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[poppadom0912]

Together (VII)

Warnings: Mentions of violence, blood, injuries, abuse, kidnappings, shootings, swearing and scary men.

Summary: When Jay least expected it, he suddenly starts hearing things. And maybe, he's starting to hallucinate too.

A/N: Am I suddenly full of inspiration and writing in school when i should be doing my lab write up? Yes I am. This chapter has been changed many times but I finally finished editing. A little spoiler- maybe I’m being nicer to my babies 🙃

Previous Chapter / Series Masterlist / Next Chapter

Over the course of eating their very poorly put together ‘meal’, Will came to the conclusion that the food hadn’t been tampered with and so he was happy to continue feeding you.   

You had to admit that you felt like a baby, your older adult brother feeding adult you. You tried insisting you could feed yourself but with the state of your shaking fingers, hands sore from the countless times they’d been tied back, Will denied you your request.

The man that had given the tray of food returned and this time, there was something rectangle like sticking out in one of his trouser pockets while what clearly sounded like keys was sticking out in the other.   

Your heart skipped a beat, and you could feel Will’s heart rate increase from where his hand was positioned over yours. He must’ve noticed it too.   

The Ezra's were so meticulous in their plans and their behaviour was always erratic and on another level of violence that it was impossible to believe one of their henchmen could even, for a second, have the thought of being nice to their victims.   

But you were continuously surprised by them because as he took the empty tray, leaving behind the two waters and single juice, he ‘accidentally’ dropped the plastic rectangle and as he was walking away, his back turned to you both, a key fell and clanged against the ground, but he never looked back.   

And just like that, the door slammed behind him, massively contrasting the immense kindness he showed mere seconds ago.   

Holy friggin shit balls.  

*****  

Was Trudy worried? Yes, indeed she is. Was she going to show any concern? No, not unless she was left alone with her detective.   

Ever since dispatch had forwarded her Jay’s call, she’d been on her feet and alert. And ever since she found out that Jackson and Ezra Murray were the culprits to blame, she was determined that they weren’t going to get away again.

Trudy knew all the Halstead siblings, but she knew Jay the best. Over the many years, not only herself but many, many others were forced to get used to not one but three Halstead's being in existence and working within less than fifteen minutes from each other.   

Currently, Trudy and Jay were alone in the bullpen since the younger detective was barred from any field work unless they found Will and Y/N’s location but that was the only exception. Right now, her job was to keep Jay company, keep an eye on him and continue looking for any more clues or evidence that could be of any help.   

Jay was very clearly still losing his mind and his mental and physical state deteriorated as time passed. At this point, Trudy couldn’t help but think the worst and fear for how her detective was going to fare as a result.

Currently, she was sat opposite him at Hailey's desk, doing her own bit by going through security footage that had too many hours of video on it. Usually, she would get bored doing this, but it was a little different this time because whenever she glanced up, she was faced with the struggling sight of your brother who never asked for too much.   

All he wanted was to get his older brother and younger sister back.   

Suddenly, the phone on Jay’s desk was ringing. Luckily for him, he had a second phone whenever he went undercover and since the first one had been taken and was likely smashed in an evidence bag somewhere, this was all he was relying on.  

The sound was slightly jarring as it interrupted the pin drop silence they’d been in but neither of them showed any sign of discomfort. Instead, Jay went to answer the call, but his solemn mood didn’t change. It was evident that he wasn’t expecting much since it was his undercover phone that they’d been using two days ago on a case.  

Just as the desk sergeant was about to go back to her CCTV footage, she felt the entire bullpen still. The tension so thick it was suffocating her veins restricting any blood flow, and as she looked up, it became dizzying.   

His already pale face had nothing on Snow White and from where she sat, she could his heartbeat thundering out his chest, practically vibrating. All this could only mean one thing.   

“Will?”

What the fuck

For a hot second, Trudy thought that Jay was in so much pain that he was transferring some of his hallucinations onto her to alleviate his symptoms but then he continued talking into the phone and reality sunk into her bones. 

"Shit, Will wait slow down I can't- what?!"

Without prior warning, Jay shot out of his seat, wavering slightly on his feet causing the older woman to follow and stand by his side in any case he fell from the whiplash she's sure he gave himself. 

"Knives- you've got keys?- Y/N's not unconscious- she's lost her voice- your bleeding?! When- Why are you talking about grape juice?!" Jay paused several times, his words repeatedly getting cut off by Will on the other side of the phone. The longer the call went on, the more confused Trudy became. Jay must've been thinking the same as her from the height his brows rose every time he spoke. They went from talking about knives and blood to grape juice. 

The duality of the Halstead brothers. 

"Wait so he gave you a knife and somehow you found a gun just casually lying around? Will, I swear to God if you-"

And when Jay screw his eyes shut, something in her mind told her the doctor was doing something stupid and very questionable, very in character even when in a life or death situation. It was nice to know people would never change. 

Despite the anxiety growing in her chest, the call lasted longer than she expected. Will was being very efficient and careful for managing whatever he was doing and that put her at somewhat ease. Eventually, nothing physically tore them apart but it was poor internet or a lack of a connection that abruptly ended the call. 

"Tell me you got a location?" Jay asked, hope drowning out any other emotion in his ever so expressive eyes. If it wasn't for lives being on the line then she would've scoffed and scolded him but a sarcastic remark would do for now. 

"What do you take me for?" She asked incredulously as she glanced at the computer screen, almost immediately committing the address to her memory. 

"I'll call Voight but get in the car first."

But Jay didn't need her permission, he was already moving. 

*****

So much had unravelled in the last twenty minutes, you were still struggling to understand it all.

With all the uncertainty and determination in the world, you and Will had no other plan but to take they keys and the pocketknife and basically run as fast as you could. Well, run as much as Will could since he was carrying you on his back, very reminiscent of your childhood while he navigated the halls as best he could. You made a very pathetic argument that you could walk on your own but when you tried standing up, your legs gave in on themselves and Will gave you his motherly disappointed look that was very spot on; you and Jay had been on the receiving end of this look for way too long now that you should’ve been immune to it but here you were.

Opening the basement door, you both cringed at the loud sound it made. You guys hadn’t even left the basement yet and it was already going off to a great start.

As gently as he could, Will readjusted your position on his back, his arms moving to hold under your thighs more securely so that in a rush, you wouldn’t move. As he did so, you kept your arms around his neck, barely gripping him due to both a lack of strength and cautious to not strangle him.

Before leaving the room, you and Will sat and contemplated very long and hard about your escape plan. You were provided with very little by the mysterious man you were now deeming your saviour and maybe guardian angel depending on how successful the escape was.

Staring at the burner phone, you swore. You couldn’t remember anyone’s phone number for the life of you. Easily, you could’ve called 999 but the response much longer than calling someone either of you knew. It shocked you only a little when you couldn’t recollect a single person’s phone number, not even Kelly’s or Jay’s.

But like always, Will was there and knew exactly what to do. Maybe it was his doctor nature, but he had several numbers memorised and for some odd reason, he remembered Jay’s undercover phone number. You called him stupid, but he only laughed it off while he punched in the numbers.

You waited in anticipation, your nerves imitating Will’s as he held the phone to his ear, biting on the inside of his cheek as he waited for the phone to stop ringing. And when it did, Will audibly let out a sigh of relief, you felt like crying.

