Uh, this did not go the way I thought it would.

[a-positive-and-a-negative]

@a-burnt-melody

The string of profanity that was escaping Mister Negative was actually surprising, it was in Mandarin but it still conveyed his point. Although the hole in the wall also did that as well, today made all the other bad days that he'd had seem pleasant in comparison. As he started to simmer down he heard the door to the room opening slowly and turned slightly not even bothering to switch back to Martin. However when he saw who it was he let out a relived sigh and took a breath.

It seemed like ages since he'd seen Melody and in a way he wasn't wrong to think that. Most of the time Martin was the one who spent the time with her and honestly it made Negative a little jealous. He also had feelings for her even if there were some underlying motives playing a part in the feelings that he had.

"My love, it's been far too long since we've spent time with one another. This is a most welcome distraction from the bullshit that's been going on."

[a-positive-and-a-negative]

He bit his inner lip as she tightened her grip on his hand and he looked down at her. Martin could understand where she was coming from but at the same time he feared the possibility of Negative taking full control, destroying everything that he cared about before letting him take the blame for it. He thought what she was saying over for a little bit until they were at the café. He nodded ever so slightly before opening the door for Melody.

"That happens to be harder than you'd think love, he can be very persistent when he wants something done. I can try doing that but you have to promise me that you won't let him corrupt you the next time you come in contact with him. I know and I'm truly sorry that I put you through hell like that, I had no control over that however. If I was to lose you I'm not entirely sure what I'd do... well other than try to raise our son to the best of my abilities. Well I could think of a few others things we could do but if you really want to get something at the café I can't complain. We could always watch the 'riffed' versions if you'd like that better."

[a-burnt-melody]

Melody let go of his hand and hesitated for a moment before gently pulling him closer. She kissed him softly in an attempt to take her mind off what he had said about losing her. That was something that she didn't want to think about but she knew that he had good reason to worry about it. As she pulled away she smiled softly before entering the café and quickly walking over towards the counter to order.

"I won't let him do that to me and you know it handsome, he may be 'persistent' but he knows he can't sway me that easily. Although if he threatened to harm you or Henry I'd probably cave because you and him are my closest family well other than my uncle. You... you don't have to worry about that Martin, I'm not planning on dying anytime soon but if anything was to happen to me you know my uncle would be willing to take both of you in. Really, you don't want to get some warm drinks and maybe something to eat? Or would you prefer to go to a different place in general? You wouldn't mind watching the riffed versions of the movies, well that's a relief."

[lex-sullivan-deactivated2020042]

a-burnt-melody:

Melody nodded slightly understanding that people could be jerks no matter what time of the year it was. “Sometimes they even yell at you when it was their fault. Honestly I don’t know why people can be like that…” She trailed off and looked down at the ground before quickly looking back up at her when she responded to her question. “Well that’s good, right? I normally have to work on Christmas Eve but my boss decided to give me the day off. Hopefully your employer isn’t making you come in tomorrow, although I know that some places do stay open on Christmas since their owners don’t celebrate it.” She raised a brow slightly even though she agreed with her on that. It brought out both the good and the bad in people and sometimes it was more bad than good or vice versa. “It does most of the time but sometimes that’s not the case. However I’d like to think that the good does cancel out the bad in most cases.”

Lexi nods. “That’s the worst.” She laughs awkwardly. “I don’t know. I guess some people are just having that bad of days that they have to take it out on someone else, or something.” She shrugs before nodding again. “Yeah, it is… I think we’re closed tomorrow but I’m sure I’ll end up having a remote assignment.” She runs a hand through her hair. Working social media was equal parts a blessing and a curse. A small smile forms on the woman’s lips. “Yeah, I’d like to think that too. But then again, the good has become few and far between.” 

[a-burnt-melody]

"That I can't deny." Melody replied with a soft sigh as she thought about what had been said. It was difficult to figure out what caused people to act the way they did sometimes but she figured it had something to do with the attack that had happened not that long ago. "Perhaps it has something to do with the mutant attack that happened a little while back. I know that it upset a few people that I work with and for a little while they were awful to be around for a couple of weeks." She frowned slightly upon hearing that the other woman would probably have a remote assignment even though her place of work would be closed tomorrow. "That seems really unfair. If their going to be closed tomorrow then they should let you have the day off as well and not throw some bullshit assignment your way." There was a momentary silence as she thought about what she had said. "I know that the good has been rather lacking lately but one can only hope that in the near future it will come back and make up for all the bad shit that has happened. I do my best to help out on the weekends but I wish I could do more to brighten people's days up."

