#i watched the rest of that performance that's the loudest the audience yells for anyone SDHAFHASDH

[tommodirection]

Little Sister

Harry Styles x Tomlinson! Reader

Word Count: 3.3k

Warnings: swearing, playful mentions of Larry

Masterlist

A/N: Heylo! I hope you enjoy this! I’ve been working on this for about a month now, never being able to finish it, but I decided to sit down and finish it tonight instead of wallowing in self-pity! The Larry mention at the end is meant to be funny and playful, not something to take seriously! Thank you and have a nice day! ❤️💕🥰

—

When your brother went to audition for the X-Factor in 2010, you expected him to come home after, maybe with a signed record deal, maybe not, but home nonetheless.

Instead, he was put into a boy band with four other boys, and moved out. Your mother was proud, of course as anyone would be, but that also meant her oldest child had left the nest.

That left you, now the oldest in the house, and your four younger sisters. Your mum was handling it the best she could, but with Mark out of the house constantly, it got stressful for her.

You didn’t like Mark that much, sure, he was nice, and he treated your mother alright, he just didn’t seem like a commitment kind of guy to you.

You were adopted shortly after your mum left Louis’s father. Mark was accepting of the fact that she already had two kids, but became a bit offended when she took your side in an argument instead of one of their kids.

You loved all your siblings equally, well, Louis a bit more than the other girls, but you still loved them no matter how their father acted.

When Louis left, you were left to help your mother with the other girls, Mark not being much help. You were often left to help them get ready for school, get ready for bed, and you even had to run errands for your mother.

Since you were only 16, and hadn’t gotten a driver’s license, you had to walk almost everywhere, but you didn’t mind, not when you were helping your mother.

Having a brother who had recently become a famous member of a boy band, also meant you had to watch all the girls at your school drool over him. This also meant that a lot more people were trying to be friendly to you.

Most of the girls at your school loved Louis, probably because they thought they had the best chance with him, not that they had any chance.

However, you preferred Harry. You always had a soft spot for sweet boys with curly hair, but this time felt different. It probably was just a silly little crush, you’d obsess for a few weeks and then get over it.

You were so, so wrong.

You watched your brother and his mates smash their way through the charts for the next two years, becoming the best boy band of the generation.

The whole family was immensely proud of him, even Mark. You were particularly proud of Harry, though the rest of your family didn’t really care.

The small crush hadn’t faded, instead it had grown in the past two years, each time you saw him on a photo your brother sent, or on TV, you flushed and your heart started racing.

He was just perfect. Perfect hair, perfect eyes, perfect dimples, perfect smile, perfect lips, perfect everything.

It honestly kind of upset you sometimes.

There you were, the sister of one of his best mates, same age as him too, and yet you had never met him.

That all changed when the band went to Madison Square Garden at the end of the year.

Since you were eighteen and finished with college, you were allowed to go with your mother to go see Louis perform.

As you and your mother approached the stadium, you felt a wave of awe wash over you. Your brother’s face was on the fucking front of Madison Square Garden. He was getting paid to be here.

Where the fuck did you go wrong?

The driver that Louis had hired pulled up in the front, allowing you both to get out along with Liam’s mum, Karen, who was a lovely lady.

You all climbed out of the car onto the busy New York City street, people busling past your trio to file into the large arena.

Your mother grabbed your hand and Karen’s as well, pulling you both into line.

Meanwhile, the boys were sitting in front of the camera, discussing their feelings about the upcoming show. Zayn and Liam were currently in the dressing room, and Niall was finishing his dinner, so Louis and Harry were left to be interviewed.

“You know, this is a big show for us, obviously,” Harry said, trying not to be gesticulative as he spoke, nerves buzzing through his body.

“Yeah, of course it’s big cos it’s MSG, but this is also the only one that all of us have at least one family member in the audience. Liam, Niall, and Zayn have their mums, Harry has his mum and stepdad, and my mum and sister are coming, which is of course rattling, you want them to be proud of you,” Louis said, leaning back on the couch.

Harry paused for a moment, “Wait, which sister?”

“Y/N, she’s finished with school, so mum let her come down, she’s ecstatic,” Louis smiled and Harry nodded, trying to keep a straight face for the camera.

He had never met you, he’s only heard stories from Louis, and seen pictures that his mum always sent him of all the girls.

He thought you were adorable, who wouldn’t? He wouldn’t call it a crush, he hadn’t even met you. However, there was definitely something about you that drew him near you.

Once you had gotten inside, Karen insisted on going to buy something. The concert was starting in a few minutes, so there weren’t many people at the tables, most already in their seats.

She was beaming, looking at all of the stuff with her son’s face on it, your mother bearing a similar smile. Karen spotted the cardboard cutouts of the boys. And her eyes lit up.

She rushed to buy one, your mother chuckling, but you could tell she was contemplating on buying one herself.

The pair began to walk away, the camera crew following them, but you stayed behind, stepping up to the cashier.

Your mother must’ve noticed you weren’t there, as seconds later she was at your side, rubbing your arm lightly.

“Whatcha buying?” She asked, humming as she moved her hand to your upper back.

You felt yourself flush as you ordered the Harry cutout. Your mother was laughing her arse off, clutching her stomach as she doubled over.

You felt embarrassed, but understood her reaction. Karen turned around to see the commotion and saw the cashier handing you the Harry cutout. She gave a light chuckle and waved you both over.

Your mother pretended to wipe a tear from her cheek, smirking at you, “Aw, my baby’s in love!” She teased and you bit your lip.

“Shut up,” you mumbled weakly.

The camera crew saw the interaction, getting the whole thing on tape. As you passed the camera, you gave it a small, awkward smile, stuffing the Harry under your arm.

The show was amazing, you didn’t expect any less.

The boys were energetic, entertaining the audience as they jumped and ran around the stage, clearly enjoying themselves.

You were placed in the front, along with the other mothers and Robin, Harry’s step-father. During Louis’ solos, you and your mother would cheer the loudest, the others doing the same for their respective child.

Each boy came to wave to all of you, grinning as they sang. Louis just made a funny face at you and your mother, almost missing his cue.

The other boys did similar things, running to wave while they were singing, but Harry hadn’t come over yet, something that was clearly disturbing Anne.

During a brief break in between songs, Harry came to sit on the edge of the stage in front of all of you. The fans surrounding you all were screaming, some laughing when he gave a bashful wave.

He brought the microphone to his mouth, interrupting Liam’s monologue.

“That’s my mummy!” He pointed to Anne, making her giggle as he bounced up and down where he sat. “Hi mummy!” He yelled, giving an over enthusiastic wave, the audience loving every second.

A grin spread across your face, watching the interaction warmed your heart. Anne was loving it, she blew Harry a kiss, and he caught it, pressing it to kiss cheek.

“I love you mum,” he said, seriously. The audience and all the boys on stage letting out a sweet ‘aw’.

“I love you, Hazza!” Anne tried to yell above the audience, her voice being drowned out, but Harry understood her perfectly.

He turned his attention to the rest of you, “Hi everyone!” He waved again, his grin still just as wide. His eyes scanned over each of you, and his met yours. “Y/N? You’re Lou’s sister, right?” He asked and you nodded, trying to ignore your mum poking your arm. “Damn!” He yelled and you felt yourself gaping, Louis standing up quickly.

“Excuse me?” He asked, in mock offense.

Harry realized his mistake, “No, no, no! That came out wrong,” he turned to you, “I didn’t mean any disrespect, I just mean that I imagined you being like,” he held up his hand a few feet off the ground, “this tall based on how Lou described you, and that is certainly not the case,” he affirmed and Louis playfully rolled his eyes.

