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restwellsoon · 2 years

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Corn Dogs & Kissing Booths

Summary: You were nervous about what your date had planned for the night at the county carnival in Gotham.

/ “Two corn dogs –no, not that one. Those please. A large drink. Yeah, two straws are fine... unless?” He turned to you with a coy smile. “Haha, just kidding, sugar. You can decide later if I have cooties or not.”

Pairing: Jason Todd x Ambiguous!Reader

CW: language

Wringing your hands nervously, you looked around for your date. The sun would set in about an hour and you were grateful that he chose this time. Going around the county fair during the sun’s peak would have been awful.

But the anxious side of you couldn’t help but run through scenarios as you stood outside of the entrance. What if he can’t find you because it gets too dark? No, he had your phone number. What if he’s got into some insane accident or something happened to a loved one? Why would you even think that? Your thoughts raced towards something else in fear that it might manifest because you thought it.

What if he stood you up? Oh lord, what if he did? That was definitely in the realm of possibilities.

When you first found him on the dating app, you were certain you stumbled upon a catfish. There was no way that such a handsome guy with a body like that, a humor like that and intelligence like that was single.

You remembered spitting out your drink all over your kitchen counter when he texted you about his very well-paying job at Wayne Enterprises as head of security. Banking on him being jobless to be his major flaw, he proved you wrong.

“Hey,” you heard a deep voice behind you, causing you to flinch and look for the source of the voice. He said your name as more of a question than a greeting. You hoped that it was because he just wanted to clarify instead of you looking different from your pictures.

Eyes widening, you realized that he somehow looked better in real life than in the pictures. Tall and well-built –was he actually flexing or was he really that buff?– he was exactly what you pictured as the head of Wayne Security to be.

He had a boyish grin on his face and blue eyes twinkled when he realized that it actually was you.

“Hi Jason,” you said back shyly.

“The pictures don’t do you justice,” he noted as he motioned you to wait in line with him to get the tickets to enter the fair grounds.

Mumbling a thank you for his compliment, you wished you could have the courage to say that you thought the same about him.

---

Taking in the sights and sounds of bright lights, fried foods and laughter, you two tried to figure out where you wanted to go first.

“Food,” Jason said decisively, pointing towards the left side of the entrance. There was a small collection of trinket booths there but your noses couldn’t deceive you. That’s where the blend of smoky and sweet was coming from.

Using your noses to guide you, the two of you walked towards there.

What was your favorite fair food? You couldn’t even figure out where to start. Always willing to try something new, the gourmet item of the year usually intrigued you. The deep fried butter actually wasn’t that bad if you didn’t think about all of the calories. But the one year where they thought that they could pass off rainbow-colored grilled cheese as something unique was actually very disappointing.

Nervously though, you thought about your date. Jason was clearly into body building, which meant that he more than likely lived a very active and healthy lifestyle. Indulging in your favorite foods would make you feel self-conscious if he got something more blatantly nutrient-dense and green.

Nearly running into the large man, you saw that he seemed entranced by a booth that sported yellow, red and blue vertical stripes. Large comedic looking hot dogs, soda and popcorn decorated the top of the booth to lure fair-goers in. Glancing at the menu, you realized it didn’t have anything special. It was your typical fair food.

“Order first,” Jason offered, blue eyes reflecting back the bright lights of the menu’s sign as he tried to decide on what he wanted. You groaned internally. You were hoping he would order first to get an idea of what he liked.

The cashier turned towards you expectantly, a teenager or college kid who would rather be out enjoying the fair instead of working it. There was a pause and you could tell that they were getting impatient.

“I’ll uhhh have the,” your eyes squinted at the menu again trying to find your safest option. “The salad and a bottle of water.” You decided lamely. It was by the far the worst fair meal you could think of but you didn’t want to embarrass yourself in front of your dream hunk.

Jason snorted, an ugly sound from such a handsome man. The snort turned into a light chuckle as he looked at you.

“I didn’t take you to the Gotham City Fair for you to eat like a fuckin’ bird,” he said, to which you felt a moment of relief.

“Two corn dogs –no, not that one. Those please. A large drink. Yeah, two straws are fine... unless?” He turned to you with a coy smile. “Haha, just kidding, sugar. You can decide later if I have cooties or not.”

Eyes widening, Jason realized he forgot the most important thing that he wanted.

“And a funnel cake with all the fixin’s and extra powdered sugar. Nah, I don’t mind that it’s extra. My date is worth it,” he turned to wink at you.

After seeing Jason come back to the table you secured with all of the food in his arms, you marveled at the two incredibly large corndogs he had in one hand.

“How is that gonna fit?” You blurted out as he handed you yours. The corn dog was easily eight inches long, maybe even a foot. Whatever the length, you knew it was above average and the breading made it seem girthier than normal.

“Oh, I’m sure you’ll find a way,” he said after taking a bit of his, savoring the taste of the deep fried cornbread and hot dog beneath. “If not I can show you what to do with all that extra meat.”

Jason knew what he was saying and you tried to push away the feelings of shyness as this handsome man flirted with you.

You could hardly finish half the corn dog, knowing you had to pace yourself if you wanted to have room for the funnel cake.

Not one to waste food, Jason offered to finish the rest for you, which you gave him willingly.

“Sorry if you think I’m gross,” he said after polishing off both his and yours. “It’s just that I don’t get to eat this food often. My dad was really strict about our diets growing up.”

Telling him that you didn’t mind, you said, “Honestly, it’s kind of a relief to see you demolish those ‘dogs. I was kind of worried that you were like this super perfect, healthy being.”

Taking a sip of your shared drink –lemonade– you watched as his lips wrapped around the straw, perfectly moist and plump and wondered what it would be like to kiss him.

Setting the drink down, he looked at you, amused. “I’m not perfect, sweet cheeks. Not by a long shot. But I hope by the end of the night, you’ll see how perfect I am for you.”

Again you said nothing. Jason Todd was fucking smooth.

After eating as much of the funnel cake as you two could –Wow, Jason had a voracious appetite– you couldn’t help but notice that Jason had a smudge of powdered sugar at the corner of his lip. You reached out to his face to dab it off, a bold move that you felt proud of yourself for.

Jason caught your hand in his, those blue eyes twinkling again. Were they just naturally like that or was it just because of the fairground lights? Maybe they just twinkled because of your crush on him.

“Better watch those hands,” he said your name in that deep voice of his, sending a current of electricity down your spine. “They might get caught and who knows what could happen then.”

Teasingly, he placed a chaste kiss on your knuckles before releasing his grip. You drew your hand to your chest as if burned. You felt tingles in the absence of his lips.

“Oh, don’t act like that. You’re just too fuckin’ cute. It makes me want to tease you more.”

---

Jason trailed behind you as you lead him towards a big red barn and the animal section of the fair. You loved the petting zoo and seeing all of the prized animals. Betting on which little piglet would win during the pig races? Absolutely adorable. The bleating of baby goats and calves? Fucking precious.

You looked so cute to Jason as you fawned over the baby animals and their mamas. Your face lit up the moment the smell of hay hit your noses and you tried to discreetly shove past the children to get your turn to touch the smallest little goat.

“Hey, pose,” Jason commanded. He needed to commemorate this moment. “My lil brother would kill to be here right now. Dami just loves animals and that baby goat is fuckin’ cute.”

Embarrassed by his boldness and the implication that he wanted to show the goat you to this family, you posed awkward with the little barnyard creature. Taking a few shots, Jason seemed satisfied with his work. He quickly sent it to the group chat he shared with his siblings.

“Do you just have one little brother?” You asked, wanting to know more about him.

“Pfft. I wish. I have three –Tim, Duke and Damian. Dami’s the baby of the family. Got an older brother too. Dick. No, I’m not just saying that cuz he is one, he really does go by that.”

You couldn’t help but smile at the way he described his family. He was a family man on top of everything else? Feeling the butterflies dance in your stomach, you couldn’t help but give out an internal dreamy sigh at how Jason was the perfect package.

Fingers on his screen, his siblings must have replied. He let out another huff as his eyes glued to the screen. “Sometimes I think my little sister –Oh yeah, forgot to mention that I have a sister too– is the only one who likes me but even she said that you’re out of my league.”

Smiling at his sister’s approval, you told him, “I could say the same about you, Jason.” He turned his face from you at the compliment, a tinge of pink on his cheeks.

---

Walking through cheesy haunted houses and children’s art exhibits, the time flew by and there was only an hour left before the fair closed down for the night. You wondered if this is how Cinderella felt when it drew closer to midnight. Feeling an oncoming wave of disappoint that the magic of tonight would end, you told yourself to make the most of the hour.

“Ferris wheel?” You suggested, gazing at the colorful and brightly lit ride that was iconic of fairs around the world.

And for the first time that night, you saw a semblance of hesitation in Jason as he sized the giant wheel up and down. “Hard pass.”

“That’s your flaw?” You balked at him. You took him as someone who sought adrenaline and the Ferris wheel was by far the tamest ride that the fair had to offer.

“I just don’t trust those things –any of the rides here really. Would you trust something that’s tens of feet in the air and was assembled in like an hour?” You couldn’t argue with his logic.

“How about we walk around instead?”

You couldn’t help but feel shy as you felt his hand bump into yours as you walked side-by-side and meandered at the craft section. A few more bumps and a side glance later, he finally grabbed your hand in his. It was a tight hold, really. He must have been used to it from giving firm handshakes to high-profile clients of WE and apprehending any trouble makers. It wasn’t uncomfortable though. In fact, it made you feel safe. For extra security or maybe in fear that you would try to let go –you wouldn’t– he entwined his fingers in yours.

Your body dragged backwards as Jason stopped behind you to peer curiously at a booth. “KISSING BOOTH” the sign read in all caps and underneath it in a smaller scrawl, “1 kiss = $5 for charity.”

You looked at the person working the booth. Attractive was an understatement. They looked more fitting to be by Jason’s side instead of you, you thought dejectedly. No, another voice said in your head. Remember Jason’s blatant flirting throughout the night? How his sister said you were too good for him?

But the voice’s reasoning couldn’t convince you as you saw Jason drop a bill into the jar. The worker smiled widely. Who wouldn’t? Jason was probably the hottest person that they kissed all day, maybe for the entire duration of the fair. You felt stupid for having such high hopes during the night.

Finally noticing your silence, Jason asked you what was wrong. “Nothing,” you tried to play it off.

He looked at you and you were pleased that he was purposefully ignoring the worker’s cough for his attention.

Jason looked stunning under the mixture of neon lights and regular fluorescent. The fair had a way of painting individuals in romance. Or maybe it was just the way his ice blue eyes looked only at you, freezing away whatever insecurities you had a breath ago.

No, it was definitely his hands around your waist, pressing your body to his closer. Those large hands that made you feel protected. Those calloused hands that your perverted heart wanted to run across your body and know more intimate parts of you. You melted under their heat.

“Good,” he spoke. “Did you decide on if I have cuties or not?” There was a hint of hopefulness in voice that you didn’t expect.

Playing coy but voice coming out far too eager still, “Still not sure, but I’m willing to figure it out right now.”

“Thank God,” Jason said in relief. “I didn’t want to have to guilt you into doing kissing me for charity. Think of the children, you know?”

You smiled, before licking your lips in preparation and now confident that you were just overly sensitive tonight. “Oh, I didn’t tell you? I’m actually quite the philanthropist.”

Leaning down, you met Jason half-way in a kiss. His pressure was soft and gentle, wanting to hold back on the passion for a more secluded space instead. You both ignored the disgusted scoff of the neglected kissing booth employee, clearly pissed that you took their kiss.

“Hope you’re ready to donate more at a private event,” he finally breathed. “The charitable organization of Jason Todd is in dire need of kisses.”

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Curated Masterlists

Jason Todd’s Masterlist

#jason todd x reader #jason todd x gn!reader #rest writes

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five-miles-over · 4 years

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Joaquin Phoenix Characters as Comfort Foods

(Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters or images. This is just a fun listicle, not designed to offend anyone. As always, please feel free to leave comments and/or constructive criticism below. I’m always happy to learn more about various dishes and cuisines. Thank you, and without any further ado, please enjoy!)

