#Even though I love Esposito

[starnerd1]

Id be down for that "rescue" to be grogu going full Vader on his ass, holding him up in the air with a force choke, smashing that button over and over again.

I have a vivid mental image of what I want to happen on The Mandalorian next week.

I need Grogu, in the process of rescuing Din, to look Moff Gideon square in the eye and smash the “no” button on IG-12.

I’m a simple girl, I have few requests.

[violentdevotion]

wait do you have a fav boys character yet ?

i really like butcher but i feel like that's a basic answer and also the wrong answer. in another world id like frenchie but i can't get over how much i hate the actor. I love maeve theres never a moment she's on screen where im thinking get this woman outta here she's always entertaining to me. i like starlight but (and this is probably a bit nasty to say) there's smth a little uncanny valley about her sometimes where when she's talking im not listening but staring at her face trying to see what features throwing me off. I hate ashley but the actress played an insufferable character in jessica jones too and I really appreciate her ability to play The Most annoying woman you know.

centrist answer i like them all (except stormfront. hated her before i even knew she was a nazi. she was on insta live and i was waiting for her to explode and die) but my fave would have to be butcher bc i find im rooting for him the most and constantly justifying his actions. but sometimes karl urbans accent pisses me off. also black noir but he doesn't Do anything so it's hard to have him as a fave bc he's barely there.

[kirain]

what do you think of this post about Gale? I saw it today and idk how to feel about it. h t t p s : // www. tumblr. com / galahadwilder / 741497332636467200

I couldn't disagree with it more, to be honest.

First of all, and I can't stress this enough, Mystra doesn't care about her followers. She cares about the state of the Weave and nothing more. If her followers don't worship her, if they're not useful to her, if they don't serve her purpose, they mean nothing to her. After she abandoned Gale, she had no interest in him until she realised she could use him to stop the Absolute—and she only wanted to stop the Absolute because it threatened the Weave. In general, Mystra doesn't care what people use magic for either, be it the most admirable heroics or the most depraved insanity you can imagine.

Case and point: Lorroakan. He is an arrogant wizard, far worse than Gale could ever hope to be, who uses magic for pure evil. When he beat Rolan, he undoubtedly used magic to do it. Do you think Mystra cared? Nope. You can help that nutjob achieve his goals, kill a demigod, turn him immortal, and give him free reign to abuse magic any way he wishes, but do you think Mystra cares? Nope. She doesn't. She doesn't care about people unless they benefit her. In fact, all three iterations of Mystra have a vast history of grooming, flat out 🍇, and the forced impregnation of unsuspecting mortal women. Despite being neutral good, Mystra is and has always been extremely vain, selfish, jealous, and problematic.

With that in mind, I'd like to break this post down piece by piece. Also, please be aware that when I use the word "you", I don't mean you specifically, anon. I'm more so addressing anyone who might be reading.

PS: Please no one harass this person's post. Their opinion is their own, and it's very respectful. At the end of the day, we're just talking about a video game.

Mystra didn't tell Gale not to juggle the torches. She didn't even tell him it was a torch. She let him go on believing it was a part of her missing Weave. Had she told him the truth, he would've stayed away. That's why he's so shocked in Act 3, when she finally reveals it's the Karsite Weave. He had no idea, and she likely never intended to tell him. She didn't before he went off in search of it, and she didn't the entire time he was locked away in his tower, scared and suffering. I can't for the life of me figure out why she wouldn't warn him, but I can only assume it's because she expected absolute obedience, or because she was getting bored of him and wanted him to mess up.

Whatever her reasons, she didn't tell Gale to leave the orb alone because he was "worthy" already. He clearly wasn't in her eyes, because he wanted her to see him as an equal. He wanted her to share her knowledge with him, which is perfectly fair in a healthy relationship. If you're dating a god and they treat you like a worshipper—that's all you are to them. A worshipper. A plaything. You're beneath them. You're unworthy. She told Gale to leave the orb alone because she wanted him to be complacent. She wanted to keep him in servitude. That's what she wants from all of her followers, though it's even worse when it's her lover.

In almost every story where a mortal loves a god, the mortal is either ascended into the heavens or the god gives up their divinity. And this isn't even specific to gods, but also vampires, werewolves, elves, and so on. Arwen, for example, gives up her immortality to be with Aragorn. Bella becomes a vampire to be with Edward. Hercules gives up his divinity to be with Meg. Elisa Esposito becomes aquatic to be with the creature. These are common tropes because it makes the couples equal.

Mystra contradicts herself by saying Gale was "always worthy", because her actions don't reflect it. He was a worthy distraction from her job, sure, but not worthy enough for her to treat him like an equal. So in order to prove it to her, to prove his love and devotion, he went after the one thing he knew she wanted—her missing Weave. Yes, she told him not to, and I agree he should've respected that, but this is on par with a woman telling her husband not to buy a bracelet she really, really wants because it's too expensive. If your husband worked extra hours and saved up enough to buy you that bracelet, would you divorce him?

Gale was completely unaware of the danger. He basically thought he was getting Mystra a bracelet. Had she taken the time to explain it to him, the whole catastrophe could have been avoided. He was just a hopeless romantic who wanted to surprise his girlfriend and prove he belonged at her side. The same girlfriend who very well could have made him her equal and shared her knowledge, but chose not to. Why? Because she's selfish. She didn't want an equal, she wanted a servant. We know this because, if you romance and ascend Gale, he will ascend you alongside him and give you your own domain! Mystra had the power to do this, or at least the ability to slowly ease him into it, but she refused. No matter how much he pleaded and proved his devotion to her, she refused.

Mystra did not save Gale when the orb embedded itself in his chest. He survived only because it fed on his gifts. He says as much, and so does she when you go to see her at the Temple. That's why, when we first meet him, he admits he used to be better at magic. He was once exceedingly powerful, but the orb basically knocked him down to level one. Mystra was perfectly happy to let him scramble to find items to absorb, knowing that he would inevitably run out and erupt. When we give him his third item in Act 1, the orb is becoming quenchless, and he knows his time is nigh. Mystra has nothing to do with satiating the orb until Act 2 and 3, and only because he becomes her wild card.

Gale: Mystra will consider forgiveness?

Elminster: She will consider ... what she considers to be forgiveness.

Even Elminster, her most faithful Chosen, knows her "forgiveness" isn't really forgiveness. It's an ultimatum. Do this for me and be welcomed into my hall, or die and literally go to hell. Why would Mystra make this offer? Well, because why else would Gale agree to kill himself only to end up in the Wall of the Faithless? How would that motivate him? Mystra didn't make this offer out of the kindness of her heart, she made it because she was desperate. Had the opportunity never presented itself, she would've let him die and suffer for all eternity, and possibly take hundreds of innocent people with him in the blast. She. Doesn't. Care. 🤷‍♀️

Now, one could argue Gale was asking for too much, but I'm going to have to call bullshit on that. First of all, Mystra showed him things no mortal has ever seen. It's only fair he'd want to share her world and learn as much as possible. Imagine if the Doctor from Doctor Who picked up some random people and took them on breathtaking adventures, but the audience got mad at them for wanting to see as much as they could. Amy, Clara, Rose, etc.—none of them could live a normal life after meeting him, and they wanted to learn as much about the universe as possible. But everyone loves those characters. They don't get mad. There's even several episodes where the companions call the Doctor out for not treating them as equals, and he admits he's wrong for doing that and adjusts his way of thinking.

I would argue that the only real divide between Mystra and Shar/Vlaakith is that Mystra doesn't inflict physical pain ... most of the time. That's it. Vlaakith and Shar only care about themselves and the effectiveness of their followers, but the exact same applies to Mystra. She is the Weave, and she only cares about the Weave; therefore, she only cares about herself. She had ample opportunity to help Gale or tell him the truth, but she didn't until it was convenient for her. The gods of D&D are basically the Greek Pantheon gods—a bunch of assholes toying with mortals, regardless of their alignment. The odd one is decent, but most are only out for themselves and their rule. Now, I will concur that Mystra is hardly the worst deity (in fact, she's unfortunately one of the better ones), but she's still not great and Gale is her victim.

To get a little controversial, I think the writers made a mistake. I know what they were going for, but I think they lost it along the way. At first, I was ready to stand with everyone and admit he belonged in the quintessential "overreaching wizard full of hubris" category, but upon researching the lore, getting to know Gale better, and doing several different playthroughs, I've come to vehemently disagree. First of all, before 5E (the current D&D edition), becoming a god was the ultimate goal for a lot of players, and that was perfectly acceptable, with many DMs providing celestial paths to make it possible. Moreover, many of the current gods were once human themselves, including Mystra!

Second, it's only hubris if you fail. Gale can ascend. He can succeed. Although it's not the canon outcome I would choose for him, he is right about the crown. He does his research and figures out how to reforge it. And he doesn't seek godhood to be worshipped, he seeks it to either free himself (and all mortals) from Mystra's chains, or for her to acknowledge and love him as an equal. His arrogance stems from insecurity; an insecurity Mystra herself planted and cultivated, and in the end he's not really arrogant atfter all. Does him wanting to be Mystra's equal make him selfish? Well, I suppose that depends on how you answer these questions:

Is your partner equal to you? If you don't think so, why are you leading them on? Why wouldn't you take steps to help them become your equal? Why are you holding them back instead of propping them up? If they show interest in your life, in your world, in the things you can do, why would you keep it to yourself, especially when you have the time and resources to share it?

Just some ambrosia for thought. 😉

[iolaussharpe-24]

Am I just a delusional shipper or does this feel like it should have been a thing?

Spoilers for Gargoyles (1972) ahead.

"Go on, your voice pleases me."

"'The sin was not my own, but forced upon me by the incubus; who overnight did slip into my bedchamber and taunt and seduce me with demon's promises until I was as if on fire. He was of uncommon height and finely built. A devil's face of frightful beauty that did put me in a spell. I had no will of my own, but did let the incubus do his will until I was driven mad.'"

Those are actual lines out of the movie. I didn't paraphrase. At all. I played the scene where she was reading out of the book, and typed every word she said. This is a movie about demons who "sometimes take human women" who are trying to conquer the world. Also, in this movie, the gargoyles with wings are the breeders. This one says as much. He was basically the leader. His reaction to being told that he's lost is literally, "Not as long as there are two winged breeders."

Also, the way the gargoyle acts when he first sees Diana just SCREAMS "shipping fuel". If this were written in the modern day, they would have done it. You can't convince me otherwise. You know why I say that?

BECAUSE THE 90s DID IT!!!

I don't care that these two stories have nothing to do with one another. This is a really good comparison. And, even if it wasn't, I have plenty of fuel for this fire. (I don't even need my usual go-to of vampire movies to prove this point.)

Diana and The Gargoyle fit into two categories that I love and frequently ship. Hero/Villain (though I guess this is more damsel/villain) and Human/Monster. I'm going to give examples from both categories that I will die shipping. (They overlap quite a bit, actually.)

Jareth the Goblin King x Sarah Williams

Katara x Prince Zuko

Rey x Kylo Ren/Ben Solo

Vlad Dracula x Mina Murray/Mina Harker

Erik x Christine Daaé

Batman/Bruce Wayne x Catwoman/Selina Kyle

Elisa Esposito x The Amphibian Man

Catherine Chandler x Vincent

So, with all that context in mind,

DOES THIS REALLY LOOK LIKE THAT MUCH OF A STRETCH?!?!

