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prose-for-hire · 3 years

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Frostbite

(Part Two)

12 Days of Christmas: Day three

Pairing: Spike x reader

Request: Hi! I would like to request a spike holiday imagine. Where its their first Christmas spent together and the reader goes all out getting a tree, decorating, playing music. Spike acts as though its stupid but secretly he loves it.

Requested by: Anonymous

Spike woke up slowly and rolled out of bed, sitting on the edge of the bed to find himself face to face with a 6ft inflatable snowman looming over his bed. He was still half asleep and almost gave him a heart attack that he was sure would kill him if he wasn’t already dead.

“Bloody he-” He yelped and tried to style it out. Luckily, you weren’t around for him to have to convince you of his masculinity after being surprised by the new addition to your household. The height difference made him scowl at the figure but he shoved on some trousers and stalked up to the higher level of his crypt.

On the way up he got attacked by some low hanging tinsel that you hadn’t quite managed to fix properly to the walls. He fought with it for a moment as you paused what you were doing to watch, trying your hardest to hide the amusement on your face. When he untangled himself he did an overexaggerated sigh with his shoulders and trained his eyes on you. He squinted at you and then at the rest of the room.

It could only be described as a winter wonderland. There were candy canes and stockings attached to a stone coffin (you didn’t have a fireplace, you were working with what you had). There were trays of gingerbread men and lots of ornaments hanging around the room. You had gotten a bit excited at the store and almost cleaned them out of decorations.

“What the bloody hell is this sparkly crap doin’ in my home?!”

“Our home” You reminded him, but he was still mid-rant.

“-When they said eternal damnation nobody buggering explained I would be glitter-bombed within an inch of my sodding life” he complained, an edge to his voice telling you he had met Mr Frosty.

“Oh, uh, I can take it down if you want” you said softly, looking down pouting a little exaggeratedly. It usually worked and he would come and kiss the pout from your lips.

“Didn’t say that, pet” He said a little too quickly which made you look up quickly. You smiled really wide and he scowled at your glee. He had been caught out.

“You like it! You like my decorations!” You exclaim excitedly, “You’re just a big ol’ softy really!” You continued, ignoring his warning look completely.

“Oi, watch it. I can still throw you out on your ass before you can say Nightmare before bloody Christmas”

“You wouldn’t do that to me!” You insisted with a smile and he just mumbled under his breath because, of course, you were right. Couldn’t barely handle being away for you for a minute let alone sending you packing at your favourite time of year. He’d die all over again without you. For good this time.

He grabbed into the fridge without looking, he couldn’t help smiling softly at the way you were rooting through different boxes organising all of the baubles for the tree. He adored you. Loved your enthusiasm. Loved your sweet nature and your easily excitable demeanour. Basically, he just loved you. Completely.

When he brought his hand back out, supposedly holding a jar of blood he looked to find that he was holding a large carton of eggnog. He shrugged, opening the carton and reaching for the real jar of blood and combining the two. It made you laugh as he nodded approvingly, even surprising himself at how well the drink went together.

“Don’t worry, your secret’s safe with me” You winked, both of you knowing full well you were teasing him.

“Now, don’t get it twisted. It’s just the pine smell keeps demons out and the shiny decorations make it so the slayer’ll avoid my crypt less she wants to be blinded for the festive season” he pointed at you for emphasis as he spoke between mouthfuls of his eggnog and blood combination. You got up and started to put your coat on a she spoke, shaking your head at him.

“Yeah, yeah sure. Anyway, let’s go and pick our tree from the lot!” you rushed out your sentence, the end turning into a high-pitched excited squeal that only dogs could have heard.

“Unless you’re wantin’ a forest fire to toast your smores on, pet, we can’t” he said, “Vampire remember” he gestured towards the door expecting there to be some lightly murderous sunlight out there waiting for him.

“You slept in, silly. It’s dark out!” You explained, throwing his leather duster at him as he downed his festive blood mix.

You decided to walk, holding hands the entire way as you babbled non-stop in excitement. Unfortunately though, as you turned the corner you saw a deserted lot. Not even a tree in sight and everyone had gone home. Your face dropped instantly and he became concerned before he looked in the direction you were looking.

“Oh. It’s sold out” you said, feeling stupid for bringing him all the way out there. He put a hand on your shoulder and tried to cheer you up. He hated to see you disappointed and suddenly remembered something he had overheard.

“S’alright, love. Got my ear to the ground ain’t I? I know a place” he suggested which made you frown a little. You didn’t want to have to play kitten poker for a Christmas tree. Not after last Easter where you ended up losing all of the kittens and the chance to buy easter eggs. He rolled his eyes and offered his hand for you to take, “Come on” he insisted.

Turns out, it was a lot easier than you had imagined. You were walking around the pine forest that had inexplicably popped up as if from nowhere. You guessed that was the only perk of living on the Hellmouth, at least 40% of the time someone’s spell benefitted you as well.

The only way it could be made more perfect was if it had started snowing. But, unfortunately no matter how much you wished silently as you walked through the rows of trees, nobody had thought to include that this year. Perhaps you would call up your friend Tara and see if she knew any spells like that for next year. As you considered this, your mind jumped to another snow-related subject. You stifled a laugh and decided to broach the subject with Spike.

“Hey Spike?”

“Yes, love?” He asked, squeezing your hand as he replied to show he was listening. He was scouting the area for demons he insisted, but you had a sneaking suspicion he was looking for a tree.

“Do you not like Mr Frosty?” you asked slowly.

“Who?”

“The snowman in our bedroom. I heard you shout at him when you got up” You said barely above a whisper as you tried to make your face stay neutral. You had giggled when you heard him yelp earlier on, you just couldn’t help it. He scowled in your direction. He suspected you had put ‘Mr Frosty’ there on purpose.

“Well, I’d rather we didn’t have a giant sack of plastic watching us at our most intimate” trying to hide his defensiveness.

“He’s harmless and very cute” You insisted innocently.

“His eyes follow you around the bloody room!”

“Okay, I’ll put him upstairs then” You muttered with a smile. But Spike had other plans, he was going to take the snowman to a secluded area and dispose of him in a way that he thought was fitting. It involved his fangs and a trash can. You walked in silence for a while until you had a mischievous thought.

“Spike?”

“Yes, pet?” He muttered, trying to hide the slight irritation in his voice.

“What do you call it when you cross a snowman with a vampire?” You giggled as he growled slightly, “Frostbite!” and without missing a beat you made a run for it. You knew you were in for it. Your teasing confirmed you had left the snowman standing over the bed on purpose. He chased you through the rows of trees until you ran out of breath. You hid behind a medium-sized tree and regulated your breath the best you could while you were trying not to laugh. You peaked around the tree, trying to look for him.

This was because he had snuck up behind you and when he stepped on a twig you turned quickly. He was too fast though and tackled you against the tree swooping into your neck before just landing a kiss there. Which turned into a few more warming kisses. He eventually moved to face you, smirking a little. You leaned in to kiss him on the lips, the chase had heightened your adrenaline and you always enjoyed it when he kissed your neck. He made you weak, the only reason you weren’t on the floor was because he was holding you against the tree. To your surprise, he only met your lips in a peck. You pulled back squinting. But he was busy looking upwards.

“This one” he nodded, starting to step back from you.

“What?”

“We’ll take this one” Spike nodded, getting ready to take it down and haul it back to your shared crypt. You rolled your eyes but smiled that he really was looking for trees with you. You knew he liked Christmas secretly.

When you got the tree home and set it up in the corner, Spike put some music on. To your surprise, it was festive music. He lit up a cigarette and casually knelt in front of the box of ornaments. You basically squealed with joy that he seemed to be taking the decorations as seriously as you. He reached in, leaving the filter between his lips so that he could help attach ornaments to the branches. You had a really nice time, it was your first Christmas together after you moved in and it was shaping up to be perfect. All you needed was each other, but the decorations definitely made it cosy. When you were done you smiled and he nodded once and lit up another cigarette and turned to find something festive for you to watch on the tv. He was soft for you, and you both knew it. You turned and fixed you both some drinks as he listed the options he had found for you to watch.

