#ANOTHER GABRIEL 'Please?' EVENT HAS HIT THE BUILDING

[canon-gabriel-quotes]

Transcript:

Gabriel: Now I’m not an atheist but… pussy doesn’t exist.

I’ve never seen it. Therefore, it doesn’t exist.

Don’t act like you can prove it does.

V1: Shows you a cat named "pussy cat".

Gabriel or maybe the cat: *Meows*

Gabriel: Holy shit.

No way.

Well I stand corrected.

You know... You could correct me more if you showed me a cock. Please?

Audio Source

[mochegato]

Covert Romance

Continuation of Covert Dating 

Marinette nervously followed Jason up the narrow stairs, clutching his hand for reassurance.  “Are you sure it’s okay for us to be up here?” she whispered anxiously despite there being nobody else in the stairwell to hear.  She was positive they were breaking some kind of rule.  There was no way random people were allowed to just jaunt on up to the roof of the Wayne Enterprises building.  It was one of the most secure buildings in the city, hell, maybe the entire state.

The security officer at the front door had let them pass with little more than a nod to Jason and a smile, showing very little concern about them wandering around.  But now they were almost on the roof and it seemed like there should be another level of security to get up there, like someone appearing out of nowhere to check ID’s and intentions.  But there was nothing.  Just her and Jason and Jason’s keycard granting them the run of the building.

“Yeah Princess, it’s fine,” he reassured her with a smile squeezing her hand. “There’s a reason I have a keycard. I’m allowed to go anywhere in the building I deem necessary.  And I have deemed it very necessary for me to be up here right now with you.” He threw her a dashing smile that made her blush brightly as he let go of her hand to pull out his keycard again.

“Ready?” he asked putting the keycard back in his pocket after swiping it on the security pad.  

“For what” she asked with a suspicious smile.

“It’s a surprise.  Close your eyes and wait here for a second,” he said, excitement creeping into his voice. He had never brought someone up here before.  The view from the roof meant a lot to him.  It was one of his favorite spots in the world.  Gotham looked magical from up here.  Something about bringing her here made him feel exposed and he was eager to see how she reacted.  

When Marinette closed her eyes, he pushed the door open and gently placed the box he had been carrying with their dinner on the ground before turning back to Marinette.  “I’m going to bring you out now,” he said gently as he put one hand over her eyes and the other on the small of her back to guide her to a particular spot on the roof. “No peeking,” he warned gently. She could hear his cheeky grin in his voice.

As soon as she stepped onto the roof, she could feel the cool, crisp night air hit the exposed parts of her face, cooling her burning cheeks.  She could barely register the sounds of the city over her racing heart as he led her out onto the roof.  Her heart nearly stopped when she felt him step behind her almost touching his chest to her back and whispered, “Okay, open your eyes.”

She opened her eyes and gasped at the sight in front of her.  “What do you think?” he asked eagerly.  When she didn’t respond immediately he anxiously explained, “This is my favorite spot in the entire city.  It is the best place to see all of Gotham lit up.  From right here, you can see the neighborhood I grew up in, the waterfront, gargoyles… you can almost imagine something good could happen here.  Like there’s hope for us all.  ” he whispered with a shaky smile.  

Her eyes opened exceptionally wide as she took in the view.  “Jason, this is absolutely gorgeous.  I’ve never seen Gotham this way.  Oh my God, this is… I should have brought my sketchbook. Jason, this is amazing!”  She finally tore her eyes from the city to turn and face Jason, her smile beaming.  “Thank you for bringing me up here.”

Jason looked down at her, her exhilarated expression making his heart skip a beat. He let out the breath he had been holding since he removed his hand from her eyes.  The city lights were reflected in her gorgeous blue eyes making them sparkle even more than they usually did.  He smiled gently at her “I guess we’ll have to come back up here for our next date too, so you can bring your sketchbook with you.”  

Marinette’s breath hitched as she noticed how very close they were to one another.  She smiled shyly, “Second date huh?”  

He raised his hand to move a strand of hair the wind was whipping around her face to tuck it behind her ear, before moving his hands to cradle her face and run his thumbs over her cheeks.  God, he wanted to see that expression on her face every day, every moment.  He wanted to be the one to make her look like that.  “Or third… or fourth… two hundredth.  However many you’ll let me have, I’ll take.”  Sincerity shone in his eyes as he leaned down slowly.  He gently lifted her chin, keeping eye contact the entire time to check for any signs of apprehension.  Seeing none, he moved to within centimeters of her lips and whispered, “Is this okay?”

“Please,” she whispered back pushing up to meet his lips with her own, giving him a gentle kiss that was far too short for her.  She pulled away and opened her eyes to look up at him.  When their eyes met she saw the same desire she felt clouding his eyes.  She quickly pushed up to give him a second, longer, hungrier kiss.  His arms wound around her waist, pulling her body closer to him as hers found their way up to his neck and hair, pulling his face closer to her so she could deepen the kiss.

When they finally broke apart, breathing deeply, she smiled happily and twisted in his arms back toward the city, snuggling back against him.  He wrapped his arms around her shoulders and curled around her.  She leaned her head back against his chest with a happy sigh, taking in the beauty of Gotham at night.  She matched perfectly with his body, her head tucked snugly under his chin, like they were designed to fit together.  His body molded around her like a comforting blanket, making her feel warm and secure. She wanted more of this, more of him. “I’ll give you as many dates as you want.  As long as you’re there and kissing me like that, I’ll be happy.”  

“Couldn’t be much of a date if I wasn’t there.  Sounds incredibly boring for you.  What would you do?” He questioned in mock concern.

“Probably pine after you.  You’re right, I should just stick to dating you.”  She said pretending to come to a resolution.  

“It’s settled then,” he said nodding.  He squeezed her tightly for a moment and said, “Come on, let’s eat. I’m starving.”

A few minutes later, the blanket Jason had borrowed from his favorite Italian restaurant had been spread out and the dishes they had ordered placed on it along with a couple bottles of wine and glasses the owner had also packed in the box for them.  Joe had packed the box with everything they would need for an impromptu picnic and promised to tell his brothers, or anyone else asking about him, that he hadn’t seen or heard from Jason for a few days.  He even promised to ask if he should contact them if Jason did turn up to further the illusion that he hadn’t seen them.  Regardless of whether his brothers believed him or not, they wouldn’t get any information out of Joe to know if he went to another restaurant or got take out.  Jason was going to have to do something extra special for Joe.  This was exactly what they needed to escape from his family.

After dishing the food onto their plates and pouring the wine, Marinette broke the comfortable silence.  “Oh wow! You were right.  This is delicious.” He bowed slightly in acknowledgement instead of answering since his mouth was currently stuffed with food.  “So… you said there was a reason you had a key to go everywhere in the building.  What is that reason?”

“Oh… um…” he swallowed the mouthful he had just taken, “I’m head of security for the company.”  He’d had his answer prepared.  It was a plausible excuse, easy to believe with his expertise and familiarity with the building and employees.  

“Really!?  Oh my God! That must be insanely stressful.  This is one of the most targeted businesses in Gotham,” she reeled back in shock.  No wonder he was always keeping an eye out for suspicious activity and acting on it. She did it too, but that was because she had been Ladybug.  Now it made so much sense that he would do the same.  “I hope they give you lots of vacation days to burn off that pressure.” She took another bite of the pasta and furrowed her brow.  “Is that how you have access to a private jet?  They let you borrow it occasionally so you don’t go insane?”

“Not exactly but kinda, yeah.  Mr. Wayne lets me take it if I need to for some reason.  And my best friend’s dad is filthy fucking rich and has no problem using it to buy affection so... yeah.  What about you though?”

“Well… I mean, I don’t really.”

Jason raised his eyebrow at her. “Your roommate said that was bullshit.  Come on Mari, I want the whole and unabridged answer here,” he said urging her to continue.

She sighed.  “Okay so, my best friend… you almost met him tonight, my roommate, Adrien? Yeah, he used to be really wealthy with a private jet or two, but his dad turned out to be a supervillain… oh, remember me talking about Hawkmoth?  That was his Dad, Gabriel Agreste, so… not so many jets anymore.” Jason hadn’t expected that turn of events.  That would explain why she was so hesitant to talk about it.  Not a lot of people liked discussing their association with a supervillain.  Odd that her roommate would mention it in front of strangers, but then again who was he to critique someone else’s coping mechanisms.  

Jason was about to change the subject to a less dismal topic when Marinette swallowed her food and continued. “One of his other best friends is also rich.  Her dad is the mayor of Paris and her mom is Style Queen.  She likes me, Style Queen not the friend, although she doesn’t hate me anymore so… progress!  Well… tolerates me, so… frenemies?  Is it frenemies if only one person is doing it?” Marinette asked scrunching her face and cocking it to the side as if she was trying to figure out a puzzle before continuing to ramble on.  “But, she would really only let me borrow the jet if she thought it would annoy Adrien… or my other friends… or her parents… or anyone who said she couldn’t.  She really doesn’t like being told what she ‘can’ or ‘can’t’ do,” she rolled her eyes and grinned at Jason.  “Can’t really blame her though.  I’d do the same.  Also, my uncle is a rock star and another friend is a pop star and another is a supermodel… actually, she doesn’t have her own private jet but she does have a lot of people willing to let her use theirs whenever she asks, no questions asked... Also, I have a few clients that would probably let me borrow a jet if I asked desperately enough.”

Jason stared at her slack jawed.  His food was falling out of his open mouth unnoticed. “Holy fuck, Pixie!” he exclaimed when he could finally speak again.

“You wanted the whole answer! ‘Unabridged’ you said,” she protested, her cheeks bright red in embarrassment.

“And was that the whole answer?” he asked only half joking.

“I think… Oh, and I know a producer that probably has a few jets.  It seems like the kind of thing he would do. Maybe a few others.  My friends and I don’t really talk about things like that when we get together.”  She shrugged.

“Damn, who the fuck are you, Marinette?” he asked in awe.

She smiled and looked down timidly, “Didn’t I tell you?”  She looked back up with a scowl. “I am Batman” she growled out in a gruff voice.

Jason gave her a deadpan look and threw down his fork.  “That’s it. I lost my appetite.”  He mock pouted.  “That's it, Princess. You've managed to do what none of my brothers or hundreds of hours of hours of gory horror movies managed to do. I completely lost my appetite”

She gave him a raucous laugh that he quickly matched.  After the laughter had died out she looked back up at him with shining eyes and said playfully, “By the way, you can’t use ‘Princess’.”

“What?” he asked in confusion.

“You called me Princess a few times tonight.  You can’t use that one.  You’re going to have to stick to Pixie Pop or Cupcake or come up with some others.”

“Okay, but what’s the hang up with ‘Princess’?  Bad memories? Someone who’s ass I need to kick?”

“No, no, nothing like that.  It’s just that it’s Adrien’s nickname for me and he’s very protective of it.  Not that he doesn’t have a lot of them for me, but that one means a lot to him.”  She looked at Jason apologetically.  

Jason nodded, “Got it.  Princess has already been claimed.  I can live with that.”  He narrowed his eyes at her and pointed a warning finger at her before saying, “You can’t use Zombie or Buckethead.  Those are already taken by my brothers.”

She laughed loudly.  “Seriously?” He nodded solemnly in response.  “Damn, those were the ones I was going to use too.”  He squawked in response making her laugh even louder. Once their laughter had lightened she looked back out to the city and hummed.  “So what do you think our friends and family are doing now?  Do you think they are still looking for us?”

“I’m betting,” he started, taking another bite before continuing, “they went to the restaurant we picked up the food from, it’s a family favorite, tried to track our phones before seeing they were turned off, asked Alfred where we might have gone, and when he told them to back off, went to a coffee shop to regroup and plan.”

“Hmmm… That’s a lot of time with each other.  I wonder which of your siblings Adrien is going to say he’s in love with when I get home.”

“That desperate, huh?” he joked.

“That much of a romantic,” she corrected.  “When he falls, he does it quickly and with his whole heart.”

Jason hummed in response.  That was something he could bond with Adrien over.  He smiled gently at her as she looked peacefully out over the city with a gentle smile.  She was the smartest, strongest, sweetest woman he had ever met.  She was really too sweet for Gotham.  She was definitely too sweet for Red Hood.  Was he making a mistake bringing her into his life?  He really, really liked her, maybe even loved her at this point, but his life was dangerous.  He knew she had experience with danger after her years living in Paris while the Hawk guy was running around, but being with a vigilante was a different thing all together.  How would she react the first time he came home with a gunshot wound or broken ribs? How would he react if someone took her to get to him?  She wasn’t a hero like him.  How would she protect herself? He shook his head to clear the negative thoughts out of his head.  They had plenty of time to discuss that.  Tonight, in this spot that promised so much hope, he was going to enjoy his date.  “We should dance,” he said smiling lovingly at her as he stood up and walked a few feet away.

“There’s no music,” she laughed incredulously.

“Then we make our own,” he extended his hand to her.

Marinette stared at his hand for a moment before looking back in his sparkling eyes.  The eyes she would follow anywhere.  The eyes she fell in love with.  She smirked at him, “You have some secret beatboxing skills you haven’t divulged yet? Because that would be amazing.”

He smiled gallantly down at her “No, but my humming would make Bocelli jealous.”

She laughed, “Oh that I have to hear.”  She set down her plate and bounced up.  Before she reached his hand, they heard a thump on the other side of the roof.

“Oh shit,” Jason sighed out in annoyance and he moved between Marinette and the noise, effectively hiding her behind him.

Marinette watched the side of the roof the noise had emanated from, steeling herself to fight.  Batman emerging from the shadows had honestly never occurred to her, although it made sense. He was probably investigating why there were unauthorized people on the roof.  “Why aren’t you suited up?” he growled at Jason.

“I’m not working tonight, Batman,” Jason said very deliberately, shooting him a warning look, “so I’m not in my uh… uniform.”

“Oh my God, it’s the real Batman.  Did I… did I summon him?” Marinette whispered to Jason peeking out from behind him.

Batman glanced down at Marinette and looked back at Jason.  Jason could feel the disappointment and raised eyebrow under the cowl.

“His son is the demon, not him.” He said quietly to her with a smirk. Turning back to Batman he said, “We’re here on a date B.  Hiding from my family who couldn’t mind their own fucking business and decided to crash our date.” He said pointedly.

“You’re hiding from your family and you decided here was a good place to hide from them?”

“Hiding in plain sight.  They would assume I’d take her to a restaurant for our date not here.  And nobody else is expected to work for a while.  I was hoping we’d be out of here before then.”

Marinette’s mind was reeling.  Jason seemed unnaturally calm talking to the Batman.  She supposed he might be familiar with him considering his position for Wayne Enterprises. But, they sounded like they know each other really, really well, more than just Jason working with him for security. Also, that didn’t explain Batman asking him about suiting up.  That wasn’t a term you used with civilians.  It was a term heroes used…. “Oh my God.  You’re one of the bats!  You’re one of Gotham’s heroes.”

“Vigilantes” Jason said

“Oh my GOD!!” Marinette exclaimed backing away.  “One nice, normal guy, that’s all I asked for.  Just one love interest that wasn’t a fucking superhero. Why is that too much to ask?”

“Vigilante.  What do you mean just one?  How many superheroes have you dated?”

“You know, it isn’t even just boyfriends. Just one friend that doesn't risk their life constantly.” She ran her hand down over her face, “ugh, Adrien is never going to let me hear the end of this.”

“Oh, I don't risk my life, I make others risk theirs…” he paused to consider what he had just said and furrowed his brow, “I just realized that makes it sound like I need to get rescued a lot.  That's not what I meant.  I meant the bad guys do…. You know what?  I never said anything. This never happened.”

“Jason you almost got Robin killed last week. And you've literally died”

“What?!  I mean join the club, but what?” Marinette shrieked at him.

“What do you mean join the club?!” Jason exclaimed toward her then turned back to Batman “and Damian was in danger because he got cocky and rushed in.”

“SECRETS Jason.  Secret identities don’t do much if you tell them to everyone you take on a date.”

“It’s not like I’m Dick.  This is the first date I’ve been on in a year,” Jason said rolling his eyes.

“Really?” Marinette asked softly.

“Yeah, I hadn’t met anyone I wanted to date in a while.” he shrugged more vulnerable than Marinette had ever seen him, like she was witnessing a part of him he rarely let people see.  “And I didn’t tell her,” he defended, rounding back to Batman.

“Well she figured it out somehow,” he growled back at Jason.

“Me either,” she smiled gently up at Jason, then turned back to Batman.  “Actually, it was you with the ‘why aren’t you in uniform’ and all the familiarity you had with him that gave it away,” she said significantly less gently to Batman.

Batman gave her his patented glare.

“What is that supposed to do?  Intimidate me?  It isn’t going to change what happened.”  She stared back at him unimpressed with a raised brow.  “I’ve been glared at by the best.  I’m not going to lie, you’ve got a good glare but if you think your glare is better than Gabriel Agreste or Audrey Bourgeois or my Mom’s you’re delusional.  I’ve stood up to all of them and their glares without flinching.” Aside to Jason she said “except my mom because she’s really scary when she wants to be.”  Turning to face back to Batman, “I took Gabriel Agreste and his glare down.  I can do the same to you.”

Jason stared at her mouth slightly agape.  What, and he could not stress this enough, the FUCK was happening right now?  His little, too sweet for Gotham girlfriend… girlfriend, right?  She did agree to only date him so… He’d have to get confirmation on that.  His too sweet for Gotham girlfriend was making Bruce her bitch.  He was fighting hard against the urge to drag her back into the stairwell and push her up against the wall.  No, focus. He needed to focus.  Something about what she had said was off.

His mind started racing through what she said.  She said she took Gabriel Agreste down.  What did that mean… didn’t she say Gabriel Agreste was Hawkmoth? Ladybug took down Hawkmoth… Oh my God! That’s why she has a history with superheroes! “Holy Shit, you’re Ladybug!” He grinned widely.  His sweet, kind, brilliant Pixie was a superhero who could protect herself!  And, could backtalk Bruce like she was already a Wayne… He could make that happen actually…

Marinette looked up at Jason with a shocked expression “What?”

“You said you took down the Hawk guy.  Ladybug took him down.  You’re Ladybug.  You’re a superhero!   Wait... Adrien is the other one, right?  The cat one you talked about?  That's why you're so close.  That’s why you two always had each other’s backs.  Oh fuck.  That means he was fighting his dad the whole time and didn’t know it.  Oooh, B you really need to keep Selina away from him. She’ll adopt him… actually, you should stay away from him too.  I already have one blonde, secret superhero child of a supervillain sibling.  I don’t need another.”

“Secret identities, Jason. They're a thing for a reason” Marinette hissed at him.  

He just smiled back at her annoyed face as he wrapped his arms around her, “I’m just so glad you’re a hero and can protect yourself.”

“SILENCE,” Batman yelled.  “Who is Ladybug?  Who is Hawk Guy?  And, who is ‘The Cat One’.”

“I’ll brief you later,” Jason said grinning lovingly down at the woman in his arms. “Right now, I think I need to borrow the jet.”

Marinette opened her mouth to argue about secret identities but instead shook her head and sighed resting her head on his shoulder. “I’m not getting married without a white dress,” she said in resignation.  “I’m a designer, I need an amazing wedding dress.”

Just then the door to the roof burst open and Dick, Tim, Stephanie, and Adrien rushed through, tripping over each other in their haste to get out on the roof.

“I knew it!  I told you they would be here,” Tim said to the others in triumph before freezing when he saw Batman.

“Oh my God!  It’s Batman. It’s the Batman.  This is amazing,” Adrien gushed bouncing on the pads of his feet.

“It isn’t really that special, Blondie.  He’s way over hyped.” Stephanie said rolling her eyes and shooting Batman a sardonic grin.

“So… what’s going on guys?” Dick asked cautiously.

“It’s all good.  He can explain,” Jason said pointing to Batman and grabbing Marinette’s hand, guiding her toward the door.

“Hey, where do you guys think you are going?” Dick called out to them.

“We’re going to let the Bat explain everything.  Also, just so we’re all on the same page, everyone up here is a hero or vigilante,” Jason grinned back at them like he hadn’t just thrown a grenade. “Have fun with that conversation. We’re taking this date on the road,” he said pulling Marinette through the door and closing it behind them. “Come on, let’s get going before they come around.  Maybe we can be in Vegas before they recover.  If you want to.  If not we can date like proper people do and see where it goes.”

“I’m always up for a little chaos,” Marinette responded pressing a chaste kiss on his lips and grinning at the grumble he let out when she pulled away.  When he leaned back toward her trying to recapture her lips she pushed him away gently with a finger on his lips.  “We better move quickly then and if I start really kissing you again, I don’t think I’ll be able to stop,” she said giving him a seductive look.  “My Uncle’s in Metropolis tonight.  I can have his jet here within an hour but he’ll probably demand to be a witness. That gives us enough time to stop by my workshop and pick up the dress I just finished working on, which just happens to be white.  Kismet,” she grinned, grabbing his hand as they ran down the stairs laughing deliriously.

 Continued in Covert Wedding

______________________________________________________

Did I write this entire fic just for the ‘I am Batman’ line?  Yes, yes I did.

[words-writ-in-starlight]

Jfkdjilgkfg I didnt see this when you posted it! If you're still answering:

For your Gabriel Shepard ♒ - cooking/food♦ - quirks/hobbies

And if you want to, for Shakarian ✿ - Sex 👀👀

Oh hell yeah.  If anyone wants more of my Extensive Thoughts on Shepard, the o blessed gabriel series is like...30K of those, and also is the source of Gabriel Shepard.

♒ - Cooking/Food Headcanon

I’m trying to think of a nice way to phrase this, but--

Gabriel Shepard is Not A Good Cook.  She’s serviceable, in the sense that she has never once given anyone food poisoning or lit anything major on fire.  If you hand her a recipe and a reasonably compelling reason to use it, she’ll probably produce something that’s perfectly fine.  Exactingly correct, because she’s a perfectionist.  But she has literally never cooked something more complex than pre-made spaghetti sauce heated in a pan and non-instant noodles for herself.  She just doesn’t see the point.

She explains this to Joker, when he asks why the hero of the ongoing galactic war is eating Cup Noodles in a very expensive Council-funded apartment on the Citadel, and he buries his face in his hands and whispers, “I hate you so much.”

“I’m your best friend,” Shepard says as she crumbles some reserved noodles over her dinner.  For the crunch, she told Joker when he asked.

“I’m demoting you.  Please at least put a vegetable in that.”

“Do you want vegetables?  I could get some.”

“No, I already--please focus, Shepard.”  She makes a point to shove the biggest possible bite into her mouth as she blinks at him, and Joker makes a mildly aggrieved noise.  “When was the last time you ate something that didn’t include the word ‘instant’ on the package?”  She shrugs at him and slurps some broth.  “You’re the worst person I know.”

♦ - Quirks/Hobbies Headcanon

While she’s spending six months on Earth in what she calls a glorified drunk tank, Shepard learns real fast that, apparently, almost everything she previously considered ‘a hobby’ was like...technically part of her job.  And that she’s not allowed to have anything that might be classed as a weapon of any kind (she makes it an entire month before she tells a guard that he’s stupider than he looks if he thinks she couldn’t kill him with a chair just as easily as a box cutter, and honestly she thinks she should get a prize).  She doesn’t have a particular gift for studying and there’s only so much time in a day that a person can spend reading up on current events and turian linguistics.  No, she hasn’t been allowed to send letters, even and possibly especially to Palaven.  How did you guess.  Mostly she just works out a lot.

She’s hit the start of month three by the time she cracks completely and downloads some video guides on building models from scratch.  She liked the models she found sometimes, filled her cabin on the Normandy with them, but they didn’t take too long to assemble and she needs to fill time so starting from scratch it is.  

Apparently she’s terrorized her guards suitably into submission, because when she corners one and says “You can get me cardboard, right?  That’s not considered a deadly weapon?” the rookie squeaks out a “yessir” and doesn’t ask any questions.  Three hours later Shepard has a nice assortment of carboard types and some kitchen shears that she took the pin out of so that she has two loose blades.  The guard walks in on Shepard sharpening one and does not say anything as she sets down the cardboard on the table and books it.

By the end of six months, Shepard wouldn’t consider herself particularly competent, but her little cardboard structures are certainly recognizable.  The whole lot of them are lost in the attack, of course.  She barely remembers.  There are bigger fish to fry.

✿ - Sex Headcanon

I really want to be applauded for how hard I’m working not to make a “what that tongue do” joke here and leaving it at that.  This is a Herculean labor.

Anyway, point is, there are Logistical Problems(TM) with turian/human relationships.  It starts with “human skin is pretty delicate, compared to the turian equivalent of keratin” and goes from there, but.  Just because Shepard isn’t in a rush to be cornered by her subordinates and given pro tips (she is, in fact, avoiding Mordin, thank you for asking, Jacob, don’t tell him she was here) doesn’t mean she isn’t aware of it.  And Gabriel Shepard is a soldier first, a tactician second, and everything else including human and alive somewhere below, ask anyone, so she uh--

Does research?

Some of it is from what she would personally consider accredited sources, although probably not for their intended purposes.  Interspecies relationships aren’t unheard of--with the asari in the mix, they’re not even particularly rare--but if there’s a human-turian guidebook, not even Spectre clearance is dredging it up.  Shepard thinks (after three solid evenings dedicated to way, way more research than she’s ever put into sex before, including the first time she gave bondage a whirl in basic training) that there’s a nonzero chance that they’re the first to try it.  Not a high chance!  But nonzero.  So--

Listen, what the Alliance doesn’t know about why a Spectre is accessing their old wartime surveillance data won’t hurt them.  Shepard takes it all with a grain of salt for obvious reasons, but it’s the obvious starting place because it’s in her own language.

Then she starts hitting EDI up for help finding a turian sex ed book and it’s all pretty much an uphill slog through half-useful translations, dictionary definitions, and really questionable porn from there.  

And actually, it’s not even the research that’s the problem.  It’s a little embarrassing, sure, but at the end of the day, Shepard is pretty determined NOT to have this be a terrible moment of interspecies awkwardness, because--well, she doesn’t have to interrogate that thought.  That’s the beauty of a probable upcoming suicide mission.  She has rights, as a recently dead woman now looking at another, probably more painful death, and those rights include not having to think about her own feelings more than absolutely mandatory.

No, see, the problem comes once she’s done all the research she feasibly can and she’s walking to her door to let Garrus in and being confronted with the fact that now she will have to admit to doing that research.

She makes the tactical decision not to say anything until after she strips.

(Garrus actually doesn’t say a damn word until the next morning, when Shepard is waking up, when he bumps his jaw fondly against her head and says, “You really are the brains of the outfit.”)

(”Mmph,” Gabriel mumbles into her pillow, and adjusts his arm over her waist so that it settles a bit lower, where the edge of his plating won’t poke at her.  “And don’t you forget it.”)

[justkindaoverhereobsessing]

lord, help

After a little playground drama, Tony has to deal with the fact that Tali really is Ziva’s daughter—through and through.

For @why-did-you-just-lie-to-mcgee and @indestinatus, with whom I’m always getting into trouble. Also on ff and AO3

________________________

“Before I start talking, do you three have anything to say for yourselves?”

Arms crossed, Tony paces the short length of the dining room, watched closely by three dirty, nervous children. They’re sitting side by side at the table, chairs scooted close together as they huddle in solidarity, and they remain determinedly quiet.

“Alright then. Go ahead and tell me what you’ve done.”

None of them respond to this, either. 