Characters in this List: Arthur Fleck, Joker, Theodore Twombly, Jimmy Emmett, Doug Holt, Doc Sportello, Freddie Quell, Johnny Cash, Max California, Merrill Hess, Ray Elwood, Bruno Weiss, Abbé de Coulmier, Joe, Lucius Hunt, and Emperor Commodus.

Also, most of the foods in this listicle are savory, so let me know if you want me to do a listicle with sweet comfort foods too!

Arthur Fleck from Joker: Fairy Bread

Fairy bread is a treat from Australia, made with white bread, butter (or margarine), and sprinkles (or as they call them in Australia, hundreds and thousands). Just like Arthur, this comfort food is quite simplistic but it’s extremely cherished. Plus, the colorful sprinkles would appeal to the inner child inside of Arthur Fleck.

The Joker from Joker: Prawn Mee

Prawn mee (also called hokkien hae mee) is a spicy street food from Malaysia made with prawns (of course), pork slices, noodles, and water spinach.

Much like Joker’s antics, this noodle dish is never dull with its spicy and savory flavors. In fact, there are many variations to this dish, with some adding eggs or squid along with different kinds of vegetables.

(Plus, I chose this dish keeping in mind a scene from The Dark Night Rises in which Heath Ledger’s Joker eats a piece of shrimp while crashing a party.)

Theodore Twombly from Her : Tomato Soup and Grilled Cheese (aka Cheese Toasties)

I’ve mentioned before how the color red seems to be quite significant to Theodore in this film - he wears it a lot, many of his things are red. So the tomato soup is a good fit.

Also, the warmth of this dish (and the gooey cheese) is a perfect analogy for the way Theodore wears his heart on his sleeve. He can be quite a mushy romantic, and often feels nostalgic for a simpler time of love.

Personally, this dish also brings nostalgia because I used to love it when I was twelve.

Jimmy Emmett from To Die For: Chili Dogs

It’s quite ‘grungy’ in appearance, much like Jimmy Emmett. And the intensity of the bold meat flavors and cheese do quite represent the intense obsession that Jimmy has with Nicole Kidman’s character.

(And I’ve heard it’s a great hangover/munchies food best served with potato chips)

Doug Holt from Inventing the Abbotts: Matzo Ball Soup

Matzo balls are soup dumplings made of unleavened bread flour, that are usually added to chicken or vegetable broth. Just like Doug Holt, they are absolutely wholesome and comforting no matter what.

Doc Sportello from Inherent Vice: Omurice

Omurice is a Japanese dish that combines an omelette and fried rice, which sounds like a nice representation of someone who combines the best of both words, being a private investigator and a hippie.

Also, out of all of Joaquin’s characters, I’m pretty sure Doc would be totally down to try this as an alternate breakfast or snack.

Freddie Quell from The Master: Drunken Noodles (Pad Kee Mao)

One of the running storylines in The Master is Freddie’s interest in alcohol - and getting drunk off of it. He mixes various chemicals and substances to create concoctions (that may not be for everyone) to get a buzz. So it only makes sense that his comfort food comes from the word for ‘drunkard’.

These noodles don’t actually contain any alcohol, but the flavors of black pepper and red chile give it a distinct hotness. (Kind of like how Freddie’s hot-headed nature can be quite dangerous at times.)

Johnny Cash from Walk The Line: Fried Catfish

Fried catfish is quite popular in Kingsland, Alabama - Cash’s hometown - so it would be a nice choice to represent this iconic singer. Also, the movie showed fishing as one of Johnny Cash’s hobbies.

Max California from 8 MM: Poutine

Emerging in the 1950s, poutine is a Canadian dish made with french fries, cheese curds, and brown gravy (usually beef or turkey-flavored). The word ‘poutine’ itself comes from the French word ‘poutine’ (meaning “pudding”) and was used to describe the “sloppy” appearance of this dish.

Much like Max California’s job as a porn vendor, poutine can look quite messy on the outside. However, it has a comforting, warm taste that matches how genuine Max really is on the inside.

Also, I can imagine Max’s work costing him some long nights that call for fast food (meaning fries!).

Merrill Hess from Signs: Philly Cheesesteak

Philly cheesesteaks are named for the American city Philadelphia, which is quite close to Bucks County, Pennsylvania (the location for many of the scenes filmed for Signs).

This greasy sandwich made of steak, onions, peppers, and (lots of!) cheese is an integral part of American cuisine, just like how baseball - Merrill’s passion - is fondly known as “America’s pastime”.

Also, I can imagine Merrill having quite an appetite, so a cheesesteak would satisfy him.

Ray Elwood from Buffalo Soldiers: Beans on Toast

While being a staple in the United Kingdom, beans on toast would probably suit a soldier like Ray Elwood. Given that the ingredients are nothing more than canned beans and bread, it would be the best choice of comfort food for someone always staying in an army bunker.

(Not to mention, it’s pretty easy to make - he could make this while taking a break from shipping illegal drugs around Berlin)

Bruno Weiss from The Immigrant: Schnitzel with Mushroom Gravy

Bruno Weiss may seem like a hedonist on the outside, being a ruthless pimp and entertainer who will do anything to make a profit. However on the inside, his character craves for warmth and affection.

Schnitzel is a German comfort food consisting of a piece of meat (or cheese) that is breaded and fried before being coated in a flavorful gravy. Much like Bruno himself, schnitzel has quite a hard, distinctive exteriors and a tender interior.

Abbé de Coulmier from Quills: Ratatouille

(This dish has a fun name, I’m not going to lie) What better choice for a French priest than a summer entrée that originates in Nice, France? Ratatouille is a vegetable stew made with various types of squash, tomatoes, zucchini (or courgette), and eggplant (aka aubergine).

Much like Abbé, this dish may seem quite simple (based on its ingredients, which are primarily vegetables) but it is quite filling and comforting. This dish is surprisingly warm during cold nights, just like how Abbé’s presence brings warmth to Charenton.

Joe from You Were Never Really Here: Spaghetti Alla Norma

Spaghetti is already a popular comfort food in itself, but Joe’s maturity as a character definitely calls for a slightly elegant version of pasta. Spaghetti alla Norma is made with fried eggplant, cherry tomatoes, and basil to garnish. The eggplant definitely adds a meaty component to this dish, just like Joe’s complicated past makes his storyline in the film quite compelling.

Lucius Hunt from The Village: Minestrone

Minestrone is an Italian vegetarian soup usually consisting of carrots, celery, beans, and pasta in a tomato-based broth. The herbs (thyme, rosemary, oregano) flavoring it definitely offer a rustic type of taste. Not to mention, a warm bowl of this soup does wonders after a long day of walking through the woods.

Emperor Commodus from Gladiator: Chicken Tikka Masala

As always, my favorite is saved for last. *sighs* Honestly, I think the rich, creamy nature of the gravy, along with the blend of spices, makes this perfect for an emperor’s lavish and robust palette. Also, it is by far one of the most popular dishes around the world (especially in the United Kingdom) - just like how Commodus is one of Phoenix’s most iconic roles.

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jungnoir · 4 years

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a sprinkle of mischief;

kim seokjin | why waste your time with a maybe when you’ve got a guaranteed yes right under your own roof? | 1.2k words. | supernatural, fluff. a mini-sequel to a dash of wicked.

Of all things you might have expected to hear on your way through the front door that fateful Thursday evening, none of them had even come close to “Are you on Tinder?” Mainly because your (slightly) unwanted house guest who asked shouldn’t even know Tinder exists.

Barring a normal greeting, you turn to face Seokjin who is sitting politely criss-cross applesauce on the couch with a phone in hand that you have no clue how he acquired, to squeak out, “Why?!”

He flinches at the volume of your voice, “I was looking for matches and you were one of them. However, I’ve heard of this ‘catfishing’ business from the TV and I wanted to be sure no one was using your photos for anything nefarious,” he details, as if it should be obvious to you, “do you need help with the groceries?”

There is a paper bag of cold foods tucked underneath your chin, almost slipping from your poor grasp because your other limbs are preoccupied with different paper bags full of groceries. Second trip be damned. You can’t nod, so you only hum an affirmative and he is quickly tossing the suspicious device in his hand to the floor to come help you. He alleviates you easily. You attempt to ignore the flash of muscle underneath his mole-littered arms because of course he’s built; he used to level cities.

“Yes, I am on... Tinder. Why would anyone use me of all people to catfish?” You grumble, following him to the kitchen. You set down the bag you think has wine in it on the counter and figure you might need it soon anyway.

Seokjin gives you a look as if he was mentally saying “we’ve talked about this”, annoyed roll of the eyes and all, “Attractive people are used to catfish all the time, petal. Have you not seen the news? You’re prime prey for this kind of thing.”

You fluster, “T-That’s a bit of a stretch-”

Seokjin is suddenly upon you, but it takes you far too long to realize that he’s only reaching above you to put away things in the cabinets. One hand brandished at your back and his chest casually bumping against your shoulder, you start to itch for a way out of the precarious position he’s put you in. Calling you attractive and then this? He was looking to kill you!

Your work-fried brain was working in overtime, so instead of saying more on the subject that you might regret, you instead slip away from his hand, ignoring the little look of confusion he gives you in return. “Never mind. The more pressing issue is how’d you get a phone?”

“Someone gave it to me.”

“Someone gave you their phone? No one just gives away their phones these days, Jin! They cost several hundreds of dollars.”

“Which is ridiculous,” he elbows the cabinet door shut and moves to put the fruits in the fridge drawer, “I was able to build freeze rays with less money than you people spend on your little computers. There should be an uprising about that by now.”

“You built freeze rays with less money because there wasn’t an actual economy in your universe, Jin.”

He snorts, bent over as he scoots a few apples to make room for pears, “An issue which you can easily mend in the final draft, no doubt.”

He must notice the displeasure in your sigh that follows, however, because he’s quickly explaining the situation, “A-Anyway, I simply told the woman that I was in need of a way to contact my spouse as my own phone had been dropped in the toilet.”

Ignoring that the spouse in question would probably be you in this situation, you hurry on to your next burning question, “And she let you borrow it?” “Yes, and then I teleported home.”

You squeak with horror, running into the living room to retrieve the smartphone he’d so carelessly tossed earlier. It was an obnoxious canary yellow with a little ladybug charm attached at the end. When you swipe up to see if she or anyone she might know had contacted the phone yet to get it back, you saw nothing. “Seokjin! People have trackers on their phones these days!”

“Precisely,” his smooth tenor rounds up on your kneeling form so he can pluck the phone out of your grip, “which is why I disabled it hours ago.”

Ah, right. Amongst his other personality traits that designated him a worthy specimen, you’d written his intelligence to be through the roof. You honestly wouldn’t be too surprised if it turned out that he had somehow successfully tapped into the phone line of the government at this point and was exposing their dirty secrets to the dark web.

Yet, this was the same man who still considered mostly everything he heard on the news to be true, so you had to consider how impressed you really were. “The entire reason why I haven’t given you a phone is because I have no clue what you’d do with it if given the chance. It was already a struggle enough debating on letting you watch the damn TV, and now-”

“Are you looking for love, petal?”

The way Seokjin asks is incredibly disarming. He’s curious, looming over your still kneeling form with the silly phone in hand, head tilted so that you can see his raised brows. You’re already so goddamn embarrassed, and now he’s asking you if you’re looking for someone with the tenderness of a friend. You want to sink into the floor.

You don’t get a chance, however, when Seokjin reaches to ghost your jaw with his free fingers. So ever delicate, he crouches down until he’s almost at your level, hand still perched underneath your chin to keep it raised high, toward him. “If you wanted someone to play with, I could have kidnapped them for you with ease.”

The strange moment is suddenly broken. Shoving his hand away, you grab the phone back again, “I want someone willing, you dolt.”

“I’m available.”

You gape at the villain. He didn’t just... offer himself, did he? So casually? “Jin, what the hell has gotten into you?”

“We’re both fairly young,” he rationalizes, closing in on you minutely, “and lively, and attractive. Plus, you already know everything about me. Why waste time getting to know someone else who could never live up to the standard?”

He did, oh God, he did. “And... you’re the standard?”

Seokjin chuckles, “I’m the blueprint.” Your stunned expression is enough to send him off without much else said on the matter, “I’ll make dinner and you go clean up, hm?”

