#other offending shows and movies included:

[honourablejester]

I am deeply offended by this! I was reading thoughts on what D&D classes the characters of The Mummy (1999) would be, and there was a comment that Jonathan was obviously a rogue, but either a badly built one or one with shit dice rolls. And! Excuse you? Jonathan is a perfectly acceptable rogue! He rolls fine when he’s actually attempting to do something!

In the first movie alone, some of his greatest hits:

Successfully pickpocketed Rick on their first meeting, without Rick so much as joining the dots until later.

Survives a pitched battle on a burning ship without a scratch, and somehow gets the key from a burning hook-handed enemy mook in the process. (“And did I panic? I think not!”)

Survives a pitched battle in the Hamunaptra ruins while drunk, through liberal use of cover and picking off targets at range.

Rolls a Nat 20 on his deception check to avoid being massacred by a large group of hynotised enemies in the museum.

Survives the final pitched battle with the undead (again, through liberal use of cover, hiding and running).

Successfully makes his intelligence roll to translate the Book of Amun Ra (with the Help action from Evie).

Successfully uses the resulting control over the undead mooks to even out the battlefield, including the genius brain move of sending them after Ankh-Su-Namun to both save Evie and distract Imhotep.

Successfully pickpockets a lich while being strangled by him to regain the key and enable Evie to use the book to banish Imhotep altogether.

Yes, he’s fairly flimsy in direct battle, and if at all possible refuses to get to melee range with anybody. So he’s a ranged rogue, and has a tendency to use the environment to his advantage. But he’s clearly designed around Sleight of Hand, Charisma, and a decent sprinkling of Intelligence, and prefers to use object interactions and battlefield control to even out his odds. For all that, though, he fully will stay in melee range if he has no other choice, and take the opportunity to pickpocket the BBEG while he’s at it.

He's a perfectly serviceable rogue, he’s just not optimised for straight combat. And even there, as the second movie shows, he’s excellent at ranged combat. He just doesn’t like getting up close and personal.

[whisper-in-the-night]

My headcanons for Art the Clown

Tw: mention of violence, blood, killing and etc

Note: sorry for long waiting, I had some stuff to do. But I watched this movie last night, just can't not to write something

• Suppose that by some miracle you interested him, and Art changed his mind about killing you.

• Art is a man of the moment, of impulse, in this regard he is like a child. If he wants something, he will get it, no matter how. If he's interested in you, he'll get you and keep you.

• Again, he is quite childish, and since he cannot speak, all his emotions are visible in his body language and antics. His childish behavior can also manifest itself in frequent insults. He will be sitting on the couch with his arms folded and fundamentally avoiding your gaze. Try to guess what he's offended about. And it's better to do it quickly, before the desire to tear some human flesh wakes up in him. His mood changes very often, so be always prepared for the fact that at the moment of rare hugs he will suddenly become agitated or, conversely, aggressive.

• He's very jealous. It's not that he's insecure, he just doesn't like sharing his stuff, including you. You better not pay too much attention to other people unless you want to see their guts smeared on the wall in your bathroom.

• Despite this, Art is quite protective. He won't let anything happen to you. Be prepared that he will be constantly watching you. But now you can safely walk through the dark alleys, Art is always there, you are under the reliable protection of this guard dog.

• Art likes to scare you more than his victims. He doesn't know why, but he really likes the taste of your fear, it really turns him on. But Art will never really hurt you enough, except for a few cuts or bruises. There's something about you that makes him fear losing you for real. There's something special about the way you're scared of him. Maybe it's your expression or your cute screams, he doesn't know. But your guardian definitely makes him feel a lingering warmth in his lower belly.

• His actions and feelings can hardly be called love, because he really does not know how to get attached, he is just not quite the person for this. But he shows a certain affection in his own way. First of all, he's not killing you. Secondly, sometimes he tries to take into account your wishes in many things, tries to find out what you like. Thirdly, he can be quite clingy. When Art realizes that he wants your attention, he can gently pull the sleeve of your hoodie, as if asking for a hug, or he can just roughly grab you by the waist and put you on his lap.

• He really doesn't care about your appearance, he has a weakness for you because it's you.

• Talking about what you like. Art is very narcissistic and cruel. But over time, he will realize that your smile and your joy create some kind of strange feeling in his chest, he likes it. In fact, Art makes you happy only because it gives him a certain pleasure.

• He loves using you as bait for his victims. This gives him an extra push to kill his victim in an even more brutal way.

• In general, he can be kind to a certain extent, he even brings you small gifts from time to time. Besides, he's crazy about the sight of someone else's blood on your face and skin. But you'll definitely have to teach him to wash more often and eat normal food.

[harrietswriting]

Baking with the gang

The outsiders x gn!reader (platonic)

An: I know my last two fics were in 1st person but I think from now on I'm going to do them in second person. Please send me requests!! 💕

Tw: none? Men? Mediocre writing skills?

"Two-Bit, I swear to God. Stick your finger in the batter one more time and I'll beat you with this whisk." You threaten the laughing greaser angrily as he runs out of kitchen licking his finger.

You sigh and mumble: "Never making cake here again," then go back to stirring the batter.

"I'll stand guard, y/n," Ponyboy says as he peeks into the dining room at Two-Bit who had sat down to watch Soda and Steve's card game.

You laugh, "Thanks, Pony."

Dallas walks in past Ponyboy, Johnny tagging along behind him.

"Hey Pony." Dallas nods in his direction as he leans against the counter and crosses his arms. Johnny greets you and Pony too.

"I don't get a greeting, Dally?" You ask, feigning hurt.

"No."

"What are ya making?" Johnny leans to look in the bowl.

You smile proudly. "Chocolate cake," then you look past him at the cake's secret service agent. "Pony, where are the pans?"

"I'll get one." He opens a cabinet and gets out a cake pan. "Like this?"

"Yes thank you." You smile has he hands it to you.

Steve cheers in the other room having evidently won against Soda. Two-Bit laughs. Sodapop tells him to quit it.

"When's Darry gettin' back from work, Ponyboy?" Johnny asks. You had been wondering too. You start to carefully pour the cake batter into the pan.

"Soon I think. He said he was going to stop at the store once he got off." Pony answers. Steve walks in with a cocky engery around him.

"You win?" You ask him as he eyes the cake pan.

"Hell yeah!" He declares proudly. "Who else wants to play me? Dally?"

Dallas shrugs. "Sure. I win, you owe me a pack of cancer sticks."

"Sure, and vise versa." They walk back into the dining room just as Soda walks in.

"Cake done?" He asks.

"No, I'm putting it in now." You open the oven, which you'd pre-heated, and gingerly set the pan on the middle rack.

"Shoot." He looks a little disappointed. He leaves and goes back to the dining room.

Pony and Johnny start talking about some movie they'd seen and the drive-in. Pony's mad they never show good movies there, and Johnny's not convinced there are good movies. You hum a Beatles song as you turn the timer and set it for 30 minutes then place it on the counter.

"You just haven't seen a good movie because you've never gone to a movie theater." Pony argues.

"I'm not paying to see some phony movie that i won't like." Johhny rebutts.

"I think the drive-in plays some good movies." You add. They look at you.

"That's cause you have low standards." Ponyboy says matter-of-factly. You scoff. Two-Bit, had entered the kitchen just in time to hear the comment and decides to add: "Yeah, that's obvious, look at your your ex!" He laughs.

"Uh- You're not getting any cake Two!" You're offended, that was uncalled for. He shrugs, knowing your bluffing.

"We were talking about movies." Johnny shifts to lean against the counter like Dally had been doing earlier.

"Oh. Forgot you guys are boring." He laughs again.

"Hey Two! Mickey's on!"

~

Thirty minutes later you're all stuffed in the living room, including Darry, who had finally gotten home. Dallas, Ponyboy, Johnny, and you were on the couch, Pony on the arm of the couch. Darry was in one chair reading the paper, and Soda was in the other. Two-bit was sitting on the ground and drinking a beer while Steve counted his winnings next to him. Steve had lost against Dallas then proceeded to beat Soda again, Johnny, and you. You sadly had to hand over the money you had in your pocket to him. He was very happy.

The timer goes off and you get up from the couch.

"Does that mean the cakes done?" Soda asks.

"I'll check." You walk to the kitchen and can feel excited eyes on you. Jesus, these boys like chocolate cake. You get out an oven mit and a tooth pick before opening the oven. You poke the cake with the toothpick and sure enough, it comes out clean. So, you carefully take the cake out of the over and you plop it onto a plate.

"Cake is done!" You yell as you carry plate out to the dining room. Two-Bit is sat. Zip. He's already here. And Steve is right behind him.

"I'll get forks and plates!" Soda announces. He gets the quickly and hands them out. You cut the cake into generous slices, the first piece going to Two-Bit. Dallas finally joins the party at the table. Darry comes next, and now everyone is sitting around the table.

Two-Bit takes a bite and closes his eyes in satisfaction. "Mmmm."

Steve gets one next, then Soda, Pony, Johnny, Dallas, and Darry, then finally you cut yourself one.

"Thank you y/n." Darry says before taking a bite. This encourage a slew of thanks from the rest of the guys, even a mumble from Dallas.

You smile. "You're welcome, guys."

Within 20 minutes the cake is gone.

An: SEND ME REQUESTS PLEASE. Also, do you guys like 1st person or 2nd person narration better? Please giveme constructive criticism or something. okay bye love yall 💕💕

[i-arch-my-backula]

Telling slashers you like 'hot old men'

I am an old man lover and enjoyer for life. I love hot old men I hope I become one when I'm older. So what better way then to make a post appreciating all of the hot old men I'm in love with. I know some of these men aren't like super old but it's still kind of old ok? We're talking an age range from 30's-50's. Also this was buried in my drafts since like April.

Includes: Doomhead, Mark Hoffman, Peter Strahm, Hannibal Lecter, and Bo Sinclair

Warnings: None I can think of

Doomhead

He honestly thought you said something else when you first said it. You two were watching a movie together and you made a comment on how you love "hot old men".

When he asks you to repeat yourself and you confirm that you said you love hot old men he laughs. He knows he's an older man but you saying that is really funny to him.

"Are you calling me an old man, sugar?" He asks you, pressing a kiss to your cheek. After you clarify you don't mean it in a negative way he just keeps laughing quietly.

He'll bring this up from time to time when he sees fit. He honestly might play up the 'old man' act just to tease you about it even more. But he's not too offended that you said it.

Mark Hoffman

You and Hoffman are coworkers and you've been dropping hints to him about your attraction to him. Today you were working with Hoffman, looking over some tapes when the discussion of how long you've been in the force came up.

When Hoffman mentioned when he graduated from the police academy and made a comment about how he's old you smiled and said, "Good thing I love old men."

He laughed it off at first then got a little defensive about how he's "not that old". You explained to him that you never meant it to be rude, you just meant to say that you find older men attractive.

He just nodded his head and went back to watching the tape over. But over the next few days he kept thinking about what you said. It's the most outwardly flirty you've been with him before. When he next sees you he asks you out and you accept.

Peter Strahm

You're on a date with him after being introduced to each other by a mutual friend. He took you somewhere nice and he's driving you home. You both feel a strong connection.

He mentions how long he's been working in the FBI and makes a comment about how you must think he's so old. But when you chuckle and tell him "Don't worry, I love old men." He chuckles too.

Peter isn't too much older than you but he still finds your comment funny. He asks you why and when you talk about how older men are more mature, provide stability, and they're just hot, he smiles and puts a hand on your thigh.

He thinks about your comment for awhile after the date. The comment and how well the date went leads him to asking you out again, which you of course say yes to.