You were so excited about it all you hadn’t noticed that your new inflatable snowman friend had mysteriously gone missing. Never to be found by you again. By the time you did notice, it was too late.

Rumour has it, the Sunnydale dump has some dark magic that makes certain objects sentient. Very few have a purpose, but this one did. Mr Frosty.

He had one goal before the new year... Revenge.

#spike x reader #spike #spike imagine #spike x you #Spike btvs #Mr Frosty #btvs #btvs x reader #btvs x you #btvs imagine #Buffy The Vampire Slayer #buffy the vampire slayer imagines #gender neutral #gender neutral reader #gender not mentioned #Christmas #Christmas fic #12 days of xmas #12 days of christmas

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mirkwoodshewolf · 3 years

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Guardian of Creatures; AU! Queen x oc female x reader Chap. 13

*Author’s note*

Well been awhile since I did an update for this series but here I am with another update! This time we’re gonna turn back the clock and find out what happened to our gang of mistfits when Serafina left them. So as I told you all before, Oded Fehr plays an allied wizard for John and Serafina, but now we get introduced to a new THREAT to our heroes. So I hope you all enjoy this chapter and until next time :)

Taglist:

@plethora-of-things

@waddles03

@psychosupernatural

@ixchel-9275

@simonedk

@queen-paladin

@queensdivas

@queendeakyy

@jd-johndeacon-or-jackdaniels

@glitter-at-the-panic

@kinole009x

@geek-and-proud

@wormzteef

_________________________________________________________

Chapter 13,

The Ambush

*2nd Person POV. The morning after Serafina leaves*

The next morning you awoke to the desert sun shining in your tent.

“What do you mean she’s gone!?” you hear John’s voice snap with anger. You peek out of your tent to see the boys all standing around under the desert sun but Serafina was nowhere to be seen. John stood in front of Freddie, his hands fuming with his purple magic while his sons Seraffel and Thor stood behind their father, the same look of anger across their faces.

“I’m saying what is true. She’s gone on her own path.”

“What is it with you fucking Nagas and your riddle talk!? Where exactly did our mom go!? And I swear to god if you don’t start making any sense I’ll freeze you so bad you won’t start to thaw till the next Ice Age!” Seraffel warned.

“Always barking but never biting. Really Seraffel you’ve threatened me thousands of times since your hatching and you’ve yet to hold up to that threat. No matter how old you were.” Freddie spoke nonchalantly, like he didn’t even care for the ice dragon’s threat. You walk up to Brian and ask him.

“What’s going on here?”

“It would appear that Serafina has gone off on her own somewhere. John and Serafina have rarely been apart from one another, the longest I’ve seen them be apart is when Roger and I were first sent by Freddie to save them.”

“Freddie please just—just tell us where our mom’s at? She could get captured or-or killed!” Thor pleaded.

“Your mother can handle herself. Right now she needs to go on this path on her own.”

“Fred normally I would agree on with what you say but this is no time for a pissing contest! Grindelwald knew we were in New York, who’s to say that the rest of his family or even his spies could be out here looking for us right now!? What if her power alone is not enough?” Roger said as he paced back and forth with worry.

“For someone who claims to care for her you seriously underestimate her Roger dear.” Roger halted in his spot to stare at the Naga. “Serafina’s path lies on a different path than ours for the moment. This part of her journey will come to pass with what we need for the final phase of ending Grindelwald’s followers once and for all. Now will the four of you get your heads out of your arses and understand Serafina is more than capable of taking care of herself and isn’t some fragile little maiden that always needs protecting!”

Freddie’s eyes glowed a fearsome yellow and his voice grew deeper and more snake like.

“Now then, we should reach the Medjai coven by the sun’s highest point if we leave now. Burn the tents and get rid of any evidence of our trail here.” Freddie slithered onward.

As the boys went on with Freddie’s orders, you then ask Brian once more.

“Will she be okay?”

“Serafina is unlike any other witch I’ve met before. Elf or otherwise. She has power unlike anything I’ve ever seen. If I had to say who I should be more worried for, I’d say it’s whatever poor unfortunate soul crosses her path.”

Once the site was cleared up of any of your traces, you continued onward to the Medjai covenant. It felt like an eternity had passed until finally as you all came up over a hill and just down below, several village stood there in the middle of the desert.

“We’ve arrived.” John spoke as he urged his black stallion onward. You followed behind him, then his sons, Brian and Freddie, while Roger flanked in the rear.

As you all approached the entrance into the village, several men in black garb with most of their faces covered, held up their wands towards you guys ready to strike.

“Waqaf!” one of the guards spoke up. Your horse whinnied and reared on it’s hind legs. You held onto the reins as tight as you could as you tried to calm your horse down.

“Whoa, whoa boy whoa easy!” you tell your horse. John’s horse nickered and anxiously paced forward and back.

“We’re not spies! We’re friends with your covenant leader Ardeth Bay. My name is John Deacon and these creatures are my friends.” The guards looked at one another suspiciously when a stern but warm voice proclaimed.

“Let them pass!” soon riding on top of a camel was an Egyptian man with long black hair, two Arabic tattoos on each cheek and one across his forehead, and chocolate brown eyes. He sported a mix of a goatee and beard which went well along his strong jawline.

He was a big man on the muscular side, probably standing at around 6ft, maybe a couple inches. But it was the way he just seem to carry himself that made it seem like he was a true leader, a chieftain maybe.

“This man is under my protection. Anyone who tries to even lay a curse upon him shall face immediate exile, do I make myself clear?” the way his voice commanded these guards, it just made goosebumps come across your arms. The guards put their wands away and bowed with their left feet forward and their right arms crossed over their chests, hands going right over their hearts.

He then turned to John and soon his camel and John’s stallion stood face to face of each other.

“Welcome back my friend, it’s been a long time.”

“I wish the circumstances could be better Ardeth.”

“Well, it is most definitely an upgrade from being lost in the desert for days on end without water and hardly any food.” John chuckled embarrassingly but then the two men clasped hands with each other in a firm handshake.

Then they taking back their hands, kissing the side of their index fingers and placing it on their foreheads before placing their hand before their lips once again (must be an Arabic greeting).

“You and your friends have had a long journey not only from your last hideout but also across the desert. Come, satisfy your hungry and quench your thirst. And for two of your companions, regain their energy.” Ardeth said the last part as he looked to Roger and Seraffel who both looked practically exhausted.

“Thank you Ardeth. We appreciate you giving us a place to rest and regroup.” John thanked him. Ardeth bowed his head before urging his camel forward. You all follow behind the leader of the Medjai sorcerers and as you enter the village, you can see hundreds of Arabic witches, wizards and young children running about going about their day.

Some were selling robes, others had potions and spell books for sale, animals were also being sold at what almost looked like a petting zoo setup but it also had dogs, cats and falcons in their cages. Horses and camels were also on sale at the shop, each wearing a price board around their necks as they went about either pacing around the fence, drinking their water, or eating the food provided for them.

This entire marketplace was just a buzz with people. As you passed by, some of the Medjai wizards and witches looked at you and your friends. Some were in awe, others were skeptical, and the rest held respect as they bowed their heads to you and the others.

Soon you arrived at a large tent. It seemed a pretty good decent size (maybe about 8ft long and 13ft. wide) for all of you to fit inside. The front flaps were a stripped pattern of cream and, at least to you, an earthy kinda brownish-red. The rest of the tent was an earthy tone of dark green and brown stripped pattern.

You all unmounted off your rides and Ardeth walked up to the tent and opened it up for you all.

“Enter my friends, eat and make yourselves at home.” John bent down to take his shoes off before entering inside the tent. Brian did the same thing and gave Ardeth an Elvish thank you by placing his hand over his heart and bowing his head. Ardeth did the same motion and Brian entered inside.

Roger, Thor and Seraffel, then Freddie followed behind after Brian. You undid the last of your laces on your shoes and set them down beside the rest of the shoes that aligned the tent.

“You are the human savior the Naga Freddie has foreseen, aren’t you?” he said to you.