Not even waiting for your reply, Seokjin stands back up and heads to the kitchen with a little pep in his step. A couple moments of stunned silence later, you open the now unlocked phone to see where Seokjin had left off, unsurprisingly on Tinder.

(You stop on Seokjin’s profile as you scroll through Tinder mindlessly later that night, curled up next to the villain with a shared bowl of popcorn between you and a ridiculous movie on TV. He’d managed to take a decently harmless-looking couple of selfies, and his bio wasn’t that outwardly menacing. You might have even gone as far as to call his profile... really adorable. You think, for a moment, that it might be funny to swipe right on him.)

(You really don’t find it funny. Your curiosity is killing you.)

(”It’s a match!”)

#seokjin scenarios #seokjin drabbles #seokjin fluff #seokjin au #villain!seokjin #kim seokjin #bts scenarios #bts drabble #bts fluff #bts au #villain!bts #villain x civilian #uhhhh #majwrites

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shadowsnlace · 6 years

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Hahaha, I loved your answer to the fandom asks! May I have a part 2? The same thing, but with the lieutenants? Thanks, hun! Happy writing! Sincerely, Happy Anon

I can’t believe how popular that ask was! And it was so much fun to write! Thank you for send that and this one too, dear Happy Anon! *rubs hands together* Now, let’s see about the lieutenants! :)

Nanao - Annoyed. Very annoyed. Not only does she have to contend with Shunsui’s fangirls zipping around the division, now she’s got them hot on her heels too! The power of the glare is strong with Nanao, she can halt a fan in their tracks at ten paces. Most of the pictures on her website are “the glare”. It’s a whole thing, there are poems, songs, and art dedicated to it. However, Nanao does go on the website to interact with her fans – those that are book lovers like her. There is a section for Nanao’s book recommendations, and even a book club forum where her fans can read the same book she’s reading and once she’s done they all discuss it. She loves it.

Omaeda - His website has 11 followers. Ten of them are on his payroll, the other one is a complete mystery. Rumors fly that the one unpaid “fan” is really Sui Feng monitoring him; that it is a woman that has her sights set on his wealth and is gathering recon to lure him into marriage (this one started by Omaeda); and the biggest rumor, the one spawned by Sui Feng scoffing, “It’s probably his mother.” The content is all uploaded by Omaeda. There was the one time his mother posted embarrassing baby pictures in the comment section of one of his posts. They were immediately deleted. He buried himself in fried rice crackers to deal with the “trauma”.

Izuru - Is shocked to his toes. Upon first seeing his fansite, he not only smiled, but he was happy the rest of the day. He always blushes a bit when fans ask for him to pose with them for pictures. Surprise of surprises, Izuru always smiles in all the pictures. So many fangirls – those blue eyes, that blonde hair, that tender poet’s soul…women swoon over him. Once a week he posts a new poem and his fans are all over it. The amount of hearts that stream through the comments is staggering. Trolls are not allowed. Anyone that dares to troll one of Izuru’s poems is destroyed by the fans like it’s their favorite sport. Rose is trying to convince him to do a “Win a Date With Izuru” contest like he did on his fansite.

Isane - Like Izuru, she’s really shocked. She turns bright pink when she first sees the fansite and how much adoration there is for her. Retsu encourages her to interact with her fans, hoping it will bolster her confidence. Fan pictures are a mix – many show a startled, pink-cheeked Isane looking a bit unsettled, while others are able to make her comfortable enough to smile happily. Either way, she’s still quite the beauty. The new attention rattles her sometimes, especially if someone very attractive tells her how beautiful she is. So much so, she tripped on air and landed right in the arms of a very cute officer from the 5th division. This led to a date and a rather hot kiss goodnight. Isane definitely thinks this website might be a good thing after all.

Momo - Is pretty tickled that she has fans. She’s pretty easy-going so asking her for a picture or having some interaction with her isn’t a hard thing to accomplish. Like Nanao, she loves books and has linked to Nanao’s book club forum where her and her fans interact with Nanao and her fans. She has her own reading recommendation list on the site. As a very good artist, she often posts some of her artwork, much to the delight of her fans. She loves getting art from her fans too. She’ll pick a piece of fan art every week to showcase on her fansite with compliments from her. Is really into memes. She loves them especially if they’re cute. Rangiku always manages to post at least one or two a week aimed as Toshiro. Momo loves them.

Renji - Has mixed feelings about it all. While he’s flattered by the attention, he’s also a little awkward about it. He’s not accustomed to being in the public eye and looks to Byakuya for clues how to handle the fame. Along with his close friends, Ikkaku, Shuhei, and Izuru, Renji has a constant swarm of fangirls that follow him everywhere – to work, to meals, to futsal. And, I do mean everywhere – one fan snuck into Renji’s bathroom while he was soaking in the tub. She was trying to get a picture of his famous tattoos, to see if he really has them everywhere. Renji’s angry snarl scared her so bad she dropped her camera and ran like he’d set his bankai on her. Byakuya had some questions about why a young lady was seen running from his bathroom, screaming. And, before you ask, yes, there are some die-hard fans that have gotten tattoos just like their beloved Renji. He visits his fansite once or twice a week to check in. He’s an active guy, busy with work, friends, and his own interests, but he drops in if he’s bored just to see what’s going on.

Tetsuzaemon - Boasts that of course he’s got fans, how could he not, being such a manly man and all. On the inside is secretly thrilled, now he has confirmation that he’s all that and a bottle of sake. If you thought his ego was swelled before, it’s about to pop any minute now. He brags about all the followers he has. (He knows the exact number and always double checks before meeting up with friends anywhere) Ikkaku likes to razz him by photo bombing his fan pictures. It irks Tetsuzaemon to no end when he’s taking a picture with a cute girl and here comes Ikkaku’s gnarly feet or bald head. Drives him nuts. On the fansite he interacts with his fans as much as he can, which is a few times a week when he’s not busy with work. He’s very genuine and rather humble when talking with fans. Has been carrying on a very heated private online affair with a mystery lady who really gets his motor running during their conversations and with her sweet nature. He really hopes he’s not being catfished.

Shuhei - Turned about 5 different shades of pink when he first saw his fansite. The women – oh my god, the women that want him is on par with Kensei’s following. The fan pictures are so focused on his scar, his tattoo, his physique, and his style it’s mind-boggling. He can’t believe the things these women are saying they want to do to him. He has to be really careful where he reads comments or fan mail, hard ons at work are not only awkward, they’re distracting. He tries his best to be approachable and easy-going, but a lot of his lady followers are just as shy as he is so he gets a lot of pink-faced ladies stammering, stuttering, or talking so fast he can’t understand them. The minute that deep, rumbly timbre of his makes an appearance, it’s time to faint or melt on the spot for the fangirls. Is sometimes overwhelmed by it all, but manages to get along just fine. He’s a sweet guy and does his best not to hurt anyone’s feelings.

Rangiku - Are you kidding me? She has taken to this like a duck to water. She is in her element – attention galore. She loves it. And, she loves going to all the other lieutenants’ fansites to post memes about them. She’s got quite a sense of humor and an eye for details. Don’t let the laziness fool you, she’s far from it, she just doesn’t like paperwork and part of her likes getting Toshiro all fussy. She is rather dedicated to her fansite and making people feel welcome there. They all love her and post pictures, art, poetry, songs, and even fashion stuff that would look good on her with where to find it. She made a whole section dedicated to her fans called “Drinks with Rangiku” and it’s all pictures of fans having a drink with her. She nearly crashed the server from all the pictures that have been uploaded.

Yachiru - Is pretty nonchalant about her fansite. It is dedicated to her power of cute. Most pictures include some part of Kenpachi since she’s with him so much, Someone even managed to get a picture of her on her scooter in the Kuchiki mansion. The main benefit for her is that her fans keep her heavily supplied with candy. They leave offerings for her at Kenpachi’s door where she gathers them up everyday when they come home. Once in a while, though, she’ll go visit Ikkaku’s website to upload pictures of his bald head that she’s captured to look like a lamp, or the setting sun, or a smeared selfie of her biting his head. She posts them on her website too because she knows Ikkaku will delete them from his.

Ikkaku - He’s the tough guy, nothing fazes him, especially not some website. Yumichika is the one that reads everything to him. He scoffs that he’s not interested, but he still listens to every word and looks at every picture. He doesn’t mind the pictures, or the fan art. But, like Kenpachi, he really likes the videos of his fights. Those he will sit and watch for hours, looking for flaws in his technique, studying his opponents. He’ll hog the laptop until the battery dies and then has to deal with Yumichika being pissy because he didn’t get to use it. Likes to scare the group of fangirls that follow him around just to hear them squeal. He finds it hilarious. They’re all used to it now and often play it up for him. He gets Yumichika to do a daily sweep of any of Yachiru’s silly pictures. He’s not embarrassed (yeah, right), but he’s got his pride.

Nemu - Not much reaction. She sets to work gathering all kinds of statistical information from the fansite, like how many fans to picture ratios, how many memes, how many pictures are in the lab and out of the lab. You name it, she can quote you a statistic about it. She hides the information from Mayuri, knowing he will react much like he did for his own fansite. She’s very willing to pose for fan pictures. While she doesn’t smile, she doesn’t look interested and kind. She secretly talks online with her fans and has begun to grow close to a few. She’s tentatively open with her new friends and finding a bit of emotional freedom she doesn’t often get around Mayuri.

Akon - Mr. Laid-back-as-fuck checks in on his fansite during breaks at work and sometimes in the evening if he’s bored. Numerous pictures of him are all over the site. There are lots of discussions about his horns: where they came from, are they sensitive, how sexy they are. He gets lots of chuckles and lets them all stew in the mystery. Most of the fan pictures show him smoking because they always seem to catch right after he lights up. Has more than one rather ardent fan. He knows when they’re watching, stealing little mementos of things he’s discarded, one even went so far as to steal some lab notes he’d written and then threw away. She auctioned them off to other fans after keeping some for herself. Akon is, as always, very calm in the midst of it all. His fans are, for the most part, pretty laid-back too. He enjoys the fan art, and the ones that ask science questions.

Rukia - Loves her fansite. There are bunnies galore. Her fans know her love for bunnies and use an app to make bunny features on their faces: ears, whiskers, nose, and mouth. Rukia even posts pictures of herself all ‘bunnied up’. There is fan art that she loves because she knows how much her brother admires art. She tries her hand at it too. It’s still crap, but her fans love it and call it a great example of expressionism. As long as she’s not working, she’s happy to stop and take pictures with fans or chit-chat for a bit. Everyone is really nice which is a welcome change from the stuffy Kuchiki brood she’s exposed to all the time. (Byakuya has loosened up a lot, but the rest of them are still stodgy old farts.) One of her fans created an “Angry Bunnies” game a lot like “Angry Birds”. It features Rukia hurling bunnies to take down snakes and monkeys. She loves it. Renji thinks its silly but still plays it just to try to beat her high score.

#Bleach #bleach headcannons #Lieutenants #Lieutenants react to fansites about them #sfw

49 notes · View notes

rosecolored-gay · 6 years

Note

Answer the questions bitch

1. Who was the last person you held hands with?

- Prob Rach when I was playing with her fingers and being a pain in the ass.

2. Are you outgoing or shy?

- I seem outgoing but I’m generally shy in larger groups.

3. Who are you looking forward to seeing?

- My family is coming from GA on Friday!

4. Are you easy to get along with?

- I can be, I try to be.

5. If you were drunk would the person you like take care of you?

- Mhm

6. What kind of people are you attracted to?

- Ones that can make me laugh so hard I cry, who can make me smile even when I don’t want to. Someone genuine.

7. Do you think you’ll be in a relationship two months from now?

- I don’t know, I can’t predict the future. I’m just going with the flow.

8. Who from the opposite gender is on your mind?

- Tom Holland, because I just rewatched his Lip Sync Battle video again for the millionth time.

9. Does talking about sex make you uncomfortable?

- Not usually, but around certain people it does.

