#80’s gangster

[erk-the-jerk]

This is my very 1st submission to the Miitomo anniversary contest. I lost a copy of the picture and got it back from a dead hard drive! So cool I haven’t seen this in a long time. As you can see it is similar to my other design being it a red theme. But they are westcoast b-boys and girls but they can also come off as 80’s street gang members. Anyway pretty cool I like it.

[vertigoartgore]

1987's The Question Vol.1 #1 cover by artist Bill Sienkiewicz. Source

[k-i-l-l-e-r-b-e-e-6-9]

[oldmanpuppyplay]

So shaq does boom bap rap and he's like legit good huh

[forever-yours-things]

𝐒𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐟𝐚𝐜𝐞

"🆃🅷🅴 🆆🅾🆁🅻🅳 🅸🆂 🆈🅾🆄🆁🆂"

[volkswagonblues]

a bibliography for us Daniel Malloy freaks

(a loosely pulled-together reading list about print journalism, New York, the 1970s & 80's, and the AIDS Crisis. Most of the credit goes to @islandbetweenrivers who started this)

On Daniel Molloy, California Boy

The show never explicitly states if Daniel went to college, but since college students were exempt from the Vietnam draft, which ended officially in 1973, it could be interesting to imagine Daniel in Berkeley.

Slouching Toward Bethlehem by Joan Didion

The White Album by Joan Didion

Berkeley Barb archives (link) -- weekly underground newspaper that ran in Berkeley between '65 to '80

The Daily Cal First 150 Years (link) -- student newspaper at Berkeley

On Journalism

Iphigenia in Forest Hills by Janet Malcolm

From her reporter's seat, Malcolm observes that a trial is merely "a contest between competing narratives". (Guardian review)

The Journalist and the Murderer by Janet Malcolm

“"Every journalist who is not too stupid or too full of himself to notice what is going on knows that what he does is morally indefensible," wrote Malcolm in an opening sentence that caused a sensation in the tiny, self-referential world of posh American journalism.” (Guardian review)

The Freaks Came Out to Write: The Definitive History of the Village Voice by Trisha Romano

“The Voice’s origins were proudly amateurish. One early contributor was a homeless man recruited from a local street; equipment consisted of two battered typewriters, an ink-splattering mimeograph machine and a waste paper basket for rejected submissions. Morale spiked when a staff member discovered that dried pods used in fancy flower arrangements contained opium, which was boiled up in the office when the time came for a coffee break.” (Guardian review)

Note: The Village Voice was THE alt-weekly newspaper and it was run out of Greenwich Village in NYC. Lots of incredible writers start there and then move onto the Times, Vanity Fair, etc. Very much the sort of crowd a young Daniel would be mixed in circa 70's and 80's.

The Night of the Gun, by David Carr

David Carr redefines memoir with the revelatory story of his years as an addict and chronicles his journey from crack-house regular to regular columnist for The New York Times. Built on sixty videotaped interviews, legal and medical records, and three years of reporting, The Night of the Gun is a ferocious tale that uses the tools of journalism to fact-check the past. (amazing rec from @archive-z)

Note: imagine if Daniel did this and then fact-checked his way into remembering that vampires existed

Rogues: True Stories of Grifters, Killers, Rebels and Crooks by Patrick Radden Keefe

Keefe can paint complicated portraits of victims and vigilantes alike while covering their lonely pursuit of justice. He intuits why a Dutch woman who has exposed the crimes of her gangster brother might lie about her present whereabouts. He understands why a man who lost his brother in an aeroplane bombing might spend the rest of his life trying to find the culprit. Again and again, Keefe surmises that even the most detailed of investigations can only speculate about human motives. (Guardian review)

Note: the sort of deeply human longform profiles that feels like the sort of writing Daniel does, based on his masterclass clip and what he reveals in his interactions with Louis

On New York, New York (in the 70s)

Notes from Underground, by Eric Bogosian + Perforated Heart, by Eric Bogosian

In four billion years the sun will explode. But before that we'll run out of fresh water and before that we'll all die of some mutation of AIDS that's spread by coughing. It's not my fault anyway. I can't think about this any more today. I'm going to masturbate.

Note: The OG. What else is there to say.

