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db-chan · 3 years

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Hey guys! This is a short fic about Winston Pratt and Callum Tredwell from Marissa Meyerr’s Renegade’s trilogy. This is inspired by the cannon divergence created by @healing-winston-pratt and @honey-hippie-harper. If you like this, please go check out their stuff because it’s really awesome!

Living in Wonder

A year and a half had passed since the second fall the Ace Anarchy, this time for good. Things were back to normal, and changing for the better. Normal, however, was an understatement in this world. After the supernova, everyone all over the world had been granted uncanny and extraordinary abilities. However, not all abilities were created equal, and that was especially true for Winston Pratt.

Winston groaned softly as the alarm from his phone woke him. He sat up, ginger hair mussed and eyes groggy. Shutting off the alarm with a yawn, he got up and made his way to the bathroom. He had work at the therapy center today, as he did every Wednesday, and had to be there early to set up all of the art supplies for the children. Once in the bathroom, he flicked the light on and winced at his reflection. Pale face, red circles on his cheeks, and black lines drawn from the corners of his mouth down to his chin, as though he was a marionette.

He wasn’t immune to the supernova. No one was. Despite the fact that he had been neutralized by Agent N, his powers still came flooding back to him without his knowledge when he was recovering in the hospital. He had gotten so used to his own face, his real face, with its soft pink undertone and freckles dotted across his nose, that he almost screamed when he saw his face in the mirror the first time he saw the faux makeup again.

The young man shook his head, clearing his thoughts before getting into the shower to get clean for the day. The fact that his burdenous power had returned was upsetting, yes, but that's why he had make up.

Once he was clean and dry, dressed in his clothes for the day, he set to work covering his face. Nova had helped him find a foundation that was the exact color of his real skin, one that was heavy coverage to cover up the lines on his chin and the dots of red on his cheeks. He thought of this almost like painting, a way that he could express himself as who he truly was. Once the foundation was laid, he gently blushed his cheeks and used a bristle brush and some watered down liquid brown eyeliner to create the freckles on his face that he missed ever so much. Setting the makeup with a mix of spray and powder, he looked at himself in the mirror again and smiled.

“There I am…!” He breathed out, the weight on his chest lifting at the reflection. Once again, this daily ritual helped him turn from his worst nightmare into his true self in a matter of minutes.

~~~

The therapy center was a lovely little building near the midwest part of Gatlan City, the size of a small clinic, and was a beacon to Winston, even in his darkest times. When he had been neutralized by Agent N, the staff at the clinic had made him feel whole again and helped him through his unresolved childhood trauma. They even were the ones who offered him the job to do art therapy at the clinic with at risk children, and he couldn’t have been happier.

“Good Morning, Winston!” The receptionist, Calli, greeted him as he walked in. He gave her a bright smile in return.

“Good morning, Miss Calli Cat! You’re looking as lovely as ever! Though, I’m sure your wife tells you that every morning.”

Calli chuckled and slid the sign-in sheet towards him. “You’re such a charmer!”

The ginger-haired man shrugged and signed in. “What can I say? Seeing you in the mornings brightens my day!” He said and slid the signed sheet back towards the woman.

“Oh! Speaking of brightening days, we have a volunteer in to help you with the kids today! I know they can be handfuls sometimes, so I’m hoping having an extra set of hands will help you out!”

“Oh? Why, thank you Miss Calli.” Winston said, though a slight twinge of jealousy made his cheek twitch a bit. The kids that he did art therapy were his life, possibly even his best friends, and someone else was going to come in here and try and take that from him?

Winston shook off the thought and took a deep breath before letting it out slowly again. No, that’s not what was happening. Someone who cared as much for the kids as he did was coming to help them, that’s what was happening. He was grateful for the extra help, especially when it would come time to clean up.

“I’ll see you around lunch time?” Calli offered with a gentle smile. Winston nodded.

“Yes, of course. I’ll see you then.” He said, offering her a quick smile back before walking through the doors into the therapy center.

Once he made it inside, Winston sighed with relief at the familiar surroundings. The clinic was clean and welcoming, but didn’t smell of the strong chemicals normal doctor’s offices usually did. There were plush chairs and books to read while you waited for your appointment, coloring books and fidget toys to calm you down if you’re stressed, and even some actual toys for younger children to play with. The sight made Winston smile as he re-adjusted the messenger bag on his shoulder and made his way to the Create Center.

The Create Center was pretty much exactly as it sounded, a little class room that was full of art supplies of all different art forms for kids to use for their art therapy, or even for kids to use who were waiting for their parents while they were in their own sessions. It was colorful and welcoming, with murals on the walls and pictures the kids made hanging from the clothesline overhead to dry and display.

Once Winston made it to the Create Center, though, he was surprised to see the lights shining through the large windows and a young man, not much older than he was, bustling about and setting up art supplies at each station. The volunteer, he assumed, and shrugged before walking inside.

The young man with brown hair stopped and turned to Winston, a smile instantly alighting his face as he put down the cup of colored pencils and walked over to him.

“Hi there! You must be Winston!” He greeted. “I’m Callum, Callum Tredwell! I’m going to be your assistant today!”

“Callum…” Winston repeated and took his outstretched hand, surprised when the boy shook it with enthusiasm. “Right. It’s nice to meet you..!”

“It’s so good to be here! I’m really excited to meet the kids and get to know them! Oh, and to see what they create! Art Therapy is so interesting, and I’m so glad we have a place in Gatlan that allows kids to have such a healthy way to express themselves!”

“I… I agree…!” He replied, surprised by this young man who was so full of hope and optimism and… wonder.

“I hope you don’t mind that I already started setting up!” Callum said, and pointed at the blue cotton apron he was wearing. “These aprons are so snazzy, I couldn’t resist!”

A snort of a laugh came from Winston’s throat and he covered his mouth in surprise. “N-no, it’s no mind at all..! I’ll, uh, put on mine and help you with the rest before the kids get here.”

“All right, Boss!” Callum agreed, the smile never leaving his face as he went back to organizing and setting up the stations.

Winston’s cheeks burned as he opened the closet and took out his own apron, covered in colorful paint splatters and clay, and replaced it with his bag on the hook. Why was his heart beating so fast all of a sudden? He wasn’t feeling anxious, like he normally felt when this sort of thing happened. No, instead, he felt light, and giddy, almost like when Nova and him used to play as children. He felt so extraordinarily happy in Callum’s presence, it was like there wasn’t a care in the world that could bother him.

The feeling, of course, passed, and soon the Create Center was full of kids, ages ranging between four and twelve years old. There was an art therapy teacher who took the kids that were between thirteen and seventeen, but Winston was glad to be with the younger children. They were so much more lively and happy, he noticed, and much more open.

“Winston!!!” A little voice squealed in delight. A little boy with curly brown hair ran up to him, a huge smile showing off his missing front teeth. “Look what I made!” He said, holding up a drawing for Winston to see.

The drawing was of the little boy, curly brown hair haloing a small stick figure's head, and of Winston, the taller stick figure with orange hair and a big smile on his face.

“Why, that’s lovely Daniel!” Winston said, praising the boy. “I’m so honored you would draw a picture of me! You’ve come a long way, and I’m so proud of you!”

“Thanks!” He said and shoved the picture into Winston’s hands. “It’s for you to keep!”

Winston’s heart fluttered and he practically melted at the gesture. “Oh, thank you…! I’ll cherish it forever.”

The young boy giggled and ran off to go draw something else, leaving Winston to fold up the picture and put it into his pocket. He then started to make his rounds, looking over kids’ shoulders and praising them for their work. But he then stopped when he saw Callum, crouched down next to a twelve year old boy who was sitting at the paper craft station, his piece of paper untouched and the boy sitting with his arms folded and a sour expression on his face.

“What’s going on here…?” Winston asked Callum as he approached them.

“Ah, well, Titus here doesn't want to do anything.” He said, worried. “I’ve tried everything, but he won’t budge!”

“Leave me alone…!” Titus harrumphed, glaring down at the piece of paper in front of him.

“See?” Callum said, looking at Winston.

The young man sighed, shaking his head. “If he doesn't want to craft, he doesn't want to craft. We can’t force him to do anything. Perhaps he doesn't feel like it today.”

“Feel…?” Titus asked through gritted teeth. “You wanna know how I feel?” He said, snatching a pair of scissors off the table and standing up, eyes burning with rage. “I. Feel. Angry!!!” He shouted, and made a move to stab Callum with the scissors.

Out of pure surprise, Winston let out a shout and called up his power, golden strings sprouting from his fingertips and wrapping around Titus, stopping his hand inches from Callum’s shoulder.

“Titus!” Winston said, then sighed in relief. “Please, hand over the scissors.” He said. And the boy did, his body under Winston’s control but his mind free from suggestion.

“I’m very sorry that you are angry, Titus.” He said, keeping the boy’s eyes locked to his own. His voice was steady, but firm “But we don’t hurt others here. Hurting others will only hurt yourself.”

Titus huffed softly, but then moved his head in a subtle nod. Winston released his power from the boy and gently put a hand on his shoulder. “Why don’t we do some painting? You can paint how you feel instead of trying to hurt others. Does that sound okay?”

“Yeah, I guess…” Titus grumbled and allowed Winston to lead him away from Callum and to the painting station.

Later in the day, as the children left and it was time to close down the Create Shop, Callum approached Winston when they were finally alone.

“You’re the Puppeteer?” He asked, though it sounded more like an accusation.

Winston looked at him and sighed, frowning. “I was the Puppeteer. I’m not anymore. Just because I have my powers back, doesn't mean I want to hurt anyone else.”

“But… they’re letting you be around kids? Without anyone to stop you from controlling them?”

“When I was Neutralized, I went through therapy and learned that the reason why I was hurting and controlling children was because I was hurt and controlled as a child myself.” He explained. “I never thought that I would get my powers back, but when I did… I was mortified. These powers are a burden, and I hate them, but I use them only if a child is endangering themselves or others.”

Callum and Winston stood in silence for a long moment before Callum nodded, slowly.

“I see…” Callum said, and then offered a smile. “I’m sorry, I misjudged you. I can see that you really care about these kids.

“I do.” Winston agreed, looking back into the room. “What I’m doing here, for these kids, is what I would hope someone would have done for me. I would never dream of hurting them.”

“What you’re doing here, Winston… it’s wonderful.”

Winston looked at Callum and smiled sheepishly. “You really think so…?”

“Of course!” Callum said, his grin returning. “Wonder is my speciality.”

Then, a warmth spread through Winston’s chest, and he looked around the small classroom, almost as if he was seeing it in a new light all together. This place, this opportunity he was giving kids, was wonderful! And he got to be there and experience that wonder, watching the kids grow and create and heal from the things that hurt them. He was given a second chance to be able to grow and create himself, after his own childhood was taken from him and he hurt so many people. He was living in a world where everyone had the chance to live and change and grow and find happiness. He looked back at Callum in awe.

“Is… is this what you feel like all the time?” He asked.

Callum smiled and put a hand on Winston’s shoulder. “Yeah. I think, why live in a world that’s so full of darkness, when you could be living in wonder?”

#renegades by marissa meyer #winston pratt #callum treadwell #short fic #fanfiction #wholesome

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vagrantblvrd · 3 years

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Modern day spy/assassin AU where former singer/musician/~artiste works in a cozy little coffee shop neatly sandwiched between a bookstore and, idk, a flower shop.

Expected to be one of the hottest new stars coming out of Oxenfurt if it hadn’t been for that scandal with fellow band member and rumored lover Valdo Marx over alleged song theft and so on. Followed by a messy break up - band and personal - and a drawn out legal battle that drained what money Valdo hadn’t stolen from him.

(And a year or so after all that Jaskier doesn’t like to think about too much before he got his feet back under him and a friend mentioned this coffee shop she frequented, and anyway, he’s doing much better now and also somehow ends up owning it himself when its previous owner retires and sells the business to him for like, five bucks, because the power of friendship or something, idk.)

One day on his way home he stumbles over someone half dead in an alley and is like oh, oh, no because the last thing he needs is another scandal attached to his name?

Like.

He’s kept his nose clean for just over six month now, has been playing around with new melodies and bought a new notebook for lyrics and whatnot. Looked into playing at some local places, not really wanting to be a megastar or whatever these days, but he loves music and performing in a little bar somewhere would be nice, you know?

ANYWAY.

Turns out the guy isn’t actually dead, thank goodness but might as well be? Has this medallion around his neck, a cat? Which, okay, whatever he’s seen stranger and he’s getting his phone out to call an ambulance or whatever, crouched next to the guy.

Memory from the CPR course he took in college surfaces in his mind - the instructor was hot and even if Jaskier never got the guy’s number he learned valuable life skills. (And also met Shani and that proved better than getting the guy’s number because she’s one of his best friends and also incredible and anyway.)

Reaches out to check for a pulse, which is when the guy grabs his wrist - surprisingly strong grip for someone who looks like he lost a fight with a freight train - and hsi eyes snap open and they are...extremely striking and not at all normal - cat eyes, to go with the cat medallion and hahaha, oh shit, this is bad, bad news, isn’t it?

The guy tries to threaten him, which. Not as effective when the growl he’s trying for just sounds sad and pathetic, and anyway, there’s something...not fear, no, in his eyes, that has Jaskier forgetting to put the call through for an ambulance.

It’s very close to fear though. Worry? Concern? Something that Jaskier relates to in some incredibly fucked up way.

(The way he felt when Valdo Marx fucked him over and everything he’d built fell apart around him, and anyway, yes.)

He doesn’t even know why, he does, or why he ends up hauling the guy up to his apartment and patches him up best he can with wwhat he has on hand.

Will probably end up being murdered by the guy the moment he’s on his feet, but eh, that’s a problem for future Jaskier, really.)

Anyway, Aiden - because of course it’s Aiden - is super suspicious of Jaskier and his everything and there is indeed a moment where he pins Jaskier to a wall with a kitchen knife - it was an apartment-warming gift from Shani and Essi and Jaskier’s more worried about it being damaged than Aiden slitting his throat, which just confuses Aiden?

Because what even is Jaskier and his priorities???

But he doesn’t kill Jaskier and the knife gets put back and aside from that little bump in their relationship they actually become friends after that.

Jaskier takes to referring to Aiden as a stray cat whenever one of his friends or whoever asks why he buys more groceries or hurries home after work instead of sticking around to gossip a bit the way he usually does.

Aiden thinks it’s hilarious as opposed to insulting, which is great seeing as how Jaskier’s pretty sure the man’s a hitman or assassin or other similar career?

(Might be the way he mentions past jobs and his dark sense of humor and also the time he could have killed Jaskier if he felt he was a threat? So, yes.)

And Aiden, okay.

Got burned or something to leave him half dead in an alley for just anyone to stumble over and since Jaskier hasn’t made any fuss about him moving out decides he might as well stay where he is for the time being, you know?

He goes and gets a job...somewhere to help with rent and so on. Offers Jaskier enough hints to make it sound like he’s out murderizing people right and left the moment he’s out of the apartment, but then Jaskier sees him helping Triss bring in deliveries out behind the flower shop so he knows Aiden’s been fucking with him on that front and is like, dude, not funny.

(Aiden begs to disagree, but whatever.)

And then!

A month or so after Aiden’s back on his feet Jaskier runs into one of the owners of the bookshop next door?

New management and so on, and oh no, he’s exceedingly hot.

White hair and gold eyes and, sure, he’s not the most talkative guy around? But Jaskier’s cracked tougher nuts or some other way of phrasing it that doesn’t sound like a euphemism.

Also, also, there’s another painfully attractive man working there who is incredibly sweet and has a menace of a goat that they have instead of a bookstore cat?

Which.

Seems like a bad idea since Jaskier often hears about how Lil Bleater nibbles on the books if someone isn’t watching her and anyway, it means he gets to listen to Eskel lament about her latest misadventures while Geralt stands there and tries not to let on how amused he is by both the bookstoer goat and her owner and Jaskier is like shit, because Geralt and Eskel are so, so hot and he’s only human and Aiden, Aiden, do not laugh at his pain, you utter bastard of a man.

ANYWAY.

Shenanigans in which Geralt and Eskel think Jaskier has this insufferable bastard of a former stray cat at home and Jaskier piiiiines like a sad bastard while Aiden laughs and laughs and laughs.

(It should be pointed out that not once in all the time Aiden started working for Triss - and Geralt, Eskel, and Lambert - who Jaskier has heard all about but not yet met - have seen one another even though they spend most of the working day a few hundred feet apart, because Plot Reasons.)

And then!

Some shenanigans in which Geralt or Eskel - who are totally spies who are using their cozy little bookshop as a cover - get tangled up in trouble and Jaskier stumbles on them with this incredible sense of deja vu.

He drags them into the coffee shop to patch them up, and he forgets to lock the front door, which is convenient because then Aiden wanders in hoping for a free coffee?

(Power of ~friendship, and also roommates, and yes.)

Jaskier is kind of covered in blood - Geralt and Eskel’s - and Aiden is immediately in Assassin!Mode because he’s fond of Jaskier, right, owes him his life and such.

But also, Geralt and Eskel who have also had their oh, oh no he’s hot moment when it comes to Jaskier are likewise fond of him - and working up the nerve to ask him for a date, but that’s neither here nor there - go into Spy!Mode and there’s an honestly kind of terrifying, kind of sad stand-off.

Jaskier is in Adrenaline!Mode because fuck his life, of course Geralt and Eskel can’t just be incredibly hot bookstore owners and is like “If you fuck up my coffee shop I will not be happy, and also please consider my delicate sensibilities,”

Which manages to stop whatever fight was about to break out and he essentially does the Chris Pratt with the raptors thing, only with a couple of spies and his assassin roommate.

Pretends the three of them aren’t throwing menacing looks at one another as he patches Geralt and Eskel up and then is like “Well, that was fun!” because no, no it was not, and his heart is going to burst with all the tension and whatnot in the air. and hahaha, this is fine.

Which of course is when Lambert comes stomping through the front door and there is even more Drama and Angst because his ~forbidden relationship with Assassin!Aiden and heartbreak when it was assumed he’d been killed by his agency a few months back, but wait, he’s still alive???

