#RIP Jack Morrison

[zackcollins]

I am become Support 76

[cybernightart]

Unmasked Genji ADHD fueled rambling so prepare for random ideas not really organized

I've seen quite a lot of stuff trying to figure out what Genji looks like without his mask on and what Hanzo actually did to him.

My personal opinion is what we see in the dragon cinematic isn't just what Hanzo did to his face because in the black watch skin and comics etc his face is like untouched. It appears like Hanzo during his attacks went for his torso and neck primarily, cutting his arm probably really deeply about mid bicep to the point it would have to be amputated due to blood loss, and losing his legs as well to blood loss, and considering Genji has stuff on the front and back of his neck my guess is that Hanzo tried to make it as quick as possible and full on stabbed Genji through the neck not decapitating him but like that should have killed him. It would also explain why he's got a robotic voice because if he was stabbed through the neck it probably damaged his vocal cords and he's got what appears to me a cybernetic spine at least on his neck so that was probably also damaged during that.

And apart from just other assorted scarring from light cuts and other smaller injuries from Hanzo's attack, he's a trained assassin who is trained to kill as quick as possible, so their fight probably didn't last that long considering we can assume Genji was unarmed (both in the way of he didn't have a weapon and he lost the arm). And he would have no reason to go for genji's face during an attack like that.

Like legitimately the biggest injuries that I think Hanzo did take Angie was a slash across his chest which cut deep enough to injure his arm very badly but not deep enough to actually reach his heart or anything, and then damage to his neck. With the rest being more surface level scrapes which could have been patched up with stitches which would leave scarring pretty badly but nothing insane.

But since we know his face is decently burned and scarred by the time the dragon cinematic happens my theory is that either during one of the last black watch missions if there was one after the mission during retribution. Or what I mainly think happened, when the Swiss base exploded, Genji could have been in that building when the thing exploded which would explain the burning and scarring on his face and presumably other parts of his body. And if Cassidy was still in OverWatch at that point that could explain how he lost his arm because I'm pretty sure it's confirmed Bob did not rip his arm off. Because we know the explosion "killed" Gabriel Reyes and Jack Morrison, and it would make sense why after the explosion where genji's remaining body got damaged even more so he couldn't deal with everything going on in his head associated with his body that he would leave to try and come to terms with his body or find peace in some way.

And if the injuries happened in black watch before the explosion, I could explain why he got the new armor for the storm rising missions when he was transferred to the main OverWatch team. They had to fix more stuff and realized it wasn't safe for him to have any fleshy human parts still exposed so they made him a new safer suit.

That's just my thoughts anyways in a very rambly fashion.

Also I am surprised that in the future they don't have something that can reduce scarring, and if they do have that thing even though now genji's come to terms with his body I wouldn't be surprised if he did go through with the reducing scarring thing primarily on his face or anywhere of high mobility because (correct me if I'm wrong) areas that are highly scarred are often a lot tighter, so not even aesthetically would it be a better option but for quality of life even just minorly reducing the scarring might just make things a little less painful. Also along the same lines probably have something to help hair growth considering stuff we have now for that which isn't much but there is something and considering how advanced science is in the universe it would not surprise me in the slightest if they had those things.

Also also Genji showing Hanzo his face partially where it's so scarred and burned and everything was slightly a jerk move because Hanzo didn't cause the burning on his face, so showing that without explaining at least a little bit that "oh don't worry you didn't do this" is a little mean but I'm pretty sure Hanzo would remember not burning his face so at the same time it isn't.

Anyways that concludes my rambling for the minute, if anyone reads this thank you for enduring my chaotic train of thought.

[umbrellacam]

Cape comics truly are an inescapable rabbit hole vortex where attempts to make forward progress only dig you deeper

Goal: Read Gates of Gotham with robust context on concurrent batfam dynamics, for a clear picture of how things stand for them at the end of the post-Crisis era

Step 1: okay so Batman and Robin (2009) and a Red Robin re-read for Dick (+Damian) and Tim, as main. And Blackest Night: Batman, of course. Also Streets of Gotham probably, and selections from Dick's Batman.

Step 0: okay but for lead-in to those I need Battle for the Cowl

Step -1: and for the lead-in to BftC I need Bruce's death in Final Crisis (YAY DONE) and the arcs with Dick and Tim reacting/processing, so add Search for a Hero from Robin and The Great Leap from Nightwing (Batman RIP)

Step -2: and how can I really understand their grappling with Bruce's death if I don't get a clear picture of their relationships with him at the time, so let's add Resurrection of Ra's Al Ghul (DONE YAY), Freefall (DONE YAY), Tim grappling with Steph's return (DONE YAY), Heart of Hush (Batman RIP) (DONE YAY) and Morrison's whole Black Glove storyline (DONE YAY). Now I can move forward into the BtfC lead-up, yes???

Step -3: .....shit, Jason is in Search for a Hero, Tim's lead-in arc. And also BftC itself. I've got everything up through Hush for him done, but that just means I finally need to do Under the Hood and a refresh of his Titans Tower appearance. And his ridiculous TentaTodd storyline in Nightwing Brothers in Blood after that.

Step -4: and for the proper lead-in to Jason's return, gotta do War Games. At least I've already done Dick's Renegade arc and Bludhaven getting nuked.

Step -5: okay so to do War Games, I need Jack finding out Tim is Robin and Tim's forced quitting (YAY DONE), and Steph's Robin run (YAY NEARLY DONE). Woo-hoo, almost ready to start War Games!!

Step -6: Hey this scene in the 'Tec #796 back-up with Bruce and Cass staging a fight with Onyx and Orpheus in Penguin's club is really fun, I want to know more about Onyx and Orpheus as undercover Bat agents, and I know Onyx is going to be in both War Games and UtH. Lemme back up a bit further and add 'Tec #794-795 for the context.

Step -7: Wow this L'Shea lady seems like a badass - wait what does she mean Batman delivered her baby?? I'd better go back a bit further to 'Tec #791-793 to find out!!! :D

----

LIKE IT'S SO DANGEROUS, I want to read one thing and it spirals and spirals and every time I cross a few issues off my list I end up adding like 5-10 more that are clearly very necessary, and the to-be-read list just keeps ballooning.

....I love it, though. Comics are fun.

[nitewrighter]

Can we have Brigitte and Pharah interacting as the daughters of two Overwatch founding members?

Pharah: Did your father ever try to keep you from fighting?

Brigitte: Well, I didn't start out a fighter, is the thing! I just started training when I saw Reinhardt couldn't keep fighting alone.

Pharah: And Torbjorn never had a problem with that?

Brigitte: He trusts Reinhardt to protect me--buuuut I'm pretty sure he wants me to keep Reinhardt out of trouble just as much. *giggle*

---

Brigitte: So your mom never told you stories of her time in the old Overwatch?

Pharah: She'd tell me about good memories with her team, but she tended not to go into details on the combat. I don't think she really saw it as 'glorious' like Reinhardt did.

Brigitte: I think that one photo of her ripping out that giant mech's wiring was pretty glorious...

Pharah: See, when I told her that, she just got mad!

---

Brigitte: You're lucky you got to hang out with Reyes and Morrison more... Papa always wanted me safe back in Gothenberg... it would have been nice to see Watchpoints during the golden days more.

Pharah: Eh, I wasn't that lucky. Jack wasn't really that good with kids. He kept trying to teach me how to play chess.

Brigitte: Are you good at chess, now?

Pharah: Well, yeah but that doesn't mean I like it!

[snowflakeanimelover]

Light And Dark(FNAF: Security Breach) Good Ending

Masterlist

Tag list is CLOSED.

Tag List: @lacunaanonymoused  @fatherfigurefreddy @teddydumpster @butterflykiisies @bloodsweatandcannibals @kebabra @jack-morrison @simpcity-com @thelovebuggs @kitty-page @transwolfie @liar-liar13 @zyphrr @probablygonnahurtsomebody @gipsyd @starlightdust-dreamergalaxy @black-veil-chemicalz @maryclanders @necromantiste @resortalia @yourpoin @plaguerat44 @sakura-chandaneko @callmegkiddo-original

Usernames that I am not able to tag(I Apologize for the inconvenience): @lilpaa, @hahaitiedyouup, @slowdancingwithseokjin, @blanktide, @snclom

If you have any questions about this story, please comment on this post here. I am working on a Q&A post.

— — — —

Author here: Yes, this is the good Ending. I want to thank all of you for riding this journey with me and supporting me throughout this story. It has been an absolute pleasure to write this for you guys, and for myself, too. I am so grateful for your guys’ amazing comments and support. I apologize if this ending is disappointing, but I’m pretty proud of this ending. And I apologize for the super super long wait. I finally got the motivation to write this ending.

Thank you so much for your patience! 

— — — —

It almost made me laugh, thinking about how this whole thing started and how it’s going to end. A simple day at work turns into meeting Vanessa, who involuntarily gave me the night guard duty with her. Then, all hell broke loose. A boy becomes lost in the Mega Pizzaplex, and I get chased by an animatronic who is obsessed with me.

My life was well before all of this. I try to remember the good times I had working here. Becoming friends with the animatronics working here, and even my coworkers. Sunnydrop and I were pretty close. He cared a lot about me, and I cared a lot about him.

“Sunny?” I asked as I wiped all of the markings off of his arms and hands. It was the end of the day, the daycare now empty of children and now full of staff workers cleaning up the area. It was my job to clean up the animatronics when needed. Sunnydrop and I sat by a kiddie table on the floor. 

“What is it, (Y/N)?” He asked excitedly.

“Um…I was wondering…what you thought of this place?” It was an odd question coming from me to ask a robot. I knew robots couldn’t really feel, but it was something to pass the time, I suppose.

Sunnydrop cocked his head to the side. “Why, this place is so much fun!” 

I giggled at his cheery personality. “Because of the children?”

“Of course! And seeing you, too!” A little warmth spreads on my cheeks. He was happy to see me?

“Oh…well, I’m always happy to see you, as well, Sunny.” I smile at him.

I smiled at the fond memory, wondering what all went wrong. Sunnydrop was such a good animatronic to me and the kids. I figured that fixing him after all of this would bring things back to normal.

But he killed someone.

Fred, who was an innocent man, was killed for some reason that I do not know of. Why? Why him? The only way to get that answer, is to ask the robot himself. 

I looked at the two hallways, debating on what I should do. Gregory is just a kid. Who knows how he got in here, or why he did. But he’s a boy with no parents, no one to take care of him. And I would be the only one to take care of him if we manage to get out. I can’t just leave him alone like that.

“(Y/N)? Are you alright?” Freddy’s voice comes through the watch, snapping me back to reality.

I hesitated to answer. So many pros and cons of each option. Sunnydrop’s threat loomed over me as I thought harder and harder. Was Sunnydrop on his way over to Gregory and Freddy right now? Or was he just…bluffing…? “Stay there, Freddy. I’m coming.” With newfound determination, I knew I couldn’t just leave Gregory behind. Of course, I didn’t know if he had parents, or even siblings. But I couldn’t just chance his survival in the big world.

