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queenshelby · 8 months

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Yes! Mr Murphy (Rewritten)

PART 27: RESIGNATION

Pairing: Cillian Murphy x Reader

Warning: Lots of Angst, Age Gap, Teacher x Student, Pregnancy Loss, Infertility

One week later

One week passed, and you finally left the hospital after missing work and school, putting you behind with the curriculum.

During this time, Emma was looking after you, calling in sick from work herself and even Nina visited you twice, once with Connie and once with Cillian, who politely waited outside.

Seeing him still bothered you, and you were not over the fact that he had slept with his assistant, who, you knew, had it out for him, and this did not make it easy on you. You were disgusted by the sheer thought of it, him pleasuring her the way he pleasured you.

You felt disgusted, and you wondered whether he enjoyed it. Did he want her? Was she better than you in bed? She was older, sure. But was she more experienced? The answer was probably yes.

After telling Emma about these thoughts, she told you to try and forget about him. Being an actor probably made him a player, and you may have dodged a bullet when he broke up with you.

“He is not worth your tears,” she reminded you before embracing you. She had been your best friend for life, and you knew she was probably right.

You had to forget about Cillian, regardless of how hard it was or how much you were still in love with him. He was twice your age as well, and he was famous, both matters which could create much trouble for you in the future.

***

While trying to forget about Cillian, you spent most of the weekend catching up on reading the play Enda Walsh had given you to prepare for, and this play, too, reminded you of Cillian.

It was one of his own, called Disco Pigs, and you knew that this was Cillian’s first ever on-stage performance after he had dropped out of law school when he was just 19 years old.

“Christ, why?” you cursed as you put the book aside for the night, and Emma, again, reminded you that this, too, would pass.

“Try not to think of him”, she told you, but this was easier said than done as you missed him a lot and wondered whether he missed you too.

***

After a while, you got some sleep, and then, the following day, you went to school early to address your dispute with James.

James, however, tried to avoid you, and it wasn’t until you asked him whether two could talk that he pulled you aside, and you had the chance to confront him.

“Save it. I won’t say anything to anyone,” James told you before you could say anything yourself. He was squirming, and his reaction surprised you.

“Great, but why the change of mind?” you asked, crossing your arms.

“Your boyfriend’s lawyer sent me a letter, but I am sure you already know that,” he told you, causing you to grin.

“No…well yes…maybe I did” You smirked while James shook his head in disbelief and told you he was embarrassed for you.

“I did see the article in the Irish Times, though,” James thus pointed out, explaining that your lover was a player, and you simply fell for his charm like a silly young girl.

“We aren’t together, James,” you felt the need to point out, but James simply shrugged it off and disappeared into the crowds. He no longer cared, and you found out later that day that he was seeing an old friend of yours.

***

Following your day at drama school, you finally went to dance school to teach the evening class. A new teacher had run the course in your absence, but you knew you could still supervise your students and review their routines even though you were not allowed to perform. You had not healed yet and were instructed to wait at least two weeks before resuming any exercise.

When you arrived at the facility, you were asked to see your employer immediately and wondered what this was all about.

You did not think that you had done anything wrong but had a bad feeling in the pits of your stomach as soon as you walked into his office.

Your employer had a stern look and asked you to sit down. A small manila folder was sitting on his desk, staring at you, and you could not help but ask whether you were in trouble.

“For a matter of fact, you are,” your boss said, and your chin dropped while anxiety filled your mind.

“What did I do?” you asked, thinking that it was because you were absent for the past week.

“It came to our attention that you had an intimate relationship with one of our student’s parents,” your employer exclaimed, and you inhaled sharply. Sweat was now building up on your forehead, and your hands started to fidget nervously. You did not know how to respond, and there was silence for a long minute.

“Of course, you have nothing to say to this, do you?” your employer asked, and you told him quickly that you regretted your intimate relationship with the student’s father.

“The problem is two-fold, Miss Y/LN. Firstly, Mr Murphy has a certain standing in the community, being an actor subject to much publicity. Secondly, he is not divorced yet, and we are, as you know, an institution funded by the Catholic Church,” your employer lectured you, seeing that the academy was attached to one of the best schools in Dublin, which, of course, being in Ireland, happened to be catholic.

“I understand, and I can guarantee you that this affair was short-lived”, you reassured your employer, who handed you a three-page document entitled “Non-Disclosure Agreement”.

“That may be the case; however, we have already found a replacement teacher for you, and your services here will no longer be needed,” your boss told you, to which you shook your head.

“You can’t just fire me,” you told him, but he begged to differ.

“I can because your intimate relationship with Mr Murphy constitutes misconduct in the workplace. But, I would much rather ask you to voluntarily resign and sign this agreement which will entitle you to redundancy pay of six weeks’ worth of wages,” your boss told you while handing you a ballpoint pen.

For a minute, you considered telling him to get lost. Still, then you read the agreement, which prevented you from speaking to the press about your relationship with Cillian and prevented him from doing the same. In addition, your employer could not issue you with a bad reference because of it, which you knew he would do if you did not sign and voluntarily walked away from your job.

“You see, Miss Y/LN, neither us nor Mr Murphy has any interest in making this public,” your employer told you as you considered your options, taking your time.

“You have spoken to him?” you asked, surprised. You did not expect Cillian to take likely to such a threat.

“No, but I have spoken to his assistant about it, and she concurred”, your boss informed you, causing you to laugh.

“Of course, she concurred”, you chuckled before putting pen to taper. You knew you had no choice, and, at least this way, you were getting paid.

After signing the agreement, you packed up your things and left, tears streaming down your face. You loved teaching these excellent students you had, and now, all of this was coming to an end.

You were not even given a chance to say goodbye to your students, and, just as your boss’s secretary saw you out the door, some of the parents stared at you, being escorted out of the building like some criminal.

You wondered who did this to you, and, in the end, it did not matter. Your short-lived fling with Cillian slowly destroyed your life, and you regretted every moment.

It was your fault. Getting involved with him was wrong; now, you must face the consequences.

***

Unfortunately, you were not the only one to suffer from this, and just as the class commenced without you, the parents began to gossip while their children started to listen.

According to one of the mothers, she had been told by your employer’s secretary that you were fired because you slept with one of the parents.

“He is married too,” she whispered, causing Cillian’s wife, Lorraine, to chuckle.

“How typical of these young women. She is probably after money,” Danielle whispered without knowing who it was you had slept with.

Only Connie decided not to engage in the conversation, telling the others that she did not like to spread unsubstantiated rumours, and it was then that Danielle tried to catch her out.

“It may have been Dermont”, she teased, causing Connie to laugh.

“Uhm, if my husband could land the girls’ dance teacher, I would even go so far as to congratulate him on his achievement, but no, it is not Dermont. I am sure of it,” Connie chuckled, seeing that Danielle was trying to get under her skin.

“Maybe it was Cillian?” another one of the mothers then said, now teasing Danielle, who, too, began to laugh and brushed it off.

“Doubtful. My soon-to-be ex-husband is shagging his assistant, just as I had suspected all those years. Also, this rag of a dance teacher is not his type,” Danielle spat, and it was obvious to the other women who were present that she was still somewhat upset that her husband had moved on with his assistant.

“I suppose we will never find out, so how about we just leave it at that,” Connie said as she began to notice the children listening in; even though Nina was not nearby, she did not want this kind of gossip to be spread amongst the students.

***

Following a rather eventful and unpleasant evening at the dance academy, Nina threw her bag and shoes into the boot of her mother’s car, and it was apparent to Danielle that her daughter was angry and confused.

Danielle knew that Nina liked you and, with that in mind, tried to comfort her in the best possible way.

“It’s all right; you will get used to having someone else teach you. I know you liked Y/N, but she resigned, so there is not much you can do about it,” Danielle explained as they got into the car and drove to Cillian’s house, where Nina would stay for the next three nights.

“She did not resign. She got fired,” Nina pointed out angrily while playing around on her phone and texting you to see whether you were all right. After turning fourteen, she had recently joined Instagram and Facebook and added you as a friend across these platforms, occasionally sharing links with you to dance performances she liked.

“What makes you say that?” Danielle wondered before asking Nina to look at her and get off her phone.

“Oh god, Mum, I am not stupid. I heard the gossip,” Nina told her mother, who was worried about what she may have heard.

“So you know what happened?” she thus asked, gauging the situation.

“Yes, I know what happened, but I don’t know why,” Nina told her mother before accusing her of being the culprit. “Did you tell the academy? Because it seems like something you would do to get back at Dad. It’s just like the stupid court orders he had to get to see me,” Nina spat, telling her mother how upset she had been with these events.

“What are you talking about?” Danielle asked as she pulled the car over in shock.

“What I am talking about is that you did not like the fact that Dad was dating Y/N, so you had her fired. Because all you care about is yourself,” Nina accused, causing her mother’s chin to drop.

“Your dad was dating your dance teacher?” she asked, and Nina quickly realised she screwed up. Her mother did not know, causing Nina to curse and cover her mouth with her hands.

#cillian murphy #cillian murphy smut #cillian murphy imagine #cillian murphy x reader #cillian murphy x y/n #cillian murphy x you #cillian murphy fanfiction #cillian murphy fanfic

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fayes-fics · 1 year

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Moments: Family Dinner

Moments masterpost

Pairing: Benedict Bridgerton x fem!reader

Summary: Baby Thomas says his first word.

Moments Moodboard by: @margowritesthings

Warnings: none… domestic fluff.

Word Count: 0.8k

Author’s Note: Unbetaed. Just a little domestic scene for Moments that wouldn’t leave my brain until I wrote it down. More Benedict being a total girl dad for @iboopedyournose. I hope you all enjoy this lil NYD fluffy drabble, to counterbalance the filth I posted yesterday lol <3

“Bleurghhh, what is that?” Amelia shudders, looking over at Thomas’ food as he sits perched in his little wooden high chair, feeding more of his face than his mouth but proudly brandishing his spoon unaided just before his first birthday.

“It’s stewed apples,” you respond, “perfectly tasty; you love apples, Amelia.”

“Not apple soup,” she responds, pulling a nauseated face.

“Eat your chicken, please,” Benedict soothes.

“I don’t like it anymore,” she opines dramatically, crossing her little arms and frowning so hard her whole face scrunches up.

“Yes, you do,” he laughs, “you were just eating it.”

“Well, I changed my mind,” she sniffs and pushes away her plate. “May I get down and play?”

“No love, you have to wait until we are all finished,” you reply calmly.

“Whyyyy,” she whines petulantly, pouting in rather an epic way. If James is your artist and Isobel is your lawyer, Amelia is most certainly your actress, prone to dramatic outbursts.

“Appdebaba!!!!” Thomas chatters happily, waving his spoon at Amelia, flicking tiny flecks of apple in the general vicinity.

Amelia’s little pout cracks, and she can’t help the giggle that erupts at Thomas’ antics.

“See, my heart, even your baby brother knows polite table manners,” Benedict points out.

“Daddy, I don’t want more dinner. Can I sit on your lap, please?” She wheedles, already sidling over and clambering into his lap. He will never say no to his babies, and she knows it.

“Just this once,” he sighs, knowing he is lying to himself.

