#he seems like a saxophone guy

[ssparksflyy]

THE SUN'S ENGAGED TO THE SKY *ੈ🌤༘⋆

jason grace x child of apollo!reader

sky-watching dates 24/7, hugs from behind with his head in the crook of your neck, visiting you in the infirmary, dropping anybody who gets hurt off so he can talk to you while you heal them, listening to you sing and always applauding you right after, developing a tan from being out in the sun with you all day, going on walks in the strawberry fields, buying you bouquets of sunflowers ♡

[scoonsalicious]

2.1 Bucky

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x Fem!Reader

Summary: Lily McIntire, trainer for new SHIELD recruits at the Avengers Tower, has been in love with her best friend, Bucky Barnes, from the moment she met him. She's been content with her role of the #1 girl in Bucky's life, even if it means she has to sabotage a romantic relationship or two. It'll be worth it when he realizes that they're meant for each other, right? There's just one small problem: Lily McIntire never expected Bucky Barnes to fall for You.

Warnings: (For this part only; see Story Masterlist for general Warnings) Language, pick-mes, internalized misogyny.

Word Count: 2.7k

Previously On...: You asked Bucky to dance.

A/N: Guys, I know it's moving fast, but next part is smut <3

NOTE! The tag list is a fickle bitch, so I'm not really going to be dealing with it anymore. If you want to be notified when new story parts drop, please follow @scoonsaliciousupdates

Thank you to all those who have been reading; if you like what you've read, likes, comments, and reblogs give me life, and I truly appreciate them, and you!

As soon as the opening bars of the saxophone began, Bucky found himself feeling at ease. It wasn’t exactly like the big band tunes he used to cut it up to back in the day, but the beat was similar, and the horns were familiar. He was delighted to find the rhythm of the song was perfect for the Lindy Hop, and in no time, he was moving Major along the floor like he would have if he’d met her in 1943. 

And the look on her face as he spun her, twisted her in his arms? It was fucking priceless. Major’s smile was huge, her laugh infectious, and in no time at all, Bucky found himself laughing, too. In fact, he couldn’t remember the last time he’d had this much fun with a dame. 

He was surprised to find himself thinking of Major in those terms, as a dame. Yeah, he’d dated since he’d woken up from cryo for the last time, even had a couple of relationships that never seemed to go anywhere, but those had all been with girls, occasionally women. Not a single one of them had made him feel the same electric rush he’d felt in his youth; not the way he’d felt dancing with Major tonight, and that made her a dame. He liked it. He liked it a lot.

The song was over far too soon for Bucky’s liking, and even though the next one was one he didn’t know how to move to, he found he didn’t want to let go of her, didn’t want to move off the floor.

“That was great,” he said, slightly panting from the dancing and laughing. “What was that?”

“Bleachers,” Major said. “Modern Girl. They’re one of my favorite bands. I’m so glad you liked it.”

“I loved it,” Bucky smiled. “I haven’t danced like that in nearly a century. It felt fucking amazing; thank you.” 

Major ducked her face behind her hair, bashful at his thanks, and Bucky thought it was the most adorable thing he’d ever seen. “Are all their songs like that?” he asked.

“No,” she admitted, “but they’re still fantastic.”

“I’ll give them a listen, then,” he said, “if you like them so much.”

“You don’t have to do that,” she said, blushing. God. How Bucky wanted to bite the apples of her cheeks!

“I want to,” he said, earnestly. Without a thought, he found himself reaching up to tuck a fallen lock of hair behind her ear. She was so beautiful; he couldn’t believe how lucky he was to even be talking to her, let alone having gotten to share a dance.

“What?” Major asked, sounding self conscious, and Bucky realized he’d been staring at her for a little longer than was probably considered politely normal.

“I was just thinking about how beautiful you are,” he told her honestly, and was rewarded when she ducked her face down again. He tucked his hand under her chin and tilted her head back up so she was looking at him. “What?” he asked with a soft smile. “Is that so hard to believe?”

Major chuckled softly. “No,” she said. “I guess… I’m just not used to getting compliments.”

“Well, that’s a damned shame,” Bucky tsked. “You should be getting them multiple times a day.”

She licked her lips. She looked so fucking kissable, he thought. “I was in a relationship for a long time,” Major told him. “Got a lot more insults than compliments, unfortunately, toward the end. Guess I just got accustomed to them.”

Bucky frowned, having a hard time believing any straight man with eyes and blood in his cock would ever consider insulting her. “Your ex-boyfriend sounds like a dumbass piece of shit,” he offered.

Major shrugged. “Ex-husband, actually.”

That took Bucky aback. “Oh,” he said. “Shit. I’m sorry–”

“No, it’s okay,” she rushed to reassure him. “I married young and dumb. Military housing is a big perk, you know.” Bucky nodded. “It was… nice for a few years, but between the stress of deployments, and the fact I was getting promoted more often than he was… we weren’t happy for a while.”

“How long since you split?” he asked. He was nervous– based on what he’d experienced of Major so far, he saw her as someone he could really end up liking, and he didn’t want to come trampling in if she wasn’t emotionally ready. The idea of just being a rebound to her didn’t sit well with him. At all.

“Oh, like, five years ago,” Major said, waving her hand as if dismissing her entire marriage. “He cheated on me during his last deployment. Cliche, I know, but I ended up being grateful for it. It was the kick in the ass I needed to finally get out of a dead relationship. In fact, I fueled all the anger I felt at him into building the first WarZone. So, in a weird, roundabout way, I have him to thank for where I am today. Just think; if he had been able to keep his dick in his pants, we might not be standing here right now.”

Bucky laughed at that, and he suddenly found himself wanting to send her ex a thank you card. “Do you still see him?” he asked. 

“Not if I can help it,” Major told him, an upward tic to her lips. “We still have some mutual friends, and I’m fond of his mother, so we run into each other socially, here and there, a couple of times a year. I don’t look forward to seeing him or anything like that, but I stopped caring enough to let it really bother me a long time ago.”

“That seems like a pretty healthy outlook to have,” Bucky offered.

“It took a lot of work to get to this point,” she laughed. “I mean, why’d you think I had to start a rage room, of all things, to help me deal?”

Bucky laughed, and as he did so, he realized he was still holding both of her hands in his; neither of them had made a move to pull away from one another since the dance ended. “Can I buy you a drink?” he asked, looking up from where the two of them were joined.

“Yeah,” she said, offering him the sweetest smile he’d ever seen. “I’d like that.”

They both returned to the booth a few minutes later, Bucky with a beer and Major with another frozen margarita. In their absence, Peter, Thor, and Wanda had left, leaving just Bucky and Major, Nat, Steve, Sam, and Lily. 

“They wanted me to tell you goodbye, and that they loved meeting you,” Nat told Major as she and Bucky both sat back down. “They wish they could have stayed, but Thor and Wanda have an early mission tomorrow, and Peter’s got a school project. You and Barnes seemed to be having a deep discussion, so they didn’t want to interrupt.”

“I’m sorry to have missed them,” Major said, “but hopefully I’ll see them again?” She looked to Nat with a question on her face.

“Of course you will,” Bucky said before Nat could reply. “You think I’m– er, we’re gonna let you get away from us that easily?”

“Oh, Bucky,” Lily said, reaching for his arm. “Did you get me a drink from the bar, love?”

Bucky frowned. It was their usual routine to get the other a refill each time one of them went to the bar, but he’d been so smitten by Major’s presence, he’d entirely forgotten. “No, Lil, I’m sorry,” he said, knowing she’d rightfully start pouting.

“You can share mine with me, if you’d like,” Major offered, holding out her margarita. “I’ve probably already had enough alcohol for one night.”

“Ew, gross,” Lily said, sneering at the proffered drink. “I don’t touch that fruity shit. They’re just so… girly.” She spat out the word like it was an insult. “I mean, if you can’t take beer or straight up liquor, what’s the point of even drinking?” She leaned over and picked up Bucky’s beer. “I’ll just share with Jamie. You don’t mind, right, love?” Smiling, she took a long swig before placing the bottle down in front of him.

“Well, since my drink’s been commandeered,” Bucky said, looking to Major with big, soulful puppy dog eyes, “will you share yours with me?”

“Of course,” she said, handing him her glass. Bucky took a sip.

“Oh, shit,” he moaned, then leaned down to take a larger swig; it was tastier than he’d ever imagined, not to mention her lips had been on the glass, just where his were now. “Lil, you’re missing out! This fruity shit is delicious! Thanks, doll!” 

“I’m just curious,” Major started, seemingly apprehensive, as though she were wondering if she should say what she was actually thinking, “why you say ‘girly’ like it’s a bad thing. What’s wrong with being a girl?”

Nat raised an eyebrow in surprise, and Bucky was sure he heard Sam cough “oh shit” into his fist. 

Lily rolled her eyes. “Nothing’s wrong with being a girl, obviously,” she said. “But, like, you have to admit, all the stuff that’s catered to women is just so… stupid, childish. No self-respecting, serious person is into all that kind of stuff. It’s weak.” She shook her head. “No, if it comes down between being a girl and being a badass, I’m going to choose badass every day of the week.”

