#crystal phillis

[cofradia-thg]

Personajes predeterminados por la administración (II)

Se busca a algunos VENCEDORES de los Juegos del Hambre.

Jocelyn Davis, Distrito 3.

Halsey Matthews, Distrito 7.

Crystal Phillis, Distrito 2.

Troy Simon, Distrito 11.

ADV: Los FCs son modificables.

[zepskies]

Lost on You - Part 6

Pairing: Soldier Boy/Ben x F. Supe!Reader

Summary: 1983 is a big year for you. You’re finally chosen to join the ranks of Payback, led by the most (in)famous supe in the world: Soldier Boy. He’ll never admit that he’s trying his damndest to figure you out. You’ll never admit that he’s actually growing on you. But the problem with this game is deciding who’s the predator, and who is prey.

AN: The pros and cons of tangling with Soldier Boy...

Song Inspo: “The Voodoo House” by Rick Springfield

Word Count: 6.4K

Tags/Warnings: 18+ only! Smut and more smut, angst, a Noir sighting, death, and even some hurt/comfort if you squint.  

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Part 6: Drowned & Spellbound

Countess was bound to get back at you for this.

You found that you didn’t give a shit as you sat across from your companion with a crystal glass of champagne in hand. You stared up at the tall arched ceilings and ornate chandeliers, the beautiful tapestries and landscape paintings, and most impressive of all, the tall, intricately carved walls of the Oak Room.

You’d heard about this restaurant, but you’d never in your life even stepped foot into the Plaza Hotel. You were now very glad you changed into a proper dress, as well as fixed your hair and makeup.

Across from your intimate table, Ben held his bourbon with a relaxed set to his shoulders. No doubt this was like getting a burger at Chilis for him.

“Enjoying the scenery?” he remarked, taking a sip.

You smiled a little bashfully. “It’s beautiful here. I’ve never been to a place like this.”

Ben’s answering smile was predictable. Stick with me, baby doll. I’ll show you a whole new world, it seemed to say.

“Sinatra comes here from time to time,” he said, pointing at a small corner stage with a piano. “He’s known to take that spot over there and do a tune or two, if he’s got enough whiskey in him.”

Frank Sinatra?! Now that was exciting. You couldn’t help but glance around to see if you spotted him, or any other famous person for that matter. When you heard a chuckle, you looked over and found Ben’s amused face.

“What?” you said with a smile.

“What, I’m not enough celebrity for you?” he teased, rolling his shoulders. “I stormed fucking Normandy, you know.”

You did know, but you leaned in closer, giving your amused attention. It didn’t take long for him to launch into an hour compilation of war stories from back in his day. You’d heard many of them before, but you made it seem as if you were hanging onto his every word.

You realized though, that you could sense him lying with your abilities. Every word that came from his mouth when he talked about his past, his achievements, his exploits in the war and how he helped Vought build a better America afterwards…

It was all complete and utter bullshit.

It took all you had to keep the incredulous frown off your face as you fought to remain invested in his stories. Okay, the one about him taking LSD with the Beatles during Woodstock was true, but other than that, complete and utter bullshit.

You ate mostly in silence as you allowed him to keep talking your ear off, just offering small interjections here and there while he devoured his steak. He seemed to enjoy the sound of his own voice.

You supposed this was what it was like to date the most famous man in the world. No wonder Countess got sick of him.

When he finally rested for a beat, ordering yet another glass of bourbon (you’d lost count at this point), you took your chance to learn something real about him.

“So you’re from Philly, huh?” you said. “What about your family?”

Ben pulled back on you then, his expression falling closer to stoicism.

“What about it?” he said.

“Well, I just realized I know a lot about your career and the amazing things you’ve done for this country, but I don’t know all that much about you,” you said, meeting his eyes. “Like…did you have siblings? What were your parents like? Did you have a dog growing up? That kind of thing.”

You laughed a little to lighten the load, but Ben only softened slightly. It took a moment for him to answer you.

“I was an only child,” he said, again, sipping at his glass. “No dog. Money was too tight for that.”

Again, a lie, you sensed. Not in the first answer, but the second one. Who the hell lied about having a dog?

Or maybe, it was the bit about money being tight. You knew his backstory from the documentary Vought made of him back in ‘75. He was the true “rags to riches” story, according to the narrative, having grown up poor and struggling to survive. It was the one thing you thought you could relate to him about.

But apparently, that wasn’t true either.

“And your parents?” you prodded.

“They were normal. I don’t know what the fuck you want me to say,” Ben said, a little more snappish than you expected. You blinked, taken aback.

You slid your chair a bit closer, so that you were sitting beside him rather than across from him. You laid a hand on his arm, over his jacket. 

“Look, I don’t just want to date Soldier Boy, America’s first superhero,” you said, looking up into his eyes. “I want to know you.”

Again, it took him a beat. But eventually, he lowered his glass back to the table and rubbed a hand over his mouth and chin.

“My mother was a singer at a club. A little crooner, like you,” he said. He eyed you with a slight smile. “That’s where she met my father. As the story goes, she was singing ‘Are You From Heaven’ when he walked in. She saw him, and it was like the uh…the fucking thunderbolt, from the Godfather.”

You smiled. All of this, you sensed, was true.

“They were married within a year,” he said, though he paused, as something distant passed through his eyes. “Pneumonia got her in the end. She was young…but she lived long enough to see me when I got back from the War. A hero.”

He picked up his drink again, maybe this time to distract himself.

“Hers was the last funeral I ever went to,” he said.

And that admission was the most surprising of them all. It managed to strike a familiar chord of grief within you when he looked over at you. You both felt and saw the weight in his gaze.

Maybe he was telling you this on purpose. Maybe he was, in his own way, trying to relate to you about your own mother’s death.

Tears began to sting behind your eyes, but you managed to blink them away. You slid your hand over his on the table. You felt him stiffen slightly, his body tensing up at your touch. You frowned when you saw the glint of wariness cross his face.

“I won’t compel you again, Ben. I promise,” you said. As long as you don’t give me a reason to.

Your hand traveled up his arm, soothing along his neck, your palm finally resting against his cheek. His green eyes stared into yours.

Soon enough, his wariness bled away into desire.

He hooked a foot around the leg of your chair and drew you in even closer, making you yelp in surprise. He smirked, having finally gotten the jump on you for a change. He wrapped an arm around your waist and brought you in closer.

You looked up at his handsome face with wide eyes. A blush dusted your cheeks, warming your face. His smirk softened around the edges, just a little, and he took his chance to engage your lips in a searing kiss.

And maybe this time, you were the one who was caught.

Ben peeled his lips from your neck to give the server a firm no on dessert, “Just the check.”

The guy was good at his job, and was back with the check within a couple of minutes. Ben slapped a significant wad of cash down on the table and guided you up along with him. Breathless as you were, you held onto his arm to keep you up right. The only time you parted from him was at the foyer of the restaurant, where the staff brought your coats.

A limo was waiting outside. With a hand on your lower back (and creeping down to your ass), Ben ushered you in first before he slid in.

“Head back to the Tower,” he told the driver, even as he was pressing the button to raise the partition. “And fucking step on it.”

“Yes, sir.”

You already had a fist in his dress shirt when he turned his attention back to you. You pulled him closer at the same time he leaned in to cage you more fully into his arms. While his mouth ravaged yours, sucking in your lower lip and dragging his teeth across, your hands slipped under his coat and blazer to help him shrug them off.

He similarly ran one of his hands under your coat, up your side and over your breast, squeezing through the fabric. You gave him an encouraging sound, and he dragged a sleeve down along with the bra strap to expose your breast. He palmed you with that big, warm hand, rolling the nipple under his thumb.

None of it was an act when you moaned into his mouth and squeezed his shoulders tight. At this point, it wasn’t just about the game. It wasn’t just about using him. Despite everything—his arrogance, his callous, asshole behavior, his lies—you couldn’t deny that you wanted him. Right now, he was the only thing you wanted.

His lips dragged down your neck, igniting your skin wherever he sucked and teased. You held him there with a hand on his cheek, but it soon wound up into his hair. God, it was softer than it looked.

One of his wandering hands made its way under the skirt of your dress and between your thighs, teasing your slit through your panties. Your breath hitched, but you spread your legs wider for him across the seat. You felt his smirk against your neck.

“Finally ready for me, huh?” he said. “Kept me fucking waiting long enough.”

He didn’t even bother taking off your panties. He just pushed them to the side and dragged his fingers between your slick folds.

“Fuck, your wetter than Niagara already,” he remarked with a smirk.

