#Hot shots part deux cast

[polhbeat]

Hot shots part deux cast

#Hot shots part deux cast movie

"Loved you in 'Wall Street'," the father shouts, as the boats pass.

#Hot shots part deux cast movie

On it is his father, Martin Sheen, who starred, of course, in " Apocalypse Now," and is apparently still inside that movie as we see him. Proceeding down an Asian river in a gunboat, Sheen passes another boat headed in the opposite direction. And we join Sheen on the mission, which is constructed out of countless jokes based on the "Rambo" movies and other commando epics. Why is his participation essential? "You are the best of what we have left!" In the unnamed Arab country, we see a Saddam Hussein look-alike living a life of blissful domesticity, interrupted by moments of mayhem and torture. The story is "Goldilocks and the Three Bears." Sheen, named Topper Harley in the movie, is needed to rescue Americans who were sent in to rescue other Americans who were sent in to rescue other Americans. He is tracked down there by his old commanding officer, played by Richard Crenna in a repeat of his own role in "Rambo III." Sheen wants to stay where he is, until Crenna tells him a story that makes him realize he is needed for a dangerous mission in the Middle East. The Sheen character, patterned on the Stallone original, is a pumped-up man of few words, who at the beginning of the film has left his life of action and violence to live a life of contemplation with monks in a remote Eastern land. The movie is directed by Jim Abrahams, who was one of the perpetrators of " Airplane!" (1980), the satirical parody that spawned this and many other films, including " Top Secret!" " The Naked Gun" and the original "Hot Shots!" The current film takes "Rambo III" as its starting place, with lots of loving little touches. The other principal female character in the movie, played by Brenda Bakke, is named Michelle Rodham Hudleston. The Golina character is named Ramada Rodham Hayman.

[hermitreunited]

TUA Feedback Fest!

💜💜 Favorite Fic Writer 💜💜

I could have split these all up to go under various rec theme posts, and maybe I will, but the gosh darn truth of it is that I love every fic by @sunriseseance​ aka Oceansweather so dang much that I needed to make a post about all of it. A very detailed post. It’s long, but she and her work deserve it. <3

A Hard Rain’s A Gonna Fall

Summary: In 1963, most citizens of Dallas had no idea where Vietnam was. He knew that because none of the people he passes as he walks look particularly dead inside. The sidewalk scorches his feet even though the sun hangs low in the sky. The air is hot and wet and it feels like a jungle growing in his chest.

aka, A Fourth of July fic about Klaus, trauma, family, and history. Takes place in 1963.

Rating: NR⎜Pairing: Implied Klaus/Dave⎜Word Count: 4k+⎜Complete (1/1)

This is true for all of her fics - the writing style is so engaging and good and smart! This fic in particular, though - WOW the narration is incredible. Gets you very deep into Klaus’ headspace for a gripping, panicky experience. He’s dealing with the fallout of a traumatic event that is about to happen to most of the people around him. So complicated and sad and intricate!

He wants to warn her that, hey, in 6 years your little boyfriend is going to get drafted and he’s going to go to a country you couldn’t pick out on a map and he’s going to kill people who he shouldn’t kill and every week he’ll write you a letter promising you that when he gets back you’ll move out of the city and your baby will have a real forest to play in and then he’ll kill some more people he’ll go to hell for killing if there’s a hell to go to, and then, well, he’ll get shot in the chest and the blood will come out of his mouth, too, and you’ll have to know that you weren’t there, weren’t fast enough to hear his last words or offer him some last comfort and he’ll be dead and for what? 

Happy Birthday, Johnny

Summary: It’s a nice place. Allison made sure of that when she chose it the first time. Three stays ago. God, they’re only 23 (And they are 23 now, or close enough). Three times? She may as well be lighting her money on fire.

Still, the chairs are comfortable. The visiting room is empty, of course, apart from a man with deep, heavy bags under his eyes. Fluorescent lights hum above her as she waits. They wash everything out, cast everything in a harsh shadow. Not that anything about the experience isn’t harsh. This is stupid. She knows it, now, as she feels her heart beating in her throat and the backs of her legs and her fingers.

What if he doesn’t want to see her? What if he was asleep for, what, the first time in 13 days? That’s how long it’s been this time, right? What if he hates her? (What if he’s right to do so?)

Rating: NR⎜Pairing: Gen⎜Word Count: 3k+⎜Complete (1/1)

Get ready for your heart to break from the Allison and Klaus feelings (and hold onto them, because she’s going to do this again, Allison and Klaus feelings is her brand). Being Hargreeves siblings is complicated, so so complicated, especially for these two, whose circumstances could not be more different, but when it comes down to it, they are quite similar. It’s pre-series, so it’s Sad, but boy is it ever a detailed look into these two excellent characters.