I ran and ran as fast as I could. My skirt was already ripped partly on the side, giving my legs more room. I tried to stay quiet, but with the heavy breaths I was letting out while running didn’t help to keep my cover. 

But I didn’t care. Getting to Gregory and Freddy was my top priority.

I wasn’t sure how fast I was running, but it certainly felt like a short run when I found Freddy and Gregory standing by the doors in the lobby. I wanted to cry seeing them there. They were okay. Sunnydrop wasn’t there. 

“(Y/N)!” Gregory’s voice gave me relief. He suddenly, and surprisingly, gave me a hug when I made it to them.

 I was breathing heavily, trying to catch my breath from the run. “W-We have to get out of here. Quickly.” I manage to say between breaths. “Before Sunny gets here.”

“Right!” Gregory takes a hold of my hand and guides me to the doors. But he was stopped when he noticed Freddy wasn’t following. “Come on, Freddy!”

Freddy stood silently, watching us as we waited for him. “I’m sorry, Gregory, (Y/N)...but I can not go.” Sadness laced his robotic voice.

I squeezed Gregory’s hand. “He’s right.”

“What do you mean?” The boy looked at me in panic. “Come on! You can go, Freddy!”

“Gregory.” I call out, now looking at him. “He has no way of staying powered if we did bring him. He has to stay here.”

“But…” Gregory looked very upset, but he managed to keep his strong facade.

I turned to my long-time friend. “We’ll see you again, Freddy. You just wait for us, alright?”

Freddy nodded enthusiastically. “Yes! Do not worry, gregory, we will meet again. Take care now.” 

It hurt to pull Gregory away from the animatronic as we headed out the doors. A gush of fresh air hit my face as soon as the doors closed behind us. The sun peaked over some hills as it began to rise. 

I’m free.

I looked over at the silent Gregory. His eyes cast down to the asphalt ground, his hand still hanging onto mine. “Hey,” I shake his hand to get his attention. He blankly looks up at me. “Ready to go home?”

A small smile graced his lips. “Yeah…” He answers quietly.

— — — 

The grip on my purse started to become noticable the longer I stood in this spot. It felt as if the bag itself was weighing a ton with each passing second, the strap painfully digging into my shoulder.

“Let’s go, mommy! We’ll miss the show!” A child's voice breaks my train of thought, my eyes glancing over to the woman and her little girl. The girl had a strong hold on her mothers hand, pulling her to the building standing in front of me. 

I probably looked weird just standing in front of a children's building. So, I took a deep breath and walked through the familiar doors.

So many years from that fateful day of becoming free from that terrible night, I come back. My body shook with fear as I carefully observed my surroundings. So many people and their children were running around. Many staff robots are cleaning their paths. I noticed that there weren’t as many people as there were when I last worked here. Probably from the news of the Pizza Plex shutting down from a dead body being found. Obviously, that’s not what they said for the first year. Tried not to, anyway. After one year of keeping things at the low, someone fished it out and the news spread like wildfire.

Years later, it’s back up and running.

I noticed a familiar person standing by Glamrock Freddy’s room. Her scowl was a clear give away. She didn’t even change her looks after so long. Vanessa turned to me, a small smile spreading on her face. “Hey, long time no see.”

I chuckle. “And here I thought you wouldn’t miss me.”

“Still the best security guard partner I had.” She shrugs. “Here for Freddy?”

I nod silently to her and she gives me a wave to let me go in. I knocked first, before the door opened for me. Freddy turned to me with, impossibly, his eyes widening. “Hey there, Freddy. You haven't changed all this time.” 

I let out a loud gasp as he picks me up into a strangled hug. “(Y/N)! It is certainly great to see you!”

Once he let me down, I gave him a more appropriate hug. “It sure has.”

“How have you been? I’m surprised you are…here.” He says carefully.

I giggle lightly, even finding it funny myself how I’m here today. “Yeah…I’m surprised, too.”

“And Gregory?”

“Just fine. He’s in school. Slowly getting along with the other kids. Sorry he couldn’t come. I figured it’d be best if I was here…alone.”

Freddy nodded. “Of course! I’ll see him next time.” 

It went silent for a bit. My thoughts are rolling over in my mind as I think. “Freddy? Have you seen…Vanny…? Ever since that night?”

The animatronic shook his head, bringing my heart to relax just a bit. “I have not. She hasn’t appeared once.”

I smile at the floor, looking at my daily shoes. It felt good coming into the building without a uniform. Weird, but good. “And…what about Bonnie?”

His head cocked to the side in question. “Bonnie? Is that someone you knew?”

“You don’t know him? He’s just like you. He saved me that night…from Vanny.” My shoulders then dropped in sadness. I was hoping to see him and thank him for what he did. “I figured you would know him…”

“I’m afraid not, (Y/N).”

A loud bang slams against the door, making me jump in surprise. “Be ready in five, Freddy!” Vanessa’s voice rings through the metal door.

“It seems I must be going.”

I look at my watch, slowly nodding in agreement. “Right, me too. I have to get home before Gregory tortures the babysitter any further.”

Freddy chuckles at that. “Be sure to tell him I said hi.”

“I will, Freddy. I will.”

— — — —

Bonus:

“You sure you wanna do this?” 

His voice echoed down the dark hallway. Its loudness makes me shrink back in fear. The man was nice enough to give me time to breath and relax. After a long beat of silence, I nod. “Yeah…It’s the only way…”

With a hum, he starts moving forward. We took a turn down the hall, finding an open room with many animatronics in the works. Some arms and legs strewn everywhere. Some metal bodies lay on tables.

“He’s been out of commission for two years now. I’m not sure how he’ll react after waking up.”

I didn’t respond to him, watching closely as his hand inches closer to a certain button. I nod once more that day in confirmation. Sounds of wires sparking in the animatronic was all that was given when he clicked the button. Then, after a few long minutes, my hand gripped tightly on my purse strap when the white glow of the eyes in the animatronic started to appear.

I took a deep breath. 

“Hey, Sunny.”

[overwatch-archive]

Bastet

A Short Story: Michael Chu Illustrations: Arnold Tsang Additional Artwork: Bengal Design and Layout: Benjamin Scanlon

After days of lying in wait, Ana's target had appeared in one of Cairo's opulent, ancient palaces. Abdul Hakim was a king in his own right, one who was using his power and influence to squeeze the life from the city, making himself and his followers rich in the process. But before she had her chance to capture him, the first ghost appeared: Jack Morrison. Though he was masked and had assumed the identity of a vigilante—Soldier: 76—she recognized him immediately.

The world believed that Morrison was dead, killed in the destruction of the Overwatch base in Switzerland, but Ana had her doubts. Though Jack had escaped death, a specter followed behind him… the Reaper. A killer clad all in black, his face hidden behind a bone white mask.

Reaper had confronted Jack, and Ana had leapt to his aid. She had subdued Reaper, wrestling him to the ground. But when she had stripped off the ghoulish mask and seen the ruin of a face beneath, she recognized Gabriel Reyes, a friend and comrade she’d known just as long as Jack. Gabriel proved to be the real phantom as he’d faded into thin air, disappearing like a whisper.

She was left with the revelation that Gabriel and Jack, two men like brothers to her, were not dead.

In fairness, they thought I was, too.

She took a deep breath and surveyed the scene. Bullet marks patterned the walls, tiles on the floor were cracked, and the bodies of the manor’s security guards—muscle for Hakim’s illegal enterprise—were splayed about like children's toys. At the heart of the courtyard, Jack stood impassively.

"I got them all," Jack said as he rifled through one of the fallen mercenary's belongings.

A guard on the ground between them groaned, and in a flash, Ana drew her sidearm and fired a sleep dart into his neck.

"You missed one," Ana said.

Jack gave one of his good guy shrugs. "It’s nice to see you, too, Ana."

Ana engaged the targeting visor from underneath her cowl. The heads-up display failed to activate. She flipped it back up, annoyed. "Any idea where he went?"

Jack activated his visor and scanned the area. "Not a trace."

Something to worry about later.

"That doesn’t look good," Ana said. Jack had been shot right beneath the giant numerals "76" on his jacket. As she took a closer look, she could see that the jacket and his flesh had been ripped apart by a shotgun blast. From that range, it should have killed him, but Jack had certain advantages. His wounds could heal themselves—a legacy of his past as a test subject and an enhanced soldier in the American armed forces. She could already see the pink of new skin forming at the edges, but not completely. Where it looked the worst, his flesh had turned necrotic and black.

"I'll be fine," Jack grunted. "It just takes us some time."

Us, Ana thought. Jack was adapting quickly to the knowledge that his former best friend was still alive.

Or did he already know?

The faintest sound of approaching sirens interrupted her. "We should get going. Sounds like someone’s noticed."

Jack nodded. "Lead the way."

An hour later, Ana and Jack crouched in the shadows, watching as hover taxis zoomed by and a pair of civilians riding robotic camels made their way down the street. Overhead, skiffs and surveillance drones crisscrossed the sky, the former carrying the well-to-do of the city to their afternoon appointments, the latter mobilized by the shootout in Hakim's palace.

Ana navigated the narrow alleys, finding the routes through the labyrinthine tangle of streets and pathways, keeping an eye out for the patrols that circled like hawks. For once in her life, she was grateful for the city’s patchwork infrastructure, still recovering a decade after Overwatch's intervention. The state of Ana's home country was one of the reasons she had been drawn back to it. She felt responsible for Overwatch's legacy here, whether it had been her choice or not.

In the shade of one of the massive, derelict cooling towers, the heat from the oppressive afternoon sun was a little more tolerable. It didn't bother Ana, but Jack seemed to be laboring. His genetic enhancements should have helped him acclimatize to different conditions, the same way they should have stopped the blood that was seeping through the shirt he'd tied across his midsection as a bandage.

"You need to take better care of yourself," Ana chided him.

"You sound like Angela," Jack grunted.

Ana waited for a police car to speed by, lights flashing, and then she signaled him forward.

"Think they’re looking for us?" Jack wiped the sweat from his forehead.

"Most likely," Ana said, squinting at the car's retreating form. "But there's a lot of crime here. The police are busy."

Another part of our legacy.

Jack had fallen behind a few paces, leaning against one of the walls. "Reminds me of Prague."

"I’m not carrying you this time," Ana said. "Come on, Jack. Keep up." She dashed out of the shadows and across the street, feeling the full blast of sun above and the heat baked into the stones beneath her.

Back in the shadows, she continued. "Prague was your fault. Why you ever thought Reinhardt could be stealthy is beyond me."

Ana waited for Jack to defend himself. When he didn’t reply, she turned around. He had collapsed on the paving stones, out in the open.

