This Time For Real - Tumblr Posts
Percilot Alternative Ending
The gnawing feeling followed Alistair through the rest of the morning. After James left he tried to go back to bed, but he just couldn't shut his mind off enough to fall back to sleep. So instead, he cleaned the kitchen, took a shower and decided to head into the shop early.
Sitting in the back of his cab, he stared out the window with tried itchy eyes, no idea how he was meant to focus on work while worrying about his damn idiot boyfriend. Perhaps he should have simply used a dart on the man. Regretfully, there wasn't an amnesia dart strong enough to wipe away the ridiculous vendetta he had against Harry.
Of course, Alistair knew it wasn't really about Harry. It never had been. It had always been about James' own insecurities. Deep down, he believed he wasn't good enough. That he was only there because Lee Unwin died. And it was all made worse by the guilt and shame he'd been carrying since that fateful day in 1997.
I should have done it. I should have thrown myself on that grenade. James had said one dark night after a rough mission he'd barely survived, as he sat in Alistair's living room, an half empty bottle of tequila in front of him. But I didn't react quick enough. Lee did. Lee saw it, just like he would have seen the trip wire.
Their relationship had started that night.
Alistair had often wondered if Lee's death haunted James because he'd felt more than friendship for the man. He'd never asked, hadn't wanted to know, in all honesty, but he couldn't think of another explanation for why he was still so angry.
"Sir?" His drivers voice pulled him from his thoughts.
"Thank you Jacob." He muttered, shoving open the cab door.
The shop wasn't due to open for another few hours, but Alistair was buzzed in and he made his down to the bullet train that would take him to Camelot. The journey while quicker than driving, it still left him time to think and worry.
Pulling out his phone, he typed a message. Have you arrived?
He let out a shaky sigh when he didn't instantly get a reply and swallowed thickly against his racing heart. He couldn't even lie to himself and say it was because he was underground, because Kingsman phones were made to avoid that particular issue.
He tapped his foot anxiously against the floor of the train and typed again.
Can you just tell me your safe
But still no reply. His grip tightened on his phone, if James was in the middle of a rescue or fleeing he obvious would be able to take five seconds to text back.
But he also wouldn't be able to text back if he were dead.
By the time the bullet began to slow, Alistair had made up his mind to go visit Merlin and demand he find James.
Alistair's eyes widened when the doors opened to reveal his idiot boyfriend.
"What's got you lookin' so worried?"
"Why didn't you answer my texts." Alistair all but yelled, his voice echoing off the walls.
James has the good sense to look guilty, "I figured you were on your way her so why bother."
"Why bother?" He growled, clenching his fists at his side. "I'd hit you if I didn't love you so much."
James smiled and took a step forward, pulling Alistair into a hug, "I love you too. And I'm sorry." He added quietly before leaning in to kiss him.
With a satisfied hum, Alistair pulled back, "Your forgiven, but we should stop for Merlin makes us clean out the kennels again.
James smiled, "It'll be worth it." He muttered, leaning it again.
It was another couple of minutes before they finally separated, and it occurred to Alistair to ask, "What about your rescue mission?"
"I decided to heed your warning. I gave all my information to Merlin instead. He said he'd look into it."
With a long relieved exhale, Alistair nodded, "Good. Thank you."
Canon Compliant Version
Precisely.
Removing Artie from the equation leaves you with what, the PS Songbook? Great material in there, but really? Even comparing it to Wednesday Morning, which was as unplugged and unsuccessful in terms of (immediate) sales, I dare to say that those songs sound better together. There's just something more to them. Some are the same songs, but they seem like something completely different. When sung together, those songs take you through the universe and back. As solo numbers they're interesting stuff alright, but lack the... magic, there, I said it.
A creative partnership allows you to bring the best out of each other, and I'm sorry so many people these days just don't see that's exactly what they did when they worked together.
So yeah, of course, thank you Paul for conceiving the songs, but thank you Artie for giving them life. And thank you both for the marvelous gifts you gave us, by joining your talents, the both of you.
"We do not refer to Beatles songs as early Paul McCartney songs or early George Harrison songs. They are Beatles songs. (...) Rolling Stones songs are not referred to as Jagger's or Richards’s songs. Ray Davies wrote most of the Kinks’ songs but we do not call them early Ray Davies songs. The songs of Simon & Garfunkel were a collaborative effort, and are distinctly different from Paul Simon’s successful solo career. The works of Simon & Garfunkel have won many awards in the name of Simon & Garfunkel. They are in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in the name of Simon & Garfunkel." "Art Garfunkel was Paul Simon’s missing ingredient. Without him you’ve got smoke but not the explosion that was Simon & Garfunkel."
Thanks fuck somebody said this. Bravo.
