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heyidkyay · 2 months

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Pause it, play it, pause it, play it | Market girl AU

Matty x marketseller!reader

Summary: Saturday's are always the same working the stall, until a stranger stops in to disrupt your cassette display...

Authors note: A one shot for you, needed something to help me with a little writer's block so I hope it's alright! Nothing too detailed, mostly just fluff, just saw that middle picture and the idea took root:)

“Oi, Rob… You see where I set those new slips I just had?” I called out loudly, riffling my way through the boxes I’d brought over from the van that very same morning. “I swear I left them here in one of these lot.”

Rob seemed to shuffle over towards me at the beckon, peering around the tent whilst I pulled apart one box’s contents.

I huffed when I heard a familiar crunch and looked over my shoulder to see him stood there munching on an apple. “Nah, babe. Sorry. I can ‘ave a look though if you want, got Nance watchin’ out for me.” ‘Nance’ being Nancy, Rob’s massive Alsatian that had once been his grandad’s guard-dog when he’d manned the stall years back.

With a soft chuckle I pushed myself up onto my feet once more, tucking my hair behind my ears as I went.

“Have at, can’t for the life of me find them.” I told him, watching on in growing amusement as he bit down on the green fruit to hold it between his teeth whilst he mooched about the pyramid of cardboard boxes for me, “Sure you’ll still have enough left to sell? Last Saturday you ate your way through six of those, the one before that was the highest yet, at eight.”

Huffing, Rob took another bite of his apple and then shot me a wink. “Keepin’ an eye on me, are you?”

I rolled my eyes as a breathy laugh escaped me, falling against the stall’s main bench so that I could cross my arms over my chest.

A quick glance at the time told me that we still had a while yet ‘til it hit nine and the market opened properly, letting that first bit of crowd sail in. Though I’d always found it was easier most days to just enjoy the atmosphere that was Portobello, instead of focusing in on the imminent mob.

See, I’d been at the market since I were nine, working the vintage stretch with my mum and aunt, having grown all too fond of the people and their many eccentricities. Rob was of the same cloth, though a tad bit older, just enough that I’d had the fattest crush on him and that East London accent of his as a kid.

It had faded over time, mind, what with him jetting off a couple years back when he’d been a holiday rep in Ibiza and me realising that I’d wanted to try my luck at art school. Not that either of those things had worked out, which had ultimately led us back here, surprised not to be rid of the other.

He was as close as I could get to a best mate though. Strange yeah, but he was family, wasn’t he? Everyone who worked the market was.

“With an arse like that? Always.” I retorted easily enough to have him laughing along with me and shaking his head at my antics. Something he’d grown all too used to in the recent years since I’d come back and made my mark with a stall of my own.

It wasn’t anything too grand, my stall. Nothing like the tourist trapping shops that sat a little further down, but sweet enough for the likes of me and the massive music collection I managed to drag down here each weekend. Set up was always mad, yes, but with Rob, Nancy and a few other early starters, time slipped away quick enough.

“Here we go then.”

I blinked and looked back over at Rob, who was now beaming brightly at the set of LP slips I’d ordered in special, waving them about in smarmy pride. I swatted his side as I made a grab for the things, only to have him lift them up higher to where I couldn’t reach.

“Don't be a twat, pass them over. We open in five!”

Rob simply chuckled in retort, taking another chomp out of that apple of his. “A thanks wouldn’t go amiss.”

“Yeah, yeah, I would’ve gotten to it!” I swiftly shot back, jumping up to swipe them from his grasp and grinning in triumph when I managed it. He only laughed, a slight rasp working its way into it like it typically did. “Thanks.” I added after I’d thumbed through the lot, smiling up at him as he made his way to the other side of the tent.

“Buy me a pint and we’ll call it even, treacle.”

I gave him a roll of my eyes, but agreed without much fuss. “Fine, but just the one, tight arse.”

His hearty chuckle filled the steadily growing street of sellers and I watched on as he stroked Nancy’s collar before settling back in at his own stall which resided by mine.

“Penny’s take care of the pounds, my darlin’.”

I raised a single brow and tucked the slips into one of the closer vinyl cubbies- 70’s Proto-punk wasn’t much of a seller anyway. “You mean, look after the pennies and the pounds will look after themselves.”

Rob clucked his tongue, waving the correction away with the hand that held his apple core, “Alright, smart-arse. You knew what I meant.”

I smirked, tittering quietly to myself whilst he settled his usual bum bag around his hips. It suited him, I thought, the neon green pouch sitting atop that awful red and white apron he’d pinched off the butchers up in Notting Hill when he’d worked there for a weekend. Though I much preferred my own, my nephew having decked it out in all sorts of pins and patches for me a while back now.

With that Rob and I settled into our own stations, me taking perch on the old wooden stool I’d found in the back of a garden shed, and Rob being his usual loudmouth self, beckoning the arriving customers on closer.

The crowd grew bigger and bigger the closer it got to ten, lots of people stopped by to have a chat or a look round, a few purchased a couple of bits. It was mainly just the vinyls that sold these days, but I still had posters, cd’s, and even cassettes on show.

It wasn’t usual for the cassettes to get a good look over though, mainly just a ‘Oh! Do you remember them?’ and then a small laugh before people eventually moved on. Which was why I was more than a little surprised to see a figure having a right old rummage through the steady collection I owned, once I’d managed to wrap up another sale.

Glancing about, I spotted a pair of old birds flirting with Rob by the pears, Nance having gone to settle herself down by my bag in the back to hide from their gentle clucking, and how the crowded mob had thinned out a tad since most people had made their way further down the road’s neck.

I tucked the few notes I held into my pouch and stepped over a tangle of cables to make my way closer to the person, taking in their too big graphic tee and the tight zip up that had been layered over top of it. The nearer I grew the more I spotted though, the slight nod of a head as fingers worked their way deftly through the collection, the array of dark curls that poked their way out of the sides of a worn cap, and then the tiny hoop which dangled from a right earlobe.

“Looking for something specific?”

The bloke didn’t startle much, there was no real jump at the sound of my voice, only the slight tilt of his head, as though he was used to being caught off guard. I watched him closer after that, noting how his thumb trailed across one of the few Sonic Youth singles I had.

“Their ‘86 album?”

His voice was gentler than I’d first been expecting, rasped with a slight accent I couldn’t quite place. I blinked at his ask, skimming through the catalogue of tapes my mind offered me, which hardly ever seemed to move from their typical place of sorting.

“Um, top right? Should be one there, got Sister and Goo too, if I’m not wrong. Though the ‘88 album seems to be their most popular- even in cassette form.” I had rambled a tad there, I knew that much, but it was all part of the job to me. Talk and talk until they either fled the scene or decided to buy more than what they’d first come for. “You into cassettes then?”

He gave me a low chuckle and pulled away from the stand slightly, it was then that I caught sight of his face, a tad bit stubbled and lips parted almost in wait. He must’ve been closer to Rob’s age than my own.

I raised a brow when he didn’t offer me an answer, tilting my head in turn. “Or, is it a gift of some sort?” I dragged out.

With a blink, he seemed to stand a little taller and I noticed he only had an inch or two on me.

“Er, no.” He muttered, before mimicking my head’s movement and propping his elbow up on the cassette stand almost as if he was attempting to suss me out. It took a second before he finally flashed me a slow but genuine smile, “Looking for a certain sound. Some tapes sound better than the actual record so I figured here would be my best bet.”

I hummed, crossing one ankle over the other. “The further back you go you can hear it, but most of their stuff's good either way.”

He smirked as he settled in further, looking out at me from under the brim of his cap, “Aren’t you meant to be selling it to me?”

