#Jack never killed anyone directly Like Roger did

[fly-away-flynn]

Question of The Day:

Who is the villain, Jack or Roger?

[jumukus]

A3! Event: Trump the Phantom Thief Episode 8 Translation

Play time! A heads up on the characters' names:

Muku: King Yuki: Q Kazunari: Ace Juza: Jack Banri: Fox Sakyo: Club

Saionji: Muku-kun, how are you doing? Are you getting seasick?

Muku: I'm doing alright, thank you. Oh, and the room is so beautiful.

Saionji: I am glad it is to your liking. We purposely built the suite rooms in a place where you can't feel the ship's motion.

I am planning to take every possible measure for the theater venue as well, though do not hesitate to let me know if you are unsatisfied with anything.

Muku: I will. Thank you.

Kazunari: Dude, not only the suite rooms are superbs, but to think we also get a whole staff to ourselves…! We can even get the beverages here as many times we like!

Yuki: True. The service is just so good it surprised me.

Sakyo: Don't get too engrossed in these service or you'll be havin' a hard time once we return to Mankai Company.

Izumi: You have a point…

Banri: I don't wanna go back.

Juza: ...I'm thirsty.

Muku: Wanna get some beverages in our rooms?

Juza: No, it's fine. Our rooms are far from here.

Azami: There's a lot of vending machines there. I think they have your favorite strawberry milk.

Juza: I'll go get it.

Muku: …

Izumi: (Today is finally our opening show. I knew it. They all seem pretty nervous because we're going to perform in a different venue.)

Juza: …

Izumi: (Juza-kun looks stiff.)

Kazunari: OK, guys! We've gotta form a circle in times like this!

Banri: Be more specific. What d'you mean by "in times like this"?

Yuki: Bet you already thought of what kind of circle you wanna do.

Kazunari: Righty right! Since our play is about phantom thieves, we all should strike a phantom thief pose!

Sakyo: The heck is that?

Kazunari: No complaining! Just follow me!

Yuki: Fine. Fine.

Juza: ...Muku, do the chant.

Muku: First things first, I'm sorry for causing you guys troubles when I was at a loss of what to do.

I don't want to give up on all the things I want to do. I've decided to do everything I can in all of them.

I'll run through until the end. Follow me, guys!

Juza: Yeah!

Kazunari: Okie!

Banri: Yea.

Q: "It's as musty as always."

Ace: "Clean it up."

Q: "How about you do it?"

Ace: "No way. Geez. This place used to be clean, wonder what happened to it."

Q: "That's because we had a clean-freak before."

Ace: "Okay. Leader, you do the cleaning."

King: "I think it's pretty clean, though."

Q: "Seriously?"

Ace: "Should've known a messy room owner like Leader would say something like that."

Q: "Anyway. Since this is the first time we gathered here after a year, that means you've already set our next target, right? Let's cut to the chase already."

King: "Our next target will be "Mermaid's Tears", a 12-carat diamond."

"It's going to be sold during an auction held at the Royal Star cruise. It's one of the event's highlights and expected to sell for 6 billion."

Ace: "Woo-hoo."

Q: "Heh. Interesting."

King: "Royal Star is currently hiring staff. Q."

Q: "Got it. That means I have to sneak in as one of their staff members, right?"

King: "Ace, get close to the ship's captain and collect information."

Ace: "Roger."

Izumi: (I expect no less from Summer Troupe. They have great teamwork. I can totally feel it.)

(Not to mention Muku-kun's King is able to unite them as a leader.)

Q: "I'm in charge of the rooms in Block A… Laundry and… Ugh. What a hassle."

"This isn't my job in the first place, after all. If that person were here--."

Crew Member: "Are you new here? You seem lost."

Q: "Yes. I don't think I can get out of this place if I lose the map."

Crew Member: "You can ask anyone if there's anything you don't understand."

Q: "Thank you."

"?"

Crew Member: "What's wrong?"

Q: "I think I saw someone over there--."

Crew Member: "But there's only a garbage can over there. Is it a ghost or something?"

Q: "Hey. Stop. I don't like it."

"Hm? A letter?"

"Could this be--I have to report to King."

King: "I'll take the Mermaid's Tears--Jack."

Ace: "Can't believe he's aiming for the same thing."

Q: "Him and King sure are compatible in a strange way."

Ace: "Even though their personalities are the exact opposite of each other."

Q: "What are we going to do now?"

Ace: "Guess we're gonna have a change of pla--."

King: "We'll continue the operation."

Q: "Come again!?"

Ace: "So you mean we're gonna compete with Jack?"

King: "I will not send out this notice. Let's call it a direct confrontation between Trump and Jack."

Q: "Whaaaat!?"

Jack: "Weird. The cops aren't on the move."

"Hm? Where's my noti--."

"It's been a while. How about a reunion? At The Mermaid's Tears' chamber. Trump."

"King, huh… It's just so like him to do something like this. Fine. Let's have a showdown."

Fox: "Here. I got what you wanted, the Royal Star's blueprint."

King: "It is indeed the blueprint."

Fox: "I got you some addition as well. This one is a lil bit pricey."

King: "Figured as much."

Fox: "What are you going to do with this information, though?"

King: "It's prohibited to poke your nose into your client's private life."

Fox: "Oops. My bad. I was curious since you rarely asked for something like this. Oh, yeah. Your master said he wanted to see you."

King: "Club? I wonder why. I'll try contacting him."

Club: "I'm comin' in."

Fox: "Speak of the devil."

King: "Long time no see."

Club: "Perfect timing. Are you free now?"

***

Club: "I'm goin' to retire soon. Take whatever you need."

King: "Retire? Are you serious?"

Club: "My body is startin' to fall apart. It's an age thing. Tell this to Ja--Oh, right. I heard you two broke up."

King: "You made it sound like we're dating. Please don't do that. He just decided to quit my group on his own."

Club: "Y'all never change. Here I thought you'd keep workin' together. That's what you call youth, I guess."

King: "To be honest with you, I'd also never thought he would betray me."

Club: "Looking at that guy, I think he's in his rebellious phase rather than betrayal."

King: "Rebellious phase?"

Club: "He's got some strong sense of rivalry, y'know? Add that with the fact that he's never won against you."

"He must be jealous of you. You're a genius, while he can only do things in a crude way."

King: "Really? I like his way of doing things, though."

Club: "That's exactly why you're hated. Oh, well. You better make up before I die."

King: "Please tell that to him too. You're going to meet him after this anyway, right?"

Club: "You're right. Guess I'm also gonna tell him directly. Both of you are my most excellent apprentices, after all."

King: "Please take this as my present for your retirement. This one is 40 years old."

Club: "You sure are well prepared."

King: "I was actually planning to use it for the celebration party, though."

"--Oh, right. If you're going to retire, please give me that. You know, the 'Venus Ring'."

Club: "I refuse."

***

Fox: "Welcome. Man, I guess we've got a lot of 'speak of the devil' moment today."

Jack: "What are you saying?"

Fox: "Nope. Forget it. Anyway, this is your requested uniform and safe."

Jack: "Thanks."

Fox: "Oh, yea. Your master said he wanted to see you. Why don't you give him a call?"

***

Jack: "Long time no see."

Club: "Hey. Is it just me or did you lose some weight?"

Jack: "What do you want to talk about?"

Club: "I'm gonna retire soon. Take whatever you need."

Jack: "Whatever you need, huh. By the way, the 'Venus Ring'..."

Club: "Y'all really have the same taste. I ain't gonna give it out. I sent it to the right place."

Jack: "By y'all… Do you mean King?"

Club: "You should just go back and regroup with him."

Jack: "I'll never go back until I win against him."

Club: "What a pig-headed kid. So? You see any chance to accomplish that?"

Jack: "I have a feeling we're finally going to settle this soon."

Club: "Heh. You seem confident."

Jack: "Because I've made arrangements ahead of time."

Club: "That's so you. You still look as gloomy as ever, though. Why don't you go soaking up the sun in some warm places in the south once in a while?"

Jack: "No--But you have a point. Maybe I'll do that once this is over."

Club: "Do that. And make up with King."

Jack: "...It depends on him."

Guard A: "Wait there."

Guard B: "This place is restricted to authorized personnel."

***

Q: "'Mermaid's Tears' has been carried away."

King: "Got it. Looks like they put it at the expected place."

Q: "How about the security? Can you unlock it?"

King: "I've already made preparation for that. We just need to see how things will turn out."

Ace: "Hey, wait a sec. Please, King."

King: "Find out the schedule for the guards' lookout."

Q: "Ugh. What a pain. Why do I have to do this…"

***

Q: "The guard will change at 1 P.M. The key will only be handed over when a substitute comes."

King: "So we need that key and the password that the captain has to unlock the door."

Q: "Ace, gain some time for us."

Ace: "Roger. Leave it to me."

Q: "Don't screw up."

***

Ace: "Hey, good work."

Guard A: "You're here sooner than I thought."

Ace: "Boss said my shift would start 30 minutes earlier since I'm always late, you see. Today I got here on time, though."

"Oh. Don't tell me you're gonna get scolded if you end your shift early? Wanna have some chat for thirty minutes then? Man, being a guard sure is easy."

"I actually want to increase my shift more, you know. But I don't reall--."

Guard A: "No, it's fine. I'll end my shift now. Bye."

Ace: "Oh. Okay, then. Bye."

***

Ace: "Mission complete. It's your turn now, King."

King: "Let's see, now. This is unexpectedy such a hassle~."

Ace: "I'm glad you seem to be having fun but please hurry up."

***

Q: "It's almost been thirty minutes."

King: "Just a little bit more…"

Q: "The guard is coming."

King: "I'm counting on you, Ace."

***

Ace: "Hey.."

Guard B: "Hm?"

Ace: "Ouch ouch ouch…"

Guard B: "What's wrong?"

Ace: "Oh, are you the substitute? Thank God. I'm starting to panic since my stomach is killing me. Good bye!"

Guard B: "Hey, wait, the key--."

Ace: "Key? Oh, right. I've gotta hand it ove--ouch ouch ouch."

Guard B: "Hey, you okay?"

Ace: "Wait a minute. Just until I calm down. Ouch ouch ouch…"

Guard B: "F-For now, just go to the toilet first."

Ace: "Don't think that's possible. I feel like it's gonna come out once I move."

Guard B: "Whaaat!?"

Ace: "Do you have some medicine or anything?"

Guard B: "No, sorry…"

Ace: "Can you bring me one from the infirmary? I'm on the edge here."

Guard B: "O-Okay! Wait a little bit!"

Ace: "King, you better open it now."

***

King: "...Weird. We may not make it."

Ace: "Come again!?"

King: "Oh, I got it. This one."

"...Nice. It opens!"

"Q, carry it out. Let's retreat."

Q: "Got it."

***

Guard B: "Hey, I have the medicine!"

Ace: "Very thanks, man. Here, your key! I'll leave the rest to you."

Guard B: "Yeah. Hope you recover soon."

King: "...This is weird. Jack didn't come in the end."

Q: "Maybe he realized it's impossible to go against phantom thieves."

King: "No. That guy…"

Police: "Freeze! We're police!"

King: "--."

Q: "!?"

Ace: "Since when!?"

King: "We're being set up. Q, throw the 'Mermaid's Tears' to the sea."

Q: "Huh!? Do you hear yourself now!?"

King: "Do it now. We'll escape the moment the police look away."

Ace: "You're lying, right!?"

King: "Quick."

Q: "You're the one who told me to do it, alright!"

Police: "H-Hey! The jewel! Pick it up, quick!"

King: "Let's go!"

Police: "Wait!"

Q: "What do we do now!? All of our hardship went to waste!"

Ace: "Our 6 billion…"

King: "That was a fake jewel Jack had prepared."

Q: "What?"

King: "Jack had stolen 'Mermaid's Tears' in advance and replaced it with a fake one."

"He was the one who snitched on us."

***

Narration: "The day before…"

Guard A: "Hey, what's wrong?"

