#patrick gates

[thenationaltreasuregazette]

Can't believe I almost missed the opportunity to make ridiculous valentines!

[lithiumseven]

Incorrect National Treasure (part II) (part I) (part III) (part IV) (part V)

[violetvoyd]

Patrick telling off Ben and being like "what do you have?! Him?!" And pointing at Riley will never stop being funny

[emmi-kat]

I hope it's okay to make a new post but I had a lot to say that I thought would get lost in the comments of this post and weren't really relevant to it, overall.

@arsenicalbronze said: "I had originally headcanoned that Ben was basically bounced back and forth between his parents in some kind of joint custody agreement because of Emily’s line in the second movie about “someone had to grow up and stay home and take care of Ben”, but your research brings up all kinds of new questions about Ben’s interactions with his parents in the second film!"

The novelization has a great line about how as a kid Ben thought his parents both gave him a lot of freedom but came to realize that they were both just neglecting him to do their own things.

Which I think makes perfect sense cause Ben and Patrick are a lot alike and Ben himself doesn't seem to care much about the personal goings on of those close to him (not going to Riley's book signing, or even bothering to open his book or believe in Riley enough to read the book without being pushed to, the whole fight with Abigail and the fact that he wasn't upset about losing her or ever tried to fix things, he just expected her to agree with him, skipping Sadusky's wake in favor of his dog (you're telling me that Ben Gates can't afford to hire a pet sitter for a day so he can pay his respects to a man who played such a significant role in the biggest moments of his life???  Charlotte wasn't implied to be in grave danger, just a little sick)).

And then Emily was a young mother taking care of Ben and building a career for herself in an academic field and time where she likely did not recieve much respect, so she had to work very hard to get that respect and probably had little time for Ben. If we're using Helen Mirren's age, she was 18/19 when Ben was born (whereas Jon V0ight was 26 but obvs their ages may not correspond to their characters) so she was only in her late 20s/early 30s when she and Patrick divorced.  Even if we bump her age up, it's definitely implied that Patrick was her senior and also somewhat of an authority figure in her education "that wasn't love, that was excitement, adrenaline, and tequila.  And I was just trying to get course credit!"....😬

Icky, imo.  But this could add to the tension between Ben and his father if Ben saw his mother as a victim under those circumstances.

Which I think explains why Ben is such a momma's boy and had to patch stuff up with his dad despite them both neglecting him. 🤷‍♀️

[slipperyskell]

Listen,,,, vampire spawn know how to spider climb and I am 1000000% convinced that Astarion would be an absolutely menace once he regains that ability after the tadpole is out

[leyleyley-45]

Emily-“Patrick what have you done”

Patrick- *I was literally trying to save us*

Me- it’s true love 🥹🥹

[evviejo]

STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION - S4E5 Remember Me

[aenslem]

+bonus Yeah, Jean-Luc, your presence is not necessary anymore.

[amyspauldingart]

The Big Goodbye, (ST:TNG season 1, episode 12)

[fetch-those-damned-bolt-cutters]

You think you can hurt me? I write star trek fanfiction knowing absolutely nothing about the medical and scientific fields

[thenationaltreasuregazette]

The National Treasure Gazette Humbly Presents:

National Treasure: The Musical

I said what I said.

For reasons that have nothing to do with Wicked (2003) or Wicked (2024) (obviously I am lying) here we go:

INT. GATES FAMILY HOME LIVING ROOM - NIGHT

SONG: Treasure is a Myth

At the Gates’ family home YOUNG BEN sneaks away with the family album and his grandfather JOHN ADAMS GATES finds him and explains the legend of the treasure.

The ensemble—as all of the GATES MEN since and their WIVES—each give a quick verse about their search and continued hope that someday they will find the treasure.

The recurring motif here is 'Treasure is a myth…but I’ll find it.'

Until PATRICK GATES arrives to spoil things with a counter refrain, arguing that the treasure is a myth so move on and make something of your life.

The song ends with Patrick towing Young Ben off stage as he sings wistfully, “Treasure is a myth…but I’ll find it.”

EXT. ARCTIC CIRCLE - DAY

At the same time, adult BENJAMIN FRANKLIN GATES enters from the other side of the stage in snow gear.

