#The first sentence Constantine said was actually the truth
Explore tagged Tumblr posts
radiance1 · 1 year ago
Text
The members of the Justice League sat in silence, joined by a few members of Justice League Dark.
They were almost ready to start their meeting.
Almost.
"Where is John Constantine?" Batman stared at those gathered around the table, one spot currently vacant. Zatanna spoke up. "He's coming."
Batman narrowed his eyes.
"I don't know how," Zatanna nodded. "But he's coming."
The table was silent for a few moments, before Superman hesitantly spoke up. "Maybe he's running late?" At Batman's look Superman felt the need to add. "You know, he could've gotten stuck up with another magic user, or something."
Superman brought a hand up to rub at his neck as he laughed awkwardly, before promptly shutting up at the look Batman sent with an even more awkward smile. The silence was notably loud, such that it made it quite easy to determine who and where the sound of crunching came from.
Flash swallowed. "What?" He dug his hand in the bag of chips, only to pout at it being empty. He quickly ran from and to his seat in, well, a flash. Laying down his armful of chips, he picked up one and opened it, back to stuffing his face. "It's not like we're starting yet or anything."
Batman's eyes narrowed.
Flash blinked, looking down at the chips in his hand, the one on the table, and then back at Batman. He picked one up and held it out in his direction. "Want one?"
Batman glared.
Flash hesitantly brought his hand back down, before sticking his hand in his chip bag and eating some more, this time quietly.
Minutes passed by with the various League members gathered around sitting ramrod straight. A few more minutes passed, and they started to relax (except batman), a couple more and some of them started up conversation with each other, with some others joining in.
Batman took the time to work through a few files, giving the occasional grunt and hm whenever Superman and Wonder Woman tried to drag him into their conversation.
It was then that a noticeable heat spread inside the room, rising in temperature with each passing second until it was no longer ignorable. Just then, when the heat reached its highest point, with the members of the League already standing from their seats, a wave of black flame appeared in a circular pattern and the League tensed, magic gathering at the fingertips of some and battle stances being fallen into by others.
The circular flame shot up, high enough to reach the ceiling and not a second later, in its place was a giant mass of flaming feathers curled into a ball.
A groan came from the middle of it, and a few seconds later-with what sounded like a huff- did the mass uncurl just enough to see the owner of said groan.
"Ello." John Constantine raised a hand and gave a two fingered salute. Everyone in the room blinked at the man currently leaning against the- creature? Being?- in just pants. "I would say this isn't what it looks like, but its exactly what it looks like."
Zatanna's eyes narrowed, before she inhaled sharply. "Constantine." She hissed out quietly, as if trying not to draw the being's attention. "What is-" She gestured at the creature. "-He of all beings doing here?!"
"Being used as a living heater."
Zatanna blinked again in surprise as she stumbled over her words. "I- what-?"
"You heard me. It's colder than Santa's tits in our house, and I'm not paying even more money for a heater when I have a living one right here." Constantine deadpanned, very shamelessly sinking back into the mass of feathers behind him and giving a most certainly exaggerated sigh to prove his point.
"But- But he's," Zatanna gestures at the phoenix again, this time with both hands. "Him. How are you okay with this!?" That time she spoke to the phoenix, rather than Constantine.
The being in question peeked open an eye, before huffing in annoyance and closing back its eye.
"So uh," Flash spoke up, rubbing his hands together. "Not to interrupt, but uh, do you mind explaining for the rest of us not in the know?"
Zatanna blinked, staring at the other League members in surprise as if she forgot they were there. She awkwardly coughed into her fist. "Right, yes." She cleared her throat, before gesturing towards the giant mass of feathers. "That being is one of the more infamous of those heralding from the Infinite Realms, because that's its goddamn Duke." Zatanna rubbed her head, as if she were getting a migraine just thinking about it. "Constantine, how did you even-"
"We met on a rainy night, and he lit up my cig and proposed his love for me." Constantine said simply.
The League stared in bafflement. Zatanna had a skeptical look all over her face. "I'm not believing that. It's too much of a stretch, even for you."
Constantine shrugged. "Okay so would you believe me if I said I sold like half my soul and conned this other guy by swearing my soul to this big guy for his protection?" Constantine deadpanned.
"Yes, actually." Zatanna matched Constantine's deadpan with a look of her own.
1K notes · View notes
badchoicesposts · 4 years ago
Text
In a Land of Myth...
Chapter 10
Summary: When Selene, a young sorceress, arrived in Stormholt she had every intention of remaining anonymous. King Constantine Rys had strict rules on sorcery. The act itself was punishable by death, and she had no desire to be burnt at the stake for her “crimes”. However, it becomes increasingly difficult for her to remain unseen when she becomes Prince Liam’s personal maidservant, and it seems that it’s her job to protect him from everyone that wants to kill him.
Disclaimer: This AU is a cross between TRR, The Crown and The Flame, and BBC’s Merlin. Merlin follows the tale of King Arthur and the sorcerer Merlin. Merlin comes to Camelot where magic is outlawed and is made Prince Arthur’s servant. You do not have to watch the show to understand this fic, but it is based on the BBC show Merlin so the story line will be similar. I don’t own the plot to Merlin or any of the TRR characters.
Word Count: 4,672
Author’s Note: This series is finally back and with a new mood board! Thanks so much for being so patient with the fact that it took so long!
Taglist: @flowerpowell​, @bobasheebaby​, @alexintheskyy​, @slytherincursebreaker​​, @kingliam2019​, @furiousherringoperatortoad​​, @goldenbirdcrystalcage​​, @burnsoslow​​, @zilch3, @desiree-0816, @sanchita012​​
Let me know if you would like to be added to or removed from the taglist!
Catch Up: Masterlist
Tumblr media
Everyone had gathered in the council chambers for the sentencing that was about to happen. Madeleine and Regina were standing on either side of Constantine. The queen’s face was hard, and Selene quickly noticed that she was looking anywhere but at her husband. Madeleine was staring down at Drake with sympathy. Selene hadn’t spent much time with the woman apart from when they had spoken during the tournament, but she could still tell that the thought of Drake being harmed was troubling her. Bastien and Leo were standing together nearby with Savannah in good health, sobbing into Bastien’s shoulder. Selene fought back her own tears as she took in the scene, realizing the horrible outcome from what had been her positive intentions. 
However, the look on Liam’s face was absolutely heartbroken as he took in the sight of his best friend on his knees, awaiting a death sentence from his father.
“What is going on?” Liam demanded walking up to his father. 
“Your sister was infected by the disease,” Constantine said, directing his words to Drake. 
“Yes.”
“And she has recovered? She is the only one who has been afflicted to make a recovery. Were you the only one with her during this time?” Constantine continued, as Selene made her way to stand with Bastien, Savannah, and Leo. 
Drake’s eyes flitted to her momentarily, before returning his gaze to Constantine. 
“Yes,” he responded in a monotone voice. 
“And this is what you used to cure her?” he asked, holding up the poultice. 
A look of shock crossed his face as he properly looked over the item for the first time. 
“I’ve- I’ve never seen that before in my life,” he said, genuinely worried this time. 
“It was found under her pillow,” he said, gesturing towards Savannah. 
Drake continued to stare at the poultice, a look of realization coming towards his face as he glanced back over to Selene for a second. 
“Undo your enchantment. Put an end to this plague,” he barked, causing Drake to flinch. 
“Father! Drake isn’t a sorcerer. I have known him all my life. So has Leo and Madeleine. I would be prepared to swear on his innocence,” Liam pleaded with his father. 
“His sister is the only one who has survived this curse. He was the only one with her as she lay dying. The court physician has not been able to find a cure, but he knew how to stop it,” Constantine argued. 
“Father, please!” Liam continued.
“Drake is a good man. Just as his father was,” Leo said, moving towards them with a fire in his eyes. 
Constantine seemed agitated at Leo’s attempt to remind him of Jackson Walker’s sacrifice and raised his hand to silence both of his sons.
“Undo the enchantment, and I will show you mercy,” he said, looking down at his prisoner once again. 
“I am not a sorcerer. I can’t undo it!” Drake said, his voice laced with fear this time.
“Then you have forced my hand. Under these circumstances I have no choice but to sentence you to death,” Constantine said, his voice filled with controlled anger and hatred.
The room erupted with noise and protests at his words, and Selene felt a few tears escape her eyes as she watched two guards move forward and force Drake onto his feet before beginning to drag him out of the room. Selene made a split second decision, not seeing any other way of stopping Drake from being put to death because of her crimes, and moved towards Constantine. 
“I did it! I used magic to cure Savannah. Drake’s not the sorcerer, I am!” she said, stopping in front of him. 
“Selene!” Bastien exclaimed, looking at her as if she were crazy. 
Everyone stood staring at her in shock, Constantine almost seemed amused.
“I place myself at your mercy, my king,” she said, bowing her head slightly as Constantine regarded her with curiosity.
“Guards, take her away as well,” Constantine said, causing one of the guards to release Drake’s arm and grab onto her.
“Father, I can’t allow this. I know for a fact Selene is innocent. There’s no way she is a sorcerer,” Liam said, pulling her away from the man holding onto her and keeping her protectively at his side. 
“She admitted it,” Constantine simply replied. 
“She saved my life. I trust her completely,” Liam insisted. 
“Yes, she has saved your life and trouble has seemed to follow her since. Was she not the one who alerted you that Sir Neville was using an enchanted shield?” Constantine asked. 
“Yes, b-but that was because she witnessed it first hand, not because she is an enchantress,” Liam sputtered out. 
“Why would she make up a story about curing Savannah Walker?” Constantine continued. 
Liam hesitated for a moment.
“I’ve seen the two of them together. It is obvious that she has feelings for Drake Walker, and she was simply trying to save his life,” he said.
“I don’t have feelings for him! I’m telling the truth,” she insisted irritably. 
Liam glared down at her for a moment, but the two were pulled out of their stare down by Constantine’s low laugh. 
“These must be very strong feelings if she is willing to give her life for his,” he said. “I will excuse you once and only once. Don’t waste my time again. Guards, take him away.”