“Uh oh,” Major said, leaning back and giving Lily a scrutinizing look. “Sounds to me like the misogyny is coming from inside the house.”

“What the fuck did you just say to me?” Lily asked, planting both hands on the table. “Lil, calm down,” Bucky said, putting a hand on her shoulder. “I’m sure Major didn’t mean anything insulting by it.”

“I said,” Major reiterated slowly, “that the misogyny is coming from inside the house. You’re acting as though anything that’s considered inherently feminine is less than anything masculine. And when you look to build yourself up by bringing other women down by rejecting femininity, that’s internalized misogyny.”

“How dare you?” Lily seethed. “You don’t fucking know a thing about me! Bucky, tell her I’m not like that!”

“If I made an error in judgment, I apologize,” Major said, before Bucky could come to Lily’s defense. Though, if he really thought about it, Major had a point– Lily always did seem to irrationally hate anything she deemed girly. “I’m simply responding to the implications of your own words.” Major took a sip of her margarita and smacked her lips. “I mean, I like girly things. I like makeup and dressing up and fruity drinks, but I’ve also been in combat. I’ve fought in a war. I’m both girly and a badass. So is Nat. The two can co-exist, and neither one has to be better than the other.”

“You are now officially my best friend,” Natasha said, looking at Major with wonderment and a newfound respect. “Finally, someone else who actually gets it!”

“I need to go to the bathroom,” Lily said, standing up and walking off without waiting for a response from anyone.

“I like you, New Girl,” Sam said, holding out his fist for Major to bump, which she did with an embarrassed smile. “I want you around all the damn time.” 

She turned to Bucky. “I’m sorry if I made your friend upset,” she said, “but after all those years of dealing with the shit that comes from being a woman with authority in the military, misogyny of any kind is a giant no go for me; particularly when it’s from another woman. We should all be propping each other up, not trying to tear one another down.”

“No, I completely understand. She was out of line,” Bucky said. She had been. There was no excuse for that kind of behavior, and if an old fogey from the ‘40s like him could realize that, she should have, too. “I’ll talk to her about it.”

Major smiled at him, seemingly pleased with the way he responded, and Bucky felt his heart swell. He was overcome with the idea that he wanted to make her happy all the time. Slow down! He told himself. You’ve only just met her!

Major glanced down at her watch, her expression falling. “Shit,” she said, picking up her leather jacket. “It’s getting late. I should probably head back if I’m going to catch the last train back into the city tonight.” She slid out of the booth and put her jacket on. “It was so great meeting you guys,” she said. “Please tell Lily again that I apologize if what I said offended her. Nat, thanks so much for the invite; I had a great time.” She leaned in to hug the redhead. “I’ll see you on Tuesday?”

“Wouldn’t miss it,” Nat said, smiling. “I’m so glad you made it out; get home safe, yeah?”

Major nodded. “Will do. Goodnight” She looked back as she started to walk away, catching Bucky’s eye one last time, and his heart dropped in his chest; he didn’t want to– couldn’t– let her walk out of his life just yet.

“Major,” he said, standing up and sliding out of the booth to join her. “Why don’t you let me give you a ride back to your place? It’s late, and the train’s not the safest this time of night.”

He heard Nat, Sam, and Steve all cough-laugh into their hands in the booth behind them, but didn’t pay them any mind. “That’s so sweet of you,” Major said, “but I would feel awful for inconveniencing you like that.”

Bucky shook his head. “No inconvenience at all, I swear,” he told her. “I wouldn’t offer if I didn’t genuinely want to.”

Major chewed on her lip for a moment, considering his offer. “Okay,” she said eventually. “Yeah, you can give me a ride home.” Bucky thought his heart was going to soar out of his chest.

“While that’s real chivalrous of you and all, Bucket,” Sam said, “what are you gonna do about Lily? You drove her here. How you expect her to get home if you’re taking New Girl?”

Bucky turned and flashed Sam a Look. “Since you’re all going back to the Compound,” he said, “it shouldn’t be a problem for the three of you to drop her off at home on the way, right?” he asked pointedly. Come on, Sam, he thought, trying to silently communicate to his friend with his eyes. You said you’d be my wingman here!

Sam and Nat exchanged an annoyed look while Steve just looked resigned. “Yeah, alright,” Sam said after a minute. “We’ll make sure McIntyre gets home safe and sound. But you owe me one for this.”

Bucky put his hand to the small of Major’s back and led her out of the bar, waving to Steve, Nat and Sam as they went. His fingers brushed gently against hers as he led her to where he parked his motorcycle.

“Oh,” Major said. “I didn’t realize we’d be taking a bike.”

Bucky frowned. “Is that a problem? I can drive up to the Compound and get a car if–”

“No,” she smiled at him. “This is great. I haven’t been on a motorcycle in ages.”

Bucky unlocked the helmets and took his extra one, gently placing it on Major’s head and adjusting the straps so it was nice and snug. “There you go,” he said with a grin. He hopped onto the bike and waited for her to get on behind him. “Where’re we headed, doll?” he asked, typing the address of her SoHo condo into his GPS once she’d given it to him.

Once she’d gotten situated on the back of the bike, Major wrapped her arms around Bucky’s middle, and he immediately felt all his blood drain to his cock at her touch. “Uh, make sure you hold on tight,” he said, barely managing to choke out the words over the effect she was having on him. She squeezed him a little bit harder in acknowledgement, and Bucky knew that he was in for it.

<- Previous Part / Next Part ->

[perksofbeingpoet]

☆ WHAT THE POETS' HOBBIES WOULD BE (IF THEY HAD NORMAL LIVES AND FREE TIME) ☆

MEEKS: something tells me meeks would be really into rollerblading or skating? idk i can really picture him as a skater boy, and i can see pittsie coming with him to try it out! meeks would be very chill about it, not trying to learn the coolest tricks or something, BUT he'd totally bring his skateboard everywhere and the poets would tease him about it like oh hey mr cool, do you skateboard? that's so cool i'm SWOONING, good that you brought it to the theatre in case there's a skateboarding emergency

PITTS: photography/videography. if he lived today, pittsie would totally be a youtuber, but i can see him always taking pictures or even "vlogging" in the canon era, too! he just enjoys capturing these memories, and at the end of every year, he'd do a sort of "best of this year" with the poets- i also see him as a big plant dad, not sure if he'd do it in the 60s though? but i can picture pittsie having several little succulents. oh and baking/cooking!! meeks always snacks on his stuff before it's ready and it drives pittsie insane

TODD: i know everyone's convinced todd would be into crocheting, but i honestly don't really see it? no hate whatsoever, i get where people get the idea but to be honest i think crocheting would make todd frustrated/anxious. this boy needs movement, something to do so his mind shuts up, and i think that's swimming. i honestly think todd would be a really dedicated swimmer, maybe to the point where it gets a bit unhealthy because he just throws himself into it to turn his thoughts off?

CHARLIE: yes this one is kinda obvious but charlie would totally pursue music if he had the time and means- he seems so passionate when he plays the saxophone, it's one of the few scenes where we get to see him not joking around, dismissing things with a quip and smirk, but earnestly enjoying something. charlie wouldn't only play, I totally picture him going to jazz clubs and loving to dance there and chat up girls. oh he'd also play video games as soon as they're available!

KNOX: i've mentioned this before but knox would 2000% learn how to play the guitar, and then proceed to play it at dps meetings and with chris. i know it sounds super douchy but honestly, i think knox wouldn't even notice that it comes off as annoying sometimes? he just really enjoys playing the guitar and wants to share that with others. also seems like someone who'd love running, i can see him being one of those people who go on 1 hour jogs in the morning :') Oh and drawing! But he'd be quite shy about it.

NEIL: this is so hard for some reason? 😭 i mean obviously he'd act, and probably go to the theatre quite often on top of that- i also think neil would like cycling, but other than that it's pretty difficult for me to think of what his hobbies would be- i kinda see him as just hanging out with friends a lot and going to parks etc. to chill when he's not at rehearsal. feel free to share your ideas if you have some!

CAMERON: dancing. he's SO ashamed of it and only does it in the comfort of his own room, but if cameron could do anything he wanted, i think he'd do ballet? HELP GUYS I DON'T KNOW WHY BUT I FEEL SO SURE ABOUT THIS, CAMERON IS PRETTY MUCH BILLY ELLIOT IN MY MIND BUT HE NEVER GETS TO PURSUE BALLET/DANCING COS HE LIVES IN A TIME AND SOCIETY THAT DOESN'T ALLOW THAT?? WHY IS THIS SO CANON TO ME???? also crosswords.

[azrail-has-a-vendetta]

okay- I woke up in a cold sweat and made this. I introduce to you: instruments the bat-fam plays *jazz hands*

Bruce: grew up rich; probably plays piano at least and maybe a string instrument like that violin (I can see him being a bass or cello guy) doesn’t play much and is sorely out of practice.

Dick: grew up in the circus; so probably doesn’t play a traditional instrument if any- may play a little organ or a percussion instrument.

Jason: grew up poor/on the streets; plays piano quite well (Alfred taught him and then got him lessons) also plays guitar (self taught).

