#duane chase

[fanartandstuffilove]

My favorite movie, The Sound of Music, is turning 60 today. I've loved it since my mom first introduced me to it when I was a toddler. I've been obsessed with it for years. When I was old enough to leave for school alone, I had about 20 minutes to myself before leaving. You bet those 20 minutes where spent watching the VHS version. I even tried to transcribe it. I didn't make it particularly far, but I loved doing it.

When DVD's became a thing, I transferred the movie to my laptop. I then ripped the audio and transferred that to my MP3-player. So if I had an absolutely terrible day, and couldn't watch the movie, I'd just listen to it. It's always been my go to movie for feeling better. And even in audio form, it never fails. I still have the audio, and I still sometimes listen to it.

Happy 60th anniversary!

[loveboatinsanity]

[camyfilms]

THE SOUND OF MUSIC 1965

After all, the wool from the black sheep is just as warm.

[noconcessions]

[filmy420]

[graphicpolicy]

Baltimore Comic-Con reveals a New Limited Edition Issue of The Tick

Baltimore Comic-Con reveals a New Limited Edition Issue of The Tick #comics #comicbooks #baltimorecomiccon #bcc2024 #bcc

Celebrate the 25th anniversary of Baltimore Comic-Con on September 20-22, 2024 at the Inner Harbor’s Baltimore Convention Center! The publisher of The Tick is sending a new issue with attending creators! Check the website for information on ticketing, other announced guests, cosplay events, gaming, and more! New Limited Edition Issue of The Tick for Baltimore Comic-Con Two Brobdingnagian tales…

[therealmrpositive]

Halloween II (2009)

In today's review, I find that angels and vengeance can be creatively freeing. As I attempt a #positive review of 2009s Halloween II #ScoutTaylor-Compton #MalcolmMcDowell #TylerMane #ChaseWrightVanek #SheriMoonZombie #BradDourif #DanielleHarris #BreaGrant

When you inherit an idea, there is a delicate and deliberate balancing act to ensure that the core ideas remain, while your creativity can also flourish. The demands from the former can do a lot to jeopardise the latter, and a lot of brilliant creatives have been known to bulk from the pressure. In 2009, Rob Zombie got to finish off the monster he created, with whatever story, or ideas he wished,…

[what-shitfuckery-is-this-ew]

BOYCOTTING FOR PALESTINE

The Official BDS Boycott Targets

Consumer Boycotts - a complete boycott of these brands

Cisco

Axa

Puma

Carrefour

HP

Siemens

Chevron

Intel

Caltex

Israeli produce

Re/max

Ahava

Texaco

Sodastream

Intel

Organic Boycott Targets - boycotts not initiated by BDS but still complete boycott of these brands

Disney

Macdonald's

Dominos

Papa Johns

Burger King

Pizza Hut

Wix

Divestments and exclusion - pressure governments, institutions, investment funds, city councils, etc. to exclude from procurement contracts and investments and to divest from these

Elbit Systems

CAF

Volvo

CAT

Barclays

JCB

HD Hyundai

TKH Security

HikVision

Pressure - boycotts when reasonable alternatives exist, as well as lobbying, peaceful disruptions, and social media pressure.

Google

Amazon

AirBnb

Booking.Com

Expedia

Teva

Here are some companies that strongly support Israel (but are not Boycott targets). There is no ethical consumption under capitalism and boycotting is a political strategy - not a moral one. If you did try to boycott every supporter of Israel you would struggle to survive because every major company supports Israel (as a result of attempting to keep the US economy afloat), that being said, the ones that are being boycotted by masses and not already on the organic boycott list are coloured red.

5 Star Chocolate

7Days

7Up

Apple

Arsenal FC

ALDO

Arket

Axe

Accenture

Ariel

Adidas

ActionIQ

Aquafina

Amika

AccuWeather

Activia

Adobe

Aesop

Azrieli Group

American Eagle

Amway Corp

Axel Springer

American Airlines

American Express

Atlassian

AdeS

Aquarius

Ayataka

Audi

Barqs

Bain & Company

Bayer

Bank Leumi

Bank Hapoalim

BCG (Boston Consulting Group)

Biotherm

Bershka

Bloomberg

BMW

Boeing

Booz Allen Hamilton

Burberry

Bath & Body Works

Bosch

Bristol Myers Squibb

Capri Holdings

Costa

Carita Paris

CareTrust REIT

Caterpillar

Coach

Cappy

Caudalie

CeraVe

Check Point Software Technologies

Cerelac

Chanel

Chapman and Cutler

Channel

Cheerios

Cheetos

Chevron

Chips Ahoy!

Christina Aguilera

Citi Bank

Codral

Cosco

Canada Dry

Citi

Clal Insurance Enterprises

Clean & Clear

Clearblue

Clinique

Champion

Club Social

Coca Cola

Coffee Mate

Colgate

Comcast

Compass

Caesars

Conde Nast

Cooley LLP

Costco

Côte d’Or

Crest

CV Starr

CyberArk Software

Cytokinetics

Crayola

Cra Z Art

Daimler

Dr Pepper

Del Valle

Daim

Doctor Pepper

Dasani

Doritos

Daz

Dior

Dell

Deloitte

Delta Air Lines

Deutsche Bank

Deutsche Telekom

DHL Group

David Off

Disney

DLA Piper

Domestos

Domino’s

Douglas Elliman

Downy

Duane Morris LLP

Dreft Baby Detergent & Laundry Products

Dreyer’s Grand Ice Cream

eBay

Edelman

Eli Lilly

Evian

Empyrean

Ericsson

Endeavor

EPAM Systems

Estee Lauder

Elbit Systems

EY

Forbes

Facebook

Fairlife

Fanta

First International Bank of Israel

Fiverr

Funyuns

Fuze

Fox News

Fritos

Fox Corp

Gatorade

Gamida Cell

GE

Glamglow

General Catalyst

General Motors

Georgia

Gold Peak

Genesys

Goldman Sachs

Grandma’s Cookies

Garnier

Guess

Greenberg Traurig

Guerlain

Givenchy

H&M

Hadiklaim

Huggies

Hanes

HSBC

Head & Shoulders

Hersheys

Herbert Smith Freehills

Hewlett Packard

Hasbro

Hyundai

Henkel

Harel Insurance Investment & Financial Services

Hewlett Packard Enterprise

HubSpot

Huntsman Corp

IBM

Innocent

Insight Partners

Inditex Group

IT Cosmetics

Instacart

Intermedia

Interpublic Group

Instagram

ICL Group

Intuit

Jazwares

Jefferies

John Lewis

JP Morgan Chase

Jaguar

Johnson & Johnson

JPMorgan

Kenon Holdings

Kate Spade

Kirks’