On their 13th birthday, before everything went wrong, Klaus snuck into her room at midnight with a magazine he stole and a cake he made. The smell of smoke stuck to all of his clothes, his skin, his hair. He gave her the cake, all of it, and the magazine. The smile that accompanied them haunts her.

He asked if he could sit with her, and she said yes. He asked if she’d ever smoked before, and she said no. He asked if she wanted to, and she said yes. He asked if she wanted weed or a cigarette, she said cigarette. That’s what the movie stars did. He gave her a look, a laugh, and showed her how to hold it so it didn’t burn her fingers. Not that he’d lit it yet. He wanted to make sure she had it down before he set her on fire.

Slow is in My Blood

Summary: Dave touches him, sometimes. In dances through root systems lit by a diffused moon, Dave puts a hand on his lower back, his arm, his shoulder. To help, he says. Your balance, he says, it isn’t good. I don’t want you to fall. These pits are endless, he says. You don’t like the dark. A touch to help. It helps.

aka, A meditation on Klaus and allowing himself to be loved. Dave doesn't die at the end.

Rating: NR⎜Pairing: Klaus/Dave⎜Word Count: 1k+⎜Complete (1/1)

I am biased, I suppose, because this fic was a gift to me. But like!!!! This fic!!! It’s sad and beautiful and lovely and so perfect. I can’t not think about Klaus and Dave’s relationship without thinking about the dynamic in this fic, about how Dave initiates and Klaus keeps himself from running away. It’s gorgeous.

Maybe it’s not one sided. Maybe he touches Dave on the back of his neck just to watch his skin react. Maybe he hopes the reaction comes from the touch itself, and not the chill Klaus carries with him. Maybe he lets the touch linger long enough for Dave to smack his hand away. Maybe he knows, somewhere, that smack is the wrong word. Dave doesn’t smack. He holds, and moves. He lacks a violence somewhere at his core. Maybe it’s the only way Klaus has something Dave lacks, and maybe it’s the only thing Klaus wouldn’t share if Dave asked. 

I’ll Be Cleaning Up Bottles With You on New Year’s Day

Summary: Sitting behind him on the windowsill, in a truth that still feels false, is Dave. Quiet, right now. Rubbing Klaus's neck. Kissing it occasionally. New clothes, even, though still only things Klaus saw Dave wear in life. The closest he came to fancy enough for New Year's was the outfit he wore on the night they first kissed. The dates still get muddled in his head.

Dave still smells like Dave. Klaus can bring that back, too. The earthy-clean skin, the slight scent of sweat, the cotton of the polo. Something else, underneath all that. Something that Klaus could recognize anywhere, could follow to the end of the world, could die to protect.

Rating: NR⎜Pairing: Klaus/Dave⎜Word Count: 1k+⎜Complete (1/1)

OKAY Okay okay. This fic was the equivalent of a bottle of wine when I read it on New Year’s Eve, because it just took these 1092 words, and suddenly I was crying and telling my friends how much I loved them. Me talking about it here is not going to do justice to the warmth and love that you will feel from this. You just have to read it. If you want to experience a moment of perfect contentment and peace that will probably put happy tears in your eyes, read this.

His family is together. Really. They sit in the living room, wearing out couches that have lasted centuries. Allison spills her champagne. Luther only moved Klaus to the slightly-opened window when Klaus started smoking.

Diego's puzzle, which he insists isn't his, keeps finding more pieces. Five and Diego work on it together. He watches them work on it together. He watches Luther help, before getting up to change the record on father's phonograph.

Karma, Leave These Kids Alone

Summary: Klaus is right, because he usually is. Their childhood was worth fearing. But it wasn’t all bad, she thinks, and some guilt pangs her. I wouldn’t wish this on us, but I’m glad I got him out of it. I’m glad Claire is safe.

She holds out her hand for him, and he takes it.

aka, A meditation on Allison and her traumas, guilts, fears, and loves. Centered around her and Klaus, their love for one another, and how that changes her love and fear for Claire.

Rating: NR⎜Pairing: Gen⎜Word Count: 2k+⎜Complete (1/1)

Allison and Klaus complicated feelings part deux! Now with added Claire feelings! The story centers around Allison’s fear of her daughter having powers, which I would read 100 fics about, and because it’s an Oceansweather fic, it doesn’t stop there. The Hargreeves are adults now who are trying to understand their childhood, and how they relate to each other. It’s complex and sad and it hurts but also it’s healing and growth and love.

