#the man from u.n.c.l.e one shot

[firebirdsdaughter]

So…

… I'm rewatching The Man from U.N.C.L.E. 2015, and I'm just thinking… I understand why it was for the pacing of the movie and all that, but I kinda wish we'd spent more time w/ Illya immediately after Gaby's apparent betrayal.

Bc a thing that hadn't hit me before just graced my mind on this rewatch… He had to know there was an actually fairly decent chance he was tracking a corpse. The film's technology jokes aside, it's unlikely, even if it was a listening bug, that he could hear from that distance. All he knew for sure was where Napoleon's shoes were, or even just what direction they were in. Maybe he could hear when he got closer, but for at least some of that trip, he must have considered the possibility that he was going to find a dead body when he got there. That Victoria was just as likely to outright kill him as she was to torture him

But he still went

[zuzla33]

The Social Network * J.Edgar * Mirror Mirror * The Lone Ranger * The Man from U.N.C.L.E * The Bird of a Nation * Nocturnal Animals * Free Fire * Mine * Final Portret * Sorry to Bother You * Hotel Mumbai * On the Basis of Sex * Wounds * Rebecca * Crisis * Death on the Nile ... and many others

but only ONE SINGLE SHOT from his filmography in the jingle of his podcast

[jungkooklover777]

𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝐾𝐺𝐵 𝐴𝑔𝑒𝑛𝑡 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝐻𝑖𝑠 𝑃𝑟𝑒𝑡𝑡𝑦, 𝐿𝑜𝑣𝑒𝑙𝑦 “𝐹𝑖𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒́𝑒” ; illya kuryakin | one-shot |

summary: in which it takes playing dress-up with a russian kgb agent to realize the true feelings you two have masked well.

pairing: fem!reader x illya kuryakin.

trope: friends to lovers + undercover spies disguised as an engaged couple.

genre: modern!au + fluff + romance.

warnings‼️: illya’s tall ahh (he’s 6’5 (das my type!! 😝)) + implied introvert!reader + crude language + mentions alcohol consumption + a movie reference to 365 Days (2020) (i’ve never watched any of those movies & i never will 🙏🏽) + a short n sweet kiss scene.

word count: 2,811.

random disclaimerrr: rewatched The Man From U.N.C.L.E. (2015) a few days ago & i forgot how good it is. icl armie hammer was so fine in that movie 😭 the accent and height added so much more to his appeal & illya is such a gentleman uGH i want illya soo badd. happy reading! ʕ•ᴥ•ʔ ♡ © 2024 @jungkooklover777

“You will be ready by the time the party’s over, yes?” Illya asks snarkily.

You shake your head and roll your eyes at his playfulness, a smile creeps up onto your face.

“Sure!” You reply cheekily as you open the door and switch off the light, exiting the bathroom.

You have your eyes set on your purse and heels and you walk towards them while putting on your earrings.

You don’t notice the effect you have on the tall Russian. His lips are agape and his eyes rest on your moving figure.

He’s the one who picked out what you’re wearing, from the earrings down to the heels. The idea in his head has now come to life and he doesn’t know what to do.

He always thought you were pretty, lovely, pretty lovely. Not tonight. Tonight you’re so much more.

There’s an allure of mystery that surrounds you.

There’s something in your eyes that makes you look so unattainable yet that much desirable. The curves of your nose and lips makes him want to study your face to see what other qualities he shall find.

What have you done to him to have him conjure up such sentiments? Illya deems it must be enchantment but he doesn’t mind.

You’ve bewitched him the moment he first saw you running down an alley. The moonlight casted an ethereal glow in your fearful eyes and it made him want to protect you from then on.

You feel glamorous and the elegance in your walk adds to your charm.

You remind yourself to thank your Russian friend forever for buying you everything.

“I know I said it already but thank you, Illya. Truly.”

You don’t hear a response but you don’t need it. You know he told you not to thank him for buying you things but you feel obligated. He’s spoiling you, fake fiancé or not.

You sit on the bed and have one heel in your hand when Illya kneels in front of you.

“What are you doing?”

He tilts his head towards your heel and you look at him confused. He puts his hand out and waits for you to put your heel in his possession.

“There’s no need for that, really. I can do this myself.”

You feel the butterflies flying all around your stomach and you can feel the heat covering your ears.

You’ve experienced his respectful nature when he opens all doors of every kind and waits for you to enter, a hand is always at your back when you’re in crowds, a chair is pushed out for you to sit down on and pushed back in everywhere you two go.

But willingly kneeling in a freshly dry-cleaned and pressed suit for wanting to put your heels on for you? That takes the cake.

You’re lost in all the ways his gentlemanliness comes out for (read: affects) you that you don’t realize he’s clasping the belt buckle of your second heel.

His fingers linger for a moment longer and that quiet act of intimacy makes the breath in your chest heavy. You swallow it.

Illya moves swiftly to stand, he holds out his hand for you take. You maintain eye contact with him as you take it. Your shoulders meet his middle and he sticks his elbow out for you take, your purse already in his other hand.

“Ready?” His lips are turned back into a small smile.

You nod and retrieve your purse from him.

You don’t mention how you’re matching (and how extremely handsome he looks). Maybe it’s because he’s supposed to be your fiancé but it still makes you feel giddy inside.

A small smile is plastered on your face and you don’t care if you look like an idiot.

Affection tends to have that effect on people.

Illya is a Russian architect who immigrated to the States for a job opportunity and you’re the daughter of his boss; a businessman.

The mission is to mingle with the targets rich posse and find the blueprints of a project that is being used as a cover for something problematic.

Illya does most of the talking as you don’t know how you’re supposed to converse with spoiled, conceited assholes without ripping their and/or your hair out. That and the fact that you don’t talk to strangers very well.

You don’t like unwanted attention so you excuse yourself and sit on a stool at the minibar.

“Excuse me?” A manly voice catches your attention.

Of course. You knew you had to talk to someone tonight but that didn’t mean you were ready.

You lift your chin to meet his gaze. You can tell he’s old-money rich.

“Yes?”

“I was wondering if I’d seen you before.”

Fuck.

You think fast. “I don’t think so. I’m not exactly famous.”

He smirks at that last bit.

“You’re right, I wouldn’t forget your face.”

You’re midway through a sip of some variation of a martini when you lightly cough from his flirting.

The stranger just smiles wider and offers another drink.

“Oh, no. Please, I-I don’t really drink much.”

He waves you off and insists on buying you one more. He invites himself over to the stool next to you and you wish to die.

“So, what brings you here?”

“My fiancé is an architect and he was invited to take a look at an unfinished project.”

You shock yourself with how smoothly the lie came out of your lips. Your brain is killing it right now.

“Ah, is it the Manhattan Project?”

Bingo.

You nod and lick your lips to wipe off any excess alcohol when his arm extends forward to wipe something off the corner of your lips.

“Smudged lipstick.” He explains.

You immediately feel uncomfortable. It would’ve been different if Illya did that but there’s an odd vibe you’re getting from this guy.

His eyes seem like they’re hiding something and that stupid fucking smirk on his face feels sleazy.

You’ve got to get out of here.

“Thanks.” You say feeling quite the opposite of thankful.

He nods coolly before asking who your fiancé is and you point to Illya.

“Holy shit, he’s tall.”

You chuckle a bit at that.

“How’d you two meet?”

You eye him a bit before carefully deciding what to say next.

“We’ve been talking about me this entire time, care to tell me your name for a change?”

You take another sip from your martini and think you did a good job deflecting but his silence is unnerving.

His body language is now tense. It’s like you caught him doing something he wasn’t supposed to do.

You calm your heart and try to relax. You remind yourself that you’re in public, nothing will happen if you just stay calm and alert. Besides, Illya is just a short walk away.

“Come with me, I wanna show you something.”

