#the big sleep 1939 | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

cheynovak · 11 months ago

Text

Tale as old as time

Reader x Soldier Boy

Warnings: Well, it’s soldier boy. Where to start... Smut, Fluff, Drugs, Cursing, Voilence, ...

Side note: English isn’t my first language.

Words: 6003 😮

POV: Y/N is Soldier Boys first girlfriend who turned into a supe not long after Soldier boy with compound V. Vought made her out to be his enemy, so he had no choice but killing her. But years later the boys discover she is still alive and maybe the only supe on this planet to take down Soldier boy and homelander.

Side note: Cursive text are memories

Have fun!

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Pennsylvania: 1939

“Y/N? Y/N! Where are you going? Wait up!” Ben yelled at her trying to follow her but the crowd in at the fair made it difficult. Y/N ran towards the Ferris wheel, she looked back but didn’t see Ben following. “Got you!” He said while lifting her up turning around. ”BEN!” she screeched laughing. When he got her steady on the ground, she lifted her hands towards his neck kissing him on his cheek. “I need to go.” Ben said. “Can’t we at least have one last ride in the wheel?” She asked with big deer eyes. Defeated by her charm he nodded.

“Do you really have to go?” She asked with a soft voice. “It’s the only way to make my old man proud, sweetheart.” he said pulling her in his arms. “I don’t think this is the answer Ben, you could get hurt, or worse!” She really is worried about him he thought. “What? Afraid I find a new best girl?” He joked trying to lift the mood. She poked his ribs “Not funny! I serious Benjamin!” The wheel stopped and the two young love bird got out. As a true gentleman Ben brought Y/N home. They shared a kiss, the last one for a long time Ben thought. “Ben?” She looked up is his green eyes asking to follow her so she took his hand and leaded him behind the house towards the shed where her parents couldn’t see them. “You know I'm yours, right?” He nodded. “Will you make yours tonight?” She asked clearly looking shy. Ben’s eyes grew big. “Are, are you sure?” He asked. She kissed him passionately in response. “Just, just take it slow, ok?”

Y/N woke up startled, looking over at Patrick, her fiancé. Who was still deep asleep. So, she quietly got out of bed and got to the kitchen to pour herself a glass of water. Why the hell did that memory sneaked up in her dreams. Probably the nerves for the wedding she thought. No one has seen Ben in ages, he is probably gone or much like herself had found love and settled down. But she couldn’t help herself got to the spare bedroom and pull up the old shoe box with pictures and other memories. There was one picture of Ben, fully dressed in his “Soldier boy” costume. God, she hated that helmet, made it impossible to see those cute freckles. After looking at his eyes for who knows how long she got herself back in bed. Lifting Patrick’s arm and hugging him. He mumbled something unrecognisable and pulled her closer.

The next morning Y/N was extremely tired, she didn’t get any sleep anymore last night. “Good morning beautiful.” Patrick kissed her on her cheek as he did every morning. They had breakfast, he kissed her before he got to work. Patrick was a lawyer he made enough money to take care for the two of them. So, when they officially began dating, he asked Y/N to be a housewife. He meant well, he knew her backstory and thought she deserved some peace. She agreed, but after last night she had this hinge that maybe she wasn’t born to be a housewife.

But the dream couldn’t stop the daily tasks. Y/N grabbed her purse and drove to the grocery store. When she came back, she noticed someone was inside her house. She quickly grabbed the gun from the glove box and went inside the house via the back door. Her house was a mess, cabinets open, shelfs empty... One of the skinnier men came down. “Oh god! Oh god. Please don’t shoot! BUTCHER, she is home!” He yelled before Y/N knock him out with the gun. The other two man came running down both holding a gun. “Listen I don’t know what you two idiots think you’re doing, but you picked the wrong house buddy!” Y/N said. “Now drop the gun!”

“Oi, were not looking for any trouble princess.” He said lowering his gun.” Or should I say Ms. Y/N Frances Wilson.” He smirked saying your name, your true birth name, you haven’t heard in years. “How do you...know?” she looked shocked. Butcher and MM started to explain they were looking for something to kill Homelander and possibly Soldier Boy. And that Annie found secret records at Vought that stated that you were the only person who ever won a fight against Soldier boy.

“Wait, wait you’re telling me Ben is still alive?” You looked at Hughie since he was the only person in the room you seemed to trust a little. “Oh, we’re on first name basis?” The annoying British fella said. Y/N gave him a dead stare side eye. “Listen buddy, if you have my records, you know that “Soldier boy” and I go way back. Y/n said pissed.

“Oh my god! What happened here! Y/N are you ok?” Patrick walked through the door. “Who are you?!” he looked over at the men. “Honey, it’s ok these are... who are you again?”

Hughie explained everything to Patrick who looked at him with fear in his eyes. “Baby, If these supes really are that dangerous, we need to help them.” “Pat, I promised you I would never, ever enter that life again.” She looked at MM “I will tell you all I know on Soldier boy. But that’s it. I’m no supe anymore” - “Well, that’s just utter bull shit isn’t. The 1st badge of fucking Russian compound V is running through your veins.” Butcher said. “No, no, no, you are coming with us princess. If we know where to find you so will Homelander.” “Let him come, I doubt that, that clown in a cape is much worth.”

“Against you, maybe.” MM said. “But what with Patrick?” With a heavy heart you agreed to go with the boys. In the car her thoughts drifted away.

WW2 ended, Ben was coming home, the town made sure he would get a parade. Y/N was nervous it had been a few years. Sure, he did send her letters every now and then, but as time moved on, she received less and less until the communication stopped completely. In one of the first letters, he had sent a picture of him fitting his costume. He looked proud, with a great smile. It had her fall in love all over again. Y/N stood at the back of the sidewalk, watched as Ben drove by waving at the people. He saw her, she knew, he grinned but made sure the other people there wouldn’t notice. Y/N went home after the parade, while she was painting her nails her mom called her. “Sweetheart, get dressed, Benjamin called, he is picking you up for dinner with his folks.” Your heart pounded, he didn’t forget you. You mother thought you were a madwoman not to date nice decent men while he was gone. She wanted her daughter to get married and start a family, like any other parent wanted in those times. And not to wait on a “superhero” who once liked her daughter, who now probably could have any woman.

Y/N chose a beautiful green dress that matched her curves, it was fitting but not tacky, her nails were boudoir red as were her lips and heels. Perfect contrast with her dress. The doorbell rang. Her father answered the door before she could came down the stairs. Ben was still wearing his costume, probably to impress your folks but thank God, he didn’t wear the helmet. He watched you come down the stairs. “Wow.” he said “breathtaking.” clearly impressed. He held your hand and helped you with the last steps. He kissed you soft on the lips. You were a little stunned by that move, because this was something he would have never done before he got to the army. Your parents were old school he knew that.

You got into the car, surprisingly he had a driver now. “My lady.” he said holding the door. At first the ride was silent. You stared at him. “Like what you’re seeing, sweetheart?” he grinned looking you up and down, it made you blush. “It’s just, you have changed so much and yet you haven’t.” “So have you.” The dinner wasn’t really a cosy gathering, Ben told his parents and you every detail. His dad wasn’t impressed with what his son had achieved.” You took a short cut. There were normal man fighting, those are hero’s not some pumped up boy who hasn’t achieved anything in this life.”

You could see Ben’s lip twitch. “Ben? I think it’s time for me to go home.” Y/N said to help him get out of the house. Once outside “Unbelievable, I did everything I could for that man and I’m still not good enough.” He kept rambling. “Ben, STOP!” He looked at you. “Stop with caring what your father thinks of you.” you said while taking his hand. “He doesn’t know you, not the way I do.”

“Hi, soldier boy.” Two girls giggled from a crossed the street waving at him. Ben answered their flirtations with an over-the-top grin and nod while he checked them out just a little to long for your liking. He turned back to you and saw your expression. “He kissed your cheek, don’t worry sweetheart you’re the one for me.” The car ride was silent once again you almost reach your parents house. “Can you pull over, right here? And give us a minute?” You asked the driver.

