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winchester-reload · 2 years

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I have a few thoughts about the Winchesters finale, and though I wasn’t gonna weigh in on this, it turns out I needed to write this down to get it out of my head, so here we go.

I understand that Misha was approached to be included on the show and that there was a “scheduling conflict” that included multiple conversations with Jensen. Here’s my interpretation of that:

I believe Cas was supposed to make a cameo in episode 13 to tee up the confession resolution—this was always the episode where they were going to crack open the “surprise twist” even before learning they would only get 13 episodes total. In the original scenario, episode 13 would have been the hellatus episode rather than a finale, leaving room for everything to come to a head with episode 22 instead. It’s then they would have given us the actual Dean and Cas reunion. This would have wrapped both stories nicely with each group going off into their own respective sunsets—their own happy endings, while still leaving all the room for the new crew to explore more seasons; all along, we see, The Winchesters was about Dean and Cas as much as it was about Mary and John.

When they didn’t get the back half of the season picked up, I assume they feared it would be more dangerous to show a Cas cameo without getting to address the confession, so Misha likely opted to be left out instead. With the only hint to Cas being Dean’s line that he was looking for his family when he found the Akrida, then directly drawing the parallel that Jack and Bobby were “family.” The core crew for Dean has always been Bobby, Sam, Jack, AND Cas. And he wasn’t looking for Sam because he was still on earth. So who’s left? You might be compelled to believe he was window shopping AU versions of his parents, but he confirms he ran into the Akrida in this world and then sought to interfere with the order by approaching John in an effort to prevent it from spreading to Sam's world. (Why Cas would be AU hopping, idk. The boy is really afraid of being shot down, I guess.)

It goes far to explain the vast narrative parallels we saw reflected in the Monster Club crew if it was intended as a setup for the confession payoff. It honestly doesn’t make a lot of sense otherwise. There’s no reason these people should be living Dean's experiences and regrets every episode unless the writers wanted the viewer to be thinking about the lessons and resolutions in how they relate to Dean too.

Additionally, as this has been a largely uncontested take, this is Jensen's well-funded fanfic come to life. Complete with the embracing of many of our favorite fanfic tropes and emphasized by Dean’s own words throughout the season. Because this is an obvious embrace of that “write your own story” fan side, I believe the reason Dean couldn’t even say Cas’ name in the episode is because they were going to change the spelling from “Cass” as it was in the show proper to the fan-adopted (and more accurate) spelling of “Cas,” which would have appeared in the subtitles and later the script pages. And even that little thing right there would have been a huge giveaway to the whole game. And a very dangerous thing to do if there wasn’t going to be enough time for follow-through.

But the truth is, this isn’t a game for many people, and the harm that can be caused by good intentions is just as real. It also begs the question: why should this be so difficult? The answer is it’s not. Edging forever isn’t fun. It’s torture. I understand there’s an art to storytelling, but your audience is weary, and trust has been violated too many times. Even still, the flip side of that coin is honest to god respect for DeanCas endgame means taking the story and the reveal seriously. It’s a tightrope walk. And one that Robbie somehow managed to keep balanced after the finale, without it falling either way. Also we also need to consider the possibility that Jensen did pitch a full-on destiel love story spin-off but got shot down, opting to couch it in a more CW-branded world instead. He’s mentioned over half a dozen pitches were rejected. It's up to you whether you want to give him the benefit of the doubt on that.

But, I’m gonna be honest here, I don’t know that we will ever get that resolution we crave. Even Robbie confirmed The Winchesters were always meant to “go it alone” after the first season. It’s hard to imagine Dean popping in there to fuck around again after that handoff. But the dude is clearly a very restless sea-faring*, swoopy-haired mofo right now, so I’ll leave that one up to the SPN multiverse and the new Mr. Superwholock’s magical universe-traveling impala. (This show used to be about what again? *looks at notes*.) And FWIW, if they do get green-lit for a whole second season or are allowed to move networks, I believe a good-faith effort will be made to tie the narrative parallels we saw in season one to some real Dean and Cas resolution. If there gets to be a world where John *might* not turn into an abusive dick, then this possibility has to be true too.

For the record, I enjoyed The Winchesters, all the new characters, and the doors the finale opened for the possibility of more. I would have been fine half-watching it with no promises, empty head no thoughts, but I got my clown** suit on again, and though I mostly kept quiet, unlike last time, I did regrettably manage to drag a few friends down with me yet again. Though the spec sessions were epic, and we did get some art out of it—it still rocks the boat when the base level expectations were only 1. Dean alive, and 2. seeing Cas again.

But for anyone, like me, upset by the (likely unintentional) Cas-baiting or anyone still reeling about why this stuff can hit so hard, here’s an interesting article about the way our brains respond to fictional characters. Tl;dr: There’s nothing wrong with you. This is science. And while you’re at it, take a look at this article about the very real power of disenfranchised grief over character loss.

Ramble on, fam. And take care of yourselves.

<3 Jackie

*Um hi he appears as a sailor? Literally, on a show with a story Dean is writing whose audience is looking for a resolution to a conversation between two people who’re famously the “most shipped” characters of all time? That’s not an accident. That’s intentional. And it’s another reason why there might be a bitter taste in your mouth. These nods came without resolution, so it still feels dirty, despite the brilliant Easter egg.

**I hesitate to say “clown” here because the lesson on episode 12 was that the clowns were the ones who chose a self-induced limbo rather than face some personal hard revelations. That sounds more like a certain closeted character than it does the people cheering him on, and that felt like an intentional nod too.

***obviously, this is my own rambling spec as I try to reorder my thoughts in the wake of the finale.

#the winchesters #destiel #spnwin #jackie's talking #meta #finale thoughts #my art

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thecameronchronicles · 2 years

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Blackmail

TW: Dark JJ! Language. Heavy smut. Language.

SUMMARY: A series of events leads JJ to finally make you his, by any means necessary…

WORD COUNT: 3600

*Requested*/*Original Concept*

Blackmail

You felt guilty for even saying the words out loud, and yet were desperate to talk about it to someone. Playing the role of the dutiful girlfriend to Pope Heyward meant that you were subject to showcase his same broadcast of perfection. Good grades in college, reticence wrapped beneath your well polished exterior, and your deepest of desires veiled behind smiles of happiness and contentment. And this is what brought you to discussing these details with Sarah, the recent ‘pogue’ to which you were closest to.

“I’m just glad he can’t tell…” You confessed, “I wouldn’t want to hurt his feelings. But I feel like the excitement’s just…” You stopped yourself as you didnt want to claim these actual words as they teased expulsion from the tip of your tongue.

The truth of the matter was that you and Pope were destined to date as you were scholars of the mind and passionate from your heart, always flirting and exchanging long glances-but you weren't exactly meant to last beyond high school. And it showed in the way those small romantic attempts faded between you as your busy schedules made it difficult to find time for one another. It was also this distance that made your mind travel to places you didn’t want it to. And yet, before you could stop those words from leaving your mouth, they hung in the air with Sarah’s humored reaction in tow.

“Sometimes I just think I need to get someone else in my system for just one night or something. Just to get those ‘wild oats’ sown or whatever-”

“Someone you have in mind?” You contorted your face in thought. There was someone you had in mind, someone you always had in mind as he caught your eye on every occasion where he was present. That blonde hair bleached by the sea and the sun, those muscles on display with both the intent and ignorance to do so, and that smile that may be rare in genuine happiness but was a sight to see for your sore eyes.

“J?!” Sarah teased as you shrugged while she had deduced this from the fact you were already with Pope and she was with John B, leaving the pivot you made over your shoulder back into The Chateau, the piece of the puzzle she needed for this clue. And you quickly berated her for the volume she chose to acknowledge it as everyone was asleep, including Pope, just beyond that screen door at your side.

“I’ve heard for years how he is in bed…and…sometimes I think that’s all I want…But then I think back to Pope and he has everything I need. Like we have a future and all of that-”

“Just a lack of chemistry?”

“He’s so sweet with me…But it’s so…” You paused, forfeiting a blush with the chance to be honest.

“He never…” You motioned between your thighs as Sarah’s brows shot up.

“Which is fine if it’s rare because it’s something to look forward to-and he used to…but….it just feels so…planned. Like he’s thinking behind every action and not just enjoying it. He…he gets upset when we laugh during it…he says it makes him lose focus and ‘lose the moment’...And last night wasn’t the first time I’ve had to fake it…”

“Girl…”

“I know…But I just don’t want to hurt him…”

“Well what about other things? Like kissing and the touching-all the foreplay?” You cocked your jaw.

“I feel like it’s more of a job…Even when he touches me…it’s almost rushed…” You shrugged before releasing a sigh.

“I don’t know…I think I’m just…I think I just want too much and have too much time on my hands-” Sarah now leaned forward.

“We’re young, okay. We’re still figuring all of this stuff out. But you have to be honest with yourself about what you want or you’re only hurting the people you’re convincing you’re happy with…” You slowly nodded.

“That’s the thing, I am happy with him…but-”

“Better off as friends?” You hollowed into yourself at the thought. You didn't think that the details of the fractures between you and Pope were that big. You thought they would mend once you were out of college and allowed to see each other more frequently-but this consisted of a lot of ‘what ifs’ in contrast to what you could still make a reality now. That reality being JJ Maybank… Who was standing just beyond the other side of the screen door with a shit-eating grin in having heard every detail of your conversation.

Your steps began to stutter in your attempts to move from the edge of the hammock to the front of The Chateau, Pope’s words echoing in your mind from your recent verbal row. Having leaned over his shoulder and teased playfully for having been studying on spring break, he would snap at you and claim you weren’t taking things seriously. You would rebut in saying that’s all he did and he would leave his own response with ‘at least one of us does’, before storming off inside the Pogues hideout where he had remained until an hour prior when he’d kept himself purposely away from you, not even lifting a gaze of disappointment as you’d consumed far too many beers to take a single step let alone formulate a sentence.

And yet, the feeling of a gentle arm wrapping its way around your waist had your hazed eyes falling to a figure as you were taken into the Chateau.

“I’ve gotcha…” His voice should have been recognizable to you and yet you were too affected by the liquor to pay attention to anything but the spinning sensation left behind. You were taken into the back room of The Chateau, lights kept dim, before you would fall asleep in the comfort of a familiar set of sheets.

Awakening that next morning, your face spread into a smile in realizing your lack of ensemble. Missing panties and a pleasant soreness between your thighs of what you knew had been a thorough reconciliation with your boyfriend. But as you pulled yourself from beneath that comforter, you felt the difference between your legs-a way you’d never felt in any interaction with Pope. Yet you believed the alcohol or maybe concealed frustrations relinquished beneath the guise of those libations would be the cause. But once you heard the groan at your back, your heart sank.

Immediately at your feet, you turned to find the bronzed muscles tense as your motions pulled him awake, his arm outstretched in search of you, as your mind conjured every single scenario in which this would make sense. Maybe you slept with Pope but JJ stumbled in sometime in the night or maybe you did in going to the bathroom and choosing the wrong room. But as he lifted himself from the bed, that victorious smile spread to his dimples made you understand that your biggest fears, and desires, were acted on.

“Morning, sweetheart-”

“What the hell happened?” To this, he stood, running his fingers through his hair and standing shamelessly in the nude as you saw the lines of your nails against his chest before you would cast your gaze anywhere else.

“It’s cute how shy you’re being…definitely weren’t last night…” He moved to his boxers, pulling them over his hips as you glared once he was dressed.

“No…no, no, no, no no-” You spoke in repetition as he moved towards you as if to collect you in a loving embrace as you were quick to reject him.

“What the fuck, JJ! Stop screwing around-” His brow lifted before his eyes descended to you as you remembered how you weren't dressed. Pulling the sheet around you, he would roll his eyes before letting out a sigh.

“Careful, wouldn’t want Pope to know what you’re getting your panties in a bunch about…” His gaze directed to you in unwavering humor. “Or lack thereof…”

“Can you not be a jackass for two seconds-”

“You wanna know?” To this, he reached for his phone as you nodded, pulling his phone across the screen in a few dabs and swipes before the sights you’d only conjured in your mind were now broadcast on camera.

Taken from a view just below his chest had been you on your knees, his cock within your hand in a twist as his head was sheathed between the pucker of your lips, his other set of fingers wrapped in your hair as he praised you for ‘taking him so well’. Once again, you tried to justify it.

“I was drunk-”

“That’s more-” You paled as he swiped through a series of videos of every sexual act imaginable, the ones you wanted to try but were too afraid to ask for from your boyfriend-were all recorded as evidence of your infidelity.

“Please J-”

“I think I have that on the third video…But hard to make it out because your face was in the pillow-” You reached for the phone as he was quick to reject your grasp.

“Nuh uh-”

“Why are you doing this? Pope is your friend-”

He scoffed before slowly nodding. “And he’s YOUR boyfriend…but it didn’t stop you from doing every depraved thing you did last night…The things he never did…” You retracted from him.

“ALL the things you let ME do…” Your mind began to recall the details, triggered by a mix of his videos and his words.

LAST NIGHT

“Here…” JJ’s voice acted as a comfort as he offered you a sip of water from a bottle left by his bed.

The sight of his smile visible by the dim lamp set across the room was enough to know you weren’t simply imagining him, and also enough to swell that already deafening arousal between your legs. It had been weeks-months since you’d felt any sense of genuine pleasure and the tease of his fingers on your hip was enough to cast those ‘come hither’ eyes-even under the influence of alcohol. And yet, your reservations at the memory of Pope and your recent fight remained on the forefront over your intense and annoying arousal.

“Are you hot, sweetheart?” His words, mostly carnal, were somehow still loving as you were taken out of your shorts before you could object.

“And wet?” Your lips pulled into a smile as you felt his hand trail up your thigh, each finger taking stock of the soft skin he’d been denied until now.

“J-”

“Shh…just let me take care of you…”

“We can’t…” You fought, your believability as fleeting as your voice as your eyes came closed to feel his thumb make contact with your clothed clit. You weren’t a virgin by any means as you and Pope had been together for just under two years, and yet, JJ’s touch made you feel the nerves and sensations as if you’d never been touched by anyone but him. It was enough to make you forget your morals as they were left breaking with your allowance.

“Goddamn..how can he not want you all the time?” To his question, you were still numb.

“Poor girl’s so needy…You’d be so easy to slip in to-And I bet you’d take me deep, too…” You whined and whimpered as his breath now replaced his touch as you could feel him pull your panties from your hips. The sudden lack of fabric made your eyes sprint open.

“JJ we can’t!”

“Oh, but you want to…”

“Please-”

“Not after I know how you want me-” Your eyes tried to focus on him, squinting as he made immediate contact with your pussy, already crying at just the thought of him as your boyfriend was the farthest thing from your mind, attempting to intervene on your pleasure.

“Not after I know you’ve thought about me just as much as I’ve thought about you…Especially knowing he isn’t doing right by you…And now…” He flicked yoru clit with his tongue as you arched beneath him, a smirk resting against your thigh as he pulled your legs over his shoulders.

“You gotta be quiet for me, sweetheart…I don’t want anyone to know how good you sound until I make you come….” You clenched your fingers into the sheets as he devoured your wholly.

Almost as if made to do so, he moved in perfect motions between his fingers and his tongue. Whenever you would begin to tremble around him, he would alter from fingertips to the tip of his tongue all to prolong that rush and lengthen the moans and whimpers that caused his cock to rise in a painful rigidity. Yet, it meant more to him to hear you come undone than to have it unto him-at least, for now…

“How the hell can he not eat you out every second?! You’re so fucking sweet…” He moaned into you, the vibrations pulling you closer to that edge.

“JJ…fuck!” He deepened his tongue against you, sucking harder and flicking faster, as you were kept still by the forearm pressing you into the mattress as his second hand rose to your breast. Playing with your nipples in accordance to the pleasure continuing in ravaging circles and nibbles of your pussy, your body was losing all sense of reality. Never before had you been touched like this, with such necessity and passion-and it was enough to make you belt out his name in repetition.

“I love how you say my name like this, but gotta be quiet…” He warned.

“I don’t want to be…it feels so good.” He groaned to this.

“I’m not even inside of you yet, baby-”

“Please…” And to this, he would remove himself from between your legs, put his phone on record, and begin his docu-series of you.

“What do you want?” He asked, undressing from the waist down, his cock at attention, as you moved onto your knees for him, sober enough to do so without collapsing onto your face or ass in the process.

“You want my cock?” You licked your lips before slowly nodding, not only wanting it but needing it. Needing to taste it. Needing to tame it. And he reveled in knowing it.

“It’s yours, princess…” You took it in stride, although intimidated, before he began to moan and groan to your movements. The twist at his base and the depth you took him had sent him within his own spiral of euphoria as his eyes screwed closed to the sounds of you choking on him.

“Good girl…Such a good girl…” You nodded.

“You like being my good girl?” He asked, patting your head before collecting the strands of your hair into a fist and withdrawing you from his cock.

“Yes…” You breathed sharply following the gasp of his initial grasp.

“Then show me you want me…” He forced you to your feet as you whined for the rejection of unfinished business.

“Don’t worry baby…I won’t do anything without you…It’s all yours…” He explained while motioning to his cock, allowing it to remain at attention as he guided you to the edge of the bed.

“You’re gonna tell me all the things you want me to do to you-all the things he never does or never does right…and I’m gonna make you come with all of them-” At the mention of his words, you hesitated, forcing him to move closer against you.

“If you say his name, you’re done. You don’t get to feel good…you’ll just make me…I’ll bend you in every goddamn position and make sure you know my cock in every fucking way-” His hand now moved to your hip, twisting you onto your stomach before a slap to your ass made you gasp.

“EVERY way…” Your eyes rolled before you felt his breath on your cheek, kissing over his recent strike.

“So let me see how you play with it when you think of me…” You were ambitious to a fault, dragging your fingers between your folds as he kept his camera directed to you.

“Fuck…” He breathed behind a smirk.

“Faster for me…I need you dripping for how hard I’m gonna fuck you, sweetheart-” You moaned behind your clenched teeth.

“You like that I’m watching you?”

“Yes…”

“You like that it’s not him-” Your fingers suddenly stopped.

“Did I say you could stop?” You turned back towards him, paying no attention to the camera as he now held it at his side.

“Please…I can’t-”

“But you were, so well…and you’re gonna keep-”

“J- I can’t…” You cried, the betrayal having been too much to fathom.

“But you will-” As you tried to turn completely to face him, his hands forced you to remain, two fingers penetrating you, sending you into the sheets before you as you gripped tightly to the pleasure he allowed-the forbidden pleasure quelled by his curved digits.

