesta and cassian’s mating ceremony

tags: post-acosf, established relationship (they worked things out ok), forbidden love, meddling sisters, feyre being a busybody and rhys being a pill wc: 2.1k

read on ao3 here!

While decorated every bit as ostentatiously as Nesta had promised, the ceremony itself had been small and intimate. The same was true for the celebration that came after. The structure at the heart of Rhysand’s gardens shone like a beacon against the darkening sky. To call it a tent would be doing it a disservice. Although the walls were made of sheer, breezy fabric, the space was as grand as any ballroom. The cobblestone paths were lined with faelights, all winding their way through flora and statues, leading up to the large fountain at its center. The water itself seemed to glow, the streams reflecting the light of the candles floating in the water. Faelights and flowers hung above, moving with the waves of fabric high above everyone’s heads.

Despite knowing mostly everyone, Azriel was standing alone, quietly uncomfortable. He sipped his sparkling wine out of a gilded flute, as close to the corner of the space as he could get without getting his wings tangled up in the gossamer panels.

And he was watching Elain.

He watched her through windows and over dining tables. Across ballrooms. The place didn’t matter. Azriel’s eyes could pick Elain out of any crowd, bring her to the foreground of any landscape. She was hardly more than a blur of lilac chiffon and bronze curls as Cassian whipped her around and around and around. Petals fell out of the laurel around her head, getting whisked around her by the moving air, as if they were dancing with her. Elain’s laugh was breathless and manic—Azriel shouldn’t have been able to hear it over the music and the conversation. But he could.

When the music slowed to a stop, Elain stumbled out of Cassian’s grasp and into a wobbly curtsy. She wasn’t looking at Azriel when that grin stretched across her face, but he felt his own lips twitch in response. A near smile, small and involuntary.

A shadow curled around his ear, whispering. Azriel schooled his expression back into neutrality, but it was too late, because when he looked to where the shadow had indicated, Feyre was already looking from him to the dancefloor. Her brows flicked up at him as she took another sip of wine. Azriel looked away. Busybody.

But his shadows restlessly tugged at him, urging his attention back to Feyre. Azriel’s stomach dropped at the sight of his High Lady weaving through the small crowd toward him. Azriel debated melting into his shadows, and as if reading the decision on his face, Feyre disappeared. Within a blink, she was standing right beside him. Her posture deceptively casual, arms crossed and a hip popped.

She angled her chin to look up at him, eyes dancing. “I’m sure she’d say yes if you asked.”

As if asking was even an option.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Azriel said, not looking at Feyre, but rather at Rhys’s approaching figure. There was no doubt the bastard had been poking around in Feyre’s mind. She tended to let her guard down when spirits were involved.

Feyre rose a brow. “You’d think that half a millenia of experience would make you a better liar, Az.”

Rhys stopped behind Feyre, encircling her in his arms. They both relaxed into one another, making it impossible to tell who was supporting who. Rhys playfully chided, “Leave the poor man be, Feyre darling.”

“Why? So he can brood alone in the corner?”

Azriel wished it had merely been a joke at his expense. He looked to Rhys, all but pleading with him to pretend it had been. But the High Lord had straightened, and was regarding Feyre with a slight frown when he answered her question, as if it had been in earnest, “Need I remind you that Lucien—Elain’s mate—is here?”

Azriel felt himself flinch at the word, but Feyre was utterly unmoved. She rolled her eyes, turning to face her mate. “She’s already danced with Cassian.”

“That’s different,” Rhys said stiffly. “We’re at his wedding.”

Feyre took a step closer to her mate. Her voice was low and serious, “They haven’t spoken all night. All year, even.”

Rhys looked ready to argue, but Azriel cleared his throat. “Do I need to be a part of this conversation, or may I find another corner to brood alone in?”

Feyre at least had the decency to blush, but it didn’t stop her from answering him, “No, you may not. It’s my sister’s wedding and as your High Lady, I order you to at least act like you’re having a good time.”

Azriel was tiring of being ordered to do things.

“I am having a good time.”

Feyre rolled her eyes at his flat tone, but instead of calling him out on another lie, she grabbed him by the elbow, and grinned up at him, “Then let’s make it a great time.”

She started walking without any agreement from Azriel, and before Rhys could make another argument. Although he did have enough time to level a warning glare over Feyre’s head. Azriel met it blankly, and allowed himself to be escorted—or rather, dragged—across the floor.

Elain was still breathing heavily and fanning herself when they approached her at the refreshment table. Her eyes widened when she noticed them, darting between Feyre and Azriel a few times before she seemed to remember the drink she was pouring. Another second and the glass would have overflowed.

“Feyre!” She greeted her sister cheerily, before turning to him, as if he were an afterthought, “Azriel.”

Feeling Feyre’s keen eyes on him, Azriel kept his response equally bland, dipping his chin in a polite nod.

“Azriel was just telling me how much he wanted to dance.” Feyre lied, about as convincingly as he had to her. He resisted the urge to pinch the bridge of his nose and sigh.

“Is that where you’re headed?” Elain asked. She was much better at this than Azriel. “Try not to step on his toes too much.”

Feyre graced her sister with an obscene gesture, but was smiling when she continued, “He won’t have to worry about me or his feet, because I told him you’d be happy to accompany him.”