The guards nodded to their king and began to drag Drake away. Liam gripped Selene’s arm and pulled her out of the room as well before anyone could say anything else. After they had made it far away enough from the council chambers, she roughly pulled her arm out of his grip and rounded on him angrily. 
“Why did you do that? You can’t actually believe Drake is responsible for this?” she practically screamed. 
“I know Drake isn’t responsible for this, but it won’t do us any good to have the both of you arrested,” he explained calmly. “My father has it in his head that Drake is the one who caused this. He would have executed you and then when the plague didn’t end, he would go after Drake again. I would have lost the both of you.”
Selene noted the sadness in his voice as he spoke, but didn’t mention it. 
“How do you know I was lying? How do you know that I’m truly not the one who saved Savannah?” she asked. 
Liam looked conflicted at her words.
“I guess I don’t. But, whoever saved Savannah Walker did it out of the kindness of their heart, and whoever caused this plague did it out of spite and evil. So I don’t know if you’re lying or not, but I don’t believe that you’re evil, Selene. You shouldn’t have to die for something you didn’t do,” he finally said. 
“What about Drake? How do we save him?” she asked.
“We have until sunrise tomorrow morning to find the person actually responsible,” he said. 
Selene nodded her head and hesitated for a moment before asking the question that had been on her mind for the past few minutes. 
“Can I see him?” she asked quietly. “I- I need to see him before we do anything else.” 
Liam studied her features, noticed the look of hurt and despair on her face and nodded slowly. 
“Follow me.”
Liam led her down to the dungeons of the castle and stopped to speak with the men guarding the cells before motioning her along. 
“Go ahead. You only have a few minutes,” he said, showing her which cell to go to and walking away with the guards to give them some privacy. 
Selene cautiously approached Drake’s cell and saw him sitting on the floor through the bars of the cell doors, his hands still chained together. He looked up when he noticed her and she smiled at him sadly. 
“Drake, I’m so sorry,” she said, fighting back her tears once again as she sat down on the floor next to the cell.
The man scooted closer to the cell door and smiled at her softly.
“Don’t be. You saved my sister’s life,” he responded, letting out a laugh at her shocked expression. 
“How did-” she began to ask before he cut her off.
“Besides from the fact that you announced it to everyone earlier?” he said, causing her to scoff defensively. 
“Liam convinced everyone else that I was lying,” she said. 
“I’m not everyone else,” he said, with a smirk. “It was fairly easy to figure out once I looked at all of the facts.”
“What facts? Have I really been that sloppy?” 
“No. But first you save Liam’s life when no one else would have been able to. Then, you ask me to steal a dog statue, and the next day you have a new pet. After that my sister got sick, but miraculously healed immediately after you visited her. And, finally, the most damning piece of evidence was that you made the poultice with the handkerchief I gave you,” he concluded, letting out a genuine laugh at the cringe on her face. 
“Drake, I’m so sorry,” she said with anguish as she wrapped her hand around one of the bars on the cell door. 
Drake smiled at her sadly and, because of the shackles, raised both of his hands to wrap one of them around hers.
“Don’t be. Like I said, you saved my sister’s life,” he responded, as she let her tears fall freely. 
“And I’ve practically ended yours in the process,” she cried. 
“Shhh, Selene, don’t cry,” he tried to soothe her, which only made her cry harder. “Hey, look at me.”
She wiped her eyes and looked up at him. She was supposed to be the one comforting him, but instead it was happening the other way around.
“Promise me you won’t blame yourself for this,” he said softly. 
“But, it’s my fault,” she sniffled. 
“Promise me,” he insisted.
“No, I won’t have to,” she said determined, drying her eyes again. “Liam and I are going to figure this out. I’ll get you out of here.” 
She gave him what she hoped was a reassuring smile and rose to her feet. Selene navigated the castle halls with determination. She found Bastien outside with a group of new recruits, instructing them halfheartedly. 
“I made a mistake,” she said, pulling him aside. “You can yell at me for it later, but right now I need to figure out what’s contaminating the water so I can help Liam prove that Drake’s innocent. But, I can’t do it without your help.”
Bastien looked at her for a moment, his steely eyes fixed directly on her face. She couldn’t tell what was going through his mind. She wasn’t sure if he was angry or not, but she could tell that Drake’s sentencing wasn’t sitting well with him. 
“Follow me,” he finally said.
He whispered a few words to Leo and then began leading her around to the back of the castle. They walked through a small back door that led to a large stone staircase, grabbing a wood torch and igniting the top to light their way. They travelled through an underground cave for a while before they came to an underground reservoir. 
“This is the source of all of the water in Stormholt,” he said, leading her over to the water.
Selene looked over the pool of water. Nothing seemed awry, and the water itself looked perfectly normal. 
“Maybe we should take a sample, and Xinghai can-” she began to say before being interrupted by a loud splash behind him. 
A loud roar broke through the silent air, and Bastien pulled Selene behind him as they turned to look at the creature that had just jumped out of the water. The beast was larger than any man and was made up of sickly green skin that resembled a thick hide more so than human skin. It had huge fangs and long, threatening claws. Selene knew that there were some creatures she had never encountered before that existed, but the sight of the beast still shocked her nonetheless. With another loud splash the creature disappeared back into the water, leaving Selene and Bastien frozen with fear.
“What was that?” she basically shrieked, as Bastien pulled her away from the water and back through the caves to their chambers. 
He walked to his wardrobe and felt around the inside of it for the small latch located on the floor of the piece of furniture. It opened to reveal a small compartment that a person wouldn’t have noticed unless they had been looking for it. He pulled out a thick book and began flipping through it as he approached her. 
“An afanc. A creature born of clay,” he said, resting the book on the table in front of her. 
She looked at the picture of the creature in the book and shuddered as she read how powerful a sorcerer must be in order to create one. She realized that whoever they were dealing with was much more trouble than either one of them had originally thought. However, their focus at the moment needed to be on figuring out how to defeat the beast before Drake was burned at the stake. 
“How do we stop it?” she asked, noting that the book had not given any information on that topic. 
Bastien walked back to his wardrobe and pulled out several more thick volumes. Selene had to stop herself from questioning why he hid all of these books from her as he dropped them onto the table as well. 
“I’m not sure. But, the answer may be in one of these books.”
“We don’t have time to look through all of them,” she said, grabbing the book on top of the pile and flipping through the pages. “This could take forever.”
She racked her brains for a solution, for some way to fix the mess she had created. Only one answer came to mind, and she already dreaded having to go through with it. 
“Excuse me,” she said, grabbing her cloak and wrapping it around her shoulders. 
“Where are you going?”
“To get help,” she said, leaving the room without another word and descending past the dungeons and into the depths of the castle. 
Once she had reached the small ledge that led to the cave, she called for help. After a few moments, the large blue dragon made his appearance in front of her, the chain around his ankle glinting in the light from her torch.
“I wondered when you would seek me out again,” he said, in a low voice. 
“I need to know how to defeat an afanc,” she responded, deciding to get straight to the point. 
“Yes, it seems that you do,” he replied in the same tone of slight arrogance that had bothered her when she first met him.
“Can you tell me?” 
“You must trust the elements at your command.”
“The elements? What elements? I don’t understand. What exactly do I need to do?”
“You can not do this alone,” the dragon responded. “You are one side of the coin. Liam is the other.” 
“So, Liam has to help me,” she stated. “But, what exactly do we have to do?”
“Trust the elements,” he responded again, flapping his wings and rising into the air. 
“Wait!” she called after him. “What does that mean?” 
The dragon simply chuckled in response and flew out of sight, and Selene was left standing dumbfounded on the ledge. She had to try her best to control her anger as she left the dragon’s underground prison, the skirt of her dress flowing out behind her in the wind. Would it really have been that difficult for him to just tell her what she needed to do? Why did he insist on giving her vague answers all of the time?
“Do you know anything about the elements?” she asked Bastien when she had once again met up with him.
“The elements? No, why?” 
“It’s supposed to help me defeat the afanc.”
“Where did you run off to?” he questioned, his eyes narrowing in suspicion. 
“Please just trust me. Drake only has a few hours left,” she said, her voice filled with anguish and desperation.
Bastien’s gaze softened.
“Liam was right. You truly do have feelings for him don’t you?” 
“I-I don’t know what my feelings for him are, but I need him to live for me to figure them out. He doesn’t deserve to die for this, Bas.”
Selene hadn’t realized that while they were talking Bastien had been leading them to the Xinghai and Hana’s quarters. 
“If anyone knows about elements it’s Xinghai,” he said, knocking on the door before pushing it open. 
Xinghai had been examining a vial full of water when they had entered. There was a shriveled up flower suspended in the liquid.
“The flower has only been in the water for a few minutes,” he explained while lowering the vial down to rest on his work surface. “Whatever is contaminating the water is killing quickly.”
Selene looked to Bastien nervously for a moment before speaking. 
“Xinghai, do you know anything about elements,” she asked. 
“Elements?” he gave her a questioning look before continuing. “Yes. The study of the base elements is at the heart of the scientific process. The four base elements are earth, water, wind, and fire.”
Bastien and Selene shared a look of realization as the physician continued to ramble on about the scientific process and elements. 
“Wind and fire. The afanc is made of earth and water, so wind and fire should be able to defeat it,” Bastien said, causing Xinghai to stop his lecture. 
“Afanc?” he questioned. 
“A magical beast. It’s what’s infecting the water,” Bastien said, causing Selene to look at him with surprise. 
“Xinghai knew my mother before her death. He knows of my knowledge of magic,” he explained, emphasizing the words my knowledge to indicate that the man didn’t know that either of them currently possessed magic abilities. 
“I should go talk to Liam,” she said, nodding to indicate that she understood what he meant. 
She began to run out of the quarters when Bastien called her back. 
“Selene, be careful,” he said. 
“I’m always careful,” she retorted with a smile, once again taking off in search of the prince.
“Selene, where have you been?” Liam asked, when they finally ran into each other in the palace courtyard. 
