#or just nigel in general really

[afrsconp]

What does this mean 😭 is it a tease 😭 will Nigel be in another episode soon 😭

Also look at his fucking FACE, you guys. JUST LOOK AT IT. That is not the face of a man who is 100% ok with just being friends.

[etherealily]

ʀɪᴏᴛ // ᴛᴀɴɢᴇʀɪɴᴇ

This was from my poll .

My other Tangerine fics. If you have the time.

Tangerine + fem!reader. Cussing, but SFW.

You do NOT have permission to repost and/or translate any of my fics.

Desc. : Situationship final boss.

(This one's for you, my twin @wintrrsoul / @wintrsoul)

..……......................................................................................................................

He may not have a heart, but he sure as fuck has a soul, and it's superglued to you, it seems.

It's in the way he's actually sort of worried you'll somehow end up in the general vicinity of his jobs and get obliterated.

It's in the way he doesn't like the fact that he can't just straight up tell you things about him.

"I like the colour blue." No, would lead to a question about how long he has and then he'd have to talk about a childhood he never had.

"I hate fast food." So, what do you eat when you're out on a job? Hang on, what do you do at your job?

See? No good.

But it's also in the way he nearly acquiesces to all of your requests. Like this morning's.

"Tell me your real name."

It's not even just that. It's the way you say it. Ask it. Your fingers are in his hair like you're scared he'll get mad at you and that's the only way you can insure yourself against him, or something. By showing him how gentle you are. It's barmy, but it's you, so he'll allow it.

"Tell me yours."

"You know my name."

Unfortunately for him, he does. He'd have actually loved to have looked you up and been unable to find a face to the name you'd given him, but it was you. Right there. Too trusting.

"The one you'd like to be called, I mean." He's stalling. He's deflecting.

"The one I'd like to be called? What is this, a test? I have to say 'yours' or summat?"

He snickers. It's a quiet one, and if you'd been anywhere but in his arms, you couldn't have heard it. "Humour me."

"Humour you? I'm afraid I couldn't come up with one if you gave me all the time in the world."

"No?"

"No."

"Shame, that.", he grunts, stretching as he turns to you. He's been up for hours. Luckily, you're too used to it to ask why he's fully clothed in a fucking suit this early in the morning. "You could have heaps of fun with it. Little activity, if you ever get bored of ghostwriting."

"I'm only bored when you're not here."

"I'm your only source of entertainment, then?"

"Cable without a subscription, yeah."

"I can't even fault that. That's a good analogy. See? You should write summat on your own. Instead of helping write for talentless pricks. Who get credit."

He's doing the thing he likes doing again. Giving you a couple of his rings to 'model'. He thinks it's funny, how they only fit on your thumb, because he has insanely heavy taste in rings.

"Not this again."

"Yes, this again! It's true, innit? Some loser who can't write needs you to do their homework for them, but they get the credit?"

"That's not how it works."

"It is, too, how it works. You told me yourself."

"All this because I asked you what your real name was."

"Not this again.", he mimics, ruffling up your hair. "Have you kept your promise and narrowed it down, then?"

"I have, actually, yeah.", you say, and he watches with a lazy grin as you sit up, the morning sun like a halo behind you, igniting your hair.

Though he's more focused on the fact that you're topless.

"Let's hear it, then."

"Nigel."

"Nigel? Like the fuckin' pelican from Nemo?", he scoffs, shifting to rest an arm under his head.

"Hold your horses, I've got more, I've got more. I've got Thomas."

"Like the tank engine? What's with you and creepy animations today, love?"

"I figure there's a reason your brother keeps talkin' about the show. Am I warm?"

He shakes his head. "You're in Antarctica.", he informs, watching you roll your eyes. Watching you. That's all he's ever done. And that's all he ever wants to do.

"I'll get it one day."

"Pray you don't. It's really hot, how pissed you get."

"I will get it, though, some day."

"Lie back down, relax. It'll come to you in a dream."

You do as he says, flexing your fingers to display his entire collection of (four) rings, glinting in the sunlight. "Arnold?"

"Fuck you, sweetheart, you're just tryna take the piss now."

He doesn't laugh much, or smile, for that matter, but he's sure one day you'll catch him off guard. Not today, though. Mm-mm. Because he feels like you're not about to let up today.

Call it a lover's intuition. But he feels like this might either be your last fight or your last fight. In short, either you never speak again, or he croaks and he really can never speak again.

"Where are you going next, did you say?", you ask, between sporadic, breathy chuckles.

"Tokyo." he reminds, leaning an arm back on the headboard while his other played with your hair like that was his next job and it paid in infinite quid.

"Can I know where?"

"Uh... just the train, it looks like."

You turn your hand around to watch the light bounce off his rings. "Will you send me another postcard, then?"

His eyebrows furrow. "Come again?"

"Like, the one you sent from Bolivia. It was tops. Alpacas and whatnot."

"I'm sorry, love — postcard?" Oh. Fuck. His brother. "Oh, yeah. Not much to do in a train, but if I find one, I'll send it over."

There's a sort of domestic silence, and for a moment, he's sure he can hear the rays of sun crash through the window, all tinkly. But that might just be the hangover.

"Why won't you tell me your real name?"

"Because I can't. You know that."

He sighs magnanimously, allowing you to rise to brush your teeth and freshen up or whatever you did to avoid the fact that his secretiveness pissed you off to no end. Which was fair, honestly.

"I just feel like we're past that point."

Any response he might have had dies on his tongue. That is fair. You have known each other near a year now. If he were you, he'd be peeved as well.

Once more, a silence flashes through the room, before he does, too, his arms crossed as he firmly leans against the doorframe.

He exhales deeply for a moment, before you spit out toothpaste, avoiding his gaze in the mirror. "Y/N."

"That's my name, yeah."

"Alright, hey—", he scoffs, moving next to you, watching you again in the mirror. "That's the last one of those you get, alright? Snappy responses or wha'ever. I'm not doin' that. The whole soft, concerned bit? Nah. That's not what we are, and we have rules. Yeah?"

"I know we had rules, and you've broken far too fuckin' much of them, but I can't break one?", you retort, unscrewing the lid of your stupid fucking bottle of Listerine. God, why did everything you do today set his teeth on edge?

"No, you can't, 'cause your ghostwriting doesn't kill anyone except your dreams. My job does. I'm not gonna receive a phone call sayin' that you're hangin' from some ceiling or some streetlight or summat somewhere, yeah?", he reminds, sternly, with a finger pointed at you, a hand on his hip, the whole shebang, before he turns back into the warmth of the bedroom, folding his suit's sleeve, now.

"Your job.", you scoff, under your breath as you gargle and then spit.

He cocks his head, raising a brow as he spins right the fuck back around. "What was that?"

"Nothing."

"'S what I thought.", he mutters, adjusting his tie, running his hands through his hair, standing in front of the window on the other side of the room — you know. Basically do anything to take his mind off how fucking frustrated he is.

You're being mildly unreasonable. But he supposes he can't blame you. "Contract killer" isn't a profession you can segue into a conversation. In your head, he's much nobler. A CIA agent.

"Fuck. You can't have a normal mornin', can you?"

'And you can't have a normal reaction.', you think.

"I heard that."

You snort, shutting the bathroom door behind you as you come back out. "I didn't even say anything."

"You were thinking summat, I know you were."

"I was thinking you should shave."

He's glad you're back to the jabs at him, because he can shake himself out of this odd prophetic revelation he's supposedly having about his death or your loss of interest in him. Either/or.

He grins when you finally come out, flicking your forehead as you cross paths so he can take his turn in front of the sink. He really needed some fucking shut-eye on the plane there, but for now, washing and scrubbing at his face should keep him awake enough, and— what the hell were you doing?

He dabs his hands in between a plush hand towel by the sink, as he watches you trying to get dressed, from the bathroom mirror. "No. None of that."

"I have work."

"Oh, yeah? Funny. Sit."

"I told you, I've got work."

"There's a couple hours till my flight, and I'm sure incompetent authors can wait. Sit down."

"What, it's all according to your 'timetable', then?!"

He hates this. He hates the way you've just said "timetable" like you're accusing him of lying to you.

He doesn't care about the lying allegations, but he does care about how much audacity you seem to have, even though you know that he has a gun on him every time he kisses you.

It means that you know he's, for some odd reason, toned down around you. Not even remotely likely to hurt you.

And that's not good.

"I don't see any angry fake-authors knocking at your door right now, so yeah, yeah, it's according to my timetable. Stay. Get back in bed, alright?"

"Sorry to disappoint, but I actually have to go now, so."

He knows you're bullshitting. He's seen you when you're actually late, and that pretty little fuckin' vein in your head is nowhere near popping.

This is the only way you can get back at him for talking to you like that, and you're taking the chance.

How dare you do exactly what he would do if he were you?

"Hey.", he calls, but you're still rechecking that all your bullshit's in your bag. So, naturally, he moves behind you, his hands on your shoulders pulling you back while swivelling you around to face him.

"Why, hello, there. Go deaf or summat?", he muses, holding onto your face with both thumbs at your jawline.

"What?"

"Tell you what. You get to pick my codename for this job. Alright?"

"What?"

"Yeah. You already got some ideas, then?"

"What's the catch?"

You've abandoned your task of shoving things into your bag, and he can't have you achieve the satisfaction of coaxing a smile out of him twice in a row, so he kisses the side of your cheek and your shoulders to hide it.

