I don't know, somehow the image of Pete arguing for his heterosexuality really made me laugh. Mostly Marvel characters, slash fictives/writers. This might turn into a series based of #KJcorner... not sure yet. Real disclaimers at the end. Summary: Just an ordinary day in KJ's Corner of Subreality. -------------------------------------------------------------- Subreality KJ Corner (1) By Lise -------------------------------------------------------------- Pete took a drink, and asked casually, "So, Al, when're me and LeBeau gettin' some more pros--" "--tate? Prostates are tricky things, Pete. You're going to have to wait until the time is right." The resulting Writer/Fictive argument has been removed in deference to good taste and far, far too much knowledge of positioning. Eventually, Pete had to defend his heterosexuality. In defense of those not believing him, with an opening question like that... "Y'know I love ya. I get to smoke, and I get to do it, and there's nothing _too_ painful to deal with in doing so. I do appreciate that bit. But there's no bloody way that I'm gay. Not a chance in hell. Just get yer dirty minds around it." Pete Wisdom took a long swallow of (what else?) Guinness, and stared belligerently at the Writers sharing the bar with him. "Not even a little? Just..." Alestar copied his loud gulp of beer, and then turned pleading eyes back to Pete. "You're positive you're not gay?" Pete sighed, and swiveled his stool around to survey the darkened room. Small, somewhat dingy, it was a cozy enough place. The only complaint he had about it was the distinct lack of birds. "Someone needs to write more slash with girls. No. I'm not gay." Kaylee answered him a bit defensively, "But Al gave you something fairly happy, all things considered... and you _can't_ tell me you were unhappy about it..." Pete rolled his eyes. "Course not, Kay. I'd be fecking stupid to be unhappy that LeBeau was stroking my--" "Hey! Watch the audience." "... ego." Pete's head snapped around, watching Kitty and Rachel saunter around, arm in arm, before disappearing out a conveniently placed door. He turned back to Alestar and Kaylee, a rueful smile on his face. "I wouldn't mind not bein' with Kitty if that's who she's shacking up with now..." Alestar prodded him with a finger gently. "So, you admit you're enjoying being written with Remy LeBeau, and yet you say you're not gay?" Pete raised a hand in greeting to the Bobby and Alex couple who'd just walked through the doors. His head tilted in the direction of Storm and Yukio, doing indescribable things in the corner, absolutely oblivious to the rest of the pub. Alex raised an eyebrow, appreciative smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. Bobby followed the action, and pursed his lips, obviously unhappy with the casual glance Alex gave the two. To placate him, Alex pulled him to get a table away from everyone else. Pete then turned back to Kaylee and Al. "It's great while yer writing. But here? I'm not bloody gay." Kael wandered up to the two of them, mug of cider gripped firmly in her left hand. Hearing only Pete's last statement, she answered, "Damned shame, Wisdom." Alestar laughed. "He says he likes the stories, but he's not _really_ gay. I'm thinking denial." Pete glared at her. "Bite me." Kaylee, trying to forestall any arguing between writer and fictive, quickly changed the subject. "So, I'm thinking-- bets on the next couple to be slashed?" Sam and another Alex, who were sitting at the table right beside their corner of the bar, chuckled. Sam answered, "Ah don't think Gambit and me has been written yet..." Alex went quietly purple at the mental image. Sam added, "Though, Ah wouldn't have predicted Alex over there," and he waved a hand at the other Alex in the pub, "to go for Bobby, either, so Ah really don't know." Kaylee took another sip of her drink, and jumped when Alestar turned to her and asked slyly, "So. Where are _your_ boys, KJ?" She buried her nose into her mug, and mumbled what sounded like, "I think it's 'No LeBeaus' night or something..." Diamonde, who's just sat herself down with Sam and Alex, cocked her head. "What did she say?" Alestar grinned. "I think it was something of an excuse to deny that _her_ boys aren't here because she's writing about them, and not sharing." She strained her neck, trying to get the bartender's attention for a round for Dia. The drink arrived, and Alex pulled out some currency with a smile, intent to pay obvious. Dia went a little pink as the rest of them grinned. Kaylee said, "I think your fics like you, Dia." Pete said, "Course they do. They're happy, normal, gettin' lots of--" "The _audience_!" "...reviews and attention." Kaylee looked around, and then said puzzled, "Hey, where's Staffiekins?" What passed as the front door to the establishment opened, and heads all looked up -- mostly because not many consciousnesses, whether they be Writers, fics, muses, or other, would bother to actually use a door. Even fewer would deign to open it using the _handle_. A