#kelly watches brooklyn nine nine

[jewishrizahawkeye]

i was thinking of this all day you don’t understand

[hyperfocusthusly]

Ed’s lyrics;

[whoops-im-obsessed]

(More) Things I Noticed in UKsies: Fansie Night Edition (Act 2)

First one got too long so here is act 2!!

At Jacobi's Albert says 'why do old people talk?' Directly to Jacobi who waves him off

'Jack don't run from no fight!' '*in the highest, squeakiest voice imaginable to mock Les* Take it down short stop!!'

Katherine dances on the tables with the boys in KoNY and I'm not sure if Bronté does but Bobbie does the nerve tap!

Cup song time

Katherine and Les have such cute little interactions

Nyoom tables!!

They don't shy away from showing what they do to keep themselves safe, when the newsies grab the lamps, you can see them clip themselves on but it only serves to make you go 'something is about to go down!!'

The newsies on the ground dance around the tables and tap metal plates to the table newsies' feet

Ascension with frantic spinning, incredible

In a bit of a stark contrast, letter from the refuge is a really poignant moment

Crutchie breaks the forth wall and speaks directly to the audience, including them in his thought process

A cop watches the whole thing from the scaffolding

Crutchie is left handed

Crutchie actually starts crying at 'I'll be fine' and hearing that emotion in his voice contrasted with his trying to be optimistic - ugh, have I mentioned that I love Matthew Duckett?

Crutchie gets up and passes on his letter to Specs before being slowly helped off stage by a refuge newsie, still struggling when the next scene begins. When he got up he winced so hard someone next to me whispered 'ooh that was real'

Jack was Properly Angry in Watch What Happens reprise and his fear for Crutchie shone through

Ryan!Davey may be the king of eye-rolls but Alex!Davey is the king of raising his eyebrows in incredulation, especially to Les

'Lighten up no-one died' is said a lot subtler, like he knows how bad that sounds but doesn't know how to confront it

'HECANTTAWLKHELLCALLYABACK'

The mayor actually shows some sympathy towards the newsies but in the end doesn't act due to Synder and Pulitzer's influence

Fun fact: Jamie Golding (Wiesel/mayor/theatre worker/police/etc) has NINE costume changes during the show, he is so many people

Pulitzer grabs Katherine as she's trying to walk away at 'you can't have mine'

George Crawford (Morris Delancey) has an amazing evil laugh which he uses a lot during the show

As the printing press is being brought out, the Delancey brothers bring Jack behind the scaffolding. Although this can't be seen by most of the audience they continue to intimidate him and get really up in his space

Shout out to Zack Guest super swing who played Oscar!!

Brooklyn newsies met with the Most applause they are so cool

Brooklyn's here is broken up with a little roll call which makes the 'now them soakers' hit harder

Spot has a slight lisp

'If we disband the union..' *outrage* 'this is your union!!'

The newsies all call Jack out in various ways when they see him take the money, Spot has to be physically held back from beating him up

Something to Believe in is a little different, the Jatherine is believable but isn't really focused on much in the show, it almost feels like an afterthought. The line 'what was ours still will be' really resonates, it feels more like they had a little whirlwind mutual attraction but both think it'll end with the strike

Universal 'oooohh!!' From the audience when they kiss

Lighting for once and for all is so pretty, they have lanterns and there's a sort of orange mottled pattern like the reflection of the lamps projected across the entire theatre

Once and For All really lets the vocals shine, it isn't as high energy as the other numbers and the scaffolding doesn't move like it does in livesies, instead a giant newsies banner falls from the ceiling that they parade around the stage. The choreo isn't missed at all, the sheer wall of sound is incredible

The newsies line the theatre as Jack talks to Pulitzer and smack their fists either into their hands of onto the railings in time with the music as they hum

'The boy, Jack Kelly is here :)))'

Spot makes the 'I'm watching you' gesture at Pulitzer

As the other characters leave Jack to talk to Pulitzer, Hannah loudly says 'I love your show!!' To Medda

So many hugs when they win

Crutchie coming in with his little police hat, greeted with the biggest hug from Race and the boys

The reaction to Crutchie calling Roosevelt 'your highness'

Crutchie & Les reunion 🥺

And perfect finale and curtain call!!

The post finale choreo is incredible and was met with applause right up to the final bows

Crutchie is up on the scaffolding for much of the choreo and makes his way down for the bows. He slid down the stair rails in the same way you would slide down a ladder. Then he kept sliding. And kept sliding. And then his leg got caught. And then he kept sliding. Basically, he ended up on the floor tangled in the stairs and had to call a couple of people to help him out of the mess he got into 😅

And that was that! Post-show Q&A was pretty short but really lovely, there were mostly questions about the audition process, advice, favourite bit of the show, etc but it was really sweet how they all cared to stay and so many people did! Plus there were mega shout outs to dance captain Alex Christian who plays Butttons and is a legend!!

Honestly this show means so much to me and to be able to see it with such an enthusiastic cast and audience was incredible, see it if you can because it is in a league of its own.

[lesbianjackies]

❤︎︎ about me ❤︎︎

hi!!! i’m meredith, but you can also call me lottie, steph, briar, or elia <33 i use she/lil pronouns and i’m bi, demiromantic, and aceflux. i’m neurodivergent so be patient with me if i don’t understand things/talk too much!! i’m a writer and i used to have over 200 fics on this blog, but i’m starting from scratch bc tumblr broke my links <//3 hope you have fun here!!

currently reading: i kissed shara wheeler by casey mcquiston

currently watching: yellowjackets

currently listening to: preacher’s daughter by ethel cain

❥ my favorites

movies/books/tv shows:

steel magnolias, 10 things i hate about you, the corpse bride, marvel cinematic universe, mean girls, pirates of the caribbean, puss in boots: the last wish, the princess bride, monster high, tangled, edward scissorhands, easy a, colette, ella enchanted, the princess and the frog, barbie movies, beetlejuice, coraline, summerland, ever after high, six of crows, the school for good and evil, the hunger games, harry potter, if we were villains, edgar allan poe, the lunar chronicles, miss peregrine’s home for peculiar children, dc comics, shatter me, the folk of the air, lore, the arc of a scythe, percy jackson, new girl, avatar: the last airbender, a series of unfortunate events, winnie the pooh, teen titans, the amazing world of gumball, the good place, brooklyn nine-nine, community, newsies, yellowjackets

artists:

marina, lana del rey, lorde, børns, mother mother, poppy, studio killers, twenty one pilots, wallows, hozier, aurora, florence + the machine, phoebe bridgers, arctic monkeys, the neighbourhood, conan gray, harry styles, taylor swift, the smiths, zella day, declan mckenna, my chemical romance, fin, flower face, cults, melanie martinez, boys world, clairo, bad suns

things to do:

write, sing, read, listen to music, go on picnics, watch tv, swim, take walks, spend time with people, talk

❥ my comfort characters

patrick verona, peter parker, briar beauty, dexter charming, kitty cheshire, madeline hatter, lizzie hearts, darling charming, daring charming, jesper fahey, nina zenik, anadil of bloodbrook, hester of ravenswood, peeta mellark, johanna mason, finnick odair, harry potter, george weasley, cedric diggory, mary macdonald, lily evans, pandora lovegood, luna lovegood, sirius black, regulus black, remus lupin, james potter, meredith dardenne, millard nullings, hugh apiston, emma bloom, tim drake, stephanie brown, cassandra cain, bart allen, jason todd, harley quinn, poison ivy, aaron warner, kenji kishimoto, cardan greenbriar, percy jackson, leo valdez, hazel levesque, jessica day, zuko, klaus baudelaire, violet baudelaire, sunny baudelaire, the hook-handed man, isadora quagmire, quigley quagmire, winnie the pooh, robin, starfire, beast boy, chidi anagonye, troy barnes, abed nadir, jack kelly, nat scatorccio, jackie taylor, lottie matthews

[smittenvixen13]

For that ask thing you just reblogged. All of them. Answer all the questions from 1 to 30+

Well! Didn't expect that lol, but will do.

what’s your Christmas aesthetic? Somwhere between "Tacky" Christmas (think 90s/early 00s look) and Nature took over inside and you're expecting a reindeer to somehow walk out into the livingroom.

good or naughty? Eh, Good for the most part.

what fictional character would you want to find under the mistletoe? There's a COUPLE but most likely Aizawa from BNHA, or Jason Todd from DC. I am fully aware of my type and know I have no chances lol

reindeers or polar bears? Reindeer, for sure!

opening the presents: Christmas Eve or Christmas morning? Counter! Midnight! We used to always open presents at midnight between Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, our parents would send us to bed around 8, of course we didn't sleep, and we'd be woken up around midnight, and then all 20-ish of us (more if people could travel) would go one by one and open presents all at once. We still keep the tradition going as much as we can, but we don't mind picking a day or doing both days and seeing the same people twice. Both sides of the family (dad and mom) would both come, my parents go lucky that the in-laws loved each other, and we all get together/visit one another whenever we want. it pays that all of us live in the same city.

what’s your favourite Christmas movie? I'm actually a sucker for those old school stop-motion movies like Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, The Year without a Santa Clause, etc. I also love How the Grinch Stole Christmas (both versions, not with Benedict Cumbersalad) too! But one I haven't seen in FOREVER is The Life and Adventures of Santa Clause (2000s version), been a hot minute since I watched that on Disney Channel.