“Sure,” he dragged it out, “I’m sure that’s what you meant,” he joked, and Harry stood, brushing off his bum.

“Anyways! On with the show!”

—

A few months later, the boys sat huddled around a table in the film director’s conference room.

The film was finally completed, and the boys were invited to watch it and suggest changes. The boys were a bit into the film now, mostly taking the piss out of it and teasing each other.

Then came the footage from Madison Square Garden.

The boys stayed silent the whole time that the mothers were speaking, being quiet for the first time since the film started.

After showing the mothers’ thoughts on them performing at MSG, it cut to the interviews backstage. It was mostly just the boys’ preparation. Harry and Louis’ interview showed up, and the teasing started right up again.

“Louis, did you see the way his face lit up when you mentioned Y/N?” Liam said through laughter, Zayn and Niall laughing with him.

Harry was glaring at the boys, trying to avoid looking at Louis, a furious blush coating his cheeks. Louis was trying to hide his smile, looking at Harry out of the corner of his eye.

Truth was, he didn’t mind at all. Sure, it was a little weird, but he knew Harry, and Louis knew about your little crush on him, your mum had told him about it and had even sent pictures of the Harry cutout, now set up in your room. He would rather you date Harry than some random kid from Doncaster. You and Harry would work well together, he may even dare to say you were perfect for each other. There was only one problem; you hadn’t met.

The boys had finally calmed down and the rest of the film continued. While Liam and Niall were talking about the time they had to be smuggled through a bread van, Louis took his chance. He leaned over, catching Harry’s attention, “Don’t listen to them, if I’m being honest with you, I wouldn’t mind if you dated my sister,” he whispered, Harry immediately getting flustered.

“I, what? I don’t know what you’re talking about, you’re mad,” Harry mumbled and Louis chuckled, patting Harry’s knee.

“It’s alright lad, no need to explain yourself.”

The topic wasn’t brought up again until the movie came out.

Well, it technically hadn’t come out yet. Each boy was allowed to stream it at their home, they were sent digital copies. Louis had invited you over to watch it a week before it officially came out, and of course you had said yes.

You decided to spend the week with him, needing a break from managing the house with your mother. You had felt guilty, seeing as it was now her alone, Mark had left early on in your brother’s departure. Although, Dan, her new fiancé, was there to help out a bit.

You pulled up outside his apartment building, parking and grabbing your bag from the passenger’s seat. You made your way into the apartment, keeping your head down as you knocked on the door.

Louis opened it, throwing his arms open with a large grin on his face. You set your bag down, giggling as you wrapped your arms around him, squeezing him tightly.

“I missed you,” you mumbled into his chest.

“I missed you too,” he said, swaying with you in the doorway for a moment. He pulled away, a shit-eating grin on his face. “I hope you don’t mind, but I invited someone else over too!”

“I don’t mind,” you said, squinting at your brother, why was he being so cheeky about it?

“Great! Alright, come on in! Harry’s on the couch, and before we watch the film, we’re gonna watch interviews!” He ushered you inside, grabbing your bag.

You stopped once you had entered the house, turning back to Louis, “Hold, go back there for a second, did you say Harry’s here?” You asked, quickly panicking.

You were answered by a voice behind you, “Louis, is your guest…” Harry trailed off as you turned around. He gaped for a moment, clearing his throat quickly, “Oh, uhm, hi Y/N, Louis didn’t say you were coming,” his eyes left you to quickly glance at Louis.

“Hi,” you mumbled, biting the inside of your cheek.

It was quiet for a few moments, and Louis interjected, “Ready to watch the interviews?” He asked, not even waiting for an answer as he dragged both of you to the living room.

He sat down on the couch, pulling you and Harry on either side of him. “They sent me a weird version they made that has the interviews first, and the movie immediately after,” he leaned over and picked up a napkin he had set on the table.

On it were two times stamps, one that was pretty early on, and one that was presumably later in the film. He scrolled on the TV for a moment, getting the setting right and pressing start once the DVD was processed.

He began to fast forward through most of the interviews, you were a bit confused when he came to a stop in the middle of the interviews. You were about to say something, but he turned the volume all the way up, pressing play.

“If you had to set up your sister with one of the band, and you could trust them, who would it be?” The interviewer asked, leaning forwards as she spoke.

Liam and Zayn erupted, “None, none of them!” They both chided, clear looks of disgust on their face.

Louis sat contemplating for a moment, both Liam and Zayn looking at him with knowing smiles, “I have an ideal pair in mind, I’m not going to verify who, the lads already know who it is, my sister doesn’t, but I’ve got a plan,” he smirked, nodding enthusiastically.

The Louis next to you looked at his napkin again, fast forwarding it again, this time you were sat for a little bit longer, the tension in the room growing thicker. Both you and Harry had a feeling that he was talking about you guys, but neither of you dared say anything.

He unpaused it again, this time it was the actual film, iit showed you and your mum, along with Karen, it was the MSG footage.

You began panicking, trying to grab the remote from Louis, “Louis, Louis, turn it off, turn it off!” You yelled as you tackled him, reaching for the remote he was holding high.

He ducked to his side, quickly stuffing the remote down his trousers as the film continued playing. He gave you a triumphant smirk, but you narrowed your eyes, “don’t think I won’t look in there,” you threatened, and he shot up, running to the washroom, giggling the whole way.

You let out a grunt of defeat, collapsing on the couch and shrinking in on yourself, hiding your face in your hands. “Oh god, ‘m so so sorry Harry,” you grumbled, sinking further into the couch.

Harry let out a low chuckle, “It’s alright, love. I’ve already seen the movie,” he admitted and you let out an exasperated sigh.

“Shit,” you mumbled.

“Hey, nothing to be embarrassed about,” he assured, you felt him put his hand on your knee, making you flush even further. “In fact, if the roles were reversed, I probably would’ve bought a cutout of you too,” he began rubbing a small circle on your knee.

You removed your hands from your face at his confession, looking at him in confusion, “Wait, really?”

“Of course! When we first got together as a band, you called Louis, and he stepped outside for a minute to talk to you, when he got back, he had the biggest smile on his face. At first we thought that it was a girl he’d been talking to, but then he told us it was his sister, and I just had to know more about the girl who made him smile that big. He began talking about you, and about your other family of course, but I couldn’t stop thinking about how he described you, then he showed me pictures, and you just blew me away, as cheeky as it sounds,” he laughed lightly, your eyes traced his profile, “then I saw you at MSG, and I was even more shocked, you were much more mature than the last picture Louis had showed us. I couldn’t stop thinking about the girl who smiled brighter than sun, the one who loved her family more than anything, the one who could make anyone laugh just by speaking, and I hadn’t even met you! But now I’ve actually met you, and even seeing you wrestled with Louis earlier, it confirmed everything I already thought.” He paused, his eyes opening quickly, “I-Uhm, if you don’t like any of that, you can just ignore all of it.”

You sat in disbelief, joy overwhelming you, “Wait, so you like me?”

“I mean, yeah, if that whole speech wasn’t convincing enough, I can show you my diary,” he offered, and you put a finger to his lips.

“As tempting as that is, I really want to kiss you right now, is that alright?” You asked, scooting closer to him on the couch.

“Yeah, that would be amazing,” he giggled, placing his hand on your cheek as your lips met.

It was awkward at first, you were both angled on the couch, neither position comfortable. You shifted closer, slowly crawling onto his lap, quickly pulling away to make sure it was okay with him. When he gave you a subtle nod, you connected your lips again, his sweet, oddly sugary, plush lips. You ran your fingers through his curls, quickly tangling them. He put his hands on your waist, pulling you closer to him as you continued to kiss. It was heavenly, everything you had ever dreamed of. Of course, your paradise had to be interrupted by something.