“Please-”

“I wanted to take my time, baby…But I could almost come on the spot just hearing you beg-” He was suddenly inside of you.

“And you’re gonna take it for me…you’re gonna let me fuck you because we both know you want it-you need it…”

“Please stop-” He kept a hold in your hair, quickening into you.

“Fuck…” He breathed, ignoring your pleas as they continued, “Keep begging, sweetheart-sounds so sweet for me…” He explained breathlessly as you tried to fight him, but only ended up clenching around him.

“Yes! Fuck yeah…” He groaned, prompting thrust after thrust as your body betrayed your morals.

“Bet you wanna come on my cock, don't cha sweetheart?” His fingers were merciless against your clit, an impossible pace making you mindless in any sense of reason.

“Fuuccckkk….J….J….” You sung beneath his attempts as he smirked.

“Oh shit, are you a squirter? Bet I can make you one…” With this, he withdrew, only to replace his cock with his fingers, moving in harsh but deep piston-like motions as his second hand kept the camera to you once you buried your face into the pillow beneath you.

“Both know you need this, sweetheart. So let me have it…come on…” But as he could feel you resist him, he became more violent-more vulgar-if that was even possible.

“Come the fuck on! I’m the one putting the work in this tight little pussy so give me what I want-!” He dropped the camera just long enough to slap your ass, returning the phone to now witness the red mark left behind.

“Come ON!” To this, you belged, the squirting he desired now as evidence of your release. But you weren’t allowed a moment’s reprieve before he was inside of you again. This time, he took you against his chest, bringing the camera in selfie mode so he could record the way you were spent against him and his own smirk as he kissed into your cheek.

“Whose cock is making you clench like this, hmm? Don’t have to yell it for me…just say it…”

“JJ…”

“Mmm hmm… And who feels so fucking tight taking me in like this, huh?”

“Me…” He nodded.

“You gonna make me come inside you? You gonna tell me I’m all you need as I make you so full you’ll be dripping for hours-days?” You nodded.

“Then fucking do it-” And with this, the phone was propped on the table just beside the bed to document him pounding in to you.

“Why?” You asked JJ the morning after, the echoes of multiple orgasms having returned to you from this reminiscence.

“Because I heard what you said to Sarah about being curious…And you know what they say about that killing that cat…and I think I slayed that pussy, baby…” You winced at the words as you wanted to hate him, but even as he looked at you in this moment, that pulsation returned between your thighs.

“What will it take for you to delete it?”

“Delete it?!”, He scoffed. “Are you kidding?!”

“Please-”

“Now that I know what you really want, I’m going to make sure you get it as long as you stay my good girl and behave, sweetheart-” You shuddered.

“Don’t call me that-”

“Maybe you only like being called that when you’re on your knees for me then? When my fingers are pulling at your hair? And you're crying with how deep I am in your throat?” He crossed the floor to stand before you, your jaw clenched and chest rising in preparation to rebuttal him.

“What do you want, J?” He held up his phone, signaling to it, before offering his answer.

“I’m gonna keep this little video all to myself for now…but that can change if you decide to get pissy with me. What WOULD he think to know everything you let me do to you?”

“Jesus, he’s your friend!”

He slowly nodded, stepping impossibly close to you as you remained rooted.

“And now you’re mine. Whenever. Wherever. However…” He took your jaw in his hand.

“All mine…” You forced your head away as you watched him move from the bedroom and into the hall with that victorious smile across his face, all while teasing you with that damn phone that he had dancing between his pinch.

Taglist: @hopebaker @iovdrew @penny4yourthoughts @magnificantmermaid @pickingviolets @lovedetlost @trikigirl271 @my-baexht-Is @slut4starkey @slvtherinseeker @obxiskewl @obxxrxfes @bluesongbird @slut-era @ailee-celeste @rafesbae @pankhoeforlife

#darkjj #jj maybank x reader #jj maybank #outerbanks #obx

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i-am-the-oyster · 2 years

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Fuh You

If we can get past the stupid attempt at ambiguity, this is actually a really interesting (and good!) song.

Most of Paul McCartney's music videos are abominations that have the potential to ruin the song they go with. But, again, this video is super interesting, so this post will include some details about the video, and some screen shots.

The protagonist is a young teen called Jamie (Paul's first name is James), who wanders around Liverpool singing about the girl he's just kissed. My theory is the girl represents John. It would have been amazing if the love interest had been a boy, but even in 2018 that would have been a huge deal. And, as we all know, Paul is not out (yet?).

Come on baby now, let me look at you Talking 'bout yourself, try to tell the truth

These are the opening lyrics, and they're not repeated. I interpret them as John's voice in Paul's head, talking to Paul. Or just Paul talking to himself.

On the night that I met you, I was on the town On the night that I met you

The second time these lines are sung, Jamie is standing outside the chip shop where John and Paul actually met for the first time. If you haven't heard this story, there's a great blog post about it here.

Long story short, Paul saw John at a chip shop, and some locals figured out which shop it was. The exact address Jamie is walking past here:

I adore the idea of 14 year old Paul stealing a chip from 16 year old John before they'd ever met (as Jamie does from some girls outside the shop). The authors of the blog post above paint the picture, then decide it's unlikely. But I think maybe the Paul who played his heart out in his white jacket to impress John could have been brazen enough.

I just wanna know how you feel Want a love that's so proud and real You make me wanna go out and steal I just want it fuh you, I just want it fuh you

"Proud", eh? What kind of love would you have pride in, Paul?

Who was it again that sang about Real Love? *taps chin*

I have a theory that 'steal' and 'rob' are sexual innuendoes for Paul, but that's for another post when I'm feeling braver.

Come on baby now, help me work it out I won't let you down so you don't need to shout

"Help me work it out" reminds me of We Can Work It Out.

"I won't let you down" points me to Oh! Darling, and Don't Let Me Down.

I could stay up half the night, playing with your head I could stay up half the night, but I'd rather go to bed

The official lyrics really do say "head", not "hair".

#fuh you #paul mccartney #song analysis #remember if you can think of an innuendo that's the way paul meant it #mclennon #john lennon

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my-chaos-radio · 1 year

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youtube

Release: August 7, 1990

Lyrics:

I wake up in the morning

And I raise my weary head

I got an old coat for a pillow

And the earth was last night's bed

I don't know where I'm going

Only God knows where I've been

I'm a devil on the run

A six gun lover

A candle in the wind

When you're brought into this world

They say you're born in sin

Well at least they gave me something

I didn't have to steal or have to win

Well they tell me that I'm wanted

Yeah I'm a wanted man

I'm colt in your stable

I'm what Cain was to Abel

Mister catch me if you can

I'm going down in a blaze of glory

Take me now but know the truth

I'm going down in a blaze of glory

Lord I never drew first But I drew first blood

I'm no one's son

Call me young gun

You ask about my consience

And I offer you my soul

You ask If I'll grow to be a wise man

Well I ask if I'll grow old

You ask me if I known love

And what it's like to sing songs in the rain

Well, I've seen love come

And I've seen it shot down

I've seen it die in vain

Shot down in a blaze of glory

Take me now but know the truth

'Cause I'm going down in a blaze of glory

Lord I never drew first

But I drew first blood

I'm the devil's son

Call me young gun

Each night I go to bed

I pray the Lord my soul to keep

No I ain't looking for forgiveness

But before I'm six foot deep

Lord, I got to ask a favor

And I'll hope you'll understand

'Cause I've lived life to the fullest

Let the boy die like a man

Staring down the bullet

Let me make my final stand

Songwriter: Jon Bon Jovi

Shot down in a blaze of glory

Take me now but know the truth

I'm going out in a blaze of glory

Lord I never drew first

But I drew first blood and I'm no one's son

Call me young gun

I'm a young gun

SongFacts:

Blaze of Glory is a song by Jon Bon Jovi from 1990. It is the title track of the album of the same name, which is also the soundtrack to the film Blaze of Glory - Blazing Glory. It is Jon Bon Jovi's most successful solo single; she achieved platinum certification in the United States and Australia. At the same time, Jon Bon Jovi received a Golden Globe Award for the song and was nominated for an Oscar. The song is also known for the guitar solo that Jeff Beck contributed as a guest musician.

Jon Bon Jovi met Emilio Estevez, the protagonist of the Neowestern Blaze of Glory. He wanted the Bon Jovi single 'Wanted Dead or Alive' from the 1986 album 'Slippery When Wet' as the title track for the soundtrack. The song served as inspiration for the sequel to 'Young Guns' for screenwriter John Fusco, among others. But the more Jon Bon Jovi thought about it, a song about his band's touring madness seemed inappropriate for a western. Instead he offered to write the theme song 'Blaze of Glory'. However, as he became more familiar with the script, he came up with more ideas, eventually completing the entire soundtrack for the film in just under two months.

Alongside the album's title track, the song was later featured as the only Jon Bon Jovi solo song on 'Bon Jovi Best of Cross Road' (1994). A live version is included on the DVD Live from London (1995), recorded there by the Bon Jovi cast, plus Hugh McDonald and Steven Van Zandt. It also appeared on Bon Jovi's 2010 album 'Greatest Hits', also as the only solo song.

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philhoffman · 2 years

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This week’s Monday Philm is one that every time I watch it, I remember that it is probably my favorite movie ever: Doubt (2008), dir. John Patrick Shanley. I’m a sucker for a stage-to-screen adaptation, I love melodramas, it’s one of the first PSH movies I ever saw (my first Monday Philm, before I wrote these little reviews!), and, of course, hot priest Phil.

Tonight I watched it with the commentary track by writer and director John Patrick Shanley. After the first few minutes I thought, is it possible that listening to a commentary could make me like one of my favorite films less? but it greatly improved once JPS got past recounting his childhood as a Catholic schoolboy beat-by-beat and talked more about the filmmaking. Even already knowing that Doubt is partly based on his experiences, it is neat just how many details from his life he packed into this film—he knew a priest with “disturbingly” long fingernails!

A few of the biggest revelations from his commentary:

Phil was sick as a damn dog with one of those awful, dragging colds the entire time they filmed the “Frosty the Snowman” office scene with Meryl and Amy. JPS said he was lying around practically comatose between takes (which, I suppose, is better than when he was vomiting in a bucket off-camera while filming Almost Famous with the flu).

They filmed in New York in December and January, and the garden scene between Father Flynn and Amy Adams’ Sister James was shot when it was 15 degrees out! No wonder JPS said Phil always looked like he was in pain on set!!!!

Speaking of the garden scene—Shanley mentioned that one of the potential inspirations for that scene was Shakespeare’s Richard III, when the murderer seduces his victim’s widow. That reading certainly puts Father Flynn in a certain light! This scene is a kind of seduction, JPS says, Flynn goes there with the intention of convincing Sister James of his innocence, and he does.

On the other hand, in the final fight between Father Flynn and Meryl Streep’s Sister Aloysius (The Final Boss Battle), when she asks if Flynn gave Donald Miller the wine and he tearfully denies it, JPS whispers, “I must say, when Phil says no, I believe him.” He mentions that he and Phil had a conversation about the character’s background, but he doesn’t know where Phil took it beyond that—so really Phil was the only person who knew the truth. The rest of us, as they say, will always have doubts!

Also two great special features on the Blu-Ray, including Doubt: Stage to Screen, which consists of talking head interviews with the adult cast, including some cute photos and behind-the scenes footage (filmed the same day as the Synecdoche, New York special features lol). There’s also a really fun press interview with Viola, Meryl, PSH, and Amy—Phil is in full teddy bear mode and quite funny, and he bashfully tells a sweet story about Meryl. His cute little set crushes that never go away. Between this and Synecdoche (and even The Savages), it’s clear how much Phil shines and truly enjoys his work when he’s surrounded by incredibly talented actresses.

I barely talked about the movie but! It’s gorgeous, cinematographically one of my favorite films to just LOOK at, I love the Dutch angles, Amy Adams we WILL get you your Oscar, the child actors are wonderful, Howard Shore’s scores can do no wrong, I couldn’t be an actor (for many reasons but mainly) because if Phil OR Meryl yelled at me like that under any circumstance I would cry.

Meryl said Phil is one of her favorite people she’s ever worked with in her life and she wants to work with him a thousand more times ❤️

#(listening to my hot priest playlist on repeat while writing this)#pet shop boys it's a sin. taylor swift false god. 2:24 of fjm's i love you honeybear.#doubt #monday philm #philip seymour hoffman #psh #*

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the-firebird69 · 2 years

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I'm putting a bounty on you right now John remillard it's a big one too you should have listened because you're going to suffer in ways that you didn't think possible one of those ways is by revealing the truth about the matrix to you because you're such a fool and an a****** it will probably have you suffer when you figure it out because you're an a******. Truth be told stupid prick and you should have shut up is that you think you've won and you think your ships are armed with spheres and you think you've taken shifts when you have not you are simply in The matrix in a facility in your body's moving around along with thousands of octillions of yours same deal under that control and you've done fantastic makes you believe that you're ready to fly off it's fully armed Stone chips so people got a good view and the attitude your attitude what you would be like with tons of power and you are like a bum demanding stuff and you can never do the right thing. Sure the max helped us to survive you say it's a crime, but they did so I have a society that was mostly structured and you're the ones who forced us to survive by missing them up enough for us to get by and we used you to take over lots of stuff and places and will continue to.

Our son said last two paragraphs it's because John remillard interrupted but what's said above is very true and people really need to know at this time that we use the living crap out of them to take over especially your businesses then we can do anything there and they feel hopeless and the max don't even fight for it we simply eliminate them all and yeah the a****** thinks it's him there cuz we was eliminate that we using demons who occupy the factories and they devour Trump's people yes like food but whole mostly being they eat the entire body all in one shot so my son's eyes when the demons my sun size can devour Dan and 1 hour later can devour John remillard because he'd be bigger but was radiation around it would be 10 minutes so not surely you're coming from cuz you keep on hollering all this stuff and you're a huge loser but we do understand that you missed a lot of what's going on you don't understand most of it and people try to explain the matrix to you you scoffed at them told them they're liars and to go to hell so now they're in the warpath after you because you won't do anything for anyone including yourself and that's your problem you're going to die because of it let me tell you to leave our son alone because you're such an idiot and you won't so you're going to leave me alone by force he doesn't want to be near you or have you near me or your son your idiots and you should be forced out and Stan is not he thinks he's getting stuff like threatening our son and we can own every company that he owns momentarily because of it. I don't think he understands it either even though he's not retarded and we're moving on but we are placing charges on these idiots this crew of take over as a private people and that's what Steve is trying today we're taking over three of Stan's companies Lock stock and barrel and we are scheduled to stan in for the meeting where we will cut him loose from all three if he doesn't sign we issue warrants they're about 500,000 serious criminal words that we have on him with all the backup it's times witnesses pictures proof of body some cases we have the bodies most cases the body is hurting since you and can be found in the punta Gorda area, and he's the cowboys to about 300,000 homicides in Charlotte county Florida he does have a mass grave too and we know where it is some of his cars are buried out there cuz it would be insurance John Willard had on Stan and his ratting right now you can see like us, nope. And the companies are

*Western geophysical it's a geological survey company and it is when he was probably for a long time any about these events and he did not want any more luck to come out of there or survive and as the head up to you rebellion and supposedly their friend it's very rude and they know it and they know what he was up to because the messages he was sending that's one reason why they're coming down on him and John River Lord was in on it and John remillard is too stupid to run a computer but feels it's his salvation and ultimately turns on computers really quickly and is a jackass. Stan is half owner the other half is John remillard and we're firing both Stan has been fired by three companies so far each of them we own any Bloom macks which is good cuz they can see that he's an a****** and not one of them

*astro pharmaceutical and this company stand owns about three quarters of and it's kept our son on medicine for quite a while and would destroying him and we have and he was a good size his big enough to attract attention now he's small enough to wipe out in one day but he had a lot of cloning, and 50% of the idiots making comments are his idiots and or hers they're so stupid it hurts and his kids are a menace to himself for real. And firing he and John remillard, and they were board members and we're taking all of the stock and facilities over today including in Massachusetts and we're taking back all of the stuff they took from the laboratories and all the data and all the outsourced stuff and things are illegal and we do have charges for all those if you don't show up for the meeting you'll be a fugitive today and he said stand don't you have to like walk around my neighborhood and bother me today before and after and have them release some of the warrants to show the real and that goes to the rest of you at a 500,000 once they could lose two or three right dickgead Stan... We'll see what you said if you can't resist will you release the ones. And that was our son and I agree and we shall release a few if you show up and walk around be a dick same thing on the idiot. And you're an arrogant swine Stan and sherry

*and one more big company and a slew of smaller ones and yeah they own most the ones their biggest pain it's a group that owns St Elizabeth the hospital group would believe it or not it's this a****** and we're going to fire him and his parents were not doing things to him like this you're a fool they got tons of stuff goose egg you just a crapper go around crapping on him and tell us to get rid of this idiot and it was you get hit a whole bunch of time so you blamed him for his character here when you're incognito being an a****** so he couldn't have that it's so absurd so he's trying to eracing you about 3 months ago and it worked.

