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love-change-machines · 2 years

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Chapter 9 of Love, Change, and Machines.

Familial Love

Third Person POV

It had been 2 weeks since Kapkan’s treatment and so far it has worked. His brain had stopped degrading and was slowly repairing the damage, but it would take time. Tachanka had been fighting with Doc to finally let Kapkan leave observation so they could go camping.

Doc finally let him off observation on the 2nd and they were currently on the plane to Russia, or what was left of it. Tachanka was lucky to have been born in the Democratic Republic of Russia, where homosexuality was legal, so Tachanka could comfortably put his arm around Kapkan. The plane landed in Moscow and they took a train to St. Petersburg,

“Do you think they’ll like me?” Kapkan asked

“Well we’re telling them you’re just a friend” Tachanka told him

“I know but in general”

“Are you saying I didn’t raise them well” Tachanka joked

“You’re just too old to raise them”

“Whatever princess”

They sat in silence only punctuated my the sound of the train on the rails,

“How long until we get there?” Maxim asked

“I don’t know, maybe 2 hours? Don’t keep asking it's like riding with children” Tachanka teased

“I am not a child” Kapkan defended and glared at him and Tachanka placed his hand on Max’s knee and squeezed. Kapkan laid his head on his partner’s shoulder and closed his eyes. Tachanka laid his head on Maxim’s and let his companion sleep until they arrived at their destination.

Kapkan tried to sleep but he was too nervous, he couldn’t help but feel like they were moving too fast. They had only been officially together for 3 weeks, but it felt like years. To be fair they had been very close for years. Even still he never thought he would do something so domestic, so safe, and still feel like he was marching into battle. He thought he would live out the rest of his life single, he was in a winter storm and Tachanka came out of nowhere with a coat. It was bizarre but he couldn’t ask for anything else,

“What are you thinking about” Tachanka asked,

“You, us”

“What do you mean?”

“Do you think we’re moving too fast?”

“Are you trying to bail on me now?” Alexsandr laughed,

“No, it's just. Basically everyone knows at Rainbow and we’re going to see your children. And it's only been 3 weeks”

“We both know it's been more than three weeks Max” Alexsandr was right, it was like he could see into Kapkan’s mind.

“Do you think you can last 3 days without publicly loving me?” Kapkan laughed, although he did wonder if he could last,

“We’ll have our tent” He looked at Maxim suggestively and he just rolled his eyes. Kapkan came up with the idea of camping, maybe he could teach them to catch rabbits, but it was Tachanka that suggested making it an extended weekend. He was pushed out from his thoughts then the train stopped and the PA system announced their arrival. They walked to Tachanka’s home in the glaring heat of the sun. They stood at the base of the driveway, bags in hand,

“Ready?” Tachaka asked, while holding Kapkan’s hand

“Well I’m here so I guess that's a yes”

Tachanka released Maxim’s hand and began his walk towards the door while Kapkan took their bags to the car.

Alexsandr knocked on the door and his only boy, Anton, answered,

“Ira, Mara, dad’s here!” He yelled inside the house and he noticed Kapkan, “Ira, dad’s friend is with him, not his whore. You owe me 5 bucks”

“Why would you say that in front of him?! Idiot”

“Hey don’t call him that” Alexsandr sighed this in a tired voice like he’s said it a million times.

“Dad!” Marinka ran and clung to Tachanka’s leg and he patted her head. Iriana tried to act uninterested but she was just as excited to see her dad. Shortly after they ran back into the house to grab their bags and Tachanka and Kapkan loaded them into the car. By the time they were in the car Irania had already put in her earphones, really exemplifying her moody teenagerness. Alexsandr introduced Maxim to them,

“This is Maxim, and Maxim this is Irinia my oldest, Anton my only son and my middle child, and Marinka, my little baby girl”

“I’m not a baby” She argued

“Well then I guess I can’t carry you anymore” Alex teased and she smiled. After this the other two said hi to Maxim but Irinia more mumbled this. Marinka couldn’t stop talking to her father, she adored him. But Anton liked asking Maxim questions,

“Dad talks about you alot”

“Really? What things does he say” Maxim was curious and eyed Alexsandr

“He says you're really funny, and you're his best friend, and he says you’re sick. Are you sick?”

This child had the same bluntness of his father, “Yes, but my doctor says I’m getting better” Maxim smiled at the kind things Alexsandr said about him,

“Are you a soldier too?”

“Yeah, me and your dad work and train together a lot”

“Then why are you two here?”

“We’re both on medical leave, so we get paid and we can spend time with you”

“I want to be paid to not work” Anton replied making Kapkan and Tachanka laugh,

“Same” Tachanka and Kapkan replied at the same time while laughing.

