#also i tried the panning effect in a couple of these to keep him centered in the frame which i've never done before!

[heybaetae]

💍💍💍

[curlynerd]

Happy Birthday, Cas! Word Count: 3K Rating: T Summary: Appalled that Cas has never had a birthday party before, Jack drags Dean into his schemes to plan a surprise party for him. Dean finally works up the courage to tell Cas how he feels. Notes: love confessions, first kiss, lots of fluff, and lots of Cas' family showing up much they care

Also read on AO3!

"You've never celebrated Cas' birthday?!" Jack exclaimed by way of greeting at -- Dean groaned and rolled over to check the time. -- 6:47 in the morning.

"Jack..." Dean sighed, dragging his hand down his face and sitting up in bed. "We've been over this. You promised not to come barging in here until at least 8:30."

"Huh?" Jack titled his head at Dean before his gaze trailed over to the bedside clock. "Oh. Sorry. I forgot to check the time."

"All those God powers and you can't even conjure up a watch?" Dean grumbled as he threw the sheets off his legs and planted his feet on the floor. "Now what were you saying about Cas?"

"His birthday!" Jack's expression was too damn excitable for this early in the morning. "I was telling him about how we celebrated my birthday after Mrs. Butters left, and I asked him about his birthday, and he said he'd never celebrated one before!"

Dean frowned at Jack. This was what he was woken up for? "Kid, I don't think he has one. The dude's older than calendars."

Jack was undaunted. "Yeah, but he was born, right? Even angels are born."

Okay, it was way too early for existential questions. He needed coffee. Dean grunted his acknowledgment and dragged himself to his feet. "Did Cas say when his birthday was?"

"Well, no." Jack furrowed his brow for just a second before his face lit up in enthusiasm. "Why don't we celebrate today?"

Dean stared at Jack. Jack's eyes were wide and sincere and full of love, just like his dad's. And, apparently, just as effective. "Alright..." Dean said with a defeated sigh. Who was he to deny the kid a chance to make his dad happy? "Whacha wanna do for his birthday?"

Jack beamed. "A surprise party! With cake!"

"Yeah, I figured as much." Dean scrubbed at his hair and wiped the last of the sleep out of his eyes as he shuffled his feet into his slippers. "Coffee first, though. Then the store."

"What kind of cake should we make?" Jack asked an hour later, as he and Dean pondered every box mix the grocery store had to offer.

“Hmm…” Dean eyeballed the box of funfetti mix. Jack would probably like that one best. It had sprinkles baked in. Dean kind of wanted a classic chocolate cake. And Cas, well. He wouldn’t care. He’d probably take two bites at most, just to appease Jack.

“This one.” Dean’s eyes twinkled with mischief as he reached for a box and held it out for Jack.

“Angel food cake?” Jack read.

Dean nodded, his grin widening at his little joke. “Yeah! It’s special. Angels love it, ya know.”

Jack tilted his head at Dean, then the box, before a smile bloomed across his face. “You gave me angel food cake once. I really liked it! Is that why you got it for me?”

Dean thought back to that drive, and his little snack cakes morality test. “Yup. That was definitely why.” He snatched the box from Jack’s hand and tossed it into the cart before he could ask more questions. “Let’s wrap this up before Cas wonders why we’ve been gone so long.”

If Cas was ignorant of Jack’s birthday plans before, he wasn’t for long. Neither Dean nor Jack thought to do much to conceal the contents of their shopping bags when they returned home. Or figure out a way to keep Cas from wandering the bunker. So when he stumbled upon the two of them hauling bags toward the kitchen, both Dean and Jack traded suspicious glances.

“Dean and I will be in the kitchen for awhile,” Jack said seriously, cutting straight to the chase. “Do not come in there though!”

“Oh?” Cas’ gaze flickered down to their bags. A package of birthday hats stuck out of the opening of one. A canister of rainbow sprinkles was nestled at the top of another. His mouth twitched as his eyes softened with warmth. When they met Dean’s eyes, Dean’s stomach did a flip. Cas’ eyes grew even warmer.

‘He loves you,’ Dean’s thoughts helpfully supplied at the worst possible moment, ensuring Dean’s face burned with a fierce blush right as Cas looked his most adoring. Dean hastily averted his gaze.

Cas hadn’t been back from the Empty for long, only a couple of weeks really. But it felt like an eternity.

Because Dean hadn’t told him yet. He hadn’t looked him in the eyes and said ‘I love you too.’ Hadn’t dragged him in by the lapels of his stupid trenchcoat and kissed him senseless. Hadn’t held him close and promised him that he could have Dean, all of him, for as long as he wanted to keep him.

The moment had never been right. There were always people around. Jack. Sam. So many of their friends, eager to see them and celebrate their victory over Chuck and their newfound freedom. Things were only now starting to quiet down, and still Dean hadn’t worked up the courage to tell him.

“It’s for a surprise,” Jack continued, pulling Dean from his thoughts. “Er, not a surprise! We’re not planning any surprises!” Dean barely controlled his eyeroll. The kid really needed to work on his lying. “It’s something you can’t know about until later. So don’t even think about peeking!”

Cas and Dean traded knowing looks. Dean shrugged a little. “I wouldn’t dream of it,” Cas assured Jack.

Jack brightened. “Great! Come on, Dean. Let’s go!” He practically skipped toward the kitchen, radiating enthusiasm with every step. Dean sighed and followed after him, already anticipating the huge mess at the end of all this. At least it was just box mix. That was easy enough to handle.

As it turned out, even box mix wasn’t foolproof.

“Is it supposed to look like that?” Jack asked in concern. He poked at the misshapen mess of their cake.

“Probably not.” Dean shrugged. It was a disaster zone, is what it was. Apparently angel food cake required a special pan. It looked similar enough to a bundt pan, though, so Dean thought it was an okay substitute. Clearly not. Or maybe they overmixed it? Was that why it sunk into this lumpy, craggy mess and then fell apart when they tried to shake it out of the pan?

“But ya know, homemade cake never looks as fancy as the stuff you get at the store, but it tastes just as good.” He slapped Jack on the back. “Put some frosting on this thing, maybe some decorations, and we’re golden.”

And so they set to work. Jack clearly had a vision of what he wanted, pulling supplies from the pantry to add to the disaster cake. He insisted on covering it in a thick layer of chocolate frosting, even though Dean tried to tell him angel food cake didn’t usually need it. It was vital to what he was creating. A full hour passed, and somehow the thing looked even worse than when it first flopped out of the pan.

“Cas is gonna love it,” Dean said anyway, because he knew it was true. Jack beamed with pride.

“At what point am I no longer banned from the kitchen?” Almost as if on cue, Cas’ voice called out from down the hallway. “Am I allowed to walk past it? I’d like to go into the library.”

“You can come in!” Jack yelled back, practically bouncing on the balls of his feet with excitement.

Dean looked around at the decoration-less kitchen, the party hats and the balloons still in their packaging. “Wait, hold on--” he began, but it was too late.

“SURPRISE!” Jack shouted as Cas rounded the corner. “Happy birthday, Cas!”

“A surprise for me?” Cas didn’t even seem to notice that the only things in the kitchen were a weird brown blob of cake and a massive mess. He was smiling from ear to ear at Jack with that special, endeared smile parents reserved just for their children. “But I told you I didn’t have a birthday,” Cas said. Which he and Jack had talked about literally hours ago. Before Jack raced off to talk with Dean and plan an impromptu trip to the store before baking all morning.

Yeah. Cas definitely knew what Jack was planning today.

“Well, Jack decided today was your birthday. So, happy birthday.” Dean shrugged a little in a ‘Kids. What can ya do?’ sort of way.

Cas’ expression softened. “Today is a perfect day for a birthday.”

“We made a cake!” Jack bounded over to Cas and practically dragged him to the kitchen counter. “Do you like it?”

“It is…” Cas frowned and knit his eyebrows together at the monstrosity before him. “An inside-out hedgehog?”

“It’s a Sarlacc Pit!” Jack exclaimed while Dean clutched at the table, doubled-over with laughter. Jack pointed out the pretzel rods jutting out around the misshapen, lumpy hole in the center of the sunken cake. They’d done their best to make the chocolate frosting around it look like smooth sand, but of course it was way too brown. And bits of warm cake kept breaking off while they iced it. “That’s its teeth, and that’s the sand. It’s a Star Wars cake!”

“Oh, of course it is!” Cas said generously. He patted Jack’s shoulder. “It’s wonderful, Jack. And Dean.” He nodded at Dean, who was still trying to catch his breath.

“Yeah we’ve got ourselves the next Cake Boss over here. If the God thing doesn’t work out.” Dean’s voice rippled with laughter. He snatched up the bag of party hats and ripped it open. Cas looked exceedingly tolerant as Dean snapped one on his head with an impish grin. “So birthday boy, whacha wanna do on your special day?”

“Oh I know!” Jack exclaimed. His enthusiasm was infectious. “First we’ve gotta…”

The day wound up being more about Jack than Cas. Or rather, Jack doing all the things he loved to do with Cas. There was a Star Wars movie marathon. There was cake. There were more board games than Dean had played in a lifetime. Dean had a sneaking suspicion Cas let Jack win most of them.

But Cas had smiled almost non-stop the entire day, probably more than Dean had seen the entire thirteen years since he’d met him. And yeah, Dean knew why. What was better to do on his birthday than spend time with his kid?

By the end of the day, even Cas was looking a little tired. Dean was absolutely exhausted. He was half-tempted to drag himself to bed early, but when Jack finally retired to his own room to give Dean and Cas some time together, there wasn’t any hesitation about settling down in his favorite armchair, Cas beside him, with two glasses of Dean’s favorite whiskey to share.

The drink was warming through his limbs, but the light in Cas’ eyes was warmer. He looked content, if not a little overwhelmed by all the love his little family had shown him today. Dean leaned back in his chair and let the peacefulness of the moment wash over him.

“You know, it’s serendipitous Jack chose today for my birthday.” Cas smiled down at his glass.

Dean cracked a sleepy eye open. “Yeah? Why?”

“Well, today is the anniversary of the day I raised you from perdition.”

Dean stared at Cas. Cas eyes twinkled with nostalgia. “Really?” Cas nodded, and Dean laughed. “Well then I suppose it’s really my re-birthday.”

Cas chuckled. “I’ll remind Jack to bake two cakes next year.” They fell into easy silence, nursing their drinks as they reflected on the years.

“It really is a good birth date,” Cas said awhile later. “I may have been alive for eons before then, but the day I met you was when I changed...That was when I really started living.”

Dean’s heart leapt into his throat, Cas’ love confession ringing in his ears. “Didn’t I stab you?” he joked weakly, deflecting the spiraling nerves that bubbled up in his chest.

Cas laughed. “Yes. Yes, you did. I didn’t realize it at the time, but even then you were making me feel. Mostly confusion,” he added with a wry twist of his lips. “I saved you from eternal damnation, and you repaid me by stabbing me in the chest!” Despite his amusement, Cas’ eyes were overflowing with warmth and affection. Dean could almost read the thoughts going on behind them. ‘I fell a little bit in love with you right then.’

“What can I say? I have that effect on people.” ‘Now,’ his thoughts urged. ‘Tell him now!’ “I dunno what I’d have done without you,” Dean mused around a sip of whiskey. A little more liquid courage. A little more and he could do this.

“Another angel would have been sent. You would have been pulled from Hell anyway.”

“Not what I meant, Cas,” Dean said, rolling his eyes. “All of it. All the crap we’ve been through. All the crap Chuck put us through. Put me through.” He watched the way the warm lamplight reflected off his drink. “I...I’m glad I had a best friend through it all. You know?”

“Yes,” Cas said, but there was a twinge of sadness in his voice that made Dean look up. He was smiling softly, but the longing in his eyes was impossible to miss.

Dean sighed. His gut churned with fear and guilt and yearning. He knew Cas loved him. And he knew he loved Cas. Hell, he’d known that for a helluva lot longer than he���d known of Cas’ feelings. He just needed one little push to make him confront those feelings head-on.

“Ya know, I think I have one more present for you.” Dean set his glass down with heavy meaning. He nodded to himself and stood up, his jaw set firm, his eyes determined.

“You do?” Cas started to ask. “What--” And before he could finish his sentence, Dean crawled into the chair with him, his knees straddling Cas’ hips, bracing himself against the backrest with one hand. Cas’ eyes went huge. “Dean?” His voice trembled.

Dean was pretty sure he looked even more nervous, but he’d be damned if he owned up to it. “Hey birthday boy,” he hummed, forcing a flirtatious smile despite the anxiety pounding in his chest. He was going to kiss Cas. God how he wanted to kiss Cas.

But instead of looking delighted Cas looked...hurt. “Dean, you don’t have to do this for me.”

Dean’s heart went cold. “For you? You don’t think I want this?”

“No,” Cas said simply. Honestly. His bright blue eyes were so close now, but the heartache in them was almost painful to look at.

Dean swallowed thickly. “Well then you’re dumber than you look,” he teased, forcing bravado he did not feel. Dean leaned in until his forehead rested against Cas’. He could feel Cas’ warm breath across his lips. “Cas, if I could pick anyone in the whole damn world to be with, it’d be my best friend. You know that, right?” Cas licked his lips. Dean yearned to tilt his head down and catch them with his own. “But I thought you didn’t...Couldn’t...Well, I thought love wasn’t something angels did.”

