pinetarbbq

[toporecall]

If I’m A Pagan Of The Good Times (Darlington x Alex)

I’m 5 chapters into writing this fic and having WAY too much fun with it. Posting the first 2 chapters here and the rest is on ao3 (here!) with more to come! (Warning: smut!)

Summary: It's been a few weeks since the end of Hell Bent and the rescue of Darlington. The gang has struck an exhausting balance between dealing with the escaped demons and performing their regular Lethe duties. It's Halloween night now and time for Alex and Darlington to babysit Manuscript's annual party once again. This year, Darlington has to strike a deal with Lan Caihe - but what does he have to give in return. 

Status: In Progress (being updated daily, sometimes more than once a day because I can’t stop writing lol)

*****

Chapter 1

Alex could feel tension rolling off of Darlington in waves as they approached the Manuscript house. She knew well by now that he trusted this house far less than the others - and a year ago she had seen first hand why. That Halloween night last year had taken on more significance to her as time had passed. 

At the time, it had been fairly easy to shake off the way you would a friend trying to kiss you when they got too drunk at a party. Harmless, meaningless. But a year later, after they’d been though so much - Alex sometimes couldn’t tear her mind away from the image of Darlington on his knees before her, hands on her thighs with her skirt pushed up in front of a roomful of people. 

I will serve you 'til the end of days.

It had been echoing in her head for weeks since they brought Darlington back from hell. They hadn’t talked about it at all since he had told her - that he was bound to her, to serve her. She had barely let herself think about it, which was surprisingly easy considering they’d been chasing escaped demons around New Haven while also having to perform their regular Lethe duties and pretend like nothing was wrong.

Tonight was one of those nights: their observation of the annual Manuscript Halloween party - the party that would power their rituals for an entire year to come. And Alex was a little nervous after what had happened to Darlington here last year but she figured they wouldn’t try that shit twice.

Darlington though - he didn’t seem as sure. They were just a few blocks from the party, walking in silence in their costumes. Alex dressed as Queen Mab again and Darlington had apparently developed a sense of humor upon his return from hell because he wore black jeans, black boots, a black sweater, and some cheap red horns on his head. A modern devil.

“Ok, what’s up? You’re even more sullen than normal tonight,” she finally asked him.

He sighed and knocked his devil horns askew while trying to run his fingers through his hair. He readjusted them on their plastic headband before speaking. “There’s something I didn’t tell you about tonight.”

Alex’s stomach dropped instantly but she did her best to play nonchalant. “Come on this should be the easy one - we get in, we observe, we get out. Easy, right?” Her voice may have betrayed her a bit on that last word, rising just a little too high in her register.

Darlington stopped walking and turned to face her. She met his eyes, their regular brown right now as opposed to their demonic golden she sometimes got to see. Eye contact with him had been difficult recently - she’d been becoming increasingly…distracted by him and it was getting difficult to pretend even to herself that she didn’t want more from Darlington than his excellent mentorship.

“Do you remember Lan Caihe from the party last year?” he asked.

“Yeah, the goddess leader of the group, right? Some Chinese myth, 8 forms or something like that?”

He smiled just the smallest bit, “Yeah, I mean essentially yes. Anyway, remember what I told you about her? Lan Caihe is not deceived by glamor - she sees all things.”

“Right…” she was trying to follow but wasn’t keeping up with this.

“Lan Caihe will know I’m a demon now. She’ll see right through to it. And through to you, Wheelwalker.” 

A tiny thrill went through Alex at the name but she pushed it off. “What do we do about that?”

“Well…” he hesitated, looking away from her. It was then that Alex started to actually worry - oh this was bad. “I made a deal with Lan Caihe…so that she wouldn’t reveal to anyone the whole ya know ‘went to hell and now I’m a demon thing.’ I said I would partake in whatever…refreshments were served.”

Alex’s stomach went cold, “You can’t do that. Last year-“

“We can’t let anyone find out about what we did,” he cut her off before she could elaborate. “It’d be the end of Lethe, the end of us at Yale. It’s the only way. It’s done. I’ve come clean to Lan Caihe and now I have to finish the deal.” He tried to seem a little more lighthearted about it, “Maybe they’ll go easy on me. A little hallucinogenic or something.”

They both knew Manuscript wouldn’t go easy on him. Not after the trouble he gave them last year after the party, and the position he was in now. For the members of Manuscript, this party was about restoring their magic stores but also about entertainment. 

Alex didn’t know what to say.

“Come on,” Darlington started walking toward the party again. Alex followed a step behind, her heart beating in her chest. She thought again of Darlington on his knees before her, but also at his shame the next day when the Merity had worn off. He’d been through so much already this past year, she couldn’t let him do this to himself.

Alex kept her mouth shut, but she knew exactly what she had to do.