Not now, Ana thought as she ran back to him. She tried to pull him up. "Wake up, Jack." But he gave no response. Ana slung Jack’s arm over her shoulder and lifted him, carrying him down the alley.

Jack drifted awake. That wasn't normal. Even before the army, he'd always been a light sleeper, starting awake at the slightest disturbance. His eyes adjusted rapidly to the dim light of the room as he sat up. He was on an old military surplus cot with a threadbare blanket. His side ached like hell.

"Finally," Ana walked over, silent as a stalking cat. "Tea?"

"I'll take whiskey if you have it."

Ana rolled her eyes. "Yes, Jack, I happen to keep a bottle around just in case you show up."

"Tea's fine," Jack said in a smaller voice.

Ana stretched her shoulders. "You know, I had to carry you all the way here."

"I've been shot plenty of times. It's never felt like this." Jack grimaced as he shifted, twisting around to get a better look at the wound. Three large gashes crisscrossed his back and sides, but they'd been stitched together with dark thread.

"There's something very wrong with that wound. We should probably take you to a doctor." Ana moved to a low table with an induction burner and placed an ornate gold kettle on one of its two heating pads.

"I don't think a doctor's going to know how to deal with this." Jack looked grim.

"Dr. Ziegler's not too far away," Ana suggested. "But I’m not carrying you."

"No doctors," Jack said. "And especially not Angela." How would we even begin to explain this to her? I doubt she'd want to see us now. Two lost ghosts.

"I tried stitching you up myself," Ana said apologetically. "I never was much good with field dressing. Didn't need it very often."

He ran his finger over the jagged stitches. “Looks like a butcher went at it.”

"Well, you can take care of yourself from now on, if you like."

"It's a little hard to reach," Jack said sheepishly.

"Then don't complain.” Ana paused. "And shouldn't that be healing itself?"

Jack nodded. "It should be. Maybe the shells were laced with a biological agent?"

"You're sure you don't want to see Dr. Ziegler?"

"We'd have to explain to her that we're not dead," Jack said.

"She's the miracle worker. She's probably used to it by now," Ana laughed.

"No Angela," Jack said, and that was that.

He looked around at Ana's home, as it were. It was a mix of tactical equipment, military surplus, surveillance devices, and some light touches of domesticity. The space was more archaeological site than apartment, ancient stone chambers with worn stone columns, and the walls had been carved with hieroglyphics, though some looked like the work of more modern vandals. On a low table, Ana had set up a little display of ancient objects that had been carefully preserved: a jar with a ram's head lid made of pale, milky stone, a black and gold mask bearing the visage of a fierce cat goddess, a chipped vase of brown-red clay, and a small, brilliant green figurine of a falcon.

Jack took a closer look at the antiquities. "This place reminds me of a museum my mother took me to in New York when I was a kid." It had been one of his favorite parts of the trip, running around the transplanted ruins of an ancient Egyptian temple. He smiled at the memory.

Ana offered him a blue mug with a red plaid pattern. "It's a necropolis—a city of the dead."

"Appropriate," Jack chuckled. He motioned towards the small display. "What are these?"

"I found them when I moved in. I couldn't very well throw them away. These relics have survived thousands of years. Empires rose and fell, and they're still here. I figured I should take care of them before I sent them to Dr. Faisal."

Jack blew gently on his tea to cool it. "You've been here the whole time?"

"Ever since I left the hospital in Poland." Ana watched as Jack sipped his tea.

He made a face at the bitterness. "Any sugar?"

Ana ignored him. "When I woke up, I didn't remember who I was. I had no name to give them, so they called me, 'Janina Kowalski,' your Jane Doe. For months, I sat in that hospital room in pain and confusion. Dr. Lee told me I was lucky. Well, as lucky as you can be after having glass and shrapnel embedded in your skull." Ana felt the phantom pain of her eye even as she recounted the experience.

"We tried to find you," Jack said somberly. "I used every resource at my disposal. Gabe even put McCree on it personally. Not a trace. Everyone else tried to convince me you were gone and that I was being irrational. But deep down I knew that you couldn't be dead."

And I was right, Jack thought.

"Dr. Lee kept me out of the system. I convinced her some dangerous people were after me."

"I'm dangerous?" he asked, playing innocent.

"You're a kitten, Jack," Ana laughed. "Eventually, I was able to piece together what happened, but I don't know how much of it is real and how much I've filled in the blanks myself. I remembered the mission. We were pinned down by the enemy sniper, and I was trying to flush them out. I remembered lining up the shot. But it was almost like there was a reason why I didn't want to remember what happened next."

Jack looked down into his teacup.

"It was because I recognized that sniper," Ana said, studying him carefully. "You already know this."

"Amélie?" Jack said. "Yes." He had learned that and more over the years, but he left it unspoken.

"Poor Gérard," Ana sighed.

The pair sat in silence for a while as the steam drifted lazily from their cups and dissipated into the dusty haze of the ancient room.

"Why are you here, Jack?" Ana asked at last.

"I never forgave myself for leaving you behind. I heard about a bounty hunter in Cairo, and I hoped…" Jack set the mug down.

"You never were good at letting go," Ana chided him. "Too stubborn for your own good."

"Gabriel is out there. Talon is getting more powerful. They need to be stopped, and everything that we've suffered—everything that you've suffered—needs to be made good on. I’m going to take them apart, piece by piece." Jack's impassioned words echoed off the stone walls, and he had clenched his fists. He slowly released them. "But I can't do it alone. I need your help."

Ana crossed her arms. "You can barely stand. You fainted in the street. The only thing you need to do is recover."

"Don't let this go. Don't be like the others. They dismantled everything we spent our lives building, and then they made us into villains."

"We're not all like you, Jack," Ana said. "Some of us can move forward."

"This is moving forward," Jack growled.

"You're excited," Ana said. "You're not thinking straight. Get some more rest. We can talk after."

"After?" Jack's eyes flashed to his mug and then looked back at Ana. "Did you—?"

He collapsed on the cot.

Ana waited until Jack was deeply asleep before she lifted his legs onto the bed, tucked a pillow beneath his head, and pulled the scratchy blanket over him. He had scars she didn't recognize, and his hair had thinned and faded to a silvery white. While he slept, Soldier: 76 slipped away, and she could feel the presence of the Jack she remembered.

She picked up the empty mug and left him to rest.

Later, Ana returned to the darkened complex, her supplies in a canvas sack she carried over her shoulder. With the lights off, the place felt more like a tomb than ever. She walked through the entry corridor and into the main chamber to find, of all things, Jack, shirtless, doing one-handed pushups through gritted teeth. He'd discarded his bandages in a small pile on his cot. Ana could see the angry red and black of the wounded flesh, bound together by her inexpert stitching.

"You're going to tear those stitches out," Ana remarked.

"I was feeling a little restless," Jack explained.

"You did sleep for two days," Ana said. Hungry?

"I'd kill for a burger."

Ana gave him a look of disbelief.

"But I'm not picky," Jack flashed her that smile he used to try to get himself out of trouble. He really was like a child sometimes.

Ana pulled paper containers of food out of her sack and placed them on the low table in front of him. The rich smells drifted through the air. There was falafel and beans, and pockets of freshly baked bread stuffed with steaming minced lamb meat and onions. "It's not my cooking, at least."

"Thank god for small miracles," Jack chuckled.

In spite of herself, Ana laughed as well.

Jack attacked the food like someone accustomed to having to wolf down meals quickly. Ana helped herself to a little, but mostly they ate in silence. When they'd finished, Jack leaned back on the crate he was sitting on and settled back into his questioning.

"Why didn't you tell me you were alive?" Jack asked.

"I don't know if you'll understand," Ana said. "Gabriel would, but you're different in some ways."

Jack's expression was unreadable. "And Fareeha? You let her think you were dead."

"That was the hardest part." Ana sighed. She stood up and walked over to her desk, where there was a small framed photo Ana with her young daughter on her back. Their arms were both spread wide as though they were flying. "Fareeha would have expected Captain Amari to return, but she was gone. The moment I hesitated, I changed."

"You can't blame yourself," Jack said softly. "How could you have known?"

"Don't patronize me, Jack," Ana snapped. "Of course, it was my fault. It doesn't have to haunt me for the rest of my life, but I can accept the blame."

"It wouldn't have made a difference to us. We would have wanted you back. It turns out we couldn't do it without you," Jack said, touching her shoulder gently. "Overwatch needed you. And now I need you."

Ana read the desperation on Jack's face. "Getting revenge for what happened won't accomplish anything other than getting you killed."

"Maybe, but I still have to fight. Everyone else gave up, but not me."

He blames me, too. Ana realized. "Stubborn."

"You couldn't give up the fight either," Jack said. "Why else were you at Hakim's palace?"

"I tried to live quietly, you know. I would be near my daughter and be at peace. But the longer I lived here, the harder it was for me to escape the fact that we are responsible for what happened to this city. We shut down the Anubis project, and Egypt has never recovered." Ana stood up, turning her back to Jack. "People's lives are hard. They're being taken advantage of by parasites like Hakim. How could I let it go on when I knew there was something I could do?"

"You're fighting for justice, just like me," Jack said.

Ana's eyes narrowed. "Revenge isn't justice."

Jack threw his hands up. "We're after the same thing. Why do you think Hakim was meeting with Gabriel? He's working for Talon. The rot on this city is going to spread, and it will ruin the world just like it always does."

"Hakim runs a criminal organization that has strangled Cairo. The police and the government either turned a blind eye or they're being paid off by him. Food supplies aren't being distributed to people who need them. Medical care is almost impossible to get," Ana said. "Look me in the eye and tell me you can leave without doing anything."

"Cairo and the world will suffer until we bring them all down! You have to see the bigger picture," Jack said heatedly.

"Are you even hearing yourself? You would never have made this argument before," Ana said disapprovingly. "The way we do things matters."

"Times change," Jack said with finality. "Either you're coming with me, or I'm leaving. I've already wasted too much time."

“I’m not going,” Ana said.

For a long moment, Jack stared at her in silence. "A sniper takes the most dangerous threat out first. That was your job." Jack picked up his ruined coat. "If you want to waste your time on petty criminals, so be it. I have a war to fight."

He stormed out.

After Jack left, Ana switched on her computer. Jack had been using it earlier, and the screen was cluttered with articles about Reaper’s movements and appearances. Ana wondered who had been supplying Jack with some of this information, but that was a puzzle for another time. She browsed through the reports and remembered the ruined face she had seen behind the mask.

Gabriel… what happened to you?

One of the articles indicated that casualties in one of Reaper's attacks had suffered the same sort of wounds as Jack.

That damned scientist, Ana thought with disgust.

The other information offered little new insight on the Reaper, providing only a view into Jack's mind. He was following a spiderweb of corporations, government officials, and financial institutions, all hopelessly tangled together through corrupt arteries and shady intermediaries. It was the sort of problem that was never Jack's strong suit. He preferred two sides, concrete facts, and one clear, unequivocal decision.