“Oi Oi!” Louis yelled from the hallway, “I get you like each other and all, but this is my couch, come on lads!” He complained, causing you to hurry off of Harry’s lap, taking a seat beside him. He playfully scoffed, pointing a finger at you, “Now, I’m going to get some food from the kitchen, no snogging while I’m gone!” He demanded as he walked out of the room.

You and Harry giggle to yourself, he turned to you, a playful smile adorning his face, “y’know, now that I’m dating a Tomlinson, maybe the Larries will finally back off,” he joked, earning a chuckle from you.

“Oh darling, you’re forgetting one thing,” you chided, he turned to you, obviously confused. “I’m the biggest Larrie of them all,” you teased.

“Oh shut it!” Both he and Louis yelled.

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#louis tomlinson #one direction #one direction x reader #harry styles #harry styles x reader #harry styles x y/n #harry styles x you

[mxliv-oftheendless]

She’s Gone

Lolll I hate myself for thinking of this. But I wrote it out last week on vacation and I thought I’d post it for y’all. It’s not the worst thing my mind thinks of, where I am disgusted at myself for having the audacity to think of such a thing, it’s just... sad.

Today on the Black Dahlia series, Heather McMann says her goodbyes.

1988

They always looked so... detached onstage, like what was happening up there was in a separate reality from the one the audience was in. You could be so close you could reach up and touch them, but you were almost hesitant to, as though if you did, your hand would hit an invisible wall.

... Gods, Heather had to stop being dramatic. That was Starchild’s job.

And yet she couldn’t help it; she never could these days. Well, more like these years.

Heather stood invisible in the screaming crowd as the loud guitars and drums crashed through her ears, the lights flashed, and KISS performed their hearts out onstage. It was always such an experience watching them. They looked so happy to be onstage, as though all their dreams were coming true just by being there. She knew what that happiness was like; she’d experienced it, and it was exhilerating.

As they played their last song before the encore, Heather felt the sadness creep up inside her. She wouldn’t be staying for the encore. So instead, she watched them intently, determined to memorize each of their faces.

Bruce. The most chill being Heather had ever met, sometimes far too chill for a band like KISS. An enthusiastic guitarist who threw everything into his playing. Who didn’t know everything about What Happened, but always treated her with kindness nonetheless.

Eric. Fox. The sweetest being she’d ever known. Who never had anything but a kind word to say about anyone. Who tried to make her smile and laugh, because he knew she was having trouble picking herself back up.

Demon. Gene. Who looked so bloodthirsty at times, and stoic the rest of the time, but was prepared to defend those he cared for until his last breath. Who never minced his words. Who acted like he didn’t care, but in truth cared so much. Who, in the days following What Happened, stood vigilantly over her bedside while she slept, ready to defend her from anything else.

She wondered what Ace and Catman would do if they were here, and what they would say. Knowing Ace, he’d probably join Eric in trying to make her laugh, or perhaps he’d shove a bottle of whiskey at her and tell her to take a drink. And Catman, who knows? She wondered if they would protest her leaving, just like everyone else had. Just like...

At that moment he leapt up into the air, swinging his guitar around, then when he hit the ground continued to dance like a maniac. Heather let a smile cross her lips.

Starchild. Her best friend. Who would have thought an awkward betrothal would lead her to finding her closest friend? Her friend, who threw himself wholeheartedly into everything he did, and cared for his friends so much—cared for her so much. Who stayed by her side so fiercely after What Happened, determined to make her smile again. Whose voice was the loudest when they all begged her not to go.

She would miss them all so much, but Starchild... she would miss Starchild the most.

The song ended, Starchild yelled out “GOODNIGHT!” and the stadium was plunged into darkness. People began to hold up their lighters in the air, cheering for more, and Heather took that as her cue.

She turned around, then turned her head back to look at the stage one last time.

“Goodbye,” she whispered.

Then she turned away, and disappeared into the crowd.

-BLACKDAHLIA-

Paul felt a sensation of foreboding as he walked to his dressing room after the encore. He knew why, and it was one of the reasons he hadn’t wanted the night to end—tonight was the night.

He didn’t want Heather to leave; he hated the idea from the moment Heather gathered them all together and told them about it. All four of them had vehemently protested and begged her not to go, his voice the loudest of all. But Heather stubbornly shook her head, repeating it over and over again until they all gave up.

Why did she feel like she had to leave? What had they done wrong? She had never been the same after What Happened, despite all of them working to make her feel better. Letting her stay with them hadn’t even been a question, and never once had any of them considered her deadweight—the last person who suggested she was had been promptly fired.

What was he going to do without her there? What was he going to do without her sarcasm, her bad jokes, her deadpan humor? Without her fierce support, to the point where she declared she would physically fight the next person who started talking badly about himself? Without her sharp wit and her banter? Without her guitar playing, and her flowers?

He was in front of his dressing room door now, but he still hadn’t turned the doorknob. He was almost expecting her to be inside, sitting with her feet up on the vanity, ready to give him a lopsided smile and say, “You didn’t really think I was leaving, did you? Honestly, Starchild.” The thought of her saying that, and then reaching out to whack him across the head, made him smile and hope rise. Maybe...

But when Paul finally opened the door and stepped inside, his heart sank. The dressing room was empty. No Heather. Instead, lying on the vanity table was a single flower. Paul went over and picked it up, and felt his throat tighten.

It was a black dahlia.

“Paul,”

He turned and found Gene standing in the doorway, with Eric and Bruce behind him. And in their hands were black dahlias.

Paul looked mournfully back at them, tears pricking his eyes.

“She’s gone,”

#black dahlia series #hey i said it was going to be sad #but heather had to leave for ohio at some point #i’ll tell you something tho #these boys are gonna miss the everliving heck out of her #yeah even gene #especially paul #this is crazy nights era i think #*checks* #yeah it’s crazy nights era #kiss au writing #hope you enjoyed and didn’t cry #if you cried i’m sorry

[negaifreak]

KARAOKE NIGHT - KATSUKI & TOGARU

"...Togaru Kamikiri and Katsuki Bakugo!" Mina exclaimed. Both students called perked up.

"Whoa, Bakugo's up next?" Denki uttered in surprise.

"I honestly thought he'd go sooner..." Eijiro admitted, scratching his cheek. Katsuki stood up from his seat.

"I'm with the mantis bastard?" he inquired with an arched eyebrow. Togaru stood up.

"Who are you calling a mantis, asshole?!" he yelled angrily.

"Uh..." Izuku uttered, nervously sweating as he heard Katsuki snarl.

"And who're you calling an asshole, dipshit?!" he shouted back.

"K-Kacchan..." Izuku stuttered, holding his hands up in a placating manner.

"SHUT THE HELL UP, DEKU!" Katsuki roared.

"Hey, don't yell at my boyfriend!" Natalie shouted as she held Izuku close in a protective manner. As the shouting match between the two eventual singers continued, Alice stood up from her seat.

"Katsuki," she uttered, trying to get his attention. He wasn't listening.

"And if you think you're gonna try and steal my spotlight, you've got-!"

"KATSUKI!" Alice screamed, transforming her right arm into a water whip before smacking his back with it.

"OW!" he yelped, turning around, "STRIPPER, WHAT THE HELL?!" he bellowed angrily towards her. She glared back at him.

"Just pick a song and sing it," she demanded passive-aggressively, "Or so help me, I will freeze you..." she remarked in a threatening tone. To everyone's shock, Katsuki shook. Was he scared of Alice?

"...Fine," he muttered out, going over to the laptop, "Let's pick a song, mantis boy," he grumbled.