Alexsandr and Mrinka continued their meaningless chat while Kapkan listened and occasionally added. Anton and Irania were both having a conversation in whispers,

“You owe me 5 euros” Anton ordered

“How do you know Max isn’t his bitch”

“You know you shouldn’t keep calling dad’s best friend these things. Besides dad doesn’t like men”

“People change, it's 2055. Also why shouldn’t I say those things” Irinia reasoned

“You know he fought for this country and look at dad, he’s a tank on legs” Anton responded and Iriana just glared at him,

“Whatever” Iriana hissed

“Don’t judge a book by its cover”

“We’ve known him since our literal birth, besides when was the last time you read or even looked at a book”

“Hey! I-”

“Textbooks don’t count” Iriana cut him off, and that shut him up. Irinia saw Maxim looking at her through the rearview mirror and she looked back, causing him to dart his eyes to Alexsandr. She was going to get to the bottom of this, and Anton wouldn’t be getting those 5 euros.

They arrived at the campsite; Alexsandr and Maxim grabbed all of the large bags and made their way to their plot. Maxim preferred camping in the arctic circle where you won’t sweat until you're dry as sand, but that's just him and he was pleased enough as there should be enough woods for hunting.

Maxim and Alexsandr put up their tent quickly and gave hints to the children on how to build theirs,

“Why do we have an extra piece?” Irinia asked

“I think that means you put it together wrong” Maxim chuckled

“Its standing so we built it good enough” Anton reasoned

“I think you all still did a good job,” Alexsandr said and Marinka glowed under the praise of her father.

“Who wants to help me set up our traps” Maxim asked,

“Me!” Of course Anton answered first and Marinka wasn’t far behind him, Iriana only gave a half assed answer,

“I guess I’ll help”

“Perfect, each of you can carry a trap. Usually you’d clean them first but I already did that” Maxim was rarely around children but he was finding it easier than he thought, or maybe it was Tachanka’s presence that made him comfortable,

“We want to find somewhere where we can hide the traps so the rabbits don’t see them, why don’t you all look around and me and your dad will see if they’ll work” Maxim said this just to get some alone time with his companion. The kids couldn’t tell and the younger two ran off looking around for places, Irinia aimlessly walked around trying her best to look uninterested,

“I never thought you’d be so good with kids” Alexsandr chuckled

“I never thought you’d be so good at raising kids” Maxim retorted, “Did you really say all those things about me?”

“Yep! And they were all true and more” Alexsandr confidently boasted and Maxim tried to hide his blushing, “Really, I already have you blushing like a tomato, you’re really going to struggle with this princess”

“In your dreams old man, this is easy” After Maxim said this he lightly slapped Alexsandr’s ass,

“So you want this to be a competition?” Alexsandr was grinning and Maxim knew he was already in over his head, but it was too late to back down,

“We can make it a competition as long as you’re fine with losing, old man”

“I’ll have you kno-” Alexsandr was cut off by Marinka as she yelled out,

“I found a spot, I win Anton!”

The two made their way to Marinka and Maxim set up the trap while Marinka and Anton looked intently over his shoulders. After this Anton led them to his spot, which Maxim decided was adequate as well,

“I think you two might be natural hunters” They both laughed and appreciated the complement while Irinia continued to orbit them, like a cold icy moon

“Did you find a spot, Irinia?” Maxim asked,

“Yeah, I guess. Its over here” She led them and although she tried to look indifferent Maxim had been around Alexsandr enough to understand the body language of a Senaviev,

“This is a nice spot, good eye” Maxim complimented and she finally decided to give a small smile,

“Thanks.” She watched Maxim set up the trap, although she did this from a further distance than the younger two,

“Alright, tomorrow morning we’ll check on these and see if we’re lucky then I’ll make some grilled rabbit. Trust me fresh rabbit is so much better than that lab meat we eat” This got a chuckle from the children and they made their way back to their campsite, by this point the sun was hanging low in the sky,

“Do you want to know a trick for telling the time?” Maxim asked and the children were interested,

“If you put your fingers to the sky and count how many fit between the sun and the horizon and times that by 15; thats how many minutes are left until sunset” Maxim enjoyed sharing his knowledge and love of the outdoors with Alex’s, his boyfriend’s, children, “Why don’t you try”

Anton and Marinka quickly started trying to find out and even Irinia gave in and tried. They all answered with 75 minutes,

“See I’m a good teacher”

He teased Alexsandr and nudged him with his shoulder. Although he was more impressed by his ability to even get Irinia interested,

“This is just the easy stuff, princess” Alexsandr whispered the last word but it made Maxim blush profusely,

“Alex-” He was shooting daggers at the grinning man. So to deflect he asked the children another question,

“Who wants to help me find kindling” He raised his eyebrows while saying this and Anton and Marinka quickly started picking up small twigs and sticks while Maxim and Alexsandr looked for larger branches,

“You know they offer firewood, this place really isn’t off the beaten path” Alexsandr told Maxim,

“Yeah but then you skip the best parts of camping”

“What are you gonna do next, use twigs and twine to start a fire” Alexsandr chuckled,

“I’m not a caveman! I brought flint and steel” To this Alexsandr rolled his eyes and laughed

“Hey say what you want but if you aren’t careful these kids are gonna like me more” Maxim nugged Alex

“You wish, princess, you just wait. I have something much better” Alex retorted while looking at Maxim,

“And that is?”

“Four words chocolate, marshmallows, and graham crackers” This made Maxim laugh,

“Thats cheating”

“Sorry I’m just more fun than you” Alexsandr chuckled and was walking towards Maxim, setting his wood on the ground, Maxim backed up and ran into a tree. This is when Alexsandr made his attack and pinned him to the tree,

“Alex! What if someone sees us!”