"No catch."

"There's always a catch with you."

"Like what?"

"You'll reject everything with some bollocks reason."

"Nah, I'll give you a fair chance. Shoot."

"Like Dave? Or James? Or Aaron, or summat? It's like, casual, unseeming. Jane Doe, but for blokes, whatever it is. "

"John Doe. Right. But what if there's some poor bloke with the same name and description?"

"I just think the odds are terribly small."

He nods against your hair. Alright, that was fair. "Maybe my brother's done some weird shite.", he remarks, suddenly.

"Why do you say that?"

Mainly because his brother has just texted him, the absolute prick.

"He hates codenames, so he's probably sending a ridiculous one to piss me the fuck off."

🍋

Fucking what?

Excuse me?

CN. 🍋

CN. Codename. His codename was fucking LEMON?!

"I can't bloody well be James or Aaron now.", he mumbles, rubbing his hand over his jaw as he glares at the phone. You hear him, somehow.

"Why not?"

"My brother's codename for this job is apparently Lemon."

"Lemon? Like, the—"

"Yeah, like the fruit."

You snort. "So, what, you have to match, now? Uh... Melon? That would be matchy-matchy, no? Lemon-Melon."

"You're lucky you're hot, or I'd have shot ya just for that.", he comments, moving hair from your shoulders. "Look at me."

"No." It's a tease, he can tell by looking into your mesmerizing, beady little eyes.

"Why not?"

"Told you, you need to shave."

"And do what? Go clean-shaven like a fuckin' prepubescent?"

"No, I think you should get rid of the beard, go with the moustache only."

He lets out a sharp laugh of incredulity. "Not a chance in hell." He already knows he's going to do it. He's not too proud to cater to the female gaze once in a while.

You shrug, and he gestures for you to sit back down on the bed.

"I still don't believe you, you know."

He huffs, groaning as he runs his hands across his face. "What the fuck do you want from me, love? I'm not givin' you any form of identification, which, if that is what you want, is fuckin' stupid, considering the amount of times I've been inside you!"

You stare back, indifferent.

You have a habit of doing this - you leave him all huffy and red and angry and you just look at him like you don't give a crap, and it's unnecessarily sexy.

"Come on, we cross paths once in a couple months. Your job, sorry to say, is much less urgent than mine, so ju—"

"I don't even think you're tellin' me the truth."

"What? About my job?", he spits, exasperated.

"What sort of CIA agent is this flexible with their routine and, like...", you mutter, gesturing around at the hotel room.

"The good sort. You don't believe me?", he questions, sucking on the back of his teeth to hide his amusement.

"Don't you get government benefits or summat? Shouldn't you have a house?"

He raises a brow, and his mouth quirks for a second before he bursts out laughing. See? He knew you'd catch him off guard and make him laugh some day. So much for that not being today. "Government benefits. You're a riot."

"You're also not supposed to tell anyone that you're a CIA agent."

"No?", he asks, tilting his head. "Oh, I'll have to kill you then, don't I?"

"Please do.", you mumble under your breath, still acting like you have better places to be. And, in all honesty, you might. The vein is this close to popping now, so he may have been wrong about your lack of things to do.

He raises both brows as you sit there.

"Are you really still fuckin' angry?"

"I just want to know your name, what am I gonna do? Write it into a story?"

"Knowing my name will prove I'm a CIA agent, then, will it? How does your mind work?", he hisses.

"Lose the suit."

"What?" Oh, you were playing his game, with the subject changes, and he didn't like how hot that was, either.

"The suit. It's trash. That shade of green is trash. Go with blue."

"Go with blue? I need to go with blue, now do I?", he sputters, shoving you further back onto the bed, his medallion chain dangling in front of your eyes as if he were about to hypnotise you with it. "You're a riot.", he says, his fingers digging into both your cheeks.

"You said that already."

"You're gonna miss me, that's what this is." He says it like an insult, and, in this odd dynamic between the two of you, it very much is. "You're losin' your cable-with-no-subscription."

"I'm just saying the green isn't classy, not even remotely."

The grip travels to your hair, and suddenly, you're eyelashes apart. "Yeah?"

"It's trash."

"Mm.", he nods, in mock consideration. "Right."

There's a moment of silence.

"You know, if I die on that bullet train, you'll regret being such a cunt today."

"I think if you die, you'll regret spending your last morning being a cunt to me."

"So we're both cunts?"

"Apparently."

"Oh, darling, we're made for each other, then, yeah?"

You roll your eyes, and he kisses you.

Like always.

..……......................................................................................................................

Seriously.

He may not have a heart, but he sure as fuck has a soul, and it really is superglued to you, it seems.

It's in the way he's pretty sure you're making the worst stylistic choices for him ever — an extremely expensive wristwatch on a mission where he'll get multiple peoples' blood on it, but he'll let you pick anyway.

It's in the way he's sure it's supremely dangerous to text you in between jobs but he'll do it anyway.

How's by you, then?

Fine. How's the train? Did you do the coin thing?

No, haven't had the chance.

Who's the target? Or whatever.

If I could tell you that, we wouldn't have had the conversation this morning, would we?

Are you on a break or summat? How are you texting me?

He grimaces, looking up at the man out of breath opposite him.

Break. Yeah.

Did you go with my codename?

Ladybird, he thinks his name was. Can't remember, doesn't need to. The only codename he needs to remember is the one you set for him.

"Move.", he grumbles, shoving his foot away.

"Lady love?", he retorts back, nodding his head at the phone.

"Summat like that. What's it to you, virgin?"

The Insect chuckles at that, and he grimaces. His laugh's not like yours, and it's kind of disgusting to him, now. Fuckin' wanker.

Yes, I did.

How do I know you're telling the truth? Do you and your brother have name-tags?

No. Turns out, he wanted me to be Lemon. Told you he doesn't like codenames, so that was his form of revenge.

No way!

This is so unnecessarily fun, he wants to kill himself. He's about to be murdered by some Russian underworld crime-lord for losing a briefcase of money and a bell-end of a son, but he's here, talking to this girl about why his codename had to be a citrus fruit variant for this particular job.

He was really fucking priority-less.

But he's not going to acknowledge how much he needed this conversation.

Instead, he glares up at Ladybug. Or was it Ladybird? Oh, right, he doesn't care.

"I didn't even say anything."

"Again, shut up, virgin.", he scoffs, eyes darting back down to his phone.

Told him he's Lemon and that's that. I'm Tangerine.

Did you say why?

Yeah, like you said. 'Cause it's sophisticated.

Good job.

There's some old guy here tryna fuck up our chances at getting our paycheque.

He sounds like a right fucking arsehole. Stealing jobs from younger people like that.

He hides a grin at that, nudging the man with his foot.

"For what it's worth, you seem like a right fuckin' arsehole, and I'm glad you're gonna fuckin' die with me.", he declares, shoving the phone into his pocket. He knows he doesn't need to say goodbye or anything. Not with you.

Especially not now. Not when he could actually die.

It's just bad form.

Buggering hell. He's dressed head to toe in you, essentially. The suit. The watch, fuck. The rings -though they were his initially - have you all over them. The fucking facial hair. And he's still on the fence about who you even are. To him, that is. Who you are as a person? He's researched every drop of information about you. And sadly, he knows there's heaps more that he hasn't found out yet.

"That's nice.", replies The Insect.

Fuck. This wanker has Lemon's phone. Lemon's whereabouts are unknown. And he's sitting here, catching his breath like he'd never taken a beating before, and thinking about you. Idiot.

But honestly. All Tangerine could do was wait around, really.

"What kind of a name is Tangerine?", asks the tosser named Ladybug.

"Back off, my girl came up with it."

My girl. That's new. Moving on.

"Your girl's your handler?"

"My brother and I don't have 'handlers', we're outside contractors. Why do you have a handler? Loser."

"You know, you have the insults of a twelve year old boy. 'Loser'. 'Virgin'."

"Fuck you, mate."

The Insect shakes his head, chuckling as he picks off some semi-dry blood. "So. Why 'Tangerine'?"

"It's sophisticated."

"In what world?"

"The one you're about to leave if you don't fuck off."

He groans and clenches his teeth in absolute fucking agony as he moves to sit more comfortably. Oh, if you were here, you'd both laugh at him and help him get fixed up, wouldn't ya?

"Just curious."

"Yeah?"

"Do they even know what Lemon looks like?"

Huh. The Insect seemed to have some sort of sixth sense that was unexpected of him. He's going to impersonate his brother, apparently.

They could both die for this. Especially with the fake fucking case, and The Insect's god-awful British accent.

Fucking hell.

He rolls his eyes and yanks the phone out of his pocket again, scrolling, scrolling, scroll— ah, there you are.

I told him he was an arsehole.

Yeah? What'd he say?

He said 'your girl can go fuck herself'.

And what did you say?

'I'll go fuck my girl myself.'

Bullshit.

He loves making up stories and telling them to you, because you believe them all and eat it up.

He knows that by "bullshit", you mean the thought of him ever calling you "his girl", and he honestly can't fault that. But you are. Always have been. He just wishes you'd know that, without him having to tell you.

You're constantly on his mind, why can't you fuckin' read it, too?

I do have to go, now.

"You have to go? Where?"

A voice message. God, is it fucking amazing to hear one familiar voice that doesn't want to bloody kill him, maim him or torture him for not taking care of their son or their briefcase!

"If I told you, you wouldn't believe me."