You rolled your eyes because you knew he couldn’t see it. Smug bastard.

But he was withholding his fingers, just tracing along your pussy and teasing your entrance. Your core was already throbbing with need. Your hips began to undulate against his hand.

“God. Ben, please,” you panted in his ear.

Apparently, that was all he wanted to hear. You uttered a shameless moan when his thumb found your clit, causing a shiver down your spine and a tremble in your core. Soon enough, one of his long fingers slipped deep inside you, all the way to the knuckle.

“Oh, fuck,” you whispered. You didn’t want the driver to hear you.

“I gotcha, sweetheart. Gotta get you real ready for me,” he muttered. “You’re gonna take my cock so well, I can already feel it.”

On his last words, he added a finger and curled them inside you, exploring your inner walls and finding that special spot that made you keen into his ear. His thumb worked your clit at the same time, until you clenched on his hand so hard it had you gasping. He swallowed it with his mouth covering yours, all while he drew out your first release with his fingers stroking inside you.

It was a solid preview, you thought, when the car finally rolled to a stop in front of Vought Tower.

Again, you held onto his arm mostly for balance as he led you to the elevators. Your legs felt like jelly when you tried to walk in your heels. Ben hit the button a bit too hard, but you understood it. Every second that ticked by while you two waited for the elevator was entirely too long.

When it finally opened, he guided you inside and pressed the button for his floor, the penthouse suite, all the way up nearly 80 floors.

A mischievous idea hit you. It had you slipping your hand under his coat and blazer again, tracing the seam of his belt. Ben glanced down at you in knowing amusement, but he let you unbuckle his belt without comment.

He just stared at you with a fire in his eyes while you unbuttoned and unzipped his pants. You dipped your hand inside the waistband and slid a slow hand along the full, impressive length of him. You smiled when it hardened fully at your touch.

“Is all this for me?” you said, even as you leaned up for a kiss.

“If you can handle it,” Ben said.

Then he obliged you, bowing his head to meet your kiss. You kept things slow as you sensuously licked into his mouth. You tasted bourbon on his tongue before you broke the kiss, just to lower down to your knees in front of him. You held onto the back of his strong thighs while you mimicked what you did with your tongue in his mouth, just further down as you outlined his cock through his underwear.

Ben tried to cover his moan with a grunt, but you sensed his powerful arousal. You had his full and undivided attention, especially when you hooked your nails into the band of his underwear and finally freed his cock. You took it in hand and licked a long stripe across the underside of it, from base to tip. He shuddered. His hand shot out to brace against the elevator wall, shaking the entire compartment with his strength.  

Your tongue circled around his sensitive head, licking up beads of precum from the slit. But just when you finally wrapped your lips around him and took him as far as you could into your mouth, the elevator stopped, chiming your arrival cheerfully. 

He didn’t even wait until he had the door to his apartment closed before he dragged you towards him with a hard kiss. Your coat and his had already been cast to the floor, along with his blazer and tie. His dress shirt was halfway there when he hefted you into his arms effortlessly.

You grabbed his face and met him with a kiss fueled by lust and passion. You felt wild. You felt free. You felt like this was a sin you were meant to commit.  

Ben forcibly unbuttoned his pants with one hand and kicked out of them while you broke open the rest of his shirt, scattering buttons across the floor. It allowed you to run your hands over his warm, tan skin, every dip of muscle across his arms and shoulders, and down his solid chest.

He smirked at the way you were eyeing him, exploring him.

“Like what you see, baby doll?”

“Almost as much as you do,” you quipped back. He huffed at that.

He walked you over to the bed, where he dropped you down towards the center. You yelped and how high he’d dropped you from, but you were smiling when he prowled over you on his hands and knees like a predator. His hands slid up your smooth thighs, bunching up your dress all the way up to your hips. You raised up to help him get it over your head. Your hair was already wild by now; you pushed it out of your eyes with a huff.

His hands slid under you again to unclip the bra. It was flung off to parts unknown, along with your panties. He paused in between to trail open-mouthed kisses down your body, between the valley of your breasts.

He turned his head to start toying with one pebbled nipple, swirling his tongue around it. Your fingers threaded through his hair along with your moans as he relentlessly teased your sensitive flesh with his teeth.

"You gonna sing for me, sweetheart?" his voice rumbled smoothly against your skin. "Pretty soon I'm gonna have you screaming for me."

He continued his exploration, his lips dragging down your stomach. And then…

“Oh,” you back arched off the bed. He devoured your pussy with the same tenacity as he had your mouth. His tongue pushed into your entrance while his nose brushed your clit.

Soon enough, your juices coated his stubble-laden cheeks and ran down his chin. His strong hand on your lower belly held you down while he finished his work, his lips moving to suck on your clit. His thick fingers pressed into your channel and worked you open.

You gripped at his hair tightly, cursing and pleading with his name, until you uttered a strangled yell. Your inner walls clenched hard as you came on his tongue.

But you were only able to take maybe one or two breaths of recovery before you felt the thick head of his cock breach your entrance, pushing his way in all the way to the hilt.

You gasped and bit your nails into his shoulders. “Jesus Christ!”

“Not quite,” Ben grunted, though he smirked down at you. “Now let’s see how well you take me. Still so fucking tight.”

Your core contracted around him, still sensitive and pulsing from your orgasm. He didn’t give you a moment more to catch your breath as he began a steady, almost punishing clip inside you. He was stretching you in the most delicious of ways, hitting places deeper than his fingers had been able to reach. It felt so fucking good, all you could do was hold on for the ride.

You wrapped your thighs tighter around his hips, digging your heels into his ass. He ducked down to kiss you, rough and demanding. Your lips met his sloppily, before he dragged away to bite and suck where your neck met your shoulder. You winced at the pain tinged with pleasure, but your eyes rolled shut as you grabbed a fistful of his hair.

Each of his deep strokes inside you was edging you closer to another cresting wave of pleasure. You slipped a hand between you to find your clit, but Ben grabbed your hand and pinned it beside your head.

“Look at me,” he demanded in a near growl.

Your eyes blinked open with a start. You met his gaze. Sweat lined his brow. His other hand was squeezing the flesh of your thigh, opening you up wider for him. You let out a shuddering breath.

“I’m gonna fucking wreck you,” he said, “But first, say my fucking name.”

“Ben,” you gasped, as he shifted the angle of his thrusts. The coil in your lower belly was tightening, your muscles bearing down and clenching on him.

“Say my fucking name,” he repeated, releasing your wrist to lay a heavy smack on your ass. The impact rattled up your spine and you jolted, accidently raking his back with your nails. You felt him shiver then. He moved his fingers down to strum at your clit.

And he got what he wanted. He had you screaming his name along with your release. His body locked up as a strangled shout fell from his lips. He coated your inner walls with his spend as they fluttered around him.

“Fuck,” he muttered, satisfied and spent.

He grabbed onto the headboard in order to hold himself above you, else he would crush you with his weight. You ran your hands up and down his chest more lazily as you each caught your breath.

Thank fuck for the pill, you thought airily. Because clearly this man didn’t care about condoms.

He eventually pulled out of you, making you shiver at the loss. He rolled off you and stretched out on his side of the bed. You turned your head to look at him. He gave you a relaxed grin in return, like the cat who got the cream.

In that moment, it really hit you.

There’s no going back now.

About a week later, you and Ben had developed a kind of…rhythm.

Yet another glass tipped over and shattered on the floor. He didn’t seem to care as he thrust into you from behind on his dining table. Your moans of encouragement were loud and genuine; your nails scraped across the stained tablecloth, incidentally shoving another plate overboard.

Your quiet dinner had been interrupted halfway through dessert. The moment you’d sucked a ribbon of chocolate off your spoon, Ben had reached for you, pulling you into his lap. You’d been all too willing to let him suck the sweetness right off your tongue.

“That’s it, baby, fucking sing for me,” he growled into your ear. His hand crept around your throat, giving a warning squeeze. You grabbed onto his wrist to keep it there. You held onto him like a lifeline. Sometimes you felt like his cock was going to split you in two. But his iron grip on your hip kept you from going anywhere.

His release ultimately hit him before yours. He grunted as his movements became sloppy, but he still pushed into you. You purposefully clenched on him, stealing his breath this time.

He let go of your throat so he could bury his hand between your folds. He rolled your already sensitive clit between his fingers until you cried out, your body locking up on him outside of your control. Your orgasm hit you in a warm, heady wave. Your legs shook, and you slumped onto the table.