Ladies and Gentleman, the Bronx is Burning: 1977, Baseball, Politics, and the Battle for the Soul of a City by Jonathan Mahler

In the long sweep of American history, of course, 1977 is not exactly 1865, 1941, 1968 or 2001. Yet from porn shops to gay bathhouses, from Yankee Stadium to City Hall, from the blackout to Son of Sam, from Rupert Murdoch's New York Post to the rise of SoHo and Studio 54, the city was living through what Mahler convincingly calls "a transformative moment . . . a time of decay but of rehabilitation as well.” (New York Times review)

Remain in Love: Talking Heads, Tom Tom Club, Tina, by Chris Franz (2020)

Frantz’s account of the early days, when the Heads lived in the pre-gentrified Lower East Side of New York, an almost literal war zone. While searching for a loft to live in, they viewed one building that was on fire. One spring afternoon, Frantz walked over to the now-legendary club CBGB to ask for a gig. The place smelt of “beer, roach spray, dog doo [the owner, Hilly Kristal, had a free-roaming saluki] and Chanel No 5”.

Winter’s Journal, by Paul Auster

Note: To me, Auster is one of the closest real-life Daniel Malloy analogues: born around 1950, literary career in NYC, moved to Paris in the 1970s for a few years, troubled middle-class background. Novelist though, not a journalist. There’s an anecdote in this book about a car crash that feels like a deadass Devil’s Minion fever dream. Crazy stuff. One of my personal favourites

On the AIDS Crisis

And the Band Played On, by Randy Shilts

The book chronicles the discovery and spread of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) with a special emphasis on government indifference and political infighting—specifically in the United States—to what was then perceived as a specifically gay disease

The Journalist of Castro Street: The Life of Randy Shilts, by Andrew E. Stoner

Biography of Randy Shilts that’s very helpful for imagining Daniel in the early 1980s newsrooms covering Karposi’s sarcoma

How to Survive a Plague: The Story of How Activists and Scientists Tamed AIDS by David France (2017)

It’s not easy to balance solid journalism with intimate understanding of a subject, and even harder to write eloquently about a disease that’s killing your friends and loved ones. France pulls it off, in his own words (his description of finding a college roommate’s panel in the AIDS Memorial Quilt is heartbreaking) and in letting his articulate sources speak for themselves. (SF Gate review)

Timeline of AIDS (link)

Overview of HIV (link)

And some films, just for fun

The Panic in Needle Park (1971): Drama film directed by Jerry Schatzberg. Al Pacino is a heroin addict and small-time dealer in Manhattan who falls in love with another addict.

Serpico (1973): biographical crime drama film directed by Sidney Lumet. Al Pacino is a hippie cop (yes, I know, its part of the plot) with one foot in the 1970s bohemian art scene

American Graffiti (1973): teen movie set in 1973 Modesto ("I'm just a shitty kid from Modesto"--Danny Malloy)

The Taking of Pelham 123 (1974): More grimy 1970s NYC stuff

All the President’s Men (1976): THE ABSOLUTE JOURNALISM MOVIE??

Star Wars: A New Hope (1977)

Cruising (1980): 1980 crime thriller written and directed by William Friedkin. Al Pacino is a cop (again) but this time he goes undercover in NYC gay leather clubs

Almost Famous (2000): Set in 1973, it chronicles the funny and often poignant coming of age of 15-year-old William, an unabashed music fan who gets the chance to write for Rolling Stone

Spotlight (2015): More journalism movies! The true story of how the Boston Globe uncovered the massive scandal of child molestation and cover-up within the local Catholic Archdiocese

everyone say thank you to @islandbetweenrivers for starting this, I just polished up our google docs and posted it on tumblr.

Also if anyone has something to add please let me know!

[purgatorypicnic]

My Random Smiling Friends Headcanons

Gnarly was born in the dressing room at a Pac Sun in New Jersey, that's why his name is basically surfer slang.

Grim grew up in the suburbs and his parents were a dentist and a lawyer. Grim went into his edgy phase as a teen and never left.

Grim isn't actually his real name, he just changed it to be "Edgy"

Allan was an engineering major in college.

Glep listens to Will Wood.

Glep collects CDs

When Charlie was 12, he spent Memorial day on the side of the road by his Uncle's burnt '54 Chevy Bel Air. Charlie's Uncle and cars. *Sigh*

Charlie's parents died shortly after he was born, so he was basically raised by his uncle.