The messy stuff was always Gabriel's arena.

Not as much as it used to be.

Ana considered her options. In her heart, she knew she wanted to stay. Egypt was failing. In a few more years, it was likely that it would fall into chaos, torn apart by profiteers and criminals like Hakim. As the bounty hunter Shrike, she had slowly been making a difference, little by little. If she left, all her work would be undone.

But there are other people here, like Fareeha. They're not helpless. It doesn't have to be you.

That pride again.

She looked back at articles about the vigilante Soldier: 76. One caught her attention: a break-in at LumériCo's newest fusion plant. There’d been a gunfight in the middle of the market—a number of serious injuries and property damage—all of it attributed to him. But there was also eyewitness testimony from a local girl in Dorado. Even though everyone else thought he was someone to fear, she'd called him a hero.

It doesn't have to be you, but sometimes, people need something to believe in.

Ana knew what she needed to do. She walked over to the makeshift shelf that held the treasures she'd found in the necropolis when she'd first arrived. She looked at the feline face on the ancient mask. It was the goddess Bastet.

A guardian.

Jack walked through the sleeping city. The cool night air was a pleasant break from the heat of the day. Given the late hour, the streets were quiet, even though he had wandered into the city center. The stalls selling food, scavenged omnic parts, or fabrics and textiles had all long since shut down. Curfews weren't imposed, but the city's residents were advised to stay indoors after sundown for their own protection. After coming face to face with Reaper, the dark was a pool of shadows that hid the unknown.

Jack had been on the hunt for some time now, gathering information, and tracking what leads he had. He'd had the benefit of being unnoticed, but things had changed. There was no doubt that Talon and its allies knew he was coming for them. He had gotten one good night's sleep since he arrived in Cairo, and it was the first in as long as he could remember.

I can't believe she drugged me, Jack thought.

He was uneasy now. Staying in one place for too long was risky, especially now that Gabe would be looking for him. He had to move on.

Night had crept towards morning and a full moon was hanging lower in the sky when Jack finally returned. Ana was sitting at the computer as he entered.

"Come back for the rest of your things?" she asked without looking up.

He walked over to her, "I'll help you capture Hakim. Once that's done, we go after Reaper."

"We have to make sure the city is secure," Ana corrected him. "I'll only leave with you after things here are settled. That means not just Hakim, but his followers, too. I need to know that the people will be safe."

Jack's jaw clenched as he considered the offer. "Then let's go over to his manor and round him and his men up. One quick strike before they have time to prepare."

Ana shook her head. "No rushing in. Remember how it went last time?"

"It would have been fine if Gabe hadn't showed up," Jack said.

Ana arched an eyebrow.

Jack sighed. "What's the plan then?"

"We start at the bottom and work our way up. Close the net around Hakim, starve him of his resources, and force him out into the open. We have to expose him and the people that are protecting him. Understood?"

Jack sighed, relenting. "You know, I told Gabe they picked the wrong person for Strike-Commander."

"Yes, but you meant him, not me," Ana replied.

"It could have been Reinhardt," Jack smirked.

"Let's not be crazy now."

Ever since the fight at his palace, Hakim had been reticent to return, instead moving between his safehouses in the city. Jack had been able to track down a number of them and found the one that was most conducive to their plans. He rented an apartment that overlooked it. Ana and Jack hadn't bothered with niceties: the room was furnished only with a couple beaten-up wooden chairs and a wooden crate. They took turns with one sleeping bag. After the second day, Ana had insisted on bringing a hot plate so she could make tea.

Within a week, they'd rounded up a number of Hakim's associates, whittling away at his organization. Word spread about someone targeting Hakim's organization. Whoever it was, people agreed, they meant to bring Hakim to justice. But after the initial burst, things had slowed down. Hakim went further underground. He was being more careful. There was nothing to do but wait.

The boredom wasn't so bad for Ana. As a sniper, she had more than her share of patience, and having the freedom to move around, take naps, and even go outside, made it more than tolerable. Jack was restless, though. She saw the way he looked out the window, searching the horizon endlessly, and Ana knew his gaze was fixed on one thing.

Gabriel.

"Anything?" Jack asked, glancing up. He leaned back in his chair in a way that would make a school teacher worried. There was something in his hand.

"No sign of Hakim. What are you looking at?" Ana asked.

"Oh, just reminiscing about the old days." Jack passed over the small stack of photos. They were well-worn, creased in places, and had obviously been Jack's companions for a long time.

The top photo was a picture of them with Gabriel, all three looking young and optimistic, though Gabriel already showed signs of the stress of leadership weighing upon him. They'd just won a major battle in Rio de Janeiro. "I remember the beach," Ana smiled. "We look so serious in this picture—it's funny!"

"That's why it's a great photo!" laughed Jack.

It’s good to know he can still laugh.

She turned to the next one and almost dropped the photos in surprise. She'd never seen the photo, but she recognized it immediately. Jack looked so much younger. He had just stepped off a military transport for leave. It was the other person in the picture that surprised her—a dark-haired man, dressed in a casual, black button up shirt. Jack's arm was around his shoulder.

Vincent.

"Vincent… I haven't thought about him in years," Ana said. "Still keeping a candle lit for him?"

Jack shook his head. "Nothing like that."

"You've never looked in on him? You must have been curious. All the surveillance power in the world. I bet Gabe would have put a Blackwatch agent on him if you asked," Ana said.

Jack glared at her.

"Okay, touchy subject."

Jack laughed. "He got married. They're very happy. I'm happy for him."

Ana was unconvinced. In the early days, Jack talked about him often, floating a dream that the war would end quickly, and maybe he'd have a chance to return to a normal life.

But a normal life was never the reward for people like us.

"Vincent deserved a happier life than the one I could give him." Jack sighed. "We both knew that I could never put anything above my duty. Everything I fought for was to protect people like him… That's the sacrifice I made."

"Relationships don't work out so well for us, do they?" Ana said, unconsciously running her thumb over where her wedding ring used to be.

"At least you and Gabe managed to have families."

The pair lapsed back into silence.

Ana glanced out the window to see the familiar figure of Hakim entering the apartment block. "It's him." Ana passed the photos back to Jack, who carefully slid them into the inside pocket of his jacket.

"Ready?" Jack asked as he put his mask and targeting visor on, picking up the heavy pulse rifle where he had propped it against the wall.

Ana took her own rifle, quite a bit more manageable than Jack's, and slung it over her shoulder. She clipped a few flashbangs to her belt and then retrieved the last item from her pack: the black and gold mask.

"You're bringing that?" Jack asked.

"You inspired me, Jack. Soldier: 76 is more than a vigilante. The world knows that name. Your enemies are afraid you'll find them. I don't want Hakim, Talon, or anyone else to plunge Cairo back into chaos the second I'm gone. I'm putting on a new mask. Not a hunter this time, a protector. The kind of persona that I could leave behind to keep the people safe… Bastet."

"I just thought my mask was scary." Jack smiled.

"Bastet is scarier than an old lady."

"Ana, there's nothing scarier than an old lady," Jack said.

"You would know."

One week later, Ana and Jack were packing up the necropolis base. They'd leave much of Ana's belongings behind, taking only what they needed for the journey ahead. Hakim and his network of criminals had been dismantled. The news had started to report about the movements of a guardian named Bastet who had captured Hakim and exposed the extent of his crimes. Even the government was forced to act.

"What about these?" Jack pointed at the shelf that had the Egyptian artifacts on it.

"I could barely manage carrying you, and you want me to bring all this?" Ana said. "It's well-hidden. It will just wait here until I can find a proper caretaker."

"Fareeha?" Jack guessed. "You talked to her?"

"I… left her a message," Ana said.

"You're sure you can leave things like this? It could be a long time before you see her again."

If ever.

Ana sighed. "She never responded to my first letter."

Jack winced. "She'll come around in time. She loves you. Did you tell Sam anything?"

"I will, eventually. Maybe," Ana said. "I made a big enough mess of his life without having to give him the news. None of us are very good at saying goodbye, are we?"

"We're better than Reinhardt, anyway. I'm pretty sure his life is just one long attempt to avoid saying a goodbye."

"How is he?" Ana asked.

"That's a long story," Jack said. "But I suppose we'll have time."

Ana nodded. "There's something I want to be clear about before we leave, Jack," Ana said. "I'm going with you, but I'm not convinced that this is a good idea at all. Talon, Overwatch, Gabriel… I already let go of them. It hurt." She paused. "When I first came to the necropolis, most of the artifacts I found were ruined. I saved what I could, but I had to leave the rest. That's what's most important, Commander."

"Don't call me, that," Jack groused. "And come on. We need to pay a visit to some old friends."

They left the necropolis, sealing the entrance behind them. Long after they'd left, the relics of ancient civilizations laid in wait in the darkness of that dusty room. At the center of them all was a golden mask bearing the face of a goddess. Just as it remained in the hearts of the people of Cairo, and the fears of those who would harm them: a mask and a name.

[indigosandviolets]

some modern gareth emerson headcanons

these are completely random and all over the place lmao, but hope y'all gareth enjoyers, uh, enjoy

- this dude listens to a wide range of music, but you're looking at bands like Wolfmother, The Hives, The Raconteurs, Beck, The White Stripes, The Smashing Pumpkins, Modest Mouse, Cake, Toadies, The Offspring, Foo Fighters, Deftones, Rage Against the Machine, System of a Down, Pearl Jam, and Rammstein

speaking of Foo Fighters, bro couldn't figure out if he wanted to be Dave Grohl or fuck Dave Grohl

but in all honesty, when it comes to music, it totally depends on the bass and drums, because as long as they both fuck he's listening to it

this dude makes his own buttons and pins, but he'll also spring for enamel pins if he thinks they're cool

he also totally dyed his hair black once or twice, the first time being a straight up black dye that he got done professionally, the second time being one he did with Eddie at 2 in the morning using Arctic Fox's Transylvania because the thought it of it fading to like four different colors sounded cool as shit to him