Alarms start to go off in your head and you immediately regret not getting up the moment you caught wind off him.

“Oh, I can’t. My fiancé—”

“Your fiancé seems pretty busy to me.” He quips.

He’s looking at Illya and you reluctantly follow his line of reasoning to see Illya laughing it up with a bunch of randoms about who knows what.

You digress. “Well, you did buy me a drink so. Can’t leave it unfinished, right?”

You weren’t going to drink it but anything to keep yourself here.

You read the impatience on his face and you’ve decided; you’re not going anywhere with him.

You purse your lips in a friendly smile but he doesn’t feel the same.

He grabs your wrist and it hurts.

You snap your neck up at him and he’s so close to you, you want to make a scene if that’s what it takes to make him go away.

Yet you regain your composure.

“Let go of me.” You make sure to enunciate every word even though your voice was trying to betray you.

He ignores you and turns around only for his face to run into the wall that is Illya’s chest.

He drops your wrist and hisses in pain, his fingers covering his nose.

Illya doesn’t seem amused. His eyes move past him and make their way to you, your feet guide you to him.

He instinctively reaches out for your wrist and you hear him sharply exhale through his nose. His fingers delicately hold your wrist, the pad of his thumb rub it gently. His face is stitched together in worry, forgive me his eyes plead. His hands come up to hold your face and he kisses your forehead.

“I’m sorry.” He murmurs.

“It’s okay, I-I’m okay.”

The other man whines pitifully in pain and Illya’s attention is on him again.

His eyes pierce straight through him and you watch his face contort to something rageful. His eyes brim with fury and you’re in a trance.

You’ve never seen him like this before.

His other hand shakes with anger and adrenaline but he reels it in.

“Don’t touch her if you like that hand.” Illya’s voice is grave, adding to his intimidating demeanor.

You step in front of him, serving as a divider for both men and set your hands on his chest.

“Calm down. Please, Illya, let’s just leave.” You plea, softly.

Napoleon is in his ear telling him you’re right and to do as you say but you know he won’t listen to him. You hope he can at least hear you out.

“Please.” You press.

Illya’s eyes drop down to you and they dart back at the other pathetic loser walking away with a bloodied napkin with some other guy awkwardly trailing behind.

He wordlessly envelopes the hand of your lightly bruised wrist in both of his and takes you back to the hotel room.

You and Illya have adjoining rooms that are connected by a sliding door.

You decide to shower and do your skincare before addressing what happened back there.

When you come out, you find your Russian friend playing chess with himself, seated at a small coffee table in his room.

You walk to the sliding door and stare at his back, tiptoeing over if you should speak now or forever hold your peace.

“Speak now or forever hold your peace.”

The grin that spreads over your face can’t be helped.

“I was just thinking that, seriously.”

He hums and thoughtfully moves a chess piece; the black knight.

There’s a slight pep in your step as you lay across his bed in front of him.

One hand holds his chin while the other is contemplating his next move. You mimic his movements by holding up your head with one hand. The fingers of your injured wrist fiddle with the string tying your shorts, tightening the waistline.

You think he looks cozy, warm even. Black long-sleeved silk pajamas with white buttons and threading. His dirty blonde hair is a bit damp from his shower, yet combed and swept back neatly.

He gets up and walks towards the bed with a kit in one hand. You sit up as he sets it down beside you.

You deduce he smells of cashmere with undertones of wood. It’s a nice combination, however unexpected it may be.

“Let me see.”

You don’t argue and show him your wrist.

He examines it carefully, blinking up at you when he touches the newfound bruise.

“Does it hurt when I touch it?” His voice is soft now, a gentle hum coating his words.

You shake your head.

Illya applies an ointment on it which causes a cooling sensation over your wrist and he wraps it up with a bandage.

He sits beside you and holds onto your hand. He sighs deeply.

“I’m truly sorry, Y/n.”

You open your mouth to protest but he continues.

“I should have been there. I should never have left you alone.”

“But I’m fine, Illya. Nothing too crazy happened.”

He stares into your eyes and you can see the penance he craves.

The index finger of your free hand comes up to trace the little scar at the side of his face and he closes his eyes on contact.

“Don’t be so hard on yourself.” You hope he can hear your sincerity and gratitude.

“At least I got some info out of him.”

He opens his eyes at this and you find yourself lost in the ocean-like abyss.

“I said you were invited to take a look at an unfinished project and he let the cover name slip.”

They’re so incredibly blue, you had no idea. An electric sky blue under whiter lights and a calm cerulean when in a darker setting. It’s the latter right now.

“You good?” His tone is far from worried and closer to amusement.

“Mhm.”

He tilts his head a bit and a smirk grows on his lips at your lack of words.

“Are you lost, babygirl?”

You burst into a fit of giggles at his action of referencing a movie for a real-life scenario.

He’s full on smiling now, seeing you happy makes him feel good. He feels even better knowing he’s the direct cause of your joy.

“You’re so corny.”

You squeeze some air into your lungs. Your hands hold his arm in a hug and you let your head fall into the space between his shoulder and neck.

You can hear Illya’s heartbeat and it starts to speed up as you lay on him. You sit back and are about to ask him what’s wrong but the words die in your throat as he tucks some hair behind your ear.

Your breathing becomes shallower by the second and his hand stays behind your ears.

The pads of his fingers set your nerves on fire. They cup the back of your neck and his thumb rests on your collarbone.

The tension between you is tangible but you don’t want to move. You’re afraid it’ll shatter like a cruel illusion made from a fantasy you’ll never get to experience.

Illya swallows harshly and eyes your lips that allow a bit of air to come through.

“I… Can I kiss you?”

And of course he’d ask you for permission. Of course he’d ask for your consent instead of voicing his desire in a string of words similar to ‘I’d like to kiss you’.

Anyone else would think this is a trivial matter but its value is understood by you and him.

You can’t find it in yourself to be cruel and deny you or him this chance.

“Yes.” You sigh.

Your eyes flutter shut, your eyelashes brush up against his cheekbone as he kisses you softly. His other hand wraps itself around your neck tenderly, like a ghost of warmth harboring your throat.

His lips smell of mint and you break away from him. He follows you blindly until you cover your fingers on his mouth.

“Did you use my chapstick?”

Your lips tingle with a minty sensation.

His lips are pink, a bit brighter from the tint of your chapstick and the blood rushing through them.

You smile as he opens his eyes and doesn’t mask the confusion.

“…Yes. Is that a problem?”

You know he’s seriously asking but you like it. The fact that he willingly put on your chapstick.

“Nope.” You pop the ‘p’. “Just wanted to be sure.”

“Ah. Okay.”

He leans in to kiss you again and you wrap your arms around his neck, pulling him closer. You lay down and can’t help your excitement. You pull away with a soft smack and ask, “But why?”.

His eyes narrow suspiciously. You beam up at him and rake your fingers through his slightly dry hair.

“I was curious.”

You give him an unimpressed look. “That was really anticlimactic.”

He sighs and looks down, his head coming down to rest on your stomach.

“I wanted to know… how your- uh… lips felt.”

His voice sounds a bit muffled but you make sense of what his intentions were.

“What?!” You laugh.

He knows you aren’t mocking him but he feels embarrassed. His head shoots back up to face you.

“You’re always putting it on and the tint makes your lips look nice so.” He tries to shrug it off but you’re not having it.

“You mean my lips look absolutely desirable and you’ve always wanted a kiss, hm?”

He groans in embarrassment.

“Fuck you.”

Your teasing has seemed to get the best of him and you gasp at his sudden use of crude language.

“You wish.”

He’s left stunned at your sudden brazenness.

You seize this moment as he’s left distracted and reach up to kiss his lips, making an exaggerated ‘mwah!’ sound.

He grips your shoulders and pushes you back down onto the pillows and you squeal with delight.

He allows himself to smile as he sees the rest of his future in your eyes.