“Well—I don’t think I’d go so far as to say that. I mean yeah I did save John and Serafina’s sons from being imprisoned for all eternity but—other than that I’m not really all that special.”

“I disagree. You have a strong powerful aura within you. You may not yet realize it but it’s in there.” His strong, calloused hand gave your shoulder a gentle squeeze of reassurance. “Every creature on this earth whether mortal or mythical has that power. It’s only up to those brave enough to seek it out. Not all heroes are of just one image.”

He walked back over to the flap of the tent and opened it up for you to walk inside. You enter in and soon Ardeth follows right behind you.

Whoa! This tent was bigger on the inside! Various and beautiful kaleidoscope-like patterned quilts hung along the walls of the tent. There was a pool at the center of the tent and that’s where you saw both Seraffel and Roger, half naked, in the pool rehydrating themselves after being under the hot African sun for the past couple of days.

Thor was just drying off his wet hair (probably just getting out of the pool himself) wearing a white Arabic tunic. Freddie was curled up under the shade fast asleep, while Brian and John were conversing quietly to themselves.

“Hey (n/n) get in the water’s amazing!” Seraffel called out to you.

“It was amazing till you nearly froze it over yah overgrown icicle!” Roger snapped.

“Oh whatever you’re made out of water yourself you’re fine.” Seraffel waved off nonchalantly. You shook your head at seeing those two argue pettily.

“Maybe later guys.” You gave them an answer.

“I apologize for what happened with my guards out front. We’ve been needing to increase security for our coven.” Ardeth said as he went over to the kitchen to make some drinks for us.

“We understand Ardeth. My grandfather—is resilient.” John spoke lowly.

“He is. Unfortunately, it was not your grandfather or his followers that I was referring to.” At hearing this, most of you all look up at the leader of the Medjai sorcerers confused.

“What—do you mean then?” questioned Thor.

“It would seem Grindelwald has finally convinced an even greater foe to side with him.”

“Who?” you ask.

“The Shadow Sorcerers.” At hearing that name, everyone in the room went frigid with fear. Even Freddie’s eyes had opened at hearing their name.

“Who are the Shadow Sorcerers?” you ask.

“A separate branch of one of the most powerful and most dangerous wizards and witches. They branched off during the time of Thomas Deacon, they viewed his radical thinking of submitting themselves under the Sorcerer Supreme’s rule unlawful. So they branched off, became their own branch of sorcerers.” Freddie first explained before John joined in.

“Once my grandfather became Sorcerer Supreme, he tried to sway the Shadow wizards not as pawns, but an ally. A secondhand ally you may call it. Some of the Shadow covens agreed and allowed some of their students to transfer into our school. To study our way of magic. But they made for certain that they would never submit themselves under the rule of the Sorcerer Supreme. At least not without something to gain from it.”

“They value their pride more than anything else in the world. But it would seem some of the Shadow covens have decided to go fully under Grindelwald’s thumb. Their source of magic comes from the most ancient and most darkest of all magic. Using their very own shadows as an extension of themselves in order to take down any enemy.” Ardeth said.

“The Shadow coven takes their inspiration of their magic based on the animals that you humans refer to as Nocturnal animals. Even basing each specific family off the Latin name of said animal. I’ve even seen the Shadow Sorcerers even control other beings to their will by using their own shadows against them. A few of my people before the massacre learned that the hard way.” Freddie said.

“How many Shadow sorcerer covens are there?” asked Thor.

“There are 10 main covens of Shadow Sorcerers, and then depending on the Nocturnal animal they are inspired to emulate, the covens get subdivided into classes based off the species. The covens with the most subclass are the Felines, Rodents, and Mammalia clans.” John answered his youngest son.

“So that means we’re screwed.” Seraffel exclaimed angrily.

“Not necessarily my young ice dragon.” Ardeth added. “I said that some of the covens have joined Grindelwald. You see there are some that have remained either undecisive or wish to remain neutral. But I’m afraid the ones that did join along with Grindelwald, are one of the most strongest Shadow Sorcerers of all.”

“Which coven classes joined alongside him?” Brian asked. Ardeth sighed and said.

“I—truthfully do not know the exact number. But the one that has been skulking around here lately come from the Corvus clan.” You noticed John clenching his hand into a fist and even saw it tremble.

“So what do we do now?” asked Seraffel.

“Right now my friends you rest. And I strictly ask that you do not leave this tent as the sun sets. The shadow wizards tend to do their hunting at night. And whatever you do; Never. Turn on. The lights.” With that, Ardeth left you guys alone to your thoughts.

“Damn. Siding with the Shadow Sorcerers. Grindelwald must be getting desperate if he wanted to ask for their help.” Roger said.

“Does Grindelwald fear the Shadow Sorcerers?”

“To an extent. My grandfather is many things, a coward is definitely not one of them. But he is aware of who is powerful than even him. He must’ve sueded them to a deal that not even they could refuse.” John said. He lowered his head down to his hands and run his fingers through his hair anxiously. “I just hope and pray to Merlin that Serafina’s at least not in Egypt anymore. Or at least nowhere where a Shadow wizard could be.”

“She’ll be fine John. She’s stronger than you realize.” Brian comforted the anxious young wizard.

For the rest of the day, you all rested and pretty much stayed inside the tent because after traveling the desert for 2 days none of you even thought about wanting to go back outside.

When the sky became dark, it was as Ardeth said, no lanterns or lights were coming on in the camp. Not even lights from the tents or houses nearby were up.

“Man, Ardeth wasn’t kidding. Not a single Medjai has their lights on.” You said as you came back into the tent.

“Then we must do the same.” Brian said. He went up to one of the lanterns and turned off the flame candle inside. Roger did the same to his side of the room, and on and on until finally the entire tent was nothing but pitch black.

You adjusted yourself on the soft red velvet couch (well it felt more like a bed with how big it was).

“Goodnight everyone.” You say. They all reply with a goodnight and soon you all fall into a silent sleep.

‘(Y/n).’ a ghostly whisper calls out to you. You moan and try to go back to sleep but the voice calls out to you again. ‘(Y/n)~’ the soft gentle coo of this man’s voice reminded you a lot of your grandfather. The grandfather you lost back in the War.

He had moved to a small town of Leuven in Belgium after remarrying a woman named Pamela Janssens. She was nice and she really helped your grandfather out of his depression when your grandma died of a heart attack. He enjoyed the Belgium countryside and the people were nice to him even from being from America.

But when the German troops invaded Leuven, you were told by your mother (who was the daughter of your grandfather) that he had been shot and killed by a German soldier and Pamela had been raped before being brutally murdered and then their house was burned to the ground.

Your granddad was like a superhero to you. Even in his old age, he never let anything bring him down. That’s why he was able to still pick you up even as you became a teenager. When you received word of his death from Pamela’s sister, it crushed your entire world.

‘(Y/n)~’ the voice called to you again. No it—it couldn’t be him. There’s no way.

“Granddad?” you whisper as you sit up.

‘It’s me.’ You gasp and quickly hop off the couch. ‘I’m here.’ The voice called out again. You peek outside of the tent but it’s nothing but pitch black outside. The crescent shape moon hardly gave off any light but it was then a small blue flame stood before you. It danced and you swore that it had eyes staring up at you.

A trail of them soon popped out, leading away from the village. Something in your gut didn’t seem right but there was a magical force that was just beckoning you to go forward.

‘Hummingbird. It’s me.’ No way…..it—it was him. Only one person ever called you hummingbird and that was your grandfather. You then find yourself walking out of the tent and followed the trail of blue flames, each one of them disappearing as you walked through them.

*3rd Person POV*

Freddie’s eyes snapped open as he looked up in time just to see (Y/n) leaving the tent.

“Roger! Roger!” Freddie hissed quietly. Roger groaned and turned his back on Freddie, burying himself under his pillow. “Thor! Seraffel!” the dragons only kept snoring softly, well Thor was. Seraffel was mumbling incoherently in his sleep.

Rolling his eyes, Freddie decided it was up to him to get their human savior back. He peeked his head out of the tent, his tongue sticking out to taste the air, hoping to get a scent of where they had gone.