Ben was right there with you. For a moment, all he could do was grip the edge of the polished mahogany and stare at the newly formed hickey on the back of your neck. He swiped your hair out of the way so he could see it better. He knew every mark that he’d put on you, even the ones he couldn’t see right now, under the pretty dress you…sort of had on.

“You okay?” he chuckled.

You huffed in amusement, despite your exhaustion. “I could’ve sworn the damn table was going to crack in half.”

“Wouldn’t be the first time,” he remarked.

He slipped out of you, giving you one last smack on the ass. He didn’t bother to lower your skirt before he dragged up his pants and belt.

“Wanna join me in the shower?” he posed.

You did your best to fix the fallen straps of your dress and ruined bra, along with your hair and lipstick. You found your underwear clinging to a wall sconce. You grabbed that too and slipped it on, then you offered an apologetic smile.

“Raincheck?” you said. “I should go back to my place and get some training in.”

Ben rose a brow. No matter what he offered, you were never one to stay very long after a good fuck…

Not that he minded.

It was usually him giving the excuses to leave, trying to avoid the inevitable clinginess of women after sex. Still, this time he wouldn’t have minded the company.

Maybe next time.

Ben smirked as he drew near you again. He slipped an arm around your waist and pulled you flush against him. You held onto his arms and peered up at him questioningly.

“You mean to tell me you’re gonna walk downstairs, ride the elevator some thirty floors, and walk back all the way to your apartment with my come between your legs?” he asked.

He had to admit, the thought aroused him. Your cheeky little smile did too. Your hands came to rest on his chest, and you leaned up for a slower kiss. It was no less heated as your tongue slipped against his. You pulled away just as slowly, letting your teeth drag against his lower lip.

“Goodnight,” you said.

And you walked away from him. He enjoyed the show you gave him as your skirt swished against your thighs. By now he knew your every curve in intimate detail, and still he hadn’t had enough of you.

He knew he’d be feasting on you for a good long while.

News traveled fast in Vought Tower.

Especially about your little trysts with Soldier Boy. You knew by the too-polite smiles the staff gave you now, as well as the wide, cold berth Crimson Countess was giving you too. You had expected more of a retaliation from her, but you remembered that day in the gym all too well.

She probably thought you and Ben wouldn't last. Either that, or maybe she was afraid of antagonizing him. Maybe she was biding her time, waiting for her moment to get back at you. Either way, you weren't going to drop your guard around her.

In the meantime, Tessa was friendlier to you, and Tommy had finally stopped hitting on you. Swatto tried not to even look in your direction.

Mindstorm, of course, continued to be a hermit, but even Black Noir was more distant with you, which was the one change that disappointed you. The two of you sometimes shared conversations in the breakroom like you had that first day. You’d started to think of him as a friend.

So the next time he tried to pass you while you were making coffee in the morning, you finally said something.

“Hey."

It wasn't your most elegant start, but he paused, in that subtle way of his when his helmet was on. He looked over at you over his shoulder.

“Um…do you want some coffee?” you offered, raising your own mug.

Noir shook his head.

“Okay. Well, uh, how are you?” you asked. “Any exciting missions lately?”

Noir just stared at you. You didn’t blame him. You knew you sounded lame.

So you switched tactics. “Oh, yeah. How’s that movie pitch coming?”

At that, Noir tilted his head slightly. He took his helmet off, revealing his furrowed brows. It was like he didn’t know how to talk to you anymore, which confused you.

“I’ve actually got an audition coming up,” he admitted. “There’s this new movie, Beverly Hills Cop. It’s action, and it’s uh, funny.”

You smiled. “That’s great!”

“I’ve asked around, and I heard Eddie Murphy’s my main competition though. He’s got more experience in comedy,” he said, sliding a hand across the back of his neck.

You shook your head. “Yeah, but superheroes always make the studio more money. And I’m sure you nailed your audition. This could be really great for you!”

A smile flickered across his lips.

“Yeah, I think so,” he said. But the longer he stared at your face, the more his expression fell. “What the fuck do you see in him?”

Your smile fell as well. “What?”

“You’re new…boyfriend, or fuck buddy, or whatever it is you’re calling it. I mean, really,” Noir said. “The guy’s probably a walking STD. He doesn’t give a shit who he hurts, or who else he fucks, for that matter.”

Your lips pursed as you fought not to be hurt by his words. You schooled your expression.

“The idiots who get caught by him deserve to have their hearts broken,” you said dryly. 

“But not you,” Noir pointed out. “If you see through his bullshit, then why are you with him? For power? Like Countess, you think you gotta be with the big swinging dick in the room to get any respect?”

His disdain cut into you, and like all things, he had deadly accuracy.

“I have my reasons,” you said. “I don’t expect you to understand. You’re a fucking man.”

“Right. Still black though, in case you forgot what I looked like under this goddamn suit,” Noir snapped.

Your face warmed with embarrassment, and maybe shame.

“You think you’re so much smarter than everyone else,” he said. “That somehow, you’re better because you’re afraid to get your hands dirty. Well, guess what, Sirena. You’re no fucking better than Countess. You’re just like the rest of us.”

Your lips trembled with anger, but you didn’t have an easy retort this time. Noir left you seething where you stood.

Ben reclined in one of the plush office chairs and folded his hands.

“Let’s make this quick. I’ve got shit to do,” he said.

You were more quietly polite as you sat beside him. Inside, you were wary. Why had they asked for you and Ben into a meeting together? It felt like you’d been summoned to the principal’s office.

Across from you was Madelyn, perched on the corner of the conference table, while Stan Edgar sat beside her in a chair. He shared a look with Madelyn, whose smile was unreadable. Arthur sat to Stan’s left.

Madelyn addressed you and Ben first. “Well, as you know, Red Thunder is about to launch next week.”

Ben inclined his head expectantly.

“We would never want to meddle in your personal business. However—”

“Spit it out, sweetheart,” he said, with a superficial smile. You shot him a glance, seeing how Madelyn managed to keep her polite façade. She was almost a better actor than you.  

“We believe it would be prudent if you kept the status of your relationship…discreet for now,” said Stan. “Along with your breakup with Crimson Countess.”

“Why should I give a flying fuck about that?” Ben asked.

“Because Red Thunder isn’t just a political action thriller,” Stan said. “There’s also a romantic storyline.”

“You and Countess are meant to be in love in the movie,” Arthur finally chimed in. He seemed impatient with Stan’s roundabout way of saying it. “It’ll be better for everybody if you and Countess do the red carpet together, like we planned.”

“And the press tour as well,” Madelyn added.

Ben rolled his eyes, but you let out a small breath and nodded in agreement.

“That’s understandable,” you said. You looked over at Ben, waiting for him to agree too. You knew he wanted his movie to do well. He just didn’t like being told what he couldn’t do, even in the public eye.

He eventually nodded. You gave him a smile, making his lips tug upwards as well.

Yeah, you thought. We can hide this for a couple of months.

There were times when you could do nothing but blink at the sea of cheering people on both sides of the red carpet.

So many flashing lights.

You had never been to a movie premier before, and it was as exciting as it was overwhelming. A security team flanked around your group as your other Payback team members approached the photo op section.

Ben was just ahead of you, looking dapper in a dark green Armani suit. He was escorting Countess, who admittedly looked elegant in her Oscar-worthy red dress (not that she was winning an Oscar for this movie). It had a large skirt though, and it made it hard for him to even stand close to her while they posed for photos.

He had that debonair look perfected as he greeted press and guided Countess by the small of her back. She was giving a good performance herself, smiling up at him, occasionally rubbing his arm where she held onto him.

You would never admit to the sliver of jealousy pricking your heart, so instead, you focused on the poses Madelyn’s PR team had drilled into you as you took pictures alone. Your stylist had opted for something different than your usual black or violet color schemes.

Since this was your first red carpet, she wanted you to try something new. So she’d put you in a white ‘20s style gown, complete with intricate silver beading down the skirt. You felt a bit like a chandelier, but it did drape nicely off your form.

You shuffled along the queue of press and photographers. Black Noir and the TNT Twins were behind you in the lineup, while Countess was taking an opportunity to bask in the limelight, getting her pictures taken on her own as she showed off the billowing skirt of her dress.

Meanwhile, Ben had a hand in his pocket as he posed by himself. You sensed he was getting bored, even with so much attention on him.

“Hey, why not you two together?” a photographer called out to you and Ben, gesturing at you to get closer to him. You blinked wide eyes, but you did as you were told. Ben looked over at you, a smile tugging at his lips. He slipped a hand around your waist and guided you to his side.

While the photographer snapped away, Ben leaned over to your ear.

