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#the way i didn't even know where to begin giffing until this scene
pinchofhoney · 5 months
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Hi, could you write something for Coryo x reader were the reader is close if not equally as evil in the end. How would that relationship work? idk just a thought I had use it if you wish
crack in the mirror
coriolanus snow x fem!reader
word count: 1.8k
warning: i think none
summary: Many cling to the belief of their own goodness, until they meet someone who's just like them.
a/n: hii, thank you so much for your request!! i hope you'll enjoy what i've written for you!<33
pages that may interest you: masterlist ♡ taglist ♡ who i write for
taglist: @watercolorskyy
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gif is not mine, credit to the owner
How did it all begin?
With the 10th Hunger Games, where your academic excellence earned you the role of mentor to one of the tributes.
It was a time of innocence and youthful ambition, back when your paths met within the shadowy corridors of the Capitol's Academy. You and Coriolanus were close friends, unstained by the cruelty that life had in store for you and you pretty often looked back on those days, memories of laughter, shared dreams, and an unwavering friendship etched in your mind.
The two of you were bound by a shared ambition, shining among the brightest stars, each destined for greatness in the eyes of those who believed in you. The world was your playground, and you were determined to conquer it. Little did you know how that fateful year, with its trials and tribulations, would set the course of your life on a much darker path.
As the mentor to Treech from District 7, you hadn't yet embraced the darkness that would soon consume you. Back then, you were as eager as your colleagues, hoping to prove your worth, do your best, and guide your tribute to victory. It was pretty cruel twist of fate that Lucy Gray Baird, with her haunting charm and cunning nature, would change the course of everything.
In the heart of those unforgettable 10th Hunger Games, within the unforgiving arena, your dreams and aspirations slowly began to twist and corrode. Ambition transformed into ruthless manipulation, friendship into subtle deception, and innocence into a devouring thirst for power. The venomous snake mutt that took Treech's life before your very eyes became a symbol of the ruthless transformation that was gradually overtaking you.
That year marked the beginning of your involvement in the Games and the emergence of a darkness that would one day reflect the very core of President Snow himself. The metropolis watched, captivated by the spectacle of the tributes battling for their lives, while behind the scenes, a bitter change took root.
As you stood alongside the other students in the viewing room, preoccupied with the tributes, a chill ran down your spine. You didn't yet grasped the feeling, but something fundamental had shifted within you. You couldn't shake the realization that in the Capitol, victory meant survival, and survival allowed for anything. Lucy Gray's actions, no matter how brutal, were merely a reflection of the society to which you belonged.
Coriolanus tried to hold onto the purity of your friendship, to keep the darkness at bay, but you were the values he progressively ignored. Ambition has a way of distorting even the best intentions, and the path you had chosen was covered in shadows and secrecy.
As the Games progressed, the transformation hastened. The bonds you had formed with others became instruments of manipulation, and you enjoyed your newfound ability to bend their will to your desires.
The suffering of each tribute, each extinguished life, stoked the icy flames of ambition within you. You clutched to the logic that to climb up the Capitol's hierarchy, you had to be willing to destroy all who stood in the way. Your heart grew cold, your smile more deceitful, and your soul darkened, much like the future President of Panem that Coriolanus didn't yet realize he would become.
The Games ended with Treech taking the third place, a result you considered an absolute failure. It served as the catalyst for your final descent into the abyss. You had only tasted a little bit of success, and you hungered for more. The purity of your friendship with Coriolanus had been definitely tarnished, and the darkness that enveloped you continued.
The 10th Hunger Games and the Gamemakers marked not just the beginning of a change within you, but also foreshadowed the dark days to come.
You and Coriolanus would be leaders of a world where cruelty and manipulation held authority.
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You had come a long way since those innocent days at the Academy, where laughter and shared dreams were the currency of friendship. As the Head Gamemaker, you wielded power over life and death, orchestrating the annual Hunger Games spectacle that captivated the Capitol.
Your importance in the Capitol was undeniable, but the bonds of friendship that once connected you to young Snow had weakened, stretched to their limits, and threatened to break. Since your graduation from the Academy, the warmth of your interactions had been replaced by a chilling formality. The echoes of your former closeness had grown faint, drowned out by the sounds of the ruthless Games you helped design.
Coriolanus, still crawling in his presidency, remained in your life as a hint of your teenage years and shared mentorship past. He was both intrigued and disturbed by the ideas you injected into the Games each year, but he never consciously acknowledged the rot that had taken root within him as well.
As the Head Gamemaker, you reveled in the dark art of power, where tributes became pawns and suffering was blend into the very fabric of the arena. Your ambitions had propelled you to the highest echelons of Capitol society, but the biggest cost had been the destruction of the humanity that once defined you.
Determined, you made your way to the meeting room, eager to introduce Coriolanus to your plan for the 23rd Hunger Games.
He was already there, wearing an expression that mixed curiosity with apprehension. You greeted him with a cool nod, fully aware of how your interactions had grown more formal over the years.
“Coryo,” you began, saying the familiar diminutive you'd used back at the Academy. The warmth of that old friendship may have cooled, but the nickname had grown in you, a habit you couldn't shake when you were alone with him. “I've prepared something truly phenomenal for this year's Games. Something that will cause goosebumps on the skin of every viewer, let alone the tributes in the arena,” you said, locking your gaze with your old friend with a mysterious smirk on your lips.
In response, Coriolanus leaned in with growing curiosity. “Please, continue,” he urged, which only caused a wider smile on your face.
You gestured toward a holographic projection on the wall, revealing a sinister, genetically created creature. Its elongated limbs, razor-sharp claws, and grotesque, misshapen features created a nightmarish creation.
“This,” you declared, “is the Umbra Noctis. It's a creature designed to terrify and torture the tributes in ways they could never have imagined. With its ability to blend into the shadows, it will stalk them relentlessly, striking fear into their hearts.”
Coriolanus observed the creature, a mixture of fascination and consternation in his eyes, narrowing the gap between you. “But how does it differ from the mutts we've used before?”
You leaned in, your voice dropping to a chilling whisper. “It carries a venom that induces hallucinations, distorting reality for its victims. The terror it inflicts will be as much psychological as it is physical.”
As you detailed your plan, the room seemed to grow colder, and the weight of your shared darkness pressed on Coriolanus. You described the various mutants and horrors destined for the arena, all designed to heighten the tributes' fear and despair.
“I want the 23rd Hunger Games to be remembered as the most nightmarish ever,” you declared. “A spectacle that reveals the true depths of human darkness, concealed behind the Capitol's glittering facade.”
As the weight of your words settled in the room, Coriolanus’ initial curiosity gave way to a growing skepticism. He couldn't help but question the depths of darkness you were willing to immerse.
“Isn't this,” Coriolanus began, his voice cautious, “perhaps too much, even for the Hunger Games? We want to entertain, to captivate the audience, not to... terrify to the point of despair.”
You turned to him, your gaze firm, and for a moment, the professional mask slipped, revealing the abyss beneath. “Coryo, don't you see? The Capitol's fascination with the Games is not just about entertainment. It's about the harsh reality that we, as a society, have become as ruthless and depraved as the Games themselves. We are a reflection of the horrors we create.”
Coriolanus eyed you, his features a blend of recognition and disquiet. Your words had hit the spot, reminding him that he, too, played a role in Panem's transformation as its president.
You continued, your voice now nearly a whisper, “The darkness, Coryo, is not just within the arena but within us. The Games merely show what has always been there. It's a reflection of who we've become, and it's time we faced that truth.”
For a brief moment, Coriolanus seemed to confront his own rottenness, an unsettling truth that had long been concealed in the shadows of his conscience and the room fell silent.
With measured steps, you circled around Coriolanus, stopping in front of him. You met his calm gaze, finding in it the shadow of chaos, reflecting his soul.
Your eyes wandered over his attire, and with a calculated, gentle touch, you adjusted the rose on his chest before gracing him with a faint smile.
“Look at you,” you began, taking a step back, creating a clear distance between you. “Remember when you used to fear Dr. Gaul? And now, what have you become?” your next question followed swiftly, with no pause for his response.
“You're the man who sends innocent kids to their deaths every year, a cruel reminder to the districts of who hold the power, who is in control. And I? I'm just one of the instruments in your hands.”
Your words hung in the air, and as Coriolanus opened his mouth to respond, you silenced him with an unspoken urgency. “You might tell yourself that you can sleep soundly, shifting the responsibility onto me and my team, washing your hands clean of the blood. But deep down, you know it's a lie, don't you?”
Coriolanus met your gaze, a blend of defiance and self-denial in his eyes. He had always been skilled at pushing the truth aside, shielding himself from the reality he had become.
“You're mistaken,” he finally said, his voice tensed. “I have a duty to maintain order, to ensure the Capitol's dominance. The Games are a means to an end, a necessary evil.”
Your expression remained unwavering as you countered, “But do you truly believe that, Coryo? Do you truly believe it's as simple as maintaining order? The depths of cruelty we've reached, the horrors we've unleashed, they go beyond mere necessity.”
He opened his mouth to respond, to argue his case further, but a hint of doubt flickered in his eyes, betraying the internal struggle within. The truth you had spoken, the darkness he had tried to repress, clawed at the edges of his conscience.
“That's what I thought,” you said with a note of satisfaction in your eyes, and resumed presenting your plan as if nothing had happened, not paying attention to Coriolanus' confusion. However, the shift in the room's atmosphere was palpable, and the unspoken tension lingered.
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pippin-katz · 8 months
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One Shots in Red, White & Royal Blue - Part 1: Alex's Room
Modern movies are fucking obsessed with jump cuts. Even scenes where it is completely unnecessary get cut to shreds. There's films I've seen where one, single sentence line got three jump cuts in it.
After watching Red, White, & Royal Blue over ten times now, I’ve noticed so many moments where they could’ve made jump cuts, but didn’t. There were moments where I was expecting it to cut because of how used I am to other movies cutting the shit out of scenes. They did not do that here, and believe me, it makes a difference.
Cuts temporarily remind the viewer that they're watching something scripted, professionally filmed, and edited. It's a subconscious feeling that most people probably don't even notice.
In case you're unfamiliar, a one shot in film is when a sequence happens without any cuts. One of the benefits of using them is the believability they add. Any amount of time could've progressed between cuts, like if they film a scene on two different days. When you see everything happening in real time, it just feels more real.
Red, White, & Royal Blue balanced their editing and camerawork incredibly well, and utilized one shots way more than I see a lot of other films doing nowadays. They use it for a variety of scenes, and it's done very well.
Example No. 1
From this moment, where Henry enters the room:
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GIF by taylorz-nicholasg
To Henry pushing Alex onto the couch:
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To when the sequence ends:
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GIF by gay-bucky-barnes
is ALL ONE SHOT.
There are no camera cuts during that sequence, and there's a significant amount of movement and activity going on.
They are obviously aggressively making out, and crossing the room at the same time. Tracking this part might be common, but when they get to the couch, and Henry pushes him, I got this gut feeling that a jump cut was about to happen, but it didn't.
Instead, the camera rotates around to that side perspective, and lets Henry come back into frame and onto the couch in real time.
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GIF by sheisraging
The camera doesn't change position until Henry moves down, which could've been a cut to Alex's face, but they opted to zoom in on him, keeping the shot connected.
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GIF by sheisraging
This is not a small series of events to capture in one shot, and it means that Nicholas and Taylor had to memorize and perform the entire scene's blocking as a whole rather than in parts. If they mess up, they can't just say: "hey try that line again"
A one shot scene like this means that if you mess up at any point during the sequence, you can't use the take. You have to do it again from the beginning. That's the point of a one shot.
I think it's such a testament to Taylor and Nicholas' talent, skill, and dedication that they did such a long shot involving so much intimate, and difficult, choreography.
Breaking it down, they have to kiss for the first part, but it's not just kissing; it's aggressive kissing. Their eyes are closed, and they're grabbing at each other, while crossing the room. Taylor has to walk backwards. They need to have really good spatial awareness in order to move without hitting something or tripping.
Once they hit the couch, Nicholas has to undo the buttons on Taylor's shirt. If you've ever worn a button-down shirt, you know that sometimes you just struggle with those damn buttons; there's a moment in Paris where they joke about them. Nick has to undo them fast, and deliver his lines too. If he's too slow with the buttons, or they get stuck, take ruined.
Nick has to shove Taylor onto the couch. He has to be visibly forceful, but not knock him down so hard he falls off the couch, or land in a way that make it difficult for him to shift into where he's supposed to be. Nick also has to climb around onto the couch fast enough.
Obviously once they're on the couch, the difficulty comes in that they are being intimate, kissing and grabbing each other, and they need to remain in character. Then they have lines, and Nicholas has to get even more intimate by kissing his neck. He undoes another button or two and kisses his chest and down his stomach, all while delivering his lines correctly.
If either of them messes up a line, or breaks character for a second, or loses their balance, or anything, go back to the start, do it all again.
That is so much, and the two of them nailed every part of it. I still admire how they were able to trust each other and become confident in doing all that they do.
This being a one shot created a really incredible scene. It's fluid, and grounded in space and time. It's not the only scene that's drastically improved by the fact that it's a one shot, so I'll probably write more essays breaking down those scenes cause this movie has me in a choke hold.
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booasaur · 11 months
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Hey! Hope you’re doing alright. I binged Welcome to Eden and I have thoughts I want to share but am very much mindful of spoilers so don’t read this until you finish/catch up! I’ll put my thoughts under the break:
*SPOILERS*
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*SPOILERS*
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*SPOILERS*
*SPOILERS*
Okay so! I really enjoyed this season it was fun. I loved the progression of Bel and Zoa’s relationship. I liked that Bel initiated a convo with Gabi after she and Zoa fought, and Gabi picked up that Bel liked Zoa “a lot.” I’m always wary of f/f couples on television saying I love you too soon because I find it really jarring and I respect that they didn’t have Bel say that explicitly, but honestly after everything they’ve been through together I also wouldn’t mind if they did have her say I love you.
Also — the way that there were multiple moments where Zoa was with Bel but would leave to speak with Gabi and tell Gabi that she is the most important thing in the world to Zoa AND there were a couple of scenes where Gabi made digs at Bel or suggested Zoa was wrong for wanting to rebel … then in the finale Zoa has the opportunity to leave Bel to die and live with Gabi, but she chooses to stay with Bel and die together.
