#i didn't actually mean to slow it down quite that much 💀

[a-dandy-and-a-clown]

most casual twojamie touch

[laismoura-art]

I am going to share these quotes one by one first:

Suchin is not that good of a cook:

Like I can imagine suchin tries to cook food but the food will turn out a lot more spicy for anyone else to eat. Hatsune and hanzo can eat it since they are from the Netherrealm and the heat is too high there also spirit realm has a lot of spicy food.

The food will be okay for those two but for others it will be hell because they can't handle the spicy food suchin cooks especially kuai liang he grew up in the lin kuei so spicy food wasn't regular much and only ate it to increase his flames. Now whenever suchin cooks someone has to be with her to make sure she doesn't add too much spice and that person most capable of the job is our queen harumi.

The most common babysitter:

The most common babysitter for kung jin, lian, hatoru, ryu and huo would be kitana because she adores and loves to babysit them and kitana is hatoru and huo's God mother and hatsune trusts her enough to baby sit them.

For satoshi, frost and takeda it would be tanya and li mei who would babysit them or sometimes bi-han and sareena but for kids it's definitely tanya and li mei because they get to spend some time together with their friends and they will cause chaos in outworld.

Double dates:

Double dates with the siblings and their partners kung lao, hatsune and kenshi, suchin they would be definitely going on double dates together whenever they have a chance like they will go to a family restaurant or go traveling to the spirit realm once in a while. The first double date was a surprise success as they went through a tour across Japan exploring sites and eating food together.

Subscorprumi and bireena will definitely have the most chaotic double dates in the family I head canon they will do sparring dates and picnic dates with each other but most of the time I feel like it's board games with each other because of the competitiveness and sometimes jadesmoke will join them so now they have a tradition.

The main chef of the family:

Hands down kung lao man didn't even know he could cook really good food until hatsune injured her hand and kenshi was arriving with suchin for a stay at home date at their house. Kung lao surprisingly cooked the best dumplings because he was taught by the queen herself Madame bo!.

You thought eating was the only thing he can do. Every time kung lao cooks something hatsune would always give him kisses as a reward for his hard work but she also wants seconds. Hatoru, ryu, kung jin, lian and huo loved their father's food along side their mother's.

Harumi when she tried it wanted the recipe for the food and hanzo was surprised while kuai liang was stunned when they tried his food and the wonton soup kung lao made was better than bi-han's. Hanzo would always sneak in for seconds and will always be caught by hatsune because she also wants seconds.

Bi-han was shocked when another person made a wonton that surpassed his challenged kung lao to a wonton cook off and kung lao won because of a secret recipe he had used from madam bi and will not reveal it till this day. Bi-han for the first time accepted defeat because the wonton kung lao made were heavenly.

Oooh! New amazing headcanons just dropped!!👀💕

Well… actually, no, you sent me these a while ago, i’m just slow… sorry💀

But anyways,

Let’s gooooo!

THE MASTER CHEF SUCHIN:

Ok, if I remember correctly, Thai food is really spicy, so imagine Suchin is not really overseasoning the food because she’s bad— I mean, not only because she’s bad (she is still pretty bad)— but also because she’s trying to honour her Thai roots?

She remembers eating her mother and grandmother’s food and that very unique spicy flavour and how much she loves it! So she tries to recreate the recipe, but she doesn’t quite know how, and she’s not that great at cooking, so at some point she will start seasoning the food and throw the spices but then will think "hmm, that doesn’t seem spicy enough", and then the overseasoning happens!

And sometimes Kenshi will walk by the kitchen to get himself a sandwich or something and hear the sound of spices being added, and then when he’s about to leave he STILL hears the spices! And he’s like “Su? Isn’t it… too much seasoning?” and she will assure him that “Nah, that’s just how Grandma taught me!” and Kenshi will be uncertain but brush it off like “I mean… if grandma says so…” cause who is HE to argue with someone about listening to their ancestors, his grandma is in his SWORD!

He will regret later on not questioning Grandma Bunnag though…

☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆

Oh! Imagine if our local hellborns, Hanzo, Hatsune and Sareena, not only could withstand Suchin's spicy food, but actually ADORED IT as it reminded them of Netherrealm cuisine!

