#cap city comedy club

[laf-outloud]

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Oh Captain, my Captain🏴‍☠️🏴‍☠️ What an amazing weekend of sold out shows with the one & only Rhys Darby!!

It's a guys night out for Jared, Charlie and Anson!

[theblackprint67]

Bernard Jeffrey McCullough (October 5, 1957 – August 9, 2008), better known by his stage name Bernie Mac, was an American comedian and actor. Born and raised on Chicago's South Side, Mac gained popularity as a stand-up comedian. He joined fellow comedians Steve Harvey, Cedric the Entertainer, and D. L. Hughley in the film The Original Kings of Comedy.

After briefly hosting the HBO show Midnight Mac, Mac appeared in several films in smaller roles. His most noted film roles were as Frank Catton in the 2001 remake of Ocean's 11 and as the title character of Mr. 3000. He was the star of his eponymous show, which ran from 2001 through 2006, earning him two Emmy Award nominations for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series.

Mac's other films included starring roles in The Players Club, Head of State, Bad Santa, Guess Who, Pride, Soul Men.

Early life and Education

Bernard Jeffrey McCullough was born on October 5, 1957, in Chicago, Illinois. Mac was the second child of Mary McCullough and Jeffrey Harrison. Mac was raised by his single mother (who died of cancer when he was sixteen years old) and his grandparents on the city's south side.

Mac began his high school career at Chicago Vocational High School. His mother died in 1973 when he was 16 years old. Shortly afterward, Mac's older brother and his estranged father both died. Mac later graduated from Chicago Vocational High School in 1975.

During his 20s and through his early 30s, Mac worked in a variety of jobs, including janitor, coach, professional mover, cook, bus driver, Wonder Bread delivery man, furniture mover, and UPS agent, while doing comedy on the weekends at clubs and parties.

Career (Rise to success)

Bernie Mac's influences were from The Three Stooges and listening to stand-up comedians Richard Pryor and Redd Foxx. Mac started as a stand-up comedian in Chicago's Cotton Club. After he won the Miller Lite Comedy Search at the age of 32, his popularity as a comedian began to grow. A performance on HBO's Def Comedy Jam thrust him into the spotlight; after Martin Lawrence was unable to calm an increasingly hostile crowd, Mac went onstage and said, "I ain't scared o' you mothafuckas," telling the audience that he "didn't come here for no foolishness."

Mac opened for Dionne Warwick, Redd Foxx and Natalie Cole. He played a small role in 1994's House Party 3 as Uncle Vester. He also had a short-lived talk show on HBO titled Midnight Mac. Later, Mac also acted in minor roles, playing Mr. Johnson the no-nonsense owner of a grille and diner in the movie B.A.P.S., and "Pastor Clever" in Ice Cube's 1995 vehicle Friday. Following that role, Mac was chosen to play the title role in the 1995 Apollo revival of The Wiz.

Mac had his first starring role as "Dollar Bill", a silly, slick-talking club owner in 1998's The Players Club. Mac was able to break from the traditional "black comedy" genre, having roles in the 2001 remake of Ocean's Eleven and becoming the new Bosley for the Charlie's Angels sequel, Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle.

The Bernie Mac Show

In 2001, the Fox network gave Mac his own television sitcom called The Bernie Mac Show portraying a fictional version of himself. In the show, he suddenly becomes custodian of his sister's three children after she enters rehab. Mac broke the fourth wall to tell his thoughts to the audience.

The show contained many parodies of events in Bernie's actual life. Mac, who grew up on Chicago's South Side, was a fan of the Chicago White Sox, and would often sneak a reference to his favorite team in episodes, including enlisting then-White Sox pitcher Jon Garland to make a guest cameo appearance. In the 2005 season he wore a White Sox jacket and cap, and congratulated his hometown Chicago White Sox and their staff members on their recent World Series championship.

The show was not renewed after the 2005–2006 season. The series finale aired on April 14, 2006. Among other awards, the show won an Emmy for "Outstanding Writing", the Peabody Award for excellence in broadcasting, and the Humanitas Prize for television writing that promotes human dignity. His character on The Bernie Mac Show was ranked No. 47 in TV Guide's list of the "50 Greatest TV Dads of All Time".

During his run on the show, Mac had co-starring roles in Bad Santa and Head of State, as well as starring roles in the baseball-themed film Mr. 3000, and Guess Who?,a remake of the film Guess Who's Coming to Dinner.

Later years, illness and death

On March 19, 2007, Mac told David Letterman on the CBS Late Show that he would retire from his 30-year career after he finished shooting the comedy film, The Whole Truth, Nothing but the Truth, So Help Me Mac. "I'm going to still do my producing, my films, but I want to enjoy my life a little bit", Mac told Letterman. "I missed a lot of things, you know. I was a street performer for two years. I went into clubs in 1977 and was on the road 47 weeks out of the year."

During this time, Mac was having success as a popular film actor, starting with an appearance in the 2007 film Transformers as the car salesman "Bobby Bolivia", and serving as the voice of Zuba, Alex the Lion's long-lost father in Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa. He co-starred with Samuel L. Jackson in the 2008 musical comedy Soul Men. These last two movies were released months after his death. His final film role was as Jimmy Lunchbox in the 2009 film Old Dogs which was released a year after his death.

In the final four years of his life, Mac publicly disclosed that he had had sarcoidosis, a disease of unknown origin that causes inflammation in tissue. Sarcoidosis frequently attacked his lungs. On July 19, 2008, Mac was admitted to the Northwestern Memorial Hospital in his hometown of Chicago. After being treated in the ICU for three weeks, Mac went into cardiac arrest and subsequently died during the early morning hours on August 9, from complications of sarcoidosis at the age of 50.

Mac's public memorial was held a week after his death at the House of Hope Church, with nearly 7,000 people in attendance. Notable mourners at Mac's funeral were Chris Rock, Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley, Samuel L. Jackson, Ashton Kutcher, Don Cheadle, the cast members from The Bernie Mac Show, and his Kings of Comedy fellows D. L. Hughley, Cedric the Entertainer, and Steve Harvey.

Personal Life

Mac married his high school sweetheart Rhonda Gore on September 17, 1977, and together they had a daughter, Je'Niece, born in 1978.

In the 2003 National League Championship Series, Mac sang "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" at Wrigley Field with the Chicago Cubs leading the Florida Marlins in the series 3 games to 2 and in Game 6 by a 2–0 score at the time (it would soon be 3–0 in the bottom of the 7th). Instead of saying "root, root, root for the Cubbies" Mac said, "root, root, root for the champs!, champs!" The Cubs lost the game following the Steve Bartman incident and the series, with some fans claiming that Mac helped jinx the Cubs. Mac later admitted that he had hated the North Side's Cubs his whole life, being a die-hard fan of the South Side's White Sox, and was seen during the White Sox' 2005 World Series victory at U.S. Cellular Field.

Mac had a history of health problems before he went public with his health struggles. The first occurred in the summer of 2004, when Mac was filming both Ocean's Twelve and Guess Who while also promoting Mr. 3000. He was set to film the remainder of Season 4 of The Bernie Mac Show in October of that year, but due to contracting pneumonia in both lungs and suffering from exhaustion, Fox halted production for four weeks so Mac could recover.

Legacy and tributes

The first two of Mac's posthumous films, Soul Men and Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa, were released three months after his death and were dedicated to him. Mac's third posthumously released and final film, Old Dogs, was released a year after his death. The 2008 Bud Billiken Parade, which was held in Chicago on the day of Mac's death, was also dedicated to his memory. On the day of Mac's funeral, his hometown's local television station WCIU-TV aired an exclusive television special, A Tribute to Bernie Mac, and had interviews with his former colleagues including Camille Winbush, Chris Rock, Joe Torry, Cameron Diaz, Don Cheadle, and some of his family members & close friends.

During Steve Harvey's television show which aired November 14, 2016, Harvey read a proclamation from Chicago's Mayor Rahm Emanuel proclaiming November 14 as "Bernie Mac Day". Steve Harvey's guests included Bernie's wife Rhonda, their daughter Je'Niece, granddaughter Jasmine, and Bernie's The Original Kings of Comedy co-stars D. L. Hughley, Cedric the Entertainer, and Guy Torry (who was the original host at the beginning of the tour). Mike Epps, appearing via satellite, along with the principal of Bernie and Rhonda's alma mater Chicago Vocational High School (CVS), revealed and unveiled the renaming of CVS Auditorium to the "Bernie Mac Auditorium".

On February 14, 2017, Rolling Stone named Bernie Mac #41 of the 50 Best Stand-Up Comics of All Time.

[laresearchette]

Saturday, February 01, 2025 Canadian TV Listings (Times Eastern)

WHERE CAN I FIND THOSE PREMIERES?: AN UNEXPECTED VALENTINE (W Network) 8:00pm

WHAT IS NOT PREMIERING IN CANADA TONIGHT? NEW YORK HOMICIDE (Premiering on February 3 on Oxygen Canada at 9:00pm

NEW TO AMAZON PRIME CANADA/CBC GEM/CRAVE TV/DISNEY + STAR/NETFLIX CANADA:

AMAZON PRIME CANADA 2 FAST 2 FURIOUS 12 ANGRY MEN 24 (Seasons 1-9) THE 40 YEAR-OLD VIRGIN A.K.A CASSIUS CLAY ADVENTURE OF PRISCILLA QUEEN OF THE DESERT AMAZING GRACE AMERICAN GLADIATORS 1989 (Seasons 1-7) AMERICAN PIE AMERICAN GLADIATORS 2008 (Seasons 1-2) THE APARTMENT ARIZONA WHIRLWIND BAMBOO GODS AND IRON MEN THE BAREFOOT CONTESSA BEST MEN THE BIG COUNTRY BIRDMAN OF ALCATRAZ BLACK CAESAR BLACK GIRL BLACK MAMA, WHITE MAMA BLUE SKY BONES (Seasons 1-12) BRANNIGAN THE BREAKFAST CLUB BUCKTOWN BUFFALO BILL AND THE INDIANS BUSTING CAPOTE CARBON COPY CARRINGTON THE CHILDREN’S HOUR CITY OF GHOSTS COTTON COMES TO HARLEM CRIME AND PUNISHMENT DANCES WITH WOLVES DAY OF THE OUTLAW DESPICABLE ME DESPICABLE ME 2 DESPICABLE ME 3 DEUCES WILD DIAMOND DOVES AT COLD HEARTS A DRY WHITE SEASON ELMER GANTRY EXODUS THE EXORCIST III F/X 2 FARGO (1996) FAST & FURIOUS THE FAST AND THE FURIOUS THE FAST AND THE FURIOUS: TOKYO DRIFT FAST & FURIOUS 6 FAST FIVE THE FATE OF THE FURIOUS FIDDLER ON THE ROOF THE FIRST TIME A FISH CALLED WANDA FIVE ON THE BLACK HAND SIDE FOXFIRE LIGHT THE FRENCH LIEUTENANT’S WOMAN THE FUGITIVE KIND FURIOUS 7 GHOST WORLD GHOSTS CAN’T DO IT THE GREAT WALL H.G. WELLS’ THE GOOD OF THE GODS HAMMER THE HANDMAID’S TALE HELL UP IN HARLEM HENDRIX HENRY V HERO AND THE TERROR HIDDEN AGENDA HOLIDAY HEART HOME THE HOSPITAL HOTEL RWANDA HOW TO MURDER YOUR WIFE ILLEGALLY YOURS INHERIT THE WIND INSERTS IRMA LA DOUCE IT’S A MAD, MAD, MAD WORLD THE JACKAL J.D.’S REVENGE JOE JOHNNY ENGLISH REBORN THE KENTUCKIAN THE KNACK AND HOW TO GET IT LAST EMBRACE LENNY LILIES OF THE FIELD LITTLE MAN TATE LITTLE RASCALS LOVE IS ALL THERE IS LOVE AT LARGE LUCY MADAGASCAR MADHOUSE THE MADNESS OF KING GEORGE MAKING MR. RIGHT THE MALTA STORY MAN OF THE YEAR THE MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE MARRIED TO THE MOB MARTY MEN AT WORK MERMAIDS A MILLION WAYS TO DIE IN THE WEST MINIONS THE MIRACLE WORKER MISSISSIPPI BURNING THE MONKEY HUSTLE MOULIN ROUGE MY BEAUTIFUL LAUNDRETTE NAVAJO JOE THE NINE LIVES OF FRITZ THE CAT NUTTY PROFESSOR II: THE KLUMPS OLD DRACULA ON THE BEACH OSAMA PENITENTIARY PENITENTIARY II PETER PAN PHAEDRA PLATOON POCKET LISTING PRESSURE POINT THE PRIDE AND THE PASSION PUBLIC ENEMIES THE QUATERMASS XPERIMENT R.I.P.D RALLY CAPS RED RIVER ROBIN HOOD ROMANTIC COMEDY RUN THE TIDE RUNNING SCARED RUSSIANS ARE COMING, THE RUSSIANS ARE COMING SAFE HOUSE SAMARITAN: THE MITCH SNYDER STORY SAYONARA THE SCARF SCORPIO SCREAM, BLACULA, SCREAM! THE SECRET PLACE SHEBA, BABY SOME GIRLS STAY HUNGRY STORMY MONDAY STRAIGHT OUTTA COMPTON SUGAR HILL SUMMER HEAT SWEETLAND TAFFIN TANK GIRL TED TEEN WOLF TOO THIS IS 40 THROW MOMMA FROM THE TRAIN THUNDER ROAD TO LIVE AND DIE IN L.A. TOP GUN TOPKAPI TURBO TWO FOR THE SEESAW UNFORGETTABLE UPTOWN GIRL THE USUAL SUSPECTS VALLEY GIRL VICIOUS LIPS THE WICKED LADY THE WILD ANGELS WINTERHAWK WITNESS FOR THE PROSECUTION YOUNGBLOOD