[a-burnt-melody]

@mayor-and-ceo-of-oscorp

Ever since her boss had told Melody that Norman Osborn would be coming to the store she had been rather annoyed. As she cleaned the shop up in preparation for his visit she cursed to herself and nearly knocked down a stack of books that had been sitting on the checkout that still needed to be put on the shelves. After a couple of seconds she switched over to book duty letting the other two tidy up while she stocked the shelves. After the holidays it was always a mad dash to restock the shelves before the crowds came and either bought or returned their gifts, although the only book that had ever been returned had been a copy of Norman Osborn's autobiography which she personally took care of which was actually just her going into the 'break' area and burning it. As she was putting books on the shelf near the door her small smile faded and she turned her gaze towards her fellow co-workers.

"Looks like he's here already, can you two stall him while I go fetch that book he's here to pick up? It'll only take me a few minutes tops." She stated but before she could even say the last part they were gone. She cursed to herself and slowly opened the door to greet him.

"Hello Mayor Osborn. It's quite a pleasure to be able to help you." Her words sounded kind enough but hidden under that outward kindness was nothing but venom. "I'm surprised that we were able to locate a copy of that book you wanted. We had to special order it and honestly I don't see why anyone would enjoy reading it."

[legends-scattered-through-time]

The fact that Norman had even been invited to the dumpy little bookshop was a surprise to him. When he entered the shop he had a feeling that the woman who had greeted him was not happy to see him and he couldn't blame her. He was not certain if he had seen her before but he met so many people while in office that he could not remember everyone who he came in contact with.

"You do not need to try hide your displeasure due to my visit. Although I have no idea why your employer decided to make me come all the way here when he could have saved me the trip down here and sent it through the mail like a normal person." Norman tapped his foot against the carpeted floor and glanced at the woman with a raised brow. "So where is the book? I happen to be a busy man and I would rather not spend most of my day waiting for it."

[a-burnt-melody]

Melody had to keep from telling the older man off knowing that he could easily find a way to destroy her life. As she listened to him speak she shuddered slightly before turning away from him so she could go retrieve the book. It was an older edition of a children's book and she could recall having read it to her cousin when he was a young child. There were a few memories tied to that book but she didn't want to admit it to the man who destroyed her fiance's life and made her life a living hell as well. As soon as she was out of range of the mayor a string of curses escaped her as she walked into the store room and retrieved the book.

"How the hell is this bastard the mayor? I could have been a hell of a better mayor and I'm not a fan of politics." She hissed as her two co-workers looked between each other with surprised expressions. Then the younger of the pair stepped out before she could yell at him. After a stern conversation with Anthony , Melody returned to the main room and looked around to see where Osborn had gone. "I had to fetch it from the back, I'm so sorry that you had to wait."

[a-burnt-melody]

Melody took a breath as she leaned back in her chair just as the video on her laptop finished. She glanced around noticing that a few people had turned their chairs around almost as if they had been watching it as well and that's when she realized she hadn't had her headphones plugged in. Her cheeks began to heat up a little and she quickly turned back to her computer which had already begun to play the second 'episode' of the 'show'.

"Damnit, I could have sworn I plugged these damn things in." She murmured to herself before hitting pause which caused the small group of people to disperse almost as if they had been sticking around merely to watch the show. She got up from her seat and walked over to the counter and ordered herself a second cup of coffee having finished the first one a few minutes prior. She returned to her table and took a breath before plugging in her headphones before placing them on. As she waited for her coffee she chuckled softly at one of the jokes that had been made about the movie that was currently on.

"This has got to be one of the worst movies ever, now I can understand why they picked this one to riff. I could have probably waited till I got home to watch it but... where's the fun in that?" She asked herself before lifting her gaze towards the door.