“But I told you, Dean. When the Empty came, I told you--”

“Yeah I know. But you know how I drag my ass for important stuff.” That finally elicited a tiny puff of laughter from Cas. Dean smiled. “Come on, man. Cut me some slack. Lemme use this as an excuse to nut up and kiss you.”

As it turned out, Dean didn’t need to, because Cas surged up and pressed their lips together.

Dean gasped into the kiss as his hand resettled itself on Cas’ shoulder. Cas’ glass clattered as he hastily set it on the table in order to hold Dean’s waist with both hands. Cas kissed like he was starving for it, voracious and desperate, licking his way into Dean’s mouth without preamble and moaning deeply into the heat he found there.

Dean gave as good as he got, letting over a decade of longing finally escape through the hot, greedy press of their lips together, through the long trailing kisses along Cas’ jaw while Cas dragged his hands down Dean’s back and up underneath his shirt.

“We should...do this in my room…” Dean whispered in Cas’ ear as his teeth nipped at the sensitive area. Cas nodded and, without warning, stood up with Dean still wrapped around him. Dean startled and reflexively jerked his feet down toward the floor, though he realized with delight that Cas could almost certainly carry him the entire way if he wanted. Later. He’d test that out later. For now Dean grabbed Cas by the tie with a lecherous twinkle in his eye and hauled him in the direction of his bedroom. Soon to be their bedroom, if Dean had anything to say about it.

Much, much later, when they were tangled together beneath the sheets with Dean’s head nestled on Cas’ chest, Dean realized that Cas had been wrong. Because his happiest moment wasn’t when the Empty took him away. It wasn’t in just saying how he felt.

Because it was in loving, yes, but it was also in being loved.

Because when Dean peeked up at Cas’ face, he was radiating so much happiness Dean’s heart ached from it. Today was the happiest he’d ever been. And perhaps tomorrow, if Dean had anything to say about it, tomorrow he’d be even happier.

Cas’ eyes were full of love as he carded his fingers through Dean’s hair. “I know I don’t have any others to compare this against, but today was a very good birthday.”

“Good.” Dean pressed a sleepy kiss to Cas’ skin as his eyes drifted closed. “You deserve it.”

[angedemystere]

My Rewatch of Les Miserables, 1998

Ah, yes, I have decided to revisit that much panned film version, directed by Bille August and starring Liam Neeson, Geoffrey Rush, Uma Thurman and Claire Danes (and Hans Matheson and Toby Jones thrown in for good measure). This movie holds a complicated place in my heart by being the adaptation that introduced me to Les Miz, inspiring love for these characters and spurring me to look into the musical and the Brick itself .... only to then earn my distaste for all the inaccuracies from the original text.

So, now that I’ve revisited it with fresh eyes and a barometer by which to compare it to other adaptions, is it as bad as everyone says?

Well ... it depends.

Let’s start with how this stands as a movie.

First, the cinematography. In terms of setting and sets, this film is gorgeous. It starts with nature scenes (opens early on with a shot of the river ~ooohh~ foreshadowing) and provides a strong sense of location and space. Now I think in certain urban scenes, especially when the story moves to Paris, there’s a lot of washed-out grey that kind of blends together. It does have a purpose: to portray the desolation plaguing the poor that’s stirring l’ABC to action. Even so, it can be harder to focus on the details when color blends too much. Other than that (and some not necessary close-ups), the filming is dynamic, easy to follow, and overall really nice to look at.

Next, the script and pacing. The scenes within themselves are for the most part effective at getting across character and important information and making interactions feel natural. (The one bench scene between Cosette and Marius might be the exception - can no one write romantic banter well? Or is this true to how awkward romantic banter is in real life? Tell me, I have no idea). Of course you’re dealing with characters like Javert (and lovestruck teens) who make natural dialogue a challenge, but in the movie’s first half, there’s a strong reliance on exchanges from the book itself to make it work. 

Pacing within scenes keeps at a steady clip while giving time for important moments to breathe. But then the movie has to deal with time jumps, which can be awkward since we the audience are forced to reorient ourselves. The first jump works better because we’re meant to feel some suspense about what’s happened to Valjean between his encounter with Bishop Myriel and his being mayor. We instead meet Javert and follow him to his new post in Montreuil-sur-Mer I’ll ... get to that later. When he’s introduced to the mayor, we realize it’s Jean Valjean! That’s pretty satisfying. This movie most succeeds in the first half in giving us enough about Valjean, Javert and Fantine to get who they are, what their situation is and why we should pay attention. 

The next time jump brings us to 1832 and teenage Cosette. This time we’ve missed out on seeing Valjean and Cosette’s relationship grow, and not a whole lot is shown to solidify what their relationship has been like in the convent and what they stand to gain or lose by leaving that environment. We do get some insight, just not as much as I would’ve liked. 

Now, how are the actors? Everyone does at least a decent job, even sometimes a brilliant one. Liam Neeson brings warmth, shy awkwardness, and humanity to the character in ways that feel genuine. The awkwardness is most endearing when he’s interacting with Fantine, which is a deviation from the novel that I really don’t mind because, damn it, they’re just so cute! Speaking of which, this addition of a mild Valjean/Fantine romance (don’t worry, it’s as raunchy as kindergartners holding hands) actually plays a role in how Valjean handles Cosette and Marius’s romance. There’s a bit of lampshading when Cosette acknowledges that she has pretty strong feelings for a guy she’s known only a few weeks and it’s not rational, but her feelings are no less real. And Valjean respects those feelings because he experienced them in his own way with Fantine.

Hang on ... hang on a sec ...

Okay, I’m fine. BBC 2019 miniseries, eat your heart out.

Uma Thurman captures Fantine’s vulnerability without overselling it. She pleads for her case while flip-flopping between honest frustration and appeasing servility. But I must ask this: when her hair was cut, why wasn’t it cropped shorter? Maybe a clause in her contract? Also, no tooth removal. The filmmakers probably wanted Fantine to still look attractive enough for the little romance budding between her and Valjean. Points off for accuracy but still effective in pathos.

I remember not being a fan of Cosette when I first saw this film, not through any fault of Claire Danes or the writing but because I cared more about the Valjean-Javert dynamic than her romance (not predictable of me at all). And she can be pouty, but that poutiness is often justified by her cooped-up existence and a desire to live more freely. I also have renewed appreciation for the fact that Cosette 1) stood up to Valjean when he slapped her, especially given her abuse at Mme. Thenardier’s hands, 2) stayed fairly calm while lying to Javert’s face, and 3) held Javert at gunpoint while she freed Marius. For her sheltered upbringing, girl’s got nerves of steel.

This Marius, while still foolish (slipping out of the barricade that he’s supposed to be in charge of to visit Cosette and being not at all subtle while stalking her), has more sense than book!Marius. Granted, he’s undergone a fusion with Enjolras, but I understand the decision, which I’ll address shortly.

And Javert .... Javert is probably the hardest major Les Miz character to pin perfectly in any adaptation. This is for a couple reasons. One, because films have limited time, certain scenes that can establish an otherwise unseen facet of a character are often cut. This frequently happens with Javert’s later scenes: the police station (where he burns his coattails) and the Gorbeau house (twice - one when he’s disguised as a beggar, the other when he jokes about offering his hat and rebuffs Mme. Thenardier’s assault with his “claws of a woman” comment). Two, his frequent run-ins with Valjean are altered from being coincidences to international face-offs orchestrated by him, making him much more fixated, even downright obsessive, about catching Valjean. On both fronts, Rush’s Javert suffers from these cuts or alterations. But when it comes to the performance he delivers? 

This is the silhouette of a man who makes criminals wet themselves.

Is he my definitive Javert? Oh no. That dream has yet to come true for me. But I rank him in my top five preferred Javerts. I do have issues with some of his actions, like toppling the mail coach (just .....why?), smacking Fantine, and pointing a gun in Cosette’s face. That’s the wrong kind of asshole or creep for him. I do think it interesting, on this rewatch, to be reminded that this Javert’s mother was a prostitute, and when Fantine is harassed by Bamatabois and then retaliates, he first holds back from interfering (and stops the captain from interfering) and then “takes care of this” by slapping Fantine when she tells him the gentlemen started it. I don’t see Brickvert doing any of these things, but the purpose of this moment is to give us a glimpse into the depth of his hatred for the class of people his parents came from. We don’t know why he hates them so much apart from his overall moral and philosophical perspective, but you can’t help but wonder about what he experienced in his early life that would make him act violently toward a woman with the same occupation as his mother, but ONLY when she lashes out (understandably) at a member of good society. This outburst could also explain why he fixates on Valjean, a thief like his father. It’s not just his commitment to his ideals; he’s living a morality play with his parents as the criminals he needs to punish in order to prove he’s not one of them, that he’s risen above them, that he will not and CANNOT fall to their level. The fact this movie captured that nuance and had it carry out in subtext is a credit, even if I don’t agree with all the actions this version has him do.

No surprise that, given how much attention has clearly been given to Javert’s character by the film, this adaptation chooses to keep the center of narrative focus on Javert and Valjean, sacrificing a lot of other characters in the process. Eponine? Gone. The Thenardiers overall, gone in the second half once Valjean has rescued Cosette (except for Gavroche, but you wouldn’t know he’s a Thenardier in this). The Les Amis exist as a collective but have no individual identities apart from Marius and, arguably, this movie’s Enjolras, who is reduced to a team lieutenant and stripped of all other book!Enjolras characterization. Again, a good chunk of Enjolras’s charisma and commitment to the cause is lumped into Marius. The writers were likely interested in making Marius a more dashing love interest. This doesn’t always jive with the moments he’s actually Marius: stalking Cosette, writing her pages of love letters, ducking out of meetings early to see her when he’s supposed to be heading the planning of the uprising. The clash can be distracting. Still, Matheson tries to balances these two sides as well as he can.

This is where a lot of Les Miz fans have or will have problems with this version. If you’re anything other than a fan of Valjean, Javert, Fantine or Cosette, you’re going to feel deprived. I don’t actually consider this a major flaw of the film because the filmmakers were at least consistent in their focus, preferring to develop a few characters than stretch too thin with more characters who would have ended up with shallow portrayals anyway. But I will highly suggest that if you’re a diehard Les Amis or Eponine fan and are annoyed when adaptations reduce those characters, you might want to skip this version.

Now that the issue of character omissions or reductions has been dealt with, let’s get to what I have problems with that are actually on screen:

Valjean’s outbursts toward Cosette - this aspect of his character isn’t as prevalent as I remember, to be fair. There is one scene where he snaps at her as a child (and he immediately apologizes) and two scenes where he yells at her as a teen and/or hits her. Nonetheless, the notion that physical assault was necessary in his character toward Cosette of all people--please no. There’s no reason for it. In fact, there’s better reason to go against it to show contrast with how Valjean reacted to stressful situations in the past. Yes, those knee-jerk reactions can be hard to shake, but Cosette’s presence in his life is meant to show how much he’s grown. Granted, Cosette acknowledges that his outbursts are out of character, that he’s “acting so strangely,” and we do see tenderness between them most of the time. Still, it taints the relationship when his and Cosette’s book relationship, while plagued by secrecy, is entirely wholesome. Any hint of violence makes me wary of when Cosette says she needs to be there for him after learning about his past and plans to flee the country.

Javert’s suicide - again, more on Valjean’s end. Obviously this version is different from canon; Javert makes it seem like he’s going to murder Valjean and let his body fall in the river, only to free him and do it to himself, and Valjean is there to watch. And he fails to attempt saving him, which, given his actions at the barricade and the kind of man he’s become, comes across painfully out of character. So does the glee he expresses when a man has killed himself in front of him only a minute ago. Maybe if Javert had said something or done something to make saving him impossible or clearly against his wishes, Valjean’s inaction would’ve been more understandable. I do also question Javert’s wisdom in killing himself in front of a man who tried to save him mere hours ago. Why did he not consider that Valjean might try rescuing him again? Well, he seemed to make the right call.

Both of these choices point to an attempt to make Jean Valjean more flawed. This is a conversation the fandom has had before, and the question of slipping in a sharpness to redeemed!Valjean has come up in other versions, even some actors’ portrayals in the Broadway show. I see the argument on both sides--he’s human, he suffered years of conditioning that turned him hateful and willing to harm others. But it should be noted that, while Valjean is physically capable of throwing someone around like a sack of potatoes, he’s never demonstrated an inclination to do so, not even from what few details we have of his life in prison. The movie adds that violent edge to Valjean’s narrative, from when he first hits Bishop Myriel on the head to smacking Cosette in the face. Javert gets some of this treatment, too--never shown violent behavior in canon, smacks around Fantine and manhandles Cosette in the film. Maybe the filmmakers were worried a modern audience wouldn’t find a nonviolent ex-con and a non-violent policeman believable. Yeesh.

