#also lol i feel alone in liking that this is an ensemble show

[lycheelovescomics]

need people to pick up some modicum of critical thinking and wonder that maybe, it's possible, that the show is critiquing how it's always the same two men's dreams that come into conflict about how to move forward vs or with the rest of humanity ... and that maybe, just maybe, the answer could be (surprise!!) a secret third or even fourth option that doesn't include them?

because ororo did tell jean that they ought to believe not in a dream or for their gifts/powers... but in each other 👀

[differentclasss]

Christmas One Shot ˚ʚ♡ɞ˚ Neil Lewis x Reader

pairing: Neil Lewis x reader

summary: Neil throws a party at Gumshoe and admits his feelings towards y/n.

warnings: smut 9 (a handjob) and not really proofread writing. Neil is a little cringe in this lol. Probably not in character

a/n: I wrote this so quickly but I just wanted to get something out for the holiday! Also, send me requests! I have some free time so I'll probably start going through those again.

Honestly, you would’ve spent Christmas alone if it wasn’t for your friend Neil deciding to throw a last-minute watch party of It’s a Wonderful Life at Gumshoe Video that day. It was the most in spirit of the season activity you had done that December with the whole idea of Christmas spirit being a little lost on you recently. You didn’t know why you lacked the usual zeal compared to Christmases of years prior but the whole month of December just seemed like any other month. It was true, you were getting older but even so, you normally had at least a little bit of enthusiasm for this time of the season. You pushed these thoughts away, however, telling yourself you would at least have fun at the small gathering at Gumshoe. You would work for free every once in a while too at Gumshoe, when your schedule was free, so you knew everyone there. It would be fun, the same ensemble as usual all planning to go.  Neil was the planner of this whole thing too, which truth be told was the entire reason you were even going. You had a small crush on Neil, he was cute, and it was hard for anyone not to find him cute. He was the type of cute that would make you do something really stupid if you weren’t careful, which is why you admired him from a distance, only ever playfully flirting with him but all around keeping it pretty friendly. 

Christmas day came and you slept in, no reason to get up early with your work being closed that day and the watch party being at six in the evening. Eventually, four rolled around and you spent a bit of extra time getting ready, you told yourself you just wanted to dress up for the holiday but deep down you knew that attention-seeking part of yourself wanted to impress Neil, even in the slightest. Off you went, donning what you considered a festive outfit and grabbing a bottle of wine as a party gift, not wanting to show up empty-handed. When you got to Gumshoe you took note of all of the decorations in the windows. There were twinkling lights and a few cardboard cut-outs with those cheap Santa hats draped over their heads. You thought if anywhere could offer you single-use Christmas spirit, this would be the place. 

After making your rounds of brief catch-ups with some of your fellow regulars, you spot Neil. He’s over by the television, fussing with the VHS player. He curses under his breath as he clicks the on and off button a few times and waits for something to happen. 

“Is it broken?” You ask, appearing over his right shoulder.

 

“I hope not.” He mumbles. “Before you ask, I already unplugged it and plugged it back in and I’ve been pushing the on-off button for five minutes now.”

“It’s old,” You say and crotch down to the player's level. “You try hitting it yet?”

“What?” He asks, looking at you with a bewildered face. 

Without another beat, you lean over and hit the top of it with your clenched fist. Neil looks a bit shocked, maybe a bit afraid that you just broke it completely, but then it turns into a happy grin as the VCR turns on.

“It’s a Christmas miracle.” He says in his charming boyish way. 

“I just earned my wings from that.” You joke back and stand up, then hold the bottle of wine out in front of him. “Oh, here. I wasn’t sure what kind of wine you liked so I kind of eyeballed it but… Yeah. Merry Christmas, Neil.”

“Oh, thank you. Red?” He says with a small grin as he takes it from your hands. “It looks nice… Thank you. Oh! I have a, uh, gift for you too. You’ll like it, come on.” He nods his head to the office and walks in front of you.

 

His office was lightly decorated with a small Christmas tree on the corner of his desk. You watch as he opens a drawer and shifts through it for a minute. He pulls out a crudely wrapped small box, the same shape as a VHS, you can’t help but blush at the gesture. He hands it to you and you take it, looking at his poor gift-wrapping abilities. It’s sweet though, making you feel a little guilty about buying him a meager bottle of wine. He tells you to unwrap it and you do, pulling the wrapping apart revealing a tape of Vivre Sa Vie, you had been looking for it for months now and that pesky blush just got worse from the sentimental gift.

“Neil,” You say and look up at him. “You didn’t have to do this… Thank you so much. I’ve wanted for this ages now.”

“Don’t mention it.” He waves his hand. “I know you’ve been looking for it and you’ve been such a great help here lately.”

“Thanks.” You say again and smile. You want to lean in and kiss him on the cheek but you decide against it. “Well, we should probably go out there and start the movie, yeah?”

He nods and you both take your leave into the main floor of the shop. You sit down on the couch and watch as Neil does a small introductory to the movie like he always does at events like this. After he starts the movie, he opens the bottle of wine pours a glass for himself, and then pours you one. After he hands you the filled glass, he sits next to you and you feel his thigh against yours, making it hard to concentrate on the movie.

Somehow you managed the whole two-hour runtime without dying from some sort of sexually frustrated-related stroke. The wine didn’t help either. You were a little tipsy, Neil having poured too much in your glass, and being near him for so long made it clear to you that you liked Neil a lot more than you originally thought. When the characters Mary and George in It’s a Wonderful Life kiss like they need each other, you find yourself looking at Neil through your peripheral view. Once the credits were rolling, people were starting to get up and either leave or refill their glasses. Neil stood up to say goodbye to some people who were leaving and you could breathe for a moment, not having to feel his thigh against yours. After a moment of contemplation, you decided to leave, it would be the best option with how you were feeling. You knew that he was cute enough to make you do something stupid and with the right amount of wine, you would probably act on it.

“Leaving already?” Neil asked as he saw you put on your coat.

 

“Yeah, it was fun but… I should probably go home and get some sleep.” You said.

“Aw come on, it's not even nine yet…” He said with his best puppy dog eyes. “We were gonna Eyes Wide Shut next. You should stay. What else are you going to do?”

You went back in forth in your head for a moment, but in the end, you knew you were going to stay. How could you deny his pretty blue eyes? He was right, after all, you would go home and probably just watch a movie by yourself. 

“Alright,” You say with a small grin and shrug off your coat. “Just one more movie…”

“Great.” He says and then takes your empty glass. “I’ll get you another.”

You wanted to say no thank you but he was already grabbing the bottle and pouring another, thankfully not overfilling it like last time. Those who were staying, which weren’t many, all retreated to the couch and Neil sat back down next to you after putting the next film in the VCR. You tried to focus all your thoughts on the movie this time but your mind still wandered. You thought of his lips and his hands instead of the movie. 

This film was just as painful as the first, all because of Neil. You swore he moved closer to you while the picture played out. You finished the glass halfway through and decided against another, feeling a little hazy. Amid your hazy and lustful thoughts, you realize more people are leaving and get up to say goodbye. After you say your farewells, you realize it’s just Neil and you in the store. You feel awkward and grab your coat.

“Wait.” He said quickly, making you stop what you were doing. “I hate to ask but… Uh, could you help me clean up the place a bit? I just don’t want to have to deal with it tomorrow morning.”

You agree and set your coat down. After all, this will probably only take an extra half hour. You don’t mind spending more time with Neil either, you’re just worried you’ll ruin the friendship, despite not knowing him that long. You start by picking up any cups and he starts to sweep. You offer to mop but he says he’ll do it tomorrow. It ended up only taking twenty minutes and you both are okay with the results. It’s not spotless, but it will do for now. You stand next to him after you finish and then look up at him.

“I had a great time tonight, Neil.” You tell him. “And thanks for the tape. I don’t have to return this one, right?” You joke.

“Absolutely not.” He shakes his head. “I hope you like it.”

“I will, I’m sure of it.” You say. “Well, goodnight.”

“Wait.” He says and lightly grabs your bicep as you start to walk away. “I don’t know if it's the wine or the whole "sentimental-ness" of this holiday but… You look pretty and I was hoping I could, uh, kiss you.” The way he phrases it makes it sound like a question and you blush at the request. 

“We can chalk it up to the sentimental nature of the holiday and dissect it another day.” You say teasingly and walk up to him. “You’re in luck though, I’ve been thinking about kissing you for a while.”

He doesn’t need to be told twice. He puts his hands on your waist and kisses your lips at first softly, but then much rougher as it goes on. You both stumble for a moment as you try to find a solid surface to lean on. He lands on the back of the couch, leaning on it as he pulls you closer in your kiss. You try to keep up his kisses but they seem too quick to try to find a tempo. He squirms as he kisses you sloppily. His hips rut against you as one of his hands holds the small of your back and the other settles on the back of your neck. 

“You’re so pretty.” He mumbles between kisses. “Ever since I met you I wanted to kiss you like this.”

You can’t think of anything to say except little moans of praise. Your hand slinks between the two of you and finds his fly which you unzip and sneak your hand into. He grunts as you palm him through his boxers and eventually, pull him out. Your hands send shivers down his spine. He had thought about this for ages, how you would be in such an intimate moment. He never thought you would be so willing and so open to the idea of pleasing him like this. He keeps grunting into your mouth as your hand works up and down his cock, pre-cum spilling from the tip and on your hands. Based on how sloppy his kissing is getting, you don’t think he’ll last long. 

You kiss him harder and apply more pressure to his hand job, making him whine as his breathing gets shallower. His hips start to buck into your hand, wanting to get as much pleasure as he can through you. You think for a moment to bend down and replace your hands with your mouth but you like how he kisses you much more. You don’t notice his grip on you tighten before he bites down on your lip and muffles his moan. You feel something hot on your leg through your tights. His breathing slows and he comes to his senses.

“Shit,” He says and pulls back, looking down at the sheer tights you’re wearing. “I’m sorry. I can buy you new ones! I didn’t mean to…”

“It’s fine.” You giggle and look down at your now-ruined tights. “They were like, two dollars. Don’t worry about it. Just a little gross now.”

“A little?” He asks with an embarrassed laugh. “I’ll make it up to you. How about we go get dinner together this week? I’ll pay, obviously.”

“If you wanted to take me out to dinner, you didn’t have to come on my leg. You could’ve just asked.” You tease and then lean in to peck him on the lips. “I’d like that a lot though. I like you a lot too.”

“I like you too.” He says, blushing at the elementary confession. “Let me get you a towel. I’m sorry.” He adds and retracts from you to go find some way to clean up his mess.

It is probably the weirdest Christmas you’ve had, never before experiencing a love confession or for that much, getting your tights ruined by a guy's cum, but you feel hopeful weirdly. You feel hopeful because of Neil, come this time next year, you’ll be with him you hope. Maybe it’s not the perfect way to start a relationship but it is the start of one. One you’re optimistic about. 

[dumping-ideas]

Taking a break from brainstorming and writing my WxS + ensemble fic by thinking rezero thoughts and how much I love SubaEmi & SubaRem both in and outside of romantic context because their relationship is so much more than that.

I remember back when the first season aired there's an 'I love Emilia' meme going around before I even knew rezero (I watched it in 2017 iirc). And when I finally watched it, I didn't really get why people at that time is mad at Subaru for not saying 'I love Rem' lol.

First of all, Rem is the one who rejected Subaru's proposal first. She knows that Subaru doesn't love her that way, and that something scared him so much that he chose to run away other than fight. She confessed not to get Subaru saying 'I love you' to her (although she kinda wished he would), but it's more about showing Subaru that there's someone that would love him and always be by her side no matter what--her.

And Subaru answered Rem's genuine love confession with the genuine truth--that he still loves Emilia. Because he knew that saying anything else but the truth will dishonor Rem's feelings. Rem falls in love with the Subaru who tries so hard for everyone and everything, including for Emilia's love. Actually, I like this scene because it shows how loyal Subaru is?? Even in his weakest moment, even when there's a girl that's so passionate about her love to him, his feelings for Emilia is still going strong. And I hate that a lot of viewers don't appreciate that dedication. Like damn, where can I find a guy as loyal as Subaru??

And not all anime-only knows this, but Subaru actually, truly, loves with Emilia because of the lap pillow in Arc 2. Sure, he fell in love at first sight when she saved him in the beginning of Arc 1 (also because she's physically his type), but it's only a bud--a crush. There's even a whole paragraph that's basically about Subaru realizing 'oh, I love her' at the end of the pillow scene in the light novel (ps. the ln is great btw). Just think about it, at that time, Subaru was terrified of being hated and betrayed again by everyone, everything he did ended in mistakes and he couldn't even tell anyone about his trauma---and then there's Emilia, who doesn't know or even able to understand, and yet she lent him her lap and a willing pair of ears to listen to his cries---showing Subaru that he's not alone in that world. For Subaru, he knew Emilia for more or less two weeks, but for Emilia, she only knew Subaru for more or less a day. Like, who wouldn't fall for her gentleness??

(And Rem did kill Subaru in cold blood and tortured him so I think it's weirder that Subaru forgave Rem, but that's Subaru for you ig. His super low self-esteem makes him has the mentality of 'as long as I know you have a shred of kindness in you, I can forgive you, even if you betray my trust, torture me, and kill me without remorse lol'

Btw, iirc in arc 7 he had a monologue where he said he still got shivers every time he heard the sound of chains--his trauma from Rem's torture will probably never go away).

So yeah, anime-onlies argument about 'Subaru's love to Emilia doesn't make sense' becomes moot if they actually have the context from the ln. But I didn't even have the context from the ln when I watched Ep. 18 the first time and I still understood why Subaru said 'I love Emilia' just fine, so... ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Funny thing is that there's a scene in ln where Subaru admitted to both Rem (in Arc 3 before the White Whale battle) and Emilia (in Arc 4 on the carriage to Sanctuary) where he said that he also loves Rem. Again, understandable, because who wouldn't fall for Rem after her heartfelt confession?? And I appreciate how Subaru think that he's such a scum for liking two girls at the same time and thought that Emilia and Rem should know of his two-timing feelings. Rem is... well, she's kinda obsessed so she said that she's okay being the 2nd wife (but by the way Arc 7 goes I think she wouldn't be in the future), and the kind and gentle Emilia basically saying 'yeah, you suck' but she also said that she understood that Subaru and Rem had a history that she didn't know of so she couldn't fully judge Subaru for that.

Of course, then in Arc 6 Emilia said that she knew Subaru would be occupied with Rem when she woke up, so Emilia needed to work harder to make Subaru look her way... And then in Arc 7 Rem lost all her memories (which I think will tie in to Rem's own character development so she could live for herself, not for Ram or Subaru).