Jack: "No, it's just… the engine…"

Guard A: "Hold on, hold on. If there's any trouble, you better do something about it or else it'll get worse later on. If we're liable for the damages…"

Jack: "There's smoke coming out!"

Guard A: "Say what!?"

Jack: "Stay away from the car!"

Guard B: "Whoa!"

Guard A: "C-Call the fire station! Wait, we gotta get the safe first!"

Guard B: "Hey, is it okay?"

Jack: "Yeah. The smoke disappeared. I found no issues with the machine too."

Guard A: "That means the safe is alright, yeah? God. Give me a break. We almost carry it away ahead of time."

***

Q: "So that's why Jack didn't show up…"

Ace: "He really got us! I already thought it was weird for the police to appear at times like that!"

Q: "Ugh. Even if the police didn't appear, Jack still won since he already got the 'Mermaid's Tears' before us."

King: "I wonder about that."

***

King: "He hasn't made any changes in his base. Well, isn't he a little careless…"

"Even his security system is so weak."

"Hm? A card?"

"'Out of respect of Master's retirement, I will hand over the victory.'"

"Don't be satisfied with second place. You could have taken measures if you know there's a chance it'll get stolen. Oh, well. I'll accept your kind offer…"

***

Jack: "..."

"He really came…"

King: "Hey."

Jack: "--ugh. Why are you still here, King?"

King: "It's been a long time, I want to renew our friendship. I even brought alcohol with me."

Jack: "This is why you're hated."

King: "But you don't hate me, do you?"

Jack: "How did you find out?"

King: "I got some information about you from Fox. It helped me understand your strategy to some extent."

Jack: "In that case, why did you fall into the trap?"

King: "Because, otherwise, you won't move forward as planned. I'll be troubled if you're on your guard."

"I could narrow down your base thanks to the location device I planned on the alcohol I gave to Club. The rest is my intuition."

Jack: "I can never bring myself to like you in the end."

King: "Now, now. Let's have a toast for the 'Mermaid's Tears'. Q and Ace are waiting."

Izumi: (This is the only scene where Jack and King talk face to face. Even so, you can tell how close they are just by watching this scene alone.)

(Maybe because they are cousins, they can create a unique relationship between rivals who understand each other the most.)

***

Muku: Thank you so much!

Juza: Thank you.

Sakyo: Thank you.

Yuki: Thank you.

Kazunari: Thankies thankies~!

Banri: Thank you.

***

Sakyo: The audience's reaction on our first show is great.

Juza: King was so cool.

Muku: Jack was even cooler! The fact that he's active behind the scenes is just so Juchan!

Juza: I can also feel the gap between King, a sharp person with a gentle look, and you, Muku.

Muku: I-Is that so? Ehehe. But your Jack…

Azami: They're going to be like that forever at this rate.

Yuki: When are you going to stop?

Banri: But well, it was good overall. Right?

Kazunari: Totally! Their chemistry was just perfect on the stage, even the audience was pleased!

Izumi: Let's keep this energy until the closing show!

Muku: Yes!

< Episode 7 | Masterlist | Episode 9 >

[amplesalty]

Halloween 2021 - Day 5 - The Invisible Ray (1936)

Doesn’t that just sound like a bad magician? “Ladies and gentlemen, introducing...The Invisible Ray!”

Ah, this takes me back. Back in year 0 of this horror marathon business, before this blog was a thing, it was kinda heavily skewed towards the ‘classic’ period; Dracula, Frankenstein, The Mummy..all that Universal 1930’s type stuff. Amongst that first run were a pair of films starring both KARLOFF and Bela Lugosi;  The Black Cat and The Raven. I remember them both being quite good, both having this sort of rivalry between their two characters. The Black Cat moreso with a young couple caught in the middle of a heated feud between KARLOFF and Lugosi’s characters. Whereas The Raven has KARLOFF as more of a de-facto good guy as he plays a reluctant henchman to Lugosi’s character. Not that that level of power translated off screen, with Lugosi’s star beginning to fade but I remember reading something about KARLOFF insisting on some parity in pay between the two in one of their movies when the studio tried to lowball Lugosi so good on you, KARLOFF.

Neither have much to do with the Edgar Allan Poe stories they take their names from, outside of Lugosi’s character in The Raven having an obsession with Poe and adapting various means of torture from Poe stories. There have been plenty of Poe adaptations throughout the years but the other big uptick in them was in the 1960’s with a series of films directed by Roger Corman, often starring Vincent Price but with other big names sprinkled in like KARLOFF, Peter Lorre and Lon Chaney Jr. Plus a relatively early Jack Nicholson appearance in The Raven, which was shot at the same time as The Terror. That bloody bird!

So, yeah, it’s good to see one of these KARLOFF/Lugosi films again. Apparently there are eight films that featured both of them so I’ll be halfway there now on them. This also has Carl Laemmle Jr’s name attached, albeit in a minor way as he’s listed as ‘presenting’ the movie. I’m not sure if that ever means anything. It’s like when Tarantino ‘presents’ something, did he have any actual input on the film or was he just shining a light on something he personally liked because he has so much power and influence?

The movie’s foreword is an early indicator of the more science-fiction leaning nature of the movie which catches you off guard a little with the people involved and the timeframe we’re working in. Feels like the 50’s was more when the whole sci-fi thing took off. Also, since when was science a verb?

Certainly has the feel of that classic ‘old, dark house’ horror thing early on as we start with the Rukh household awaiting the arrival of some of Dr Janos Rukh’s (KARLOFF) peers who are to bear witness to his new discovery.

KARLOFF has clearly been eating his crusts to get curls like that, normally he’s a slicked back kind of guy. And it’s kinda weird seeing both of them with facial hair. Oddly though this is one of the rare times that Lugosi plays a good guy, this is a clear violation of the parallel universe protocol:

Normal universe – clean shaven – good guy Parallel universe – goatee – evil

This early version of Dr. Doom is a bit naff. Are you making a great scientific discovery here or doing a spot of welding?

Apparently Dr Rukh’s invention is a telescope that is able to see into the deepest reaches of space, but can also pick up on vibrations left by the events that have taken place and he can then project that as a moving image that shows an asteroid crashing to Earth millions of years ago that can help him pinpoint the crash site and allow him to discover new elements inside the asteroid...wait, what?! Is this like that time on CSI when they solved a murder by getting sound out of something someone made in pottery class because the grooves could be played like a vinyl?

We then pivot sharply into the great plains of Africa where our team have set off in search of what will become known as ‘Radium X’. Oh yes, I think that’s on the periodic table next to Hardtoobtainium. And I’m specifically trying to avoid animal cruelty by not watching Cannibal Holocaust, don’t come around here with your dead leopards and talk of how many rhinos you’ve shot. I must say I’m a little wary of this sudden introduction of all these natives carrying spears and wearing bone necklaces, I just don’t feel like I can trust a movie made in the 1930’s to be sensitive on it’s portrayal of other cultures.

Thought it does present us with the best actor in this picture, look at those bug eyes! He’s like Africa’s answer to Marty Feldman.

And that’s just his reaction to a piece of scanning equipment going off, him and his mates are definitely going to be worried when this white devil makes a demonstration of his new found Radium X and it’s ability to melt pure stone. Looks like a portajohn backing up...

He then promptly turns his cosmic ray gun on all the locals when they tell him they want to go home. Sure, you can leave, you’re not going to get very far though. Dude, there’s like 12 of you and he’s given some of you rifles. Just jump him when he’s asleep.

Dr. Rukh finds that evening that he’s suddenly turned an interesting shade of neon yellow and can be seen by anyone in a three mile radius so either this Radium X is highly poisonous or Rukh has been running in opposition to Vladimir Putin. This poisoning leaves him so irradiated that merely touching another living thing is enough to kill it. Dr. Benet (Lugosi) is able to make a serum for him but can never truly cure him, he must regularly take this serum or otherwise he will revert to this killing machine type state.

But, in his eagerness to not spread this poison to his wife, and his general upholding of the man code to never air ones medical problems, he generally acts a bit surly and tells her to piss off which see views as him not loving her anymore so he promptly shacks up with the young explorer type who came with them to Africa. Worse yet, Benet and crew have taken a sample of Radium X to show at a scientific conference in Paris. Between losing his missus and thinking that other people are taking all the credit for his work, Rukh is just slightly annoyed.

It’s not all bad though, he is able to use this new element to cure his mother’s blindness. I like how his first reaction upon learning that Radium X has irrecoverably changed his life, leaving him one missed injection away from imminent death, is to shoot it directly into his mother’s face.

“Patients won’t like being shot in the face.” “They’ll like what I tell them to like.”

Whilst sulking outside of the church that his ex is getting re-married in, he spots a series of statues of saintly figures and imagines them representing each of the 6 people on the African expedition, vowing to destroy each of them until only he is left. Marvelous invention this Radium X, it can melt statues and cure blindness. Do you have to put special filters on that ray gun of yours depending on the situation? That’s a malpractice suit waiting to happen if you mix those up.

Dr. Benet is a little suspicious when one of their party dies suddenly for no explainable reason so takes a few ultraviolet photos of the victims eyes in order to study. And wouldn’t you know what he finds?

Bullshit! Nevermind the ultraviolet camera, this is more like the dues ex machine camera. I know this is science fiction and all but what is this, 1936 or 2036? Or maybe they’re just able to make the most detailed contact lenses known to man.

Eventually, when Rukh finds himself unable bring himself to kill his former love, he is confronted by his mother who smashes the serum and condemns him to death as, going unchecked, the Radium X within him will destroy his body. Sensing the end coming, Dr. Rukh dives out of the nearest window and promptly erupts bursts into flames, now left as little but a pile of ash on a damp Paris street. It’s a shame really, dozens of people spontaneously combust every year, it’s just not widely reported.”

This one was okay, definitely a different vibe compared to other Universal stuff at the time with all the science fiction and Africa based stuff but it does still travel down that ‘descent into madness’ thing that they often fall back on and it’s always fun to see KARLOFF and Lugosi, especially when they’re together. But, if we’re strictly talking about the KARLOFF/Lugosi pairing, I’m definitely leaning towards one of their other outings like Black Cat, Raven or Son of Frankenstein. There’s just something not right about Lugosi playing some normal, if he’s not being unhinged then you’re not really getting what you came here for.

[mbl17]

Old Friends 4 Sale

One of the most ironic sentences we can give you from Neal Karlen’s new book This Thing Called Life: Prince’s Odyssey On and Off The Record is when he writes “If Prince reappeared again, I was sure, he would die a second time the moment he saw what was being done in his name, memory, and supposed honor” (Karlen, Prelude). Neal took this jab at other associates in the book’s prelude yet went on to dishonor the man he says he loved too. These folks are starting to sound like a broken record now. Quite a few people claim to have loved Prince Rogers Nelson but won’t miss an opportunity to breakdance on his grave for pay. Or to get out whatever grievance they have over some perceived slight from decades ago. Or both.

Neal Karlen is a journalist who became friendly with Prince in 1985 when he interviewed him for his Rolling Stone cover story. Neal and Prince maintained a relationship for 31 years that consisted of late-night phone calls about life, love, music, sports, and all the things friends talk about. Neal says he last spoke with Prince three and a half weeks before he died. The odd timing of the conversation left Neal feeling shaken and Prince didn’t sound like himself either.  Neal was so worried that he reached out to C.J. (yes, the probable Billy Jack Bitch inspiration) to interview him for Minneapolis’ Star Tribune just days before Prince’s plane made the emergency landing in Moline, IL. This was a supposed plot to anger Prince enough to get him to call Neal again. Really Neal? Despite 31 years of contact with Prince there was no other way to initiate a conversation with the man besides providing an interview to C.J. and saying you’re waiting for Prince to die and other ridiculous tidbits? We’ll take backtracking and flip flopping for a $500 because Neal knows these quotes are a bad look.