[cha-melodius]

2024 Fic Year in Review

My fifth fic year in review! It's always wild to go back and look at how far I've come. As always, feel free to grab this if you want to do your own; I've stitched it together over the years. And thank you to everyone who read my fics this year, whether it was one or all of them.

2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023

AO3 Username: chamel My Page: Link Active Fandoms: Red, White & Royal Blue: 14 works Loki: 3 works The Man from UNCLE (2015): 1 work New Fandoms: The Pairing (CMQ novel; 1 work) Total Number Of Completed Works/Word Count This Year: 23 works, 303k words All Time: 135 works, 1.57 million words

Most Popular One Shot (by kudos): This Year: Trying My Patience (Try Pink Carnations) (RWRB, Alex/Henry, E, 9.4k) All Time: Class(room) Warfare (RWRB, Alex/Henry, T, 7.8k words)

Most Popular Completed Multi-Chapter (by kudos):  This Year: False Dichotomy (RWRB, Alex/Henry, E, 62k) All Time: Please Don't Let Me Be So Understood  (RWRB, Alex/Henry, E, 20k words)

Events/Challenges: The Man From U.N.C.L.E. Gift Exchange 2024, A Royally Big Bang, Lokius Reverse Bang, idk do what you want exchange

More reflections, stats, and planned fics below the cut!

Additional Random AO3 Stats

By number of fics: 79% one shots, 21% multi-chaps

By word count: 69% multi-chaps (nice), 31% one shots

Ratings by number of fics: 48% E-rated, 26% M-rated, 26% T-rated

Musical artists contributing highest number of titles: spread out this year, but Wilco, Metric & Sufjan Stevens came in with 2 each

Looking back, did you write more fic than you thought you would this year, less, or about what you’d expected?  I was wrong in my 2024 roundup post—I wrote 25k more words this year despite having 10 fewer fics. Which I did NOT expect. I figured I was trucking along to make my usual ~270k, but I forgot about The Secret Fics lol.

What’s your own favorite story of the year?  I think I have to go with Body and Soul(mate), which I'm just so so proud of. I love how it came out and I think it's really original.

Did you complete your writing goals from last year?  The Goal: My goal is to have a similar mix of fics as least year, and also to write my first collaboration with @cricketnationrise, which will be a long multichap. First part, pretty close. I wrote more multichaps (21% vs 15%) this year, which meant fewer fics in total. Second part, oops. Cricket and I have both been busy, but the hockey fic lives!! We'll get to it eventually!

Do you have any writing goals for the New Year? I can't believe I'm gonna say this but... write more original fiction. See below for more on that. Fanfic wise... finally finish some of the planned stories I've had kicking around for a while.

Did you take any writing risks this year? I submitted a pitch for an anthology, was accepted, and wrote my first original story! I had a lot of fun with it and I think I'll purse more next year. Idk if I'm ready for a whole novel and trying to get (more) published, but we'll see.

Story of mine most under-appreciated by the universe, in my opinion: Even though it's numbers have come up since publishing, I'm still gonna go with The Impossible Soul, aka my Westworld-esque android/human AU.

Most fun story to write: Probably Body and Soul(mate). Figuring out all the body swaps and soulmate lore was a lot of fun and the whole thing just flowed so well.

Biggest disappointment: Why do I keep this question? I hate complaining publicly. 😂 My biggest disappointment is that I sometimes let fandom drama/trends/popularity make me feel bad. Being mad because a fandom loves X type of fic doesn't help anyone.

Biggest surprise: I'm not sure I really had any big surprises this year. Biggest surprise in my stats was that my percent of explicit works is way up—T used to be my most-used rating. Part of that is publishing fewer one-shots, since those tend to be T for me, whereas a long fic is more likely to be E.

Coming soon/planned for 2024: It's a little depressing how so many of these are the same as last year. Hence the resolution above, I guess.

Kissed Out (RWRB pro-pool players AU)

RWRB 1940s noir AU

RWRB conductor/piano soloist AU

RWRB Jurassic Park AU

RWRB rodeo rider/polo player AU

RWRB hockey AU (with cricket)

A shitload of prompts from my fandom fest

Extremely delinquent MTH fics

TMFU art thief/gallery owner AU

Thanks to folks who tagged me in their year in review posts, including @loki-is-my-kink-awakening, @kiwiana-writes, and @porcelainmortal

[justabigoldnerd]

2024 Writing Round Up

Thank you so much @cha-melodius for the tag!!!

This year has felt so long and so short at the same time 😅 I'm going into this blind, so let's find out together how many fics I published this year!!

Total: 52

....holy fuck. I mean I did Flufftober this year, and some of these are podfics, but damn

January - 5

"Ravens Love The Snow"

(TMFU Movie; G; 485 words) While working on my winged people anthology, I saw a video of a raven playing in the snow and got inspired lol

"Michelin Star Spy"

(TMFU Movie; T; 3k words; UNFINISHED) Illya is a very important food critic, so he has to keep his identity and profession a closely guarded secret. Turns out he is a little too good at that, and he is swept up into a fascist-busting spy plot lead by a cocky American man and a prickly German woman working for some mysterious organization known as "U.N.C.L.E". ● OR ● 5 times Illya pretends to know what's going on, plus 1 time he actually does

[P.S. I promise this fic isn't abandoned lmao]

"You Take Me In Your Arms When Walls Are Closing In"

(TMFU Movie; M; 2k words) Christmas in England has come and gone, New Years on its heels, but somewhere in Illya's chest, a longing like a thorn has buried itself deep. It's January 7th, and Illya has his head pillowed on his arms, pointedly avoiding the paperwork on his desk.

"In Summer We Can Taste The Rain"

(TMFU Movie; G; 903 words) Illya tries very very hard to ignore the urge to go out and use the warm summer rain to preen. He fails.

"Trapped Within An Abstract From A Moment Of My Life"

(TMFU TV; T; 2k words) This is what happens after Napoleon finds Illya alone in Marion Raven's apartment, terrified after being exposed to a fear-inducing gas.

February - 7

"One More or One Less (Nobody's Worried)"

(TMFU Movie; E; 13k words) The prequel to my Winged Spied Anthology: The events of the movie, but everyone has wings!

"She'll Tell You She's an Orphan After You Meet Her Family"

(TMFU Movie; E; 4k words) Gaby is molting, which is a time bomb of emotions in and of itself, but something else, something deeper, is setting her on edge. Solo and Illya are worried about her. (Winged Spies Part One)

"I'm Going to the Stars Tonight"

(TMFU Movie; G; 2k words) Solo baits Illya into flying for the sake of it for the first time in a very long while. Being nearly drunk helps achieve that goal. (Winged Spies Part Two)

"Let Me Be Your Own Icarian Carrion"

(TMFU Movie; N/R; 2k words) A chase in the air goes south for Illya. (Winged Spies Part Three)

"My Wings Have Been So Denied"

(TMFU Movie; N/R; 3k words) Illya's wings always grew faster than he did. They were big and heavy, and he couldn't fly when all his friends could. A year before his father is sent to the gulag, his parents take him to the doctor for it.

"You Had To Be A Big Shot, Didn't You (You Had To Open Up Your Mouth)"

(TMFU Movie; E; 9k words) A shudder runs down Solo's spine when he uses his wings to seduce a target. A spike of panic pierces his heart when anyone touches them, even Gaby or Illya.

"Kintsukuroi"

(TMFU Movie; G; 1k) Kintsukuroi - The Japanese art of fixing broken ceramics with lacquer mixed with precious metals. ●●● Many years after the events of "You Had To Be A Big Shot, Didn't You (You Had To Open Up Your Mouth)", Solo sees a familiar face in a coffee shop that he never thought he'd see again.