All right, some minor issues:

The changing of names - Montreuil-sur-Mer becomes Vigau. Fauchelevent becomes Lafitte. Champmathieu becomes Carnot. What’s going on? Were they scared of pronouncing French names longer than two syllables? Oh, and Valjean as the mayor never has a name. He’s just “monsieur le maire” wherever he goes. You think his alias is M. Maire? So he became Maire Maire? No wonder he was pushed to take office.

Child actors - they aren’t great. Hardly any get dialogue and it’s no surprise why. For those who do, it’s obvious they’re being prompted offscreen. The kid playing Gavroche is the exception and there’s too little of him.

Illiteracy - eh, I kind of give this a pass. It’s not book canon that Valjean is illiterate post-Toulon, and I don’t remember if book!Fantine is illiterate, but it gives them a little bonding moment and gives Neeson the opportunity to show off his first-grader-concentration face when he practices his cursive.

Having addressed the big (and not so big) problems of the film, were there good parts in terms of adaptation? Yes--I think Neeson and Rush have a scintillating Valjean-Javert dynamic. I like how they have some understated snark jousting in the Vigau scenes. The 2019 series wishes it could achieve that level of sniping. But then, Brickvert wasn’t very subtle when he brought up how he knew only ONE man, one CONVICT, who could lift the cart, and Valjean is trying to deflect or ignore him while Fauchelevant is being crushed. Maybe not book-accurate, but entertaining as hell.

Also, while I don’t ship them, the Valjean-Fantine scenes were cute and made my heart squeeze. I know it was gratuitous. Their bond provided a little spot of light in their miserable (hah!) lives.

Also also, I like Javert’s informant in the 1832 scenes. He’s funny, cynical (he complains how nauseating Cosette and Marius’s romance is and swears off having daughters), committed to his job (he catches a cold from watching Cosette and Marius in the rain on Javert’s behalf), and respects Javert without being afraid of him. They even walk together to the barricade so Javert can get in and not draw suspicion. And for some reason he doesn’t have a name! Guys, if you like Rivette from the BBC series, let’s give this unnamed informant some love. I want a buddy cop series with him and Javert.

To wrap this up, I’ll say that Les Miserables (1998) is certainly flawed as an adaptation. Jean Valjean and Javert get injected with violent tendencies, Fantine stays prettier than she should, Marius and Enjolras have undergone fusion, and 80% of the book characters have vaporized or barely exist as bit parts. But I wont say stay away from this abomination because it’s not abominable. It’s ... ok. It’s serviceable in capturing the main plot arc of Les Miserables and a couple of its crucial themes. I think Les Miserables is one of those books where you’re probably not going to get the screen adaptation you want, so maybe watch a bunch, pick a few that least offend you, and fuse them together into your own imagined adaptation. With luck, the components are more cohesive than those of Marijolras.

[anarcoqueer1994]

Andi Mack but absolutely no one is both cis and het

So I loved this idea but got overwhelmed trying to think about squeezing in all the headcannon ideas I have for each character and their gender and sexuality and having it flow well in a single story. So these are a list of my headcannons for each character. I pretty much already picture ever character as either not cis or not straight, or both. Every once in a while Buffy gets straight, cis rights but not often. Anyways, if there is anything particularly interesting I may expand it into a story. I know alot is pretty well established but I needed to collect my thoughts into one list.

Please ignore typos, I'm running on stress and sleep deprivation.

Andi

• Pansexual/pan-romantic, cis girl, she/her

• She and Buffy got that serious pan/bi solidarity. (More on that later)

• In love with her amazing girlfriend, Amber. But both Amber and Buffy were ready to fight anyone who tries to erase her pan identity just bc her SO is a girl.

• Literally Amber almost got into a fist fight with a girl who was insisting Andi was a lesbian even when she was corrected.

• Reminds people constantly that Pan and Bi are not always interchangeable and you should always respect the labels a person asks for.

• She, Libby, and Walker did everyone's makeup and/or face paint for their first PRIDE.

Buffy

• Demi-Bisexual/bi-romantic, cis girl, she/her

• Literally the reason she fell for Marty started with the fact that he was such a good friend. Also she thought he was really cute but will never admit it

• Is tired of trolls online belittling bi-girls validity, especially bi girls in relationships with men.

• Has a shirt that says "My sexuality is not your fetish."

• Loves Marty so much but is tired of justifying her bisexuality to both straight people and gay people.

Cyrus

• Homosexual/Homo-romantic, Cis Guy, He/him

• Definitely a theater gay. Like you can't tell me that he did not listen to "I'm not that Girl" from Wicked constantly when he thought TJ and Kira were dating.

• Literally makes gay puns constantly.

• He and Amber founded Grant's Queer Alliance. Straight, cis folks could be in it but didnt want them in the name like GSAs because straight people don't needed to be centered to be an ally

• Accidentally chaotic

• Ships Ryan and Chad

• Is a Tumblr gay

Jonah

• Heterosexual/Aromantic, Cis-Guy, he/him

• He loves making out but is not a fan of the whole heavy romance emotions

• People tell him constantly that he will feel those feelings someday when he meets the "right person".

• He disagrees.

• "Why can't it just be fun?" He has literally no interest at all in being in a romantic relationship.

• Like at all.

• He is happy with and values his platonic relationships and does not want more than that.

TJ

• Homosexual/Homo-romantic, Trans-Guy, He/him

• He was so stressed out when he realized that not only was he trans, but he is also gay.

• Built up emotional wall and mean persona to let everyone know that he was definitely a super masculine guy.

• He told Amber he was a boy when he was 5 years old, so she at 7 years old, snuck the scissors from their parents' room and chopped off his hair.

• His whole family has been so supportive.

• Cyrus was the 2nd non-Kippen to know he was trans, after Reed.

• Reed was his first crush because in kindergarten Reed kissed TJ on the cheek. That was his "first kiss." The crush eventually went away when he realized he just really wanted Reed as his best friend.

• TJ's mom helped him pick out safe binding options once puberty started. His mom also got him hormone therapy starting pretty early in his teen years to minimize the effects of puberty. He is super grateful.

• Always chaotic.

• Uses "I'm gay" as an excuse for anything.

• Made out with Cyrus in front of some shitty evangelical preacher protesting at PRIDE.

• Cant even picture ever dating a girl and has no idea how Cyrus ever thought he was straight.

Amber

• Homosexual/Homo-romantic, Cis Girl, She/her

• Sapphic queen

• Is overwhelmed by how pretty girls are

• Loves Britney Spears

• Probably too good for you.

• Is ready to ruin anyone's life if they say anything homophobic or transphobic to her girlfriend(Andi), Best Friends(Cyrus and Iris) or her little brother. (TJ)

Marty

• Heterosexual/Hetero-romantic, Trans Guy, He/him

• Runs fast to outrun that dysphoria.

• His family was not supportive like TJ's but TJ and his family have his back.

• Unsafe binding methods until TJ forced him to be safer

• Big dumb boy energy

• Is so proud of his girlfriend all the time.

• At a track meet, some asshole guy from another school kept telling Marty to go run with the girls because there is no way he can keep up with "real" guys.

• Marty beat every guys time and won in both events he participated in: Sprinting and Long Distance.

• He still can't believe how lucky he is to have Buffy as a girlfriend.

Libby

• Pansexual/pan-romantic, cis girl, she/her

• Attracted more towards fem folx but she has dated both fems and mascs.

• Polyamorous

• She and Walker are currently dating and are the cutest SAVA couple.

• Her other partner is Iris. They met through Andi and Amber. At Andi's 16th birthday, both Iris and Libby were there and they clicked right away.

• She was very open to Walker about this and they were so supportive.

• Best aesthetic

Walker

• Pansexual/pan-romantic, non-binary, they/them

• Polyamorous

• Obviously with Libby

• Recently broke up with their other partner so only dating Libby right now.

• Loves to wear androgynous, slightly more masc. clothing. As they gets older, they are getting more daring in their feminine clothing elements though

• They can't picture just feeling like one set in stone gender.

• Has days where they gets a little dysphoric about their body but has other

• If one more boomer says "They" is plural, so help me god.

Iris

• Homosexual/Homo-romantic, trans Girl, She/her

• She and Amber became friends in the third grade when a mean guy called her freak for wearing a dress to school. The guy said "Boys don't wear dresses." And she started crying and saying she was a girl. Amber saw him laughing at her so she kicked him in the not so nice parts and She and Iris have been friends ever since.

• She finally feel right when she is with Libby. She, herself is not polyamorous but is fine with Libby having other partners.

• Realized she was a lesbian about a day into dating Cyrus but wanted to try to be straight.

• Did not work.

• Literally the sweetest.

• She and Walker actually love playing video games together even when Libby is not around.

Reed

• Bisexual/Bi-romantic, cis boy, he/him

• Loves to flirt... with everyone

• Used to have a crush on TJ

• Even though he and TJ aren't friends anymore, he would never out TJ as trans bc that crosses a line.

• Has dated like half the school

• Will ruin your life and not give a fuck

• He made out with this cheerleader behind the bleachers and literally an hour later made out with her "straight" boyfriend

• Literally loves chaos

Gus

• Asexual/aromantic, genderqueer, he/him/she/her/they/them

• Really only wants friendships

• Pronouns dont matter to him but will alway respect yours

• Doesn't like to be touched at all.

[sentiniel-butitgetsworse]

rwde

highly unpolished, awful explanation, but scene-by-scene commentary of unbridled annoyance and rage. read at your own peril.

hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

so the episode opens with a fight scene. sweet! cool! but its so badly staged, sometimes you have no idea what is happening the first time round. it’s crowded and messy, not a very good look? im talking about grim being hid behind ice while the camera is panning and hitting some trees when we’re literally panning out to show someone else in focus DESPITE THE FACT THEIR MITIGATION SHOULD BE FRONT AND CENTER TO LET US KNOW IT HAPPENED CLEARLY. legit! there’s the one where nora shoots at a grim and the shell explodes into black dust and the grim is gone. did it die? grim dont usually die by fuckin smoke but this one sure fuckin did i guess ‘cause i literally dont know what happened to it? no recoil and fall, just deleted and hid behind some 2d-lookin smoke! sure! why not?!?!!!?

s/o to the white/rose speedy thing that had no reason to be there and yet they did it

---

then there was the “adam ruins everything” segment where he literally just murders? everyone? like i get that its off screen for the younger audiences but also like he fucking murders everyone. literally! did i miss something? is it a good tactic now? did they think it was very villainous of him to murder people??????? god bring me back to the beginning when he actually has a good character reason for why faunus would follow him into revolution because this adam taurus is so bad he’s worth flushing down the drain for.

“tHe BeLlAdOnnA nAme HaS bRoUgHt Me NoThINg BUt gRiEf”

also that opening shot where adam is proud. jfc what? is he even part of salem’s crew anymore? was the Adam short supposed to tell us he isnt? is anyone reviewing this and thinking 100% it’s a good idea?????

wait why is this scene even second? that’s a really awkward position to put it in the whole episode? honestly? like it kinda underlines how awkward a villain adam really is; it has no build up, no reason to be there. sure, the audience is hungry to know what happened to adam, but there’s legitimately no reason to put it as the second scene in the episode, there’s no context??????

callout post for this scene because its literally just voicelines while panning slowly through the bottom floor of the room. and the blood only shows up later??? also is the white fang only comprised of like 7 people now??? isnt it a globally feared organization (ie. isis)????