There's more to say about Stan he's been buying and I'd bothering our son bothering hin the day bothering him trying to get him to yell and yeah your game is way off this is not a game for little kids and it's not a mental patient game you don't get stuff for some weird reason when he's angry people are having you do it and now those people are trying to stop people like you cuz they find out what you're up to it's it's a really horses ass show that your part of now. You should be embarrassed our son says because you forced cajoled and many played me and enticed me to take over so much territory and power and companies and Banks and the investment firms and military bases that you should hide your face and the rest of your body so you don't die but instead you probably don't have a clue like your buddy here John would be the Lord our son says, it's a ridiculous show and everyone's wondering who's doing these surgeries and the investigated you Stan because you kept making all these dumb noises threatening and harassing people turns out that Tommy f is using you for interference and cover and a scapegoat any place you at the scene and his son says he was only like 3 years old but was an adult body and some people can learn pretty fast because they're an adult no so we're wondering what the hell it looks like to us it looks ridiculous you're learning your alphabet and your ABC's had a read and write and you're in school study for real then you're out there supposed to be doing brain surgery on the world rulers so yeah Tommy f is a retard you should hate him but that's the most despicable loser thing I've ever seen in my life cuz you're the prime target you are the mean person to blame and as evidence it says you are doing it. Anywhere really that you were an accomplice and it does show and we do have that proof and evidence about that and your life is a nightmare so what you're making our sons a nightmare for no reason. Because of everything it costs your realm everything but he did stan. Because of people caught you doing really stupid things to him you know real warrants issued on you here and punta Gorda criminal Lawrence and they're not going to evict their son if you go to court then going to arrest you and I son believes it because your attitude is very bad and they're going after this in the south you want him to fill out the paperwork for practically sign it tell you there care you there if there was a wheelchair you'd be in and pushing you there vouch for him to the cops I mean it was a ridiculous scene and you're a nasty person to be there so you like Mr hand s*** and you're having driving around like he's driving his Daisy tell him where to go how to drive all sorts of s*** harassing about how he shifts you're a f****** moron and yeah this is truck by the way he saved everybody with that episode not with what you're doing stupid. Most of what's happening is due to your harassment because the hospitals are owned by you most of them except Marlboro he picked up on it and he was put there by Mac no he's put there by John remillard who was parked right next door to it it did that on purpose and he went in there because John reward was put in the hospital and beaten up inside their son had done it for some reason and it wasn't our son at all and it was the crew in Massachusetts practically all of them and they should have because of what you're doing I had nothing to do with it and you're a dead man for because that's what you say you can do it to these people but you can't do it to me I don't care if you die and come back at least youd be dead. He didn't get what our son said and kept on doing stuff and I said your brains go out and a new one comes in they said oh that makes a difference yeah other people do it because that's the math. now you never figure it out so you have to use up your entire group to get to you because you don't figure it out

Most of the group of trump is gone today we're attacking them to make sure and tomorrow until they're out and Stan we're going to attack you too cuz you're an a****** and a pig just like our son said you learn from these jackasses they know nothing. And yes Ken is one of Georgia's guys and he's going to getting for Stan because he's the right size and Ken has people some they're a lot better at work than this idiot stand is it was kind of on his retards so now doing worse than just ostracizing him because they see his messages the whole time where to start getting rid of the idiots and they're investigating it

His other companies stan and John remillard that were firing both of you from and Stan was not part of most of the other companies that John Riva Lord was he had a huge number of companies by comparison but Stan has particular companies and of interest to Max now they say cuz this guy is a clone of mac I was seeking his job. And our son says it he would have his kids replace Max in their top level positions that's one way and it came from Bob March and he is of course upset with you because he's a higher up. There's tons of stuff that you're going to do because of this stan. We have about 45 clans that are big that you murdered back from they're still big each one of them dwarfs your clan, if released all at once you'll be gone today but we don't need that to happen cuz we have to take over your properties not Mac so it's going to be a slow death you're going to experience you and your sister and your assholes of at least a week after you kill John remillard they go after you an exterminate you in a day. Just as anyone could predict

Several other companies

*John Deere and we are firing stand and John remillard from their positions on the board Stan is chairman of the board it is a lot of fun at that job because he's ruining the company because of his decisions to sit there and do nothing and it showed us that he had one of the first tractors made and it's really about 130 or something from the first round of that model the only reason it's a big deal is because it's from your bladdering mouth so we took it and you don't know we took it. And we took over most of the company it's a small part to take over and we have tons of intel on you from doing that stand he told me to back off and you wouldn't he told me to fix stuff from day one and he wouldn't he told me to stop bothering him about the contracts for next year and the rent he keeps paying and to not try and intercepted or delay it yourself and you wouldn't now you're going to be under arrest most of the time

*Scott paper and it's a huge company this company is one of the largest on Earth and it deals with a lot of Mercury as a chemical and you want to poison stuff and you know how to so we took it over slowly without telling you. Yeah most of it in hand and we learned where the rest of it was from the Midwest because we have to clean the chemicals out of the bunkers before the flood and there was a ton of it there and we do use it in process and on ships or clothing and for telescopes and we can see really down to the micrometer we can identify people from your skin and Iris from space but you don't know how to do that that son tried to show people and they can't figure it out really woodland building and they forgot about putting something and I got it now it's a diamond and spread of metal out and you put the stuff on the metal and you can't bond it slightly that's what they are going to do but they forgot you know. They couldn't get it to work but we know how to do it. And you're cutting them off too and we have proof and I have to send it over cuz we're tired of you. Now John remillard was threatening you with it the other day and he told us earlier to do this and we're attacking him now cuz he's threatening our son and he made it personal by the way with our son on purpose and her son hits him all the time and he falls over dead in the middle of public places and more. Gets tossed out building windows falls from apartments and condominiums he did yesterday. You know everybody knows I hate him but Trump won't shut up. There's a few more companies that you two are leaving and really you're not going to have any power after this stan it'll be your douchebag, and that's what you call him it's his code name to Sherry

*this company is an electro static coating company, and it's mostly the code things like bombs and they're using coatings that they think are harder to detect or have shielding effect my son says right away nah why would that be better than like three inches of steel it says like snake oil the only thing that's good for us putting a semi-metallic coating on cars and such and we do use that technique but not his place or system at all but now he's not doing that he's thinking it has a lot of value our son says you'd be better off using carbon steel and leave behind your charlatan ways. But really this stuff is used to kill things with and it does cover up with small objects are and that's what they've been doing and they try and hide it inside things that are coated with a metallic coating and it's obvious that they're doing it but they keep doing it. And Sherry says it all the time you're kind of stupid for a normal person and he's kind of stupid for some reason I said that it's not him and it really is cuz Sherry makes him sick all the time.

*and other companies that they're being fired from subsidiary of Occidental metals and it is here in Florida and on the East Coast and it's a portion of us steel is called Alabama steel and it's pretty big our sunsets and it is you being fired completely Stan Sherry and John riverlord most of it's for your activities against our son and all of your employees are being fired and rounded up and arrested for stuff. It's a leading provider of steel for the East Coast no not really it's for Florida Alabama and Georgia and these three thought they had a lock on it and now it's ours.

*another company is Pacific steel and it's a subsidiary of acceler metal and it's out west. And we're taking it over Lock stock and barrel it kicked out all their people already and took them in now time will try to attack and will be all dead shortly and Stan's guys died because I'm trying to remember Lord kills them thanks for Mac Daddy's and Sherry too Queens people and he hates them a lot he's been killed them quite steadily you know the past week it's got rid of half of them on Earth just for what they are and you people just kept bothering outside who loses you don't know how to do anything you too are idiots Stan and Sherry is there ignorance of what you could have done. But he's taking me because of you and you have to go. We worked it up too there's too many charges not to charge you with some stuff so charging you is what you're doing here to him and we are suing those hospitals again in Superior Court goes in tomorrow and you're part of this game that January 6th committee is going to be for referral criminal charges on. You'll be arrested immediately they said when they refer the charges and you'll be incarcerated and what we know happens is you go to New York because they summons you and that's part of it and it's for a criminal referral from actually the Congress of the United States and you went in to the summons they brought you to us courthouse there and will to Superior Court and started blabbing your ass off and about our son. After the end of your 10-minute rant they simply said you are under arrest for conspiracy to commit homicide and treason and more for this criminal referral and we were going to talk to you about it but you don't want to be a witness you want to be a criminal and the rest of them because he started off this defensive posture try to preempt them. And Sherry is with him and hangs with him oh that's Monday that's tomorrow. And you go to jail in New York City and they hold you there and they relocate you to a federal penitentiary outside of DC it's 100 miles outside of DC no it's 20 miles outside you see and they hold you there for about a month for real that's how long you stay in prison you're idiots all go up there in the max get rid of you take all your stuff and Trump says he's doing it too and he does he slows down after about a week because tons of his forces die. It's true too the whole place is buried by sand including the penitentiary and it's not a month away it's within a month and your people stay there when it's bill when it when it's buried like 20 ft over the building this is far away unbury you and you still are in prison. Instead you don't try anything stand you're this humble piece of s*** our son would be like I'm going to skatepartis in an engineer and I know how to do this you get a bunch of guys out like Green Mile. Take down the guards I need to be sitting there in your cell I'm going to read the second part of the Bible you mean the New testament you f****** a******. We're ruining you from this company and he used to call it and you weren't there yet and people would still make fun of him they're saying he doesn't know anything they said you're supposed to have these small shops for you to call of your own just subsidious so you don't die that's funny to me. They wondered what he was saying and they checked around of course after getting angry like little kids and they said he's right he should have a small subsiduated it's not connected so they tried doing it and couldn't get in because the other thing you're not supposed to.

*there are a few more companies were firing stand and Sherry and John reward from and Sarah oh b**** and it's going to be a few several of them are shipping companies they're not really huge but they're big enough to be a pain in the ass right now and they suck at it they're trying to steal half of it and people call up and say where's the order and they go shoot shoot them and it's really disruptive so we're taking them down because Tommy f wants them to continue. It is about five companies when is called Greenway no it's called Green and I said and seen it there's a big difference Greenway is ours and it's huge green is teeny and it's them so we're going to take it over and just put way on it yes. And you're right over there in the house and you're a dick saying you were a cop and John Reema Lord got into it with you and our son says the Star Trek music started. I'm taking these companies over fully today those are tired of your s*** is and the ships are pretty big they're up to a half mile and then some mile long but not many but it's a big fleet about 300,000 ships and we don't want you to have them because they're simply going to ruin them when we heard you saying stupid s*** about taking Florida over when everybody else is exhausted so we're not going to let you do that we're going to take it over and yes Bitol and Goddess Wife had lawsuits out on you and did research on you and find out all the stuff a lot more than usually do is not the answer but he set it up in a certain way and he helped our son survive and her son seems clueless but you should really understand that he's not that you're a big fool stan

More later Thor Freya

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rhosgobelbun · 2 years

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A couple of samdean/wincest fics that I love love LOVED a lot. Most of them are sam-centered, enjoy ☺️

** = GOAT

Absolute Zero by pixymisa, selecasharp

Word count: 75k

Summary:

Heaven is closed, and after Sam's sacrifice, so is Hell. Crowley is missing, Abaddon is raising Hell on Earth, and Sam and Dean are lost, trapped in a farmhouse in the middle of nowhere, where Sam can’t wake up but also can’t die, and nothing Dean does can help. To find them, Castiel will do whatever it takes, including agreeing to become the vessel to the only angel willing to answer. And that's only the beginning...

Autumn Closing In by non_tiembo_mala**

Word count: 25k

Summary:

Dean didn’t dare to dream he’d walk away from Amara in one piece, and now that he has, he’s ready to call it quits where hunting is concerned. No more danger, no more saying goodbye to his brother. Just him and Sam settled down somewhere. Safe.

But when he returns to the bunker, things are not how he left them. Sam has been shot, and after Dean takes care of the people responsible, he and Cas are left to deal with the consequences. The bullet in Sam’s shoulder is enchanted, and the only way they can break the spell is using complicated, soul-powered magic that will have long lasting side-effects.

Amnesia by orphan_account

Word count: 20k

Summary:

On their way back from a particularly brutal hunt, Dean realizes that Sam has caught amnesia somewhere along the way. He doesn't remember who they are to each other, or what they do. So when he starts treating Dean like a really hot guy that's being incredibly sweet, Dean has two choices: He can try to tell his little brother the truth, or......

Touch by BruisedBloodyBroken

Word count: 142k

Summary:

Hunting is, what Dean Winchester does. And so, he ends up with his surrogate father in a small town called Croatoan, to investigate devious killings, which may or may not are connected to demons. Well, it turns out, it's definitely not a run-from-the-mill-monster they will be finghting this time ...

In the town's one and only diner, they meet Sam - Samuel Mills - who may, or may not is connected to the murders.

When Sam sees the two of them die in a forecasting, he takes desperate measures to save them ...

... and ends up on hell's and heaven's most-wanted-list.

(Sam got a little weird to me in ch 48 so I didn't finish it but!!! I loved such a big chunk that its still one of my favorites!!)

What It Takes by CrimzonChyld**

Word count: 101k

Summary:

What does it take to break you? What does it take to save you?

Takes place in Season 2, after John dies, before cold oaks.

Rape/Non-con, hurt/comfort

(heed the warning because it does go into graphic detail. Im reccing it because I really did like the characterization and samdeans relationship, if you're ok with non-con it's SO worth the read even though it's been incomplete for close to 10 years now)

All The Ways by TwoBoys2Love

Word count: 62k

Summary:

Sam and Dean Winchester grew up in an entirely different world. When the boys were very young their mother was killed by Creepers - or as we might know them, Zombies. Sam and Dean were raised on the road as killers and hunters. Then one day, when Sam admits he has an interest in meeting other people Dean must face the possibility of a future without his brother.

Secrets and the Scent of Jasmine by sijglind

Unrelated!wincest/underage

Word count: 25k

Summary:

Sam is eleven when Mary dies.

He's thirteen when he tries on one of her dresses for the first time.

And he's fifteen when Dean shows up to complicate his life.

'Well, hello there, gorgeous.' Dean smirks and gives Sam a shameless once-over, and Sam hopes he hasn't been staring too much, because that would just be awkward. But then he remembers that he just ran into the kitchen counter and barely avoided smacking his head into a cupboard doing so. It's a miracle he hasn't scared Dean away yet.

Change My Life Again by orphan_account

Word count: 115k

Summary:

Season 8. All Sam wants to do is take a tiny break for his brother's birthday, but a case that Dean refuses to pass up and a run-in with a cursed sword sends the Winchesters Quantum Leap-ing through other people's lives. Sam just wants to get back to their own bodies. Dean bets Sam Beckett had a much easier time of it.

(Everything I Do) I Do it For You by orphan_account**

Word count: 33k

Summary:

Struggling to find their feet, regain their equilibrium and reconnect following Sam's re-soulling and the subsequent rekindling of their "relationship", Sam and Dean decide taking on a simple case is the best way to ease themselves back into things.

So when the peers of a recently reported missing teenager start turning up dead under strange circumstances, they decide it's exactly the sort of case they need. Probably nothing more than a straight-forward salt n burn, right?

Only...

Only they're not the only hunters on the case. And the other hunter they meet... well, while Sam and Dean have no clue about him, he sure seems to know a whole lot about them...

Welcome home by Fallenky**

Word count: 12k

Summary:

Say what you will about Dean Winchester, he makes a strong first impression. The hunters of the bunker don't know what to make of the strange man and the even stranger relationship with his brother when Dean shows up after being possessed by Micahel.

New added fic: Lost & Found by LoveThemWinchesters**

!Samdean NOT Wincest!

Word count: 79k

Summary:

Just weeks ago, John Winchester was killed by the elusive yellow-eyed demon. Before smoking out of its meatsuit, the creature said some things to Dean, things that went against everything the young hunter has ever known. But all demons lie, right? Dean barely remembers its words as the devastation of losing his father consumes him.

Since the elder Winchester's death, Dean has been on a downward spiral. He continues to hunt—the only solid thing he has left in his life—but mixing booze with the job isn't one of the best choices he's ever made. The morning after a hunt-gone-wrong with a werewolf, he receives an unexpected letter. What he finds at the other end of it is about to prove that not all demons lie. – Alternate Universe // Dean is 26. Sam is 22.

*** THIS CAN BE READ AS A STANDALONE. ***

#spn #supernatural #samdean fic recs #samdean #wincest fic rec #wincest fic recs #wincest #sam winchester #dean winchester #samdean fic rec #reblogging causes i added a fic

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cjsinkythoughts · 3 years

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The Shield

Paring: Bucky Barnes x Avenger!Reader

Word Count: 5595

Warnings: !FATWS SPOILERS!, Cursing, John Walker, Emotions, Character Death, Mentions of Blood, I know people had a hard time with that last scene so please take caution because it is in this part! GIF at end is the ending scene, so be careful when you get towards the bottom! I feel like I’m forgetting some, so just know this one’s a bit more than the others.

A/N: Here it is, folks! The Part we’ve all been waiting for! It’s the longest one I’ve written so far but so much happened and I couldn’t find a better spot to end it than where the episode ended. Thank you all for being patient with me today. I know I didn’t get this out as quickly as I would’ve the past few weeks, but you guys are so awesome! Seriously! I love that you understand I do have a life and work comes first! Thank you, thank you!

This Part is a doozy, guys, and…I’m sorry? But not really. I’m SUPER excited to see where this is gonna go, especially considering Episode 5 is supposed to be the real tear jerker. I can’t believe there’s only two more episodes! I’ve grown so attached to these characters just in the past month! I’m so glad I’m able to share some of my thoughts and feelings with you guys, too! You’re honestly the best!

I’ll be doing more One Shots this week, so look for those on the Masterlist. I’m still taking requests for them, so if there’s anything you want explored about the reader and her relationships that you don’t think will be explored in this Series, just ask and I’ll try to add it to the One Shot list.

As always, this isn’t beta’d so please excuse any mistakes! Thank you for reading, be kind to yourself and others, enjoy this part and stay tuned!

FATWS Masterlist

cjsinkythoughts Masterlist

(I couldn’t decide on which GIF to use because there are so many good ones! Thank you Tumblr Creators!)

!SPOILERS UNDER CUT!

“Doll…hey. Doll. C’mon, sweetheart. We gotta get moving.”

You cracked your eyes open begrudgingly, squinting up to see Bucky’s amused grin, head tilted and eyes soft. “Huh?”

He chuckled as you rubbed your eyes, confusion lifting an eyebrow. “The funeral. Zemo said we’ve gotta go if we’re gonna make it in time.”

“Wait, but…huh?”

Sniggering again at your reaction, he held up your phone. “You passed out in the middle of a chapter, sleepyhead.” He teased lightly, grabbing your hand and gently pulling you to sit upright. “It’s almost been an hour.”

You huffed tiredly, stretching and placing your feet on the floor, taking back the phone he held out to you. “Why didn’t you wake me up?”

“You haven’t been sleeping well.” He stated, like it should’ve been obvious. “How’s your arm feeling?”

“Better than earlier. It’s just sore. That’s all.”

He studied your features for any hint of a lie. Not finding one, he nodded, holding out his hand. “Okay. But tell me if it starts bothering you.”

You placed your hand in his, marveling for a split second at how big his hands were compared to yours - something you noticed every time but still it never ceased to astound you. He tugged you up, and you looked up to meet his worried eyes, remembering his question.

“I will, Buck. Promise.”

He nodded, tilting his head towards the door. “C’mon, cuddle bug. We don’t wanna miss this.”

A groan passed your lips, but you nodded and followed Bucky out into the main room, where Sam chuckled at you from his spot at the table. “Sleeping beauty has finally awoken.”

You flipped Sam off groggily. “Are we going or not?”

“Do you wanna wake up s’more first?”

“No.” You answered the one armed brunette. “I’ll just splash some water on my face or something. I’ll be fine by the time we get there. Where’s-”

“Looking for me?”