Frowning, Tony pulls out a chair opposite his daughter and sits down. “Sweetheart,” he tries again, “I happen to know that you speak no fewer than three languages. I also know that you know I spent a lot of time in law enforcement… I’m pretty good at getting information out of people. You’re smart and you’re very eloquent when you want to be, so when I ask again, I expect a reply this time: what happened?”

Tali’s expression turns at once from anxious to defiant, and she matches her father’s earlier posture by crossing her arms. Then she looks away, silent as ever. 

“Well, Tali?” Tony prompts, feeling distinctly Gibbs-ish as he leans in and narrows his eyes.

Finally, Tali gives an answer, but it’s muttered mutinously under her breath and Tony doesn’t catch any of her words.

“What did you say?”

“I said,” she growls back, looking distinctly Ziva-ish, “that it wasn’t my fault.”

“Whose fault was it, then?”

“Gabriel’s. He started it.”

“What did he start? This would all be so much easier if you would just start from the beginning, baby girl.”

Tali huffs, glancing between her friends—neither girl looks particularly eager to jump in. As always, she has to do every dang thing herself! “Fine. We went to the park to practice, and—”

“Practice what?”

“Dad, you said it’s rude to interrupt! Ugh. We went to the park to practice krav maga. Gabriel saw us, and he asked what we were doing. I told him. Then he said we had to stop—we couldn’t do it ‘cause girls are weak!”

Tony files the ‘krav maga’ thing away to circle back to in a moment and focuses on the rest of the story. “And that started a fight?”

“Sort of.”

“What do you mean, ‘sort of’?”

“Well, I said ‘maybe someday you can work your way up to “weak,” too,’ and that started a fight.”

Tony has to look away for a moment to compose himself, certain that he’ll laugh if he keeps looking at her. “I see,” he manages after a moment, his lips twitching dangerously but his face otherwise kept carefully blank. “Who threw the first punch?”

“Gabriel did!” Tali’s friend Geneviève pipes up, looking braver now that it seems for the moment that they’re not going to be yelled at. 

“And how did you three respond to that, ladies?”

“We just did what Tali has been teaching us, all the krav maga stuff!” This one comes from the third girl, Dina. 

Tony glances back at his daughter, who suddenly looks a little shifty-eyed again. “How long has that been going on?”

Tali shrugs uncomfortably.

“Are you qualified to teach krav maga, Tals?”

“No, but—”

“Do you know how to do it safely so no one gets injured?”

“No, but—”

“Wouldn’t you feel bad if Geneviève or Dina was hurt because you didn’t know what you were doing?”

“Yes! But—”

“But you think it’s still okay to hold krav maga lessons in the park?”

Frustrated, Tali bangs her palm suddenly on the table top, making both of her friends jump. “Yes!” she cries. “Because Ima said that every girl should know how to fight! She’s been teaching me!”

Well, that’s news to Tony. “She has, has she?”

“I just said so, didn’t I!?”

It’s a pretty common consensus around the David-DiNozzos that Tali takes after her father in most things, but… every so often, on days like this, she proves that she’s most certainly her mother’s child. Her temper is usually the thing that gives it away. 

“Don’t snap at me, young lady,” Tony responds sternly, but honestly, he wants to laugh again. 

“Hmph.” Tali makes her displeasure known with a glower, and she thumps back in her seat. 

Letting her stew for a moment, Tony glances back and forth between the other girls. “Did she tell the whole story?”

There appears to be a little silent communication that happens between the two, and then they turn back to him and nod in unison. 

“You sure about that?” he questions, his tone warning them not to lie. “You had to think about it for a little too long before you answered.”

Geneviève frowns, considering. “It’s just…” She pauses. “Gabriel plays in the park a lot. He doesn’t play like the other kids, though. He’s mean.”

“Yeah, he’s a bully!” Dina concurs earnestly. 

A few feet away, the lock on the front door slides free and the door opens, but the girls have their backs to it and don’t notice. Dina keeps talking. “He pulls my hair sometimes. Gabriel, he…” she wrinkles her nose and says something else that’s definitely not in French, which is what they’ve been speaking from the beginning of this “meeting.” 

Over the girls’ heads, Tony sees Ziva’s eyes widen as she walks in, and he knows that she must have understood whatever Dina just said. “Do you say words like that to your own parents, Dina?” his wife asks pointedly.

All three girls jump and turn around guiltily. 

“I, um…” Dina stammers. Like Tali, she’s a multilingual daughter of immigrants, and she seems to have forgotten that Ziva speaks many languages—including Russian. 

Ziva holds her reproachful expression in place for a beat before relaxing into a small, almost conspiratorial smile. “I will not tell… because I am sure that you are right. I think he did.”

Dina smiles shyly back, surprised, and Ziva joins Tony on his side of the table. It seems that she somehow knows the basics of what went down in the park, so he doesn’t bother to bring her up to speed. 

“Well,” Tony continues, drawing the attention of all three ten-year-olds back to himself, “I’m glad that none of you are hurt—and I’m glad Gabriel isn’t, either,” he adds. “But while knowing how to defend yourself is a good thing, you should never resort to violence unless you have no other choice, okay? Three people against one really isn’t a fair fight.”

Dina and Geneviève nod seriously, but Tali just snorts and mutters something under her breath in Hebrew. Whatever it is makes Ziva let out a strangled noise—Tony’s pretty sure that the noise is an aborted laugh. This entire series of events has him feeling the same way, but someone has to be the bad cop here…

So he nudges Tali’s foot under the table with his own. “Okay, Tali-Tee?”

She sighs. “Okay, Dad.”

Feeling like his fatherly duty has been fulfilled, Tony relaxes a little. “Alright. Now that that’s cleared up, you can go play again, but please, Jackie Chan and co., at least try not to start any more wars.”

Tali perks up slightly. “We’re not in trouble?”

“Not this time. But if I ever hear about you initiating any fights, I’m shipping you off to live with Grandpa Gibbs. He’ll set you straight.”

Tali is well aware that Grandpa Gibbs is wrapped around her little finger, so she grins. “Okay! We won’t!”

“Yeah, no fights for us!” Geneviève agrees.

“We won’t punch anyone!” Dina finishes, and without another thought, all three girls have flounced back out the door to return to the park.

Left alone with just Ziva, Tony starts to laugh, scrubbing his face with both hands. “God... and to think I used to hate the fact that I never got to see what you were like as a kid! Now I not only know a baby Ziva, I have to parent her, too!”

Ziva chuckles as well, laying a hand on her husband’s back and drifting it up to squeeze his shoulder fondly. “You handled it well, do not worry.”

Tony lifts his head to look at her, amused. “I wouldn’t have had to handle anything if you hadn’t decided to teach her Israeli martial arts.”

Ziva shrugs, entirely unrepentant. “I think she should be able to protect herself, and besides… it runs in her blood.”

“I guess it does… Lord help me, the only mere mortal in the middle of two born-and-bred ninjas. If Tali’s already picking fights with bullies at ten, I’m not going to survive her growing up.” He rolls his eyes, but he catches Ziva’s hand from his shoulder and squeezes it comfortably. “Anyway, how’d you find out what happened?”

“I ran into Gabriel’s mother on my way into the building.”

“Bet she wasn’t too pleased, was she?”

“No, she was not. But I told her that if my daughter hit her son, she almost certainly had an excellent reason for doing so.”

“You’ve never liked that kid, have you?”

“Not at all.”

Tony snorts. “Well, maybe he’ll stay away from the girls now.”

“It will be to his own detriment if he does not!”

“I’ll say. Tali can be fierce when she puts her mind to it, and Dina and Geneviève… Those three have always egged each other on. You know they get a little crazy when they’re all together—it’s total chaos, more often than not.”

“I am glad that Tali has them.”

“Me, too. They’re good friends to her, even if they’re always getting each other into trouble.” Tony pauses for a second, remembering something. “Hey, what did Dina say?”

Ziva laughs. “To translate it delicately, she said something like ‘that reproductive-organ-of-a-male-walrus deserved to be hit.’”

“I like the creativity… very Russian. And what did Tali say, right there at the end?”

“She was arguing with you… you said that three-against-one is not a fair fight, but she said that is not true here because Gabriel is stupid enough for three people all by himself.”

That really makes Tony laugh, and in the end, all he can think to reply is a thought that he’s already expressed today: “Lord, help... that girl is going to be the death of me.”

He really doesn’t mind, though. 

[percywinchester27]

About a boy (Part-13)

Word count: 3.7K

Warning: Suspense, feels, physical abuse, child-trafficking, kidnapping, child-violence, bullying, angst, this gets really really dark, rest of the warnings in the tags.

Characters: Dean, Cas, Gabriel, Benny, Michael, OCs and… Sam?

Summary: Dean Winchester has a secret. A secret that could really land him in trouble. He never expected to connect with anyone when he walked into the ‘Blue Stone Orphanage for Boys,’ but even then, the walls he has put up are slowly coming down. Now, a series of strange events are threatening to expose him. When everything starts falling apart around him, will he still be able to save the one person that matters the most?

A/N: Please pay attention to the tags if you have triggers. Also, things get better after this!

Kudos to the lovliest @deanssweetheart23​​​​​​​​ for beta reading this story <3

About a boy masterlist

The adrenaline had taken over his body. That was the only explanation for how Dean could even remotely function with this sort of efficiency, let alone calmth. The first part of the plan had played out without a hitch. It had been easy to walk out of the Orphanage with Andy gone. They had walked too fast- almost sprinted- all the way till the edge of the town and it had taken Dean all of five minutes to fuse the wires and have the first car they saw running. It was an old Toyota XUV, stick shift, but nothing Dean hadn’t handled before.

So they had set out into the night. Dean in the driver's seat and Cas in the shotgun. Behind, Gabriel and Benny were sitting on either sides with Michael wedged between them. Gabriel had insisted on tying Michael’s hands behind his back. Dean couldn’t care less. It wasn’t like Michael was going to try anything funny. All he could do was point out directions when Dean was about to make turns and furtively steal looks at Cas who was sitting as passively as a stone besides Dean. 

Dean knew Cas was distraught. Everything that Cas had believed in had been shattered in front of his eyes. Moreover, somewhere deep down he was wallowing in guilt that countless others had been sacrificed while he enjoyed his privileged safety. Both he and Gabriel must be feeling it. Dean should have been feeling something, too. Sadness, empathy… something for his friend. But in reality, he was feeling nothing except a haunting and all encompassing numbness.

His brain was processing Michael’s instructions, and his muscles were responding accordingly, steering the wheel in the right direction, but that’s all. Somewhere he knew that this odd disembodiment wouldn’t last, that it was his body’s defense mechanism to save him from the overloading of emotions and crippling fear each time he thought of Will. So he just didn’t. He didn’t think about anything except getting to the damned warehouse. Because, he knew if he waited long enough, allowed himself to feel, he’d be folded on the floor, paralysed in terror at the prospect of what might be. 

If the numbness was the only thing keeping him upright and functioning, then so be it. Dean welcomed it.

“Take the second left and drive until the end of the road,” Michael said quietly. “That’s where the barn-house is. Turn off the headlights when you hit the country road. They have guards watching.”

There was a rough grunt from behind and Benny made a disapproving sound. “Stop hitting him,” Benny said. 

“This is not about you, Lafitte,” Gabriel hissed. “This son of a bitch rode his high horse all these years and ruled the fucking place like he was some sort of king. All the while he was letting all those boys get bloodied and cut open and sold.”

Despite himself, a shudder overcame Dean, and he could feel a tiny crack in his numbness.

There was another hit.

“Stop hitting him, Gabe.” It was the first time Cas had spoken since they had left the orphanage.

Gabriel made an incredulous sound. “You of all people are saying this, Cas? You? Don’t tell me this bastard doesn’t deserve it!”

Cas shook his head. He looked haunted and his voice was dry, parched even. “You aren’t really angry at him. You’re angry at yourself. You’re angry because you always suspected that something wasn’t right with this place, that Andy was abusing his power. You always doubted that the privilege that came with being from Michael’s orphanage came at the cost of something horrible that he knew about, that he was a part of. You knew it in your gut and you ignored it. Overlooked it. Because confronting Michael would have meant giving up your freedom and comforts which you were so used to, which you loved. Don’t kid yourself by thinking that you’re angry with Michael. You’re angry with yourself. Angry and feeling guilty because you could have easily been one of those kids but you aren’t. You are safe and sound while some poor kid died instead of you.”

His words were followed by silence. An uncomfortable, too deep silence.

Dean looked over at Cas who was still glaring straight ahead into the night, eyes completely dry now. When he spoke next, his voice was softer, more like the Cas Dean knew and cared for.

“Gabe,” Cas said, “I know how you’re feeling. But now is not the time for it. You can’t let it get to you, can’t let the anger overpower you when you need to think straight. You have to get a grip on yourself because we need to save those boys.”

“You’re right,” Gabriel sighed. “I’m sorry.” And Dean could hear the crushing guilt there along with severe self-loathing. 

How had he never seen this? All those weeks and months spent in the same room, he had never suspected that Gabriel’s outlandish, extravagant behaviour could be a direct sign of him acting out… because he felt miserable inside.

“It’s okay, man!” Benny said quietly. “Nobody is holding anything against you. Ain’t that right, Dean?”

“Yeah.”

“Besides,” Benny continued, “We’re here.”

The grey outline of the building was visible even from a couple hundred yards away. Yellow lights pouring out of the windows lent a sinister glow to the structure. 

Dean cut the engine and climbed out of the car, everyone followed suit. 

“Okay, here’s what we do,” he said. “Cas and I will try to get in from the front door. Gabriel, is there anyway that you can cause a distraction?”

“Distraction is my middle name,” Gabriel said with a small tilt to his mouth. He reached out into his pockets and casually removed what looked like detonators. “You say it, I got it!”

“Benny, I need you to go out back and see if there’s another entrance there. It seems likely.”

“Alright,” Benny said, bending to buckle his shoes.

“What about me?” Michael who was staring defiantly at him. At least as defiantly as one could, with their bound hands trussing up the shoulders awkwardly.

“Oh, you’re staying in the car,” Gabriel said, jerking him back in.

“You can’t do this to me!” he protested

Gabriel smirked bitterly as he pushed Michael inside and shut the car door to his face. “We can and we will.”

There was no point in discussing the nuances of the plan. Each minute spent standing was a minute wasted, a minute more of Will’s life in danger. 

Dean signaled and all of them made a move, hurrying as stealthily as they could along the tall outgrowth that ruled most of the property. At the very edge of it, with a single nod, Benny split from them and sprinted towards the south. Gabriel too gave a sly grin, eyes full of his usual mischief. He saluted once and headed in the opposite direction from Benny.

With bated breath, Dean listened carefully for anything that was unusual. He wasn’t sure what Gabriel’s detonator was supposed to do, but it had to be something noticeable. 

Cas was squinting into the darkness, trying to make sense of what lay ahead of them. It was hard to tell, but from the light that filtered out of the ghastly grey windows, they could make out the shapes of about five men. Two of them were guarding the entrance and three were making patrol rounds. All of them wielded guns.

Dean felt a shooting fear for Benny who was out there by himself and even Gabriel. They were both unarmed and alone. If anything happened to them… on Dean’s watch…

A sudden, brilliant light lit up the night followed by a loud blast far along the western edge. All of the five men abandoned their post and hurried towards the commotion. 

“Where the hell does he even get those things?” Cas muttered next to Dean.

They waited for a few more minutes then crept further ahead. They were right in front of the warehouse now with just a few thinly spaced trees in between and a line of cars. There would be no hiding now. 

“C’mon,” Dean said and they made a beeline for the car closest to the building and ducked behind it. The guards at the door had been replaced by two more and from inside the warehouse, a couple more were hurrying to join the others who had rushed to find the source of the blast. 

When enough time had passed for Dean to be sure that no one else was coming out from inside, he gestured to Cas and they dived at the two guards. It was crucial for it to be a surprise attack or else they were going to start firing guns and alert everyone. It started out well when Dean jumped on top of the sturdier looking man, knocking the gun right out of his hand; but the other guard was quicker. He grabbed Cas’s hand and twisted it around till there was an audible crack and Cas went down with a yelp. The man standing over him hit Cas with the blunt end of his gun and then turned it around to aim the barrel at Cas’s face.

Before Dean could even register what was happening, there was a guttural cry and a fist landed on the guards neck, who immediately crumpled next to Cas. Dean noted Michael’s face in the flurry of movement but his instincts led him to kick the guy he was holding down and then land a blow to his neck. He slumped down as well.

“You were in the car!” Dean scowled. “How did you get out?”

Michael bent down to check on Cas. “No thanks to you, asshole,” he said. “I’ve spent my whole life being kicked out and pushed into sinkholes. You think a leather cord around my wrists and a locked car was going to stop me?”

Dean did not retort. He was worried for his friend. Cas looked faint and in a lot of pain. He had sustained not one but two blows to his head tonight, and from the looks of it, his wrist was broken. Even then, he shrugged out of Michael’s grasp.

“You should hurry, Dean,” Cas said through gritted teeth. His face was beaded with sweat and he looked ready to pass out.

Ordinarily, Dean would have never trusted Michael with anything, but when it came to Cas, there wasn’t much Michael wouldn’t do. Hadn’t that already been proven in the most horrible way possible already?

“Michael,” Dean barked. “You stay with Cas. He’s in no shape to go anywhere. Help him over to the edge of the outgrowth. He should be well hidden from view. I don’t care about what happens to you, but we both care about Cas. Protect him!”

Cas protested vaguely and Dean knew he would be mad about this later, but right now it was the right thing to do.

Fortunately, Michael didn’t waste any time in coming up with a comeback. He hauled Cas’s good arm over his shoulder, and led them both out the clearing. 

This was it. Dean bent down and grabbed the weapons lying around. He tucked the smaller gun into the waistline of his jeans and held the rifle in his hands, then, he dove into the warehouse.

The inside reminded him of the west wing. It was just as dirty and stank of old blood. He shuddered as he made his way into the interiors. There were noises to follow and an obviously well used corridor leading towards them. Dean followed it as carefully as he could, keeping his eyes and ears open should there be any more of the henchmen around. It wouldn’t take them long to figure out that the noise was a decoy and then head straight inside.

His ears picked up the distinct sound of careful footsteps around the corner and Dean raised the rifle as he made the bend, poking it into the person who emerged from the other side.

“What the hell, Winchester!” Gabriel hissed. “Why’re you trying to kill me?”

He wasn’t alone. Next to him Benny was trying to keep a straight face at Gabriel’s panicked expression. Even being in a murder building with weapon wielding mercenaries couldn’t faze Benny all that much.

“Here!” Dean handed Gabriel the other gun. “Hold on to this. Nice work with the fireworks out there.”

“It’s like the 4th of July, baby,” Gabriel said. “Ran into Lafitte out back. The dumb guards there abandoned their post without waiting for backups. Where’s Cas?”

Dean quickly explained what had happened in a low voice. He could tell that neither of them were happy about Michael being with him, though nothing could be done about it.

“We figured out the surgery rooms from the backside,” Benny said. “They’re this way. C’mon!”

Dean followed their lead, watching the rear end. Benny wasn’t wrong, the operation rooms were right there. But they weren’t anything like the ones in hospitals. They were dirty and grimy; disgustingly so. The walls were bathed in old, brown blood and the floor was caked in it. It looked more like the underground torture chambers in gore movies than anything else. Dean felt a chill run down his spine. The stench made him want to barf.

Benny came to a halt ahead of them. “Dean,” he said in a muted voice. 

It felt like a deja vu from when he had found the holding cells in the left wing as Dean walked by him and looked into the room. Inside, in the middle of the room, next to a trolley of bloody and rusted instruments was a stretcher. Resting on the stretcher with his brown hair drenched in blood was Barry. With each step that Dean took, he could see more of it. The blunt incision at the side of his stomach, roughly sutured, and the bloody cloth draping his body from his stomach down. There was blood everywhere on the floor. Bright and fresh.

Dean reached out to touch his face. 

“Barry?” he whispered. The voice didn’t sound anything like his own. It was empty and echoed around the room.

Barry’s half open eyes stared at nothing. Dean reached out with shivering fingers and closed them shut. Then, he collapsed to the floor, face in his hands.

“Dean, Dean!” 

The voices over him were coming from a distance. It seemed unreal. All of it.

A hand gripped his shoulders.

“I had assured him that I would come back for him. And now he’s… he’s… “

Another pair of hands seized him by his arms and shook him violently. “Snap out of it, damn it!”

“But he’s dead!” Dean pointed out, unable to move more than a finger. “Look at him. He’s dead.”

“I know,” Benny whispered urgently. “And he won’t be the only one if you don’t move.”

“Think about Will,” Gabriel said, his voice subdued. Dean looked up to see that he was crying. “Will needs you.”

Dean got up on his knees; his whole body was shaking. He didn’t want to think about it, but if Barry was dead…

“No!” he said out loud. “Will is alright. We’re going to find him.”

“Yeah, that’s my boy,” Benny huffed, hoisting Dean off of the floor, and edging him out of the door. They reached the end of the hall and to the last door. The scene that met his eyes was beyond horrifying. Someone small lay on a raised platform and a man in a white apron was bent over it. Two others were standing around assisting him. Andy and a dark haired man in an expensive looking suit were standing at the edge of the room. The man’s face betrayed no expression. He was simply overlooking what was happening with a passive look. Andy on the other hand looked revolted. 

Dean leaned over just a little further to get a clearer view. Just enough to see the face of the figure laying on the platform. It was Will.

He didn’t know what came over him, but one minute Dean was standing at the edge of the door, the next he was bounding into the room, thrashing left and right at any obstruction he could see to get to Will. Again, the shock of it all was on his side. Before any of them could react, the two assistants were down on the floor. 

Andy started into action. “What the-” Before he could finish his sentence, Benny had jumped on him, hand to the throat. All of a sudden the room burst into a flurry of action as the dark haired man whipped out a pistol and took shots in the air.

Out of pure impulse, Dean threw himself in between the man and the platform, shielding Will with his own body. But there was more shooting, and more men poured into the room. At first Dean felt a surge of defeat, assuming them to be the henchmen, but as more and more of them came in, he realised they were uniformed police officers. He turned to face Will, completely blocking out the chaos behind him.

Will lay on his stomach, his face turned to the side and his eyes closed. He could have been only sleeping if it wasn’t for the long cut at his side. The dirty cloth under him was soaked in his blood. His hair was falling over his eyes and the tiny mole on the left side of his nose. It was really small, and Will had a habit of scratching it when he was nervous. Dean reached out to brush away the hair, leaving a bloody trail on his skin. He looked at his own hands to find they were blood smeared. In fact most of him was, after he had slid into Barry’s blood. 

A logical part of him knew what he should do; check for the pulse, but he simply stood there, not taking his eyes off Will’s face.

“Dean.”

The voice came from behind him and it was unexpectedly soft. He felt warm arms envelop him, felt a brush of lips against his temple.

“I’m so glad you’re okay,” Jody said, sounding heady with relief. 

“Jody,” Dean sniffled, and he realised he was crying. “Will.... Will!”

“He’s alive,” she said. “Look, he is breathing.”

Even as Dean turned, to ascertain for himself, a group of EMTs blocked most of his view. He watched one of them tape the wound close and the others gently lifting him on to a gurney. Then they were taking him away.

Dean struggled against Jody, yanking free of her hold to follow them, but she held on tight.

“I need to go with him,” he shouted. “Let go!”

“Only family can ride with the ambulance, Dean,” she said sympathetically. 

“But I need to be with him!”

“And you will be.” Jody let go of him then. “C’mon. You’ll ride with me.”

Most of the drive to the hospital was a blur. Jody told him about how the Orphanage was a middle house for the kids. And at the very minute that they were driving, it was being raided by the police for evidence. The suited man was Jacob Styne, and the warehouse had enough paper evidence to convict the whole Styne brood. They had taken into custody everyone present including Andy.

He barely paid attention to any of it, except what was happening to his friends. Cas was being driven to the hospital as well, so were Benny and Gabriel, where after ascertaining their well-being the police would record their statements. 

By the time they reached the ER, Will had already been taken into the Operation Theater. There was nothing to be done except wait. At some point Dean felt the seat next to him dip and looked up to see Bobby beside him. He flung an arm over Dean’s shoulder, holding close, grounding him to reality. No words were spoken, but Dean was comforted in a way that only a father could.

When Jody came back, she looked worried. Dean got to his feet immediately.

“How’s he?”

She bit her lip. “They didn’t take out his kidney. You got there just in time… But, I don’t want to lie to you, Dean. He’s lost a lot of blood and the doctor is worried.”

“So get them to pump him up with more blood,” Bobby said, speaking for the first time.

Jody’s brow furrowed. “It’s not that easy, he has a rare blood group-”

“Let me help!” Dean said suddenly. “I can give him my blood. We have the same blood group!”

“What?”

“Jody,” Dean said, hurriedly. “Michael said that they were saving Will because he has a rare blood group, AB negative. That’s the same as mine. Ask them to take mine. As much as they need.”

Jody’s eyes rounded in worry, but she didn’t question Dean over it, and went to speak with the doctor. 

Soon, Dean was put onto a bed. They first tested him, and then when it was confirmed that it was indeed, miraculously the same blood group, they hooked him up to a tube. It was killing Dean to just lie there watching the blood drain. Everyone should be hurrying, they all should be concentrating on saving Will. But it was a hospital. Every patient was just the same to them. And Will was an orphan at that.

The seconds bled into minutes and then excruciating hours as Dean waited. He was aware when Benny and Gabriel came in, quietly sitting besides him and Bobby, just waiting for the doctor to come out. When she did, all of them stood up at once. 

The doctor lowered her mask and gave them a tentative smile. Then she said the words that actually let Dean breathe again. 

“He’ll be alright,” the doctor said. “He just needs to rest.”

Dean sat down on the chair again. The relief had knocked out any and all strength that had been holding him up. There were hoots of exultation all around him, but Dean simply let the words seep into his heart. 

Will was alright. He was going to be alright.

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

A/N 2: Things will get better after this, trust me! two more chapters to go! (Plus and epilogue)

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[theholycovenantrpg]

CONGRATULATIONS, JADE! YOU’VE BEEN ACCEPTED FOR THE ROLE OF JUDAS.

Admin Jen: There aren’t enough words to capture the sheer magnitude of your portrayal, but I would say your writing definitely gets the job and speaks for itself, Jade. You have such keen insight into Judas and the various intricacies that play into his character, and you explored it all so beautifully in your app. My favorite part was certainly the plots and the limitless possibilities they posed for Judas, but every other portion of the app only added onto it and propelled your vision further. It was so compelling to read through, and it left me so unbelievably excited to see Judas prowling and scheming on the dash! Please create and send in your account, review the information on our CHECKLIST, and follow everyone on the FOLLOW LIST. Welcome to the Holy Land!

OUT OF CHARACTER

Alias | Jade

Age | 27

Preferred Pronouns | She/her

Activity Level | My schedule is nothing if not predictable these days! Covid has me almost exclusively sitting at home on the couch, so barring the time that I spend with my husband, I’m usually around. I don’t always have it in me to write every day, but I think it would be reasonable to expect me on the dash multiple days per week.

Timezone | PST

Triggers | REMOVED

How did you find the rp?  |  Through Rosey’s grapevine!

IN CHARACTER

Character | The infamous, the great betrayer himself — Judas (ju-da-ah-ahhhhh!!)

What future plots do you have in mind for the character? | Where do you see this character developing, and what kind of actions would you have them take to get there? 3 future plot ideas would be preferable.