“Why can’t I sit in your lap, daddy?” Isobel pipes up. “I’ve been a good girl and finished all of my dinner,” she adds, pointedly holding up her plate to prove her case.

“Fine,” he capitulates, knowing he will have no peace this dinnertime. Amelia perches on his left leg as Isobel climbs up onto his right. You huff, bemused, as you watch your husband holding both his daughters, unable to finish his meal but looking happier than ever.

“James, what are you reading?” you address your eleven-year-old son, who is now engrossed in a book; he is ignoring everyone.

“The Swiss Family Robinson,” he responds. “It’s an amazing adventure story.”

“That’s wonderful, but it is rather impolite to read at the dinner table, my dear,” you denote diplomatically.

“I have finished my dinner, but, as you said, we have to wait for everyone else to be done; I thought it more polite to read quietly than complain like Amelia,” he replies airily, frowning at his younger sister.

She sticks her tongue out at him, and you watch James pull the exact meh-meh-meh mocking face you have seen Benedict aim at Anthony on many occasions. The resemblance is sometimes frightening.

“Estiplifffff,” Thomas adds, spit-bubbling apple all over his face but grinning triumphantly.

You sigh. “I recall a time when I could have dinner peacefully without sudden chicken hating, apple splattered everywhere, and book reading,” you say pointedly, but to no one in particular.

“Yes, but mummy, wasn’t that time so very boring?” Your tiny lawyer argues from her father’s lap.

Benedict chuckles.

“Isobel has a point, my love,” he replies mildly.

You look around the dinner table at the five beautiful faces that are your whole world. She’s right. As she usually is.

“Mama-mama,” Thomas babbles, looking directly at you.

“Did he just…?” you gasp, clutching your hand over your heart.

“I think he did,” Benedict agrees, a huge smile breaking out on his face.

“Oh, my darling Thomas!” You exclaim and grab him from his high chair, cuddling him tight, uncaring of all the apple mess being mashed into your dress. “Yes! I am your mama!”

“Mama mama mmm,” he chatters again, with a four-toothed grin, wiping his apple-y hands on your cheeks for good measure.

In an ebullient mood, you twirl around with Thomas in your arms until you are behind your husband, both daughters still in his lap.

“You are right, Isobel,” you smile at your eldest daughter over Benedict’s shoulder. “I wouldn’t change this for the world.”

Apropos of nothing, except perhaps feeling left out, James leaves his seat and comes to hug you as you stand behind Benedict. He’s so tall now that he is up to your shoulder, but you happily wrap your spare arm around him as he curls into you, and you kiss his hair.

And there you stand for a few moments of bliss amongst the chaos, James and Thomas in your arms, Isobel and Amelia in Benedict’s.

Benedict tilts back over his chair with a grin, and you can’t help but lean over and land a kiss upside down on his lips.

The beautiful moment is broken by the chorus of disapproving noises from your three oldest children at their parents' display of affection, and you giggle against each other’s lips.

“Umm a nooooo,” Thomas even opines, which has you and Benedict breaking out into belly laughs, foreheads touching.

Some family dinner moments are so very precious.

Benedict taglist: @makaylan @iboopedyournose @wysteria-clad @colettebronte @aintnuthinbutahounddog @severewobblerlightdragon @margofiore @writergirl-2001 @heeyyyou @enichole445 @enchantedbytomandhenry @ambitionspassionscoffee @chaoticcalzoneranchsports @nikaprincessofkattegat @baebee35 @crowleysqueenofhell @bridgertontess @fiction-is-life @lilacbeesworld

Moments only taglist: @queenofshinigamis @khaleesjj @starslibrary @magical-spit @honeylovemoon @justwant2read8421

#benedict bridgerton fanfiction #benedict bridgerton fluff #benedict bridgerton x reader #benedict bridgerton x female reader #benedict bridgerton x you #benedict bridgerton x y/n #benedict bridgerton imagine #benedict bridgerton #bridgerton fanfiction #bridgerton fluff #bridgerton imagine #bridgerton x reader #bridgerton x female reader #bridgerton #moments universe

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buckysimp101 · 2 years

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Everything the Light Touches (18+) - Chapter Six

Mafia!Bucky x F!Reader

chapter warnings: language, violence (it’s a mob fic), alcohol usage

a/n: hi folks! i’m back! so sorry there’s been like a week between the last few chapters, work has been insane but i FINALLY have an actual weekend this week! so! hope you enjoy this chapter, and i’m glad y’all are enjoying the fic so far!

Series Masterlist

“One of our suppliers has moved a little closer to home so we’ll be able to do work more directly with them, James I want you to be in charge of that piece,” George spoke directly to Bucky, who nodded in agreement. The weekly meeting of Barnes Inc. felt a little different this week after seeing you for the first time in so long. Seeing you at The Underworld, running into you on a date with Liam Stinson while at dinner with his parents, they all put Bucky in a downright weird mood. He’d been paying less attention at this meeting than he should’ve been but he couldn’t help it. Having you back in New York, and playing into the plans your parents had laid out for you, had Bucky’s mind reeling and his stomach rolling.

There had been many times over the last ten years that Bucky had regretted going about the issue with your parents the way he did. He couldn’t even count the number of times he’d kicked himself for not finding some way to talk to you before just disappearing. He could’ve told his dad, but then he worried that his dad would do something to provoke the Pierce’s and his family would get hurt, and then you’d get hurt. He could’ve tried to sneak a message to you to see how involved you were in your parents plans, to see if you had been planted near him to spill secrets and plans back to Pierce. But he didn’t. Instead, nineteen year old Bucky held onto the hurt he was feeling and let it fester deep inside, only opening up slightly to tell Steve the truth. Twenty-nine year old Bucky knew that he’d made a quick decision in a tough spot, and that it was a decision that would affect his life forever.

“Georgie Porgie Pudding and Pie, still kissing the girls and making them cry?” A voice rang from the doorway of the conference room after a brief knock. A voice that Bucky hadn’t heard in years.

“Anthony, it’s nice to have you back, my friend, but you know there’s only ever been one girl for me,” George spoke as he stood to shake hands with Tony Stark, a smirk growing on the latter’s face as he took in the room.

The Starks had been allied with the Barnes family for decades. After Howard had retired, he’d made Tony his successor and the connection with the Barnes family had been even tighter after they worked out a way for Tony to be their weapons supplier. Bucky had only found out at dinner with his parents that Tony had been working on moving back to the city, and that he was bringing you with him. Apparently George had been keeping up with your movements in the last ten years, and only part of the reason he’d asked Tony to move business back to New York was to have his supplier closer, the other was to bring you home. But George would never tell that to Bucky.

“Heard you’ve got a big shot corporate lawyer working for you now,” George joked, drawing Bucky’s attention back to the conversation at hand.

“Oh the best, you know it’s so nice to be back, but I’m not quite so sure she’s that happy to be back,” Tony was looking directly at Bucky as he spoke, making it obvious that he was aware of the reason why you left New York for California originally. Bucky held back the cringe that was threatening to make itself known on his face as Tony continued.

“But anyway, glad to be back. And in true Stark Industries fashion, there’ll be a welcome back gala this weekend, George old buddy old pal, you and the wonderful Winnie are both invited. I figured we should probably re-clarify to some members of the public…that we are in fact friends and occasional…coworkers.” Tony was speaking in code, something he did when he wasn’t sure how involved every person in the room was with the family.

“That’s a great idea, Anthony, but sadly Winnie and I will have to pass, it’s our anniversary this weekend. Thirty-five years,” George spoke fondly, “but, since James will be working closely with you as a liaison between Barnes Inc. and Stark Industries, maybe he could go in our place?”

Now THAT pulled Bucky’s attention back to the table immediately. George knew that you would be at the Stark Industries gala, there was no way you’d be able to skip out with a boss like Tony.

“What are you doing, dad?”

“Me? Nothing. I’m just making sure that the city is aware that Barnes and Stark are two closely related names, and what better way to do that than to send you in my place? You’ll be the face associated with that name soon enough,” George spoke as innocently as he could, making Bucky raise his brows in question at his father’s game. Steve was barely containing a grin at the situation that Bucky had managed to find himself in.

“Georgie, if I didn’t know any better, I’d say you’re trying to play matchmaker with your son and my lawyer? And let me tell you, that would be a very bad decision indeed,” Tony growled, seriousness lacing his tone as he took in Bucky and his family. Tony’s reaction actually made Bucky cringe this time, and Tony appeared satisfied by that betrayal of emotion, “oh yeah, Buckaroo. She told me everything. It would take a million years of groveling to pull yourself out of the hole you dug. Leave my kid alone.”

The whole room was frozen. Tony Stark wasn’t known to make random gestures of emotion, he usually preferred to stick with sarcasm, but the way he just spoke to the two heads of the Barnes family was proof to Bucky that he’d do anything for you.

Good. Someone’s gotta look out for her, he couldn’t help but think to himself.

“Understood, Anthony. Now, if we’re done here-,” George started before Bucky interrupted.

“Just make sure she leaves Liam Stinson alone. You know he’s no good, Stark,” Bucky spoke with a twinge of a threat in his tone, but Tony just laughed.

“You really think I can tell her what to do? You must not have ever known her at all, kid.”

The chair scraped across the floor as Bucky stood up quickly, his hands balling into fists next to him, Tony just quirked an eyebrow at him in a silent taut, but Steve just held his hand out to touch Bucky and calm him down, meanwhile George watched all of this calmly from his chair at the head of the table. After a minute of awkward silence he cleared his throat, nodding his head for Bucky to take a seat.

“As I was saying, thank you Anthony. James will be there on Saturday and he will be on his best behavior, so long as you can promise you will be too?” George’s question was meant to show that while he respected the family’s connection with the Stark’s he wouldn’t accept future disrespect of the heir of Barnes Inc. next time. Bucky and Tony continued to glare at each other before both offering a nod and a half-hearted apology as the meeting drew to a close and members of the family began to file out. Before Tony could walk out of the room Bucky was approaching him, George just shook his head at the confrontation he knew he couldn’t prevent as he walked to his office.

“Woah there little Barnes, didn’t mean to piss in your cornflakes earlier. Good thing dear old dad was in there to keep the peace.”

“Tony, you have no clue why I did what I did all those years ago,” Bucky spoke, feeling the anger bubbling up inside him once more, when Tony was holding up a hand to stop him.

“I’m gonna stop you right there, Buckaroo. Because as far as I know, she doesn’t even know why you did what you did all those years ago. My question is, do you know what it did to her? It’s not my place to tell you so you won’t get a word out of me, but just know if you’re ever lucky enough and she decides to tell you in her own words, on her own time? Know that you’ve just encountered the strongest damn woman I’ve ever met in my life. See ya Saturday, Barnes. And I mean it, don’t fuck with her.” Tony spun on his heel, leaving Bucky and Steve to process his statement and his exit.

A low whistle sounded from behind Bucky as Steve walked up and clapped his best friend on the shoulder, “I’ve told you once, and I’ll tell you again. You fucked up.”

Bucky’s hands were tightening into fists again, this was a conversation they’d had multiple times. The one thing about Steve? When Bucky told him what he’d done? Steve flat out told him that he was the biggest idiot and had made the worst mistake of his whole life but that as his second, he’d listen to him.