“That just makes it all the more fun” He laughed a deep laugh before kissing Maxim, he would be lying if he didn’t enjoy the danger of it. Maxim was in a submissive position and Alexsandr took advantage of that, pushing his body into Maxim’s as he was crushed against the tree. He could feel every inch of Alexsandr through his thin T-shirt. He put his hands over Alexsandr’s neck and gripped his back, pulling at his shirt. He was burning up with the heat of the day and from Alexsandr’s huge body until he pulled away,

“I told you I’m more fun” Maxim couldn’t help from laughing at the absurdity of the situation, before Alexsandr moved away to pick up his wood,

“We should probably head back. They probably have enough” Alexsandr said while Maxim was trying to compose himself, so they started the short walk back,

“I like him, do you think he knows how to catch bigger things?” Marinka asked

“Probably, what do you think Ira” Anton beckoned his sister but she just ignored him,

“Come on Ira, can you put that stuff away we’re camping with dad. When was the last time we saw him” At this she finally aquest and put her phone away in her bag. Maxim and Alexsandr chose not to comment on the last part,

“I have caught bigger things” Maxim told them, making all their heads turn around,

“Like what?” Anton seemed enamored with the hunter,

“Have you ever been face to face with a polar bear” Maxim was showing off now,

“You caught a polar bear! That's so cool. Dad, have you ever caught a polar bear?”

“No, but I caught Maxim” Alexsandr was REALLY testing the waters here and Maxim’s mind raced to think of a way to make this sound normal,

“I’ve caught Alexsandr and his midnight ‘snacks’” Maxim teased with his still red face, “they’re more like fourth meals” This made them laugh,

“Hey I’m a big boy” Alexsandr patted his stomach, “Do you think this just feeds itself” This got a chuckle even out of Irinia who was previously staring Maxim down after Alex’s comment.

“Do you all know the shape you should place your wood?” Maxim asked this and Marinka instantly answered,

“In a teepee!”

“Oh so your dad does know something about camping” He made this comment while looking at Alexsandr. Maxim crouched down and started constructing the teepee, putting dry leaves in the base. The kid watched and then he pulled out his flint and steel,

“What's that?” Anton asked

“It’s a flint and steel. It's more reliable than a lighter” He said this last part looking at Alex who just rolled his eyes,

“Once dad got me a plasma lighter, and then he yelled at me for trying to burn different things”

Maxim laughed at this and almost knocked over the teepee,

“I think I’ve got you beat, kid, I almost blew up my room when I was younger-”

“I think that's enough of that story” Alex stopped Maxim because he knew Anton would inevitably get curious and try to make homemade gunpowder too.

“Man, your dad is no fun. I saw we get rid of him and just party” Maxim whispered this to Anton and Marinka, but said it just loud enough for Alex to hear

“You’re a terrible influence pri-Max” Alex said this and Maxim was slightly flustered at his fuck up,

“Can I use the flint and steel?” Anton asked seemingly not noticing his dad’s mistake, but Irinia definitely noticed,

“Not unless you want the whole forest to burn down” Irinia finally decided to join the conversation,

“No it won’t. This isn’t California”

“Do you even know where in America California is?”

“No-”

“You can try tomorrow if your dad lets us” Maxim defused the situation and looked at Alex who was pleased with Maxim’s seemingly natural ability. He struck the flint and steel a few times until he got one of the leaves to catch, he carefully blew on it until the entire pile started to catch. He added some more sticks and motioned for Anton and Marinka to step back while he did.

“And that is how you start a fire”

“Let's leave Maxim and his child and get ready for s’mores” Alexsandr teased and Maxim acted as though he didn’t hear him as he added more kindling. They sat on logs already there, Marinka sat next to her father, Anton and Irinia sat next to each other, as moody as she was she loved her brother probably because of their small age difference. Kapkan sat near Aleksandr, not as close as Marinka of course. Everyone was in their conversations but Maxim just watched Alexsandr, his face was slick with sweat from the day and the light of the fire and the setting sun gave his face an orange glow. He knew he was staring but he didn’t care, it would be wrong to not admire such a sight. Alexsandr was aware of Maxim’s stare but decided to not notice. Instead he decided to tell stories while they roasted hot dogs,

“The first time we used the simulators Marius got transition sickness and he threw up and no one noticed until we woke up” Maxim remembers this and began to laugh,

“We all laughed at him and Dominic called him Erbrechen Mann. Vomit man”

“And then we and the Spetsnaz blamed it on the awful alcohol that the German drinks” Maxim was chuckling,

“Or that time Doc, Gustave, got blackout drunk and you had to put him to sleep” Alexsandr pointed at his kids, “it was like putting one of you to sleep” Maxim was laughing but the children didn’t find it as funny.