10. Who was the last person you had a deep conversation with?

- Rach

11. What does the most recent text that you sent say?

- “But i hope you enjoy” to Rach

12. What are your 5 favorite songs right now?

- 1. Panic! At the Disco - This is Gospel, 2. Hayley Kiyoko - Curious, 3. Halsey - Is there somewhere, 4. The All-American Rejects - I For You, 5. Tyler Glenn - Shameless

13. Do you like it when people play with your hair?

- I love it, but there’s very few people who I allow to do so.

14. Do you believe in luck and miracles?

- Not really, no.

15. What good thing happened this summer?

- I got nominated for a job by a professor because of my writing, and I got the job today!

16. Would you kiss the last person you kissed again?

- Lol no, it was just a friend.

17. Do you think there is life on other planets?

- Why not?

18. Do you still talk to your first crush?

- Nopeeee

19. Do you like bubble baths?

- Not really

20. Do you like your neighbors?

- Oh man, my neighbors fucking suck.

21. What are you bad habits?

- Nail biting, procrastinating

22. Where would you like to travel?

- I want to go back to Greece. I’d like to travel pretty much anywhere though.

23. Do you have trust issues?

- Yes.

24. Favorite part of your daily routine?

- Sleeping?

25. What part of your body are you most uncomfortable with?

- All of it? Lol

26. What do you do when you wake up?

- Groan because it’s early, hit the off button on my alarm and convince myself to slither out of bed.

27. Do you wish your skin was lighter or darker?

- I like being pale.

28. Who are you most comfortable around?

- Rach, Caitlin, Abe, Brandi and Crissy

29. Have any of your ex’s told you they regret breaking up?

- Yeah, but I don’t care.

30. Do you ever want to get married?

- Yes

31. If your hair long enough for a pony tail?

- No

32. Which celebrities would you have a threesome with?

- Hayley Kiyoko and Gal Gadot

33. Spell your name with your chin.

- zzal,ytdssas

34. Do you play sports? What sports?

- I used to do martial arts.

35. Would you rather live without TV or music?

- Without TV

36. Have you ever liked someone and never told them?

- All the time

37. What do you say during awkward silences?

- I make a really really bad dad joke.

38. Describe your dream girl/guy?

- A girl that makes me laugh, is loyal, and just wants the same things as me.

39. What are your favorite stores to shop in?

- I hate shopping ugh.

40. What do you want to do after high school?

- I graduated 3 years ago, lol, I’m in college.

41. Do you believe everyone deserves a second chance?

- Not always, no.

42. If your being extremely quiet what does it mean?

- I’m probably not happy, that’s for sure.

43. Do you smile at strangers?

- Most of the time

44. Trip to outer space or bottom of the ocean?

- Outer space

45. What makes you get out of bed in the morning?

- My alarm

46. What are you paranoid about?

- Spiders being in my car

47. Have you ever been high?

- Yes

48. Have you ever been drunk?

- Yes

49. Have you done anything recently that you hope nobody finds out about?

- Nope

50. What was the colour of the last hoodie you wore?

- Grey

51. Ever wished you were someone else?

- Nah

52. One thing you wish you could change about yourself?

- Willpower

53. Favourite makeup brand?

- I don’t wear makeup

54. Favourite store?

- Barnes & Noble

55. Favourite blog?

- @virginqueenforlife

56. Favourite colour?

- Grey

57. Favourite food?

- Greek Fries

58. Last thing you ate?

- Greek Salad

59. First thing you ate this morning?

- A bagel with cream cheese

60. Ever won a competition? For what?

- I honestly can’t think rn

61. Been suspended/expelled? For what?

- I was suspended in middle school because some kid hit me and stabbed me with a pencil and I stabbed him in the hand with a pencil as retaliation

62. Been arrested? For what?

- No

63. Ever been in love?

- Idk honestly

64. Tell us the story of your first kiss?

- LOL, his name was Jordan, it was the 6th grade, and we both turned out to be gay.

65. Are you hungry right now?

- Nope, I’m full

66. Do you like your tumblr friends more than your real friends?

- Sometimes

67. Facebook or Twitter?

-Twitter

68. Twitter or Tumblr?

- Tumblr

69. Are you watching tv right now?

-Catfish is playing in the background

70. Names of your bestfriends?

- Caitlin, Brandi, Rachel

71. Craving something? What?

- My fave snack

72. What colour are your towels?

- Grey and Red

72. How many pillows do you sleep with?

- 2

73. Do you sleep with stuffed animals?

- Nah

74. How many stuffed animals do you think you have?

- Oh a whole basket from when I was a kid

75. Favourite animal?

- Otters!

76. What colour is your underwear?

- Grey

77. Chocolate or Vanilla?

- Vanilla

78. Favourite ice cream flavour?

- Pistachio, but only if it’s the fake stuff like the weird green color, or I like vanilla bean

79. What colour shirt are you wearing?

- Grey ( I really like Grey, sorry)

80. What colour pants?

- Black

81. Favourite tv show?

- Grey’s Anatomy all time fave. Right now though I’m binging Cutthroat Kitchen

82. Favourite movie?

- THIS IS SO HARD, ok, right now it’s Love Simon

83. Mean Girls or Mean Girls 2?

- Mean Girls

84. Mean Girls or 21 Jump Street?

- Mean Girls

85. Favourite character from Mean Girls?

- Damian! I actually met the actor last week lol

86. Favourite character from Finding Nemo?

- Dory

87. First person you talked to today?

- Rachel

88. Last person you talked to today?

- My dad

89. Name a person you hate?

- Coconut Head

90. Name a person you love?

- Rach

91. Is there anyone you want to punch in the face right now?

- The lady who cut me off in the fast lane this morning

92. In a fight with someone?

- No

93. How many sweatpants do you have?

- I don’t think I own any...

94. How many sweaters/hoodies do you have?

-Like 5?

95. Last movie you watched?

- Mamma Mia - Here We Go Again!

96. Favourite actress?

- Gal Gadot

97. Favourite actor?

- Tom Holland

98. Do you tan a lot?

- I’m white, I burn

99. Have any pets?

- 2 lovely pups

100. How are you feeling?

- Stressed, I have 4 papers due this weekend.

101. Do you type fast?

- Yes

102. Do you regret anything from your past?

- Nah, it’s whatever.

103. Can you spell well?

- Yes

104. Do you miss anyone from your past?

- Not really, nope.

105. Ever been to a bonfire party?

- Yes

106. Ever broken someone’s heart?

- Yep

107. Have you ever been on a horse?

- Yes

108. What should you be doing?

- Writing one of my papers

109. Is something irritating you right now?

- Yes, I really need to write this paper, but I love to procrastinate too much.

110. Have you ever liked someone so much it hurt?

- lol y e p

111. Do you have trust issues?

- Yes

112. Who was the last person you cried in front of?

- Uh my friends Alyssa and Alex, when I got the job offer this morning

113. What was your childhood nickname?

- Lyss

114. Have you ever been out of your province/state?

- Yes

115. Do you play the Wii?

- Was never a big Wii fan

116. Are you listening to music right now?

- No, TV in the background

117. Do you like chicken noodle soup?

- Eh, not really

118. Do you like Chinese food?

- Yes

119. Favourite book?

- 19 Minutes by Jodi Picoult

120. Are you afraid of the dark?

- Not really

121. Are you mean?

- I can be, but I won’t be unless I’m provoked

122. Is cheating ever okay?

- No. Never.

123. Can you keep white shoes clean?

- Yes

124. Do you believe in love at first sight?

- No

125. Do you believe in true love?

-Yes

126. Are you currently bored?

- No

127. What makes you happy?

- Studying with my fave

128. Would you change your name?

- Yes

129. What your zodiac sign?

- Gemini

130. Do you like subway?

- No, ew.

131. Your bestfriend of the opposite sex likes you, what do you do?

- Uh well, I’m gay, he’s gay, so I don’t see that happening.

132. Who’s the last person you had a deep conversation with?

- Rach

133. Favourite lyrics right now?

- Idk

134. Can you count to one million?

- Yes

135. Dumbest lie you ever told?

- I’m straight

136. Do you sleep with your doors open or closed?

- Bedroom door closed, closet doors - one open, one closed

137. How tall are you?

- Like 5′2 and a half

138. Curly or Straight hair?

- I like whatever

139. Brunette or Blonde?

- I have a thing for blondes

140. Summer or Winter?

- Winter

141. Night or Day?

- Afternoon

142. Favourite month?

- October

143. Are you a vegetarian?

- No

144. Dark, milk or white chocolate?

- Dark

145. Tea or Coffee?

- Both

146. Was today a good day?

- Yes

147. Mars or Snickers?

- Neither, ew

148. What’s your favourite quote?

- I have too many

149. Do you believe in ghosts?

- Nah

150. Get the closest book next to you, open it to page 42, what’s the first line on that page?

- “I didn’t know -- though here and there was a face I had noticed on the commuting train.”

2 notes · View notes

unfurledwings · 6 years

Text

And now, after nine thousand years, I’ve finally finished that piece with Wilhelm and I that I said I was going to put up. I know I’ve been really quiet here (I’ll try to be more active here soon!), but I still hope you all enjoy this. Read it under the cut!

Title: The Dinner Party

Fandom’s Involved: Xenosaga

Rating: G? Maybe T, just to be safe, though there isn’t anything explicit or violent going on here.

Pairing(s): Wilhelm/Me

Summary: Never, ever think that Wilhelm won’t annoy you if you know the truth about him and go to one of his company dinners.

If you’d known who was going to be sitting next to you, you would have thought twice about accepting Shion’s offer to a big, formal Vector dinner.

“Allen says that events like this make him sick to his stomach, so we have an extra spot for you, if you want to join us. Even my bosses say it’s okay, so I’m sure you won’t get in trouble.” You thought about whether or not you should go for a moment, since it was a big event at Vector, of all places, but you didn’t think that Wilhelm would be around, so you happily agreed to come, a big smile on your face.

Unfortunately, not only did Wilhelm make a rare, semi-public appearance at the dinner, someone-probably him, even if only indirectly-had decided to seat you right next to him, far away from Shion, and among a group of strangers. You’re a little awkward among new people, but you handle the conversation just fine, even if you do feel bad about the fact that you’re quiet and don’t have anything interesting to talk about (being a cook onboard the Elsa, while interesting and a decent way to pay the bills, doesn’t give you much to talk about, especially in a setting where you can’t talk about anything illegal or grim.). It’s the man sitting to the left of you that’s the problem.

Even though he looks rather calm and genial, you’re sure he’s feeling smug and amused about this whole situation right now, which just pisses you off even more. It’s not like you haven’t known chaos for a long time now. It’s not like the two of you are in a relationship of some sort, the kind where you would follow him to the ends of the universe and back if you had to. It’s not like he quietly told you about what he could remember of his past one quiet evening that felt like it was dipped in melancholy, when you two were alone in the kitchen, long after everyone else had gone to bed, drinking tea and pouring out your complicated, wounded hearts to one another. It’s not like he told you about the person who now calls himself Wilhelm, of what he once was to chaos, Mary, and their friends, and how he turned his back on them, manipulated them, and killed the people they considered their dearest friends.

“I understand why he did it,” chaos had said, his quiet voice two steps away from being a groan, still flecked with blood, and the solemn, haunted expression on his face looked like it belonged in an abandoned church in the dim lighting, “but understanding doesn’t always erase the pain. He killed everyone, and I was the sole reason why.” As you held chaos and gave him whatever comfort you could, your heart ached and bled out with his, even as a burning, screaming, poisonous hatred for this man was born in it, and that hatred never died away, even as the days passed and you began to wonder whether or not Wilhelm was actually hoping for humanity to defeat him and break the cycle, whether or not he was choosing to be the villain so that everyone could move on someday. On the contrary, that idea simply stoked the fire in your heart, threw your head into a burning daze, and made you feel like punching him the moment you met him.

If Wilhelm actually wanted the Recurrence to continue endlessly, no matter the cost, if he was truly the cold-hearted man he pretended to be, it would have been easier to wrap your head around him. You still wouldn’t have liked him, but you could have felt like you had a handle on him somewhat. This new theory introduced the idea that Wilhelm wasn’t cold at all (at least, not completely), that he wished for humanity to rise above his solution, even if he saw no other way to do that than to be the villain in this story. Hell, the theory didn’t rule out the possibility that he enjoyed his self-made role somewhat or the fact that he was the one mostly penning the events in this story, for better and for worse, which wouldn’t surprise you, given what chaos had told you about him. It makes you think that there are layers of maddening pretension surrounding his true core (and even that might be more than a bit pretentious), and that frustrates you to no end, since you want to wrap your head around this man. You want to understand him, like some Lovecraftian protagonist who tries to understand the horrors around him and is doomed to madness for his efforts, but instead of insanity, all you get is speculation-some of it plausible and some of it not-and a pounding, aggravated head for your troubles.