“It was for the best and you know it. Why she decided to work for an asshole like Stark I will never understand.”

“Not so sure I ‘know it’ Buck, but I’ll let you keep living in that delusion. Now come on, we gotta make sue you’re all fresh and ready to go for this weekend,” Steve steered Bucky out of the room and as far away from Tony Stark with master precision, a skill he’d learned very well over the years.

The gala was the same as every other fancy party Bucky had ever been to. A bunch of rich people plying themselves with champagne and minuscule plates of food while stroking each other’s egos. Ever since he was a kid Bucky hated going to these events but he went because it was his job. He was the second-in-command of the family, and the heir of Barnes Inc., he had to make a good impression, which meant occasionally rubbing elbows with Manhattan’s elite. When you walked in the room it took all Bucky’s concentration to pay attention to NOT spitting out the champagne in his mouth. He watched you from afar, Steve would say he was being creepy if he was here, but he didn’t attempt to talk to you. No, Bucky was perfectly content with sitting in a corner, talking to whoever he needed to, and never speaking a word to you. Or so he thought.

Until he saw you being slowly engulfed in a small circle of rich assholes, your shoulders hunching up, and your knuckles tensing as they gripped the champagne glass in your hand. Bucky knew that stance, even if he pretended he couldn’t read your body language still, he’d only be lying. So he excused himself from his current conversation partner and strode across the room. As he walked up beside you he slid his hand across your waist, the warmth of your skin practically lighting him on fire, as he apologized to your company and drew you away to ‘dance.’

In Bucky’s mind, he thought of this maneuver as being doubly beneficial. He could get you out of an obviously uncomfortable situation, and then he could warn you off Liam Stinson. Easy peasy. Until it wasn’t.

Easy peasy until Bucky fucked up. Again. And said something stupid and tactless that made you pull away. With a final warning about Liam, Bucky knew his night was over. Walking back to his table, Bucky managed to keep an eye on you on and off throughout the evening. He noticed when you stumbled over your steps a little more and when you approached Tony and Pepper before heading out of the ballroom. Sam was accompanying Bucky tonight as his ‘chauffeur’ so he made sure to have Wilson stationed just outside the hotel where he could keep an eye on you, out of sight of course. It wasn’t until he received the all clear from Sam that you’d made it off site safely that Bucky began to relax. He replayed your conversation on the dance floor over and over in his head. Mentally hitting himself for saying what he did about “truly knowing you” the innuendo making him cringe as he took another sip of his drink.

When the night finally ended, Bucky straightened his coat and headed towards the door he knew Sam was waiting at. Halfway across the ballroom, he was stopped by Tony.

“What was that about, Barnes? I told you to leave her alone tonight and judging by the little stint on the dance floor you chose to blatantly ignore me,” Tony growled.

“Stark I was getting her out of the middle of the sharks, she was visibly uncomfortable.”

“Yeah and instead of the sharks the fucking Megalodon decided to take a bite. I swear to whatever god is listening, Barnes-“

“I warned her about Stinson, Stark. He’s not a good person. He’s obviously deeply connected to Pierce. You know this, I know this. He’s not good for her.”

“Oh but you are?”

“That’s not what I said and you know it,” Bucky spat, growing slightly more annoyed at the turn of the evening and just ready to go home, “I just needed her to hear that. It’s up to her if she listens.” And with that Bucky stormed out the door and into the night. Upon seeing Sam Bucky sent him to get the car as he leaned against the exterior of the Plaza and lit up a cigarette, the smoke filling his lungs and adding to the little buzz he already had in his head.

“Man did you see the tits on her? Can’t believe Stinson’s gonna be tapping that soon,” Bucky heard a voice exiting the hotel from behind him. A man walked out, talking on the phone as he waited for his ride, ending up right beside Bucky.

Bucky had tensed at the mention of Liam’s name, hoping that whoever the guy was talking about was just some other woman. His mistake.

“You think Liam’ll give me a go? I’d like to fuck that L/N bitch at least once, could you imagine those legs wrapped around my waist, oh fuck or even better those lips wrapped around my co-.”

The man didn’t have any time to react before Bucky was punching him in the face. Hard enough to draw blood. And he didn’t stop. Punch after punch made Bucky feel like he was releasing ten years worth of pent up aggression and anger. Bucky grabbed the man by the collar and looked right into the eyes of Caden Smith, the same guy who’d been dancing with you at The Underworld earlier in the week.

“Don’t you ever talk about Y/N L/N like that again or I promise you I won’t let you live,” Bucky sneered as he offered a final punch to Caden’s face, rendering him unconscious. A low whistle sounded from the curb as Sam pulled up and rolled the window down.

“What’d he do boss? Say you don’t look good in your tux? That’s a rookie move,” Sam teased until he realized that Bucky was way past a teasing mood, “Let’s move him to the alley, we can’t leave him passed out and bleeding in front of the Plaza. All the rich people’ll be clutching their pearls.”

Bucky helped Sam move Caden to the alley in silence, the car ride back to Bucky’s place was much the same. Even so, Bucky couldn’t help but wonder if he’d fucked up more tonight than he had ten years ago.

One Month Later

A whole month passed since the gala. Bucky had managed to send Steve to Stark Industries whenever there was legitimate business to be done in order to avoid you, but that wasn’t always possible. However, Bucky’d managed to do a good job at avoiding you. But just because Bucky Barnes wasn’t actively interacting with you doesn’t mean that he didn’t have people paying attention to your every move. About a week after the Stark gala Bucky learned that his father had been keeping tabs on you ever since he’d left you. George still hadn’t learned the reasons why Bucky did what he did, but he made sure to tell his son that he had his ways of making sure you were safe. Those ways mostly involved Tony and Pepper. Bucky learned that shortly after you’d made it to California, you’d started working in some capacity with Stark Industries. A part of Bucky felt relieved that for the last ten years you’d been under some sort of surveillance, but another part of him felt bad for making the decisions that led to you being in a near constant state of supervision. Bucky grew a little more content with the fact that Tony was so close to you, seeing that he and Pepper truly cared for you as if you were their own child made Bucky happy that you hadn’t been completely alone for all these years.

The problem now came with the fact that you had been spotted with Liam Stinson a number of times within the last month. Multiple dinners, outings, coffee meet-ups, Bucky was getting information at least twice a week about you and Liam fucking Stinson. Each time he received news that the two of you’d been spotted in public was like a knife to the chest for Bucky, but he didn’t have anyone to blame but himself. And he knew that. Some part of Bucky Barnes, deep down, knew that warning you off Liam Stinson would have the opposite effect and would likely draw you further into his arms. In fact, according to the intel he’d received from various sources, you were attending a party tonight on Liam’s arm hosted by none other than Alexander Pierce himself. The thought of you taking up the role your parents had bestowed upon you all those years ago made Bucky feel like he was two seconds from being physically sick.

It was late when Bucky sat at the table next to his father, Steve, and other members of the Barnes family as they spoke about the threat they’d received most recently Pierce. Apparently Caden had showed up at Pierce’s house with a black eye and a loose tooth complaining about Bucky beating the shit out of him the night after the gala. Why Pierce had waited so long to threaten them was already confusing him.

“James, what did I say about messing with the Pierce family?” George grumbled as he rubbed his head as if to stave off a headache.

“Not to. However, Smith was talking grossly about Y/N. I couldn’t let it slide,” Bucky snapped in reply.

George sighed, understanding his son’s anger, “son, I understand that but we can’t go starting a war with Pierce right now. Because that’s what he’s threatening if you touch any of his guys again.”

“What was his guy doing at Stark’s party anyway?” Steve asked genuinely confused as to why Caden was there in the first place.

“Rich family, Manhattan, blahblahblah, either way, we showed him that Stark is allied with us. If he wants to fuck himself over by helping Pierce start a war then let him. I’ll kill them all without fucking blinking,” Bucky growled, his mind replaying the words that Caden had said before Bucky attacked him.

George opened his mouth to respond but was cut off by a furious knocking at the office door. Before anyone could even reach for a gun the door was being flung open, a harried looking Tony Stark appearing before them. He let his appearance act as a warning before reaching out and pulling you into the middle of the doorway, your cheeks soaked with tears and your body seizing as you tried to take a breath. Bucky could barely catch his own breath at the sight of you sobbing and tucked under Tony’s arm.

All the oxygen left the room when Tony took a deep breath before growling, “Oh boys…we’ve got a fuckin’ problem.”

taglist:

@youlightmeupfinn

@la-undercover-latina

@niki-is-a-thing

@gloriouspurpose01

@wintasssoldier

@crazyunsexycool

@the-fool-who-jingled

@missvelvetsstuff

@enchantedbarnes

@asoftie4bucky

@theluvcafe

@snufflet

@some-lovely-day

@mochie85

@fangirlvoice

@juulle987

@fab-notfat

@jackiehollanderr

@hallecarey1

@sherlockstrangewolf

@lokisasgardianvampirequeen

@tripletstephaniescp

@potatothots

@desert-fern

@dhoruwolfie

@emmabarnes

@sky0401

@broadwaybabe18

@thebuckybarnesvault

@wallace02sblog

@youngblood199456

@a-small-blue-nebula

@elizacusi-blog

#mafia!bucky x reader #mafia!bucky x yn #mafia!bucky #mafia au #everything the light touches fic #BuckySimp101 #james bucky barnes #slow burn bucky fic #lovers to enemies to lovers

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trashbag-baby666 · 1 month

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Everett Blakely HC’s from my hs au!!! Liked and reblogs highly appreciated!

MOTA Masterlist!

•Everett grew up as an army brat, his father a retired naval aviator. His step mom a lawyer and she certainly was more like a mom to him than his actual one.

•His dad’s originally from Minnesota his step mom from San Diego. They met there while he was stationed there, they fell in love, got married, had two kids. Everett absolutely adores his younger brother and sister.

•They’re a very hug oriented family.

•Everett smokes cigarettes because he wants to be a indie tumblr girl, okay?

•god forbid his parents ever find out…

•Beginning of junior year he started dating this girl named Ava. But it wasn’t a healthy relationship at all, she was manipulative, mean, isolated him, sometimes she would hit him.

•When she would hang out with the group she’d go as far as making fun of Johns stimming.

•Gale had a bit of a falling out with Everett because of her.

•God, he felt so alone and now none of his friends wanted to talk to him.

•Curt removed him from the friend group chat.

•When Dougie didn’t say anything everyone knew this was serious.

•Everett spent his summer between junior year and senior year pretty much alone. Besides when he was with Ava but you know that wasn’t positive attention.

• Everett: wanna hang later?

• Dougie: sorry gotta work.

•Things came to a halting stop one specific day at the end of July.

•Everett had confronted her about how she was treating his friends and him.

• “God, Everett I didn’t mean it like that. You’re so dramatic.”

• “I’m not dramatic you’re being an ass! Do you not understand why your ‘jokes’ are so hurtful? You have no idea what it’s like to be Bucky, so stop with your comments.”

• “It’s not my fault your friends are a bunch of fucking freaks and fags.”

•Everett had heard enough at this point. He’s telling her to get out and she’s grabbing her stuff but oh my god she will not stop talking. Everett literally grabs her arm and hauls her ass to the door and slams it in her face.