Will explained in half detail, leaving out a lot. It was obvious that Will was trying to relay the necessary details Jay needed to know about their current situation but then he decided to add in the random unnecessary fact that you drank grape juice. That totally threw you off, but Will kept talking as if nothing were wrong.

When Will eventually finished talking, he went silent and listened to what Jay was saying. For a minute, you couldn’t hear a voice on the other side of the phone but then you heard his muffled voice, and it brought you immediate ease knowing he was safe.

And before you knew it, the call ended, and you were out the dreaded basement.

Back to the present, Will was carefully cruising the empty corridors of the very nicely furnished warehouse. It made you question the desolate and dirty state the basement was in. At one point, you pointed out a gun lying on an ottoman; it was very suspiciously placed but when Will checked, it was very much real and very much loaded.

So here you were: a burner phone, pocketknife, gun, and sheer drive. You didn’t want to jinx it but… yes you weren’t going to jinx it.

The warehouse was ginormous. Every corridor was identical to the next and the furnishing was as though a professional interior designer had been inside. Luckily for you and Will, Jackson and Ezra’s lacky’s hadn’t been plastered all over the place, making your escape just a little more easier.

To remain as incognito as possible, Will only whispered to you when absolutely necessary, narrating to you what he was doing and what was going to happen. So far, so good. Will was slinking around, movements smooth and looking like a hair on his body had never been touched since being here. If you didn’t already know he was a doctor, then you would question his physical abilities and profession.

Each corner you turned, you felt your heart drop, your body anticipating disaster. The more time passed, the more you could feel Will sweat and struggle. He had begrudgingly admitted that he was hurt, going into slight detail that Ezra stabbed him, and he’d been hurt more throughout the several times you were passed out. You knew he was hurt and if you were to go in order of the most hurt to the least, the list would be: You, Will and then Jay. And considering the blood you saw covering Jay’s body the last time you saw him; God knows what went down between your oldest brother and your kidnappers.

“Will, if you’re tired, we can stop for a second.” You whispered into his ear but the only reply you got was him shaking his head. You knew his answer made sense, you needed to get out as soon as possible before you got caught but if Will took just one minute or two to recollect himself then maybe he’d feel better.

However, he decided that he was going to put himself last and everything else first because according to him, apparently you and getting out of this damned place took priority to his light-headedness and the blood that was only now slowly beginning to stop running like a river.

And so, without another word, he readjusted you one more time, his grip tightening around your thighs but not too much so it would hurt, and he continued walking.

Going downstairs was the hardest thing Will had to do by far. Yes, carrying you and maintaining your weight on his back was difficult but he could manage, and you felt much more lighter than what you should’ve been being a firefighter but that was a concern for later.

Staring down from the top of the staircase, Will calculated the descent. Yes, it would hurt a lot considering how much his legs shook as he merely stood but he was now starting to get worried but how little you were moving. Initially, you would move every now and then when your body felt stiff or to whisper under your breath so only he could hear you.

Now though, Will didn’t want to say it, you were deathly silent.

He shoved all his negative thoughts aside, deciding to deal with them later because the biggest problem he had was staring at him mockingly. How did his life come to such a point point that stairs scared him?

Luck must’ve decided to be nice to him all of a sudden because under five minutes, he safely delivered the two of you on the ground floor. Now, all that was left to do was find a back or front door and get the heck out of this place.

But obviously, fate was laughing down on the Halstead’s because luck ran as fast as she could, after only three minutes of doing her job because Will was facing down two familiar looking men decked out in all black.

Series Masterlist:

@mads-weasley @sowrongitslottie @elite4cekalyma @senjoritanana @hufflepuff-blackwidow @mrspeacem1nusone @kmc1989 @goth-cowgirl-03 @daggersquadphantom @photographerkaiya0306 @jamie0515 @samanthavitale @iamasimpingh0e

[twinker-bell-sparkles]

Steddie idea/ficlet???

Steve has know his was gay for a long time. Probably around middle school is when he put it together. With him and Tommy having those strange practice kissing and so forth. He knew he’d either be in a bread relationship or just miserable in a heterosexual relationship. However, getting outed was not on that list. He sighs as he looks at his locker. Faggot written in sharpie across his locker. Loud boots echo behind him. “Pardons m your highne- shit dude what happened to your locker?” Steve turns to see the other openly queer kid in school. Steve sighs “I got outed, someone found my journal at a house party and blabbed. Just- just leave me be Munson. I don’t wanna deal with more bullying today.” He turns back to his locker and starts to clean off his locker. “Harrington, dude that sucks, uhmm if you ever need anything call.” Eddie smiles and hands him a number. Steve smiles to himself, another thing he didn’t expect was to become friends with Eddie Munson. Maybe this year won’t suck as much as he thought.

- basically the idea is that Steve n Eddie are like rivals but become friends

- Steve is outed by Tommy which is revealed later

- Eddie teaches Steve dnd, Steve only says no to the kids bc he finds their campaigns boring

- Steve gets kicked out and lives out of his car for a couple of weeks til Hopper finds out n lives with Hopper, later moving in with Eddie

- Steve is actually rather gifted in math n science but struggles with English n history bc of his dyslexia.

- his style is veey different than the shiw, mind you this is historically inaccurate bc fashion trends n shiz, he wears a lot of pastel n soft sweaters, with jeans n boots.

-this takes place in the middle of S1 and go forth, everything is sort of the same except, Steve turns down Nancy, bc she doesn’t think Steve is gay. And Steve doesn’t wanna deal with that. So barb doesn’t die bc they’re away but bc Steve tried to save her and she just had too much water in her lungs. Her body got lost in the transferring at the hospital. S2 is the same except Nancy tries to start some drama, don’t worry she redeems herself later, gotta have some conflict, Steve finds out what Tommy did, billy is not great but not bad, has a redemption arc, Eddie n Steve start dating at the end of this season s3 is the same, except WLW n MLM solidarity happens in the bathroom scene n hopper lives Murray “dies” instead. S4 is very different, 1. Chrissy lives, 2. The hoppers stay in Hawkins, Murray comes back, Jason is convicted for the murders of Patrick n Fred. Steve comes out the the group.

That’s all I have so far for his fic idea.

[katblu42]

Day 11 - Rocky Mountaineer part 1

I'm behind again! Mostly because I've been busy experiencing stuff, and not connected to tech!!

Anyway, Day 10 started pretty early - coach pick up at the hotel was 7:50am, but our luggage had to be outside our rooms for collection an hour before that.

Our coach was the first to arrive at the station, so we had about half an hour to hang around before the welcome (which involved bagpipes), and then boarding.

(This is a Gold Leaf carriage - I was travelling on Silver Leaf)

We set off at 8am, and while we were still slowly trundling out of Vancouver the first refreshments were served - coffee and tea, then a 2 course breakfast!

We had an unexpected and sudden stop when the emergency brake was pulled due to "an issue with the crossing ahead." Not sure what the issue was, but when the emergency brake is pulled the whole length of train has to be walked to check the brake has been released. I think we were stopped for about 10 minutes.

(The stop also caused a service cart at the back of our carriage to topple. These carts basically never to that, so this was definitely unusual according to our 3 cabin hosts!)

Not long after that we had a glimpse of Mt Barker (which is over the border in the US - Washington).

At this point I feel the need to point out 2 important things: 1. I took over 200 photos today 2. All photos were taken through the windows of the train, and are therefore subject to reflections off the glass - watch out for the little UFOs, they are reflections of the lights in the carriage ceiling!