[steel-skulled-mob-boss]

Joseph tilted his head slightly when he noticed her trying not to laugh at one of the funnier jokes. It was almost as if she didn't want anyone to know that she was actually enjoying herself in the presence of a mob boss even though for an evening he had indulged her a few months after the 'snap' or dusting as his men called it had happened. He'd never been one to say no to a lovely dame but he honestly regretted the time he'd spent with her after finding out that her partner had been dusted. He shifted in his seat as he tried to avoid thinking about it anymore.

"Don't get sarcastic with me. I know that my style is a bit old fashion and it makes people think that I'm older than I really am but that doesn't mean that I can't pull it off. That's not what you said when we last hung out, of course that was a while back and you've probably forgotten about it. Both options are hard but that doesn't mean that they can't be done."

[a-burnt-melody]

Melody rolled her eyes as she listened to the man talk thinking that she'd have more fun watching paint dry. However when he mentioned the time that they had spent with each other in the past she let out a faint sigh and glanced at her drink. She took a quick sip from it before pouring the rest of it on him with a small smile. Perhaps he would remember why it never continued after that one time but she doubted it.

"Don't tell me what to do, I'm a grown woman and I don't need a mobster to tell me how I should live my own damn life." Melody snapped back before placing the empty cup on the table and turning her attention back to the laptop. "Yeah, no. It makes you look like a old man, here's a tip for you, try changing it up a little and then people might actually truly respect you. You do realize I could have had more fun drawing phallic things on every picture of Mayor Osborn that I see. Although I must admit that I did enjoy talking to you, but I'm sure one day you'll find someone who enjoys your company and finds you to be charming. Yeah it's hard but if you can do it then what's stopping you from doing it?"

[a-burnt-melody]

@the-frost-sisters

Melody cursed to herself as she dragged the body of the man who had attacked her towards the dumpster, this wasn't how she expected to end her day. After she placed the body against the dumpster she took his gun and shot him to make it look like it was either gang related or a robbery gone wrong before taking it with her. She took a breath and told herself to relax as she walked towards her apartment stopping when she noticed that there was blood on her jacket. She quickly ducked into an alley and pulled off her coat before tossing it into a trash can and lighting it on fire. As the dark fire engulfed the coat she turned away and continued on her way back home only to stop when she thought she heard footsteps behind her.

"Look I know what this probably looks like and I wouldn't blame you if you thought that I was up to something but I'm not." She lied before slowly turning to see if it was actually someone there or if it was just a figment of her imagination.

[a-burnt-melody]

As soon as she saw the trio Melody's heart beat began to race, now she'd wished that she hadn't killed him and just simply knocked him out like she'd initially planned to do. "Okay... Okay I was but it didn't start out like that I swear. All I wanted to do was go home and rest after a long day of work but then he attacked me. I didn't know what to do and..." She trailed off and froze up a little when one of them said her name. She had heard rumors about three young mutants who looked exactly alike a couple months ago but she'd never expected to cross paths with them like this. "I'm not even going to question how you know my name but I didn't want to kill him. You have to believe me, I would never kill anyone intentionally. I... I just lost control when he pulled the gun on me and after everything was said and done I tried to make it look like a robbery gone wrong or a gang related hit." She shook a little as she thought about what they had said. "He didn't have any that were still living. He killed them just so he could get money so he could indulge himself with drugs and liquor... he was one of humanities worst and now he won't be able to hurt anyone else." She took a breath before taking a step or two backwards. "That won't be necessary, I'm sure we can come to some kind of compromise that won't put anyone else in danger."

[a-burnt-melody]

@mayor-and-ceo-of-oscorp

Ever since her boss had told Melody that Norman Osborn would be coming to the store she had been rather annoyed. As she cleaned the shop up in preparation for his visit she cursed to herself and nearly knocked down a stack of books that had been sitting on the checkout that still needed to be put on the shelves. After a couple of seconds she switched over to book duty letting the other two tidy up while she stocked the shelves. After the holidays it was always a mad dash to restock the shelves before the crowds came and either bought or returned their gifts, although the only book that had ever been returned had been a copy of Norman Osborn's autobiography which she personally took care of which was actually just her going into the 'break' area and burning it. As she was putting books on the shelf near the door her small smile faded and she turned her gaze towards her fellow co-workers.