•The beginning of summer football camp in August was a shit show to say the least.

•Everyone was mad at Everett and they were all off their game.

•Chick and Jack pulled Everett into their office after the end of the first week. “Look, I don’t know what’s going on, but you should talk with Buck and get this is all sorted out.”

•Everett showed up at Gales house that night asking to talk. Upon seeing, no Ava Gale let him in.

•Curt’s sitting on the couch with Ken tucked into his arm and Meatball in his lap but he’s shooting daggers at him. “What the fuck is he doing here, Buck?”

•Gale lets Everett explain and defend himself. Johns smashed in between Gale and Curt playing with Gales fidget ring. He’s silent and he doesn’t think he can bring himself to make eye contact or talk.

•Everett kinda breaks down crying at the end and John just comes over and rubs his back before whispering a small, “it’s okay I forgive you.”

•The fact that Meatball went over to comfort Everett won over Curt a little bit but he’s still got a hell of a lot of more trust gaining to do.

•Him and James spend a lot of time just sitting in his truck quietly together while music plays and they eat snacks.

•James can see that Everett’s cigarette problem has only gotten increasingly worse.

•He can see the way that Everett has became so flinchy to touch. They were always just so playful and naturally touchy with each other.

•I’ve rambled long enough but we know that these two make out…

•okay they have a really good character development arc I promise!

•Asks open for any questions regarding these!!!!

Brought to you by military la la land @mangokitkats @ihearteugeneroe

#i’m cannoning athena and bobby from 911 as his parents #with different careers #it just fits okay?#masters of the air #mota #hs au #everett blakely #james douglass #blakely/douglass

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tricksterrune · 9 months

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Rogues playing DnD: Classes

I fully admit that this is based on my limited experience of DnD, mainly through season 1 of Vox Machina, The Gamers 2: Dorkness Rising and FrasierDnD Twitter, specifically this. I also used to play The Dark Eye from which I steal aspects. And WoW

for @belphegor1982

Piper: DungeonMaster

He brings them together. They call him a nerd for it, but it sounds like fun so they all join in. But while Piper is the most experienced as of now, he hasn't played since college and wasn't the dungeon master, he isn't 100% in control and improvises a lot. At first he tries to keep them on the story path but learns to relax and let go. He used to have a high level bard in college and frequently uses that character's relatives as npcs.

James: hmmmmm

In the Dark Eye there were classic fae changelings. Fae could take a child and leave a changeling in its wake. And you could then play as the child that was taken which grew up in the fae realm, learn magic and becomes fae-like (If I remember correctly). James would play a character but never actually clarify whether he was the original character or the changeling pretending to be him.

Or I go with my initial answer and say that he roleplays as someone who does not fit into the world of DnD (as I once played a whole quest trying to be Indiana Jones). Half-elf...alledgedly

Mick: Monk....now

Mick's character became a monk later in life and starts as a veteran character (is that a thing in DnD?). Which means that he starts stronger but his character is old. He'd be a Dragonborn because they look badass. He is always super-prepared and carries endless supplies.

Mark: Wizard, elf or human

I hc Mark as someone who likes reading and not just Mark Twain, who was overshadowed by his gifted brother who was into natural sciences. He probably loves fantasy books but never engaged as a teen, wanting to appear tough. He has big ideas but hasn't read the rulebook too closely, just stories and wants to be a wizard who can do everything, mainly throw fireballs at people. Piper has to remind him frequently that he can't do the thing he just announced he was going to do. "I cast Firestorm!" "Do you know the spell?" "No?" "What about your spell slots?" "My what?"

Roscoe: Artificer, human

He sticks to what he knows best so he essentially plays himself. BUT he has read the rulebook twice and has become a rule's lawyer. He often thinks outside of the box but sometimes gets bigged down by what the numbers say are possible and what's a good story. He'd try a peasant railgun.

Lisa: Rogue, tiefling

Skintight leather? Check. Awfully sharp knives? Check. Steal absolutely EVERYTHING? Check. Often gets the party into trouble with her antics. "Can I roll to steal the crown?" "Seeing as its currently on the king's head, he's looking at you and is surrounded by his royal guard....no." She'd play tiefling, sexy as hell.

Digger: Barbarian, half-orc or orc

Digger junior, his character's name, will fight everyone, drink everything and then fight everyone again. He is legendary in bar brawls. His secret goal is to be the brawler like no ever ever was. Fighting's his real test, drinking is his cause. Digger jr is Digger unfiltered which you'd think was impossible.

Len: Druid, elf

He was blackmailed into attending at first (but secretly has fun) and plays a druid, almost exclusively in bear form (assuming that's possible, I' drawing on my WoW knowledge). His favorite trick is making people think he's a regular bear and only reveals himself when it's funny. Has written a couple of bear puns, but is afraid to use them unless he's a little drunk.

Sam: Bard! And a woman!

Charisma, charisma and charisma! He needs everyone to know that he is the most beautiful lady of all the land. And his character doesn't get her hands dirty, she stays outside and keeps inspiring the party. In ideal circumstances anyway, she has mace (an actual mace) when things get tough.

Roy: Warlock, Tiefling.

Roy strives to become an eldritch entity himself, possibly by killing his patron. At least he's not giving up his soul. He draws the most beautiful character portraits between rounds.

#dndrogues #flash rogues

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writing-for-marvel · 2 years

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Stardust Reblog Challenge September 2022 Masterlist

Challenge by @natrace | dividers by @firefly-graphics

These are all the fics I’ve reblogged and recommend in September

The aim of this challenge is to support writers on tumblr by reblogging their work with comments ♥️ I would encourage everyone to join this challenge and to show all these amazing authors love by reading and sharing their work

Please read the warnings for each individual fic

🔥 - smut | 💗 - fluff | 💧- angst | 😈 - dark

Bucky Barnes

💧💗 Poet Laureate (series) by @real-jane

💗💧🔥 Is it a crime? (series) by @crazyunsexycool

🔥 A Taste of Submission by @jobean12-blog

💧💗 A Kingly Gift by @/jobean12-blog

💧💗 Happily Ever After by @/jobean12-blog

💧🔥 Owned by @/jobean12-blog

💗 A ‘Big’ Night by @/jobean12-blog

💧💗 Scar Tissue by @fandoms-writings

💗 Why Do You Care? by @black-mistress-of-evil

💗 What Makes A Woman by @motsdouxdejanie

🔥 Messy by @buckycuddlebuddy

🔥 Innocent by @/buckycuddlebuddy

🔥 Cream by @/buckycuddlebuddy

💗 Interference by @navybrat817

💧💗 Once Upon a Time by @/navybrat817

💗 The First Time by @bucky-barnes-diaries

💧💗 No One Touches My Girl by @/bucky-barnes-diaries

💗 Next-Door Desire by @/bucky-barnes-diaries

💧💗 Part of a Family by @onceuponastory

💗 Dancin’ Darlin’ by @tuiccim

💗🔥 Bleeding Bliss by @carrotfantasimp

💗🔥 First Night by @kinanabinks

Steve Rogers

💧 Hide and Seek (mini-series) by @earth616variant

😈🔥 Flesh and Blood by @sophiria

💗 You Go To My Head by @barnesmurdock

🔥 See You Soon by @someawkardblackgirl

💗 Earpiece by @rodrikstark

💗 Gotcha Day by @sweetascanbee

💗 Fries With That by @/sweetascanbee

💧💗 40s!steve rogers x fem!reader by @sanguineterrain

💧 Untitled by @imaginearyparties

💧 Killer by @/imaginearyparties

💧💗 Playing For Keeps by @/tuiccim

💗🔥 Hey Handsome by @sunshinebuckybarnes

💧 I’m Coming For You by @no-not-without-you-blog

💗 A Whittle More Practice by @mjolnir-steve

Stucky

💧 Lions’s Den (series) by @imaginedreamwrite

🔥 Untitled by @/someawkardblackgirl

💗 Falling for you like the leaves do by @doasyoudesireandlive

Sam Wilson

💗 Good Morning by @fluffyprettykitty

🔥 Rapture by @/fluffyprettykitty

🔥 Dominion by @/fluffyprettykitty

💗 I See You by @lisstothebliss

💗 sam wilson x f!reader by @/rodrikstark

💗 Stuck by @/rodrikstark

💗 Driving by @intrepidacious

Natasha Romanoff

💗 Her Girl by @buckybarnesthehotshot

💧 Girl Crush by @cthulhu-calling

Joaquin Torres

💗 Coffee Run by @/rodrikstark

💗 joaquín torres x gn!reader by @/rodrikstark

🔥💗 “I want you to kiss every inch of my body.” by @/fluffyprettykitty

💗 No Room For Worries by @/fluffyprettykitty

Peter Parker

💗 Pumpkin Patches by @bxcketbarnes

💗🔥💧 Rhinestone Eyes by @geminimoonbeamx

Lloyd Hansen

💗🔥 The Princess and the Lawyer (series) by @universitypenguin | Part One | Part Two

💧💗🔥 You Were The One (series) by @georgiapeach30513

James Mace

💗 Spike by @/rodrikstark

Jake Jensen

💗🔥 Boys in Bed With Books (JJ) by @/jobean12-blog

Ransom Drysdale

💧💗 How Long Will I Love You by @cloudycevans

🔥 The Five Stages by @littlelioncub43

Ari Levinson

💗 All of Me by @maladaptivexxdaydreaming

Lee Bodecker

💗 Lee Bodecker in the fall by @treatbuckywkisses

Multiple Characters

😈🔥 A Taste of Danger by @/onceuponastory [Sierra Six and Nick Fowler]

💗🔥 Period Comfort by @1000night [Steve, Bucky and Sam]

#stardust reblog challenge #fic rec #reading list

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adamwatchesmovies · 13 days

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Big Trouble in Little China (1986)

Big Trouble in Little China is an odd duck that blends several different genres together. It may not be for everyone but it’s got a lot of personality and is certainly memorable. It’s got such a unique feel that those who like it are sure to call it a new favorite.

Trucker Jack Burton (Kurt Russell) is accompanying his friend Wang Chi (Dennis Dun) as he travels to the airport to meet his fiancé after years apart. After landing, Miao Yin (Suzee Pai) is immediately kidnapped by a Chinese street gang. When our heroes learn that she is to be wed to an ancient sorcerer named Lo Pan (James Hong), what choice do they have but to infiltrate his lair and rescue her?

As soon as you meet Jack Burton, you know this will be a different kind of movie. Kurt Russell’s performance, his dialogue and his swagger make this protagonist an instant icon. He sticks out even more once we're properly introduced to the story because he doesn’t belong. He’s a no-nonsense meat-and-potatoes kind of guy. What does he know about ancient prophecies, a trio of warriors armed with elemental powers, or magic? It’s like the movie was originally meant to have Wang Chi as its protagonist but Jack stumbled in at the last second and stole the spotlight - which is precisely the appeal. He’s so out of place that everything feels like a surprise. The fact that everyone but him (and the audience) are “in the know” means that sometimes, this movie is just plain weird. There was no buildup to that monster! Where did it come from? Where did it go? If this was “Grave Dangers in the Great Kingdom” with Dennis Dun and Suzee Pai as the main characters, you wouldn’t question it. With Jack? it’s wild stuff.