Hannibal Lecter

You met Hannibal at an opera and he found you very attractive. He invited you over for dinner later in the week and you accepted. He made sure to make an impressive meal for you, which isn't hard for him to do.

You two start talking over dinner and Hannibal talks about his career as a surgeon then as a psychiatrist. He makes a comment about how you must think he's very old and you reply with, "I don't mind at all. I love old men."

He chuckles and says he's not that old. You tell him you know that but you start talking about how you love a man who looks more mature and has his life well put together.

The dinner goes well and he invites you over again later in the month. But he can't stop thinking about your comment. He knows he's an older man but he doesn't think he's that old. But the comment doesn't get to him too much because you like him anyway.

Bo Sinclair

You're sitting with Bo in his garage while he's working on a car. You're reading an old magazine when you start to giggle. He asks you what's so funny and you talk about how hot this model is.

When you show him the model Bo talks about how he looks pretty old to which you reply with "I love old men." Bo sets down his tool and looks at you.

"Are you saying I'm old, darlin'?" He asks you. You think for a moment before you tell him no. Bo is in his early 30's and you don't really consider that old.

You have to explain to him that by "old men" you mean men in their 40's and above. Bo will tease you about this constantly. Any time you two see an older man, either it being in a movie or a victim he asks you if he's your type.

[remmickrealgf]

Okay so I just wanna make a post clearing up my other post about my opinion because some people might be confused or even offended and that was never my intentions.

For starters when I originally came on here to make Remmick fanfics it was always gonna be a vague reader insert. I wasn’t going to make the reader any race because personally I wanted anyone and everyone to read my fanfics on here. In my opinion I actually think reader inserts should mainly be non-descriptive and vague as possible so people can feel included. As a writer I don’t know what any of my readers will look like. People may be black, white, or any race for that matter and I wouldn’t know so I usually always never describe the reader insert.

However, after all the discourse and drama on here and seeing that many black people were feeling left out and not included for a movie that’s made for them more than anyone I thought to myself, “damn, maybe I can be that one person pumping out fanfics for us.” And so that’s what I did. If you look on my blog you’ll find a fanfic that’s not descriptive at all for any race because like I said that’s normally what I do. But I decided to lock in and put out content for my people.

Also, I am not racist. I don’t hate white women. That’s what I was just accused of from an anonymous question which really annoyed me because that’s not why I made the post. That person completely skimmed over what I wrote and it truly shows. Like to be honest I really don’t care about white people making white reader inserts especially if they tag it. Now if they don’t tag, well YES!! I’m going to be annoyed, especially if their fanfic had interesting tags and sounded good to read I’m going to be salty. Why? Well, simple cause I just can’t enjoy that. I’m literally black, why would I or other black people wanna read something like that or any other poc for that matter.

So, in conclusion, if you are white and wanna make white reader inserts go for it but please guys tag it. Just tag it and no one will literally care. But in my opinion I think making the reader inserts vague is a great thing to do. I want anyone to read my stuff cause that’s just how I am. But for now I’m going to continue making black reader inserts because why not and when I feel like making vague ones again I’ll do that too. Anyways no hate to anyone especially people who are just having fun and aren’t being disrespectful, please don’t think I’m trying to start drama with yall. Hell, I’m literally here to have fun, simp for characters and write.

[tossawary]

A weirdly formative movie for me was "The Slipper and the Rose" (1976), which is a live-action movie adaptation of the Cinderella fairy tale set in some made-up European country. It is also a musical. I think it's fun and funny and sometimes quite sweet and I really like it as a comfort movie. It's kind of long and a little slow and old-fashioned and silly, and the ending is a little flat, but there are several songs that are just... about various logistical and humorous realities of being royalty... and I thought that was just fascinating as a young teenager who liked historical fantasy fiction.

(I excitedly tried to show it to a friend once and she was like, "WHAT am I watching?" She was bored during the dance sequences. It's quite different to the "(Rodgers and Hammerstein's) Cinderella" movie from 1997 starring Brandy. They're entirely different Cinderella musicals.)

The king and queen (and the dowager queen and the prince's cousin who will inherit if he doesn't marry) have a song sung to the prince called: "What Has Love Got To Do With Getting Married?"

The prince has a companion-at-arms (servant) named John and they have a really funny song together in the royal family's mausoleum, where the prince is like, "No matter what I do, I'm just going to end up buried next to these kings. Let me tell you all about how much they sucked as people." (It's called "What A Comforting Thing To Know" and it's probably my favorite song.)

The king and his ministers have a song all about the protocol for throwing a ball ("Protocoliogorically Correct"), because they don't want to offend anyone and accidentally start a war (again).

The prince's servant, John, is in love with Lady Caroline, who is the lady-in-waiting / companion to the dowager queen, but they can't get married because they're apparently too far apart in status. After the ball, when the prince is failing to find Cinderella, there's an entire song ("Position And Positioning") where John, the castle servants, and guards and civilians explain to the prince that there are ranks among servants and servants aren't as free to marry for love as the prince thinks they are. They even take the prince into the kitchens and are like, "Here are a bunch of other servants that you never see and barely knew existed, dude. They're going to do an extended dance number about this."

There are other musical numbers in this movie, including the romantic ("He/She Danced With Me") and heartbreaking ("Tell Him Anything") songs you would expect from a Cinderella story, but I mostly remember the humorous songs that actually engaged with the worldbuilding. I hadn't really seen a "fairy tale" movie do that before to that degree. (I'd seen books adapting fairy tales do it many times, but they don't have musical numbers.)

I think both "What A Comforting Thing To Know" and "Position And Positioning" are both worth watching by themselves, just for how unique they are among the many different Cinderella adaptations, and the movie clips are easy to find online. Go look them up if any of this sounds neat to you!

[aardvaark]

leverage rewatch: s1e6 "the miracle job"

its cute that they're all being invited to sophie's plays apparently, though clearly it's not so much as invitation as it is an obligation lol. but it's cute she wants them there and they all go and try to pretend it was good. i mean, parker says "it was like a horror movie" lmao but that seems to be her attempt at praising it.

eliot saying that sophie's play was THE worst night of his life, including times he was actually tortured, is always hilarious to me.

the first maggie mention!! she's the one who calls nate to tell him that his priest friend paul is in hospital.

nate thinking he has to convince the team to take the case (since it's kinda a personal favor to a friend after all), but they're all very much in already! they're well and truly past needing to be convinced. and we're only at ep 6. compare this to the wedding job, ep 3, when nate doesn't want to take the job and they all (besides sophie) want to bail partway through.

eliot being excited to take hardison to face a gang. "let's get you out in some fresh air. get you off the computer. come on!". love that his argument is that getting into a fight would be good for hardison's health.

hardison: i rappelled! did no one see me rappel?? sophie: i heard about it. on the one hand she's saying that to soothe him, which seems sweet, but on the other hand, she's likely only doing that to encourage him to leave with eliot to face that gang lol. this season especially, many of her nice gestures tend to be either a little manipulative or shallow. which just makes sense - she's spent her life looking out only for herself, ultimately alone no matter how many people are around her. her default mode is to manipulate people into what she wants them to do, without even thinking about whether that's necessary or hurtful. it's just her job. it's gonna take a lot more than six episodes to change a lifetime of ingrained beliefs about other people and the world.

hardison gets to punch someone!! not only does he notice the guy's shoulder being off, he also knows it's dislocated, where nate just sad it was "messed up". i love seeing hardison apply his intelligence to problems outside hacking, cause it really goes to show how he's so quick-thinking and a genius in any situation.

for the record, gina bellman spent her early childhood in aotearoa, so i can only assume she's doing a decent job of the kiwi accent.

also i love when sophie looks all offended when the marks don't immediately play into her con lol, even though she's well aware this mark would likely brush her off - that's the whole point of setting up the elevator con. but she still makes this face like "uh! wowww, rude," lol.

who let parker choose the drugs to give this guy lmao?? like of course she laced them with speed, that's on the rest of the team for assuming she'd stick to just caffeine. when has she ever done anything by halves?

and that pays off a few mins later when nate says "parker, i need you to go to the hospital and keep father paul there no matter what [pause] up to a point" lol. he's learning. doesn't help that she has the most evil grin ever when he says that lmao.

and THEN it immediately turns out that parker took his words as permission to poke the priest with needles and take his blood. i wonder what she did with his blood...

hardison being able to make those fake statues too! he is ridiculously talented.

sophie having to remind nate that he never actually cheated on maggie is a little funny to me. and he's saying he was tempted and acting like he did something terrible and she's just like "dude i was there". but that scene's also so very bittersweet cause at this point she really is just waiting for him and here she tells him not to take too long, and, well...

i like how the actor playing this week's mark really takes the comic evil to its logical extreme. he looks feverish almost, in a frenzy. and the team has psychologically destroyed him and he's STILL coming up with new plans for bibletopia, probably the most capitalist hellscape christian-flavored invention imaginable. on that note, i also liked the priest and his arguments with nate, which you can tell comes from frustration with wanting to help a grieving, depressed friend who won't help himself. good guests this episode.

"it's the vatican" *parker, hardison & eliot immediately disappear*. i love the little implication there that they've each wronged the holy see at some point, enough to run off.

okay 1) the team using the confessional as a hiding spot, love it, and 2) parker refers to the confessional as "that closet" lol. apparently she knows that zeus is a god who strikes people down with lightning, but she doesn't know what a confessional is. i love how it's pretty much impossible to predict what things are within her realm of knowledge.

parker as an angel!

i LOVE the arc that the mark's assistant, tomas, has over the course of this episode. yes, good, take down your boss!!

sophie dropping the accent! god that really makes her scary. it's like she's saying, "just to be clear, the last few days have been a complete and utter lie, and there's no one who's got your back".

i like the way the team all watch nate light a candle (something catholics do for the dead), sincerely sombre. probably partly feeling for nate, partly thinking of their own grief. parker watches especially carefully, and takes a big breath in like she's overwhelmed. makes me think of how she suppresses her grief over her brother and so much loss she's experienced in her life.

eliot seems to put a hand on nate's shoulder as they exit the church. he also knows a thing or two about grief.

[darkficsyouneveraskedfor]

Dirty Work 54

Warnings: this fic will include dark content such as bullying, familial discord/abuse, and possible untagged elements. My warnings are not exhaustive, enter at your own risk.

This is a dark!fic and explicit. 18+ only. Your media consumption is your own responsibility. Warnings have been given. DO NOT PROCEED if these matters upset you.

Summary: You start a new gig and find one of your clients to be hard to please.

Characters: Loki

Note: I am back to work tmrw.

As per usual, I humbly request your thoughts! Reblogs are always appreciated and welcomed, not only do I see them easier but it lets other people see my work. I will do my best to answer all I can. I’m trying to get better at keeping up so thanks everyone for staying with me.

Your feedback will help in this and future works (and WiPs, I haven’t forgotten those!) Please do not just put ‘more’. I will block you.

I love you all immensely. Take care. 💖

You choose a simple dress. You like the shade of peach even as Loki eyes you archly. It might not be the choice that offends him but the state of yourself. Your nose is still healing, bandaged but not as heavily, and you have much left to recover. His own injuries remain tinged on his pale skin.

You shimmy the dress on and turn your back to him as he drones cynically. His fingers creep up along your bottom to meet the zipper and he tugs it up slowly. He’s reluctant. 

“What is it? You don’t like the dress?” You face him.

“I’d rather prefer you naked,” he purrs with a wink, “but I am not overly fond of the colour, no.” 

“Oh, but... you bought it?” 

“Yes, my sister did have it included in the purchase but... it is rather bright.” 

“I like it,” you run your hands over your stomach and hips, “it fits nicely but if you want me to change...” 

