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#Hosting a radio show for resistance
crazydiscostu · 9 months
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The Ultimate Guide to Surviving the Apocalypse: Because Who Wants to Face Judgment Day with An Embarrassing Search History?
Throw in phrases like "radical radiation" and "mega-mutation," and you'll be the coolest cat in the wasteland......
The end of the world is upon us, whether this is at the hands of war-obsessed governments or the rise of the machines it’s time we brace ourselves for impending doom. It’s important to remember that some things never truly disappear – like your embarrassing internet search history. Whether the apocalypse is brought on by zombies, natural disasters, or the latest Tiktok trend gone wrong, you’ll…
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a-hazbin-reader · 4 months
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Alastor X Reader Headcanons
✅️Romantic ❌️Platonic
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TW: Implied Abuse, Murder, Implied Gore, Period Typical Treatment of Women, Implied Sewerslide
Description: Alastor X Singer!Crime Family!reader who has known him in life and death and what their complicated relationship might be like, as canon compliant as I can bring myself to be
You grew up in crime family with an emotionally unavailable mother and violent dismissive father
Sure you were well fed, well dressed,well protected(despite the socially acceptable beatings from your parents) and educated but you were in a prison all of your own
You were your family's precious songbird with a voice like no other and a cage of steel around you, you often had small shows in clubs, bars, wherever your father could make it happen
Your father loved showing you off to his associates, friends, anybody who would listen really, in those moments you were his little girl who could do no wrong
Behind closed doors however
Because of your father's bragging all of his gross old friends took an unnecessary interest in you as well
Also did you know you're engaged to some brute who's nearly twice your age?? Some radio show producer who's had 3 wives before you and more women on his arm than you can count
But it's fine, you're fine
Is what you tell yourself until one day your fiance takes you to a radio station so you can sing there and you hear a familiar voice in one of the radio booths
Nofuckingwayisthatwhoyouthinkitisohfuckitshimitshim
You couldn't resist listening to one of your favorite radio hosts live but you also didn't want to interrupt so you stood and watched from afar as Alastor worked his magic
He was more handsome and magnetic in person, it was so unfair, you were completely entranced by him
Don't worry he noticed you too, amused by your gooey awestruck gaze
You could've stayed and listened to the whole show if your fiance hadn't suddenly yanked you away by your arm, reminding you that you were also here to work
You have a small wave and mouthed "big fan" as you were pulled away, ecstatic as Alastor gave a slick smile back
Now it was his turn to be intrigued, finishing up his show and exiting his booth to go and find where his delicious looking little fan went
Only to find himself happily surprised by your singing, deciding to sit and stay on his break, listening in appreciation for your voice
After that you two simply clicked, drawn to each other even if you both didn't understand it
You sneaking off every chance you could to talk and spend time with him and Alastor perking up anytime his door opened
It escalates from there, Alastor secretly sending you flowers/letters/anything you even glance at, you reciprocating by leaving little gifts/letters on his desk. The two of you having discreet rendezvous at night
It wasn't romantic at all and you two weren't in love, just really good friends
Who sometimes had moments of intimacy like snuggling, touching foreheads after a long embrace, a dozen almost kisses, a few kiss kisses
And when you inevitably found out that he's a cannibalistic serial killer he was worried he would have to hurt you, worried that you would be disgusted in him. That you wouldn't want to see him again
Imagine Alastor's surprise when you just sigh and start helping him clean his mess, almost nonchalant with the gore until you explain that your family has a violent history
Okay so maybe it's love maybe it's not, you two don't put a label on it or even discuss it really, you just enjoy the moment
Alastor hates your fiance, he hates that he doesn't treasure you, that he openly cheats on you, that he's rough with you, that he thinks he owns you
Safe to say that your fiance and Alastor hate each other but that's just fine because you hate your fiance too
Things were blissful between you two and you were even discussing running away together, your family and fiance starting to catch on to the relationship
You and Alastor began to finalize plans, picking a day to meet up and start your new lives
Except Alastor dissappears suddenly and doesn't return any of your letters, doesn't show up for his radio show and you can't find him
And one day you're caught by your father and fiance,checking Alastor's radio booth again, the two of them taunting you by telling you Alastor took a bribe and ditched you
You're forced to marry your fiance less than a month later, only making it a little longer before you take your own life, drowning in heartbreak and rage at the betrayal
You're not surprised when you find yourself in hell but damn it still feels like a punch to a gut
You know Alastor is there too, you know who this rising radio demon is but you don't want anything to do with him, you're still so angry
And he's angry at you too, thinking you moved on from him so easily, hurt that you never even looked for him(He's 100% creating scenarios in his head and hurting himself)
So it takes quite awhile before you two even cross paths, let alone hash things out, like a years and years sort of thing
Expect a lot of run ins that end in snarky comments and unnecessary romantic/sexual tension
It's not until one particularly explosive argument that you two realize that you've been getting the truth mixed up
But once it's settled then it's like nothing ever changed, except that you two have way more time together and you don't have to sneak around anymore
It's an open secret that you two are together even though neither of you have confirmed it or even put a label on it
You just always happen to be on his arm, canoodling at every chance and backing each other up in fights(verbal or physical). Every successful fight is rewarded with eskimo kisses
But you two are definitely practically husband and wife, a power couple even
But then one day he dissappears again
WHY
Maybe you two had a fight before he dissappears and he storms off for a walk. Maybe not
And then seven years go by and you fear that somehow you've lost him again, but for good this time
So you spend that time quietly mourning him and struggling to move on
You don't even find out he's back again until you hear him back in his radio tower, fighting with Vox
🙄😏 that man...
You're not even mad that he hasn't come to see you yet, simply relieved that he's alive and back
Okay you're a little mad, a little hurt
You're calm when you find out he's staying at some new hotel instead of coming back home, coming back to you
Okay you're not exactly calm, your friends would say you're simply hysterical behind closed doors
So you're livid when you find out he's staying with Lucifer's daughter and her friends because it's so obviously just a power grab for him
Fine
You definitely don't go over and cause a scene but you definitely do corner him at some point and let him have it
He's so fucking happy to see you that he's not even paying attention to what you're yelling about or why you're crying. He just pulls you in for a long hug, shutting you up with a rough kiss.
No you're not cupping each other's cheeks, foreheads pressed together as he apologizes over and over again for leaving you again
He won't do it again, not if he can help it
You find out that he's managed to dig himself a hole with a bad deal but that's about all you can figure out and he can't exactly tell you
But you manage to find it in yourself to forgive him(it's hard to stay mad at him), accepting that his time and attention have to be somewhere else for now
Then there's another extermination and one of your friends tell you to check the tv(something you probably don't normally do)
The moment you see Alastor facing off against Adam you're off, fighting and racing to get to him, to help him but he's gone by the time you get there. Lucifer and his daughter fighting him
But you know he's not dead this time, he wouldn't leave you again, not a third time
He promised
So you find him panicking in his busted radio tower and hold him until he calms down, promising that you two will find a way out of his deal
Maybe just hold his head to your chest and stroke his hair a little longer?
You were both reluctant to break apart, Alastor genuinely seeming remorseful as he nuzzles your forehead, telling you that he will visit you soon, that he's sorry for everything
Still he smiles 🙃
When he leaves to go back to the hotel you find yourself more tempted than ever to follow him, your heart aching to be near him again already
Maybe you should check in or at least offer to work there, they don't have an entertainer yet, do they?
Alastor when you show up:
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"Darling, what are you doing here?"
I HAD TO GET THIS OUT OF MY SYSTEM OKAY!?
Bonus! Charlie when she finds out about Alastor's boo:
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sillylittlesimp · 16 hours
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New Orleans Beignets
HUMAN ALASTOR X FEM WIFE!READER (She/Her pronouns)
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Summary: Y/N is one of the leading bakery owners in the entirety of New Orleans! People travel minutes, hours to try the sweet treats that reside within her bakery. But there's one special radio host who's obsessed with none other than her famous New Orleans Beignets.
E/N: This is based off of Princess Tiana's Beignets. It was too perfect not to make into an Alastor story so why not + she's one of my favourite princesses.
This story isn't proofread so it's not perfect. Also I haven't written for a while so I might be a little rusty, but I hope you all enjoy it anyways! x
No trigger warnings besides some light kisses! (Lmk if I forgot any.)
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Rainy afternoons were never the brightest time for those in New Orleans.
The freezing cold, the shivering of finger tips, the multiple layers worn in hopes of being able to keep at least a little bit warm. It was always certainly a surprise when people realized that instead of the usual sunlight and humidity, it was going to rain.
So, what do those in New Orleans do during these miserable days? Well there's one of two things. Stay inside, bored half to death, or go find a nice place to have a cozy meal and settle down for the day. And what better place to go rather than Y/N's bakery?
That's the thought that Alastor thought of every day when these storms swept through New Orleans (and every usual day too.)
No rain, hail, nor shine could prevent him from leaving the studio on his lunch break to go check on his dearest wife who was slaving away in her bakery, and in the process of greeting her, he could never resist stealing one of her heavenly Beignets.
"Hello, anyone home?" Alastor spoke loudly, his radio voice on show as he entered the door. He watched as Y/N perked up from behind the counter after hearing the short chime of the door opening. "Hello, stranger." She laughed softly, standing up straight to brush off her dusty apron. It was adorned with pastry batter and powdered sugar from all the sweets made throughout the day, if anything it was just a sign of how hard she worked.
"Yes, I did prepare your Beignets darling." She admitted without a question needed, walking over to her husband to pass over a small brown paper bag, inside two hot Beignets showered perfectly with powdered sugar. They smelled divine, it was like heaven itself had been baked into two small pastries.
"Just how you like it." She nodded slightly, moving forward to kiss her husband's cheek nonchalantly.
"Thank you my dear, without you I fear I would starve!" Alastor laughed, looking at his wife with such a thankful and loving look plastered across his face. "You truly are such a darling when it comes to spoiling me."
"Only for New Orleans finest radio host." She said proudly, crossing her arms over her chest.
Alastor leaned forward, kissing her forehead softly for a moment before pulling away, smiling down at his gorgeous girl. "And only for New Orleans finest Beignet maker."
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E/N: I'm tweaking I hate this. Am I still going to post it? Yes.
PLEASE don't be hesitant to send me some Alastor ideas or head cannons you'd like me to write. I really don't enjoy writing without a plot like this story, you can see the laziness within my work.
All dandy though, have a wonderful evening everyone!
- Weedie 🥀
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radiokathryn-if · 9 months
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DEMO ☯︎ FAQ ☮︎ DIRECTORY ♪
Nate Nicks has disappeared.
Why should you care? Do you?
You probably should, considering he's the face and host of your extremely popular radio show and you've just landed one of the biggest contracts of your careers.
You are a sound tech engineer and a damn good one at that, while Nate was the face you were the sound, usually your work is strictly behind the scenes, except for the odd occasion when you were needed on air. So when Nate goes missing and you're tasked with filling in his shoes you're practically thrown in at the deep end.
It only gets worse after a missing persons case becomes a murder case and the cast and crew of Radio Kathryn and FloNote Ent become the suspect pool...
RADIO KATHRYN is rated 18+ for explicit language, explicit sexual scenes and references, themes of death and blood, use of alcohol and drugs, physical abuse and violence. please check trigger warnings.
The setting of the 70s is purely for aesthetic and technology. Don't expect era—accurate racism or homophobia as it won't be included in this IF.
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FEATURES ☯︎ [ Trigger Warnings ]
fully customise your MC! name, gender&pronouns (M/F/NB), appearance, personality
decide your on air persona──can you hack it in the limelight or will you crack under the pressure?
build your relations──do you get along with your fellow teammates? how about your fanbase? or your company?
+your radio teams backstory──how the four of you (Nate, José, Mica and yourself) got along, created the pirated radio show, how you got signed into legality, how everything went to shit... or not?
romance someone (or not)──featuring eight solo routes and two poly routes OR just enjoy the mystery and figure out a murder!
chose paths that affect the game──your choices matter, and the ending you may or may not get is dependent on them.
decide which kathryn is your mother──and your relationship with her. (Catherine, Kate, Cathy, Katherine or Rynnie)
CHARACTER BREAKDOWN ☮︎ [ RO Intros ]
The Man, The Myth, The Legend. [???]
“Nate Nicks” Nathan Nicholson──he/him. 28. Radio Kathryn's host and front man, adored by thousands. Complete arsehole but somehow it makes him endearing to others. Cocky son of a bitch that let fame get to his head... or is he? Nevertheless, he's missing now and you may have something to do with it.
think a mix between gauge burek and chris veres in druck (2019)
The Benefactor.
“Mr Robinson” Lionel Robinson──he/him. 42. The man who funded your radio show, the one who got you to where you are. Kind, calm and considerate, especially with Nate. But every one has a line to cross at some point and Mr Robinson is not someone to get angry.
think chad michael murray in sullivan's crossing (2023)
The Fiancé. [RO]
“Eva Vidal” Evangeline Vidal──she/her. 25. The woman who's been there from the beginning, your first listener, your first fan. You used to be closer but Nate sunk his teeth in her and pulled her away. You watched her steadily lose her glow and for someone engaged she seems quite jaded at the news of her missing fiancé.
think penélope cruz in vanilla sky (2001) or vicky christina barcelona (2008)
The Best Friend. [RO]
“Mica Hollens” Michael/a Hollens──he/him, she/her. your age (24─28). Your voice of reason in the chaos of life and Radio Kathryn's manager. Your support system and rock, even if they are a bit quick to jump the bullet in your honour. Mica has strong opinions and Nate has never been in their good books, but surely they wouldn't do anything to jeopardise your job.
think tanaya beatty in through black spruce (2018) or alex meraz in mine games (2012)
The Detective. [RO]
“Detective Han” Han Jimin──he/him or she/her. 30. The detective assigned to Nate's missing persons case. They are meticulous and goal oriented and their current goal is figuring you and your work family out. The more you resist the more they're intrigued and the more you help the more you unravel them.
think lee soohyuk in tomorrow (2022) or lee siyoung in sweet home (2020)
The Rival DJ. [RO]
“José Danger” Jose/phine Jeager──she/her or they/them. 26. Nate calls them the traitor─the defector. They used to be part of your team, a co-host with Nate in your beginning days. The two of them worked like magic until Nate was in demand more and José was kicked to the curb. You wonder if the festering grudge they left with is still there... and if it still extends to you.
think zazie beetz in deadpool 2 (2018) or wounds (2019)
The "Hater". [RO]
“Ji Han” Han Ji Young──he/him. 24. The younger brother of Detective Han. Ji Han is not a fan of Nathaniel Nicholson but he is a fan of the songs he plays─or rather the ones you play when he's absent. He's taken the utmost interest in his siblings case, suspiciously enough to become entangled in it more than anticipated.
think a mix of choi san (2022-23) and lee dohyun in 18 again (2020) or the glory (2022)
The "Fan". [RO]
“Fauve” Faye─Mauve Langham──she/her. 25. Fauve is a bit of a groupie, she can admit. She's not totally obsessed with Radio Kathryn, she reasons, she's just invested in the show and even more so in the people behind it. Fauve become more involved in the case of Nate Nicks than she's wanted, leaving you to wonder just what it is that keeps her going─even to the edge of insanity.
think a mix of imogen poots in need for speed (2014) and hayden panettiere in nashville (2012-18)
The Family Man. [RO]
“Mr Lewis” Jackson Lewis──he/him. 33. The night shift receptionist-slash-building coordinator. He usually brings his daughter to sit in on show recordings, seeing as she's got a bit of a crush on Nate─he's a no-bullshit kind of man but his soft spot is his daughter's puppy dog eyes. He just so happens to be the last person to see Nate before he disappeared and you can't help but get the feeling he's not being truthful in his statement about it.
think brian tyree henry in eternals (2021) or atlanta (2016-22)
The Question Mark. [???]