—————————————

Chapter 2

Upon arrival, the party looked much the same as it had last year. Drunken students in various states of dress danced and drank and let themselves revel in the freedom of a holiday all about disguise and deception.

Darlington nodded to Kate at the door and, as he did last year, adamantly declined the hand stamp she offered. He took Alex’s hand and pulled her through the front door - unwilling to let her out of his site for a moment.

His nerves were shot tonight - he was on edge and feeling protective. That probably would have been the case anyway after what happened last year, but now with his demon half and his um…commitment to Alex, he was on high alert. He pushed Alex ahead of him but kept a hold on her hand, doing his best to ignore the line where her black dress ended and her white thighs began.

They took a look around the first floor, not seeing anything suspicious, and made their way to the door that would take them below to the heart of Manuscript. His chest started to feel tight as they neared the door. Darlington, for once, had no idea what to expect. What they would have him take. He almost wished he didn’t have to bring Alex with him tonight so he could avoid a repeat of last year. Furthermore, the Merity they gave him last year had brought him to his knees, literally, as a human. He was more than human now, more dangerous, and was worried about his loss of control. His only consolation was the thought of Alex with her leash of blue hellfire around his neck - she’d controlled him before and he hoped she could do it again if the need arose.

He shook off thoughts of Alex with her leash and him on his knees - the party atmosphere must have been getting to him.

They began the descent and now that they were out of the crowd, Darlington let go of her hand. They past other floors as they did last year - something like the French Riviera, another a dark wet city street with a churning raging party, the obligatory orgy scene (“Excess,” Stern had called it last year) in a similar dimly lit but decadent cathedral as last year. One more floor down, and they had arrived.

This year’s gathering was a little more involved than he remembered from last Halloween. The room was made to look like the banquet hall of a castle, a long dark table filled with decadent food and drink stretching through the center of the room, leading up to the same two-story tall mirror from last year. Banners hung from the ceiling, elaborate tapestries hung along the stone walls. The whole room was lit by a candlelight chandelier hanging from the center of the ceiling, casting deep shadows in the farthest corners. A quartet played music from one of the corners.

There were more people this year as well, dressed mostly in fine clothes, most of them wearing masks as well. Darlington always thought the masks gave this gathering a sinister air - people tend to be less trustworthy when they think you don’t know who they are.

The attendees were already drinking and deep in their merriment, though a few looked up as Alex and Darlington walked in. As usual, some scantily dressed students milled about with purple tongues, serving the guests food and drink and sometimes a few extra favors, as evidenced by a girl in a leotard covered in peacock feathers following a man into one of several semi-visible spaces cut out into the walls. They were small and dark but you could see the outlines of bodies moving within.

Before Darlington had a chance to say anything else to Alex, any more words of warning, this gathering’s Lan Caihe approached.

“Our guests of honor have arrived,” she said. “Lovely to see you both again.” Her white eyes stood out under the golden headdress and Darlington was reminded that she would be seeing them as they truly are - demon and wheelwalker.

“Yes well, as always we are grateful for the invitation. And for your, uh, discretion.” Darlington could feel Alex hovering at his elbow, tense but standing straight, trying to appear confident and collected. Out of the corner of her eye, he saw her glancing around, assessing the room.

Caihe smiled slyly. “Yes, discretion. I’m delighted that one of you will be partaking in our hospitality this year. Or perhaps both of you?” She directed this question at Alex.

“No-“ I started to say but was quickly interrupted by Alex who stepped forward in front of me.

“Actually, I’ll be the one participating,” she said to Caihe. “I’m assuming that will adequately fulfill the terms of the deal you made with Darlington?”

“What? Stern, no.” Darlington’s stomach dropped. Stupid, stubborn girl. 

But the women ignored him completely.

“Wonderful!” said Caihe. “Of course. We had planned for Darlington but this change of plans should be an unexpected…treat.”

Darlington didn’t know if Alex was picking up on it, but every word of that sentence felt incredibly loaded to him. He grabbed Alex elbow and pulled her aside, maybe more roughly than he’d meant to, while Caihe beckoned one of the acolytes over.

“Stern, what do you think you’re doing?” he snapped.

She spoke low and fast, “I can’t let you go through that again. Not after everything that’s happened over the last year. You were…you were so ashamed afterwards last time. I’ll be fine, just stay with me and don’t let me make an ass of myself.”

“Stern you can’t -“ she didn’t even let him finish, just turned back toward Caihe as the acolyte approached with a goblet on a tray. 

“As I said,” said Caihe, “we made this especially for Darlington tonight but I think given that you are both beneficiaries of the deal he struck, it’s only fair that you shall be allowed to take his place, Alex.” Caihe gestured toward the outstretched tray.

Alex picked up the goblet and examined the contents inside. Darlington stood mute, having no idea how to stop what was about to happen. He felt powerless.

“What’s in it?” she asked, looking up at Caihe’s golden headdress, her white eyes. Darlington noticed more and more attendees looking their way.