My laughter couldn’t have been helped because he did have a point there, only… “It’s just not everyday that someone pops by to talk about music mediums with me.” I argued, all too pleased when I heard him give another hearty chuckle in reply, “So forgive me for my excitement.”

“Will do.” He simpered, eyes flicking down to where he still held the Evol tape, I reached out to tap its plastic top.

“That one’s known for its ballads, if that’s something you’re into, but,” I practically sang before peering round him to see if I could find the one cassette case I was thinking of, “If you’re wanting a specific sound then A Thousand Leaves is probably worth giving a listen to. Personally I don’t think it got the recognition it deserved, but there was a lot of experimenting whilst also managing not to betray their roots, you know? It’s softer, smoother, and the guitars are almost unmatched.”

When I went to hand it over to him just to have a look at, I found him already watching me with this inscrutable sort of expression. I merely brushed it off, figuring that he’d just leave if he did eventually grow tired of my ranting, then turned slightly when a round of whispers echoed around the tent. It seemed a few younger girls had wandered straight on over to the independent artists section I had placed by the front and were arguing over who got this one Sam Fender album.

I looked away and went to say something else to him, but the way he'd simultaneously moved to angle his back away from the cassette tapes when he too spotted the new arrivals wasn't lost on me. I frowned a tad, though chose not to comment on it. “So, what sort of sound are you searching for anyway?”

His gaze skittered away from the tapes to meet mine for a second and I wondered, briefly, why he’d so suddenly lost the relaxed stance he’d been in just minutes before, but then he said, “Anything I haven’t heard much of before, in truth.”

Mulling his words over I then gestured towards the stand. “Can I?” I gestured, and immediately he knew where I was going with it, jumping back a step to let me riffle through the lot.

I pulled out a couple I figured he might be into, simply going off of the Sonic Youth album he’d been eyeing, then a few of my own favourites, not that I’d let that tidbit slip.

Handing them over, I let him search through their titles and answered one or two questions he had for me. I had to admit he intrigued me a bit, I’d had music enthusiasts stop by and talk about this and that with me, even had a couple people who played and were searching for new stuff to learn and adapt, but him? He didn’t give much away.

“Any good?” I questioned once I'd wandered back over to join him. I’d only left him to look through the selection again when a customer had called me over towards the front, and was just tucking away the few extra coins I’d been given when he glanced up at me with a bright grin. I was a little surprised to say it caught me off balance a bit.

“I’ll take the lot.”

Trying my hardest not to outright baulk, I paused. “The lot?”

Sure, cassettes weren’t all that pricey, not compared to pressed records at least, but there must’ve been just over a dozen that I’d pulled out to show him and now he supposedly wanted to take them all.

He laughed after a moment, most likely at the baffled look that marred my face, and made to pull his wallet out of his back pocket. “That gonna be a problem?”

The question was almost argumentative, pushy even, but in a jokey sort of way, the kind you’d use when ribbing a mate, not now. Not with some stranger at a market stall. It only left me marvelling further.

“Might be, I’ll have to find a bag big enough to fit them all though.” I countered, hiding my own smile when I heard him laugh again whilst I spun around to fetch exactly that.

“Anything will do, love.”

I dipped my chin in a slight nod but didn’t go right for the usual stack of black baggies I used for most sales, instead I swiped one of the few printed totes I had hung up for trade and tallied up the price. “You gonna be alright walking the rest of the market stretch with that?” I teased him, looking up once the transaction completed to hand him the now very full bag only to find him already looking back at me.

He hummed around a sly smile, fingers meeting mine around the totes handle before they were slipping away again. “Think I’ll make do. Only came looking for these anyway.”

My brows jumped up in surprise as I watched him tuck his wallet back into the pocket of his jeans. “Everyone loves Portobello.” I murmured and his light laughter echoed around the market stall once more before he simply shrugged.

“Been a couple times before, and besides, don't reckon I’ll get a better deal than this, do you?”

My eyes narrowed when I smiled, humoured by his easy going nature and quick quips. I found that I wanted him to stick around a while longer, if only to solve the mystery he made. “No, don't reckon so.”

He lingered for a moment or two more, simply smiling at me and I found myself smiling back, before a gaggle of school kids wandered on over, loud and uncaring of the looks they garnered. They caught my attention too and I found myself reminiscing over years where I’d been much of the same.

When I glanced back over to him, I saw that he was gone. My forehead pinched in confusion and I glanced around to see if I could spot him in the busy crowd, but it had grown all too quickly again and appeared easy enough for anyone to get swept up and lost in.

I rocked back on my heels as I gave up the search, just before I was called over by one of the kids asking for a specific LP. I let it go, him and the strange encounter we’d shared, and went about the rest of the day just going through the motions.

By the time seven o’clock rolled around I was shattered and had already packed most of the stall away. I waited patiently for Rob to help me with loading the larger bits into the van, watching Nance for him whilst he wrapped up what remained of the fruit and veg, knowing he’d take most of it back home to his family. It was at that moment that I caught sight of something amiss in the vinyl cubby I’d used to hide those slipcovers in just before we'd opened.

I walked over and was more than a little dumbfounded to spot a cassette lying there on its side. Standing On A Beach. One of The Cure albums I’d mentioned to that bloke in the cap earlier, the very same he’d gone and bought, and the exact one I was more than sure I’d bagged.

I picked it up, feeling Nancy brush up against my side whilst Rob called out to say that he was just dropping off his usual round of goodybags to the nearby sellers. I waved him off, then looked down at the tape I held, pausing when my thumb caught on something attached to the back.

Flipping it over I found a quickly scribbled note, its corner tucked into the case's opening so that it would hold its place.

(It sounded like you enjoyed this one when I asked about it. Know it’s a first edition too, so I figured maybe you should be the one keep it. - Matty.)

Matty.

“What you smiling at, weirdo?”

I startled at the sound of Rob’s usual drawl, head snapping over to my left to find him already trailing back towards us, a happy grin plastered over his face.

“Go on, tell us!” He ribbed, and now that he was drawing nearer I was quick to tuck the note into my back pocket.

“Nothing, just this tape. Figured I’d keep it.” I told him with a small shrug, clutching the cassette closer when he hip checked me in passing and bent down to give Nancy a good old stroke.

“Thieving your own gear! Wow, that’s a new low even for you.” Rob chuckled, shooting me a bright smile before he stood once more.

“Hush up, it’s a goodun. Forgot I even had it.” I defended, but he merely continued to laugh at me. Rolling my eyes, I shoved his arm lightly before I said, “Now be useful for once and grab the last of those boxes for us, will you.”

“Tetchy.”

I simply snorted, shaking my head as I moved to pick up my bag, clinging to the old cassette case for a second before finally dropping it inside.

“You coming then?”

With a deep breath I took one last glance around the stall and didn’t see anything that had been missed, so I wiped down my jeans and then gave Nance another pet, “Yeah, coming!”

…

My week continued on much the same after that. I worked in the local pub behind the bar when I wasn’t performing on the crate stage there and on my day off I took the tube over to see my mum and nan. They lived further East nowadays, closer to the clinic my nana hated but needed, and not too far from the street she’d grown up on as a girl.

Saturdays were my only market days, even though it was open most of the week. Rob usually did Fridays there and the rare Tuesday too, when he could be arsed. Though the rest of his time was used up by frequenting the old boxing club every other evening, training and helping out with the younger lot that liked to come in. I’d only been half a dozen times, but he was very much in his element there.

So in shorter terms, my week had slipped on by without much fanfare, which meant that Saturday had seemed to both crawl and shoot back around.

I opened the stall like usual, only without Rob for the first time in ages. He had apparently come down with some sort of bug or other that he’d gone and caught off of his nieces when he’d popped round to see them Wednesday afternoon- and well, he was a man, wasn't he? Which ultimately meant that he was dying.