“I’m not that hard to put to bed” Marinka protested

“Are you sure about that, once you laid on the floor and told me you were going to, and I quote scream so loudly they’d hear you from space” This shut Marinka up and Alexsandr was laughing, he put his arm around her neck and gave her a noogie, “I’m only joking, it makes you fun” Alexsandr laughed. By this point their hot dogs were finished, Maxim made a comment about it being lab grown but he was the only one to complain,

“Desert anyone?” Alexsandr teased

“Me!” Marinka yelled, making everyone laugh.

“Alex how do you have marshmallow all over your fingers already” He took a small bite out of his,

“I’m not all dainty like you princess” he leaned in while saying this making Maxim blush,

“I'm not dainty, there's a difference between being dainty and a slob” Maxim chirped at Alexsandr,

“It's getting late, you guys should probably get to sleep” Alexsandr told the kids, Irinia just rolled her eyes and walked to their tent,

“Good night I guess”

“Good night sweety” Alexsandr said in a feminine voice, and he went with Marinka and Anton. Alexsandr kissed and tucked Marinka into her sleeping bag ,

“Good night dad” Anton said to Alexsandr, acting too old to receive a goodnight kiss. Maxim and Alexsandr walked back to the fire, Maxim was excited to finally get some contact,

“You’re so cute with them” Maxim cooed at Alexsandr and he just looked at him. Maxim laid his head on the older Russian’s shoulder, looking up at him watching the light of the fire dance on his face. He feels ridiculous when thinking about the day, he couldn’t remember the last time he was this domestic. He just wished he could tell everyone about him and Alexsandr, he wanted to scream it at the top of a mountain.

“I don’t think Irinia likes me”

“What do you mean” Alex asked

“she‘s been moody all day and she keeps staring at me”

“She’s just a teenager, you’re fine” “Anyways how are you thinking of these things and not tired Maxim, we’ve been doing stuff all day. I want to sleeeeeep” Alexsandr whined,

“You’re so needy, has your break made you this lazy already? Or are you just too old”

“I'm not lazy I’m just tired, you know you want to sleep with me”

“It’s a million degrees out, we might die of heat stroke if we sleep together. You’re basically a space heater”

“You know you want to”

“Fine” Maxim got up to stomp out the embers of the fire but he was stopped by Alexsandr’s laughing,

“We aren’t hiding from White masks, we don’t need to do that.” Maxim just looked at him and set his foot down,

“Whatever” Maxim put his arm around Alexsandr’s shoulder as they walked to their tent. When they got there Alexsandr unzipped and motioned for Maxim for enter,

“Welcome to our palace princess” Maxim laughed and pulled Alexsandr into the tent. Alexsandr stripped to his underwear, Maxim had the decency to keep his shirt on.

“This is the least amount of clothing we’ve been in together” Alex teased and grinned,

“Shut up and come here” Maxim chuckled and pulled him into the sleeping bag, although they were more so on top of the sleeping bag. From this distance they could hear Irinia and Anton’s conversation,

“Why do you want to think so little of him?” Anton hissed

“Why do you adore him already? He’s literally a stranger” Irinia beckoned

“He’s dad’s best friend and dad said he’s going to be coming around more”

“Do you see the way they whisper, how Maxim always blushes when dad says something to him”

“Why does it matter? Like you said it's 2055, aren’t you the progressive?”

“Progressive or not, do you want dad to replace us!?”

Anton looked at Irinia “Ira-”

“We’re just a vestige of his past life! Why can’t you see that! Mom left, we all know he will too!”

“Ira shut the fuck up! I’m so tired of your fucking additude! Why can’t you see how much dad loves us!”

The two of them were struggling to keep their fight in a whisper to not wake Marinka, but Maxim and Alexsandr could hear them. They seemed to stop after some grumbling,

“We need to have a talk with them in the morning” Alexsandr’s voice was low and stirn

“We have to tell them the truth”

“I know princess”

They sat in silence, Maxim had his hands on Alexsandr’s bare chest while Alexsandr’s arms are wrapped around him,

“Are just with me, for you know. My body?”

Alexsandr chuckled and Maxim was slightly annoyed at this

“I’m serious, I’m afraid to sleep with you because I can’t shake the feeling you’re just going to leave me. Like a used condom” Maxim laughed a little at the last sentence, but Alexsandr was not amused

“Max, we are so much more than that and you should know that. Don’t think for a second that I don’t want to spend the rest of my life with you. I’ll never force you to sleep with me unless you were 1,000% ready; I’d kill anyone who’d even try to hurt you”

Maxim felt slightly guilty for constantly needing Alexsandr’s reassurance. But the smooth Russian accent of Alexsandr forced these thoughts out of his mind. He felt his face reddening and tears tugging at his eyes, he buried his face and Alexsandr’s chest and Alexsandr could feel his tears.

“Are you okay?”

“N- no it's, I’m fine. God, why do you have to fucking caring” he tried to say this while choking and forcing down sobs. “I don’t deserve this, I don’t deserve you! You deserve someone as great as you an- and I’m not that” Maxim was digging his fingers into the man's biceps, hard enough to leave a mark,

“Maxim just shut up. You are so much more than you think you are. I couldn’t ask for anything else. You’re my fucking map. You have no idea how lost I was before I met you.”