Lowkey I’m wondering about the racial politics of the show, like the way the majority of the main and/or sympathetic characters are white or at least white passing (Zoa, Charly, the kid, Mayka, Ibón, Eloy, África, Gabi … also Bel? Her actress is Spanish) and the characters of color, especially the Black characters, are discarded or unsympathetic (Eva, Saúl, Nico … man Nico is a mess and all over the place character-wise). This didn’t particularly bother me while I was watching, but it’s worth thinking about what’s implied even unintentionally. I appreciate the amount of queer representation in the show, truly off the charts and beyond my expectations, but idk…u know? Anyway thank you for reading this if you did, excited to hear your thoughts on the show :)
Hey! Thanks so much for the spoiler warning, I hadn't finished by the time I got this and was able to stop reading ahead in plenty of time.
Yeah, I was honestly shocked at the treatment Zoa and Bel got, especially since the trailer had almost no Bel or Bel with Zoa, and a romantic-seeming scene with Nico and Zoa. Given history, people could be forgiven for thinking s2 would return to a love triangle, or worse, kill off Bel. We couldn't have been more wrong.
The show didn't even do the kind of drama or distancing/sidelining that often happens in a second season, where Zoa would get frustrated with Bel's single-mindedness or choose Gabi over her. It was just them together, somehow both the established, grounded couple watching over everyone but also with tentative little romantic moments just for themselves.
I didn't even make that connection between Gabi accusing Zoa of being influenced by Bel and forcing her to reiterate that Gabi was Zoa's biggest priority, but then at the end Zoa choosing to die with Bel over living with Gabi, like, damn.
They just had so many scenes, like, I don't even know where to begin giffing. And along with the m/m and trans rep, the rebels were the queerest group on the island. :P Though I was super sad to lose my cartoon boy brought to life, Ibon, would much rather have lost Orson who in his final act of character development could have sacrificed himself for the others. >_>
I definitely know what you mean about race, I remember it last season when Claudia was just sacrificed like that and Nico was treated like a selfish moron, and then this season it wasn't much better, Nico straight up dying, Saul also dying, Eva being treated as an outsider the whole time. I'm just glad she survived it all and wasn't the traitor (which, dammit, Gabi, so annoying, her and Africa were by far the biggest disappointments). And when you're considering something like this, it is a combination of screentime, complexity, rootability, agency, I didn't love that Eva was one of the only women who went totally topless, along with Som, who is Asian but one of the darker skinned characters on the show. Which, lol, that's an even more nuanced discussion, like, it shouldn't be a matter of shame or poor treatment, but in reality, it can be, and if there's an imbalance, it does stand out. None of these are dealbreakers, but for sure, I definitely was racking up these observations.
I'm curious if it gets another season. I'd be okay if it doesn't, since it could very well be read as a full rescue and resolution of the story, though I'm sure the writers have something much more convoluted planned. :o
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amuseoffyre · 9 months
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Hi - asking questions 2, 8 and 27 from the fic writer's list. Love your work 😍
Thank you :D I'll try and rein my answers in, but we'll see how successful I am XD
2. Do you plan each chapter ahead or write as you go?
Planning happens very, very rarely. I tend to write with a very loose idea of what's going to happen. This doesn't just apply to chapters but to entire fics. Sometimes I go in knowing maybe 2-3 specific scenes/moments and the rest of it is all just optimistic keysmashing, hoping my hindbrain will Do The Thing and make it work.
On the rare occasions where I do plan, it's when I have the whole story dropped in my brain in one go. That said, my version of a plan is usually 3 bulletpoints of things I need to happen. A good example of this was when I was working on Bark and Bite and it was the first full moon chapter. My outline was: Ed hears Stede go crunchy, Ed thinks the wolf ate Stede, Benny-Hill-sequence around the ship, FRIENDSHIP. So, as you can see, I take it super serious 🤣
oooh, but on that note, let me show you the planning I did for my original writing, because writing time travel - especially multi-timeline time travel - was a hell of a thing. I had to break it down by day, character and chapter to keep track of who was where/when since I needed it to work within the rules of time travel that I had within the story. This was for one book. The next book was so much worse. I had to resort to colour-coding.
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As you can see, it got pretty specific.
8. Do you prefer the beginning, middle, or end of a story?
I haaaaate endings. I hate trying to find a way to tie up everything in a way that doesn't sound twee or silly or cliche. Don't really have a preference for beginnings or middles because I enjoy the journey, but me and endings are old enemies. Plus there's that whole ADHD thing of getting 75% done, knowing how it ends, and then having to fight my own brain to finish anything.
27. What is your most and least favorite part of writing?
I think the least favourite part is the finishing, as mentioned above. It's so hard.
But my favourite things are two-fold and they dovetail into one another so nicely:
when I write something into the story and I don't know why I've written it into the story, but I just look at it and I know "you are important". I don't know why. I don't know when it'll be significant, but I feel this deep sense of Rightness that this is essential and important and it has to be there. It could be something as trivial as a picture-frame or a certain book. It might be a fly-by one-liner that seems like a joke in passing, but when I look at it, it's like a hook in the middle of my chest and I know YES. THIS.
the second part of this is when I get to the reveal of why that thing is important. It's like that mindblown gif, because so often it's something so small and insignificant, I don't even realise that it's a single thread of a tapestry I've been weaving and suddenly, the story would have made no sense without it. It doesn't seem relevant but suddenly it's there and it's integral and I frequently find myself clutching my face and going 👀 because I never ever see it coming until it happens.
A perfect example of this is my Turning Tides/Storm Surge combination. Turning Tides started life as a series of one-shots that escalated into a full series and there was stuff I put in #1 that I went "I feel like this seems relevant..." and it was only when I read back after finishing Storm Surge I realised I had foreshadowed huge lumps of the Storm Surge arc. I didn't even notice but my hindbrain is always whirring away like a coked-up hamster in a wheel. It comes up with plot twists that make me yell, so I can only imagine how my readers react :D My old flatmate used to come and check on me when I was flailing too loudly over Surprise Plot Twist 17 that I wrote but didn't see coming 🤣
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fortpeat · 1 year
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Blu here!!! 💙
no no no, there's something here, 'cause I think we're really soul-spirits. First off, blue is also one of my favourite colours, which is one of the reasons why it made me so ridiculously emotional. what got me with your explanation tho, is that Rio is literally an animation showing Brazil as the place where it all happens and I'm Brazilian...................................... like, how? I know you would have no fucking idea but now it's EVEN MORE FITTING, because??????? HI THAT'S ME. jfccccc jfc jfc. oh wow.
ABOUT THEM, yesssssssssssss YES YES, literally the exact same here!! Like, I didn't watch LITA, I just scrolled through gifs of the scenes and I searched up their NCs (because I've been an avid BL watcher for years now, and I've heard so many comments on how they were going above and beyond whatever had been done already) when it was still payurain. They didn't interest me at all to make me want to actually watch the show, y'know? but since the very beginning, I was already so drawn to prapaisky I was counting the days for them!!! and when their arc started, that's when I started watching LITA per se, and not just bits and pieces like with payurain. I love what both Boss and Noeul did, I think their portrayal is very cool as well, but it never caught my attention. PrapaiSky stole my entire heart, but probs because they also hit really close to home somehow (with being a SA survivor, etc etc).
It's so lovely to me because I mirror myself so much in Sky?? his whole personality, the way they show him and how he copes (both badly and healthily, because both are constants while healing!!!) with it. And I'll forever defend Prapai (and Fort, for that matter) on how he pursued Sky, because although he might've triggered him at the beginning, he always tried to watch and understand and most of all CHANGE, to make Sky feel comfortable with him.
I love how FortPeat brought that to life. I love their story. I love everything about it, and I believe they've done it wonderfully. I got genuinely invested in them and I can't wait to see so much more!!!!
ALAS, AT LEAST WE CAN ALWAYS REWATCH THEM AND THEIR SCENES, OVER AND OVER AGAIN, LIKE A BROKEN DISC LKSJANDLJASDJLK MWAH MWAH MWAH.
Hi blu 💙😚😚
WOAHH WOAHHH LOOK AT THAT... THE NAME BLU JUST CAME INTO MY HEAD LIKE A SPARK AND IT JUST FITS YOUR VIBE SO WELL 😚😚 LOOK AT THE COINCIDENCE ITS FATE 🤌🤌
And the reason why I connect with Prapaisky so much is that my personality is a mix of Sky and Prapai. I can be very Sarcastic and Sassy at times but seriously a huge softie here 🙈 and Like Prapai I would burn down the world for the people I love and care about. And I have my fair share of trauma (psychological) and I tend to be closed off with people at first unless and until I start trusting them. ❤️ P. S thank you for sharing your story with me 💙
Peat and Fort are my precious babies I would defend them and Sky and Prapai with my whole life. Prapai is such sla sweetheart. Yes his actions in the beginning were a little questionable but to someone who has no idea about Sky's past he was still the best for Sky. He kept his distance when needed, he waited until Sky was ready, he became everything Sky wanted/needed and more.
REWATCHING THEIR SCENES HAS BECOME A NEW HOBBY OF MINE KFIEIJDEIIB 😂😂 ITS ALL MY BRAIN CAN CONJURE UP NOW.
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tuiyla · 2 years
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What an interesting Santana and Dave gif set - do you have a head canon or your own idea that you’ve based it on? What happens?
I haven't written out a scene or anything - I'm just convinced it should have happened, you know? That's why I saw the Regionals prompt and went "ohhhh Santofsky in 3x14 though".
Their journeys in season 2 were already fascinating, separately and when they intertwined Born This Way onwards, but then season 3 adds this whole new layer and does nothing with it. That's because Dave's story is very much used for shock value and a lesson of the week, and though the lesson is incredibly important, it's cheapened when that's the last we see of him until he's brought back to be a prop in season 6. (Where he should have been the assistant football coach, 100% agree with @angelhummel's headcanon.) And y'all know how I feel about IKAG and how Santana's situation was handled.
BUT, if Glee dared to be good every now and then it would have been such a poignant meeting between two halves of the same coin, to kids who struggled so much and hurt so many because of their own issues. And even if we put aside their season 2 parallels, right here in season 3 they're both outed! I knew I wanted to do something with the "I can't" parallel, said by Santana via text to Brittany when she changes her mind about Fondue for Two and by Dave in Prom Queen. Because they're both prompted to come out, given a helping hand essentially. But they can't, not yet. And they're both outed a few months later anyway, their worst fears coming true and their worlds shattering like that.
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Anyway not to turn this into a general "Santofsky are so special and beard besties" post. So I knew I wanted their imagined 3x14 convo to reflect on that, and I think it'd be so powerful if Santana said something along the lines of "we can," because she's just been through trauma like Dave has and she just began to see the world through lens other than her anger. So the best possible thing she could do is try to help him, finally, after they spend late last season enabling each other's misery. I also think it'd be a good opportunity to let Santana dwell a bit in the discomfort of how she once threatened to out Dave - she never would have done it and I won't hear otherwise, because this was after she came out to him so it would have been mutually assured destruction. But it was very shitty nonetheless and now the weight of it, the weight of it all sits on both their shoulders.
Santana wouldn't give a pep talk, as we know she doesn't, but she also wouldn't be as snappy as usual. I think, given both their shared past and what she just went through a few episodes ago, the gravity of Dave's situation would hit her like a truck - and that's not an intentional reference to what also happens in 3x14, but we're keeping it. I would just... want a scene like this to be a somber reflection on how horrific what happened to both of them is, but also to have that optimistic note of hey, we can do this. We're still here, and we'll continue to be here.
But also just from a very generic writing perspective, I want the scene to exist. I want the writers to recognize what they have created with these two terrified kids who were so angry for so long and finally can begin to heal. Side note, but I kinda wanted to do a fifth gif of the two in the future, Santana happily married to Brittany and Dave's vision of the future that Kurt created for him, but the latter had a weird blur effect and I didn't have the time, anyway. But it does get better, and they can get through. That's the main idea.
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anbubisibuna · 1 year
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Season 2 Episode 56 DHA
Das Fest für Victor " The Party for Victor"
So the episode begins when Delia is waiting in the schoolbathroom for Benny. But Luzy comes in and later Charlotte and the three realize that he asked them all out. The three make a plan to get back at him. At the park Nina and Daniel are waiting for the man with the Lotusseeds. Hot Girl Nina can't stand Daniels distance behaviour and asks what's wrong with him. He says he saw her kiss Benny. In which she replied that she didn't and walks away. Later the man arrives and Daniel buys the Lotusseeds from him. In the evening the Party of Victor is starting. Radus is lurking around in Mara's room and later in Victors office where he finds the pictures of the secret wall. Meanwhile Daniel and Felix find out that the Lotusseeds were fake. In the living room the girl dance around Benny and hype him up until they all pour their Cocktails over him. Nina watches the whole scene shocked. She walks after Benny in the washroom where they kiss eachother.
Did I like the episode?
Yes. It's not a serious one. But it's funny to laugh at. I don't really care for Danina so the whole cheating plot didn't bother me.
Favourite moment:
So bad that it was good. The scene in the park where Nina and Daniel "argue". Nina acting like a condescending bitch with no awareness or guilt and Daniel acting like a passive aggressive defeated dog. It was soo bad. That it was funny. And the way Nina says " Romantic" sounds like that he is never doing something romantic to her and she's pissed about it.
Least Favourite Scene:
Again the scene in the Park. I love it and I hate it. Nina was so condescending to Daniel.
Favourite Character:
Mara. I know she was only there for like a few seconds. But I like her room. So it's her.
What I would have done differently:
Have someone walk in during their kiss. Maybe Kaya. That would just add more to the drama. If they start drama they should milk it.
Unpopular opinion:
Why do Daniel and Felix examine the seeds in Magnus and Felix' room? It's not like that Magnus couldn't come in any minute and he's gonna ask a bunch of questions. Why didn't they just do it in Kaya and Daniels room. Kaya most likely doesn't even care.
Daniel really should have left after Nina acts like that in the park. She was millimeters away from kissing another guy. And there was no guilt. Giving her the rose and saying. " It's your grandma bye."
Nina is a terrible girlfriend overall. She's a good friend. But a terrible girlfriend.
How didn't the girls notice Bennys behaviour beforehand. He flirted openly with all of them. Especially with Hot Girl Nina.