In 2019 Neal was asked by a friend of a friend if we really needed another Prince book? He admits that he had no answer until he was reminded of the thank-you note Prince had written to him after that first Rolling Stone interview. The note said “Thanx 4 telling the truth!” and Neal believes this gave him the reason he needed to write the book. To tell the truth about Prince. Whether or not this is Prince’s truth is up to you. Just like it’s up to you to decide if the things written in This Thing Called Life needed to be told at all even if they are true. Either way, we wish Neal had just come out and admitted that he’s here for a check and attention just like the other associates he has disdain for because they’re behaving badly. We’ve learned that lots of people who knew Prince seem to have their version of the truth about Prince and somehow their truth becomes more true than anything Prince ever said about himself.

One of the most alarming things that Neal recounts is Prince’s alleged discussions of suicide that began in 1985 when the Purple Rain tour abruptly ended. Neal says that Prince admitted to hurting himself on several occasions throughout the tour and feeling like no one would notice. In a nutshell, Neal Karlen doesn’t believe that Prince’s accidental overdose was quite so accidental. He sees Prince’s untimely death as a passive suicide because Prince never recovered from the loss of two children and blamed himself for not having the life he planned to aside from the music.

Passive suicidal ideation — thinking about, but not planning, one’s own death.

Wow. That’s a hell of a psychological assessment from a man whose lane is journalism. Then again Neal is inclined to think that Prince might have been cognitively impaired and had savant syndrome while condescendingly referring to him as “ignorant”, an “extraordinary nitwit” at times, and an autodidact who had read books that looked interesting, but was still full of “ignorance and misinformation”. Are we talking about Prince or Rain Man here? We’re not sure if Neal even liked Prince very much aside from his musical genius because he takes perverse pleasure in taking Prince’s persona down a notch whenever he can. In Chapter 15 Neal describes a 1998 visit from Prince that is beyond disturbing. Neal says he had broken a leg and Prince called to check on his recovery. During the conversation the topic switched to the unlimited Percocet Neal had received for pain management after his surgery. Neal found it strange that Prince offered to come by, and what was supposed to be a well-meaning gesture ended with Prince allegedly downing a third of Neal’s Percocet like candy while looking like “Uptown’s skankiest panhandler” (Karlen, Chapter 15). “Uptown’s...skankiest...panhandler.” Let that sink in. The audacity of THIS guy to call John Bream an ass clown.

Another questionable portion of the book has Neal discussing the tragic birth and brief life of Amiir Nelson. Neal says that Prince “faux-consulted” Mayte after Prince had already made his decision to turn off Amiir’s ventilator. He recounts a conversation with Prince six month’s after Amiir’s death and grossly describes a man who had just made a decision that most of us hope to never be faced with as speaking in a tone that “was flat and carried with it all the ain’t-that-a-shame emotion of someone killing time by recalling, shot by shot, a very, very bad movie that he’d wanted to walk out of but couldn’t” (Karlen, Chapter 13). It’s funny that Neal gives a nod to Mayte Garcia’s 2017 book, The Most Beautiful, which directly contradicts whatever Neal is working hard to imply here. In Chapter 9 of The Most Beautiful, Mayte says she was the one to suggest that they let Amiir go while Prince tried to persuade her to let the doctors perform additional procedures. She knew their baby was suffering and eventually Prince AND Mayte agreed together to take Amir off the ventilator. Now we’ve given Mayte a hard time around here over some things since 2016, but why would anyone take Neal Karlen’s version of events over Mayte’s?

It isn’t lost on us that Neal Karlen takes a direct hit at Prince’s portrayal of his parents and childhood in his own autobiography, The Beautiful Ones. Although Neal calls the book “artfully-written”, it’s easy to see that he had issues, big issues, with Prince being less than truthful about his life. It’s a running theme throughout This Thing Called Life. If Prince had made peace with Mattie and John and forgiven them for any sins and/or chose not to rip that bandage off again, did Neal really need to go there? It’s obvious that Prince had troubles at home that caused him to land at Andre Cymone’s house, but why is Neal so offended that Prince wasn’t always truthful with people? Prince didn’t owe Neal, any other associate, or fans 100% of himself. Neal says he can’t let Prince escape history, but it seems more like he’s looking to put as many dents in Prince’s armor as possible. Neal saw Prince as a man who didn’t learn true empathy and how to stop using people until he was roughly 40 years-old, yet Neal gives fans a book that lacks empathy for the situations Prince probably wanted to bury and he is certainly using Prince for his own needs. Neal calls Prince’s father, John L. Nelson a “slimy, reptilian motherfucker”? Well slimy, reptilian pot meet slimy, reptilian kettle. Neal believes that Prince wanted him to write This Thing Called Life because Prince allowed him 31 years of conversation? We’re doubtful about that because like most fans, we believe that Prince wanted to tell his own story in The Beautiful Ones. We’re also doubtful that Prince agreed to be recorded outside of the 1985 Rolling Stone interview where Prince seems to be aware that the tape recorder is present.

It should come as no surprise that those taped recordings of Prince that Neal included in the audio version of the book don’t back up any of the outrageous claims he’s making. There’s nothing scathing in the recordings at all to be honest. You want to know what’s included in the audio version? Brief recordings of interviews and stories that most Prince fans already know. There’s no recording of the allegedly vile comments Prince made about his own mother. There’s no recording of Prince unleashing vitriol about his father. There’s no recording to prove Prince’s decades long suicide talk. Nothing. Nada. If Neal is holding back recordings to prove the worst details in the book what would be the reason at this point when he’s already shown us exactly who he is?

Old, old friends for sale Get 'em while the gettin' is hot But you better watch out, they'll kiss you Until they get what you got And they'll show you the friends that they're not Old friends for sale 

        Prince, Old Friends 4 Sale

[trashmenofmarvel]

Devil’s Backbone - Chapter 17

Pairing: The Winter Soldier x S.H.I.E.L.D. agent!Reader

Summary: With your team dead and your mission failed, you’ve been taken by the assassin to an unknown location and are at the mercy of your cruel tormentors. (This fic is explicit, 18+ only, dubcon in earlier chapters)

Chapter Warnings: Angst

Word Count: 3.7k

AO3

The drive to HQ was fraught with an odd kind of tension. You weren’t sure if it was coming from you or Rumlow, but he seemed unable to remain completely still behind the wheel. His fingers drummed against the top of the wheel, moved to fiddle with the heater, then went back to tapping.

Despite his apparent restlessness, he drove just below the speed limit, unhurried as he stayed to the right for traffic to pass him by. It made you feel uneasy, especially when compared to his earlier urgency, but it wasn’t long before you figured out what he was doing.

Rumlow began to question you. Various things that would no doubt be covered in your debriefing, but he apparently wanted to know them before you got to HQ. There wasn’t anything out of line with that, it was his right to question you as your superior, but it still made your foot bounce with nerves.

You answered his questions nonetheless, sticking to the truth where you could. You told him about being isolated and tortured. You talked about your escape. You even talked about how you had realized S.H.I.E.L.D. had a mole because of Mrs. Kartal’s warnings.

“Did they make it?” you asked, sounding almost timid in your swirling dread. “Missus Kartal and her son?”

“Yeah. They’re safe,” Rumlow answered, tone too bland for you to discern the truth of it. Were they still alive, or had you ordered Mrs. Kartal and her son right into the waiting jaws of the beast?

Rumlow flicked on the turn signal in a sudden movement and cruised onto the onramp of the freeway, ignorant of your internal strife. “All thanks to you, kid. I can’t say anyone else in that situation woulda gotten ‘em out in one piece. But you did.”

You sunk lower in your seat. His praise felt undeserved at best, and at worst, his words were a mockery.

You didn’t know if Rumlow had turned but you prayed he hadn’t. The man practically sweated S.H.I.E.L.D. patriotism, but Bucky’s earlier reaction hadn’t exactly inspired confidence in you.

Bucky… You wanted to believe him; you also hoped he was lying. If he wasn’t lying, that meant the man you looked up to for years wasn’t the man you thought he was. It meant he was a liar, a traitor, and a murderer.

But if Rumlow was telling the truth, that meant Rogers had had a direct hand in your abduction and torture. It meant he was the enemy and you wouldn’t find any aid from him. Worst, it meant Romanoff was on his side, and she was way more dangerous than the golden boy of America.

Rumlow or Rogers. Who was the traitor and who was your ally? You didn’t know Rogers very well, though he’d always been polite to the point of borderline shyness.

And Rumlow? He was the closest thing you had to family.

The anxiety was making your chest ache and you took a steadying breath, smoothing a wrinkle on the black STRIKE hoodie. It still smelled like Bucky and you closed your eyes to let the comforting scent ease your nerves. Now that you had a moment to reflect, you were a little mortified to think of what would have happened if Rumlow had shown up a few minutes earlier. You used to give your teammates such shit for thinking with their dicks.

Former teammates, you reminded yourself as a pit formed in your stomach. If Rumlow was HYDRA, then that meant he had set up half of his team to die in the ambush. You couldn’t believe that was true.

You couldn’t… except something had begun to nag at you, prodding at the back of your mind over the duration of the car ride. There was one thing you couldn’t figure out. Jones.

A memory flashed across your mind: Friday night, the team at a grubby bar in downtown DC. The guys were loud and raucous, alcohol-fueled grins plastered on their faces as they gave “peach fuzz” Jones all kinds of shit. It was his twenty-first birthday and he was making the most of it, his own cheeks red after taking another shot of mint vodka. His eyes were glazed from the buzz of the alcohol, reflecting the tacky holiday lights that hung from the bar rafters all year long.

That rich brown gaze remained glassy as it stared up at you from the fluorescent-lit concrete, the spreading red halo a declaration of your guilt. You could still feel the weight of the pistol in your hand, hot and alive as his body started to cool in the frigid night air.

You opened your eyes and swallowed down the lump in your throat. Focus on the facts. Why had Jones been at that compound? He hadn’t been part of the Kartal family detail, so he hadn’t been an escaped prisoner like you. No, Jones had been assigned to the Lemurian Star mission with Rumlow.

Half the team on the Lemurian Star. The other half with the Kartals. Everyone who had been part of the convoy team was dead. Everyone except for you.

To make matters worse, this had been your first mission as team leader. Your fingers dug into the fabric of the hoodie when you realized who had filled out the rosters. Rumlow had decided who went on the Kartal mission and who stayed behind.

Jack Rollins was Rumlow’s second in command; he should have been the one to lead the mission. Rumlow never should have assigned you to a leadership role for something so important.

Why had he?

There was the matter of Jones. A follower on his best day, not a renegade let alone a rogue, and whatever he was involved in, Rumlow would know about it.

Wouldn’t he?

Even if Rumlow hadn’t known Jones was HYDRA, at best, at best that meant he had no idea what was going on in his own team and they had died due to his negligence. Rumlow should have been a protector and a guide, vigilant to make sure the danger never came from within your own ranks.

He hadn’t been.

You tried to control your breathing. Had Bucky been right all along? Was Rumlow HYDRA or was he just extremely incompetent?

Fuck. You should have figured this out earlier, and would have if you had had your head on straight and hadn’t let your weakness for the former assassin distract you.

Even now as your thoughts turned toward him, your chest squeezed in anxiety. Had Bucky killed Director Fury and Jasper? Why hadn’t he told you?

I’ve done terrible things. If you knew even a fraction of them, you wouldn’t even… even be able to look at me.

Maybe he’d tried, and you simply hadn’t listened.

“You okay, kid? Bein’ awfully quiet.”

Rumlow’s voice shook you from your mired guilt. You hadn’t realized you were staring out of the front windshield, looking without really seeing.

You wanted to turn toward him, shout your accusations and force him to confess that all of this was his fault. You wanted to punch him across the jaw and demand to know how he could have let everything get so fucked. Rumlow couldn’t lie to you any longer, not with Jones as the smoking gun.

Instead, you took a steadying breath.

“Not really,” you said with quiet bitterness. “Half the team is gone. They’re just… gone.”

“It wasn’t your fault, Williams,” he said, his voice surprisingly sympathetic.

“I know that,” you snapped. You saw him slightly turn his head toward you out of the corner of your eye.

