#completion will probably be biased towards knights and fine

[xienst]

MASTERPOST: enstars! summary project

THE ENTIRE ENSTARS! EVENT LORE SUMMARISED: for those who want to speedrun enstars! lore

here is a timeline of all the events in enstars!

this project will aim to summarise as many enstars! stories as possible so u can get the gist of the event stories without having to read through 100 eichi monologues

credits: timeline is copied from wiki

will be updated with links after every story summary!

[PRESENT DAY: year = !]

** events will be referred to by "<season> + <index>

春 SPRING: (C)

Shiny First Years

The Flag's Honor ✻ Crowned Flower Festival

Revival Festival☆Easter Night

Palace of the Ocean

Marching Band

Spring Storm! Dancing Petals, Sakura Festival!

Gang

Sweets Patisserie

Pyjamas

Mail Delivery -> spring section 1 summary

Devil's Mansion

Spring Breeze＊Iconic Book Fair

Lift the Curtains! Yumenosaki Circus

Sacrifice◆Resurrection Sunday of the Undying

Falling Cherry Blossoms＊Wisteria Purple of May

Toy Box

Angel's Wings

Card Battler

Runway

Dream Coloured Prince -> spring section 2 summary

In the Rose Garden

Fresh Green Martial Arts

Yell✳︎Sprawling Happy Spring

Evening Banquet ♪ Band Ensemble

Performance! The Tragicomedy of Romeo and Juliet

Secret Labyrinth

At Your Service! UNDEAD Cafe

Leap! Principal of the Lake's Surface

Play Your Part! Cinderella's Grand Stage

Terror! Tamayori's Haunted Dollhouse

School Festival★The Scramble of a Startup Hero

Billiards -> spring section 3 summary

夏 SUMMER: (X)

Ukiyo Air Ride

Merc Storia

Hero Show

Biblio

The Rainy Season's Blossoms

Breakthrough! The Revolutionary Live Which Heralds the Dawn

Chinatown

Nuclear Ignition ☆ A Sparkling Quintuple-Color Supernova -> summer section 1 summary

Victoria

Amusement☆The Live Party of Cats and Rabbits

Gondola

Judge! Black and White Duel

Round Game

Devotion! Brocade of Driving Away the Rainy Season

Gunmen of the Wilderness

Bridal -> summer section 2 summary

Symphony＊Magnolia of Blessings

Seven-Colored＊Sunshower Festa

Saga＊Rushing Up Rainbow Stage

Pool Opening

Comic World

Shot☆Splash Pool!

Challenge! Tanabata Festival Wishes

Dance Performance! Thoughts That Bridge the Milky Way

Facing One Another! The Celestial Globe of the Night the Stars Meet

Dance Floor -> summer section 3 summary

Dogfight

Ghost Stories

The Seven Faces of the Shapeshifting Youkai

Little Kings

Frozen Ice

Summer of Clear Skies! Summer Camp

Concerto

Set Sail! Pirates at Sea Festival -> summer section 4 summary

Kiseki☆The Preliminary Match of the Summer Live

Radiant! Sunflower Live of Smiles

Scorching Hot! The Scenery of Southern Lands and Summer Vacation

Surfing Ocean

Stars★Glitter of the Prism

Summer Flowers

Late Summer Lesson -> summer section 5 summary

Luminescence＊Summer Night Festival

Yumenosaki Restaurant

Remember! A Midsummer Night's Dream

Best Shot

Holiday

Scorching Heat ☆ A Seaside Beach Match

Buddy -> summer section 6 summary

Farewell! Festival of Memories and Quarrels

Launch! The Night Sky of the Shooting Star Festival

Carmen of Passion

Lost Star＊Wavering Light, Pleiades Night

Deep Sea Mystery

Drop＊The Far Sea and the Aquarium

Summer Sky＊Galloping Cheval Live -> summer section 7 summary

Onibi

Burning Up! Yumenosaki Academy Sports Festival

Fight! Yumenosaki Academy Sports Festival 2

Competition! Yumenosaki Academy Sports Festival 3

Cinema Theater

1001 Nights -> summer section 8 summary

Blue Filament

Cooking

Brilliant Star Air Force

Police Man -> summer section 9 summary

秋 AUTUMN (Q)

Kung Fu

Night of the Full Moon ＊ Hopping Moonlight Luna

The Coloured Flower Cards

Special Training! Mismatched Pair Lessons

Doctor

Rebellion! The King's Horseback Ride

Kiseki★Blitzkrieg Autumn Live

Robin Hood -> autumn section 1 summary

Science

Fruits Parlour

Happening◆Music Festa of Reversals

Secret Acts! The Moonlight Scroll of the Elements

Festival＊Graceful Fleur De Lis

Toryumon

Rosicrucian Story

Showtime

Howl★The Rockin' Star of the Night Sky -> autumn section 2 summary

Afternoon

Boutique

Raising Curtains! Dark Night Halloween

React★Magical Halloween

Lots of Monsters☆Sweet Halloween

Cacophony◆Whirling Horror Night Halloween -> autumn section 3 summary

Enjoyment♪ Autumn School Trip

Invitation★Black Blood Banquet

The Golden Wind＊Wishing Live of Encouragement

Teddy Bear

Colourful Autumn

Meikyoushisui

Hot-Blooded Tough Guy

BADBOYS -> autumn section 4 summary

Scramble ＊ Toyland in a Dream

The Songbird’s Song＊Soirée in the Canary Hall

Underdoctor

Autumn Forest

Discovery! Steampunk Museum -> autumn section 5 summary

冬 winter (D)

