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#Charlie didn't even have to do anything. 😅
spacebubblehomebase · 4 months
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*push lucifer to make Lucifer kiss alastor*
...
*runs for her life*
JELWLWKRIEBVWOWBOWBEPBW
No need to run.
I'll just get CHARLIE to do it! XD
All they need is a little push~
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Ok. Maybe we didn't even need Charlie's help for that. A pat on the back well earned.
-Bubbly💙
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a-hazbin-reader · 7 months
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HII I just wanted to say I simply adore your Alastor headcannons.. ❤️
I unsure if you’re accepting request but if you aren’t you can ignore this one 😅
I was thinking of a pining Alastor with a fem reader who never sings. Like she has always hated musicals, and ever since she’s been in hell she noticed it’s just one big musical. And the moment they finally actually open up and sing.. it’s not with Alastor. But probably Angel to make him feel better.. So he’s all jealous that the reader hasn’t sung with him.
And at the end they share a lil love duet and slow dance .. like, singing at last by Etta James..
I don’t know..I just love how you write Alastor. Your writing is absolutely phenomenal. 💕
I've been avoiding this one because it makes me think of Nix- 😭
Alastor X Reader Headcanons
✅️Romantic
❌️Platonic
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TW: Alastor being a MENACE, Grumpy!Reader, Mentions of Drunk!Reader
Description: 👆⬆️
You don't sing, you're not the kind of person who's just going to break out into song like everyone else around you
You sang along to music, sometimes sure, or maybe even sang to yourself, but you didn't live life like you're in a musical
You had better things to do with your time than dancing around to mysterious music and making up words on the fly
It was something that annoyed Alastor because no matter how hard he tried to get you to join him in his little song and dance, you just walked away
And left him feeling ridiculous for even trying to make music with you
Good
Your serious demeanor and closed off nature only served to make him want to win you over even more
He doesn't like people being a mystery to him, he wants to know what you're thinking and how you're feeling all the time
For the sake of knowledge, of course, not out of any romantic desire or anything as ridiculous as that
After several failed attempts to get you to sing, Alastor just assumes you've got a bad singing voice and gives up
Only to be PISSED when he's proven wrong because WHY WON'T YOU SING WITH HIM
He finds you holding Angel to your chest and singing to him, the poor spider holding back tears as he relaxes into your arms
Alastor just hides and listens to the sound of your voice more confused than ever as to why you don't sing
You have a BEAUTIFUL VOICE
It reignites his desire to get you to sing with him and he becomes more of a pest than ever for you
He tries to trick you into humming or singing, turning on the radio when you two are alone in hopes that you'll take a liking to a song
"Do you have a particular music preference, my dear?"
"Can't say I do, whatever you pick is fine."
You only roll your eyes and continue looking at your book, the only sign that you like the music is your leg bouncing to the beat
He later catches you humming a little tune with Niffty as the two of you clean up together, the happy look on your face is the most precious thing he's seen
Alastor tries to invite you out to a concert/musical, waving two tickets in front of your face
"What do you say, my dear~? You and I listening to the most wonderful music in hell together?"
Only to watch your face scrunch up at the idea and realize that he's about to be rejected
"That's not really my thing, maybe you can get Charlie to go with you."
He ends up giving the tickets to Charlie and Vaggie, letting the two of them have a date night
You're smiling and singing a little song with Husk later that night, cooking a late night dish with him
He sulks the entire night and glares at you whenever your paths cross because HOW DARE YOU
WITH HUSKER!?
He even tries taking everyone to a karaoke bar and pulling you up on stage, hoping you're drunk enough that you'll sing
Only to be the victim of your drunken rage and get body slammed into a table instead because he startled you
"Alastor!! Are you okay!? Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh! I will pay for the table!"
Charlie is panicking because everyone is STARING, but you just glare down at him, cheeks flushed from the booze
"Don't... sneak up on me like that..."
He'd be lying if he said it didn't turn him on a little, laying there still in shock over what happened
"Understood."
Later, he hears you singing along to a song someone else is singing to. You're so drunk by that point that he doubts you even realize you're doing it
But you still sound so good even when your words are slurred and you're not even singing the right song
It gets to the point where Alastor's mood sours whenever you sing because he wants to sing with you but you always turn him down
You're trying to open up more but it's difficult to open up to someone like Alastor because it's impossible to know if he can be trusted
Your better judgment tells you no, but your heart whispers that you should give him a chance
Alastor just wants a duet with you so badly
You two would kill it, and he knows it
He's playing at the piano one day, singing to himself for entertainment more than anything
It's a song from his childhood, bringing up memories of happier times with his mother
When you suddenly saddle up next to him and begin to play as well, adding another layer to his song
His tail wagging and the way his eyes light up are the only indication he gives that he's excited by your presence
He keeps singing, feeling renewed by your musical accompaniment and really enjoying the music
Only to be graced with the sound of your own voice joining him, your hands briefly crossing over each others to play the right notes
The simple graze is electric for both of you, but neither would admit for years to come
He was right, you two sound better than anything he's ever heard before and he can't help but look at you because surely you feel it too??
Only to be flustered by the blush on your face and the small smile you give him, obviously pushed beyond your comfort zone but trying hard
It's all he can do to swallow the lump in his throat and focus on the song instead of how good you look or how beautiful you sound
Only when the song is over do you two realize how close your faces have gotten, gazing into each other's eyes like lovesick teenagers
You both are leaning in closer, gazes drifting down to lips-
When Alastor suddenly jerks away and walks across the room from you, his face burning from the realization of what almost happened
You deflate a bit and worry that you read him wrong, standing up so you can leave with your pride still intact
"Alastor, I'm so-"
Suddenly, the radio comes to life, Alastor picking a station with a slow romantic song playing before holding his hand out to you
"Care to dance, my dear? It'd be a shame to let such a good song go to waste..!"
You're both blushing and avoiding looking each other in the eye but you take his hand anyways, being pulled flush against him
If anyone were to peek in and see you two, it would certainly look like you two were a couple dancing to a romantic song and having a moment
Alastor has one hand on your hip while the other gently holds your hand, your head resting against him in an attempt to hide how embarrassed you are
His ears are folded back, and the smile on his face is wobbly and awkward, your other hand on his shoulder suddenly seemingly very interesting
Good thing nobody is peeking in on you two, except everyone is peeking in and passing around cash
"Pay up Angel, Husk, Charlie won fair and square."
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I hope you guys like it 💓
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Hi! I've read a lot of your Hazbin Hotel stuff, and I have to say, I really adore your writing! You're one of my favorite writers out there! I was wondering if you could maybe write about Husk and Angel Dust as parents with a hyper cat-like child? Something fluffy and silly!
omg! thank you so so much! that means a lot that you’ve even taken the time to read the silly little stories i write! i’ve enjoyed writing though so it makes me happy you’ve enjoyed them!
for the request, hell yes i could! this sounds so cute and fluffy! im gonna do a head canon format but if a full fic is desired that can be worked out! it may just take a bit longer. 😅
angel and husk adopting this little rogue cat child did two things:
1. solidify their relationship
2. and create a whole family filled with adoptive aunts and uncles
which was honestly great because the kiddo LOVED IT.
when they first found kiddo though, the kid was on edge all the time. like would flinch if someone even reached for something close to them.
husk and angel were both pretty understanding and sure that this kiddo had gone through some shit.
and who better to help a kid then two trauma filled guys
they asked the kiddo their name and the kiddo explained that they didn't have one. that floored both angel and husk. so they helped the kiddo choose out a name.
the kiddo chose rori, with an i 'because it was super different!'
angel and husk are actually really great parents though
husk is definitely way more lenient, will get rori anything they want
angel is the one who is more strict, like rori has a bed time because of angel.
love to spend time with aunt charlie and aunt nifty. they put on puppet shows instead of roach shows
uncle alastor scares them, but he once let them in his radio room when they said that they liked the radio shows they hear when he broadcasts. taught them how to be a professional radio host
uncle pentious shows rori how to build different weapons. and rori came down with a very intricate weapon to kill angels! angelic steel and all. angel put a stop to that very quickly.
there was one time that rori had decided that they had seen husk and uncle alastor cook, so they did too!
queue angel walking into the kitchen looking for them and finding themselves covered in flour, happily humming and mixing what looked like was supposed to be pancakes. pan over to the left and there is lucifer nodding.
rori was making pancakes and lucifer totally wanted to help. the batter was too far gone, but he let them happily stir while he had some batter ready.
all in all, rori really livens up the hotel, in a positive way.
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seb-reads31 · 6 months
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I absolutely loved the shy reader post, it's exactly what I was hoping for. Also implied fem! for Vaggie is perfectly fine and makes sense, Nifty was a good touch but it's so true I'm not mad😅 and g/n for the rest is a win for everyone, who wouldn't want them to experience these women confessing their feelings. I'd love to see part two with the women of heaven. Sadly no Carmilla pet names yet but I'll let you know if I think of any.
Cautions - SPOILERS, DO NOT READ IF YOU HAVEN'T WATCHED ALL OF SEASON ONE, if you are fine with spoilers or already know what's happening feel free to continue <33 ngl Sera was a bit tricky but we're cooking 🍳, cursing (duh), possibly ooc Lute, let me know if there are any others!
Genre - Fluff
Type - head canons
Comments - Hey hey! I'm so glad you loved them 🥹 From what I've seen online (I'm not active on Vivian's Twitter so I'm really just taking the word of others) that Vaggie is canonically lesbian and that Nifty is canonically straight, so that's why I did the respective genders. If I'm wrong, absolutely anyone correct me and show me what Viv has said otherwise 😭 But anyways, here are the heavenly women!~ (also, Lute might be a little ooc, I think it's okay though. Please give me some tips for characters with her personality 🙏🙏)
Sweet, shy thing~ Pt 2
Here's part one!
Emily
- You and Emily have been friends since you both came into existence
- Basically attached at the hip!
- Several times other angels had assumed you two were a couple, but Emily always corrected them that you were just friends. (You were always too flushed and shy to say anything)
- However, one day, when Emily was about to correct another angel, she hesitated
- She doesn't know why, but this time, she didn't want to correct them
- She thought about it long and hard that night, laying awake in her bed, wondering why she hesitated on telling the angel that you two were.. she can't even say it??
- That morning, she ever so groggily walked up to Sera, and asked her what was happening to her
- Sera chuckled, then explained that Emily might have a crush on you
- Neither you or Emily had ever been in a relationship before, you never really needed to. You always had each other, and that's all you both wanted
- Atleast.. that was all she wanted. Now she wants to be.. more to you than just your bestest friend
- She wants your little hangouts together to be romantic sometimes, for you two to hold hands
- The realization of her feelings for you has definitely brought out such cute and sappy thoughts Emily never thought would cross her mind
- She tells you around 4 months before the meeting with Charlie in heaven
- She had finally concocted the perfect plan to confess
- She brought you to a meadow outside of the more city parts of heaven. It was your little hiding space away from prying eyes (mostly.)
- When you arrived, she already had made a flower crown
- But the flowers she used weren't merely chosen at random, no no no. These flowers meant something, and that something was her feelings.
- You and her had studied the language of flowers together, just a passing hobby, and because it was so much fun!
- She used daisies, which means true love and new beginnings. Sun flowers, meaning adoration and loyalty, peace, love, and happiness. Some baby's breath, while used in bouquets for baby showers can also mean everlasting love and innocence. And finally, a daffodil, which means devotion.