"Tch," Togaru scoffed, heading over with him. Everyone sighed deeply. It seemed clear that this would not go well. But to their surprise, the two were actually agreeing on the song choice. Katsuki let off a devious smirk while Togaru grinned. What song did they pick?

"If it's something they both like, should we be scared?" Hanta asked nervously.

"...Probably," Fumikage answered after a moment.

"Maybe it won't be so bad..." Izuku suggested, though he did gulp immediately afterwards.

"All right, nobody say nothing while we're singin' this shit," Katsuki told the audience as he snatched a microphone away from Toru. Togaru took one from Mina.

"Go for it, Bakugo!" Eijiro cheered with a pump of his fist. However, the song wasn't playing.

"Hey, start the damn song!" Katsuki yelled back at Mina, who flinched.

"Um... are you sure you don't wanna play something else-?"

"DID I FUCKING STUTTER?!" Katsuki bellowed with an enraged look in his eyes. The feedback emitted through the mic made everyone flinch and cover their ears.

"Ah, just do it..." Togaru muttered, "I wanna get this over with as soon as possible, too..." he grumbled in addition. Mina's lips quivered in fright before she hit the play button reluctantly. The tune started softly... then went straight into a rock and roll beat with a hint of pop.

"Okay, this definitely has that Bakugo vibe..." Kyoka noted, sweating a little. The beat continued for almost 20 seconds. All the while, Katsuki and Togaru were bobbing their heads to the tune, getting ready to sing.

"This is your time to pay~! This is your judgment day~!" the former of the two began angrily in song. Everyone widened their eyes.

"Yeah, definitely that vibe..." Denki agreed after a gulp.

"We made a sacrifice~! And now we get to take your life~!" Togaru exclaimed, much to the shock of his classmates.

"Kamikiri's scary..." Reiko commented as Miles grimaced a little.

"We shoot without a gun~!" Katsuki roared.

"We'll take on anyone~!" Togaru bellowed.

"It's really nothing new~! It's just a thing we like to do~!" the pair exclaimed together. To pretty much everyone in the audience, this was scary. Really scary.

"You better get ready to die~!" Katsuki echoed into the microphone. Some of the girls were covering their ears from how loud he was being.

"You better get ready to kill~!" Togaru screamed.

"You better get ready to run~! 'Cause here we come~! You better get ready to die~!" the two sang together. While they were in sync, it was clear that a majority of the audience was not enjoying the heavy metal song.

"I-Is anyone gonna stop them?" Yosetsu stuttered in question.

"I don't think anyone's dumb enough to try..." Kosei muttered as a response.

"Your life is over now~! Your life is running out~!" Katsuki screamed.

"When your time is at an end~! Then it's time to kill again~!" Togaru bellowed.

"We cut without a knife~!" Katsuki shouted in song.

"We live in black and white~!" Togaru roared.

"You're just a parasite~! Now close your eyes and say good-night~!" they exclaimed together, "You better get ready to die~!" they screamed, frightening everyone in front of them, "You better get ready to kill~!" they continued, bobbing their heads ferociously to the beat, "You better get ready to run~! 'Cause here we come~!" they roared.

"Okay..." Natalie uttered as Izuku was holding onto her out of fright, "Plus side to this, I get extra cuddles!" she pointed out, causing her female friends to all glance at her skeptically.

"Downside, we still have to listen to this..." Kyoka noted as Robbie held onto her in his arms.

"You better get ready to die~! Get ready to die~! You better get ready to die, get ready to die~!" Katsuki and Togaru sang loudly, finishing their song. The Explosion Quirk user spiked his microphone afterwards, grinning sadistically as he believed he put on one hell of a performance. To his surprise, it seemed to be anything but that to the audience in front of him as they were all covering their ears from the feedback. Togaru looked shocked by the expressions on their faces.

"G-Guys?" he stammered, "Are... you okay?" he asked worriedly.

"Um... well..." Itsuka tried to say.

"Probably one of the loudest we've heard yet," Setsuna commented, chiming in for her friend.

"Not to say it was bad or anything!" Kinoko blurted out.

"It was kinda... scary..." Miles admitted with a grimace.

"Pretty much," Riri agreed, resting her right cheek against her hand.

"Y-You guys..." Togaru stuttered, looking as if he was going to cry. The last thing he wanted to do was scare his classmates. Meanwhile, Katsuki didn't seem to show any remorse towards his class.

"Tch," he scoffed, "If you didn't like it, then you're all a bunch of sissies..." he grumbled out of frustration.

"Hey, Kacchan..." Izuku started to say, only to see Alice get up from her seat again and grab Katsuki's hand, suddenly dragging him away.

"HEY, WHERE THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE TAKING ME?!" he roared angrily.

"A place where you hopefully won't be as violent..." Alice responded as a retort, taking him out of the room. Everyone just watched on and blinked in surprise.

"I hope to god she didn't find that romantic..." Rachael muttered as she slumped down in her seat.

"Ah..." Minoru's voice groaned as he awoke and stood up from the floor, "Hey, what'd I miss?" he asked everyone there. They were all wishing that they hadn't heard the song like he did...

#mha bakugou #my hero academia #karaoke #crossover #fanfic #andrew wk #ready to die #togaru kamikiri #katsuki bakugou #mha #bnha bakugou #bnha

[theoldgods]

So I saw Lesley Manville twice in two days at the Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM) (a movie screening with a Q&A after on Monday 5/21 and then an actual performance of Long Day’s Journey into Night on Tuesday 5/22), and it was fantastic. She is just as interesting and luminous in the flesh as she is onscreen, and her vibe is great. If you ever get the option to see her IRL, I definitely recommend taking it.

More details about each night under the cut for the curious.

Monday

This was a showing of Another Year as part of BAM’s “Two by Lesley Manville” film series they did in honor of having her in residence for the month of May (the other film, a few weeks before, was All or Nothing). Afterwards was a Q&A with her that lasted about half an hour or so. I’d seen the film before, but it was fun to watch it with an audience that was very engaged (they kept laughing at a lot of Lesley’s mannerisms as Mary, though they quieted down by the end when it gets insanely awkward and emotional for her).

The Q&A was great fun. To be honest it was hard for me to focus on what Lesley was saying half the time, since I kept like....getting caught up in my head in awe at what was really transpiring; I wish I’d filmed all of it (I filmed her answer to a fellow Lesley stan, twitter user @girl_hag, which was about Cyril, but nothing else). It was mostly focused on her work with Mike Leigh and on Another Year itself, and not a whole lot of new information that Lesley hasn’t said in like 20 different previous interviews came out, but the interviewer was quite good and kind of low-key also a Lesley stan? Interesting specifics I can remember:

Everyone applauded her hardcore when she came on stage after the film (the interviewer commented that usually Q&A audiences aren’t that excited) and she did these silly stage bow type things 

In general the audience was super into her talking, laughing at a lot of the little jokes she made and getting hyped for the brief Cyril discussion (more on that below)

Lesley was wearing the yellow and blue dress she wore for the Build Series interview a few weeks ago, with the leather jacket she always wears, and she took the leather jacket off after about one minute and just kind of...casually dropped it in a heap on the floor. (It has a silvery lining.) The usual rings (including a pinky ring gjfskgdg). I think she had an orange purse too?