“No, darling, do what you wish,” he crosses his arms, “I must learn to let you do so.” 

You narrow your eyes. His malleability does not come without resentment. You shrug. You don’t have all day to be sussing out his preference. 

“What is it you and my mother have planned?” He asks. 

“I’m not certain,” you say as you search for your phone. The one he gave you. 

“No? Hm, darling, what about a necklace?” He goes to the jewellery box and plucks out a golden chain with a peridot emblem.  

“I guess,” you dig around in your work bag, most of your luggage still unpacked. 

“You guess? It is a pretty necklace. What about amethyst?” 

“Loki,” you fish out your phone but not the one you meant to. Your old flip.  

You put it down on the nightstand stiffly and return to your search. It feels so long ago that you were that person. That sad girl living with your father and flitting through a meandering existence. You won’t say you’ve moved up very much, still at the whim of a man, but you feel distant from that person. 

Perhaps Walpurgisnacht was more a rebirth than you could know. 

“Pet...” Loki comes closer as you retrieve your work phone. It’s dead.  

“I need to charge it,” you show him the device. 

“You should toss the old one. Doubt it even works.” 

“I know, I will. I have to back it up,” you say evasively. There’s not much on it but it’s the only connection you still have to your previous life. You’re not ready to slice through that last strand. 

“Mm, right then, well, another to do for the list,” he steps nearer and tickles your waist, “suppose you delay your little outing with my mother and I take you to lunch--” 

“She’s a guest, and your mother,” you rebuke. “Loki, I’m only doing what I need to do. Isn’t that what you want?” 

He sighs, “yes, but... it is still my house. I would like more than my leave. I should say when you need go pick out flowers or tablecloths or whatnot.” 

“Proposals typically lead to all that,” you say, “at least from what I know.” 

“What you know?” He muses. 

“Yeah, I’ve seen a few Kate Hudson movies,” you quip and give a goofy smile but quickly repress it. “Sorry, that wasn’t... funny.” 

His cheeks dimple and his nostrils flair, his lips slightly curved, “is that... humour? From you?” 

“Well, I... yeah, why not?” 

“Hm, it isn’t a slight but you are not one for laughter.” 

“Or maybe you’ve never made me laugh,” you blurt out and quickly snap your mouth shut. 

His brows drop and his smile too. You stare at him. Oops. You are getting to comfortable. Even if you are to be his wife, you aren’t his equal. You don’t know that you could ever be. 

He chuckles, “darling, how very sharp.” He reaches to frame your chin and turns you to him completely, “I should try harder then, to hear your sweet laughs.” 

You smile, a flutter in your chest, “that’s sweet.” 

“I am sweet,” he says, offended. “What do you mean?” 

You just stare at him. Is he kidding? 

“Don’t,” he warns with a frown. “Very well, go, have fun. Should I need anything, I will be certain to let mother know since you will be without tether...” he keeps his hand on you, squeezing, “you will be safe with her, I know.” 

“Loki,” you murmur, “he’s not coming back. He wouldn’t.” 

He stares at you solemnly, “no, he shouldn’t.” 

It seems as if he doubts his own words. For a moment, you do too. He knows his brother much better. Yet, how can Thor return when all have turned their backs on him? 

“There is no hurry, mother can wait...” 

“Loki, she’s only visiting,” you remind him, “the sooner it’s done, the sooner they go, right?” 

“Mm, you are clever,” he looks past you with apprehension, “suppose so. And I should speak with father about some things...” he leans in and kisses your forehead, withdrawing absently as he taps his fingertips together, “weddings and such...” 

You give him a look but he’s too distracted to notice. This whole affair is his idea and yet he is uncertain. You watch him placidly. 

“We don’t have to... marry--” 

“No, no,” he returns his attention to you, “of course we must. We will—how could you—oh, I know it is all very new to you, pet, but trust in me. It isn’t my first rodeo. Regrettably.” 

You feel a pang at the allusion to his previous marriage. You remember Sif with her sleek figure and her perfect smile and her sparkling eyes. You are second in all ways to her. 

“I should go,” you insist with a sniff. 

“Mm, yes, you should,” he grabs your shoulders and lays another kiss, this time on your lips. “I have told mother very strictly not to dawdle so you shouldn’t either.” 

“We’ll be fine,” you assure him. 

“When did you get so confident,” he teases as he retracts from you. 

You offer a sheepish smile. Not confident, but hopeful. A change nonetheless. 

✨

Frigga insists on lunch before you do anything. You’re struck with deja vu as she returns to that same place you went to with her sons. That day feels like eons ago but it’s been just over a month. 

The change feels all the more sudden after a lifetime of stagnancy. With your dad, every day blurred together, the constancy was as dull as it was oppressive. Yet, you mourn it all the same. The spontaneity and turbulence of your new existence proves just as paralysing at times. 

You may have gone from maid to fiancee, but it doesn’t dissolve your expected deference. You are marrying into the Odinsons, they have no need to ingratiate themselves to you. Even as the reminder of her elder son troubles you, you will not mention your worries aloud to the matriarch. 

Frigga orders a sparkling water with fruit, you ask for the same. The waitress is not subtle as she eyes your bandaged nose. Just another reason for you to feel out of place. It's tender but feels much better.

You peer up at the sky as you sit in the open patio and the scent of the curated flowers around the space wafts in the air. Your dress rustles and tickles your leg, causing you to flinch. Another flash of before. That day you ate with Thor at your side, his hand under the table... 

You shudder and blow away the memory. You reach for your water and sip as you look over the entrees. Your appetite is erratic. One second you’re ravenous, the next, nauseous. The tuna sounds good but sickening at once. You’ll get a salad. 

“We will have to plan an engagement party first. Perhaps a local venue for that,” she looks at her phone and turns it on its screen as you hear it buzzing. 

“Or the house? I thought... the gazebo...” 

“Mm, yes, I recall, what was the name of that contractor you hired? I wouldn’t mind a similar build back at our house. Oh, and perhaps if you did want to do the wedding at home as well, a wedding arch might be a thought. I’m certain a carpenter might be up to that task,” she continues, ignoring how her phone rattles her glass. “So, we’ll skip over venues then. But invitations, perhaps? Oo, do you have a dress in mind? A brunch or something in the evening?” 

You can hardly keep up with her questions. At least she offers distraction from the shadow looming over your shoulder. Both of them. If it isn’t one son, it’s the other. 

The waitress returns and you order. Frigga eyes you as she puts in for a monte cristo with the soup du jour. You try to smile. You’re tired. 

“Are you okay, dear? You’ve not been eating very much.” 

“Oh, haven’t I?” You squirm evasively. “I’m... fine, I guess I just have a lot on my mind.” 

“Oh, darling, forgive me if I am overloading you,” she fans herself with her hand, “I apologise. I’ve a bad habit of getting head over feet about these things. I have so many ideas all at once but if I sit still, I feel I might burst.” 

Her words call you back to Loki pacing and circling at the hotel, then at home, he manic muttering. 

“It’s alright. I don’t think of any of it. I don’t know where to begin,” you assure her. 

“Ah, well, yes, but I’ve had a wedding and my son’s had a wedding already,” she chuckles, “so I do have a bit more experience. You shouldn’t worry terribly if you have questions. I am simply here to guide you.” 

“I know--” 

Her phone shakes again and she sighs.  

“Pardon,” she tilts the phone up and you see the incoming call; Loki. She quickly turns off the ringer. “My, he is a pest. It cannot be that important--” 

“I don’t have my phone,” you say, “maybe he needs something.” 

“My son can wait. He is so selfish. Especially about you. Surely, he trusts his own mother,” she scoffs, “anyhow, I think a luncheon might be pleasant enough. Perhaps with a theme. Summer is here and the flowers will be lovely this time of season.” 

“Excuse me, miss,” the waitress comes up to the table, a cordless phone in her hand, “there’s a gentleman on the phone asking for you.” 

You frown at Frigga then glance up, realising the woman is speaking to you. You blink and take the phone from her. You put it to your ear, staring at Frigga. 

“Hello?” 

“Pet,” Loki bursts eagerly, “oh, I knew you’d be there. Yes, I only wanted to check in, hear your voice, but I couldn’t get through to mother.” 

“Oh, uh, yeah, sorry, we were just ordering--” 

‘Give me the phone’ Frigga mouths and gestures. 

“I...” you begin and her green eyes flare. You hand over the phone. 

“Loki, this is not your time. You can wait. We are busy. You have a lovely day and we will be home in a few hours,” she says tritely, “certainly, you might find something to keep yourself busy.” 

She doesn’t wait for his response as she hits the end button and hands the phone back to the server, thanking her with a smile. The brunette flits away and you tap your fingers on the table top. Frigga plays with a wave and pushes it behind her ear, “darling, don’t even worry about my son. You just focus on yourself.” 

“Thank you, I just...” 

“You just don’t worry,” she repeats, “if my son has issue with us doing exactly as we told him we would, then he may take it up with me. Uh, he always was a needy little boy.” 

You almost laugh. You might agree with part of her sentiment but you could never imagine Loki as a little boy. In your mind, he just seems as if he’s always been grown. Not like you.  

You’ve always felt clueless and inadequate. As if you never moved past childhood, that you got caught behind some wall and watched the adults from afar. Yet, now that you’re on the other side, you still feel a barrier. Like them, but not the same. 

Not like the Odinsons especially. A family. You don’t have any of that. The more you think of the wedding, the more you see empty seats. No bridesmaids, not father-daughter dance, no one on your side. 

“Dear, have I upset you?” Frigga cuts the silence and you catch yourself staring at the table. 

You shake your head and sit up, “no, sorry, just thinking...” you scramble for a lie. You hate that you do that so often now, “what about a tea party?” 

“A tea party? Marvelous, I love it,” she trills, “oh, yes, we will have to find some fine porcelain for the event.” 

“Loki has lots--” 

“Yes, but this is special, dear. You’ll need a special set so you can always remember the party. Oh, and teas. There is a tea shop nearby. They sell loose leaf. We can have a whole array. Ooh, and biscuits, pastries...” she begins to list off. You let her, thankful to forget everything else for the minutest of details. Tea is easy. 

[badass-queer-couples-battle]

Gay wrongs tournament, round 2.5 of the major bracket

Propaganda:

For Eddie Brock and Venom:

I'm pretty sure its Canon in the comics and like, Canon adjacent in the 2nd movie??? Idk I just watched the first one sooo, anyways, this isn't propaganda i just couldn't remember if you said they needed to be Canon so I put what I rembered about that here, idk I'm proboboly just gonna send the propaganda in the ask box at a later date 

They eat people:) venom is an alien symbiote and Eddie is the host and they have melded together into one being. They care for and protect each other and are so intimately intwined they are only ever separated by force. Also they’re both absolute disasters and they periodically bite and eat the heads off their enemies. 

They eat people <3 

For Will and Hannibal:

Ive previously only heard the term "murder husbands" refer to hannigram so it feels flitting. The whole series culminated with a murder they did together bathing in blood. 

The show and ship that coined murder husbands. It’s in the text in s3 from a journalist side character. They do Many murders either together or as a message to each other. Usually this involves turning the dead body into an art piece. The show ends with them killing a guy together in a slo mo scene backed by porno music.

They're both batshit and manipulative.

ALRIGHT so they're not canonically together but it is HEAVILY implied and they have some sort of fucked up psychosexual obsession with each other. in the later parts of the show they start committing murder and cannibalism together and they're soooo unhinged but it's awesome

kill people for each other. maim each other. kill people together. most batshit insane metaphors. send each other to jail. ruin everyone’s lives. someone can probably say this better than me but these gay people are insane

Literally THE murder husbands. They kill for each other. They've tried to kill each other. They're canon in all but name, like the homoeroticism between these two is the driving force of the show.

one time hannibal folded a guy into an origami human heart

They are in love and they kill and eat people. They are called Murder Husbands in canon.