Gareth wears all the layers, doesn't matter if it's 1986 or 2016, he probably dresses the exact same

he's got the same pair of Bluetooth headphones that he's had since middle school, which are covered in pencil marks, sharpie doodles, and random stickers

his child hero was Jack Black

his hero is still Jack Black

specifically School of Rock Jack Black

dude always has a random Wikipedia article open, not even sure how he got to the one he's on rn (he somehow got from Marylin Monroe to Jamaican Patois one time)

smokes a LOT of weed

he'll smoke a joint, but he has a really pretty red and black bowl and a matching bong that he absolutely loves

the bowl's for when he's on the go, the bong stays at his house

he's also done shrooms a handful of times, but he never really fucked with it too much

will totally be a trip sitter though

he's also a wake and baker, loves to sit outside and drink coffee between bong rips

he's always the one to refill the Brita for the morning after whenever everyone else is too hungover

yeah, he's never one to get drunk drunk, but he'll totally get too high and go to bed early, which means he wakes up in time to help everyone else deal with their hangovers (everyone being Eddie, Jeff, and maybe Kevin, but Kevin usually doesn't stay the night)

he's absolutely a little shit about it too

"Sleep well, sweetheart? Need any coffee, tea, hot cocoa?" in the most condescending of tones and a sickly sweet smile on his face

definitely has a lot of ear piercings, first and second holes, an industrial on his right, and both daiths

usually only wears black jewelry, but he has a good bit of sterling silver and some red too

he doesn't have any on his face bc he's not sure what he wants on his face quite yet or what he thinks would look good

totally has a stick n poke coffin on his arm and wants to do a patchwork sleeve when he has the money

he's a lil bit of a hippie, big fan of incense and has a crystal collection because he thinks they look dope as fuck

also definitely mixes cut herbs with his weed because he likes the mixture of smells when it burns, not bc of the metaphysical properties or anything like that

bro also loves the smell of weed, but in a tasteful way? like, it's not the main scent when you walk into his room, because it's mixed with other shit, but he loves the slight scent of it mixed with vanilla or frankincense or cinnamon

that's another thing, Gareth never smells bad. like, he has a very distinct scent, but it's really good

also, he's totally the kind of guy to just sit in bed and listen to music at 3 in the morning

just straight up sitting cross legged in his bed, headphones on, blasting Aerials sitting in the fucking dark

likes Weezer (only Pinkerton and the Blue Album tho)

his parents were super into classic rock, so his queer awakening was either Robert Plant or Jim Morrison (other contenders: Billy Joe Armstrong, Serj Tankian, Dr. Frank-N-Furter from Rocky Horror)

definitely read a lot in elementary and middle school, but got out of it when he started focusing more on drumming

he has a collection of band biographies from the 90's and 2000's though, the ones with the black and white photos on shitty paper, some of them are cut out and have gone on his wall

[theboarsbride]

Who would you cast if your WIPs were adapted to screen? :0

AAAAA THANKS FOR THE QUESTION THIS IS FUNNN!!!!!!

so this is interesting to think about because i DO have faceclaims, but like 90% of these fcs would be too old to portray these characters if they got adapted RIP :')

SO!! gotta think outside the box with this one! Gonna do this with my three main WIPs that I've been working on lately lol

The Monster and the Butterfly:

Dakota Blue Richards, Amelia Eve or Sophia Lillis as Sophie; Harry Melling as Edgar; Rufus Sewell or Crispin Glover as Claude; Evanna Lynch as Philomena/The Ghost; Bonnie Aarons or Eugenie Bondurant as Madame de Papillon

Temperance & Mr. Wyrm:

Gwendoline Christie as Temperance; Kieran Culkin as Jack

Those Red Nights (blegh this one isn't as well thought-out SORRYYY):

Jennifer Morrison as Selene; Norm Lewis as Apollo; Bob Odenkirk as Lowell (shhhh idc if he's 60 this character literally exists because of Bob HHHHGGGGGGG)

THANKS AGAIN FOR THIS QUESTION!!! i like thinking of these type of goofy things

[blukrown]

The Life We Have Earned - Move In Day [NSFW]

Reaper (Gabriel Reyes)/Soldier76 (Jack Morrison)

Jack Morrison-Reyes and Gabriel Morrison-Reyes have finally retired from military life. With both earning a sizeable pension, the two men are finally able to live the domestic life they had always dreamed of.

FOOD RUN [2] - SPRING CLEANING [3]

Read it on AO3 here

WARNING! This fic features - Sexual acts

It was a warm spring day as the moving truck outside a freshly-built, two story suburban dwelling stutttered to life and drove off. Leaving the front patio covered in boxes and bags and other miscellaneous shaped packages. Two men, clearly the occupants, moved back and forth from the patio to inside the abode, moving their possessions inside as they went.

Both men, were ex-military. Soldiers who were long overdue for retirement and almost forced to take thier generous pensions and get out, before the force gave them another reason to stay. Both of them would readily admit that, if it weren’t for the other, they would have found that reason.

Two matching silver banded rings, wrapped around either of the men’s right ring-fingers as hands strained on boxes or ripped away tape and cardboard to get to what the containers held. Both wore some of the few civilian clothes they owned, t-shirts and unflattering khakis and basketball shorts made for the most suitable moving gear.

It was getting well into the afternoon by the time the last box was inside the home. Most things had been put away but there was a box or bag that was left out in most rooms, abandoned and anticipated to be done in the morning.  Overall, both men would agree moving was a long and arduous task that, if all went well, they would never have to do again.

By the time the white-haired, tanned, older man groaned and sat in the armchair in the corner of the master bedroom, it had been the first time he had sat down since the ride over. The other man, a similar age with dark skin and a shaved head let out a derisive snort.

“Really, Jackie? This is where you give up? I’ve seen you walk through desserts with a full pack on either shoulder and not see you take the knee, but moving a couple of boxes?” He then clicked his tongue, conveying his disappointment.

The first man let out a small chuckle, “Shut up,” He muttered, letting his head roll back on his shoulders. “I don’t see you finishing up unpacking all the stuff for the kitchen.”

The darker man let out a huff, “Oh please, as if we have the need for a ladle right now. You expecting me to cook after all this?”

“Well then, Gabe, you’ll be in charge of ordering then.” Jack smiled brightly, slowly getting from his seat.

Gabriel grumbled something under his breath but still obeyed, pulling out his phone to begin a search for local takeout.

“There’s pretty much just the bed now.” Jack said, hands going to his hips to look at the rest of the room.

They had already bought a bed frame, and paid extra for the deliverer to unpack it and build it. Sheets were already tucked into draws, while pillows and the large blanket waited in a washing basket at the door. All that was left was the mattress. An ambiguous, towering rectangular box that claimed to hold inside it a king size mattress.

Both men stood side by side, staring at the intimidating box.

“You know how were supposed to open it?” Gabriel asked, circling the container.

“Not really, said just to open at the tear marks and let it fall out.” Jack replied, looking at the delivery paper that came with it.

Gabriel rolled his eyes, “Well then it ain’t really that difficult,” He grumbled, pulling at the rippable tag.

“We should at least finish reading the instr-” Jack was interrupted when the rolled up mattress became free from it’s captivity. Still wrappd in a air-tight clear-wrapping, the mattress fell like a freshly-cut tree falling, landing with a loud thud right where Gabriel had been if he had not ducked out the way.

“Shit,” Gabriel swore, “What’s the point of getting a mattress if you’re gonna get killed by the damn thing.”

Jack could not help but laugh, “Well it would help if you let me finish reading the instructions.”

“You know where you can shover those instructions-” Gabriel started.

“Yes, yes, very intimidating and most definitely the first time I’ve heard that.” Jack said with a roll of his eyes. “You going to help me or what?” He then ducked down to start unwrapping.

Gabriel took a moment to deliberate, or at least pretend to, before grunting and joining Jack where he crouched.

Within a few minutes, the mattress was out of all its protective casing and placed on top of the frame. Jack, of course, immediately went to flop on top of it. Landing on his stomach he let out a deep sigh before rolling on his back. Gabriel was still standing at the foot of the bed, looking dubiously at Jack.

“You going to join me or what?” Jack asked, scootching a little to the side to give Gabriel a good place to land.

Gabriel’s nose wrinkled in a look of disgust that was supposed to be insulting but Jack only found endearing. But within a few seconds, with the roll of the eyes, Gabriel followed suit. Landing with a grunt, chest first in a flop.

Apart from the creak of the springs on impact, the room went silent. Both men finally relaxing after a very long day. Jack soon felt a hand brush one of his where it lay on the bed. The fingers loosely intertwing in a way that still warmed the skin of his face. God, he still felt like a teenager by the way Gabe treated him sometimes.

Jack gave the fingers a soft squeeze. “It’s so surreal that we’re here. After all this time.”

Gabe did not roll over but allowed his head to turn to the side as he looked to Jack. “For me it doesn’t. Its not a dream, it’s reality.” Gabe stated stoicly before then pausing. After a moment he squeezed Jack’s hand back before he muttered, “And I earned this reality.”

Jack let out another small laugh. “Yes, you sure did.” 

There was a quiet again, one of many. Warm and safe. For both, they found comfort in those silences. Not that there was nothing to be said but rather that it was ok to be quiet and let them both silently enjoy one another’s presence alone. It was something they had not had much of in the past, with one out on missions or in meetings or just busy. Now, if they wanted to, their whole days could be silences if they wanted.

Gabriel let out a content sigh, awkwardly scootching on his stomach over until their shoulders were touching. Looking to Jack, he saw a very familiar sight. Bright blue eyes, as full of light as the day he met him. Gabriel could still recall the flutter in his stomach at Jack’s first smile. Fuck, he had it bad even then.

Lifting his head, Gabriel brushed Jack’s lips with his own. Soft and caressing. They had all the time in the world, after all. 

Jack soon reached to hold Gabriel’s chin steady, keeping him close. The kiss deepened, soft touch soon fastening. A dash of tongue and a nipping of teeth and Gabriel was soon on top of Jack. Hulking over him as he pressed kisses into his mouth, then chin and neck.

Warmth and pleasure bubbled in both men’s lower abdomen, the symptom of a very familiar feeling.

Gabriel pulled his lips away, licking them seductively as he did. “You know what we haven’t done, Jackie?” Gabriel asked.

“What?” Jack responded, voice low and raspy as it did when he was sleepy or lustful. And God, was it hot.

“We gotta make sure to wear in the mattress. Otherwise we ain’t gonna have a good nights rest.” Gabriel remarked, almost matter-of-fact.

Jack’s lip curled into a smile, a thumb brushing at one of the several scars on Gabriel’s face. “Good idea. What did you have in mind?”

Gabriel gave a shrug as a rare mischievous smirk grew. “I have a few ideas.”

Another of Jack’s soft laughs made Gabriel’s chest stutter its steady beat. “Well we better get to it.”

With that being all the permission Gabriel needed, he seized his opportunity. Taking Jack’s mouth again, deepening and empassioning the kiss. Gabriel’s hands roamed, tucking under the other man’s shirt to touch at his chest. He could feel Jack’s muscle flinch slightly, as they felt Gabriel’s cool fingers dragging up his torso.

Jack let out a huff through his nose, pleased when Gabriel’s hands went to either of his pecs. Both thumbs scanted over the sensitive buds, growling when he felt them already perking as he arrived. Rolling the nipples, Gabriel was greatly satisfied when he heard a moan rumble in the back of Jack’s throat.

Mouth still busy debauching Jack’s own, occasionally pulling away to kiss at the rest of his face affectionately. Gabriel squeezed either pink bud between his thumb and forefinger, smirking into Jack’s lips when he felt him wriggle beneath him. Bucking his hips, Gabriel felt a erection brush against his thigh.