I also should point out seeing mountains like these is kinda exciting for me - Australia's mountains aren't like this! And the train follows the Fraser River pretty closely. The grey-green colour of the water is apparently due to the sediments it carries - they never get a chance to settle.

Speaking of colours . . . this mixture of blues and greens is because it's part of where the Fraser meets the Thomson River, which the train then follows to our eventual overnight stop in Kamloops.

This train trip is like being in a moving restaurant - we were supplied with drinks and a snack, then a 3 course lunch by the time we hit this point!

Rainbow Canyon - the colours of the rocks caused by oxidation of iron, copper and sulfur (I think that's what they said!)

I was really on the wrong side of the train to get shots of the rapids on the Thompson, where some of the rocks have names! Can you spot the rock called the frog? (right pic above)

Murray Creek Falls . . .

On one of our many stops while waiting on a siding for a freight train to pass in the opposite direction, we had a Bald Eagle circling beside us. Not easy to snap pics!

Somewhere near Black Canyon we had one of the best chances to shoot pics of the front of the train - my carriage was the second last of 22 "pieces of equipment" (engine, carriages inc non-passenger cars), and the last passenger car. (I still had trouble getting a decent shot without reflections or telephone wires in the way!)

We spent much of the day spotting Osprey nests! (And one or two eagle nests)

Does anyone recognise Rainbow Bluffs? Apparently they appeared in the X-Files. (right pic above)

After many, many delays pulling into sidings for freight trains (the two I counted cars for were 150 and 194 cars long - so not short trains!), and our afternoon snack and drink, we finally came up along Kamloops Lake. Lots of winding track as the train closely follows the shoreline.

And that's my 30 image limit!

We were late getting into Kamloops - so many stops along the way we even got a second afternoon snack!! So, when we finally reached our hotels it was around 9pm. That's basically a 13hr train trip! Certainly not boring though.

[tilbageidanmark]

Movies I watched this Week # 149 (Year 3/Week 45):

Between 'Mean Streets' and 'Alice doesn't live here anymore', Martin Scorsese made the documentary ItalianAmerican, which is basically a home movie. It features his parents bicker and talk at their apartment, remembering the old days of their families.

🍿

2 with teenager Scarlett Johansson:

🍿 Re-watch: Sofia Coppola's Lost in translation, while waiting for her latest 'Priscilla'. "Sleepless in Shinjuko". Sad and vulnerable 17-year-old Scarlett Johansson, a 'stranger in a strange land' is having a 'Brief Encounter' moment, with less-asshole-than-usual Bill Murray. (Photos Above).

Another melancholic exploration of a lonely young woman, who finds herself captured in a privileged gilded cage. An exceptional, subtle masterpiece. 10/10.

🍿 The horse whisperer starred 14-year-old Johansson as a horse-lover who becomes emotionally stunted after a riding accident that caused her to lose part of her leg (all in the first 10 minutes of the film). It's a sloooow, traditional 3-hour-long story about healing, told mostly in beautifully-cinematic Montana. But it worked for me, in spite of the well-shot sentimentality. 7/10.

🍿

My first 2 by German auteur Christian Petzold, both with Paula Beer:

🍿 Afire - a tremendous, complex drama about a vain, immature writer on a working vacation. The little summer cottage close to the Baltic sea, is soon encroached by a forest fire, as does his self-centered world view of himself and his art. It starts at one emotional point, and skillfully moves to a completely different, tense level. 9/10.

🍿 Petzold wanted to make a series of films about the 4 elements. Undine refers to the myth of 'water nymphs', so rivers, industrial diving, large aquariums, and drowning in a pool are all part of the story. It's a lovely, simple romance, which eventually turns into a dark fantasy. My 5th film with Franz Rogowski. 4/10.

🍿

3 More of Claude Chabrol’s Hitchcockian thrillers:

🍿 “… You like meat?…”

Le Boucher, a low-key, atmospheric thriller about a single woman who befriends a village butcher, who's also a serial killer. Fantastic snapshot of the people at 'the country' (Dordogne) at this time. 9/10.

🍿 The ceremony (La Cérémonie) is a similar dark story, set in a solid bourgeoisie family. Isabelle Huppert & Sandrine Bonnaire becomes friends and eventually decide kill them all. Like 'Stanley & Iris' from last week, the protagonist is illiterate. 6/10.

🍿 The Unfaithful Wife, another terrific, low-key, civilized study of a French bourgeois household. A loving husband discovers that his loving wife is having an affair, and ends up killing her lover. I liked it so much, and thought it would be a very good candidate for a modern remake. Then I remembered Adrian Lyne's 'Unfaithful' with the luminous Diane Lane in the Stéphane Audran role. Maybe I should watch it again! 8/10.

I discovered Chabrol late, and have only seen about 10% of his 74 movies. Now I have to see them all!

🍿

Milf, another film with Virginie Ledoyen, a soft-core sex comedy. Three older women looking to hook up with boys 20 years younger. A similar concept to the Naomi Watts film 'Adoration'. I only watched it because it is directed by a woman and had 13 on the Tomato score. Better than Zalman King.

🍿

Wow! After 4 months of anticipation, the venerable bio-pic Oppenheimer finally hit my free streamers. I watched all 3 hours of it but left completely underwhelmed. This is the seventh of Christopher Nolen's praised big-budget epic films that I saw, and so far none of them had floated my boat. Okay, so I'm not a big blockbusters fan.

It's not very hip to rail against McCarthyism in 2023. Twenty-twenty revisionist vision, mambo-jumbo pseudoscience, overwrought endless, loud soundtrack, and basically the usual biography of a "Great man", which is always a boring subject for a movie. 4/10.

🍿

3 by regular Fincher screenwriter Andrew Kevin Walker:

🍿 On the other hand, David Fincher’s new thriller The killer was a thrill ride that was a joy to watch. A cold blooded professional assassin, laconic and super-human, flies around the world ruthlessly killing people. Mesmerizing (but predictable) suspense with an effective Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross score. I could do without the inner monologue that replaced conversations in the story. Also, a great comic book knock-out fight after an hour and a half of deliberate, slow go. 7/10.

🍿 In 2001, BMW produced 8 short films by famous directors as "Branded Content", i.e. advertisements. Called 'The hire' they all featured Clive Owen driving Beamers around the world. AKW wrote two of them:

The Follow was directed by Wong Kar-wai, and was about an aborted diamond heist.

Ambush was directed by John Frankenheimer, and was about a woman being followed by her husband.

The other shorts were by John Woo, Tony Scott, Ang Lee, etc.

🍿

5 more Danish films, 3 with Henning Moritzen (The patriarch from ‘Celebration’) and 2 with Mads Mikkelsen:

🍿 Tænk på et tal (Think of a number), a 1969 old-fashion, enjoyable Danish 'Krimi' with an enduring theme song. A meek bank teller finds a discarded note from a bank robber, and gets involved in a lethal game.

This story was later remade into the Elliott Gould caper 'The silent partner'. I love such slow and delightful dramas, and I love Bibi Andersson.

it’s funny how movies that used to be throwaway entertainment products 60 years ago, gain completely different meaning today. I should start exploring the many Danish Noir from the 40's and 50's. 7/10.