"Looks like he's here already, can you two stall him while I go fetch that book he's here to pick up? It'll only take me a few minutes tops." She stated but before she could even say the last part they were gone. She cursed to herself and slowly opened the door to greet him.

"Hello Mayor Osborn. It's quite a pleasure to be able to help you." Her words sounded kind enough but hidden under that outward kindness was nothing but venom. "I'm surprised that we were able to locate a copy of that book you wanted. We had to special order it and honestly I don't see why anyone would enjoy reading it."

[a-positive-and-a-negative]

@a-burnt-melody

The string of profanity that was escaping Mister Negative was actually surprising, it was in Mandarin but it still conveyed his point. Although the hole in the wall also did that as well, today made all the other bad days that he'd had seem pleasant in comparison. As he started to simmer down he heard the door to the room opening slowly and turned slightly not even bothering to switch back to Martin. However when he saw who it was he let out a relived sigh and took a breath.

It seemed like ages since he'd seen Melody and in a way he wasn't wrong to think that. Most of the time Martin was the one who spent the time with her and honestly it made Negative a little jealous. He also had feelings for her even if there were some underlying motives playing a part in the feelings that he had.

"My love, it's been far too long since we've spent time with one another. This is a most welcome distraction from the bullshit that's been going on."

[a-positive-and-a-negative]

Hearing that he could be meeting someone special brought a small smile to Martin's face. The thought of it being their child made the idea even more pleasant even though it was hopeful optimism at best that it was him and not some distance relative that had come to New York to visit. He gently took her hand in his before glancing down at her. It had been ages since they had gone to the café and to be honest he wasn't the biggest fan of the place, even though they did make some pretty good drinks as well as some of the best pastries and sweets.

"Yeah, he's the darker part of me... and sometimes the things he tells me are terrible. But I guess if you think that he could be helpful then I guess I could occasionally take advice from him... but only if it is beneficial. It's been awhile since we've had a date like that, I have to admit that I've missed it. When you say 'watch some movies' what do you have in mind?"

[a-burnt-melody]

Melody gently took his hand in her's and squeezed it a little as she heard him talk about Negative. It was true that he could say some pretty messed up things but at the same time he could also be a bit useful when the time called for a negative influence. As she listened to him she unintentional squeezed a little tighter and looked up at him with a small frown. Even though she knew that the two didn't get along well at all that didn't mean that she didn't care about both of their well beings. After a few seconds she lightened her grip and smiled softly at his question.

"Just listen to him but don't enact anything, if he gets too annoying just block him out until you two can come to some compromise. Look I'm not going to lie to you, I love you and I think of Negative as a friend most of the time and... I don't want to lose you again. Yeah, that's why I thought you'd like to change things up a little and blow off some steam. Oh, you know... just some old horror movies... definitely not the riffed versions this time although those were also pretty enjoyable."

[lex-sullivan-deactivated2020042]

a-burnt-melody:

“I’m so used to people running into me that it actually surprises me when someone takes the time to apologise. I should probably be thanking you for being polite and not yelling at me like most people would.” Melody rubbed the back of her neck slightly. She smiled softly and kicked the ground beneath her feet. “Out of curiosity… how has your day been, of course you don’t have to answer that if you don’t want to.” As she thought about Christmas she couldn’t help but smile softly, looking back on the past several. Sure a couple of them had sucked but most of them were good. “That’s something that I can definitely agree with. Christmas time is the time for the good in people to come out even if it is just for the season.”

Lexi laughs, “Trust me, I get it. I’m used to getting yelled at due to running into people. It’s all good, don’t worry.” She smiles warmly and her eyes widen a little as the woman asks how her day has been, “Oh, uh, pretty good, I guess. I mean I just got off work so I can’t complain. Thanks for asking.” She smiles sweetly, before brushing some hair out of her face. Lexi nods slightly, “Oh yeah, and I think it kinda brings out the bad too, with all the stress and whatnot.” She waves her hand dismissively, “But luckily the good outweighs or overpowers the bad.” There’d always been something magical about Christmas, even when it wasn’t the best day of the year, to Lexi. 