And also, why didn't anyone mention how strict Rem is to Subaru? In Arc 3 she basically said 'don't you dare run away from your trouble because I'm here', and in Arc 6 she's basically pissed at Subaru for giving up and not being able to stand up lol. Heck, in Arc 4 Subaru said to the witches that Rem is the strictest person ever to him because she wouldn't let him give up... and somehow it turned into a hero complex which is also addressed in Arc 7... although I think Arc 7 just made his hero complex worse... On the other hand, Emilia is gentle towards Subaru. In the Arc 4 light novel, when she realized how distressed Subaru was she put Subaru's ears against her chest so Subaru could hear her steady heartbeat to calm him down. In Arc 6, Emilia's (almost-)confession to Subaru was so soft even though all the chaos, and then when they fell she embraced him in such a way so she would fall to the ground first??? Even though there's no way they would survive that fall??? I'm so sorry, I'm so soft for that scene. Not to say that Rem wasn't gentle, but where Emilia would say 'it's okay for Subaru to rest', Rem wouldn't let him.

And and his narration in Arc 4 of his feelings for Rem and Emilia when he talked to his dad---Emilia is his light, and Rem is his sky--and how he couldn't live without both... that passage is so *chef's kiss*

And I haven't say anything about how their love for each other (and other people, in Subaru's case) is also a catalyst for them to love themselves...

Rezero is about love, and there are many forms of love. Romantic, platonic, familial, self-love, etc. ... The writer isn't wrong by calling it a heartwarming story.

[cryptidanathema]

jasper

Why I like them: He turned out to be a much more complicated character than he seemed to be on the surface. It took me until his literal last scene in the game to realize this but damn if that scene didn't paint all of his actions in a new light. Like yeah he's still a bastard but you saw WHY he became the way he did. How easily it all could have been avoided. How he and Hendrik deserved the chance to move past the lies that poisoned their relationship without him having to be a ghost living in his armor. It hurt in a weird way. He became my first true character hyperfixation and honestly opened my mind to engaging with fiction in a whole new way. No one deserves to be painted in the Crying Lucifer Painting pose more than him lol 

Why I don’t: I will forever have a chip in my shoulder that he didn't get a redemption arc, sorrynotsorry. Even Party Chat tries to desperately downplay the significance of the armor scene if you check it on the now-memorial balcony. On a lighter note the fact I missed 99.9% of the Piers fandom is entirely his fault because I was too busy hyperfixating on him lol. Also, the classism. The classism is bad, mkay? :P

Favorite line: His melodramatic evil speech in the throne room where he lists love first as something he's given up on is hard to beat. Also his final line in the game being "we will never be apart again'...yeah 🥲😭

Favorite outfit: The evil queen ensemble. It's so...very.  Exactly the sort of thing a raging disaster gay that designs his own outfits (according to the character book) that's devoted himself to eeevil would wear. 

OTP: He literally only makes sense as a character if you assume he was extremely, painfully gay for Hendrik and sublimating it in a WEIRD way. And Hendrik certainly showed enough signs of feeling the same way (the way he clutches his necklace to his chest after his death in the first timeline...) Mordegon and Heliodor's toxic monarchy just got in the way... 

Brotp: Jade was apparently just as close to him as she was to Hendrik but the game NEVER EXPLORES THIS AT ALL. Also I think he and Sylvando could have been absolute terrors together lol. And I've always liked the headcanons where he and Mia bond over their shared pain and rage at their (perceived) abandonment. 

Head Canon: Quite a few, so I'll just share one that he wrote the MOST emo poetry as a pining teen, something he will never admit to on pain of death as an adult. I'll also bring up the fact he's successfully taken over the world but still paying for cake as proof he's not as happy as he thought he'd be and eating his feelings about it in Act 2 lol

Unpopular opinion: No one reads deeply enough into him, everyone takes the bullshit he tells himself at face value even when he directly contradicts himself *eyetwitch* I often suspected I was literally the only person right about him lol. Also, the Gay Armor Marriage was incredibly touching, but not enough. He shouldn't have died at all. Also while I've read Jasper/Sylvando fic and enjoyed it before I don't really ship him or Hendrik with Sylv myself which kinda feels like a minority take in this fandom 

A wish: At this point I can only hope he gets the Psaro treatment where his death is avoided entirely when the game is rereleased in like 25 years 

An oh-god-please-dont-ever-happen: I honestly don't want Square to revisit him, they treated him so harshly compared to other villains of the same caliber that pretty much got away with everything so yeah, just leave the angry wet cat man alone guys...

5 words to best describe them: Poor little meow meow supreme 💛

My nickname for them: Bastard son, the Purple Titty Monster (for Unbound obviously)

[outrunningthedark]

The part that I’m struggling with is somewhat circular logic because if Buddie doesn’t go canon then who do Buck and Eddie end up with romantically (if anyone) because at this stage with a show that has 2-3 seasons left (or actors that might only sign for 1-2 more seasons) how exactly do you create satisfying endgame arcs for both of them amongst an ensemble show especially with the both character’s histories. And if the answer is “we can’t do that” then shouldn’t it be Buddie canon….thus the circular logic 😭😭😭. Like if they could somehow introduce well acted and dynamic LIs for them then sure could make peace with platonic “family” Buddie. I just can’t handle another “meet cute” type LI that is “cookie cutter” with forced chemistry. Would prefer to have Buck and Eddie be alone in that sense than end up in a bland relationship with no substance. TBH if I was OS and RG would peace out at that point once my contract was up IF financial stability existed elsewhere. We all know how OS felt about BT and RG was vocal in earlier seasons about Eddie not being ready to date. So wonder what his thoughts are if this “dating storyline” is going to be a thing or not.

I understand the confusion over who Buck and Eddie would end up with if *not* each other, and because I've always left the door open for Buddie not going canon 'til the very end, I have also considered the possibility that Buck and Eddie don't end up with *anyone* in the end (if they're both still on the show at that time) and that would be the show's way of saying "We would've done it if not for the backlash." The GA would still view them as platonic dudebro besties, but having them in a family moment with Chris or whatever would be for the fandom to *know*. As much as I love(d) to talk about the "If not Buddie then why" aspect of their story (together and as individuals), there has consistently been that nagging feeling that I am (and we as a fandom are) giving the show too much credit. Just off the top of my head, I can think of four instances where a show went in a "romantic" direction that had longtime viewers cursing themselves for wasting so much time hoping for a happy ending: - That '70s Show (showing my age because I watched that finale in real time): Jackie (Mila Kunis) ended up with Fez (Wilmer Valderrama), who always had a crush on her, but she showed no interest in. The audience assumed she would get back with one of her exes. (And now that the show is being rebooted, the character is in fact with one of those exes again. LOL.) - Grey's Anatomy did it twice :) First with Japril getting divorced and April going back to the guy she left for Jackson right before Sarah Drew had to leave the show; then there was Alex running off to be with Izzie and their kids (kids nobody knew they had until then, lmao), leaving his then-wife a note in which he said he already signed divorce papers! - Listen. I never got into this show, but people sure were pissed at that HIMYM finale. Not the endgame couple anyone wanted. (Notice those are all het ships that got screwed over?)

It would not AT ALL be surprising for Buck and/or Eddie to end up in relationships last minute or without much development over a full season (again). It all depends on who's *really* in charge (Is Kristen still there? Is Tim still only offering his input from a distance?) and what message they want to send. And for what it's worth, the more showrunners take criticisms to heart (because "It's MY show and I do what I WANT!!") the more likely they are to do something that awards them the last laugh.

[fatalism-and-villainy]

🔥1, 7, 24?

the character everyone gets wrong

I answered this one already, but I'll take another stab at it wrt a particular element of Hannibal's character. Specifically, his response to feeling vulnerable or heartbroken in canon is either to lash out violently (as in Mizumono), attempt to regain his sense of control in some fashion (i.e. his attempt to eat Will's brain in Dolce - yes, Bedelia talked him into that, but it wouldn't have been persuasive if it hadn't spoken to pre-existing impulses), or manipulate (the amount of passive aggressive needling he does to Will throughout season 3B).

Which is to say, I'm not against Hannibal having emotions or feeling vulnerable in fic, but I often find him to be much too mellowed out and too outwardly vulnerable. When he loves someone the way he loves Will, and the way he loved Mischa, it makes him feel out of control, and he needs control and tries to project that outwards at all times. And even in a post-canon scenario, where he likely trusts Will and feels more confident in Will's affection for him than he does throughout 3B, I don't see him dropping the habit of masking physical and emotional pain. And he's definitely not going to ~own his feelings~ and take responsibility for them, lol.

(My most recent fic - No Second Troy - was actually in part an exercise in writing a vulnerable Hannibal that felt right to me, in which he feels insecure in his relationship with Will and is sort of internally flopping around sadly about that, but does NOT show (or, uh, tries not to show) that sad flopping to Will or at all communicate in a healthy manner about that.)

what character did you begin to hate not because of canon but because how how the fandom acts about them?

I genuinely do not hate most characters on this show - my attitude towards the ensemble cast is generally "I love everyone in this bar."

That said - MATTHEW FUCKING BROWN.

Absolute nothingburger of a dude who has a philosophy towards murder that, according to the aesthetic ethics of this show, can only be described as "vulgar" (this dude doesn't even grasp that life is precious, something even HANNIBAL understands) and who Will doesn't even seem to like or respect much. Boring and unpleasant dude all around, and yet gets such an outsized amount of adulation.

(And yeah, I'll admit, I'm petty, because his fanon role, whether vis-a-vis Will or alone, is always a role I want to see other characters put into - Will's gay tryst outside of Hannibal? Jack is right there and has an actual developed relationship with Will in canon. Will influencing someone else vis-a-vis murder? Chiyoh is right there, complete with Hannigram parallels! A minor character who only shows up for a few episodes getting a ton of fanon attention? Give it to Miriam pls. Anyway I'll leave that because this is the most wanky I've gotten in these answers.)

topic that brings up the most rancid discourse

Anything to do with Will's neurodivergence is bound to do this (whether the prescriptivism as to how you headcanon him, OR the straight-up ableism in how people talk about him).

I've also seen a lot of takes on Abigail that uhhh.... REALLY demonstrate a lack of understanding of the psychology of abuse (even, I'd argue, when taking genre conventions into account). Let's just leave it at that.

[greensparty]

Movie Review: The Holdovers

Alexander Payne is truly the master of combining comedy and tragedy! His first few films Citizen Ruth, Election, and About Schmidt truly announced him with smart comedies that often times challenged the viewer. What really blew me away was his 2004 film Sideways. The comedy about two middle-aged friends in the Wine Country for a week before one gets married was such a LOL funny comedy one minute, sad about their mid-life trajectory the next. But in the end, it was about accepting where you are in life, not where you aren't. I out and out loved it! His next film 2011's The Descendants was a very multi-layered family drama set in Hawaii. I included it in my 10 Best Movies of the 2010s. I liked his 2013 father-son road movie Nebraska, but there was some pushback from audiences. God forbid a director tries to make a black and white slow burn! But I appreciated the ensemble cast and what he was going for. 2017's Downsizing was a misstep for Payne. I was all for him trying something different and stepping into wild Michel Gondry-territory, but the story was a little uneven. Now Payne has made a serious return to form with The Holdovers, which was actually filmed in Massachusetts last Winter, and reunites Payne with Sideways star Paul Giamatti. I got to attend a special IFFBoston Post-Fall Focus screening at Somerville Theatre and Payne himself attended for an intro and Q&A. There was actually a scene that was filmed at the Somerville Theatre and now the finished film was playing there!?!

movie poster

Set in Barton Academy, a private boarding school for boys, in 1970 New England just before Christmas break, Giamatti plays Paul Hunham, an unpopular curmudgeonly teacher. He gets stuck supervising students who are unable to go home for the holidays. Hence the name The Holdovers. Also there during the break is lunch lady Mary (played by Da'Vine Joy Randolph, a scene-stealer from Dolemite Is My Name and the High Fidelity TV series). After all of the other students go away with one of the student's rich father, an unpopular student Angus Tully (played by newcomer Dominic Sessa) is left with Mr. Hunham and the two form an unlikely friendship.

This is easily one of the best movies of the year and one I'm sure is going to become better and better with each viewing during the holiday season. There is a serious early 70s influence, most prominently from Hal Ashby (Payne was among the interviewees in the 2018 documentary Hal about Ashby). But beyond the influences, this truly feels like the kind of movie that would have been released in the early 70s: the look, the feel, the sound, and the way the characters carry themselves. But like all of Payne's films, this balances comedy and tragedy. Without getting into spoilers, there is a sense of loss for these characters that is heightened by being alone during a holiday break. But that connection that is made is truly special. Sessa is a revelation. Payne has a knack for casting newcomers who swing it out of the park and Sessa is going places. Randolph is exceptional as a grieving mother. But it is definitely Giamatti's show. He's been consistently good in countless films since Sideways, but this is a part tailor-made for him. Someone who is highly intelligent, yet so antisocial. Payne isn't known for working with actors more than once, but we can only hope this is the start of more collaborations. All hail Payne!

For info on The Holdovers

4.5 out of 5 stars

Intro and Q&A:

The screening I attended, Payne gave an intro. He noted that this was the first screening on 35mm. After the film, critic Ty Burr (a friend and colleague of mine) moderated a Q&A. Here are some of the takeaways:

Burr and Payne at the Somerville Theatre

Local Crew: He had tons of positive things to say about the Massachusetts based crew that worked on the film. He mentioned of all the films he made outside of the state of Nebraska (i.e. The Descendants in Hawaii and Downsizing in Toronto), this is the one that has stayed in touch the most. In the audience at this screening were a ton of local crew members. You could hear cheering during certain scenes, locales and cast members. Payne mentioned that he didn't know New England, beyond visiting Dartmouth and some Ivy League colleges as a teen.

Somerville Theatre: in addition to being a location, Payne mentioned that they screened some 70s films for the crew in the cinema. He also added that the film had played festivals and had opened in NY and LA but this was the first screening on 35mm.

He talked about what he's been doing since Downsizing. He apparently flirted with directing The Menu and The Burial.

Screenplay: Five years ago he received a TV pilot from David Hemingson that was set in a boarding school in New England. Payne called him and said he didn't want to do the pilot but wanted him to write a screenplay in the same universe. This marked the first time he had directed a screenwriter as opposed to writing with a co-writer or getting a completed screenplay from a writer.