Zemo strolled out, now dressed in that coat of his, that smug smirk on his lips. You scowled. “I wish I wasn’t.”

Sam stood up, standing subconsciously between you and Zemo. “Let’s head out.”

You nodded in agreement, shooting the Baron one more glare, before following him out the door and into the city, Bucky right besides you, shoulders brushing as if you weren’t ignoring him just hours prior.

The walk was mostly silent, a few jests between Bucky and Sam plus a couple comments from Zemo here and there. You talked about strategy, with Sam bringing up the fact that he wanted to try convincing Karli to step down. Zemo didn’t look pleased with the arrangement, but both you and Bucky relented, agreeing to let Sam at least try.

It wasn’t until you were close to your destination according to Zemo that anything exciting happened.

“Karli Morgenthau is too dangerous for you guys to be pulling this shit!”

Hell. No.

The moment the voice registered in your brain, your jaw tightened, your teeth starting to grind together as you held back the very not nice things you wanted to say.

“Ah! How’d you find us now?” Bucky called out, tucking you into his side protectively, and a little possessively you noted, as Walker and Hoskins came down the steps, the two groups nearing each other.

You were relieved when the subject of Zemo escaping jail went by relatively quickly, Walker latching onto the fact that you were going to talk to Karli instead of focusing on the escaped fugitive in front of him.

You very nearly punched him when he ran in front of you after Sam told him the plan, making the four of you stop in your tracks, but Bucky’s arm tightened around your shoulders, holding you in place next to him.

“You’re gonna let him do this?” Walker questioned Bucky in disbelief, self righteous judgement practically dripping from your tone. “You’re gonna let your partner walk into a room with a super soldier alone?”

Bucky’s jaw ticked. “He’s dealt with worse. And he’s not my partner.”

“And you?” Walker narrowed his eyes towards you. “I expected more from you; the last original Avenger.”

You snorted, shaking your head. He obviously didn’t know how chaotic the Avengers were. What Sam was proposing? You’d seen it a million times with Steve alone. Not considering Nat, Clint, Thor, even Bruce and Tony. All of them willing to try to negotiate before running in, bullets raining and hell rising. “First, I’m not the last original. I’m technically not even an original. Second, I trust Sam with my life and I’m standing by his decision. He’s my brother. As a soldier, I would’ve thought you understood that.”

Before he could respond, Sam stepped around Bucky. You saw the reluctance in Walker’s eyes as he admitted a temporary defeat once Hoskins agreed with Sam. The fact that he was so unwilling to try to save more lives - including Karli’s - made the truth that he wasn’t, and would never, be your Captain harden deeper into your heart.

Ignoring Walker’s confusion as you followed the little girl Zemo befriended - which was weird, you’d admit, but it was getting you closer to Karli - Bucky’s arm slipped from your shoulders, hand sliding across your back and skimming down your arm to grip your hand. Even through your jacket, you felt goosebumps erupt along his fingers’ trail.

You finally came to your destination and you let out a small breath. If everything went smoothly, this mission could finally be over and you could go home and take a bath, get take out, get out a bottle of wine, watch TV, and just relax.

What a dream.

“Hey.” You stopped Sam before he could go through the entrance of where the girl said Karli was, holding his forearm. “You want me to come with you?”

He shook his head. “I think it’ll be better if I go alone.”

You nodded, letting go without any hesitance. “Okay. Be careful.”

“Always.” And despite all you’ve been through, no matter how many times he’s followed Steve’s lead in doing something stupid, you knew he meant it. You nodded again, before he disappeared around the corner.

You leaned back against the wall, Bucky once again wrapping an arm around your shoulder now that you weren’t walking - he liked having mobility on the move, hence the reason he held your hand instead - leaning besides you and pulling you against his chest.

Ten minutes. You tried looking at Bucky’s watch, which was on the wrist of the arm around you. He noticed and turned his wrist slightly, bending his elbow more, which brought you even closer to him, showing you the time.

Giving a small sigh, you nodded slightly and dropped your head back against his bicep, your hands shoving in your pockets, one of your feet coming up to rest against the wall. Bucky shifted to your other side so he could stand in front of the doors to where Karli and Sam were, pulling you against his back, arms wrapping around your shoulders tightly.

It was a long ten minutes. You kept eyeing Walker, and you couldn’t help the anger burning through you as he held the shield in his hands. That damn shield. It wasn’t his. It would never be his. And he would never understand it. The fact that the shield didn’t make Captain America. The shield isn’t what made Steve a good man. Not even the Serum did. He already was one. Steve made the shield what it was, not the other way around.

But then you remembered a conversation you had, years ago, and your eyes flitted up to Bucky’s hardened face, the brunette staring intensely at the ground.

You didn’t get it. You were confused. You knew how important Barnes - Bucky - was to Steve. But apparently you didn’t understand it quite yet.

You watched from the entrance of the hallway, leaning against the wall, as Bucky went under once more.

Steve stood there for a moment longer, before turning and walking towards you. “Why’d you do it?”

He raised an eyebrow at you while you turned to walk with him down the hall. “Do what?”

“Give up the shield. And don’t say it doesn’t belong to you. It does. Howard gave it to you. You’re the reason it’s…a symbol.”

He hummed. “And what exactly is it a symbol for, honey?”

You scoffed. “Uh, freedom? Justice? Resilience? The defense of the whole life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness thing?”

He stopped, facing you with a strange expression on his face, thoughtful. “I dropped it because I can’t be that anymore. Not right now. People don’t have the same beliefs they used to have. How can I stand up for freedom and let the Sokovia Accords track every person they deem a threat, just like HYDRA tried doing? How can I be a symbol for justice and let Bucky take the fall for something that he wasn’t in control of? I can’t. And until the world is ready to change…I can’t be Captain America.”

And suddenly, it seemed to click. Steve gave up the shield for Bucky because the world wasn’t ready to admit it was wrong. Just like Sam gave up the shield for himself and his family because the world wasn’t ready for the truth that would come with him becoming Captain America.

God…when did a metal circle become so complicated?

“What’s goin’ on in that pretty lil’ head’a yours?” His whisper in your ear startled you out of your thoughts, his nose brushing against your temple tenderly as he placed a chaste kiss on your cheek.

You looked up at him and shook your head. Of all the things Steve gave up, he never gave up Bucky. And it used to confuse you, but you understood then. His blue eyes sparkling with curiosity and slight concern, his fingers tracing patterns along your collarbone with a barely-there touch that was so light it didn’t seem to exist. You finally understood. Not just Steve’s decision, but Sam’s too. And maybe you didn’t understand it fully, and that was okay, because you weren’t them, so you never would, but you understood a little bit.

“Nothing.” You shook your head, keeping your voice down so the others couldn’t hear, the conversation being a private one, “I’m just waiting for this to be over.”

He hummed, nodding in agreement, setting his chin on your head. “Me too.”

Walker started pacing the room about half way through, getting too antsy for your liking. “Shhh.” Bucky mumbled under his breath, feeling you tense as Walker started talking. “It hasn’t been ten minutes, John. Just sit tight.”

“Don’t do that. Don’t patronize me.”

“He knows what he’s doing.” Bucky stated confidently, straightening slightly from his leaning position, arms falling from your form. The two of you exchanged glances as Walker checked the clock over on the far wall, blocked from your view.

“I’m going in.” Walker strode across the room, heading for the entrance, no doubt willing to steam roll anything - anyone - in his way.

Bucky stopped him with a hand on his chest. You glanced back and forth between the two as Walker spoke, arms crossed tightly over your chest. “Buck…we promised him ten minutes.” You reminded him, seeing his resolve crumble a bit. You could guess he was thinking of the nightmares. The people he couldn’t save. The blood he already considered on his hands.

Walker used his moment of hesitation, shoving past him roughly. “I’m not waiting.”

“John!”

“Walker!”

You followed after him, you and Bucky arguing with him and Hoskins about giving Sam more time, but it was too late.

“Karli Morgenthau! You’re under arrest!”

“Fuck.” You hissed out when you saw Sam’s panicked expression, looking at you confused. Walker was flown across the room when Karli punched him, Bucky shoving Hoskins out of the way to run after her.

“Y/N-”

You threw your hands up. “I tried, Sam! C’mon!”

You and Sam ran over to some stairs, turning corners and trying to remember what the building looked like from outside to cut her off, but you only ran into Bucky again.

“I wish we had the layout or something.” You grumbled. “We were that close-”

“We’re not done yet, doll.” Nodding, you followed the boys out, Bucky pausing every so often to try to hear anything. “I’ve got gunshots.” At that, the three of you took off towards the sound, Bucky leading the way.

Just around the corner from where Bucky heard the gunshots, you thought you saw a couple people slip around another bend. Noticing you had stopped, Bucky backtracked. “You okay?’

“Yeah.” Deciding it wasn’t worth the pursuit, you turned to him and nodded towards the doorway Sam already went through. He gave you a look, but nodded and the two of you jogged into the room.

You sighed heavily, seeing Zemo knocked out on the floor, Walker standing over him and broken vials that were previously full of, what you assumed was, the Serum. Hoskins ran in right after you, meaning no one but Walker and Zemo knew what happened. Meaning you would probably never get the full, true story.

What fun it is to work with manipulators and liars.

********************

“I don’t like him.” Bucky grumbled, the two of you walking up to the place you were staying in, Bucky holding the door open for you.

“I know you don’t, Buck. I don’t either.” You had asked Bucky to go with you to get some fresh air once you got back, Zemo having woken up a few minutes after and Walker and Hoskins had to make a call or something official like the good soldiers they were. “He’s hiding something.”

“You think?” Bucky scoffed, giving you a look.

You rolled your eyes. “I mean…I don’t know. When we found him and Zemo…my gut twisted.”

He nodded in understanding, his face twisting into a scowl. “Yeah. Mine did too.”

You stopped him before you could walk through the door to the main room. “Do me a favor?” He nodded again with a little hum. Catching his chin between your fingers, your free hand moved to smooth out the creases between his brow. “Stop brooding so much. It makes me worried.”

His tongue darted out to wet his lips, features softening slightly. “Are you really gonna leave in the morning? I know you’ve had a lot of people telling you to take a break, and it’s selfish for me to ask you to stay, but…I dunno if I can finish this without you.”

“I-” You sighed, ducking your head as you thought of a response, before looking up in his wide eyes, begging for you to stick around longer. “Let’s just finish the day and see what happens next. Okay?”

He bit his lip, nodding slightly. You gave him a smile, before tugging on his hand. “I need a drink.”

He chuckled at that. “That I can fix, doll.” He, again, opened the door for you, and the two of you walked in.

“What a gentleman. Straight outta the 40’s.” You joked, making him roll his eyes.

He took off his jacket, heading to the kitchen, while you sat on the opposite side of the island. “Somethin’s not right about Walker.”

Sam gave you two an amused look. “You don’t say.”

“Well, I know a crazy when I see one.” He opened the lid of the bottle he grabbed, starting to pour two glasses of whiskey for the both of you. “Because I am crazy.”

You rolled your eyes as Sam responded, “can’t argue with that.”

“You shouldn’t have given him the shield.”

Giving Bucky a disapproving look over the rim of your glass, you sipped your drink, narrowing your eyes when he ignored you. ��I didn’t give him the shield.”

“Well Steve definitely didn’t.”

Your glass slammed down on the counter. Why did he have to bring this up right now? Seriously? You were just having a nice conversation about places you wanted to visit while taking a walk outside. Why was he suddenly snapping?

Before you could scold him, the doors burst open, making your head whip over as Walker stormed in, “ordering” you to hand over Zemo.

You stayed sitting, leaning on the counter and facing the opposite wall as Sam told him off, giving an amused snicker as you sipped your drink. Bucky sat besides you, facing Walker, and you recognized from the angle he was positioning himself that he was blocking you from Walker’s view, whether intentional or not.

You raised an eyebrow, turning in interest when Walker put down the shield, knowing Sam wasn’t about to fight the man. What an ego the blonde had.

Before anything could happen, however, a spear pierced through the air, lodging in the pillar next to Walker’s head.

Your frustration with Bucky’s comment flew out of your head as Ayo and a few other Dora Milaje walked in. Bucky sat up straighter and you stood up, leaning ever so slightly against his arm.

You nearly facepalmed, a sound of complete disbelief leaving you as Walker introduced himself. Sam looked over at you two, an entertained, slightly incredulous smile on his face.

Sam tried warning him. He really did. But Walker, you’ve come to find, was an arrogant, egotistical narcissist who only wanted to win and would do whatever it takes to do so. Even when there wasn’t really a winner. At least, not in that situation. It seemed that Walker liked ignoring the gray area in the world, which wasn’t good. Not in the least.

Which is why you couldn’t really feel sorry for the man. You saw it coming as soon as he told them they didn’t have jurisdiction. And the moment he touched Ayo?

You put your chin on Bucky’s shoulder - who had stood up from his spot - watching the Dora Milaje kick Walker’s ass, wincing and cringing mockingly at the right moments, making Bucky smirk at you.

“We should do something.” Sam said, although he didn’t look thrilled about the prospect.

Bucky crossed his arms. “Looking strong, John!”

You gave a slight snort, not wanting to encourage anything, but unable to hold in your amusement. Bucky winked at you, clinking his cup of whiskey with your own, before taking a gulp.

“Bucky.”

You huffed and stepped back at Sam’s tone. “C’mon, Buck.”

“Fine.” Bucky grunted. “But ‘M not happy about it.”

Soon, the three of you, plus Walker and Hoskins, were all occupied with a member of the Dora Milaje. You knew you couldn’t take them; they were on a higher level that Natasha, and you could barely beat her. But you weren’t necessarily trying to win.

It was a strange fight, knowing that no one - except Walker, probably - actually wanted to hurt anyone. Of course, that didn’t stop one of them from exploiting your injured shoulder that she spotted rather quickly. The hits were quick and precise, the tip of her spear cutting along the graze, hitting the spot just perfect enough to reopen it. The stitches that had been placed only a couple days ago ripped, making you wince and clutch your now bleeding shoulder.

“Oh fuck.” You groaned. “You were always good with those things.”

She gave you an almost apologetic look, before she looked over to Ayo, who stepped through the room towards the bathroom where Zemo had locked himself in during the chaos.

When you caught sight of the shoulder thing she did to Bucky, his metallic arm now laying on the floor, his eyes wide and his stance stunned, your jaw nearly dropped. You guessed it made sense that they had a way to do that, but, still. None of you were expecting it.

“Did you know they could do that?” Sam asked once they started leaving, Bucky picking up his arm and connecting it to his shoulder.

“No.” The arm whirred as he swung it, getting it back to normal.

You couldn’t help the little giggle that left you, making Bucky raise an eyebrow at you. You tried holding in more laughs, but they just kept coming. “She-she...she disarmed you!”

Bucky rolled his eyes as you chortled, holding your stomach and bending over. “Ha ha. Very funny.”

“Oh come on!” You straightened and wiped your eyes. “That was good! Wasn’t it, Sammy?”

Sammy chuckled and nodded. “I’ll admit, it was pretty good. This, however, is not.”

Your laughter died as Sam made his way over to the bathroom, the light air that came with your cackles dissipating as quickly as it came.

“I can’t believe he pulled an El Chapo.”

You stared at the drain that was uncovered - large enough for Zemo to slip inside and escape. He did it. The son of a bitch finally did it. It took him long enough. You would’ve betted against him days ago.

“I can.” Bucky turned and grabbed your hand. “Come on. Let’s get you cleaned up.”

*********************

“I thought you told them.”

Bucky looked up from wrapping your shoulder, an eyebrow raised. “What?”

“I thought you told them. The Dora Milaje. Wakanda. T’Challa. I thought you told them about Zemo.”

He leaned back with a sigh. “It was kinda a last minute decision. You know that. You were there.”

You nodded. “I do. But I also know what they’ve done for you. Shuri and Ayo. I was there for that, too. And you know what he did to them. To their country. Their king.”

“I know, I know. I almost died several times because of it.”

Your eyebrows pinched in confusion. “So why-”

“I thought it’d be quick. I thought, maybe, I could do it without them finding out and then we could get to Karli and they wouldn’t be disappointed. Win win.”

Your cheek caught between your teeth as you thought. “You could’ve just asked-”

He shook his head. “They would’ve said no. You know that.”

“Okay. Fine. Yes. I know that. But…but giving them a warning would’ve been better than this.” He hung his head, closing his eyes. “Bucky. Hey,” hooking a finger under his chin, you tilted his head back up to look at you. “I know it’s been hard for you. Everything has. And I’m sorry I dragged you into this. I shouldn’t have let you come along. You should be healing, and it’s my fault you’re not.” He opened his mouth, face scrunching up in disagreement, but you shook your head. “It’s true. I just…I didn’t know it would come this far.” You gnawed on your bottom lip studying those captivating eyes, before sighing. “Which is why I’m not leaving.”

He perked up, those pretty eyes going wide, jaw slackening. “You-you’re not?!”

You shook your head. As much as you wanted to run away, you couldn’t. It wouldn’t be right. “It wouldn’t be fair to you or Sam. I promised to help, and I brought you into it. So I’m gonna stay.

“Are you, uh…are you sure? You don’t hafta if you don’t wanna, doll. I know I kinda pushed you earlier, but-”

“I’m sure Buck.” You nodded firmly. “Just…do something for me?”

“I dunno if I can promise not brooding, sweetheart.”

You giggled at his words. “Not that. Just…stop giving Sam a hard time. About the shield. Please.”

His soft features hardened and he scowled. “If he didn’t give it up-”

“He thought it was going to the museum. I told you about that, remember? I told you we’d go when I got back.”

Giving a slight nod, he sighed. “We never did.”

“We will. But, I’m serious, Buck. Please. It’s not his fault. He did exactly what Steve did.” At Bucky’s confused look, you pursed your lips, looking down at his hands, starting to play with his fingers. “Remember how I was thinking during those ten minutes we had?” He nodded. “I was thinking about how Steve gave the shield back to Tony. After saving you. In Siberia. You remember that?” Another nod was given, so you continued. “It was for you, James. Because you made him realize that he didn’t want to be the face of a country that preached one thing, but did another. And that’s what Sam did. He did it for his family. For himself. Because no one wants to fight for a country that goes against your personal beliefs, no matter what they say.”

“I-I don’t understand.” Bucky’s eyes squinted, his brow creasing as he tried processing what you were telling him.

“That’s okay. Not everyone will. Really only they can understand their own reasoning. But you have to try to understand that he did what he thought was best for himself. For Steve. For the shield. And I know - dammit do I know - that it’s the last thing left of him. But it is just metal. Isn’t it? Steve’s the reason it is what it is. No one else. And no one is going to change that.”