March - 4

"I Will Always Find My Way To You [Podfic]"

(TMFU Movie; T; 5 minutes) In the end, it takes Illya almost five hours to find Rudi. Five hours, in which his mind supplies him with an endless array of horrors, all of which could be happening to his foolish cowboy.

"Always A Well Dressed Fraud"

(TMFU Movie; M; 3k words) "It's much easier to trust a drink you fixed yourself." An alternate version of The Watch Scene, plus a follow up.

"Just Hold Out Against The Night"

(TMFU Movie; M; 1k words) One does not simply walk away from nearly drowning in a harbor. Illya makes it back to the hotel room, but once his heart stops racing, his lungs begin to ache. ● OR ● This is what happens after Solo saves Illya from the harbor of the satellite factory.

"Uneasy Ally Of The Body"

(TMFU Movie; M; 1k words) A little drabble exploring what was going through Solo's head when Victoria drugged him.

April - 3

"Que Si Te La Bebes De Seguro Te Va A Matar"

(TMFU Movie; E; 1k words) Illya Kuryakin's mission is to take out the CIA's most effective agent. Things....don't go as planned.

"If I Could Hold You For A Minute"

(TMFU Movie; T; 2k words) A letter from Gaby to her newborn baby.

"I've Been Watching You A While (Maybe You've Been Watching Me Too)"

(TMFU Movie; M; 3k words) Texas. The state of sprawling desserts, rich farmlands, and absolutely zero* communists.

*Not counting Illya, of course ;)

May - 1

"To Find Someone To Talk To, Who Likes The Way I Am"

(TMFU Movie; E; 46k words) Solo and Gaby are students at a university, studying for their respective career choices, when a foreign exchange student catches the attention of the entire campus - including Solo.

June - 1

"January Embers"

(TMFU Movie; T; 2k words) Fireplaces are NOT beds. For most people. Illya is not most people.

July - 7

"Death, He Knows the Panes of My Face"

(TMFU Movie; E; 5k words) A mission goes sideways. Solo gets himself strung up from the ceiling and learns what it's like to be cooked from the inside out.

"Blood In Your Teeth and Mud On Your Hands"

(TMFU Movie; N/R; 1k words) Gaby drags Solo to a motocross race, where Illya Kuryakin, better known as The Red Peril in the motocross scene, wins first place. Solo is immediately enamored.

"I Am Your Lover (I Am Your Jailor)"

(TMFU Movie; E; 25k words; UNFINISHED) Twenty years after their friend is taken from them, Illya is called into service to guard the all-too-familiar looking Prince.

[P.S. I promise this one is ALSO not abandoned!!]

"[Podfic] Country Roads (Take Me Home)"

(TMFU Movie; T; 10 minutes) “We were supposed to turn off motorway half-hour ago!”

“We heard you the first time, Illya,” says Gaby, drumming her hands on the wheel. Her ponytail snaps like a whip as she rolls her window down. Outside, the rolling fields stretch away into oblivion as they speed along the grey-paved road. “There’s more than one way to get there.”

“Is not what map says,” grumbles the Russian from the back seat, but the sounds of crinkling paper speak up soon after, announcing that he has retreated back behind said map in silence.

"Would You Lay With Me?"

(TMFU Movie; N/R; 2k words) A sore throat. An itch just out of reach, banished only for moments at a time by a suppressed cough. Just the change of seasons, Illya told himself when the itching turned to burning as he went to bed that night. He was living in a much warmer climate than he was used to, after all. Surrounded by plants he didn't grow up inhaling the pollen of. ● OR ● Illya is sick and angry about it.

"[Podfic] The Words I Cannot Say"

(TMFU Movie; T; 3 minutes) Illya’s not a fool. He knows that if he had been faster, if the tracker’s signal had been stronger, then he might have saved Solo some pain. Saved him the silver nails that punched through his flesh. Saved him the bandages, torn from an old shirt in the warehouse, wrapped tightly around his bleeding hand.

"[Podfic] These Veins Like Wires"

(TMFU Movie; T; 20 minutes) The first time Gaby sees it, she is evesdropping on a conversation she is quite certain she’s not supposed to know about. —— Or, Five times that others noticed the collar, and the one time Solo did.

August - 8

"I've Told A Million Lies But Now I Tell A Single Truth"

(TMFU Movie; E; 3k words) Five times someone discovers that Napoleon Solo is transgender + the first time he does.

"Everything's Got A Price"

(TMFU Movie; E; 3k words) Napoleon Solo, a renowned mercenary in the underworld, is going to be hired to protect the son of Nikolai Kuryakin, a Russian Mob boss. Things take a slightly different turn once Nikolai leaves them alone together. (Part Two of "Now You See Me, Now You Don't")

"A Passion Crime With A Danger Sign"

(TMFU Movie; E; 6k words) Three weeks. That's how long it takes for the mystery organization after the Kuryakins to make an attempt on Illya's life. Solo has the chance to prove he's worth his price tag. (Part Four of "Now You See Me, Now You Don't")

"Religion Leaves a Bitter Taste"

(TMFU Movie; M; 1k words) The Prayer Vigil after Illya's mother is killed. (Before the events of Part One of "Now You See Me, Now You Don't")

"Dissecting Destruction"

(TMFU Movie; T; 3k words) An essay dissecting Illya Kuryakin's psychotic breaks, specifically the one before the infamous Watch Scene, and all of the detail and symbolism involved in it.

"Spies Are Forever"

(TMFU Movie/The Lone Ranger; M; 1k) Major Character Death is (technically) Temporary. They don't know how or why, but every time Illya and Solo die, they find each other in the next life. Neither of them had ever been able to communicate with the body they inhabited.

"For Death Is Not The Worst Of Evils"

(TMFU Movie/2081; E; 1k words) (Spoilers for the movie "2081", available on Youtube) The climactic scene from "2081", but if it were Illya and Solo.

"One More Sweet Boy To Be Butchered By Man"

(TMFU Movie; E; 2k words) "Then he said: don't you know? I am trying to make you great.

And I said: I do not want to be great, I want to be loved."

- Sue Zhao

•••

Illya is seventeen and suffering brutal treatment by his peers and higher-ups. (Suicide tag is that of a minor character)

September - 1

"Slip Inside The Eye Of Your Mind"

(Gravity Falls; T; 1k words) Two traumatized old men learning how to be people again- one cup of interdimensional coffee at a time.

October - 13

"TMFU (2015) Flufftober 2024"

(TMFU Movie; 12 Works; G, T, M, and E, 22k words total) My TMFU responses for 12 of the 31 Flufftober 2024 prompts.

"Waste The Night"

(Gravity Falls; T; 749 words) Flufftober Day Six: Mistaken Identity --- It's another late night in the lab, and Fiddleford assumes it's not his friend who gets his attention.

November - 1

"Approach, Appear"

(TMFU Movie; M; 956 words) "The roof is a place of morbid comfort, for him. When things felt too heavy, he would climb the stairs to the hatch and just sit on the ledge. He would lean back on his palms, letting the bite of gravel ground him, and just trace constellations, listening to the night birds call." ••• Illya likes to sit on the rooftop when his thoughts get too much. Solo tends to join him.

December - 2

"[Podfic] A Cowboy And A Communist Walk Into A Bar"

(TMFU Movie; T; 15 minutes) Deveny’s got his hands tucked into his pockets, watching Illya intently where the Russian has paused. They’d parked his pickup back down the road, in cover of some scraggly trees before trekking the rest of the drive on foot. It’s dimly lit by the pale orb of the moon hanging overhead like a mobile. The grass like three day old stubble under their shoes.

“I usually work alone,” Illya admits now, taking in the full size of the looming warehouse. And it’s true. Sometimes it’s Gaby, but he’s never had another partner. It’s a strange feeling, though not wholly unpleasant. “But this will not work. Not tonight.”