Tim: Grew up rich; plays both piano and violin, was a prodigy in both and often had to play the violin for guests, doesn’t play much now but will occasionally play and is pretty good for not picking it up for months to years at a time.

Damian: grew up as an assassin; may have learned a string instrument (can also kill you 19 different ways with said instrument) but doesn’t play. Has a secret desire to (Jason teaches him some piano).

Steph: criminal father; she seems like a band or choir kid tbh, she probably plays a brass instrument I can see her terrorizing the family with “Careless Whisper” on the saxophone at every possible moment.

Cass: assassin; flute and voice. She plays the flute and it’s the literal best thing you’ve ever heard. No one knows how she learned. She also sings when she is alone and has a really pretty voice. You can catch her humming around the manor sometimes.

Duke: I’m not really sure how he grew up; he probably has the voice of an angel and sings with Cass a lot. He also seems like the kid to play drums or a brass instrument.

Barbara: commissioner’s daughter; she was probably a choir kid, also plays some piano or guitar. One time her choir concert was interrupted by a bad guy when she was in middle school and after Batman took care of it she managed to force him to sing a solo; Gordon still has it on video. Barbara threatens to use it against Bruce all the time.

Alfred: no one knows for sure, but he seems to play a little of everything, and is actually a pretty good teacher.

[peppermintpillz]

Punch Out Wii boxers if they were in band

Glass Joe- French horn 

I had to make the obvious French joke with the French man. Also in my personal experience, French horn players were always the weakest in terms of playability so it’s fitting for glass joe

Von Kaiser- trumpet 

I know trumpet players are usually associated with having big egos, but I think people tend to forget trumpets are very well-respected instruments, especially in the army. Since Kaiser is a veteran, it would make sense he probably played the trumpet

Disco Kid- tenor sax

Disco Kid is a very jazzy guy, so obviously he’d play one of the jazziest instruments. He’s not an alto because I feel like altos are usually more prissy, meanwhile tenor saxes can still jam but they get along with everyone

King Hippo- drums

This one is based on the fact King Hippo always bangs on his stomach, kinda like a drum. Plus he’s really huge, so I feel like playing the drums would be easiest for him, as he would have an easy grip on the mallets

Piston Hondo- xylophone

I put him on xylophone mainly for the xylophone sound effects that play right before his Hondo Rush. Plus he kinda has a whole “speed” thing going on (the Hondo Rush is a bunch of fast punches, also he runs faster than a bullet train) and normally you need to play the xylophone very fast to keep up with tempo

Bear Hugger- bassoon

All the bassoon players I’ve met were jolly and kind, and bear hugger is one of the friendliest boxers in the WVBA. Plus they’re kinda similar in way? Bassoons are usually seen as a “bass line instrument” and usually forgotten, but in a lot of pieces there’s usually a bassoon solo where it’s actually more important than it seems; which I feel is also how Bear Hugger is treated (dude was in the arcade PO, SPO, and punch out Wii I feel like he should get more recognition than he gets)

Great Tiger- bari sax

Bari saxes seem to have this sense of “knowing they’re better than everyone else because they’re skilled”. Great Tiger seems to have a bit of an ego similar to that, and so I feel like bari fits him the most. He would be a skilled player, but he would def rub it in 

Don Flamenco- alto sax

Alto saxes are probably the most romantic instrument there is, and Don Flamenco is the most romantic boxers out of everyone. Plus, alto saxes all seem to have this flamboyance about them

Aran Ryan- flute/ piccolo 

In his theme, the flute is very present, it practically carries the melody. I think Aran would be one of those guys that takes playing the flute and piccolo with pride, and would try to break the standard that only girls play those instruments.

Soda Popinski- tuba

Kinda like bassoons, tuba players are always so whimsical and chill. From what I’ve seen, Soda Popinski is usually depicted as a big scary Russian man, but to me it seems like he’s really kind-hearted, and only gets angry due to the fact he’s being drugged with all those sodas. I think Sodas wouldn’t mind he would normally just play the bass line, he’s just happy to be playing music 

Bald Bull- oboe

There seems to be a running trend of big aggressive men playing dainty little instruments. It’s similar reasoning as Aran Ryan, Bald Bull’s theme seems to have an oboe carrying the melody, so ofc he’s on oboe. Plus I think Bald Bull does have the ability to be calm and composed, and I think playing the oboe (an instrument that super expensive and requires careful usage) would calm him.

Super Macho Man- trombone

Imo trombones players are the ones with the biggest ego (also the most annoying). SMM probably would just be ok on the trombone, but he will definitely start blasting as soon as he got the melody in a piece and would never learn to shut up. 

Mr. Sandman- clarinet

Philadelphia has a history of very rich and jazzy music, and I feel like Sandman is the guy to play the clarinet over the saxophone. The clarinet is also a pretty important instrument to jazz music, and jazz is a pretty important part of black culture. Mr. Sandman is one of the less stereotypical boxers so he’s less connected to his Philadelphian culture, and I think playing clarinet is his way of getting more connected. 

Little Mac- contra bass

This one is like Aran and Bald Bull, except the opposite. Since little Mac is shortest of the bunch, I think it’d be funny that he happens to play one of the biggest instruments that’s requires him to stand. Not only is it comical but also kinda fits with the whole underdog theme, despite his size he still manages to play the contra 

Doc Louis- conductor 

I put Doc as the conductor since conductors are usually just band members that retired, and got promoted to teaching band members. Since doc teaches little Mac to box, he would probably teach others how to play an instrument 

[bobbin-buckley]

That Girl Is Mine

Tara Carpenter x Saxophoneplayer!Fem!Reader

Summary: You play saxophone with a band called “Sweaters In Fall”, you and another girl plus three other guys are in it. You’re girlfriend Tara comes to see your biggest concert at the Radio City Music Hall (NYC), after the concert things do seem to work with you in the band

Warnings: Fluff, Cat-Calling, Little bit of blood, Pervert, sexual mentions, lots of cursing, some punching

Y/F/B: Your Favorite Band

Y/N/N: Your Nickname

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It’s the night before you and your bands performance at the Radio Music Hall.

You were very nervous, it was unusual for you to be this nervous. It wasn’t because of the people but it was because your girlfriend was coming to watch with her friends and her older sister Sam.

Not that you were scared of Tara being there, you were excited that the dark brunette and her friends were coming, it was just Sam.

Sam never really liked you, she had her suspicions. You respected that since after what they’ve gone through was tragic. This special night wasn’t just about winning an award to you but it meant to prove yourself worthy for Tara, you wanted Sam to see your talent and maybe she’ll like you. Maybe….

“Yo Y/n! What’s got ya all worked up?” Your bandmate Damien asked, he was a nice guy, he was a tall lengthy black man about in his middle twenties. “You’re not all pumped up like you normally are during rehearsal.”

“Just nervous I guess…” “Nonsense! You’re never nervous!” Kayleen hyped. Kayleen was your best friend, you guys were pretty close she was the reason why you joined the band. Damien and the other two guys were a little eh about another Saxophone player joining, but the raven hair just glared at them and had you join. You were the high voice of the group, the great Alto Sax player.

“Yeah, Y/N/N, you seem so low right now and you’re the loudest person normally.” Pip spoke, Pip was your 3rd favorite of the group. He was pretty quiet the majority of the time but he indeed was a fantastic Trumpet player. ‘Pip the Pipet’ Damien gave him the nickname, Pip hated it but he’s adjusted to it now since it sticks with him.

You all had nicknames, yours was Sexy Sax (boy you hate it but at this point you don’t care, Tara teases you about it), Kayleen’s was Sax Positive, every time you hear that nickname you can’t help but laugh a little. Damien’s is Damn Keyboard (idk) as he played keyboard in the band. Last but not least Dan…

you hated Dan oh boy, if you were to go ghostface he’d be the reason.

Dan was a creep in your opinion. Nobody else agreed though, he was just very…odd. He was an older man, I’d say in his early 40’s, he does have a lot of experience in jazz and band in general but he seemed off…every time after your solo in one of the songs you’d catch him looking at you with heart eyes, you’d catch him doing it to Kayleen as well. Eugh…you hate him

“Yeah baby stop being so low, your supposed have a high pitched voice in the band. If you know what I mean.” Dan said…flirted?

You wanted to throw up after he said that. Fuck he gives you the jeepers creepers.

“I’m fine guys I swear. It’s just my girlfriend is coming to watch tomorrow and her sister..isn’t quite found of me..” you rambled.

“Sorry to hear that champ. But everything will go great! Just…focus on yourself and not the crowed.” Damien explained, you have him a nod.

“Well, it’s getting late guys we should head home for the night,” everybody nodded in agreement with Pip.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It was a quick walk home, you hadn’t lived far from Damien’s house. Which is where you guys rehearsed most days unless the Blackmore’s band director lets you in.

Moonlight On the River by Mac DeMarco was playing in your ears, your saxophone in case swaying in your left hand as you trotted in the perfect white snow on New York’s streets to your way home.

You swore someone was following you, feeling eyes staring at the back of your head. You stopped in your tracks turning around to see no one.

Maybe it’s an animal or my imagination?