"Who?" ??? ???──unknown.
it'll be revealed later!
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©️ bonnie berry 2023────@moretinyideas
──the polymances are between eva and ??? (eva???) as well as fauve and ji han (fauhan)!
──this is totally inspired by episode 2.8 of sister boniface "dead air" but other than the idea of a radio show called Radio Catherine there are no other similarities!
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aspoonofsugar · 4 months
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Hi! Do you think Alastor and Lucifer are foils?
Hi!
Yes, of course they are!
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Alastor and Lucifer's foiling starts in Dad Beats Dad (obviously), where they fight over Charlie's affection. They might seem as opposites throughout the episode, but they are actually the same, as they both try to impress Charlie with their powers:
[ALASTOR:] They say, when you're looking for assistance It's smart to pick the path of least resistance [LUCIFER:] Others say, that in your needy hour There's no substitute for pure angelic power!
Still, Charlie doesn't care and all she wants is for her parental figures to support her:
Charlie: How come he can have faith in me, but my own father can't?
In short, Alastor and Lucifer find pride in their abilities, but need to let go of it, in order to show their love for Charlie. By the end of the episode, they both accomplish this. However, they succeed in slightly different ways, that fit their shared motif of shadow and light. In particular:
Alastor is linked to shadows, as his abilities let him manipulate shadows
Lucifer is linked to light, as his name means morningstar and his powers manifest in light-beams
As a result:
Alastor's development happens in the shadows, whereas Lucifer's in the light - This is true also on a meta-level, as Alastor's arc is the secondary plot-line of the episode, whereas Lucifer's is the main one
Alastor acts as Lucifer's jungian shadow and becomes a catalyst for him to change. Similarly, Alastor himself is challenged to grow by his own jungian shadow, aka Husk
What is the jungian shadow? It is the repressed part of a person. In stories, a character might meet another one, who embodies this hidden part of the self. By integrating with the shadow, the character evolves. In other words, Alastor represents a repressed part of Lucifer and Husk a repressed part of Alastor. Let's see how it all plays out.
ALASTOR, HUSK AND MIMZY
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Alastor and Mimzy's bond is unhealthy, as they both enable negative sides of the other. On the one hand Alastor keeps covering for Mimzy, no matter what she does. On the other hand Mimzy feeds Alastor's ego by praising his power and abilities.
So, Mimzy never faces the consequences of her actions:
Mimzy: Thanks for helpin' lil' old me out of a though spot. You're always such a pal.
And Alastor feels respected and appreciated:
Alastor: It's nothing I can't handle. Don't worry Husker. Who in their right mind would cross me?
However, the reality is that Mimzy is using Alastor and Husk points this out:
Husk: You and I both know Mimzy only shows up, when she needs something. That bitch is trouble and who knows what kinda demon she fucked with to come running to you this time?
Not only that, but he openly calls Alastor out on his pride:
Husk: Big talk for someone, who's also on a leash.
Which results in Alastor reacting in anger:
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That said, Husk is proven right. It turns out Mimzy has willingly brought chaos to the hotel, so that Alastor could solve things for her. Because of this, Alastor finally cuts ties with her:
Alastor: You deliberately brought danger to this place just to have me clean up your mess. I can't have that here.
This choice is important and it shows how the people around him are slowly impacting Alastor. On the one hand the Radio Demon listens to one of his subjects' advice. On the other hand he acts to protect the hotel. As a matter of fact the moment Alastor steps up as the Host of the Hotel isn't when he sings to Charlie in Hell's Greatest Dad nor when he transforms into a giant and fights. It is when he sends Mimzy away and sacrifices a little bit of his pride to do so. interestingly, this happens as nobody is looking at him, so he isn't really trying to impress nor to trick the others. He acts selflessly in the shadows.
LUCIFER, ALASTOR AND CHARLIE
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Lucifer and Charlie's bond is strained:
Charlie: We just have never been close. After he and mom split, he never really wanted to see me. He calls... sometimes, but only if he's bored or like, needs me to do something.
At the root of this conflict there is Lucifer's inability to show his daughter how much he cares. He struggles to express his feelings and hides them behind a prideful persona:
Charlie: I told you when you called me five months ago. Or did you not listen? Lucifer: No, no, no, no. Just, you know, I just forgot. I've just been really busy, ya know with um... important things.
Instead of openly admitting his depression and sadness he prefers to look cold and uninterested. Even dismissive and condescending, like when he arrives at the Hazbin Hotel:
Lucifer: Wow, this place sure looks, uh... Uh-uh. Yeah. Uh-uh. It's got a lot of character!
Lucifer is initially too focused on what he cares about - meeting his daughter - rather than on what Charlie wants - for him to help her with the hotel. He happily hugs Charlie and then immediately moves on to pet Keekee, Razzle and Dazzle, who are his own creations. Only later he considers the welcome Charlie and the others have prepared for him. Even then, he still misses the point and tries to buy Charlie's love by showing off his magical powers:
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Haha, looks like you could use some help From the big boss of Hell himself
Except that what Charlie wants from him aren't champaigne fountains or caviar mountains, but an appointment with Heaven, which he negates her. Not only that, but instead of being honest about his fears, he deflects everything on Charlie herself, by dismissing her plan:
Lucifer: Alright, listen, I love that you want to see the best in people, but these sinners... You know, they're just the worst. I, I don't know how much you can realistically expect from them in Heaven.
Luckily, the Radio Demon is closeby, as he forces Lucifer to show his true self.
On the one hand Alastor brings out Lucifer's insecurity and fears:
I'm truly honored that we've built such a bond You're like the child that I wish that I had I care for you, just like a daughter I spawned It's a little funny, you could almost call me dad
He juxtaposes moments of everyday life and affirmations of affection to Lucifer's materialistic and fancy promises. In this way Alastor highlights the faults of Lucifer, as a father. He points out that Lucifer is never there for Charlie.
On the other hand Alastor embodies the kind of sinner Lucifer despises:
Lucifer: Ya see? What I tell ya? Charlie, sinners are violent psychopaths, hell bent on causing as much pain and destruction as they can. There's really no point in trying.
And yet, such a violent psychopath is more willing to help Charlie than Lucifer himself:
Charlie: Dad, stop! He's defending this hotel. It may be a bit more sadistic than I'd hoped. But he's doing it for me!
This realization leads to a confrontation between father and daughter and to an admission on Lucifer's part:
Lucifer: I just don't want you to be crushed by them like... like I was.
The problem isn't Charlie, but Lucifer himself. It is not that Charlie's dream is silly, but that Lucifer's one has been destroyed. This revelation is important because Lucifer's mask comes off and he shows Charlie his weakest and most broken self. He swallows his pride and has Charlie see who her father really his. In all his mistakes and his hurt. And to his surprise Charlie accepts him. Not only that, but she admires him:
So in the end, it's the view I had of you That showed me dreams can be worth fighting for
Symbolically the song More than Anything starts with Lucifer and Charlie in the shadows:
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They are repressing a lot and have no idea who the other is. Still, as the song goes on, they get to understand each other:
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All that I'm hopin', now that my eyes are open Is that we can start again, not be pulled apart again 'Cause in the end, you are part of who I am
And they end the song surrounded by light:
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What is initially in the shadow comes to light in three different ways:
Lucifer shows Charlie his true self
Lucifer sees Charlie for who she is
Lucifer exhibits his weakness in front of the whole Hazbin Hotel. He lets the sinners he dislikes so much witness the mess that he is.
His fragility is in full display. It is in the light for everyone to see.
PHENOMENAL COSMIC POWERS! ITTY BITTY LIVING SPACE!
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Another similarity Alastor and Lucifer share is that they are two powerful beings that give much importance to free will:
Alastor: You should know better than anyone what a soul can accomplish when they take charge of their own fate.
Charlie: Together, they wished to share the magic of free will with humanity.
And yet, they are both trapped:
Alastor: I'm hungry for freedom like never before The constraints of my deal surely have a backdoor Once I figure out how to unclip my wings Guess who will be pulling all the strings?
Charlie: As punishment for their reckless act, Heaven cast Lucifer and his love into the dark pit he had created, never allowing him to see the good that came from humanity, only the cruel and the wicked.
On the one hand Alastor controls many souls, but his own is owned by someone else. On the other hand Lucifer is the strongest being in all of Hell, but he is regarded as a disgrace by other angels.
Moreover, they both project their unhappiness on others. Specifically, Lucifer blames sinners like Alastor:
Lucifer: Our "people", Charlie, are awful! They got gifted free will and look what they did with it! Everything's terrible!
While Alastor lashes out on his prisoners, like Husk:
Alastor: If you ever say that again, I will tear your soul apart and broadcast your screams for every other disrespectful wretch who dares to question me.
Still, the point is that Lucifer is exactly like Alastor. He is a gifted creature, who messed up royally and cursed humanity. Alastor instead is exactly like Husk, a powerful overlord, who still finds himself chained. Lucifer is the most hated being in all of creation and Alastor is on a leash. They are both lonely and desperate, but too proud to admit it. In other words, they are both losers:
Husk: There was a time I thought no one could relate To the gruesome ways in which I'm damaged But lettin' walls down, it can sometimes set you straight! We're all livin' in the same shit-sandwich
Just like everyone in Hell. And yet, this is not bad per se. Even if you hit rock bottom, you can still climb back up, as long as you let go of self-importance and start to earnestly empathize with others. As a matter of fact it is only through community and bonds that a person can be redeemed and heal:
Out for love Love Think of who you care about Protect them and be out For love Love You're gonna fight without gloves Long as you're out for love
This is what Alastor and Lucifer are learning through Charlie.
TWO DADS, ONE DAUGHTER
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Season 1 sets up Alastor and Lucifer as two mentor figures to Charlie. They share this role in a way, which makes them almost perfect mirrors. Some examples:
Lucifer gives Charlie the hotel building and Alastor calls it Hazbin Hotel
Alastor helps repair the Hotel in the beginning, while Lucifer assists Charlie in building it anew by the end
Lucifer guides Charlie to Heaven, as he sets up her meeting with Sera and Emily. Alastor instead guides Charlie in Hell as he introduces her to Rosie and helps her inspire the cannibals
Both Alastor and Lucifer believe in Charlie, when she is at her lowest. Alastor does so before the final battle, whereas Lucifer after the fight
Alastor and Lucifer fight Adam (another foil of theirs) in the final episode. Moreover, both belittle his abilities and highlight how he is strong, but unskilled:
Alastor: You lack discipline, control and worst, you are sloppy!
Lucifer: So, this is what you've been up to since Eden? Gotta say, you really let yourself go buddy.
In particular, Alastor is the one supposed to take Adam down, but fails and Lucifer steps in by the end. This is just like in the beginning Lucifer is supposed to support and help Charlie with her project. Still, he is absent and Alastor fills the spot.
In other words, Alastor and Lucifer are unwillingly complementary and so far one has appeared when the other has been incapacitated. We'll see if this pattern continues. As for now, they are clearly framed as key to Charlie's development, so it is possible they will come to embody different sides of her:
Alastor represents the sinners Charlie wants to reach and all their pain and complexity. He is also linked to fear and the unknown. He is the ally she finds by herself. He is the found family Charlie chooses.
Lucifer represents the angels Charlie wants to communicate with. He is also linked to dreams and ideals. He is the legacy she inherits. He is the biological family Charlie wants to re-connect with.
In short, they are both parts of who Charlie is and she needs them to grow into herself. Just like they need her to mature and find redemption and happiness.
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zwolfgames · 3 months
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|Mistakes|Platonic Yandere Alastor x fem!reader
Requested: /
Warnings: Alastor, condescending behavior, off putting interactions.
Parts: Part 1, Part 2 (You are here), Part 3
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The two of you sat peacefully on the kitchen floor for quite a while. Alastor asked you about songs and he showed you his favourite's in return.
It was quite a sweet moment, considering the situation. Listening music during an extermination. Who would have tought?
Alastor hums along to a song he put on. You have to admit, he has a soothing voice. Indeed perfect for a radio host.
A violent scream of pain from outside shook you out of the calmness.
You had almost forgotten about the death outside...
Alastor eyes you curiously.
You may not know it, but he finds you calming to look at. No sharp edges... that big jellyfish cap. You look.. lets say, squishable.
Tough he knows better then to touch now.
"You aren't scared, are you?" Alastor hums in a sing song manner. Teasing smile on his lips as usual.
"There's no need to be scared when I'm here to protect you." He further widens his grin. You just nod meekly, opting to agree with anything he may say to spare your life.
"Y/N, dear. Don't you think you'd look better with a smile?" Alastor tilts his head so he can look right at you, trough the veil of stinging tendrils.
"No... not really? I don't have a lot to smile about." You blink up at him blankly. You see him tilt his head to the side in either curioustity or annoyance.
"How about you smile for me?" Alastor seems to smile even wider at his own ideas.
You attempt a little smile as to not get murdered on the spot.
Alastor seems content and had to stop himself from tilting your chin up to see better. Tough the only thing really stopping him were your tendrils.
"Y/N, is there perhaps a way for you to not sting?" Alastor asks.. way too obviously.