He’d let me have Nancy though, seeing as she hadn’t been out very much since the cold had hit him. So the Alsatian had jumped in my van that same morning and had been as good as gold all day. To be honest, she was a much better seller than me and I could see why Rob always brought her along with him, people seemed to flock to dogs which in turn meant more sales for me.

I’d been fanning the crowds away ever since we’d opened, which typically only tended to happen during half term or school holidays, but nonetheless it was a more than welcome change after the crappy tips I’d garnered down at the pub the night before.

‘Cause well, since I’d dropped out of school I’d taken to performing there on the more livelier nights, a few covers, one or two of my own songs, and then I’d end the set and slide behind the bar to serve. Normally I was fine with that, the tips were often good when both the older folk and the younger lot rolled in, Friday nights especially. Only, there’d been a gig on down at the O2 so we hadn’t gotten our usual patrons in, and had instead been sacked with a couple of stragglers and a less than lively lot.

Still, today more than made up for it.

The sun was shining as much as it could do during a London March, the skies were blue although not completely clear, and the market crowd seemed to be in good spirits too.

Sy, who worked a couple stands down, had passed out a tray of coffees not too long ago, just after the lunchtime rush, and then Dianne and Reg had followed with some of their freshly baked pastries. They’d even thought to bring a little treat over for Nance too.

I'd just texted a picture to Rob to show him what he’d missed out on by having a case of man-flu and had just got up to toss the last of the rubbish away when I was caught off guard by an unexpected surprise.

“You!”

Matty, my mind supplied a half a second later. The same name that had been circling my thoughts since he’d left me that note the Saturday prior. I blinked at the sight of him. He was wearing a cap again, although this one was different, a dusky navy blue that he’d gone and tucked under a giant grey hoodie.

“Me.” He grinned in glinted amusement, jutting out his chin in a gentle hello. “Figured I might find you here.”

The snort I gave was unprecedented, “Oh, really? Wonder what gave that away.”

Matty smirked. Matty. It felt strange to put his name to his face then, even though it had been puttering around in my head like the bouncing DVD logo since the last time we’d met.

“Got any more tapes for me then?”

My eyes squinted in my attempt to dim my smile, not really believing that he was actually here, before I pursed my lips and tilted my head at him. “Might do. Take it you liked the last few?”

He hummed, smiling down at Nancy who’d trailed on over and allowing her to sniff at his hand. When she nudged his leg with her snout I watched on as he dropped into a crouch to give her a proper stroke. Nance seemed to be quite taken with him after that.

I propped a hip against the nearest vinyl cubby, crossing my arms over my chest whilst he replied, “They were good- helped a lot, in truth. You were right about the Roxy Music album, too.”

Chuffed with that, I shot him a pleased little grin.

“You’ll come to learn that it’s to be expected.”

“What, you bein’ right?” Matty wondered with a low laugh, petting Nancy’s head once more before he forced himself back up onto his feet.

“What I said, in’t it?”

He shook his head softly and I felt his eyes on me before I finally gestured him on over to the cassette stand. “I found a few new ones in the charity shop near my mum’s the other day, figured it’d be best to add to the collection after you nearly took the lot.”

“Wow, and she’s dramatic too.”

I swatted his arm thoughtlessly, then stilled the second I realised what I’d done, but Matty was either none the wiser to my momentary pause or just didn’t care. “That come with the job then? Having to be mouthy?”

My jaw dropped a tad at his sudden cheek and I tutted around the tiny beginnings of a stuttered laugh, “You’re brave. I’ll let you have that. But honestly, you’re probably not wrong there either.” We shared a chuckle, coming to a standstill by the tower full of tapes, “Most of this lot have to be gobby enough to have a shout at bagging any customers, especially when Rob’s around.”

“Rob?”

I titled my head over towards the next stall which sat empty, “Yeah, he works the fruit and veg. Might’ve seen, or rather heard him last weekend.”

Matty gave a slow nod, dragging his gaze away from where I’d pointed and back to the many cassettes I had to offer.

“So what're we looking for this time?” I smiled, thoughts on The Cure tape he’d gifted me, although wary to mention it too soon. “80’s Punk? Electro? Rhythm and Blues?” I dragged that last one out, enjoying the sight of his smile and how it only appeared to lift on one side before dimpling the corner ever so faintly.

“Give me one of your favourites.”

“Mine?” I blinked.

He hummed again, fingertips trailing over multiple rows of cases. I watched the movement, caught up in it in actuality, before I tore my eyes back over to him.

I caught him looking again, only this time around I didn’t much question it, not when the Saturday sun sitting high in the sky reflected so prettily in his eyes. Lightening them enough that they almost appeared to glow.

I followed through on the ask though, once I’d finally managed to get my head in working order and drag my gaze back towards the task at hand, pulling out an extensive range of cassettes, both singles and albums, for him to view.

Matty liked to talk, I quickly learned. He asked question after question, even when it seemed like he knew more than he was letting on at times, and he waited whenever someone else walked over, sitting amongst the back shelves with Nancy whilst I talked and sold a couple of vinyls.

Soon enough the sun had started to dip low in the sky and we realised that the hours had honestly escaped us. I was startled when I finally looked down at my phone to see that it was almost time to start packing away, having lost myself in the conversation we’d shared, or rather the debates we had both started over artists and genres, and what decade had done the most for music.

“Oh shit! I can’t believe it’s almost half six!”

Matty appeared to remember himself at my exclaim, pulling out his own phone to see for himself and blowing out a large breath when it rang true. “Fuck, ah, I didn’t even realise.”

He actually looked somewhat apologetic when he met my eye again.

I shook my head and waved him off, “You’re all good, actually one of the best market days I’ve had in truth, made almost double than what I did last weekend, even with the stash you claimed.”

With a soft laugh, Matty made to stand, holding out a hand to help me up too once he'd found his footing. I smiled softly at the offer and took it, perplexed by the careful callouses which lined the tops of his fingertips and the soft palm that accompanied them.

“You play?”

“Hm?”

My chin jerked over towards where an older acoustic hung on display in the stall across from mine, “Guitar. Do you play?”

His brows knitted together at the ask but he did eventually give me a low chuckle too, hand still holding my own. “Yeah, how’d you know?”

My eyes flickered up to find his and I gave a small smirk, unable to help myself. “Intuition.”

Matty scoffed in amusement, “Oh yeah? How’s that work?”

Shrugging a single shoulder, I stepped on closer to him, near enough that the brim of his hat shaded the top half of my face and the toes of our shoes almost aligned. “Just comes to me, I ‘spose.”

He quirked a questioning brow.

“What’s your intuition telling you now then?”

I bit down on the insides of my cheeks in hopes to contain my playful smile, figuring I’d best take the chance now while it was being handed to me. “That you’re gonna buy me a drink.”

“Am I?” Matty answered, voice dropping a fraction as a grin threatened to split his face.

Humming, I could only smile, eyes flickering between his own before they darted up towards the brim of his cap. With the hand not holding his, I reached up and settled it a little lower on his head, then glanced back down at that growing grin. “I mean, if you’re gonna keep coming back each Saturday then…”

His eyes narrowed a tad and finally he let go of the chuckle he’d been holding onto, leaning in even closer to me. “Intuition telling you that?”

“Hm, along with a couple other things.” I quipped, revelling in the hand that came to rest on the hem of my jeans. “So, that drink?”

Matty laughed, sweet and lovely. “Might know a place.”

“Good,” I murmured in the little space he’d placed between us, mouth almost touching his own before I was smirking and pulling away, “Guess you can help me pack up then.”

Matty huffed out a breathy chuckle whilst shook his head at me, watching as his hand slipped from mine. Though he wasn’t left lonely for too long, seeing as Nancy padded on over to him for another round of strokes whilst I set to picking up a horde of albums. “Tease.” He shot out, though he didn't look too disheartened.