You thought

As paranoid as you used to be it’s been higher ever since you heard about the ghostface attacks. Tara always pushed you away when you met, you weren’t sure why until you discovered she was The younger sister of Sam Carpenter.

Eventually you told her you don’t care about some psycho idiot under a ghost mask with a knife.

It wasn’t long after you confessed that you really liked her and started the first date. It’s been a few months since you guys started dating, you both were happy.

You told Tara you’d always be there for her if she wanted to talk about everything or anything else that’s keeping her down. She appreciates you for that, but also doesn’t want to burden you because she knows you have your own issues.

Opening your apartment door, stepping in and feeling the nice warmth greeting you. You flicked on the lights with your free hand after slipping off your shoes and walked to your bedroom.

You sat down your saxophone in the corner of your room as well as your backpack, coat. Walking over to your bed taking the snow covered sweater and sweatpants you were wearing off. (I’m more masc btw so masculine wear)

Putting on a white-T with a sweatshirt over that has Y/F/B on it and throwing on a black pair of sleep pants. That’s when your phone started buzzing in your bag.

You grabbed your bag again and opened it to grab your phone, seeing that your one and only was calling you.

With a smile you pressed the green button without hesitation and pulled the phone to your ear.

“Hey Baby!”

You blushed at her voice and nickname

“Hey Tar, how was your day?”

“Not bad, just- some arguing with Sam. You know, the usual.”

“Sorry to hear that, what was it about? If you done mind me asking.”

“It’s fine love, it was just about me walking alone to school. She needs to grow up sometimes, I mean I do appreciate her safety, it’s just a pain up my ass all the time.”

You understood Tara’s annoyance, your mom was the same. She’d harp on you about being safe even if your taking out the trash, (though you don’t live with her no more)

Sam was always protective, ever since the first Ghostface incident. Sam has prevented Tara from having outside friends (definitely after Quinn and Ethan).

That’s why Sam dislikes you, she’s scared you’ll be the next ghostface. But Tara wants Sam to understand that she’ll fall in love at some point, and she already has. It’s you

You’re the lucky girl

“Yeah I know hun, hey tell you what. Tomorrow night I’ll prove Sam with my magical music talent that I’m worthy!”

Tara chuckled, “sure baby, you are quiet talented my musical girl. I’m excited for tomorrow, by the way, how was practice?”

“Good, Kayleen and the boys are hyped. I think we’re all ready, I’m just a bit nervous…” you said, biting your nails.

“Why nervous Y/N/N? You’re never nervous.”

“That’s what the band said..haha.” You paused with a fake laugh. “I guess it’s me trying to prove how good I am to Sam, and how important you are to me.”

“Honey, even if Sam didn’t care about tomorrow then screw her, cause you shouldn’t care about what Sam thinks. It’s Sam! But I know Sam will get your trust eventually she just has a hard time opening up,” you sigh, “plus I think she’ll love it. Sam really likes music if you didn’t know.”

“I didn’t know actually, but thanks Tar.”

“No problem baby, I gotta go Sam needs my help with dinner. I’ll see you tomorrow night! Love ya!”

Your heart skipped a beat, “love you too, see ya!”

You smiled widely after Tara hung up. You were going to prove your worthy for Tara to Sam.

Sam doesn’t realize how much you love that little feisty girl

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It’s currently 7:30

Your show starts in thirty minutes

Sitting on an old chair in the back room as Kayleen does a few more touches with your make-up

You weren’t a big fan of wearing make-up, but Kayleen insisted on you wearing some especially for tonight. It wasn’t crazy make-up, just some highlights and eyeliner, nothing punk looking but more casual.

“Cmon Y/N/N you’re our sexy sax you gotta look sexy,” you rolled your eyes. “Even Pip gets a little bit of a make-over!”

“Uh-what?” Pip quipped.

“…Annnnd done!” Kayleen exclaimed, “it’s your turn Pip!”

Pip groaned but gave in

“A-are we all getting make-up?” Damien asked.

“No, Pip just doesn’t get the option because he’s one of our big soloists! But if you want make-up I’d be happy to-”

“Absolutely not,” both Damien and Dan said. The raven shrugged and went back to work

“So Y/N/N? How are you feeling?” Damien asked, as he sat next to you.

“Better, I talked to my girlfriend last night and told about my nerves but she said I’ll be okay and other things.” “Awe, she must be a real sweet one.” You blushed as his comment, Tara was a sweet one even if she’s a little feisty at times.

“We have about ten minutes left.” Dan looked at his watch.

“Shit!!” Kayleen squealed.

You laughed at her antics when she jumped to grab more blush

“We’ve got time girl.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tara shifted in her seat as she looked around the interior of the Music Hall.

She’s never been inside the music building, she’s only passed in on walks, in a taxi or on the bus.

It was quite beautiful, the lights were pretty, the room was nice and warm and it was just gorgeous in general, it was a very open dome with a lot of people.

Sam didn’t want to spend a lot of money so they chose the middle seats on the balcony. Tara wouldn’t really be able to see you but the tv’s they had were enough to see your gorgeous face.

“God I’m so excited! Thanks again Sam!” Chad smiled bright. Mindy thanked her too.

“Of course,” Sam smiled. “Thanks Sam, seriously, you don’t know how much this means to me and especially Y/N/N.”

The older Carpenter smiled at her little sister.

“Up next we have our Jazz Band “Sweaters In Fall!!!”

When Tara heard your band name she perked up and watched ahead of her as she cheered with the crowed.

You and band walked up stage with your instruments, the keyboard and drums already set for Damien and Dan.

“Let’s meet our lovely band! Up first is Pip the Pippet! Our Trumpeter!” Pip smiled shyly.

“Second we have Sax Positive Kayleen!”

Mindy shook her head, “reminds me of Quinn sadly.” Tara chuckled a bit.

“Third we have Damien that Damn Keyboard!” Everybody laughed and cheered.

“Fourth we have Drummer Dan!”

“He looks like he’s sixty!!” Chad yelled. Tara didn’t like Dan, the stuff you’ve told Tara about him make her sick in the stomach but that feeling faded away once the guy announcing announced your name.

“Last but not Least! Y/N/N the Sexy Sax player!!” (Sorry not sorry)

Tara blushed when you waved a bit to the the crowed. Knowing you were looking for her.

“Let’s get this party started!”

~~~~~~~~~(sorry if it’s cheesy 😭)

You were at the last song of your album. The next song was more of something you wrote yourself. (Not actually 😭 cause that’d be copyright)

Tara cheered with the crowed once the song was finished. You eagerly searched for her in the crowed then spotted her a bit later.

You blew a kiss at her as she did it back.

“Cmon Y/n! We gotta go!” Pip called.

You nodded, taking one last glance in Tara’s direction before following your friends.

~~~~~~~~~~~

“That’s it! That was it my guys!” Damien screamed in victory.

“Eh it was alright-” “What do you mean it was alright Kay? That was our best yet!!” Pip cut off Kayleen.

You smiled bright once you entered the backroom. This was definitely the best performance you’ve had in awhile, and you were proud of that.

It didn’t matter to you if you won something but- it mattered that you did it. All you cared about was Sam liking you.

The band continued to talk about the performance whilst you put up your saxophone.

“Y/n!” You looked up at her voice.

Tara jumped into your arms with a big smile, Sam and her friends no too far behind.

“Hey babe! How’s you guys get in?” You looked over Tara’s shoulder, making sure no guards were about to run in saying they broke in.

“They let us in, I told them I was with you.”

“Now who’s this pretty lady?” Dan asked, he made your stomach curl and in a disgusted way.

“I’m Tara,” she said a little grossed out herself.

“Hey! Y/n, you can officially meet Sam now!” Tara turned to her older sister, motioning Sam to approach.

Sam looked at you with those ‘I don’t trust you eyes’. Sam scared you a bit, but being up close..Jesus you were more scared.

“Nice to meet you Y/n,” your eyes widened. Sam, Sam Carpenter being nice to you? She held out her hand waiting for you to shake it. “I-uh hi- S-Sam.”

Sam pulled her hand away and chuckled, “you don’t need to be afraid of me. Sorry for scaring you a bit, I’m a bit worried meeting new people. As Tara probably already told you.”

You nodded with a small smile. Tara was ecstatic with your first impressions on each other.

“Yo Y/n! You gonna introduce them?” Damien spoke.

“Oh uh- yeah! This is my girlfriend Tara her sister and friends. Guys this is Damien, Kayleen, Pip and-..Dan.” You pointed to the each of them.

There were some waves and hi’s

“Y/n, you didn’t tell me your girlfriend was hella hot.” Dan walked close.

“Excuse me?” Both you, Tara and Sam said.

“You heard me.”

You looked at Dan with hatred. “Back the fuck up.”

“Woah, no need to get all frisky babe.”

“Don’t fucking call her that!” Tara yelled.

You put a hand out in front of Tara, keeping her back.

“Damn, she’s loud too.”

“Shut the fuck up you perverted mother fucker!” You shoved Dan back, but it wasn’t long before he struck your nose with his fist.

You stumbled back, wincing and clutching your nose as it bled. “Y/n..”