🍿 50 years later, In the Oscar-nominated short The pig, Moritzen is old and fat, and is being hospitalised for some tests. There he lays and finds comfort in a simple picture of a pig jumping over a fence. Delightful!

🍿 On the other hand, Now is another Danish short (from 2003) starring Mads Mikkelsen. But it's an artsy-fartsy, humor-less, word-less "Art film", shot in black & white, with a constant baby crying. Like 'An Andalusian Dog' but without the charm and the magic… 1/10.

🍿 I was surprised to realize just now that my favorite Danish screenwriter Anders Thomas Jensen directed only 5 features and 3 shorts. (but he wrote 59 scripts!). Wolfgang is an early short of his, and not his best. Now I've seen all the movies that he directed.

I can't wait for his upcoming 'Monster of Florence' with Antonio Banderas and 'Back to reality'. Yeah!

🍿 So I took in one more viewing of his sentimental After the wedding, maybe for the 10th time. So full of emotional twists, old-fashioned melodrama, Sigur Rós score and peak Sidse Babett Knudsen.

🍿

Budapest Noir, a Hungarian murder mystery, set up in anti-semitic 1936. A hard boiled crime reporter investigates a murder of a beautiful prostitute, like a Jake Gittes named Zsigmond. Very strong 'Chinatown' vibes, including a smokey jazz score that tries to recreate its haunting atmosphere, and even the final line of dialogue "This is Budapest". 5/10.

[This is the 115th woman-directed film I've seen so far this year!].

🍿

Dumb money, the first enjoyable Reddit movie, about the 2021 GameStop short squeeze. Compelling Class War rhetoric with Seth Rogen as the billionaire 'heavy'. Up-to-the-minute updated drama of the 1% Vs. the unwashed masses. I think it will endure as another worthy addition to the sub-genre of 'highly entertaining explanation to boring real-life financial story', just like 'The big short' and 'Margin call'.

However, it used an Artificial Intelligent editing model that color-corrected the whole movie into a weird, fake, washed up look. 8/10.

🍿

First watch: Kurosawa's bleak Drunken Angel, an early post-war Yakuza film, and the first of the 16 collaborations between him and Toshiro Mifume. An alcoholic doctor befriends a young hoodlum suffering from tuberculosis. Located around an open sewer in a seedy neighborhood, still suffering under the American occupation.

🍿

Ikarie XB 1 (Or 'Voyage to the End of the Universe' as it was called in American), an influential and ambitious 1963 Czechoslovakian science-fiction saga, based on a Stanisław Lem novel. "Futuristic" space decor and story, very much in the Star Trek style. Cultish 1960's popcorn philosophy, but nonsensical and not a serious world building. Not for me - 1/10.

🍿

Thank Dog that the third season of Tim Robinson’s 'I think you should leave' was so short. The first season was outrageously different. The second season was a 'repeat on a theme'. This one was just cringey irrelevant. Absurd, awkward, confusing situations, exploding rage at small mistakes. No!

🍿

My first (and last) stand-up by comedian Nate Bergatze, The greatest average American. Average stories of 'relatable' everyday nitty gritty were hardly worth a chuckle.

🍿  

(My complete movie list is here)

[scotianostra]

David Bruce, the only son of Robert the Bruce and his second wife Elizabeth de Burgh was born on 5th March, 1324 at Dunfermline, Fife.

By the terms of the Treaty of Northampton, David was married at the age of four on 17 July 1328 to Joan of England, the seven year old daughter of King Edward II. Despite their marriage lasting thirty-four years, it was childless and apparently loveless.

On the death of his father David, aged five at the time, David was duly proclaimed King of Scots and was crowned at Scone Abbey in in November 1331. Edward Balliol, the son of the exiled King John Balliol seizing the opportunity a minority presented, invaded Scotland with an English army and achieved victory over a Scottish army at Dupplin Moor when the regent, Robert’s the Bruce’s nephew, Donald, Earl of Mar was killed in battle. Balliol was duly crowned Edward, King of Scots at Scone Abbey, however he has never been recognised as a true king in the history books of Scotland.

In 1332, at a meeting in Dumbarton Castle, Sir Andrew Murray was elected Guardian of Scotland by Scots who adhered to Robert the Bruce’s young son, David II. The young David and his wife Joan were promptly sent to France for their greater safety. They arrived at Boulogne-sur-Mer in May 1334, where they were received by Joan’s cousin, King Philip VI of France, the young couple resided at Château Gaillard at Les Andelys during their stay in France. Murray was later captured and imprisoned at Durham.

Edward III,allied to Balliol, laid siege to the border town of Berwick, The Scots, led by the new regent, Sir Archibald Douglas, met EdwardIII in battle at Halidon Hill, in Northumberland on July 19, 1333,a decisive English victory where Douglas was slain.

David II was eventually reinstated as Scotland’s sovereign on the flight of Edward Balliol in 1336. The new King landed at Inverbervie in Kincardineshire on 2 June 1341.

David bore deep suspicions of his nephew, Robert Stewart, who was actually older than himself and had prior to his birth been declared the heir of Robert the Bruce. In response to an appeal for help from Phillip VI of France, in an uneasy alliance, the pair invaded England, where they jointly encountered an English army at The Battle of Neville’s Cross in Northumberland.

The battle progressed badly for the Scots, as their position grew more dangerous, Robert Stewart panicked and fled the battlefield, but David displayed himself a true son of Robert the Bruce, fighting on with valour, despite having two arrows in his body.

He was taken captive by Sir John Copeland, David had initially managed to escape. However, legend records that while he was hiding under a bridge over the nearby River Browney, his reflection was spotted in the water by a English soldiers out searching for him. He was transported to Calais, and delivered to King Edward III. King David was imprisoned at Odiham Castle in Hampshire from 1346 to 1357. After eleven long years, he was released in return for a ransom of 100,000 marks.

The Scots continued the struggle, receiving French aid. Enraged, Edward III marched north into Scotland with an army. The crushed Scots finally submitted and agreed to pay a ransom of a hundred thousand pounds for the return of their captive king.

Weary of his English captivity, David Bruce came to a compromise with his captor Edward III, in an agreement frowned upon by the Scots and considered as a betrayal of all his renowned father had fought so long and hard for, he offered the English King his homage and his throne if he died childless, in return for his freedom. In 1363 David, who was now on cordial terms with King Edward III, proposed that Lionel Duke of Clarence, the second surviving son of the English king should succeed to the Scottish throne in return for the cancellation of the ransom. The arrangement did little to improve his relationship with nephew, the future Robert II, and was repudiated by the Scottish Parliament.

David II did not live up to his early promise, Robert the Bruce proved a hard act to follow. David was extravagant and pleasure loving, the Scots tolerated him because he was his father’s son, but he failed to evoke their love or loyalty in the way his father had done.

He remarried around 20th February 1364, to Margaret Drummond, widow of Sir John Logie, and daughter of Sir Malcolm Drummond. He divorced her about 20th March 1370. They had no issue. Margaret travelled to Avignon and made a successful appeal to the Pope to reverse the sentence of divorce.

After a long reign, David died at Edinburgh Castle in February, 1371, the last of the House of Bruce, he was buried at Holyrood Abbey. At the time of his death, David was planning to marry his mistress, Agnes Dunbar, the niece of Agnes Randolph, who was known as Black Agnes. He was succeeded by his nephew, Robert II, the first of the Stewart dynasty.