I gave him a loud laugh in return, content with being labelled as such. “Well you’d best get to work then. Quicker we’re done here, quicker we can see about you and me sharing anything other than a drink.”

And he did, he set to work swift enough, the two of us slipping by one another with a gentle ease we shouldn’t have yet earned and sharing soft smiles in the lessening market bustle. All the while I continued to wonder and watch him, thinking back on the cassette he’d gifted me and the sudden fondness I’d found for him.

“Ready to go?” He asked me not long later and I found myself never wanting to say no to that pretty smile of his. So I just nodded and took the hand he held out, Nance moving to join us too before we finally ventured our way out of the market street. Matty asking me every question he’d been holding back the further we got, and making realise that I had a horde of my own.

#the 1975 #matty healy #x reader #fluff #flirting #humour #fic #writing #plot #matty #the 1975 band #y/n #matty healy fic #matty the 1975 #reader #oneshot #imagines #heyidkyay

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iomadachd · 7 months

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Trick r Treat - Day 26: Distant thunder from a massive storm headed straight this way

Closed Starter for @deathmimedream & @alastors-radioshow

All Souls' Concert on November 3rd.

A surprise gift for their fans, or so Sister Imperator claimed. It made sense, as frustrating as it was. They hadn't done a pop-up show in Linköping for some time, and they were perhaps overdue.

There was simply no time, though.

The announcement had been dropped on October 31st and Papa had had them scrambling to prepare ever since. At least there had been free entertainment when Papa read Imperator the riot act in the rehearsal room for not informing him sooner.

Thankfully, they weren't far off the tour grind so warming back up was easy enough, but given the holiday, they were changing a little bit of the setlist to include one or two of the older songs. Luckily, most of them knew Jigolo Har Megiddo and Monstrance Clock, so it was easy to pick it back up again and teach those who didn't know the music. It wasn't a big change, but it was enough to mean Phantom and Aurora had to learn music they were unfamiliar with.

That provided its own set of complications, and Dew was at his wits' end along with pretty much everyone else in the band. Papa had been apologetic to them all, promising they would not have so little notice in the future one way or another.

Dew thought they shouldn't have changed the setlist, but it wasn't up to him. Papa didn't get to escape his own version of the riot act from the Ghouls, though.

They'd all been so busy that it had completely slipped Dew's mind to let Alastor know they'd be performing. Sure, he had sort of remembered the day before the concert, but he knew how important November 2nd was to the Overlord and wasn't about to interrupt a feast day when there was so much going on for both of them. It had slipped his mind before he could message him that night.

Phantom was ready to cry by the time soundcheck came around this afternoon. It had been almost non-stop rehearsals in preparation, and they were all excited, but worn out at the same time. They were as ready as they'd ever be. One could only hope the weather would hold this late in the year. It had been overcast all day, but no sign of rain or snow as of yet.

It was only about ten minutes until curtain when he remembered again, shooting off a quick text before they got in position.

[text] Short notice, but we have a pop-up Ritual in 10 here at home. Come see us if u can :D

As they take the stage, the sky has grown darker. They are a few songs in and in the distance, Dew can hear thunder as the opening chords to Cirice play. Looks like the weather isn't on their side.

Something twists in his belly, and it is not a good twist. Instead, it feels like an omen for the storm to begin during this particular song. He might not be a seer, but this feels wrong, and the chill that goes up his spine has nothing to do with the wind.

#alastors radioshow #deathmimedream #c: dewdrop ghoul #c: phantom ghoul #v: mix my blood with the ashes #v: and my twilight eyes will know others #thread #v: say that we're out of control

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bioexorcizm · 5 months

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drabblecember day #18 - winter date

ship: dewmav word count: 597 summary: dewey hates taking pictures.

“We should take a picture.”

A simple request, and yet Dewey finds himself brushing it off. The tch he clicks through gritted teeth is visible as the rest of his breath swirls in the cold winter night’s air.

“Such a party-pooper, Dew.”

He takes offense, “Excuse me, but I am the party starter. The party perpetuator. The party judge, jury, and executioner. As in, I’m executing the plan to party, at all times. How dare you.”

“Spoilsport when it comes to holiday cheer though, eh?”

“I just --” he pauses, shrugs. Takes a hand from the pocket of his hoodie and brushes his nose, the chill of the weather stinging his cheeks already.

“I dunno. I don't take pictures of myself a lot.”

“Well, why not start?” Maverick leans into his shoulder, hands locking around his bicep. Dewey nudges into them, but averts his eyes.

“Never have. Guess I just like to live in the moment. Experience, and not worry about making a picture perfect scene…Or some shit.”

“Dewey Finn, you are a terrible liar.”

They poke his side, pulling away from him; They've stopped, gaze locked onto a particularly intricate display of lights to their left, “You can just say you're self-conscious.”

“What? Am not.”

They lazily shrug, glancing back at him.

“I see the way you dodge cameras. Turn your back, turn your face away. Even on stage. And you always take pictures of me, not us.”

He scoffs, runs a hand through his hair. Maverick sighs, waiting out his nervous tic -- a tell they'd picked up on long ago.

“I mean, when I have a rockin’ bod in a few years, and my face is plastered on all the Hard Rock mags, the press is totally gonna wanna see the old…Chubby, greasy, loser…Me. But if those pictures don't exist, then TMZ’s got nothing on me.”

“Rockin’ bod, huh?”

“Shredded.”

“Mhm.”

“Pecs like you've never seen.”

“Mm.”

“Biceps that can cut diamonds.”

“Shame.”

Dewey looks over, confused. He's caught off guard even further when Maverick continues on the path, stopping once every few feet to gaze at the display of lights, snapping a picture when they seem particularly fascinated. He tries desperately to catch up.

“What’s that mean?”

“I mean it's a shame, that's all.”

“What is?”

“You, thinking like that.”

“I don't…”

They stop walking suddenly, and Dewey finds himself slamming chest-first into their back. Instinctively, his arms wrap around them, keeping them both on-balance.

The flash of the camera happens just as quick.

“I don't think you need to change at all,” Maverick's voice is almost muffled as they look down, examining the picture they'd just taken. They smile, seeing their softened expression in conjunction with Dewey’s surprised, almost frightened one.

“Not the most flattering, bird.”

“I think I like it.”

Maverick feels the huff against their cheek as Dewey keeps them close, peering over their shoulder at their phone, “Why?”

“Because it's of you, here and now,” they turn, shoving their phone into their pocket, and take his face, warming his cheeks and pressing a gentle kiss to his lips, “And I like you the way you are now.”

He exhales a chuckle, finally relaxing into their touch.

“I guess you did fall in love with me, huh?”

They steal another kiss, and Dewey finds himself smiling into it, his hands coming to catch Maverick’s face, too. As they part, the twinkle of lights barely illuminates their faces, the comforting hue of cool blues guiding their path as Maverick intertwines their fingers and continues along the streamlined walkway.

“Yeah. I guess I did.”

#.dewey #.writing #drabblecember2023

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epilvgue · 4 months

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「𝔟𝔞𝔫𝔤 𝔟𝔞𝔫𝔤!」- In all honesty, even in the few months he had been on the Isles, Vash had yet to get acquainted with all of its little twists and turns and quirks. Who knew if he ever would. At the moment he was perusing the shops and stalls of the Merchant Town area, particularly Trivium Square. He poked his head in here and there to have a quick look before continuing on.

He had also managed to make it there in time for the Vespertown Market.