She sort of plays with her earrings occasionally while thinking? I think this is visible in video interviews of her in general but it was lovely to see in person

She had a funny anecdote about meeting “a guy named Adam” on the train on the way there and wondering if he was actually in the audience or not

When the interviewer mentioned seeing LDJIN on the opening night, Lesley had some remark about how she had sort of lost her voice at that point and as a result she thought Mary Tyrone initially sounded “sexier than I intended” or something until she got it back

The interviewer had plenty of good lines, remarking that Lesley seemed very empathetic etc. in actuality (which made Lesley be like “aw thanks”), referencing the NYT profile that came out last week, referencing the internet’s obsession with Cyril, pointing out that she loved Mary’s line to David Bradley’s character in Another Year asking if he wanted a cuddle (#bigmood), and remarking that Lesley’s eyes should be insured by Lloyd’s

In general the questions from the interviewer were about Mike Leigh’s working/filming process, screen vs. stage questions and the use of the body in stage work to make up for not being able to see facial details (and the famous eyes), and similar

There were probably...4 or 5 audience questions? 

The first was the big one since Cyril stan @girl_hag asked about feeling like Mary but wanting to be Cyril and what Lesley would want from a Cyril spinoff, which made Lesley kind of laugh and be like “you know that’s never gonna happen right?” and talk about how she didn’t really see material there since Cyril is such a satisfied/fulfilled character already (her whole answer, and banter about Cyril memes and how women are Into Cyril, is up at https://twitter.com/girl_hag/status/998752343595388928).

Lesley is very polite and meets your gaze the entire time while answering you which meant she looked right at us for about 3 minutes hjbkljlkjlkj

There was a question about Paul Thomas Anderson, so Lesley got to talk for a few minutes about how she adores him, how genuinely kind he was, his working methods and the extensive shooting and reshooting he does, his willingness to collaborate with actors, etc.

I believe the rest of the questions were just more about Mike Leigh and specifics on his process, which were basically all stuff I’d read/heard before in other interviews, though she did talk more about how Mary was drawn from several different women and how slow and organic the process of cobbling it all together is, including things like coming up with the long list of things that befall Mary’s poor little car in the film

Everyone just left after the Q&A so we (me, girl_hag, and @afinpassing) didn’t try to talk to Lesley one on one or anything (that and we were trying to, you know, pretend not to be totally gone on her while in her presence), but as we were leaving the bathroom after she was standing just outside talking to a couple people who had waylaid her to ask about LDJIN, so we got to walk within about a foot of her on our way out

It was a great night, lots of fun meeting other Lesley stans IRL and walking around Brooklyn yelling about how beautiful she is (she really is...she looks just as beautiful in person, and just as brightly shining/luminous-perfect-skinned, can’t stress this enough dfjgksdfgfdg)

Tuesday

First and foremost, LDJIN is a long play--three and a half hours including intermission. Lesley is a huge part of it (indeed, the play sort of is about her character, thematically turning around her), but while she’s a big part of three of the play’s four acts, she’s absent from all but the last few minutes of the fourth act, meaning the last quarter of the play was kind of a slog in that I just didn’t care much about the men’s various issues as acted out on stage. That and the fact that this was going on at 10pm after a long day of walking around half of Brooklyn meant that I actually nearly dozed off a few times in the long 40 or so minutes without Lesley on stage; I couldn’t feel the male actors’ energy enough from back in the mezzanine, though maybe it would be a bit more urgent from down in the first few rows. (Most reviews mention how much the play drags here, though, so I suspect it’s not just me; I’m pretty sure this is a Known Issue with LDJIN in general as a play.) I’d say it’s worth it just for her overall if you’re really dedicated, but it helps if you’re into this sort of insanely depressing dysfunctional upper middle class familial drama stuff.

But whenever Lesley was actually on stage, she was wonderful, of course. For those who don’t know, her character, Mary Tyrone, is a self-described “lying dope fiend” of a woman who has been battling morphine addiction since the birth of her youngest son (who’s now in his early 20s), and the play takes place over the course of one long day in 1912 as the family is bumbling along and, as a result of some new stress in their lives, Mary is struggling not to relapse after several pretty good months. Lesley plays Mary as almost girlish, determinedly reminiscent of an imagined better time in her life before the dope, alternately acutely aware of her addiction and yet also determined to pretend it doesn’t exist. Her hands are a huge part of this--always stroking and twisting and nervously trying to sublimate her craving for morphine into these various physical tics and mannerisms. Also, all the cast use American accents, and while the men’s accents kind of warble throughout, Lesley’s is definitely the strongest.

Random points:

She’s quite awkwardly handsy with Jeremy Irons at multiple points (this adaptation definitely puts an emphasis on their relationship and the real passion, though it’s been faded and distorted by time and addiction, underlying it), which is kind of adorable

One of the play’s little underlying gags in the first half is that she’s “delightfully fat” now (after being skin and bones in the throws of her addiction the last time through), which means quite a bit of affectionate touching of Lesley’s stomach, particularly from Jeremy and from Lesley herself

There’s lots of both melodramatic and more earnestly desperate draping herself across the men in her family, across empty chairs, and so on, including her doing some semi-stoned entranced staring at her own hands, briefly

Mary as a character does a fuck-ton of rambling, both purposeful (to try to throw her family members off the scent of how badly she’s struggling against the urge to relapse) and more dissociative, which is alternately played for laughs and for pathos by Lesley and gives her a good blackly comedic underpinning in moments 

In the third act she throws herself face-down on the floor for a moment, and later she sits with her skirts rucked up slightly, both of which show the boots she’s wearing, in kind of a disheveled bit of tenderness

She plays the piano (mostly off-stage, but still) in a couple brief bursts

She looks good in Edwardian dresses and shawls? I mean, this is obvious from the stills, hah, but she wears them well on stage and moves wonderfully in them, sweeping and draping and everything

Crowd cheered the loudest for her of anyone in the curtain call, including Jeremy Irons (he’s fine overall, they’re all fine, but Mary is such a flashy role that she naturally draws the most attention)

Mary is just a really interesting, meaty, complicated, fucked-up character for anyone to play, and the fact that it’s a role that’s meant for older women is fascinating and just perfect for Lesley; I’m so glad she got to do something like this, and she manages to balance the insane physicality and mannerisms it requires without losing the naturalness and emotion behind it

Overall I’m very glad I went; part of me just wishes I’d had closer seats so I could truly soak up every last facial expression of hers. (I could see quite a lot from the mezz, but some of the finer details were inevitably lost, and as my eyes grew more tired over the night it became harder and harder.) I booked all this on a whim last month, though, when there was only about 25-30% of the house left, and trying to balance “decent seats” with “not paying 200 plus dollars when I haven’t had a chance to truly budget for that” meant having to settle for the middle ground of the mezz, and most of the seats in the front of the mezz were already gone by the time I booked, putting me near the back of the mezz. Also, I went to the performance alone, and after the great time on Monday with two other folks, I did kind of find myself wishing I could share Knowing Glances with other people who would appreciate a couple of the more carnal pleasures of some bits of Lesley’s performance.

Anyway: I’ve had fun in NYC! I got to meet @afinpassing in person and she is lovely, and I spent a total of about 3.5-4 hours sharing the same air as Lesley Manville, so that was, uh, great stuff. I just need to sleep now for an early flight, as I’m typing this, so I’ve probably forgotten some details that will come back to me over the next few days that I may edit in.

#lesley manville #another year #long day's journey into night #theater

[mtt-metal-crusher]

Mettaton’s Little Star in the Making

Mettaton mentoring Frisk in acting:

2037 words. Request by anon.

“Now, are you absolutely sure you’ll be okay with looking after them? If you’ve changed your mind I can always find someone else...” Toriel fussed, holding tight onto Frisk’s hand as though she were ready to run back out the door with them at any moment.

Mettaton rolled his eyes at her, “Don’t worry so much, darling- you’ll make yourself sick. If I say I’m going to do something- I’ll do it. And plus, it’s barely ‘looking after Frisk’- it’s spending some quality time with my favourite little human,” He said, ruffling their hair as he did so. “Honestly, Toriel, I’ll be fine with them. We’re gonna have fun!”