"No." You answer without hesitation. And even if there was, you wouldn't ever turn them off. Hell is dangerous and this guy is especially dangerous.
"I see. A shame, you look soft to touch." He admits casually. You almost cringe and resist the urge to back off. Why does he pull out the creepy shit after you two had a nice music moment?
A moment of silence passes, its awkard to you but the radio demon seems nothing but pleased.
"Say, my dear. What else do you presume we do while waiting out the extermination?" Alastor asks as if this is some playdate.
And truly, to him it was.
"Um... I have papers somewhere, we can.. draw?" You offer awkardly, you only have a destroyed kitchen to work with here. But you don't think he'd have appreciated playing minecraft anyways.
"Drawing, are you capable of that?" Alastor asks in amusment. You almost feel insulted at the way he asked that.
You just nod and take some papers from a cabinet. Finding pencils was a bit harder but you managed.
And Alastor defenitly noticed that you gave him the better pencil.... How sweet and considerate of you.
He doesn't know a lot of sinners who would do that...
Second mistake: A show of Kindness.
Well, atleast drawing time went on peacefully. Alastor was humming a tune with that radio effect enhancing his voice, it was quite calming and your stress ebbed away from you slowly as you just focussed on your drawing.
You aren't sure how much time passed before Alastor stopped humming but he snapped you out of your creative trance.
"What do you think ,dear?" Alastor smiles a bit more genuinly.
He holds up his pencil drawing of... you. Just You. With your little smile.
You blush faintly in a rather shy manner and try not to look away from his drawing.
You didn't know he had a talent in drawing. You also didn't know you were drawing eachother. Yours was just todays made up OC.
"Thats.. very pretty... I'm flattered." You mutter out in embarrasment. Alastors grin widens.
"I just wanted to capture you, as I carry no camera's on me." Alastor boasts as if that's the coolest thing ever.
"Thats neat." You stick a thumb up, it therefore comes out under your stinging veil.
You notice your mistake quite quickly as your hand is taken in the Radio demons.
"I knew it, soft. You're quite untouched, aren't you? Well, that would be obvious, seeing your ability." Alastor smirks. It's as if his main goal this whole time had been to grab a hold of you.
He's quite cold, pointy fingers. Kinda eery.
"Oh look at your little startled face. You're adorable." Alastor teases with slightly lidded eyes.
You attempt to pull back out of embarrasment but he holds on.
"Are you scared?" 
Alastor asked in a more serious voice.
"Not really, you're just cold." You answer simply, hoping thats a decent enough answer.
"Is that so?" Alastor hums, a twitch in his smile as he lets go.
He stands up and summons his cane.
You refrain a flinch as you fear the worst but he instead just summons a couch and a bunch of books.
"Come, sit. We still have some hours to pass."
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_____☆_____
Cool
Tag list: @ceramic-raven , @oo0lady-mad0oo
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cerealboxlore · 8 months
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21!
WIP #21: A Day In Your Shoes
"Okay okay, slow down dude, let's be honest, for real here." Flash raised his hand to the conversation, trying not to spit out any of the food in his mouth while laughing. He wasn't very successful. "In what world is someone named Mr. Banjo, a threat? I just can't take that seriously, I'm not sorry!"
Captain Marvel raised an eyebrow at the speedster. He pretended to scoff at the remark. "Hey now, I don't poke fun at any of your rogues, now do I? I know plenty of rogues have silly names but they can be very dangerous." A true statement from the Big Red Cheese. Plenty of League members had fought many rogues with interesting names and a varying array of power sets, so sometimes written reports would seem more odd and fictional rather than real, despite their truth.
Billy still couldn't believe there was a rogue named Condiment King! Condiment. King. In Gotham of all places. And people think Fawcett is weird. He's tempted to do a segment on this during his next radio show segment at WHIZ Radio. He's been itching to make an episode with his friend Whitey from the studio, and this seems right up his alley. He wants to run a script through his head but is interrupted by another voice.
"Oh yeah, I totally don't want to get in the way of Mr. Banjo playing Rainbow Connection at me." Green Lantern chimed in, arriving late to the scene but coming prepared to join the fun.
Barry smirked with a wide grin, and Captain Marvel resisted the urge to insult his rogues in return. He had better things to do than contribute to petty conversations about who has the worst (better?) rogues.
"Actually the banjo is a cursed magical artifact from the Rock of Eternity itself. Surprisingly, it's sentient, so it connects to the host of whoever holds it and-"
"And there it is! The magical oddity of Fawcett City. Everything is just so whimsical there, isn't it? I mean, I know you have your fair share of serious rogues, Cap, but let's not joke around here, I'd love to fight some of your rogues for a day instead of mine. It'd be a nice break." Other heroes in the break room chimed in, adding their own lines of agreement and sharing their exhaustion stories of fighting their rogues. Meanwhile, Captain Marvel crossed his arms, thinking of an idea that gave him a mischievous smile.
"Oh? Is that so? If you think you can last a day in my city, I'd dare you to try."
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lenaariewrld · 19 days
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C.05 — the concert thing (w)
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ON THE AIR — childe x reader smau
| SYNOPSIS;; Teyvat University’s popular radio personality, Y/n L/n, has only one gripe with her life. Her classmate, neighbour, and all-around nuisance in her life, Tartaglia. Their rivalry extends just past academics and, to her horror, into her work. He becomes the music director and co-host for her radio show, working alongside her most nights and forcing himself even deeper into her life. But is he really trying to just be friends, or is there an ulterior motive to his actions?
| WC: 2.6k
previous! ~ masterlist ! ~ next!
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~
You and Ganyu stand on the sidewalk as Cyno parks his car and pays for the spot –estimating the amount of time the three of you will be there– while the both of you lean against each other casually. You had snatched one of Cyno’s jackets before leaving the house and now used it to cover you and Ganyu, your arms snaked around her shoulders and your chin on her hair. The air outside was slightly chilly with the wind, but still warm from the summer heat. At least it wasn’t balmy and humid anymore. For that, you were grateful. The pleasant moments ends when Cyno joins the two of you, looping one of his arms each with you and leading the way to the bar.
A small line was already forming when the three of you walked closer, full of excited young adults ready to have a memorable night or anxiously waiting to see Childe and his band perform. You recognize a few of the people in the line, waving to classmates or to people who greet you with an excitable call of your name. This bar was pretty popular for university students, so you aren’t surprised that people who also know about your show are here. You’re just surprised about the overlap between yours and Childe’s audience. As Cyno skirts his way to the front, you overhear a couple conversations. You don’t resist the urge to roll your eyes when you hear a couple girls whispering about him and how attractive they find him.
It was annoying, but you knew the man had charm. That you couldn’t necessarily deny.
It just didn’t work on you.
With a flash of Cyno’s student ID and the newspaper’s lanyard he wore, all three of you get accepted into the bar. Immediately, you and Ganyu beeline it to find an empty table far enough away from the stage to avoid anyone from that group recognizing your presence. Cyno goes to get drinks, meanwhile. The first thing you noticed upon setting your bag down and tucking your friend’s jacket over your legs was the atmosphere. The bar was crowded, expected for a Friday night. 
The lights are dimmed enough to add a sense of intimacy between people’s conversations and to provide contrast to the bright stage lights that have been set up on the far end of the bar, directly opposite from the bar where some very worn-looking bartenders dash left and right to make a million drinks. You pity them, hoping they get tipped well enough to deal with this particular chaos.
A couple minutes pass before Cyno returns, three drinks delicately balanced in his hands. A virgin drink for Ganyu, and two colorful (and probably very boozy) cocktails for the two of you. You clink your glass with him. “So, what all do you need for this paper?” You ask, willing to help where you can since you had nothing better to do. Even if you were dragged here.
“A couple pictures of the performance, some comments from the band members, and maybe a video to replay while I’m writing later so I don’t leave out any details.” The white-haired man tells you, counting off on his fingers. You sip from the little bendy straw in your glass, humming thoughtfully. “I was hoping I could catch Thoma afterwards and get something from him since he’s the only one I know–”
“And can tolerate?” You finish with a cheeky grin. Cyno nods, a smile pulling at his lips as well. You chuckle and lean your elbows on the table. “Me and Ganyu can record the set if you want to focus on everything else,” You offer.
Ganyu reaches over and gently takes the strawberry set on the rim of your glass. “We have a pretty good spot to watch, so if we record it, you definitely won’t miss anything,” She adds, matter-of-factly before eating the red fruit. You nod along, sliding the toothpick of fruits from Cyno’s drink her way as well.
“Thanks, guys,” He smiles, appreciative of your combined efforts to make this night go as quickly as possible. He turns his head as the lights on stage brighten. “They’re starting. I’m gonna go find a good vantage spot,” With that, your friend dismisses himself and disappears in the crowd as Childe and his bandmates shuffle onto stage. They’re loud and over the top, but they draw everyone in as they find their spots and introduce themselves. Admittedly, they even draw your attention in.
“Thank you all for coming to see us! And for those who didn’t, but may be interested; we are Vapriize,” Childe says into the mic, his hands adjusting his grip on the bass in his hands. The lead singer, a short little blue-haired guy named Scara, clears his throat and begins speaking next but you stopped paying attention by that point. Soon enough, they start to play and the music fills the bar.
You listen as Ganyu sets up her phone and begins recording, making sure to hold it high enough to see the entire stage of people’s heads. Oddly enough, as you listen, you find yourself enjoying the songs as the set progresses. It’s not the typical kind of grungy “I fuck girls and I know I’m hot” kind of music you expected.
Though it is a pop-rock type of instrumental, the lyrics imply a heavy heartbreak, with the lead singer passionately pleading whoever the song is about to give any crumb of attention, even if its just listening to the song, rather than leaving point blank. It was a raw desperation you knew well, something that resonated in your chest. The next couple songs are similar, lamenting how though the past relationship is over, the lead singer still finds pieces of her in every aspect of his life. Or about how apparent he’s made her effect on him and now without her absence it’s like he’s transparent. It sits uncomfortably in your gut, the way you relate to the songs, making your stomach sink further to your feet.
You down your drink and dismiss yourself to get another one, tapping Ganyu’s shoulder to alert her you’ll be right back. More music plays. You find yourself humming along once you sit down again, your well-manicured nails tapping on your cocktail glass, your chin propped on your hand, and your body swaying slightly to the music. At some point, Ganyu finds your hand and laces your fingers together, keeping the both of you grounded through the haze of the bar. During a quiet moment, she leans over to check on you.
“Are you enjoying this even a little bit?” She asks, raising her brows just slightly, a tiny wrinkle in between them. You smile and reach out to smooth it away.
“Maybe a little bit, but it’s hard not to be with you guys around,” You admit with a shrug. Cyno briefly shows up to your table once the set ends nearly an hour later, dropping off his camera and notepad.
“Gotta piss,” Is his only explanation before he darts off to the bathrooms. You laugh. Reaching over, you slide his possessions closer to you, taking care not to spill anything on the paper of your friend’s notepad. You glance over what he’s written so far, but you’re stumped by the chaos of his notes and the jumbled lines on the paper. It looks like nonsense, but you know Cyno’s process is one that works. You’ve read his completed works in the newspaper everytime a new issue comes out.
You tense as an all-too-familiar voice greets you. “Well, I didn’t expect to see you here… and dressed so pretty.” Childe slides into the third unoccupied seat at the little table, his chin propping onto his hand in a mirror of your position. You frown, crossing your arms instead. “Is it for me?” He continues, cocking his head to the side and raises his brow, his eyes darting over you. You make a gagging noise and dramatically turn away to cover your mouth.
“No it’s not. It’s for myself,” Your voice is cold as you speak to him, your glare biting. You refuse to break eye contact or back down. You were never one to be intimidated, and much less one to be so easily swooned by cheap words and bad pick-up lines. It helped when you also despised the person they came from. And you hate Childe. You hate his stupid smug face, and his perfectly tousled hair with the little blonde streak in the front. You hate the mischievous glint in his deep blue eyes, or the creases at the corners when he smiles. And you hate the way his voice purrs your name, slipping from his tongue like honey while he sidles ever so closer to your body.
“Mm, why are you here, Y/n?” He asks, watching the way you chug your second drink of the night, avoiding any chance to continue the conversation. “I thought you wanted nothing to do with me?” His voice is teasing, irritatingly so, but it’s also… softer. You notice his eyes darting around your face, some look in his eyes that for once isn’t mischief or malice. But one you definitely can’t place. You also notice he’s not looking over the rest of your body anymore, caring less about the revealing cut of your dress than the way your expression morphs.
He noticed you frowned less deeply when you were tipsy, your cheeks flushed all pink and your eyes blinking slowly. You looked more like an angry cat than anything. You looked… cute.
When you clear your throat, you notice Childe seem to break out of whatever trance he was in, his shoulders squaring a little more. “My friend needs to be here for his newspaper and I’m offering moral support.”
“Newspaper? Are they writing something about us?~” He hums.
“It’s not like it’s by choice. Your band is about as interesting to see as a flea circus,” You retort, chuckling into your cocktail as you take another dangerous gulp. The liquor burns your throat but it soothes the urge to gag whenever Tartaglia so much as opens his mouth.
“We’re plenty interesting,” Childe pretends to pout dramatically, tilting his head to the side like a wounded puppy. You’d find it charming how easily he could switch if it weren’t for the fact he used this ability to get on every single one of your nerves. “I saw you enjoying yourself for a few of our songs, even you little boytoy was bopping around,” He casts a glance around the bar.
“He’s not my boytoy,” You scoff, “Just because I have a friend who’s a guy doesn’t mean either of us wants to sleep together. Some of us are capable of viewing women as people, unlike you,” You spit the words as you turn your head away, hoping and praying Cyno finds you again so you can shoo Childe off for good.
“I can see plenty of women as people. Just not demons like you,” He laughs as if sharing a funny joke.
“Shut up, you ass,” You huff, moving to get up. Your cocktail no longer does the trick of helping you forget who you’re talking to or why it was so irritating to be around him. Childe moves to grab your wrist.
“Hey, hey, I’m not trying to hurt your feelings–”
“You have no effect on my feelings, Tartaglia,” You spit, teeth bared. “Let me go. I’m tired of talking to an un-empathetic loser,”
“You don’t have to be a bitch, you were the one who made the first joke,” Childe retorts, but he does as you say and lets go of your wrist, but now you were getting annoyed, your hands on your hips as you scoff yet again. His audacity was really something to behold.