The Wolf and Red Riding Hood

Greek Legends

Philosopher's Guidance

SnowboardDream of the Butterfly

Rail◆The Cat in the Snowy Winter and the Camellia Train -> winter section 1 summary

Nocturne

Snow Globe

Agents

Snowflake❄Street Performance Of The Falling Stars

Shine! A Sparkling Starry Night Festival!

Winter Santa -> winter section 2 summary

Brilliance★Knights' Starlight Festival

Noel＊The Angels' Starlight Festival

Carol＊White Snow and the Christmas Eve Starlight Festival

Radiant☆Hot Holiday Party

Throwing! A Snowy Silver-White Snowfight

Eccentric -> winter section 3 summary

Kiseki☆Winter Live Showdown

Winter's New Year Shrine Visit

First Dream Tales (Part One)

First Dream Tales (Part Two) -> winter section 4 summary

Zodiac (Part One)

Amusement Park Show

Zodiac (Part Two)

Daikagura! Celebratory New Years Live

Showdown! Magnificent Phantom Thief VS Detective Brigade

Transparency and Masks -> winter section 5 summary

Clash of Arms! Opera of Moonlight Romance

Dance on Ice

Depart☆Blue Skies Dream Travel

Opening★The Fortune Banquet Live

Saga＊Clashing Rebirth Live

Revival☆Dream Diner Live

Shoufuku＊The Ogres and Brothers' Setsubun Festival -> winter section 6 summary

Last Period

Jewel Candy

Poison À La Mode

Tea Party

The Four Beasts of Fistfighting

Salon de Thé -> winter section 7 summary

Sincerely! Bitter Chocolat Festival

Melty❤Sweetly Unraveling Chocolat Festival

Decorate♥Crimson Chocolat Festival

Marble ♥ Heartfelt Chocolat Festival

Home Party

Onigashima -> winter section 8 summary

Yumenosaki Youth Radio♪

Military

Cunning ◆ Wonder Game

Beauties of Nature

Flutter! Chick and Emperor's Triumphant Return -> winter section 9 summary

[NEXT YEAR: year = !+1]

!+1 spring i think? (context: third years in ! are graduating)

Beasts

Memorial◆Class Live We Make Together

Noble Game

Chuunibyou Trouble

Bouquet of Desire

Chorus★Operetta of Beginnings -> !! spring section 1 summary

Every Pitch With All One’s Heart! Youthful Play Ball

Clash! Recollect--A Festival of Giving Back

Baton Pass! Repayment Festival of Tears and Bonds

Moment＊The Repayment Festival of Moving Forward Toward the Future

Requiem＊Sword of Oaths and the Repayment Festival

Link♪The Symphony that Starts from Here -> !! spring section 2 summary

!+1 post-graduation stories

Photoshoot! Warm Athletics

Puppy Mischief Picnic

Bounce! Hearts and Flowers Bloom--Mall Live

Strawberry Picking -> post-graduation summary

[BACKSTORIES: read with caution *** recommended reading is from year = enstars!]

(year: !-12)

(1) Rainbow (2) Revival - 20

(year: !-several)

(3) Gang: Midnight Gangster

(year: !-2)

(4) Zodiac (5) Meteor Impact (6) Jingle Bells

(year: !-1)

(7) Reminiscence＊The Crossroads of Each One (8) Reminiscence＊Monochrome Checkmate (9) Reminiscence＊Spring Cherry Blossoms and a Night's Encounter (10) Reminiscence＊Ryusei Bonfire (11) Reminiscence ＊ End of the Marionette's Strings (12) Reminiscence＊Gathering of the Three Magicians

-> all backstories summary

AND... THAT'S IT! THATS THE ENTIRE ENSTARS! SUMMARISED

a few things to note:

main story not included -- because it should be read before everything

CN/TW exclusive not included

timeline is definitely shaky but overall flow of stories should still be okay

-project start date: 17 Oct 2022- -last updated: 22 Mar 2023-

[365daysofsasuhina]

[ 365 Days of SasuHina || Day Two Hundred Ninety-Nine: That’s the Key ] [ Uchiha Sasuke, Hyūga Hinata, Haruno Sakura, Uzumaki Naruto ] [ SasuHina, NaruSaku ] [ Verse: Like Magic] [ AO3 Link ]

“Music...how are we supposed to do music? Anyone here able to carry a tune?” Sasuke whispers harshly as they all peer through the door on the third floor.

