#this one is for you shelly! happy belated birthday

[azarovas]

You always made it sound so easy when you said you loved me. Aye, well, I don’t think that should be hard. I find it hard, but it doesn’t mean that I don’t feel it.

VIGIL (2021-)

[angelsdevils]

Rindou Haitani

a/n: Happy belated birthday @thisbicc sorry this took so long. I hope you enjoyed it!

Tag List: @y00nse0 @shelly-ya @haitani-bruv @galactict3a

Rindou looked down at you as you played on your phone.So many thoughts were going through his head, the biggest and most daunting thought was how beautiful you were. You were a tad bit chubby, covered in tattoos, tongue and septum piercing, and even though he never saw them, except through a shirt, you had nipple piercing. And the way you dyed your hair, half black and half blonde. Every detail about you was so hot, but there was one small problem. You two were best friends. He met you in school, you were the most quiet person in school, and most people steered clear of you. You never showed it bothered you, but he wanted to be close to you, so he did. 

He never left your side, and you stayed by his side after accepting him. At first he thought it was just a minor attraction, but you both had a lot in common. You two never needed to talk in each other's presence mainly, doing your own thing while spending time together. He enjoyed it a lot but sometimes he wanted more than just a casual friendship with you. He just didn’t know how to go about it, since he did want to make it special for you. 

You felt his hand stop moving around in your hair,so you looked up at him. You could tell he was in deep thought, so you  gently placed your hand on his cheek. Rindou snapped out of his thoughts, and looked down at you. 

“What?” 

“Are you okay? What are you thinking about?” 

Rindou was silent for a moment before feeling his cheeks heat up. There was no way he could voice his thoughts. So, instead he decided to come up with a lie.

“I was just thinking we should be doing something more fun. It’s your birthday after all…”

“I don’t do anything for it, hardly ever celebrate it.”

“Well, we are friends, so let's do something.”

“Rindou, no, I wanna stay in.”

Rindou clicked his tongue, and you gave him a smile. He pinched your cheek, and gave you a soft glare.

“What happened to RinRin? Or Rin?”

“Huh?”

“You never called me Rindou, it went from Haitani to one of the nicknames.”

“Oh… I thought you hated it…” you grinned sitting up and got close to his face. 

“I do, but it grew on me.”

You looked at him before shaking your head with a small smile. 

“Well fine, Rin, I'd rather stay in for my birthday.” 

“That’s not really celebrating it…” 

“For me it is…” 

Rindou rolled his eyes, before stroking your hair again. You relaxed completely against him, before he decided that now was the best time, if you weren’t going to celebrate your birthday. He would make it special in some way.

“(Y/N)?” 

“Yes?” 

“I love you…”

It was silent before you pulled back to look at him. He refused to meet your eyes and you felt your cheeks heat up, expecting him to say sike. But it never came, instead he pinched your side and shot you a soft glare.

“Say something damnit.” 

“S-Sorry, I was expecting you to say you were joking… but you are serious?” 

“I wouldn’t have said it, if I didn’t mean it (Y/N)...” 

Rindou sat up, which caused you to sit in his lap, and he cupped your face. 

“Unless it’s going to ruin our friendship. If it does, then I am joking… but if it turns into something more… then I would be more than happy to ruin the friendship.”

You could tell he was serious, so you leaned in and pressed your lips against his. 

The kiss was sweet, yet a bit awkward since neither one of you ever thought you would cross this threshold. When you both finally parted, Rindou met your eyes before pulling you in for another kiss, one much more desperate and needy. 

“You have no idea how much I have been wanting to do this.”

“Me too, I was so scared,” you mumbled against his lips.

He traced his hands over your curves taking in every inch of you, before squeezing certain parts of you that made you blush.

“Rin, don’t do that.” 

“Why not? I like it, you are so soft…”

“Well, I don’t like it…” 

“Don’t tell me you are self conscious of yourself…”

“Shut up, and kiss me again.” 

You huffed and Rin smirked kissing you again, but pulled you even closer. 