He left the tent and soon spotted some fresh footprints leading away from the village.

“Damnit!” he slithered forward following the footprints as fast as he could, hoping it wasn’t too late.

A few feet from the village, he soon heard the sound of wings flapping. Quickly finding a rocky ledge to hide under, he soon saw 4 figures land down a few yards away from him and soon the figures of 4 men in black robes stood there.

However one of them kept out his black feather wings out and he spoke to the three men.

“With them separated it’ll be easier to take them down. But leave them alive—for now.” The three wizards soon took off on foot now to find (Y/n). Each going a different direction in hopes of ambushing them.

Freddie kept his eyes on the leader who merely just stood there, scouring the entire desert sand. There was something off about this Shadow sorcerer just standing there, he had to be plotting something.

Suddenly out of nowhere Freddie felt three steel blades being shot into his back. He arched himself but as he turned around he was caught by surprise as the figure of the leader fired some type of gas at him, all the awhile saying BOO!

Freddie swatted the air but it was too late. His vision soon started flashing back to the day his entire race was killed.

“Aww, having trouble?” the leader’s voice (sounding thunderous, haunting, almost demonic). Freddie saw the leader’s eyes glowing the same haunting blue as Thomas Riddle Deacon’s eyes. The very same cold blue eyes that stared back at him as he slaughtered each and every Naga. “Watch the stars, have a drink!”

Freddie began thrashing around trying to get rid of this horrifying memory but all he kept seeing was blood spurting, the flash of green light, and the agonizing screams of his family. He soon felt some sort of liquid being dumped onto him as the Shadow Sorcerer continued to taunt him.

“You look like a snake who takes himself too seriously.” His palm soon sparked out a blue fireball and as Freddie finally went calm for a split second to look up at the wizard, he told Freddie. “You want my opinion? You need to lighten up.” He threw the blue fireball at Freddie and soon he was being burned alive.

The leader soon disappeared into the shadows as Freddie screamed in pure agony. The blue flames eating away at his coils like a hot grinder slowly and torturously burning away every inch of his skin. Somehow he managed to send a telepathic cry for help to John who immediately woke up.

“Freddie!” John shot up exclaiming which soon woke everyone up. Brian’s elvish hearing soon heard Freddie’s torturous screaming.

“Come on!” everyone soon left the tent and raced to help the Naga. Suddenly all the lights in their tent came on and the shadows soon came alive.

Razor sharp teeth and red eyes surrounded them as they now felt themselves being bound by the shadows. John tried to break free but he soon heard the very same thing happening to the tent next to them. And the home after that, until the entire Medjai was either screaming in terror or with their last dying breath.

“Hello John, remember me?” soon entering the tent with Ardeth also trapped within his grasp was a lean stature man with short black hair, ice blue eyes, a strong jawline and skin as pale as the moon. He looked to be about his mid-30’s possibly even 40s. But it was his voice.

His voice that was soft and lulling like a lullaby, but it held an icy, haunting tone to it as well.

“Jonathan Corvus.” He smirked.

“It really has been too long. How’s little Fina been?” John snarled softly but soon let out a groan as he felt himself being squeezed tighter by Johnathan’s magic. “And you know, it is very surprising to not see her here with you. I mean back at school you guys were—heh stuck together like glue.”

“Dad, you actually know this son of a bitch?” Seraffel asked.

“Now that is quite rude. Didn’t your parents ever teach you manners?” A shadow spear shot out and struck Seraffel in his thigh. He let out a painful scream.

“Seraffel!” Thor screamed. Seraffel groaned and growled in pain.

“Dragons always were quite brutish for my taste. But I guess that’s why you and sweet, sweet Fina adopted these monsters. Freaks till the end.” The shadow spear slowly went deeper into Seraffel’s thigh. The blood now starting to ooze further down his pant leg, he threw back his head trying to hold in his agonizing screams.

“What do you want from us Corvus!?” John demanded.

“Well truthfully we were ordered to take you and your little band of monsters to see your dear old grandfather but it seems we’re one short. So—you’re coming with us till you tell us where Serafina Black is.”

The last thing any of them ever saw was pure darkness as the shadows wrapped around them till they couldn’t breathe.

*2nd Person POV*

You kept following your grandfather’s voice until you came out towards the Nile River. Whatever light from the moon directed itself into the water, almost giving it a crystal like glow to it. Panting after running so hard you couldn’t hear your grandfather’s voice anymore.

“Granddad?” you called out. “Granddad!” again nothing but silence. Suddenly something whooshed behind you. “G-Granddad?” soon a figure appears out of thin air. He had a black hooded cloak covering himself from whatever light there was and he just stood there silently for what felt like eternity. His hands slowly came up and you were frozen with fear at just who was now standing a few feet away from you.

John’s grandfather, Grindelwald Deacon.

You quickly take out John’s wand from your hip and aim it at him. Even though your hands and legs were trembling with fear you tried to stay strong.

“You stay right there! I know who you are!”

“(Y/n) (L/n). I am not here to hurt you.” His soft whisper of a voice said to you. Hearing him speak in the flashback was one thing but now that he was actually standing here before you it—it made you feel……cold. “I only want to help.”

“Help me?!” you snapped quietly.

“Yes.” He told you. “You are so very, very far away from home. Far away from everything that you know, far from those that you love.” You thought back to your family. You hadn’t even really been keeping them updated on everything since you took the job in trying to discover John and Serafina’s secret club.

No, no he’s manipulating you! You’ve seen this before with John the night Serafina’s family was slaughtered don’t. fall. For it!

“I said don’t take another step!” you warned. But your façade was easily dropping as your hand trembled even worse. And still, he kept walking closer and closer to you.

“My child, I would never see you harmed. Unlike with what the Naga has told you.” What? What is he talking about. “Dear one, it is not your fault that your very birth was planned to go along with the Naga’s plan for vengeance. It is not your fault that you were forced into this world, if you were siding alongside me I would ensure that you were free to live your life. A world where your very existence is not meant to satisfy someone else’s gain.”

Even though you wanted to strike this man down, no matter how much rage and fear was starting to build up within you…….he was right.

Everyone so far has kept calling you the ‘Human Savior’. You didn’t ask for any of this. And why did it have to be you? Sure you might have gone along with it but now—now it was starting to feel like a game to you. That your only purpose for even existing was just to satisfy Freddie’s plan.

“I—I……” you loosened your grip on your wand. Grindelwald’s hand slowly comes up and wraps his fingers around John’s wand.

“You are an innocent. So go now. Leave this place, return to the life that you know.” With that he apparated into smoke and disappeared from your view.

You debated and debated long and hard. Yes you had come this far already but—was it really worth it? Why did it have to be you? Why couldn’t someone else take this job? Clearly John and Serafina have something to gain out of saving all these creatures as well as their entire community, why did you need to be involved?

Suddenly something pierced right through your back. Although no blood spurted out from you, you still felt like something was piercing your very soul. Your right arm suddenly shot out and twisted itself inward.

What—what was happening to you? You tried to resist but each time you did, you were forced to contort and twist about until you were pulled to your knees.

“What’s…….”

“Thought you would realize just what we were? Guess Muggles really are as stupid as they come.” Soon coming out was a strong-bulky looking man who had shadow-like tentacle arms coming out from behind him, his hands seeping out a black aura (much like John and Serafina’s magical aura).

“Shadow sorcerer.”

“Oh look it does speak.” You narrowed your eyes at the insult but your eyes were forced to go wide-eyed. “Such manners, nothing but beyond neanderthal anger. Running about like starving goblins.” You soon felt yourself being lifted up into the air, still unable to gain even the slightest ounce of control back.

“What did—you do…..with my…..friends?”

“The same thing I’m about to do to you, muggle.” In a flash, the shadows shot right towards you until you were cocooned in complete blackness.