“Well unlike some of you, I came prepared! Jiraiya gave us a hint, and I made note of it!” Reaching into her robes, Sakura takes out a wooden flute. “It’s not much, but...I think I can get it to work. Just be very quiet, and let me do this!”

“Oh...l-look…!” Pointing, Hinata draws the quartet’s attention to something shining near the back of the room. “It’s a harp…!”

“Well that settles it - someone’s here before us!” Naruto declares. “And I’m telling you, it has to be Orochimaru…!”

“Sitting here arguing about it won’t get us in there any faster! I’ll start to play, and then you three move quietly and find the way through! Got it?”

The other three nod, and Sakura takes half a step into the room. Immediately, a great growling can be heard...but quiets as the Ravenclaw begins to play her flute. It’s...not the best, and a little off-key, but the beast beyond the door soon quiets...and then they hear snoring?

Stepping in further, she looks back and gives a guiding nod of her head, never stopping her music. Behind her, Hinata, Sasuke, and Naruto take careful steps past her, hearts pounding at the sight of the giant, three-headed dog only feet away.

Gesturing, Sasuke points to a trap door. Together, he and Naruto manage to lift it, flinching at the loud creak it gives.

But Sakura doesn’t waver, and the dog sleeps on.

“Lumos…!” Hinata whispers, holding her wand aloft.

“...see anything?”

“Um...it looks like there’s something to land on…? There’s no ladder or a-anything…”

“...I’ll go first.” Clenching his wand between his teeth, Sasuke builds his nerve for a moment before leaping, landing with a slight bounce atop...a plant? “Come on, it’s a soft landing!”

Naruto follows, Hinata not far behind. The flute music then stops, and it’s not long before Sakura gives a screech, tumbling through the trap door as the guard dog snaps teeth just above the hole.

“Well that was close…” Naruto mumbles. “C’mon, let’s -”

“AH!”

All jolting, they turn to see Sasuke entangled in vines! And around them, even more begin to wake, whipping and curling around them.

Panic.

The more they struggle, the tighter the plant grips them...until Hinata brightens. “W-wait! Everyone, stop moving! This is Devil’s Snare - struggling will only make it worse!”

“Then how do we get out?!” Naruto demands, a leafy tendril poised around his throat.

“It’s repelled by light and heat...I’ve got it!” Managing to take out her wand, Hinata murmurs a spell, and bright blue flames erupt from her wand. Immediately, the plant begins to retract, loosening its hold until the four of them manage to get free.

They all look at the flora in shock, Naruto turning to her. “...that was brilliant,” he manages to say, still catching his breath. “You’re brilliant!”

“I...I just know my p-plants…” the Hufflepuff replies shyly, head ducking at the praise.

“Well, we still don’t know what’s ahead...but there’s likely a lot more where that came from,” Sasuke cautions, wand back in hand. “We can’t let down our guards.”

The rest follow him, the corridor sloping downward. As their footsteps echo, the subtle sound of dripping water can be heard. But as they enter a new chamber, the atmosphere changes completely.

A bright room, tall of ceiling and filled with the sounds of bird wings, is filled to the brim with what indeed look like birds. The four cross to the door, finding it locked. Sakura’s attempt with Alohomora does little, the portal still locked tight.

“...wait a minute…”

Turning to the Slytherin, they find Sasuke squinting at the flapping wings above them. “What?”

“...look. Those aren’t birds...they’re keys…!” Looking to one side, Sasuke spies several brooms, one left askew as though used. “...one of them must fit the door.”

“But which one?” Naruto moans. “I mean...there’s gotta be a hundred or more - we don’t have the time!”

“Maybe it matches the door?” Sakura reasons, putting her intellect to use. “It would probably be rather large, silver...maybe old-fashioned?”

“I’ll go after it.”

“Hey, me too!” Naruto insists as Sasuke mounts a broom. “I can fly!”

“Just stay out of my way,” the Uchiha mutters in retort, kicking off and beginning to chase.

The keys, however...aren’t eager to be caught. Like a flock of starlings, they quickly form into a shifting, writhing cloud, dodging their pursuer.

As Naruto joins the fray, it only gets all the more chaotic, the keys splitting and swirling.

Sasuke, ever eagle-eyed, eventually brightens. “I see it!”

“What -?”

Wasting no time, he streaks off toward a key with a jerky motion, one wing clearly injured as it struggles to stay airborne. It must have been caught and used before…! Pulling out every stop he’s got, Sasuke dodges attacking keys and manages to snatch the one he wants.

“That’s it! That’s the key!” Hinata cries. “H-hurry!”

The boys struggle to land, Sasuke fumbling with the door before they all collapse through it. Behind them, the flock of keys suddenly lose interest, fluttering back into the chamber as the door closes with a snap.

Practically piled, the group of first years managed to disentangle, catching their breath. “...there better not be much left to this,” Naruto mumbles.

“If this philosopher’s stone is so important…I’m sure there are,” Sasuke mutters in reply. “Come on.”

A short passage leads to a large, dark room. The quartet hesitate, taking slow steps before torches blaze to life to reveal…

“...wait a minute,” Naruto muses, taking another step. “...this is a chess board…”

“What?”