"Try me, Tangerine."

And then, it happens. You coax a full-blown laugh out of him. "That's growin' on me, y'know? I'll bring back a whole box of 'em and force-feed it to you."

"Get your brother lemons, too, then."

His brother. Fuck. "If I find him."

"What do you mean?! Is he okay?"

"Listen, love, I'll call you later, alright? I've got to go sort out this Lemon situation."

"Alright, yeah."

"I'll send you a postcard."

He doesn't know why he just said that, seeing as his survival would be nothing short of a miracle, and he's giving you false hope on a catastrophic level.

God, he was a pathetic little cunt. Wearin' his girlfriend's pick of jewellery and clothing and accessories and even moustache? Of course, it made him look good, but still.

And now he's sitting here, worried that he's lied to you, inadvertently.

There's a fuckin' limit, yeah?

"Oi.", he calls, tired and reluctant, but this has to be done.

"What?"

Tangerine licks his lips as he leans against the rumbling wall of the train car, arms crossed, muscles flexed. He wipes off a spot of blood from his nose, sniffing before he speaks. "If shite goes downhill. "Hits the fan", as your people would say it.", he mumbles, unable to fucking believe that this is what he'd come to.

His fingers rub desperately at his temples.

You (or Ibuprofen) would do a peak job at that, actually. But neither are in sight.

"Mm?" The Insect's dusting off the proxy briefcase as he responds, glancing at him from over his shoulder. "You lightheaded?"

"No, I've got a fucking migraine thanks to that ten quid water bottle you threw at me, mate!", he snaps, clenching his fists so he doesn't sucker punch this proxy-Lemon again.

He clears his throat. "If shite goes wrong, uh, would you help me send a postcard, to my girl?"

The Insect guffaws for a moment, fixing up the case as he turns, before raising both brows in astonishment. "You're serious?"

"Why the fuck would I joke about my girl?"

He holds up his hands in surrender, the briefcase glinting slightly in the fluorescent train lights. "I didn't even think you actually had a girl."

"Well, I do , alright? And if I die, just tell my brother to send her a postcard, uh, with my name on it."

"Tangerine.", he comments.

"No, you absolute stupid git, my real n— Lemon'll know what to do."

"What if he dies, too?"

Tangerine's eyebrows furrow, and his lips purse. "You're a real ray of sunshine, aren't ya? Fine, if he dies, too - he better fucking not have - you get my phone. Find my girl's address, send her a postcard with my real name."

"What's your real name?"

"Oh, fuck off, it's all in my phone. 'M not tellin' you now, and then if somehow we both survive, there's someone out there who knows my real fucking name, how much of a muppet d'you think I am?"

"Alright, alright. Done. What if I don't surv—"

"You better fucking survive!"

The train door jolts open right then, and honestly? The Insect's so lucky that happened.

"If your British accent's a stereotype, I will throw you under the train.", he growls under his breath as they both step off to 'prove' that the case is still with them.

He'll get a postcard to you, dead or alive.

At the very least, you'll get a story out of it and you can write some books on your own.

Ha. Ghost-writing.

God, you'd have loved that joke.

Ugh, fuck his luck to hell.

[somerset-gasoline]

This probably doesn’t deserve such a long post but i really wanted to talk about

the red lighting in all eyes on nigel

I think this is the only case that anything other than the plot made me really fall in love with a longform. Don’t get me wrong, the story is fantastic and everything from Luke’s naive newbie cop to Sam and AJ’s ride-or-die dynamic duo is such a joy to see. But just… the lighting. It feels like all the stars aligned just to create one of the most visually pleasing and appropriate atmosphere for any longform ever.

All eyes on Nigel is a crime thriller at heart. A menacing mastermind as the big bad, unsuccessful sting (sting) operations, our heros getting trapped in the belly of the beast. All of this is accentuated by the harsh red lighting. You can clearly see everything going on on stage, but the stark contrast between the actors’ generally black clothing and the glaring red curtains gives you the feeling that everybody is shrouded in darkness - like we’re under the streetlights in the middle of the night or squinting at a lone lightbulb in the deepest recesses of a villain’s lair.

It literally looks like a camera filter that only catches reds and blacks. Look at the way the red almost spills onto AJ’s shoulders, how their hair glows at the areas where they are thinnest… or in AJ’s case, a literal crimson halo.

But the greatest beneficiary of this setup is, of course, Luke. I’m not sure how much they coordinated their outfits with the lighting in mind but my god everything about his style in this show was absolutely perfect.

His blonde hair is completely dyed scarlet in the right angle, his glasses adds to the unnatural hues on his face. He actually looks ethereal in this particular photo. The way so much red highlights his profile also fits with how Nigel corrupts the clueless Andrew into basically a cocaine-snorting attack dog.

The best part, however, is his outfit: a green-tinged shirt and bright red trousers.

Green and red are complementary colours, meaning the highest colour contrast is achieved when they are used as backlights for each other. Every moment Luke was on camera I would stare at how the red stains the shirt fabric, the colour contract is mesmerising and reminds me of those amazing colour study paintings you see online.

The red trousers have the completly opposite effect - the red lighting is completely reflected into our eyes, making the trousers the brightest piece of clothing and draws our eyes towards it. Probably coincidental, but with the significance it plays in the final scene, it was the perfect choice for this play.

I have no idea how I managed to write this much about a lighting choice but the artist trapped in my brain demanded this post to be made. If you’re still here, thank you, have a funny Tom screenshot I stumbled upon while collecting resources

(They’re the same picture)

[that-one-enby-ranger]

I made a post a while ago where I briefly mentioned that I think the craftmasters would all be good friends, and so would Halt and they would hang out together a lot and now because nobody asked and I'm bored, I'm gonna say what I think Halt's relationships with the different craftmasters would be.

Pauline: Their relationship is kind of fucking obvious. I don't need to say anything

Rodney: I think they'd get a long quite well. It was mentioned in the second book that Rodney considered Halt to be a friend. They'd probably sometimes fight a little bit, but generally I think they'd be good friends.

Arald: They are definitely great friends even if it doesn't always seem like it. They definitely annoy each other a lot, and they definitely have had many arguments, but I don't think there's a single person of authority that Halt hasn't had an argument with so that's to be expected. @iwanttobepersephone said once that she thinks Arald are Halt are great friends and Arald is really supportive and kind of like a father but also isn't to Halt and I love this idea so much so that is now true and no one can change my mind. Well done Kore, you have written new canon

Chubb: I feel like Halt and Chubb probably have the most fights and disagreements. You can't tell me Halt isn't a fucking little shit to Chubb in the kitchen or any other time. So most of the time they're arguing about something stupid, but they do actually care about each other, and they can sometimes have calm, casual conversations where they actually get along. They seem very brothers-who-fight-a lot-but-actually-love-each-other coded.

Nigel: Nigel is one hundred percent a yapper and won't shut up about things so he sometimes pisses Halt off, but other than that they get along. They have a few things and common and they'll have conversations about those things. I know realistically Halt most likely wouldn't like to read because it would fit with his character to just find it completely boring and pointless, but because these are my headcanons I can do what I want and I'm gonna self project and I'm gonna say he does like to, so Halt and Nigel will just yap to each other about what they're reading.

Ulf: No one fucking remembers this horse man so he doesn't matter. He had like one line of dialogue in the first book and was never bought up again. I wouldn't be surprised if no one remembers him.

Anyways those are my little thoughts. This is all canon in my mind so nothing can change my mind about how these fuckers interact, not even the king Flanny himself.

[myman0rexic]

An Undergraduate Forensic Viewing of Like Minds (2006) Train Scene

Pray for me. Pray for yourself. We are one now.

Contents:

1. Introduction 2. What We Know 3. The Investigation 4. Bibliography for Nerds

1. Introduction

Some justifications first.

I'm an undergraduate stem student obssessed with many topics, including forensic studies. I just finished a complete course about forensic chemistry/tecnology/law in uni and yes, I'm a big failure of a person and was thinking about applying some of the things I've learned into Like Minds' train scene. To clarify, I'm not an experienced profissional of the field. It is to say, I've never worked in such area and had just one or two significant interaction with said profissionals and students. My considerations won't be 100% accurate, clearly, and I may mistake or ignore fundamental data and studies. I intend solely to present some interesting facts and rapidly discuss their applicability here.

Take everything I say with large grains of salt, this is mostly for my enjoyment.

Let's kill Nigel!

2. What We Know

Figure 1. Visual diagram of forensic ballistics' main areas of study. Some will be mentioned here. [1]

2.1. Ballistics - Anatomy of a Discharge

Ballistics is a science field divided in three main ramifications: (1) Interior Ballistics, (2) Exterior Ballistics and (3) Terminal Ballistics. (1) studies the mechanism of a gun discharge, (2) studies the trajectory and behavior of a projectile once it is ejected from a firegun and (3) studies the damage and overall interaction of the projectile with a material structure (biological or not). [1] Ballistics experts (chemists, some engineers, law experts, etc) ocuppy themselves with many things regarding firearms, a field of work that recuries much study and understading of multiple fields of knowledge such as spectroscopy, law and general legislation, physical properties of chemical coumponds, solid state science, material science, industry production series and others. Some areas of chemistry and biology are of great importance and are commonly used complementarily.

We then understand what bullets are. The component that effectivally hits the target in these scenarios is the actual "projectile".