favourite Brooklyn Nine-Nine Christmas episode? I sadly never got into Brooklyn Nine-Nine :(((

what’s your favourite holiday/winter fics tropé? I think Snowed in alone together is a nice one, so long as no one creates angst there >.>

playing in the snow or drinking hot cocoa by the fire? Drinking Hot Cocoa by the fire! I have a fireplace in the den and whenever I can, I like to sit by it and just vibe.

who do you relate to the most, the Grinch or Buddy the Elf? Buddy the Elf, but make me go to the mall and the Grinch shall appear. I get all my shopping done in October.

knitted sweater or knitted scarf? Knitted Sweater! I can't do scarfs too much because i end up getting bugged by them, but I love sweaters!

what’s your favourite Holiday song? "My Grown Up Christmas Wish" sung by Kelly Clarkson. Always manages to make me cry but I do love it.

fairy lights or neon signs? Fairy Lights.

do you have any particular Holiday tradition in your family? Mostly that midnight one I mentioned in the earlier questions. Oh! And my Maternal Grandmother has an old baby Jesus doll from Mexico (actually 2, but we use the bigger one). We place the doll (made out of clay or ceramic i think, but I can't recall, it's painted over) gently on a blanket, lift it up, and we sing him to sleep as we gently rock the blanket back and forth. Once he's "rocked to sleep" each of us will kiss his forehead to wish him a good night, before he's placed in the 'manger'.

hot cocoa or hot cider? Hot Cocoa!

Michael Bublé or Mariah Carrey? Imma have to go with Michael, I'm happy Mariah got her bag but c'MON, It's too much by now.

do you celebrate Christmas? I do! I'm no longer a practicing Catholic and honor more Yuletide events instead, but I love to celebrate Christmas too, it's what i've known for a long time.

snowed in with your crush: yay or nay? Yay, but I currently don't have any haha, wish me luck in the wilds that are dating apps!

Christmas rom-coms or Christmas children movies? Christmas Children Movies, Rom-coms can be over done and too cheesy for my tastes, and I have a couple Xmas hallmark movies I like.

you’ve been visited by the Ghost of Christmas Past, the Ghost of Christmas Present and the Ghost of Christmas future. What did you find out? I found out that I can't allow my fear of the unknown to hold me back, it's sadly a truth i learned late in life. But I am learning.

spending Christmas with the whole family or just with your so? (hint: it can be your pet) With my family, again, not dating ATM, but I am getting some cute catches.

what’s the first thing that pops into your mind when you think about Christmas? The scent of pine. I love that smell and can get VERY addicted to wearing all those candles to nubs just to enjoy it.

Gingerbread or cookies? Gingerbread, they can have a bit of a bite to them and that's honestly very appealing to me. I can't handle too much sweet.

what’s a good book to read during the holidays? Whatever you like, honestly! I'm looking up my old Jr. High books from almost (oooof) fifteen years ago! I really loved "The Goblin Wood" though! It's by Hilari Bell.

Skiing or Ice-skating? Neither, my ass is not balanced enough to not eat snow/ice. I WILL break something.

where and would you spend the winter ideally? Ideally it would be in the UK, honestly, I'm planning go next year! But only for the beginning of December. I can't imagine a Christmas without my family, no matter how chaotic and loud we all get. (I'll have to answer the rest after I post this!)

[ya9amicide]

The End of the World In a Woman’s Hands [Newsies]

chapter nine

♡ newsies masterlist ♡ previous chapter ♡ next chapter ♡

summary: Being a girl in the everyday world is difficult. Being the leader of the Manhattan Newsies and a girl? Even more so. Especially when nobody knows you're a girl and the truth is the closest kept secret you have ever had. For Jack Kelly, keeping the truth of her gender a secret is one she's found easy after doing so for many years. Unfortunately, having close encounters with the iron fist, Pulitzer, and a new Newsie who seems determined to get to know her, that secret might just become the opposite.

pairing: fem!jack kelly x david “davey” jacobs

warnings: none

The next morning, all of the captured Newsies are brought to a courtroom for a hearing. “Arise, arise, court is now in session, Judge E.A. Monahan presiding,” the Bailiff announces.

Weasel is in the gallery as Judge Movealong Monahan takes the bench and glances down at a group of battered Newsies, including Spot, Race, and Boots. “Any of you represented by counsel? No? Good. That'll move things along considerably.”

“Judge Movealong, ya honor, I object,” Spot pipes up,

“On what grounds?”

He grins proudly. “On the grounds of Brooklyn, ya honor!”

The Newsies congratulate Spot and Monahan bangs the gavel. “I fine you each five dollars or two weeks confinement in-”

“Five bucks!” Race blanches. “We ain't got five cents!”

Denton stands to defend them. “I'll pay the fines. All of them.”

“Pay the clerk. Next.” The Judge moves them along as the Newsies hound Denton with gratitude. Suddenly David gasps, seeing Jack led out in shackles, her face bruised and swollen. Everybody stares, horrified.

She smiles at them like everything was okay. “Hiya, fellas! Hey, Denton. Guess we made all the papes this time, huh? How'd my picture look?”

“None of the papers covered the rally. Not even The Sun.” He watches her solemnly as her face turns to disbelief. The Bailiff shoves Jack in front of the bench and Snyder slips in from a side door.

“Case of Jack Kelly, inciting to riot, assault, resisting arrest,” the Bailiff lists.

Snyder walks forward. “Judge Monahan, I'll speak for this young man.”

Jack mocks surprise. “You two know each other? Ain't that nice.”

“Just move it along, Warden Snyder,” the Judge tells him.

“You see, Jack Kelly isn’t Jack Kelly at all. In fact, he is really a young woman named Francine Sullivan. Mother deceased, father a convict in the state penitentiary.”

Jack’s care-free facade cracks and she stares at Snyder with wide, startled eyes. The Newsies all watch her with confused and shocked faces.

“She is currently an escapee from the House of Refuge, where her original sentence of three months for theft was extended six months for disruptive behavior-”

“Like demandin' you give us the food you steal from us!” She yells at him, face red and overcome with a tearful anger.

“Followed by an additional six months for an attempted escape.”

Her voice is panicked and desperate now. Almost deranged. “Last time wasn't no attempt, remember, Snyder? Me and Teddy Roosevelt. Remember, Roosevelt an’ the carriage?”

“Therefore, I ask that she be returned to the House of Refuge-”

“For my own good, right, Movealong? And for what Snyder kicks back to ya!”

“And that the court order her incarceration until the age of twenty-one.” The Newsies stand and yell in outrage. “In the hope that we may yet guide her to a useful and productive life.”

The Judge bangs his gavel again. “So ordered. Next.”

Jack seems to give up at this, body going limp as she’s dragged out of the room.

That night she’s brought into Pulitzer’s office, cuffs jiggling on her wrists in front of her. “Afternoon, boys,” she says as she comes to a stop.

“And which Francine Sullivan is this? The charismatic union organizer, or the petty thief and escaped convict?” Pulitzer asks.

She narrows her eyes at him. “Which one gives us more in common?” Her expression turns cheeky. “And please, Joe. We been business partners long enough. You can call me Jack. Jacqueline if you’d prefer that, I s’pose.”

“You know what I was doing when I was your age? I was in a war. The Civil War.”

“I heard of it. You win?”

“People think wars are about right and wrong. They're not. They're about power. You know what power is?”

“Heard of that, too. I don't just sell ya papes, Joe. Sometimes I read 'em.”

He ignores her and continues on. “Power means that I could see to it that you serve your full sentence at the Refuge. Or I could pull strings and have you free tomorrow. It means I could give you my pocket change, and you'd have more money than you'd likely ever earn.”

“You bribin' me, Joe? Thanks for the compliment, but I ain't got the power to stop the strike.”

“I disagree. You're the spirit of the strike, without you, they'd fall apart in a few days.”

Jack stops listening, not thinking he’s serious. “Ring for my coach, willya? It's past my bedtime.”

“Shut your mouth and listen!” Jack looks up, startled at his outburst. “You're going to do exactly as I say.”

“Or what? You'll send me back to the Refuge? I'll bust out again.”

“And be a fugitive who's pursued and caught and returned.” He steps around his desk to stand in front of her where he towers above her frame. “You return to your old job–as Newsie for The World. Speak against this hopeless strike, and I’ll see your criminal record expunged and your pockets filled with enough cash to carry you, in a first-class train compartment, from New York to New Mexico and beyond.”

“There ain’t a person in this room who don’t know you stink.”

“And if they know me, they know I don’t care. Mark my words, girl. Defy me, and I will have you and every one of your friends locked up in The Refuge. I know you like playing Mr. Tough Guy, but it’s not right to condemn that little crippled boy to conditions like that,” his voice drips in mock sympathy. “And what about your pal Davey and his baby brother, ripped from their loving family and tossed to the rats? Will they ever be able to thank you enough?”

Jack’s head whips up and some of Snyder’s men have to hold her back as she tries to go after Pulitzer. “Don’t you touch ‘em! You don't’ get to lay a hand on my boys, you hear? Don't even talk about ‘em!” She’s snarling at him, causing Pulitzer and his associates to step back slightly in fear.