Everything I’ve told you about this film so far should be a detriment. Instead, it’s a strength because this movie is effortlessly cool. Big Trouble in Little China does its own thing and is having a great time. You get the sense that everyone on set probably didn't understand what this was all building towards but they all got along so well and had such a great time that it didn’t matter. The enthusiasm is infectious. Though best known for his horror and science-fiction films, director John Carpenter’s mark is all over this movie. It's unmistakably his, even if it stands out among everything else he's made.

All that said, I wish I liked this movie more than I did. While it is fun, sometimes it can feel aimless and unpolished. Maybe it has a few too many characters. Jack and Wang Chi are joined by lawyer Gracie Law (Kim Cattral), an old enemy of Lo Pan played by Victor Wong, Wang’s friend Eddie Lee (Donald Li) and Eddie's love interest Margo Litzenberger (Kate Burton). Then there’s this other girl the villains mistake Miao Yin for… but then it turns out she also fulfills the role Lo Pan wants her to in the prophecy… and it gets to be a lot of a lot. It’s clear Jack Burton is not the kind of character that could ever learn any sort of lesson or change. He’s exactly who he needs to be now, and forever. That’s why you like him. Everyone else, however, is in major need of story arcs or character development, particularly in a story like this one that is under constant threat of being overwhelmed by its special effects, creatures and wild developments.

I was hoping a second viewing of Big Trouble in Little China would make me fall in love with it. Looks as though this movie just isn’t my thing. That makes it sound like I don’t like it. I do like it. It’s just that everything I see on screen tells me I should fall head over heels in love and I'm not. A funny thing happened when I did view it, however. Someone else in the room did fall for it completely. Their instant enthusiasm makes me wholeheartedly recommend the picture. I hope it turns out to be your kind of thing. Even it isn’t, there are a lot of laughs, surprises, and memorable moments in Big Trouble in Little China. (April 7, 2022)

#Big Trouble in Little China #movies #films #movie reviews #film reviews #John Carpenter #Gary Goldman #David Z. Weinstein #Kurt Russell #Kim Cattrall #Dennis Dun #1986 movies #1986 films

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mygreatadventurehasbegun · 1 year

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My Personal Ranking of James Stewart’s movies.

A while ago, I did three separate posts ranking Cary Grant’s, Audrey Hepburn’s and Claude Rains’ films (at least of the ones I’ve seen), and I realized that there are a couple more actors that I wanted to do this for...actors whose filmography I’ve tried to work through, and to see as much of their work as I can. With 102 credits, it will be a long time before I see all of James Stewart’s work, but here’s my personal ranking of the films I have seen.

And this is based mostly on my enjoyment of the movie, not just his performance...though his performance may have been the deciding factor if I needed a “tie breaker”.

14. Ziegfeld Girl

Now, I actually saw this movie for the first time last night and I was pretty excited to see it. A young James Stewart in a movie with Judy Garland and there are Busby Berkley musical numbers? This is going to be great! Ummm...I have to admit that sadly, I was pretty bored. This movie is 2 hours and 12 minutes, and they could have easily cut 10 minutes and not lose anything. And Stewart is only in 25 minutes of the movie. His scenes are great, and it’s always nice to see Judy Garland in any movie, but the three separate storylines just didn’t flow well together and I found myself checking the time a lot. The most interesting thing about it for me was that it was Stewart’s last film before WWII, and that some people think you can see Gene Kelly in the background of one of the numbers.

13. The Greatest Show on Earth

Speaking of overly long movies...this one is a two hour movie stretched out to three...but it’s Cecil B. DeMille, and I don’t think he ever made a movie that wasn’t a long epic with a cast of thousands. And while a lot of the circus stuff did not age well, a lot of it is still very impressive to watch. Gloria Grahame learned how to work with elephants, Cornel Wilde and Betty Hutton did their own trapeze work, and the train crash sequence still holds up. And James Stewart plays a clown! You never see him out of his clown makeup, as his character is hiding from the law...and it’s kinda fun to see him act silly and do some more gag-type humor. But this is another case where his scenes are some of the more interesting ones, but he’s just not in the movie all that much.

12. You Can’t Take It With You

This one is ranked a bit lower because I’ve only seen it once! So, if I ever get around to watching it again, it may move up the ranks. But it’s a fun, light comedy that is perfect for someone like Frank Capra. And he’s really adorable in this movie.

11. Harvey

Another case of me only seeing this movie once years ago...but this is also a really sweet movie, and Stewart is great as the “pleasant” Elwood P. Dowd, who is best friends with a giant rabbit.

10. Rope

This is a very interesting movie. The first time I saw it, I didn’t really like it...but after a few more viewings, I’ve grown to appreciate it more. It’s not my favorite Hitchcock movie, and not his best collab with Hitchcock, but it is technically impressive with some decent tension.

9. Anatomy of a Murder

Now, I’ve only seen this movie once...even though I do own the Criterion Blu-Ray...it’s just a very long movie and it’s tough to find the time. But it’s a very engaging legal drama and Stewart is excellent as the defense lawyer of a man on trial for murdering his wife’s rapist.

8. The Man Who Knew Too Much

So, this is a remake that Hitchcock made of one of his mown movies...and Hitchcock preferred this one, saying that “the first was made by an amateur, and the remake by a professional.” I personally like them both about the same, liking some things more in the original, some in the remake...but James Stewart was the perfect choice to play the father of a kidnapped child. He and Doris Day have very nice, easy chemistry...they do feel like a married couple who are just so comfortable together.

7. Rose Marie

So, this isn’t really a James Stewart movie...not in the way you would think. This is a Nelson Eddy/Jeanette MacDonald movie, where James Stewart appears in one scene. This was his second movie, and he is about 21 years old and just so cute...He plays Jeanette Macdonald’s younger brother who is on the run after murdering a Mountie. I remember watching this movie when I was like, eight...so this was probably my introduction to James Stewart, before I even knew who he was.

6. Shenendoah

I just re-watched this movie about a week ago and James Stewart is so fucking good in it...if you want to see his definitive curmudgeon performance while he also makes you cry, you don’t need to look any farther than Shenandoah. Stewart plays a Virginian farmer during the Civil War who has basically not chosen a side. He doesn’t support the Confederates because he’s opposed to slavery, but he also doesn’t support the North because he’s opposed to war. He just wants to sit out the war and tend his farm with his seven children...but then his youngest son gets taken prisoner by the Yankees, and he goes off to try and find him. It’s a deeply layered performance and I’m honestly surprised that he wasn’t nominated for it...it’s also the movie where you get to hear him say the phrase: “a spare tit”, which is weirdly hilarious to me.

5. It’s a Wonderful Life

Now we’ve made it to his most well-known movie...what can I saw about It’s a Wonderful Life that hasn’t already been said? It’s so iconic and such a huge part of so many people’s Christmas traditions...and his performance is so incredible... George Bailey goes on such a massive emotional journey, and he is captivating to watch.

4. Vertigo

This movie is so mesmerizing...it’s definitely one of Hitchcock’s masterpieces. Stewart’s character Scotty is actually fairly unlikable for the majority of the movie (there are so many moments that just make me go “ick”), but his performance is so layered, you can’t keep your eyes off of him. And that scene between him and Kim Novak in the tower is one of my favorite scenes in any Hitchcock movie. It is so intense, and there have been plenty of times that I haven’t rewound the movie to re-watch the scene.

3. Mr. Smith Goes to Washington

If I had to pick James Stewart’s best performance, I would have to pick this movie. It is an absolutely incredible, and it is too bad that he didn’t win his Oscar for this movie (though many people think that his win the next year was a consolation prize). Jefferson Smith is a patriot...wide-eyed, innocent and always believes the best in people...but he slowly gets ground down as he learns that Washington DC is not a great as he thought. People are dishonest and untrustworthy...he learns it the hard way, but he still has some fight left in him, and he’s the kind of person that just has to try. And his scenes in the Senate between him and Claude Rains are outstanding.

2. Rear Window

This was the first Hitchcock movie I ever saw, and what a great way to start! It is such an interesting murder mystery, and for so long, you’re not even 100% sure that it is a murder mystery...but Jeff is so invested in finding out the truth that you have to stick with him until we know for sure. And the fact that it takes place all in one room and you never get bored is a testament to how engaging the story and James Stewart as Jeff are.

1. The Philadelphia Story

I love this movie so much. It interesting, when I made my Cary Grant countdown, this movie ended up at number one there, too. But I think it comes down to just how much fun this movie is...the characters are likable and interesting; the dialogue is razor sharp and the actors all have terrific chemistry. Especially James Stewart and Katharine Hepburn. That scene with them after the party could be a short film all on its own and it would still be perfect. And the scene between a drunk Mike and sober Dexter never fails at making me cackle. I think that this movie is a good recommendation for someone who is looking for more Old Hollywood movies to watch.

And there you have it! If you’ve made it to the end of this long post, congratulations. :)

There are a couple more of his movies I would like to check out, like Vivacious Lady and Bell, Book and Candle...maybe I’ll make an addition/update to this countdown.

Also, I never realized until I looked at his filmography, just how many westerns this man starred in...he made around 20 over the course of his career, which is so interesting to me, since he’s not the first person I think of when I think “westerns”...but anyway...thanks for reading!

#james stewart #the philadelphia story #mr smith goes to washington #rear window #vertigo #shenandoah #it's a wonderful life

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peachcitt · 1 year

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hey Peach, certified book rec list enabler friend here, can you give us a list of those classic lit recs? 👀

HEY MIA

so i know you asked specifically for classic lit for beginners and i think that is a fantastic idea for a book rec list but im going to give some disclaimers

DISCLAIMERS:

these are simply classic lit books that i like

classic lit books that i like tend to be easier reads FOR ME, not necessarily for other people

my personal definition of "classic lit" is incredibly loose

under the cut is each book with an elaboration on what it's about/what to look out for/my thoughts on it which got a little long, so here's a snapshot of each of the books i included on this list:

Much Ado About Nothing (Shakespeare)

Lady Audley's Secret (Braddon)

Brave New World (Huxley)

Peter Pan (Barrie)

Frankenstein (Shelley)

Dracula (Stoker)

Olive (Craik)

Herland (Gilman)

At Night All Blood is Black (Diop)

Fun Home (Bechdel)

so anyway here are my recs in no particular order

Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare

by far my favorite shakespeare play - it's truly funny and emotional when it needs to be, and snappy and bickeringly in love benedick and beatrice really steal the show here. reading it is fun, but since it's a play i'll say my favorite adaptation is the stage production with david tennant and catherine tate as benedick and beatrice. there's also a web series adaptation on youtube that is absolutely phenomenal

2. Lady Audley's Secret by Mary Elizabeth Bradden

by far my favorite book that i've ever had to read for a class !! this is a mystery novel from the mid-1800s, and it's GRIPPING. it follows a distinctly queer-coded lawyer whose best friend goes missing around the time that he meets the lawyer's new hot young step-aunt. i actually posted an alternate ending on ao3 a while ago (it was my final assignment for the class) (i got a good grade). the language in this book is relatively easy to follow, and there's a lot of interesting stuff happening with gender/women/sexuality in there. i cannot recommend this book enough

3. Brave New World by Aldous Huxley

a fun dystopia from the 1920s! i think if you wanted to get English Major about it, this is a great companion read for 1984 because of how both of these books are dystopias that revolve around what freedom of speech/thought might mean, but they address that idea in complete opposite ways- compelling! while 1984 is all about repression through submission, brave new world is about repression through overt sexuality and substance abuse. i think 1984 is good, but brave new world is a better read; it's emotionally investing and impactful with the words it chooses to use. there's some race/gender/sexuality tension in there that i think is really interesting. reading it in high school changed my life a bit i think.