“You look stunning,” he said. His voice was smooth and baritone. “But I know I’m gonna like that dress even better when it’s a crumpled mess on my floor.”

You resisted the urge to bite your lip. Instead, you glanced up at him over your shoulder. You two shared a small, secret smile.

Click.

And the secret was out.

That brief, intimate moment between you and Ben became plastered across every tabloid in the city, and even some of the “respectable” magazines.

SOLDIER BOY + SIRENA SECRET AFFAIR?!

And various headlines of the like. Even Johnny Carson had something to say about it on the Tonight Show.

“Now, it’s Soldier Boy’s business of course, but if it’s true, I do feel a little sorry for Crimson Countess. Don’t you?”

The crowd in studio, much like the rest of the fans, were divided. Most women were sympathizing with Countess, while most men seemed to be supporting Soldier Boy (and you by extension).

This wasn’t how you wanted this to happen. It was no small amount of chaos from a PR perspective, and it had quickly made you a polarizing figure in the media.

You just didn’t expect how it would affect your real life, as you headed down Broadway after a successful mission. Not only had you stopped a man from shooting up a bank, but you and the TNT Twins had saved the entire staff and patrons inside. Without collateral damage this time.

You were just stopping off to grab a coffee from one of your favorite cafés when you noticed a woman waiting for the bus. She was glaring at you with a gas station slushie in her hand. You’d fully intended to ignore her, before she shouted something at you.

“Homewrecker!”

You frowned. Jesus, it wasn’t like they were married.

“Excuse me?” you said incredulously.

“You heard me, fucking hussy,” the woman said. She was wearing a red Crimson Countess-themed watch.

You rolled your eyes and aimed to walk past her. That’s when she tossed her slushie and hit you on the side of your head. You gasped as red berry syrup and ice drenched you and ran down your suit. It even stung your eyes.

Anger and instinct took over. When she approached you, you shoved her hard by her shoulders.

“Back off!” you shouted. You just didn’t realize that your eyes glowed with power when you touched her. You’d compelled her on accident.

The woman’s face went blank. Not only did she step back from you with her hands raised in surrender, but she kept walking backwards, all the way to the street.

Your eyes widened as you reached out to her. “Stop!”

You ran to her, but it was too late. Unfortunately for her, the bus arrived right on time.

You sat in Arthur’s office, your hands still shaking, your face, hair, and chest still covered in a sticky film of slushie syrup. He handed you a towel to clean yourself off and returned to his desk. It didn’t do much good.

“Thank you,” you said in a small voice. And you said again, “I-I…it was an accident.”

“Don’t worry about it, sweetheart. This isn’t our first rodeo,” he said. “The clean-up crew’s already working on the site of the incident.”

“What,” you cleared your throat. “What about her family?”

“Why do you think we have lawyers?” Arthur said. His smile wasn’t reassuring. “So just go back to your room, clean up, and relax. We’ll take care of this.”

Dully you nodded. You peeled yourself up from the leather chair, and you made the trek back to your room. You showered and got changed, but you still felt dirty. In your mind, you kept seeing the bus split that woman’s face into the pavement.

You were restless, so you got dressed into something comfortable and didn’t even bother with makeup when you went up to the penthouse. Ben let you in, though he frowned at the state of you.

“I heard what happened,” he said.

You opened your mouth, but nothing came out. Tears stung at your eyes. You looked so small and fragile at that moment, Ben couldn’t help but soften ever so slightly. He guided you inside with a hand on your back.

“You hungry?” he asked. “Can have the chef bring something up.”

You shook your head and plopped down on his living room sofa. He made you a drink instead—a vodka soda with a lime, just like you liked. You stared at it, then you downed it all in one long go.

Ben raised his brows, but he sat beside you.

“It’s not your fault,” he said.

You set the glass down heavily on the coffee table and gave him a tearful look.

“How is that possible?”

“She disrespected you,” he said, with a note of darkness in his voice, in his eyes. “You had every right to hit back, put her in her place.”

You turned his words over in your head, but you couldn’t accept them. You didn’t want to justify this. You knew it was wrong.

Ben’s hand slid across your thigh, drawing your attention.

“If I’d been there, believe me. That shit wouldn’t have even had the chance to come out of her fucking mouth,” he said coolly.

Somehow, you’d already known that. You just didn’t know if it was his way of being protective, or if it was just him taking a slight against you as a reflection on him, as a man. Either way, it didn’t really make you feel better. Your tears bubbled over, no matter how much you held them back.

Ben’s frown deepened, though he hesitated for a moment. He tugged you over into his lap, where he reached for your cheek and got you to meet his eyes with your red and shiny ones. He captured your lips in a kiss.

If all else fails, distraction.

He worked your sweater off, then your bra, and guided you down onto the sofa. There he kissed his way down your neck while undoing the button on your jeans. You raked your fingers through his hair.

“Ben,” you whispered. “I—”

“Just relax,” he rumbled.  

You fell into the pull of him, letting his mouth and his touch intoxicate you. You didn’t want to let him make you forget. You didn’t want to let this be okay.

But you couldn’t help it. You wanted him, and maybe this time, you needed him too. 

AN: A little smut, a little angst, a little involuntary manslaughter. What else in the world of The Boys, amirite? 😅 But how do you like how her relationship (or not quite relationship) with Ben is developing?

Next comes even more supe debauchery, and a big monkey wrench...

Next Time:

You grabbed the nearest bottle of alcohol, went over to them, and subtly touched Countess’s bare shoulder.

Give that shot to Tommy, you compelled her.

With that small trill of your power, Countess stood straighter and beelined straight for Tommy. She grabbed him by the back of his head and surprised him with a deep tequila kiss.

Gross.

You grimaced at the sight, but when you looked back at Ben, he was smirking in amusement. He slid an arm around your waist and spoke closely in your ear.

“Let’s have some fun.”

▶️ Keep Reading: PART 7

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[fruitbasketball]

wnba recap 8/15

y’all can go ahead and put on tupac back for this one bc WE BAAAAAAAACKKKK BABY

lemme not waste anybody’s time let’s jump right in ‼️

minnesota lynx vs. washington mystics

we’re gonna start off real cutesy real demure w this one bc the other games tonight were… something…

YO SLIM’S BACK??? OH HEYYYYY KIRA OKAY YEAH MYSTICS UP

except not because they lost but we’re getting there! still spectacularly ass fgp and 3pfg WOW!! paige bueckers, YOU are a washington mystic 🤩🤩🤩

a warm welcome back to miss alanna smith and miss napheesa collier from the 2024 paris olympics 🥰 (guys i’m trying to use more emojis are we fw it??) anyway great production from the lynx starting five except miss bridget carleton. girl… let’s get more than 4 if we’re gonna be on the floor for a full 29… goddd bless

phoenix mercury vs. chicago sky

it’s always some shit with that chennedy carter huh?? LORD 💀💀💀 lemme not speak on it too much but sometimes we don’t need to be yapping on the internet!! sometimes we js needa hoop!! and that’s okay 😭😭😭

double double miss angel reese thank you! also side note: those 2k scores… y’all just lazy!! come on caitlin clark and angel reese cannot BOTH be a 90. THREE rookies cannot be tied at an 80 y’all need to start being fr oh my LORD!! i am TIRED!!! put in the work when you speak on women’s sports or don’t speak on them at ALL!!!

ANYWAY

4-19 from 3… 🤨🤨🤨 aight bro if you say so

fuckin crazy work from 3 tonight man EVERYBODY get back in the gym maybe tupac not back 😭

NVM KAH 30 PIECEEEE 🗣️🗣️🗣️ THAT’S 29 FROM KAHLEAH COPPER ICE PHILLY THANKKKKK YOU

real talk the mercury absolutely dominated on efficiency here; both fgp and 3pfg above 50%, taking smart shots, moving the ball assisting on 26 of 33 shots - merc look good y’all i can’t lie 😮‍💨😮‍💨😮‍💨

welcome back to our olympians of course: dee, bg, kah - we missed youuu 🤭

new york liberty vs los angeles sparks

y’all need to be so for real.

just say you want another blonde bitch in LA. JUST SAY YOU WANT ANOTHER FUCKIN BLONDE BITCH IN LA

you got blown out. by 35 POINTS???