CBC GEM ALI INVISIBLE BEAUTY LAKAY NOU SUMMER OF SOUL (…OR, WHEN THE REVOLUTION COULD NOT BE TELEVISED)

CRAVE TV BOOKWORM

DISNEY + STAR GILMORE GIRLS (Seasons 1-7)

NETFLIX CANADA AMERICAN BEAUTY ARRIVAL A BROTHER’S LOVE CAFE DE FLORE DIRTY GRANDPA THE FABELMANS MARY KILLS PEOPLE (Seasons 1-3) THE PORTER (Season 1) RED EYE ROYAL RUMBLE: 2025 SAKAMOTO DAYS (JP) (NEW EPISODE) SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS: SEASON 8 TAXI DRIVER

NHL HOCKEY (SN) 1:00pm: Chicago vs. Panthers (SN) 3:30pm: Rangers vs. Bruins (CBC/SN) 7:00pm: Leafs vs. Oilers (CityTV/SNWest) 7:00pm: Jets vs. Capitals (SN1) 7:00pm: Wild vs. Sens (CBC/SN) 10:00pm: Red Wings vs. Flames

NBA BASKETBALL (TSN4/TSN5) 5:00pm: Hawks vs. Pacers (SN Now) 8:00pm: Kings vs. Thunder (TSN/TSN4/TSN5) 8:30pm: Lakers vs. Knicks

JAMES & ISEY (APTN) 7:00pm: Ninety-nine-year-old Ngāti Manu woman Isey Cross lives with her devoted adult son James, on a farm in Kawakawa - a small town on New Zealand's North Island; cheeky and vivacious, Isey is preparing to celebrate her 100th year on earth.

HELD HOSTAGE IN MY HOUSE (Lifetime Canada) 8:00pm: A single mother wakes up to find herself hogtied and held captive at her country vacation rental by an unknown assailant. She must piece together clues from the previous guests to find out who is behind this.

SOUNDS BLACK (History Channel Canada) 8:00pm/9:00pm (SERIES PREMIERE): Discovering the roots of Black music in Canada, from the early black settlers of the Underground Railroad to the 1960s Caribbean migration, which introduced music which shaped all music within Canada today. In Episode Two, examining the systemic barriers that Black artists face in the radio and music label industries and how this led to pivotal moments and historic protests that shaped the current landscape of the music industry today.

SPENCER (CTV Life) 8:00pm: The marriage between Princess Diana and Prince Charles has grown cold. Though rumors of affairs and a divorce abound, peace is ordained for the Christmas festivities at the queen's estate. However, this year, things will be profoundly different.

BABYLON (Crave) 9:00pm: Decadence, depravity and outrageous excess lead to the rise and fall of several ambitious dreamers in 1920s Hollywood.

THUNDER BAY (Oxygen Canada) 10:00pm: Ryan learns that the Thunder Bay Police Service is on the verge of collapse; Indigenous police board member Georjann Morriseau reveals that Police Chief Hauth has opened a criminal investigation into her to force her into silence.

DON'T WORRY DARLING (CTV Life) 10:30pm: Alice and Jack live in Victory, an experimental company town that houses the men who work on a top-secret project. However, when cracks in her seemingly idyllic life begin to appear, Alice suspects something sinister is lurking below the surface.

BOOKWORM (Crave) 12:10am: Mildred's life is turned upside down when her mother lands in hospital and her father, Strawn Wise, comes to look after her. Strawn takes Mildred camping in the rugged New Zealand wilderness and the pair embark on the ultimate test of family bonding.

A STAR IS BORN (2018) (CTV) 12:30am: Hard-drinking country music star Jackson Maine discovers -- and falls in love with -- a struggling but talented singer named Ally. As her career quickly takes off, Jackson starts to realize that his best days may be behind him.

[nsfwmiamiart]

For Ben Affleck & Matt Damon - Read this - 17 thrilling action film ideas - I encourage you to add your own ideas too and I'm sure you'll make these 17 ideas a million times better. Cheers!

Let’s create an exciting list of action film scenes that blend comedy, suspense, fights, and plot twists. Buckle up for a thrilling ride:

Skyline Raiders: In a world where cities float above the clouds, a band of rebels fights to overthrow a tyrannical sky lord controlling the floating metropolises. Imagine epic aerial battles, daring heists, and gravity-defying stunts as they challenge the status quo1.

Neon Samurai: Set in a futuristic Tokyo, a rogue AI resurrects ancient samurai to enforce its rule. A group of hackers must ally with the last true samurai to stop this digital menace. Picture neon-lit sword fights, cybernetic enhancements, and a clash of ancient honor and modern technology1.

Arctic Inferno: An elite team of firefighters faces their greatest challenge when a series of volcanic eruptions threaten to melt the polar ice caps. Think intense rescue missions, lava-filled landscapes, and frosty suspense as they battle nature’s fury1.

Gravity Runners: In a city where gravity can be manipulated, a group of parkour artists becomes involved in a heist to steal a device that controls this power. Expect jaw-dropping chase sequences, rooftop acrobatics, and unexpected double-crosses1.

Ghosts of the Sahara: A team of archaeologists unearths an ancient curse in the Sahara, unleashing spirits that they must now contain. Imagine desert shootouts, ancient artifacts, and a race against time to prevent catastrophe1.

Ocean’s Fury: After a rogue wave cripples their submarine, a crew must navigate underwater dangers to prevent a nuclear reactor meltdown. Picture claustrophobic tension, deep-sea battles, and high-stakes decision-making1.

The Last Library: In a future where books are banned, a band of rebels fights to protect the last remaining library from destruction by a totalitarian regime. Expect covert operations, hidden knowledge, and a battle for intellectual freedom1.

Cyber Gladiator: In a digital realm, a skilled gamer is thrust into a real-life battle when his online enemies materialize in the real world. Think virtual combat, glitchy landscapes, and a quest for survival across dimensions1.

The Maze of Minos: Modern adventurers discover the legendary Labyrinth of Crete, battling a monstrous new Minotaur with ancient secrets. Imagine deadly traps, mythical creatures, and a maze where every turn holds danger1.

Echoes of Atlantis: A deep-sea diver discovers the lost city of Atlantis, only to find it’s a high-tech civilization at war with surface nations. Picture underwater battles, advanced weaponry, and a hidden society on the brink of collapse1.

Ironclad: In medieval Europe, a band of warriors wearing experimental armor must defend their kingdom against an overwhelming enemy. Expect gritty battles, innovative weaponry, and personal sacrifices for the greater good1.

Chrono Clash: Time travelers from various eras are pitted against each other in a deadly game controlled by a mysterious force. Think historical clashes, paradoxes, and unexpected alliances across time1.

Shadow Boxer: A boxer gains the ability to become invisible and must use his powers to dismantle an underground fight club empire. Picture intense boxing matches, cloak-and-dagger tactics, and a quest for justice1.

The Sandstorm: A team of scientists and soldiers must survive a massive sandstorm that reveals an ancient predator stalking them. Imagine desert survival, shifting landscapes, and a creature straight out of nightmares1.

Neon Knights: In a neon-lit, dystopian city, a group of motorbike-riding knights protect the innocent from gangs and corrupt officials. Expect high-speed chases, neon-soaked visuals, and a fight for justice on two wheels1.

Blackout: An EMP blast leaves New York in darkness, and a group of survivors must navigate the chaos to restore power. Think urban survival, rival factions, and a race against time before society collapses1.

Vortex: A team of storm chasers gets trapped in a series of artificially created superstorms, uncovering a plot to weaponize weather. Picture tornadoes, lightning strikes, and a conspiracy that shakes the world1.

And there you have it—17 thrilling action film ideas! Feel free to mix and match, add your own twists, and create an adrenaline-pumping cinematic experience for your audience. Lights, camera, action! 🎬🔥

[thestoriesincoffeestains]

"Seriously, after a few years performing in nearly every comedy club in the city, I can honestly say I've either smelled worse or just lost the sense entirely." She reached for the local IPA, placed it against the lip of the kitchen counter, and slammed her hand against the cap, catching it before it fell to the floor. "Thanks," she said, moving into the living room to settle on the couch, smooth, cinnamon legs crossed.

He laughed. When she pulled out a candle he smiled glad to know they were on the same page. He'd found two candles and lit them, one on the table and one in the kitchen. Quinton caught the candle and brought it into the living room, he put it on the coffee table and lit it. "Well, I did already shower so hopefully I don't smell too dank," he teased and moved to the fridge, he pulled out two different beers and offered her a choice. Bottle or can, one local IPA and another basic but good.

[thelaughbutton]

Austin’s Cap City Comedy Club, which closed due to COVID, is reopening

Austin’s Cap City Comedy Club, which closed due to COVID, is reopening

Some more good news coming out of Austin, Texas. In addition to the recent news of The Creek & Cave moving to Texas, a second club that was shuttered due to the pandemic has announced plans to make a comeback. Last year, we reported on the unfortunate closing of the Cap City Comedy Club after 35 years, due to the pandemic. The good news is now they have plans to reopen. “Known for presenting the…

[fleckcmscott]

Room Service

Summary: A radio program spurs Arthur's bolder side. What he comes up with is just what Y/N needs.

Words: 4,389

Warnings: Swearing, Smut

A/N: This story has been percolating in my brain, since my husband and I rewatched Vertigo a few weeks back. 🌃 Hope you all enjoy this fun little excursion! A special thank you to @iartsometimes​ for beta-ing! 😃

If you have any thoughts or questions, please comment, feel free to message me, or send me an ask. Requests for Arthur and WWH are open!