Ben looked at you, the second the driver got out of the car did Ben pull you closer to him and kissed you. Not a soft kiss, no, a passioned kiss his tongue aggressively asking for permission. His hands travelling from your neck over your breast kneading them. “Ben, is this really the best place?” Y/N asked while pulling back. Ben didn’t move back but moved his lips from your mouth to your neck. “You have a better idea sweetheart, was the shed a better place?” He asked out of breath, clearly aroused. You didn’t feel comfortable with his roughness. “Ben stop, please.” - “Oh, come on baby, don’t tell me you’ve didn’t dream of me. That you didn’t think of that night while you touch yourself.”

That was the line he crossed. “BENJAMIN STOP IT! Get off me! You yelled while slapping his face. Y/N got out of the car Ben shorty following her. “Y/N... Y/N! Stop I’m sorry.” he grabbed her arm. “Look at me sweetheart.” You turned around with tears in your eyes. “Oh baby, I'm sorry, it just, I just, it’s been a while.” You look at him shocked by his words. “You’ve changed Ben. You’re a brute. Maybe if you, I don’t know at least had a normal conversation with me before you started groping me.” - “What I, can’t touch my own girl?” - “Of course, you can, it’s the way you do it Ben, any other man...” But he didn’t let you finish. “Other man? Is there another man Y/N? Did you get the tasted of it after I left. Did you turn to someone else for pleasure.”

“I can’t believe you! I wanted to say: any other man would at least consider HER feelings.” He dropped his head understanding what she meant. “Goodnight Ben.” She said leaving him in the street. The next day he had to leave for another parade in a different city but not before he went to see Y/N.

Y/N’s dad answers the door “She doesn’t want to see you kid.” You hear him say. “Please Sir, I need to speak to her.” Ben sounded devastated. “Y/N! I know you’re here. Y/N I’m sorry! Please come talk to me.” - “Boy you are testing my patients, go away, I don’t know what happened last night, but she doesn't want to see you. - “Bullshit!” You heard Ben’s voice turn into anger. He pushed your old man aside an ran up the stairs. Y/N met him halfway standing taller than him. “Baby, please.” He said while hugging you, his head against your stomach. “I want you to go Ben.” Y/N said between her tears. “I don’t know what they did to you, but you are not the same man anymore. I want you to leave.”

‘Y/N no, you don’t mean it. Y/N please!

Y/N .... Y/N....’

Y/N!!!! Butchers voice leaps you out of the memory. “We’re here” Hughie smiled softy seemingly scared. Y/N didn’t know what it was but this kid, she liked him. He had something pure in his eyes. Once inside Y/N and Patrick meet the other members. They all seemed on edge.

“What the fuck is she doing here?” That voice... you slowly turned around. Ben was standing there in baseball shirt and sweatpants “Oh, god!” But before you could say more, he stormed towards you lifting you up by your neck. “I’ll ask again, what, is she, doing here?” Y/N wanted to answer but couldn’t without air. Ben looked for a second at Patrick, clearly not impressed by him. Y/N kicked Ben to his knee he let her go. But not without trying to hitting her. She luckily could avoid it and pushed him away. “I had no idea you would be here!” She said lifting her hands in the air. “You are the fucking commie that made me a lab rat!” - “Ben that’s not true! I tried to fucking save you from your so-called girlfriend!” - “Bullshit you helped them!”

“She is telling the truth, according to Voughts records did Noir and Countess quit the number on her. They left her a massive scar on her back. Before they shipped her back of to Russia, where you were held, a cargo she escaped.” Hughie said.

“It’s true Ben, when I heard what they did to you in '84, I tried to find you, I swear!” He got closer, grabbing her neck looking intensely at her. But Y/N pulled back looking over at Patrick. Ben followed her eyes. “Who is he?” - “My fiancé. Patrick”

“Your Fian...” He couldn’t finish that sentence. ”Why? Did he got you pregnant?” He laughs looking at you. Even though he meant is a joke he glanced at your tummy. “No Ben, we love each other. Besides you know supes don’t have the best track record on getting pregnant.” You said walking over to Patrick. “No, but we sure loved to try.” He winked at you making Patrick uncomfortable.

Butcher, MM and Annie were going through your files. Annie glanced over at Y/N and asked “Hey, it stated here you weren’t a supe until after 1949? But they never clarified what happened. ��

Y/N was walking to her job, when a van pulled over. Two men who didn’t spoke English pulled her in. A week later she woke up in some sort of a hospital. Couple of needles in her arms. The man said in broken English that this might hurt, but that she would become the most powerful humans on the planet, the perfect weapon. And who else can hurt Soldier boy better than his first love.

Y/N tolt the team what tests they did after they pumped her full of compound V. “Or at least the Russian version of it.” She said. “After that...” She fell silent.

“After that they erased her memories. Trained her to be a fucking assassin. And sent her after me.” Ben said quietly from a crossed the room not even looking up from the tv.

“He is right. I trailed him all crossed the country to kill him. And I remember every second of it. I just couldn’t stop myself.”

Ben woke up in a fancy hotel room, he looked over his bed, smirking when he realised there were still 3 women in his bed from last night. He got up, put on a rope, snored a line and drank the rest of the whiskey he had last night. He heard a noise coming from the hallway. Before he could take a look, the door broke down. An assassin dressed in black attack him. The women screamed when Ben was holding the intruder against the wall. “Run you fucking stupid sluts!” He yelled at them before they ran away behind Ben. “Now who are you?” Ben took of the intruder's mask. He couldn’t believe his eyes. “Y/N???” That moment of hesitation was enough for her to escape his hands.

After more than an hour going back and forward, Ben hit her she felt out of the window 5 floors down. He looked but she didn’t move. Every now and then their pads crossed. They fight no one wins, one of them got hurt and they would meet again. It became an obsession with finding each other. Vought even named her a super villain. Until one day Y/N had found him again on vacation in Rome. Ben got tired of the constant fighting he wanted answers. He had her tied down and tried to find answers. But no matter what she didn’t talk. He got so frustrated he hit her in de head with his shield. She went unconscious but when she woke up. Ben was still sitting in front of her. “Ben? Oh god Ben!” she started to cry.

Ben had hit her so hard so many times that for some reason the trauma had brought her back. At first he didn’t trust her. But after a while he released her. She told him everything that happened to her. “You should go. Celebrate new year” he said. “N-New year?” she looked shocked. “Sweetheart it’s 31 December.” - “What year?” - “1959”

“Ten years...” she mumbled under her breath. “You have a place to go?” - “No, not really.” He nodded. Ben thought for a second then invited you to his party.

Ben knuckled when thinking back at that night.

It was an over-the-top party with world leaders, porn stars and drugs. Old Y/N would have been traumatized, supe you well, let’s say that this was a new beginning. Ben sat on the sofa with 2 girls almost fighting to get on his lap and he clearly enjoyed the attention, until he sees Y/N flirting with a guest. He was clearly trying to get into her pants. And she didn’t seem to mind. This got Ben furious, he got up without saying anything to the girls and walked towards them. You both looked at him. “Out” He said. “Out... EVERYBODY GET THE FUCK OUT!” Y/N tried to walk away with the crowd.

Ben grabbed Y/N's arm. “Oh, not you sweetheart.” Y/N looked at his hand around her arm and got closer. “What’s the problem Ben? Are you the only one who is allowed fuck on this evening?”

“Baby... where did you learn to talk like that!” He grinned “But no, no you are allowed to get fucked as well sweetheart. If I’m the one doing it.”

For some reason that made Y/N’s panties soaking wet. She pushed Ben against the wall ripping his shirt in the process. His hand found their way to the back of her knees lifting her up throwing her on the bed. Y/N took off her dress, showing the red lingerie, slowly moving her hands all over her body before moving one hand down her panties, while sitting on her knees. Ben walked towards her pumping his hard cock,

“Fuck that’s hot sweetheart. Show me how wet you are.” She lifted her fingers in the air. Ben grabbed her wrist slowly licking her fingers clean. “Hm, so sweet.” He pushed he on her back taking of her panties. “I’ve missed this pussy, I’ve been wanting to fuck it, worship it ever since I came back from the war.” Y/N got inpatient. “Jesus fucking Christ, Ben are you going to talk me to sleep or are you going to fuck me?