Pics are of the king and an artists impression of how the palace and Abbey at Dunfermline may have looked.

[adamwatchesmovies]

The Satanic Rites of Dracula (1973)

While I didn't enjoy this film, that doesn't mean you won't. No matter what I say, the people involved in this project did it: they actually made a movie. That's something to be applauded. With that established...

It’s bad enough to make any movie boring but you have to be extra incompetent to make a film titled The Satanic Rites of Dracula less interesting than math homework. This is the kind of horror film any obsessive movie goer will probably wind up watching more than once during their lifetime. Why? because it’s in the public domain. You can find it included in any number of bargain bin horror DVD sets for cheap. Don't be tempted. I’d rather sit down and watch The Devil Bat again than this snooze-fest.

The English Secret Service learns of a sinister plot concocted by Satanists. Prominent members of society are all involved, meaning the operation to take it down must stay hush-hush until Colonel Mathews (Richard Vernon) and Inspector Murray (Michael Coles) figure out who to trust. Once they bring in occult expert Professor Van Helsing (Peter Cushing) to help, he makes a startling realization: the legendary Count Dracula (Christopher Lee) is leading the cult!

Seeing the previous Hammer Dracula films won't make a difference. This plot just isn’t interesting. Most of it concerns talking heads wondering whether the Satanists are all bluster or whether they actually pose a threat to the world. When the authorities finally realize Van Helsing’s old friend, scientist Julian Keeley (Freddie Jones), is developing a new strain of the bubonic plague, you’re relieved the action is finally going to kick in and wonder what this has to do with Dracula. Truth is, there’s no reason for him to appear. There’s talk about the Count wanting to get revenge on all of mankind by wiping them out but that makes no sense. What's he going to do after? Starve? If he’s trying to end his immortality by killing us all, there are easier ways. In this picture alone, we learn several ways to take out the count: stakes through the heart, silver bullets, sunlight, RUNNING WATER… there’s another one too, a means introduced out of nowhere right at the tail end of the film in order to wrap things up quickly (not quickly enough if you ask me). It’s a Deus Ex Machina cross-bred with lazy writing. The results will make you wish you hadn’t bothered with any of it.

The idea - as far as I can tell - was to mix up the Dracula formula by blending elements of science fiction and spy thriller with horror. It's a failed experiment. The whole time, you’re just sitting there, waiting for Dracula to show up. Blah blah blah, conspiracies, blah blah blah, you can't trust anyone. Can we get more of the cultists sacrificing naked virgins and talking about the “Sabbath of the Undead”? Not that the secret society stuff is particularly interesting but at least it’s simple. Trying to figure out how many days left before the plague is unleashed and wondering why the villains who could’ve easily killed Van Helsing while he was passed out instead decided to let him off with a warning wasn’t enough to keep me entertained. Not while the one-dimensional and generally useless characters run around trying to figure out what the audience already knows.

I hope I never have the misfortune of stumbling upon The Satanic Rites of Dracula again. While Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing always bring a certain level of fun - particularly when they’re together on-screen - nothing about this film would ever tell you why they’re fan-favourites among classic horror aficionados. There’s no reason for anyone to check out The Satanic Rites of Dracula. (On DVD, March 24, 2020)

[charlesandmartine]

Saturday 25th February 2023

We Outbackers wouldn't normally enlist for a Motel, but other accommodation in these rather rural locations is hard to find. At least we haven't pursued the outback theme as far as backpacking in a hostel! As far as motels go, this is extremely comfortable, quiet, modern and thankfully, empty, but also one of many motels in Roma. Modern day Roma is a bustling town at the northern end of the Murray Darling Basin. It is a meeting point for the farming industry with a cattle saleyard, sales and maintenance of heavy farm equipment, supplies and services. It is also very much an oasis for refuelling and stopovers on long journeys across the outback. It was first named in 1867 after the wife of the Governor of Queensland, Lady Diamantina Bowen (née di Roma). In 1863 Samuel Bassett brought the first vines to Roma and formed the Romavilla Winery in 1866. Roma's next claim to fame came in 1900 when due to a drought a bore was drilled to 1350 feet and water and natural gas gushed out. Sadly at the time it was not known how to separate them. By 1906 they had sunk a second well to the gas strata and started a commercial gas supply business. However, things don't always go the way you want as 10 days after the first customer was connected, the gas ran out. Not to be defeated, 2 years later the Roma Mineral Oil Company drilled deeper and hit natural gas which unfortunately blew across in the direction of a wood burning steam boiler. You couldn't make this up could you? Flames were 100ft high and the roar could be heard 7 miles away and it took a fair bit of putting out by all accounts. The next well in 1927 produced oil but they ceased production in 1931. Hmm. Good news eventually, despite the setbacks - these were determined people, and natural gas was finally piped 440km to Brisbane and used until 1969.

Out of 10 things to do in Roma, 5 were not open so we did what we could. Number 1, the Roma Bush Gardens. Very nice and also informative about local trees and shrubs. Number 2, the Walk of Hero's. This was an avenue of bottle trees planted, one for each local soldier killed in WWI. 140 in all and very poignant. Each tree had a commemorative plaque. Number 3, the largest bottle tree in Roma. Vital statistics: girth 9.62m, height 15m, canopy 23m, age 100 years. Very impressive. Number 4, the Big Rig that tells the story of oil and gas, see above. Number 5, various sculptures around town. Disappointments: The museum at the ,'Up the Creek Garage' was shut for upgrades. So was St Paul's shut so couldn't see the stained glass windows. We had missed the film night at the Big Rig and no cattle sales on at the saleyard. With all that excitement we went to Woolworths for some provisions.

With our trackers hats on we set off for the cricket ground a couple of hundred metres down the Warrego Highway in search of the evasive kangaroo. Now we are well aversed of the penchant the species have for golf courses, but we wondered whether evolution had moved them onto a liking for cricket pitches. It would appear this hypothesis was correct because there they were in deep fielding position. About 20 of them. They could see us and were extremely wary of our presence. Sunset seems to come suddenly. 6.20 and it's quite light and by 7pm completely dark. I guess that's the point at which they find something else to do.

Tomorrow we have a fairly short journey to the cattle station we shall be staying at. We shall be a little way from a food supermarket so a trip to Woolworths is essential before starting off plus petrol fill up.

ps TV advert tonight is for 120 bulls for sale. We are picking up Alice Springs TV now.

[rhonddaandallaneuro]

Car finally with a new fuel pump we headed off to Pimba, the gateway to Woomera. Our new fuel pump made the drive a lot better but we still had troubles with the constant stammering as we tried to accelerate. Not willing to return nor stay in Coober Pedy any longer we pushed on.

Now this drive is perhaps the worlds most boring, with terrain no one wants to live in and it is so flat. Did drive past lots of dried up salt lakes but the scenes along the way were easily forgotten as we drove into the Pimba roadside establishment.

This place has the garage at the top of the camp and bare barren dirt below where the free camp is. The place has been improved since our last visit with “pay as you shower” facilities but is still basic as can be. Did the usual walking up to garage bar where the drinks were cold and the room cool. Not bad at all.

Spent the night listening to freight trains and road trains as they moved through the area. An early rise saw us head off to Pt Augusta where we refilled and drove through to Peterborough. Have to say the drive was just as boring leading towards Pt Augusta and slightly improved as we drove through to Peterborough.