It was a sunny day in Gotham City, and Arthur's heart beat with a warmth to match. Three sugar cubes sweetened a mug of staff room coffee, a stale but free offer. He tapped cigarette ash into the metal sink, counted down the seconds. Pressed painted lips into a line, crimson curved by unfurling pride.

When - when exactly - had he become the kind of man who'd book a hotel for a rendezvous?

Sure, Y/N and he had overnighted before. Hotels and motels and one inn with strands of hair stuck to the soap. And they'd made love at most of them. But getting it on (as one of her favorite songs called it) hadn't been the purpose of their stays. One weekend, he'd tagged along to Philadelphia during the East Coast Paralegal conference, where he'd shrugged at the Liberty Bell and taken in a comedy show. Despite her comment that Boston felt like a sibling trying to keep up with Gotham, the city had had its charms.

Maybe he should thank Dr. Sally. They'd finally caught her show together, sans tight fit in the tub. "It's Perfectly Normal" had been the episode's title, exemplifying the good doctor's usual encouragements. In what she'd described as an effort to put listeners at ease and start a dialogue between the sexes, she'd discussed men and women's most common sexual fantasies. He'd licked his thumb and turned to a fresh page in his notebook.

Men dreamed of touching their lovers' intimately (been there), going down on them (done that),and receiving in turn (check, check, check). Beyond faceless fantasy women, sleeping with a stranger held no interest for him. He'd be liable to crack up and droop in five seconds flat.

Domination was what women desired, a type of power play. The notion had made him shift in his seat. Those dynamics hadn't ever existed between he and Y/N, not that he was aware. They went with what felt natural, what felt good, what felt right. Why complicate it when life was already complicated enough? At Dr. Sally's mention of threesomes, Y/N had taken on the look of a woman who'd eaten bad fish. But the phrase New Location had ironed out the wrinkles on her nose.

From where she'd knelt to dust the TV stand, she'd shot him a look brimming with suggestion. "Write that one down."

He had. Over and over in the margins. That was a language his romantic inclinations understood, a vocabulary that matched.

On his way home from an appointment, he'd walked seven extra blocks, muttering and smoking and wondering where they should go. Dinner at Bamonte's was guaranteed to start with gnocchi and end inside her. A romp in her office was out of the question. The mere thought of it made his frame stiff as a ramrod. If they screwed up and her boss somehow caught wind of it...

Then the answer stopped Arthur in his tracks.

A four-story sign dominated the early twentieth century building, read "Hotel Empire" in vertical neon letters. The place was six stories short with a stucco façade. It was narrow, four rooms across, squished between the apartment building to its right and the club to its left as an afterthought.

With the practiced swagger of the hoping to impress, Arthur crossed the lobby's faded marble floor. He lay an arm on the mahogany front desk and addressed the lone receptionist. "Hi. I'd like to book a room for next week."

The middle-aged man in a bellman cap gnawed a soggy toothpick. He had the craggy face of a fellow working stiff. "The whole week?"

"No. Just Thursday. Thursday night."

Toothpick flipped through a reservation book, tapped a series of blank lines. "We've got a couple on the third floor. Non-smoking. Two doubles or twins?"

"One king?"

A hotel reservation sheet slid across the desk. "Fill this out. I'll need an ID."

Once Arthur had stuffed his Gotham City ID back in his wallet, he jotted his name, address, and initialed the nonrefundable deposit agreement. But the form demanded a phone number.

"You can't call about it," he said. Realizing how this could be misconstrued, he fumbled with the pen. "It's a surprise. For my wife."

Toothpick's pause said he'd heard this story often enough to disbelieve it. "Uh huh. Well, show up or not. It's no skin off my nose." He stuck the papers in a leatherette folder, where gold letters spelling Hotel Empire had flaked off. "Check-in starts at three, you've gotta check out by eleven. We have in-room dining, but if you ask me, $6.95 for a BLT ain't worth it." He bent and spit his toothpick in the trash as if hawking tobacco in a spittoon. Arthur managed to blink instead of recoil. Toothpick continued and straightened his cap. "Dunbar's is two blocks down, that's a better bet if you ask me. If you've got any questions, just call. See you next week."

Arthur had exited with his pulse racing like a snare drum - and it hadn't slowed since.

"Hey, my man."

Ryan's energetic greeting tugged Arthur back to the present. Ryan was a teacher in what was called the resource room, which meant he taught children with learning challenges. Children like Arthur. Ryan's wife Sheila had hired Arthur for a birthday party last summer, and they'd found Carnival so charming, he'd been recommended for Gotham Elementary's winter fundraiser. A return to his old stomping ground.

"Lunch period's almost over." Ryan offered a divided lunch tray with five chicken nuggets, reconstituted mashed potatoes, canned peas, a cinnamon roll, and a small carton of milk. "The kids are already lining up for more of your puffy stickers, and it's my turn in the sponge toss."

Stubbing out his cigarette, Arthur took the tray. His grip on it tightened. "Do you think I could get out of here at three? I know we'd said four, but I have a date. I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner. I'll give you back the six dollars for the hour. You- You can put it in the donation bo-"

"It's all right. These kids'll be ready for a nap at two. Hell, I'll want one." Ryan sat on the metal table parallel to the sink. "What's your girl do, anyway?"

"She's a paralegal. She has a three-day trial this week, and I wanted to, you know. Make it easier."

Ryan snagged a nugget from the tray. "You don't have to explain. Sheila's been nagging me to go see that new movie, the one where the chick dies just when the guy tells her he loves her? What a waste." A long resigned, sigh. "I should probably take her this weekend. It'll make my life easier."

Arthur grinned. Maybe he and Ryan were on the bumpy track to becoming friends. And a good friend would offer advice. "Y/N and I go to Capitol Cinemas. They have couple seats, and the popcorn has three types of toppings."

~~~~~

Y/N strode along the Ditmas Ave subway platform, excusing herself, weaving her way in and out of the throng. She ascended concrete stairs, sucked in a long breath. Crisp air filled her lungs, eased the tension from her tendons. Welcome invigoration after hours of being trapped inside Gotham Central Court House, a grand old Romanesque building in dire need of an updated ventilation system. Its chlorine corridors stank of a YMCA pool.

When she slid through her apartment's door, her canvas court bag dropped to the floor. She toed off her commuter boots, peeled away her suede gloves. "I'm home!" she called.

Only to be answered by silence.

She stepped forward into the living room. A rerun should've played on TV, or the radio set to Arthur's beloved golden oldies while he puttered about. She checked her watched. Hm.

He'd said he'd be back by five; it was nearing quarter to now. The doors to the bathroom and bedroom stood open, tiles and blankets bathed in inky blackness. Itching to glimpse the burning end of a cigarette, she went to the glass door to the fire escape. It was nicotine free.

The O line could've gotten stuck on the tracks, or Arthur's gig might've gone so well that he was in the middle of handing out business cards. She hoped it was the latter. Unbuttoning her wool coat, she turned towards the kitchen, ready to throw together a dinner with whatever was in their cupboards. A spaghetti and garlic tomato sauce kind of night.

A low light in the corner of her eye, slivers of soft yellow behind the room divider in the rear corner. Ah ha. That was it. He was lost in thought and notebook in equal measure. She padded to the writing nook, ready to cup his shoulders, peck the crown of his head, drown in the potent musk of his hair.

The empty chair arched her brow. But there was a crème brûlée envelope on his desk, her name in uneven cursive. Smack in the middle, sure to grab her attention. A magnet that drew all the iron in her blood.

Eager fingers tore the flap. Aftershave wafted to her nose, smoked sandalwood and man. A black business card peeked out, framed by gold Gatsby corners, an ad for a hotel in Hinkley she'd never heard of. The accompanying note was folded in half. "Meet me here. Room 307." She pressed the lined paper to her sternum, iron rushing to spots below her waistline.

Whether it was thoughtful gestures or his simple presence, Arthur had a knack for brightening the most stressful day. Just a couple weeks ago, he'd called her office to say he'd picked up her favorite bottle of wine. It was as though finding someone wasn't the only thing he considered an accomplishment (a point of view that too often led to low efforts), but also the choice to maintain, to nurture the ideas that defined their couplehood. A beautiful perspective that made him so easy to love.

It made Y/N sheepish, how initiating those gestures didn't come as naturally to her, nor as often. No, she never missed special occasions and holidays. And she was good at the tough stuff, a stabilizing wall, stalwart and true. Still. She wanted to get better at the return.

Another whiff of cologne hit her nostrils, spurred her to hurry to the bedroom. She flicked on the light, rifled through the top right drawer of the vanity, where she found a bottle of perfume. Puckering her lips, she swept plum pink along the bottom, applied a dot of pigment to the corners. One hand unbuttoned the first two buttons of her scarlet blouse. The other touched up her eyeliner and shoved the stick in her skirt pocket.

She'd make what he'd planned for tonight a chance to start evening the score.

~~~~~

Not too shabby, not too fancy. A good room and Arthur had done well to book it.

Two bay windows overlooked the street, cracked pavement mottled by slush. Drawn velvet drapes allowed neon light to coat the space in a rich verdant. Pointed blocks intersected egg-and-dart molding at each corner, stark white on satin walls. The dials on the television threwback to the age when he'd have to get off his ass to change the channel. A compact writing desk buttressed the far wall, Mr. Coffee machine and paper filters ready for use. Perfectly plumped pillows had a thank you card along with two after dinner mints, like out of a movie. He ate them both.

He sat on the edge of the bed and bounced twice. The right amount of give, the springs' squeaks quiet enough to be a pleasant soundtrack instead of a disturbance that'd prompt a call from Toothpick. Arthur peeled back the polyester blanket and comforter, ran a palm over the sheets. Freshly laundered, smooth and luxurious. Six hundred count that'd feel like silk on his skin. He set the woodgrain clock radio to GCR, just in time for Down Memory Lane, which featured songs from the 1920s to 50s, guaranteed to make every listener swing.

Strolling to the bathroom, he muffled a laugh. This entire adventure felt illicit, as though Y/N was his dirty little secret, a secret he knew inside and out. A sort of reversal of when she'd propositioned him, invited him over with candidly explicit intentions. A race of sensation goosepimpled his flesh, a tickle that shivered his bones. A kind of nervous anticipation akin to what he'd felt backstage during his debut at Pogo's - the difference being that success was guaranteed tonight.

Arthur breathed into his palm to test his breath. A streak of blue paint lingered under his left eye. He wet the corner of a white washcloth and scrubbed it away.

Just then there was a knock at the door.

Light on his heels, he straightened the collar of his V-Neck sweater. Tucked brown waves behind his ear and turned the knob.

There Y/N stood. Lovely, ravishing. Her feathery tresses smelled of fresh cut flowers and orange blossoms, a flustered pink flushed her cheeks. Her glass heart pendant shone. She puffed at a rapid one-two count. She braced herself on the doorframe, right hand on her hip. Her overnight bag dangled from the other. "Good evening, Mr. Fleck."

"Hi," he said, mirroring her stance. "Did your breath run away from you? If we hurry, we can catch it."

She stuck out her lower lip and blew a stray lock from her forehead. "The elevator had a line - tour bus - so I took the stairs." Her step over the threshold forced a foot's retreat. After he took her coat, her arms wound about his ribs. "How was your gig?"

"Good." The small talk felt perfunctory, a box to check on the way to what he wanted. He resolved to go with it, anyway. Truly set the scene. "I made coffee."

A soft sound, a peck right above his collar, and she was off, sashaying to the desk. She poured them both a cup, perched on the corner, crossed her legs. The position lengthened her calves. It was then he noticed she'd traded her winter boots for navy pumps. Given the slipperiness of the sidewalk, it was a miracle she'd arrived in one piece. (That would have been a night to remember: a rendezvous in the ER with a cracked fibula and vending machine M&Ms.) She offered a paper cup, the kind with playing cards printed on them.