I | KING OF EVERYTHING

Judas’s ultimate goal, once the last wars have been waged, is to claim the Holy Land for himself. Sorry, for demonkind — but, ruled by and submitting to, himself. He formed Infernum’s government with intention, hiding the monopoly of his power amongst a consortium of others who allegedly hold sway as well, allowing Damien to be the face of the revolution while his hand guided from the shadows. For some time, it has served him well, but contentedness is a poison he cannot swallow. He looks towards the Holy Land and greed takes his reins yet again, his hollowed stomach in knots thinking about a world in which the people bow to a power he does not hold firmly between his teeth. There are a multitude of ways he might go about it, and I’d be eager to plot out the possible angles with other writers, but I do believe that Judas will, at some point, make a play to claim the Holy Land. That might be through political division — sewing lies amongst the people, breeding distrust in the Tridium and their current way of being. It might be through betrayal, tried and ever true — to sell the Tridium out to a rogue set of Heretics, an insurgent with a grudge.. whoever might be interested, really. Or, if all else fails, perhaps by declaration of war.

II | COLLECTING FROM CONQUEST

He’s no fool. He knows the value of a blank check with Dmitri’s name on it, and he’s been waiting patiently for the right time to cash it. While Judas doesn’t yet have his exact ask envisioned, he knows one thing for certain — when he calls upon the favor he’d earned by saving old Conquest, it won’t be for something as small as a discounted price on a hit. No, it’ll be saved for the moment he makes his play towards the Holy Land — war times, when he’s sure to benefit most from the protection of the healing horseman. Until then, he finds such a wicked joy in taunting Dmitri with his silence on the matter.

III | GRASPING THE STARS

I imagine Judas carries a heavy interest in just who is going to be selected as the Stars, and will be doing what he can to sway mortal perception in favor of whoever he feels will best represent the demons’ interests. Azazel plays her part, but a loyal mortal amongst the Tridium would serve Infernum well, particularly in keeping Gabriel at bay. He’ll do what he can to put the right person in the position — and if that fails, he’ll be sure to slither up alongside who is elected and make their close acquaintance.

IV | CONSPIRING WITH THE HERETICS

Should Judas decide that sewing distrust in the Tridium’s ability to maintain peace and safety is the best move, I imagine he may try to use the world’s hatred of the Heretics to his benefit. I could see him providing rogue groups of Heretics or Heretic sympathizers with information about or access to gatherings, parties, political events, what have you. Surely, a resurgence of the Heretics would cause a panic — one that may make the populus question whether their leaders are the best leaders. Who might he set them on, though? Maybe he’d give them an opportunity to assassinate an angel, or even one of his own. Maybe he’d sick them on innocents. The precise move would depend on what’s happening in-game, but this type of betrayal is surely possible!

V | PUPPETEERING THE TRIDIUM

There was a reason he’d reached his hand up to Azazel from the pits of hell, pulled her down into his kingdom and taught her all he could. He’d seen what could be forged from a thing like her — the way she could enchant, the way she inspired adoration. She made for a Moon both palatable and unthreatening — a beauty that begged to be worshipped by the masses, and a mind that cared not for the politics of it all. While she wears the crown, Judas sees the strings as his to pull. I imagine him very much attempting to use Azazel as a means of enacting his particular will amongst the Tridium. He trusts that she’ll continue to represent the interests he instructs her to, so long as the praise keeps coming — and oh, he’s aware of just how key praise is in getting anywhere with Azazel. I see Judas showering Azazel in attention and blessings, all the time, even when there isn’t something he’d like her to get done in the Holy Land. It makes it far more likely she’ll be agreeable when there is.

VI | BETRAYAL OF AZAZEL

Should all mentioned above work without a hitch, I don’t see Judas finding a reason to betray Azazel aside from sheer boredom — though, don’t discount that as a very, very real possibility. I think Judas keeps a particular watch on Azazel, most notably on where her interests lie. If he begins to notice her prioritizing the Tridium before Infernum, things change. If she’s no longer a use to him, she’s a target, and there are plenty of ways I can see Judas trying to target her. As a prominent political figure in the Holy Land, something bad happening to Azazel would cause some sort of political uprising that Judas could surely take advantage of — maybe he arranges her kidnapping, maybe her death. Maybe he just sets her up to look incompetent and make a fool of herself. It would all depend!

VII | WAR ALONGSIDE DAMIEN

From the moment he saw Damien, he’d had a plan for him — to guide the child towards his destiny and his father’s demise. He’d needed Damien as the face of his revolution against Lucifer, but more importantly, he’d needed Damien’s powers for war on earth. Through whisper and trial, Judas had crafted the Antichrist into the weapon that would destroy the Morning Star. Though peace has persisted for years, Judas sees another war ahead of them — one in which the demons stake their claim on the Holy Land, and in that war, he needs Damien’s power of devastation more than ever before. I see Judas subtly preparing Damien for another war, planting seeds of anger and fight in him, winding him up and preparing to unleash him on the world yet again. But, this time, when a new order is established, I don’t imagine Judas sees Damien as any sort of king. No, when the Holy Land is conquered, it will be with Damien as a war general, and Judas on the throne.

VIII | BETRAYAL OF DAMIEN

As time ticks on, Judas grows more and more resentful about the invisible crown Damien seems to be growing a bit too comfortable underneath. While he views Damien as an instrumental piece in his eventual takeover of the Holy Land, and one of his most cherished weapons, Judas’s patience could easily be tested if Damien begins to grow a bit too power-hungry. I could see a legitimate rift building in Infernum, in which some sort of civil war erupts between Judas and his protege for the true crown.

IX | MINDING THE CELLS

In Abaddon, he sees something almost resembling an equal. He trusts her with the keeping of the Cells, he trusts she’ll allow him the kind of access and influence over the prisoners that he needs, while never aspiring to threaten his rule and supporting all his endeavours. Ever an opportunist, I think Judas uses Abaddon to keep a close eye on who’s currently in lock-up, and how they might prove useful. I imagine him either prowling the cells alongside Abaddon, looking for abilities or gifts that he could weaponize, or unfortunate souls he can use as scapegoats in various plots, or heretic sympathizers to manipulate, conspire with, and unleash. While he’d never say it explicitly, I imagine Judas is silently keeping an eye out for some sort of being with a power he could one day weaponize against the Antichrist himself, should the need ever arise to deliver Damien his ruination.

X | BETRAYAL OF ABADDON

As Abaddon struggles with the duality of her nature, wrestling with her angelic remains, I’m curious to see how Judas responds. I imagine he might view any further exploration into her angelic nature as a threat to her loyalty, and if he fears she’s disloyal, he’s not above throwing her to the wolves — perhaps locking her in her own cells if he suspects her of holding interests elsewhere, or unlocking a few doors and setting on her a legion of prisoners hungry for vengeance. You know, just an idea.

XI | BETRAYAL OF JUDAS

The one we’ve all been waiting for — the plot in which the tables finally turn, and it’s Judas who’s blindly turned on by someone he’d made the mistake of trusting. While the details of this would be entirely up to other players and what they might have in mind, I would gladly offer him up to learn what it feels like on the pointy end of betrayal.

Are you comfortable with killing off your character? | Should the circumstance be right, and I could still find a way to be a part of the group post-mortem as another character, I could be convinced!

Driving Character Motivation | What motivates your character’s actions? How does it define them? Where does this motivation stem from?

IN DEPTH

In a word, himself — more specifically, the advancement of the self, full utilization of every opportunity he’s given to climb ever higher. Within Judas lives an insatiable thirst for power, a desire to devour and rebuild in his name and image. No matter how many lives he holds firmly in his palm, there are always more to seize. A master strategist, with moves planned to be executed as early as tonight’s dusk and as far-away as the new era he’ll one day reign over uncontested, he sees the path of greatness he’s laid out for himself, and it propels him ever forward. His selfish, greedy, hungry soul has never rested, never waved a flag of white. He cast the Son of God out from the earth, and Lucifer himself from the pits of hell — and yet still, he craves more.. More power, more leverage, more shadowed spiderweb strings with which to puppeteer his ever-growing consortium of underlings. It’s not enough. Nothing will ever be enough. 

Both his most rudimentary nature, down to his rotting marrow, and God’s wicked predestiny may share accountability in equal parts.

We’ll first address what comes from within. Something dark and nebulous has always festered in the pits of him — an emptiness that knew only how to want. That blackness, rumbling hollow and empty, is sin itself, as entwined with his being as the ligaments and cartilage that held his human bones together. Amongst the reasons his eventual rise led him to the Conclave rather than an anointment as one of Damien’s vices, his most favored is that he simply cannot be reduced to a single manifestation of sin. A gluttonous appetite that the body and blood of Christ himself could not sate. A deep-rooted greed able to mistake the glint of silver for salvation. A silent pride so resounding he bathes himself in absolution, while wicked wrath condemns the rest. Even as he followed the Son of God and recited his teachings, the devil perched himself comfortably on his shoulder, whispering of selfishness, of indulgence, of power, and Judas drank each word until their voices became one.

The thing about sin is, it is inherently unsatisfied. It is the lacking of something, of glory itself — a hunger that wants to be fed, an envy that wants to seize. Sin is desire, and thus, he, sin incarnate, is desire perpetual. It’s a curse of his unholy nature that he’ll never truly be content. What is contentment, what is happiness, but a surrender? An abandonment of progress? The enemy of greatness? The end? He cannot simply allow dust to settle, nor allow the light peeking from behind the horizon to cast itself against his back and force upon him a life no longer concealed by shadows. He won’t have it. With each iteration of the universe, he’ll pick utopia apart bone by bone until he finds a reason to loathe it, foraging for discontentment, because it is his only way forward. What a cruel trick on God’s part, that He sculpted a creature who cannot stomach the taste of sweetness. He spits it back into the dirt, dissatisfied, and instead chews on the bitter, the propulsion of his own vileness, the most indulgent, comforting flavor he’s come to know.

Now, allow us to return to Him for a moment. All predispositions for blasphemy, Judas can blame on Him. Judas Iscariot had been born a man — human, fallible, like every waking creature of the Lord. And, as it did to all other humans, sin had crept its way into his veins and claimed him. He’d done what the man he’d betrayed had taught him to do — in his momentary guilt, he’d sought absolution, repentance, for having allowed the devil to take hold. Still, he remained damned on arrival, a pawn in God’s game with a fate predestined for ruin. Had God not sculpted Judas Himself? And He dared punish Judas for personifying His own design? All of it, pre-orchestrated back when the cosmos were but babes — and thus, all of it, exhaustive and fruitless to fight. If he was to be damned, then let him be damned. That damnation wouldn’t rule him. He’d rule it. Even now that God has been vanquished, and Lucifer alongside him, Judas is ever driven by his resentment and anger towards the paradox his maker cursed him with. That anger manifests in Judas’s unquenchable thirst to build himself an empire greater than any God ever could, to build himself into an entity more powerful, more feared. It’s the only way to prove himself bigger than God’s alleged all-encompassing predestiny, greater than a handful of verses written by men who would be but footnotes underneath his gospel.

Character Traits | OPTIONAL. Please list 3 positive traits and 3 negative traits that you identify in the character you’re applying for. 

+ | PATIENT  (see also: steadfast)

To blaspheme one of His virtues by wielding it as a weapon is simply in Judas’s gospel. Finding an innate way to corrupt even the most holy of traits, his patience has put time itself to the test. With an eternity to burn, and God to thank for that, he’s learned to control human impulses and embrace the power of ensuring things unfold at the right time. Ever with an end vividly envisioned for the selection of foes currently at odds against him, he strikes at the time of heaviest impact. Never too early. Never too late. 

+ | DIPLOMATIC (see also: persuasive)

He can convince anyone of anything. Including himself. His tongue can twist the vile and thorny, disguise it as something candied, dripping in nectar. It makes him an excellent representative, able to keep his head about him for the sake of maintaining relationships. He understands the importance of people, of connections — in the hands of one who knows how to properly wield them, they’re a far more powerful weapon than any sword or spell.

+ | STRATEGIC (see also: cunning, clever, perceptive)

He always has a plan — for everyone, for everything, at all times. One of two questions can be asked of everyone in his life — what value do you provide me, or alternatively, how might I destroy you? It’s only ever one of those two, and he’s often got a fully fleshed out strategy plotted either way. He thinks in terms of the war, not just the battle, planning moves that might not come to fruition for millennia. Once one goal has been reached, he finds another, and begins again.

+ | STRONG (see also: formidable)

Not one to be easily intimidated, he does not back down when challenged or threatened. In fact, he’s more likely to actively seek out a fight or rivalry, simply to demonstrate his fortitude.

+ | COMPOSED (see also: controlled, intentional)

If you can read the emotion on his face, it’s simply because he wants you to. He has a commanding sort of control over his composure, one that demonstrates discipline and demands respect. Not to say he can’t hurl insults and roar — but that when he does, it’s because he chooses to; because that’s what his analysis has decided will serve him best in the moment.

- | SELFISH (see also: disloyal, corrupt)

He’d drive a knife into anyone’s back if it would get him a single step further — he wouldn’t even hesitate. Ultimately, looking down another soul’s path does him no good, he’s decided. There is only him — his own glory, his own road to revolution. There are guests along the way, some he favors more than others, but he is the only thing that will persist and endure. The center of his world, that will always be his core — but he’s mastered the art of pretending otherwise. Despite the way he’ll swear his allegiance to a millennia-old friend, there isn’t a soul he wouldn’t sell. For those he has yet to, it’s simply because it’s not yet the right time, the right place, or the right price.

- | VENGEFUL (see also: ruthless, resentful, begrudging)

His anger is a quiet one, one that’s hidden in dark places, growing thorns, festering and rotting until a grudge grows so old its stench simply demands attention. He does not forget a single transgression, a curse for an immortal. His rage is cycled into revenge, and he enacts it gleefully. Perhaps not today, perhaps not tomorrow, but if you’ve wronged him, whether you know it or not, you can be assured he’ll strike — but not until it benefits him the most, and cuts you the deepest.

- | INSATIABLE (see also: power-hungry, greedy, indulgent)

He’s always been a bit of a magpie, shiny silver things calling to him — and everything celestial simply glows. He is a being made of wanting, hungry to devour lands and stomp his boot on the wreckage. No matter what he achieves, which luxuries he tastes, how much power he is truly able to seize, his curse is that none of it will ever satisfy.

- | MANIPULATIVE (see also: conniving, duplicitous)

While he may have a handful if favored pawns, everyone in his life is a pawn nonetheless. He’s prepared to scheme against and sacrifice any and everyone that stands between he and his ends, keeping his cards close to his chest, most often with true intentions known to himself and him alone. Oh, and he’s an excellent liar.

- | DESTRUCTIVE (see also: implosive)

Judas is not the kind that will ever find happiness in peace. In fact, he is not the kind that will ever accept true happiness at all. In his quest for ever more, he’s always striving for something, always needing to rip something content apart so he can sculpt something of his own in its place. I believe this translates to people, as well. He’s never known how to accept love; he actively rejects it. How could he not? Had God Himself not told him he was never destined for love? In time, his response to comfort and acceptance is always the same — to turn his back on it, to crush the heart offered to him. He did it to Christ, who welcomed him as his disciple. He did it to Lucifer, who loved him like a son. Should another make the mistake of loving him, he’ll do it again.

In-Character Para Sample | There is no minimum or maximum word count to this para sample, but we do encourage that you highlight your character’s VOICE and MANNERISMS within it.

THE GOSPEL OF JUDAS: A STUDY IN SILVER

ACT I | PIECES

It begins with a glint, a wash of light caught against the body of silver that’s piled neatly in three stacks of ten, blindingly beautiful. Then, a proposition — to surrender the one he calls teacher, Rabbi, friend.

Should they have negotiated in whispers in the dark, offering only empty promises of treasures to come, perhaps Judas Iscariot may have remained faithful to his so-called Lord’s teachings of honor and conviction. Alas, they don’t. No, he offers to betray his God under warm, bright lights, before a pile of riches that shine so bright he can’t see the blood that taints them. 

“The one I kiss,” he commands the lawmen. “He’s the one.” His head nods in slow, stern affirmation. His eyes remain locked with that bewitching stack of silver. What a transfixing, all-consuming thing greed can be, making itself at home in him once again like an old friend. Bewitched fingers snake around a single piece, the silver’s ice a delightful chill as he slides it into a pocket; one now, as a deposit. The rest later, once the deed is done.

As he throws heavy garden doors open, police following in hordes and numbers, he bears a smile that shines as bright as the piece that sits with comfortable, reassuring weight in his pocket. “Greetings, Rabbi!” he bellows, and as he steps boldly forwards, he places the Son of God’s face in his hands, pulls his lips into his, and is irrevocably damned. Mouth pressed firm against that of Christ, he does not taste divinity; it turns to ash on his tongue as he seals the fate God himself had promised.

He watches, proud, as the Lord is dragged away, as Christ’s disciples turn their swords towards the soldiers in retaliation and heartbreak, all the while, his hand in his pocket, twirling that single piece of silver between his fingertips.

Some present will come to say in their recountings that this is the day Satan entered Judas Iscariot, pierced him with sharp talons and claimed him for the hellions. These men lie. To give the Morning Star credit would be blasphemous to his gospel, for the greatest devil the world will know is not perched upon a throne in the fires of hell. He is born of the organic rot found only in the pits of fallible man.

ACT II | TONGUE

In the forges of hell, riches take a new shape. The wealth he’d condemned himself for? Worthless in death, reduced to a river of shapeless molten sterling. He has no choice but to adapt. He allows that silver to coat his tongue instead, and in their union they both evolve and yet remain entirely unchanged. 

Infernal wings sprout from his shoulders and the devil himself casts his favor upon him, and Judas is acutely aware of just how unique he is amongst his new brethren — dare he say, simply, better? What feat is it to have manifested from nothing, to wield powers that were gifted rather than earned? Is the true mark of a demon not in his will? His ability to rely not on divinity to bring ruination, but on merely the curve of his lips and the void in his chest? 

The thought tastes poisonous each time it simmers to the surface — his dissatisfaction with Lucifer’s status quo, though it remains to be seen whether it’s hell’s regime in particular that he loathes, or the existence of any regime whose reins he does not hold. It’s not important, not as he gathers demons eternal and fledgling alike in crooked, cavernous shadows, whispering curated falsehoods to them in the dark until they claim his anger and hunger as their own.

“A kiss — that’s the signal,” he repeats to each of them, his words carbon. “Only then, is it time.” 

It will not be time for quite some time, though Judas lives every day as if it might be — sowing ever deeper his seeds of doubt in their liege, parsing Lucifer’s each breath, examining his hallmark overconfidence, watching the hellish love with which he showers his kin as he demonstrates he knows nothing of the revolution that his most wicked ward brews in the dark.

He wakes that day not yet aware that the day has come — not until he hears Lucifer beckon for him from his altar. “My Lord?”Judas asks, the word silken as it slides over his lips, wrapping all disdain in luxe and warmth. 

“I can sense it, Judas,” the devil smiles. “A soul on earth has proven themselves. Go to them, and drag them home with you.”

Judas pauses, and when he listens, he registers not the words Lucifer says. What he hears is: the day is now. It’s a straw as small as any that breaks Judas’s back — the most rudimentary form of disrespect, to task hell’s crown jewel with a hound’s fetch-and-retrieve mission. He cares not to see the love in Satan’s request; what is spoken in between the words of Lucifer’s decree is Judas’s value, his Lord’s pride in his work, his trust in him over all the rest. It is in loving him, that the devil gives Judas the power to destroy him.

“Yes, my Lord. I’ll set out at once.” He nods along with his empty assurance, and with a look upwards, he meets his maker’s eyes with finality, casting him a last glistening smile before laying palms on either of the devil’s cheeks. “Goodbye, my Morning Star,” he wishes, and he means it, pressing his lips to Lucifer’s and savoring the taste of sin.

He pulls away, and the devil’s eyes open to the same sight that had brought the ruin of the Christ child — Judas Iscariot’s beaming, prideful smile, an army at his back, swords drawn, but this time, led not by the Sanhedrin. It is the antichrist that carries the charge, his own menacing grin drawing nearer, as hell’s usurpers claim their new order.

The devil is dead. Long live the devil.

ACT III | CROWN

“Thank you for coming on such short notice,” he hums, allowing the thick iron door of the Conclave’s court to close loudly behind him. “We reconvene soon. I don’t have long.”

Lie. It is he who called the recess, and it is he who will decide when it ends. He shares none of this with Damien, who stands impatiently in the adorned hallway. “Then divulge,” the Antichrist itches. 

The echoes of both their tones resonate loudly, as deep and heavy as the invisible crowns each of their heads hold high — though, one brow seems to far better suit regality. He does not wonder which of them will topple beneath the weight of theirs first; he already knows. Everything when the time is right, and until then, he walks a delicate, intentional line as he addresses his pseudo-son, simultaneously wanting to stroke the boy’s drive and shatter his independence. He must feel powerful — to a limit.

“The Conclave has requested you assemble the Vices.” Judas, even-toned and composed, presents it as an ask; it is not. It’s a directive. They both know it. “Sources suggest a siege of insurgent Heretic sympathizers are gaining on the Palace walls, possibly with intention to break their own out of the Black Cells.” He can hear the way Damien begins to laugh midway through, but he does not stop speaking. 

“A handful of Heretics?” Damien sputters. “And you believe that calls for the Vices? Abaddon has kept larger threats at bay single handedly.”

Judas scoffs. “So you suggest we do nothing?” he deigns. “Wait until they claw at our gates? Leave Abaddon to face them alone?” In pause, his brows knit together, though he contemplates nothing. “Gather them, boy,” he states loudly, and this time, it is an order explicit. The moment of sharpness passes quickly, and a familiar grin toys against his jaw. Once again, suddenly, they are friends. “What use is the devastation you hold in your fingertips if not to defend what majesty you and I have built here?”

He feels resentment, bitter and cold, steaming in wafts off of the young halfling — but then, an acceptance just as cold. “I suppose it’s been some time since we’ve been out to play,” he concedes.

“I knew you’d make the right decision,” Judas smiles, placing a large, strong hand on Damien’s shoulder. “I’ll need you out the gates as quickly as possible. Do have some fun with it, won’t you?” And just as quickly as his smile had appeared, he rescinds it and turns on his heels back towards the court’s wrought iron doors. 

With a slow turn of his head, he locks eyes with his pupil, and arrogance claims him. “The Conclave wishes you the best of luck,” he bolsters, proud and booming — one last signifier that, in their clash of crowns, it will always be his that blinds brightest.

Extras | OPTIONAL. If you have anything else you’d like to include (further headcanons, an inspo tag, a mock blog, etc), feel free to share it here!

I’ve compiled some inspiration posts on this blog! Additionally, here’s a small selection of headcanons:

HEADCANON: WINGS

Judas’s wings are of feather and bone — raven-black feathers, some that are tipped in brilliant silver. In some places, feathers have been charred or cut during battle, and the bone beneath is visible. He prefers it this way. Bone, sprouting from his shoulders, is human, as he once was before he ascended past those demons who manifested from nothing. 

HEADCANON: SWORDPLAY

Judas’s greatest strengths lie in diplomacy, delegation, and manipulation. While he can wield a sword well in battle, it’s only because an eternity has given him time to practice. Truthfully, his skills as a swordsman are far below most of his fellows. Where he makes up for it is in waiting in the shadows for the right time to strike, rather than aimlessly wailing at a target out in the open.

HEADCANON: RESENTMENT

He made it to Hell before Salome did, and yet her wings sprouted before his? He’s never forgotten it, and never will. His anger towards not having been the first of humankind to join the hellions is projected in its entirety onto Salome, and though he has yet to enact his wrath, he remains plotting.

[quillyfied]

Mega Good Omens Fic Rec Post 3

THE FINAL CHALLENGER APPROACHES.

This will hopefully be the last Mega Fic Rec Post I make for a long, long time; I have enjoyed it, but a lot of work goes into these and I’m tired. There are 73 titles on this list, organized by category: Jaunts through History/Canon, South Downs, Post-Apocalypse, Bus Ride/The Night Before/Heaven and Hell, AU/UA, Just Soft, Touch-Starved/Body Worship/Wings, Bonus, and H/C /Whump/BAMF. Please enjoy these treasures as I have.

Mentioned questionable material where appropriate; several authors have Tumblrs but I wasn’t able to tag them, for whatever reason. Oh well.

Mega GOmens Fic Rec Post MASTER

IF A LINK IS BROKEN OR I HAVE MISATTRIBUTED SOMETHING, PLEASE LET ME KNOW.

JAUNTS THROUGH HISTORY/CANON

1. let me feel your heartbeat (grow faster, faster) – @thehoyden (T, the one where Aziraphale had a big ole crush on Crowley before the Fall and it doesn’t stop from happening. This one’s just cute; starts with a “senpai notice me” vibe that morphs into mutual pining very, very quickly. It hits the high notes of a lot of cute romance tropes and I’m into it.)

2. Pride and Prejudice and Angels – SanSanFanFan (G, the one where Miss Crowley and Mr. Fell clash wits. Kinda. Mainly it’s a lot of lovely pining and Aziraphale being sad about awful things happening in London, so he’s escaping to Hampshire for a while, where Crowley happens to be in the middle of a temptation she promptly abandons in favor of lifting Aziraphale’s spirits. Not finished, but already sparkling with Crowley being miffed about gender double standards and Aziraphale letting himself be cheered up by Crowley. It’s great.)

3. Kissing, Accidentally – @skybound2 (G, the one where Crowley can’t help kissing Aziraphale after pinning him against the wall.  Hilarious and sweet and featuring that best trope of all, Crowley going boneless and speechless at an unexpected show of affection and wanting from his angel.)

4. Visible world (or, you are responsible forever for what you have tamed) – @matchahedgehog (T, the one where Russian folklore plays a significant element and it’s weird and beautiful. I don’t think I can really convey what this is, exactly, but there are elements of building a new world and holding on tight to love even through the toughest times and it’s gorgeous.)

5. I’ve Been Drowning All These Years – @terrible-titles (T, the one where Crowley comforts Aziraphale five times and one time Aziraphale comforts Crowley. There are some discomfiting scenes Crowley is talking Aziraphale through in this one, but the comfort is sweet and the resolution is well-deserved.)

6. Moving Rocks – shiphitsthefan (T, the one where confessions are made in 1941 but they can’t act just yet, and waiting is agony. I really adore this one, especially what happens when they finally Smooch, because it happens in a spot I rarely see anyone putting it and it made me smile. The longing is so painful, poor Aziraphale. Poor Crowley.)

7.  On a Wing and a Prayer – @alphacygni-8 (T, the one where Crowley is a pining mess but he has a plan. This is another trip through history of Crowley trying to go about his business while his feels are crushing him, but I think it’s how Crowley tries to go about confessing that helps make this one a standout; there is a restaurant and there is a lot of food and there are, of course, miscommunications aplenty. The historical scenes are nothing to sneeze at, either, they’re all packed with longing and bittersweetness. Lovely.)

8. in the shapes of angels – @qwanderer (T, the one where navigating an intimate and loving relationship of any stripe is difficult when your true form is a bit noncorporeal. This one crescendos in a form of angel-demon soul bonding that really reverberates and sticks in the brain, the visuals are incredible. And the implications of switching bodies gets a lot more high-stakes, too. On top of it all this is a story about finding someone to share your life with, whatever the arrangement of the relationship might actually be, and friends it’s tender and scary and wonderful.)