And idk, just a lot of ridiculous spy movie cliche nonsense in which Jaskier is reluctantly dragged into things because he saved Aiden’s life that one time, and is piiiiining for Geralt and Eskel and of course he gets taken hostage and they have to band together to save him but shenanigans and ~plot twists and so on.

(And then when it seems all is lost Triss and her utterly terrifying girlfriend Yennefer actually save the day because they, too, are spies and Jaskier would honestly like to know if he’s the only normal person he knows or what, because really, what are the odds???)

Whenever the death-defying events and such are over Jaskier does, actually, go on a date with Geralt and Eskel and some smooching happens.

(Technically not their first, because that happened after they saved Jaskier’s life in that oh thank god none of us died moment after all the danger and excitement, but none of them mind, because smooches.)

Lambert and Aiden make fun of the three of them, but gently because they, too, are prime targets for mockery as they also decide to try a proper relationship and not just stolen moments here and there, and anyway, anyway

A year or so down the road Jaskier gets tired of coming home to find the two in compromising situations and is like, why, though, which conveniently happens around the time Geralt and Eskel approach him about moving in with them somewhere and he’s like, well, if he must, like he’s not thrilled about it because he’s kind of gone on the two of them, you know?

So they get this place big enough for the three of them and Lil Bleater and Aiden and Lambert get his old place and it all works out?

Sure, sure, there are a few close moments where Geralt and Eskel’s work puts Jaskier in danger, and that time whoever tried to kill Aiden targets Jaskier and so on?

But he’s like, eh, it happens, because obviously it does.

Which means Geralt and Eskel take it upon themselves to teach him to defend himself - and half the time it ends in smooches and sexytimes because hand-to-hand and being pinned to mats and adjusting his stance while learning how to use firearms and such, you know?

But also Aiden and Lambert teaching Jaskier knives and explosives - “I’m sorry, but one of these things is not like the others,” in regard to Lambert and his explosives, but it’s a ~bonding moment, so whatever.

(Also, also, that time Jaskier was able to defuse a bomb in some highly improbable and ridiculous bit of shenanigans with spy nonsense and Lambert being a smug prick about it for forever afterwards.)

And then Jaskier finds out Geralt has this incredible kid with Yennefer and what the hell is his life that all these people know each other and he doesn’t find out about it until ages afterwards, but anyway.

Ciri is awesome and after her Vesemir comes to meet the guy two of his sons are in love with, and Coen shows up along with other assorted characters I’ve forgotten and anyway, yes???

(Also, also, Yennefer happens to find out about Valdo Marx and she straightens out that mess quietly and efficiently in such a way that Jaskier doesn’t realize it until long after the fact and is like hm, because he didn’t think she particularly liked him, but apparently he was wrong? Which leads to brunch dates with her and Triss and gossiping about the other idiots in their lives and discussing Jaskier giving Ciri music lessons and anyway, yes.)

#witcher nonsense #geraskel #geralt/eskel/jaskier #aiden/lambert #technically not a fic #vagrant fic #stray cat au #¯\_(ツ)_/¯#long post #the witcher

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jackiesarch · 3 years

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come undone.

my half of a trade with the wonderful @red-nightskies! thank you so much for letting me write your sweet anna — it was a blast getting to know her!

word count: 3.7k

warnings: minor character death, canon typical violence, some language

summary: there’s whispers among the resistance that staci pratt is being held at the grandview hotel. anna reid thinks she knows who she can trust to help her free him.

This is the last safe moment: Anna stepping over the fresh corpse of a bat wielding Peggy, her chest heaving with exertion. Getting to the top floor of the Grandview Hotel unseen and unheard had been surprisingly easy. Even now, as she stands in front of the closed door of Room 306, she can’t help but be impressed by her own handiwork.

The oak panel in front of her is intimidating. She isn’t sure why. She’s checked every other room in this building, has moved through the halls and the staircases with such brutal efficiency that she should be pleased to be standing here, staring at what is undoubtedly the easiest part of this entire operation. But she isn’t. If anything, Anna finds she’s uneasy.

It feels too simple.

The Peggies have never made anything particularly easy for her. Sure, she can take down an outpost in her sleep these days or clear a roadblock in the blink of an eye, but Eden’s Gate rarely ever provides easy access to their special targets — to their leverage.

It’s part of why she’d gone to the Whitetails when the quiet whispers about Staci’s location had turned into real leads. Could she take down the guards and liberate her friend on her own? Maybe. Would she feel a hell of a lot better with an army waiting in the wings? Absolutely.

She stares at the door to the room again, her stomach twisting at what she might find behind it. Staci’s alive — that much she knows, that much a group of Eli’s scouts had been able to confirm. He’s alive, but who is he? Anna knows firsthand what Jacob does to people, knows the frantic, red-bathed horrors he puts people through to break them. Staci’s alive, but he may not be the man that flew them to Joseph’s compound all those weeks ago. It’s a thought that terrifies her.

He’ll be alright, Anna. It’s what Eli had said as he outlined the plan in the Wolf’s Den. A simple extraction mission: in-and-out, with backup waiting in the wings.

If he’s anythin’ like you, he’ll be alright. We’ll fix him up.

Slowly, Anna reaches for the doorknob, Eli’s words playing on repeat in her head. He’s right — Staci’s not beyond saving, not yet. They can fix him. Make him whole again.

She doesn’t trust easy, but she does trust Eli.

The cold metal of the handle makes her shiver as she twists it. There’s a click as the latch releases, and suddenly the door opens, creaking on its hinges as it swings into the room. All at once, she’s hit with the sickly, metallic smell of blood. It’s no wonder — the first things she notices are the smears of it on the wall, on the floor, on the discarded rags that litter the room.

The second thing she notices is Staci. He’s strapped to a chair in the middle of the room, bound by his wrists and ankles to the arms and legs of it. His head hangs heavy, chin resting against his chest like it might take all the strength left in his body to lift it in her direction. He doesn’t.

“Staci?” Anna says quietly, clearing the room with a quick glance. “Staci, it’s me.”

He doesn’t answer. Anna can only barely make out that he’s still breathing, and the movement is one that both comforts and scares her. She takes cautious steps into the room, reaching for the radio on her hip as she does.

“Eli—it’s me. I found him,” she says, finger gripping the transmit button on the radio so hard her whole hand shakes. “He’s alive. I’m getting him out. Send the Whitetails in to secure the lower floors. Anna out.”

If there’s a response, Anna doesn’t hear it. She finds herself standing in front of Staci without realizing she took the steps there, finds herself leaning down and grabbing his shoulder to shake him without consciously telling herself to do it.

“Hey,” she whispers, her grip on his shoulder tightening. Anna shakes him again, a little harder, in a desperate attempt to rouse him. “Staci, hey—“

Staci jolts so fast it makes her stumble backwards, heart suddenly thundering in her rib cage. His head flies up, his eyes wide and bloodshot, and Anna watches him gasp in a breath that it looks like he’s desperate for.

“Anna?” he croaks, eyes flitting back and forth between her in front of him and the room around them. “That really you?”

It takes a half-second longer for her to recover than she’d like. Anna scurries forward, slender fingers grasping at the restraints keeping him in place.

“Yeah, it’s me. It’s me. I’m getting you out of here.”

The bindings are tight, but she manages. First she frees his wrists, angry red marks dug into them with how tightly the straps had been pulled. His ankles come next, and Staci kicks his feet out a little before, with Anna’s help, he tries to stand. It’s not surprising that he’s weak, stumbling as he brings himself to full height. How long have they had him tied up there? How long has he been forced to sit?

She’s about to reach for her radio again, ready to tell Eli she’s on her way back to the Wolf’s Den, when the vague feeling of uneasiness from before returns with a vengeance. Anna looks around the room, frown pinching her face.

Something is wrong. The hotel feels too quiet, too safe. Why can’t she hear the Whitetails filtering in to secure the building?

And then it happens.

It feels like a slow-motion shot in an action movie. Staci opens his mouth to say something to her just as the only intact window in the room explodes, showering them with shards of broken glass. Half a second later, he crumples to the floor.

Anna’s breath leaves her lungs in a short, sharp burst. She knows better than to scream if they’re under attack, knows better than to draw all the attention to their position. Still, watching him go down like that, she has to say something.

“Staci?” Anna says, her voice unsteady as she stares down at his limp form. “Staci!”

He doesn’t respond. A pool of red forms under his skull and spreads out in a circle, inching towards her faster and faster like spilled paint on a dirty canvas.

Anna whirls around, eyes snapping in every direction as she reaches for her weapon. There’s no one in the room with them, no one in the hall, and no one down on the balcony below the window when she cranes her neck out to check. Off in the distance, she can swear she sees a glint of metal — a hunter? A Peggie with a sniper rifle? By the time she blinks, though, it’s gone, and Anna ducks her head back into the room, turns herself back towards where Staci lays. She takes a half-step forward, drawn to him as if he isn’t well beyond saving.

Then pain blossoms in her shoulder so suddenly she thinks she might be sick.

Anna stumbles back, her hand flying up to grasp at the place where sharp bursts of agony are starting to spider down into her chest, her arm, the very tips of her fingers. Liquid warmth spreads over her skin, and when she looks down, Anna finds her hand coated in her own blood. It seeps out of a ragged hole in her shoulder, and it finally registers with her that she’s been shot. Someone, somewhere in the mountains, has fired two precise shots off into Room 306 of the Grandview Hotel: one to hit Pratt, and the other meant for her.

The shock of the wound hits her all at once, sapping the strength from her muscles and forcing her to sink to her knees in the middle of the room. Anna just barely manages to brace herself as she hits the floor, her good shoulder sliding along the hardwood as she collapses onto her side.

Her thoughts are scattered, but the few cohesive ones left desperately trying to connect in a way that doesn’t quite add up. Who shot them? Why? It feels too convenient to be a well-timed accident, too ridiculous to be a case of mistaken identity.

Muffled footsteps in the hallway shatter her focus just as she’s about to consider the very obvious possibility that this is Jacob’s handiwork. Anna stills her ragged breathing as best she can and tries to listen as whoever is in the hall grows closer.

It’s hard to make out specifics with the doorway to her back. Forcing past the steady ache in her shoulder, Anna trains her ears and tries to catch the disjointed pieces of conversation.

“They’re both down,” she hears. It’s a man’s voice, a familiar one, and with her back to the doorway she struggles to remember his name. Briggs? “Pratt‘s dead. Deputy Reid...”

Briggs trails off suddenly. There’s a hissing, scratching noise — the sound of a radio transmission? — but Anna isn’t able to make out the response.

Help me!, she wants to scream. Help us! Her mouth opens to get Briggs’ attention, but nothing comes out. It’s as if the pain has stolen away her voice — her last chance at salvation.

“Right. We’re headin’ back,” Briggs says into his radio. There’s a pause, and Anna desperately tries to work out how to get his attention. “Tell Eli it’s done.”

The floorboards creak again. Footsteps sounds against the hardwood outside the room and fade away slowly, until all Anna can hear are the far away sounds of someone taking the stairs down to the second floor. There’s a distant shout; she can’t make out the words, not with the ringing in her ears, but it sounds like someone gearing up to leave the hotel.

Tell Eli it’s done.

Understanding hits her hard, like she’s been broadsided by an armoured truck. This hadn’t been Jacob and his lackeys at all. This wasn’t a well-planned take down by Eden’s Gate, wasn’t a terrible misunderstanding. Eli and the Whitetails had planned this.

She’s been betrayed.

Thoughts ping around Anna’s head. An in-and-out mission. Rescue Pratt. Escape unnoticed. A simple extraction job. How many times has she done something exactly like this? How many times has she liberated a captive Whitetail whose name and face she didn’t recognize?

How many chances have they had before this moment to take her out? Why wait this long?

The answer to her own question isn’t far out of reach. In fact, he’s sprawled out on the floor across from her.

Staci.

Better to kill two birds with one stone. Why waste time on a second covert mission when they could take down two of Jacob Seed’s most dangerous, involuntary weapons at once? It only makes tactical sense, she thinks. They were being proactive. Smart.

Vile. Heartless.

She doesn’t mean to look at Staci. She doesn’t mean for her gaze to linger on his cold, expressionless face, but it does, and she finds she can’t tear herself away. Anna more dead people than she has ever dreamed of, has watched the light leave so many pairs of eyes that she can no longer keep an accurate count. It’s the nature of the situation in Hope County — or at least, that’s what she tells herself to get by.

But this man was her friend. He was her friend, and he was kind, and now he’s dead; and it’s her fault. It’s the only thing Anna can think as she lays there, memorizing every line and every freckle of Staci’s face. She trusted Eli, trusted Tammy and Wheaty and all the other Whitetails.

She played servant when it was convenient for them, and Staci is dead because of it.

For a moment — a burning, bitter moment — she’s young again. There’s no electricity in the hotel, but that doesn’t stop the coloured glare of neon lights from registering in Anna’s mind.

She’s at the Grandview, she knows she’s at the Grandview. Every muscle in her body screams it to her as she tries to claw herself closer to Staci on the dirty floor. You’re here, she tells herself. You’re here, this is happening now, this isn’t then.

Her name is Anna Reid. She’s thirty years old. She’s been shot in the shoulder, and she’s bleeding out on the floor of the Grandview Hotel in Hope County, Montana.

Memories swirl in her head like funnel clouds. This is the Grandview Hotel, and she is dying here, but it doesn’t stop the images of the rundown gas station and its flashing neon sign from filling her mind.

Her name is Anna Reid. She’s nineteen years old. Her best friend has been shot, and she’s bleeding out on the concrete outside of a Shell station.

Anna squeezes her eyes shut against the onslaught of things she has tried so hard to forget. The images feel like they’re burned on the back of her eyelids, like she can’t escape them no matter how hard she tries to flee.

“No,” she gasps out, eyes flying open again. She’s met with Staci’s face, with the clean, dark circle on the centre of his forehead. “No, Claire—Staci, Staci, not Claire—”

A choked sob tears its way out of her chest. Her wounded shoulder has turned her arm to dead weight, and she can’t pull herself across the floor any further with just one hand; even the few inches she’s managed have turned her fingernails bloody and broken.

“I’m sorry,” Anna whispers, tears staining her cheeks. “Oh, fuck, I’m sorry.”

She doesn’t know who she’s apologizing to. Claire? Staci? Herself? All she knows is that the words come without her help, unbidden and spilling out of her like the blood spills from her shoulder.

My name is Anna Reid, she tells herself. I’m thirty. This is the Grandview Hotel in Hope County. I’m sorry.

It becomes a mantra, four sentences that she repeats over and over keep herself present. Anna forces herself to keep her eyes open, even if it means watching Staci’s body grow colder and colder — if she doesn’t, she thinks she might lose herself to the nightmare festering in her head.

Anna Reid. Thirty years old. Grandview Hotel. Anna. Thirty. Grandview.

Hours pass like that — or maybe it’s minutes, maybe seconds. Anna doesn’t know. All she knows is that the edges of her vision are starting to darken, that the blood pooling on the hardwood and soaking into discarded rags is no longer just Staci’s, but hers too.

Her shoulder feels dead. Heavy, too, as if the simple burden of having it attached to her might be what finally pulls her under, and part of her begs it to. She’s bone tired — the kind where every tiny movement feels like it’s being torn out of her, the kind where blinking is a burden and her battered body screams at her to rest. She’s tired of running, tired of fighting, tired of being hunted. She just wants this to be over and done with.

And then she hears the noise.

Creak.

For a moment, she thinks she’s imagined it. After all, she hadn’t raised hell getting inside the hotel — in fact, the plan had gone off without a hitch, quickly and quietly. The only ones who should know that she’s bleeding out on the cold floor of a dirty room are the people that put her there: the Whitetails.

Creak.

The noise comes a second time, louder, and this time Anna knows she hasn’t dreamed it up. Someone is outside of the room. One of Eli’s strays, come to finish her off? A friend-turned-foe with a pistol gripped tight and mercy on their mind?

Worse still, one of Jacob’s Chosen?

Whoever they are, they’re watching her. Anna can feel the stare on her back, burning the proverbial hole through her bloodstained clothes. The door is open, she knows, because she’s the one that left it that way.

The silence is deafening as Anna waits for them to make their move. She should be scared, she thinks. She should be paralyzed with the fear of imprisonment, of death, of whatever else might happen to her when the terror waiting in the doorway finally finds her.

Instead, she just feels numb. Nothing.

Agonizingly slowly, the steps grow closer, louder, until Anna can see the outline of a single steel-toe boot in the corner of her failing vision. They’re familiar, somehow, as if she’s seen those same boots before.

Where? Who?

The wearer takes another slow, measured step, until suddenly they’re consuming the whole frame of her vision. Until Staci’s body is nothing but an obscure, blurry background that her tired brain desperately tries to block out.

Anna can’t help it. Her focus drifts to the combat boots, to the old, cracked leather that’s stained dark with mud and darker still with something worse.

Some desperate part of her thinks she should move, thinks she should try to wrangle speech from the bottom of her dry throat. She doesn’t.

He speaks, and she and all she can do is listen.

“Wolves finally getcha, Dep?”

The boots were a clue, but there’s no mistaking the voice. It’s the strangest mix of rough and soft, an instant contradiction that matches the rest of him. And hasn’t he always been that way? Twisting her mind into something brutal and sharp with a song while he whispers praises into what feels like her soul? Withholding food with one hand while the other touches her with surprising gentleness?

If Jacob himself has come for her, then she’s finally facing the end.

The numbness is still there, choking the fear she knows she should feel as he nudges her in the ribs with the toe of his boot to see if she’s still alive. Anna barely reacts. She’s dizzy and heavy with blood loss, and even if she wanted to — well, she isn’t quite sure she could make her body do anything more than it is in this moment.

Jacob moves her around on the filthy floor like it’s easy. A push on the shoulder to get her onto her back, a steel-toe nudge to her good arm to get better access to her wounded upper half. It’s as if she’s a marionette being manipulated by its puppeteer, she thinks hazily.

No, not a marionette — the movement’s not quite that gentle. It’s as if she’s a rag doll in the hands of an over-eager child.

