#and nolan and bailey after about a year as well

[gayofthefae]

Do you ever think about how Lucy said marriage and kids with Tim was a “long way off” but that’s also what she said about sleeping with him hmm

[callsign-dexter]

Babysitting Mishap

Summary: Nolan’s and Bailey's daughter is rushed to the hospital while her big brother, Henry, is watching her.

Pairings: John Nolan x Daughter!Reader, Bailey Nune x Daughter!Reader, John Nolan x Bailey Nune, Henry Nolan x Sister!Reader

Warnings: angst, fluff, hospitals

Masterlist

Accidents happen and everyone knows that. Some can be avoided and some can't. This accident couldn't have been avoided when your brother, Henry Nolan, had been watching you while he was in town, and your parents, Bailey Nune and John Nolan, were out at work. He didn't know how it happened or why but it did and he felt guilty about it but Bailey and Nolan told him not to because it could've happened to anyone. You should've listened to Henry but you being a stubborn 4-year-old didn't and now you were in the hospital as your parents were looking at the x-rays. It started out as a normal day but quickly turned south around late afternoon.

**********************************************

Both of your parents had to go in early that morning due to some high-profile case that the police and fire station had to work together on. Your big brother, Henry, was in for a few weeks visiting so he had gladly said that he would watch you for the day and however long they needed to be gone. You had days where you wanted to sleep in and other days where you were up bright and early ready to go. This day it had been the bright and early option.

You had just started to sleep in your big girl bed, as you liked to call it, throughout the night. You knew to stay and play in your room if you were up early because you either were ready to go or would go back to sleep after a few minutes. For some reason, you thought it would be a good idea to get out of your room and 'try' to start breakfast for yourself. Bailey, Nolan, and Henry were all sound asleep when a crash coming from the kitchen woke them up and they all went rushing into the kitchen, Nolan with his gun and Henry with a baseball bat. You looked up alarmed at them. "Y/N, what are you doing?" Your dad asked and you looked at him like he was crazy as he put his gun on safety and away.

"Hungry." You said in the most matter in fact tone you could muster up.

"Why didn't you come and get us, Sweetie?" Bailey asked.

"Do it on my own." You said and everyone chuckled.

"Alright, Sis." Henry said as he put the bat down and went over and picked you up "Let's get you fed and cleaned up while Mom and Dad get ready for work." He said and you beamed up at him.

"Ok!" You said enthusiastically and then he turned you to Bailey and Nolan.

"You sure you got it?" Your dad asked and he nodded.

"Yup. Now go get ready. We got this covered." He said and the two parents nodded.

"Thank you." They both said.

"You're welcome. Now go." Henry said and ushered them out of the kitchen. It wasn't much longer until Bailey and Nolan were coming out of their room dressed and ready for the day, they would be switching into uniforms at work. When they came out they saw that you were cleaned up and sitting at the table with Henry, the mess had been cleaned up.

"You didn't have to clean it up. We would've." Bailey said as she walked over to the table and smoothed down your hair. Henry looked at her and shook his head.

"It wasn't that hard. Luckily nothing was broken and I threw the towels into the washing machine and started it." He said and Bailey and Nolan smiled.

"Well thank you. We appreciate that." He said coming over with two thermos' filled with coffee.

"You're welcome. Now you need to go before you both are late." Henry said. During all this, you had been perfectly content with the food sitting in front of you. Sure you were listening to them talk but one you had food and two they were talking 'grown-up stuff', something you came up with when you didn't understand something. Your dad looked down at his watch and his eyes bugged and you giggled.

"You're right. We will see both of you later tonight. Y/N be good for your brother and listen to him. Henry don't be afraid to get on her if she's not." You did said and Henry chuckled and smiled.

"He's right." Bailey said agreeing "We love you both and are planning on seeing you tonight." She added and you both nodded.

"We love you." They both said at the same time taking turns hugging you both. Your dad picked you up and you protested at first but you loved being in his arms. Everyone walked to the door.

"We love you too." Henry said and you nodded already you were looking sleepy and they took notice of this as you laid your head on his shoulder.

"I don't think she's going to be awake too much longer." Bailey chuckled and smiled.

"I think you're right." Nolan said. "Alright we have to go." He said and handed you over to Henry who gladly took you. You snuggled into him as your eyes started to close.

"Go. Be safe. We love you. I'll call you if we need anything or if something happens." Henry said as he was ushering them out the door. When he finally got them out the door after they kissed her head you were asleep. Henry could tell by how even and slow your breathing was. "I knew you wouldn't last long." He chuckled and then headed to put you back into bed and once securely tucked in he went and picked up from breakfast. Around 10 AM you were awake and calling out for Henry who rushed to your room immediately. "Hey there, Sis." He said and you looked at him and made the motion that you wanted to be picked up and he gladly granted it.

"Nemo." You said and he chuckled.

"You want to watch Finding Nemo?" He asked and you nodded enthusiastically.

"Uh-huh. Nemo is my favorite." You said as he sat you on the couch and turned on the TV. He went to Disney+ and cued up Finding Nemo once you were settled he started to do some work around the house and on his computer, you were still in his line of sight and hearing distance. You had stayed put while the movie was on and when that went off you wanted The Lion King and he happily put it on while he started lunch. He could still see you so when you started jumping on the couch he was quick to let you know.

"Y/N no jumping on the couch." He said sternly and you looked at him and nodded and sat down. He continued making lunch and he just so happened to look up and saw you standing up and once again jumping and he sighed. "Y/N/N what did I say about jumping on the couch?" He asked sternly and you looked back at him.

"Not to." You said looking down and sitting down. He grabbed the now-finished sandwiches and brought them into the living room.

"I'm not trying to be mean. I just want you to stay safe. Ok?" He asked and you nodded.

"Ok. I'm sorry." You said and he smiled softly and he sat the food down.

"Come here." He said and opened his arms and you did so. "I love you. I just don't want anything happening to you." He added and you nodded.

"I love you too." You said and he kissed your head.

"Wanna watch the rest of the movie while we eat?" He asked and nodded.

"Please." You said and he chuckled.

"You got it, Sis." He said and then got the food and you both began to eat while you were seated in his lap and watched The Lion King. Jumping on the couch and the discipline long forgotten at least to you.

It was now 3 PM and you had been through at least 3 movies, several snacks, and lunch. Now the both of you were in the backyard playing on the swing set that you had gotten not too long ago. "Henry, swing." You said and he smiled.

"You want me to push you on the swing?" He asked

"Yea." You said and he nodded.

"Ok then, let's go." He said and you two headed to the swing. You buckled you in and started to push you. You giggled and laughed especially when he would go in front of you and then rush to get behind you, you just thought that was the funniest thing in the world. He pushed you for a few minutes until you wanted to slide. You slid down the slide a few times and then you decided to jump off the slide and he was not happy. "Absolutely not. That is not safe. We don't jump off the slide." He said and you looked at him and nodded.

"I sorry." You said and he nodded.

"It's ok just don't do it again. Do you want a snack?" He asked and you nodded.

"Goldfish." You said and he nodded and picked you up and headed back into the house. Henry sat you in front of the TV and turned on some kid's YouTube videos while he got your snack ready. He looked down for a second and that's when you decided to jump on the couch but you lost your footing and went tumbling down. He looked up right in time as he heard you shriek. It was like everything was in slow motion and he was running in slow motion. He dropped whatever he was doing he ran to you but you had already fallen, he had watched you hit your head and your arm bent at an odd angle. He and you looked at each other until you let out a cry and he was quick to pick you up and hold you, making sure to cradle your head.

"I told you no jumping on the couch." He said but you just continued to sob and cry out in pain. "Alright, we're going to the hospital." He said and off you both went. You were still sobbing and crying. He also decided to try and call Nolan and Bailey but no answer so he called Wade Grey.

"Henry? Everything ok?" Grey asked him.

"No. Is Bailey or my dad near you? I can't get ahold of them." Henry asked

"Uh yea they are. We're at a scene together." Grey said "Is everything ok?" He asked again.

"Can you tell them on the way to the hospital with Y/N? She was jumping on the couch and I told her not to. She hit her head and fell on her arm at an awkward angle, I think it's broken." He said keeping calm and then Grey heard you cry out in the background.

"Yes of course I'll tell them. You be safe getting to the hospital." He said

"We will be and thank you." Henry said and then hung up the phone.

Henry reached the hospital and pulled up and then quickly got out and carefully getting you and rushing in. He ran to the front desk "My name is Henry Nolan and this is my sister Y/N Nolan she fell off the couch and hit her head and I think she broke her arm." He quickly told the receptionist and she was quick to jump into action. She had him set you on a gurney and then you were being pushed into away and he was given paperwork to fill out. Now he had to wait for your guy's dad and Bailey.