“Look!”

Across from them are indeed the two standard rows of pieces atop a checkered floor: taller than themselves and carved of stone. As they make to walk across, the pawns draw their swords, blocking the path.

“...we’ve got to play chess…!” Brightening, Naruto turns around and finds the other set of pieces behind them. “...and I think we have to be the pieces…”

“You’re...you’re good at chess?” Sakura asks.

“Shikamaru’s been teaching me! I’m not...too bad at it.”

“Well...has anyone else played?”

The others all shake their heads.

“...guess we’ve got no choice,” Sasuke offers. “Come on - let’s all take pieces. Naruto, what should we be?”

“Uh...Sasuke, you take a rook. Hinata, a bishop. Sakura, you be queen, and...I’ll take a knight.”

They all take their places, the replaced pieces sinking into the floor and out of sight.

“All right...white goes first.”

Standing on their squares, they all wait nervously as the game begins. Looking over the field, Naruto’s brow furrows, thinking over his moves carefully before directing his pieces. Each side begins to feel losses...and then…

“...oh no…”

Sasuke glances back. “What? What’s wrong?”

“...okay, listen up guys. I’m going to move my piece...and I’m going to get taken down.”

“What?!” Hinata flinches.

“I have to. After that, Sakura, I need you to move to E7. That will win us the match!”

“But…?” The rosette looks to the broken pieces lose beforehand. “Naruto...you’ll…?”

“I’ll be fine! You need to get on to the next room.” Looking determined, the Gryffindor walks his path, standing directly in the sights of the enemy queen.

After a pause...she skims across the board, and Naruto cries out as he’s struck from his square.

“Naruto!”

“Don’t move!” Sasuke bellows, holding out an arm as the girls both flinch. “We have to finish this! Sakura...you heard him: make your move.”

Jaw trembling, she gives a shaking nod, walking to her designated square. “C...checkmate.”

For a long moment...nothing happens. But then, with a mighty clatter...the king’s sword falls in a signal of defeat.

At once, the remaining trio break and run to Naruto. He’s out cold.

Sakura, clearly fighting tears, murmurs, “...you two keep going.”

“But -?”

“I know some medical incantations. I’ll see if I can get him patched up. But you have to keep going...you have to protect the stone!”

Glancing to each other, Sasuke and Hinata both nod. “...we’ll come back for you,” Hinata murmurs, slowly following as Sasuke makes his way toward the next door. “Do you...think he’ll be okay?”

“He’s tougher than he looks...come on. It’s up to us, now.” Giving Hinata a glance, Sasuke studies her face for a long moment. “...whatever comes up next, don’t do anything brash, okay?”

“B...but -?”

“I’ll handle it. You’re smarter than I am...if we have any more puzzles - and I’m sure we will - we’ll need your insight. I’ll keep you safe. Okay?”

Hinata seems to hesitate at the praise. “O...okay.”

“...all right...let’s go.”

                                                             .oOo.

     Some Harry Potter verse! In this case, a rather direct crossover of the near-ending of the first book! It's been quite a while since I've read it (and sadly my copies are packed away OTL), so I had to cheat and use the wiki a little to remember some finer details, but I think I recalled most of it all right! (And the books are, in my not so biased opinion, far better...so I wanted to reflect those rather than the changes made in the movie!)      Rather than the all-Gryffindor trio, THIS setup sees us with a first year from each house: Hufflepuff Hinata, Slytherin Sasuke, Ravenclaw Sakura, and Gryffindor Naruto! A much more interesting arrangement, imo x3 Sadly I don't have time to do the ENTIRE scene, but we got the prompt line mentioned, and that's the main point - y'all can surely imagine how it goes from there!      Buuut anyway, it's very late and I gotta run! Thanks so much for reading~

[badsithnocookie]

bitter question asks

tagged by the lovely @buffkreia. tagging anyone who wants to i guess. you. yes, you, personally. answer these questions now. (or don’t. it’s up to you.)

What OTPs in your fandom(s) do you just not get?

satele/marr (wat). anyone/marr. anyone/malgus.

Are there any popular fandom OTPs you only BroTP?

vette+sw. any variant on teacher+student (sw/jaesa, jc/nadia, etc). (jk/kira is... borderline, since kira is more a peer than a student, whereas jaesa/nadia/ashara are very much students of the player character, with ds!jaesa being not just a student but an abused one at that).