“Oh come on Y/n, your worse than your are at pleasing her.”

That’s when Sam lost it as well. Sam punched Dan, you pushing Sam back to finish the job.

You grabbed him by the shoulders and slamming him against the wall. “I swear to fucking god! If you ever say any of those things ever again I’ll break your skull!!!”

“Hmp, I’d like to see you try.”

Damien and Sam both grabbed your arm before you got the chance to swing another punch at him.

“Let me go!!”

“Dan, get the fuck away! Go! You’re out of this fucking band!!” Damien screamed.

“Whatever, I didn’t want to be here anyways, I just wanted to see some ladies.” Dan chuckled.

You snarled. “Get him away from me.”

Damien and Pip nodded before getting Dan out of the room.

“Y/n-” “Let’s just go home.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“How’s it feeling?”

You and Tara were in her bedroom. After tonight’s event, your hand was swollen and bleeding. Sam checked it and no brokenness to it, just some bruises and scratches, plus it’ll sting.

“Like shit.” You huffed, laying back on her bed. Tara already patched you up, it hurt like a bitch too.

“I’m sorry,” “no. I’m sorry, I should’ve just kicked him off the band way before!” You threw your hands up.

“Baby, it’s not your fault. It isn’t your fault he’s some fucked up pervert, but thank you for defending me.” Tara brushed her fingers through your sweaty hair.

“Anytime..” you smile. Tara leaned down to kiss you on the lips, placing her scarred hand on your unharmed cheek.

“I love you.” “Love you too.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~

This is fuckin cheesy.

Sorry for not uploading this faster than I planned. Weird shit has happened this past week

I need ideas cause my brain hurts and I can’t think of anything rn

[catoperated]

Let me tell you about the (Bill) Clinton campaign. The big thing was he charmed everyone by playing the saxophone on late night talk shows, which in retrospect was a clever way of dodging too much policy talk. Granted, just about anyone could outcharm HW Bush… especially after he vomited sushi on the prime minister of Japan.

The Clintons had a cat named Socks (and a dog named Buddy, just to cover all their bases) and that damn cat was everywhere during the Clinton years. He almost got a video game, but a recovered rom is now freely available. The image Clinton was projecting during his campaign is perfectly incapsulated in the box art.

He’s hip! He’s cool! He’s not like those other square presidents! He has a cat (and once in office they had this whole “for kids” thing revolving entirely around Socks) and plays saxophone! The perfunctory handwringing over a child running around the historic White House (not even the first) couldn’t stop him, and his lingering reputation as a ladies man in college only improved his image—until the Monica Lewinsky scandal. I learned what sex was thanks to it being all over the news. Meanwhile I already knew about marijuana (another minor scandal) from the DARE program at school.

All the shit that happened during the Clinton years paved the way for George W Bush to play cowboy to show he was a traditional sort of cool, only to get into office and fumble his way through every press conference. Sound familiar? He was widely considered a buffoon, everyone knew Dick Cheney was pulling the strings, and he probably wouldn’t have been re-elected if not for 9/11. Discuss conspiracy theories amongst yourselves.

I’m telling you this because even politicians with a nice, friendly, progressive images are not your friends. They are not adoptive parents or cool uncles. They’re not people to be fans of because they’re goddamn civil servants. They’re supposed to be for the people, which in a perfect world would be true, but Harris suddenly turning pro-frakking and all for tighter border control (but with nicer cages! /s) just highlights how they’re bought off by lobbyists. You all need to come to grips with the fact this is how the system works, but that doesn’t mean you have to stand for it.

Shut up about Trump. I know. I’m trans and disabled. I know.

Republicans backing Harris should tell you everything about what’s happening in the US right now. The political situation is looking a lot like the 19th century with factions splintering off, dying, or absorbing others… oh, and the looming threat of civil war. History loves repeating itself, huh?

@decolonize-the-everything has done a much better job than I ever could detailing how to be realistic and take action. I’m exhausted just thinking about the Bush administration. I’d show you what political memes looked like back then, but tumblr won’t let me add any more links. Look up “bush fuzzy math” on YouTube sometime for both the debate the phrase came from and the song remixes.

Someon made a Bush version (the old way, where you had to cut the words from all his speeches and splice them into a song) of Sunday Bloody Sunday. Go look that up too if you want, I’m gonna to bed.

And for the last time (I swear), this isn’t me telling you not to vote, this is me telling you to stop gushing over what a nice guy Tim Walz seems like and other such fandom behavior.

No cop, politician, or fed is your friend. Get that through your head if you want to survive.

[cetaitlaverite]

Why All This Music? - The Millie and Brady Cut

a/n: if you’re new here, this can be read on its own or as a companion piece to my multi-chapter fic (rosie x oc) ‘why all this music?’ but be warned that millie and brady are side characters in that one!!

if you’re not new here, hi!! i’ve missed you guys!! absolutely no one asked for this but i thought it was time for millie and brady to finally have their moment. if you ever wondered what, exactly, transpired between these two idiots when they were sneaking around in the bg of watm then you're in luck, because here's a snippet!! hope you loveee <3

Millie was scowling. So much so, in fact, that the muscles in her face were starting to ache. Her eyes were narrowed and her teeth were clenched, her eyebrows perched low over her eyes. Her hands were grasping fistfulls of her skirt in her lap. “Bastard,” she muttered, and there was no way he could hear, but from across the room John Brady smiled, as though sensing her displeasure.

That only made her scowl harder.

Across the table from her, with her back turned to the subject of Millie’s wrath, Jem was tipping her empty glass back into her mouth, trying to lap up the lingering droplets of beer.

Millie paid her no mind, her attention firmly elsewhere.

The band finished playing their song and there was a brief spell of quiet in the interim. Chatter seemed to become louder now that there was nothing to shout over, the sound of feet shuffling on the dance floor awkward as it became audible. John Brady, his saxophone lowered during the pause, was smirking at one of the female ATA pilots standing by the bar, the nicer one who had a bit of a reputation as a heartbreaker. Her name was Alice, Millie recalled, and she was pretty. Not as pretty as her friend, the only other female ATA pilot who had her own reputation for being a live wire, equally as likely to bite as she was to play fetch, but pretty in a softer, girl-next-door kind of way. Pretty enough that she didn’t ever seem to find it all too difficult to secure herself a dance partner whenever she so desired. And today, apparently, she so desired John Brady.

“Bastard,” Millie muttered again.

Millie had never spoken to Alice other than over the radio when she was ferrying but suddenly she despised her. She didn’t altogether know why. It was none of her business who John Brady did or did not choose to entertain. She didn’t even like the man, more to the point, so it should have amused her that Alice-of-the-ATA was about to take him to bed and then break his heart. But it didn’t amuse her. It infuriated her. Almost as much as that stupid smirk on his face and his stupid hair and his stupid saxophone. Who played the saxophone these days anyway?

“Idiot,” Millie said out loud.

“Sorry?” Freddie asked as she set two pints of beer and a glass of wine onto the table, having just returned from the bar. 

When Millie glanced up she found Freddie frowning and realised with a start that Freddie thought she was the idiot.

“No,” Millie said quickly, “not you, Fred. Him.” She gestured with her head towards the band but Freddie didn’t need specifics, as soon as she glanced in that general direction she knew exactly who Millie meant.

“What’s he done now?” she asked, eyebrows furrowed as she returned to her seat between Millie and Jem.

“It’s not what he’s done,” Millie replied, her lips twisting back into a frown as her eyes returned to Brady, “it’s what he is. And what he is is an idiot.”

“And a bastard,” Jem added helpfully as she set her empty glass down and reached for the fresh one. “At least, that’s what Mils has been muttering to herself for the better part of twenty minutes so I’m assuming she means Brady and not me.”

“He is a bastard,” Millie defended herself. “Earlier he sought me out to tell me my instructions on the radio weren’t clear enough. I said if he was a decent pilot to start with he wouldn’t need such specific guidance. My job isn’t to mother him down the runway. But he told me my instructions are lazy. He said he’s always irritated when he gets me on the radio before a mission.”

Freddie snorted into a sip from her glass of white wine.

Millie cut her eyes at her. “What?” she snapped.

Freddie was grinning. “The two of you are both as childish as each other.” She shrugged, her eyes dancing. “He’s glaring at you right now, just so you know.”

“Thought he was too busy smirking at that fucking ATA pilot,” Millie all but growled.

“Who?” Freddie asked. “Finley?”

“Alice,” Jem corrected. “She’s got her eye on Brady tonight.”

“Right,” Freddie said. She and Jem exchanged a meaningful glance which served only to infuriate Millie.

“What?” she demanded.

Jem snickered but took a long gulp of beer to avoid having to reply.

Freddie simply shrugged. “Nothing.”

Millie turned her eyes back on Brady and, sure enough, he had one of his maddening scowls on his face. His eyes on her were narrowed and his eyebrows furrowed, his lips twisted unpleasantly downwards.

Millie scowled right back at him and raised her middle finger in his direction. Before he could similarly swear at her, she turned away and gulped down half of her beer in one go. “I want to dance,” she declared, setting down her glass. She planted her hands on the table and pushed herself up to standing. “Where’s Benny?”