9. Pilgrim – brasspetal (T, the one where Crowley is on a sabbatical to sort out his feelings and he writes love letters, of a sort. This one is one of those fics that feels like treading in deep water knowing there’s something more in the depths, but it’s more tranquil and less unsettling. There’s an overstory about Crowley traveling with a group of humans and an undercurrent about him working through how he feels about Aziraphale and the two work together to bring about something memorable and, I feel, truly impactful. It’s entirely possible that by the time the last chapter is up, the story will be something completely different from what I’ve described, and that’s cool.)

10. drowned in living waters – @mortuarybees (G, the one where Crowley and Aziraphale make out in a field and almost get caught. This one is short and sad and made me feel sad things, though the imagery is gorgeous and the argument leading up to the kissing is entertaining. Stupid Gabriel and his stupid face.)

11. Things They Need – LostSoftSpaceDyke (T, the one where Crowley and Aziraphale take lovers as stepping-stones to get to each other. This one is bittersweet and FRAUGHT, friends, it is absolutely a heart-masher. The ending rights it, of course, and beautifully, but welcome to Hopeless Longing Town, friendos, population One Angel and One Demon.)

12. Off the record – @paintedvanilla (T, the one where Crowley reports his personal sins and then neglects to report his virtues. Bookverse, a wonderful character study of Crowley and Hell’s bureaucracy and how certain things affect Crowley personally. Includes a lovely homage to Freddie Mercury, of course.)

13. By Any Other Name – ausgezeichnet (@thebeatlesaremyboyband) (T, the one where Nanny Ashtoreth and Brother Francis fake a wedding to get Thad Dowling off their backs. While it definitely has its funny moments, what stands out more to me in this one are the soft, quiet moments of pining sprinkled in between their adventures. There’s real strain between Crowley and Aziraphale with this turn of events, and I can’t wait to see it all boil over. Also Thaddeus Dowling is a dickbag in this one and is deffo getting his.)

14. God’s Gift – Katzedecimal (T, the one where Crowley and Aziraphale are undercover as a lady and her tire-woman while on a job. This one is based on one of the stories from The Akashic Records by PeniG (which y’all know I adore), specifically one where a potential 30K caper is laid out involving this exact scenario, and I love that someone actually tried to tackle some of it. The friendship is so good, and the little bit of excitement that happens in the plot is Terribly Exciting. Just ladies taking care of ladies, what could be better?)

15. All I Want (Is You) – amavyllis (G, the one where Crowley and Aziraphale don’t touch but that doesn’t mean they don’t want to. Oh, y’all, the longing. The LONGING. And the sheer ACHE of not being able to touch someone you would like to be physically close with. It is PAINFUL and it is GOOD and I am DYING.)

16. meantime i ask you to be my valentine (i’ll be your valentino) – hipsterchrist (T, the one that follows Saint Valentine’s Days through the ages. This one is really interesting, actually, and has one of the most eclectic collections of historical moments I’ve ever seen in one of these types of fics. That ending scene is on point, though; I spoil nothing but you guys TEARS. Of LAUGHTER. And also OVERWHELMED WITH EMOTION.)

SOUTH DOWNS

17. Let Me Live Here Ever – @moveslikebucky (T, the one where they’re soft and just talk about their feelings and smooch a lot. This one is part of a larger series but you don’t need to have read it to read this one. It is so very soft, y’all. So tender. I will never be over stories where they just lay in bed all day and revel in how they feel about each other and their life together.)

18. The Cottage, The Husbands – Dragonsquill (G, the series where Crowley and Aziraphale have a life in the South Downs and it is good. Featuring lots of cute little tableaus and some of the most fun OCs ever—Twelve in particular is a treat, she’s Crowley’s stylist and absolutely wonderful. The whole series is just FUN, it’s cute and casual and domestic and great.)

19. For All the Stars in Heaven – ausgezeichnet (@thebeatlesaremyboyband) (T, the one where Heaven and Hell need to shove off already. This one takes off almost without warning, and escalates rather quickly before a frankly genius solution to The Problem of Aziraphale and Crowley is found. I only deal in happy endings, so you KNOW it’s good for the husbands. Surprisingly good, in fact, I didn’t see it coming at all.)

20. Angel and Demon Teatime – @penig (T, the one where Crowley and Aziraphale entertain a few unwanted guests for a while. This one is really cool, with a lot of sensory details while Crowley and Aziraphale relive a lot of the sensations of Earth and bring them into the physical world for the spies Heaven and Hell sent after them to experience them, too. The spies are both precious, though in completely different ways, and the ways they go about changing through this visit are subtle but profound.)

21. The Tales of Eden Cottage – Jupiter_Ash (G, the series where Crowley and Aziraphale slowly settle into their new South Downs community. This one has a lot of fun OCs and some extremely touching stories (the one about Joshua in particular broke my heart in all the best ways). Their neighbors are a lot of fun and the fic in particular that has a facebook chat of their speculations on who the new guys moving into Eden Cottage are is fantastic.)

22. A Brand New Angle – @fallsouthwinter (T, the one where Crowley and Aziraphale pick a direction and gun it. Has first kisses, dancing, delightful neighbors, gardening—all the best ingredients for a heartwarming, satisfying South Downs romp. And this definitely is one—with some promising things to come, judging by the standalone in the same universe!)

23. A Safe Place for You – Vagabond (@waffleironbiddingwar) (M, the one where learning to receive love is a little bit harder lesson to take in than giving love. M for a humanly intimate scene that borders but does not cross into full smut, and an ethereally intimate scene that is weird and pretty. This whole thing is achingly poignant and heavy; every word drips with emotion and it’s both difficult and sweet, much like the subject matter, I suppose. A memorable and beautiful piece.)

24. Act of Service – @dietraumerei (T, the one where people think Aziraphale is Crowley’s sugar daddy. This one starts off hilarious and then slam-dunks itself right into the Feels Pile, with a side-helping of discussing dynamics and reaching acceptance. An instant classic and one I’ve definitely read more than a few times.)

POST-APOCALYPSE

25. Thou Knowest Us Happy – @mirrorleaf (T, the one where Gabriel gets the truth shoved directly into his face. This is a fic of a fic (the original I have not read bc it’s rated E and I can’t do that for personal reasons), and while this fic references its source quite a bit, it’s not confusing enough for the fic itself to be off-putting. In fact, it’s a gorgeous one-two punch to the throat: first, the Banishing of the Archangel Gabriel, which is INCREDIBLY satisfying; second, the Making Sense of It All, where Aziraphale and Crowley realize they’re truly free and start to explore the various contexts of their relationship, past and future, which is very sweet. A delectable little treat, all told.)

26. Courage – @mandysimo13 (G, the one that’s a good old-fashioned post-apocalypse love confession. There’s a cute little characterization of Courage woven throughout, because of course Crowley personifies the emotions he is or isn’t dealing with, but on the whole it’s adorable and intimate and cute.)

27. when the earth is trembling – @stammiviktor (T, the one where Crowley takes Aziraphale on an amazing date. Listen, I adore stories where Crowley falls to pieces under the weight of his love as much as the next dork, but Crowley delivering? Crowley being, if not confident, then at least secure in the choices he’s making? Crowley showing his angel a good time because he knows what his angel likes? SIGN ME UP, FAM. Especially if we still get Crowley coming a little undone at his attentions paying off in a hoped-for but still unexpected way (to him, anyway).)

28. Little Terrors – @runwiththisdinosaur (T, the one where Aziraphale is being more affectionate and Crowley is one hand-touch away from an aneurism. This one doesn’t pull away from Crowley’s all-consuming fear of Aziraphale Falling for loving him, and captures the messy feelings and hurt and heartbreak and healing these two getting their act together demands. Also Indian food.)

29. Forgiveness – @guanin (G, the one where Aziraphale has a well-deserved breakdown after Armageddon’t. This one is super-duper cathartic and has Aziraphale working through all of his hurt feelings and confusion over Heaven and how they treated him, and how he subsequently treated Crowley. Featuring a very patient Crowley and a very weepy Aziraphale and a lot of wondering about fate and choice.)

30. Of burnt books and courting Crowley – robynvite (T, the one where Aziraphale accidentally finds out Crowley’s in love with him and then sets out to properly woo him. I love fics where Aziraphale finally takes the initiative, and he does so with gusto. Anathema serves as a great sounding board and go-between for these lovestruck idiots, and Crowley not knowing how to handle Aziraphale being flirty is the best thing. Also, Aziraphale finds out they burned the second Agnes Nutter book and has an angelic come-apart.)

31. that I may hear my heart fall from your lips – song_of_fate (NR, the one where Crowley and Aziraphale get to be themselves at last. Y’all like awkward but shyly happy getting-together fics? Y’all like Greek vacations? Y’all like Anathema being a bro and Crowley being casual and Aziraphale being absolutely taken with him? You’ve found your fic, folks, and it’s not even finished yet. More softness to come!)

BUS RIDE/NIGHT BEFORE/HEAVEN AND HELL

32. please please please let me get what I want this time – @sarahbacou (NR, the one where Crowley is extremely tired and Aziraphale muses on their situation. The tone of this one is mournful and apprehensive, but ultimately tender as Aziraphale cares for an exhausted-to-the-point-of-delirium Crowley on the bus ride home. The scene after they get off the bus is just straight-up heartbreaking, there are no other words for it, but it ends hopeful, especially knowing what we know about canon.)

33. Ethereal Love – @mariannightroad (G, the one where trying to teach Aziraphale to sleep morphs into something a little bit more. The purest and sweetest of romances, the most sexless making love of all time (even for weird angel essence-touching, it’s pretty devoid of lust), and just really really Soft u guys.)

34. Long Night’s Journey Into Day – @whatawriterwields (T, the one where Aziraphale keeps watch through the night. This one is adorable and very tender, with a terrible nightmare and an amusing adventure involving remote tea-making and FEELINGS. Aziraphale loves Crowley so much.)

35. Maybe Tomorrow Will Be a Better Day (If You Let Me Look at Your Beautiful Eyes) – TheWinterSldier (T, the one where Aziraphale ponders about Crowley’s eyes while wearing his body. There’s some historical jumping but the majority of the story is focused on retelling Crowley’s trial from Aziraphale’s head, and the meal at the Ritz afterwards. There are a lot of emotions about Crowley’s eyes. Ironically, there were also a lot of emotions about my eyes. Or, rather, in my eyes. Just overflowing with feels.)

AU/UA

36. Hard Times – @northeasternwind (G, the one that’s the bandstand scene in the context of Speremint’s Reverse Omens AU. I love the characterizations of Anthony and Azirafell so much in this particular AU, and the building tension and sudden breaking of the dam at the end is exquisitely done.)

37. Rosemary and Sage – AJissoverytired (T, the one that’s based on the witch AU by masao-micchi and is PRECIOUS. Crowley is the Red Witch, a very famous and talented mage, who accidentally gets turned into a snake by a rival and winds up being found by Aziraphale, a mage-in-training who’s starstruck by the Red Witch. They strike up a familiar contract, with Crowley conveniently not letting Aziraphale know who he actually is, and enter the Completely Ridiculous Comedy of a pseudo-love square. The world is vibrant and fun, characterization is spot-on, and it’s so funny and sweet I’m dying. Worth the read 4000%.)

38. Only Love (Can Bring the Rain) – @soft-october-night (T, the fairy tale-ish AU featuring a sweet prince and his handsome gardener boy. Y’all. Y’ALL. Pining and childhood friends-to-lovers and class struggles and vegetable-growing contests and subterfuge, oH MY. The flavor of this one is Very Very Good, absolutely a gem.)

39. Running in the Shadows (Damn Your Love, Damn Your Lies) – @soft-october-night (M, the one that’s vaguely a Persuasion AU but is mostly a messy, emotional romance shoved into Regency decency. M for mentions of sexual activity that would most certainly overwhelm the sensibilities of a more delicate readership, but it’s not bad at all for a modern reader. I think soft_october might just own my soul, because HOT DANG, that is two AUs in a row that are scratching my itches in the best ways. The LONGING. The EMOTIONAL TURMOIL. The MASQUE BALL. The CLASS STRUGGLES. I have read it twice already and will definitely be coming back to it a lot, because there’s lots of meat on this here bone. Adam Young and Crowley’s relationship in particular is touching, and Crowley’s friendship with Anathema is top-notch.)

40. I have loved you (for a thousand years) – @asideofourown (T, the one where they’ve been dating the whole time but SOMEONE missed the memo. Classic miscommunication at its finest; Crowley’s chapter is painful enough with his pining and heartsick longing, but Aziraphale’s chapter knocks it out of the park with his perspective of actually being in a relationship with Crowley and the various misinterpretations that’s caused. They’re so stupid and I love them.)

41. Gravity – Emmbee_89 (T, the one where Crowley was Raphael and he and Aziraphale had (and have) a love so powerful Aziraphale created Time and they couldn’t be separated even after the Fall. Oh sweet Jebus and all his little elves, the tenderness and powerful heartbreak this one causes gave me actual physical pains. Bittersweet and lovely. I am so proud of them.)

42. The Love You Leave Behind – @gloriouscacophany (T, the one that’s a 1980s college AU where Aziraphale is studying abroad and Crowley is the singer of a rock band. This one is UNBELIEVABLY gorgeous. Listen, I don’t usually go in for human AUs, but this one caught me, hook, line, and sinker. The sensory details are lush (especially when Aziraphale is noticing Crowley, hoo boy) and the story has some built-in heartbreak that’s already paying off (hello, homophobia), but despite the incoming pain and torment, I have full faith and expectation of a great ride along the way. Truly spectacular.)

43. Pray For Us, Icarus – @seaskystone (G and T, the series where Crowley keeps reincarnating as a human and Aziraphale loves him. Listen, I know 90% of you already know this masterpiece, but for the 10% who don’t, this series will heck you up one side and down the other. It will drown you in sorrow so that the good moments are sweeter than air. It is so intense, so emotionally raw, so dadgum TENDER, I had no idea what to do with myself after I finished it. Like a cheese grater on a sunburn when it’s bad, like hot chocolate on a bitter cold day when it’s good. A fandom staple for sure, cathartic and satisfying as only successful recovery after a long, hard, difficult event can be.)

44. Magnesium and Oil – @quaidpoppinjack (T, the one that’s a monster hunter AU. The great thing about fandom is that sometimes people will make AUs you would never have thought of, but once you know of it, you need it desperately. In this one, instead of tempting and thwarting, Crowley and Aziraphale are tasked with gathering the escaped creatures of Eden and sending them either to Hell or Heaven to stock for the impending War. The worldbuilding is AMAZING, the little details are great (for those of you wanting Crowley in hunting leathers, welcome to the party), and the story itself is just good, okay. Great action, lovely plot.)

45. alpha centauri – @hyruling (T, the one where Aziraphale agrees to run away to Alpha Centauri during the Apocalypse. To my understanding, this work was previously deleted by the author, but I’m so glad it was brought back so I could read it, because two very scared, very piney idiots carving out a domestic life on a barren planet WITH A CAT is the jam I didn’t know I had. Watching them circle each other is great; watching it all come tumbling down when Plot happens is even better. It’s a happy ending, don’t get it twisted, but you always have to wade through the Bad before you get to the Good, after all. A lovely little piece, absolutely A+++.)

46. Truth Untold – GenericUsername01 (G and T, the series where Crowley was Raphael, Aziraphale was made to be his assistant, and holy crap on a STICK where to even start. The worldbuilding is INSANE, I love how the Archangels are described and go about their business (word to the wise, do NOT skip the prologue work, you miss all of the best context if you do). And if that’s not great enough, there’s a whole system of angel-devil nemesis pairs all over Earth, whom we get to meet when devils start wanting to repent. There’s baptism involved and it’s horrifying and heartbreaking. Not finished yet, but it’s ramping up. Also, Crowley is functionally blind, which is about to start causing some real humorous problems since no one else knows about it, certainly not Aziraphale.)

47. Take me to the room where the red’s all red (take me out of my head, that’s what I said) – @raiining (M, the one that’s a Dom/sub AU with gentle top Aziraphale and bottom Crowley. No real sexual elements in this one, but I can understand why the M is there, the subject matter might be a little Much for some people even if it is fairly chaste (if sensual). The dynamic between Crowley and Aziraphale is delicious af, especially when they’re snapping at each other and then later melting into each other. It’s just. So good.)

48. Take This Sinking Boat and Point it Home – sobakasu, sssnakelady (T, the one where Crowley and Aziraphale used to be the same being, and the combination of fundamental incompletion compounding with being in love is tearing Crowley apart at the seams. Darkly emotional and absolutely raw with feeling, quiet and powerful and subtle. Crowley is absolutely heartbreaking, but Aziraphale manages to bind it all up quite nicely—not perfectly, they’ll have to work at it, but sweetly and with perfect love.)

JUST SOFT

49. Three Unthwarted Wiles – @almaasi (G, the one where Aziraphale lets Crowley get away with a few things. Oh my heaven it’s so SOFT, I know that’s the point of this section but HRRGK. Crowley does so much for Aziraphale and Aziraphale returns the favor as often as he can and they just love each other so much I’m sobbing.)

50. The Original Bar Joke – @deathbycoldopen (T, the one where Crowley sees himself as the punch line in God’s big ineffable joke. Sad until finally it isn’t, but Crowley spilling the beans via joke-that-turns-into-scathing-self-reproach is a unique flavor I wasn’t expecting and it broke my heart. Absolutely wonderful.)

51. Love Stories – @just-quintessentially-me (G, the one where Aziraphale is the maudlin sad drunk. Guys, I’ll be real, the emotional payoff of this fic is sweet, but the real highlight for me is Aziraphale scolding a fire he accidentally sets, because nothing feels so Aziraphale as him being drunk off his wings and attempting to LECTURE a FIRE. Also Crowley’s reaction to Aziraphale setting a fire in the bookshop is…well, about how you’d expect. A fantastic little number I quite enjoy.)

52. no mind to lose – @saints-and-demons-preserve-us (T, the one where Aziraphale goes fast and Crowley is a mess. Starts with an ode to Crowley’s long hair, as it rightly should, and evolves into a rather adorable start-stop where Aziraphale engages in various touching activities and Crowley is doing his level best, bless him, to catch up and remember how limbs and lungs work. Precious.)

53. Alas, Poor Yorick! This Is Gonna Suck! – WhiteQueenWrites (T, the one where Crowley finds his perfect opportunity while teaching a theater class to the Them. Yes, it’s canon!verse, not an AU. Yes, Crowley and Aziraphale kiss while teaching Romeo and Juliet. Yes, it is exactly as adorable and tween-traumatizing as you would expect. It’s very fun!)

54. Divine Intervention (aka God Ships It) – @theladyzephyr (G, the one where God has had it up to HERE with two idiots stuck in denial. Oh, folks. This fic is a TEASE. This fic is TANTALIZING. This fic is INFURIATING. And it is so, so worth its weight in gold, because the moment of triumph is so unspeakably sweet. It’s so good, y’all. So good.)

55. Learning to Speak the Language of Flowers – @junkshop-disco (M, the one where Crowley and Aziraphale are orbiting closer. M for discussions of trauma, I think. I’m not sure if I have the words for this one but I’ll try anyway. It shifts between the night the world didn’t end and the events after, and the time Crowley and Aziraphale spent in the Dowling household, and the transitions between the two are so smooth sometimes it’s hard to catch which time period you’re in. The writing is emotive and beautiful, and the emotional impetus behind the fic is compelling. Highly, highly recommended.)

56. seasons, changes – @whatawriterwields (G, the one that cycles through four seasons of Crowley and Aziraphale’s new life in love. Gorgeous and descriptive and so sensory—it really captures a lot of the best parts of each season. And also it’s incredibly loving and I die.)

57. waking up to you – @whatawriterwields (G, the series that’s a collection of tender morning moments. Listen, this writer is the MASTER of tender fluff, and this series is overwhelming. I have had to physically clutch at my heart and wail at my ceiling because of how cute everything is. If you need a dose of fluff after reading something angsty, here’s your medicine.)

58. Nemo dat quod non habet – @liquidlyrium (T and M, the series that examines the aftermath of the trials in Heaven and Hell, and Crowley and Aziraphale have an actual conversation. M rating is just to be safe bc the makeouts can be intense, but it’s not bad. The stories are basically revolving around the same conversation from two different points; Aziraphale’s bit goes more into the kissy-kissy afterwards. Powerful and raw, but understated; there’s dignity in this series, and a good bit of playfulness. The writing carries itself exceptionally well.)

59. Where to Start – @freyjawriter24 (T, the one where Crowley’s almost kissed Aziraphale plenty of times through history. Oh, y’all. Crowley’s emotions are laid so bare. The longing is so good. The scenes are all pretty original and interesting, and you can get a good sense for what Aziraphale’s feeling in these moments, too. Top-notch.)

TOUCH-STARVED/BODY WORSHIP/WINGS

60. The Power of Touch – @wordsintimeandspace (T, the one where Crowley needs some tending to and Aziraphale is more than happy to do it. It’s lots of kissing and touching and it gets intense but not too sexual. Also some lovely communication and boundary negotiation and it’s great.)

61. show a little skin (baby I’m begging) – @summerofspock (T, the one where Crowley can barely handle seeing Aziraphale flash a little skin now and then. Oh, y’all, it’s so much fun. Crowley is in over his head, someone please help him. Ankles, collarbones, FOREARMS. Oh lawd.)

62. You’re the Only Prayer I Need – @kedreeva (G, the one where Crowley’s shedding and Aziraphale helps. Featuring an absurdly large bathtub, wing bathing, and finally the peeling of snakeskin, which sounds so intensely satisfying, tbh. Simple, companionable, and nice.)

63. Of Firsts and Foremosts – @kedreeva (T, the one where Crawly finds Aziraphale cornered by Ligur and steps in. This one has really interesting bits of lore stuffed into it and a sweetly cautious blooming camaraderie between Crawly and Aziraphale; on top of that, there’s cuddling and wing care and both are extremely good.)

64. At Least Eleven Second First Times – @enjambament (M, the one where Aziraphale has to get used to being on Earth in a body again. M for risqué elements that brush up against smut without crossing over. This one is all about feeling things, from emotional to physical sensations, and how Aziraphale is overwhelmed by it all, but there’s also bits of the inherent diversity of the world and the significance of being able to feel things and on top of being secondhand-overstimulated, it drops you directly into Feels Town and it’s delicious.)

BONUS

65. a snake by any other name – @asideofourown (G, the one where Crowley’s snake form is spotted by a herpetology student and an unlikely companionship is struck. This one is from the view of an OC and is really cute, involving Crowley growing fond of a human with proper appreciation for serpentine charms. Also the OC and her girlfriend have a fun argument about what Crowley actually is and it’s adorable.)

66. Always Trust a Dog’s Judge in Character – notebooksandlaptops (T, the one where Warlock moves back to his London home and starts building a life. This one is so good, y’all; adult (ish, he’s nineteen) Warlock is such a delight and you can see Nanny Ashtoreth’s influence all over him. It’s even better when he meets Adam and forms the biggest crush known to man (good thing it’s reciprocated, that would have been awkward), and befriends the rest of the Them (Pepper in particular is to be feared and respected). A fic about growing up and finding yourself, and I love where it’s going.)

H/C /WHUMP/BAMF

67. In Peace I Will Both Lie Down and Sleep – @fizzybiscuits (G, the one where Aziraphale is having nightmares. This fic feels so organic—like a logical continuation of the show, or at least one of many directions it could take. Aziraphale having vivid bad dreams and NOT TALKING ABOUT IT is so on-brand, and Crowley getting worried out of his gourd is also on-brand. Vulnerable and sweet and soft, once the nightmares are dealt with.)

68. A Touch Like Sunlight – @just-quintessentially-me (T, the one where Crowley acts the hero like an idiot. This is Crowley’s vengeance against the Archangels and it’s heart-pounding; of course stuff goes off the rails pretty quickly, but even the stuff that goes right has tension in it. A great adventure, with an appearance from BAMF!Aziraphale.)

69. Chokecherry – unsmilingchuck (T, the one where Crowley helps clean up Aziraphale’s hands after a frankly awful punishment from Heaven. This fic feels calm, maybe more so when it’s revealed what it’s in the aftermath of, and Crowley is very methodical and meticulous in his care. It’s clear how much they care about each other and that’s always the jam.)

70. Thus saith the Lord – @themanicmagician (T, the one where angels can be drafted into Her service like a hive mind. Oh, folks, you want historical pain? You want emotional torment? You want a thrilling chase and a tender aftercare and a triumphant victory? You want to be in your friend’s house and hear the Plagues song from Prince of Egypt and almost have a complete breakdown bc you’re reliving this fic? Then join me in singing this one’s praises, because it delivers. It does not let up even for a second, once it gets going. This is probably one of the darkest fics I’ve ever read, but the ending balances it out. It’s great.)

71. In Somnis Veritas – PinkPenguinParade (T, the one where Aziraphale volunteers to help Crowley with his nightmares. Oh, y’all. Y’all, this one is so good. Just two immortal beings, working through their various traumas together. There’s pain and healing and a beautiful, beautiful ending. This fic hits all the right notes, it’s splendid.)

72. Incongruous States of Being – @zehwulf (T, the one where Aziraphale is a BAMF and that was never truly up for debate. Featuring an argument meant mostly for fun, and then a fight meant mostly for not-fun. Protective Aziraphale through the roof, gang. Very, very good. The tension is exquisite, and the characterizations are perfection. A wonderful take on Aziraphale and his abilities.)

73. Aim Your Arrow At The Sky – @trellanyx (T, the one where Aziraphale is a warrior and don’t you forget it. Warnings for some pretty graphic violence. This fic is not epic-length but it is epic-scope; it’s downright cinematic. The details are so crisp and the action so well-described, and threaded through it all is fierce, tender, desperate love. A wonderful read, especially if you want to see two particular Archangels get theirs.)

[teannamon]

The Black Cat and the Princess (ML Fic) 4

Marinette Agreste (outfit mentioned in Chapter 2) and Gabriel Agreste

Tom and Sabine Dupain-Cheng with their adopted son, Adrien Dupain-Cheng

Art by the lovely and talented @deryuj​ tysm :>

[ Family Switch AU ]  Marinette’s the only child of fashion icon Gabriel Agreste, and Adrien is the adopted child of Sabine and Tom Dupain-Cheng, two of the best bakers in Paris. What happens when their paths meet?

↫ Chapter 3

Chapter 4 :  The weekend is here and Marinette has been invited to a gathering.

Nathalie entered the young designer’s room with the item she requested-a black belt with a silver buckle which is, of course, of the Gabriel brand.

“Marinette, here’s the belt you needed”

“Thanks Nathalie, you’re a lifesaver” she said as she placed the belt in the middle of her black skater dress. Nathalie nodded and was about to leave when Marinette stopped her.

“Yes? Is there something else you need?”

“Kinda?” She shrugged, “Can you tell me if this is appropriate for a Freshmen get-together?”

Marinette gestured to her outfit. A black skater dress with rose embroidery at the sides, a denim jacket, stockings and heeled boots.

The assistant looked her over with a straight face. Not thinking too deeply about her choice of clothing she replied, “I would think so, I wouldn’t say you’re overdressed, and your fashion choices aren’t questionable to say the least”

“Thanks, I guess” with that, Nathalie finally left the room.

As soon as she did, Marinette texted Chloe saying she’s ready. Not a second later, she received a reply that she will pick her up in five minutes.

Exactly five minutes later, Chloe’s limo stopped in front of the Agreste manor. Marinette walked out not even bothering to say goodbye to her father.