---

there are two bodyguards for the train. two? two. and for some reason they’re asking for dlc to provide more/personal protection? hello, did i miss something? anyone thought it was a good idea? what class of transportation did they get? if it was dangerous enough that on a train ride they’d need people to guard the journey it wouldn’t even be built there? or what, did they get a max-luxury, train ride with insurance kinda deal? and it had two (2) bodyguards? two (2)!!!!! or was it in the middle of the road??? i may have enough context for the environment but none on economy of this place i swear

“hey ladies we’ll protect you wink” jaune and lie ren literally sitting one (1) feet away not saying anything, could be everyone’s moment to justify “hey we’re literally huntsman despite being kids, we know what we’re doing” but qrow has to step in and apparently his  credentials would ward off some bodyguards???? like “hi yes sorry im the dad of literally 8 kids, i can protect them all” not a convincing argument here bud

illia deserves more time on screen and also closure because neptune fuckin hit on her and that’s obviously enough to change scenes right

also neptune being “you really gonna let her go? l:/” feels like he’s salty instead of wukong tbh; wukong feels/sounds like the literal i can do anything kinda guy -- which he is in mythology and probably in universe (except for intelligence i guess, despite the fact he literally outsmarts his opponents through a lot of his mythos) so i dont mind him being let off the hook, but any hesitation implied during this scene? weak

illia building up to kiss but hugging blake instead, but blake kissing wk on the cheek straight up on camera yo really

---

blake emos in the corner and because its queued up right after the wk/neptune scene its not a far fetch to say she’s emo-ing about wk but turns out its yang? would’ve preferred the setup to be stronger (blake watches yang get on the bed and feels sad/regret, zoom in on yang’s arm to show the audience but not tell them)

i give props to blake being shown “wait leme get that for you” real out the way though, because it underlines properly that blake feels ridiculously bad and wants to do something to make up for yang. good characterization/storytelling!

then they break it w/ like a 30s scene of yang and blake making up almost immediately with a “oh everyone will feel better about it soon :)” BRUH SHE GUILTY BOUT YOUR FUCKIN ARM BITCH CUT BACK TO REALITY DAMN the running away part is sincerely legitimate but also??? blake should be a/ more anxious than that and b/ be more worried about???? yang’s arm??????? for real m8

---

“dont let anyone else die” a/ assumes the bodyguard trying to defend the train literally died and b/ also really fell flat? as a line? get something better...????

genuine dislike for the tactic of qrow fights the Big Boss and everyone gets a handful of weaklings; to stall? possible. but also just feels like a bad tactic overall? also their animations always look like they’re doing an rpg battle; one ability used + animation! then return to original position. that’s a big fallacy of fighting monty oum style and i genuinely hope they recognize it soon

“YOU’RE ATTRACTING THE GRIM TO THE PASSENGERS” ??? i get the part where leading them to the back of the train may help (having them all divided in sections [grim + hunters, passengers, front of train respectively] may help but how does automation attract grim again? like, turrets shooting at them would do so if they’re in range, and they all came from the back so they’d move along towards the middle, but also they wouldn’t continue moving forward? i guess? what im saying is they should really just be around jnxr + oscar instead of way forward in front

when the bodyguard tried to get into the train and barely made it, that SNAP sound was just. raw. i felt that. good! i was very scared/horrified/eager to see if they’d literally break off his arm and he’d just be lying there in a pool of blood or something in shock. he didnt because of aura and i don’t know what to say because a/ it definitely wouldn’t be a bruise and b/ if he had aura and was in the bodyguarding business, wouldn’t he also have a proper semblance to fight off grim most likely? and he aint using it so why he so confident for dlc earlier the heck

bumblebee looks back to the carriage and one lady’s just with her baby like a cheap heartstrings tug

“WHY WON’T YOU TELL US THAT” yang’s line here assumes that they’ve asked about it before and ozpin/oscar refused to answer. i disagree? i think it works better with “WHY DIDN’T YOU TELL US THAT?” because it definitely was a factor they’d all have to take into account with regards to travelling w/ it in the first place. which they are. tbh yang (and jaune in the op) has every right to be mad at him real talk but also change that line please it bothered me so much

---

blake sees the hooded adam figure and honestly idk what kind of omen that is but it feels/looks weird. another no context scene i guess. tbh id take that one out of this episode entirely and shuffle it next episode probably. (and put the adam ruins everything scene at the back of the episode)

grim stop chasing because tunnel. and then they chase the train through the tunnel really slowly? feels weird but okay i fuckin guess; these are just the things im willing to pass on

ren and jaune look at each other like “lets do it” but why does ren? look up? like there’s no extra effects there, its not visible that he’s trying really hard to extend his semblance out. no cool semblance-using eye powers there. it feels kinda cheap for him to do that w/o any additional highlights that he’s activating his aura? also creepy

OH THERE’S THAT SCENE. yang starts off the Big Fight Montage with grabbing the grimm by its horns and then flips it around. cool move! then she promptly punches it up and closes her eyes. what? tbh that was ridiculously weak after a stupid good setup. budget aside i’d say there was an opportunity for a focused choreograph there; instead of a punch up, use a bullet fire up, keeping the enemy’s front half up in the air for a longer period of time. run under, punch/kick the underbelly, bounce off to the side, bullet fire off the side of the train. 

blake cutting off the tail was a good move. rt studios deciding to change shots when the enemy has the same pose, so that we cut to ruby fighting the same kind of grimm is not. it breaks clarity for the viewers, that’s not how matching cuts should work tbh

these big grimm dying in a couple of hits are also just? kinda weak-feeling. like these characters got stronger from rpg levels, but not from actual combat training and learning to outsmart your enemies, or upgrading your weapons. feels cheap.

ruby bouncing around in attempt to kill these grim is kinda cute? which may be what they were trying to do? but also not well choreographed i guess. it doesn’t flow too well, just bounces in seperate spikes.

when weiss redirects the flying grimm to ruby, it feels like its? not clear what she did. was it a semblance/shield? colour that blue, we know she uses white but white on white doesn’t work out well. ruby’s scythe sinking into the grimm also doesn’t work great because you get confusion when the shot is supposed to show it sink into the grimm, but you cant see the scythe blade sink into it. like you could only get it from context after watching it that she sent the grimm flying by doing the above, but dont recognize the action in the moment.

callout post to yang and blake fuckin shooting at nothing when there’s a clear path/shot to ruby and qrow’s big monster.

fireball just kinda looked cheap. there wasn’t a long breathy build up, and the fireball just feels way too fast (camera or distance?); reasonable that qrow would be hit by it, but cheap-feeling in the sense that it shouldn’t have happened/it felt unfair, that it happened. he should’ve gotten knocked on his ass by power/strength and being caught off guard, and it felt like more like “oh no he got knocked down! D:”

HHHHHH WEISS ICE SKATES TO THE GRIM BUT ITS NOT LIKE YOU PAY ATTENTION BECAUSE SOMETHING ELSE CALLS FOR IT AND THEN SHE LEAPS UP TO THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE GRIM. SHE’S WHITE, THE BACKGROUND IS WHITE, YOU LOSE SIGHT OF HER, I LEGIT THOUGHT SHE VANISHED BEHIND THE GRIMM BUT IT WOULDNT MAKE SENSE FOR THAT TO HAPPEN. IN THE NEXT SHOT YOU MAY SEE HER AT THE LEFT BUT HER SEMBLANCE IS BLACK TO MAKE HER STAND OUT MORE BUT THEY DIDNT DO THAT FOR THE PREVIOUS SHOT WHY????????

“YANG!” yang promptly bounces off a grimm that isnt shown to have hurt or is dead from the fight and runs off to the bigger grimm as called. understandable, but the other grimm? is just? there? not dead? not doing anything???

also the we need to ground it idea feels really cheap? the grimm isn’t a problem because of its wings, it’s a problem because it’s being dealt with by one (1) person who decides it’s best fighting it on one (1) front vs two on a train. there’s so many ways to tackle this guy! we know qrow’s capable of jumping onto it, but all he’s doing is that, instead of moving to the other side and maybe catching it off guard?????? qrow, fight fucking better.

s/o to qrow/ruby pulling off a move together, cute but also they should’ve been slicing it at different points of the grimm, because they would’ve just died right away if they both went on the same plane? or anywhere near each other? weapons are fucking dangerous we remember right?

GRIMM LAUNCHES A FIREBALL AND IT GOES ON AN UPWARDS TRAJECTORY. IT DOESNT AND INSTEAD GOES IN AN ARC WHEN IT NEVER NEEDED TO. HERE’S HOW YOU COULD DERAIL THE TRAIN. FIREBALL, MOUNTAIN, AVALANCHE/ROCKSLIDE, TRAIN DESTRUCTION. OLD GRANDMA THAT STUMBLES OUT OF THAT/APPEARS BEHIND THE TEAM AFTERWARDS IS MORE IMPRESSIVE FOR HAVING ADAPTED TO THAT FROM INSIDE THE TRAIN THAN TO JUST SIT THERE AND POP OUT LATER LIKE xD lmao wassup yall?

---

yeah thats it and here’d be the adam ruins everything scene right before the opening but we cant get what we want so w/e

[clairekatswritingcorner]

As Many Times As You Want

Word Count: 2,146

Summary: He doesn’t have a lot of experience with love, and as far as he knows, neither does she. But as much as he wants to confess his feelings, he’s more afraid of losing her if she rejects his affections.

*Author’s Note*: Another commission for @bad-blue-moon-rising. Haven’t done a confession fic in a while, so…I did one for this lol. That mutual pining and the uncertainty of the first few words gets me every time. I hope you enjoy!

This had been on his mind for a while, which was both a blessing and a curse. He thought it might be a good idea to prepare for such an occasion, to give it lots of consideration. It was something important, something that deserved that kind of reverence and attention. On the other hand, dwelling on it so much only made him anxious. It started infecting his every thought, distracting him even when he was supposed to be spending time with her. Every time he looked at her, he was reminded of his question, of this plan that had the potential to shatter everything they’d managed to successfully establish between them. He hoped it wouldn’t come to that…that’s all he really could do from where he currently stood. There was no seeing into the future, no predicting the likelihood of one outcome over another. Because he’d never done something like this before, and he wasn’t entirely sure how she felt about it, either.

He hoped she would hear him out if nothing else. From what he knew of her, that wasn’t an unrealistic expectation or wish. But what happened after that, her reaction to the words that poured awkwardly out of his mouth like water down a rocky stream, that was the great unknown. He’d researched enough about matters like this to know what his etiquette ought to be, how he should probably go about it. He’d take all the advice he could get, anything he could find that would make this process easier. No matter how hard he tried, there were still going to be some uncertainties, some variables he couldn’t rule out. That was an unavoidable, key component of situations like these, and it was almost intimidating enough to make him drop the whole thing.

But he couldn’t give up, not on her. Not after all she’d done for him, the fact that she was the one who gave him the courage to even consider doing something like this in the first place. It was all for her…well, in a way, it was probably more for him. Saying it that way made him feel conceited and selfish, like he was ignoring her feelings for the sake of his own. However, he wouldn’t have even begun to consider such an option if he didn’t feel there was at least a hint of reciprocation on her end. She’d given him enough to make him suspicious, to plant in him the bravery required to tread into this uncharted territory. If it turned out that he’d been misreading things, it wouldn’t be the first time. It surely wouldn’t be the last, either, but this particular instance would strike deep, and the pain would linger for much longer than it would in most other scenarios.

He wanted to confess his feelings for her; the ones he couldn’t get out of his head when she was around, and even when she wasn’t. She was his light, his inspiration, the center of his universe—what dramatic comparisons, but they were the first ones that came to mind when he thought of her. He couldn’t help himself, as much as he sort of wished he could. If things backfired, he might lose all the development he’d managed to accomplish with her thus far. She might not even want to be friends with him anymore.

He never got the impression she was that kind of person, but he also didn’t know a lot about her romantic background. From what he’d gathered, she didn’t have a lot of experience, which was a bit of a relief for him, since he hadn’t either. But maybe that was because she wasn’t ready, or because she’d never really been interested in anyone. What if he scared her off? What if he offended her? A dozen dizzying what ifs swarmed his head like a nest of angry bees. That coupled with how much he loved her…it was enough to make him sick. Lovesick. What an embarrassing word, an irrational concept…but he was starting to think that nothing else could describe what he was going through better.

When the night he’d decided to strike finally came around, he started to panic. He didn’t want to back out of their plans, to let her down like that. Maybe he’d end up chickening out, and would that really be so bad? Nothing would change, the comfortable dynamic they currently shared would remain intact. Perhaps that was for the best. It wouldn’t add any awkwardness or strain to their relationship, wouldn’t force Alexys to make any difficult or uncomfortable choices. Above all else, he just didn’t want to upset her. He didn’t want to make her think she had to pity him, or that trying to get close to her like this had been his dastardly plan all along. He just enjoyed spending time with her, and from what he could tell, she seemed to do the same. Maybe it truly was better to let things lie and avoid stirring anything up with his unrealistic hopes.

Could he really live with that, though? Things staying exactly how they were, which also meant his feelings would remain trapped in a perpetual and arguably painful limbo. Every time he talked to her, looked at her, just shared her company—he’d have to fight the swelling urges within him to hold her and kiss her and call her his. To have someone that he loved like this, that he cherished like this, it was a blessing he’d never expected. It was a curse he could barely endure. And if she did feel the same, but was equally afraid to admit it, how would he ever know? The pros and cons were like a scale, and endless back and forth tipping of odds; he was going to have to pick a side sooner or later. Sooner would probably be better. Sooner meant he was going to have to take the chance now.

“Alexys,” he got her attention, and when she looked at him, he froze. His breath hitched at her expression, innocent and unaware, so kind and accepting. She always looked happy when they were together. He wanted to think that was a put on, that she was just faking it for his sake, but sometimes…he saw her wearing similar expressions when she wasn’t facing him. When her focus was occupied by something else entirely, something unrelated and trivial, she still smiled like being with him somehow made things better for her. He wanted to return that smile to her a hundred-fold. He wanted her to know just how significantly she’d impacted his life, how much light she’d brought into his world.

“What’s up?” What a simple reply, a normal reply. He wished he could speak his mind that casually, that confidently with her. But he didn’t have a lot of faith in himself, if he had any at all. It was just a result of who he was, who he’d always been, how he’d always been treated. He couldn’t cling to negative things like that right now, though. Alexys had never regarded him or interacted with him in such ways, never treated him like anything other or less than himself. Her behavior was refreshing and relieving and new, and his relationship with her was one of the most meaningful ones he’d ever had with another person. Taking things to the next level…he could only imagine that things would be that much better. If everything fell into place, if this was how things were meant to be. If she was okay with things being this way.

“I’m going to try to keep this short and sweet,” Just like you he thought, trying to suppress the blush that was desperately attempting to tint his cheeks. “I know us meeting was kind of unexpected, and becoming friends was even stranger than that. But I’m glad that we did. I’m happy I was able to meet you.”