He laughed that familiar laugh.

Why would she see the dead? Well, she has an imaginary friend like you used to. She has nightmares. Klaus, I am terrified for her. How did you know it was real? He was quiet, and then he said, well, I could see them. I always could. If she doesn’t see them, she doesn’t see the dead, right?

And Allison said yes. That makes sense. And then Klaus was quiet for a while longer, and then he gagged, and then he said, well, why are you terrified for her? She heard the venom in his voice.

Same As It Ever Was

Summary: He tries to love the heels. Really, he does. He knows Dave loves him in them. He knows, hey, it’s his job to look good. Right? Dave fixes cars and Klaus fixes dinner and cleans the house and looks oh so pretty. So, yes, he has to wear the heels. He doesn’t own any other shoes and he can’t go walking around barefoot. Not with his toenails painted black. Why were they black again? And, say, why did his wrist look so blank? He traced a shape that he couldn’t place onto his skin and waited for something to appear. Like invisible ink. aka, Life is perfect for the Hargreeves, which must mean something is wrong. How fortunate that Klaus is smarter than anyone gives him credit for.

Rating: NR⎜Pairing: Klaus/Dave, Diego/Eudora, Five/Delores⎜Word Count: 8k+⎜Complete (1/1)

This fic is so. freaking. cool. It’s closest probably to a horror story? It’s definitely creepy and uneasy, but it’s also melancholy and thrilling and - very importantly -it features Smart Capable Underestimated but Badass Klaus! I am willing to bet you have not read anything else in the fandom like this, and that you are going to be absolutely captivated. I know I am!

Klaus doesn’t want to see Dave, which is not a feeling he should have. He knows this. He knows he wants to see Dave every day for the rest of his life. So why is he running? Why are his feet carrying him to the bathroom? Why is he locking the door? The tumblers clang into place. His hands shake and he’s going to fall over and brain himself if he doesn’t catch his balance. He can only remember feeling so terrified twice in his life—except he can’t. He can’t remember it at all. So he can’t remember ever feeling this terrified.

It’s just Dave.

[isolationstreet]

I would like to hear your thoughts about it after watching it four times in a day

wellllllll, i do like the movie which is not something that normally happens with movie adaptions of stage shows but also its an incredibly mixed bag and my feelings are all over the place once you start looking at individual elements. since i cant really come up with a really structured well thought out format im just going to just make some bullet points of a few disjointed thoughts that are at the forefront of my mind under a read more bc i have a feeling its going to get pretty long pretty quick

Jellicle songs and Skimbleshanks were absolutely perfect! the both are gorgeous and fit the tone of cats beautify. in some ways i think the might have actually improved upon the stage version. ie Steven McRae’s tap dancing and in the case of Jellicle songs i love them actually breaking up how they listing of different types of cats to better show off each cats personality like demeter being pragmatical, cass being skeptical, pedantical and political l, jerrie and teazer being parisitical, mistoffelees being romantical and magical etc etc

immediately on the flipside i hate how the jellicle ball is so much more in unison so you lose all of the character developing lines  

i dont understand at all why they cut so much of naming of cats it really messes with the flow of the poem and i really miss the listing of the second names

naming of cats is shot beautifully though and i dont actually mind that they changed victoria’s solo to a pas de deux with munkstrap 

i hate the way laurie stumbles his way through invitation to the jellicle ball with every fiber of my being  

rebelanydots is awful and i hate that i get ticked eveytime into thinking it wont be that bad since robbie starts it off so wonderfully but its always terrible. i dont actually mind the mice and roaches with human faces i just hate rebel wilson through out the entirety of this movie 

i really like jason derulo as tugger and anything i dislike about tugger in the movie isnt his fault bc i just feel like you miss out on a huge chunk of tugger actually being a really loving not self absorbed character  by cutting his part in old deuteronomy and him singing mr mistoffelees

i hate james corden as bustopher jones so much 

im one of the few people who actually enjoy the fact that they went with the original london version of mungojerrie and rumpleteazer it fits the darker tone of their characters in the movie and the jazz sound links them musically much more with macavity than the upbeat broadway version of the song  

i dont understand why the included growltiger in the movie bc no ones happy with it bc for people who enjoy the growltiger is be its a meta play thats a grand travesty of opera that requires both a tremendous amount of perfect comedic timing and singing ability and when it works it really works which the movie had neither and like obviously you cant do all of growltiger in the movie bc its an incredibly racist relic so like why even include any of it at all (tho i did kind of like the orchestration of it and how into it the actress playing griddlebone was tbh) 