“I’m afraid that was not part of the deal,” Caihe smiled.

Alex turned her head and met Darlington’s eyes. She looked steely, determined, but he knew her well enough to see the trepidation hidden in there as well. Turning back to the goblet, she seemed to make decision and lifted it to her lips, drinking deeply until all the liquid was gone. She placed the goblet back on the tray and shook her shoulders out a bit.

Caihe just grinned, “Wonderful.”

Read the rest here on ao3!

[laurelsofhighever]

*author interview*

I could’ve sworn I’ve answered some of these questions before, but I can’t find the post now, so you get them again! Tagged by @ladymdc and @out-of-the-embers, who are both wonderful people - thank you!

In return, (rattling my brains for people who haven’t already done this) I’ll tag @elgara-vallas-dalen @naiatabris @pigeontheoneandonly​ and @ma-suranas​

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Name: Lykegenia in most places that aren’t Tumblr

Fandoms: I’m active in Dragon Age and Mass Effect, have several fics in Avatar:The Last Airbender, and tend to hover around other things but not participate. I recently started Fallout 4, so I’ll probably fall down that molerat hole soon.

Where You Post: Both here and on AO3

Most Popular One-Shot: Going by kudos, it’s Jubilant, which is something I wrote very long ago as a standalone entry for Zutara week, that has Zuko and Katara practicing bending together and realising they maybe don’t hate each other as much as they thought. Interestingly, it’s closely followed by Hot Water, the first piece of smut I ever wrote and which I am too embarrased by to ever go back and read.

Most Popular Multi-Chapter Story: My Zutara story, The Things We Hide, an AU where the Southern Water Tribe wasn’t conquered until the return of Sozin’s Comet, and Katara ends up as a political prisoner secretly working to bring down the Fire Nation from the inside. It’s got political scheming, bending battles, Blue Spirit/Painted Lady shenanigans, jail breaks, daring rescues, and Zuko being an utter dork around the girl he loves.

Favorite Story You Wrote:  It’s still ongoing, but I’ve been obsessed with writing The Falcon and the Rose for pretty much three years now, and aside from still being very invested in the story, it’s taught me so much about how to write longfic, how to worldbuild, and how to build character arcs. It’s an AU centred around what would have happened in the Fereldan Civil War if the Blight hadn’t interrupted. It’s got action, tragedy, slow burn romance, political scheming, tests of loyalty, and an ace-spec main character determined to do the right thing.

Story You Were Nervous to Post: More than anything else, A Way To Relieve Tension is one where I posted and ran, and didn’t even really stop to edit on the way. It’s a NSFW oneshot about a first in Alistair and Rosslyn’s relationship, and while I’m proud of it in a way, I’m also still very surprised I wrote it in the first place.

How You Choose Your Titles: I don’t, really. They come to me while I write, and if they don’t, then I just stick anything in there and hope it sounds profound. I haven’t had to resort to the Hozier lyric title generator, though I might in future...

Complete: The Things We Hide, and The Best Laid Plans, a Green Rider fic from before I lost interest in the series. There are a few more from back in my old ff.net days when I wrote for Inuyasha and Torchwood/Doctor Who, but I don’t have access to that account anymore and I’m also super embarrassed by everything I wrote back then.

I have two collections that are technically complete because there aren’t specific plans for future chapters, A Life, Together which is a collection of oneshots held together in the same universe for Zutara Week, and Your Humble Narrator, where I collect

Incomplete: There’s Falcon, and Falcon’s “deleted scenes” counterpart, Feathers and Petals, but right now I’m really good at being hyperfocused dedicated to a managable number of stories at a time.

Do You Outline? Ohhhhhhh yes. I start playing about in notebooks to work out plot order and details about worldbuilding, then I create a full chapter-by-chapter plan building up from dialogue and basic scene setting. It’s really helped keep the plot on track and keep my writing energy from fizzling out because I know how far ahead I need to look for the scenes I really want to write.

Coming Soon/Not Yet Started: I have two AUs in my scopes for when Falcon is (almost) finished. The first is a retelling of Origins where Alistair is a prince raised in Castle Cousland, and Rosslyn is the only one of them who gets made a Warden. The other takes place after the game with Alistair made king by my Tabris Warden, falling in love with a non-Warden Rosslyn who spent the Blight leading the rebellion against Howe and Loghain. I keep veering between which of the two would be more fun.

Do You Accept Prompts? I have a list of prompts on my blog, and I’ll take them, but because I’m focussing so much on my WIPs, it will probably take a lot of time to answer any. And I still have to upload the last few to AO3.

Upcoming Story You Are Most Excited to Write: As I said, I’ve got two new stories coalescing out of the aether, but for now, I’m just really excited to get Falcon finished because it’ll be the biggest thing I’ve ever written, and getting to the end will be an amazing achievement for me.