Random Gifs:
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Here's to the Ask game
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backslashdelta · 2 years
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13, 19, 26 and 42!
Oooh omg okay I love these questions we're getting into process and organization this is fantastic thank you
13. Where or from whom did you learn how to gif?
When I first started, I think I had found some tutorial somewhere that I was using and I wasn't having a great time of it lol. But then @itstruthtime linked me to this tutorial and it pretty much changed my life tbh. 20/10, would recommend to anyone who wants to learn to gif. Of course there are lots of other little tutorials and various tips and tricks I've picked up along the way, but as for the basics, it's that tutorial. And also just like, I would like to make a point to shout out Cim in general who has been very patient and helpful and encouraging as I've been learning things, and is always happy to kindly let me know when I have been doing things I didn't even realize were wrong, like always posting my gifsets as text posts instead of image posts lmao.
19. What is your giffing process like?
Well, it's basically like the tutorial I linked in the last question. I plan out my concept, including scenes and any text that will need to go with each gif, and I usually just write that down in a notepad file that I don't even save. Then I check to see if I have screencaps of the scenes I want to use - sometimes I'll end up finding a different scene to use that way as well, but if I don't already have the scene I want screencapped and I don't find an alternative, then that's my next step (screencapping my beloathed). Then it's loading all the frames in and converting them to a smart object with the gif action I have. And then the fun begins!
Usually I start with a curves layer and maybe levels just to get the brightness right, and then I start playing around with hue/saturation and selective colour to adjust the colouring. About a month ago I realized that you can actually adjust the hue/saturation of individual colours rather than the whole image at once so uh... thanks for Cim for helping me come to that realization lmao. The option was literally right there I just didn't look so WHOOPS. Once I have the colouring right I move on to any typography that needs to be added, which is basically just a process of cycling through a million fonts until I find one or two that feel right, picking colours and setting styles, switching it screen or vivid light or exclusion or whatever else makes it look the best. I do all of that on just one gif, and then I usually drag those layers over to the other gifs as a base and just tweak them until everything looks like it goes together well.
Then I export them all to gifs and load them into a post draft, and this is the point where I usually realize that I forgot to set them to loop so they just play once or stop, or I didn't adjust the end of the timeline so it just goes white and the typography is there without an image behind it for a moment lol. So then I go back and fix that and save the gifset as a draft. I take a look at the post there to see how it looks all together, and I also look at it on my phone (I've realized that some of my gifsets are probably too saturated because for some reason everything looks so much less saturated on my laptop than on my phone, so this is an important step). And then it's just a matter of tweaking things until it looks good in both places!
26. How many un-posted sets are in your drafts right now?
I've answered this already, and the answer remains: none. I'm too impatient for that lol. If I had anything in my drafts, you would know because I would be making posts complaining about it (see: 1, 2, 3, 4)
42. How is your gif folder organized? Is it organized at all?
Yes it's very organized!!
Okay so first in my main gif folder I have a folder for everything I've posted, a folder for templates and just other useful things to come back to, a folder my things I make for my own blog (basically just my header I guess lol), and a folder for things I make for the KurtbastianArchive blog. And then any other folders are just for gifsets that I am working on at the moment. You can see in this screenshot that I'm planning an alignment gifset (like an alignment chart of Glee characters) and a Kurtbastian gifset with Mr. Brightside lyrics... I have not touched either in a long time lmao so they won't be happening anytime soon.
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And then within the posted folder, I have a folder dedicated to each gifset I've ever posted. I have sort of standard naming conventions, where I generally start with the character or ship it's about, and will also include if it's for a specific event or a specific person usually, and then some other detail to describe it (which, as you can see, is usually a song name lol).
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And then inside each of those folders, I have the PSD and the GIF file for each gif in the set :)
I also have a really organized file structure set up for my screencaps! Each episode gets it's own folder, and then within the folder there are subfolders for specific scenes. That way once I screencap a scene, I don't have to do it again, I can just come back and reuse the same screencaps. I usually try to screencap a whole scene at a time rather than just the specific moment that I plan to use for exactly that reason.
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dengswei · 2 years
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Kodama Sakuko talking about finding her aroace identity through Takahashi Satoru’s blog
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randomshyperson · 3 years
Text
The Scarlet Witch Prophecy - Chapter 20 - Agatha's Memories (Part Two)
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My official gif maker @abimess, thank you.
Summary: As the youngest daughter of Howard Stark, you have ordinary expectations for your years at Hogwarts. Little do you know what adventures await you when your destiny is intertwined with the legendary Scarlet Witch.
Warnings: +16. Adaptation of the Harry Potter Saga, Magical Thematic, Prophecies, Mentions of Violence, Torture and dark magic, Language (swearing and minor/major offenses), manipulation of will, Underage kissing, insinuation of smut with minors, Smut (overage), descriptions of death, aggression, obscurity, angst, fluffy, soulmates analogies.
Series Masterlist ||  Read on AO3 || All Works Masterlist
Chapter 20 - Part XX - Agatha's Memories (Part Two)
You don’t sleep for long, there is a sound of something breaking that makes you blink confusedly as you move on your bed.
Then you realize that it is the wood up your head that is moving, along with a red magic that you know very well.
You look forward, only to find Wanda with an impassive look on her face as she merges the bed into one.
“I’m sleeping with you from now on.” She says simply as she finishes, and you lay back on the mattress, not sure of what to say about that.
You hold your breath as you hear her taking off her shoes, changing to her pajamas next, staring on the roof of the tent as she does it.
She pulls the blanket to lie down, and then is mimicking your position.
"Would...would it be okay if I hugged you?" she asks after a moment, and you feel your heart race.
"I'd like that." You mumble clumsily, turning to the opposite side.
And it takes half a second for Wanda to wrap her arms around your waist, burying her face in your shoulders, inhaling your perfume and making you blush heavily.
Your legs entwine from underneath the comforter, and you feel more secure than you ever have before.
"I'm sorry." She murmurs against your skin. You think she is talking about what happened with the horcrux, and you just nod softly, but she repeats the apology against your ear, intertwining her hands in front of your belly, and you realize she is talking about everything.
"I love you." She confesses next, and you feel your eyes fill with tears.
The hug gets tighter, and you sink your face into the pillow, allowing yourself to cry.
And Wanda doesn't let go, even when you sob, and it takes a while, but you finally fall asleep. And when you do, she stays.
//-//-//-//
You woke up first. And you don’t wanna get up. Not when you have Wanda wrapped around you like this, your face buried her neck, as you both turned around during the night, and now your legs are completely entwined, and you are practically lying on top of her.
And all you do is sink even deeper against her body, sighing against her skin. She smells so good.
"-morning." She whispers hoarsely, still with her eyes closed, her hands around your body moving slowly against your back down and up, and you just murmur into her skin wishing you could stay in that moment forever.
"We should get up." Wanda says after a moment in silence, not seeming to really wish to do so.
"No, thank you." You retort and your voice comes out muffled against her neck, the vibration making her laugh.
"We need to darling, I think we have some lessons. "She says and you mumble softly, the curiosity to pursue the story Agatha was telling is enough to make you pull away.
But when you are about to let go of Wanda, she pulls on your forearm, and you look at her with confusion, but she moves forward and kisses you firmly.
It's slow, and soft. It makes you sigh, so you kiss her back, sinking right back onto the bed as her hands wrap around your hair to deepen the kiss.
When her tongue asks for passage, you see stars, melting under her touch. Wanda smiles against your lips, pulling you by the shoulders to lie on top of her.
But before you can do so, the sound of footsteps catches your attention, along with a soft hiss, and you grumble before pulling away.
Throwing your face back into the pillow, you try to calm your breathing and rapid heartbeat as Agatha strolls through the tent, until she comes to your room.
"Are the sleeping beauties going to get up, or should I bring coffee in bed?" She teases with her arms crossed as Wanda hides her smile as she notices your state. "You two know this isn't a honeymoon trip, right?"
"Stop being so bitter, Agatha." Wanda complains as she sits up. "We'll be right there."
"And a good day to us, ladies." The older witch retorts before leaving.
Wanda laughs softly, turning her attention back to you as you scramble up on the bed to sit down as well.
"How are you?" she asks, intertwining your hands on top of the mattress, and you let your gaze roam over her face, biting your lips against the urge to kiss her again.
"Fine." You murmur half hoarsely, from sleep or lust, Wanda will never know. "And you?"
"Better." She says with a nod, and you feel your heart race. Better with you here.
Wanda squeezes your hand before letting go, and she stands up, looking at you one last time before walking off toward the bathroom.
You sigh as you throw yourself back against the mattress, trying to push away the feeling of her tongue against yours and focus on the fact that you were even closer to completing your mission with one less horcrux to destroy.
//-//-//-//
“Where are we now?” You asked as you observed the surroundings. It’s the entrance of an old garage, in the corner of a city. But the real Agatha ignores your question as she guides you two inside, further into the memory.
Your dad, just a teen boy, maybe eighteen, is inside, working on a large machine, it seems that he was really a muggle mechanic, since there were cars all around, dismantled or not.
"Stark." It is Agatha from the memories who says, and startles your father slightly, who almost drops the screwdriver. But when he looks up, he smiles.
"Professor Harkness!" He says getting up, and wiping the grease on his apron quickly before greeting her. "You really did it!"
"I told you I would come." She says, and you are surprised at the affectionate way she looks at your father, "Look at you, Howard, you're so grown up."
Your father laughs, bowing his head softly. "Thank you, professor."
"I only say that because I've known you since you were a child." She humorously clarifies. "And now you are even growing a mustache. Tell me, do muggle girls like that sort of thing?"
Your father laughs with flushed cheeks, and Agatha follows him. Before they can say anything, there are voices and the sound of footsteps approaching, and soon, two people enter.
Wanda chokes softly next to you. "Mama."
You also recognized Magda, because you have seen pictures before. She had the same appearance as in the photos, and you were saddened by this, because she must have died not so long after this memory.
Erik stood beside her, wearing muggles like the woman next to him.
"Professor Harkness, you made it!" He greets politely, hurrying to shake the witch's hand as she smiles. "It's so good to see you again! This is Magda, my wife."
"It's a pleasure, dear."
The memory speeds up, you want to fight Agatha for cutting off Wanda's moment of seeing her mother properly, but the way Wanda strokes her thumb against your hand makes you give up saying anything.
The scene settles down in what you think is the apartment at the top of the garage where they were, all around a table, drinking beers.
"You guys know why I came all this way, don't you?" Agatha says, and seems to have just had a short pause in the conversation, as if everyone had been laughing before and suddenly got quiet. And the tension only increases with her comment.
Her father sighs, nodding. "There is no daily prophet here, but I have met some travelers. They are talking about a war, Agatha." He says worriedly. "But I want to hear it from you. Do you really think that could happen?"
Agatha gives a humorless laugh. "It's already happening." She says, placing her beer on the table, and straightening her posture. "The minister of magic waited too long. And now, this group, these so-called death walkers, or whatever ridiculous name they are thinking of trying, are everywhere. In the ministry, in the diagonal alley, in the Order."
Your father looks really upset, but you notice how uncomfortable Erik looks.
"And do you really think that's what they're after, Agatha?" He asks. "War. Do you think that's what the walkers are after?"
The teacher raises her eyebrow slightly. "What else could it be, besides chaos and complete destruction of our society, Erik?"
His former teacher is unaffected by the snickering, he just gives a half-hearted laugh. " Well, freedom of course." He says, clearing his throat softly. "See, that time we've been here. New York is fascinating. Things are bad for muggles it's true, but for the rest of us, damn. The wizards are doing just fine. They have so much magic here, so much freedom to study what they want. The ministry encourages the discovery of new areas, gives financial support to researchers!"
Agatha crosses her legs, listening to Erik's speech carefully.
When he realizes that he may be defending Mephisto's group too much, he pauses, straightening up. "I'm just trying to say that maybe a change in the British government is exactly what our society needs to evolve, Agatha."
"You know, when Fury told me he wanted to recruit you boys to the order, I told him that children don't fight wars." She declares and you see the boys widen their eyes. "You two know that Katherine is dead, right? That Nick took over leadership of the order in his mother's place, and the first names he wanted were yours."
Your father nods, as does Erik.
"Well, I didn't agree." She says. "I said I knew other wizards, more experienced, more trustworthy. Wizards who didn't flee their homeland to live the American dream."
"That's not-" Your father begins but the look in Agatha's eyes makes him shut up.
"Nick insisted that I come here." She continues. "He said that you have kept in touch by correspondence, and that you continue to have the same, what was the word, moral inclination. But now I wonder if he was really right about that."
"I didn't mean to say that the walkers are right!" Erik exclaims defensively, looking embarrassed, but Agatha just smiles.
"Don't worry, honey." She says as she leans in. "I think that kind of moral difference is exactly what makes this whole conflict interesting."
"That's sadistic of you, Agatha." Howard comments seriously. "We're talking about a war."
"Don't be hypocritical now, Howey." She retorts with a wicked smile. "You think I don't know who the travelers you've been talking to are? Say, the magical trafficking laws are simpler in America, aren't they?"
Your father locks his jaw, but keeps his face up.
"I did what I needed to do to survive here." He says simply, and Agatha laughs.
"Of course you did." She says. "So did we all. And now we have a potential battle ahead of us, something that could change the course of wizarding life for future generations. Tell me, do you intend to stand here fixing machines and pretending that your friends are not dying for your freedom? And I thought you were tired of this kind of attitude, golden boy."
Your father stands up, enraged. But he says nothing, and swallows his pride. He gives Erik one last look before leaving the room.
Agatha sighs softly, turning her attention back to Erik, who has his fists clenched in his lap.
"You know very well that the situation is not so simple." He says and Agatha smiles.
"And you know it's him don't you?" She retorts and Erik clenches his jaw.
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"I think you know very well, Erik." Agatha insists. "When I fired him, he didn't stay in England. He came to America with his favorite student."
"Keep your voice down." Erik quickly retorts, looking back a moment before leaning forward. "It's not what you think."
"But I don't think anything." She says. "I'm exactly giving you the chance to explain yourself, before I draw my own conclusions."
Erik takes a deep breath, and turns to Magda, squeezing her hands.
"Honey, can you give us a minute?" He asks, and Wanda's mother looks like she's going to say no, before nodding.
She walks off in the same direction as her father, and then Erik and Agatha are alone.