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whatdoesshedotothem · 3 years

Text

Tuesday 24 July 1838

4 ¾

Charles called us – fine morning – ready in ¾ hour – I had ordered breakfast (café au lait) for A- only .:. I merely took a mouthful or 2 of bread and drank a little water meaning to breakfast on the mountain chez le beau frère de Charles – thankful afterwards that A- had breakfasted odd at 6 10 all clear – the views of this valleys and mountains charming – but in about ½ hour some little clouds passing before us that we should probably come into by and by – in the skirts of them for ¼ hour or 20 minutes and no view till they began to clear off just on our reaching the Plateau de [Marborisa] at 7 33 where we found the man from Gèdre who is to be my guide to the Vignemale waiting for us – a gentleman a few years ago employed him to find the way to the top of this mountain inaccessible on this (the French) side – whether the gentleman was killed in the revolution or what has become of him, the man does not know but he paid him 125fr. on his having discovered the way in doing which the man and his companion who crossed a glacier in the ascent were very nearly lost in a crevasse – the man shewed a little mark or 2 on his hand of hurts then received – but the way he discovered is easy – no glacier to cross, and very little snow to cross – not more difficult than the ascent of Mt. Perdu – 8 hours walking from the last cabane but on Charles’ telling him I was a good walker the man said it would take 6 hours from the last cabane which cabane is 4 hours ride from Gavarnie in the vallée d’Ossonne – the descent upon Boucheron 6 hours – and 6 hours de marche from Boucheron to Penticouse – the descent upon Penticouse 6 hours – For taking us (myself and Charles) to the top of the pic the man asked 30fr. – I said I had been thinking of 20/. to which the man agreed at once I being to find his nourriture (not much) and give him something on reaching the top, to drink my health with – agreed – (said nothing but mean to give him 5fr. piece) – the man to meet us at Gavarnie this evening and all 3 to sleep at the Cabane leaving A- to sleep at Gavarnie and meet me and Charles at Bouchero at 3pm tomorrow – all settling took about 10 minutes or more .:. it was about 7 ¾ when we were off again – had had a steepish ascent so far ‘une montée rude’ said Charles – 2 hours more of ascent before we reached the cabane at [Poyerabie] at 9 ¾ but it had been clear since leaving the Plateau de Marborisa, and sunny, and the morning delightful – en passant, had had a moments’ peep at the Chapelle de Héas – but we left the cascade de Gloriette at a little distance (left) saw nothing of it – or the pretty wooded slope down into the valley de Héas and this upper part of the valley d’Estaubé, after reading of M. Chausenques’ preferring the valley d’ Estaubé to every other valley of the Pyrenees to pass 2 or 3 weeks in disappoints me? I observed to A- that the meadows looked like English grass plots – the hay just what would come off an English grass plot after 2 or 3 weeks from the last mowing – several peasants mowing and busy in their hay – but very few granges – 2 fine large flocks of sheep on the opposite side the valley farther on – the pasturage let to strangers to people from near Tarbes – Thankful again and again that A- had breakfasted – I began to feel the want of mine – the cabane here (at [Poyerabie]) in the style of that at [Golles] (on the ascent to Mt. Perdu) – but instead of being roofed by impending rock, all built up with stone and roofed with wooded spars and sods – about 4ft. high within, and long enough and broad enough for the five bergers to sit and churn in (shake their sheep-skin-bags with the milk in them till the butter forms) and to lie down in – perhaps 9 or 10 ft. long and 6ft. bread within § - Charles asked if I would have pâte – yes! would taste it – a little of dead dried grass gathered from the mountain side served to light the little fire of jumper roots and branches which smelt quite fragrant while burning – a largeish pan full of crème (it seemed like one butter milk) with [Q.S.] of Indian corn flour and a little salt was set to boil slowly, and in an hour the pâte was ready – a thick porridge – I should have thought they had put some grease (as in the Gollis soup) in it, if they had not assured me to the contrary – it tasted strong – but really very tolerable – A-liked it – I cautioned her not to eat much saying it was strong – Charles thought it could not hurt anybody – the bergers have no meat – but bread and milk for breakfast and supper and pâte at noon – I did not take much but more as I found afterwards than my stomach would bear – had before eaten some bread (which had luckily been put into A-‘s basket at home to fill up with) and drunk a little old milk (skimmed – petit lait) and I now ate up the bread with butter just fresh churned from the sheep-skin bag, and had also some of the shepherd s’ bread (wheat ½ rue) and made a good breakfast at 11 – having had plenty of time to look about me – the entrance

§ to the cabane about 3ft. high and 2ft. or not so much wide the little fire-place close to it in the south end of the place towards les murailles d’Estaubé

SH:7/ML/E/21/0151

opposite the little fireplace at the south end a little open hole in the north end wall perhaps about a foot square or not so much for the light let in by it and by the door hole or rather entrance hole for no door not enough to shew the countenances of the 2 bergers sitting at a. and b. churning – the middle part the hollow between the 2 bancs was covered with the capes of the bergers and so dark I could distinguish nothing even after I had sat a minute or 2 in the cabin shewing the men my clasp knife which interested them much – but the smoke affected my eyes and sent me out to A- sitting on the sunny walled up (stones and mud) banc at the south outside end of the cabane in which the present 5 bergers had lived 3 seasons – but would be away on the mont de Bergons on the 1st of next month the pacage ici being let aux étrangers from that day – Mt. Perdu from here like a little mammelon [mamelon] on the top of the Marboré – can go by the valley de Cambiel to the vale d’Aure on horseback (Charles’s beau frère, married his wifes’ sister, would be our guide with Charles) but not by the pont de Canaa could only go on foot by the Pont de Canaa – cannot see this port from here – it is at the extremity of the valley de Héas, and hid from here by the mass of mountain parting the 2 valleys (of Héas and Estaubé) could go from here on horseback by the Pont de Pinède, but could not get the horses down on the Spanish side – From the P. de Pinède, Port Vieux, and P. de la Canaa one descends upon Notre dame de Pinède (chapel) – sitting on the outside banc of the cabane, en face des murailles d’Estaubé, le cylindre forms the right end of the cirque; about 1/3 from that a brêche laisse voir la neige sur le versant Septentrionale du Mt. P- and a glacier reaching down to the bottom of the brêche § (i.e. about midway the whole height of the cirque or murailles and about the level of the Pont de Pinède) and Mt. Perdu itself does not appear from here higher than the rest of the cirque, or murailles – glittering cone of snow a mere filling up the end of the brêche – at 1/3 farther the Pont de Pinède, a brêche seeming about twice the breadth of the other brêche – and at 1/3 farther the cirque or murailles terminates in a 2 pointed (rather obtuse-pointed) conical mass of rock and another brêche seeming about ½ the depth of the other brêches, wider than the 1st and less wide than the 2nd, and this last forms the Port Vieux – the left side of this last brêche being formed by the rocky mountain (not lower than the right side 2 pointed mass) that in a long line of mountain which almost immediately from the Port Vieux becomes more or less striped with lines of green – separates our valley of Estaubé from that of the Héas - §Ramond escaladé (got up) this glacier steep as it is, but his trouble in vain, Mt. P- being quite inaccessible de ce côté – Spanish smugglers have come along the foot Mt. P- and have descended this glacier –

sometime before arriving at the cabane (from the plateau de Marborisa) perhaps about ½ way Charles pointed out the place near the gave where the man was shot by a Spaniard during the 1st French revolution in the evening of the same day, and with a ball in the forehead in the same place respectfully in which he the man had shot a ball into the forehead of the virgin Notre dame at Héas, in the morning! –