So, sitting next to Wilhelm at this formal, polite dinner, knowing what you know about him and having to pretend you don’t loathe his guts is hard enough, but trying to analyze his motives for seating you next to him annoys you even more. Did he simply do it to get under your skin, or is he trying to mess with chaos, who knows all about your plans for this evening? Or both? Some lovestruck people might say that he did it because he likes you and wants you around whenever possible, despite the story, the play he’s trying to construct, but you’re ninety-five percent certain that that’s not the case. You can’t think of any reason why Wilhelm would be in love with you, and from what you understand, he’s too much of a sadist to derive pleasure from that sweet of a motive.

Despite your growing irritation and desire to punch Wilhelm’s face, you make it through your beginning salad course and move onto your main one: a plate of baked, breaded catfish, fried squash, and a hefty slice of cornbread. It is here that Wilhelm finally makes his move.

He orders a plate full of sticky ribs and coleslaw, a choice which everyone-including you-thinks odd for him, though only one woman sitting across from him actually comments on it.

“I know they may not fit with my professional image,” he replies with a chuckle and a grin that further frustrates you, since you can’t tell whether it’s genuine or not, “but it’s been a long time since I’ve had them, and I felt in the mood for them. Sometimes, all you want is a simple, good meal.” As the people around you heartily agree with this and use it to pave the way for a new conversation, you quietly dig into your dinner as you listen and observe, unsure of whether Wilhelm is being completely honest with his explanation, though you can’t think of much-or anything-he’d have to gain from lying about his meal choices.

About fifteen minutes into the main course, Wilhelm puts down one of the ribs he’s just finished eating and politely sucks on the middle of each of his fingers before moving his hands down to his lap like he’s going to wipe them on his napkin. Except he doesn’t. He times his actions perfectly so that it matches up with the moment you move your hands to the napkin in your lap so that you could wipe off the residue from your cornbread, and instead of wiping his hands, he presses his fingertips against yours, under the table where no one can see.

The indirect-and passionate, given that he sucked on his fingers-kiss takes you completely by surprise, and you quickly jerk your head towards him, unable to stop yourself from glaring at him, and while you try to pull your hand away, he quickly takes ahold of it, giving it a little squeeze as he gives you an amused, warm look packed full of possible meanings. Is he amused because he knows he’s bothering you and likes it? Or because he’s messing with someone that he knows chaos cares for? Or…would a romantic heart actually be right here? Or is it some combination of these answers? You’re not completely sure, but the possibilities make you feel dazed and dizzy, like you’ve had too much to drink, and whether you realize it or not, the glare on your face melts away into something more confused and puzzled. You just hope you’re not blushing without realizing it, since you wouldn’t want to give Wilhelm, of all people, the satisfaction of seeing that. You realize that this little stunt puzzles you more than it annoys you. While you’re not certain whether Wilhelm knew you’d react like that (he probably did), you have no idea how to feel about the implications of your feelings. Thankfully, the guy sitting across from you notices the looks on yours and Wilhelm’s faces and speaks up, a sly grin on his face.

“What’s up with you two? You look like Mr. Wilhelm just proposed to you.” The moment he speaks, Wilhelm lets go of your hand and continues eating like nothing ever happened.

“Nothing! I’m alright.” You reply, trying to get ahold of yourself. “Wilhelm just reminded me of someone I work with onboard the Elsa.” Of course, your relationship is more than that of just two coworkers, but you can’t tell these people that. Despite how old he truly is, chaos looks like he’s sixteen, tops. “I guess I just got lost in thought thinking about him. I’m not going to marry Wilhelm, though.” You say, trying to make your tone sound joking. “I’ve never even met him before today!”

“Oh, that’s too bad.” Nearly coos the elderly woman sitting to the right of the man. “You two would be such a cute couple. Have you ever thought about getting married, Mr. Wilhelm?”

“I have, actually.” Wilhelm replies, pausing in the consumption of his dinner, and as you continue yours, you wonder, yet again, whether or not he’s telling the truth. If he is, who did he ever think about getting married to? Mary? chaos? Someone else? A long list of people, some of whom you know, some of whom you don’t, and all tossed aside in favor of the grand play and role that he wished to put on? You can’t imagine a guy like him having a really successful love life, considering the stunt he just pulled on you, knowing what your feelings towards him are, and what chaos has told you about him. “But I’ve never been able to find the right person, and I’ve been so busy lately that I simply haven’t had the time to mingle with other people.”

“Then you should grab the bull by the horns while it’s sitting right next to you!” The old woman cries, and your whole being lurches, knowing what’s about to pop out of her mouth and what Wilhelm’s response will be, the sadistic motherfucker. Now you have a better understanding of why Wilhelm seated you next to him, but, like chaos said, understanding doesn’t always erase the pain, especially in this case. “How about you go on a date with this lovely young lady?”

“Well,” Wilhelm says, genuinely sounding like he’s just discovered a gem that had been lying right under his nose this whole time, “that’s not such a bad idea. What do you say, Miss Langley?” He asks, turning to you with a friendly, warm smile that would charm anyone who didn’t already know the truth about him. For better or worse, though, you do, and you want to rip out all the teeth in his lying, pretty little mouth. “Would you mind gracing me with your presence next Thursday at nine o’clock?”

“I’ll see what I can do.” You reply, forcing yourself to sound flattered and excited about the idea of a date with the enigmatic, handsome Mr. Wilhelm, instead of sighing and sounding like a sullen fifteen-year-old. What makes this even worse is the fact that you’re ninety-five to one hundred percent certain that Wilhelm knows what your true feelings are about the matter. “It’s not that I don’t want to go out with you, but the Elsa’s always busy running odd jobs in all sorts of places. How about you give me your email, and we’ll work the details out there?” You might not be able to tell Wilhelm no, you might not be able to scream for him to go to hell in this polite setting without looking like an insane bitch, but you’re not going to just let Wilhelm mess with you like this without trying to get some information out of him.

“There’s no need for that.” Wilhelm replies, still grinning like he’s talking with a long-lost friend. “I already have your email, so I’ll send you a message later. I hope you’ll be able to find an opening in your schedule, though, Miss Langley. You seem like an interesting person, and I feel like I truly would be missing out on something if I let you slip through my fingers.”

“I’m not sure about that.” You reply, wishing you could strangle this man right now. So much for getting some good information out of him. “I tend to be a pretty quiet person, even around people I like. But hopefully Captain Matthews can let me go for a little while so that I can get to know you better. And, even if he can’t, I’ll still be able to message you and annoy you with a million personal questions.” You say, letting a trickle of your true feelings show with a teasing, mischievous look, though Wilhelm still looks perfectly and frustratingly friendly.

“And I’ll be able to share some songs I’m quite fond of with you. Do you like Wagner, by any chance?” Before you can tell him your opinion of Wagner (which, you predict, is nearly the complete opposite of his), the elderly woman across from you sighs happily.

“Ah, young love! You two enjoy it, now! From what I understand, it’s so much harder to find a good lover when you get older. Not that I would know. We may be old, but Thomas and I still enjoy ourselves like we aren’t a day over twenty!” While you’re not entirely pleased with this woman for being the catalyst of your date (though you know she’s not the one to blame), you still can’t help but be amused by her comments. You’re one thing, but while Wilhelm looks like he might be only five or ten years older than you, both he and you know that he’s as old as chaos, as old as Christianity. At least she gives you a new direction to take this conversation in. As you give the woman a friendly little smile, you secretly pinch Wilhelm as hard as you can under the table, where no one else can see. He doesn’t react, since he probably saw that you’d do this in his Compass, but it’s the least you can do to return the favor. Tit for tat.

“Then it’s good to hear that you two are still happy. What kind of person is Thomas, though? Hopefully he doesn’t mind going on long, exciting adventures with you!”

“Oh, no, not at all! Thomas loves to travel, and he can never sit still, so we’re always up and about from one place to another. It really is quite exciting. Not even the Gnosis can put a damper on our spirits while we’re traveling!”

“Isn’t that dangerous, though?” Asks the man sitting on your right as you start to seriously tuck back into your dinner. “There’s nothing wrong with traveling about and seeing the universe if you can, but you can’t let your traveling highs blind you to danger. I’d be horrified if the Gnosis ever did show up on one of your vessels.”

“Oh, relax.” The woman laughs, and as she speaks, you slowly become the listener in the conversation again. Not that you mind, since you’d like to finish eating, but you hope that Wilhelm doesn’t have anything else in store for you. Being a listener is like being the goalie on a hockey team sometimes. If you’re not alert enough or zone out, you might not be in time to stop something horrible from getting past you, and as sadistic as Wilhelm is, both willingly and not, one wrong turn in the conversation that you weren’t able to prevent might spell doom for you or those you care about. “We’ve never actually seen the Gnosis while we’ve been out and about. Besides, Thomas and I have talked about it, and we both feel that, even if the Gnosis were to come onboard one of our ships, there wouldn’t be anything we could do about it. It’s like worrying about a random comet suddenly hitting you. Worry or not, it’ll still come!” She says, laughing again, and while you still don’t like the way she roped you into a date with Wilhelm, you know where she’s coming from here.

You don’t have to worry about the Gnosis now, since chaos protects everyone onboard the Elsa, but even before you met him and started working for Captain Matthews, you didn’t worry about them for exactly the same reason-there was no point in doing so. Not that you really want to die, but you don’t think there’s any sense in worrying about things you can’t prevent. Wilhelm could decide to send in one of his workers to kill you in the bathroom after dinner, but there’s no point in worrying about that because you can’t do anything about it. You might be a weird human, but you’re still a human without any special powers (at least, as far as you know.).

Thankfully, as the conversation starts to die down and dinner draws to a close, your imaginary scenario in the bathroom doesn’t come to pass. Wilhelm’s presence decides not to follow you into the bathroom, so you can pee and wash up without yet another thing to deal with. When you come out and find Shion in the reception area, though, he decides to mess with you again. Not immediately, though. Like a patient hunter who’s stalking the wariest antelope in the universe, he lets you and Shion talk about your meals, how much fun you had, and doesn’t even come into the picture when Shion starts, a confused look on her face.

“I heard that Wilhelm asked you out on a date next Thursday. How did you manage to make that happen? I didn’t think he had much in the way of friends, much less romantic interests.”

“I honestly have no idea.” You reply, lying through your teeth, though you try to look surprised about your new outing. Happy, but excited, despite the truth of the matter. “Wilhelm mentioned that he’s thought about getting married, even though he can never find the time to look for the right person, and the woman across from me joked that he should go out with me, since I was an open opportunity and we’d make a cute couple. I guess he decided to take her seriously, and I didn’t see any reason to turn him down. I don’t know him well enough yet to really say ‘no’ to a date with him.”

“Well, from what I know, he shouldn’t ever give you any reason to say ‘no’.” Shion says, though she looks a bit awkward discussing romance with you, though you can understand why, given her position. You don’t imagine that too many people grieving the loss of a lover would be comfortable or completely happy talking about someone else’s romantic prospects. “Of course, Wilhelm doesn’t make too many public appearances, but I hear that whenever he does, he’s always a perfect gentleman to everyone, no matter who they are.”

“Well, if that’s the case, then I guess I don’t have anything to worry about.” You reply, forcing the fake grin to stay on your face. You know that there’s more to Wilhelm than he lets on, but you can’t go on about that here. At least, not without looking like a complete lunatic. “I just hope I don’t bore him to death.”

“Don’t worry! You won’t! I don’t think Captain Matthews is allowed to hire anyone who isn’t interesting, considering his crew. Speaking of which, you should probably stay at my place tonight. I can’t think of any transportation service that’ll come all the way out here without charging you an arm and a leg for it.”