Pulitzer signals to Snyder. “You go back to the Refuge. Think it over in your cell. Let me know in the morning.” Snyder grabs her by the scruff and escorts her out of the room.

[poorguysheadisdoingwhatnow]

After the strike

Katherine: are you guys hugging? This feels like a hugging moment

Spot: don't be absurd!

Jack: of course not!

Katherine: stop yelling at me! I saved the day!

[elmer-kasprzak]

all the times jack kelly felt lost

Features: Jack Kelly, mentions Racetrack Higgins and Medda Larkin

Pairings: None

Setting/AU: Canon time

TW for minor character death

Read on AO3

There had been many times in Jack Kelly’s life when he had felt lost, far too many to count. He figured it probably started when he was young, soon after his father was arrested. To that day, he only had the vaguest of ideas as to why his father was behind bars, and a part of him had absolutely no desire to find out the whole truth. Some things were better left a mystery.

He only really had positive memories of his father. Getting chased around the apartment when he was about four years old, his mother watching and laughing from where she sat on her favorite chair. Jack, then Francis, would run and run until he was eventually scooped up from behind, giggling wildly as his father threw him over his shoulder. Things had been simpler then. Just the three of them. Happy.

And then his father got arrested, and Jack Kelly felt lost for the first time in his life. His mother had to find work, getting hired at a factory. Jack, too, began working. He was seven. He knew he was far too young to work in a place similar to that where his father (and now mother) worked. That was out of the question.

Then he remembered the newsies, and he felt just a little less lost. When his family would walk through the city, the shouting of boys as young as six or seven would be shouting, carrying the banner. His father always bought a paper.

So that Monday morning, Jack marched right up to the circulation gates of the New York World. He was going to be a newsie. His mother hated the idea of her son working, but, without Jack’s father, they were teetering on the edge of eviction. So she begrudgingly agreed. Her boy would work as a newsie during the week, taking the weekends off. A solid system.

The second time Jack Kelly felt lost was when his mother died. He was nine. They told him it was a factory accident. That there was nothing anyone could do. That she died quickly. He wasn’t sure how long he cried after her funeral. Any little thing would set him off, causing him to break down sobbing.

It was then he began considering himself a newsie. Before then, he was just a kid who sold newspapers to make his family money, but it was by no means his life. He knew he was a lucky one -- many of the kids had no other family outside of the newsies. But now, he had no family. His father was in jail, his mother was dead, and he was lost.

But he had the newsies. The group of dirty, rough boys that he used to dismiss at a glance became his family. His only family. He learned the ins and outs of hawking the headline, learning about the different boroughs and their relationship with the Lower Manhattan newsies. He was taught how to avoid Snyder the Spider, an ugly old man that ran the Refuge, and he was taught to never, ever venture across the Brooklyn Bridge. The newsies over there were bigger, meaner, and wouldn’t hesitate to soak a ten-year-old like him.

That’s when he began to reinvent himself. Gone was the name Francis. The idea of being connected to his father in such a way made him sick. He told the guys to start calling him Jack. Jack Kelly. The newsies were no stranger to reinvention like that, and so they did. Francis Sullivan Jr. was no more.

When he was just thirteen, Jack Kelly relearned what it felt like to be lost. According to the papers, that winter had been the worst one in recorded history. They hadn’t known that then. In reality, all winters were bad for newsies. The lodge reflected the outside temperature easily, and the blankets were thin. Boys resorted to doubling and tripling up in bunks, even when there were extra beds. But they would get through it. They all would.

The world stopped when Diamond died. At least, that’s how all the guys saw it. He had been the leader of the Lower Manhattan newsies for two years now, and he had been nearing his eighteenth birthday. It was sometime in spring. He was only months from getting out, from making a life for himself. Jack had since forgotten the exact date of their leader’s birthday, but the season was a little heavier from then on.

This time, it wasn’t just him who was lost. Every single newsie was lost. It was the first time in years that a boy had died over the winter. Jack remembered the last one, but he had only been ten when it happened. No one knew what to do, how to react. Diamond had a second, sure, but he was only sixteen. Sixteen, and the new leader of the Manhattan newsies.

Sixteen, and asking a now fourteen-year-old Jack Kelly to help him lead the newsies. Sixteen, and asking a fourteen-year-old Jack Kelly to become second. Jack had thought it was a joke at first. Sure, he had been around longer than many of the guys, but he was a kid. He didn’t really realize until later that they were all kids.

Once again, Jack Kelly was lost. Lost, and in charge of a group of boys that were grieving the loss of their previous leader. He didn’t allow himself to feel any real sadness. The guys clearly needed him to be a solid second in command, and giving into the harsh ache in his chest wouldn’t allow him to do that.

So he helped lead. He followed Golden Boy to meetings with the other boroughs, finally crossing over the infamous Brooklyn Bridge. He met the leader, a boy whose name he had long since forgotten, and Brooklyn’s two seconds. Spot Conlon and Racetrack. It was damn near unheard of to have two boys functioning as seconds, but no one was going to bring that up to Brooklyn.

When he turned sixteen, Jack Kelly was lost again. Golden Boy turned eighteen, leaving behind his brother, Tommy Boy, to continue selling. Golden moved to Upper Manhattan, getting an apartment and a job at a factory. Jack was left to lead the newsies by himself.

Well, not entirely by himself. Sometime during the last two years, Racetrack had migrated over to Manhattan. He occasionally sold in Brooklyn, but it was clear that he no longer held the same status that he once did. If asked, he would only laugh and change the subject. The most Jack ever got out of him was that there had been some sort of falling out.

To Manhattan’s new leader, it didn’t matter what brought Racer to the borough. Jack trusted him enough. He picked a warmer Sunday morning, sat the younger boy down, and the two had a conversation nearly identical to the one Golden gave Jack two years ago. The Manhattan leader had his fingers crossed the entire time.

Racer said yes, and Jack felt just a little less lost. Having the former Brooklyn newsie as his second was reassuring, especially knowing that he had already once been in the position. He didn’t make a mistake. He was absolutely sure of it.

Things mellowed out for the next year. The winter wasn’t harsh, and, for once in his life, Jack felt like things were heading up. By then, he was seventeen. He had begun thinking about his life outside of the newsies, saving up money so that he could maybe rent an apartment. He just needed to tide himself over until he could get hired somewhere else. Maybe a factory.

Francis Sullivan Jr. was also no longer a part of him. His father still remained in jail, locked up for a crime that Jack refused to learn anything about. Any of the newsies who had known him as Francis had long since stopped selling. He was Jack Kelly. No one else.

There were many times in Jack Kelly’s life where he had felt lost, but absolutely nothing came close to how he felt during the strike. As much as he hated to admit it, what Katherine had said was right. They truly were a bunch of Davids attempting to take on Goliath. And, after that fight at the circulation gates, Jack was beginning to realize this wouldn’t pan out like the Bible story.

He was lost. Permanently, this time. No matter what happened, this strike wasn’t going to end painlessly. And, as each day ticked by, the idea that they might now win suddenly became more and more real.

Many of the boys struggled for money even while working, but now they were on strike. They were eating through their savings just so they didn’t starve. Jack had started getting one meal a day instead of two, just so that the younger kids in the lodge could have bigger portions.

They were losing, and the fight yesterday had only proven that. And even then, as Jack stood in Medda’s theater in front of his latest backdrop, he was beyond hyper aware of that fact. He was failing, and no one would take the fall harder than his friends.

He had to leave. He had to get out. Racetrack was capable, and Jack had full faith that he would be able to lead the newsies, no problem. Things would be okay without him there. Crutchie would get out of the Refuge, Racer would take over leading, Davey and Led would go back to school, and Katherine would continue to report for the New York Sun. They would be okay without him.

The idea had first popped up months ago. Save up enough money for a train ticket out west. Leave New York. Let Racer take over the newsies. He began painting backdrops more frequently for Medda, allowing her to pay him whenever she had enough money. He was getting out of that city.

And on that sticky August day, there was only one thing on Jack Kelly’s mind as he pocketed Miss Medda’s envelope: this was the last time in his life he would be lost.

[captainjimothycarter]

So silly image of sorts based on cousins, but Peggy and Steve vs other parents regarding their kid because their kid takes after serumed daddy and is big for his age. Someone giving them shit for being terrible parents cause their 'obviously' pre-school aged child is throwing a fit and the snap back that the kid is a year, 18 months, not pre-school don't expect a big kid just because he's tall/broad for his age, he's still a baby etc.

Okay maybe less funny but over protective Steve really wanted to showcase himself.

--

They knew that there was going to be problems down the road with Steve having the serum and he and Peggy trying for kids.

Howard had given his own input or two and it was nothing more than, “We simply don’t know what will happen, kid. It’s all guessing games. Peggy’s pregnancy could either be completely normal six, seven, eighteen months or she could have the kid in six and the kid be fine or worst.”

Peggy’s lips pursed slightly, taking Steve’s hand into her own. Their wedding bands gently brushed one another as she did. “First off, do you not know how long a woman is pregnant for, Howard? Nine months! Nine months. How…” She pinched the bridge of her nose and waved off anything he said in explanation.

���Second,” she continued with a huff. “What do you mean worse?”