He sat in the faux leather executive chair before her. Stirred sugar into coffee, examined the poker hand he'd been dealt. A royal flush. He leaned back, the chair tilting a relaxing thirty degrees. "How'd the trial go?"

"It's over, finally. Defense counsel spent their closing argument trying to impugn our client: a man who lost a leg. But being a recovering alcoholic has nothing to do with improper forklift maintenance. He wasn't drinking on the job. Juries hate cheap tricks, especially when they're full of working people. I'd be surprised if we didn't have a verdict tomorrow."

Arthur smiled along with her. They'd had plenty of ask and answer sessions, and he'd watched enough episodes of Gotham Law and Night Court to have a general understanding of her profession. "So you think the good guys will win?"

"Yes, and it's about time, too. But enough of that now." She angled her legs nearer, shoe dangling above his lap. Gaze flitting about the room, she took a sip. "When did you decide to do this?"

"When we listened to Dr. Sally awhile ago. Do you remember? I wanted to do something special but wasn't sure what."

"I can't believe that. You're wonderful at it."

He gulped his drink, took her foot in his grasp. He slipped off her high heel, rubbed his thumb into her arch in firm, vertical lines. A groan left her throat, her toes spreading wide. "Well," he said. "She helped me figure it out."

"Don't give her too much credit. It was somewhere in that head of yours." Gently, she pressed her foot to his chest, where his pulse thundered under her sole. Her voice dropped to a purr. "Or your romantic heart. I'd say you were inspired. You certainly inspired me."

Fingertips traced to the hem of her stockings. She'd changed into the pair with lace tops. His abdomen tightened. "Yeah?"

The shoe dropped from her other foot. "Yeah."

Suspense burgeoned between them, thickened into a heady haze. Her pupils locked on his, dilated by the low light and a hefty helping of desire. Her toes drew a line down his chest. He watched the descent, every follicle suddenly aware of that sketch.

"Mm." She sighed when she reached the growing bulge in his pants. "You're hard already."

Laughter caught in his nose. "I've been waiting for this all week."

Arthur stood to seize her waist, lift her from the desk. A surprised cry, a shriek of delight. Hot coffee splashed his sweater - the perfect excuse to get it off posthaste. He deposited her on the foot of the bed.

Y/N stretched as she sat. The motion lifted her breasts against her blouse, nipples sticking out like exclamation points, the size of blueberries. That meant her bra was in her bag, that she was naked beneath that thin satin. He yanked his sweater over his head, tossed it to the floor. She unbuttoned his pants, parted the zipper in one smooth motion. The shadow of movement brushed his length, gaped his lips. She tugged his briefs an inch below lean hips and took him out.

His cock rested flat on her palm. She curled her fingers around it. Rather than pumping, she swiped her thumb across the engorged tip, a delicate paintbrush on the canvas of his flesh. The tenderness of the caress seemed at odds with the carnality of the act. He liked it. He grew stiffer, until he was sure all blood had rushed to his lower head.

Smiling, she smooched his V-line, his patch of springy hair. His stomach stuttered at the exquisite fever of her mouth. "This isn't what I expected tonight," she said, and crawled up the mattress on her elbows.

"Well, what did you expect?"

"Oh, I don't know." Her legs splayed, woven polyester bunching at her waist. "A nice, respectable evening at home with you, It Could Be Yours, the paper. Maybe a joke or two."

"Are you disappointed?"

She gave his torso a raking stare. "Never."

He pushed her flat on the bed. Kissed her knuckles, the inside of her wrist, the crook of her elbow. He bent and sucked a nipple through her shirt. Wet the fabric with his tongue and sucked the moisture back out. Insistent tugs at his curls until he sucked again. The plain of her pubic bone tilted upwards and towards him. He slid a palm up her skirt. Unfastening, opening, throwing the cloth in a haphazard arc.

His erection brushed her stocking. His gaze traversed her curves, the faint stretchmarks on her thighs. She'd donned the panties she'd gotten as a bachelorette gift, the ones that tied at the hip. A triangle of black cloth that exposed more than it shielded. He pulled at one of the ribbons, eased the nylon aside. Caressed her open till she was liquid in his hands. Pointer and middle fingers formed a V around her clitoral hood, fluttered in a come hither motion.

A gasp, irregular breaths that were a hallmark of her pleasure. His mouth did not soften as he kissed her. She tore the buttons of her blouse, pressed her tongue to his, nipped at his lip. When the satin pooled at her elbows, her breasts spilled out in a tantalizing jostle. The right was slightly larger, the areola on the left a centimeter lower. Both beautiful and alluring and ready to fill his palms.

One hand dragged from his neck, followed the length of his spine, pushed his pants to his knees to squeeze his rear. Chuckling, he reached to yank them the rest of the way down, but they caught on his ankles. One kick, then one more. Y/N's foot hooked in the waistband and shoved them off.

Once she was nude, once only her panties remained, she loosened the other ribbon. Raising his lips from hers, he met her eyes. 

"I want you to fuck me," she whispered.

A sharp exhale. "You want me to fuck you?" A repetition that meant renewal. To ensure, to savor, to carve into his soul.

Her reply was to grasp his shaft, press the length of it to her vulva. She rutted upward and against it, did so again. Wet and slick and all he ever wanted. He groaned at that damp heat, a compass that always led home.

He sat on his haunches. Ran a palm over her flank. Took hold of her leg and brought it higher, so that the swell of her calf touched his bicep. Poised to enter her, he bent forward.

She pushed at him. "Ow, stop."

"What?"

She lowered her calf, wrapped it around him instead. "Your legs are younger than mine."

"But I wanna be between them forever." He eased just inside her entrance.

"Deeper." A greedy fist at his shoulder. "Go deeper."

So he did. Inch by aching inch. Grunting, he grabbed her breast, squeezed what was likely a bit too hard. No complaint came. Rather, her pelvis rose up into his. Walls gripped him tight, tighter. Hot and sleek. Warmth so feminine, so bracing, the essence of this act.

Propped on his forearms, he studied her. Her head twisted into the pillow, arms sprawled at her sides, fingertips digging into the sheets. A writhe that was nearly a dance. The neon light cascading through the windows spilled over her, cast his shadow onto her form. Sweat stuck her heart pendant to her chest.

At his next thrust, she moaned. A laugh rippled through the air. "Mr Fleck..." A rare second use of that nickname within one hour, a sure sign she was high on him. He wasn't too far behind. Another twist of her hips, as if trying to wring him out. "If you're not careful, I'll want a surprise every week."

His ruts slowed, stopped. He wiped hair from her cheeks, thumbs stroked her temples. "Where next?"

"The shower, your desk. There's always our bed." She turned to kiss his wrist, traced its tendon with the tip of her tongue. "I'm not picky. As long as you're inside me."

A golden wave of affection passed between them (and not a little ardor), a happy hum against her lips. She reached to toy with her clit, her knuckles pressed into his abdomen. She whimpered, tensed, hips rising in a frantic pattern that didn't quite match his. All at once her arms flung about him, clutching, clinging. But she hadn't finished. She'd caressed herself to the peak of the precipice but not over. She wanted them to get her off together.

Arthur drove into her again, pace quickening to an allegro. Nails biting his thigh, she seized around him. Pulsing, pulsing, pulsing. He watched her drift away, expression scrunching and smoothing into bliss. Harsh pants hit his chin, her sharp cries a song in his ear.

He nuzzled her cheek, kissed the curve of her jaw. "I love watching you come." It made him feel powerful, a king who could conquer anything.

Giggles and fluttering lashes, her hands cupping his ass. A flash of light and love in her eyes. She moistened her lips, lifted her mouth and hips to claim him.

Stomach to stomach, chest to chest, heart to racing heart. Thoughts fragmented, his body continuing its hungry hunt for relief. That hunt ended on a clipped moan, a prism of sensation. White-hot pleasure that doubled as surrender, surrender that felt like victory.

He rolled off her, onto his back. Armed sweat from his forehead and worked on slowing his breath. Feet turned out as relaxation oozed through his veins, slackened his limbs.

A kick to his calf, the flick of the bedside lamp, a flood of unwelcome light. He squinted in her direction. She was doubled-over the side of the bed. A smear of his release glistened on her thigh. Her shoulder blades moved as if two conversing waves, rising and falling with each bit of gossip.

"What're you looking for?" he asked.

"You'll see."

Using the nightstand as leverage, she pushed herself to the shore. The covers rustled as she lay on her stomach, mewling and stretching. She took his left hand. A point dragged across his palm, dry but smooth. His fingers twitched under her breath. It reminded him of when he'd tried to cheat his way through remedial English during freshman year, to be foiled by smudged ink.

When she released him, he studied what she'd done. It was an odd squiggle. A loop like a balloon, its string connected to what may have been a Y. He followed its oversized tail to the end, where an upside-down hook resided. He'd seen similarly strange markings at her office, when he'd dropped off lunch or picked up her set of keys.

"What is it?" he said.

"'I love you' in shorthand." She used her eyeliner pencil to explain how three symbols representing vowel sounds and common words connected into one. An analogy for how they'd connected and made one life.

Averting his eyes, he pressed the mark to his chest. "Will you write one in my journal?"

"Of course I will. You pick the page." She patted his belly, lay her cheek on his abdomen. "Does this place have room service? I'm starving. And I've never had room service. Think it'll come on silver platters?"

Arthur recalled Toothpick at the front desk's warning. Paying too much for the basics should've made him cringe, would've any other night. But she deserved a rare splurge. They both did. Even if it cost every cent he'd earned today. And he wanted to keep her undressed, wrapped only in a comforter, for as long as possible.