**********************************************

Grey had just gotten off the phone and rushed to Bailey and Nolan. They were talking with Celina, Aaron, Lucy, and Tim. "Nolan and Bailey you need to get to the hospital." He said

"Is everything ok?" Nolan asked being confused as everyone else.

"No, Henry just called because he couldn't get ahold of the two of you. He said Y/N was jumping on the couch and he told her not to and she fell and his her head. He also said that she fell on arm at an awkward angle." He said. Bailey and Nolan's face drained of color.

"Oh my gosh." Lucy said

"You two go. Take the shop and use the sirens. Tim will be taking over as TO for Celina." Grey said and they nodded and Bailey and Nolan were rushing to the shop and rushing to the hospital.

The two of them arrived in record time and parked out of the way in the emergency lane. They rushed in and into the waiting room and that is where they found Henry sitting nervously bouncing his leg up and down. He had done the paperwork and given it to them and now he was just sitting and waiting. "Henry." Nolan said and he looked up and saw him and Bailey and sighed in relief.

"I'm so sorry." He said when they reached him and sat down in front of him "I told her not to and she didn't listen and now we are here." He added.

"It is ok. Accidents happen. You told her not to and she did it anyways. She's just like her mother." Nolan said trying to make it light and it had worked.

"Hey." Bailey said and they chuckled.

"Did they say anything?" Nolan asked and Henry shook his head.

"No." Henry answered and they nodded and just then the doctor came out.

"I'm Dr. Lench. You two must be the parents." He said and they nodded.

"I'm John Nolan and this is Bailey Nune." Nolan said and the doctor nodded.

"Well good news is that when she hit her head it didn't injure her or give her a concussion. However she did break her arm and will need surgery to get it fixed and casted." Dr. Lench said and they nodded.

"How bad is the break?" Bailey asked

"It is fractured bad enough that she will need surgery." Dr. Lench said and they nodded their head taking everything in. "You three are more than welcome to see her now. She's sleeping currently and we gave her some pain meds." He added and then started to lead the way. It was a quick trip to your room in the children's ward. "Call if anything happens or you need anything. We have a temporary cast on her until we can get her into surgery." He said.

"When do you think that will be?" Henry asked and the doctor smiled.

"Hopefully soon. We'll keep you informed." He said and then his pager went off and he smiled "I need to take this." He said everyone nodded and now it was just them three and you in the room. Nobody dared to say a word.

"I really did tell her to stop." Henry said

"We know. We know she is stubborn. It is not your fault." Bailey said and he nodded but he still felt guilty. Who wouldn't? They waited for what seemed like hours but it was just a few minutes and you were waking up.

"Mommy? Daddy?" You ask seeing them and they smile softly at you.

"Hi, Sweetie." Bailey says.

"You're ok." Nolan says.

"Hurts." You say in a whining tone.

"We know, Baby. It's going to be ok." Nolan said

"Henry?" You ask and he walked up to you.

"I'm right here, Sis." He said

"I'm sorry." You said eyes slipping closed tiredly and everyone smiled.

"It's ok, Sis. I promise." He said and then you nodded and were out like a light. Bailey, Nolan, and Henry all stayed close by. The room was silent besides your heart monitor beeping steadily. They were so focused on you that they jumped when there was a knock on the door. They looked up and saw it was Celina and Tim.

"Hey, how is she doing?" Tim asked holding Nolan's bag.

"She's sleeping. She doesn't have a concussion but will need surgery to fix her broken arm." Nolan said

"That must be so hard for her and you guys." Celina said and they nodded.

"I brought your bag for you to change. Grey and I agreed that you're taking the rest of the day off. Bailey your captain said to give you the rest of the day off too." Tim said and handed Nolan his bag.

"Thank you guys." Nolan said and Tim nodded.

"You focus on getting that little girl better." Tim said and they nodded and then they had to leave.

**********************************************

You slept most of the time while you were in the hospital. Your mom and dad took turns cuddling with you in the bed and Henry stayed close getting anything anybody needed. Nurses were in and out checking in on you and then the date for your surgery was set. Everyone was nervous but they treated you with such care that Bailey, Nolan, and Henry weren't so nervous. They waited for a total of 2 hours before Dr. Lench was coming out telling them it was a success and that everything was good to go.

The three family members walked into your room and your were up and talking with the nurses. "We put a temporary cast on her for now to let the swelling go down and to make sure nothing is wrong. We'll keep her for a few days until then. She can sleep whenever she wants. You can also lay in bed with her just be mindful of the wires and her arm." He said and everyone nodded and then he was letting the four of you be.

"Hi, Sweetie." Bailey said and you smiled.

"Hi momma." You said tiredly.

"How you feeling?" Nolan asked

"Tired." You said and yawned and they chuckled.

"You can sleep, Sis. We'll be right here when you wake up." Henry said and you nodded and got comfortable and cuddled a white stuffed animal that was a dog that they had given you. Nolan sent out a text to everyone letting them know you were ok and sent a picture of you sleeping. "I'm going to get some food anybody want any?" He asked and Bailey and Nolan nodded.

"Please." Bailey said and Henry was walking out of the room.

"Daddy cuddle." You said sleepily and he chuckled and agreed and got in bed with you. You cuddled into his side and fell asleep in no time. Bailey smiled and snapped a few pictures and sent them out.

"Everything is going to be ok." Nolan said startling her.

"It's just scary." She said

"I know but she's still here and all she got out of it was a bump on the head and broken arm. She'll be back to our spunky little girl in no time." He said and she nodded.

"I believe you." She said

"Nothing is going to take our little girl away from us anytime soon." He said and she nodded and scooted closer to the two of you. Henry came back with food and drinks. He gave them out and then took his seat next to Bailey. Small talk was made but it was in low voices to keep from waking you up.

You were ok and that was all that mattered to them. You may have a broken arm but if that is the only thing you had gotten out of this experience then everything was good to go. When you were awake everyone came by and visited and you got a lot of gifts.

When you finally got to go home you got a pretty blue and red cast. Everyone was more cautious of everything you did and you really didn't mind. You also got to have all the snacks in the world especially when you had to take your medicine. You did learn to listen to your brother and not to jump on the couch anymore.

Overall it was a learning experience for you. An experience you didn't want to happen again. Never again will you be jumping on the couch or your bed again. Well at least until you got older but you would know better then.... hopefully.

Tag list:

@callsigns-haze

@kmc1989

@els-marvelvsp

@atarmychick007

@nyx2021

@grandstrangerphantom

@angenu01-blog

@talesofreading 

@callsign-revenge

[thatdamndonnareed]

I can't wait to rewatch episode 5x10 so I can focus on the other stuff going on in the story, because it was such a good action packed episode and I feel like I missed a lot of details because I was too busy gushing about the opening scene. My heart was literally bursting out of my chest and I could not concentrate on anything.

What I love about this show so much is that, while yes I'm obsessed with Chenford, I'm also equally obsessed with all of the other characters and their well-beings. It's a rare show in which I genuinely like every single character and would be heartbroken if anything were to happen to any of them. (Yes, even Nolan and Bailey, which I know are not everyone's cup of tea, but I still genuinely like them both as characters--just maybe not so much as a couple--and I wish they would flesh out Bailey's character a bit more than just the love interest because she has potential).

Nyla continues to be a mother fucking bad ass. I adore Nyla and James' relationship, and their friendship with Angela and Wesley just gives me the warm and fuzzies. Angela and Wesley are just top tier married couple.

Sgt. Grey is just the best as the Papa Bear, with his gruff exterior but super squishy interior. He truly cares about all of his children, even Smitty.

Don't even get me started on Aaron "#1 Chenford fan" Thorsen. I need an entire DnD themed episode where Aaron and Celina rope in everyone else to play with them, and Tim pretends to be annoyed but secretly he is SUPER into it and Lucy can tell he is having so much fun, and she's just itching to tease him about it later. (Because let's be real, Tim Bradford is 1000% a closeted nerd).

The Rookie just makes me absolutely delighted, and I'm very very much enjoying Season 5. It's honestly one of the few things that are actually giving me joy right now. I'm so glad I decided to start watching it again after I took a year long break after watching S1.