 andy’s choreography just feels kinda bland throughout most of this movie. i cant really place my finger on why and i really miss his 2016 revival choreography

the jellicle ball feels so claustrophobic and the colors are desaturated which i dont really think is the right choice for how grand how climactic a moment the ball is for the story   

the pacing of the ball also feels really weird with the increased tempo, no orgy, tugger jumping in and dancing to a jazzy hiphop ish rendition of grizabella’s rejection  is quite off putting 

i love victoria’s dance solo at the ball though and i swear robbie might as well play mistoffelees over laurie bc he has some damn fine conjuring turns 

beautiful ghosts is boring like i already didnt like memory we dont need more songs that arent about cats being cats 

ian is a great gus!!! and the bits with him and mistoffelees are the only part of the movie that i actually really like laurie in the role 

demeter and bombalurina both got so screwed over and no mater how strong a singer they could have gotten i think macaity can only ever work as a duet since it you really pay attention its so mocking of him demeter sets him up so bombalurina can knock him down with each line in the original show and its the two wonderful women taking the power back from him where as in the movie we just get taylor swift being all evil is hot like its the toxic avenger musical or something which i dont mind but its still a major downgrade

speaking of missed opportunities mr mistoffelees. of all of the characters in cats mistoffelees is by far the role most centered on the performers ability to dance to the point where its often a silent role just to get the absolute best dancer possible for the part, mistoffelees should be this big show stopping dance number performed with the utmost confidence his three describing words are neat, competitive, and electric hes magical the scene should feel magical instead we just have laurie standing there on stage stammering through each line its pathetic. i dont hate laurie the same way i hate rebel and james i think he cares about cats and is trying his best but hes not a dancer and never should have been cast in this movie 

memory and beautiful ghosts are still boring

 robbies face journeys are delightful and him as munkustrap really was the glue that held the movie together for me everytime i got upset with the movie hes always right there to pull me back on board and i thank him for it

[lolcat76]

Folie A Deux, pt 5.

Short update, but here you go. Thanks again to @wearecylons for the advice and the gentle nudging.

Bill stared at the phone resting on his kitchen counter, trying to decide whether it would be a good idea to call Laura. On the one hand, she had to be mentally drained from last night's conversation; on the other hand, maybe being drained from last night's conversation meant that she'd appreciate a distraction. Maybe not a distraction from him, but a distraction nonetheless. He wouldn't push her, he promised himself. He'd merely make the offer. If she wanted to do it, she would. If she wanted to see him, she would. He wasn't offering anything other than friendship, and the chance to get back into the world that he refused to believe she didn’t miss. At least, he wasn’t offering more right now. If the time came that they moved past friendship into something more, well, that was just fine with him. He wasn't going to beg for it and he wasn't going to try to force her into it. He was just going to give her a friendly nudge in what he hoped was the right direction. He smiled a little bit at the idea. Friends with Laura. They'd been strangers, then adversaries, then reluctant partners, then lovers. He'd never actually considered her a friend before, but now that he was rolling the word around in his mind, it had a nice ring to it. Friends.

He could be her friend. He wanted her to be his. Decision made, Bill picked up the phone and tapped a few keys to redial her number. "Hey. You busy today? You owe me for buying pizza last night, and I need a favor. And, just so you know, you're not going to like it."