Suddenly, without warning, a bolt of white-hot pain streaks down her wounded arm, shoulder to fingertips. Anna has been hurt before — constantly, even, since she came to Hope County — but none of it compares to the burning, stabbing sensation she feels when Jacob crouches at her side, peeling the strap of her bloody tank top away and pressing his fingers against her bullet wound. She barely suppresses a shattered scream. The noise comes out as a high-pitched, broken whine instead, and for a minute, she’s almost positive she sees a flash of something sympathetic cross his face.

Anna thinks she should be furious with him. She thinks she should kick and scream and fight with all the strength she has left, should give him hell for making her suffering even worse.

Instead, she’s grateful.

Something about the pain splinters the blanket of numbness she’s felt since the moment the sniper’s bullets made impact. For the first time since she hit the ground, she feels.

“What’d I tell you, huh?” Jacob mutters, leaning back on the balls of his feet. Anna watches him wipe her blood on the ragged knee of his jeans. “Eli and his people. Cowards.”

Another pain stabs its way through her, but this time it doesn’t come from her injured shoulder. This time she feels it deep in her chest, a pang of betrayal that makes her hurt in an entirely new and unexpected way.

Cowards. A few months ago, she would’ve scoffed at that. A few months ago, she had scoffed at that. Now, she’s not so sure Jacob’s wrong.

There’s a shifting noise, the sound of crunching joints and slipping fabric, and the next thing Anna knows Jacob’s face is filling the frame of her vision. She strains her eyes, forcing herself to focus on him.

He watches her curiously. The steely blue gaze she’s used to is the somehow both the same as always and entirely different. It’s strange, Anna thinks — there’s a softness in the depths of his eyes. A fondness, even. This man, capable of such dangerous and depraved things, has looked at her and begin melting.

She doesn’t quite know what to do with that.

The blood loss makes it harder and harder to focus. Before she knows it, she’s following the lines of his face, tracing the roughness of scar tissue before her vision swims again.

Jacob is an enigma. He’s a cipher, a secret code she hasn’t been able to break. One moment, he’s twisting her consciousness and using it against her to make her a weapon, and the next? Well, the next moment, the cracks start to show themselves like ice before it crumbles.

Pain launches her out of her thoughts. Her tired body is being jostled, being scooped up like she weighs almost nothing, and it takes a few seconds for Anna to realize Jacob is carrying her. He’s warm, tempting to lean into, and so she does — her head sinks to the side, right against his chest.

“They’re not your friends, sweetheart,” Jacob rumbles, the sound coming more from inside him than it does from his mouth. “Makin’ you play servant girl? Leavin’ you to bleed out once you serve your purpose? Don’t sound like friends to me.”

She doesn’t have the strength to argue with him. All Anna can do is blink, eyes thick and heavy and desperate to shut so she can rest. Between flashes of her eyelids, she sees stairs, sees the tacky decoration in the hotel’s front lobby, sees the shape of Jacob’s truck in the distance.

“I’ll fix you up, honey. Get you back on your feet. Show you who your real friends are,” he muses, more to himself than to anyone else.

Her vision swims again, and this time she doesn’t have the strength to fight it. Anna feels herself go limp, sinking further into his arms, and welcomes the dark curl of unconsciousness into her mind.

“Thank you.”

The words are all she manages before she teeters off the edge into a heavy, consuming sleep.

#anna reid #far cry 5 #fc5 #fc5 fic #jacob seed #staci pratt #friends ocs #my writing

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grigori77 · 3 years

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2020 in Movies - My Top 30 Fave Movies (Part 2)

20. ONWARD – Disney and Pixar’s best digitally animated family feature of 2020 (beating the admittedly impressive Soul to the punch) clearly has a love of fantasy roleplay games like Dungeons & Dragons, its quirky modern-day AU take populated by fantastical races and creatures seemingly tailor-made for the geek crowd … needless to say, me and many of my friends absolutely loved it. That doesn’t mean that the classic Disney ideals of love, family and believing in yourself have been side-lined in favour of fan-service – this is as heartfelt, affecting and tearful as their previous standouts, albeit with plenty of literal magic added to the metaphorical kind. The central premise is a clever one – once upon a time, magic was commonplace, but over the years technology came along to make life easier, so that in the present day the various races (elves, centaurs, fauns, pixies, goblins and trolls among others) get along fine without it. Then timid elf Ian Lightfoot (Tom Holland) receives a wizard’s staff for his sixteenth birthday, a bequeathed gift from his father, who died before he was born, with instructions for a spell that could bring him back to life for one whole day. Encouraged by his brash, over-confident wannabe adventurer elder brother Barley (Chris Pratt), Ian tries it out, only for the spell to backfire, leaving them with the animated bottom half of their father and just 24 hours to find a means to restore the rest of him before time runs out. Cue an “epic quest” … needless to say, this is another top-notch offering from the original masters of the craft, a fun, affecting and thoroughly infectious family-friendly romp with a winning sense of humour and inspired, flawless world-building. Holland and Pratt are both fantastic, their instantly believable, ill-at-ease little/big brother chemistry effortlessly driving the story through its ingenious paces, and the ensuing emotional fireworks are hilarious and heart-breaking in equal measure, while there’s typically excellent support from Julia Louis-Dreyfus (Elaine from Seinfeld) as Ian and Barley’s put-upon but supportive mum, Laurel, Octavia Spencer as once-mighty adventurer-turned-restaurateur “Corey” the Manticore and Mel Rodriguez (Getting On, The Last Man On Earth) as overbearing centaur cop (and Laurel’s new boyfriend) Colt Bronco. The film marks the sophomore feature gig for Dan Scanlon, who debuted with 2013’s sequel Monsters University, and while that was enjoyable enough I ultimately found it non-essential – no such verdict can be levelled against THIS film, the writer-director delivering magnificently in all categories, while the animation team have outdone themselves in every scene, from the exquisite environments and character/creature designs to some fantastic (and frequently delightfully bonkers) set-pieces, while there’s a veritable riot of brilliant RPG in-jokes to delight geekier viewers (gelatinous cube! XD). Massive, unadulterated fun, frequently hilarious and absolutely BURSTING with Disney’s trademark heart, this was ALMOST my animated feature of the year. More on that later …

19. THE GENTLEMEN – Guy Ritchie’s been having a rough time with his last few movies (The Man From UNCLE didn’t do too bad but it wasn’t exactly a hit and was largely overlooked or simply ignored, while intended franchise-starter King Arthur: Legend of the Sword was largely derided and suffered badly on release, dying a quick death financially – it’s a shame on both counts, because I really liked them), so it’s nice to see him having some proper success with his latest, even if he has basically reverted to type to do it. Still, when his newest London gangster flick is THIS GOOD it seems churlish to quibble – this really is what he does best, bringing together a collection of colourful geezers and shaking up their status quo, then standing back and letting us enjoy the bloody, expletive-riddled results. This particularly motley crew is another winning selection, led by Matthew McConaughey as ruthlessly successful cannabis baron Mickey Pearson, who’s looking to retire from the game by selling off his massive and highly lucrative enterprise for a most tidy sum (some $400,000,000 to be precise) to up-and-coming fellow American ex-pat Matthew Berger (Succession’s Jeremy Strong, oozing sleazy charm), only for local Chinese triad Dry Eye (Crazy Rich Asians’ Henry Golding, chewing the scenery with enthusiasm) to start throwing spanners into the works with the intention of nabbing the deal for himself for a significant discount. Needless to say Mickey’s not about to let that happen … McConaughey is ON FIRE here, the best he’s been since Dallas Buyers Club in my opinion, clearly having great fun sinking his teeth into this rich character and Ritchie’s typically sparkling, razor-witted dialogue, and he’s ably supported by a quality ensemble cast, particularly co-star Charlie Hunnam as Mickey’s ice-cold, steel-nerved right-hand-man Raymond Smith, Downton Abbey’s Michelle Dockery as his classy, strong-willed wife Rosalind, Colin Farrell as a wise-cracking, quietly exasperated MMA trainer and small-time hood simply known as the Coach (who gets many of the film’s best lines), and, most notably, Hugh Grant as the film’s nominal narrator, thoroughly morally bankrupt private investigator Fletcher, who consistently steals the film. This is Guy Ritchie at his very best – a twisty rug-puller of a plot that constantly leaves you guessing, brilliantly observed and richly drawn characters you can’t help loving in spite of the fact there’s not a single hero among them, a deliciously unapologetic, politically incorrect sense of humour and a killer soundtrack. Getting the cinematic year off to a phenomenal start, it’s EASILY Ritchie’s best film since Sherlock Holmes, and a strong call-back to the heady days of Snatch (STILL my favourite) and Lock, Stock & Two Smoking Barrels. Here’s hoping he’s on a roll again, eh?

18. SPONTANEOUS – one of the year’s biggest under-the-radar surprise hits for me was one which I actually might not have caught if things had been a little more normal and ordered. Thankfully with all the lockdown and cinematic shutdown bollocks going on, this fantastically subversive and deeply satirical indie teen comedy horror came along at the perfect time, and I completely flipped out over it. Now those who know me know I don’t tend to gravitate towards teen cinema, but like all those other exceptions I’ve loved over the years, this one had a brilliantly compulsive hook I just couldn’t turn down – small-town high-schooler Mara (Knives Out and Netflix’ Cursed’s Katherine Langford) is your typical cool outsider kid, smart, snarky and just putting up with the scene until she can graduate and get as far away as possible … until one day in her senior year one of her classmates just inexplicably explodes. Like her peers, she’s shocked and she mourns, then starts to move on … until it happens again. As the death toll among the senior class begins to mount, it becomes clear something weird is going on, but Mara has other things on her mind because the crisis has, for her, had an unexpected benefit – without it she wouldn’t have fallen in love with like-minded oddball new kid Dylan (Lean On Pete and Words On Bathroom Walls’ Charlie Plummer). The future’s looking bright, but only if they can both live to see it … this is a wickedly intelligent film, powered by a skilfully executed script and a wonderfully likeable young cast who consistently steer their characters around the potential cliched pitfalls of this kind of cinema, while debuting writer-director Brian Duffield (already a rising star thanks to scripts for Underwater, The Babysitter and blacklist darling Jane Got a Gun among others) show he’s got as much talent and flair for crafting truly inspired cinema as he has for thinking it up in the first place, delivering some impressively offbeat set-pieces and several neat twists you frequently don’t see coming ahead of time. Langford and Plummer as a sassy, spicy pair who are easy to root for without ever getting cloying or sweet, while there’s glowing support from the likes of Hayley Law (Rioverdale, Altered Carbon, The New Romantic) as Mara’s best friend Tess, Piper Perabo and Transparent’s Rob Huebel as her increasingly concerned parents, and Insecure’s Yvonne Orji as Agent Rosetti, the beleaguered government employee sent to spearhead the investigation into exactly what’s happening to these kids. Quirky, offbeat and endlessly inventive, this is one of those interesting instances where I’m glad they pushed the horror elements into the background so we could concentrate on the comedy, but more importantly these wonderfully well-realised and vital characters – there are some skilfully executed shocks, but far more deep belly laughs, and there’s bucketloads of heart to eclipse the gore. Another winning debut from a talent I intend to watch with great interest in the future.

17. HAMILTON – arriving just as Black Lives Matter reached fever-pitch levels, this feature presentation of the runaway Broadway musical smash-hit could not have been better timed. Shot over three nights during the show’s 2016 run with the original cast and cut together with specially created “setup shots”, it’s an immersive experience that at once puts you right in amongst the audience (at times almost a character themselves, never seen but DEFINITELY heard) but also lets you experience the action up close. And what action – it’s an incredible show, a thoroughly fascinating piece of work that reads like something very staid and proper on paper (an all-encompassing biographical account of the life and times of American Founding Father Alexander Hamilton) but, in execution, becomes something very different and EXTREMELY vital. ��The execution certainly couldn’t be further from the usual period biopic fare this kind of historical subject matter usually gets (although in the face of recent high quality revisionist takes like Marie Antoinette, The Great and Tesla it’s not SO surprising), while the cast is not at all what you’d expect – with very few notable exceptions the cast is almost entirely people of colour, despite the fact that the real life individuals they’re playing were all very white indeed. Every single one of them is also an absolute revelation – the show’s writer-composer Lin-Manuel Miranda (already riding high on the success of In the Heights) carries the central role of Hamilton with effortless charm and raw star power, Leslie Odom Jr. (Smash, Murder On the Orient Express) is duplicitously complex as his constant nemesis Aaron Burr, Christopher Jackson (In the Heights, Moana, Bull) oozes integrity and nobility as his mentor and friend George Washington, Phillipa Soo is sweet and classy as his wife Eliza while Renée Elise Goldsberry (The Immortal Life of Henrietta Jacks, Altered Carbon) is fiery and statuesque as her sister Angelica Schuyler (the one who got away), and Jonathan Groff (Mindhunter) consistently steals every scene he’s in as fiendish yet childish fan favourite King George III, but the show (and the film) ultimately belongs to veritable powerhouse Daveed Diggs (Blindspotting, The Good Lord Bird) in a spectacular duel role, starting subtly but gaining scene-stealing momentum as French Revolutionary Gilbert du Motier, the Marquis de Lafayette, before EXPLODING onto the stage in the second half as indomitable third American President Thomas Jefferson. Not having seen the stage show, I was taken completely by surprise by this, revelling in its revisionist genius and offbeat, quirky hip-hop charm, spellbound by the skilful ease with which is takes the sometimes quite dull historical fact and skews it into something consistently entertaining and absorbing, transported by the catchy earworm musical numbers and thoroughly tickled by the delightfully cheeky sense of humour strung throughout (at least when I wasn’t having my heart broken by moments of raw dramatic power). Altogether it’s a pretty unique cinematic experience I wish I could have actually gotten to see on the big screen, and one I’ve consistently recommended to all my friends, even the ones who don’t usually like musicals. As far as I’m concerned it doesn’t need a proper Les Misérables style screen adaptation – this is about as perfect a presentation as the show could possibly hope for.

16. SPUTNIK – summer’s horror highlight (despite SERIOUSLY tough competition) was a guaranteed sleeper hit that I almost missed entirely, stumbling across the trailer one day on YouTube and getting bowled over by its potential, prompting me to hunt it down by any means necessary. The feature debut of Russian director Egor Abramenko, this first contact sci-fi chiller is about as far from E.T. as it’s possible to get, sharing some of the same DNA as Carpenter’s The Thing but proudly carving its own path with consummate skill and definitely signalling great things to come from its brand new helmer and relative unknown screenwriters Oleg Malovichko and Andrei Zolotarev. Oksana Akinshina (probably best known in the West for her powerful climactic cameo in The Bourne Supremacy) is the beating heart of the film as neurophysiologist Tatyana Yuryevna Klimova, brought in to aid in the investigation in the Russian wilderness circa 1983 after an orbital research mission goes horribly wrong. One of the cosmonauts dies horribly, while the other, Konstantin (The Duelist’s Pyotr Fyodorov) seems unharmed, but it quickly becomes clear that he’s now the host for something decidedly extraterrestrial and potentially terrifying, and as Tatyana becomes more deeply embroiled in her assignment she comes to realise that her superiors, particularly mysterious Red Army project leader Colonel Semiradov (The PyraMMMid’s Fyodor Bondarchuk), have far more insidious plans for Konstantin and his new “friend” than she could ever imagine. This is about as dark, intense and nightmarish as this particular sub-genre gets, a magnificently icky body horror that slowly builds its tension as we’re gradually exposed to the various truths and the awful gravity of the situation slowly reveals itself, punctuated by skilfully executed shocks and some particularly horrifying moments when the evils inflicted by the humans in charge prove far worse than anything the alien can do, while the ridiculously talented writers have a field day pulling the rug out from under us again and again, never going for the obvious twist and keeping us guessing right to the devastating ending, while the beautifully crafted digital creature effects are nothing short of astonishing and thoroughly creepy. Akinshina dominates the film with her unbridled grace, vulnerability and integrity, the relationship that develops between Tatyana and Konstantin (Fyodorov delivering a beautifully understated turn belying deep inner turmoil) feeling realistically earned as it goes from tentatively wary to tragically bittersweet, while Bondarchuk invests the Colonel with a nuanced air of tarnished authority and restrained brutality that made him one of my top screen villains for the year. One of 2020’s great sleeper hits, I can’t speak of this film highly enough – it’s a genuine revelation, an instant classic for whom I’ll sing its praises for years to come, and I wish enormous future success to all the creative talents involved.

15. THE INVISIBLE MAN – looks like third time’s a charm for Leigh Whannell, writer-director of my ALMOST horror movie of the year (more on that later) – while he’s had immense success as a horror writer over the years (co-creator of both the Saw and Insidious franchises), as a director his first two features haven’t exactly set the world alight, with debut Insidious: Chapter III garnering similar takes to the rest of the series but ultimately turning out to be a bit of a damp squib quality-wise, while his second feature Upgrade was a stone-cold masterpiece that was (rightly) EXTREMELY well received critically, but ultimately snuck in under the radar and has remained a stubbornly hidden gem since. No such problems with his third feature, though – his latest collaboration with producer Jason Blum and the insanely lucrative Blumhouse Pictures has proven a massive hit both financially AND with reviewers, and deservedly so. Having given up on trying to create a shared cinematic universe inhabited by their classic monsters, Universal resolved to concentrate on standalones to showcase their elite properties, and their first try is a rousing success, Whannell bringing HG Wells’ dark and devious human monster smack into the 21st Century as only he can. The result is a surprisingly subtle piece of work, much more a lethally precise exercise in cinematic sleight of hand and extraordinary acting than flashy visual effects, strictly adhering to the Blumhouse credo of maximum returns for minimum bucks as the story is stripped down to its bare essentials and allowed to play out without any unnecessary weight. The Handmaid’s Tale’s Elizabeth Moss once again confirms what a masterful actress she is as she brings all her performing weapons to bear in the role of Cecelia “Cee” Kass, the cloistered wife of affluent but monstrously abusive optics pioneer Aidan Griffin (Netflix’ The Haunting of Hill House’s Oliver Jackson-Cohen), who escapes his clutches in the furiously tense opening sequence and goes to ground with the help of her closest childhood friend, San Francisco cop James Lanier (Leverage’s Aldis Hodge) and his teenage daughter Sydney (A Wrinkle in Time’s Storm Reid). Two weeks later, Aidan commits suicide, leaving Cee with a fortune to start her life over (with the proviso that she’s never ruled mentally incompetent), but as she tries to find her way in the world again little things start going wrong for her, and she begins to question if there might be something insidious going on. As her nerves start to unravel, she begins to suspect that Aidan is still alive, still very much in her life, fiendishly toying with her and her friends, but no-one can see him. Whannell plays her paranoia up for all it’s worth, skilfully teasing out the scares so that, just like her friends, we begin to wonder if it might all be in her head after all, before a spectacular mid-movie reveal throws the switch into high gear and the true threat becomes clear. The lion’s share of the film’s immense success must of course go to Moss – her performance is BEYOND a revelation, a blistering career best that totally powers the whole enterprise, and it goes without saying that she’s the best thing in this. Even so, she has sterling support from Hodge and Reid, as well as Love Child’s Harriet Dyer as Cee’s estranged big sister Emily and Wonderland’s Michael Dorman as Adrian’s slimy, spineless lawyer brother Tom, and, while he doesn’t have much actual (ahem) “screen time”, Jackson-Cohen delivers a fantastically icy, subtly malevolent turn which casts a large “shadow” over the film. This is one of my very favourite Blumhouse films, a pitch-perfect psychological chiller that keeps the tension cranked up unbearably tight and never lets go, Whannell once again displaying uncanny skill with expert jump-scares, knuckle-whitening chills and a truly astounding standout set-piece that easily goes down as one of the top action sequences of 2020. Undoubtedly the best version of Wells’ story to date, this goes a long way in repairing the damage of Universal’s abortive “Dark Universe” efforts, as well as showcasing a filmmaking master at the very height of his talents.