“We need to go. The water is being infected by an afanc. A magical creature made of clay. If we stop it the water will be safe again,” she said, leading him back down to the caves that housed the underground reservoir. 
“How did you find out about this?” he asked, chasing after her, his sword clenched tightly in his hand. 
“Um, Bastien's mother?” she said nervously. 
“What?” Liam asked, pulling her to a stop and looking to her with confusion. 
“His mother was a sorceress.”
“Right, she was killed during the Great Purge,” he filled in.
“Yes! After I talked to Drake this morning we went down to the water reserves to see if anything seemed out of the ordinary when a beast jumped out of the water,” she said, beginning to walk again.“He recognized the beast as an afanc because he had seen it in one of his mother’s books.” She hoped it was a convincing enough lie and was grateful when Liam didn’t question her further. 
“I’m coming with you!” a voice called behind them, causing them to both turn in shock.
Madeleine stood before them, her arms crossed over her chest and her jaw set in determination. 
“You can’t,” Liam said, walking over to her. 
“Why? Because I’m a woman. That excuse doesn’t work so long as Selene is going with you,” she said, causing Liam to roll his eyes. 
“You know that’s not why. If anything were to happen to you my father would kill me,” he said. 
“He’ll get over it. I’m coming with you,” she said.
Liam looked over to Selene for help, but she simply shrugged in response. Liam finally relented and the three of them continued walking. They stopped when they reached the back door that led under to the water reserve and each grabbed a wooden torch. 
They reached the water reserve and began approaching the area with great caution, Selene and Liam both keeping an eye out for the creature. They stood around the pool of water, expecting the beast to jump out at any moment, but were unpleasantly surprised when they heard a loud roar come from somewhere behind them. 
Selene and Madeleine shrieked as they all spun around, catching a quick glimpse of the monster they were trying to but an end to. The creature was revolted by the sight of the fire and disappeared a moment later. 
“What was that?” Madeleine asked, having missed the conversation earlier.
“I’ll explain later,” Selene said, already on edge. 
“Did you see which way it went?” Liam questioned her as he tried to follow after the beast, but was hindered from doing so because the large cave was made up of several tunnels that all went in opposite directions.
They heard another loud roar coming from their left and took off after the sound. The snarling got louder as they got closer and closer to the beast, all fearing for their lives, but none willing to turn back. The air was thick with tension as they caught sight of the afanc once again. The creature recoiled as the fire got closer to it, but did not back down. Selene could not claim to know what was going through its mind, but surely it must have thought it could kill them before they killed it. The animal was ferocious and larger than a bear. They were measly opponents.
Liam held out his sword in front of him and positioned himself into a fighting stance. He and the afanc danced around each other as they prepared for battle, and the creature continued to growl and hiss.
“Use the torch,” Selene instructed.
Liam obeyed and held the torch farther out in front of him, his sword still at the ready just in case. He waved the torch out in front of him, the fire coming closer and closer to the beast, but not harming it. Madeleine followed his actions with her own torch, doubling the amount of fire that was surrounding the creature. Selene knew that the rest was up to her. She hadn’t fully explained to Liam how to defeat the beast so he did not know what was required to defeat it. She mumbled an incantation under her breath, and the area was suddenly filled with a strong breeze. The breeze collided with the fire, causing the flames to fan out in front of them and incase the afanc, burning it’s flesh as it groaned in agony. 
The trio stood silently for a moment after they were sure the creature was dead. Liam finally broke the silence a while later, saying the words she had been waiting to hear since that morning. 
“Let’s go release, Drake.” 
As they passed by the water reservoir once again on their way out of the caves, a flash of white caught her eye. She allowed Liam and Madeleine to walk ahead of her and bent down to pick it up. The item resembled an egg shell, but was much bigger and whiter than a chicken egg. There were several ancient markings on the shell as well. 
“Liam, wait!” she called, running to catch up with him and showing him the shell. “Before we go speak with your father about releasing Drake we should talk to Bas first.”
He looked at her skeptically for a moment causing her to continue. 
“I don’t want him to accuse Drake of summoning the afanc.”
“And what good will that shell do?” he asked.
“I don’t know. But, I have a feeling,” she said, not being able to fully put her finger on what it was about the shell that was so compelling to her. 
It was almost as if she could feel the magic radiating off of it. 
“Okay,” he finally responded skeptically. 
She smiled at him in gratitude and they left the caves, both feeling significantly lighter knowing that the cause of the plague had been identified and taken care of. However, there was still a sense of dread in the pit of Selene’s stomach. The feeling wasn’t unfamiliar to her. She had gotten this feeling several times before, but each time it had been followed by something bad happening. It hadn’t always been something extreme, for example she had once gotten the feeling only to have gotten stuck out in the rain while on a patrol with Liam. Other times it had been more serious. On one occasion she had experienced it, and that year her village’s harvest had not been as fruitful as hoped and most of the inhabitants had a rough winter trying to scrape together enough food to survive. However, this time Selene was sure that something truly terrible was about to happen. It would be more than just a minor inconvenience. 
“Bas!” she called as she entered their chambers with Liam close behind her. Madeleine had returned to her chambers in hopes that Constantine wouldn’t find out that she had ever come with them.  
“Are the two of you alright?” he asked, coming over to them with a look of concern. 
“We’re fine. The afanc is dead,” she said with a small smile. 
Much to her surprise Bastien pulled her into a hug. He squeezed her in his arms lovingly and let out a sigh of relief. 
“We were going to speak with Constantine about releasing Drake, but I saw this on the ground when we were leaving the caves, and I wanted to speak with you first,” she said, handing him the egg shell. 
Although Bastien’s facial expression didn’t change, Selene could see the distress behind his eyes. 
“What? What is it? I can feel it, Bas. I can tell that it’s not good,” she whispered so that only he could hear. 
Bastien cleared his throat and brushed her off, a look of discomfort still evident in his usual stoic gaze. 
“It’s nothing. The afanc hatched from this shell,” he said, not meeting her eyes. “Completely harmless. The two of you should head down to the cells to release Drake. I’ll speak with Constantine.” 
~~~
“Damnit, Selene!” Lucretia growled in frustration.
She angrily swiped her hand through the water in the stone basin she was standing over. The waves, which she had been using to watch the events that were unfolding in Stormholt just a few moments earlier, became still and clear once again. With the enchantment that was allowing her to watch as everything played out as if it were a movie gone, the water was now just water. 
She paced back and forth in front of the basin frantically. Her afanc was dead. It was supposed to bring about the fall of Constantine Rys and his son, and with that, the fall of Stormholt as well. The afanc was her ticket to revenge. But, now because of Selene the creature was dead. 
“Selene. Selene,” she whispered the young witch’s name repeatedly. 
She had heard of Selene. She was the one the fire-users spoke of, although by a different name. She was the one that was supposed to help Prince Liam unite the lands. 
Lucretia had once rejoiced over that prophecy. But now, she couldn’t even picture it coming to pass. Constantine Rys hated magic, despised it. There was no way any son of his would ever be any different. No, she needed to be rid of them all. Constantine had brought this upon himself after all. He should reap the consequences of all the problems his bigotry had caused, and that is exactly what he would do. She would end the Rys line for good. 
24 notes · View notes
captainswanandclintasha · 4 years ago
Text
Blowing out the steam
Summary: Set during 5x13. Zari needs to learn how to control the powers of the totem and John is there to encourage her. Mick just wants to see the world in flames. Nate is jealous. Zombies attack. Charlie is well... Charlie. And Sara clearly needs a break.
Notes: aka what I want to happen but will probably not happen.Maybe I lost my ability to write action scenes? I'll let you decide. I tried to make this is as good as possible. Also I really wanted to write about the promo pictures for tomorrow's episode. Which pictures? You know which pictures. The bus pictures... that scene in the promo with John protecting Zari from the zombies... I'll let you decide if this is actually any good!
Find me on AO3
Zombies was the last thing Zari expected to encounter when she decided to stay with the Legends and yet… after a hellhound, Marie Antoinette’s talking head and almost being killed by Jack the Ripper, zombies should be the last thing to surprise her. And truth be told, being the only mortal in a group of immortal friends (at least for the next the 20 more hours) and surrounded by zombies didn’t make her feel too comfortable.
Oh and Charlie’s crazy sisters stole their ship with Astra’s help and apparently Gary was still on the ship (probably hiding somewhere). The three bitches also decided to leave the Legends stuck in the middle of nowhere, miles away form London.
Oh and also? They were currently stuck in a bus that stopped working in the middle of the road, on the way to John’s house (still, close enough to it, according to him), with zombies everywhere around them.
Leaving out a sigh she’s been holding for some time, Zari looked around the small bus. Sara and Ava were at the front, working most likely on some kind of plan, Charlie was on one side of the bus, looking out the window, probably thinking about her sisters and how they were alone on the ship, with the Loom of Faith, while Mick was one the other side of the bus, playing with his firearm (secretly Zari was praying he won’t set them all on fire). Nate was in the seat across from Zari and she was pretty sure she caught him sneaking a few glances at her when he thought she wasn’t looking.
She knew John was sitting a few seats behind her, but she didn’t know what he was doing exactly. Zari turned to take a look at him and almost started to laugh when she saw him sitting under a ‘Smoke Kills’ ad. Oh the irony. Unlike the others tho, John had his eyes closed, looking like he was meditating.
Probably feeling her watching him, John opened his eyes and looked at her. He didn’t moved not talked when he saw her looking at him, he was just sitting there, watching Zari watching him.
Feeling pulled towards him and his presence, Zari raised from her seat and went to sit in the empty seat in front of him. When he didn’t say anything, Zari broke the ice and without actually turning to face him but knowing he’ll hear her very well, she started to talk. “Were you meditating?”
“Gathering powers,” John answered from behind her.
“Oh. Okay then,” Zari opened her mouth to say something else but when the words didn’t come out she leaned back in the seat.
That’s when she felt John moving in the seat behind her and leaning forward, towards her seat.
“What’s wrong?” he whispered in her ear.
“Nothing,” Zari answered in a quiet voice.
“Come on, Z. You are way too quiet, even for a situation like this. There must be something,” John insisted from behind.