*** She had a class to teach at 10, and Grace needed her lunch packed, so she smacked the button to silence her alarm, heaved herself out of bed and headed for the shower. A quick look in the mirror - dark circles and stained teeth -  told her that she was definitely a little worse for the wear from last night. It had seemed like a good idea to confide in Bill, to really talk to someone, after a slice of pizza and a pint of light beer. Seemed like less of a good idea when she got home alone and sat on the couch with a bottle of pinot noir and a box of kleenex, replaying their conversation over and over again. Was she punishing herself? Bill certainly seemed to think so. She twisted the knobs in the bathtub and stepped underneath a spray that was just a little too hot, trying to steam out the red wine hangover, and trying to scrub out her regrets with floral body wash and a net sponge. As her skin turned from ivory to bright red, she realized that punishing herself wasn't exactly a new trick. She shut off the taps and wrapped herself in a fluffy towel, ignoring the bright red streaks on her arms and legs where she’d scrubbed enough to anger her skin. Laura was twisting her thick hair up into a bun when the phone rang, and the shrill ringtone startled her so much that she knocked her water glass off the bathroom counter and right onto her foot. It was going to be that kind of day. "Dammit! Hello?" she snapped. Bill. Of course it would be Bill. She raised her eyebrow at the sound of his voice, and the other eyebrow shot up to join the first when he warned her that he was going to be asking her to do something she wasn't going to like. God help her if he wanted her to sit down and rehash more painful topics. She didn't have enough wine or a strong enough liver to get through another night like last night. "I will concede that I owe you a favor, Mr. Adama, but I refuse to agree to anything blindly." He sighed, but she could hear the grin hiding underneath his dramatic show of exasperation. "You refuse a lot of things, lady. Maybe you should say yes sometimes and see what happens." Funny. Well, thank God he hadn’t lost his sense of humor. "All right, yes. Yes, I refuse your favor." She paused for a second, then continued in her most chipper yoga teacher voice, "Well, would you look at that. I said yes, and just like that, I have you out of my hair for the rest of the day. You were right, Bill. I am going to say yes more often." This time the sigh wasn't just for show, and she choked back a snicker at his obvious irritation. "Hear me out,” he said. “Can you at least say yes to that?" She looked at her watch, then at her mottled skin. She needed at least another 15 minutes to make herself look presentable, then a good ten or so to get Grace out of bed, five to throw together a lunch, and a good half hour to follow Grace around the upstairs bathroom and her bedroom and generally annoy her into being on time to leave the house. That didn't leave much time for listening to Bill's proposal. "You have three minutes, Bill, then I'm hanging up on you and not answering your calls until at least tomorrow. Possibly later, depending on what you're planning to ask.” He paused long enough to cut into a precious six seconds of his time, and Laura knew he was debating whether or not to make an inappropriate comment. Eight years ago, he wouldn't have hesitated. Eight years ago, she would have egged him on. Today, she was fully prepared to hang up on him. "Jack has a late lunch today. Some sort of Philly bigwigs that need their asses kissed extra hard to cough up money for the spring season, so he can't take the flowers rehearsal from 1-4. He asked me to do it, but...Laura, I gotta be honest with you. I don't give a shit about the flowers, but I know you always liked that one.  And I know you know the choreography and the timing of the music better than probably anyone in this city, so what do you say? Help an old friend out and join me for the rehearsal?" It was her turn to let an awkward silence stretch between them. Her old friend Bill? Is that what they were now? Better that than her old ex whose heart she broke, she admitted silently to herself. Better than the ghost from her past who wanted her to relive things she couldn’t face. Better to give him an inch, before he took another eight years. "I'll agree, on one condition." "Of course there's a condition." She snorted at that but opted to ignore the comment. "You have to promise me that Jack knows nothing about this favor and will know nothing about this favor. I'm serious, Bill. I do not want to work for Pennsylvania Ballet." "I can promise you that he won't hear about it from me." "In that case, you have a deal." She agreed to meet him in the early afternoon and clicked the button on the phone to end the call. Her morning beginning yoga class would go on as scheduled, but she had to call Tory to take over the afternoon classes.

Tory was going to be pissed. Well, Tory had been pissed at Laura for one reason or another for the better part of the last three years, so one more day wasn’t going to hurt anything. She tapped on the phone and started reorganizing her schedule.

Seven hours later, Grace was tucked into a corner of the studio with her homework, and Laura and Bill were walking through the paces of the Waltz of the Flowers. Bill wasn’t wrong, she hated to admit - the flowers was her favorite variation in the Nutcracker. The corps dancers were red-faced and sweating, panting for breath after running through the intense 12-minute piece three times in a row. A few of the younger dancers looked a little green around the gills. Something that the glowing reviews never mentioned in ballet - occasionally, the dancers suffered for their art, and the stage managers suffered even more by throwing out trash cans filled with vomit.

Better to push them now and get them ready to handle the intensely aerobic variation than to watch them shove each other out of the way in the wings during opening night. Not that she would be watching - she’d be in her seat in the audience, pretending that she had no idea about the blood, sweat and stomach cramps that went into the performance.

Still, she was here to help, so while Bill yelled at them about holding their positions and hitting their marks, she pulled some of the younger dancers aside and walked them - very, very slowly - through their choreography. She corrected mismatched arms, shifted positions and counted very deliberately over the music until the dancers each entered the stage precisely on the proper note. Through it all, she had to fight to keep from casting a glance over her shoulder at Bill. Bill, who was dressed in all black, standing in front of the studio with his arms crossed. Bill, who had never given a tinker’s damn about the right way to do things, but was keeping his mouth shut as she advised the corps to tuck in their abs, stretch through their fingers, and watch each other as they renverséd.

By the start of the third hour of rehearsal, she realized that Bill was doing little more than controlling the music playing through the studio’s stereo system or gesturing to the dancers to take the marks that Laura indicated. Even Grace had perked up, abandoning her algebra book in favor of watching Laura work through the geometry and physics of a professional performance.