“In the corner by the bar with Meatball,” Freddie said without even having to look. She seemed to have developed some sort of sixth sense for always knowing where Meatball was at any given moment but it came in handy occasionally.

“Who’s he with?” Millie wondered.

“Ev and Dougie, last I checked.”

“Yep,” Jem confirmed, the only one of them who could see in that direction without having to turn around. “Just the three of them. Four if you count Meatball.”

“Always count Meatball,” Freddie said.

“Didn’t even know they were friends,” Millie remarked, but she took another big sip of beer and smoothed down her skirt nonetheless. “See you later,” she offered, then turned on her heel and made her way over to the aforementioned quartet without further comment.

Benny noticed her almost immediately and smiled. “Millie Harlow,” he greeted as she neared. He straightened out his posture and his uniform as he watched her approach.

“Benny DeMarco,” Millie returned with a smile. “Fancy a dance?”

“With you? Always.”

Millie laughed, holding out both of her hands towards him. “Such a gentleman,” she said. “Can’t you teach your friends to be more like you?”

Benny rolled his eyes jovially as he handed Meatball’s lead off to Blakely and placed both of his hands in Millie’s. “Don’t tell me you and Brady are at each other’s throats again,” he said, leading her towards the dance floor.

“Brady and I are always at each other’s throats, Benny,” Millie replied pleasantly. “You should know this by now. But tonight he’s royally pissing me off. So tell him to stop being a bastard at the next available opportunity, would you?”

Benny shook his head with a poorly concealed smirk but said nothing, turning as they came to a stop at the edge of the dance floor and getting the two of them into position.

Millie could feel Brady’s eyes on her the entire time she was dancing with Benny. He was supposed to be concentrating on his sheet music as he provided the sax to this upbeat jazzy tune, but every time Benny spun her she caught a glimpse of his eyes narrowed on her, his jaw hard and his jaw muscle pulsing.

Millie felt a thrill every time. Each part of her he set his eyes on became warm, as though he was laying his hands there. She was smirking to herself by the time the song came to an end because this was exactly what she’d wanted, but then the large majority of the band were dismissed in favour of those remaining playing a slow song, and then she was catching sight of Brady leading none other than Alice-of-the-ATA onto the dance floor. The two of them came to occupy the empty patch of floor right beside Millie and Benny. Because of course they did.

“Hi, Benny,” Brady greeted pleasantly as he drew Alice in close.

“Brady,” Benny greeted back. “Nice playing.”

“Thanks. Feeling inspired.”

Millie refused to look at him. She set her eyes on the pins on Benny’s collar, biting into the inside of her cheek. 

“Benny, you know Alice, right? She’s a ferry pilot with the ATA.”

“We’ve met a few times,” Alice cut in. “But only briefly. You’re the one with the dog, right?”

“Yeah,” Benny confirmed. “Meatball. Won him in a game of craps.”

Alice laughed.

Millie tightened her hold on Benny and surreptitiously drew herself closer to him.

“You met Millie yet, Alice?” Benny asked next.

“We’ve been working here together for a while now,” Alice informed him with an audible smile. “Millie helps me take off and land over the radio sometimes.”

At this, Brady let out a low, sarcastic hiss. “Unfortunate. You wanna get Fred on the radio, really. Harlow, here, is a lazy wireless op.”

Finally, Millie looked up and met his eyes. Her smile was sour and venomous. “You know, Brady, you’re the only pilot I’ve ever spoken to who has ever had any complaints. Did you ever once stop to think that maybe you’re the problem?”

“Maybe I’m just the only one with the balls to say it to your face,” Brady fired back.

“Maybe you’re the only pilot who wasn’t able to safely ferry in his plane from pissing Greenland. Maybe you’re the only pilot who needs to be spoon fed landing instructions. Maybe you’re the only pilot who has a problem with me because you’re a shit pilot, Brady, did you ever stop to think about that?”

“Brave words from someone who spends more time flirting with everyone over the radio than delivering landing instructions.”

“Not that you’d know because I wouldn’t dare flirt with you.”

“Because you know you’d get rejected.”

“Because I’m not interested,” she corrected sharply.

Brady rolled his eyes. “You and I both know you’d be interested if I was interested.”

“You and I both know that you’re a fucking arsehole, John Brady. I wouldn’t go for you if you were the last man on earth, let alone willingly.”

“Such pretty language from a lady,” Brady mocked. “Yeah, you’re a real prize, Harlow.”

Millie opened her mouth to retort but Alice cut right across her, likely sensing that there was no end to this argument in sight. “Are we actually going to dance or are you two just going to argue while Benny and I stand here like lemons?”

Millie and Brady stared each other down for a few more seconds before Brady scoffed and stepped back from Alice. “Don’t feel like dancing anymore.”

“Me neither,” Millie growled.

“Wonderful. Benny, would you like to dance?” Alice asked.

“Love to,” Benny replied.

“Prick,” Millie ground out as she turned and passed Brady on her way off of the dancefloor.

“Heard that,” Brady taunted.

“You were supposed to,” Millie told him over her shoulder before making a beeline straight out of the officers’ club. After all that she needed a smoke.

Unfortunately, Brady wasn’t willing to let her off the hook. He came stomping out of the officers’ club right behind her, muttering under his breath all the while, and when Millie stopped to lean back against the outside wall of the club he took hold of her elbow and towed her behind him further away from the door.

“What the fuck, Brady?” she demanded, wrenching at her arm to free it from his grip. “Let go of me!”

“Stop acting like a brat, Harlow,” he fired back and kept on carting her with him. He led her into the darkness, walking in silence, until they ended up in the small alley between two buildings.

Now, Millie finally managed to tug her arm free. She was seething when he turned to her. “What the fuck?!” she demanded once more.

“What is your problem with me? Huh?” Brady asked. He was breathing heavily, his chest heaving not with exertion but with frustration. His eyes were stormy as they glared down at her.

Standing this close, Millie became conscious for the first time of just how much she had to crane her neck back to meet his hard gaze.

“What is my problem with you?” she echoed with a scoff. “Are you serious?”

“Yeah, Harlow, I am fucking serious. What’s your problem?”

“What’s your problem with me?!” Millie demanded of him right back. “You waited outside the tower for me just so you could insult me! You don’t do that with anyone else!”

“You were the first to insult me after my belly landing when I first got here. I didn’t even know you then!”

“I wasn’t insulting you -”

“Then what were you doing?!”

“Why were you listening to my conversation anyway?!”

“You were talking too goddamn loud to ignore it!”

“Well, I wasn’t insulting you! I just said I thought the crash landing was unfortunate,” Millie told him, tilting her chin up higher to assume an air of defiance. “Not that it’s any of your business, for the record.”

Brady’s eyes were still blazing. “You laughed after.”

Millie scoffed. “Oh, come on, Brady, your feelings are not that fragile.”

The set of Brady’s jaw was hard. “How are you and Fred such good friends? She’s so sweet to everyone and you’re -” He faltered.

“What?” Millie snapped. “What am I? Choose your words very carefully, John Brady, or I swear to god they’ll be the last you ever say.”

“You’re so fucking annoying,” he hissed.

“Oh, I’m annoying?!”

“Yeah! You are!”

“You’re worse than I am! I can’t do anything without you getting on my back about doing a bad job!”

“I can’t go anywhere without you staring at me!”

“I can’t dance with anyone without you interrupting me!”

He kissed her so suddenly and so fiercely that her back hit the wall. His hands on her jaw kept her close.

Millie’s hands were on his chest, relishing the racing of his heart beneath her palms, the hardness of the muscles of his chest. Her lips were feverish in their attempt to keep up with his.

When his hands descended to her waist, hers twined into his hair, twisting and tugging at the strands as his tongue slipped into her mouth. He pushed one of his legs between both of hers, pressing his knee up against her, and groaned into her mouth. The sound of it, the vibrations it sent into her own mouth, woke Millie up. She pushed him back, gasping for breath, and sputtered, “What the hell did you do that for?!”

Brady didn’t quite know where to look. His eyes flitted from her face to her hands to the wall on either side of her and down to his own hands, like he couldn’t believe where they’d just been. “Well, I -” He grasped frantically for words. “I just - I don’t know!” he finally decided.

Millie stared at him hard, her expression cold, before she lurched forwards in turn, wrenching fistfuls of his jacket towards her and pressing her lips firmly to his. They resumed their previous rhythm immediately, hot and fiery and insistent, passionate and desperate, tugging and pulling and pushing at each other, trying to get closer than it was possible to get.

That was, until Millie set both of her hands on his chest and gave him a push back as firm as it was sudden. “You’re stupid!” she accused, pointing one finger at him. With that, she turned and fled the scene, her footsteps rapid, leaving Brady panting and disoriented, utterly bewildered, in her wake.

Once safely back in her hut, Millie shut the door behind her and fell back against it, raising one shaking hand to press against her tingling lips. And, in spite of herself, she smiled, just at the memory of the feeling of his lips and the taste of his tongue and the smell of him, how it had been to feel his heart racing beneath her hands.

Her smile fell right off her face when she remembered who it was, exactly, that she was mooning over.