Ben licked a long stripe against Y/N heated sex. ‘Oh yesss!” She moaned letting her head fall back. Ben ate her like a man starved, then he entered a finger into her cunt, he could feel her enjoying it by the way she squeezed around it. “Fuck sweetheart, how long has it been since someone took care of you?” - Y/N had trouble finding words she could already feel the heat in her boiling. “Huh? Tell me, did you find a man back home? Someone to fuck you when your needy? Or did you take care of yourself?” Ben added another finger while licking your clit. You came so hard on his fingers that the wet sound of him going in and out of you would have normally made you embarrassed. After she screamed his name like a prayer she admitted. “Ben, there was no one. No one but you!” She said a little ashamed knowing he probably fucked half of USA by now. “You really are my girl...” Ben said while kissing her. Letting her take a breath before round 2, 3, 4 and 5 of that night.

“Great fucking night.” He said looking at Y/N and Starlight grinning.

“Why did he say that you were the reason for... you know.” Hughie asked. “Well, in 1970 was payback created. Up until then Ben and I lived together." “Wait, you never told me this.” Patrick said. “I knew he was your first boyfriend and that you fought in the 50s. Why didn’t you tell me? “ Y/N opened her mouth, but Ben was first. “Probably because she didn’t like to tell that after a decade of fighting came a decade of making up... sex.” Patrick closed his eyes, clearly disgusted by soldier boy.

“As I was saying, 70s, payback, crimson countess.” You say irritated looking at Ben. “Those days, they made it hard on us. Vought didn’t like the idea of the number one hero being in a relationship with the person they called the number one villain. So, we had to keep our relationship a secret. Vought though it would be a great idea to promote Countess and Soldier boy as the it couple. Ben agreed, saying it was all just publicity. “ Ben, looked away. Y/N felt silent. “So, he cheated? “ Hughie asked.

“NEVER! Ben got up this time, I never ever cheated, not on her!” He almost stood toe to toe with him. “Ben... Benjamin!” Y/N yelled standing up trying to defend Hughie who almost shit his pants. Ben looked at Y/N “I swear.” - “I know, but Crimson and Vought did find a way to separate us. They made false evidence that I would be recruited again by Russian spies to bring down Vought. "

I had no idea so when I asked Ben to let go of the suit.” - “He thought you wanted him to be on your side as a communist.” Annie finished your story. “Yes” Y/N said looking at Ben. “All I wanted was a normal life, no more fighting, no more Vought. The life I dreamed of since 1939” - “Well, seems like you finally get what you want sweetheart.” Ben said looking defeated.

“Well, that’s enough bedtime stories, we need to go and get some supply's before hunting down your boysband.” Butcher said grinning at Ben. “Y/N you mind watching Ben for me? Since you are the only one who probably would actually stop him is he wanted to leave.” - “What about the rest of you?” Y/N asked meaning what about Patrick. “I need everyone, some things I can’t buy in a normal store because I'm wanted. Patrick is a nobody, perfect for the job.”

In the car MM gave Patrick a phone. “I don’t know if you want it. But Frenchie and I placed a shitload of cameras in that place.

Everyone left to do their job. Ben was sitting again, in front of the tv. But when Y/n got up to get something out of the kitchen he followed her. “Does he make you happy?” - “What?” - “Patrick, does he make you happy.” He asked again only this time standing so close to you, you could feel his breath against your neck. Y/N closed her eyes. “Yes, I guess so. I have the life I wanted.” She turned to face him locking eyes “I said yes, I'm getting married soon.” Ben breathed heavy while looking at her. He lifted a hand on her neck again, sliding his fingers through her hair toughing his forehead with hers.

“God, Y/N please don’t.” Patrick said waiting in the car, looking at the camera footage.

“Ben, please... don’t.” She closed her eyes afraid to look in his. “I learned my lesson sweetheart. “I won’t touch you unless you want me to.” He sighted but didn’t move back. “Does he satisfy you?”

“BEN! That, that is none of your business!” She angry opened her eyes looking in his. She placed a hand on his chest to push him away, but couldn’t, instead she slowly moved her hand up to his cheek. Ben leaned into it. “I’ve missed those soft hands.”

Y/N smiled slightly. “This beard, it suits you.” - “You like it?” he was surprised. “Very mature. Maybe even a little sexy.” Those worlds made Ben crazy. He lifted you up and placed you on the counter making him stand between your legs, kissing you like a madman, his hands all over Y/N, touching Y/N’s breast making her pull back out of the kiss and moan his name.

Patrick didn’t want to watch anymore but couldn’t close it. He kept hoping Y/N would fight back. Tell Soldier boy that she loved him, that he had to let her go. Instead, he watched the two of them heading for the bedroom. “No no no no noooo.” Patrick switched camera. Thank got that MM placed one in Soldier boy’s room. “You can still say no baby.” Patrick said under his breath.

“Fuck, say it again.” Ben said. “I want you, Ben” Y/N moaned while he was sucking her neck and ear. Ben lifted her up and took her to his room closing the door with his foot. He dropped Y/N onto the bed. “Clothes off!” He commanded “I would love to spend the next 48 hours just making love to you, reclaiming your body.” He said. “Ben we don’t have time for that.” Y/N said while pulling his sweatpants and boxers down. She placed herself on the bed. Pulling of her panties while Ben was still looking at her. Y/N opened her legs. “Are you going to stand there watching me pleasuring myself, or are you going to make me scream your name?” Y/N didn’t have to say that twice.

Ben took his cock in his hands and started to push himself inside her. “Fuck! Your still so tight.” He said while being balls deep in her. He started to trust slow but deep and hard. Y/N lifted her legs over his shoulders so he could go even deeper. “Oh Ben! I forgot how big you were!” Y/N could feel that Ben with every trust hit the G spot inside her. “You were made for me sweetheart, your pussy was made for me to fuck.” Ben felt that he wouldn’t last long if he kept going like this. “Turn around baby. All four.” He said while pulling out of her. He harshly trusted back in her making her moan almost screaming his name. “That’s it baby, say my name.” He said while rubbing her clit. “Oh Ben, ... Don’t stop!” She moaned. Y/N could feel her orgasm building and so could Ben by the way she squeezed him.

“Does he fuck you like this? Does he know how to make you scream his name? By the tightness of you pussy I would say you didn’t get fucked properly in a while.” Y/N loved the way Ben talked dirty. “Maybe we should invite him, let him see how a real man fucks his lady.” Y/N’s pussy tightened. “Oh, you like that huh. You want him to see how I fuck you, how I know every little inch of your body.” Y/N couldn’t hold it anymore and started to shake into her orgasm screaming Ben’s name. It didn’t take long before Ben’s trusts started to get sloppy. Y/N turned around and took his cock in her mouth bobbing her head, touching the tip of his cock with her tongue just the way he liked it. Ben leaned back holding her hair while releasing in her mouth.

Patrick couldn’t believe what he had seen. He tried to find a way to make things better. It was pure sexual, yes that’s it. She doesn’t love him, she, they fucked it wasn’t making love. He tried to convince himself.

Y/N laid back down on the bed. Ben did the same thing “Fuck that felt good.” He said looking at her on his side with his head in his hand. “Come here.” Ben said while pulling her in his arms Y/N’s head was locket under his chin and against his chest. Ben started to stroke his fingertips over her arms, up her back coming back to the front over her breast, holding one in his warm hand. “So fucking beautiful.” He whispered.

It was quiet for a moment, now that Y/N was back to her senses she could only think of Patrick, what did she do to him. Patrick was a nice respectable man, he didn’t deserve this. But being here in Ben’s arms felt so right, so safe like coming home.

“Leave him.” Ben said after a while to break the silence. “What?” Y/N got up looking shocked at him. “Leave him, run away with me.” He said with a straight face. “Ben you, no, I can’t. I’m getting married soon.” Y/N said but not with confidence. Ben got up and sat against the headboard of the bed. “Why? Because he gives you a home? A house with a white picket fence?” He asked while pulling Y/N into his lap, her knees on each side of his thighs. His lip started to slowly kiss the top of her breast before laying his head against her. His hands steady on her back.

Ben could now feel her scars for the first time his fingers moved over them. “I should have never left you.” He whispered. “Well, I'm sure countess would have found a way.” Y/N said while her lips and cheek were touching his hair. “No, back in 1939, I should have married you, I should have been the man you wanted, deserved. Instead of joining the army.”