And, I'm so glad to be a small part of the Rookie community.

xo, Nicole

[msclaritea]

Batman Begins - Wikipedia

Cast

Christian Bale as Bruce Wayne / Batman:

A billionaire socialite who, after witnessing his parents' death in a mugging at age 8, travels around the world seven years before returning home to inherit his family company Wayne Enterprises whilst operating at night as a bat-masked vigilante bringing justice upon the criminal underworld of Gotham City. Bale was relatively unknown when cast.[5] Before he was confirmed on September 11, 2003,[6] having expressed interest in the role since Darren Aronofsky was planning his own film adaptation,[7] Eion Bailey, Henry Cavill, Billy Crudup, Hugh Dancy, Jake Gyllenhaal, Joshua Jackson, David Boreanaz, Heath Ledger, who later played the Joker in The Dark Knight, and Cillian Murphy, who would later be cast as Dr. Jonathan Crane / Scarecrow, took interest in it as well.[6][8][9] Josh Hartnett met with Nolan about the role, but decided against pursuing it.[10][11][12] Bale, Bailey and Murphy auditioned using the Batman Forever sonar suit donated by Val Kilmer, but the cape was lost,[13][14][15][16][17] and Amy Adams served as the casting reader for the casting of Bruce Wayne / Batman in a favor to the casting director.[18] Bal

Cillian Murphy as Dr. Jonathan Crane / Scarecrow:

A corrupt psychopharmacologist working as Chief Administrator of Arkham Asylum. A specialist in the psychology of fear, he has secretly created a fear-inducing toxin and plots with Ra's al Ghul to expose the entire Gotham population. Nolan decided against casting an Irish actor like Murphy for Batman, before casting him as Scarecrow.[40] Murphy read numerous comics featuring the Scarecrow and discussed making the character look less theatrical with Nolan. Murphy explained, "I wanted to avoid the Worzel Gummidge look, because he's not a very physically imposing man – he's more interested in the manipulation of the mind and what that can do."

LIAR. Why is Robert Downey Jr lying to make Cillian Murphy look bigger than he's never been? RDJ has never been mentioned once, in connection with Batman Begins and you can't change the Wikipedia page, now, fuckers. We are just SURROUNDED by actors, ruining their own reputations, with enthusiasm, these days.

[justmoreocs-writing]

Taylor Russell and Brenton Thwaites Multiverse pairings.

Zari and Maverick (Grishaverse) - Mav had never thought of himself as working for the good guys, never thought of himself falling for the best friend of a royal, and yet he found himself doing just that because Zari wasn’t what he’d been expecting at all.

Spencer and Christian (MacGyver) - Chris always tried his best to be serious, tried to keep his mind of the job, but that was a slightly more difficult job when he found himself trying to keep the innocent Spencer out of danger as well. Especially when she continually puts herself in danger, just like Mac always did.

Nolan and Savannah (Being Human) - Saving Nolan hadn’t really been a choice for Savannah, it was simply something she had to do. She hadn’t meant to fall in love with him, with the man who knew more about her own heritage as a vampire than she did, but that’s exactly what happened and she wouldn’t have it any other way.

Mila and Dick (Titans) - After years of friendship, Mila realised something was changing between her and Dick. It wasn’t all the shared secrets, it wasn’t the fact that they knew how to make the other laugh without really thinking about it, it was the fact that they were there for each other no matter what. And she was just glad to have him back in her life, once and for all.

Kinsey and Ezra (Star Wars) - To Kinsey, Ezra was nothing more than an annoyance. He was a coward and a pain, and yet there was something endearing about his innocence that she couldn’t ignore. Something she was inexplicably drawn to.

Aria and Roman (The Mentalist) - So many people had told Aria that she was annoying over the years, that she’d kind of given up on romance. After all, who really wanted someone who knew with a look that they were lying? But then she met Roman, and suddenly she didn’t feel like an annoyance any more, she felt like everything was opening up to her.

Stella and Austin (American Assassin) - Austin was so used to shutting his emotions away, so used to pretending that nothing mattered, that it was a shock when he realised Stella was becoming someone that he cared about. When, despite knowing that the former assassin could look after herself, he found himself doing things to make sure she was safe as well.

Ryan and Paisley (Dexter) - In no way was Ryan a technophobe, but he found himself acting increasingly more stupid when it came to his computer, just as a way of seeing Paisley. He loved the way she seemed to roll her eyes, but the small smile that lifted the corner of her mouth when she saw him. So, when she asks him out for a coffee, he can’t really refuse.

Zoey and Bailey (Escape Room) - Bailey had only ever thought about getting the job done, had always thought there had to be contingencies in place for the people that ‘died,’ so he never cared. But, when faced with the very real feelings blossoming for Zoey, and the realisation that none of it was a false as he’d been led to believe, he soon finds himself doing whatever it takes to keep her safe.

[chenford4ever]

did it end with a bang! All season long, the show delivered twists no one saw coming, relationships forming after years of romantic tension and new characters that seriously give the drama a run for its money.

Fans know among the many stories season 5 gave us, it started off with Lucy Chen (Melissa O'Neil) and Tim Bradford (Eric Winter) going undercover to take down a drug ring. Well, they not only came out of it somewhat unscathed, but it led them to finally admit they were in love with one another. Elsewhere, John Nolan (Nathan Fillion) got himself his first rookie in Celina Juarez (Lisseth Chavez) while Aaron Thorsen (Tru Valentino) gets Nyla Harper (Mekia Cox) as his training officer.

Couple that with other major plot points, the season concluded on a cliffhanger that left the Mid-Wilshire police station with one common yet unknown enemy. What's more, it seems like the damage he caused in the season 5 finale is just the beginning. With season 6 officially in the works, it's time for fans to delve into some details on what to expect. Here's what to know about The Rookie season 6, including release date, cast, spoilers and more. Plus, make sure to hit "save" at the top of the article, because we'll be updating this story the latest information as soon as possible.

Rookie season 6?

In mid-April, ABC dropped the news that The Rookie would officially be back for season 6. The show's official Instagram announced the continuation, expressing excitement that the procedural drama would be returning for a new set of storylines. But the post stopped short of sharing a release date for The Rookie season 6.

"It’s official," the show wrote on Instagram on April 17. "#TheRookie will return for Season 6!!! 🎉💙."

When word spread that ABC green lit new episodes, fans began rejoicing online. Many of the cast members did as well, with a few notable faces posting how thrilled they were on social media.

"Letssss go!!!! Season 6!!!👮♂️," actor Eric Winter captioned a clip on Instagram. "Could not be happier with the news we got today!! @therookieabc fans get ready! We are coming in 🔥🔥🔥. Congrats to our entire cast and crew! We love what we do. @alexihawley @abcnetwork @eone_tv thank you for making this show possible!"

Nathan Fillion also voice his gratitude for the exciting pickup, sharing a screenshot of a Deadline article.

"I couldn’t be more proud of this show, and I couldn’t be happier about coming back for another season," he captioned it on April 17. "I know what I think is going to happen this next season, but you tell me yours!"

Rookie season 6?

Presently, it looks like The Rookie season 6 cast will include:

Nathan Fillion as John Nolan

Alyssa Diaz as Angela Lopez

Richard T. Jones as Wade Grey

Mekia Cox as Nyla Harper

Melissa O’Neil as Lucy Chen

Eric Winter as Tim Bradford

Jenna Dewan as Bailey Nune

Shawn Ashmore as Wesley Evers

Lisseth Chavez as Celina Juarez

One actor whose fate is up in the air is Tru Valentino, who debuted in season 4 as rookie Aaron Thorsen. After becoming a regular in season 5, the finale featured him getting shot while walking with Celina from a night playing Dungeons and Dragons. Though he was rushed to the hospital and made it out of surgery, the last few minutes of the episode showed him him in a coma with a Code Blue sounding from his room.

At the same time, it looks like another actor is slated to join Mid-Wilshire in the coming months. Back in March, eagle-eyed fans noticed an acting studio revealed the season renewal before it was announced with a congratulatory post. The company's Instagram account shared that actor Dave Kumar booked a role for the new season, which could mean something is in the air that will shake up our favorite group of officers and detectives.

"Congrats to @davekumar_ on booking his role in the upcoming season of #ABC’s #TheRookie!!!" read the Instagram post from March 14.

Are there any spoilers for The Rookie season 6?

As of right now, mum's the word on the plot for season 6. Despite no official word on this season's plotline, Eric shared in January he was excited to see the direction The Rookie continues to take.

Right now, our ratings are better than ever," he said in a Cameo uploaded to Instagram on January 23. "I feel really confident about a season 6. Nothing's official yet, but I do feel confident given the way things are going. So, get ready for more Rookie."

[sixstringphonic]

(Jason Bailey’s original article about Zaslav from July 3rd 2023 copied below.)

How Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav Became Public Enemy Number One in Hollywood - A series of maneuvers from the executive has kept the film community in a state of shock and anger.  

It must have been quite a shock to the captain of industry—standing at the lectern at his alma matter, resplendent in his red-and-black graduation regalia—when he realized the Boston University Class of 2023 was booing him. David Zaslav, president and CEO of Warner Bros. Discovery, was delivering the commencement address, recalling how the late General Electric CEO Jack Welch once told him, “If you want to be successful, you’re going to have to figure out how to get along with everyone—and that includes difficult people.”

But instead of listening to his pearls of wisdom, the students were heckling him. Others had turned their backs to the stage. Now more were chanting, “Pay your writers,” as Zaslav, a studio head, was one of the oft-invoked villains of the striking Writers Guild of America.

He tried to press on with his story, continuing to quote Welch: “Some people will be looking for a fight.” The booing continued.

Zaslav later issued a statement thanking BU for the invitation, and insisting, “as I have often said, I am immensely supportive of writers and hope the strike is resolved soon and in a way that they feel recognizes their value.” But he had been humiliated, openly and unapologetically, and while he was duly kowtowed after the fact—BU President Robert Brown publicly apologized for the incident, blaming it on “cancel culture”—he must’ve wondered, somewhere in the back of his mind, how it had come to this.

In a relatively short period of time, David Zaslav has become perhaps the most hated man in Hollywood. Few people who weren’t industry insiders even knew his name two years ago, when Discovery merged with WarnerMedia to become Warner Bros. Discovery. Zaszlav had been CEO of Discovery Communications since 2006, where he oversaw the transition from, in his words, “no longer a cable company, (but) a content company.” What that meant, from a viewer’s perspective, was Discovery’s transition from educational programming to reality slop—which is, of course, a much more lucrative business model.

In his (slight) defense, there were considerable challenges awaiting the CEO of the new Warner Bros. Discovery conglomerate, whomever that might have been. Warner Bros. had, like most motion picture studios, struggled considerably during the pandemic. Their decision to simultaneously stream their entire 2021 theatrical slate on the HBOMax streaming service upset other filmmakers, including those whose films were impacted by it (and theatrical chains as well). One example? Christopher Nolan, who’s enormously profitable relationship with WB began back in 2002, was so pissed that he took his new film Oppenheimer to Universal out of frustration by the company’s poor handling of his 2020 feature Tenet.

In retrospect, the right person for the job of healing those wounds and reestablishing relationships with filmmakers might not have been the guy best known for shepherding the likes of Naked and Afraid, Dr. Pimple Popper, and My 600-lb Life. And, to be fair, figures from the world of reality TV are often seen with suspicion, if not outright snobbery, by those responsible for scripted fare. But Zaslav did himself no favors, and did little to blur that binary, when announcing the merger of the HBOMax and Discovery+ streaming services in a quarterly earnings call—which included a much-derided infographic deeming HBOMax’s scripted programming as “male skew,” “appointment viewing,” and “lean in” (?), while Discovery+’s unscripted shows were “female skew” “comfort viewing,” and thus ”lean back” (?!?).

More distressingly, in that same call, Zaslav announced that two nearly completed films that had been greenlit and produced under the previous regime for streaming on HBOMax—the DC superhero story Batgirl and the family sequel Scoob!: Holiday Haunt—would not be distributed on the platform or released in theaters. Instead, they would be essentially wiped from existence and used as a tax-write down.

Eagle-eyed subscribers subsequently noted that several other Max originals, including the Seth Rogen comedy An American Pickle and Robert Zemeckis’s remake of The Witches, had been quietly removed from the service, in a further attempt to save money. The service proceeded to remove several dozen series from its library, from HBO originals like Westworld and Vinyl to family programming like The Not-Too-Late Show with Elmo to animated series like Infinity Train. Even episodes of Sesame Street weren’t safe. Several other streaming services, including Paramount+, Starz, Showtime, Disney+ and Hulu, have followed suit, disappearing their underperforming originals for tax purposes, creating giant swaths of shockingly recent yet bafflingly “lost” media.

Meanwhile, the merger of the HBOMax and Discovery+ services continued apace, with a bizarre rebranding to simply “Max,” consciously choosing to remove its most prestigious and identifiable piece of branding. (It was akin to Disney+ renaming itself “Plus.”) It was almost as if the reality-skewing CEO was ashamed of the streamer’s affiliation with high-quality, high-profile scripted programming—a perception further confirmed when Max launched in May.

On the “details” tab for film and shows on the service’s new interface, writers, directors, and producers, no matter how they’re credited in the work in question, are lumped together (in no particular order) under the nebulous designation of “creators.” (That means, for example, that according to Max, the film Raging Bull was “created” by Peter Savage, Martin Scorsese, Mardik Martin, Robert Chartoff, Paul Schrader, Jake La Motta, Irwin Winkler, and Joseph Carter.) A joint statement from the Director’s Guild of America and the Writer’s Guild of America West criticized the “unilateral decision by Warner Bros. Discovery to change the long-standing individual credits of directors and writers in the new rollout of Max.” Max quickly promised to “correct the credits, which were altered due to an oversight in the technical transition from HBO Max to Max.” More than a month later, the “oversight” has not been corrected.

That backlash, however, was nothing compared to what happened recently. In mid-June, Warner Bros Discovery cut loose five of the most senior executives (“the people who’ve been the architect of the brand for decades,” according to one insider) at Turner Classic Movies, the cable network beloved among cinephiles—and high-profile filmmakers. Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorsese, and Paul Thomas Anderson quickly released a statement, noting, “Turner Classic Movies has always been more than just a channel. It is truly a precious resource of cinema, open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. And while it has never been a financial juggernaut, it has always been a profitable endeavor since its inception.” And while they insisted Zaslav had assured them “that TCM and classic cinema are very important to him,” subsequent reporting indicated that TCM’s staff had been cut from 90 employees to a skeletal 20.

Nearly lost in the hullabaloo was yet another of the company’s exhaustive attempts to squeeze a profit from its assets: a $500 million deal to sell around half of their film and TV-music library. In a perhaps too-good-to-be-true detail, the sale would reportedly include “As Time Goes By” from Casablanca—the musical fanfare that plays before every Warner Bros. feature film.

Barely a month ago, Graydon Carter was hosting a party in Zaslav’s honor at Cannes, all but crowning him as the heir apparent to Jack Warner. But there’s a crucial difference between Zaslav and the old-school moguls he’s attempting to emulate: They loved movies, and cared about filmmakers. Zaslav sees movies as “content,” sees filmmakers as “content creators,” and is only interested in maintaining, preserving, and presenting “content” that can make him and his stockholders a quick buck. Anything that doesn’t, he’ll happily gut. He’s closer to Logan Roy than Jack Warner and there is a genuine, understandable fear that his bean-counting represents not just shrugging indifference but outright hostility to cinema and its rich history.

In Pretty Woman, Richard Gere stars as Edward Lewis, a corporate raider who buys companies “that are in financial difficulty” and sells off their pieces. “So it's sort of like stealing cars and selling them for the parts, right?” asks call girl Vivian (Julia Roberts), when he explains what he does, and it’s hard not to think of Lewis when looking over Zaslav’s reign at Warner Bros Discovery, stepping into the distressed conglomerate and stripping it for parts.

Edward Lewis, however, is at least honest about what he does. “You don't make anything,” Vivian notes, and he agrees; “You don’t build anything,” she continues, and he concurs with that as well. And perhaps that’s why David Zaslav is earning a concerning reputation so far. He’s out here carrying on like a mogul, but based on his performance to date, he’s only good at breaking things.

GQ pulls article slamming Warner Bros. Discovery CEO Zaslav after complaint

The writer said he asked to have his byline removed after GQ made extensive changes after publication. The magazine removed the story instead. 

The Washington Post, July 5th 2023 - In an unusual step, GQ magazine removed an article critical of powerful media executive David Zaslav from its website just hours after it was published Monday, following a complaint from Zaslav’s camp.

The story, by freelance film critic Jason Bailey, excoriated the CEO of Warner Bros. Discovery for his handling of the company’s entertainment properties — specifically perceived crimes against film, such as the layoffs at the Turner Classic Movies channel that outraged prominent directors and other superfans and his decision to not release finished movies such as “Batgirl” for tax purposes. At one point, Bailey compared Zaslav to tyrannical “Succession” patriarch Logan Roy.

“In a relatively short period of time, David Zaslav has become perhaps the most hated man in Hollywood,” Bailey wrote.

