#langly camera bag

[slippinmickeys]

Proof of Life (5/?)

1. “Through here,” Langly says, shoving his shoulder into the door, which has swollen in its frame. It finally gives with a creak and swings into the room, which is dark and smells of dust, maybe mildew, mice. He takes a couple of steps in and reaches up to pull on a small chain, illuminating the bare room with a single 40 watt bulb which hangs from the ceiling.

The room is windowless, its walls gray. Cobwebs loop gently from corner to corner like party bunting. Mulder steps inside, turns once on the gritty floor.

“This should work nicely,” he says genuinely. “Thank you.”

“I have some tables I can bring in,” Langly says, and Mulder nods his thanks. “Asuka has a room made up for you upstairs.”

“I can stay down here,” Mulder says absently, already cataloging the locations of the nearest shops where he can get the supplies he needs.

Langly looks at him sympathetically, seems to understand the impulse. “She would kill me if I let you.”

Mulder finally looks his friend in the eye, the dingy little light glaring off the skinny man’s glasses. “We wouldn’t want that,” he says gently.

Langly nods, turns to back out of the small room. “You’re welcome to stay as long as you need to, Mulder,” he says when he reaches the doorframe. “We’re happy to have you.”

For once, Mulder thinks, it might feel good to stay still.

2. The debrief was painful. The questions the intelligence officer asked were formal, but systematic, the goal not to unburden him from the trauma he carried from his imprisonment, but to wring every bit of useful intel out of his story.

When he is finally released, he practically bursts from the room. All they would tell him was that he and Scully were being debriefed separately and that the military would arrange for his transportation back to the States should he wish to go. He had asked what Scully was doing, but was told that information wasn’t being released.

Once he is reunited with his camera equipment (he had handed over two rolls of film that he’d shot in the street before his kidnapping, but had the three rolls he’d shot in the hotel room hidden in the false bottom of his bag – those would be of no use to the military, and he wasn’t willing to share), he grabs someone and asks to use a phone. If anyone can figure out where Scully is, it is Melvin Frohike.

But the number he has for his fixer has been disconnected, and the answering service they’d used on occasion no longer answered for his particular account. When the woman who got him the outside line begins to get annoyed with him, he tries one last number.

“Byers,” he says into the receiver, relieved beyond words to hear a friend’s voice.

“Mulder!” the other man says. “My god, we were afraid you were done for.”

“I very nearly was,” Mulder says. “Listen, I don’t have a lot of time here. I’m trying to get in touch with Frohike, but the number I have for him is no good.”

There’s a long silence on the other end of the phone, and Mulder is worried they’ve been disconnected when Byers begins to speak again.

“Mulder,” he says. “Frohike is… Not in a good place. He’s off the grid. He… felt responsible for your kidnapping. He’s gone to ground. I don’t know where he is. Nobody does.”

Mulder swears, earning him a look from the administrative staffer who is still sitting several feet away.

“I need a local fixer,” he finally says to Byers quietly, turning away from the woman for some privacy. “Someone who can get me information.”

Byers takes a beat and Mulder can hear keystrokes in the background.

“Most everyone we know has cleared out of the area, Mulder. I can get you transportation, but that’s about as good as I can do.”

Mulder accepts the help, figuring he might be able to get some more information once he has boots back on the ground. His first step will be getting off this military base, as it’s clear Scully isn’t here. He hands the phone back to the woman who was helping him and cranks up the charm, asking where he can wait for his ride. She points him to a rec room, and he picks up his single bag and makes his way there.

In the corner of the room is a TV set to an international feed of CNN, and he is knocked back on his ass when old footage of Scully starts to run, playing under a Wolf Blitzer voiceover. After a few seconds, a grainy picture appears; the proof of life picture the militants took of both of them. They are breaking news. Mulder approaches the television, unable to take his eyes off of it. It cuts back to a Blitzer talking head, who drones on about how he and Scully have been recovered alive, and how they’re waiting on more information to be released to the press. More footage showing Scully on location, a shot of her from an old segment, one of her on a bright soundstage. Mulder can’t look away.

And then. And then. It cuts back to Wolf Blitzer, who is announcing a guest; CNN’s own Ethan Minette. Scully’s “longtime boyfriend,” who goes on to tell the host that Dana Scully, the love of his life, has been successfully rescued and how he has it on good authority that she is even now on her way Stateside, racing her way west to be reunited with him and her family. And how he can’t wait to wrap his arms around the woman and never let go.

Mulder’s own arms feel heavy at his sides. She has never mentioned the man, Ethan. But then, Mulder has never really asked. Not outright. He had been half afraid of her answer. Mulder is a man that people leave, always has been. It’s why he never lets anyone in. But Scully had been different, was different in every way.

And before he could properly process what he’s just heard, he is already moving out of the room. His transportation will be here soon. And if it couldn’t take him to Scully, maybe it could take him far, far away from the hurt that was starting to press in as well as out. That was even now ballooning up inside of him. That was pressing him down to the ground.

3. Mulder strolls the market leisurely every morning around ten. He is there as the awnings rise up from the base of their stalls, as the baskets of bread are being set out, wafting a warm, yeasty smell through the nearby stalls in an intoxicating purl. He watches the flower vendors carry heaping armfuls of ranunculus into the back to be trimmed. He hears the fishmongers filling deep trays with ice and watches as the farmers tuck the odd looking fruits and vegetables into the bottom of their displays, leaving only the perfect looking jewels of their bounty for the shoppers to peruse. Voices call out to each other in melodious chorus, asking for an extra bag, for change, asking after the health of wives and husbands. Old men, young; women that are beautiful, women who are plain. He takes pictures of it all.

Paris is at its best in the summer, but at its most interesting in the spring. Langly has so far kept the news outlets at bay, refusing to share any information with even his fellow information-gatherers, and Mulder is free to roam the streets without worry of being bothered.

Asuka has done her best to fatten him up, feeding him the fish and rice dishes of her youth between the heartier peasant cuisine of their current home. Langly himself has complained about gaining weight, even as he wraps his arms around his longtime partner while she stirs a hearty stew in the kitchen. She shoos him out, but never Mulder, who likes to sit at the small kitchen table by the window, looking out at the sky and tasting anything she offers him on an old wooden spoon.

He is quiet, pensive. And at night, when they ease back into an old creaking bed, Langly whispers to his love that he is worried for his friend.

4. He tells Scully about Samantha. Every gritty detail. How he went for his father’s gun, how he opened the door and saw the squiggling taillights of a car as it tore off down the street.

He tells her about the police interview after it all happened. Did he see what kind of car it was? What color? Did he get the plate number? He was twelve. He was only twelve.

“But I remember thinking,” he says. “That if I’d gotten a picture of it, they would have got the guy. If I’d gone for my father’s camera instead of his gun, I could have saved my sister.”

Scully moves to where he’s leaning against the bed, runs her hand up through his hair soothingly, scratches his scalp, then presses the thick clunk of her forehead against his shoulder. He can feel the steam of her tears, of her hurting for him, gathering on his skin.

“Mulder,” she says, empathy thick in her voice, muffled a bit where it’s pressed to him. “You were only a kid.”

“But it tore the family apart,” he says.

She presses a kiss to his neck, then another, then another, kissing every bit of him she could reach.

“And now you try to get the picture,” she whispers, understanding him, his very essence.

“And now I try to get the picture,” he repeats.

5. This is the part of photography he likes the most: the alchemy of it, the process by which he can transfer a single moment in time onto a piece of glossy paper using only a simple mixture of chemicals.

He takes the roll of film he’d shot the week before—tight knots of flowers in the market, a boat on the Seine—and trims it, feeding it through the spool. His dev, stop and fix chemicals are already mixed and waiting in the developing trays. This is the point at which he feels himself enter the zone of the process. It’s just him in a darkroom, lit only by a thick red light. There is silence, and there is peace, and he could be anywhere at all in the world.

He runs a test print and is happy with it. And he begins.

***

Langly knocks on the swollen door and waits patiently. When Mulder finally ushers him in, he stands in the room, slowly turning on the grungy heel of his old Converse. Above them, Mulder has strung up a wire around the whole of the makeshift darkroom, amongst the ropes of cobwebs, and the line is chocked, cheek by jowl, with hundreds of photographs. Langly takes them all in on his gradual rotation, like a zoetrope in slow motion.

Eventually he stops, turns to Mulder.

“They’re all of her,” he says, his voice free of judgment.

“Yes,” Mulder says, reaching out with a gentle finger to touch the one nearest him. “Every one.”

[sisterspooky1013]

Time Warp

Rated X | 3842 Words | Read it here on AO3

Mulder hits the buzzer outside The Lone Gunmen’s place and heaves a sigh. It’s not that he isn’t excited about the party, which has become an annual tradition that he looks forward to, he just wishes he knew what Scully was up to. 