The original murder husbands (literally, that's not just their ship name, they get called that in canon)

The show begins with Will working for the FBI and trying to catch Hannibal, but because Hannibal is so intrigued by the way Will is able to see the world and the motives behind the killings so easily, it becomes a game of Hannibal isolating Will even more from the people around and seducing him to try and kill. By the time Will starts embracing the side of him that Hannibal sees, he starts oulling back and trying to distance himself so that when the time comes for Will to fully embrace himself and Hannibal, no one really suspects what they have planned. 

hannibal literally does murder as courtship and it works bc will is also a fucked up little guy

I'm actually quite offended they aren't included by default (joke). They are THE murder husbands!!!!!! (mod note: they should have been, but I wanted to see how many submissions they'd get. They got 19, making them a little more than 6% of total submission count).

do i have to say it. they literally get called murder husbands IN THE SHOW

There are 3201 works for Hannibal on ao3 tagged Murder Husbands. They are the ogs, they are the pioneers we owe it all to them.

THEE murder couple. You know it. I know it. They commit crimes at each other as courting and then commit crimes together and then fall off a cliff to wash up somewhere and live on to serve cunt. Get referred to as 'murder husbands' in canon. What more do you need

Hannigram were literally called Murder Husbands in canon, they are the og, they are THE blueprint. They were gay as hell and comitted so much murder so many crimes. THEY RAN OFF TO EUROPE TOGETHER.

[thatstonedwriter]

˚₊‧🍄[ Hangin' with The Boys ]🍃˚₊‧

◉ Synopsis; how the Boys spend their time off (with you)

◉ CW; potential spoilers for seasons 1-3, substance use (and abuse), swearing

◉ A/n- aight my first piece for the Boys- went with something tame to ease myself into writing for this insane show- wtf am I doing

◉ feat; Butcher, Hughie, Frenchie, M.M, Kimiko

Moments of peace are few and far between when you're hunting and killing Supes. When you're not being thrown out windows and being threatened by the world's most powerful entities, free time with the Boys is definitely a special treat

The bastard he is, Butcher spends any free time he's got smoking, drinking, and antagonizing the others- just for a laugh. Butcher will always try to sneak off to a bar or some back room- but ever since you joined the crew, he's had a hard time shaking you off. Always following diligently- or maybe just to be an annoyance- Butcher is almost never free of you- or your attempts to get him to socialize. Forced proximity and a lot of patience were crucial to Butcher finally caving and allowing you to join him for a drink one day. At first, it’s quiet- not uncomfortably so, with the usual ruckus in the room over serving as odd but comforting background noise. Any conversation that does take place is likely started by Butcher insulting you. That goes for every other conversation that follows, too. You’re either a Butcher enabler or you help pull him back. Maybe it depends on the day- either way, your partnership comes at the expense of the others’ sanity. Pranks, insults, and drinks/cigs galore- the two of you go through the “recreational supplies” faster than Frenchie.

I really, really hope you like (or can at least tolerate) Billy Joel because that’s all Hughie wants to have playing in the background while the two of you talk. Of course, feel free to introduce new shit- he’s flexible (but lbr, this dude just wants Billy Joel). When you’re not being forced to listen to “We Didn’t Start the Fire” for the millionth time, the two of you are playing card games, sneaking off to arcades and movies, and even possibly going to visit Hughie’s dad or Annie. Whether you’re on the train, the couch, or (M.M forbid) laying on the disgusting floor, you and Hughie are damn-near always sharing earbuds to listen to music. Hughie would really enjoy just people watching with you. Seeing people live normal lives, happy and (relatively) safe- it makes him believe he could have that one day, ideally with his friends and family- that includes you. The playful/nerdy banter between you two is considered to be the most wholesome part of the crew.

Frenchie I wanna get high w you please- ahem- Yeah Frenchie likes to do a lot of drugs- but he won’t be offended if you decline. Usually, Kimiko and Frenchie come as a pair, so with you, they’re a happy trio! Together, you and Frenchie will request songs for Kimiko to play on the keyboard, the three of you will dance to whatever is playing on Kimiko’s iPod, you and Frenchie learn/practice Kimiko’s sign language, you and Kimiko entertain Frenchie’s high shenanigans (and pull him back when he goes too far)- basically any and everything you can do, you do together. Hope you have space in your brain for two more languages because alongside Kimiko’s SL, Serge would absolutely die if you learned any French- even you just learning the basics would melt his heart. Frenchie often encourages you and Kimiko to sneak out with him to go on “dates” (lowkey thruple coded) to small, hole-in-the-wall bars and restaurants. He’s for sure going to ask your opinions on chemistry or whatever the fuck while he’s making/studying bombs. He’s not miffed if you don’t know or can’t answer- often times he’s talking to himself anyways- but any feedback is always appreciated.

M.M would really appreciate a grounding presence in the crew- and that’s exactly what you helped provide. You helped balance the ratio of crazy to insane within the group, and for that, M.M is eternally grateful. Often times, while he’s cleaning/organizing equipment, you’ll keep him company. This often turns into M.M opening up about his family, OCD, concerns he has about the Boys, etc. He’s a firm believer in hard work, discipline and learning so you won’t just be standing around while you talk and listen- oh no, he’s showing you the way- the proper way- to clean the weapons, disinfect the counters, organize the shelves- hell, he’ll even ration out some supplies so he can teach you some first aid/sutures. It’ll probably be a while before you get through to M.M’s softer side, but it’s totally worth it to get there. M.M wants the best for his crew, and though it’s tough love, the rigorous lessons are all taught in hopes of you being able to protect yourself (and keep the hideout tidy).

Happy trio part 2! Nobody expected the quiet, intimidating Kimiko to enjoy music and art as much as she does. You and Frenchie are her biggest fans and supporters, and often show her new music to listen to- if you’re lucky, you can get some pirated versions of old cartoons to watch together. Kimiko loves dancing and listening to/playing music- and since you and Frenchie usually indulge her, that’s what you spend a lot of your time doing. The others call it goofing off- you three call it a healthy dose of fun. When Frenchie is out, Kimiko spends a lot of time teaching you her SL so that you can talk without Frenchie being the translator. Sure, typing on the phone is easier, but being able to have secret conversations with your friends is so much better, don’t you think? Talking shit about the others right in front of them is a treasured experience you, Kimiko and Frenchie share.

[laiqualaurelote]

get to know your moots

tagged by @eisoj5! tagging @justplainsalty @leupagus @dear-monday @tw0-ravens @dont-offend-the-bees @tumblerislovetumblerislife and whoever else feels like doing it!

What's the origin of your username?: It means 'green-gold flower' in Quenya Elvish. It's pronounced 'lye-kuh' (like the camera Leica) 'lao-reh' (like the Italian 'laurea') 'lo-teh' (like the Spanish 'elote')

OTP(s) + ship name: gosh. Well presently I am into Payneland (Charles/Edwin, Dead Boy Detectives) but my other historical OTPs have included Phryne/Jack (Phrack, Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries), Ted/Trent (Ted Lasso, we never really agreed on a ship name), Cornelia/Eli (Whipplocke, The English) and Frank/Karen (Kastle, Daredevil/The Punisher). My first ever OTP was Éowyn/Faramir from The Lord of the Rings.

Favourite colour: Majorelle Blue

Song stuck in your head: BANDO by Anna

Weirdest habit/trait: I hold conversations out loud with myself in public.

Hobbies: Reading, dancing

If you work, what's your profession?: I have several jobs which I won't go into here, but some of them involve writing professionally

If you could have any job you wish, what would it be?: I'd like to be in academia and/or write fiction full-time

Something you're good at: Grammar

Something you hate: People who watch videos without their earphones/headphones in public

Something you collect: Polka-dot outfits

Something you forget: I always forget if I have locked things (the door of my office, the car) and usually I have actually locked them but I get so paranoid about it I go back and check anyway

What's your love language?: Writing

Favourite movie/show: The Lord of the Rings.

Favourite food: Spaghetti vongole

Favourite animal: Cats

What were you like as a child?: I spoke Elvish and gave all my friends Elvish names. It was generally agreed I was very weird but people were mostly quite nice about it.

Favourite subject at school: Literature

Least favourite subject: Maths

What's your best character trait?: I am an incurable optimist.

What's your worst character trait?: I have trouble saying 'no'.

If you could travel in time, who would you like to meet?: I would love to see Freddie Mercury perform live.

[mirisss]

Stray Kids Poly Headcanon

Wordcount ≈ 600

Warnings: talk about food, clinginess, I think that’s it let me know if I missed something, 

Pairing: Stray Kids OT8 x gn! reader 

Thank you for the request @kai-lee08, hope you like it!

If you’re a STAY you know how close the members are. I mean they’re pretty much glued together to each other. The same thing will happen with you, their partner/girlfriend/boyfriend. Some people have emotional support animals, SKZ has an emotional support partner. All eight of them love being close to you and if two days go by when they don’t see you, they become anxious. They feel incomplete without their partner by their sides. 

Dates are often executed in pairs or trios if they involve going out. Movie dates are always all of you together. Some date pairs/trios: 

Shopping dates always include Jeongin, he’s the fashionista of the relationship after all, and often times Hyunjin too. The two love going out with you to look at clothes and see how good you look and also being able to buy matching outfits for all of you. Changbin joins every now and then, and the times that he joins, don’t you dare try to pay for anything, he will be offended if you even think of paying for your food, clothes, whatever. The same goes for Hyunjin and Jeongin, if they reach for their wallets, Changbin will glare at them. 

Café/picnic dates include Minho, Felix, and Jisung. If it was a café date, Felix or Jisung would have spent hours searching for some cute café that’s sort of hidden away from the public, then they would order every cake, cookie, and everything that the café had so be prepared to be there for hours. If it’s a picnic date, Felix and Minho will have spent a couple of hours in the kitchen baking and making food for the date. Felix will make brownies and cookies, and Minho will prepare any food that you mentioned you wanted, sandwiches, salads, pasta, pizza, whatever it was he fixed it. Jisung and you were in charge of choosing the location and fixing the blanket for the date. As long as the weather allowed it, the four of you would stay out for hours. Playing games like hide and seek because why not? 

Bang Chan and Seungmin are sort of wildcards, they can do whatever as long as it is with you. While the two often work they love having you around. If Bang Chan is busy working on making songs for the group, he would love it if you surprised him by showing up with lunch and then staying with him, sitting beside him, or just in the studio, he might not be able to talk too much as he is so focused but knowing you’re there helps him, he becomes more inspired and suddenly the song he struggled with was finished in a few minutes. Seungmin takes his job very seriously and he always schedules extra vocal training sessions during which he is very happy when you decide to join him to listen to his silky warm voice and get lost in the sound. During the breaks that they take they always give you hugs and kisses, thanking you for being there with them. 

Your favorite dates are those spent at home with all eight of them though. Choosing movies, ordering food, eating snacks, snuggling close on the couch to them, the hugs and kisses, the hand holding, the innocent touches, the not-so-innocent touches, the deep talks, just everything with them. Let’s just say that being in a poly relationship with SKZ will be fun, filled with laughter, and you will rarely be alone because Stray kids have separation anxiety.