A Zaslav spokesman complained to GQ about the story soon after it was published, according to people close to the process who spoke on the condition of anonymity to preserve confidences. By early afternoon on Monday (7/3), the magazine had made extensive edits to the story…

Archived versions of the original and edited versions of the article show significant changes that had the effect of softening its tone. A line calling Zaslav “the most hated man in Hollywood” was deleted. The “Succession” comparison was removed, as was a segment where Bailey called the reality shows that Zaslav oversaw while running Discovery “reality slop.”

The final paragraphs of the original article compared Zaslav to the pitiless businessman played by Richard Gere in “Pretty Woman,” with Bailey writing that the executive is “only good at breaking things.”

The ending of the edited article was much kinder to Zaslav, removing the “Pretty Woman” reference and simply noting that film aficionados’ complaints have “gotten personal.”

Bailey told The Washington Post that, after GQ made the changes, he asked editors to remove his byline. He said an editor told him that GQ would not keep an article on its website without the author’s name. By Monday afternoon, the article was removed entirely from the site.

“I wrote what I felt was the story I was hired to write,” Bailey said. “When I was asked to rewrite it after publication, I declined. The rewrite that was done was not to my satisfaction, so I asked to have my name removed and was told that the option there was to pull the article entirely, and I was fine with that.”

…“I think a side-by-side comparison of the piece before and after GQ’s internal edits reveals exactly what WBD wanted changed, and that GQ was happy to do so,” Bailey wrote in an email to The Post.

GQ has a corporate connection to Warner Bros. Discovery. The magazine’s parent company, Condé Nast, is owned by Advance Publications, a major shareholder in Warner Bros. Discovery. Advance Publications did not respond to a request for comment.

[sylvies-chen]

I agree about chenford getting together but do we really need to wait until the season finale they have 23 episodes I'm hoping it's more like the mid season finale when Rosalind kidnaps Tim and forces them to reveal their feelings ala clois I see what they're setting up but I don't think it can sustain 22 episodes to me from a storytelling pov also I don't think the show is getting past a sixth season, a seventh one if they're very lucky and I need a full season of them in love and then getting engaged/married. I need so see a wedding and by some miracle maybe a few episodes when they're actually married. There's also always the fear of one of the actors leaving like we're one Chicago people WE KNOW the turnover on those shows is genuinely insane but it's a lot of other shows too. This last year so many shows lost half of their ships and it's not like this show didn't have two of its main characters leave already.

I actually think letting them take the full 23 episodes of the season before getting together in the finale isn’t so bad. If it were Tim and Lucy’s show then yes, it would probably happen by the mid season finale or even sooner, but there are other characters to consider who have storylines coming up. What with Nyla’s baby on the way, Lopez needing some detective storylines, Nolan and Bailey being a couple, Wesley becoming a prosecutor, and Nolan’s first rookie coming into the show (yay to Lisseth Chavez!!) there’s going to be A LOT going on this season. That’s not even including the stuff with Rosalind, and Lucy and Tim’s individuals storylines (i.e. we know Genny is coming back for an episode this season). Alexi himself even said there would be a delay in the consequences of Chenford’s kiss, because there’s just a lot going on and so they take a beat to focus on other things too while Ashley comes into play and the kiss really starts doing damage.

And y’know what? I’m kind of here for that! I like the idea of their relationship taking the full season. As long as we’ve been waiting for this as fans, this is still a very new thing to Lucy and Tim. They have a lot of things to deal with first: her trauma from Rosalind, her relationship with Chris, his with Ashley, accepting the fact that they almost did something that morally would not have made sense for either of them, and their true feelings. They were going to give way to this impulse they had, but I think they really need to recognize the permanence of these feelings they have for each other. Once they see that it’s real love and it’s something that’s not going away, and once they’re both single, THAT’S when they are going to get together. And that might take a while given everything they have to sift through emotionally and logistically, but it’s still going to happen. And damn if I don’t love a good angsty slowburn!!

So I can’t really say anything about the number of seasons they’ll have. I honestly have no idea, but I’m assuming they could do at least 2 more if they’re doing well enough with the network now to merit a spinoff. Whether they will, I don’t know. But I think they’ll milk this show for all it’s worth and I also think if they’re willing to write in Alyssa Diaz’s AND Mekia Cox’s pregnancies just to keep them on, it fosters a positive environment which means the actors probably won’t be leaving anytime soon. Titus only left because he wasn’t comfortable, morally, playing a cop anymore after the BLM movement reached its peak. That’s an extenuating circumstance, and a unicorn in this show’s otherwise relatively stable cast. Melissa and Eric also ADORE the fans, I really don’t see them leaving anytime soon. They’re Chenford nuts like us, they would want to do it justice. I know One Chicago has left me and so many others in the fandom heartbroken from completely unexpected character/actor exits, but this show has shown itself to be very different from OC so I’m going to try and keep the two separate.

[farfarawaygirl]

Ok not gonna lie I wasn’t totally seeing how Bailey was pulling from the three women leads until last episode. I sorta saw it some but now boy do I really see it. I didn’t really like or care for her from the start though. I’m fully wondering if they’re gonna make them be endgame though cuz something this intense has never happened to Nolan’s other love interests even though I know they weren’t regular cast members. I don’t see any chemistry and it really does suck that it’s basically turned into her show.

In season 1/2 when we had Lucy, Jessica and Grace as Nolan's LI's, what was really well done is that they were able to come alongside the story and grow it, but not in a way that the focus on them distracted from the show overall. Clearly, that is not the case with Bailey, she has been upped to regular, and as much as I may not like the character she is here to stay. I am disheartened that is at the expense of the existing female cast members. Especially because one of the big draws of The Rookies was it diverse ensemble cast, which is theory allowed for more seats at the table. Now we just have the Nolan and Bailey show.

Nolan and Bailey have very little chemistry, don't seem to be equal partners, and again are not what we were sold when we signed up for this show. I might even argue that the best Nolan growth season was season 3, when he wasn't chasing a woman, but was learning in school. What happened to that whole plot point? Where is the Nolan who was learning about critical race theory, or how policing negatively impacts a community as much as it provides help? What happened to a Nolan who was open to listening and joining a conversation?

I want to clearly say that I do feel that Alexi has allowed this to happen because he refuses to understand the need for female driven stories. Any guy can write an essay about how he is a bang up feminist, but if his actions don't align, then what was the point of him tooting his own horn? At some point, actions speak louder than words, and him sidelining three WOC own his show to bring in a white woman, who is a male fantasy insert, shows that he doesn't care to tell diverse stories. In season 4, every storyline has circled back to how it impacts a white man.

Angela gets kidnapped, and she has to deal with her husband lying to her about what he did to get her back. She has had no opportunity to show vulnerability, or weakness, let's remember it was Angela who was kidnapped, who was the person to last see Jackson alive, who was held captive, and injected with Pitocin, and shot in the leg - but the long lasting impact is her white husbands mess?

Week after week it has been either Nolan or Tim who is the one who makes the save, or gets to teach (I am cringing, even now, thinking about how Nolan reacted to Angela), or start a bet then call it off. This has been at the expense of the female characters.

Even Nyla, badass, kickass, smartass, Detective Nyla Harper is recycling plot lines about custody, and after vowing to tell the truth is lying to James about what happened with her and Donovan.

I mean, I could give you a point by point essay, but at the end of the day people are going to see what they want to see, and ignore what myself and a few others are saying about this. When I tell you that I am simply trying to hold space for POC in the fandom, that is what I am doing. Even my 70 years old uncle mentioned in passing to me about how badly written Bailey is.

No hate to Jenna, this is not her issue, this is a bigger issue, and ABC as the network that talks at length about its commitment to diversity is the one at fault for not looking at this.

This is a reminder that you can watch a show and critique it. You are allowed to express how you see things, and there is no one right way to approach this. But if you are creating content for this show, or responding to asks I would encourage you to think about the people who have been marginalized in fandom spaces, and allow everyone to express their thoughts.

[holly-benji]

Chenford real or not real?

Since I have seen some negativity around the web about how they are doing on Chenford and The Rookie I would like to weigh in. Before I start, I want to say that what I am going to write will not be against any person, or idea that I have found on the internet. They are simply my thoughts, and as such are not meant to offend anyone, nor are they in any way meant to be teachings on how to read an episode or anything else.

