#dane dehaan drawing | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

a-constant-gay-panic · 2 years

Text

Fears

masterlist

pairing: peter pettigrew x gn!reader

warnings: angst w a little bit of comfort at one spot, kinda gets dark at the end, mentions of james and lily's deaths

summary: you've always feared the worst about everything but you never expected any of these fears to come true. what happens when one of them does? when one of your friends turn into something you fear, someone you fear - a death eater.

word count: 2.5k

a/n: here's the fic based of this request. hope you enjoy anon <3 i decided that i'd make it a gn!reader cause a specific one wasn't mentioned and this could pretty much work for anyone. also, just a little disclaimer: this peter pettigrew is a mixture of my headcanon personality for peter and canon peter. some of his traits and characteristics will match his actual character while others might differ from it as it's how i interpret him (plus i see him as dane dehaan btw)

— — — — — X — — — — —

you're silently sitting on the couch, blanket wrapped around you as you listen to the crackling of the fire.

you've been staying at the order for the past year, not exactly having a home or family to go back to. you and the rest joined as soon as possible, willing to do anything to stop the dark lord.

you don't get much sleep these nights, mind swirling with fears and worries. there's whisper of a traitor amongst you and quite frankly, you can't find it in you to get a decent sleep anymore. tossing and turning, fearing for you and your friends, not knowing what's happening or if you can stop it.

the one constant worry of yours is engraved into your mind, replaying over and over like a mantra.

‘what if it's one of them?’

you don't want it to be true, but you can't shake the feeling. what if one of them is this traitor people talk of? what if you have to stop them? will you be able to? how could you when you consider them all family? how will you-

creak

you snap your head up at the sudden noise, fear rooted deep within you.

you squint in the darkness, the bright flames giving you just enough light to make out the figure which stands in the doorway.

“remus…?” you question.

a deep chuckle reaches your ears as the culprit steps forward, allowing their face to be seen.

“peter? what're you doin' down here so late?” you're surprised to see him. peter often prefers to stay out the way, not wanting to draw any excess attention to himself.

peter pettigrew… you've known him since your first year. you were both put in gryffindor, quickly becoming friends with remus lupin, james potter and sirius black.

since day one, he's always intrigued you. the way his eyes seem to hold so many secrets, his strange demeanor around everyone, his timid and reserved persona which definitely didn't fit in with the other marauders.

he's intrigued you yes, which is why you made it your mission to get close to him. and it worked rather well actually. you consider him to be one of your closest friends, and he would say the same for you.

that's exactly the reason he's standing in front of you right now.

“i couldn't sleep… guessin' you couldn't either.” he slowly walks towards you and rests his forearms on the back of the couch, staring at the orange flames in front of him.

you slowly nod. “yeah… don't get much sleep anymore.” you admit to him.

he frowns and gives you a side glance, not noticing the way he taps his fingers on the back pillows. “why not?”

you shrug and make a mental note of his seemingly nervous state. “dunno. jus' worryin' too much i s'pose. that and the fear can get too much, y'know? but it doesn't matter.” you try to force a small laugh, not wanting him to really continue the conversation.

he, being oblivious to obvious social cues, doesn't notice your attempt to end the discussion. “fear? fear of what?”

you shrug yet again, his fingers slowly but surely drum faster and you're almost positive he doesn't even realise it. “y'know… everythin' i guess.”

his brows furrow and as he pushes you further. “everythin'? that's not very descriptive.”

“everythin' pete. everythin' scares me nowadays. there's a war brewin' and any of you could get hurt, there's supposedly a traitor among us, we're no closer to findin' the dark lord than we were when we started. bloody hell, the list goes on!” you sigh in frustration and fail to notice the way his eyes dart to your face at the mention of the traitor.

“oh.” is all he can manage to say and you scoff at his response. “yeah, oh.” you sarcastically say.

a moment of silence passes before he quickly stands, stopping the rhythmic tapping of his fingers.

“care for a walk?” he says. you're surprised to say the least.

“a walk? at this hour? are you mental wormtail?” you stare at him in confusion.

“i jus' might be…” he mutters, you not quite catching what he said.