[saltyfinalboss]

Ngl after watching the new episode of dead cells even though I love the queen upon her reveal I just kinda…went “where’s the servants” like. Where’s the Hand. Where’s Euterpe Calliope and Kleio. Are we like supposed to believe this is hundreds of years in the future from the island being freed or something? Why is the queen, yknow, so different from her actual in game personality. Why is she a pissed off sadist who doesn’t care about her people. In the game she literally sacrifices her freedom and life in an attempt to keep the outside world safe. Why is she ??????? Why would she pretend to be???? The king???????? Where’s the servant???????? Did she split the hand into five fingers?????? What????? Huh????

like I’m obviously gonna see the last episode but I’m just. H u h ?

yeah.. all of those are really great questions and i'm glad i'm not the only one who thought this! i actually have a lot to say about all that so this is gonna be a bit long.

honestly i knew that the servants or hotk wouldn't be in the show as soon as we got the show cover (full of new characters unrelated to dead cells), but after finishing the show i thought about it for a bit and it's just kind of like...

instead of the 5 "fingers of the king" they could've just had HOTK (middelus), time keeper (indexa), and the 3 servants for the other ones? like literally this would've been more accurate to the game (which imo is something that would enhance the show) and it would have taken minimal effort, too! the character designs are already there, no need to use time and effort and money to design new ones! you already have characters you can use with cool designs an ties to the dead cells world! for free! come on!

but they didn't do that, and i don't know why. my only guess is that they were very, VERY invested in the "haha hand of the king = 5 fingers of the king LOLL" joke, to the point where they just HAD to have 5 new original characters for it.

especially when they killed one of the new villains offscreen, and killed middelus with one stab after making hand puns for 30 seconds, it really felt like "oh so these new characters don't really matter, and you couldn't even be bothered to think of what to do with all of them, but still wanted 5 to complete the set". maybe it's not that deep but it just feels so stupid. they could've let cool dead cells characters shine, even for a little bit, but instead it was all just for one big stupid joke.

i wouldn't be as upset about the new characters if they weren't all jokes. i know dead cells is a funny game that pokes fun at itself and video games in general but they don't go as far as naming important characters stuff like "lore exposition" (laure esposito) and "thumbo".

anyways, i got a bit carried away there, back to the other stuff you pointed out. i don't think this show takes place before or after the story of dead cells, i think it's just a weird re-telling, which takes place in the middle of the malaise infection, though more people seem to be alive. trying to fit this show as a whole into the storyline of dead cells just doesn't work in my opinion. (which is ok because i don't think everything has to be in the same timeline, but it would've been cool if it was a prequel or sequel)

i didn't even realise how off the queens character was until you mentioned it, because she barely does anything after the reveal, but you're right! why is she like that? probably because they did not care. LOL. it's sad, i think she deserves better. as for her being in the kings body, i honestly don't know? like show-wise the explanation is obviously because they wanted to do a twist at the end. but in-universe she probably could've just ruled without pretending to be the king, i mean they're both equally powerful royalty. there's a little more about this in episode 10 but i don't think i heard an explanation when i watched it earlier. we'll see.

also totally missed opportunity to have her possess the kings corpse using her homunculus powers instead of whatever happened in the show (maybe it was homunculus possession but they still wanted the queen to have her body so she's recognisable,that's fair)

follow for more dead cells immortalis hatred

[junkdrawerfics]

the flustered detective

Kevin Ryan X Reader

Listen, I know this isn't Twilight, and I know this is like, a super random character that probably has such a small following, but I love him sooooo much, and had to write for him. So sue me, I'll probably write more for him.

Summary: You make Detective Ryan very nervous and everyone knows it. Even you. So yah, that's it, just a cute little fic about flustered Ryan.

Word Count: 1001

---

“Just go talk to her, man.”

Ryan jumps, jolted from his thoughts as his partner slaps him on the back. He casts Esposito a scowl, straightening his ruffled vest.

“I can’t just…talk to her,” he sighs out, defeat burning behind his tone, “I can barely get a word out when she’s around me!”

“I know,” Esposito snickers, “it’s pretty pathetic, actually.”

The glare leveled at him is deadly. Esposito holds his hands up defensively, inching away with a smirk still glued to his face.

“Sorry. Just saying. You need to man up and grow a-“

“What does Ryan need to do?” 

The sound of high heels clicking along the precinct floor makes both men go stock still. Beckett rounds the corner of her desk, fine brow raised as she lets her gaze drift between the two detectives. Castle pops up behind her, smiling ear to ear, which is never a good thing.

“I believe Espo here was trying to give our friend, Ryan, a little advice on his women troubles,” he hums, eyes crinkling at the corners. “Don’t worry, Ryan, I’m sure we can-“

“No, no no,” Ryan jumps to his feet before Castle can come up with another wild concoction of a plan. “I do not need advice from you-“ He points a finger at Javier and then spins to Castle. “And I definitely don’t need help from you, mister three divorces.” 

“It was two actually…” the writer mutters, looking at his shoes like a kicked puppy. 

Ryan gives him a pointed look, as if what he said sounds any better, “My point exactly. Listen, guys, I’m fine! I am perfectly capable of talking to (Y/n) myself.”

“Talking to me about what?”

The group freezes. Except Kate, who watches over the rim of her coffee cup, eyes dancing with amusement as Ryan goes beet red. You glance between the four, eyes wide with confusion as the men pass each other “looks”. They’re always so secretive, like they’re kids trying to carry out an awful plan. It’s more endearing than it is insulting, though. Esposito makes a show of shoving Ryan’s shoulder, making him face you before he saunters off to the break room.

“What’s going on, Ryan?” You ask as Beckett drags Castle off by the ear, against his dramatic protests.

“Oh, uh, with, with us? Nothing, we just um,” he coughs, blush spreading all the way to the tips of his ears. How cute. You fight back a smile, settling with a look of amusement that only seems to fluster him more. “We were just talking about a case! Yah a case. And I was going to…ask for your help?”

“Really?” You hum, head tilting ever so slightly. Ryan’s jaw clenches and he nods, lips pressed together tightly. You almost want to tease him a little more, see how far the blush goes, but you’re afraid his poor heart might give out. “Okay. I can help with your case! As long as Kate’s onboard.”

“Yah, yah, she, um, she’s totally onboard.” Ryan cringes at the lie. Hopefully Beckett won’t mind. 

“Great!” You smile, sticking out your hand. “I look forward to working with you, Detective Ryan.”

He nods again, rushing to take your outstretched hand. You giggle as he fumbles. Heat creeps up Ryan’s neck, and man, he wishes he could just say something smooth like Javier, or witty like Castle, but all he can do is laugh awkwardly, heart racing a mile a minute. Just because he’s holding your hand.

He’s a grown man, he chastises himself, a detective for the NYPD. He can break down doors and take on criminals, hell, even face torture, but the feeling of your hand in his? That’s what makes him crumble.

The man looks to be seconds from passing out, you realize, chest aching with something fond. You give his hand a gentle, reassuring squeeze.

“Hey,” you whisper, and those gorgeous blue eyes snap up to yours, wide and uncertain in a way you’ve never seen. It makes your chest ache even worse and your smile turns uncharacteristically soft for just a moment. “Easy tiger. You're doing great.”

That seems to help. Ryan forces his muscles to relax, taking a deep breath and nodding slowly. You give his hand one final squeeze. Your hands are so small compared to his, and not covered in calluses or scars, a thought he tries not to linger on as you slip away back to your desk. Just in time for his team to make a reappearance.

“Sooo?” Javier leans in front of him, eyebrows wagging, “What did you say, mister ‘I can talk to her myself’?”

“I um.” Ryan passes a hand over his neck, trying to get rid of the tingling sensation in his palm. Or maybe trying to lock it in his memory. “I may have…invited her onto the case?”

His partner's face falls. Esposito shakes his head, muttering disappointment under his breath, “Are you serious, man?”

“Yah, are you serious?” Kate presses, faking a frown. It’s impossible to be mad after watching that…ordeal play out. But she’s not one to miss an opportunity to mess with them. Just a little payback.

“It just-“ Ryan slumps back into his desk, shrugging his shoulders in defeat. “-happened. I didn’t know what else to say, okay? I just- I have the words in my head, and then she’s in front of me, and it’s like-“ He purses his lips, blowing out a sigh of frustration.

“It’s like everything gets scrambled and nothing fits together anymore,” Castle murmurs (casting a knowing glance towards Beckett, who returns it with a warning glare).

“Exactly. I just…I like her so much, you know?”

“Nope.”

Ryan just about socks Esposito in the face, glowering up at him, “Very helpful, Javi.”

“I understand, Ryan,” Kate offers.

“You do?” He perks up hopefully.

“Yah. I remember I had a hard time talking to this one guy I really liked…you know, back in middle school.”

Ryan groans, “I have no sanctuary.”

---

When I tell you I would die for this man-

[fluentmoviequoter]

Promises from Your Side

Requested Here!

Pairing: Javier Esposito x fem!neighbor!reader

Summary: Your neighbor Javi is flirty, but you try not to read much into it. When you're targeted because of a case he's working, you learn that he means everything he says and feels the same as you.

Warnings: angst, r is attacked (not graphic), mention of staying in the hospital, Spanish petnames, fluff and comfort

Word Count: 2.4k+ words

A/N: This is my first time writing for Javi!!! I hope it's okay and he's not too out of character. (I also haven't finished Castle so there's def no spoilers.) Please feel free to let me know what you think and I hope you enjoy!🤍

Javier Esposito is the life of the party and the NYPD detectives. So, when you hear him sigh heavily on his way down the hall, you’re surprised. His eyes are on his feet when he comes into your view, and you stop with your key in the lock to watch him.

“Are you okay, Javi?” you ask softly, pulling your hands together.

“Better now,” he flirts. His eyes rise to yours, and he smiles, but it’s not the same as usual. Something happened; you can tell that much.

“Do you want to talk about it, or…”

“If we start talking it’s not going to be about my long day, chica.”

You press your lips together and look down. Javi flirts with you as often as he can, and though you have an ever-growing crush on your unattainable neighbor, you constantly tell yourself it’s just his personality.

“Sorry,” he adds.

“For what?” you question.

“You looked away again. I’ll try to control myself.”

“I’ll believe that when I see it. Or don’t,” you joke lightly.

“Is that a challenge, hermosa?”

Javi steps closer to you, and you smile as you nod. Even if Javi Esposito is the definition of ‘out of your league,’ there’s no rule that says you can’t have a little fun with him, right? Javi extends his right hand with his head cocked challengingly. You wipe your hand on your top before you place your palm on his. Javi wraps his fingers around your hand and pulls you closer.

“Game on,” he whispers.

“I think you’re already losing,” you murmur, though your breathlessness tells Javi he’s doing the opposite of losing.

His phone buzzes in his pocket, and your hand falls to your side as he retrieves it. You watch Javier’s expression change as he reads the message.

“I have to go back to the station,” he tells you without looking up. “I’ll try again tomorrow.”

“Sure, you will, vaquero.”

Javi leaves without acknowledging your Spanish (and ego-boosting) nickname, and you know that whatever case he is working on must be rough. As you enter your apartment, you remind yourself that Javi has plenty of people who can help and comfort him. Maybe one day you’ll challenge yourself to tell him how you feel about him. Today, the idea alone gives you shivers.

“Nice timing, Ryan!” Javi yells.

“You just got here; how are you already mad at me?” Ryan replies.

“It’s probably your fault,” Castle interjects.

“No!” Javi argues. He turns to point at Castle as he accuses, “It’s your fault. This entire case is your fault, and now everyone we care about is in danger!”

“How was I supposed to know a homicidal maniac would get obsessed with my new book?”

“Boys!” Beckett shouts. “This isn’t helping. If we want to get this guy off the street before he does something else, something worse, we have to keep working the case.”

“Wait,” Ryan says. “Nice timing on what, Espi?”

“The text about someone targeting our loved ones,” Javi answers. “What else?”

“I didn’t send you a text.”