Casting: After not finding the right actor from a casting call, they began searching private boarding schools in Massachusetts. That's how Sessa was cast.

This event was a part of IFFBoston. For more info go here.

[kathonydaily]

I truly do not know how to feel about Kate being present more than Anthony. I know Kate is her own person and a woman’s role is not related to her husband but it would break my heart to see Kate alone again dealing with Bridgerton drama after she was left on her own in her season, especially because back in April both Simone and Jonny went on to say many times that they would work together as a unit. Did something change? Is that the reason why Simone toned down her answers about her future on the show in June? I don’t like the thought of Kate being a single mother like Daphne. If it really goes that direction I do not know if I will be able to hear her say “Anthony is dealing with business back ah AH” or maybe ignore his absence like they did with Simon. It was bad enough already, it’s only going to be worse with Anthony since he is head of the family. The weirdest thing is also the fact that at the moment it seems neither SA and JB seem to be on set. I really hope they got it figured it out and that I’m panicking for nothing. Sorry for the rant.

What I've meant with Kate being more present than Anthony is that she will be dealing with stuff that usually are things reserved to the role of the woman of the house. Have we ever seen Anthony organizing balls, teaching one of his sisters how to debut or organizing the stuff of the house? That's the role of the new Viscountess and something Kate will probably deal with Violet IN THE MOMENT, then going to Anthony in his study or late at night in their room, venting her frustrations if there is something to vent or talk about, and Anthony being supportive or giving her counsel. Those type of one on one scenes can be filmed in blocks whenever Jonny is ready. I don't know how this idea that they will ship Anthony out of town for most of the season is coming from, frankly. He's still going to be there, maybe he's not going to be there in all the group scenes if Jonny is busy, but he's definitely going to be there as a supportive husband, a supportive brother and a lovely father, expecially knowing Jonny and how much he was looking forward to dad!Anthony.

And the fact they aren't filming right now means truly nothing. They could have filmed the entire last week for ex. and then nothing for this week or the week after, then filming again for a week, and then nothing for other 2/3 weeks and so on. Bridgerton is an ensemble and other than the leads, the supporting actors have a very light schedule, even if they have a substantial plot. That's one of the reason why Jonny could accept other projects without affecting his Bridgerton's schedule IMHO.

This is also the last type of answer i'm going to give to this subject because it seems to me that the more I try to reassure people the more damage I do lol I'm personally not worried, I think they will find a way to make things work.

[magpiecaranthir]

Hi! Hope your ask box sitch gets fixed soon 💜 Do you have any thoughts or opinions about clothes and fashion in middle earth from any time period and any people? I’m doing a little fashion timeline project for myself and thought it could be fun to hear other opinions if you feel like it 💜

Oh, from what I hear it's not going to get fixed like, ever. But that's fine that's what I have this acc for now :)

Ok ok so you opened a big can of worms I'll try to keep the lid on best I can

So I'll ramble about the Dunlendings first because I have been knee deep into their existence with my recent fics I cant leave my babies alone. It's all over the place bc I got in ramble mode sorry. Also, it's very long lol.

Ok so dunlendings are said to be the descendants of some of the haladin, right? So their clothes are partially influenced by that in the same way gondor is influenced by former numenorean trends and the likes

I fucking hate the movie depiction of the dunlendings. Look at this shit. No. I refuse.

What I will take from that shitshow is the primarily dark hair and the preference for shorter (not more than like 5cm) unadorned beards, and some incorporation of furs.

The dunlendings used to live in the forests of Middle earth, not just in what would come to be Dunland. But when the numenoreans needed wood they chased them off.

Based on that I think they used more muted, natural colours like greens, deep reds and oranges, brown, the occasional black. They preferred light fabrics back then, especially in the settlements close to the shores and further south. They did a sort of tiedye to imitate natural fur patterns during hunting. That's something they do even in later ages.

When they were forced to migrate inland and into the mountains (what would be Dunland) their fabrics in general became sturdier. Thicker linen, more wool, and the likes.

They keep the population of larger predators in check in the mountains, so their furs make it into the garments fairly often. Usually used for children's clothing because they are very much mortal and they know babies and elders need a bit of extra protection from the cold.

Usually they also have ceremonial furs for special occasions (usually any type of bear for holidays of sorts)

And pelts with peculiar colouring/patterns or from mountain lions/wolves/other pack animals and the likes for special festivities relating to members of the community. (Think wedding, burial, birth).

Not everyone wears those to all celebrations. They are worn by the one who is the star of the show and their family, so to speak. Bride and groom's families wear those, while everyone else wears normal festivity clothes.

Those are accompanied by fairly unadorned clothes with sturdy but artful geometrical embroidery, usually around the hems, collars and cuffs.

Belts worn by the males are the centerpiece beside the felt, and are very artful, especially because in my hcs every village has mastered the art of burning patterns into leather. The belts are wide and loose, and usually are made from a prey animal of their formal fur garment bc they believe they should not deprive predator from prey, even in death.

Women wear usually dresses for celebrations, they are sturdy and have several layers so you can mix and match depending on the season. So several underlayers, chemises, stockings per ensemble.

The dresses themselves formal but not center-stage formal, but every single one has a decorative overskirt you tie around the waist. That comes on and off, and the dress is perfectly complete without it. That one has lots of embroidery.

The women in the family usually start embroidering a fabric when the baby is around 5 and shows some character, and its finished when they marry. Jts their dowry of sorts. If no women are in the family/can sew then theres usually elders who are more than happy bc while dunlendings do not particularly care for fashion statements, the overskirts are an expression of love from the community for the girl/woman.

Every day clothing is still muted in the later years of the 3rd age, and each settlement has their own preferred garment and usually pelt of choice. For example, you'll have a settlement close to the mountains of Dunland where the people prefer bear fur over wolf, while a settlement further towards Rohan/south prefers wolf pelt over bear. It's not entirely dependent on where they live.

Also families that havent moved away for a few generations have developed special embroidery similar to family heraldry, which gets more elaborate with every generation bc they take pride in their heritage and survival despite the numenorean's best efforts to get rid of the dunlendings.

I'll cut myself off here because it's already so long lol.

Idk if the dunlendings are something you're interested in, but imo much of these things (use of natural colours and tyedye to blend into woodland realms, use of ceremonial furs and artful belts and hand-me-down dedicated embroidery) are what have been passed down from the haladin people, and adjusted to the current time/living situation of the dunlendings

[juneviews]

axelle judges non bl shows > The Player

summary: A group of rich and influential people get tangled into a murder mystery that might cost them their reputation.

where to watch: youtube

grade: 7,5/10

pros:

- this is definitely an entertaining show. the mystery is there, and you wanna follow along for the ride very easily. I frankly never got bored in front of it, and patiently awaited new episodes to have more answers.

- the locations, color-grading and outfits were really great. still living for giwi’s colorful but luxurious-looking wardrobe. you can tell quite a bit of thought went into the show & its visual elements were really great.

- the cast has practically all of my faves so for that reason alone it’s a must-watch show to me!

cons:

- the ending was quite disappointing imo, nothing that I wanted to see happen, happened...

- the characters aren’t the most lovable in my opinion. let me compare with 2 other gmmtv shows with ensemble casts and sort of “messy” storylines like this one, that form a sort of gmmtv holy trinity of mess imo with the player. friend zone is a good example bc it has the same director, and in its season 1, while watching all the drama unfold is definitely fun, it’s hard to feel attached to these characters bc we don’t know much about them & the show definitely is more drama-focused than personality-focused. however, in season 2, I personally felt much more attached to the characters bc there was character development, not only since the first season, but also all throughout the sequel. the third show, ps: I hate you, though, manages imo to have compelling characters from the get-go, bc while they’re all extremely flawed, we’re also allowed to see their pain since the beginning, and the character development already seems to be there in the first few episodes. ALL OF THAT TO SAY, that the player doesn’t really do that?? most characters end up exactly where they started, or imo in a worse, less interesting place. it was hard to care for eve, bc she was presented as perfect & then SHOWN as perfect during the show. tim went from fuckboy with daddy issues to goody two-shoes out of literal thin air & I’m sorry to say he became boring. tin was cute but boring af. the only interesting characters were giwi, chimon’s character, mims, and drake’s character. and even then, apart for chimon & drake, I didn’t really care if they lived or died. pitch was interesting in his own rights but again, he had very little development. therefore, the meat of the show, the characters, felt actually pretty empty & imo failed to leave a long-lasting impact on its viewers.

- the ships were so fucking boring, man. tim & eve are literally one of the worst ships I’ve seen in a while, which sucks bc I love both jane & joss. tin & mims were a bit more interesting but still sooooooo fucking unhealthy & boring most of the time. pitch & matt definitely were interesting, but them ending up together after all was fucking terrible lol. overall for me this show promised 3 things: a messy entertaining storyline, a character-focused story & ships. it only delivered on one of these things.

would I rewatch it: I mean if the occasion calls for it, yes, but in general, no.

Overall this is still a show I would recommend because it is definitely fun to watch even though the ending was disappointing. Definitely not at the top of my list of the best thai dramas though.

[raviposting]

for the ask game— i’m not too familiar with your other fandoms buuuut 9-1-1!!

AAAH ty pigeon ily <3

Favourite character: CHIMNEY AND RAVI <3 <3 <3 Chimney was my absolute favorite dude, so I wasn't expecting Ravi to show up s4 and I just!! Immediately was obsessed with him!! He gets such little screentime but he is a main character in my heart @ s7 make it happen please <3

Funniest character: Chimney <3 The comedian actually xoxo

Best-looking character: RAVI <3 He's so handsome

3 favourite ships: Maddie/Chimney (they're one of my OTPs, I love them so SO much!!), Buck/Eddie (if they became canon they'd become an OTP so easily, I can tell lmao), and hmmmm. Both Henren and Bathena are super cute but I think Bobby/Athena really have my whole heart; they're just such a precious ship.

Least favourite character: Oh god Abby. I thought about saying characters like Taylor Kelly or one of the obvious male antagonists but that's very easy and like, Taylor was funny ASDFJKL. But Abby showed up in season 1 and I love Connie Britton's acting and am usually super into whatever she's doing in other shows and I was still sitting there feeling like I was watching paint dry with Abby which was so asdfjkl. I was incredibly relieved when I found out she was leaving after season 1 because I would not have been able to watch her scenes beyond that asdjfkl

Least favourite ship: I can't really think of any ships I've seen that I've hated? Fandom seems pretty one-track, for better or worse, so I haven't really seen any doozies personally. I guess in canon, Hen/Eva lol

Reason why I watch it: While I get that s6 was more Buck centered, in general, I love this ensemble and the way it truly feels like an ensemble. The characters are loved and it's so clear in the seasons with their spread - sometimes an actor may need to film something or do time off here and there, and the show works around that and makes their return feel special and focused. Also the rep!! I'm not going to pretend this is a perfect show lol, for sure not, but I really love and appreciate how basically every single character is representative in some way - Bobby with addiction, Hen and Karen as Black lesbians, Maddie as an abuse survivor, etc etc etc - and that these are treated as regular facts about them. Their storylines may be informed by their representation, and those things are important about them, but it's not the whole of their being. I feel like a lot of shows will boil their characters down to these and forget to make storylines outside of that, or view the characters by their identity rather than who they are as people, and I feel like 911 honestly does a great job showing how people's identities inform who they are and show these characters as complex, three-dimensional figures!

Why I started watching it: I saw nonstop gifsets of Buck & Eddie with Chris and I was absolutely obsessed with this little family! I had to ask a friend if they were canon though because I fully could not tell with gifsets alone lmaoo

Send me a TV series

[angel-princess-anna]

APA’s Take on DA: ANE - A/B Edition

A few caveats and disclaimers before we begin:

This is me getting out my frustrations as a long time fan, not to convince you to feel a certain way about anything, nor to make you feel upset or uncomfortable. So if you got what you needed of Anna and Bates in the new movie, then please just this skip over this post. I don’t want to bring down anyone’s fun or enjoyment, nor incite arguments. 

I don’t plan to extensively discuss the new movie here beyond this post. I’m having a whine and then moving on, lol. But I also don’t like censoring myself in my own blog, so I do feel like I have to address my issues with this film at least once at length.

Per usual, I want to stress that this is just my opinion, and that we all have different experiences with DA, how and when we watched it, who are faves are and why they are our faves, as well as our own personal experiences that factor in here. There are some things I like about ANE, namely Baxley, but other stuff I did not. See here for my other opinions; this post is about Anna and Bates.

I tried to streamline this, but it’s still super long, and I’m sure I repeat myself several times, whoops

SPOILERS | SPOILERS | SPOILERS

tl;dr: Anna was more in character than the first film, imo, but I do still think it's OOC for her and Bates to barely spend time with their child, and then in this film they barely have any scenes of substance, let alone plot. Thus, this film wasn't enjoyable for me from an A/B perspective. Also, Fellowes' refusal to give them the hotel might be stalling for a third movie, or he's forgotten why they wanted one in the first place.

My Background

I want to quickly say, for my new followers, that I got into DA the summer before S3 aired in the UK, and I’m coming up on my 10th anniversary of being a DA fan. Thus, I first watched S3-6 as they were first broadcast. My favorite characters are Anna and Bates, and they, of course, are my favorite pairing, not just of the show, but of all time. I do like most of the original characters to varying degrees, but A/B captured my heart and soul.

S4-5 (and the beginning of S6) was very painful for me, but I stuck through it, and was rewarded with the arrival of their baby in the TV show finale. I’ve always wanted them to get all their dreams fulfilled, especially after all they had been put through throughout the series. 

So suffice it to say, I’m not a big fan of the movies where their dreams are non-existent, even if A/B are presented as happy. I need to see them as parents, and at least discussing the hotel.

I also was extremely not fond of the drugging and blackmailing Anna did in DA 2019, and I thought she was super out of character. How Anna stayed kind and strong regardless of all that happened to her is very important to me, but imho, the crimes that she was committing in the first film weren’t badass. The Anna from the TV show is the badass, coming through all the trauma.

You might ask, “why do you still bother with the films?” Well, I love A/B and the TV show too much, and maybe a third one will be the S6 to the film’s S4-5. Like I stuck with the show and got want I wanted, so if I stick it out again…

I have to be truthful, my knee-jerk reactions to the spoilers, and my initial reaction to watching the film weren’t exactly happy ones, whoops (well, outside of Baxley). I felt very unfulfilled.

The Lack of A/B in General in the Film

I feel like ANE just does not treat Anna and Bates as if they were the major characters they were in the TV show. I felt like the first film didn’t either, but this time it doesn’t even really treat them as if they are of any importance... at all. They are no longer main players in the ensemble, but rather third rate.