Have you ever unfollowed someone over a fandom opinion?

hell yes. i once unfollowed someone (who is since long deactivated) for posting “tivva and her old moff cutesy headcanons”. what the fuck, fandom. 

i also make a habit of unfollowing people who do Shit that i complain about on the regular (fascism/wh-te s-premcy rhetoric apologetics, ab-se shippers, etc). (though i am more picky about who i follow than i used to be. for a lot of people though it’s nothing personal, i am just a Weirdo who likes to read their entire dash, so i keep the number of blogs i follow low. but if we interact on anything resembling the regular i probably have a nose at your bagel anyway)

Do you have a NoTP in your fandom? Are they a popular OTP?

as above most/any variant on teacher/student.

jk/scourge. i’ve seen it done ICly exactly once. most of the time scourge is rewritten as a noble romantic knight in edgy armour and not the manipulative borderline-stalker that he is. i hate the pairing for the shitty characterisation that usually accompanies it and i hate the pairing for the abusive relationship it would be were he IC. there is no winning move here except not to play.

corso/smuggler. i get the feeling that most people into this pairing like corso as they want him to be, not corso as he is. or maybe that’s just wishful thinking on my part, idk.

doc/quinn. this pairing is peak White Fujoshi and i hate it. i hate the examples where it’s doc repeatedly hitting on an increasingly uncomfortable quinn, because haha sexually harassing someone is both hilarious and hot am i right. i hate the examples where it’s quinn seducing doc for intel on the resistance (protip: that’s rape!). i hate it i hate it i hate it if i never see it again it will be too soon

Has fandom ever ruined a pairing for you?

f!sw/almost anyone male, as a result of the endless shitty revenge adultery abuse fics that are all over quinn fandom. not all f!/sw/anyone male fics/ships fall into this category, but most of them seem to, especially /theron and /pierce.

(something something why is it that the majority of people who write f!sw/men of colour only do so in order to generate manpain for a white dude, huh)

Has fandom ever made you enjoy a pairing you previously hated?

nope.

Is there anything you used to like but can’t stand now?

pugging EV/KP

Have you received anon hate? What about?

until i switched off anon, yes. it was fifty percent “you say mean things about quinn and that makes you an awful person” and fifty percent “you say nice things about quinn and that makes you an awful person”. proof that no matter what i do, i will never make The People happy. conclusion: do whatever the fuck i want

Most disliked character(s)? Why?

scourge. because i have an irrational dislike of people who manipulative borderline stalkers, who threaten to kidnap the children of others so they can be “raised correctly” into an abusive reactionary religious order.

Most disliked arc? Why?

republic makeb is where logic and my will to live go to die.

kotet is equal parts ‘empire apologia’, ‘vaylin torture porn’, and ‘excuses to be violent towards koth’. appo hates.

Is there an unpopular character you like that the fandom doesn’t? Why?

koth vortena. both for his intrinsic qualities as a character and because of the endlessly terrible way he is treated by the fanbase and th devs both. if i had a penny for every “but he said valk was good to zakuul” i would never have to worry about my income again.

jaric kaedan. he’s great i love him. grumpy, arguably less than ls, but passoinately dedicated to the jedi and the republic. hates scourge on sight. badassed the Dread Masters into submission. pushes for the jedi to take action in a war targeted at wiping them out instead of hiding behind the republic. he’s just *chef’s kiss*

Is there an unpopular arc that you like that the fandom doesn’t? Why?

the jc story. imp makeb.

Unpopular opinion about XXX character?

major anri exists only to put a likeable face on the empire. she and brax are incredibly deliberate (not to mention hamfisted) attempts to Humanise(tm) a genocidal imperialistic fascist regime and to attempt to play on the guilt of players/characters who take the saboteur route. sadly what bioware seem to fail to realise is that i traded my ability to feel sorry for the empire for a magic bean. it was completely worth it.

Unpopular opinion about your fandom?

swtor fandom is a dumpster fire. racism, misogyny, fascism apologia, ablism, we got it all, folks. in that respect it is not abnormal for fandoms but this is neither an excuse nor a selling point.

it is also not welcoming in the slightest if you take issue with any of the above.

Unpopular opinion about the manga/show/game?

the old method of unlocking travel waypoints was way more immersive (even if it was a colossal pain in the ass). exploring the depths of belsavis for the first time was awe inspiring - seeking out ancient forgotten tech to dig into secrets locked away for untold millenia.

yes, it was a huge pain in the ass, especially if you were on your nth alt. i’d be fine with some system (maybe legacy based) where waypoints/speeder points for a planet are unlocked once you’ve completed the planetary story for the first time (or something). there is so much content in the game that just gets missed by first time players because bioware want to rush them through to the very end and it sucks.

If you could change anything in the show, what would you change?

invent a time machine, arrange for the firing of those who okayed kotfe and its shitty story that glorified a repeat abuser and its shitty gameplay and its total lack of repeatable group content in an mmo. make the writers produce something that a. actually stayed true to the themes of star wars and b. didn’t glorify an abusive genocidal shitlord like valkoriate.

then find myself some lottery numbers and set up a fund for giving out money to people who are reduced to begging on social media for medical bills.

Does not shipping something ‘popular’ mean you’re in denial and/or biased?

shipping drama worst drama

What is the purest ship in the fandom?

vette/spewie

What are your thoughts on crack ships?

crackships which require you to ignore or worse betray a character’s personality (satele/marr, quinn/elara) - kill on sight

everything else - whatever

Popular character you hate?

darth marr. he is so overrated i don’t even know what to say. he has no personality, nothing. he didn’t even have a unique va in vanilla. he’s a shitty empty space that empire fandom hyped up up and away because he memes well and i loathe him.