THIS is cali hoops now???? mannnn someone call lisa tell her what they’re doing to her team over in socal 😃 bc what the fuck

also when tf did crystal sign to the sparks bro what… always some shit going on w this team bruh stfg

point here is the liberty dominated in every possible aspect of the game - they shot smarter, shot better, rebounded more off the defensive glass, protected the ball, forced more turnovers, pushed the pace, destroyed in the paint, didn’t let the sparks pick up a lead even ONCE

complete game from the liberty tonight - this was a playoff performance

stewie heard some mfker talking crazy on her name ig

i mean this is just complete domination like… i’d be embarrassed

anyway more to come 🙏🏽 thank y’all for tuning in imma call it a night

[eminsunnytoons]

Note: some characters have TWO Voice actors/actresses, it's because in every episode of the reboot, the voice actors will swap

☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️

Class of 3000 characters and their voice actors/actresses for the reboot:

☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️

Sunny - Andre 3000

Li'l D - small fire

Madison - Jennifer Hale

Philly Phil - Phil LaMarr

Tamika - Crystal Scales

Eddie - Tom Kenny

Kim - Janice Kawaye

Kam - Janice Kawaye

Salieri - Jeff Bennett and Brandon Rogers

Lil' G - Small fire

Addison - Jennifer Hale and Catherine Gallant

Brooklyn Bill - Phil LaMarr

Bambi - Crystal Scales and Uzo Aduba

Freddie - Tom Kenny

Jim - Janice Kawaye

Jam - Janice Kawaye

Big D - Kevin Micheal Richardson

Mila - Jennifer Hale

Cheddar man - Phil LaMarr and Eddie Murphy

Bianca - Jennifer Hale and Donna Cherry

Mr Yin - Tom Kenny

Mr Min - Phil LaMarr

Kaylie - Jennifer Hale and Kate O'Sullivan

Mackenzie - Tara Strong and Maria Darling

Tanya - Cree Summer

Principal Luna - Jeff Bennett

Petunia Squattinchowder - Tom Kenny and Melissa McCarthy

Jan - Jeff Bennett

Lucius - Ogie Banks and Latrice Royal (mostly Latrice)

Jared - Phil LaMarr

Bullfrog - Kevin Kendrick and Kevin Micheal Richardson

Preston - Tom Kenny

Dustin - Phil LaMarr

☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️

[saberswordseabass]

A Hidden Danger; Know your threat (3.5)

Soldiers began to bolt down a dark metal grated floor. The sturdy, metallic walls creak from a minor gravity difference. One of the soldiers shouted something unintelligible to the recording unit. The wall to their right begins to creak louder and warp from stress.

Blast doors begin to lower, trapping the two soldiers in the corridor as the wall bulges like it was hit by a freight train. The soldiers begin to obviously shake as they lower their helmets over their elongated fox like faces. They raise their laser rifles and steady it at the wall bulging.

After another moment, the wall explodes inward, but no explosive decompression followed. A bulky fox robot with stark white, like star-bleached armor, forced its way through. Lasers streak and sizz in the air as the soldiers begin to pelt the robot.

It seemed unfazed by the lasers, only focusing on them when one managed to shoot it in the optic sensor. The graviton ram of its right arm, hissed as it prepared to operate once again, while it raised its left arm, its fingers arcing with a green energy. The bot begins to march towards them intently.

The graviton ram began to glow with a green field as it launched forward with a wet squelch from the soldiers before the video seems to freeze as the recording device manages to show a soldier in horrible mixture of fused into the wall and crushed under a powerful gravitational force.

"So what are you thinking for lunch? I really want to try this Philly cheesesteak that the captive mentioned." A Ursidain spoke, gently scratching their belly as their unruly clothes suggested pirates.

"Eh, doesn't sound awful. You might have t-" The Taurian companion began to state before a warning light began to flash rapidly.

A warning began to echo from the P.A. system; "Prepare to be boarded! Don't recognize the ship, but it is probably the human savior team from the GC. Give them hell!" The P.A. warned as a few moments later, the ship violently shuttered as the boarding vessel rammed them.

The two pirates were caught off guard and had been knocked into the left side wall. "What the hell is wrong with them? Are they insane?!" The Taurian screamed as they grabbed their weapon. Right as they finish that thought, the wall to their right melts like butter. An intimated robot in height, having to lean down to fight in the hallway designed for Ursidains.

"Command: Give up human now, and your lives may be spared." The bot ordered as its stark white armored glistened in the dull, flickering florescent light. It held two massive clamp hands, like originally designed to carry around the cargo pods, but they were paired with some kind of unknown weapon, but the armored canister attached to it suggested a flame based weapon.

The pirates look at each other as the bot stares unmoving at the two, waiting for a reply. The Ursidain nodded to his Taurian companion before unslinging an old earth shotgun and firing a shot into the bot's ribcage area. "Eat ferrus insect!" The Ursidain roared as the bot stumbled back, its inner working exposed from the 'insect'.

"Hostile action has been taken." The bot spoke as its wide footing managed to stabilize. The bot's orange, almost yellow eyes, begun to rapidly shift color to a cool, icy blue. Its arms raise out, and frost began to coat its flamethrower like barrels. An icy stream connects with both organics. The Ursidain looks relatively unharmed but still affected by the flash freezing of his outer layer of fur and fat. His Taurian companion was not as lucky as half of her right side crystallized from the ice-thrower's very napalm; 'Neptunic Nictro'

The Ursidain rushes to close the gap, firing two more shots into the bot, which finally knocks the bot down onto its back. With another shot to it's fox like head makes the machine go limp.

From this device's recording, the screen begins to get hit with many white particulars, giving the recording a grainy resolution. A much smaller bot began to step through the hole left by its bigger cousin. Their rifle, which was glowing blue from an unknown source. Upon readying the gun at the Ursidain, who noticed it too late, the camera grows more grainy. The camera cuts out as the Ursidain attempts to rush the smaller bot, and a split frame of a blue pulse wave echos from its gun.

A deep-seated anger began to fill room, as all recording on each screen paused at a gruesome death. A dull grey fur inquistor sat at a desk in front of the screens. "I've spent 70 years making sure Octarus does not awaken. It is a massive threat to not just us, but all of the GC, if allowed, to get fully operational... again." Gloved hands gently rub the inquistor's face. "And if word gets out that we are the cause, that could cause an end to us, not just as an empire but also a species if what the GC did to the majority of humanity is to be noted."

"Get me on the line with Quilx." The old inquistor spoke to his help, who rushes off, only to return a moment later. "What's wrong?" The older inquistor asks as a worried frown fills his graying brow.

"Sir, Quilx has made a ground expedition to the planet where he believes Octarus' forces have been coming from." That made the old inquistor shoot up, only to grip his chest with a pained expersion. His body was old and failing as he was reaching a century in his Inquisitoral duties.

The help rushed to him before he shooed them away with another pained grunt. "Quilx will die if he steps foot on that planet! Warn him immediately to change his course of operations." The old inquistor gasped as his body forced him back down onto his padded chair.

"Maker, why?" The old inquistor gasped quietly to himself as he stared into space with horror of first-hand experience.

Decided to try another approach to this. I hope you enjoyed it! C&C is very much welcome and appreciated! Again, thank @wolven91 for creating this amazing universe to allow me to create this weird word soup :>

[cashewmonster]

i know tumblr is a dead platform but one of my best friends had her home destroyed in the philly fires yesterday, please share if you can or donate, she has been invaluable to my friends and i and needs any help she can get right now

[floatin-gcloud]

If you’re gonna be at the DnDads Philly (Glenside) show, and you see a Mercedes Oak-Garcia with a Darryl Wilson, please come trade bracelets with me 🥹 I went with a crystal-like bead set because I love Mercedes and all of her witchy vegan ways

[mutenized]

Red String of Fate

Modern Rockstar Eddie Munson x afab photographer reader!

Not gonna lie to you guys, I was reading this fic (it’s 18+) and got inspiration based off of chapter 6……then I got carried away so I don’t even think I have a word count on this bitch. It’s currently 4 am and as I’m writing this part I’m not even done… so word count? LONG lmao! Thank you dolly for hyping me up

Enjoy!

Tags: fluff fluff fluff! Mutual pining, opposites attract

Also here’s a playlist for this fic! Listen if you’d like, a lot of sad girl pop mixed with pop punk! The series is named after Red String by Sweet Pill!

Fingers danced across your waist as you delve your toes into the soft sand that had cooled drastically due to the rise of the moon and fall of the sun pass the watery horizon. Peace. You were at peace. Any and all wars that currently played within your head, whether you knew it or not, ceased due to the absolute heaven you seemingly ascended to.

Eddie’s arms pulled you from your contemplative state, reminding you of the happiness, the thrill, you were living in. A vacation, together. That was something you never dreamed of happening when you two first met months ago. Yet, the tale of time and chemistry between two people proved to both you and the frizzy haired rockstar that anything could happen.