Kinley Water

KKR

KFC

KKW Cosmetics

Kurkure

Keebler

Kolynos

Kaufland

Kevita

Knorr

KPMG

Lemonade

Lidl

Loblaws

Levi Strauss

Louis Vuitton

Life Water

Levi’s

Levi’s Strauss

LinkedIn

Land Rover

L’Oréal

Lego

Levissima

Live Nation Entertainment

Lufthansa

La Roche-Posay

Lipton

Major League Baseball

Manpower Group

Marriott

Marsh McLennan

Maison Francis Kurkdjian

Mastercard

Mattel

Minute Maid

Monster

Monki

Mainz FC

Mellow Yellow

Mountain Dew

Migdal Insurance

Marks & Spencer

Mirinda

McDermott Will & Emery

Motorola

McKinsey

Merck

Michael Kors

Mizrahi Tefahot Bank

Merck KGaA

Micheal Kors

Milkybar

Maybelline

Mount Franklin

Meta

MeUndies

Mattle

Microsoft

Munchies

Miranda

Morgan Lewis

Moroccanoil

Morgan Stanley

MRC

Nasdaq

Naughty Dog

Nivea

Next

NOS

Nabisco

Nutter Butter

No Frills

National Basketball Association

National Geographic

Nintendo

New Balance

Nutella

Newtons

NVIDIA

Netflix

Nescafe

Nestle

Nesquick

Nike

Nussbeisser

Oreo

Oral B

Old spice

Oysho

Omeprazole

Oceanspray

Opodo

P&G (Procter and Gamble)

Pampers

Pull & Bear

Pepsi

Pfizer

Popeyes

Parker Pens

Philadelphia Cream Cheese

Pizza Hut

Powerade

Purina

Phoenix Holdings

Propel

Ponds

Pure Leaf Green Tea

Power Action Wipes

PwC

Prada

Perry Ellis

Prada Eyewear

Pringles

Payoneer

Procter & Gamble

Purelife

Pureology

Quaker Oats

Reddit

Royal Bank of Canada

Ruffles

Revlon

Ralph Lauren

Ritz

Rolls Royce

Royal

S.Pellegrino

Sabra Hummus

Sabre

Sony

SAP

Simply

Smart Water

Sprite

Schwabe

Shell

Soda Stream

Siemens

StreamElements

Schweppes

Sunsilk

Signal

Skittles

Smart Food

Sobe

Smarties

Sephora

Sam’s Club

Superbus

Samsung

Sodastream

Sunkist

Scotiabank

Sour Patch Kids

Starbucks

Sadaf

Stride

Subway

Tang

Tate’s Bake Shop

The Body Shop

Tesco

Twitch

The Ordinary

Tim Hortons

Tostitos

Timberland

Topo Chico

Tapestry

Tropicana

Tommy Hilfiger

Tommy Hilfiger Toiletries

Turbos

Tom Ford

Taco Bell

Triscuit

TUC

Twix

Tottenham Hotspurs

Twisties

Tripadvisor

Uber

Uber Eats

Urban Decay

Upfield

Unilever

Vicks

Victoria’s Secret

V8

Vaseline

Vitaminwater

Volkswagen

Volvo

Walmart

Wegmans

WhatsApp

Waitrose

Woolworths

Wheat Thins

Walkers

Warner Brothers

Warner Chilcot

Warner Music

Wells Fargo

Winston & Strawn

WingStreet

Wissotzky Tea

WWE

Wheel Washing Powder

Wrigley Company

YouTube

Yvel

Yum Brands

Ziyad

Zara

Zim Shipping

Ziff Davis

[unsoundedcomic]

I gotta ask— were the crazy UI stuff like today’s update always a part of the long term plan? Or even Sette grabbing the page turn button? On the other hand, do you just see the opportunity and go for it? I think I remember that being the case for stockyards noose or Murkoph’s knife. Someone should rank all of Unsounded game breaking moments.

Yeah! It was written right in the script a few years ago when I started reworking things. Originally it was going to be a little more modest, with you going through the wiki, the comic index, the update page, and the about page, chasing Sette down until you corner her and force her back into the comic, but I couldn't think of a good way to do the navigation. Then I realised Boo would be the ideal little floating Next arrow, so I rethought things a little, and came up with the final product.

And yep, same for Sette grabbing the navigation in that other part.

I like doing these meta things but only so far as they can be interpreted as symbolic. Sette grabbing the next arrow was symbolic of Sette not wanting to face her past and what was coming next. She did not want you to make her keep going, and even yells at you for it! Sette retreating back to before the very start of meeting Duane this udpate is much the same; she wants to go back to before this all happened, before she knew all these stupid things; before she loved Duane, and lost Duane, and all her self-perceived weakness came out.

It's not meta for meta's sake. It's saying things. You know? So it was right there in the script.

[hotvintagepoll]

this is a poll for a movie that doesn't exist.

It is vintage times. The powers that be have decided to again remake the classic vampire novel Dracula for the screen. in an amazing show of inter-studio solidarity, Hollywood’s most elite hotties are up for the starring roles. the producers know whoever they cast will greatly impact the genre, quality, and tone of the finished film, so they are turning to their wisest voices for guidance.

you are the new casting director for this star-studded epic. choose your players wisely.