“You’re the asshole who tried to force a conversation with me, don’t act like a saint,”
“I’m being friendly, Y/n,” He defends. You throw your hands up, exasperated at the excuse he doesn’t entirely seem to believe either. He’s stood up just like you are at this point, the both of you sizing each other up despite the fact that he easily clears you in height and strength.
“You’re being a fuckboy,” You seethe through gritted teeth, your eyes narrowed. Ganyu grabs bother bag and Cyno’s stuff from the chairs, urging you to evacuate the situation though you don’t entirely hear her, too focused on the annoying ginger right in front of you.
“Fuck you, Y/n,”
“Fuck you, too,” You declare, snatching your things off the table and taking Ganyu’s hand. “Let’s go,” You tell her and storm off without another word to the man. You’re still fuming as every second passes, carving your way through the crowd of people and towards the exit. You can find Cyno later, or even send him a text about where you are. For now, you just needed to get out of there.
You hated that you were worked up. But even worse, you hated that you felt a pang of disappointment in your chest, the conversation between you and Tartaglia having felt pretty naturally before you both exploded. God, that fact alone only made you more angry.
As soon as the fresh night air hits your face, you slow down and turn to Ganyu. “I’m sorry for… that,” You tell her, guilt evident on your face. She squeezes your hand.
“It’s not your fault, he came out of nowhere,” She assures, the both of you walking down the sidewalk to a less populated spot right outside the bar. You lean against the gritty brick and dig around in your purse for your lighter and pack, handing Ganyu your phone so she can text Cyno about where the two of you are.
After retrieving and lighting your cigarette, you place everything neatly back in your bag, inhaling deeply through the stick of nicotine. You manage to get a few drags in before the door to the bar bursts open, Cyno emerging with a tall, relaxed blonde following behind him. You recognize Thoma from the couple of time you had visited the newspaper staff a couple years ago, back when you had been trying out different things for your major. He looked better now. Well-built, more sure of himself. He waves to you and Ganyu as the two men approach, forming a loose group circle.
“How are you? What happened?” Cyno asked, eyeing the cigarette between your pointer and middle finger. You hold it out for him to take, letting him take a drag while you explained how Childe had come up to you and Ganyu and the conversation that had happened. “Dick,” Cyno mutters around the cig, blowing the smoke away from any of your faces before handing it back to you. “Sorry, I know he’s sorta your friend,” He then apologises to Thoma.
“Oh, I know he can be an ass, though,” Thoma waves his hand dismissively, chuckling as he shoves his hands in his pockets. You chuckle, giving him a nod of respect.
You, Cyno, and Ganyu all catch up with Thoma as you relax again and finish your little vice. The conversation remains light-hearted and easy, none of you daring to breach any uncomfortable topics while the night was so nice and peaceful. The buzzing of bugs in your ears and the fuzzy feeling of the nicotine and liquor in your system helping to calm you down. By the time you all call it a night, you feel less shitty.
“Goodnight, take care of yourself,” You say as you hug Thoma, squeezing him tight. He hugs you back, echoing a similar sentiment before you both part. The others give their own goodbyes and your two groups split off. Cyno leads you and Ganyu back to his car, taking back his things from the blue-haired woman with a grateful hum before climbing in and driving you all home.
You’re not sure what to make of this night but one thing is certain. You definitely, certainly, without a doubt, hate Childe. And co-hosting with him was going to be hell.
———
A/Ns: we getting into it!! i looooove writing banter (and getting to see the enemies are maybe-not-so-enemy's)!! as always, likes/reblogs/comments are appreciated in any form, and don't forget to get rest and take care of yourself <33
TAGLIST: @popiizpops
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nikodraws · 2 months
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I have a Star Rail OC whether I like it or not. So. Here he is!
This is Grahm. He says that's his name. He says he's native to Penacony. He says he walks the Path of Harmony. He Hosts an anonymous radio show that talks about Cryptids, Unexplained Rumors, conspiracies, and otherwise strange happenings around the hotel and park that has a dedicated cult following. He says it's a coincidence that strange things happen more often after his show airs. He says he's just a radio host and only wants to entertain!
He is a Liar.
Powerset wise he's an Electric hype man who increases effect resistance and makes Single Target attacks into Blast affects. This is not his final form. He's going to have a second stage once I have the time to do that design.
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ditch-lily · 1 year
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What's a fun work story involving Kim and P'Mod?
omg apparently you get a whole ficlet :) enjoy! I wrote this instead of making my dinner lol
--
Kim leans in close, lips grazing the mic.
"A knife."
He's not sure how the mic works, he's not used to this set up. This is only maybe his second proper interview. But his answer seems like it came across strong and clear.
The host is looking at him.
"...a knife?"
Well yeah. It's a deserted island.
"What would you use it for?" The host is trying to sound upbeat and chirpy.
Kim raises a brow. "For hunting." Maybe other things, who knows. He's good with a knife.
"Uhhh okay, very useful! What else would you bring? Remember it's a deserted island! Maybe your phone? A guitar?”
"A lighter. Fire's good. Useful." He explains it this time, this host seems to need that. Kim thinks maybe he's a bit dense.
"Ahhh. Okay sure, I get it! You're a survivalist! Do you watch any survivalist shows? Any tips?"
What? No he doesn't. Kim scowls. But fine, he can be chatty. P’Mod told him to be chatty. He leans close to the mic again. “My tip would be, make sure the knife you bring is a good one. Balanced, good for throwing. You might need it for multiple uses."
The host is a bit big eyed. He nods at Kim, a little shakily.
Okay, Kim nods back. This is working, he's being chatty. "Here." Kim reaches into his pocket and brings out his favorite switchblade. Snicks it out. "This one's good-  it's my favorite brand, and the tip is strong. Resists a lot of throwing. Keeps its point well."
There's an almost soundless noise from the host, a weird little rasp. He's nodding his head again, scooting his chair back, fast.
A movement catches his eye. P’Mod is waving frantically through the glass, hand viciously jerking through the air in a fast motion. Kim squints.
He doesn’t know what exactly she means. It looks like she's motioning…a throwing movement? Huh? Okay, he could throw it, maybe a demonstration would be good.
--
After, with the host wide eyed and saying, a little high pitched and nasally, oh don’t worry - the wall’s easily repaired and wow. That knife sure got in there deep, huh?
Well after that, and after P’Mod shaking their head, apologizing to the staff, she grabs Kim and drags him out of the room, down to the break room.
"Holy shit kid, what the fuck. You are so lucky that was radio."
She pinches her brow, sighing heavily, a little bit in shock. "New rule. And I can't believe I have to say this- but from now on? No knives on set.”
--
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neondiamond · 6 months
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🌲Recently Read Fics - November 2023 🌲
These are all the amazing fics I read over the past month (from shortest to longest). Don’t forget to leave kudos and comments to show the authors your appreciation if you read any of these! 🤎
🌲 Fine Line by @ladyaj-13 (1k, G)
Telling his family was always going to be a big deal, but doing it alone was a sacrifice he could make.
He never thought they’d fall about laughing.
🌲 Crush by @allwaswell16 (1k, T)
When Niall stops smiling around the office, his co-worker Louis sets out to lift his mood with the help of their office mates.
🌲 Words Weren’t Enough by @red-pandaaa (2k, T)
Louis finds Harry practicing the piano piece for his last show late at night, and there are some tears, memories and playing the piano together involved
🌲 Swollen Stomach by @greeneyesfriedrice (2k, E)
Louis lifts their chin up with two fingers, not waiting another second before connecting their lips in a tender kiss. Harry can’t resist deepening it, their libido heightened ever since they entered the third trimester. Except, the doctors only allow them to have sex once a week, and once Harry gets within a week of the due date, it’s better to not have sex at all. Lucky for them, Harry still has three weeks until the due date.
🌲 like an achor’s hold by @harrysmaison (3k, NR)
Harry's stuck in his head again, Louis is the best partner in the whole world.
🌲 hope we grow old but we never grow up by @enchantedlandcoffee (5k, G)
Three key moments in Niall and Harry's relationship.
🌲 part time soulmates (full time problem) by @voulezloux (12k, M)
sworn enemies harry and louis are soulmates. everything is going smoothly until the pain hits.
🌲 if i’m being honest by @disgruntledkittenface (22k, E)
Niall is perfectly happy in her dating life, always finding a reason to break things off before her relationships get serious. When she finally gets a chance with Harry, her dream girl, their friend Louis makes her promise to give her a real chance. The only problem is that Harry has a cat… and Niall is not a cat person. Instead of running like she usually does, Niall has to figure out how to live with an adorable menace. And when it starts to feel like love, Niall has to decide: Is she ready for the real thing?
🌲 When the Trouble Comes by @absoloutenonsense (WIP, E)
The Queens Trafficking case is the biggest one of Louis’ FBI career so far; eleven reported missing girls all disappeared under a similar set of circumstances. Louis has done everything he can to try and solve this case over the last nine months… while also absolutely ruining his marriage.
Harry has been co-host of Banter at Breakfast for five years, and finally has the opportunity to create his own radio show with the network. Unfortunately, it comes at a time where Harry’s thoughts are consumed with his impending divorce from his (caring, loving, infuriatingly thoughtful) husband of eight years.
Harry and Louis have both been willing to lose themselves in their work… but are they willing to lose each other?
🌲 A Very Darling Christmas by @aquamarinedaffodil (133k, M)
It’s Harry’s first holiday season since he opened the little bakery at Astor Square and according to his best friend Zayn, he is hopelessly unprepared. With the start of the local Christmas market right around the corner and an already hectic schedule, Harry really can’t afford to get distracted.
Then again, neither can Louis, who is in the middle of directing rehearsals for a winter musical with his drama class and promised his colleague Niall that he’d focus all of his energy on the musical.
But you know what they say: promises are like pie crusts — made to be broken.
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avacoleman · 4 months
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when the lights go out || a firstprince fic
summary: Henry Fox’s career is in crisis and his dating life isn’t faring much better either.  After a chance encounter with a charming man becomes memorable for all the wrong reasons, Henry throws himself into his next assignment: writing the memoir of a beloved C-list actor. Henry, however, knows Alex best for the role he played as his random, awkward one-night stand. Henry enters their professional partnership keen on keeping their relationship just that. But after Henry confesses that their hookup was less than spectacular, Alex concots an arrangement that Henry is unable to resist. In addition to ghostwriting Alex’s life story, Henry will teach him a thing or two about satisfying a man.  As they spend months out on the road together, they must decide if the connection between them is yet another story worth telling.
chapter 6/8 || rated e || read on ao3 *updates every tues. and fri. *
Miami, FL SuperCon Day 1 Their first day in Miami finds them at one of the city’s most notable radio stations just before noon. For months now, it’s been exciting to shadow Alex like this on different appearances, to get these glimpses into what the life of a Hollywood star is like. Through it all, Henry has most admired how completely down to Earth Alex is, seemingly indifferent to just how interesting a life he leads. The elevator doors open on the tenth floor and Henry instantly finds himself squinting against the sunlight that bathes the entire space in natural light.  Employees mill about, some answering calls, others walking past quickly with their heads together discussing something. It’s all fast-paced and exciting and immediately, Henry feels swept up in the flurry of activity. He follows after Alex as he heads straight to the receptionist area. The woman at the desk is on the phone, typing something into her computer. She looks up once, then does a double take, her eyes widening just fractionally before she composes herself and finishes her call by the time they reach her. “Hi, I’m–,” Alex starts to say, but the receptionist smiles widely at him, already getting to her feet.
“Alex Claremont-Diaz, yes. If you could just follow me, please,” she says, smoothing out her dress and coming out from behind her desk.
Her heels practically echo as she leads them down the corridor. Henry takes in the different posters adorning the walls of radio hosts and promotional shots throughout the years for concerts the station has put on.
The receptionist rounds a corner and brings them to a halt just outside of a door paneled with a window. Henry gets a clear view of the studio and a man seated inside, fiddling with headphones.
The receptionist opens the door, gesturing for Alex and Henry to head inside.
The studio is just like any other, microphones and other tech equipment placed on a large gray table with swivel chairs around it. There are more posters inside the room, but also photos of presumably past guests. Henry sees quite a few familiar celebrity faces smiling back at him from their frames.
Introductions are made and the show’s host gives Alex a quick rundown of how the interview will go. It’s as straightforward as they come.
Henry makes himself into a fly on the wall, taking a seat on the sidelines, checking and double checking that his phone is off as Alex gets situated at the table and slips his headphones on.
A man in the adjoining room counts them down and before Henry knows it, on-air light flashes on, the host welcoming listeners to the top of the hour.
Henry isn’t even the one being interviewed, but his heart beats a bit faster, an antsy feeling sinking in. Alex, however, is the picture of cool as he sits back and makes himself at home as the host continues to speak.
“We are live and on the air with Crescent Valley star Alex Claremont-Diaz. You know him, you love him. And in just three days, you can see him at SuperCon here in fabulous Miami before the show returns for its well-awaited special. But enough of hearing from me. Let’s get into it with the man himself. Alex, it’s a pleasure to have you here.”
Alex’s smiles warmly and Henry recognizes that easy way Alex has of making people feel close to him. It’s the same way Alex has been this entire tour with fans all over the country. It’s the same way Alex had charmed Henry that very first night in New York. There’s a certain charisma Alex exudes that no one is immune to. Henry, arguably, knows that better than anyone.
The interview gets underway and the two chat for about fifteen minutes about Alex’s career and time on the show before the host winds down to talk about the upcoming special.
“Fans have been asking for this for years. How does it feel to be able to give viewers another look at the series?” the host asks.
Alex smiles a little to himself and there’s something almost bashful in his expression that Henry finds endearing. 
“It’s nothing short of incredible. The support our fans have shown us since the beginning and all these years later means far more than I, or anyone in our cast and crew, could ever properly say. Their love and passion made this happen and I’m beyond grateful for it.”
Alex shakes his head, clearly taking a moment to get his thoughts together.
“This role launched my career. It’s given me the opportunity to interact with people from all walks of life, from all corners of the Earth. That’s a gift like nothing else. From all of us on camera and behind the scenes, I just want to say a massive thank you to everyone who tunes in and I hope you guys enjoy it.”
The interview wraps with the host reminding listeners that Alex will be at SuperCon in a couple of days. Henry watches as the on-air light goes from red to gray and he finds himself wondering for the hundredth time how Alex is able to juggle this life. Interviews, cons, filming, photoshoots, it’s a complete whirlwind and yet Alex seems perfectly at home with it all. He supposes years in the industry must have made this all second nature, but Henry doubts the speed of it all would ever be something he’d be able to adjust to fully.