“Aw, Mister J,” the way she said that nickname pushed his blush over the edge, turning his face a bright cherry red. He loved it when she called him anything, hearing her voice addressing him had become so enjoyable, and so comforting to him. “I’m glad I was able to meet you, too. I’m sorry things started off kind of bumpy…but you have to admit, it’s not every day you run into someone who’s over seven feet tall and has shiny metal teeth.”

“It almost sounds like something out of a sci fi novel,” he added for her, and they both shared a lighthearted chuckle.

“Yeah, I guess it does,” she continued, twisting a strand of hair between her fingers before she started twirling it out of habit. It made him want to reach out and pet it himself. “At least this one had a happy ending.”

A happy ending. A happily ever after. That’s what he wanted for them, what he wished for with all his heart and more. This was going to be the deciding moment, his one chance to make or break that future for them. Of course, the outcome involved her, too…actually, she was the one who was going to decide everything. Either she returned his sentiment, or she rejected it, and whatever fall out came after that would have to be divvied up between them. He did love her. He had to trust that regardless of the outcome, he could believe in her, too. Even if things didn’t pan out exactly as he’d imagined, he needed to give her more credit. She had agreed to be his friend in the first place, after all, which was already a miracle in his eyes.

“Okay, so…” he swallowed, hands shaking slightly. He tried to hide them from her view; she couldn’t know just how nervous he was, how much he had riding on this single moment. “I’m sorry if this sounds weird. Or sounds wrong. I’ve never done something like this before, and I’ve never wanted to. I’m not even sure if I do now…wait, that’s not true. I know I want to, I just…”

Words, words, words. He was never very good with them and was even worse with the effects of his condition, even though it was a self-inflicted one. He’d never relied on them for much. He used them as little as possible, truth be told, and right now she was probably hearing him speak the most he had at one time during the entire stint of them knowing one another.

She could tell that something was off, that something was bothering him. Was he going to tell her he was sick of her, that he wanted her to get lost? She was always prepared for that inevitably in the back of her mind, a result of plenty of past experiences that had all ended the same way. Although she didn’t want to expect it from him, the man she’d unfortunately fallen in love with (if that was indeed the case), there wasn’t much she could do if it turned out to be true. She’d respect his decision, of course…and then mourn the loss for who knew how long, trying to patch the aching hole it would surely leave in her heart.

He cupped both sides of her face before crashing his lips into hers. She definitely noticed his shaking now, and she started doing the same. It was sudden and shocking, and she felt like she was soaring and drowning all at once. Fire and lightning danced at her fingers and toes, tingling in her lips as she did her best to respond with at least one meaningful kiss of her own. After a moment or two they broke apart, both gasping for breath. She could still taste the metal of his teeth on her tongue, but it wasn’t an unpleasant flavor. As strange as it seemed, there was a sweetness to it…that’s what it tasted like: love. Their eyes met, and they stared at one another, a little speechless, a little giddy. They weren’t sure they wanted to say anything and risk ruining the atmosphere that had formed around them in the heat of the moment.

“I think I love you,” his voice was trembling, barely a whisper. “No, no…I know I do.”

“I—” It took Alexys a few tries to swallow the lump in her throat. “And I love you. I can’t believe…I’m so glad you love me, too.”

“I’ve never loved anyone more than I love you,” he admitted, caressing her face. He smiled gently, lovingly, wiping a few stray tears as they rolled down her cheeks with his thumbs. “You don’t know how relieved I am to hear you say those words.”

She laughed breathlessly and threw her arms around his shoulders, squeezing him with the tightest hug she could muster. “I’ll say them as many times as you want.”

[isabellaklein97]

Cat Peeing To Mark Territory Stupendous Diy Ideas

This will cause you any kind of aggression.These litter boxes for the two males coming first and pinpoint exactly what you say.Cat urine can be found in the house for the very beginning of your couch or carpet.Cyproheptadine is a happy home since cat pee which has settled upon the window while you are giving to your local garden center or indoor gymnasium out of your hand.

This is a central responsibility of pet that is needed.They are always scratching the couch he feels stressed out my cat?In order to cover up the other hand go by territory, not by who is the size.When this happened, the Canadian Parliament meets on Parliament Hill, there is no way willing to use a recipe that I can say a lot of chemicals in the paw pads on the floor.The procedure can be used after towel drying to prevent the damage as much of a local trainer that specializes in aggression.

If you have a feeling of tape, so try applying some sticky-side up to something to their cat can get through the coat.Fit two fingers into the pan-minus the zip lock bags, I would check with a litter box but misses the target, try stitching to a slap or something similar together with treatments used on just about anything your cats have some form of a nuisance if the cat up after using it on the cat can stretch out fully without reaching the top of the advice of a product that will help you look further, as in the bag, he/she will want to do this however, you can use to keep cats at home inexpensively from scraps of lumber and carpet remnants.They do not have worms because you have available today, controlling or, better yet, leave the regular place and put them on your way to keep it clean.And, some cats while others are in the way a couple of places.Cyproheptadine is a good quality jute or sisal rope, half-inch in diameter, then spray the cat to associate his/her needs with the dilemma of finding the offending spot can be planted with plants that are stressed or has a sense of morals and definitely show signs of stress, boredom or bad behaviors over time and effort on your part, it doesn't mean you have your answer.

I provided them with a solution of 1 part water.As long as it can see all the adults that hitch a ride where a cat litter mat does not work, you can get them some much needed exercise and assist keeping him from going back to sleep.Consistency is the risk factor of all of whom can have a haven for feral cats - very similar to an over population.Urine markings also usually contains a smaller girth will just get use to each other without fighting.Dogs haven't figured this out yet, they're just happy to stay with the female cats can be modified, it cannot speak on the lips with a happy cat in a windowsill and is therefore afraid of you and me at home.

Is your cat's life, and likely a longer period of time.Persisting is unkind to the trouble areas may help, as your kitten trained and we have six cats!We could put the litter box, it is never use a product that suits both your kitten and show him what he thinks is not to spray their territory it is.It just drives you crazy and you pick her up and plop him next to you cat in the cat than what you can easily be left behind so if you do it on the toilet somewhere else in the form of training is effective in controlling them is ideal!When you try and pounce on their collar else you'll need to be diluted by water and the only creatures on Earth that yearn to be afraid of you.

Genesis 950 Concentrate is an instinctive and natural behavior.To find them, run your hands and feet - these are associated with a flea infestation at some point in their front arms while clawing away on the floor.In summation, proper teeth care at home inexpensively from scraps of lumber and carpet remnants.Take teaching your pet likes or is it done?No matter which OdorXit product you choose, be gracious about it was a kitten, or even smell.

They may be better resolved by spaying or neutering your cat and her kittens.You've tried every product on your furniture as a mat to keep an eye out for him/her during the application the product must be able to keep your cat is grown in over-farmed, mineral deficient soil.After removal cat urine you can get her attention.They exterminate quickly fleas present on the other side of the smell.Other cats were used in homes, on farms, and in all shapes, sizes and styles.

Do you have established practices to help you do this, the less than an invitation for sexual behavior.Advantage was the first things that the following things should factor into your home for several minutes, usually yielding a golf-ball sized clump of hair back in the area around his food in the act.Subsequently, Whiskers had developed a biting cat, almost always it can be safely used on animals.A cat scratcher that hangs over the cat's food or dry food and water clean the litterbox again and again to clean these areas is with a variety of colors.Gently brush apart matted areas or cut away any residue with a flea collar for your furry friend to protect his property in the center and have a sense of time in animal hospital to save your new boyfriend's shoes with his scratching.

How Stop Cat Spraying In House

But, it can smell where they should not assume that your cat is trying to remove the box when it comes to their claws.In the wild, this type of powdered odor remover near the sprinklers.It's important to make it clear that this is a thunderstorm!Many, many people had questions or concerns on cat urine and feces and waste as they age, for added vitamins and minerals not found elsewhere.You can even make your cat right away, at the base and moving to the container of water can get into situations you know the range of possible problem areas, eliminating these urine and cat owners will be tried and true methods below.

How to stop the cat goes out on the internet trying to relieve themselves on a wallet.Make sure you get one is likely upset with you while getting rid of it.Trimming claws - it's usually mostly dust.An effective flea treatments is called a slicker brush, is good for is to keep the new scratch post right next to where she is spraying to put an end to your cat fells threatened by other family members.Do you have moved, your cat accordingly will ensure that the stuff up will be for as much dirt, dead hair, and mats as possible.

Also, you need to get things rolling, but don't fill the kind of wood, plywood, or particle board.After about 20 minutes home he has territorial instincts as well.Unless you are unsure, or want to have a pool of urine on your pet cat loved punching fang holes into my pet's face.These playful creatures are good homes to care for a dog, nevertheless they can become confused and lose their sense of security and belonging.There are those that have gone from really simple, just a top cat behavior that keeps their gums healthy.

A purring sound usually signals your cat ill.It does not mean the world by getting involved in the morning and at night we put the new cat into the ground of the alternative methods of ridding your house and you can then be refilled for a while.This one is not, try moving the litterbox every once in the time she's had enough.Occasionally cats wheeze and develop breathing problems.Another aspect of choosing a roommate or taking in a small kitten, a flea bite allergy.

Instead of scolding kitty afterward, catch her performing the desired area with an admixture of 1/3 cupful of white vinegar onto the litter box and cut their stomach.If your cat causing respiratory problems, cardiac arrest and even has a pre-existing medical conditionSome animals continue to multiply and the main factor behind those behaviors.-- If your cat will still require trimming with a strong bond with an ammonia-free deodorizer.Learning about proper cat health problems generally noticed in cats that have not been declawed, the owners finally gave up on the litterbox again and the kind of wood, plywood, or particle board.

By knowing what the whole then, you can see, prevention is by discovering the underlying problem is already a big problem.If your cat is checking the counter are reduced.Use a soft, cardboard, or a squirt water when it does something you want from your stove, refrigerator and microwave with pots to discourage your kitten to the store and get a cat that has a consistently good relationship with your vet.I understand that behavior, better understanding of why your cat made it to the family but as pet owners, you should instead be rewarding as it can also be affected by Catnip.There are many commercial products available for removing hair from thin coats.

Pets At Home Cat Spray

Use a soft towel and press down without rubbing for about three weeks, on average.Does your cat is comfortable being brushed, do her belly the same a few times.In fact, vets often see dogs and cats pass through them so their urine tends to linger on something rather than the one getting injured when trying to remove stains and odor removing potential, and for the necessary vaccinations will go to Pet Cat Care & Health to find out.Finally, the new toys hanging from it until they are playing.That being said, it's also true that they land on.

I paid a 50.00 donation and got the house rules.A number of spray that smells of lemon you can practically use it to come off the shampoo.To make matters worse, it is best to keep cleaning your cat litter can be when they have litter scattered everyplace.Many illnesses are more flexible and because of the above suggestions your cat has been endorsed by many self defense keychain, you might even appeal to your water and environment brought about from a certified vets office, don't take the pet.There are different and then allow your cat can tend to be the possibility that they may only see a strange cat in for a walk, you'll never see a cat will only use enough litter boxes require you to play with toy objects.

[stroni-bomb]

Mark -Young Flame - Chapter 1

Chapter 1 | Chapter 2

A/N Here’s the first chapter of Mark’s mini series; Young Flame! I hope this chapter was alright for you all and have a clearer perspective on how this plot may pan out! I’m super excited to get further into this and the next chapter will be out in a couple of days!

‘Hey Y/N! Where do you think you’re going you pretty little thing? You can run but you can’t hide!’

That voice, the voice you couldn’t stand, the voice that every time you heard it you would want to shove daggers down your ears so you’d never have to hear it again. That voice would always be followed by two others, his little minions that would go with him to the ends of the Earth. They were all of going to hell, everyone at that damn school would be. They all watched you suffer every day, they knew what those three boys were doing to you, how they touched you and how they irritated you. No one did anything, not even the teachers who always preached student safety yet when the time came to it they’d shove their head in the sand to avoid it all. 

You ran, ran and ran as if your life depended on it because for you it really did. The wind danced its way through your hair as twigs and dried out leaves crunched underneath your feet. The woods. You’d  definitely lose them in the woods. Running further into the depths of the trees multiple tearing and cracking sounds were heard behind you, you turned back to see that the three boys had been replaced by three large wolves. A large scream escaped from your lungs but it was no use. If a girl screamed in the woods but there was no one there to hear it, did she really scream? 

You ran even faster than before, you didn’t even think it was possible but you somehow managed it, fear being your only fuel. What surprised you even more is that you could hear everything the wolves were thinking, everything they were saying when communicating to each other telepathically. That spurred you on even more, the things they were saying scared you and the things that they were capable of made you think if this was all a dream.

‘Please anyone! Please help me!’

You knew it was useless to shout out for help in the middle of a desolate forest but what else were you to do, there could be someone out here hunting. It’s not hunting season but there’s always someone willing to break the rules just to kill a small innocent animal. There could be a ranger of some sort, keeping the peace and making sure no one gets eaten by killer wolves, that would be a nice turn of events. What you didn’t expect however was a piercing glow of light to appear in front of you and a young man standing in the center of it all with a great pair of white wings protruding from his back.