Shit. You needed to calm the fuck down and save your anger for when you weren’t trapped with Rumlow in a car speeding down the freeway.

Biting his head off felt so good, though. It really did.

“What I mean is, there was nothing you could have done differently,” he said, all reasonable. “It’s a fuckin’ kick to the balls when you lose people. You’re gonna wanna blame yourself, but you can’t. You gotta compartmentalize.”

He was right, and that was exactly what you had to do. Rumlow, one way or another, was responsible for this hell you were in. You couldn’t do anything about that now, so you packed it away in a tidy little box and put it in storage. He would answer for its contents later. You would make goddamn certain of that.

“I don’t blame myself,” you answered, voice flat as you stared through the windshield. “I blame the people responsible. Every single one of them is going to pay with fucking interest.”

“There she is,” Rumlow said, giving a low chuckle. Your desire to bash in his head multiplied a hundredfold. “That’s my girl.”

Your heart swelled with pride before you could stop it. The immediate swoop in your chest, so sharp and admonishing it made the emotions swirl into a sickening and confusing mixture.

You were spared from having to make any more conversation; he pulled the car up to the row of doors that led directly into the front lobby.

That surprised you, expecting he would go into the underground parking structure. He must have seen your expression, because as he unbuckled his belt he said, “We’re taking the fast way. Someone wants to talk to you first.”

“Who?” you asked, suspicion tensing your muscles.

Rumlow smiled and winked.

“Big secret.”

Frowning at that cryptic statement, you unbuckled your own seatbelt and exited the car. The winter air was biting, and you wished you had thought to bring a coat over the thin hoodie.

You followed Rumlow inside through the doors into the lobby. At first, only fleeting glances were thrown your way, but then more and more heads turned.

“O-o-okay,” you said slowly. You couldn’t help the way your shoulders curled in defense at so many eyes on you. “What did I do?”

Rumlow didn’t seem the least worried, and in fact, put a hand on your shoulder as he grinned broadly.

“Got captured by the guy who killed the Director and then lived to tell about it.”

You blanched at the forced recollection. It wasn’t Bucky’s fault, you reminded yourself. It didn’t make the grim news any easier to swallow.

“I got lucky,” you responded tensely. He took his hand away, and despite yourself, you felt unsteady without its weight.

“Eh,” he said with a half-shrug, “it may have been part of it, but luck only gets you so far.”

He wasn’t wrong. Your escape hadn’t been lucky—it had all been because of Bucky’s help, and you still didn’t know why he had done such a complete turnaround.

You hoped you lived long enough to ask him.

“Wait here a sec.”

You watched as Rumlow strode across the lobby; once he was out of sight, you took your first real breath.

Trying to play your old role with Rumlow was taking a toll already. Sure, you were an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D., but you weren’t a covert spy like Romanoff. You were STRIKE. Your job was to storm the castle, not try and outwit the king.

Discomforted by the attention from the agents around you, you turned toward the part of the lobby you had always ignored: the public section. There was a display of Steve Rogers, large and situated in front to pull in the eye. The history of S.H.I.E.L.D. was documented on the walls for interested minds to discover.

You started at the more modern end. Most of the mural was taken up by pictures of the Battle for New York. It had only been a couple years ago, but the day was still fresh in your mind. You’d been on the Helicarrier with your team and sent to Stark Tower for the cleanup. Aliens, Asgardian gods, and the fact S.H.I.E.L.D. had been forced to reveal itself to the world, it had been the craziest day of your life.

Well, until now, anyway.

The Avengers, looking war-torn but somehow valiant, stared down on you as you walked by. You also came across the members of the board, including Dr. Hank Pym and Howard Stark until his death.

Next was the Cold War era, and despite the lack of much detail on the wall, you knew S.H.I.E.L.D. had had a lot of run-ins with the Soviets during that time.

Finally you got to the SSR and its most prominent members: Chester Phillips, Howard Stark, and your personal hero, Peggy Carter. Others included Daniel Sousa and Jack Thompson as early members of the SSR New York branch.

All of this history, all of these brilliant minds and celebrated heroes, but somehow HYDRA had been hiding within it, biding its time for the last seventy years.

Doubt and fatalism began to creep in again and you were left feeling helpless. Seven decades of the best S.H.I.E.L.D. had to offer couldn’t stop HYDRA. What hope could you possibly have?

You were just about to turn back to the lobby when your eye caught onto the World War II section. Captain American’s origins. You peered closer at the display; Rogers was standing amidst a group of soldiers on a dirt path in an autumnal forest. The men grinned at the camera, arms around each other’s shoulders as cigarettes dangled from curled lips.

Howling Commandos, you silently read the engraved words. Rescued from the rogue Nazi science division known as HYDRA, they became stalwart allies and close friends of Captain Rogers.

But one amongst them had been a companion to the great Captain America long before the war and Project Rebirth. James Buchanan Barnes, also referred to by his friends as “Bucky”—

You stared at the letters. Read them again. And again.

James Buchanan Barnes.

Bucky.

You focused again on the black and white photo blown up onto the mural, your eyes automatically drawn to one particular face.

It was like staring at a living ghost, and wasn’t that what he was? His hair was shorter and his face clean-shaven in the sepia image. He was young, startlingly so, but his eyes… there was a forlorn look in them you would have recognized anywhere.

There was no doubt this was the same Bucky who had been controlled by HYDRA. The same one who had been your only source of comfort in that hellish cell. The same one who had ensured your freedom.

Your Bucky.

With trembling fingers, you reached forward and pulled one of the pamphlets out of its holder. The paper shook as you opened it up, and inside was a different picture, this one of Rogers and Bucky standing side by side, dirtied and bloodied but their teeth flashing white in happy smiles.

Or at least, Rogers was. Bucky had his lips quirked in the approximation of a smile, but there was something brittle in his expression as he looked to his best friend.

You turned to the back of the pamphlet to see a range of dates.

March 10th, 1917 – February 1st, 1945

How? How is this possible? You narrowed your eyes as you read the smaller print. Bucky had been presumed dead after he had fallen from a transport train during Armin Zola’s capture.

A train. Bucky had mentioned a train.

It said nothing about how it was possible for a man who had supposedly died in 1945 to be here, now in D.C., looking like he hadn’t aged much at all.

At least you knew one thing for certain. Steve Rogers definitely knew him, and there was no doubt he would aid you in helping his once-best friend.

“Williams!”

You quickly folded the pamphlet and slid it into your pocket, turning to face Rumlow and finding he was not alone. Your back went rigid with honed-discipline at the sight of a superior.

“So, this is the esteemed protégé,” Alexander Pierce said with a warm smile, extending his hand to you.

Time seemed to stand still as words echoed to you from within the depths of your memory.

Wipe him—

it couldn’t be

he had been there

in your cell

he was the one in charge

the man who gave the orders

he knew heknewheknew

—and start over.

Your hand was being shaken, but you didn’t remember moving it from your side.

“Secretary Pierce,” you said evenly as he kept your hand clasped in his. His eyes were a faint cornflower blue, ones you recognized along with the timbre of his voice.

The graduation ceremony at the Academy. He gave a speech. It was him.

“Brock told me all about your heroic escape from the hands of that assassin,” he commented, exposing a smile that was all pearly white teeth. It reminded you of a shark circling its floundering dinner.

“All thanks to my training,” you found yourself saying as you retracted your hand mechanically. Your heartbeat was thudding in your ears and prayed he couldn’t see the terror behind your eyes.

“Without it, I wouldn’t be here.”

“And she’s humble, too,” Pierce said, brows lifting as he turned to look at Rumlow. His discerning blue eyes did not reflect the warmth on the rest of his expression.

“Didn’t learn that from me,” Rumlow responded with a lopsided smirk.

Pierce chuckled and turned back to you. He really does have the charming, handsome old man routine down to an art. Hatred curled in your gut for the both of them. You felt naked without a weapon, not even so much as a knife in your boot, but you could improvise. Elbows and the heel of a hand could do a fantastic amount of damage given enough motivation.

“I apologize for not being able to speak with you longer,” Pierce said with a small smile, his eyes roving over your features. You didn’t care for it one goddamn bit. “You need to get to your debriefing and I need to attend to some special guests for the launch. I just wanted to tell you that I’m very impressed, and I look forward to working with you more closely in the future.”

Once upon a time, that pronouncement would have been enough to brighten your entire world. Flattered and star-struck wouldn’t have covered it.

Now, all you could do was give him a plastic smile and say, “Thank you, sir. I look forward to that as well.”

Pierce’s smile didn’t falter exactly, but it did seem to catch, as if you had done something he hadn’t expected. He recovered quickly and gave Rumlow a nod. “I’m counting on you to make this launch as smooth as possible, Brock.”

Rumlow responded with a curt, “Yes, sir.”

You watched Pierce long after he had turned away, and didn’t take your eyes off of him until he disappeared around the bank of elevators.

Bucky had been right again. There was no S.H.I.EL.D. Not anymore. Not with Director Fury dead. There was no doubt as to why he had been assassinated; to make room for Pierce to take over without challenge.

“Can’t wait to take that bastard down.”

When you turned to Rumlow you saw he was staring up at the larger-than-life mural of Captain America.

“Yeah,” you responded, looking directly at Rumlow. “The thought that HYDRA could still exist and be a part of S.H.I.E.L.D. makes me want to fucking retch.”

Stupid. Really, really stupid. Rumlow looked at you out of the side of his eye.

He clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth, a gesture you knew meant annoyance, and he said, “Come on. Time for that debrief.”

He turned from the historical archives and strode across the lobby.

You caught up to him, really wishing you had a weapon. Right now, you didn’t feel like you were in a place you would have once called home, surrounded by colleagues and a team. You felt like you were far behind enemy lines. Alone and without backup. The prison had been a nightmare, but there was something about this situation that felt even more sinister. At least in the prison, you had known who your enemies were. Now, every face could be an insidious mask and every smile could be a knife in the dark.

“Insight Bay,” Rumlow told the control system as soon as you stepped inside the elevator. The doors shut behind you, the sunlight streaming in through the glass wall giving you little comfort.

“Agent Williams does not have clearance,” the automated female voice responded.

“Command Override 61311,” he replied with a roll of one shoulder.

“Confirmed.”

The view of the lobby vanished as the elevator began to descend underground instead of lift upward into the building. You shifted on your heels, nerves getting the better of you.

“So,” you said, trying to figure out where Rumlow was taking you, “what was this about a launch?”

Rumlow glanced your way, a crooked half-smile spreading across his lips. “Another big surprise. New security protocol we’ve been working on ever since the Incident. It might even help us take down Rogers.”

You knew he was talking about the three Helicarriers, but you furrowed your brow anyway. “I’ve never heard of that. Why wasn’t I told?”

“Because,” he responded, the tilt of his head smug, “only those above Level Eight have clearance to know.”

You didn’t have to feign confusion this time.

“There are no levels past Eight except for the board members and director,” you told him.

Rumlow’s smile was near delighted. “I was gonna wait to tell you after your mission report, but… Oh, what the fuck, no point in keepin’ it a secret. We’re gonna be bumping your clearance.”

Light filled the elevator, but it was not the buttery sunshine filtered in through the lobby’s windows. You turned to look out of the glass, and your mouth dropped open at the impossible span of space in front of you. Towering steel walls encircled a hangar bay that was large enough to fit a city block or two.

Nestled inside, huge and monstrous and dwarfing the crew around it to the size of tiny black ants, were three completely assembled Helicarriers.

“Williams,” Rumlow put his hand on your shoulder, “Welcome to Project Insight.”

Next Chapter

[woozapooza]

Black Sails season 3 wrap-up

I’m unhealthily invested in this show and am taking a hiatus to watch s2 of Stranger Things. I can’t even think about anything having to do with boats without getting emotionally wrecked over my pirate children. I was going to do this post in bullet points but I wrote so much I ended up being like okay this calls for paragraphs.