Why not? She already asked for permission and he gave her a strict curfew. Why is there a need to bother him if he already knows?

In the back of her mind however, she wishes that her father could at least show some semblance of a parent figure especially ever since her mother has gone missing. True that Gabriel has been a strict and cold man probably ever since he was born but Marinette won’t deny that her father was at least kinder and caring in his own subtle way when Emilie was still around, albeit she lives a much busier life as an actress-travelling to many locations for new movies, auditions and attending premieres.

“You’re doing that face. Alright what’s on your mind, Blunette? Talk to me” Chloe said with a huff, clearly noticing the way Marinette is sulking by the car window thinking about her father issues.

“It’s… nothing important” she sighed.

Her blonde friend sighed in annoyance but didn’t press any further, “Fine, have it your way. I’m no good with sappy and emotional talk anyways, they’re utterly ridiculous and unnecessary” she said in a joking tone.

Marinette chuckled, she sat up straight and decides to change the topic. She’s supposed to enjoy this night, her first party with people her age that doesn’t involve industry talk and acting like what a Gabriel representative would.

“So what is this party about? I have no idea what to do”

Chloe lit up at her question and talked enthusiastically, “Just stick with good old Chloe, aka The Party Queen, and its smooth sailing from there. Just imagine, me and you walking in that party looking fab as hell… we are the perfect BFF goals!” she squealed the last part and Marinette smiled at her enthusiasm, making her feel better ever since she left the house.

“You should’ve rebelled a long time ago against your old man, we could’ve dominated Collegé and Lycée together”

“Well I guess things changed after you know what happened,” she started but quickly diverted the topic again to stop the conversation being about her sad thoughts “but hey, I thought you had Sabrina helping you since Kindergarten”

“Well she decided to pursue her studies in Harvard or something, she is pretty smart but not charismatic at all to join me in taking over Francois Dupont. Bless you, Sabrina” Chloe joked.

“And what makes you think I’ll take over Lycée with you? For all you know, I’m here to take it over myself” Marinette scoffed. Chloe always had this idea of ‘taking over’ the school, and by that she means being in the highest position at the student council.

She comically gasped, “You wouldn’t!”

Marinette smirked and raised a brow, “Maybe I would”

“Oh puh-lease, you may be famous but I know you don’t know shit about managing a school body even if you win” Chloe waved a hand dismissively at her as they both laughed at their banter.

“We’re here, Ms. Bourgeois, Ms. Agreste” Jean said as he stopped the vehicle.

————————

Adrien, Nino, and Alya walked into the venue together and saw that the event has already started. The sophomores and seniors are already at their respective tables and booths. Nino and Alya already left towards the snack bar, more like Alya dragged Nino but it’s the same thing.

“I’ll see you around, just make sure Alya doesn’t get drunk again please” Adrien yelled to the couple. He looked around to see if he sees anyone he knows to hang out in the meantime. He spots Juleka and her girlfriend, Rose, tuning a guitar by the stage and decides to walk over and talk.

“Hi guys, long rhyme no see” he greeted, emphasis on the pun. Hearing that Juleka groaned and immediately knew who it was before turning around, “Hi Adrien”

“Hi Adrien! Do you want to play with Kitty Section for tonight? I finally learned how to play the keyboard but another one would be better” the blue-eyed blonde happily offered.

“I’ll see if there’s nothing else to do, I’m kind of looking forward to meeting other people first” he said as he looked towards the entrance where more and more people came in.

“Ok! We’ll be here when you change your mind. Juleka’s brother will be doing all the singing tonight though, just so you know” Rose said sweetly as she went back to helping Juleka tune her guitar. Adrien waved at them as he left to find other people to talk to, he spotted Kagami with the other sophomores hanging by the ‘Club Applications’ table set up near the entrance.

He already applied for Fencing at the start of enrolment, so he didn’t bother approaching the table until after the party. Adrien was about to walk around some more before the band starts playing when he caught a glimpse of Marinette walking in the building with Chloe.

Her outfit stood out a lot, it was simple yet alluring, Adrien thought.

He approached the pair. “Hi Marinette, Hi Chloe”

“Adrien,” Chloe just nodded as a greeting.

“Hi Adrien, how’s it going? I mean we always saw each other during class but how’s the party so far?”

“Band hasn’t started yet,” he pointed to the stage set-up behind him with him thumb “Alya and Nino started hogging the snacks, and if you want to apply to a club my friend Kagami is over there to help you join one” he pointed to the snack bar and the table where Kagami is respectively.

“Thanks for the heads-up, baker boy, I don’t want to see her pompous ass in my peripheral tonight” Chloe commented as she glared at Kagami’s direction.

“I don’t understand why you don’t like Kagami, Chloe. She’s cool”

“Hmph! That’s because you’re too nice to see how holier-than-thou and stuck up she is” she retorted with a huff.

“I can tell, that’s why I’m still nice to you after all these years” Adrien teased and Marinette stifled a laughter.

“Whatever,” she rolled her eyes but she’s obviously smiling at his clever clapback. She linked her arms with Marinette “c’mon Mari”

“Um actually, Chloe, I want to walk around myself if that’s fine” she unlinked her arms and stood in front of Chloe. As much as she enjoys her company, she wants to get to know other people in school. And as much as Chloe wanted to walk around the party with her very talented friend to show everyone how amazing she is, she understands that Marinette always wants to experience new things by herself.

“Fine fine, but we’re going out together ok?”

She nodded, “I’ll be fine, it’s not like I’ll be kidnapped in the middle of this party”

“Oh is that a challenge?” Adrien nudged her to which she playfully pushed him away.

“If you want to face the wrath of my father then feel free to try, Dupain-Cheng”

The blonde diva smiled at the sight and turned around, but not before reminding Adrien “Take care of her Adrien, if anything happens to her you will not hear the end of it”

“Yes madame” he said with a two-finger salute as she walked away to where the drinks are.

“Has anyone told you you’re such a dork?” she asked.

“What can I say, my face is adorkable” he winked at her as they started walking around aimlessly, just talking while walking.

“Yeah right, if I recall, I wanted to punch that face of yours in the first day” she said while hitting him lightly on the cheek.

They stopped exactly near the performing stage when the music started. Juleka’s brother, Luka, approached the mic as he played a tune with his guitar to catch everyone’s attention.

“Good evening freshmen!”

Majority of the crowd yelled enthusiastically and formed a crowd in front of the stage. The rest of the band started playing a catchy beat while Luka continued with the opening remarks.

“Enjoy this night, make some friends, drink responsibly and let’s rock n roll til dawn!” he raised his fist as the students cheered. Luka received a text in the middle of cheering and peeked at his phone, he went back to speaking, “and don’t forget to register for a club at the registry near the entrance. Just find the pretty lady with stone cold eyes named Kagami”

Luka winked at said lady’s direction as he started playing, “This first song is for you”. Kagami growled in annoyance as the students turned around to look at her. She turned her back to the band and focused on her phone instead.

The band started playing their first song and Marinette turned to Adrien, “What’s up with that? Is that senior dating your friend Kagami?”

Adrien scratched his chin in thought, “I… don’t know exactly, but it’s kind of a this and that relationship. I’m not even sure if they hate or like each other. Luka used to hate Kagami but now he just teases her a lot and Kagami is still Kagami to him”

“Seem like you know a lot about almost everyone here”

He shrugged, “Just the ones I knew back then, which is actually a lot since most of us promised to attend here for Lycée.”

She was intrigued, before she could ask him to introduce everyone he tapped her shoulder and pointed towards the band members performing on stage.

“I’ll tell you about everyone I know here, so this band is called ‘Kitty Section’” he said closely in her ear now so she can hear him as Luka started singing.

“Sounds cute”

“Just the name is cute, they mostly perform rock songs and guess what?”

“What?”

“That cutesy girl playing the keyboard,” he pointed to Rose and Marinette nodded and ‘uh-huh’.

“Her name is Rose Lavillant. She writes their original songs and she’s the lead singer, her voice is really something when she sings”

“Wow! That’s amazing!” she exclaimed in awe while taking out her phone to take pictures and record the band.

“That’s not all though…”

A good hour of walking around and introducing his old classmates and acquaintances to Marinette, they stumbled upon Nino and Alya still by the snack bar, talking to Lila.

Lila had their backs turned to them when Nino called out, “Hey Adrien and Mari-dude”

Alya grinned widely and waved at Marinette, “Hi Marinette! Nice outfit mind if I take a pic again?”

“Sure no prob” she posed then Alya took quick shots of her outfit to add to her blog. Alya has gotten over her fangirling on Marinette after talking and hanging out some time with her during classes and seeing her as a clumsy student like any other. Marinette and Alya were quick to become friends after that.

“Oh by the way, Lila was actually looking for you” she said after taking the pictures.

Lila turned around with a sweet smile and moved closer to the young fashion designer, “Hi Marinette, I really wanted to apologize for my attitude a few days ago. Alya told me about your situation and I totally feel for you” she dramatically placed a hand over her chest and the other on Marinette’s shoulder.

“You… do?” she suspiciously raised a brow at that. Lila’s apology didn’t make sense to her, she basically glared at her everytime they see each other. Marinette swears that she’s doing this for show and she should be careful.

“Yes!” she said rather abruptly “In fact I was talking to Alya about things I can do to make it up to you”

Said brunette piped in, “Yup and since Lila here knows a lot of people and has a lot of connections she can be your personal guide for the school year”

‘Oh hell no, I’m spending another minute with this crazy bitch alone much less a whole year!’

“What a nice offer Lila, but…”

“But what, Marinette?” Lila tilted her head looking slightly disappointed but Marinette felt her grip tighten on her shoulder like a silent threat.

“But,” she lifted Lila’s hand off her shoulder “I like to do things on my own and Adrien already introduced me to a good number of people for the past hour. I can handle my own”

She didn’t mean to brag to Lila about that fact but with the way she was trying to look like a saint in front Adrien and the others, gives Marinette a not-so-good gut feeling.

For a moment Lila’s eye twitched but quickly washed her annoyance off with a devious smile, “It’s no problem, but I do like to talk to you in private if possible”

She looked at Alya who’s giving them both a reassuring thumbs up. She was about to protest but she was the stranger here and clearly Lila has known them longer than she has so of course they’d side with her. Deciding to just let it go she agreed.

Alya nodded at Lila and grabbed Nino and Adrien with her to head to the dance floor.

“Ok, so what’s this nice girl act you’re pulling Lila?” Marinette gestured at her, clearly confused and suspicious. Lila, however, just snickered.

“Nice girl act? What are you insinuating Marinette? You barely even know me, for all you know I’m actually nice”

“I barely even know you, yet I can still smell your bs a mile away” Marinette retorted.

The brunette shook her head, “Tsk tsk tsk… You really have no idea now, do you?”

Lila got dangerously close to Marinette and hugged her tightly, Marinette choked on her breath.

“Stay away from Adrien or else I’ll turn every one of your new friends against you, and I mean everyone” she harshly whispered in her ear.

Marinette tried to wiggle out but Lila just hugged her tighter, “And get this, you won’t ever know what I’ll do or when I’ll do it. So. Better. Watch. Out.” She spat out the words and swiftly let go of Marinette.

She was stunned but she was not fazed, it’s not like she can do much these are all empty threats she convinced herself.

“Excuse me guys, punch refill coming through”

“Oops!” Marinette heard Lila say before she got drenched in something sweet and sticky. And she sees Lila walking away from her.

↬ Chapter 5 ↬ AO3 Link

I’ll be adding the Lukagami side of this story as a oneshot sometime later, I still need to proofread it. Anyways to anyone who’s reading my fics, tysm for reading these stories of mine you guys are the real MVPs ;> Mari’s outfit for this chapter is still being commissioned so I’ll reblog it with the art soon enough ~

[multsicorn]

multsicorn’s infinite fic playlist

some friends in a chat were talking about comfort fic!  so I have Made A List.  Ten of my very favorite fics to reread when I need a boost, in ten different fandoms.  In no order.  And with no particular theme, that I can tell.  They’re probably all more-or-less mostly self-contained enough to work even if you don’t know the canon?  Certainly the Hockey RPF fic is (cause I don’t know anything about the canon there!), and who doesn’t know HP, etc....

.... four are about fucked-up families, (cause I find that cathartic, and people dealing with it comforting), two are polyfic, (because more relationships interacting to me means ~more love~), three are really mostly about the ~feel~ of the universe, (the fun mundanity of a not-quite-mundane canon universe! or of a perfectly balanced space au), and then the last one is... about how to know if you’re in love on one side of it, and about how to get over it on the other (because how does one romance).

the ones about fucked-up families:

When The Lights Go Out, Will You Take Me With You? by narceus (Glee, Kurt/Blaine, m, ~11k).  I love the way that it punches out my heart and then puts it back together?  Lmao, that’s very personal.  But I love the way that - what can I say.  This isn’t a fic about romance, it’s a fic about family - well.  How sometimes your family is your boyfriend, and your mutual friends, how sometimes ‘family’ is something you have to leave, and real family is something you build.  ‘This is exactly what it’s like,’ and it’s wish-fulfillment, and, yes, somehow it’s both of those things.

You can run away with me any time you want.

Come Marching Home by ossapher (American Revolution RPF/Hamilton, Hamilton/Laurens, t, ~9k).  Fraught relationships with family members who think they love you but they really really don’t are my jam, and the way that this fic deals with a younger still-dependent sibling who’s caught in the middle between John and his horrible father is especially my jam.  Also, fics that transform a complicated set of characters/relationships/etc. from canon to a completely other setting thoughtfully, which this fic ‘verse has a lot of fun with.

John Laurens attempts to reconcile with his U.S. Senator dad after years of minimal contact. It's family, though, so nothing goes as planned.

Theft of Assets, Destruction of Property by Helenish (Harry Potter, Draco/Neville, e, ~23k).  I love the way that Draco here builds a life up out of nothing.  It’s very cozy from one angle, full of cooking and baking and making a house a home, but it also goes hard on the way that abused children will internalize their situation as the expected baseline of life, which I appreciate very much.

Surely it is a mistake to allow a single youthful indiscretion to cloud an already promising career.

A Month of Sundays by Kelfin (Hockey RPF, Erik Johnson/Gabriel Landeskog, m, ~69k).  I love the push-pull of a relationship that naturally slides very quickly into something very close and intimate, that keeps being pulled back from that by Erik’s internalized homophobia.  I love the way the story negotiates the very real knock-on effects of that on Gabe, his maybe-maybe-not partner, and the way the Erik negotiates ‘I love my family... but they don’t love me.’

Unlike some guys, who freak out when things get even a little bit gay, Erik is fine with this stuff. Erik's not even fazed when Gabe's attempts at flirting with him start to get semi-public, a fact that, by his own judgment, makes him at least five to seven times more tolerant than your average forward-thinking American.

the polyfics:

Everything That You Can Keep by Dira Sudis (dsudis) (Vorkosigan Saga, Aral/Jole, backgroundy Aral/Cordelia, e, ~30k).  I love this story’s negotiation of not just polyamory (and I love negotiation of polyamory stories - how two people in one relationship share feelings about yet another person, and figure things out? yes, please), but specifically of all the added complications that come out in the highly hierarchical, secretive, and loyalty-based Vor society.  When even asking about asking is a matter of trust, requested and given?  That goes straight to my id.

The impossible takes a little more time, a lot of negotiation.

Love: The Package Deal by jjtaylor (Bandom, Frank/Gerard/Lindsey/Jamia, m, ~30k).  I love the way that the different relationships are layered over and relate to each other - that’s one of the big things I like about polyfic - and the way that the amnesia smashes them together by bringing a past relationship to the present, while making the present one abstract and back to square one.  I love how the amnesia in fact smashes together all the highs and lows of eventful years’ worth of Gerard’s life: artistic success, problems with drugs and addiction... they’re all right there waiting for you.

Gerard gets a special kind of amnesia. Frank gets to reexamine his idea of acceptable relationship structures. Lots of people fail to communicate effectively, but they all sure remember how to kiss.

the cozy weirdness of the universe:

it's a new craze by attheborder (Good Omens, Aziraphale/Crowley, t, ~6k).  The development of the relationship strikes a nice balance between angst and sweetness, but what I really come back to this fic for is the fictional advice podcast!  That Aziraphale and Crowley start together, which it’s about, and the way that they sprinkle their up-close experience of history into their discussion on it - and then the way that the fandom latches onto and tries to make sense of that.  It is just, purely, A DELIGHT.

CROWLEY: I try not to make a habit of gratitude, but I must give our appreciation to everyone out there who’s been listening and subscribing to The Ineffable Plan. AZIRAPHALE: Ooh, yes, we’ve become quite popular, haven’t we? CROWLEY: Yeah, just hit number eight on the advice charts … No advertising at all. AZIRAPHALE: Mm. How … miraculous. CROWLEY: … Aziraphale. You did not.

***

Crowley and Aziraphale are very possibly the people least qualified, on the entire planet, to start up an advice podcast.

But what else is there to do when the world isn’t ending anytime soon, you’re technically on indefinite sabbatical from your lifelong careers, and you need a plausible excuse to spend more time with your best friend who you’re definitely not, absolutely not, maybe just a little, actually maybe overwhelmingly in love with?

A Resolution of Territory by arboretum (Hikaru no Go, Hikaru/Akira, e, ~10k).  I just love imagining spending my life playing Go, okay!  This fic is wonderfully immersive in a weird-but-good everyday reality, of spending your whole life immersed in a game that just fascinates you, alongside your friends - and your boyfriend, too, which is to say, the one person who shares your fascination in the most direct and deepest and mutually obsessive way.  Eventually he’s your boyfriend, of course.

The point is, life is hectic, but it's good.

The Vastness of Space by shysweetthing (Yuri on Ice, Victor/Yuuri, e, ~17k).  I love the way that the space setting here gives scope for best-friends-and-partners, for cute and amusing low-stakes shenanigans and then cleverly solved higher-stakes adventure.  I love how sweet Victor and Yuuri are in caring for each other in dire circumstances, and why they both see each other as beyond their reach in the context of this imagined world.

As chief communications officer on board the Interstellar Alliance Fleet’s Star Ship Victory, Yuuri doesn’t have to think about who he actually is on his home planet. He just has to listen to his captain, do his job, and…not fall in love with his best friend, the ship’s science officer, Victor Nikiforov.

Well. Two out of three’s not bad.

Then his mother calls with the worst possible news: She, the Empress of New Nihon, has arranged Yuuri’s marriage. There’s only one thing Yuuri can do: Fake a boyfriend, and fake one fast. Who better/worse to play that role than the friend he wishes was more? What can go wrong? It’s not like Yuuri can fall more in love...

the how does romance (with my beloved controversial otp):

if you change your mind by leetlebird (Check, Please!, Jack/Parse, e, ~35k).  I love the way this story shows Jack trying to work out what love means for him, anyway, and Kent learning to deal with and work around feelings that he thinks for most of the story are unrequited.  And the cozy jury-rigged domesticity of especially the final chapters/scenes.

Beneath the table, Jack’s hand squeezes around Kent’s knee. And -- Kent forgets. For just a few seconds, he forgets that they can’t be together, that Jack doesn’t want him in that way, that he’s trying to move on.

“We’re friends, right?” Jack says.

“Yeah, Zimms,” he says. “We’re friends.”

Or: Kent and Jack are friends, then friends-with-benefits, then maybe something more. Kent isn’t sure.

[magictincan]

Bittersweet Endings

Pairing: Gabriel x Winchester!Reader

Warning(s): Heavy angst, death, use of swearing, small bit of fluff

Word Count: 1.6k

Summary: The last Winchester is pushed to her limits as she loses everything, whilst Gabriel battles with the choice of a lifetime, that could ultimately save all of the Winchesters and repair all the pain the world has dealt them. But only if he sacrifices the thing most precious to him.

A/N: I'm so sorry in advance, even as I was writing this, I could feel Gabriel's heart breaking in two and I feel awful that I hurt my favourite boy :( But, it had to be done. Don't get too mad at me, okay?

GIF belongs to @amynagata

He was unsure what to do, head empty of any semblance of a plan. He'd never experienced an emotion like this before, never known what it felt like to have your heart ripped out of your chest before being haphazardly stuffed back in through the gaping chasm that had been left behind. He had never experienced the soundless words falling dryly on his lips, choking on his own tongue in an attempt to soothe the weighing atmosphere of hopelessness and grief. He hadn't known the feeling of drowning in so many emotions that it turned to a numb so crushing it left him gasping for relief.

Never felt as utterly helpless and human as he did right then.

Gabriel watched as the woman he'd come to call his own let out a shrill cry, cursing the heavens for the cruelty of taking away her only flesh and blood. A feeling of uselessness filled his bones as the woman turned to pleading, begging for an ounce of empathy from the almighty forces controlling their existence.

There was nothing he could do. His father had never cared enough to answer his prayers before, and this time was no different. No amount of praying could reverse the fact that he'd failed her.

“Come down here you son of a bitch! And make this right!” She shouted, waving her fist angrily at the sky, determined that someone had to be listening. “After everything, that's the least you could do! You owe it to them!” She added, gesturing wildly at the lifeless corpses of her beloved brothers. “You owe it to me!”

When no answer came, she let out another angry cry before slumping forward and letting the tears overcome her, engulfing every breath she took.

The shaking rise and fall of her shoulders seemed to jolt Gabriel out of his trance, and he cautiously placed a palm to her lower back, rubbing soft circles. Slowly, he bent down, trying his best not to startle her, like he was approaching a stray cat he'd spotted on the street. His free hand wobbled unsurely as he reached out for one of her hands which were busy hiding her face. Carefully, he pried one away from her damp bloodshot eye, causing her to look up at him as he pulled away the other from her right eye. “Gabe-” Her voice cracked as tears once again welled in her e/c eyes. She reached for him, and he understood immediately without any words and pulled her into a tight embrace.

“I'm here, darl.” He soothed, resting his cheek against her dishevelled h/c hair. “I'm here.”

Y/N choked out a sob, the tears starting back up again. “Sam, Dean…” She pulled him closer, not wanting Gabriel's warmth to leave her as her brothers had. Gabriel wrapped his arms tighter around the woman, knowing space was the exact opposite of what she needed right now. “I can't believe- I can't believe that they're gone.” She cried, feeling as though everything was crumbling around her.

Gabriel's own eyes dampened as memories of the smiles of the Winchester family flooded his brain, filling him with an overwhelming sense of sadness. “I know, I always thought Dean would go out via pie.” He added in an attempt to ease her crushing grief. Gabriel was glad when he heard her emit a small, breathy chuckle.

Sighing, she dragged herself away from him and swiped at her eyes with her palms. Her gaze turned towards her brothers’ bodies and she sighed again. “I suppose we better give them a proper send-off, before Sam's ghost tries to lecture me on angry spirits.” She joked, although there was no humor in her words.

An uneasy feeling settled in Gabriel's stomach as he watched her stand up, and begin the weighing task of moving Dean's corpse.

He'd seen that look, seen it so much more than he'd like to admit. Seen the scary calmness after traumatic events that often meant a storm was brewing under the surface of her skin. He knew bad things were coming, lurking just beyond the horizon. He knew that there was only one thing fuelling Y/N, and that was a pure and fiery need for revenge and that it would swallow her whole.

Gabriel's mind frantically spun, chanting “save Y/N” rhythmically as his brain whirled. He needed to save her from herself; he couldn't let the cloud of revenge consume her. Revenge was an ugly thing, turning everything good in your life to into just more reasons to drown yourself in seeking justice. Revenge ate at you until there was nothing left but this emotionless husk of the person you used to be.

An idea struck Gabriel, a plan already forming. He'd save Y/N, even if he had to give up everything he'd come to care about. She was worth too much to him to let her turn into someone she wasn't.

“Y/N.” The archangel called out, chin held high, earning Y/N's attention. He knew she wouldn't like his plan, she'd fight him on it, arguing that there was some other way. But Gabriel knew those other ways would only end in more suffering and blood, enough blood that it would rival that of a battlefield.

The woman raised her brows at him, wordlessly prodding him to go on. Gabriel blinked back tears and cleared his throat discreetly, not wanting to worry Y/N. Somehow, she seemed to notice and stood up to move closer. “Gabe.” She soothed, holding her palm to his cheek. Gabriel leaned into her touch, letting his eyes flutter shut, man was he going to miss this. “What's wrong?”

Tears dribbled down his cheek, which he hastily rubbed away with the back of his hand, letting out a humourless laugh. He looked Y/N in her eyes, seeing the worry present. “I love you so much.” He began, the sting of tears building again as his heart throbbed. He hated how painful this was. “Dad only knows how much I love you.” He added, voice breaking. Y/N thumbed away the tear tracks and Gabriel once again let his lids close. How could he look her in the eye and tell her what he was planning?

“Gabe, baby, you know you can talk to me.” She reassured, concern evident in her voice.

Gabriel reminded himself that what he was about to do was for her, so she'd never have to feel a pain so hurtful again. He lifted his hand to cover hers, wrapping his fingers around hers as his whiskey eyes stared into her e/c ones.

For her.

“I've got to do something, something that I know you're not going to like.” He murmured, watching the alarm light up her features. He was really going to miss her beautiful face with her pretty eyes and cutely expressive mouth.

“Gabriel-” She hedged uncertainly, but Gabriel cut her off. He couldn't let her talk him out of this, it was too important.

“I'm so sorry, but I've got to.” He choked, dragging her into a hug. “I'm going to miss you so much.”

Y/N squeezed him back. “Gabe please, you're scaring me.” She drew back and Gabriel got a glimpse at the tears forming along her waterline. “We can talk about this.” She sobbed, finally getting that this was their last goodbye.

Gabriel took a step back, out of her reach. “I'm so sorry Y/N, I'll love you forever and always.”

And with that, Gabriel snapped his fingers, changing and sacrificing everything.

°°°

It'd been exactly twenty four years since Gabriel had saved the life of Mary Winchester, resulting in the Winchester siblings growing up to live a normal apple pie life, never learning the truth about the things that went bump in the night.

As Gabriel often did on the anniversary of the night he'd saved Mary, he went out to grab a drink, and it was for that purpose, that he found himself at the local bar.

Gabriel beckoned a hand towards the bartender, letting him know he'd run out of shots. The bartender in turn held up the empty bottle of scotch Gabriel had been frequenting, shaking it at him before holding up one finger, signalling he'd be back in a minute.

The archangel sighed as the bartender ducked into the back room, watching his retreating figure. He often thought about what had become of the Winchester children. He knew Sam had become a successful lawyer, he even owned a firm and had gotten married to Jessica. He'd heard about a couple of Dean's ceremonies where he'd received medals for his bravery in the line of duty and the likes.

As for Y/N? Well he'd purposely avoided checking in on her. Even thinking about her made his chest hurt. He missed her so much. Her laugh. Her sass. Her kindness. Even the way she organised her dvd collection. Sometimes he wished he'd gotten just a few more minutes with her, but what's done was done.

Gabriel felt a tug on his sleeve and turned to look for the source and suddenly froze like a deer caught in headlights as he caught sight of a very familiar face.

“Uh hi there.” She began, glancing down and playing with her fingers. “I just saw you sitting here all alone and were wondering if you wanted some company.”

He was still in shock as Y/N looked up at him through her lashes and started to panic. “I didn't mean you have to- I don't have to sit here if you don't want.” She flushed, embarrassed that she'd just hit on a complete stranger. Her group of friends sitting at a table nearby giggled.