4. Peter Pan by James Barrie

i think we're all pretty familiar with the story of peter pan, but reading the original text is just a whole other beast. it's a short read, so it can be pretty casual to just pick up. it's a profoundly weird story and i think more people should know about that. a lot of race/gender/age stuff going on there

5. Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

a given. a bit of a slower read at points, but i've always thoroughly enjoyed reading frankenstein. key things that i like: the russian doll format, how stupid victor frankenstein is, henry<3, the creature<3

6. Dracula by Bram Stoker

also a given. all the tumblrinas should know about this one. key things that i like: the polyamory vibes, quincey morris<3, jonathan harker<3, mina<3. also how bloody and graphic it is<3

7. Olive by Dinah Mulock Craik

this is a relatively little-known marriage plot novel from the later end of the 1800s and i gotta say. i was Into It the whole time. of course there's some weird stuff in there, but overall this is a book about a girl with a physical disability that gets to be in love and be loved with a happy ending (!!). that kind of thing was nearly unheard of back then, and so even though the language/treatment of all characters isn't perfect, it's really genuine in what it wants to say (which is that people with disabilities deserve love and happy endings). it's a pretty religiously dogmatic text, so be aware of that. the copy of olive that i have came with craik's short story The Half-Caste which is ! well it's a short read and it's a weird one!

8. Herland by Charlotte Perkins Gilman

an early 1900s utopian novel! this one is particularly interesting because there's three (or four, can't remember) male main characters who end up stumbling upon a secret society comprised of only women that is essentially a utopia. how each man reacts to seeing women control, live, and thrive in their own society is really pointed. obviously a lot of gender/sexuality stuff happening in there. my only disclaimer for this one is that sometimes utopian novels can become a bit stagnant, but this one manages to avoid that for the most part because of the conflict the male characters bring in

9. At Night All Blood is Black by David Diop

this is a book that was published in 2018 but i actually didn't know that until i looked it up just now! what! it concerns a sengalese man named alfa who ends up fighting for the french during world war I. after the tragic death of his best friend, alfa begins a descent into madness due to his guilt and his rage. this is a short novel, but it's unbelievably heavy. there's a lot of graphic violence and hard emotions, but it's written so well. it also provides a picture of world war I from the perspective of the african men who were forced into the trenches that isn't normally depicted. it's truly thought-provoking and beautifully written.

10. Fun Home by Alison Bechdel

yes, bechdel as in the bechdel test. fun home is bechdel's graphic novel memoir that was published in the early 2000s, and it details her youth in rural pennsylvania as well as her complicated relationship with her father as she navigated her sexuality as a butch lesbian. it is astoundingly poignant, and the format as a graphic novel means it's a welcoming, quick read (although when i read it i really did dwell on the amazing art panels, and it did make me sit and pause for a while because of how insanely good it is). this is a great snapshot of a particular kind of queer life in the 1960s-70s, and how bechdel depicts her father and her relationship with him is particularly compelling. be aware of themes of sexuality (of course), but also themes of abuse and pedophilia. everything is depicted with care in my opinion, but this one can also get a bit heavy.

and that's it! ive read a decent amount of classic lit, but these are the ones that i enjoyed the most/would be the most welcoming to people who don't normally pick up books like this.

happy reading!!<3

#ask #book rec list #miabrown007 #book rec #classic lit #as you can see i am partial to the victorian/modern eras of literature. that is both by circumstance and by choice #i think modern lit is generally easier to digest and i think the problems back then really mirror problems now WHICH is really cool.#however i ended up following a professor through a lot of the classes she taught and she basically forced me to like victorian lit because #she's so cool so now im a victorian lit girlie i suppose. my professor's slogan is 'we still are the victorians' which honestly?#can't help but agree with sometimes. there's some weird shit happening in victorian novels and i for one love to see it #some honorable mentions: the importance of being earnest (wilde) the comet (dubois) (that one's a short story) angels in america (kushner)#wide sargasso sea (rhys) and city of god (cuadros)#why are these honorable mentions and not on the list? great question!#it's because i already typed everything out and now im remembering others that i really like #if you want elaboration well. you can always ask :)

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septembersghost · 2 years

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jimmy sitting disheartened and all alone at the courthouse would be his day, every day, if he didn't indulge in ugly excess and fill every nook and cranny of saul's existence with continual noise and color and too loud advertisements and paid companionship and a bluetooth immediately in his ear. there's a piano in the mansion that never gets played, he can't explain why he even bought it, jokes it adds class. putting a tombstone in the middle of the room would be too unsubtle, not that he's aiming for subtlety. he avoids going down to court when possible, avoids interacting with the legal community in general, and they have a particular ire towards him when he does. they are not his colleagues, they are his adversaries.

suzanne called him a scumbag and there was only one person in the world who'd defend him against that accusation, and she's gone. when kim wexler left, the ada said, good for her, aloud to everyone in the vicinity, but then they all talked about what a shame it was to lose such a fine lawyer. it had to be the hamlin thing right? a few people whisper, maybe, in her time at HHM, she and howard were closer than they seemed, didn't you know the firm paid for her law school, there's another piece of the HHM legacy ruined forever, but those rumors are shut down quickly. first with, no, he wasn't like that. it's still hard to believe he could ever... and then with, no way, she was devoted to mcgill. she defended him at the hearing against his own brother, remember? that was the beginning of the firm's problems. even, i heard she accused howard of nepotism. then other details, she quit s&c abruptly, that was probably his fault. he did the same thing in santa fe. never made sense what she saw in him. or, she seemed to get fixated on wanting to help people, think it was guilt because she knew what he was becoming? or, she finally woke up, guess she was disgusted by what he was becoming. imagine having to live with him. or, why would a woman like that ever marry him? she disbarred herself! he totally tanked her life. or...?

discussions of james mcgill begin to treat him like he's dead, though no one quite realizes they're doing it. it wasn't that he'd been a bad lawyer, he was smart, he could be a really nice guy, but he was always wheeling and dealing. hard to know what was real until he showed it with that de guzman thing. maybe that was why she disappeared.

none of these discussions are had in front of saul because saul is never approached like a human being, but he still knows they have them. he's an annoyance, an aggravation, self-aggrandizing, tenacious. he succeeds with his cases, often. at a cost. they have to deal with his screeching commercials and his clashing suits, it is impossible to avoid this man in albuquerque, he rises to mini-celebrity status through sheer obnoxiousness alone, never letting anyone forget he exists. i'll fight for you. nobody knows what he's even fighting for - glory? money? respect is out of the question. they never see anything genuine from him except his desire to win.

he will not sit alone at the table. whatever, it doesn't matter who's there with him, but he's not pathetic. he's great. hell, he's untouchable. you've never mattered all that much to me...but so what? this is easier. no more pretending, no more attempts to play it straight, no one else to try and change for. he's a cathedral of justice with foam columns. they can't take him down. he beats them to it.

#IDK WHAT THIS IS #i'm upset #jimmy mcgill #saul goodman #kim wexler #better call saul #bcs spoilers #*#btw the rumors and commentary are dedicated to people who don't get this show lol

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petitprincess1 · 1 year

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If Velma bombs they probably blame it on racist, sexist and homophonic (Is there people that will just hate the show because there gay black woman lead. Yeah there probably the same people that bitch about the Owl House or how Harley Quinn ruined batman.) But that's not the whole audience.

I know this ask isn't about this, but I've watched like half of the first ep.....by god....it sucks! It's really bad...like holy shit.

First of all, the show starts off with Daphne getting shocked at hearing a noise in the locker room. She then sees a cockroach....and then another cockroach starts fucking it. That's how the show starts...cockroaches fucking. Cool...

Then the next scene is Daphne and other teenage girls engaging in typical teenage girl talk. You know when you talked about how in Pilots they have a bunch gratuitous nudity and sex to engage audiences, then Daphne says that she doesn't care for that stuff, then another girl pops outta nowhere and says how we're all secretly perverts and want sex, and then the two fighting each other? Btw, they're all naked in the shower in the locker room. ....I know that's the point of the scene, but it's just not funny and so unnatural.

Also, Velma asks Daphne after smacking her out of the showers with a hockey stick about how she feels about race-blind casting. Daphne says that as an Asian woman (yes, she brings up her race) that it's great because people love a white man playing Jesus or a professional boxer (or wrestler idc), so why it can't it go the other way. Again, all of this...very natural dialogue that definitely doesn't sound like it was made by robots that only viewed humans through political tiktok.

And then a body with no brain falls out the locker. ..............So, yeah, that was the first five minutes. It technically starts with narration from Velma, but the moment I heard fake woke shit...I couldn't listen to it. I'm 13 or 14 minutes in. I had to pause so many times to say stfu because of how pretentious, unnatural, or unfunny the dialogue was.

I understand the whole "beauty in the eye of the beholder" and all that, but whoever this show is made for...has to be blind.

Also, here's some natural dialogue that I forced myself to remember:

Daphne's mom: How long has it been since Daphne's been at your house?

Velma: Uhhhh, since my mom went missing....two years ago

~~~

Velma: I'm a suspect? I thought lesbians were good at solving crimes. That's like the one positive stereotype that's perpetuated in cop shows.

~~~

Daphne's mom: [...]You were found lurking in the showers like a gym teacher that isn't a gym teacher anymore.

~~~

Velma: Boyfriend? You think I want Fred? I mean, if someone wanted to show me a picture of him naked, I'd be all hubba hubba, but I'd say that with anyone. LeBron James, Helen Mirren, a mummy.

~~~

Velma's Dad: Velma, I love you. But I'm a lawyer so you have to trust me when I say this. People only think that you murdered Brenda because-

Velma: I was voted "Most Revenge-y" in the school yearbook, I know. Oh, those yearbook guys have no idea what's coming to them.

Velma's Dad: No, you're a weirdo. Ever since your mother disappeared, you haven't hung out with any normal kids.

~~~

Daphne: Fred? Naked? Hilarious! We've been dating a year and he hasn't even taken his pants off.

Velma: Whoa! A year? He gay?

~~~

Fred: I have an illness that makes me unable to recognize people unless they're hot. My doctor said it's like sickle cell for rich people.

Velma: Is it called rudeness?

Fred: It is! You're, like, really smart!

Velma: Really? Thank you!

Fred: Not a compliment.

#also fred duck lips when taking a selfie #........because that's still relevant #fuck this show #if you wanna kill me after reading this #im begging you to do it #end this suffering /hj #hbo velma #hbo max #hbo #ask answered #ok 2 rb #long post

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dr-spencer-reids-queen · 1 year

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Penelope: Part Two

Pairing: Spencer Reid x Female!Reader

Word Count: ~1.5k

Warnings: canon violence, canon language, canon talk of death, methods of kill

Author’s Note: I am so sorry I haven’t posted. I was sick with the flu and completely forgot about it. I will be posted both episodes now!