Castle stands and walks toward the murder board. Beckett asks to see the text and reads it several times with her brows pinched. Javi shifts on his feet, worried about you and wondering how this qualifies as working the case.

“It’s not that hard to hack messages,” Beckett points out as she returns Javi’s phone.

“Even easier to send a text when you’re in the room with the phone,” Castle adds.

“Castle, what?”

Castle points to a note on the murder board and explains, “He was here.”

“You may be getting closer but it’s still ice cold,” Ryan reads. “This is a restricted area. I’ll check the cameras. Javi, find the sign-in sheet. Beckett, Castle… do whatever it is you two do.”

As you sit in bed and think about Javi, someone knocks on your door. The clock on your phone says it’s a few minutes after 10 p.m., and you know you aren’t expecting company. You stay in place, assuming the person is at the wrong apartment, and will realize in a moment. A minute ticks by slowly, and there’s no second knock.

“That’s what I thought,” you mumble.

In the dark, you let your thoughts wander back to the conversation with Javi in the hallway. He pulled you close, flirted, and called you things that you’ve never thought of yourself as. You smile to yourself, but a quick tapping noise draws your attention. It stops quickly, but you keep your eyes on the door. The lights in your apartment are still on, so you decide to walk out of your room and see if something fell. The building is old, so you’re used to odd noises here and there, but the tapping is one you haven’t grown immune to.

When you step into your living room and see the door standing open, you realize that what you heard was far worse than the floorboards creaking above you. Turning quickly to retrieve your phone, you don’t see someone reach for the light switch. You run into your room when the lights turn off, but the footsteps behind you are faster than yours. You’re tackled to the floor before you can get your phone to call for help.

The man above you leans his weight against your shoulders to keep you pinned down. “You’re special,” he says.

“I’m not,” you argue weakly. “I’m not.”

“That’s not what Detective Javier Esposito of NYPD Homicide said.”

“He’s just my neighbor.” Your voice drops halfway through your sentence, and the man above you laughs at your growing shyness and fear.

“Let’s see if he keeps talking when he has one more murder to solve. What did the character say again? ‘It stays in the family, blood or other.’ Rick Castle was onto something this time. Some families just need to go away.”

“It’s just a story,” you say through scared tears.

“And yours is ending.”

He raises one hand, and you brace yourself for a hit. When his hand slides to his pocket instead, you choke on a cry and close your eyes. You continue to think about Javi, but this time, you can only imagine him coming home and saving you.

“Shocker,” Javi grumbles as he looks through the sign-in sheet. “Half of them are illegible.”

“How’s the camera looking, Ryan?” Beckett asks.

“The camera is in that corner over there, so we can see a lot of people’s back walking past the board, stopping beside it to talk or waste time. But nothing else. The lights glare on that side of the board, too, so I can’t even tell what time the note appeared.”

“That’s great,” Beckett sighs. “So, what do we do instead?”

Javi’s phone rings. His brows raise as he reads the caller ID, but he answers quickly and greets, “Hey, cariño. Miss me already?”

“Who is he talking to?” Beckett whispers.

“It’s Javi,” Castle points out. “That could be anyone.”

“No, it couldn’t,” Ryan adds.

“Talk to me,” Javi requests. Javi says your name as he stands, and Ryan gestures in a see? motion. “Are you okay? Are you hurt?” Javi demands.

With each hit the man above you delivers, and every threat that he makes, you go farther into your bedroom. You use your hands and feet to push you, and even though he follows you into a corner where you’re pinned, you know that you are going the right way. When Javi first met you, he gave you something for ‘those long nights when he’s away from you.’ The taser has been in a drawer since then, but this is one of those nights.

“Pinned yourself in a trap, didn’t you?” the murderer taunts. “You shy types make it too easy.”

He turns away from you, and you take the chance to pull your taser from the drawer. As you depress the trigger and the man tips backward rigidly, you scramble backward, away from him. The man groans before he crawls forward to stand. You push yourself against the wall and raise the taser again.

“I’ll be back,” he threatens shakily.

You watch as he staggers out of your room. He slams the door behind him, and you hear something snap on the other side. The front door closes loudly too, and you know you only have a few moments to call for help. After you get your phone and make sure the taser has another cartridge in it, you crawl into your closet and duck behind your hamper. Tears continue to stream down your face and your breathing comes in ragged, shallow exhales. You count to 100, ignoring the pain radiating throughout your body, then dial Javi’s number.

Javi answers after two rings, and you don’t consider the fact that you’ve never called him while he was at work before until he says, “Hey, cariño. Miss me already?”

You don’t answer, but his voice causes a buried sob to well up, and it breaks through, interrupting your labored breathing.

When Javi speaks again, he’s more serious than you imagined he could be.

“Talk to me,” he requests. “Are you okay? Are you hurt?”

“Javi,” you cry. “He’s coming back.”

“I’m on my way.”

You hear two voices, male and female, call Javi’s name. He doesn’t answer and you see a mental image of him leaving his partners Beckett and Ryan – who you’ve met once – to get to you. Of all the things Javier Esposito is or claims to be, you always knew he was a good guy beneath the flirting and meaningless advances.

As Javi rushes out, Beckett and Ryan look at each other and shrug. They know about you and Javi, probably more than you and Javi do. Despite his track record for flirting with every woman he sees, the way he treats you has always been different.

“Mi cielo, breathe,” Javi reminds you. You hear his car engine rev as he speaks.

You close your eyes and try to pretend that Javi is sitting beside you, but until he is, you won’t be okay. And even then, you’ll have injuries and pain to think about.

“I’m here,” Javi says. “I’m going to kick your door in. It’s just me.”

“He’s coming back.”

Javi kicks the front door open, and you flinch harshly at the sound. Your phone drops because of your sudden movement, and Javi breaks your bedroom door down before you can retrieve it.

“Cariño!” Javi calls.

You push the hamper out of the way and look up at Javi with tearful eyes. His eyes darken before he steps toward you. Slowly, he kneels beside you as his eyes roam your body. You look down slowly, but Javi stops you with a kind hand on your chin.

“You tased him,” Javi whispers. “Good job.”

“How do you-“

“Officer found him in the bathroom.”

“He said he’d come back.”

Javi sits back and pulls you into his arms. Your injuries are worse than what he expected to see, but he needs to hold you just as much as you need to be held. With your face against his shoulder, you inhale deeply and whisper, “Thank you.”

“Por siempre y para siempre,” Javi promises softly.

Carefully, Javi removes his arms from around you and moves backward. He helps you stand and demands you go to the hospital. When his hand slides into yours, you don’t argue with his instructions.

After two nights in the hospital, you return to your apartment building. Both of your hands are clasped around one of Javi’s as he leads you to the elevator. He hasn’t left your side since he found you hiding in the closet, and you aren’t sure you can survive being away from him again.

The elevator doors open, and you step out and then stop. Javi steps back to stand beside you and looks into your eyes.

“Javi, I don’t…” you begin, your voice barely above a whisper. “I can’t go back in there.”

Javi smiles as he shakes his head. He whispers for you to follow him, and you do so without a doubt about your safety or well-being. You stop outside his door, then happily accept when he invites you inside.

“Look, I know that our relationship isn’t… ordinary. I flirt and you get shy, but I mean it,” Javi says. “I want you to stay here as long as you want. You’re safe here, and I won’t let anything happen to you again.”

“It’s not your fault, Javi,” you respond.

He smiles brightly, and you tilt your head to the side in question.

“You didn’t say no to my offer of staying,” he explains.

“I don’t want to say no.”

“Good. Let’s get you comfortable, and I will be the handsomest nurse you’ve ever seen.”

You roll your eyes, but as Javi begins fussing over what you should wear to be comfortable and how the pillows are arranged, you understand that he really does mean it all.

“Javi,” you call.

He stops by the kitchen island, on a mission to get an ice pack for your bruised side and a fresh bandage for the cut above your eyebrow.

“I, um, I have a crush on you. I’ve had it since we met,” you admit.

“I had a dream just like this once.”

“Me, injured on your couch and admitting that I like you?”

“You didn’t have so many bruises.”

“Thank you, for everything.”

You lean back and hiss in pain. Javi reprimands you gently for doing that without his help, but you have to breathe sometimes. He’s been at your side, doing anything and everything he can to help you since before you arrived at the hospital. And he really is the most handsome nurse you’ve seen.

Someone knocks on Javi’s door, and he raises a finger to you before he opens it. Ryan looks over Javi’s shoulder, sees you on the couch, and nods.

“I just came to let you know we found the officer our guy paid $20 to pass along the message to us. Genius, right? But I can see you have better things to focus on. Take your time, man,” Ryan says. “Feel better!”

“Thank you,” you call.

“Don’t talk to him,” Javi says as he returns to your side. “That’s not good for your recovery.”

“So, I never get to meet your friends even after I almost died for one of your cases?”

Javi pulls you under his arm and against his side. You lay your head against his chest and listen to his heartbeat.

“Do you think I’ll ever stop being scared?” you murmur, running your finger along Javi’s shirt. “That I’ll stop thinking about him when I close my eyes.”

Javi shifts his arm to hold you tighter and dips his chin to look at your face. “You will. I promise you will.” You nod, and Javi asks, “Want to know how I know?”

“I do.”

“Because I’ve got you. And I’m not going anywhere.”

[steampunkforever]

So. Megalopolis. The world's first Solarpunk film. My prediction is that it'll be a misunderstood sci-fi cult hit 30 years from now, yet I can't say it doesn't deserve some of the razzing it receives today. It's a film in which Coppola tackles America as Empire (and subsequent decline), bourgeois excesses, his own legacy as the patriarch of a dynasty, and the very question of what it means to be an artist. It was bound to be a bit messy, but this doesn't preclude me from loving the film.

I'll preface this with the fact that I'm a documented Coppola shill, and my appreciation for his work and legacy means I'm not judging this in a vacuum. Yet I saw this film with my betrothed, who hated it, and I don't necessarily blame here there, even though I had a great time.

Coppola sold his winery for this. Megalopolis is a final film even if it isn't The Final Coppola film. It's a movie he's been trying to make since he wrapped on Apocalypse Now. There will be no more Coppola epics at this scale. And so with this framing I can understand some of his indulgence in making an epic on his own terms.

The story itself is twisty, referencing the Catalinarian conspiracy heavily as it weaves a story about an architect attempting to build a utopian city that will outlast the crumbling empire of New Rome, which is basically NYC where everyone talks like they've just left Baz Luhrmann's Romeo + Juliet. It's a film that tackles fascism and scandal and what it means to build a future as the present falls to pieces, featuring Adam Driver as the architect flying in the face of it all to make something in spite of outward pressures trying to crush him.

The movie mostly pulls it off. What it doesn't pull off are relatively small things that stack up to be much bigger problems. The stilted classicist-lite dialog cuts in and out like weak radio signal, Shia LaBeouf's character is written decently but in ways that speak to debauchery of the 70s but ring more regressive for a modern context, Nathalie Emmanuel is out her depth trying to act with a script and direction that clearly do not help her pull the role off (I don't hate her as an actress but this role does not work for her) and the end of the film rings a tad sappy, which is understandable but all of this adds up!

Even so, the film still manages to shine. Giancarlo Esposito is fantastic in this. The visuals are gorgeous. Aubrey Plaza absolutely kills in her role as Wow Platinum. The cast is stellar overall. The core concepts of the film are engaging, and Coppola's approach kept me interested through the full 2 hour 18 minutes of the movie. Francis hasn't forgotten how to make films, even if he's breaking some rules on this last one. For all its foibles, I can't say that this is a bad movie.

The end result is a film that reads like a Manic Rendition of Brazil trying to tie a web of subjects together on corkboard with thumbtacks and red string, all directed by someone with a chronic case of being Italian. There is genius in the mess and yet I could not call it a triumph, even though I enjoyed it immensely. Well worth the watch, you should definitely go see this one.