Bucky took a breath, glossy, worried eyes meeting yours. “Walker’s going to ruin it. I know he is. I can feel it. Everything Steve worked for. I don’t care about Captain America. I care about the kid from Brooklyn who wanted to make a difference, no matter how little he was. I trusted him. I followed him through bullets and blood, with only that shield between us and them. He was home on a battlefield in Italy across the ocean from New York. And that shield was the welcome mat. It doesn’t matter what it says, what it looks like…but it protected my home when I couldn’t. But now? I feel like it’s tearing my home down. Pulling out the bricks. And it hurts. It was never about the shield, Y/N. It was always about the man it protected when I couldn’t be there for him. And now?”

Gathering him in your arms as he trailed off, you gave a couple little sniffles, pressing your face in his hair, nails scratching the nape of his neck lightly. “I’ll be your welcome mat, Buckaroo.” You offered.

He shook his head, pulling away to hold your face between his hands. “No, sweetheart. You’re not the welcome mat. You’re the new bricks replacing the old. You’re…you’re my home, now, doll.”

You swallowed thickly, unable to handle the rush of emotions that just poured through you, the sudden change in topic making you feel more vulnerable than you’d like. You leaned forwards, placing a gentle kiss to the corner of his mouth, feeling him go lax in your arms. “And you’re mine.” You murmured softly, before getting up and heading out for the room, unable to stay any longer. You still had a mission to do. One that became even more desperate with Zemo loose, Walker unhinged, and Karli being so close.

******************

There was a silent agreement to not bring up your conversation. Not yet, at least. Sam had eyed you both when you came out of the room, saying you were ready to get moving, but he didn’t say anything either.

None of you really knew where you were going, only what you had to do. Find Zemo and get to Karli before Walker could. Both of which were a lot easier said than done.

Until Sam got a call from Sarah, who told him Karli contacted her personally and threatened her and her sons. She left a contact number for Sam, evidently wanting to meet. His phone dinged not a minute after he texted the number.

“She said come alone.”

“Well that’s not happening.” You opposed, crossing your arms.

Bucky nodded with your sentence. “We’re coming with you.”

Sam didn’t say anything against it, the three of you exchanging glances, before heading out to the location, changing into your tactical suits along the way.

Karli didn’t seem to mind you and Bucky tagging along, and you understood why the moment she mentioned not killing Sam because he wasn’t hiding behind a shield. It was a distraction. They were going after Walker.

It was confirmed only moments later when Sharon contacted Sam. “Looks like he found them, or maybe they found him.”

As soon as Sam announced that it was Walker, you jumped into action, Sam disabling Karli for just the right amount of time for you to get a head start. “I’ll send you the location. Go.” He told Bucky, who nodded and took off in his super soldier sprint. “You hitching a ride?”

You rolled your eyes at his slight tease. “I hate this so much.” You grumbled, catching his hand as he took off in the air with his bird costume. He held onto you tightly, like the millions of times you’d done this before, although it didn’t make you any less dizzy, traveling that fast, that high, with only his hold keeping you from dropping. “You’re lucky I trust you so much!”

He gave a small chuckle at your shout over the wind. “We’re landing! Brace yourself!” You followed his order, just in time for him to break through the glass ceiling of the building Walker was in. The both of you landed on a platform on the staircase just as a Flag Smasher was thrown through double glass doors, down the stairs, and into a power box. Your eyes went wide as Walker strolled down the steps, oozing a confidence that made you nervous. The moment Walker stopped the Flag Smasher - the Super Soldier - from hitting him with the pipe, you knew even before he twisted it like a pretzel.

“Sam.” You breathed out. You couldn’t even do anything, only watching as the Flag Smasher got up from being thrown again, and running down a hall.

“What’d you do?”

“They got Lemar.” Was the only reply he gave, brushing past you and Sam. You gave Sam a look, but he just jerked his head down the hall, in the direction the Flag Smasher went and the way Walker started heading. You nodded, willing to drop it for now to save someone’s life, but you were so bringing it up once this was done.

Jogging into the room, you should’ve expected the ambush in the room, but, to be honest, they didn’t take as much advantage as they could’ve, so it wasn’t too difficult of a fight. You had trained with Steve millions of times before, so you knew how to go against a Super Soldier. Granted, your Cap wasn’t trying to kill you while training, but it was better than nothing.

You protected your shoulder, knowing that was your weak point, while trying to disguise it so whoever you were fighting wouldn’t realize your Achilles’ Heel. Something you often found while dealing with Steve, and even Bucky, was that Super Soldiers, as quick as they were, tended to favor the super strength side of their enhancements. This made it easier for you to dodge the attacks, knowing most of your blows wouldn’t do much.

Knowing you wouldn’t be able to stay on the defensive for long, you decided to try to get an advantage over them. Disarming them and taking their knife was easy enough. A small advantage, yeah, but now you had a weapon, and you could work with that.

You weren’t exactly sure when Bucky joined the fight, but he did, immediately coming over to you when you body kicked your opponent, helping you up. “That was a Steve move.” Your eyes caught sight of the Flag Smasher behind him and you shoved his shoulder down, throwing your knife, making it land solidly in the man’s shoulder. Bucky looked up at you from his crouch, impressed. “And that was a me move.”

You shrugged. “I’m a visual learner.”

You, Sam, and Bucky were about to go for another round with the guys when a sickening crack sounded behind you, and you whipped around.

Hoskins was against a split pillar, a crimson streak running down his forehead, head lolling to the side, lips red and cracked. The fight stopped as Walker rushed over to his friend, but you knew there was no way he survived. A punch from a Super Soldier? That hard?

Eyeing the Flag Smashers, you turned to Sam and Bucky when they started dispersing, Karli running out as well. They nodded towards you and the three of you took off after her, not wanting to let her get away again and, for you, at least, wanting to give Walker some time.

You weren’t expecting his grief to turn into such raw hatred.

Running up to the city square, you didn’t actually see it happen. Just the aftermath. Which was good, considering you nearly threw up just seeing that.

You heard the change in Bucky’s breathing, barely recognizing the way he stepped in front of you, only realizing you stepped closer when you felt his sleeve against your palms, fingers tightly wrapped around his forearm. A choked sound came from somewhere, but you didn’t know it was you, even as Bucky reached his arm around to hold your waist, keeping you behind his shoulder.

Tears leaked down your face silently, eyes unable to look away as Walker straightened, sliding the shield on his arm, too nonchalantly for someone who just murdered another in front of a crowd full of people, cameras pointed towards him.

The shield. That piece of metal you had been wondering so deeply about the past couple of weeks. The link to the first person you’d ever loved. Ruined. Tarnished. Stained.

You could barely breathe, your throat clenching so tightly it was a wonder you were able to get anything out at all.

“James…”

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septembriseur · 2 years

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Andor 1x01-1x03 reaction:

This is the first Star Wars property since the original trilogy that has felt to me like it is set in a real world: a whole, authentic world that you could walk into and get lost in. All the other Star Wars properties have been beautiful but fundamentally artificial, like you could see how every shot had been composed but couldn’t imagine a world outside that shot. Ferrix feels like a real place that is also a dream place, like the best of the original Star Wars trilogy. There is something non-artificial about it: the hillsides crawling with houses that look like the outskirts of Kabul, the eerie little sodium-lamp videophone cabins, the junkyards, the weird industrial hammer-adhan, the wastelands. I loved it.

This is a Star Wars show that is inescapably political. It is political and it is political in a way that is interpretable. The mining disaster on Kenari begs comparison to real-world disasters like Bhopal and the ability of corporate empires to simply write off whole worlds as sacrifice zones. (And I hope I’m right in detecting a note of ambivalence in the Cassian-Maarva relationship re: him not being allowed to ever confess the terrible truth of where he’s from; what does it mean for her to have “rescued” him in a way that is also straight-up kidnapping?) Several aspects of Ferrix seem directly patterned on Northern Ireland. Luthen’s speech about voices telling you what to do is extremely interesting in re: the politics of language and, particularly, the colonial history and present of English. My point is: where almost all major media franchises right now are completely soaked in this insidious ideology-that-is-not-ideological that renders them ultimately incapable of meaning— I’ve been thinking about this in regards to a famous John Berger quote about neoliberal capitalism creating a media of incoherence and discontinuity— this show is specifically and deliberately political.

I’m extremely interested in the creative choice to include, in this major media franchise property, like ten or fifteen minutes of untranslated dialogue in a made-up language. I love this resistance to interpretation. I love this refusal to admit the audience into the interiority of these colonized people.

I was recently re-watching the Lord of the Rings trilogy, and commented that the sequence in which Faramir’s battalion rides out to retake Osgiliath is an example of a way that most mainstream films and TV shows do not now approach storytelling. In that sequence, the camera lingers on and highlights specific scenes and details that do not contribute to our understanding of the plot itself in any way, but that are essential to understanding the meaning of the plot, i.e. why this story is being told. You might contrast this with the not-very-good Rings of Power show, which has a notoriously baffling slow-motion scene of Galadriel laughing while she rides a horse. The reason that this scene is baffling is because it seems to want to function in the same way as the retaking-of-Osgiliath sequence, but it does not actually communicate any meaning. My sense is that the people making the show do not actually understand how the retaking-of-Osgiliath sequence functions within the LOTR film narrative. All of this is to say that the Andor team understand that aspect of filmmaking, and much of the show consists of this kind of non-mechanical, artful filmmaking. I find this to be a relief.

I have read a couple of reviews that are frankly baffling in their comments on the “shapelessness” of 1x01 and 1x02. Clearly 1x01-1x03 form a narrative and thematic whole. I don’t understand how you could watch these episodes and not perceive that they have a very clear structure as a three-part whole. The death of criticism.

I love this show.

#like it’s fair I guess to ask about the possibility of creating good art withjn capitalism #but we’re all enmeshed in it #the fact that we don’t work for Disney doesn’t mean we aren’t #so

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queenxxxsupreme · 3 years

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There Comes Bad News (dad!Arthur Morgan)

A/N: This belongs in my dad!Arthur Morgan AU so if you haven’t read any of those fics, it might be best to read those. You can find my masterlist here!

Warnings: anxiety attack, language

Word Count: 2.0k

Summary: John visits Lupine Valley Ranch to warn Arthur of an impending threat.

***

You moved around the kitchen, humming as your eyes glided over the window behind the kitchen sink. You spotted Daisy in the temporary corral with Piper. The corral had been placed in the front yard where you would have a clear sight to Daisy as she spent time with the foal. Though Arthur could watch her since he was outside tending to a few chores with Charles’ help, you liked to be able to see Daisy while you were inside.

“You reckon that filly will make it?”

You jumped, turning to look at Hosea. He stood at the edge of the kitchen with a coffee cup in hand.

“Christ, Hosea. You scared me.”

He chuckled.

“Piper seems to be gettin’ stronger.” You wiped your hands off on a rag. “And she’s not missing a meal, that’s for sure. So I suppose I’ve got some hope.”

“Just hate to see the little one with her heart broken.”

“I know.” You nodded in agreement.

“It’ll be a shame if I have to beat Arthur’s ass for getting her a lame horse.”

You smiled at him, knowing he was half teasing and half being honest.

The sound of Carson barking caught your attention. He was alerting the family to someone coming down the road that led to the house.

“Who could that be?” You thought out loud, moving towards the front windows.

“Is that Carson barking?” Hosea asked as he followed behind you. “He sounds angry.”

You spotted John getting down from his horse before it even came to a full stop just in front of the house. Behind him was a cloud of dirt and dust he must’ve kicked up on his way in.

“Something ain’t right. Why’s he in such a hurry?” Hosea headed for the front door. You were right behind him, going out on to the front porch.

Your eyes flickered over to your husband, who was crossing the yard with Charles to see what John was doing.

“What’s got you runnin’ like you’re bein’ chased, Marston?”

“I saw Micah in Blackwater yesterday.” John held on tightly to the leather reins. He appeared tense and nervous, shifting his weight from one foot to the other as his eyes flickered around as if he was taking count of everyone there. “Is Lucy here with you?”

“She’s home.” Charles shook his head. “Wasn’t feeling well this morning.”

“Wait a damn minute. You what?” Hosea rubbed his eyes.

“I saw that bastard. He was in Blackwater yesterday.”

You looked to Arthur, your stomach churning. His eyes very briefly met yours before he returned his gaze to John.

“I was runnin’ errands with Jack and Grace when I saw him. He was on a horse across from the bank with a couple other fellas.”

“How are you sure it was him?” Your voice was quiet as you spoke.

“Micah’s voice ain’t easy to forget.” John met your gaze.

“Did he see you?”

“Course not, Hosea. Got my kids outta there before he could see them.” John ran his hand along the shoulder of his horse. “I can’t stay for long. Gotta get back to Beecher’s. But I wanted to let y’all know he’s around.”

“Do you think he’s going to start looking for us?” Charles asked. Arthur shook his head, running a hand over his face. Even from across the yard, you could see the anger on his face.

“It’s hard to tell with Micah Bell.”

“At the very least, he’ll try to find Hosea.” Arthur spoke up, voice low and heavy with the weight of all the fears he’d carried for so long. “Hosea’s the only one who knows about where that Blackwater money is. The only other person who knew about it was Dutch and well….”

You looked down at your hands, taking a deep breath.

“Micah would do anything to find us. That includes goin’ to you, John.”

“I ain’t tellin’ him shit, Arthur.”

“I never said he’d ask nicely. Micah’s a sick bastard. He’ll go through Jack and Grace to get to you, to get to me and there’s no tellin’ what he’d do-,”

“Arthur.” You cut him off firmly. His eyes shot over to you. “Stop right now. There’s no sense filling John’s head with that. He doesn’t need to worry any more than he already does, I’m sure.”

Silence filled the air.

“Why don’t you bring Abigail and the kids up here, John?” Hosea suggested, moving to sit down on the front steps. “That way you all aren’t alone down there.”

“I couldn’t do that, Hosea.”

“Nonsense.” You shook your head, directing John’s attention to you. “We’ve got plenty of room. Daisy can stay in our room. That way you and Abigail can have your own room and Jack and Grace can have Daisy’s room.”

“I don’t want to crowd nobody. We aren’t a little family.”

“No, but you’re our family.” Arthur sighed. “It’s safer for you all to be up here with us and Charles and Lucy, John. You know that.”

John looked between you, Arthur, Hosea, and Charles for a few moments before nodding.

“I’ll talk it over with Abigail when I get home. Only problem would be Roxy and our livestock.”

“Roxy can come up with you. Carson gets along with her just fine.” You smiled.

“And if it’s just temporary, leave the livestock down there at Beecher’s. Me and you can go down every day or so to check on ‘em.” Arthur rubbed the back of his neck.

“Alright. I’ll see you guys soon.”

You waved goodbye to John and watched him disappear down the drive.

As he left, the weight in your stomach seemed to shift to your chest.

“Why don’t we take a little break, Charles?” Arthur told him, giving him a pat on the arm. Charles nodded and began to move towards the house.

“Maybe you and Uncle can share a room, Hosea.” Charles teased as he passed Hosea on the stairs.

“Bullshit. I’ll be sending Uncle over to your house. You and Lucy have too much room in that house of yours.”

Your eyes followed Arthur as he stopped at the bottom of the stairs. Your hands were folded at your waist, thumb rubbing against your skin as you bit the inside of your cheek.

“What?” He asked you.

“Why did you have to go put all those thoughts into John’s head?”

“I wasn’t tryin’ to scare him, Y/N. I was just tellin’ him the truth. Micah is relentless. He’ll stop at nothing to get what he wants. He’ll go through anyone and anything.”

“But you didn’t have to put thoughts into John’s head about what that bastard could do to his kids, Arthur.”

“Hey, sweetheart!” Hosea greeted Daisy loudly as she approached the porch from behind Arthur. She carried a handful of wildflowers in one hand. “Where’d you get those pretty flowers, Daisy?”

“From the yard!”

Arthur turned his attention to her, smiling as she offered him a portion of the bundle.

“Here.”

“Thank you, sweetpea.”

The next bundle went to Hosea. He began to tell her of the different kinds of flowers she had picked up, and she gladly absorbed the information like a sponge.

As you watched her, you couldn’t help but think of Micah. Arthur was right. The man would stop at nothing to get answers, to get what he wanted. It would be nothing for him to kill an entire family just to get the answers he was looking for.

The more your mind lingered on the possibilities, the more the thoughts spiraled. The weight on your chest worsened and you suddenly gasped for breath, unable to breathe. Tears sprung to your eyes and you turned away, not wanting to ruin Daisy’s moment with Hosea.

But everyone heard your gasp and saw you turn away so suddenly.

Arthur moved up the front steps, brows furrowing together slightly.

Daisy tried to move past him to get to you but Arthur caught ahold of the material of her shirt, quickly stopping her.

“Daddy-,”

“Just give me a minute, sweetpea.” He cut her off gently. “Go back to Papa or Uncle Charles, okay?”

“Is momma okay?”

“She’ll be just fine.” Arthur kissed the top of Daisy’s head before moving towards you.

Since Hosea was still sitting on the front step, Charles moved towards Daisy, holding his hands out for her.

“What’s wrong with her, Uncle Charles?” Daisy opened her arms for him to pick her up but her eyes remained on the back of your head.

“Mommy just needs a minute with daddy.” Charles explained. “What kind of flowers do you have there, Daisy?”

While Charles had Daisy somewhat distracted, Arthur was able to tend to you.

His hand found the small of your back.

“You okay, pumpkin?” His voice was quiet and gentle.

You couldn’t speak. You knew the words would become jumbled in your throat or come out all too quickly.

He kissed your shoulder.

“M’sorry if…. if what I was sayin’ scared you.”

“It’s not….” You shook your head. “Just…. Just me.”

“Is it him that’s got you this scared?”

You nodded, closing your eyes as you turned to face him. In the same instant, you were able to tuck your nose into the front of his neck.

“Pumpkin, you know I ain’t gonna let a damn thing happen to you or to Daisy. He’ll have to get through me to-,”

“Don’t.” You cut Arthur off, pulling away so that you could look him in the eyes. “Don’t you-Don’t you dare say that Arth-Arthur Morgan. I-I can’t lose you.”

He brushed the tears from your cheeks then pushed your hair back out of your eyes.

“I love you.”

You nodded and leaned forward to press your forehead against his lips. His hand rubbed up and down your back as you tried your best to take even breaths.