I'd say it’s classist that A/B were shafted, but even the other downstairs pairings got more than them, and it’s very strange to me that Fellowes sidelined an original and major couple like this. It’s like he forgot to write anything for them and just dropped them into a scene here and there.

I get that the social media is just doing promo cliches, but really, claiming “everything you adore about Downton is back” while they did nothing with a lead couple from the TV show really grinds my gears.

And I don’t feel like we are ”catching up” with the Bateses, even if we are getting to literally see them again. They didn’t do anything between the films. They are fictional characters beholden to what Fellowes writes, and he didn’t choose to forward their lives organically in the films.

Of course, it’s wonderful that the A/B we are presented here are “happy”. I am glad that there’s no more trauma. But “happily ever after” does not mean that they didn’t have lives after, like their lives don’t stop. This is a complaint I had with the first movie too. And a lack of bad things happening... really isn’t enough. 

But literally, they barely have any scenes together, and most of their scenes, together or otherwise, are very fleetling. They often felt like five seconds long. And as I said in my other post, while the TV show does have short scenes, this was next level. It almost seemed like Anna had one line of dialogue per each scene she actually spoke in. 

Plus, there’s no hints that they even live in the cottage, let alone us see them there.

It is very weird, and disheartening to me that these characters basically became a footnote :/

Splitting Up A/B Among the Two Main Plots

Separating A/B in this movie doesn't benefit the characters as individuals, because Bates didn't get a plot in France -- nor a plot at all in this film -- and Anna's is very much supporting, and not personal, dealing with film stars. It's not just my opinion as a shipper, but as a fan of each character themselves. Also, in the TV show, they don't like spending time apart as it is (”I miss you when you are out of sight”), after all the crap they went through when they were forced to. I guess Fellowes doesn’t remember it was panned when they were separated by prison (twice).

And why have the precious few scenes they do share be about how Anna could be disappointed by the actors, and then not have her and Bates have a follow up conversation when he gets back about how it went? That would have made sense narrative-wise, and give them more screen time. Why not have him comment on how lovely she looks dressed up for The Gambler? Deleted scenes, maybe?

(An aside, as this doesn’t deserve it’s own section: but the wig for the wig Anna is wearing in The Gambler is better than the wig that’s supposed to be her own hair. I still loathe the bob, and always will).

The scene where she sees him off leaves much to be desired, imho. It’s rushed, they barely say anything and don’t touch. It didn’t give me married couple vibes. :/ And the line about her watching Johnny is oof because... she doesn’t. 

(I’ll get more into the lack of Johnny in a bit)

Anna as a Fangirl vs. a Mother

Anna thankfully wasn’t drugging people this time, but I feel like she’s never been that much into pop culture in the TV show. She likes to read, yes, and yeah, she’s had some magazines at the table too, but she never once chimed and showed interest in movie stars when they were discussed in the TV show by other characters. So thus, her interest with the actors is a bit forced and not very natural with what we already know about her, imo. 

Anna’s lack of screen time also means only one real scene with Mary this go-around which is very odd, but tbh, I’m actually okay with that. The first movie had some hamfisted parts, like them finally using the word “friend” and it was about... moving chairs in the rain. There was a time actually call them friends, and that was S6. 

But also there were some implications in DA 2019 I felt very uneasy about, which was that Anna was pledging to stay with Lady Mary 5eva and putting her before her own family. It just was kinda weird, classist, and not like where we left things with them in the TV show. This here also wasn’t like the TV show either, but maybe the idea was that Mary wasn’t going to feel comfortable talking to Anna about Henry’s absence when she knows how strong Anna’s own marriage is and has persevered, and thus Anna cannot relate to her.

I know that my view of Anna isn’t the only one out there, but I feel like Fellowes wasted Anna’s few scenes dealing with Myrna, versus showing her being a mother, her desire from the TV show. I get this was his way of working her into the plot, but Daisy was worked in, and also got her plots with Andy, Mr Mason, and Mrs Patmore.

Also Daisy really carried the Myrna plot more than Anna did - Anna could have been used elsewhere. But it’s an example of dropping the characters into the storylines versus giving them something organic. Daisy liking movie stars jives with the TV show, in the ways it doesn’t with Anna.

Of course, I’m glad that she’s not facing more trauma in these films, and at least it’s not as bad as a character assassination this time.

But while it’s not to the same extreme as DA 2019, I feel like there’s still a disconnect between the Anna of the films and the Anna from the TV show. She always had been very motherly in the show, and now that she has her own child... she’s not? I know some of this is my own expectations for Anna as a mother, but it just doesn’t jive for me, and disappoints me as a long time fan.

Apparently DA at “its best” is to have Bates do... Nothing...

I feel like Bates more just suffers from a(n even greater) lack of screen time vs. characterization, as at least he mentions Johnny, in that regard. While I liked the scene with him, Baxter, and Carson, I feel like this could have been a chance to have Bates give advice in a way that related back to his own life (like how Anna made sure they wed in S2E8). It could have been vague enough for the people who didn’t seen the show, but still enough for a nod to those who did.

Not to indulge in too much gossip, but I do think Fellowes harbors a grudge again Brendan, starting with Brendan not loving Bates being separated from the rest of the characters for most of S3. So it’s very possible that Fellowes is cutting his nose off to spite his face, because he's wasting Brendan and Joanne’s chemistry, and sacrificing good plotting and story because he's still being petty. With the first film, Brendan was also doing a play at the same time as filming, so there was that excuse, but this time it was Fellowes’ choice. There were ways around it (just like Robert’s trip to America); he didn’t have to have A/B apart.

Bates and Robert haven’t had a true valeting scene since S4E4, so what we did get of them was more or less what we were getting in the latter half of the show.

Baby, What Baby?

Besides the lack of screen time, there’s then what Fellowes chose to do with what little scenes Anna and Bates had, together and otherwise. Sure, it’s only a two hour movie. Had this been a 9 episode season, then these France and actress plots could have worked for A/B, but when it becomes their sole plots, and the more important plot not even there (which would have likely been their plot in an S7, i.e. the hotel)... yeah.

I could probably copy and paste sections of my rants about the first film, but I waited for years, through the multiple traumas, for Anna and Bates to have a child, and then Fellowes basically throws him away, and Anna basically acts childless the whole movie again (and also again, It’s Bates who mentions him outside of the one scene they share with him). At least this time she held him through most of a montage, but other than that and Bates’ throwaway lines... they don’t seem to be parents.

It’s just not what I expect from characters who longed for a child. Johnny’s definitely simply not in their lives. If you remove the one (1) scene where they hold him and the one (1) scene were they mention him from each film, it scares me that they could simply retcon his existence. He does appear in that one scene without them in DA 2019, but really. He has three scenes across two movies. I mean he’s probably not even beating the total screen time he had in the episode of the TV show where he was born.

At least this time he’s not treated like a spoiler; he’s in the trailer (even if it does in turn spoil his one scene, AND ONE PART WITH HIM WASN’T EVEN IN THE MOVIE), and gets a paragraph in a chapter that’s not about his parents in the companion book, plus is in a number of the wedding stills.

(and also, him wearing a sailor suit has been one of my wishes for a long time, so I did finally get that lol)

There’s only so much Joanne and Brendan can do in a script that has them doing nothing with the kiddo. It doesn’t even show them at home with him. And we know that they had fun interacting with him on set. So I cannot just pin the lack of nuance on them. Perhaps in different times, with a different director, they could have make it work better, but the issue is the script not lending itself that way.

Fellowes has even said: “The actors all know their characters better than I do, to be honest. I give them material, I hope, which fits their own feelings about them, but then they take it and run.” They can only run so far, Jules.

Sure, maybe the wedding reception montage is supposed to hint that they do actually spend some time with their child, and of course it was nice to see him there, but he could have been included in other scenes. A hint isn’t enough, and not when the last movie also only had a hint.

We need to see him with his parents elsewhere, or less it proves the nanny is the one really raising him. I’d say that I want to see how they balance caring for him and their jobs, but really... I think we are seeing it :S. It’s just really weird to rewatch that scene in S2E1, and then all of S5 and S6 and then Anna just... does not spend much time with nor look after the child she longed for.

Last time I blamed it on that Fellowes was writing them like he was the upstairs characters, but actually... they are spending less time with their kid than the Crawleys do theirs (barring Edith’s son Peter, but Marigold is there). There’s that “an hour every day” joke in the TV show, but honestly, I feel like it’s literally five minutes a day with A/B.

Of course, we could also blame COVID, but Caroline has a fleeting scene in the library and she’s under five too. Instead of a line, Johnny could have been there when Anna sees off Bates. And if there was no way to get the kiddo there, then a less clunky line would have been better (maybe he is a napping and they comment about how sweet he looks when he sleeps, and they didn’t want to wake him).

If we could have had him indoors, it would have great to have him in the scene with the rocking chairs. As nice as it was to have the callback of Anna working on something in the servants’ hall, that would have been even better!

I know that S6CS was the original ending, I know that Fellowes didn’t have this in mind at that point. But it does make me question if Anna’s “sort out the baby” line really just did mean... this... the whole time. But Bates doesn’t need an heir, so why even desire to have a child if you are just gonna ignore him? I mean, they would actually parent their child. I’ve ranted before many times about how this is out of character, so I won’t get into it now, but it does make me feel like Fellowes is writing AU versions of their characters. And ones who didn’t face all the strife of the TV show.

And this is (partly) why my rants get so long, is that it's like "it's this just Fellowes just being a shitty writer, and not expressing well what he wants for these characters, or that he thinks this is how the characters really are.” What is intentional here?

Because they are showing enough of A/B’s lives to show that their son doesn’t factor that much into them, he spends his time with nanny (although where is he when nanny is outdoors with the other children...? Is there a nursemaid when the other children are visiting?).

And it hurts because they worked in the older upstairs children well in this movie, so yeah.

I mean, maybe we are to take it that Anna's scenes were so fleeting because she was in fact running off to go watch Johnny? And that maybe any other planned scenes got deleted or they couldn’t film them because the kiddo got cranky? That did happen in S2CS with Ethel and Charlie, and that plot was moved to S3, and take place over more episodes in the end. But unless there is a Movie 3, then you can’t just move it over and save it for later.

What is an Ending?

If ANE was written as an actual ending (again, I am convinced now that it wasn’t, not for everyone anyway), then the problem I have is that it feel like maybe Fellowes thinks that he’s already given A/B an “ending”.

Because then he rendered it pointless when the franchise continued on, with them still supposedly part of the ensemble. You can't just give characters a baby then have them interact only with the baby once per movie. This isn’t a ‘90s sitcom. You can’t have them not act like parents after their dream of a child comes true.

Is it because they had their happy ending with the TV show, they are stuck in stasis where things can’t get happier? No real time actually spent with Johnny, no hotel, no inkling if they’d have more children (which I have to admit, i didn’t think was in the cards for the movies anyway, as much as I want it, and as much as I know that A/B in the TV show have wanted children in the plural). I mean, they don’t even spend half of this movie together anyway.

As it stands, to me these films feel like they are saying, “Anna and Bates are happy but we cannot tell you why, or why this is important". There is a difference between writing someone is who has become happy again after surviving trauma, and just... writing them as if they never faced it. There’s a nuance, and it was there in S6, and it is not present in either film, imo.

Really, in this one, all we get is a montage with their child, and literally only one scene where they actually talk about their own lives (which was weird, and about her watching their child... which she doesn’t seem to actually do because there’s a nanny…). Their other scenes are about the movie making. So are they actually happy in their own lives…? That’s literally not shown on screen. They are mostly just... existing.

This was an issue I had with the first film as well: creating plot lines first and then dropping the characters into it. In both cases, this ended up affecting Anna more than Bates, and I'd just rather have some personal scenes than dealing with revolutions or hanging with movie stars.

Ironically, the ANE companion book states that “Now that Mr Bates and Anna have finally taken charge of their lives it seems that, finally, they have a very happy future ahead of them.” I feel like this vibe is missing from the movie. How have they taken charge? They haven’t - bad things just stopped happening to them. And they seemed to have a happy future ahead of them at the end of the TV show... and yeah they just stay were they are, literally, and figuratively. 

(in retrospect, this is paraphrasing something Joanne said in her interview in the first film’s book. It’s something I have other issues with, but that’s not what this post is about)

Because they aren’t facing trauma, so they get no plots; they are happy so now we get nothing anymore. I mean for me, I’m gonna need to see of the earned happiness, in ‘a look how far they have come’ mood, and I need as much screen time of it as I got them in pain in the TV show (I know that’s too much to ask, whoops).

Storylines need conflict. And you can have some conflict that's not traumatic... like getting the hotel can easily fit here.... I am just saying.

When you go back to S6 and look at A/B's lines about happiness... it's all about having a child. Anna even fears at after the earlier miscarriage that they won't be "as happy as [they] could be" if they never have a child, and of course her line when she tells Bates she's pregnant with their son is that "what [she's] been hiding is very, very happy." Bates also later says he's "happier than [he's] ever been" and that they are "within shouting distance of [their] greatest happiness". Hell, Anna's last line in the TV show is a "Happy New Year!" to their baby. 

There is no denying why they are happy within the context of the TV show. The issue is that it's lacking the context in the films, when is their child so absent from them. All he did was change their mood and not their lives? It's all gearing up, and then no follow through.

The companion book has a still of the wedding captioned with "Mr Bates couldn’t be happier, with his wife, Anna, and son, Johnny.” I get there's a comma, but you know what I’m going for. You can’t just say over and over “they are happy with their son” when they only have one scene that even attempts to prove that each time.

Part of the issue is that they want to make the films so that you don’t have to see the TV show, so they don’t wanna have anything that would be confusing to a first time viewer. So when it comes to A/B, they are never going to overtly to refer back to the traumatic events that happened in TV show (again though, it’s that not that I want there to be a reason for them to be referenced, but the subtly is just not there).

(An example of the vibe I am talking about is like in S3CS with the Marvelous dancing. They don’t have to reference the trial, or prison, or Anna’s hard to work to free her man, but we get all that from the dialogue, acting, music, and directing.)

Thus, the films lack the basis as to why it's important they have a child, and in turn, why that is an important part of why they are happy now. There is simply no form of acknowledgment that they have been through a lot of crap which makes the happiness a bit hollow. Because there is no connection anymore.

I know some people will say my dislike of the movies is only because I didn’t get one specific thing. tbh, I would have been happy with a few specific things, but the overall thing being A/B actually have an organic plot about themselves.