[whatstruthgottodowithit]

Does He Love You?

Fandom: Elvis, Elvis Presley, Elvis 2022, RPF

Pairing: Elvis Presley x Female Reader, Elvis Presley x Ann-Margaret

Characters: Elvis Presley, Female Reader, Ann-Margaret, Jerry Schilling, Joe Esposito, Red West, Sonny West, Colonel Tom Parker

Word Count: 3225

Rating: Explicit

Summary: Does he love you, like he loves me?

Tags/Warnings: Request, Requested Fic, Vaginal Sex, Kissing, Arguing, Cheating, Infidelity, Drunk Arguments, Betrayal, Angst, Hurt, Affairs, Established Relationship, Reba Song

Notes: This kinda reminded me of a Reba song at the end. It was giving me Jolene vibes but Ann Margaret knew they weren’t meant to be im sure.

Elvis Tags: @caitlin1996 @literally-just-elvis-fics @notstefaniepresley

Request by @elvispresleyxoxo - yes that’s completely fine! I was wondering if you could do one where reader knows elvis is cheating with ann margaret and confront him in front of all of the memphis mafia maybe even ann margaret if your comfortable with that! she tells elvis that she loves him ,shares like smutty details about there sex life ( if ann margaret is there could reader be like does he do that to you to, but again if your uncomfortable with that you don’t have to write that) , just overall a messy argument in front of everyone. but in the end elvis lashes out and takes her into another room and makes love to her and everyone can hear them she comes back like embarrassed but yk forgives him , you can choose the ending around the ann margaret situation if your comfortable writing that part x

One would think that being in a relationship with Elvis Presley would be fun. And for the most part, it is but not always. Sometimes the glitz and the glamour of Hollywood isn't parties and shows, it's dreadfully boring meetings with studio executives that come disguised as evening dinner parties. Whilst Elvis allowed the Colonel to negotiate most of the deals he was required to be present, something that no doubt allowed the Colonel to do what he wanted whilst having the excuse that Elvis never protested even though he was ten people down the table. As long as Elvis showed up the Colonel was happy but to keep Elvis happy he needed distractions. Which was why he brought friends. Members of the Mafia or me, someone he could talk to whilst they hashed out details of contracts that didn't interest him. The upside of these meetings was that they were largely comped by the networks meaning they were almost exclusively held in fancy hotels or restaurants rather than the dreary offices of Paramount. That was why tonight we would be dining at Perino's.

As we walked into the room my eyes roved over the table that was already jam-packed full of people, as ever we were the last to arrive. The majority of it was made up of men in stiff suits, business types, and members of Elvis' entourage who always tried so desperately to fit in at these things but somehow always seemed to look like boys play acting as Hollywood bigwigs. And then my eyes landed on the end of the table. On the only other woman in the room. Ann-Margaret.

Whilst Elvis' schmoozed his way through the crowd of people that had jumped up to greet him my eyes remained locked on her. Her red-golden hair was pushed back from her face, her natural makeup accentuating her large eyes and full lips in the dim ambient lighting. She looked beautiful. She was chatting to a man I didn't know seemingly unbothered by our entrance, a fact that made my heart sink. After all, why would she? She knew Elvis well. Too well. The novelty of his presence had no doubt rubbed off for her.

A million thoughts circled in my mind. What was she doing here? Had Elvis invited her? Had the network? I didn't know which of those options was worse. Either way, it signalled that she wasn't going anywhere much to my sadness. They had just debuted their first film together, Viva Las Vegas, and it was a hit. Elvis had even seemed to enjoy himself on this production which I was ecstatic for. He seemed more lenient with the scripts, happier to sing the same old songs he'd been given and altogether more enthusiastic whenever he'd called home. It was only when I flew out to Vegas for the last few days of filming I saw why.

I couldn't blame him I supposed. After all she was a beautiful, charming and magnetic woman. The press liked her. The Mafia liked her. Elvis liked her. But I couldn't bring myself to. He'd been like this before of course. No matter what I did he couldn't seem to stay true yet none of the others ever bothered me...but she did. Because I could feel the way he felt about her. The others never bothered me because I knew he didn't love them but with her? The potential was there. Another two or three films, who knew what could happen?

Tears stung at my eyes but I forced them back, going through the motions of greeting people until I could finally drop down into my seat beside Elvis. Ann-Margaret was sitting on his other side. I didn't listen to either of them as they started to talk. Instead, I grabbed the bottle of wine that had been left on the table and poured myself a large glassful, immediately sipping it down as much as I could. Neither of them even noticed.

✵✵✵

I didn't want to talk. I didn't want to even be here. As everyone laughed and joked around me I sat in silence nursing whatever number glass of wine I was up to and watching Elvis and Ann-Margaret talk. It was like slow torture. Every laugh, every coy smile, every touch of the hand was like another rock being placed on my chest until I couldn't breathe. I had to get out of there. I stood up from the table, gripping onto it for balance as the alcohol in my system hit me full on making me woozy.

'You alright honey?' Elvis said, finally noticing me. His hand gently touched the back of mine but I pulled mine out from under his.

'Fine, I just need the restroom,' I said. Elvis looked at me curiously but I didn't stay there long enough for him to ask any questions. I wanted to cry. Or scream. Or throw up. I fled to the bathroom and locked myself in the stall, trying to calm myself down. I knew there was no point getting upset. I couldn’t make a scene and I couldn’t go home not without Elvis wondering what was wrong so I put on my most composed expression and returned to the table trying to ignore the tears that threatened to spill over at any moment. I hurried my way back to my seat, noticing how the waiters had started arriving at the table placing our orders down in front of us. As a bowl full of pasta dropped into place in front of me a young waiter appeared at Elvis' side.

'Steak?' the waiter asked.

'Here,' Elvis said, allowing him to place the plate down in front of him. My eyes scanned his plate though where I expected to see a block of charcoal in place of steak I found a normal-looking piece of meat looking back at me.

'You should send that back,' I blurted out. Elvis looked at me for a second, suddenly realising I was back in the room, and shook his head.

'It's fine,' Elvis said as he picked up his napkin and dropped it on his lap.

'It's rare,' I said.

'Like I said it's fine,' Elvis said.

'You hate your food rare,' I said, utterly perplexed. It was true. Any who knew him knew that unless it was absolutely cremated Elvis wouldn't eat it. Before now he'd sent food back in restaurants up to three times until it was completely obliterated.

'It's not a big deal,' Elvis gritted out looking up the table. My voice had been louder than intended thanks to the alcohol meaning I was no longer the only one looking at him. He was now the spectacle of the show with almost everyone peering down the table at what was going on. He didn't flounder though and instead he cut a neat piece of meat off the end and though he couldn't stop himself from grimacing as blood oozed out onto his plate he hoyed it into his mouth and choked it down all the same.

'How is it?' I asked after it was gone.

'Fine,' he said, taking a sip of his iced water.

'See!' Ann said placing a dainty hand on his bicep, 'I told you it wouldn't be that bad.'

'What?' I said, confused. She looked at me with a smile though Elvis kept his head down sheepishly.

'Last time we had dinner he ordered this thing, it looked more like a tire than a piece of meat, and I told him all that burnt stuff was bad for his health,' she said, 'too many carcinogens. It's much healthier to have your meat medium or rare.'

'Yeah, I think I've heard that before,' Joe said from the side of me.

'The question is what isn't bad for you these days,' Sonny chimed in, 'though good on you for makin' EP change his mind about the bits of rubber he calls meat.'

'Yeah that's a feat in itself,' Joe said. Their conversation continued but I couldn't join in. My blood was boiling, the alcohol well and truly taking hold as I watched him. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. After years of moaning at him to eat someone that resembled an edible meal and him refusing he’d elected to make a change after one meal with her. It was like a punch to the gut. My jealousy took a hold consuming every fibre of my being. Elvis wasn't paying much attention and was instead scarfing down his pink steak punctuating it with sips of water to no doubt dilute the taste. My focus didn't land on him however, it landed across the table. I wanted to make her feel as bad as I did. To ruin her night like she had ruined mine. I could feel my words coming on fast and there was no way to stop them.

'Oh, I don't know. I wouldn’t say it’s that hard to change his mind,' I said taking a sip of wine as I rested back in my chair. I could feel several pairs of eyes land on me, including Elvis and Ann's.

'Remind me of that when I'm trying to pry him out of bed to go to the lot,' Joe chuckled.

'You just need to know how to handle him,' I said, 'ain’t that right sweetie?'

'You think you can handle me?' Elvis said quirking an eyebrow. He was playing along in front of the boys but I could see him hesitate, not knowing where I was going with it.

'Of course, though it seems like I'm not the only one. Right, Ann?' I asked with a fake smile. Ann glanced at Elvis and then back at me.

'Oh I wouldn't say I can handle him like you,' she said an embarrassed blush on her pretty face.

'But he listens to you,’ I said, ‘I mean you got him to eat something other than black steak. That’s some feat.’

‘Like I said it’s nothing,’ she said shifting awkwardly in her seat. I didn’t care though. I could feel more and more people staring curiously at me, wondering what the hell I was going on about, Elvis too but I didn’t pay them any attention.

‘How did you do it?’ I said.

‘What?’ she asked glancing at Elvis for help.

‘It’s a simple question,’ I said leaning forward and running my finger around the rim of my wine glass, ‘I mean I know how I’d do it. You know one time Elvis took me shopping and I found this beautiful Chanel number, you remember that right honey? The one with all the buttons? Anyway, he’s moaning about it telling me it looks like something a sailor would wear but me? I love it, so you know I did?’

‘What?’ Ann said quietly unable to ignore me as I watched her intently my gaze never wandering from her green eyes.

‘I got down on my knees and blew him right there in the dressing room,’ I said.

‘Y/N!’ Elvis snapped.

‘Soon got him to change his mind-’

‘That’s enough,’ Elvis said.

‘You know he can’t even see anything naval without sporting wood,’ I giggled.

‘Stop it,’ Elvis said standing up and yanking me out of my seat by my bicep. Though his grip was tight on my arm it was a good job he was holding me as I was unsteady enough that I would’ve toppled over if it hadn’t been for him.

‘What? We’re just swapping girly stories, right Annie? I bet she could tell me just how she gets you to do stuff don’t you think? I bet it’s not all that dissimilar, huh baby?’ I sneered.

‘You’re drunk,’ he said.

‘And you’re screwing your co-star,’ I said. Joe pushed my other side keeping me on balance as I yanked my arm out of Elvis’ grasp. Ann’s face paled before going deep crimson as she dropped her gaze to her lap. Elvis said nothing his face thunderous as everyone watched the pair of us just looking at each other.

‘Can’t even deny it can you?’ I said looking at him. I shook my head, grabbed the bottle of wine off the table and walked off out into the foyer. I didn’t know where I was going. The car wouldn’t be waiting and I didn’t feel like heading outside. I didn’t need to worry though as I felt a hand grasp my elbow, pushing me towards a door until I was roughly thrust through it into a storeroom of sorts. I fell inside, looking up to find Elvis standing by the door blocking my only exit.

‘What the hell do you think you’re playing at?!’ he snapped.

‘Me?! You’re fucking someone else and you’re angry at me!?’ I baulked.

‘It’s not like that,’ he said.

‘Yeah sure,’ I snorted.

‘Nothing’s going on,’ he said.

‘Nothing’s going on now? Or nothing’s ever happened,’ I said coming towards him. His jaw was tight as he looked down at me but my expression never changed. I was challenging him to tell me I was wrong.

‘It’s over,’ he said making me pull back shaking my head, ‘it has been for a while.’