She’d rather die than admit it, but this was the most fun she’d had in years. Teaching soccer moms the proper position for downward dog didn’t compare to this. Juggling schedules and doing laundry for Grace didn’t compare to this. She missed dancing onstage, absolutely, but working her way through the variation, correcting a misplaced foot or showing young dancers how to judge their spacing without relying on the mirrors...she loved it. Breaking down the intricacy of a challenging block of choreography into its most simple component parts, and watching the dancers figure out how to put them all back together...she loved that too.

Most of all, she loved that Bill just stood there, pausing and playing the music, and let her completely take over his rehearsal.

Maybe there’s something for me here. She tried to quash the thought, but it wouldn’t go away. It just echoed, louder and louder in her head, until she couldn’t hear the music above the thoughts ringing in her ears.

She caught a glimpse of the clock out of the corner of her eye. Five minutes before 4pm, five minutes before Bill would be back in a smaller studio with Grace and David and the kid who played Fritz. Three hours had flown by, and she still had so much to do. The third group was struggling to keep their spacing, and Sharon Agathon, the Dewdrop Fairy, was still not maintaining her spacing in her sequence of fouettés.

Then again, maybe it was better to quit while she was ahead. Karl seemed to have fond memories of their time together at ABT, but Sharon still looked at her like Laura was just waiting for the right time to throw her under a crosstown bus. Old grudges died hard, if they died at all.

Still, Sharon was sloppy with her arms. She’d make a note of it and pass it on to Bill, and then go about her business. She took a step back and nodded to Bill, passing off the final five minutes of rehearsal to him while she gathered her thoughts. He reminded the corps dancers to take corrections to heart and released them to whatever else their schedules held until their long Nutcracker day was done at 7pm.

She had big plans to find a coffee shop and nurse a soy latte and scone while Grace was in rehearsal, but as Grace shoved her purse and her phone in her hand, she felt someone’s eyes burning into the back of her head. Turning toward the door of the studio, she caught a glimpse of Jack’s white hair hovering over the dancers who were shoving their way out.

Dammit. They’d had a deal, and he’d broken it. She shot a glare at Bill, and he shrugged.

She was going to kill him, just as soon as she had a second alone with him. He pointed at Grace, then at the door. Message received. She wouldn’t get the chance to kill him until after Grace’s rehearsal. Very well, she could wait. Laura shoved Grace along, reminding her niece to call her when rehearsal was done. She’d deal with Bill after she had a few hours to herself with her coffee and her irritation. 

She was halfway out the building’s front door when Jack called her back. She debated pretending not to hear him. Knowing Jack, though, she had no doubt he’d follow her down the street and ruin a perfectly good soy latte. She straightened her shoulders and turned.

“Don’t you have a rehearsal or something?”

“Or something. Perks of being the boss...people wait for me, not the other way around.” Jack waved toward his office. “Come with me.”

Dammit. She was going to kill Bill. She followed Jack, dragging her feet as much as her dignity would allow.

She settled into the chair across from him, meticulously arranging her purse at her feet and her coat across her lap. She smoothed her hair, tucking it behind her ears, and then, finally running out of ways to avoid looking at him, she folded her hands over her coat and met his eyes.

“You finished?” he said with a raise of his eyebrows.

She nodded primly. “Yes.”

“Good. Then I want you to tell me what you know about insurance.”

Insurance? She repeated the word in confusion. He wanted to talk about insurance? She knew a hell of a lot about insurance, particularly life insurance, health insurance, and disability insurance, but she didn’t think that Jack of all people needed the particulars on any of those things. Longing glances to the unopened pack of cigarettes on his desk aside, he looked healthy enough to her.

“Yes. insurance. Like say, if you owned a yoga studio, and you had a stranger come in and lead a class, wouldn’t you be concerned about liability insurance if she did something that injured one of your students?”

Ah, that kind of insurance. “I wasn’t-”

Jack held up his hand. “You were. And if you’re going to be in my studio, working with my dancers, you’re going to fill out some paperwork and you’re going on my payroll.”

She pressed her lips together and took a deep breath. “I don’t want to work for you, Jack.”

“You already are working for me, Laura. And very well, I might add, but you’re going to do it according to my rules. And on my insurance policy.”

She pushed herself out of the chair and started gathering her belongings. “It won’t happen again.”

“Dammit!” Jack slammed his hand against his desk, making Laura jump in surprise and drop her purse. “It will happen again, because you like doing it, and if you’d just stop being so fucking stubborn, you could keep on liking doing it and GET PAID FOR IT.”