Zari turned in her seat and answered to him. “Yeah. I am the only mortal in a bus full of immortals and we are surrounded by zombies,” she said like it was the most obvious thing in the world.
“Don’t worry, love. We’ll protect you,” John said with honesty in his voice.
“And what happens if one of you can’t protect me anymore?”
John pointed to the bracelet where her family’s totem was kept. The same braceled Behrad used to wear, the one she was wearing when he died trying to protect her from Charlie’s stupid sister.
“You have the totem. You can use it, I’ve seen that better than anyone,” John said.
Zari shook her head. “I don’t even know how to do it? I don’t know how I did it the first time.”
“To control the totem you need to control your emotions and feelings. Try to remember how it felt back then, in London. What did you feel when you used it back then?”
“Fear?” Zari answered in a breath, because, among other feelings, that one was the most prominent feeling she had when she was thinking about that day. Between other things.
“Fear?”
Zari nodded at him. “Fear. For um...” Zari stopped herself. She remembers that moment, the fear she felt when Bonnie and Clyde almost tried kill her and John. And then again fear for John when she saw Bonnie wanting to shoot him from behind. But how could she tell him that half of the fear she felt that day, was because she was afraid for his own life? “Fear of not dying I guess,” she finally finished her sentence.
John looked at her like he understood what she was saying but also like he was understanding what she wanted to say but couldn’t.
“Fear can be a good stimulator,” he said taking in his hand the hand where the bracelet was and raising it, “but your power goes deeper than that. You have something in you that gives you the power to use the totem and defend yourself. You have a bigger power in you than you think,” he explained to her.
Zari looked at John. Really looked at him. He was honest with her, he was encouraging her to be the powerful woman she always knew she could be if given the chance. “You really think that?”
“I’m sure of that,” John said without hesitation. “And besides, you still have us all to look after you, when you need it,” he pointed out once again, with a small smile on his face.
“That makes me feel a bit better… But not entirely,” while finishing her sentence, she saw him frown, so she continued. “I mean, Sara is basically a God, she can protect herself anytime, Ava has Sara in case she needs help, Mick has his fire gun, Nate can turn into steel, Charlie has her powers, you have your magic. What do I have? A totem I’m not sure I can use when needed.”
“I’ll look after you,” John said with the most honesty that could come out of him. At his words and the sincerity in them, Zari raised her eyebrow in surprise. Seeing her face, John continued. “What? We made quite a good team in London.”
Remembering once again their adventure in time and what a good team they made (when they weren’t trying to kill each other), Zari smiled and then answered to him.“That we did, you are right.”
Zari saw John opening his mouth to say something more, but then he looked at the front of the bus and closed his mouth. Zari followed his eyes and saw Sara and Ava were standing in front of the bus.
“Okay everyone listen up,” Sara said raising her arms and making sure everyone was looking at her, “we need to get rid of these zombies and get our ship back.”
“Like I’ve told you before. We need to burn them,” Mick said with a grumpy voice from his seat.
“Yes, Mick, you’ll get to burn something,” Ava was the one who answered to him.
Sara continued to talk. “We are making 3 teams. Me, Ava and Charlie. Nate and Mick. Zari and John,” she said on a firm tone. “We separate, each of us going in a different direction and we fight our way out of this. We meet up at John’s house. Let’s all hope Astra can do something from the ship… and come get us,” a murmur started to hear from everyone in the bus, “Stop it. We don’t know what happened. I refuse to believe she betrayed us like that. I trust her this time. So get ready to kill some zombies.” “Wait who decided the teams?” Nate asked from his seat.
Sara looked in his direction with an eyebrow raised,“Um, what?”
“I’m just asking,” Nate said raising his shoulders and turning in his seat to take a look at Zari.
That’s when Zari, and everyone else in the bus, understood what Nate wasn’t happy with. Her teaming up with John. Zari rolled her eyes and heard John leaving out a deep sigh from behind her.
“Nate, she’s mortal, unlike us, and has zero fighting skills, unlike us. No offense, Zari,” Sara looked towards Zari and raised her hands in front of her as an apology to which Zari offered a quick ‘none taken’. It was the truth after all. “Zari needs to be with someone who can actually keep her safe and keep themselves safe at the same time. John’s the safest bet,” Sara finished.
“But-” Nate started to talk again but John stopped him by starting to talk, his voice hard from the back of the bus.
“No offense, mate. These hands can make fire come out of them,” John said raising his hands at the same time they started to glow.
Zari tried to hide her smile. She looked at Nate and saw him looking at her, trying to tell her something, probably begging her to back him up. “What?” Zari asked him with an eyebrow raised.“They are right, I trust John and his magic and you turn to steel, that doesn’t mean you can look after me and take care of yourself at the same time. This is better for everyone.”
With Zari’s words, Nate turned his attention back to Sara who was starting to get annoyed at everyone, “Anyone wanna add anything else?” she asked with an annoyed voice.
“Yeah,” Mick said and Zari saw Sara almost wanting to kill him on the spot. “When is the burning starting?” Mick asked, raising his gun.
Sara grinned at him, took her weapon and answered a, ‘right now’. After that Zari watched Sara, Ava and Charlie getting out of the bus and starting to fight the zombies that were already at the door. Mick and Nate followed the girls and as soon as they step foot on the ground, Nate turned into steel and started to punch and fight the zombies, while Mick started to burn everything in his way.
Zari and John approached the bus’ door and before getting out, John looked at Zari. “Stay with me, okay?” he warned her.
“I don’t plan to run on my own into a zombie apocalypse,” Zari told him, getting behind him to allow him to get out of the bus first.
“Good.”
And with that John Constantine got out of the bus with Zari close behind him. She saw the others were already a few feet away from the bus, still fighting the zombies, but running towards the direction of John’s house. Zari and John started to run on their steps, trying to get as far away from the bus as possible. Yet, even with John’s powers and his spells, the zombies were still coming in fast after them.
At one point during their running, Zari was so focused on running and keeping close to John that she didn’t see the zombie coming in her direction until it was inches away from her. In that moment she screamed out John’s name and jumped back of the zombie’s way. John turned towards her, saw the zombie coming closer to her and then he jumped in between Zari and the zombie, hands on fire, catching the zombie’s head John hold him still and set it on fire.
From behind John, Zari saw more zombies coming their way. She pat him on the shoulder to get his attention away from the zombie he just burned and when John turned to look at her he saw the crown coming faster towards them. John let out a curse and opened a portal to hell, sending as many zombies into it as he could.
“Run” he said, turning back to Zari.
She started to run with him again, putting a semnificative distance between them and the bus. She continued to run being sure John was close behind her when she heard a yell from behind. She stopped from running and turned around just in time to see John pushed on the ground, attacked by a group of zombies.
Zari knew she couldn’t let him die and did the first thing that came to her mind. She raised her hand, took a deep breath and tried to channel the power from the totem. When nothing came out, she tried again, this time closing her eyes and trying to remember what John taught her earlier in the bus. It was all about controlling her feelings and emotions. With her eyes still closed, she took a few more breaths to calm her herself and then tried to use her powers again. This time, a whirlwind came out of her hand. It was so powerful that it shocked her, pushing her a few steps back, but also powerful enough to make the zombies fly away from John.
She run towards him and helped him raise on his feet again.
“Are you okay?” she asked worried.
“You bloody did it,” was everything he said, completely ignoring her question and looking at her in awe.
Zari nooded at him. “Now what?” she asked.
“We run like hell,” John said taking her hand in his and starting to run again towards the house.
This time tho, when zombies were coming close to them, John wasn’t the only one who was fighting them. She was using her powers as well, making whirlwinds coming out of both of her hands now and keeping the zombies away from them.
After what felt like hours of running and stopping to fight the zombies side by side with John, they finally made it close to his house. That’s where they saw a group of zombies at the entrance, scratching the walls of the house, trying to get inside and blocking their way in.
Zari got ready to blow them away with her powers when she heard a ‘burn!’ coming from the distance and saw Mick and Nate running towards her and John. Mick set the zombies on fire and the four of them run inside the house, blocking the door on their way in with everything they were able to find in their way.
Sara, Ava and Charlie were already inside, painting from the running and fighting. Zari saw Sara covered in dirt and Ava already having a few bruises on her face, but other than that the three of them were alright.
“Are you alright?” Nate asked Zari, coming besides her.
“Yeah, yeah. I’m fine. Had John and this,” she said raising her hand and pointing to the totem.
“You used it?” Nate asked looking shocked at her.
“Yes,” Zari said, suddenly being hit with the realisation that she used the powers of the totem again, and not only did she control them perfectly but she also fought actual zombies and protected herself. And John. “I really used it,” Zari said with a big smile on her face.
“Bloody amazing she was,” John added from behind her.
“Alright everyone, we should be safe in here,” Sara said to the group. Take a few minutes, make sure you are all alright. We’ll try to contact Gideon. Or Gary. Or Astra. Anyone.”
Following Sara’s words and being thankful for the few minutes they got, everyone went to different places of the house, to brush off the fighting they just went through. She saw John going up the stairs and quickly followed him. She followed him upstairs and saw that he entered in one of the rooms and then closed the door behind him.
She thought about it for a second, if she should follow him inside or not but in the end she went for it. Getting at the door, she knocked and without waiting for an answer from the other side, she opened the door.
John was on the opposite side of the room, taking off the shirt that was now dirty from the fight. Zari didn’t expect to see him so many tattoos on his back and arms, but they were there and strangely, they made him look even hotter. There were scars as well and new bruises from the fight from earlier no doubt.
“Usually one waits until they are invited in a room,” John said without turning to look at her.
“You are hurt,” she said from the doorframe.
“I’m still immortal,” he answered to her, making her a sign to come inside. She did so and from instinct she closed the door behind her as well. “Anything you wanted to talk about?” John asked her when he saw she wasn’t going to say anything.
“I wanted to thank you for earlier.”
“No need to thank me. You did most of the work,” John said putting on a new shirt and tying up most of the buttons with the exception of the last three. Enough to let his chest visible to her.