He moved his head to look up at her. “I should have married you, made love to you every night until you were pregnant. Watch our kids grow up. Dance with you in the kitchen. Hell I would even take you to fucking Elvis Presley concerts if that is what you wanted.” That made Y/N laugh but tear up at the same time. “Ben...” Y/N sighted. He kissed her lips again only now he took his time. This kiss was one to make sure she felt loved. Ben pulled her closer, Y/N’s hands on the back of Ben’s head.

Y/N felt Ben's cock getting half hard again. Both of them started to move their bodies in sync without even knowing. Ben pulled sightly back. “Y/N, I’ll give up the suit, I’ll won’t kill payback, I’ll even stop the booze and drugs. I’ll do anything for you as long as you promise you're mine again.” Y/N looked at his face, looked in his green eyes. “I’ve always been yours Ben.”

MM got back in the car “Man, are you ok?” He looked at Patrick holding the phone. He rewind the last part and showed MM before the rest of the crew came back. “Y/N, I’ll give up the suit, I’ll won’t kill payback, I’ll even stop the booze and drugs. I’ll do anything for you as long as you promise you're mine again.” - “I’ve always been yours Ben.”

“Shit, I'm sorry man.” MM said Patrick didn’t react. Butcher and the rest came back and drove back to the house.

Y/N took a quick shower, Ben was walking around in the room putting on his sweatpants while all of the sudden he saw a little black dot on the top corner of the dresser. “Son of a...” He pulled it out. “A fucking camera.” Without saying anything to Y/N he walked around the house and found 3 more cameras. Ben stood in the kitchen when Butcher, MM, Hughie and Patrick walked in. “YOU ENGLISH FUCKER!” Ben yelled. This made Y/N suspicious, so she quickly got out of the shower and then heard a rumble. When she got dressed, she ran towards the sound. The kitchen table was upside down on the other end of the room. Ben held MM against the wall. “What the hell is going on?” Y/N asked.

“These fuckers thought it would be a great idea to record me, and everything I do in this house.” Ben said pissed not looking at her. “Ben let go of him.” He didn’t respond. Y/N touched Ben’s shoulder. “Ben, please let go of him.”

Butcher and Hughie looked at each other not knowing what was going on. “Oi, can someone explain what the fuck is going on. A bloody hour ago you” he pointed at Ben “Wanted to fucking kill her. And know she is taming you? And you two ” He pointed at MM and Frenchie “thought it would be good idea to spy on the oldest fucking supe out there, you‘re really that horny and pathetic you want to see him fuck grannies...” While Butcher said that Hughie got the bigger picture. “He didn’t sleep with grannies...” - “Y/N” Patrick finished Hughie's sentence, tearing up. “But then again, you were always his, weren’t you?”

Y/N started to cry “Patrick, I-I'm sorry.” - “It’s ok, I get it, you wanted a house, a husband, a family but not with me, not really. So, I’m going home, I'm going to box up everything you own. And when you are ready, you can come pick it up.” Y/N stood there watching him walking through the door.

“So on with the plan ay. How to kill Homelander.” Butcher broke the awkward silence. “No” Ben said walking up to Y/N holding her. “I’m done.” - “No, you’re not.” Y/N said “I still want payback on payback. But Homelander is your problem, Butcher.”

1 year later.

Y/N stood at the kitchen counter making breakfast. *Can’t help falling in love* playing in the background. Ben wrapped his arms around her waist. His head on her shoulder swaying left to right. Y/N turned around kissing him. And when she looked in his eyes, she could see the sparkle she hasn’t seen since that day at the fair. Ben, he smiled softly at her. And for the first time in God knows how long, she finally saw a glimpse of the young man she fell in love with. Knowing even though they are both fucked up, they belong together. “Look, we’re dancing. To fucking Presley, Sinatra I would get, but Elvis, why?” He said with a disgusted look on his face. Y/N laughed “Amazing voice, great hips!” She said biting her lip, knowing he wouldn’t like that answer. “Oh, I'll show you great hips.” Ben said lifting her up on the kitchen table. Y/N giggled like a teenager. “I love you.” Ben said looking in her eyes.

“I love you too.”

If you liked this, please check out my masterlist for other stories.

#the boys #billy butcher #soldier boy #the boys hughie #homelander #the boys spoilers #the boys amazon #soldier boy x reader #smut #fluff #fem reader #x reader #female reader

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journeytothewestresearch · 1 year ago

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I've heard the idea that Monkey is 7 times immortal thrown around a couple times, but my count has only ever gone up to 4 (the peaches, the pills, the wine, and his daoist studies). How immortal IS Monkey?

(Note 09-07-2024: I am going to edit this for more clarity. It will differ from previously shared versions.)

I count eight categories of immortality.

In place of using “layer” or “level,” I’m choosing to designate his various immortalities as “categories.” This is because a new layer of divine longevity or durability would surely be added for each immortal peach, elixir pill, or cup/jug of heavenly wine consumed. Hence, eating multiple peaches would be one category, eating multiple elixir pills would be one category, and so on and so forth.

There are two sets. The first are achieved before or during the journey:

1) Daoist Longevity Arts - Ch. 2

I discuss the exact methods here.

A photomanipulation by me.

2) Erasing Allotted Lifespan - Ch. 3

[After Monkey is summoned to hell in his sleep and thereafter threatens to beat the Judges of Hell for their mistake] The Ten Kings immediately had the judge in charge of the records bring out his [Sun's] books for examination. The judge, who did not dare tarry, hastened into a side room and brought out five or six books of documents and the ledgers on the tens species of living beings ... He [Monkey] had, therefore, a separate ledger, which Wukong examined himself. Under the heading "Soul 1350" he found the name Sun Wukong recorded, with the description: "Heaven-born Stone Monkey. Age: three hundred and forty-two years. A good end." Wukong said, "I really don't remember my age. All I want is to erase my name. Bring me a brush." The judge hurriedly fetched the brush and soaked it in heavy ink. Wukong took the ledger on monkeys and crossed out all the names he could find in it. Throwing down the ledger, he said, "That ends the account! That ends the account! Now I'm truly not your subject" (Wu & Yu, 2012, vol. 1, pp. 140-141).

A print from the Japanese children book Son Goku (1939).

3) Immortal Peaches - Ch. 5

[After being appointed the guardian of the Queen Mother of the West's immortal peach groves] The Great Sage ... asked the local spirit, "How many trees are there?" "There are three thousand six hundred," said the local spirit. "In the front are one thousand two hundred trees with little flowers and small fruits. These ripen once every three thousand years, and after one taste of them a man will become an immortal enlightened in the Way, with healthy limbs and a lightweight body. In the middle are one thousand two hundred trees of layered flowers and sweet fruits. They ripen once every six thousand years. If a man eats them, he will ascend to Heaven with the mist and never grow old. At the back are one thousand two hundred trees with fruits of purple veins and pale yellow pits. These ripen once every nine thousand years and, if eaten, will make a man's age equal to that of Heaven and Earth, the sun and the moon..." One day he [Monkey] saw that more than half of the peaches on the branches of the older trees had ripened, and he wanted very much to eat one and sample its novel taste. Closely followed, however, by the local spirit of the garden, the stewards, and the divine attendants of the Equal to Heaven Residence, he found it inconvenient to do so. He therefore devised a plan on the spur of the moment and said to them, "Why don't you all wait for me outside and let me rest a while in this arbor?" The various immortals withdrew accordingly. That Monkey King then took off his cap and robe and climbed up into a big tree. He selected the large peaches that were thoroughly ripened and, plucking many of them, ate to his heart's content right on the branches. Only after he had his fill did he jump down from the tree. Pinning back his cap and donning his robe, he called for his train of followers to return to the residence. After two or three days, he used the same device to steal peaches to gratify himself once again One day the Lady Queen Mother decided to open wide her treasure chamber and to give a banquet for the Grand Festival of Immortal Peaches, which was to be held in the Palace of the Jasper Pool. She ordered the various Immortal Maidens ... to go with their flower baskets to the Garden of Immortal Peaches and pick the fruits for the festival ... [After meeting with the Great Sage's ministers] The local spirit went into the garden with them; they found their way to the arbor but saw no one. Only the cap and the robe were left in the arbor, but there was no person to be seen. The Great Sage, you see, had played for a while and eaten a number of peaches. He had then changed himself into a figure only two inches high and, perching on the branch of a large tree, had fallen asleep under the cover of thick leaves (Wu & Yu, 2012, vol. 1, pp. 161-162).