“I’ll admit that there aren’t that many good services that’ll come out here without charging you out the wazoo, but there are a few more than you might think. I’ll just keep calling around until I find someone to take me back to the Elsa. I really appreciate the offer, but I know that if I’m not there to cook breakfast, I’ll never hear the end of it from the Captain.” It’s at this moment that Wilhelm chooses to strike again, quietly sidling up to you two like it’s the most natural thing in the world, like you two are actually friends of his and he’s not planning on messing with you two or harming you or your loved ones later on.

“Forgive me, but I couldn’t help but overhear your conversation.” He says to you, a warm little smile on his face that might have been endearing if you didn’t already know the truth about him (or at least most of it.). “If you really have to go back, I could always ask one of my shuttles to take you home, free of charge.”

“Are you sure?” You ask, eighty to ninety-five percent sure that Wilhelm is planning to use this little gesture of goodwill for something, even though you know that you can’t refuse without looking rude, insane, or both in front of everyone. “I really don’t mind calling around. I wouldn’t want to inconvenience you.”

“There’s no need to worry about that.” He replies, and while you know that you might be acting overly paranoid, you’d swear that Wilhelm’s little grin looked sadistic for a moment, like he knew something that was vital to the survival of the human race, knew that you knew he had it, and enjoyed only giving you bits and pieces of his information at a time, like you were a dog or cat to be played with. “It wouldn’t be an inconvenience for me to know that you made it home safely. Far from it, really. You seem like a lovely person. I would hate to lose you, and I especially wouldn’t want my date to die before we exchanged a single email.”

If you two were alone, you’d probably hit him at this point and yell that you never would have agreed to go on a date with him if he didn’t set this whole scenario up and knew that you couldn’t refuse in front of a bunch of other people without looking like a weird, crazy person. But, since you’re still in front of other people, Wilhelm’s best weapon against you this evening, you grit your teeth and try to respond like a normal, grateful girl, like nothing’s wrong at all, like Wilhelm hasn’t bothered you all evening.

“I’m not going to die just from calling shuttle services until I get lucky. It’s more likely that the Gnosis will take me out, and I don’t even worry about them. But, if you really don’t mind, then I’ll take you up on your offer. People or Gnosis, I can’t die until I learn a little bit more about you, Wilhelm.” Wilhelm, with his eternally perfect poker face, nods at you. If Wilhelm was a normal person, you’d joke about it, saying that he should use it to win or steal millions of dollars out of people instead of setting up the biggest company in the universe (after all, he does have the looks for a phantom thief), but, for better or worse, he isn’t.

“Even though you don’t worry about the Gnosis, you should still worry about Humans. Dangerous times tend to bring out the worst and best in people, and if you’re overly careless, they might do something horrible to you. Thank you for accepting my offer, though. It truly is a weight lifted from my mind. Follow me, and I’ll show you where the shuttles are. And, Miss Uzuki?” He asks, turning his attention to Shion.

“Oh? Yes sir?”

“Please keep up the good work with KOS-MOS. Her systems have shown a lot of improvement while you’ve been working with her, and we’ve acquired a lot of good data while you’ve been out in the field with her. I’m sure whatever new upgrades you come up with next shall be truly magnificent.” You have no idea whether Wilhelm’s just trying to pay Shion a compliment (for whatever reason), hint at a new and-possibly-sinister upgrade that’s going to occur thanks to him, or both, but the compliment does make you wonder (normally, it might make you a bit more suspicious too, but you’ve found that worrying about and being suspicious of Wilhelm all the time just wears you out, and you’ve been so suspicious this evening that you’re too exhausted to worry about any more of Wilhelm’s machinations unless they’re staring you right in the face.). Of course, since Shion’s unaware of the potential danger and who she’s dealing with, she just gives Wilhelm a shining, proud smile.

“Thank you very much, Sir! It really does mean a lot to hear that from you, considering everything we’ve put KOS-MOS through. I’m not sure what we’ll come up with next, and there aren’t any real-world testing scenarios we can put her in at the moment, but I hope we’ll exceed your expectations, whatever we all decide to do next!”

“There’s no need to worry, Miss Uzuki. I’m confident that you will.” With that, Wilhelm turns away from Shion and starts to walk out of the room. You follow him, since he’s supposed to be taking you to a private shuttle, but the moment you two are alone (at least, as far as you can tell), you try to relax with a long, low sigh, letting your rock-hard mask of a friendly, happy smile finally fall away so that you can genuinely express your feelings of exhaustion, distrust, and dislike of Wilhelm. As you walk through a few metallic hallways, you consider seriously grilling Wilhelm about why he set you two up on a date, but after a few moments, you decide against it. It’s not that you don’t want an answer, but you know that you can’t fully trust anything that comes out of Wilhelm’s mouth. You’d have more luck asking chaos about it later, assuming he was even monitoring Wilhelm this evening to make sure he didn’t do anything uncouth to you.

So, you two walk in silence until you both come into a large ship docking and takeoff room with various ships and shuttles of different shapes, sizes, and colors all scattered about the place. As you follow Wilhelm, you can’t help but look around, your head swiveling about like a three hundred and sixty degree camera. Everything just looks amazing, and you’re sure that if your mother were here, she’d get a kick out of examining and exploring every craft here. If Wilhelm is amused by your antics, he doesn’t show it (though he probably knew that you were going to do this long before you did it.). He simply leads you to a small, violet-colored shuttle before turning back towards you, a smile on his face, though you have no idea how genuine it is. “Go right on in. The Captain of the Vorabend has already been made aware of your situation, so just give him the coordinates of wherever you wish to go, and he’ll take you there, free of charge.”

“Thank you. I guess I’ll talk to you later, then.” As you reply, you wonder whether or not Wilhelm set this part of the evening up with one of his Testaments or Vector employees beforehand, since you didn’t see him typing on any devices to fill anyone in on your situation while you two were walking here. It’s possible that he just asked someone to meet the two of you down here so that they could take you home before he spoke to you, but..considering that this is Wilhelm, you think there’s only a five to ten percent chance that possibility is actually a reality.

“There’s no need to guess. I know we’ll see each other again, Miss Langley.” You don’t dignify that with a response. Instead, you simply smile and nod at Wilhelm as you hold in your anger and board the shuttle from the bottom entrance, which leads you into a small storage room that looks like it doesn’t get much use. It looks like there’s only about five or six boxes in here, and there’s no way for you to know how long they’ve been here or how long they’ll continue to be here. On the plus side, though, the lack of clutter makes it easy to see the door on your left-hand side, which you might not have been able to find if this shuttle were in general use (you suspect it isn’t). God knows it can be nearly impossible to navigate the Elsa’s cargo hold sometimes, after Captain Matthews has finished loading it full of junk.

The next door opens into what looks to be a combination of a kitchen and a rec room. It’s bigger than the storage room, but it’s still not big enough to put a bed in without taking up a decent amount of space. Instead, on the rec half of the room (which is the part the door leads you into), there’s a long, cozy sitting area bolted into the wall that’s wide enough for people to lie down and sleep on. It kind of reminds you of an old R.V., or a tour bus that a band might have used while Earth was still around. To the right of this sleeping area, there’s a long, brown table and an old television behind it, though you wouldn’t say that they get a lot of use either. This whole room feels just like the storage room-there are no personal effects or books anywhere, and the whole place feels cold, abandoned, and unloved. If Wilhelm were here, you’d joke around, saying that he needed to pick a better ship if he was trying to impress you, or that it’s an insult to your intelligence and your sense of taste if he thought you were going to be impressed by such an unloved ship.

But, since he isn’t, you walk through the room and open the door at the north end, which finally takes you to the bridge. Not that the bridge is very big, either-it’s only big enough to contain an all-purpose command module and controls for transportation, communication, connecting to the U.M.N. (which is necessary for all sorts of reasons), offense, just in case the shuttle is under attack at some point, and anything else that’s necessary for piloting, observing, and protecting a ship, along with a second offensive module on the right, just in case the-possibly nonexistent-co-pilot’s combat services are required to shoot down other craft and Gnosis while the main pilot guides the shuttle through rough space, and two chairs in front of each module, one of which is currently being occupied by a man with short, light blue hair and a cold expression wearing a black shirt, blue pants, brown boots, and a navy blue jacket. He may or may not be happy to see you, but at least his tone is somewhat cordial, even if it does sound a little forced.

“There you are. You must be Miss Langley. I’m Kyle, the pilot of the Vorabend. Wilhelm told me you’d be here eventually. Just tell me where you want to go, and we’ll be right on our way.”

“Ah, al-alright then.” While you do your best to give Kyle the coordinates to the Elsa as coolly as you can, your voice falters and stutters a few times, which just makes you feel like yelling at yourself. After all, it’s not like you don’t know who this guy is. He’s either a Vector employee who’s in the know about Wilhelm, or one of his Testaments (though you suspect the latter more than the former). There’s no reason to feel anxious or falter around this guy logically. It’s just hard not to emotionally stumble when someone is looking at you like Mrs. Danvers. You’ve half a mind to ask whether or not this guy is genuinely in love with Wilhelm, but, you get the feeling that the half-joke would probably piss him off, even if he decided not to show it or act on it (at least for the moment), so you don’t. You just try to calm down and get your feelings together while Kyle inputs the coordinates and gives you a frosty smile.

“Thank you so much, Miss. I’ll take it from here. You can go in the back and rest until we get there.” You quietly sigh to collect yourself before you reply, hoping that Kyle doesn’t notice, or, if he does, doesn’t completely understand or care about why you’re doing so.

“Thanks. If I fall asleep, just shake me, and I’ll be on my way. You don’t have to carry me all the way back to my bed on the Elsa.”

“Of course.” Kyle replies, his smile still as chilly as before. “I was planning on doing that anyway.” You can’t think of anything else to say, and Kyle both has to fly the Vorabend and seems to have a low opinion of you at best, so you head back to the rec room and sit down on the sleeping area, pondering whether or not you’re tired enough to actually fall asleep. You don’t think you do, but there’s nothing else to do on this ship. Plus, your back could probably use a rest. So, you sigh and curl up on the sleeping area, smoothing out your skirt so that Kyle won’t accidentally get a look at anything, before closing your eyes and doing your best to relax your being, playing a calming song in your head that always makes you feel sleepy.

It must work at some point, even though it feels like you’ve been lying there for three hundred years, because at some point, someone shakes you awake, even though you didn’t even realize you’d fallen asleep. With a little groan, you open your eyes and see Kyle standing over you, the cold, semi-mocking smile still on his face. “I’m sorry to bother you, Miss Langley,” he says, even though he sounds like someone who just found their worst enemy in the most venerable and embarrassing position imaginable, “but I just landed inside the Elsa. We’re here.” He adds as you sit up, like you’re a moron who can’t figure out what landing inside the Elsa means for you. You do your best to glare at him as you rub your eyes before getting up and stretching a little-but not so much that it gives Kyle more ammunition to mock you with.

“Thanks. I guess I’ll see you later.”

“You probably will, Miss Langley.” Not only is that similar to what Wilhelm said to you before you left him, Kyle says that in the most mocking, patronizing tone imaginable, like he’s speaking to a stupid maid working at his manor who dreams of being a rich mistress herself someday, even though she’s too stupid to look after cattle, much less run an estate. You have to grit your hand as hard as you possibly can to stop yourself from just punching or letting loose on this guy. You hate Wilhelm, but even he wasn’t as cold, patronizing, or rude as this asshole.

“We’ll see.” You reply, your voice cold enough to instantly freeze twenty men, as you head out of the shuttle and into the Elsa’s dock. You speedwalk out as quickly as you can so that the shuttle can leave as soon as possible, and as you head up to your bedroom (which is just your own little section in the woman’s sleeping quarters), you idly wonder who let the Vorabend in, since it is getting pretty late, and since Captain Matthews tends to wake up early in the morning, everyone else tries to go to bed at a decent hour so that they don’t have hell to pay in the morning (the only person he goes easy on is chaos, who, ironically, sleeps in more than anyone else on the ship, including your passengers.).