“You did too and besides, you encouraged me to use my powers.”
“It was nothing,” John said softly.
“Can’t you take some gratitude like a normal person?” Zari asked laughing.
“Sorry,” John said laughing as well. “Try again if you want.”
“Thank you for encouraging me today to use the totem and find that power in me,” Zari said getting closer to him.
“You are very welcome, love,” John said continuing to smile at her. “You really were bloody amazing today,” he said stepping forward towards her.
They were way too close and Zari knew it wasn’t the moment to act on any feelings she might or might not have for him. And yet, she couldn't bring it in her to step away because there was something pulling her towards him more and more every time they seem to find themselves together in a situation. And this started to happen quite often, she observed.
Still, somehow, she found the power to take a step back. Maybe she would have left the room, and him, in that moment, if he wouldn’t have stopped her by taking her hand in his and looking intently into her eyes as if he wanted to tell her something. The last time they were this close, they almost kissed and every day since then was a battle of push and pull, one step forward and two steps back.
She knew John was not going to do anything unless she asked for it. She knew she was holding the power of whatever was going to happen next. She could’ve let go of his hand and walk away. She could’ve tell him now was not the time for anything. The team was downstairs trying to find a way to get back on ship. Behrad was still dead. Astra was still with her sisters. It really wasn’t the time to do anything.
And yet she couldn’t shake away the feeling of ��what if’. What if they would kiss right there and then? Would it feel the same way it felt when they were pretending to be Romeo and Juliet? Would it be better than that?
She looked at him, her eyes moving quickly from his eyes to her mouth and back to his eyes. And she saw he was doing the same, looking at her eyes and then at her mouth.
So Zari finally made a decision.
She put her free hand on his chest, her fingers tucked under his open shirt and then she pulled him towards her. Their lips met easily in the kiss, as if they were supposed to fit so well together since the beginning.
Knowing John, the softness of the kiss was unexpected for Zari, so unexpected that it made her take a step back out in surprise but as soon as she realised she was getting away from him, she pulled herself closer to him again and pressed her lips even harder on his. She felt John letting go of her hand and instead putting one arm around her back while his other free hand went into her hair, pulling her even closer if that was possible. One of Zari’s free hands went to the back of his neck, playing with his hair, while the hand she had on his shirt earlier, moved across his shirt and eventually rest on his shoulder.
He pressed his lips on hers harder and Zari felt her mouth opening out of instinct, to deepen the kiss even more. She let out a moan at the feeling of the kiss growing in intensity.
They continued to kiss for what felt like minutes, lost in each other and the feelings she, at least, tried to put away for some time now, until they were left without air in their lungs.
When they finally separated, they pressed their foreheads together and stayed like that, swimming in the feelings of the kiss.
“That was… Unexpected,” Zari let out, her breath dying on her lips.
“That’s nicely put, Z,” John completed with a smile on his face.
“John we need to get to Gary!” Charlie’s voice was heard from outside the room, close to the door.
Zari and John untangled themselves as fast as they could, but not fast enough, since Charlie opened the door just in time to see the two of them stepping away from each other, still looking like a total mess. Charlie looked at Zari in shock at first and then amusement at the mess her hair was, realising immediately what she interrupted. Zari looked at Charlie, pleading with her eyes to shut up but always the teaser Charlie started to laugh at the image in front of her.
“Wow, you guys,” Charlie said between laughs, “this is really horny coming from you two.”
Zari widened her eyes in shock “Charlie shut up,” she told her friend in a hush.
“Oy, Johny! Didn’t thought you have it in you!” Charlie continued to tease John.
John let out a sound under his breath that sounded a lot like a curse and then started to talk to Charlie with an annoyed and raspy voice. “You said something about Gary?”
“What is it taking so long?” Sara’s voice carried to the room from the first floor.
“Coming!” Charlie yelled back. “You two love birds are coming? We have more important things to do,” Charlie told Zari and John, pointing to the door.
Josh arranged his shirt and with a wink at the two of them left the room to go assist Sara and the other downstairs.
“Charlie,” Zari started looking at her friend, “no words of this.”
“You won’t hear anything from me, love, but you two have been gone for some time. Luckily no one thought of suggesting you two might be together in John’s room,” Charlie said with a smile and a wicked wink.
“Okay, okay, let’s go join the others,” Zari said, no longer wanting to be teased by her friend. “Come on!”
“Zari wait!” Charlie yelled after her when she was already out of the room.
Charlie joined her in the hallway, put a hand around her friend and then they both started to walk towards the stairs leading to the first floor. At the middle of the stairs tho, Charlie stopped, stopping Zari as well. The two women looked at each other and then, with a devilish smile, Charlie dropped the question on Zari.
“Was he good?”
Zari almost tripped down the stairs leading in the main hallway.
_____________________________
Okay so. First of all, thank you all for taking the time to look at my other fic and messaging me on Tumblr or in here! It means the world to me.
Second of all... the scene at the end... When Charlie comes in, should've been Sara and her words, at saying John and Zari wouldn't been "I don't even want to know!" BUT I realised that would be a bit harder with Sara's condition, as impressive as she is when fighting. So I went with Charlie because I was able to add in a bit of fun.
I hope you enjoyed this!
11 notes · View notes
napoleoninrags · 5 years ago
Text
Tumblr media
President Barabbas
The mob chose a mobster. Elections have consequences.
by Greg Olear
"Easter is a very special day for me ... Easter Sunday, and you'll have packed churches all over our country.” —Donald John Trump, 24 March 2020
I WAS RAISED Catholic, which meant that every Sunday, come hell or high water, we went to church. The Catholic Mass is extremely rote. There’s a lot of call-and-response, a lot of standing up and sitting down, a lot of the same material, repeated over and over and over again. The Apostles’ Creed, for example, has been recited at Mass, in much the same way, since it was codified at the Council of Nicaea during the reign of Constantine the Great, a mere 17 centuries ago.
The best day of the liturgical year, in my recollection, was Palm Sunday. The priest always shared the same story: Pontius Pilate, the Roman prefect, appeared before his subjects in Jerusalem on the occasion of Passover, and agreed to free a single Jewish prisoner. The mob had to choose: should Pilate free Jesus, the alleged “King of the Jews,” or Barabbas, a notorious criminal? Whereupon we, role-playing in the pews, would cry, WE WANT BARABBAS! My brother and I shouted with gusto, to my mother’s extreme annoyance: WE WANT BARABBAS! And so the killer was set free, and Christ condemned to die.
I didn’t know at the time that this passage, perpetuating as it does the “Jews killed Jesus” myth, was used for centuries by anti-Semites to justify their despicable deeds. I never interpreted it that way. To me, the story is about how mobs, led as they are by riled-up morons, can easily be fooled and manipulated into voting against their best interests.
The 2016 election is a recent example of how the angry masses, presented with a clear choice of good guy versus bad guy, chose unwisely. It’s not fair to either party to compare Hillary Clinton with Jesus Christ, and Pontius Pilate did not use the Electoral College system in determining whom to pardon, but notorious criminal Donald John Trump is absolutely President Barabbas. The mob went with the mobster.
Three years into the Trump Administration, and a shocking number of the president’s associates are either in prison, about to head to prison, under indictment, or under investigation. There is Paul Manafort, Trump’s campaign chair, currently incarcerated. There is Michael Cohen, Trump’s longtime personal attorney, fixer, and bagman: ditto. There is the treacherous Michael Flynn, awaiting his sentence (or, perhaps, his pardon). There is Trump’s longtime buddy and shadow campaign advisor Roger Stone, soon to toddle off to the hoosegow. There’s also those who have not yet been indicted because of the nefarious machinations of the corrupt Attorney General, William Barr: Rudy Giuliani, Jared Kushner, Mike Pompeo, Mike Pence, Mick Mulvaney, Erik Prince, and Trump’s lousy kids Ivanka, Eric, and Don Junior.
What is remarkable here, aside from the obvious fact that Trump cavorts with an uncanny number of crooks, is that none of these people has flipped. Manafort pretended to, only to ratfuck the FBI. Flynn, too, lied to investigators. Only Cohen gave up some dirt—but how much did he really surrender? The thing is, the rest of these people aren’t nearly as hard. Trump wants to pardon Roger Stone because he knows him well enough to know that he will sing to stay out of the Big House. Jared Kushner, aka Boy Plunder, has done so many illicit things that he will keep FBI agents busy for years; is Mr. Ivanka really not going to flip to avoid prison? And I can’t imagine Don Junior exhibiting the same trollish swagger around Cellblock D.
Trump’s partners in crime are all selfish assholes. They have no real loyalty. Giuliani, for example, loathes Trump with every fiber of his noxious being. He’s only protecting him out of his own self-interest. At some point, to preserve themselves, these fuckers will all turn on each other, and it will be the end of Reservoir Dogs all up in here: a bunch of petty crooks threatening to take each other down.
So why haven’t they?
A big queen sits in the middle of the stalemated chessboard, preventing all movement. The queen’s name is William Barr. He is the titular Attorney General of the United States, but his actual function is to slow-roll the Department of Justice from its takedown of Trump and his co-conspirators. To that end, he holds up witnesses. He stymies evidence from being sent to prosecutors. He cock-blocks US Attorneys, sure as he cock-blocked Mueller. He kicks the can and kicks it again and again and again, hoping to run out the clock. Barr has been so successful that the GOP is not even remotely worried about the bad stuff coming out. He’s gummed up the works so badly that we couldn’t even get witnesses at the fucking impeachment trial.
With a big, fat cork in the bottle of evidence, Trump and his fellow criminals do not have to fear retribution from law enforcement for as long as he stays in office. The only danger now is if they turn on each other. If they respect omertà, they are golden. Thus it is in all of their interests—Trump’s, but also Pence’s, McConnell’s, Pompeo’s, Kushner’s, and so on—to stay the course. These people will do anything, including exacerbate a global health crisis, to not get caught. They don’t care if we die. Repeat: they don’t care if we die. As Mr. White says in Reservoir Dogs: “The choice between doing ten years and taking out some stupid motherfucker, ain’t no choice at all.”
What are they hiding?