Alex takes off his headphones and thanks the host for his time. They take a picture together and the man tells Alex that he’s excited to catch the special when it airs. 
The way the host looks at him though, Henry suspects Alex might be the main selling point of watching it. It’s almost endearing how Alex doesn’t seem to notice the heart eyes being lobbed at him. Henry wonders what it’ll be like after Alex’s book releases in a few months and the radio host– and queer men all over the globe– find out that Alex is part of their community.
It makes Henry happy to know the world will open up even more for Alex, even though selfishly a small part of him will miss being in this exclusive bubble of a select few who know Alex’s truth for now.
They head out of the studio and start walking back down the hall to the elevators.
“Do you feel like going out tonight?” Alex asks abruptly.
For a foolish, fleeting moment, Henry thinks Alex is asking him out on a date, but logic kicks in.
“Don’t want to spend the first night holed up in the rental, huh?” he muses as he hits the down button.
“Precisely. I’m feeling…I don’t know. We’re young and hot and in Miami of all places. It feels like we should be taking advantage of that, right? Let’s go dancing.”
Henry barks out a laugh that makes the receptionist jump. Henry quickly apologizes before stepping into the elevator that mercifully arrives to aid in his escape from the scene.
“Alex, you’ve come to know me so well. Surely you can surmise that I don’t dance. ”
“That’s not the same thing as can’t,” Alex objects as the doors close and he pushes for the ground floor. “And besides, you’re forgetting that I’ve seen your hips move in the bedroom pretty damn well. Trust me, I know you’d be lethal on the dancefloor if you gave it an honest try. You didn’t even get on the floor with Pez in Denver. I’m not letting you cop out this time around.”
Henry’s head is still reeling from Alex’s second statement.
“Sex is different,” he argues. “I couldn’t possibly move like that with others around.”
Alex smirks as they reach the ground floor and the doors chime open. 
“Oh, Henry. Miami nightlife is gonna teach you a thing or two. Just you wait.”
~*~*~
Nighttime in Miami feels like an absolutely different realm of existence. It’s almost as if the sun dipping below the horizon somehow flipped a switch on Henry’s surroundings. 
“I suppose this is what Dorothy must have felt like when she entered Oz,” Henry says as he and Alex wait in line outside of a club. From the line snaking around the corner, Henry can tell it’s a popular one.
The heavy bass from the music spills onto the street and feels like an undercurrent to Henry’s anxiety over this evening. In theory a night of dancing should be fun, but despite Alex’s prediction, Henry still maintains he has two left feet and is more than likely to make a fool of himself in front of not only Alex, but a roomful of people.
When they’re finally admitted, Henry’s nerves lift sky high. The place is packed with people all moving to the music.
Alex takes to the vibe of the club like a fish to water. He looks genuinely excited, his eyes drinking everything in. Henry does too, but all he notices is how adept literally every person in the room is at dancing. He supposes liquid courage might be doing wonders for a good portion of them, but even still, he’s impressed with everyone’s ability not to overthink. 
He wonders what a life like that would be like and quickly has to stop himself from ironically overthinking about overthinking.
“Don’t be nervous!” Alex shouts over the music, already bopping a bit.
He sets his hands on Henry’s hips and shakes him side to side while laughing. 
“Live a little. Move a lot,” he says before letting go and beginning to dance all on his own in earnest. Henry can only watch him and marvel at how fluid Alex’s movements are. It’s obvious just how freeing this is for him and it’s downright captivating.
A gorgeous woman appears at Alex’s side as if summoned by his movements. She’s a vision with long dark curly hair and rich brown skin that’s accentuated perfectly by the red dress she has on. Henry wonders briefly if she’s a mirage.
Alex’s eyes cut to her for a moment and back to Henry, almost as if asking for permission. Henry tips his head, urging Alex to take her on as a dance partner. 
Alex smiles and takes hold of the woman’s hand and they move as one immediately, so in sync with the blaring horns and percussion. It’s really a sight to see and Henry can’t help but to smile knowing just how much Alex is enjoying himself. 
One song bleeds into another and Alex continues to dance with the woman. Secretly, Henry is glad she’s able to distract him; better her than him on the dancefloor now. Henry moves away and heads for the bar to get drinks for himself and Alex.
It’s a battle to make it through to the overcrowded bar, but Henry feels victorious when he manages to get the bartender’s attention.
“Whatever he wants, it’s on me,” a voice beside him says before Henry can even get a word out.
He looks to his right and sees an, admittedly, attractive guy half smiling at him. This feels a bit like déjà vu.
In a different bar, in a different city, he’d been approached.
In a world pre-Alex, Henry would have been intrigued by this man based on his appearance, certainly enough to graciously accept the drink to see where the night could lead.
But now, his mind is already calculating how quickly he can put an end to this. The brown eyes looking at him now aren’t the ones he’d like to stare into.
“That’s quite alright, but thank you for the offer,” Henry says politely to the stranger.
The man feigns a wounded heart.
“If I can’t get you a drink, could I at least get your name, sexy? I want to hear more of this pretty accent that goes along with that truly pretty face,” he says, voice lilting, his eyes a little unfocused. 
It’s clear he must have nursed a few drinks here tonight already aside from the one currently in his hand.
Henry’s skin feels stretched uncomfortably. The bar is so swarmed, there isn’t much he can do to escape without notice, especially as the man continues looking at him expectantly.
Henry opens his mouth, but suddenly he feels a hand on the small of his back out of nowhere. He glances and sees Alex smiling tightly at the stranger. Henry relaxes into his touch at once.
The tipsy man looks between the two of them.
Alex continues to stare, glare really, before turning his attention on Henry. 
“You good here?” he asks. 
Henry smiles.
“Considerably better now. Thanks, love.”
“Oh, sorry. I didn’t realize you were with someone,” the man mumbles. 
He at least has the good sense to look apologetic, but Henry loathes the fact that it took someone else stepping in to get him to back off.
The man staggers away from the bar and Henry shifts his focus back to the whole reason he came over here in the first place.
Henry sighs seeing the bartender now taken up with other patrons. Of course the man would have lost interest immediately when there’s an army of people vying for his attention, money in hand.
“I intended to get us drinks,” Henry says uselessly to Alex, frowning. 
“And then you were rudely interrupted by that vulture?” 
Henry laughs as Alex glances over towards wherever the man vanished off to, a sour look on his face.
“Careful now, I might start thinking you were jealous.”
Alex purses his lips. Something changes in his expression, but the lights flashing inside the club makes Henry think he might’ve imagined it. It looked somewhat like irritation. Henry dismisses the thought quickly. There’s no reason why Alex would or even should be bothered by the other man’s advances.
“Dance with me,” Alex says.
“Where’s that beautiful woman from before? My savior? Perhaps I could convince her to pair up with you again.”
Alex lightly pinches Henry’s side and leans in by his ear.
“She’s not the dance partner I wanted this evening. I want you to watch you move,” he replies, a hand snaking down to Henry’s ass.
Henry’s eyes widen.
They’re in such a public place and though no one has come up to Alex professing themselves to be a fan, he still wants to exercise some caution.
He looks around, but no one seems to be paying them any mind. He turns his gaze back on Alex.
“I really am dreadful. I wasn’t being facetious.”
Alex laughs, shaking his head.
“You’ve been teaching me things for months now. Let me return the favor and show you a thing or two.”
He gives Henry a light tap on his ass before taking a hold of his hand and leading him back toward the dancefloor. Henry feels trepidation with each step as if he’s been led to the gallows. But his curiosity and the burning need to touch Alex keeps his feet shuffling forward.
The band jumps into another song with heavy rhythm. Alex swivels his hips instinctively to the Latin music and Henry is once again mesmerized by how Alex moves, the sheer confidence and ease.
With a light sheen of sweat above his brows and his curls in lovely disarray, Henry simply cannot get over how sexy Alex is.
He reaches out, putting his hands on Alex’s hips, his eyes trained on his feet as he starts to mimic Alex’s footwork.
He’s hardly skilled, just as he knew he wouldn’t be, but he hasn’t managed to step on Alex’s feet yet so he considers it a win.
“There you go. I knew you could do it,” Alex boasts.
Henry keeps looking down, not trusting himself not to muck it up if he isn’t watching his feet. This is a far cry from the posh lessons he took as a child, learning antiquated moves like the waltz at his grandmother’s insistence. 
“Just feel it, Hen. Relax.”
Alex comes in closer, his arms encircling Henry in return.
“Look at me,” he says. It takes Henry a moment but he does. 
He keeps his eyes locked onto Alex, studies the way the light dances off his face, casting his features into shadows every few seconds. It’s almost hypnotic. Henry certainly feels as if he’s in a trance.
He notes the way their bodies naturally fall into step after a few moments. He wills his brain to shut off for once and heed Alex’s advice. To just trust his body and feel it.
Alex had been right back at the radio station; their bodies have been learning each other’s frequencies for months at this point. They are perfectly in tune now that Henry’s working to get out of his own head so much.
It turns out, Henry is actually decent at this. He finds himself laughing, a carefree sound that bubbles out his chest and joins the sounds of the nightclub.
There’s a curious look into Alex’s eyes as he seems to study Henry. He doesn’t speak his thoughts and Henry figures now isn’t really the time to ask.
The music changes, the live band being replaced by a DJ who plays dancy pop music. He and Alex adjust to the new tempo, but their bodies still remain pressed together. Alex rolls his hips teasingly, catching Henry by surprise. His body feels like an absolute live wire and any bit of contact with Alex has Henry utterly convinced he’ll blow at any second.
Arousal grows in the pit of his stomach. To be quite honest, it’s been brewing for some time now.
Alex turns, his back pressed against Henry’s chest. He grinds down as Henry grips his hips tightly. 
Henry’s whole body feels hot and logically he knows that’s a byproduct of dancing for multiple songs straight in a dark crowded club, but he knows truthfully it’s mostly due to the fact that Alex’s perfect ass is now repeatedly rubbing against his growing erection.
Alex clearly has no regard for any of this as he reaches a hand up and combs his fingers through the hair at the back of Henry’s head, soon curling his hand into a fist. He continues keeping time with the music, grinding down again.
Henry can’t help it; he’s only human. He moans against Alex’s ear, his fingers digging deeper on Alex’s hips as he thrusts back.
“Have you any idea what you're doing to me right now?” he says, low enough for only Alex to hear. 
He feels Alex’s body shake with laughter as he does it again, slower and harder this time.
Bastard, Henry thinks.
Before he can chide Alex for his cruelty, the man turns to face him. If Henry thought he himself was keyed up, it’s nothing in comparison to Alex’s molten gaze.
Alex doesn’t say a word as he takes a step back, subtly tipping his head towards the area where the restrooms are. Henry catches on quickly and together they navigate their way through the crowd, away from anyone else’s eyes.
The music carries over into the restroom, but as the door closes, it’s at least somewhat muted. Alex surveys the bathroom before tugging Henry into the closest stall.
“You look so fucking good out there,” he all but growls. “So good that apparently other guys couldn’t help but notice too.”
Henry searches his eyes, trying to absorb what’s happening here. 
“Wait. Alex, were you actually jealous?” he asks, genuinely taken aback.
All the pent up tension seems to rush out of Alex at the question. It’s dizzying.
Alex avoids his gaze and shrugs. 
“Not jealous. I…I don’t know. I know we aren’t…,” he stops short and shakes his head. “It felt weird seeing that dude look at you like that. He was getting way too close and for a second I thought maybe you might be into what he was trying to offer or...I don’t know. It’s dumb.”
Henry bites back a smile. 
“You do realize that literally nothing would have happened between him and me, right? Even if he hadn’t turned out to be an absolute drunken knob, I would not have been interested. I came here with you,” he says, hooking his index fingers into Alex’s belt loops. 
“I’m leaving with you. That’s just as I’d like for it to be. End of story.”
Alex’s shoulders relax a little.
“So, I haven’t made a complete idiot of myself then?”
Henry pretends to think about it.
“Eh, like three percent. Five tops,” he teases. “The peacocking out there really came in handy and all that dirty dancing redeemed you a bit.”
Alex playfully swats at his arm. 
“You fucking dick.”
Henry grins.
“No one could ever accuse you of being a sweet talker.”
Henry tugs Alex forward a bit by the waist and Alex is quick to kiss Henry, his hands immediately slipping into Henry’s hair. 
A public restroom is hardly an ideal setting, but it astounds Henry just how little cares as he kisses Alex back. The kiss intensifies quickly from light and sweet to heated, especially as Alex grips Henry’s hips firmly, his tongue working its way into Henry’s mouth.
Alex moans into his mouth, tugging Henry's shirt free from where it’s tucked in at the front. He runs his hands up Henry’s abs, his warm skin making Henry feel even hotter and more aroused.
Henry grabs a fistful of Alex’s curls and rolls his hips forward, whimpering softly when he feels Alex’s growing hardness against his own. The way he craves this man is downright maddening and should be studied.
He has to stop kissing Alex for a moment. They haven’t had even a drop of alcohol tonight and yet Henry feels drunk out of his mind off this man alone.
“Do you want to try something a little new?” he rasps, suddenly struck with an idea.
Alex’s eyes are so dark again, his lips red from how heavily they’ve been kissing. He nods, taking a few breaths as he stares blearily at Henry.
Henry shifts ever so slightly, wedging his right leg between Alex’s legs, his thigh packed in tightly against Alex’s groin.
The man lets out a staggered breath, one hand falling to Henry’s shoulder, cursing under his breath. Henry kisses the side of his face.
“I want you to take the edge off…or work yourself up, depending on how you look at it,” he muses. “But don’t come. Stop as soon as it gets to be too much. I don’t want you to finish.” 
Alex groans. 
“At least not here. Not like this. I want to take you apart myself for that,” Henry continues, brushing a hand through Alex’s curls.
“Can you do that for me, darling? Hm? Do you think you could at least try?”
Alex nods, his breathing already a bit heavy.
“Yeah. I’ll be good,” Alex whispers and Henry shivers at those words, his eyes closing faintly for a moment.
“You always are. Off you go, love.”
Alex nips on Henry’s bottom lip before he ruts up against Henry’s thigh tentatively, slowly seeking out friction. Henry knows Alex is teasing himself, but it’s every bit as pleasurable for Henry as well. Alex is making a meal of this, taking his time grinding against him. 