Probably chaos, though you don’t really feel inclined to check the men’s sleeping room to be sure, just in case you’re right and everyone else is asleep in there, or the bridge. Normally, you might, if you had a better night with different people and wanted to share some of the dinner highlights with him, but you had an awful night with Wilhelm, and it’s likely that he already knows about it. Plus, you’re not really in the mood to have a good, objective conversation about Wilhelm and his awful pilot with chaos, someone who doesn’t have a burning hatred of Wilhelm, but can also neither completely like or trust him anymore, while also remaining aware of his feelings and issues. Instead, you just head to the woman’s sleeping quarters, slip off your shoes, and head to the kitchen for a good cup of tea. You need to unwind and relax before you can even think about going to bed. You’ll tell everyone about your ordeal-sans what Wilhelm did, which’ll be for chaos’s ears only-tomorrow.

#self-insert #self-shipping #f/o #Wilhelm #fucking kismesis #fanfiction #fanfic #Xenosaga

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goswagcollectorfire · 4 years

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CARL’S BLOG: BLUE SKIES OF EL DORADO, ARKANSAS; carlsblog.online; http://sbpra.com/CarlJBarger

5-20-20: Obadiah, Penelope, Henry, and wife go on site seeing trip to Camden and El Dorado, Arkansas

After the boys left Three Oaks, Bill brought our family

carriage to the front of the plantation house, where Penelope,

Helen, Henry, and I had been waiting on the porch for our trip

to Camden. Camden is a quaint, little town located about ten

miles from Three Oaks and is built near the Ouachita River. It is

known for its river port and big sawmill.

The sawmill is the biggest employer in Ouachita County.

The town of Camden is surrounded for miles by large virgin

pines and big hardwood trees. There are several nice plantations

in Ouachita County. The sawmill is considered a plus when it

comes to the county’s livelihood.

I shared with Henry about Daniel Pratt’s future plans to build

two sawmills in Union County. Union County is a lot like Ouachita

County. It has an abundance of virgin pine and big hardwood trees.

It is my belief the sawmills will play a major role in the future of the

plantation owner, especially after the slaves are freed.

While we were out, we found a little restaurant near the river

port that served Southern fried catfish. Oh, was it ever good.

“I have never tasted catfish this good,” Henry said.

“Does El Dorado have a Southern catfish restaurant?”

“Matter of fact, they do. There is one on the road that takes

us to Calion Creek.”

“I just may want to eat another catfish meal while I’m here,”

Henry said.

After we had our lunch, we continued our tour of the little

town of Camden. We visited the river port as well as the larger

sawmill, which were the two key things to see in Camden. After

seeing the highlights of Camden, Bill returned us to Three Oaks,

where we sat on the front porch and visited.

During our porch visit, Law and the other cowboys arrived.

Law let me know quickly that all went well and that they took

a swim in their favorite swimming hole on Little Calion Creek.

Law said, “We found the camping area where we camped

during our last visit from Alabama. It is the ideal spot on the

Little Calion to fish, swim, and camp. We would like to go fishing

and camping there this Wednesday if it can be arranged. What

do you think?” he asked.

I looked at Henry, and he shook his head in the affirmative.

“That sounds good for us,” I said, as Law shared the news

with the other boys.

Later in the day, we left Three Oaks in time to tour Penelope’s

school before going to the courthouse area for the celebration

activities.

Penelope wanted to give Henry and Helen a tour of her

school. She takes great pride in offering a unique curriculum to

both the Negro and white children.

Henry was amazed that this unique arrangement was taking

place right here in the South. He was highly complementary to

Penelope.

It was at the El Dorado celebration that Henry fell in love

with our town. It is such a clean, little town and is growing daily.

I introduced him and Helen to several of my close friends, business

associates, and other plantation owners.

Our mayor did a great job in recognizing those who gave

their lives for the Southern cause in the Civil War. He gave a

member of each family a certificate signifying the gratitude for

serving in the Confederate Army. He then recognized several

local soldiers who made it home alive.

There was dancing in the street and lots of delicious food on

tables that stretched across the front of the courthouse.

We danced with our wives, changed partners, and rested

while our sons and nephews danced with our wives. I believe

Mother danced with all her sons and grandsons. She never

seemed to tire out!

Penelope introduced us to a few of the Freedom Bureau members

who had approved her school. They appeared to be nice people.

On Sunday, Henry’s family accompanied us to First Baptist

Church. After hearing a nice sermon, we returned to Three Oaks

for a big lunch.

Since there was lots of food left over from the big welcome

dinner, Mother invited the entire Bradford family to Three Oaks

to share in food and fellowship. Again, everyone had a good

time

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newssplashy · 6 years

Link

But that didn’t stop friends from speculating that she may have been secretly attempting to outdo the royal couple.

Rebecca Pauline Jampol didn’t plan her May 19 wedding to coincide with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s nuptials.

But that didn’t stop friends from speculating that she may have been secretly attempting to outdo the royal couple.

“It all makes sense: If Rebecca’s going to do anything, she’s going to do it over the top and make it a spectacular spectacle,” said Samer Fouad, who was part of Jampol’s 10-person bridal party. Jasmine Wahi, another attendant, added, “The royal wedding had heavy competition.”

Jampol’s wedding to Randy Hayes Harris Jr. was held in Newark, New Jersey’s historic Symphony Hall, an ornate concert space that seats 3,500. The couple’s 350 invitations were letter-pressed, by hand, on antique machines used by The Star-Ledger newspaper in the 1950s.

And to keep things interesting, Jampol arranged for a peacock to strut around a reception held in the concert hall’s palatial terrace ballroom while the bird’s owner, artist Ventiko, snapped shots of guests against a Dionysian backdrop of velvet, pearls and animal skulls. (This same peacock, named Dexter, gained notoriety this year when it was denied entry as an emotional-support animal for Ventiko on a United Airlines flight out of Newark.)

The scene was meant to evoke Jampol’s sense of what Newark, at its creative best, can look like. “I wanted this to be kind of a big thing for the community,” she said.

Jampol, 34, and Harris, 33, met in Newark in 2012. Their flair for the dramatic is not limited to social events. Jampol is a design professor at Rutgers University Newark and a modern art curator. With Wahi, who she calls her “art wife,” she runs a local nonprofit gallery, the Project for Empty Space, where the focus is social issues explored boldly and unflinchingly; sexual violence and immigration rights have been recent subjects.

Jampol’s local claims to fame also include the colorful 1.39-mile mural that runs along McCarter Highway, a major Newark thoroughfare. It’s the longest mural on the East Coast and the second-longest in the country, according to the Newark Downtown District, a nonprofit group dedicated to revitalizing the city’s downtown. Eighteen artists were hand-picked by Jampol in 2016 to tell visual stories about Newark’s culture and heritage.

Harris is a musician who leads a rock band, the Randy Haze Trio, and plays guitar in a jazz outfit, the Velvet Trio. He tours with rapper Justina Valentine, a cast member of MTV’s “Wild ‘N Out” comedy series, and moonlights as a carpenter and designer for art exhibitions, including the ones at the Project for Empty Space. Jampol and Harris have not been officially anointed the first couple of Newark’s art scene, but that may be only because such a designation does not exist.

“Rebecca and Randy are beautiful human beings inside and out,” said Fouad, a graphic designer on the Fine Arts faculty at Rutgers Newark. “They not only have each other’s back, they have everyone else’s in this community, too.” Harris, a Newark native, laid the groundwork for their synergetic reputation before the arrival of Jampol, who moved to Newark in 2004 from Charlottesville, Virginia, to study art at Rutgers. “Randy is like the son of Newark,” Jampol said. “It’s a this-is-his-city kind of thing.”

His magnetism first came to her attention at Hell’s Kitchen Lounge, the downtown watering hole where she was working as a bartender in 2012. “Randy was a patron at the time and I had just started my galleries,” she said, including a place on the Lower East Side of Manhattan that has since closed. Harris, whose gentle demeanor is expressed externally by a sweet smile, instantly caught her eye, though she and her then-boyfriend were in the eighth year of what would end up a 10-year relationship.

“We were attracted to each other right from the start,” Jampol said. “I felt I had to be careful around him because of it.” Harris was a Sunday night regular at Hell’s Kitchen out of necessity: He didn’t have cable and needed a place to watch “The Walking Dead.” But he soon started spending more time watching Jampol than the TV, he said. By the time he and his rock band were offered a residency playing Hell’s Kitchen on Sunday nights in 2013, he and Jampol were spending a lot of time together.

“We had the same group of friends,” said Harris, who was also in a relationship then, with the mother of his 7-year-old son, Ian. But the attraction with Jampol was undeniable. It followed him around the city to places like the Lincoln Park Music Festival, held every July, where he and Jampol spent the day together as friends in 2013, connecting through hip-hop, fried catfish and collards.

“Rebecca is super-ambitious, but she’s also caring and she makes people feel safe,” he said. “She gives them the confidence to do things they otherwise wouldn’t be able to do.” This confidence extended to him when, in 2014, he came back from a weekslong tour with his band single and made up his mind to pursue Jampol, who had also exited her longtime relationship.

Fouad, who has known Jampol for a decade, said Harris showed guts in his attempt at maneuvering past friendship. “When I first met Rebecca, I watched her pull up on a bright yellow Vespa,” Fouad said. “She took off her helmet and it was like it was happening in slow motion in a movie. She’s beautiful and has these long, gorgeous legs.” But she quickly seemed less smoldering than big sisterly once he got to know her. “I thought she was so hot, but she ended up taking care of me.”

It’s a familiar refrain among Newark artists. “One of the things that really attracted me to Rebecca is that, through her work and the way she does things, I started seeing all the potential in this city again,” Harris said. The mural especially, with its evocations of Newark’s past and present, is a reminder of her gift for projecting the spirit of the place he knows best. “She made me fall back in love with Newark.”

Still, it was an early date outside city limits both say clinched their romance. In 2014, Jill Wickenheiser, a friend of Jampol who works at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, arranged for the couple to see the band Interpol there.

“She knew I loved Interpol and that I had just started dating a musician,” Jampol said. “It was hosted at the museum’s Egyptian exhibit, and we drank whiskey and geeked out to Interpol. We had a total blast. That really sealed the deal for us.”

In 2015, Harris and Jampol moved into an apartment in a prewar building in Newark’s North Ward that checked off all Jampol’s boxes for the perfect home: “I love nostalgia, history and magnificence,” she said.

A trip to San Diego the following year for a friend’s wedding moved them closer to thoughts of marriage. But despite that happy occasion, “it had been a traumatic couple of days,” Harris said. The presidential election had just happened and the outcome was not the one he wanted. “I was bawling for, like, three days,” he said.

On a post-San Diego trip down the coast to Valle de Guadalupe, Mexico, in a rented car, Jampol soothed and sympathized. “He’s an emotional guy,” she said. “But it was a beautiful trip and we learned we travel well together. I think at that moment we realized this was it for us.”

The proposal that transpired a few months later, on Jampol’s 33rd birthday, Jan. 1, 2017, offered a preview of the pageant-like atmosphere that would resurface on their wedding day.

With a cluster of the locals Jampol calls their “framily,” the couple celebrated at their favorite Newark haunt, Jimenez Tobacco, a velvet-walled cigar bar opened by a Cuban woman decades ago and now run by her sons. “For a long time it was like a speakeasy, where you’d bring your own bottle of booze,” Jampol said. “Now they’ve got a liquor license and are a little more established. But they still do Prohibition-style cocktails. And it still feels like the most amazing hole-in-the-wall.” Harris signed on to DJ for the cigar bar birthday bash. But after the first few sets, he was overtaken by an urge to make the night more meaningful.

First it took the form of a performance. The Velvet Trio hadn’t yet formed, but Harris’ bandmates in that group were on hand. He recruited them to play a few songs with him including, for a final number, a cover of the Cure’s “Lovesong.”

“Rebecca was wearing a crown and I saw how beautiful she was looking and I was thinking about how happy she made me,” Harris said. “In my head I felt like the ground became kind of holy.” As the song wound down, Harris spun around, yanked a string out of the bar’s booze-soaked carpet, got down on one knee and tied the string around Jampol’s ring finger. With the entire birthday party assemblage watching, he proposed. The answer was an instant, enthusiastic yes. “I was stunned, but I was also so happy,” Jampol said.