“Already so excited, Jackie?” Gabriel asked, teasingly. 

“G-God, how could I not be?” Jack mumbled back.

Gabriel chest rumbled with a heavy chuckle, leaving Jack’s chest alone, his hands went to the waistband of Jack’s khaki shorts. The other man lifting his hips was all the consent he provided, allowing Gabriel to easily pull the shorts down and off his person.

Still amidst Jack’s lips, Gabriel took the growing, tented shape in Jack’s boxers in hand. Cupping the length and holding where possible through the cloth to give it a few jerks. He could hear Jack’s hitched breathing through his nose, the other man’s hands forcefully holding Gabriel’s face steady. Taking the reins in the kiss, Jack ravished Gabriel’s lips with lapse of his tongue and playful nips of his teeth. All of this being more than enough for Gabriel’s own crotch to stand at full attention at this point.

Gabriel reluctantly pulled his head away, still keeping his hand busy. “Do you want me to get you ready?”

Jack let out a gasp of pleasure as Gabriel’s thumb touched the tip of his cock through his undewear, dampening the cloth with precum. “N-No, I’ll be fine. Just put it in.”

Gabriel smirked a mirthful grin, “Gettin’ impatient, huh?” Purposefully lowering his hips the grind against Jack’s thigh. “You want this dick so bad.”

“Y-Yes,” Jack muttered, gritting his teeth as Gabriel gave an experimental squeeze of his balls. “Now shut up and get on with it.”

Gabriel chuckled, “Yes, sir.”  Getting one last kiss from Jack, sat up. “Lubes in the bathroom?”

“Yeah, uh, still in the bag.” Jack replied.

“I’ll get it, you strip.” Gabriel ordered, getting up off the mattress and heading straight to the bathroom.

When he was back, Jack was naked. Fuck, even in Jack’s old age he looked fine. Broad shoulders, strong core and muscles that were covered with occasional pink and white scarring. Jack’s cock was at full mast between his legs, visibly paler than the tanned skin of his hands and coloured pink around the tip with a few garish veins popping from the sides. The sight made Gabriel’s mouth water.

Gabriel climbed back onto the bed, slotting in between Jack’s legs. He was just about to open the bottle when Jack gasped.

“Shoot, shouldn’t we at least put the sheets on the bed?” 

Gabriel glared at him, “You’re seriously tellin’ me to stop what I’m doing and make the bed?”

Jack gave a guilty smile, “Could you at least get a towel? I don't want to make a mess.”

Gabriel glowers but goes, grumbling as he did, “Imma make more than just a fucking mess.”

“I heard that,” Jack called, not restraining a laugh.

Gabriel found a scrappy old beach towel, large enough to cover the mattress, and returned. “Anything else your highness? Want me to get you a fucking coffee as well?” Gabriel asked, his temper flaring a little. Perhaps not sensible, but he was sexually frustrated so running his mouth was a common symptom.

Jack took the snideness in his stride, “I’ll be fine for now, just get over here.”   Taking the towel and setting it down, Jack lay down again on his back. Urging Gabriel to climb above him and to come down to kiss once more.

Getting a towel and Gabriel’s bitterness may have been a bit of a mood killer but Jack soon got them back from where they left off. Passionate kisses and heavy breaths soon hurrying the flames of arousal to full flare once more.

Gabriel pulled down his shorts and underwear in one push to the floor, getting the bottle of lube and pouring a healthy amount on his fingers. Gabriel kissed one of Jack’s bent knees, a silent signal of what was to come. His finger’s touched at the puckering hole below Jack’s twitching member, coating the area with lube before pressing a single forefinger inside to spread. His entrance was tight but not constrictive, eagerly taking the finger to the end knuckle with ease. Jack let out a groan, laying his head back on the sheets, wetting his lip and trying not to bite down.

Not in the mood to tease, Gabriel pulled his finger out, enjoying the way Jack’s ass squeezed as if reluctant to let him go. Covering the rest of the lube over his own cock, he gave his length a few pumps with his own hand, feeling gratified to get some much needed friction.

Adjusting his position and lowering himself on his knees, he pressed the tip of his dick to Jack’s hole. Both men let out heavy, gratified breaths as Gabriel pushed in the first inch.  Gabriel knew Jack could take his full length straight away, but he felt no need to hurry, he also did not mind the time to adjust to the feeling that soon surrounded him. Just in case he went off the handle immediately, which had once happened to his great shame.

Soon bottoming out, Gabriel lowered to get a few kisses from an eager Jack. The other man was already starting to sweat, arousal had always done that to him, and Gabiel had the thought to say something sneering but thought better of it.

“Gonna move now,” Gabriel said gruffly, looking into those pretty little eyes.

“Go on then,” Jack urged, his hands going to either of Gabriel’s hips.

Both of Gabriel’s hands went to hold at Jack’s legs near the knee, holding them away so that he had full access as he slowly dragged out. Not helping a smirk as Jack let out a languid groan at the feeling of his cock dragging against the sensitive wall.  Fuck, he felt good inside him. Some nights when they had sex, Jack would just ask him to stay inside him for a while longer, even after he went limp, just to feel that closeness just for a few minutes more.

Gabriel soon made for a comfortable pace, neither too slow nor too fast. Just enough to go deep to press the space that made Jack gasp, while also timely enough to savour the afterglow everytime.  Gabriel had to thank his hips for not giving out on him in his growing age. As he could still fuck Jack like he was 25. Thrust steady and strong, Gabriel took his time, enjoying the feeling of Jack enveloping him and the debauched noises of where they touched. 

Jack was at first quiet, either by choice or by habit, only letting out sharp breaths or a choice moan at a well place thrust. But as always, when he began to unravel, he made more and more noise. Soon gasping for air and grunting with each full sheathing of Gabriel’s cock. Jack’s hands at Gabriel’s hips squeezed and urged him to go deeper each time. This almost animalistic want for Gabriel to be closer, even more inside him than he already was.

“G-Gabe,” Jack soon moaned, chest heaving. “I’m getting close, Gabe.”

Gabriel watched as one of Jack’s hands moved from his hip to touch his own cock that had been abandoned this whole time. Gabriel thought to stop him, make him cum untouched but he did not feel that cruel right now. He felt soft, warm, loved. Even his early bitterness had washed away so soon as it came. Fuck, it still surprised him how much he still loved this man. After so long, after everthing. 

“Go on then, Jackie.” Gabriel replied back, feeling his own release approaching. “Go ahead, ‘m right here, babe.”

Jack’s hand was then wrapped around his own shaft. Pumping it feverishly, not to savour or to stimulate but to hurry his own end.

Jesus, it was a sight Gabriel saw often but it still was so fucking hot to watch. Almost irritatingly so. Gabriel suspected Jack knew this, especially now. Jack made even more noises now, near to whimpers with each thrust as the hand on Gabe’s hip was near to bruising by the vice-like squeeze he had on him.

“Fuck, fuck, Gabe.” Jack moaned, “You’re so good to me, god, you’re so good.”

Perhaps, long ago, Gabriel had told Jack that he was into the idea of a partner who gave him praise in bed. Or maybe, Jack had just caught on. Either way, from early on in their relationship, Jack would flood Gabriel with compliments and praise and expressions of love that it almost overwhelmed Gabriel sometimes.  It was now, Gabriel realized.

“You like my cock that much, huh?” Gabriel growled, pushing Jack’s knees forward until his legs were near his head. Jack still somehow retained some flexibility that Gabriel very gladly exploited. 

“Uh-huh,” Jack gasped a reply and Gabriel could see his finish in his eyes, the way they crinkled the skin at the sides. “Oh, fuck, Gabriel. I love you so much. God, I love you so fucking much.”

Gabriel’s skin burned, the praise and words warming his bloodstream and going straight to his dick.

“I love you too, Jackie,” Gabriel puffed, his rhythm stuttering as he felt his body weaken with the encroaching wave. “I love your tight ass and hot dick. I’d fuck you all day if I could. I’d fuck you in the kitchen, in the shower, in the fucking backyard. I’d let everyone in this neighbourhood see how much you like me fucking you.” 

“God, Gabe, I’m close.” Jack groaned, “So close, don’t stop.”

Gabriel was now just running his mouth, not restraining from conveying his most lewd thoughts to words. Feeling his own end just at the precipice. “Jesus, I’ll never get sick of you. Your gonna make me want you all the fucking time now that you're stuck here with me. I’ll be chasing that cute little ass of yours all day if I have to. I doubt I’ll get any shit done, you’ll just distract me all day.”

Jack’s body started to seize, muscles bunching and tightening and squeezing as a orgasm ran through him. His insides tightened around Gabriel, enough that he just needed a few more thrust to get there. White cum then splutting out into Jack’s own hand and dribbling onto his stomach.

“C-Cum inside me, Gabe. Please,” Jack emplored, eyes misted and mind surely up on cloud nine. “I wanna feel you cum inside, you feel good when you do, p-please.”

“Fucking, of course,” Gabrile grunted, jaw clenching as he felt his end come like a train hitting him at full speed. He felt his release come, the sweet sensation of his cock twitching as it spilt cum straight inside Jack. Who he heard groan gratefully.

With that, the only noise was then the huffing and puffing of the two older men. As they relaxed, their bodies now covered in a fine layer of sweat and Gabriel was secretly grateful Jack had gotten a towel.  Gabriel leaned forward, kissing Jack’s cheek before resting his forehead against the towel-covered bed. Taking his sweet time in catching his breath.

Jack was the first to speak, letting out a gratifying sigh. His unsoiled hand wrapping around Gabriel’s chest to rub at his back where he could reach. Lifting his head he gave a few kisses to Gabriel’s neck, affectionate but not impassioned.

“As much as I would love lying here all sticky and sweaty, I might go have a shower.” Jack said, and Gabriel could already hear the small smile.

Gabriel grunted, slowly pulling out from inside Jack and lifting himself to sit on the bed to allow Jack to get out from under him. The other man got up and took steps to the ensuite but paused.

“You not going to join me?” Jack asked, smile still ever warm on his lips.

“If you insist,” Gabriel offered in reply, getting up from the couch. Trying his best not to smile like an idiot.

[aquicksojourn]

i'm not taking a break, if that's what you're asking. // from jack

She digs through her rucksack. ❝ I'm many things, Morrison-- ❞ she grunts before making a noise of triumph in the back of her throat as she grips onto a piece of jerky and rips into it. ❝ But I am not your momma. Do whatever you want. ❞ Damn, this is some really good jerky. Where did it come from?

Since she's here, she might as well get caught up on her post-mission paperwork. Datapad in hand, Vivian makes herself comfortable in Morrison's office. The only thing she could ask for is a cup of decent coffee, but she'll make things work. She always does.