"Professor Faustus has asked me for support, Agatha." He says. "He was out of a job, and with his name tainted with rumors that no one has proven. And he never treated us badly, so I helped him."
"You kept this from Howard? I thought you were best friends." Agatha teases but Erik laughs humorlessly.
"Of course not." He says. "Who do you think paid for the tickets?"
"Interesting." She says. "Why tickets?"
"Because he was being investigated for the dark magic rumors." Erik says. "The ministry put a blocker on him. Any magic he tried to do would go straight to the minister's notes. And well, he needed Howey's help to remove the device from behind his neck."
"While he was hiding, I imagine he told you about his wonderful ideas."
"No, Agatha." He says. "Faustus just looked tired. And he felt betrayed, mostly by you. But in general, he complained, and studied. Howey and I would work all day, and he would stay in his room, among the magic books, unable to conjure anything, not even a light spell. I've never seen him so frustrated."
"I'd feel sorry for him, if that wasn't his fault." Agatha murmurs and Erik sighs in agreement.
"A few months after we arrived, Howey got it." Erik recounts. "Tivan gave him the materials he needed, and he freed Faustus from the blocking device in his skin. He thanked us, said he'd write, and then disappeared. We never heard from him again, but the letters from Fury started coming in the next months."
"Did Howard suspect?"
"No." Erik says squirming uncomfortably in his chair. "Howard trusted him, mostly because of the way he stood up for him in school. About supporting him to study mechanics, even if no one else would. But I knew I had to be smart after what happened with Raven."
"He tried to recruit you?"
Erik sighs. "No, Agatha. But he will."
"I know." She says. "That's why I came."
" I should have guessed that you don't make friendly visits, even to your best students."
Agatha laughs softly, leaning her arm on the carpet. "You think just because you can conjure a patronus you're my best student, Erik? I helped establish the order of merlin. You are not even remotely the most talented wizard I have taught."
"You are hurting my feelings." The man jokes, making the other woman smile.
"How will this work then, Erik?" She asks. "Are you going to accept Fury's offer? Or will you follow your heart?"
The man smiles, standing up. "That just concerns me, and my wife, don't you think?"
"Actually, no." Agatha retorts without sounding angry as Erik moves to collect the beer bottles and put them in the trash. "In fact, I think you even need to leave her."
Erik laughs in confusion. "Excuse me?"
"A muggle, Erik." She says as if it's obvious. "You're going to drag her into a war? That's cruel."
"Magda is stronger than you imagine."
"I'm sure she is." The witch says getting up as well. "But that is until she is hit by the first spell."
“Agatha, please.”
“Muggles can't handle magic like we can, Erik." She insists seriously. "You know that. A simple stupefy could kill her."
"I love her." He says turning away. "And I'm not going to England without her. If she decides to stay, then I will too."
"That's disappointing." Agatha comments, but Erik doesn't flinch, crossing his arms. The witch sighs. "Then do me a favor. Howard, at least he, needs to go. We can't afford to lose allies."
"I'll talk to him." Erik assures. "But you know that with all that his father has done, he doesn't want to go back to London anytime soon."
"This is so much bigger than a family feud." Agatha retorts. "Tell him that, and he'll feel guilty enough to accept it."
"Your mind games are wicked, professor." Erik says before nodding in agreement, leaving.
Agatha sighs, getting pensive.
Just then Magda walks back into the room.
"Miss Harkness?"
"Hello, dear."
"I just came to ask if you're going already? Erik looked upset, but I can walk you to the door. It's good manners."
The memory shakes until they are outside, and Magda leads her to the same place she should have appeared before.
"Please, before you go, may I ask you something?"
"Of course, sweetie."
Magda hesitates, but takes a deep breath and says. "If Erik stays, what are the chances of this war reaching us?"
Agatha looks at the woman for a moment. "I don't think there is a way to escape what is happening in England, Magda. And if we lose, it's not just the witches who will suffer the consequences."
Magda nods in understanding, then steps forward. "Tell me how I can help you."
"He wouldn't approve, but I can't watch everything fall apart around us. Tell me how I can help."
Agatha smiles, touching Magda's shoulder. You hold your breath, as does Wanda, who also notices the magic in the witch's fingertips, and the purple color in her eyes.
"Leave him, dear." She says. "But it needs to be natural, okay? As best as I can, he must not suspect it was my idea. Erik would never put you in danger, but he wouldn't leave you alone either. So you need to end it all."
Magda has tears in her eyes, but she just nods mechanically. And the memory becomes blurred.
Wanda is tense beside her, and you are silent.
"That doesn't make sense." You mutter. "Carol told me that Magda was in Sokovia, and that-"
"She's not my mother, is she?" Wanda cuts you off, looking at the floor. The real Agatha sighs, as you look at the two in confusion.
"How could you tell?" She asks.
"I don't have her eyes."
It was a funny detail about the few pictures of Magda that Erik had in the Maximoff house. All the pictures were old, because they were from muggles. And they were never sharp enough in detail, just good enough for you to be able to recognize the woman in the recollection.
Agatha laughs softly. "Is that all Erik told you about your mother? That you had her eyes?"
Wanda squeezes your hand, and with the other she wipes her cheek.
"Just show me the truth at once, Agatha."
"As you wish."
//-//-//
You stumble gently as you get used to the dirt floor that has stabilized at your feet.
"Are you okay?" You whisper to Wanda, but she just nods, smiling weakly before looking back at the memory forming in your eyes.
You were startled by the bright lights in the sky, recognizing them immediately as wandering spells.
Someone just fought here, and it was no small fight.
"Agatha!" Erik shouted, approaching quickly, coming from the corner as if he had been hiding until now, and the teacher had emerged.
Wanda also held her breath as she noticed the large cut on his forehead, the blood dripping down his face.
"T-They've surrounded us..." He says breathlessly, his wand in fists as he stumbles to get closer. "We narrowly won and-"
"Calm down boy." Agatha says as she holds his shoulders, working quickly to heal his wounds. "Where are the others?"
"Further away." Erik replied visuvelmettely exhausted. You could tell he was a little older than the last memory, but he was still young. "Back to the mansion.
"Good, they' ll be safe there." She says as she helps Erik stand properly. "Where's Natalya?"
And Erik chokes, sobbing. You frown in confusion, and Agatha makes a pitying face.
"Oh, Erik."
He cried, shrugging. "She was.... She tried to gain ground. She hit four of them at once. But... But she-"
And he sobbed, and Agatha didn't insist, hugging him.
"I'm sorry, Erik." She whispered.
And the memory trembled until they were back on the mansion's dirt path, almost at the iron driveway, the man visibly calmer, though quite shaken.
"Erik, what about the children?" Agatha asks as she stops walking in front at the gate.
The man looks on the verge of tears again, but only sighs.
"I have no idea, Agatha." He says. "No place is safe in the UK anymore. I can't leave the order to look after them, I don't know what to do."
And Agatha looks at him a moment, before nodding. "I will help you."
You see many flashbacks of memories, Agatha greeting injured order members, then going back to write letters, and checking the news. You think you see flashes of fights too, big duels, before everything stabilizes again.
It's Magda in front of you, and she looks more mature too.
"Years ago, you asked me how I could help you." Agatha spoke behind you, and you startled yourself by jumping to the side, and watching intently as the witch touched Magda's hands. "You saved yourself by leaving him. But you will save his life and the rest of the wizarding world if you accept what I am about to ask of you."
Magda's eyes widened, but she nodded after a moment. Agatha waved her hands, and a cart approached you.
"Run away, Magda." She says. "Their mother had a house, enchanted to protect from invaders on a hill in a small country in Europe." Agatha explains as Magda lets out a surprised exclamation at the babies in the stroller.
"They... are beautiful." She whispers excitedly, touching the children with her fingers, who fall asleep innocently. "What happened, Agatha? Where is Erik?"
"The fight just got bigger, hon." She explains. "Much bigger than we ever expected. Your people are suffering too, but they're saying it's natural disasters."
Magda is shocked, but she speaks again. "Agatha, I am not a witch. I can't protect them."
"That's exactly why you can." Agatha retorts, taking the other woman's hands again. "Go to Sokovia. There are no witch communities there. Hide yourself, hide them. You have no idea how important it is to keep them safe."
"Tell me, then."
Agatha swallows dryly, and looks away from the babies. "It's only a legend, but it could change the fate of this war. The girl, Magda, is a powerful witch. A special kind, like her mother was."
"My god, she's just a child, Agatha."
"That's exactly why she needs to be protected." The witch retorts. " She' s fragile, like a crystal to be stolen. She must not be found, promise me you will protect her."
"I promise." She says nodding, but Agatha sighs, and her eyes turn purple, her grip increases.
"No matter what happens, Magda." She says. "You will protect them, do you understand?"
"Yes."
The memory shakes again, and this time, your father is in front of you, and you hold your breath, shocked to see him so close so suddenly.
“You’re a snake!” He accused angrly, but without any movement, his eyes were serious with his arms crossed.
You turn to realize he was talking to Agatha, in a room that had no windows.
“I was keeping them safe, Howard.” The woman said. “I don’t expect you to understand the feeling of desperation, because you have an armored mansion at your will.”
“You used Erik’s grief to manipulate him into believing in you!” He shouted. “I’m not asking you again, where are his children?”
Agatha laughs softly, looking at your father indignantly.
"Are you listening to yourself, Howey?" she teases. "Erik switched sides, accept that."
"Nat died on our side." He retorts. "She was my friend, my ally. And she trusted us to protect the twins, you had no right to hide them!"
"They are safe!" Agatha retorts, and looks at the man with a warning expression. "And I suggest you stop making such a scandal about it, Howard! You don't want Mephisto to find out about the girl's true nature. We're close enough to defeat already."
"This isn't about that stupid legend-"
"Isn't it?" Agatha interrupts with irony. "Then why only now? It's been weeks since I took them. I know exactly what you want with the twins, Howard. You want to see if it's true, if they really can change the war." She says approaching. "I will clear that up for you then, since you clearly have no knowledge at all on the subject. A scarlet witch is worthless until she reaches maturity. If you try to take the magic from the baby, you'll just get a victim. And I won't allow that to happen."
"I wasn't going to steal the child's magic, Agatha. Who do you think I am?"
"I don't give a damn who you say you are now, Stark." She retorts."Not to you, nor to Erik, who can't make up his mind whose side he's on."
Agatha moves to leave, clearly ending the conversation. But before she leaves, your father calls out to her.
"Why are you so committed to protecting them, Agatha?" He asks.
"Natalya was my family before she was an Auror, Howard."
As Agatha leaves, the memory fades, but you and Wanda are wide-eyed, confused by the latest revision.
And the ground is shaking at your feet, and you are being pulled back into consciousness.
//-/-//-//-//
You awaken last, stretching confusedly away from the tree you had leaned against as you sat on the ground to begin viewing the memories watched with the other women.
Wanda is already getting up, to find Agatha standing peacefully looking at the mountainous landscape ahead.
"So, what are you?" she asks the older witch.
Agatha sighs softly, without looking at Wanda.
"Natalya Maximoff was born in Romania, during the witch revolution in the country." She begins nostalgically, a short smile at the corner of her lips. "I found her shaking like a leaf, less than twelve weeks old inside a box of potatoes."
You are shocked, as is Wanda, but you just listen.
"I think her mother tried to hide her. But she got caught in the middle of it. Romania was in chaos at the time, it was a real bloodbath. "She says. "I was there to fight. The English ministry provided special witches to take on a wizard, known as Kang the Conqueror."
Agatha gives a humorless laugh, sounding upset.
"If you think Faustus is bad, it's because you've never met him." She counters. "He was a master nocramanter. He created an army of the living dead, the inferi. It was the worst fight I've ever been in. But we won, and he was killed. For real this time."
Agatha looked away from the landscape to look at Wanda.
"I bonded with the child, Miss Maximoff." She says. "I could have left her in that box, and gone on my way. But I took her in my arms, and only let her go when she was mature enough for that."
"And then?" Wanda asked with emotion in her voice, looking at Agatha with tears in her eyes.
"I found out that she was a scarlet sorceress, but unlike you, she never completed her forging." The witch says sadly. "She died at the age of 20, a year before she was going to do the spell."
Wanda looks down at her feet, crossing her arms as she absorbs the whole story. Agatha thinks this is a good opportunity to keep talking.
"The war was already over when I found Natalya." She says. "The village where I believe she was born had been destroyed in a shambles. And they put her in the box, while the British aurors were doing the stakeouts. I took her with me, I didn't tell anyone." She recounts. "When she turned eleven, I found out what she was. I taught her everything I could, but I didn't let her go to Hogwarts. I kept her at home, where she wouldn't put the students or herself in danger."
You bite the inside of your cheek, surprised that Agatha was able to hide a daughter. But honestly, it wasn't that shocking.
"When she turned 16, she started rebelling, you know how teenagers are." She says. "She left because she didn't agree with the way I saw the world. And I said I would be waiting for her to come back when she realized that only I could help her."
"But she didn't come back." Wanda completed and Agatha sighed, nodding.
"No, of course not," she says. "She moved to a muggle province, and built a house. And ran away from her fate until her power got too overwhelming."
"Did you look for her?" You ask, and Agatha nods in agreement, turning her gaze to the landscape.
"With the war, I wanted allies." She says. "And I really thought I could get to the house of the daughter I hadn't spoken to in years to ask her to fight for me."
"But she accepted, didn't she?" Wanda says and Agatha sighs.
"On her terms, yes." Answered the woman. "Your mother was a smart girl, Wanda. She made me swear under the best intentions."
And it takes a moment for Wanda to understand what was really being said.
"How?"
Agatha sighs, turning to you again. "I took a perpetual vow to do what was right. What would save lives, what she considered right." She explains. "But contract magic is so encompassing. Especially when you say ambiguous phrases like do the right thing, or stuff like that. That's why I was able to get around the spell so many times. That's why it shaped itself with her death."
"That's why you can't hurt Wanda." You conclude in a sigh.
Agatha nods. "The power of the Scarlet Sorceress has always been tempting. But I would never steal it from Natalya, she was my daughter." She says. "But you were just a student. And I wouldn't mind taking that responsibility out of your hands."
"Not even if I was her daughter?" Wanda asks in a mixture of disgust and indignation, but Agatha only gives a humorless laugh.
"Don't judge me so much." She retorts. "If I didn't care, you wouldn't even be alive. Least of all your girlfriend."