In Trump’s case, generations of criminal involvement with the mob—first La Cosa Nostra, later the Russian mafiya. His grandfather was a minor pimp at the dawn of the organized crime era, but Donald’s father, Fred Trump, was, as Lincoln’s Bible tells us, “a businessman front for the Genovese crime family.”
To best understand Fred, just track his rise from single-family home construction to big residential developments. From Shore Haven (1947) to Beach Haven to Trump Village, all were done with known mafia partners, in Genovese-controlled territory, and eventually with a fully Genovese-owned construction company (HRH Construction).
When the Russian mafiya began rolling in, they landed in Fred’s properties and partnered with the Genovese on some big ticket scams. This was also during the time that Fred and his attorney Roy Cohn set up S&A concrete (via Nick Auletta)—a joint venture between Tony Salerno (Genovese boss) and Paul Castellano (Gambino boss), so that donald could build in Manhattan. Remember donald’s quote, “Even my father, he said, you don’t want to go to Manhattan. That’s not our territory?” That’s because Manhattan, for construction, was Gambino territory. They controlled the concrete and unions. And Fred was a very loyal, shrewd front for the Genovese. To get his idiot, greedy kid into Manhattan, Fred and Roy Cohn had to get those two mob bosses to agree on a joint venture.
When the Russian mafiya pushed out the Italian mob after the fall of the Soviet Union, Donald Trump began laundering money for unseemly Vor associates of Semion Mogilevich. The Russians extended him credit when no US bank would touch him, and he remains in their debt—a fact the Mazars and Deutsche Bank documents will reveal, which is why Trump has moved heaven and earth to keep said documents secret.
Because the Russian mafiya works hand in glove with the Russian government, Trump is also, as Hillary Clinton correctly told us four years ago, Putin’s puppet. His ties to Russian intelligence (Putin, remember, is ex-KGB) go back decades. Recruitment of Trump by the KGB began in the Reagan Administration; for all we know, his succession of ex-Soviet-bloc wives better reflect his allegiance to the Soviets than his taste in women. He is also connected to the Russian organized crime via his friend Jeffrey Epstein, a collector of kompromat and money launderer for arms dealers; Epstein’s longtime partner was Ghislaine Maxwell, daughter of Robert Maxwell, the spy and former business partner of, yes, Semion Mogilevich.
Trump’s underworld ties were all there in 2016, barely below the surface, for all the world to see. Wayne Barrett wrote about them for the Village Voice. Robert Friedman alluded to them in Red Mafiya. Craig Unger covers them closely in House of Trump, House of Putin. The mainstream media knew damned well what the guy really was, but chose to equate Trump’s years of actual mobbed-up crimes with HRC’s email server. The result? Every half-wit Fox News watcher proclaims, with a straight face, that Hillary, not Donald, is the crook!
Truth: Trump is a notorious criminal, a serial rapist and sexual assailant, wholly owned by the mob, controlled by the underworld and the Kremlin. He is a latter-day Barabbas—and because of the whims of a riled-up mob, he’s now, somehow, the President of the United States. Make no mistake: If he thinks it will help him avoid prosecution, he will order the churches open for Easter without qualm or hesitation. In his calculus, Jesus gave up His life for us, so we should give up our lives for Trump. He will happily pervert the holiest of Christian holy days to get what he wants. To this monster, nothing is sacred..
5 notes · View notes
kiss-my-freckle · 5 years ago
Photo
Tumblr media Tumblr media
Back to these two gifs. There’s a lot that interests me about these scenes, though the obvious is clear. You see the response is somewhat the same (and for the same reason) despite the emotional difference. “Katarina” is an imposter. She stops, not needing to turn around because she already knows who’s behind her. Only one person would refer to her as Katarina because that is not her name. The same for “Constantin.” He would recognize Tom for the same reason imposter Katarina would recognize Red. Constantin is not his name, but Tom refers to him as much. The scene of “Katarina” only furthers my theory on Tom and “Constantin.” 
Tom: Did the same thing last month. It’s probably why you don’t recognize me. Constantin. Berlin, man, he’s tough. I had to get away for a while, go to Germany, figure a few things out.
Few people would refer to him as Constantin, since that’s not his real name. This informs the Russian how he and Tom know each other. What’s more interesting to me, something that goes all the way back to The Freelancer, is the fact that Tom is asking for Katarina’s name from a man he refers to as Constantin. Just as interesting that he places Constantin and Berlin in the same sentence, as if the two knew one another. This pushes forward to 5x8.
Red: I’ll say this for you - you’ve always believed that you were acting in her best interest. Selling me out to Berlin, faking her death - you always thought you were helping her.
As another pointed out, oddly coincidental for Tom to know who he could turn to in order to get Katarina’s identity with a single photograph. No random Russian would do. Even agent Masik should’ve known that was a photograph of mother and daughter Rostova, but apparently Anton Velov didn’t share information about Katarina to the CIA when he was working as their CI. 
Tom asking for a name. Either he didn’t know, or he was pretending. However more likely he didn’t, which shows the truth that her name had been lost to history as Red claimed it had. Those who know her name run in the circle of being Russian, agents tracking her, and/or hearing stories about her that passed down through the years. That’s how tall tales work. Now I’ll add in the fact that Alexander Kirk no longer goes by his original identity, which brings this entire scene to a boil. 
Liz: Who are you? Kirk: Alexander Kirk. That wasn’t always so. Once, a long time ago, my name was Constantin Rostov.
Both names had been lost to history, since Constantin is now Alexander Kirk. So why would Tom refer to this Russian as Constantin? Consider the DNA report that Constantin would’ve done on Masha when he found out about the affair and suspected Raymond of being the father. A DNA report that Tom supposedly got from his SVR file - a file that was for Alexander Kirk, not Constantin Rostov. Also take note that everyone refers to him as Alexander, yet Red never does when speaking to him directly. This not only suggests that our Red had a personal connection with Constantin Rostov before he became Alexander Kirk, but Tom wouldn’t know Constantin as Alexander Kirk because he was hired to find Constantin’s daughter, not Alexander’s. 
Red: Alexander Kirk. Tom: I don’t know who that is. Red: The man who ordered the attack on your wedding.
The identities on said DNA report were never shown. 
Tumblr media
Constantin: I don’t know who that is. Tom: I think you do. Why don’t you take another look? Liz: I believe he was asking for a name. Constantin: I can’t. I swore on my life I wouldn’t.
This theory goes all the way back to Tom’s whisper, as well as his mark in the go-box that matches Liz’s scar. Constantin Rostov wouldn’t hire Tom to search for his wife. Given the circumstances of her fake death at Cape May and the real Red kidnapping their daughter, he would focus more on the daughter. That’s how Tom would know Liz’s real identity, but not Katarina’s. Constantin wasn’t searching for her, so he had no need to share that much information. 
Katarina: Because he has proof that the Cabal exists, proof that would be released in the event of his death. Fitch: The Fulcrum.
The mark/scar represents two fathers. I'll be posting about this more in detail later on. Raymond known to have the Fulcrum because Katarina told Fitch that he had it. This was shown in their taped conversation. 
Braxton: How does it feel to have something people are willing to die for locked up in that pretty little head of yours?
The moment Braxton saw her scar, he knew she was at the fire and it was in her possession. It was not confirmed that Liz’s biological father gave her the scar. She references it to her father several times, but she had two fathers prior to the fire, and stated to Dr. Orchard: “All I know - or think I know - is that my father gave me this.” This tells me that the scar’s origin wasn’t exactly confirmed one way or the other. Given Red’s continued statement that her parents loved her very much, I have a hard time believing the real Red or the real Katarina scarred Liz on the night of the fire. However, the scar could be accidental. 
Her stepfather. Constantin Rostov, the only other person to respond to the mark. I find it too much of a coincidence that Tom told Liz that her father is alive, then a season later - we’re given the blood pool shaped like Liz’s scar in Arioch Cain and Constantin Rostov shows up to kidnap Liz. The envelope in which Tom held the photos of Red at the hospital ties the mark to Sam, which then ties it to Katarina given their connection. A mark he used to frame Gina - who is Russian, connecting her. And Constantin, who comes out of the shadows to kidnap Liz. 
At some point, I’ll take the time to map this out, but Liz’s clue board in 1x21 is wrong, but her words mean everything. They don’t trace back to one entity, they trace back to two for the two fathers. Given the Cabal and the Fulcrum ties in with Katarina’s claim to Fitch that Raymond had it, and the fact that Constantin came when he saw it on the news, it leans more in Katarina’s direction rather than the real Red’s. Constantin appeared not to know about the fire, so he shouldn’t have known about the scar. I also considered how Red chose to put it in blood rather than simply cover Liz in blood while exposing her palm. The scar on Liz’s palm is for the Fulcrum, the mark itself was for Constantin. This leaves me with two scenarios on the mark itself. 
1. It’s tied to Katarina herself. She accidentally scarred Liz on the night of the fire while trying to save her. I find this possible, given Red’s words. “Someone tried to hurt you.” If someone tried to hurt Masha, and Katarina saved her from that someone, it’s possible she scarred her in the process. This, I find possible - and even more interesting, given my belief that Red is Katarina, and the questions he asked Liz of her scar in the pilot. She wouldn’t be reaching for her father for strength, but her mother - just as she did with the friendship bracelet. And because it’s tied to Katarina herself, it would be tied to Constantin. This would make more sense to me while looking over the blood pool in Arioch Cain. If the mark isn’t tied to Masha, but Katarina, then it speaks to Katarina’s daughter because Liz is obviously younger. So to the Cabal, the scar would represent the daughter of Raymond Reddington - who had the Fulcrum the night of the fire. To Constantin Rostov, the mark would represent the daughter of Katarina Rostova - who the mark is tied to. This would explain The Director’s initial belief that Red is Liz’s father because of the scar, then believe him to be the mother because the mark is actually tied to her. 