14. EXTRACTION – the Coronavirus certainly has threw a massive spanner in the works of the year’s cinematic calendar – among many other casualties to the blockbuster shunt, the latest (and most long-awaited) MCU movie, Black Widow, should have opened to further record-breaking box office success at the end of spring, but instead the theatres were all closed and virtually all the heavyweights were pushed back or shelved indefinitely. Thank God, then, for the streaming services, particularly Hulu, Amazon and Netflix, the latter of which provided a perfect movie for us to see through the key transition into the summer blockbuster season, an explosively flashy big budget action thriller ushered in by MCU alumni the Russo Brothers (who produced and co-wrote this adaptation of Ciudad, a graphic novel that Joe Russo co-created with Ande Parks and Fernando Leon Gonzalez) and barely able to contain the sheer star-power wattage of its lead, Thor himself. Chris Hemsworth plays Tyler Rake, a former Australian SAS operative who hires out his services to an extraction operation under the command of mercenary Nik Khan (The Patience Stone’s Golshifteh Farahani), brought in to liberate Ovi Mahajan (Rudhraksh Jaiswal in his first major role), the pre-teen son of incarcerated Indian crime lord Ovi Sr. (Pankaj Tripathi), who has been abducted by Bangladeshi rival Amir Asif (Priyanshu Painyuli). The rescue itself goes perfectly, but when the time comes for the hand-off the team is double-crossed and Tyler is left stranded in the middle of Dhaka with no choice but to keep Ovi alive as every corrupt cop and street gang in the city closes in around them. This is the feature debut of Sam Hargrave, the latest stuntman to try his hand at directing, so he certainly knows his way around an action set-piece, and the result is a thoroughly breathless adrenaline rush of a film, bursting at the seams with spectacular fights, gun battles and car chases, dominated by a stunning sustained sequence that plays out in one long shot, guaranteed to leave jaws lying on the floor. Not that there should be any surprise – Hargrave cut his teeth as a stunt coordinator for the Russos on Captain America: Civil War and their Avengers films. That said, he displays strong talent for the quieter disciplines of filmmaking too, delivering quality character development and drawing out consistently noteworthy performances from his cast. Of course, Hemsworth can do the action stuff in his sleep, but there’s a lot more to Tyler than just his muscle, the MCU veteran investing him with real wounded vulnerability and a tragic fatalism which colours every scene, while Jaiswal is exceptional throughout, showing plenty of promise for the future, and there’s strong support from Farahani and Painyuli, as well as Stranger Things’ David Harbour as world-weary retired merc Gaspard, and a particularly impressive, muscular turn from Randeep Hooda (Once Upon a Time in Mumbai) as Saju, a former Para and Ovi’s bodyguard, who’s determined to take possession of the boy himself, even if he has to go through Tyler to get him. This is action cinema that really deserves to be seen on the big screen – I watched it twice in a week and would happily have paid for two trips to the cinema for it if I could have. As we looked down the barrel of a summer season largely devoid of blockbuster fare, I couldn’t recommend this enough. Thank the gods for Netflix …

13. THE TRIAL OF THE CHICAGO 7 – although it’s definitely a film that really benefitted enormously from releasing on Netflix during the various lockdowns, this was one of the blessed few I actually got to see during one of the UK’s frustratingly rare lulls when cinemas were actually OPEN. Rather perversely it therefore became one of my favourite cinematic experiences of 2020, but then I’m just as much a fan of well-made cerebral films as I am of the big, immersive blockbuster EXPERIENCES, so this probably still would have been a standout in a normal year. Certainly if this was a purely CRITICAL list for the year this probably would have placed high in the Top Ten … Aaron Sorkin is a writer whose work I have ardently admired ever since he went from esteemed playwright to in-demand talent for both the big screen AND the small with A Few Good Men, and TTOTC7 is just another in a long line of consistently impressive, flawlessly written works rife with addictive quickfire dialogue, beautifully observed characters and rewardingly propulsive narrative storytelling (therefore resting comfortably amongst the well-respected likes of The West Wing, Charlie Wilson’s War, Moneyball and The Social Network). It also marks his second feature as a director (after fascinating and incendiary debut Molly’s Game), and once again he’s gone for true story over fiction, tackling the still controversial subject of the infamous 1968 trial of the “ringleaders” of the infamous riots which marred Chicago’s Diplomatic National Convention five months earlier, in which thousands of hippies and college students protesting the Vietnam War clashed with police. Spurred on by the newly-instated Presidential Administration of Richard Nixon to make some examples, hungry up-and-coming prosecutor Richard Schultz (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) is confident in his case, while the Seven – who include respected and astute student activist Tom Hayden (Eddie Redmayne) and confrontational counterculture firebrands Abbie Hoffman (Sacha Baron Cohen) and Jerry Rubin (Succession’s Jeremy Strong) – are the clear underdogs. They’re a divided bunch (particularly Hayden and Hoffman, who never mince their words about what little regard they hold for each other), and they’re up against the combined might of the U.S. Government, while all they have on their side is pro-bono lawyer and civil rights activist William Kunstler (Mark Rylance), who’s sharp, driven and thoroughly committed to the cause but clearly massively outmatched … not to mention the fact that the judge presiding over the case is Julius Hoffman (Frank Langella), a fierce and uncompromising conservative who’s clearly 100% on the Administration’s side, and who might in fact be stark raving mad (he also frequently goes to great lengths to make it clear to all concerned that he is NOT related to Abbie). Much as we’ve come to expect from Sorkin, this is cinema of grand ideals and strong characters, not big spectacle and hard action, and all the better for it – he’s proved time and again that he’s one of the very best creative minds in Hollywood when it comes to intelligent, thought-provoking and engrossing thinking-man’s entertainment, and this is pure par for the course, keeping us glued to the screen from the skilfully-executed whirlwind introductory montage to the powerfully cathartic climax, and every varied and brilliant scene in-between. This is heady stuff, focusing on what’s still an extremely thorny issue made all the more urgently relevant and timely given what was (and still is) going on in American politics at the time, and everyone involved here was clearly fully committed to making the film as palpable, powerful and resonant as possible for the viewer, no matter their nationality or political inclination. Also typical for a Sorkin film, the cast are exceptional, everyone clearly having the wildest time getting their teeth into their finely-drawn characters and that magnificent dialogue – Redmayne and Baron Cohen are compellingly complimentary intellectual antagonists given their radically different approaches and their roles’ polar opposite energies, while Rylance delivers another pitch-perfect, simply ASTOUNDING performance that once again marks him as one of the very best actors of his generation, and there are particularly meaty turns from Strong, Langella, Aquaman’s Yahya Abdul-Mateen II (as besieged Black Panther Bobby Seale) and a potent late appearance from Michael Keaton that sear themselves into the memory long after viewing. Altogether then, this is a phenomenal film which deserves to be seen no matter the format, a thought-provoking and undeniably IMPORTANT masterwork from a master cinematic storyteller that says as much about the world we live in now as the decidedly turbulent times it portrays …

12. GREYHOUND – when the cinemas closed back in March, the fate of many of the major summer blockbusters we’d been looking forward to was thrown into terrible doubt. Some were pushed back to more amenable dates in the autumn or winter (which even then ultimately proved frustratingly ambitious), others knocked back a whole year to fill summer slots for 2021, but more than a few simply dropped off the radar entirely with the terrible words “postponed until further notice” stamped on them, and I lamented them all, this one in particular. It hung in there longer than some, stubbornly holding onto its June release slot for as long as possible, but eventually it gave up the ghost too … but thanks to Apple TV+, not for long, ultimately releasing less than a month later than intended. Thankfully the film itself was worth the fuss, a taut World War II suspense thriller that’s all killer, no filler – set during the infamous Battle of the Atlantic, it portrays the constant life-or-death struggle faced by the Allied warships assigned to escort the transport convoys as they crossed the ocean, defending their charges from German U-boats. Adapted from C.S. Forester’s famous 1955 novel The Good Shepherd by Tom Hanks and directed by Aaron Schneider (Get Low), the narrative focuses on the crew of the escort leader, American destroyer USS Fletcher, codenamed “Greyhound”, and in particular its captain, Commander Ernest Krause (Hanks), a career sailor serving his first command. As they cross “the Pit”, the most dangerous middle stretch of the journey where they spend days without air-cover, they find themselves shadowed by “the Wolf Pack”, a particularly cunning group of German submarines that begin to pick away at the convoy’s stragglers. Faced with daunting odds, a dwindling supply of vital depth-charges and a ruthless, persistent enemy, Krause must make hard choices to bring his ships home safe … jumping into the thick of the action within the first ten minutes and maintaining its tension for the remainder of the trim 90-minute run, this is screen suspense par excellence, a sleek textbook example of how to craft a compelling big screen knuckle-whitener with zero fat and maximum reward, delivering a series of desperate naval scraps packed with hide-and-seek intensity, heart-in-mouth near-misses and fist-in-air cathartic payoffs by the bucket-load. Hanks is subtly magnificent, the calm centre of the narrative storm as a supposed newcomer to this battle arena who could have been BORN for it, bringing to mind his similarly unflappable in Captain Phillips and certainly not suffering by comparison; by and large he’s the focus point, but other crew members make strong (if sometimes quite brief) impressions, particularly Stephen Graham as Krause’s reliably seasoned XO, Lt. Commander Charlie Cole, The Magnificent Seven’s Manuel Garcia-Rulfo and Just Mercy’s Rob Morgan, while Elisabeth Shue does a lot with a very small part in brief flashbacks as Krause’s fiancée Evelyn. Relentless, exhilarating and thoroughly unforgettable, this was one of the true action highlights of the summer, and one hell of a war flick. I’m so glad it made the cut for the summer …

11. PROJECT POWER – with Marvel and DC pushing their tent-pole titles back in the face of COVID, the usual superhero antics we’ve come to expect for the summer were pretty thin on the ground in 2020, leading us to find our geeky fan thrills elsewhere. Unfortunately, pickings were frustratingly slim – Korean comic book actioner Gundala was entertaining but workmanlike, while Thor AU Mortal was underwhelming despite strong direction from Troll Hunter’s André Øvredal, and The New Mutants just got shat on by the studio and its distributors and no mistake – thank the Gods, then, for Netflix, once again riding to the rescue with this enjoyably offbeat super-thriller, which takes an intriguing central premise and really runs with it. New designer drug Power has hit the streets of New Orleans, able to give anyone who takes it a superpower for five minutes … the only problem is, until you try it, you don’t know what your own unique talent is – for some, it could mean five minutes of invisibility, or insane levels of super-strength, but other powers can be potentially lethal, the really unlucky buggers just blowing up on the spot. Robin (The Hate U Give’s Dominique Fishback) is a teenage Power-pusher with dreams of becoming a rap star, dealing the pills so she can help her diabetic mum; Frank Shaver (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) is one of her customers, a police detective who uses his power of near invulnerability to even the playing field when supercharged crims cause a disturbance. Their lives are turned upside down when Art (Jamie Foxx) arrives in town – he’s a seriously badass ex-soldier determined to hunt down the source of Power by any means necessary, and he’s not above tearing the Big Easy apart to do it. This is a fun, gleefully infectious rollercoaster that doesn’t take itself too seriously, revelling in the anarchic potential of its premise and crafting some suitably OTT effects-driven chaos brought to pleasingly visceral fruition by its skilfully inventive director, Ariel Schulman (Catfish, Nerve, Viral), while Mattson Tomlin (the screenwriter of the DCEU’s oft-delayed, incendiary headline act The Batman) takes the story in some very interesting directions and poses fascinating questions about what Power’s TRULY capable of. Gordon-Levitt and Fishback are both brilliant, the latter particularly impressing in what’s sure to be a major breakthrough role for her, and the friendship their characters share is pretty adorable, while Foxx really is a force to be reckoned with, pretty chill even when he’s in deep shit but fully capable of turning into a bona fide killing machine at the flip of a switch, and there’s strong support from Westworld’s Rodrigo Santoro as Biggie, Power’s delightfully oily kingpin, Courtney B. Vance as Frank’s by-the-book superior, Captain Crane, Amy Landecker as Gardner, the morally bankrupt CIA spook responsible for the drug’s production, and Machine Gun Kelly as Newt, a Power dealer whose pyrotechnic “gift” really isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Exciting, inventive, frequently amusing and infectiously likeable, this was some of the most uncomplicated cinematic fun I had all summer. Not bad for something which I’m sure was originally destined to become one of the season’s B-list features …

#onward #onward movie #The Gentlemen #spontaneous #spontaneous movie #hamilton #hamilton movie #sputnik #sputnik movie #The Invisible Man #Extraction #extraction movie #the trial of the chicago 7 #greyhound #greyhound movie #project power #2020 in movies

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love-and-anarchy-au · 4 years

Text

Love & Anarchy: Chapter 2

good morning/evening! here’s the second chapter. i loved writing the artino siblings and figuting out their aesthetics. hope you like itt <3

REMEMBER THIS AU HAPPENS IN THE SAME UNIVERSE THAT THIS ONE

Find out what this AU is about here

Masterlist

Tag list: @healing-winston-pratt @dawniebb @obsidianfr3sk @nodrianbcyes @everyone-has-a-nightmare

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Words:

10,227

Part 1: A boy named Alec Artino

4 years old Alec

“That's not fair, Alec!”

“Yes, yes it is.”

And they all laughed.

The three Artino siblings were mysterious, very different and identical at the same time, just like crystals. The oldest, Julieta Artino, was slender, with a smooth face and round features. Her eyes were a hug to the soul; her dark eyes were bright, as if they were filled with stars just as her soul was filled with secrets. She always wore her hair down, with a golden headband, delicate and narrow like the hair of an angel, so that her hair would not come over her face; and, also, so people’s attention would be drawn to that shiny headband instead of the greasy dirt in her hair, which could only be washed once a week. On top of that, her body smelled like cheap but fresh perfume, because the Artino family couldn't afford more than twenty showers a month, all five minutes long, so they spent a lot of their money on farmacy perfumes. Her laugh was the most angelic sound in existence and her soul held more secrets than any other one Earth. Despite knowing so much, her lips were always arched on a smile, let it be sad, happy, or repressed; it was always genuine like a pure diamond.

The second brother, David Artino, was skinny, with the most tanned skin out of all the Artinos, since he used to get tanned under the sun of the streets where he sold his metals, which bought the subsistence of the Artino family. His eyes, blue like the sky, (or like the Mediterranean, that's how Alec liked it better), were the first thing you noticed about him, since they contrasted with the sepia photo that he resembled, with his worn out beige clothes, his golden skin smelling of sand and sea, and his dusty hair. His fingers were skilled at handling metals, and that is what he did, despite being only eight years old. He was quiet, shy, introverted, and people still loved him almost as much as Julieta, (even more, Alec dared to think). He was a satellite orbiting the Artinos, isolated but bright when it received light from the sun, which was his father.

The youngest brother, Alec Artino, was pure skin and bones,scented with manly perfume. He appeared to be the same age as his brother, when, in fact, he was three years younger. His dark and turbulent eyes, with slight sparkles, were somewhat sunken (perhaps too much for his age). His hair was strictly slicked back with gel (perhaps too much for his age), repressing all his natural waves (which were to be expected for his age). While he had an easy laugh, laughing was a permitted act only when his father was not around. His father had hated him since birth (perhaps too much), and Alec didn't understand why (nobody actually did). He was a black sheep among the Artinos (perhaps too much), although his mother and sister did their best to make him feel part of the family (perhaps not enough).

At the moment, the three Artinos siblings were together playing chess on their worn out but beautiful board that had been passed down from generation to generation until it reached their hands. It was David against Alec, since Julieta was not allowed to play with them, because she had hellish luck despite being an angel; she always won all the games that could be played with wit and luck. In the face of constant protests from her brothers, Julieta had to stand aside and let Alec and David play, while she smiled mysteriously at the wooden pieces that composed the chess.

Alec was winning at the time, and David was quite outraged (his level of outrage was a soft frown, forming unnatural wrinkles on his forehead). Each movement was more calculated and more premeditated and more confusing and more and more and more. David licked his lips, hungry for knowledge; of knowing what he should do with his remaining pieces of wood. Alec especially enjoyed watching David lose, as David used to have the upper hand overall. Being able to surpass his older brother at something, even if it was in an insignificant game in their lives and the lives of others, a game of bishops and towers, kings and queens, made him feel proud of himself for once from time to time.

Julieta sighed and rested her chin on her hand, bored. Alec suspected she already knew how that game was going to end.

“Can’t we go to the beach instead? I'm bored,” said Julieta, and she shifted into a laying position with a yawn. Her skirt fell on the floor , still covering her pale and tanned legs (a textually inexplicable combination but logical when viewed) and her loafers moved from side to side, synchronized so as not to collide with each other. Julieta stared at the ceiling, her eyes lost and expectant of something to entertain her, according to what Alec saw reflected in them.

David gently denied. Everything about him was soft, subtle, wispy, like a spring breeze.

“We can't go to the beach alone, Julieta. Mamma and Papà are out doing their businesses, and Papà ordered us not to leave the house,” David said and felt one of the pieces, a tower, with his fingers. He hesitated for an instant and moved another, a bishop. Alec laughed. He had become confused, for having been so absorbed in his world full of doubts.