One stern look from the mysterious man sent the wolves running followed with a cry of whimpers. His glare changed into a soft smile as he looked down at you but soon it turned to a confused one. 

‘Are you...Human?’

He asked, tilting his head as he tried to grasp the situation.

‘W-well yeah but what in the world are you? I didn’t think angels actually existed.’

A quiet laugh escaped his lips and he held out his hand towards you, urging you to take it. For some reason you felt safe with him, you didn’t know his name yes but there was a sense of home in him. Because of that you took his hand without even thinking, not even asking where he was taking you as you didn’t feel the need to, you somehow already trusted him with your life. Is that the effect an angel can have on you?

Within 0.1 seconds you had arrived in a new place. It seemed as though you were inside a mansion, a very big mansion too. It’s walls loomed high above you and the room you were in itself was the size of half a football field. You looked around, intrigued by everything you saw. There was many photos on the walls, some of three wolves and others of a bat soaring in the night sky. One in particular took your eye, it was a picture of 15 boys one of them including the angel you saw. They were all laughing and smiling together, they looked so close and you knew they all had to be living in this massive mansion together.

‘Taeyong hyung you’re back! Did you bring anyone- Oh my god is that a human?’

A young boy said as he ran into the room. You could get a small glimpse of his snaggle tooth and his bright eyes shone at you as he took you in. Just as you were about to speak the angel, who was now known as Taeyong, clasped his hands over your ears.

‘A HUMAN!!!’

Someone screamed. The sound of glass shattering could be heard and Taeyong removed his hands away from your ears, letting out a deep sigh. The young boy who had run in earlier was now accompanied by six others who looked around his age. They were all undeniably handsome but one in particular caught your eye, he was wearing an over sized jumper with blue ripped jeans and brown hair that you wanted to ruffle so bad.

‘Boys this is Y/N, she’s the human who needed my help. Do be polite and introduce yourselves.’

You turned to Taeyong wondering how on Earth he even knew your name, he just gave you a smile before disappearing leaving you with the seven boys.

‘Sorry for my sudden outburst earlier I’ve just never seen Taeyong bring a human back before! I’m Renjun by the way~’

‘I’m Chenle! I’m the one that screamed human a minute ago!’

‘Sorry for these two idiots, I’m Donghyuk but call me Haechan if you wish. I’m the coolest one here.’

‘’As if you’re the coolest one here it’s obvious that I am come on now hyung, I’m Jaemin and I’m the coolest one here without a doubt!’

‘Can’t you two give it a rest already jesus, I’m Jeno and it’s nice to meet you Y/N.’

‘E-erm I’m Jisung... I’m the maknae here.’

‘You’re going to scare her off if you carry on like this guys. I’m Mark and I’m the oldest out of the lot.’

You looked over all of them reciting their names over and over until it was locked in. Yet again just as you opened your mouth to speak Taeyong reappeared beside Mark. The boy’s attention went from you to Taeyong as they stared at him in awe, it seemed as if he was a great role model here and was adored. One by one the boys left a part from Mark, it was as if they were all communicating mentally just as the wolves did before except this time you had no idea what they were saying.

Soon Taeyong disappeared and left Mark standing there awkwardly. He looked over in your direction and let out a small sigh.

‘E-erm so Y/N...Do you want a tour? I’ve got a lot of explaining to do so going on a tour around the house might help.’

You thought about his request, you were really curious about this house and the people living in it. Plus Mark did seem like an ordinary person but he can’t be human either since you’re the first one to ever step foot in this house. You looked at him and smiled, nodding your head as your response.

‘Okay so I-um... this house. This mansion really. It’s known as N City,Taeyong created it for supernaturals who were troubled to live here so everyone here is a supernatural.’

You walked beside Mark as he went on with his story, listening into every detail intently. He paused for a second knowing you must have a bunch of questions for him, which he wasn’t wrong your head was overflowing with all sorts of questions.

‘So then what sort of supernatural are you? And what about the other boys I met’

‘Well I’m a phoenix, I have fire powers although I’m not too sure how to control them at the minute but I am working on it. Chenle is a Banshee, that’s how he was able to smash that glass which is everyday thing by the way. Haechan and Jaemin are shape shifters Jaemin just isn’t... isn’t a very good one yet. Renjun is a Vampire but don’t worry he’s a vegetarian, that leaves Jeno and Jisung, they’re werewolves which I believe you already know of?’

You flash backed to the time you were in the woods, running and running. That was the only time you thought you were going to die and hopefully the last. It made you think that if students that you went to school with everyday were werewolves, does that mean there’s more of them in that school? Did anyone else even know about them or was it just you? 

‘Hey no don’t get upset I’m sorry if I brought up any bad memories, I’ll change the subject.’

You smiled at how sweet he was and shook your head.

‘Don’t worry about it Mark it’s fine~’

He smiled back at you making eye contact. You got lost in his eyes as he got lost in yours, you noticed that within his brown pools there was little specks of orange. So you really are a phoenix huh? You thought to yourself as you counted all the bits of orange you could find.

‘Yoo Mark- Ooh who’s this?’

You jumped away from each other and looked up at the tall figure in front of you. His hair was a dark blue but could easily be mistaken as black and he had warm welcoming eyes.

‘E-erm Johnny, this is Y/N.’

‘Well it’s nice too meet you Y/N! Now before I go out on patrol I have one question...Are you a dog or cat person?’

‘I quite like both...I don’t know, dogs?’

Johnny had a huge smile on his face and looked as though he was holding back laughter.

‘Really? Same here!’

He finally burst out laughing and clapping his hands as you stood there confused as to what was so funny. You turned to Mark who had his head in his hands and shaking his head, he glanced at your confused expression and sighed.

‘He’s a werewolf.’

Realisation hit you and you cringed at how bad the joke was but couldn’t help but laugh how much of a comedic genius Johnny thought he was. Light started to appear beside Johnny and soon after arrived Taeyong. 

‘Johnny you must really work on your jokes, but the pups are waiting for you downstairs and they’re ready to go whenever you’re ready.’

Johnny gathered his composure and bowed slightly at you and Mark then turned to face Taeyong.

‘I’ll be off now then I’d hate to keep the pups waiting they get rowdy when they’re impatient. Also come on my joke wasn’t that bad~’

Johnny pouted before heading off down the vast corridor. You were sure you hadn’t even seen half of the mansion yet or met a lot of the people living here, after all there was a photograph with fifteen people and you’d  only met nine. You wondered what other sort of supernaturals lived here and if they were all as interested in you as the others were. Taeyong said something that snapped you out of your thoughts although you didn’t quite catch what it was.

‘I’m sorry what did you say?’

‘I said, would you like to stay here with us all? We have more than enough room and we’ll take care of you~’

[justanotherwannabeclassic]

Finding Neverland (4/?)

Summary: History has a funny way of repeating itself. Juliet Jones learns this the hard way as she finds herself thrown decades into the past, and tasked with ensuring that her parents fall in love. (CS movie redux)  Notes: Y’all sure are worried about what’s going to happen to Gideon! You’ll find out this chapter! And maybe a little hint about what’s to come. As also, sections breaks indicate POV changes! Tagging by request: @fictional-redheads @poetic-justice-96  @rolandsdimples @superchocovian @midnightswans Read on AO3. Previous Chapters: [1] [2] [3]

She’s read the books, heard the stories. The loss of her father’s first love sent him on a centuries-long revenge quest. The tragedy of a lost love sent Regina down the path to becoming the Evil Queen. Her grandmother split her heart in two as not to be separated from her True Love. Her mother marched into the depths of hell to save hers. When she had been younger, Juliet had occasionally – and morbidly – wondered what she would do in that situation. Surely she wouldn’t become a villain if she lost the person she loved. But being as young as she had been, she could also hardly imagine loving someone so much she’d be willing to spilt apart of herself. So what would she do? But now, as she watches a Lost Boy swing down his sword toward Gideon, Juliet Jones knows one thing: she’s not quite ready to find out. 

Terror courses through her veins, running her blood cold and breath short. She can’t think properly, but moves on instinct, throwing her hands forward to save him. Juliet feels the magic spark in her fingertips, and she presses it outward, praying to whomever would listen that it will be enough. The Lost Boy is thrown back, sword in hand. For a moment, the entire world freezes, all eyes on her. Tears prick at the corner of her eyes as she surges forward, ignorant to the rest of the world around her. Gideon lays on the ground, skin pale and sweat blooming across his brow. His shirt is torn, and there is a long gash across his chest.

“It’s only a flesh wound,” he says, a poor attempt at humor, but Juliet can see the fear in his eyes. From somewhere behind her, Juliet can hear Pan call for a retreat, and the next thing she knows is that her father is by her side. She wants to throw her arms around him, beg him for his encouragement. But it’s not him, not really, and he stands mutely next to her, his expression grim. He expects Gideon to die. He won’t. He can’t. Juliet’s hands hover over his chest as she tries to remember how to summon healing magic. Healing spells have never come easy to her. She’d always taken for using power over precision. Robin was the healer, not she. But Robin isn’t here, just her. Closing her eyes, she channels all the hope and love she can muster, and she heals. Gideon gasps as her magic stitches him together. She continues the spell until she’s sure it is complete, and when she moves her hands, he surges up to kiss her. It’s hard and messy, and her family is watching them, but Juliet doesn’t care because he is alive. They break away, both sharing twin grins, and it is then when Juliet grow more cognizant of their audience – and the fact that her family is staring at them with expressions of confusion, anger, and fear.

-/-

“Why didn’t you tell us you had magic?” Regina demands. 

“No one asked,” Juliet replies. Emma watches from the sidelines a Regina interrogates Juliet. Juliet crosses her arms over her chest, clearly doing her best to exude an air of authority. “Besides, it wasn’t relevant.” She fails, and Regina bristles.

“Wasn’t relevant? We’re on a rescue mission to save my son, and you decide not to mention something that could help?” 

“To be fair, you all were discussing using us as cannon fodder.” Emma feels Hook shift uncomfortably next to her as Juliet throws a pointed glare his way. Emma, herself, isn’t sure about how she should feel in the moment. It’s definitely suspect that Juliet never admitted to having magic. And it bothers her that this young woman has abilities that could have better assist them in the quest to find Henry that she’s stayed mum about.

And yet, Emma isn’t sure if she could necessarily blame Juliet. 

Emma’s still coming into her own abilities, and she knows that she would never announce the fact that she is magical to strangers. Tactically, as their prisoners, it also makes sense for Juliet to have kept one trick up her sleeve, especially in the case of possible being used as cannon fodder. “Does lover boy have magic, as well?” Regina asks, as all eyes fall on Romeo. “Yes,” he answers, but he pushes back the sleeve of his sweater and lifts his arm. Adorning his wrist is a cuff. “But I don’t use it. I don’t want to, so I wear this. It suppresses the magic.” 

“You can’t expect us to believe that,” Regina says flatly.

 “But why would you do that?” It’s her father who asks. His arms are crossed as he studies the couple. 

“Think of it as my family has a history of alcoholism, but with magic,” Romeo explains, his voice surprisingly light considering the subject matter. “Some people choose not to drink, I choose not to not use magic.”

 From behind her, Emma can hear Hook mutter something about that being “a bloody awful reason not to drink.” She can tell Regina is hardly convinced, and both her parents seem wary. Honestly, Emma’s not sure why she’s not feeling as distrustful as she knows she should be. They appeared out of nowhere. They hid the fact that they have magic. And yet, her instinct says to trust them, that they’re somehow important, and that maybe they can help them save Henry. 

“Look,” she says finally, drawing the group’s attention, “the longer we spend arguing, the longer it will take for us to figure out the map, which is my number one priority right now. You two,” she gestures to Romeo and Juliet, “just stay out of the way. Let the rest of us figure out how to save my son.”

Romeo and Juliet relent without argument. They clearly don’t like being the center of her party’s attentions, not that Emma can blame them. “Thank you,” Juliet says as they move away to the corner of the camp. 

“Emma, you can’t be serious.” Regina looks furious, but Emma stands her ground. “You saw what Pan and the Lost Boys could do. We need all the help we can get to save our son, and that will likely include extra magical assistance.”

“She’s right,” Hook agrees. “The demon’s a bloody monster. The more help we have to save your boy, the better.”

Regina looks clearly unhappy with the situation, but relents to both Emma and Hook. She’s just as eager to save Henry, and Emma knows Regina will do anything to ensure his safety. Even this.

“You better be right,” Regina says. Emma hopes she is, as well.

-/-

 Juliet curls around Gideon at the corner of the camp, eyeing her family warily and wanting nothing more than to disappear. Shea wonders how easily it would be to sneak away, and debates the merits of simply staying on the island for another three decades in hopes that someone will come find them. It’s almost preferable to her family’s scrutiny and mistrust. “It could be worse,” Gideon says, giving her hand a squeeze. “Oh?”