A new years print found online.

4) Immortal Wine - Ch. 5

Our Great Sage could not make an end of staring at the scene [the heavenly feast set for the Immortal Peach Banquet] when he suddenly felt the overpowering aroma of wine ... standing beside the jars and leaning on the barrels, he abandoned himself to drinking. After feasting for a long, he became thoroughly drunk... [...] [After returning to Flower Fruit Mountain and meeting with his children, he says] "When I was enjoying myself this morning at the Jasper Pool, I saw many jars and jugs in the corridor full of the juices of jade [yuye qiongjiang, 玉液瓊漿; lit: "Jade liquid and jade syrup"], which you have never savored. Let me go back [to heaven] and steal a few bottles to bring down here. Just drink half a cup, and each of you will live longer without growing old" ... He took two large bottles, one under each arm, and carried two more in his hands. Reversing the direction of his cloud, he returned to the monkeys in the cave. They held their own Festival of Immortal Wine [Xianjiu hui, 仙酒會], with each one drinking a few cups" (Wu & Yu, 2012, vol. 1, pp. 165 and 167).

A screenshot from the 1986 Journey to the West TV show.

5) Immortal Elixir - Ch. 5

[After Sun Wukong drunkenly stumbles into Laozi's laboratory in the Tushita Heaven] He found no one but saw fire burning in an oven beside the hearth, and around the oven were five gourds in which finished elixir was stored. "This thing is the greatest treasure of immortals," said the Great Sage happily. "Since old Monkey has understood the Way and comprehended the mystery of the Internal's identity with the External, I have also wanted to produce some golden elixir on my own to benefit people. While I have been too busy at other times even to think about going home to enjoy myself, good fortune has met me at the door today and presented me with this! As long as Laozi is not around, I'll take a few tablets and try the taste of something new." He poured out the contents of all the gourds and ate them like fried beans (Wu & Yu, 2012, vol. 1, p. 166).

A detail from the 1835 Japanese translation of Journey to the West.

6) Ginseng Tree Fruit - Ch. 24

In the mountain there was a Daoist Abbey called the Five Villages Abbey [Wu zhuang guan, 五莊觀]; it was the abode of an immortal whose Daoist style [name] was Master Shenyuan [Shenyuan zi, 鎮元子] and whose nickname was Lord, Equal to Earth [Shi tong jun, 世同君]. There was, moreover, a strange treasure grown in this temple, a spiritual root that was formed just after chaos had been parted and the nebula had been established prior to the division of Heave and Earth. Throughout the four great continents of the world, it could be found in only the Five Villages Abbey in the West Aparagodaniya Continent. This treasure was called grass of the reverted cinnabar [cao huan dan, 草還丹], or the ginseng fruit [renshen guo, 人參果]. It took three thousand years for the plant to bloom, another three thousand years to bear fruit, and still another three thousand years before they ripened. All in all, it would be nearly ten thousand years before they could be eaten, and even after such a long time, there would be only thirty such fruits. The shape of the fruit was exactly that of a newborn infant not yet three days old, complete with the four limbs and the five senses. If a man had the good fortune of even smelling the fruit, he would live for three hundred and sixty years; if he ate one he would reach his forty-seven thousandth year. [After Wukong learns the complicated method of harvesting the fruit] Parting the leaves and branches, he knocked three of the fruits into the sack ... The three of them [Monkey and his brothers] took the fruits and began to enjoy them (Wu & Yu, 2012, vol. 1, pp. 453 and 462-463).

Monkey holding ginseng tree fruit. Image found online.

This previous article talks about the history of this magical fruit.

Sun Wukong is not truly immortal during the journey, just long-lived and hard to kill. Immortality in Ming to Qing-era popular literature means that you can live for a long time but still die if injured badly enough. Think of it like an infinitely long candle being blown out instead of having a chance to burn for centuries or eons. For example, Investiture of the Gods (Fengshen yanyi, 封神演義, c. 1620), a sort of prequel to Journey to the West, is full of immortals killed in battle with heavenly weapons. Some even have their immortality sapped away before dying in one of many celestial traps. The biggest of these traps is the "Ten Thousand Immortal Array" (Wanxian zhen, 萬仙陣), so named because it can apparently kill myriad transcendents.

The second set of immortalities are achieved at the journey’s end once they reach the Buddha’s blessed land. These shouldn’t be lumped together with those acquired before and during the pilgrimage.

7) Divine food and tea - ch. 98

Then Buddha turned to call out: "Ananda and Kasyapa, take the four of them to the space beneath the precious tower. Give them a vegetarian meal first. After the maigre, open our treasure loft for them and select a few scrolls from each of the thirty-five divisions of our three canons, so that they may take them back to the Land of the East as a perpetual token of grace." The two Honored Ones obeyed and took the four pilgrims to the space beneath the tower, where countless rare dainties and exotic treasures were laid out in a seemingly endless spread. Those deities in charge of offerings and sacrifices began to serve a magnificent feast of divine food, tea, and fruit-viands [仙餚、仙茶、仙果] of a hundred flavors completely different from those of the mortal world. After master and disciples had bowed to give thanks to Buddha, they abandoned themselves to enjoyment (Wu & Yu, 2012, vol. 4, p. 349). [...] This time it was Eight Rules who was in luck and Sha Monk who had the advantage, for what the Buddhist Patriarch had provided for their complete enjoyment was nothing less than such viands as could grant them longevity and health and enable them to transform their mortal substance into immortal flesh and bones [... 壽長生，脫胎換骨之饌，儘著他受用。] (Wu & Yu, 2012, vol. 4, p. 350).

While the quote refers directly to Zhu and Sha, Monkey certainly benefits from the meal as well, gaining another category of immortality.

Monkey eating yummy food.

8) Buddhahood - ch. 100

Sun Wukong, when you caused great disturbance at the Celestial Palace, I had to exercise enormous dharma power to have you pressed beneath the Mountain of Five Phases. Fortunately your Heaven-sent calamity came to an end, and you embraced the Buddhist religion. I am pleased even more by the fact that you were devoted to the scourging of evil and the exaltation of good. Throughout your journey you made great merit by smelting the demons and defeating the fiends. For being faithful in the end as you were in the beginning, I hereby give you the grand promotion and appoint you the Buddha Victorious in Strife [Dou zhansheng fo, 鬥戰勝佛] (Wu & Yu, 2012, p. 381).

I'm adding this as another immortality category since as a Buddha, he is now completely free of the wheel of reincarnation.

It’s important to note that the novel ends before Monkey is able to perform any feats as a Buddha. Therefore, making claims about his subsequent abilities is outside of canon.

A lovely drawing of Sun Wukong as a Buddha by the talented @ninjahaku21art.

Source:

Wu, C., & Yu, A. C. (2012). The Journey to the West (Vols. 1-4) (Rev. ed.). Chicago, Illinois: University of Chicago Press.

#sun wukong #monkey king #journey to the west #Chinese immortal #immortality #Chinese literature #Daoism #Taoism #Buddhism #fengshen yanyi #elixir #lego monkie kid #LMK

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thefeaturesof · 9 months ago

Text

Agatha Christie Books in Order.

Hercule Poirot Books

Hercule Poirot Collections

Miss Marple Books

Miss Marple Collections

Tommy and Tuppence Books

Tommy and Tuppence Collections

Superintendent Battle Books

Standalone Novels

Short Story Collections

Non-Fiction Books

Agatha Christie Hercule Poirot books in order

Here are the names of Agatha Christie’s Hercule Poirot books in order. It will help you start with your reading while ensuring the best experience.