He’s not the most, like, striking character, he’s more understated than Flint or Silver, but I think Billy might be my favorite character. He remains one of the best people on the show (the bar is not high, though) but, as we see towards the end of the season, he can be truly devious and ruthless as well. I love how they’ve used Billy to engage with popular myths about pirates. His idea to use the black spot to intimidate Captain Throckmorton is both brilliant on an in-universe level—Billy is appropriating a terrifying fiction about pirates and making it extremely real—and on a writing level, since it allows the show to use the device of the black spot while maintaining historical plausibility. It gets more complex when you consider that (so Wikipedia tells me) RLS himself invented the black spot, but I’ll hold off on commenting any more on that until I’ve read Treasure Island. I will just say, that since Treasure Island was to my knowledge super formative in the development of the modern perception of the golden age of piracy, it’s brilliant of the show to have the characters actively and deliberately crafting those myths. It’s especially cool that they gave that job to Billy, since he’s a character from the original book. I’ve seen hints that there’s a lot more significance to it than that when you take the book into account, but I won’t know about that until I’ve read the book. DO NOT SPOIL ANYTHING OR YOU WILL FIND A BLACK SPOT ON YOUR DOORSTEP I SWEAR TO GOD.

What’s even cooler than Billy’s deployment of the black spot is the fact that he initiates and leads the effort to craft the legend of John “Sad Poodle Who Needs to Be Protected” Silver, my current avatar and a character so influential he’s mentioned in the opening of the Wikipedia article on popular perceptions of pirates. I find it amusing that Billy did this (the legend, I mean, not the wikipedia thing) without Silver’s knowledge and am looking forward to Silver finding out. I hope he’s not too upset about being cast as the villain. Oh my god, I just realized that Flint worrying that he might be a villain has been a theme, but Billy rejects Flint in favor of using Silver as the villain he needs. What a swerve! Flint and Rogers, in a sneaky piece of parallelism, both say they’re willing to be the villain the other side needs (Flint for civilization, Rogers for pirates). Silver, who never even intended to be a pirate in the first place, now unwittingly arises as the third guy who fills a villain vacuum. It’s too bad that we don’t know exactly which member of Billy’s team came up with the moniker Long John Silver, but I’m pretty sure it was Billy himself. Anyway, the point is, Billy is gr8 on every level including the physical one.

The next award is for Most Entertaining Character. Every word out of Jack “To Be Underestimated Is An Incredible Gift” Rackham’s mouth is gold. I really enjoy watching him fanboy over Blackbeard. By the way, this seems to be an unpopular opinion, but I really enjoy Blackbeard’s character. Not to state the obvious but he’s SUCH a pirate. His father-son relationship with Vane breaks my heart, especially the fact that Teach joined the Revenge For Charles Vane Team after Charles had betrayed him not once but twice.

I have very few complaints about Black Sails, but one I do have is that they killed off Mr. Scott just when they had revealed a whole other side to him and created the potential for more interesting storylines. It especially sucks that they killed him off in the same episode as a more prominent, more popular (not to mention whiter) character, ensuring that his death would be overshadowed. I was sad that he ended up repudiating Eleanor as a daughter, though I don’t blame him. Huh, there might be a comparison here to be drawn with Vane and Teach. Anyway, the good news is that Scott’s real daughter is really cool. I love how Silver seems to be turned on by the very fact that he’s intimidated by Madi.

I don’t really understand Eleanor’s change of heart, tbqh. When I inevitably do a rewatch, I’m gonna try to make sense of that. I like Eleanor but I don’t think I would ever trust her. Also, she needs to be less rude to Max.

Vane’s death was incredible and I’m in awe. He wasn’t always a great person but he died a great death. That’s my eulogy. I’ll miss him. I love the weird common ground he sometimes found with Flint, like the fact that each of them tried to rescue the other from getting killed by Civilization. I think Flint would have approved of Vane’s last words. Hopefully Billy or someone told him.

Can you believe Flint told his whole story to Silver!!! I wish we could have seen the actual moment where he tells Silver about his relationship with Thomas. I’m not a huge fan of that thing shows do where they don’t show you the parts of conversations where Character A conveys to Character B really important information. Often, as in this case, it’s info that the audience already knows, but that doesn’t mean I don’t care to see Character B find out. Ah well, time constraints. Anyway, Flint is like the most closed-off person imaginable, yet he told this very private, even dangerous thing to Silver and Silver was supportive! Well, he did imply that Flint directly or indirectly kills everyone who gets close to him, i.e. that Thomas’ death was Flint’s fault, which was kind of insensitive. By “supportive” I guess I just mean “sympathetic and not homophobic.” That reminds me, a few episodes earlier, after Silver kills Dufresne, Flint comes to check on him and asks if he’s alright, which is one of the first times we see him openly express genuine concern for another person. I can’t think of anyone else he’s talked to that way other than Miranda. What is it about Silver that brings out this side of Flint? That’s another rewatch question. I guess part of it, at least in their conversation in 3x10, is simply the fact that Silver straight-up asked Flint, in a supportive way, to confide in him. What a babe.

There’s like a million more things I could comment on (I haven’t even mentioned Anne Bonny, for one) but this post is already super long so I’m gonna stop. I managed to stay away from Black Sails for a week between seasons 2 and 3. I’m in even deeper now than I was then, so I’m going to try to stay away for longer than a week before I start s4. Wish me luck!

[remembertae]

Law & Order “Dignity”

(Photo: NBC)

S20 E5, released Oct. 23, 2009

WRITTEN BY: Richard Sweren and Julie Martin

SYNOPSIS Dr. Walter Benning — a third trimester abortion provider — is shot dead at his church. A cop on the scene informs detectives Cyrus Lupo and Kevin Bernard that a witness saw a white man flee the building immediately after the shooting. According to Benning’s wife, an anti-abortion protester had shot her husband at his Riverdale clinic the year prior (the assailant is currently in prison). When the detectives visit the clinic, they see a large crowd of protesters from an organization called Mission for Life. But according to one of the clinic nurses, the MfL protesters are non-violent and even assisted in apprehending last year’s shooter. When the detectives notice that the clinic received several recent calls from a Pennsylvania phone number, the nurse says it was the boyfriend of an incoming patient, and that he sounded angry.

The detectives track down Jonah, former boyfriend of Blair (the young PA woman seeking a third trimester abortion). But when Jonah admits he was scared off of parenthood when Blair said the baby would have serious health problems, it becomes clear he wasn't the shooter. The detectives then question a visibly pregnant Blair, who explains her child will have fragile skin disease and require round-the-clock medical care. She mentions how excited her father was to become a grandfather, which leads the detectives to questioning her dad, Professor Morton. Initially, Morton claims he only called the clinic, but eventually admits he also visited the day before the shooting. While there, he told his daughter’s story to a protester who told him not to worry about his daughter’s unborn baby.

The detectives next visit the Mission for Life headquarters, where a staffer and MfL attorney Roger Jenkins assure them that they too want to catch the killer. The staffer then identifies a photo of the suspect as Wayne Grogan, an overzealous protester not affiliated with MfL. Through Grogan’s ex-wife, the detectives try tricking Wayne into meeting them at the hospital. Unfortunately, Grogan’s son has tipped him off and sent Jenkins as a legal representative to negotiate his dad’s surrender. Instead, the detectives go back to the son, pressure him for a tip, and eventually apprehend Grogan at his girlfriend’s cabin in the woods.

Jenkins represents Grogan at his trial and immediately bargains with district attorneys Michael Cutter and Connie Rubirosa for ten years on a manslaughter charge. The DAs refuse, which is when Jenkins says his client will claim he acted in defense of another (i.e. Blair Morton’s unborn baby). He later tells the judge that unborn baby Morton’s medical condition is serious but survivable, and that Grogan knew this before he killed Benning. Much to the DAs dismay, the judge allows this argument.

The DAs meet with their boss, Jack McCoy. McCoy tells them they need to prove Grogan wanted to kill Benning before he heard about the Mortons. Rubirosa questions nurse Jennice Morrow, who supposedly quit working at Benning’s clinic because of the protesters. But it turns out Morrow quit because she saw Benning accidentally deliver a live baby, then murder it. Rubirosa informs Cutter and McCoy and says they need to notify the defense team. But since that information isn't directly related to Benning’s murder (and could only be used by Jenkins to prejudice the jury), they tell her to keep quiet.

At the trial, witness testimony keeps working against the DA’s case; Jenkins gets Professor Morton to admit he doesn't support his daughter having an abortion, and then a gynecologist who vouches for Morton’s professionalism insults pro-lifers by referring to them as “hypocrites and fools.” The defense ratchets up their case by bringing in Lisa Barnett, a woman who gave birth to a terminally sick baby even after doctors suggested she have a third trimester abortion (and whose story apparently inspired Grogan). Her tale about the 21 hours she spent with her beloved infant daughter — whom she wanted “to die with dignity” — leaves half the jury in tears. However, when Cutter asks if she believes late-term abortion providers offer an important service, she surprises the defense by saying “yes.”

At this point, Cutter tells McCoy he wants to take the manslaughter deal, especially because he personally can't abide late term abortion. McCoy refuses. Then they learn that the defense found out about nurse Morrow (via Rubirosa, who refused to omit that information) and are bringing her in as a witness. On the stand, Morrow describes in brutal detail how Benning delivered the baby by accident, asked the mother if he should complete the procedure, then stabbed the baby’s neck when the mother said, “yes.” Though everyone in the room is horrified, Morrow also verifies that the baby would have lived for only one or two days.

Later, the DAs argue with each other about the case. Rubirosa says she used to believe Roe v. Wade was gospel but now she’s not so sure where a woman’s privacy ends and another being’s dignity begins. Cutter tells her to just do her job but she says she can’t just set her soul aside like he can.

During closing arguments, Jenkins shows the jury a photo of Daniel Morton, Blair’s newborn baby. Cutter is about to show bloodied family photos from Benning’s wallet, but cans the emotional approach and speaks philosophically about valuing life by eschewing violence. Cutter’s case works. The jury finds Grogan guilty. And though Rubirosa wants McCoy to transfer her elsewhere, he refuses. McCoy tells Rubirosa and Cutter to get over their differences.

KEEPING IT REAL QUOTIENT Before this episode came out in late 2009, series producer Dick Wolf said it would be a “balanced, thought-provoking drama about abortion.” Given that this story is clearly based on the murder of Dr. George Tiller — a third trimester abortion provider who was shot dead by an anti-choice activist at his church less than five months before this episode aired — I think it’s important to look at the creative licenses taken to create a “balanced” narrative. From my point of view (and many other abortion rights advocates) George Tiller was a hero who helped women end pregnancies that would have hurt them, or would have forced them to give birth to babies with severe, sometimes fatal abnormalities. He didn't deserve to die. But since the writers felt the need to present abortion with a “both sides are problematic” viewpoint, they thought it was necessary to make it seem like his fictional counterpart did things that justified him being shot. Thus, we are told that Dr. Benning was, in fact, a literal baby killer. I can't overstate how deeply offensive this characterization is, especially so soon after Tiller’s death. That detail about Benning stabbing a newborn in the neck was absolutely fabricated for the purpose of making the dead provider less sympathetic.

Instead of vilifying the provider, I wish this episode had spent more time talking about Blair Morton and her quest for a late term abortion because that would have been a far more compelling ethical quandary. My personal feeling about abortion is this - I will always value the life, liberty, and agency of the pregnant person over anyone else, including the fetus. If that means carrying a pregnancy to term against a physician’s advice (as Lisa Barnett chose), then I support that. By the same token I believe that if Blair wants an abortion, she should have one. But I also think it's tragic that our economic and health care systems compel a woman like Blair to seek abortion mainly because she cannot afford to raise that special needs child. But of course, this narrative barely addresses the financial issue*, except for when Prof. Morton tells the detectives (rather unconvincingly) that he’ll figure out a way to cover the baby’s medical costs. Blair is hardly a part of this story at all. Her dad and her fetus both play bigger roles here, which is fitting because this episode isn't so much about abortion as it is “how men feel about abortion”.