He’s in touch with the fact that he’s not entitled to know her whereabouts at all times, regardless of recent…developments in their relationship. She is and will likely always be fiercely independent, which is one of the many things he loves about her. 

But when he asked what her plans were for the Saturday before Halloween and she said she was busy without elaborating, it struck him as odd, and he hasn’t quite been able to shake the feeling that she was intentionally avoiding telling him something. 

Probably not a date. He doesn’t think she’s seeing anyone else, but they haven’t exactly talked about the status of their relationship. A handful of hot and heavy makeout sessions quickly escalated to one instance of frenzied, desperate sex on his couch, and that was a week and a half ago. Last weekend took them out of town for a case, so there really hasn’t been an opportunity for it to happen again, which leaves him wondering if that’s even what she wants. So when she dodged his question about her plans this weekend, he took it as a sign that she’s avoiding putting herself into a situation where he might expect it, and he’s been preparing himself for the possibility of her breaking things off. 

“Hello,” warbles a slow voice from the speaker mounted above the door. 

“It’s me, Langly, open up,” Mulder says, turning his face toward the camera he knows is concealed in the trim. 

“Costumes required man, you know the rules,” Langly says, breaking character. 

Mulder huffs and strips off his trench coat, leaving him in white briefs and an unbuttoned dress shirt with nothing underneath. 

“Glasses,” Langly pipes in, and Mulder glares in the direction of the camera before he digs a pair of black framed glasses out of his jacket and puts them on. 

“There, you happy?” he asks, his jaw already chattering. “Now let me in, it’s freezing out here.”

The door buzzes and goes through a familiar series of clicks and pops before it opens to reveal Langly in an impressively accurate Riff Raff costume, his glasses removed and deep purple bags painted under his eyes. His long blond hair is stringy and hangs over a hump at the top of his back. 

“Hello,” he warbles again, and Mulder rolls his eyes. 

“Now I ask if I can use your phone, and you say ‘you’re wet,’ and I point out that it’s raining,” Mulder says impatiently, hopping from one foot to the other. “Can we get to the part where you invite me in?”

Langly moves to the side and Mulder rushes into the heat of the house, tossing his coat on an already towering pile near the door and kicking off his shoes. 

“Janet’s already here,” Langly tells him, and Mulder quirks his head in confusion. “Angie from the DnD group?” Langly reminds him. “She’s dressed as Janet this year.”

“Hot patootie, bless my soul! I really love that rock n roll!”

Mulder turns to see Frohike bouncing his way down the hall, his jeans and cutoff leather jacket smeared with fake blood and a saxophone hanging from his neck. 

“Eddie, I see you’re going post mortem this year,” Mulder says, clapping the shorter man on the back. 

“Frank-N-Furter already got to me,” Frohike says sadly. “But on the bright side, Columbia is extra tasty this year. Worth dying for, if you ask me.”

“Oh yeah, who’s Columbia this year?” Mulder asks, and Frohike’s eyebrows lift. 

“You don’t know?” he asks, genuinely surprised, and Mulder shakes his head. 

“Guess you better go make the rounds,” Langly suggests, the corner of his mouth threatening a smile. 

Mulder narrows his eyes and heads down the hallway, issuing hellos and Happy Halloweens to throngs of Transylvanians as well as a scantily clad Janet Weiss and a wiry man in a blond wig and gold underwear doing his best to fulfill the role of Rocky Horror. While he wouldn’t go so far as to call them friends, the faces are familiar and he’s always felt welcome and comfortable at the Gunmen’s parties. 

“My oh my, Mr. Majors,” calls a familiar voice, and he turns to see Scully hovering near the punch bowl, decked out in a sequined top and jacket along with tiny pinstripe shorts and fishnet stockings. She even has a gold sequined top hat and a giant red bow around her neck, leaving out no detail on her Columbia costume. 

“What are you doing here?” he asks with a smile, weaving through the crowd until he arrives by her side. 

Her cheeks are pink, not from blush, and her smile is bright. She looks carefree and adorable, and his heart tightens in his chest. 

“Same thing you are, unless that’s not a costume,” she says coyly, flicking her eyes up and down his bare chest and legs. 

He suddenly feels self-conscious regarding his outfit. She’s seen him naked, felt him naked, but it’s still so new, and there’s something about tighty whities that’s inherently unflattering and embarrassing. He clasps his hands and holds them in front of his groin, slouching a little. 

“Speaking of costumes, did you just throw that together for the party?” he asks, gesturing with his chin toward her outfit. 

She looks down like she’s surprised to see the way she’s dressed. 

“I’ve had this for years, actually,” she says wistfully. “Missy and I used to dress up as Columbia and Magenta and go see the movie around Halloween.”

“I haven’t seen a Magenta here,” Mulder comments, scanning the crowd. 

“Me neither,” Scully says. “I kind of like that, though. I don’t want a replacement Magenta.”

There’s a brief silence that’s heavy with the loss of Scully’s sister, and after an appropriate amount of time has passed, he changes the subject. 

“Why didn’t you tell me you were coming?” he asks, nudging her shoulder with his arm. 

Scully smiles devilishly and takes a sip from her drink. 

“Byers told me about the theme, and he said you usually dress up as Brad. I thought if I told you I was coming, you might chicken out.”

Mulder balks, but he knows it’s true. He would have dressed as Brad before Columbia and Magenta took his clothes, or later in the film when he’s wearing a bathrobe. But the idea that Scully wanted to see him in briefs enough that she withheld information from him is intriguing, and he drops his arms to his sides and straightens his posture. 

“Speaking of Byers, has he made his appearance yet?” Mulder asks, serving himself a cup of blood-red punch labeled “Eddie’s Innards.”

“Appearance?” Scully repeats with a curious quirk of her eyebrow. “I haven’t seen him. Who does he usually dress up as?”

Her question is answered when the music cuts out and a voice booms, “I’m here, there’s nothing to worry about.”

Everyone shrieks and elbows their way toward the hall, where Byers is strutting out of the master bedroom in full Frank-N-Furter regalia. Scully’s mouth drops open before she lifts her hand to cover it, looking back and forth between Mulder and Byers as he begins to lip sync along to “Sweet Transvestite.” When he throws off his cape, revealing tiny black underwear, a corset, garter and fishnet stockings, Mulder playfully covers Scully’s eyes. 

They drink cup after cup of punch until their lips and tongues are dyed cherry red and their eyes grow glassy. They do the Time Warp every hour on the hour, the steps growing more and more sloppy until finally Mulder wraps his arms around her waist and she stands on the tops of his feet, gasping when his pelvic thrusts push his burgeoning erection against her belly. 

“Hey, that’s my fiance you’re hanging all over!” shouts a very inebriated Janet Weiss as she tugs on Mulder’s arm, making her breasts jiggle in her exposed bra. 

Mulder tightens his grip on Scully, not giving Janet’s decolletage so much as a passing glance. 

“Sorry, Janet,” he says, his eyes on Scully’s face. “Columbia and I have something special.”

“Wanna get some air?” Scully asks, her breath sweet and hot against the side of his face. 

They slip onto the back deck through the sliding glass door, the sudden quiet of the outside making his ears ring and the degree of his intoxication become much more apparent. Scully long ago shed her top hat and jacket, and her bare chest and shoulders glow in the moonlight as she leans back against the railing of the deck, her elbows resting behind her. She smirks at him as he steps up in front of her, his stocking feet bracketing her Mary Janes. He touches the sides of her bowtie, tugging on them as though tightening the knot. 

“Will you take that off?” she asks, letting her head fall to the side. 

He leans forward, feeling for the small plastic clasp on the prop tie. Not finding it, he spins the whole thing around so the bow is at the back and he can see the clasp well enough to unhook it. Scully watches his face while he works, and when he finally gets the bowtie off and holds it up triumphantly, she reaches out and runs her cool fingertips over his waist under his open dress shirt, making him shiver. 

“Cold?” she asks, though her own jaw is starting to quiver. 

“I may be a bit underdressed,” he points out, and she looks down at his body and then back up, a smile stretching slowly across her mouth. 

“I’m a fan of this outfit, actually,” she says, her tongue thick in her mouth. Her fingers dig into his sides and she pulls him a little closer. 

“You have curious tastes in men’s underwear,” he tells her, pushing her hair behind her ears before the breeze sets it loose again. 

“I have curious taste in men,” she counters, titling her face up in invitation. 

He kisses her in sweet, chaste pecks, and then long, slow smooches, and then his fingers are in her hair and his tongue is in her mouth, and she tastes like strawberries and jello shots, and something uniquely her that he hasn’t quite been able to pin down yet. 

She hums, and he knows he’d be getting hard right now if not for the icicles of wind that keep shooting across the back of his neck and over his exposed thighs. He breaks the kiss, brushing his lips across her cheek up to her ear. 