“Did you see the way Cassian was spinning me? I might lose my meal if I go for another so soon,” Elain deflected, polite as anything.

“Azriel is a gentleman,” Feyre said, simultaneously reassuring and dismissive, as she took her sister by the wrist.

He barely had time to wince apologetically behind Feyre as she all but tossed Elain into him. And as they took to the floor, Azriel saw Feyre out of the corner of his eye, looking like the cat who got the cream, before she winked out of existence. Azriel did a double-take, looking again to to spot she’d disappeared from.

A shadow nudged his attention to the string quartet, and Feyre, talking to the violinist. He watched the musician nod with a smile before signaling to her band. The strings sighed through the room, a slow, tender melody.

Azriel couldn’t decide if Feyre was trying to help him or punish him.

Elain’s face was still flushed from her wild dance with Cassian, and the front pieces of her hair had come loose. All he wanted was to tuck it behind her ear and let his fingers linger. Instead, he reached for her hand. The other hovered over her waist, touching only the fabric of her skirts that fluttered with each step. The music flowed, but they were a branch caught in an eddy—stiffly spinning, every step jerking and awkward and so unlike the easy, fluid movements of the other couples around them. Nothing about this was easy.

Azriel struggled to look at Elain while she was regarding him with carefully polite indifference, and with imitating the expression himself. Especially as her hand gradually traveled from his shoulder to the back of his neck, drawing herself infinitesimally closer. Her thumb gently stroked the sliver of exposed skin just above his collar. The gesture—undetectable through the shadows that clung to him like smoke—was small, but it sent a shiver down his spine. His eyes fell closed, indulging in it.

With everything else blocked out, it was tempting to pretend it was just the two of them. That they were swaying to a music box's tune in low lamplight, no steps to count or guests to sidestep. No High Lord, who would almost certainly be suspicious Azriel was using his shadows to obscure something forbidden. Coming back to himself, Azriel banished the shadows and took half a step back, nearly out of her range. Cool air replaced her touch on his neck as her hand slipped to his bicep.

The lovely veneer of Elain’s face—her mask—fell. Azriel could read the anger and frustration in the twitch of her jaw, and the resigned understanding in her eyes. Those eyes, impossibly expressive and rich as freshly-tilled earth. Sometimes, looking into them felt like being buried alive.

He managed to break her gaze, only to find himself looking instead at Feyre, engaged in conversation with Lucien Vanserra. Azriel almost had to admire the craftiness of his High Lady, even if he knew it was in vain.

This waltz would lead nowhere, and Vanserra was far from distracted. Azriel didn't want to look at him, either—he was all too familiar with the shadow looming in the Autumn prince's remaining eye. He too knew the ache of longing; it crept up in him even now.

His hand was on the small of her back, but in the way that mattered, Elain was out of his reach. Less distance, more time—there was always something to long for, some part of her he couldn’t have. Even the warm pressure of her hand in his was dulled by his damaged nerves. Her voice was distant, too, as they talked about the food and how much Cassian cried during his vows. Dull, safe topics that could be overheard by anyone. Until there was nothing left to comment idly on, and silence stretched between them, tight as a bowstring. Azriel’s eyes drifted up to the heavens for help. Or at least some inspiration. He marveled at how he could have everything and nothing to say, all at once. The stars were hidden by gauzy panels of fabric, swooping overhead, decorated with the elaborate floral garlands Elain had spent the last few days constructing.

“The flowers are beautiful.” He’d already said as much, while he watched her work on them late into the night. But she still beamed at him.

“I should hope so, after all that work,” she said. “I don't think I'll ever get the smell of gardenias off my hands.”

Azriel lifted a brow, painting an expression of skepticism as he drew their joined hands in. Adjusting his grip so her hand covered his, he pressed his nose gently to her knuckles, his lips brushing her skin as he inhaled. Elain smiled. Her fingers unfurled, smoothing over his cheek and until his face was cradled in her open palm. Azriel leaned into it, kissing the delicate skin of the inside of her wrist. She was warm and soft and definitely smelled faintly of gardenias. His hand covered hers, holding it against his cheek.

The hair on the back of his neck prickled with the chill of his shadows coming back to him, unbidden, as they did when there was danger. He’s coming. In the same breath, Elain went completely still, except for her heart. Azriel felt her pulse quicken against his bottom lip right before she snatched her hand away. With a vise-like grip on his hand, Elain hauled them back into a proper waltz for all of six counts before Rhysand tapped him on the shoulder.

His drawl was charming as ever, but his eyes were cold as he said, “Mind if I cut in?”

It wasn’t really a question, so Azriel didn’t answer. He merely stepped away, ducking into a cursory bow. Elain’s curtsy was smooth and elegant, but her eyes were on Rhys. He was smiling at her, all of his fury banished from his countenance. “After seeing you with my brothers, I must confess I’m starting to feel a little left out.”

Elain’s returning smile was so lovely, it was almost impossible to tell that it didn’t reach her eyes. “Well, we can’t have that, can we?”

Rhys offered his elbow, and Elain's fingers had barely brushed his sleeve before he was whisking her away, further into the crowd of revelers. She knew better than to look back, but Azriel’s eyes followed her until he was left staring blankly at gap the High Lord of the Night Court had left in their wake.

#elrielmonth #elrielmonth23 #elriel #elriel fanfiction #otp: you came for me #my writing: acotar

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