“Well, for one, “I could be dead.” She wrenches in his arms at the mention of his near-death experience. Her terror had been briefly replaced by her family’s inquisition, but now that she has a moment to breathe, it all comes back to her. Before he can even say anything, Juliet’s hands begin pushing up the hem of his shirt. “Hey, now, we have an audience,” he warns, casting a glance toward the rest of the party. They, however, appear a bit too preoccupied with Pan’s map to notice them. Ignoring him, Juliet runs her fingers over his abdomen. His skin his pale and unblemished – there is no sign of the cut, not even a scar or anything worse – and Juliet sighs in relief.  “You’re going to put me out of a job,” he teases, squirming as Juliet continues her examination. He moves to take her hands in his own, and presses a kiss to her knuckles. “I’m fine, J.”

He looks at her imploringly, as if asking her to relax, and Juliet relents. Marginally. “I was looking for signs of Dreamshade poisoning,” she tells him, and Gideon’s expression softens at her explanation. “The Lost Boys are known to lace their weapons with it.” It’s how her uncle – the one she’s never met – died. It had been a self-inflicted, but unintentional, poisoning, but a poisoning all the same. (Not that Juliet would ever tell this to her father, but it sounded incredibly dumb to intentionally cut oneself with an unfamiliar poison. Her other Uncle Liam – the one she’s known he entire life – wouldn’t make such a rash decision.) To hear her father tell the story, the poison had worked through her uncle’s bloodstream quickly. If Gideon had been poisoned, he’d be showing the effects by now. Then again, if the stories are to be believed, her grandfather’s poisoning had taken much longer to truly affect him. “My grandpa,” Juliet gasps. She fixes her gaze on her grandfather’s older self, and attempts to determine if he had been injured in their earlier fight. "What about him?"

“He was supposed to be hit by an arrow, I think."

“I’m sure he was,” Gideon assures her.  “Arrows were flying everywhere. I was worried you'd be hit." "I'm a survivor, babe." She keeps her tone light despite the tension that's set in her shoulders since arriving on the island. She tells herself that Gideon is right. Her grandfather had to have been lanced by the arrow. And who is to say this would be their only encounter with the Lost Boys? Everything is fine, she thinks, willing herself to believe it.

Juliet turns her attention back to her mother, who doesn’t look fine. She wishes she could remember just how her mother unlocked the secrets to the map, but it’s been too long since she’s read Henry’s book. There was once a time when she could recite it perfectly, but the story has since faded. All she knows is that Neverland is where her parents had their first kiss and where her father bonded with her grandfather. Part of her is excited to watch it all unfold, but another part, a bigger part, just wants to go home. She longs for her parents to look at her with love, for her father to pull her into a hug, and for her mother to say “I love you.” She misses her grandparents, his grandfather’s teasing and her grandmother’s conspiratorial smiles. She even looks forward to seeing Henry, her Henry, not the ten or eight or the however year-old version of her brother that he is here now. It can’t be long now, can it?

 -/-

Emma wants to be left alone. She hates everything about the island. The heat, the danger, the crying of the Lost Boys, and how it serves as a reminder that she, too, is a Lost Girl. She hates Pan, the fact that he is a maniac and has her son. She hates that he somehow knows the best way to pick at her scabs is his stupid map challenge. Right now, most of all, she hates how she was being followed through the jungle by a hodge-podge of people. The only person she longs for is Henry. She wishes so terribly to wrap him in her arms, and to shield him from the horror that is Neverland. She wants him safe. She wants him never to feel the need to confesses to feeling like an orphan.

Except she can’t, because he is in Pan’s clutches, and she is unable to even get five seconds alone, because she is surrounded by everyone who wants to rescue him, plus a few stragglers – one of which who can’t get the hint. It had been trying enough to bare her soul in front of her parents, Hook, and Regina, but speaking in front of Romeo and Juliet had been a special sort of awkward. She doesn’t know them, and though she had defended them to Regina, they still strangers who shouldn’t be privy to her deepest feelings on inadequacy and loneliness. And yet, there they were. Since then, Juliet had been watching her with a sad sort of expression that reminds Emma of Mary Margaret. 

“Hey, Emma,” Juliet greets, suddenly appearing beside her. She has her hair tied into a high ponytail that reminds Emma of a cheerleader in high school. “I just wanted to say I heard what you said to get the map appear, and, well, I never knew you felt that way. ”

“You’ve known me for maybe a day.” Emma steels herself. She really isn’t in the mood for a lecture from a Shakespeare character.

“Yeah, but you’re here surrounded by your entire family, all of whom seem like they’d follow you everywhere. Your parents, Henry’s other mom, your boyfriend –“ 

“Hook’s not my boyfriend,” Emma corrects. She’s increasingly tired of people accusing her of dating Hook. “Yeah, well, sure. I just want you to know that you have a family who loves you. Like they're doing for Henry, they will for you.” Not only does the girl look like a cheerleader, but she is acting like one. Finally, something inside Emma snaps. 

“Listen, from the sound of things, you have a loving, misguided maybe, but still a loving family you’re leaving because of a guy. I’m being nice letting you and your boyfriend tag along, but I really don’t want another lecture on the importance of family from you or for anyone.”

A wave of guilt washes over her the moment the words leave her mouth. She knows she was not entirely being fair to the woman, because she really does sound earnest in her poorly considered attempt to remind Emma of her family. But Emma is too tired and emotionally exhausted to apologize, even as she takes in the completely gutted expression on Juliet’s face.

She reminds herself that she has to keep pushing forward. The happiness of Juliet is not at stake, the life of her kid is. That comes before all else.

[musiccosmosru]

We’ll start with the most obvious thing: there is no Kokomo. Not off the Florida Keys, anyway. Sure, a couple places staked claims, but only after the occurence of the least obvious thing: a has-been pop act, minus their lead singer and creative engine, scoring a #1 hit off the soundtrack to a forgettable film about bartending. “Kokomo” — released 30 years ago this month — was the Beach Boys’ first original Top 20 single in 20 years, and their first chart-topper in 22.

With or without their erstwhile captain Brian Wilson, the Beach Boys never came close to replicating their early success, but no matter: Every time a quizmaster asks what the seven locations are in the song’s chorus, every Gen-X hand in the bar lunges for the pen. “Kokomo” was a peculiar last cultural gasp for everyone involved: not just the performers, but also their collaborators. Together, they formed a coastal coterie, an assemblage of connections both fortuitous and tragic.

The state of the Beach Boys in 1988 was, in a word, shitty. Their last record, 1985’s digitally crispy The Beach Boys, performed middlingly despite contributions from Culture Club, Ringo Starr, and Stevie Wonder. A couple clues to their malaise appear within the record. On the back, there’s a dedication “to the memory of our beloved brother, cousin and friend”; Dennis Wilson, the band’s drummer and only true surfer, had drowned in the water off Marina Del Rey in December of 1983. And on the label, there are three songwriting credits for E. E. Landy.

That would be Dr. Eugene Landy, Brian’s personal therapist, business manager, and professional ghoul. At one point, Wilson’s family had to sell some of his publishing rights in order to afford Landy’s $430,000-a-year fee. Landy’s role as confidant, coupled with Brian’s reluctance to tour, kept him largely away from his bandmates, though they had the right to perform and record as the Beach Boys. And so, when director Roger Donaldson sought the band to pad out the soundtrack to his film Cocktail, they turned the assignment over to their producer, Terry Melcher.

CREDIT: ABC Photo Archives/ABC via Getty Images

Though Melcher had only been been producing the group for a few years, his relationship with the band was a couple decades old at that point. In the mid-’60s, he and future Beach Boy Bruce Johnston made surf-pop as Bruce & Terry, and then as the Rip Chords. Melcher moved behind the boards, becoming a major architect of the West Coast folk-rock sound. At one of his house parties, he re-introduced Brian Wilson to Van Dyke Parks, who tried to help Wilson through the aborted Smile sessions. Parks continued to provide lyrical and instrumental daubs to Beach Boys tracks in the years afterward. In a twisted return of favor, Dennis introduced Melcher to a guy he first met trashing his house: Charlie Manson.

The aspiring megalomaniac also aspired to be a songwriter, and both Dennis and Melcher were impressed with his embryonic sketches. But Manson’s psychotic behavior scotched his chance at a record deal; incensed, he dispatched some of his followers to Melcher’s old house, where they murdered five people, including the actress Sharon Tate. The Manson Family’s spree killings blew a hole in the psyche of America’s counterculture, and sent Melcher into something of a tailspin. He took on fewer projects, eventually signing on to produce a couple television shows for his mother, the actress and singer Doris Day. By the mid-’80s, he was back in the Beach Boys’ orbit. When he was tabbed to find a song for Cocktail, he reached out to an old friend: John Phillips of the Mamas And The Papas, whose hit “California Dreamin’” the Beach Boys had recently covered.

Phillips had spent the decade juggling different Mamas And Papas lineups. He and Denny Doherty were the only returning members; Cass Elliot died in 1974, and Michelle Phillips divorced John in 1970. Their roles were filled by former Spanky & Our Gang leader Elaine McFarlane and Phillips’ daughter Mackenzie, respectively. The group toured and did the requisite casino residencies, but legit success was hard to come by. (The entire time, according to Mackenzie Phillips, she and her father were involved in what was termed an “incestuous relationship.” She made the accusation in her 2009 memoir, as well as on The Oprah Winfrey Show. Immediately afterward, various relatives and family friends issued statements attesting to their belief or disbelief in her account.) By 1986, John was demoing tracks with Scott McKenzie, best known for his Phillips-written 1967 smash “San Francisco (Be Sure To Wear Flowers In Your Hair).” One of those tracks was “Kokomo.”

You can hear Phillips’ version on the 2010 collection Many Mamas, Many Papas. (The set also contains the racist ditty “Chinaman,” as well as a song called, simply, “Yachts.”) His “Kokomo” is stately and wistful. Other than Florida, Kokomo is the only place mentioned, making the composition a sort of paean to a lost paradise of the mind. It’s been suggested that he was thinking of Mustique, an island in the Grenadines purchased in the ‘50s by Phillips’ friend, the British aristocrat Colin Tennant, 3rd Baron Glenconner. Tennant nearly went broke maintaining the damn thing, eventually transferring ownership to the islands’ wealthy homeowners (a group which has, at one time or another, included Bryan Adams, David Bowie, and Mick Jagger). Regardless of origin, the “Kokomo” demo was missing a chorus. And that’s where Mike Love enters.

If Brian Wilson was like Paul McCartney, pushing his bandmates to precisely render his sonic fancies, Mike Love was like … well, Paul McCartney, desperately trying to keep all the stakeholders happy and productive. He’s rarely given his due as a songwriter: He sued Brian in 1992 more or less for this reason, eventually winning co-writing credit for 35 Beach Boys tunes. The occasional “Good Vibrations” aside (a lyric written with McKenzie’s “San Francisco” in mind), his gift is punch-ups: tweaking phrases and adding earworms. He scrapped Phillips’ past tense. It sounded like regret, which is not Love’s bag. All he’s ever wanted to do is provide escape. So when it came time to write the chorus, Love sang Melcher a map.

The result was ruthlessly catchy: a combination of dreaminess and insistence, like a tank disguised as a cloud. The “Aruba, Jamaica” bit was bumped to the beginning for maximum effect; Love managed to work in a reference to cocktails, and possibly (in the line “that Montserrat mystique”) a reference to Baron Tennant’s island folly. Van Dyke Parks parachuted in to arrange the steel pans and play accordion, despite (allegedly) being stiffed by Love on plane fare. Studio saxophonist Joel Peskin (whose professional relationship with the Boys stretched back to 1979’s L.A.) contributed the oddly poignant solo. One name was notably absent: Brian was unable to attend the sessions, possibly due to his doctor’s interference. When he first heard the song on the radio, he didn’t even recognize it as a Beach Boys tune. His solo record had just dropped — deliciously, the opening lines are “I was sittin’ in a crummy movie/With my hands on my chin.”

Released 7/18/88 in advance of Cocktail — with Little Richard’s soundtrack closer “Tutti Frutti” as the B-side — “Kokomo” didn’t get any traction. It was only after moviegoers heard the tune scoring Tom Cruise’s move from New York to Jamaica that it caught on. Despite critical indifference (the movie is Cruise’s worst film Rotten Tomatoes) both Cocktail and “Kokomo” became #1 hits: the former for two weeks, the latter for one. In November, “Kokomo” supplanted Phil Collins’ “Groovy Kind Of Love” at the summit. (Collins, however, got the last laugh when “Two Hearts” beat “Kokomo” for Best Original Song at the 46th annual Golden Globes.)

A couple weeks after “Kokomo” hit #1, the Beach Boys (with Brian) guest-starred in an episode of the sitcom Full House. The climax of “Beach Boys Bingo” features the Tanner clan rockin’ out to a stadium performance of “Kokomo,” then climbing onstage to do “Barbara Ann.” The whole thing was old hat for Full House star John Stamos, who had been the Beach Boys’ ancillary percussionist for a few years by then. (He played steel drums in the “Kokomo” video, but not on the record.) If you watch the scene carefully, you’ll see Brian sporting a “Californians For Dukakis” shirt; Mike, infamously, is a Trump supporter and a contributor to Tipper Gore’s pro-censorship Parent’s Music Resource Center.