large man, wearing a cloak of charisma, a wide smile, and a bowler hat, entered. A very short, rather wide-eyed girl followed on his heels. Kaylee hopped off her stool, and hugged the much taller man and teeny/shorter girl. "Speak of the devil, and he shall appear..." Pete downed his beer and signaled for another, all while saying, "Finally, another straight guy. Back me up here -- some of us ARE straight." Alestar muttered, "Denial..." Falstaff snagged a lemonade and pulled a barstool up beside Jaya. He had a solemn, thoughtful look on his face, as if he was actually taking Pete seriously. They all looked at him, waiting for his answer. Finally, he said, "Look, I'm all for slash in theory, but some guys just like girls, and that's all there is to it, we like girls. Girls are good, girls are nice... boys are... not our thing, is all." Lise, the girl who'd tagged along behind Falstaff, sat down behind Alex, and looked like she was trying to scrunch down behind him. Kaylee peered around him, and asked, "What are you hiding from?" She peered around, a worried look on her face, before whispering, "Just about every fic I've written." Falstaff leaned over and patted her head. "That's right. This little one is going for lynch mobs." He tried to disguise the hint of pride in his voice, but they caught a whiff nonetheless. Kael turned back to Pete, a crafty look in her eyes. "You mean to tell me, that if someone wrote about the _best_... relations you'd ever had, and it was with a guy, and they wrote you being completely happy, joyous, over the moon, and nothing was wrong... you'd still tell me you were straight?" Pete paused, with enough time to examine Kitty and Illyana slow-dancing by the jukebox. He then looked over to Storm and Sal, more sedate, but moving even slower. Jack and Zach were cute as ever, made Pete want to roll his eyes, except for the teeny part of his heart that felt wistful. Damn that part, anyway. The fourth couple dancing, Rictor and Shatterstar, he didn't even want to think about. Those two were gushier than LeBeau and Drake sometimes, and seeing the two of them together made him wonder where Tangerine was tonight. He lit a cigarette, despite the grumbles. "Would I be willin' to admit I was gay if you wrote me really happy, and getting lots?" Kael nodded. "That's the basic idea, yeah." Pete held his filter between two fingers, sucking on the end with a blissful smile on his face. He sighed contentedly. "Not bloody likely. I wouldn't believe you for a second, and second of all, even if we were happy, I'd probably end up cheatin' on my nearest and dearest with Constantine or something horrid like that." Kael looked horrified. "You'd cheat on someone with Constantine?" Pete grinned a Cheshire grin. "I never said I wasn't a bastard." Kaylee patted Kael on the shoulder. Staff took another mouthful of lemonade, and that was everyone's cue to drink some more. Sam and Alex both finished off theirs with a meaningful look at Dia. Falstaff raised an eyebrow. "Is there something going on that we should know about?" Dia tried not to look guilty, while Sam and Alex grinned at her. "No... we're just going to have to go now..." Sounds of choking and barely suppressed laughter came from the gutter-minds of the several other female Writers. Kaylee called after her innocently, "Go easy on 'em, Dia!" Alestar looked at her empty glass, and sighed. "I think I'm going to have to go as well. Life calls, and all of that." She disappeared, and then it was just Kaylee, Kael, Falstaff, Lise, and Pete sitting in KJ's Corner. Kaylee looked around, suddenly realizing that there really _weren't_ any LeBeau's around tonight. Maybe it was 'No LeBeau' night, after all. She was distracted from this train of thought when Kael turned to Pete, suddenly realizing something. "Okay, smarty-pants. If you're not gay, why would you cheat on whoever your gay lover was with Constantine?" Silence met her as an answer, and she grinned smugly. "Gotcha." -------------------------------------------------------------- Disclaimers: KJ's Corner is based on the very real #KJcorner, that belongs to those who frequent it often. Kaylee requested this be mentioned in the interests of clarity. Kaylee, Kael, Falstaff, Diamonde, and Alestar belong to themselves. They're Writers. I'm me, and I'm an aspiring Writer-to-be. Pete Wisdom and Remy LeBeau being 'sorta happy' are from Alestar's fics, 'Sunrise', and 'Du Jour'. Incredible stories. Storm and Yukio are Kaylee's, from "To Let The Thunder Roll", and more recently, "Lightning and Yarn". Bobby and Alex are Mel's, from the newly posted, "When The Sun Rose." It needs a sequel. Sam and Alex are Diamonde's boys, from "Some Rain Must Fall", "Cloudcover", and most recently from "Make It Okay". Love them, bug her for more. ALWAYS more. Kitty and Illyana are Falstaff's, from "This Changes Everything." Ric and Shatterstar are Tange's boys, from (most recently) 'Alegria'! Needs more as well. Constantine hasn't been slashed, as far as I know. He's Vertigo's.