- With all of these meanings in mind, you stared at the flower crown, practically screaming her feelings for you as she blushed, her hands shaking slightly as she looks away, silently waiting for your answer
- She doesn't look back up to you until you gently grab her shaking hands, steadying them
- Once they begin shaking less, you grab the crown, and place it on top of your head, a blush spreading across your face as your hands reach back down to hers, giving them a soft, reassuring squeeze
- No words were spoken, but that's all she needed. You returned her feelings, and you wanted to be with her, as her partner.
Seraphim
- She's a very reserved angel.
- She has to be, she ranks very highly in heaven. (Whether she earned her position or was created for it I have no idea but lets just say she had to work for it for my sake.) She worked too hard to get this position, any slips would ruin everything she's done.
- However, lately, she's been a bit more sleepy eyed, and yawning far too much. Michael, (I legit know nothing about the ranks in heaven, correct me 😭) her boss, has noticed and decided to assign her an assistant. That being you! Good job 👍
- As much as she appreciates Michael looking out for her, an angel of her ranking shouldn't need to depend on someone else, and while she does try to argue this with him, he isn't budging.
- She's a bit.. how do I say this, cold and bitchy to you? To begin with atleast
- She doesn't appreciate that she's being forced to have an assistant.
- So, she gives you harder tasks than you can probably handle. And she doesn't really bother to get to know you. Just that you're doing the work she assigned to you and returning it to her when she expects it
- After a while, she starts to warm up to you. And how long is that "while" you may be asking? Around.. 200-300 years....
- Y e a h, she doesn't warm up to you that quickly. But after those years, you can notice her warming up to you, and finally showing some decency of asking about your day
- Which starts your little conversations here and there. Mostly just talking about your days, funny stories, or talking about the work you both do, and some hobbies here and there
- You two grow closer, eventually starting to socialize outside of work, and you finally get to see Sera relax, no longer tense and stressed, but instead a less tense and much happier version of your boss
- The moment she realizes she fell for you was when one day she was looking forwards to seeing you at work.. but you didn't show up
- She was.. sad? She didn't fully understand why until she was reading later that day, a romance novel. It was one about lovers separated due to extreme weather, unable to see each other. The book described the longing both felt, and how sad they were being unable to contact each other.
- She immediately recognized those feelings as the ones she felt when you weren't at work.
- You returned to work a few days later, on top of your desk was a large bouquet of flowers, generally meaning good health and happiness as well as sprinkles of friendship here and there, as well as a note
- "My dear assistant, I thank you for taking care of me and assisting me with my paper work all these years. I have no words to thank you for everything you've done, despite how I treated you when you first began. In order to thank you, and try to apologize for my harshness, I wish to take you out to dinner. My treat, of course. Sincerely, Seraphim."
- And then you two loved happily ever after, the end <333
Lute
- She uh
- She doesn't like you
- I'm being so real
- Kinda like Nifty, she needs someone tough enough to match her or atleast get close
- ...is what she used to think
- HA I GOT YOUR ASSES-
- But because she's the way she is she doesn't like you at first
- Let's say you're a medic for the exterminators cause they get injured sometimes (just go with it)
- On occasion Lute would have to visit you because she got too carried away during the extermination or while training (do they train?? 😭)
- She didn't like going to you but she followed the rules as much as she could. This being one of them
- After so many visits to your office for various injuries she grew fond of you, her thoughts occasionally drifting to you, causing more injuries so she would have to see you again
- After several years of going in this cycle, she finally decided to ask if you two could hangout outside of your clinic
- You agreed, of course. And from then on you two became closer
- Now, to how Lute asks you out.. it's very blunt and straight forward
- It almost sounds like a demand
- "I like you, I want to go on a date with you at [this time] and at [this place]." With a bright red blush on her face 🤭
- Now, she immediately walked away after she said that because she was so embarrassed. So she didn't know if you actually accepted the date or not
- Lute only realized this after she got to the place she asked/told you to meet her at.
- So she was panicking severely, preparing herself to call Adam as a backup so she didn't look like she was lonely, and to blame it on Adam's careless attitude as to why she was waiting for so long.
- However, just as she was about to call him, you walked in, dressed nicely and a blush covering your face
- Lute.. was ecstatic. You actually came?? Even though you're so??? Shy??
- You both had fun talking over dinner, and after she walked you home, leaving a miss on your cheek before walking back to her place, only looking back once to see a deep blush spread across your face at the peck.
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choke-me-joey · 2 years
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I'm torn between 19 and 23 with Joseph Quinn 😅👀 Is it possible to do them both in one or as two separate ones?
Ask and you shall receive! Sorry this turned out longer than I anticipated but....drunk sex, hello???????
19. Mm, you're so wet. Did I do this to you, baby? Is this all for me?
23. I'm gonna fuck you so good the whole damn neighbourhood will know my name by the time I'm done with you.
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Joseph Quinn x reader
Content warning: 18+ content minors DNI, rpf (don't like don't read), established relationship, drunk but consensual sex, slight PDA, unprotected sex (don't be silly wrap ur willy), creampie
Hoe-vember masterlist
You and Joe should have gone home about 10 drinks ago. He had to show up for London Film and Comic Con tomorrow, but he didn't care. That bastard rarely ever had hangovers. You swore you got hangovers for the both of you.
But right now, that wasn't really on your mind. It was one of your mutual friend's birthdays, and a rare occasion that Joe wasn't out of the county, so bar and club hopping in London it was. It was 11.30 on a fucking Thursday and you were admittedly off your tits on too much Prosecco and gin, but your boyfriend was here with you, looking fucking delicious in a simple shirt and jeans, the top buttons of the shirt undone and the chain that you got him for your 1 year anniversary dangling around his neck.
You could just eat him up. And apparently he could do the same to you. He was currently over the other side of the club, chatting to Wesley and a couple of other mates, eyeing you over the rim of his glass, a dirty smile on his face.
You'd noticed a change in his demeanor since you'd gone public. You'd both agreed in the beginning to keep it discreet whenever you were out together, but now you'd officially confirmed your relationship of 3 years to the press, Joe was not shy about showing his affection in public. He'd barely been able to keep his hands off you all night, enjoying the fact that he could enjoy a night out with you and his friends and not have to worry the next morning about leaked photos.
"Look at you, eye-fucking each other across the dance floor." Your friend, the birthday girl, sidled up to you, sipping her drink with a smug look on her face. "And all because of little old me playing Cupid."
"Zara, we literally knew each other in school," you laughed, rolling your eyes. You giggle as Joe flashes you another smirk and does a goofy dance move, rolling his hips.
"Yes, and you fancied each other for years and were both too wimpy to do anything about it! If it hadn't had been for my Halloween party, you never would have been off your face on vodka jelly and never would have had the balls to snog him!" Zara slurs her words, sloshing her drink around. "So y'welcome."
"Thank you Zara." You sigh, shaking your head and smiling. The Hills by The Weeknd starts to play, and Zara shrieks, gleefully clapping. "For fucks sake."
"The exact song you snogged him to!" She is absolutely wasted, gesturing to Wesley that she wants to dance with him. "Oi, Charlie, birthday girl wants a dance!" She darts off, dragging your friend Charlie away from the group of lads. Joe shoots you a shit eating grin, placing his empty glass down on the bar as he approaches you, taking your empty glass from you too.
"Don't even mention it," you glare at him, laughing, as he walks backwards onto the dance floor, dragging you by your hands, his sobriety well and truly gone as he wiggles his hips in time to the music. He pulls you close to him, placing his hands on your ass, much like that very night you first kissed him, actually. You wrap your arms around his neck. "Shut up."
"What was it you said to me? Something about wondering if your lipgloss actually tasted like cherries, or was it just a scam?" Joe teases, and you bury your head in his neck, cheeks flushing with embarrassment.
"Shut uuuuup," you groan, grinning like a drunken fool as you pull away, your bodies grinding together on the dance floor. "You fell for it though!"
"Of course I did, babe, I fancied you for like 10 years!" Joe's also slurring his words. "Plus, the nurse costume was very sexy. Couldn't resist. Didn't taste like cherries though."
"Well, Quinn, wanna tell me if my lipgloss tonight tastes like peach? Or is it another scam?" You flirt, looking up at him through your lashes, grinding your hips against his to the beat. He groans, his head tilting back slightly before he leans down to kiss you. It starts out as soft, but as the chorus kicks in, Joe's tongue slips into your mouth and you moan. He smirks, knowing nobody else can hear you over the thumping bass of the song.
You kiss him, slow and dirty, the alcohol in both of your systems making you feel dizzy and giddy, almost as if you were drunk off of each other. He pulls away, his lips shining with your gloss. He licks his lips. "Definitely not peach. Guess you'll just have to keep getting me to taste all these flavoured lipglosses until we find a good one." He flirts, grinding his crotch against yours and you shiver feeling the slight bulge that was starting to form there. You pull him in for another kiss, nibbling at his full bottom lip. He groans, hand coming down to squeeze your ass.
"I've got something else you can taste." You grin and he laughs, shocked by your boldness. "Wanna go home?"
"I've wanted to go home before we even left," Joe chuckles. That was true; as soon as he'd seen your outfit for the night he'd almost managed to convince you to stay in and not leave your bedroom all night, but you'd been firm, insisting you couldn't miss your friend's birthday as it was such a bloody ballache to arrange in the first place.
You grinned, dragging Zara off of Charlie for 2 seconds to let her know you were leaving. She makes a crude shagging joke before giving you and Joe a hug, promising you she will meet up with you next week for lunch, and wishing Joe good luck for the weekend.
You and Joe stumble out into the night air, London feeling especially sticky on this July evening. It's like you're bloody teenagers again, unable to take your hands off of each other. Joe spots a secluded alleyway and grins. You follow his eyeline.
Oh.
This is a bad idea, but oh.
He doesn't even wait for you to acknowledge it, before dragging you down the dimly lit alley, shoving you against the wall and kissing you once more, hiking your leg up around his waist, his hand clutching your bum cheek. Your arms are once again around his neck, and you use the angle he had you at to grind against him once more.
"Joe," you gasp as his mouth leaves yours and travels down to your neck, licking and sucking at your pulse point. His hand that wasn't holding you up manages to find its way into your jeans, and he strokes your clit through your underwear, making you shiver.
"Mm, you're so wet. Did I do this to you, baby? Is this all for me?" He teases you, his mouth still on your neck. "Does doing this in public really turn you on that much?"
"You turn me on that much," you whisper, mirroring his actions and palming his cock through his jeans. "This all for me?"
"Always been f'you." Joe brushes his nose against yours, removing his hand from your pants and sucking the finger that had been touching you into his mouth.
*
After managing to get back home without throwing him down on the path and riding him, you'd finally gotten Joe right where you wanted him - naked, and on top of you. Although he wasn't inside you yet, the two of you just laid there, holding each other, kissing, running your hands over each other's bodies.
Joe was teasing you though, every so often nudging the head of his cock into your pussy and then pulling back, chuckling when you whined and tried to wrap your legs around him to hold him in place.
"Something you want, baby?"
"Joe, please!" You whimper, trying to keep your voice down. You had neighbours after all. He reaches inbetween you and rubs slow circles on your clit, making your back arch.
"Oh no, baby, don't hide those pretty noises from me. You know I wanna hear you."
"Joe, babe, I can't! Everyone in the building will hear!" You hiss, but a moan escapes you as he suddenly pushes his entire length into you, taking you by surprise. "Oh god, Joe!"
"That's right, beautiful. Say my name." Joe growls, dragging his cock out and placing a pillow under your hips. He slides back in, the new angle making you cry out sharply. "Sod the building, I'm gonna fuck you so good the whole damn neighbourhood will know my name by the time I'm done with you."