Here now, Howard looked sheepish, more so for the worse than the lack of knowing how long a woman was pregnant for. “Well...when we first met Steve he did have that laundry list of problems and-”

“You mean our kid could be like how I was?” Steve interjected, interrupting an annoyed-looking Howard. “They could-could-”

“Hold up, before you start spiraling, Stevie.” Howard’s hands flew up, raised to defend himself and stop Steve from starting to panic. “I said could. If. Maybe. It’s a possibility, a slight possibility that we have to consider, even if I don’t think it’s possible. That serum coursing through your veins rewrites DNA. Genetics. Your little kid is more likely to have that serum than to have any laundry list of your problem.”

But it was still something they had to think about and Steve was struggling to wrap his mind around that.

All through Peggy’s pregnancy, that problem remained in the back of his head. It was a possibility. No matter how much he tried to reassure himself with the countless doctors and even Howard saying that Peggy was doing outstanding for her pregnancy, how big the baby was, and what naught.

It was still there, no matter how much he tried to drown it with optimistic thoughts.

It wasn’t until Chester Micheal Carter-Rogers was born at ten pounds and nine ounces, twenty-five inches in length did Steve breathe a sigh of relief. Even if Chest was three weeks early and Peggy had to have a c-section.

Peggy and baby were both fine and Steve was grateful, so, so, so grateful.

That’s when the problems began to show how it would be to raise a child with the serum. How much of the serum and if they’d later possess super-human strength, no one was sure. Not even Howard. It was all development.

At three months, Chester was already sitting up on his own and responding to his name with a toothless smile. At five months, he was holding his own bottle and loving to play with his parents. At six months, started the teething.

“Well, at least he doesn’t have your strength,” Peggy tried to joke as Chester chewed on the slushy-texture pacifier. “Else he would’ve bitten my nipple straight off with those three teeth halfway coming in. If he bites my nipple, we’re having a problem, mister.”

Chester just giggled at his mama’s finger and gripped at it, making Steve give that half-smile of relief.

Chester was eight months before he said his first word, “Broom!”

Steve dropped the broom he was holding, looking down at the heavy boy strapped to his chest. He’d dropped a glass earlier and was trying to clean it up, having strapped his baby boy to him so he wasn’t hurt. “Did you just…?”

Chester grinned a whole eight teeth in his mouth now. “Broom! Broom!”

“You just…” Steve swallowed, feeling faint and overwhelmed with pride as he picked the boy up and hugged him. “You spoke!”

It was near the year mark did Howard point something out over dinner. “You know...Chester has never been sick.”

Peggy shared a look with Steve, clicking her tongue on the roof of her mouth. Steve lowered his fork and looked at their baby that he was feeding mashed-up food. “That’s true,” she said carefully after a moment of thought. “Not even a fever, a cold. I wasn’t sickly as a child but I had my fair share of colds as an infant and Lord knows you did too, Steve.”

“I think it’s safe to confirm that Chester has Steve’s serum,” Howard mused as if no one had already thought about that. “Good for him.”

--

Other parents started to notice the developments too during their daddy and me! classes. There were some snide remarks on how big their boy was for a one-year-old.

“Thirty-two pounds!” Gretta hissed, glaring at where Steve was showing Chester and the other kids how to blow bubbles. “He said Chester is thirty-two pounds and thirty-five inches! Can you believe that? Look at how big he is!”

Steve huffed in annoyance and tried not to let the other gossip get to him. It wasn’t until Peggy stormed home one day after a grocery trip with Chester, the little boy sniffling like he’d been crying did it hit him how rude the other parents were.

“I ran into our darling neighbor today,” she noted, slamming the eggs down on the counter.

Steve flinched and hope they weren’t broken as he finished buttoning up Chester’s pants after he’d taken him to the bathroom. “Darling,” he warned, knowing how sensitive Chester was to emotions. “Which neighbor?”

“Oh, the wonderful and perfect Kelly and her perfectly normal daughter Jackie. Don’t you know how perfect they are?”

Steve watched as she half-aggressively put up the groceries, only stopping her when she almost dropped the barely-survived eggs. “Peggy,” he breathed, cupping her jawline. “What did they say?”

“Chester went to hug Jackie as normal - he’s fascinated with other kids and you know him, doesn’t know his own strength, and is just getting the hang of walking right. He fell into Jackie and pushed them both down and Kelly acted like he had punched her daughter. She told me to keep my monster of a child away from her and her family. I told her then she needs to keep her husband home and away from his mistress on business trips.”

Steve’s lips pursed and looked over to Chester playing with his blocks, sighing. Yeah, he got that. The neighbors were not the most polite about Chester’s rapid growth. It’s not like they could say he was Captain America and Chester had some percentage of the super-soldier serum.

“Well, maybe she’ll learn to keep her mouth shut,” he grunted, taking the eggs from her to safely put in the fridge.

--

In the two months since that incident, Chester was speaking more, learning new words every day. He was even speaking full sentences and could name objects. Now he was walking by himself, kicking a ball back and forth, and even sang songs.

Unfortunately, that meant that Peggy had, of course, taught their son The Man With The Plan.

Right now, none of that mattered. Not when Chester, his beautiful son with his downy soft blonde hair, and hazel eyes, was screaming in the buggy. Not that Steve blamed his son, really. The kid was hot and icky and tired and after several boosters from the doctor, he wouldn’t want to be in public either.

But grocery trips had to be had.

And it didn’t help that Kelly shouldered by them, dragging her daughter and loudly stating that Jackie wasn’t allowed to hug Chester or even look at him.

Now how do you explain that to a child who’s already in a bad mood? You don’t.

Steve had given up on comforting Chester beyond rubbing his back and whispering to him as he looked at the options of oatmeal. He was still sniffling and hiccuping loudly and screaming every so often, even if Kelly had insisted on staying on the aisle with them.

“If that was my daughter,” she droned on without anyone asking her, “I would’ve taught her right and told her tantrums to get you nowhere, especially at that age.”

“And what age might that be?” Steve challenged, standing up and laying a hand on the cart. Chester’s little fingers wrapped around his middle finger to try to suckle on. Poor buddy. Still had that tooth coming in.

“Four, isn’t he?”

Steve just blinked at her, scooping Chester up to try to ground him. God, he wishes Peggy was here. She wouldn’t keep her temper in check as much as he was, but her comfort was greatly needed.

“You know damn well that our kids were born the same year, just months apart, and your daughter, who’s now pulling open the boxes of grits, by the way, is three months older than Chest. And by the way, Kelly, Chest is only eighteen months old! He’s just big for his age and upset because you’re a terrible mother who insists that our kids can’t play together.”

“Well-well-” Kelly stomped to her child and ripped the box from her hand, jerking her up. “He’s too big! He’ll hurt her! He’s nothing but a m-”

Steve didn’t feel his feet moving him until he was in front of the woman about to call his child a monster. He cradled Chester closer to him and glared down at her.

“Finish that sentence, I dare you. You and I both know damn well that Paul isn’t the father of your child and unless you want him to know…” The smile didn’t quite reach his eyes as he stepped back fixed Chester in his arms. “Come on, Chest. I know mommy is waiting for us at the house. Are you ready for our big move, huh? Away from judgemental neighbors who can’t keep themselves in check, yeah? We’ll find new friends for you to play with who don’t mind how big you are. Yeah, we will!”

--

It might’ve taken two months from moving from Brooklyn to DC and to finally get their house in order but Chester was a lot happier here.

More room to play around in, even having three play dates lined up in the last week with new neighbors who didn’t seem to mind their son was a little more advance.

It wasn’t until the four-month mark hit and Peggy came home from a doctor appointment within Shield did Steve feel the familiar dread hit him as she silently handed him a blank envelope.

Two sonograms were laid inside. One labeled baby a and the other baby b.

“Twins,” he breathed, looking over to Chester rolling his ball after the cat. “We’re having...twins.”

Peggy, seeing the familiar look pulled him in for a comforting kiss. “We are, but at least we have practice with Chester. And no judgemental Kelly around here.”

[what-goesaround-comesaround]

Let's talk about some Irish newsies-

Hey! So I thought it'd be cool to look into the research I've found indicationg that some of the newsies might have Irish ties! (I'm Irish so that might explain my interest) I'm not an expert at all or anything, this is just the research I've collminated while scouring through newsies facts.

Oh course this isn't set in stone, this is just information I've found so if I've got anything wrong, please tell me! I was inspired by this post to do my own research. (A lot of my research has to do with the original movie but stick around for some fun facts about surnames?)

And now, onto Jack Kelly :

^This is David's description of Jack in Newsies : a novel by Jonathan Fast which can be found here on pg 9. Both surnames "Kelly" and "Sullivan" have their roots in Irish history.

^on pg 27 of the same book David describes Jack again as "an Irish boy". I just thought this would be worth noting, seeing how David wants to make it obvious to us, the reader that Jack appears to be Irish or of Irish descent.

"Kelly", originally anglicized from the Gaelic "Ó Ceallaigh" meaning 'descendant of Ceallach', an ancient Irish personal name, originally a byname meaning 'bright-headed' or 'troublesome' (fitting huh?) Source found here.

Fun fact for you livesies fans, the reigning chieftain of Ui Maine (mid Galway, South Roscommon, sometimes referred to as "O'Kelly's Country") O'Ceallaigh (c1351), was a renowned patron of the arts. Source found here.

Another fun fact : Jack means Seán in Irish.