Frisk smiled, trying to slip their hand out of Toriel’s grip so they could go sit on Mettaton’s sofa. Or his ‘chaise longue’ as Mettaton liked to call it. Either way, it was the comfiest sofa Frisk ever sat on and they had their eye on it already.

At long last, Toriel let go and Frisk made a dash for it, as though it would be taken if they didn’t sit on it straight away. Mettaton chuckled, knowing his apartment must be a wondrous place for anyone who weren’t used to such expensive luxuries. The only problem he had about the place was that it wasn’t quite big enough for him. One day he’d have to pack up and move into a mansion, but until then he’d have to make do with his lavish apartment.

Once Toriel finally accepted that Mettaton was perfectly happy to have Frisk over, she parted with them, hugging Frisk tight before she left. Mettaton waltzed over to the kid, sitting by them with a confident grin.

“So, darling, you know why Toriel is so worried about me taking care of you? Does she think I’m going to let you fall off a balcony or something?” Mettaton quizzed, unable to stop himself from prying.

Frisk shook their head, “Nah, she’s just worried that she’s imposing,”

“Imposing?” Mettaton asked dubiously, “But I was the one who offered,”

“Yeah but, you’re a celebrity. She always thinks of you as working hard twenty-four/seven. She doesn’t want to interrupt anything,” Frisk said, kicking their shoes off and crossing their legs on the sofa, “Anyway, you gotta rest at some point, right?”

“You’re absolutely correct and I do rest... sometimes,” Mettaton stretched out, realising that he should probably rest more often than he does, “Does flirting with cast-members count as taking a break?”

Frisk held their chin in thought, “Depends, are you working while you’re flirting?”

“...Yes,”

“Then it doesn’t count,”

Mettaton squinted at them, twisting his mouth, “You’re probably right. I’m an incredibly good multitasker. I can flirt and act at the same time. There’s no need for breaks,”

Frisk tittered pulling their backpack off of their back and placing it on the coffee table in front of them.

“Hey, MTT?” They said as unzipped the bag, rummaging inside.

“Yes, darling?”

“You talking about acting reminded me of something,” Frisk told him, pulling out bundle of paper from their bag, handing it to Mettaton. He accepted it, looking over the scruffy looking sheets of paper with interest.

He hummed with delight when he saw the title, “Is this a script?”

Frisk nodded, “For the school nativity this Christmas. I thought they stopped it when I turned eleven... But we’re doing it again this year. I’m going for the part of baby Jesus,”

Mettaton didn’t know a whole lot about the nativity, or Christianity for that matter, but he knew that the baby Jesus probably didn’t have many lines. “You’re... going to play the baby?”

“Yep. It’s the best part. I don’t come in until the end and then I take the limelight being the most important character,” They explained, taking the script back and flicking through to the end, “There’s the lines I have to practice,” Frisk said as they passed them back.

“Hmm... Well, I can tell a teacher wrote this,”

Frisk eyed him, “How can you tell?”

Mettaton scoffed, “It says, and I quote ‘I am the baby Jesus, born on this day to bless humanity’. Where’s the passion? If I was born with the ability to talk, I’d probably say something a bit more exciting. Like ‘Huzzah! I have finally arrived after my vacation in the womb! I’d now like to bless you all with my exquisite presence. Now it’s time to party!’” Mettaton acted the whole thing out with dramatic hand gestures and varied facial expressions, making Frisk feel like they were a part of a movie. A very dramatic and silly movie anyway.

“That would make more it interesting...” They commented, “But I don’t think we’re allowed to change the script,”

Mettaton sighed, “A shame, I’d be able to convert this into a work of art,” He held his chin as his eyes scanned over the words, “Well, I’m anything but a quitter. I can work with what we’ve got. It’s all in the intonation, darling,” He stood up, gesturing for Frisk to do the same, “Come over here, let’s get some room. I’m going to teach you how to accentuate your voice and make sure all eyes are on you,”

They moved out into the middle of the room to give themselves some space.

“First of all, we have to warm our vocal chords up. Repeat after me, ‘awooga’!” Mettaton said, with the voice of a modern-day siren.

Frisk chuckled, “Awooga!”

“Louder!”

“AWOOGA!”

“Perfect!” Mettaton said, taking a deep breath, “Alright, now that our voices have been successfully warmed, let’s move onto building up our confidence,” He looked at Frisk’s demeanour, they seemed pretty casual, not much sense of nervousness, but he had to prepare them for every eventuality- including potential stage fright. “Now, as you’re only young, I won’t suggest you imagine your audience naked- though that barely ever works anyway. Let’s instead focus on your role; you’re the child of God, the definition of importance. Everything’s lying on you to make a good show. You may feel pressure to be the best person on that stage but I wouldn’t worry- you’re playing Jesus! That kid doesn’t have words anyway. Even if you make a complete flop of your lines- who cares! That whole play is about you. People will think you’re great regardless,”

“Noted,” Frisk shrugged, “I won’t ruin my lines, though! I have you as a teacher!”

Mettaton smirked, “You little charmer,” He said while shaking his head, “Alright, now let’s look at your lines- how about we start from the top, repeat after me, ‘I am the baby Jesus!’”

“I am the baby Jesus,” Frisk said back at him.

Mettaton looked at them from over the script, “Not to be harsh, sweetheart, but that was incredibly lacklustre. Say it as though you mean it!”

“I am the baby Jesus?”

“Now you just sound confused. You’re telling people who you are, not questioning your existence,” Mettaton said, knowing he should probably give them an example, “Instead, say it like ‘I am! The baby Jesus!” He spread his arms wide as he announced this, as though he was yelling it for the world to hear. “Born on THIS DAY to bless humanity!”

Frisk looked dubious, “I am the baby Jesus!”

“I am!” He said, “Accentuate, darling! Feel the words as they leave your body!”

“Okay, okay,” Frisk cleared their throat, “I am! The baby Jesus!”

A slow smile grew upon Mettaton’s lips, “Brilliant! You’re going to get this part if it’s the last thing I do,”

The school’s hall was full to the brim with parents and family members, all here to support their kids as they performed that same play that they did every year. The nativity. The highlight of the school year for the drama kids. For the others, it was just another day. Frisk had almost every member of their adopted family there to watch, the loudest of which, was Mettaton, telling whoever he could that ‘his favourite little star’ was performing. As soon as he was informed that Frisk had been given the part, he promised that he’d spare the time to watch them perform, and here he was. 

He was sat in the middle of the row, on one of those uncomfortable plastic chairs they force kids to sit on for the majority of their education.

“Mettaton! You’re here to see Frisk too?” A skeleton asked as he sat down next to him, a large grin on his face.

“I sure am. I helped them rehearse their lines,” Mettaton said proudly, stars in his eyes.

“Oh! I helped them as well,” Papyrus said, tapping the tips of his fingers together with delight, “With both of us as teachers, they’re sure to be the star of the show!”

Mettaton chuckled, “Of course,”

They looked over at the stage expectantly, waiting for the show to start. But they’d only just arrived, Mettaton knew it may take a little while yet.

“Do I know you?” Mettaton asked after a moment, turning back to the skeleton next to him.

“No! I’m Papyrus- I’m a friend of Frisk’s,”

“Likewise,”

“I’m actually quite a big fan of yours,” Papyrus said, as nonchalantly as he could, “Now I know how Frisk improved so quickly, being trained by someone as brilliant as you,”

Mettaton placed a hand on his chest, “You flatter me... You’re not wrong, though,”

The audience quietened down as the lights dimmed and the curtains on the stage opened, revealing the children dressed in their costumes, speaking their lines as though they were reading them straight off of the sheet. Mettaton wasn’t one to criticise kids, they were still learning, but he couldn’t help but feel glad that this was Frisk’s competition. They’d shine brighter than anyone else on that stage.