[a-burnt-melody]

Melody nodded slightly understanding that people could be jerks no matter what time of the year it was. "Sometimes they even yell at you when it was their fault. Honestly I don't know why people can be like that..." She trailed off and looked down at the ground before quickly looking back up at her when she responded to her question. "Well that's good, right? I normally have to work on Christmas Eve but my boss decided to give me the day off. Hopefully your employer isn't making you come in tomorrow, although I know that some places do stay open on Christmas since their owners don't celebrate it." She raised a brow slightly even though she agreed with her on that. It brought out both the good and the bad in people and sometimes it was more bad than good or vice versa. "It does most of the time but sometimes that's not the case. However I'd like to think that the good does cancel out the bad in most cases."

[a-burnt-melody]

@the-frost-sisters

Melody cursed to herself as she dragged the body of the man who had attacked her towards the dumpster, this wasn't how she expected to end her day. After she placed the body against the dumpster she took his gun and shot him to make it look like it was either gang related or a robbery gone wrong before taking it with her. She took a breath and told herself to relax as she walked towards her apartment stopping when she noticed that there was blood on her jacket. She quickly ducked into an alley and pulled off her coat before tossing it into a trash can and lighting it on fire. As the dark fire engulfed the coat she turned away and continued on her way back home only to stop when she thought she heard footsteps behind her.

"Look I know what this probably looks like and I wouldn't blame you if you thought that I was up to something but I'm not." She lied before slowly turning to see if it was actually someone there or if it was just a figment of her imagination.

[a-burnt-melody]

Melody took a breath as she leaned back in her chair just as the video on her laptop finished. She glanced around noticing that a few people had turned their chairs around almost as if they had been watching it as well and that's when she realized she hadn't had her headphones plugged in. Her cheeks began to heat up a little and she quickly turned back to her computer which had already begun to play the second 'episode' of the 'show'.

"Damnit, I could have sworn I plugged these damn things in." She murmured to herself before hitting pause which caused the small group of people to disperse almost as if they had been sticking around merely to watch the show. She got up from her seat and walked over to the counter and ordered herself a second cup of coffee having finished the first one a few minutes prior. She returned to her table and took a breath before plugging in her headphones before placing them on. As she waited for her coffee she chuckled softly at one of the jokes that had been made about the movie that was currently on.

"This has got to be one of the worst movies ever, now I can understand why they picked this one to riff. I could have probably waited till I got home to watch it but... where's the fun in that?" She asked herself before lifting her gaze towards the door.

[steel-skulled-mob-boss]

Joseph raised a brow slightly when she called him young even though they were probably around the same age. He shook his head and looked away as he thought about a way to answer that didn't make it sound like a lie. But nothing seemed to sound right in his head, everything just sounded to impossible to believe so after a few moments he shrugged slightly. It wasn't like she probably cared why anyway.

"I'm sure that plenty of people know who that is, and those who don't know of him probably haven't seen movies he was in before. Are you saying that there's something wrong with my sense of style? I look good compared to some of the guys I work with and I wouldn't mind it if people started to respect my 'group' again. When I was younger I could watch TV with no problems but now when I watch TV I get headaches..."

[a-burnt-melody]

A curious expression crossed Melody's face when she heard why he didn't like TV. That would be a good reason to not like something but what could have caused him to have headaches? As she thought about it she took a sip from her drink and turned her gaze to the laptop again. A couple seconds later she had to stop herself from laughing as one particular joke came up.

"No I would never say that, even if it was true." She said sarcastically before shrugging slightly. "I wouldn't know anything about that, I'm not a big fan of the gangster genre but to each his own. You honestly think that'll happen? I bet the only that would happen is if you either find a way to take down Vought or one of your 'boys' becomes mayor. Both are incredibly unlikely but if you could pull it off then I'm sure that everyone would respect your little gang again."

[lex-sullivan-deactivated2020042]

a-burnt-melody:

Melody hadn’t thought that she’d be spending Christmas Eve wandering around the ‘Christmas Village’ with her son and fiance but it was definitely a much needed change of pace from the hectic evenings that she’d spent wrapping gifts for his two favorite gentlemen as well as the ones she’d bought for her brother and uncle. While she took in the sights her fiance tried to keep a close eye on their son but every so often he’d end up having to run ahead to catch up with the boy. She seemed to be having a good time as she took in the sights but her attention turned as she felt someone bump into her. She let out a faint string of curses as she looked at the other woman with a soft smile.