Figure 2. Simple structure of shotgun (left) and rifle (right) ammunition. [2]

In simple terms, they're composed by (1) a shell that holds everything together, (2) some coumpond responsable for the liberation of gas via chemical reaction and (3) some way to give the heat needed for said reaction to occur. There is a whole field of study and production of these killing objects that seeks out to balance some of their properties in different scenarios by the armamentist industry in oder to supply endless applications that constantly develops new shapes and components, so going through it all would be impossible. Regardless, all ammunition is classified by size, called "gauge" in shotguns, and "caliber" in rifles and handguns. [2]

Case: [in shotguns] It is a small cilindrical piece made out of a tube of common plastic or sturdy paper (the red/blue/colored part) that holds the multiple projectiles to be fired (shots), with a metallic base (the primer) composed of brass (copper and zinc) or steel (iron and carbon). [in rifles] The case is called cartridge case, and it is composed by brass as well. [2]

Powder (or propellant): They are usually Nitroclelullose (handguns), Nitroclelullose/Nitrogliceryn (rifles) and Nitroclelullose/Nitrogliceryn/Nitroguanidyn (long range rifles) [3]. Oversimplifying, organic molecules containing nitro groups (present in Nitroclelullose, Nitrogliceryn and Nitroguanidyn) are really unstable; these chemical groupaments are highly reactive in face of many scenarios. If enough energy is provided (by heating, or mechanical contact and pertubation) they will enter a decompostion process, breaking and reacting with their own bonds spontaneously, liberating gases such as H2O, N2 and CO2. These mentioned gases are much more stable compared to the original organic coumponds, so the atoms will "prefer" to form these species if the conditions are set (thus, a spontaneous reaction). This increases pressure inside the shell and forces the projectile to leave violently as a result of gas expansion. [4] Shotgun powder is composed by potassium nitrate, charcoal and sulfur; a mixture known as "dark powder", and it is separated from the shot (projectiles; multiple balls of steel, lead, rubber, or really anything) by a small component called "wad". The same principle explained in the decomposition of organic nitro-compounds apply for the potassium nitrate present here, but only in the presence of sulfur (easier to melt and ignite), providing the necessary heat for potassium citrate to generate the oxygen needed, resulting in charchoal's combustion. [2]

Primer: Primers are a fundamental part of any ammunition, and yet a simple one. When a firing pin from the firegun hits them, sparkles and heat will be produced, which gives the propellent all requiered energy for the chemical reaction. It is, when the action lever is pulled, the firing pin is tensioned by a spring inside the gun. When the trigger is pulled, this firing pin hits rapidly the ammunition's primer (metallic base). [5]

Figure 3. Shotgun firing pin scheme. [5]

The discussion of differents powders/propellents (like smokeless powder), projectiles shapes (in rifle cases) and firegun types (other than rifle and shotgun) is being ignored.

All that must be known is: the trigger pulling promotes a mechanical impact against the ammunition base, which promotes chemical reactions that liberate great amounts of gases, increasing the pressure inside the case, what will pushes the projectile(s) inside foward with great speed.

2.2. The Shotgun - Means to An End

We now restrain ourselfs to the firegun. Let us take a look on the following images:

Figures 4-9 (left to right, top to bottom). Shotguns' takes from Like Minds (2006).

Main considerations:

The shotgun used by Mr. Colbie isn't the same one used by Nigel/Alex in the train scene. We can clearly point that by the number of barrels, i.e., two barrels contaning two projectiles (killing Nigel's mother and father without visible activation) in its first appearance, and only a single one in its second appearance. Maybe this has been discussed before.

It is not a narrative problem if we have the eyes for it. Nigel's father possesses two shotguns, so we assume Nigel went back and grabbed the single-barrel one before going after Alex.

The reloading thing would be important during the bedroom scene, between the moments where John shoots his wife and Alex picks up the gun from the floor. There would be no way of aciddentially shooting Mr. Colbie wihout Alex pulling the action on the second barrel (how would he know which one of the barrels were loaded and why Mr. Colbie would only activate one of the two barrels? It appears he wasn't using the shotgun to merely scare his family). Perhaps the double barrel shotgun used has some individual firing feature, perhaps.

Also, the single barrel shotgun is the same one used by John when Alex and Nigel first accessed the hidden baseament together. This isn't of great relevance though.

After a compulsive research in gun sale sites and over 900 models of shotguns (no joking), I'm inclined to believe that Nigel's single barrel shotgun is an Era 410 GA Single Shot Break Action. My conclusions is based on Figures 6 and 9, the shotgun's best takes throughout the entire movie. The important details are: a single barrel, with rounded trigger guard that ends exactly where the wooden stock begins, by a rounded break action lever with squarish shape that leans horizontally to the receiver and a rectangular like forestock. Other smaller details are: the receiver's top shape and really curved back, the declination present on the stock and the three screws' position and size.

The engraved symbols on Colbie's receiver are sculpted by a profssional artist called "engraver", by client's demand. Therefore, these sigils are decorative and probably carry some meaning to the shotgun's real owner, so they aren't a discrepancy to worry about. The frame I acquired (Figure 9) is of poor quality and there's nothing I can read in there besides one or two letters. I've tried to watch the movie in other internet sites but it didn't help that much.

It took me forever, but here it is [6], [7]. There are also youtube videos revewing this gun in the Extra section.

Figures 10-13. Era 410 GA Single Shot Break Action Shotgun. [6]

Note: @laurelwen successfully identified Nigel's firegun as a Boito .410. The text engraved on the shotgun's receiver in Figure 9, in fact, reads "Boito". Check it out on this post. Look up Extra Bibliography No. 7 in the shotgun's section as well.

Shotguns are a really old type of gun from the 16th century. Their mechanisms were adjusted during following centuries, but they remain still to date with an extremely simple way of function. Today, there are many types, including the single-shots and hand shotguns, much different than what was originally conceived. A break shotgun is capable of "breaking in half" for reloading, exposing its ejector/extractor and barrel interior just as many other fireguns. [8]

Figure 14. Break action shotgun anatomy. [9]

The Era 410 GA possesses a specially long length of barrel, which helps projectiles to achieve maximum velocity before leaving. Still, it appears from my research that this is a second hand model with low price, low demand and little historical relevance. This is the type of gun that would be bought mainly by collectors and enthusiasts; however, because of its little weight, good shooting and minimalist elegance, this firegun is not one of the worst models out there for small amateur animal hunting.

A 410 (10.41 mm, one smallest shot diameter in the market) with great pattern of dispersion after the discharge isn't bad, so at medium distances most projectiles would succesfully hit the center of a target. This is not very good when we're talking about a point-blank discharge directly at Nigel's face.

3. The Investigation

Figure 15. "If they had any evidence, I wouldn't be talking to you, would I?"

Authorities arrive at the dark, umid and isolated train tracks. Immediatly, a shocking scene: a desperate young man holding in his arms the corpse of a dead boy, disfigured. They transport the living witness away from the scene, but the lying unknown and deformed body is extracted for further autopsy. Detective McKenzie takes over with Forensic Psychiatrist Sally to interrogate the surviving suspect, Alex Forbes.

After the initial approach and first hours of interaction, the case takes an unexpected form. The question now is, did Alex Forbes shoot the now identified Nigel Colbie alone, or did Colbie participated in his own killing to incriminate Alex?

The police wastes its time thinking about common scenarios described in the book. They know the victim, the place where it happened, the exact gun used and the main suspect. Everything comes down to answering the presented question. Psycological attempts of extracting an answer from Alex by closed sessions with Sally, it is, to try and build a thrust and comfort relation with the suspect in order to obtain a confession would be protocol. But Alex clearly is beyond that, and if we must say, he's in control the whole time.

All that is left for the police is to attach towards factual evidences. Now, we describe two fundamental forensic elements of a gun-related crime.

Gunshot Residues (GSRs)

GSRs are one of the strongest evidences when it comes to forensic studies. Being composed of burnt and unburnt organic or inorganic particles from the explosive primer from the shell, propellant and possibly fragments of the bullet, cartridge case, and even the firearm, they frequently contain elements such as Sb (antimony), Ba (barium), Pb (lead) or Zn (zinc), Cu (cooper), and Ti (titanium). Their deposition concentrates away from the firearm into the shooter's (arms, face, hands and chest mainly) and victim's (region of contact mainly) bodies. GSRs can be found in nearby surfaces as well, such as the floor, ceiling, walls, objects, clothes, etc. The direct deposition of these residues must be carefully used as evidence because of its irregular distribution on the surrounding enviroment after the discharge. Thus, the main factors are always the chemical composition and concentration spots. Shotgun shots (the small spherical projectiles) are usually made up of lead or lead/antimony, but some ammunitions use steel, zinc-plated steel, tungsten and bismut in substitution (So, in our case, we can expect more significant ammounts of antimony/lead or zinc, iron and carbon). [10], [11]

A 410 ammunition is classified as "birdshots" ammunition, used for hunting said animals. The little diameter of projectiles allows the carrying of multiple projectiles inside one shell, facilitating the execution of small moving targets. The potential damage mustn't be underrated, though.