You mewl, finger nails digging into his back. He hitches your legs up over his shoulders, holding on to your thighs for leverage.
Every single stroke of his cock hits your g-spot, and with a few swipes of his fingers over your clit, Joe has you cumming around his cock, screaming his name, the alcohol and the pure ecstasy coursing through your veins had you throwing all fucks out of the window, so to speak. Something about drunk sex just made everything feel so much more raw, so primal.
Joe lets you ride out your high, before flipping you over on to your stomach, the pillow still under your hips, arching your back.
"Fuck," he grunts as he slides back into you again, his hands gripping your hip bones as you scramble to get a hold of the sheets beneath you.
"Oh god, oh, Joe!"
"Louder." He hisses, a sharp slap landing on your ass.
"Joe! Joe! Fuck, yes, Joe!" You're practically sobbing with pleasure now, every single nerve ending on fire as he splits you apart on his cock. Before you realise it, you're cumming again. "Joe, oh my god, I'm cumming! Cum inside me, Joe, fuck, give it to me!"
"Shit, yeah, Y/N, gonna make me cum so hard-fuck, fuck, fuck!"
With a particularly loud moan, Joe pushes his cock inside you as deep as he can, his dick twitching as it spurts rope after rope of cum deep inside you. He pants; it must have been a strong one, your name leaving his lips like a prayer. When he's done, he rolls off you, flopping down onto the bed.
"I think we owe the neighbourhood an apology." You giggle, your face flushing with embarrassment at how loud you'd been.
"When you sound like that babe, they owe me a thank you." Joe grins, and you pull him into another sloppy kiss.
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cinamun · 3 months
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There is a pop-psychology concept called the relationship escalator that represents how we are socialised to view how intimate relationships should go, dating to engagement to marriage to kids etc. And while it is fine and even comfortable for some (the majority, even?) to follow the script, it is very much not one size fits all.
But social pressure exists to follow the script, and anyone who deviates is harshly scrutinised and will be covertly (and frankly overtly - sometimes violently) pressured to conform. Often the strictest enforcers are people who on an individual level would have chosen another option had they known one was available, or those who deluded themselves into believing conforming would lead to an easier life even if it isn't what they really wanted aka misery loves company.
I’ll get to my point - though this story is fictional, there is an established path to happiness that reminiscent of the Relationship Escalator. Characters date, fall in love, fuck, get married and then have kids who will continue the cycle. Sometimes they even do it in the order they're supposed to😅
Even the arguably most subversive character in the story, my beloved Jerri, has hopped on the escalator and ultimately found happiness on it. But that doesn’t and shouldn’t mean that following that path is the only way to live a happy life (in fiction or in reality).
One thing about the way that Dira comes across is that she has always been herself, and she does things her way when she wants to, and not a moment sooner. So who’s to say she even wants to ‘settle down’ - ever? Does she need a reason for not wanting a long term relationship beyond the fact that she just doesn’t want one?
Now is it possible that Dira is a Lesbian or on the Aromantic spectrum? Of course anything is possible and I for one would love to see it as there is no reason to assume everyone is straight by default. But I can also appreciate the depiction of a (presumed) straight young woman living life on her own terms, and not allowing herself to be pressured into a committed monogamous (🤫) relationship just because it’s what she “should” do.
And maybe her desire to be non-committal is rooted in trauma. Maybe she does have some unpacking and healing to do before she is ‘ready’ to settle down with that firecracker from next door. I’m stirring, I do like Charlie, he seems like a good egg. Mostly. But to return to my point, trauma doesn't mean her autonomy should be dismissed.
Speaking of Chuck, there is a whole other conversation to be had about the line between being lead on and personal accountability but this ask is already an essay 😜
I’ll wrap this up by thanking you as always for giving me and everyone else something to think about with this story.
Thank you for leading with what you led with AND acknowledging that Dira and what she wants can be absolutely normal without being rooted in anything other than her desires. I think anyone who asserts Dira _MUST_ be lying to herself or that somehow how I've written her in a _FICTIONAL_ story is somehow wrong and immoral.
Because that's super frustrating but I mean, I get it. Anytime I write women in roles other than happy homemakers this happens.
And you're welcome! Its important dialogue to have and a reminder that if anyone is looking for the happy love story here you're not ever going to get it. You didn't get it with Indya, you didn't get it with Hope and you're not getting it with Dira (you in the general sense like how I say y'all lmfao just so we're clear!)
ANYWAY *gulps coffee* this is a refreshing take an old idea about how women should behave. I hope you get an unexpected settlement check from a class action you never knew you were apart of today.
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babyinatrenchcoat · 1 year
Text
Coming Out - Sister Winchester
Sooo this has been sitting in my drafts since 2017… apparently I came up with the idea in choir class my senior year 😅 I pretty much abandoned my account for like six years, but I’ve been revisiting it the last few days and thought I might as well finish this for shits and gigs.
Also, it turned out a bit more lengthy than I had originally anticipated… I don’t have a word count, I’m sorry
Descrpition: Coming out as gay/lesbian (whichever you prefer to say) to your older brothers.
Characters: Sam, Dean, Sister!reader, Charlie (mentioned)
Warnings: LGBTQ+ (if any of you need that as a warning), strong language (one word, said once)
~~~~~
Today is the day. The inevitability of this day gave you nightmares. The day you’d finally tell your brother’s the truth. You’re certain they both support it. They're fine with Charlie, after all. But that doesn't calm your nerves. The three of you found out pretty close to immediately upon meeting her. But you? Sam and Dean have known you your whole life. This will be so much different.
You pace back and forth in the bunker library, slowly boring a hole into the floor. Your thumb nail quickly becomes raw from your teeth as you run over what you plan to say in your head. This is the most nerve racking thing you’ve ever done. Ever had to do. Because this has to be done. They have to know the truth. It's the only way you can be your whole self around your family.
Not that you’re ashamed. No, it’s more that you’ve never actually said the words out loud. You’ve known about yourself for a very long time, but saying it aloud makes it real. These are different times. You know you have nothing to be ashamed of. Even still, your heart pounds in your throat.
The door starts to open, causing you to stop in your tracks and stare up at it. The color drains from your face, and your heart rate quickens, as if it was possible. Sam and Dean step inside, and you swear you can hear the rapid thumping of your heartbeat in you ears. Your brothers walk down the stairs and into the library where you stand chewing your nail with a terrified look on your face. They notice.
“What’s wrong, y/n?” The eldest brother asks.
“Did something happen?” Sam adds.
You take a deep breath. “Can you guys just sit down please?” The brothers exchange a confused glance before obeying.
“What's going on?” Sam asks as he pulls up his chair.
You run your hands through your hair and begin pacing again. Where do you begin? “Okay, so... I've been wanting to tell you guys this for a while now, but... I dunno, I've been scared, and I haven't really know how to do it, and-” Dean cuts off your rambling.
“Y/n,” he says, bringing your pacing to a halt. “You’re scaring me, kid, calm down. Breathe.” You obey. “Now tell us what's up. You didn't free the Leviathins again or anything, did you?”
You chuckle slightly. “No.”
“Then I don't think there's anything you could do that would be much worse,” he continues, adding a smile. “Talk to us, little sis.”
You try to rethink your approach, but come up dry. Finally, you become impatient with yourself and decide to just spill your guts. “Alright, I'm just gonna say it. But please, please promise that you won't hate me.”
“We could never hate you!” Sam immediately says.
The genuineness in his hazel eyes calms your nerves just a little. But only a little. You still have to force down the golf ball sized lump in your throat. You close your eyes and take another deep breath. Keeping your eyes shut, you finally let it out.
“I’m gay.”
And there it is. It’s out. You’re out. The reality of the words you just said sets in. You’ve never said those words out loud. The pit in your stomach tightens, and you have to hold your breath to keep from crying. Your nerves are still shot, but you also feel free. You’re out! There’s no taking it back now.
You keep your eyes pressed shut for a moment, afraid to see a disappointed look on your brothers’ faces. Finally, you convince yourself to pry one eye open, the curiosity of their reactions becoming overbearing.
Your brothers look at each other, then back at you. An identical smirk spreads across both pairs of lips.
What the hell is that?
Your other eye shoots open and you glare at them, waiting for something, anything, to come out of their mouths. “Well say something!” You practically shout. Dean fails to stifles a chuckle, while Sam allows his smile to spread further. “Why are you laughing?!”
“Y/n,” Same begins. “We know.”
Your whole world shatters, then the pieces come back together in an entirely new arrangement in a split second. The only word you can muster is “What?”
Dean clears his throat and leans forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “Do you remember when you told us about your first kiss?”
How could you forget? “Uh, I seem to remember the two of you pestering the shit out of me until I told you.”
You had made the mistake of coming back to the motel you temporarily called home still blushing profusely. You tried like hell to suppress the crimson color of your burning cheeks, to no avail. “What’s his name?” Your eldest brother had immediately said. How were you supposed to react to his use of the word ‘his’?
Dean snickers about the memory now. “Right,” he agrees. “Anyway, you told us the kid’s name was Alex.”
Where is he going with this? It’s not like you lied. You just chose to leave out the fact that Alex wasn’t a boy. “Yeah?”
Dean pauses for a moment as if to give you a chance to catch up. You respond by simply raising your brows, silently asking him to continue. He looks to Sam for help.
“There wasn’t a single boy named Alex in your school,” Sam says.
Oh.
Heat rises to your entire face. At the time, you hadn’t considered that possibility.
“There was, however, an Alexandra in your grade,” Dean adds. He lifts one eyebrow at you.
You cover the embarrassment on your face with your hands. You’ve been so worried to tell them something that they already knew. Since your were 15, you’ve been trying to keep a cat in a bag that had a giant hole in the bottom. A laugh pushes itself from your stomach, and you drop your hands.
“I should’ve known you guys would try to find the guy,” you say.
Sam scrunches his eyebrows, keeping the smile spread across his face. “Well, yeah,” he sasses.
“Did you honestly think that we would find out that some horny teenage boy was mackin’ on our kid sister and not try to find out who he was?” Dean says.
You toss your palms up in surrender. “Like I said, I should’ve known,” you smile. “You broke into the school, didn’t you?”
“Of course,” Sam casually says with a quick shrug. All you can do is shake your head. A short moment of silence later, Sam rises to his feet and holds out his arms. “C’mere,” he says, gesturing you towards the space between his arms.
In the time it takes you to walk to him, Dean stands as well, holding one arm open to you. You reach the two of them and collapse into the embrace of the group hug. The weight of a thousand worlds lifts off your shoulders and is replaced by comfort. Comfort you only ever feel from your brothers.
You squeeze your arms around them just a bit tighter. “You guys are the best big brothers a girl could ask for.”
Dean squeezes back and plants a kiss on the top of your head. “You mean the world to us, Y/n, you know that.”
You nuzzle yourself further into your brothers’ arms. The last ten minutes replays in your mind, and you can’t help but giggle. “I can’t believe you guys have known this whole time.”
“Of course we knew,” Sam’s voice sounds from above you. “And even if we hadn’t found out then, you’re not exactly discreet about checking out bartenders and waitresses.”
The only defense you can think of is a slap on his chest. The action sends the two men away from you in a laughing fit.
“I am so!”
“You are so not,” Dean says between chuckles.
After the three of you recover from your laughter, you just stare at them for a moment. You’ve been worried for nothing. These two dorks would do anything for you. There’s nothing in the universe that would make them think any less of you.
“I love you guys,” you say.
Dean reaches over and tousles your hair. “We love you too, kiddo.”
~~~~~~~~~~
Let me know if you guys want the story of the boys finding out about Alexandra, cause I would LOVE to write that in detail.