[urautismdiagnosis-wistie]

🐈species and cultural behaviours (regarding affection/bonding) headcanons for kwazii

kwazii has a bit of a hard time showcasing a lot of feline behaviours for a while. it wasn't that kwazii never had them or anything but well... I'll share the reason WHY another time

hair care and grooming! kwazii already canonically likes long baths lol, and 100% has a full routine to take care of his fur so the salt doesn't ruin it! however.... when it comes to hair care he was super lost, but dashi knew about a lot of different hair texture care stuff and she helped him out! so he enjoys doing self care with her<3 stuff like helping eachother with hair and getting ready to leave the home is actually a huge part of cat culture<3

he does fall asleep (miraculously, cuz have u seen this guy?) whenever someone brushes his hair tho lol, he also enjoys showcasing (and even sharing) his jewelry with dashi, he cant wear it often cuz yk... barracudas and fish like sparkly things-but he does love it

kwazii has a hard time purring, or at least purring loudly or around others! he claims itd "be weird" and that he "cant do it on command" but its just him feeling awkward :( luckily though, even tho the other crew members of the octopod cant purr the same way cats can, they can make very similar happy noises! and once they start doing it every once in a while (like barnacles on movie night or tweak while she teaches him how to meld things while working on gups)

he starts to be able to comfortably do it around the others, even if he's a little shy about it. he also will just kinda just lean on someone with a lot of pressure if he passes by them in the hallway<3 ok like an irl cat rubbing against someone

messing with your family is just pirate cat love language, like stealing knickknacks and telling lies (good natured ones, like "hey did u know that the reason the moon is orange sometimes is because there's a giant lake thats orange and its reflected onto the moon whenever the moon floats over it?... too bad kwazii is ah, how to say... a bit more gullible😭 he would believe a pigeon he just met)

but yeah things like competing over stealing candies (or jewelry that would be returned later) were super normal for him as a kid. Of course he knows that stuff would probably NOT fly for most people... he learned that the hard way when he started sailing on his own and visiting different ports! he doesn't really understand a lot of land culture and customs, so he just tries his best not to offend anyone... the behaviours are all good natured of course!

HOWEVER, professor inkling is delighted by those kinds of games! he actually was curious why kwazii didn't engage in any sort of... mischief with anyone? not really any sort of mischeivious love!, there wasn't any stealing clothing garments (like a hat or scarf or necklace) to show "I love u and I want part of u with me" which he was VERY sure was a very prominent part of cat culture?? amongst other things, so professor inkling just started doing those things with kwazii! including cheating in games, and providing that extra challenge XD and kwazii FULLY reciprocated, kwazii is fully unaware of this though, but he still loves the professor for it

kwazii likes to hide gifts without telling anyone! Whether its a bit of treasure, material items, snacks, or whatever, hell just randomly it in the others things for them to find! he never mentions it either, its more like finding five dollars in ur coat pocket that ur brother hid there to surprise u and make u happy! except sometimes its like??? actual gold??? what?????? also?? hidden in your hair care products???? the others don't really understand it but kwazii seems VERY proud that it took them "so long to find it" so he just must be really skilled at stashing things apparently lol

SUPER COMPETITIVE and enjoys all competitive games and high paced challenges, he wants to be challenged and loves to look around for anything interesting that catches his eye 👀

if u get him food he immediately loves u. that is why he tries (key word TRIES) to cook for the others so much! sometimes its actually pretty good- but other times... other times you gotta wonder if the meal is a struggle meal or even just a... "I was stranded in the middle of nowhere on an island and there was nothing else I could eat without getting sick" and then hell call it a "comfort food" and they'll just be there like.. ohhh yeahhh.. yummmm... cuz u cant just hurt his feelings after he went thru all the trouble!!! 😭

[whiskeyncoke-redux]

okay, our idea: Pedro Pascal as a bass player in the 60s-70s, notices a female fan very different from a groupie at his band's shows, no matter where he may go... the other fans, the members and the other people who work with the band and he have a feeling that they know her, but they don't remember from where, she looked like those typical not so famous actresses from television and movies, but she looks chic enough to seem like she's from a rich family

Here you go darling, I do hope you like it.

The Bassist

(Warnings: mentions of infidelity)(all comments are welcome)

May 1979

“Okay, thanks again, mom, I really appreciate it,” you said into the receiver to your mother, Slyvia. “Uh-huh, yeah… mmhmm, absolutely.” You had stopped listening to her as she told you about the latest gossip her neighbor Ella had shared with her about another neighbor. Something about the lady down the street having a specific repairman in and out of her house every other day while her husband was at work. You had lost interest and were inspecting your cuticles as she went on and on. You didn’t want to interrupt her and possibly upset her because she had agreed to watch your kids for you this evening while you were out.

Jack-Jack and Marie didn’t really like spending time at Granny Syl’s house. They said it was boring and there were no toys or other kids to play with around there, but you didn’t have much when it came to choices, so you had bribed them with a promise to go to the zoo the next Saturday and they were allowed to pig out on any treats they wanted. They, of course, had jumped at that chance and promised to be on their best behavior.

You glanced over at the clock on the opposite wall. Had it gotten that late already? “Hey, hey, mom, I hate to cut you off,” you said, hastily, putting as much of an apologetic tone into your voice that you could so she wouldn’t be too offended. “I have to head out soon. I’ll be over for Marie and Jack-Jack as soon as I get finished.”

“Oh, honey, take as much time as you need and if you need it, they can spend the night here.”

“Mom, are you sure?”

“Absolutely, I love seeing my grandchildren. They spend too much time at that other woman’s house.”

“Mom, please don’t, you know John just wants to keep on his mom and dad’s good side,” you told her.

“Mmhmm, so you said, so they can make sure the kids get into all the good schools and whatnot,” she said with a sigh, you could practically hear her eye-roll through the phone. “You know I don’t think there’s anything wrong with public schools, you went to one, and look how well you turned out.”

“I know, ma, but you know John and his family are.”

“Elitist, that’s the correct word for it,” she took a deep breath and you used that pause to stop her before she went on another rant.

“Seriously, ma, I’m gonna be late.”

“Okay, okay, honey, well, I’ll talk to you when you come to pick the kids up, love you.”

“Love you too, and thanks again,” you quickly hung up the phone and went to make a few last minute adjustments to your clothes.

You checked your hair in the mirror once more before you deemed it acceptable. With a smile and a small nod to your reflection you headed out of your living room to grab your coat and head out. 

You had dressed in jeans and a simple top, so as not to stand out and to avoid being recognized by anyone who may know you, your husband, or your stuck up parents-in-law. The last thing you needed was someone running back to Augusta and Edward (Augie and Eddie to their friends, which absolutely did not include you) and tell them they had seen their daughter-in-law “slumming it” at a “seedy” nightclub. As a matter of fact the place you were going, Uptown, was far from seedy, but the people who knew your in-laws thought that anyone who didn’t run in their circles (yacht clubs, private dinner clubs, and elite golf clubs) were below them and anyone spending more than a few minutes with them were rubbing elbows with the wrong sorts. Really the only time they even deigned to speak with “those kinds of people” was when they were shop workers or restaurant waiters or golf caddies, and then those words were spoken in clipped tones and with snippy attitudes.

The crowd at Uptown was usually full of a few younger people but being 30, you still could blend in and no one would even know. The likelihood of you running into someone from the upper crust set that your husband came from was small, but you still didn’t want to risk being noticed. 

You took a few backstreets to avoid the main roads that went past shops and restaurants people that you knew frequented. After a few more turns and a light that held way too long for your liking, you parked your car and walked the half block to Uptown. You checked the time and the line outside waiting to be let in, you were relieved to see that, despite the delays you had, you were still fairly early. You took your place in line and waited with everyone else, chatting to a woman who was in front of you.

“I’ve seen them only about six times, mostly at the bigger concerts,” she told you. “Definitely one of the best bands.”

You nodded in agreement. “Absolutely. I love The Hawks, their music is just the best. I fell in love with them the first time I heard ‘Journey’.”

“Oh I LOVE that song,” she said enthusiastically, and you two began talking about your favorites from them. Soon your conversation switched to the members of the group, who wrote which songs, the wonderful singing voice of the lead singer, Micha, and who your favorite members were.

“And that bassist is so gorgeous!” she gushed. “I mean, I’m usually more into the drummers, and Benji is hot, don’t get me wrong, but I can never seem to take my eyes off the bass player.”

You grinned and nodded. You had thought the same thing when you first saw them live 2 years ago. The quartet was indeed handsome: Micha, the lead singer/sometimes piano player with his dark looks, long hair and a voice of an angel; the drummer, Benji with his golden hair and an incredible skill on the drums; Marcus, the lead guitarist and his short cropped dark hair and startling green eyes; and then there was the bassist, Pedro, with his broad shoulders, gorgeous smile and warm kind brown eyes, and the way he played the bass sent shockwaves through your soul. Those eyes drew you in the first time you saw them and it was a big part of the reason you kept coming back to see them. There was something about them, something about him that took all your attention.

“I’m Rose by the way,” your companion was telling you, shaking you out of your reverie about Pedro’s eyes. “What’s your name?”

You told her your name and shook her outstretched hand. Not too soon after she was joined by two other friends, and you got to know them as well. Then the doors finally opened and you all went inside eagerly.

~~~~~~~~

Backstage The Hawks were preparing to go on stage. 

“Another full house, boys,” Micha told them after peering out at the crowd.

Benji was sitting, twirling one of his drumsticks between his fingers. “You have to admit, this wasn’t such a bad idea.”

“What wasn’t?” Micha asked.

“You know, playing at smaller venues,” Benji answered. “I mean, don’t get me wrong, I love a sold out arena…”

“More fans, more money,” Marcus joked.

“But,” Benji continued. “The energy is different when it’s a smaller place. I dunno, it's more…’

“Intimate,” Pedro supplied.

“Exactly!” he nodded. “It is more intimate, and you can tell that the people here really like our music.”

“The people at the arenas like our music too,” Micha said.

“I know, but you can tell that these people are really true fans, they're not just here for the merch…”

“There here for us,” Pedro finished for him.

Benji pointed his drumstick at him. “You get it.”

Marcus and Micha laughed. “Yeah we get it too. They’re here for the love of the art or whatever it is you say,” Marcus said.

Micha checked the time as their assistant came in to let them know they had five minutes before they went on.

They all started to collect their things and as Pedro thrummed the strings on his bass, he wondered if he’d see her in the audience again.

~~~~~~~

It had been at a show a few years ago that he had first spotted you in the audience. It was at a club like this one. Benji had talked all of them into doing performances at smaller venues again; he had said something about paying homage to the group's humble roots. It had been a success and the audience and their fans adored them even more.

It was at their fifth small show, during their song “Float Away,” while Marcus was playing his guitar solo, that Pedro scanned the crowd and saw you, swaying along to the music, your eyes closed, and your face shining with sheer joy.  At that moment he was captivated, he couldn’t look away from you; then you opened your eyes and looked directly at him and smiled. At your smile, he felt his stomach flutter. He had been staring at you for so long, that he almost forgot to start playing. It wasn’t until he heard Micha start to sing again, that he shook out of his trance.