[rockhyrax]

Spectacle Radio ep.99 :: 04.13.23 :: How can I comprehend time if I can't comprehend eternity?

Ryuichi Sakamoto - NHK Newswide (NHK television, 1980) Orson Welles conducting a satanic Ceremony (Necromancy, Bert I. Gordon, 1972) Jeanette - Porque te vas - (Cría Cuervos, Carlos Saura, 1976)  Maria Vincent - Rififi in the City (Jess Franco, 1963) Yonatan Yudkovitz & Adir Dadia - This Little Light of Mine (MaLo Sutra Fish, 2021) Jane Arden & Mihai Dragutescu - Figures in White (Anti-Clock, Jane Arden & Jack Bond, 1979) Necromancy (Bert I. Gordon, 1972) Yonatan Yudkovitz & Adir Dadia - This Little Light of Mine (MaLo Sutra Fish, 2021) Franco Micalizzi - The Tough Ones (Umberto Lenzi, 1978) Amen Corner - Scream and Scream Again (Gordon Hessler, 1970)

Tree Spirit - Time to Know (Ganjasaurus Rex, Ursi Reynolds, 1987) … Dschinghis Khan // Ghengis Khan (used in Jia Zhangke's Platform, 2000) music from The Ring Seller (Youssef Chahine, 1973) Kishore Kumar, Amit Kumar, Ahsa Bholse // Aati Rahengi Baharen (from Kasme Vaade, 1978)

Imants Kalnins - Four White Shirts (1967) Xuefei Yang // cover of the theme from Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence (RIP Sakamoto) theme from King of Beggars (Gordon Chan, 1992) Sawadika // Detective City Town (from Detective Chinatown, 2015) bed: Ryuchi Sakamoto // music from Alexei and the Spring (2002) … Ryuichi Sakamoto - Iceskating (Proxima, Alice Winocour, 2019) Michael Gordon - Decasia 3 (Bill Morrison, 2002) Glenn Branca - Gloria, First Movement (Antigone/Rites of Passion, Amy Greenfield, 1990) Steve Reich - Plastic Haircut (Robert Nelson, 1963) Herschel and the Music of the Stars (Percy Adlon, 1983) Takuro Iwa - Canard à l’Orange (Patrick Bowkanowski, 2002)

Meredith Monk - Turtle Dreams (Waltz) (Ping Chong, for WGBH-TV, 1983)

[walshparker]

october 31st, kappa kappa gamma

amber light brimmed from inside the various hanging jack-o’-lanterns that surrounded the outer entrance, parker’s eyes studying their expressions as she waited in line outside of kappa kappa gamma. or, more aptly, outside of their haunted house. the entrance before the entrance. the night was still young, with the moon’s waning crescent just seeming to find its place in the sky, but no one wanted to make their appearance too late. fear of missing out on any haunts and hotties was simply too big a risk.

adjusting the long strap of her little bag, parker took a giddy step forward, reaching the front. she’d made what many would consider an obviously mistake—showing up alone—though the hunched orc-man now at her side seemed eerily delighted by the fact. “a glowing bracelet keeps the haunts from making contact with flesh,” he explained, a snarl accenting the word flesh. parker glanced down at the one offered, green as science fiction ooze and just bright enough to draw the eye. “i think i’d like the full experience,” she decided, returning to their gaze. christ, the special effects makeup was impressive this year. “but thank you.”

given the nod to go ahead, she offered her own nod of thanks and stepped inside—though, not before the performer could get right up to her ear and give a gargling growl as she passed by.

when parker was seven, she watched her first scary movie.

okay, that got her a little bit. parker had always been a fan of the spooky, though, the performer’s sudden snarl bringing nervous chuckles to her throat. anything, it seemed, that could get her heart racing was welcome. she reveled in not knowing what came next, eyes glued to a screen as her hand reached out for a sibling’s, friend’s, or partner’s. only, there were no hands to reach for now, as she approached a hallway covered in wooden planks, metal chains hanging from the ceiling. her stride continued in its slow, observant manner and a hand reached out toward her throat. it stopped just short, but not before lunging forward a second time. “christ,” parker gasped, right hand flying to her chest. she stumbled forward, all the while trying to make out the figure in the dark, but being unable to.

suddenly, she took a turn and was bathed in eerie blue light. the hallway seemed bare, save for scattered cobwebs and... was that fake blood? each footstep carried her forward in a careful, yet fascinated manner. each detail gained her appreciation, even if it’d eventually cause her heart to take up residence in her throat. she was a theatre student, after all—and this was already turning out to be a decent production. after a few steps, her eyes fell on a missing persons poster, taped up next to a door left ajar. brows creased, parker approached it and stepped inside.

they were everywhere. lost, missing, reward. she studied their faces, eyes scanning the strange collage until a familiar smile caught her attention like a stray nail stags a sweater. greer morrison. parker frowned at the page. as if the pool party hadn’t been grossly fucked up enough. then, without hesitation, reached up and delicately ripped it off the wall. “for fuck’s sake,” she murmured, quickly folding it up and stuffing it into her bag, lest someone just pick it up from off the floor and pin it up again.

when parker was sixteen, she was cast in the musical ‘carrie,’ based on the book and scary movie.

a scream from somewhere else inside the haunted house shattered the air. parker straightened up, head turning from side to side in search of the source, but couldn’t find one. it was enough, however, to get her to keep moving. swiftly, she left the room and continued on down the hallway until she reached a staircase. atop it stood a ghoulish figured—one you, apparently, needed to get past in order to move on. drawing a quiet breath, she started up the stairs, only taking her eyes off the figure once or twice to look down at her footing. it made no moves, not even when she reached the stare just before it. obtrusively, their arms stretched out at their sides, hands bracing the railing, and parker saw no way through but between. having scanned their hooded face one more time, she hunched down and began to slip through the space between their arm and the ground. eyes wide, she moved with caution, watching to see if they’d start to move. but they didn’t, not when she’d made it through and straightened up.

okay, not bad. good trick. only, just as she’d begun to think it was a fake out, a pair of hands grabbed her shoulders, shoving her forward with an unintelligible yell. a scream met her throat, blocked by her lips, and she hurried onward with renewed determination. unsure of where to go, a moving body across the way flashed in her vision. only, one second it was there and the next it’d vanished. okay, convicting enough to investigate.

parker moved closer, realizing once she’d come within a few feet that she’d seen a reflection in a large mirror. a mirror with writing on it. SOMETHING WICKED THIS WAY COMES. “macbeth,” the redhead recognized with a nod, eyelids fluttering as she scanned the reflective surface. “nice.” she dug through her mind for the rest of the couplet, while her hand dug through her bag for her phone. she knew they discouraged bright phone screens and flash photography, but one mirror selfie in a non-crowded area wouldn’t hurt. parker tapped on the camera button and slid over to video mode, then hit record. in frame was the mirror in whole, her costume-clad body visible behind the writing. then, she neared, smoothly shifting the camera lens up and down. she hadn’t noticed the webbing before, hand almost getting caught in it and bringing her to back up. then, in the sweep of one last look, someone else appeared in the mirror behind her. “RUN,” they yelled, reaching out, too, to push her forward and keep her going. at a loss between responding with okay! and running!, parker locked her phone, slid it back into her bag, and rushed on. apparently, to linger too long was to beg for interaction.

there couldn’t be much else left, the front lawn of KKG not exactly sprawling on forever. she went down what she assumed was the last hallway, eyes and ears out for anymore friendly halloween performers, when she came to two different doors. one nearer to her, marked with a message of “U.R. NEXT” in bold white letters. the other, a little further down the hall and bursting with subdued lights and music. curiosity taking hold of her, she moved toward the former, hand gently reaching out to grasp the doorknob. what the hell, she was living out her final girl fantasy or whatever. plus, she wanted to be able to tell everyone that she'd explored everything she’d found.

with a creek—because, of course—it opened, darkness seeming to spill behind it like thick ink. a stark contrast to the party that awaited just a few steps away. but, of course there was a pitch-black room. there always was, in these things. so, parker moved to step inside it, leaving the door open a good foot. just to be safe. the light it provided did very little, parker hardly making out a desk or table before the door slammed shut.

when parker was twenty, she found out she was living in a scary movie.

“hey,” she called out, walking to the door, “someone’s in here.” she reached for the knob, assuming it’d been a mistake. but when she went to turn it, she was met with resistance—someone was blocking her way out. the claustrophobia, the endless darkness, immediately began to set in. “hey,” she tried again, harsher, leaning her shoulder up against the door as she tried to work the handle. “ha-ha, you got me, let me out!” the struggle persisted for another few seconds, parker wishing she’d taken a glow bracelet after all.

at least, that way, she would’ve been able to see the figure that reached out and grabbed her ankle before it did. that did it—she screamed, the sound echoing throughout the small (or, so she assumed) space. with a final yank, the door blew open, parker stumbling out of it and shutting the door behind her.

when parker was twenty-one, it followed her to school.

a few passerbys—four or five students—who’d just entered the area came to a halt, studying her panic. “jesus,” parker started with a faint chuckle, a hand rising to brush her hair away from her face. “they got me good.” offering a particularly stupid thumbs up, she strode toward the final exit. entrance. whatever. quick breaths made her chest rise and fall with rigidity, the sounds of the party instantly calming her nerves.

“every fucking year,” she whisper-spoke to herself, head shaking in good-natured humor as she finally made it inside.

[transfemzedaph]

Big mood with the Wilko plates thing (rip Wilko) I swear I saw a Kris and Jack video where they had food from Morrisons at some point. I was like omg *I* go to Morrisons...

