#galahads vs. whiskey

[the-queen-of-fools]

Coffee & Cowboys

Chapter 8

——— Word count: 1889 Pairing: Jack ‘Agent Whiskey’ Daniels x English f!Reader (no y/n, no descriptions) Rating: Mature (For themes & language. No smut.) Warnings: Slow burn; a lot of angst; violent descriptions (Whiskey vs the Galahads fight) & allusions to a gory death (how it ends in the film); post-movie; AU, fix-it fic. A/N: I was worried about this one when writing it, but I think I did it came out okay… Also posted on Ao3. ———

You join Ginger, still speaking her thought processes to herself. You gently clear your throat to not surprise her too much before you speak. “Ginger? How about some food?” Her shoulders relax a little, and she nods, as you begin on your way. Whiskey follows, but today spends the walk telling you some little facts about some of the rooms or people you pass on the way to the canteen. She smiles to herself when you laugh at one of the more… scandalous tidbits from your cowboy companion. She wonders how you are so okay with this, the (almost) ghost of an international spy chatting to you, so easily forgetting that to everyone else, there’s no one there. She’s not sure she’d be quite so accepting. She’s sure most people wouldn’t be.  

You finally reach the canteen, grabbing a sandwich and drink, but taking your time looking at the desserts and easily picking out the one you’ll be coming back to get afterwards. Ginger and you settle down on two of the chairs at one of the round tables, placing your choices down and finally getting out of the lab headspace. She sees you push another chair out a bit with your foot, and when she looks questioningly at you, you simply shrug and tell her it’s so that Whiskey can sit down too. She doesn’t see how the gesture makes the ghostly Agent’s eyes soften, or the gentle tip of his hat he gives you in thanks.

…

After lunch (including a slice of one of the nicest chocolate fudge cakes you’ve ever had), the three of you return to Ginger’s lab, the air feeling much lighter than it did beforehand. The remainder of the day includes more questions, Ginger trying to make some sort of connection between yourself and the stetson wearing secret agent, though she’s also looking over some of the previous test results so it’s not nearly as intensive for you as it was the previous day. Your book makes a short lived appearance, ending up closed on your lap as you think over and discuss the other possible connections with her. The cowboy doesn’t really add many thoughts, occasionally walking across the room and through the wall to look at himself in the hospital bed, machine beeps providing a strange soundtrack to his physical being, before walking back to join the two of you again. This last time, however, he returns to find you standing next to Ginger, hands covering your mouth, barely being able to contain your tears as she holds the tablet between you, screen clearly pointed in your direction, the video slightly highlighting parts of your face as it plays. One of her hands is on your back, rubbing up and down lightly in comfort, he realises, which means there’s really only one video you could be watching right now. You must hear something, he thinks, to make you become aware he’s walked back in, though he has no idea what, he’s just trying to figure out how you look so hurt about what happened to him. He’s still staring at your face as your head lifts and eyes meet. “Jack.” It’s the only thing you can rasp out before you break into sobbing. It’s the first time you’ve properly addressed him with his name. And oh, how he wishes it wasn’t said like that.  

Ginger guides you to sit in a chair as you continue to cry over the video. The cowboy squats down in front of you, wanting nothing more than to hold your hand and comfort you, just like Ginger was trying to.   “Darlin’, it’s okay, I’m okay.” He whispers to you. You shake your head, hands still over your face. He can’t do anything but wait, quietly repeating to you that he’s fine. Several quiet minutes pass, you only moving to occasionally wipe the flowing tears off your cheeks. The cowboy watches your face, eyes closed, cheeks irritated by the repeated rub of your hands. You breathe slowly and deeply, opening your eyes and letting them land on his face. Whiskey’s eyebrows pulled up and together in concern. He is still repeating that you don’t have to worry about him, so you give a small smile and slight nod to tell him you’re feeling a bit better now. He exhales, you doing the same after another deep breath. He places his hand flat on your knee, palm up, so you place yours palm down on it. It goes straight through, of course, and your smile widens and warms as you watch how your hands share the space together. “What can I do, sugar?” He asks, smiling back. You shrug, losing some of your smile, and simply reply, “wake up?”