2. It’s tied to Constantin - who sent someone to help rescue Masha from Red.
I lean more toward my first scenario, which then leads me to the issue of Tom. For him to have the mark that’s only associated with Katarina, yet not know her identity, he has to know someone who does. This furthers my belief that Tom knew both Liz’s and Kirk’s born identity, but not know Katarina’s. And he knew because he was employed by Constantin Rostov under his born identity, therefore not knowing his new identity. And the Constantin in the bathroom was a fake just like Berlin’s. 
4 notes · View notes
sparklyjacquelee · 7 years ago
Text
Season 3 Rewatch – Beebo the God of War
Young Marty – right in the feels.
Beebo!
Hmmm, so if old Martin prompted young Martin to make a baby in 1987, how is Lily already five years old in 1992? I mean, pregnancy is a thing, right? I'll just assume they were very early in the year in 1987 and Clarissa got pregnant immediately, then I guess this still works since this is Christmas 1992. And maybe Lily was born early.
I did not realize that the Arrow theme is playing when Martin shoots the toy arrow until someone said it. LOL
Run!
Barbarians, LOL
Ooops, real barbarians.
The puppet. I will never get over the puppet. This show…
Amaya's reaction is my reaction. This is wrong. On so many levels.
Ray's question and Nate's comments are funny though.
Mick just hits the puppet. Of course.
I do want to know how Sara would have reacted to the puppet but I assume she just refused to talk to Leo on the account of not doing feelings.
Sara, no, boxing up feelings is not a good idea. For anyone.
Level 12, oioioi
Cool hat
Kicking ass is how we heal. Hm.
What the hell is a Beebo? You'll know soon enough.
Beebo hungry!
Wah, wah, Beebo love you!
Aw, Jax is cute here. Poor Jax.
Sara sees right through you Jax.
Young and lively. At peace. They are really bad at keeping secrets.
It never got explained why they always bump into things that are personally connected to them, did it? Or is it just Mallus and the Darhks doing this on purpose because they want the Legends distracted and therefore out of the picture? I guess.
Yuletide, nice.
Nope Ray, not a good idea. LOL
YAY AVA! This is what I'm here for.
Captain Lance! Finally she calls her Captain Lance! That’s progression!
"No. Okay, yes."
Beebo Day miracle. OMG
She is so cute, god.
"Never felt right." Yeah.
"No. Okay, yes."
And here she is. Seriously, this is so awesome. Just woosh, here I am.
Ava going along with a plan the Bureau wouldn't approve of whatsoever shows how desperate she is for something to go right after all the disarray in the Bureau.
"My goal is to do this peacefully, without any action." "First time for everything I guess." Amaya might still not completely approve of the Legends' methods, but she sure adapted to them.
We brought booze! Definition of this show. :P
But wait a second, didn't Leo just say that the Waverider is a dry ship now? Did Sara re-reprogram Gideon and then Leo reprogrammed her right after again so Mick doesn't get any of the alcohol? Probably.
Let's feast!
Meat leg!
"Nah, you look good!"
God that smile. I love that smile. That might be when I fell in love with Ava. Somewhere in this episode for sure.
There is Beebo! Thirsty Beebo.
Bad idea.
"Beebo will decide your fate." That's not a sentence you'd like to hear.
I will never get over Ava's facial expressions. Gaaah.
Or Sara's.
"Not really the husband kind." Hmmmmm. Sara is curious what that means. So am I.
Everyone is going "Really, Mick?"
That little headshake Mick does. LOL
Ava is confused.
And then she saves the day with improvising, love it.
And that little nod Sara gives, OMG. Approved!
Amaya, no, not good. "So damn huggable."
Leif can't get his sword out of its sheath, literally. Guess they didn't want to do another take and the actor doesn't go "shit, my sword is stuck", at least not overly visibly, so they just kept it. Still one of the funniest goofs for me.
Sara's eyeroll, awesome!
Hehe, Zari beating Jax in computer games. Of course she does.
"I'm also trying to beat you." You go, girl!
Why don't they just fabricate another Beebo for Martin? They clearly do later.
Let's play Beeboball! Just be warned, there could be random fires!
"I hate puppets." Well…
That heheeheeeheeeeheeeeee… dead is quite creepy, nice.
Odin Day, oops. That did not work.
Oh, look, it's the Darhks. Big surprise!
"I told you the Norse God costumes would work." Well, yeah, he did.
Amaya is confused by Sara retreating, cutie.
Ava approves though.
Gideon stating the obvious.
Ava hesitating and then immediately agreeing to contact the Bureau after Ray says Nora put Sara in a coma the last time they faced the Darhks is just… AWWW, you do care for them.
Zari, Sara knows what's up, you can't fool her.
Let's do Back to the Future. Or not.
Looking for booze?
I kinda really like the way Leo enunciates.
Good. Good. Good. Good.
No good news. Truth time though.
Ava and Sara sitting together on the table are so cute
"We can't afford to lose anyone else." "And I can?"
"I really am sorry, Sara." Sara! Aaargh
"Screw his orders. I need you here."
"This is not a fight the Legends can win." Pffft, do you know them?
"I have a plan." Hmmm…
Darhk just casually breaking Sara's neck was so shocking when I watched it the first time. Aaargh, why would you do that, show?
"Pretty's right." Yeah
Some sort of quip, evil but not too moustache twirly. LOL, I love them so much
Performance anxiety, hehehe
"Either we do this together or not at all." YES!
Sara is so confused but also happy that the team has her back
Yeah, Damien is not so easy to kill
"Hold, it is I, Beebo, risen from the grave!"
Doesn't mean science or evolution isn't real! Global warming is also real. Ray, you got the right priorities, LOL. This is about where I lost it I think. And where I decided that this is my new favourite show. Which is kinda ironic seeing that this was the last episode to watch at that time.
Woops, now the Vikings are all angry and Damien gets out his shock staff.
"Not this time."
Oh, noes! Mallus dimension.
YAY, Ava! "You came back!" "Like you said, you needed me." Could you be any more awesome? Guess not.
That little head tilt and the "yas". I love her so much!
"Wasn't my first time" Hmm, when did she visit an alternate dimension? Does she mean the alternate reality the spear created? Cause that wasn't her, technically, it was the other her. Or the shared hallucination in Invasion? Or Rip's brain? I'm kinda confused, because I don't think either Legends or Arrow ever did "alternate dimensions" per se before this.
"Aren't you afraid of getting in trouble for disobeying orders?" "It was worth it." God, they are so awesome!
"Our work here is done." Yep.
What did the letter say? 'Wear a bullet proof vest to Barry and Iris' wedding'?
Lily's Beebo will become Ronnie's Beebo and then Martina's and their families will tell them about how it ultimately saved the world. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.
I love Sara's attitude like, yeah, I might be the captain and have to tell you not to change history but doesn't mean I don't know you're still gonna try.
"You wanna leave? You can't leave." Aww, Sara is so heartbroken already but she would never actually even try to force him to stay. That's why I love her.
Hehe, Surprise!
And it's Yuletide. I love the touch of the wooden tables and plates.
"it's true, it's true"
"That's right, little brother." Waah. *sniffle*
I love them all so so much
Aztecs with jetpacks. OMG
Oh, look, it's John Constantine.
"Last time I saw you, I saved your soul" Sara is just doing a little head tilt like, so, and, what?
And that's it. Now on to Daddy Darhkest, for the first time being able to actually see it right after this, as it's supposed to be. So funny, it feels like a lot of time has passed between the two episodes because of the hiatus but in world, it's just a few moments. Weird.
12 notes · View notes
liberty1776 · 7 years ago
Link
Hence the law of truth, which most would accept in principle, is broken without penalty, without censure, and in compliance with inveterate prejudice and prevailing passions. Men are willing to credit what they wish, and encourage rather those who gratify them with pleasure, than those who provide them with fidelity, (or at least try to.)
It may surprise some that the first undisputed revisionist was a relatively little known Renaissance scholar named Lorenzo Valla (1407-1457). He used his knowledge of classical Latin to prove that an important text written by Emperor Constantine, one thousand years before, was actually a forgery. To the skeptic who understandably asks, “So what?” the answer may surprise him. That discovery destroyed the historical justification for the Catholic Church to have a judicial right to the possession (essentially at will), of earthly lands and geographical domains.
The forged document titled “The Donation of Constantine,” stated, “I, Constantine, donated the whole of the Western Roman Empire to the Roman Catholic Church, as an act of gratitude for having been miraculously cured of leprosy by Pope Sylvester I.”
Lorenzo Valla proved that the vernacular Latin of the forged ‘donation’ was in use only in the 8th century AD, rather than the 4,th when the document had allegedly been written.
To step back a little, let’s take the American Revolution for example. Patriotic historians have hailed the dumping of English-imported tea into Boston harbor as evidence of an unsullied love of freedom and of courageous revolting by idealistic patriots against a tyrannical enemy and extortionist import taxes.
But revisionists have shown that the first financier of the Revolution was John Hancock, a wealthy merchant from a family that made its fortune from smuggling. Tea happened to be a major item, generously drunk by colonists and locals.
To the Civil War (1861-1865), the term ‘revisionism’ has not generally been applied – though, to be pedantic about it, in the South the same war was called “War for Southern Independence.” Yet unofficial revisionists have focused on the causes of the Civil War far more than on the causes of either World War. Nevertheless, it is no longer impolitic to say that the war had little and only tangentially to do with slavery emancipation.
Revisionists have equally shown that, at the time of the Spanish American war in 1898, President McKinley, with the full Spanish concessions to his demands in his pocket, concealed the Spanish capitulation from Congress and demanded war. Which in turn required an excuse (“casus belli” is the technical term). The sinking of the Maine did nicely, with 268 dead American sailors. Blowing up the Maine was the 9/11 of the Spanish-American War.
It was WW1 that actually brought the term “revisionism” into general use, and for good reasons. For the revisionists counted on an accurate assessment of the causes of the War for a review and re-write of the Treaty of Versailles. The treaty assigned to Germany and Austria the sole responsibility for the conflict.
Furthermore, of things that revolve around human life, the world is the proper judge. To despise its sentence, if it were possible, is not just; and if it were just, is not possible. For in the end, as it was said, and not by me, “Nothing is good or bad, but thinking makes it so.”