He echoes “Treasure is a myth, but I’ll find it.”

END SONG

Then RILEY, IAN, and IAN’S CREW follow behind him in snow gear with metal detectors.

Join me in hallucinating the rest of Act I of National Treasure: The Musical!

↓ ↓ ↓

Riley and Powell have the “how does a ship wind up way out here?” exchange.

A metal detector BEEPS. Ben and Ian fall to their knees uncovering evidence of the Charlotte (pantomimed).

They file off stage and reappear…

INT. CHARLOTTE - DAY

…inside the frozen remains of the Charlotte. Some comedic exchanges from Riley before Ben finds the MEERSCHAUM PIPE. He reads the riddle and sits to figure it out.

SONG: Charlotte’s Riddle/So Close I Can Taste It

This is Ben’s I Want song. As he tries to work out the meaning of the riddle he reflects on how he finally has the next piece of the puzzle in his hands and we get to hear a little bit more about what that means to him.

This is an important character moment for Ben and the first time we really hear from him directly about why he wants to find the treasure.

It also personifies Charlotte briefly as a haunting female voice beckoning him to come find the treasure.

END SONG

Ben figures out the riddle and Ian suggests they borrow the Declaration.

SONG: Invested

Ian explains a bit about his backstory, how he’s done things like this before. His crew chimes, each listing a crime of heist they’ve been involved in. (Think the ‘meet the cooks’ montage from Ratatouille).

He emphasizes how much he's invested in this expedition--and in Ben-- and that he expects returns. He becomes increasingly agitated as Ben rejects his plans.

Ian laments what he’ll have to do to Ben. The song ends with him singing/saying “Now all you’ll be in a hindrance.”

END SONG

Ian orders Shaw to turn on Ben. Ben and Riley narrowly escape before the Charlotte explodes.

EXT. ARCTIC CIRCLE - DAY

Ben pulls Riley out of the literal trap door in the stage as they emerge from the ship.

Riley asks what they’ll do about Ian. Ben says they’ll stop him.

Riley says nobody will believe them, and anybody who’s crazy enough to believe them won’t help.

INT. NATIONAL ARCHIVES CURATORS OFFICE - DAY

We transition to the curator’s office where Abigail waits to greet Ben and Riley.

SONG: One Step Short of Crazy

The music begins as Abigail stands from her desk to shake the guys’ hands. They stay speaking as they exchange names and do the “Saxony German” bit.

After Abigail says, “Now, you told my assistant that this was an urgent matter?” the song begins in earnest.

This is a duet between Ben and Abigail as the both try to get what they want from the other: Ben wants access to the document and Abigail wants information.

The text of the song is “one step short of crazy” from both of them, because that’s what Ben is looking for, and what Abigail thinks Ben is.

The blocking here is that they step forward when they’re winning and back when they’re losing, so that they’re pushing each other around the stage and Riley is following along popping in and out around Ben whenever he has “helpful” information to add.

This number should be a bit flirty but make it clear that Abigail cannot be charmed. (yet).

It ends when Abigail sits back down at her desk and bids them good day. She has won.

END SONG

INT. NATIONAL ARCHIVES ROTUNDA - DAY

Ben and Riley look at the Declaration. Ben recites his favorite line. (“But when a long train of abuses…”)

SONG: One Step Short of Crazy (Reprise)

Ben reprises a few lines from One Step Short of Crazy as he is making a decision that is very much that.

END SONG

Then he speaks the line, “I’m gonna steal it. I’m gonna steal the Declaration of Independence."

INT. LIBRARY OF CONGRESS READING ROOM - DAY

Riley brings Ben into the Library of Congress to convince him that this is a bad idea. “Let me prove it to you.”

SONG: 2000 Ways This Could Go Wrong

Riley attempts to convince Ben that he cannot steal the Declaration of Independence. The ensembles appears as other LIBRARY PATRONS who get in on the song for musical reasons.

The text of the song is "There are 2000s ways this could go wrong" and they could be comedically listing all the ways Ben could get caught.

Riley and the ensemble seem to almost have Ben convinced when he brings up Thomas Edison.

The light bulbs line is spoken, but then Ben gets his own verse laying out the preservation room plan. The one way to make it work.