The aforementioned substances/elements can be detected, investigated, and quantified using microscopy, chemical analytical and chemometric methods, such as Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Energy Dispersive X-Ray Spectroscopy (EDS), Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (AAS) and Energy Dispersive X-Ray Fluorescence (EDXRF). All these techniques are extensively known and applied in uncountable areas of science for identification and characterization of solid materials. In a nutshell, these methods revolve around the interaction of matter with radiation (such as X-Rays) and the energy absorved/emitted by it after the interaction. The SEM is a most usefull analysis for it can provide real images of micro structures and particles present above any surface, like clothings, skin, fifregun metal and others, if properly prepared. [10]

It is important to understand that these identification methods are of extreme precision and sensibility, it is, minimal concentrations can and will be detected inneviatbly.

Figure 16 and 17. (Left) Image of gunshot powder residues dispersed in the air after discharge. Top left and (Right) images refer to SEM "photos" of extremely small particles of GSRs that can be chemically analyzed. [12], [13]

What about the lifespan of these residues? In long terms, the shooter's trigger hand (right hand) seems to contain most of the residues that persist for a fair amount of time after the discharge. [10] Unffortunately, the mentioned study occured in controlled enviroments, which is not the case. Another work [14] concludes that most GSRs are lost after two-four hours from the discharge. Considering the fast action from authorities described in the movie, we can basically ignore this factor and consider other variables.

Figure 18. "All I can tell you, was that the heavens were falling. And the sound... it was incredible. It was like the Gods were rejoicing for what was done."

Backspatter Material (BM)

Figure 19. Distribution of Forward Spatter and Backspatter caused by a shot at a biological target. [1]

We hereby exclude the forward spatter, it is, the biological material projected fowards with the projectile (to the back of Nigel's head), for its little relevance, since we're not questioning the type of gun or ammunition used; we assume that Alex is describing a resonable scenario that matches with the actual damage done to Nigel. There are no consistent reasons to question this since everythings seems to support Alex's description of this.

BM comes from the combined forces of several interacting wound and ballistics effects. The collapse of the wound cavity and balance of resulting overpressure, the stream of liquid and tissue particles accelerated along the lateral surface of the projectile, the shot's contact and ejection of muzzle gases out of the entry wound from the powder cavity... Every surrouding surface must be investigated, that is, even the shotgun barrel's interior. This small ambience is fairly protected from external pertubations and houses BM from the shot. Considering the poximity with Nigel's face, we can almost assure to encounter biological material with DNA inside. The bellow mentioned study cites another work where a 9 mm pistol cointaned backspatter material from test targets even at a distance larger than 1 meter, much greater then the few inches that separated Nigel's face from the barrel. [1]

Matter of fact, this biological material can pass by processes of Organ Tissue Identification (OTI) and Body Fluid Identification (BFI) if Nigel's identity was at question, or if we desire to understand more profundly the projectile's damage caused to his skull/face/tissue. [1]

Figure 20. "None of what I've heard makes him a murderer."

So, how can we gather this up to develop the investigation? Utilizing only these two fundamental concepts, we can make a few assumptions.

The big question here is if whether or not Nigel's hands were present by Alex's when the trigger was pulled, which would lead the police to support or oppose Alex's narrative. Chemical examination with organic solvents (which won't cause preocupant harm to a dead body) and analytical methods could immediatly point to the presence of GSRs or biological/non biological BM. If Nigel's hands were elevated in his head level (or superior) in the instant of discharge, trace amounts of discussed metals/elements coming from the firing mechanism and ammunition, as weel as little to some biological material, would definetly be found in his hands and forearm skin since there was no clothing covering. Any substance found in his hands/forearm could be microanalytical compared to the ones present in Alex's hands, clothes and face as well. This could be done with really small samples of fresh skin. On the other hand, if Nigel's arms were lowered at the instant of discharge, we could still expect the presence of GSRs in his arms (yet, in less amounts) but the abssence of backspatter materials most certantly. This would classify Alex as a murderer without excuses, even if he alleged that Nigel asked for it.

In the scenario where Alex discharges at Nigel from a great distance (configuring simply murder) we could note the abssence of GSRs in every part of Nigel's body except for the targeted region (perhaps if they were at a greater distance to each other) and the presence of these GSRs in Alex, but in much higher concentration.

But the enviromnent's conditions are of primordial importance. Nigel and Alex stand in an open area, with considerable wind, heavy rain and gravel soil. The heavy rain could simply carry way much of these residues from Alex's body, clothes and Nigel's hands as well. Most GSR would probably be lost to those conditions and its deposite upon the soil's surface would be extremely hard to be quantitatively analized due to unknown degrees (elevated) of impurities and diverse materials and dirt present, but qualitative tests would still be valid.

The knowledge about the victim, crime scene, shooter, exact firegun and time of the tragic event allied with the fast action from authorities saves most of the police's efforts on identifiying and tracking down evidences. However, what remains still offers a challenge. The best evidence here, GSRs left by the discharge, would be of questionable help considering the presence of heavy rain in sight. Still, analitical quantities of them, if detected in Nigel's skin by proper chemical and espectroscopy-related analysis, can be used to comparate probable ammounts present in Alex's clothing and skin (despite the difficult of such). With that being said, the police would find themselves in a much more complex case of muder/assisted suicide, and further evidences and information about their relationship and recent whereabouts would ineviatably need to be extracted from external sources (such as parents, school's employess, close friends and students). Despite all this, Alex's final acting of removing Susan's body and disapearing from sight (not to mention the card left in Sally's car) immediatly sustent his guilt in a case where he already was the main suspect and basically confirmed criminal. And you know, breaking into a cemetery and extracting a corpse from its grave is definetly worth of some jail time. The Colbie's House Murder would certainly incriminate Alex for homicide as well, and the current Brotherhood's little political influence wouldn't prevent him from this destiny, as it appears. But the case is not over.

Further evidences were to be discussed, if it was not for the dissapearing of Alex Forbes.

The subject now roams unknowingly through England with mysterious intents. Its participation on the described case still lacks formal arguments and the Court should now approve his arrest warrant and search decree. Alex Forbes will most probably live to perpetrate the deluded fantasy responsable for the death of three young students in order to carry the sacred holy burden of an ancient templar bloodline.

Yet, we pray.

Who's the enemy now? We are.

4. Bibliography

[1] Euteneuer J, Courts C. Ten years of molecular ballistics-a review and a field guide. Int J Legal Med. 2021 Jul;135(4):1121-1136. doi: 10.1007/s00414-021-02523-0. Epub 2021 Feb 16. PMID: 33594457; PMCID: PMC8205864. [2] https://spotterup.com/how-ammo-works/ [3] Serol, M.; Ahmad, S.M.; Quintas, A.; Família, C. Chemical Analysis of Gunpowder and Gunshot Residues. Molecules 2023, 28, 5550. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules28145550 [4] Guanchao Lan, Jing Li, Guangyuan Zhang, Jian Ruan, Zhiyan Lu, Shaohua Jin, Duanlin Cao, Jianlong Wang, Thermal decomposition mechanism study of 3-nitro-1,2,4-triazol-5-one (NTO): Combined TG-FTIR-MS techniques and ReaxFF reactive molecular dynamics simulations, Fuel, Volume 295, 2021, 120655, ISSN 0016-2361, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fuel.2021.120655. [5] https://www.hunter-ed.com/national/studyGuide/How-the-Shotgun-Shoots/201099_92815/ [6] https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot/era-410-ga-single-shot-break-action-shotgun-131-c-8284a72a5b [7] https://firearmland.com/item/1079096107 [8] https://www.letsgoshooting.org/resources/articles/shotgun/meet-the-shotgun/ [9] https://www.atf.gov/firearms/firearms-guides-importation-verification-firearms-ammunition-and-implements-war-top-break [10] Virginie Redouté Minzière, Céline Weyermann, Organic and inorganic gunshot residues on the hands, forearms, face, and nostrils of shooters 30 min after a discharge. Science & Justice, Volume 64, Issue 5, 2024, Pages 557-571, ISSN 1355-0306, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scijus.2024.08.002. [11] Joshua Hallett, Michael Stolk, Michael Cook, K. Paul Kirkbride, Examination of gunshot residue arising from shotgun cartridges containing steel, bismuth or tungsten pellets. Forensic Science International, Volume 306, 2020, 110096, ISSN 0379-0738, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.forsciint.2019.110096. [12] https://www.bka.de/EN/OurTasks/SupportOfInvestigationAndPrevention/ForensicScience/PhysicalEvidence/Homicide/GunshotResidue/gunshotresidue_node.html [13] Francesco Saverio Romolo, Pierre Margot, Identification of gunshot residue: a critical review. Forensic Science International, Volume 119, Issue 2, 2001, Pages 195-211, ISSN 0379-0738, https://doi.org/10.1016/S0379-0738(00)00428-X. [14] Jalanti, T & Henchoz, P & Gallusser, Alain & Bonfanti, M.S.. (1999). The persistence of gunshot residue on shooters’ hands. Science & justice : journal of the Forensic Science Society. 39. 48-52. 10.1016/S1355-0306(99)72014-9.

Extra

random materials, take a look

1. Chemistry of Explosives (book pdf) https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-1-4612-0589-0_5 2. ERA 410 GA video 1 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lGWm2aaWVAc&ab_channel=SteadFastCourage 3. ERA 410 GA video 2 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2S16C5Y6lxY&ab_channel=esquad540 4. Quick discussion about Smokeless Powder on r/guns https://www.reddit.com/r/guns/comments/1tawwm/things_i_want_you_to_know_about_smokeless_powder/#:~:text=Because%20of%20something%20called%20oxygen,and%20temperatures%2C%20leading%20to%20fouling. 5. A little on the kinetic energy of specific projectiles (everything applies here as well) https://nodoroc.com/d/node/20 6. A little more on ammunition Caliber https://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/munitions/bullets2-types.htm#google_vignette

For the sake of archieving, here are some shotguns I've separated to double check during my research until the Era 410 GA appeared. Curious enough, number 7, called "boito", appears to be another common name given to Era 410. Woops.