From here we elected to drive some more we drove on to Renmark which is on the banks of the Murray River. Now this drive was a pleasure, passing old stone houses with numerous vineyards, ever so green. This place has some real swagger so we booked in the caravan park for two nights.

Could not resists a drive around the town which led us to a lookout just outside where you climb a three level tower to be amazed by the River Murray in it’s grandeur. The river has so many tributaries setting a maze of waterholes and tributaries. One can only imagine what it would be like without so much water drained from it before it reachs here.

The town itself is tidy with clearly local pride displayed in all residences. Did a 10 kilometre walk on Monday morning and would live here in a heartbeat if I could take family and friends. Will be back again.

[localratbastard]

OIL THE SPOTLESS

to prevent an internal uprising against oneself

 do the following when staring down the mundane

(listen to the conniving lies)

step 1.

immerse a pair of hands in soap water

pretend you're a person 

drown them both

on Thursday night m made arroz de leche

i scrubbed the burnt milk off the pan

it yawned loudly in the sink

pondering if it'd ever truly be clean

a cacophony and bill fucking murray looked the sink in the eye

“why are you here”

so then in return the knife in the sink bore it’s teeth

“because you won’t fuck off”

step 2.

rinse off the dignity, or lack thereof

make sure the running water strangles your wandering mind

a roundabout way of saying what if the bleach made it into your drink

on Friday night the soap suds knew

the soap suds knew that i am to fall in a hole

cold within my own marrow

cold water that rattles deep within the marrow i cannot suck

cold is the marrow of life

step 3. (not optional)

end it

drip 

drip

drip

there is a leak.

end it.

step 4.

stare into the drain until you remember there is no realization to reach

on Saturday night the cycle repeats

ouroboros chokes on itself just like you choke on your words

watch the words run down the pipe, gradually becoming less

envy the water and it’s right and wrong perceptions of self

now end it.

end the running.

end it and by it you are referring to yourself.

end the cycle.

pull out the bleach

end it.

kiss the leech

26/11/2023

[murraywaterboringseo]

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[yessadirichards]

Indiana JonIndiana Jones: Six things to knowes: Six things to know

CANNES

Indiana Jones turned archeology into a swashbuckling adventure of snake pits and lost treasures.

As 80-year-old Harrison Ford dons the beat-up fedora and ever-trusty whip for a fifth and final outing in "Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny", premiering at the Cannes Film Festival on Thursday, here are six facts about one of the world's best-loved movie heroes:

Born in Hawaii

Fittingly for the globetrotting Indy, whose escapades have taken him from the Himalayas to Shanghai nightclubs, the project was born in Hawaii. It was there, lounging on a Maui beach in 1977, that George Lucas and Steven Spielberg mulled ideas to follow their respective hits, "Star Wars" and "Jaws".

The beach brainstorms would make movie history.

Produced by Lucas and directed by Spielberg, 1981's "Raiders of the Lost Ark" was a triumph at the box office and scooped four Oscars.

Two sequels -- "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom" (1984) and "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade" (1989) -- built a legend that has inspired theme parks, video games and mountains of merchandise.

A fourth outing nearly two decades later, "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" brought the combined box office takings to nearly $2 billion.

Dog's name

The inspiration behind the character came from both real and imaginary sources.

There was the archeologist Hiram Bingham who discovered Machu Picchu, Tintin creator Herge, and Clint Eastwood's Westerns.

As for the name, Lucas first chose Indiana Smith -- changed to "Jones" by Spielberg -- taking the first part from his Alaskan Malamute pet dog, already the inspiration for Chewbacca in "Star Wars".

Bond without the gadgets

Although Spielberg dreamed of directing a James Bond film, Lucas insisted part of Indy's appeal was that this hero would be a "Bond without the gadgets".

There would be no explosive watches or Aston Martins with ejectable seats -- Indy would triumph with ropes, knives and ingenuity.

He bore all the hallmarks of a classic Lucas-Spielberg character: a geeky hero with a comical, ironic side, whose affairs with women were more complicated than any Bond-style conquests.

Spielberg's comeback

While the Indiana Jones project was brewing, Spielberg was on the back foot after his film, "1941", flopped.

He was also gaining a reputation as a big-spending director who ran overtime and could be tyrannical on set, even leaving two days early from the filming of "Jaws", fearing his team would try to drown him, such was his unpopularity.

Lucas's project marked a career turning point for Spielberg -- proving he could work fast, on time, in budget, and with big success.

Ford not first choice

Spielberg wanted Ford, but Lucas was reluctant to re-use his lead actor from "Star Wars", from which he wanted a break.

Nick Nolte, Jeff Bridges and Bill Murray were considered before the spotlight settled on Tom Selleck, but the mustachioed charmer had already signed up for TV detective show "Magnum, PI".

Later, thousands of actresses tried out for the role of Willie in the second film, including Sharon Stone, but it finally went to Kate Capshaw.

Capshaw did not go on to a glittering Hollywood career, but she did become Mrs Spielberg in 1991.

Eye of the cobra

Indy's extreme fear of snakes, or ophidiophobia, has been a frequent plot point.

For the classic scene in which Indy falls into a pit full of the slithering reptiles, Spielberg did not hold back on the props: 6,500 live cobras, plus a few bits of watering hoses.

[bowie-byers]

Shenanigans are to be expected with Murray. Sunday dinners at his mom's place are always eventful with his presence but ... this rendez-vous blindsided him. His expression dropped, eyes rounding in surprise. He couldn't contain his shock. Murray truly was one of a kind. Jonathan wasn't prepared for this and, frankly, he would have worn a better shirt if he'd known better. He let Murray do the talking and gladly accepted a glass of water from him. Nancy didn't look happy. Though she didn't run out of the house either - not yet, at least. Honestly, it was hard to tell exactly how she was feeling. It's not like Jonathan was making the most eye contact either way. "Hey ... Nancy." his response to her greeting was terse, standing there like a deer caught in headlights. What the fuck was he supposed to say - nice seeing you again too, it's been a long 5 years? He didn't even know that she was back in town. Hearing that she worked at The Watcher wasn't entirely shocking - she's a reporter, after all, but working with Murray Bauman must be a handful. He took an excruciatingly long sip of his water as a way to make himself feel less awkward, eyes sliding from Murray to Nancy - hoping to dear god that he wasn't about to witness World War 3 in this kitchen. Wind knocked out of his lungs when Nancy turned around with a lit cigarette. He stifled his surprise with a series of coughs to recover - eventually sputtering a meek "sorry." Was this a dream - or an alternate fucking universe? He was in no place to judge given his own nicotine addiction. One simply had to wonder what on earth prompted Nancy Wheeler to pick up a pack of cigarettes.