Stands peddling a variety of farm-grown foods, hand-made wares, and snacks were all over, making the area crowded and almost claustrophobic. Apparently this sort of thing only happened on Monday's and he had managed to gather that the people came from another part of the islands all together to sell things to the city folk. There were all sorts of odd things for sale and plenty of good smells, especially where leftovers from the winter festival were concerned. - There were actually quite a few good deals when it came to nearly-out-of-date holiday treats and foods. Decades of barely having two coins to rub together had taught him to be on the lookout for deals (as well as free food and the chance to work for a meal, among other things).

Vash was also fast on his way to making friends with some of the merchants. He had also already found himself caught up in helping out a number of more elderly and less able-bodied vendors who couldn't quite lift the things they needed to.

However, as he was walking, something else caught the Plant's attention. - A young man, practically a kid, was bartering with a stall owner and not getting very far.

@ttauriwanderer || starter call

#ttauriwanderer #ttauriwanderer; 01

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more-than-a-princess · 6 months

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Happy Munday! Just a few quick things, plus some cosplay photos from a recent convention (under the cut, in order not to clutter the dash with OOC content).

I am still accepting starters for this starter call! I'll close the call on Saturday, November 18. Until then, I will not have a cap on starters beyond writing one per mun/blog. This will likely be my last starter call from now until the beginning of 2024, so if you'd like me to write you a starter that isn't attached to a meme, this is your chance! I will still share memes when I have the time in my schedule to start new threads, but for those of you who don't like memes and prefer starter calls, this is the best way to interact with me through the holiday season.

I'll be a little quiet around here from today until Friday: I've got two long days in the office and then I'm celebrating my wedding anniversary on Thursday after work (with a considerable amount of food and champagne), so my writing and chatting time will be limited this week.

That said, I've finally had some time to look at my cell phone photos of my costumes from my last anime convention. I'm still waiting on photos from my private photoshoots, but in the meantime, I'll share a costume I haven't posted here yet. I predict some of you may recognize her (hi Bubblez!).

Did you know that I've either played or watched my husband play both AI: The Somnium Files games (because watching me try to play through the somniums is a stressful experience for everyone involved)? Now you do!

Actually, I've had my Boss costume for about a year now and I haven't been in a happy place with it until last month. Admittedly, my dress is a bit oversized after I lost weight and I need to take it in in a few places before wearing it again. That's the only thing that has stopped me from doing a private photoshoot with Boss.

In any case, she was my favorite out of the games and one of the very few (maybe only?) character I cosplay as who is older than me. How is this woman in her forties? I thought I had amazing skincare and genetics but Boss is on another level.

The jacket and gloves are both leather, with the dress made of a cotton/poly spandex and the boots being custom pieces that I ended up repainting to be a closer match to my jacket. The Ai-balls are from Lemon Penguin, who loves Uchikoshi games and produces a few Uchikoshi-related items to vend at conventions (and they conveniently end up at the cons I attend!).

But let me say: I love this wig so much. It was a custom piece after I was hating my own styling attempts, and comes with her 'hair donut' ponytail holder, her slicked back tendrils, and a stubbed ponytail that keeps the weight of the tail and wig lighter on my head. When I get a professional shoot of this done, I definitely want more shots of this incredible wig from the back.

And finally, the AiTSF cosplayers I've met at conventions have all been so friendly and kind! I had to miss the photoshoot this time around but I participated at one at a previous convention: we were a small group but we were mighty. Even if we either weren't recognized or called by some other character name (I get Misato Katsuragi in this one quite a lot. Ironic, as I also have a Misato costume).

#more-than-a-princess musings #(I can't believe I've been married a year already)#(also can't believe I'm narrowing down my 2024 costume list but that starts earlier each year at this rate)

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eddapoetic · 5 months

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❱❱❱ t: Aevitas verse; holiday starter 🍒🌿 Havar o1 // Cameo o1

"You know, admittedly, I had my doubts--"

"--but I think this merry gathering is really starting to come together, don't you?" Clad a seasonable shirt of firebrand orange and peacock patterned blue, the ostentatious trickster chirps a tune of gently budding amusement to the other, a cheeky nudge of his elbow and pointed look accompanying for emphasis. They're stationed towards the back of the room, his own hand aheld with an interesting twist of orange-spiced eggnogg (courtesy the new blond of their growing collection) and gaze cast out to watch the rest of their gathering scatter about in pre-dinner flourish.

The perfect vantage.

"Got almost everyone out here - and a few new faces too. Now all we need is a few more drinks and things might just get interesting." He chuckles, bringing the mug up to the ever-present curve of his lips as he listens, one ear to his side and the other to the crowd. Over the noise of debate coming distantly from the kitchen, a prowling stag being fended off one thing or the other, and the sound of laughter mingling with clattering plates, he almost doesn't catch the muted knock from the door - distracted from the build of a lightly tingling presence with what he makes to be Alfred's voice in the other room. Curiously muffled.

He misses whatever greeting conversation seems to place itself at the gates of their late arrival. He doesn't miss the sight of the towering figure in question coming through, bending low to get under the frame of the door, and tilting their head up just so to seek their eyes to his.

Havar chokes a sudden snort and undignified noise into his drink, feeling the rush of it the wrong way down his throat and shot straight up to his nose--

He thinks he manages to squawk a quick 'scuse me' before he's disappeared out of the room in a beeline towards the bath, but then again he doesn't really linger long enough to gauge for a reaction.

#❱❱❱ t: circus aevitas #❱❱❱ t: merry & bright 02 #// off to a good start

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dragonbinx · 1 year

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Silent Night

Part of my Christmas series from last winter. Posted on on Ao3 here.

Series: Roswell, New Mexico

Ship: Malex

Characters: Alex Guerin, Michael Guerin

The only lights still on in the Guerin’s house were the ones on the Christmas tree by the time Alex came home. It was almost midnight, so that wasn’t surprising. Michael had tried to stay up every night that Alex had been late the last week and a half, but he hadn’t made it the night before, and it looked like he hadn’t lasted tonight, either.

Limping a little, his leg sore from being on his feet too much, Alex made his way into the living room and saw Michael slumped over on the coach. Apparently he hadn’t given up on waiting for him, but sleep had taken him anyway. On the coffee table was a pile of wrapping paper and a nicely if not entirely neatly wrapped gift. Which also wasn’t surprising, because recently Michael had been way more enthusiastic about the holidays than Alex had ever seen him before.

Their first Christmas as a couple hadn’t been too long after they’d gotten back together, and they hadn’t made a big deal of it. Alex had put up his artificial tree with the ornaments he’d gotten twelve to a box at HomeGoods. They’d exchanged gifts on Christmas morning before going over to Isobel’s for an early dinner. Then they’d returned to Alex’s and had enthusiastic holiday sex, and Michael hadn’t gone back to the Airstream for four days.

This year, Michael had apparently gotten into the whole thing. He’d gotten a real tree, for starters, and he had made ornaments with some spare alien glass and turquoise to mix in with Alex’ generic ones. He’d put multi-colored lights outside and rigged them on a timer, and they twinkled, a beautiful welcome every night Alex had come home late. He’d gotten a sprig of mistletoe and put it up in a different place every morning, stopping Alex in whatever random spot in the house it was that day with a smug grin and waggling eyebrows; and Alex always rolled his eyes and then kissed him anyway.

He was also making some side dishes to bring to Isobel’s this year, and had pestered their friends to plan a get together for Christmas Eve, too. And now here he was, asleep next to a Christmas present.

Alex gingerly sat down on the coffee table and pushed the curls out of Michael’s eyes. His face was peaceful - no, more than that, he was happy. Up close, there was an unmistakable tilt to the corners of his mouth. He was smiling in his sleep.

Alex looked down at the gift next to him. The wrapping was a little off, the corners of one side kinda pointy, the cut of the paper lopsided under the tape. And there was extra paper scattered around, partially folded and torn, like Michael had tried more than once to wrap it right. The tag said ‘Alex’, written in green ink in Michael’s handwriting.