1. https://www.bidsquare.com/online-auctions/north-american-auction/victor-break-action-single-shot-12-ga-shotgun-4988316 2. https://www.crescentcityauctiongallery.com/auction-lot/stevens-arms-.410-gauge-single-shot-break-open-sh_9F84899825 3. https://palmettostatearmory.com/jts-shotguns-single-shot-410-bore-26-single-shot2.html 4. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Stoeger-Coach-Gun.jpg 5. https://www.gunsinternational.com/guns-for-sale-online/shotguns/harrington-richardson-shotguns/h-r-bay-state-20-ga.cfm?gun_id=103017190 6. https://www.bankstowngunshop.com.au/product/12g-unknown-model-unknown-single-barrel-blued-wood-28-barrel-poor-condition/ 7. https://www.bankstowngunshop.com.au/product/410-boito-model-reuna-28-single-barrel-blued-timber-3-chamber-sec9622/ 8. https://www.bankstowngunshop.com.au/product/12g-harrington-richardson-model-1908-single-32-barrel-blued-wood/ 9. https://www.bankstowngunshop.com.au/product/12g-norinco-model-std-single-barrel-30-shotgun-great-condition/

10. https://www.bankstowngunshop.com.au/product/12g-raick-freres-model-unknown-single-barrel-30-shotgun-belgium/ 11. https://gritrsports.com/henry-repeating-arms-single-shot-12ga-shotgun-h015-12 12. https://www.tmguns.co.uk/store/p1418/Tomas_Agote%2C_Eibar_12G_single_hammer_ejector_shotgun.html 13. https://www.tmguns.co.uk/store/p1659/Vanguard_Game%2FVermin_.410_hammer_ejector_single_barrel.html 14. https://www.tmguns.co.uk/store/p1290/Astra_Ciclope_12G_single_barrel_hammergun.html 15. https://www.tmguns.co.uk/store/p1883/Rossi_Game%2FVermin_20G_single_hammer_ejector_shotgun.html 16. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Stevens_511_Shotgun.jpg 17. https://www.gunsinternational.com/guns-for-sale-online/shotguns/harrington-richardson-shotguns/harrington-richardson-44-smoothbore.cfm?gun_id=102901609

thank you for reading

[cbsghostsmetasandtrevor]

Finally got a chance to see the season 4 premiere AND IT WAS AWESOME.

Patience is bat shit crazy and I love her.

Issac as an "investor" with a say in anything is annoying.

It was nice to see Crash, if only for a brief moment.

Why IS Nigel still in the house?

Pete rubbing it in about his power is going to get old.

No Carol. Yeah.

I thought so too! It was SO GOOD. And I am so glad I go into things without being spoiled because I know they tend to spoil the best stuff.

Patience is insane but it's kind of nice? Like we need a ghost that wants to just F things up!! <3

Isaac as the investor will continue to piss me off so much. Like WTF it's just a reminder that she gave a ghost money. I kind of wanted him to Patience's captive for a little longer.

I was SO shocked be the random Cash-body cameo. Wasn't expecting it, but loved it! Especially with "At least I know he can't sneeze". Lmao.

RIGHT? Jay was right - Nigel should leave, instead he's camped out in their other den???

Oh yeah, I imagine thought that Pete's just excited. I feel like the others probably did the same when they discovered their powers at first and his power is the coolest. But hopefully they let that go.

I'm surprised Carol wasn't seen in line with the other ghosts in the chain. But she's probably on her honeymoon.

Thoughts on Trevor's Plot with Thor (basically)? It really bugs me that they aren't consistent with his power. He can reset up a website, chat with Bela, and generally have no issues in some episodes, and then it takes him like an hour for a button in others? It really drives me nuts.

The other thing that bothered me - jokes about his legs because it relates to his lack of pants.

OTOH, he was the anchor with a GREAT idea and "Suck it, Thor, Pass it on." :)

[laurelwen]

Sorry, it's me again. There's this thing that has been...whispering in the back of mind since I read this post for the first time. Nigel wrote: "... I removed a rat's heart and pretended to be disgusted" Why on earth would he feel the necessity to PRETEND to be disgusted in front of Alex?

I've taken a minute to answer this because it's a very good question but difficult and complicated to answer within the context of the film. For those who aren't sure what you're referring to, please see this post transcribing Nigel's notes.

The short answer is: I don't think the people making the props were entirely consistent with the character as scripted. I think most likely they were given some general directives (such as "make sure it highlights the words "egocentric megalomaniac with delusions of grandeur") Outside those few directives, they just sort of let their poetic license run free, injecting their own ideas of a what a "fucked up weird guy who dissects animals" would say into the text, and creating a different version of Nigel than the movie presents us with. The worst example of that is the newspaper article in Alex's book--which doesn't make ANY sense in the context of the film. No one really expected crazy fans to obsessively pause the movie and use photo enhancing techniques frame by frame to determine what was written in his journals or the text of the article, so I think there was a lot of leeway and perhaps some laziness when it came to the props.

It's hard for me to come up with an IN character justification for Nigel to have written that, because it doesn't gel with my observations of him as presented in the film. The journal entry itself is written before he is kidnapped by Alex and the dynamic of their relationship shifts. This IS the entry that made Alex angry enough to kidnap him and teach him a lesson in the first place. This is the Nigel who barely responds to Alex's confrontational anger over the dissection in the dorm room, the Nigel who seems to be completely unmoved by or even very aware of how his actions might impact others. He doesn't care enough to even consider what effect he has on others, and even if/when he is aware, I sincerely doubt he'd bother to *pretend* anything. Nigel doesn't seem interested in pretending to be anything other than what he is, a defining trait that causes him a lot of problems.

Later in the movie, Nigel does shift a bit into a more puckish role. He fucks with Alex in a variety of ways, very noticeably in the train scene when they're going to visit his secret room. He's playful, mischievously antagonistic, poking and prodding Alex and seeming to enjoy his discomfort. This demeanor is more in line with the kind of guy who might write about deliberately messing with his roommate's head. But I still don't know why he would feign disgust in the middle of the dissection given that he's been dissecting animals regularly and Alex would have no reason to think he's grossed out by it.

I suppose if we apply that puckish attitude backward and say that Nigel was already trying to mess with Alex even before the kidnapping, we could sort of squint our eyes and imagine him being very over the top Fake Disgusted as he waves the heart around in Alex's direction. I still don't find that very likely, but it's the best I've got.

If you wanted to, you could use this as part of a theory that Nigel was the real instigator all along and had been intending/planning to manipulate Alex from the moment he was transferred to the school and forced to share a room. In such a reading of the film, all of his behavior could be seen as pretense in some way, including his initial lack of reaction to Alex--calculated to rile Alex up, put him off balance, etc.

I don't personally buy in to that interpretation, just as I don't buy into Alex being the sole instigator. I think either reading ascribes far too much power and control to these teenagers, however intelligent and manipulative they may be. But if you want to go that route, here's a supporting piece to add to your puzzle.

Thanks for the ask and I hope this rambling mess makes at least some sense!

EDIT: please read my reblog of this post. @silhioutte pointed out the very obvious mis-read of this line.

[Like Minds Masterpost - Main]

[the-aleator]

endeavour musings vii

featuring: Harvest s4e4

caveat lector, my complaints: 1. I have watched this episode at least 4 times. I still have no idea how the timeline is supposed to be working at the end of the episode (is it the weekend? is it not?), or how they magically get to and from Bramford power plant so fast, or they get the news about the GM / promotions, or aboutJoan. There are about 4 epilogues to this particular episode and I find that confusing. 2. The Grenade scene: none of this would work. Even a lead-lined barrel wouldn't funnel the explosive radius of a grenade upwards--it would puncture the barrel and send shrapnel everywhere. But, if we allow it for the sake of theatrical style, both Nigel Warren + Thursday would still be affected by the radius as Morse is-- they're less than 10 feet away! And neither of them take cover, at all. 3. Morse's concussion (like so many of his other head injuries) magically disappears when the Plot Demands. (Fun fact: your hearing is actually a delicate and fairly precarious system of organs, and what's depicted in the episode absolutely could and would give Morse permanent hearing loss-- a terrible thing for such a music lover.) 4. Getting caught in the blast of a shotgun does not hurt Morse (with his head injury!) or Thursday. (Fun fact #2: it's Sept 1967, so it's only been 9 months since Thursday was shot in Neverland and almost getting shot twice at point blank range in this episode apparently doesn't faze him). 5. Morse + Thursday collectively get held at gunpoint, talk down a man at gunpoint in order to reverse the Bramford Power Plant cooling tanks being emptied, and stop a man with a hand grenade, and still only are awarded the George Medal. So that's foiling an act of terrorism and saving the lives of hundreds of thousands of people (maybe the UK in general?) from radiation sickness, and only the GM??? I was trying to remember if there's a canonical reason for this (is Morse's GM mentioned in Masonic Mysteries maybe?) or was the fictional Queen just really hard to impress. 6. How much of this episode is given over as homage to Wicker Man, which barely avoids feeling like a Midsomer Murder episode. Seth Flaxman deserved better.