“Alright,” says the American at last, gilded in the moonlight. Voice dusty and raw like the landscape stretching out around them. He almost sounds as if he’s been gargling the sand. Maybe it’s nerves. Maybe it’s the smoking. “I’ll help ya. But it's in and out, no mess, and nobody knows we've been here. And we both forget about it in the mornin’. Deal?”

"Winter Exchange Fic"

(TMFU; ?; ????) Yet to be revealed.

Phew!! I don't know how I managed to get all of this written while also working 😅 Apparently I have more spoons than I thought! Turns out I just use them all to write LMAO

Anyway, a MASSIVE thank you to everyone who has supported me, read/listened to my works, left kudos, commented, made podfics and fanart of my works, etc. 💕💕💕💕💕 I would not be here without you all 💕💕���💕 I cannot WAIT to show you all what next year will bring!!!

Love and SO many hugs,

Mawce

As always, no pressure tagging @huggiebird @happybean17 @falling-into-peril @heytheredeann @pippinoftheshire

@bighandsforabigheart @kcscribbler @mybelovedillya @the-golden-comet @thattripleabattery

@too-young-to-fall-in-love @times-up-alone-tonight @vnyu73 @nicijones @prettyboynapoleonsolo

And an Open Tag for anyone who wants to join!!!

[countesspetofi]

Today in the Department of Before They Were Star Trek Stars, Part 1 of a double feature! William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy guest star in "The Project Strigas Affair," episode 9 of the first season of The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (original air date November 24, 1964). There were too many good shots and too many connections to fit comfortably in one post.

Shatner plays a chemical engineer being used by U.N.C.L.E. to thwart the political ambitions of a hawkish ambassador from an unnamed Eastern bloc nation, by selling him disinformation about a powerful new chemical weapon Shatner's supposed to have developed. Nimoy plays the ambassador's equally ambitious, and far less gullible, aide.

The boys were only in a couple of shots together, and they were all blurry and/or long.

Other Trek connections: This episode was directed by Joseph Sargent, who directed the Star Trek episode "The Corbomite Maneuver."

[callmearcturus]

oh snap i haven't checked my mentions in a grip, @ribeckulous tagged me to show off my 10 favorite movies with a gif for each

i have HQ digital copies of all of these on my plex server so I'll do you one better and grab a screencap of one of my favorite shots of each movie

asteroid city, 2023 (jones hall is a reflection of my soul) speed racer, 2008 (unironically the greatest feast of the eyes i've ever seen) mission impossible: fallout, 2018 (the greatest action movie ever, i am haunted by this film) the man from u.n.c.l.e., 2015 (guy ritchie peaked here, actually a perfect movie) grosse pointe blank, 1998 (its EMBARRASSING to show this movie to ppl, I took so much from it) atomic blonde, 2017 (the best john wick action film and james FUCKING McAvoy holy shit) edge of tomorrow, 2014 (the best scifi movie in the past 15 years, i'm not remotely kidding) hit man, 2023 (love to be doxed by a fucking movie, awesome) action button reviews boku no natsuyasumi, 2022 (I AM NOT REMOTELY KIDDING, the places this goes destroyed me. fucking SUNFLOWERS.) and

(me: what am i missing punct: a movie that's not about sex work but is about sex work? me: i already have hit man punct: ………….. MAVERICK. me: SIGH. YEAH.)

top gun maverick, 2022 (i'm sorry but it's incredible. i'm sorry but it just is. i would kill a grown man to be able to watch the darkstar sequence in a theater.)

tagging @interropunct @arquiving @agnesmontague and if they see it @preapocalyptic and @madamtrashbat

[banemmanan]

U.N.C.L.E. statistics graphs

Part 2 of 3

[part 1] * [part 3]

All Man from U.N.C.L.E. data was compiled by @commander-kiranerys :

Series 1 * Series 2 * Series 3 * Series 4

Girl from U.N.C.L.E. data was compiled by myself and my sister:

* GFU *

Original graphs created by commander-kiranerys:

* :1: * :2: * :3: * :4: *

(more info and analysis under the cut)

Disclaimer:

As you can see from the data attributes, the mfu and gfu stats have been compiled by two different people. As such, results should be taken with a grain of salt as our views on what exactly constitutes 'torture' or a 'failed escape' may vary.

A word on graphs:

I felt that having compiling the separate info in one place in the form of bar charts was ideal for visual comparisons of the data, rather than jumping between posts. However, I cannot recommend enough commander-kiranerys's original graphs enough due to them being in the form of line graphs, thus giving a good view of change over time for the individual results of her statistics. This was not possible here due to gfu being part of a separate show.

Analysis:

Tied up: so if you're into bondage then MFU Season 3 is for you. Specifically Illya... (I see you Season 3 writers, I see you). As you can see from these graphs and the next two, the GFU villains weren't really very kinky. A shame tbh (who said that?).

Chained or handcuffed: I had combined these two separate categories into just the one in my data set and so I added together commander-kiranerys' results to create some compatible data. The MFU stats here remain very consistent before that good ol' Season 4 drop, they didn't get that same significant increase that being tied up saw.

Tortured: sad to see that Napoleon and Illya have never been tortured together. As the old saying goes, partners who get tortured together, stay together. Very tragic.

Drugged: a lot of the cynics out there will say that it's no surprise at all that GFU was on the most drugs of the series. But to that I say, just look at that MFU Season 3 stat! The least by a long shot!

Knocked out: the most impressive thing here is that if you removed all of April's stats, GFU would still be leading on getting knocked out. I'm more than a little worried about Mark; has anyone checked him for post-concussion syndrome?

Shot: my findings? Bullet wound Mark is an outlier and should not be counted. He is one gunshot away in his single series from equalling Illya in the entire run of MFU. The consistency of those MFU results is very satisfying to me, and then Mark has to ruin it! Someone get this man a touriquet or smth idc. Also April is bullet proof, aparently.

Wet: although I was too British and prude to tally-up instances of partial nudity (idk why I found that too embarrassing ok), I am not imune to fanservice and was more than happy to count instances of getting wet. Now, if you like your agents soaking wet, then aparently GFU is the show for you (yes this is a propaganda post). Though on average it ties with MFU Season 4; in terms of raw numbers it cannot be beat. Interestingly though, Season 1 Napoleon is tied with Mark for soggiest individual character.

I will freely admit that the analysis here is strongly skewed towards comparing the GFU results with the MFU results. Mainly due to commander-kiranerys having already created a set of graphs and gone over the MFU data there. I didn't want these posts to replace those in any way and instead to add to them. Please check out those posts (linked above) for a more MFU-oriented approach!

I hope you found this data useful or at least interesting! I would love to have discussions about these!

[morethanaloveinterest]

An Outta Sight Look at Victoria Vinciguerra's Costumes in the Man from U.N.C.L.E.

The fashion in this movie continues to be amazing. Let's dig into what our villainess is wearing and it tells us about her.

(check out my review of Gaby's costumes here)

We meet Victoria Vinciguerra at a party she is hosting, which Napoleon Solo crashes to get close to her. The majority of Victoria's wonderful costumes in this movie are black and white, with gold accents, but this one has by far the most gold - even her sandals have it!

As an introduction to our villain, it's perfect. In a story where everyone has facades, with double agents and all, wearing an animal print is very appropriate. Is it a zebra pattern or a tiger? Is she the prey of super spy Solo or is she actually hunting him? A+ costume choice for this scene, no notes.

This also sets her apart from Gaby, our female hero. Victoria is far more done up - more makeup, dripping in accessories, complex pattern, there is nothing simple here. She is a fabulously wealthy woman and she is flaunting it.

As we'll see with the rest of her costumes, she's also clearly the one wearing the pants in the plots. Yeah, her husband may have inherited the business but she is definitely the one in charge at every point. While still looking fabulous.