Charlie's Uncle's band, "The Red Gapers", is psychedelic rock.

Pim likes Dollywood (I went there once and it's so fun!)

Pim's favorite musicals would probably be Hairspray, Hamilton, Mamma Mia, and Dear Evan Hansen.

Mr. Boss' favorite musicals would probably be Ride The Cyclone, Annie, and wicked

Charlie unironically got one of those "Gangster cartoon" Shirts from the Wildwood boardwalk when he was a teenager.

Glep likes Rhythm Heaven and Arcaea.

Pim has a Neopets account

Mr. Boss likes the movie "Radio", Allan hates that movie.

Allan really likes Star Trek

Mr. Boss collects PEZ Despensers.

Gwimbly Plays the Accordian

Glep has a 90's Cherry Coke can he found in the woods one day.

Gwimbly hates it when people think his name is Quigley. It happens quite a bit with people unfamiliar with him.

Pim likes Taylor Swift.

Glep listens to 80s synth

Pim had a phase when he was younger where he made Olympic Mascot fanfic. It was short lived.

Pim also had a "Tumblr Girl" aesthetic phase.

Glep is sometimes underestimated due to his size.

Pim played the flute when he was in school.

Those have been some random and not strangely specific at all headcanons about Smiling Friends!

[scotianostra]

Happy Birthday actor Kenneth Cranham born 12th December 1944 in Dunfermline.

Cranham trained at the National Youth Theatre and RADA, he is a very prolific theatre and TV actor who has also appeared in countless films since his debut as Noah Claypole in the 1968 musical Oliver, you might remember him from playing the title role in the 80’s show Shine On Harvey Moon. Now I��ve checked and double checked and for a man who has acting credits in over 50 television shows he has never been in Taggart! Most disappointing….

From the 70’s he was in Z-Cars, Softly, Softly: Taskforce, A Family at War and Budgie, in 80’s Brideshead Revisited, Reilly: Ace of Spies ( as Vladimir Lenin no less!), Inspector Morse and Boon, the 90’s didn’t see him slow down, Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit, Casualty, Bergerac and Kavanagh QC. The “Noughties” saw him pick up roles in the British-American-Italian historical drama Rome, Tess of the d'Urbervilles and Merlin. The past few years he has been on the small screen in Upstairs Downstairs, Death in Paradise and War and Peace.

His notable film roles have been in Chocolat, Hellbound: Hellraiser II, Gangster No. 1, Layer Cake, Valkyrie with Tom Cruise and Maleficent with Angelina Jolie.

Wikipedia has Cranham appearing in around 100 tv shows, he also finds time to tread the boards and in he won a prestigious 2016 Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor in The Father. Other UK TV series include Scarborough and The Good Karma Hospital another TV series set in a coastal town in tropical South India.

Imdb have two upcoming productions for Kenneth, Warrior, a historical drama set during the Roman era, based on actual events, embellished with a hint of myth, legend and imagination, and Bnoit, a documentary exploring the fall of Maximilian Francis Benoit. From high-profile public figure to disgraced, presumed dead crime lord.

[terrence-silver]

Would old man Terry still smoke his signature Cuban cigars?

---

Why'd he stop?

Because it went out of fashion.

(See the above ads. Can you imagine anything similar today?)

In the 70's and the 80's, a Cuban cigar (or just a cigarette in general) would've been a sign of decadence and masculine power; it is what every Senator in his cabinet during his spare, private time alongside every coked out, upstart Yuppie on Wallstreet, every would-be Gangster Mafioso, every Banana Republic dictator and of course, Terry Silver, would smoke. Politicians, would perhaps, secretly indulge the vice, seeing as how Cuban cigars couldn't even be imported into the US up until a certain time, making them even more of exclusive of a habit. Just look at old advertisements. Men smoking in a manly fashion while, optionally, a nearby woman swoons and looks on. It's fun! It's sexy! It makes the ladies drop their panties, you men! You would be surprised how many plain, old Americana style scenes with Cowboys smoking I've found while researching a reply to this question. It meant something then that it doesn't mean now. Today, it is almost comically associated with the (quite literally cancerous) evils of Capitalism to the degree that if you asked a literal kid to draw you a corrupt rich man, they'd probably draw Monopoly man with a top hat and a cigar. Heck! Most public places don't even allow indoor smoking and you're relegated to a separate smoking area and still, people will stuck their noses up at you the entire time even so. What I mean to say is --- times changed and so did attitudes. So happens that Terry Silver lived long enough to witness these changes and I think he stopped smoking somewhere in between the fiasco that took place between him and John post tournament loss in 1985 and those thirty something years they weren't close. Long enough for cigars to go from a symbol of power to a symbol of something disgusting people collectively would rather not be around because it stinks and makes you sick. Gives you bad breath. And Cancer. It used to be cool. It used to be badass. Nowadays, it comes with a little message on the bottom of the box that says 'Smoking Kills!'