[0133444]

ok so im almost caught up on CBS ghosts heres some misc thoughts

hetty and flower def hooked up after the washing machine incident. I think Hetty is straight but that didnt stop her from enjoying herself

BISEXUAL NANCY LETS GOOO i love nancy shes such a freak and i think flower should have given her more of a chance

pete/thor/flower keeps growing on me every episode esp with how well he works with both of them despite him being freaked out by the idea. Pete go have fun and be their little boytoy youll like it

one sided implied sasappis/jay?? is wild?? and im here for it. i really like that jay gets to have more of a relationship with the ghosts than Mike in the bbc version

considering all the bisexual implications in this show i think its *really* funny that Isaac was closet for this long

ALSO YEAH NIGEL DESERVED BETTER and Isaac was right for apologizing to him. Nigel shouldnt have been on the battle field she should have been at the club

In general i think Nigel is a delight and i love him

Alberta is so fun and her romance with the poltergiest was so sweet. Jay let her perform at the restaurant pleaspleaspelapsle

In general Alberta should get up to more shenanigans >:]

I just suddenly thought about pete as a trans woman and i think thats awesomes

[scrivbloingsblog]

Asper "Stranger" Knight

< 1st main oc >

i couldn't resist anymore of posting her info grrr, her backstory it's something I'll post another day bc i didn't finished it ;v

General

Name: Asper Knight

Nicknames: Wasp (By her father), As (By Price), Sergeant Knight

Alias: (none)

Callsing: "Stranger", Sierra zero-five

Age: 27 (MW:2019) 30 (MW:2022)

DOB: 5th June, 1992

Gender: Female

Sexuality: Asexual

Nationality: American

Place of birth: [REDACTED]

Spoken Languages: American English (native language), Spain Spanish (Family purposes)

Rank: Master Sergeant

Occupation: retired US Army, American CIA (Central Intelligence Agency), formerly member of Armistice, member of Task force 141, working with SpecGru (also)

Role: EWSI and Combat Medic

Affiliations

TaskForce141

• Captain John Price

• Lieutenant Simon " Ghost " Riley

• Sergeant Kyle " Gaz " Garrick

• Sergeant John " Soap " MacTavish

• Sergeant Samantha "Butterfly" Wright ( @welldonekhushi )

Warrior Task Force ( @islandtarochips )

• First Sergeant Tiala "Malie" Toa

• Captain Kanoa Toa

• Sergeant Agnes "Blast" Falagi

• Sergeant Nigel "Squirrel" Harrinson

Los Vaqueros

• Rodolfo Parra

• Colonel Alejandro Vargas

CIA

• Station Chief Kate Laswell

Appearance

• Skin tone: Beige

• Hair type: Straight

• Hair colour: Naturally light blonde

• Eye colour: Crush green

• Height: 5'6ft (1.70m

• Weight: 119lbs

• Scars: Just some few and very big ones

• Body size: Medium

• Blood type: AB+

Skills

Main skills: Electronic Warfare & Signals Intelligence (EWSI), defense strategies that use technology to gather information and disrupt adversaries

Fighting style: She's the type of punching on weak places and twisting any part of the body, she's very fast with her movements

Weapon preferences / distinct : Remington 870 Tactical, CZ 750 sniper rifle. Black climbing picks, apparently always uses three, two on the belts and one on the back with a rope on it

Favourites

• Colour: Turquoise

• Animal: frilled neck lizard

• Food: None, she eats anything but red meat

• Drink: Monster

• Flower: Red spider lily

• Dyed hair: Yes, she died her hair completely, in a dragon style type

• Hairstyle: Mullet cut

Personality

Introvert: She doesn't like to be around with people very much, she prefers to be alone all the time. She's lightly scared of human kind

Flinching and fidgety: Asper flinches at the single movement of anything near her head or body, she's very conscious of being beaten up again and again and also in her childhood it terrifies her.

Careless of herself: She's always working, always hearing her rank and surname being shouted by the higher ranks, but no worries she eats properly

Scared state: Asper has a sensitive heart, everytime someone jumpscares her she can even faint or get into a frozen state with wide eyes and trembling, if she collapses it's because she's fine.

Hates humankind (misanthropy): I don't have to really explain this but she hates humand kind, she's scared of human kind and hates being around anyone

Random facts

• She deals with paranoid personality disorder (PPD), selective mutism and complex-post traumatic stress disorder.

• Poor woman has epistaxis (nosebleed hemorrhage), she constantly has nosebleeds once or twice at week

• A weird thing about her is that she doesn't like stitches, instead she likes to close her wounds with staples, like her mother usually did.

• Her throat is very sore every time it's almost like burned inside, she finds it hard to speak and swallow food, due to her CIPA she doesn't find it painfully

• Since her childhood, she's been with Congenital Insensitivity to Pain with Anhidrosis (CIPA) wich means she can neither feel pain or regulate her body temperature or even sweat, that's why she almost doesn't notice she's wounded

• The way her calling developed was that she was always alone and didn't matter to anyone. Some people started asking if she worked there because she didn't even seem like one; she seemed more like a stranger, for that reason. And it's quite funny because if they called her "Strange," it would be quite confusing if someone said, "How strange that Strange is quite strange."

• She is losing or gaining weight, it's a in-between, she loses weight and at the next week she goes completely normal into her normal weight

• She doesn't eat meat because she's very disgusted of meat. Since she had to eat literally flesh in her teen age and now she doesn't like it

• Sometimes frog blinks for no reason

Negative Traits

• She's used to reject things or gifts of anybody

• Always saying sorry non stop whether she fails something

• Has a necessity to make everything good, she over thinks about things at the point she looks anxious and murmuring to herself

• She knows how to drive but her driving it's the combination of Price's and Ghost's driving

• Her favorite MLP pony is Fluttershy

Backstory

coming soon..

—————

[flo-zoinks]

Stupid hc of how you think rdr1 characters would do as babysitters

Ive been stuck on babysitting duty so they gotta be too /lh /hj

HOW EACH RDR1 CHARACTER WOULD BE AS BABYSITTERS (MY OPINION)

😭❤sorry to hear ab ur babysitting babes but dw I got u you're my first rdr1 hc too !! Imagine here you're babysitting someone close to them's 4 year old child

John - be SO awkward around the kid, like offer it a cigerette for a minute then take it back, and when the kid asks to play he just reluctantly is like "sure.." and goes along with whatever they do. Counting down the SECONDS

Marshall - can be a little strict, fairly however, and will just entertain the kid by telling crazy stories of gangs he attacked (hes had to take care of lots of children when people reported missing children and really young criminals)

Irish - yeah he should NOT be doing this. Like Marshall, except his stories he tells are often much too 18+ for any parent's likings. Openly gets drunk around the kid and forgets it's there, maybe even leaves to go out

Nigel - spends the entire time talking to them about his store so they tell their parents, but otherwise is quite nervous around kids and just gives them lots of old toffee he found in the suit he bought

Bonnie - gets them to help around the house, If hers they will tend to the ranch and if someone elses they help make the house good for the parents return. Talks to the kid as though they're an equal, except she's aware how to treat someone of that age and what topics to use, so most kids grow to love her

Seth - yeah if ur giving ur kids to SETH.. but anyway he absolutely detests the kids if they are judgemental of his choice of company or too loud, but if the kid is fascinated by his company he will treat them its it's their best friend until he forgets it's not a hangout and a babysitting job, and invites them round again, much to any parents despair

De Santa - believes hes too good to be babysitting children, however he spends the time asking the child about their Mother, and tells them if it's a girl he bets she will be so gorgeous when she's 18 (15). Ignores the kid generally after that and dumps them to his next in command

Abraham - tells them stories of his greatness, and spends hours convincing the 4 year old to join the revolution. A lot of the stories are maybe a bit..twisted, but the kid is throughly entertained. Purposely gives the kid rations of straight protein, saying over again "the important food must go to the rebels...(yap ab their achievements)..but you must be strong to join us!! Eat this, it is good"

Luisa - whilst shes good around children, they don't like her too much as she can be a little strict, and spends a lot of time teaching them the horrors of the revolution and why they must take part, in a way that is perhaps a little too innapropiate to tell a young child. But shes good at playing games.

Landon Ricketts - the kids find him a little confusing as he speaks a lot of metaphors they dont get, but he always dumps it down for them. He mostly lets the kids just do what they want, saying some phrase he made up like "let them get it out before society does". As long as they arent hurting anyone, then they get a years worth of teachings and stories about moral compassing

Rdr1 Dutch - honestly hes a little bit freaky by 1911, so his actions are a little unknown, but he would probably bring the kid into battle with him, saying they need to learn to survive and fight for the correct ideals. He has brief memories of taking care of the children of the old camp, so takes care in this one to totally groom them into his ideals

Rdr1 Javier - hes probably got some long form of depression or smth, so whilst he does take care of the kid to make sure they are fed and okay, he mostly ignores them to smoke or do work. If the kid speaks to him, he responds half-assedly or says some mindless words like "uh huh??? Wow... Cool!!!" (They asked what time is was). Maybe played a quick game.