Gabriel finally remembered how to function and quickly jumped up, grabbing her hands in his. “No, no, no, stay.” He glanced down at their intertwined hands. “I'd like the company.” He added, smiling up at her, earning a bright smile back.

[fledermausforstrauss]

Day 13 - Ash

Aziraphale is given a vague warning. Crowley has a nightmare. 3845 words.

This is part one of two! The second part won’t be out for a little while, but it is mostly finished already. Thanks to @pie1313 for help!! 

-----

79 AD

Misenum was a beautiful seaside city at the northern end of the Gulf of Naples that held the Roman Empire's biggest and most important fleet of warships, which was led by roman naval commander, Pliny the Elder.

Pliny was well travelled and knowledgeable. He had spent years studying an assortment of subjects, recording any and all findings and compiling them into reports. Those reports he compiled together into books. Those books he compiled into a collection he named ‘Naturalis Historia’ and Aziraphale was itching to get his hands on all 37 of them.

He was standing at the edge of a dock, looking out at the formidable fleet of warships, when he felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end.

“Aziraphale!” 

Cold chills ran up his spine, but he brushed the feeling off as he turned to face Archangel Gabriel.

“Oh, hello, Gabriel. What brings you here?”

“I noticed you were in the area and I felt it’d be in our best interest to warn you.” Gabriel smiled, sending another wave of chills up Aziraphale’s spine. 

“Warn me?”

“Yes, that’s what I said.”

“...Of?”

“Stay away…” Gabriel’s smile widened “From Pompeii.”

“Stay away from Pompeii?”

“Isn’t it fun to say?” Gabriel’s smile widened as he laughed. “But seriously, something big is going to happen and you don’t want to be there. I suggest you just head out now, in fact.”

“Oh, oh. Yes. Alright.” Aziraphale nodded, trying to return Gabriel's smile the best he could. “Thank you for the warning. I’ll be getting out of here soon.”

“Good.” Gabriel said. “Wouldn't want to deal with any unfortunate mishaps, would we?”

“Of course not…”

Gabriel nodded and turned to leave.

“Could I ask…” Aziraphel started. “What’s going to happen in Pompeii?”

“Oh, Aziraphale…” Gabriel said in a condescending tone. “No.”

“Oh.”

“Just stay away…” Gabriel said, gesturing to Aziraphale.

“...From Pompeii?”

“You got it.”

-----

Crowley had been told to check out Pompeii. 

There was word travelling around that there would be some sort of fireshow, a real sight to behold. Usually, his higher-ups would have more information for him, but this time there was nothing, just a vague ‘You should check it out'. 

An uneasy feeling settled in his stomach, so he instead hung around some of the towns surrounding Pompeii, surveying the area. 

It was actually quite nice. Villas decorated the edges of the valley, vineyards sprawled across the mountain sides, and the towns were bustling with all sorts of people. One of the towns was perched on the edge of a mountain, facing the ocean. He looked out towards the water, catching glimpses of it between some buildings.

Crowley looked up at the highest point of the mountain, wanting to get the best view of the ocean before the sun set. He followed a path upwards, weaving between buildings then eventually through trees.

A large villa at the top of the hill was decked out with angelic statues, varying from plump little baby cherubs to graceful ballerina-types holding their arms out in a welcoming gesture. He followed the steps up to the building, stopping to study some of the statues along the way, pacing slowly with his hands behind his back, bending forward slightly to take a closer look at the details.

When he made it to the top of the path, he couldn’t help but stare.

To one side of the building was the ocean, what he had come up to see in the first place. The setting sun sparkled off the waves, glinting like diamonds in the sun. To the other side was a beautiful view of the valley, the vineyards spreading out in every direction.

And right between the two views was one more angel. A real one.

-----

Aziraphale did as he was told and stayed away from Pompeii.

Gabriel didn't say he couldn't hang around Stabiae. A beautiful little Roman town known for its lovely views, fancy villas, and delectable wines. In fact, one could have a wonderful time in Stabiae sitting up in one of the hill-top fancy villas, enjoying some delectable wine, and enjoying the lovely view of Pompeii, which by sheer coincidence, sat a mere 3 miles away.

Aziraphale tapped his toes nervously as he stared out the window, neglecting the new book in his hand and the panoramic view to focus solely on the small glimpse of Pompeii he could see. 

Gabriel’s warning ran through his mind again.

"Stay away from what?" Aziraphale mumbled to himself. "Why?”

“An angel could get in trouble for asking questions, you know.”

Aziraphale jumped at the voice, turning around to see Crowley standing behind his bench. Aziraphale could feel a slow smile spread across his face.

“What are you doing here?” Crowley asked.

“Me? I, uh…” Aziraphale gestured out the window with the book in his hands. “I came to enjoy the view.” 

Crowley raised a brow over his tinted glasses.

“Oh, alright.” Aziraphale sighed. “They told me to stay away from Pompeii.”

“So… you came to Pompeii?”

“This isn’t Pompeii. That’s Pompeii” Aziraphale pointed out the window. “I’m in Stabiae, and only by sheer coincidence. What are you doing here?”

“They told me to come check out Pompeii.”

“But you’re not in Pompeii.”

“Yes, well. I’m not too keen on this one. I’m only getting vague details on what’s going to happen. Something's off, I just know it.” Crowley muttered. “They usually give me more information.”

“Really?” Aziraphale asked, surprised.

“‘Course. How else am I supposed to do my job.”

Aziraphale stared at him for a second longer, then turned to look out the window again.

“...Do they not tell you anything?” Crowley asked.

“Not when it’s something big.” Aziraphale shook his head, still looking out the window. “That’s why I’m worried.”

“Hm.” Crowley hummed.

Aziraphale thought back to every major event he had been kept in the dark on. Part of him suspected that Gabriel kept things from him to keep him from meddling, part of him was sure it had to be for his own good.

“...I just wish they’d give me something. Is it really that hard? How am I supposed to do what I’m meant to if I’m never told anything? Why--?”

“Stop.” Crowley warned.

“I just want to know why--.” 

“Sstop.”

“But--!”

“Angel.” Crowley growled. “Sssstop. Asking. Questionssss.”

“Why should I?” He puffed up his chest, meeting Crowley’s stare. Who was he to tell Aziraphale what to do, he was a demon. “You certainly ask a lot of questions, why can’t I?”

“Because I can’t fall any further.” 

There was a long beat of silence where something finally clicked in Aziraphale’s mind.

“...Oh.” Was all Aziraphale could say.

“An angel could get in trouble for asking questionssss.” Crowley repeated, no real venom in his tone.

“...Oh…”

Crowley twitched as if he had been startled out of a thought, his face twisting into a scowl. He turned around, leaving through the door he came in.

“Wait--.” Aziraphale stood from his bench.

“Ssorry for interrupting your evening, Angel.” 

Aziraphale froze in place and watched the demon walk out, leaving down the winding stairs. He stayed there long after the sound of his footsteps faded.

-----

The following day, the area was shaken by an earthquake, startling Aziraphale out of the eleventh booking his new collection of ‘Naturalis Historia’. The villa he was in shook a fair bit, the statues rattling in their places, but it settled quickly.

He closed his book as he stared intently at Pompeii. Nothing seemed to be too different, no fault line had opened to devour the city, the structures seemed to be intact, and there were no visible flames. He sat back in his seat, wondering why the Archangel Gabriel went through so much effort to warn him of a minor tremor.

Just as he was about to reopen his book and find where he had left off when the ground started shaking again, more violently. Aziraphale pushed his bag under the bench and left out a side door, getting a better look at the surrounding area from the balcony.

The tremors continued as a thunderous noise roared out from the mountain behind Pompeii.  An enormous explosion of black ash spewed out from the top, catching in the wind like a dark cloud and heading for Aziraphale, directly over the city between them.

Aziraphale stared wide eyed at the city below. He looked up at the cloud of ash that was already starting to fall, then back down at the city.

“Please forgive me.” Aziraphale whispered.

Aziraphale manifested his wings, spreading them out  wide before jumping the railing.

-----

Crowley sat straight up in bed, looking around at the shaking walls with deep confusion, certain he was still sleeping. The minor tremor faded quickly, leaving him tangled in the bedsheets, feeling lost. He stumbled out of the bed, pulling his glasses on and heading out the door of his room.

As soon as he stepped into the main room of the inn, the building started to shake again, making him lose his balance. He caught himself before he hit the ground and headed out onto the street, looking around. There was a deep, bassy rumble that rolled through the ground.

Crowley followed the path of the fault line as it bisected several buildings. 

The inn behind him started to collapse, keeling towards him. He jumped out of the way, tripping backwards into the wall of the next building and slamming the back of his head against the crumbling stone wall, putting him into a momentary daze.

Crowley leant forward, squeezing his eyes shut as he tried to regain his senses in the middle of an earthquake. His glasses slipped off his nose and clattered on the ground, the lenses shattering when they hit the stone.

He opened his eyes and was even more disoriented. 

His tinted glasses were gone, but it was just as dark. Crowley looked up at the sky that had been clear only a moment ago to see a great big, black cloud blot out the sun. His eyes darted along the cloud, looking for any clue to what was happening, when he spotted something that made his panic spike even higher.

Aziraphale was flying across the sky, his pearly white wings a stark contrast against the dark cloud behind him. Crowley was frozen in place until the angel left his sight, headed in the direction of Pompeii.

“Oh, you fool.” Crowley cursed. “What are you doing, you’re going to… Oh, Angel.”

He manifested his own wings and pushed off of the ground, but as soon as his feet left the ground, the disoriented feeling only got worse. He wobbled as he took off, fighting the urge to land.

Crowley growled, frustrated, and righted himself, looking for the angel ahead of him. As his eyes scanned the horizon, the shock of what he was seeing made him lose focus and he slipped, falling to the roof below him.

He hit the tiles roof hard, rolling over himself and landing on his back. He lifted himself up on shaky arms to take into the destruction, his mouth falling open.

The mountain behind the city of Pompeii had erupted. The black cloud that was blotting out the sun was ash that had blown into the sky, and it was already starting to fall on the valley. 

Pompeii was right in the line of fire.

And Aziraphale was heading right for it.

Crowley tried to shake off the dazed feeling and took off again, fighting to steady out his second wobbly takeoff as he headed straight for the city. The wind kept catching him off guard, making his wings dip whenever he lost focus, which was very easy with the ringing in his ears. 

The ash was starting to collect on the ground, a fine layer of black dust settling on every surface that he skimmed over. He flew low enough to disturb the ash, kicking patches of it up with the gust from his wings as he swerved between trees, keeping close to the ground in case he lost his balance again.

When Crowley made it to the outer wall of the city he tried to fly over it, planning to circle over to try and pinpoint Aziraphale, but his vertigo spiked with the change of direction and he slipped out of the air, hitting the stone road at the entrance.

He growled in frustration, his head spinning as he looked around. People were running through the streets, panicked, grabbing their valuables and leaving as fast as they could.

“Angel!” He yelled, getting to his feet, but his voice was drowned out by everyone else's screaming.

He started running through the streets, occasionally tripping over his own feet as he forgot how legs worked.

“Angel!” He yelled again, desperately searching for a sign, a flash of white, anything.

He took a deep breath to yell again, but the ash that had started to grow dense in the air got caught in his throat, making him cough. Every cough aggravated his headache which only worsened his vertigo. All of which didn’t help his panic.

He fell to his knees, his breath rasping as he stared at the ground below his knees, trying to regain his focus.

He needed to find his angel.

“Crowley.” 

He lifted his head to look down the street ahead of him.

Aziraphale stood before him, eyes wide, staring back.

His hair was a mess, he had dirt and soot on his face and hands, his robes were torn and singed, and his wings…

Crowley let out a sob, crumpling forward, his body finally giving out. He hit the ground and curled onto his side, his vision going dark as he fought to stay awake.

Aziraphale’s wings were black.

-----

The city was in just as bad a shape as Aziraphale had feared.

A few of the larger buildings had toppled in the earthquake and a layer of hot ash had already settled. People were running away as he flew over, barely paying him much attention. He landed in the centre of town, his wings kicking up a cloud of ash.

He wasted no time running through buildings, pulling people out of their useless hiding spots and pushing them towards the exits, shielding them from the ash with his wings. He ran through the streets, his heart aching as he realized he couldn’t do much to help. It was too much.

He couldn’t save them.

“Angel!” 

Aziraphale turned at the sound of Crowley's voice and started to run towards it.

“Angel!” 

He came around the corner of the main street to find Crowley on his knees, hunched forward.

“Crowley.” Aziraphale breathed.

The demon uncurled, peering up at him with a look of shock. 

He looked terrible.

He was on his knees, covered in ash and gasping for breath. His glasses were gone, showing his eyes, and more importantly, his pupils, which were blown so wide they took up the majority of his gold irises. Blood was dripping freely from his head.

The demon choked on a sob and tipped forward, falling onto the ground.

Aziraphale jumped into action, running the rest of the distance. He fell to his knees next to Crowley, carefully placing one hand on his shoulder and one hand on his forehead.

He healed the open wound on his head just enough to stop the bleeding.

Another earthquake rolled beneath them, making Aziraphale lose focus and open his eyes. More ash had fallen while he had been healing Crowley. He stood, using his wings to shield the two of them as he looked around.

The city had grown quiet.

Anyone who could make it out apparently had. 

Those who couldn’t…

Aziraphale looked down at the demon curled on the stone below him and brushed the quickly collecting ash off his cheek. He gathered Crowley in his arms and took off, heading for the last bit of blue sky he could see.

-----

Crowley had always asked too many questions.

Ever since his first day in existence, before the concept of time was even a thing, he had always had too many questions.

Curiosity at first. He had so many things to learn, and he wanted to learn it all. Every new thing he had the chance to know was exhilarating. 

Interest came next. He found certain things more interesting than others, and while that never stopped him from asking about everything and anything, he certainly had favourites. Among those were the new plants that had started to gather in heaven, the stream of new angels that came after him, and what would eventually be called ‘The Great Plan’.

Concern was quick to follow. The plan certainly was great, but Crowley was worried it wasn’t particularly… good.

The last word he said in heaven, the last syllable he uttered as an angel, contained all of his concern for the newly created humans and the path they were being led down. He had poured his whole heart and soul into it that one word, staring into the blinding light above him.

“Why?”

The pain was immediate. Like a strike of lighting, it tore through him, ripping his angelic grace from his very essence, and continued on through the ground, dragging him down with it.

A guttural scream clawed its way out of his throat as he plummeted. 

Sparks danced along his wings as every feather caught fire. 

He twisted his neck to look at his once white feathers turn black, but something caught his eye just beyond his wing.

Another figure was falling next to him. Their wings in a similar state, burnt and tarnished, cocooned around their body.

He reached out, running his fingers through the other’s feathers gently, as if they weren’t dropping through the air at high speeds and also on fire.

The wings unfurled.

He was met with a shock of white-blond hair and a pair of brilliant blue eyes.

He gasped, pain shooting through his heart as if he had been struck a second time. His blood boiled and his eyes burned, making him squeeze them shut, screaming out in pain again.

In the darkness, a hand reached out and took his, holding tight.

-----

Aziraphale’s exhausted wings, having been overworked after being inactive for too long, combined with the extra weight of Crowley, made for a bit of a rocky landing. He had tried his best, not wanting to jostle the demon in his arms too badly, but he was just lucky he hadn’t fallen flat on his front. 

He had landed on the balcony of an inn on the outskirts of a town north of Pompeii, out of reach of the ash. He pushed the curtain aside as he entered the small room, immediately heading for the bed to lay Crowley down. 

As soon as the demon was out of his hands, Aziraphle felt the muscles in his body give out to exhaustion. His shoulders slumped and he leant his head forward, letting out a sigh as his he started pulling his wings around himself for comfort.

He froze at the sight of them.

They were a deep matte grey, nearly as dark as Crowley’s.

His mind raced.

He reached out for his feathers, hesitating before he could lay a finger on them. He took a deep breath and pushed his fingers deep between his coverts, ruffling them slightly. 

Relief coursed through him when dust poured out onto his fingers, drifting slowly to the floor, leaving behind glimpses of white under the ash.

He let out another deep sigh, shaking his wings out to get as much of the dust out as possible. Small piles collected on the floor.

Aziraphale stepped over the ash piles and sat on the edge of the bed. He looked down at the demon’s face, peaceful in the moonlight. He placed a hand on Crowley’s forehead and his brow twitched under his fingers. He watched as the demon frowned in his sleep, his head turning away from his touch.

He pulled his hand away and watched as a pained expression spoiled the calm features on Crowley’s face.  The demon mumbled something and winced, his wings curling around his frame.

Aziraphale held his breath, his hand inching back towards the demon.

Crowley screamed. It was a panicked scream, full of terror and fear. 

Aziraphale jolted forward, taking the demon's hand in his own and holding tight.

Crowley shot up in the bed, ripping his hand out of Aziraphale's and backing into the corner, his wings puffed up as he searched the room with wide eyes.

“Oh, Crowley…” Aziraphale held his hand up to calm the demon, but hesitated, backing away slowly. “...Are you alright?”

Crowley’s eyes finally settled on Aziraphale. 

“Angel… You…” Crowley whispered, studying him. “Your wings…”

“Yes, I know. They're a mess.” Aziraphale shook them again, making more ash fall to the ground. 

Crowley stared for a minute, blinking while tried to make sense of what he was seeing. He let out a deep sigh, collapsing back to lean against the wall. He winced as his head hit the wall and reached up to investigate.

“Oh, I wouldn’t touch that.” Aziraphale said. “You got a pretty nasty bump on your head back there, and I don’t have enough left in me to heal you.”

Crowley just stared at him.

“You’re going to want to rest a bit.” Aziraphale said.

Crowley nodded.

“Do you remember anything?”

“...Unfortunately.” Crowley rasped.

“What happened to you?”

“I…” Crowley looked away. “I’m not sure.”

It was obvious Crowley wasn’t saying something, but Aziraphale wasn’t one to pry, so he nodded. They sat in silence for a short while, Crowley letting his eyes close as he gently rested his head back, careful of his injury. 

“...You went directly against orders, you realize that.” Crowley mumbled.

Aziraphale nodded again, looking out the window at the cloud of ash in the distance. He could hear the Archangel Gabriel’s warning in the back of his mind.

“Something could have happened to you.” Crowley whispered, interrupting Aziraphale’s thoughts.

Something finally clicked in Aziraphale’s mind.

He looked at Crowley to find his eyes open, staring back at him out of the corner of his eye. His pupils were still dilated, but they were more diamond shaped than full-blown circle.

“That's why you followed me.” Aziraphale mumbled.

The demon just closed his eyes. 

After a few moments, Aziraphale realized the demon had dozed off. He stood from his spot on the bed and went back out to the balcony. Ash was still pouring out of the mountain, getting caught up by the wind and being blown south, away from where they were.

The villa he left his new collection of ‘Naturalis Historia’ would certainly be covered in a heap of ash. Just as everything else would be. The whole valley. Everyone who wasn’t fast enough, or lucky enough...

Aziraphale wings closed over his shoulders. He ignored the mess they made in favour of the comfort they brought him.

(TBC)

[eddycurrents]

For the past few years, you could argue that the X-Men franchise has been working on trying to rediscover its identity. Since reality reasserted itself coming out of the Secret Wars event, they’ve been in a kind of flux. The initial relaunch set up the mutants in opposition to the ascendant Inhumans. When that was brought to a head, Marvel’s merry mutants then redefined themselves in part through nostalgic “back to basics”. In the past year and a bit, the mutants through a series of endings in “Disassembled” and Uncanny X-Men, while the Age of X-Man event traumatized them in a loveless utopia. It’s been an interesting ride.

You don’t really need to know any of that, or anything at all of recent or past history of the X-Men, in order to jump into House of X #1. This hits the reset button on the franchise and, while I expect that the past will inform some elements, it can largely be enjoyed coming in blind.

This is arguably the largest, most dramatic change to the X-Men since Grant Morrison, Frank Quitely, Tim Townsend, Brian Haberlin, and Comicraft took over back in New X-Men #114. Jonathan Hickman, Pepe Larraz, Marte Gracia, Clayton Cowles, and Tom Muller kick off a new era that is firmly built on a science fiction grounding. It frames the mutant identity in a new understanding and begins a new conflict with the rest of humanity as human governments and organizations react to the new status quo.

Without going into any details in this section, I can say that House of X #1 takes many of the common themes and elements of decades of X-Men stories and gives them a new spin, both familiar and strange at the same time. All of it is brought beautifully to life through astounding artwork from Larraz and Gracia, taking it to a completely different level. It’s brought together nicely through the design work of Muller, implementing a number of text pieces yielding further information, making it decidedly feel like a Hickman comic. 

The digital edition on Comixology is also another instance of having “Director’s Cut” material, including Hickman’s redacted script for the issue, a wide array of the variant covers, and process pages of line art and coloured pages.

It’s a bold new era starting point for the X-Men and I’m excited to see what else is in store.

There will be spoilers below this image. If you do not want to be spoiled on House of X #1, do not read further.

SPOILER WARNING: Below I’ll be discussing the events, themes, and possibility of what’s going on in House of X #1 and beyond. There are HEAVY SPOILERS beyond this point. If you haven’t read the issue yet and don’t want to be spoiled, please stop reading now. You’ve been warned.

PREAMBLE | First Impressions

I had high expectations for House of X #1. 

Jonathan Hickman is easily one of my favourite writers currently working in comics. He’s full of mad ideas that you look at and wonder why no one has implemented them in quite the same arrangement before. He’s great at execution and construction for the long game. While each story usually works on a micro individual story-arc/issue level, they also build a large tapestry that tells an even larger tale. One merely needs to look at his previous outing for Marvel telling one grand story that began in Dark Reign: Fantastic Four (with elements you could say were seeded even in Secret Warriors) and ended in Secret Wars. It was wonderful.

Pepe Larraz has been wowing me with his art since Uncanny Avengers. There’s a fluidity of motion and design that evokes the spirit of Alan Davis, Neal Adams, and Bryan Hitch, while adding what feels like an even more gargantuan attention to detail and sense of design. He elevated that even further with stellar showings on Avengers: No Surrender and Extermination. He’s easily become one of Marvel’s premiere artists to me.

When you combine Hickman and Larraz, and couple it with a marketing machine hyping this as the next big thing in the X-Men evolution, expectations were huge.

House of X #1 exceeded those expectations.

This first issue feels like a sea change for the X-Men, in terms of the team’s status quo and in the approach to storytelling. This is a science fiction story with heavy political leanings. With Xavier pushing the lead, Marvel’s mutants have staked a claim on a new mutant nation on Krakoa, with tendrils through Earth and beyond.

And it’s breathtaking. The artwork from Larraz and Marte Gracia is beautiful. The landscapes and vistas, the designs for the characters, the page layouts, and more, this is a visually stunning book. Larraz has truly outdone himself with the line art, but it’s taken even higher by the sheer beauty in Gracia’s colours. It’s very rich, emphasizing the beauty and wonder of this new world being birthed into existence.

There’s also an interesting choice here in Clayton Cowles’ letters, it’s mixed case. These days it’s not necessarily as unusual not to be in ALL CAPS, but it is different from what we’ve seen in Uncanny X-Men as of late and helps to foster that idea of this being something different. Similarly the text pages scattered throughout from Hickman and Muller that give this the stylistic feel of a Hickman comic and enriches the depth of this new world with more information.

ONE | X Nation

The idea of a mutant nation isn’t a new one. Magneto broached it before and attempted a kind of compound with Asteroid M. Genosha was set up as a mutant paradise for a while. The fallen remnants of Asteroid M served as the X-Men’s home repurposed as Utopia. A corner of Limbo was briefly carved out as a haven for mutants. There was that enclave with Xorn. And Jean Grey kind of set up mutantkind as an amorphous nation within nations given central home in Atlantis during X-Men Red.

More often than not the nation merely serves as a backdrop for the X-Men’s interactions in the rest of the world. I mean, when mutants had their own homeland in Utopia, more stories took place in San Francisco even before the schism that drove half of them off to the Jean Grey School of Higher Learning in New York.

What’s presented in House of X #1 feels different.

Ostensibly, the new mutant nation is headquartered on Krakoa itself, but the implication is that it’s so much broader. The X-Men have seeded Krakoa flowers all over the Earth, on the Moon, and Mars and have grown what feel like embassies and external outposts of the fledgling mutant nation. And it’s the fact that these outposts are within other nations, with the potential of moving a superpowered army unseen and seemingly instantaneously, that has the government representatives met this issue nervous.

While it is a home and a haven for mutantkind, it’s also actively being treated as a political entity. Similar to how Jean argued her case for mutantkind in X-Men: Red, we’ve got ambassadors of sorts checking in with Magneto and two of the Stepford Cuckoos. There are some intrigue elements that sync up with other aspects of the story, but the fact that it’s being used as a tour, a show of force, and an ultimate in order to broker a deal recognizing Krakoa as a nation is an interesting development. It takes it from a place of superheroes playacting at being politicians to actually being politicians. Abrupt as it may be to have Magneto as the face of the operation.

But that’s part of the genius of this play. Like with Magneto siding with Scott upon the founding of Utopia, Xavier and Krakoa is a further fulfillment of Magneto’s dream. A mutant homeland with mutants in control. Every previous time this has happened it’s come to ruin, but it’s always fun while it lasts. 

Also, it’s an impressive show of power to have Magneto as the liaison to the rest of humanity. Where Kitty Pryde or Jean Grey would likely be more diplomatic, that isn’t the intent here. Sending out not only one of the most powerful mutants as your face, but also someone who has been in direct conflict with humanity over the years, pushing a mutant independence angle, is a statement that the new mutant nation isn’t something to be trifled with.

TWO | Who are these X-Men?

With the release of titles, creative teams, and team line-ups for the forthcoming “Dawn of X” reboot following House of X and Powers of X, there have been a lot of questions about what’s going on. Characters who have died during recent issues of Uncanny X-Men are alive and well. Characters who were in different configurations and statuses seem to have been changed to more familiar versions and attitudes. So it raises the question for House of X, who are these X-Men?

This first issue doesn’t answer that. I don’t know if we’re going to get an explicit answer that, but I think we’re given a clue on the very first page.

A key element in this first issue is the utilization of the mutant island Krakoa, both as a new home for the X-Men and as refined and adapted through application as portals, habitats, and medications. But in the opening scene, we see a central tree essentially acting as a birthing matrix overseen by Xavier.

The first born being Jean and Scott, I’d guess, then maybe that’s Bobby on the second page with some others. It’s possible that the one guy is even Gabriel Summers. It could be that they’re being rejuvenated, refreshed, and refined through healing properties heretofore unrevealed of Krakoa, but it may be more sinister. There’s a reaching, a yearning towards Xavier that makes me suspect. Are they the characters that we know? Or are they something else? I don’t even know if that’s a question we’re supposed to be asking.

Other than Magneto working front and centre with the team, they’re also working with a number of other traditional villains/antagonists like Sabretooth, Mystique, and Toad. All three have had their dalliances back and forth between the sides of good and evil, but it’s interesting to see them in the fold here. One the one hand, it reinforces the idea that this initiative of Xavier’s is for all mutants and that they’ve come together. But it also raises the question further, how?

I think it’s worth noting that every X-Men character we see fully interacting in the real world has been a villain at one point. Cyclops included, since the last time the world at large saw him before his resurrection he was “Mutant Terrorist Most Wanted #1″.