“Ain’t nothin’ gonna happen to either of you. I’ll keep you safe, pumpkin.”

Hosea stood up from the steps and began to make his way towards the front door. He looked to Charles and nodded for him to come inside.

“She can go. Y/N’s probably gonna want her near.”

Charles nodded and placed Daisy on her feet.

“Behave out here.”

Daisy giggled, curious eyes watching her uncle disappear into the house. Then she looked to her parents.

You lifted your head and sniffled. Arthur wiped your cheeks again.

“That’s enough thinkin’ about all the bad. We’re about to have a busy house.” He told you. “What kind of things do we need to get done before they get back here?”

You said nothing, unable to shift your thoughts to something else.

There was a tug on your skirt. You looked down to see Daisy looking up at you.

“You okay, momma?”

“Yes, love.” You nodded, moving to sit down in a chair on the porch. This allowed her to climb into your lap.

“Why are you crying?” She reached up with her free hand to wipe your tears away.

“Because…. Well, ‘cause I just have a lot on my mind right now.”

“What do you got there, sweetpea?” Arthur knelt down beside you. “Did you pick those flowers yourself?”

“Yeah! Papa said they are cornflowers, poppies, and daisies.”

“Daisies are momma’s favorites.” Arthur leaned in to whisper to her. “You think those might cheer her up?”

You smiled as Daisy handed you the bundle of flowers.

“Thank you, honey.” You leaned forward to kiss her forehead. “Those cornflowers look like daddy’s eyes, don’t they?”

Daisy looked from the flower to Arthur, then back to the flower, and finally back to Arthur. She giggled and nodded her head.

“They do.”

“Don’t you think daddy’s got pretty eyes?”

“He does!”

“You girls are gonna make me all red in the face.” Arthur muttered, a shy smile coming to his lips as he stood up. “Is your room all cleaned up, sweetpea? Uncle John’s coming up here and Grace’s is gonna need somewhere to sleep.”

“A sleepover?” Daisy excitedly jumped down from your lap.

“Only if your room is clean.”

“I’ll go check!”

Your eyes followed her as she ran into the house. Then your eyes flickered down to the flowers.

“We’re gonna be alright, Y/N.” Arthur held his hand out for you.

“I know. We always are. It just…. It never comes easy.”

Taglist: @winterwolf @lauramb7 @caraqas @bluscryn @krenee1drful @zodiacaldust @nonodino @gabstaroc @cal-lifornication @thefirelordm @sargeantsea @sokkasdarling @thecollection @mayday1284 @kashasenpai @misskrql @brooke-supernatural16 @micahs-bird

If your name is in italics, it wouldn’t let me tag you :(

#arthur morgan x reader #dad!arthur morgan x reader #dad!arthur morgan #dad!arthur morgan fic #arthur morgan #arthur morgan rdr2 #red dead redemption 2 #rdr2 fic #oneshot #queenxxxsupreme

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tcm · 4 years

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Paul Williams on His Regrets and Career By Donald Liebenson

“Bugsy Malone is like nothing else,” Roger Ebert wrote in his 1976 three-and-a-half-star review. “It's an original, a charming one.”

Alan Parker’s directorial debut, a one-of-a-kind gangster musical acted out by children (including Scott Baio in the title role and a then-13-year-old Jodie Foster as a sassy nightclub chanteuse), was an early career triumph for Paul Williams. Williams is everything that he wanted to be: an actor, an Oscar-winning songwriter of era-defining hits and composer of iconic movie scores. He’s something else, too: sober. Earlier this month he celebrated just over 30 years of sobriety. “When I got sober, the career I thought I had been gone for 10 years,” he says. “I feel like Lazarus; I’m 80-years-old, and I feel like a tired 34.”

But he’s ebullient talking about BUGSY MALONE, a cult favorite in the United States, but in its native England, it is something of a viewing rite of passage for children, thanks in part to a 1980s stage adaptation by Micky Dolenz. The film itself won four BAFTAs, including Best Screenplay and Best Newcomer and Best Supporting Actress for Foster. Williams was nominated for two Golden Globes, including Original Score and Original Song.

He has completed a new musical, Fortunate Sons, about how the Vietnam War draft lottery affects two households. His last major acting role was as ex-lawyer and informant JT on two seasons of the Amazon series, Goliath. “I’ve always said I’m a pretty good songwriter for an out-of-work actor,” he jokes. “Acting is where I got my start.”

Where in the process did you get involved with Bugsy Malone?

Paul Williams: BUGSY MALONE began as a bedtime story Alan made up for his kids. Every night he put his kids to bed, they said, ‘Tell us more about Bugsy tomorrow night, dad.’ So maybe the answer to that question is that the headwaters of BUGSY MALONE is Alan’s love for his children and his great love for the traditional American gangster film. He found a place where those two things would meet in a way that was really unique.

How did Bugsy Malone come to you?

PW: Alan Parker liked my songs, but I don’t know where he got the idea to approach me. It was around the time of A STAR IS BORN (for which he co-wrote the Oscar-winning song “Evergreen” with Barbra Streisand). He sent me a batch of beautiful color drawings of the cars, the splurge guns and the sets. Then he sent me the script, and I loved it. I was playing Vegas a lot and when I agreed to do it, he came over to talk to me. I was opening for Liza Minnelli or Olivia Newton John, I don’t remember who. Alan and I sat down at a deli, drank coffee and I was just singing bits and pieces of songs that I thought would be good ideas. I thought we needed to open with a song about Bugsy. It poured out of me. When the marriage is right, that seems to happen with me.

What was your own connection to American gangster movies? Were you a fan?

PW: Oh, my god, I was a huge Humphrey Bogart fan. One of the great times that I ever had was doing THE CHEAP DETECTIVE, because I was playing Elisha Cook’s role from THE MALTESE FALCON. As a little boy, I knew his name before I knew Santa Claus. I remember when I first came back to Hollywood to try and make it as an actor, one of the first things that happened was I walked into a drug store just as (character actor) Royal Dano was walking out. You’ve seen him in a hundred movies. I said, ‘Hiya, Mr. Dano,’ and he snapped his head around and said, ‘Hello, young man.’ I told that story on Carson, and I got a letter from Royal Dano. He said, ‘Although I don’t remember meeting you, it seems to me you were thinner then.’ I love that.

How did you approach writing the songs, because they are songs being lip-synced by children, but they are not children’s songs.

PW: The script is the Bible. The two basic tasks a songwriter have are to move the story ahead and to display the inner life of the characters. Alan Parker was similar to Jim Henson in that the rule of writing was to not write down to kids, but to write accurately for character and story. The characters Alan wrote were so strong; they are archetypes of the great Warner Bros. characters. Bugsy was John Garfield meets Humphrey Bogart.

Where did the idea come from to have the child actors lip-sync to adult voices?

PW: They got kids that could act, they got kids that could dance, but the songs had intricate rhythms and to find kids who could sing them was a challenge. I thought that if the automobiles are these weird little hybrids that make the sound of an engine but are being pedaled, and the guns shoot cream, then why couldn’t the kids sing with adult voices? It would have the feel of an animated film. It solved the whole problem. The one regret I will have my entire life is that I put another (singing) voice in Jodie Foster’s mouth; one of the great actors in American film history. That’s a terrible legacy (laughs). I did that with (the character) Beef in PHANTOM OF THE PARADISE. I used a guy named Ray Kennedy who had a great beefy voice, but when I heard Gerritt Graham sing later, I thought maybe I should have given him a shot.

This was before your collaboration with Jim Henson and the Muppets. Was Bugsy Malone a project you personally wanted to take on as something your own children could see?

PW: Bugsy Malone is the one motion picture I’ve written songs for that I’ve seen more than anything that I ever worked on, and there’s a simple reason for it. When my wife and I broke up, I would spend the weekend with my kids and I would plunk them down in front of the TV with pizza and, god bless them, they must have seen BUGSY MALONE for years. Eventually, I learned how to talk to my kids and be a sober real dad, but my kids just love BUGSY.

The closing number, “You Give a Little Love,” is Bugsy Malone’s legacy song, much like “The Rainbow Connection” is for The Muppet Movie. It was even used in a Coca-Cola Super Bowl commercial.

PW: That song is pretty much my philosophy. I absolutely believe it. My entire life has proven to me that there is something about the elegance of kindness that has always had a solid return. The core philosophy of BUGSY MALONE is, ‘We could have been anything that we wanted to be/and it’s not too late to change.’

In America, Bugsy Malone received good reviews and is a cult favorite. But it’s huge in England. Why do you think it was so embraced there?

PW: We took it to the stage in the 1980s. Every kid in England, Wales and Ireland, but especially in Great Britain, grew up seeing BUGSY MALONE. It’s like GREASE in this country. Edgar Wright did BUGSY as a kid, which led me to a role in BABY DRIVER.

Where do you rank Bugsy Malone in the Paul Williams canon?

PW: It is probably the best opportunity I ever had in this life to preach a little kindness. It’s probably the best opportunity I’ve ever been given to express the possibilities and probabilities that we could be anything we want to be. I was the runt of the litter from the Midwest; this little dude who didn’t fit into any world. I just absolutely loved music and movies and without thinking twice, I thought, ‘I’m going to do that.’ I hope BUGSY MALONE inspires that for anyone looking up at the screen and is attracted to the possibilities of telling the truth about themselves in a way that helps someone else.

Bugsy Malone is but one chapter in an incredible life and career. Have you given any thought to writing your autobiography?

PW: You know what? In recovery we call it an inventory (laughs). I think I’m at a place in my life where I feel like a beginner, like I’m just getting started. I know how idiotic that sounds at 80, but I want three digits on my driver’s license, and I think the one thing that gives me a shot at that is that I love being busy and doing the things that matter most to me, and that’s trying to tell the truth in a way that helps someone else.

#Bugsy malone #gangster pictures #warner bros #Jodie foster #child stars #child actor #old Hollywood #classic #TCM #Turner Classic Movies #Paul Williams #Donald Liebenson

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gumnut-logic · 3 years

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Census

After my little hissy fit last night about not being able to write, I spent all day today doing exactly that. 5000 words later and we have this rambling fic. I had to fill in our Census today, so I figured the Tracys could too. It went places I did not expect.

There are a couple of anachronisms in this fic. It is based in 2060 for census reasons, but I mention at least two characters interacting with the Tracys from later seasons. Please ignore and enjoy anyway :D

There are also a couple of vague references to ship, but no real ship, I promise.

Thank you in particular to @katblu42 and @willow-salix and the other members of Thunderfam who kindly checked on on me last night while I was bemoaning my inability to write. Sorry if I was exasperating. I have a degree in that. If it helps, no one gets more annoyed with me than I do ::hugs you lots::

Rambly, mostly brotherly conversations and doesn’t really go anywhere, but I hope you enjoy it anyway.

-o-o-o-

How Gordon got there first was no mystery. Virgil was just too damned tired after three rescues in a row and Scott had been tied up with Tracy Industries for most of the day. Grandma could possibly have been on it if she hadn’t been filling in for John who had broken out his exo-suit to yank a couple of free floaters out of the sky.

He was still muttering about idiots and safety. His mood was not improved by the fact Grandma insisted he come down for the night so he could be counted.

Consequently, his muttering also included cursing bureaucracy even though Virgil knew census night was a favourite of the astronaut.

Perhaps Gordon got to the form first because he knew everyone else was tired and grumpy and needed a kick in the pants. Virgil had to admit with a fond thought that his little brother was prone to throwing joke bombs amongst them when the mood was through the floor.

Virgil had no issues wondering why Alan wasn’t the one poking at the form. Their resident teenager wasn’t interested at all.

“Okay, guys. What is our address? What did we put last time?”

Alan didn’t even look up from his game. “Tracy Island.”

Gordon, who was sitting at Dad’s desk, staring at the holographic form, hesitated. “Did Dad register that with the powers that be?”

“What?” Alan really wasn’t paying any attention at all.

Virgil sighed. He was sitting on the couch with one of his uniform boots on his lap attempting to pick out several penetrating objects out of the sole. His last rescue had been a collapsed factory and he was still trying to work out what exactly it was that they made that could penetrate his specialist footwear.

Fortunately, despite multiple incursions, he only had a scratch on his left foot, more an annoyance than anything, but these objects were frustrating and suspicious.

“Dad did all the right things. Tracy Island is the official name now.” The pliers weren’t quite gripping the piece of metal properly. The grip slipped and Virgil swore.

“Now? What was it called before?”

“Deserter’s Rock.” Scott strode in from the kitchen, a coffee in hand, and grimace on his face. His usually perfect hair was scruffy, as if he had been running his hands through it.

Virgil frowned up at him. “You okay?”

His brother took the steps down into the lounge and sighed. “Nothing a holiday won’t fix.” It was Scott’s turn to frown. “What’s with the boot?”

“Deserter’s Rock? Really?”

It was John who answered, very much like Alan, staring into his tablet and barely paying attention. “Really. Three sailors were stuck here for months. Only one survived. That’s why there is a cairn on Tracy Peak.”

“I thought that was a pile of rocks put there by Dad.” Gordon seemed genuinely surprised. “You mean there are two dead guys on the Island?”

“Along with their ghosts, yeah.” John still didn’t look up.

“Ghosts?” Alan did look up at that, eyes wide. “What ghosts?”

“The one’s who keep stealing my Bailey’s ice cream.”

“Oh.” Alan went back to playing his game, his eyes definitely not darting between John and Gordon at all.

“Okay, moving on…so where do I put ‘Tracy Island’ in this thing? It’s not a suburb, state or territory…do we have a postcode?”

“It’s a locality. Shove it in there.” Virgil grit his teeth and yanked hard at the piece of metal embedded in his boot. A grunt and a flex of heavy lifting muscles and…it didn’t move at all. What the hell?

“Okay, whatever.” Gordon half sung ‘Tracy Island, Kermadec Ridge, South Pacific Ocean’ to himself as he entered it into the form. At least he was being specific. Virgil glared at his boot.

“Next. Who gets to be head of household? Oh, the Householder?” A pause in which Virgil poked at his boot, Scott sipped his coffee with closed eyes, Alan killed three zombies with a grin and John sat motionless still staring at his tablet.

“Okay, then. It’s me.” Gordon grinned to himself.

Nobody looked up, but all four other brothers said simultaneously and in chorus. “It’s Grandma.”

Virgil flexed his hand and picked up his pliers again. Peripherally, he watched Gordon’s shoulders drop. Even the Fish couldn’t argue with that.

“Fine. It’s Grandma.” He reached up and touched the box to open that section of the form. “Where is she anyway?”

Virgil tried to get a better grip on another chunk of metal in his boot. “Yoga. Don’t disturb her.” Yoga was Grandma’s mindfulness time and after today, it was well overdue. “Leave her be.”

“I wasn’t going to. Sheesh. So, name. Sally Tracy.” He typed in her name. “Person two?”

“Scott Tracy.” Okay, so Virgil had a bit of a thing about this. His brother deserved acknowledgement for everything he had done.

Gordon glared at him. “And so I guess the rest of us are in age order?”

Virgil flipped his boot over. “Whatever floats your boat, fishboy.” A glance in Scott’s direction and he had to wonder if his brother had fallen asleep, he was that still. The coffee mug in his hand was the only proof of consciousness.

Virgil fought the urge to save it. “Scott, you wanna go to bed?”

“Wha-?” His brother sat up. “I’m fine.” Fortunately, he put the coffee mug down. The chances of Virgil having to treat burns tonight dropped significantly.

“How do you spell ‘Hackenbacker’?”

Virgil did not grace that with an answer as it was obviously a stupid question.

John was apparently on auto as he spouted off the required letters anyway while still staring at his tablet.

Gordon poked at the form in silence for a little while and Virgil wondered what on Earth he was entering. He trusted his brother. This was an official document, after all, but he was still Gordon.

“Okay, guys, I need your information.”

Beside Virgil, Scott ‘woke up’. “What, no questions about Grandma?”

Gordon frowned at his eldest brother. “I’ll have you know that I know our grandmother very well. We have a special kind of relationship.”

Alan snorted.

“What? You got something to say, sprout?” The fish glared at Alan enough to torch him on the spot.

“I’m just saying that after that time with Grandma’s diver’s license, you should know Grandma’s details very well. Her birthdate, her ancestry, her suit measurements…”

A starfish plushie suddenly had a very short career as a ninja star and bounced off Alan’s head. “Shut up, Alan.”

Their little brother only giggled more.

John, still staring at his tablet, raised an eyebrow. “Allie, Grandma baked some cookies yesterday. I think there are still some in the cupboard. Would you like some?”

“Okay, okay, I get it.” Alan threw the plushie at his fish brother, missing completely, and went back to playing his game. There was muttering about Gordon making jokes but Alan not being allowed to.

Virgil sighed to himself.

“Scotty, what’s your age? It’s 2060 for reference. Oh, and your gender.”

All signs of sleep fell away and Scott sat up. “Gordon…” It was all warning.

“Hey, I’m just giving you the opportunity to offer an alternative. After all, tonight you look at least fifty-six.”

“I’m thirty-one and you know it.”

Gordon poked at the form. “Thirty-one years young. Got it.”

Scott grunted at him.

“Virg, are we telling the truth this time?”

“Depends on whether you want me to leave you in the ocean next time.” Why the hell couldn’t he get this out of his boot?

“To threat level already, you are grumpy tonight.”

“Gordon…” Virgil echoed Scott from earlier to the note.

“Johnny?”

“No one named ‘Johnny’ lives here.”

Gordon signed. “John Glenn Tracy, how would you like me to record your age?”

“Accurately.”

“Fine.”

“If I say I’m thirty-two, do I get to go higher up on the form?” Alan looked hopeful.

“If you like.” Gordon moved things around on the display.

Virgil gave up. The locality of Tracy Island was destined to be a statistical anomaly anyway. At least it would be an interesting one.

Besides, John would probably hack it later and fix it. The fact he had hardly protested so far was eminent proof of that security factor.

“Scotty, are you the husband or wife of Grandma?”

Scott rubbed his face and didn’t bother to answer, picking up his coffee again and burying his face in it.

Virgil just wished he would go to bed. The man was a zombie.

Gordon took the hint and was quiet for a little while. Virgil went back to tugging on his boot. Maybe he should take this down to his workshop.

The thought of actually working more had his shoulders slumping enough to alert Scott. The concerned and questioning look shot in his direction had Virgil sitting up a little straighter to fend it off.

“John, where should we put your usual place of residence?”

“Here.”

“But you live in space.”

“So do you.”

“Pedantic much?”

“As necessary. Tracy Island is home. Thunderbird Five is merely in our astronomical backyard, not to mention secret.”