He tucked her in, then grabbed the phone on the nightstand. "I hear they have BLTs."

~~~~~

Tag list (Let me know if you want to be added!): @harmonioussolve​​​​ @ithinkimaperson​​​​ @sweet-nothings04​​​​ @stephieraptorr​​​​ @rommies​​​​ @fallenstarsabyss @gruffle1​​​​ @another-day-in-chuckletown​ @hhandley80​​​​ @jokerownsmysoul​​​​ @rafaelbottom @ralugraphics​​​​ @iartsometimes​​​​ @fleckficgirl​

[gxdsfavgal]

What about Steve Rogers thirst tweet prompt !

Tweeting Away

Pairing: Steve Rogers x fem!reader

Warnings: 18+ MDNI,start of smut but nothing wild just kissing and dirty dancing, alcohol

A/N: I added just a tad bit of comedy ... also i’m not that good at writing smut yet so i’m like easing myself into it

GIF by @noitsnotaudrey

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I’ve been interning for Pepper Potts at Stark Industries for about a year now, and that means I get to meet the Avengers and a plus is that I get the highest technology.

But meeting the Avengers is always like a dream, they are all so built well and they are naturally smart.

I’ve been lucky enough to meet one of my favorites, Steve Rogers. I was able to drink and talk to Cap while Tony hosted a party with many others who were invited.

Steve is one of the nicest men I have ever met and talked to. He made me his special drink from behind Tony’s bar, and let me tell you this old man knows how to make a drink that fucks you up.

Before I got drunk out of my mind I was able to exchange social media’s and number’s with the Avenger. Thank the lord for alcohol because I would not be able to do this without it.

Ever since that party I’ve been posting, hoping to get noticed by Steve but I don’t even know if the man knows how to use Twitter or Instagram.

Tonight some of my friends that didn’t work at Stark invited me out for a girls night, and I sure needed a break after the whole fight about signing the accords.

After work which was around 5pm, I rushed back to my apartment in Manhattan and began to get ready.

I made sure I shaved my legs, my pits and all of my goods. I made sure I was moisturized, smelt good and I made sure I had no fly away hairs.

I wasn’t the best at makeup so I just stayed with some neutral stuff and just went all out with my outfit.

I wore a short silk black dress and some black heels that Pepper got me as a intern gift. The dress was perfect, it hugged me in all the right places and it just made me feel like I could rule the world.

My phone buzzed from a notification, I picked it up to see what it was.

“Steve Rogers Tweeted:

I need to loosen up this weekend!🍾”

I was shocked to see that he finally posted something, though it was a perfect time to post also.

I set my phone as I ate a slice of toast, getting ready so I don’t drink on an empty stomach.

My phone buzzed once again, I looked at it and my eyes widened.

“Steve Rogers Tweeted:

Who wants to be touched😈”

I dropped my phone onto my kitchen counter, mentally screaming at myself. Mostly because of the emoji’s used but also because I could have a chance to drink and party with him again.

I took a few deep breaths, went to grab some vodka from my freezer and poured a shot or two for myself. Even though it was an hour until I had to go.

I turned up some music to basically pre-party hype me up.

I thought to myself. “No, I shouldn’t.” “Yes, you should”. and my thoughts battled for minutes.

Once the confidence kicked in from the shots and the music, I picked up my phone and sent him a text.

“10 pm.” I sent with the link and directions to the bar the girls and I were going to.

I got a phone call from one of the girls I was going out with, saying that our rideshare is about to be at my apartment.

I put on my heels and raced down the hall to the elevator to meet my friends at the car. They had their music with the volume max and they passed out more pregame shots.

Finally we made it to the other side of the city where the club was, it was the club we have always been going to.

I kept looking at my phone to see if there was any new notifications but there wasn’t.

“Who are you checking for?” one of my best friends asked as she tapped the glass of my phone.

“I invited someone, sorry I didn’t mention that earlier.” I yelled into her ear, hoping that she could hear me over the loud music.

“Oh don’t bother, go have some fun. Fuck shit up! But let us know if you need to go to the bathroom or if you’re leaving.” She yelled back into my ear, kissing my cheek as she and I swayed back and forth with the music.

My girls and I talked about life and danced with all our hearts, some of them danced on other people while my best friend and I acted like a couple.

My phone vibrated from inside my bra, I pulled my phone out as my friend held onto my so she didn’t lose me.

I saw that I got another notification from Steve’s twitter.

“Steve Rogers Tweeted:

Feels nice to finally be out in the city once again🍻”

Thoughts ran through my mind, ‘is he out with someone else?’ ‘is that why he didn’t text back?’. I began to freak out, until I remembered it was a girls night to just relax.

I put my phone back into my bra and went back to swaying my hips against my best friend while also singing to some of the best remixes.

I felt the hands of my friend leave my hips, but it shortly came back but with a strong grip and heavier hands.

I turned to see why there was a sudden weight change. I saw a muscular build that obviously was not my friends. My eyes trailed from the biceps to their face.

I turned my whole body around, my chest against theirs.

“Steve! You made it!” I yelled over the music as we danced tightly together.

He looked down at me, towering over with his hands still on my hips. One of his legs wedged in between both of mine.

I looked around for my friends and I saw them a few feet away dancing with random strangers, some of them peering their head at me and giving me winks and thumbs up.

“Of course I did!” He bent down to my ear so I could hear him better.

“Want a drink?” I asked with a smile.

He smiled with a nod and allowed me to pull him to the bar. We sat next to each other atop the high stools.

The bartender asked us what we wanted, and Steve stared at the menu on the wall for a few seconds.

“How about I order for you, old man?” I said as our body’s faced each other, our legs fitting with each other like a puzzle.

“Hit me, young one.” he grumbled against my ear.

I waved down another bartender. “One corpse reviver Number 2 on ice for this man right here and a gimlet for me please!” I spoke loudly to the bartender.

The bartender then moved on to make our drinks.

“So what are you doing here?” Steve asked me as he bounced his leg on the metal stretcher on the stools we sat on.

“Girls night.” I nodded.

“So why invite me?” he questioned.

“I saw your tweets.” he clicked his tongue at this as if it was embarrassing.

“Oh you saw those?” he chuckled with his elbow resting on the counter.

“Yeah, what was up with all those emoji’s?” I asked him with a giggle as the bartender placed the drinks by us, and taking my card that I handed him.

“That was all Peter and Sam.” He shook his head in embarrassment.

“Well maybe cool it with the emoji’s next time.” I playfully slapped his thigh as I brought my glass to my lips and taking a sip.

We talked, drank, and danced throughout the night. We stayed in this club for hours even with my feet staring to hurt and my dress beginning to be uncomfortable.

At this point of the night we were fucked up. Steve was laughing at anything and so was I, our cheeked heated up and so did the things we did.

There we were, in the middle of the clubs dance floor. His lips attacking my neck, leaving purple and pink marks.

His chest against my back, our hips synced with each other. His breaths hit my neck, causing goosebumps to form on my warm and sweaty body.

I can feel him hardening from the movement of body through his jeans. Our panting and swaying had made me pool in my panties.

My thighs rubbing together hoping to get some friction, his jeans being able to help with that.

The night was long, Steve and I was drunk but even with the amount of alcohol in his system he still was a gentleman. He ordered a Uber through my phone and got in the car with me to ensure I’m safe.

Once our driver dropped us off at my apartment building we lazily went up the elevator and to my apartment.

“Wow” He said as he blinked his eyes multiple times.

“What?” I plopped onto my couch and pulled a blanket over me.

“Your apartment is nice.” He sat by my feet.

I hummed a ‘thank you’ to him.

We sat their in silence, in my dimmed living room, just laying on my couch.

“I should probably get going.” He began to get up from the couch but I kicked his thigh, causing him to plop back into the couch.

“Stay.” I mumbled out.

“I really shouldn’t.”

I lifted my head up from the couch to look at him.

“Stay just for the night.” I stood up from the couch and wrapped myself with my blanket. There I stood in front of him so he had no way to get up from the couch.

“Alright.” He mumbled out as he put his hands behind his head.

I then rushed into my bedroom and quickly changed into pajamas, making sure to grab clothes for Steve too.

I ran back to the living room and threw the clothes for him to wear.

“Do you just have clothes that fit me laying around?” he asked as he took off his shirt.

“No. I just like wearing men’s clothes to sleep.” I beamed at him.

We stayed up for about another hour watching shows that pleased our minds before we knocked out on the couch. He held me in his arms on my narrow couch.

-

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A/N: i’m going to be honest, this is not one of my best works 😣

[papermoon4]

Gus Edwards’ RITZ-CARLTON NIGHTS

1926 to 1928

In August 1926 “star-maker” producer Gus Edwards put together an hour-long revue at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Atlantic City, New Jersey. The show was performed in the Hotel’s dining room.  Edwards was onstage as host, presenting young performers, mostly in the areas of song and dance.  Edwards was the author of such popular songs as "By the Light of the Silvery Moon", "He's My Pal", and "In My Merry Oldsmobile", among many others.

In the 1920s and 1930s, Atlantic City was a well-known try-out location for stage productions headed to Broadway or, in this case, vaudeville. The city then had 21 legitimate theatres, all less than two hours from New York.  Auditions were sometimes held on the beach! 

The non-musical portions of the show were penned by Nat and Max Lief, Will D. Cobb, and Howard Johnson.

After Atlantic City, the show was booked on the vaudeville circuit and toured until October 1928, playing theatres nation-wide - even one in New York City. 

The hour-long revue was often teamed with a film presentation or an orchestra performance. 

The most significant member of the original cast was Ray Bolger, a dozen years before his now-iconic role of the Scarecrow in the MGM feature film The Wizard of Oz.  Ironically, Edwards had also penned songs for a Broadway musical adaptation of “Wizard” in 1904. When Bolger wasn’t on stage in “Ritz-Carlton Nights” he was appearing in the Broadway revue “The Merry World” at the Imperial Theatre (then the Shubert Theatre). Doing triple duty, he also appeared in the Broadway revue “A Night In Paris” at the 44th Street Theatre (then Jolson’s 58th Street Theatre). To cap it off, that year he also made his film debut in the comedy short “The Berth Mark”.  All of this from August to October 1926!  

The show featured two sister acts, the most popular being Leota and Lola, the Lane Sisters. They had two other sisters, Priscilla and Rosemary, who did not appear in the show.  Both were ‘discovered’ by Gus Edwards singing in an Iowa theatre.

Also ‘featured’ in the cast was Nitza (aka Nitze) Vernille (nee Roper). She was 18 years old at the time. When she left the show in 1928, she was replaced on the bill by Senorita Armida, a specialty dancer not unlike Vernille. 

Also in the cast at various engagements: 

Gus Edwards, Emcee

Rosita & Roman, dancers

Margaret & Lillian Reynolds, dancers

Helen Lynd

Peggy Hoover

Dorothy (aka Dorothea / Doretha) James, tap dancer

Rosebud Morse

Little Paul Haakon, Russian Ballet

Virginia Martin

Jerry Dryden, ballet dancer

McManus, George Flynn, Paul Cadieux, Joseph Herbert, quartet

Jean Holly, violinist

Dora Maughan, comedienne

Walter Fehl, magician

Dezro E. Retter, acrobat / comedian

Irene Shaw, blackface

George Douglas, comedian / dancer 

Senorita Armida, dancer

Master Lucien La Rue, singer

Serge Flash, juggler

Maud Earl, classical singer

Hal Chamberlain, singer

Vivian Earle, singer

Ed & Tom Hickey

The Paige Sisters

Gertie & Archie Falls

SETTING

The show is set in a nightclub. Some reports say the first scene took place outside the Ritz-Carlton Hotel. 

BILL OF FARE (subject to change)

"I'm a Knight of the Night Clubs Now" - Emcee Gus Edwards sings a medley of his own songs peppered with words of praise for stars he discovered. 

"Youth Beauty and Harmony" -  The Lane Sisters 

"Youth Beauty and Grace" - Miss Jerry Dryden 

"Love Is Love in Any Language" - Edwards with Leota Lane (France), Margaret Reynolds (Scotland), Lillian Reynolds (Ireland), Lola Lane (Germany), Miss Jerry Dryden, and Miss Virginia Martin (USA)