The song ends with Riley saying, “This could work.”

END SONG

INT. ABIGAIL’S OFFICE - NIGHT

Abigail is packing up for the night.

SONG: Hunting Down History

Abigail sings an I Want song of her own expressing her curiosity about Ben’s story and her wish that for once she’d like to be a part of something that mattered instead of on the sidelines studying it a hundred years later.

Her ASSISTANT enters with a package. (The One Step Short of Crazy theme play as she opens it.) Abigail reads the notes tells the audience it’s the George Washington button. She and the assistant discuss Ben for a few lines until Abigail realizes she’ll barely make it home to get ready and back in time for the gala.

That’s when the ALARM RINGS.

INT. PRESERVATION ROOM - NIGHT

Abigail and STAN (already in his tux) oversee at TECHS IN CLEAN ROOM GEAR move the document into the preservation room.

Stan gets a verse of Hunting Down History, hitting on Abigail and and asking if there’s anything between them.

Abigail declines and leaves.

Stan continues to lament her lack of attention as the set changes to…

INT. NATIONAL ARCHIVES ROTUNDA - NIGHT

…the rotunda, now dressed up for the gala. Ensemble is other PATRONS milling around the gala.

Abigail enters, having done a quick change into her gala outfit. She makes small talk as RILEY’S VOICE is heard from off stage.

He’s asking, “Ben, are you sure you want to do this—”

—when Ben enters the gala in his tux.

Riley comes to sit on the side of the stage with his headset and laptop. He’ll speak to Ben from here throughout the heist.

Ben finds Abigail, and hands her a glass of champagne.

Abigail sings one last verse about how maybe something interesting has found her after all.

END SONG

Abigail asks about the pipe that bigfoot took.

Stan joins them, a bit perturbed, and he and Ben go back and forth until Ben gives THE TOAST. (it's perfect--no notes)

Riley is talking throughout the scene.

Ben excuses himself. He holds up the glass to the audience and tells Riley he’s got the fingerprint.

INT. VAULT CORRIDOR/PRESERVATION ROOM - NIGHT

Ben appears at the top of some stage scaffolding where he uses the fingerprint and does the password thing. He and Riley exchange dialogue explaining how they’re using the button he sent to Abigail to do this, since we won’t see it well. Riley helps crack the password. Ben rides an elevator down to stage level.

SONG: [MAIN HEIST THEME TBD]

Meanwhile, Ian and his gang make their way up from the bottom of the stage knocking out guards and breaking through a series of movable doors that have been lined up in their way.

→ Riley comes in with a reprise of 2000 Ways This Could Go Wrong

Ben reaches the Declaration first. He’s in the process of removing it when Riley stands up because he’s lost the feed.

Ben leaves with the case as Ian arrives. Squibs go off, cracking the case.

Ben runs back to the elevator as the lights go dark.

INT. ROTUNDA - NIGHT

Riley: Ben? Ben, what was that?

Ben sneaks through the partygoers and is caught by the CASHIER, who charges him $35 for the “replica” Declaration. He fumbles to come up with the change and pays with a card.

→ Abigail spots Ben and comes in with a reprise of One Step Short of Crazy and/or Hunting Down History

Abigail chases after Ben…

EXT. NATIONAL ARCHIVES - NIGHT

… who rushes outside to meet Riley.

Meanwhile Ian and co climb up through the trapdoor with their gear.

Abigail accuses Ben of stealing it, he gives her the Declaration, and Ian’s crew grab her.

END SONG

INT/EXT. CATERING TRUCK

You know that? Fuck it, let’s do the catering truck scene.

I was gonna say this would be a more stage-friendly tug o’ war over Abigail and she ends up with Ben while the Declaration winds up with Ian. That’s the backup.

But as long as we’re hallucinating a Disney-backed musical, maybe we put the van and the catering truck on stage, yeah? We, the audience, are looking toward their open backs as the two vehicles bounce around. They’re on springs or something, sorry actors.

There’s lots of LIGHT AND SOUND EFFECTS to heighten the “chase,” which ends when Abigail jumps from one car to the other.

Ben and Abigail exchange a few lines of banter in the van before Ben asks Riley to pull over.