When planning a wedding for 350, a track record for creating an artistic community can be useful. With Wahi, Jampol oversees the Gateway Project Spaces, a downtown artists’ collective with 56 studios attached to the Project for Empty Space. Besides artist Ventiko, a synthetic flower-maker, Mahtab Pedrami, was among the current or former tenants who lent their talents.

Pamela Jampol, Jampol’s mother, said the merging of so many artistic sensibilities for the occasion reflected her daughter’s longtime gift for bringing people together. “She’s always been ambitious in so many things, but especially in loving and taking good care of people.”

On May 19, the elder Jampol, a minister at Christ Community Church in Charlottesville, officiated at a short ceremony alongside Jampol’s father, Mark Jampol, and Harris’ parents, Madeline Juarbe Del Rios and Randy Hayes Harris Sr., as well as his stepfather, Roberto Del Rios. As Jampol walked with her father down the theater’s aisle to an stage covered in Pedrami’s flowers, cellist Daniel de Jesus, ethereal in white robes and pastel face paint, played and sang to the crowd. From the concert hall’s proscenium stage, 20 attendants looked on. Jampol, in a white lace dress with a 12-foot veil, and Harris, in rhinestone shoes and a paisley jacket, listened attentively as each parent spoke.

Harris Sr. recalled his son’s early-childhood flair for salsa and merengue dancing with his mother as she cooked, and ended with words of wisdom, advising the couple to keep dancing and always watch their footwork. “When life gives you a new step, be patient,” he said. But “do your dance and don’t let go.”

—

On This Day

When: May 19, 2018.

Where: Newark Symphony Hall.

Finery for a cause: Jampol bought her Chantilly lace dress at Church Street Bridal in Lynchburg, Virginia, a boutique that sells donated dresses to raise money for women’s shelters. Harris supported local businesses by wearing a wedding shirt handmade by Gambert Shirts in Newark’s Ironbound district.

Fit for royalty: A buffet dinner included a raw bar with lobster, crab and oysters, plus carving stations with pepper-crusted filet of beef and stuffed pork loin.

Lots of dancing: James Gibbs III, founder of the Brick City Soul Collective, led a seven-piece funk and R&B band at the reception in the terrace ballroom. The couple’s first dance was to the Bill Withers’ classic “Lovely Day.”

Smokin’ afterparty: After the reception, the couple passed out personalized cigars at Jimenez Tobacco. Musician friends, including rapper Justina Valentine, who was among Harris’ attendants, were on hand. The party continued until 1:30 a.m., then moved to another Newark location, Hell’s Kitchen Lounge.

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.

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Text

Another Royal Wedding. This One Newark Style.

Rebecca Pauline Jampol didn’t plan her May 19 wedding to coincide with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s nuptials. But that didn’t stop friends from speculating that she may have been secretly attempting to outdo the royal couple.

“It all makes sense: If Rebecca’s going to do anything, she’s going to do it over the top and make it a spectacular spectacle,” said Samer Fouad, who was part of Ms. Jampol’s 10-person bridal party. Jasmine Wahi, another attendant, added, “The royal wedding had heavy competition.”

Ms. Jampol was escorted down the aisle by her father, Mark Jampol.

Ms. Jampol’s wedding to Randy Hayes Harris Jr., was held in Newark’s historic Symphony Hall, an ornate concert space that seats 3,500. The couple’s 350 invitations were letter-pressed, by hand, on antique machines used by The Star-Ledger newspaper in the 1950s.

And to keep things interesting, Ms. Jampol arranged for a peacock to strut around a reception held in the concert hall’s palatial terrace ballroom while the bird’s owner, the artist Ventiko, snapped shots of guests against a Dionysian backdrop of velvet, pearls and animal skulls. (This same peacock, named Dexter, gained notoriety earlier this year when it was denied entry as an emotional-support animal for Ventiko on a United Airlines flight out of Newark.)

The scene was meant to evoke Ms. Jampol’s sense of what Newark, at its creative best, can look like. “I wanted this to be kind of a big thing for the community,” she said.

Ms. Jampol, 34, and Mr. Harris, 33, met in Newark in 2012. Their flair for the dramatic is not limited to social events. Ms. Jampol is a design professor at Rutgers University Newark and a modern art curator. With Ms. Wahi, who she calls her “art wife,” she runs a local nonprofit gallery, the Project for Empty Space, where the focus is social issues explored boldly and unflinchingly; sexual violence and immigration rights have been recent subjects.

Ms. Jampol’s local claims to fame also include the colorful 1.39-mile mural that runs along McCarter Highway, a major Newark thoroughfare. It’s the longest mural on the East Coast and the second-longest in the country, according to the Newark Downtown District, a nonprofit group dedicated to revitalizing the city’s downtown. Eighteen artists were handpicked by Ms. Jampol in 2016 to tell visual stories about Newark’s culture and heritage.

Mr. Harris is a musician who leads a rock band, the Randy Haze Trio, and plays guitar in a jazz outfit, the Velvet Trio. He tours with the rapper Justina Valentine, a cast member of MTV’s “Wild ‘N Out” comedy series, and moonlights as a carpenter and designer for art exhibitions, including the ones at the Project for Empty Space. Ms. Jampol and Mr. Harris have not been officially anointed the first couple of Newark’s art scene, but that may be only because such a designation does not exist.

“Rebecca and Randy are beautiful human beings inside and out,” said Mr. Fouad, a graphic designer on the Fine Arts faculty at Rutgers Newark. “They not only have each other’s back, they have everyone else’s in this community, too.” Mr. Harris, a Newark native, laid the groundwork for their synergetic reputation before the arrival of Ms. Jampol, who moved to Newark in 2004 from Charlottesville, Va., to study art at Rutger. “Randy is like the son of Newark,” Ms. Jampol said. “It’s a this-is-his-city kind of thing.”

His magnetism first came to her attention at Hell’s Kitchen Lounge, the downtown watering hole where she was working as a bartender in 2012. “Randy was a patron at the time, and I had just started my galleries,” she said, including a place on the Lower East Side of Manhattan that has since closed. Mr. Harris, whose gentle demeanor is expressed externally by a sweet smile, instantly caught her eye, though she and her then-boyfriend were in the eighth year of what would end up a 10-year relationship.

“We were attracted to each other right from the start,” Ms. Jampol said. “I felt I had to be careful around him because of it.” Mr. Harris was a Sunday night regular at Hell’s Kitchen out of necessity: He didn’t have cable and needed a place to watch “The Walking Dead.” But he soon started spending more time watching Ms. Jampol than the TV, he said. By the time he and his rock band were offered a residency playing Hell’s Kitchen on Sunday nights in 2013, he and Ms. Jampol were spending a lot of time together.

“We had the same group of friends,” said Mr. Harris, who was also in a relationship then, with the mother of his 7-year-old son, Ian. But the attraction with Ms. Jampol was undeniable. It followed him around the city to places like the Lincoln Park Music Festival, held every July, where he and Ms. Jampol spent the day together as friends in 2013, connecting through hip-hop, fried catfish and collards.

“Rebecca is super-ambitious, but she’s also caring and she makes people feel safe,” he said. “She gives them the confidence to do things they otherwise wouldn’t be able to do.” This confidence extended to him when, in 2014, he came back from a weekslong tour with his band single and made up his mind to pursue Ms. Jampol, who had also exited her longtime relationship.

Mr. Fouad, who has known Ms. Jampol for a decade, said Mr. Harris showed guts in his attempt at maneuvering past friendship. “When I first met Rebecca, I watched her pull up on a bright yellow Vespa,” Mr. Fouad said. “She took off her helmet, and it was like it was happening in slow motion in a movie. She’s beautiful and has these long, gorgeous legs.” But she quickly seemed less smoldering than big sisterly once he got to know her. “I thought she was so hot, but she ended up taking care of me.”

It’s a familiar refrain among Newark artists. “One of the things that really attracted me to Rebecca is that, through her work and the way she does things, I started seeing all the potential in this city again,” Mr. Harris said. The mural especially, with its evocations of Newark’s past and present, is a reminder of her gift for projecting the spirit of the place he knows best. “She made me fall back in love with Newark.”

Still, it was an early date outside city limits both say clinched their romance. In 2014, Jill Wickenheiser, a friend of Ms. Jampol who works at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, arranged for the couple to see the band Interpol there.

“She knew I loved Interpol and that I had just started dating a musician,” Ms. Jampol said. “It was hosted at the museum’s Egyptian exhibit, and we drank whiskey and geeked out to Interpol. We had a total blast. That really sealed the deal for us.”

In 2015, Mr. Harris and Ms. Jampol moved into an apartment in a prewar building in Newark’s North Ward that checked off all Ms. Jampol’s boxes for the perfect home: “I love nostalgia, history and magnificence,” she said.

A trip to San Diego the following year for a friend’s wedding moved them closer to thoughts of marriage. But despite that happy occasion, “it had been a traumatic couple of days,” Mr. Hayes said. The presidential election had just happened, and the outcome was not the one he wanted. “I was bawling for, like, three days,” he said.

On a post-San Diego trip down the coast to Valle de Guadalupe, Mexico, in a rented car, Ms. Jampol soothed and sympathized. “He’s an emotional guy,” she said. “But it was a beautiful trip, and we learned we travel well together. I think at that moment we realized this was it for us.”

The proposal that transpired a few months later, on Ms. Jampol’s 33rd birthday, Jan. 1, 2017, offered a preview of the pageant-like atmosphere that would resurface on their wedding day.

With a cluster of the locals Ms. Jampol calls their “framily,” the couple celebrated at their favorite Newark haunt, Jimenez Tobacco, a velvet-walled cigar bar opened by a Cuban woman decades ago and now run by her sons. “For a long time it was like a speakeasy, where you’d bring your own bottle of booze,” Ms. Jampol said. “Now they’ve got a liquor license and are a little more established. But they still do Prohibition-style cocktails. And it still feels like the most amazing hole-in-the-wall.” Mr. Harris signed on to DJ for the cigar bar birthday bash. But after the first few sets, he was overtaken by an urge to make the night more meaningful.

First it took the form of a performance. The Velvet Trio hadn’t yet formed, but Mr. Harris’ bandmates in that group were on hand. He recruited them to play a few songs with him including, for a final number, a cover of the Cure’s “Lovesong.”

“Rebecca was wearing a crown and I saw how beautiful she was looking and I was thinking about how happy she made me,” Mr. Harris said. “In my head I felt like the ground became kind of holy.” As the song wound down, Mr. Harris spun around, yanked a string out of the bar’s booze-soaked carpet, got down on one knee and tied the string around Ms. Jampol’s ring finger. With the entire birthday party assemblage watching, he proposed. The answer was an instant, enthusiastic yes. “I was stunned, but I was also so happy,” Ms. Jampol said.

When planning a wedding for 350, a track record for creating an artistic community can be useful. With Ms. Wahi, Ms. Jampol oversees the Gateway Project Spaces, a downtown artists’ collective with 56 studios attached to the Project for Empty Space. Besides the artist Ventiko, a synthetic flower maker, Mahtab Pedrami, was among the current or former tenants who lent their talents.

Pamela Jampol, Ms. Jampol’s mother, said the merging of so many artistic sensibilities for the occasion reflected her daughter’s longtime gift for bringing people together. “She’s always been ambitious in so many things, but especially in loving and taking good care of people.”

On May 19, the elder Ms. Jampol, a minister at Christ Community Church in Charlottesville, officiated at a short ceremony alongside Mr. Jampol’s father, Mark Jampol, and Mr. Harris’s parents, Madeline Juarbe Del Rios and Randy Hayes Harris Sr., as well as his stepfather, Roberto Del Rios. As Ms. Jampol walked with her father down the theater’s aisle to an stage covered in Ms. Pedrami’s flowers, the cellist Daniel de Jesus, ethereal in white robes and pastel face paint, played and sang to the crowd. From the concert hall’s proscenium stage, 20 attendants looked on. Ms. Jampol, in a white lace dress with a 12-foot veil, and Mr. Harris, in rhinestone shoes and a paisley jacket, listened attentively as each parent spoke.

Mr. Harris Sr. recalled his son’s early-childhood flair for salsa and merengue dancing with his mother as she cooked, and ended with words of wisdom, advising the couple to keep dancing and always watch their footwork. “When life gives you a new step, be patient,” he said. But “do your dance, and don’t let go.”

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