Neither of them had really had holidays of any kind growing up. Maybe Michael’s sudden Christmas obsession was because his of his own deprived childhood and having something more than an Airstream to decorate. But looking at the present that Michael had worked so hard to get right, Alex thought maybe it was about him. Or possibly about them. About trying to make their first Christmas as husbands, as a family, special for Alex.

He leaned over and kissed Michael lightly on the forehead, then pulled the throw blanket off the arm of the coach and laid it over him.

As quietly as he could, he fixed himself a quick sandwich, then limped into their bedroom to take off his prosthetic. A longer than usual hot shower and some clean clothes later, and Alex finally felt his stressful day falling away. He was ready to start spending the holidays with his husband.

Something that would happen sooner than expected, as Michael had apparently moved while he was in the shower from being passed out on the coach to being passed out in their bed. Alex smiled fondly as he pulled back the sheets and blankets and slipped in next to him.

“Mmm, Alex.”

He looked over in surprise at his husband, who still appeared asleep. “Michael?”

A single eye dragged open. “Missed you,” Michael mumbled.

“I know, I’m sorry,” Alex soothed, reached out to rub Michael’s arm. “But I finished the project I’ve been working on tonight. So I can take off work until after New Year’s.”

The other eye opened, and a wide smile slowly overtook Michael’s face. “Really?”

“Really. I wanted to surprise you. I probably should have told you, though, I didn’t expect it to take this long.”

“S’okay. It’s a good surprise.” Michael scooted closer, laying his head on Alex’s shoulder and throwing his arm across his stomach. “Can’t wait for Christmas. First time.”

“Me, too.” He wrapped an arm around Michael’s shoulders and pulled him as close as he could. “You made me excited about it.”

“Awww,” Michael cooed sleepily, pressing a sloppy kiss to Alex’s shoulder, both his eyes closed again. “Same, baby.”

“Okay, time to sleep,” Alex said, both because Michael was mostly there already, and also because he couldn’t handle many more big emotions this late at night. “Goodnight, Michael.”

“M’rry Christmas, Alex.”

He laughed, snuggling further into his pillow and his husband at the same time. “Not for another couple days. But sure. Merry Christmas.”

#Roswell New Mexico #Roswell NM #Malex #Alex x Michael #Michael x Alex #Alex Manes #Michael Guerin #Alex Guerin #cosmic husbands #dragonbinx fics

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mcrcki · 1 year

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♥ closed ♥

closing this on 2/10/23 solely so i can be prepared for the event starting !! if we discuss writing any more starters , we totally can in dms , but for now any unplotted starter requests are closed !!

wednesday, bloody wednesday 💕 happy mini event, hidden!! super excited to get this one going with y’all, we know you will have a total blast!! i’m gonna throw together a quick combo plotting / starter call for the upcoming mini event here! just a heads up, i will be trying to focus on these plots / the pairings over my other threads. you’ll still get them, but i wanna get the mini event stuff moving at a decent pace once we start! i don’t plan on having any of my girls go unaware atm, but i am open to any and all injury plots (minor or major) and if you need someone to be unalived, hmu !! that said, y’all know my rules for the combo move here : LIKE for a plotting message on discord. RESPOND for starters. if you don’t specify who the starter is for, i’ll ignore you. and please do not request more than FOUR starters per writer, at the moment. wanna make sure i can write with everyone!! but without further ado, here’s what my babes are doing this valentine’s day

** crossed out means they are queued

𐐪𐑂 ♡ 𐐪𐑂

chibiusa tsukino || sailor moon || unaffected - ( 1 / 4 )

she/her pronouns. lowkey expected something Insane™ to happen while she’s been here, so this was honestly not that big of a shock. will be in full sailor chibimoon form, doing whatever she can to help. if you need assistance, she’s the senshi for you!

-- plots : major / minor injuries, protecting someone, offering a place to hide, stopping someone from attacking.

usagi tsukino ( swan )

daniela dimitrescu || resident evil 8 || paired w. viscount tewkesbury - ( 3 / 4 )

she/they pronouns. decided to put themselves in the ring to get a free meal. had always intended to kill their date, but hey, this is just an added bonus, makes this that much more fun. will be going after anyone who looks like them, and anyone who stands in her way.

-- plots : unaliving someone, injuring other people, conflict outside of the dates, pretending to be helpless to turn on someone, all around menace.

bela dimitrescu ( kasey )

yoon chi woo ( atlas )

cassandra dimitrescu ( jodie )

emma vanity || harry potter : marauders era || paired w. nancy wheeler - ( 2 / 4 )

she/her pronouns. was trying to get settled into the city and thought this would be an easy was to learn a little more about it, and if someone else was paying, who was she to say no to dinner? but now? this is way more fun. she thrives on this energy and will be having far too much fun with it.

-- plots : unaliving someone, injuring other people, helping her friends/strangers with their attacks, offering shelter just to turn on them

rabastan lestrange ( alex )

alecto carrow ( cherry )

leia organa || star wars || paired w. han solo - ( 4 / 4 )

she/her pronouns. if she kills her husband twice, they cancel each other out right? like no one can hold her accountable for it if she just.. rights the wrong from the halloween gala? that’s how it should work at least, in her mind. will be full sith vibes again, i’m so sorry to anyone who gets in her way. she’s gonna try to control it, but really, i don’t think that’ll last for long.

-- plots : major / minor injuries , offering help to anyone who needs it (good or bad), someone trying to talk her down from this, injuring someone who does stand in her way

han solo ( mario )

yennefer of vengerberg ( alex )

jacen solo ( moon )

luke skywalker ( cherry )

marlene mckinnon || harry potter : marauders era || unaffected - ( 2 / 4 )

she/her pronouns. marlene is really having a full on ‘what the FUCK is happening!!!!!!!!!” moment. she really thought it was just fucking valentine’s day, already a bad holiday, and now she’s in full on order mode trying to stop people from committing a murder in the middle of the national mall. what was in the wine, my guys!!!

-- plots : major/minor injuries, offering people shelter, fighting against people trying to attack someone, penelope mitchell doppleganger attacks

emmeline vance ( mario )

sirius black ( jodie )

omega archeron || star wars : bad batch || paired w. renesmee cullen - ( 4 / 4 )

she/they pronouns. omega honestly?? kinda loves this. they don’t get to really cut loose all that much and not for nothing, this is a nice break from having to always be the good guy. they’ll definitely be going a little wild once they realized their date can’t be hurt that badly, but big rip to any other jessie mei li fcs :)

-- plots : injuring others, major / minor injuries, helping other people look for their dates, convincing people that this isn’t that bad

jill roberts ( swan )

yuri plisetsky ( ollie )

amber ( sunny )

billy loomis ( alex )

pj halliwell || charmed ‘98 || paired w. oliver mckinnon - ( 1 / 4 )

she/they pronouns. pj doesn’t have the active powers to actually kill someone, she’s definitely a maiming kind of person, but as much as she hates it, she kinda likes that they’re finally able to cut loose a little. they’ve always been The Good Kid, and getting to really let their powers shine now is really freeing.