Unpopular character you love?

i’m pretty sure this i a repeat of that question up there where i enthused about jaric kaedan

Would you recommend XXX to a friend? Why or why not?

join me in hell

Most shippable character?

eva kaayz. everyone needs a cute bisexual mirialan in their life.

Least shippable character?

darth marr. valkoriate. skadge.

[thatbanjobusiness]

Time to rate labels of 78 rpm records according to how awesome I think they look. Because this is a better use of my time during work hours than my work.

Oriole, early 1920s / A+!

Dudes look how magnificent this is. The gold and white on top of the black! What a classy combo of colors, simple but elegant. The simple beauty of the bird and leaves. I would buy this record for the label. Who cares what it sounds like! Best label is bestest, I feel like this would be just as pretty today a hundred years later on a label.

Oriole, mid 1920s / B+

Not as alluring as the white and gold combination. Pure black is simpler and you lose something with it. Still, I like orange, orange is unique, my prom dress was orange for fuck’s sake, and I can’t complain to the bird still being present. I’m giving a B+ because the bird is still on it and I’m biased toward the bird. The B is for Birb. B+rb.

Victor, 1929 / B

Dog listening to music. Good doggo. A classic look. Solid B. B for.... bdog. Yeah that works. The design doesn’t appeal to me as much, but I’ll admit that when I see a Victor label from circa the 20s and 30s and such, I immediately know what I’m seeing, so they succeeded in what they needed... to be distinct. 

OKeh, 1923 / D

True to their name, OKeh’s label is...... okay. Meh. Even the way the word “OKeh” is written looks weird.

Brunswick, 1931 / B+

What is that curly leafy design thingie called? Gilding? I dunno. The gilding design feels way overdone when you first see it, even though when you think about it, it’s really not THAAAAAaaaAt elaborate. I think it’s how thick it is and how much it circles the outside that makes your eyes go “what the.” But because it looks overdone, you’re also like, “You go, label, you go.” I would buy a cake with this design. Here the visuals are somehow simultaneously overdone and austere, like, the text everywhere else is banal. But the swirlies and combination with the fancy “Brunswick” lettering means somehow I like it. B+, there’s no mistaking these bad boys. B+ = double B = Bad Boys. I guess.

Vocalion, 1929 / B

Vocalion: because Brunswick swirls and fancy text are not enough. I feel like these two labels should be compared because of common aesthetic features. The bleh parts of the Brunswick design aren’t part of the Vocalion. For instance: that three-edge square with the curve at the bottom? Looks slightly off-kilter. Here, we go hardcore with a FULL SQUARE. Harshness in the middle of swirly curly softness. But I dunno, there’s something about the squareness in the center where the text is that hurts my eyes in comparison to the rest of the... whoosh. There’s so much whoosh it’s almost white noise (visual white noise?) So it gets only a B instead of a B+.

Mercury, 1950 / C

Could you make this any more boring? I mean, good job for making the lettering big enough to read and all. The basic font looks good. But the mask face logo thingie barely even looks like a mask. If I weren’t thinking about that, I’d be asking if that was a Tusken raider or an astronaut or a medieval knight’s breastplate. Like I actually am not sure what it is... I assumed it was a mask? And then somehow they always manage to mess up the combination of the font of the name “Mercury” with the mask. Like on the 45 rpm of this same release, the font is thinner (which looks more elegant), but then the M runs directly into the... the mask thing.

Columbia, 1952 / C

Okayokayokay fine, there are lots of labels that are just as boring or even boringer than early country music Mercury. Columbia’s red label here is...... utile. You just have the words and the logo and that’s it. No attempt at being fancy whatsoever in my books. But you should see later Columbia with its 45 rpm releases in like, the 1960s. It gets real boring REAL fast. It’s like the longer records were out, the less anyone cared what they looked like.

Columbia, 1928 / C

Oh wait I forgot nevermind, Columbia has been boring for decades. I like some aspects of this but when compared to others, it doesn’t draw my eye. Can we please talk about how the words “Electrical process” look like they DO NOT BELONG on this label? Otherwise would’ve been a solid C. C for “Could you try better next time with that font, I get you want to emphasize electricity, but YOU’RE THROWING OFF MY GROOVE.” This is not a Kuzco-endorsed label. Holy shit, I just realized “groove” is a pun. Record grooves. Har har, get it?

Perfect, 1927 / B I Guess?

Trying to match up to its conceited name, we’ve got a conceited design that’s more elaborate than it needs to be, complete with the outline of human butt cheeks, lorng hoomin hair, people bowing or something in Awe Of The Perfect, and three million dots. Okay gotta admit it draws my eye though. UNLIKE CERTAIN OTHER COMPANIES I HAVE LOOKED AT [cough]. Okayokay it’s probably just a... a... a 1920s thing, to try to look like.... this. I dunno. What do you take me for, an expert?