Suchin was glad to see her food being so well received! She even let Sareena take the leftovers with her so she could share with her sisters (Ashrah in Earthrealm, and Jataaka and Kia back in Netherrealm)

No one had the heart to tell Suchin her food was unbearable to the Lin Kuei brothers, despite his best efforts, Bi-Han would genuinely feel sick afterwards! So the whole crew came up with a plan to protect their friends, Hanzo and Sareena would discreetly snatch the food from their plates whenever Suchin looked away (usually distracted by another member of their group).

Harumi started to offer herself to help, she would replace Suchin's spices without her notice and sometimes makes other extra dishes that could be digested by the siblings, "just in case someone is extra hungry" Was her excuse.

EDENIAN BABYSITTERS:

Kitana loves to share stories of Outworld. Old legends and folklore, she takes great pride in her heritage and loves to see the excitement in the children whenever she says she has another story to share!

Queen Sindel is usually very busy with the kingdom's affairs, but she makes sure to separate a few storybooks for Kitana to share with the children.

☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆

Tanya and Li Mei share the stories of their adventures as Umgadi! Missions, battles and all amazing warriors they've met! Frost loves to hear these stories, the more bloodied the better >:3

Suchin's family descends from Seido, but it seems the city was not a good home for them, they had to flee quickly and with the aid of the Goddess of the Eternal Flame, Delia.

Satoshi and Takeda were particularly interested in the stories featuring their mothers, who were both Umgadi in their youth. They loved to hear of their victories in battle, but they secretly love even more to hear about their shenanigans and embarrassed moments, which Li Mei would gladly share!

No one quite knows the details, not even Suchin herself. She refuses to ask more of Delia as she believes whatever her family left behind it's not worthy return. She is happy she found another way to connect with her Outworld heritage through the Umgadi.

☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆

Sareena shares stories of Netherrealm, Satoshi likes to hear of his father's and aunts' realm and of course, he likes to hear about his aunts, of Jataaka and how she became queen, of Kia and her victories in battle and fierce defence of her queen sister.

And of Ashrah, who also has great stories, but as she also lives in Earthrealm, she usually just flies by and tells her stories herself! The kids love when she takes them to fly!

CHAOTIC DOUBLE DATES:

Another option of date:

Harumi and Suchin will have Umgadi hangouts, they will go to Outworld to meet Jade, Tanya and Li Mei. They will remember the old days when they were still training and every time they caused mischief

Harumi: Remember that time we faked chickenpox to avoid Li Mei's squat sequence?

Suchin: Ha! That was not even accurate to real chickenpox!

Tanya and Jade: *laugh with the memory*

Li Mei:

Li Mei: You girls did what?

This meet up ended with the girls doing squat sequences.

To prevent situations like that, Harumi and Suchin would bring the Edenians to Earthrealm instead. They would take them to eat Earthrealm food, specially junk food (they enjoyed seeing Li Mei struggling to eat them)

From time to time they would bring their partners too to share stories!

THE BEST COOK:

Though Bi-Han accepted defeat regarding the Wonton he still wanted to understand what exactly made Kung Lao's so special, so he made his personal challenge to figure that out, he didn't mind the trial and errors, he actually liked the challenge!

Sareena liked it even better because she was the one he assigned to try his recipes, and though they are yet to rival Kung Lao's they are still delicious!

Bi-Han and Kung Lao have friendly competitions, they bring different dishes to the family dinners and everyone will gladly try them all ;)

@mikka-minns @madamealtruist @moody-bloos tagging the friends I know will enjoy these!💕

[fandomfluffandfuck]

Please do the Chris Evans pottery fic! I legit have always thought about for years! Like him taking a night class or a private class for anxiety or hobby (that Scott guilted him to take) so he doesn’t get recognized and the reader (please preferably male) vaguely knows who he is and doesn’t care and teaches him and he falls in love with reader. Like a slow burn. Bro please I’m on my knees begging 🙏 your writing is god tier for Chris fics

related to this

First and foremost I have to say, goddamn, you really went back into the archives to find that post 💀💀 don't get me wrong, I appreciate the hell out of you for that but, also, oof, have I already been on Tumblr for 3 fucking years!?