In the first half of the episode, Detective Bernard makes a big show of being disrespectful and snotty toward the abortion clinic nurse. When Lupo later tells him to knock off the snide remarks, Bernard says he was born two months premature because his mom tried to end her pregnancy by throwing herself down a flight of stairs. This is why he is pro-life and needs to be a dick toward the clinic nurse. Ah yes, the old “someone else’s abortion is about me” trick. Here's the deal - abortion only happens to the pregnant person and the fetus inside them. That’s it. For example, my abortion only happened to me and the fetus that was inside me. It didn’t happen to you. My abortion didn't “almost happen” to the person who gave you up for adoption, or your mom who tried to throw herself down a flight of stairs. If you are here and alive because the person who birthed you decided against abortion or the stairs didn't work, I am happy for you. But your parent’s choice had absolutely no bearing on mine, nor should it have. So don't come at me with that “What if I’d been aborted?!” argument, because it is irrelevant and I will never care.

Similarly, I don't care that Cutter is against late-term abortion outside of the courtroom. During a scene in which McCoy warns Rubirosa that you can't count on a New York jury to be pro-choice, he says, “My daughter was pro-choice until she taped a sonogram of my grandchild to be on her refrigerator. Now…” Guess what? I don't care what McCoy’s sellout daughter thinks, either. Also, becoming a mom only made me MORE vehemently pro-choice, so don't assume we all turn anti once we decide to have a baby. Rubirosa’s angst about Roe v. Wade felt pretty maudlin, especially for a show that tends to tell you very little about its professional protagonists’ personal feelings and viewpoints. It sucks that abortion is used as a catalyst for all this clunky, overwrought character development. But from the late 1990s to about this point, TV so often talked about abortion in this way. A pregnant secondary or tertiary character’s desire to terminate becomes this heart-wrenching conversation piece for a bunch of other people who aren't pregnant (see Dawson’s Creek, Felicity, House, and Everwood). We don't see that sort of storytelling as much nowadays and I am sure grateful for that. It's hard to believe that not so long ago, an episode like this was considered a quality, balanced take on reproductive choice.

GRADE D- If they’d found Grogan not guilty, it would have been an F.

* Conveniently overlooking the cost of raising a special needs child was something that bothered me about this terrible SVU abortion episode

- by Tara

[privatelywriting]

**civilian name:** Francis ~~Barton~~ Cooper **hero name:** Sparrowhawk **played by:** Jack **player pronouns:** she/her **player age:** 26 **source material:** based off the little amount of comics resources available

**age:** 19 **height:** 6′ **weight:** 193 lbs **character bio:**  Francis is the son of Clint Barton and Bobbi Morse. From a young age, he’s enjoyed archery, and according to his father, he’s been training with a bow since before he could even walk. When he was old enough, he was taught how to fight by both parents, in different techniques. He didn’t understand the concept of heroes, or that his parents were until he saw Hawkeye on the news and realized that he’d seen his father in that very outfit a few times. When he saw his father next, he asked him about Hawkeye, and Clint explained what heroes were and how he and Bobbi helped people in need. He made Francis promise he wouldn’t tell anyone, because some people would take advantage of a hero’s family to get what they wanted. That wasn’t very hard to do, as Francis didn’t have many friends. His parents often had their friends over, and aside from Aunt Tasha, there was only one other he recognized the first time seeing them: Tony Stark, who he first met when he was 7. He was 10 before he realized Tony was Iron Man, when he saw the man without a shirt and couldn’t help but stare at the arc reactor in his chest. Both Clint and Bobbi tried to shoo Francis away because they thought he was being rude, but Tony knelt in front of him and explained to him that the reactor was keeping him alive after one of his bombs exploded and embedded shrapnel in his chest. Tony even let him touch the device, and Francis was surprised at how warm it was. After that, Tony would bring him small gifts every time he visited, and before long, Francis had an array of video games and other tech, some of which wasn’t even available to the public. Aunt Tasha would visit more often than the others, and sometimes she’d babysit him while his parents were away. The others, he didn’t know, but got used to seeing their faces around the house. Steve Rogers, Maria Hill, Phil Coulson, Thor, Bruce Banner, and once or twice, a guy called Nick Fury. For the most part, Francis would stay off to one side of the room and play one of his handheld games while they were over, but sometimes he’d go talk to them. Once, a man named James visited, and his was an unusual case. He asked to stay the night and asked Clint not to tell Steve he was there. Francis didn’t understand, but he was fascinated by the guy’s arm. One arm was normal, but the other one was metal and looked, quite frankly, like something Tony Stark might have built. Unlike Tony, however, James didn’t seem at all interested in explaining how he got his arm. Around the age of 10, he started to see his parents on the news more often, and he started to pay more attention to the news, trying to get more glimpses of his parents or other heroes. His favorite to hear about was Captain America. He wasn’t entirely sure why, since all the heroes were on the same side and doing pretty much the same hero-ing, but the Captain just stood out to him. He was 12 when he realized that all his parent’s friends who came to visit were the heroes he looked up to and saw on the news, and that he’d been given a secret glimpse into the life of heroes without even realizing it. He had asked his father if he could meet Captain America, and that seemed to amuse his father for a reason he never explained(but Francis realized later). Clint had agreed to let Francis meet Captain America, and the next day, Clint took him in to work with him. They went out to a large ship on the water and Clint took him to a room that overlooked a larger room below, where Francis could see Captain America fighting a bunch of androids. Clint told him the Captain was training, and Francis watched and waited. When Captain America finished training, Clint took Francis down to the training room and explained to Captain America that his son wanted to meet him. The Captain smiled and held his hand out to Francis, who nervously took it and shook it. When they broke the handshake, Captain America reached up and removed the cowl on his head, and Francis immediately recognized Steve. He didn’t know how he looked when he realized, but Clint started to laugh. After that, Francis started to put two and two together and try to figure out who else of his parent’s friends were heroes. While growing up, he showed more interest in the bow like his father, but he still trained with all the weapons both his parents put in front of him. He thought it was normal, that all kids did this, and he didn’t fully understand that his parents were training him so that he would be prepared for anything, and able to defend himself when he grew up, even though neither of them really wanted him to go into the hero business. By the time he was 16, he was almost as good with a bow as his father was, and though he was exceptional with the staff, he wasn’t quite as good with it as his mother was. Shortly after his 17th birthday, his entire life was turned upside down. His parents were on a mission that went horribly wrong, and they were reportedly killed in action, leaving Francis without both parents. Through some mix of grieving and determination, he searched endlessly until he found something that would send him back in time. He had to save his parents. He intended to go back to the mission they were killed on, but the device malfunctioned, and sent him further. Upon arrival, it shattered, leaving him stuck in a time before he was even born. **notable skills:** ● Master Archer: He was trained by his father to become a master archer specializing in the use of regular bows, longbows, compound bows, and crossbows with near-perfect accuracy. He is capable of firing multiple arrows at a single target in a few seconds, hitting multiple targets in a few quick strokes, and directly hit small targets in the greatest of distances. He practices a minimum of an hour a day to keep his skills honed. ● Expert Marksman: He possesses very keen eyesight, and his accuracy is virtually unerring; he was trained in his youth by his father with throwing blades, balls, bolas, and boomerangs. He now has near-perfect precision with any aimed or thrown weapon. He can hurl objects with extreme speed and accuracy, both in direct aim and complicated rebounds/interactions. ● Skilled Martial Artist: Francis is an excellent martial artist, having been trained by his father and mother in various forms. He is skilled in multiple martial arts and several forms of hand-to-hand combat, including kung fu and Tae Kwon Do. ● Weapons Proficiency: Although he is not known to use melee weapons, Francis’s incredible reflexes and hand-eye coordination allow him to easily master most weapons. He is especially skilled with knives and staffs, but can use most weapons in a pinch. ● Peak Human Conditioning: Due to beginning his training at such a young age, Francis possesses exceptional human strength, endurance, and stamina, far above people his own age and most people older than him. He also has eyesight well above most people, something that he puts to well use as an archer, and something that he got from his father. He also has exceptional hearing, and can hear anyone trying to sneak up on him. ● Expert Acrobat: Training as an aerialist and acrobat makes him capable of numerous complex acrobatic maneuvers. He is athletic, with very good reflexes and agility, both of which prove very useful on a near-daily basis.

**weapons:** ● Hawkeye’s custom bow, though his version is different than Clint’s in present time, due to a 20-ish year difference. ● Mockingbird’s battles staves, two hollow steel-alloy poles or battles staves, each extending up to four feet. These staves can be used as fighting clubs; or screwed together to be used as a bo-staff or javelin **list three of their positive traits:** 1.) Strong-willed, not willing to back down from what he believes in 2.) Fiercely loyal, willing to do anything for his friends 3.) Driven by his parents memories and desire to  **list three of their negative traits:** 1.) Depressed, but tries to pretend he isn’t 2.) Short temper 3.) Secretive

**616.5 Headcanons:**  -Francis isn’t deaf, but he learned asl from his father and he uses it sometimes to pretend he can’t hear what someone’s saying -He was born in 2021 and came to the past from the year 2040

[loco4scandal]

It all falls apart.. Black Sails Season Four Episode Nine

So, in the spirit of honesty, this was a difficult recap to write. I had anticipated it being so because Luke Arnold was so excited for us to see it. He described it as his favorite episode ever and I was positively giddy to view it. After viewing, I get why he loved it. The flashbacks were beautifully shot, the fighting was some of the best I’ve seen in four seasons and that scene between Madi and Woodes Rogers was chilling. Zethu was absolutely brilliant in it, but that one scene summed up pretty much everything I loved and struggled to love regarding this episode.

We start off the episode with a flashback of Silver walking to meet Flint on a hilltop. It’s evident that it’s a flashback scene because Silver still has his metal leg. We find out that Flint has summoned Silver to teach him how to “fight and not die”. The reason that this is so important now is because the invasion of Nassau is a few weeks away. Flint gingerly tells Silver that it would be better if he learned to fight with a crutch and is surprised when Silver doesn’t fight him on this. Clearly, the purpose of the scene is to show the trust that has developed between the two men since the Fireside confession in 3x10.

~ When the fighting truly begins all that matters is what makes for the greatest advantage~ Flint

~ The men, I have to manage how they see me. I understand that’s part of my job, but for pride to be an issue between you and I well, I think we’re plain past that by now. Don’t you? Do you really imagine that a few weeks of this is going to make that much difference? Am I not what I am at this point? ~ Silver

~ It’s better than nothing.~ Flint

~ You’re not concerned about this? ~ Silver

~ Concerned? ~ Flint

~ Well, you say you’ll be teaching me to fight. But if every man fights differently, seems to me what you’ll really be teaching me is how to defeat you.~ Silver

~ I’ll take my chances. Shall we? ~ Flint

When we return to the present, we see Silver traveling on a launch. He is heading to Skeleton Island to  join Hands and the six man crew in their search of Flint. Silver mentions to Hands that the Governor gave him until sunrise to deliver the cache. Silver voices that he has doubts that the Governor will actually keep his word though. He knows that he is up to something. He just isn’t sure what that is.

While Silver and Hands are having this conversation, Rogers is seen asking Billy who he thinks will be the victor between Silver and Flint. Billy states that Silver has the men, motivation, etc… However, Flint is Flint, and he is at his best when backed into a corner. He encourages the Governor not to wait and see this thing done himself. Honestly, I thought at this point, I’d be over being disappointed by Billy. I’m not. Seeing Billy actively plotting and orchestrating the death of his brothers is painful. Little did we know that this was just the tip of the iceberg for him though. There is much more pain to come. Rogers surprises everyone by saying that he would like to speak to Madi and to have her brought to him. Billy, with all his false bravado, tells him that Madi will never accept a compromise. Rogers quickly reminds him that he is a means to an end and that he needs to remain useful or else end up dead. So essentially, play your position.