I do not own anything from Criminal Minds. All credit goes to their respective owners. If there is any warnings that exceed the normal death/kills from the show, I will list them. If you’ve seen the show, then it’s the same level of angst unless otherwise stated

Hotch's phone rings and he answers it quickly.

"Hotchner. ... Good. ... We'll be right there." He hangs up with a relieved look on his face. "She's up."

You three head back to the hospital just in time to see Penelope before she falls asleep again from exhaustion. You walk into her room with Derek, JJ, and Spencer. Everyone wants to cry, but if you start crying, then Penelope will start crying.

"Hi. No tears. I'm afraid if I start crying I'll come unstapled," she sighs.

"How are you feeling?" Derek asks.

"Confused, stupid, and in pain."

"Are you up for some questions?" JJ wonders.

"I never saw it coming. He seemed... deliciously normal."

"You know him?"

"He was your date, right?" you whisper and take her hand.

"You were right. I should have trusted it," she says to Derek. "It's that guy I told you about. The one I met at the coffee shop. I wanted to believe he was interested in me. I let my guard down."

"Do you have any idea why he would have done this? Did he threaten you? Did he want something?"

"I just thought he liked me," she sniffles.

"We need a name, Pen."

"James Colby Baylor." Your team leaves the room to give her some space, but she grabs your hand and JJ's. "Will you two stay with me for a second?"

"Sure," you nod and sit back down next to her. "I saw what happened, Penelope. I saw you while you were being operated on. I told you to fight for your life, and I'm glad you listened."

"I'm not ready to die yet."

"We will find James and take him down. He won't ever hurt you again."

"Promise me something."

"Anything," JJ says.

"Please don't talk about me like I'm a victim. I'm not."

"We won't. We promise," you nod in agreement with JJ.

You lean up and kiss her forehead before leaving the room with JJ to give Penelope some rest. You two join Derek and Spencer's side. Detective Walker sent over everything he had on the guy. He used a revolver, and the only person who uses a revolver is someone who doesn't want to leave shell casings behind as evidence. There were no witnesses, and James staged it to look like a robbery to throw people off. If he's smart enough to use forensic countermeasures, then the odds he gave Penelope a fake name is very likely.

"What did she say?" Spencer asks.

"She made us promise not to talk about her like a victim," JJ says. "Excuse me."

"I asked her to go out last night, but she was pissed at me. She blew me off," Derek sighs once JJ left.

"You ended up in church?" you ask.

"Yeah. What does it mean? On one hand, if she'd gone out with me, she would have never got shot. On the other hand... What are the odds that the first time I pray in twenty years, she's on the table?"

"She's asking for you three," a nurse says from inside the room.

You three head inside and smile at Penelope.

"Good news, bad news. The morphine's wearing off. When I was in the ambulance, I could hear the song 'Heroes' playing in my head. I kept flashing in and out of consciousness. Everything was really bright, and I remember thinking, wait... is David Bowie really God?"

"We have a sketch artist coming in," Spencer reveals.

"I'm still a little hazy."

"It's okay. Anything you tell us will help. Did this guy say what he did for a living?"

"He said he was a lawyer."

"Did people know him where you went?"

"He said he wanted to show me a new place. It was half an hour away."

"You drove together? What kind of car?" Derek asks.

"A white four-door sedan. American. It smelled new."

"Rental car, maybe?" Spencer says to you and Derek.

"I don't know. I don't look at things like you guys do. I don't see danger--"

"Okay, take it easy," Derek calms her down. "Take it easy. What else can you remember?"

"He smelled good, and he was a little nervous. I thought he was just afraid to kiss me good night," she says with tears in her eyes.

"You sure you're up for this?"

"I could hear him walking. He leaned over me and I held my breath so he'd think I was dead," she sniffles.

"We should stop," you whisper.

Penelope is nowhere near ready to go home, and for the next four days, you and your team worked endlessly trying to find out who this guy really is. James Colby Baylor has to be a fake name, and if it is, then you need to find out his real name and fast. However, four days and no good news. Penelope has been in and out of sleep the entire time, but a sketch artists was able to grab her description of the man she went on a date with.

That photo has been taken to the coffee shop where she met him, the restaurant, and everything else in between. Nothing has come up, even when the picture was run through ViCAP. No luck with rental car services, no prints were left at the scene, so shell casings, and the cell phone that the guy used to call Penelope at work was a disposable one. This guy knows how to stay off the grid, and that makes him more of a mystery than you thought he was going to be.

The only person who can help you right now is Penelope, so you need to go back to the hospital and talk to her about the date she went on. Maybe a detail was overlooked that she might remember. Everything matters, even things that may not seem as important. Spencer and Derek are already at the hospital where they've been for the past four days.

You walk into the room, interrupting their conversation.

"Hey, I'm here to help with remembering what happened. If you allow me, I'm going to take your hand and I might be able to see what happened. I might be able to see something you might have missed. If it's okay with you, of course."

"It's no problem," she says.

You take a seat next to her and grab her hand gently, running your thumb across the back of her hand.

"Whenever you're ready."

She begins with the restaurant they went to, and it's like you were right there. Through her reenactment and descriptions, you're able to connect with her feelings and transfer them into memories. James and Penelope walk into the restaurant, and though you can't hear what they're saying, you can tell he is a smooth talker. The waiter brings them to a table in the corner of the room where he takes a seat right in the corner so he can see the whole room while Penelope takes a seat across from her.

The waiter passes out menus, and Penelope is unsure of what bottle of wine to get. He points one out, ensuring her that she will like it even if she doesn't drink that kind of wine. They talk and laugh with each other, talking about their job (you only assume).

"Penelope, I know it's gotta be hard to keep reliving this," Derek says when he sees her getting frustrated.

"I just don't know what else there is to remember."

"Let's start with the behavior. That's all profiling really is, just noticing behavior," Spencer tries.

"Sweetheart, any details you can remember will tell us who he is. Okay? So, let's go back to when you first arrived at that restaurant. Was he nervous?"

"No, the opposite, actually. He was charming, and when the menus were passed out to us, he insisted we order a white wine even though I only drink red."

"So, he was trying to impress you by showing you how he can take charge."

"I guess so."

"Tell me about his watch," Spencer says, assuming he was wearing one.

"It was a fake rolex."

"Are you sure about that?"

"I know my knockoffs. He kept playing with it as if he wanted me to look at it. It's how I know it's a knockoff."

"What else do you remember?" you ask with your eyes still closed.

"He kept asking me about my job, and he then talked about his. He said he was a lawyer, a city attorney. He told me he had a murder case dismissed for judicial inepptitude, and he went into private practice."

With all of this new information, you took this back to the rest of the team who is back at Quantico. You want to give Penelope more time to rest, so you decided to work on this new information. Maybe with it, you can find out who he really is. Once you got back to Quantico, you told the rest of the team exactly what she said.

"City attorneys don't try murder cases. He knows enough to use legal terminology, but he's not actually a working lawyer," Spencer says.

"I think we're looking at someone who failed out of law school or didn't pass the bar."

"Did Garcia say if he gave any details about the cases he was supposedly working on?" JJ asks.

"No specifics."

"If he failed out of the system, it could explain why he's got a working vocabulary and not much more. It could also explain his anger. Even in his lie, he rails against other people's incompetence."

"Well, he's clearly a narcissist," Rossi says. "The clothes, the watch, and the subtle hints at where he went to school. He's faking humility when he's saying New Haven and Cambridge instead of Yale and Harvard."

"JJ, we need an analyst who can put our information through the legal databases."

"I'm on it."

Follow my library blog @aqueenslibrary where I reblog all my stories, so you can put notifications on there without the extra stuff :)

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watching-pictures-move · 4 months

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Movie Review | Silent Night, Bloody Night (Gershuny, 1972)

Mild spoilers in the second paragraph.

If you're looking for a Christmas horror movie, this certainly fits the bill. As far as the Christmas goes, there's some pretty nice lighting, in or away from the presence of Christmas lights, while the interior scenes have a very cozy brown look, let's call it the Hot Cocoa aesthetic, the kind of colour scheme you just want to curl up in. As far as the horror goes, the violence is surprisingly gnarly, more blood and severed limbs than you'd expect. So the movie certainly does justice to the second part of the title, with all the blood and what have you, but maybe not the first part, given all the screaming in pain characters do as they're being killed.

After we see a man burned to death in flashback, the plot moves to a lawyer played by Patrick O'Neal who comes to town with his girlfriend played by Astrid Heeren so he can sell the creepy old house now belonging to the son of the guy who burned to death. You'll notice right away that his girlfriend is a few decades younger than he is, but before you chime in to criticize the age gap, I'll have you know that ***SPOILERS*** both of them get horrifically murdered a third of the way in. So I hope you'll think twice about criticizing their relationship. Let us exercise some tact. Let us remember them fondly, instead of lecturing their corpses about the "half your age plus seven" rule. ***END SPOILERS***

Anyway, this is gonna be the weirdest fucking thing I've ever written here, but Astrid Heeren's eyebrows are like cute little caterpillars. I don't even like caterpillars, but the point is that her eyebrows are pretty striking. And she's not the only one in the cast where that's the case. Mary Woronov and James Patterson, the latter of whom looks like he could be the lovechild of David Hess and Jean-Paul Belmondo, have some pretty striking eyebrows too. So the casting director probably had a thing about them.

Anyway, I wouldn't call this a lost classic, but I enjoyed it. It's nice and cozy and bloody, and there's also the off-kilter tone to the affair, thanks to the weirdly deadpan performances by most of the cast, but in particular Woronov and Patterson. And there's some stuff that anticipates another Christmas horror classic, like the POV scenes and creepy phone calls, so you can turn it into a double feature if you're in the mood.

#film #movie review #silent night bloody night #theodore gershuny

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watasemasaru · 1 year

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Ten Films I LOVE

tagged by my comedy partner in crime, the tsukkomi to my boke; @zurdoabsurdo

Shark Skin Man and Peach Hip Girl (1999 dir. Katsuhiro Ishii) This is my movie. Movie of all time. Rotten Tomatoes can eat my ass with their 25% rating. A yakuza on the run for stealing from the boss from a wacko cast of assassins with a clever girl in tow. It's what Tarantino wishes he could make.

Heat (1995 dir. Michael Mann) I mean, come on. AlPacino, Robert DeNiro, Val Kilmer, Tom Sizemore, Ashely Judd, Mykelti Williamson? This movie could not fail even if that was the goal.

The Accountant (2001 dir. Ray McKinnon) It's a short film, and Ray is actually from the town I've lived in the last twenty years, so I have a soft spot for him. Ray is so captivating as an actor, and this film was something else. It's somber but still moving.

Straight Talk (1992 dir. Barnet Kellman) It's a cornball romcom, but it's DOLLY PARTON'S romcom. I love this movie to pieces. I even have one of the original movie posters. Unfortunately I have to also look at James Woods' face lol.

Tombstone (1993 dir. George P. Cosmatos) Another that's like, be serious. I love westerns and the outlaw/lawman yeehaw bullshit. You know how it is with yeehaw bullshit.