“what?” you ask but he just shakes his head and walks away from your sitting figure before turning and nodding his head in the direction of the door, a silent demand for you to go on that walk with him.

you roll your eyes and get up, whining in annoyance as the warmth leaves you and you're met with cold air.

you tighten the gown which keeps you somewhat warm and begrudgingly follow peter out the building and into the cold streets of london.

the two of you walk in silence for a while, the only noise being the shuffling of feet and your occasional sniff.

he suddenly stops in his tracks when you pass a park bench and pulls your arm so that you're following him to sit down. once you're sitting, he quickly let's go of your arm and his fingers start to nervously drum against his upper thigh.

‘he's nervous again… why?’

you decide to wait and see if he speaks up first but after a few minutes of dead silence and his skittish behaviour, you figure you better say something.

“peter. what's up with you mate?” you turn your body so you can face him.

he looks at you without stopping his fidgeting. “nothin'...” you roll your eyes at him.

“c'mon. you're shakin' like you've jus' seen a dementor. why'd you bring me me here?” he takes a shaky breath and his next question gives you chills.

“what if your fears were to come true?”

you stare at him, mouth agape as you try to understand what he's asking. your mind races with thoughts and questions, not knowing how to respond.

“what?” you dumbly ask.

“you're scared of the traitor right? scared that it's one of us. what would you do if you're right?” he's looking intently into your eyes, trying to analyse your reaction and answer.

“i… i don't know pete… i wish i did but i don't. it'd depend on who i s'pose. why'd you ask?” you answer truthfully.

he doesn't answer your question, instead he counters it with another one of his own. this one sends a shiver down your spine.

“what if it was me?” his voice is just above a whisper.

your eyes widen and your pulse races. something about this situation scares you. something about his words send fear throughout your mind and body.

“what're you sayin' peter?” your voice trembles slightly, not wanting him to confirm the thought which bubbles in your head.

“what if i was to say that i'm the traitor? that i'm the spy. what would you do then?” his eyes never leave yours and the pace of his fingers gets faster and faster, the constant drumming doing your head in, making you unable to think properly.

you open your mouth, only for no words to come out, your mind goes blank and you sit there gaping like a fish above water.

“what would you do if i was the one betraying everyone?” his drumming gets faster still. “the one passing all the orders secrets to the dark lord,” and faster “the one helping voldemort?” even faster now, aggressive almost.

there's only one word to describe what you feel. fear.

not fear of him, but fear of the possibility. fear of finding out that he might be the one who's turned. fear that he's become the one thing in life that you fear above all else. the one thing that makes your blood boil and freeze at the same time.

the thought plays on repeat in your mind.

‘what if he's the traitor? a death eater…’

the last words make your heart clench. the thought of the sweet and timid peter being one of them.

‘death eater… death eater… death eater…’

those two words replay in your mind like a broken record and you have to fight to keep yourself under control, the frantic tapping of his fingers and the fear of what might be sending you into a spiral.

you shake your head in an attempt to clear it and deny what your gut is telling you is true.

“no…” you whisper into the cold air. he still doesn't look away from your eyes, his filled with regret and a deep rooted sense of despair.

“what would you do if it was true? if i became what you fear.” he questions again.

all you can do is shake your head, heart pounding in your chest. agitation clouds your fearful mind at his constant repetitive tapping.

your mind races and you place your head in your hands, squeezing your eyes shut as you shake your head, desperately trying to force the loud voices out.

‘traitor… spy… backstabber… enemy… betrayer… death eater.’

you're pulled from your overwhelming thoughts as it goes dead silent all of a sudden.

you raise your head and see that peter is standing up. you look closely at him and see the tears which brim in his eyes.

“what would you do…” he takes a deep breath before continuing, “if i was to show you this.” his trembling fingers roll up the sleeve of his nightshirt, revealing your worst nightmare and confirming all your fearful thoughts.

‘he's one of them.’

you're frozen in your spot, eyes wide as you stare at the dark ink which is tattooed onto his pale and fragile skin.

“what would you do y/n? what are you going to do now?” his voice is full of fear.

you can't answer him. all you can do is sit there in shock.

peter pettigrew, your long time friend, the shy and timid boy you've known since you were 11, is now a death eater. he's betrayed you and the others and has now blatantly put it on display for you.

why? why would he do this? why would he tell you? you had no idea.

