#this is the nicolo thesis right here! right here!!!#the sharpness of his gaze his quiet rancor the curl of his mouth around a hiss#and then the rage. you see it twice in the movie both times because joe is hurt#i know itâs The RacismĂŠ but it is just BAFFLING to me that people think JOE is the aggressively protective one#joe kills keane with resigned exhaustion. he kills keane for himself. because keane made him crawl over to nickyâs unmoving body#made him consider even for a minute that nicky was dead. after hours of watching him strapped to a gurney. out of reach#while someone carved pieces of him and joe could only watch#but nickyâs anger when joe is hurt or in danger is so immediate and reflexive#when merrick stabs joe nicky THROWS himself towards them. would put his body between joe and the blade if he wasnât restrained#just as he does every night when he puts himself and his gun between joe and the door#on the kill floor he is so ANGRY and until his eyes meet joeâs that anger is ALL there is#only after nonverbal confirmation that joe is with him again does he melt back into the cold composed warrior he is#all this to say! still to this day! after 900 years! knowing most things cannot hurt joe - at least not physically not lastingly#it is in nickyâs PROGRAMMING to not let any harm come to him#<shakes fist at the sky> PROTECTOOORRRRR#yeah i feel insane now#nicky feral garbage cat theory <3Â @lgbtmazight






