Once again she was scowling. “John Brady,” she hissed to herself, “you are on such thin fucking ice even a feather would send you under.”

[etherealspacejelly]

hello robin, have a thing i thought of during my "nap" (aka lying on the couch listening to queen for 40 minutes):

which instruments do you think each of the main enterprise crew would play in a band?

this is a good question!!! sorry i didnt answer it earlier i wanted to devote the proper attention to it. this will be based entirely on vibes so dont ask me to justify any of my answers. they came to me in a vision

kirk: he seems like an acoustic guitar kind of man to me. in a concert band tho hes probably a trumpet.

spock: canonically he plays the vulcan lyre. i think he would also kick ass on the theramin tho i cant lie. or a harp.

bones: he strikes me as a trumpet player. but he also plays the harmonica for funsies

uhura: a singer in canon. she also plays the flute in my opinion. im not biased at all (is a flute player)

sulu: saxophone. you know its true

chekov: drums! hes definitely a percussion kind of guy. wont stop practicing drum fills when the director is trying to work with another section kind of guy. you want to hate him but you kind of cant because hes funny as hell

scotty: plays the bagpipes in canon. i could also see him as a trombone player tbh.

chapel: clarinet. clarinets and flutes are like. best friends to me. because i was a flautist and the clarinets were next to us so we would always chat during practice lol.

rand: cello. or possibly violin.

[rocksibblingsau]

Question for y'all.

In Season 1 Episode 2 of Trollstopia, Val's band is shown, which is comprised of 3 Trolls:

However in later episodes, like Under New Management, only two of these characters are shown.

The saxophonist seems to strongly resemble Demo, so maybe that was an old concept for Demo?

So what do you guys think?

I'll be honest, I'm stumped as to why Val would even need a saxophonist, considering none of her songs to my knowledge have included saxophone and it seems a bit out of her style.

[itsmalachitenow]

MORE CHUCK HEADCANONS!

You guys seemed to really like my last post, so I'm sharing the other headcanons I've gathered for my personal take on Chuck since then. Get ready for angst!

Chuck did, in fact, hit Gus with the Ghost Train. It was an accident, and to this day he's incredibly broken up about it. Gus, on the other hand, isn't nearly as upset about being dead. He will, however, use his death to guilt Chuck into doing things for him because he knows just how awful Chuck feels about it. Any time Gus wants a new game system or toy, if Chuck isn't too keen on getting it for him, Gus will just bring up that Chuck ran him over and now he's stuck here, and Chuck will look utterly miserable as he climbs into his wheelchair to leave the Ghost Station.

Chuck is very talented at many different types of instruments, including but not limited to: piano, trumpet, saxophone, violin, harp, french horn, clarinet, cello, and oboe.

He can also sing very well. He is a baritone.

Chuck's true full name is Carlo Toscanini. He prefers the Chuck nickname, though, because it sounds like a train noise. He likes train noises!

Because he's been alone for so long, Chuck is incredibly self conscious about needing any kind of help because he's disabled. Especially when he's in his chair. The idea of being helped and not having to do it all himself is completely foreign to him, and he absolutely abhors the idea of needing to rely on someone else to help him do what he sees as 'basic things'. He would rather struggle by himself than swallow his pride and ask a loved one to get involved.

Related: If you touch this man's wheelchair without asking him first, he is going to run you over with it.

Chuck will never finish his 'magnum opus'. He is a perfectionist, and hasn't had what he considers a 'good' piece in decades because he's constantly going back and changing them, never satisfied with the results. Even if he does finish a musical composition or opera, he will always find some fault with them afterwards and not want to dwell on them. Being alone for so long with no real audience for his works other than Gus (who doesn't really understand or care as much because he's a kid) means he's his only critic, and he will always be his worst critic.

Chuck makes his own coffee and is a total snob about drinking anyone else's. It tastes like diesel, but it'll keep you awake for three days straight.

This man does not have a consistent schedule for anything other than 'work'. Food, sleep, self care, all of it comes second to his job and to his music.

He has chronic insomnia, and horrible nightmares whenever he does drift off to sleep, so Chuck prefers to just keep going for as many days as possible until his body physically cannot stay awake anymore.

Because he's lived so long, Chuck can barely remember any of his early life, and that terrifies him. He remembers the name of his hometown, he remembers he had a father who was a conductor, but everything else is a blur. He can't remember his parents' names, their faces, whether he had siblings or not...those memories are gone forever, and Chuck will never get them back.

His biggest regret is not saying goodbye to his family the night he left to join the Train.

Chuck is also terrified of going back to his hometown, because he knows it will be entirely different from what little he remembers. If he never returns, he can always pretend it's still the way he was when he left it, and ignore the gravity of his choice to join the Ghost Train.

Because he's scared he'll forget other things, Chuck is a compulsive journaler. He writes down the day's events, no matter how trivial, and gives a massive amount of detail about every person he interacts with. He only started doing this about a hundred years ago, once he realized he couldn't remember his family anymore.

Chuck has a small apartment in the Ghost Station. It's small and cramped, but it's a place for him to stay when he's not working, and also for any lovers or loved ones to stay if they're 'living' with him. He has a room entirely dedicated to all of his journals, though the manner of sorting them is known only to Chuck.

[starrclownshazbinblog]

fun facts on Alastor?

☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★

Alastor is Bisexual Sex Replused Asexual. (He has a preference towards woman b he isn't opposed to men.)

Alastor is a only child. He also is a mama's boy.

Alastor, whe he gets angry, develops a southern accent. (He's from New Orleans.)

Alastor is always cold. Like always cold. There isn't particularly a reason, he's just a really cold guy.

Alastor when he got alive go really sick cause he litteraly ate people.

Alastor doesn't cut his hair alot. Mimzy cuts it for him when it starts to get to long.

Alastor knows how to play the piano and the saxophone.

Alastor tolerates older children. He does not like babies or younger children. (This is why he can tolerate Nifty.)

Alastor has a giant scar at the very base of his neck. He got it from a... altercation. (Thanks Angel.)

Alastor doesn't know how to ask Mimzy out on a date. He wants to really bad he just doesn't know how.

Alastor is someone that both wants to be the center of attention at all times and gets really upset if you pry into his personal life.

Alastor doesn't like people he doesn't like touching him. He will bite you.

Alastor is a powerful overlord but most certainly not the STRONGEST overlord.

Alastor loves to annoy the shit out Vox. It's a past time for him.

Alastor can get really fucking mean to Husk. For no reason at some points. If Alastor is having a bad enough day then somehow it's Husk's fault. He doesn't physically hurt him he's just... mean. (Ya know that Mitski lyric where she's saying "If you need to be mean, be mean to me." Yeah that's them.)

Alastor takes good care of his hygiene because he eats dead things. (And he wants to seem put together.)

Alastor hates anything past the 40s. TV, microwave food, modern inventions.

Alastor doesn't like any of the Vees. Velvette for social media, Vox because they're enemies, Valentino for a matter of reasons.

Alastor is really good at golf.

Alastor and Mimzy like to sing together.

I CLEARED MY INBOX FINALLY!! Sorry if I took along time but there are now no more questions in my inbox.

Feel free to ask questions, send writing prompts, or just browse my blog. Whatever ya like ☆

- ⭐️StarClown⭐️

[st4r-sw1tchblade]

What instruments I think Saw characters would play in band

feel free to switch these up or anything!! im not in my band years anymore so idk this is just goin off of what i remember

Adam & Amanda- Percussion. Amanda would play too aggressively and Adam just thought it would be easiest

Lawrence- Saxophone or clarinet. he just seems like That Kinda Guy

Jill Tuck- Flute. idk just seems like a flute kinda gal

Peter Stromboli (Strahm)- trombone or tuba idk actually

Edit: I have been told strahm would be a trumpet by Person In Tags and i agree completely so that creds to sawg-the-saw-blog for that :3

Mark Hoffman.- i dont like him so im just gonna say whichever one strahm didnt get

this is Not Good but yeah it's just some guesses :3 feel free to like tell me to change up some things or smt

[ladey]

WIBYH Headcanons (mostly vi) ☁️ | #1

soo yeah i just said fuck it and wrote some headcanons anyway.

—🍉

- vi lowkey disliked her hair colour when she was younger bc it was more of a pink hue back then, and she got made fun of for it by guys her age (mylo included)

- she’s an effortless flirt, even when trying not to

- used to have a sarcasm problem (totally still does)

- will and has punch a nearby wall to show off her skills to a cute girl

- looks like a hunchback while sitting (especially on a stool but i think we all know this by now)

- veryyy determined and ambitious like no fear of failure at all

- shes a little hotheaded but can also take a joke and some teasing (she’s usually the one making them)

- sadly has a slight fear of change and ending up alone :((

- she’s super good at hiding how much her trauma has affected her

- lesbian

- somehow vi is good with kids even though she doesn’t really like them unless they’re related to her (y/n, ekko and vera were the exception)

- so some of u may know that violet has a saxophone for some reason LMFAOO. well here’s my take on it

- as a younger kid she found a saxophoe laying in its open case and picked it up.