“peter… why?” is all you can manage to say.

he shakes his head in defeat as silent tears run down his tired face. “i was scared… i didn't want to die.” his voice cracks on the last word, more tears rolling down his flushed cheeks.

you don't know what to feel. one part of you is scared. you want to run away from him, fearing what he's capable of. you don't want to be near him any longer than you have to be.

but then, there's the part of you that feels for him. the part of you that wants to comfort him and let him know that it's going to be ok. you want to embrace him and keep him near you. afterall, he's still the same person he was just a few years ago, is he not?

your heart wins over your mind as you stand and wrap your arms around his shaking frame.

as soon as he is in your embrace, his walls crumble as does he.

there the two of you sit, on the ground in a park at the early hour of 2 am, the chilly air causing the both of you to shiver uncontrollably, the warmth from one another not nearly enough to outweigh the cold.

“y/n… 'm so sorry… so sorry…” he murmurs through his quiet sobs.

“shh… 's ok pete… i know you didn't want this…” you comfort him, hand coming up to run through his locks in an attempt to calm him.

“c'mon… let's get you back to the order…" you softly say once his cries subside.

you stand and pull peter along with you. the walk is silent yet again, only this time your mind is desperately trying to come up with a solution.

you open the door and lead him inside, up the stairs and into his bedroom. you help him in bed and sit at the bottom of it, deep in thought.

‘what am i going to do now? peter asked the same thing but i still don't know. he's with the dark lord. he's betrayed all of us yet i can't seem to do the same to him. i can't tell the others can i? no… i can't. but can i just ignore the fact that he carries the dark mark? that isn't an option… merlin i don't know anymore. he may be one of them but he's still peter right? he wouldn't hurt us, would he?’

before you can ponder even more on it, he pulls you from your thoughts as he grasps your hand, silently urging you to say something. anything.

“i don't know pete…” you sigh, “i honestly don't know.”

he leans his head back onto his pillows and whispers 5 words which both warm your heart but also make you shiver.

“i won't hurt you, y'know.”

you slowly nod. “i know.”

but you didn't. you really didn't. you had no idea what he was capable of. you underestimated him greatly, letting your own misconceptions of the man you once called ‘friend’ cloud your mind and judgement.

— — — — — X — — — — —

‘why did i do that? why did i keep his secret? now they're gone and it's my fault.’

you're standing by james and lily's graves, a bouquet of roses in hand, tears streaming down your face as you remember what he did. as you remember how he broke his promise.

he didn't hurt you, no. but he hurt the others. he hurt your family and you let it happen. you let him destroy the only family you had left.

“y/n. 's time to go.” remus' soft voice speaks up.

you nod slowly and bend down, gently placing the flowers where your two of your best friends were buried. the graves which marked the death of two members of your family. you stand and turn to him, giving him a sad smile which he returns.

“ 's all my fault, y'know. if i had jus' said somethin'-”

“no. 's not your fault ok? you didn't know. peter tricked you like he did to all of us. don't blame yourself. james and lily wouldn't want that, nor would sirius.” he cuts you off.

you don't respond, opting to nod slowly at him again. “now c'mon, it's time we leave.” he holds his hand out and you grasp it before the two of you apparate away from it all.

away from all the memories, away from all the pain, away from their graves.

‘when i see that backstabbing bastard, i'm gonna kill him.’

is the last thought you had before you let sleep overcome you that night, a plan for revenge already forming in your mind.

you were going to make him pay. you were going to make peter pettigrew pay for his betrayal and you were going to make it hurt.

you were going to avenge your family. he isn't the same boy you once knew, you realise this now. he isn't the same and now, neither are you.

— — — — — X — — — — —

#peter pettigrew #peter pettigrew angst #peter pettigrew x reader #peter pettigrew x gn!reader #gn!reader #peter x reader #angst #the marauders x gn!reader #the marauders #the marauders x reader

72 notes · View notes

offscreendeath · 10 months

Text

I watched Valerian last night. I appreciated how very ambitious it seemed, but ultimately the performances fell very short. My take is that a lot of filmmakers have tried to do what Fifth Element did as far as crafting an expansive and detailed world filled with unique designs for its characters and sets, which it absolutely did, but failed to create compelling characters who we follow throughout it. Jupiter Ascending which premiered two years after it did this much better, although I have similar critiques.