Alec made his last move,not hesitating for a second, and won. It was not necessary to utter the words "checkmate". A silent victory was worth as much as a loud one. David sighed and rubbed his hands over his face, as if he had just woken up from a bad dream. Julieta snorted, tired of waiting for a miracle.

Julieta stood up abrupt yet graceful way, took Alec's hand, helped him up, and led him into the hall. Two pairs of shoes collided on the floor, and the sound echoed off the adobe walls painted with yellowish paint. David stopped to keep up with them, confused but disinterested, as always. He opened his mouth to ask a question, but Julieta cut him short with style:

“We’re going to the beach, you can come if you want to.”

Julieta looked for the keys of their run-down house, which were hanging from a hook on the wall, and opened the front door, which creaked when opened (it hadn't been oiled since they had bought the house and moved in). She put the keys in the pocket of her dirty white apron and looked David in the eyes. He sighed again, agreeing to go with them without saying a word; Alec choked back a snort. He would have preferred to be alone with Julieta, but David would not interfere, since he was always deeply focused on his own thoughts.

They walked through the picturesque streets of stone and dust, with drops of dried blood from time to time. Men, women, and children walked too, clad in worn out leather shoes, dirty skirts full of flour, and denim vests made of repurposed fabric. Some men wore hats; women had their hairs combed without a hair out of place, and they showed tired but active expressions at the same time; what a terrifying contradiction the world was! The voices were loud and the words were sung, not spoken, accompanied by hands, eyes, and eyebrows.

Alec enjoyed the dance that was his town. The screams, the cries, the songs, the food. The landscape, the summit that was behind the colorful brick or adobe houses, located next to the celestial Mediterranean Sea, without fear of the rising tide. He liked to go to the beaches and play with the white sand in search of colorful snails and priceless treasures, without immersing himself in the transparent and bluish marine waters, since he was very small. It was a nice place to live, if you were like him.

They arrived at the long-awaited and beautiful beach, which only the locals knew about, and the first thing Julieta did was taking off her leatherette moccasins. A sigh of pleasure escaped her throat as she touched the sand with her feet and Alec also took off his shoes, awkwardly, only to feel what Julieta was feeling. He felt the wet sand and the dry sand slipping through his little toes and sticking to his skin. Julieta rolled up his pants and David did the same with his’, so as not to get them dirty, since they only had two pairs and were washed once a week. David approached the shore, without any fear or intention, and his feet got wet from the sand and the waves that came up there (did David know that his eyes were pieces of that same sea?). Julieta took little Alec in her arms and carried him to the sea, euphoric and with her teeth exposed in a smile, shining like all the pearls they could not afford.

Alec was about to protest, he was already big and did not want to be lifted, but Julieta put him down before he even had time to even say non. Without letting go of her hand, one long and thin and the other small and plump, they walked along the shoreline, their shoes dangling from their fingers, retracted like claws, the waves crashing against the sand and their feet, and the sun beginning to go down slowly, without any rush, just like them.

The three Artino siblings were mysterious, very different and identical at the same time. Julieta was a living guardian angel, cursed to keep secrets that did not belong to her. David was a soul bottled up in a body very similar to this one, condemned to carry weights that were not his’. Alec was a fifth wheel on a four wheels car; he was the spare, he was only for non-substitute wheels purposes. And yet the siblings, being them an angel, a bottled soul, and a fifth wheel, worked well with each other. They were like a human brain: you don't understand how it works, but it does, and that's what really matters.

Juliet hummed old and romantic sonatas, David walked with his head down and his hands in his pockets. Alec sometimes asked to stop to gather a snail or stone out of place that caught his attention, and to be able to put them in his pockets and then in his collection. Even back then, he was a curious being.

When the sun began to brush the sea, changing the color of the water from turquoise to soft orange and fired at the same time, they set out to the overwhelming daily life, that they knew wasn’t so bad when they were together.

Without letting go of their hands, sibling hands, thin and fragile hands, hands full of the same genetics and one unique at a time, they returned home.

#love & anarchy #love & anarchy au #ace anarchy's backstory #ace anarchy #alec artino #julieta artino #david artino #my au #au #renegades au #read #reblog #before renegades #aestethic #whatever

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bygosscarmine · 3 years

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A PERILOUS ENGAGEMENT

Man from UNCLE - Wife or Knife AU

for @karis-the-fangirl later rather than sooner, but here is the fruit of your Wife or Knife AU in my imagination!

It’s ended up being less about the source material and way more about the potential of a very rigid, very tall man being forced by a small pistol of a woman into a [fake?] relationship. It was incredibly fun to write, and rewrite. I hope it’s enjoyable to read!

1/12

The ball may have been the event of the season in the country town of Middleton, but it was hardly high society. This should have set Elias Carrick at ease. Considering that he wasn't really meant to be in Middleton, and his friend Napoleon was so determined he should go, the general effect was a more subtle form of disquiet.

Napoleon was not the actual inmate of Elba Island, but a friend from Oxford given the moniker for reasons best left unsaid in polite society: more properly George Solo. His reassurances were to the tune of, “If you’re ever to make vicar from curate, you’ll need connections. And to make connections you need polish. The first step to polish is to at least have attended a party once.” Not reassuring, and putting rather a lot of weight on a single performance.

Solo had been in the neighborhood of Middleton kicking his heels at his uncle’s home for several weeks. Finding that Carrick would pass through the country on his way to the parish in the North, he had invited him to stop for a short holiday. Carrick had surprised even himself by accepting. The amusements had been tame enough so far, but he could not shake the sense he might end up regretting this whim deeply. He had regretted every other caper the dashing but devious-minded Solo had drawn him into, back in the day.

He stood feeling rather like a lamp-post at the edge of a London bustle, stock-still and being bumped into as if practically invisible. There were silks and muslins fluttering about, and smart jackets darting between them, all turning eager faces towards each other with smiles in their eyes. The chandelier light filled the room with a slight haze of smoke, and the heat of so many people all crowded together made him feel a little out of sorts. He had attended a middle-aged woman to a seat, and had been quite happy to allow her to gossip away at him, but had been supplanted by a matron who thought she was rescuing him. Now he had to find some other way to be politely engaged in the party, and Solo was at his elbow to make sure he did.

"Solo! My boy," said a figure of rather aged splendor, approaching. "And your friend, delightful!"

Solo made his introductions between Carrick and the Squire--his uncle was helping the Squire in some matters of business, and the man had generously included them all in his invitation. The dubious nature of inviting the man of business's nephew and friend to a ball was probably just a highlight of the country life, but Carrick felt as though he shouldn't have accepted.

"You know, there just aren't enough handsome lads about in these parts to do the pretty, so it's a famous thing to have a few visitors! Now, come, I must carry you off to please the young ladies."

Understandably, he took Solo along first, and Carrick purposefully missed his look of beckoning, to remain shored up in the debris of the party's tides. The Squire bore back down on him pitilessly, however, and ushered him along to stand up with a young woman of reddish blonde hair and a delicate face. Since Carrick was well over six foot, and built on the lines of yeoman, she seemed to be in some terror of him.

He said gently, "I am not sure I will get all the steps right," since he knew that his preference for silence did not strike people as comforting. She glanced up at him nervously, but when he moved without too much clumsiness she seemed relieved, and even made some remarks to him as if taking pity.

Being a man of the cloth did seem to excite a certain tendency toward pity in women. At least he had found it so. She left his side at the end of the set without hesitation, but with a polite word of thanks, so she was not fleeing him, either.

He had hoped to disappear into the crowd again, but Solo bore down on him with a woman who he clearly had been dancing with himself, as they laughed together. She was dressed as a matron, but still young and lively, which suited Solo. In fact, she appeared to be a widow as well. Her dark eyes were gleaming as Solo said, "Elias Carrick, madame. Future vicar and current scrapegrace. Carrick, this is Mrs. Hettisham, the Squire's daughter."

"Pleased," said Carrick, bowing.

"Keep her safe from that clumsy fellow in the eyesore coat by taking the next dance, all right?"

"It would be my pleasure," said Carrick.

The woman was quite kind to Carrick, and far from nervous. He enjoyed the scant moments they had in each other's company in the country dance that was raucous and so disorderly that when he forgot his steps it was quite unnoticeable.

"Ah, it is so nice to dance again," said Mrs. Hettisham. "But I must retire or my mother's friends will think me quite lost in dissipation."

"Let me see you to a couch, ma'am," said Carrick. He hoped to settle her and then give her company, since it would mean not having to meet yet another stranger. However, the Squire was busier about the room than his slow gait would have led one to expect. He was at Carrick's elbow almost immediately, with another blushing young lady who had no partner.

As they entered their apartments at the inn after the evening, Carrick told his friend, "If you wished for me to go to this party to gain a little polish, I can't see how it could have answered the purpose. I spent the whole evening scaring little girls."

"Sometimes learning that you are the scariest thing in a room is just the thing to find the proper confidence. Mrs. Hettisham is a wonderful example. A woman who certainly knows her own worth well enough to command whatever situation she is in."

"She is lovely."

"You know, I don't think she is?" said Solo, musingly. "But it makes no difference."

Gabrielle Seymour was meant to be in mourning. In truth, she grieved, and was mourning the loss. She was impatient with the form of the thing, however, which seemed to force her to sit and think about how unhappy she was and how little she could do about it. She had "borrowed" some clothes from one of the maids to sneak down and at least listen to the music, but had been forced to take up a position in a corner just enough obscured from the ballroom to see the edges of the dance while also worrying someone would stumble onto her taking the wrong door for supper.

She was choosing her moment to sneak back away, and it was probably now. Her aunt was safely ensconced close to the door to the dining room where she could scrutinize her staff's missteps closely in setting refreshments, and her uncle was now holding court in the card room where his status as host would not prevent him from losing a great deal of petty cash to his guests.

Just then, her elder cousin Lady Hettisham darted over as if to smooth her skirts out of the crush. “Have you seen them?” this dab of a woman in a charming half-mourning of watered silk asked in an undertone.

“I can’t see a thing from here, as you well know, Maria,” Gabrielle retorted.

“Oh, do keep an eye out,” the young widow said, and escaped to not bring attention that way.

Gabrielle could not hazard a guess what it was Maria wished her to see, since what she found immensely entertaining ranged from a truly terrible clash of jewelry to signs of an incipient tendré between ill-matched young people.

Gabrielle was just timing her dart across the hall, risking being glimpsed from the door, toward the servant stair when she saw the stranger Maria had wanted her to notice. A fair man of some height was leading Mrs. Pratt to a seat at the wall. Gabrielle knew from her own experience of coming into this neighborhood several years before that Mrs. Pratt looked even at first sight like an obnoxious woman and proved to be so in a very short time of acquaintance, but he was leaning down to hear her over the music with an intent expression. He not only helped her to her seat but sat beside her as a sacrificial lamb to her conversation, without the slightest appearance of humoring someone he wished to avoid. For a moment, Gabrielle sat riveted by the grave, square face of the young man at her uncle's ball. Then she recollected that if she could see him so well, they also might see her, despite her drab dress. The odd pair had found the few chairs shoved beside this side of the fireplace, which she had relied on being unwanted as both hot and cramped. She fled as smoothly as possible from the area.

Maria was happily chattering as her maid undressed her when Gabrielle knocked and entered.

"Someone had a delightful time tonight," Gabrielle said, keeping her voice light.

"I had never thought a Middleton ball might see a rake who knows just how to entertain a young widow," said Maria with a chuckle. "It takes so very little to make me feel gratified this way!"

She cast a more piercing look at Gabrielle, however, and said, "You did not enjoy yourself, did you, coz?"

"My disguise made it quite impossible for me to do so," Gabrielle said drily. "I had to hide in a corner and wish in vain to be brought a cool drink. I saw that large, fair man with Mrs. Pratt, but you would be put to the test to convince me he was a rake.”

"Oh no! He danced by me with little Georgina, and looked as though he were trying to juggle eggs, he was so nervous and gentle. I believe he is destined for the church. Luckily, his friend is destined to be a man of business. I do not understand how they are friends."

Gabrielle asked for more details on the flirtation, so she might not have to discuss more about her own evening, and soon bid her cousin goodnight. She spent some time in her own bed thinking, however. It made more sense that her cousin had been pointing to two strangers, particularly one who had flirted with her.

It stung more than it ought to that there were young visitors in the village that she would probably never meet. She didn’t want a London season, or even to be asked to dance at the ball--she just hated to be hidden from the world as if it were shameful that she had lost both her parents. As if she was too young to be trusted to behave in company like a mourner.

If they didn't treat her so much like a disobedient pup, she would have an easier time behaving.

Link to all posted chapters here.

#A Perilous Engagement #Man from UNCLE fic #Wife or Knife AU #fanfiction #twelve days of fic

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dinglemingle · 4 years

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Tonight (I Wish I Was Your Boy)

Chapter 4(ao3)

"Look mate I'm not being funny but my timetable says room 228" Aaron had been arguing with his head of year, Mr Clark, for the past 5 minutes. He waved around the sheet, frustrated at being in the office instead of lesson

"No need to take that tone Aaron" the middle aged man picked up some papers before sitting down and typing something on the computer

"I'm sorry but there must have been a mix-up, room 228 is in the old building which is no longer in use"

Aaron rolled his eyes, why had the room been printed on his timetable then?

Mr Clark printed off a sheet before passing it to Aaron

"There you go son, room 128" Aaron snatched the paper, looked at it briefly before stuffing it in his pocket

"Thanks" he called as he threw open the door and waltzed out into the hallway

It was his first day and he really couldn't be arsed having to trapes around unfamiliar halls trying to find his lesson. He'd managed to arrive on time and get through his first two lessons with a hitch

He found the common room fairly easily, where he met up with Adam. Everything was going swimmingly, but he was Aaron Dingle so that didn't last long

The bell rang and he pulled out his schedule, checking where he was next

electronics, room 228 Mrs Vince

Okay, all he had to do was go to the technology block and he'd be there.

20 minutes later when he was wandering around aimlessly trying to find 228, he felt like kicking himself for thinking it would be that easy

Bumping into Robert hadn't helped either

"Oi dingle" the voice had called him from the other end of the corridor, Aaron had recognised who it was in an instant

Spinning around he was met with Robert sauntering towards him, hands in pockets, smug smile adorning his face

"What are you doing, wandering around?" Aaron rolled his eyes at Roberts hypocrisy

"I could ask you the same question" he leant against the wall, raising his eyebrow

"I asked you first" Robert inched closer, Aaron felt his heart beat in his chest

Aaron decided maybe he shouldn't act so smart with Robert

"I can't find my class" he looked down, suddenly feeling embarrassed at being lost like he was a kid in secondary school again. Without asking, Robert snatched the paper from Aaron's hand and inspected it thoroughly

The lad smirked and let out a repressed scoff

Crossing his arms Aaron barked back at the boy in front of him "what"

Robert simply shook his head before passing the paper back

"It's nothing" he pointed behind him and smiled "just go down there, take a left, go down the stairs and you'll find the room"

Before Aaron could even utter out thanks, Robert patted him on the back and brushed past him, off to do whatever it was he did when not in lesson

So Aaron had naively followed Roberts directions and ended up in the English department, just as clueless as before.

Bloody Robert Sugden, Aaron kicked a wall in frustration at the boy's attempt at a windup

That's when Mr Clark had appeared and ushered him into the pokey little pastoral office

After about 5 more minutes he found the godforsaken room and braced himself for the awkward entrance

He wiped his sweat-stained hands on his trackie bottoms before twisting open the door handle. The lump in his throat formed as a room of eyes locked onto him. At the front of the class, a small woman turned her head and stopped halfway through the diagram she was drawing

"Yes?" her voice was firm, yet soft

"I'm Aaron, I uh couldn't find the room" he was quite, hating the attention drawn to him, yet that didn't stop the one or two sniggers from the back of the class

The teacher squinted her eyes at him, before raising her arms in the air as if she'd suddenly remembered and spinning round to her desk to grab something

"Ah yes Aaron, I was wondering where you'd got to" she ushered him a worksheet and a textbook "there you go, find yourself a seat and I'll see you after to go over what you've missed"

Aaron took the work and shot to the back of the class, eager to disappear

The rest of the day was fairly normal, he went through the rest of his lessons without getting lost, and come lunchtime he had gotten more adjusted to the college environment

Aaron placed his tray down, before realising he forgot a fork, which was good seen as he still had a bone to pick with Robert, and the blond had just walked into the canteen

Approaching the lad he prepared himself for the confrontation that would ensue

Hi hand clasped onto Robert's shoulder and roughly spun him around, growing increasingly angry, he didn't like to be messed about

"You think you're funny?" He looked up at the older boy, who was staring at him without a care in the world

"Yes actually I do" Robert replied, instantly knowing what Aaron was angry about

"I don't appreciate you giving me the runaround" he continued to glare up at Rob

"I don't appreciate you bombarding me when I'm trying to get my lunch" Robert spoke as if everything he said was the most important thing in the world

It irritated Aaron how smug he was

"Should have thought about before you started acting like a pratt" Aaron poked at his chest, warning him not to carry on

"Please spare me" Robert sighed, trying to escape Aaron's intense stare "it was a joke, relax" he gave Aaron that ridiculous smirk, the one that appeared when he thought he'd won. Aaron seriously contemplated wiping it off his face with a sharp punch

Not wanting to get kicked out on his first day, however, he gave Robert a shove instead

"Well if you try it again, I'll be the one laughing by the time I'm done with you" Aaron threatened him, voice low and eyes dark

Robert just laughed to himself

"Oh no I'm quaking in my boots" with that he strolled off to his friends, but not without shoving Aaron firmly with his shoulder, which happened to be quite hard

Despite his best efforts, Aaron failed to keep his mind off of Robert during his free period. He couldn't deny how good he'd looked in that leather jacket, even if he was being a prick.