I have been giving a lot of thought to the fact that for many people in the audience on the Chenford front we are standing still. I myself have had moments of discouragement, especially in the initial episodes, because I expected the writers to set a major tone, and a clear direction from the get-go, and to take action no later than the mid-season episode. In particular, in my old reviews I complained (and I partially complain now) about the lack of continuity in the story, the fact that we never had the chance to know what the character was thinking at that moment (in fact, we haven't had any statements from Tim and Lucy yet, and especially after episode 4x01) and the fact that they focused too much on Nolan and Bailey. These are still statements I find myself agreeing with. I'm not thrilled with the way they're approaching this slow burn (I would have had them kiss as early as the beginning of season 4, for example) but I do see an idea of where they want to go in the long term. Which makes me appreciate the scenes Lucy and Tim share. Specifically, I always thought that the mid-season finale episode, and the tenth, would give us enough information about what they wanted to do with Tim and Lucy as a couple and in my opinion the line drawn is clear, and this twelfth episode confirms that. And although I still think a lot of the accent they put on them in exchange for likes and views I have to make an assessment in terms of percentages as well (and I recommend it to you as well). For those of you who are worried that Ashley and Tim might be together, and that he is seriously hitting on her have you thought about how many people really want Ashley and Tim together? That's right! VERY FEW!!! For me, we don't even get to 5% (and I'm being generous!). How many people really want Chenford? If we consider even 50%, it's still a lot. A series also works on this basis. The product is successful if people watch it, and to get people to watch it, it has to please its audience, otherwise it risks closing. All of Jon's emoji, click baiting tweets from The Rookie's official profile were used, and are still being used today to test the market. And while I don't agree with this way of treating fans, maybe pushing on scenes that last 10 seconds are ways that authors need to hear and listen to the audience. So they may take years, but they know the audience wants Bradford and Chen married. So Lucy and Tim may not have shared romantic moments yet, but that's not necessary for us to understand that they're banking on them. I don't want to make another treatise, but observe Tim's attitude throughout the date. If they really wanted to target Ashley as the love of Tim's life do you think they would have invited Lucy, and kept Tim talking to her about how she saved a goat? If the purpose was only to show a friendship between Tim and Lucy this date would have served what purpose? We already know they are friends, so there was no need. So I understand the frustration in not having our couple together, and distrust of when that will happen, but it will happen! Have faith. I believe that a sudden emergency situation like a life and death struggle could turn the tables even in one episode.

[thebliznet]

Uncharted Movie Rant

WARNING: There will be spoilers on this post, so please avoid if you haven't seen the movie already!

Finally! The movie has come after what? Three director changes?? Anyway, I watched, I loved, and there is still parts when I'm going whaaat?? And Whyyy?

So, let's start with the topics I didn't completely like:

LAST WARNING ON SPOILERS!

Sam Drake's Hair:

It's blonde. Didn't like the fact that was incorrect. Young Sam Drake had brunette, brown, Nathan Drake's hair color, heck, I'll even take dirty blonde, but I didn't see not a single drop of brown hair on Sam's head. Like seriously...

How...

How was that missed like what?!?

We have a scene of young Sam and Nathan (and they nicely got as close as possible with their outfits) and they seriously couldn't get the hair down?

They got young Nathan Drake's appearance perfectly fine based off of Tom Holland's young face and they couldn't get brown hair on Sam Drake?? The end credit scene even shows the older Sam Drake with blonde as well!

Anyway, there isn't too much I can say about it because what's done is done. Moving on!

Story Change (Just a bit):

It's been years since I played Uncharted one, two, and three and something felt off to me.

- Where Nathan and Victor (Sully) Sullivan met.

- The cat??

- Jo (the villain and Sully's ex girlfriend)

- Nathan as a bartender

- How Sam met Sully first, but in the games Nathan met Sully before Sam.

There's a lot of: "Wait, that ain't right?" or "It didn't go like that?"

I understand they probably want a refresher because Uncharted is the first "Playstation Exclusive Cinematic Film" because they now have something like this before you start the movie:

So, I think we're in the stage of experiencing a "new world" for Uncharted or maybe I'm missing something.

Most of my dislikes came from the changes that has occurred and Sam's new hair color, but the rest was just really good.

Famous Lines and Easter Eggs:

I'm starting with my favorite:

UNCHARTED THE LOST LEGACY GOT SOME LOVE!!!!

In the movie, at the very end, Nathan reveals that he was able to grab gold for Sully and the last thing he pulled out his pocket was some gum. Nathan hands it to Sully and Sully throws it out the window of the helicopter. Nathan responds with:

"That was my last one!"

In Uncharted The Lost Legacy, Sam pretends he had lost the tusk of ganesh which made Nadine and Chloe panick. Sam instantly reveals the treasure and hands it to Nadine as she takes a punch at him. Sam drops the cigarette in his mouth and says:

"That was my last cigarette."

Troy Baker, the voice of Sam Drake in the video games, actually improved that line! He had a cigarette prop in his mouth and actually dropped it, saying that line and making Claudia Black (Chloe Frazier) and Laura Bailey (Nadine Ross) laugh! It was liked so much, it was put into the game!

I am so happy Lost Legacy wasn't pushed aside because it had received a lot of hate when it first released because it started out as a downloadable content and switched to a full game. And since it didn't have Nathan Drake, some believed there was no reason to play it.

Well, Well, Well...

You know, you know. 😉

Nolan North, but no Troy Baker:

We got a cameo of Nolan! Though, sadly Troy wasn't in it. 😔 Of course we didn't get the other voice actors, but we'll probably see them in the later movies since the second uncharted movie is confirmed to be coming.

That's all I can think at the top of my head that I can talk about and had my interest until the movie comes out on DVD, so until then, take this rant as a first impression and not my final thought!

[rumbelleshowdown]

Author:  Porcelain Elephants

Prompt:  Like tears in rain.

Group: D

-

First Day Jitters

Bailey Gold was incredibly excited to be starting Kindergarten.  His father was not. Of course, the lack of excitement didn't stop Mr. Gold from waking up early to double-check Bae's choice in clothes or to pack his yellow lunchbox with extra care, adding a short note to remind his son how much he loved him.  But Gold was undoubtedly in a somber mood that didn't match the sunny weather.

"Papa, I'm going to be late," Bae said as he skipped to the Cadillac.

Considering there were forty-five minutes until class started, Gold seriously doubted that they would be late, but Bae was unable to tell time on the grandfather clock in the foyer and much too excited for his own good.

“I promise Bae your first day is going to be perfect.” 

Bae babbled, reciting everything his shop hand Alice had mentioned about school.  Yet Gold wasn't really listening.  Instead he couldn't help but see how everything was changing, and he didn't want it too.   Since Bae was born,  it had been the two of them against the world, with Bae's mother leaving straight from the hospital.   And while the rest of town may see Gold as the evil landlord without a kind word to say, his son was different.  Bae was his entire world,  the sun Gold revolved around, and he wasn’t sure what he was going to do now. 

It is only school, Gold thought to himself,  only a few hours every day.  It shouldn't feel like the end of the world, but it certainly did. 

“And Alice said Miss French reads us a new book every day and even has little songs for us to sing and-“ 

Gold pulled their car to a stop.  “It seems like you have a wonderful day ahead of you.  I wonder if Miss French has something special planned for the first day.”  

Bae scrunched up as his face, his deep thinking contorting his face.  "I think so.  I mean, it's the first day, Papa.  That’s pretty special.”

“You’ll just have to tell me everything later.” Gold said as he unbuckled Bae’s car seat and lifted his son out of the car, holding him close despite the pressure it put on his bum leg.  

Bae gave him a kiss on the cheek.  “I promise Papa.  Absolutely-positively everything.”  

Gold was very aware that they were early, both due to Bae’s excitement and his own need for a long goodbye, but he hadn’t expected the school to be so empty.   The playground was deserted.  A few of the teachers seemed ready with clipboards full of paperwork, but the rest were still chatting amicably.

The two of them had barely been standing there a few moments before a young brunette woman strode forward. 

"Good Morning! Who do we have here?" The women's blue eyes sparkled as she peered intently at Bae.   

Gold squeezed Bae's hand, whose own nerves seemed to have momentarily gotten the better of him, but that little reassurance seemed to be enough.

"I'm Bailey Gold! Today's my first day of Kindergarten!"  

She smiled widely.   "Well, isn't it my lucky day?  I'll be your teacher this year, Bailey.  My name is Miss French."

She bent slightly to extend her hand first to Bae, who shook it tentatively, before shaking Mr. Gold's hand.  Gold was surprised to admit he already liked Miss French, a remarkable feat considering Gold could count the number of people he liked this town on one hand.   But Bae already seemed taken with her, and he liked the way that Miss French went out of her way to make Bae feel important.

"Now Bailey when the bell rings, you'll line up by the basketball hoop with your new classmates," She said pointing and waiting for Bae's solemn little nod to make sure he understood this new task.