Terry Silver went through a (temporary) re-brand.

He changed the way cultural sensitives changed, as I keep on repeating.

Turned into the image of the ''acceptable'' type of the model rich man for the new, 21st century was meant to look and act like for a brief spell. Mellow. Clean cut. Vegan. Considerate and practicing 'mindfulness'. Someone very much in favor of attending therapy, seemingly sworn off of his formerly rotten ways, and in fact, completely tucking them away. A champagne Liberal fundraising apps for the poor from his multimillion dollar beach patio mansion. You see what I'm saying? Cigars --- they don't fit into that whole image, in fact, they completely clash with it. So, he discarded them, the same way he discarded many things that would come off as 'problematic' in the current day and age, shedding his skin and becoming a 'different' man to hide in plain sight, being the ultimate chameleon that he is, always adapting to his surroundings.

I do firmly believe he still has a stash of vintage cigars somewhere, in some golden or silver elaborate, decorative box he hasn't touched in actual decades, in some locked drawer or safe, as a keepsake. Perhaps he even lights up in his more mature age, for old time's sake, seeing it as a sign of authority, refusing to go down as some sad, old man once his existential crisis kicks in as the years advance and advance, taking the reigns of control and picking a poison of his own choosing to rot him from the inside, kicking up his legs on a work desk and smiling to himself.

Who knows?

Nobody's ever there to see him do it, just the way he would want it too.

[adamwatchesmovies]

The Mask (1994)

If you were born in the late ‘80s or early ‘90s, you idolized Jim Carrey at some point. In second grade, my class received an assignment to write a biography on our favorite Canadian sports athlete. I didn’t have one so I asked the teacher if I could do mine on Jim Carrey (he was born in Ontario). Four of my classmates asked the same thing. Carrey’s big break was Ace Ventura: Pet Detective but that film has aged so dreadfully its finale is unwatchable – even if you keep in mind it was made 30 years ago. A much better way to indulge your nostalgia for the comedian is to revisit Dumb and Dumber or today's movie: The Mask.

Insecure bank teller Stanley Ipkiss (Carey) finds a magical mask in the Edge City river. After putting it on, the mask transforms him into a green-faced, zoot suit-wearing extrapolation of his inner self. With his newfound powers and confidence, Ipkiss gets even with those who’ve wronged him and romances Tina Carlyle (Cameron Diaz), the beautiful singer at the exclusive Coco Bongo club. In the process, he crosses paths with gangster Dorian Tyrell (Peter Greene).   There have been several attempts to make a live-action Looney Tunes film, none as successful at bringing the series’ violent slapstick sense of humor to life as The Mask (and with Coyote vs. Acme being shelved by David Zaslav, that won't change anytime soon). Putting on the mask does more than alter Ipkiss’ appearance and give him the confidence to say and do what he’s always wanted to; it allows him to pull giant mallets out of thin air, survive explosions, re-inflate himself after being flattened, move so fast he looks like a spinning tornado, etc. Jim Carrey excels at playing loud, outlandish catchphrase-spewing characters, making this superhero origin story (the film is based on the Dark Horse comic by Mike Richardson) the perfect vehicle for him. He also fares quite well as lovable loser Stanley Ipkiss. He has great chemistry with the most memorable character in the film: Ipkiss’ dog, Milo. As far as movie pets go, there aren’t many who have as much personality as this adorable, occasionally aggressive, mischievous and deceptively smart (for a dog) Jack Russell Terrier. The pooch may not have a character arc, but its multiple gags build upon each other and Milo plays a critical part in the story.    If you expected me to name Cameron Diaz as the co-star with whom Carrey has the best rapport, I’m getting to her now. The two actors have chemistry but they don't quite sizzle like they should. Or maybe it’s that Diaz (in her film debut) is so stunning that a part of you dismisses any sparks between them – she should be with you. After donning the mask, Stanley howls like the wolf in 1943's “Red Hot Riding Hood” while he watches her perform at the Coco Bongo. You’ll be right there along with him. Seeing her, you remember the first time you saw Marilyn Monroe. All you can say is “Wow!”, which makes you all the more grateful to see that she can keep up with the dance numbers and comedic sequences. As a memorable aspect of the film, she’s got stiff competition between Carrey, the dog and the special effects but she nonetheless stands out.    The Mask is a pretty standard superhero story that’s elevated by its willingness to go all the way with its cartoon motif, the unforgettable one-liners and memorable characters. On top of everyone previously mentioned, there’s Lieutenant Mitch Kellaway (Peter Riegert), the police officer who suspects Ipkiss – even though no ordinary man could pull off the moves he pulls -, his dopey partner Detective Doyle (Jim Doughan) and several big scenes that will stick with you long after the film is gone. Partially because they are funny but also because they showcase the film’s use of music, dance and cartoon logic.    Special effects can often date a picture. Even if those are still (mostly) convincing, jokes that haven’t aged well can make you regret you ever hit "play". The Mask makes extensive use of special effects. They still hold up. When it comes to the jokes, the film does it right. There is a point where a mask-wearing Ipkiss starts turning into a Pepe Le Pew type… but the fact that he’s too much and that his overly aggressive would-be romantic gestures make Tina uncomfortable are both acknowledged and part of the gag.