What? When?

Second, I actually never thought too much about that idea haha. I just couldn't get past the idea of Chris using his hands in that way 🥴 because look, I'm much more of a sculptor than a potter, but it has never been lost on me (a) how much skill it takes to throw on the wheel, and (b) how fucking hot it can look lmao

So, because I never thought too deep about the idea beyond the look, I have to say That's A 👏🏻 Top 👏🏻 Notch 👏🏻 Idea 👏🏻

I love that idea, like:

Chris rolls up to a night pottery class with a baseball cap pulled down real low, trying not to be noticed, squeezing his shoulders in to be less big and noticeable.

You notice him though--he looks a little funny, trying so hard not to stand out and obviously not realizing that a long sleeve, chunky cardigan is 100% the wrong thing to wear when you're about to be playing with clay. But, you don't care about him being Mr. Movie Star (or dressed badly for this activity lol) because, obviously, if he's here for a class, he wants to learn

(Later you'll learn that Scott was the one to push him into it, telling him, lovingly, to quit just talking about beginning to work with his hands and actually Do It)

and so, he's gonna learn.

You are the teacher though, so... it's your duty to keep the secret that Captain America is in their midst.

(But that won't keep you from teasing him subtlety by asking him if he'd perhaps like a blue or red or clear glaze)

Chris might not pick up the skill of throwing as quickly as some of the others (mostly because he's never messed with clay before while many of the other students have even if it was years ago in high school or college or wherever), but he's dedicated.

He puts his all into learning throwing.

You learn quickly, instructing Chris, that he has this tendency to squeeze a little too hard and over-correct the clay. The strength he's got comes in handy with wedging clay and assisting in reconstructing the electric kilns by putting in the heavy shelves, but, when on the wheel, it's not about how hard you can press the clay, how hard you can squeeze it, or anything like that (unless you're working on huge, HUGE projects with massive amounts of clay... but, these students are not there yet). It's about letting your hands glide over the clay, it's encouraging the clay to stretch and compress delicately.

Pottery very much more finesse than force.

And you tell him that a lot in the beginning, "relax, for now, don't try to control it too much. Try to let go and just feel. Keep your elbows anchored in your hips and thighs, but, otherwise, stay loose and relaxed. Breath out. Sink into it, y’know? Relax."

Chris laughs, looking up at you from the little mound of clay he's been centering on his wheel head, "I didn't know this would be so... spiritual? I mean, shit, this feels like therapy."

"Ha," you say, "just be glad it's therapy and not Ghost."

Chris chuckles, "are those my only two options?"

"Right now, rookie? Yes." You point back at his unattended and still spinning wheel, "now, please put your nose back to the grindstone before I'm forced to saddle up behind you. I don't need to be shot in the streets before I get hands-on with my teaching"

You swear, under that cap and beard, Chris blushes. But. He also gets back to work, so... you can't be sure you're not just seeing things 👀

There are a lot of little moments like that throughout the class. Flirting. Maybe. Maybe not. Chris might just be that charming. You can't be too sure.

It's very charming to watch Chris pick up his wobbly creations after they've been put through the bisque kiln and laugh at their unstable bumps and lumps as he tries to set them flat on the table. Plus, when he sands his pieces, he murmurs to himself, talking about all the silly mistakes he finds. Nail marks. Dips. Bulges. Extra bits of clay he missed when trimming. You swear you hear him call himself a "meatball" once...

That is a challenge to not laugh at, but, you don't because you don't want him to know you're paying such close attention to him. (You can't have favorite students after all 😘)

And later, it's very sweet to watch him admire his first glazed pieces. He's very gentle with them, running his fingers back and forth, back and forth, over the smooth glaze. He seems to enjoy the smooth sensation.

Also, listen, I have no proof but I feel like Chris is gonna be the type of potter that gets Really Messy. Like, clay and slip all over his hands, of course, but also all up his forearms and flecks of it on his face and in his hair. His poor apron and shoes.

Also, I think Chris would be the type of potter that wipes their hands on their thighs over their apron 😮‍💨

Chris takes one class then another and another. He's getting much, much better.