Jonathan nodded along as Nancy took the lead. His photography subjects usually weren't this direct. He sneaked in a final sip of his water, placing the cup on a nearby table - it was time for business. Clearly Nancy had shit to do and places to be. Messing with her schedule - regardless of how blatantly manufactured - was a scary prospect. Thankfully Murray had a few essentials already set up in the living room. “Oh – um, I can take your shots in front of the sheet, over there." He instructed, dropping his equipment bag. "Can you grab a stool, Murray?" Getting straight to business was probably for the best. He gave her a moment to get settled and brushed a clammy hand through his bangs, meticulously moving to set up the camera. His arrangement proceeded in silence, avoiding heaviness in the air as he focused on adjusting his tripod to the appropriate height. The set-up routine was finalized by turning on his camera. Everything was fine until he peered into the lens. He frowned, clearly unsatisfied with the shot’s composition. Nancy needed to be adjusted … and there were a few stray hairs poking up behind her ear. Great. Jonathan instinctively stepped forward from behind the camera, halting before getting ahead of himself. “I might need to adjust you a bit.” His tone was neutral – professional, gesturing in a way that suggested he’d need to physically alter her position. “do you mind?” He asked softly, voice smaller as he finally made eye contact. Real eye contact. The kind of eye contact that he refrained from making up until this very moment. He stood uncertain, gaze flickering to her cigarette like it was a weapon. Having Nancy perched on a chair in front of him was shocking – watching a cigarette glimmer between her fingers was even more mind boggling. Jonathan didn't even bother to check if Murray's eyes were boring into him.

nancy should’ve known better. murray bauman always had some kind of trick up his sleeve, and this time it just so happened to be jonathan byers. she merely flashed him a strained smile before glaring at murray. you. im gonna get you when he leaves. nancy wasn’t a teenager anymore, in fact, she was coworkers with murray now, the last thing she was expecting from him was to pull the same sort of stunts he did when jonathan and herself were teenagers. tone laced with undeniable contempt, she spoke up, “murray, you are one of a kind.” she then turned to jonathan and awkwardly cleared her throat, “nice seeing you again, jonathan.” it wasn’t really, but she’d be cordial. this was merely a work thing, after all. after another deep breath and several long beats of silence, nancy locked her fingers together and suggested to nobody in particular, “let’s get this going, shall we?” she crossed the room, skirting around the threshold of the kitchen, she faced the opposite direction to light a cigarette. it was a nasty habit she’d picked up in college and she hadn’t been able to kick it considering some of the things she discovered while reporting for the watcher.

jonathan byers presence in her space definitely warranted a cigarette. like she was oh so silly, she forced a laugh and hit her palm into the side of her head, “you know murray, um, that thing i had in an hour? i totally forgot we moved it up, so it’s actually in thirty minutes.” nancy knew how obvious she was being, and she knew jonathan and murray alike would be able to tell, but she had to do what was necessary to get out of there before she completely freaked out, made herself look unprofessional. nancy took a long drag. “so, why don’t i go first? so i can get out of here?” fuck. nancy approached the pair, trying not to seem like such a cornered animal when she took charge, “jonathan, where do you want me?” she asked, directing him in a sense as she gestured around with her cigarette. if she had it her way, nancy would’ve avoided the knowledge that he worked at the post. she would’ve avoided him altogether. murray fucking bauman. 

[somebodytookmyusername]

I miss you

Murray Bauman/Alexei (Smirnoff)

a/n: this is my first fic in tumblr, please don't kill me. I'm like so down the rabbit hole named cherry vodka and im not leaving. There's gonna be part 2 to this.

warnings: a few swear words (but should i even warn y'all about that?), mention of death, mentions of blood.

word count: 1192

Murray stared blankly as they walked out the fun fair. Not once did he ever look back. Well, not until Joyce decided to hit the Mayor with a mean right hook and smash his balls leaving the latter groaning and hissing in pain. He didn't smile, not even a twitch on his mouth. On a normal day he would've laughed or smirk out of amusement, but then again this is not a normal day...

Jim is being chased away by russians and he just saw a dear friend get shot infront of him, resulting for the man's death.

Alexei...

He shook his head violently as he jumped on the convertible. Joyce had immediately read his grim expression and sighed as she reversed the car swiftly, hoping that Jim would still be alive waiting for them like he instructed.

“you do know that there's nothing you can do to stop what's going to happen. You didn't know” she said in a sympathetic tone but it just made him infuriated.

The thing about Murray, he always think ten steps ahead. But tonight was an exception, he became careless. Forgetting that the man he's with is being chased by his ex-comrades, forgetting that soviets would tie loose ends and make sure those loose ends stayed shut. The russian scientist's smile bore a deep hole in his heart. The amount of trust Alexei had put in him... to protect him. And one bullet changed all of that.

There is no one to blame except Murray. He forced Alexei to come with him. To enjoy being an American even if legally, he still isn't one. But nevertheless, it still happened. He knows Joyce was right, that there is nothing he can do to stop what happened. He just delayed the inevitable. He knows in his guts that if they both stayed in the parking lot, not only would the russian terminator find them easily, but Murray will also get killed.

He looked infront of him as Hopper jumped inside the convertible. "DRIVE! DRIVE! DRIVE!!!"

Hopper looked back and paled seeing Murray alone. He wouldn't admit it but knowing Alexei is dead sent a shiver down his spine. The cheerful, and fucking sarcastic son of a bitch died and he couldn't even do anything to stop it. He gripped his knees so hard, his knuckles went white.

Murray looked down, averting every possible questioning look Jim might give him but that was a fatal mistake. He saw a discarded cup of slurpee on floor of the car. He placed his hands on his face and sighed. Another wave of guilt hitting him as the cold breeze makes him shiver, remembering that he left his polo in the hands of Alexei in poor attempts to add pressure to the wound.

Fucking hollow points. Fucking russians. Fucking starcourt.

,,,,,,

It's been a week since the incident happened. He went back to his bunker by the help of the Harrington kid despite of Joyce's urging that it's not helpful if he's alone. But on the contrary, he's used to being alone. That was his life a week ago, how bad can it be?

It turns out, it was bad. Not in a "I'm traumatized" kind of bad, but a “I'm talking to myself in Russian” kind of bad. Alexei had rubbed on him in just a day which is extremely scary if you think about it. But that's not the worse part. He's been hearing Alexei's pleading again and again like a broken vinyl record. He already drowned himself in vodka. He slept till the late hours and when does wake up, he drowns himself in the bathtub with cold water.

In his desperation for closure, he even came back to the fair. Just to look, he thought to himself. Just one look. But he's not there. Those damn Soviets must've took care of him and threw him somewhere where the loose ends would stay, of course, not loose.

The Hargrove kid they saved kept on knocking on Murray's door to apologize (and to invite Murray back to Joyce's house because she asked Billy to force him incase Murray opens his door for the poor kid) but he never answered.

Well, not until today.

Murray woke up from the sound of his doorbell being smashed again and again and irritates him to no ends. He hoped it was Jim so he can just tell him to fuck off and that he's not in the mood. He looked at the camera and saw two armed men in suits and a woman in a grey and red tracksuit which is really uncalled for.

His bunker was compromised, how the hell did he forget that?

"Look at the camera " they all looked at different places and he groaned. The dumb breed of americans, of course.

"On your upper left!" he yelled and took his unloaded shotgun.

"Names?" he asked as he took the bullets from the cabinet and loaded the heavy gun. If they're gonna murder him, he's gonna put up a hell of a fight.

"I'm afraid names are not necessary, Mr. Bauman. We're just here to talk" the woman said cooly and he rolled his eyes. He had his fair share of assholes who think they can bypass his 'security' and he doesn't tolerate them

"You're in my yard, means i lay the ground rules here. I can stay here as long as i want and not give a rat's behind if you die in the cold. You're the ones who need something from me, not the other way around" he spat and leaned back knowing he's got the upper ground but the woman wasn't atleast bit bothered.