I must’ve seen The Mask over a dozen times as a kid (mostly in French and on VHS) but that was years ago. I thought I only remembered the broad strokes but nearly everything came flooding back as soon as I started watching. Part of that I can attribute to repetition but also to the fact that this comedy is packed with memorable scenes, lines and characters. It holds up. (October 5, 2024)

[speedofsoundsketches]

What’s with Heater and the toothpick?

Because it makes him cool and like he doesn't afraid of anything.

(Full coherent reasons under the cut)

Toothpick chewing is a common trope in especially 80's and sometimes 90's action films. Historically, it's seen as an act of decadence for continuing to pick your teeth after a good meal. You'll see 1920's and 30's gangsters chewing on them while wielding a tommy-gun. It can double as a replacement for cigarettes if you want to avoid international censorship in the box office.

A more practical purpose is if someone's prone to grinding teeth during high-stress moments, it's something to bite down on to relieve that a bit. It wasn't uncommon for soldiers to pick up the habit given the environment they were in, as seen in this interview with Vietnam war combatants.

Ultimately like with Strike's tail, the intent is to make him look cool and detached. But there is a precedent that I'm drawing from when making these decisions.

So in short:

[rms-expensive-girl]

Jungkook 3

FRATBOY/FUCKBOY

TIME TRAVEL

BROTHERS BESTFRIEND

MAFIA/GANG

[vertigoartgore]

Both Walter Hill's Streets of Fire and Sergio Leone's Once Upon a Time in America turns 40 today. Feel old yet ?

[k-i-l-l-e-r-b-e-e-6-9]

Colors (1988)

[suchamiracle-does-exist]

Dear @faisonsunreve thanks for the tag. This was definitely a time taking task but so much fun to do. A true time travel to your watching history. To my surprise there are three French films and three Tom Hanks films included. 😄

A few comments about certain choices.

Favorite film of all time: The Thief of Bagdad (1940): The jewel of the film is Conrad Veidt’s insane Jaffar dressed up with the turban.

Best script: Some Like It Hot (1959): The story about two antihero musicians trying to make a living and avoiding gangsters by dressing as women and joining a female band and traveling to Miami is still unique to watch.

Favorite poster: The Empire Strikes Back (1980): Memories from the childhood. Darth Vader’s perhaps a little too epic posture promises you an emotional adventure and that promise will be fulfilled.

"I’ll watch it some day": Napoléon (1927): @missholson and I were introduced to this 6-hour biopic of Napoleon and we were stunned by the shots of the twenty-minute triptych sequence, where widescreen panorama is made by projecting multiple-image montages simultaneously on three screens. Blu-ray is waiting on the shelf.

Big personal impact: Elvis (2022): I wasn’t prepared for the narrative where female gaze and male vulnerability are allowed and validated.