Previously cast:

Jonathan Harker—Jimmy Stewart

The Old Woman—Martita Hunt

Count Dracula—Gloria Holden

Mina Murray—Setsuko Hara

Lucy Westenra—Judy Garland (rip)

The Three Voluptuous Women—Betty Grable, Marilyn Monroe, and Lauren Bacall

The Agonized Mother—Mary Philbin (rip)

Dr. Jack Seward—Vincent Price

Quincey P. Morris—Toshiro Mifune

Arthur Holmwood—Sidney Poitier

R.M. Renfield��Conrad Veidt

The Captain of the Demeter—Omar Sharif (rip)

The First Mate of the Demeter—Leonard Nimoy (rip)

Mr. Swales—Ed Wynn (rip)

The Correspondent for The Daily Graph—Ethel Waters

Dracula in dog form—Frank Oz with a puppet

Sister Agatha—Angela Lansbury

Mrs. Westenra—Gladys Cooper (rip)

Dracula's solicitors—Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee

Dr. Van Helsing—Orson Welles

Thomas Bilder, zookeeper—Lon Chaney Jr.

Thomas Bilder's wife—Elsa Lanchester

The Reporter from the Pall Mall Gazette—Hattie McDaniel

Dr. Hennessey works for Dr. Seward at the insane asylum and had a very eventful day, including spying on the neighbors, chasing after an escaped Renfield, and bribing some men who were dropping off some completely innocent boxes of dirt, recently shipped from Transylvania, at the house next door.

[snailsarecute]

I'm convinced the Sang's are cursed.

Not in a bad way, but in an awfully inconvenient way.

Yan and Zhi both took one look at some of the most downtrodden, injured people and imprinted instantly.

There is no other person for Sang Yan than Wen Yifan. Yet he had to wait years to find her again.

There is no other person for Sang Zhi than Duan Jiaxu. Yet she had to wait years to grow up.

It really makes me wonder what painful story was behind Sang Rong and Li Ping, for they love so strongly as well.

And yet... they are just as blessed with the love they chase.

[chaosfairy18]

Of older brothers

So this was supposed to just be on Flipper and hair and everything with Bumlets but it turned into more of character backstory but I still got the idea because of @sarahjacobskelly's post about Bumlets headcanons and @bumlets-appreciation-blog's additions with little Flipper so yeah enjoy!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It was getting dark as he snuck out, not only due to the time of day, but also because storm clouds were closing in.

With it being closer to dinner time than not, he had enough time to pack a few random things while his mother was busy cooking, and his father wasn’t yet home. He just couldn’t stand it anymore.

Not because of his parents, they were okay, it was all okay, but every single second he spent in his bed, now only his and his alone, every second he spent in the corner of their little apartment that had been his and his brother’s since he could think, he saw him. Saw him lying on his back on the bed while their mother tried to get him to get up, get him at least to clean his face up, the dust from all the construction work off.

Every night he still heard his snores, or in the morning his laments on how annoying some of his coworkers were. And every time Fillip woke up he thought he’d turn around and find Fynn there, ready to chase his nightmares away like only his big brother could.

But he wasn’t.

And he’d never be again, the only thing left of him an article in the paper about a construction accident and ashes.

Not that Fillip hated his parents or his family, but he hated the memories, the house, everything he’d always only known with Fynn. He was too young to remember Denmark, he only knew this little apartment in Manhattan, the only thing he’d ever seen, and it was always with his big brother.

And so he knew he’d just have to leave and go somewhere he didn’t think of him. Other kids did it all the time, he saw them shining shoes and hawking papes and hauling luggage or crates, there was more than enough to do, he’d get the hang of it.

With his little bag, Fillip ran down the streets to where he knew a lodging house was – he’d looked around on his way to school – holding a rag over his head as it started to pour like someone was emptying buckets over their heads. At least no one would see him run like this.

Dripping like he had taken a spontaneous bath in the east river, Fillip knocked on the door to Duane Street’s lodging house, a boy maybe a few years older than him opening. Younger than Fynn, shorter than Fynn, but somehow similar.

“Hello, chiquito. Come in, come in, it’s pouring out there.” The black-haired boy ushered him in, keeping him to the rug in the entrance area and yelling for a ‘Mr. Kloppman’. That turned out to be the superintendent, an old man that slurred his words, but was certainly kinder than the old men that had lived in his tenement building, always complaining, always yelling at the kids playing.

While he asked Fillip things like how long he thought he’d stay, if he had money to pay for the night, if he’d worked before, the boy had run upstairs. He only returned when they were finished, carrying two worn but clean towels.

“Come on, chiquito, let’s get you dried up before you catch a cold. Will be a while until the others come back after sellin’. Or at least after trying to not drown in that rain.” With an amused glint in his eyes, the boy took Fillip’s bag and led him upstairs after he’d dried him enough to not drip everywhere. He led him to a closet with lots and lots of clothes, all looking worn but neatly organized.

Squatting down and running his hand through his ink black hair, the boy picked out some things seemingly at random, at least for Fillip. “Wear that. Can’t be good to stay in that wet stuff.”

“I have more clothes.”, Fillip murmured, pointing to his bag. He didn’t need that, he didn’t need help like this, he was prepared.

The boy just raised an eyebrow, opening it and revealing everything inside was at least damp. “I don’t think so. Just get changed. Then sit down on the counter.”

Fillip startled at the last sentence, ignoring the onslaught of memories of Fynn telling him the same thing when he’d scraped his knee, or he had trouble properly tying a shoe. This wasn’t the same, he was just new, and the boy wanted to be helpful.

Dry clothes on that fit better than he’d thought, he sat on the middle counters, swinging his legs. It didn’t take long until the boy stood in front of him, another towel and comb at the ready. “I’m Bumlets by the way. And you chiquito?”, he asked, towelling off his blond hair, motions clearly practiced. He wondered if he had siblings or if this was just a thing here.

“Fillip.”

Bumlets smiled at him, ruffling his hair as he put the now wet towel to the side. “Nice to meet you, Fillip.”