“You didn’t exactly do anything wrong lass. We were both simply distracted and due to that we accidentally bumped into one another.” Melody replied before quickly looking at herself before shrugging slightly. “I’ll more than likely be fine but thanks for asking. It’s turning out to be quiet a nice evening, all things considered.”

Lexi smiles softly and nods, “Yeah, that’s true. It’s just habit to apologize at this point.” She admits awkwardly. She smiles warmly as the woman mentions that she’s having a nice evening, “Oh, good! I’m glad to hear that.” Outside of her own mind threatening to distract her from relaxing, Lexi couldn’t complain about how her night was going as well. “Christmas time should be a nice time…” she adds.

[a-burnt-melody]

"I'm so used to people running into me that it actually surprises me when someone takes the time to apologise. I should probably be thanking you for being polite and not yelling at me like most people would." Melody rubbed the back of her neck slightly. She smiled softly and kicked the ground beneath her feet. "Out of curiosity... how has your day been, of course you don't have to answer that if you don't want to." As she thought about Christmas she couldn't help but smile softly, looking back on the past several. Sure a couple of them had sucked but most of them were good. "That's something that I can definitely agree with. Christmas time is the time for the good in people to come out even if it is just for the season."

[a-positive-and-a-negative]

@a-burnt-melody

The string of profanity that was escaping Mister Negative was actually surprising, it was in Mandarin but it still conveyed his point. Although the hole in the wall also did that as well, today made all the other bad days that he'd had seem pleasant in comparison. As he started to simmer down he heard the door to the room opening slowly and turned slightly not even bothering to switch back to Martin. However when he saw who it was he let out a relived sigh and took a breath.

It seemed like ages since he'd seen Melody and in a way he wasn't wrong to think that. Most of the time Martin was the one who spent the time with her and honestly it made Negative a little jealous. He also had feelings for her even if there were some underlying motives playing a part in the feelings that he had.

"My love, it's been far too long since we've spent time with one another. This is a most welcome distraction from the bullshit that's been going on."

[a-positive-and-a-negative]

At the mention of some 'little developments' Negative looked at her in a curious expression as he walked down the stairs towards her. He hadn't expected her to keep secrets about their child but if she only wanted Martin to know about it then perhaps it was for the best. Although the more he thought about it the more curious he became. Why did she seem a little worried about how he would be okay after hearing what she had to say? "Melody, you know you don't have to keep things from me. But if you think it would be better to tell Martin about it directly then I can understand. Although if it possibly has something to do with him developing powers that are more like ours then I'm sure he will understand. It won't change the fact that he loves him and can't wait to be in his son's life."

Negative was about to give Martin control back until he heard her comment and he looked at her with a raised brow. "There isn't much to catch up on, it's been pretty dull lately on my end. Normally I wouldn't turn down a date but he needs this more than I do. Just hold off on telling him until you two get back to your place, he'll understand why you were hesitant to tell him." He looked at her curiously after hearing that he was starting to sound like her uncle. "He would indeed, now I'm not saying that he has something planned but tonight may be a little more special then you expect. Oh do I now, well with that I'll hand control back over to Martin then."

A couple seconds later Martin looked at her with a soft smile as he caught up with her and gently pushed some hair out of her face before quickly sneaking a kiss. Then he took a breath and glanced at the door for a moment. "Did he convince you that we needed to take the day off so we could spend some quality time together? He always seems to know when things are getting to stressful and when I need to take a break. So what are we going to do?" He questioned with a curious expression.

[a-burnt-melody]

Silence fell as Melody watched Martin approaching and a soft hint of a blush began to cross her features. He always seemed to have that kind of effect on her but she didn't mind, it was definitely a change from the negative effects that Mister Negative caused... even if it was unintentional. A soft chuckle slipped out as he basically explained what he thought had lead up to them leaving the shelter. She nodded slightly even though it had been her that had suggested it rather than Negative.

"That he did dear, that he did. Well of course he does, he's part of you... the darker part of you but still a part of you, and if he senses that something is wrong then perhaps you should listen to him. Well first how about we go to that café we normally go to and get something to drink, then we go back to my place and watch some movies then maybe you finally be able to meet a special someone."