At long last, after everyone in the town was rude enough to close their doors on Mary and Joseph, they found a stable, noting the time for Frisk’s arrival was drawing near. When Mary finally had the baby after much suspense, Frisk stood from the crib they’d been hiding in, ready to say the lines they and Mettaton had put so much effort into.

“I!” They began, and then their voice faltered, seeing how many people were out there, “I am the baby Jesus, born on this day to bless humanity...” They said quickly, barely audible. Mettaton’s heart lurched, knowing how nervous they must feel. He’d put too much pressure on them to do good, and now they must feel as though they’d let him down. He couldn’t have that. He raised his hand in a wave, smiling brightly. When Frisk caught his eye, they smiled back, giving him a small wave in return. He gave them a thumbs up to tell them they were doing well, hoping they knew how proud he was.

“I am glad you could all join this celebration o-of my birth. Now, we m-must celebrate,” They stuttered, trying to get the words out as fast as possible.

Mettaton smiled again, trying to catch their eye. They’d got the part, they played the most important character on that stage and they’d tried their hardest to make everyone proud. In Mettaton’s eyes, they couldn’t have done any better.

When the play ended and the curtains closed, the family members congregated in another large room, waiting for the kids to be let out. Frisk was finally released, but they didn’t look wholly impressed. Toriel picked up on it immediately, kneeling to place both hands on their shoulders and asked what was wrong.

“I screwed my words up,” They complained, looking annoyed at themselves, “I didn’t do any of the things Mettaton taught me,”

But Mettaton just shook his head, “Really? You were excellent up there, honey, I’ve never been so proud. You’re a little star in the making,” He enthused, kneeling as well. He opened his arms for them, and they leaped into them, hugging him tightly.

“Thanks MTT,” They mumbled into his shirt, “You’re the best teacher,”

“Ahem,” Papyrus coughed by the side of them, pretending he hadn’t by looking in the other direction.

Frisk chuckled, “You’re good too, Papyrus! You both are! I’m glad you could both be here today,”

“Wouldn’t miss it for the world, sweetheart,”

#mettaton #frisk #papyrus #toriel #undertale #hope you liked this anon!! #it's super long compared to the others aaaa #but i couldn't leave it without them going to the play! #that would be... wrong! #angel's requests

[dont-feed-the-fantasy-writer]

Tavern Tales

A one shot story with my original characters off to find trouble at a tavern. Inspired by @zombierose3 and the usual madness we concoct at 5 in the morning.

Ella and Callum stood outside the worn and shabby building with its dirty windows, and equally shabby and sad looking chickens scratching in the dirt out front.

Ella wrinkled her nose. “You cannot tell me people actually drink here?”

Callum grinned. “I will have you know that the One-eyed Badger is a fine tavern and the chef makes the most interesting stews in all the kingdoms.”

Ella looked horrified. “That’s the name of this--this place?” She looked at Callum closely. “What do you mean interesting?”

“They are renowned for their flavor and ingredients.”

“What exactly does that mean?”

“Let us just go inside and you can find out.” Callum grabbed her hand and all but dragged her inside.

“If I get some kind of disease or go blind, I will never forgive you!” She hissed.

Callum laughed. “You’ll be fine.” He paused for a moment as something seemed to come to mind. “Just don’t have the tavern special or the Pig Surprise.”

Ella stared at him, slack-jawed. Callum closed her jaw with his free hand.

“Cheer up, Ella, you may not even remember tonight.”

“That is not a comforting thought!”

Callum lead her over to a rickety table with even shabbier looking stools. Ella sat up straight on her stool, keeping her hands in her lap.

“Why do I let you talk me into these situations?”

“Because you love adventure and excitement and--”

“Getting the plague?” She smiled sweetly.

“Quiet.” He flagged down a bar maid who was carrying a large tray with drinks. “Two ales, no extra.”

“Keep ya shirt on, love. I’ll get to ya when I’ll done with this miserable lot.”

The lot she referred to was in the far corner and consisted of a large group of men that Ella assumed were pirates by their dress. They were the loudest in the entire tavern and made loud jeers and cheers to the bar maid. She took it turn and served their drinks. When one tried to take liberties, she turned and punched him in the face. The pirate, the largest and baldest, was knocked out cold. The rest of the crew roared with laughter and left him slumped on the floor.

Ella had taken all this in with wide eyes. She turned to Callum who was watching the scene with amusement. He turned to look over at Ella.

“You don’t mess with the ladies here.”

“I see that.”

The bar maid returned and plonked down two ales in front of them. The large wooden mugs seemed surprisingly clean and the ale seemed safe enough.

Callum picked his up and held it out toward Ella. “Cheers!”

Ella grabbed hers and clunked her mug against his. “Cheers!”

Callum took a large drink, ale dripping down his chin.

Ella said a silent prayer and grimacing, took a sip. She blinked in surprise.

“It’s good!” She said in awe.

Callum set his mug down. “Of course it’s good! The One-eyed Badger may not be known for it’s atmosphere or it’s food but it is known for it’s ale.”

“I see.” Ella took a bigger drink this time. “It is a little sweet. I cannot call to mind what it tastes like.”

“They are crafty devils. They brew all sorts of ales.”

Suddenly several shouts were heard.

“We want Sonya!” A group of men were seated close to a platform.

“Sonya got herself a man and got married!” The bar maid yelled.

This was met with a chorus of boos and shouts.

“Who’s Sonya?” Ella asked.

“She was a bar maid. She used to sing to entertain the patrons here. She was just as much of a spit fire as ol’ Bess there.” Callum indicated the loud bar maid who had served them. “She had flaming red hair, rosy cheeks, the greenest eyes--” He stopped when he saw Ella looking at him closely. “I--I only saw her twice. She was a nice girl, lovely voice.”

“I’m sure she is.” Ella shook her head and took another drink.

As the men got louder a young woman stepped onto the platform. She was wearing a hooded cloak and all you could see of her were her large blue eyes and pale skin. The din slowly died down.

From somewhere a flute and mandolin began to play.

The girl began to sing. 

I’ll be your sweetheart

I’ll be true to you

I’ll be your one and only

My heart belongs to you

My love for you is truer

Truer than man can say

But my lust for you

Burns brighter

Brighter than the day

Ella blinked in surprise. “That took a turn.”

The singer pulled off her cloak and revealed a white dress decorated with pink ribbons and long dark hair that ran down her back in curls.

“That is a very interesting choice in costume.”

I’ll hold you to my breast

And stroke your back so broad

I’ll rain on you kisses sweet

As you call me name aloud

The young woman demonstrated her passion by shaking her ample breasts at the men who seemed to completely enraptured.

Ella looked over at Callum who was staring in surprise. Ella smacked his arm.

Callum jumped and turned to her. “I had no idea this was going to happen! I swear!” He actually looked both confused and slightly embarrassed.

Ella shook her head. “Only you.No wonder you got your reputation for being a --”

Callum clamped a hand over her mouth. “Not a word.”

She glared and he released his grip.

“We are supposed to be here without anyone knowing who we really are.”

“Fine. Enjoy your drink and the performance.”

Callum sighed and took a drink but he kept his eyes away from the girl.

“No, thank you, I want to live to see tomorrow.”

Ella snickered and took a drink. She turned her attention back to the sing who seemed to be wrapping up.

Our breath entwined

Your skin to mine

You’ll desire me like no other before

I’ll whisper your name

But my lust can’t be tamed 

For I cannot give you more

The young woman pulled at her dress to reveal an even smaller dress beneath. It was also white and really only seemed to cover her torso and barely anything else.