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zmayadw · 4 months
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Okay, so I feel a bit calmer this morning, even though I still feel very much sad and disappointed with the whole Moonvale thing, but I'd like to share a few thoughts with you all, both bad and good, concerning the game.
And if you know me by now, you also know I can't write short posts expressing myself, so feel free to skip this long post! 😅
Alrighty, so let's begin:
From the moment Everbyte announced Moonvale I was very excited. As Duskwood was an amazing game, I only expected for the new game to be even more amazing. Logical, right? I never expected it to be a Duskwood sequel, and that was absoluetly ok for me, because no matter how much we all wanted and hoped for it, I was more than willing to give the team that made so wonderful and amazing game as Duskwood a chance to amaze me once more. And when they said that Duskwood will be a part of the new game as a side story, that excitement was only getting bigger.
And so here we are, two agonizing years of waiting later, only to be welcomed with this huge disappointment.
When I started with Moonvale, I really took it slowly, exploring everything carefully before even opening the chat and actually starting with the game and the story itself. And lo and behold, what do I see? No possibility for a premium package, but a lot of options for a ridiculously priced packages to buy jewels for, at that moment, who knew what, but I had a suspicion what it was for. Nonetheless, I dissmissed it for the time being, even though it was getting me a bit frustrated, and decided to move on and start with the story.
The story itself started quite good. I even started to laugh at one point realizing and thinking to myself Gosh, those Everbyte people really like the woods! The character/actor of Eric is nice, I like him, even though he seemes to be pretty clumsy! 😄
Now, the actor/character of Adam is probably the one of the rare things that amazed me from the start! His performance was so great, and I think I read it in someones post this morning how someone also thought he looks alike Rami Malek, and that was my first thought, too! Ok, so far not bad at all one would think, right? Wrong!
At first I didn't really pay attention to, or even realized it, but as other characters started to appear in the game, everything started to scream AI. The chats with those characters just didn't really feel right, you know? And I was really appalled by it. I mean, come on Everbyte, did we really come to this? Are you doubting in your capability of creating something great so much, when we know you damn well CAN do it? Or has the usage of AI became so much needed/mandatory ( I don't know what word to put here really or to explain it better), that you cannot do anything without it? Considering so many creators of all kinds are fighting so hard to stop it from being used in everything, I suppose no. But then again, I don't know if my knowledge about it is sufficient enough, but I can voice out my opinion, and I don't like it at all!
Ok, I have to admit, the chat with Ash about us and Duskwood wasn't bad,or the chat between Ash and Charlie about us, but that is all good(ish) I can say about that.
By this time I was really getting annoyed and frustrated, and as some of you might saw one of my post from yesterday, when it gotten really interesting in the story and my insufficient amount of jewels prevented me from seeing some photos/videos, I was so fucking angry and disappointed that I was very VERY close to just drop the whole thing and stop playing. But I continued, just for the sake to finish it.
And when I finally did finish it, not even the last video of Alan's body camera, or the message after that from Jake, lifted my spirit. All I could think of was how sad and disappointed I was. :(
I really expected an amazing and great game from Everbyte, considering Duskwood is one of THE BEST games I have played. But to get money grabbing, AI screaming thing, that was looking so promising...it just saddens me. I know they need to make money somehow, I'm well aware of it, but not like this. Not like this!
Will I continue playing it? Yes, I probably will, but mostly because I want to see how it will continue with the Duskwood sidestory. Also, I read people are considering using the mod pack if/when it becomes available so they can see the premium/special options, but I won't do that. I don't judge anyone here, do what you want, this is just my opinion, but no matter what, I still have respect towards the creators, and using those mod packs just doesn't feel right to me.
So again, yes, I will continue with Moonvale, but neither will I pay for special options (unless they by some miracle make it like with Duskwood, which I doubt but one can hope!), nor will I use the mod pack of any kind. And I really REALLY hope by all thats sacred, that as the Duskwood side story advances, those jewels won't be necessary to use there, because in that case, that's it from me, sayonara/ goodbye/farewell/adios to Moonvale completely. At least I will always have Duskwood.
Thanks to anyone who managed to read till the end! 💚 Take care all, and let's hope that all this won't get any more worse than it already is!
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ok well while I beta-read my own fic, I have the sudden urge to make a post about all of my scraped/put away/shared TDIM aus with my siblings! because I wanna talk about them💃
Vampire!Erin AU I wasn't able to find a way to set off
Werewolf x Werewolf Jerin AU I played with for a moment before scraping.
Night in The Woods AU me and my sister(@screamwhore hiii👋👋) played with after she beat the game that I currently have sitting in the deep freezer waiting to be thawed out.
Marble Hornets AU me and my sibling(@everglowingstars also hiii👋👋) made while watching the series back in March(?) I believe. We haven't talked about it in a minute though🤔
Ghostface!Jerin AU I played with a little before scraping/putting away, I'm not quite sure which one😅
The Ghost Rider!Erin AU I ACTUALLY BRAINSTORMED AFTER THE DREAM. It didn't really go anywhere though😔
The Demon!Erin AU I ALSO brainstormed after the initial dream, I currently have that one also in the deep freezer for now.
Werewolf!Kate AU I came up with and ultimately scraped, but that was before I knew ANYTHING about TDIM so it may or may not make a comeback one day.
Ride The Cyclone AU That rides into my brain again every once in a while, it's a dumb AU and it's a musical fic for god's sake so😭 but it is also oddly in character for the Lonnit crew so, for now, I just have it put away.
IDK what to even call this AU the plot was Du'met killed the crew and then made their body into little murder robots that run around. IDK💀 it's scraped though but it's still interesting. I also think I played with the idea of their souls still being trapped in their body they just couldn't really do anything but watch.
Grave Encounters AU I have no idea what I'm doing with💀 The Lonnit crew is just so Grave Encounters coded tho like you can not tell me Charlie wouldn't get them stuck in something like that💀💀
Spiderman!Lonnit Crew (minus Charlie) AU that kind of just spiraled into a SMG spiderverse AU? idk it's scraped tho☹��☹️ But it sort of lives on in the Deadpool x Spiderman Jerin au!!!
Speaking of Superheros, Superhero!Lonnit Crew au that never got anywhere :(
a Fantasy AU that is actually for the ENTIRE SMG game series(UD, HA, TI, TQ, TDP, etc.) That I've been working on for the LONGEST of time now that still has a lot of work to be done.
I think I thought about a Pokemon AU like, right at the beginning of my hyperfixation but it didn't go anywhere sadly😔 andddd yeah that's pretty much it, at least from what I can remember from the top of my head. Yeah, this little brain of mine pumps out AU in mass LMAOOOOO If you guys have any questions about any of them, like character casting or plots or whatever I'm 100% open to talk!! I FREAKING LOVE TALKING ABOUT MY AUS RAHHHHH🦅🦅🦅🦅
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starcrossedjedis · 7 months
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No need to read the Bridgerton books tbh, they're romance novels and let's call them a product of their time. I mean, tastes differ of course, so for the people who enjoy them, good for them. I used to like them years ago and still like some aspects of them but... in particularly Eloise's book is just a no for me nowadays (but I guess it's many ppls favorite so... maybe it's just me). btw there is an older Featherington sister in the books called Felicity (but that's about all I remember so I guess it's not that important) - I *think* she was pretty much normal and nice, but it's been ages, so I could be wrong. Anyway, love your ideas!! With Bridgerton S3 coming up, this is sure to make many Bridgerton OC creators happy!
It's not that I mind the books or anything, it's just not the genre I usually reach for.
As for the show, I watched it when it first came out and thought it was okay. Solid show with a pretty handsome cast.
I probably wouldn't even have thought about making an OC for it, but when That™️ scene with Daphne and Simon came (and I learned that it was taken from the actual book) it pissed me off so bad that Kitty popped into my mind as a "we say Daphne Bridgerton has no right but the right to gtfo" OC 😅
(Also, pulling out is not contraception there was no need to go there to breach the topic at all)
And because I am really, really bad at stopping myself I made her some BFFs (Poppy and Charlie) who... yes, also spiralled out of proportion 😆
I never made more than one singular gifset for Kitty and Simon after season 1 and then season 2 just didn't really do it for me, so I didn't go back.
But I stumbled upon the sneaky peeks for Pen and Colin last night and my brain went "if Poppy ever finds out he said that, Colin better sleep with one eye open" 😄
And here we are today 🐝
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PS: from what I gathered I am kinda hoping they scrap the whole Eloise and Sir Philip thing, because it grosses me out a bit, but I can understand how hardcore fans feel very passionate about them and would be disappointed, so 🤗
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shelbydelrey · 1 year
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WIP Wednesday
Thank you for the tag @emotionalcadaver This story here is for @runnning-outof-time 3K Celebration but i have no idea when it's going to be ready 😅 So here's a sneak peek 😁
warnings: nightmare, ptsd, WW2 and distress in general. It's not edited either.
1946 He walked through the abandoned trenches and listened to the ashy gray floor sizzle under his boots in the absence of other sounds. No bird flew around cooing or cackling. Not even vultures. But why would they? There were no trees for them to land on and no bodies to feast. Only a desolate field that extended for kilometers, creating the impression that none of his steps mattered because there wasn't a beggining let alone an end. "You're never going to leave here," She said and he didn't have to turn his head to see that his little sister started to walk beside him. "Go home, Ruby," He replied, clutching the gun that was buckled on his shoulder. "I don't have a home silly." Oh yeah, that's right. Their father had exploded the house they grew in to the ground. He had always found that mesmerizing. In one minute there was Arrow House and the other there was no more. "And neither do you," Ruby added. He finally turned in her direction, wanting to scream at her provocation but the words died on his tongue. Instead of irises and pupils, her eyes were now two black orbs and out of them oozed a thick charcoal liquid that descended down her face and dripped to the floor. "Stay here with me, Charlie," She pleaded and the same unnatural blood spilled out of her mouth, "I'm so lonely."
Without startlement, Charlie opened his eyes and stared at the ceiling, feeling the rage of his heartbeat spread throughout his body. Should he classify that as a nightmare or one of his sister's visits? Sometimes they blended into one another, carrying the same eerie atmosphere. Not that it mattered if they were apart at the end of the day. He was still left as a complete mess incapable of having good dreams. He writhed in bed, knowing too well that it was to no avail, and sighed defeated. Standing up he took the care to open the door softly as to not summon its creaks and went down the stairs adamant in assaulting the kitchen's cabinets after some alcohol. But he stopped on his tracks remembering what Aunt Ada had said: "No spirits in the house!" His shoulders slumbered and he sighed once more, thirsty for a drink that would dry his mouth and burn his throat. A relief, that was all that be wanted. A relief from the terrible night that he was having. Turning around he contemplated going back to bed, but staring at the wall sounded as agonizing as using a rifle in the battlefield. An idea popped to rescue him from his musings and he tip toed his way out to the attic. Aunt Ada had been complaining all week that the place needed be organized and now it was the perfect time to keep his hands busy. He coughed once the stale air invaded his lungs and watched through squinted lids the shadow of boxes and piles of books scattered throughout the place. A streak of moonlight, coming from the ceiling window, helped him walk around without bumping into anything and revealed particles of dust dancing in the air. Charlie reached for the lightbulb and pulled it's little chord. Before the yellow gleam lit up the room he went to a corner choosen at random and began to scavange the mess. "Shouldn't you be in bed?" For his own shame he hesitated and the last image of the nightmare came rushing back in. Ruby smiling and flashing her teeth smudged with dark blood. "Go away, Ruby." He pleaded once he recomposed. The following silence could trick a fool into thinking that she met his desire, but he was too long into that game to fall for it. She would haunt him until she grew bored of it. "Charlie?" Ruby cooed. Her voice had an edge to it, as if layered by another sound similar to a razor blade scraping a crow's vocal cords. "Charlie?" She repeated, reaching a hand to his shoulder. He immediately jerked away and screamed a "Leave me the fuck alone, Ruby!", but his heart stopped when he saw that the girl who occupied the space in front of him wasn't his dead sister, but his very alive and frightened cousin Beth.