Virgil looked up at that. It was a simple statement, but it was good to hear that John still considered Tracy Island home despite his multiple protests over the years.

“Fine. Secret space station wasn’t an option anyway. I could flub it and use Global One but then that would spark all those rumours about you and that captain all over again.”

“Gordon, I can hack your bank accounts.”

“Go for it.”

“I can also hack your fish tanks.”

The aquanaut shot to his feet. “You touch my tanks and you’re dead, spacehead.”

John didn’t react other than to smile just a little.

Their space brother could be a right royal ass when he wanted to be. Virgil sighed. “John, you know the rules.”

He shrugged. “Didn’t break any.”

“You touch my tanks, I’m spicing up your atmosphere on Five. I’m not kidding. I have fart gas resources even you can’t find.” Gordon was still on his feet and actually appeared angry.

John shuddered. “TMI, Gordo. Not interested in your gas capacity, honestly.”

Virgil rolled his eyes. “Calm down, Gords, John’s not doing anything to your fish tanks. He knows the rules, don’t you, John.” He arched a prompting eyebrow at his brother.

“Never said I didn’t.”

Definitely an ass.

“Gordon, calm down. You can put John’s relationship to you in as ‘nemesis’ if it makes you feel better.”

“I can only put in our relationship to Grandma. I wrote favourite grandson in yours.”

It was Virgil’s turn to shrug. “I’m not going to complain. Sit down and finish the form.”

His brother didn’t answer, but he did sit down, albeit still glaring at John.

John had gone back to his tablet, doing who knew the hell what.

Definitely an ass.

Virgil turned back to Gordon. “What’s the next question, Gords?”

The glare switched to Virgil for a second before turning to the form. “Where were we born?”

“Kansas.”

“I know that. What about Grandma, Brains and Kayo?”

“Space.” Alan said it with triumph.

“What?”

“Where John lives. Isn’t that what the question was?” Alan stared between his brothers.

“Go back to sleep, Alan.”

“Grandma was born in Kansas, Brains was born in India, and Kayo was born here.” Scott proved he was still awake by suddenly providing information enough to make Virgil jump.

Gordon poked at the form, but nothing further was said on that front. Everyone knew Kayo was sensitive about her past, and while she wasn’t in the room, she would find out and partially kill anyone responsible.

“Kayo is here tonight, isn’t she?”

Virgil yanked on his boot again, slipped and managed to elbow Scott in the ribs. His brother grunted.

“Oh, shit, sorry. You okay?” He shoved the boot aside and the pliers along with it.

Scott eyed him and rubbed his side. “That answers your question, Gordon. Kayo is on a conference call with Captain Rigby.”

Virgil glared at Scott.

Gordon eyed the both of them. “Is there something you two aren’t telling the class?”

“Shut up, Gordon.” Virgil glared at Scott a moment longer, enough to have his brother’s expression fall into one of concern. Grabbing his boot again, Virgil went back to wrestling with embedded metal. Damned specialised rubber was amazing when it protected him but when its tolerances were overrun, it was a pain to fix. Maybe he should ask Max to give it a yank. “What entertaining religion are you using this time, Gords?” Any attempt to get the conversation off this topic.

Gordon stared at him a moment, obviously still trying to work out what the hell happened there.

Scott was dead later; Virgil was going to make sure of it. Tired or not, he had crossed a line.

A sideways look in his eldest brother’s direction and it was obvious Scott realised that. Okay, maybe he could let it go. It had been a long day and they were all tired.

Probably should go to bed.

He went back to fighting with his boot.

Gordon was still staring but even the fish knew when to shut up apparently, because the next words out of his mouth were entirely religious.

“I’m worshiping Neptune this year.”

Alan frowned. “I thought you said that last time.”

“Dad wouldn’t let me.”

That brought the whole room to a standstill. Last census was ten years ago. Flashback to that time brought everything that had changed into the bright glaring light. The biggest change being Dad’s absence. But even more, ten years ago they were still based in Kansas, IR was in development, but not yet a reality. Alan was only six, Gords eleven and with his body still intact…it was a completely different time. Virgil was still in college and had to fill in his own census form in Denver.

Gordon broke the looming silence with a determined smile. “This time the government gets the truth. Scott bows to the sky gods, Virg worships molemen, Johnny is a god, and Alan is Satan.

“Hey!” It was said by multiple brothers at once.

Only John remained calm. He even had a smile. “In that case, I want bagels every Sunday.”

“You get bagels every Sunday. Virg sends them up all the time.” Alan glared at his space brother – Alan did not like bagels.

John grinned wider. “I’ll take that as proof that I have at least one faithful worshipper.”

“Next time you can get your own bagels.” Virgil glared at his brother.

Gordon snorted. “Yeah, right, you old softie. John could blow up Two and you’d still send him his bagels.”

Virgil found himself glaring at Gordon again. It seemed to be a theme tonight. “Short pier, long walk, Gordon, go for it.”

He got a smirk for that. “Don’t mind if I do. A little night diving is quite spectacular around here.”

Virgil ignored him and went back to his boot…which he had made zero progress on for all the time he had been sitting here, damnit.

“Does Virgil ever ‘need someone to help with or be with him for self-care, body movement, or communication activities’?” Gordon typed into the form. “Before coffee.”

Virgil ignored him some more as Alan took the bait and snickered. “Better watch it, Gords. Won’t be long before ‘before coffee’ time kicks in. Look at him, he’s already brewing.”

The piece of metal in his boot finally shifted a little. Thank goodness.

“Long term health conditions.” Gordon slumped in his seat. “Well, isn’t this cheerful.”

“Just fill it in, Gordon.” Scott’s words were little more than a sigh.

That left a gaping silence. Gordon tapped a lot at the keyboard filling in far too much. More for himself, obviously, but then there was John and his space issues, and they all had been diagnosed with something on the list hanging above their father’s desk.

Except Alan, who could not be left out. Virgil pretended to not be able to read the word ‘zombification’ next to his little brother’s name.

“Schooling? Oh man, John, you can write all the letters after your name. I can never remember them all.”

“Not a problem.” The astronaut poked at his tablet and the hologram in front of Gordon sprouted half the alphabet.

“Really? Did you get a new one?” He stared at John. “When did you get time for that?”

John shrugged. “Made time.”

“What’s this one for?”

“Oceanography.”

“What?”

“You were in the ocean. I didn’t know enough to help. So I fixed the problem.”

Gordon just stared.

Virgil, of course, knew. He had been the one to field John’s version of panic the day he didn’t know enough to help Gordon. John was practical. He saw a problem, he fixed it. Oceanography wasn’t an obvious topic for the starman, but he was a genius and that genius could be applied where he wished it to be.

If Virgil had found himself helping John at a few points that intersected with his specialities along the way, he was just going to take a little comfort from being able to return the favour after years of borrowing his brother’s brains for other topics.

And besides, it had meant he had been able to spend a little extra time with John. Always a good thing.

Despite him being the occasional ass.

Gordon was still staring. “Is that why you bugged me to take you out in Four?”

John shrugged. “Partly. Didn’t mind spending a bit of time with you either. Good experience to familiarise myself with Four as well.”

The stare continued.

“Be careful you don’t catch any flies with your mouth open.”

The stare became a glare. “We’re talking about this. You and me.”

“Sure.”

Gordon looked like he didn’t know whether to yell at him or run over and hug his brother. Virgil was voting for the latter.

But everything was interrupted by a sudden snore and snort.

Virgil turned to Scott and found his brother startled awake, likely by his own snore.

“Wha-?”

“Scott, you need to go to bed.”

“I’m fine.”

Virgil rolled his eyes. “Do I need to pick you up and carry you?”

“I’m fine.” He waved Virgil away, sat up straighter and attempted to guzzle whatever was left of his probably cold coffee.

“Idiot.”

“What?”

“Go to bed.”

“No. We need to finish the census.”

“Why?”

“Because.”

“Because why?”

“Because I want to.”

“Why?”

“Can you stop that?”

“Can you go to bed?”

“No!”

“You need sleep.”

“I can manage my own health, thank you, Doctor Virgil.” He folded his arms across his chest. “I am an adult.”

“Sometimes.”

“Virgil!”

Gordon let off a loud snort. “That’s it. I’m putting you two in as married.”

“Gordon!” Both of them, in chorus. It was apparently a theme tonight.

“Well, you both argue like an old married couple, what can I do?”

“You can shut up and move onto the next question.”

Gordon poked his tongue out at Scott, but he didn’t stop grinning and Virgil was forced to hold back a smile himself.

Bratty little fish.

He was still smirking when he said, “Employment.”

“Oh god.” Scott sank back onto the couch and rubbed his face with his hands.

There followed a book’s worth of employment activities.

“Rocket surfing is not an occupation, Gordon.” Virgil sighed.

“Why not? Both Scott and Allie surf rockets.”

“Alan rides a rocket sled and Scott is just trying to give me grey hair.”

“Has he succeeded yet?” Bratty fish.

“None of your business.”

“So is International Rescue paid or unpaid work?” Gordon was frowning at the form.

“Unpaid.” Scott’s tone was sharp.

“So are we unemployed, employed or self-employed?”

“Self-employed.”

“How much do you earn a year, Scotty?”

Their eldest brother paused as if calculating, but then threw up a hand. “Stuffed if I know.”

John snorted and rattled off a number.

“There isn’t enough space for that many zeros here, John.”

“Give me a moment.”

The display in front of Gordon flickered and each of their names received a variety of numbers…except for Alan.

“Hey, how come I don’t have any earnings?”

“You are a minor.” John spoke calmly, as if speaking to a minor.

“But I do stuff for Tracy Industries, I do.”

“All your income is held in trust, you know that.”

“Then who is paying for all that popcorn I bought this morning?”

Scott sighed. “Don’t worry, you’re not going to bust the bank.”

“We own the bank.”

Scott stared at John. “When did we buy a bank?”

“I bought it for your birthday last year but forgot to give it to you.”

“Oh.”

“I’m writing obscenely rich next to all our names. Oh, except for you, Allie. You’re a pauper.”

“Hey! You suck, Fishbrain.”

“Remember who might need to lend you money in the next couple of years…”

“While Gordon remembers who lent him money in the past, who still helps him with his finances, and who also is the one to fish him out of the ocean after every mission.” Virgil pinned Gordon with his eyes.

Gordon blinked. “You have a point.” A pause as a smile crept over his face. “Who was that again?”

The hologram of the census form wobbled as a lounge cushion flew through it and hit Gordon squarely in the face.

“Right on target. Hmm, I’ve still got it.” Scott blew imaginary smoke off a finger gun.

Unfortunately, Scott may have still had it, but he wasn’t the best marksman on this census form. The cushion rebounded via aquanaut and hit Scott squarely in the face with an oomph.

This forced both Virgil and Alan to come to his defence and for a full ten minutes after that, it was an all-out pillow fight between the brothers. Even John was drawn in as Gordon came up behind him and tried to stuff one down the back of his shirt.

Which wasn’t advisable since his gravity support was still in play. But then John was king of the noogie and immediately grabbed a head full of strawberry blond hair, dragged it down onto the couch beside him and made sure it received the full-on noogie treatment.

Gordon did squawk quite a bit.

An extreme one-on-one joust erupted between Scott and Alan. It was that determined that Virgil had to back out. Alan, being the terrier he was, managed to get Scott on his back on the lounge and sat on him pummelling him with pillows.

Virgil had suspicions that the game was rigged.

In any case, he had to find somewhere else to sit and tinker with his boot.

Eventually, Gordon found his way back to the census form. Scott was still on his back and apparently Alan had decided he preferred that his big brother stay that way by sitting on him and playing his computer game. Scott at least had a remaining cushion under his head, but one foot had taken out a pot plant and the other was hanging over the back of the sofa. His brother really was too tall for lying on the seating arrangements, but he didn’t seem to care.

With a bit of luck he might fall asleep.

“Okay, let’s finish this. How did you get to work today?” Gordon grunted. “This form has no rockets, planes, submarines or space elevators on it.”

“Tick the ‘other’ box and let them work it out.” John let out a yawn.

Virgil eyed him.

John screwed up his face and poked out his tongue.

Wha-“ Virgil blinked.

“Hey, Virg, how many hours did you work last week?”

That distracted him enough to turn to Gordon. “How the hell do I know?”

“You worked them. I bet you know your flight hours.”

“Today’s. Not last week. That was last week.”

“Eos, send Gordon last week’s record?”

The AI chimed in at her father’s request. “Yes, John.”

Another document appeared in front of Gordon. “Wow, that much? Really?”

“The documentation is correct as recorded.” Eos sounded a little miffed. But then she never particularly liked Gordon on the best of days.

His fault, of course.

“Virg, you win, but only by a bit over Scott and that was because he twisted his ankle on Monday.”

“Sprained, you mean.”

“Twisted.” It came from the couch and was strangled by a little brother.

“Sprained. He should have been off for several days, but he’s an idiot.”

“You can’t talk, Mr Bruised-not-cracked.”

“At least I’m not Cracked-not-broken.”

“Sure.”

Scott might have said more but Alan whacked him with a pillow. “You guys are idiots. Gords, John and I are lucky our grey hairs don’t show.” Alan growled. “I’m sixteen, for crying out loud, and I know more about hospitals than I ever wanted to. Look after yourselves, you morons.”

Silence hit the room again.

“Way to go, Allie. You tell ‘em.” Gordon’s words were honest.

Of course, Scott was devastated and immediately questioning all his life choices. Virgil wasn’t far behind, but Scott, in particular had a sensitive spot where Alan was concerned.

“Hey.” He reached out a hand and rested it on their little brother’s arm. “Talk to me, Allie.”

Alan growled again. “I’m fine as long as you two look after yourselves. We kinda need you, you know.”

Scott grabbed his little brother and dragged him down into a hug. “I’m sorry.”

Virgil sat with his boot in his lap needing to grab both his brothers but not wanting to interrupt their moment.

He shouldn’t have worried. A second later Gordon jumped over the back of the couch, landed beside him and grabbed him, dragging him sideways into an oomph of a hug. “Don’t worry, my dear wingman, we still love you even if you are an idiot.”

“Gordon…”

“Admit it, you want a hug.”

“Shut up.”

Gordon didn’t say anything further, but he did squeeze tighter.

“When you get to the questions on whether any of us looked after children, Gordon, tick yes for all of us.” John’s tone was as dry as a desert.

“Will do.” Gordon grinned at him.

Scott actually fell asleep after that. It was about time. Apparently, Alan made a great teddy bear.

Alan grumbled about that for days, but Virgil knew his little brother treasured his relationship with Scott and the fact he fell asleep as well was rather telling.

But that fact pretty much ended the census form filling for that night.

The next morning saw all of them out on an earthquake and it wasn’t until two days later that Gordon realised they hadn’t submitted the form.

Grabbing Scott and Virgil, he ran them through the last of the questions, landing on the definitions of their dwelling.

“How many registered motor vehicles do we have at this dwelling?”

“Er, none? We have no roads.” Virgil frowned at the obvious answer.

“Three rockets, two planes and a submarine don’t count?”

An arched eyebrow. “Does it say anything about planes? Tracy Two and Three are registered in Aotearoa.”

“Aotearoa is not the United States.”

“But they are still registered.”

Scott sighed. “Read the form properly, guys. It says exclude heavy vehicles.”

“Well, that strikes Virg off the list, but your ‘bird’s a pansy.”

That earned Gordon a mocking whack up the back of the head.

“Gords, just write zero. The intent is there.”

“Fine. We have no motor vehicles. Stupid form.” A sigh. “Okay, how many bedrooms do we have?”

Scott answered that one. “Ten.”

“I thought it was twelve.”

“One went to an art studio and the other to a music recording room.”

Gordon glared at Virgil. “Way to take over the house, bro.”

“And how many fish tanks do you have in how many rooms? Not to mention the chunk of vegetable garden we had to sacrifice for Rover’s pond?”

“Leave Rover out of this. That wasn’t his fault.”

Virgil snorted. “Not his.”

“Shut up.”

Scott sighed again. “We have ten bedrooms.” He scanned the rest of the form, which thankfully wasn’t very long. “We own the place outright, and yes, they can archive our information for our grandkids to access. Tick the boxes and get this sent so I can go get some lunch.”

“Yes, Commander.”

Scott growled but Gordon ignored him.

Boxes all ticked, he hit the submit button.

“This form has already been submitted. You may not submit it again.” Underneath was the date of the day before census night. “What the hell? How could we open it if - ” Scott hit his comms. “John!”

John’s hologram flickered up beside the misbehaving census form. “I’m between a hurricane in Bermuda and an avalanche in the Pyrenees. How may I help you?”

“What?!”

“Oh, the census form. Eos submitted that three days ago.” Their space brother was distracted a moment out of pick up range as Scott’s jaw dropped. “Needed to get it done before Gordon got his hands on it. Besides, we can’t guarantee we wouldn’t have been called out anyway, so I got it done beforehand.”

“Then why the hell were we going through the damned thing on census night?”

John blinked. “You had fun, didn’t you? We shared an evening together.”

Virgil joined both his brothers at staring at John.

The astronaut just smirked back at them. “You did a great job, Gordon. Thanks.” The smirk turned into a grin. “Thunderbird Five out.” His hologram disappeared.

Scott’s face curdled. “I’m going to kill him.”

Virgil let his shoulders drop and sighed. “You said that last time he did something like this, and he’s still kicking.”

“I’m soaking his underwear in saltwater.” Gordon had that fire in his eyes that usually preceded a Tracy Island Armageddon.

“Gords…”

“He played me, Virg. He knew what I would do and played me. He thinks I’m predictable!”

“Yeah, but he obviously did it for the right reasons.”

Virgil found himself the target of two glares. “What? You want a group hug or something? C’mere.” And he grabbed the both of them, wrapping his arms around them. “Happy Census Night.”

The grumbling was worth it.

-o-o-o-

#thunderbirds are go #thunderbirds #thunderbirds fanfiction #Virgil Tracy #Gordon Tracy #John Tracy #Scott Tracy #Alan Tracy

63 notes · View notes

stxleslyds · 3 years

Text

NIGHTWING #81

UMM... HOW ABOUT NO.

Ever since Tom Taylor took over Nightwing I have only made a post about one issue of his (I will leave it here Nightwing #78), that issue was beautiful, it was a solid start and the little things that made me feel a bit icky were not mentioned in the post because the issue was good.