“Gladly, but just know I am going to worship this body…” 

© [@angelsdevils] all rights reserved. none of my posts or stories should be modified, reposted, etc. I do not own the character or the fanart, but I own the plots of these stories. All fanart goes to their appropriate owners.

[randomrainbowperson]

Happy (belated) birthday @mimic-madness! I wrote this for you so I hope you enjoy it. Not betaed so sorry for any mistakes. 

Celebrations and Confessions

Fandom: The Umbrella Academy

Relationship: Klaus/Ben (Horrance)

It was October 1, 2004, the Hargreeves 15th birthday and Ben was excited. Reginald usually let them have the day off on their birthday, probably because Pogo and Mom convinced him. Either way, they were given the day to do what they pleased, within certain limits. Reginald shut himself in his office, making it clear he was not participating in any birthday celebration. That was okay with Ben. He figured Dad wouldn't be much fun at a birthday party anyway. 

Their birthdays usually followed the same pattern every year. In the morning, Mom made them a special breakfast. After that, Mom and Pogo usually gave them each a small gift; from Mom a cross-stitch or knitted item that she had made and from Pogo little trinkets that did one thing or another. Then they would exchange gifts among each other. They either made the gift or had Pogo get it for them since they weren't allowed to leave the Academy. This year, Ben had gotten some new books, all varying genres, from his siblings. He was happy with his gifts, always looking for something new to read about. After exchanging gifts, they used to sing “Happy Birthday” together, but after Five disappeared, they replaced that tradition with writing notes to Five wishing him a happy birthday and place them under his portrait. Then, till dinner, everyone went off to do whatever they wanted. 

When they were little, they used to play games and celebrate together. As they got older, they split off and celebrated with only one or two other siblings. Allison and Luther will camp out together in one of their rooms, Diego usually hangs out with Mom, though sometimes he will join Ben and Klaus in their celebration, Vanya used to spend the day with Five in the library; Ben invited Vanya to hang out with him and Klaus but she said she would rather be alone. Klaus would usually plan what they were going to do, whether it was a dance party, some sort of game, or stuffing themselves with junk food. Ben let him do the planning because he knew Klaus enjoyed doing it and he trusted him to come up with something that they both would like. 

Ben was currently sitting on his bed reading the book Vanya had gotten him, Frankenstein by Mary Shelly. So far he was really enjoying it. He was waiting for Klaus to come to get him when he finished setting up their little party. He had something special he wanted to give him away from the prying eyes of their family. He patted his left pocket to make sure it was still there. He could hear music playing from Luther’s room and faintly hear the notes of a violin. Ben was so lost in his book that he didn’t hear Klaus come in until he crushed underneath him. 

“Benny boy! Time for a celebration!” Klaus sang into his ear.

“Watch out! You’re crushing my book!” Ben exclaimed, lightly shoving at Klaus. Klaus sprung up and jumped around the room like a bunny on crack while Ben smoothed out the creases in his book and placed it on his nightstand. 

“Are you ready? Are you ready to party? Huh, Benny? You ready to rock and roll?!” Klaus shouted, now gripping Ben by the shoulders. 

“ Of course.”

“Alrighty, let's go then!” Klaus grabbed Ben’s hand and began dragging him through the corridors. Ben started to blush and could only think about his hand in Klaus’. Being sheltered 15 year olds, they didn’t get to be around other kids all that often and not for very long at that. So it’s no wonder that they attached themselves to each other. Ben knew that these feelings weren’t normal, especially for someone you call your brother. But to him, they never really felt like real brothers, just best friends who happened to be raised by the same man and taught to fight crime. They may all call Reginald Dad but they aren’t a true family. Besides, it never stopped Allison and Luther.

Ben is shaken out of his thoughts when Klaus starts to lead him upstairs he doesn’t recognize. Klaus opens a door at the top and reveals to Ben a room decorated with balloons, streamers, and lots of colors. The room isn’t very large and it has a small window on the back wall. Ben gawks at the setup. He can see a record player in the corner, board games stacked by the window, and tons and tons of food. 

“Klaus…” Ben gazes in amazement. “ How the hell did you do this?”