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crazykuroneko · 1 year
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The Newsreader S2 Ep 5
a.k.a where I'm clutching my fist the whole time because Rob's family are racists to Noelene, and, let's be frank here, Dale got raped by a stranger
OMG THEY'RE STILL ACTING THEY'RE TOGETHER IN FRONT OF PEOPLE 😭
Helen has been thinking about going overseas I see
They used a lot of overhead zoomed in shots on objects at the start of The Walters school scenes
The score when Evelyn saw Helen and ran up the stairs is 🤌
LINDSEY IS KAY'S GODFATHER???! omg they really have no life beside work, don't they?
Oh Helen. She did say if something happens they  have to tell the other, but she didn't say anything about Charlie 😔
Reminding your child you're also her landlord and not respecting her space is NOT the way to do it Geoff
Gerry wants to be the middle man when he hasn't known Helen/Dale has broken up and knew they're monogamous is kinda 😅
They really should have chosen the more private area 
Tim is such a great guy, but Dale keeps only using him as a rebound or to scratch his itches. If I were him, I wouldn't want to see Dale anymore
We hate to say it, but Dale is basically just got raped. Like, he definitely looks like he doesn't remember anything from last night with that guy. That, on top of his existing trauma, heartbreak, and his self-worth being crushed knowing Helen has been going to Charlie is insane. oh baby
NOT ROB'S FAMILY BEING RACIST TO NOELENE. "we're okay eating chinese" SHE IS KOREAN! "is there MSG?" CHINESE PEOPLE ALSO HAVE TRADITIONAL FOOD YOU SINOPHOBIC 
thank god Rob spoke up. but KONNICHIWA?? okay
yeah, her potential sister-in-law IS def racist.And expect her to be a stay-at-home mom like her. Noelene is definitely what Helen's running from. The thing is I think Dale and he mom would love her to keep pursuing her career. But it's very understandable for her to get scared about that and the children
"I intend to stay clean with or w/o my parents' support" GO KAY
God, the scene where Helen and Noelene hear Kay's words is so powerful. "A model daughter" is about three of them. And the directing. UGH beautiful 
And the words about the parents and children. Parents who choose the children, or choose each other. Powerful
Good portrayal of an addict
Thank god Rob is asking Noelene. But his words are kinda... he needs to stand up for Noelene more in front of his family and others if he wants it to work out. 
I think this episode is also a foil to Helen's mistake in Ep 1 when she didn't really care about the side effect airing the shooting location. Here Kay shows her that the news will affect her even when it's herself giving the story. 
LET'S GO HELEN. this is insane. she's only doing this because Dale aka her voice of reason has tapped out. But it will save Kay (which The Walters don't deserve).
I remember my take away from watching S1 is that Helen/Dale has a power imbalance and they're codependent. And this episode really shows us the risk of that codependency. They both go off the rails now omg
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androidcharles · 1 year
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Rockin' the House Chapter 2
*accidentally posts the second chapter on AO3* Haha... whoops?
Uh, either way... chapter 2 is here! Along with chapter 3 I guess I'll be posting THAT in a minute. Here is where the band starts, but what kind of obstacles will lie in Amelia, Charles, and Dave's path?
(also @bluetorchsky I borrowed Accordion and Violin for this story, I hope you don't mind, I also hope I didn't make them too out of character...)
Charles looked at the board in the park nearby his home, looking for anything particularly interesting. A couple of places were offering some guitar lessons while some people were looking for help with moving, cleaning, and such. The public board was always fun to look at because he felt like he was connecting with people, even if it was something as simple as a lost cat or dog.
He skimmed the board and gasped as he noticed something that wasn’t there yesterday. He scanned the ad, reading the text as he smiled to himself.
OPENING SOON! Galaxy Bar Livehouse Drinks and live music every weekend!
WANTED! Local talents and bands for tryouts! Performs every month on the weekends! Call the number below for more info!
He studied the paper, taking a picture of it before smiling and messaging Dave.
Dave was sitting on his couch at his apartment, seemingly on cloud 9. The past week he had been IM-ing and chatting with Amelia had been wonderful and what was even better was the date they went on. There was only one person who didn’t seem to approve of his newfound relationship, but he would have guessed that Rupert wouldn’t be a fan of him dating a Toppat.
He didn’t have much to say but only warned him about what he was getting into. As Dave let out a sigh, he suddenly got a ping on his phone. He opened it up and his eyes widened as he looked at the message.
xXBold_Action_ManXx: You wanna do something crazy?
After a bit of chatting, Dave met Charles in the very same park he found the ad in as he stared at it, a little perplexed.
“A band? Aren’t you guys supposed to be doing other things? I mean there’s the occasional cases that you guys get and of course Project SAI isn’t going to find itself…” Dave said.
“We’ve been hitting a few roadblocks on that front. Plus this’ll be a fun little distraction you know!” Charles said, “I can play guitar and you can play the drums! Now all we need is a bass player!”
“Uh, do you know any bass players?” Dave asked.
“Hmmm…. Not really,” Charles said, “But maybe I can teach someone to play the bass! It can’t be that different from playing the guitar right? After all one has six strings and the other has four strings…”
“Some bass guitars have six strings,” Dave said, “And I don’t think that’s very wise. If that’s the case, we’d have to wait a while to try out because we’d be spending so much time trying to teach someone to play.”
“That’s true…” Charles let out a small sigh.
“But if you’re willing to do it, I’ll be happy to take part! Let’s see… tryouts are in two weeks, but these live houses always rotate out bands like clockwork. Especially since most of the time they get discovered by higher talents. So maybe in a few months we can try out!” Dave said.
“Alright, let’s see who’s willing!” Charles asked. So the two got to work messaging whoever they could think of, but found their efforts a bit fruitless.
Charles started with Ellie, who was a bit perplexed as to why she was being asked, but seemed uninterested.
RoseyRose: I’m tone deaf as heck, remember? I’m not gonna be much help to your band…
xXBold_Action_ManXx: With a little practice, you could be a good bass player! It’s all in the technique.
RoseyRose: Sorry Charlie. Maybe ask someone else? 😅
Charles messaged Henry next and got a less than serious answer.
N00BSLAYER2006: I’ll do it, but I’m only playing the triangle 😂
xXBold_Action_ManXx: Geez, I don’t know why I asked you to begin with…
N00BSLAYER2006: I mean I can learn an instrument, but we already have a lot on our plate as is. Maybe you should ask somebody else? 🤨
Charles figured that Dave would probably already be asking Rupert, so he got a little desperate and messaged General Galeforce. The response was expected.
H_Galeforce: I don’t think you’d want an old man performing on stage with you, you know.
xXBold_Action_ManXx: Yeah, I figured you’d say that. 😥
H_Galeforce: Plus it’s been a while since I’ve picked up an ax. I’d rather not take that risk, especially at my age. I have a feeling you’ll find somebody, don’t worry. Just don’t let it distract you from your work, alright?
xXBold_Action_ManXx: Yes sir.
“Any luck?” Dave asked. He had just gotten done messaging Rupert, who had given him a resounding “no” mostly because he had other things to worry about. It made sense, after all, if Rupert was going to become captain, he shouldn’t distract himself with frivolous things like this. Plus Charles deduced that if they spent too much time together, they would get sick of each other.
“So who’s left?” Dave said, “I asked a couple of people from work and they didn’t seem to be interested…”
“Time to get truly desperate!” Charles said.
“Who are you gonna contact!?” Dave shouted as Charles opened up his messenger once again.
xXBold_Action_ManXx: Hey
Burthalowmew9000: No
xXBold_Action_ManXx: I haven’t even told you anything yet, much less asked anything.
Burthalowmew9000: I’m gonna be real with ya, Chuck, it’s probably something I’m not gonna be interested in.
xXBold_Action_ManXx: Don’t call me Chuck… 💢 So you don’t wanna be the bass player for our band?
Burthalowmew9000: No, I don’t But Amy might
xXBold_Action_ManXx: Amelia? Why? I thought she only knew how to play the ukulele…
Burthalowmew9000: She’s been taking lessons from yours truly over the past few months. She might not be stage material, but if you practice enough, I have a feeling she’ll be in performance shape for whatever thing you’re planning
xXBold_Action_ManXx: Does she know how to read music?
Burthalowmew9000: Nope You’re on your own for that one, Chuck.
xXBold_Action_ManXx: I said don’t call me Chuck 😠 Well, alright I’ll ask her.
He quickly switched tabs and began to message Amelia.
xXBold_Action_ManXx: Are you busy?
GlitterToppatGirl: Yes I am, obviously.
xXBold_Action_ManXx: No you’re not, because that’s not your I’m busy message.
GlitterToppatGirl: Try again later. What do you want?
xXBold_Action_ManXx: Join our band.
GlitterToppatGirl: What
xXBold_Action_ManXx: You saw what I typed. Hold on, lemme send you the pic. pictureid20395018_0611624.png
GlitterToppatGirl: what
xXBold_Action_ManXx: Would you prefer us to talk about this IRL?
GlitterToppatGirl: What? I mean, yeah. Uh, IDK why you’re bugging me about this though…
xXBold_Action_ManXx: Than let’s meet at the cafe and we can chat about it there 😊
GlitterToppatGirl: 👍
Charles stood up as he motioned for Dave to stand up.
“We’re heading to the cafe to talk about this with Amelia,” Charles said.
“The one where-” Dave said awkwardly.
“Yeah, the one where I almost died, yeah,” Charles said.
“I wasn’t gonna say that but sure…” Dave said softly as they started to head out of the park. They walked down the street, talking about various songs they liked as they headed into the cafe. Charles tried to put on air of confidence as Dave shrunk back a bit, almost trying to hide behind Charles.
“Let’s just sit somewhere and wait for her, OK? She might be a bit,” Charles said, “Don’t worry, if any of these guys give you trouble, I’ll give them trouble back, got it?” Dave meekly nodded his head as they sat down at one of the tables.
“I wonder if they have any conversations about heists they’re planning,” Dave said softly.
“Nah, I’ve already tried eavesdropping here. They can’t exactly talk about much here without getting in trouble, because this is a public place,” Charles said, “Though I wouldn’t be shocked if there was an underground operation…”
“Do you see it?” Dave asked as Charles looked at the floor.
“Nah, nothing. There’s a basement, but if there’s anything down there, I don’t know what it is… ah everything is android proof these days!” Charles said, “That’s why I wanna blend in so badly, I swear.”
“Well, declaring you’re an android out loud is usually the first step but… shouldn’t you be proud of who you are?” Dave asked.
“I am. I really am trust me it’s just… there are days where I feel like I want to be normal, you know,” Charles said softly, “I don’t know if people can handle the idea of an android like me walking around…”
“I mean I still like you! Even before I found out you were an android. And there’s other people too who love you even if you’re an android…. Is this why you wanted to do this? With me? You want to feel more normal?” Dave asked.
“Ah, well, I guess you could say that,” Charles said, “Maybe just maybe… I can feel like a normal person…”
“I’M HERE!” Amelia shouted, slamming the door open.