Bet you weren't expecting that. Or maybe you were. Anyway, source is found here. I also remember it being a topic of conversation in 3rd class Irish class. Wonder how Spot and Jack would feel about that.

^On pg 23 of the original 1992 movie script found here Jack describes himself as a "mick" which was a commonly used derogatory term used against those of Irish decent/Irish immigrants at the time. However this line was not included in the movie. Source found here.

Now for "Sullivan". The original Irish for the surname Sullivan is O'Suileabhain, however the actual derivation of the name is debated. There is no doubt that the root word is 'suil' meaning eye, but whether it is to be taken as 'one-eyed' or 'hawk-eyed' is usually left an open question. Sources found here and here.

The surname is associated with the southwestern part of Ireland and was originally found in County Tipperary before the Anglo-Norman invasion. Source found here

Also, in both movie and stage versions Jack tells us his father "taught me not to starve" indicating his father may have taught Jack about the horrors of the Famine/An Drochshaol/The Great Hunger that plagued Irish families for years after. Source is found here.

Okay! On to Spot Conlon :

^This is David's description of Spot Conlon from the same book, pg 51 (okay he may not outright say he's Irish but they really said "throw all the stereotypes at him like red hair". But seriously in the Hard Promises script and the Newsies script he's described the same way. I guess they really invisioned that red hair huh?)

Spot is interesting seeing as he is the leader of the Brooklyn newsies, Brooklyn being an infamously known place for Irish immigrants to live due to the Great Hunger/An Drochshaol (translated meaning "Hard Times") or as it's more commonly known as "the potato famine" between 1845-1852. Source found here. At least 1 million people died from this and another 1 million immigrated, a lot to America (although the exact numbers are disputed.) Around this time New York becoming the busiest port city in the world. There was labor work to be had in Brooklyn, in the manufacturing and loading and unloading of goods to be sent around the country and around the world. Irish immigrants who had been left poor and malnourished by the famine had no other option but to take on this manual labour to earn money. Many took jobs by the ports and settled by the Watershed i.e. near the ports. This could be a reason to why we're first introduced to Spot and his "cronies" at the port in the movie. Source is found here and here.

Supposing Spot was born between 1880-1886 (he's quoted to be 14 in real life in this article however it's stated in the Newsies Novel on pg 51 to "be around Jack's age" and it's stated in original script before Newsies was rewritten to be a musical and was still a drama, "Hard Promises" he's quoted to be 19 on pg 28. So take this with a grain of salt.) the U.S. census, which counted both place of birth and parents’ birth place as well, estimated that one-third of all New Yorkers were of Irish parentage. By 1890 as Brooklyn neighborhoods were expanding east and south, the amount of people with Irish stock is at 196,372. Source found here.

Also how people will usually use the name "Seán" or sometimes "Patrick" for Spot (one of the fandom wiki pages cites it as his real name here but admits to having no proof of it). Both of these are traditional Irish first names, Patrick being popularised by the patron saint of Ireland St. Patrick/Pádraig. Might have heard of it-

Now for his surname.

Conlon is an Irish family name, it being a variation of the anglicised version of Ó Connalláin. The name may be derived from two Irish Gaelic words "Con" (the genitive case of Cú, meaning "hound") and "Lón" meaning lion - thereby implying a person who has the characteristics of a lion born of a hound - strength and speed. Source found here.

Conlon had a Gaelic form of Ó Conallain or Ó Coinghiollan in Connacht however it's Ó Caoindealbhain in Munster and Leinster. Fun fact, Connal or Connall is claimed to be a pet name for a sprout or little sprout. Source found here.

The history regarding the Conlon surname is complicated to say the least- however it can be traced back to County Meath, where the Conlon descendants are from an important sept near Trim, which traces back to Laoghaire, King of Ireland circa 432. O'Coindealbhain was also anglicised 'Quinlivan' in Munster. Source is found here and here.

This post isn't letting me include the video of Jack, David and Boots going to Brooklyn to negotiate with Spot and the Irish traditional music in the background but I'll make a separate post about that.

Now, onto Racetrack Higgins.

I'm going to keep this kind of brief. We know Racetrack is described as "tall, skinny gambling Italian beanpole" in the Hard Promises script on pg 1 and he's described as "an Italian beanpole" on pg 5 of the Newsies Script. However the surname "Higgins" is Irish as far as my research has told me, not Italian.

The real Ed "Racetrack" Higgins lived in Brooklyn and is quoted to be the real leader of the Brooklyn union, and was elected vice-president of the general union after Kid Blink and David Simmons were accused of selling out. Source found here. I haven't been able to find much information about Racetrack Higgin's life after the strike or his family life which could connect him to Ireland however I thought it would be interesting. If anyone is curious about the real Racetrack Higgins this source has been really useful!

'Higgins" is an Irish family name with ancient royal connections. It is an anglicisation of O'hUigin, from the Irish word 'uiginn' meaning Viking. The original holder of the name was a grandson of Niall of the Nine Hostages, High King of Tara, and all of the O'Higgins claim a common descent from him. Ancient records show that several members of the O'Higgins claimed a hereditary right to be file or poet in the courts of the Irish Chiefs and Kings. Source is found here and here.

Because of their loyalty to Gaelic culture and religion, the Higgins suffered under the English Crown in Ireland and had lost all their lands in Sligo and Westmeath by 1654. Some of them remained in Ireland as tenants on their own lands, but many of them migrated to Spain where they achieved high office in the service of the King. Source is found here.

Fun fact, Racetrack has the same surname as the current (9th) President of Ireland, Michael D. Higgins!

Lastly, on to Crutchy/ie Morris!

^This is from the 1991 original script of Newsies when it was called Hard Promises and was written to be a drama. Obviously this wasn't the movie that we have today but I thought this would be a cool add on. I couldn't find a lot of information about the real Crutch Morris, whom Crutchy/ie is based on. The surname Morris isn't strictly Irish, it's a popular surname throughout the British Isles however with this piece of information I thought it would make sense to research it anyway.

"Morris" (Ó Muiris in Irish) was introduced to Ireland by the Normans, along with the variant Firzmaurice (Mac Muiris). A branch of these Morrises moved to Galway in 1485 CE and later became one of the Tribes Of Galway. The name may also have been an abbreviation of Morrissey (Ó Muireasa), a branch of the Uí Fiachrach clan. Sources found here and here.

The ancient Irish name Ó Muirgheasa (variant Ó Muirghis), a personal name thought to derive from muir, meaning "sea" and geas, meaning "taboo" or "prohibition." Source found here.

The Morris family does have an Irish family crest/coat of arms which I'll post at a later date, further cementing themselves in Irish history.

This is most of the information I have regarding the origins of the characters and their surnames however I could go on about the music in Newsies, the family crests, the housing circumstances of poor Irish immigrants in New York at the turn of the 19th century ect.

If you want to learn more about what life was like for Irish immigrants in New York I recommend reading the non-fiction book The Gangs Of New York (or watching the movie. It isn't completely historically accurate but give a decent overview of what was life) or reading this article by the Irish Times.

I've barely scratched the surface of this topic and hope to go into it father in the future!

May I leave you with this gif of the boys doing some Irish (inspired) dancing and David with his twirl combo!

Ps. If the links aren't working for you I'd be happy to provide a list of the resources I’ve used throughout my research on a separate post if needs be.

pps. @maggs-is-a-muppet @annihilatedthenightstalker @newsies-bun @letter-from-the-refuge thanks for the motivation last night 😌

[westofessos]

What I’ve Watched During Quarantine (so far):

TV Shows:

The Last Kingdom - holy shit I love this show and I cannot wait for a new season. Æthelflaed is a badass bitch. But I miss Alfred.

After Life - the most heartbreaking show in the world, with Ricky Gervais being funny between making me cry.

Community - maybe my favourite sitcom. I fucking love this show. I’m containing myself because if I don’t, I’ll go on forever.

Hunters - I love love love love love this weird-ass, terrifying, mind-bending, incredible show. What a ride. Sister Harriet is my favourite even though I don’t trust her.

Tiger King - Yes, along with everyone else I watched this fuckery. What is there to say? I was entertained, that’s it.

Making a Murderer - I was on a roll after Tiger King and wanted something crazy, and I got it. What a bunch of fucked up shit. I can’t believe this is real. Also Kathleen Zellner is a badass bitch and I love her.

Good Omens - I broke down and watched it. And this was the weirdest shit I’ve ever seen but I loved it. Crowley and Aziraphale are a delight. And my history nerd heart couldn’t handle it.

The Boys - wow this was the most disturbing, wonderful show. Truly terrifying but great. Billy Butcher is incredible.

Peaky Blinders - when I say I am in love with Thomas Shelby. Wow. What a fantastic show. I didn’t expect to like it, but I finished all five seasons in less than a week because I’m absolutely addicted. Damn you Thomas Shelby and your pretty eyes.

The Umbrella Academy (S2) - wow wow wow wow what an amazing season. I don’t want to spoil anything but it was absolutely fantastic.

Rewatches:

Lost - my favourite show of all time, and my favourite series finale of all time. Fuck what people say, Lost is brilliant and I would die for this beautiful show.

Brooklyn Nine-Nine - what an all around great time. I just love it so much.