Not able to stop himself from pouting just like he’d always done when Fynn had done the same, Fillip flicked his hair out of his eyes with a jerk of his head, the motion making Bumlets chuckle.

“No need to flip it away, I wasn’t done.”

And he really wasn’t, pushing him down as he tried to get up from the counter and going through Fillip’s blond hair with a comb and something he didn’t quite know what it was.

“Why’re you doing this?”

“Would you rather sit downstairs, dripping everywhere?”

Fillip looked down. “No.”

“See? I just want to help you get settled right. Not fun getting somewhere where you don’t know anyone.” With one last brushstroke he let go of Fillip, who went to the next mirror to make sure the older boy hadn’t done anything weird with his hair – his brother would have probably used the chance.

It looked neat, a bit similar to Bumlets’ own and definitely not like Fillip had worn it before. Or like Fynn had.

Looking back to the Spanish boy, Fillip noted that while Bumlets also had a very brotherly nature, he wasn’t like Fynn, not painfully reminding him like so many other things Fillip had seen the last few months had. Hair black where Fynn’s had been even more golden than Fillip’s own, though it had always been dusty from the construction work, no matter how often he cleaned up, just like his face. In contrary to Bumlets whose fingers were even scrubbed clean of ink though he knew that newsies got that on their skin and clothes all the time.

So while there were similarities, there weren’t enough to hurt, but just enough to be comforting.

As Bumlets showed him to a free bed, Fillip decided he liked the other boy. That he wanted to learn things from him and stick close. “Can you tell me some things about selling papes?”

“Claro. I can…”, he turned to the door, sounds of doors and rumbling heard from downstairs, “I think the others are back, though. It’s almost dinner time, I’ll introduce you to some people, Flipper.”

“Flipper?” He skipped forward to even keep pace with the taller boy, not as nervous about meeting more people as he was confused about the name.

But Bumlets just grinned, ruffling his hair and sliding down the stairs.

[mulders-too-large-shirt]

my favorite mulder moments from s2

him having no faith in episode 1 after the x files are terminated, not even believing what he knows to be true regarding his sister’s disappearance

(and then being the moodiest motherfucker for the foreseeable future)

the fact that he got a fish in between s1 and s2. this brought me so much joy, you don’t even know

his monologue in episode 1, addressed to scully, who was not present: “before I could only trust myself, now I can only trust you, and they’ve taken you away from me… my life up until this point has been about seeing her again, but what would I do if they really come?” <- dear goddddddd. sometimes you get some lines that cut right to the heart of a character and this is one such example.

seeing his horrific workspace where he listened to audio recordings, a job he loathed- it was covered in sunflower seeds, pages with doodles, him stabbing an empty cup. truly a man with no fucks to give.

very very very fluffy hair in the early episodes

when episode 5 opens on him swimming in a big pool. there really was no narrative reason for that except we now know he swims recreationally and that is exactly the kind of thing i’m interested in knowing.

in episode 6, when he meets scully’s mom after her kidnapping, he listens to her say she dreamt of her being taken away, and hugs her

(and all throughout that episode, how he was told to go home because he was too close to the case, but instead got more and more involved. he even drove out to try and find her while falling asleep behind the wheel. dangerous behavior)

((and when he thinks scully is at the top of the mountain, he pulls his gun on the man who runs the ski lift to MAKE SURE he can get to the top as quick as possible. this one was WILD to me. pulling a gun on someone, just to get to her as fast as he can!!!!! he did not care about proper protocol! job be damned he was getting her HOME))

(and when they finally DO get duane barry, he sees scully's blood and hair on his wristband, and starts CHOKING him. you do NOT want to mess around with this man. he tells krychek that NO ONE is to interrogate the suspect but him. NO ONE. he is in what i affectionately refer to as bloodhound mode; there shall be no rest until an answer is sleuthed out)

trying to return scully’s necklace to her mother, who refuses to take it, so he can give it back to her

he has a lot of really emotional moments with scully’s mom, such as telling her she can’t give up hope even as they are picking up her gravestone in episode 8, which he cannot bear to look at

when scully is found, he bursts into the hospital, screaming at the doctor and saying he’ll do anything to figure out what they did to her, to the point where he had to be escorted from the room

(also love when he’s waiting to hear news on how she is doing, and he’s pacing his apartment, bouncing a ball, entirely unable to sit still, he’s so terrified)

after she is found, x tells him to walk away and never look back, and he immediately disregards this information to go chase down whoever knew anything about scully’s disappearance

when her family decides its time to remove her life support, he refuses to go in with them, looking the saddest and wettest a man has ever been

“you could spend the rest of your life finding every person that’s responsible, and it’s still not gonna bring her back”, says melissa. “including myself?” he asks. always taking the blame.

breaking into CIGARETTE MAN’S HOUSE. gun to his head. why her, he asks.

his confrontation scene with skinner, who refuses to accept his one-sentence resignation letter, and who tells him of his own demons. allowing for some skinner lore and deep connections to be made.

again in episode 8, he’s waiting in his apartment for the folks who took scully to arrive so he can kill them, but melissa puts him into his place- “why is it so much easier for you to run around trying to get even than just expressing to her how you feel? i expect more from you. dana expects more from you”

so he leaves his apartment and the one chance he’ll ever have to know who did this to her, and instead goes to sit by her bedside, holds her hand, and talks to her comatose body

(then, we he returns to his apartment, which has been ransacked by those involved with the crime, he falls to the ground, sobbing)

but how BIG he smiled when he heard that her eyes were open!!

in episode 9, when he finally has her back, how he helps her out of the helicopter when they fly to a distant volcano research base <3

also, in episode 10, when they’re being driven to a farm, and he lets her take shotgun so he can lounge about in the back

when he drops this banger line while sitting at a picnic table in episode 12: “i’ve often felt that dreams are the answers to questions we haven’t yet figured out how to ask” (and then does not elaborate)

at the aforementioned picnic table, the detective vaguely describes seeing some sort of symbol, and he immediately realizes it was the logo for the 1939 world’s fair, which is SO funny to me. because WHY does he know that!