Eddie’s band, Corroded Coffin, was on a small tour through dive bars and smaller venues throughout the east coast. You had been excited for the Philadelphia date because they were the main band at the small, two-story bar, Johnny Brenda’s, that sat on the corner between the Olde Kensington, Northern Liberties, and Fishtown districts. Bringing along your film camera as well as your digital one as well, you opened your case for the security detail before clambering the tiny stairwell to where the stage was set above the pool tables and larger bar and kitchen that rested at street level. Greeting your friends whom you came to support, you looked to the small table next to theirs where merchandise for the two other openers sat. “Corroded Coffin is a dope ass name!” You hear the drummer, Nick, rattle off to the two young adults who pinned up the rest of the band’s merch on the peg board.

“You think? Eddie and Gareth came up with it themselves between D&D sessions in like, middle school.” The one spoke, a smile on his face and his freckles cheeks making his eyes close. “Yea dude! Y’know Philly has an amazing punk music scene it’s like the origin-“ Nick’s rambling was background noise to you as you hug his girlfriend who just arrived with the last of their band’s shirts. Gem was true to her name, a gem. Guiding you to the small sectioned off area for the photographers, she wanted to make sure security didn’t give you a hard time as they have before.

Setting your case between one of the speakers and the wall, you were too into making sure your camera was properly formatted to notice two figures near you. One on stage on their knees, fiddling with their peddles and wires that ran to the guitar placed on a stand next to the microphone and the other behind you waiting for you to move a hair over to join you in setting up their tech.

“Excuse me, sorry!” The even toned voice didn’t seem angry or bitter as you quickly side stepped to let them beside you. A light brown bob greeted your sights before you saw the angular face and side smile that the voice belonged to. Tapered slacks, a Corroded Coffin shirt, and open vest paired with silver jewelry and a crystal hung on a string were the first things you took in as your eyes gazed from the screen of your camera to the pair of blue eyes looking towards you.

“Hey, you’re (y/n), right?! One, huge fan of your work, like seriously! Two, well, actually. No two. Just be wary that the guys like to grab equipment so you get good shots. I’m Robin, nice to meet you!” A happy yet awkward chuckle left the rambling girl as her ringed fingers expertly secured her lens to the body of her camera and snapping a few shots off the stage.

“Hey! Yes thanks! I’ve seen some of your work and it’s absolutely amazing!” A grin played on your features as Robin went through the three stages of honor; shock, disbelief, and flattery. You both hit it off, chatting haphazardly as the crowd formed behind the metal barricade you rested on and the balcony. Soon enough, lights dimmed and the steady beat of a bass drum filled the room. Screams and cheers followed suit, that was your cue to go into work mode. Forgetting about what was around you, you worked nimbly with Robin to make sure you both got high grade shots and didn’t run into one another.

It wasn’t until the third or fourth song of the set when you went to go switch to your film camera that you noticed the four men on stage in front of you. The frontman instantly got your attention as he donned a pair of ripped skinny jeans and chains, rings, a muscle tank which showed off the opal skin stained with onyx and ruby ink, and a black bandana wrapped around his forehead. The brown-black hair was what struck you, though. Wild and unruly, his curls seemed to make him look even more angelic while if that were anyone else, they’d look like they had no idea to take care of their appearance. He was effortlessly ethereal; put together while also not being put together at all.

Your eyes must have burned a hole into his face because his brown doe eyes caught yours as he roamed the stage before the next song. His stoney, rocker façade seemingly broke for a half-moment as he drank you in before returning to what task was at hand.

Both of you couldn’t deny the intensity that drew both of you in but you found yourself already overthinking like you were getting ready for a date as you photographed the rest of their set.

You see, while your friend’s band was in the pop punk genre, which you enjoyed thoroughly, over time you’ve become drawn to bedroom and indie pop. Phoebe Bridgers, Ethel Cain, The Japanese House, The 1975, just to name a few. Many called it sad girl pop since the songs were catchy and addicting while the message in the lyrics dealt with the heavy reality of life.

So to say you were out of place in a sea of leather and chains was an understatement. Your bell bottom jeans and black ankle boots paired with the babydoll top Gem had made just for you for your birthday that had the band’s logo of a jar of sugar next to a bottle of spilt pills couldn’t stand out even more than it already did. That didn’t mean you didn’t enjoy the music Corroded Coffin was playing but it wasn’t your usual flavor.

With the last song fading, the house lights came back up and you capped your lens after turning the camera off to preserve battery. “Oh my god, (y/n). I have the best photo of you and Eddie staring at one another! Oh dude he’s going to be so embarrassed!” Shoving the camera into your line of sight, your eyes drew to the tiny bright screen. Your lips pressed into a cheeky grin before you peered to Robin through your lashes. “Oh you can’t delete that! Send it to me!” Mischief laced both of your auras, making a deeper connection with the girl who reminded you so much of yourself.

Grabbing your wrist with a playful laugh, Robin guided you away from the security of safety before leading you to the bar where there was the frizzy mass of hair downing a glass of ice water. His side profile was something out of a distant dream you had had years before but that was something you didn’t care about. The same doe eyes that softened when they landed on you found you once more before playful fear filled them as he noticed Robin guiding you towards him.

[chickrawker]

Keane at The Met Philly 9/21/24

These 20 year anniversary tours make me feel so old but I am glad that bands I love have material that has stood th test of time so we can have these tours. I'm a pretty casual Keane fan but felt like this was a show I had to go to especially since it was in my favorite venue.

Keane

The Met

Philadelphia PA

9/21/24

Can't Stop Now

Silenced by the Night

Bend and Break

Your Eyes Open

Nothing in My Way

Sunshine

The Way I Feel

You Are Young

Everybody's Changing

Hamburg Song

Untitled 1

A Bad Dream

Perfect Symmetry

Is It Any Wonder?

She Has No Time

This Is the Last Time

Crystal Ball

Somewhere Only We Know

Encore:

Snowed Under

We Might as Well Be Strangers

Sovereign Light Café

Bedshaped

I sat a little further back than I am used to in this venue but it was still great. Of course Tom was in awe of The Met "a beautiful room" and gave us a lot of love for our singing. The guys behind me knew all the songs and were great singers so that was really fun. Video on insta per usual.

[mogai-sunflowers]

MOGAI BHM- Belated Day 21!

happy BHM! today i’m going to be talking about some famous ‘black firsts’!

Black Firsts in Science-

In 1965, David Harold Blackwell became the first Black member of the National Academy of Sciences

Robert H. Lawrence was the first Black astronaut; Mae Jemison was the first Black female astronaut, and Guion Bluford was the first Black astronaut to actually travel in space

Thomas Jennings was the first Black patent holder in the U.S, and Judy Reed was the first Black woman patent holder in the U.S

Daniel Hale Williams performed the first successful heart surgery

James Smith was the first officially trained Black American doctor

Robert Freeman was the first Black American dentist

Black Firsts in Politics-

Macon Allen was the first Black American admitted to a law school, and Charlotte Ray was the first Black woman admitted to a law school.

William Henry Hastie was the first Black federal Judge, and Constance Motley was the first Black female federal Judge

Thurgood Marshall was the first Black SCOTUS Justice

Alexander Lucius Twilight was the first Black state-elected official

Pierre Landry was the first Black city mayor, and Carl Stokes was the first Black mayor of a major US city

Jonathan Wright was the first Black state supreme court justice

Hiram Revels was the first appointed Black US Senator, and Edward Brooke was the first elected Black US Senator

P.B.S Pinchback was the first appointed Black state governor

Crystal Fauset was the first Black female legislator in the US

Shirley Chisholm was the first Black female U.S representative

Carol Braun was the first Black female U.S Senator

Joseph Rainey was the first Black person to serve in the US House of Representatives

Joseph Jenkins Roberts was the first African-American president of any nation (Liberia)

Black Firsts in Education-

Theodore Wright was the first Black graduate of an Ivy League School

Lucy Stanton was the first Black woman to graduate college in America

Charles Reason was the first Black college professor

Daniel Payne was the first Black college president

Dr. David Peck was the first Black person to graduate from medical school

Alexander Lucius Twilight was the first Black person to receive a degree from an American college

Mary Patterson was the first Black American woman to earn a B.A

Fanny Coplin was the first Black woman to become principal of a school

Richard Greener was the first Black Harvard graduate

Black Firsts in the Arts-

Lucy Terry was the first Black American poet and Phillis Wheatley was the first published Black American poet