Henry kisses him heatedly, licking his way into Alex’s mouth. It riles Alex up; his cock rubs a bit faster against Henry’s thigh. Alex breaks the kiss first and Henry’s ears swim with the soft raspy sounds that fall from Alex’s lips as he gives in to what his body is asking for.
Henry’s hands slide down to Alex’s ass, urging him forward, his own knees feeling weak but he stands strong, offering up his body to receive Alex’s call.
Alex buries his face in the crook of Henry’s neck, panting as he gradually moves faster, all out humping Henry’s leg, his sounds growing wilder and more intelligible.
Alex moves quickly and hard enough to make Henry’s body slam against the stall, the metal rattling. Henry's brain feels like it’s flying. Alex’s whimpering becomes desperate. His teeth sink into the pulse point on Henry’s neck as he stifles a scream.
“Jesus,” Henry mutters, so thoroughly turned on, his grip tightening on Alex’s ass.
Alex shudders hard against him and he takes a sudden step back. His face is a stunning shade of pink, his eyes wild. He looks as if he might be mere moments from losing it right then and there. 
Alex rests back on the opposite wall of the stall, closing his eyes. It’s a small space, but the distance seems to be enough to let Alex get his head on straight. Henry watches as he takes a steadying breath and it seems like it’s taking every bit of Alex’s willpower to collect himself. Henry can relate all too well. That was one of the hottest things he’s ever experienced.
“Take me home,” Alex says, his voice catching as he looks at Henry.
“What’s the magic word?” Henry goads, unable to attempt some sort of control here though he himself is desperate to get Alex into bed.
Alex smirks and rolls his eyes.
“Please, baby. I can beg from my knees later if you’d like.”
Henry groans, his head tipping back against the stall.
“You can’t just say stuff like that to me, Alex.”
Alex’s grin is wicked and thrilling in one breath as he crowds Henry again, placing a hand between his legs. 
“Can’t I? Take me home,” Alex repeats, lightly stroking him. Henry inhales sharply as Alex’s kisses along his jaw and to his ear, his voice deadly sweet as he speaks again.
“I want you to finish me off.”
~*~
Miami, FL
Day 4
Henry looks out over the balcony, taking in the gorgeous sunset. He doubts he’ll ever get used to the humidity in Florida, but he can’t deny the stunning view before him that looks like something on a postcard. Even with the impending rain he can smell in the air, the purpling sky is captivating all the same.
Alex’s appearance at SuperCon was yet another success and the perfect way to call an end to his tour. It was only fitting, in Henry’s eyes, that they celebrated with dinner at a restaurant downtown. It was nice surprising Alex and finding a way to somehow pay him back–even in a small way– for bringing Henry on this tour in the first place.
Now back at their rental, Henry feels himself in something of a contemplative mood as he watches the city. They’ve got another night out here before Henry tags along to Los Angeles for all things Crescent Valley reunion. He’s gotten through the last set of edits he received and upon his return to New York, Henry merely needs to round out the book with a portion on the reunion and Alex’s feelings about it all.
It makes Henry feel wistful knowing just how soon he’ll have to move on from this project. Perhaps even from Alex in general. He tries to picture a world in which they’d be able to maintain a friendship. He worries that, like this tour, their connection might run its course too.
Everything attached to this project came with a deadline. Maybe their dynamic would suffer the same fate.
He frowns to himself, a bitter lens now falling over the landscape in front of him.
“There you are,” he hears Alex say.
Henry half turns to look at him, getting his bearings together and flashing a smile. It becomes more genuine the longer he looks at Alex, the man still dressed sharply from their night out.
“I didn’t mean to disappear on you. I just couldn’t resist this,” he says, turning back and gesturing at the view.
“I’ve gotten so used to being on the road these last few months, it’ll be a bit strange returning to my normal life after L.A. That’ll be my absolute last chance to see palm trees in person before I go home,” he muses.
Alex’s arms encircle his waist from behind unexpectedly, his chest firmly against Henry’s back. Henry holds his breath, not daring to move. They’re once again falling into this precarious dance where they flirt with the line they ought not to cross. Henry supposes in different ways, they already have.
Alex kisses his shoulder, his lips skimming up towards his neck where he lets out a breath before pressing his lips to Henry’s skin. Alex places slow, soft kisses up the length of his neck. Henry’s pulse quickens, his body trembling a little as Alex exhales again.
“Do I make you nervous?” Alex asks quietly.
Henry lets out a breath, turning his head to the side to look at Alex as the man rests his chin on his shoulder.
“Among other things, yes,” Henry replies truthfully.
Alex’s hold on him loosens and Henry takes advantage of the moment to face the other man full on. For the life of him, he can’t read the look in Alex’s eyes. Alex blinks quickly and looks away.
“Darling, what is it?” Henry asks, angling his head to force Alex’s gaze again.
“I hate this. I know we still have a bit more time when you come to L.A., but it’s really starting to sink in that this is almost done, you know? I’m going to miss being around you every day. I don’t want to say goodbye to you.”
Henry blinks twice. Alex’s words harken back to the night they met. They hadn’t known then that they’d have more time together. Perhaps life could surprise them again, if they were lucky.
Henry tucks his hand under Alex’s chin and searches his eyes.
“We’re here now together. Let’s make the most of it.”
Alex’s bottom lip quivers just slightly before he nods, his eyes grow intent, renewed with something akin to determination.
Alex places his hands on either side of Henry’s face and kisses him. It’s slow and sweet and cracks Henry’s chest wide open with the care he’s being shown. In another world, this could be his.
Henry’s arms wrap around Alex’s waist and pull him in closer, their chests resting squarely on one another’s. Henry wouldn’t at all be surprised if Alex could feel just how fast his heart is racing. 
Alex breaks the kiss first, his eyes looking like blown out stars. Henry cups his face with his right hand and Alex pulls in a breath, looking as if he’s preparing to say something big.
“I’m ready for the final lesson,” Alex says, peering up at him through his gorgeous lashes. “I want all of you tonight...if you’ll have me.”
Henry sighs softly, his eyes closing as he rests his forehead to Alex’s. He wants this so badly, he can hardly stand it. Their night after the club had been intense, so much so that Henry had almost floated the idea himself. But this was quite literally Alex’s timeline. He wouldn’t rush his process.
“Yes, love. It’s time.”
Henry takes a hold of Alex’s hands and leads back into the house and to his room. Henry closes the door behind them and suddenly the full weight of this night begins to settle over him. 
The air in the room feels charged somehow, like a storm of a different kind is brewing within these four walls.
They move towards each other, drawn like magnets until they’re mere centimeters apart.
Alex keeps his eyes on him, even as he undoes the buttons on Henry’s chambray shirt completely. He slips his hands to touch Henry’s bare skin, the palms of his hands smoothing down his sides.
This is hardly the first time Alex has touched him, but Henry knows it could very well be the last. There’s a bittersweet tone to the night that breaks Henry’s heart to a degree he knows it shouldn’t.
All the same, Henry does his best to center his attention on the here and now. 
He locks eyes with Alex and begins undoing the man’s shirt in return, pushing the fabric down and off his shoulders completely. He kisses down the side of Alex’s neck and to his right shoulder, his lips sweeping across Alex’s collarbone and back up the other side of the man’s neck.
He plants these kisses like seeds, wondering if they could ever bloom into something tangible between them, something they’d be able to hold onto beyond this night.
Henry looks him in the eyes once more and Alex smiles softly before kissing him again, his hands running smoothly up Henry’s back as he walks them towards the bed, their shirts falling away like faint whispers against the floor.
Alex lays him down gently and Henry cannot take his eyes off him. Between the soft sound of the promised rain starting to fall outside and the warmth of their bodies pressed so closely together, Henry feels as if he’s in a haze.
He cups Alex’s cheek and kisses him deeply as the man undoes his pants and undresses him completely.
Alex sighs and looks down at him.
“You’re the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen in my life.”
It’s the first words either of them has uttered in minutes and the compliment makes Henry feel flustered.
Henry blushes at once. “Alex, come on.”
“I’m serious, Henry,” Alex presses, his tone leaving no doubt that he is. “You’re fucking gorgeous. I can hardly even look at you sometimes. It’s almost too much.”
Henry smiles bashfully, his heart skipping several beats. He tucks his face into the crook of Alex’s neck, placing a soft kiss there, murmuring a quiet thanks against his skin.
It’s all he can muster now.
He doesn’t doubt Alex’s sincerity in the slightest, but it is quite hard for Henry to fully conceive of the thought. This is a man whose life is set perfectly in a land known almost exclusively for beautiful people and yet, Alex seems keen to hold him in the highest regards.
Henry sighs softly and settles his back on the bed once more, reaching out and toying with the key around Alex’s neck, just as he’d done that night in New York that now feels like two lifetimes ago.
From the small smile on Alex’s lips, Henry can tell he’s thinking about that evening too, of how they’ve come so far with each other in the months since.
Henry tugs gently on the chain, drawing Alex’s mouth to his again and kissing him deeply as Alex’s fingertips skate down his body and down to his legs, parting them.
Henry moves as guided, spreading himself out against the sheets, back arching at Alex’s gentle exploration. His body trembles delightedly at the feel of Alex’s fingers brushing against his rim, his body aching for more of his touch. 
Alex breaks the kiss, his lips plump and eyes heavily lidded. The way he’s looking at him now sends a shiver of anticipation down Henry’s spine.
“Where’s—”
“Top drawer,” Henry answers immediately.
Alex chuckles but leans over, grabbing supplies from the nightstand before guiding Henry’s legs to push back, his feet planted atop the bed. Perfectly open and on display. Alex’s eyes comb over his body and a wounded, affected sound falls from his lips.
Alex places a kiss on one of Henry’s knees as he coats his fingers and settles in closer to him. 
Henry can’t help but to think once more of their first night in New York, how in over his head Alex had seemed and genuinely was. Comparing it to now, the look of sheer confidence and utter know-how is truly like day and night.
The first brush of Alex’s fingers against his entrance makes Henry’s whole body buzz at once. Alex kisses his cheek before ensnaring his lips slowly, the pad of his thumb circling teasingly at the same pace. It drives Henry crazy and he loves every second of Alex taking his time with him, building up the moment just as he said he enjoyed.
The first slip of Alex’s finger inside him makes Henry’s eyes roll shut as a low moan escapes him.
“So needy,” Alex teases, placing a soft kiss on his forehead.
Henry couldn’t deny it if he tried. He feels thoroughly desperate for any and everything Alex deigns to give him.
He trembles as Alex starts to set a pace, working in and out of him. He rolls his hips forward, hissing softly as his body adjusts to the intrusion. But already he wants more.
His eyes flash to Alex and his wants must be clear as day on his face because when Alex’s hand returns to him, he’s added another finger. 
“Better?” Alex asks.
Henry nods, his eyes closing again for a moment. He continues to rock forward, getting lost in the rhythm of Alex’s ministrations.
Alex shimmies down his body, dropping kisses all over his torso as he goes until he’s level with Henry’s groin, his fingers never stopping all the while. 
That mischievous twinkle Henry loves is in his eyes and Henry takes in a breath to prepare himself for whatever Alex has in mind.
Henry gets the answer a beat later when Alex takes a hold of Henry’s cock and swipes his tongue across the head.
Henry lets out an undignified curse, his breath catching. Alex smiles up at him and does it again before sucking on just the tip.
It’s a sight Henry doubts he’ll ever be able to process, but one that is sure to cement itself in his mind, to live forever in his memories as something he’ll refer back to in the future ahead where he and Alex go back to be just…former collaborators? Friends? 
The uncertainty of it all is a thought he can’t afford now. He won’t spoil this night by breaking his own heart.
He rakes his fingers through Alex’s curls and moans softly, keeping his eyes locked onto Alex’s as the man pleasures him.
His eyes roll shut at the feel of Alex’s fingertips gently brushing his prostate.
By the time Alex adds a third finger, Henry feels ready to burst.
“Alex,” he whispers, his throat dry and cracking on the name.
It’s enough to get the point across. Alex retracts his hand and mouth, rubbing gentle reassuring circles on Henry’s thighs. He looks between Henry’s legs, his face flushing. Henry can only imagine how he must look, gaping and ready, perfectly poised to take him.
If I can make you lose it like that with my fingers, just imagine the things I could make you feel when I’m buried inside you, Alex had said that day in Reno when he left Henry a quivering mess in his hotel room.
Here it was now that Henry would no longer have to wonder. He’s mere moments away from knowing firsthand what a well-practiced Alex was like.
Alex finishes undressing himself and though Henry has been aching to feel Alex inside him, he has to take a moment to admire Alex’s body. His hands run from his shoulders to his chest, his torso, and to his hips.
He can’t imagine ever having a partner as breathtaking as this ever again.
He looks up at Alex who— by some miracle— has been quiet this whole time.
“Sorry,” Henry says, dropping his hands.
Alex’s brows furrow.
“Why are you apologizing? You’re doing wonders for my ego right now,” he muses before he opens the condom wrapper.
“May I?” Henry asks.
Alex lifts a brow, his face intrigued. He hands it over all the same. Henry gives him a quick kiss before working it over Alex’s length, his fingertips brushing along his shaft. Alex shivers a little.
Henry takes a hold of him, guiding Alex to his entrance, teasing himself a little by rubbing the head of Alex’s cock against his rim, never letting it slip in.
Alex’s thumbs work over Henry’s nipples, adding to his pleasure.
Henry moans softly, feeling his cock twitch and stiffen in response.
“Sorry,” he mumbles, feeling as if he might be monopolizing their time by teasing himself. The buildup is just too good to resist, knowing the reward will be all the sweeter.
Alex shakes his head.
“No more apologizing. Take whatever you need. I don’t mind one bit, baby.”
He leans forward and traps one of Henry’s nipples between his teeth, biting down gently. Henry keens, rubbing Alex’s tip against himself again as Alex starts to suck on his delicate flesh. His tongue is a menace against the hardened nub, encircling it before switching sides.
Henry bites back on his own lower lip and aligns Alex to his entrance, nodding up at Alex to proceed. 
Alex doesn’t hesitate; he tips his hips forward and slides slowly into Henry, filling him up inch by inch. Henry grips his sides, mouth falling open.
His body shudders as Alex keeps going until he bottoms out completely.
They both gasp and freeze, taking a moment to collect themselves. Henry feels so full, his walls clenching around Alex’s length. He feels him everywhere.