…

Later, you sit with both versions of the cowboy, reassuring yourself that no matter how much it looks like he is going to land inside the meat grinder, that no matter how terrifyingly close he gets, he does not actually go in. You had watched the video again, after you had stopped crying. After that viewing, you had cried a bit more, and moved rooms to sit among the machines that continue to beep around the comatose Agent Whiskey, one of the few signals that the cowboy is, in fact, still alive and not a ghost. Despite the man’s disapproval, and intense glare, you are watching the video for a third and final time. You watch as the cowboy talks to the other two men, the ‘English business connections’ he had mentioned, across the checkered floor, them with a metal case, him with a lasso in one hand, a gun in the other. You watch as a bright light covers the screen briefly, and they begin to fight, the cowboy’s lasso, electrified according to Ginger, swinging around the room, cutting apart seats and almost cutting apart people. You watch him be hit and kicked around, lose his knife into the meat grinder, causing sparks to fly as the teeth do their damage. More fighting, and then it comes around again. The moment one of the suited men lifts him up and over, the other pushing his chest down to guide him, planning to send him head first into the grinder… You pause the video. You know he doesn’t go in but it still looks like he will, that it’s the only outcome of the men’s movements that could possibly happen, that it was the inevitable end. You take a deep breath in, look at ghostly Whiskey’s concerned face, look at solid Whiskey’s peaceful one, exhale, and press play. He’s no longer centred, he’s to the side, still in motion, before the top of his head hits the corner of the funnelled metal, stopping its path, and the rest of the cowboy’s body flips over and falls, leaving him laying on the floor.

You suppose, really, that you should somehow be grateful. Grateful that the men didn’t lift him up and put him into the grinder after all. Grateful that they didn’t simply shoot him in the head before going on with their previous case-related mission. Whether the reason they did not was that Whiskey being neutralised due to unconsciousness was enough, whether it was crossing the line of self-defence to murder, or if they simply didn’t think he was worth the effort or the bullet, was unknown. You suppose you should feel grateful that they left him, injured, unconscious, and bleeding on the floor, but you just can’t seem to feel that particular emotion. You lock the tablet screen and place it down on the bed. You aren’t crying this time, but you are so very tired from doing so earlier. Leaning back in the chair, you yawn, causing the cowboy to come closer. “You alright there, darlin’?” He asks, and you take another look at his face. It’s filled with concern still, some guilt for the pain the video has caused, and something else. Regret maybe? You’re wondering if it’s a strange combination of sadness and annoyance at the fact he’s still an apparition that only you can see, mere inches from a body he should be inhabiting. You nod, giving him a weak smile to try and calm some of his conflicting emotions. “Fine, thank you, just tired. Feel like going back to the hotel for a nap before dinner.” “Okay then darlin’, let’s go.” He’s half way through the door before you even reach for the tablet. Returning it to Ginger, you tell her that you’re done for the day, the emotional labour has wiped you out and you’re going back to the hotel. She hands you a card with the Statesman logo and a phone number on it. “It’s direct to the transport services, so you can come and go a bit more freely. You won’t have to be ready at a certain time, or meet me outside anymore, you know where you’re going. Champ okayed it. And you already have your ID, your biometrics are in the system, plus you have my direct number, so if you get turned around, call.” “Thanks. I’ll do my best, don’t want to interrupt you.” You give her a warm and friendly smile, but it’s a surprise to her when you also give her a hug. “Thank you for your help. For me, and for Cowboy.” She hugs you back but doesn’t say anything before you let her go, saying goodbye and leaving her lab for the day.