when he lifts the caution tape over scully so she can bring her umbrella to the rainy crime scene in episode 13 <3

talking to a random guy in a town they’re visiting for an investigation: “you know andy” “no, I don’t” “well, andy knows you” <- another instance of him being famous in the nerd community

all the times he starts rambling about different belief systems, like the idea of obtaining a new soul in the ep 13, or the concept of wicca in episode 14

when they go to the refugee camp in episode 15, and a child tries to sell them a good luck charm, which he pays a nice $5 bill for

getting hit by a car in episode 16, and then making some dumbass quip about how he should have used the crosswalk

going back home when his "sister" is found, tucking his mom into bed with a kiss

then his dad confronting him, blaming him for losing his sister in episode 17,  leaving him crying as he tries to process the grief of getting her back just to feel guilty for her death

(don’t worry though- it wasn’t really her. but damn, he thought it was, and this scene was devastating)

finding his faith again with scully at his bedside after almost dying of alien poison

when he goes for a jog in florida (episode 20), arguably the hottest and most miserable of all continental US states, in a sweatshirt and sweatpants. and i cannot explain this behavior. he is deeply peculiar.

on the investigation of the sideshow performers, he flirts with the man fixing scully’s pipes to get him to leave. or as i call it: “weaponized bisexuality”

when he slides through a tiny trap door in a haunted house to come and find scully. great visual gag. i chuckled.

feeling sick at home, taking advil in his slutty little tanktop in episode 25. then proceeding to go wild because he was being drugged. don’t worry, he ends up okay. thanks only to scully.

[numinousmysteries]

For the prompts: Mulder peering into the wondrous world of his fishtank.

This prompt is ancient now but the muse strikes when the muse strikes. Origin story of Mulder’s fish tank comes from @sagan-starstuff's brilliant post here. (I also don't actually. think I answered the prompt but this is what happened.)

A true one-bedroom in a good neighborhood—”in walking distance to Old Town,” according to the matronly realtor—2630 Hegal Place wasn’t a posh address but it wasn’t a total shithole either. Despite his burning instinct for self-flagellation, Fox Mulder’s trust fund parachute and Brooks Brothers upbringing would only let him stoop so low. Still, it was dreary enough to feel like a punishment.

He wasn’t naive enough to think that apartment 42 would be the answer to life, the universe, and everything, but it was an appropriate answer to the question of where to put a brooding man, ears still ringing from the shellshock of a failed six-month marriage. A fitting habitat for a 20th-century Heathcliff in virgin wool Zegna suits locked on course to ruin his professional reputation in the name of a long-lost sister and memories he didn’t fully trust. 

It was meant to be a stopgap. He signed a month-to-month lease. Months turned to years.

Late at night, dozing on the couch (beds are for men deserving of rest, who have the luxury of shutting off their brains a third of each day with no need for constant vigilance), the only light came from the fish tank. 

He hated the fucking fish at first, resented their glorious ignorance, their freedom from the burden of comprehension and consequence. The tank and its occupants were a housewarming/divorce gift from the Gunmen; a poorly-considered insurance policy against what they expected was his impending suicide. Fuck them, he thought, let the fish die. Let it all burn to the ground. After two days of mutual starvation, though, he locked eyes with a translucent molly and felt his humanity pulse beneath callused layers of cynicism. He tipped the container of freeze-dried flakes into the tank. He made himself a piece of dry toast. 

Newton’s first law of motion governs that action begets action. He kept rising every morning, searching for the truth, and feeding the fish. 

He was assigned a new partner. She fed the fish when he was detained in military custody, quarantined with a parasite of unknown origin, or chasing radio signals in Caribbean jungles.  

But Scully didn’t belong in his fox den. His newspaper-plastered bile nest. 

Her home was light where his was dark, soft where his was hard, warm where his was cold. She displayed framed family photos out in the open. Apple-cheeked baby nephews. A younger Scully in a cap and gown with her father grinning beside her. He hid an album of patrilineal co-conspirators under the false bottom of a desk drawer. Unsmiling men quietly plotting the demise of all mankind over cans of Rheingold in well-manicured backyards. Demerol-dazed wives trading their children for Givenchy dresses and empty promises of a valiant future. 

All her blonde wood Pottery Barn furniture and Yankee Candle torches couldn’t protect her from his darkness, though. Duane Barry stepped right into her sanctum and tore her away from him.

He took off on an ill-fated West Coast vampire hunt that ended in a bloodless climax and a three-alarm blaze. Somehow, all but one of his fish survived. He flushed down the fallen soldier, contemplating the shortcomings of mortality and the prison of eternity. 

Bleary-eyed and broken, he sat in the darkness, his gaze darting between his loaded gun and the glowing tank. This new knowledge of himself—that he was a man who’d kill in cold blood for vengeance—threatened to obliterate his reluctant detente with the fish. By tomorrow morning, he would no longer be their worthy steward. 

A knock on the door. Melissa Scully entered, her presence a tauntingly inaccurate facsimile of the woman he wanted to see. She was a few inches too tall, her hair several shades too dark, her rosy worldview miles off base. But she wasn’t that different from his partner after all. She called him out on his masochistic bullshit and saw the light within him. 

Newton’s second law of motion states that an object requires a commensurate force to launch it into action. He doesn’t believe that. These wispy Scully women with their birdlike bones and feather-soft breath shouldn’t have the power to lift him out from under two decades of self-hatred—but they do. So he put his faith in this patchouli-scented witchy sister with her silk choker and mall-bought crystals, bid the fish (and his blood-stained, testosterone-fueled revenge fantasy) goodbye, and went to see his dying partner.

[primecat9]

Chasing the Light

Summary: Nora Armstrong, a no-nonsense former Navy vet who lands a job as a secretary at Da Kine Bail Bonds. While adjusting to her new life in Hawaii, she quickly becomes part of the crew. As Nora takes on her first bounty, sparks fly between her and Leland. Soon Nora discovers that she's not just a part of the crew-she's beginning to find a home in their hearts. Will the chase lead to more than just captured fugitives?