Dane DeHaan and Clara Delevingne and were not the worst actors I’ve ever seen, but they seemed too stiff and stoic to come off as endearing or relatable, even while they were joking. I didn’t feel much chemistry between them, and neither of them seemed to have meaningful character arcs to speak of.

I wish the writers took the mystery element of the plot even further. An action/adventure whodunit” type of story set in space would’ve been really cool. I found it difficult to accept Valerian as this super deadly space soldier and it wasn’t just because he doesn’t look physically intimidating. I got the impression that it was his ability to come up with a plan on short notice that was his real strength, but that wasn’t highlighted enough to be very memorable. Laureline straight up did not sell the badass and intelligent role very well.

Worse than them though, was Herbie Hancock, who didn’t have much time on screen, but his performance definitely revealed a lack of training and commitment to the role — no shade, I love his music, but he was not impressive. I was initially excited to see his name in the opening credits (and the opening scene was one of the best imo,) but after watching felt like it was mostly a ploy to draw attention.

I felt similarly about Rihanna’s performance. When she wasn’t giving awkward one-liner jokes, there just didn’t seem to be very much passion in her delivery of the lines. It doesn’t help that she was a cgi blue flubber squid alien for a good half of her appearance or dying in of the most egregious “we can’t afford to pay you/use all this cgi/create plot holes so we’re gonna have to kill you off” scenes I’ve ever witnessed.

That said, there were lots of things I found fun about this — the creative and fun moments with action set pieces, (like the chase following the market heist) practical effects, cool characters design (the three pigeon snitches, the albino twink beach aliens) and costumes (a circuit board design on a military uniform,) an unconventional story about war crimes being covered up…all things that could’ve been enhanced by just a bit more effort in terms of acting and storytelling.

There are moments where I was a bit confused about the tone of the movie. Was this a comedy? Is it for children? Am I supposed to be sad about this character’s death scene when what led up to it was a visual pun about stinky trash? I have my own issues with Marvel films, but at their very best they can manage to balance humor and tense/depressing moments pretty well. I got the impression that there was this rush to establish certain things narratively, and as a consequence, certain other parts (the best parts,) weren’t given much breathing room.

After watching Jupiter Ascending I felt pretty hungry for more exciting space epics with immersive, elaborate worlds. After also watching Avatar 2: The Way of Water just a few days earlier, unfortunately I’m still searching. JA wasn’t perfect, but had less obvious flaws than either, helped greatly by some legitimately decent performances. Avatar made me feel sorta motion sick after a while, even though it also had a few interesting plot elements and thrilling sequences.

I was expecting more, and I’m not sure why. I remembered watching the trailer years ago when it first released, and recalled feeling like “oh yes this is what the streets been waiting on!” and quickly forgetting about it not very long afterwards. The 2010-2019 period of Hollywood was very strange. I liked the direction this was heading and since it didn’t do well I’m wondering if it’s failure signaled a departure from movies like this and into the direction we’re headed now. It being the most expensive independent film kinda blows my mind—but only because it makes the end result all the more disappointing.

I don’t regret my watch, however. I think there were plenty of good decisions that were made, but unfortunately casting wasn’t one of them.

4.6/10

#valerian #valerian and the city of a thousand planets #review #text post #film blog #film review

4 notes · View notes

byneddiedingo · 2 years

Photo

Ryan Gosling and Eva Mendes in The Place Beyond the Pines (Derek Cianfrance, 2012)

Cast: Ryan Gosling, Bradley Cooper, Eva Mendes, Ben Mendelsohn, Emory Cohen, Dane DeHaan, Mahershala Ali, Harris Yulin, Rose Byrne, Robert Clohessy, Bruce Greenwood, Ray Liotta. Screenplay: Derek Cianfrance, Ben Coccio, Darius Marder. Cinematography: Sean Bobbitt. Production design: Inbal Weinberg. Film editing: Jim Helton, Ron Patane. Music: Mike Patton.