6 notes · View notes
kiss-my-freckle · 6 years ago
Text
The hiring of Tom Keen. The contradictions. 
From what they’ve shown, I believe Tom Keen had three separate employers. With the two they’ve shown, they’ve still handed us contradictions. 
Red and Berlin. 
Tumblr media
Red hired Tom in 2009, Tom and Liz met July of 2010, Red fired/Berlin hired Tom in 2011, Tom and Liz married November of 2011. Tom said he worked for Red for two years. That puts Red hiring Tom in 2009. So Tom was hired at least 7 months before he actually met Liz in 2010. 
Red’s hire of Tom Keen.
Tumblr media
2x19-
Red: When I hired Tom Keen, it was at a time of profound transition in your life. You’d already left behind the relative safety and innocence of youth. Sam’s care as a father had served you well, but you’d outgrown him. And I knew that eventually my life would jeopardize yours. So, in an admittedly presumptuous and ultimately futile effort to keep you safe, I hired Tom simply to be there as a friend of a friend to look after you from an arm’s length. 
Tumblr media
5x8-
Major: The assignment’s deep cover. No timeline, no price tag. This may seem like a cake walk, but it’s the kind of assignment that makes me nervous. Our contractor has deep pockets. Demands the best, insists on anonymity. Tom: She’s cute. Major: That’s one more thing he insists on. Your job’s to be the friend of a friend, get to know this Milhoan, not to get involved with her. Just be a friend of a friend. You get that?
Tom: You hired me to spy on Liz. Red: I hired you to protect her.
Be a friend of a friend. I imagine friends protect friends, not spy on them.
Red’s fire/Berlin’s hire of Tom Keen.
Tumblr media
2x19-
Red: When I learned that your relationship had become intimate, I fired him. I should’ve removed him, but you were already in love with him. And Tom, he shifted his allegiance to Berlin. In part - to protect himself from me, but also because it allowed for an inextricable intimacy and commitment to you. And so - you were married. And I couldn’t stay away any longer. A confluence of peril had entered your life, and I wanted to be within reach, to have influence. I turned myself in to the FBI to point you toward a truth that inevitably you would have to discover for yourself.
Tom aligned himself with Berlin prior to their wedding. He aligned himself with Berlin specifically so he and Liz could get married. That’s according to Red’s stated belief. This belief continues for both Red and Major in season two. 
Tumblr media
2x15-
Major: Look, I told you what happened with Tom Keen. This is not my fault. Red: You vouched for him personally, Bill. I hired him on your recommendation. The merchandise was defective. Major: No. Keen was perfect - test scores, aptitude. There was no indication he would become emotionally involved. Red: But he did.
The Contradictions.
Tumblr media
Major didn’t allow Tom to turn, nor did he get paid by Berlin for Tom to turn.
2x15-
Major: If I gave you his location, I’d have to betray a client. Red: That shouldn’t be hard, Bill. You betrayed me. You sold me an asset and then allowed him to turn when Berlin offered you twice as much. You’re in debt to me. Recognize this rather fortuitous opportunity for you to begin to make things even. Where can I find Tom Keen?
In fact, Major went off on Tom when he found out about their relationship. 
Tumblr media
5x8-
Major: The contractor is livid. You weren’t supposed to get involved with the mark. Tom: Her name is Elizabeth. Major: I don’t care if she’s Queen Elizabeth and screwing her made you king. Get out. He will kill you if you don’t.
Tom’s romantic involvement with Liz began at some point after Red hired him, but also before Red fired/Berlin hired him. That means he was not hired by either Red or Berlin to get romantically involved with Liz. 
Who hired Tom to get involved with Liz?  
Tumblr media
Someone did.
1x15-
Tom: I can’t. That’s why I came here, to tell you that I can’t do this because I love my wife. Jolene: Wrong answer! Elizabeth Keen is not your wife, she’s your target! Tom: She’s my what? Jolene: I think you know, Tom. Tom: What is this? Did they send you? Really? To what? Test me? I told you that I was in love with her because that is exactly what I am supposed to be. That - is my job.
Here, Tom admits that his job is to be “in love” with Liz.  Jolene refers to Liz as Tom’s “target.”
Tumblr media
1x16-
Tom: You’re not my handler. I don’t work for you. Jolene: Berlin is having doubts. Tom: Yeah? Well, Berlin doesn’t have a damn clue. Do you have any idea how many candidates there were? They chose me. I’ve done everything they asked. I married the woman, for God’s sake. I’ve made her think my entire world revolves around her. And now - it’s been two years, and I’ve heard nothing.
Here, Tom admits doing everything they asked, that includes marrying Liz.
Tumblr media
1x19-
Tom: It was the shoes. That’s when I knew. It was those brown leather shoes. It was our third or maybe fourth date. You’d come over to my place on Halstead, and we ordered, uh - takeout and rented a movie that we never finished because we ended up - And you had to get up early for work. And by the time I got up, you were gone. I remember standing in the closet, half-dressed, reaching for my shoes when I saw that you had drawn this little heart In the dust on my shoe. You remember that? It was the sweetest thing. And ever since that moment, I just felt - sorry for you. Because I knew - I knew that I had you. Part of me didn’t want it to work. But it did.
In Tom’s shoe story, he admits that it was his job to basically seduce her, that he didn’t want it to work, but it did. He knew he had her after their third or fourth date because she drew a heart in the dust on his shoe, and he basically felt sorry for her, but that was his job. 
Tumblr media
3x7-
Tom: So, here’s the deal. Agent Keen and I were uh, married, as like, a job - you know? But you ever take one of those jobs just to pay the rent, and you find out that you’re - you’re good at it? Karakurt: You cannot excel at anything you do not love. Tom: Well, yeah. I mean, where were you when I was married? I didn’t figure that out till it was over.
Here, Tom admits to marrying Liz as part of a job, that he didn’t realize he was in love with her until it was over. This puts him realizing he was in love with her sometime after episode 1x19. 
Tumblr media
3x13-
Gina: That’s why you want in on this? For her? Your phony wife? Tom: We’re not married. Gina: The mark you dumped me for? Here, Gina refers to Liz as Tom’s phony wife and his mark. Phony wife because marrying Liz was part of his job. 
Who was Tom's handler for Berlin?
Tumblr media
Here's where things get really chaotic. Not just the employers, but the handlers too. We have two women who knew that Liz was Tom's mark: Gina and Jolene. Red and Major both appearing to believe Tom fell in love with Liz, neither of them commissioning him to so much as get romantically involved with her. Yet he was hired to do so, and even married her because they wanted him to. 
We have Tom referring to Major as his handler.
2x18-
Tom: These Germans want me dead. My handler too. So, please, I need your help. I need the passports.
Unless they lied in Tom's flashback in 5x8, Major didn't "allow" or "get offered twice as much" for Tom to work for Berlin.
We have Tom telling Jolene she’s not his handler. 
1x16-
Tom: You’re not my handler. I don’t work for you.
But we know that Jolene worked for Berlin.
1x16-
Jolene: Berlin is having doubts.
Jolene: We sent word four months ago.
Jolene: Berlin wants information.
The finer details. 
Tumblr media
Tom told "Craig Keen" that he's the one accountable to Berlin.
1x18-
Tom: Easy for you to say. I’m the one who is accountable to Berlin. I’m coming to your hotel now.
Tom referred to Constantin while questioning the Russian with Katarina's photograph.
2x20-
Tom: Did the same thing last month. It’s probably why you don’t recognize me. Constantin. Berlin, man, he’s tough. I had to get away for a while, go to Germany, figure a few things out.
Here, he basically connected “Constantin” and “Berlin” in one sentence. A name Alexander Kirk hadn’t used for over 20 years. 
Tumblr media
Tom knew where Berlin parked his money.
2x2-
Red: It’s funny. When I was standing there wondering if you had decided to let me die, a thought struck me. How did you know that Berlin had his money in that bank? At first, I thought it was the girl, that she told you. But the accounts would be coded, moved through shell corporations. Layers of protection. And then I realized, “No. Somebody has a secret Santa. A source.” Bravo, Lizzy. When you’re ready to share, I’d love to hear.
Tom also knew about Berlin's arms dealer.
2x7-
Tom: Sevan. Sevan Volkov. He runs arms for Berlin. He’d be able to set a meeting.
Red: I know you were expecting Volkov, but as luck would have it, he sold you out to Agent Keen.
Tumblr media
Tom didn’t know of Alexander Kirk. 
3x22-
Red: Alexander Kirk. Tom: I don’t know who that is. Red: The man who ordered the attack on your wedding.
But he believed Alexander Kirk to be Liz’s father. 
4x4-
Liz: I don’t think he’ll hurt her. Tom: Of course he will. She’s his last chance of survival. Liz: If he hurts her, he loses me. Tom: Yeah, and lives.
And he believed this before getting his hands on the fabricated DNA report. 
He was "out" with Red.
2x19-
Tom: I’m telling you this because I don’t want you to be confused about my part in any of this. You, Liz. All of it. I’m out. I’m done.
Tumblr media
He was "out" with Major.
2x18-
Tom: These Germans want me dead. My handler, too. So, please, I need your help. I need the passports.
Yet he asked Gina for help getting "out."
3x16-
Tom: So… I could end this right now. I could go find the Major, and I could end him too. Or… we can just agree to just walk away. I don’t come after you, and you don’t come after me or my family. Gina: I should have said yes that night in Budapest. Tom: No, Gina. Listen to me. I’m asking you to help me walk away. Please. Someday, maybe someone will do the same thing for you. Gina: I’ll try.
Tumblr media
Gina speaking as if she were an employer of sorts. 
3x17-
Major: You were my finest accomplishment. And my biggest disappointment. Gina: Mine too. Gina: Those last few weeks, when I thought you were dead… I actually missed you. But I meant what I said. You’re my greatest disappointment.
And we have this bit of dialogue from Red to Tom.
5x8-
Red: I’ll say this for you - you’ve always believed that you were acting in her best interest. Selling me out to Berlin, faking her death - you always thought you were helping her.
7 notes · View notes