[a-burnt-melody]

Melody took a breath as she leaned back in her chair just as the video on her laptop finished. She glanced around noticing that a few people had turned their chairs around almost as if they had been watching it as well and that's when she realized she hadn't had her headphones plugged in. Her cheeks began to heat up a little and she quickly turned back to her computer which had already begun to play the second 'episode' of the 'show'.

"Damnit, I could have sworn I plugged these damn things in." She murmured to herself before hitting pause which caused the small group of people to disperse almost as if they had been sticking around merely to watch the show. She got up from her seat and walked over to the counter and ordered herself a second cup of coffee having finished the first one a few minutes prior. She returned to her table and took a breath before plugging in her headphones before placing them on. As she waited for her coffee she chuckled softly at one of the jokes that had been made about the movie that was currently on.

"This has got to be one of the worst movies ever, now I can understand why they picked this one to riff. I could have probably waited till I got home to watch it but... where's the fun in that?" She asked herself before lifting her gaze towards the door.

[steel-skulled-mob-boss]

Joseph raised a brow slightly at the fact that she had unplugged her headphones. He hadn't expected her to do that but it wasn't entirely strange since he'd heard some of the other patrons chatting about how she'd been watching a different one without them in without even realizing it. As she spoke he nodded slightly even though he'd never really seen the show she was talking about. He'd never been a fan of watching TV but he would never admit it if someone asked him about it. "Interesting I never realized something like that existed. I'm guessing that the jokes probably make the movies better in comparison to the regular versions." He shrugged slightly before chuckling when he heard one certain joke that came up.

[a-burnt-melody]

Melody raised a brow as soon as she heard the mobster chuckling due to a simple joke but then again it was nice to know that he wasn't an asshole with a stick up his ass. She shifted in her seat a little before taking a sip from his coffee, forgetting that she hadn't received her's yet. After a few seconds she realized what she'd done and the color seemed to fade from her features. She didn't apologise but she quickly placed his cup down and turned away as to not make eye contact with him. "Yeah that's basically how it is. By the way, the fact that you were able to get that joke pleases me... I honestly didn't believe someone as 'young' as you would remember that guy. Well actually now that I think about it you could just be a history buff which would explain the outfits that you wear and that obsession with old gangster movies. I honestly still can't believe that you prefer movies to TV, did you get tired of seeing the same shit every day and just decided to ditch it?"

[lex-sullivan-deactivated2020042]

Lexi pulls her coat a little tighter around herself as she walks. It was Christmas Eve and she wanted to check out some of the Christmas festivities being offered by the city. Or really, she just wanted to look at Christmas lights, seeing as she’d always done that back home. She heads to wander around a small “Christmas Village” as they had advertised it. 

She’s a little too caught up in taking it all in or wrapped up in her own thoughts, she reluctantly chides herself, causing her to bump into someone. “I’m so sorry. Are you okay?” She asks nervously. 

[a-burnt-melody]

Melody hadn't thought that she'd be spending Christmas Eve wandering around the 'Christmas Village' with her son and fiance but it was definitely a much needed change of pace from the hectic evenings that she'd spent wrapping gifts for his two favorite gentlemen as well as the ones she'd bought for her brother and uncle. While she took in the sights her fiance tried to keep a close eye on their son but every so often he'd end up having to run ahead to catch up with the boy. She seemed to be having a good time as she took in the sights but her attention turned as she felt someone bump into her. She let out a faint string of curses as she looked at the other woman with a soft smile.

"You didn't exactly do anything wrong lass. We were both simply distracted and due to that we accidentally bumped into one another." Melody replied before quickly looking at herself before shrugging slightly. "I'll more than likely be fine but thanks for asking. It's turning out to be quiet a nice evening, all things considered."

[a-burnt-melody]

A faint smile crossed Melody's lips as the dark fire that lit the candle danced while she flipped the page of her book. Sure it would seem odd to most people but sometimes reading by candlelight was more appealing than reading by regular light even if it did make the store look like it was closed. As she leaned back in her seat a soft chuckle escaped her and her smile widened a little. However she quickly straightened up and shut her book as she heard the door creak open and she glanced up to see who had entered the shop.