…

Arriving back at the hotel, you try your best to get to sleep. You really try. An alarm is set, you’re comfortable in the bed, and you do feel tired. You’ve been there for 20 minutes, but you’re still very awake. Very awake and wondering how the cowboy ended up in your life, replaying how close he got to being minced, and what had caused the fight that almost killed him. Ugh. You climb out of the bed, walk over to the sofa, and drop down heavily next to Whiskey. His stetson is over his eyes again and he barely reacts to your arrival. “What caused the fight?” You ask. “You said that you wouldn’t have been surprised if they’d have killed you? What could have possibly happened to do that?” “Let’s just say we had a… difference of opinion.” “Were they spies too?” “Yes.” The man’s tone is short, and he clearly (still) doesn’t want to talk about this. “But why-“ “It don’t fuckin’ matter now, does it? It was months ago, darlin’. Everyone was saved, so none of it fuckin’ matters.” He’s loud, not shouting, but loud and his tone is rough. You stare at him, and when he finally turns his head to look at you, it’s not anger in his eyes. Not only anger, anyway. It’s pain. It’s grief. “Did you not want everyone saved, Jack?” You wish your voice didn’t break, you wish your heart didn’t either at the thought that this man, this ridiculous cowboy that you care about despite only knowing him a few days, could have possibly fought against the cure being released. He doesn’t say anything. That’s an answer too, you think, and not the one you want. You sigh as you stand, and walk back towards the bed. You cry again, this time only stopping when you finally fall asleep.

[character-is-who-you-are]

Feel like dancing to this song all day long

[ethotv-archived]

dream smp but its the mechanisms

aka “oh my god why do so many mechs song fit the dsmp” or “please help ive been here for 2 hours”. organised by album, all with links to the songs (and lyrics). have fun! all of this, of course, is /rp and referring to the characters

once upon a time (in space)

aka “this is just manburg v pogtopia arc but with lesbians in space”

old king cole - jschlatt. also some fun nods to technoblade being the executioner. also immortal!schlatt is a fun hc

rose red - bear with me. niki. interesting that the person stopping rose from getting married is king cole, and how schlatt held niki back and singled her out in manburg

our boy jack - tommy. is it about tommy or is tommy singing thats for you to decide.

sleeping beauty - not the main song but jonnys verses are chaos gang (wilbur, techno, dream)

no happy endings - manburg v pogtopia arc. need i say more

laid in blood - tommy and phil in the aftermath of november 16th

ulysses dies at dawn

aka “yeah this is all for trial by song thats really it”

broken horses - philza :’) and some technoblade

favoured son - a reach but.. dadschlatt au tubbo?

trial by song - nlm tubbo i made this post just for this song its HIM

underworld blues - dream as hades, if we go with the hc that joining the server wipes your memories of any time before it (another reach, but im skipping a lot of songs already :/)

ties that bind - wilbur, tommy, techno, tubbo; theres a lot of lines that can be interpreted different ways. verse 2 is tubbo though

high noon over camelot

aka “ouch (also the fact i cant assign karlnapity to blood and whiskey hurts)”

gunfight at the dolorous guard - og lmanberg being founded. also lancelots verse... ouch

hanged man rusts - gawain = quackity/butcher army arthur = philza (lol kinda) galahad = ranboo???? im reaching again. purely based on merlins verses not their responses, with the exception of quackity

blood and whiskey - bench trio (platonically. if it wasnt obvious) going to kill dream

peacemaker - fundy and ranboo as gawain and mordred after doomsday/green festival. or techno and tommy?

once and future king - philza to wilbur. ouch

the bifrost incident

aka “what the fuck am i meant to do here”

odin - pre-smp dream perhaps? foreshadowing his descent into madness even more

loki - ghostbur. also the entire reason for the post. im electing to ignore thors verse bc idk who he could be

sigyn - pogtopia tommy? excluding the verses where she finds loki ofc

(this section is short bc . well. ragnarok is hard to assign ok)

misc (tales to be told+more)

aka “theres just... so many songs...”

tales to be told - tales from the smp (minus the like... hard drinking. and violence)

gunpowder tim vs the moon kaiser (yes this gets a subsection) > the recruiters song - pogtopia/manburg propaganda > tim goes crazy - pogtopia wilbur :/ > teatime with the kaiser - tubbo (if he ever used the dead mans switch on his nukes)(also theres no single video for this one sorry)

hereward the wake - technoblade, since hes apparently a literal legend wtf

pieces - techno and tommy i am in shambles. please indulge me and pretend theyre brothers for 4 minutes 23 seconds. ignore the final verses though

stranger - tubbo and ranboo, when tubbo finds out about the enderwalk. yeah. ouch

lucky sevens - sapnap just for the pyromania and vibes but. nothing else

lost in the cosmos - jack manifold... robot hc <3

lotus eaters - exile arc with protege tommy OR eggpire

bonus: raising the dead! (jessica law) - alivebur resurrection pre-disc day (the doctors are eret and philza)