“Ms. Amelia, would you refrain from being so boisterous when coming in?” one of the employees said as Amelia spotted Charles and Dave. She ran over to the pair, sitting down next to Dave and leaning on top of his shoulder.
“You got taller!” Charles said, “Did you finally hit your growth spurt?”
“Charles, can you click the link I just sent you?” Amelia said snidely as Dave rolled his eyes.
“What’s a link?” Charles said, “Ah, wait, that’s not why we’re here.”
“You wanted to start a band right?” Amelia said.
“I don’t know why, but yeah,” Dave said, “I’m humoring him because it’s not like I have anything else I’m doing between my job and… you know… wallowing in my own anxiety.”
“I’m sorry,” Amelia said, “If I had known how harsh they were to you back than… I would have done something!”
“It’s fine, it’s fine! I’m getting better! It’s been… a while, but I’m getting better!” Dave said, “And this might be a good distraction, you know.”
“Dave can play the drums and I’m the guitarist,” Charles said, “And Amelia, Burt told me you’ve been learning how to play the bass, so you can be our bassist.”
“Oh, that’s… great…” Amelia said.
“What’s wrong, sweetie? You don’t think you’re that good?” Dave asked.
“Stage fright? Since we’re a pretty new band, we probably won’t stand out too much until we do a few shows,” Charles reassured her.
“No, no, it’s just, I’m not sure… if… well, how long have you guys been playing your instruments?” Amelia asked.
“Well… general dad gave me his guitar when I was two and a half years old!” Charles said.
“And I played the drums in the jazz band in high school,” Dave said, “Though it’s been a while since I could afford a set to play…”
“Yeah, you guys have been playing for a while, but me? I’ve only recently picked up the bass guitar. Burt’s been a great teacher and all, but performing in front of people seems to be a bit much…” Amelia said.
“Don’t worry. We have about two and a half weeks to prepare. That’s plenty of time to get something prepped and try out. And if we make it, we’ll have plenty of time then to think of an original song or two!” Charles said, “Don’t worry, alright?”
“I’m in!” Dave said.
“Oh, what the heck. I’m in too!” Amelia said, “So where will we be practicing?”
“Mmmm… renting out a studio is a bit… pricey,” Charles said, “I don’t have a lot of disposable income between commission money and my allowance.”
“You get an allowance!? From who!?” Dave said.
“Henry,” Charles said.
“He doesn’t give you a paycheck!? Don’t you work for him!?” Dave shouted.
“Yeah, I get a paycheck from him too, I just consider the work commissions you know, like my paintings,” Charles said.
“Yeah, I get allowance from my daddy all the time,” Amelia said.
“Seriously?” Dave said, “You two still get an allowance?”
“What do you spend all your allowance on, Charles?” Amelia asked.
“Helicopter maintenance. It’s a pricey job, so I have to make sure to keep up. I’ve got all the supplies I need, but I’m short on cash this month because of it…”
“So renting a studio is out than,” Dave said, “Maybe we can practice at your place, Cha- eh?”
“No no no,” Charles said, “Our neighbors… are crazy… one time I played my piano at three in the morning… they acted like I committed a crime.”
“I mean, considering the time…” Amelia said, “What about your place, Dave?”
“Amelia, you’ve been to my apartment. It’s the size of a postage stamp. And my neighbors are crazy too. Like one time, Rupert came over to stay for the night and we were talking around nine PM and I got a noise complaint. And we were whispering too!”
“That’s out of the question than… maybe we can practice at the manor?” Amelia asked.
“Are you sure that’s OK with your dads?” Charles said.
“Well, as much as they hate what you did, they seem to really like you,” Amelia said, “And we just got finished rebuilding our music room.”
“Do you guys have a candy room?” Dave asked softly.
“Yes.” Dave’s eyes sparkled as he took Amelia’s hands.
“I love you,” Dave said.
“What about the band?” Charles asked.
“WE CAN PRACTICE IN THE CANDY ROOM!” Dave shouted.
“I don’t think my dads would appreciate that…”
“So, it’s settled than? We’ll practice at Amelia’s place starting tonight?” Charles asked.
“Eh, tonight?” Dave asked.
“Are you sure?” Amelia said.
“Do you have to work? Are you, uh, planning anything?”
“Like I’d tell you, but no.”
“Not really…”
“Than we have to start tonight. If we practice every other day up until tryouts we can at least be in performance shape. It’ll have to work out!” Charles said.
“Ah, alright, I’ll see if I can get us a practice room,” Amelia said.
“And before we head out there, I figured I’d pass this along,” Charles said, “Dave and I stopped by the music shop on the way here and grabbed this for ya.” Charles handed Amelia a book with music sheets for bass guitar players in it.
“Eh? What’s this?” Amelia asked.
“It’s sheet music. You have to learn how to read it,” Charles said.
“Why?” Amelia asked. Charles slumped in his seat before banging his head on the table.
“Why… why she asks…” Charles said softly as Dave chuckled.
- - - - -
Charles hovered the helicopter over the helipad on top of the roof as he carefully landed, checking his surroundings to ensure that no one else was around. He looked up to see Amelia waving at them.
“I’m a little nervous…” Dave said.
“Just stick by me and you’ll be fine,” Charles said, “Plus, I made sure not to bring anything important with me. I’m just gonna have to hope some Toppat isn’t petty enough to strip this thing for parts…” Charles headed out of his seat and opened the helicopter door, smiling as Amelia motioned for them to follow her.
“The music room is on the first floor, right near the gardens. You remember the gardens, right Dave?”
“Yeah, you showed me all those flowers you grow. And the greenhouses as well!” Dave said.
“Mhm,” Amelia said, “This will be a lot of fun. I got us a practice room booked for pretty much most of the night so we can practice as much as we want.”
“That’s good,” Dave said, “How long should we practice for?”
“Until we get sick of it!” Charles declared.
“So, an hour maybe?”
“I should probably warn you, if you want a snack, you’re better off getting them from me. The kitchen staff is quite kind except for the head chef. I don’t know why, but I was never able to really get along with them…” Amelia said softly.
“Who are they? I bet you once they’re hit with the Charles Charm, they’ll let me have all the midnight snacks I want!” Charles said.
“Please stop saying that. Um, well, don’t worry about it OK? I have plenty of food for us and if you want to stay over-”
“I’m not going that far,” Charles said.
“Ah, right. Well, here we are.” Amelia stopped in front of a set of double doors, opening them up to a wide circular foyer. There were various cubbies with locks on them to protect the instruments within, with several signs going on about ensuring that the instruments were clean before putting them away. Sitting at the desk in the office was a very bored looking Toppat with a musical staff going around his hat, obviously guarding the instruments so they could be rented out proper. In the middle of the room was a raised up stage, with two circular rows of seats surrounding it, obviously meant for private performances.
On the right were five or six studios, one with the recording light on while on the other side were several doors leading to practice rooms of various sizes.
“I’ve got a drum set set up in here so we can practice as much as we want,” Amelia said, opening one of the doors and revealing the set up. There were two music stands, two chairs, two amps for Amelia’s bass (which was nearby) and Charles’ guitar respectively and of course a bright beautiful drum set, which made Dave’s eyes sparkle as he practically barreled towards the set, his eyes glowing as he sat down behind it, kicking the pedal to create a small beat.
“I missed this feeling SO MUCH!” Dave shouted as he started to hammer away on the drums with the drumsticks.
“Well, I guess Dave can get warmed up. Amelia, did you read that music book I gave you?” Charles asked.
“Yep! I didn’t understand it!” Amelia shouted.
“You were supposed to study it so we could play music together…” Charles said softly as he grabbed his guitar out of his case, plugging it into the amp.
“Can’t you just tell me what to play like Burt does?” Amelia said.
“No, because if we write our own songs, you have to be able to read what’s written or else we won’t be able to play!” Charles shouted. Amelia shrunk back, but nodded her head as she grabbed her bass and opened the book.
“Uh, let’s see… Charles, do you think you can help me read this?” Amelia said.
“Ah, geez…” Charles said softly as he walked over to her music stand. Dave kicked the pedal of his drum set, smiling weakly.
“I guess it’ll be a long night, huh?” Dave said softly, mostly to himself.
For about two hours, the three of them struggled to perform together as they argued about various clefs and notes and such. But after a while, they started to get the hang of performing together through it all as they finally managed to finish a song together.
“You were behind by a bit Amelia, but you’re getting better,” Charles said, “I guess you’re better at playing by ear than playing through sheet music…”
“Well, I’ve still gotta learn it right. You’re gonna write our music?” Amelia asked, “Including the lyrics?”
“The lyrics… huh…” Charles said, “I haven’t thought about that. Uh, let’s worry about that later! I could use a break from all this.”
“Yeah me too. Amelia, I’m sorry I yelled at you earlier, I don’t know what came over me…” Dave said.
“It’s fine! We have to work together after all,” Amelia said, “Anyway, we can’t eat in the music room, but there’s room next door that’s perfect for-” As Amelia opened the door, she gasped as she saw two very large looking Toppats sitting in the stage area of the music room.
“Accordion! Violin! I didn’t know you guys were working here tonight!” Amelia said.
“Hello again, Amelia,” Violin said, “And of course, hello Dave.”
“Hi you guys… it’s nice to see you again,” Dave said meekly.
“And who is that?” Accordion asked, pointing to Charles. Charles looked behind him, mostly out of humor before Amelia let out a small sigh, slapping him.
“This is the Unit CC I was telling you about,” Amelia said.
“I’m not Unit CC anymore! I’m Charles Conroy Calvin! I’m an android just like Amelia!” Charles said.
“Ah, I see…” Accordion said, “So you’re the one Amelia was seeing behind everyone’s back, huh?”
“When you say it like that…” Amelia said softly, almost a little saddened by what Accordion said.
“We heard you guys practicing in there. You’re coming along nicely,” Violin said, “What song were you guys playing just now?”
“It was an ancient song. Charles seems to know a lot of them,” Amelia said.
“When I was working for the government, I pillaged a lot of bunkers. You’d be surprised at what ancient songs you can find down in those places!” Charles said.
“I didn’t take a former government agent for the pillaging type,” Violin said.
“Ah, well you’d be shocked,” Charles said, flinching a bit, “Hey Amelia, why don’t we try to come up with some lyrics during the week and see what fits us most?”
“Ah, yeah, that’s good,” Amelia said, “Let’s go eat and we can practice some more!”
- - - - -
Throughout the week, Charles, Amelia, and Dave coordinated their schedules for practicing together. It was a bit difficult to get their schedules to line up exactly, but that didn’t stop them from practicing on their own. Eventually, the next time they were able to meet up, they were more confident than ever before to play.
Charles had managed to write an original song after their first practice and IM’d it to Amelia and Dave, who had been practicing it all week. They were back in the music room at the manor for the second time this week, talking about what they had practiced.
“Did you have a hard time reading the notes?” Charles said, “I was half tempted to label them for you, you know.”
“Nah, I just used a cheat sheet,” Amelia said.
“I’d scold you for that if I didn’t occasionally use my android powers for things like that too,” Charles said, “How about we all play it together and see if we can keep up?”
Charles started to play the first part as Amelia tried to keep up with him, coming in on her cue as Dave drummed along to the beat. Eventually they started to match up little by little as the song came to a close. Charles had a bit of a disturbed look on his face as he gazed at Amelia.
“Amelia, are you sure you practiced what I sent you?” he asked, his voice a bit dark.
“I DID! I practiced it and everything!” Amelia said, “I practiced it so much that my dads got mad at me for playing when I wasn’t supposed to!”