The Mysterious Affair at Styles (1920)

The Murder on the Links (1923)

The Murder of Roger Ackroyd (1926)

The Big Four (1927)

The Mystery of the Blue Train (1928)

Peril at End House (1932)

Lord Edgware Dies (1933)

Murder on the Orient Express (1934)

Three Act Tragedy (1935)

Death in the Clouds (1935)

The A.B.C. Murders (1936)

Murder in Mesopotamia (1936)

Cards on the Table (1936)

Dumb Witness (1937)

Death on the Nile (1937)

Appointment with Death (1938)

Hercule Poirot’s Christmas (1938)

One, Two, Buckle My Shoe (1940)

Sad Cypress (1940)

Evil Under the Sun (1941)

Five Little Pigs (1942)

The Hollow (1946)

Taken at the Flood (1948)

Mrs. McGinty’s Dead (1952)

After the Funeral (1953)

Hickory Dickory Dock (1955)

Dead Man’s Folly (1956)

Cat Among the Pigeons (1959)

The Clocks (1963)

Third Girl (1966)

Hallowe’en Party (1969)

Elephants Can Remember (1972)

Curtain (1975)

The Monogram Murders (2014)

Agatha Christie Hercule Poirot Collections in Order

Poirot Investigates (1924)

Murder in the Mews (1937)

The Labours of Hercules (1947)

Poirot’s Early Cases (1974)

Agatha Christie Miss Marple Books in Order

Here is the list of Agatha Christie’s books in order based on their publication date.

The Murder at the Vicarage (1930)

The Body in the Library (1942)

The Moving Finger (1942)

A Murder is Announced (1950)

They Do It with Mirrors (1952)

A Pocket Full of Rye (1953)

4:50 From Paddington (1957)

The Mirror Crack’d (1962)

A Caribbean Mystery (1964)

At Bertram’s Hotel (1965)

Nemesis (1971)

Sleeping Murder (1976)

Agatha Christie Miss Marple Collection in Order

The Thirteen Problems (1932)

Miss Marple’s Final Cases (1979)

Agatha Christie’s Tommy and Tuppence Books in Order

Here’s the list of Agatha Christie Tommy and Tuppence Books in Order

The Secret Adversary (1922)

N or M? (1941)

By the Pricking of My Thumbs (1968)

Postern of Fate (1973)

Agatha Christie’s Tommy and Tuppence Collections in Order

Partners in Crime (1929)

Agatha Christie’s Superintendent Battle Books in Order

Here’s the list of Agatha Christie Superintendent Battle Books in Order

The Secret of Chimneys (1925)

The Seven Dials Mystery (1929)

Cards on the Table (1936)

Murder is Easy (1939)

Towards Zero (1944)

Agatha Christie’s Standalone Novels in Order

Here’s the list of Agatha Christie Standalone Novels in Order

The Man in the Brown Suit (1924)

Giant’s Bread (1930)

The Sittaford Mystery (1931)

Unfinished Portrait (1934)

Why Didn’t They Ask Evans? (1934)

And Then There Were None (1939)

Absent in the Spring (1944)

Death Comes as the End (1944)

Sparkling Cyanide (1945)

The Rose and the Yew Tree (1948)

Crooked House (1949)

They Came to Baghdad (1951)

A Daughter’s a Daughter (1952)

Destination Unknown (1954)

The Burden (1956)

Ordeal by Innocence (1958)

The Pale Horse (1961)

Endless Night (1967)

13 at Dinner (1969)

Passenger to Frankfurt (1970)

The Murder at Hazelmoor (1984)

Agatha Christie’s Short Story Collections in Order

Here’s the list of Agatha Christie Short Story Collections in Order

The Mysterious Mr. Quin (1930)

The Hound of Death (1933)

The Listerdale Mystery (1934)

Parker Pyne Investigates (1934)

The Regetta Mystery and Other Stories (1939)

The Witness for the Prosecution and Other Stories (1948)

Three Blind Mice and Other Stories (1950)

The Under Dog and Other Stories (1951)

The Adventure of the Christmas Pudding (1960)

Double Sin and Other Stories (1961)

Star Over Bethlehem and Other Stories (1965)

The Golden Ball and Other Stories (1974)

The problem at Pollensa Bay and Other Stories (1991)

The Harlequin Tea Set (1997)

While the Light Lasts and Other Stories (1997)

Agatha Christie’s Non-Fiction Books in Order

Here’s the list of Agatha Christie Non-Fiction Books in Order

Come, Tell Me How You Live (1946)

Agatha Christie: An Autobiography (1977)

Top 10 Agatha Christie Books to Read

Given the number of books in the Agatha Christie series, readers generally hesitate to begin. Further, to understand the series well, one needs to read Agatha Christie’s novels in order. To ease things, the readers generally look for the best novels or books to read them directly and avoid all the hassle. So here are the top 10 Agatha Christie novels that will offer you the best mystery story reading experience.

#agatha christie #poirot #hercule poirot #miss marple #tommy and tuppence #superintendent battle #literature #english literature #books #classics #crime novles #1920s #1930s #1940s #1950s #1960s #1970s #vintage

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detroitlib · 3 months ago

Text

View of automobiles traveling on Highland Park Drive adjacent to Lake Michigan at Grand Haven, Michigan. Printed on front: "Highland Park Drive and pier, Grand Haven, Mich." Printed on back: "Pub. by Reichardt, Grand Haven, Mich. Made in U.S.A." Handwritten on back: "Dear Clarissa, I hope you are enjoying your vacation as much as I am enjoying mine. Food tastes good, sleep like a log, living in trailer is fun. There is such a wonderful breeze and gorgeous big waves, just like an ocean, almost. See you soon & say hello to your mother for me. Love, Marge & Lol." Card is postmarked August 15, 1939.

Burton Historical Collection, Detroit Public Library

#grand haven #lake michigan #michigan #great lakes #postcards #1939 #vintage #vintage postcards #highland park drive #vacation #detroit public library

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la-femme-au-collier-vert · 1 year ago

Text

IWTV Season 2 Sources & References

(The 1st 4 were cited by the Writer’s Room)

The Ethnic Avante-Garde: Minority Cultures and World Revolution by Steven S. Lee

Paris Journal 1944-1955 by Janet Flanner (Genet)

The Vampire: A Casebook by Alan Dundes

Anne Rice’s Vampire Chronicles: An Alphabettery

The Fly cited by Jacob Anderson

King Lear by Shakespeare cited by Rolin Jones

Melmoth the Wanderer by Charles Maturin

Sebastien Melmoth by Oscar Wilde

Amadeus (1984)

The Lost Boys (1987)

Gaslight (1944)

Batman

Casablanca (1942)

Now, Voyager (1942)

The Third Man (1949) cited by Levan Akin

An American in Paris by George Gershwin (1928) cited by Daniel Hart

Moulin Rouge (2001)

The Phantom of the Opera

Les Vampires (1915)

Dracula (1931) credit to @vampchronicles_ on twt

Le Triomphe de L’amour by Pierre de Marivaux

Giovanni’s Room by James Baldwin cited by Jacob Anderson

Existentialism is a Humanism by Jean Paul Sartre

Les Liaisons Dangereuses by Pierre Choderlos de Laclos

Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare

How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie

Hamlet by William Shakespeare

Vampire’s Kiss (1988) credit to @talesfromthecrypts

Les Morts ont tous le Meme Peau by Boris Vian credit to @greedandenby

The Most Dangerous Game by Richard Connell

Waiting for Godot by Samuel Barclay Beckett credit to @rorscachisgay on twt

An Enemy of the People by Ibsen

Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy

Vie de Voltaire by Marquis Condorcet

Simone de Beauvoir: A Critical Introduction by Edward Fullbrook and Kate Fullbrook credit to @iwtvfanevents

Nightwood by Djuna Barnes credit to @iwtvfanevents

Beloved by Toni Morrison

Artists and Salons Referenced:

R-26

Palma Vecchio

Andre Fougeron

Elsa Triollet

Fred Stein

Lisette Model

Gordon Parks

Miguel Barcelo

Taxidermied Javelina by Chris Roberts-Antieau

Ai WeiWei (wallpaper)

David Hockney (Lemons)

Wols

The Kiss of Judas by Jakob Smits

Salome by Louis Icart

Ophelia by John Everett Millais

Shelter by Peter Macon

The Kiss by Edvard Munch

The Vampire or Love and Pain by Edvard Munch credit @iwtvasart

Ruiter on Horse by Reiger Stolk credit @ iwtvasart

Portrait of Frank Burty Haviland by Modigliani credit @iwtvasart

Self-Seers II (Death and Man) by Egon Schiele credit to @90sgreggaraki

The Sleep of Reason Produces Monsters by Goya

Movie & Play Posters on set (in chronological order by year):

Tarzan and his Mate (1934)

Avec le Sourire (1936)

Les Deux Gosses (1936)

Le Jour Se Leve (1939) about a man who commits murder as a result of a love triangle and locks himself in his apartment recounting the details as the police attempt to arrest him. Credit to @laisofhyccara

Nuit de Décembre (1940)

Mademoiselle Swing (1942) about a girl who follows a troupe of swing musicians to Paris.