A veteran cop named Deluca (Ray Liotta) is praising the rookie Avery Cross (Bradley Cooper) for taking out robbery suspect Luke Glanton (Ryan Gosling), who crashed through a window and died after they exchanged gunfire. Deluca says he's been on the force for years and has only had to draw his gun two or three times, and here Avery is with a righteous kill at the start of his career. "And he was white," Deluca adds, marveling -- a line that perhaps echoes more in the years since George Floyd's death than it did even in the year when The Place in the Pines was released. To his credit, Avery is not so happy about the kill, aware that he shot first and that he maybe doesn't really deserve being celebrated as a hero. Before long he will finger Deluca as a key figure in the corruption of the Schenectady, N.Y., police department. Avery has a law degree, but he joined the force -- over the objections of his father, a judge (Harris Yulin) -- because he wanted firsthand experience of law enforcement, so he parlays his exposure of the bad cops into a job as an assistant D.A., and 15 years later is running for state attorney general. But this is, as director Derek Cianfrance has said, a fable about the sins of the fathers. Both Avery and Luke had infant sons at the time of their encounter, and the boys are fated to meet. The movie actually begins with Luke's story: When he learns that he has fathered a child with Romina (Eva Mendes), Luke quits his job as a carnival motorcycle stuntman and tries to settle down and become the boy's father. Romina isn't too happy about this: She has moved on and married Kofi Kancam (Mahershala Ali), who is the only father the boy, named Jacob, will ever really know. Luke's efforts to go straight don't last long: Wanting to earn money to help support his son, he gets involved in a string of bank robberies, which eventually lead to the confrontation with Avery that results in Luke's death. The paths of Jacob (Dane DeHaan) and Avery's son, A.J. (Emory Cohen), finally cross in high school. A.J., who has been sidelined by his father's political ambitions, has turned into a swaggering, partying adolescent, and he gets Jacob into real trouble that eventuates in a confrontation with the man who killed his father. Cianfrance delivers a vivid crime thriller, but the film is a little overwhelmed by its epic ambitions, especially the thundering coincidence of the meeting of Jacob and A.J., which the filmmakers want us to see as a mythic working out of fate, but which really boils down to old-fashioned melodrama. The 140-minute run time also betrays the film's slackness, and the starry casting, especially of Ryan Gosling in a role that ends halfway through the movie, doesn't pay off very well. Fine actors like Ali and Rose Byrne (as Avery's wife) are wasted in tiny parts. In short, ambition is as much Cianfrance's undoing as it is that of his characters.

#The Place Beyond the Pines #Derek Cianfrance #Ryan Gosling

4 notes · View notes

madeofphlegm · 1 month

Text

intro thingy, cuz thatss what people do, i guess

hi, im not lola, i know thats what it says, but i lied. sorry.. u can call me whatevr u want, if u want. but uh i go by any pronouns. yeah

currently im quite into my chem. i also like star trek, emh, dane dehaan, supermassive games, house md, the beatles, and other shit idk

i draw sometimes, whenevr i do i tag it doodles.. but i dont draw often or that well honestly

0 notes

denimbex1986 · 8 months

Text

'...06. Oppenheimer (2023)

Runtime: 3 hr., his longest film to date.

Press Release: J. Robert Oppenheimer was a world-renowned physicist whose most infamous creation changed the world. He also had a complicated personal life, more connections to the Communist Party than the American government would like, and a habit of pissing the wrong people off. This is his story… but don’t call it a biopic.

Cast: Cillian Murphy, Emily Blunt, Florence Pugh, Matt Damon, Robert Downey Jr., Josh Hartnett, Casey Affleck, Rami Malek, Kenneth Branagh, Benny Safdie, Dylan Arnold, Gustaf Skarsgård (yes, the brother of the others!), David Krumholtz, Matthew Modine, David Dastmalchian, Jack Quaid, Josh Peck, Dane DeHaan, Alden Ehrenreich, Jason Clarke, James D’Arcy, Tony Goldwyn, Alex Wolff, Scott Grimes, Matthias Schweighöfer, Christopher Denham, Gary Oldman, Harry Groener, James Remar, Tim DeKay, James Urbaniak… Name a white male actor, and he’s probably on this list.