“It kills me to say this, but I think if we don’t head inside soon I may never recover from the level of shrinkage that’s happening right now,” he murmurs, and she laughs brightly. 

“Lucky for me you’ve got plenty to spare,” she purrs, and suddenly getting hard in the whipping cold seems like a possibility. 

He pulls away from her a little, looking at her pink cheeks and the slight tremor of her bottom lip. Lucky for me makes it sound like she’s counting on continued access, both to him and what he’s sporting under his tighty whities. 

“What is…this?” he asks, moving his index finger back and forth between them. 

She doesn’t react to the question, perhaps because her brain processing speed is slowed by Eddie’s innards. Or perhaps because the question isn’t as terrifying to ask as he’d thought it would be. 

The sliding door slurps open and Byers steps through, an unlit cigarette perched between his cherry red lips. 

“Oh, hey guys,” he says, pulling a lighter from the waistband of his garter belt. 

“I didn’t know you smoked,” Scully observes with some measure of surprise, and Byers shrugs. 

“I don’t, actually, but Frank-N-Furter does and I feel like it helps me get into character,” Byers supplies, then flicks at the lighter until it sparks to life, stoking the tip of his cigarette into a glowing orange ember. “Thanks, by the way, for help with the shoes, Agent Scully,” he adds, gesturing to the six inch white platform heels on his feet. “This is the first year I was able to complete the look.”

Scully nods and Mulder gives her a perplexed expression, raising his eyebrows in question. 

“I gave him some pointers,” she says demurely with a shrug. 

“She’s being modest,” Byers insists. “She sent all three of us through high heel bootcamp. Me for the costume, and Frohike and Langly for fun.”

Mulder’s perplexed expression shifts into one of surprise. He wants to ask when, but he doesn’t want it to sound like he’s upset by it. In fact, the idea that Scully might have a friendship with the Gunmen that extends beyond their shared ties to him makes him feel warm despite the chill in the air. 

The door slides open again and Langly pops his head out, squinting at them without his glasses. 

“Agent Scully, Frohike is looking for you,” he informs them, and Mulder happily follows her back inside where he goes from warm to overheated within the space of three minutes. 

They weave their way back to the living room and find Frohike holding court in the middle of a small circle. When he sees Scully, he smiles widely and gives a thumbs up to a Transylvanian sitting near the stereo. “Whatever Happened to Saturday Night” begins to play, and Frohike extends a hand in invitation that Columbia share this iconic dance with Eddie. Scully plays along, jumping around to the beat of the music and smiling broadly as Frohike spins and dips her, and this time Frank-N-Furter doesn’t put an end to the fun with a pickaxe. 

Mulder watches, grinning, and she intermittently steals little looks at him that feel incredibly intimate. It’s these minutiae of having a person, a partner, that catch him off guard the most. The sports section of the newspaper set aside for him, his coffee arriving just how he likes it even when he didn’t specify, the unspoken understanding that he will always take the room closer to the ice machine. Catching her eye in a crowd and knowing immediately exactly what she’s thinking, exactly how she’s feeling, even when neither of them have said a single word. 

The song ends and he begins to make his way toward her, but stops short and yelps at a sudden sharp pain above his eyebrow. Scully’s face falls and she leaves Frohike, rushing through partygoers until she is by his side. He looks up, dazed, and sees that he walked right into a light fixture that would typically be out of reach above the dining room table. Scully reaches up and cradles his face in her hands, pulling him down closer to her. 

“You’re hurt,” she says, frowning, then wordlessly takes his hand and guides him into the bathroom. 

Scully pushes the door closed and the din of the party fades to a persistent hum, and she begins to root around in the cabinets for antibiotic ointment and a bandaid. Supplies in hand, she hops up onto the counter and motions for him to come closer. He steps into the space between her legs, resting his palms on the tops of her thighs as she cleans and dresses the small cut on his forehead. He fingers her fishnets, plucking at the threads and then slipping his fingers into the holes of the open weave. 

“You should wear these more often,” he says, and she smiles but offers no response. 

“All set,” she tells him, crumpling up the band aid wrapper and chucking it in the direction of the trash can, but missing by a longshot.

“Thanks, Doc,” he says, getting a good look at her costume makeup in the brighter lights of the bathroom. 

She blinks up at him, resting her hands on his bare hips. Her fingertips thread under the waist of his underwear and a shock of arousal rushes through his pelvis. 

“What do you want it to be, Mulder?” she asks, and it’s immediately clear that it’s a continuation of their earlier conversation. 

He screws his mouth to the side. His intention in asking her was that she would be the one to answer—he never gave much thought to what he might say if presented with the same question. Not that he doesn’t know what he wants this to be, that’s one of the few things he’s sure about at this point in his life. But how to tell her in a way that won’t scare her off is another matter entirely. 

“To be perfectly honest, Scully, I’ll take whatever I can get,” he says with a shy smile. 

“Well,” she says on a sigh, “I hope this doesn’t make you think less of me, but you can get a whole lot, Fox Mulder.”

He laughs, surprised, and her cheeks pink even further than the rosy hue of alcohol that’s been present all night. 

“Is that so?” he asks, moving closer. 

She nods, then grabs two fistfuls of his shirt and pulls him into a searing kiss, wrapping her legs around his hips. He tugs her to the edge of the counter so that his groin is tucked tightly between her thighs, and she groans.

Bang bang bang bang.

Scully startles and leans away from him, looking to the door with an alarmed expression.

“You about done in there? I gotta piss like a race horse!” someone calls from the other side, and she hops off the counter and unlocks the door, leaving him to try and conceal his erection with very little fabric to work with. 

As the last guests trickle out into the inky, frostbitten twilight, Scully yawns and Langly suggests that they crash in the guest room, given that it will be near impossible to get a cab tonight. It’s not so much a room as a den, situated on the opposite end of the house from the other bedrooms and down a small flight of three stairs. It’s the kind of split level common area that might have once hosted a 1960s style conversation pit, but now offers a futon and a foosball table, as well as several life-size posters of women in high-cut one piece bathing suits that barely cover their large breasts. 

Mulder sleeps in his costume, minus the shirt, given that he typically sleeps in his underwear anyway. Scully changes out of her Columbia outfit and into the dress shirt from Mulder’s costume, though she buttons it closed. Her face is scrubbed clean and she sits cross-legged beside him on the bed, tracing her fingers over the indents on her legs left behind by the fishnets. 

“C’mere,” he says with a cock of his head, and she slips under the covers as the last of the lights in the house go dark, leaving only the pink glow from a Miller High Life beer sign casting shadows across their faces. 

She cuddles up next to him, her head on his chest and one of her legs draped over his. He still feels drunk, but without all the noise and distraction of the party it’s mellow, not disorienting. Like his busy brain has been dunked in molasses, and he can finish one thought before the next butts in. Currently, he’s thinking about how fucking good this feels, how right. But he’s also thinking about how terrified he is that, like all good things in his life, she will be taken from him too.

Her hand slides across his belly and finds his arm, trailing down and down until she grabs hold of his hand and brings it up to her lips. She kisses his knuckles and then holds them against her cheek, the downy brush of her skin like velvet.

“I’m choosing not to be scared,” she says in a near whisper. 

“Easy as that?” he asks, wondering not for the first time if she can somehow read his mind. 

“No, not easy,” she says, then scoots up a little so her face is hovering beside his. “I just don’t think I can pretend anymore, Mulder.”

“Pretend what?” he asks, knowing damn well what the answer is but wanting to hear her say it. 

She is quiet for a beat, and though he can barely make out her face he knows that their eyes are finding each other in the dark. 

“Like I don’t want this,” she says, her voice tight. 

She kisses him then. Not urgently, not frantic or rushed. Not like it might all evaporate before their very eyes at a moment’s notice. He runs his hands through her hair, down the column of her neck, over the fishnet-dented skin of her thighs. He threads his fingers under the hem of her panties and squeezes her ass, and blood roars in his ears en route to his cock when she whimpers. He unbuttons his own shirt, exposing her breasts before he covers them with his hands, his mouth, his tongue. They keep quiet, only the occasional gasp or low moan interrupting the stalwart tick of Langly’s godfather clock. When she is beneath him, panties discarded and shirt spread open wide, his ridiculous underwear in a ball at his feet, she cradles his face in her hands and whispers, “Please,” as though he would ever deny her. As though she even has to ask. 