“Got Pogo to buy party supplies and food, borrowed a record player from the library, and stole the board games out of the game closet.” Klaus grins and sits down on a pillow that's on the floor. Ben sits next to him on another pillow, still looking around in awe. 

“So…… do you like it?” Klaus fidgets nervously with his hands, looking at Ben hopefully. Ben leans over and pulls Klaus into the best hug he can mange from his position. He feels Klaus’ body relaxed as soon as their arms wrapped around each other. 

“I love it.” Ben whispered, trying to keep the tears in his eyes from spilling over. He sniffles and covertly wiped his eyes. He pulled away from the hug and can't help but smile softly at the huge grin on Klaus' face. 

"Great!" Klaus bounced up from the floor and practically ran to the record player. Ben watched as he pulled a record from its sleeve and soon music he doesn't recognize fills the air. Klaus grabs Scrabble from the pile of board games and sets it up in front of them. 

"Fancy a game?" Klaus asked, still grinning widely. 

Ben chuckled and grabs tiles from the bag. "I'm going to kick your ass." 

Klaus' laugh echoed throughout the tiny room and Ben's heart skipped a beat. 

---------------------

The sunlight lighting up the room had faded away, forcing them to turn on a lamp they found. They played a few rounds of Scrabble before Klaus gave up and flipped the board. For the rest of the day, they danced and stuffed themselves full of junk food. Currently, they were lying on the floor giggling about a prank Klaus had played on Luther not too long ago. Their giggling died off and they were left in comfortable silence. 

It was only broken when Klaus leaped off the floor and ran over to the window.

"I almost forgot." Klaus came back over with a small box. "This is for you. Happy birthday."

Ben sat up and took the box from Klaus' hands. He wondered why he didn't give it to him during the gift exchange but he figured Klaus had his reasons. The box was one of those pre-wrapped boxes that only require you to take off the top. Ben lifted the lid and gasped when he saw what was inside. 

Nestled in a bed of tissue paper, was a leather braided bracelet with bright glass beads within the woven strands. The beads reflected green, blue, and golden light across the ceiling. Ben reached a shaky hand towards the bracelet, the leather soft between his fingers. There was a single charm hanging, a simple silver circle with something engraved on it. Ben examined the charm and felt his heart stop when he read the words etched into it, 'K & B Forever'. He could feel the tears streaming down his face as he held the gift, his heart bursting with love and joy. 

"Ben?" Klaus asked quietly. "Are you okay? Do you not like it? I can return it and get you something else if you want? I guess it was stupid to get you jewelry, I mean you’re not a jewelry guy." Klaus continued to ramble, his voice progressively getting shakier. 

Before Klaus could freak out anymore, Ben reaches into his pocket and pulls out a necklace with a heart dangling from the end. He wanted to finally tell Klaus how he felt and thought the necklace would properly convey it. He knows the heart is cheesy, but he thought it would make it obvious how he felt. 

Ben held it out to Klaus, who just stared at it in shock. 

“I got this for you.” Ben said. Klaus reached a slow and shaky hand towards the necklace. He pulled it towards him and held the heart between his fingers. Ben felt his heart jump when Klaus gasped as he read the inscription on the heart. It said ‘Meine Liebe, Mein Liebling’. It was ‘My Love, My Darling’ in German. He knew Klaus could understand it because he was helping him learn German so he could be closer to his birth country. The phrase made the gift all the more cheesier. 

“I’ve been wanting to tell you how I felt for a while now and this seemed like the best time to do so. I don’t know if you feel what I feel and if you don’t we can pretend this never happened, but if you do, I was hoping you’d be my boyfriend.” Ben stared at Klaus after his confession, trying to gauge his reaction. Klaus was still staring at the necklace and Ben could see tears welling up in his eyes. Klaus didn’t move and after a minute, Ben got worried. 