Deadland Inferno/Zアイランド (2015 Hiroshi Shinagawa) An action zombie comedy. This one is for the yakuza gworls (gn). Basic we have a plan to get to safety from zombies and hijinks ensuse. Sho Aikawa, SHINGO TSURUMI MY BABY BOY BABY, Hideo Nakano, Hitoshi Ozawa, Sawa Suzuki. So like...dead souls but you're playing as Takasugi, Sagawa, Shibusawa, and Kuze LOL

The Bridges of Madison County (1995 dir. Clint Eastwood) Romance between an older couple, bittersweet partings, it's everything. I'm a closet die hard romantic.

My Dead Dad (2021 dir. Fabio Frey) I watched this for Raymond Cruz and wasn't expecting much but it really hit me. For reasons of my own dead dad that I was estranged from, but there were so many pieces that were like snapshots of my own teens years. The skate parks and ugly fucking skate shoes, weed, sour beer. It's also beautifully shot. It was my movie of 2022.

Grosse Pointe Blank (1997 dir. George Armitage) The soundtrack fucking rips. Probably one of my favorites ever. Joe Strummer put his whole pussy in it. A black comedy, John Cusack & Minnie Driver? Hot stuff

The Devil's Advocate (1997 dir. Taylor Hackford) MY GAY AWAKENING, A MOVIE I HAD NO BUSINESS WATCHING UNDER THE AGE OF TEN. I was obsessed with this movie. Tamara Tunie only had a small part man....she changed my life forever. If you love the tropes of good and evil, the devil, lawyers, Keanu Reeves with a terrible southern drawl, watch this :)

Tagging @necrotizer @coffeemakesmeahappybean @xyndario and anyone else that wants to share their favorite films <3

#tag games #movies #film

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juliettehv · 1 year

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IC Task 4: Interrogations

Juliette stared at the three officers sitting on the other side of the room, her eyes stepping from each of her aggressors one after another. What a difference a few hours could make. The night before, she had found herself tangled up with a woman who would never admit that it had occurred. At least not publicly. And now… now she was being brought in for further interrogation in relation to Greer’s disappearance. How fun. As the three investigators looked at each other, she just sat there. Waiting. She could let them come to her. “Alright, let’s get this started.” Agent Brown finally spoke. And so it began.

“Were you aware that Greer Morrison had submitted a video at the end of last year?” Juli heard the words and yet she remained stoic, cold, bored frankly. Her eyes focused straight ahead onto the world in front of her. “No I was not. I’ve never been the rah-rah team spirit type.” She answered simply. She was ice. Cold. Completely detached from the moment that was occurring. It was simple enough to detach herself from her emotions. Especially when the truth would exonerate her. “That’s it? Nothing more to say?” The question was added in, and the blonde woman’s eyes locked directly onto who had let it slip. “I don’t have much to comment. I seem to be playing catch up far more than you all seem to, and if you think you are investigating a serious lead by asking me these questions, then ask me questions relevant to those you need information on. But if you are to ask me things about myself or ask me for speculation, then I will offer you my sincerest apologies, but I won’t dignify a wild goose chase. Or a vvitch hunt. So next question please.”

“Had you ever heard of anything regarding THE NAIVE NEWCOMER using steroids?” Now this was new. Not entirely unexpected, to be completely fair, but she had definitely not been in the loop on that one. “Nothing seriously no. I wouldn’t be shocked at all if he was juicing, you know the hoops these schools make athletes go through. We’re all the best there is, are we not? And our athletes are under pressure to continue making themselves stronger and better than their typical physical gifts make them capable of. If they were as good talent wise as Clayton Kershaw or Bryce Young or Lebron James, they’d be at elite athletic schools. Of course some players are going to be trying to make themselves the best they can be in that way. Do I blame them? No. They can do whatever they want as long as it doesn’t effect me. But apparently according to all of you, it is now.” She stared at the interrogators, remaining as cold and distant as ever. Before she quickly pulled an item out of her pocket and brought it to her lips. “Uh… there’s no vaping in this building, Ms. Hastings-Villiers.” The nicer agent, Choi, added in. “What are you going to do? Arrest me for vaping?” She asked, a small smirk crossing her face as she scanned their faces for reactions. And she locked eyes with the woman in the back, in the corner. Agent Murray. Perhaps a kindred spirit of some sort. She could use that. The two male agents glanced at each other, unease flooding them, at least as it appeared. Before Brown spoke again.

“So uh… had Greer brought up breaking up with him ever? Or anything of the sort, like she did in her video?” A long exhale of vapor escaped the blonde’s lips as she smiled. And then she spoke again. “We didn’t have that type of confidant relationship if I’m completely honest with you. She didn’t come to me for advice or for input on what she was going to do. Though of course… she was sleeping with multiple people on campus aside from him. Probably behind his back. Maybe they were experimenting. Maybe he liked knowing he wasn’t enough for her. But that’s just a thought and I couldn’t assert that as fact. Now I’m sure if you were to try and pursue the jealous lover angle in court his lawyers would argue it. Probably bring up the idea that he most certainly knew something was wrong but that he went along with it for his love for her. Maybe…. Or maybe he was just a fool in love and knew nothing. But no. She never told me anything about that. Perhaps you should look closer at those she was actually sleeping with, rather than just those who may have had attractions to her but never acted upon them. Like I said earlier. We didn’t have that type of relationship.”

Brown seemed almost relieved by the last line in her answer as he immediately spoke up as she finished. “Glad you chose to mention your type of relationship because some other students have brought up your relationship with Greer. Why do you think they thought it was relevant? And would you care to expand upon that relationship?” And the smile was back on Juliette’s face. Cold and hard, certainly, but still a smile. This game was playing right into her hands. “Oh good, we’re going off innuendo and rumor for this case, I’m so glad to hear that’s what the FBI is basing this investigation upon. My relationship with Greer was that I was the heir apparent. I was going to be her as soon as she graduated. Now, obviously, there are some people on campus who would rather I wasn’t that woman, that I wasn’t like them in some of the same ways and that they would be a more fitting person to take the step and become the next most popular and most influential person on campus. The truth is though, I’m a queer woman who is extremely similar to Greer. But I was far from one of her enemies. I admired her. I watched her, I studied her, and I tried to model some aspects of how I interacted with other members of campus off of her. Of course that got me many enemies, just like that got Greer many enemies on campus. So if you want names, I’ll give you names of people who despised that poor girl, people who I wouldn’t be shocked if they did anything illegal or those who I wouldn’t be shocked if it turned out this wasn’t the first disappearance they were linked to. But if one of you two fine young gentlemen were to disappear I’m sure both of you would be much more quick to point the finger at the enemies of whoever was missing rather than to her.” And as soon as the word had left her lips, her eyes had locked on the woman in the back. Agent Murray. “Consider me Greer’s Agent Murray. I knew what I was paying attention to. But it’s not a crime for me to be attentive. If I was working for you like she is, I’m sure you would view it as an asset.” She added on, their eyes locked on each other. A silent battle of wills. A connection of kindred spirits. Of course, where would the fun be in letting the men win and have all their fun.

The silence hung there. Heavy, oppressing, pregnant with the tension that was existing in every form around them. And then… Brown couldn’t take it anymore. Not only did he speak but it almost seemed like a yell. Like he was trying to cleave the very tension in twain with his words. “Do you have any reason to believe Greer wanted to leave Ogden College?” And then the silence returned. Juliette settled back into her chair, legs crossed, easily, right over the left as she continued to stare a hole through the woman on the other side of the room. “No. I didn’t have that type of relationship with her for her to tell me something like that. And I can’t comprehend why she would want to do that. She had everything on that campus.” She answered, completely honestly, her gaze never breaking from Agent Murray.

“Were you aware of Greer planning to travel to Portugal this summer?” Juli’s eyes may have stayed solid and locked, but her voice didn’t, a trill of laughter was immediately sent out and she couldn’t help the grin on her face. “You’re going to hate me for this Agent Brown. But no. Because I didn’t have that type of relationship with her.” And as at long last she started to turn her head to look at the Lead Investigator, it happened. Murray looked down at her notepad before Juli could break eye contact. Juli had won. And she immediately snapped onto Brown. “Maybe next time you would like to find better questions that couldn’t be answered by the same answer three times. Being unprepared is a terrible look for you.” And then, finally, the last voice joined the fray. Quiet and unassuming, from the back of the room.

“Is there anything you know that you’re not sharing?” Juli’s smile finally fully broke the surface as she turned her head, looking over at Murray with a sense of self-satisfaction and an absolute certainty that she had somehow wound up in control. And she took the moment before answering to do a very simple action. She uncrossed her legs, eyes glued to Murray's face, left them there for only a second, and then crossed them again, but the other way this time. “Well there are a few things. Of course some of them are quite obvious. Like how Brown’s family despises the fact he’s such a pitfall about work and his work-life balance is non existent, so every previous relationship he’s ever had has failed because he’ll only ever truly be married to his work. Hell, his spouse must feel like his mistress with the way he stays focused on his work so often. And so he fuels all the anger and frustration he has in his personal life into this work, which is why he won’t admit it but he’s enjoying getting to bully all these young college students who he is certain must be involved, though at this point he’s brought in pretty much anyone who’s ever been in contact with the poor girl because he won’t ever admit it to either of you but he’s completely lost and he knows his position is extremely weak.” Eyes and head snapped away from Murray onto Choi. “Choi wants to come across like everyone’s friend, he’s been doing the “good cop, bad cop” game with Brown for longer than he’d care to admit and yet it doesn’t fulfill him. He thinks people will open up to him if he’s nice but he also harbors resentment to Brown for the fact he knows he makes him a less effective agent. The fact that both of you look at Brown, a man who’s tried to model himself to become the ideal G-man. The ideal cop, and yet you both know, as minorities within this field that it harbors quite a bit of the resentment, the hidden underbelly, the shady dealings that the entire world now knows of from your law enforcement officers that you two are standing here and being forced to try and do your best when you despise the fact that you both would think that if push came to shove, Brown would not only sell the two of you out but he might actually have a smile on his face while he did it.That he is the epitome of the American policeman, the epitome of the police officer who has all the answers and refuses to let sleeping dogs lie, he’s who we talk about when we say All Cops Are Bastards and that both of you know that your families and your communities don’t trust you anymore because of your associations with this organization.” Back to Murray, send the knife deep and fucking twist it. “And you Murray. Working for an organization who’s founder hated and hunted MLK to such an extent while you know Brown would do the same thing. How many times have you been made to feel unwelcome here? How many times have you been told that you were not one of them? We both know you don’t fit with them. And that you really, truly, completely, are aware of the fact that you can’t fix the system from within it so why even try? So both of you, are just as guilty as that bastard cop is.” And with that, she finally sat back. Her eyes scanned the two faces she could muster an ounce of empathy and care towards. Brown wasn’t even worth her time. “Is there anything else?” She asked as she started to collect her things.

“No. You’re free to go.” Choi stated quietly, the final word nearly being cut off by the door slamming behind Juli as she walked out.

#ogdentask #task: interrogation #assault mention tw #harassment tw #bigotry mention tw #//this one got long honestly #smoking tw

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