Delighted with our view from the cabane of the murailles (or cirque) d’Estaubé – off from the cabane at 11 50 – our views of Mt. P- now clear, now tipped or streaked with cloud, very fine – to me very interesting, as we climbed up from the cabane higher and higher over l’herbe glissante, or rough slippery rock on which my own feet were scarcely much more those of my little horse (mare) but Charles would make me ride as well as A- who said nothing but went on very quietly – for said Charles you will have plenty to do yet – it was always agreed to take Charles’ beau frère as guide from the cabane but Charles had luckily taken also another of the bergers who, as he said at 1st, had merely gone because he chose to walk a little of the way with us – but a la suite, I know not what we should have done without him – at 12 ¾ stopped 10 minutes for the 2 guides and our 2 bergers to sit down, and wet their lips – (no wonder – la montée était bien rude) – and here the Marboré just in sight – several specimens of contorted rock here – and on the side of the Piméné up to the green just under the Pic – after a desperately hard [?] of it for the horses, alighted at 1 – my horse turned loose and A-‘s and the baggage given in charge of the berger and Charles’s beau frère mounting with us to carry A-‘s basket and cloak and my light tartan ditto and the 2 guides, one on each side of A-, got her on very nicely, I following – we had walked or climbed about 10 minutes or ¼ before and were halting on a little bit of level when my horse cam frisking up to us having scrambled up somehow – the opportunity too good to be lost – A- was mounted – the bridle had been taken off to let the animal graze but the halter was round its neck – and A- literally rode to within a very short distance of the Petite Pic – for we arrived there at 1 48 and out of the 48 minutes from the time of alighting at 1 she had only walked 18 minutes a few stone rudely piled together to mark the Petit to which we had had about ¼ hour of scramble up the bare, scaly (argillo [argile] schisteuse) rock with here and there little while saxifrage and a very pretty little pink flower and pencil geranium etc. growing on the little hedges – very fine, magnificent view from the petite pic of the Marboré, the cirque de Gavarnie and all the sea snow-spotted of mountain tops around, and here we sat down - I saw that A-‘s head would not, even if her legs would, carry her much higher; for the crête was indeed a crête a giddy narrow ridge along which I felt that my own head in its then aching state would not be trop forte – my breakfast had disagreed with me and I had had more or less of bilious head-ache for the last couple of hours – advised A-‘s not going higher and she willingly took my advice, and we left Pierre with her, and in seven minutes at 1 58 had reached the smutty – it was a glorious sight to look upon – a noble congregation of mountain tops – Vignemale and its glacier the largest in the Pyrenees – the Marboré and its cirque, and its cascade – but the pic d’Astazou hid the glacier-vallon of its source, and thus shut out 1/3 (400ft.) of its fall – Mt. Perdu shewed his head quite clear and towering Spanish mountains formed a fine background on each side the Marboré – the Pont de Bouchero seemed easy – snow lying near the top; but Charles said it did reach the road and A- would get on well tomorrow – the higher valley of Las Espessières seemed parallel with the valley of the P. de Bouchero – Charles pointed out the spot where lay the Cabane at which we were to sleep

SH:7/ML/E/21/0152

tonight, and the 2 pointed hill or lower mountain at the foot of which we were gain the Spanish side of the Vignemale evidently inaccessible from the French side – the 2 men lost 2 years, were lost near the foot of the Glacier (on their way from Cautertz [Cauterets]) – Poor Charles he seems not particularly anxious for the montée – sure we shall have plenty to do – and not sure of the weather – began to doubt what the Gèdre said about the facility of getting up – would like to consult the other man – thought we could hardly get to the cabane tonight– I merely said nous verrons – clouds were already in the distance over Tarbes and the mountains beyond Argeles [Argèles] – the fine clear on the summit had rather relived my head, so that I got down again in 7 minutes better than I had got up – not difficult climbing but so precipitous my head would scarcely carry me – Charles walked down and bade me to do the same which I did in fact he taking hold of my hand saying n’ayez pas peur – marches hardiement [hardiment] – as we stopt cautiously from ledge to ledge – but on getting back to A-, and looking up again, I felt as if I could not tell how we had managed to get up – the crête is so narrow one cannot go along it without seeing down the precipice on each side – poor A- turned her head away and could not bear to see us come down – the grand pic seems a cone with just one ridgy line 4 or 5 ft. or less broad so ledgy that one get up – the area at the top is very small indeed rather oval – perhaps 6 or 7 yards the smaller diameter and 10 or 11 the larger – if so much – the whole of the cone or pic quite bare –

on the Piméné up to the little pic

Thrift

pencil geranium

Daisies

Gentinella

centaury? or a little saxifrage?

little pink flowers the whole plant not growing on the little narrow ledges of the grand pic

Azalea procumbus Wednesday 12 September (vide 4 September)

on the [Coumélie]

lis Martagon

Iris

jumper

rhododendron ferrugineum

aconite

garance sauvage? the root good for toothache

anisette in the wood close above the road from Gèdre to St. Sauveur

Left the high pic at 2 25 Friday 27 July back again to A- at 2 32 she had the yolk of a hardboiled egg and we sat looking about us till 3 – the princess! de la Moscowa had been got up to the grand pic – but A-‘s head could hardly bear the petit pic – and indeed the little ridge or crête we sat upon was not more than a few feet (5 or 6ft.) board but the grand pic above the mass of mountain we had ascended below, and the 3 men standing on one side a lower ledge towards the cirque de Gavarnie (west) and on the other the precipice being rather less perpendicular, we sat comfortably – off on our way down again at 3 A- between the 2 guides and getting on very slowly, her head evidently not stronger than the occasion required – at 3 18 reached the place where A- had dismounted we had sent one of the bergers round with the horses to meet us down below on the montagne d’allanz and we had a steep, rough, shingly rocky, untracked scramble down A- getting on slowly till about 3 ¾ when after a scramble down an arête of rock (a wall) we were obliged to cross a piece of steep slippery snow which took us 10 minutes or ¼ hour A- still between her 2 guides and apparently hardly able, from fright or fatigue or both, to drag one foot after the other, or I think we should have passed this only bit of snow in 5 or 6 minutes – dragged on poor A- about ¼ hour farther to warm her feet till 4 20 and she then sat down on a piece of rock, and had a couple of little humps of sugar steeped in brandy which seemed to refresh her – we sat down again at 4 40 but here we had l’herbe glissante – my sick headache which had latterly been very bad here relived itself and as I lay down at a yard or 2 distance from A- my stomach rid itself of the pâte without anybodys’ knowing anything about it till I told A- I felt relived – it was 5 10 before we got to the horses and then a good deal of cloudiness striped (in striped) across the pic d’Astazou and towards the cirque de Gavarnie – we were only just up in time – A- mounted but got off two or 3 times afterwards and walked very well – I walked all the way back till about 10 minutes from the Inn at Gavarnie where we arrived at 7 I more tired from sickness and headache than anything else – the Inn full – but on my saying we must go to Gèdre, the people seemed determined to exert themselves – we dined as I proposed in the garret, and I proposed sleeping there but A- thought it would be close, and some country people turned out of the 4 bedded room over the kitchen and I was comfortable enough tho’ there was about a board-floor between the kitchen and us and every sound was heard – dinner about 7 ½ - A- had a veal cutlet and bread and butter and cheese – I a little weak brandy and water and then a basin of boiled milk and dry bread with a little butter – Charles came at 7 ¼ to say the Vignemale guide was come – Charles afraid of the cloudiness and advised waiting for moonlight – so did A- too late at any rate to go to the cabin tonight and without sleeping there could not possibly reach the summit of the Vignemale in time - .:. sent word by Charles that I should probably go to the Vignemale a few days hence, 10 days or a week, sooner or later and would let the man know – considering the terms and all that to be fixed – but that if it should happen that I did not go at all, I would give the man a 5fr. piece for the trouble he had already had – this last part of the story Charles thought very handsome, and seemed pleased saying that by this means I was sure of always being attended to – came to our room at 8 ½ - very fine day

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dentalrecordsmusic · 5 years

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Interview: Andie Aronow, co-founder of Women That Rock, on kickass women, equally kickass bands, and what both mean for the changing scenery of the music world.

Who run the world? GIRLS. No one else knows this factoid better than Andie Aronow, founder of the collective Women That Rock. Their mission? Spotlight and celebrate talented, badass female musicians. Women That Rock hosts daily artist/music features through its Instagram platform at @womenthatrock, plus monthly collaborative articles with women's lifestyle mag Harness Magazine, and their own website. Women That Rock is in the live event space - putting on showcases, concerts and other related music events. Behind Andie is a slew of knowledge -- knowledge about feminism, good loud music, and the badass women who create it. We got to sit down with Andie to talk about some of the intense highs and (sometimes) lows of working in the music sector and what it means for the greater good to feature women on the stage.