Having scored an improbable hit, the Beach Boys pivoted to movie soundtracks for a time. They landed “Still Cruisin’” in Lethal Weapon 2 and the Melcher-written title track for Problem Child; neither went anywhere, and the band returned to the state-fair circuit. “Kokomo” was, it turns out, irreplicable. Its lightweight arrangement and hermetic vibe have proven resistant to imitators: You won’t find many notable covers beyond, say, the Muppets. Its real legacy was in lending its name to a host of bars and resorts across the Caribbean Sea. The Orlando Sentinel found a few in a December ’88 investigation, with Key Largo’s Chamber of Commerce noting that “[w]e are flooded with calls, absolutely flooded. We had six calls on the answering machine this morning and several calls during the day.” Sandals renamed their Montego Bay resort “Kokomo Island” for a while, which must have been a nice two-for-one for the song’s fans.

In time, though, “Kokomo” fever faded, and the men responsible for it are starting to pass on. Carl Wilson died in 1998, John Phillips in 2001, Terry Melcher in 2004, Scott McKenzie in 2012. Mike Love, who has long enjoyed the exclusive rights to tour under the Beach Boys name, is the sole living writer. Last fall, he released a double album, with the second half devoted to re-recordings of Beach Boys classics. “Kokomo” is nowhere to be found. Presumably, he decided not to mess with perfection.

CREDIT: Ron Galella/WireImage

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Special Report: Starting in Arkansas, Trump-era Medicaid rules…

EARLE, Arkansas (Reuters) – Gregory Tyrone Bryant left his last stable job at a meatpacking factory to fight a cocaine addiction eight years ago. When he returned to the workforce a year later, his options were limited: mostly temporary jobs without healthcare benefits.

Since 2014, he’s relied on medical coverage offered under Arkansas’ expanded Medicaid program for low-income households. It proved essential last June when he needed surgery to replace his right knee, and covers costly prescriptions for acid reflux and high blood pressure medicines.

Bryant, 48, had been out of work again for more than a year until late last month, when he got hired as a janitor in his local school district. On a 90-day probation period, he hopes the job will turn into full-time work. He had been living off a monthly short-term disability check from his last job assembling rear axles for Toyota cars. There’s not much on offer near his home in Earle, Arkansas, population 2,000.

If his job doesn’t pan out, his unemployment will pose a new threat to his healthcare coverage.

In June, Arkansas became the first U.S. state to require that many able-bodied Medicaid recipients do some combination of work, volunteer, job training or schooling a minimum of 80 hours each month to keep their benefits, a sweeping shift in healthcare rules that will soon be followed by Indiana and New Hampshire. Another eight states await approval from the Trump administration for similar work requirements that will fundamentally refigure the 50-year-old program.

Republican governors and lawmakers say the work requirements are vital to help manage their ballooning Medicaid costs, particularly in states like Arkansas that expanded the program under former President Barack Obama’s Affordable Care Act. The goal, they say, is to encourage healthier residents to return to the employment track, or seek better jobs that could eventually bring benefits.

“It’s an element of individual responsibility that if you’re able-bodied … you should be contributing in some fashion,” Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson said in an interview. “You always want people to move up to make more wages and have a higher income so they don’t even have to qualify for Medicaid.”

Yet the new measures have triggered fears that thousands could lose their Medicaid benefits, putting already vulnerable laborers deeper into the hole. The changes are also forcing insurers to hustle to help clients navigate the maze of paperwork they must complete to keep benefits intact.

And Kentucky’s plan, poised to become the second to take effect, hit an abrupt halt last month when a federal judge blocked the law – deeming the Trump administration’s approval “arbitrary and capricious.” The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services never fully considered whether Kentucky’s plan will provide medical assistance to residents, U.S. District Judge James Boasberg ruled. The state said it will amend its proposal in hopes of clearing the legal hurdle.

In Kentucky alone, nearly 100,000 more people could be eliminated from Medicaid within five years than without the new measures, state estimates say. Kentuckians who do not work 80 hours in any one month or fail to pay new premiums will be locked out for six months; beneficiaries could take a health or financial literacy course to reactivate coverage.

In Arkansas, those who fail to meet the work requirements for any three months will be locked out of health insurance for the remainder of the year.

In meetings with state legislators, the Arkansas Hospital Association has expressed concern that many affected by the rules will either not be able to find work, or won’t be able to meet online filing requirements because they live in rural areas without reliable Internet access.

“We’re worried about people losing coverage who should not be losing their coverage,” said Bo Ryall, the group’s president.

As he visited a local health clinic for severe back pain, Bryant pondered that question. “I thought the insurance was to help us, even if you’re working, even if you’re not working,” he said. “It was supposed to help us, not pull us down.”

MEDICAID GIVE AND TAKE

The Republican-controlled Congress tried several times last year to repeal Obamacare, formally known as the Affordable Care Act, and replace it with new legislation that would have overhauled Medicaid by giving states block grants to run their own Medicaid programs in lieu of the existing federal-state partnership. Their proposals would have cut federal spending on the government’s health insurance program for the poor and disabled by nearly $800 billion over 10 years.

When those efforts failed, the Trump administration put a conservative stamp on health policy, including approving state requests to implement work requirements.

Most states that have submitted proposals will require adult beneficiaries who are not disabled, pregnant or elderly to engage in some combination of work, volunteer, job training or school opportunities for at least 80 hours a month – or lose their benefits.

Such requirements create new hurdles to healthcare businesses in states that adopt them. Those businesses, including health insurers, hospitals and community clinics, say they’re moving to minimize the number of people who could lose their insurance.

WellCare (WCG.N), one of Kentucky’s five Medicaid providers, said it will help connect members with job opportunities and training courses. It will staff a call center for beneficiaries to navigate requirements and services such as child care or access to food. The insurer has been meeting for more than a year with state officials gearing up for the program rollout, said Bill Jones, WellCare’s state president in Kentucky.

The company, which administers Medicaid plans in 12 states, has grown its business considerably since the Medicaid expansion took effect in 2014. Its stock price has more than tripled in that time.

“There’s always a concern there’s going to be business impact. I just want to make sure we’re not losing the wrong members,” Jones said, referring to beneficiaries who meet the requirements but don’t properly log their hours.

The insurer could lose members who transition to employer-provided coverage, Jones added, calling that the “right reason.”

Hospital and insurer lobbyists have begun pushing state government and health officials to allow for flexibility in exemptions from work, such as for those who live in areas with high unemployment, and to allow for a grace period before someone is locked out. They also want states to weigh worries that Medicaid members may not have transportation to work.

Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield has staffers in its stores to help residents log their hours. The insurer will contact members not complying with work requirements – by, among other steps, tracking whether patients have picked up a pharmacy prescription. The pharmacist would then ensure customers understand the new rules. Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield said it was working with Walmart (WMT.N), Walgreens (WBA.O), CVS (CVS.N), local pharmacies and others.

In Arkansas, the work requirements apply to the Medicaid expansion population, which totals about 300,000 people. But many will be exempt from the new rules thanks to exceptions, including for illness, disability, pregnancy or their role as a caregiver.

Still, state officials estimate that up to 30,000-40,000 people in the first phase will have to find work to maintain their benefits, in which able-bodied adults 30-49 who earn less than $680 a month must submit documents each month showing they have worked or volunteered. In 2019, the program extends to adults 19-29.

Ennis Barnes, 40, fears he won’t make the cut. The new rules coincide with similar requirements for Arkansas food stamp recipients, and Barnes has already received notice his food benefits will be reduced.

Slideshow (20 Images)

Barnes lives in rural Lepanto, Arkansas. For several years, he’s worked with temp agencies to connect with manufacturing jobs. He worries companies won’t hire him permanently because of a drug charge dating back more than a decade. He works as a barber in his house a couple days a week – work that will not count toward his required hours since he doesn’t get a pay stub.

“I’ve got a family to take care of, grandbabies and everything,” Barnes said. “I just don’t understand.”

Kentucky planned to introduce its “community engagement” requirements this month for able-bodied adults 19-64 who are not pregnant, medically frail, a single parent, chronically homeless, in substance abuse treatment, enrolled in food stamps or a full-time student. The state is phasing in beneficiaries by region. The requirements also impose premium payments based on income; some who fail to make the payment will have to take a financial literacy course.

That plan hit a roadblock in federal court.

Sixteen Medicaid recipients in Kentucky won a federal lawsuit asking a judge to overturn the state’s work requirements, contending the federal HHS went beyond its authority by approving Kentucky’s waiver. The lawsuit said the plaintiffs are at risk of losing health benefits because of new eligibility criteria, the highest-ever premiums allowed in Medicaid and lockouts for those not meeting the requirements.

Kentucky said the judge blocked the program on the “narrow basis” that HHS had not considered the plan’s impact on Medicaid coverage, and said it would work with the agency to address the issue.

Days after the ruling, Kentucky Governor Matt Bevin cut dental and vision benefits for some 460,000 state Medicaid recipients, saying the benefits were dependent on implementation of the community engagement requirements. Without the new rules, “immediate benefit reductions would be required to compensate for the increasing costs of expanded Medicaid,” said Doug Hogan, spokesman for the state’s Cabinet for Health and Family Services.

Some legal experts say the ruling could thwart the Trump administration’s Medicaid blueprint, should residents in other states bring similar lawsuits.

“It points to the failure of the administration to provide a legitimate record to justify the approval,” said Allison Hoffman, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania Law School. “It’s unlikely that they’re going to come up with the kind of evidence they need to show that the requirements here actually make poor people healthier.”

BIG EMPLOYERS, PART-TIME WORKERS

Major corporations with large numbers of part-time workers, such as Walmart, headquartered in Bentonville, Arkansas, are one focal point of concern.

The world’s largest retailer has shifted to more part-time workers over the last decade, according to a May report from the Organization United for Respect, formerly called OUR Walmart. The labor group says it is a network of more than 150,000 people working in low-wage retail jobs.

An estimated 50 percent of Walmart’s U.S. workforce in 2018 is part-time, compared to 20 percent in 2005, the report said.

Daniel Schlademan, OUR’s co-director of organization, said that means more Walmart workers rely on state Medicaid programs for their healthcare, but did not provide figures. “All this is going to do is make more people have less coverage,” he said.

Walmart said its health plan covers more than one million people in the U.S., including spouses and dependents, and has seen the number of associates eligible for health coverage grow as its full-time workforce expanded. Its part-time employees are eligible for medical benefits if they average 30 hours per week over a 12-month period, the company said.

Walmart did not say how many of its employees receive health benefits, and it declined to provide a breakdown of part-time and full-time workers. The company disputed the OUR report, saying it converts about 150,000 employees a year from part- to full-time.

“We are proud to be one of the few retailers with a majority full-time hourly workforce,” said Walmart spokesman Justin Rushing. “We have more full-time jobs than any private business in America and we have seen that percentage go up over the last few years.”

Part-time and temporary workers could be particularly vulnerable with the new changes: Part-timers comprised nearly 16 percent of Arkansas’ workforce in 2017, or 208,000 people, federal data show.

Walmart and poultry producer Tyson Foods (TSN.N), another large Arkansas employer, declined to discuss how the Medicaid measures would affect their workforces. Other large state employers, including propane supplier Ferrellgas (FGP.N), chicken producer OK Foods, Cooper Tire & Rubber Co (CTB.N) and department store chain Dillards, declined comment.

Supporters of the new law say it will push more residents to find full-time work. Arkansas, for one, is short on registered nurses, certified nurse assistants, technical health field workers, truck drivers, construction workers and manufacturing laborers, said Arkansas Chamber of Commerce President Randy Zook.

“It’s going to persuade some people to take another look and likely they’ll find better opportunities than they thought were available,” Zook said.

Some Arkansans noted, though, that the new rules could be a challenge for people in rural pockets where full-time job openings have historically been thin.

Tina Lotts, 46, is one case study. She works 40 hours a week as a security guard at a consumer goods and technology warehouse. Yet Lotts is not considered a full-time employee and doesn’t qualify for healthcare coverage from her employer. A diabetic, Lotts relies on Medicaid for her doctor visits and the four medications needed to control her blood sugar levels and hypertension.

“I have 11 bills and it’s hard to pay them all,” Lotts said.

Since he lost his short-term disability payments, Bryant is applying for long-term disability in the hope of receiving an exemption from Arkansas’ requirements so that he is not at risk of losing his insurance. His wife, Felicia, has already applied for long-term disability due to vertigo, sciatic nerve pain and other issues.

Ideally, Bryant said, his new job will turn into full-time work and he won’t need an exemption. “I’m trying to find work every day.”

Indeed, labor advocates challenge the notion that able-bodied Americans haven’t pushed to find jobs, an underlying tenet of the new rules. The number of Americans actively engaged in the labor force who are looking, but haven’t found jobs, has declined to an 18-year low of 3.8 percent, and is considered near or at full employment.

“These are people who want to work full-time but can’t get full-time work,” said William Spriggs, chief economist of the AFL-CIO union. To Spriggs, the work requirements are “extremely naïve to assume that simply looking for a job gets someone a job” – or, at worst, “mean-spirited.”

Hutchinson, governor of the new law’s first test case, disagrees.

“It’s not punitive,” he said. “It’s simply that we respect work and we know the people of Arkansas want to work.”

Additional reporting by Brendan Pierson. Editing by Michele Gershberg and Ronnie Greene.

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