Ross - takes the kid fishing, or to some activity of the sort, entertaining any childish conversation they have. Honestly probably one of the better people to have, except the kid might return with some racist views 😬

Nastas - generally ok around kids, if a little awkward. He still makes an effort to go do some activity, like swimming in the lake, or crafts together. Probably he teaches them a little, both physically and morally

McDougal - agreed to babysit to study the child, the affects of cocaine on children, or if the child is of any minority then if the stereotypes he fully believes for each are hereditary or taught. (Racist). Nobody wants him near his child after.

1911 Jack - like john in the sense he is awkward around the kid, but will read stories books to them, and tries to be good around them in ways he can, yet is still quite cold and cut off around them. Imagine Benjamin to Boxer in animal farm

Abigail - treats any kid similar how she would to Jack, in terms of trying to get them to read, and staying nearby to watch over. Definitely the best option. If old enough in 1911 would get them to play with Jack, or teach Jack parenting skills. If they're a young girl she is close to tears thinking of her daughter though

Uncle - sleeps. Or goes to the saloon. Either way that kid is left alone to do fuk all

Herbert Moon - totally spends his time spewing hateful views at the kid, how the British Catholic Homosexuals are coming, and how they arent safe. Gets them to help his shop meanwhile though.

[fallen-gabrielle]

My contribution for Father's Day.

First being just the general atmosphere between Grandfather and Monty.

Second is showing that despite being happy to be Numbuh Zero's son, Nigel still can't really live to the expectation his father set up.

Last one is extremely inspired by the Presidential AU/Fic with Nigel's evil form Wrath.

[kommandonuovidiavoli]

Sometimes a name is just a name, but what I love about KND is that names aren't just names; they are tied to the person's look, personality, number and more!

Kuki is written with the kanji of "air", reminding of her carefree nature and apparently airhead personality.

Wallabee's name is spelled almost like "wallaby," pressing on his Australian origins. Joey is also Australian. "You don't get more Australian than that," said Warburton, then proceeding to call their father SYDNEY.

Lou is close to the word "loo", a British (and Australian!) word for toilet, tying him to the Toiletnator.

Abigail... literally female from Abraham. I will die on this hill.

Hoagie... yeah.

Then I was searching for something and I found two interesting things: Montgomery was the name of a famous General active for A LOT of Europe missions, and one of the first faces of NATO. I mean... fits!

Wanna know about Benedict?

You sneaky, clever thing, Mr. Warburton.

But maybe... was he trying to also foreshadow something?

Because Nigel... means "black". And we know there is a black figure in his family already. And we know black means something bad or dangerous.

Just a thought.

I love giving names special meanings if I can!

Like Penny: Doe as a surname is really rare, and is usually tied to the John/Jane Doe name given for missing people. Her parents and brother are missing so... yeah. And Penelope is tied to the character of the Odyssey, the wife of Odysseus, who will wait for him for 20 years ignoring the advances of more than one person. Likewise, Penny will wait for a long time for... something... mh... she can't remember what, but she'll wait.

[islandtarochips]

TAROOOO MY BESTIE!!

Okay, since Xavier's profile was uploaded, I’m kinda a lil curious about the WTF team interacting with him! (IF you want to answer this, not then just ignore this ♥️)

Um….weeeeeell….their reaction of seeing Xavier’s PROFILE.

Uh…let’s just say that they’re SHOCKED to see this. But not to the General though. Since she had seen and met other people WORSE.

Kanoa, was reading the profile as his jaws dropped: ………WHERE THE FUCK DID YOU EVEN FIND THIS GUY?!?

Alana: Iowana had found him and send me his profile. So I find him interesting.

Nigel, was also shocked to see the profile: Yeah, finding him interesting with THESE criminal records?

Tiala: Do we really have to work with him?

Alana: He is the best choice for this mission. And I’m trusting you Captain to keep him company.

Kanoa: I-I- We- He is- ………kefe.

Agnes, raised her hand: I VOLUNTEER!

Tiala: WHY?

Agnes: ……because I want to.

Nigel: She wanted to have him ALL to herself.

Agnes: NO. I also too find him interesting. Hmph.

Nigel/Tiala: Suuuuuuuuuure😒

Kanoa, sigh: Alright…General. We’ll work with him.

General: Good. And I wish you luck.

[littlefingies]

So I'm rewatching 2x04 and 2x05 and thinking about Lucius. And I think there's a decent chance that:

The Revenge is his first experience on a pirate ship, and

He and Stede are the only ones in this situation.

The show makes a point of telling us that the other people on the ship either have experience with pirating/violence, or have had a shit time of it so far.

We know Jim's backstory.

Olu doesn't have lots of combat experience, but between his "we have no other choice" speech and "la vida es dolor", he's had a rough go.

Roach sewed his own arm up once.

Wee John demonstrates his weapon with gusto and clearly has pyro experience.

Buttons just straight up tells us.

Pete may be lying (put him down as a maybe) but he's clearly happy to be here.

Frenchie was "in service" and has seen enough of the world to find it pretty blase.

The Swede could potentially be a maybe. We just know nothing about him.

We know that Lucius can read, and we know that he used to pick pockets, but he seems uncomfortable with violence in a way that only Stede shares. (See: "yeah he looks pretty stunned" re: Nigel Badminton)

So why am I thinking about this?

I think it's interesting that Lucius is the only one disturbed by Ed's weird half-apology speech in 2x05. AND I think there's a good chance that the horrors he experienced on the other ships (after getting thrown overboard) were yes, horrors, but also pretty standard for pirate life.

By this point in the show we have Archie, who gives us a window into how most pirates (who have never met Stede) would view the Kraken-era Revenge. And she seems to see it as... fairly normal? She's a bit perturbed by Izzy, and she's pissed at being asked to fight Jim, but she seems to see all the rest as pretty average.

This sets up a really juicy contrast between life under piracy in general vs. life under Stede piracy.

Lucius is the only character to experience pirate life when his *only prior pirate experience* was under Stede. That makes him a modern window into the show - he's like "wow this is fucking terrible", as we would no doubt agree if we were thrust into that situation.

Anyways, something about perspective, something about Lucius thinking his experiences have been uniquely violent when they probably haven't (not that they weren't awful), something about Blackbeard being a pirate but not a uniquely violent one, something about Izzy saying possibly his first true thing all show (yeah I lost a leg, I'm a fucking pirate, this happens all the time), something about how if Lucius told Archie about what he went through, she'd say "oh so you were... on a pirate ship? Yeah, piracy sucks, but so does everything else".

Something about how if any other crew members had that experience *before* meeting stede I think they'd find it pretty normal as well. Because the point of piracy in the show is that it's not a fun adventure, it's actually violent and awful and the people you care about are always at risk. (It's also one of the few ways to survive when there's not a place for you in a colonized world, I think? But I'm not the right person to write about that and others have said it better.)

[ifuckinglovedinosaurssomuchjesus]

On the subject of Dinosaur Documentaries...

So Life On Our Planet dropped a few days ago, another installment of this seeming boom of these kind of shows since Prehistoric Planet last year, and it got me thinking about this whole little niche genre.

The very first "Paleodoc" was released in 1922, made by the Carnegie Museum of Natural History to educate museum goers on how the fossils they saw were collected and prepared. This began the format I like to call the "Talking Heads" Paleodoc which is mainly in the form of interviews or narration over actual footage of Paleontologists at work with the occasional "Live" Dinosaur for visual aid. These are by far the most common form of dinosaur documentary you'll find, even today, mainly because they're cheap to produce and fit in the general style of most science documentaries.

For many decades throughout the 20th century, Paleodocs were pretty rare. They would pop up time to time, and with the sudden influx of attention they got after Jurassic Park, we got some really good ones. Yet they were all the same Talking Head types. What really changed the game was the good ol Magnum Opus of the field: Walking With Dinosaurs.

WWD pioneered the second type of Paleodoc I believe to exist, which are the "In Their World" Paleodocs. These are different in the fact they focus almost entirely on the live visual aids, with the human presence being limited to narration or brief pauses for context. They're meant to simulate the modern nature documentary, like Planet Earth, that focus more on showcasing animal behavior with state of the art filming techniques than being a source of in-depth science.

The success of WWD cannot be overstated, and I have to say I do find the In Their World format a lot more engaging and easier to connect with. They portray the wonder of prehistory spectacularly, letting audiences get emotionally connected in the animal characters the story creates, even if this has lead to criticisms of anthropomorphism. These programs also almost always use real footage of modern day earth for their prehistoric creatures to roam on, which I'm sure is very sad for the people who want to see their favorite dead plants on screen.

The Walking With... series would expand into sequels and spin-offs and Nigel Marven, and other companies like Discovery would jump on the bandwagon and release their own takes on the concept, but by the mid 2010s the format had basically died out. We'd get one or In Their World style doc every few years until we just didn't get anything. Outside of the occasional TV special that reused When Dinosaurs Roamed America footage, it was empty.

It took until Disney's Live Action remake of The Lion King of all things for that pendulum to start swinging again. Seeing those expressionless CGI cats got Jon Favreau thinking about how he could use this technology and the talented people behind it to make something really cool, and we got Prehistoric Planet.

And, in a repeat of Walking With Dinosaurs, we're seeing more of these In Their World type shows. The original guys behind WWD are even making a comeback with their own series, Surviving Earth. Plus even more little hints and rumors of massive incoming projects from overexcited paleontologists trying not to break their embargo.

It looks like the 2020s will be another resurgence in these types of spectacle Paleodocs, and while a good ol Talking Head will always be there, I can't help but get excited for these animated spectacles and all the weird and wonderful ways they flash those visual aids across our TV screens.