It was so haphazard the first time, pants still around ankles as they raced towards the finish line they’ve been carefully avoiding for years. And it was incredible, amazing, nothing he could ever summon an ounce of regret for—but it wasn’t this. He feels her surge around him as he slowly pushes into her, and quickly learns that a moan is good, but holding her breath means it’s even better. He teases her close again and again, bathing her throat in soft kisses as she surrenders to sensation and pleasure. Her fingernails rake painfully across his hips, and he already can’t wait to see it in the morning, this evidence that it’s all real, that it happened. That he held his lips against hers as he made her come, as she went rigid and then melted in his arms, throbbing around him so tightly he couldn’t hold back anymore. That she murmured his name, again and again, with intermittent yeses and you feel so goods. That she wanted him, wants him, maybe always has. But he has her now, and that’s what matters. 

She’s never slept over, hasn’t yet had a chance to, and so they spend their first night together on a futon at the Gunmen’s, his cum sticky between her thighs and their hearts full of hope and optimism that against all odds, it will all work out. 

They choose not to be afraid. And even if they are, they’ll do it anyway. 

Tagging @today-in-fic

[langlyco]

'I love my new @langly camera bag. Now excuse me as I go on an photo adventure' @lyndsey.simone 📸 . . . . . #landscapephotography #thegreatoutdoors #artphoto #canada #photooftheday #instaminim #simple #simplicity #newyorkerphoto #keepitsimple #minimalplanet #love #instagood #beautiful #art #lessismore #simpleandpure #creative #architecture #newzealand (at St. John's Newfoundland) https://www.instagram.com/p/CT-c0uqBQtj/?utm_medium=tumblr

[themonkeycabal]

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier ep 2

Spoilers!

Last week Bucky was a terrible patient and his new BFF is the father of a guy he killed while he was the Winter Soldier (so super healthy), Sam gave up Cap's shield and returned home to try to help salvage the family business (that went poorly), and some — I guess he must be from the Defense Department — dick made a big speech about needing heroes and he gave the shield to some goober (John Walker, but he'll always be Goober to me) in a Cap suit who strongly reminded me of Langly from the Lone Gunmen. (I'm not familiar with the actor, so I don't know what he actually looks like, but the helmet and the camera angle did him no favors at all, I'm just saying. Super punchable.)

Oh, and Sam has an adorable little minion named Lt. Torres who is getting himself into trouble with some weirdass terrorist group who like to slap red handprints on everything.

Zemo's out there lurking, too, but we haven't seen him yet.

I'm still slightly dazed that this show is real and we get to watch it.

Ep2: The Star-Spangled Man

Weird slow-mo opening shot of a close up of somebody unzipping their jacket. I mean. Okay. (Ohhh, it's the garment bag the Cap suit is in.)

And then we're on to Goober, he's wearing BDUs and he's in a football locker room (maybe high school?), fondling the lockers. He peels a name sticker off one, and underneath it says JW 10. A woman comes in and asks if he's reliving his glory days. They yada yada I don't care.

Now I guess they're talking about him becoming Captain America. "Everybody in the world expects me to be … something. And I don't want to fail them." She tells him to be himself and that they're gonna love him. Well, I've already decided he's a goober. I mean, he might not be, but he's got a hill to climb with me.

He spends a few seconds trying out his Captain America voice, then his buddy Hoskins comes in to talk him through it and give us some exposition. "Two weeks ago we were prepping for a special ops mission to Chile and now this."

Goober whines about how it's been handshakes and meetings and senators and whatnot and he just wants to get to it. But his buddy is all, that's part of the job man. Gotta glad-hand, too. You big baby (he doesn't say that part).

"You can't just punch your way out of problems anymore." Well, I mean, I think that was Steve's MO, mostly. That and 'hit it with the shield until it stops moving'.

Nu Cap is making a big showy thing at a rally at his old high school (Custer's Grove HS, GA) stadium for Good Morning America. He's still looking punchable in that helmet. But, they do bring out a kicking marching band, so there's that. It's a boring GMA interview. I don't care.

"John Walker, first person in American history to receive three Medals of Honor. Ran RS-One missions in counter-terrorism and hostage rescue. The government did a study of your body at MIT and you tested off the charts in every measurable category — speed, endurance, intelligence." (I legit laughed out loud. Lookit Captain Gary Stu over here)

Blah blah super humble yada yada. Just wants to make people feel safe, he has sooooo much respect for Steve Rogers, yada. Look, he could be a great guy and maybe I'll warm to him. But not yet!

Back in Brooklyn, Bucky's watching this and his face is all "No! No? What the shit is this? NO! NO? WHU NO?! No." Also, Bucky, I know you have a couch, why are you sitting on the floor? Love yourself just a little bit, dude.

In Louisiana Sam is in an Air Force hanger, staring at a garish 'Cap is Back' poster and looking a little queasy. Rhodey told you, subtly and not really directly, to not give up the shield, buddy. I hope when Bucky gets there the first thing he says is "He gave the shield to *you*, dummy. Not Captain Gary Poppins over there."

Torres says Nu Cap seems like a good guy. Sam's like, uh-huh, sure, so anyway. There's another "cap is back" poster and Sam's like 'ugh'. And they're off to Munich. I guess for the Flag Bros. Hey! There's Bucky! Finally, they're in the same scene. It's been nearly sixty minutes of screen time to get to this moment, Marvel. No, I wasn't counting.

"Shouldn't have given up the shield." lol. Hi Bucky! You forgot to call him a dummy.

Sam's like I haven't got time for this. And Bucky points to the umpteenth Cap is Back poster (seriously? Good lord.) "You didn't know that was going to happen?"

  Sam did not know that was going to happen. "You think it didn't break my heart to see them march him out there and call him the new Captain America?"

Bucky will not let this go. "You had no right to give up the shield, Sam." You tell him!

But, Sam's kind of not in the mood. Look, I get it Sam, you didn't feel equal to the shield, but Steve gave it to you because he knows, my dude. Trust him. Come on.

But, he's feeling very raw about this, right now. "This is what you're not gonna do. You're not gonna come here in your overextended life and tell me about my rights." Well, ouch. 

He says he's got bigger things to worry about, but that seems unpossible to Bucky "What could be bigger than this?" Terrorist douchebags wearing funny masks in Eastern and Central Europe. Well, fine, Sam; be all puts-things-in-perspective guy.

Redwing traced the far-too-strong maybe leader to a place in Munich. For some reason Bucky does not have good feelings about Redwing. Uh-oh, Bucky, you're going to extra hurt Sam's feelings.

Oh lol, it's the "Big Three" convo. "What big three?" "Androids, aliens, and wizards." Still funny. Sam's so proud of himself.

"I'm coming with you." "No, you're not." Bucky went with him.

Did they glare at each other the whole way to Munich? lol. I love this show so much already.

"Enjoy the ride, Buck." "No, you can't call me that." "Why not? That's what Steve called you." "Steve knew me longer. And Steve had a plan." lol, Steve Rogers never had a plan a day in his life.

Bucky wants a chute, but Torres who wisely stayed out of all of that, is like we're way too low for a chute. "I don't need it anyway." Then Bucky drama school bitch rips off the left sleeve of his jacket and jumps out while yelling like the dumbass he is. And he hits every branch of the dumbass tree on his way to the ground.

"I have all of that on camera, you know that right?" And Redwing zooms by to hovers over Bucky. So, maybe it's not a mystery why he doesn't like Redwing. lol.

Bucky and Sam meet up at a dilapidated warehouse in the middle of the forest. Only good things ever happen in dilapidated warehouses in forests. Like extra shady weapons smuggling. Bucky's gonna stalk after them. Sam messes with him a bit.

"Look at you all stealthy. A little time in Wakanda and you come out White Panther." lol. ilu Sam. "It's actually White Wolf." "Huh?" heh. What he won’t tell you, Sam, is that he earned the name from the kids near his goat farm who liked to spy on and giggle at the grumpy growly white guy. 

"Hello. How are you?" "Great. What did I miss?" They're a delightful disaster! And they bicker and bicker and ahh, finally.

Also the people they're stalking are hella strong. And then these two idiots knock into an old bit of metal and make some noise. The shady people stop for a mo' but then move on. Sam scans one of the trucks the shady folks were loading (there are two), there's a figure sitting in the back. "There's an eighth person. I think they have a hostage." And Bucky zooms off! And Sam after him.

Bucky jumps onto the lead truck and then just like wanders around inside. I'm pretty sure the truck behind you noticed you, dummy. Anyway, it's loaded with crates marked "keep frozen." "They're stealing medicine. Vaccines." Those utter bastards. He spots a girl peeking out between containers. "Hi." lol, idiot.

He thinks it's the hostage, but I'm waiting for her to kick his butt out the door. She's not, you know, tied up in anyway. So … Also, again, does the second truck not have a radio to the first truck? Like was the driver texting while Bucky climbed up the back of the truck right in front of him? Now he's strangely incurious about the open door?