"Oh we are currently open but a couple of the lights blew and one of my coworkers went to get some new bulbs. How many I help you? Are you perhaps looking for a special holiday gift for a special someone who loves books or maybe just looking for the next big page turner? Well you've come to the right place, if you need any help just give a shout and I'll be there to help."

[a-burnt-melody]

Melody took a breath as she leaned back in her chair just as the video on her laptop finished. She glanced around noticing that a few people had turned their chairs around almost as if they had been watching it as well and that's when she realized she hadn't had her headphones plugged in. Her cheeks began to heat up a little and she quickly turned back to her computer which had already begun to play the second 'episode' of the 'show'.

"Damnit, I could have sworn I plugged these damn things in." She murmured to herself before hitting pause which caused the small group of people to disperse almost as if they had been sticking around merely to watch the show. She got up from her seat and walked over to the counter and ordered herself a second cup of coffee having finished the first one a few minutes prior. She returned to her table and took a breath before plugging in her headphones before placing them on. As she waited for her coffee she chuckled softly at one of the jokes that had been made about the movie that was currently on.

"This has got to be one of the worst movies ever, now I can understand why they picked this one to riff. I could have probably waited till I got home to watch it but... where's the fun in that?" She asked herself before lifting her gaze towards the door.

[steel-skulled-mob-boss]

"A supe was the one who had done it? But they did it to save you... so if the media had found out they'd make it seem like it had merely been an accident or something to that effect. "Joseph looked at her with a hint of concern as he heard her talk. It was obvious that she didn't want to go into deep detail about the event and he could understand that. As she trailed off he glanced at her with a concerned expression on his features.

"If you don't feel comfortable talking about it then we can talk about a more pleasant topic. Like for instance, how is that movie your watching?" He questioned as he glanced down at her laptop with a small smile. "Wait a minute... I've seen this one before, it's horrible and yet it has it's charm."

[a-burnt-melody]

Melody nodded slightly before turning her attention to her laptop. She shrugged slightly at his comment about the movie and took a breath before slowly removing the headphones. Then she unpaused it before turning to Joseph with a small hint of a smile in the hopes of changing the topic. "Yeah the original was shit but the jokes these fellows do make it all the better. Have you ever heard of a show called Mystery Science Theater 3000? Well a couple of the guys who did that show got together and started riffing movies that are shitty like this one."

[a-positive-and-a-negative]

@a-burnt-melody

The string of profanity that was escaping Mister Negative was actually surprising, it was in Mandarin but it still conveyed his point. Although the hole in the wall also did that as well, today made all the other bad days that he'd had seem pleasant in comparison. As he started to simmer down he heard the door to the room opening slowly and turned slightly not even bothering to switch back to Martin. However when he saw who it was he let out a relived sigh and took a breath.

It seemed like ages since he'd seen Melody and in a way he wasn't wrong to think that. Most of the time Martin was the one who spent the time with her and honestly it made Negative a little jealous. He also had feelings for her even if there were some underlying motives playing a part in the feelings that he had.

"My love, it's been far too long since we've spent time with one another. This is a most welcome distraction from the bullshit that's been going on."

[a-burnt-melody]

Melody sighed softly and continued down the stairs only stopping once she was at the bottom. She turned to watch as he came down the stairs and a soft smile crossed her features. It was during moments like this she almost forgot that they had been keeping their relationship a secret for what seemed like ages. It seemed silly to her now but at the time she wasn't entirely sure how people would react to the news but then again with how close they were people could have known for a while and either assumed they were together or just really close friends. "So he won't really need much in the way of filling in about how he's doing then. But there are a few things that even you didn't know that I'll have to tell him later. I hope he's going to be alright after this little... development."

She shifted her weight from one side to the other and shook her head slightly when she heard what he had said. Sure a date with Negative wasn't the greatest idea but she wanted to wait to talk to Martin about a few things that she'd kept from both of them. "That... that isn't entirely necessary. It's been such a long time since we've had a chance to sit down and catch up." She replied with a small smile. Although when the mention of being a wonderful husband was brought up she tried to hide the faint hint of a blush that had begun to take form. "He would, wouldn't he. Your starting to sound just like my uncle..."