But if they just attempted to give me that something related to those specific things I might be more lenient on the rest, lol. Really, they just had some more scenes of A/B with their child, and a scene discussing that they are still indeed looking to purchase a hotel, if they weren’t going to give them more of a story in this movie.

The Return of the Bateses... as Main Characters?

I talked about in my other post that maybe this is all stalling, and stalling on purpose, but it’s going to have to be for me to be “okay” with how this movie plays out for A/B. Otherwise, it feels like Fellowes is Done with writing A/B and that he refuses to write the next logical step.

I’m working on another post about how I’m pretty certain they are gonna try to make a third movie, where I’ll get into this more, but I think it’s possible that Fellowes indulged Gareth on these two plots (France/movie) and will write more of what he wants for an ending (assuming it is the proper end again), and perhaps might reward for us at the end of Movie 3 like he did S6CS...

His refusing to write them getting the hotel probably (hopefully?) means it’s because he can’t do it until it’s actually “the end”.

And what Fellowes says about Cobert in this interview shows that he does know that some characters didn't have much plot in at least one of the movies. And thus I hope he’s aware there’s more characters he has to rectify this with in Movie 3.

Because thus far, Fellowes has chosen not to further A/B’s lives on the big screen, and for some reason he cannot figure out that he can involved them and still have them at the hotel, like Molesley and the school. 

And yes, I do think they’d leave and get the hotel, because it’s what’s best for their family. But instead, their beloved child is squirreled away with nanny and doesn’t even take part in the scenes with the other kiddos, let alone with his parents.

(btw I do think that the deleted scene from the first film, where the hotel was mentioned, is not considered canon. I’ll get more into that post about a potential Movie 3, I realize I didn’t mention that here, but given Joanne’s answer about a hotel when asked at the ANE premiere, we know it hasn’t happened yet).

For Anna and Bates, I feel like S6CS’s ending to me was their logical conclusion. I could easily imagine them saving up and purchasing their hotel of their dreams, leaving DA but being nearby, and hopefully having another child. We didn’t have to literally see in the end of the TV show, the promise was there and enough. 

Even Joanne said back in 2015 that this is how saw them in ten years. Fellowes said one time an A/B hotel could be a spin-off. But I really get this icky feeling thanks to the movies that they are now stuck at DA forever, despite their job positions becoming obsolete as time marches on.

While Fellowes and the cast always say “never say never”, ANE might very well serve as the ending for good. But while it was better than the first film, it was the original ending’s montage that carried meaning for everyone and had finality that should have stayed final, imho.

And this Fellowes quote is... interesting. Like S6CS was written for the fans... but he’s acknowledging that the movies are... not so much. Also there’s no way that DA 2019′s ending really serves as an ending in the way S6CS’s does... with ANE is does for some characters but not all, not in the way that S6CS strove to.

Being that I am convinced of Movie 3 now, I really hoping that Joanne’s answer about the the hotel on the red carpet actually, you know, comes to fruition (and wasn’t just a joke). And it might, like considering how we got like zero Baxley in DA 2019 and then they get engaged in ANE.

There’s a reason she was asked about the hotel at the premiere, and it’s just like when she was asked about Baby Bates for years (I mean, that’s where we got the term from, before it ever came out of Bates’ mouth in S5E6). And she has known for years that it’s A/B’s endgame, as I said before.

I will admit, I stopped watching her interviews for ANE after I got spoilers and was disappointed that A/B were shafted in it. So it she said anything else, idk. She’s not the writer though, so in the end, it’s all down to Fellowes anyway. But the point is, the hotel needs to factor in, and people working on the franchise knows it.

In Conclusion

The TV show ended with A/B ringing in the New Year with a new chapter in their life as parents. The movies just interpreted that to mean they are “happy”. But, the reason for their happiness has been pushed up into a cupboard, and it’s just that nothing bad is happening to them for once, and apparently they never go further in life. 

For me, the reason why the TV show grabbed me is because I got invested in the characters’ lives and romances. And it’s those characters and couples who I want to see the futures of.

At least Anna and Bates are still alive and still in love. Things could be worse! Normally, I do not want more DA out of fear of Fellowes screwing more things up, but if I made it through S4-5 to get to my S6, then maybe I can get through these first two films to get to a more satisfying, for me at least, third one.

So all I can do is hold onto the idea that if there is a third movie, that it’s the one where he actually moves characters like Anna and Bates forward again.

Otherwise, if this is the end, then I guess Fellowes was just done writing about Anna and Bates’ lives, and that they’re just stuck in stasis. But “open a small hotel and have the children with us” just wasn’t a throwaway line back in Series 2, and I can only hope that if Fellowes gets to end DA properly again, he gives us a reward-filled final act.

[beyondxmeasure]

As a fellow Aquarius I love that you can't follow the rules. I was gonna ask top ten but thought that might be to much. I am interested in your whole top 18 though. My top shows are in no order

Cold case. I honestly lost count of how many times I have watched this show.

Suits. This show introduced me into the fanfic world and I haven't been able to leave.

House. Grew up watching this show. It will always be one of my favorites.

White Collar. Just did a rewatch and I still holds up.

New York undercover. I used to watch this with my dad. So I reminds me of that time.

Resurrection Blvd. Again something I watched with my dad. But I love boxing and hate that I can't find it on streaming. I own the first season on DVD so manly thats what I'll watch.

The Mandalorian. Honestly hadn't watched anything star wars ever but my little brother was obsessed. He had heard about it and since he wasn't able to watch had me write him about it. I needed up really liking it.

Currently watching the new percy jackson series and am liking it so far. Also started The Rookie and am enjoying it.

Ok I just realized I like mostly crime shows. That would make since given my childhood of watching America's most wanted every Saturday night. Also documentaries but those aren't tv shows.

I need some fluffy shows any recommendations? I have never really looked into them.

Yes, I definitely see the trend! I have not seen any of the shows you’ve listed unfortunately. I did go through a true crime phase but that was more with documentaries and podcasts. For a time I was really into SVU and all of the ‘Chicago’ shows (Chi Fire/Med/PD) but that’s about it. White Collar interests me a little because after Fellow Travelers I’m kind of jonesing for any Matt Bomer content.

Anyway… for the remaining faves that didn’t make the cut. Here they are in no particular order…

Boardwalk Empire- of the two post WW1/roaring 20s era tales, this one pulls me in more- the music, the costumes, characters, the feel of it all. Even though it’s the underworld of the prohibition era, it’s more enticing.

Peaky Blinders- The darker, grittier and slightly more violent post WW1/prohibition era tale from across the pond.

*Downton Abbey- For Violet Crawley’s clap backs alone.

*Call The Midwives- I don’t have kids, don’t want kids and don’t particularly care for them but somehow a show about nuns delivering babies in the East End of London in the 50s just fills me with joy.

Deadwood- Wild West shenanigans and they say fuck a lot. Like, a lot. The interactions between Al Swearengen and Mr. Wu is worth the price of admission. Basically just anytime Al is on screen is gold.

*I Love Lucy- I grew up watching Nick at Nite and loved all those classic B&W sitcoms but Lucy was always my fave.

*Our Flag Means Death- gay pirates, what’s not to love?

Sons of Anarchy- motorcycles, mayhem & murder. It’s a wild fucking ride, but worth every mile—buckle up.

*Shrinking—a show so brilliantly funny with such a stellar ensemble cast you almost forget it’s about a family dealing with grief. It’s a bit of a slow starter but stick with it for the real payoff. Harrison Ford high on gummies was a high point for sure.

*Sex Education- worst name for a show that’s about so much more than that title makes it sound like. I feel like a lot of people slept on this show because of the title or the idea it was just some throwaway teen sex comedy. Far from it.

*Parks & Rec- if The Office is my wife, then Parks is the sidepiece I’m hiding uptown in a luxury townhouse and I’ll never give her up.

Rescue Me- There’s one scene that still haunts me to this day. I got chills just thinking about it, and the music throughout was superb. TBH I have a weakness for pretty much all firefighter/first responder shows (or as I affectionately refer to them—my ‘wee-woo’ shows🚨 LOL) but this one’s my OG fave. My newer faves are: 911 Lone Star and New Amsterdam

So, I’m noticing a trend with this list… if it’s British or old-timey I’m into it, and if it’s British and old-timey then I’m really into it.

Not sure what you meant exactly by ‘fluffy’… like rom-com-y? Or just something on the lighter side and easy to watch? Because I’ve never been much for most sitcoms (other than the ones I listed) but my last ask that I answered with the original list had quite a few lighter/comedy shows on there. Otherwise I could definitely recommend Downton Abbey or Call The Midwives if you want something to get lost in something with a feel good wholesome vibe to it. I’ll put stars next to anything else above that I think might hit the mark as far as fluffy vibes. Enjoy!

[livlepretre]

Okay so I'm in love with this series!!!!

It's funny bc I just finished it today and didn't know the 2nd season was out on the 1st lol I had some good timing there.

I'm very sad however that they had to recast Mat for whatever reason.

I'm not quite into Rand yet. Maybe will take a bit more time as I quite like everyone else.

I'm a bit confused as to one thing in the last episode: that one dude that showed up on bel tine and then to take the horn, said all 5 of them essentially are needed to take on the Dark one. Does that mean they are all the Dragon reborn? Or is it still just Rand?

Anyway, wheeeee! L of time hehe

YOU ARE SO IN LUCK!

(but!!! when you finish gobbling up season 2, and are eagerly awaiting season 3, remember that the books are PHENOMENALLY FUN and are waiting to be read or listened to! Rosamund Pike even narrates the first book!)

Hmmm I'm actually relieved Mat was recast 😅 The actor himself did a fine enough job in terms of acting, he just did the poorest job of the main cast of capturing the essence of the book character in my opinion. Like, he just doesn't seem like MAT to me at all. (There are so many character moments in the show that aren't in the books that would make me shout HA! SHE/HE WOULD!) Perhaps that might have changed in time, but as things stand, I'm actually looking forward to seeing if a different actor can get a truer grasp on the character I love so much. Like, I understand that lots of plot points have been changed for the show, which I am cool with, I just didn't recognize Mat Cauthon in season 1 practically at all. Probably only in the scenes where he was talking to children and you could see the kinder side of him.

AS FOR RAND. Wow. Let me tell you. Hang on. He's not my special favorite for nothing. (Really hard for me to decide whether he, or Elayne, who will be introduced in season 2, is my favorite character-- I flip back and forth constantly!)

But that did get me thinking-- the first book is mostly from Rand's POV, except for when they are all split up after Shadar Logoth and we get Perrin and Nynaeve telling the story as well, but then once they reunite it reverts back to solely Rand's POV again. Book 2 has a lot more POV changes in it, but is still Rand POV heavy. So, we simply get to know him really, really well right off the bat. In the ensemble-- especially with all of the stuff in the show trying to build mystery over who the Dragon Reborn is, and also, giving us lots of scenes and moments with characters who did not get POV time in the first book, perhaps he just doesn't have the same time-- ESPECIALLY because he is such an "interior" character-- so much of who he is is about what he is thinking and how he is feeling as opposed to what he is saying. We get a lot of moments in the show of Rand quietly looking out over the horizon, or watching his friends in concern, and that is very him.

And of course, he is on the path to the most gruesome and devastating hero's journey of all time. Being the Dragon Reborn in no way saves him from the horrors of being a male channeler, or from the horrors of the actions he will take. Part of why I love Rand so much as a character is that he goes through trauma and depression and PTSD and mental illness and physical disability with so much realism and there is just so much empathy in me for that journey.

So, to answer your question:

Rand is the only Dragon Reborn, but that doesn't mean that the others don't all play an integral role in facing the Dark One.

What's great about this is that this directly references something Min (the seer they meet in Fal Dara) tells Rand in the first book-- that all five of them are essential if they are to have any hope of winning the battle.

Moiraine herself contemplates early in the series that she was wrong to place so much importance on Rand alone; although he is the most important, in terms of winning the Last Battle, the others are also extremely important. This plays into how Rand is not the only one who is ta'veren. In the books, only Perrin and Mat are confirmed as also ta'veren, and the idea that maybe Egwene is too is played with but never confirmed (she's probably not, but there is enough gray area there to speculate). Making the female characters ta'veren as well is something that works well for the show, I think, and helps drive in this point that it is about the teamwork of these 5 young people (as well as the teamwork of many, many more).

(Interesting that you should ask if a soul can be split on reincarnation-- I remember this being a question that would come up back in Ye Olde Fandom Days 20 years ago. The answer is no! But the mechanics of reincarnation are probably going to get fleshed out further in season 2!)

[yelena-bellova]

Safe Haven: tfatws!Bucky Barnes x fem!reader - Chapter Ten

chapter nine - Chapter Ten: Heroes - chapter eleven

Series Masterlist

Plot: Y/n, Sam and Bucky make one final effort to stop the Flag Smashers.

Warnings: spoilers for episode.6, violence, character death (major), wounds, blood, ANGST ANGST ANGST, Bucky and Y/n are a badass couple, Sam and Y/n are a badass sibling duo, everybody’s a badass, inaccurate medical care (unless you consider google legit then it’s for real lol)

Word Count: 8.6k

A/N: GUYS. SECOND TO LAST CHAPTER. HOW DID WE GET HERE?!?! This one was challenging to write because I wanted to still make it mainly focus on Sam and not detract from his story while incorporating another one, hopefully I did it justice. Smaller amount of Bucky Y/n fluff purely because of plot. Imma shut up now and let you guys judge it for yourselves, hopefully you enjoy ☺️

----

I’d always wanted to visit New York, I just never thought that the circumstances in which I’d come would be so dire.

Surprisingly, flying from Delacroix to the city hadn’t been as draining as I’d thought, the adrenaline rushing through me was enough to keep my stamina up. Once I got into the state I shot up higher, the only way to pinpoint the city’s location was by sight alone. The mass of flashing red, white and blue lights served as a literal guiding light and I followed it till my feet made contact with the ground. I landed in between two buildings, a safe distance away from the commotion but close enough that I could intervene if needed. Sam had told me to go ahead of him and meet up with Bucky, the two of us would be on the ground while Sam took care of business with the senators. “Something’s different…” the voice I’d gone days without hearing announced from behind me, “New haircut?” I smirked and turned to face Bucky, “Do you get bulletproof suits for all the girls that catch your eye?” “Only the ones I really like,” he smiled, cradling my cheek in his hand and giving me an overdue kiss before pulling back to admire the suit, “Looks good on you.” The suit that Bucky had the Wakandans design for me was made almost entirely of Vibranium. It was sapphire blue, the same color of my energy with accent lines of silver running through it to define the shape. It clung tight to my body without showing off too much, the v neckline ended just below my collarbone. Hidden behind Bucky’s note in the case had also been a note from Shuri, the princess of Wakanda, listing that the suit was bullet proof and should I choose to channel my energy through a specific part of my body, the Vibranium would absorb and redistribute it to amplify my strike. The whole ensemble made me feel an official member of whatever club I’d decided to join.