DRM: Who or what inspired you to create Women That Rock? Was there a particular moment when the idea came to you?

AA: Women That Rock came to life one night on my girlfriend's couch in Williamsburg! We're both in the music world - she's an amazing musical artist (check out her awesome band MONTE - @monte.music on Instagram!) and I've worked on the business side of the music industry since I was in college at NYU's Clive Davis Department of Recorded Music, in lots of areas & jobs - marketing and digital promotions, music event planning, A&R, executive production, management. We were hanging out and casually talking about music and the business; specifically, we were talking about how challenging press & promotion can be for indie artists - how hard it is to get press outlets to pay attention and how difficult it can be in the current industry landscape for up-and-coming artists to cut through the clutter and get their names out there, especially for female artists who are often marginalized or stereotyped.

We were chatting about the many amazing women artists we know, and how much they needed a more dedicated platform to shine a light on them, celebrate them and help share their amazing talents. That's when the idea of Women That Rock was born. My girlfriend encouraged me to strike out and take a chance launching a project I was passionate about, and that's exactly what I did. I created the WTR Instagram account and started doing super DIY social media outreach. I simultaneously texted all my incredible female artist friends telling them about the concept and asking if they were okay with me featuring them, and their responses were SO enthusiastic - they immediately loved the idea and were super excited to be involved.

Within a few days of outreach I had an inbox of 25, then 50, then 100, then 500, then too many Instagram messages to count from female artists who wanted to be featured. The message was so clear - women wanted & needed a platform that celebrated and spotlighted on their creativity and talents, as well as the musical support network that Women That Rock could provide.

Women tend to be the biggest consumers of music (in any genre). Do you think the landscape of women consuming (and now, making) music is changing?

Absolutely! I think that day by day, women's voices are getting louder and clearer in the music space and in all spaces, which is awesome! A positive result of the current political landscape and recent spotlight on feminism & women's rights is that more women seem to be getting more of the respect, attention & support that they deserve. I absolutely think that is reflected in the landscape of women consuming & making music - and I feel the key point here is making sure that women support women, which traditionally can be difficult in certain industries, particularly in entertainment & media. The more women fans/consumers that support female artists (financially and otherwise), the more empowered female artists will be. Moreover, the more that female artists support one another (rather than seeing one another as competition), the more we'll all rise & succeed together and the more opportunities will come our way!

What is the process like when choosing the bands you feature at your showcases? What is it that gravitates you (and the audience) to them? Are there certain things you look for?

The process of choosing bands for Women That Rock's show bills is challenging - because there are SO MANY amazing artists! More than anything, we look for great performers & great onstage energy. We, of course, want all of our shows to be as fun and dynamic as possible, so that magical (and somewhat undefinable) artist energy is top of the list! Beyond that, we try to create lineups that are simultaneously cohesive & unique - we don't want all 4 bands on a bill to sound exactly the same, but we typically want them to make sense together (unless we're deliberately doing a grab-bag style showcase of many genres all on one lineup)! We'll sometimes theme around a genre, topic, vibe - something to tie the show together.

We also always keep diversity in mind, and work to make our shows inclusive of all types of womxn - all colors, all shapes, all sizes and all identities. But I'd say that what gravitates us (and the audience) to the bands we feature is their talent and stage presence. And what's especially cool about every Women That Rock show is that, since all the bands include female front-people and/or female musicians, nobody is "the girl" onstage or the "girl band." By making it a femme-focused space, it actually takes the focus OFF gender and makes the experience truly about the music!

More women are joining together and starting bands. What do you think this says about the path it took to get here, and where this will lead femme musicians in the future? Where do you see the sound / content evolving?

I'm so glad to see that more women are banding together and starting new musical projects!! I think this indicates that grrrl musicians are getting more confident, more inclined to collaborate and support one another, and that lines of communication between women in the music world are opening up. Hopefully, more young girls & women will be encouraged to pursue music & pick up instruments. Hopefully, they'll have unwavering confidence that they can achieve whatever they want musically, without feeling that gender is an obstacle. And the more inclusive the music space is, the more this effect will snowball.

I also believe that a shift is happening towards women being less inclined to tolerate sexism & misogyny in the music world. This will likely lead to femme community building - I think (and hope!) that women are feeling more emboldened to go for what they want and if they can't find it, create it themselves - with other women as musical partners, confidants, and friends.

As a woman working in the music industry and putting together these showcases, what are some of the hurdles you face? There is a lot of work involved, as well as a lot of sexism that still exists. What advice can you give other women who are looking to accomplish similar things to you?

I'll start with the positive: Ask for what you want!!! That's my biggest, most universal piece of advice! A lot of the time, getting what you want or need really just requires having a great attitude, being friendly & professional, and asking for whatever you want/need in a confident & fearless way. For example, if I come across an artist, organization or company that I think would be great to partner with (even if they seem big & intimidating), I just reach out and ask! And often, I get a fantastic response! This applies across all areas of Women That Rock's business and all business!

In terms of hurdles, two things come to mind. Firstly, time (or lack thereof!). As you said, there is a lot of work involved! Sometimes, how much work there is to be done versus how many hours are in a day feels like a hurdle! I work A LOT. Often late into the night, on weekends, etc. If you dream of starting your own project or company, be prepared to work really hard!

The second hurdle touches a bit on the sexism issue you mentioned. Yes, a lot of sexism does still exist, unfortunately! Sometimes, behavioral standards for women versus men feel very unequal and marginalizing. Sometimes I feel judged as a woman for being assertive, entrepreneurial & bold. It can feel like certain actions or behaviors if done by a man, would either barely be noticed or would be celebrated. But coming from a woman, it's criticized or threatening. These qualities that are looked at as extremely positive for men are not looked at as extremely positive for women, which can be frustrating. Beyond that, certain spaces (particularly venues) still feel heavily male-dominated; at moments I have felt overlooked (sometimes even literally - it can be hard to feel noticed in a group of 6ft tall men as a 5ft tall woman!). I combat these things by just persevering with confidence and a good attitude and letting challenging moments roll off as much as possible!

Women That Rock are hosting a showcase tomorrow night (11/29) at the Knitting Factory Brooklyn featuring an incredible lineup of femme-fronted bands: headlining group Starbenders alongside Scarlet Sails, Astra the 22s and opener Natalie Claro. The evening will be MC’ed by popular New York-based artist Ess See. Doors are at 7:30PM.

In addition to the incredible artist lineup, guests will enjoy a Women That Rock photo booth experience, Brooklyn-based femme vendors, a glitter bar, sparkly mini cupcakes, raffles, and more starry surprises! The event is being sponsored by LIT Cosmetics, Kate’s Magik, Rudy's Music, & Billy’s Bakery.

Tickets for the event can be purchased here. Tickets at the door are only $15.

You can keep up with Women That Rock on Instagram.

Catherine Dempsey will be at this show. Come and say hi and share a sparkly cupcake with her. You can follow her on Instagram and Twitter.

Follow DRM on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

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ao3-hipster-fangirl-trash · 7 years

Text

I don’t belong here (II)

Summary: taking place during the events of The Avengers, Lex is Tony Starks adoptive daughter, who seems to have a knack for technology and, for some odd reason, mythology, however when one of the myths she loves so much comes to life, she can’t help but feel she knows him from a life before Tony Stark

this chapter: Lex talks to a man who looks suspiciously like the Captain bloke that Tony’s basically in love with

part 1 / part 2

After a night of revision on odd creatures, Lex was sure her entire head was going to explode. She had a headache from being up for so long, along with a headache from dehydration and a headache for overuse. Maybe she should have gone to bed when Pepper said. But of course, she wouldn’t be a Stark if she ever listened to good advice.

At 6am Coulson had walked through the elevator doors once more and announced that they had to leave for the hellicarrier, earning him a groan from one of the two lying on the desk, face down and half asleep.