But, he still looks like he's watching you perform magic when you quickly throw a vace or pie platter for a demonstration. It's really endearing. You'd love to see more of his face while watching you work, but, no matter how good you are at pottery, you can't do it without looking. Not yet... maybe someday, if you keep practicing.

And eventually, I'd like to think that you exchange numbers. Chris no longer takes your class and so it's fair game.

He comes over to your place and you cook a meal together because you already know each other well enough. So, you skip the more public dates that are better for strangers.

Chris seems mystified by the fact that ALL your plates, bowls, mugs, etc. are things you've made. Thrown on the pottery wheel. He just thinks it's very cool and personal. Also, he swears because of taking your class that he can't look at a factory-made plate or bowl or mug the same. They look so plain and lifeless now. In return, you tease that you'd offer to make him a set for his own home as a present (maybe for his birthday or Christmas) but, you're gonna insist that he at least try to make a set himself first.

And, hey, if he needs more encouragement maybe that Ghost option could come true...

Sorry, this is so short but I just had to get some real quick thoughts out between study sessions lol

Thank you so much for bringing this up again and thank you for reading!!

[rosietrace]

Melodic Misconceptions 🎹

Track 15: Young and beautiful 3/?

Synopsis: Victoria Shard was a former member of the popular idol group [ Poisoner ] from NRC corporations. After discourse with her group leader, Victoria decided it was best for her to leave and pursue her solo career in a record label run by her parents.

It had been half a year since her separation from her old group, and Victoria had never been more successful. But now she has a new problem. She must return to NRC corporations in order to mentor the seven idol groups.

Ellis Clawthorne is a member of [ (Co)-connect ] the most recent group under NRC'S belt. With no experience as an idol, Ellis must persevere in order to succeed and pursue her dreams.

Will both girls be able to adapt to their current situations?

✐ ✎_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_✐ ✎

Author's note: I AM SO SORRY IF THE WRITING FOR THIS TRACK IS BAD💀 This is a mostly filler track so this isn't all that significant to the plot

There's a couple less fake Twitter posts so I hope y'all don't mind :')

On the other hand, there isn't much else that I have to say other than like- Reblog pls- idk ^^||

Hope you enjoy!

──ㅇ─────↻ ◁ II ▷ ↺───ㅇ────

"Thank you for accompanying me for coffee, you two."

Yuuta chuckled, carelessly taking out his wallet before they entered the coffee shop."No problem, miss mentor~ Besides we kinda owe you one after you let us cameo in your music video." Yuuta replied, wearing the usual smug look on his face.

Miren nodded."Yeah. We do kinda owe you one for that." He chimed in, his voice was discreet with the slightest hint of hesitation.

Humming, Victoria opened the door to the coffee shop. Thankfully, it wasn't too crowded.

Yuuta whistled."Ooh~ Classy." He commented right after entering, folding his arms together with an impressed smirk. Miren smiled alongside him, nodding in agreement.

"Alright, so…. Who's gonna order?"

As soon as Victoria asked that question, she and Yuuta whipped their heads toward Miren.

He felt drops of sweat drip down his face."I have to do it, don't I-" he was quickly cut off by Yuuta gently shoving him close to the line that led to one of the cashiers.

He scowled at his fellow group mate before focusing on waiting for his turn. As for Yuuta and Victoria, they managed to find a table nearby.

And as soon as they sat down, Yuuta had to ask,

"So how's it going for you and that Harpie?"

Blinking continuously, Victoria raised a brow at Yuuta."What do you mean?" Seeing her eyes slowly beginning to squint, Yuuta snorted.

"Have you not realized how much chemistry you two emit? I feel like tension always rises whenever you're both in the same room." Yuuta responded, gently playing with his hair.

It didn't take long for Miren to come back with their lattes, sit next to Yuuta and begin listening to whatever conversation they were having.

"I'll have to agree on that…." An awkward smile was plastered on Miren's face, making Victoria sigh.

"Hmm….. I see…" Her words were slow, like she was trying to comprehend and realize just now that she and Aguri actually had quite the chemistry.