Alex drops kisses on the side of his face, the tension in his body stretched like a rubberband ready to snap.
“Jesus Christ, Henry. You feel incredible.”
Henry lets out a breathy laugh.
“I had the same thought about you.”
He licks his dry lips and rolls his his upward, crying out at the sensations coursing through him at once. Alex slowly starts to pull out and Henry clutches him tighter. This already feels so different, in the best way, than New York.
“I need it. I’m ready,” he pants.
Alex thrusts back in and Henry sees stars as he’s filled again, his body utterly starved for the man above him. He kisses Alex heatedly as they get underway, Alex fucking him in earnest now that he’s been given license to move freely.
Henry’s brain feels as if it’s made of cotton balls or gauze, something light and airy that feels viable to blow away at a moment’s notice.
He hooks a leg around Alex’s hips and the position drives Alex in deeper. They both curse at the same time. Alex buries his face in the side of Henry’s neck, nibbling and sucking his skin as he hips keep time. Henry feels himself dripping from the overstimulation and somehow hungry for more.
He drags his dull nails up and down Alex’s back, his body feeling as if it’s on fire.
Alex pulls back enough to look at him and the intensity of his gaze is almost overwhelming. For all the hooking up they’ve done over the past few months, he’s never seen this expression on Alex’s face.
It’s almost too much, but Henry wouldn’t dare put a stop to this. 
He grabs at the sheets, his hands gripping a fistful of fabric to keep himself steady as he snaps his hips forward to meet Alex’s thrusts.
Henry turns his head to the side but Alex touches his face lightly and gently coaxes him to face forward again.
“Eyes on me, baby. I want to see you.”
Henry trembles as he stares back, gasping softly as Alex takes a hold of his slick cock and strokes him.
Henry breathes softly, mouth still agape as he rocks his body toward Alex, surrendering fully, allowing himself to feel everything wholly without hesitation.
“There we go,” Alex says quietly as he smiles. “Beautiful.” 
Henry seeks out his lips, his head tipping up to capture Alex’s mouth, kissing him gently as his hands settle on the small of his back.
This connection had been missing entirely that night in New York. All their weeks together have culminated in Alex being confident within himself and secure with taking the lead. In every respect, Henry knows he’d follow wherever Alex deigned to take him.
“More, please,” Henry rasps, fingers digging into Alex’s sides.
“I’ve got you, sweetheart.”
Alex rolls his hips, burying deeper and slamming harder into him as Henry’s nails dig in more firmly, anchoring him as his body thrums.
“God, yes,” Henry moans when Alex strikes him just right.
The difference between their very first night and now cannot be overstated. Alex is almost like a different person entirely to him.
No, Henry thinks. Different skill set, yes. But that magnetism has been in place this entire time.
He seeks out Alex’s mouth again even though he can barely breathe as it is.
Alex is relentless now, hitting that sweet spot over and over. Henry’s walls cinch around him, his toes curling as his orgasm builds. 
“You’re right there. Fuck, Henry. So good for me,” Alex grits, taking a hold of Henry’s cock once more and jerking him off. His hand moves quickly against his shaft, pumping and squeezing his length.
Henry’s eyes water and he can feel himself throbbing, climbing closer and closer to his peak. He thrusts back shamelessly, greedily taking everything that Alex gives to him and offering himself back. His breaths are heavy and uneven, his heart pounding almost dangerously, but Henry has never felt more in control of himself even as he goes careening off the edge a moment later.
Alex’s name falls from his lips in a deep, desperate moan, loud enough to ring in the quiet of the room. Alex doesn’t let up, his body still moving against Henry’s and carrying him through. Henry’s grateful for it, eager to savor the last remaining moments of this.
He spills out in the small space between them, his stomach warm with his own release. Alex’s hand doesn’t break stride, nor does the man break eye contact. Alex looks absolutely ravenous, practically feeding off Henry’s response to him.
Henry’s whole body is hot and drained, but he doesn’t stop moving, so eager for Alex to feel this level of euphoria too.
He can feel Alex’s cock throbbing and twitching inside him, his finish just moments away at this rate.
Henry kisses up to Alex’s ear, hanging onto his shoulders as he whispers to him.
“Come for me, Alex. You’re so close. I can feel it. Use me.”
His teeth graze Alex’s earlobe and he bites down just enough to add pressure.
Alex gasps out a shaky breath and a beat later, a string of curses falls from his lips as he fucks into Henry roughly. Henry’s hips move forward steadily as Alex comes, his nails scratching down Alex’s back as he sees him through his finish in kind. Alex grips his hair, his body trembling with the aftershocks of his orgasm.
Henry rests the palm of his hand over Alex’s heart and feels how quickly it’s racing. He peppers Alex’s jawline with kisses, his other hand rubbing his side.
“Breathe, darling,” he says softly, searching Alex’s eyes. They’re dark but so clear, reinvigorated even.
Alex doesn’t say anything, merely crushing his mouth against Henry’s as Henry smiles and drapes his arms over Alex’s shoulders. 
Alex skims his fingertips down the side of Henry’s cheek as he rolls off of him, Henry sighing at the loss of feeling Alex inside him. Alex disposes of the condom and returns immediately to Henry’s side.
Henry kisses him slowly at once, slinking an arm over Alex’s waist. Time feels infinite and truly irrelevant. All there seems to be is this perfect moment with Alex as he kisses Henry back unhurriedly.
Henry breaks first to catch his breath. He brushes damp curls off Alex’s forehead as they stare in silence at each other for a few seconds.
“I think I’ve made up for New York now, yeah?” 
Henry laughs heartily at the statement. 
“Yes. I can say, without question, that you have. Ten times over in fact.”
Alex grins toothily before his face grows a bit serene, his fingers now trailing along Henry’s jawline as he gets his thoughts together.
It’s a tender move and it makes Henry’s heart flutter like the wings of a butterfly. It certainly feels that delicate.
“Thank you for giving me this. All these weeks with you. Nothing could ever compare to it.”
For now, Henry thinks. After all, these lessons had been nothing more than practice for whatever next guy comes along and manages to dazzle Alex. Henry feels sick to his stomach at the thought though this has been the truth all along.
This moment feels like both a thank you and a goodbye.
Henry wants to ask if it has to end here, but he knows that it must. 
“Stay with me tonight,” Henry says instead, splitting the difference and pushing past the sudden lump in his throat.
Alex’s brows knit slightly and Henry can’t blame him. That had been one of their rules, no spending the night in each other’s room though Austin had been the one unavoidable exception.
All the same, with this being their last night of lessons, Henry figures perhaps they could bend the rules a little.
Alex continues to look at him for a moment in silence.
“You don’t have to if you don’t want to, of course,” Henry says, quickly losing his nerve. “I know we said we wouldn’t do that.”
Alex shakes his head, stroking Henry’s cheek with his thumb.
“Stop. That’s not…I’m staying. I want to stay. Honestly, if I were to have to go back to my room, I’d be bouncing off the walls. It makes better sense to just…not leave,” Alex rambles.
Relief floods through Henry’s body at once. They've been on borrowed time since the beginning, but at least for tonight he’s able to buy them a few more hours.
Alex kisses the tip of his nose.
“And besides, if memory serves— which it absolutely freaking does— you promised me something back in Reno. I want to cash in on that tonight.”
Henry’s brows furrow for a moment before he remembers, a smile spreading across his lips as he gently spreads Alex’s legs.
He relishes in how quickly the move shuts Alex up and clearly excites him.
That certainly makes two of them. Henry’s mind has been running wild for weeks picturing himself not just working Alex open, but being inside him, bringing him the kind of pleasure he’s never experienced before.
It might seem like a daunting task to some, but Henry views it as a privilege he’s more than capable of handling.
“You’re right, darling,” Henry says, skimming his fingertips along Alex’s inner thighs, delighting in the way Alex trembles. “Next round’s on me.”
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aita-blorbos · 8 months
Note
AITA for trying to integrate my lovely small desert community into a not as lovely (but still beautiful!) desert community?
For some context, I'm the host of my community's radio show, owned by my lovely corporation that I so wonderfully work under! (Who I will call SCorp for privacy and to avoid.. lawsuits.) We are located in the southwest somewhere between some vertices! We get visitors. We happily welcome them with a smile.
Recently, due to something strange, I wandered into the town next to us! Our sister city! (Not much of a city compared to us.. more of a quaint town, if I'm honest...) I think I met my double, we shared a warm embrace, and I went back to my studio! My wonderfully decorated studio that is decorated quite literally Everywhere.
So, SCorp decided, why not come over to the sister town? We've been meaning to integrate and merge for a very long time! But when we got there, we saw it was.. really sad! Everyone worked in such inefficient ways and without a smile! So we decided not only would we help out the local business, we would also introduce this silly, sad town to our Smiling God!
They resisted it, especially the town's radio host. But they all do at first. They didn't like how we did it, but I pitied them so, we pushed our efforts further! I couldn't let this drab town and their stubborn voice miss out on the absolutely delirous ecstasy that the Smiling God could bring them.
After we Helped Out some of the local business, I sent my co-host to quell an armed militia of dozens of well spoken middle schoolers and I do admit, they prevented progress, but either way we would achieve a truly functional, efficient town that works hard and Plays Hard!
While she did that, I would seek out that radio host and Convince Him that SCorp was truly the way! I even tried to offer him something that he may have wanted, but some old guy kicked me through some magic doors of a dog park because I offered. What a town, am I right? I still have hope for them!
Apparently, they "didn't want us there," and I am now in an endless desert and am making this post from a startup town I named after my hometown! Update soon!
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ladykailitha · 1 year
Text
Star Child Part 14
Just two more chapters to go and this story will be done. And I want to apologize for not updating the previous chapters with links to the most recent one lately. Sorry about that. I’ll try to be better. It just gets more and more tedious the longer the fic gets.
I know I have have mentioned real people in this fic before, but I decided that for the radio show, I wasn’t going to use the real show and hosts, but it stands as an homage to the best radio show in the morning. ;)
Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9 Part 10 Part 11 Part 12 Part 13
*
“Holy shit!” Gareth cursed as they were informed Steve had arrived. “He really does buy tickets to all our shows. I thought he might have exaggerated a bit, but nope!”
Jeff shook his head. “Your boyfriend is certainly dedicated, Eddie.”
Eddie blushed. “I wonder what he’s going to be dressed like. Steve Harrington, pop star or something more like what you would expect to see at metal concert.”
“Well,” Brian said, “I think you’re about to find out.”
Sure enough there was a knock at the door and Eddie called for them to come in.
Steve walked in with a cocky grin and a swagger in his step. All four members catcalled and whistled at him. He did a slow turn so that they could get the full affect.
Eddie was up off the couch and invading Steve’s space. “You look good enough to eat, sweetheart.”
Steve laughed. “This is what I wear to every concert. Well something like this with a hat pulled down over a pair of sunglasses.”
Before Eddie could response, Jeff was suddenly at Steve’s side. “Is that a tattoo?”
Eddie tilted his head and pulled at the side of Steve’s shirt a little. And sure enough there was their logo, the CC surrounded by lightning, right on his ribs.
“Holy fuck, baby,” Eddie said. “That’s hot. You got any other tattoos?”
Steve just grinned and wagged his eyebrows.
“Did you strike out again?” Gareth hollered. “Dude! Will the two of you just fuck already? The sexual tension between the two of you? It’s killing the rest of us.”
“Look,” Steve growled defensively, “if Creel had come after me after the concert like we thought he would, sex would have happened when we got to the hotel room.”
Eddie tilted his head again. “Actually, darlin’, I think that’s exactly what he was doing. Cockblocking us because he couldn’t stand the thought of you touching me.”
Steve pulled Eddie closer by his belt loops. “I felt the same when he went to kiss you, you know.”
“There’s a difference between stopping two people from having sex who actually care about each other,” Eddie said, “and stopping a very non-consensual kiss, sweetheart. One is predatory and gross and the other was a very welcome rescue.”
Steve smiled. “Yeah, okay.” He kissed Eddie and everyone cheered. “I’ve got go to my seat. Good luck out there. Knock ‘em dead.”
Eddie nodded and watched as Steve walked away.
“Fuck,” Brian said once he was gone. “Can you believe it’s only been a couple of weeks since Indy?”
“Less than that,” Gareth corrected. “It’s only been a week. And in that week, we have befriended the King of Pop, Eddie started dating him; met, pissed off, and arrested the biggest kingpin in Texas.”
Eddie blushed. He would have said he fell hard, fast. But that wasn’t true, was it? He always had a crush on Steve. And now they were together.
He cleared his throat. “All boys, let’s go out there and make some noise!”
They all cheered.
*
The concert was amazing and Eddie couldn’t resist kissing Steve from the stage. He knelt down and Steve half lifted himself on the stage to meet him in the middle. The crowd erupted in a roar of approval. The two of them laughed before Eddie continued the concert.
After the concert they stumbled into Steve’s hotel room, kissing and pulling at each others.
“Babe,” Eddie whined. “Please...”
Steve let out a long moan of pleasure. They were finally doing this. Eddie’s shirt came off first and then Steve’s. Their clothes were a bit unpractical when it came to swift removal, but off they came.
The tumbled into the bed again, this time with purpose and completely nude.
Hands and mouths roamed as they sought to fuse themselves together. Two massive orgasms later, they laid down side by side, panting.
Eddie propped himself on his elbow and looked down at Steve. “You know, I was trying to get into my bed that first night at Hopper’s bar, but took too much liquid courage.”
Steve smiled at him. “Yeah?”
“Yeah,” Eddie murmured. “I thought that’s what I wanted. That I wanted a one-night stand with the King of Pop, but then I got to know you and I realized that I’m glad it happened this way.”
Steve reached up to stroke his cheek. “Me too, sunshine. I’ve been in love with you for so long that I would have taken that one-night stand, if that meant that’s all I would get of you. But now I get you all the time and god if that isn’t a dream come true.”
Eddie kissed him again and they fell asleep, wrapped in each other’s arms.
*
Steve’s alarm went off and Eddie groaned.
“No, no, no...” Eddie grumbled, pulling Steve close. “I don’t want you to go.”
Steve kissed him gently. “I’ll be back with breakfast and we’ll have all morning to cuddle before I head back to LA.”
Eddie lifted his head. “You promise?”
Steve kissed him deeper. “I promise.”
Eddie reluctantly let him go and drifted back to sleep. Steve smiled fondly at down at his boyfriend before getting up to shower.
Steve kissed Eddie’s temple before slipping out his hotel room. Lucas stayed behind and Max went with him.