And, then she smiles at him and kicks him out the door, he hits the windshield of the second truck (maybe they've finally noticed you, Bucky!) and she puts on a mask with a red handprint. As you do. Two guys on the roof of truck 2, pull Bucky up ready to beat him silly.

Super strong girl, jumps over to truck two and punches Bucky some more. The Redwing zooms over and she jumps up, grabs it, and smashes it over her knee.

"I always wanted to do that," Bucky says, sad he didn't get the chance.

Sam shows up, there are more guys on the roof of the other truck. And there's fighting and fighting and then Sam is pinned down and the bad guy gets plonked with the shield and here comes Captain Poppins dropping down out of a helicopter. What timing. The CGI and green screen for this whole sequence are pretty dire. I'm sorry but it's true.

Captain Poppins is joined by his buddy Hoskins. "Sam. John Walker, Captain America." They know who you are, goober. Though, pausing to introduce yourself in the middle of the fight is a very Steve Rogers move, so points for that, Goober.

Lol, the look on Bucky's face when he catches the shield and Goober takes it from him. He's like 'rule two, rule two, rule two, remember rule two.'

Lots of fighting lots of fighting. Bucky is knocked off the side of the truck, he digs in and sort of zippers down the side, and then hangs off the bottom, his head inches from a tire, clinging to the underside by his vibranium arm. A bad guy stomps on it. Um, it's vibranium, guy. Like … though, somehow it works? and Bucky's arm sort of flops onto the road, sending up sparks. Sam does a neat little move, flies under the two trucks, grabbing Bucky as he goes, and knocking them both free.  None of that worked out particularly well, guys.

"Could have used that shield," Bucky says helpfully. lol. "Those were all super soldiers, Sam." Well, bummer.

Back on the trucks, I think Hoskins is in trouble. Cap Goober is pulling himself back up. Hoskins is thrown from the truck, but Cap Goober tosses the shield and Hoskins lands on that. Now Goober squares off against super soldier chick. He does not fare well. And he's thrown from the truck to land on the windshield of a following car. You know, if I'm driving down the road and I see people fighting on a pair of big rigs, I don't follow close. You know what I'm saying? I maybe pull over and let them get way far away from me. Anyway, sorry for your body damage.

Bucky and Sam walk along the road, a pair of sad sad heroes who did not have a plan.

"I'm sorry about Redwing." "No, you're not."

Cap Goober turns up in a sorry looking vehicle of some sort. "So that didn't go as planned." Bucky and Sam keep walking. lol

So Goober's vehicle keeps pace with the disaster duo. "We're pretty sure it's one of the Big Three."

Bucky: "THERE'S NO SUCH THING AS WIZARDS!" That's his hill, he'll die on it.

Since it's super soldiers, and that's bad news, Cap Goober thinks they should work together. Sam's quiet but not thrilled. Bucky is not quiet. "Just 'cause you carry that shield, it doesn't mean you're Captain America."

Cap Goober has apparently jumped on a grenade 4 times. "It's a thing I do with my helmet. It's reinforced." Okay, I laughed.

He persuades them to ride with him, because it's like 20 miles to the airport. It's probably for the best, since I'm pretty sure they might try to strangle each other in five.

"They (Flag Haters Anonymous) say their mission is to get things back to the way they were during the blip." This group's goals are so hazy and weird.

oh, lol. Sam wanted to know how they tracked the Flag Smashers, and Hoskins is like, um, actually, we tracked redwing. "It's not exactly hacking," Captain Goober explains, "it's government property. We're kind of the government." Not winning any points, Goober.

Bucky's just glaring at him.  "Does he always just stare like that?" lol

We get a bit of exposition about a group called the GRC, the Global Repatriation Council, which is tasked with helping the previously blipped reintegrate. Sam's like, okay, and? Hoskins explains "they provide the resources, and we keep things stable." The GRC sounds even more make believe than super soldiers, to be honest. But, whatever. Not here to analyze the bizarre and unlikely geopolitics of the MCU. Cap Goober makes a pitch for Sam and Bucky to sign up but Bucky is very firm about his "No".

Hoskins insists he has mad respect for them, but they were getting their asses kicked until he and goober showed up. Um, Hoskins, my dude, you also got your ass kicked.

Bucky stares for a second. "Who are you?" "Lamar Hoskins." Sam insists he needs more than that. "I'm Battlestar. John's partner."

Bucky says Mm hmm. Stop the car. And he's gone.

Cap Goober gives a pitch to Sam about how he's not trying to be Steve, or replace him, he's just trying to do his best and be the best Captain America he can, and it'd be great to have Cap's 'wingmen' on his side. I sense sincerity, but you're still punchable, goober. And Sam isn't buying it either. He shakes his head and laughs bitterly, "It's always that last line." He hops out and follows Bucky.

Elsewhere, the super terrorists have reached a safe house with a way too chatty dude who is trying to make them at home in his dicey looking shopfront. He rattles on about how they're becoming legends and the people love them because they're pushing back! Against … the GRC? I guess?

Super soldier girl (Karli) gets a hate text. "You took what is mine. I'm going to find you and kill you." Well, sleep tight, sister!

One of the other guys has already logged into a computer system and he starts hacking and wiping their info off the internets and interpol, I guess.

"Six months ago would you have imagined people supporting a cause like this?" I'm still very unclear on what your cause is.

Maybe I'm overthinking the silly superhero universe, but I can't imagine the blip world was wonderful. You're missing half the people. So half of everybody who'd do various jobs. So half of the knowledge base of humanity on earth. Half of the experience base of humanity on earth. Half of the farmers, half of the engineers, half of the doctors, half of the people who maintain any system you can imagine, half of the people who build those systems, half of the teachers, half of the factory workers, half of the grandparents who pass down stories and community knowledge, half of the animals, half of the fish, half of the insects and so half of the plants. Ecosystems could easily collapse. Certainly infrastructure did, with half of the people needed to maintain it gone. Cities would have started to crumble, since half of the sources of goods, food, and services were gone. (we did have something of a real-world equivalent in Europe during the Black Death. Things were not nice for quite a long while after the worst years of the plague.)

I'm sure there would be areas that did better than others. But, half of any government gone, half of any police, half of any military. There would be power vacuums and probably shitheads to fill them. I don't see any particular utopia in a blip-ified world.

And that's not even taking into account the psychological damage to all the unblipped. The pure existential horror of half of everything suddenly gone.

But, that aside. I like genuinely do not know what they're trying to achieve.  

"We're not playing no more," announces Karli. "We can't let the same assholes who were put back in power after the Blip win." Literally do not know what that means. "The GRC care more about the people who came back than the ones who never left." I mean … isn't that literally what they're for? "We got a glimpse of how things could be." Chaotic and apocalyptic? In fairness, I guess if you could carve out your own thing in that, and maybe it could even be good, then you'd be bitter if everybody came back all of a sudden and messed that up. I'm sure the power struggles are real.

"One world! One people!" Okaly-dokaly. Fascinated to see how you eight will achieve that.

Bucky's brooding on a plane, Sam's trying to sleep but the brooding is too much to ignore.

"You alright?" "Let's take the shield, Sam. Let's take the shield and do this ourselves." He's using his almost scary Winter Soldier voice. And staring into the void. Sam, call his doctor. She needs to remind him of rules one and two. "We can't just run up on a man, beat him up, and take it." Good point, Sam. For real, call Bucky's doctor. He's going to the scary illegal place.

"Do you remember what happened the last time we stole it?" "Maybe." lol such a petulant little grumpus you are, Bucky. "I'll help you in case you forgot. Sharon was branded an enemy of the state and Steve and I were on the run for two years." Not everybody was lucky enough to have a goat farm during all that, Bucky. That's what the man's saying.

"We just got our ass handed to us by super soldiers and we got nothing." "That's not entirely true," Bucky says mysteriously. And he jumps down off his brooding crate to go sit next to Sam. "There is someone that you should meet."

Baltimore, Maryland

Sam has a cute aside with a neighborhood kid, then Bucky leads him up to a house that has seen better days. Somebody answers the door and Bucky says they're there to see Isaiah. But, the young guy who answers the door insists there's no Isaiah there. He's not very welcoming. Bucky says "tell him the guy from the bar in Goyang is here." The things you got up to, Bucky. I do wonder. "We had a skirmish during the Korean war." oh, lol. I mean, I'm sure it's a horrible story, but lol, Bucky you disaster.

Oh hey, Carl Lumbly! Gosh, I haven't seen him in an age. I almost didn't recognize him.

"He was a hero. One of the ones that Hydra feared the most. Like Steve. We met in '51." "If by met, you mean I whupped your ass, then, yeah." lol

Isaiah says he took part of Bucky's arm in Goyang and he just wanted to see if it grew back. And if Bucky was there to kill him. Bucky says he's not a killer anymore.