But Wanda steps away, putting herself in front of you.
"You didn't do this because you care." She accuses. "You did it because of the vow. Because you will die if you don't keep your words to her."
"Maybe." She says,shrugging. "But what matters is my actions, not motivations. Actions are all that matter in the end."
"I'm sick of this, Agatha." Wanda retorts indignantly. "You think you can say some philosophical shit and get rid of the things you've done? You manipulated my entire family, and you played with my destiny. I'd rather be alone than around you."
Wanda walks off at a brisk pace, and you follow her, not knowing exactly what to do.
Agatha clenches her jaw, refusing to turn around and apologize.
Wanda begins to pack up very quickly, and you stare wide-eyed as she puts Godric's sword into her purse.
And soon you are outside.
"I told you I wouldn't forgive you if you crossed another line with me." She says. "But I realized that there's nothing more you can do besides all the bad things you've already done."
"If you expect me to apologize for keeping you alive so far, you are deluding yourself." Agatha retorts stubbornly, her arms crossed.
Wanda gives a humorless laugh, her hand interlacing hers. "I don't expect anything from you, Agatha. Even if you think it's the right thing to do, stay away from me. And especially from her."
"As you wish, Miss Maximoff."
You notice the tears in the older witch's eyes before she looks the other way. Wanda turns her face to you next.
“Think of a safe place.” She asks in a whisper, and you nod. It takes a second before everything spins around.
//-//-//-//-//
Tag list> @imapotatao / @aimezvousbrahms/ @ensorcellme/ @helloalycia || @mionemymind / @abimess / @stephanieromanoff / @yourtaletotell / @tomy5girls / @justagaypanicking / @thegayw1tch / @idek-5 // @myperfectlovepoem // @helloalycia // @ENSORCELLME // @AIMEZVOUSBRAHMS // @drpepperobsessed // @sighsam // @olsensnpm // @sxfwap // @table57 // @madamevirgo // @causeitswhatjesuswouldfreakingdo // @emptysince18x // @xastrydx || @yuhloversxx || @ymzki-haruki || @wouldirunofftheworldsomeday || @lostandsearching || @lezzzbehonesthere || @musicinourlips || @chaekhan || @diaryoflife || @nervoustrack || @aquamarinescarlet || @cristin-rjd || @idamaemann || @fortunatelynerdylight || @iliketozoneout || @blackwow34 // @tiny–freak || @spongebobtentacles || @cyberbonesworld ||
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manikas-whims · 3 years
Text
My Top Kanej Moments | Shadow & Bone
⚠ show only fans, beware the book spoilers ahead ⚠
obviously all were amazing but here's my personal favorites
1: The Knife Handover
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Even watching this scene made me feel like I was intruding on a very private moment 🙈
Kaz is always on guard. Throughout the series, anytime anyone laid a hand on him or inched a hand towards him, he visibly expressed his aversion.
But here in this scene, you can see him not moving away at all when Inej steps closer. He never breaks eye contact, which is something very personal to me. I have many ships who have these "eye-smex" moments. And I love it when two characters are just intensely staring at each other but you can feel the tension between them radiating off of the screen. TOO HOT!
Its also the way she bends down to pull out the second knife and never breaks eye contact as she hands it over to him with a confident smile (top right gif). And how he momentarily smirks to himself when she's gone (top right gif).
Its the way her finger lightly touches his gloved palm before she drops the knife into his hand (top left gif) . THIS MAYBE THEIR FIRST BRIEF MOMENT OF CONTACT. And Kaz didn't even flinch, just watched intently as she left. MOST KANEJ MOMENT 😩
2: The Campfire
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Remember Kaz grew up without a mother. As a child, he probably looked-up to his father and then tragically lost him. So he moves to Ketterdam with his brother in hopes of a new beginning. And in one night, everything gets snatched from them. But hey! They're together so its alright and then..he loses his brother as well. Even worse that he has to use him to swim back to the harbour and can't retrieve the body to cremate. He was made to choose between himself and his brother's body :/
After everything that he suffered, in a saintsforsaken city like Ketterdam, no one but Kaz kept himself alive (of course until he met Jesper and Inej, whom he could rely on). So the man has enough reasons to not believe in any higher almighty beings.
Therefore, during this scene when he says: "No saints ever watched over me. Not like you have." YES! IT HITS HARD 😭
3: To Watch & be unable to Act
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There were two moments and in both, the agonising expression that he had on his face is everything! It hurts him to watch her hurt and not be able to touch and hold her like Jesper did..to not be able to help..
This can be a good build up for when we get the scene where he carries her in his arms and despite his bad leg, runs to the Ferolind, pushing past Jesper to take her to Nina..(hoping we get that).
4: Kaz detects Inej
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The books heavily mention how Inej walks like a ghost (undetected) and how only Kaz knows where she is.
Examples:
“Kaz’s eyes found Inej unerringly in the crowd.”
“Oh, and Inej, don’t ever sneak up on me again.”
«The truth was she’d tried to sneak up on Kaz plenty of times since then. She’d never managed it. It was as if once Kaz had seen her, he’d understood how to keep seeing her.»
That this beautiful detail about them was shown in the show and the first scene about them, makes my heart flutter ♡
5: The Chapel Killing
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I really don't need to say much here. In the heat of the moment, Inej didn't reconsider that she was inside a Chapel and just threw the knife to save Kaz. Her first act of taking a life was NOT TO KILL BUT TO PROTECT. She was destined to hunt slavers and save lives (I'm sorry I'm reaching).
But what stands out more is the look on Kaz's face. He is so surprised, he really hadn't expected her to kill. And that too, for HIM. That is the expression of a man who is mentally vowing to gouge out an eyeball for his girl.
And right after, he steps closer to her. He can't hug her so that's what he offers as he tells her "you saved my life".
6: The Winter Fete Bickering
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This scene was pure gold.
You ever wonder what do Kanej do when they aren't arguing over serious matters? When they aren't staring intensely or having very deep secluded conversations? THIS! This is what they do. They bicker like an old married couple over trivial things and its just adorable to watch.
Anyways Kaz knowing Inej's size is something very personal to me. But Inej completely disregards his efforts and keeps bringing up that one time he messed up and I find that so entertaining. Serotonin Boost tbh 😆
BONUS
running away from conversations
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Gif Credits: myself and @kanejdaily
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amberbeach · 3 years
Text
'MYSTERY GIRL'
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gif belongs to me
Shane was the first to realize that Dustin was acting strange. It became more common for him to turn down plans, and most of his free time was spent elsewhere, and Shane wanted to know where Dustin went every day.
Shane knew he had a secret. He just had to prove it.
So he invited Dustin to the skate park, and when he turned him down, as he predicted he would, Shane decided to follow him.
His plan, however, wasn't a complete success as Dustin realized he was following him and managed to lose Shane. The Red Ranger decided to check the usual places for Dustin after that.
He stopped at the race track, and when he couldn't find him, Shane set off to Storm Chargers.
You walked out of the dressing room, Dustin talking animatedly while you smiled. He was talking about his next race, and while you wished you could watch, you knew he didn't want you to meet his friends. Although it hurt you, as you wondered if he thought your relationship was just a fling, you knew there was something Dustin wasn't telling you - a secret holding him back.
He was a great boyfriend. Sweet, caring, funny - you just wished you could meet his friends that he talked about so fondly.
"Hey, what's wrong?" He asked, noticing your frown.
"Nothing." You tried to brush off, heading to buy the outfit you would use when riding on his bike.
Shane ducked when Dustin looked around, the Yellow Ranger shrugging off the feeling he was being watched to smile at you when you returned.
"I should get going." You told him, not mirroring his smile. And Dustin knew you were upset.
"Hey, wait -"
He sighed when you continued to walk away from him and realized why you were upset.
He crossed his arms, exhaling the tension from his shoulders. He wanted to introduce you to his friends as he knew you would get along well, and Tori would be glad to have another female around. It wasn't out of fear of how his friends would react, but Dustin knew how dangerous the world was, and every week the news detailed a new attack by Lothor.
You were beginning to get worried as each attack escalated, and despite his efforts to assure you that the Power Rangers would be victorious, even he had some doubts some days, especially when facing a particularly difficult monster Lothor had sent. And there was only so much he could say to ease your concerns without revealing he was the Yellow Ranger. And Dustin didn't want Lothor to find out about you. So he decided to keep you away from his friends and the base in fear Lothor was watching and tracked you down.
You had been sneaking around for two months now, but Dustin knew you were it. The one person he wanted to be with for the rest of his life. And he couldn't imagine loving someone the way he loved you.
Shane observed the scene, wondering who the mystery girl was in his best friend's life. And back at the base, he confronted his comrade, who was surprised and irritated that he had spied on him.
"You spied on me?"
"Forget about that. Who is she?" Shane pressed. "How long have you been sneaking out?"
"A few months." Dustin sighed. "She's my girlfriend."
"Why didn't you say anything?" Shane asked.
Dustin shrugged, "I didn't want to involve her in our mission. If Lothor found out about her..." He shook his head, breaking his thoughts, "I thought it was safer."
Shane nodded in understanding. "She's really pretty."
"Who is?" Tori asked, entering the base with the Hunter, Blake, and Cam.
"Dustin's girlfriend." Shane grinned.
Dustin sighed, crossing his arms at the overwhelming amount of questions and knew that the subject wouldn't drop until they met you.
"I can take you to see her tomorrow?"
The questions didn't end until Tori had driven to the cafe where you worked. Dustin nearly fell over as the two brothers excitedly raced out of the car. He shook his head, sighing as he looked at the sign.
He hoped you were happy to see him after yesterday.
You poured out a milkshake, flattening the lid on top, handing a straw to the customer with a smile. You lifted your head when you saw a group step forward, and your eyes widened when you saw Dustin, with who you recognized were his friends, from how often he talked about them.
"Hi." You greeted the smiling Yellow Ranger.
"Hey." He raised an eyebrow when Tori stepped forward, blocking his view of you as she held her hand out to shake yours.
"I'm Tori. Dustin told us a lot about you." She smiled brightly.
"He did..." You glanced at Dustin, who smiled sheepishly, scratching the nape of his neck.
He pointed to each person as he introduced you, "Shane, Blake, Hunter, and Cam."
"Hey." Blake smiled, leaning his arm on the counter.
Dustin clapped his hand on his shoulder, and Blake looked at him innocently. "I'm just saying hello."
"I know; that's what worries me." He moved him away while the group chuckled.
You looked at your manager when he cleared his throat and Dustin quickly scanned the menu before ordering, prompting the others to do the same.
"When do you finish?" He asked, leaning on the counter as you worked.
"Ten minutes." You sent him a smile.
He mirrored it before stepping outside to wait while the team enjoyed their shakes.
"You didn't mention she was beautiful," Blake said, knowing it would annoy Dustin.
Ever since he had told the group about his relationship with you and explained why he wanted to keep it a secret, Blake was quick to start teasing him, and after twelve hours, Dustin was tired of it. Although he knew it was friendly teasing as Blake would never steal his girlfriend.
He opened his mouth to reply when you appeared, and he sent you a smile. He placed his arm around you while his team decided whether to go to the beach or to the race track.
You followed the group to the car, falling behind as you walked with Dustin. "Thank you." You looked up at him with a small smile. "For introducing me to your friends."
"Well, I know that you thought I was keeping you a secret for a reason. And I was but...if you let me, I'll explain everything." He smiled. "I love you. And I'm sorry if I made you doubt that."
You stopped, turning to him, placing a hand on his cheek. He smiled against your lips when you kissed him, placing a hand on your waist as he brought you closer.
"Hey, love-birds! Let's go!" Hunter called out.
Blake whistled, and Dustin glared at the brothers, shaking his head as their actions drew attention from people in the street. You buried your head in his chest as he chuckled, hiding a smile as he led you to the car.
Dustin pushed Hunter aside when he and Blake made kissing noises, and you smiled as the three bickered, while Cam tried to negotiate peace. You took the space beside Shane and the Red Ranger sent you a smile.
"Thank you." He said.
"For what?" You asked.
Shane looked over his shoulder at the bickering boys, Cam sighing in annoyance, rolling his eyes. "I've never seen him so happy before."
You looked at the three boys, watching Blake and Dustin playfully shoving each other. A smile formed on your lips when your eyes met, and he mirrored the smile.
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spacebarnes · 3 years
Text
does he get deja vu? ✧ t.holland
summary: and when you see them, you always wonder if he gets deja vu.
warnings: sadness, angst, breakup(?
a/n: so this song is pretty famous so i thought about this ya know? send some requests! english it's not my first language so i'm so sorry about any mistake. take care of yourself please <3 (not my gif)
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"Are you paying attention to me?" Hemsworth asked and rested his hand on the table.
"Huh?" you asked, returning your puzzled gaze to him.
"What are you looking at?" he asked and then turned his body to see where your gaze was directed. Soon his eyes collided with Tom and his new girlfriend sitting at another table.
"You almost drop my lemonade!" Anthony arrived next to Sebastian and Evans, making a lot of noise.
"Such a drama queen, oh my god." the blue eyed rolled his eyes and took a seat next to you, while Anthony and Sebastian sat across from you. "What's the matter? Why the puppy eyes?" he asked you when he saw you didn't look too happy.
"Isn't obvious?" Sebastian asked without waiting for an answer. "The spidey boy has a new girl and they are eating like three tables behind us."
"You're sad because that kid?" Anthony asked in disbelief, you didn't answer. "Teenage love it's gross. At your age nothing is real."
"I knew Elsa when I was her age," Chris said, taking a piece of his food into his mouth. Sebastian smacked him lightly on his arm for what he said. "Sorry."
"Just-" the man next to you spoke and put his hand on your shoulder. "Lift your ass, go to a party and fuck some random guy." he said as if it was the most normal thing in the world.
"Chris!" Sebastian immediately scolded him for what he had suggested to you. Hemsworth and Anthony started laughing together.
"What i'm supposed to say?!" he shrugged and looked at him.
"She's 23!" he reminded him and you held in the laughter you had been provoked to laugh. "Ignore him, he's drunk," Stan told you and took your hand so he could talk to you. "Just don't look at them, and don't cry on set because you're gonna ruin your makeup and that would be awful."
The mood had improved a bit until a shout from Tom reached your ears.
"Can you ask them to put sugar in the edges? Thanks, love!"