For Reference: This story starts at the tail end of 2005 and will go through the following year. Leland is 28, and Nora is 27.

Pairing: Leland Chapman x OC (Nora Armstrong)

Author's Note: Uuuuuuh.... I can explain. I had a really rough week of life and my brain grabbed onto it's favorite comfort character from when I was teen. And just ran with it.

Fun fact: I wrote a Leland fic when I was like 10 and it got found by my mom. So maybe this is my way of revenging what could have been the start of my fanfic career.

Flexing Under Pressure (S1:E1)

The office buzzed with energy as phones rang and the faint smell of coffee lingered in the air. Nora Armstrong, a poised yet unassuming woman with sharp brown eyes and a subtle air of military discipline, adjusted her necklace as she jotted notes on a bail inquiry. Her first week at Da Kine Bail Bonds was a whirlwind, but if her time in the Navy taught her anything, it was how to adapt quickly and handle high-pressure situations.

But right now, that mountain of manila envelopes looked like a formidable foe. And she was only equipped with her Starbucks coffee and muffin to trudge through it.

Nora had just turned on the radio-an old George Strait song crooning through the speakers-when Beth swept in with her usual presence.

Beth Interview "We met Nora through an old friend of my dads. She just got out of the service and was a little lost on what to do next. So she worked for Bobby for a bit before I convinced her to come try out Hawaii. Bobby already had enough good girls working for him." Beth explained, fanning herself with a file while smiling.

"Good morning, your Starbucks is on your desk." Nora smiled as Beth mouthed a silent 'thank you' before disappearing into the office behind her. It didn't take long before the sound of steel-toed boots hitting the carpet brought her attention back to the door. This time it was the infamous Dog, strutting in like he owned the place.

Well.... he did. But he acted like that in every place he walked into.

"Good morning. Beth had me get you some tea. Should be on your desk." Nora announced with a smile as she opened the next file.

"Thanks, Sunshine. Been a while since we had someone to run coffee. Did you get Leland anything? He's kinda grumpy in the morning." Dog chuckled as she nodded, having already asked Beth days before everyone's preference.

Dog Interview Dog is sitting in his office chair while drinking the tea Nora had just brought in for him. "Now, I call Nora 'Sunshine' because she's got this energy about her. When she first walked into the office, we'd been through a pretty rough patch-lots of slip-ups, fugitives getting away-and the place was a bit... heavy. But then here comes Nora, all calm and smiles, and suddenly everything feels a little brighter. She's not like the others-she's got this way of handling pressure with a quiet strength. It's like she's got a little light of her own that makes everything better."

"Yup, it's on his desk and Duane Lee has a monster in the fridge," Nora confirmed taking a sip of her own coffee.

"Good girl. You're a quick learner." Dog praised before disappearing into his half of the office and turning on the TV. Nora turned back to start working on the computer when Leland walked in this time. This time he beat her to the greeting.

"Morning." He grinned, tapping the desk as he walked by toward his little safety corner to help his dad out today. Nora, unabashedly, watched him walk by in the camo pants and black t-shirt before she turned back to the paperwork.

"Morning, Nora. You're up bright and early... or is that just because of the view?" Beth asked suddenly appearing at Nora's side, causing her to startle a bit and the flush to come to her cheeks awfully quick.

"Just used to early starts. Hard habit to break." Nora shrugged trying to regain her composure as she looked up to Beth who was already giving her a grin with a knowing look. "Beth...I..."

"Just be careful..." Beth warned as she walked past to go sit with Dog and go over today's bounties. Wesley, the more senior admin, was busy getting some bonds ready for court. Nora let out a long held-up sigh before turning back to work.

In the other room, Dog had gathered the team, Nora could see the whiteboard being more and more filled with notes as she took a sip of her coffee.

But then she heard her name being called. Well, that was new.

She stood up quickly and walked into the room, almost falling in attention when Dog addressed her.

"Yes?" Nora tilted her head as now several sets of eyes were on her.

"We need your help on this guy." Dog pointed toward the headshot taped onto the whiteboard. Nora hoped her jaw didn't drop open.

"What can I do to help? Need his file?" She asked, taking half a step towards the other half of the office.

"No. You're gonna help us trick this guy. You're gonna call him up and say that you work for us, and you messed up his paperwork and he need to fill out a new one. Have him meet you up the street to fill out a new copy." Dog explained and Beth glanced back at me before turning back to Dog.

"Duane... this guy is dangerous... do we really want our new secretary to be the bait?" Beth asked, maybe a little protective or a little bit hesitant to trust her just yet. Maybe a bit of both.

"She's a vet. She can take him if he tries anything, right?" Dog asked resting his hand on his hip and Nora took a breath before nodding.

"Yeah. We train for combat. But I rescued folks.... not detain them." She joked before Dog waved at her comment.

"Same training. Just a different outcome. We'll be in our vehicles nearby, as soon as he starts walking towards the car, BOOM, we'll nail him." Dog tried to reassure me, but Nora still felt a little nervous.

"Leland, you need to be ready to chase him. Don't let him get to her." Beth ordered, causing both her and Nora to turn to him for his confirmation. He leaned back in his chair, arms crossed.

"I'm just saying, maybe it's a little early to throw her into the fire. Let her get her feet wet first." Leland tossed up and it was hard to miss everyone's surprised look.

"What's the matter, Leland? Afraid she'll outshine you?" Beth asked with a shit eating grin on her face as I stood awkwardly in the middle of the room.

"Just don't want her getting in over her head, that's all." Leland quickly returned, trying to brush it off just as genuine concern. Are his cheeks pink? I opened my both to agree but Dog stepped in first.

"Leland will get him before he touches you. That's what we keep him around for." Dog chuckled before tossing half of his blonde locks over his shoulder.

"Alright. I'm in." Nora smiled as Dog gave his own approval and called for everyone to suit up.

Nora moved to get waters for the vehicles, trying not to dwell too much on what she had agreed to do. She had just finished loading up the cooler when Leland appeared at her side with a radio in hand and the file.