You like, but everyone hates: Angels & Demons (2009): Don’t know today’s reception but when it was released the film was heavily criticized by the critics and the audience. I like both this and The Da Vinci Code (2006), but having more convincing characters, plot and hold for the entirety makes it better than the first one.

Underrated: The Ninth Gate (1999): Polanski is a very contradictory director for his sexual abuse charges, therefore it feels shameful to admit liking his films or considering his films to be valued. Many find Gate as a dull thriller. The film doesn’t rely on jump scares or gore but the mystery around the occult books and the things you can’t see. 

"Why do I like this?": Bachelor Party (1984): This is my favourite question of them all. I discussed with @faisonsunreve about on what basis you should answer this and does it reveal your true movie taste. The 80’s crazy comedy is a silly and out-dated genre and that is why the films of this era fascinate me. Bachelor Party is full of lame humor and over-the-top characters. Yet the storyline is versatile and entertaining. Young Tom Hanks embodies the past. 

Great soundtrack: La Cage aux Folles (1978): Ennio Morricone has said first he has to understand the film, the images, the story and the director’s intentions before starting to compose. I would like to know his study for Folles, because the soundtrack has such a humorous, characteristic and warm sound. 

That cinematography: Furiant (2015): I was balancing between Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011) and La double vie de Véronique (1991), but this short film stands out with the way the rural landscapes, the dimly lit rooms and the unspoken moments are visualized (and edited) by the producer, director, writer, cinematographer and editor Ondřej Hudeček.

Criminally overlooked: Angélique film series (1964-68): Yes, you could put almost any Conrad Veidt film here, however I chose this. I have been fond of Angélique films since I was a child. These spectacles tell the story of Angélique in the time of King Louis XIV of France. Romance, adventure, scheming with breathtaking soundtrack and costume design, beautiful Michèle Mercier in the leading role and the flashy way of speaking French offer us an exquisite interpretation from the 60’s. 

Favorite active director: Peter Strickland: I have seen only The Duke of Burgundy (2014) and Flux Gourmet (2022), nevertheless his style of using the aesthetics of Italian genre films and the intimacy he creates is just heartwarming.

Anyone who wants to make their own version, please do and let me know. 📼📀📦🔦

[dakotakazansky]

A Million Nights • Two

Once again a HUGE thank you to @mayhemmanaged for making this photo for me!

Warnings: Angst, Fluff.

Word Count: 1.1k

This is a part two, so if you've not read the previous part, click here!

It was a perfect day for a ceremony. It was a breezy low 80’s degree day, with bright blue skies that were littered with white puffy clouds. And for as beautiful of a day it was, there was an overwhelming somber feeling that overtook the crowd around Bradley, and his entire squadron. 

“Gunner was an amazing Aviation Machinist’s Mate. You always knew that when she was assigned to your squadron, you were getting nothing less than perfection, every time. Everything was always checked, numerous times in fact, she was very anal about that. She would never put anything less than perfect into a jet.” Nat said, while standing at a podium, next to a portrait of Gunner in her Navy Dress Blues, the same thing currently adorning Nat’s and the rest of the Daggers’ bodies. Nat sniffled sadly, reading the rest of her speech to everyone in attendance, sometimes glancing up to Rooster. 

As Nat stepped away from the podium, Jake took her place at the podium, and Nat took her place beside Bradley. “That was a really sweet speech Nat, thank you.” Rooster whispered to the woman to his left. She nodded back in silence to him. 

“To those of us that knew her best, we called her Gunny, or more embarrassingly, Gunny Bunny. Sometimes just Bunny.” Jake let out a small chuckle, as did the rest of the crowd around him, the somber feeling cut for that brief moment in time. “Or as the Navy knew her best, ‘Party Animal.’ I will never forget the day that I watched Bradshaw over there, spill his beers all over the woman that danced into him. Nat and I razzed him for a while after that. There was just something about Gunny though, no matter where you were, or who you were with, she always brought the party with her. She was always the life of the party with us. She made being up on that flight line more bearable, even if it was only for a few minutes before take off, and after landing.”

The crowd of Daggers’ filled the silence with murmurs of their stories to one another about Gunner’s antics on the flight line. 

“I think my favorite moment though, was one night at the Hard Deck, after a particularly rough mission, Gunner queued up all the best “2000’s gangster rap” and dance songs.That woman single handed pulled each and everyone one of us, out of funk, in just her music choices alone. She had us all dancing and having a great time in no time flat. I don’t think anyone else could ever come close to bringing that same energy.” 