Alexsandr was gripping Maxim and was tracing lines on his body. Maxim’s breaths were tickling Alexsandr’s chest but he didn’t dare move Maxim

“Плачь, пока хочешь любви, я буду рядом (Cry as long as you want love, I'll be here)”

Alexsandr continued with this for a couple of minutes until Maxim broke the silence,

“You smell”

“You like it”

“I’m not saying I don’t. But don’t get any ideas. I still like it when you shower”

Maxim was laughing at this as his nose was basically in Alexsandr’s chest hair. He wouldn’t be caught dead in this position with anyone else. Maybe he could finally learn to trust in a way he never had.

“Wake up! It's breakfas-” Marinka shouted after unzipping their tent before seeing Maxim and Alexsandr

“Are you fucking kiddi- Anton you owe me 5 bucks” Irinia huffed

Maxim was still in Alexsadr’s shirtless arms, fuck. Maxim was still rubbing his eyes trying to drag himself out of sleep as quickly as possible

“What’s happening” Anton asked, slightly shocked

“Nothing its . . .” Maxim wished it was winter so he could excuse the holding for heat, but it was a boiling summer day.

“We need to have a talk” Alexsandr said in a deep voice, “wait did you say you made breakfast?”

“Yeah Mara wanted us to” Irinia awkwardly hissed out, trying to avoid eye contact

“Well why don’t you let me and Maxim get dressed, we’ll eat breakfast and then we will talk”

Maxim was annoyed at how well Alexsandr was handling this, he wished he could crawl into the sleeping bag and disappear forever. Thankfully the children agreed while Maxim was beet red,

“This is a fucking nightmare” Maxim hissed at Alexsandr while they both got dressed,

“We knew we couldn’t lie forever”

“Yeah but I thought we could at least get through the next two days! And Irinia fucking hates me!”

“Keep your voice down they’re probably listening”

Maxim rolled his eyes and braced himself for breakfast before they exited the tent. The kids weren’t lying when they said they made breakfast,

“How did you make this?” Alexsandr asked

“We made a fire and cooked it, we totally didn’t use the flint and steel” Anton explained looking away from Maxim

“You’re a terrible influence Maxim” Alexsandr chuckled while looking at him. How was he so comfortable with this?

“I'm more interested in these eggs” the hunter teased, trying to cover his nervousness,

“Not if I eat them first” Alexsandr teased and they rushed to grab some food. Maxim was annoyed to say it was great, despite the fact they were fake eggs.

“How do you make fake eggs so good?” Alexsandr asked, looking at Anton and Irinia assuming they made them.

“It's called looking that up” Irinia answered, confirming Alexsandr’s assumption,

“What makes them fake?” Marinka asked looking down at hers

“Well they’re just like real eggs, except an animal doesn’t make them; like fake meat. They also don’t spoil as easily” Maxim explained. Happy he learned about them. Marinka seemed happy with this answer and continued eating her eggs. After they finished their food Alexsandr led Marinka to her tent; she didn’t need to be around for this and could be told separately.

“Are you going to tell us what's going on” Irinia hissed at her father

“Well you were right, me and Maxim are dating”

“Ha!” Irinia pointed at Anton,

“But, he is not my whore” Alexsandr cut her off

“Ha!” Anton pointed at Irinia

“And Ira I am disappointed in you for saying those things. You can't say those things to family members” Alexsandr was stirn and Maxim was slightly flustered by being called a family member,

“Just because your my father doesn’t mean I can’t be mad at you” Irinia huffed staring her father down,

“What did I do wrong sweetie”

“Don’t call me sweetie, you rarely come around. What’s going to stop you from choosing Maxim over us! You already spend more time with him!”

Alexsandr could feel his heart break and Maxim felt guilty for what Irinia said,

“I call as much as I can, and the only reason I spend more time with Maxim is because I work with him.”

“I wouldn’t do anything to take your father from you. When I got with Alexsandr I knew you were part of the package” Maxim said this trying to keep his composure,

“Come here” Alexsandr motioned for Irinia and Anton to hug him and they both did,

“Can Maxim join us” Alexsandr asked,

“sure” Anton replied, and they waited on Irinia,

“Fine” Irinia was annoyed to make this decision, she was stubborn but she had to cave here. Alexsandr widened his arms making room for the hunter,

“You’re built like a wall” Maxim joked before joining, shockingly this went well. They stayed in this hug for a minute but Irinia broke the silence,

“Just don’t be all feely and weird around us”

Alexsandr laughed, “Think you can handle that princess”

Maxim hit his back and told him to shut up,

“I think I might die of overheating” Anton complained and Alexsandr finally let everyone go. Maxim was slightly embarrassed to show his emotions to people he barely knew. Alexsandr got Marinka from her tent and finally broke the silence,

“Why don’t we see if we caught anything”

“Alright, whose trap should we go to first?”

Marinka answered first and they made their way over to it. Alexsandr pushed his hand into Maxim’s,Maxim tried to fight it but gave up and let the older operator hold his hand. He blushed a little at the public display, but he tried to not let it show.