Female representation: 10/10 Fantastic villain outfit, especially for a spy movie. Definitely set apart from the way villainesses are usually portrayed

Practicality: 10/10  It's obviously perfect for that context but I'm sure she could take care of anything that came up without breaking a sweat (or tripping over anything).

Both ladies wear their pajamas in this movie, and they couldn't be more different. Victoria continues to be the height of fashion, looking just as put together and intentional as she does in anything else she wears in this film. The geometric pattern on her robe is very fashionable and reinforces her black-and-white costuming. A little more gray here, perhaps begging the question of if she has been taken in by our charming spies (she has not)

Female representation: 10/10 I'm going to go off of the movie instead of this particular picture, lovely as it is. In the film, she wears this in a darkened room while behind her desk, on the phone. We do see her leave to go change, dramatically slamming the doors, but nothing else. Which makes it still one of the best filmed nightgown scenes I've come across - she continues to be gorgeous without catering to the male gaze (this isn't how women in spy movies are usually filmed, you know?)

Practicality: 9/10 Not sure they'd be the most comfortable pajamas but they're great for spending time in one's boudoir.

I wanted to include more detail, but couldn't in the distance shot. This is what she wears after hearing that someone has been snooping around, and she immediately goes to the hotel to investigate Solo. Her makeup is a bit less obvious than at the party, but she certainly has a full face. She even had time to accessorize before heading out. Her shoes might be gold, which is delightful.

The vest is clearly made of scales (alligator seems most likely to have been fashionable at the time, but it could be a kind of snake). Whatever the source, it is very appropriate for the villain of the story as she goes to investigate our hero with intent to kill. Before getting up to something a bit more entertaining.

Female representation: 10/10 For a snake-themed outfit our villainous lady wears to take out the hero, this is quite understated. Very focused on her own sense of fashion rather than the male gaze

Practicality: 10/10 One of the more practical things she wears in this movie, perfect for going to murder and/or sleep with a spy

I gotta be honest here, I'm not sure when she wears this (is it a deleted scene?). It's clearly in the lab, no doubt getting an update on what our spies have discovered. It's the least dressed-up we see her, while she still keeps to her color scheme.

Female representation: 10/10 Villain gets a report from her captive scientist wearing this? Perfection

Practicality: 10/10 It certainly rivals the last one in practicality, though I can't be sure what the whole ensemble looks like.

Absolutely show-stopping, I love how the costumes step up a notch for the climax (as does everything else). The clearly divided black and white is perfect for the way this scene plays out. Is she fooled by Solo or fooling him? She's worn pants in basically all of her scenes (other than her nightgown), but this one is definitely my favorite.

Female representation: 10/10 Our female villain poisons our spy hero in this outfit? Perfection once again

Practicality: 10/10 Fantastic choice for revealing your plans and taking down your nemesis

She wears this coat and scarf over her previous costume, while out and about to cause mischief. It fits her color scheme and style, but now that we all know she is the villain, the white is just an accent while black has taken over.

Female representation: 10/10 Again, for being the black costume our villainess wears in the climax, I can't think of anything more lovely and empowering. She's definitely in charge here.

Practicality: 9/10 I am sure she has underlings to grab things for her, but I don't feel like she could move her arms very much - something I consider important in a coat. Still, it's gorgeous.

Her final costume in the film, when she is escaping on a fishing boat. Shockingly, she seems to have put on an outfit that isn't black and white, with even some blue! Presumably she was trying not to attract too much attention as she escaped on a simple fishing boat, but she is still incredibly stylish with proper accessories.

Female representation: 10/10 Again, female villain getting her comeuppance at the end, dressed very comfortably, you gotta love it

Practicality: 10/10 I can't see the whole thing, but Victoria always has the right outfit for the occasion, so I'm sure this is perfect for her current plot.

Want to hear more of my thoughts about female characters and fashion? Check out my other costume reviews or my YouTube channel (episode on Gaby out now!)

[the-goya-jerker]

What are your favorite movies? Any recommendations?

ALWAYS.

I love film. I love TV shows. I love to watch things.

I'll try to group these up. But they're below a cut because this will get long.

Oh, also, I recommend checking out the Does the Dog Die and/or Unconsenting Media page for movies on here. These check for common triggers for the first, and specific sexual content in the second. Both are quite thorough, and Unconsenting Media always needs more contributers.

Please, if you have triggers of any kind, curate your experiences, advocate for yourself. These sites can really help you.

If you like straight up horror:

The VVitch is an absolute favorite, I'm an absolute sucker for historical accuracy.

The Sudbury Devil is of a similar vein. It's weird! Don't get me wrong! The quality isn't the best, but I did like it!

St. Maud is another one, very religious and very creative.

I like the original Wickerman, but I don't really see it as horror... That guy was a dick and a cop.

The Wind is fun, I didn't like the ending much, but I'm really into atmospheric horror. There's a fun game based on it. (Even if I find the creator's other works a little... suspicious, ideologically.)

Bride of Reanimator has a special place in my heart.

V/H/S '94 is a recent watch of mine. Not every piece in it is good, and the framing device is weak, but I liked it for what it was nevertheless. Big youtube short films/ARG vibes.

Go watch Portrait of God on youtube. It's scary, eerie, and it made my stomach churn a bit.

Crimson Peak is also very very good. Very gothic, but I'm grouping it here for how violence is presented.

If you like things with horror elements that are more gothic than straight up horror:

Interview with the Vampire is a big favorite of mine. I love the books, the show, and especially the movie.

Donnie Darko is fun, very philosophical, a little weird, but I've loved it since I was young.

Ex Machina is interesting to me, I find it enjoyable, even though I have criticisms of how it handles some things.

The Tragedy of Macbeth is lovely. It captures the feeling of a stage play while also using the unique capabilities of film to propel itself into something uniquely good.

The Green Knight on the other hand is not a faithful adaptation. But it has something new to say and do, and I love what it does.

Poor Things deserves every big of hype it gets. If you haven't seen it, it's Frankenstein but with delightfully surreal worldbuilding. The world feels like a painting. Also it's very good as a feminist piece, in my opinion. If a bit singular.

The Love Witch is beautiful, and fascinating to me. I have a special fascination with wicca and neo-pagan movements though, as well as witchcraft and folk-magic.

For things entirely unrelated to horror:

Hedwig and the Angry Inch restructured my brain.

Technically HBO's Angels in America is a mini-series. Watch it like a movie if you can though. I watched it that way for a film class and it's closer to the original play that way.

The Man From U.N.C.L.E. is a very fun spy romp. Listen, just watch it and turn off your brain.

The John Wick movies, while "basic" are a beautiful ballet of violence and action. I do like the mythological elements as well.

The Harder They Fall fucks severely. It's a western centered on an entirely black main cast.

Mama Mia, need I say more.

I do not consider Renfield horror, but god if it isn't fun.

Dungeons and Dragons, sometimes you need a good, well made, movie that's kinda a little stupid.

Barbie Princess and the Pauper isn't good, but I like it.

Spider-verse. Like the whole series. I have a special attachment to these. They're utterly beautiful.

Cats. Is it good? NO!! But you should watch it anyway. Let the awful CGI melt into your brain, let it consume you and just watch. (Someone wants me to say you should watch the movie of the stage production instead)

Watch The Invitation. Go in blind. I'm begging you. Just give it a shot. Don't look up anything.

[raikkoberg]

I'd like to thank @kimissteeringwheel for the tag!

Pairing/Shippy list!

Here's the rules:

1. List your top seven ships

2. Put all of them in order of your love for them; 7 to 1, 1 being your favorite.

3. Name their fandom.

4. Supply photos for said people.

So here we go-

7. Jenson Button x Fernando Alonso [Ship Name: Buttonso / Jensonando]

Fandom: Formula 1 RPF

Reasons: Because why not? They have the chemistry, they have the potential, they have their own thing going on every now and then- give me a good reason to not ship these dorks.