In the next scene we flashback to Maroon Island and Silver training with Flint. Somewhere in the midst of sweat flying, it dawns on Flint that Silver knows “his story, his past”,  but he doesn’t know Silver’s. Silver repeats the story that he has told many times. He’s from White Chapel. Never knew his mother and grew up in an orphanage. Flint scoffs at that and tells him that he doesn’t believe it’s true and he encourages Silver to tell him the truth. Silver states it’s not important and yet Flint expresses disbelief that Silver refuses to share his past. Silver looks unnerved with the line of questioning and leaves.

Back again in the present, Flint attacks three of the men on his trail and kills them. We then see Jack sailing with his crew to find Skeleton Island.

And then we see the Queen… She’s been brought up to Rogers and she’s looking as defiant as ever. But wait… the two aren’t alone. Ghost Eleanor is sitting in the corner knitting because evidently she has unfinished business here. I’m assuming she’s his conscience now. Too bad it only took hundreds of women, men and children dying, including his own, for him to get one.  Rogers starts off the conversation from a position of power and intimidation standing directly behind Madi. Little does he know, the Queen doesn’t really do scare tactics. I guess he didn’t decipher that from their last interaction.

~ You have no idea the restraint this takes. How urgent the instinct toward violence. How certain the conviction that it would be deserved, given what you and your partners have destroyed, what you’ve taken from me. To me, compromise seems a loathsome, unbearable act. What compromise can there be with the man responsible for the death of my wife? Or with those who follow him? You’re luckier than you know. So much luckier than you know that in this moment I can still hear the faintest of voices in my head arguing against the alternative. If I must compromise to avert a dark end, then so must you. I’ve offered you freedom for your people. I have offered you more than you have any right to expect. And still, you will not say yes. So I come to you one last time to ensure you cannot say no. Accept the treaty….~ Rogers

Madi interrupts him mid sentence. Just cuts him the hell off. Queen was like I’m tired of all this pontificating.

~ I will consider no treaty of yours.~ Madi

~…. and John Silver lives. Refuse and he dies. Along with the rest of the men who followed him here. And from what I understand, he is the one who matters most to you. The one with whom you might lead a life if you can set aside your pride in this moment. Do not make the same mistake I did. Do the deal.~ Rogers

~ The voice you hear in your head. I imagine I know who it sounds like as I know Eleanor wanted those things. But I hear the voices. A chorus of voices. Multitudes. They reach back centuries. Men and women and children who’d lost their lives to men like you. Men and women and children forced to wear your chains. I must answer to them and this war. Their war. Flint’s war. My war. It will not be bargained away to avoid a fight, to save John Silver’s life or his men’s or mine. And you believe what you will, but it was neither I nor Flint nor the Spanish raider who killed your wife. That, you did.~ Madi

I’ve always known Queen Madi Scott was special. Quite honestly, she is probably one of the best characters on television. A lot of that is due to writing, but Zethu is mesmerizing in this role. I watched this scene and wept. I wept for the pure defiance in her eyes. The conviction. The Calling. Yes, I said Calling. Like never before, Madi made me feel that she’s doing God’s work. In this moment, she is fighting to free her people. She’s fighting for the ones who died at the bottom of ships on the passage over. She’s fighting for the ones who made it over and lived in chains. She’s fighting for the ones who are “free” like her, but still aren’t and she fighting so that her children won’t have to. In this scene, Madi spelled out in no uncertain terms that Madi’s war, her Calling, is about freeing her people and making the world a better place for  them.

I wept for another reason though. I wept because of the lip quiver. I wept because of the heaving chest and the quick swallowing. I wept because of the watery eyes. I wept because in one brief moment, we saw Madi Scott, the woman. Not the Queen of the Maroons or a Leader in the Revolution. We saw Madi that young girl who fell in love with a silver tongued, one legged Pirate. I wept because Madi in that moment realized that this war might take her love’s life as payment and she accepted that possibility. Not just that John’s life might be forfeited, but hers and her people’s as well. Again, she didn’t choose this war over Silver’s life. She chose her Calling of freeing her enslaved people over EVERYTHING. Freedom ain’t never been free. People have always had to die for it. That doesn’t mean that she doesn’t love John with everything in her soul. It just means that she has to realize that she was lucky enough to fall in love with a man who supports her Calling. And he does.. He proved that when he punished Billy. He proved that when he broke those chains at Underhill. He proved that with his respect of the Queen Mother and Ruth. Silver is more than ready to accept her Calling and his. Madi just needs to realize it. As a said before, freedom ain’t free, but sometimes there can be another way. Sometimes the entire world and everyone in it doesn’t have to burn. If anyone is smart enough to find a way, it’s Madi and Silver together.

Honestly, I could just stop here, because that scene was hard and I’m tired as fuck. But alas, The King is still searching for Flint and the cache. We next see him and Hands standing over the bodies of the men that Flint has killed. Silver is pissed and cursing Flint. Hands ain’t having it. He reminds John that both he and Billy tried to warn him that Flint ain’t shit and ain’t ever going to be shit. He also  tells him that Flint will show up, spin a damn tale and your loyal ass “will not have learned a got damn thing”. He’s right too. Our blue-eyed Bae is loyal as hell to Captain Ginger and that self serving bastard has never deserved it, but yet here we are. Silver than has a moment of clarity and realizes that he may know where Flint has went.

We then see Flint and Dooley carrying the chest. Dooley is expressing concerns over Silver’s ability to remain a part of the alliance. Flint assures him that once Madi is safe, Silver will be fine, but Dooley disagrees. He believes that Silver may be permanently compromised and when the time comes he will deal with it so that Flint won’t have that burden on his soul. Dooley, sweetheart, Flint killed Gates with his bare hands. That motherfucker doesn’t mind doing the wet work. Just saying.

In the next flashback, the training continues. We see Silver telling Flint a whole lot of nothing about his backstory. Clearly, Silver’s backstory isn't relevant to his present life. And Jesus, wept or at least I did. I waited four years for this and got Zilch, Nada, Nothing.

So, we’ve reached the fucked me up portion of the recap. In the present day, Joji and one of the crew encountered Flint and Dooley. Flint kills the crew member, while Joji fights Dooley. Joji, a real friend to the end, harms Dooley just enough to put him out of commission. He could have killed his brother and chooses not to. Not Flint, though. No sir. He did what he always does. He kills Joji. In what world could Flint beat Joji in a sword fight? R.I.P, Joji, my Silent Bae. I loved you.

As this is happening, we see members of Rogers crew swimming to the Walrus, where they proceed to light it on fire. They also untie all the launches so the men can’t escape. So you see, Madi not trusting Roger’s word was kind of a safe bet. Roger’s word doesn’t men shit. Ask his wife and child. I’ll wait. Mr. De Groot gives the abandon ship command and my heart breaks. This ain’t gon’ end well.

Hands and Silver spot Flint and Hands rushes down to stop him. More fighting ensues and Flint gets the best of Hands and knocks him out. Yeah, you read that right. Hands, the Ginger Savage, was bested by Flint. You really can’t make this shit up. Silver finally makes it and demands that Flint tell him where the treasure is. Flint says the treasure is in the ground and it will remain there until Madi is free and they gather it and return it to the camp.

~ I know you cannot see why this must be. But it must be. And every moment we waste is a moment we could be working to retrieve her.~ Flint

~ That’s all this has ever been, isn’t it? A partnership only insofar as it enables you to do whatever it is that matters to you in any given moment. And right now it matters far less to you whether she lives or dies than it happens your way, on your terms.~ Silver

~ I think you know it’s far more complicated than that. I’m certain she does. Even if you could kill me, even if that somehow helped you see her alive again, how are you going to explain it to her? She believes in this as much as I do. You know this. If it costs the war to save her, you’ll have lost her anyway. Even you cannot construct a story to make her forgive you that. You do this and you’re gonna regret it.~ Flint

Well, clearly those were fighting words, because Silver drew his sword and the fight commenced. But before we proceed, let’s rehash some things. Flint just implied to Silver that he knew Madi better than him. Marinate on that… Flint told Silver that Madi would essentially side with him. She would want this war to go on in spite of everything. But…. Madi is fighting for her people’s freedom. She fighting for the “greater good”. Flint on the other hand, is not. Flint is fighting to destroy England because he loved and lost. THAT.IS.IT. So someone explain to me like I’m a toddler, how are Madi’s Calling and Flint’s Revenge Campaign the same? I’ll wait. So back to the task at hand, Dooley shows up to the fight and attempts to shoot Silver. Flint kills him to prevent it and then an explosion occurs. It’s the Walrus. It’s completely engulfed in flames and the men are being shot dead in the water as they abandon ship. Leading this slaughter is Billy. I don’t have the words. De Groot is shot in the head, but Billy spares Gunn. For, not the last time, I wept. All these dead bodies in the water. Men that I watched and loved for four seasons are now dead. Dead because there can only be one way and that’s Flint way.

Silver flashbacks to this beautiful moment of him and Madi. It looks as though, they are eating together back on Maroon Island before all the Death and Destruction happened. Madi looks so young and innocent and Silver is obviously trying to reassure her that Flint means him no ill will…

~ Can’t you see it? It isn’t utility that’s behind his investment in me nor necessity nor dependency. I understand you fear a false motive. But this much is clear to me now.. I have earned his respect. And after all the tragedies that man has suffered….. the loss of Thomas, the events of Charles Town. I have earned his trust. I have his true friendship and so he is going to have mine. And as long as that is true, I cannot imagine what is possible.~ Silver

Deep sigh…. Silver speaks of his friend with such deep respect and admiration. He even seems a little in awe that Captain Flint, chose him of all people to trust with a true friendship. This is why we needed Silver’s backstory. This is why it was so important to know what happened in his past that would make him sacrifice so much for a man that has never done the same for him. That said… the scene once again showed that Silver truly does love Madi above all else. There is nary a secret between them and I would assume that would also include his backstory. It’s so clear why this man will fight the Devil himself to see Madi returned. She is his everything.

This episode was hard guys. Hard because honestly, we are left with more questions than answers and we only have one episode to get them. One episode until it’s all said and done.

[witchymarvelspacecase]

Wraith pt. 6

Summary: Bucky x OFC Follows the story line of CA:CW. Regan is an ex-HYDRA experiment who has been on the run for about a year. Turns out the Winter Soldier has been hiding not only in the same city as her, but the same BUILDING. Chaos ensues and she offers her help to Bucky and his friend Steve. Word Count: 1075 Warnings: Swearing, Typos (sorry) A/N: Okay, so I used Google Translate (I know, I’m sorry) and I used Slovak for Sokovian (no real reason, I just liked it), translations are in the parenthesis next to the phrases. Let me know what you think!

Obviously, there are quotes/descriptions/dialogue from the movie here, clearly I did NOT write that, so credit to Marvel and it’s wonderful writers and actors!

Masterlist

Not my gif, credit to the owner

“So, we are up against Iron Man and his twin, Black Widow, and an android with a magical glowing gem in his head?”

“At least, Tony may have found more teammates since I left,” Steve answered, paying no attention to Regan’s sass.

“Ya know, I actually ran into Black Widow once,” she said, rambling, “she almost killed me… Never met either of the Iron Twins or the android, but I don’t think I’m gonna be super useful.” She was now chewing on the side of her thumb.

“Ideally, you won’t have to engage. Just hang back and save our asses if we get stuck,” Sam explained reassuringly.

“Language,” Cap muttered sternly. Sam rolled his eyes but didn’t respond.

“Just get to a spot that’s out of the way, and be our eyes. Watch our backs and call if you see an opening, easy.” Sam grinned.

Regan looked at him with her eyebrows raised, “Nothing, ever, goes as originally planned, and nothing is ever easy. What’s plan B?”

“If all else fails, Cap and ‘Winter’ here need to get out.” Steve looked like he wanted to argue, but Regan met Sam’s gaze and nodded.

Bucky, who had been silent during the previous conversation, tensed and placed his hand on Regan’s knee again. Regan glanced at him, sensing his wariness and seeing it in the yellow tinge to his energy as they arrived at the airport, and parked in a lot next to a white van. 