-- plots : injuring others, major / minor injuries, fighting people trying to stop them, someone to talk sense into her

oliver mckinnon ( sam )

rosemary winters || resident evil - shadows of rose || paired w. mob - ( 3 / 4 )

she/they pronouns. my moldy gal, they are finally getting a real hang on their powers and then this happens. lowkey paired with someone else who is op so like, it’s fine, it’ll probably be fine. gonna definitely be testing out the upper limits of their powers, so, so sorry to anyone who gets in the way

-- plots : injuring others, major / minor injuries, attacking people who are in the way, helping other people find their dates/injure them, maybe someone to talk them down (doubtful it’ll work)

chu wanning ( ollie )

mob ( sunny )

charles xavier ( alex )

rowena ravenclaw || harry potter - founders era || paired w. hunter - ( 2 / 4 )

she/her pronouns. rowena is a very good witch, not just morally but in skill as well. she will be struggling A Lot with this turn in her mind, and will be doing what she can to avoid hunter. will be turning to people to help keep her away, to keep him safe. she isn’t going to become something she hates. she has to fight it

-- plots : major/minor injuries, someone to lock her up, someone to try and talk sense into her, someone to corrupt her into just giving in

heron lyptus ( moon )

helena ravenclaw ( jodie )

sella palpatine || star wars || paired w. allana solo - ( 1 / 4 )

she/her pronouns. was looking forward to one!! normal!! date!!!!!!! for the love of literally everything could she have one normal date with her girlfriend, PLEASE. very much on the run, knows that allana could hurt her faster than sella could ever land a punch on them. big ‘this isn’t you’ vibes. someone please help her out, she is not going to win that fight.

-- plots : major/minor injuries, someone to offer shelter, someone to help her fight, josephine langford doppleganger attacks

samara palpatine ( moon )

sophie hatter || howl’s moving castle || unaffected - ( 2 / 4 )

she/they pronouns. they’re getting a much needed, much deserved Break. they are unaffected by this, having expected this day to be a giant rush for the shop she couldn’t take time off to go on any kind of date. real smart vibes in hindsight. will absolutely be offering help/shelter to those who may need it. if you seem dangerous, they’ll kick you out. they do not need that drama rn.

-- plots : minor / major injuries, offering shelter, offering help, trying to convince people to calm down, jessie mei li doppleganger attacks, someone to raid the shops?

lumine ( kasey )

juliet capulet ( atlas )

tatum riley || scream ‘96 || paired w. fred weasley - ( 3 / 4 )

she/her pronouns. girl is reaching final girl status no matter what it takes at this point, she is not going to be someone’s victim. v much willing to kick peoples asses to succeed in that. will be using her self defense training to beat up her date and then booking it to the nearest shelter. any tom holland fcs will also be getting some kind of punch thrown at them if they get in the way.

-- plots : major / minor injuries, someone to offer shelter, abigail cowen doppleganger attacks, other tom holland fcs that she can beat up, someone to run with her, final girl tag team vibes

buffy summers ( swan )

stu macher ( moon )

josh washington ( blue )

victoria sutherland || twilight || unaffected - ( 4 / 4 )

she/her pronouns. best. valentine’s. day. ever. seriously, what more could she have asked for? the whole city is a total mess and she just gets to run around and grab a bite just to blame it on someone else? that’s so hot and please understand how annoying she and james are going to be about it. if you want someone to be unalived, she’s your gal. if you want a fight, she’s happy to oblige. this is victoria unaffected and just having a great time.

-- plots : unaliving someone, helping someone find their date, convincing people to just let go and have fun, being an all around terrible influence but at least she’s fun!

bree tanner ( swan )

riley biers ( mario )

mo ran ( kasey )

james witherdale ( kasey )

#hw: starter call #hw: plot call #hwminievent4 #event | violentine's day #long post tw #have i ever had a chill starter call

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misscheshirecat · 3 months

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Closed starter for: @naturallytwofaced Location: Valentine's Market

The moment Catherine wandered into the Valentine's Market and learned about the kissing booth she was quick to volunteer. There would be tips involved, after all. Cat wouldn't mind entertaining the loveless strangers that had no one to spend the holiday with by using her lips. She had sat behind the booth, giving out kisses until the line died down and she spotted Mason from a distance. For a moment they just looked at each other, but the moment he began to approach her she grew anxious but her demeanor didn't change. She hoped he had been doing better than the last time she saw him and though she hadn't technically done anything wrong she felt guilty. She should have never went outside and talked to him. She should have left him a forgotten memory like she was to him. He seemed sober though. Tired and distressed, but not intoxicated. She didn't know what possessed him to approach her. Maybe he just wanted to talk and clear the air. Cat could give him that much, right? She could hear Mamoru's voice in the back of her mind telling her to not give him the time of day. She couldn't help herself though. She was far too curious by nature to not hear what he had to say. When he made it up to the booth she simply looked up at him from her seat. She locked her gaze on his eyes for a few long moments then stood up and gave him a look over. He looked decent. Just like the Mason she remembered. Not the one from that horrible night just weeks ago. Cat looked away, unable to form words as a million questions clawed at her brain to get out. "Mason," she finally said before looked back up at him. "Lovely thing you have going on here. I can really feel the love all around me. You know how that is more than anyone." She hadn't meant for it to come out as a dig but it had. "I doubt you're here to partake in a kissing both, but unfortunately I am finished." She plucks the bills out of the tip jar, folding them neatly together as she continued to speak. "I suppose that also means I have time to talk to you. What is it then?" she asked, knowing he would just beat around the bush to get his point across.

#chat:mason #naturallytwofaced #💜 interactions

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musae1us · 1 year

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〝 i imagine you would have … people for this. 〞 the words came out in a slight grunt , black gloved hands sticking themselves into the pockets of an equally black coat. the cool air caused a slight shiver down his spine , the snow falling in small increments , enough to be classified as annoying. there were many places he would rather be , curled up beside her in the solitude of their room , rather than here. anywhere but here. yet when she looked at him with those eyes , a gentle smile on her face ( which was his weakness ) he caved.

rhys larsen didn’t take himself as a man who enjoyed christmas. he didn’t enjoy any holiday , always standing on the sidelines observing everyone else. perhaps it was because he didn’t have anyone to spend it with , maybe it was because he found the holiday to be quite infuriating. but when his wife , the words still foreign on his tongue , but so right , stood beside him , his world instantly shifted. of course , he still remained grumpy , wishing to be anywhere else but here.

〝 they all look the same to me.. large and.. green. 〞 never once would he have imagined himself christmas tree shopping and yet as the holiday season fell upon them , he found himself brushing up on what couples do for the season. specifically what bridget wanted to do. 〝 princess , how many trees do we need? we’ve been here.. 〞 a quick check of his watch , before his gloved hand finds the small of her back 〝 fifteen minutes already. 〞

⠀⠀⠀⠀. . .⠀⠀⠀⠀

@heartvalor liked for a starter

#heartvalor #heartvalor … bridget von ascheberg #❪ ⁰⁰² ❫ 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥 : rhys larsen .

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ala-baguette · 2 years

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Hello, I am reading your story "Knowing Where to Look" and I love it. I normally hate fics that have Harry and Ginny not back together after the war right away, but I really like your fic! I was wondering if by the end of your story, are Harry and Ginny going to be together? And are we going to see more Ginny?

Well hello! Thank you so much for reading and for reaching out. I'm honoured you would be willing to step outside of your comfort zone to a story that doesn't have the immediate Hinny reunion we all so desperately desire!

I think I have three Anon Asks that are all centred around a similar question here (sorry, I'm so terrible at keeping up with you!), so if you don't mind terribly, I'm going to answer all three of you in one Mega Post! So let's do it!

Let's talk about GINNY!

For starters, let me please say, to any who are in doubt, I LOVE GINNY. And I especially love Ginny for Harry. I love how relaxed Harry is when he's with her. I love that she makes him laugh (and man, that boy needs more reason to laugh). I love that she both challenges and supports him. I love that they have similar interests. I love the way they banter. I just generally love the way they vibe.

I know, in keeping Ginny at arms length throughout Knowing Where to Look, I've caused many a Hinny heart to despair that they will ever find their way back to each other. But please know, I tagged their pairing for a reason. So yes. We're heading toward a Hinny ending. They're my ship!