"Here. You're on the right channel. Just click this to talk." He explained, showing her the little button on the side before handing it to her.

"Thanks. You better catch the dude if he runs." Nora teased, knowing in this group it seemed a bit of roasting helped bring everyone a little closer.

"Yeah yeah..." He chuckled waving her off as he headed over to get suited up as Dog whistled for them to return inside.

"Okay, go ahead and make the call. Just be calm so you don't set this guy off." Dog explained as he handed Nora the phone that was already on the speaker phone. She took the phone and dialed the number before sitting down on one of the nearby arms of the sofa.

Fugitive: Hello? Nora: Hi this is Debby from Da Kine Bail Bonds, is this Jace Calloway? Jace: Yes. Nora: Great, hey I'm in some hot water... I forgot to have you fill out some papers here and Beth chewed my ass out this morning. Could I maybe meet you at the...

Nora paused looking for a suggestion and Leland mouthed the 7 Eleven just a few miles up from the office.

Nora: ...The 7-Eleven on _____ street? It should only take like 5 minutes. Jace: Uuuuuhhhh Dog won't be there, right? Nora: No, they are on the big island. It's just me. giggle Jace: Uuuuh sure. Does 10:30 work? Nora: Sure. I'll call you when I pull in so we can find each other. Jace: Okay.

Nora said goodbye and hung up the phone with a chorus of praise. Beth beside her laughed a little that she was the bad guy in her story.

"Chewed you out, huh?" She teased pulling the little ponytail Nora had.

"What, I had to make it sound legit! And everyone knows you're the real boss around here." Nora laughed as Beth shouted in excitement.

"She's going in my car. Let's go." Beth praised wrapping an arm around her shoulders as they headed out to the two black escalades to roll out. She gave Nora a loving pat on the back as she climbed into the seat catty-corner from Beth and adjusted the vest she had on and her radio. The equipment feeling both familiar and odd.

Nora scrolled through her phone until Leland climbed into the car beside her and smiled at her. He digs at something in one of his bags and hands Nora a pair of shiny silver cuffs.

"Just in case. Doubt you'll get to use them today." Leland added and Nora raised a brow.

"Well that sounds like a challenge, Chapman." Nora chuckle before tucking them in her back pocket and watching as the landscape outside of the car started to rapidly change.

"We gotta test you out somehow, Armstrong." Leland added with a gentle tap to her arm. Nora rolled her eyes as Beth turned the radio on and drove to the meeting place.

Once they arrived there, Nora called up the defendant and moved to go sit at one of the nearby picnic tables as instructed by Dog and the crew.

Nora: Hey, Jace, it's Nora from Da Kine. I'm here at the gas station. At one of the benches. Just roll in when you get here. Jace: Okay. I should be there in like a minute. Nora: Okay!

Nora hung up the phone and tapped her radio twice, the signal they had agreed on. From her spot at the picnic table, she scanned the area. Beth and Leland sat in their black Escalade near the gas pumps, keeping a low profile. A few spots down, Dog and Duane Lee's SUV idled, barely visible past the rows of parked cars.

Dog's voice came through her earpiece, calm but charged with anticipation. "Alright, Sunshine. Keep your cool. As soon as he's in range, we've got him."

Time stretched unbearably thin, the seconds ticking louder in her head. Finally, a black truck roared into the lot, its tires screeching as it parked at an odd angle.

It was him.

Nora tapped the radio again. "Target's here. Black pickup, left of the pumps. He's getting out."

The tension crackled in the air, electric and heavy. The man stepped out of his truck, scanning the area with a wary gaze before locking onto Nora. She plastered on a nervous, slightly apologetic smile, playing the part of the frazzled clerk.

Dog's voice cut in. "Stay put. We move as soon as he's close enough."

The fugitive started toward Nora, his gait deliberate but cautious. Suddenly, the loud slam of a car door shattered the silence.

"Move! Move! Move!"

In a blur of motion, Dog and Leland exploded from either side of the lot, their sheer presence cutting through the man's bravado. Leland slammed him against the hood of a nearby car with practiced ease, Dog right there beside him.

"Get your hands behind your back! Now!" Leland barked, yanking the man's arms into place as he struggled and spat a flurry of expletives.

"Son of a bitch!" the fugitive snarled, twisting futilely. "You got nothing on me!"

Beth appeared at her side; Beth's grin wide as she clapped Nora on the shoulder. "And you thought being the bait was scary. Looks like you survived just fine."

Nora let out a shaky laugh, nodding as she watched the guys work. Leland didn't miss a beat when the fugitive turned his venom toward her.

"You set me up, you little-"

Before he could finish, Leland shoved him into the backseat with a satisfying thud.

"Watch your mouth," Leland growled.

The man sneered, attempting to spit at her feet, but Beth tugged Nora away with an amused shake of her head. "Let the boys handle him," she said as they made their way to the other SUV.

"Asshole," I muttered under my breath. Beth laughed, patting me again as we climbed into the safety of the car, leaving the fugitive to stew in his own rage.

Dog Interview Dog grins, flipping his long blond hair over his shoulder. "That's how we do it. Teamwork, timing, and a little bit of Sunshine to lure them in. They always fall for it."

"Nice work." Leland praised, holding out his fist for Nora to bump. She gently tapped it with her knuckles as Beth nodded in the rearview mirror.

"Wasn't too bad. He didn't seem very happy though." Nora joked as she pulled the cuffs Leland had given her out of her back pockets and returned them to him. Paying a little too close of attention to the way their fingers brushed.

The car ride on the way to jail was quiet, but maybe that was just because everyone was tired from the adrenaline dump.

At the jail, Duane Lee took in Jace to get him booked, the guy seemed a little less calm and to Nora's surprise, Leland brought him over to apologize.

"I'm sorry ma'am. I shouldn't have spoken to you like that." Nora nodded with a soft smile, seeing Leland's hand still holding onto the guys arm just in case.

"Thank you for apologizing. No hard feelings. I'd be mad too." Nora said with a laugh as the guy nodded and Duane Lee took over from Leland and let him up the steps to hit the buzzer.