“Yeah, But Is Michael Caine In It?”: Tragically no — at this point, it seems that within the Nolan-verse, the role of Paternal Voice of Reason has been passed down from the semi-retired icon to Kenneth Branagh. (Okay, yes, Branagh was the bad guy in Tenet, but he was a smart bad guy.) Oppenheimer gives Branagh a few meaty scenes as Niels Bohr, a stabilizing presence in chaotic times. (Physics pun only vaguely intended.)

Career Charge: Given the size of the cast, it’s not shocking that there’s a lot to talk about here. This is Cillian Murphy’s sixth collaboration with Nolan, and it’s going to be fascinating to see how this incredible spotlight for his talents affects his career going forward. He certainly seems like a shoo-in for all the Lead Actor nominations come awards season, and deservedly so, as he brings such a depth of understanding to the role.

In addition, David Krumholtz announces loudly that his skills as a character actor have never been sharper. And while Josh Hartnett isn’t a name that’s come up a lot lately over the past few years, but the former teen heartthrob draws a lot of well-deserved attention for his steady work as Francis Lawrence, Oppy’s cautious collaborator. Let this just be the beginning of the Hartnett-sance!

Finally, congratulations, Robert Downey Jr., on your upcoming Oscar for Supporting Actor. It’s well-deserved.

Best Shot: Cinematographer Hoyte van Hoytema uses such an elegant eye to capture the full might of the Trinity test, a spectacle of light that brings with it both awe and dread. Yet of all the shots from this sequence, it’s the one below which deserves special consideration: A man gazing directly at the destruction he hath wrought, rendered almost inhuman by his protective goggles and the burning light. If one shot sums up the film as a whole, it’s this one.

Bathroom Breaks Are For the Weak: Whether you’re in the theater or at home, three hours is a long time to spend away from the facilities. But in no way should you consider stepping outside or hitting pause before the completion of the Trinity Test, at the very least. To do so would mean interrupting the film’s steady momentum towards its most anticipated moment, the long-awaited fireworks factory (quite literally) — you don’t realize how intensely you’re waiting for the moment until it hits you all at once.

After that point though, though… might be an okay time to take a quick break.

Analysis: There’s one moment towards the beginning of Oppenheimer that always makes me think to myself, “J. Robert Oppenheimer has to think about his entire life before he testifies.” But beyond that one moment, it’s impressive how well Nolan dodges biopic tropes to create something that borrows from multiple genres — but only the best bits. Its greatest magic trick isn’t the Trinity test, after all, but the way it elegantly shifts into political thriller mode, complete with a worthy villain.

Its pacing deserves some debate, especially because that aforementioned gear shift has its compelling points, but there’s a real danger of exhausting the audience. However, this approach to the material is more fascinating the more times you see it, with Nolan putting everything he has into examining systems of power, and what it means to be terrified by your own creation...'

1 note · View note

aramorehq · 1 year

Text

Your name is NATHAN "ALASTOR" WILLIAMS, though you do look a bit like DANE DEHAAN. You are 36 years old, identify as CIS MALE and your pronouns are HE/HIM. You work as a LAWYER and live in a HOUSE. Some would say that your seven deadly sin is PRIDE and that’s because HE IS THE LEADER OF A CULT THAT WORSHIPS THE "DEVILS THAT LIVE IN THE MINES''.

SUMMARY: (AT LEAST FIVE HEADCANONS)

Born and raised in Aramore, as many of the residents are, Nathan Williams was always an odd character. His family owned a large house up in the hills, overlooking the valley. His family has resided in the town since its formation, and their family is one of the owners of the old mine. Which means old money. And several dark secrets.