“I practiced my part just fine…” Dave said softly.
“Well, you got a little excited on some parts, but you were able to keep up with me fine. Amelia was a bit behind though,” Charles said.
“Geez, when it comes to music, you sure are harsh,” Amelia said softly.
“I’m sorry I am! We have about a week and a half to actually get this done right and we’re meeting every day after this! I wanna make sure we actually sound like a legitimate band!” Charles shouted.
“You’re doing fine, Amelia, just make sure you’re paying attention to us,” Dave said, “You seem to do heists just fine. You’re always multi-tasking during those.”
“Yeah, yeah, but that’s different,” Amelia said, “I guess if I think about it like that…”
“That’s a bit ridiculous, but if it’ll help you play better, then do what you want,” Charles said, “Why don’t you run a metronome app while we’re playing too? So that way you can keep up with us?”
“And maybe you can use an editing program to make notes on the parts you’re having difficulty with so you can prioritize those a bit more?” Dave asked.
“R-right,” Amelia said, “Let’s see, let’s see… Charles what does that little symbol next to that squiggly line mean?” Charles gave Dave a pleading look, who only shrugged.
“She’s doing her best. This is the first time she’s ever been exposed to something like this, so it’ll take her a while for her to learn,” Dave reassured him.
“Yeah. Let’s run through it again and this time, let’s look at the parts we’re not doing too well with,” Charles said.
Two hours of yelling and practicing later, the three of them were sitting in the stage, a bit exhausted as they looked up at the ceiling.
“I can’t believe how hard playing music really is. I thought it was one of those leisurely activities…” Amelia muttered.
“It’s only leisurely if you don’t take it seriously,” Charles said.
“I guess that’s what we get for doing this,” Dave said, “Are you sure you wanna try out on the day of? We can always hold back for when they actually need people.”
“I don’t wanna miss this opportunity! Besides, once a position like that is snatched up, it’s usually months before another opening happens, even if it’s a starting club,” Charles said, “I know it’s seems impossible, but I have a feeling we can at least sound decent if we practice hard enough.” Charles leaned back a bit, staring at the ceiling before looking to Dave and Amelia.
“I’m sorry I’ve been so harsh on you guys. I guess my passion for music burns a little brighter than you two’s. If you wanna step out, I understand completely,” Charles said softly.
“You’re only harsh because you want us to learn, right?” Amelia said, “So it’s good that you are. I’m glad you’re teaching me how to read sheet music. It’s hard to understand, but it’s really great.”
“Yeah and this is the first time I’ve gotten to play legitimate rock and roll!” Dave said, “Even our jazziest songs didn’t get as exciting as the part you wrote for me!”
“I tried to keep in mind you’re a human and that you probably couldn’t play really difficult parts. It was so hard to balance simple and complex,” Charles said.
“I could probably play something with a triple bass drum, actually! I’ve done it before!” Dave said.
“Wow…” Amelia said, hearts appearing in her eyes as Charles giggled.
“Well, while we’re resting, why don’t we take a look at the lyrics we wrote? You guys wrote something, right?” Charles asked.
“Uh, well, I did write a few things that might be considered verses,” Dave said softly, taking out a small notepad.
“I wrote something too!” Amelia said, accessing her notepad application and scrolling through her recent files.
“Well, let’s see them then!” Charles said, motioning for Dave to hand him the notepad. He opened up his messenger application as he read through Amelia’s notes.
Sunset on the beach Finding myself approaching The full breaking point
And so I run off Into the grainy sand and Make my final move
“What the heck is this?” Charles said, “All these verses are haikus…”
“They are?!” Amelia said.
“Why are they all haikus…” Dave said softly, giggling a little.
“Don’t laugh!” Amelia shouted, shoving Dave as he laughed.
“It’s adorable! I kinda like it!” Dave said. Charles laughed as Amelia’s inseams steamed up a bit, putting her hands in her face as Dave planted a soft kiss on her cheek.
“Well, read my lyrics next,” Dave said. Charles scanned his eyes over the page, feeling a bit sick to his stomach as he read them.
The world going around A cloud of sugar and fairy tales Rising over the land Heading down the trails
And-
“I CAN’T READ THIS ANYMORE!” Charles said, throwing the notebook across the room.
“Geez, you don’t have to be that harsh, it can’t be that bad…” Amelia said softly, walking towards the notebook and picking it up.
“Those lyrics are too sugary soft… what the heck kind of message are we trying to send…” Charles said softly.
“Well, what did you write, oh great band starter?” Dave asked as Amelia cringed at the lyrics Dave had written.
“Um… I’m messaging it right now,” Charles said as Dave and Amelia opened up their messenger apps to take a look.
In a forest deep Black night sky above A fire rages onward Obscuring everything in sight Obscuring everything I love
Wishing for another tomorrow No hope in sight So I keep running into the night So I keep running into the night
“These lyrics are a bit dark…” Amelia said softly, “If we were a metal band, it would work, I guess…”
“Yeah, it’s almost as if they’re trying to tell a story,” Dave said, “Are you… OK, Charles?”
“Huh? Oh yeah, I’m fine!” Charles said, “I guess I’m not good at lyrics. Amelia, how come all your verses are haikus?”
“I guess when I think of poems, I think of haikus?” Amelia said, “They’re the first thing I learned how to write…”
The three of them were silent as Charles let out a small sigh.
“I really am sorry guys. I didn’t think this would be so stressful,” Charles said.
“I think you’re the only one who’s stressed right now,” Dave said as Amelia snuck out of the room.
“Yeah, but I wanted to do something fun together, but this is becoming less and less fun, you know,” Charles said, “Maybe it wasn’t worth it.”
“I’m having fun! I mean, it’s hard, but I’m having fun! And plus I get to spend lots of time with Amelia too, which is a bonus,” Dave said, “It’s really nice to be able to play music and write something all our own. I have a feeling we’ll figure it out as time goes on.”
“Ah… thanks for the vote of confidence I suppose,” Charles said, smiling.
“Hey!” Dave and Charles jumped slightly as they looked to see Amelia, standing with Accordion and Violin.
“So, how do you guys feel about a bit of coaching?” Amelia said as Charles and Dave exchanged some worried glances.
- - - - -
After a week of coaching from Accordion and Violin, the band was now performing much better then it had before. Amelia was finally able to keep up with Charles and Dave, Charles had managed to finally cool off and stop being so harsh and Dave learned to speak up a bit more so he could put in some input of his own.
At the end of their second original song, Charles breathed out a small sigh as he looked at Violin and Accordion for approval. Violin clapped his hands together, smiling at them.
“Much better than last time. I have to admit Amelia, you’ve come a long way since you first started playing,” Violin said.
“Hey, I wrote the songs!” Charles said. Violin only glanced at him as he shrugged before smiling at Dave.
“Dave, you’re also coming along nicely as well. You just have to make sure you don’t get excited,” Violin said.
“You sound just like my band teacher a long time ago…” Dave said softly, panting a little bit.
“Did you get over-excited in high school too?” Charles said.
“A bit too much. One time I demanded a drum solo… it was a jazz band,” Dave said. Accordion covered his mouth as he smirked and Charles and Amelia chuckled.
“Charles, I hate to admit this, but… you’re doing great as well. In fact, you may be the only thing holding this band together,” Violin said.
“Isn’t that a good thing?” Charles asked as Amelia shrugged uncertainly.
“Well, I guess we can call it for now… by the way, what’s our band name?” Dave asked. They all exchanged glances as Accordion leaned forward.
“You guys don’t have a band name? They’re going to ask for it when you go up there to try out,” Accordion said.
“I was more concerned about the songs!” Charles said, “Uh let’s see… it shouldn’t be too hard to come up with a band name!”
The three of them spent thirty minutes brainstorming ideas while Accordion and Violin helped the Toppat in charge of the music room do some organizing. After thirty minutes however, they hadn’t come up with anything really meaningful.
“I wonder if people like Dim Lighthouses or Fading Trails had this hard of a time coming up with a band name,” Amelia said.
“I mean, if you pick a random thing and add something melancholy to it, of course it’s a good band name,” Charles said, “But I’m not sure if I like any of these names. Who suggested the ‘Friends Power Squad?’”
“Uh, I think that one was me,” Dave said sheepishly.
“Hmm… how about we think about us? As a whole?” Amelia asked.
“You mean using our names?” Charles said, “Every time a band’s named after a band member, it tends to go south.”
“How about we use our old names? Unit CC… Unit AM…” Amelia suggested before Dave piped up.
“THE FRIEND UNIT SQUAD!”
“NO!” Charles said.
“Fine! How about CC in the AM then?” Dave said, rolling his eyes as he leaned back in his seat. Amelia and Charles exchanged glances once again before Charles beamed.
“That seems like a great name!” Charles said.
“Yeah, but what about your name? It isn’t-” Amelia started before Dave shook his head.
“I just came up with it off the top of my head. It doesn’t have to include my name,” Dave said.
“Are you sure?” Amelia said, her eyes dark with concern as Dave nodded his head.
“I’m sure, Amelia. Besides, it’s a cool name. It feels a bit more unique you know,” Dave said.
“Maybe we can call ourselves CC in the AM with Dave?” Charles suggested.
“NO!”
“That’s kinda stupid actually…” Charles flinched at the feedback as they both giggled. Amelia motioned for the two of them to stand up.
“We should probably get back to practicing. After all, we’ve only got a few days before the tryouts,” Amelia said.
“Yes, let’s do it! Let’s practice till we’re perfect!” Charles shouted.
- - - - -
The day of the tryouts officially came forward, with many messages along the lines of “Good luck!” and “You can do it!” filling their inboxes, they made their way to the live house to finally try out.
The three of them sat nervously in the audience area as they listened to the bands audition. There were a few more bands then they had anticipated and some were actually being rejected. They had a feeling some of them were already established bands, some had some followings on social media according to some internet searches.
The person in charge of the auditions and the live house owner, Ozwald Galaxy, seemed to have some criticism for each of the bands that performed. Which made them even more nervous then they already were.
“Alright, let’s see… CC in the AM?” Ozwald called out as Charles took a deep breath, confidently striding up as Amelia tried to fake some confidence, but was struggling a bit. Dave was already an anxious mess, so he practically scurried up to the stage when Charles and Amelia snapped at him to come on up already as Charles plugged in his guitar into the provided amp. Amelia did the same as they tuned their instruments, Dave getting used to the drums as they looked at Ozwald, who looked a little bored.
xXBold_Action_ManXx: Play with confidence. Break a leg.
GlitterToppatGirl: Gotcha. And thanks.
They played both of their original songs, without lyrics of course as they tried not to pay attention to any little mistakes. Play with confidence and don’t let the pressure get to you. That was the advice that Charles took to heart and hoped that Amelia and Dave would do the same as well.
When they finally finished the last bar of their song, Charles breathed a sigh of relief as he looked at Ozwald hopefully, a little perplexed when he had a sort of confused expression on his face.
“Is there any reason you guys don’t have lyrics to those songs yet?” Ozwald asked.
“Ah, well… we were going to write lyrics but… we haven’t really come up with anything that really matches our sound yet,” Charles said.
“I see, I see,” Ozwald said, writing something down on his clipboard, “I have to admit, your sound is pretty interesting. Very familiar in a pleasant way, very pleasant indeed. The bassist was off by a bit, but she adjusted as much as she could and improvised whenever she was behind, the drummer didn’t have much confidence when he came up on stage, but played like he had a thousand times, and as for you-” his eyes glimmered as he gazed at Charles “-you’re a bit too flashy. But your confidence is the only thing holding this band together.”
“That’s great! Right?” Charles said.