- the lady who owned it heard vi playing it and came running out of the cafe she was in but got scared of her because she happened to be from a different place, and thought the little kids from the undercity were evil and mischievous.

- so she screamed and ran away and vi being all confused decided to just leave and take the instrument with her, and that’s how she ended up getting a saxophone.

- violet viewed y/n as another little sister. over the years her devoted protection over the younger girl gave rise their strong bond

- plus she spent time with powder and the others nearly everyday so they saw one another a LOT

- powder also struggled making friends her age, and vi felt so happy that the girl had y/n and ekko and even vera in her life who never bullied her, judged her or ridiculed her for her mistakes

- mylo had a crush on vi for a while and it lasted until the day he died (that is tragic..)

- violet always just started at him with a weird expression whenever he tried to show her something impressive. she never rlly understood why he seemed to want her approval all the time

- y/n, being the curious girl she is, bluntly asked mylo if he had a crush on vi without really thinking too deeply about how he’d react to that question

- after him freaking out and denying it, she ended up asking claggor about it maybe a month or two later. he didn’t know what to say at first, but after playing the clueless act and saying “maybe” they ended up listing different signs of his potential crush in secret

- y/n had liked to call violet ‘strawberry head’ ever since they met because her red hair reminded her of strawberries. in turn vi called her candy, however it wasn’t actually her who came up with the nickname!

- vi initially thought that powder possibly liked ekko and vise vera but then she noticed how red and flustered he’d get whenever vera was with them.

- she couldn’t really tell if her sister or y/n liked each other, she never thought too deeply about it because friendships between two girls are harder to decipher in that way

- in all honestly she didn’t think that they’d even know themselves. but she knew how close and protective they were of each other and thought it was sweet

[theoceanofasanoya]

day 4 of asanoya: jukebox (tags: pre-relationship, meet-cute, fluff)

The bar is kind of cosy. There’s a live jazz band playing something slow, several couples on the dance floor swaying to the music.

There are distinct areas that Asahi notices as he walks further into the room. Towards the backside of the large hall is the bar with neon signs that hurt Asahi’s eyes. The left side of the room has more tables with beige tablecloth, and the least number of people. The right side is the ‘dance’ floor, and pushed against the wall is the band’s stage. It’s actually just several upside down crates with a thin wooden board placed on top of it.

“Look, they even have a jukebox,” Suga says, nodding in the direction. Asahi follows his gaze and sure enough, next to the band is a jukebox. “I wonder if it works.”

Daichi sits next to Suga. Asahi doesn’t have to peek to know they’re holding hands under the table. Like teenagers. “They make the insides electronic these days, so maybe it does.”

“Let’s check it out, Asahi.” Suga stands up, excited. He ends up showcasing their entwined fingers, and Asahi grumbles. They always do this. They promise they won’t be lovey-dovey in front of him, and forget all about it. Suga grins, sheepish. “Sorry.”

“No, you guys shouldn’t apologise for being yourselves,” Asahi says, rolling his eyes. “Holding hands is fine. Just. Don’t strand me and make out in a corner like the last time, okay?”

“Of course not, Asahi,” Daichi says, his voice all serious. For a long moment, Asahi believes him. But he said the same thing last time and left Asahi anyway. It’s now his fault if these two lovebirds leave him - he needs to stop falling for their trap of ‘let’s hangout as friends for old time’s sake.’

“I’m going to check it out,” Asahi declares. He doesn’t care about the box, but he knows it’ll kill Suga to not go there first. And judging by the look on Daichi’s face, he’ll whine and pout but stay in his seat. Asahi grins as he stands up and Suga sits down. “I’ll report it’s conditions to you.”

“Okay,” Suga says, frowning.

The jukebox is electronic like Daichi guessed. Asahi squats in front of it, reading the little square’s scrolling messages. ‘Start’ is blinking on the screen. Asahi tries the buttons below the screen but they don’t make a difference. He clicks on the letters on the screen. The machine emits a loud coin-slotting noise. Asahi startles, cringes, and looks around.

Nobody is looking at him. He glances at the band, and thankfully they don’t seem to have noticed.

‘CHOOSE AN ERA’ is the next blinking message. Under it are different decades listed. Asahi considers clicking on any of them, just to see if it’ll list out the artists of the time, but he’s worried. What if a song starts playing? That’s so disrespectful to the band that’s playing-

Wait.

The only sound is the saxophone. It’s a sensuous melody, the kind that has several people groping each other on the dance floor. The kind that piques Asahi’s interest more than the electronic jukebox.

He turns towards the band and finds a short man - Asahi gasps - who is turned towards him, a single blonde streak on his hair. He’s looking at Asahi. Shit, shit, shit. Did he disrespect him?

“I’m sorry,” Asahi says quietly, making sure his lips are easier to read. He bows too, for good measure.

The short man’s left cheek lifts, and he shakes his head the slightest. Asahi hopes it translates to ‘don’t worry about it’ because he’ll die of embarrassment right now.

Suddenly, behind him the cello, drums, and piano picks up, and the short man’s saxophone withers up against those. He smirks when he lowers his saxophone, and jumps off the stage.

“So, you’re into jukeboxes?”

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to disrespect you.” Asahi bows deeper, his face all hot. “I was just testing my-”

“Hey, hey, it’s okay. I’m not offended.” The short man is next to him immediately, his hand on Asahi’s back in a comforting manner. “Not many people show interest in it, that’s all. It’s one of my best investments. It’s great for when I can’t get the band together.”

“Y-you’re the owner?”

Asahi realises a second late that they’re walking towards the bar. The man’s hand stays on his back as he leads him, and stays there when he leans his elbow against the bar counter. “My usual please. What will you like, handsome?”

“U-um,” Asahi sputters, squirms, his toes curling up a little at the nickname. When was the last time he flirted with someone? Gosh. This feels great. “Whiskey on the rocks please.”

The man gestures to the bartender, and then he points towards the band. “I’m the co-owner with the guy on the drums. That’s Tanaka. I’m Nishinoya Yuu.”

“It’s nice to meet you.” Asahi says. “I’m Azumane Asahi.”

“Handsome name,” Nishinoya says. He compliments Asahi like he breathes - easy, slow, and with a weird charm. “Have you come here alone?”

“I’m with my friends, over there-” Asahi points at Suga and Daichi across the room, and waves back when they wave at him. “We’re just hanging out.”

“I won’t keep you then.” Nihisnoya grabs his drink - a margarita is his usual - and raises the glass to him. “I want to get to know you more though. Can you meet me before you leave?”

Asahi nods.

“Great. I’ll see you then, handsome.”

[heightsofmadness]

"my antagonist is real real powerful but people keep dozing off when I talk about them, what's going on?"

"my character can do this this and this but I'm worried does that make them OP?"

"I made this guy blow up a whole bunch of stuff but I keep hearing feedback that nobody cares about him wtf?"

Power does not make a character interesting.

If I ask you to tell me why I should care about your antagonist, and you say "because if you don't then she'll burn your house down," then you don't have a character; you have a natural disaster with a face.

If I ask you about how the hero and villain interact and you tell me about what special moves they use, then your characters don't have a relationship; they have choreography.

Fundamentally, the thing that makes characters interesting is the choices they make. "But my character is choosing to do this so they can be more powerful" no no no that's not my point

When a character only has one realistic option, that's not a choice.

If you have an awesome sniper-wizard who can beat Godzilla by snapping his fingers, and someone says "win this fighting tournament or your planet will be destroyed," what is your sniper-wizard gonna do? Enter the tournament. And win, probably. It's not a choice.

But if that same character is told, "win this jazz music competition without using magic or your planet will be destroyed," what will they do? They don't play any instruments. It's not their area of expertise. Suddenly they have a bunch of options, and none of them seem like sure bets: do they try to learn saxophone? Do they try to make a replacement planet? Do they just let the planet explode, knowing they'll probably survive? Their answer to this choice will tell us about who they are, how they see the world, and what they value.

And here's where it gets crazy: sometimes the best thing you can do is make them do something that DOESN'T make sense. In response to being told to win a jazz tournament, our wizard buys a plane ticket to New Jersey.

"What the fuck?" you ask. "What does New Jersey have to do with anything?" And you're baffled, because you were pretty sure one of a handful of things were going to happen. But that means you're asking for an answer. If I can provide one, then I've got you. You're hooked. You're engaged.

The wizard is going to New Jersey because he knows a fairy who can give him musical talent.

"That's dumb. Why didn't they ask the fairy to do it earlier?"

Because the fairy wants a favor in return, and it's a price the wizard wasn't previously willing to pay.

"What's the price?" you ask. But your real question is, what did the wizard value above musical virtuosity, but DOES NOT value higher than the fate of the world?

And since you're thinking along those lines, I've got you by the goddamn brainstem, because you now think of this OP sniper-wizard OC as a person. If they fight, you'll care because a person you know is involved. If they burn down someone's house, you'll care because that's not something you expected your friend to do.

Remember this above all when designing characters: what they can do is not as significant as what they choose to do; what they choose to do is not as significant as why they chose to do it.

Or to put it a different way, if a character intentionally burns down someone's house, that's an action scene. If a character intentionally burns down their own house, that's an arc-defining moment.