Yuuta giggled softly, sipping his latte without hesitation."Who knows, you two might even be this industry's hottest couple. If you decide to date him eventually, of course." Miren narrowed his eyes at his lavender eyed friend after he made that comment. To which Yuuta only responded with a wink.

Victoria hummed, feeling rather awkward while looking down at her latte and the small heart-shaped design it had. I know that everyone's been complimenting us on our chemistry but…. I suppose I've been oblivious to how much of it we have.

To try and brush it off as if it weren't much, Victoria took a sip of her latte and resumed her conversation with Yuuta and Miren. Even though she made it frighteningly obvious that she wanted to change the topic to something that didn't involve Aguri.

And Yuuta and Miren were okay with that. The love life of their mentor isn't something they're gonna try and meddle with, especially when Ellis and Zen are already trying to do that.

And what's the point when one of the only good options is a fucking asshole?

──ㅇ─────↻ ◁ II ▷ ↺───ㅇ────

"Hmm. It seems you've brought coffee."

A frown dawned on Victoria's face after hearing Vil's voice. And it didn't help that Aguri happened to be in the same room.

She huffed, tiredly walking past the two of them and setting their coffees down on the table."You better consume it before you get on the makeup chair." She advised, unintentionally invoking eye contact with Aguri.

Before Vil was going to say anything, Aguri cut him off."We'll take note of that, princess."

And… Cue the awkward silence that filled the room…

Victoria was confused, yet annoyed."I'm sorry, what did you call me?"

Aguri couldn't help but smile innocently."Just calling you by a cute little nickname, princess." He quickly answered.

Vil raised a brow at his close friend, somewhat confused that he'd call Victoria, his former group mate, by such an affectionate nickname.

To be fair, Victoria was equally as confused. But she had to be more worried about more pressing matters such as finishing up filming the bridge and the final chorus of the song, which would conclude the shooting of the music video.

Rolling her eyes, she left the room without saying anything else. Yet she heard a conversation that started between the two young men, but didn't bother to try and eavesdrop.

Noticing the small hints of stress, Mayuu walked up to Victoria and gave her an assuring grin to try and lift her spirits.

"I'm guessing Aguri said something?"

Victoria nodded.

"Ah. Well, whatever he said, I'm sure it isn't worth being concerned about." Mayuu shrugged off, wanting to destress before another migraine comes from Yuuta snatching away her phone and posting the videos of her singing during karaoke nights.

Victoria pursed her lips."I guess. Though I don't know if being called 'princess' by the person you're most annoyed with is good enough to be concerned about…" Mayuu's eyes widen, and she ended up choking on air when Victoria mentioned the nickname.

"Well damn…"

"Mhm…. I don't particularly understand why so many women are attracted to him."

"Two words. Young and conventionally attractive. Well- That would be four words, but I digress," Mayuu began, "Aguri Harper is still 21 years old, and we all know how much Hollywood loves exploiting young talent."

"Not to mention he has the conventional attractiveness that almost every Hollywood actor has. He can practically get away with whatever he wants just by using his pretty privilege." She went on.

"Similar to Yuuta?" Victoria asked, making Mayuu snort as a reply.

"Absolutely not. Yuuta has an annoying amount of pretty privilege, but at least he isn't being exploited by an entire industry that isn't taking advantage of his good looks for money...." Victoria's eyebrows raised a bit when Mayuu trailed off her sentence, realizing what she just said was… A bit contradictory.

"..... Actually nevermind that part. The point is, Aguri's only successful because of his acting abilities, his youth, his 'conventional attractiveness', and his cat." A satisfied exhale escaped Mayuu's lips after she shrugged her words off as if it were nothing.

As they went their separate ways to prepare for the final shoot for the bridge of the song, Victoria pondered about what Mayuu told her.

"Hmm…. I wonder…"

──ㅇ─────↻ ◁ II ▷ ↺───ㅇ────

The tension was rising as they filmed, it almost felt unnerving. Yet at the same time, enticing and addictive.

Everyone was wearing masquerade masks to conceal their faces, yet it was obvious who was who. The girls all wore their signature colors while wearing silk dresses that were inspired by many of Marilyn Monroe's dresses.