"You think you can wake up one day and decide who you wanna be?" Well, sure. "It doesn't work like that." Oh, but it must, or else what's the point? Isaiah has a lot of reasons to be bitter, though. 

"Isaiah, the reason we're here, is because there's more of you and me out there. And we need to know how."

This does not please Isaiah, who doesn't want to talk and throws a can of sardines (or something, I don't know what that was) through the wall. Old but still super solidery.

"You know what they did to me for being a hero? They put my ass in jail for 30 years." Um, wow. "People running tests, taking my blood, coming into my cell. Even your people weren't done with me." Well, that's deeply uncool. He very much wants his unwelcome guests to GFO, and I can't say I blame him.  

Sam is super pissed once they get out onto the street. "Why didn't you tell me about Isaiah?" Bucky doesn't answer. "I asked you a question, Bucky." Yikes.

And no, Steve never knew, because Bucky never told him. "So you're telling me there was a black super soldier decades ago and nobody knew about it?" I guess so.

And we're interrupted by a bizarre random encounter with presumably racist cops. They stop them in the street, get weird about asking for ID, and then ask Bucky, "is this guy bothering you?" And Bucky's like what in the actual fuck, he looks like a high school chem teacher and I look like the muscle for a loan shark, "no he's not bothering me. Do you know who he is?" Oh to be the Winter Soldier again for just a moment, eh? Anyway, one of the dipshits recognizes Sam and they get all dipshitty apologetic. "oh, Mr. Wilson, we're so sorry."

Oh, lol, they're going to arrest Bucky. There's a warrant out for him, because he missed his therapy session. I told somebody to call his therapist! I want to know which of those dipshits ran Sam and Bucky for wants. Because that’s not automatic or some shit, somebody’s got to call it in. 

Sam's like 'well that took a weird turn.'

Sam and Dr Raynor meet at whatever facility they’re holding Bucky. "Thanks for getting him out." "That was not me," the doctor assures him. Nope, it was Captain Goober, who greets the doctor with a wave. "Christina! It's great to see you again." lol. And Sam's day gets worse.

"I heard you were working with Bucky and thought I'd step in. Bucky's not going to be working on a strict schedule any longer." 

She's like, uh what? Says who? And he points at himself. okay, again, lol. Though, it’s weird to me how he insists on calling Bucky ‘Bucky’, like they’re buddies. They’re not buddies. Bucky's going to punch him in the face. 

"He's too valuable an asset to have him tied up. So just do whatever you've got to do with him, then send him off to me." Will Bucky turn around and go right back into his holding cell?

Dr's not going to let him. "James, condition of your release, session now. You too, Sam." "That's okay. I'll be out here with…" "That wasn't a request." Poor Sam. He has had THE WORST DAY.

I love Bucky slouching against the sergeant's desk all surly, like a 16 year old who got busted for boosting his grandmother's car.

Dr Raynor settles them all in what I assume is an interrogation room. She tells Bucky she just wants to help him get over whatever is eating at him. I guess she figures Sam could help with that, too?

"We're going to do an exercise. It's something I use with couples when they are trying to figure out what kind of life they want to build together." lol. but of course. a million fic writers deliriously rush to their keyboards.  

"Are you familiar with the miracle question?" "Absolutely not." "Of course not." heh "Okay, it goes like this. Suppose that while you're sleeping, a miracle occurs. When you wake up, what is something that you would like to see that would make your life better?"

Bucky says his miracle would be Sam talking less. Sam says that's what he was going to say. Dr Raynor is writing fic of her own. "You guys are leaving me no choice. It's time for the soul-gazing exercise." This is the weirdest therapy session ever.

Bucky is very on board. Sam's like 'what have you done? staring? that's his thing!'

"Let's do it. Let's stare. This is a good exercise. Thanks, doc." Bucky, you little asshole. lol

How many takes to do this scene? I can tell they're trying not to laugh. "Take 57. It's 1:30 am, guys. Please, can we get it this time?"

"Wait, what are you doing? Are you having a staring contest?" What about these two men's attitudes walking into the room suggested they were going to be at all mature about this, Doc?

"James, why does Sam aggravate you? And don't say something childish." She knows you too well, Buck.

Oh, Bucky. He wants to know why Sam gave up the shield, because Steve believed in him, gave him the shield for a reason. But, maybe Steve was wrong about Sam and if he was wrong about Sam, then he was wrong about Bucky.

Sam, has his reasons. He says maybe Bucky and Steve can't understand, but he wants to know if Bucky can accept that he did what he thought was right. Poor Sam.

And Sam's had enough. He says they've got bigger shit going on and he'll put whatever this issue is aside for now, and they'll go take care of that, and then he and Bucky can never see each other again. "Thanks doc, for making it weird. I feel much better."

She's like, well shit.

Bucky leaves as well, but she stops him. "I know that look. What's wrong?" "What was rule two again?" "Don't hurt anyone." "Goodbye, doc."

I think maybe she miscalculated a tiny bit.

"I feel better," Sam grumbles. "I feel awful," Bucky sighs.

And down the street Captain Goober and Hoskins starts chirping a police siren at them and they wave them over. "Gentlemen!" I really want Bucky to punch him just once.

Goober wants them to join forces. They're tracking Karli through various displaced communities in Europe.  She's the flag stompers leader, I guess? She's like … 16. DOUBT.

Anyway, she's do-goodering by stealing medicine and taking it to the displaced camps. I'm confused. So, post-blip, people who'd not blipped are now suddenly being displaced? I thought the displaced where the blipped trying to reintegrate. But, she was mad at the GRC for only caring about the blipped not the unblipped (which, again is the GRC's raison d'être, so yes?). I feel like I'm missing something.

Bucky snarks at Goober a bit. He's not a fan at all. "Things are really intense for you, aren't they, Walker?" 

Sam's like okay, let's all simmer down. "It is imperative that we find them and stop them." But, also, though, he and Bucky are free agents, so they're more flexible than mister "i'm the government" over there.

Captain Goober doesn't care for that. "Word of advice, then. Stay the hell out of my way." Don't push your luck, goober.

Bratislava, Slovakia

Flag Stompers loading a small plane. Uh oh, they've been found out! Karli asks how much time they have. "None. It's the Power Broker's men." The Power Broker. See, that's the kind of jackassery you get in a Blip scenario. That's what I'm talking about. Did you steal super soldier serum from this guy, Karli? Hmmm? One noble Flag Stomper offers to stay behind and hold them off while they make their escape, for One World! One People! Dream big, kid.

He knocks down a power pole to block the road but then he runs at the badder guys? And gets himself shot a zillionty times. I … he'd already blocked the road? Why not just … you know what? Never mind.

Back to Bucky and Sam and Bucky with an idea that might just be worse than the self-sacrificing Flag Stomper's run-at-the-badder-guys-for-great-justice idea. He suggests that perhaps somebody who knows all of Hydra's secrets can give them the answers they need. 

"So you're just going to go sit in a room with this guy?" "Ye-… yes," Bucky says, absolutely oozing with confidence.

Off to see Zemo! I'm sure that will go terribly! Can't wait!

And Credits!

Not gonna lie. I'm not sure how I feel about this episode. It felt a little disjointed.

I don't get the Flag Munchers, but I'm thinking they're just a red herring. Because they're basically utopian idealist twelve-year olds with nice but vague goals and vague iffy means to achieve those goals. I don't feel they're a whole lot more than some misguided kids who grew up in a blipped world and change is difficult and scary (and I’m sure it’s probably managed poorly. I can’t think of anything less efficient than a global council for anything. you could have a global council for dirt and it would be a bureaucratic nightmare). And they probably stole super soldier serum from somebody way scarier. Dummies. I think they're going to need to be rescued at some point. Probably soonish.

As for that other guy. There's moments where I like John Walker a little bit, and moments where I find him really aggravating. I get they want to make him the super-duper bestest perfectest hero, or that’s why he was chosen by the DoD or whatever, but part of Steve's charm was he wasn't perfect. He wasn't Captain America because he won a million awards, he was Cap because he had a good heart. That's the point. THAT'S WHY YOU SHOULD BE CAP, SAM!

Also, I don't like hard feelings between Sam and Bucky. Though, nothing about their history would suggest an easy friendship (one time Sam was driving in his car and Bucky ripped the damn steering wheel out), so that's not a complaint, it just makes me sad. They really only have a connection because of Steve and he's gone. Be friends, guys!

And finally, when will Sharon Carter return from being an enemy of the state?

[ravensimps]

Hughie’s Sister Chapter 3 (2/3)

"A rental? You cheap bastard" M.M is not impressed by Butcher's choice of vehicle "Who do you think I am? Some double O wanker? In case you hadn't noticed we ain't exactly rolling in it" He takes his jacket off making me blush again "And you don't think this is conspicuous?" I ask looking up at him from my seat on the floor, He smirks looking down at me "Conspicuous? No, I don't think it's conspicuous. I think a big black van with fucking flowers on the side is conspicuous. This is just another truck on the street" He chuckles slightly, I jump up and stand behind Butcher as a banging is heard on the back door of the van.