Roseanne - ah, old school Roseanne. My actual favourite sitcom. Y’know, the one that was my entire childhood, basically made me who I am today, only for me to find out that the actress that played my actual idol was a racist. Yeah, that one. It was nice to ignore that though and love my favourite show regardless.

Scrubs - I just watched it for the first time just before quarantine, and decided to watch it again during. What a brilliant show. It means so much to me. Also, Perry Cox is one of the greatest, most complex characters to ever exist. And Carla Espinosa is an underrated queen. I’m also listening to Fake Doctors, Real Friends, which is Zach Braff and Donald Faison’s Scrubs rewatch podcast, and it’s great.

Friends - I missed this show, really. It’s still so great. Chandler Bing is amazing and I forgot how adorable he and Monica are.

Movies:

The Philadelphia Story - again, Cary Grant is lovely. Also, Katherine Hepburn is incredible and I love her.

Rocky 1-4 (haven’t gotten hold of 5 yet) - oh, yes, yes, yes. These movies. I love love love these movies. Rocky and Adrian are the couple.

Cocktail - this one wasn’t bad, considering I hate Tom Cruise. I’d watch it again.

Anastasia - I’ve been wanting to watch this one for a while, and it was awesome. I love Meg Ryan so much.

Rebel Without a Cause - this is such a great teen movie. I was surprised about how much I related to it. Also, as if everyone didn’t already know, James Dean is gorgeous.

Thelma & Louise - what a beautiful story about friendship and badass ladies. This is exactly my shit. Yes.

Steel Magnolias - this was such a lovely, sad movie. Oh, I love it.

The Wedding Planner - this one set me on a JLo kick, because this was such an adorable movie. Her and McConaughey were adorable.

Maid in Manhattan - ah, JLo, you did it again. I loved this one so much. Loved it.

Save the Last Dance - I hadn’t heard of this one, but I saw Julia Stiles and immediately clicked. That was the right choice. This movie was so cute, oh, I loved it.

All the President’s Men - me geeking out over journalism, politics, and history for two hours? Yes please. Also Robert Redford is gorgeous and I never found him that attractive before.

Terms of Endearment - oh, break my goddamn heart why don’t you. Fuck, this was so heartbreaking. I loved it.

Taxi Driver - a garbage movie for garbage people. Imagine if Fight Club just like, wasn’t a good movie. That was the vibe of this one. God, don’t waste your time.

Singin’ in the Rain - what a lovely, fun movie. All three main characters were great, the songs were awesome, the relationships were fun, what more can I say? Oh yeah, Gene Kelly? Damn.

His Girl Friday - overall an okay movie, but it was pretty funny, and Cary Grant. Dear god, I love me some Cary Grant.

Good Will Hunting - oh, fuck me, this movie. How dare you make me feel such things, Matt Damon. What an incredible movie. It made me, a person who hates Ben Affleck, not hate Ben Affleck for two whole hours. It made me cry, of course. Robin Williams, dammit. Wow. And Matt fucking Damon was so brilliant, and so was Minnie Driver, and they were so good together, and I could gush about this movie for days.

Set it Up - as of now, I’ve watched this movie, oh, nine thousand times?? How perfect is this movie? All of the actors are great, and I’d watch two hours of just Charlie looking at Harper. Ugh. The way he looks at her gets me every time.

The Old Guard - I’m not usually a fan of action movies but this one was so good !! I loved the plot and just the idea in general, and all of the characters were so awesome. It was a really great movie.

Rewatches:

Tombstone - I could watch this movie every single day. Val Kilmer as Doc Holliday might be my favourite performance ever. I can quote almost this entire movie, and I don’t even like westerns.

Gladiator - I hadn’t watched this in a long time, and I knew it was good, but it was so, so, so good. Wow.

Memento - maybe my favourite movie ever. Definitely my favourite mind-fuck movie. So cool, and just. . . god, it’s such a good movie. Hats off to you, Chris Nolan.

The Usual Suspects - this is one of my favourite movies of all time. Everyone is so good in it and that ending is incredible. I could gush about this movie forever. Dean Keaton deserved better.

This is the End - such a funny movie, wow. Anything with Seth Rogen and James Franco is good. Jay Baruchel, wow. I adore Jay Baruchel.

You’ve Got Mail - in my books, the best romantic movie ever. I watch this shit constantly. Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks are so adorable together. Add in Dave Chappelle, and it’s perfect.

Unbreakable, Split, and Glass - M. Night Shyamalan is always good and I’ll fight anyone on that. These three expecially. He’s the absolute master.

Back to the Future 1-3 - if I’m being honest, they’re not the greatest movies, but fuck, aren’t they, though? They’re cheesy as hell, but absolutely iconic and I still love the hell out of them.

The Neverending Story - this is the weirdest goddamn movie I’ve ever seen but the nostalgia hit me harddd. This movie was my whole childhood and even though it’s absolutely disturbing, it’s still great.

Talk to me about any of these!! I’m desperate to rant about my favourite movies and tv shows, and if you are too, feel free to reply to this post or message me privately! I’m always ready to talk and gush about things I love.

[ultrahpfan5blog]

Brooklyn Nine-Nine: Season 6 Retrospective

After the euphoria of everything that happened with B99 being cancelled and then revived, B99 returning for a season 6 felt like a gift. Basically a bonus in a way. It was a quasi relaunch of the show in NBC and I have to say that NBC promoted it a lot more than I remember Fox promoting it. Having finished season 6, it is a mixed bag. The season has a lot of really great episodes, a few mediocre ones, and one that I despise with every fiber of my being. And because of those handful of episodes that don't live up to the mark, season 6 ranks as my least favorite season. However, B99 even at its worst is considerably better than almost everything else on tv so its not a very heavy criticism of the season as a whole.

The previous season left the question of Holt becoming Commissioner unanswered. And while it would have been interesting to see B99 tackle Holt becoming Commissioner, it would have fundamentally been impossible to continue it as a singular workplace comedy if Holt and maybe Gina were working elsewhere permanently. So it was obvious he was not going to become Commissioner. The premiere is a delight. Its a honeymoon episode for Jake and Amy with a depressed Holt right in the middle of it. This episode is has plenty of great moments for Holt's variety of novelty t-shirts, to Jake and Amy's Die Hard roleplay, to Amy standing up for Jake and going off on Holt, to the hilarious 'this B needs a C in her A' moment which was clearly the writers having a lot of fun with having lesser language restrictions. The B and C stories are ok, but the A story is a delight. The next episode is a Hitchcock and Scully episode which is nice because we get to see them as studs in the 80's. There is a problem that it does not match up to flashbacks they have done in the past but I kind of ignore that. The next two episodes are dealing with Chelsea Peretti's departure from the show. Tbh, when Chelsea was on maternity leave for the first half of season 5, I didn't really feel her absence. Plus, it did start to feel at times that the writers weren't sure how to include her organically. The Tattler is a cute episode. I love the 90's look of the episode. Melissa Fumero looked adorable. Its probably one of the best Jake and Gina episodes, a dynamic which was strangely underserevd over the course of the show given Andy and Chelsea are childhood friends. But this episode and also their stuff in 'Four Movements' bring up the best in their dynamic. 'Four Movements' is a sweet goodbye although i wish Terry and Boyle had gotten a personal goodbye like Holt, Jake, Amy, and Rosa got.

The season's main storyline is Holt's fight with John Kelly, the new Commissioner. I thought Phil Reeves was pretty damn great as John Kelly. He was just slimy enough to know why he got on Holt's nerves and still charming enough so you could see why other people might like him if they didn't know him. The show continues to do some strong experiments. I love 'The Crime Scene', which is very much centered on Jake and Rosa. The episode doesn't have any B plots and just lets Any and Stephanie carry the episode with a fun appearance from Michael Mosley. It also effectively resolved the pending story from season 5 regarding the issues between Rosa and her mom since she came out as Bi. In terms of platonic friendships between a guy and girl, I feel Jake and Rosa is one of the most well created friendships I have seen on tv. There is also a real time episode in 'Ticking Clocks' guest starring Sean Astin, who was one of the celebrities who championed B99 when it was cancelled. I enjoyed that episode quite a bit because it got the whole ensemble involved. My only issue with it is that it made me dislike Jocelyn. I didn't like the way she broke up with Rosa on her way to the airport and put Rosa under the pump when she saw that they were in a high pressure situation. Holt was pretty right to be mad at the end of the episode. the show also tackled sexual assault with 'He Said, She Said' which is a home run in terms of acting performance for Melissa Fumero. Definitely some of her best dramatic work on the show. She's very ably backed up by Andy Samberg and Stephanie Beatriz who also directed the episode. The episode isn't a complete home run because there is a tonal inconsistency. Its a tough subject to be funny about. There is B plot that is completely unrelated connected to Holt's pursuit of the Yo Yo strangler and its a hoot. But it clashes in tone with the A plot which is pretty serious for the most part. Whereas an episode like Moo Moo managed to connect both the A and B stories with the single topic with Jake and Amy having to explain to Terry's kids about Racism. But honestly, this was about as well an episode on this topic that I can imagine.