‘Since I came to town and spoiled your fun?’ I said taking a swig from my bottle before setting it down on a shelf.

‘Since I remembered how much I love you,’ he said making me roll my eyes, ‘what you don’t believe me?’

‘Until I’m not around right,’ I said.

‘It’s not like that,’ he said coming towards me. I folded my arms across my chest to stop him from touching me, ‘you don’t think I know how pathetic I am? That I don’t know I’m weak? I know I’m not worth the ground you walk on and yet you still keep me around. I know I don’t deserve you Y/N…but I love you and I’m sorry.’

‘You always are,’ I said an errant tear trickling down my cheek. He moved to wrap his arms around me but I stayed still, letting his strong hold engulf me.

‘Do you love her?’ I said in almost a whisper. He was so close to me that I could feel the warmth of his breath on my face, the heat of his body matching that of my own.

‘Not as much as I love you,’ he said pressing his forehead to mine before he placed a kiss on my cheek. His lips kissed my tears away until finally, they landed on my lips. He kissed me, waiting for my permission to take it further. I tried to stop. I knew I should. But I loved him. I always would, so I moved my lips against his. He took this as a positive sign and deepened the kiss pushing me backwards until my back hit the wall. I didn’t do much of the work. His lips were everywhere all at once, touching every piece of skin they could find and leaving fire in their wake. His kisses were interspersed by murmurs of adoration as if his words could wipe away his actions for good.

‘I love you,’ he said as his hand slipped under my dress, teasing through my folds before he moved my panties to the side and slipped inside me, hoisting me up until my legs were wrapped around his waist. The wall was uncomfortable against my back but I couldn’t focus on that as Elvis’ fingers made their way to my sensitive bud, stroking it in time with his movements in and out of me. His name was all I could manage to whimper against his neck as the feeling of ecstasy started mounting in my core.

‘Baby,’ he grunted as his hips started faltering in rhythm.

‘Oh god,’ I said trembling around him with a whimper. He moved his hips in haphazard snaps against me until he groaned loudly, his breath hot and wet against my neck as he buried his face against my skin. After a moment he came round, pressing his forehead against mine. I could feel him softening inside me yet neither of us moved, my fingers tracing small circles on the nape of his neck as our breaths intermingled.

‘I love you,’ he said after a moment.

‘Enough to stop seeing her?’ I said.

‘Like I said. It’s over,’ he said pulling away from me so he could gently place me on my feet. His hand was tender against my cheek, his thumb stroking against my skin gently. I watched his face for a moment as if I would be able to tell the future from his expression alone. I knew it was pointless. I knew that whatever was going to happen in the future would happen regardless. But I loved him. With everything I had.  So, I pulled away and nodded ever so slightly. He kissed the top of my head and then led me out of the storage cupboard. There weren’t many people in the foyer but those that were there were sure to know what had just transpired. Joe, Sonny, Red and Jerry congregated by the door of the dining room probably unsure of what they were supposed to be doing in Elvis' absence. That or they were forming a human barrier in case I wanted to head back inside for round two.

‘Give me a minute,’ he said squeezing my hand before he dropped it and headed over to the boys where they began talking in hushed whispers. I could feel the eyes of the waitstaff watching me as I stood in the foyer and so I quickly ducked into the restroom to freshen up. I looked a little messy. My tears had given me black smudges under my eyes and my lipstick was smudged from Elvis kissing me. I grabbed a paper towel and started to retouch the damage but I slowed my actions down as I noticed the toilet door opening.

Ann stepped out.

‘Oh,’ she said, ‘um sorry I didn't know-’

‘It’s fine,’ I said straightening up and tossing the paper towel in the trash.

‘Y/N,’ she said coming towards me offering to put a tender hand on my shoulder but I moved out of her way.

‘Don’t,’ I said. We stood there watching each other for a moment. I didn’t know what I was feeling. Anger. Sadness. Who knew? Whatever it was it felt awful and it was made even worse by the fact she looked genuinely remorseful.

‘I really am sorry,’ she said.

‘Just,’ I said my words disappearing. I didn’t know what to say. After all, how could I blame her? The charm, looks and appeal she had been lured in by was the one that kept me hooked. I couldn’t resist it any more than she could. How could I blame her for giving in to temptation?

‘I can’t lose him,’ I said. My hand was on the door handle now, my gaze locked on it as I refused to look up at her.

‘You were never going to,’ she said capturing my attention, ‘I’m not what he wants.’

‘Yeah, who’d want a gorgeous movie star, right?’ I said.

‘It's what he wants for a night. You get his mornings. His afternoons. You’re the one he calls when he’s had a bad day,’ she said, her eyes were sad though she was wearing a sympathetic smile, ‘you’re the one who’ll get his last name.’

‘I hope you’re right,’ I said and with that, I slipped out of the bathroom. Elvis looked around as I came out. He was standing with Jerry, waiting for me by the main entrance, the others sent to handle whatever needed fixing on my behalf.

‘Everything okay honey?’ he murmured as he wrapped his arm around my shoulders and led me outside.

‘Fine,’ I said with a small sigh, ‘just fine.’

[themosleyreview]

The Mosley Review: Abigail

Oh what a time the horror genre is having this early into the year! We just had an awesome take on demonic possession and now, the team behind the great current Scream sequels and the outstanding Ready or Not, deliver yet another insanely fun horror film. I can't think of the last time we had a good vampire film that was straight forward and not about the depression of living forever or some boring slog of a teen romance. This film from the beginning throws you right into the story and sets up the players pretty quickly while leaving enough mystery to keep you on the edge of your seat. Time management and speed are always the key elements when it comes to the horror thrillers and this film excels at that. Not only do the thrills keep coming, but the violence on display is actually story driven and inventive at times. The cast alone is what makes or breaks these type of films and they truly make this film because you care about each one in a unique way.

Alisha Weir was outstanding and intense as Abigail. There are so many layers to her performance that many would not be able to achieve at her at age. There is a level of regalness, experience and that deep seated joy in the hunt for her food. What I loved is that she actually retained her humanity in many moments and was honest. Melissa Barrera was awesome as Joey and I loved the compassion in her voice and her steadfast strength in the film. She may be one of the smartest and untrusting people in the room, but she was also the most balanced. The chemistry between her and Abigail was the heart of the film and was fascinating to see their plot unfold. Dan Stevens was great and unflinching as Frank. I loved that he was the most aggressive and sometimes cunning of the group with his more controlling nature. Kathryn Newton is always a joy to see on screen and as Sammy, she was the classic young and spunky character that enjoyed the thrill of the heist. Kevin Durand is one of those actors that you love to see and he can capture your heart with his charm. As Peter, he may have been the big brute of the group, but he had a heart of gold and it shines in his chemistry with Sammy. William Catlett was cool and active as Rickles. He had the right ideas about the situation they were in, but acted a little too late. He was the strong silent type, but I think him and Joey would've made a great team. The late Angus Cloud was good as Dean and even though I sometimes had a hard time understanding him with the mumbling of his lines, he still had charm and was hilarious in some great scenes. Giancarlo Esposito continues to be a powerhouse on screen and as Lambert, he may not be in the film alot, but his presence is felt in the set up of the story and throughout the film.

The score by Brian Tyler was excellent and nails the thrilling pace of the film and underscores the intense moments of violence. When it comes to the violence, the gore in this film was absolutely satisfying and the build up to each kill or gross out visual was well done. The sound and effects team really know how to make each bite impactful and each pop look and sound so powerful. Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett of Radio Silence truly love the horror genre and have made yet another glorious horror thriller that re-invigorates the vampire genre in such a fun way. They follow the rules they set up in the beginning and do not waver. This is definitely one of my favorite films of the year and I can't wait to watch this again. Let me know what you thought of the film or my review in the comments below. Thanks for reading!

[imzadi-caskett-huddy]

It Started With a Kiss (2/?)

This chapter is taken from the episode “Lucky Stiff,” so according to the original air dates, it takes place 2 weeks after the last chapter. “Knockdown” aired on Jan 24 and “Lucky Stiff” aired on Feb 7.

Once again, I want to point out that the events unfold exactly as they happen on the show, with the exception of what you see written here. The storylines are all connected…each chapter is NOT standalone.

I still, unfortunately, do not own Castle.

xxxxx

Two weeks. It had been two weeks since that undercover kiss, since that night at her apartment where the whiskey had made him brave enough to tell her he was in love with her and kiss her. Two weeks since her hand on his chest had ever so gently pushed him away. They hadn’t talked about either kiss since that night, and they certainly hadn’t talked about his confession; he hadn’t been brave enough while sober, and he figured she didn’t want to make things awkward between them. It was like an unspoken rule, a line that they danced around but neither dared to cross…and when he had dared to smudge it that night, she had carefully pushed him back on the other side.

He hadn’t been able to get the two kisses out of his head, for different reasons. The kiss at her apartment had lasted maybe 3 or 4 seconds before she had pushed him away, long enough for her to have allowed it to happen; it wasn’t like she instantly shoved him back. No, it was more like she was stopping herself from allowing it to continue. She hadn’t returned that kiss, but he’d still felt a spark. Maybe the reason she wouldn’t allow that kiss to continue any longer than it had was because of the way their first kiss had started so innocently and then quickly grown into a raging inferno.

That undercover kiss still haunted his dreams. The way her lips felt against his, the way she had been the one to dive into that second kiss, the way she’d been the one to invade his mouth with her tongue…aggressively…the way she moaned; that hadn’t been his imagination, and it certainly hadn’t been all a show. The guard hadn’t been close enough to tell if they were kissing with tongue, so it certainly hadn’t been necessary.

He’d dreamt about her nearly every night since then. They all started the same…with that ridiculously hot kiss. They all had similar endings…with them in various states of undress, grinding against each other for release either up against a wall in the alley or against her car,

even in the back of her car. And then he always woke up alone, feeling the ghost of her fingers in his hair, the way her tongue danced against his, the way she’d bitten his lip, still able to taste her on his lips. After every dream, he’d take a few moments to savor the memories before pulling himself from bed and heading for his shower to find relief; it was almost ritualistic at this point.

Their latest case had her asking him if he’d go undercover with her again, in a club. He’d eagerly agreed; undercover work was fun, and spending time with her on an almost date in a club…no way was he going to turn her down and have her ask Ryan or Esposito to join her. He was her partner, he had her back; he was going to keep showing up for her. He realized, though, after seeing the dress she was wearing, that it was going to be a long evening of torture for him. And when he saw the way she handled his Ferrari, he knew he was in deep trouble.

Beckett danced her way into the club and through the crowd, Castle following close behind as always, but he wasn’t dancing. He was too preoccupied watching the way her body moved…it was mesmerizing. When she got a little space on the dance floor, she pulled him close and started dancing against him. She rolled her eyes as he stood there, still staring at her in awe. “Staring is creepy,” she leaned in close to his ear to speak, so close that her lips brushed against his skin. “This isn’t a day at Disneyland, Castle. If you don’t act like we’re together, some other guy is going to try, and that’s not how this undercover thing works. So dance with me and keep your eyes peeled for Oz.”

He swallowed hard, doing his best to keep his composure as he inhaled the scent of cherries from her hair that was brushing against his lips. This night might kill him. “Okay,” he managed to murmur, one hand moving to her waist, but definitely not daring to be inappropriate.

She rolled her eyes when he didn’t loosen up after a few moments and leaned close to his ear again. “Stop acting like you’re afraid I’m going to shoot you. You’re supposed to be my boyfriend, so act like it,” she murmured, her hand taking his wrist and moving the hand he had on her waist down to a much more inappropriate position on her ass. Get with it, she tried to convey the message with the look she sent him as she pulled back to dance against him again.