"But until then, I have to check in with all the parents, and your Dad has to fill out some adult paperwork."  Miss French made a face on the word adult that made Bae laugh.  "I think now might be a good time to test out the playground equipment if your Dad says it's okay."

“Please Papa?”  

Gold leaned more heavily on his cane so he could kneel next to Bae for one last hug.  "Of course, Bae.  Have fun, and remember I want to know everything."

Bae squeezed his Papa tightly, before dashing off toward the plastic playground. 

“He seems like a good kid.” 

“Aye. Although if you try to teach the class about dinosaurs or pirates, he might try to take over.”

Miss French laughed.  “I’ll be sure to leave the pirate books until next week then to prevent a mutiny.” 

Despite his glum mood, Gold couldn’t help but smile like that.  She had a beautiful laugh. 

"Unfortunately, I do have some paperwork for you.  Most of Bailey's information is already on file. Still, we like to double-check it on the first day, especially the emergency contact and vaccination information."

She handed him one of the clipboards, before leaving to check on the Nolans and their rambunctious daughter.    Gold tried to focus on the forms.  This was supposed to happen; this was just the next step of Bae's childhood.  He shouldn't be mourning the lost hours together in his pawnshop.  School was what his son needed.  Bae was happily running up the steps to the slide, in full view of at least six teachers.  And with a task to do, he should be able to just focus on the paperwork in front of him, but the lines of text seemed to blur.  

The fearsome Mr. Gold wasn't crying. He couldn't be; it had to be just rain.  The fact that there wasn't a cloud in the sky couldn't stop that logic.  He was so caught up on the fact that he couldn’t be crying in front of Storybrooke Elementary that he didn't notice when someone joined him. 

"I wish I could tell you not to worry, Mr. Gold, that everything will be alright, and I'll take good care of Bailey, but I understand that some beginnings are harder than others."  

He could feel the sheer force of her smile despite his stubborn refusal to look up at her, to allow anyone to see the pain lurking inside the lonely man who refused to let the world in.  Her heels were much taller than he would expect of someone in charge of wrangling five-year-olds,  but her bright skirts matched her sunny dispositions. 

His refusal to look at her did little to deter her.  "Most parents cry on the first day.  My own brother wept like a baby when he dropped my niece off, and little Grace has known me her entire life." 

"Isn't that a case for favoritism?" 

Her smile seemed to grow at his response, likely because she had gotten through to him.  "I'll let you in on a secret, Mr. Gold.  Storybrooke is a small town, where everyone knows everyone else's business.  If I could only teach children I had never met or knew nothing about, I’d be out of a job.  But rest assured in my classroom, the only thing that matters is how the children act on the day to day basis." 

Gold sighed. That was good news.  He would hate for Bae to be held accountable for whatever grudge his tenants held against him. 

When her hand touched his shoulder, he realized he said that out loud.   “I’m not going to pretend I haven’t heard the rumors Mr. Gold, but based on what I’ve seen,  you’re certainly not as dark as people say.” 

Her smile seemed so earnest that he felt his heart leap despite the current situation.  “Does it get easier after the first day?” 

Miss French thought for a second.  “I’m not sure watching Bae grow up will ever get easier, but it’ll get easier for you to bring him to school.  You’ll know he’ll laugh and learn and be ready to come home at the end of the day with stories that you’re not sure actually happened.” 

He didn't have much time to think about her answer before the bell rang, and the mass of children began to line up by grade at the edge of the playground.  He thought about it as he re-polished the silverware in his shop and ate his lunch more aggressively than strictly necessary.   And by the time he arrived once again at the school and had Bae wrapped in his arms, Gold thought he understood.

“And Miss French knows EVERYTHING! She taught us a song where we say hello in different languages!” Bae announced, bouncing up and down on the balls of his feet.  “I can’t sing it yet but one day I’ll know everything too. I really like Miss French”

“I like her too Bae.”  Gold said, despite that being an understatement.  He was looking forward to parent-teacher conferences and the next time he could be alone with Miss French a bit too much.

[libertasrpg]

We welcome Nolan Marlin to the city. He’s 26 years old and is a Teacher Aid. Nemo is often mistaken for Nick Robinson. He’s open.

→ Background Information

Nolan’s preferred nickname, Nemo, comes from his mother and as a young kid and in early middle school he absolutely hated that name. He thought it was embarrassing and weird but after his mom passed away when he was 13, he came to prefer that name over Nolan as it reminded him of their mom. For most of his young adult life, Nemo has felt like a bit of a trainwreck. Despite getting through college fine, the loss of his father in his second year having a huge impact on his studies, Nemo’s always felt a little off about it and he’s not sure why. Perhaps losing his father has had something to do with that but he’s not sure that’s something he’ll figure out anytime soon. He had no idea that he’d end up working as a teacher’s aid following school but he doesn’t regret that choice one bit. Nemo is fantastic with little kids because he’s so full of adventure and energy. 

→ Living Situation

Enjoying living with his older brother is never something Nemo would be able to say with a straight face around their friends but honestly he really loves it. Though he’s always up for an adventure, moving to a new place is really intimidating and knowing that Marshall would be right there every step of the way made it much easier. He was even happier when Marshall moved them to a small house instead of the apartment they started out in in Libertas. He loves his brother, but he also loves having his own little upstairs wing of a house to himself.

→ Relocation Explanation

At first Nemo wasn’t exactly thrilled about the relocation but it didn’t take long for him to realize how much staying in their old town was affecting his older brother after the loss of his fiance, Caroline. It was all over his face when they’d go out and about and while it was normal at first, after a long while Nemo began to wonder if Marshall was in fact okay. So after a bit of thought and hearing of a new aquarium job in a new city, Nemo was on board because he wanted to be there with his brother and he knew he’d have no trouble finding work with kids wherever they ended up. 

→ His Personality

From his toddling toddler days, Nemo has always been energetic and on the go. His father used to joke about how he’d swim away from them when they’d go to the lake or pool once he was older and at one point that was the case. Along with being on the go, Nemo’s always been pretty adventurous as well and while it’s fun, it’s also landed him in trouble a few times with both his dad and his older brother. Despite the trouble, bravery is something Nemo’s gained from his adventurous side and that’s carried into his adult life. 

→ His Qualities

Energetic, Creative, Compassionate

Naive, Impulsive, Lazy

→ His Relationships

Marshall Marlin (Older Brother): There have been times in their relationship when Nemo would say that he can’t stand his older brother or that he’s annoyed to no end but honestly for the most part he’s been more than thankful for him. Even though Nemo still gets annoyed at times by how worrisome Marlin is, he’s still glad to have moved with him to Libertas. Plus, Marlin’s new job has some pretty cool perks.

Dory Fischer (Co-Worker & Friend): Nolan will never forget the first time he met Dory mostly because of how memorable the moment was. He walked into her classroom at the end of the summer to introduce himself and she had hardly gotten her own name out before she told him about her memory situation. She was so embarrassed but honestly Nolan didn’t mind at all - actually he was glad she was so honest with him. Ever since Nemo has been at Dory’s side at work whenever she needs him and he even introduced her to his brother. 

Destiny Whalen (Good Friend & Crush): The first time Nemo met Destiny he was with Dory and he just thought she was so cute. Then a few weeks later when Nemo visited his brother at work at the aquarium for the first time and saw her again, he was kind of smitten but in a friendship sort of way. Destiny is super funny and charming and those are two things that Nemo really enjoys in a friend. He loves visiting her at the aquarium and will maybe admit to having a little crush on her but he’ll always brush it off as not a big deal. 

→ Possible Connections

Bailey Belue (Friend): Nemo doesn’t know Bailey super well but from the few times they’ve run into each other at his apartment with Destiny, he’s enjoyed speaking to him. Though Nemo works with kids, he doesn’t see how Bailey seems to do it all and he finds his motivation quite inspirational.

Nolan is based on Nemo from Finding Nemo/Finding Dory.

[thevindicativevordan]

On the Avengers Game

Working through the backlog of Asks I've gotten (I saw your ask about Metropolis and have been working on it for a while), just wanted to let anyone reading this know I am answering stuff. But I wanted to just make a quick post about a game I recently finished. Not going to say anything you haven't already heard so skip if you're tired of reading complaints.