Throughout the rest of the set, he stole covert glances at you, and your focus seemed to be entirely on him during the rest of the show and from then on you were on his mind. The next small venue show The Hawks did, you were there, and then the next, and almost every show following. He noticed that you always showed up to the small venue shows, no matter which city they seemed to be in and as he stood and prepared to go out on the stage, he hoped that you would be at this one.

~~~~~~~~

You shuffled inside with Rose and her friends and managed to get close to the stage. You felt yourself trembling with anticipation. You could never tell your husband John that you went to these shows, he, his parents, or his friends didn’t understand why you liked this “hippie” music, as Augie disdainfully called it. So getting him to come or even understand why you went to these shows was out of the question. Plus you were more than sure, he wouldn’t like the way you looked at the bassist. 

You had met John when you were working over your summer break at the clothing store Shaw’s. He had been dragged in by his mother. You had taken that job to help pay for your college tuition. Your mom helped out as much as she could, but it wasn’t enough, so to take some of the strain off of her, you took odd jobs throughout the school year and worked at the store during the summer.

Augusta had come in looking for a present for a friend of hers. You had considered Shaw’s to be fairly upscale, but to people like Augusta, who got almost everything couture or custom made, shopping at a department store was beneath her, but she had forgotten that her friend had a birthday that day and obviously didn’t have time to order something. 

Augusta had come up to you, and in her most obnoxious and demanding tone, had commanded, not asked, you to help her find something for her friend that didn’t look cheap. You had asked her what her friend liked so you could get an idea of what to show her, and she sighed irritatedly and told you that if you couldn’t help her, she’d find someone else. Before she could go on a rant, John had stepped in, gently pushing his mother to the side and explaining things. You had relaxed at his calm demeanor and showed them some things. John had convinced Augusta to buy a brooch for her friend and as you carefully placed it in a box and wrapped it, John had struck up a conversation with you.

Once you handed his mother the gift for her friend, and she walked off without so much as a thank you, he apologized for her rudeness, and asked you for your number.

“Um, what for?” you had asked.

“Oh, obviously to take you to dinner,” he had said, flashing you a smile.

“Dinner?”

“Yes.”

“May I ask why?”

He shrugged. “Because you were nice and helpful, I like your smile, and mostly to apologize for my mother’s behavior.”

You laughed and said okay and gave him your number. He called you and you went out to dinner and a few dates after that. Soon you officially met Mr. Edward and Mrs. Augusta Smythe, neither who really seemed to approve of you and your humble beginnings. Like your mother had said when she met them at your and John’s engagement party some months later: “Those people have their noses stuck so far up in the air, they’d drown if it started raining.” 

Years later, Edward and Augusta’s attitude towards you had somewhat defrosted and had become positively lukewarm. And that was only after you had given birth to John Jr. aka Jack-Jack and then Marie, but they made it clear that they didn’t exactly approve of you, your mother, or your marriage to their golden boy John, nor would you ever fit in with their elitist set of friends and family. 

This is why you had to sneak out to these shows. At first you had told John you were visiting friends, but soon it seemed like he stopped caring where you went; at least you had to stop giving that excuse. John had started spending more and more time out with his friends at their fancy clubs and he didn’t ask you to go because he knew you didn’t exactly fit in. 

The emcee came on the stage and you pushed the thought of your husband and his family out of your mind.

“Welcome, welcome everyone to Uptown!” he said into the mic as the crowd cheered and clapped. “I’m so glad that you all could make it out tonight.” More cheers. “And we all know why you’re here, so I’m not gonna keep you waiting. Here they are, back from a world tour, blessing all of us with their musical talent. I give you Micha, Marcus, Pedro and Benji! The Hawks!!”

The crowd erupted into loud cheers and applause as the four members jogged out on stage waving and smiling. 

“Good evening everybody!” Micha shouted as the other members got their instruments ready. “How’s everyone doing tonight?”

Loud cheers and whistles answered him.

“Lovely, so glad you came to see our little band,” he paused at the laughter from the audience. “And now here’s one of our favorites, hope you like it too.”

The opening chords of “Kiss Me” began to play and the crowd immediately started to sing along. Pedro scanned the crowd and spotted you within seconds. He felt his heart lift, you were here! At the happiness he felt upon seeing you again, coupled with the fact that he hadn’t stopped thinking about you since the first time he’d seen you, he knew that he had to meet you. And it had to be tonight.

During their fourth song, “Drowning,” he finally came up with an idea, he just hoped the other guys would go along with it. 

After the song was over, Micha grabbed the mic. “Alright ladies and gentlemen, we’re gonna take a small break, but we promise we’ll be right back!”

The crowd clapped as the group trooped off the stage. Pedro took one more look at you before he left with the group. When they made it backstage and all had a moment to settle themselves Pedro cleared his throat.

“So, I had an idea,” he began.

“What is it?” Marcus asked as he tuned his guitar.

“I was thinking that we could invite a few fans backstage, you know, to talk to them. Kinda like a meet and greet.”

Micha sat for a minute, thinking. “That’s an interesting idea.”

“Yeah,” Marcus added. “We do it at our bigger shows so why not?”

Pedro smiled and turned to the drummer. “Benji? What do you think?” They didn’t do anything unless it was a unanimous decision.

Benji looked at him and smiled. “Sounds like a plan to me.”

A few minutes later they got up to head back out on stage to finish their set. Before they walked out, Benji put his hand on Pedro’s shoulder.

“This meet and greet idea of yours, it doesn’t have to do with a certain young lady that you’ve been making eyes at in the audience.”

“I…” Pedro started, trying to think of a lie but Benji knew him better than that. So, he closed his mouth and nodded.

“I figured that,” Benji said with a smile. “Let’s hope it goes well, now c’mon let’s get back out there.”

They took the stage again and finished up their set. Ending with the song “Journey.” Pedro couldn’t help but grin at you as you sang along with much enthusiasm, putting your arms around one of the women you were standing with.

Once the song ended Micha leaned into the mic and said “Stick around folks, we have a surprise for some of you! Thank you all for coming to see us!”

The crowd murmured, wondering what the surprise was. You stood around with Rose and as you two chatted the emcee came up and tapped you on the shoulder. He had six other people in tow. 

“Excuse me, miss?”

“Yes?”

He leaned in and whispered so that only you and Rose could hear. “Would you please come with me, you two have been invited to meet the band.”

“Oh my God!” Rose gasped.

“Really?” you asked.

The emcee nodded. “Yep, you and these other six people. So, if you two would just follow me…”

You and Rose eagerly fell in line with him and walked backstage, trembling with excitement and nerves. The emcee held back the curtain and directed the eight of you towards the band who were lounging around.

“Here we are fellas, eight lucky fans.”

Micha smiled and was the first to stand. “Hello, everyone. So nice to meet you.”

They all came forward and began talking to you all like they had known you for years. You were shocked at how friendly and laid-back they all were. They didn’t have any pretensions about them and talking to them was easy. You were in the middle of a conversation with Benji about two of the songs he wrote and you were telling him how much you loved them, when Pedro finally came up to the two of you.

“Hey, sorry to cut in, what are we talking about?”

“Oh, hey, man, Y/N here was telling me how much she loved our song ‘Journey,’” Benji told him.

“Really,” Pedro said. “Did you tell her you wrote that?”

Benji nodded. “I was just about to tell her how you helped me finish it.” Benji turned back to you. “He wrote the chorus. I wouldn’t have been able to finish it without this guy's help.”

“Ah, it was nothing,” Pedro said modestly.

“Oh, but it’s so beautiful. That was the first song I heard from you guys and I just fell in love after that. I had to hear more and well, here I am,” you laughed.

“Really?” Pedro asked. “And what other songs do you love?”

You told him and you went into a deep discussion about their songwriting process. Benji soon wandered off and left you two alone.

“You know, I’ve seen you at a couple of shows before,” Pedro told you. 

“Really?”

“Yeah, guess you really love our music.”

“Oh my God, I must seem like a groupie or something.”

He shook his head. “That thought never crossed my mind.”

That made you smile. Before he could say anything else, Marcus came up and whispered something in his ear.

“Okay, yeah,” he nodded. Then he turned to you. “So, um, there’s this party that we’re going to, d’you maybe wanna join us? That is if you want.”

“Oh, I don’t know, I have to get back home soon.”

“Um, well, that’s okay,” he said, looking a little disappointed.

For some reason, you felt incredibly bad. You didn’t understand why. You had only seen this man from a distance and you had only spoken with him for an hour, but in that time, you felt like you’d known him for years. 

“You know what, let me make a quick call.”

He nodded. “Sure, payphone’s right out there,” he told you, pointing to the hall.

“Thanks,” you said and walked out, digging two quarters out of your pocket. 

You dropped one in the slot and called your mom, telling her that you’d pick up Jack-Jack and Marie in the morning and to tell them that you loved them. After hanging up with her, you dropped the other quarter in and dialed the number of the Marche Club, where you knew John was.

“Yes, oh, hey Tony,  may I please speak with John? Tell him it’s me… thanks.” You waited for John to come on the line.

“Hey, honey,” you heard his voice.

“Hey, John, um, I was just calling to see how long you’d be out.”

“Oh, hmm, I dunno really. A few more hours, I think.”

“Oh, okay…”

“Darling, don’t sound like that. I did ask you to come with me,” he said, sounding slightly annoyed.

“I don’t sound like anything, John. And besides, you know they don’t really like me there. It would have been awkward.

He sighed. “Okay if you say so…”

Just then a feminine voice called from behind him. “Johnny, come on. We’re waiting.”

“I’m coming, just a second,” he called back, then back on the line to you he asked “Is there anything else you wanted, honey?”

“No, no. I’ll, um, see you when you get home.”

“Okay then, I’ll see you. Bye.” 

“Bye,” you replied, but you heard the dial tone before you even got the word out. He had hung up on you.

You sighed and hung up the phone. You leaned against the wall, thinking for a second. And you quickly came to a decision. Why not? Why not do this and have some fun?

Walking back into the room where you had met the band, you spotted Pedro talking with Rose. You walked up to them and pulled him aside.

“Hey, if that invite is still good, I’ll be happy to take it.”

A smile lit up his face. “Really?”

“Yeah, absolutely.”

“Okay, well, let’s go then.” He presented his arm to you, and you took it with a laugh and he led you out to their waiting car and you hopped in.

~~~~~~~

You had to admit, you hadn’t been to a party in ages, unless you counted the ones at the various clubs that the Smythes frequented. But you’d never truly felt welcome there. You knew those people only invited you because you were John’s wife, and didn’t dare want to offend Augie and Eddie by snubbing their daughter-in-law. Not that either of them would really care if you were there or not.

But this party, full of people you didn’t even know, felt more welcoming than any of those snooty ones ever could. At least you felt more relaxed. Here you didn’t have to worry about appearances, you could just be you. You sipped on your drink, while you and Rose (who was invited by Benji, who had really taken a liking to her) mingled and talked with different people. 

Soon you and Pedro were sitting in a corner chatting again. Talking with him was so much easier than the other people you knew and the conversation was free-flowing. You talked about everything from music, to the books you liked to read, and various hobbies you both had. You joked around and exchanged admiring glances.

Eventually, after he finished telling you an outrageous story about one of their concerts in Rome that had you in stitches, he leaned in and kissed you. You were taken aback for a second but after the initial shock, you melted into the kiss, loving the feel of his lips on yours and his arms around you. You felt warmth flooding through you, filling your body with something you had never felt before. You hadn’t felt like this when Andy had given you your first kiss at 16, or when Gregory had kissed you after you had gone with him to the dance, or when John had kissed you after your first date.

John… oh no.

You broke away from Pedro quickly.

“What’s wrong?” he asked, confused.

“I… I shouldn’t be doing this. I… shouldn’t be here,” you started to panic slightly.

“Hey, hey, calm down, what’s wrong?”

“I have to go. I shouldn’t have kissed you back.”

“Why not? Are you okay?”

You took a deep breath, scooted back from him a bit and took a quick glance at him then looked down at your hands. “I’m okay, it’s just that…”

“Just what?”

You took another breath and said in a rush. “It’s just that I have kids, two kids, Jack-Jack and Marie and they’re with my mom, and I have a husband… I shouldn't have done that. Oh my god, I’m so sorry.”

You hopped up and headed for the exit. Once you were outside you leaned against the building and tried to control your breathing. The door opened next to you and Pedro came out.

“There you are. Listen, I shouldn’t have just kissed you like that. I’m sorry.”

“No, no, I’m sorry I should have told you before we even came here. I just wanted to do something away from my family.”