Ellis in particular wore a white mask to pair with a diamond encrusted necklace and a pink dress that was reminiscent of the dress Marilyn wore in 'diamonds are a girl's best friend'.

As for the boys, they all stuck to the classic suits. But they had a much sharper, cleaner cut in their designs. Which was in spite of the simplicity of their designs.

As planned, the costume department made sure Victoria and Aguri stood out. Since they were the only ones actually wearing black and white.

Victoria wore black, and the dress she wore was tight fitted yet it somehow didn't look like they were deliberately objectifying her. In fact, the aura of confidence as she wore such a scandalous dress was what made the moment a little more special.

Aguri wore white, and the silks used in his suit were much more apparent because of the color. Thankfully, he managed to not look like a depressed groom by having enough black and dark blue accents to contrast with the white. And he also wore an unwavering amount of confidence as he danced with her.

The director was in awe, and knew that it was gonna be smooth sailing for them after this scene, since it was almost time to film the final chorus.

With every slightly higher note that was sung during the bridge, Aguri would spin Victoria around. Yet they never broke eye contact, making the scene all the more impactful with the rising tension between the two.

As the final line of the bridge had hit, Victoria spun away from Aguri after he let her go. This was both for aesthetic purposes, and for the sake of a specific transition to the final chorus.

"And…. Cut!" The director exclaimed.

The rest of the film crew clapped for the efforts everyone put in for the bridge. Victoria, Zen, Yuuta, and Aguri in particular.

Victoria was panting, slightly exhausted from ballroom dancing in 1960s pumps. To her, they weren't exactly the most comfortable to wear during filming.

Zen carefully walked over to her, a comforting grin on his face."You okay, Tori?" He asked, slightly worried.

Victoria giggled, sitting down on a nearby chair."I'm fine, Zen. The shoes clearly aren't, though. Hopefully I don't have to dance in them again." She joked, smiling with him.

Zen laughed a little, sitting next to her."I hope so. I don't really like it when I see you in pain. But that's probably because I'm a bit of a worrywart." He said awkwardly.

Victoria put her hand over his, the gracefulness of her smile unwavering as she gazed at her best friend.

"I know."

For whatever reason, Aguri was watching from afar.

….. And he felt unusually unnerved by that display of affection.

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Tagging:

@starry-night-rose @windbornearchon @nem0-nee @authoruio @sakuramidnight15 @fumikomiyasaki @geminiiviolets @twsted-princess @knights-escort

[writing-good-vibes]

i had a thought earlier (it happens sometimes) and immediately thought of you for some reason

maybe cause it's just... somewhat angsty xD

anyway, person comes through Ambrose who is really insecure, like when Bo comes to them and is nice and flirty they're like

"uh, don't gotta be nice to me out of pity or some sense of obligation" and when Bo questions that they go on saying that they know their friends are prettier and there's no way Bo would actually wanna talk to them

do Bo feels... kinda sympathetic? but not in the "usual" protective and soft-going-into-romance way

more like "hey, kinda wanna make them feel better/pretty for at least the time they still have" but still ends up killing them

like yeah he can do nice things every once in a while but that doesn't change his being at the core

~

alternatively (because of course my brain had to make it even darker) he does not end up just killing them but taking them to the basement cause in his mind that is the ultimate sign that he thinks they're beautiful and special and he will make them believe it

- 🔪

ahhh thank you so much for sending this 💗 !! honoured you thought of me when you had this idea 😊 (am i known for angst? love that for me). i love this idea so much, it has everything. insecurity? bo having a warped sense of what it means to be kind? a fate worse than death? impeccable. 💀

i tried my best with this, diverged slightly from your idea but i hope you enjoy !! warning for (guess what?) angst, canon-typical murder mentions, brief mention of body insecurity, some smut implications but absolutely nothing major.

hook, line and sinker (bo sinclair x reader)

"You're not much of a talker, huh?"

You turn back to the man who works at the gas station - Bo, he had so politely introduced himself - from where you'd been staring out of the window.

His brow is raised at you as he sifts through a box of fan belts, looking for the one you need. Your previous, snapped belt sits on the work bench beside him.

You'd heard this before, so you give your practised reply, a casual laugh, as you try to stifle your embarrassment, "No, not really."