YEAH they do that in one of the film frenzys i think

[musicarenagh]

Chris Olson Talks About Life As A Teenager In Latest Single 'Dirty Summer' Chris Olson is an artist who is quickly making a name for himself in the UK music scene. Known as the lead singer and songwriter for The Codes, a Wiltshire-based band, Chris is also carving out his own path as a solo artist. With a successful run of live performances with Hobo and the Hippies, Chris has recently turned to online platforms like Spotify and YouTube to showcase his talent and reach new audiences. One thing that sets Chris apart is his ability to craft songs that stick with you long after they’ve ended. His catchy musical hooks, introspective lyrics, and inventive song structures all come together to create a sound that is uniquely his own. His latest release, "Dirty Summer," is no exception. "Dirty Summer" is a reflection on the challenges of growing up in a world where no one seems to understand you. With a sound that is reminiscent of a long road trip, Chris invites listeners to take a journey with him as he navigates the complexities of adolescence. From the opening notes of the song, it’s clear that Chris has poured his heart and soul into every aspect of the production. The vocals are raw and emotional, the guitar work is impressive, and the lyrics hit close to home for anyone who has ever struggled to find their place in the world. Overall, "Dirty Summer" is a fantastic addition to Chris Olson’s growing discography. With his impressive talent and dedication to his craft, there’s no doubt that he will continue to make waves in the music industry for years to come. How long have you been making music and what attracted you to it? I started playing the guitar when I was 13 (about 20 years ago) and have been making music ever since. At first, it was just a really cool thing to do with my mates and later it become something more serious. What were your first project and the people you worked with and which year? My first band was a 4-piece called The Codes which we formed around 2004. We would play covers of our favourite bands like Blink 182 and Green Day - all pretty poorly to begin with but we got better. Jed Stickler was our drummer, Joe Cattaneo on bass and Jack Burston on rhythm guitar. We also had a guest vocalist, Robbie Morrison, who would help us do covers of Rage Against The Machine and some other heavier bands. [caption id="attachment_47704" align="alignnone" width="2000"] Chris Olson Talks About Life As A Teenager In Latest Single 'Dirty Summer'[/caption] Who or what inspires you or motivates you? And why? My dad (RIP) was my absolute mentor when it came to music. He had this encyclopedic knowledge about all kinds of bands and artists from the sixties up to the present day. His passion for music still motivates me now, I still discover bands I know he liked from way back when. In my house, we grew up with music all around us. It was always on. I can still remember waking up on weekends and the floor of my bedroom vibrating because my parents were blasting music in the living room underneath! There’s something “bigger than us” to music and to write songs and be part of this is as close to religion as I get to be honest. What are your friends and parents' thoughts on your career in singing? Haha, they humour me. Over the years I think I have worn everyone out with all my projects and passions. Music has always been my strongest one for me and I play whether anyone is listening. That being said, my bandmates from The Codes still banter with me about my music and I like to share it now with my wife and two daughters. My mum is probably my biggest fan - whether she likes the songs or not. What are some of the challenges you face in your career path? I used to think money was my biggest issue. Not having funds for gear, recording, touring etc. But as I got older, I realized my biggest challenge was not being good at connecting (or networking if you want to get technical). I was always proactive in getting things done but always by myself or with very close friends.

There is a lot of power in your community when you are a band and I wish I had seen that a long time ago. You can get so much more achieved when more people are involved. How do you feel the Internet has impacted the music business? Back in 2005, when we were recording and promoting our first album “Eleven”, the internet was nothing like it is now! You can network your ass off without leaving your house or even having to call anyone or play a live show. This is how a lot of things get done in the music industry and it’s so much easier now. Artists can essentially do what they want on their own terms now and it’s amazing. There are fewer and fewer gatekeepers, with labels and music companies struggling to keep up pace with an ever-changing musical landscape. The downside to all of that is the incredible amount of noise it creates. Trying to be heard is very difficult and you have to get creative in order to get your music in front of people. Do you have any advice for aspiring songwriters? Put the phone away sometimes. Don’t get me wrong, it’s great to be promoting yourself on social media and building your community but when it comes to songwriting and the art side - there’s no place for your phone or the internet there. Allow yourself time to play with no other distractions or external influences. So many of my songs (pretty much all of them) came when I was just messing around on my guitar and stumbled on a riff or some chords I really liked. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E3KXUBPmcbk[/embed] What is your current project about? I just released “Dirty Summer” which is my first single on an upcoming record called Building Stampedes. The album is a collection of songs about my journey from adolescence into adulthood, through events such as my dad dying and me becoming a father myself in the same year. Dirty Summer tells the story of me before a lot of the bigger things happened and I wanted it to have a free, “road trip” kinda vibe. What does this song mean to you? This song is really fun and it’s more about my teenage years - which I look back on fondly. The track has been with me for many years so it was great to release it last year (Oct 2022) and finally get it out there. The reaction from fans has been great and that means a lot to me. What are your hobbies? I like playing basketball and football but mainly spending time with my kids and whatever they want to do. They’re young at the moment so I get to do a lot of silly stuff which I love. What do you do aside from this profession? I work in marketing and make websites. It’s a lot of fun and I get to be visually creative with a computer - which is great for me because I have always been terrible at stuff like painting and drawing by hand. What is one message you would give to your fans? Thank you for the support, especially the stuff I don’t even see. I know I have people listening to my music, sharing it, adding it to playlists etc., without me even asking and I am truly thankful. Hopefully, the new record will be something worthwhile and I can wait to share it with everyone. [embed]https://open.spotify.com/track/5yeB1DLRZ7CgxeyIUi7V4s[/embed]

[exsgttibbs]

Tuesday, November 15 ~~ Pet Playlist

Diana’s Pet Playlist

songs for if the concept of a sunday morning was a dog | + a few lil Diana headcanons sprinkled in

Eloquent Frog - Alan Gogoll

Starting off with a song that is almost a prologue to the rest of the playlist because this is definitely just what the inside of Diana’s head sounds like when she’s outside sniffing around in the park and things. Peak dog having a good gentle time if you ask me

Upside Down - Jack Johnson

I’ll share this love I’ve found with everyone We’ll sing and dance to Mother Nature’s song I don’t want this feeling to go away

I cannot listen to this song without thinking of Curious George and Diana is a very curious dog she likes to get her nose into things but like... in a safe way. A cautious way. She likes to give everyone at the park a sniff and a once over just in case they’ll give her pats

Isn’t She Lovely - Stevie Wonder

Isn’t she lovely? Isn’t she wonderful? Isn’t she precious?

Tibbs loves all of his children equally except that he doesn’t, because Diana is his favourite. And he’ll claim that she isn’t and that he doesn’t have favourites but it’s always cuddles with Diana on the couch after work whilst Captain rips the stuffing out of the footstool so y’know

This Will Be (An Everlasting Love) - Natalie Cole

You brought a lot of sunshine in to my life You filled me with a happiness I never knew You gave me more joy than I ever dreamed of

I like this specfically as a song for Tibby and Diana because Tibby was fairly young when they got Diana and I just love thinking of this song from a friendship perspective; dogs maybe aren’t in your life for a very long time but the love for them is forever!!

Sunday Morning - Maroon 5

Come and rest your bones with me Driving slow on Sunday morning

Pretty much all of the songs in this playlist I chose based on melody as well as lyrics bc I feel like all of them, and especially this one, capture Diana’s vibe perfectly even before listening to the lyrics, but this song also just makes me think of Tibbs coming home after a hard shift to a dog who is happy to see him and also just happy to sit there and be a companion for a while. It also feels like the soundtrack to a dogs having fun at the beach montage if you ask me

Put Your Records On - Corinne Bailey Rae

Just go ahead let your hair down You’re gonna find yourself somewhere, somehow

Diana is the definition of chill. Like the chillest dog you’re ever gonna meet. Super smart but refuses to use it and will just go with the flow instead, unbothered at all times.

Palm Trees - Surfaces

I’m doing just fine, if they need me, I’ll be Underneath the palm trees Where I lay my head ‘Cause I ain’t got no worries

See above tbh. Some may argue that she has no worries because she’s no thoughts head empty, but she’s an old english sheepdog so she’s like, exceptionally smart and actively choosing not to have any worries

Here Comes The Sun - The Beatles

Here comes the sun, and I say, It’s alright

This one is family visit to the park montage Diana POV and that’s all I have to say about it

Brown Eyed Girl - Van Morrison

Our hearts a-thumpin’ and you, My brown eyed girl

Tibby taught Diana to quote unquote slow dance (as well as a dog can slow dance anyways) and Tibbs has in fact danced in the kitchen with Diana to this song. And also, y’know. She is a brown eyed girl.

You’ve Got A Friend In Me - Michael Buble

There isn’t anything I wouldn’t do for you We stick together, we see it through ‘Cause you got a friend in me

I had to have this specific version of this song bc it is just so whimsical sounding and perfect for Diana’s general vibe but I think this is again a very Tabitha-Diana song, like perfect for a girl and her best friend tbh

[apoapsis]

@soldierwatch​ //  [ x ]

            MANIA IN FULL FETTER-LIKE SWING, SIGMA cannot help but openly antagonize when he finds himself cornered in some sort of interrogation facility, stripped of his protective suit and the brackets for his barrier. Aside from residual injuries from the fight that landed him here, they... haven’t done anything to him-- not yet-- but the longer he sits here, cuffed to what seemed like the smallest chair in creation, the more uncomfortable he becomes.

Restless, delirious.

             Desperate.

 He is trembling despite his better efforts.

             "-- What, couldn’t the SEP afford to augment your ears, too? Did my little rock truly hit you THAT hard...?” SIGMA retorts maliciously, although the soldier’s tone carried implications of a potentially very real, albeit as of yet unknown, threat-- but in his agitated mental state, and with the feverish grip of his manic swing fully enveloping him in this sea of contempt, the rage is the only thing keeping him lucid at the moment-- if one could really consider this “lucidity”. Shut off from TALON, he can feel the walls threatening to close in again-- and with this stupid, self-righteous fucking PRICK barking in his face, HE NEEDS TO SNAP.

IF HE DOES NOT BITE BACK, HE IS GOING TO DIE IN HERE.

               HIS EXISTENCE, HIS DREAMS-- ALL TRACES OF THE LIFE HE HAD FOUGHT FOR HIS RIGHT TO LIVE, WILL, AT LAST, BE ERASED FOR GOOD.

For a moment, they’re left in a silence so thick it was as if all the oxygen had left the atmosphere, leaving the two of them in its wake, listening to SIGMA’S labored, increasingly erratic breathing. If he submits, he dies. If he submits, he will die. There is no up or down-- no way around this. No one is coming to save him anymore. The only way is through.

          “-- W-WELL, WHY DON’T YOU OPEN YOUR FUCKING EARS THEN, OLD MAN! YES, YOU ARE TERRORISTS! YOU ARE ALL TERRORISTS! YOU KILL AND MAIM AND TORTURE-- ALL THE SAME AS TALON!! TALON HAS TOLD ME ALL OF THE ATROCITIES YOU, TOO, HAVE COMMITTED!! I HAVE HEARD OF BLACKWATCH AND ZÜRICH!!“

“HOW YOU LIE AND LIE AND HOW YOU TELL YOURSELVES, “OH, BUT WE ARE BETTER FOR THIS THAN TALON”, AS YOU RIP APART ANY AND EVERY ONE THAT LIFTS A FINGER OR VOICE TO SAY OTHERWISE-- YOU ARE BENEATH ME, JACK MORRISON.“ He snarls, only continuing to raise his voice until it strains as he gasps in between breaths, even thrashing in his seat a bit from the effort it takes to shout. Is this how SIEBREN felt...? As much as he HATED to feel such intense rage, it feels good to just yell at someone else for a change, after spending so long pushed and pulled and scrutinized. “THERE IS ONLY EVER VIOLENCE TO BE FOUND AMIDST VIOLENCE, YOU-- YOU IGNORANT FUCK!“

            “THIS PLANET IS DESTINED TO DIE, AND I AM MORE THAN COMFORTABLE WITH ALLOWING IT TO EXPIRE-- JUST LET ME FUCKING LEAVE ALREADY!!“