Over the past week, he hadn't been able to get the boy off his mind, which to be honest wasn't unusual, but ever since that night at the club his mind had been racing with thoughts of him. Aaron couldn't lie, seeing Robert all over Katie had stung, he'd imagined himself in her place so many times, actually getting to see Robert like that was something he never thought would become a reality. Unfortunately for him, Robert's hands weren't roaming over his body, but hers

He'd tried to suppress the feelings of anger that bubbled in him whenever he saw any of Roberts conquests, but it had been especially hard when Katie was always showing up in the village, Andy by her side

The nerve of her, to gossip about Robert, to slag him off so openly and look down on him and all the girls who willingly fell for his charms, yet let herself become one of those girls. Aaron knew he had no right to judge her, especially not when he'd been fairly open in his dislike of Robert and still continued to long for the blond.

It didn't matter, Aaron thought, he hadn't actually gone there (not like Robert would ever offer, being very straight) and he didn't have a boyfriend he was cheating on, and with his brother no less!

The possessive jealousy inside him would feel bitter towards Katie and all of Robert's girls, no matter how stupid it was, for they all had what he wanted more than anything.

He just couldn't help it, he would always feel like this towards the lad, he wished he didn't but he did, and it seemed there wasn't much he could do

Chewing the lid of his pen, Aaron flicked through the pages of the notebook in front of him, every one empty. He was supposed to be making notes on circuits, but his mind had slipped off to other places. He kept fiddling, unable to find the strength to start working

Suddenly his jacket pockets were the most interesting thing. Repeatedly he played with the zipper, up and down and up and down, until something tumbled out from one of the pockets and down onto the floor

Curious, Aaron picked it up, it was a scrunched up piece of paper that definitely wasn't in there before

Aaron smoothed out the paper to reveal a message

Meet me outside of 228 at 3

Don't be late

Aaron took a look at the library clock,2:50. Could he really be bothered waiting around at three instead of going home? No, not really, but he wanted to know who'd left the note and what they wanted.

Maybe whoever it was had been involved with the time table mix up, at first he thought it was just the school and first day stress, but now he wasn't so sure, it couldn't be a coincidence could it?

Maybe it was Robert being stupid again and Aaron was overthinking? But he couldn't see the lad going to all this trouble for a joke.

That was how Aaron found himself walking over to an abandoned classroom that hadn't been used since the 90s, eager to find out what was so urgent.

At 3:07 when nobody had shown, he was beginning to think he'd been had and cursed himself for being a gullible idiot and made his way to move

That was until a certain someone emerged from round the corner of the old halls and grabbed his arm, stopping him from moving

Robert Sugden really was unbelievable

"This another one of your jokes?" Aaron questioned, yanking his arm from Robert's grasp

The taller lad just got closer, before crossing his arms and leaning against the door

"No" Robert finally spoke, it was short and simple and it provided no explanation to why Aaron was there

"So what do you want then?" He was becoming quite frustrated with Robert, it was 3:10 and he should be on the warm bus home

After an uncomfortable silence, in which Robert stared at him with a look Aaron couldn't quite work out, he replied

"I saw you the other night" Aaron's eyes grew wide, great Rob was going to think he was some massive perv

"I'm just letting you know that if I were you, I'd keep my mouth shut"

Typical, Aaron thought, once again Robert only cared about protecting himself

"I wasn't planning on telling anyone"

Robert titled his head slightly and gave him a questioning glance as if he was trying to work out whether Aaron was lying

"Good" seemingly he decided Aaron was being genuine

"Chrissie doesn't need to know"

"You two official then?" Last Aaron checked it was just a fling, Robert never one to actually have a steady relationship, the pang of jealousy hit his chest

"Why do you care?" Robert shot back, not liking Aaron's cocky tone

"Oh I don't, think she will though when she finds out about you and Katie" he smirked at Robert, who suddenly stiffened "and what about poor Andy and daddy dearest, doubt they'd be pleased"

Suddenly Robert lunged forward and pushed him into a wall, glaring at him

Aaron felt the wind knock out of him as his back hit the hard surface with force

Looking up, he met Roberts eyes, dark with anger

"I swear to god if you open your trap to anyone" Robert's voice was deep like gravel, Aaron had never seen him like this, so furious

"I won't" Aaron although not scared of Robert, didn't really want to fight the lad, so he tried to dissolve the situation. Besides he hadn't been serious about telling Chrissie, he'd let his jealousy get the better of him

The pair held eye contact for what felt like years, and for a split second Aaron was convinced Robert's eyes flicked down to his lips, but it was fleeting, as not long after Rob unclenched his fists from Aaron's shirt and stepped back

Taking a sharp inhale he looked up at Aaron again

"Go" his voice was much quieter now, but Aaron could still feel the venom on his tongue

Not too fond of Robert in this state, and certainly not wanting to be at the end of his fist, Aaron flung out the door like a shot

--------------

On the bus ride home, he kept replaying that moment when Robert's eyes had found their way to his lips. Yes it was brief, but Aaron had seen it, and he'd also seen the way Rob's tongue had darted over his own mouth, and the breath in his throat had hitched

He couldn't stop the butterflies that fluttered in his stomach just thinking about it, despite how Robert had behaved earlier

It seemed he'd left the derelict classroom with far more questions than answers

#Chapter 4!!#robron #emmerdale #my work #Aaron Dingle #robert sugden #fanfic #.

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deputy-evie-miller-blog · 5 years

Text

Far Cry 5 Slight AU - Children of the Forest / Part 3

> Part 2 <

Includes: Joseph x Deputy and slight John x Deputy

*Dark themes, violence, strong language, etc.

Note: I want to explore a different kind of deputy and a different way for the cult to operate so this story is probably going to deviate far from a “normal rook” or “normal cult” experience. If that’s ok with you then, please continue reading and I hope you enjoy<3

Hands bound by thick rope, Rook struggled ever so slightly against the restraints. John - the dark haired man with bright eyes and a silver wolf’s pelt - dug his palms into the back of her shoulder, guiding the defeated deputy through the forest with ease. He knew these twists and turns better than the tattoos etched on his fingers.

Jacob - the ginger with dull eyes and a tawny brown wolf’s pelt - stalked not too far behind them. A crudely made wooden bow was held tight in his fists, string drawn back as if he expected to let loose an arrow at any moment. This set confusion in Rook’s head.

Was it possible someone would try to save her? Pastor Jerome, maybe? Mary May?

As if to answer the burning question, a deer skittered from the woods, pouncing across the path not too far behind. Jacob launched into action, whirling on the animal and releasing his arrow all within the span of three seconds. There was a short, sickening noise as the tip embedded itself straight into the buck’s left eye. Wobbling on it’s knees for a moment, the woodland creature soon fell to the dirt with a soft thud.

“Ah!” John let loose a sudden yell, quieting himself quickly. Flickering his gaze from side to side, he finally settled a glare on the larger man. “What was that for?!”

“Bagged dinner,” he smiled a toothy grin, sauntering over to his kill.

Bending over, he scooped his arms beneath the deer’s stomach, lifting it with one heave and tossing the whole thing over a shoulder. Grunting with the small amount of effort, he came to a stand next to Rook. He left a searing gaze burning into her skull, lips curled slightly.

“Gotta eat, and now we have one more mouth to feed…”

With a short gasp, Rook glared right back at him, defiantly staring down the challenge. Was he angry that they had captured her?? It was their decision to take her back to whatever hideout or home they had here in this forest, not hers!

She was about to retort back, but John just so happened to do it for her.

“Oh, lay off, Jacob,” he drawled, rolling both eyes. “We need more people. If you’re so worried about food, then you should let others hunt with you!”

“No,” the ginger spoke simply, brows hung low and massive arms folded across his chest. “We’ll just lose them, too.” Releasing a breathy sigh, his face softened. “They aren’t as strong as I am against-” As if suddenly remembering Rook was here, his stare fell on hers and he cut himself off. A grunt fell from the back of his throat and he shook his head. “Forget it. Let’s just get this little one back to camp.”

With a smug sort of smile, John said, “See, I told you this was for the best,” and continued to shove the frightened - and now thoroughly confused - deputy through the leaves and foliage.

She couldn’t imagine why these forest dwellers needed people so bad. Jerome figured Fall’s End lost about three people a week to the darkness, which didn’t sound like much at first, but the numbers really added up. That accounted to about twelve citizens a month, and in a rinky dink, podunk place like Hope County, it really made a difference! Everyone thought they were being taken to the preacher man, and while she knew she was, she still had to wonder if all the others were too. Did the preacher make them disappear…?

A chill ran down her spine, or perhaps it was the cold, unfeeling touch of John’s fingers digging in her skin. Either way, she knew she had to get out of here. There was no point in trying to be a hero. Jerome was right. She should have stayed safe, not wondered about the rumors or went looking for trouble. But they were so far in now. The town must’ve been more than a mile away and in terrain like this, she had no hope of ever finding her way back without more experienced help. She knew how to survive, how to hunt, how to live in the wilderness. Directions, though? Now that was a different story.

Maybe if she gathered some intel…? Learning how to properly question suspects had been a part of her training and such a skill would be a big use to her right about now…if she had ever been any good at it! Staci Pratt topped the class, harboring just the right amount of intimidation to get anything out of anyone! Rook, well, she wasn’t intimidating at all. Never had been, never will. But, possibly she could try a different approach…

“U-um, eh-hem,” clearing her throat gently, she caught the attention of her dark haired captor.

The man peered down curiously - wary, but still curious. That was a good sign. Rook decided to move forward with her plan of action.

“Where exactly are you taking me?” Before he could respond, she added quickly, “Seeing as I have to stay and this is my…new home? I should at least know what it’s like…”

Jacob had strayed far ahead of them and John cast a quick glance, perhaps checking if they were out of ear shot. He seemed to confirm something to himself and looked back down at his captive.

“You’re going to our camp,” he started softly before sneering, “If you expected me to tell you exactly where it was then you’re far more stupid than I thought you were!”

“No. No, I didn’t!” She insisted, voice involuntarily cracking. “I just thought that-“

“You thought wrong, little one,” hissing, he loomed close to her ear, whispering in a harsh but rather non-violent tone, “Besides, you don’t need to question anything. Just know we’re taking you somewhere where you’ll be safe. Those fools in Fall’s End don’t know what they’re doing. They can’t protect anyone,” he sneered, brushing his lips far too close to the sensitive skin on Rook’s ear. “When it comes, they won’t be prepared. But, we will.”

Drawing away, he gave her a quick shove, catching up to Jacob in a manner of seconds. Along the way, he gave a menacing snarl.

“No more talking now. We walk in silence.”

Jacob glanced over, raising an orange brow, but John simply ignored him.

“Next you will meet the Father. He will decide if you’re worthy, and then you will be saved. There’s nothing more to it.

Nothing more to it.”

#far cry 5 #fc5 #far cry 5 writing #fc5 writing #my writing #joseph x deputy #joseph seed x deputy #joseph seed x rook #john seed x deputy #john seed x rook #john x deputy #joseph seed #john seed #children of the forest #part 3

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far-cry-all-the-time · 5 years

Text

Take My Place, IV

Pairing/s : Staci Pratt x OC Deputy Lila O’Cain, Jacob Seed x Deputy Lila O’Cain.

Warning : angst... so much angst.

A/n : I’m sorry I keep hurting them.

Two more weeks passed during which Lila completed her second trial. She was stronger. Not only because of the exercise Jacob put her through, but also because he gave her much more food than he normally did. She was, more or less, healthy.

“Only one more to go, pup,” he had cheered when she’d woken up in one of the cages. She would never admit this, but the soft smirk on Jacob’s face had actually made her smile as well... Something about his praises made her feel good. She knew it was crazy, but at the same time not many people had complimented her the way he had...

Sitting on her cot, she couldn’t stop replaying the night they had spent smoking and drinking silently together. It disgusted her. Not the night itself, but the fact that she had actually enjoyed Jacob Seed’s company. She also thought about Staci and, just like that, she started to sob uncontrollably, burying her face in her hands. She missed him. She missed him so much... And not knowing if she would ever see him again was driving her insane.

A callous hand patted her shoulder and Lila froze. She know whose it was. She knew and she just couldn’t cry in front of him. All the respect she had slowly gained would’ve vanished and he probably would’ve put her back in one of the cages... So she froze, swallowing her sobs as best as she could, drowning in her own tears.

“Unhealthy to hold back,” he breathed.

When she looked up, she saw a new man. The terrorizing Jacob Seed, Red Herald of the Project at Eden’s Gate, was gone... And had left behind him a handsome man with kind eyes and gentle hands. Her jaw dropped and, in an instant, she was crying so hard her throat actually hurt. Jacob sat down next to her and she fell against him, her hands unconsciously grabbing the front of his shirt. It took him a second, but he eventually wrapped his arms around her shoulders and held her close to him. She hated feeling this weak, she hated crying... Weak, weak, weak. But the pressure of Jacob’s hands on her back made it all a little better. She couldn’t recognize the man who had tortured her and her best friend for more than a month... But maybe it was for the best.

“It’s not,” she shakily answered. Even her was shocked by how desperate she sounded. “I’m gonna did here.”

And, even if she couldn’t be sure, she was almost certain she felt Jacob pulling her even closer, his fingers digging into her back. His beard scratched her forehead and, in the lowest whisper manageable, he assured, “You won’t.”

———

“Another nightmare ?” whispered Wheaty in the darkness. Staci nodded even if the teenager probably couldn’t see it. But his silence was enough for Wheaty to turn on the little bedside light. His hair was messy and he looked tired, but genuine worry glowed in his eyes.

“About Lila ?”

Staci couldn’t answer, his throat getting tighter at the simple mention of her name. He nodded again.

“Come with me.”

Wheaty jumped out of his bed and dragged Staci behind him. He knew the Wolf’s Den like the back of his hand and, even in complete darkness, he walked around the place effortlessly. When they arrived in Wheaty’s favorite spot of the Den, he turned another light on and started to rampage some drawers. Staci waited next to him, occasionally rubbing his neck to try and relax a little.

“Found it !” the teenager finally cheered before turning around. He was handing Staci an envelope with « Lila’s stuff Important » written on it. “She left this with me when she started to search for you in the Whitetails ; she wanted it to be safe. You should take a look.”

Wheaty left the room before Staci could stay anything less. He was left in a silence so overwhelming he actually had to sit down on the ground. When he opened the envelope, it felt like someone was punching him in the gut. He hadn’t seen her face in so long... And here she was, on her favorite picture of the both of them. It was her first day as a cop and she was smiling like a little kid while Staci had a smug grin on his face, both in their Deputy outfits... It was a beautifully painful picture to look at. When he put it aside, he found another picture of them. And another. And he quickly realized about 99% of the documents in the envelope were pictures of them. Tears rolled down his cheeks without him even noticing. He laughed when he found the picture of Lila in a hot dog costume on her 16th birthday ; rolled his eyes when he saw one of himself with obscenities drawn all over his face at his 22nd birthday ; cried even harder when he saw one of them hugging at their high school graduation...

And just like that, he cried himself to sleep.

———

When Lila woke up the next morning, she was alone. She rubbed her eyes and remembered falling asleep in Jacob’s lap... Her whole face turned red and she stood up to search for her weed in the drawers, in desperate need of a way to relax. Nothing. Then, she realized the door of the office was open. She tip toed towards it and looked in the hall. No one. The whole building seemed quiet and deserted. Unsure of what to do, she left the room and started to walk down the stairs of St-Francis. When she arrived at the ground floor and saw the big door, she scoffed. Was it really going to be that simple to get away ? Nah, it couldn’t. She peaked outside and noticed the lack of guards around the gates... Fuck it.

Once she was out of the Center, she just couldn’t believe it. But, scared that the damn song will start playing again, she started running. In less than a minute, she was hidden behind the trees. She stopped to look back at the grim building ; she could’ve sworn she saw a familiar figure in one of the windows. Her lips pressed into a thin line and, without an ounce of hesitation, she kept running.

Lila knew the Whitetails like the back of her hands and, in less than 20 minutes, she found an abandoned car. She had no weapons and would be completely vulnerable if she ran into any peggie ; she decided to take the less travelled roads.

“Fuck this,” she muttered when one of the cult songs started playing on the radio. Normally, she actually liked Build A Castle. Listening to it was her guilty pleasure... But now, it was the last thing she wanted to hear. She changed the radio to another station and, soon, she was greeted by a chilling voice.

“Well done, Deputy.”

She almost stopped the car, but did her best to stay focused on the road.

“Enjoy your weekend. Don’t worry, I’ll see you soon. Only you, remember ?”

Somehow, Jacob didn’t sound angry. His voice was almost playful and Lila could practically see the stupid grin on his face. She turned off the radio and kept driving as fast as she could manage without fainting from anxiety.

———

Staci woke up with Eli’s hands shaking his shoulders. He sniffed, looked around, and finally focused his gaze on the man in front of him.

“Finally ! Pratt, it’s almost time,” Eli cheered while he helped him up. Staci gathered the pictures scattered on the floor and put them back in the envelope in his hands, hiding them as best as he could.

“What ? What do you mean ?” he asked in a husky morning voice. His lips were chapped.

“Lila went through her second trial. Which means that...”

“Soon she’ll go through her last,” Staci continued, his pupils widening.

Eli nodded, an excited smile stretching his lips. His grip tightened on Staci’s shoulder.

“We need to get ready ; she’ll be here soon.”

—

A/n : I’m not a fan of how I wrote the end of that chapter but I need to get to this point... And a reunion might happen next chapter !!!

Tagging @casifer-fan and @onl-you as always.

#far cry 5 #lila o’cain #oc lila #jacob seed #staci pratt #deputy #jacob seed x deputy #lila x staci #staci pratt x lila o’cain #staci pratt x deputy #fanfiction #fanfic #take my place #angst

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sunalsolove · 6 years

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Sunalso’s Spuffy Fic Recs

(With Shameless Self Promotion-because, hey, I was asked!)

I’m not one for a lot of dark fic/angst as real life tends to punch me enough. That’s not to say I don’t enjoy conflict in a story, but it does mean that my recs tend to be a little biased towards things I want to escape into after a hard day at work. I read all ratings, but prefer the smuts, and I enjoy all the wide world of possibilities in fics, from baby stories to all human, from canon compliant to complete AUs. I love fanfiction, I love Spuffy, and I REALLY love both together!! (I also love chihuahuas.) All stories completed except those in the WIP section. Most links to Elysian Fields. You have to sign up to read NC-17 fics, but it’s a quick process, and then you can receive emails when authors (like, cough, me) post a new story, or you can follow a favorite WIP and know when new chapters post. Handy!