With characters seemingly back from the dead, characters changed to different versions, characters rejuvenated and healed as it appears that both Cyclops and Banshee are, characters who’ve previously been at one another’s throats, there’s a lingering doubt of how Xavier achieved this. There’s also a happy Wolverine playing with kids, so just think on that for a bit.

THREE | Master of Puppets

Professor Charles Xavier died (again, but who’s keeping track?) during Avengers vs. X-Men back in 2012. Then was brought back in Astonishing X-Men, first as a disembodied psyche caught in the Shadow King’s web and then through the personality sacrifice of Fantomex, inhabiting his body. He referred to himself as “X”, as something new, despite repeatedly claiming that he is the one, true Charles Xavier. His actions, both in his initial appearances and in the subsequent Astonishing X-Men Annual wherein he reunited with the remaining original five X-Men (Cyclops was dead at this point), could be considered manipulative, possibly even evil, callous, and villainous. We’ve not seen him again until now.

With the uncertainty of the origins of the wide cast of characters on the team, whether or not they really are our X-Men we know and love, doubt is cast on Charles Xavier as well. And it’s not just because we only see part of his face. Larraz’s design for Xavier’s new large, portable Cerebro deliberately distances us from him. It’s alien and off-putting, and I believe that’s the idea. I’m unsure whether or not this was the intention, but it also evokes the memory of another villain that Hickman enjoyed using, The Maker. The visual similarities and implication of another hero turned villain can’t be missed.

Consistent with that idea is the portrayal of Jean here. From a real life perspective, there’s an argument that all of the X-Men in House of X and beyond are taking on the costumes and behaviours of their most popular incarnations. In that regard, it would kind of make more sense that Jean would be in a more Phoenix-inspired get up or something similar to her blue and yellow outfit from the ‘90s.

Instead, we get Marvel Girl. Which seems odd to me. It’s not only regressive, but it represents a time period that in-canon Jean supposedly hates. It was, however, a time where Xavier’s somewhat lustful intentions towards his student were more apparent (creepy and disturbing as they are). It further reinforces that maybe not everything is on the level with what’s going on.

FOUR | A New Religion

Religious symbolism and outright textual substance are rife throughout this issue. From the beginning of Xavier acting as a kind of god to the newly reborn mutants beneath a Tree of Life through to Magneto’s proclamation at the end of the story, this first issue is planting the seeds of a new mythology for mutantkind. It’s something that sets them apart from the rest of the superheroes on Earth, giving them an explicit framing as the overseers of the world, but with it, there’s a tie back to how this new nation feels different.

There’s a definitive feeling from House of X #1 of building an entire society. Religion as an aspect of that, both real and implied, but we also get a new language of Krakoan (the glyphs we’ve seen before and again in this issue) and the idea of a broader organizational structure to Krakoa. It’s not just a school any more.

FIVE | Dangerous Beauty

There’s an interesting dichotomy set up in this first issue as well between the mutants and humanity. Of nature versus technology. It’s one we’ve seen before in mutants being the natural evolution of mankind coming into conflict with the sentinels constructed in order to prolong mankind’s grip on power. It tends to lead to the kind of nightmare scenarios of post-apocalyptic futures as we see in Days of Future Past.

Krakoa is an inspired choice for the catalyst of mutant change in the world, delving into some of what was explored in Wolverine and the X-Men, but going steps even further. Creating pharmaceuticals, creating properties similar to Man-Thing’s ability to transport throughout the world, and the various habitats. It��s like the Weapon Plus application of The World in that everything is grown, organic, nature-based objects all ostensibly pieces of the greater Krakoa entity. I wonder if this gives Xavier and the X-Men effective “eyes” all over the world?

It’s also important to recall how dangerous Krakoa has been throughout X-Men history, acting as an antagonist that kickstarted the all-new, all-different era in Giant Size X-Men #1, built out even in Deadly Genesis with the lost team, and the problems had at the Jean Grey School with the baby Krakoa.

And then there’s the flip side.

Orchis is a new organization introduced here comprised of a number of former agents of Marvel’s intelligence community, good and bad, ranging from SHIELD to AIM. And we’re brought aboard the Forge. There’s a fearful symmetry to it, a station close to the Sun building machines to counteract whatever it is that Xavier is ultimately doing. At the Forge’s heart what appears to be a new kind of Master Mold sentinel, decked out in some of the same colour schemes that we recently saw with the golden sentinels of ONE in Uncanny X-Men.

I can only imagine that this is going to wind up well.

We’re shown a face that we’ve not seen for a while (outside of solicitation covers), since I thought she was an “ordinary” human again, in Karima Shapandar. It’s kind of sad, though, as her Omega Sentinel protocols seem to have been reactivated.

SIX | We Can Be Heroes

The presence of the X-Men within the broader Marvel Universe framework can be problematic at times. It’s one of the reasons why they’ve often been shuffled off to parts unknown, set up as a rag tag band of fugitives, and limited in number to the point where they’re culturally, socially, and politically insignificant. Because the heart of mutant existence within the Marvel Universe is one of intolerance.

Mutants are feared and hated, hunted down, enslaved, or executed. While it works extremely well as an analogy for real life racial and sexual bigotry and prejudices, it takes on a different level of problem in the face of a world filled with superheroes. For superpowered people who aren’t mutants, you wonder about a couple of things, such as why the general populace even makes a difference and why non-mutant heroes don’t seem to care about mutant prejudice.

That latter one has been approached a few times previously, as recently as this latest volume of Uncanny X-Men, and it always seems strange. It’s like the question that you see raised in Swamp Thing and Marvelman and later The Authority of the realistic application of near limitless god-like powers as a force for change; if you’ve got these powers, why don’t you do something to change the world’s ills?

It really undercuts the heroism of teams like the Avengers and the Fantastic Four, because it eliminates them as defenders of a universal justice, but merely teams that fight for the status quo. And so eventually the X-Men get shuffled off to Chandilar.

I think it’s great that House of X #1 goes straight for that jugular. Cyclops’ confrontation with the Fantastic Four beautifully displays his integration and friendliness towards the other heroes, that he’s happy for Ben’s wedding, but still at odds with them when it comes to overall mutant rights. Including those of Sabretooth, who admittedly just robbed a place and probably killed a few dozen people. So, it’s not like the Fantastic Four are in the wrong in trying to apprehend Sabretooth, but it’s reinforcing bits of the laws of the state versus possible ethical or moral concerns.

This scene also reminds us that mutants are everywhere. They can be anyone within society, anyone’s husband, wife, mother, father, friend, daughter, family, neighbour...anyone’s son, including Franklin Richards, son to Reed and Sue. It helps underline that compassion, understanding, and fighting for what’s morally right is something that really should be at the forefront here. And that Cyclops and the rest of Xavier’s new nation of Krakoa are making it known that they’re not going to accept the intolerance any more.

It’s also interesting the incorporation of the broader Marvel Universe as a catalyst for this confrontation in that Sabretooth, Mystique, and Toad were stealing information from Damage Control. It’s a neat bit of the shared universe and presents something potentially nefarious about Damage Control appropriating broken Stark and Richards tech. Though, we are left wondering, what did they steal?

SEVEN | Nothing As It Seems

One of the central themes we’re presented with in the ambassadors’ tour through Krakoa as led by Magneto is that nothing is quite as it seems. It’s even mentioned explicitly through the dialogue when the ambassadors are discussing the deal as lain out by Xavier. Worrying about the drugs, but even more about the amnesty. The terms of the amnesty aren’t actually stated here, but the gist seems to be that all mutants, criminal or otherwise, need to be set free (and presumably allowed passage to one of the gateways to Krakoa), if the country is to take part in the life-saving drug aspect.

Now, there’s an in-story payoff to the ambassadors statement, in that they’re all plants of one form or another, working for different organizations in order to gain information or surveillance on one thing or another and in Magneto’s ulterior motive for gathering them, but it feeds back into that tingling suspicion from the first page.

Something feels off. Something feels wrong. But that could well be the point. The seeds of doubt may well be planted intentionally for Xavier’s plan and the appearances of the characters. It could well be that we’re supposed to think that something hinky is going on, just to keep us in suspense. And that everything we’re seeing, everything we’re being told, really is the truth.

CONCLUSION | A More Perfect Union

As I said previously, House of X #1 exceeded my expectations.

Hickman, Larraz, Gracia, Cowles, and Muller came together to produce what is one of the most exciting and intriguing first issues that I’ve read in a very long time. Every single element from dialogue to line art, colour to letters, to cover to design gels into one massive stroke of storytelling. Every single thing within the comic adds another layer to immerse yourself into this brave new world of mutant merriment.

This is an incredible start to this new era and I am very excited to see what comes next week in Powers of X #1. Especially in how it relates back to House of X #1. These issues are apparently meant to be paired, but how exactly remains to be seen. I find that interesting, since PoX is apparently set in a different time frame.

d. emerson eddy is not an island.

[wolfyred-ks]

Adrinette April 2019 Day 23

@adrinetteapril​ thank you for all you’ve done for the event. I know this one is probably to late for the re-blog. If it’s not a problem over the next few days I would like to tag you in my remaining posts just so you can see what I’ve done.

This was my fist ever ‘writing prompt’ event. And I actually only just created my tumbler so I could take part in Adrinette April 2019. I’m going to also do Marichat May and the other two sides. May take me a little to start though.

THANK YOU FOR MANAGING ADRINETTE APRIL 2019 WITH FLARE AND GUSTO!!!!

Day 23 - Fashion Show

(PLEASE NOTE - THE EXPLOSION IS FICTIOUS. I MADE IT UP FOR THE SAKE OF THE STORY. I DO NOT WISH FOR ANYTHING LIKE THIS TO EVER HAPPEN TO ANYONE.)

It’s just the class. It’s just our families. It’s raising funds for a worthy cause. It’s a chance to show my work before I get big.

Marinette tried to calm herself down with these reassurances. She had been floored when Jagged Stone had approached her for another commission. He had loved his shades so much and they were such a big hit on the tour he had done that he wanted an actual outfit designed.

Tikki had been offering comfort to Marinette the 2 weeks it had been going on. She had been such a source of encouragement Marinette would never have gotten through it with her sanity intact. Well, Tikki and all the others that helped her with this.

As she paced in front of Adrien getting into make up she wondered, ‘How did one outfit end up being a fashion show?’

--------

Originally she had been meeting with Jagged and Penny for a new outfit to tour in. After talking with Jagged she had 5 designs that she wanted to show him. He had liked 4 of them but couldn’t decide which one to use and was suggesting she make them all up. He’d pay for them of course, and if they were all really good he’d use them in his shows.

Penny had joked about Jagged being a personal fashion show for Marinette.

It was at that moment the TV in the hotel suite broke the news that there had been an explosion on the D20 outskirts of Saint-Vulbas. Some terrorists had been on the way to the Bugey Nuclear Power Plant with a bomb in a large van. There was evidence they were going to drive as close to the reactors as they could. However police had stopped the truck before they could get anywhere near the plant. The suspects decided to set of the bomb anyways and the explosion destroyed a portion of the city, leaving a 1km crater that took out a good portion of the town.

Already emergency crews were on the scene and the French Government had offered relief and aid to the small town. A list of places people could donate food, clothing and blankets was being created and the news anchor was urging everyone to help any way they could.

“I want to help them.” Marinette said as the news cast went on. “I want to send them something. I could get some material make blankets and maybe even simple shirts in lots of sizes and slip on pants.” She started pacing and planning, “My parents could make some breads and croissants and we could ship them. And I could organize a food drive at the school with...”

Penny cut Marinette off. “That’s a lot to do for you. It’s great to help out but you don’t want to overdo it yourself and get too exhausted to manage it.” She placed a hand on Marinette’s shoulder. “Also buying all that material to make clothes will be expensive. It might be better to do a clothing and food drive. You don’t need to make it a big show.”

“Yes she does Penny.” Jagged had stood up as well.

“What?” Both ladies said.

“A big show! We can help her put on a big show and gather up supplies, clothes, food and donations towards re-building. Did you say with me using 4 of her outfits on tour I’d be her own fashion show?”

“I meant it as a joke Jagged.” Penny said.

“But we could make it real! We can help her set it. She designs a few more outfits and we get some of her school chums to show them off. Charge at the door! Have a set up for dropping off clothes and food at the show.” Jagged pulled Marinette to his side. “It will be big! I know you can do it.” He grabbed Penny and said theyd be in touch. He was going to talk to the mayor about renting the ballroom.

Tikki floated up from Marinette’s purse. “What just happened?”

“I’m not sure Tikki,” Marinette looked at the little red kwami. “I think I was just signed up to do a fashion show.”

Over the next few days it was sorted out that Penny and Jagged were going to organize most of it. Marinette just had to come up with 4 more designs and sew 8 outfits in 2 weeks.

--------

After staying up late for 2 days designing the other 4 outfits it showed on Marinette. It was first period and she was asleep at her desk.

Adrien looked at her as he walked in with Nino. He turned to Alya, “What’s wrong with Marinette?”

“She managed to finish the last of the designs last night.” Alya said while patting Marinette’s head. “Poor girl is so stressed right now.”

“Oh, the fashion show to raise funds for Saint-Vulbas. I was thinking of asking my dad if I could be a model for her show.” Adrien looked at Marinette with fondness.

“Well, you’ll have to let her know today. After school she’s going have to get the measurements of everyone and start sewing all 8 outfits tonight. Jagged is picking her up after dinner to go buy the material she needs.” Alya continued to stroke Marinette’s hair.

“She’s sewing them all on her own?” Nino asked.

“Mmm hm.” Alya nodded. “I would love to help her but I keep making a mess of things when I try to sew.”

“I could ask my dad for help.” Adrien spoke.

“Really?” Alya asked.

“Yeah, I know we’re in between shows and shoots so things aren’t busy for the seamstresses. Maybe dad would be willing to let one or two of them help out. They know how to sew on a deadline.” Adrien glanced at the sleeping girl. “Do you think she would like the help? I don’t want to come across as her not being able to do it, but that is a lot of work.”

Marinette chose that moment to wake up with a start. “Put your sleeves back on!” She yelled.

Alya, Nino and Adrien were shocked for a moment. Then they all burst out laughing.

“Not funny guys.” Marinette realized what had happened. “I had a horrible dream that one of my dresses decided it looked better without sleeves and took them off itself.”

“That is funny.” Nino chuckled.

“Hey Marinette?” Adrien asked softly.

“Yeah?” she responded sleepily.

“Would you be alright if I asked my dad if we could get help from one of the seamstresses? You give them the designs and they can do the sewing for some of the outfits.” He smiled at her.

“I wouldn’t want to put them out. I’m supposed to be designing the outfits and I should make them.” She was interrupted by a yawn before she could go on.

“It’s not a problem. You need the help. 8 outfits in 2 weeks while still going to school is going to be a lot. Also,” Adrien started before she could argue further. “While my dad designs, he really doesn’t do the sewing anymore. Maybe on a specific outfit but he usually gets the seamstresses to do the work.”

Marinette thought for a moment and nodded. She was way too tired to put up much of a fight. Besides, all Adrien was going to do was ask. Didn’t mean that his dad would help.

--------

Adrien went home for lunch and asked Nathalie if he could chat with father for a moment.

She came back after Adrien had finished eating and said that his father would see him now.

Adrien asked his father first if it was alright if he was a model for Marinette and Jagged’s fashion show. Adrien explained what the show was for and how much work Marinette was going to have to do and how he’d really like to help her out. Would he be willing to have a few of his designs in the show too to help draw in more people.

Gabriel agreed to Adrien modelling as it was for a good cause. However he would not have his designs in the fashion show. After all it was supposed to be Marinette’s designs. He commented that 8 outfits in less than 2 weeks would be hard for a school girl so he agreed to lend two seamstresses to help out. But they would all have work in the studio downtown.

Adrien thanked his dad and went back to school really happy. He told Marinette what his dad was going to do.

She almost passed out.

During the last class the teacher said that in support of the Fashion Show Fundraiser Marinette could take this time to get the measurements of the students willing to be models and that those who wanted to help out in others ways could meet with Penny in the main yard to talk about how they could help with the food and clothing drive portion of the fashion show.

Adrien, Kim, Max and Nino would be the male models. Chloe, Juleka, Rose and Alix would be the female models.

Ivan, Mylene, Sabrina and Alya decided to help out at the drives. Nathanael says he is going to ask Penny if it would be alright if he did some artwork that could be sold. Lila says she is helping her mother with some of the government organized things and asks to leave.

Since Adrien’s measurements are in his dad’s file Marinette quickly takes the measurements of the others and has Adrien write them down.

-----------

When Jagged comes by after dinner he says they are swinging by the Agreste place first.

“Why are we going there?” Marinette asks.

“We’re picking up Adrien Agreste. His dad called me this afternoon and said you could have access to his fabric room to pick out stuff for the outfits.” Jagged helped her into the car. “Adrien is going to allow us access into the building.”

Marinette was floored.

Over the next week and a half Marinette went to school during the day and then her and Adrien would go to his fathers business offices downtown and she’d look over what the 2 ladies had done. As the seamstresses could work all day long they said they’d do the majority of the outfits for Marinette.

Marinette insisted on making Adrien’s and Rose’s outfits herself as they were going to be the only matched pair.

Rose drops by a couple of nights in a row for fittings. Adrien has been hanging out with Marinette the whole time. Chatting, trying on the outfit and just watching her sew. The other class mates came by 4 days before the show for their first fittings.

With 2 days before the show all the outfits were complete and final fittings were done.

--------

The afternoon of the show Marinette was a bundle of nerves.

Marinette was pacing and worrying in front of Adrien as a makeup artist put on the final touches before he was to go out for the show. “Oh gawd, what if people see the outfits and hate them and demand their money back. What if someone trips and breaks a leg or an arm. What if Hawk Moth finally decides to attack. I’m glad that he hasn’t done anything since the bombing but he could change his mind today. What if..”

Adrien, finished with makeup, got up, went over to Marinette and put his hands on her shoulders to stop her.

“Everything will be fine. Everyone is in their outfits and they look great. They’re getting makeup on. We all went through rehearsals yesterday and know where to walk. Safety inspectors have looked over everything and it’s all safe. Nathalie is stagemanaging.” Adrien kissed Marinette’s forehead. “Nothing will go wrong.”

Marinette blushed and almost forgot to breathe.

“Yeah Mari,” Kim struck a pose, “These outfits are amazing.”

“I feel pretty.” Juleka said. And she looked it. Everyone else made positive remarks about how everything looked and how well it would go.

“Now,” Adrien put an arm around Marinette and steered her towards Penny and Jagged. “Go. You need to be with them greeting people before coming back her before the show actually starts. We’ll take care of everything back here until then. When the last of us have come out for the final walk you join us on the stage and receive your well earned congratulations.”

Marinette looked at all her friends backstage and almost started to cry. “Thank you everyone.” She then went out and hugged Jagged. Now she just had to wait for the show to start.

[morningstar-writes]

Running Out Of Time

For an event on Pkmn-Adventures. c: Zicore is part of their fakemon starters!

Flu hits the city, and Surge is hit the hardest. With her on the brink, the Pokemon team up to take on the challenge of finding the flower. But, with battling another Pokemon and time running short, will our heroes make it in time?

It had been a long journey. A very long journey. But the Zicore wasn't willing to give up. Not yet. He skidded down the mountainside, clawed feet pushing him off every so often, avoiding the boulders. Behind him, Epice was keeping pace, the flower stuck deftly in the bag against his chest. This had been such a long journey... And if it wasn't one thing, it was another. Surge had been sick for almost a month now, and the journey to get the cure had taken such a long time. Weeks had bled together, as the Pokemon battled it out. And, to top it off, Gabriel had learned his trainer was now dying. Without the flower, she wouldn't make it. He took another leap, wings opening up to catch the wind. Perhaps flying would make it faster. Epice followed suit. Wings caught the air, and they both gave a powerful beat, feathers flying. The Zicore could almost taste it. He could almost sense it. Snide had come to warn him, and now, the white and black Zicore was beside Gabriel's side, flying as fast as he could. "I can't believe it took so long!" Snide cried, as their wings beat, "And it was such a far journey!" "Yes," Gabriel answered, "I am almost certain someone has been trying to get people sick!" "Well, I have seen a couple of theives running about!" Snide answered, "Team Rocket. But a bioterror sorta thing? Nah. I think they're just trying to get the Pokemon now that people can't stop them." "How are they doing on that?" Epice asked, "Isn't there someone who has been stopping them?" "Surge," Snide answered, "But she got even sicker. She's got a weak immune system. So, I mean... she's dying. The doctor said to get there as soon as possible." "I wish we had known sooner!" Epice barked, "We'd just have not wasted the time and sent someone faster! I dunno, maybe we'd have found Celebi or something! I'm sure that Pokemon was closer!!" "Calm yourself," Gabriel answered, "It is not Surge's fault. We knew all of this already. That's why we've been doing this. And not just for her, but for the others as well. The unhatched eggs and the Pokemon that are there right now." They were silent for a while, following the stream that leads toward the city. Aerie was far from the mountain, but they hoped they would make it by sundown. Finally, just as the sun peaked over the city, they saw it. "Look!" Gabriel cried, "It seems people are beginning to get better!" "Are those cars moving?" Epice asked, "I thought people were still sick." "Well, there were a lot of Pokemon looking for the flower. So surely they must have found it." Gabriel answered, landing on the ground and trotting into the city. All around them, people bustled and worked hard, trying to make up for lost time. It seemed some had recovered on their own, and all the while they had their Pokemon by their sides. Gabriel couldn't believe it. Maybe... just maybe, they would come home and find Surge alive. Padding toward the ranch, they watched as people sped by on bikes, trainers preparing for the gym battles, and even Professor Amethyst working. She smiled at them as they passed, and Gabriel nodded at her. Passing the gates to Morningstar ranch, the Pokemon were greeted by a tearful ground. Erased whimpered, and Redemption looked down at the ground. "What's going on?" Gabriel demanded. "Surge has taken a turn for the worst," Talon growled out, "She's too weak to open her eyes! And she can't even move anymore. It's bad..." "Well, we're here now," Gabriel answered. "Let's go," Epice said, pushing past the crowd and hurrying up to the main building. Doctors and nurses milled about, and someone padded in after him. Professor Amethyst looked down at Epice, a sad smile on her face. "It's good to see you back from your journey," She said softly, "Do you have the flower?" Epice pulled the green flower from his pack and placed it in her outstretched hand. She sighed, "I... Epice, this is the wrong flower." "WHAT?!" Epice cried, "We... We failed?" His tail tucked in between his legs, as the other two Pokemon stepped in. "I'm afraid so," Professor Amythest answered, "We'll figure something out, don't worry!" "Don't worry?!" Epice cried, "But... she's going to die... she's going to..." He took off, and Gabriel chased after him. Tears filled Epice's eyes and he stifled a sob, pressing toward the forest. It wasn't fair! Why did their trainer have to die?! Why'd she have to get the bad luck?! He stopped in front of the shrine, dedicated to Suicune and Solgaleo, the Guardian's of the ranch. Gabriel stepped beside him, sniffling, "What are we going to do?" He asked, "I don't think we can save her in time!!" "I don't either!!" Epice shook his head, "What can we do, Gabe?" Gabriel looked up at the shrine, tucked his tail between his legs and whimpered out an offered prayer. "Please, guardians. Solgaleo and Suicune... Please... Please help our trainer!! She doesn't deserve to die!! She doesn't!!" "We offer ourselves in her stead!" Epice added, "Just... please let Surge live!!" "Well now, I was already planning on doing that," A voice spoke up above them, and they jumped. Solgaleo landed on the ground, Suicune beside him. "I didn't think we'd let anyone die. Not yet, anyway." Solgaleo answered, "But... you have our blessing. She will be healed." "Yes," Suicune said, "I know you tried hard. We've been watching you. You tried to do everything for your trainer. So, we have brought a blessing." Pushing something forward, the Pokemon looked down. The flower... the one they had been searching for, was there. "Thank you," Gabriel whispered. "Yes," Solgaleo smiled, "ANd we don't require a sacrafice. This was a test. And you two have proven so strong through out it. Now... let's get you back home!!" A flash of white light, and the Pokemon shilded their eyes. Looking up, they were beside Surge's bed. The flower right in the mixture. Amythest looked surprised, but then smiled, administering the medication. "She's improving!" She beamed, "Within a few days, why... she'll be healthier than she's ever been! But, how did this medicine even get made?" "Er... we made it," Gabriel grinned, "With a little help." "A little help?" Surge wheezed out, cracking her eyes open, "I thought... I thought..." "Shh... rest," Epice grinned, "We'll explain it all tomorrow."

[deadcactuswalking]

BLAST TO THE PAST: 1st July 2001

Hello again and welcome to BLAST TO THE PAST, where we review UK Top 40 charts from decades ago to see what was happening all the way back then. We’re taking a break from the 1980s and zooming past in lightspeed to 2001, specifically the week of 1st-7th July, as Summer had started to kick in. This chart in particular has some classics and some notable events, which we’ll get into right now.

Top 10

Okay, so first, we have a debut – yep, that’s right, it’s not just intense streaming that lands songs at #1 immediately, there were songs that were big enough to sell just that many copies to get to the top at their first week. At number-one, we have “The Way to Your Love” by megastars Hear’Say, who were pretty damn big in the UK, this being their second chart-topping single. Oh, yeah, and they were created by an ITV reality show, because, I mean, of course they were! They’re a British pop group from the 2000s.

Sadly, we don’t see the rise, yet we see the fall of classic cover “Lady Marmalade”, by the all-star cast of Christina Aguilera, P!nk, Lil Kim and Mýa, from the Moulin Rouge! soundtrack, down one spot to number-two.

We have another top five debut, and not the last top 10 debut, with Usher’s “U Remind Me” starting its chart run at number-three.

At number-four, dropping two places from last week, we have “Angel” by Shaggy featuring Rayvon.

Number-five is home to two-spot-dropper “There You’ll Be” by country singer Faith Hill, from the Pearl Harbor soundtrack.

At number-six, we have the debut of Gorillaz’ “19-2000” featuring uncredited vocals from Miho Hatori as well as founding Talking Heads members Tina Weymouth and Chris Frantz.

“All I Want” by Alesha Dixon-fronted R&B girl group Mis-Teeq has dropped three spaces to its current spot at number-seven.

Do any of you remember Brandy? Because I sure don’t. Apparently she was huge, but I remember her feature on a Kanye track from Late Registration and that’s pretty much it. It’s somewhat strange that she collaborated with Ray “Hey-Fab-I’mma-kill you” J of all people, but—Wait a second! They’re siblings? And Ray J is Snoop Dogg’s cousin? Wow, he really had connections, huh? Anyway, Brandy and Ray J’s cover of Phil Collins’ “Another Day in Paradise” is down three spots to number-eight.

“Another Lover” by another-rando Dane Bowers debuts at number-nine. If you’re wondering who this Dane fellow is, he was in a boyband called Another Level then he was on “Celebrity” Big Brother. In fact, I don’t think I know who this dude is, and I see no reason to find out.

“Do You Really Like It” by DJ Pied Piper and the Masters of Ceremonies finished off the top 10 with a four-space drop back to the final spot in the ten most popular songs of the country as of July 1st, 2001.

Climbers

Let me tell you now – there weren’t many at all. In fact, other than the number-one, there weren’t any songs climbing the charts, rather a whole lot of new entries and a whole lot of fallers.

Fallers

Where do we start?