I opened my fingerless glove adorned palm out to Bucky, offering him one of the comms Sam had given me and placing the other in my ear. “Ready?” he asked.

For once, I could answer feeling fully confidant in my capabilities. I reached out and squeezed Bucky’s hand, giving a single nod, “Ready.”

The two of us made our way out from between the buildings and headed into the heart of the chaos. There were news crews, police officers, soldiers and SWAT teams while innocent bystanders quickly fled the scene. 

“Sam, where you at?” I said into my comm.

“I’m almost there,” he replied.

“What’s the plan?” Bucky asked from beside me.

“Karli’s gotta be close, keep your eyes open.” “Well, it could be anybody…” Bucky said quietly as we passed by a group of officers.

We headed for the building in which the senators were being held, the SWAT team immediately parting to allow Sergeant Barnes and myself to enter. Whether or not he was paying attention to anything other than finding Karli, I wasn’t sure, but I smiled internally at the fact that they’d recognized him for what he should have been recognized for all this time.

“Oh, we also called in some backup,” I relayed to Bucky.

“Excuse me, sir, ma’am,” we turned to see a man in a beanie following us, “Are you supposed to be here?” Bucky looked stunned and slightly concerned while I stayed calm, recognizing the signal. Immediately, Sharon ripped off the technologically advanced mask that concealed her identity. “It’s me.” “Sharon, what the hell are you doing here?” Bucky asked.

I gestured to the woman, “Backing us up…” “Relax, no one’s looking for me here,” she said, pulling on Bucky’s arm in an effort to get us away from the crowd. “Is that Sharon?” Sam asked over the comms.

“Unfortunately,” Bucky answered, earning a light, disapproving smack from me to his chest.

“Hey, Sam, I thought I’d get the band back together,” Sharon said into her earpiece.

“Thank you, you’re risking a lot coming here.” I took a step forward towards the blonde, “If you want me to fly you out of here, now’s the time.”

She gave a little shrug, “I hear pardons aren’t all they’re cracked up to be anyway.”

“Depends on the therapist,” Bucky grumbled.

“They’re gonna move on the building soon. Be ready,” Sam’s voice flowed into my ear.

“Same goes for you,” I replied, trying to compartmentalize the constant anxiety that ran through me in regards to my brother’s safety. Though knowing he wore vibranium wings now did help ease my fears a little. I turned my attention back to Sharon and Bucky, “Let’s split up and do a perimeter check. Front’s clear so I’ll take the back, you two take the sides.” “Wow,” Sharon smirked, “Give you a suit and suddenly you’re Miss Take Charge.” I shot her smirk right back at her as she headed down her side of the building while Bucky and I went around the other way. “Somethin’ changed while I was gone,” he observed as we walked. “You made amends,” I replied, flashing back to my visit to the graveyard, “I made peace.” I expelled energy from my fingertips to float above him and fly to the back of the building, not a soul in sight.

“Y/n, Sharon, Bucky, what’s going on on your end?” Sam asked.

“Nothing, all quiet,” Bucky answered. “Same here,” I said, taking another look around me to be sure,

“No one’s moving toward the building,” Sharon added. 

“Karli’s not coming in. She’s trying to force everybody out,” Sam said, “It’s a misdirect, we gotta keep everybody inside.” 

I levitated once again and headed to the front of the building, finding Bucky and Sharon waiting for me. Once I landed, we entered through the glass doors. “You guys are gonna have to do something,” Sam panted through the comm, “Don’t let ‘em out of the building.”

We passed through the building’s metal detectors one by one with no issue, till the alarm sounded off on Sharon. “Oops,” she muttered unconvincingly. “Here’s one of them,” Bucky said, gesturing towards a man in a security uniform, a Flag Smasher, “We’ll get the evac.” Bucky and I winded around the halls but didn’t get far before a woman came walking towards us with a phone extended out in her palm, “Mr. Barnes, Miss. Y/l/n, it’s Karli.” How she knew my name baffled me, Bucky reached for the phone regardless and took note of the orange handprint projected on the screen. He placed the call on speaker, “Karli?”

“Aren’t you two tired of fighting for the wrong side?” the young girl asked.

Bucky scoffed as we stepped down a staircase, “I’ve done this before, kid. I know how it ends.”

“It doesn’t matter if I don’t survive this,” she replied, “I’m fighting for something bigger than myself. With all the bodies you’ve collected, have you been able to say the same?”

“You don’t think I ever fought for something bigger than myself?” Bucky asked, “That’s all I ever tried to do. And I failed twice.” I tugged Bucky’s arm so the phone was in front of me, “Karli, all I’ve ever wanted was to use my powers for good. I respect the fight you’re fighting but this isn’t the way to win it.” “Believe me, I know all about your father’s crimes,” she spoke back, “I looked you up after meeting you in Riga, and trust me, the side you’re on is no better than the one your dad was one.” My heart clenched at her words, I knew that she was a black and white person who only dealt in absolutes, but it didn’t mean hearing it didn’t hurt. “If you wanted to do any real good, you’d have joined us,” Karli continued, “You’d have needed to get your hands dirty, but you’d have made an actual difference.” “You think your cause justifies all this death,” Bucky stepped in and took the wheel, “But in the end, the nightmares won’t go away. You’re gonna remember all the ones you killed. Trust me. Don’t do this. Don’t go down this path.”

There was a hopeful pause over the line, followed by a disappointing response. “If that’s how the both of you feel, you should sit this one out.” I glanced over at Bucky, sharing the same tired, yet determined look I was displaying. “That’s not gonna happen.” “Well, thank you,” Karlie replied, “I’m glad you took my call, you’ve been a big help.” She hung up then, the realization hitting me immediately as to why she’d called us. “The evac,” I breathed, “It was a deterrence.”

“Damn it,” Bucky growled with a clenched jaw, “Come on!”

We raced through across the floor of the building, making for the winding staircase lit up with flashing emergency lights that would lead us to the parking lot. Since we were the only two fleeing the building that particular way, it was a safe bet to make that the hostages had already been evacuated. Once we were in the parking lot, Bucky took the lead and led me to a parked row of motorcycles, quickly hot-wiring one.

“Seriously, guys, you had one job,” Sharon popped out from behind a pillar to critique us.

“You worry about your guy,” Bucky grumbled as he swung his leg over to straddle the vehicle, I promptly did the same, “Good?” Locking my arms around his torso and scooching forward so my Vibranium chest was pressed against his back, I nodded. “Good.” Bucky floored the gas pedal and we rode off with an echoing screech, finding our way through the garage’s exit. A blockade of soldiers yelled at us as we quickly approached them, shooting through the gap between barriers and whipping around the street corner. On any other occasion I’d have enjoyed clinging tight to Bucky’s body as we rode through the cool New York evening air. Sadly, there was no time to savor the moment.

“That’s one down,” Sharon’s voice came through my comm. “How’d you manage that?” Sam joined in. “Mercury vapor, amongst other things.” Bucky made a sharp turn down one of the streets causing me to clutch his middle tighter, “Any idea where they’ll be headed?” “I thought you were the one in charge,” Bucky retorted over the engine’s noise. “You better speed things up, Sam,” Sharon said, “The chopper’s about to take off.” “Bucky, Y/n,” Sam called, grunts following directly after. Bucky halted at a light, determining the rest of our course. “I don’t fly, man, that’s your guys’ thing.” He revved the bike and turned down a different street.

I pressed a hand to my ear, “Meet you there.” Placing a reassuring hand on Bucky’s shoulder, I levitated off the motorcycle and watched him continue on his path while I turned in the opposite direction and headed back through the city. From across the way, I could see the silhouette of Sam’s wings as he jumped off of the building after the helicopter. The chopper had taken a nose dive and was headed for the street, pulling up just before it hit the overpass. I quickened the speed in which I was flying over the bay, catching up to Sam soon enough. He flew lower than me, his new wings dipping into the waters before he shot back up.

“Plan?” I called into the comms as I kept close to the rear of the chopper. “We gotta take out the pilot,” Sam answered, “Take the left side.” I flew to my designated spot and reached out a hand to grasp onto one of the bars of the plane. Reabsorbing my energy, I put full faith in my grip as I dangled off of the helicopter in mid flight. I poked my head out to the window on the pilot’s side only to be given a front row seat to his attempt to kill Sam, firing a machine gun till my brother was forced to pull back and off the chopper. The pilot whipped his head around to lay eyes on me, aiming his gun. Lightning fast, I let go of the bar and narrowly escaped the shots fired, throwing my hands out and expelling energy to resume my flight. Sam wasn’t far behind, we took off in tandem with one another with him sending Redwing ahead to see if any of the hostages had flight training. As the chopper plunged towards the water, we moved in synch with it, just a few hundred feet behind in a dance of sorts. In the distance, I could barely make out the shape of an almost identical vehicle headed towards the one we were tailing, this one bearing the logo of the NYPD. Our chopper rammed itself into the front of the police copter, sending it spinning in a spiral of smoke and fire. If we didn’t get there in time, it would crash into one of the skyscrapers or worse. Sam and I changed course and made a beeline for it. “Get the co-pilot,” Sam yelled as he swerved to my left. 

I flew up to the side window and shot an energy blast towards it, smashing the glass and startling the co-pilot. I then levitated him out of the chopper and flew the two of us down to the bridge below us, Sam was right behind me with the pilot. The plane was losing altitude fast and was headed straight for our rescue party. Before I could even think to build a force field, Sam shoved me and the pilots down and shielded us with his wings. I felt the Vibranium shake as the plane bounced off of us and over the edge of the bridge. Sam retracted his wings and the two of us rose to our full heights, him in all his red, white and blue glory.

“Go, I got this,” he instructed, taking off into the skies before I could put up a fight. 

I levitated high above the bridge to get a birds eye view of the city, “Bucky, where are you?”

“42nd Street, heading west,” he answered

“I’m a tourist, those words mean nothing to me.”

“I’m passing a building with white and red lights,” he modified his answer. My eyes searched for the building he was talking about, spotting it quickly and taking off toward it. I looked below me to see two humvees and multiple bodies running around them. “Found them, they’re trying to build a-“ “I see ‘em, coming in hot,” Bucky interrupted, I could see his motorcycle speeding down the street and toward the barricade the Flag Smashers had arranged. Taking a leap, or rather a fall of faith, I absorbed my energy and free fell, throwing my hands out and releasing it just before my feet hit the ground. Bucky wasn’t far behind, leaping off his motorcycle and diving forward to tackle one of the Flag Smashers. The man jumped to his feet and Bucky engaged him in combat, the two exchanging punches with Bucky having more favor. In a split second of separation between the two I shot a blast of energy at the man that sent him flying backwards into the side of a truck, creating a super soldier shaped dent in the car. A sudden explosion sounded off nearby, I turned to see that one of the humvees had been set ablaze. Bucky and I ran to the vehicle, I sent an energy blast towards the high tech lock that had been placed on the back doors. It did absolutely nothing.

“Hold on,” Bucky shouted to the screaming hostages as he used his Vibranium arm to pull on the door handle. Even he couldn’t get it open. “Help me!”

I focused all my energy on the lock, sending unsuccessful blast after unsuccessful blast. Letting out a frustrated cry, I backed away giving Bucky another chance to try. He began throwing a stream of relentless punches, his determination growing with each hit. Eventually he’d done enough damage that he switched to pulling at the door’s bar. The pain on his face as he pulled was heartbreaking, the tendons and muscles where his prosthetic met his flesh stretching to too great a length. Making one last ditch effort, I extended my energy towards the handle to help him in his efforts. Together, we strained and struggled until the lock finally broke and the doors opened. While Bucky kept his footing, I fell backwards doing a very ungraceful somersault and landed on my side. What I saw happening in front of me was almost too shocking to believe, and yet not at all. 

John Walker was getting his ass kicked by the Flag Smashers. 

With a replica of the iconic shield that was definitely not made of Vibranium and his suit, he was lying on the ground being pummeled by the super soldiers. With the vigor in which they were attacking him, I knew that the metal wouldn’t protect him forever. The man that I hated, who had tried to kill me, Sam and Bucky, who had shed innocent blood on Steve’s legacy…I could have let them kill him and I should have wanted to.

But even in my hatred, I couldn’t let a man die.

I rose to my feet and sent a stream of energy towards two of them, knocking them a few feet away from Walker. The third who I deduced to be Karli, came charging at me. I threw up a force field to act as a shield and met each one of her punches with the energy. She let out grunts of frustration, going for a roundhouse kick but giving me just enough time to drop the field and levitate her into the air. I held her there a second, watching her flail about trying to escape before tossing her several hundred feet away from us towards the end of the street. The two Flag Smashers that I’d knocked over came charging back toward me, it was time to test out just what the suit could do…

I focused my energy out through my elbow and hit one of them square in the jaw, the energy sending him rolling down the road far greater a distance that I’d have been able to cause without the Vibranium amplifying it. I turned around to the other one, dodging a quick punch before sending my energy down to my foot, landing a kick my attacker’s stomach that caused him to go airborne and land on top of one of the trucks. Unfortunately, the first guy didn’t stay down as long as I needed him to and came up from behind me and landed a kick to my back. I fell to the road with a groan, felt the burn of the asphalt as it shredded my cheek. I heard the man rip something metal followed by the sound of his thick boots coming my way, undoubtably he’d grabbed something to use as a weapon. As I rose to take another stand, I saw Bucky come running past me and turned to watch him knock the Flag Smasher over, the man dropping the toll meter he’d been holding as a bat over me. Bucky strode forward and they began fighting one another with punches and kicks while I looked around to see Karli welding the unattended meter. She swung it towards Bucky, his avoidance of the hit and my creation of a force field around him totally in synch. Karli took another swing at him and met resistance, unable to move the weapon as I froze it in place with my energy.

“You don’t have to do this,” I urged her.