The trap had a rabbit in it,

“Nice, this one’s recent,” Maxim complimented Marinka and Alexsandr patted her on the back. He grabbed the trap and they made their way to Anton’s and Irinia’s,

“Now we have to drain their blood, but you guys don’t have to watch that”

“Poor rabbit” Irinia cooed

“But I bet it's going to taste great later” Alexsandr laughed, and Irinia only responded by rolling her eyes, “Maxim is great in the kitchen, trust me”

“But we’re not in a kitchen” Anton responded,

“That’s what you think, we have a fire and some knives. That's all I need” Maxim laughed and Irinia’s spine slightly shivered at the process of using knives on one of these animals.

They went back to their tents and Maxim hung up the rabbits by their legs and pulled out a knife,

“First we need to make a cut here” He pointed motioned at the rabbit’s neck, “We need to cut deep and make sure we cut the carotid, here” All of Maxim's knowledge of anatomy was mostly self taught, and only involved the best ways to cut up and prepare animals. Alexsandr was looking slightly concerned, fearing Maxim was about to cut the animal open,

“I recommend you look away for this part, you’d be surprised how much blood comes out of a dead animal” Alexsandr was slightly more relieved and Marinka and Irinia looked away while Anton was determined to seem brave. Maxim really wasn’t exaggerating, since they had been hanging upside down all of the blood pooled in the neck so when he finally made his cut a dark red stream made its way out. This wasn’t the first time Anton had seen blood, but it was the first time he had seen it in such a manner. He looked to his father who seemed unfazed and this gave him the determination to watch as Maxim cut the other two.

“Alright you can look, just don’t be surprised by some of the leftover blood” Maxim warned before Irinia turned around, a slightly shocked look on her face. She looked at Maxim and saw his hands slightly spattered with blood; she couldn’t help but imagine it being human. This is what they’re paid to do. She quickly threw the thoughts into her mental trash can.

“Try not to get blood on everything, clutz” Alexsandr teased and laughed and Maxim just looked at him while setting the knife down,

“We have to let them sit so while we wait, who wants to do some lake swimming” Maxim looked at Alexsandr while he said the next part, “Some of us smell” Maxim was laughing while saying this, Irinia just rolled her eyes, and Alexsandr smelled his shirt,

“Nope, it's not me I think it's just you”

Maxim grabbed his arm and started dragging him to the lake, Alexsandr held his ground and Maxim was fighting to pull the heavy man,

“I’m not moving until you say the magic word” Alexsandr said this with a shit eating grin, he loved annoying Maxim. He was not going to give up anytime soon, but he knew Alexsandr would win this game of tug of war,

“Maxim just say please” Irinia asked, but Maxim was not going to cave

“You know dad’s going to win” Anton told him but after a minute he gave up, “Ira, Mara lets go” Anton huffed,

“We’ll meet you love birds there” Irinia laughed. Maxim’s face reddened,

“Maxim we can’t just let them go, say the word and then we’ll go” Maxim was pulling as hard as he could without pulling the old man’s arm out of its socket,

“Ready to give up old man?” Maxim retorted and Alexsandr only chuckled, “ugh fine, please join me at the lake” Alexsandr immediately stopped fighting and Maxim immediately fell onto the floor,

“Thank you for asking, princess”

Maxim scoffed and grabbed Alexsandr’s hand to pull himself up. They walked over to meet Tachanka’s kids,

“What took you so long!” Marinka yelled,

“We weren’t even that long little monkey!” Alexsandr rubbed her head and took his shirt off. Maxim couldn’t look away from the man’s muscles so to stop himself he removed his shirt as well. Alexsandr grabbed Maxim’s wrist,

“What the-” was all he could get out before he was pulled into the water,

“What the hell Sasha!” Maxim wanted to be annoyed but couldn’t help himself from laughing,

“You’re welcome” Alexsandr cooed and kissed Maxim on the cheek,

“Ewwww” Marinka whined and jumped in the water. Anton removed his shirt as well and he was built like a small version of his father. Irinia finally caved in from the heat and got in the water too. Alexsandr motioned for Irinia to get on his shoulders, she rolled her eyes before she accepted.

“What are you doing?” Maxim asked,

“Anton get on Maxim’s shoulders” Alexsandr grinned and Anton compiled. Maxim finally understood what was going on,

“Anton we’re going to win this, your dad’s too old”

“In your dreams” Irinia was smiling, it was weird to see her finally give in and just have fun. Maxim charged as fast as he could through the water and Anton and Irinia started their duel. Maxim and Alexsandr were staring each other down while the other two battled. Alexsandr was determined to won, but in the meantime he admired his opponent,

“I'm older than you!” Irinia teased

“That means nothing! I’m stronger!”

“We’re both related to dad” Irinia said this while trying to pull Anton to the side, Maxim had to strain to counterbalance but Alexsandr was leaning into Irinia’s push. Inevitably Anton fell into the water with Maxim, when he emerged he saw Irinia with her hands high,

“Y’all already know, what's wrong Anton? Can’t handle losing to a girl?”

Irinia’s teasing made Anton pull Irinia down into the water, and with his now free hands Alexsandr attacked Maxim. They fought but Alexsandr, out of pure strength, got Maxim with his arm behind his back,

“Sasha! Let me go!” Maxim squirmed in his grip. The russian leaned towards Maxim and whispered in his ear,

“What? Can't handle losing twice?”