When it hit Gamepass I decided to give it a try and I'm left feeling indifferent towards it. Game is the embodiment of "meh". Kamala was a good choice for a main protagonist for this specific story because it really did feel like playing through someone's fanfic. Plucky fangirl reunites the World's Mightiest Heroes after a disastrous mission causes them to disband should not be so incredibly boring. AIM and MODOK are not main antagonist material, side villains at best is what they could be. There's a push and pull between this game so badly wanting to copy the MCU while also trying to do it's own thing which just left everyone unimpressed. MCU fanboys were put off by how "uncanny valley" the whole game was while those of us who don't see the MCU as the gold standard were annoyed at the synergy. I hate how Hulk specifically now has to take his cues from Ruffalo, Ruffalo's Hulk take fucking sucks. Every time they referred to Hulk as "the big guy" it just makes me want to sigh heavily. In the post-Endgame world can we please stop copying early MCU's embarrassment over being superhero products?

Wild how they were really playing this game up as the start of the "Gamerverse". Even had the VAs heavily used in advertising, clearly positioning them as the video game equivalent of the MCU actors. Except... it's fucking Troy Baker, Nolan North, Laura Bailey, and a bunch of other guys who are in every video game. RDJ is in maybe one or two movies a year, same for the rest of the MCU actors. Those VAs meanwhile are guaranteed to show up in any major AAA video game, so I don't get why they made a big deal of them voicing the characters. Case of execs not understanding the difference between the mediums I guess. Baker did a decent job switching it up as Bruce, he wasn't playing the usual Troy Baker protagonist, but the rest were middling with the exception of the Kamala VA. She was actually probably the best in the game which made playing as Kamala more enjoyable. Was surprised at how much I disliked Nolan's take on Tony Stark however, his performance was just so lifeless and unfunny.

Really weird having this game come out so recently, it feels it was meant for the era when Marvel was pushing the Inhumans really hard. The Inhumans and their lore is basically the driving force behind the game, but we don't even get cool Inhumans like Black Bolt involved. Why go with Kamala at all honestly? I get that she's clearly meant to be the audience stand-in, but that's a concept that's pretty much died out entirely. People don't want to play as Robin, they want to be Batman, they want to play as the cool characters. Not that the gameplay was all that exciting or fun, felt like Ultimate Alliance was much, MUCH better at making the characters feel different to play. You get a chance to make an Avengers game and you choose to make it a Destiny lite "looter smasher"? Christ this game was doomed from the start. As a Hulk main I was just bored, this game couldn't come close to how good it felt to smash stuff in Hulk: Ultimate Destruction. Wish someone would make another Hulk solo game that took it's cues from that. Only main aspect I liked was that Hulk got more focus here than he does in the MCU (probably because he doesn't get much love in the MCU) and the relationship between Bruce/Hulk and Kamala was touching and well done.

Probably going to play the Black Panther expansion since I've heard that's pretty good. Absolutely wild that an Avengers game at the height of the MCU's popularity failed as badly as this one did. Seems that fallout is extending to the Guardians of the Galaxy game which also looks like a shitty MCU knockoff and doesn't seem to be getting much attention or enthusiasm. Curious if Gotham Knights and Suicide Squad also fail as badly as this game did since they seem to be following it in terms of being Destiny knockoffs. God I hope Games As A Service die soon. Publisher greed and developer incompetence means the concept is just an excuse to sell you an unfinished game in pieces.

[kuuderekun]

I loved Scooby-Doo! & Batman: The Brave and The Bold

Scooby-Doo! & Batman: The Brave and The Bold  Is a very good and very fun Animated movie I highly recommend. I'm a fan of both Dark Batman and Fun Batman, in theory I ultimately like Dark Batman more.  But lately it seems like it's only the people making Fun Batman who know how to get it right.  Basically once Nolan left the films things went downhill for the Dark Knight. For Dark Batman we've had at best the misguided Snyder-Affleck take, entertaining but uninspired animated movies that awkwardly mix up Morrison's Batman and New52 Batman missing the point what worked about both, a botched adaptation of the massively overrated Killing Joke, and most recently the horribly insulting Gotham By Gaslight adaptation. But for Fun Batman we have the underrated Batman Unlimited films, the perfect Adam West and Burt Ward animated movies, and now this wonderful film.  It shouldn't be inherently easier to get this version right, as reactions to the Shumacher films show there are ways to make jokes out of these characters that simply saying "It's like the Silver Age" doesn't forgive.  I've become much more accepting of those two films over the years, but even I still say they are not as well done as what these actual Cartoons have done in recent years. My preference for the Dark Knight is what we had in the Comics of the first half of the 2000s and very late 90s, so my personal advice would be for people to use those Comics as their blueprint, there are things from this era I dislike, but mostly that's what I'm nostalgic for.  I don't want Batman to be like that from the start however, I want him to be like the O'Niel or Bronze Age Batman (or BTAS and Begins) to start with, but to become hardened by years of losing allies and seemingly failing to make any real progress in his mission.  And after that I do like Morrison's vision for bringing him back from that dark edge. It's become trendy for the kinds of Batman fans who are hosting Podcasts to reject the Batman I like the most.  The takes on Batman that Michael Bailey and the Knigthcast podcast prefer are part of how I view the Dark Knight's biography.  But mostly what offends me is when My Batman is talked about as if he's the same as Frank Miller's Batman.  My Batman at even his Darkest point in War Games and the OMAC Project is not nearly as unstable as the DKR Batman, and he's certainly nothing like THE GODDAMN BATMAN or The Fixer. Back to the main topic.  What I mainly want to talk here is an observation that is inherently a spoiler.  So if you haven't seen the movie and are planning to, don't read the rest. Read more »

[b-does-the-write-thing]

Met at t a family reunion but not related to each other AU

The man by the grandfather clock was staring at her.

Belle shifted Neal in her arms, careful not to wake the sleeping toddler. She had slipped into the house to escape from the noise and heat of the summer day and found refuge in the study, only to find it occupied. She bit down on her tongue, determined not to apologize or babble some excuse about why she was there. She had a two year old in her arms, and the Nolan Family Reunion outside was still loud enough to penetrate the solid oak door in the pink salmon victorian. If anything, he should leave.

But he didn’t. He simply lingered by the grandfather clock on the other side of the room, a book in one hand, and his eyes drilling into the back of her head. Neal stirred fitfully, and Belle whispered some hushed words to the fitful child, who stilled and slumped back into her arms.

“Quite a gift, you have there,” the man said, his voice pitched low enough not to wake Neal.

She craned her neck to smile forcibly at him, only to catch the title on the spine of his book. “Millard Fillmore?” she said before she could think better of it.

He chuckled and snapped the book closed. “Second president to assume the office after the death of the president,” he confirmed as he moved around the couch.  He had the traces of a scottish accent, which confused her even as it intrigued her.

“I know who he is,” Belle said, her own Australian accent the more noticeable for her irritation. “Why are you reading about it in the middle of a family reunion?

“Because he isn’t going to insist I partake in the three legged race,’ he countered smoothly.

Neal jerked in Belle’s arms, and sat upright just long enough to spot the man. “Goldie,” the toddler muttered, and his arms reached out to the stranger. “Goldie,” he repeated and the man leaned down to pull the toddler into his arms.

He had a slight limp, accentuated by the weight of the toddler and he sank down into the chair opposite her in relief. “You must be the nanny,” he said, though his voice did not have the usual condemnation or dismissal. “My son speaks highly of you.”

“Your son?” Belle said. “I thought David’s father was-”

“My son is Bailey Gold,” he corrected. “David’s son-in-law.”

David and Mary Margaret Nolan’s daughter Emma, born when the two were still in high school, had married her own high school sweetheart, Bailey Gold. The party was being held at Bailey’s family estate, and Belle flushed as she realized she had barreled into the man’s private study, adn then been annoyed when he hadn’t left.

“I’m sorry,” Belle said as she lifted a hand to her mouth in mortification. “I just barged in here-”

He lifted a hand to stop her apologies. “Not at all,” he insisted.

Neal stirred in his arms, and threw his pudgy arms around the older man’s neck. “Goldie?”

Gold’s attention centered wholly on the child in his arms. “Yes?” he asked.

“Can I have some mo’ cake?”

Gold looked to Belle, his raised eyebrow a silent question. She shook her head, and lifted two fingers to indicate the child had already had more than enough cake. “Afraid not,” Gold said as he started to rub the toddler’s back. “You’ve already had your sweets, haven’t you?”

The toddler sighed. “Belle said I could.”

Gold looked back at her, confirming she was Belle and she couldn't help but grin back at him with a nod.

“Belle and I are old friends,”Gold answered as he shifted to let Neal’s head fall on his shoulder. “She told me you already had some cake.”

“You know Belle?” Neal asked sleepily.

The stranger’s eyes met Belle’s with a wink. “Quite well,” he replied and Belle found herself wishing that was true.

--

Three Shots!