6. Napoleon Solo x Illya Kuryakin [ Ship Name: Napollya / Illeon]

Fandom: The Man From U.N.C.L.E. [movie 2015]

Reason: Pure Grumpy x Sunshine trope. Illya is shot tempered and keeps himself isolated most of the time, but Napoleon knows how to get under his skin (👀) and adores his Red Peril to death. I mean, he literally jumped in those deep waters to save his life- what more prrpf do you need?

5. Charles Leclerc x Max Verstappen [ Ship Name: Lestappen/Verleclerc ]

Fandom: Formula 1 RPF

Reason: Seriously? You need a reason? Aren't those subtle touches on Charles' lower back after the podiums, or even when they're close to each other, not enough? Isn't that habit of Max not being able to stand in one place after seeing his favorite Ferrari boy enough? Isn't their inability to not mention each other once in every interview ever enough? They're the definition of "Love is blind"

4. Mika Häkkinen x Michael Schumacher [Ship Name: Makkinen/ Mikael]

Fandom: Formula 1 RPF

Reasons: The classic Finn x German trope. They say they're not friends yet can't seem to leave each other alone. They basically defined each other's lives in the sport and outside of it by staying side by side in every battle. A win wouldn't feel like a win to any of them if not snatched by the other one.

3. Carlos Sainz Jr x Lando Norris [ Ship Name: Carlando / Muppet Friends ]

Fandom: Formula 1 RPF

Reasons: THEY'RE MY COMFORT SHIP!!!! They take care of each other, mention each other everywhere, go on golf dates (and dates) with each other, spend time with each other on family weddings/holidays and even after it's been three years since Carlos switched teams, their bond keeps on getting deeper and deeper. And these two were the ones people initially thought would not get along. They proved everyone wrong, and still are. I personally believe both of them progressed a lot as a personality after meeting each other. Specially in Lando's case- He's a big brother to Oscar now. Carlando for life!

2. Nico Rosberg x Lewis Hamilton [ Ship Name: Brocedes / Rosmilton ]

Fandom: Formula 1 RPF

Reasons: REASONS??? FOR WHAT EXACTLY??? Both of them come from two totally different worlds and background - one with everything and one with almost nothing. Nico grew up in a lavish lifestyle but he established that friendship doesn't care about your background. It's just friendship. And he had his fair share with Lewis, a little boy from the UK who found a friend in a place and time he least expected to be. They went on vacations together, raced each other as teammates - both in karting and F1, which was a dream they both promised each other of when they were practically babies. But the same dream tore them apart later in life and they're so close and yet so far. And the fact that it's not fictional is just tragic.

Honourable Mentions:

Destiel [ Dean Winchester x Castiel] - Supernatural

Cherik [ Charles Xavier x Erik Lehnsherr]- X-Men Universer

Stony [ Steve Rogers x Tony Stark] - Marvel Cinematic Universe

Johnlock [Sherlock Holmes x John Watson]- The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes

Hannigram [Will Graham x Hannibal Lecter] - Hannibal.

AND DRUMROLL 🥁

1. Kimi Räikkonen x Sebastian Vettel [ Ship Name: Simi / Kibastian ]

Fandom: Formula 1 RPF

Reasons: Who else has ever had the ability to make the Iceman smile bar the little unhinged sassy German that we all love and worship the most? Kimi is so comfortable with his surroundings when around Seb and actually laughs and speaks by his own will! They both spend time playing badminton and Kimi actually addresses Seb as his friend. Like- is this a dream? IT'S REAL!!!! Get yourself someone who smiles at you the way they both smile at each other. And after all- it's Sebastian. You can't resist his charm- no one can ✨

Like look at them:

Uff. This was a long post but I enjoyed it. Thanks a lot to everyone who read it to the end.

I'd like to tag @thatquirkycookie, @sebbuh , @wdkzms, @rednyx-sf, @muppet-friends and @sainzinnorris to participate. And anyone who sees this post and wants to do this obviously. No pressure though. Do it only if you feel like it!

[maximumwobblerbanditdonut]

Remembering David McCallum- Scottish actor and musician.

David McCallum, who became a heartthrob in the hit series ‘The Man From U.N.C.L.E.,’ Dies at 90 💔 So sad a fine actor a great talent and a true gentleman.

An experienced character actor, he found fame in the 1960s as the enigmatic Illya Kuryakin. The British actor who played the mysterious secret agent Illya Kuryakin alongside Robert Vaughn’s Napoleon Solo in the 1960s hit spy drama The Man From U.N.C.L.E. was a secret international counterespionage and law-enforcement agency called U.N.C.L.E. (United Network Command for Law and Enforcement). The series premiered on September 22, 1964, and completed its run on January 15, 1968. The role turned the actor into a global sex symbol.

The success of the James Bond books and films had set off a chain reaction, with secret agents proliferating on both large and small screens. Indeed, Bond creator Ian Fleming contributed some ideas when the series was being developed, according to Jon Heitland’s book, The Man From U.N.C.L.E.: The Behind-the-Scenes Story of a Television Classic (special introduction by Robert Vaughn)

David McCallum took his place among one of the most iconic casts Hollywood ever assembled, nothing in the film’s title, The Great Escape, He was playing naval officer Eric Ashley-Pitt in the 1963 Second World War epic about the mass escape of British and Commonwealth POWs from German Stalag Luft III camp, through another POW turn in Colditz (1972-1974).

David McCallum with Steve McQueen on the set of the WWII epic. The Great Escape brought him to a US audiences. (Image: Moviestore/REX/Shutterstock)

In 1975, he had the title role in a short-lived science fiction series, “The Invisible Man,” and from 1979 to 1982 he played Steel in a British sci-if chiller “Sapphire and Steel” (1979-1982). Over the years, he also appeared in guest shots in many TV shows, including “Murder, She Wrote” and “Sex and the City, a romantic comedy-drama television series filmed in New York.

Later, in the 2000s as an eccentric medical examiner on “N.C.I.S.” he reached a new audience as Dr Donald "Ducky" Mallard, the medical examiner in US TV drama NCIS. McCallum was known for playing a pathologist on the hit CBS TV programme NCIS, which went on to generate several spinoff series, for twenty years. NCIS is the third-longest-running scripted, non-animated primetime television series in the U.S that is currently on air.

He was a true Renaissance man — he was fascinated by science and culture and would turn those passions into knowledge. For example, he was capable of conducting a symphony orchestra and (if needed) could perform an autopsy, based on his decades-long studies for his role on NCIS.

The Scottish-born actor died in New York on Monday 25th September 2023. He lived in Manhattan. David Keith McCallum was born on 19th September 1933 in the Maryhill (Scots: Maryhull - Scottish Gaelic: Cnoc Màiri) area of Glasgow, to a father who was the first violinist for the London Philharmonic and a mother who was a cellist.

David won a scholarship to the University College School in north London and took up the oboe with a view to a classical music career. Thus he originally pursued a career in music, training on the oboe and studying for a time at the Royal Academy of Music, though he soon left and enrolled at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. After RADA he started performing with repertory theatre companies.

David McCallum was drafted into the British military in 1951 and served two years, including 10 months in what was a small-arms expert. Not long after his discharge, he signed with the Rank Organization, a British production company, and began acting both in movies and on television.

David McCallum a classically trained musician, created arrangements of popular songs of the day alongside a few original pieces and made four albums with forward-thinking producer and composer David Axelrod. Those groovy productions have been sampled a lot by trip-hop artists and more. In particular, “The Edge” from 1967’s

“The Edge” from 1967’s Music: For those who might have heard this song sampled elsewhere, you could have heard it in various places. From Masta Ace (“No Regrets”) to John Legend (“Actions”) his original was used in Edgar Wright’s Baby Driver, the 2017 film starring Ansel Elgort.