"That's okay," Bo shrugs, and his voice sounds so surprisingly sincere coming from a stranger, "Neither is my brother." There's a beat before he adds, "Though, he never shuts up."

You glance away again, trying to think of a reply, but you settle on a polite smile instead.

Bo smiles back, a small sigh leaving him as he looks back down at the box of fan belts. "I don't got the one you need here, but I just got an order in so there might be some new one up at the house."

"Sure, that works for me," you agree.

"You can come on up and then I'll give you a ride back to your car?"

You didn't want to take him out of his way to fix the belt, "Oh, you - you don't have to, I could --"

"It's no problem," he insists, "Slow day anyhow. Might as well spend my time helping a pretty little thing like you out."

That surprises you, as rarely do you receive unprompted compliments. You were used to your friends getting all the attention. For a moment you don't know how to respond. You chose to ignore it, keep things strictly business, just like you're best at, "Only if you're sure."

"Sure I am," Bo's eyes gleam with something you can't quite work out. "So, what got you driving up this way anyhow, we don't get too many visitors these days."

"I'm travelling," you answer, "cross country."

"Ain't that something," Bo muses, leading the way out of the shop and locking the door behind the both of you. He turns on his heel and starts on up the road.

You follow meekly behind him. A feeling you might once have pinned at nervousness, but now feeling more like disappointment knowing that the conversation is over. What more would Bo have to say to you beyond the pleasantries he had already gifted you?

His parents had pointed out, many times, that Bo wasn't the sharpest tool in the box, but they never gave him enough credit. They never looked closely enough to see the truth. Not like Bo did. Bo looked so closely he saw straight through people and out the other side.

"How many states you been through?"

You look up, a swell of hope rolls through you before you push it back down, "Only 11."

"Ol' Louisiana bein' lucky num'er 11?"

"Yeah."

"Ain't that something."

The two of you have turned off the main street, following a long gravel road that curves around the town. On your right is a huge building, it's yellowed sign reading House of Wax.

"Funny you ended up here," Bo continues, "we're barely on the map no more."

You nod half heartedly when Bo turns to look at you, still a few paces behind him.

"Since the wax museum shut down, this ain't much of a tourist trap."

"It's nice," you insist, looking around yourself some, "Quaint."

"Yeah, quaint," Bo turns around to check on you and lets out a chuckle at your comment.

You smile back, avoiding his brief gaze.

The pace of Bo's walking slows down as you reach a house, the only one along this road and the largest in town, as far as you can tell.

Bo hops up the porch steps and you hurry after him. He turns the handle and opens the front door. Unlocked. This town must be real quaint, you thought.

You're jolted from your thoughts by Bo's voice once again, "Y'know, why don't you stay a while? It's barely noon and I'm sure you got a long drive ahead, after we get your car fixed."

"Oh," you hesitated at the open door, "Oh, you don't have to do that..."

"You musn't o' been in Louisiana long," he notes, he's unbuttoning a couple more buttons of his work-shirt as he talks, and leaves his cap on the bannister, leaving his hair messy. "You don't know how bad the midday sun gets, you oughta stop for lunch, at least?"

He waves a hand for you to come in, like he's holding a palm out for an animal to sniff before it gets comfortable being petted.

"Only if you're sure, I know I'm not, you know, great company..."

He frowns at this. "You're fine company."

Stepping into the house is a relief. Bo wasn't lying about the weather, and this wasn't even going to be the worst of it.

The house is cold inside, and even with a huge bay window, the living room is draped in shadow. Light spills from the kitchen, which seems to be the only sun-trap in the house.

Bo follows the light and you follow him. The kitchen itself is cluttered, with a sink full of dishes and crumbs on the counter. "Sorry for the mess," Bo says, though he doesn't sound too guilty.

"You really don't have to do this, you know, I'm happy to just pay for that fan belt and be on my way," you try again, though you're starting to doubt you'll ever get a different response.

"Nonsense," Bo replies, pulling three clean plates from a shelf and lining them up on the counter. "Here, look at it this way, won't you give me a lil' company before you leave, and I don't have another living soul to serve for another week or two?"