After a deep breath which he released slowly, he tried to do what she asked and loosen up. His hands moved over her body every bit the way a lover’s would. Oh, he was definitely going to die tonight; death by Kate Beckett. The way her body moved sinfully against his as they danced so close, in sync…all he could think about was how her body would feel moving like that against his, her skin against his skin, between his ridiculously high thread count Egyptian cotton bed sheets. He had no idea how long he’d been fantasizing when was shaken out of his it by the feel of her breath on his ear, but he had no idea what she said.

“Castle!” she hissed in his ear, finally getting his attention. “Have you seen Oz yet?” she asked, pulling back slightly to get his reaction.

“No,” he shook his head. But he hadn’t really been looking either; he’d been too busy fantasizing about her moving her body the way she was in his bed without her dress on.

“Keep looking,” she told him. She let her eyes scan around the room again, searching through the crowd as she slowly danced them through the people. They needed to find Oz quickly so they could get out of there. She could feel how he was affected by this whole situation every time her hips moved against his, and it would be a lie to say it wasn’t affecting her almost as much. She needed to get them both out of the position she’d put them in before one or both of them would do something in the heat of the moment that would really complicate things between them.

She knew it would have been smarter, safer to have taken Espo with her to the club. He would have been able to pass as her boyfriend without the same effect she and Castle were having on each other; then again, she may not have danced quite as closely with him either. She’d told herself that she and Castle were a much more convincing couple than she and Espo; she and Castle were more in sync and exuded chemistry…Castle was her partner. And she had selfishly wanted to go to the club with him, selfishly wanted an hour with him like this to pretend…pretend reality didn’t exist, pretend Josh didn’t exist, pretend that she was his.

The kiss they’d shared two weeks ago still played through her head. She’d never felt pure, intense fire in her veins from a kiss like that before. No man had ever made her feel that way, certainly not from just a kiss. If only her life weren’t so complicated, if she hadn’t built a fortress around her heart, maybe it could be different, maybe she could be with him. It just wasn’t that simple. Josh was safe; she couldn’t get hurt with Josh; her heart was never in danger. But Castle…Castle had the power to shatter her heart and completely destroy her.

Finally, she spotted their target in a booth by the opposite wall. “Oz is in a booth along that back wall. Go get us drinks while I go over to him. Make sure you’re back in 5 minutes…you’ve got my cuffs,” she reminded him.

He watched her ass in the tight, short skirt of her dress as she started dancing away. When she stopped and turned back after a moment, catching him staring and giving him one of her looks, he was torn completely from the fantasy world he’d been in for the past hour with her. “Drinks, right,” he smiled, heading for the bar.

His mind wandered as he waited for the drinks. He watched her flirt with the drug dealer so effortlessly. He wasn’t surprised she’d made her detective rank working in vice; she was a natural, and she was hot. Most men wouldn’t peg her for a cop. He made a point to try to remember to ask her for some stories from her days in vice; he wanted to know about the undercover work she’d done.

Undercover work…that made him close his eyes with a smile at the way it felt having her body

pressed up against his, sliding against his just minutes ago. These were memories he was sure would replace that of her kiss in his dreams. He opened his eyes to see their drinks on the bar in front of him. He paid the bartender, and with a soft sigh knew their night was coming to an end. He knew that for now at least, this was the only way he could have her like that…undercover and in his memories.

Castle had just made it to the booth in time to see Beckett slam Oz’s head into the table with his hand twisted behind his back and kick the bodyguard in the crotch, which made him wince. God, she was hot when she was badass like that. When he saw her outstretched hand, he offered her one of the drinks with a smile, about to make a comment about her badassery.

“No! Handcuffs!” she told him, shaking off the drink.

“Right. Sorry,” he put one of the drinks down for a moment to pull the handcuffs out of his pocket and hand them to her.

xxxxx

“Castle!” Beckett greeted him when she opened the door and saw him standing there.

“I know what you would do if you won the lottery,” he walked past her into her apartment, proud of himself.

“By all means, please come in,” she rolled her eyes, closing her door. “So, what is your big insight into a financial decision that I will never have to make?” she arched an eyebrow slightly.

He smiled. “You would use the money to honor your mother’s legacy.” His eyes were soft as he studied her. He was right. “On the way over here, I called the dean of your mom’s old law school. We talked about starting a scholarship in Johanna Beckett’s name. One that would provide a full ride for a student planning on dedicating their career to those in the legal system without a voice, the kind of people your mom championed. And, with your blessing, I would like to host a fundraiser to fund it.”

He wanted to…what? She was completely caught off guard by this gesture. He was just supposed to be trying to guess what she’d do with a lot of money, not make what felt like some grand romantic gesture for her. “You just can’t stay out of my personal life can you?”

Castle’s smile faded slightly. Maybe he overstepped, maybe this was too much…maybe…

Beckett smiled then. “Thank you. It’s really sweet.” She couldn’t help but look at the floor a little nervously.

“We definitely have to invite the mayor, and all of his campaign contributors,” he started, moving

past her toward her dining room table and pulling a paper out of his pocket as he took a seat. “Some of them can be boorish. There’s this one guy…” he trailed off when he caught her staring at him. “What?”

She shook her head slightly, a smile on her face. God, she was falling in love with him...or maybe she already was in love with him and was just now beginning to realize it. “Would you like some wine?” she asked softly.

“That would be great while we plan out the details,” he agreed, already writing down some notes.

She disappeared into her kitchen to grab a bottle of red and a couple of wine glasses. This latest gesture had her heart somersaulting. She couldn’t imagine anyone doing anything sweeter for her. She couldn’t even put into words how it made her feel, how he was making her feel. Taking a seat next to him at the table, she handed him a glass before taking a sip of hers.

They sat at her table talking and planning for over an hour, and by the time they had finished off the bottle, they had worked out most of the details of the event, and what was important to her to include. She still couldn’t believe not only had he come up with this, but he was sharing it with her and putting it into action.

“This really is very sweet, Castle,” she told him honestly, resting a hand on his arm.

He returned her smile, meeting her eyes. “It was your idea.”

She laughed softly. “How was it my idea?”

“I heard you talking to my mother…about what she should do with the money. This evening it sort of clicked into place, that you would want to honor your mom. I just came up with a way to do it that didn’t involve you winning the lottery,” he shrugged.

She couldn’t help the way she was looking at him. This man was so incredible…that he would do this for her, give this to her…something she didn’t even know she wanted. “Castle, I don’t know what to say,” she finally admitted softly.

He smiled. “You don’t have to say anything.”

They both sat staring deeply into each other’s eyes, simply getting lost there for a few moments. She wanted so badly to kiss him after all of this. But she couldn’t. She was committed to another man…at least physically. Though she’d come to realize this evening that Josh did not have her heart; she’d been emotionally committed to Castle first. So was she cheating on Castle with Josh? It kind of felt like it now. But if she did kiss Castle, that was definitely cheating on Josh...right? What was she supposed to do when one man had her emotional commitment and

the other her physical commitment; when one man had the power to wreck her, and every instinct in her head was telling her to run, but the other was safe because he couldn't make her feel enough to really hurt her? The twisted logistics were making her head spin.

“It’s late,” she said softly, finally breaking the spell between them.

“Yeah,” he agreed, moving to stand. He grabbed his coat from the back of one of the chairs and put it back on. “I’ll hire an event planner, and let you know when we can meet with them,” he promised.

“That sounds great,” she nodded, walking him to her door. She paused a moment before opening it to raise up and give him a gentle kiss on his cheek. “Thank you. For all of this,” she whispered. “You’re an amazing man.”

“You’re welcome,” he smiled.

Taking a deep breath, she tore her eyes away from his and opened the door so he could leave. “Goodnight, Castle.”

xxxxx

I always felt like they were in and out of the club far too quickly in the episode, though I understand the logistics filming wise of why. So I wanted a little bit longer of a scene where they were actually undercover together for more than 3 minutes.

And I always thought this scholarship set up in her mother’s name was a huge grand gesture that was highly underrated and we never heard about it again. Never fear, I am here to resurrect it! I plan on having the fundraiser at some point over one of the next chapters of this story! There is no way they are not going to that!

Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! As I said before, I'm rotating updates between this and my other story. It will most likely be about a week before there's an update here, because I've got to write the next chapter in Hell Hath No Fury and deal with Castle's embarassment at the cabin.

Also if any of you ever have problems finding chapters of my stories, it's all over on fanfiction.net under the penname THE Imzadi Fan

[billyfazworth]

Deep Below Ground - Part 2: Taken

By William F. Fazworth.

Before I begin, ABOUT DAMN TIME!

Hey y'all, it's been awhile since I continued my Minch (Maritza X Finch) fic set in my HN AU, Masks of The Ravens.

As a small recap, last time in the Prologue, both of our loving crows have been taken below after discovering that Mya is most likely dead.

For more info, go and read it!

But now it's time to see what happens to our dynamic duo as they awake...

Deep Below Ground.

????, October 7th 1996:

"Mari? Mari?!"

The echoing voice buzzes through the mind of Maritza Esposito, her head aching from... what happened actually? The girl wondered that as she tried to sit up right, she could slowly begin to make out the buzzing sound as the lone lightbulb, the soft floor really being a mattress, and the face in front of her... it was Finch.

"Mari are you okay?!"

"Ugh... what happened?"

"He... he caught us."

Maritza sprung back to life almost as if her reflexes demanded it, the revelation, it can't be possible?! It... it's all coming back to her, the bloody shovel, the loud bang.... the memorial dedicated to Mya.

Mr. Peterson must've killed her.

"NO!" Maritza screamed, "H-How long have I been out?!" She asked Finch, grabbing his arms in a panic, she quickly answered "I-I think six hours?? I-I don't know, I'm losing track." He added on, "I don't know why we even ended up here together, maybe the others are together too?" She asked with a sense of desperation in her mouth.

Maritza on the other hand was still in disbelief, she failed, she failed her mission to free the others, to save Nicky, to save the other Peterson kids... the only thing she succeeded at was finding out Mya's fate. "Wait what about Ivan? Is he captured?" Mari asked, Finch shook her head "Not a clue, all I know is that we're stuck right here and I'm starving, all I hope is that Peterson doesn't leave us to starve-"

The door suddenly swings open and in came their captor, Mr. Peterson.

The large man was intimidating, his face almost shrouded by the shadow lying outside that door before he entered the basement door. Maritza got on her feet and held Finch back, ready to shield her. That was when she noticed what was on the man's hands, a tray with plates of what appear to be pieces of chicken, there was also bottles of water on said tray. The man simply placed the tray down, saying "Your food for the night, that's all." He then simply walked back into the darkness, Mari tried to seize the opportunity to run out as he turned his back, but she was too late, the door shutting in her face.

"HEY!" She screamed, pounding her fists on the door "LET US OUT!" She screamed whilst continuing to bang on the door. As if like clockwork, she could hear a sound come from behind the walls, it was... carnival music.

"It's starting again."

Maritza turned to Finch, seeing her look almost frustrated "I thought that music was gone for good." The young girl looked at her friend with a confused expression, has this music been playing for awhile? And why does it seem so... familiar? "How long has this been playing?" She asked.

Finch slid down by a nearby wall onto the floor "Forever." She muttered, her hands practically covering his ears at this point "I just want this music to stop, it was fine at first but now it's just irritating." He added on. As this went on, Maritza looked around the room a bit further, there was a small porta potty in the corner, straight out of the school's outdoor yard. There's windows and outside them were drawings of a fake outside, lit up by some sort of glow. And of course there was the mattresses on the floor, each containing a pillow and blanket, though not covered in sheets.

"This... this is a fake home, isn't it?"

The realization dawned on the two young teens, combining all the aspects with the fact that they were being fed? Peterson wasn't kidnapping kids to kill them, he's kidnapping them to force them to live down here.