The middle of the season is when the show hit a bit of rough patch, starting with Gintars. I like what the episode says about adoption and it was refreshing to see Charles be more assertive to Jake, but the whole deportation angle left a bit of a sour taste in the mouth. The B plot also has Holt and Amy being uncharacteristically mean spirited and while they apologize to Rosa at the end, the episode didn't make it feel they actually learned their lesson. The Therapist is kind of meh. Its another Jake going behind Charles' back episode. While the episode comes around at the end by giving a reason why Jake doesn't like therapy and Jake admitting that he needs to got to therapy, the rest of the episode involves a lot of jokes at patients and therapists which just isn't all that funny. Casecation is my least favorite episode on the show. Its an episode that is so tone deaf and inconsistent in characterization that it just irritates me. The rewatch is only the 2nd time I have watched the episode. I tend to skip it during the rewatches. Its bizarre how badly OOC almost every character is. I think Terry and Charles are the only ones who aren't OOC. While Jake's fears about parenthood are grounded in realistic concerns, we have had several moments where Jake has talked about having kids in the future. So the fact that he comes off as not wanting kids is inconsistent with what we know of him. I was not surprised with Amy being pro family, coming from a big family herself, but the fact that an organized person like her didn't outright have this conversation with Jake before marriage is not believable at all. The episode is also really mean spirited. The structured debate part has Amy, Holt, Kevin etc... all making fun of Jake's fears, Amy being emotionally manipulative and issuing ultimatums, Rosa offering to bully Jake into agreeing with Amy. In general, this maybe the only episode where I disliked Amy, whom I otherwise adore. I understand her perspective, but the way she handles it is unkind. I could honestly go on a long diatribe about why the episode is terrible. In the end, the mean spirited nature of the episode is what turns me off because the thing I love about B99 as a whole is the optimistic and idealistic nature of the show. Gina's return in 'Return of the King' is also not a favorite. Again, the episode just makes Gina look like a bad friend for blowing off Jake and Terry without explanation for so long.

However, thankfully, these 4 episodes are just a blip on the radar. The rest of the episodes are filled with a lot of hilarity. The Bimbo is one of my favorite Holt episodes. Jake and Holt is a dynamic that can never go wrong. Add Kevin to the mix and you have solid gold. Holt as "the bimbo" is a damn funny idea and its executed brilliantly. Cinco de Mayo is the first heist episode not on Halloween and its my third favorite. Mainly because I always root for terry since he always gets underestimated or made fun of during the heists. The Golden Child brings Lin-Manuel Miranda, another B99 celebrity fan, in as Amy's brother and its a lot of fun to watch Jake play the straight man whereas we see Amy being the crazy competitive one with Lin being up to the challenge as well. Craig Robinson makes a welcome return as Doug Judy, and The Honeypot is another hilarious Jake and Holt episode. The season ends really strong with Sicko and The Suicide Squad, bringing back Caleb the cannibal, Wuntch, The Vulture, and CJ. CJ is still a bit much but the others are all a hoot. It was nice to see Wuntch on the right side of things for once and we yet again see why Jake is considered the best and brightest of the 99 with his plan to take down John Kelly. The season doesn't have a cliffhanger, more a rejigging of the 99 dynamic with Holt being demoted to patrol officer temporarily.

Overall, it still a fun season. But the four episodes that didn't work bring the grade down a bit. Its a 7.5/10 overall. Now, onto season 7 with just days left before season 8 begins.

[tellthemeerkatsitsfine]

Things I learned from Russell Howard’s Home Time:

1) No matter unimpressed I am when he appears with professionally done hair gel and bleach on, it is much worse when he does not have access to professionals. I really am trying to not to focus too much on his appearance, but when I look at him in the Home Time videos all I can see are the frosted tips Jake Peralta had in the first few episodes of Brooklyn Nine Nine season 4. And the other characters in that show had an intervention to make him change that. I feel like Russell’s friend Greg should get his Cuckoo co-star Andy Samberg to explain that lockdown might be a good time to give the hair products a rest.

2) The whole thing where Russell’s way of interacting with anyone he particularly likes involves large amounts of palpable sexual tension (I was going to refer to it as “homoerotic” tension, but then I remembered he’s like that with Roisin Conaty too) - apparently that somehow still happens even when he’s not even in the same room as the other person and they’re only on Zoom. How does that even work?

3) I am sorry that I did not live in Britain in that one week in April 2020 when there was apparently a whole media circus sparked by Russell Howard drinking cider on Lorraine Kelly’s show. I wish I could have watched at laughed at that while it was happening.

4) Within the first few weeks of lockdown, COVID brought back Jon Lajoie, as well as Russell Howard and Jon Richardson filming a BBC 6 Music-style conversation. It’s not all bad.

And honestly, the chat with Jon was lovely. I’ve said before on this blog that I’m a sucker for “remember when we used to sit around together and dream about making it, look around at how cool it is now that we have made it” friendships.

5) I realize my situation isn’t close to the same as Russell Howard having to spend lockdown at his parents’ place because he had to stay away from his frontline health worker wife. I did not have the traumatic situation of a close loved one in that kind of danger from the pandemic, and I can’t imagine what that would be like.

But I did sort of feel it when he talked about what it was like to turn 40 in his childhood bedroom. In October 2020, I turned 30 in my childhood home. Not my childhood bedroom - I stayed in my mom’s room while she was out of town looking after her dad. But still. Turned 30 as I sat in my childhood home, having a drink by myself while my dad slept in the next room (yeah, my parents have been platonic roommates with separate bedrooms since I was 12, it’s fine, despite what my mother worries about it definitely did not contribute to me seeing long-term platonic relationships worth more effort than romantic ones). It wasn’t how I’d pictured that night.

6) These episodes are almost making me feel nostalgic for the beginning of the pandemic. Some of that is because I miss the time when there really was a sense of “everyone do your part for the greater good” in the air, when I wasn’t constantly reading stuff about people not giving a shit. But I think I also miss the hope. Russell keeps asking people what they’re excited to do after the pandemic is over, and they all have good answers. He talks about missing doing gigs and other big things. Michelle Wolf talked about missing specific and even annoying things she was used to about touring, like airport security.

I was like that at the beginning of the pandemic. I missed the big dramatic moments of coaching tournaments every weekend, but I also missed the quiet times helping an anxious kid warm up in a hallway. The last half hour of the long road trip home in the middle of the night, the truck’s dashboard shining in the darkness and three teenagers who’ve fallen asleep on top of each other in the back. The heart-to-hearts with the one teenager who stayed awake. To get less sappy, like Michelle Wolf I even missed the annoying things that were just part of life: the truck stops, the shitty hotel breakfasts, arguing with refs. God, I’d love to just get really fucking mad about a ref making a bad call right now. Go off about it in the moment and then complain about it to all the other coaches.

I barely miss those things anymore because they feel like another lifetime. I’ve gotten out of the habit of expecting any of those parts of life. I think that’s the main source of the nostalgia I’m getting from watching Russell Howard’s Home Time. I miss those first few weeks when this all felt like a break from real life, and we were all still excited for real life to come back. When it felt like we were just going to wait this out and then get back to those things we missed, rather than whatever it feels like now.

7) I was honestly not expecting point number 6 to go for more than a couple of sentences; I sort of realized those things as I was writing them. I think I just documented the ripping off of an emotional scab in real time. That was a very useful scab and it was made of obsession with British comedy so I’m sort of feeling the need to put that back on now, as we have a ways to go before real life comes back and the wound starts to actually heal.

So... okay... to get myself back into “only caring about British comedy” mode... I’m genuinely trying to think of something because I didn’t have any more points but I don’t want to end on that depressing note...

Looking at his interactions with Greg Davies, Jon Richardson, Roisin Conaty, Frankie Boyle, Dara O’Briain, Paul Chowdhry, John Oliver, Guz Khan; maybe Russell Howard is just backwards in terms of what his relationships actually are versus how they appear from the outside. Maybe his way of doing friendship naturally comes across as sexual chemistry, but if you see him with his wife they appear completely platonic.

[lam-ila]

interests tag!

This took me wayyyy too long. tagged by @gxldenflower

Music:

Favourite genre?

I like a lot of genres, but ig alternative pop

Favourite artist?

twenty one pilots

Favourite song?

hmmm probably Blown Away by Carrie Underwood

Most listened to song?

Teeth by 5sos

Five favourite lyrics?

Now the night is coming to and end/ the sun will rise and we will try again/ stay alive, stay alive, for me -Truce by twenty one pilots

We’re one of a kind, no category/ too many years lost in history/ we’re free to take our crown and glory/ for five more minutes/ we’re six -Six from Six the Musical

We said we'd both loved higher than we knew we could go/ But still the hardest part is knowing when to let go/ You wanted to go higher, higher, higher/ We burned too bright, now the fire's gone, watch it all fall down, Babylon -Babylon by 5sos

Everybody's got a dark side/ Do you love me?/ Can you love mine?/ Nobody's a picture perfect/ But we're worth it/ You know that we're worth it/ Will you love me?/ Even with my dark side? -Dark Side by Kelly Clarkson

Immigrants, we get the job done -Yorktown (The World Turned Upside Down) from Hamilton

radio or your own playlist | solo artists or bands | pop or indie | louder or quieter volume | slow or fast songs | music videos or lyric videos | speakers or headsets | riding a bus in silence or while listening to music | driving in silence or with the radio on

Books:

Favourite genre?

I’m not really sure. It’s been a while since I read stuff outside of school

Favourite author?

Suzanne Collins

Favourite book series?