Weeks? "This place is really that dead?"

"Like you wouldn't believe."

"Well," you ponder, while Bo starts on making three sandwiches for the three plates. "It'd be rude not to stay, just for a little bit, I guess. But, you don't have to be so nice, if you don't want, I get it..."

"Get what?"

Bo thinks he knows what. Knows exactly what. He's seen people like you before, ones who didn't realise what they had because no one had bothered to tell them. Ones who thought they were an extra in a movie instead of the being in the starring role. People like you reminded him of Vincent. People like you reminded him of himself.

"I don't know, I'm just not, y'know... the kind of person that people invite to lunch," you laugh off your comment to cover up how pathetic you feel just saying it.

"I'd invite you to lunch, any day o' the week," Bo remarks, turning back to you with a plate in each hand. He gestures for you to sit and places a sandwich, cut into triangles, in front of you.

The gesture makes you smile. "Thanks, Bo."

"No problem, darlin'."

You supress another smile.

*

After lunch, and with a new fan belt in tow, Bo drives you back down to the station.

"You wanna come in for a second, just to sign on this receipt. You know how it is," Bo holds the passenger door open for you and you follow him, once more, into the gas station.

As you lean over the counter to sign your name where he indicated, you feel him behind you, peering over your shoulder. The warmth of his breath ghosts your hair. He isn't even touching you and you're having to put extra thought into keeping your hand from trembling else you won't be able to write.

When you finish, you turn around, but Bo doesn't move back.

"Is that - Is that all I need to do," you ask, holding the pen out to him.

"Sure is," Bo smiles, leaning one hand against the counter. He's even closer to you now.

Both you and Bo had had some revelations over lunch.

On one hand, you realised that maybe, just maybe, you had a thing for this small town mechanic. He was easy to talk to. He didn't mind leading the conversation. He was funny. He was polite. He was hot. You might just miss him when you get your fan belt fixed and leave him behind in your rear-view mirror.

On the other, far more blood-stained hand, Bo had a realisation of his own. You were lonely. Your face lit up every time he asked you a question. The way you held back when you spoke, even after he asked to hear more. The way you moved like you were in the way and all he wanted to do was shake you, tell you that you deserved everything you wanted.

But, you don't always get what you want. Though that doesn't mean Bo can't do a good deed, now and then.

He moves too quickly for you to react, lips pressing against yours in a soft but knowing kiss.

When he pulls away, you try to stammer, "You - You don't have to, just because you feel sorry for me --"

"Oh," Bo chuckles, his hand coming up to hold your jaw, thumb brushing your skin, "I feel sorry for you, sure, but ain't nothin' to do with how you look."

You don't understand his meaning, and you don't have time to figure it out either, because his lips are back on yours, a deeper kiss this time, and his hand drops to your waist.

He's good at this.

"Please," you mutter, when he finally pulls away again.

"Please?" he teases back, and his hand dips under the waistband of your jeans.

"Please!"

"Oh, darlin', look at you," he coos, stroking your cheek and you lean forward to kiss him again.

Slowly, you can feel him moving you, walking you away from the counter, but you'd be damned to let this end here. No, you wanted it all, even if he did just feel sorry for you.

All of a sudden, the heat of his lips is gone and he's hefting you over his shoulder. You laugh in surprise, until you notice where you're going. He carries you through a doorway and down a flight of stairs. Things are looking decidedly less like "a quickie in a gas station" and more like "you're being taken to some strangers basement".

"Wait, Bo. Bo, where are --" You're cut off when he kicks another door open and you're flung down into a chair.

It feels so medical, the cold metal of the chair and, when you look around, the rows of... tools that line the workbench in the corner. Oh fuck.

"Wait, Bo, Please," you try to struggle, but he's as strong as he looks. He's holding you down as he fastens heavy leather straps around your wrists. "Please, I I'm sorry! What are you - you going to do with me?"

You can feel the wetness of tears as they begin to stream down your face, into your open mouth as you plead.

"C'mon darlin', stop making this hard on yourself. Aren't you happy?"

"What?"

"This is where the pretty ones end up," Bo smiles, his eyes too playful to ever match up with his actions.