Maxim was blushing from the closeness of Alexsandr’s voice,

“You only won before because you had the help of youth”

“Then how did I win this time?” Maxim had to think for a few seconds to come up with a comeback,

“Really? Not even a quippy response?” Alexsandr teased

“Give me second”

“Alright, one”

Maxim just glared at Alexsandr and he finally let Maxim go. Maxim responded by splashing water in his face. They stayed in the lake for sometime but eventually decided to continue with preparing the rabbits.

They dried off and walked back, they missed the coolness of the water as they waded through the humid air,

“Who wants to help me gut them!” Maxim jokingly asked and only received multiple ews from the children,

“Didn’t you take an anatomy class Ira? Why don’t you help us?” Alexsandr teased,

“Ew, dad. We never cut open an animal” She rolled her eyes as if this was obvious,

“I would look away now” Maxim warned and the children complied, except for Anton of course,

“Are you sure you want to look?” Alexsandr asked his son with a slight twinge of concern,

“It can’t be that bad dad” Anton reasoned

Alexsandr didn’t want his son to look but he knew he couldn’t change his mind, Alexsandr looked to Maxim and gave him a small nod. Maxim had his doubts, but continued anyway. He started with a cut and removed the skin of the animal; then began with removing the organs,

“Mara lets go, this sounds awful” Irinia complained but she wasn’t wrong. Anton tried to not show it but he was thoroughly disgusted. Maxim continued his work and found the liver,

“Want some fresh liver” Maxim teased as he brought the organ to Alexsandr face who just glared at him,

“I'm not a zombie I don’t eat raw meat” Alexsandr argued,

“You’re old enough to be one” Maxim teased before adding the liver to the pile he’s made. He continued this process with the other animals, and once he was finished his hands had a layer of blood coating them,

“Aww come give me a hug” Maxim beckoned to Alexsandr,

“Absolutely not, I like this shirt!”

“Fine.” Maxim waited a few seconds, “I need to text someone!” He joked while lifting his hands up. This got a laugh out of Anton and his father. Alexsandr moved his glare to Anton and mouthed weirdo,

“Why don’t you get your sisters to collect sticks and we’ll make another fire” Anton seemed glad to have finished watching the gutting and replied with an okay! before making his way to find his sisters. Alexsandr looked back to Maxim,

“Can you itch behind my ear?” Maxim asked and Alexsandr scoffed,

“I’m serious! I don’t want to get blood everywhere!”

Alexsandr compiled and whispered, “Why don’t you go wash your hands so I can pin them behind your back, princess.” Maxim was shocked by this comment, but it was the effect Alexsandr was going for,

“Alex” Maxim said in a sassy tone before walking over to the lake to clean his hands,

“Why don’t you fulfill your promise” Maxim teased and Alexsandr did just that,

“Who would have guessed you’re so good at following orders” Alexsandr whispered while he tightened his grip,

“Well since my hands aren’t free I guess you have to pick up all the wood” Maxim laughed and this got a groan, then a laugh, from Alexsandr. He released the hunter,

“I’m not doing that by myself, princess” Alexsandr playfully punched the hunter’s arm,

“Alright I guess I’ll help”

They started with their collection and once the children returned Maxim made the fire. Anton asked if he could light the fire, but Maxim joked he had already done that this morning. Maxim underestimated how long they spent in the lake as the sun was already hanging low in the sky. Maxim started to cut the rabbits into pieces small enough to roast and Irinia teased Anton for trying to act macho.

“Ira leave your brother alone” Alexsandr jokes,

“When can we cook the meat” Mara whined, “I’m hungry”

Maxim laughed and continued with his preparation of the meat, “yes! If you want it to taste good you’ll give me time”

Alexsandr rubbed Marinka’s hair. Maxim impaled the meat with a rod and handed it to Marinka,

“You have to cook it, you can’t eat it raw” Maxim warned while laughing,

“I know that” Marinka huffed and she started. Maxim continued this action 4 more times for his companions and then for himself. The children mimicked the actions of Maxim and Alexsandr; the elder didn’t fully know what he was doing, but he knew more than his kids.

Maxim let the children know when their meat was cooked,

“Are you all ready to try your first real meat?” Maxim asked and the children all agreed. They took their first bite and the hunter was impressed with himself,

“Holy sh- I mean Jesus” Irinia complemented,

“It's good isn’t it” the hunter was flattered,

“It's more tender and has such a different flavor” Anton added,

“Tis the power of rabbit” Maxim added marily,

“Shuhrat is always asking for rabbit, and I get it” Alexsandr laughed. Alexsandr kept trying to tease Maxim and feed him some rabbit by hand; it took some time before Maxim finally caved and accepted. This only got a whistle from Irinia and an ew from Marinka. The hunter tried to hide his blush, Alexsandr could tell and kissed his cheek. The trapper looked at Alexsandr,

“What! I gotta kiss the cook!” Alexsandr laughed and Maxim was now fully blushing,

“Whatever” Maxim pushed his shoulder away and leaned into him. By the time they finished their dinner the sun had fully set. Alexsandr decided to tell stories again,

“Alright so one time we were out at a bar and Marius and Dominic were drinking the god awful stuff the Germans call alcohol. Dominic was flirting with Lera, very drunkenly, and Marius tried to not be bothered but he was wayyy too drunk. So, of course, he nearly screamed at Lera. Yet Dominic and Marius still claim they’re just friends” Alexsandr was laughing at this and so was Maxim. Maxim thought it was slightly weird to only talk about his teammates only using their real names.