Her mouth hung open at his outburst, and he finally cracked a smile at her complete astonishment. “Ask my assistant for the adjunct paperwork and have it filled out and on my desk before you leave tonight. As for your schedule, I’ll leave that up to my associate artistic director to determine.”

“Your associate…”

“New guy. Bill Adama. Kind of an asshole, but I think you’ll like him. Now,” he said, as he headed toward his office door, “if you’ll excuse me, I have better things to do with my time than argue with an employee.”

She followed him out the door, still a little shocked and confused. He stopped at his assistant’s desk and muttered a few words to her, then turned back to Laura. “On my desk before you leave.”

She took the packet of papers his assistant held out to her with a vague smile and nod. She was definitely, definitely going to kill Bill Adama.

Once the paperwork was done and dutifully dropped on Jack’s desk, she had nothing to do but pace and stew. If there was one thing she absolutely hated, it was being backed into a corner, and here she was, completely trapped by Bill and Jack. By the time Grace and her fellow dancers came laughing out of the studio, she had worked herself into a full, raging temper. She shoved her way into the studio and slammed her purse and coat onto a chair.

“We had a deal, jackass!” she shouted.

Bill, to her frustration, barely reacted to the animosity in her tone. “We did,” he agreed mildly. “I told you Jack would never hear it from me that you were here. And he didn’t. I never promised that he wouldn’t see you here.”

“I. Do. Not. Want. To. Work. Here.” she hissed through clenched teeth.

“Then don’t,” he said with a shrug. “Nobody’s forcing you to be here.”

“Oh, Laura, please do me a favor. Oh, Laura, I need your help with the flowers,” she mimicked in a singsong. “What do you call that?”

“A request. Which you agreed to. I didn’t force you, or blackmail you.”

She wasn’t sure she’d agree to the no blackmail thing, but his reasonable argument did take a little of the wind out of her sails. “Why is it so hard to understand that I don’t want to be a part of this anymore?” she asked, trying to keep the emotion out of her voice.

“Why is it so hard to understand that you do want to be a part of this? It’s the Nutcracker, Laura, not the end of the world. You like the Nutcracker.” She snorted at that, and he fought back a chuckle as he continued. “Ok, you don’t hate the Nutcracker. You like teaching. You like being annoyingly precise about technique and proper terminology. You like being in the studio. Tell me, what about all of this is such a great tragedy to you?”

She collapsed on the marley floor of the studio and absently rubbed at one of the streaks left behind during rehearsal. “It’s just...Bill, it’s so hard.” She winced at the petulance in her voice. God, she sounded just like Grace when she was asked to finish her science homework.

Bill settled next to her and nudged her with his shoulder. “This isn’t hard. What you’ve been through, that was hard. Raising a kid, that’s hard. This is the easiest thing in the world, if you’ll just let it be.”

She wasn’t sure if they were still talking about ballet, and she was too afraid to dig into it deeper. Laura gave him a thin smile. “You think it’s easy now. Keep in mind, you’re the one Jack wants to be in charge of my schedule.”

“Is that all? Lady, you already do everything I say, the first time I ask. Easiest damn job I ever had.”

She smacked him lightly on the arm, then settled in against him, taking a little bit of comfort from his solid warmth. “I don’t know how to do this again, Bill.” This time, she was positive she wasn’t just talking about ballet.

“Stick with what you know, and we’ll figure out the rest as we go along.”

“That’s it?”

His face lit up as he grinned at her. “That’s it. It’s worked so far, hasn’t it?”

As much as she wanted to, she couldn’t argue. They were here, working together and making progress. He was smiling at her, and she no longer wanted to wrap one of Grace’s leg warmers around his throat and strangle him. “I’m not taking the Mother Ginger rehearsals, I can tell you that right now.”

He pushed himself off the floor, dusted off his pants, and reached out to help her up. He held her hands just a second too long. “We’ll discuss that later.”

“I’m not taking that stupid Mother Ginger rehearsal!” she shouted after him, and she could hear him laughing as he made his way out of the studio and down the hallway.