“Klaus?” Ben said softly and gently touched his shoulder. At the touch, Klaus jumped and looked at Ben. There were still tears in his eyes and Ben felt his heart clench painfully. “I’m sorry if it upsets you, I can take it back if it bothers you. I thought I would-” 

Ben’s words were cut off as a Klaus surged forward and kissed him. He froze and Klaus pulled away after a second. Ben looked into Klaus’ eyes and saw them lit up with joy. There was a short pause before the both leaned in and reconnected their lips. Ben felt as though his heart was going to burst. It felt right kissing Klaus. Sure it was a little wet and sloppy, but that’s what you get when you're both 15 year old shut-ins. To him, it was perfect. He moved closer and instinctively put his hands on Klaus’ waist. He then felt Klaus drape his arms over his shoulders. They stayed like that until Ben pulled away. He doesn’t remember closing his eyes, but when he opens them, he sees Klaus looking back at him with a dopey grin on his face. Ben was sure his face had the same grin. He huffed a little laugh and gave Klaud a quick peck on the lips. 

“So…,” Ben said after a few moments of silence. “I’m gonna guess you feel the same.”

“ Of course I do dumbass. I couldn’t have been more obvious.” Klaus laughed. “I thought you were the smart one.”

Ben snorted and gave Klaus hip a small whack. “Shut up asshole.”

“You love me.” Klaus teased.

“Yes, I do.” 

Ben leaned back in for another kiss but stopped short when they heard the dinner bell ring. Klaus groaned in disappointment and Ben chuckled before pulling away. 

“Come on. If we don’t hurry, Luther’s going to eat all of Mom’s mac and cheese.” Ben started moving towards the door when Klaus grabbed his hand to stop him. 

“Wait. Aren’t you going to put on my gift?” Klaus asked with an exaggerated pout on his face. “You also have to help me put on your gift.” Ben looked at the bracelet still clutched in his hand and quickly slipped it on. He then took the necklace from Klaus’ hand and unclasped it. Ben brought it around Klaus’ neck and reclasped it. When Klaus turned around, Ben felt his heart jump. 

“How do I look?” Klaus struck a pose and Ben couldn’t help but lean in kiss him again. The kiss lasted a couple of seconds and when they pulled away, Ben tucked the necklace into Klaus’ shirt. 

“You look beautiful, but we can’t have Dad seeing it. You know what would happen if he did.” Ben explained when Klaus pouted. 

Klaus sighed. “I know.” 

Ben grabbed his hand and squeezed gently. “What matters is that we know it’s there and we know what it represents.” 

Klaus smiled softly. 

“Now let's go. Maybe Luther will be kind and leave us some food.” Ben, with his hand still grasping Klaus’, pulled his to the door and down the stairs. Klaus’ laugh echoed through the room, leaving a whisper of the day behind. Ben would look back to this day as not only the best birthday but the best day in general. Later when they were eating dinner and Ben looked over at Klaus he could see the chain peeking out from his shirt collar. The simple glint of the chain filled his joy and he knew that nothing could tear them apart. 

[jisforjudi]

Johnny Depp Is Not The Biggest Star Of 'Murder On The Orient Express'

Scott Mendelson , CONTRIBUTOR

20th Century Fox's Murder on the Orient Express earned $1.6 million in Thursday previews last night, which means that we could easily be looking at a $20-$25m debut weekend for the star-studded mystery. That's a solid start for Kenneth Branagh's star-studded adaptation of the Agatha Christie novel, and it may be a win for Fox's "big movies for grown-ups" strategy.

The film feels like a contradiction, in that it's a big release powered entirely by an all-star cast at a time when would-be star power is a painfully inconsistent thing. If the film does well, especially via older audiences, credit will surely go to the source material and to the crowded cast. But who among the would-be suspects in this train-set murder mystery is the biggest asset to the movie? Well, I would argue that it's not Kenneth Branagh, Johnny Depp, Josh Gad or even Daisy Ridley. No, the biggest name in terms of getting older audiences into the theater for this one is arguably Judi Dench.