[ "C'mon Spider-man, c'mon," Tom's voice practicing his dialogue reached your ears as soon as you opened the trailer door. "Oh, hey lovie." he greeted you and smiled brightly at the sight of you.
"What are you doing?" you asked and dragged a chair over to sit across from him.
"Practicing my dialogues," he smiled proudly and diverted his gaze to the drink in your hands, exactly to the edges of the glass. "What's that on the edges?" he asked with great curiosity.
"Oh, it's sugar," you pointed to it and took a sip. "Taste better with this, wanna try?" you stretched out your arm so he could drink from the glass, but he pushed it back towards you.
"Take another sip and don't lick your lips," he ordered you and you did it immediately, not knowing why he told you that. "Great, now kiss me." he stood up from the other chair and put his hands on your legs for support and leaned into you.
"Tastes good?" you asked once you two were separated for a moment. He nodded and took the drink out of your hands, both of you knowing where this would end.
"So good." ]
°•°•°•
"Can you call Tom for us? He's in his trailer." Joe asked politely and you nodded, feeling the nerves coursing through your blood.
You dragged your tennis shoes across the concrete as the wind whipped against your black jacket that covered half of your body.
You knew exactly what Tom's trailer was because of all the times you had spent in it.
The melody of a song filled your ears as you stood in front of the door, took a breath and knocked. No one opened, until the fourth time.
"Yeah?" Melissa opened the door instead of Tom, and that's when you could hear the words of the song well, instantly identifying it. Everybody Talks.
"Can you say to Tom that we need him in the set? We're gonna record some scenes, so yeah." you tried to say as quickly as possible so as not to make the moment more awkward than it already was.
"Sure, he will be there in a minute."
"Thanks." you thanked her and started walking as fast as possible back to the set, as you knew Tom would be out any minute and you didn't want to bump into him.
Tears began to fill your eyes as you remembered the words to that song and the reason why it was so special.
[ "Shut up and listen!" you pushed Tom's body away, causing his body to fall backwards onto the bed.
"I'm listening!" he shouted back and sat back up to listen.
Everybody Talks was playing in the background while you and Tom sat on the edge of the bed, paying attention to the beat and lyrics.
"Why do you like that song so much?" he asked and you leaned your weight on your hands, pressing your palms to the mattress.
"I like the beat, it's fun." You answered simply and started bobbing your head to the beat of the melody.
Tom didn't say anything else and just stood watching you, admiring the little moments passing in front of his eyes. He liked the way it was just you and him in that moment, and always.
"Wait!" The song ended and you immediately got up to walk over to your cell phone and put it back on play. "Let's dance!"
You stretched out your arms and with your hands you grabbed your boyfriend's, helping him off the bed so they could dance properly. His movements were not precise and he was just moving without any sense at all.
It was a sweet moment that you wanted to stay in for a lifetime. ]
°•°•°•
"Y/N!" Anthony called out to you from behind the cameras and you looked up. "Did you call Tom?"
"I did, yeah." you nodded your head and continued to play a little with your feet since you were hanging from the harness.
"Did you really call him?" Chris asked at a volume where only you could hear him.
"I really did," you told the truth without taking your eyes off him. "I don't know why he's not here."
Some five minutes later, a disheveled and agitated Tom appeared in front of everyone. His suit was ill-fitting and traces of lipstick adorned his lips.
"Horny boy." Chris said in a whisper and turned away so he wouldn't see how they would tell Tom that he was misrepresented.
"Oh great." your lips formed a line and you started playing with your hands as you waited for Tom's harness to be put on.
[ "Tom, stop," you said between giggles and kisses as Tom was on top of you and wouldn't let you go. "Someone it's gonna see us."
"The door it's locked," he said in a whisper and with bated breath before moving to your neck to leave wet kisses there. "Just enjoy it, my pretty baby."
Tom's hands were positioned on your hips while yours were on his curls, tousling them a bit. He broke away, seeking your lips to kiss them again. Your legs wrapped around his hips making the separation between the two of you minimal.
Tom's soft lips felt cooler and cooler, his tongue beginning to sneak in between the kiss, asking for access. You opened your mouth a little wider to make the kiss even more intense.
You pushed Tom's chest a little to make him pull away from you, your hands reaching for the edge of his t-shirt, pulling it away and returning to his make out session immediately.
"You're so pretty." you murmured between his lips and wrapped your hands around his neck to pull him closer to you and reconnect your lips.
Your hands ran over Tom's skin slowly as your lips began to swell a little from the intense kisses you shared.
"Tom!" a knock on the door made you two separate instantly. "We need you in makeup in ten mins!"
"Seven more minutes of kisses?" ]
°•°•°•
"Good morning, can i get a hot chocolate with extra milk and whipped cream? Thank you." you asked the cashier for your order and moved a little so you could wait and not get in the way of the line.
"Why i'm not surprised that you always ask for the same thing?" the unrecognizable voice of Tom sounded behind you.
"Hi to you." you turned and greeted him quickly, wanting this moment to end.
"Do you want to go to the set together? Melissa it's not coming today." he asked in the nicest way, was it necessary to name Melissa?
"Sure, just let me get my order and we can go." he nodded and headed for the door so he could wait for you outside.
Thousands of thoughts went through your head at that instant. Where is Melissa? Why is she being so nice? Should you walk out alone?
"So, how are you?" he asked to start a conversation between the two of you.
"Good and you?" you answered as dryly as possible so he could see you didn't feel like talking to him.
"Great too," he smiled and took a drink of his coffee, remaining silent for a few moments. "Can i ask you a question?"
"You already did." you shrugged and he just laughed uncomfortably.
"Why are you avoiding me? Did i did something wrong?" he asked innocently with a tone of concern. You clicked your tongue and shook your head.
"I'm not avoiding you, it's just," you lowered your gaze for a few seconds. "We're not a couple anymore, so."
"Oh, i get it."
"Can i ask you a question?" now it was your turn to ask, he nodded quickly.
"Of course."
"Do you get deja vu when she's with you?"
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Author's Note: Hi that isn't my GIF. But this is my fic and I would really appreciate it if you told me how you thought it was, and if you especially like it, my requests are open friends. :3 I have the spicy sad right now, and needed a little angst with a happy ending. Ok, be fed I guess.
This has 3,000+ words, are you proud of me or what!?
From the prompt: As teenagers, a boy and a girl agree to marry if neither have by their 35th birthday. Follow the boy as he attempts to sabotage every relationship the girl has until then.
"Hey Tommy? I was thinking."
"That's a shit idea, you should stop doing that"
You swiped at the back of his head.
"Shut up you ass, I'm serious."
"Hi serious I'm- OW fucking hurt is what I am it's a joke, learn to take a-AH." You hurdled a handful of playground pebbles at the 17 year old.
"Alright, alright gorgeous, hit me- No! I meant hit me with the question you little shit." It was getting hard to breathe when he got you to giggle so hard.
You're laughter died down. You looked down, unsure if you could look at his face when you said this.
"I don't have a boyfriend." He abruptly stopped laughing, hiding the obvious fact that he almost choked on his own spit. You breathed a laugh again.
"I don't have a boyfriend. And you don't have a girlfriend." Your smile slipped off.
Tell him. Tell him, you're almost there. I don't have anyone, and you don't either except we do we have each we have each other we have-
You looked to Tommy, his boyish presence fitting on the swing set made for much younger kids. You were much younger kids when you met for the first time, on this very swing set. You think about telling him you fell in love with him when he pushed Jackson Paloski down on the asphalt because Jackson said trailer-trash can't play on the nice swing set. You didn't know it was love though, you were in the fourth grade but your heart still beat a little faster and when you asked him if you could sit beside him during lunch he huffed and complained, showing off he was moody and tough and haughty, but he very obviously made Michael Welsh move from his spot beside Tommy so that the pretty new girl could take her place beside him. And you stayed there. For years. Right beside him.
You felt the breath leave your lungs as you thought about telling him you can't stop thinking about him lately.
Can't stop hoping your skin will touch when he asks you to pass him something.
Can't help feeling like punching every girl that makes a scene trying to gain his attention. You're usually so focused on glaring at the girl that you miss the way he shrinks in on himself, the way he actively turns his body to you.
You think about telling him. And how telling him could mean you could do more, be more.
You think about telling him. And you think about him pulling away from you, gently gathering his things as he stumbles over how to let you down easily, unaware that that's not an option any more. Tommy letting you down would mean shattering.
You clench your jaw. His eyes try to tell you something.
"So. So since. We don't have someone." You look toward the Shell gas station across the street. Tommy wets his lips with a quick swipe of his tongue.
Your throat twinges, the twinge you get when you're trying to hold back tears. You shrug to yourself and let out a breathy laugh.
Coward.
"So since we don't have hot dates, we should make a deal." You make your voice upbeat. You know Tommy can call your bullshit but he doesn't, sit's quietly.
"If by the time we're 35, and we don't have a, someone, to, ya' know. We should get married." Your heart clenches. "If we don't have. Like if I don't have a husband, and you don't. Have a girl, or-" Tommy is quiet. White hot panic races up your spine. You look over at him.
Tommy looks-
He looks like he's frozen, like he's still a few sentences behind, and you're about to throw in the towel and swallow a few of these pebbles so you'll choke and die and won't have to hear his laughter tear apart your heart.
Then Tommy blinks and kind of hunkers in on himself, looks anywhere but you, eyes shifting and darting. His smile isn't his when he manages it.
"Oh, you're so on, sweetheart."
It's not quite right. The atmosphere is still tense and you feel like there's a conversation you're meant to be having, like there were supposed to be different words spoken and heard during that time.
But having Tommy, even if it's like this, even if he doesn't want you like you ache for him, is better than not having him at all.
Beside you, while you hurt quietly beside him, watching the sun set, rocking back and forth on the too low swing, Tommy swallows down self-hatred and overwhelming feelings. Instead, he schemes.
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It's been five years since you've made your little deal with Tommy. Five years, and every single time you've tried to move on from the man, it's ended in catastrophe.
The time you two had just graduated high school and drove to Tommy's house so his older brother could congratulate you two. Brendan had had a buddy over that night, not much older than you, and you would be lying if you said you didn't flush appreciatingly at his sly smile toward you and the way he actively tried to add you in on the conversation.
The night ended rather abruptly when Tommy had spilled hot tea all over the guys front. Tommy was always collected, and it was rare moment when he was clumsy. Never mind the fact that Tommy never drank tea, and actively made fun of you drinking the stuff.
Or the time you two reluctantly went to Brendan's wedding. You loved Tess, and thought they were a great couple, but stomaching an entire ceremony of the two being gross and affectionate, all while you and Tommy couldn't boo and throw miscellaneous items at them? The entire evening was spent with Tommy snuggly against your side snarking quietly in your ear, so close you could feel his warm breath on the entire side of your face.
Yes, your plan of moving on was going swimmingly.
Then Tommy went to the bathroom, and a handsome man smiled at you across the room. You tentatively smiled back, and he moved as if to cross the distance. Then immediately stopped, his face dropping and his eyes widening slightly as he spotted something a little over your shoulder. You saw him clear his throat and veer toward a large group laughing.
Your felt your face slightly warm and your heart drop a little, self consciously looking over your shoulder.
And let out a noise of surprise.
Tommy stood behind you, so close for a second you thought a very well dressed wall had somehow appeared while you weren't looking. You had just enough time to see 'The Expression'.
Tommy was an amazing fighter. And all throughout high school, he made sure while he minded his own, he could also hold his own, and everyone knew it. He had developed an expression, one that scared every single boy in this town shitless. It was a mix between unbridled rage and open invitation. The message was pretty clear and universal.
Come get some.
You usually laughed and teased him about it, because to you it just looked like he stubbed his toe and he was trying not to yell.
You weren't expecting to see it at his brother's wedding, and you certainly weren't laughing now.
In a blink it was gone from his face, and he turned to you with his beautiful sweet smile, the smile that showed just a little peak of his slightly messed up front teeth. He usually reserved that smile for you. You had never seen anyone else on the receiving end.
"Tommy, why were you just-"
"This blows, I just passed Tess and Brendan flirting. They're already married, why would they keep doing that." He rolled his eyes, moving to your side as his hand disappeared behind your back.
"Tommy did you just square up to the guy checking me ou-"
"Brendan's friend is here, the one who can can do a Kick Up."
You stared at each other for a long moment. You felt his hand barely ghosting over the small of your back. His eyes where sharp, a little desperate.
"Tommy."
"There's also a rumor he killed a guy with just a playing card."
You licked your lips. He raised his eyebrows, his lips getting distracting.
"Shit Conlon, why didn't you start with that, take me to him."
Or the time, more recently, when you went to a match to watch Tommy completely destroy his opponent. You loved going out to see him fight. Loved the adrenaline and the satisfaction when Tommy won, making him less timid, a little more rowdy and confident, a little more touchy and feely.
You've kind of given up on the whole moving on thing, even if it was driving you up a wall.
Tommy had just won, and you were eagerly waiting to congratulate him, excited to hug him freely, without him wondering why you were hugging him to begin with. And maybe to hold on a little tighter. Maybe to allow your hands to rove a little more freely.
Hey, was it not a night for celebration?
A man started to chat you up. You smiled patiently and gave some noncommittal grunts and affirmations as you continued to scan the crowd, looking for the familiar mass of Tommy, all hard edges and bulk. You were bouncing on the balls of your feet.
The guy moved closer, making a joke you didn't really hear. You laughed, your eyes darting and searching.
"You look beautiful by the way. I saw you watching the fight, crazy that you're into this stuff. Not a lot of women I know cheer like that."
You finally glance over to the man, but quickly get back to standing on your tip toes, looking above heads.
He doesn't even look that bad, and it's obvious he wants to get your number. He's just not the man you want chat with, and definitely not tonight. Not on a night that Tommy just won, and a night he'll want to come over to yours, joking and teasing, touching you much more confidently than he normally would. Falling asleep much more easier with his head on your lap.
You tamp down a smile. You wouldn't want this guy to get the wrong idea.
"You know, there's a really good Thai place down the road- Ah, fuck, watch it buddy. Can you not look where you're go-" You hear the man choke off the sentence, trying not to smile as you imagine the other guy. probably a lot bigger than he is. Wouldn't want to completely ruin his night by laughing at the guy.