Gwendolyn Brooks was the first Black Pulitzer Prize winner

William Brown was the first Black American novelist, and Harriett Wilson was the first Black female American novelist

Toni Morrison was the first Black winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature

Francis Johnson was the first published Black American musical composer

Marian Anderson was the first Black member of the Metropolitan Opera

Harry Swan was the first Black American to found a record label, Black Swan Records

Count Basie was the first Black person to win a Grammy, and Ella Fitzgerald was the first Black woman to win a Grammy

William Lane was the first nationally famous Black dancer, and Arthur Mitchell was the first Black principal dancer in a major dance company

Oscar Micheaux was the first Black film director

Hattie McDaniel was the first Black person to win an Oscar, and Juanita Hall was the first Black person to win a Tony

William Still was the first Black American to both direct a major orchestra and have their composition performed by a major orchestra

Black Firsts in Sports-

Oliver Lewis was the first Black jockey to Win Kentucky Derby

Moses Walker was the first Black professional baseball player

John Shippen Jr. was the first Black professional Golfer

Marshall “Major” Taylor was the first Black world cycling champion

George Poage was the first Black Olympic medalist at the Summer games, and John Taylor was the first Black Olympic gold medalist at the Summer games

Jackie Robinson was the first 20th century Black MLB player

Rajo Jack de Soto was the first Black professional race car driver

Willie Thrower was the first Black NFL quarterback

Willie O’Ree was the first Black NHL player

Alice Coachman was the first Black woman to win an individual gold medal at the summer olympic games

tagging @metalheadsforblacklivesmatter @bfpnola @intersexfairy 

[brookstonalmanac]

Birthdays 9.30

Beer Birthdays

Frederick Wacker (1830)

Ludwig Narziss, a.k.a. Beer Pope (1925)

Alan Atha (1950)

Jesse Friedman

Five Favorite Birthdays

Robinson Crusoe; fictional character (1632)

Jenna Elfman; actor (1971)

Kate Fox; "Miss Match" (1976)

Buddy Rich; jazz drummer (1917)

Eric Stoltz; actor (1961)

Famous Birthdays

Trey Anastasio; rock guitarist (1964)

Monica Bellucci' Italian model, actor (1964)

Crystal Bernard; actor (1961)

Marc "T. Rex" Bolan; rock singer (1947)

Truman Capote; writer (1924)

Lacey Chabert; actor (1982)

Marion Cotillard; French actor (1975)

Angie Dickinson; actor (1931)

Fran Drescher; actor (1957)

Hans Geiger; physicist (1882)

Alan Hacker; English clarinetist (1938)

Deborah Kerr; actor (1921)

Johnny Mathis; singer (1935)

Marilyn McCoo; pop singer (1943)

W.S. Merwin; poet (1927)

Nevill Francis Mott; English physicist (1905)

Oscar Pettiford; jazz bassist, cellist (1922)

Michael Powell; film director (1905)

Robin Roberts; Philadelphia Phillies P (1926)

Jalal ud-Din Rumi; Afghan mystic, poet (1207)

Ryan Stout; comedian (1982)

Victoria Tennant; actor (1950)

Elie Wiesel; writer (1928)

Barry Williams; actor (1954)

William Wrigley; chewing gum tycoon (1861)

[eminsunnytoons]

Hello nefario you try to kill my man i don't think so look behind you ~~~~

Just look in to my eyes and you will be my crystal stone forever

*hypothesise nefario for collection *

Just cover your eyes sunny just for your safety

Dr Nefario: what?!— *he turns around* GAAH!! *He drops his shot gun*

Sunny: *he smirks and covers his eyes* aw, heck yeah, the queenie's at it again.

Li'l D, Madison, Philly Phil, Tamika, Eddie, Kim, and Kam are all in Dr Nefario's cage above the ceiling, and they're all cheering and rooting for you!

Li'l D: oh yeah! Get 'im, queenie!

Madison, snapping pictures of the scenario with her mini camera: YAAY! the queenie's saving Sunny and us!

Philly Phil: wooo! Go, queenie! Go!

Tamika, smirking: you go, queenie!

Eddie: oh, wow! She sure got him!

Kim: oh, yeah! She sure did!

Kam: hm, this is now the best moment in history! Dr Nefario turned into a crystal stone! HAH!

[tefibetancourt]

i. biography. ii. statistics. iii. connections.

NAME / Estefania ‘Tefi’ Crystal Betancourt AGE / 32, born on July 28th, 1992 GENDER & PRONOUNS / Cis woman, she/her ORIENTATION / Bisexual MARITAL STATUS / Married to Matthew Foster… for now HOMETOWN / Philadelphia, Pennsylvania RESIDENCE / Oak Gardens Cardinal Hill, Blue Harbor, Illinois as of 2024 OCCUPATION / Server at Waterway Diner Barista at Latte Love

SUMMARY,

trigger warnings — parental neglect, drugs mention, toxic relationship(s), homelessness/unhoused mention.

Tefi grew up the baby of a large family. Along with the privileged position of being the youngest, her parents grew more and more lax with each child they had. The freedom she was given as a child was inappropriate, but that was not indicative of the love her parents held for her (or so Tefi thought). Some could say they were lazy parents, but Tefi viewed them as trusting—she always knew if she really fucked up, mom and dad would be there for her, but she was given free rein to make as many mistakes as she needed to learn and grow.

With their hippie-like parenting style, Tefi did indeed have free rein. As long as she let them or her older siblings know where she was going, Tefi had the freedom to roam about King of Prussia all hours of the day. She didn’t care about her grades, viewing class only as an opportunity to hang out with her friends, and her family didn’t press the importance of schooling as much as they should’ve. In Tefi’s mind, she was treated like an adult at home, so she was supposed to be treated like an adult everywhere else in society. Adults got to decide if they cared about school, and only in seventh grade, Estefania knew that she didn’t. All she cared about was having fun.

By the skin of her teeth, the grace of god, or some administrator’s pity, Tefi barely graduated high school with no plans for higher education. While her friends were going all over the country for college, Tefi stayed in Philly and joined the workforce at her parents’ insistence. Becoming a server at the local Perkins, it became the first job in a long, long line of customer service jobs for Tefi.

Eternally getting hired at a job, then quitting or getting fired within months, Tefi acquired a friend group that also enjoyed nothing more than getting high in the afternoons and getting drunk all night. On one such night out at a bar, Estefania noticed a boy with icy blue eyes and an aquiline nose. The night ended with Tefi infatuated with him, knowing him only as Foster. Quickly, they fell in love. Just as quick, their new relationship turned messy and toxic—though Tefi, at the time, preferred to think of them as passionate.

A few months into their relationship, after countless nights of breaking up, making up, and breaking up again, Tefi awoke one morning in a motel room in Atlantic City, with a ring on her finger and her husband in bed next to her. Unfortunately, marriage did not fix their relationship, and they continued their toxic cycle. Until one fateful night, during another argument after she found out that he slept with her best friend, Foster walked out of their apartment and slammed the door behind him, never to return again. 

Extremely upset for the first few months in his absence, she all but forgot Foster when she focused on her new passion: being famous. Setting out to Los Angeles, Tefi tried her hardest to jumpstart a career in acting, singing, or modeling. The hitch was that she wasn’t naturally talented at any of it. All of her ventures to be a celebrity failed, including a brief stint on The Bachelor and multiple attempts to start a social media influencer account; she was still stuck working dead end customer service jobs.

After ten years in L.A. with nothing to show for it, she again focused on a new passion: becoming a trophy wife. Soon, her prayers were answered when she met a rich man named Ralph. She was willing to do whatever he wanted as long as he gave her whatever she wanted, and lucky for her, Ralph wanted the same arrangement. Another whirlwind romance, he proposed on Christmas.

There was just one teeny, tiny, little problem: She was already married. Fucking Foster, a man she hadn’t thought about in years, still found ways to fuck everything up. She had no idea where he went off to after he disappeared, so it wasn’t like she could track him down and force him to divorce her for good. It wasn’t until she came clean to Ralph about her marital status that he hired a private investigator to find her ex. 

And find him, they did: Blue Harbor, Illinois. Ralph gave her plane ticket and a mission to find Foster, get him to sign the divorce papers, and return all within a week. If she didn’t, she was going to get thrown out on her ass. Unfortunately, the moment she finally found Foster after arriving in town, he disappeared—again! The harder she tried to catch him around town, the more he avoided her. No one would tell her where he worked and anyone she asked about his whereabouts had the gall to act like she was some crazy stalker. It had been a whole week since she arrived in town and no one would help her, Foster apparently ceased existing, and Ralph grew more paranoid the longer she stayed in Blue Harbor.