With a yell she let go of the weapon and dove for me, being hit in the face with a chain that Bucky had picked up. Before I could stop it, the Flag Smasher who had originally intended to hit me with the toll meter landed a kick that sent Bucky flying backwards. His metal hand scraping the asphalt as he desperately tried to hold on before going over the edge of the nearby construction site. “BUCKY!” I cried as he screamed into the night air just before Karli kicked me down herself, and landed a punch to my abdomen. The Vibranium, while giving me protection, still allowed some of the blow to reach me and I was in just enough pain that I couldn’t go after the Flag Smasher that leapt down into the construction hole Bucky had landed in. I sent a blast of energy at Karli, throwing her back and allowing me the time to stand up and regain my footing. At the same time I rose, so did Walker, the two of us sharing eye contact that was oceans away from the last time we’d met on the battlefield. Separating once again, he turned to lift one of the Flag Smashers up by her throat while I landed a punch on one that was coming for me. The second van of hostages was brimming with horrified screams, both my and Walker’s attention being redirected to them. Karli, who stood a few feet away from us, made a run for the humvee and Walker and I chased after her. Walker braced himself with the shield and the two of them came face to face with one another. Giving another insignificant try, I sent a stream of energy towards the lock in an attempt to break it but couldn’t without Bucky’s brute strength. Behind me, I could hear the grunts and groans of Walker and Karli moving around as they fought one another. When the noises got too distant to still be close by, I knew I needed to go back Walker up.

I looked through the everything-proof glass window to the terrified faces of the senators. “We’ll get you out, I promise,” I yelled, taking off towards the fight. 

Karli came running out from where they’d disappeared behind, I sent another blast her way that she dodged. She leapt into the air with a cry and raised a fist, I threw up a force field that she bounced off of and rolled to the ground. “This isn’t change, Karli,” I spoke up over the noise of the fire, “It’s murder.” The only response I got was another yell, Karli came charging towards me forcing me to throw up another shield to deflect her punches and kicks. I didn’t want to hurt her, I didn’t even want to fight her. It was different than with Walker where there was a mutual disliking of one another since almost the very beginning, she was just a kid looking to fight anyone who got in her way. Her cause was even something I agreed with, but I couldn’t stand by her taking innocent lives in the process.

Karli caught my exposed neck, gripping my neck tightly and holding me in the air. The bruises from Walker’s assault hadn’t fully healed and Karli was squeezing far tighter than he had. Thinking quickly, I swung my legs around to the back of her knees and forced my energy out of my feet as I slammed into her legs. The two of us fell in a heap, Karli on top of me with her grip loose enough on my throat that I could get out of it and flip her over. I pinned her hands to the asphalt on either side of her head using my energy, “You can stop all of this right now,” I urged over her furious cries, “Karli, please.”

Karli snarled at me before moving her knees to hit me in my back, throwing me off balance and giving her the perfect opportunity to launch me down the same hole Bucky had fallen down. I caught myself mid air and looked down to see Bucky and one of the Flag Smashers fighting with a metal beam, Bucky gaining the upper hand. I dropped to the ground and ran to him as he landed a final strike against the man, knocking him to the ground. As my hand reached out for his arm, there was a violent crash above us. We looked up to see that the humvee filled with the hostages had been driven off the road and was balancing on top of the construction. It teetered on the edge, ready to slip at any moment and finish Karli’s plan. I extended my energy to steady the vehicle, I wasn’t sure what made me think I could keep a couple thousand pound vehicle suspended in midair but the fact that I’d never used my powers like this didn’t matter. I had to try. As it rocked back and forth against my energy, I took a stance and dug my heels in the ground, sending up the steady streams I’d recently discovered I could produce. They curved around the front of the vehicle, protecting it from falling any further. The screams of terror from the hostages were my motivation to keep going, to do everything in my power that I could do save who I could.

After a few seconds of bearing my teeth and groaning in struggle, the load lessened slightly. I opened one of my eyes that had been squeezed shut in concentration to see Walker’s homemade shield near my feet, the decommissioned captain above me pulling the truck from the back. For once, we were working as a cohesive unit. Who would have thought…

All was short lived though as the second we were making progress on getting the humvee away from the edge, Karli and two other Flag Smashers jumped Walker and attacked him. Unable to hold them off, they toppled over and fell into the pit alongside Bucky and I. I cried out as the full weight of the humvee became mine to bear once again, fighting harder than ever to keep it from falling. Every muscle in my body clenched as I kept the streams flowing while also slowly rising off the ground, wondering if it was possible for my body to run out of energy with how much I was throwing into my stand. I had to save them, so long as I was able to fight, I wouldn’t allow any more innocent bloodshed. My hands shook, causing my streams to shake and I groaned as my body sent every signal that it couldn’t continue on.

As I started to falter, I felt something come up beside me and some of the heaviness was taken away. Looking to my left, Sam was in the air bracing the weight of the truck alongside me. I felt renewed with his help to rise with him as we used our combined strength to steadily raise the humvee back onto the beams of the construction site. Once it was secured, Sam and I both landed on either side of the truck and faced the crowd. I made the easy decision to fly back down into the pit, the moment belonged to Sam and no one else. Bucky was at my side at once, his hands on my arms and a careful set of eyes watching to make sure I was okay. I rested my forehead on his shoulder for a too brief second and nodded through my heavy breathing. 

From in front of us, Karli launched a spear towards Bucky’s head that he easily got throwing it to the side as he stared her down. Sam’s shield came flying out of nowhere, hitting Karli and rebounding off of the other Flag Smasher before landing back on Sam’s wrist. Karli shed her mask, looking at him with disgust and shock. “You of all people bought into that bullshit?” she asked, examining his patriotic suit from a distance.

“I’m trying something different,” Sam answered, his voice steely, “Maybe you should do the same.”

A sudden explosion was set off, a grenade landing at our feet setting off smoke that blinded us. I quickly covered Sam, Walker, Bucky and myself in a large force field, as my eyes tried to make out Karli’s figure. “This way,” Sam directed, using the tech in his goggles to spot them. I dropped the shield and followed him, the only person I could make out semi-clearly in the haze. We ran down and through a nearby tunnel, weaving down underground hallways in search of the remainders of the group. “Hey Sharon,” Bucky said into his comm, “We’re underground. We entered the tunnel on William. Heading south.”

“Looks like they split up,” Sam announced, he pointed down a corridor, “Here.” Walker took off without a second thought, while Bucky paused in front of Sam and I. “I got it,” he pointed to my brother, brushing his fingers against mine before heading down the hall. Sam and I both watched them leave, my anxiety rising with each step Bucky took away from me. Shaking myself out of the spiral I knew I’d go down if I gave it any more thought, I followed Sam’s lead as we continued on our way. The sound of the Flag Smasher’s signature whistle echoed off the walls causing Sam and I to freeze, he determined where it may have come from and motioned for me to come forward. 

“If something happens, you get the hell out of here, got it?” Sam whispered. “Nice try,” I replied, having flashbacks to the various times in the past week or so that we’d had conversations like this, “I’m not leaving you.” Suddenly, two shots were fired nearby. Sam and I bolted in the general direction that the sound had come from, fear flooding my body at the thought of Bucky being on the receiving end of one of the bullets. The worry caused me to run faster. We made it into a wider room, Karli standing in the middle with a gun aimed at a helpless Sharon, laying on the ground with a hand over her abdomen. I spotted the blood staining her shirt and threw a force field around her as Sam clipped his shield to his back. “Sam, stay back,” Karli warned, her eyes flicking to him briefly before landing back on Sharon.

“So, what’s next, huh?” Sam asked, taking careful steps toward her, “You kill ten this time, then, what, a hundred? Where does it end? Please,” he lowered his tone, “Let me help you.” “Don’t try and manipulate me,” Karli replied, looking between the blue barrier I shielded Sharon with and me. She twisted her body to aimed her gun at me, my resolve to protect Sharon stronger than protecting myself. 

“Karli, don’t!” Sharon cried.

Sam dove forward and tackled the girl to the floor, somersaulting away from her as Karli raised a piece of cinderblock. She launched it at Sam who deflected the makeshift weapon with his shield. Karli swung at him and Sam jumped on top of a small staircase, his shield in front of him at all times. “I’m not gonna fight you!” he yelled, leaping off the stairs. 

Karli continued her attack, Sam dug the tips of his wings into the concrete and met her fist with the shield. “Karli…” he urged just before she ripped the shield away and walked him backwards, Sam completing a series of jumps and flips. Karli grabbed a metal pipe and swung it at Sam, knocking him to the ground. “Stay down!” she growled.

Every instinct I had told me to go after the person who was endangering Sam’s life, anybody’s would be. But I knew that it was pointless to fight her, it was only giving her what she wanted. The serum enhanced people’s personalities, Karli had always been a fighter but now, she was looking to fight anything and anyone and would do it ruthlessly. I couldn’t buy into it.

I retracted the shield I’d built around Sharon and flew around Karli, placing myself between her and Sam. “Karli, the fight is over,” I breathed. 

“No!” she shrieked, barely giving me enough time to throw up an energy shield before she threw a punch. Her fist bouncing off of it only angered her more and she began a relentless attack, banging her hands against the force field, taking swipes anywhere she could. I levitated over her head and landed a few feet away, luring her away from Sam. Karli was furious at the fact that she couldn’t touch me or get me to try and battle her. It didn’t take long for Sam to spring to his feet, throwing his shield out in between Karli and I. Karli focused her efforts on Sam then, punching the shield relentlessly as Sam walked her away from me. “Fight back!” she screamed in my brother’s face.

I extended my energy and pulled her away from Sam, throwing her a few feet away from us. Karli let out a battle cry and leapt forward, Sam and I coming side by side and holding up our respective shields. Karli’s fist rebounded off of my energy and spun around to hit Sam’s shield, he then grabbed her by the waist and turned on his thrusters, flying them across to room to slam Karli into a beam. “Stop it,” he ordered, gripping her by the lapels of her jacket. Karli replied by throwing him above her head into the ceiling, I used my energy to yank her away from Sam and in front of me. 

“Listen to me, Karli,” I urged, earning a super-soldier shiner to my cheek, “We’re not your enemies.” Karli dropped me to the ground like I weighed nothing, the vibranium suit creating a dent in the flooring. I let out a groan at the shock and she ran off to deal with Sam. “Fight me!” she screamed as she clawed at the shield, “Fight back!” She flipped him over.

He fell.

The shield fell out of his reach.

Karli picked up the gun and aimed it at Sam.

He rose, accepting his fate.

Gathering the strength I had left, I got to my feet.

With trembling hands, knowing what I was about to do, I levitated and landed in front of Sam.

Karli’s face shifted, though I couldn’t read it as my emotions overwhelmed me. 

A supercut ran through my mind.

Sam.

Sarah.

AJ and Cass.

Mel.

My mom.

My father.

A legacy rewritten.

Bucky. 

Would he forgive me for what I was about to do? I hoped so.

“Go ahead,” I whispered, staring Karli down and blinking away the tears before she could see them, “Do it.” Karli’s face scrunched up as her finger prepared to pull the trigger when suddenly, three gunshots went off from nearby, hitting her. The gun fell to the ground and so did she. My eyes flew to where the bullets had come from, the sight of Sharon holding the smoking gun awaiting me. Sam dropped to his knees to cradle Karli’s head, the young girl staring up at him wide eyed and afraid. I knelt down on the other side of her, slipping her still warm hand into mine and giving it a gentle squeeze. 

“I’m sorry,” she whimpered, staring up at Sam before looking to me. The only thought that ran through my mind was she’s just a girl, she’s just a girl…As I watched the tears well in her eyes before the life drained from them and they shut, the sudden innocence overwhelmed me. She was just a girl…

I didn’t let go of her hand even when it went limp, holding it to my heart as I wept over her. Sam cradled her cheek as we sat quietly, the only sounds were my soft sobs and Sharon’s labored breathing. I couldn’t face her right now, my feelings were too mixed about the way she had saved my life.

Eventually, once an undetermined amount of minutes had passed, Sam lifted Karli into his arms and the two of us rose to leave. When I turned to tell Sharon to come with us, she was already gone, probably having slipped out a back hallway. Sam carried Karli’s body the entire way out of the building, I hardly registered when we made it outside in the night air.

“I’ll clear the way for you,” I mumbled, extending my energy and shooting into the air, Sam not far behind me. The wind blowing against my dried my tears off of my cheeks as I flew toward the glow of ambulance lights outside the building we’d started the night at. There were crowds of news crews, there were the senators we’d saved and officers cleaning up the wreckage that had been left behind. They all noticed as I flew up, landing in the midst of it all and scanning the crowd for Bucky. Once I spotted him and Walker towards the very back near the ambulances, I ignored the reporters asking me questions as I weaved through the chaos. Bucky strode forward as I neared and wrapped me in his arms, I let go of the breath I’d been holding in my chest as soon as our bodies met. He was okay. My hands held the back of his neck as I dug my face into his shoulder. He tapped my waist and I turned to see Sam flying in, resembling the an angel with his outstretched wings as he landed. He carefully passed off Karli’s body to the paramedics who placed the girl on a stretcher, carrying her off to who knows where. 

Sam walked towards the crowd, doing the same as me and ignoring the reporters flooding him with unimportant questions. He had flown in carrying the dead body of a kid and here they were, asking him if they should refer to him as Captain Falcon. He stopped in front of the senators who were busy thanking him for dealing with what I heard one refer to as ‘terrorists.’

“Are you still going forward with resetting the borders?” Sam asked.

They answered, and while I couldn’t hear their words, I could read Sam’s face well enough to know it wasn’t what he wanted to hear.

“You have to stop calling them terrorists…” “What else would we call them?” one of the senators asked. “Your peacekeeping troops carrying weapons are forcing millions of people into settlements around the word, right?” Sam continued, “What do you think those people are going to call you? These labels, terrorists, refugees, thug. They’re often used to get around the question ‘why.’

“Those settlements that happened five years ago, do you think it is fair for governments to have to support them?” another senator asked. “Yes,” Sam said plainly. 

“And the people who reappeared only to find someone else living in their family home, they just end up homeless?” the bearded senator pushed back, “Look, I get it. But you have no idea how complicated this situation is.”

Just as he prepared to walk away, Sam spoke up. “You know what, you’re right, and that’s a good thing. We finally have a common struggle now. Think about that. For once, all the people who’ve been begging and, I mean, literally begging for you to feel how hard any given day is, now you know. How did it feel to be helpless? Now if you can remember what it was like to be helpless and face a force so powerful, it could erase half the planet. You would know that you were about to have the exact same impact. This isn’t about easy decisions. Senator.”

“You just don’t understand,” the senator replied, probably the most ignorant response I’d ever heard.

Sam scoffed, “I’m a black man, carrying the stars and strips. What don’t I understand? Every time I pick this thing up, I know there are millions of people out there who are going to hate me for it. Even now, here. I feel it. The stares, the judgment, and there’s nothing I can do to change it. Yet I’m still here. No super serum. No blonde hair or blue eyes. The only power I have is that I believe we can do better.”