Under the cut because this is a LONG list!

Long Fics

Only Time Will Tell by damperandspoons (NC-17, 75K) A fun time-travel romance! There’s sex in a carriage! This is one of the very first Spuffy fics I ever read and it’s still one of my favorites. It’s the sort of story you squee over and then cry over...and then go back to squeeing. There’s a delicious HEA as well.

Echoes by Holly (NC-17, 116K) Holly is a brilliant writer and this is THE prime example. She takes the Buffyverse, sets it on its ear, and the result is wholly magical. Buffy and Spike start off existing in a vastly different context, one little demon bargain later, and Buffy finds herself 300 years in the future and dealing with present-day Sunnydale.

Hide and Seek by dreamweaver (NC-17, 37K) Post series. Buffy’s in Rome and wait...who’s that history scholar...and that vampire?? I really enjoy watching everything collide in this fic.

In Heat by Nautibitz (NC-17, 31K) In the summer after S5 (in a world where Buffy didn’t die) the weather is hot and there are demons that release a pheromone that makes poor Buffy even hotter. What’s a girl to do?

Superstar Revamped by kantayra (NC-17, 54K) Set during S4′s Superstar. A very fun romp through the episode, as Spike and Buffy figure out both the spell and each other. I could use so many more Spuffy fics set during that episode!

sex, lies, and sonograms by sabershadowkat (NC-17, 31K) Buffy’s pregnant post S2...I get a huge kick from this story because it’s like a time capsule. It was written LONG before S5 (so no FFL) so is contains all kinds of early Spuffy stuff. I <3 it!

Future Imperfect by cousinjean (R, 38K) Set 335 years post The Gift. A little angstier than many recs on this list. Buffy is humanities last hope and Spike is her only connection to her past. Lovely writing and so many feels. Also...Spuffy on the moon.

Awakening by tempestt (PG-13, 32K) After a planewreck that leaves them alone and hunted in the wilderness, Buffy and Spike both have to survive and Buffy finds out she has more inside her than she ever knew.

Frontierland by Gort (R, 66K) S5. Willow casts a spell, causing Spike to dream so he’ll see that things between him and Buffy can never work out. Buffy comes along for the ride. It does not go as Willow expects. Spike wears a cowboy hat. This is a touching story that dives deep into Spike’s head and is nuanced and carfully done. I can’t recommend it enough.

Sunny Days by Gort (NC-17, 103K) Sequel to Frontierland, but we’re starting off in Riley’s head this time, but Buffy and Spike aren’t going to let that stand. Spike’s a hot english professor that wears a fedora. (If you need to know anything besides that...I don’t know what to tell you ;-)

Dreamer by Gort (NC-17, 86K) S4, starts with HLOD. Buffy and Spike end up captured by the Initiative and form a deep bond by the time their released. A close look at just how messed up the Initiative is. Also hair kink.

Reveries and Ramifications by mak324 (NC-17, 386K) Spike and Buffy are drawn together and into a web of deceit involving the Initiative. No one does first person POV like mak324. it’s stunning and completely enthralling and you get through the 386 K and want more.

Stitched Up by bewildered (NC-17, 50K) A sock gets a soul. It’s freaking hilarious while still being insightful. Buffy and Spike are adorable and it’s so enjoyable to watch the sock do his best to help them out!

Send to All by Carrie-Ann (NC-17, 75K) A sexy text gets sent to everyone on Buffy’s contact list. Oops? A hilarious ride with a showstopper climax!

With A Painted Ribbon by Apfeltorte (NC-17, 151K) Starts with Buffy in the mental hospital and goes like a freight train from there.

Taking Chances by sandy_s (R, 107K) Starts with Something Blue, goes to an alternate dimension, and ends with the Initiative being destroyed. YAY. Is also a thoughful and detailed look at Buffy, Spike, Willow, Joyce, and others as they go through a great deal of emotional maturing that is badly needed by all. I compare the sheer imagination of the other dimension to Edgar Rice Burrows, it’s just that amazing.

Etched in Stone by flowerofthewolf (NC-17, 116K) Dru turns Spike into a statue in Restfield cemetery in 1977. He sits there for twenty years with only himself to talk to until one perky Slayer takes a shine to him. Is both poignant and laugh out loud funny.

Second String by Solstice (PG-13, 48K) Spike’s a watcher in need of a Slayer, Buffy’s a Slayer in need of a Watcher. Wonderfully written and winner of the best OC ever award. And best Xander characterization award.

Short Fics

Fantasie Segrete by Holly (NC-17, 7.7K) Post series. Buffy’s friends treat her to a little valentine’s day surprise. I love how Buffy’s mind works in this story and it’s so much fun and so satisfying!

As in ‘Recent’ by Nautibitz (Nc-17, 1.2K) The S7 smut we all wish would have happened.

Vanishing Act by Nautibitz (PG-13, 1.6K) S6, post Gone...and DUH, Xander.

Memories Without Words by kantayra (PG-13, 3.2K) 500,000 years in the future, The One is reunited with someone special. I love this fic so much and it gives me so many feels!

Watching by kantayra (PG-13, 3K) One of my favorite fics of all time, and it’s Riley’s POV during the first half of S5. This fic is brilliant.

If the Plane’s A-Rockin by Baphrosia (NC-17, 1K) What SHOULD have been the outcome of TGIQ.

Independence Day by pfeifferpack (G, 4K) Post NFA. A loving and nuanced look at what Buffy’s life might be like. Amazing Buffy and Dawn interaction and a hopeful ending.

#hashtagapocolypse by Wonder and Ashes (PG-13, 1.5Kish) A Buffy story told on twitter! It’s freaking hilarious.

Circulation by theblueeyedvampire (NC-17, 4.8 K) Pangs smut. Enough said.

The Switch by Gort (NC-17, 13K) Buffy and Spike swap bodies in S4. It goes EXACTLY how you want it to. Bless you, Gort.

Sinfully Delicious (NC-17, 843) Buffy catches Spike wanking. The title says it all. I seriously could read a million iterations of this (PLEASE).

Bliss by kantayra (R, 1.8K) Spike comes to find Buffy in heaven. It’s happy and I still cry like a baby over it EVERY TIME.

Young Robots in Love by Elsa Frohman (PG, 11K) William!bot meets Buffy!bot, sparks fly. Hilarious and touching

An Arousing Sexual Encounter Between Buffy Summers and William "Spike" Pratt by gabrielleabelle (NC-17, 523) How every Spuffy sex encounter goes! Hee!

All Human

People get weird about AH. I’ve heard every excuse but they all boil down to: I don’t want to look/sound uncool. Thanks, 50 shades. AH allows authors to have fun way outside the usual playing field while still making the characters recognizably themselves. That’s the challenge and the draw. Embrace it, have fun with it. Don’t let being worried you’re not a cool enough fanfic person if you like these stories stand in your way of a great read.

The Poet and His Muse by Addie Logan (NC-17, 45K) Spike’s a poet who can’t meet his deadline and Buffy--a muse with a less than stellar track record--is sent to help. They are simply adorable together!

Unexpected Company by Paganbaby (NC-17, 25K) How can I say this? Paganbaby’s stories are an...aquaried taste? They are unashamedly my guilty pleasure. She’s got a size kink and I swear Buffy must have a tape measure handy at all times because there are regularly detailed measurements. This fic is experienced Buffy and virginal William that ends with Willow walking in on them with a ballgag involved.

But for peak Paganbaby you need to read:

The Sitter by Paganbaby (NC-17, 95K) Underage twincest + 26 year old Buffy. You’re welcome. (I unashamedly LIKE this story)

The Ghost of Christmas Present by Gort (NC-17, 22K) Buffy’s a lawyer sent to oversee the sale of a charming inn haunted by one William Pratt. BEST CHRISTMAS STORY EVER. I’m going to marry this story. I want to roll around in it. I LOVE IT.

Not My Reality by dawnofme (NC-17, 44K) Buffy’s on the bachelor and Angel’s the fellow in question. He’s so dreamy...except who’s this bleached blond camera guy? This story is the definition of FUN. I reread it whenever I need a pick-me-up. Great Fred and Cordelia too.

Closer to Midnight by xaphania (PG-13, 38K) Buffy and Spike meet up on a tour of a haunted island. They find themselves falling in love but there’s a ghost story waiting in the wings and everything isn’t what it seems. There’s a lovely NC-17 outtake of the sex scene for those who want it!

WIPs

It’s hard to recommend stories that aren’t finished an might never be, but sometimes the journey is worth it even if you don’t ever reach the destination.

This Means War by mak324 (R) A newly chipped Spike meets up with a sick Buffy instead of Willow. Shenanigans follow as Buffy and Spike dance around each other.

Prisoners of Love, Blue Skies Above by bewildered (NC-17) Post Something Blue Spike goes on a drunken ramage, Buffy ends up having to pretend to be his wife. It’s all sexy and adorable. It’s the very first Spuffy fanfic I ever read. I still have hope it’ll be finished one day.

Buffy the Victorian Slayer by Flights of Fancy (R) Buffy’s the slayer in Victorian England. One night she saves one William Pratt from a vampire...things roll from there. I talk more about the WIP than any other!

My Own Stories

I love all my fics, but there’s always a few I’m extra eager for people to read!

Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by sunalso (Explicit, 135K) A very depressed Buffy is sent back from a post Chosen world to S2. She still means to die...but other things happen instead. I adore my mad hatter’s party scene with Dru in this fic, and the fact that Buffy and Spike can’t hide anything from anyone (the poor azaleas!)

World on Fire by sunalso (NC-17, 4.6K) I was not allowed to make the summary: Buffy boinks 1900 Spike because the author wanted her to. However, that’s the gist of it!

Cursed by sunalso (R, 177K) Buffy and Drusilla switch bodies every time the sun goes down. This ended up being everything I wanted it to and Dru is a very strong character in it even though she’s not the main POV.

Room Service by sunalso (NC-17) Boink or die! Only it’s so warm and fuzzy!

Thing of Doom by sunalso (Explicit, 60K) During AtS S5 Spike is split into two parts (William and Demon). Much smut ensues. I’m overly critical of the first chapter, but the rest is a really fun ride!

Someday by sunalso (NC-17, 54K) My accidental novel. Buffy has one day each season to save the world. However will she do it? This is stuffed full of tropes I like and I seriously named one of the sex scenes. Sort of peak me in this one.

Pumpkin Spike by sunalso(R, 2.8K) Spike’s a pumpkin.

Every Rose by sunalso (NC-17, WIP) A current project. Wishverse Buffy is sent back to 1880 to kill a newly risen Spike. She gets there a little early. Anne just wants grandbabies.

Strange Partners by sunalso and Gort (NC-17, 42K) This is still SO FUNNY and I co-wrote it. I can’t believe I wrote it. It’s seriously funny, but with a cohesive plot as well. Don’t drink and read, it’s a choking hazard.

There we have it! I probably forgot half the stuff I’d like to rec and am probably way too over critical of my own stuff, especially the newer stuff, which makes it hard to rec. I hope you find some fun things to read and please, if you enjoy something, let the author know!

Cheers!

#spuffy #fic rec #btvs #fanfic #buffy x spike

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ramajmedia · 5 years

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Chicago PD: 10 Hidden Details About The Main Characters Everyone Missed

Fans of Chicago PD can tell you in many ways why they love the show. The acting is good, the storylines are great, and as for suspense and action, there's nothing better out there. But what happens when the internet is down and the TV goes off? Can a fan close their eyes and try to remember the small stuff concerning members of the cast?

Related: Chicago PD: 10 Most Heartbreaking Scenes

We know that Hank Voight is tough. We know that Antonio Dawson is a bit of a snob and that Adam Ruzek was once viewed as a traitor. But what about the things that may have been mentioned in a split second that was of some importance and we just forgot? What about the way Hailey and Kim wear their hair? Or, how many tight shirts does Kevin Atwater own?

Here are 10 Hidden Details About the Main Characters From Chicago PD.

10 Hank Voight Never Holds His Gun With Both Hands

Most cops will enter a scene with their gun drawn for protection. This is natural, the way they were taught but then you have those select few who just do things their own way. Hank Voight is not one known to do things by the book. Look at the way every officer enters a scene. Guns are drawn to the face and ready to shoot. However, Voight is different. When he enters, normally his gun is down by his side and he walks as if there is no sign of danger. It's a dangerous approach but one that seemingly works for him.

9 Antonio's First Partner Committed Suicide

Ever wonder why Antonio hates Internal Affairs so much? During his rookie year, Antonio lost his partner Sean Patterson to a suicide attempt. The reason for that suicide was because of the pressure IA put on Patterson over doctored timecards. Antonio has tried to help take Voight down at least twice but that was when Voight was viewed as being a dirty cop. Since being in the Intelligence Unit, Antonio has learned how much Voight can be trusted. He's been approached twice by IA to turn Voight in, and maybe, despite not liking Voight at the time, his hatred for IA may have been the reason he turned them down.

8 Alvin Olinsky Never Uses The Bathroom

During stakeouts, why have we never seen Olinsky use the bathroom or say he needs to run into an alley or use some local store to relieve himself? It was said earlier in the series that Alvin wears adult diapers while on a stakeout due to an issue he had some years back. During a stakeout covering a B&E suspect, Alvin broke away and used the bathroom.

Related: Chicago PD: Best & Worst Relationships, Ranked

While doing so, he missed his target and regretted it ever since. So, now what he does is wear diapers so that will never happen again. Smart decision but it must smell really bad in that car.

7 Adam Ruzek Can Get Into Any House

Ever wonder why Ruzek is the guy called upon when there is an issue with a locked door? Despite being able to ram it down with force, Ruzek has a knack for bypassing any electronic door with a keypad. But how is that? Thanks to his Aunt who just happens to be a realtor, she taught Adam the secret to an electric entry. This comes in handy if the Intelligence Unit ever needs to enter a suspect's house quietly. Why force something open if there is no reason to do so? Adam brings many good things to the team and this is just one of them.

6 Trudy Platt Is Old School

Forget the Glocks that most cops carry, Platt still has her sights and hearts set on the old school .38 revolver. The reason people still love this weapon is less chance of it jamming on you when a situation gets tight. But knowing Trudy, would there be a reason to believe she would do anything differently? Although she doesn't get out much, Trudy is always ready to lend a helping hand to the Unit if need be. Being old school doesn't mean you're not up with the times, it just means you're accustomed to your own way of doing things. The end results are--to get the job done.

5 Erin Lindsay Celebrates Two Birthdays

Erin was a tough kid who grew up to be an even tougher cop. Despite her many setbacks as a child, Lindsay took it all in stride and made something of her life. Raised by an abusive father and alcoholic mother, Erin often got in trouble. She would later become a CI for Hank Voight in which they formed a special bond. So special, that Voight and his wife took Erin in and raised her as one of their own. But the most awesome thing about Erin is how she celebrates her birthday. Erin was born on April 11-12 1985. Yes, that's odd but one of the missing elements that was never showcased while she was on the show.

4 Jay Halstead Was Tortured

Before becoming a cop, Jay Halsted was a member of the 75th Ranger Regiment. While deployed in Afghanistan, it was to believed that Halsted was captured and tortured. This could be known news but it was mentioned just once and never spoken about again. Halsted survived that and that may give some clear indication why he always wants to be in on the action as the first through the door and why he loves to go undercover.

Related: Chicago PD: 10 Fan Favorite Characters, Ranked

He's tough as nails and his time spent in the Army is the reason. Halstead is the real deal.

3 Kevin Atwater Is Never Busted

It's no secret that Atwater still lives in a section of Chicago that's populated by crime. But being a cop in Chicago is hard and yet, he makes it work on so many different levels. But the one thing that often goes unnoticed about Atwater is his ability to just blend in. That's odd considering he's no small guy and the only African-American male in The Intelligence Unit. While he patrols the streets, Atwater goes undercover a lot, mainly in black communities. So, how has he not been recognized in a city where he grew up in?

2 Kim Didn't Always Want To Be A Cop

Before Kim Burgess joined the force, she was a flight attendant. Considering how she acts in the field, that's surprising. Most flight attendants just have this smile that can light up a room. Not saying that Burgess doesn't smile but she's often chasing a bad guy, taking a bullet, or punching someone. She has a soft side as we can tell from her romantic endeavors but directing someone to their seats and telling them to fasten their seatbelts, just doesn't fit her makeup. No wonder she wanted more. Kim needs to be where the action is. Good choice on a career switch.

1 Upton Has No real Relationship With Platt

One would think that a girl who became a cop thanks to an older woman who happened to be a cop, would have such a close relationship as the years moved on. While Trudy Pratt was there for Hailey Upton as a child and was the driving force behind her decision to join the force, where is that bond? While they do speak in passing, there should be a relationship there. Each member of the force has that outside source for letting off steam. While Platt is still a cop, Hailey could use her experiences to help shape her as a person and officer. Why is this detail being ignored?

source https://screenrant.com/chicago-pd-hidden-details-main-characters/

#screenrant

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latesthollywoodnews · 5 years

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The Shady Side Of Chris Pratt

Jeremy Brown - Latest News - My Hollywood News

The Shady Side Of Chris Pratt, List Of 2017 Hollywood Films.

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Top Rated Celebrities and Most Popular Celebrities, Walt Hollywood Pictures Celebrities, The Shady Side Of Chris Pratt.

A Wrinkle In Time Latest Story Song Best Celebrity News 2017 Celebrities by Industrial Light & Magic (ILM) is an American motion picture visual effects company that was founded in May 1975 by George Lucas. It is a division of the film production company, Lucasfilm, which Lucas founded, and was created when Lucas began production of the film Star Wars. It is also the original founder company of the animation studio Pixar.

How was Bambi’s dad die?

After the death of Bambi’s mother, the Great Prince finds Bambi and explains to Bambi what happened to her. He calls for Bambi to come along with him, revealing himself to be Bambi’s father. Later, when Bambi is a young adult, Man returns to the forest. After an incident with Man and his dogs, Bambi is shot.

What does Mulan’s name mean?