Les Enfents du Paradis (1945) about a woman with many suitors including an actor and an aristocrat.

Fantomas (1946) about a sadistic criminal mastermind. This version includes a hideout in the catacombs where he traps people.

Quai des Orfevres (1947) watch here

Monsieur Vincent (1947)

Le Cafe du Cadran (1947) about a wife’s affair with a violinist.

La Kermesse Rouge (1947) film about a jealous artist who locks up his younger wife and a fire breaks out while she’s trapped.

Morts Sans Sepulture by Jean-Paul Sartre (play) also published in English translations as “The Victors” or “Men Without Shadows” about resistance fighters captured by Vichy soldiers struggling not to give up information.

Mon Faust by Paul Valery (play)

Musical Influences:: @greedandenby collected all music used in Season 2 here.

Henry Cowell

Meredith Monk

Howling’ Wolf

Shirley Temple

Jason Lindner Big Band

The Teeth

Carlos Salzedo

Alice Coltrane

Thelonius Monk

David Lang

Caroline Shaw

Gadfly by Shostakovich (for Raglan James)

musical career of Martha Argerich

Season 1 here (these lists are updated regularly)

Season 3 here

#iwtv #season 2 #given that the posters are starting to come out of Prague I decided to start compiling sources and references in one place #Set design #production design #iwtv art

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headfullofpresley · 2 years ago

Note

Hey, babe! 🥰

Saw you needed some scenarios 👀 and idk if this is cute enough but I've had this idea for a while and just haven't gotten around to writing it myself—what if reader found some old photos of E when he was younger, and he catches her looking through them and he gets self-conscious, because he knows he doesn't look the same and he knows reader could have anyone else if she wanted, but she reassures him and they end up reminiscing as they go through the photos together. 🥹

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐌𝐨𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐬

Word count: 3,2K

Warnings: angst-ish, Elvis feeling insecure, strong language.

A/N: thank you sm for the request, steph! i hope you like it, honey! 💗 the celine song was on repeat while i was writing this- i thought it fit pretty well. 😌

masterlist

“Mrs. Presley, I don’t think this is a good idea!”

Miss Jenkins called up to you from where she stood by the pull down attic ladder.

You managed to suppress a scream when you walked right through an old spider’s web and cleared your throat a little, shivering as you slapped it off of you.

“Don’t worry, Mary- I’ll be fine! It’s just.. very dark in here,” you made sure to lower the volume of your voice at the end of your sentence, but Mary heard you nonetheless.

Mary Jenkins loved you and she enjoyed having you around her whenever Elvis wasn’t home or sleeping, but you always came up with the darnest ideas.

Like on this relaxing Sunday afternoon where Elvis had some time for himself and was snoring up a storm in his bedroom, you decided you wanted to inspect the attic. When you told Mary and Minnie Mae that you had been hearing noises coming from up there and wanted to find out what it was, they told you not to do it.

Well, Mary told you not to, Minnie Mae cheered you on.

Graceland was built in 1939- there being wandering spirits wasn’t such a strange idea.

You liked the idea of it, but Mary did not like to mess with these things at all. Still, she wasn’t going to leave you all by yourself and stayed in her spot at the bottom of the stairs.

Partly to catch you in her arms if something would happen and you’d come down crying and screaming – which she knew was definitely something you’d do – and partly to keep an eye out if Elvis was coming out of his room or not.

“There’s a light in the middle of the room, pull the string if you can find it,” you did as she told you to, shuffling forward with your arms stretched out. “Oh, I really do think you should just come down, little girl. Mr. Presley doesn’t want you to go up there, you know that!”

Elvis did not want you to inspect the attic because he too has heard the noises and just like you, he was convinced it weren’t rats or mice. He told you to leave the spirits of Graceland alone, but he should’ve known that you weren’t going to listen.

“He’s asleep, don’t worry, Ma-AH!”

“What? Mrs. Presley, what happened?!”

You placed your hand over your heart, a headless mannequin standing in front of you, adorning one of Gladys’ dresses on the silhouette. Your adrenaline had grown tenfold, but still you didn’t come downstairs.

“N-Nothing- just another spider!”

“Hmmhmm,” she mumbled, obviously not believing a word you said. You were pretty sure she was rolling her eyes right now.

The lighting in the attic wasn’t much, but there was not much up there to see that you hadn’t seen yet. An old sofa that once stood downstairs, Elvis’ army uniform, some mannequins with Gladys’ dresses and a big, mahogany dresser- you smiled as you opened a few drawers and noticed Elvis’ baby clothing in them. You admired them for a little bit, until you spotted some boxes in the corner, propped up against the side of the dark Chesterfield sofa.

“Mrs. Presley, Minnie Mae needs me- I’ll be back in a minute. Please don’t stay up there for too long!” Mary yelled in a whisper as you sat down on the couch, waving some specks of dust out of your view while pulling the boxes closer to you.

You heard Mary shuffling away from the stairs, calling out to Dodger and you opened the first box. Inside of it were photo albums, a lot of them.

“Okay, Mary!” you yelled back, not caring if you woke up Elvis or not. You knew he’d forgive you for doing something he told you not to.

He was your husband, not your father.

Ofcourse, you couldn’t resist yourself.

You pulled out the first heavy album, placing it on your lap to open it. Despite the low lighting, you could make out that it was mostly pictures of Elvis’ parents, grandparents and other family members that you had never met. The pictures were old- the edges were frayed and in some were deep creases, indicating that they had once been folded and unfolded. Your smile grew as your eye fell on a picture of Gladys and Vernon, little Elvis sitting on their lap as he was shooting the camera a toothless smile.

Your heart fluttered in your chest, caressing your fingertips over it before you shut the photo album and moved on to the next one.

And the next one, and the next one…

Until you came across one filled with pictures from the 50s, from Elvis’ last years in high school and gradually going to when he was starting out his career.

You met Elvis in the early 70s and although you had seen pictures from when he was younger before, you hadn’t seen them all.

Mary startled you as she called out to you again and you quickly got up, shoving some albums back in the box though keeping the last one under your arm. You pushed the box back to the side of the couch and turned off the light, carefully climbing down the stairs.

“What’s the verdict, Mrs. Presley? Do we need a priest?” Mary grinned playfully at you and you frowned as if you had no idea what she was talking about.

Because of the pictures, you hadn’t even thought to check for mice or for ghosts.

“I don’t think so,” you then laughed, helping her push the ladder back up before you followed the other woman down the stairs.

Figuring Dodger was in her room and Vernon was in his office or at his own home, the house was silent. Extremely rare, but you liked it.

Mary joined you as you looked through the photo album together while nursing a cup of coffee. You giggled together as you pointed out Elvis’ boyish but flirty smirk in one of the pictures.

The both of you were so engrossed in the pictures that you hadn’t seen or heard Elvis wandering into the dining room where you were seated until Mary looked up and got up from her seat.

He told her to stay seated, but she just flashed him a smile as she told him she’d make him something to eat before disappearing into the kitchen.

“What are you looking at, baby?” he questioned as he walked over to you, his large hands engulfing your smaller shoulders as he stood behind you.

“You,” you grinned. As you looked up and behind you, you noticed his eyes were on the open photo album in front of you. He grimaced, though his features softened as he looked back at you.

“I told you not to go up to the attic,” he mumbled as he sat down in Mary’s seat next to you, keeping his eyes strictly on you.

You chuckled, looking at him with a small pout and a raise of your shoulders. “Someone had to check for mice,”

He hummed teasingly, squinting his eyes a little at you before he leaned in and planted a kiss on your lips. “Ghosts, mice- same thing, right?”

You hummed in agreement as he laughed softly, his arms snaking around your waist to pull you onto his lap. He gently leaned his chin on your shoulder and closed the photo album.

“Why are you even lookin’ at that? It’s just old, boring pictures,” he mumbled, trying to distract you by moving your hair over your shoulder and hiding his face in your neck, his lips parting against your heated skin to lick that little sensitive spot underneath your ear.

You would’ve given in any other time – it was hard not to – but Mary was right there in the kitchen and you weren’t done looking at the younger version of your husband that you never got to experience in real life.