“That bad huh?” he asked

“It’s not bad, it’s just my in-laws don’t particularly care for me, and it makes being around them difficult.”

“I see.”

“Again, I’m sorry, I should be getting home anyway. It’s late.”

“Okay let’s get you home,” he said, glad that you had calmed down and wanting to help  you out as much as he could.

“I just need to get back to my car.”

“It’s parked at the club right”

You nodded.

“Alright. Well, let's get you back there. Give me a minute.” He went back inside and told the guys that he’d had to run out but he’d be back soon. Then he found their driver and led you to the car that had brought you to the party. 

He decided to ride with you to make sure you made it back to your car safely. Hopping in the back seat with you, he talked to you until you were relaxed. He told you some more stories about their various shows and concerts. Soon the car turned on the street where you had parked and you told the driver. 

He pulled over and before you could open your door, Pedro had gotten out and walked over to your side, and opened the car door for you, reaching out his hand for you. You took it, marveling for a second at how warm it felt wrapped around yours and got out and gave him a small smile. “Thank you, for everything. And I’m sorry for not telling you everything upfront.”

“No, don’t worry about it. For what it’s worth, I did enjoy spending time with you.”

You grinned at him. “I did enjoy it too.”

“Good, good. Um if it’s okay could we possibly still stay in touch. I know you have a husband and a family, but I think we could still be friends… that is if you want? I could write to you, tell you some stories about what we get up to.”

“Sure, um, here…” you dug into your purse for a scrap of paper and a pen. You quickly scribbled your address and phone number on it and handed it to him. “I know you’ll be all over the country and the world too, so I want to hear about everything.”

He took the paper with a grin and tucked it in his pocket. Then he went around and opened your car door for you. You gave him a quick hug then slid into your seat and rolled down the window.

“I’ll be in touch,” he said. “Get home safe, okay?”

“I’ll be looking forward to it.”

He gave you one last smile and then tapped the roof of your car as you started it and drove off. You looked in the rearview mirror and saw him standing on the sidewalk, watching you drive away, giving you a wave.

When you pulled up to your house a few minutes later, you noticed John’s car wasn’t in the driveway. You checked your watch, it was one in the morning. You huffed out a breath and climbed out and slowly walked up to your front door, unlocked it and went inside. You put your things down and straightened up some things before heading to your bathroom and turning on the shower. As you stepped in and let the warm water cascade down your body, all you could think about was the feel of Pedro’s lips on yours and his arms around you and how the kiss filled you with a warmth and a feeling of contentment that you had never felt before. You touched your lips and couldn’t help but want to feel his kiss again.

You quickly banished the thought, feeling it was unfaithful to John. Scrubbed your body carefully, and then turned the water off. You dried off and put on your pajamas and crawled into your bed alone. You looked at the time again before laying down and closing your eyes. 

You were in the middle of a wonderful dream, starring your favorite bassist when you heard the front door open and John’s footsteps heading towards the bedroom. You sat up when he walked in and turned on the bathroom light.

“Oh, I didn’t mean to wake you up, dear,” he said walking over, loosening his tie and kissing you on the cheek. You could smell the whiskey on his breath and cigar smoke on his jacket, along with another sweeter scent.

“It’s okay, what time is it?”

“Late, I’m sorry to stay out so long. Where are the kids?”

“With my mom. I sent them to spend the night. They haven’t seen her in ages.”

He nodded, taking off his jacket and shoes. He tossed the jacket to the floor of the bedroom and headed into the bathroom.

“Gotta get this cigar smell out of my hair,” he said and turned on the shower. Tossing his shirt and then pants and socks onto the floor along with his jacket, he closed the bathroom door.

You rolled your eyes and climbed out of bed to pick up his clothes off the floor. You looked at the closed bathroom door, and then at the pile of clothes in your hand, remembering the scent you had smelled. You sniffed at his shirt and smelled it again. There it was, something flowery underneath the scent of expensive cigars. You shook your head and dumped the clothes into the hamper. Of course there would be perfume too, the women that were at those dinner clubs always wore so much perfume it would give you massive headaches.

You crawled back in bed, glancing at the clock, 3:30 am, before you laid your head back down and tried to go back to sleep, hoping the dream you were having would come back.

~~~~~~~

August 1979

It had been about three months since that night you had gone to the performance and the party and true to his word, Pedro had called and written letters to you. You eagerly read every word he wrote and laughed at the stories he told you. You kept the letters hidden in a box on the top shelf of your closet. You knew John would never snoop around. 

You were reading another letter from Pedro, this one postmarked from Greece, imagine that, little old you getting letters from someone in Greece, when John came into the living room  where you were.

“Whatcha got there, darling?”

“Huh? Oh, just a letter.”

“What’s in it that’s got you smiling like that?”

 You shook your head. “Nothing really, what’s going on? Who was that on the phone?”

“Oh that was just mother, she and father are having a dinner tonight and want us to join them. How’s that sound?”

“Mmm…” you hummed, wrinkling your nose.

John laughed. “Aw c’mon, darling. It’ll be… well, not exactly fun, but the food will be good.”

You giggled. “Okay, so what’s the dress code?”

“That’s my girl, it’s semi-formal. So, let’s get ready.” He kissed you on the cheek and walked off into the bedroom to get dressed.

You went back to your letter from Pedro, and finished reading it. He had gone on for a few pages telling you about the ruins and the city and how lovely the Mediterranean Sea was and he ended it with his wish that you were there to share the beautiful view with him. You smiled sadly at that, because you wished you were there with him as well. You folded it up with a sigh and walked back into your room to stuff the letter with the others in the box up on your closet shelf.

You then searched for a dress that your mother-in-law wouldn’t criticize as much. And pulled out a black, sleeveless dress that fell just below your knee with a jacket to go with it. You pulled out a suit for John, because you saw he hadn’t even bothered, and then went to get the kids ready and wait for him to come out so you could shower and change.

Once you all were dressed, and deemed appropriate, you climbed in John’s car. You listened as Jack-Jack and Marie told you about the adventures they’d had that day. You laughed at their stories enjoying the tales they told. Soon you pulled up to John’s parents’ house. It was so big and you had to keep your face neutral. 

This house only held bad and embarrassing memories for you. Going back to the first time you met Augusta and Edward. Augusta, especially, couldn't hide the disappointment she felt that John had brought you to meet them. You were just some low-class shop girl to them and they both thought John would marry some nice, rich girl, with good breeding (according to them). So, you were never fully welcome, but you made the effort to be nice, for John, then Jack-Jack and Marie’s sake. 

“John, there you are my dear boy!” Edward called out when you all walked through the door that had been opened by their butler, Michael. You nodded hello to him, and he gave you a nod and small smile in return. He and their maid, Elise, and cook, Rufus, were at least decent to  you, mainly because you were decent to them in return and didn’t treat them like they were a part of the decor.

“Father!” John said, going over to him.

“Grandfather Eddie!” Jack-Jack and Marie called and went over to hug him.

“Mr. Edward,” you smiled at him.

Edward clapped John on the back, then hugged his grandchildren. He merely gave you a small nod.

“Are those my dear grandchildren?” Augusta said, coming down the stairs and spotting them.

“Grandmother Augie!” The children gave her big hugs as well.

“John, my darling boy,” she said, hugging him.

“Hello,” she said to you

“Mrs. Augusta,” you gave her a tight-lipped smile.

She turned, and gestured for the four of you to follow her into the ballroom where the others were. “Now, children, go into that room there, there’s some fellows you can play with.”

They smiled and eagerly went into one of the side rooms. “Kids, remember your manners,” you told them.

“Yes, mom.” 

“Ah, they'll be fine, children with good breeding always have impeccable manners,” Edward said to you dismissively. “How about a drink, son?” He walked off with John in tow to get a drink from the bar, from the bartender Jameson, leaving you standing with Augusta.

She sniffed and looked at you. “So, that’s what you decided to wear?”

“Yes, ma’am. I thought it was nice.”

“Hmm,” she hummed. “Ah, there’s Marion, I must go speak with her.” And she walked off, leaving you standing there alone.

You looked around at all the people mingling and decided that you wanted a drink. 

“Here you go, miss.” You turned and saw Elise standing there with a glass.

“Oh, thank you so much, Elise,” you said, taking the glass from her.

“No worries, I figured you might need it.” She grinned. “Jameson, saw you come in and made it for you.” 

“Tell him thank you from me, please.”

Elise nodded, then glanced around, noticing the looks they were getting from the guests. It was odd for someone to be having a conversation with the help. “I better go,” she whispered.

You nodded. “Oh and tell Rufus hello too.”

Elise nodded. “Of course, miss.” She gave you a small smile and walked off.

You went over to a corner and stood, watching everyone. No one even bothered to talk to you. You looked for John and saw him with a circle of his friends. There was one woman there that was standing close to him. She watched as she laughed at something John had said, and put her hand on his arm and gave it a squeeze. You got a weird feeling watching them together, but you tried to shake it off.

Soon, Michael came in and announced dinner was ready. Everyone filed into the dining room and took their seats. You noticed that you had been placed near the end of the table, while John had been placed near the center, next to that woman he’d been talking and laughing with. You kept your face focused on your plate, ignoring the pointed glances and whispers surrounding you. You shot two or three glances down the table at your husband and that woman and the weird feeling you had earlier came back. And you couldn't help but wonder why your husband hadn't requested that you be seated near him.

Once dinner was finished you all took coffee in the sitting room, while the men stayed back for another drink and some cigars. You were sitting near a corner, looking out the window, wishing you were digging your toes into the sand of the beaches of Greece instead of sitting here with people who didn’t like you, when you smelled a familiar sweet scent and heard a familiar voice drift over to you. You turned your head to the three women who had taken seats near to your secluded spot, but hadn't noticed you.

“Yes, Johnny was telling me that last night,” the voice said. 

Why did she sound so familiar? You thought, wracking your brain. 

“Now, Carol, do you really think he meant that?” One of the other women asked her.

“Of course he did,” she said haughtily. 

Then it clicked. Johnny, the voice you had heard in the background a few months ago. “Johnny, come on, we’re waiting.” It was her, you looked over and saw that it was the woman who had been laughing and all over John that evening. 

“... and, he did give me this after all,” she said, holding up her wrist and showing off a diamond tennis bracelet that winked in the light. “And besides we all know he shouldn’t have married her anyway. What was he thinking?”

“Who knows, you know men don’t really think with their, ah, upper heads,” the other woman said as they all giggled.  

You stared at the woman, Carol, her friend had called her as she showed off the bracelet she claimed that your husband, your John had given her. Forget feeling weird, you felt downright queasy now. 

The men came into the room with the women, talking loudly and laughing. John looked around, and Carol waved at him. He gave her a small smile, then he spotted you, sitting in the corner behind them. Just then the kids came running out of the side room. Jack-Jack and Marie ran over to John and the children of the three women near you went to them. The little boy that went to Carol looked oddly familiar. You couldn’t help but stare at him. You looked from John to the little boy, then you looked at your son. And a frown creased your brow. The little boy looked just like Jack-Jack and Jack was the spitting image of his father.

It can’t be, you thought. No, no, no. Now all the looks and whispers made sense. You felt heat in your cheeks and tears sting your eyes as you watched Edward and Augusta go over and pat the little boy lovingly on the head.

On the ride home, you were quiet as John went on and on about how great the dinner was and how wonderful it was to see his old friends. You stayed quiet as you walked in the house, washed off, changed and put the kids to bed. You were tight lipped as John showered and changed and then you did the same. You were thinking and once you stepped out of the shower, you had made up your mind.

You went into the office and pulled out some stationary and began to write a letter. An hour later, when you finished, you read over it one more time then folded it and put it in an envelope. Pedro had told you that they’d be in Greece for a while and you just hoped that it would reach him in time.