Maritza grabbed the tray of food and walked over to Finch "There's no way we're leaving, at least, not now. We might as well make ourselves company." She offered the latter the tray of food, Finch nodded, with Maritza sitting by next to him.

The two looked at each other as they took a bite.

Wondering what will happen to them.

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

Thank you all once again for reading this, sorry for the late update, hopefully college won't get in my way for the rest of the series.

We're pretty much halfway through and I hope your ready for the next one, though I must warn you.

It really isn't for the faint of heart.

[weeb-polls-with-pip]

Autistic Anime Boys Prelims - Propaganda Division - Group 4

Propaganda:

Natsuki -

"He has a flat affect, especially towards the start of the series, and a strong special interest in fishing. He does not get along with Haru and Yuki at first because he doesn't think they are taking fishing seriously, but after seeing Yuki's drive to improve and growing appreciation for his interest, he warms up to them and develops, what seems to be, the first close friendships he 's had. As the boys learn to fish, he is the source of most of the very specific fishing knowledge in the series, and after the show is finished we see that he has moved overseas to continue pursuing his special interest."

Luca -

*okay I screwed up, this submission didn't have propaganda. It WAS marked 'yes' for propaganda use though, which is where the confusion came from. At this point I'm too tired to move the bracket around though, so Luca's just gonna stay here.

Adrian -

"Not a full time boy (but a boy nonetheless, bigender icon fr) but working autism overtime."

Rui -

"aside from being an adorable piano genius with the voice of an angel? he grew up sheltered and doesn't have a lot of physical stamina but he does his best to become an idol (rescuing his own black kitten along the way) and is officially considered the most cat-like in his unit. he will eat your pudding. also he grows up! he used to be like fifteen and now he's 26?!"

Hikaru -

"He's shown to have difficulty emoting since childhood. In a particular episode, a mother comes to him to alter her child's brain and remove the parts of him that make him difficult to handle. It is heavily implied that the things she wants removed is autism and Hikaru is more upset about this than most other things in the series but seems to understand that acceptance for people like him and the kid is few and far between. He also says things that could be considered rude when it comes to situations where people ask him to alter who they are as people, such as when a friend asks him to change her sexuality so that she's straight and doesn't have to suffer heartbreak anymore."

Rei -

"AUTISTIC ICON!!!!! just like. look at him. look at that one face he makes all the time. it's hard for me to name specific examples other than the obvious fixation on shoji and like general lack of social skills because i haven't gone through the whole thing in so long but there's soooo much there. i might be talking out of my ass but it's also like? such a sensorily focused story (both the anime and manga). he could even be considered a sports anime boy if you just believed ❤️ or something ‼️"

Vayne -

"Relies on his pet cat for social cues, because the cat is better at them. The saddest, most gentle boy to ever wield a cat-sword-gauntlet. Absolutely listens to all of his friends' infodumps with infinite love and interest. Completely oblivious to how everyone in his workshop adores him by the end of the game."

Ganta -

"he has insomnia (frequently comorbid with autism). once he gains an interest in astrophotography it becomes a special interest very quickly. he's sweet and kind but also gets annoyed easily and he rides a bike and works at an arcade and wants to be a nurse and he loves his girlfriend isaki so so much"

Aoi -

"He has a very devoted special interest in the idol Takada-chan, which he frequently imagines in fights and other situations… the moment someone (Itadori) expresses equal interest in something he is passionate about, he immediately declares them besties and brothers and creates a whole elaborate shared history for them that doesn’t actually exist. He’s not really interested in connecting with people who don’t share his interests. He’s seen as somewhat strange and eccentric. Though in the present he is respected because of his strength as a sorcerer, as a child he was very isolated."

Ray -

"Due to his extremely strong memory, Ray is forced to grow up faster than his best friends and gives himself up as a lost cause in hopes of saving them. He is very sharp and smart but has massive blind spots when it comes to trusting and considering others."

[wonderfulworldofmichaelford]

Psycho Analysis: Gus Fring

(WARNING! This analysis contains SPOILERS!)

Breaking Bad is known for its fantastic cast of characters, all of whom have some level of critical acclaim and iconic status. Seriously, go to Wikipedia and go to any character’s page from the show (basically every major character has one) and look at the “Reception” part, pretty much all of them are universally beloved. Chief among that crowd is the only villain in the show to give our rascally villain protagonist Walt a run for his money, the criminal mastermind that is Gustavo “Gus” Fring.

If you think I’m going to do anything other than add to those heaps of praise, you’re surely mistaken; I love Gus as much as anyone else who has seen the show. But where most are willing to overlook certain aspects of the character that don’t work so well because he is cool and gay, I acknowledge those flaws and love Gus anyway. We are not the same.

Motivation/Goals: Gus is a businessman, plain and simple. Be it Los Pollos Hermanos or his secret meth business, Gus wants perfection in every aspect of his professional life. That being said, he’s a pretty fair boss, and if you pull your weight you will be rewarded; he treats his employees at Los Pollos Hermanos so well that you know the show takes place in a fantasy world, because no boss is that nice. And he was way too lenient with Walt all throughout that man’s career working with him.

Of course, Gus is also driven by revenge. Don Eladio, Hector Salamanca, and the rest of the cartel are responsible for the death of his lover Max, and Gus refuses to rest until the entire operation has crumbled, with only him left standing tall and Hecor lefty broken and crippled to be finished off last as he’s the one who pulled the trigger. It’s a very classic villain motivation, and it helps give a little bit of sympathy to a character who is otherwise too cold and mysterious to really delve into the mind of. At any rate, it makes it very easy to root for Gus and cheer him on as he plays his supposed superiors for suckers and orchestrates their downfalls all while coming up with dozens of plans to cover his own ass.

Performance: Giancarlo Esposito has such an air of elegance and menace to him when he’s playing Gus. You can really see why he man ended up typecast after this, playing cunning antagonists, because he really kills it here. He does have one incredibly major flaw, though: He’s not a native Spanish speaker like Gus is. This leads to pretty much any point where Gus is required to speak the language falling flat, especially since most of the time he’s up against actors who are actually fluent and even if you’re not a native speaker you can pick up on how clunky he is in comparison to Michael Mando or Tony Dalton.

Final Fate: Gustavo Fring got outplayed by both Walter and Hector, and the result is perhaps one of the single greatest villain deaths of all time.

As many have pointed out, it is genuinely hilarious how Gus hated Hector so fucking much that he refused to die in the same room as him. And hey, maybe this isn’t very accurate to how a person would realistically look after taking an explosion directly to the face… But it’s one hell of a cool visual. Sometimes it’s better to check realism at the door for the sake of symbolism and cool prosthetic gore.

Best Scene: I think it is genuinely hard to top Gus’ awesome moments, even if he doesn’t ever really get an entire episode of focus. I think his crowning moment, the moment where we as an audience and Walt as a character learn that us is not even remotely fucking around, is his silent preparations before he comes up to his lackey Victor and violently slits his throat in “Box Cutter,” before equally silently getting dressed once more. Right before leaving, he simply says, “Get back to work” before leaving a stunned Walt, Mike, and Jesse behind.

There’s also Gus taking down Don Eladio and all his capos in “Salud.” It’s such wonderful, beautiful vengeance, and it’s all made better by the fact Gus poisoned himself, went to the bathroom, neatly placed a towel on the floor and knelt down on it, and then induced vomiting. This man would pick the fruitiest way imaginable to save his own life.

Finally, there is his scene in “Fun and Games,” the first and only time we see Gus just out enjoying himself. We get to see him pretty obviously flirting with a sommelier, but as soon as the man leaves for a moment Gus makes the decision to commit himself fully to his mission and rule out the possibility of love again after what happened to Max. This is the moment where we see Gus fully become the man we know him as in Breaking Bad, and it’s honestly pretty tragic. He could have been happy if he’d just let go some of his hate, and maybe he’d even still be alive.

Final Thoughts & Score: Gus is one of the best villains ever to grave television, and considering he’s in a show filled to the brim with some of the greatest villains ever devised, that’s really saying something.

Part of what makes him so genuinely great is just how utterly unknowable he is. Over the course of both Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul, he is almost like a god of the criminal underworld, untouchable and mysterious. What very little tidbits we get of his past paint a conflicting picture that could mean any number of things, and at every other point he manages to command respect and fear from all those around him, with those not wise enough to do so ending up dead by his masterful machinations. It ultimately makes the single scene where we see him not doing business, the one where he flirts with the man at the bar, so much more impactful. We see that Gus has rejected his humanity, his chance at ever being happy again, so that he can be consumed by his work and his vengeance. Gus is what he is by choice.

It’s why, even if it’s not really “good” that Walt won, it is so satisfying and cathartic. Gus spends his screentime pulling off superhuman schemes and feats of vengeance, orchestrating the deaths of the entire Salamanca family and his own cartel superiors, and yet he is done in by an absolute bumbling buffoon of a criminal like Walt. It’s a classic case of David and Goliath, with the untouchable adversary being taken down due to viewing his foe as so far beneath him that he didn’t realize he was screwed until it was too late. Gus was sadly too smart for his own good, never bothering to consider the erratic chemistry teacher could ever pull off anything big enough to defeat him.

With all that, Gus gets a 10/10. With how much I love Gus and how I consider him one of my favorite villains ever, you might be wondering why I didn’t bump him up to a 10.5 to denote him being a cut above the garden variety 10. Well, Gus has one issue with his character that I feels really hampers him in crucial moments: His inability to speak Spanish. Giancarlo Esposito, despite being an absolutely fantastic actor in every other regard, does not speak Spanish and needs his lines given to him phonetically. Native speakers have called his accent stilted and unnatural, and it has led to moments that should be epic and powerful such as his monologue to Lalo before killing him becoming nonsensical gibberish to trained ears. Considering that character is a native Spanish speaker, this is an absolutely unforgivable and glaring flaw. It certainly doesn’t ruin the character, but it does hold him back just a little bit.

But it really does speak volumes that as soon as Gus is taken out, the quality of the villains just plummets. The final season has Walt facing off against a bunch of Nazis and fucking Lydia, the annoying businesswoman. The final season is still peak, but boy are those villains living in Gus’ shadow. In spite of his flaws (or, well, his singular but rather major flaw), he’s still one of the greatest villains in television history, and is up there with Walt and Saul as the greatest villains in the series.

[bunbeeplays]

The Lemon Legacy: Generation 1, Chapter 113 - The Playdate of All Time

It's a little dreary, but this was the only day Anna could convince her husband to tag along for the playdate too.

Anna: You have a lovely home.

Ophelia: Thank you. Uh, mind telling me who these other three kids are?

The more the merrier but it's weird one of them is a teen.

Calvin: Sorry for the short notice, but I mentioned this playdate to my boss and he asked if his twins could come.

Ophelia: That's okay, we've got plenty of toys! I'm sure the kids will have a lot of fun today. I, uh, don't think the teenage boy will have much fun though.

Calvin: Oh, that's their brother Trent, he's just dropping them off.

Ophelia: That's nice of him.

Calvin: Mr. Esposito's a busy man. And his second wife doesn't really… do kids. Wish I had that privilege.

Ophelia: Uh, isn't Jaden your son?

Calvin: What's your point?

Calvin: Trent's a good kid but he's one of those… you know.

Ophelia: Uh, no?

Calvin: Come on, you see the eyeliner, right?

Ophelia: …An emo?

Calvin: Is that what we're calling them nowadays? I can't keep up with that PC crap.

Ophelia: Uh…

Trent: Hey, Mrs. Lemon. Thanks for having us. I freaked out when Dad told me you were the one hosting this! I'm a huge fan!

Ophelia: Thank you so much, but you can just call me Ophelia, hon. Your sisters look like sweethearts, we don't mind at all.