Jake’s speech following Nat’s left almost no dry eyes in the vicinity, except for one, Rooster. He stopped to hug Jake, “Thank you, for everything. From that night, until now, thank you.” Jake hugged Bradley back tightly, before releasing him, Jake taking the spot to the left of Nat, and Bradley approached the podium himself.

He sighed into the mic, and played with his tie clip to ease his nerves. “First off I would love to thank each and everyone of you for showing up. Seeing the amount of people here that wants to share their time and memories of Gunner, is truly astounding. It means a lot.” Bradley quickly glanced over all his buddies in the Dagger squad. “I’m so glad to see the impact that Gunner had on each and everyone of your lives, whether it be her Party Animal days, or her more professional Navy Days. Thank you again and please enjoy the rest of the Ceremony.”

On that note Bradley had made his way back to the spot he originally started in. A small hand took his right hand, “This is such a beautiful way to go.” The female voice to the right of him stated. “I don’t think I could have asked for anything better.” 

Bradley now turned to stand right in front of the female voice, releasing his hand from hers and wrapping them around her waist, and her hands wrapped around his neck. “It sure is honey, although I’m sorry for Jake bringing out the Gunny Bunny, I didn’t know he had planned that.” Bradley stated while pressing his forehead to Gunner’s.

“Hey now, at least he left out the most embarrassing stories, and only went for the embarrassing nickname instead.” She replied back to him. “Oh!” Gunner exclaimed, grabbing Bradley’s hand, and placing it on her ever growing bump. “Is that-” Bradley started to say, but Gunner just nodded her head. “Yeah lil copilot is kicking.” 

“Okay Bradshaw! Enough hogging your fiancee, and my godchild!” Nat exclaimed, coming over to hug Gunner. “How’re you feeling?” Nat asks Gunner. “Oh you know, still sore, and wobbly, finally getting out of that wheelchair has been a blessing though. Glad to be up on my own two feet again, even though I still need Bradley’s help every once in a while. I also am starting to feel like a whale, a very cute pregnant whale though. Wish i could look as spiffy as you guys though.” Gunner and Nat share a laugh together, as Gunner refers to everyone dressed up in their Dress Blues. “I think I’m honestly going to miss those. So sleek and put together.” Gunner mentions.

Everyone enjoys the rest of the retirement ceremony for Gunner. Her Commanding Officer made a speech, and then she turned up the Party Animal to as much as the max as she could given her situation of being pregnant and still recovering from the accident. Some of her favorite songs played, and everyone danced along with her. 

A little while later the retirement orders were read, and Gunner made a very brief speech, quoting being too tired and filled with too much love to drone on for longer. When back in the company of all the Daggers as the ceremony came to close, and Gunner was leaning against Bradley for support, her back pressed against his chest, Fanboy asked excitedly, “Alright Future Mrs. Bradshaw, When’s the wedding?!” Both Gunner and Bradley chuckled, before Gunner spoke up, “I think Bradley and I are going to go for an extended engagement. Give me more time to rest and recover.” Bradley chimes in, while softly rubbing Gunner’s bump,  “And allow this little one to be in the ceremony as well.”

Everyone said their goodbyes, and Gunner made a promise that even though she’s retired now, she’ll still come by often to pay them all a visit, and maybe bring them lunch or snacks, and will bring the baby along too after they’re born. 

Bradley helped Gunner out of his prized Bronco and up towards the threshold of their home. “We’re definitely eloping, right?” Gunner laughed, “We definitely are, I don’t want another day to pass by that I'm not officially a Bradshaw. We’ll still have a massive ceremony later down the line, to include our friends, family and this little one.” She smiled down at her bump. “But for now Rooster you big stud, take me to bed, or lose me forever!”

Tagging some people who might be interested:

@mayhemmanaged @roosterforme @startrekfangirl2233 @desert-fern @roostette @cassiemitchell @sarahsmi13s @lavenderbradshaw @lovinglyeternal @bradleybeachbabe @thedroneranger @cherrycola27 @twsssmlmaa @bobby-r2d2-floyd @that-one-random-writer @horseshoegirl @footprintsinthesxnd @starset21 @emma8895eb @shanimallina87 @mak-32