"Fuuck me, buddy, sorry. I did not know who I was talking to." You could hear the man swallow. "Hey, I think you did great in the ring tonight, real good job of... Knocking that guy out. With one punch."
You whirled around, smiling so wide you felt the strain on your cheeks. There was only one guy who did that tonight.
Sure enough, Tommy was standing there. He had put on a shirt and took his gloves off, but he was still sweaty and breathing hard. He completely stanced up, like he is in the ring, and his expression was-
Well, you chalked it up to the testosterone flowing freely through the place. Probably just mad that he ran into another dude.
It still didn't stop you from running and jumping directly on him, arms coming up to wrap around his neck, legs completely circling his torso. You giggled into his neck, exclaiming how proud you were of him, how good he looked out there, completely stroking his ego, but not caring at the moment.
You felt his arms immediately span your back, feeling like his hands where trying to be everywhere at once. That was new. That was new and you couldn't say you hated it.
What you didn't see was the look on Tommy's face. The cold calm of someone who just threw a punch so hard at a man who was bigger and faster than him and shut his shit down. Directed at another man, much slower and smaller in comparison.
You didn't see the stranger's face pale, but you distantly heard the sound of chairs clatter to the ground as he turned tail.
Five years of pining (not so) quietly for Tommy, the man you had fallen in love with, but without a doubt did not love you back.
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Tommy knew without a doubt that he loved you.
All those years back in fourth grade, when he let it slip that his favorite snack was those crackers with the cheese filling, and you showed up with a whole pack of them to share, smiling this big goofy grin with your beautiful eyes and warm presence.
God how could he not.
The problem was how he was supposed to convince you to like him back. Him, Tommy, who fought most of his way through high school, who didn't like to get too close to people, who didn't like eye contact or conversation that ran too long or too forced. Who loved you though.
And who was very annoyed at the boy flirting with his girl.
It never failed to make Tommy's blood boil. He knew he had no right, because for one, he spent five years doing his damned best to break up every chance at you leaving him.
Just until you guys turn 35, right Tommy boy? You can probably keep that up.
Tommy breathed in a shuttering breath.
He just wanted to buy you your favorite drink at your favorite café. That's all he wanted to do. And maybe find and excuse to hold your hand without burning up from the embarrassment of actually having feelings (can you imagine?).
But of course, some dick-head always noticed how beautiful or kind or warm you were, and had to take their shot.
Well, Tommy was fucking sick of it.
Tommy thought of all the times, and there were a lot of times, when he had to step in and derail the situation. He knew this would be the last time. He had to do this, get rid of the unrelenting ache he felt while going to sleep, looking at you, thinking about you.
Tommy moved toward the you and the man you were talking to like he was entering the ring. With the mindset that he could get totally and irreversibly hurt, but he was gonna fight to the bloody end beforehand.
"Do you need directions?" Tommy asked as he slid up behind you, closer than he would have ever before. He felt your confusion even if he couldn't see your face.
"What?" The man was just as quizzical.
"Oh, I was just asking if you needed directions or if you could get lost on your own." Tommy raised his eyebrows, setting his hand on your hip, trying not to think about the many, many questions you'd have about that.
The man thought about arguing, but then he really looked at Tommy. Looked at you, then back to Tommy. Decided he didn't want to bleed tonight, and huffed out an angry sound.
You at least waited until he was out of ear shot before whirling on him.
"What. What was that?"
"Ok, I know what your probably thinking-"
"That you're out of your mind Tommy?! Are you kidding me right now? 'Get lost?' Get outta here with that shit, what was that?"
The two of you were pretty far back in the shop, but he still lowered his voice to make sure no one was bothered.
"Ok, yes, you're mad, I can see that-"
"Oooooh well I'm glad you can see that Tommy." You felt your face start to turn red, feeling exhausted and confused. "Explain. Explain to me Tommy, that every time a guy wants to have a nice, civil, God forbid, flirtatious conversation with me, he high tails it out of there just as fast, Tommy, explain."
Tommy felt an expanding ache somewhere behind his left eye.
"Ok. Ok I'm gonna say something stupid-"
"You always say something stupid, stupid-"
"Can you just. Can you let me finish." Tommy felt exasperated and a little insane. He was about to confess in a coffee shop to the girl he loved and things would never be the same again because she was about to leave, but fuck it if he wasn't at a boiling point.
"Ok. You know how we made a deal?" You looked at him, raising your eyebrows.
"About who could spray the most whipped cream in their mouth? Yeah it's me, it'll always be me. So you got so mad you're trying to, what, make sure I die alone, I don't..."
"What? No can you not, can you focus right now?" Tommy's palms were starting to sweat and he clenched his eyes shut tight. He breathed in and let it back out in one harsh huff. "When we were seventeen-"
"Seventeen?"
"When we were seventeen you said that if we weren't married by the time we were 35, that we should marry each other." He watched as your eyes widened and your face warmed a little. "Well, the deals off. I'm not doing it any more."
Tommy wasn't sure what to expect, but the flash of utter pain that tore across your face was not it. You stepped back, looked like you were about to bolt, your eyes wild. You tried to pull yourself together but it was really hard to breathe. No matter how many times you tried to prepare yourself for this day, you could have never imagined how it actually almost brought you know to your knees.
"So. Here's the new deal. If in like, five minutes, you're still single, and I'm still single..." Tommy swallowed hard, licking his lips. "We should just." His eyes darted to your lips.
You froze. Tommy caught his lush lower lip in between his teeth. He'd never been more nervous his entire life. So nervous for the inevitable laugh, the pity laced rejection, because really, it was one thing to be friends with a shy awkward boxer, but another to look at him and think, 'yeah, that'll do.'
Tommy had approximately five seconds to wallow in self deprecation and pure terror before he had a handful of you, and something that suspiciously felt like lips on his lips. But that's funny, because he's almost positive that that's not the case.
Then he felt your tongue swipe his lip and decided he cared fuck all and proceeded to get lost in you, your breaths, God he could feel, taste, your breath as you both got consumed by each other.
Someone coughed disapprovingly your way. The two of you broke apart, panting slightly.
"Ok, ok please don't. I really don't want you to hit me but I'm really fucking dense, right, and I just have to ask, you did that because you. You like like me- OW I said I didn't want you to hit me!"
You felt yourself laughing, felt your never ending ache subside and your love sky rocket.
"Oh, you're an idiot," You pecked his lips, he tried to catch your mouth fully but failed. "You are such and idiot- Oh my God we're both idiots holy- Hey. Hey, you, you've been. Have you been sabotaging-"
"Did you hear that?" Tommy tilted his head and looked toward the ceiling. "Ope- oh yeah. No. yeah, that's for sure the sound of-" He cut off, dropping his serious expression, grinning as he leaned down and kissed your mouth again, this time taking your words and any objections, affectively cutting off any questions that would leave him looking stupid.
You two would need to sit down, to talk about how you've felt all these years, how you were both so stupid that you both refused to confess to each other.
But for now, you lost yourself in the taste of Tommy, and the heady feeling of someone you've loved for seemingly forever, loving you back.
Real Quick: Would you be mad if in the next fics I write I called this man Tomithy? Asking for a friend.
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lit-in-thy-heart · 3 years
Text
so to counteract some of the merlin angst that has been on my dash over the past few days, i just wanted to quickly talk about the hopelessly-devoted-to-gwen people in this scene:
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yes i am pissed that they cut elyan out (i giffed this directly from iplayer, haven't edited it in any way) but we all know that he is grinning from ear to ear because his sister is queen and now can boss him about and he's never going to hear the end of it but he doesn't care right now
leon is smiling in a way that i don't think he's ever done. his whole face is quite literally illuminated...like even his beard seems to be beaming??? anyway. you can tell he's trying to keep a lid on it because he's a knight of camelot and has to be, in some respects, a machine, particularly when in the presence of other citizens (i'm not entirely sure exactly who is there but it's obviously more than just the knights, where he can let loose a little) -- but this is his childhood friend. two of them, really. he and gwen grew up together, especially with her mother serving in his household, and for him to be a knight and her to now be queen...he can't quite believe it. he looks so proud as well, and excited, like this is it, this is what we've been working towards. because gwen is so well-suited to the role and he knows it. and it gives them more opportunities to regularly interact with her and there will finally be a more constant and commanding voice of reason to help him out with the chaos of camelot's knights. he had always told her that she deserved the world, and now she's got it.
gwaine, shockingly, seems more composed than leon in terms of pure glee, but look at the way his head moves. maybe i'm projecting but it looks like he's rising on his tiptoes in an effort to see what's going on -- and he's raising his head to make eye contact with someone, perhaps? just that lil bounce i can't, you can see that he is actually thrilled and that smile is definitely more of a smirk -- though not a malicious one -- and i bet my ass that he's looking straight at gwen and thinking of a whole list of things to pass (good) comment on afterwards. most of them will include opportunities to take the piss out of arthur together (with merlin) because she can legally do that now. i wouldn't say that he's overwhelmed with joy, but he's definitely pleased. if he wasn't a knight then he would absolutely be turning around behind him and excitedly going 'i know her!!' and when he next goes to the tavern and gets slightly too drunk he will be telling people that he once flirted with the the queen but, being ever so humble and good, she didn't flirt back and it's a good job she didn't because then she wouldn't have become a kick-ass queen. and then he proceeds to ramble about how wonderful gwen is until merlin comes to collect him. but yeah in conclusion gwaine is happy but also very smug because percival owes him money (which is why he's out of shot because his barely contained annoyance at gwaine would ruin the celebratory vibe) because he fucking knew it would happen and he told half of camelot it would and now it has and he loves to be right. also gwen is great and is going to enjoy taking the piss out of arthur with the knights.
merlin just screams relief to me. obviously he's ecstatic, but the way that his smile sort of holds after he's shouted? and his eyes seem to be focusing on something different to the others? idk i just get the feeling that the others are looking at something and merlin is looking beyond it. as if he's running over the past few years and all the encouragement he's given these two people and is finally relieved that something hasn't blown up in his face for once. what's also interesting is where he's stood. obviously he's the protagonist so visually it makes more sense to have him there than on gwaine's shoulders to see over leon, but his placement at the front is like arthur and gwen are acknowledging the role he had in their relationship and saying you are important, thank you for what you've done. and merlin is seeing two of his closest friends marry, like leon, but he's also seeing the beginnings of the golden age that has been promised to him since he first arrived in camelot. in arthurian legend, merlin has the gift of foresight (for example he knows that nimue is going to trap him in a tree when he wants to have sex with her as soon as he sees her -- doesn't stop him from wanting to have sex with her but that's a whole other thing) and this gif sort of nods to that. he's not only seeing the ceremony, but he's seeing the future they will all build because of this marriage. because finally, finally, everything is starting to work out and he must be doing something right. and gwen! gwen is back! he can talk to her again!
in conclusion: everyone fucking loves gwen and is thrilled that she is officially joining the gang.
bonus: gaius is just glad that all the drama is over and that he's still alive
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cherry-lipbalm · 3 years
Text
a son of a bitch in a camper van. spencer reid.
3.9k words.
masterlist
the gif’s a bit blurry yet he’s still endearing x
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in which things happen just like that.
Local law enforcement, accompanied by the BAU, have been sitting in a besieging of this goddamn camper van for so long now that the majority of them were highly considering setting up a tent. If it hadn't been already, it sure as hell was scraping up to be a long night.
Spencer couldn't feel his feet, and he had given up on aiming his gun at the RV a long time ago. The sheriffs had been handing out fold-up chairs for those who were observing any potential activity and hadn't resorted to lounging in their cars.
Morgan had offered his to Spencer, who took it gratefully after he got up from falling on his ass when Derek pulled it out from under him. Spencer was only just about to jump on him when they spotted Hotch's glare from over his shoulder. This is a crime scene they could practically hear him say, so Spencer settled for a harsh shove on his colleague's arm and they left it at that.
And that was probably the most exciting thing to have happened over the course of this man-watch; and that was... three hours ago, now? Time, at this point, had become unsubstantial.
"Are we sure he's even still in there?" Morgan asked, gesturing to the derelict camper van a few yards away from them. He had retrieved another chair, and was sat behind the barricade of police cars, but nonetheless held tightly onto the gun resting in his lap.
"I think so," Spencer squinted over the red and blues, assessing the vehicle. If you could even call it that; the thing was basically crumbling to pieces. As much as he believed it, he couldn't comprehend how someone was actually in there, and for so long. It looked uninhabitable.
"The whole thing’s surrounded," a new voice interjected into the conversation, "he went in, and hasn't come out. Detectives say they can see him walking about now and then."
Morgan and Reid both turned in their chairs. If the dire situation surrounding them wasn't so obvious, one could have easily believed they were on a fishing trip of some sorts, except one should know that Morgan had already taken Spencer fishing once, and the result was... eventful, to say the least. A trip to the ER and five stitches later, Reid vowed to never do anything with Morgan ever again.
"Hey, sugar. How you holdin' up?" Morgan greeted, relaxing back into his not-so-relaxing chair.
Y/N sighed, a guttural groan emitting from the exudation of her breath. She looked up to the sky, and was thankful that at least they had a pretty night to look at, because this guy was not moving any time soon.
Reid and Morgan both assessed her as she stepped out from behind their set-up, coming out of the shadows almost menacingly, into the light of police sirens and the distant lamp beaming from inside the camper van.
"I'd be holding up a lot better if this bastard did something," she said. Her feet crunched the soil as she grabbed a spare chair and planted it next to Spencer. He tried to resist the urge to pull back her chair. Emphasis on the word tried.
When Y/N's bum didn't connect with the seat, the realisation hit her too late and all she could do was let out a yell while she headed straight for the ground.
"Oh, you dick!" She cried when she plummeted into the grass. Looking at her mud-ridden hands in disgust, she didn't hesitate to wipe it on Spencer's beloved dress shirt, making sure to taint his sweater vest too.
"Hey! Hey!" He retracted frantically, shoving himself into the side of his chair to get away from Y/N and her hands that could deposit any more Earth onto him. All the while, Morgan laughed his head off, almost facing the same fate as Y/N when his chair leaned back from his laughing fit.
"Children," Hotch called, reprimanding them over Y/N's grimaces and the boys' amusement, which quickly ended when they saw the Unit Chief striding over.
"Did you see that, Hotch? That's harassment in the workplace!"
"Can I please remind you that we are on a crime scene. We are the FBI, and no doubt are going to make a lasting impression on local law enforcement, is this really how you want to be remembered?"