“They’re not boring, Elvis!” you protested, raising your shoulder again to get him out of your neck. You opened the photo album again, flipping to the page you had been looking at before you were interrupted. “These are really beautiful memories, you should treasure them, not put them up in the attic- besides, you were really handsome,”

He scoffed, looking at the side of your face as he squeezed you in his embrace. He could practically see hearts popping out of your eyes and drool dripping down your chin.

“Were, huh?”

“Oh, you know that’s not what I meant,” you shushed him, waving your hand before you leaned your elbows on the table, happily looking at the pictures of your boyfriend posing with his car.

If the comment hadn’t struck some kind of nerve inside of him, he would’ve grabbed your hips and thrusted his hips upwards against your ass that was currently sticking out, but it did.

He didn’t know why – he did, but he just didn’t want to admit it because he knew it were his own damn insecurities coming out to play – but your words made his mood drop in a matter of seconds. Grabbing your waist, he got up from underneath you and pulled the album toward him as he stood next to you.

You sat down on the chair, looking up at him with confusion written on your features. You could see his mood had shifted, you just didn't know why.

“I told you not to go to the attic, so why would you do it- why don’t you listen?”

He kept his flat hand on top of the photo album, preventing you from taking it back when you tried. You scoffed and got up, folding your arms in front of your chest.

“It’s just the attic, Elvis. You’re acting like you have some kind of gold treasure hidden up there,”

You had to surpress an eye roll, knowing that would get him even deeper in whatever emotion he was feeling.

“It’s just a bunch of old stuff up there, like this,” he tapped his fingers against the book, placing his other hand on his hip. “And the lighting up there is bad, you could’ve hurt yourself, Y/N,”

“Well, maybe I like old stuff,” you smiled as you took a step closer to him, your hand sneaking to the photo album. “I like you, don’t I?”

The words flew off your tongue before you could stop yourself. But that was who Elvis and you were- you’d tease the hell out of each other and your age difference was usually the main subject.

You’d call him an ancient old vampire and he’d call you a child, putting on Sesame Street during your movie nights.

And you could always laugh about it together, but right now, laughing was the last thing he did.

Grasping the album from the table, he turned around and stormed out of the dining room and up the stairs.

Elvis didn’t know why he was acting the way he was. He knew you- knew your jokes and what your personality was like and most importantly, he knew you loved him.

You had told him so many times, showed him so many times. You were the type of girl that would bite someone’s head off if they said something nasty about him, even stuff that he didn’t give a rat’s ass about. You were always there to stand up for him even though he could handle it himself perfectly fine.

But seeing you look at those pictures of his younger self, seeing you swoon over them, it made the demons in his head overrule the rational part of his brain.

Because he didn’t look like that anymore. He didn’t have the same body, nor the same face, nor the same hair. His body had gotten fuller and let’s be real- who would be happy about that?

Ofcourse he knew that you loved him for who he was and that you thought he was attractive, but he couldn’t help but wonder if you wished he was a little skinnier, maybe even a little younger.

A knock on the door startled him as he was sitting up against the headboard of the bed, looking up at a random show that was playing on the ceiling TVs. He knew it was you, so he mumbled a soft “come in”.

“I come in peace,” you announced yourself, stepping inside your shared bedroom with a tray full of food Mary made. He didn’t say anything, instead turning his head back to the TVs.

You put the tray on the bed as you crawled onto it on your own side, sitting on your knees. Smiling at him, you pushed the tray closer to him.

“’M not hungry,” he mumbled, grabbing the remote to absentmindedly switch the channel.

“Liar,” you squinted your eyes at him, catching him off guard as you snatched the remote out of his hand and turned the TV off, throwing the remote to the end of the bed. He sighed deeply, leaning his head back against the bed as he closed his eyes.

“What’s going on, Elvis? I know this isn’t about me going up to the attic,”

He sighed deeply, opening his eyes. He didn’t want to look at the food nor at you, so he opted for the black tv screens. You hated when he was this distant, because it usually meant something was wrong and in this moment, you had no idea what happened that got him to this point.

Moving the tray further away from the both of you, you crawled closer to his side and lifted his arm, forcing him to put it around you. Leaning against him, you put one hand on the side of his neck, your fingertips pressing against his jawline to get him to look at you.

He was resisting.

“Elvis, I know something’s up, but I’m not a mind reader,” you whispered, the teasing tone of your voice nowhere to be heard. You were getting a little worried now, because truly upsetting him had never been your intention.

For the first time since you came into the room, he looked you in the eye. A heavy sigh slipped past his lips and his arm that you put around your own shoulder squeezed you into his side a little firmer.

“It’s.. it’s those damn pictures,” he eventually admitted, his voice a mere whisper. “Ofcourse they’re great memories- I looked good, I looked better,”

You frowned, moving your hand down his chest as you sat up a little, looking at him as if he had just grown two heads. “Baby, you still look good,”

He scoffed softly, shaking his head as he looked down at your hand on his chest, placing his own atop of yours. “Hardly. I don’t look like that anymore, Y/N.. and when I saw the way you were looking at ‘em, I-I don’t know.. You can easily find some better looking fool- you’re fuckin’ gorgeous,”

You shifted your body, sitting back on your behind on the soft mattress to properly face him. You laced your fingers together with his, slipping your other hand in his as well.

“I don’t want any other fool, Elvis, only the one I already got,” you smiled softly at him, squeezing his hands firmly.

He sighed deeply, his thumbs rubbing the back of your hands as his eyes watched the repeated motion.

You hated to see this was bothering him so much. If only he could have a peek in your heart, then he could see it was full of him and only him. He stayed silent, so you continued, wanting your husband to know that you loved him more than life itself.

“Elvis,” the serious expression on your face made him a little nervous. “I love you for you- not for your body, or anything superficial like that. To me, you’re the most beautiful man I’ve ever laid eyes on, but I fell in love with you, your soul..” you managed to release one of his hands, flattening yours against his chest. “… your kind soul and heart. Even though I can tape you to the ceiling on some days, you’re the sweetest person I’ve ever met- you put up with me on my worst days, you’re always here for me and that’s why I love you,”

“You mean that?”

“Ofcourse I do, you silly man,” you laughed softly, moving to straddle him. Gently cupping his face, you grinned and pecked his lips. “Besides- Elvis in the 50s was cute, but he could never handle me,”

He watched with an amused look on his face as you threw your hair over your shoulder and fluttered your eyelashes at him. Laughing, he pushed you against him by placing a hand in between your shoulder blades and hugged you tight. “I love you, little one,”

“I love you too,” you hummed, pecking his lips once more as you pulled back from the embrace. Getting off his lap, you grabbed the photo album he had put at the foot of the bed and the tray of food, putting it on his lap. You sat next to him again, with the album on your lap.

“Now, let’s look at these pictures and I promise you I will make fun of every single one of your outfits,”

“Hey! There was nothin’ wrong with what I wore!”

“I meaaaan…” you opened the book, pointing at a picture of him on stage dressed in the gold lamé suit.

He ripped into a piece of bacon, grimacing at the photo before he looked at you. Giving you a nod and a small shrug of his shoulders, he agreed. “Fair enough,”

Elvis knew he had to get over himself and he was glad you were there to help him with it. You loved him and only him- you didn’t care about the clothes he wore, the size he was, or the wrinkles he inevitably was going to get.

You loved his style through all the years, but you kept making jokes here and there about some pictures to lighten the mood and he appreciated it. He’d joke along with you, or tell you stories about something that happened before, during or after a show or the backstory about certain pictures.

Being there with Elvis at the very start of his career sounded exciting – at least, from the stories he told you – but he was doing great things now as well. He was still making his fans happy with new records and live shows, or simply by chatting with them about their personal lives if he had the chance to.

Your husband was a person with layers- sometimes that manifested in moments and outbursts that were not so pretty, but most of the time it manifested in kindness and empathy.

So, yes; young Elvis was amazing. A trendsetter, if you will. That twenty something year old changed people’s lives even though he might’ve not realised it (and probably still doesn’t now).

But the man that was currently laughing at a picture of himself and telling you the funny story that went along with it was extraordinary.

No matter what he looked like, you thought the world of him. And if there was any possible way for you to give Elvis Presley the moon and the stars, there was no doubt you would.

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