Check out the video below and listen for that familiar intro:

David McCallum - From The Man from U.N.C.L.E. to NCIS, and all performances in between, he was a multifaceted talent during 7 decades and 100 films and TV shows a True Legend.

R.I.P David 💔

1933-2023

#DavidMcCallum #Scottishactor #Britishactor #U.N.C.L.E. #IllyaKuryakin #TheGreatEscape #navalofficer #EricAshley #NCIS #secretagent #Edge #music #Ducky #DoctorMallard #actor #talent #gentleman #Legend #ripdavidmccallum

[kinkynasreadfics]

Alternative ending to the almost kiss scene after wrestling between Illya and Gaby.

The progression of Gaby/Illya's relationship involving bathing, washing, swimming, or just getting wet together ahem

In Vienna, Gaby played Solo’s wife.

Reparation

Illya Kuryakin's birthday gift arrives just before midnight with a lock pick, a grappling hook, and a plan.

MEH I didn't read it all

Weapon of Mass Destruction

Answered Gallyakink prompt #14:Gaby and Illya discover the vibrator

Behind the Iron Curtain, Illya's loyalties are tested.

NAH

Chapter 3: jilted one minute, worshiped the next

Prompt: [anonymous] Ok, they've all just completed a mission successfully and Waverly has commandeered a small military base for debriefing etc. Napoleon is off doing his thing and Gaby disappears off for a shower. Illya, not realising, walks in on her. The cubicles are small but cover enough so he only sees head and shoulders and from her calves down. It's lucky she's so short as otherwise he'd have seen a lot more! Because he moves silently anyway she doesn't hear him come in and he's entranced watching her. She's really enjoying her incredibly hot shower and Illya is cemented to his spot watching her lather up until he sees her use a razor…his! Feel free to go as smutty as you like!

CONFUSING

a collection of my tumblr gallya fics The Chicken Affair: Four mornings in a mission. And a chicken. The Marshmallow Affair: Illya calls Gaby something he shouldn't have and gets his ass kicked. The Blizzard Affair: Snowed in fluff. Part 1/2 The Alone Affair: Snowed in smut. Part 2/2 (explicit) April drabbles May drabbles June drabbles July drabbles

Doing Ok, Comrade?

Car sex is really hard when one person is injured and the other is 6'5.

After their mission in Milan, Gaby and Illya finally break the tension. The missing sex scene from my mission fic, Milan.

You Go Down Smooth https://archiveofourown.org/works/5214191 Gaby thinks that she can take him like a shot of vodka.

The Things His Mouth Can Do https://archiveofourown.org/works/5187746 Gaby needs some quality girl talk and Napoleon and Illya are out of the question. A target on a mission will work just fine for her though.

[ao3feed-twiyor]

A Weird Birthday Tradition Between A Bunch Of Friends From Work

read it on AO3 at https://ift.tt/gQuXvMS by Betrayed_Dreams It's odd how some things become traditions. This one started out as a joke. (In the name of international cooperation and bonhomie between different intelligence organizations across the globe. It makes you wonder, did the people at HR even know what they did for a living?) In fact, Agent Twilight had to google it – 'What's the most terrible gift you can give someone.' As you would expect, there was a list with 15 items and out of them. Loid picked one at random. And so, on Agent Double-Oh-Seven James Bond's birthday, he received office supplies – a stapler, tape and paper clips. As a birthday gift. And what happened next, how the rest of the spies and assassins of the world of intelligence and counter-intelligence got involved, well, you had to be there to understand it. But look on the bright side - No one died. ...Except for the terrorist Jack Bauer, Natasha Romanoff and The Thorn Princess tortured. ...And the fight which almost happened between Jason Bourne and Ethan Hunt. ...And the fight which almost happened between Natasha Romanoff and Jason Bourne. The key word being almost. (One-shot) (Complete) Words: 1341, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English Series: Part 1 of Our Friends Are Weird Fandoms: SPY x FAMILY (Anime), SPY x FAMILY (Manga), James Bond (Craig Movies), Jason Bourne Series - Robert Ludlum, Bourne (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Black Widow (Movie 2021), 24 (TV), The Man From U.N.C.L.E. (2015) Rating: Mature Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Categories: F/M Characters: Loid Forger | Twilight, Yor Briar Forger | Thorn Princess, James Bond, Jason Bourne, Natasha Romanov (Marvel), Jack Bauer, Clint Barton, Napoleon Solo, Illya Kuryakin Relationships: Loid Forger | Twilight/Yor Briar Forger | Thorn Princess Additional Tags: Romance, Comedy, Humor, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Canon-Typical Violence, Friendship, Team as Family, Family Feels, POV Loid Forger | Twilight, Married Loid Forger | Twilight/Yor Briar Forger | Thorn Princess, POV Multiple, Birthday, Birthday Fluff, Loid Forger | Twilight Loves Yor Briar Forger | Thorn Princess, Yor Briar Forger | Thorn Princess Loves Her Family, POV Yor Briar Forger | Thorn Princess, Male Friendship, Female Friendship, Male-Female Friendship, Post-Identity Reveal Loid Forger | Twilight/Yor Briar Forger | Thorn Princess, Birthday Presents read it on AO3 at https://ift.tt/gQuXvMS

[cha-melodius]

AO3 Fic Meme

Is this a meme? Has the word 'meme' lost all meaning at this point? Does it matter? Anyway, thanks to @onthewaytosomewhere for the tag! 😂

Rules: go to your AO3 account and find the following:

1. What ratings do you write most of your fics under?

Teen And Up Audiences (57)

Mature (25)

Explicit (24)

General Audiences (18)

2. What are your top three fandoms?

The Man From U.N.C.L.E. (2015) (45)

Red White & Royal Blue - Casey McQuiston (34)

The Mandalorian (TV) (22)

3. What is the top character you write about? (Got some ties here)

Napoleon Solo (45)

Illya Kuryakin (45)

Alex Claremont-Diaz (34)

Henry Fox-Mountchristen-Windsor (34)

4. What are your top three pairings? (Surprise surprise, this list is the same as the fandom one lmao)

Illya Kuryakin/Napoleon Solo (45)

Alex Claremont-Diaz/Henry Fox-Mountchristen-Windsor (34)

Din Djarin/Cara Dune (22)

5. What are the top three additional tags

Getting Together (63)

First Kiss (35)

Angst with a Happy Ending (30)

6. Does any of this surprise you?

Not a single bit. Actually I didn't necessarily expect the T vs. E disparity to be quite so large, but it also makes sense because I'm more likely to write long fics as E and one shots as T, and there's gonna be a lot more one shots than long fics.

Mae already tagged a large percentage of my rwrb mutuals, so for efficiency's sake I'm tagging @justabigoldnerd, @loki-is-my-kink-awakening, @mirilyawrites, @pippinoftheshire, @too-young-to-fall-in-love

@faketrex, @iboatedhere, @read-and-write-, @ninzied, @firenati0n

@indestructibleheart, @sherryvalli, @welcometololaland, @rmd-writes, @liminalmemories21

@leaves-of-laurelin, @14carrotghoul, @nicijones, @three-drink-amy, @heytheredeann

[justabigoldnerd]

This is gonna be the weirdest sentence I think I've ever said

I've started rewatching "The X Files" to get inspiration for the "Gravity Falls" × "The Man From U.N.C.L.E." (2015) crossover I'm writing and I just-

Dana Scully, everyone. God. Let's all take a moment to appreciate Dana Scully. Fucking stunning, brilliant, hooked nose, huskier voice, badass, divinely human Dana Scully. Goddamn I love her so much. Probably one of my queer awakenings before I knew what a queer awakening was. She is such a rare character type in fiction. And in the 90s??? Mother fucking Dr. Dana Scully. Love of my life.

Also this is just a absolutely GORGEOUS shot if her FUCK