[gaycey-sketchit]

(Gary anon) I felt for the longest time since Journeys started that if Gary was brought back, he'd stir things up. Especially if he reoccurred, and now we're seeing the calm before the storm. Well, storm before the hurricane. xD (Ash, Gary and Goh acting like misfit brothers is a wonderful dynamic, the first two tag-teaming so Cinderace didn't get hurt was cool. Hope Gary keeps his dynamics between the two balanced. Besides being support, Ash doesn't really have an excuse to be

(Part Deux) in Project Mew, thus could get sidelined. If Gary at least has more casual scenes with him or helps him with PWC while he's around, probably won't be jarring. It'd be a massive waste for this new turn in their friendship to only be one episode) It's the sad life of loving "obscure" characters, especially if they were once prominent. From what I heard, it's due to his VA apparently being high-profile, which means expensive. (Iris' VA shot up after BW, but she at least

(Part 3) still does stuff with Pokemon. Tracey's hasn't done anything near this franchise since him. (If you came for just Infernape, yeah not the best showcasing. Maybe something better for it turns up later. (It is, some languages actually become "easier" to decipher once you understand certain linguistics) I never saw him as the type to stay stuck in lab; field work is his alley. It's interesting how they had him bounce around from fossils, to a nature preserve,

(Part 4) to fighting Team Galactic, now Project Mew. His goal is as big as Ash's in a way. (Him and Ash didn't discuss the PWC, wonder if that will turn up later) Considering what he's aiming for it makes sense, he actually goes on a tangent on how he was able to find Infernape, but also accurately track where Moltres was going to be. (Likely out of respect because of sharing the title, the dub never carried it over when it first did it or onward. We'll see what happens in September) (Part 5) There are better subs out now, grab them while they're hot. (Wonder how Carter is gonna feel having to tap into OS Gary again) It's possible his episodes weren't scripted yet. If the photo of her and Rika is anything to go by, recording started a month after the OP. In the interview, she's very happy to be back with Gary and take on a new direction. Apparently the scene where Ash and Gary walk and catch up was also an al-lib on her and Rika's part. Umbreon is her favorite Gary Pokemon)

Yeah, Gary's return has already created quite a stir and I'm eager to see how things go from here. JN069 is looking like just a cute filler episode (which is fine, I don't mind cute filler episodes by any means especially after a big event like this episode was) but I wonder when we're going to hear from him next.

Their whole group dynamic is looking like it'll be really good. I loved that moment--that brief eye contact between Ash and Gary before they both acted to protect Cinderace was so good, how in sync they were really showed their closeness. Really excited to see their future interactions.

Yeah, Ash probably won't be too directly involved in Project Mew, but if there's a good balance between it and the PWC stuff it should be fine. Hoping the writers will make use of the opportunity to show how Ash and Gary's relationship has progressed.

I miss Tracey so much. That makes sense though, I really wasn't aware of it--being almost exclusively a dub watcher with Pokemon I don't know a whole lot about the Japanese cast (aside from knowing James shares his Japanese VA with Roy Mustang), so I guess I was thinking more from the dub perspective (where hilariously, Tracey had the same English VA as Giovanni in both dubs--Ted Lewis and Craig Blair really said I can be your angel or your devil). I guess it can't really be helped in that case :/

Yeah, hopefully. I know some people were disappointed by that.

Linguistics really are interesting. As someone whose native language is English I find it fascinating how other languages actually like... make sense once you figure out their phonetics and grammar rules and stuff.

Yeah, Gary definitely seems like the restless type. I imagine he deliberately goes for options that allow him to roam at least a little bit, presumably because even though he decided gyms and leagues weren't the right path for him he still enjoyed the traveling aspect of his time as a trainer. I feel like he might be able to stick around a lab for like a week tops before he started getting restless, so fieldwork is definitely what's right for him.

It is interesting how in his time as a researcher he's done all these different things--I like the idea that his ambition coupled with curiosity leads him to just want to learn a bunch of different things in different fields, of course leading to this big goal of straight-up wanting to research every single Pokemon including Mew itself. (I wonder if he's ever going to get to figure out what the armored murderbeast that completely wrecked him in the Viridian Gym was, like, does he know about Mewtwo? Has anybody told him anything? I think about this so much.)

That does make sense from a practical standpoint, yeah, but I also just find the thought of him keeping tabs on Ash's Pokemon Specifically very cute. It's definitely a good thing he was if that's what led them to Infernape and Moltres.

That makes sense, yeah. If the dub's never carried it over before (and I know in the dub, Gary has only ever called his grandfather Professor Oak while referring to him like "my grandfather, Professor Oak" and never while addressing him) it probably will continue to not do that, but I guess only time will tell.

I'll have to go looking for them then! Though I'm also very eager for the dub to do its thing. I do wonder how Carter will do--Gary was always easily his best role in the past but it's been a long while, I hope he's still got it.

That makes sense! I'm glad Yuko is enjoying being back in the role, she's so good at voicing him.

Oh, that's cute. I love that.

She has good taste, Umbreon is definitely one of the best Gary 'mon (and also my personal favorite).