"Easy Love, Bang on time" He smirks and opens the door as I move back away from him "Hughie! Welcome back!" I smile as he goes over to M.M "Hi, Hughie" He puts his hand out for M.M to shake "Smelly motherfucker!" M.M jumps up and pushes Hughie out of the way as he pushes Frenchie into the wall of the van, Hughie and I immediately step back as they lunge for each other and Butcher has to be the peacemaker "Butcher who is this guy?!" Hughie yells as Frenchie waves a knife around "You'll give the game away!" Butcher yells holding them both back "Not until this frog gets what's coming" M.M glares, Frenchie's eyes go wide "Only thing that is coming is me on your mother's titties!" Frenchie yells and lunges at him more, M.M is livid "Let me through at him Bitch!" They both get a bit more aggressive so I pull Hughie back a bit "So how you been?" I smile and hug him "Good, Oh I got your stuff" He smiles patting his bag "Yay thank you" I let go of him as Butcher yells louder and a phone starts ringing.

M.M goes to the back of the van to take the call, I go over to Butcher "If I ask will you tell?" He looks at me his eyes slightly softer "Another time..." He smiles running a hand through his hair, Frenchie and Butcher start laughing as M.M makes a kissing noise into the phone...His laugh is like music to my ears "Fuck all of y'all ok?" M.M groans and I go over to Hughie bag to get my stuff from it.

"Uh, Butcher? Where am I supposed to change?" I blush holding up the new clothes, He turns and his eyes turn dark "Pick a corner Love" He smirks and my jaw drops "Y-Your kidding me?! Butcher!" I whine making him chuckle "Look fine if it makes you feel better we will all turn our backs ok?" He turns around as does everyone else "Fuc-Fudging perfect" I groan and quickly change my clothes.

"Ok I'm done" I smile as they start talking bugs and hacking into PopClaw's apartment.

XX

Hughie and M.M have just made their way inside undercover as Bryman audio visual employees well Hughie technically is one still.

"Everything ok?" I ask standing in front of Butcher as he leans on the wall, He tilts his head looking at me intently "Hm now who is giving who whiplash?" He smirks crossing his arms "I'm sorry..." I sigh looking up at him "What did M.M say to you?" He softly runs his thumb over my cheek, My breath hitches and I blush heavily "H-He told me not to try and get into anything with you, He said you're a cold son of a bitch who will break my heart" I gasp lightly as his thumb brushes over my lip, He leans into my ear "He's not fully wrong but I gotta admit I do have a sweet spot for you Love" He growls making my whole body shiver "Butcher he did it!" Frenchie yells making me jump back as they go and look at the cameras "This kid is full of surprises" Butcher smirks watching Hughie on the screen "He does good work" I giggle and wait for them to come back.

XX

"This is so awkward" I mumble sitting on the floor by Butcher as we watch the cameras, A-Train and PopClaw are having a heavy makeout session and we are all just having to sit and watch and it is just plain awkward "Would it be less awkward if it was you and I Love?" Butcher smirks down at me making me squeak, Hughie turns in the chair and glares at him "Dude that's my sister" He practically whines "Oh I know" Butcher continues to smirk making me roll my eyes, I look at the screen and gag as PopClaw sucks on A-Train's toes.

"What the hell is compound V?" Hughie asks still staring at the screen "Sounds like some kind of performance enhancer, Steriods for supes" M.M says standing off to the side "Yeah well whatever it was he was juiced on it when he murdered Robin" Hughie sniffles, I stand up and put my hand on his shoulder comfortingly "What are you grinning at?" M.M asks Butcher as he looks smug "Oh I dunno mate, Maybe cause The Seven might just be a squad of manky roid heads. Now this is exactly the kind of malfeasance that Langly is gonna eat up by the spoonful" Butcher smirks eyes sparkling "Maybe you should wait and see if it really does what we think it does" I look at Butcher and he slightly nods before looking at Frenchie "If we get a bit think you can work it out?" He asks Frenchie "Oh I can run some tests of course, but there's no way of knowing unless I try some myself" Frenchie smirks "Amazing idea" Hughie shakes his head "We'll cross that bridge when we burn it, First of all...We gotta get some" Butcher growls.

Butcher begins working on a plan for tomorrow, We all add little pieces here and there if needed.

XX

After a plan has been settled on I pull Butcher to the side "May we have a moment? Outside?" I ask quietly, He tilts his head and smirks "Of course Love" He smiles and opens the door "Hughie, I'll be back in a sec" I smile and go around the side of the truck with Butcher "What's on your mind Love?" He asks leaning against the side of the truck "You said you have a sweet spot for me and I just wanted you to know I already fully trust you..." I blush looking down, He softly tilts my chin up making me look at him "You trust me?" He asks softly, I nod quietly "Close your eyes for me Love" He smiles eyes soft so I slowly close my eyes. His hand moves from my chin to cup my cheek and within seconds his lips are on mine kissing me softly, I whine quietly into it kissing back and wrapping my arms around his neck. He growls as I play with his hair and lifts me up making me wrap my legs around him, The kiss continues to get heated as he nips my lip and squeezes my hips. I moan lightly into it my face bright red as he pulls back and looks into my eyes "Your first kiss?" He asks slightly growling "Y-Yes" I stutter making him hum and nuzzle my neck lightly "I really hope you know what you're getting into with us" He smirks looking back into my eyes "I'm here and I'm not leaving no matter how dicey it gets" I say firmly, He puts me down gently and presses his lips to mine softly for not even 5 seconds "We should get back inside before we draw attention" He smiles softly and leads me back inside.

End Of Part 2! Next part will be the final part! Butcher and Raven's first kiss~ How did I do? Please let me know if it seemed ok.

-Ray

[beautifulbizarremagazine]

STOCKSY UNITED PHOTOGRAPHY AWARD WINNERS ANNOUNCED 😱 We are thrilled to announce the Winners of the 2019 Beautiful Bizarre Art Prize, Stocksy United Photography Award!!! Take a peek at www.beautifulbizarreartprize.art . Stocksy United Photography Award 3rd Prize Winner: Beth Mitchell Photography shown here. . Thank you again to our generous Stocksy United Photography Award Sponsors, Langly Camera Bags and Adobe Creative Cloud, plus of course our major sponsors Stocksy United and INPRNT. . Timeline [Australian dates]: 21 October – Sculpture winners announced 22 October – Stocksy Photography winners announced 23 October – Digital Art winners announced 24 October – INPRNT Traditional Art winners announced 25 October – 1st Prize Winner, Honourable Mentions and Peoples Choice winner announced . . . #beautifulbizarreartprize #beautifulbizarre #artprize #internationalartprize #art #inprnt #stocksyunited #newcontemporaryart #bethmitchell #photography #fineartphotography #underwaterphotography #australianartist #australianart #australianphotographer

[folklifestyle]

Just Pinned to *Landscapes: Langly Camera bags http://bit.ly/2HW6jk2

[pieceofpowerphoto]

It's the little things - like adding some fun to my new @langly camera bag with the @leencustoms x @toyotires pins 🖤 . . #pins #pinstagram #pincollector #leencustoms #toyotires #sema2018 #langly #langlybags #pieceofpower (at Salt Lake City, Utah) https://www.instagram.com/p/BrPPQLLg6C9/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=o4qnomyoyug6

[contrivedcoincidences6]

December 14th- Chocolate!

@thexmasfileschallenge

“Dammit Mulder.” Scully mumbles into the phone, “Who is supposed to watch Emily while we are away?”

“It will only be for one day, Scully! Your mom can watch her.” Mulder says back easily.

Scully rubs her forehead; “My mom is busy during the day. She could take her at night but it’s almost impossible to find a sitter this last minute, you’ll just have to go without me.”

“Without your expertise, this will be pretty much pointless! I have an idea. You might say no but give it a chance-“

An hour later Scully wonders how she found herself looking into the security camera at the Lone Gunmen’s lair about to hand over to them her five-year-old daughter.

“Emily, honey, if you’re not sure about this I don’t have to go.” Scully says as she waits for the door to be opened.

“No, I’m sure. I like the Gunmen.” Emily had met the men on a few occasions but had never been entrusted to their care. Mulder seemed sure of himself but Scully was less sure.

Scully had set a strict policy about work trips on the weekend but Mulder’s excitement over a new breed of deer, said to be carnivores, and a few dead bodies convinced Scully to take the trip.

Maggie would pick up Emily after she’d finished with her errands, and she would spend the night but until then Emily would be in the hands of Frohike, Langly, and Byers.