Then the issues felt like connectors or just very bland story wise. I had problems with the book also feeling like a Nightwing and (fake) Oracle book instead of just Nightwing. There were many instances where Dick alone could have gotten himself out of situations without Barbara, but because she was there the opportunity to show that he can do things was taken from him. I guess what I am trying to say is that the book has disappointed me but I didn’t feel like making a post because it was too early and this is an ongoing book that Taylor said he planned on continuing for a while, but now I can’t not make a post.

A few days ago, I finally read the Red Hood story in Urban Legends (I have a review for that one too I will link it here Red Hood part 4) and I couldn’t stand how OOC and disappointing the story/characterization has been. I am saying this because I am only reading these two books at the moment, ONLY these two, and all I have gotten from them is shit.

I know it’s still early to say that the Nightwing book is bad but…I hated this issue, I hated it with all of my heart. But now that I am a bit calmer, I have come up with some ideas of what is truly going on with the Melinda situation.

Anyway, let me give you my thoughts.

There are big Wilson Fisk vibes coming from both Blockbuster and Melinda Zucco. Those two will lie, manipulate and be evil every chance they get. They are working together to make Nightwing disappear. I know it. The whole “make us all much wealthier and to extend your power beyond the city” idea does not include Nightwing.

Melinda might not want to burn anything down but she sure isn’t a hero. This woman accepted the position of Mayor after watching Blockbuster kill the former mayor. I understand that talking with the BHPD isn’t the best idea but this woman feels way too comfortable in the presence of a killer.

She is cunning and she has plans, I strongly believe that she might be a villain and that she will betray Blockbuster and take all the power (if it reaches that point) to herself.

Heartless is just another weirdo, he tricks both Nightwing and the reader into thinking that he has a soft spot for kids but surprise! He doesn’t. There isn’t much to say about him, he just has very complex gadgets and doesn’t know how to fight. I don’t even have any ideas about who he might be.

What I know though is that there was absolutely no need for Dick to think that he had “underestimated” Heartless, my love you threw your stick at him while he was looking directly at you, there was a 50/50 chance of him catching it. I swear I don’t understand the need to write him thinking that mostly because Taylor then has Dick swiping the floor with the guy, not only is it a simple fight (for Dick) but it’s also boring for him. Taylor’s writing is so annoying sometimes, he just loves to write extra things that are out of place like the “Tim Drake. Thought of by many as the best Robin” why the fuck did he put that there? Honestly, what was the point of having Dick say that, I don’t read a Nightwing book to have Tim Drake praise. If it doesn’t offer anything to the story that is being told then keep the thought to yourself Tom...

Moving forward the scene in the pier was quite nice, mostly because it’s Dick’s quick thinking that gets everyone to safety, he knows exactly what to do and how to contact the Maritime distress channel.

He has hope for his city, he knows there is good in it and he believes help will show up when lives are about to be lost. I loved that, just like Heartless said, Nightwing IS Bludhaven’s Guardian Angel. Once again, I am having Daredevil vibes from Dick (like from the show)

After the fight we get to see consequences of Dick not healing properly from a shot to the head. He loses his consciousness which is extremely dangerous but luckily Tim is at arm’s reach to help him out of the pier.

There are many things I want to talk about from the scenes that happen after Dick wakes up in his apartment so here we go.

First of all, Bitewing is adorable, she loves Dick the most and was happy to see him awake once more, what a good girl!

Secondly, Barbara, honey, you do not have three names, you aren’t Batgirl anymore, you are a grown woman that needs to move on from a mantle that has other people that can do something else/better with it. And we all know that this Oracle is just the ableist version of Oracle. So yeah…all I ask is for Barbara to move on from Batgirl, Cass and Stephanie are right there, enough is enough.

In these panels we have Dick, Tim and Barbara being kinda dismissive about the homeless kids, and it has been happening for so many issues, what is the point, Taylor? You made Dick a millionaire and you just can’t have him say or think for a second that he will monetarily help those kids and make sure they are put somewhere safe? You are really going to wait up until you have Dick running for Mayor or something to help the kids? I just don’t get it. Kids living on the streets and each time they are mentioned the three heroes of the book act like it’s normal and doesn’t need fixing. What the fuck.

Then we have the gang finding out that Melinda Zucco is the new mayor, the woman has an FBI file and a redacted one! This makes me think two things, either things are like I thought in the beginning of the post (she is evil and very good at it) or this woman is actually FBI and she is undercover (this one is less likely because of what happens at the end of the issue).

What we can see from the file that Barbara found is very little, but in these two pictures we can see that maybe she was put in foster care and x age? Also, she was apparently investigated in April of 20xx, the investigation must have been recent, why would the FBI investigate a minor or college student? What if these files were implanted by Melinda for someone to find them, and for her to have some sort of proof of her lies? If the file is about her being left in foster care or something while would the file be redacted? I don’t know, everything about her is shady and I don’t trust anything from or about her.

This could be a complex and very interesting character but Tom Taylor and DC really love to do stupid shit for shock value (more of this later).

All the new information (the Maroni, Blockbuster and now this very shady Mayor) has Dick saying that it is a bit too much for him and yeah, it is too much, you know who could help? Red Hood. I am of course not talking about current DC comics Red Hood, I am talking about the Red Hood that I would love to see, just yesterday I had an ask about who would I like to see working with Jason and I said Nightwing because Dick puts a lot of responsibility on his shoulders so it would be nice if they negotiated and each could work on different crime areas in Bludhaven, if only DC would hear me…

Anyway, now that we come to the end of the scene let’s talk about Barbara’s shirt.

That was unnecessary and not funny. That’s all it was. Yeah, I know it’s a meme and I know it was included for funny ha-ha purposes but I am not laughing. Bruce has been written as abusive towards his kids for so long, Jason, Tim and Dick have been physically harmed by Bruce and writers use it as just something that happens, there are never repercussions for the Bat. And this shirt sucks because Dick was Robin there and he was a kid, so having Barbara or anyone wearing a shirt with Batman hitting Robin!Dick right in front of Dick is just disgusting. What if someone wore a shirt that had Joker beating Jason with a crowbar in front of Jason, would that be a funny ha-ha too? What about Dick wearing a shirt with the Joker shooting Barbara, is that a funny ha-ha? The answer to those questions is no, it’s not funny.

The idea of that shirt shouldn’t have been pitched, drawn or included after the editor took a look at it.

The picture is a meme in our world, not in theirs. And the readers aren’t laughing.

Back to the issue, Dick is left alone in his apartment to rest (seriously? You think the man that showed up to help Bruce in Gotham with a knee brace is going to rest?) but he can’t, he just found out that Mayor Zucco might be trouble for Bludhaven and might be working with not only Blockbuster but the Maroni family. He is not waiting one more second to have a chat with her.

Dick is obviously still concussed so of course he grabs a mask that has a camera that Oracle can view, and of course he enters yet another window without being careful.

Melinda and Audre were obviously waiting for him.

But here is where the real bullshit begins. Dick is unmasked.

I am so mad; it’s been four issues and Dick gets his ass in a trap and is unmasked by a villain? Are you kidding me right now?

But that’s not all, after Dick breaks free and accuses Melinda of being the daughter of the man that killed his parents, she pulls out a uno reverse card and says that her actual father is John Grayson, and that she is his sister.

How about no. Absolutely not. Go away.

Let’s re-visit Melinda’s appearances in the book so far so we can start theorizing about her real intentions or if she could be saying the truth.

Back in issue #78 where she is first introduced to us, after Melinda watches Blockbuster kill the mayor, she goes home and tells her Audre that she is now mayor because Blockbuster did what he does, so she knows that this guy is trash and a killer. But that’s not all, Audre asks her if she came across Dick Grayson to which Melinda answers “I am not ready for him yet”. Audre suggests she talks to him sooner rather than later because she might not have “another chance”, and the issue ends with Melinda agreeing with her while she is looking at a Flying Graysons poster with a red circle framing Dick’s face.

That whole thing? Shady. Melinda, obviously, wanted to talk to Dick Grayson, probably to tell him that she is his sister, but why is there a time limit, why is Audre telling Melinda that she can’t wait too long? Is it because her undercover work is ending soon? Is it because it’s not real at all and she needs to tell that lie in order to move forward with some sort of plan? I don’t know…

In issue #79 Melinda (and Audre) are out in the open with Maroni and they are talking about her becoming the next Mayor, Nightwing was watching from afar so this is his first contact with her. And it might be the first time that Melinda and her friend see Nightwing in action too. I cannot tell if she is aware that Nightwing/Dick Grayson are the same person here.

In #80 she doesn’t make an appearance.

But now in #81 she is taking her place as Mayor of Bludhaven, there Commissioner McClean takes her somewhere she didn’t expect to go (she is shown not knowing that Maroni and Blockbuster were in the next room over). Once in the room she refuses to take the cash from McClean but she will take the money as a transaction (for a second I thought she wouldn’t take the money but she did because she is very corrupt) and talks to Maroni once more. Before I talk about what happens with Blockbuster let me say this, she acts so distant to Maroni, she calls him Mr. Maroni every single time and she comes off as cold and feeling no type of way while talking with someone that is part of the family that actually raised her, and this is not because she is in a room full of other people, she did it too in #79. It seems weird that she acts that way with someone that took her under his wing since she was eight years old.

When she sits with Blockbuster he says “tell us your plan for my city” to which she says all of this: “My plan, Blockbuster, is to make us all much wealthier and to extend your power beyond the city. But to do so in a way that builds on the good work you’ve already done I have no interest in burning anything down.”

At the start of the post I said she gave me big Wilson Fisk vibes and that right there is why. She is shady, she has plans on top of plans, she calls Roland Desmond Blockbuster to his face but says that he has done good work for Bludhaven, which is weird because Blockbuster destroys Bludhaven a couple of times a year…

As I said before whatever she has planned does not include Nightwing, and here is where I kinda start theorizing a bit more, what if Blockbuster told Melinda Nightwing’s real name, he used to know who he was once upon a time…

Later in this issue when Nightwing is going to Melinda’s place Audre is already waiting for him right next to the window (with a sword), so, was he making an insane amount of noise or were they told to be ready for him?

Melinda traps him and takes his mask off, she barely seems surprised about Nightwing being Dick, she barely reacts when he jumps at her. She is in complete control of the situation and proves that by disarming Dick, as fast as he accuses her of being Zucco’s daughter she tells him that her real father is John Grayson.

She is in complete control. She has to be lying, she put a stop to whatever Dick had to say and do in seconds. This woman is trained and she is manipulative as fuck!

And if she isn’t lying then fuck DC and fuck Tom Taylor, this woman is either younger or the same age as Dick, John Grayson was not a cheater, the man is dead, has been dead for so long, don’t throw dirt on his name at this point. I refuse to believe this is true.

I honestly think that she is evil, and knows more than we are aware of, her first appearance was shady as fuck, let's suppose that she didn’t truly know that Dick was Nightwing, why on earth did she have a Flying Graysons poster with a red circle on top of Dick’s face? That doesn’t seem like something a sister would do! And why would this be information that is so important that she NEEDS to tell him in a certain amount of time?

It’s fucking insane. Tom Taylor, if she is actually Dick's sister then shame on you. Disgusting, what is with writers and cheating, what the hell is going on? Dick doesn’t need to think back to his parents and see a cheater in one of them. This better be Melinda being a cruel and vile human being that is trying to emotionally hurt Dick/Nightwing so she and Blockbuster can do whatever its they want to do.

That’s all I have to say.

#dick grayson #nightwing #nightwing 81 #dc comics #dc infinite frontier #melinda zucco #nightwing and bitewing #bitewing #blockbuster

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jadelotusflower · 3 years

Text

Robin Hood Rewatch: 3x06 Do You Love Me?

Hey kids, it’s Prince John!

We open with Guy in bed having some bad dreams, poor dear. In burst some guards and whisk him away for an audience with Prince John, and likely get a glimpse of what Guy’s time in London was like.

There’s a nice slow reveal of PJ from behind a lattice screen, nice choice director Patrick Lau. And it’s Toby Stephens! A very fine actor who would of course go on to star in Black Sails, but at this point was already quite well established, including Mr Rochester in a pretty beloved tv adaptation of Jane Eyre in 2006, so this was quite a get for the show.

Anyway, he’s got Issues, asking Guy if he loves him, complaining the Sheriff doesn’t love him, saying that his father really loved him and wanted him to be king. There’s an element of truth there - he was purportedly Henry II’s favourite son (since the others rebelled against him), and made John Lord of Ireland over Richard.

How much of the do you love me business is manipulation and how much is PJ’s psychological issues is open to interpretation - I think it’s both. He’s unhinged, but harnesses it pretty effectively to serve his agenda.

I feel like there should be a link made to Robin, who also craves love and thrives on adoration/validation, but I don’t think that’s ever really addressed?

PJ gets all up in Guy’s personal space and instructs him to kill Vaisey.

Credits! I note he gets a coveted “with Toby Stephens as Prince John” credit, but just before this it’s “and Joanne Froggatt” ??? Usually an “and” or “with” vanity credit is reserved for actors of note (extra prestige if you get your character name in there) - as far as I can tell JF was a working tv actress but nothing that seems to warrant such placement? She must have had an incredible agent.

The gang reconnoiter in the camp, surmising that PJ is buying the nobility’s loyalty which will kick off a civil war once Richard returns. John wisely points out they should steal the bribes before they are made.

Robin keeping hold of his dagger this whole scene is interesting.

Guy and Vaisey meet in the castle, each trying to find a moment to stab each other while talking unity, but are interrupted by Isabella.

Robin and co recruit men in Locksley and attack what they think is PJ’s carriage, but it’s his physician Benjamin Palmer instead.

Kate got shot in the melee, and no one noticed until afterwards, when Much and Allan both rush to her side. Palmer trumps Tuck with some medical knowledge, removing the arrow from Kate’s side and making a poultice.

He tells the gang PJ is obsessed with finding someone with scrofula aka “King’s Evil” believing that he can cure them with his touch and prove himself the rightful king of England. Now this was a thing, although doesn’t ever seem to have been associated with John or Henry II (Henry VI allegedly cured someone with it many hundred years later).

Kate asks for some water, which Allan and Much rush off to get not realising Robin has some. Kate gives him heart eyes.

PJ arrives in Nottingham and is displeased to see Vaisey alive. He gets his flirt on with Isabella, but makes no mention that his wife’s name is also Isabella (the Countess of Gloucester). Given the marriage was later annulled, perhaps there’s no reason to expect he should. Interesting, his second wife was called Isabella too (of Angoulême) so I wonder if the name choice wasn’t a coincidence.

It’s Vaisey’s turn to get the do you love me treatment, explicitly pitting him and Guy against each other, survivor take all.

Then he pulls it on Palmer, but arrests him when he says Robin called him a coward - important to note that Isabella learns from this and so knows exactly how to play him later on.

They all go to Locksley where there’s a wedding, where PJ blesses the couple and revels in the attention of the villagers, before ordering the church burned with them all inside.

Back at the camp, Much is spoon feeding Kate but she only has eyes for Robin and it’s all very pathetic and hard to watch. Luckily Allan arrives to tell them Locksley is burning and they all rush off.

Guy and Vaisey try to kill each other again, and both fail. Again.

Isabella tries to convince John to spare the villagers but he is supremely unbothered. She is disturbed and stays to help try put out the fire.

But it’s too late - the church collapses as the Locksley theme plays and it’s quite a sad moment, actually.

Nothing from Robin on how this must be affecting him though - this was likely the church he was baptised in, where he learned the religious fervor that would take him on Crusade - how gutting it must be for him to see it burn to the ground. But the writers don’t care, and I have to handwave it away that he’s internalising his emotions again.

Robin concedes Isabella is nothing like Guy, and she admits that she hates him. He says that hatred is something they share, and she points out that’s not something to be proud of.

There’s some more flirty banter, during which Robin takes her necklace and rings, and asks for her help to undermine PJ. Isabella agrees, and also gives him her purse (strapped to her thigh).

He asks if there’s anything else he can steal, and on her encouragement kisses her. But there’s a weird moment where I can’t quite make out what she says (and I don’t have access to subtitles), but it sounds like a playful “stop, please” before they kiss again, and if so it’s skeevy and unsettling.

Now, I know we’re meant to think their relationship is escalating too quickly, that Robin is rushing in and making a mistake trusting her, but Isabella did absolutely nothing wrong last episode (which perhaps Robin, on reflection, has realised), and tried to help save the church - they’ve trusted others with a lot less to go on.

So the disdain from the gang when Robin brings her to the camp (blindfolded) is unwarranted, I feel. Seriously, the stank eye they all give her! Even Tuck, who doesn’t have the same Gisborne bias the others do.

Robin’s “I trust her with my life” is red flags though - he’s projecting all over Isabella.

Anyway, they plan to use Palmer to offer Kate as a victim of scrofula for PJ to heal, humiliating him in front of the nobles when he fails, while they steal the money he was going to bribe them with.

Isabella returns to Nottingham and gives a theatrical performance to PJ about how she escaped, and he is completely won over. She gets Palmer on side, and then sneaks the gang into the castle.

Isabella and Palmer present Kate to PJ, having drunk Tuck’s potion to give her the appearance of scrofula. It is actually a form of tuberculosis which attacks the lymph nodes in the neck rather than the lungs, which give rise to the abscesses - and PJ seems to genuinely believe his touch can cure it.

Interesting staging here.

Guy and Vaisey fight, and Vaisey actually holds his own pretty well. He points out that PJ is pitting them against each other for sport, but Guy doesn’t care. However he’s drawn into Vaisey’s plea for mercy and gets a dagger in the leg for his trouble.

“You’re the reason Marian is dead.” So we finally get a Marian reference, even if at this point Guy is still casting around for blame rather than accepting his own culpability.

The fight moves up to the ramparts, and Vaisey gets the upper hand.

“You know I loved you like a son, and you loved me like a father once.” I mean...an abusive father maybe, and I don’t believe for a second Vaisey means this - he’s just literally and figuratively twisting the knife that is still in Guy’s leg.

Guy pulls it out and stabs Vaisey, who with his “dying” words tells Guy that nothing is as it seems.

He gives PJ Vaisey’s gold tooth, who proclaims that he was murdered by Robin Hood.

“Long live me.” Toby Stephens is really great in this role.

But ruh roh, as Vaisey’s body is led away, his hand twitches. He’s only mostly dead.

I’m not sure when I’m going to be able to post the next episode rewatch - the digital version of it I have is patchy for some reason so I’ve needed to request a copy of the dvds from the library, and I don’t know when they’ll be available. Hopefully soon.

#robin hood bbc #robin hood rewatch #3x06 #do you love me?

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