One week turned into two, then three, then four. After the fourth week with the papers still unsigned, Ralph made good on his promise, dumped her, and evicted her from his condo. Stuck in Illinois with very little no money, no car, and nowhere to stay after Ralph stopped paying for her room at the Weaver Inn, she had to make some money fast. Luckily, serving was quick, easy money, so she walked into the nearest restaurant to her as she walked down the street—which turned out to be Waterway Diner—and started work that day.

Housing was still an issue, though. The owner rejected her request to sleep in one of the booths and the cash tips she made weren’t enough for a hotel room. Sitting on the curb outside the restaurant, sobbing into her hands as she tried to reconcile with the fact that she would likely be sleeping on a park bench that night, a good samaritan walked by and offered to let her crash on their couch.

The offer to stay over was supposed to last for a night, but now a month later, Tefi has pretty much permanently moved in. Still trying to think up a plan for her future, she’s still focused on the now, and right now, all she wants to do is make Foster pay for the havoc he’s wrecked over her life. She just wanted him to sign the divorce papers, but now she’ll make sure they’re married until the end of time, as long as he ends up as unhappy as she is.

PERSONALITY,

On the surface, Estefania seems like an effortlessly cool, carefree girl; always smiling and decked out in funky, vintage clothing and jewelry, ready to party at any moment’s notice. This is a trap! Tefi is incredibly messy, self-centered, and capricious. She’s constantly getting into shenanigans, sometimes nearly risking her life (or others) by heading blindly into danger, and pulls innocent bystanders into her bullshit all the time. She uses her charms and assets to fool people into thinking she’s some blithe, vivacious bohemian, only for them to learn quickly that she’s a toxic brat. Basically, she wants to be a manic pixie dream girl, and learned the wrong lesson from Gone Girl lol.

It’s not completely a front, though. Tefi genuinely wants everyone to be happy (except Foster) and is your go-to woman for fun nights out. She has trouble with boundaries, though, and always takes things too far if no one’s watching her.

Tefi is a lover of all things mid-century modern. She spends a lot of her free time perusing antique malls, scrolling through Esty and Ebay, and amassing a large collection of vintage clothing. She feels naked without rings on every finger, multiple piercings in her ears, and at least two necklaces. It’s not strange to see her in glittery disco pants and a peasant blouse in the grocery store at ten in the morning, mind ya business. She loves pastels, campy movies, and considers Sharon Tate to be a personal hero.

She has a lot of growing up to do. Though she’s in her thirties, she still acts like a twenty-something and resents the idea that she somehow has to mature. Tefi wants someone to always take care of her, while also giving her the same freedom she became accustomed to at a young age. She feels a sense of jealousy over her peers having stable jobs, families, and property, but ultimately doesn’t want to be like them. She likes herself (most of the time), why can’t everyone else?

CONNECTIONS,

specific connections,

HER HUSBAND (1/1) / Matthew Foster, and her number one enemy. Though she truly loved him at one point in her life, he’s now persona non grata because she blames him for her current predicament. If he hadn’t avoided her, she’d be home in L.A. with signed divorce papers and the ability to marry her rich boyfriend. Not only that, but he’s happy with an esteemed job, sweet girlfriend, and many friends. It’s just so totally NOT fair!

HER SAVIORS (2/2) / This person was the one to offer up their couch to Tefi once they saw her crying on the sidewalk last month. We can discuss if they’re happy she’s still sleeping on their couch or if they’re on the verge of kicking her out lol @thecjwelford / @sebastianvora

general connections,

CUSTOMERS / If your character has come to the Waterway Diner within recent weeks, then they’ve likely seen Tefi. Despite her lack of passion for serving, she’s a veteran waitress that has worked various food service jobs for over a decade now, so she knows what she’s doing. We can develop deeper plots throughout this connection, but this can be a good starting place for any of the suggestions below!

FRIENDS / Tefi is new to Blue Harbor, but she has an easy time making friends, mostly because she’s extremely extroverted. She’s the typical girl in the bar bathroom giving out compliments and unsolicited advice. At the outset, she’s a fun, cool girl with eclectic style and lots of energy, so most don’t see her darker side until they’ve gotten to know her. She will also steal your clothes, so watch out!

ENEMIES / While she has ease making friends, she has ease making enemies as well. Maybe she fucked your muse over, flirted with your character’s boy/girlfriend, stole something from them, or any other reason we can think of to make them fight lol. Usually she’s not that petty with relative strangers, but with Foster making her so angry, she can spare some of that anger for others as well.

PARTY BUDDIES / Estefania is a party girl first and foremost! She spends most of her nights at the bar or at someone’s house, drinking and smoking weed. Their relationship wouldn’t be deep in any sense, but whenever they want someone to show them a good time, Tefi is their first call.

CONFIDANT (0/1) / Again, Tefi is new to the scene, so this would be developed from a general friend connection, but Tefi has moments of vulnerability and your muse is the person she turns to whenever she’s feeling particularly down. Normally she’s all go-go-go but this is the friend she sits on the couch and watches movies with, tells all her hopes and dreams to, and gives her advice (that she likely won’t follow) whenever she requests it. Knowing Tefi, this is kind of a one-sided relationship, but she would try to be there for them in the same capacity as they are for her.

PARTNER-IN-REVENGE (2/2) / This person knows the extent of her anger for Foster, so they help her cook up schemes to make his life hell. I imagine this person either also dislikes her husband or they just think Tefi’s quest for revenge is hilarious. She gives up her quest a few months into play, but for now, they help her think up pranks and tricks. / @sebastianvora, @thecjwelford

SEXUAL INTERESTS / C’mon, Tefi is super hot, so it wasn’t hard for her to find someone to hook up with. Either it could be a one-night-stand or a casual hookup, but Tefi has no plans to start up a relationship with them or anyone else in town.

ROMANTIC INTERESTS / Just because she has no plans to start up a relationship with anyone doesn’t mean it won’t happen, though! It likely won’t be serious at the start, but Tefi falls in love hard and quick, and unfortunately is still pretty toxic. She’ll try not to get into a cycle of fighting and making up like she had with Foster, but she doesn’t want to be a doormat like she was with Ralph, either (they both fucked her over in the end, anyhow!). 

And anything else we can think of!! IM me <3 also it would be really funny if someone recognized her from her one episode of the bachelor lol

[tricornonthecob]

Not gonna forget the title line this time

LK 103: United we stanned

(pt1)(pt2)(pt3)(pt4)

This comment about Philly throwing down less hard than Boston rings real funny in the 21st century. I wanna see Philly and Boston fistfight for rowdiest East Coast city while Pittsburgh cracks one open and watches and Baldmer tells them to pipe the fuck down.

can I just point out how much this sailor looks like a twink in this frame. I'm calling him the twink sailor now.

There are moments when its patently clear where the budget went in this show.

Just another character who Didn't Deserve It.

chicky nuggy jumpscare

Local bear offers cock and meat to new-in-town twink, offer declined.

flashbacks to art school

Lady Phillips: "Sarah dear, what do you know about men's passions and what are you trying to say about me."

background artist appreciation moment, I know you weren't paid enough because they needed to pay Billy Crystal as John Adams.

I would also like to point out that they've reused this one texture file of what appears to be quilted maple numerous times so far, and that its a hella good res file for digital art in 2000-whenever this was being made, so its either a .tiff (unlikely, huge file size,) .bmp (large file size but lossless,) .tga (unlikely, deprecated format mostly used in 3D,) or possibly an early form of .png (.png was around since 1994 but not formalized as a standard until 2004.) I don't know why I thought this might be interesting to point out.

this texture hella crunchy though lol. Also I think this show is inked and then cell-shaded/matte painted digitally. Hybrid!

Henri I love you but you are going to break things.

In a sense, Tory's a nasty name on your side, too, for different reasons.

ayyy its the Adamses, Riotin' Sam and Obnoxious John!

I see they're familiar with my family's dynamic.

Sam's face. Don't touch me bro.

Is James trying to get Henri off the lever or is he adding to the chaos? I think he's adding to the chaos.

Yeah... James, those guys were definitely being assholes and trying to start a fight.

John Adams: ...the fuck are you?

Ohhhh you sweet summer child.

sir you are putting alot of faith in a 15/16? year old.

"We are distributing treasonous sedition, and there will be danger!"

Sarah: OH WORD?

Well now you're just making shit up, Sarah.

that being said she's kind of right about that.

Its silly but I do fucking love this interaction.

To be continued