When he was eight, Nathan got lost in the mines, wandering in there when he knew better. He was missing for three months and when he was found, doctors said it was a miracle he was still alive. They didn’t know what happened to him or how he’d found food and water, and when they asked Nathan if anyone had taken him or found him, he simply told them that ‘his friends kept him safe.’ Ever since then, he’s never been the same. For a while, he became quiet and withdrawn, drawing dark and scribbling pictures of horrific faces and features. It was concerning but his parents did nothing about it. Then the dead animals started showing up. Some were small, rodents and possums and the occasional, unfortunate cat. Though on some occasions there would be carcasses of full grown bucks lying there, being picked apart by vultures and crows and vermin. Nathan claimed ‘his friends needed to eat,’ and could often be found sitting nearby, watching the birds. The birds never seemed to mind his presence.

As he got older and more used to himself, he became more outgoing. It was shocking to see how the once quiet boy was now talkative and charming. He was charismatic and almost likable. He was around fifteen when he started introducing himself as Alastor, something his parents figured was an odd phase. When he was sixteen, several fires started around town. Nothing that caused too much damage, but it was something that caught people’s attention. When he was seventeen, his parents disappeared from town, never to be heard from again, leaving their son with access to all their bank accounts, the house in his name, and just a few more mysteries to riddle his past.

He became a lawyer, operating a well known firm in the town. There are ads with his name all over town, all listing him as Nathan Williams, making him known and showing how he was ready to capitalize off of help with any of the misfortune that befalls the poor, unlucky citizens of Aramore.

But more often than not, he can be found deep in the old mines. There, he’s created a base of operations. When Alastor was a child and he was lost in these mines, this was where he spent most of his time. Deeper down than the mines should go. Carvings on the wall, strange symbols painted on the floor in a dark stain. It’s where the demons spoke to him, where some of them entered his mind. Several lesser demons come and go, but he claims there to also be five greater demons that spend their time constantly in his mind (Murmur, Dantalion, Andras, Ose, and Aim). That they’ve been there since he was a child and he was drawn to the mines. When they entered his body and soul and chose him as their vessel. They guided him, whispering to him and telling him of pasts and futures to come. Helping him to guide the lives of those around him, giving him power of freewill and life and death. Making him more than just a man.

Of course, he’s not completely selfish. Alastor has allowed others to come to the mines. Those he can trust. His closest followers. Those who believe him when he says the portal to hell is in the mines, that the old legends are true, and that he will be the one to channel all that come through it when the time comes. He’s to be a bastion for the devils and their demons. And in doing so and helping to open the portal, he and his followers—and those they love should they also join— will be granted seats on the Counsel when hell and earth converge and mankind is enslaved and eradicated. They will be allowed to live as immortals in the land of demons, they will be granted powers of clairvoyance and immunity and things beyond their wildest dreams. They will be gods amongst the mortals that still exist after what Alastor claims is called “The Paroxysm.”

Followers of him and his beliefs must pass several tasks to prove their worth and their commitment to the cult group. Lots of manipulating and gaslighting on Alastor’s part, but hey, it’s their fault for being so gullible and stupid. People love being able to explain their bad luck away as something else's doing, and in a town like this, well everyone’s more likely to believe demons than their own idiocy.

Of course, he does believe one hundred percent that these demons are inside of him and all the teachings he passes on to the rest of the group. But he still knows his followers can be quite gullible and he definitely uses that to his advantage.

To show off some of his powers from the demons, he requires his followers to partake in a ritual that’s basically just all of them tripping on acid and other drugs. He makes a concoction of drugs and alcohol that they’ll all drink before he shows off his communing powers. He’ll also claim he has to drink this to reach them better and see their messages clearer. Different drugs show him different visions.

Blood sacrifices are a regular part of it. Sometimes animals, sometimes just a donation amount from the members, but other times, the demons require more. That’s when people go missing again. Alastor or his most loyal followers are usually the ones that carry those ones out, though.

He keeps his lives separate. People who know him as Nathan Williams only know the odd, eccentric, old money wealthy lawyer. And those who know him as Alastor, well, they know better than to let anything slip about that side of his life to the public. People that have tried to spread rumors about a mysterious cult in the mines and hint at Nathan being tied up in any suspicious activities often find themselves going missing. And their names just become one more in the long list of mysterious disappearances.

Alastor may be responsible for some of the odd goings on and strange disappearances in Aramore but he’d never claim that it’s all his doing, even if he’d like to. Some of the things that go on here, even he can’t explain.

0 notes