“Daydream in Blue” by electronica duo (sharing their name with a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles episode) I Monster is down 11 spots to #40, “It’s Over Now” by Diddy’s favourite R&B group 112 is down 17 spots to #39 and “Best Friends” by pop group allSTARS* is down eight spots to #38, who had a show on CITV in 2001, and appeared on the Scooby-Doo soundtrack the same year, so I’m assuming they were for kids by kids.

“Close to You” by Wet Wet Wet singer Marti Pellow is down 16 to #37, “No More (Baby I’ma Do it Right)” by three (forgettable) little women known as 3LW is down 10 to #36, “Digital Love” by the best robots in music Daft Punk is down 11 spots to #35, “Out of Reach” by soul singer Gabrielle is down seven spots to #34, “Sing” by alternative rock band Travis is down 10 spots to #33, “Ride wit Me” by Kelly Rowland’s former crush Nelly featuring rapper City Spud is down six spots to #31, “It’s Raining Men” by ex-Spice Girl Geri Halliwell is down 10 to #30, the classic “Papercut” by nu-metal band Linkin Park is down 15 to #29, 1980’s hit “Electric Avenue” by Eddy Grant is here for some reason, but it’s down nine to #28... seriously, why is this here? Apparently it had a “ringbang remix” which landed it into the top five in 2001. Huh, you learn something new and kind of dumb every day.

“Booo!” by lost-in-time musician Sticky (no, not Sticky Fingaz, this Sticky is some nobody without a Wikipedia page) featuring rapper Ms. Dynamite is down 11 to #27, “Here and Now” by the freaking Steps is down nine to #26, “This Time Around” by house music duo Phats & Small is down 15 from #15 to #25, “Thank You” by Dido – best known for Eminem’s excellent use of it as a sample in “Stan” – is down six spots to #24, “Have a Nice Day” by Britpop band Stereophonics is down eight to #20, as is “We Come 1” by electronica group Faithless at #19 as well as “My Way” by walking punchlines Limp Bizkit at #18. “Don’t Stop Movin’” by S Club 7 is down five to #14, as is “All Rise” by boyband Blue at #13. Wow, that was a lot!

Dropouts

Some data in this section may be inaccurate or non-existent, so bear with me as not all drop-outs will be noted in this section, mostly due to the fact that we don’t know a lot of them and I’m just going by what’s there on the UK Singles Chart’s official website.

There weren’t any returning entries this week, so I figured we’d go straight to the drop-outs that we know of, of which there are quite a few of, like “Cold as Ice” by M.O.P. (the Mash-Out Posse) dropping out from #36, “Heard it All Before” by Sunshine Anderson out from #35, “Rock da Funky Beats” by Public Domain featuring Public Enemy Chuck D out from #33, “Video” by India Arie out from #32, “Free” by Mýa out from #39, “Fiesta” by living trash-bag R. Kelly out from #38, “Never Enough” by Boris Dlugosch and Roisin Murphy out from #40, “Musak” by Trisco out from #28, “Jonathan David” by Belle & Sabastian out from #31, “Voodoo” by Warrior out from #37 and, finally, “Let U Go” by ATB out from #34.

NEW ARRIVALS

Now, let’s just jump right into talking about the ELEVEN new arrivals we have this week. I’ll try and keep it brief.

#32 – “Innocente (Falling in Love)” – Delerium featuring Leigh Nash

So, Delerium is an ambient/electronica group known for their hit song “Silence” featuring Sarah McLachlan and Leigh Nash is the lead singer of rock band Sixpence None the Richer, known for their massive hit “Kiss Me”. They would later go on to record a whole album together six years later in 2007, which I don’t really recommend – it’s kind of boring. Is this song a foreshadowing of what to come?

So I’m not the biggest fan of trance at all but I don’t mind this calmer, peaceful trip-hop-influenced stuff from Delerium, in fact I really love the opening guitar riff and the looming instrumentation (and what seem to be bells) before the steady drum beat kicks in and Leigh Nash starts smoothly singing the first verse, all over the instrumentation like she is the main force rather than a jackhammer beat, which is why a lot of EDM doesn’t click with me. However, this is almost not EDM at all. I mean, it’s kind of danceable electronica but, yeah, this is not trance at all, although the strings are definitely reminiscent and it does slowly pick up pace with some uglier synths like trance often does. I don’t know about this, it really drifts along the line between boring and dreamy, much like a lot of songs from Sixpence None the Richer. Did it have to be six minutes? No, but it doesn’t drag on too much in all its peaceful melancholy. I really don’t know why this was listed as a trance song on Wikipedia? Are they talking about the much longer and much worse Tiesto remix? If so, then why did they not specify? Maybe I’m nitpicking about the Wikipedia page more than I should but this song doesn’t really do much for me. If it had some more pop-rock edge from Leigh Nash, maybe I’d like it more, but as it stands, it’s just really weaksauce.

#23 – “Happy People” – Static Revenger

Ah, great, more EDM – lovely. Static Revenger is a Grammy-winning DJ, mostly known for making house and disco. This song in particular went platinum, so you know it’s going to be good, right? Well, if 6ix9ine’s (Platinum-certified!) “GUMMO” told me anything, it’s that sales don’t mean the art or the artists involved are any good... Maybe I should be more open-minded to dance music, I mean, I like a lot of 1990s house so this can’t be much different. I like the R.E.M. song with pretty much the same name, so it’s not like I’m averted to the concept of... happy people. This can’t be too bad.

Oops! I already kind of hate it and love it at the same time. This guitar riff is great but the synths are too static-y for the most part and the build-up feels too drowned out to really be a good build-up until the jackhammer beat starts coming in before the drop, which is a good climax but not entirely satisfying as the simple, repetitive hook stays exactly the same after the drop – I expected some mix-up? The keys introduced after the first drop are a nice change of pace and I appreciate their inclusion, and this is definitely a really fun, exciting and catchy track, however, I think this is just not my thing. It feels soulless and like a bit of a non-presence, which I guess is good for this type of club track? I don’t know, but I guess I just don’t “get” modern EDM still, even though this is barely modern, being early 2000s and all. Maybe I just don’t get EDM at all. Maybe I should learn to have some fun. Probably that last one. Next.

#22 – “Getting Away with It (All Messed Up)” – James

So, James are an indie rock band who have also dabbled in electronica and more experimental rock, including the artsy album WAH WAH. They’re apparently releasing an album next month, which I’ll definitely check out. This single is from their 2001 album Pleased to Meet You, which received mixed reviews by critics at its initial release. Has this song in particular stood the test of time?

Well, yeah, it has. Not in a way that I can be ecstatic about, as it still is somewhat dreary in its constant simplistic guitar strumming, but once the drum beat kicks in, it gets much more exciting and uses the quiet-loud dynamic well, albeit to a lesser extent than other alternative rock bands, as the main increase in volume is the lead singer’s voice, who croons over the oddly funky bassline and the cheap synths as well as the distorted guitar riffs after the first chorus which, yes, are awesome and are pretty nice as a back-up to synth bleeping and different string patterns that add to how intense and urgent the song seems to be, despite its slower tempo. Oh, yeah, and there’s an insane breakdown or solo before the final chorus, where the synths just freak out and that’s pretty damn cool, and the fact that the last chorus continues with the same instrumental makes the song all the more exciting, as it progresses in intensity just to abruptly end. I’m more of a (similarly-named) Travis fan personally, but this song rocks as well.

#21 – “Million Miles Away” – The Offspring

Remember these guys? I don’t know about everyone else, but I used to love these guys. They were one of my favourite bands, and honestly, probably still are as far as rock is concerned. The Offspring are a Californian rock band fronted by Dexter Holland, who always straddled the lines between alternative, pop punk and straight-up punk rock. They have a UK number-one and many other hits (and damn good deep cuts) in their arsenal, so how does this song in particular, from their album Conspiracy of One, fare?

It starts with a rapid and intense guitar riff that isn’t too heavy but fast enough to keep up with the simplistic, mad-cap drumming, creating an instrumental base for Dexter to moan about his break-up over. While I appreciate the instrumental, it is a tad too simple, as is the hook with the “oh, oh, oh” vocalisations and the singing feeling too whiny at times, especially in that chorus. While I love the instrumental to death, I feel Dexter’s sloppily-mixed vocals being all over it ruin it for me. However, there’s enough time where it’s just the backing and the guitar solo also rocks, so yeah, although I’m not a fan of the repetitive lyrics and delivery here, I can dig what’s behind it. Sadly, this is probably the first and only Offspring I’ll get to talk about – trust me, they’ve made much better stuff. My personal favourite of their singles is “Hit That”, if you want to check that absolute romp of a dance-rock track. They’re also releasing a new album this year, so I’m excited for that.

#16 – “Hard to Explain” – The Strokes

The Strokes don’t really need an explanation, right? One of the biggest American rock bands in recent memory, hailing from New York and bringing back garage rock in a huge way that led them to two top 10 UK hits. This is their first ever single, from their debut album Is This It, annoyingly without a question mark. Maybe XXXTENTACION could have lent them one, he seems to have had an extra one left around. That’s beside the point, let’s get into the breakout single from The Strokes.

It starts with a simple drum beat – possibly not from Fabirizio Moretti but rather from a drum machine - before going into one of the most memorable and slick guitar riffs of all time, thanks to guitarists Albert Hammond and Nick Valensi, with a funky bassline provided by Nikolai Fraiture backing not only the guitars up but also the distorted vocals from Julian Casablancas, with a catchy-as-all-hell hook that leads into an abrupt fake-end, before it picks up again for another exciting few minutes of punkish indie rock, with Casablancas’ vocals getting more strained and emotional throughout. I’m actually finding it pretty hard to describe and review this song fairly without insane hyperbole, as Casablancas says, it is pretty hard to explain, as it is one of my favourite hit songs ever, with its perfectly balanced amount of rowdiness and genuine intrigue, and dare I say, a certain classiness to the composition. Fantastic song, fantastic album, and a damn great band.

#15 – “Baddest Ruffest” – Backyard Dog

This is the 2002 FIFA World Cup song, made by big beat producing duo Backyard Dog, consisting of Aniff Akinola and Lloyd Hanley. To my knowledge, they haven’t done anything else, although Akinola here has rapped on other songs, like the mild success “Bounce ‘n’ Boom” and Kirsty MacColl’s top 40 hit “Walking Down Madison”, so it’s debateable if these guys are one-hit wonders, but if one of the most notable things the lead singer has been in was a Vimto advert, it’s safe to say you’ve probably been forgotten in time since. So, how’s Backyard Dog’s seemingly only ever piece of released music (other than their only studio album and the remix EP for this very song) that is documented on the Internet?

Well, it starts with what are assumingly sampled horns in one simple loop before a subtle but effective bass comes in and Akinola starts shouting, adding some ragga influence, but mostly I’d say this is a pretty simple big beat song, with a solid horn hook and even Akinola’s vocals adding a lot of uniqueness to an otherwise not-very-noteworthy track. Hell, I’d like this a lot more if it weren’t for the annoying chicken-like record scratching that makes up most of the song. As it stands, there’s one element that just tears the whole thing apart, which is unfortunate as this is actually a pretty fun and exciting, different song, and I do wish these guys had more material to listen to, because I’m digging their style. It’s pretty intriguing, even if it is just some big beat loops with Caribbean-tinged vocals being yelled over the track by a charismatic performer, who I’ll try and dig up other projects from. I hope these guys reunite to make some more jams.

#12 – “More than That” – Backstreet Boys

Listen, you know who the Backstreet Boys are. I know who the Backstreet Boys are. I don’t know about you, but I can’t stand them. They’re talented men, sure, but it feels a bit too cheesy and sickly sweet for me to really get into. Does that ring true with “More than That”, from their 2000 album Black & Blue?

Yes, of course it does. Why wouldn’t it? It has a pretty interesting albeit typical Latin or tropical guitar riff, but the vocals from the boys here aren’t too great, and everything that surrounds them just feels like purely perfect pop blandness. It’s too perfect – kind of like “These Days” by Rudimental featuring Jess Glynne, Dan Caplen and Macklemore and “Girls Like You” by Maroon 5 featuring Cardi B, both of which I talked about on REVIEWING THE CHARTS. It’s a good song, definitely, but it feels too manufactured for me to enjoy on repeated listening, as in the end, it is a soulless boyband song. What did you expect, a long, in-depth review that focuses on the vocal range of the boys and how excellently they mesh with the smooth R&B production? No, you’re not getting that, because there are better pop songs and better R&B singers that you could be listening to, even if it’s just the early 2000s. In fact, we’ll be talking about another in just a short while.

#9 – “Another Lover” – Dane

No, this is not who I meant! I meant Usher! I didn’t want this complete nobody to come in! Well, what does Dane have to say?

Nothing. He has nothing to say because he is uninteresting and typical lyrically. That was a dumb question, I don’t think he even wrote this song... but in R&B, it’s more about how you say it, and, damn, does he pull off the smooth, Latin-influenced production well! The Latin riffs are still present in the guitars, and the drums are more prominent than they probably should be, but Dane brings a great presence to the track, even if it doesn’t seem like he can actually sing very well at all, using his falsetto a lot of the time to mixed results, but he is fun and has more charisma than Juice WRLD and Dexter Holland when moaning about issues with a partner. I love the whispering in the penultimate chorus as well, which continues in the outro as some kind of acapella percussion, which I appreciate for its experimentalism if anything. This slick 1990s-resembling production and the man’s charisma make this a great listen, even if it’s not on Spotify and only has 70,000 views on YouTube... Yikes. Now, THIS has been forgotten in time.

#6 – “19-2000” – Gorillaz featuring Miho Hatori and Talking Heads (Tina Weymouth and Chris Frantz)

I love Gorillaz. I’ve been a fan for a long while now, and I have grown to love how they blend genres excellently in accessible and catchy yet still experimental and strange pop songs, while still believing that the flow of an album is definitely important... well, they used to do that. Right now, with Humanz and The Now Now, it seems that they care more about the singular songs, which is fair because of streaming being more important now, but like the Avalanches, the flow of the album is seminal in my enjoyment of a Gorillaz album, and that has not been consistent recently, with bloated, boring albums and messes of songs like “Sex Murder Party” and... “Man Research (Clapper)”... from their self-titled 2001 debut album. Okay, so, maybe they’ve never been too great at the whole “making tight compositions” thing. This song is kind of proving as that chaotic structure not working too well. Let me elaborate.

“19-2000” is about the new millennium, as its title suggests, and follows the trends of the bridge between 1999 and 2000 very carefully, with a sampled trip-hop/hip-hop drum beat and catchy boyband-like vocalisations. However, it feels very messy in all its minimalistic joy. You have Miho Hatori’s repetitive lyrics about getting “the cool sunshine”, some reversed and heavily-edited vocal samples, Tina Weymouth and Chris Frantz doing whatever the hell they want in the background with some multi-tracked humming from frontman Damon Albarn, behind careless and slow verses from Albarn. You also have the “we gon’ break out” bridge thing, which is just kind of there? And then you have the various synth noises going on in one specific ear while there’s finger-snapping – could we have saved this for the video, guys? I don’t know, this song is fun and I’m still relatively positive on it, but like “Tranz” and “DARE”, it seems like too much is going on throughout. Also, I don’t know what’s Albarn, what’s Hatori, what’s Weymouth and where the hell Frantz is, so that’s lovely. It just piles into some kind of ball of musical elements, but they don’t mesh. They just keep growing.

#3 – “U Remind Me” – Usher

Usher is one of my favourite artists of all time. His charisma and personality is unmatched in R&B, and he will go down as a legend with some of the best club bangers and powerful and slick R&B ballads in music history. This is US chart-topper “U Remind Me”, from his third album 8701. While I’ve always preferred the Confessions era (my personal favourite Usher track is “Confessions Part II”), I can dig his earlier stuff and this is no exception.

Those introductory strings are damn beautiful, and then the piano and the synths come in, to assist Usher in all his glory, with his smooth delivery and scratched backing gang vocals. Sure, the lyrics can be seen as pretty corny or selfish and close-minded, but Usher pulls them off with his immense amounts of swagger, with a guitar coming in to match his charisma in the second verse. Oh, yeah, the song’s about a girl he can’t date because they remind him too much of an ex... for a song about what seems to be a first-world problem, Usher’s melodramatics may seem unnecessary, but they’re really not. The catchy hook and his many ad-libs really help rather than hinder, as it becomes pretty beautiful considering its potentially silly subject matter by the end. Maybe it’s too long, maybe it’s too overdramatic, but I don’t care. Usher pulls it off like no-one else ever could.

#1 – “The Way to Your Love” – Hear’Say

Okay, can I get a “get out of review” free card? Come on, it’s the eleventh new arrival and it’s the most anti-climactic, blandest-as-possible pop song, orchestrated by a trash talent show, with talented yet uninteresting and charmless singers, as well as cliché production – although the drums here are pretty cool albeit unfitting, I will admit – including the cheapest strings I’ve heard this side of Soundcloud rap, which I feel I’ve made too many comparisons to in a blog about 2000s pop music. Ah, well. What’s this song got to say, do or try and get across? Nothing. Nothing at all. This is so cheesy that I feel the milk being heated already... yet it’s not even funny. It’s just boring. It’s just a slog. Just an uninteresting, undeserving #1. At least it’s not “Freaky Friday”.

Conclusion

Best of the Week goes to “Hard to Explain” by The Strokes, no competition, although “U Remind Me” is an Honourable Mention and deservedly so. Worst of the Week? Although I have the most bile for our #1 here, yeah, it’s going to “Innocente (Falling in Love)” by Delerium for just being insanely boring, with Dishonourable Mention going to “The Way to Your Love”, I suppose. Nothing here is outright bad, just very uninteresting. See you tomorrow for REVIEWING THE CHARTS!

[whimstories]

MLFluff Day 1 - Blush

A/N: 2k isn’t long by any sense but when you meant to do 500 words, it’s mind boggling. Still working on my process because I would like to crank out pieces instead of being 3 days behind, haha. Critics and comments are welcome and encouraged! ENJOY~~ 

@miraculousfluffmonth

Over the fierce hangover, Adrien discerns whispers and giggles but this is not abnormal when he enters the building.

Last night, the Gabriel brand had an end-of-project party to celebrate their new Miraculous fashion line. A new team of designers and marketers joined the company for the project and their work was phenomenal. They committed hours of labor that was well deserved for a celebratory break. Adrien remembers next to nothing of the affair. Which he assumes should be a bad sign, but his heart was so devastated that he refused to consider the events.

Nino Lahiffe, his best friend and stage manager for the runway, is leaning against the door frame of his office. His face looks anxious. Adrien is use to the pressure of working in the entertainment industry so a few anxious faces in the morning is nothing to sneeze over.

"Hey, Nino." Adrien greets. He walks through the door and slumps into his chair.

"Hey! Wasn’t sure I'd see you, buddy. You didn’t answer my texts. You doing alright?"

Adrien sighs. "Nothing traumatizing. I managed to wake up only 3 hours late. I must of drank the whole bar.” He runs his hands through his hair.

"Man, I knew you were bold but, hell, I would be holed up in the Alps for a week after that show."

"Show?" Adrien can't recall much of the party after sitting at the bar, waiting for Marinette to arrive. “Did we have an impromptu runway walk?"

Nino laughs. “If that is new runway choreography, people will storm the doors like another French Revolution. I didn't know you had such great moves. For a minute, I thought I turned to the other team.”

"I--What? I'm not following."

"Dude...please tell me you remember something about last night.”

"I remember entering the party, waiting for Marinette, seeing her walk in with...well, and then deciding to improve my knowledge of our available alcohol stores. Not much after that." Adrien admitted. Nino stares in his eyes with an impression of viewing the beginning of the end of a friend's life. Adrien's instincts are alert in that moment. “If you had to rate it from ‘Luke kisses his sister’ to ‘Red Wedding’..?”

"Let's say you have inspired material for many future rom-coms. Raunchy rom-coms." Nino emphasizes.

Adrien sighs in frustration. "Show me."

"I think it's funny that you would assume I documented it." Adrien stares blandly in return. "Otherwise you would be wrong for the first time in your life."

Nino takes no time to pull out his mobile and swipes into his media. He walks around the desk and places the phone in front of Adrien--the screen shows a video file waiting to be played.

“It’s so bad that you knew to take a video. Not a brief moment of ridicule, but a definitive flick of humiliation.” Adrien considers the screen a moment. "I'm scared to press it."

Nino looks sympathetic and presses the button. The screen shows the runway stage, a long strip of white that ends in a rectangular arch. Adrien can see himself with a vaguely familiar male, standing on the stage edge and gesturing at the crowd. The audio is jumbled by the voices surrounding the camera during the video but someone is walking towards the stage.

Marinette Dupain-Cheng walks to the edge with a bemused smile and a pink face. Adrien and the male on stage reach out simultaneously to pull her up. Adrien's face glowers at the other man's gesture but then looks at Marinette with the most besotted and forlorn face, as if he never gazed upon a female face in his life. He lifts her hand to kiss it when she is standing on stage.

The video is not past fifteen seconds and Adrien is mortified. Marinette joined the Miraculous line three months ago as the head designer and Adrien could not have fallen harder for a woman. Not only is she gorgeous, but she is talented, dependable, a quick thinker, and has the most attractive stubborn personality he has ever faced. Though they interact during fittings and photo shoots, Adrien never found the time to approach her beyond professionalism between all their work. This party was his opportunity to do something, to make an impression on her.

Two chairs pass amongst the crowd on the camera and placed on stage for Marinette to sit. The men make another gesture to the crowd and another female walks up to the stage. Adrien recognizes her as Chloe Bourgeois, part of the marketing team that always finds an excuse to be part of on-site projects. The other man pulls her up stage, stares at her like he caught the biggest fish of the day, and Chloe sits in the other chair.

The camera moves closer and the crowd falls to a hush as Adrien begins to speak, "This is not just a dance between mere men!" His voice carries through the room and his words barely slurr. “This is a battle of love. And I have a lot of love to give."

Adrien realizes if he were not winking at Marinette, this sounds like a gay outing. The Adrien on stage points his finger to the right and a blare of music begins.

Adrien recognizes the song immediately and his Ipod must be hooked up to the sound system. It's "Hot Stuff" by Donna Summers, and Adrien could not be more horrified. His face flashes hot.

The next four minutes are the longest of his life. The first seconds consist of innocent dancing, he is proud of his hip-hop style of improv choreography, but it is fast apparent that he is not dancing to win but to impress. He is running his hands down his white dress shirt, he is caressing Marinette’s shoulders whenever he passes, and—most importantly— pumping out his hips every time "Hot Stuff" is played on the track. The other man is giving as much as Adrien, his moves are pretty good, but it is hard not to pause and notice the flamboyant fervor being thrown by Adrien.  

When the guitar solo hits, Adrien straddles over Marinette's chair and leans over with his face next to hers. The camera catches a clear view of Adrien's hips rolling to the beat suggestively. Marinette's face is flushed red and she waves to the crowd, laughing at his antics. She turns her head, like she is listening to him speak, and raises her hand to her mouth and her eyes are shining.

Adrien is backing away from the chair, bouncing on his heels to the beat, and reaches to the buttons of his shirt. Of course, the shirt is removed and lassoed until it is thrown into the crowd, where people are cheering on his antics. There are sounds of women tittering and running in the direction of the shirt.

The song ends with Adrien twirling on his knees and crouched before Marinette. The other man is in a similar position before Chloe. Adrien’s lips are moving but the video does not catch it as there is insistent whispering behind the camera and Nino’s voice says, “Alright, shows over buddy!” and the video stops.

Adrien sits with his elbows on the desk and his head leaning into his hands, trying to hide his mortification. He threw himself at her. He didn’t walk up to her with respect and grace like he planned, he announced it to the world like some impulsive tomcat. What could she think of him?

“Where was my father in all of this?” Adrien says glumly.

“Well, and don’t get too impressed, I had a feeling what was about to go down and left someone outside to wait for him to arrive. I pulled you out of that joint as soon as I got word. I’m assuming no one mentioned it to him.”

Adrien grumbles incoherently, considering that the only good news next to ruining all his chances with Marinette and losing some of the respect of his coworkers.

“Anything else I’ve forgotten?” Adrien braces himself.

“Well,” Nino leans forward and swipes his phone, “I have some of the before-the-incident pictures. Here is you getting drunk. Here is you being passive-aggressive with— and I’m quoting you— ‘the man who stole your love’. Here is you challenging him to a dance-off. Then here is you crying in the cab, telling me how you’ll never feel anything ever again.”

Adrien groans and begins to stand. “This is horrible. Yes, I should have gone to the Alps. I shouldn’t be here. I should leave right now.”

“Aw, man, come on—”

There is a body at the doorway and Adrien jerks his head up before he can collide with them. Marinette stares at Adrien with a shy smile and a hand ruffling the back of her hair.

“Hi, Adrien” She starts.

“Um, hello.” Adrien stumbles. His face is still hot, his memories too fresh of the incident. Marinette is looking at him intently and suddenly covers her mouth and smiles at a corner of the room. Marinette can’t stand to look at him.

“Do you have a moment?” She turns back to him.

Adrien looks back but Nino is already running out the door, giving a good luck signal. Adrien gestures Marinette to enter his office and closes the door. They stand in silence and Adrien’s complexion tempers down as he prepares for a telling off.

“Look, um, I’m not sure if you’re interested, or maybe it was some inside model joke or maybe Alya put you up to it and she already talked to you, but—” Marinette is stumbling over her words struggling to keep direct eye contact with Adrien. “I have the results for last night.”

“The…results?”

“Yes. It was unanimous and I’m here to return a message.”

“Yes, of course? What message would that be?”

Marinette blushes and ducks her head. The pink hue on her cheeks always entices Adrien to kiss her senseless.

“You asked that if you win the dance competition, that I repeat something to you today. Not that you needed to win to ask.” Adrien almost doesn’t catch the last sentence and his stomach flutters, waiting. “‘Will you go on a date with me?’”

“You want to go on a date. With me?” Adrien asks astonished. Marinette laughs.

“Yeah. Yes, I do.” Marinette declares, smiling at him with confidence. Adrien is unable to resist and smiles back. “To be clear, I am also repeating the message of you indirectly asking me first.”

“But yesterday, I thought…you walked in with a guy.”

“Yes? I brought my friend Kim, who was hired last minute for the upcoming show and brought him to introduce to the gang.” She leans in to whisper, “He’s in love with Chloe, if you couldn’t tell.”

Adrien remembers why the man in the video looked familiar and why he glowered at him for half the video. He walked in with Marinette, acting familiar, and Adrien made fast assumptions and pouted at the bar for the rest of the night. Well, most of the night.

“Wow. I’m the biggest idiot.”

“They say there is a first for everything, when you’re in love. ” Marinette teases and pokes at his chest. Adrien flushes once again.

“Wha-what—“

“I’m not sure if you remember, but you whispered a lot of things to me last night. How I’m gorgeous, you think my laugh is lyrical, and then there was the ‘I think I’m in love with you’ a few dozen times. Also a lot of bad pick-up lines. ”

“Please Mari—“ Marinette presses a finger to his mouth to silence him.

“Trust me, Agreste, every word you said to me could have come out of my mouth and been just as true.”

Adrien is breathless and cannot bottle his wide grin in response. He stares at her in wonder and grabs her hand to entwine their fingers. Their foreheads lean forward and touch; they begin to chuckle at the inane moment.

Adrien looks down at Marinette’s mouth and glances at her expression before being encouraged to lean forward.

“That includes the words you said to me that are not to be repeated outside a bedroom.” Marinette whispers in a laugh before they are kissing and Adrien knows she is worth more than a million embarrassing moment.