There are a lot of well-known folks in this movie, and that cast list also includes probable Oscar winner Willem Dafoe (for The Florida Project), current Oscar winner Penelope Cruz and shoulda-been Oscar winner Michelle Pfeiffer. Most of these folk, like frankly most would-be movie stars of late, are either explicitly tied to a franchise or merely an added value element for an already commercial package. Folks may like Josh Gad, but if they don't already want to see Marshall, they won't see Marshall. Branagh has been a respected actor/director for decades (I'm the guy who likes Mary Shelly's Frankenstein), but he's known more for melodramatic Shakespeare adaptations than for actually fronting successful star vehicles.

We have no idea what value Ridley has outside of Star Wars movies, Cruz rarely gets star English-language star vehicles and Depp has found himself floundering of late as a leading man outside of the Pirates of the Caribbean movies. He still adds value to a commercial enterprise, and he's still a fine actor. Heck, he's quite terrific in this film in what feels like a meta-commentary on his current off-screen reputation, but the likes of Mortdecai and even Black Mass ($99 million worldwide on a $53m budget) show his lack of present-day drawing power to the extent that he ever had any outside of Jack Sparrow sequels and Tim Burton fantasies.

That leaves us with Judi Dench. She doesn't have a ton of screen time in the film, although only a few would-be suspects get more than a few moments in the sun during the briskly-paced 114-minute movie. But if we were going by star power, she is the film's biggest asset. If we judge would-be movie stardom by the ability to get folks into a theater based primarily on their name, then Dench has been on a roll for five years. Oh, happy belated fifth birthday to Skyfall!

We can debate to what extent Judi Dench brought folks into that all-time high 007 adventure, but since she was technically the second lead and had an actual arc it surely didn't hurt the film's march toward $304 million domestic/$1 billion worldwide. But if you don't want to count the 007 movies, that's fine even as they obviously introduced her to at least two generations of moviegoers going back to 1995. Oh, happy almost-22nd birthday, GoldenEye!

But it was the film that debuted five months before Sony's Skyfall that started her winning streak. Ironically debuting on the same day as Marvel's The Avengers, Fox Searchlight's The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel was something of an Avengers/Expendables for senior citizens, as its all-star cast (Dench, Tom Wilkinson, Bill Nye, Maggie Smith, etc.) powering the summer counterprogramming offering to $46 million domestic and $136m worldwide on a $10m budget. Next year, she starred in the Oscar-nominated (and quite excellent) Philomena which earned $37m domestic and $100m worldwide on a $12m budget. The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel was a smaller-sized hit, but it still made $85m worldwide on a $10m budget.

I can't give her too much credit for a small supporting role in Tim Burton's Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children ($296 million worldwide on a $110m budget), and I won't blame anyone in the cast for the disaster that was Tulip Fever. But this season, as one Oscar season release after another (Battle for the Sexes, Stronger, Thank You for Your Service, Last Flag Flying, etc.) stiffed, Dench's Victoria and Abdul found itself as the by-default champion of the Oscar season. The Focus Features release, about Queen Victoria's friendship with Abdul Karim, has earned $20m domestic and $57m worldwide thus far. That's no queen's ransom, but it's the only Oscar season release thus far that hasn't underwhelmed.

Obviously, none of these movies can hold a candle to Quantum of Solace, Frozen, The Force Awakens or Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales. But the likes of Philomena and Victoria and Abdul had little to offer outside of the appeal of seeing Dame Judi Dench in a major leading role in a film unquestionably aimed at older audiences. It's no secret that indie films aimed at older audiences (Eye in the Sky, The Woman in Gold, A Walk in the Woods, etc.) have scored of late. And in that sense, Judi Dench is the glorified Leonardo DiCaprio of the AARP set.

Like (relatively speaking) Denzel Washington, Judi Dench's movies don't break records but also don't have any franchise trappings or IP to sell beyond that face on the poster/name in the trailer. She doesn't need a franchise or a marquee character to bring in her fan base, often in precisely the kind of old-school studio fare that we all complain Hollywood doesn't make anymore. And in that sense, she is the one cast member in Murder on the Orient Express who might get otherwise merely curious older audiences to actually partake in the theatrical experience. Dench may not get top billing or get the biggest role, but she's the biggest star in the movie.