Mothwiggles - Box Of Shiny Things

Modern AU where Corroded Coffin does get famous - just not in a way they were expecting.

They try through high school, play some local spots, post their songs online, but they don't really get a lot of traffic. And they think, maybe this isn't going to work.

Until one day, when they post a cover of a pop song, a la Punk Goes Pop, and it does well. Really well.

So they start doing more covers.

Is there a part of their steadily growing fan base that loves their originals and racks up the play counts on the one album they've put out? Of course.

And they never stop sharing their original stuff, but it never gets the kind of engagement that the covers do - and they kind of resign themselves to the fact that, this is what they do now, might as well have fun with it.

Steve Harrington is a popstar who's been on the scene for a little while now, and he loves CC's covers. He never really cared for metal before - overstimulation and audio processing are a wicked duo - but because he knows these songs, he's able to actually appreciate the music, the way the band morphs them into their own style.

He keeps finding himself wishing that they would cover one of his songs.

And then he learns about their original stuff. He listens to the one album on repeat and loves it, loves the lyrics and the composition of the music, and decides that he's going to do the cover for once.

(He's definitely not trying to catch the attention of the hot as fuck lead guitarist, no siree! This is just a nice, normal cover.)

Cue Eddie Munson having a heart attack when his notifications are flooded with links to Steve Harrington - popstar dreamboat and Eddie's absolute guilty pleasure, the man whose music he only listens to at the dead of night when he's guaranteed to never be caught - covering one of Eddie's songs.

Jason texting: Hey, it's Jay. Alfred said we can keep the cow, but you have to take the seal lion back.

Danny texting back: I think you have the wrong number, but I want to know how you got a cow and a seal lion. That must have been a story.

Jason: How do I know you aren't Damian pretending not to be Damian? You pulled this on me three times already.

Danny: Did he? And you fell for it three times?Have you never texted before? Why not save his number into your phone so he can't trick you anymore???

Jason: I don't know how to do that. I am behind technology wise because of the years I missed while dead.

Danny: Is that slang for prison?

Jason: You ask a lot for questions. Is this Bruce?

Danny: No, my name is Danny. Sorry about all the questions. You just sound fascinating. Like a Mr. Darcy hiding on the side of the room but in the chat room instead of the ballroom.

Jason: Well, thank you. That's the nicest thing anyone has ever said about me.

Jason hours later texting the Batfam group chat: Catch you all later. Im going to meet a stranger I found on the Internet.

Batfam group chat: *Multiple people are tying*

Hey, remember when RFK said he'd start an autism registry, then the DHHS said, "Lol, of course we're not doing that! That would be crazy!"?

CNN

HHS to build Medicare, Medicaid database on autism, other chronic illnesses | CNN

The US Department of Health and Human Services on Wednesday unveiled a pilot program for the National Institutes of Health to tap into Medic

The US Department of Health and Human Services on Wednesday unveiled a pilot program for the National Institutes of Health to tap into Medicare and Medicaid data in its search for the root causes of autism. The database — which HHS said will draw from insurance claims, medical records, and data from wearable technology such as smartwatches — is one of the first steps in HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s bid to find the causes of autism “by September.”

Made some friends today

The Beast that Bothers

inner light.

find me on instagram!

y'all know those AUs that go something like hellfire makes eddie flirt with steve as a bet?

okay, here me out:

eddie tricks hellfire into betting he can't get steve to flirt back. he wants to flirt with steve and he's determined to get him to flirt back, so he decides to act coy, pretends he isn't absolutely obsessed with steve, makes some off-handed comments about being friends with him and one day manages to get the guys to make a bet with him. he wants to flirt with his dream guy and make some money. best of both worlds.

it's game on from then, he flirts like his life depends on it. he watches steve blush and stammer, because the guy has apparently lost all his game since high school, and revels in it. the problem is steve gets so flustered it seems like he wouldn't be able to flirt back even if he wanted to. eddie thinks he's unused to getting attention from guys, but he figures he'll get used to it.

and he does. he becomes more confident and eventually does start flirting back. but by that time eddie has sort of forgotten about the bet, he's on cloud nine from all the attention steve is giving him. it all comes to a head when hellfire witnesses them flirt.

and in his shock gareth shouts "why haven't you told us you've already won the bet?"

and steve is all confused, while eddie lights up "oh shit, yeah, give me all your money, guys!"

and when steve asks what the fuck is going on, eddie explains while he collects the money and steve looks absolutely crushed. he can barely get out a "so it was all a bet?" in a choked voice, all teary eyed.

eddie panics and realizes how the whole thing sounds and rushes to explain "no no no no, it wasn't! the bet was for the flirting, not the other way around! i tricked the guys into betting i couldn't get you to flirt back, so i could flirt with you and steal their money. two birds with one stone and all that. i did sort of forget about it until now, though. i'm sorry."

now it's the guys' turn to pipe up. "what do you mean tricked? we made the bet so you would finally do something about your pathetic crush??"

okay, so maybe eddie wasn't as slick as he thought. maybe he talked about steve a tad too much? or maybe he was too enthusiastic about the idea of the bet? he's not sure.

steve looks like he can't quite decide how to feel. but then he says, "well then, you better use that money to pay for our first date, asshole." eddie rushes to pepper his whole face in kisses. he was gonna do that anyway.

"High King" is an interchangeable title, and it purely means "strongest infinite realms being at this particular point in time". It is also a test to determine new Ancients.

Whoever can defeat the previous High King gains the empty title, but more importantly they have their domain as an Ancient determined. The Infinite Realms, sapient and older than time and existence, monitors how the fight went down, and assigns a domain.

For Pariah Dark, who laid bloody siege to gain the title, it is Destruction.

For Danny?

It is, surprisingly, not Heroism. It's not Protection.

It's Thieves.

As far as the Infinite Realms are concerned, he started the battle by stealing supplies, and ended it stealing back Amity Park to the Living Realm.

Danny Phantom is the High King of the Infinite Realms, the Infant Ancient of Thieves.

This gives him a few perks none of the other High Kings had, namely the biggest and most important one; as the Ancient of Thieves, there are, quite literally, no sigils, cages, or traps that can detain him.

So evading the GIW is a breeze now, as is not getting caught by his parents.

The annoying part is constantly having to prove this to delusional cultists when he's summoned.

~~~~~~

John Constantine, who is well aware that the title of High King changed hands and is also aware that the newest Ancient is the Ancient of Thieves, is betting on being able to convince the strange Ancient to steal him.

Because Constantine is trapped in a room with walls that are literally closing in, it's filling with water, and any potential exit is enchanted by demons to prevent him from leaving.

He really, really pissed them off this time.

But, he thinks as the Ancient of Thieves appears before him, they forgot to set the enchantments to stop him from bringing someone in.

Did gas stations stop selling egg rolls? None of the ones around me have any.

I miss them :(