“I didn’t say that was a good thing. Your band mates need to build up their own confidence rather then relying on your own or they’ll struggle in the end,” Ozwald said, “But you guys seem to have a very unique sound. I really like it a lot. So, if I give you about two more weeks to prepare, would you be willing to perform again in front of an audience?”
Charles looked at Amelia in great shocked as Dave pinched his arms as if to check if he was dreaming.
“We got the gig?” Amelia asked.
“Yes, you did. I want you to perform in July, on the fifteenth. You can manage that much, right?” Ozwald said.
“We’ll show you our best, sir!” Charles said.
“That’s what I like to hear,” Ozwald said, drawing a circle on his clipboard before he looked down the list again, “Next up is Round-Up Gang!” Charles and the others cleared the stage as Amelia bounced up and down, Dave taking deep breaths as they exited the live house, almost turning in a tornado of energy as they ran down the street before sitting on a nearby bench.
“I can’t believe… I can’t believe we actually did that!” Amelia said.
“Well, believe it!” Charles said, “I can’t believe we did it either!”
“I can’t believe you weren’t scared of that Ozwald guy!” Dave said, “He seemed so cold and merciless.”
“Oh come on, he was like a kitten compared to half of the sergeants I had to deal with in the government forces,” Charles said, “But he’s right you know. In order to really play well, you guys have to build up your confidence. And I think I know just how to do it…”
“Please don’t make me do push-ups,” Dave said meekly.
“No no, I was more referring to Amelia. I was going to sing, but I was thinking that maybe you should do it,” Charles said.
“Me? Seriously?” Amelia asked. Dave nodded his head in agreement as Amelia shook her head.
“C’mon, you have a great voice! Plus, it will help you build your confidence a little. Especially when it comes to your performance,” Charles said, “Before you say no, think about it as another way to build you up and help you understand music better!”
“Well, I guess it can’t be helped,” Amelia muttered.
“You have a very pretty voice, Amelia! So it shouldn’t be too hard for you,” Dave said, “By the way, what are we going to do about the lyrics? Your lyrics are too dark, mine are too… cutesy according to you guys… and Amelia’s are too formal.”
“I think I have someone who could probably write good lyrics for us!” Charles said. Amelia and Dave exchanged glances, wondering who on the Great Continent they could trust to write lyrics.
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cantsaythetword · 2 years
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Hey so this is my first time sending anything in - let alone a prompt so I’m sorry if this is wrong 😅🥹
But how about Nick and Charlie having a sleep over with a pillow fight which then turns into a tk fight? ❤️🫶🏻
Just an idea that I thought was cute but you don’t have to!!!
🫧 anon
(the emoji is bubbles for those on laptop tumblr <3)
OMG OMG OMG I LOVE IT! Don't apologise for anything I love getting asks so even if it was 'wrong' (it's not, you're perfect well done) I would not be upset whatsoever!!
I hope you like it! And I'm sorry it took so long and is kinda short!
Masterpost Link
All's Fair in Love and War
Sleepovers truly have the most inaccurate name.
I mean, who actually sleeps at a sleepover?
Tonight was one such night. After a dinner date, movie marathons, and plenty of snacks, it was past 2am and Nick and Charlie were far from sleepy. They were also far from making a damn decision.
Nick was throwing out suggestions, flicking through Netflix for their next movie.
He was one of those weird people who just had to be standing when using the TV remote (and Charlie found it adorable).
Nick turned his head over his shoulder. "How about Call Me By Your Name?"
"Aww you cute little gay nerd." Charlie teased from the couch behind him.
"Says you mathlete!" Nick taunted back.
"Hey!" Charlie laughed, grabbing the nearest (soft) object and throwing it haphazardly at his boyfriend.
Nick scoffed playfully. "You did not just do that."
"Oh I did. In fact, I'll do it again."
A second pillow met Nick Nelson's perfect face.
"Right!" Nick boomed as he got to his feet, shooting sparks of giggly fear through Charlie's very soul. "That's it."
Charlie squeaked as he quickly blocked an oncoming pillow attack, grabbing the case and flinging it back at his assailant.
The fluffy weaponry fired from either side of the warzone-turned-livingroom. Each soldier giving their all in battle. Blocks, parries, dodges and ducks all working in tandem to (mostly) keep the fighters out of harms way.
But it didn't always work out.
After a solid whack to the face, Nick (obviously giving up on the pillow technique) sprinted towards the guilty party and tackled him to the ground.
"New tactic!" He grinned as he took the boy in a backwards bear hug, letting his fingers dig into Charlie's sides.
The poor boy yelped before bubbly giggles poured out of his mouth. He half-wrestled half-squirmed against Nick's strong arms, unable to reach out to grab a pillow and beat his boyfriend off of him for fear of Nick's hands climbing higher.
"NIHIHIHICK!" Charlie squealed, opting to try and wrap his arms around himself in protection.
"You started this you dork!" Nick grinned, knowing his words were unbearably tickly this close to Charlie's ears.
"PLEHEHEASE I SUHUHUREHEHENDER!"
"Nuh uh!" Nick nuzzled his chin into Charlie's neck. "You don't get to escape that easily!"
As Charlie reached his breaking point, he desperately spun around and somehow ended up with his chest against Nick's. The move took his boyfriend completely by surprise.
Seizing the opportunity, he pressed a giggly kiss to Nick's unsuspecting lips. Oddly enough, Nick stopped his ticklish onslaught and pressed further into the exchange.
All violence was forgotten, and the two turned from aggressive opponents to addicted lovers. As their lips continued to dance, Nick's hands crept up into Charlie's hair and around the back of his neck (something Nick knew made Charlie weak at the knees). Charlie followed suit, one hand wrapping around Nick's hip and the other...
Well...
*WHACK!*
Charlie burst into laughter at his stunned boyfriend, completely caught unawares by the violent pillow assault.
"Really Char, you wanna go round 2?" Nick smirked.
He didn't wait for an answer. Cause, after all...
All's fair in love and war.
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sunskate · 1 year
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Do you enjoy and of Meryl and Charlie’s programs? If so which ones are your favorites and why?
ooh...well... i didn't really get deeply into ice dance until after they retired, and i was drawn in by VM, so i can't say i'm that compelled by DW because the two teams are kind of forever linked by the rivalry, so inevitable to compare, and i just love VM so much more
but.
in 2014 i was following DW in the lead up to Sochi, and i didn't know VM - Meryl and Charlie were so hyped on NBC - and i saw the FD live. and i did really love their Scheherazade then - the curve lift with this entry:
even now, that's such a striking entry. back then i didn't know anything about ice dance, and i remember the broadcast hyping the rivalry between the Canadians and "our" Americans and then finding VM so beautiful and refined but being totally puzzled by Seasons, that it felt like the music was letting them down, that it didn't have a wow factor
so in 2014 i was happy that Meryl and Charlie won, and then i forgot about ice dance until 2018😅
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queen-scribbles · 2 years
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Hi hi you don’t mind me popping in!! So I just read your tags on the TIM-LI Picture-Manipulation post and 👀👀 I am so here for Sheps who are FURIOUS about being forced to work with Cerberus/TIM. I’d love to hear how your Shep(s) handle the whole being brought back to life by Cerberus plot point.
(Also hehe complicated relationship status left off in ME1 just for everything to go to hell FEEL that with my Shakarian idiots)
Yeah, nope, pop right in, I love talking about my kids. I'm gonna do at least a little for the four main ones bc I think it's so interesting how their background/profile effects their view on the whole thing.
Boys first, since they're less developed 😅
Charlie(Earthborn/Ruthless) spent a decade working for a gang, then the time in Alliance military, and he's very ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ about authority in general, so he does to TIM what he's done before; "Uh-huh, sure"s his way through the conversation(maybe pushed back a little more against his BS) and then did what he thought was best regardless of what TIM wanted(Very big believer in "Easier to ask forgiveness than permission"). Long as he gets result and doesn't cost too much in the process, the worst he's ever gotten is a slap on the wrist, so TIM doesn't scare him anymore than his gang leader or DI did. xD Why waste a second chance at life, right? He was very "I know, dude" about Kaidan's whole thing with not trusting Cerberus on Horizon. He did relish blowing the Collector base to hell and flipping TIM double birds as he flew off in the nice shiny new warship. :3
Quinn(Colonist/Sole Survivor) viewed working with Cerberus and having their leash on his neck, so to speak, as the price to pay for them bringing him back and giving him a second shot at taking down the Reapers, since he feels like he failed first time around. Not thrilled about it, definitely looking for a way out, but if this is what it takes to defeat the Collectors, he doesn't really have much choice, does he? He romanced Ashley, and if anyone had overtly threatened to do anything to her, I think he would have just laughed and wished them good luck. xD
Emily(Spacer/War Hero) is grateful to be alive but sees working with Cerberus almost as a punishment, or penance of some sort or something like that. She failed against the Collectors and this arrangement was the price tag on getting another chance. A lot like Quinn(my Paragon bbys), but with added guilt. Almost like she deserves this, even though she hates it, bc she's The Hero and she failed at her job. She felt like she was suffocating, she wanted out, but they brought her back and they were the only ones taking the Reapers seriously, so she stayed. She struggled the most with her identity and holding herself together like puzzle missing pieces, and Horizon didn't help with that. A lot of the stuff Kaidan says there was stuff she'd wondered herself. She did not have a good time.
Lisa(Colonist/Ruthless, a delicious combo to play) might be grateful to be alive, but she's fucking furious at Cerberus for just about everything else, lol. How dare they try to use Kaidan to manipulate her? (if they touch one hair on his head-) How dare they toss her a couple of her friends as if that will make her happy with this arrangement? (happy as she is to see her bestie Tali again, she knows why TIM let her have Tali and Garrus back, it's to give her a tie to the crew and make her care and keep her here and she resent the hell out of the motivation even if she's relieved with the familiar faces) She feels trapped and manipulated and mentally is just semi-feral, lunging against her chains with every ounce of strength the entire way through. she'll work with them bc she has literally no choice, but doesn't ever miss a chance to push against it, to say "No, we do this MY FUCKING WAY. You need me, we do it the way I want", to grab for just a little bit of control. IF she has to stay bc Cerebrus is the only one Doing Anything against the Reapers/Collectors, she's gonna do everything she can to keep a little bit of agency. (Horizon was by far the worst for her bc of the complicated state of her and Kaidan relationship/romance, his pointing out the... murky morality of a choice she felt a) cornered into making and b) didn't feel like it was a choice hurt a LOT. She still got the romanced hug even with not sleeping with him and holy hell her emotions were a mess. She's not great with them anyway, and this did not help) Gonna c&p a post I made about one of the songs on her playlist bc it's still a pretty perfect summation of her attitude
 Masquerade by Lindsey Stirling gives me really big Lisa Shepard vibes. I’ve never been able to put my finger on it, it just felt like a song for her. It’s the music box feel of the song. Lisa feels very…. herded. Caged. Controlled through ME2.  More than my other Shepards she feels like the Illusive Man is just using her. A weapon in his arsenal, a wind up doll to point at a threat and make it no longer a threat because she’s Commander Shepard™, the one-woman army who Gets Shit Done and she resents it fiercely the whole way through. 
But she has to go along with it, stay in the cage, dance to his tune, bc the Collectors are a threat. And no one else seems to be doing a damn thing about it. And she’s Commander Shepard, the one-woman army who’s willing to get her hands dirty and do hard things if it gets shit done and apparently the Reapers are “her problem” for now, so if this is the only way she currently has of stopping them, well. What choice does she have?
No matter how much she hates it.
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