Holding onto Bucky a little tighter, the tears that I shed had morphed to those of joy. There my brother stood, in front of the government and the entire country saying what we all needed to hear. He spoke without reserve, unapologetic in his stance, and I had never been prouder of him.

“We can’t demand that people step up if we don’t meet them halfway,” Sam’s voice rose with passion, “Look, you control the banks. Shit, You can move borders. You can knock down a forest with an email. You can feed a million people with a phone call. But the question is, who’s in the room with you when you’re making those decisions? Hmm? Is it the people you’re gonna impact? Or is it just more people like you?” he paused, collecting himself before gesturing to where Karli’s body lay in the ambulance, “I mean, this girl died trying to stop you. And no one has stopped for one second to ask why. You’ve got to do better, Senator, you’ve got to step up because if you don’t, the next Karli will. And you don’t want to see 2.0. People believed in her cause so much that they helped her defy the strongest governments in the world. Why do you think that is? Look, you people have just as much power as an insane god,” Sam’s voice broke for only a second, “Or a misguided teenager. The question you have to ask yourself is how are you going to use it?”

With that, he walked away from the crowd that had been watching him so intently and made his way towards us. He stopped in front of Walker, the two of them sharing a look before nodding to one another, a non-verbal truce being declared. Walker also turned to me, in the end he had stepped up and done the right thing, but I knew that the two of us would never be on good terms. I’d never forget his tightening grip around my throat, nor would he forget that I wasn’t afraid of him and would tear him apart if he ever tried anything like he had in the warehouse again. But I had saved the guy’s life and because of that, his stare softened for only a second as he nodded his thanks to me. I watched as he disappeared into the crowd, off to whatever his next mission may be…

“Sorry, I was, uh, I was texting and so, all I heard was, um, “a black guy in stars and stripes,” Bucky broke the tension of the moment as Sam approached us.

The three of us shared a chuckle before Sam and I locked eyes, not having spoken a word yet about what had happened underground. I threw my arms around his neck as he wrapped his around my shoulders, sharing probably the best hug we’d ever had. Our shared goal of keeping one another alive had been achieved. “Love you,” I whispered in his ear. “Love you too,” he replied, a hint of emotion choking him up. He squeezed a little tighter before releasing me, the three of us walking off together.

“Nice job, Cap,” Bucky said, patting Sam’s back that displayed the shield before sliding his hand back around my waist. A few feet away, hidden behind one of the ambulances and leaned up against the car was a familiar blonde figure.

“Sharon?” Sam called.

“Blocking my light,” she retorted, holding a gauze pad to the gunshot wound on her abdomen. “We need to get you to a hospital,” I strode forward, examining her injury as best I could.

“She’s not gonna listen,” Bucky grumbled as he looked over his shoulder to make sure nobody was following us. Sharon panted as she shrugged, “Hey, it’s not the worst thing that’s happened to me all week.”

“Told you…” Bucky said at my side. “Yeah, I don’t care,” I shook my head, “We’re take care of this.” “Uh, Cap?” an interruption came, the senator that had been on the receiving end of most of Sam’s impassioned speech. “I think he’s talking to you,” Sharon said before turning to both Sam and I, “Look, I’m sorry for how things ended down there. For what it’s worth,” she looked Sam up and down and genuinely smiled, “Suit looks good on you.”

Sam chuckled, “Thanks.”

Bucky nodded along, humoring the conversation for as long as he could. “All right, look, can we get out of here, please?” he asked, placing a hand on Sharon’s back to urge her forward. Giving up, she allowed him to lead her away. 

“I didn’t forget my promise,” Sam called to Sharon, referring to the pardon I hoped he could secure for her. 

I turned to my brother, “Meet you back home?” 

He gave a long sigh, his eyes flitting between Bucky’s departing figure and me, “Why don’t you stay here a couple days?” I knew what he was offering and how hard it was for him to say the words, he was trying to give me time with Bucky. I did my best to conceal my smile, “Are you sure?” “You risked your life all week, you almost died trying to protect us,” he stated with a scoff, “I think you deserve a little time off. Now go,” he looked back to Bucky and scrunched his face up a little, “Before I change my mind.” Unable to hide my grin any longer, I reached out and clasped hands with him, bringing each other in for another hug. “Go get ‘em, Cap.”

The two of us let each other go, off to tend to our business before eventually reuniting back in the house we’d grown up in. It was crazy to think that I owed almost every great thing in my life to the boy who’d sat next to the lonely girl in first grade. Now here we were, dressed in Vibranium off saving the world, or at least doing what we could to make it a better one.

——

“Superhero, nurse…you’re full of surprises, Y/l/n,” Sharon commented before sucking in a sharp breath as I placed another suture.

I laughed softly, concentrating on my work, “I took a first aid class a couple years ago. When you’re living with two boys, trust me, it comes in handy a little too often. But I’ve never had to remove a bullet.” We were seated on the floor of Bucky’s Brooklyn apartment with me tending to Sharon’s wound using his first aid kit. Bucky was waiting in his bedroom to give us privacy, Sharon had her shirt pulled up and her pants unbuttoned to give me full access to her stomach. I’d had to place sutures once when Sarah had accidentally sliced her finger open with a knife, pulling out a lodged bullet was entirely new to me.

“I saw you tonight, with the truck,” she said as she watched me work, “You did good.” 

I supposed now that I had shown my powers to the world, I’d have to get used to people paying me compliments but for now, I still didn’t know how to take them. “So are you gonna stick with it? The hero thing?” Sharon asked.

I tied another suture, closing the sterilized hole in her abdomen. “I think so. Captain America needs a right hand man, why not have it be his sister?” Sharon hummed in agreement, a beat of silence passing. “You don’t think you’ll strike out on your own? You seem a little too independent to follow orders.” “Yeah, well,” I started working on the last stitch, “Sam and I work better together than I would with anyone else. Maybe one day I’ll do my own thing but for now, I’m fine where I’m at.” “Well, I guess you’re finally in a position to do all that good you said you wanted to,” she sighed, “Just don’t forget to keep your eyes open, opportunity’s everywhere.” “Alright, Miss Madripoor,” I chuckled, sterilizing the wound one more time with an alcohol wipe, “Your hustler side is showing.” 

Sharon shrugged and gave a little smirk, “All I’m saying is there’s a lot of ways to effect change, but I’m sure you’ll find that out.” Storing her advice away in my head for a later time, I placed a gauze pad on her abdomen and secured it. “Alright, you should be good. Just promise me that you’ll actually get checked by an actual doctor or whatever you have in High Town?” “Sure thing, Doc,” she replied with a smile as she adjusted her clothes again and rose to her feet, “You’re good, Barnes!” Bucky stepped back out into the room, peering around the corner carefully before entering fully. Despite the fact that he was in his own apartment, he still hadn’t changed out of what he’d worn to the fight. “What happens now?” I asked, looking to Sharon, “Hotel? Hidden apartment in some dodgy part of the city?” Sharon chortled at my suggestions, “I’ve got a plane waiting to take me back to Madripoor. The longer I stay here, the more of a chance they’ll find me,” she gave a small smile, “It was good seeing you guys again.” “It won’t be the last,” I confirmed, placing a hand on her shoulder, “Sam’ll get that pardon, you’ll be back before you know it.” “That’d be nice,” she sighed longingly, clearly thinking about all the freedom that would come with coming back home. Coming back to the conversation, she patted my arm and regained her full voice, “But until then, keep them in check. God knows they need it.” “The hell does that mean?” Bucky grumbled from his position outside his bedroom, leaving Sharon and I to share a laugh before she walked to the front door. “I’ll do my best, and hey, thank you for what you did for me...” I called out just before she shot us one last knowing smile and left, the door shutting behind her. While I wanted to worry about her walking the streets of New York and possibly getting caught, I’d seen enough of her in action to know that she could handle whatever came her way. 

Bucky slowly made his way to the door, locking it and turning around to face me. It was the first time of the night we’d been completely alone. Our eyes met, tired and traumatized but still alert and seeking one another out. Bucky crossed the room in a few long strides, taking his time in approaching me as if he was savoring the moment. I reached out once he was close enough and interlocked my hand with his, tugging him close to me. He dragged two featherlight fingers over the nasty bruise that Karli had given me, his brow furrowing as he examined the side of my face. I ran my thumb over the long red bruise across the side of his forehead, the pressure increasing when he leaned into my touch.

The night could have ended so differently. If Karli had pulled the trigger, if Bucky hadn’t fought on such high alert, we could have ended in tragedy. Such thoughts were better buried away and not thought of, but I couldn’t help it. Lucky, blessed, whatever word you wanted to use…we were it. With no battles on the horizon to fight, we could focus on figuring out just what spark there was between us. 

No words needed to be spoken, not for now at least. Tonight, all I needed was to hold Bucky in my arms and remember that despite every odd and every trouble thrown our way, we were alive. And as he leaned down and pressed his lips to mine in a tender but still passionate kiss, I had never felt more alive.

----

A/N: Oh, but we’re not done yet...We still have some time off and a cookout to attend 😉 I really can’t thank you all enough for sticking with this series the past few weeks, it means the world to me that I’ve been able to bring a little joy to people’s days. Let me know what you thought and if you’d like to be tagged for the LAST CHAPTER. 

Safe Haven taglist: @tanyaherondale​ @wanniiieeee​ @asoftie4bucky​ @edencherries​ @i-reblog-fics-i-like​ @ttalisa​ @gcfty @withyoutilltheendofthismess​ @rinaispunk @weirdowithnobeardo​ @felicityofbakerstreet​ @godlyhufflepuff​ @eternalharry​ @voguesir​ @mizz-kraziii​ @okayline​ @smellmymisunderstoodfluff @wanderin-stories​ @nicklet94 @intricate-melody​ @aesthethickks​ @stumbleonmywords​ @simplybarnes​ @21bruhs​ @lostinwonderland314​ @superbookishhufflepuff​ @kaelyn-lobrutto24​ @zozebo​ @fandomxreaders @kittengirl998​ @sarai-ibn-la-ahad​ @i-know-i-can​ @x-judyjude-x​ @thebi-valkyrieofvalhalla​ @buckverse​ @living-that-best-life​ @haphazardhufflepuff​ @citlalireedus @lindseyrae20​ @missstef23​ @qhbr2013​ @sebby-stann​ @bluemoon-icecream​ @iixbella​ @lets-love-little-me​ @abitofeverythinggg @itsnottilly​ @sltwins​ @mads-weasley​ @hart-failure @natdrunk​ @nctma15​ @obsessedwithjustaboutanything @patdsinner33​

[thespoonisvictory]

korean hadestown anon back here to say that i did, in fact, go see korean hadestown and. spoon. SPOON. it was so good. oh my god. that was one of the most vocally talented casts i have ever seen i am not exaggerating. you watched that orpheus clip i sent but it doesn't show off his beautiful, rich, chest voice that he puts so much power and emotion into and. skdjhgjh.

i think staging wise it was relatively similar to the original; they have the turntable in the center and everything, only it's missing the piece that moves up and down in the center. instead, they've got this elevator type thing back where the drums would be in the broadway version that opens and closes (so eurydice is standing in it when orpheus looks back, and it shuts in front of her). they did some different things vocally, though, like making both hermes and hades heavy singing parts instead of the sort of mainly talking ones they are in the original, if you know what i mean. hermes was INCREDIBLE, he's got this gorgeous vibrato he uses consistently and did some really great riffs in the opening and finale while still keeping some rasp in there. and hades sings the entirety of hey little songbird instead of half talking it, so there's a point when he finally gets really close to her and speaks that second to last hey, little songbird, and UGH the impact was so good. i would absolutely listen to this version and i usually skip the english one lol

hermes sings the ensemble's parts instead in lady of the underground, which i thought was interesting. i kind of like how you see how blatantly alone persephone is, though, especially later when she watches the workers sing for the first time with orpheus. also the actress did this really awesome riff coming out of the band introduction and took the 'there's a crack in the wall' part even higher

and flowers, man,,,,the first half is almost entirely belted, and it's raw and loud and you feel her pain and grief as she's hunched over on the floor until her voice breaks and she starts sobbing halfway through and that's when the song gets softer. she holds her hand to her cheek towards the end and when she raises it she realizes it's moved into a gesture all the workers were doing in why we build the wall and MAN

and ORPHEUS. you mentioned after listening to him that he has that same feeling as the off broadway version of being touched by the gods, and YEAH. YEAH. everything that came out of this man's mouth was beautiful i was on the edge of my seat the entire time. to avoid saying 'this was amazing' 20 times here are some highlights:

- he put so much strength and emotion into epic ii that i genuinely got chills. i think it was the 'doubt that she'll never come' part

- in wait for me, after the fates do their whole 'who are you to think you can do this?' part, he held the vibrato on that first set of la la las for a really long time. again with the being touched by the gods part lmao i just remember being really impressed

- do not get me started on if it's true oh my GOD

- epic iii blew me out of the water, the part where the ensemble all sing with orpheus as he's doing that even higher la la la had this incredible swelling energy that i kind of miss in the broadway album– they have the workers wear these tight gray caps over their heads so they're each triumphantly rip them off one by one as they're swirling around hades on the turntable all singing together and ahhhhh it was so good. orpheus doesn't do the 'what has become of the heart of that man' section softly, he gets louder and louder and stomps his foot with each line as the ensemble echo a la underneath him with each one. it's only when hades turns to face persephone does he get softer (and the amount of emotion hades put into his first la la la was. gh) i actually like the lack of the rising centerpiece because everyone is on the same level singing together. hades is really surrounded by everyone and the ensemble aren't even looking at him or orpheus anymore

- fun fact both orpheus and eurydice's last "i'm coming" in wait for me and wait for me reprise were said in english, just thought that was neat. also i'm pretty sure they added an additional higher harmony to the reprise and the woman doing it absolutely killed it

- they up the reverb during doubt comes in, so orpheus' la la las are so beautifully haunting as they're echoing around the whole room and dkghskhgh. chills.

- again hermes has kept up this loud, showman persona the entire time, singing with his entire chest and everything, but even he breaks and has to speak the "it's a sad song" in road to hell reprise. he also did this really really stunning vocal riff at the end it was awesome

anyway can you tell i liked it. i'm already planning on going again skjhghf

going insane going crazy anon this sounds so lovely, I'm so happy for you and the changes sound so good? I'm glad you liked it so much, and I love that this orpheus seems to have conveyed the feeling of me listening to epic iii for the first time and losing it.