They piled into a waiting Uber and drove out to the radio station. They got him all mic’ed up.
“Welcome back to Demons in the Morning with Jamie, Phil, and Rita,” Jamie said cheerfully. “We have with us a surprise guest today. Steve Harrington, King of Pop, this isn’t your usual genre. What made you decide to talk on our little show?”
Steve laughed. “I actually prefer the music you guys play on your station then the stuff I do, if I’m honest.”
“I could have told them that,” Phil groused. “Hell, anyone who watched that Love Loud concert could tell you at least have a passing familiarity with The Struts.”
Steve laughed again. “That was so much fun to arrange and preform, you have no idea.”
“So tell us about your favorites and influences,” Rita said.
Steve talked about Imagine Dragons, and Linkin Park and other bands that shaped his music. His real music, not the shit he had been putting out since he was seventeen.
“When you came out yesterday,” Phil said, “you said some pretty messed up crap about your record label and your parents, can you talk more about that?”
Steve gulped but nodded. “Yeah, we like to think that Hollywood and the music industry as progressive, but its really, really not. A lot of LGBTQ+ artists are still being harassed by not only the masses but managers, agents, record labels all trying to keep things as heterosexual as possible.”
“That must have been hard,” Rita said. “Did you know about the video your publicist put out?”
Steve hummed. “Yeah, I’m the one that told her to. I wanted people to get a taste of the nightmare I had been living my whole life.”
“So why now?” Phil asked.
“Because it’s not talked about enough,” Steve said. “We go through these rashes of exposing the seedy underbelly of things. Pageant shows, MeToo, Brittany Spears. Which that was almost me, by the way.”
“You were almost locked into a conservatorship?” Rita asked.
Steve nodded. “Yeah, I mean after they tried conversion therapy.”  
“They did what?!” Jamie yelled. “I thought that was illegal.”
Steve pursed his lips. “Not everywhere, unfortunately. But it’s where I met my best friend and current manager, so I guess it turned out okay.”
“And so you’re trying to bring light on a dark subject of what exactly?” Phil asked.
“Blackmailing artists so they don’t come out as anything other than straight,” Steve said somberly. “In my youth I was promiscuous, bedding anyone and everyone who said yes. And while my parents fought to keep me under their thumb, the label was smarter. They paid to have all the men I’d slept with go away and then held that over my head.”
“Which if it had come out years ago would have ruined your career,” Rita said, “because you had built your brand on the boy next door.”
“Exactly,” Steve replied.
“So what changed?” Jamie asked. “Why decide to come out as bisexual with a slutty past now?”
“Because I’m older,” Steve said. “If it goes to hell and I don’t make another album for the rest of my life. I can live quite comfortably off what I have done. I want to be myself for once in my life and the only people I want to have a say in that process is the people closest to me.”
“And does that include Corroded Coffin frontman, Eddie Munson?” Phil asked. “We seen the pictures of you last night at the concert, hell we saw the absolute chemistry between you at Love Loud.”
Steve laughed. “Yeah. He’s a part of it. And if you’ve seen the video, you know we could have gotten together sooner. But yeah, of course. He’s very important to the process of being who I want to be.”
“So I know you can’t talk about the litigation ongoing with your label but what are your plans for the future?” Jamie asked.
Steve huffed out a laugh. “Even before this blew up, I was shopping around other labels. I want to do alt rock. And my current label tended toward pop. So yeah.”
“So will we being hearing more of you on this station?” Rita asked.
“That’s the hope, yeah,” Steve said.
They started talking about the upcoming album and his process. Then it was time for Steve go. He signed off and they went to commercial.
“Thank you for having me,” Steve said as he put away the sound gear.
“No, thank you for choosing us to talk about your coming out,” Rita said.
“I was in town,” Steve said with a giggle. “And I figured this was best place for it. As far as inclusivity was concerned.”
“Hell yeah,” Jamie growled. “Next time you’re in town, bring that boyfriend of yours. He keeps turning us down.”
Steve laughed. “He isn’t a morning person. But I’ll see what I can do.”
***
Part 15  Part 16
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mrsquill · 1 year
Text
Whole World in His Hands
Pre-Outbreak!Joel Miller
Summary: Hi! So I haven’t written fic in… four years? I think? So please be nice to me! TLOU broke my heart and put it back together again and stamped on it simultaneously, and I couldn’t get the idea of Single Dad Joel, Uncle Tommy and baby Sarah out of my head, so here’s this!
Set within the timeframe provided by the show however no apocalypse here, baby! So, Sarah was born in 1989. Hope my maths be mathin’!
Notes: I’m not from the States, so I’m sorry if any cultural references are wrong. I’ve also never played the games - so if any backstory is missing/I’ve completely ignored, again: I’m sorry! This is based on the beautiful relationship between Pedro and Nico’s portrayals.
Warnings: Sarah’s mother is mentioned with the tiniest bit of angst, but mostly fluffiness and repairing my broken heart. So please, enjoy!
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1997
The sun was starting to set slowly on another stifling Texas evening in August. The plastic grooves of the white garden chair Joel was sat in were sure to leave a mark on his bare back, but he was content enough to stay there forever. He closed his eyes and listened, half-asleep, to the sounds of lawnmowers, kids laughing, dogs barking, and Tommy shuffling around in the backyard.
The radio host announced ‘We Have Forgotten’ by Sixpence None the Richer was next up, and to enjoy, folks. Well, Joel was sure to do just that. The late summer air was soon full of breathy vocals and lilting guitar strings as he adjusted his position slightly in the late golden light, careful not to wake his little girl.
Sarah was snoring lightly, sprawled across his lap in her towel, dark curls damp from a day in the pool they had in the backyard. Supporting her head with one arm, a well-earned bottle of beer rested in his other hand, sunglasses fixed on his nose as the smell of barbecue wafted over. Joel couldn’t be sure his younger brother was actually ever quite full, not even after third helpings of birthday cake.
He’d hosted Sarah’s eighth birthday party that day - admittedly, a month late - and was grateful for it to be over, despite seeing the joy on his baby’s face when all her friends turned up for a day in their pool. The pancakes in bed and wonky birthday tiara had been enough for her to declare that this was the best birthday ever, so the surprise party was the icing on the cake.
Joel and Tommy had actually managed to pull it out of the bag: the thought of 12 screaming eight-year-olds potentially drowning in his backyard was enough to wake him at night in a cold sweat, but his brother had firmly reminded him with a slap on his back: “You’ve kept one alive for this long, brother. How hard can eleven more be for a couple hours?”
Tommy had kept the girls entertained by generally making a fool of himself in and out of the pool, and Joel had kept them fed and watered with a steady stream of hotdogs and soda, reminding them to keep reapplying sunblock and keep their hats on. His brother had rolled his eyes, but Joel reasoned one of them had to be the sensible one - and it’s been me since the day you were born, he’d added.
The moms came and duly collected at the time allotted on the shitty invitations he’d cobbled together in secret a few weeks prior, and Joel was forced to defend himself from being hit on by precisely all eleven women - single or not. He’d firmly rejected invitations for a coffee, or a whiskey, but had grudgingly agreed to come and check over a leaky faucet which he strongly doubted was leaking at all.
When the last little girl - Hayley, Sarah’s best ever friend - had left with her mom, Joel had closed the door and slid a hand over his face, resisting the urge to slide downwards and crumple on the floor. He’d groaned inwardly, Tommy chuckling from the hallway. You’re crazy, his brother had remarked, watching Joel interact with the women, his awkward flirting and half-hearted laughs enough to make anybody cringe. You don’t need to be alone forever, man. You’re thirty! You deserve a lil’ fun!
Joel reminded his brother than such fun was off his radar for the foreseeable, and Tommy held his hands up in mock defeat. S’good thing, I guess, he’d admitted. They don’t know what they’re missin’ with the younger, better lookin’ stud of this house anyway. Joel had merely rolled his eyes at that, heading for the backyard, exhausted from the day’s efforts and seeking a few moments of peace and quiet with his daughter.
He had found Sarah reading through her cards and sorting through assorted gifts on the porch swing, snuggling happily into his side as he collapsed beside her. You have a good birthday, baby? He’d asked, nervous for her answer. Everything Joel did was for Sarah. It was the reason he hauled his ass out of bed for 4am contracting shifts, had learned how to style her hair by shyly asking a teacher at her school, had let her paint his nails pink at their backyard tea party and had loved every second of it.
Sarah replied that she had, but now she wanted to play mermaids one more time, please?! It’s still my birthday! Joel could only oblige - his own dark eyes pleading at him, fringed with delicate lashes that he was certain came from her mama. Joel didn’t tend to think of Sarah’s mother often - if, at all. She had asked a few questions here and there, and he’d always managed to deflect them. As he’d slipped into the warm water with Sarah giggling on his shoulders, he knew that the time would come where they’d have the conversation he’d been avoiding, since the night Joel had brought her home from the hospital.
Looking at Sarah’s sleeping form, now, her button nose and pouted lips, Joel’s heart heaved with love for her. Joel looked over at Tommy from beneath his sunglasses, wolfing down his tenth hotdog of the day, wondering how they’d made it so far. Sarah shifted a little in his lap, and Joel felt himself swept back in time, 22-years-old, a new father without a fucking clue about what to do with this baby without a mother.
He remembered it like it was yesterday - his ex had called the house he and Tommy had just bought. Her voice shaking on the line: I can’t do this, Joel. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you I was pregnant. She’s yours. Please take her. I don’t have anybody else to call. He hadn’t heard from her in six months - it wasn’t a serious thing, she was a cashier at the store he got his liquor at when the weekend rolled in, and they’d been having fun. Careful fun, right?
In blind panic, Joel got to the hospital and found the right room. How he did it, he’d never know. The baby was already alone, save for a nurse who gently gestured that he should sit down and try and get his breathing together. As soon as she was placed in his arms, Joel knew his life was changed forever. She was it, this tiny snuffling bundle mewling up at him. She had his eyes, he was sure. Even if they weren’t his; it didn’t fuckin’ matter. He wasn’t leaving the hospital without his girl. His Sarah.
God, it was hard. So fuckin’ hard. Some days, Joel was close to breaking point; parenting books and VHS tapes only going to far with what they could teach him. But when Sarah wrapped her tiny finger round his, or gave Tommy a gummy smile and shrieked with laughter, Joel knew he’d take a thousand shitty days for that one slice of heaven. His perfect girl. They got through it, together.
Still got ten years of this shit, Tommy mused, his foot gently kicking an abandoned Barbie across the grass, jolting Joel from his reverie. Cheers to that, he motioned to his younger brother, taking a long pull from his beer. Tommy looked down on his niece with affection he’d had for eight years, the expression well-worn on his face, before he turned and headed inside.
The song on the radio was drawing to a close, the sky above an even richer shade of honey than before, as the string lights across the pool glowed in the approaching evening light. Bath, then bed, Joel hummed to himself as he prepared to lift Sarah to his chest gently, ready to repeat the routine he’d shaped his life around. Joel was holding his whole world in his hands, and he felt like the luckiest man alive.
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New SpaceTime out Friday....
SpaceTime 20240426 Series 27 Episode 51
How Pluto got its heart
The mystery of how Pluto got a giant heart-shaped feature on its surface has finally been solved with the cause being attributed to a giant and slow oblique-angle impact.
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No gamma rays from nearby supernova
The explosive death of a star in a nearby supernova last year offered astrophysicists an opportunity to test ideas about how these powerful blasts accelerate cosmic rays to super luminal speeds.
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Last ever Delta rocket launch
A bit of history was made this month with the last ever launch of a delta rocket.
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The Science Report
More than one billion people in the world are now living with obesity.
Study says foods that contain resistant could help with weight loss.
The new automatic toilet flushing device that only works with the lid down to keep the nasties in.
SpaceTime covers the latest news in astronomy & space sciences.
The show is available every Monday, Wednesday and Friday through Apple Podcasts (itunes), Stitcher, Google Podcast, Pocketcasts, SoundCloud, Bitez.com, YouTube, your favourite podcast download provider, and from www.spacetimewithstuartgary.com
SpaceTime is also broadcast through the National Science Foundation on Science Zone Radio and on both i-heart Radio and Tune-In Radio.
SpaceTime daily news blog: http://spacetimewithstuartgary.tumblr.com/
SpaceTime facebook: www.facebook.com/spacetimewithstuartgary
SpaceTime Instagram @spacetimewithstuartgary
SpaceTime twitter feed @stuartgary
SpaceTime YouTube: @SpaceTimewithStuartGary
SpaceTime -- A brief history
SpaceTime is Australia’s most popular and respected astronomy and space science news program – averaging over two million downloads every year. We’re also number five in the United States.  The show reports on the latest stories and discoveries making news in astronomy, space flight, and science.  SpaceTime features weekly interviews with leading Australian scientists about their research.  The show began life in 1995 as ‘StarStuff’ on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation’s (ABC) NewsRadio network.  Award winning investigative reporter Stuart Gary created the program during more than fifteen years as NewsRadio’s evening anchor and Science Editor.  Gary’s always loved science. He studied astronomy at university and was invited to undertake a PHD in astrophysics, but instead focused on his career in journalism and radio broadcasting. He worked as an announcer and music DJ in commercial radio, before becoming a journalist and eventually joining ABC News and Current Affairs. Later, Gary became part of the team that set up ABC NewsRadio and was one of its first presenters. When asked to put his science background to use, Gary developed StarStuff which he wrote, produced and hosted, consistently achieving 9 per cent of the national Australian radio audience based on the ABC’s Nielsen ratings survey figures for the five major Australian metro markets: Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, and Perth.  The StarStuff podcast was published on line by ABC Science -- achieving over 1.3 million downloads annually.  However, after some 20 years, the show finally wrapped up in December 2015 following ABC funding cuts, and a redirection of available finances to increase sports and horse racing coverage.  Rather than continue with the ABC, Gary resigned so that he could keep the show going independently.  StarStuff was rebranded as “SpaceTime”, with the first episode being broadcast in February 2016.  Over the years, SpaceTime has grown, more than doubling its former ABC audience numbers and expanding to include new segments such as the Science Report -- which provides a wrap of general science news, weekly skeptical science features, special reports looking at the latest computer and technology news, and Skywatch – which provides a monthly guide to the night skies. The show is published three times weekly (every Monday, Wednesday and Friday) and available from the United States National Science Foundation on Science Zone Radio, and through both i-heart Radio and Tune-In Radio.
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