In the original poem, the heroine’s name is “Mulan.” According to the Chinese- English dictionary, the name means “lily magnolia.” Mulan is often given a last name, “Hua,” which means “flower.” The Chinese pinyin spelling of the name is “Hua Mu-Lan.”

Where are there Hollywoodlands in the world?

Hollywoodland – Hollywoodland Resort – Anaheim, California USA. The Magic Kingdom – Walt Hollywood World – Orlando, Florida USA. Hong Kong Hollywoodland – Hong Long Hollywoodland Resort – Penny’s Bay, Lantau Island, Hong Kong. Tokyo Hollywoodland – Tokyo Hollywood Resort – Urayasu, Chiba, Japan.

It’s hard not to love Chris Pratt — an actor so skilled he pulled off playing both a lovable goofball on Parks & Rec and bonafide action heroes as Marvel’s Star-Lord and Jurassic World’s Owen Grady. However, his offscreen life isn’t always so praiseworthy. This is the shady side of Chris Pratt.

When Pratt and Anna Faris confirmed their engagement in 2009, everything between the two appeared perfect. But some people might not know that Faris met Pratt while she was married to her first husband…Which makes it kinda strange that Pratt revealed to People magazine,

“I knew I wanted to marry her pretty soon [after I met her]. It took a while for me to admit it, because it would be crazy to be like, ‘I want to marry you’ the first day I met her. But I could have!”

Still, let’s be clear that Pratt and Faris did not cheat. Once Faris realized she had strong feelings for Pratt during their time co-starring in 2007’s Take Me Home Tonight, she ended things with her ex.

After a respectable career in TV and comedies, Pratt’s career blew up with big budget films like Guardians of The Galaxy, Jurassic World, and Passengers, to name a few. And Pratt’s quick ascent to fame was reportedly tough for Faris to deal with. An insider told People after the couple split in 2017,

“He was gone for a great deal of time, one movie after another. It made her very sad.”

“From his seventh month to his 13th month, I saw him twice. It’s tough. Anna told me his first sentence was ‘Dada’s working.’ I wonder how old he’s going to be when his sentence is ‘Dada needs to get a job.”‘

Watch the video for more about the shady side of Chris Pratt!

#ChrisPratt #Starlord

Celebrity Latest Story, Hollywood Celebrity Rating, Hollywood Celebrity News 2019, Latest Celebrity Releases, The Shady Side Of Chris Pratt.

Some of Hollywood’s animated family films have drawn fire for being accused of having sexual references hidden in them, among them The Little Mermaid (1989), Aladdin (1992), and The Lion King (1994). Instances of sexual material hidden in some versions of The Rescuers (1977) and Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988) resulted in recalls and modifications of the films to remove such content. Hollywood Celebrity News 2017, The Shady Side Of Chris Pratt.

https://www.myhollywoodnews.com/the-shady-side-of-chris-pratt/

#LatestNews

#Latest News

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stopsubstanceabuse1-blog · 5 years

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Latest Version 1Z0-216 Brain Dumps Practise Questions

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Latest Version 1Z0-216 Brain Dumps Practise Questions

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The worst 10 movies of 2016

2016 was really the year of stinkers than it was for good movies. Fortunately, I knew to stay away from most of them. If the trailer reveals too much and it’s so star-studded and CGI driven it almost looks stupid (because it is); then check yourself before you wreck yourself; do NOT watch those movies. The movies I called to be stinkers that I did not see and friends told me they did stink are:

Passengers

Assassin’s Creed

Now You See Me 2

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2

Mother’s Day

Zoolander 2

Ghostbusters: Answer the Call (total reboot, yet Sigourney Weaver, Dan Akroyd, Bill Murray, and Ernie Hudson all appear in the film as different characters; stupid.)

INDEPENDENCE DAY 2: RESURGENCE: If Will Smith said no to it to do Suicide Squad (TOTAL STINKER) instead, then it had to be bad.

The 5th Wave

The Divergent Series: Allegiant: Before the third installment to this less than mediocre franchise released, Lionsgate announced they were selling the rights to Disney and were going to release the final film (4th and 5th installment) as a TV season with a whole new cast…yea, no thanks.

Warcraft

London Has Fallen

Gods of Egypt

Max Steel

Noticing a trend here folks?

Every movie with the exception of Passengers is not original. Either a sequel to a mediocre movie, or a movie based on videogame or teen novel. Do not waste your time on these films. They are crap, all of them, no matter who is in them.

Yea, I love Jennifer Lawrence, Chris Pratt, Jeff Goldblum, and Mark Ruffalo; but that’s what Marvel movies are for folks!

The following top 10 list is based on what I saw! Again a few of these movies were not terrible, just not the best. #9 and #10 were movies that I could have waited for TV and/or Netflix.

10. X-Men: Apocalypse 3 Stars (7.1/10 on IMDB, 48% on Rotten Tomatoes)

Not a terrible movie, not the worst in the X-Men franchise; just not the best. With the follow up to the BEST X-Men film (Days of Future Past), and the second film in the X-Men Cinematic Universe in 2016 (Deadpool being the first), there were high expectations on this film. It just didn’t meet them.

Apocalypse is not The Last Stand or X-Men Origins: Wolverine; it is not flat out terrible. It just did not meet anyone’s expectations. Oscar Isaac; as good as he is, played a terrible villain, which is so disappointing because he was so good in 2015’s Ex-Machina. Fassbender’s Magneto is still so kick ass as well as Lawrence’s Mystique. Hugh Jackman has hands down the best five minutes in the entire movie. And the post-credits scene was a very exciting set up to March 2017’s Logan. Again: not a bad movie! Just not the greatest. There was WAY too much CGI and WAY too much 1963 Batmanesque cheese lines. Same bat-time, same bat-channel, lots of crap like that. I would wait for this to come out on FX in 2018 to watch. The only reason I would watch is continuity to set up Hugh Jackman’s finale in this beloved franchise; Logan.

9. The Secret Life of Pets 2.75 Stars (6.6/10 on IMDB, 74% on Rotten Tomatoes)

Great airplane movie or TV movie. Not missing much if you don’t watch on rental or in theaters. I love animated films, and some great ones came out in 2016, but this movie just tried too hard in all the wrong places. Kevin Hart’s bunny was over the top as expected, no problem there, but Jenny Slate again in an animated film with animals who can talk? Really Illumination? You want to be Zootopia that bad? And you want to try AGAIN with Sing? It’s pretty pathetic. You’re going to get Albert Brooks to voice a character too (Marlon in Finding Nemo/Dory) The placement advertisement for NBC/Universal shows and movies like Fallon, Saturday Night Live, Seinfeld, The Voice and a blatant movie poster on a public transportation bus for Sing was so shriekingly stupid, I wanted to hold my middle finger up to screen. The good sides of this movie was that the dog characters were cute and the animation was good. That’s it. Illumination should wait a little longer before branching out of Despicable Me and Minions. I wouldn’t have seen this movie in theaters or on iTunes. Wait for Redbox and if you can on TV in 2018 folks.

8. Me Before You 2 Stars (7.5/10 on IMDB, 58% on Rotten Tomatoes)

I love Emilia Clarke, but she cannot choose a good film script to save her life. This movie makes me have very low expectations for the standalone Han Solo film due out in 2018. What a piece of crap this move is. What a piece of crap this story is. SPOILER ALERT: she fails at motivating the guy to live and love again. He commits suicide and gives her money in his will. What kind of a story is that? Why the hell would anyone want to read or watch this trash?

The acting felt like a chick-flick/rom-com with these two young up and coming actors, but the story just did not help. A matured and handsome Neville Longbottom was about the only upside of this movie. Lord Tywin Lannister himself (Charles Dance) couldn’t even deliver. This movie was trash. Wife hated the ending. I quote her saying “The end makes me want that two hours back.” There you go folks. If you like depressing romantic movies with lifetime movie/porno acting and no happy ending, this is your film! If not, don’t bother.

7. The Huntsman: Winter’s War 2 Stars (6.1/10 Stars on IMDB, 17% on Rotten Tomatoes)

I originally thought Snow White and the Huntsman would not have been garbage if it wasn’t for Kristen Stewart’s fugly frozen face with no emotion. I was wrong. The Huntsman was an even bigger turd. This movie was set up as a prequel/sequel to its predecessor. Yea, I know it doesn’t make sense, it didn’t work on screen either. I had to Wikipedia what exactly happened with the story after I finished the movie. This was another movie with too many A-listers and CGI to be any good. This movie was Warner Brothers throwing more money in the garbage to compete with Disney’s live action remakes. Warner Brothers takes another loss with their comic book universe (OH WE WILL BE GOING THERE TOO). Do not waste your time with this movie. Doesn’t go down as one of the worst movies I’ve ever seen because Jessica Chastain and Emily Blunt are just too good for that; but I prefer you just to watch Zero Dark Thirty and Sicario a second time than to waste your time with this turd.

6. Alice Through the Looking Glass 1.5 Stars (6.3/10 on IMDB, 30% on Rotten Tomatoes)

With Disney doing 16 films in 2016, surely not all of them were destined for greatness. Alice was the rotten one of the bunch. Another sequel/reboot to a mediocre film, Alice Through the Looking Glass was crappy CGI thrown up all over the silver screen with good costumes! I got it; it’s Attack of the Clones II! Horrible, horrible, horrible. 2016 may be the worst year of Johnny Depp’s life. With his mother’s death, his divorce, and his ex-wife’s domestic-abuse accusations, I don’t see how promoting this crap film made 2016 any better. I’m praying for big things for Johnny in 2017 (Seriously); I pray his career is resurrected with the fifth Pirates film, he enjoys touring with Alice Cooper and his super-group, and he has some a new year’s resolution to drop off some beer weight like myself. One of the worst of 2016, this film is not one you want to waste your time or money on.

5. Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice 1 Star (6.7/10 on IMDB, 27% on Rotten Tomatoes)

What a piece of crap. This movie was worse than Daredevil (2003), worse than Batman & Robin, worse than Punisher: War Zone, worse than Fantastic 4 (2015), worse than Ghost Rider. Yes, I need to say more. Screw Zack Snyder (director). Honestly, what a douchebag for making me hate a movie that comes out in modern day with all the brilliant actors and incredible technology and source content we have. Batman is my all time favorite character. I’ve been watching him as far as I can remember; since I could not walk. And Zack Snyder ruined every piece of what could have been good with this movie. To all of your Burton/Keaton fans, Campy Adam West fans, and Batman TAS fans; I’ve had enough of your garbage; Christian Bale’s performance and Christopher Nolan’s trilogy is the best on screen Batman ever. When we have something like that…why would you try to reboot it only 4 years later? And especially to not give Batman his own movie first…you put him in a Man of Steel sequel; it’s really offensive. All Batman fans should be offended by this turd of a movie. Superman has yet to have a fantastic live action movie. So why group Batman with that mess? It pisses me off. Henry Cavill’s Clark Kent reminds me of Hayden Christensen’s Anakin Skywalker from Star Wars Episodes II and III; such a whiny little wuss. Bro, YOU ARE FREAKING SUPERMAN; stop whining about why nobody likes you. Bro (Hayden Christensen), YOU ARE FREAKING DARTH VADER; stop whining about sand!

Ben Affleck does make a good Bruce Wayne; but his Batman costume is just the worst. Drawn on abs. Really? Bring back the nipples too please. As you can tell, I’m not going to see Justice League Part 1 due out in November or the Batfleck standalone. I’m done with DC. I’m done with WB for firing Nolan. My allegiance is with Disney-Marvel’s MCU, they haven’t disappointed me yet. If you want beautiful comic driven visuals, this movie has it. But, no one wants JUST THAT for 3 hours. Go smoke a bowl and read your comics instead, it’ll probably have the same effect.

4. Suicide Squad 1 Star (6.4/10 on IMDB, 26% on Rotten Tomatoes)

Gosh I hate the DCEU. I love the source content so much for me to rank this as #1 worst of 2016, but if it wasn’t for that, I would say this may be the worst movie I have ever seen. It’s hands down, the most disappointing movie I have ever seen. I knew Batman v Superman would suck, but I thought this movie would revive the DCEU, I was wrong. Warner Bros. marketed this entire film around Jared Leto’s Joker. And Jared Leto promoted the film centered on his character. WB made Leto’s character a measly cameo. Yes folks, in this 2 hour and 17 minute movie, Joker has 7 minutes of screen time. And it was 7 minutes too long. His character had nothing to do with the actual Suicide Squad other than Harley’s origin. Will Smith’s Deadshot was the real protagonist of the movie. It centered around him. So we get another Will Smith stinker. Yea guys, let’s be honest, Will Smith sucks now. He raised his son to be the biggest abomination to ever come out of Hollywood, and he has not done a good film in a decade (I Am Legend). His character was another (aw hell naw) felt misplaced, and Smith’s attempt to be gangsta, when he just isn’t. Your Hitch bro, just stop.

Margot Robbie is too hot to not watch this movie. Of course we all saw it, and we cannot admit that it sucks because of her. She is one of my favorite up and coming young actresses and she absolutely kills this role. She did such a good job it’s hard for me to rank this movie as the worst of 2016. The problems with this movie; where do I start? The marketing, the amount of plot holes, the villain, a character they literally created to kill off, the reason Joker was even in the movie, the ZERO respect they had for truly representing the source content for Harley and Joker’s relationship. Harley is supposed to a commodity/accessory to Joker’s madness and that’s it. But they made Harley Joker’s girlfriend and it just didn’t work. It also does not help that Jared Leto had to follow up to Heath Ledger. Ledger’s performance is arguably the greatest villain of all time. Leto was tatted gangster that wore make up and chains; that’s it. Not crazy nor sadistic, nor chaotic or psychotic; just a gangster. His character was a complete and utter joke. If you love the source material too much to not watch this film, I understand, if you just want to see Margot Robbie in short shorts and high heels and kick ass, I understand; but if you want to be entertained, do not watch this movie.

3. Sausage Party 1 Star. (6.4/10 on IMDB, 84% on Rotten Tomatoes)

For the record, I did not watch this film by choice, my wife rented it, and I watched it after I finished Hell or High Water. My ignorance got the best of me in that I knew nothing about it. And, I mean come on, Rotten Tomatoes gave it an 84%, how could it be bad?

Oh my gosh. Where do I start? The amount of childish sexual innuendos makes this movie look Donald Trump look like the Pope. This movie is full of “locker room talk.” This movie is point-blank offensive, immature, and stupid. And it was written by Seth Rogen and Jonah Hill; go figure. The animation is nothing great, the humor is cheap, not anything creative or new. Rogen’s attempts at making me laugh is quickly dying. Cussing, pot, and sexual humor gets old quickly. You cannot make the same movie over and over and put it in a different box and wrap with a nice shiny bow filled with a-listers. Seth Rogen must be stopped. This Is the End was the last movie he’s done that has made me laugh. The nostalgia of Pineapple Express, Freaks and Geeks, and Knocked Up is the only reason that movie caught my attention. This movie, I had no desire to see. Wife grabbed it at Redbox without my knowledge and I walked in on her watching it. I’d honestly rather walk in on her watching porn, at least we can have a good conversation from it. This movie was just a big “why?” She didn’t have an answer, and neither would I if I were in her shoes.

It is an R-rated animated movie with A-listers which is ironic, since we 99% see the opposite when it comes to the source content (G and Disney for dummies). Don’t see this movie, you’ll thank me for it.

2. Quentin Tarantino’s 8th film .5 Star (really his 11th, I know the guy can’t count) The Hateful Eight (7.9/10 on IMDB, 75% on Rotten Tomatoes)

Tarantino said he would make 10 films and be done. He said this is the eighth BECAUSE: Kill Bills Vol 1 and Vol 2 is counted as 1, he’s not counting Death Proof as it fell under the “Grindhouse” 2 film presentation with Robert Rodriguez, and he is not counting his very first film starring himself. So, I’m hoping he doesn’t do any more stupid little projects and speed up to 10 so we can rid him from Hollywood.

Tarantino is over the top, he exaggerates reality making his own one, apparently all of his films are in the same “universe.” I don’t think Tarantino has given me any smiles since Inglorious Basterds. Another movie with Samuel L. Jackson, Michael Madsen, Tim Roth, and Walter Goggins, this movie with over the top bloody scenes did nothing for me. At least Django and Kill Bill were action packed, at least Inglorious Basterds had an incredible cast and was hilarious. I love that he used an Italian composer to try as hard as he could to make it feel like a spaghetti western; but it didn’t.

The whole movie takes place in a room, that’s right…in a room folks. Lots of blood, lots of not-so-mysterious mystery and lots of famous faces. This movie was like Tarantino was parodying his own genre of movies. It was so freaking dumb that it just pissed me off. Came out on New Year’s Day 2016, it kicked off what would be a pretty hateful year for many. Do not waste three hours of your time with this movie. You will want it back.

1. The Lobster .25 Star (7.1/10 on IMDB, 90% on Rotten Tomatoes)

Sometimes you cannot trust Rotten Tomatoes. Nine out of Ten times they are right, this was the one time they were wrong. Top three worst movies I have ever seen in my life. This movie is a witty Cohen Brothers-esque adult version of The Hunger Games that was just plain weird. No, it was not funny, no it was not creative. It’s stupid. But guess what fam; STUPID GETS GOLDEN GLOBE AND OSCAR NOMINATIONS these days! Be honest with yourselves; if you saw it, HBO’s The Normal Heart was not good or well-acted. But in today’s day and age if you make a movie about gay people, you’re getting an Oscar nod. So, I guess now if you make a movie about something that’s just weird and stupid, you’ll get one too.

Here’s the synopsis: In a near-future’d dystopian world, to prevent over-populating, if you do not find a husband or wife at a certain age, you check into a hotel where you are forced to meet one in two months, if you don’t your body well be shredded an recycled for research and you will be turned into an animal (but not really, they will kill you, they just tell you that so you agree to the “transformation,” ie execution).

Yes, it is as stupid as it sounds. I never even finished the movie, I wikied the rest when there was about 25 minutes left, it wasn’t worth the rest of my valuable time.

I write this blog not to vent on how bad movies are, but I know YOUR time is valuable and it should be treated that way, not with garbage movies. Please take my word. I hope this blog was helpful. Please follow, like, share, comment! Bigger and better films to come in 2017! I will be your source! I have about 10 more films of 2016’s I will review before I crossover into 2017; stay tuned for those blogs!

Thanks guys!

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