Leland leaned against the car next to Nora, chewing something idly, while Dog stepped over with a proud grin. "Not bad for your first bounty, huh?"

Nora stretched and let out a relieved sigh. "Nah, it could've been worse." She pushed her sunglasses up and over her forehead, eyes glinting from the sunlight.

Leland, now smirking, caught her attention. "Didn't even flinch when he spit at you."

Nora turned toward him, shrugging with a playful glint in her eye. "Guess I'm tougher than I look." She raised her arm, flexing a muscle, a teasing smile on her lips.

Leland immediately stepped up beside her and flexed his own arm in response, his grin widening. "You got nothin' on me!"

Nora rolled her eyes, crossing her arms. "Hey, I've been out for a minute. And I'm not doing it for the girls, like you are." She pointed toward the camera, making sure they caught the lighthearted jab.

Leland laughed, shaking his head as he waved her comment off. "Yeah, whatever!"

Nora smiled, climbing into the car beside him. She shut the door, her gaze lingering on Leland for just a moment before they both settled in, the weight of the day beginning to catch up with them.

Dog's Final Interview: Dog leaned back, his eyes twinkling as he watched Leland and Nora settle into the car. A small chuckle escaped him. "Another successful bounty, and I'm proud of Nora. She didn't just step up-she excelled." He gave a knowing glance, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial tone. "And hey, a little muscle doesn't hurt either. Might be some more 'tests' in her future." The camera panned out as Dog winked, the hint of mischief in his eyes. "We'll see what happens next, huh?"

[shutupineedtothink]

Mini X files review/analysis 2x05 "Duane Barry" 2x06 "Ascension" 2x07 "3" 2x08 "One Breath"

Ok this is a lot of episodes to pack in but I basically watched all of these back to back in one sitting and I CAN'T BELIEVE they did this within the first 10 episodes of the season. In a 25 episode season of television, this is back half kind of material. This is finale kind of material. And it's like fuckin episode 8?? Wildddd.

Ok 2x5 and 6 - it's our first two parter and it's a DOOZY. A man who's been kidnapped by aliens multiple times whos also a former FBI agent, a hostage situation, Mulder becomes a hostage, Scully kidnapped by said guy, Krycek up to no good, sleep-deprived Mulder just running around like a madman, and Scully taken by the aliens?? Wow, talk about raising stakes.

When Duane Barry (you must refer to him by his full name it's the rules) says, "I hope they aren't hurting her... too much with the tests." That pause in the delivery?? Omg stab me now. Like it's not a question of if they are hurting her but how much. But my dudes the real kicker was when they showed that shot of her pregnant belly doing whatever they were doing-- uh uh. no. no no none of that. absolute nightmare fuel.

Overall kind of a bummer that Scully isn't in much in all of these episodes but boy is her absence felt like black hole.

2x7 is a mediocre episode overall, but I thought the point of it wasn't so much the case of the week as showing that Mulder is absolutely wrecked. Even kinky vampire sex will not save him. He says he doesn't sleep anymore (but then they definitely show him sleeping later sooo okay). He is presented with an obvious vampire case but doesn't jump to that conclusion right away like he normally would, almost like he's taking the perspective Scully would take, the skeptic perspective, maybe because she's not there to take it. And I thought the whole time he just felt dead inside. (like a vampire?? lol idk)

On another level, this episode just shows that the show really doesn't work without Scully. Or at least it doesn't work with Mulder on his own. We really need that dynamic or the whole thing falls apart.

Since 2x8 feels like such a direct line from 2x6, I'm assuming they had to throw 2x7 in there for scheduling reasons. Like probably Gillian had to go have her baby so they had to shuffle some stuff around real quick. Which means she came back like right after giving birth to keep shooting? That's insane. Anyway.

2x8, the real star of the show. Wow. Just amazing. I thought the visuals were really compelling with the boat tied to the dock, and the nature scenes fading into the hospital at the end, and Scully's dad talking to her while she's lying on that table. Shadowy conversations with Deep Throat 2.0. Chiaroscuro lighting at full tilt. I could go on. (Basically every other scene in this show I'm like wow, look at that lighting. Crazy.)

But let's be real it's Mulder's emotional journey that's the center here, and I do not think David could have played it better. I loved that he always ends up back at the hospital but then he can't actually find anything to DO there except be with Scully, so he ends up off chasing these invisible perpetrators. I felt his barely contained grief the whole episode, right up until he finally breaks down at the end. He kind of goes through a condensed stages of grief thing from anger -> sadness -> acceptance. But then of course that's when she wakes up.

That phone call at the end? The devastation on his face just before he almost lets it go to voicemail but then picks it up? Then the smile? Yall I had tears in my eyes. Jesus.

I actually liked that they just had this little short conversation at the end. I loved that she's telling her mom "not Fox, Mulder," calling back to their convo in Tooms. Her immediately saying I don't remember anything because she knows he wants the truth, but he's just so fucking relieved it really doesn't matter. His stupid sports VHS, her "I knew there was a reason to live." and then "I had the strength of your beliefs." - which is just a banger of a line and also kind of intense - and then "I was holding this for you." And finally returning her necklace to her because he was using it to hold onto her, but now she's back so he doesn't need it.

I was waiting for a forehead kiss that never came but I get it. a) her mom and sister are there, that might have raised some eyebrows idk b) they're the slowest slow burn to exist right? I live for that shit so drag it out baybeee.

Anyway, my jaw was on the floor multiple times during these episodes (2x7 mostly not withstanding) and I'm just shocked by the pacing this early in the season. I guess they were working with the timing of Gillian's pregnancy so that determined the schedule, but damn.

The only other slightly similar procedural I can think of (when network dramas still had long seasons ha) that pulled off something like this was S2 of the Mentalist, they pulled an absolute 180 in episode 6 or 7 of that season and it was a huge deal. And I remember thinking at the time it was so genius because you just didn't do that kind of thing in procedurals. But here we are, X files did it first. Good shit. I love a good subversion of the formula.