Gregor the Overlander by Suzanne Collins

Favourite book?

The Help by Kathryn Stockett or The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Comfort book?

Does the Qur’an count??

Perfect book to read on a rainy day?

Been a while since I’ve read so I’m not really sure

Favourite book characters?

Luna Lovegood, Boots (from Gregor), the Weasley twins, Ms. Marvel (comics books count)

Five quotes you know by heart?

Literally none

hardcover or paperback | buy or rent | standalone novels or series | ebook or physical copy | reading at night or during the day | reading at home or in nature | listening to music while reading or reading in silence | reading in order or reading the ending first | reliable or unreliable narrator | realism or fantasy | one or multiple povs | judging by the cover or the summary | rereading or reading just once

Movies and TV shows:

Favourite tv/movie genre?

Action

Favourite movie?

The Princess Bride

Movie you watch every year?

Since we don’t celebrate Christmas, my family and I watch a Star Wars movie on Christmas every year. When the new movies were coming out, we would go to the theatre and be one of the only families there

Comfort movie?

Emperor’s New Groove

Favourite tv show?

Brooklyn Nine-Nine

Comfort tv show?

Phineas and Ferb

Most rewatched tv show?

Phineas and Ferb

Five favourite characters?

Natasha Romanoff, Mia Thermopolis, Rosa Diaz, the sick kid from The Princess Bride, and Yelena Belova

tv shows or movies | short season (8-13 episodes) or long seasons (22+ episodes) | one episode a week or binging | one season or multiple seasons | one part or saga | half hour or one hour long episodes | subtitles on or off | rewatching or watching just once | downloads or watches online

Tagging:

@jakeguentzels @hockey-is-my-love-language @storytravelled @calgarycanuck @generallybarzy

@dayytonababy and whoever else wants to do this

[frostedfaves]

Damage

Part 2

Pairing: Jake Peralta x fem!reader

Summary: Y/N has magical abilities and teams up with the squad to take down a villain.

Word Count: 1.6k

Warnings: murder scene, mention of parent death, evil parent

-

If he's being totally honest, Jake felt very much like the creeps he arrested on the streets of Brooklyn. He couldn't tear his eyes away from the girl across the street who was lost in her phone call. He tried to justify his staring by thinking to himself that he was just worried about a civilian being out late at night alone, but truthfully he was simply captivated by her.

"Dude, are you ready to eat or what?" Rosa followed Jake's gaze and smirked. "I guess that answers my question."

Jake blushed and faced her. "Gross, Rosa, no! I'm just wondering how she's gonna get home safely."

"Certainly not in your car," Amy interjected with a snort.

"What are we talking about? Jakey got a crush?" Charles asked, joining the group followed by Terry and Holt.

"I don't have a crush! As I was just telling nosy Rosie over here, I—"

"Hey, watch out!"

Jake's head immediately turned at Amy's words, expecting to be met with the scene of his mystery girl getting hit by a passing car and instead found something even more jaw-dropping. The girl stood frozen in front of a semi truck that was stopped in the middle of the road, the air between them a neon, glittering pink. She turned to the side of the street where the detective squad stood—suddenly realizing she had an audience—and bolted without question in the direction she came from.

"Wait!" Jake cried out as he began to follow her, instantly cut off by the semi truck that continued to roll down the street abruptly as if commanded. By the time it passed, the girl was gone.

Rosa was the next to break out of her shocked state, laying a cautious hand on Jake's shoulder. "It's probably for the best. Supernatural or not, no girl wants to be chased down the street by a guy she's never met."

-

A few days later, the nine-nine squad found themselves at the scene of a quadruple homicide. Three customers and a cashier found dead in a bodega, no witnesses and the security camera system conveniently destroyed. The detectives surveyed the store, all mentally scratching their heads and wondering how the hell they were going to solve this one. Even Holt seemed stumped.

"Guys."

Jake turned to look at Charles, following his fearful gaze and nearly jumping out of his skin. On the far side of the store stood his mystery girl. He noticed everyone else move their hands toward their guns, but curiosity got the better of him. He stood slowly, noticing her tear-filled eyes as she looked around the scene.

Holt found his voice first and spoke in his authoritative tone. "Ma'am, this crime scene is part of an active investigation. You cannot—"

"I think I know who did it," she blurted, surprising everyone. Her gaze flickered over to Jake for a second and back to Holt, and he fought the urge to smile. "No puncture or shot wounds, right? Dead all at the same time, just like that?"

"How did you know that?" Amy questioned immediately.

The girl nodded as if answering the question herself. "I know who did it, but I can't tell you here. It's not safe." She glanced outside before quickly conjuring up a glittering pink ball and sending it over to the pocket that held Jake's phone. "When you turn your GPS on, you should be able to find me pretty easily. I'll see you tonight."

The color appeared again as she turned in a circle, pulling a curtain of it over herself. It disappeared with her just as the Medical Examiner stepped into the bodega. 

-

Despite all signs pointing toward this being a bad idea, the squad decided to follow Jake's GPS to her apartment. The building was located on the wealthier part of town, but luckily didn't have a doorman. The mention of the lack of one reminded the detectives that they didn't know the name of the person they were expected to blindly trust, a discussion they had in the elevator on the way to her apartment, of course.

A knock on her door was followed by a muffled "come in", and they opened the door to one of the biggest living rooms they'd ever seen in an apartment. The mystery girl—MG, as Jake so affectionately referred to her—was standing near the ceiling-to-floor window finishing up an impressively majestic horse on a giant upright canvas. Jake thought that by some trick of light the horse was moving but realized when he came to a stop in front of it that it simply was moving.

His eyes moved downward to the artist herself and watched as she closed her paints and put away the rest of the art tools, this time allowing the smile to appear. It seemed silly but he almost felt lucky to be standing in the same room as her again, especially considering that he never thought he'd see her again.

She faced them finally with a small almost shy smile. "I'll be right back after I wash this mess off my hands. You can sit down if you want." She disappeared down the hall, magically closing the curtains as she went, and Jake turned to the group with a shrug.

"Might as well. If she wanted to kill us, she would've done it already."

Apparently this made sense to them because they were all sitting quietly on the couch in armchairs when she returned. They shook their heads at her offer on food and drinks and waited until she pulled up a wooden chair to sit in front of them to speak.

"So are you gonna tell us who you are now or what?" Rosa asked with a glare so intimidating that it made the poor girl cower slightly in her seat.

"Yeah, I am. I'm Y/N Patali, Pavlo Patali's daughter." She could practically hear the alarms going off in their heads just by looking at them and sighed. "If I tell you my sad origin story, will it convince you that I'd like to help you and that I'm not on his side?"

"Not completely, but it may help," Holt replied, giving Y/N no physical indicator that he meant it.

"Okay, well my father's originally from Nuxvar, a tiny village between the cities of Pompeii and Naples that housed all the world's magical people. When he turned 21 and gained the full strength of his powers, he performed dark magic on Mount Vesuvius and made it erupt over the village. He managed to kill every man, woman and child in the village and keep the damage hidden from the neighboring cities, because you could only get into the village if you had powers anyway."

"He wanted to be the only one left with powers," Amy acknowledged and Y/N confirmed.

"He came to New York right after. He met my mother and ended up marrying her, which I can't imagine him doing for citizenship so I'd like to believe he really loved her."

The squad listened as she went on to tell them about her mother discovering that her father was getting away with murder by using his powers and that the explosion that killed his home village wasn't an accident. She explained being 12 and her powers finally arriving, her mother instructing her to magically copy a book from his library that described how to strip a Nuxvarian of their powers as punishment for using them for evil, hoping to bring an end to his reign.

"I'd hidden the copy of course, but he found her reading through the original one day while I was at school because she wanted to learn as much as possible so she could help me learn too." Y/N took a deep breath, squeezing her eyes shut for a second to prevent tears from spilling. "I don't know what he did but I was told she suffered from a brain aneurysm and died 'just like that'."

She got up suddenly, walking over to the bookcase and taking the opportunity to wipe away a few stray tears away from everyone's eyes. She returned with a book that she placed on the coffee table between them as she sat down.

"My father told CPS that he was mentally unfit to care for me because I looked so much like my mother that it was driving him insane. This book was the only thing I managed to hold onto throughout my entire time in foster care and I've been studying it ever since. I think I can do it now, and then you can finally arrest him."

She spoke again before they could respond. "I can also help you track down all the people working in his drug cartel."

Jake was the next to speak. "I think we should do it."

"Peralta—"

"Sir, hear me out. Patali has one of the biggest drug rings we've ever had the misfortune of coming across and every time we've come close to shutting him down, we're suddenly right back where we started and now that we've heard her story, it all makes sense!"

"Sir, I never thought I'd say this but Peralta has a point," Amy timidly addressed Holt, choosing to ignore Jake's smirk.

"I agree," Rosa added in her usual monotone manner. "If we keep going at it like we have been, Commissioner Kelly is just going to get more and more pissed at us for wasting departmental resources. We should at least give Y/N a shot."

"Does everyone feel this way?" Holt gave a glance around the room, taking notice of everyone's heads nodding before meeting eyes with Y/N. "I suppose we could try things your way."

Her eyes danced around the room, gaze landing on Jake for a little longer than she meant to before making eye contact with Holt again.

"I promise not to let you down."