The three fell into sullen expressions, bowing their heads ashamedly as to not make eye contact with him. But Morgan was still snickering subtly behind his hand, and Spencer was biting down on his lip to avoid a sudden burst of laughter that he knew would be more than inevitable while they were being scolded due to the pseudobulbar effect; he'd explain it to them when they were no longer being rebuked.
Eventually Hotch did walk away, leaving them with a castigating glare Y/N knew she wouldn't be able to shake. In response, she took the subsequent silence as an opportunity to slap Spencer on the arm, hard.
"Ow!" He hushed, immediately rubbing his bicep where he was sure a bruise would be forming. If he wasn't aching he would be impressed that she managed to inflict so much pain from so low down.
"Nice one, you got me in trouble with Hotch!" She hissed. Derek had resumed laughing.
"Sorry, teacher's pet," Spencer called her. Then, whispered here we go to himself at what he had just unavoidably instigated.
"Coming from you?" Morgan and Y/L/N said simultaneously, a snark tone to their words. He pursed his lips and looked to them blankly, rolling his eyes at their unified laughter.
They all eased a bit after that, despite the wake of Hotch's wrath. Spencer pulled Y/N up from the ground, and then began to aid her in wiping the soil from her trousers, prompting an awkward encounter when he realised his hand was right on her ass. She gave him a glare, and he raised his muddy hands in surrender while he sat back down, leaving her to do it herself.
When she was somewhat clean, she dragged her chair back and sat in it, pointing a warning finger in Spencer's face as she did so to let him know not to try anything sneaky.
When she relaxed, Y/N thought the scenery was quite nice; get rid of the police cars, black SUVs and the serial killer less than ten metres away from them and it could make for an ideal holiday destination. All they needed was a couple of beers and a bonfire.
Ah, fire. Warmth! Y/N was beginning to forget what it felt like. She wrapped herself further into the complimentary FBI jacket she'd been given upon her arrival to the team. It made for cool recognition, and got her into a lot of places, but, god, did it do fuck all for practical thermal purposes.
"You're cold?" Spencer queried when he noticed her enveloping her arms around herself.
"Freezing," she replied.
"You should go in the car. Emily put the heating on in there earlier, it'll be warm now."
"What? And leave all the fun for you guys? Over my dead body," she turned her head to shoot him a smirk. He inhaled deeply, faltering a smile in her direction and let a comfortable silence fall between them. Y/N even painted on a genuine grin for him, and let the blush she felt warm her up from the cold.
The next few minutes after this go very quickly, but from what Y/N can barely grasp, it goes like this: the camper van's door is thrown open, and out comes this beast of a man who, if he had them, would have had guns blazing. This is evident from his demeanour; the word beast did not originate from his physique, no, he is a fragile, small boy, but the way he is yelling and screaming is nothing of the juvenile sort. And so, he is doing his yelling and screaming and, frankly, taking no prisoners.
All he has on him is a revolver, but it's enough for every police officer and agent to swing into action. Spencer and Morgan's chairs both fall to the ground upon the abruptness of how they suddenly stand, guns drawn. Y/N is already one step ahead of them, and fails to shield herself from their unsub behind any car door like everyone else had the sense to; even if he were without weapons, they were facing the human embodiment of the word danger.
Spencer shouts at Y/N to defend herself, but she pretends she doesn't hear because this bastard made her wait four hours in the freezing cold, the least she could do was have an eye on him, so Spencer takes her cover.
Which turns out to be the fault in this story, because Spencer loves Y/N. And anyone with a pair of eyes can see it and, unfortunately for them, their unsub happened to have a pair of eyes.
He sees the way this pipe cleaner of a man is aiming his gun at him so determinedly, and how his gaze is switching between him and this girl in a frivolous FBI jacket. And he's already blissfully aware that there's no way he is getting out of here alive, but if he is going down then he's sure as hell taking someone with him. He only has one bullet and figures it's a 2 for 1 deal judging by the way pipe-cleaner man is so obviously in love with shitty-jacket girl. And then next thing anyone knows is Y/N is on the ground again but this time a bullet has buried itself in her chest.
Spencer takes the shot, and then a few more even though their unsub has fallen to the ground. And as much as he wants to rush over to Y/N he knows he doesn't have the emotional capacity to see what state she is in, but what he does have is rage, and a whole lot of it, so he just keeps on shooting. He's already dead but that doesn't matter. He keeps shooting until his barrel is empty and Hotch is pulling him away.
A detective approaches the unsub, even though his fate is more than assured, while a flurry of people surround Y/N, falling to her side, but she's only asking for one.
"Spencer," she utters. It hurts for her to talk or even breathe but she knows the pain will only continue so she pays the small price of adding to it in order to make sure Spencer is by her side for the remainder of it all.
Morgan grabs the boy, shakes him from his trance and then pushes him through the crowd so he can kneel beside Y/N. The squelching noise of his trousers drenching in her blood almost makes him vomit, but he swallows it down for Y/N's sake. He already covered her in mud, he knows better than to be sick on her too.
"Y/N," his voice trembles, but the way he turns to shout at the people around him is so full of strength and fury that people jump immediately into action. He yells for an ambulance, even though there's already one on scene and it's just behind them, but what else can he do?
"I'm fine," Y/N manages, "I'm fine."
She was not, indeed, fine.
She tries to scramble to her feet, but finds she can't even attempt sitting up without a pain searing throughout her whole body, ripping her nerves apart like resolute Velcro.
"It's alright," Spencer says, panicked as he tries to keep her from hurting herself. He brushes the blood-stained hair from her face but regrets it when he sees how it's contorted in pain. Thankfully, she soon relaxes, until he realises that's not a good thing at all.
"No, no, Y/N, stay with me alright? Can you do that? Listen to me!"
So he's yelling at the girl he loves, which is no use because she can't hear him and her eyes are already closed. He's so desperate that he pushes her eyelids open himself, but what lies underneath is unresponsive. He holds his hand tightly over what pulse she has left.
Y/N is dying in Spencer's arms. And she can't help but think that if she was to go, she wouldn't mind it to be here and now. But, with what lingering conscious remains, she realises it wouldn't be her who would have to face the repercussions of her death, it would be her friends. Her family. Spencer.
Spencer who had done nothing but love her ferociously ever since they had met; silently and from afar, but passionately nonetheless. She loved him too correspondingly and too much to kill him with the grief.
So she takes a breath.
But he doesn't even have a chance to say goodbye, never mind ask to go in the back of the ambulance with her when she is ripped from his grasp and placed onto the gurney. The ambulance doors slam close and he forgets what it feels like to move. Morgan's hand on his shoulder feels foreign, and when he does eventually move, it's a surge of chaos.
Their unsub isn't receiving any medical attention, because Reid sorted that out irrefutably, so there's really not that many people around and Morgan isn't even fully aware to stop him when Spencer steals his gun from his holster and marches to the corpse lying in the grass. Surrounded by the greenery, the son of a bitch looks almost peaceful so, when Spencer is unloading the bullets on him, he makes sure to add a few in his face for good measure.
This time, no one stops him.
———
"How is she?" JJ asks, who's only just arrived at the hospital in a hurry after receiving the call. She's pretty tenacious considering the situation, especially when you compare her to the ball of pink and panic standing next to her.
"Is she alright? Oh, God, please let her be alright," Garcia utters. She's straight in Derek's arms, who's been crying but to no one's acknowledgement because they all decided they need to be strong, for Y/N's sake. Still, it doesn't stop JJ shedding a few tears from moment to moment.
"She's in surgery," is all Hotch says, because it's all he knows. One minute he was scolding her to get off the ground and the next he was begging her to.
JJ takes a seat immediately next to Emily, and they unanimously clutch onto each other's hands. Opposite them, Morgan and Garcia do the same. It is here that JJ realises the person who should probably be in the company of his friends the most, isn't.
"Where's Spence?"
"Bathroom," Morgan tells her. "He's been in there a while. Won't talk to anyone."
So when Spencer does come out, almost on cue a few seconds later, everyone stands up attentively and tries to decide whether they will ignore his red eyes. They do, and Spencer sits down in a chair next to Morgan. He virtually collapses into his side.
Morgan is reminded of their fishing trip turned ER trip a few months prior. From the way Spencer is resting dependently on his shoulder, the days are identical, except this time Spencer's pain isn't physical and can't be fixed with five stitches.
Everyone looks at Spencer with evident pity, so he burrows himself further into Morgan's t-shirt. When Derek feels the wet indication of tears, he stands up with an arm wrapped around his shoulders and says "let's take a walk".
Spencer doesn't want to, but he's already reached the grieving stage and his body and mind are no longer connected. The only way in which they are associated is that Spencer's mind is mush and his limbs are moving so similarly sluggishly that Morgan is verging on dragging him along the hallways.
Just when Spencer is thinking that Morgan has really just brought him to aimlessly wander the corridors, his friend stops him and holds onto his shoulders. He notices how he has to look away for a moment because he never really managed to register just how bloodshot his eyes were.
"Listen here, pretty boy. You got a girl in there who is fighting for her life. She is, without a doubt, scared, okay? So you need to be strong for her and for yourself, alright? And when she pulls through, because she will, you've gotta take that strength, and you've gotta use it," Morgan said. He was prodding a finger to Spencer's chest to try and get his message across, but he had no idea what that message entailed.
"What are you saying?"
"I'm saying you gotta get your girl, man," his shoulders dropped.
Spencer's face portrays a small smile like he always does when he's hopeless, and his mutterings are almost drowned out by the incessant beeping of hospital machinery, but Morgan catches them.
"What if I don't get a chance to?"
They're interrupted then, much to Morgan's gratitude, because he really didn't know how he was going to respond to that.
Hotch is at the end of the hallway, his chest rising quickly in a pant. Spencer fears the worst.
"She's out."
And suddenly, nothing else matters. Not to Spencer, at least. He shoots off down the hallway like a rock in a catapult; so quickly that Morgan doesn't even ascertain his disappearance until the news has sunk in and he's chasing after him too.
He keeps thinking that. Nothing else matters, nothing else matters. He repeats the mantra in his head while he meanders frantically through the halls; he lost sight of Hotch a while ago when he raced past him and now he's realised he doesn't even know where Y/N is. Nothing else matters he justifies when he bumps into a nurse during his frenzy and doesn't have the time nor consideration to apologise.
When he reaches a small empty square, with four hallways sprouting from it, he cradles his hands behind his head and tries to control his breathing; something he's forgotten how to do correctly. He steps forward, hoping his feet will just know where to go.
Somehow, they do.
He's only taken one step, but when he advances into the hallway to his right, he hears someone breathe his name; it's weak, and feeble, but he'd know her voice anywhere.
His mouth is already agape when he looks over. The door is wide open, just like his eyes with a mixture of hope and fear-stricken astonishment. Inside the room the team is crowded around the bed, looking down on the fragile agent.
Just like before, he forgets what it feels like to move. His feet are stuck in place and even though his mind is racing there is no telling his limbs to do... anything. So, for now, he just peers into the room. Y/N's eyes are begging him to enter but he can't bring himself to do it. If he walks in that means it's real. The heart monitor, the bandages, the dried blood coating her neck that the nurses missed in their clean up: it's all real.
"Reid, trust me. This is a hell of a better ending, okay? This is the one you want," Morgan clasps his hand down on Spencer's shoulder, hissing to him to try and spark some kind of unlikely reaction, but to no avail. Spencer didn't even realise Morgan and Hotch had caught up to him.
He enviously watches them enter the room with such ease. They kiss Y/N's cheek and hug her close. Morgan leans his hands on the end of the hospital bed and tries to talk to her, but she's only looking at Spencer with betrayal in her eyes.
Before Spencer can whisper a futile apology and rush out of the hospital, his brain almost goes into override, suddenly providing him with all the reasons he should do anything but that.
He sees Y/N's face, the way she smiled at him before. The way she's always smiled at him. He hears her laughter, feels her touch. He feels the warmth he experiences whenever she is near. And suddenly, again, nothing else matters.
Nothing but you.
Hotch instinctively lets a hand hover over his holster due to the precipitous manner Spencer barges into the room with. The sole of his shoes squeak against the floor in his hurry and Y/N would grimace if she had the space to because next thing she knows Spencer's lips are on hers and his hands are encasing her face in a way that doesn't make her feel claustrophobic like she always thought it would.
She can't help but think how embarrassing it is that her coworkers are watching this scene unfold —her boss too, and she knows he'll probably be obliged to give them some talk about appropriate behaviour between colleagues, but she doesn't care. Nothing else matters but Spencer.
He doesn't stop there, Spencer wants to kiss her more and Y/N is more than happy to allow it. Her fingers can only fondle the wrinkle of his shirt because it hurts to much to raise her arms, but Spencer is practically lying on top of her and she can get a good feel of his torso through the clothing. His warmth radiates onto her and she hums happily against his lips. When he begins to pull away, she grabs onto his tie and doesn't let him.
She thinks a few of the team have turned around, because it's eerily silent except for a few sniggers from —who she assumed— Morgan, and excited squeals from —who she knew was— Garcia.
When Spencer pulled away, successfully this time, he let out a deep breath.
"I'm sorry," he croaked.
"For what?"
"I should have covered you."
"Shut up. From what I've heard you covered me pretty well," she said, and Spencer knew she had been told about his vengeful face-shooting incident. He bowed his head, and smiled weakly when Y/N pulled him back up from his tie. It became less weak when she pecked his lips.
"I'm okay," she whispered to him, like they were the only ones in the room, "we're okay. He's gonna rot for it."
Spencer nodded, and what he couldn't say in words he made up for in affection: his kisses were short, but none lacked the passion that was necessary to tell her how he felt. She felt every one of his kisses throughout her body. Where her chest ached with the pain of being shot now burned with a feverish love for Spencer.
"I, uh, I am going to have to hold a seminar on fraternisation next week," Hotch leaned forward to interject, which worked a treat in eliciting the laughter needed to brighten the mood.
Those that had turned swirled back on their heels and beamed at the new couple. Spencer sat on the edge of Y/N's bed, his hands encased around hers and resting on his lap. They exchanged assuring glances momentarily within the soft conversations of the team.
When Y/N looked up to Spencer again she smiled, and he knew she was thinking the same thing as himself: these people matter, and you, you matter the most.
fin.
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