Edison, 1929 / A-

Yeah yeah it’s boringer than many of these, but hear me out: lightning zaps from above. Coming to smite you. MWAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAA. Why have naked women when you can have DEATH

[nicolabarth]

Fire and Lightning - Chapter 9

Pairing: Michean (main pairing), Samifer (pretty important for the plot, too)

Rating: Mature

Warnings: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Sovereign!Dean, Mage!Michael, Mage!Raphael, Necromancer!Lucifer, Knight!Sam, nonbinary!Raphael (they/their pronouns), Blood Magic, Graphic depiction of Violence, Curses, past Michifer, lots of brotherly feels

Summary: Dean is still not used to Sam’s new lover, the necromancer and blood mage Lucifer, when even more mages show up on the Winchester lands. Michael and Raphael claim they’re after Lucifer because of crimes he commited and they have to bring him back to their homeland so he can be brought to justice. But is Lucifer actually guilty? And then there’s the fact that having Lucifer taken from him will break Sam’s heart. Dean can’t allow that, even though the more he talks to Michael the more he starts to like the stubborn bastard. And Michael knows it’s his duty to capture and return his brother Lucifer home, but the more he talks to Dean the more he starts to doubt that everything he thought he knows is true.

Notes: This is a sequel to Blood and Bones, even though it can probably be read on its own. Thanks to @askatosch @coplins and @brieflymaximumprincess for beta reading and keeping me motivated while writing.

Read it on AO3

It didn’t take long until it started to rain. At first it was just a few drops here and there and Michael pressed on, but soon it was a steady downpour and Dean took a cloak from the small pack he’d brought. It soaked through fast, when the rain grew stronger.

Dean threw Raphael a suspicious glance and was met with a hint of a smile. Cunning bastard.

Michael cursed and stopped, gripping Lucifer’s arm hard and waiting for Dean and Raphael to catch up. The necromancer looked completely drenched by now since he didn’t have a cloak. Michael on the other hand had a hood pulled over his head. He pulled it back a little and stared up at Dean with a sullen face. “Is there a place where we can sit this out?”

Dean nodded. “There’s a hunting lodge nearby.” He’d have to thank Raphael properly later.

Dean was the last to step into the lodge, because he had to take care of his horse first, get it into the small stable, dry it off and leave it with food and water. When he finally entered, there was a fire going in the fireplace in the only room. Lucifer was sitting next to it and complaining loudly. “At least get them off long enough so I can get out of most of the wet clothes.” He thrust his shackled hands into Michael’s direction, who was surprisingly dry already again. “What are you afraid of, Michael? I need blood for my magic, and I don’t have any weapons on me!”

Michael didn’t look happy at all. “I remember that one time very well when you bit your tongue to spew a curse at Malachy.”

Lucifer shrugged. “Yes, well, point taken. He deserved that for being a dick to you.”

For a moment there was something like a sad smile on Michael’s face, then his features hardened again and he shook his head.

“I can rework the bindings so he can’t use his magic but has his hands free,” Raphael interrupted them, before Michael could say any more. Two sets of eyes, one dark brown, one icy blue looked pleadingly at Michael.

The oldest mage sighed. “Fine. Do it. Don’t take your eyes off him, though.”

When Dean stepped closer to the fire, Michael turned to him. Two steps, then Michael put a hand on Dean’s chest, steering him away from the fire to the other side of the room. “I said stay away from Lucifer, remember?”

Dean frowned at him. “So I’m not allowed to get dry.”

Another sigh, and then Michael lifted his hand, flames flickering along his fingers. “I can help with that.”

Hurriedly Dean took another step back, bumping into the cabin wall. “Woah! I said dry, not crispy!”

The hint of a smile pulled on the corners of Michael’s lips, while the flames died down to just the air above his hand shimmering with heat. Oh so that’s how he had gotten dry so fast. Slowly, he extended his hand, and Dean exhaled, forcing himself to relax. If Michael wanted to kill him, he could do so any minute anyway.

When Michael’s fingertips were a few inches from his face, Dean could feel the heat coming off of them. After the cold rain it felt like a blessing. Dean leaned into the touch that was almost a bit too hot, felt Michael’s finger ghost over his temple and up into his hair. Dean couldn’t help but make a small content sound, and if he was honest he didn’t even try to suppress it.

“Get rid of the cloak.” Michael’s voice was low and his face was close enough that Dean could feel his breath on his skin. He had both of his hands in Dean’s hair by now, and Dean’s heart was beating fast with happiness. He was allowed to be happy about this. The more Michael seeked him out, the easier it’d be to do what he came here for. Just offer him some wine later or maybe even still convince him to let his brother go.

So what if Dean enjoyed the touch way too much? If he couldn’t help himself and threw Michael a cocky grin while he opened the clasp of his cloak to let it slide from his shoulders. “Anything else?”

Michael’s fingers curled into a fist around the hair in the nape of Dean’s neck. The heat got almost painful there, and Dean tensed.

“I won’t change my mind, because you flirt with me,” Michael said.