"Oh. But Murray, you need something from us too." She said to the camera and nodded at the armed man behind her. He opened a briefcase and took out Murray's blue polo. His blood ran cold.

The same bloody polo he used to stop Alexei's bleeding.

He tried to play it off with a chuckle, knowing these people they're gonna do everything just to corner him. Well, unfortunately for them he's used to being cornered and he knows how to get out.

"He's dead, what do you want" he tried to compose himself. What if he's alive? What if this government has his hostage? Are they Soviets? No, that can't be. The woman speaks fluent English, but maybe they're tricking him. What if... there's no harm done if he just obliges to what they want right?

"We just want to know everything there is to know about Starcourt. From a journalist's perspective, per se" he sighed.

"Fine" He cocks the shotgun and open the door. The muzzle staring at the woman's face and his fingers on the trigger. Yet he diverted the gun to the two armored men trying to push down the memories of him and Alexei's first meeting.

"Guns on the table. All of it" he growled and the woman nodded to the two unsure men and they took the guns out of their coat pockets and followed the bearded man's instructions.

This is gonna be one hell of a day.

hmu is you want to request, you can check who i write for here!

[murraystan]

I put my astrology background to good use to figure out Murray’s birthday because I’m very normal and not at all feral. I analyzed the planetary motion in 1944 and hereby hypothesize that he was born at 9:30 a.m. March 23, 1944.

Sun: Aries

Moon: Pisces

Rising: Gemini

Mercury: Aries

Venus: Pisces

Mars: Gemini

Jupiter: Leo

Saturn: Gemini

Murray fits the Aries profile pretty well - he’s a doer, not just a thinker, and is ready to jump in and adapt even in (or especially in) dangerous situations. He’s impatient. He’s brave. He’s comfortable taking charge and has lots of strong opinions. He’s argumentative and contrarian and can really be a pain in the ass but still has a certain charisma that people find charming. Leos have an astrological monopoly on charm but Aries people also get away with a lot because of that charisma factor, too.

Murray can read people’s emotions like a book and I can’t really think of anyone that does that better than a water moon. He’s also very moody. Pisces moons are drawn to being caregivers and we haven’t really seen that from Murray but it feels right for him. A strong water element would also temper some of that Aries fire and give him a way to empathize and connect with people - which he’s shown that he’s able to do.

I’m also positive he has Mercury in Aries (or Mars in Gemini) because wow does he yell a lot. He’s always has spicy words to dish out.

He’s also a writer, very verbose, prone to anxiety/nervous system dysfunction, and has the kind of chaotic intellectual energy I’d expect from someone with Gemini prominent in their natal chart which makes Gemini rising make perfect sense. This also makes Mercury, not Mars, his chart ruler which grants it a position of special influence. A lot of people see him as a Gemini sun because he’s witty and brilliant, but any strong Gemini/Mercurial placement could have that effect.

Venus in Pisces works though tbh I think of him as more of a Venus in Taurus kind of guy. Those people are very sensual, direct, slow lovers and really appreciate fine music, art, and food. We never see Murray relax and let his guard down but Venus in Taurus feels right. That’s not an option in 1944 with an Aries sun, though. He doesn’t have the dreaminess I would expect from someone with this much Pisces influence.

Midheaven is all about aspirations and careers and Aquarius midheaven really makes sense for his past and current career. Aquarius is visionary, radical, iconoclastic, intellectual, and humanitarian. I would expect no less from an investigative journalist trying to take down the man.

I do not get Saturn in Gemini at ALL from him but this is, you know, not a real person so it’s the closest I could get in 1944.

I know people who aren’t into astrology hate this stuff so block the astrology tag if you don’t want to see it because I might do Joyce if I get bored. ☺️

[theres-whump-in-that-nebula]

Oasis: Day Four

CW: Existential dread; death mentions

…

I walked along the stream for some time until I found a waterfall with a lake at its base. It isn’t a very large one, but it was definitely loud enough to draw me toward it from a reasonable distance away. I decided to take a shower. The water is only about four cubits deep all the way around; it’s nice and warm. I would wash my pajamas too; but I have nothing else to wear, so that wouldn’t be wise. Currently I’m sitting on a rock to dry off.

Sleeping without an alarm clock by my side is wonderful. I no longer have to live with the knowledge that it will jolt me violently awake, seconds after losing consciousness. 

I never realized how much of what I did with my time relied upon others. I set my alarm to 5:00 AM, because work started at 6:00; and I went to bed at 8:00 PM for the same reason. I wouldn’t eat until my 1:00 lunch break, because I would become horribly sick if I ate in the little time I had free in the morning. I got home at 4:00, which left me four hours to myself.

Two of those hours I spent on Francis Murray’s front porch playing hearts. I don’t even like card games; I think they’re boring and repetitive. Your hand determines what cards you play and when you play them; so half of the time, coincidence chooses the winner. That isn’t how I would define “fun.” I don’t know why I went. I would say I went to enjoy the conversation, but that would be a lie…

Francis is fine, but he doesn’t talk much. I’ve tried to get closer to him — in a very proper and decent way, of course — but all he seems to do is push me away. It baffles me how he can host these card games and invite others to them, but remain so distant and unwilling to befriend anyone. I understand there may be something troubling him; but he should do something about it instead of sitting there like a brick wall behind his cards all evening. Surely that can’t be healthy?

Mari Honda is nice to talk to; but she’s never able to get a word in edgewise because of Cynthia Evans. It’s always “My Son” with her. “My Son has three kids!” this, “My Son went to Aruba,” that, or “My Son’s a famous musician!” The sad thing is, I never know which son she’s talking about, because she has six of them, and their names all start with the letter “J.” I don’t feel like following their stories. Actually, I’m not even sure half of what she says about them is true; but the poor thing looks as though she might explode if she doesn’t talk about “My Son.” So none of us ever say anything. We simply nod and say “That’s nice,” out of courtesy. But after awhile it becomes tiring; after seven years, I don’t want to do it anymore. 

Yet we all kept going back… Why? Is it human nature to want to torture oneself? Do we secretly enjoy misery?

Or maybe it was the routine we craved. Something familiar and consistent in the terrifying world in which we lived, to distract ourselves. But we were hiding ourselves away so much that none of us got to enjoy our lives. It’s like that one concept in physics where the faster you go, the slower time passes for you; but once you’ve decelerated, you’re ten-thousand years in the future, and everyone you’ve ever known is gone. Then you realize you’re alone. You’ve wasted all your time working and indulging in meaningless conversation about unimportant people doing fruitless things. We waste our lives, and then we die. 

So, we ruminate to feel a sense of accomplishment. But by doing that, we forgo the opportunity to actually accomplish things. We try to get time back, when in reality we are throwing it into the fire. How foolish we are!

Thankfully, whatever force has brought me here has taken me away from all that. I may have wasted most of my life then, but I am here now. I am free to go where I please; to set any destination and sing as terribly as I want while I get there. Actually, I’m beginning to see that I’m not such a terrible singer as I thought I was — I just never had time to practice. I was never a very good writer either; but now that I’ve been given time to write, I can see that I’ve improved. My mind is sharper too. It feels as if a fire has been lit inside me and everything is possible— everything makes sense. I can’t explain it.

This place is amazing.

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Tagging: @astudyinpanda @oldwoolhat @jiminy-cricket-but-gay @gorelabs @straight-to-the-pain @incoherent-introspection @nova-3-the-exo

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