He had gone into Lex’s room and picked out as many appropriate outfits as possible, shoving them into a Captain America gym bag (which he highly approved of) and dragged it out to the central room, before picking up a half dead Lex and lightly kicking a Tony in the same condition, trying to prompt him to move. Of course, Tony waved him off, saying he would join them later and to ‘have fun, be safe.’

Coulson sighed and adjusted Lex on his hip, before making his way to the landing pad outside and getting on the small craft which lifted the pair over New York.

Lex barely registered that they made a stop at one point, only slightly rousing herself from her sleep when the engines stopped, before nodding back off.

When she finally woke up, it was because of light glaring off the ocean surface in her eye, glinting and glittering in the most annoying way possible to man. Her eyes opened slightly, and her hand went to her face, trying to shield herself from the light. Lex groaned and sat up, looking towards the cockpit to see a man leaning against the arch separating the pilots from the passengers. He was tall, really tall. Like, within the 6ft perimeter tall, wearing a faded leather jacket and a haircut which Lex assumed was ‘grown out military style.’

Tony would have probably commented on how he had a nice ass.

“Hey mister.” He turned to find the source of the sound, only to see the 12 year old which he was pretty sure was sleeping a moment ago, completely awake and walking towards him in the cabin of a moving vehicle.

“Hey kid.” She was right next to him now, watching him tower above her, only to give a little laugh and walk back to her seat.

“You’re taller than Tony, thats gonna annoy him.”

The man looked at her in confusion, waiting for her to elaborate in some way.

“Tony’s my dad, well, is he? He is, he’s my not-so-dad dad. Adoptive dad. And he’s sort of tall but he hates being shorter than others, says it makes it harder for him to sass them.”

The man gave a chuckle and looked towards his shoes, trying to find an appropriate way to reply to the kid sitting opposite him.

“I’ll be sure to kneel when i’m around him then.” Lex have a laugh and shook her head.

“Don’t do that, because it starts with the kneeling, then it goes to the banter, then it goes to the arguing and the tension, and then I have to stay with Pepper for a couple of nights because Tony isn’t one for being walked in on.” The man looked at her completely dumbfound, slightly scared and wondering who the hell was her father and why did he need her out of the house for 2 days?

“So, who are you?”

He shook himself out of his daze and gave her a little smile.

“Well kiddo, i’m a soldier.”

She nodded.

“Yeah, but which one? Are you the green man? Or maybe the arrow guy? No he had brown hair and i’m pretty sure he’s on the other side, or are you the Captain?” Her eyes were lit up as she spoke, rattling off different people and their powers, asking him who he was or what he was.

“Well, I’m the Captain, Captain America.” He stuck out his hand and she latched onto it, instead of shaking it, and pulled it down to hold in a gentle manner, keeping her steady as the craft rattled on.

“My dad has a crush on you, he thinks you’re really cute.” Steve felt himself blush, red creeping up the side of his neck and reaching his ears.

“Well, that’s real nice of him sweetie, when did he say that?” The blush was burning across his cheeks now. Even after 70 years in the ice, Steve Rogers could not keep his cool.

“Well, he says it when he's talking to Pepper, who’s sort of my mum, and she’s saying he’s gotta settle down and he says he’ll only ever dream of doing such a thing if its either with Steve Rogers or Captain Kirk from the new Star Trek.” Oh boy.

Lex leaned up towards him, or as close as she could get.

“Don’t worry, I think he’d prefer you.” Cap’ gave a little chuckle and nodded, almost in agreement, before looking up. How much longer did he have to hear about how some girls dad had a crush on him? Not that he minded, but it was a little odd.

“So honey, why are you coming along?” She looked towards her feet, trying to decide if she should tell this man why she was being dragged along with Captain America to a top secret air/boat shuttle.

“Well, doctor Banner wants to run some tests with me, make sure that its not some sort of dangerous disease I have.” She was avoiding eye contact with Steve, ashamed by what she had.

“Well, whatever you have i’m sure its incredible.” She gave a little shake of her head in disagreement. She had almost killed a puppy because of what she had. She knew that she was colder than the average human, but she didn’t know that if she felt threatened the could go sub zero, in fact she had ruined a few of Tony’s machines because of it, but the real problem was when she got a puppy, and it bit her when she was asleep, thank gods it had the sense to run before her entire room became encased by ice. They had given it to Pepper after that.

“Its dangerous, and I guess I want to know why I have it.” Steve felt a twinge of sympathy for the girl next to him. He knew what it was to have something that was dangerous, he was constantly afraid that one day he would hug someone too hard, or do something which normally wouldn’t hurt, but because it was Captain America, enhanced super soldier, even the simplest of contact could kill.

“Well, I’m sure doctor Banner will do everything to help.” She smiled up at Steve, not quite reaching her eyes. They were too sad and too knowing to be a Childs.

The pilot shouted towards the two of them, telling them to ‘strap up! We’re landing.’

Both of the passengers took their seats, before a rustling from the back drew Lex’s attention to one Phil Coulson coming out from behind a little nook, which she assumed was the bathroom.

“Hey Phil!” He gave her a friendly wave before sitting beside her, strapping in quickly and holding on to the seatbelt like his life depended on it. Lex had the feeling that Phil wasn’t really a fan of flying.

The shuttle rattled on towards what looked like a large, military ocean craft, planes and carriers littering the runway which took up the entirety of the top of the ship, each craft with their own designated spots. Several people scurried around like ants, busying themselves with this job and that job, working like an efficient machine.

As they began to lower themselves on to the deck, several different people began to swerve towards their specific ship, kneeling down and grabbing hooks to anchor the wheels and body to the deck, to reduce chances of damage. The only figure standing to the winds was a particular redhead which Lex knew and loved well.

She had unstrapped herself from the seat before the pilot had said it was safe, and had gone through the opening doors before they had finished opening, barreling towards a smirking Natasha who’s crossed arms opened and welcomed her in for a hug.

“Hello MIlaya Moyna, how are you today?” She gave Lex’s nose a little tap with her index finger and wrapping her arms around the little girl.

“Hello aunt Nat,” Nat smiled slightly at the pet name Lex had adopted for her, before drawing her away and putting on a face of false seriousness.

“Now, young lady, what did I tell you about calling me aunt?”

“Not aunt, it makes you feel old, only aunty because thats what you call the fun aunts.” Nat drew Lex back in for a hug.

“Exactly Milaya, now go and find Fury and ask him about the fish under his big glass dome, you know he likes that.”

Lex ran off into the Hellicarier, swerving to avoid personal after personal, as Natasha watched the child lovingly. She knew it wasn’t her kid, but that little girl meant more to her than all of shield itself.

Captain Rogers had appeared next to her, looking strangely in the direction of the child who had now disappeared from sight.

“She’s really strange, you know that? She knows way too much for a kid her age.”

Nat nodded in response. She knew what he meant. There were times where you would look into Lex’s eyes and see wisdom, a knowledge beyond her years, burning bright like a star in the back of her brain, powering her. Natasha recognised it in herself, and she sometimes found herself wondering what on earth she knew.

“Why do you think she’s like that?”

Natasha’s face darkened, and she turned away, trying not to look him in the eye. Her eyes were cast down and she had begun biting her lip in a nervous manner. Steve noticed the way she fiddled with her hands, trying to distract herself from the question as if she were going to answer it, but knew she shouldn’t.

A shout behind them singled the arrival of one Bruce Banner, who jogged towards them through the wind of a newly landed carrier, pushing his coat around his form and making it a mission to get from one side of the deck to the other. As he was running towards them, the ship began making shifting noises, the entire structure beginning to hum with activity, changing beneath them.

Lex had found Nick Fury by then, in fact, she was currently pointing at the large glass dome beneath their feet at the empty ocean which lay below. The fish had made a point of specifically avoiding the big thing in the water which was blocking their sunlight and giving out weird noises, but Lex didn't mind, she liked how the water was leaving a blue glow in the room, the light dancing on the walls and making the entire chamber seem more mysterious, more enchanting.

#stony #steve rogers and tony stark #steve rogers x tony stark #marvel fanfiction #marvel #fanfiction #avengers fanfiction #avengers #the avengers fanfiction #the avengers

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