Another Anon asked if Ginny has been dating anybody else to which my answer is 'no'. I know with Michael and Dean, Ginny was quite quick to move on, but I feel like things would be different after her breakup with Harry. Not just because I think their relationship was more meaningful to her (in my opinion), but also because she has a lot more on her plate at the moment and because this would be her first breakup that she was not the one to initiate. I'm not sure that throughout DH she would have really considered them over; I think she was holding onto the hope-- or maybe even the assumption-- that when the War was over, Harry would come back to her. So she's still grappling with the fact that he didn't. Moreover, there's some logistical issues that might get in the way of her rebounding with someone new: it's still the summer holidays, so she's been spending most of her time at home with her mother who is still beyond grief at the loss of Fred.

At the end of the day, I really feel both Harry and Ginny deserve some time to be single and work on themselves. Harry, in particular, has some healing to do before he's in any shape to give any part of himself into a relationship. And he's not the only one here who suffered some very traumatic experiences over the past couple years. Buuuuuttttt... Ginny's not going to wait forever, and she's off back to Hogwarts for her seventh year in a few weeks. There's more dating opportunities there, so Harry better start to get his shit together soon!

I do also want to add one note of caution. This is, first and foremost a Gen fic. The point of view of Knowing Where to Look, is obviously exclusively told from Gawain's perspective. Gawain is very interested in seeing Harry happy, but at the end of the day, the dude is hardly a romantic. So while he may be pleased to see Harry and Ginny get together, the relationship between two teenagers isn't really high on his list of priorities. Couple that with Harry's private nature... Well, don't go expecting some big dramatic scene in which Harry and Ginny make love next to a waterfall on a bed of moss while fireworks go off overhead and cherubs serenade them.

At least not where Gawain's around to see it. But who knows what those crazy kids get up to when they're alone!

#harry potter #hinny #harry potter fanfiction #hp fanfic #post canon #post war #ginny weasley

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iheartgod175 · 2 years

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Thoughts on The Roman Holidays… (UPDATED 12/01/22)

Since I’ve been watching the series over the last few days, I feel that I can articulate my thoughts a bit more here.

For starters, I can completely understand why the show was cancelled. There are moments where the show’s attempts to stay “hip and current” with the times (the 70s) were not only flat but also pretty darn cringe, not to mention the animation here is worse than the second and third seasons of The Jetsons. And then, there’s the fact that the template used for the Flintstones was hardly changed to give the Holidays a chance to stand on their own two feet (ie. Gus works at the marble quarry, is a cheapskate, has a horrible boss and enjoys bowling to de-stress). But in spite of all this…it DOES have its own kinda charm. That’s why I’ve been watching it for this long, lol. If it didn’t have “The Flintstones but IN ROME” thing attached to it, it MIGHT have been better.

If I had to say who’s my favorite character in the show thus far, I’d definitely have to say Gus. He’s not as loutish as Fred, and more snarky than George, and similar to those two, his own get-rich-quick schemes kinda fall flat on his face in ways that are utterly hilarious. Plus he’s got an “I don’t get paid enough to deal with this ish” face and it is PRICELESS. I’m gonna draw it one day and post it to my blog. That being said, I DO wish he had a foil to balance off of him, like how Fred and Barney do. The show attempted that with Herman, Groovia’s dad, but, eh, I wasn’t really feeling it.

Brutus is also a close second fave, although I’m disappointed that we didn’t get to have Daws Butler use the full extent of his talent—he would’ve stolen the show if he did, no doubt. Happius “Hap” Holiday, the teenage son, is not bad as a character either.

Evictus is also pretty hilarious. He’s like a cartoonish combination of Mr. Spacely and Mr. Krabs, while being as annoying as either of those two, and literally everyone drags him through the show, while he gets to drag the Holidays and anybody around on occasion. I love it.

Not fond of Mr. Tycoonius, probably because he barely showed up. He’s basically like Mr. Slate 2.0, but didn’t have much of the charm (or hateable characteristics) that Slate had. In fact, the blurb on the DVD mentions him as though he has all this importance, only for him to show up in like four of the show’s episodes. Like, really.

The female characters of the show are kinda…eh. Laurie, Precocia, and Groovia do have their strong points, but they just aren’t as memorable as Wilma and Betty or Jane and Judy. In fact, for the family template, they mostly used the family format for the Jetsons but swapped the genders of the kids. As I said above, this is actually to the show’s detriment, as it doesn’t give the cast to really stand on its own.

If I had to say who was my favorite female character, I’d have to go with Laurie. She not only keeps things on an even keel, but also seems to work with Gus and will go to bat for him (more on that below). And yes, while she does fall into the same shopping crazy habits that Wilma and Jane had, it doesn’t dominate her personality like either of those two (well, not really Wilma. Jane, though, yes.).

Precocia’s snarkiness is hilarious, but the show really underutilized her character, other than she’s supposedly a child genius. Like, she literally gets one episode, and it doesn’t really do much for her as a character—in fact, it’s more focused on Gus, than anything.

Groovia is okay, though her occasional gullibility gets on my nerves.

Honestly, though, how the Holidays haven’t been evicted yet despite LITERALLY BREAKING THE RULES OF THE LEASE (and occasionally causing other screw ups because of Gus’ schemes) is beyond me. They are coated with so much plot armor, they should’ve been in Star Wars: The Clone Wars.

You know you’re in for a special kind of treat when the show makes you cringe in the first episode. I mean, there were some funny moments, especially when Precocia snarks at Gus’ cousin and everyone makes fun of Gus for his crazy idea, but I’m not kidding when I tell you that the whole scene where Gus has to pretend to be a teenager is one of the most cringeworthy things I have EVER seen. And this is coming from someone who genuinely likes the Galaxy Goof-Ups.

The episodes with Hap and Groovia were a bit more grating, though. I wasn’t very fond of the “The Big Split-Up”, which featured them at their stupidest AND their worst.

Another episode I wasn’t terribly fond of was “Star For a Day”. Two reasons—one, the animation was HORRIBLE. Two, the music really, REALLY got on my nerves. The Flintstones had some good tunes, and even the Jetsons. But this…ugh, that was just terrible. Add in the basic “Prince and the Pauper” plot, and yeah, a pretty generic episode.

That being said, there were a few good episodes from the show. .

One of my favorite episodes was “Switch is Which?” In it, Gus stays up all night working on a project for a big client, and Laurie has to pretend to be him in his place to both save his job and the project. The ruse works well (somehow) until the big client invites himself into “Gus’” home, forcing Gus and Laurie to dress as each other. In addition to the hilariously bad disguises and the ribbing that both Laurie and Gus get from their kids about them (and said client flirts with Gus in his disguise!), there’s a great moment in the end where their disguises are revealed, and the big client, rather than shutting down the whole thing like Tycoonius was starting to do, asks to get the whole story from “the man of the house”. One would assume he’d turn to Gus, but he actually turns to Laurie and she explains without hesitation. Seeing their devotion to each other, the client takes on the project, and Tycoonius doesn’t fire Gus, and Evictus doesn’t evict him; said client OWNS the bank of Rome, meaning Evictus has to answer to him. Laurie went to bat for Gus here, even though she admits that she knows nothing about his job or what it entails, and did so without shaming him OR bragging about it. In today’s times, such things would be seen as “woke”, but kudos to Hanna-Barbera for handling it well and not making it cringe.

“Hero-Sandwiched” was also a really good episode. True, Gus allows the attention to get to his head, and the other half where he’s arrogant and intolerable is really a dream, but his initial response to being hailed a hero is commendable, especially since most episodes featuring “accidental heroism” features the main character creating a world of lies only to have it blow up in his face. Gus just wanted to set the record straight before it got out of hand, and I have to give him props for that.

#hanna-barbera #the roman holidays #thoughts #review #sorta

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