Cap and Sam climbed out of the car, the passenger door of the van opened to reveal Wanda, and Regan felt a pang of fear. She took a sharp breath in and recoiled from the window, hoping she couldn’t be seen.

“Relax Bucky, they’re friendly,” Regan muttered.

“Then why are you hiding?”

“I… shit, I’m afraid of hurting Wanda still,” she gritted out.

“I wouldn’t be. She seems pretty stable,” Bucky said as he released her knee and looked at Regan who was practically in the footwell, trying to keep out of sight. “Come on, you have to get out eventually.”

She remained where she was, closing her eyes.

Bucky reached over again and rested his left hand on her shoulder. “Regan,” he started causing her head to jerk up; Bucky had never used her real name before, just her HYDRA tag. “I’m getting out too. I guarantee I will cause more trouble than you.” Meeting his gaze, she dropped her shoulders and nodded.

By the time she had crawled out of the car, Sam had crossed to the driver’s side and was standing beside Steve. Wanda along with “Hawkeye” a.k.a. Clint Barton, and a man Regan didn’t recognize were all out of the van.  

The unknown man was practically drooling over Steve, Regan almost had to laugh at the starstruck look on his face.

“We’re outside the law on this one. So, if you come with us, you’re a wanted man,” Steve explained to the man, who seemed unfazed by this.

“Yeah, well, what else is new?” Regan raised her brows at this.

“We should get going,” Bucky added from his position on the other side of the car from everyone else.

“I got a chopper firing up,” Hawkeye responded.

A voice came over the P.A. system just then, instructing travelers to evacuate the area due to a security threat. “Well, that’s us I assume.”

“They’re evacuating the airport,” Bucky translated for the group.

“Stark.”

“Stark?”

Then, without further explanation, Steve instructed everyone to suit up and Regan just chuckled dryly before telling a confused Steve that she hadn’t had a “suit” since HYDRA.

“It wasn’t high on my priority list, nor have I needed one since I ran. Plus HYDRA probably lo-jacked the one I had anyway.”

“Regan?” At her name, Regan looked over and met Wanda’s searching gaze.

“Malá sestra!” (little sister) Wanda cried and threw her arms around Regan’s shoulders. Regan didn’t hesitate to return the embrace and pressed her forehead into Wanda’s neck.

“Vel’ká sestra. Dal som vám chýbal toľko” (Big sister, I’ve missed you so much) Regan responded. Wanda squeezed her again then held her at arm’s length and inspected her.

“You’re nervous. Why? Oh miláčik,” (sweetheart) her eyes teared up but she hugged Regan again, “I miss him all the time moja láska (my love), but I want you here. I have missed you too, been so worried about you. Pietro worried too. Now we are together again, I am sure he is more at peace,” she sniffled and squeezed Regan again.

“ľúbim ťa, sestra,” (I love you, sister) Regan whispered into Wanda’s neck and squeezed her back before parting.

“Well, now I know why Captain Rogers asked me to bring extra clothes,” Wanda smiled as she reached into the back of the van, grabbed a bundle of nylon and leather and handed it to Regan with a wink. Regan smiled and followed her to the other side of the van to change.

The bundle included a pair of tight fitting black pants and a ¾ sleeve black shirt with a leather corset piece over top like armor. Leather gauntlets covered the exposed portion of Regan’s arms and knee-high black combat boots covered her calves. 

A gun sat in a thigh holster and there were two stiletto knives strapped to the underside of the gauntlets. The finishing touch to her new ensemble was a small ear bud enabling her to communicate with the rest of the team. Never really been on a team before… Regan hoped she didn’t have to use any of the weapons; she didn’t know these people personally, but they weren’t bad guys, she didn’t really want to hurt anyone today.

Regan looked at Bucky, who was now standing next to her as Cap gave everyone the final lay of the land. When they all broke apart, Regan grabbed Bucky’s arm.

“No matter what happens, I have your back.” She spoke without looking directly at him.

Bucky was taken aback. Regan squeezed his forearm as she glanced over at him. He looked down at her hand and then back at her face, then he smiled, it was just a little smile, a sort of sad-looking smile, but it was a smile. Bucky placed his hand atop hers. Regan had never seen a smile on his face, and even this sorry smile, changed his whole face.

“Be careful, Regan.” She nodded and they split apart.

Thank You’s:

@bellblake-trash , @buckyslion , @bovaria , @buckybarnesstar , @fvckingbuckyandsteve, @thatawkwardtinyperson, @imhereforbvcky, and @gigistorm

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@canumoveyourseatup-no, @imsunnysu, @17sullivan, @ipaintmelodies, @blacwings-and-bucky-barnes, @littlxshit

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J.F.K. Files, Though Incomplete, Are a Treasure Trove for Answer Seekers

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J.F.K. Files, Though Incomplete, Are a Treasure Trove for Answer Seekers

Video

The J.F.K. Assassination: A Cast of Characters

As a new trove of documents about the killing of President John F. Kennedy is released, The Times’s Peter Baker walks us through who’s who in this American tragedy.

By NATALIE RENEAU and PETER BAKER on Publish Date October 25, 2017. . Watch in Times Video »

WASHINGTON — President Trump ordered the long-awaited release on Thursday of more than 2,800 documents related to the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, but bowed to pressure from the C.I.A. and F.B.I. by withholding thousands of additional papers pending six more months of review.

While incomplete, the documents represented a treasure trove for investigators, historians and conspiracy theorists who have spent half a century searching for clues to what really happened in Dallas on that fateful day in 1963. They included tantalizing talk of mobsters and Cubans and spies, Kremlin suspicions that Lyndon B. Johnson was behind the killing and fear among authorities that the public would not accept the official version of events.

Paging through the documents online on Thursday night was a little like exploring a box of random documents found in an attic. There were fuzzy images of C.I.A. surveillance photos from the early 1960s; a log from December 1963 of visitors, including a C.I.A. officer, coming and going from President Johnson’s ranch in Texas; and reports that Lee Harvey Oswald obtained ammunition from a right-wing militia group.

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Some of the documents convey some of the drama and chaos of the days immediately following the murder of the president. Among them is a memo apparently dictated by J. Edgar Hoover, the F.B.I. director, on Nov. 24, 1963, shortly after Jack Ruby shot and killed Oswald as he was being moved from police headquarters to a local jail.

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“There is nothing further on the Oswald case except that he is dead,” the memo begins laconically, before reciting the day’s events.

Have You Read the Kennedy Documents? Tell Us What You See

What, if anything, did President Kennedy’s assassination mean to you?

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Mr. Trump, who has indulged in his own wild speculation about the sensational killing, had expressed eagerness to finally open the last of the government files, only to run into a last-minute campaign by intelligence agencies to redact certain documents. Grudgingly, he gave the agencies until April 26 to go through the remaining papers again and make their case.

“I am ordering today that the veil finally be lifted,” Mr. Trump said in a memo to the agencies. Given their objections, he said, “I have no choice — today — but to accept those redactions rather than allow potentially irreversible harm to our nation’s security.” But he ordered the agencies to “be extremely circumspect,” noting that the rationale for secrecy has only “grown weaker with the passage of time.”

For conspiracy theorists, the Kennedy assassination has been the holy grail, one that has produced an endless string of books, reports, lectures, articles, websites, documentaries and big-screen Hollywood movies. It was the first murder of an American president in the television age, touching off a wave of global grief for a charismatic young leader while also spawning a cottage industry of skeptical questioning of the official version of events.

Every government authority that has examined the investigation of his death, from the Warren Commission to congressional investigators, concluded that Kennedy was killed by Lee Harvey Oswald, who fired three shots with a mail-order rifle from the sixth floor of the Texas School Book Depository when the presidential motorcade passed by on Nov. 22, 1963. But that has never satisfied the doubters, and polls have consistently shown that most Americans still believe that someone other than Oswald must have been involved.

While the Warren Commission concluded that Oswald acted alone, the House Select Committee on Assassinations said in a 1979 report that Kennedy “was probably assassinated as a result of a conspiracy” but did not identify who those conspirators might have been. It ruled out the Soviet and Cuban governments, organized Cubans opposing Fidel Castro, the Mafia, the F.B.I., C.I.A. and the Secret Service, although it said it could not preclude that individuals affiliated with some of those groups might have been involved.

Among the doubters have been Mr. Trump, who last year alleged that the father of his Republican rival, Senator Ted Cruz of Texas, was somehow involved in the assassination. The president’s longtime friend and adviser, Roger J. Stone Jr., authored a book accusing Johnson of being responsible for the shooting that elevated him to the presidency.

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Why Do We Love J.F.K. Conspiracy Theories? Blame the Movies

The New York Times chief film critic A.O. Scott analyzes how movies such as Oliver Stone’s “J.F.K.” helped fuel America’s interest in conspiracies.

By AINARA TIEFENTHÄLER and A.O. SCOTT on Publish Date October 26, 2017. Photo by Warner Bros.. Watch in Times Video »

As it happened, Mr. Trump’s deferral to the C.I.A. and F.B.I. invariably will lead to suspicions that the government is still protecting sensational secrets about the case. Administration officials said there was no cover-up, just an effort to avoid compromising national security, law enforcement or intelligence gathering methods.

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The C.I.A., which has borne the brunt of suspicions from amateur assassination theorists for years, went out of its way on Thursday to try to dispel concerns that it was hiding important evidence.

The agency issued a statement noting that the vast majority of assassination-related records have been released, and that redactions were intended “to protect information in the collection whose disclosure would harm national security — including the names of C.I.A. assets and current and former C.I.A. officers, as well as specific intelligence methods and partnerships that remain viable to protecting the nation today.”

The release of the documents owes as much to the moviemaker Oliver Stone as anyone else. After his 1991 conspiracy theory movie, “J.F.K.,” stoked renewed interest, Congress passed the President John F. Kennedy Assassination Records Collection Act, which was signed into law by President George Bush on Oct. 26, 1992. The act mandated that all assassination records be released no later than 25 years from that date, which was Thursday, unless the president authorized further withholding for national security reasons.

In the years since the law was passed, the National Archives and Records Administration has released 88 percent of those documents in full and an additional 11 percent with portions redacted. Until Thursday, just 1 percent had been withheld in full.

Of the 2,891 documents released on Thursday, just 53 had never been disclosed by the archives; the rest had been made public with redactions.

Document

Read J. Edgar Hoover’s Memo on Soviet Reaction to the Assassination

While he was F.B.I. director, J. Edgar Hoover sent the following memo in 1966 to the White House, detailing Russian reaction to the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.

OPEN Document

The papers range widely and while many are not directly related to the assassination, others add context. One recounted the reaction of the Soviet Union to the killing, reporting that some in Moscow assumed it was a “coup” by the “ultraright” that would be blamed on the Soviet Union. An unnamed informant told American spies that the K.G.B. had proof that “President Johnson was responsible for the assassination.”

An F.B.I. cable from April 1964 reconstructed Oswald’s bus trip to Mexico weeks before the assassination, including the names of the people sitting around him and even what he was wearing: “a short-sleeved light colored sport shirt and no coat.”

In Hoover’s memo two days after the assassination, he expressed anxiety that Oswald’s killing would generate doubts among Americans. “The thing I am concerned about,” he wrote, “is having something issued so that we can convince the public that Oswald is the real assassin.” The F.B.I. director also fretted that discoveries that Oswald contacted the Cuban embassy in Mexico City and sent a letter to the Soviet Embassy in Washington could “complicate our foreign relations.”

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He called the Oswald killing “inexcusable” in light of “our warnings to the Dallas Police Department” and hinted at Ruby’s mob connections, which would soon spawn an industry of research and speculation. “We have no information on Ruby that is firm, although there are some rumors of underworld activity in Chicago,” Hoover wrote.

The documents will not end the debate or speculation — and a few may add to the questions. In a 1975 deposition, for example, Richard Helms, the former C.I.A. director, was asked: “Is there any information involved with the assassination of President Kennedy which in any way shows that Lee Harvey Oswald was in some way a CIA agent or an agen…”

But the document ends there, and Mr. Helms’s answer is missing.

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