“I know. If that would work, we wouldn’t be here at all and instead still back in the castle having way more fun than we’re having right now.” Dean shrugged. He also probably would have respected Michael a lot less. He actually understood the stubbornness and he would be damned, if he didn’t get why it was hard to trust Lucifer. Though by now the evidence in the necromancer’s favor should be pretty overwhelming.

“But if you’re honest to yourself, you’re already mostly convinced that Lucifer is innocent, are you?” Dean pulled a face. Lucifer and innocent in one sentence was hard to get out with a straight face. “Well, not in general, of course. You know what I mean.”

That made the corners of Michael’s mouth twitch again. He let go of Dean’s hair and fanned both hands out over Dean’s shoulders, heat seeping through the wet fabric of his overcoat and shirt.

“He could’ve won against you,” Dean added, voice maybe a bit husky for completely different reasons, “if he could’ve stood the thought of making Sam unhappy.”

“I think a court should decide about him being guilty or not.” The short spark of amusement hadn’t held for long. Instead Michael looked troubled, visibly torn now. Like it just needed a tiny bit more to finally push him to a change of mind.

“Michael, I’ve told you before –” Lucifer’s voice came from the other side of the room, but was suddenly muffled.

“Shh,” Raphael said, “Dean is doing a better job than you.”

Dean kept his eyes on Michael, though, whose hands slowly traveled down his chest. Damn, if the circumstances were just a bit different. “If you want a court, we have one here that’s probably less biased.”

“Do you happen to be the judge by chance?”

Dean shrugged and nodded.

Michael cocked his head to the side and regarded him with a curious look. “Doesn’t seem less biased to me.”

Dean clenched his teeth in frustration. But then it occurred to him that Michael had just admitted that his father was most likely biased, that dragging Lucifer home might kill him even if he was innocent. That was a start, wasn’t it? “Listen,” he tried again, “I have a brother back home who’ll stop at nothing to get his necromancer back, and he’ll probably get himself killed in the process. And if it comes to that, I won’t let him die alone. So if you keep hiding behind orders, you’re not only dragging your own brother to his death, but you can as well kill me now and then go back to the castle and end Sam next. And everybody who’s stupid enough to try and protect him. It’d only be a matter of time anyway.”

“I’m not hiding behind orders.” Michael avoided Dean’s eyes now, though, busying himself with opening the buttons of Dean’s overcoat. Oh, how much he wished for the circumstance to be different. “Get rid of the layers. I can get everything dry better, if there are no layers.”

With a sigh Dean helped with the buttons. Their fingers brushed on the last one, and suddenly Michael looked up again, his eyes full of sadness. When he spoke again, his voice was low. “I admire your loyalty to your family, Dean. I wish things could be different.”

“They could be, if you weren’t so fucking –” Dean started.

“They could be, if you weren’t so fucking stubborn!” interrupted Lucifer’s voice from the direction of the fireplace.

For a moment, Michael just stopped. The only thing that moved was his head, as he looked from Dean to Lucifer and back. He pressed his lips together, obviously fighting with himself.

Abruptly, Michael turned. He stalked towards Lucifer and grabbed him by his collar. There were still shackles around Lucifer’s wrists, but no chain between them anymore, they just reflected the light of the fire in a weird way. The necromancer allowed himself to be pulled up by his brother, staring at him defiantly.

“Lucifer, swear that you love that man’s brother as much as he loves you.” Michael pointed at Dean.

“I’m as head over heels for him as you’re for Dean,” Lucifer gave back.

“Raphael?” Michael looked at his sibling.

The other mage gave a shrug. “He’s already convinced me. He’s telling the truth.”

Dean held his breath again, waiting for a decision, waiting for the stubbornness to finally break. Additionally Michael just hadn’t denied to be in love with Dean or at least something close to that. And that took Dean’s breath away in a completely different way.

“Fine.” Michael broke the spell by letting go of Lucifer, who fought for his balance for a moment. “In that case I’m taking suggestions how to resolve this.” With that he pulled up his left sleeve and revealed something that Dean couldn’t see from his position. Curious he stepped closer.

Lucifer cursed, while Raphael scowled. “You took a Shadow Oath?” Lucifer asked, shock in his voice.

Now Dean could see the mark on Michael’s arm, looking like it was branded there.

“It was the only way to get him to promise a trial for you,” Michael gave back heatedly. “He wanted to send us to just kill you at first. I pleaded with him for days! When he finally allowed it, I had to swear to bring you back to him no matter what you told me.”

Another curse from Lucifer.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Raphael asked.

“What difference would it have made? I made sure it wouldn’t harm you.”

Apparently, they weren’t going to provide answers by themselves soon, so Dean cleared his throat. “Sorry to interrupt the big revelation, but what’s a Shadow Oath?”

“Something Amara invented,” Lucifer said, face dark.

“It has devastating effects, if you don’t keep it,” Raphael added. “Not necessarily only on yourself.”

Tagging: @lucibae-is-dancing-in-hell​​@humongouscandycoffee@schizonephilim @coffee-queen448@little-boyking @solo-skywlker@samwise-the-true-hero@talkmagically @whinywingedwinchester