Scully is somewhat comforted to see Byers, usually, the sanest, open the door. He smiles first as Scully, then at Emily.

“Well hi there! Come on in!”

Emily beams at him sweetly but doesn’t let go of her mother’s hand as they go in.

As usual, the lair is cluttered and dimly lit. Scully feels Emily clutch her hand a bit tighter as they walk further in and she can’t help but smile.

“Hey, Emily!” Frohike says from his computer.

She gives a shy, but friendly wave.

“We have some movies and snacks! All kinds of good stuff!” Langly says from his own computer.

“Hopefully not too much good stuff.” Scully warns them warily.

Her phone begins to ring and she knows that it’s Mulder asking when she will be ready. Sighing she ignores it and crouches to face level with Emily.

“Mulder and I will just be a phone call away, okay? And Grandma will be here at five to pick you up. The Gunmen are being very nice to spend time with you so be polite.”

“Okay.” Emily replies seriously.

Scully cups the girl's cheek and looks at her for a moment before pressing a kiss to her head.

“Call me if anything happens. I will be calling you every few hours. Don’t let her eat too many sweets and if you take her outside please make sure she is wearing her coat, hat, scarf, and mittens. I left her bag by the door with the number of the place we’re staying tonight and my moms home and cell number. If there is an absolute emergency and you can’t get in contact with her call Skinner. She’s used to eating dinner around five but my mom will make her something if you guys don’t have anything around.” Scully says all of this as she walks back toward the door reluctantly.

“And for the love of god remember that she is only five. Age-appropriate entertainment only! I packed a couple board games for her and some coloring books and crayons. As long as she’s occupied she won’t bother you. Thank you so much for this. Mulder owes you!”

Her phone begins to ring again before she is out the door and with an irritated grunt she answers before waving goodbye and pushing out the door.

The four odd companions stare after her all unsure if they should bring her back and call the whole thing off.

Emily begins to wander around and finally the guys decide to give her a tour.

It’s a short tour because they don’t show her their messy bedrooms but Emily seems impressed by the strange equipment and pictures of all manner of creatures they have around the place.

“What’s your favorite flavor of ice cream?” Byers asks when they reach the tiny kitchen.

“Chocolate!” Emily says jumping in place without letting go of Frohike’s hand.

“Good choice pumpkin!” Frohike says.

Byers grabs three cartons of ice cream from the fridge and four bowls before dolling out everyone’s chosen flavor.

Soon the four of them are wrapped in blankets, surrounded by snacks, and cuddled up on a couch to watch The Year Without a Santa Claus.

When Maggie arrives at five to pick Emily up the four of them are best friends. She comes in to find them deeply involved in a game of Sorry. Emily runs up to her, face covered in chocolate, with a huge smile on her face.

“Can we eat with the Gunmen? Hikey says he’s making his special lasagna!” She says as she hugs Maggie.

The Gunmen all look in various directions as Maggie wipes the chocolate off Emily’s face and hands but are pleasantly surprised when Maggie announces that they would love to stay for dinner.

The next day when Scully and Mulder pick Emily up she is filled to the brim with talk of the three new best friends and asks when she will get to spend the day with them again.

Mulder looks over at Scully with a smile, “I got a very similar email from Frohike. He is easily charmed by the Scully women.”

As they pull away from Maggie’s house Scully spies Emily pulling a chocolate bar out of her bag.

“Emily, where did you get that?”

The child looks up wide-eyed, “Langly said it was ‘for the road’. Can I eat it?”

Scully sighs, “You can eat half of it.”

Turning back to Mulder she whispers, “We’re never sleeping again. I hope those very normal deer were worth it.”

Mulder can’t help but grin back and take a square of chocolate that Emily offers up.

[pitchsome-blog]

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[letscreateafricaorg]

New post in LET'S CREATE AFRICA (L.C.A.): World Nomads 2019 Travel Film Scholarship Deadline: August 6, 2019 Win a travel filmmaking trip to Malaysia Do you dream of becoming a professional travel filmmaker? This is your chance to win an all-expenses-paid trip to Malaysia and be personally mentored by award-winning filmmaker Jenny Nichols. You could be capturing staggering seascapes and incredible biodiversity while telling stories of the diverse local communities who call Malaysia home. What you could win Free flights Receive round-trip airfares from your closest international airport to Malaysia. Professional mentorship Improve your skills in the field and during post-production under the mentorship of professional filmmaker Jenny Nichols. 10-day trip Explore Malaysia and capture its stories on an all-expenses-paid adventure. Audio gear Record superior sound for your film with new microphones courtesy of RØDE Microphones. Camera bag and accessories Protect your gear with a specialized camera bag from Lowepro and accessories from Langly. Travel insurance As always, travel insurance for the trip will be provided by World Nomads. How to apply 1. Make a 3-minute documentary Interview an adventurer or inspiring traveler and bring their compelling travel story to life. 2. Upload your film to YouTube or Vimeo Please make sure your video is publicly accessible. 3. Complete the application form Turn your passion into your profession. https://ift.tt/2T7IDP5   https://ift.tt/33hjtlK

[langlyco]

Giveaway! We’ve partnered with our friends at Production Paradise to give you a chance to win 5 free entries for their 2020 Spotlight Awards which will start in May. How to enter: 👉1. Follow both @productionparadise & @langly ❤️2. Like this post 🏷️ 3. Tag 1 friend 💌 We DM the lucky winner on March 31st Production Paradise is the leading online resource and promotional tool for high end photographers. Their Spotlight Awards will crown the best advertising photographers across 13 categories and 1 Grand Prize winner will win a cash prize of $5000 and a Fujifilm Camera. As a partner of their Spotlight Awards, Langly will also giveaway one of our Alpha Compact Bags to the winner of this Instagram contest. (at Los Angeles, California) https://www.instagram.com/p/B91whR7DDCZ/?igshid=vwqvmo4hcvph

[matthewhutterus]

Langly Has a Bunch of Cool Camera Straps to Choose From

We understand that the perfect camera strap may take a while and some searching to come by, so we bring more options for you to choose from. Today, we have some goodies from Langly, makers of camera bags, apparel, straps, and other accessories. Check out their stylish leather straps, sturdy lightweight slings, and handy wrist straps to see if one of them will catch your fancy. from All About Photography https://www.thephoblographer.com/2019/02/01/langly-cool-camera-straps/

[beautifulbizarremagazine]

𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗿𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗽𝗵𝗼𝘁𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗽𝗵𝗲𝗿 @soul.craft [𝗕𝗲𝗻 𝗦𝘂𝗺𝗻𝗲𝗿 𝗙𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗸𝗲], 𝟭𝘀𝘁 𝗣𝗿𝗶𝘇𝗲 𝗪𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗰𝗸𝘀𝘆 𝗨𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗣𝗵𝗼𝘁𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗽𝗵𝘆 𝗔𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱 in the 2019 Beautiful Bizarre Art Prize!!⁣ .⁣ With his work: "Trust Fall" [Digital Camera, Sony A7R2 with Zeiss 35mm2.8] The land of ice and fire, where solar rays linger on sleepless nights, golden dusk smoldering like the coals of a tired hearth. The earth sings an ancient song of stone and steam. Born into and of it through a "Trust fall", the quiet witness, the youth of a saga.⁣ .⁣ See all 3 Winners of the @StocksyUnited Photography Award at https://ift.tt/2Sxxyq2 [link in our profile]⁣ .⁣ Thanks to our generous @StocksyUnited Photography Award Sponsors, @Langly Bags and @Adobe Creative Cloud, and of course our major sponsors @StocksyUnited and @INPRNT.⁣ .⁣ .⁣ .⁣ #beautifulbizarreartprize #beautifulbizarre #artprize #internationalartprize #art #inprnt #stocksyunited #newcontemporaryart #photography #fineartphotography #soulcraft #benfranke — view on Instagram https://ift.tt/2pESOzU

[pauldeckerus]

Langly Has a Bunch of Cool Camera Straps to Choose From

We understand that the perfect camera strap may take a while and some searching to come by, so we bring more options for you to choose from. Today, we have some goodies from Langly, makers of camera bags, apparel, straps, and other accessories. Check out their stylish leather straps, sturdy lightweight slings, and handy wrist straps to see if one of them will catch your fancy. from Photography News https://www.thephoblographer.com/2019/02/01/langly-cool-camera-straps/

[sailorrrvenus]

Langly Has a Bunch of Cool Camera Straps to Choose From

We understand that the perfect camera strap may take a while and some searching to come by, so we bring more options for you to choose from. Today, we have some goodies from Langly, makers of camera bags, apparel, straps, and other accessories. Check out their stylish leather straps, sturdy lightweight slings, and handy wrist straps to see if one of them will catch your fancy. from The Phoblographer http://bit.ly/2B7Xn8P via IFTTT