The man were cheering and waving their mugs and yelling out marriage proposals and other offers.

Ella looked over at Callum who was staring into his mug.

“Why am I cursed?” He mumbled. “She is never going to let me live this down.”

Ella laughed. “I do believe only this could happen to you.”

Callum covered his eyes with his hands. “You better not say anything to my brother.”

“What will you do to buy my silence?”

“I could kiss you.”

That stopped Ella cold. “Are you--did you just--?” Ella stared at him.

Callum laughed. “Is that a no?”

Ella’s cheeks turned red. “Shut up!”

Bess came over and refilled their mugs. “That Meg. She is going to make me a lot of coin.”

Ella looked at Bess. “How so?”

“I found her on her way to make her vows of chastity. Poor girl wants to be a singer but she has her heart set on being pure and all.”

“Beg pardon?” Ella said.

“Oh, yes, Meg is twenty and has no desire to actually know a man but she really wants to be a singer and have men falling all over themselves at her feet. She chose her own song and clothes and everything.”

“That is certainly a unique choice.” Ella drank more of her ale.

“It is but it is going to make me rich.” Bess grinned and walked away.

“I have never heard of this in all my life.” Ella looked over at Callum who seemed equally as puzzled.

“It’s fascinating what people choose to do.” Callum drank his ale and risked a look over at Meg,

Over on the stage Meg was smiling sweetly and accepting the praise from her en rapt audience. Some of the men were starting to fight.

“I think that’s our sign to leave.” Callum stood up, placed some coins on the table and waited for Ella to rise. She stood and they left the tavern.

Once outside, Ella shook her head. “That was certainly an educating experience.”

“Ella, I am so sorry. I had no idea that was going to happen. I feel so awkward about this.”

Ella turned to Callum. “You should stop talking now.”

“I was just trying to apologize.”

“I know but I think I’ll take my payment now.”

“Payment?”

Ella grinned. “Yes, so pay up.” Ella grabbed Callum’s tunic and pulled him to her, kissing his lips. She let go and stepped back. “Now, you’ve bought my silence.” She smiled and turned to walk down the road.

Callum blinked in surprise. “I think I need to bring her to taverns more often.” He suddenly realized she was walking away without him and hurried to catch up.

“You are full of surprises, Ella.” He said as he walked along side her.

“I know.”

#fantasy #writing #otp #my otp #tavern tales #my ocs

[micantia]

Just some Fontanafield stuff

•When Annabella wants to do community theatre as her summer activity, neither of them have any idea how to approach it

•They know that the community theatre exists, but neither have really spent much time remotely looking its way since it didn’t intersect with any parts of their lives

•And you know these boys are unobservant as hell when it comes to anything else but their own survival

•So when Annabella goes to the first informational meeting to get her audition materials, they learn that the community theatre was still looking for a musical director and a choreographer for the show

•And Adam and Logan just LOOK at each other

•Logan has this giant mischievous grin on his face and Adam’s raised eyebrow has enough amusement in it to knock someone dead

•Guess who’s parents are a dancer and musician for a living

•And guess who’s parents’ main concern as a couple is how they can embarrass their nine year old daughter the most

•Most certainly not Annabella’s

•Adam and Logan offer their services on the SPOT and Annabella just has this look of total done-ness on her face that she definitely got from Logan

•The Director happily accepts their generous offer (they offered to do it for free. The lengths these two will go to embarrass their eldest child. Hugo isn’t old enough to properly embarrass yet. His day will come) and basically accepts Annabella into the show without seeing her perform

•Adam refuses to believe that she should get in just cause he’s part of the show now so when they get home he sets up all of the sheet music on the piano in their recording studio and practices the audition piece with Annabella for h o u r s

•Cause hell if Adam isn’t persistent when he makes up his mind on something

•After Annabella is throughly done with that, the next week is spent going over the songs and her little monologue with Uncle Jordan who took like one (1) acting class in college

•(He can’t act. Who cares. Certainly not Annabella)

• Logan doesn’t choreograph the audition piece until like the day before auditions but it’s a Friday after school when he does so so Annabella is there the whole time and learns every step as he comes up with them

•Adam thinks Logan is an idiot for waiting that long. Logan thinks Adam is an idiot for caring so much about community theatre. Annabella considers staying with Aunt Mila

•When Annabella auditions she gets the main part

•It’s Annie

•Adam and Logan are proud of their daughter

•And then they almost at the exact moment realize that they just signed themselves up to work with a bunch of little kids for the next two months

•Logan laughs at Adam’s facial expression and gets punched in the arm hard enough to leave a bruise

•Doesn’t stop Logan from laughing

•That is until he remembers that Adam is actually better with children than Logan is so that’s that on that

•It works out, though

•Except for Annabella

•Her dads are already enough as they are so having them boss her friends around and having Logan trying to be a loving dad (“you’re doing so great!!!!”) and Adam making comments like “tell your father he’s banned from the house for the next century” in complete monotone is really something else

•She yells at them (out of love)

•Neither boys want to be around community theatre without Annabella around though so once they do their part they leave as soon as possible and everyone notices

•Opening Night, the two enter as normal parents, Hugo in tow

•(The Gatekeepers, and by extension Absynthe members and 14 Feet From Heaven members are all coming to see the show eventually, just not on Opening Night, which makes Annabella very excited b/c she loves all of them)

•Anyway

•Adam and Logan sit with Hugo on Logan’s lap, Logan’s hand resting on Adam’s thigh and Adam’s hand over his

•They’re married and in love so it’s okay

•And all they do throughout the whole show is make comments to eachother on the performance and things they thought could have been better

•Not even always things they were responsible for

•Just like in general directing things

•Except for the occasional comment from perfect-pitch Adam with “that was supposed to be a b-flat” and Logan responding with “asshole”

•Hugo luckily doesn’t notice, but he DOES ask lots of questions

•Cause my child has NO idea what’s happening

•Logan is happy to quietly answer his questions and Adam stares down anyone who even tries to give his husband and his son dirty looks

•At some point, during Tomorrow, while Annabella is singing, some old lady begins coughing, and doesn’t s t o p

•Adam, staring blankly at the stage: “I’m going to punch that old lady in the throat”

•Logan, not even bothering to look at Adam: “Not before I do”

•Hugo, again, luckily misses that exchange

•At the end Logan, who never had a real family to call his own and found his own father figure like Annie did is crying and Adam doesn’t know whether to look at his husband or at his daughter because he loves them both so much

•Adam settles on watching his daughter and squeezing Logan’s hand in reassurance, which makes Logan fucking bawl and hug Hugo a little bit more than just holding him in place on his lap

•Adam loves him so much holy shit

•Logan’s grip on Hugo is fairy tight and Hugo looks confused but Adam brings them both towards him anyway and puts his arm around them, keeping them together

•Because they’re a family

•All Adam ever had was a mother who couldn’t beat her addiction to love or care for him the way a mother should

•All Logan had was two parents who hated him and wished he never existed

•And Hugo was abandoned by his birth mother as soon as she could get rid of him

•But yet there they were, Adam, Logan, and Hugo- husband, husband, and son- a family- watching the most important girl in their lives doing what she loved and they couldn’t have been happier

•Logan’s tearful smile shakes Adam to his core and if his daughter wasn’t on stage right then he wouldn’t think anything else existed in the world other than his husband

•Logan is the loudest and most obnoxious parent in the audience during bows and Adam’s claps seem to be a bit louder than usual

•Adam doesn’t let any of them out of his sight for the rest of the night

•Because he refuses to think about what would happen if he never had his family

•The four of them fall asleep on the couch in the living room after the show

•And everything is perfect