[eggsyarchived]

why do you hate the golden circle so much though? as sequels go, it wasn't that bad

HOOOO BOY.   okay well , let me start this off by saying that despite my tones and reservations towards the sequel , I don’t actually hate it   ?   I think i’m just a naturally-angry , bitter banana and it’s evident in how I write.  i’m perpetually tired LMAO.    look if i’m looking to switch off my brain and watch something for jam-packed action and a couple ‘a laughs i’d go right ahead and watch TGC.   the Statesman were kickass , the storyline was alright , I loved the choice of music that went along with the fight scenes , Elton John made me laugh , Eggsy was perfection but that’s a given.  my son.

these things aside , though , it just  …  felt  empty ,  almost  ?  too much , and too little.   to me , anyways.  like the first one had a charm and unique nature that felt  NEW ,  y'know  ?  it was exciting and fresh and Legit in ways that I feel like are really difficult to recapture.  think the first GOTG , by comparisons to GOTG 2. both incredible movies , in my opinion , but the second one didn’t really have the same magic as the first , y'know   ?   bc we know what to expect and those expectations in movies are rarely exceeded or redirected.  and Kingsman , more so than other movies , perhaps , felt like the kind that didn’t need a sequel , like a one-off kinda deal.

BUT MORE THAN THAT ,  there were things in Kingsman TGC that actually pissed me off  –  that made me frown , or shake my head , or completely disregard the canon.  stuff like  :

all them deaths.  what the fuck , guys  ?   like nothing says  “we value having our first female knight"  more than   a.  spending The Secret Service jetting her out of the stratosphere.  and  b.  killing her off within the first half of the second movie.  I don’t understand why Merlin had to die , either , given the fact that that weird ice thing from the spray can took long enough to dissolve such that they  ALL  had time to just. leg it.    but okay   !!   (  JB was just. a travesty. let’s not go there  )

no Eggsy + Family interactions.  really  ???   like.  how  incredible  would that have been , one scene , even , that highlights how the Unwin family is getting on following the events of the first movie  ???  how great would it have been to show Eggsy bonding with his family , teaching Daisy her ABCs , cooking with his momma , or even having a heart-to-heart about how things have changed   ???  how awesome would it have been for Eggsy to hear  "i’m so proud of you”  from Michelle Unwin  –  to know  HE'S  responsible for getting himself out of a rut , but also for helping his family out too  ???  that scene where Tilde gives Egg a puppy , and she’s like  “now you have another reason to come home"   –  would’ve worked just as well with Michelle being the one who gets Egg the dog , says the line.  and would’ve perhaps bore a greater meaning too.

That Scene.  we all know what scene i’m talking about.  it was degrading and unnecessary. I rant about it a lot so let’s end that there.

character development  –  or lack thereof.  look , Ginger Ale was great but it bugged me how they just had her sitting around with Merlin the whole time , just adding in a line about how she’d like to be a field agent one day.  like  ???  you know what would’ve been incredible , lads  ??  her showing her worth  AS  a field agent , to the point where neither Galahad is considered for the role of Agent Whiskey , because ofc , we can give it to our top techie  !   she’s earned it   !   like I felt like the line about her wanting to become a field agent was  LEGIT  just added in so she could tie up those strings later.  @ Vaughn when will u make better use of the female characters in the franchise  ???  :/

Charlie in general.  I feel like he needed  WAY  more development like YIKES that is such a huge arc for him to go through  ?  he was being considered Kingsman material , and from there he became like.  a posh Terminator and decided to work for Poppy in the middle of nowhere  ???  sounds plausible sure but where’s the development that focused on HIS story , HIS motives , HIS feelings  ??  where was that  ??

fight scenes.  this is a weird one but like  ???  they were so hard to follow , not fun to watch , really.  the church scene in the first movie totes tingled my nether regions but like.  Charlie vs Galahad in the cab  ??  was tough to follow , weird on the eyes.  did anyone else get that  ??  idk what they did but I didn’t like it.

also still not enough diversity.        we get it.