"Wee Duo Fiddle" (violin solo) - Jean Holly 

"Pretty Little Dolly" - Lola Lane, Virginia Martin (dance)

Black Bottom (dance) - The Reynolds Sisters 

Soprano solo - Leota Lane

"Leg-o-mania" acrobatic dance - Virginia Martin 

"Daffy Dilly Canoe" - Ray (Rubber legs) Bolger 

"Everything Is Spanish Now" 

“My Casa Valentina* Girl” - Mr. Edwards with Miss Dryden, Miss Martin and The Reynolds Sisters "La Paloma" - The Lane Sisters  "La Palina" "Barcelona" - Ray (Rubberlegs) Bolger  "La Tamberina" - Miss Jerry Dryden 

"I'm a Knight of the Night Clubs Now" (finale) - Edwards and entire Company

*Casa Valentina was briefly the name given to the Ritz-Carlton Atlantic City Grill Room where the show was originally performed. 

THE SHOW HITS THE ROAD

Wilkes-Barre PA ~ October 1926 at the Capital Playhouse

Buffalo NY ~ November 1926 at the Loew’s State 

St. Louis MO ~ November 1926 at the Lowe’s State 

Pittsburgh PA ~ November-December 1926 at the Aldine Theatre

“...one of the most talented shows...with an abundance of snappy dancing, harmony and fun.”

Baltimore MD ~ December 1926 at the Century Theatre

“....In one hour...the Edwards entertainment offers more entertainment of real merit than three hours of certain Broadway shows.” 

Boston MA ~ December 1926 at The Loew’s State 

Scranton PA ~ December 23, 1926 at the Aldine Theatre

Washington DC ~ December 26, 1926 at the Palace 

“...the finest entertainment unit [he has] ever assembled.”

Hartford CT ~ January 3, 1927

“...carefully directed, thoughtfully planned and expertly played.”

Brooklyn NY ~ January 9, 1927 at the Mark Strand Theatre

Philadelphia PA ~ January 1927 at the Stanley Theatre

Chicago IL ~ February 1927 at the Palace

Kansas City MO ~ February 1927 at the Orpheum

Minneapolis MN ~ March 1927 at the Hennepin Orpheum 

Vancouver, Canada ~ March 1927 at the Orpheum 

Seattle WA ~ March 1927 at the Orpheum

Los Angeles CA ~ April-May 1927 at the Orpheum 

“...one of the best.”

San Francisco CA ~ May 1927 at the Orpheum

St. Louis MO ~ June 1927 at the St. Louis Theatre

“...the best cast Gus Edwards has ever presented”

Chicago IL ~ June-July 1927 at the New Orpheum Palace

Oklahoma City OK ~ July 1927 at the Orpheum Vaudeville

Fort Worth TX ~ August 1927 at the Majestic Theatre

Austin TX - September 1927 at the Hancock Theatre

Alexandria LA ~ October 1927 at the Rapides Theatre

Shreveport LA ~ October 1927 at the Vaudeville & Strand Theatres

Birmingham AL ~ October 1927 at the Ritz Theatre

“...speedy revue of juvenile talent.”

Atlanta GA ~ October 1927 at the Keith Albee Georgia 

Richmond VA ~ November 7, 1927 at the National Theatre

Brooklyn NY ~ December 1927 at the E.F. Albee

New York NY ~December 1927 at B.F. Keith’s Palace

White Plains NY ~ December 1927 at the Keith-Albee

Brooklyn NY ~ January 1928 at the Prospect Theatre

New York NY ~ August 23, 1928 at the Loew’s State

[laf-outloud]

A comedy club, now I’d love to hear the repertoire of jokes from that group. What a great way to spend time with friends!

https://www.tumblr.com/laf-outloud/775782121835986944/oh-captain-my-captain-what-an-amazing?source=share

Oh, the stories they could tell! I don't know if they actually had time to talk at the club, but wouldn't it be fun if Jared guested on Rhys' podcast, The Cryptid Factor? There are some Supernatural-esque topics he covers on that and I'm sure they'd have a lot to talk about!

[starlightinkwell]

From website: Pittsburgh Music History.

Pittsburgh Dance Instructor becomes Oscar wining star of  

"An American in Paris"

and "Singin' In the Rain"

Gene Kelly was the leading star in the classic Hollywood movie musicals from the mid 1940s through the late 1950s.  Multi-talented he was a singer, dancer, choreographer actor, film director and producer.  Audiences love his delightful singing, his athletic dancing, his charming good looks, and his likeable characters.  He is credited for reviving movie musicals and redefining dance in films.  Kelly was honored with lifetime achievement awards from the Academy Awards, the Kennedy Center Honors, the Screen Actions Guild, and the American Film Institute. The American Film institute ranks him 15th on their list of “Greatest Male Stars of All Time”.  His most memorable performances include starring roles in Singin’ in the Rain, An American in Paris, On the Town, and Anchors Aweigh.  Gene was the star and choreographer of the film ‘An American in Paris” which won 8 Oscar awards including best picture and a special Oscar for Gene recognizing his contributions to screen choreography.  Singin’ in the Rain, called "a movie masterpiece" by Vincent Canby of the New York Times, has been voted the most popular movie musical of all time.  

Growing Up in Highland Park

Born Eugene Curran Kelly in Pittsburgh on August 23,  1912, Gene Kelly grew up in on Mellon Street in Highland Park. He attended St. Raphael’s elementary school and was an altar boy at the church.  His Canadian born father James Patrick Joseph Kelly was as sports lover and a sales executive for the Thomas Edison's Columbia Phonograph Company.  Every winter James, who loved hockey, flooded the backyard to make an ice hockey rink for the family. Gene learned to skate at age 5.

Gene's mother Harriet, who as a hobby performed in local stock productions, made all five of her children take music and dance lessons.  She enrolled the eight year old Gene in dance classes at Blinsky’s School of the Dance on 6th and Penn in downtown Pittsburgh. The Kelly kids Jay, Jim, Gene, Louise, and Fred began performing dance routines around 1921 as "The Five Kellys" at amateur vaudeville nights and charity events.

After getting in fist fights with neighborhood kids who called him a sissy, Gene quit dancing.  He preferred sports. He played on a men's amateur hockey team age at 14 and dreamed of playing for the Pittsburgh Pirates.

The Kelly's moved from Highland Park to 7514 Kensington Street in the Point Breeze neighborhood near Frick Park in 1924. Gene attended his first year of high school at the Sacred Heart School.

At age 15 Gene thought dancing would be a good way to meet girls, so he began dancing again. He took dance lessons while also playing on his high school football, baseball and hockey teams.  He also participated in gymnastics.  

Graduating from Peabody High School in 1929 he enrolled at Penn State to study journalism.  With the 1930 stock market crash hurting the Kelly family’s finances, Gene left Penn State planning to cut costs by living at home while studying at the University of Pittsburgh.  He dug ditches, pumped gas, worked as a soda fountain jerk and carpenter's helper, and danced to earn tuition money. Gene and his younger brother Fred devised dance routines and found work dancing in local nightclubs as the “Kelly Brothers”.

Gene Kelly Studio of Dance

Gene’s mother took a job as a receptionist at Boulton's dance school in Pittsburgh’s Squirrel Hill neighborhood. When the owner Lou Boulton skipped town leaving behind a pile of unpaid bills, Harriet took over the dance school.  She paid the bills and renamed it the "Kelly School of Dance".  Gene at age 19 and his brother Fred became dance instructors.  Gene worked as a dance instructor while he attended studies at Pitt.  He taught tap, toe and ballet.  To learn routines Gene went to night clubs, movie musicals and vaudeville shows. He'd teach them the next day in his classes. With Gene’s growing reputation as a teacher the studio was renamed The "Gene Kelly Studio" of the Dance in 1932.  The Kelly’s opened a second dance school on the main street of Johnstown, Pennsylvania in 1933.  Gene taught at the Johnstown school on weekends.  He continued to teach dance for six years.

The dance school was a great success, but Gene was not content being a teacher.  He want to be a choreography and director.  Gene wanted to combine the styles of ballet and tap-dance into a new American dance for.  To learn ballet he took classes from ballet masters in Chicago and New York during the summers.  Gene attened classes at Chicago Association of Dancing Masters.  Seeing his talent the school asked him to a few classes.  Gene also read every book that he could find on ballet in English and French.  He practiced constantly.  Putting his skills into practice Gene danced in an choreographed musicals while attending at the University of Pittsburgh.

Pitt's Cap and Gown Musical Reviews

Gene enrolled at the University of Pittsburgh in 1931 studying economics.  At Pitt he joined the Cap and Gown Club, which staged four times a year at the Stephen Foster Memorial Theater along with an an annual event at the Nixon Theater.  Gene performed in the original musical comedy productions written by members of the Cap and Gown Club.  Completing a Bachelor of Arts in Economics in 1933, Gene then enrolled in the University of Pittsburgh’s Law School.   After two months of study groups and torts Gene decided that he wanted to be an entertainer and dance teacher.  He dropped out of school to pursue his entertainment career full-time teaching at the dance studio and doing performances.  Gene remained a member of Pitt’s Cap and Gown Club serving as its serving as its dance director from 1934 to 1938.  He was the assistant director of their 1936 Nixon Theater show "Out for the Count".  Gene first created his rolling skating dance routine in the Cap and Gown's production of "Tt's Always Fair Weather".  Gene directed the club's 1937 production of "Trailer Ho" at the Nixon and then took the show on the road for performances in Johnstown, Bradford and Erie. In 1938 Gene Kelly choreographed and directed the Cap and Gown show "Pickets Please" at the Nixon.  

In addition to his work with the Cap and Gown Club did choreography for vaudeville and other organizations. Vaudeville acts that passed through Pittsburgh during the 1930’s hired Gene to create dance routines. In 1931 the Rodef Shalom Synagogue hired Kelly to teach dance and stage the annual Kermess show. He kept that position for seven years. Gene continued to perform with his brother. The Kelly Brothers performed in a theater for children at the Chicago World's Fair in 1934.

Broadway Stardom

In 1937 at the age of 27 Gene moved to New York City to become a choreographer. Unable to find work on Broadway, he returned to Pittsburgh to be the choreographer of the musical revue “Hold Your Hats” at the Pittsburgh Playhouse in the spring 1938. He also danced in the production.  At the Playhouse, Gene was seen by Broadway choreographed Robert Alton.  Alton brought Gene to Broadway making him a star.

On August 5, 1938 just before his 26th birthday, Gene packed one small suitcase and returned to New York for his first role.  Alton hired Gene for a Cole Porter musical giving him his first dancing role on Broadway in November of 1938 as a chorus boy in "Leave It to Me".  Alton gave Gene a feature singing and dancing role in his next production “One for the Money”.  In 1939 Gene choreographed and danced in in the Pulitzer Prize-winning "The Time of Your Life".  Also in 1939 he choreographed Billy Rose's Diamond Horseshoe. He danced his way into the heart of cast member Betsy Blair, whom he married in 1941.  Gene became a major star in 1940 with his leading role in Rodgers and Hart's Pal Joey choreographed by Robert Alton.

Movie Musical Superstar

With his rise to stardom, Hollywood called.  His role in Pal Joey captured the interest of Louis B. Mayer and Judy Garland. Gene signed with MGM's David O’Selznick in 1941.  He was cast as Garland's romantic lead in his first movie For Me and My Gal (1942),  His breakout move role was in Anchors Aweigh in 1945.

After a long career as one of the world’s most beloved musical performers Gene Kelly died in 1996.

Singin' In The Rain

The Five Kelly's

The Kelly Brothers

Cap and Gown Club Production 1938

Pal Joey

All Music Guide

Gene Kelly Internet Movie Database

References

Pitt Cap and Gown Club In Annual Show at Nixon by Harold W. Cohen Pittsburgh Post Gazette April 23, 1936

Pitt Club Plans Show -The Pittsburgh Press April 7, 1936

Annual Pitt Show Satire on Dictators Pittsburgh Post Gazette April 2, 1938

The Kelly Kids -Harold W. Cohen Pittsburgh Post Gazette September 4, 1940

MR. KELLY, OR PAL JOEY; Portrait of a Dancer, From Pennsylvania To the Barrymore Theatre - Robert Van Gelder New York Times March 02, 1940

Gene Kelly Got to the Top Via a "Different" Route -Pittsburgh Post Gazette Dec 3, 1942

Gene Kelly Said He Never Wanted to be a Movie Star -Tom Shales Pitsburgh Press June 29. 1974

How Did Gene Start Dancing -Debra Gene GeneKellyFans.com Jul 20, 2011

[gdwessel]

Cards For Remaining Kizuna Road Dates Announced, Including CHAOS v. Third Generation NEVER 6-Man Title Match; SHO Appearing at GLEAT’s 7/1/2021 Show

NJPW finally announced the rest of the Kizuna Road 2021 tour cards, which resumed this Saturday 6/26/2021. Only the two Korakuen Hall shows on 7/1 & 7/2/2021 will be streamed. Interestingly, those two shows will also be carried in Japan by Abema, who are also the owners of both DDT and Pro Wrestling NOAH these days. Still waiting to see if anything is going to come from that.

The tour caps off with another NEVER Openweight 6-Man Comedy Tag Team title match, on 7/2/2021, with the record-breaking CHAOS tandem of Hirooki Goto, Tomohiro Ishii & YOSHI-HASHI defending against the Third Generation, Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Satoshi Kojima & Yuji Nagata. The night before, there will be three special singles matches to preview the title match.