EXT. PARK - NIGHT

This scene will remain largely the same, but we’ll move more of the dialogue to the park so we can get out of the van set as quickly as possible. Without the chase it’ll feel weird.

The dialogue will be rearranged so it ends with Ben’s line: “Yeah but I didn’t think I was gonna personally have to tell my dad about it."

As he says this the set shifts and Patrick’s door appears behind him, so all he has to do is turn around to be confronted by it.

EXT. PATRICK’S DOOR - NIGHT

“Where’s the party?”

This remains largely the same. Patrick lets them in.

INT. GATES FAMILY HOUSE - NIGHT

Yes, as a fun easter egg we can use the same Gates family home set as the opening number, to both maximize set use and make my headcanon about the Gates family house canon. Cool.

SONG: The Real Gates Family Legacy

Patrick hopes this isn’t about the damn treasure. Obviously it is.

Ben and Patrick go back and forth about their mutual disappointment in each other. Patrick wants Ben to stop wasting his life on the same mistakes that he, Patrick, made, and Ben just wants his dad to believe in him.

Riley and Abigail get a quick verse about their observations of the pair, Riley from the POV of someone who knows a bit of their backstory (and might even share a line or two) and Abigail as someone who’s just meeting them.

Ends with Patrick giving up and saying, “Do what you want Ben.”

END SONG

Abigail raises the very real possibility that there isn’t another clue. Ben says they can find out right now.

SONG: Talk to Me

In this number (better title TK) Ben gets the lemons and basically asks the map makers/founding fathers to talk to him. Tell him the message he’s been waiting his whole life to hear.

Then Abigail stops him and insists on being the one to actually do the lemon-ing. Her verse is a bit more delicate, but she too is genuinely asking for the document to say something to her.

Their parts come together and then—nothing.

This is being visualized by a scrim at the back of the stage. It’s been there for other scenes, and is a sort of parchment texture, but it’s only as the song progresses that we the audience realize it’s changing.

Light effects will be used to turn the whole stage into a VISUALIZATION OF THE DECLARATION, matching what Ben and Abigail are doing at the table on stage. First come the faint stains of the lemon juice.

Then Patrick interrupts to tell them they need heat.

Ben and Abigail breath on the Declaration and the masonic compass flickers into view momentarily on the scrim.

“We need more juice.”

“We need more heat.”

They sing the next verse of the song together as more and more of the map becomes visible. They’re asking the map to talk to them, but subtextually also asking the same of each other.

Thematically the song is saying please tell me there’s something to this. tell me i’m not crazy; tell me I’m not alone.

→ the ensemble reappears as the Gates family ancestors

→ the Charlotte’s Riddle theme and voice reappears as well

→ Patrick joins in with a reprise of The Real Gates Family Legacy

→ Riley joins in with a few lines about how he can’t believe this is really happening

→ young ben reappears to reprise Treasure is a Myth

All of the voices combine into that delicious thing where everybody’s singing their Act I theme over each other (I really can't emphasize enough how much delight this trope brings me) as the extent of the cypher is revealed.

Riley: What is it?

Ben: (barely believing what he’s seeing) A treasure map.

END SONG

END ACT I

[lithiumseven]

Incorrect National Treasure (part I) (part II) (part III) (part IV) (part V)

[maikodelight]

this queen

[itberice]

3.12/4.05

[veatomis]

hey, my partner and i saw you from across the ballroom and we hate your vibe so we're going to kill you (kyrtaar uses they/them)

[evviejo]

STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION // S5E3 Ensign Ro You see, Captain... When I was seven years old, I was given a piece of sugar candy. And I was led by a Cardassian into a room where my father was sitting. And he looked at me with eyes I'd never seen. The Cardassian began to ask him questions, and during the next two hours, as I was forced to watch, my father was tortured until he died. And I remember feeling... so ashamed of him as he begged for mercy. I was ashamed of him for being weak. I was ashamed of being Bajoran. Later I began to understand how misguided those feelings were and... And yet somehow they remained a part of me. I don't want to be ashamed of my heritage anymore, Captain. I served the Federation, but I am Bajoran. A Starfleet admiral presented me with an opportunity to help my people in their fight against the Cardassians. I had to accept.