Ophelia: You don't have to hang out with us old folks, we'll take good care of the girls, but you're more than welcome to stay.

Trent: Uh, a chance to hang out with the singer from my favorite band? I'd love to stick around. Besides, Claudia's kind of clingy.

Calvin: Oh. Great.

As the kids run off to play, Gemma sees one of these unfamiliar little girls and can't help but admire her sense of style. The pompom necklace, the butterfly wings? This girl knows how to dress for a party!

Gemma: Hi! I'm Gemma. What's your name?

Marina: I'm Marina!

Gemma: I like your butterfly wings! Can you fly?

Marina: I dunno, my hermano won't let me jump off stuff to try.

Marina: This is my sissy Claudia!

The other little girl, who was plucking away on the xylophone, perks up hearing her name.

Claudia: Hi.

Gemma waves and Claudia goes back to playing.

Marina: Hermano says she's always on that grind!

Gemma: What's that mean?

Marina: I dunno!

Gemma: What's a hermano?

Marina: My big brother!

She looks over at Trent and back to Marina.

Gemma: Wow, your big brother is real old.

Marina: Yeah, he's like 40 or somethin'. My daddy's like 150, and my step-mommy's like 12!

Gemma: Whoa!

Jaden's kind of doing his own thing too. His daddy doesn't like 'all that kiddie crap' in the house so he's too overwhelmed by the options to be social.

Marina: You got lotsa fun toys! Wanna play with me?

Gemma: Okay!

First Jaden, now Marina? Gemma's making so many friends!

The adults table isn't nearly as fun. Calvin and Anna drone on about their ministry for the Church of Llama Day Saints, but can't even pretend to care when Ophelia talks about music or Trent talks about… anything. Ophelia is enjoying talking to Trent, at least.

Anna: So what church does your family go to?

Ophelia: Oh, uh, none. I mean, we believe in the Watcher, but uh, organized religion just isn't for us.

Anna: Ah. I see… I'll pray for you.

Not Trent mocking Anna behind her back 💀😂

Calvin: If you'd like to go to a service sometime, we'd be more than happy to let you sit at our pew.

Ophelia: Oh, I think we're good.

Trent: If you change your mind, don't worry. They never stop asking.

Xander wishes Lulu hadn't gone to sleep so he didn't have to be here.

Gemma and Marina have a grand time playing dolls in the play tent, but Claudia seems a little less focused once she hears her sister giggling and having fun with someone else…

Claudia confronts Gemma while Marina is distracted by something shiny.

Claudia: Stop playing with Rina! She's MY sister, not yours! I'm gonna tell my papi and he's gonna fire you!

She hears her papi threatening to fire people all the time. It must mean he sets them on fire!

Whoa! Why was this girl being so mean and yelling at her? Gemma wasn't trying to steal anyone. She thought they were all having fun together.

Gemma starts to whimper as tears pool in her eyes but thankfully Ophelia's to the rescue.

Ophelia wipes Gemma's little tears away and comforts her.

Ophelia: It's okay, baby doll, you didn't do anything wrong. Sometimes it's hard to share. I'll make sure she apologizes.

Thankfully, Ophelia doesn't have to do much because Trent steps in.

Trent: Claudia! ¡Basta! You know better. Marina can play with who she wants. Say sorry to Gemma for being mean.

Claudia: But-

Trent: We're guests here, you're not going to be rude to our hosts.

Ophelia's impressed. Seems like this isn't the first time Trent's parented them.

Now Claudia's the one sniveling.

Claudia: S-Sorry, hermano.

Trent sighs.

Trent: Thank you, Clauds, now go tell Gemma, okay? I'm not mad, you're not in trouble, just make sure you're using your manners, alright?

Claudia: Okaaaay.

Trent can't stand to see one of his sisters crying. He won't let them act up but he's not completely heartless.

Trent: Come here, you're fine. Now go show Gemma the nice girl I know you are, yeah? Love you, pollito.

Claudia: I'm not a chicken!

Trent: You're my little chicken!

Trent: Sorry about that.

Ophelia: No, it's fine, kids are kids. Thank you for saying something to her, though.

Trent: Hey, I'm not raising any spoiled brats, you know?

They have a father AND a step-mother. Why is this teenager raising them at all?

Claudia: Sorry I was mean. You can play with my sister.

Gemma: Okay! You can play with us too if you want!

Well, not really, because Trent says it's time for them to go shortly after. It takes a bit to pull Marina away from her toy.

Jaden's hashtag feeling himself though.

Calvin: What is my son playing with?

Ophelia: Oh, that's Gemma's makeup kit.

Calvin: Why would you put that out when you knew a boy was coming over? Don't you have any toys that are more masculine?

Ophelia: I don't really consider toys to be masculine or feminine…

Calvin: I see the woke mind virus got to you too.

Ophelia: You and Anna keep saying 'woke' but I'm not really sure what you mean by that.

Calvin: Look, that's fine for your girls, but maybe put that away next time Jaden's here. I don't want my son thinking he can wear makeup.

Ophelia: Makeup isn't only for girls.

Calvin: Trent's gone, you don't have to pretend that's normal anymore.

Ophelia: I'm not pretending.

Calvin: Listen, I'm trying to be civil here. Don't push your woke agenda on my boy.

Now there's an agenda? Wish someone filled her in.

Gemma: You look as pretty as my mommy!

Before Jaden can respond, his dad comes to berate him.

Calvin: Jaden, are you trying to embarrass us? Boys don't wear makeup! We're cleaning that off before we leave.

Jaden whimpers. He didn't want to be bad, he just wanted to have fun…

Xander: Don't you think he's being a bit harsh?

Anna: You can raise your kids how you want. We're raising Jaden to be a respectable young man like his father.

Xander: muttering Dude's throwing a tantrum over mascara but sure.

Ophelia's hoping to get struck by lightning.

Gemma: I dunno why your daddy got all yelly. You're so pretty!

His heart feels less heavy when Gemma says that.

Jaden: …Thanks.

Even if his parents aren't always the nicest to him, his new buddy Gemma has his back!

[kissorkill16]

When We Were Once Happy: A Hello Neighbor Fanfic

By JJ

Summary: A story before Trinity moved to Raven Brooks.

Chapter 8

A month went by, and Nicky and Aaron's friendship strengthened and grew. They had so many shared interests. Such as lockpicks, pranks, their favorite TV shows, their favorite movies, their favorite music, and so much more.

Not only that, but Mya and Lucy made it even better. They were so lively and cute. Nicky was lucky Aaron was friends with them, they made their friendship even better.

One weekend, the kids were sprawled out on Nicky's lawn, just lying down and staring at the sky.

"So, Mya, how's the new club going for you and Lucy?", Aaron asked his sister.

"It's actually going really well. Apart from Ivan's homemade can opener, we've actually made some pretty cool inventions together.", Mya replied.

"I'm trying to build a time machine.", Lucy said.

"That's nice.", said Aaron.

Nicky just continued staring at the sky, listening to their conversation. Is this what it was like to have friends? If so, Nicky loved it a whole lot.

"Nicholas, get off of the grass, young man. You're going to get yourself dirty."

Nicky immediately sat up at that voice. He turned to see his grandmother at the front door. He got up and dusted himself off, hiding his hands behind his back.

"Sorry, Bubba."

Bubba turned to look at Aaron, Mya, and Lucy. "And who are these children?", she asked.

"Oh, they're the friends I've made at school. I meant to tell you about them, but I guess I forgot.", he said. "This is Lucy, Mya, and Aaron. Guys, this is my grandma. But I like to call her Bubba."

"Hello.", Lucy said.

"Hi.", Mya said.

"Hi, what's up?", Aaron said.

Bubba didn't seem to mind Lucy and Mya, but when she focused her gaze on Aaron, her eyes widened and she let out a soft gasp. Nicky seemed to notice, and grew worried for his grandmother.

"Bubba, what's wrong?", he asked.

Bubba didn't say anything, she just kept staring at Aaron. Nicky took her by the arm and led her back inside, "Why don't you just go drink some water, Bubba? You might feel better.", he suggested. Fortunately, Bubba nodded and closed the door behind her. Nicky went back to the group.

"Yeah, that's my grandma."

"She's got a staring problem.", Aaron said.

"Ha. Now you know how I feel.", Nicky sassed at him.

"Oh shut up."

They stood in silence for a while, before Lucy spoke up.

"Mya, you want to go climb trees?", she asked Mya.

"Oh yeah!", Mya said, jumping up and down as she followed her friend to a nearby tree, leaving Aaron and Nicky to themselves.

Nicky felt like he kind of knew why Bubba just froze up seeing Aaron, but he didn't want to tell Aaron about it. Because he felt if he did, he'd jeopardize his friendship with Aaron, and he didn't want to lose the first friend he's ever had. But he also knew that if he just bottled it up, he'd feel nothing but guilt and fear.

"What's the matter, Nicky?", Aaron asked, noticing his friend's worried face.

"Why is everyone so scared of you?", Nicky blurted out.

"What do you mean?"

Nicky inhaled a deep breath. "Everyone I've met is afraid of you. I don't know why though."

Aaron just stared at him.

"Everyone thinks you're cursed."

Aaron raised an eyebrow at him. "Really? Who's everyone?", he asked.

Nicky rubbed his arm and stared at his feet. "Well...", he started. "There's this girl with a baseball cap and overalls..."

"Maritza Esposito."

"A boy with glasses and a red sweater..."

"Enzo Esposito."

"And another boy with ginger hair."

"Ivan Torre."

Nicky tilted his head up to look at him. "How do you know these guys?", he asked.

"I know everyone at that damn school.", Aaron replied. "But let me tell you something, Nicky.", he said, wrapping his arm around Nicky's shoulder. "Everyone I've threatened to hurt or have hurt all have one thing in common, buddy. They've all badmouthed my family. Seth Jenkins called my father a wingnut, so I punched him in the nose. Gordon Cleave was a nosy ass reporter who was always spying on my family, so I stabbed him in the ankle. And Finch was being a total bitch, so I threatened to stab her in the throat if she didn't shut up."

Nicky was surprised to hear this, all of the rumors were true. But Aaron was also just a troubled, misunderstood kid who was just trying to protect his family. Was that so wrong? Even if his methods sounded a little unhinged.

"It's like what my dad used to say, Petersons have each other's backs. I think I've been handling that pretty well."

"What about the gang?"

"The Inventor's Club?"

"Yeah."

"Oh yes...", he said. "It's like when I first moved to Raven Brooks, I was a shy and introverted kid just like you. I got bullied a lot as well, and they could've helped me, but they didn't, they just sat there and watched me get bullied. And as soon as I fought back, they acted like I was some kind of demon. I guess that's better than being a punching bag, right?"

Nicky nodded.

"Right."

Aaron let go of Nicky's shoulder. "But why would you ask me that? Why would you ask me if you didn't believe I was cursed?"

Nicky stilled in his place.

"I don't know, Aaron, I guess I was just scared. See, my grandma is really superstitious and believes in supernatural stuff like evil spirits and omens, and a while back, she made me believe that your house was a demon house. I think that's why she was staring at you so intently."

Aaron leaned in close to Nicky. "Well tell your grandma that she can go eat a plate of worms.", he said. "Would you hang out with me if I was cursed?", he asked.

Nicky held eye contact with his friend. "Aaron, I'd hang out with you no matter what. I wouldn't care if you were cursed. I'd stick by your side even if it meant losing all of my friends, my sanity, even if it meant losing my life."

Aaron smiled at Nicky. "How about we go climb trees with the girls?", he said, already a few steps ahead of him and making his way to the tree where Lucy and Mya were currently climbing.

Nicky followed him, happy that he made his best friend happy.