- 6/26/2021, Miyagi Sendai Sunplaza Hall

Tomoaki Honma & Tiger Mask IV v. Yota Tsuji & Yuya Uemura

El Desperado, Yoshinobu Kanemaru & DOUKI [SZKG] v. Taiji Ishimori, El Phantasmo & Jado [Bullet Club]

Kazuchika Okada, Toru Yano & SHO [CHAOS] v. EVIL, Yujiro Takahashi & Dick Togo [Bullet Club]

Hirooki Goto, Tomohiro Ishii, YOSHI-HASHI & YOH [CHAOS] v. Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Satoshi Kojima, Yuji Nagata & Master Wato

Kota Ibushi, Hiroshi Tanahashi, Togi Makabe & Ryusuke Taguchi v. Shingo Takagi, Tetsuya Naito, SANADA & BUSHI [Los Ingobernables]

- 6/28/2021, Aichi Nagoya Congress Center Event Hall

Tiger Mask IV & Ryusuke Taguchi v. Yota Tsuji & Yuya Uemura

El Desperado, Yoshinobu Kanemaru & DOUKI [SZKG] v. Taiji Ishimori, El Phantasmo & Jado [Bullet Club]

Kazuchika Okada, Toru Yano & YOH [CHAOS] v. EVIL, Yujiro Takahashi & Dick Togo [Bullet Club]

Hirooki Goto, Tomohiro Ishii, YOSHI-HASHI & SHO [CHAOS] v. Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Satoshi Kojima, Yuji Nagata & Master Wato

Kota Ibushi, Hiroshi Tanahashi, Togi Makabe & Tomoaki Honma v. Shingo Takagi, Tetsuya Naito, SANADA & BUSHI [Los Ingobernables]

- 6/29/2021, Toyama Takaoka Techno Dome

Tomoaki Honma & Ryusuke Taguchi v. Yota Tsuji & Yuya Uemura

El Desperado, Yoshinobu Kanemaru & DOUKI [SZKG] v. Taiji Ishimori, El Phantasmo & Jado [Bullet Club]

Kazuchika Okada, Toru Yano & SHO [CHAOS] v. EVIL, Yujiro Takahashi & Dick Togo [Bullet Club]

Hirooki Goto, Tomohiro Ishii, YOSHI-HASHI & YOH [CHAOS] v. Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Satoshi Kojima, Yuji Nagata & Master Wato

Kota Ibushi, Hiroshi Tanahashi, Togi Makabe & Tiger Mask IV v. Shingo Takagi, Tetsuya Naito, SANADA & BUSHI [Los Ingobernables]

- 7/1/2021, Tokyo Korakuen Hall (NJPWWorld)

El Desperado, Yoshinobu Kanemaru & DOUKI [SZKG] v. Taiji Ishimori, El Phantasmo & Jado [Bullet Club]

Tetsuya Naito, SANADA & BUSHI [Los Ingobernables] v. Taichi, Zack Sabre Jr. & Minoru Suzuki [SZKG]

YOSHI-HASHI [CHAOS] v. Hiroyoshi Tenzan

Hirooki Goto [CHAOS] v. Satoshi Kojima

Tomohiro Ishii [CHAOS] v. Yuji Nagata

- 7/2/2021, Tokyo Korakuen Hall (NJPWWorld)

Kota Ibushi v. Yota Tsuji

Yuya Uemura v. Shingo Takagi [Los Ingobernables]

El Desperado, Yoshinobu Kanemaru & Minoru Suzuki [SZKG] v. Taiji Ishimori, El Phantasmo & Jado [Bullet Club]

Tetsuya Naito, SANADA & BUSHI [Los Ingobernables] v. Taichi, Zack Sabre Jr. & DOUKI [SZKG]

NEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag Team Championship: Hirooki Goto, Tomohiro Ishii & YOSHI-HASHI [CHAOS] (c) v. Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Satoshi Kojima & Yuji Nagata

Since the pandemic, there have not been a lot of NJPW wrestlers taking outside bookings, the AEW and Impact excursions notwithstanding. OK, maybe I defeated my point. Anyway. 

GLEAT is a relatively new promotion, owned by LIDET, the previous owners of Pro Wrestling NOAH, put together by Kiyoshi Tamura, much of it from the ashes of the now-defunct Wrestle-1 promotion that was founded by Keiji Muto. Their shtick is they have their own style of pro wrestling, but are also resurrecting the “UWF Rules” worked shoot-style wrestling matches that was popular for a time in the 80s and 90s.

Their first major show comes on 7/1/2021 at the Tokyo Dome City Hall, and the main event will feature NJPW’s SHO, wrestling in a UWF Rules match against Takanori Ito. Ito is a product of Wrestle-1, having won tag and singles belts there (but never the main title), but also is a champion full-contact karate practitioner. SHO of course has some background in jiu-jitsu and MMA himself, so this is an inspired pick.

No word on if this will be a continuing relationship between NJPW and GLEAT; when LIDET bought NOAH, they famously kicked out any Bushiroad assistance, financial or talent, but if we are honest, the Jado/Suzuki-gun era of NOAH nearly ran the company into the ground. We’ll keep an eye on this one for now.

No idea how the show will be made available. Probably through “sources.”

[coincount]

Okay but Abby at the FOB...

Abby keeps her shit organised and contained. All her laundry is in a laundry bag with her name on it, her bed is always neatly made, her stuff is separated into boxes by dates and she has pretty much nothing more than she needs.

The only liberty she takes is books. There are books all over her bunk, including: Medea, The Odyssey, The Iliad, Heart of Darkness, Don Quixote, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Divine Comedy, Robinson Crusoe, A Tale of Two Cities, The Picture of Dorian Gray, The Dream-Quest of Kadath, War and Peace, The War of the Worlds, and One Thousand And One Nights. I have a feeling that Abby adores learning about times before, and different cultures and histories really interest her.

She lends books out to other members of the WLF but always makes sure she gets them back. Maybe she’s thinking of starting a book club. She likes talking about books.

She’s also got a music collection of old CDs which include Bach, Mozart, and Beethoven. Interesting music to pump iron to.

Anything ‘sentimental’ has ties to her father: the NUMU baseball cap (North Utah Medical University... fake school also printed on the mug she has). The photo of him on her bedside table, and she still keeps his firefly pendants for sure and she either wears them or has them sitting on her bedside table as well.

The only place where Abby is a slob is when it comes to washing dishes and general tidy up. Out of her and Manny, she’s the tidiest one, but more often than not, she’ll shove her dishes in the sink To Soak™ (okay).

Abby keeps a rigid workout schedule which includes yoga on Saturdays and spends any free time in the gym where possible. She’s now good buddies with Mark and Ash for that sweet out of hours gym access. Most of the time there’s no pushback either, because she is, after all, Isaac’s top Scar Killer™.

Abby is pretty popular around the FOB -- she’s polite and will have a conversation with anyone, always says hello to people when she comes by them, and she’s generally nice enough. People tend to respect her for how good she is out in the field, and how she’ll just get on with shit without whining about it.

She really likes coffee. It’s hard to come by but she has a cafetière in her bunk and when it is available, she’ll do it properly. And then take some out in a flask on patrol. Again, cleaning flasks is a pain in the ass. She’s a regular down at the trading points in the main hall and is always asking about any coffee and nice smelling soap (pine!).

More often than not, she does Manny a solid and sleeps in the library when he wants to bring girls over. She nearly always complains but doesn’t truly mind that much. She doesn’t sleep a lot anyway.

They have a TV in their room which isn’t really used much -- there are some DVDs Manny’s collected (he’s more into films than she is) and she’ll only really watch anything when he wants to have a movie night -- the beanbag and chairs are by his shit and to watch TV they have to actively move stuff around.

[insanityclause]

In the longest scheduled extension to date of the blackout of Broadway theaters prompted by the COVID-19 pandemic, trade organization the Broadway League announced Tuesday that the 41 top-tier New York theaters that went dark March 12 will remain that way at least through Sept. 6.

That's a full three months beyond the last extension, which bumped back the original April 12 end date for the closure to June 7. However, few pundits are expecting to see theaters open for business Sept. 8, the day after Labor Day, which falls on a Monday when most Broadway theaters remain dark. The situation seems likely to be reevaluated as that date approaches, with producers and theater owners adopting a wait-and-see policy in accordance with state guidelines and other safety and economic considerations.

"No one wants to get too far ahead of the governor on this," said one prominent producer who spoke off the record.

"While all Broadway shows would love to resume performances as soon as possible, we need to ensure the health and well-being of everyone who comes to the theater — behind the curtain and in front of it — before shows can return," Broadway League president Charlotte St. Martin said Tuesday in a statement. "The Broadway League's membership is working in cooperation with the theatrical unions, government officials and health experts to determine the safest ways to restart our industry. Throughout this challenging time, we have been in close communication with Gov. [Andrew] Cuomo's office and are grateful for his support and leadership as we work together to bring back this vital part of New York City's economy — and spirit."

The League's decision follows last week's announcement from the Society of London Theatres, extending the shutdown of live entertainment venues in the British capital through June 28. Like Broadway, that date appears to be a marker rather than a set plan for reopening. West End theaters have been canceling performances on a rolling basis, which seems certain to continue through the summer.

Broadway was the first sector in New York to impose a blanket suspension of operations on March 12, and most insiders expect it to be one of the last to come back.

In a sign that producers are approaching reopening with the utmost caution, the Broadway revival of Neil Simon's Plaza Suite, starring Matthew Broderick and Sarah Jessica Parker, announced Tuesday that it will be pushed back by a full year, with the limited engagement now scheduled for March 19-July 18, 2021, at the Hudson Theatre. Directed by Tony-winning actor John Benjamin Hickey, the comedy was originally scheduled to begin previews March 13, the day after the Broadway shutdown, and was one of the fastest-selling productions of the spring.

"We remain deeply committed to bringing Neil Simon's Plaza Suite to New York as promised and cannot wait to help welcome audiences back to our beloved Broadway," said Broderick and Parker in a statement. "Until then, everybody please stay safe."

While some have floated the idea of theaters reopening with socially distanced seating plans, few if any producers think that model would work given Broadway's exorbitant running costs. The more likely scenario involves temperature checks for theatergoers along with compulsory masks and gloves, no intermissions and deep-disinfectant cleaning of auditoriums between performances. But many questions remain, including how to provide adequate protection for actors in productions that don't allow for social distancing. 

The famous William Goldman quote about the film industry seems especially applicable to post-pandemic Broadway: "Nobody knows anything." But the smart money seems to point to an early-2021 reopening, with anecdotal estimates ranging from January through March.

In what could turn out to be a harbinger of things to come for many of the country's stages, Minneapolis' Guthrie Theater, one of America's largest and most respected nonprofits, last week took the bold step of announcing that operations will resume with a compressed mini-season of just three productions running March-August 2021. That represents a massive reduction from the originally scheduled 11 shows, with a budget slashed from $31 million to $12.6 million. Those drastic measures make necessary allowances for the time required to build and rehearse productions, underscoring the complicated logistics for the theater sector of emerging from lockdown.

A Shugoll Research industry survey this month indicated that only 41 percent of New York theatergoers say they are likely to return when theaters resume activity, while almost 1 in 5 people, or 17 percent, say they are very unlikely. More than half those polled, or 58 percent, said they will wait at least a few months before attending a show.

When theaters went dark, the 2019-20 season was just a little beyond the midway point, with another 16 productions scheduled to open before the April 23 cutoff for 2020 Tony Awards consideration. An announcement was made March 25 that due to the coronavirus shutdown, the Tonys would be postponed to a later date to be set once Broadway resumes activity.

Two Broadway shows that had begun previews when the lights went out — Martin McDonagh's Hangmen and a revival of Edward Albee's Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? — have already announced they will not reopen after the suspension ends. Other shows from nonprofit producers that were about to begin performances have been pushed back to next season, including Roundabout's Birthday Candles and Caroline, or Change; Lincoln Center Theater's Flying Over Sunset; and Manhattan Theatre Club's How I Learned to Drive.

With Plaza Suite also now postponed, that still leaves nine incoming productions in limbo, some of which had minimal advance sales and muted buzz at the time of the shutdown, even less so now. How many of those will forge ahead with opening plans remains to be seen. Uncertainty also hangs over established shows that had started to see a slight decline in business after the initial boom period — Mean Girls, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child and even Disney's Frozen among them.