~~~~~~~~~

September 1979

You had sent off the letter and had gotten one back. The Hawks would be back in the states this month, and Pedro had promised that he’d find a way to make time to see you.

 While you were cleaning the house, the phone rang, and you rushed to pick it up.

“Hello?” 

“Well, it is good to hear your voice.”

You smiled. “It’s good to hear yours too, Pedro.”

“I got your letter, so do you think you can get away next weekend? I’ll be able to see you for a few days before we have to head back to the studio to record.”

“I should be able to, the kids will be with John’s parents for the weekend. So, I won't have to worry about them.”

“Sounds good. So, I’ll see you next weekend then?”

“Yeah, you will.”

~~~~~~~~~~

Across town at one of the fancier hotels, you walked through the doors with a suitcase in your hand. You gave the receptionist your name and she called up to Pedro’s room.

“Alright miss, you can go on up, room six fifty-two, enjoy your stay.”

“Thank you very much.”

You waited for the elevator and rode up to the sixth floor and headed to the room. You knocked on the door and Pedro swung it open, a huge smile illuminating his face. He opened his arms for a hug, and you stepped into them gratefully. He hugged you tight and kissed you on the forehead. 

You looked up at him with a smile and this time, you stood on your toes and kissed him. That feeling of warmth and contentment filled you again. You didn’t pull away, as the kiss erased all the miserable thoughts you’d been having about your husband and that woman. That kiss filled you with nothing but joy and you relished in that feeling, something you hadn’t felt in years. It was something that you hadn’t realized you had been missing until you finally got it. In that kiss you tried to convey everything you felt in that moment, the happiness, the longing, and the need. He seemed to understand, as he walked you backwards to the bed, his arms around you. it was then that neither of you was about to leave that room for the entirety of the weekend. This time there would be no pulling back, no regrets, no feelings of guilt. Again you were going to do something that truly made you happy.

[thisonehere]

May you do anything with Lord Raiden pleeease? nsfw, sfw, angst, headcanons, ships oh my god, im will glad anything 😹 You’re the best!

Rain, Rain, Go Away

A/n: *slowly cranes my neck around to look at you*

Aaaanythingggg?

Plot: You stay at Raiden's place to wait out a storm, and things get st(cr)eamy.

C/w: smut, fluff reader gets scared, Lao tries to be a wingman (it goes as well as you think)

"It was a dark and stormy night." Raiden ominously says, flashlight casting shadow over his face. "Hm, How original." Kung Lao briskly jokes causing you to chuckle dryly at Raiden's attempt at a story. Raiden sighs defeatedly as he sits the flashlight beside him and slumps over. "Well, do you have any ideas?"

It was at some point late in the night. A thunder storm had caused all the electricity to go out so it was you three huddled together around a few candles, the light that warded off the darkness around you. You've been at Raiden's place many times, but seeing it at night, during a thunder storm with all the power off, it made you a little nervous.

The rain outside fell down on top of the roof giving a strangely soothing sound, which was the. Disturbed by occasional thunder claps. It got so bad that you were too scared to go out in that.

The darkness combined with the sto had scared you a lot. Embarrassing, you know, but you were just scared that you couldn't fall asleep. So Raiden insisted on you all staying up a little bit late until you felt comfortable going to sleep, much to Lao's protest. Yet here all were.

"Maybe, we could play a board game or something." You say, pulling out a lighter to light another candle. "Fine. Truth or dare." Lao asked, side eyeing you. At this, Raiden's head pops up and his eyes fall on you. "Lao, we both know you get carried away with this game." Raiden gave his friend the most stern looks he can give, but Lao just shrugs. "And when I do, I always get carried in the right direction too. So you two in?" You and Raiden look at each other for the answer. "Only if Y/n's okay with it." Raiden stares at you causing you to blush a little. Thankfully, it's hard to tell thanks to the candle light. "I-I'm okay with it."

"Great! Now, Raiden, I dare you to stand on your head." Lao looked over at Raiden with an exited grin. "Wait, aren't you supposed to ask us the truth or Dare first?" Kung Lao rolls his eyes in an cartoonishly exaggerated manner. "Fine, Truth or Dare? You pick dare? Good! I dare you to stand on your head. Happy now?" Raiden shakes his head as he and you stifle a laugh, you don't want to encourage him.

And the game went on as the storm raged harsher and harsher outside. Raiden had Lao to tell the truth, if he actually forgot his wallet or lied to get Raiden to pay Madame Bo. He did in fact lie. You asked Raiden to truthfully tell you if he has full control of his powers. He doesn't know how powerful he can get, but the amulet sometimes lets him send future messages to his past self, but he's not sure when he'd ever use it. Lao dared you admit who you thought was the hottest, with a sigh you gave a list of movie stars and singers you thought were pretty cute, including Johnny Cage. "And me, right?" "You're not a celebrity, Lao." This caused Lao to rear back and gasp to show that he's offended. "You don't consider me, the Great Kung Lao, descendant of the great Kun Lao, a celebrity? How could you, Y/n?"

"*Sigh* Alright, alright, I think you're pretty cute to Lao, Happy?" At this Lao, now satisfied, happily laid onto his back and rested his hands behind his head. "Very." You try to hold back a laugh as you roll your eyes. As you do, you can't help but notice that Raiden is staring at you hopefully, like he's wants you to say something to him. "I think you're pretty cute too, Raiden." You say, turning to him.

Raiden's eyes widen in shock and he avoids your gaze, it's hard to tell from the candle light, but you can swear that he's blushing. "Alright, it's mine turn again." Lao said as he sits back to face you both. "I dare you two to make out." He says, not showing a sign of hesitation or shame. This time, both of your eyes widen so big that it might even pop out. "What!?!" You gasp. Raiden shook his head in disbelief. You both couldn't believe what Lao just said, all you could do was stare at him dumbfounded.

"What? A dare is a dare. Or are you both...Chicken!" At this, Lao made a clucking sound to mock both of you. "By the Elder Gods." Raiden sighs as his face falls into his hands. You also sigh and look away from him. Even though you were still in shock at what Lao dared, you noticed your face was getting hot. You were blushing again. You looked over to Raiden, his face was covered, but you swore you could catch a hint of blush on his face.

The thought of kissing Raiden, no, making out with him, made you feel hot all over. You never did anything like that before, the same can be said about Raiden. You felt your lips tingle, you don't want to encourage Lao anymore, but you have had a crush on Raiden for the longest. Whenever you were around him you were reduced to a pile of giggling and blushing, you're surprised that you got this far being next to him. He has things about where his calm nature make you feel so safe and peaceful around him. Raiden's peaceful spirit was a strange contrast from Lao and all of the other people he was friends with.

"What? Are you really not going to do it? C'mon, the way you two have been looking at each other, I thought you'd jump at the chance." Raiden raised his head from his hands to look at Lao. "You always go too far, I knew this was a mistake." He said in a stern disapproving voice. "Yeah, And I don't even like Raiden like that." You quickly pip up defensively. You're lying of course, you don't understand your feelings for Raiden and why he made you feel so nervous.

Raiden looks over to you as you say this, there is a glimmer of hurt in his eyes. You immediately regret saying this. Lao raised his hands defeatedly. "Well, excuse me for trying to have some fun." You sighed and shocked your head in disbelief, hoping that neither of them how painted red it was with blush.

You all try to move on with the night, but things aren't the same now. Now, there is a tension between you and Raiden, worse than it was before. It's almost painful to watch, and Lao is sick of it.

"Where are you going?" Raiden asked as Lao grabs a candle and rises to his feet. "To bed. You two can feel free to carry on... whatever's going on between you." The idea of being alone with Raiden made you panic. You were already a blushing and nervous mess in front of him with Lao, fears of what you'd do, how you'd embarrass you, how you'd make Raiden like you less and other such thoughts rab through your head. You watch as Lao walks into the dark, the dim candle he held with him is swallowed while by the dark.

You and Raiden are officially alone.

It is here now that this story divides into two possibilities:

Possibility #1: You and Raiden confess your feelings for each other and cuddle *fluff*

Possibility #2: You and Raiden fuck *smut*

[ofherpinkways]

Hyper Fixation

Cod characters x horror fan reader (GN bf/gf :) )

Summary : they ask one small question horror movie sending you into a complete hyper fixation and happy rant about all your favorite scary movies

(A/N: tbh this is mainly for myself so I can finally spill out my bottled up horror movie rants,plus this is based off interaction I just had with a friend on Snap. Our babies will be referred to as "they/them" since i wanna include everyone 🤍🩰🧸 might do a pt2)

You loved horror movies and let it be known to all. Everyone at the base knew it and it was what you were known for even to those who didn't know you fully . Often referred to as the "Horrorjunkie"

Your dorm was filled with horror movie posters,props from iconic classics and of course you had a bunch of those mini polaroid posters of all your favorite horror movies. Your body is covered in horror movie themed tattoos of all the well known villains and other scary themed things. Your left hand was covered in one giant tattoo that made it look like you were a skeleton. All of your causal/civilian clothes were the Steven Rhodes t-shirts and hoodies.

God forbid anyone lets you pick the movie during movie night . It was gonna be scary obviously. This night you picked Sinister (2012) forcing everyone in the common room. It only got worse when few of your teammates confessed they've never seen it. There you sat grinning wildly knowing the whole movie play by play. Having the ability to mentally time each up in coming jumpscare in your head laughing and smiling to yourself prepared for each scare ,glancing up at them wanting to see their reaction. The infamous lawn mower scene had just happened causing everyone but you to jump and yelp a little , instead you laughed and smiled happily at their reactions finding the whole thing amusing.

Fast forward weeks later,you were sitting on the couch scrolling your phone with " " (This is where you insert whoever you want lol). You both got bored after a while, you move and lay your head onto their lap "wanna watch a movie?" you ask looking up at them "I'll pick" you sang dragging the words smiling . They laughed smiling back "and what horror movie has the honors of your picking today mmph?" they remarked . You sat up and playfully huffed with fake offended expression on your face , putting your hand to your chest "Now who said it was gonna be a horror movie ?" you replied holding back a giggle

"you get called "horrorjunkie" for a reason " they said with a chuckle. You crossed your arms smirking "Touche", you grab the remote and start looking through the horror movie collection on Netflix " How about The Strangers ?" you ask looking at your partner . "Again ? we've watched like ten times already,why do you like it so much?"

you gasped "how could I not love it? its's such a classic !, and the timing of its release ! It was something never done before ! it scared the shitout everyone making them fear being in their own homes,making them worry when answering their door and the simple fact it was based off a true event?!?! absolutely sickening" you explained in a fast and excited manner.

And that's how you both spent the rest of your night and ranting about each of your beloved scary movies along with the cast,the directors ,the lore,the meaning and messages behind them, the remakes and sequels all of it

Going on about Scream 1996 flapped over and changed horror forever

Going on about Radio Silence was doing a great job on honoring Wes Craven on his creation of the Scream movies , as they keep the franchise

Why the Evil Dead franchise was so loved

Breaking down and explaining all of Jordan Peele movies, explaining the meaning,how their connected in way,why Jordan writes the way he does, why it's better to show and not tell

Giving off examples of movies that were clearly inspired of Peele's work

Talking about Ethan Hawke is perfect for horror movies

How his performance in The Black Phone shocked and scared everyone

Even though they may not get horror movies the way you do. They love the way your eyes lit up,love hearing the excitement in you voice, loving how animated you became when talking about horror movies. They enjoyed how happy the movies made you so they sat smiling up at you the whole time as you talked for what seemed like forever but they didn't care