Many are quietly wondering about the wisdom of coming back to half-empty houses even for long-running behemoths like The Phantom of the Opera, which relies heavily on tourism for the majority of its traffic. Even the most optimistic estimates don't anticipate the return of tourists to New York in sizable numbers before summer 2021 at the earliest.

If most of Broadway's 41 houses do reopen, the likelihood of swift financial casualties and prompt closings could mean many prime venues will sit vacant for the first time since the slump of the 1980s and early '90s. The steady growth since then, which propelled Broadway to a record $1.8 billion in grosses last season with attendance of 15 million, now inevitably seems headed for a major reset. Some industryites are asking whether this will mean renegotiating ticketing price scales, landlord percentages and union rates to bring down the prohibitive costs that put Broadway off limits to many entertainment consumers.

Losses to the sector are difficult to calculate, especially with no certainty about a reopening date, but 2019 box office grosses for mid-March through Labor Day totaled $915 million. Industry analysts generally estimate that factoring in the losses to theater-district businesses fed by the Broadway economy — hotels, restaurants, bars, parking garages, taxis and car services — means multiplying total ticket sales by three. That would peg the overall financial blow for the six-month period at a staggering $2.7 billion. At any rate, the impact on one of New York City's principal economic drivers and job pipelines will be devastating, with the fallout sure to be felt for years to come.

As for the Tony Awards, there are two principal schools of thought about which way to go.

Some are lobbying to put a cap on the partial season and present awards for the shows that opened before March 12. This, however, would handicap recent openings like West Side Story and Girl From the North Country given that not all of the Tony Nominating Committee will have seen them and certainly not the majority of voters. Shows that opened early in the season, on the other hand, like Moulin Rouge! and the limited-engagement, Tom Hiddleston-led revival of Harold Pinter's Betrayal, would have an advantage.

The alternate plan is to combine the truncated partial 2019-20 season with any shows that open between the resumption of Broadway operations and the late-April cutoff for 2021 Tony consideration, presenting the double awards at a ceremony in June next year. That option also has clear disadvantages for some, however, given that voters have notoriously short memories and shows like Betrayal or The Inheritance that have long closed will be ancient history by then.

Whichever route the Tonys choose to go, there are sure to be disgruntled players. But even a partial ceremony of outstanding Broadway artistry right now could serve as a much-needed morale booster to a sector facing unprecedented challenges.

[mss4msu]

“Do I Wanna Know?” (Chapter 7)

Summary: On a visit to a local nightclub, the lounge singer catches your eye. Soon becoming a regular at the club, the way you look on the dancefloor gets his attention. You begin to hear stories about the notorious crime lord who owns and operates the small nightclub. When your friends worry that you’ve gotten mixed up with a mobster, you wonder if it’s better to be left in the dark and find yourself asking, “Do I wanna know?” if you’re getting involved with one of the most revered mobsters in the city. 

Pairing: Mobster!Bucky x Reader

Words: 1807

Warnings: Language, Reference to Violence

A/N: Because I know what’s going to happen, writing this chapter was a struggle bc I just wanna get to the good stufffffff. Thanks for keeping with me babeyeeeees. 

Read the Full Story Here

You spent the entire night over the toilet, your body alternating between bouts of vomiting and intense shaking that caused your whole body to convulse. The scenes of what you had seen replayed in your head and you gagged each time you thought of how hard James had beaten that man. After several bouts of dry heaving, everything went dark.

You awoke to the feeling of the cold tile floor on your cheek. You tried to push yourself up, but your head began to pound violently. You saw a bottle of water in front of you and reached for it, you didn’t know where it had come from, but figured you must have grabbed it from the car on the way home last night.

You contorted your face trying to remember what had happened the night before, which only made the blood in your head beat harder. You forced yourself to lean against the wall and put your head between your legs, praying for the pounding to stop just for a few minutes so you could gather your bearings. You took deep breaths in and out until the pain behind your eyes finally started to subside. 

Once the pain was gone enough for you to think somewhat clearly, you began to go through the events of the night before. You had had a terrible day at work, and so you decided to go to see James at the club, you remembered that bit. You left work and had Peter take you home to change and then he took you for food and then to the club, you could picture that clearly enough. That’s when things got a bit fuzzy. You remembered getting to the club, someone leading you in, you couldn’t quite place the face in your mind, and getting a table in the front. You knew you had drinks brought to you, but you couldn’t recall the number or the contents. You had watched James sing, and the song had been catchy, but you couldn’t think of even one line from it. The song had ended, and you remembered sitting at the table and continuing to drink, but then nothing. You weren’t sure if you had seen James at all, you didn’t exactly know how or when you’d had gotten home, and you couldn’t figure out why you had woken up in the bathroom. 

You heard a faint buzzing, and after realizing it wasn’t your headache, you began to reach around for your phone. It stopped vibrating just as you finally had it in your hand. You brought the phone close to your face, trying to get your eyes to focus on the screen. You had two missed call notifications from James and a few texts from him as well. You unlocked your phone and opened your messages. 

“(Y/N)! Are you alright? You had quite a bit to drink at the club, so I called Peter to pick you up. I asked him to let me know when you were home safe, and he did, but I want to hear it from you too.” -- Saturday 12:02AM

“Don’t forget to drink some, or a lot, of water and maybe take some Advil. I’ll get to the bottom of who was in charge of giving you so many free drinks.”  -- Saturday 12:03 AM

“Hey, (Y/N). Still haven’t heard from you and wanted to be sure you’re feeling alright after last night.” -- Saturday 8:17AM

Your lips twisted up into a smile at how considerate James was to be checking in on you. You sat for a moment with your eyes closed, thinking about how to respond. Finally you typed back:

“Hi James, I’m not feeling my best, but I’m feeling a lot better than I was just a bit ago. Thanks for checking in on me and making sure I got home safe. I hope I didn’t do anything too embarrassing last night, because I can’t seem to remember even if I did” -- Saturday 8:22AM

“Of course. I’ll have some food delivered to your apartment if you think you can stomach it. After all you drank, I’ve got to think you’ve got quite the hangover.” -- Saturday 8:22AM

Your stomach rumbled as you read his text.

“James, you really don’t have to do that, but I appreciate the thought.” -- Saturday 8:23AM

“You bet, doll. I’ll see you later this week. Take care of yourself.” -- Saturday 8:23AM

“Ok” --Saturday 8:24AM

You forced yourself up from the floor and clung to the walls as you slowly walked yourself to the kitchen, your head taking up its pounding beat from earlier. You fixed yourself a bowl of dry cereal and moved to the couch, gingerly laying down and placing the cereal on your stomach. You took a handful of it in your hand and stuffed it in your mouth, chomping away quickly, trying to appease your stomach. You finished your cereal and got more comfortable on the couch, quickly falling asleep. 

You woke up to the buzz of your phone next to you. It was the number for the front door, and you answered hesitantly. 

“Hi, I have an order for (Y/N) (Y/L/N),” the voice in the phone said. 

“Ok,” you said groggily, slowly sitting up, “Be right there.” 

You got up and went to the door, the only shoes you could find were your Louboutins from James. You shoved your feet into them and hurried downstairs to the door.

“Here you go,” the delivery person said as they handed you a large bag. 

“Thanks?” you took the bag and went back up to your apartment.

You sat back down on the couch and opened up the bag on your coffee table. On top was a single white rose. You brought it to your nose and inhaled deeply before gently setting it down and seeing what else was in the bag. You pulled out a large bottle of gatorade and immediately unscrewed the cap and took a long drink of it. Next, you grabbed a large container and one smell upon opening it let you know that it was bacon mac and cheese. You found a smaller container filled with chicken noodle soup. One last container had a giant chocolate brownie in it. 

You picked up your phone and took a picture of your haul, and sent it to James along with a message that said:

“Thanks! This should revive me from my deathbed in no time.” -- Saturday 7:24PM

While James normally responded between minutes, you stared at your phone for three minutes waiting for a reply that didn’t come. You locked the screen and grabbed your tv remote. You put on the first comedy you saw and dug into the mac and cheese. Every minute or so you would pause to check your phone, but you still didn’t hear anything from James. You began to worry that maybe you had fucked something up while drunk. You put a movie on and tried to focus on the plot. When you decided to give up and just go to bed, your phone finally lit up. 

“Glad to hear it.” -- Saturday 11:47PM

Your fingers hovered over your keyboard as you tried to think of what to respond. You ultimately decided not to send anything, as you were too tired to carry on a conversation anyway. You got off the couch, put the leftover food in your fridge, got ready for bed, and then flopped down on your bed. You fell asleep quickly. 

You awoke in a cold sweat in the morning from the most vivid dream:

You were at the club and had wandered down a long hallway full of locked doors until you found a room at the end of the hall that was unlocked. You pushed open the door and a wave of blood flooded over you. You looked up from the blood washing over you to see James repeatedly beating a man. When James looked up at you, his eyes were pitch black and he had a terrible, evil grimace on his face. He came quickly at you, and you stumbled back down the hallway. You tripped and fell and James caught up to you. You woke up before you saw his face again.

You grabbed your phone, getting onto Instagram and going to the White Wolf and the Howlers page, needing to get the terrifying look of the James from your nightmare out of your head. You were able to calm down as you scrolled through the photos of the band and as you got out of bed and went about your day, the nightmare was all but forgotten. 

On Monday, Peter Parker picked you up at your usual time. After exchanging the usual formalities, you sat in silence, wondering if you should ask him about Friday. For the sake of professionalism, you decided against it and continued the ride without speaking. When you got off the elevator at your floor, the new front desk person waved you over. 

“Ms. (Y/L/N), I have a delivery for you.” 

“Oh, thanks?” you responded with confusion, taking the box from them.

You walked quickly to your office, keyed in, and set your bag down so you could attend to the box. You opened it and found the signature James white rose inside. Under the rose was a file folder. You opened it and found a handwritten note on top which read:

“(Y/N), my apologies, but I will be traveling this week to check in on the investments you have already established for me and thus will not be able to meet with you in person. I’ve enclosed my itinerary for the week and will be in touch if I deem any of the companies undesirable upon meeting with them in person (of course, I’m sure I won’t as I know how hard you’ve worked on this, but one needs to be sure). Best, James”

Your stomach dropped at the idea that you wouldn’t be seeing James for at least a week and at how formal his note had been. You instantly began to worry again that it was because of something you had done Friday night. 

You took the note out and found an iPad inside the folder. You opened it and found James’s itinerary and synced documents with your notes about each company. He was meeting with Oscorps Monday, SHIELD Tuesday and Wednesday, Pym Technologies on Thursday, and the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics on Friday morning. He had all of his arrival times scheduled, and it said he would be back Friday night at 6:00pm. At 9:00pm he had put that he was performing at the club. Your breath fluttered and you took this as a sign that everything was alright. 

CHAPTER EIGHT

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