“Finka, Lera, teased them about that for a whole year” “Or that one time we sa- we. . . блин, what was I saying?” Maxim cursed,

“It getting late I think it's time for bed”

“Dad I’m not a baby” Marinka whined,

“I know but I think Maxim needs to go to sleep, he’s a little princess”

Maxim rolled his eyes and scoffed, “Your dad just wants to go to sleep, he’s too old to stay up late”

Alexsandr laughed and got up, Maxim missed his presence. The older Russian led his children to their tent and Maxim accompanied him,

“Is Maxim okay? He said he’s sick” Anton asked,

“He’s fine, he just needs to rest,” Alexsandr assured, and the hunter tried to not notice this conversation. They walked away and Alexsandr wrapped his arm around Maxim and pulled him closer. They got to their tent and undressed to bear the heat.

Alexsandr ground into Maxim, “Your kids are in a tent right next to ours”

“And? That just makes it more fun”

Maxim scoffed, “if we’re going to do that I expect a date first”

“Didn’t we already do that? Grilled rabbit under the stars?”

“Your children were there, doesn’t count”

“Max, I thought I was supposed to be the old fashioned one” Tachanka had a grin on his face and Maxim didn’t want to feed his ego any more than he already had. But it was hard holding back, he could feel the older man’s bulge pressing into him. He ground into it making Alexsandr grunt,

“Do you think you can hold back?” Alexsandr’s teasing was making this impossible for the hunter. Alexsandr ground into Maxim and he finally broke, “Fine, but we aren’t fucking”

This was a compromise Alexsandr could deal with and he wrapped his hand around Maxim’s length through his underwear,

“Already this hard? Damn you’re eager” Alexsandr grunted this into Maxim’s ear and Maxim quickly removed the older operator’s underwear, releasing the man’s tool. It was only at half mast and it wasn’t the first time he had seen it, but he still couldn’t believe its size,

“Bigger than you expected, princess?” He pulled the trapper into a searing kiss while removing his underwear. His large fist wrapped his cock, it was dizzying how much this was getting him off. Maxim was fighting off moaning and started feeling Alexsnadr’s now hard cock. He came up for air,

“Sasha-”

“Shut up” he plunged back into the kiss. Alexsandr removed Maxim’s hands from his cock and pushed them together, he started stroking them with one of his large hands. Maxim never imaged masturabing could be this amazing,

“Fuck- don’t stop” Maxim tried to not plead but he knew he was failing,

“Do you finger yourself?” Alexsandr asked this breathlessly and it took Maxim a second to respond,

“Yes”

Alexsandr presented 2 fingers and ordered him to suck, and of course he did. The older Russian was still roughly jerking them off through this. He removed his fingers and moved them to Maxim’s entrance, “Relax, you’ll like this” Maxim tried to relax but he still gasped when one of his thick fingers finally entered, then a second. It stung a bit until he found Maxim’s prostate, then it was pure pleasure. Tachanka was whispering fantasies into his partner’s ear and he was burning up from Alexsandr’s breath, he played with Tachanka’s nipples to try and give back to his partner. Maxim wanted this to last forever but he knew he was getting close,

“ahh, f- fuck Sasha, s-slow down! I'm getting close!” Alexsandr did the opposite and sped up,

“Cum for me, baby” Tachanka tried to conceal how affected he was but failed. Tachanka’s gruff voice combined with ruthless fingering sent Maxim over the edge. He came white streaks all over his own chest and on Alexsandr’s; he had to cover his own mouth to suppress his moans,

“Good boy” was all the older man could get out before he came all over their chests. Their seman was mixed on their bodies and Alexsandr removed his fingers and took some of their release and brought it to Maxim’s mouth. He was slightly reluctant to open his mouth but he did, it was bizarre to have his own semen in his mouth but Alexsandr kissed him and they shared the release.

“That was filthy” Maxim laughed and so did Alexsandr. Maxim got up and grabbed a shirt to clean themselves off and hid it. He crawled back into Alexsandr’s arms,

“Next time I’ll fuck you through multiple orgasms”

“Next time you’re taking me out to dinner” This made them laugh and they finally fell asleep.

The third day went as well as the past two days and they enjoyed their last day together. They had a mopey goodbye before their train departed for Moscow.

“Your pretty good with children, princess”

“You’re just jealous that Anton adores me” He paused for a second, “I hate to be this mopey, but you are so cute with them. You raised them well and you really love them, and they love you”

Alexsandr slightly blushed at this Maxim felt a twinge of pride for making his usually boisterous partner blush.

They got on the plane and Maxim slept with his head on Alexsandr’s shoulder the whole time. He was woken up by the turbulence of landing and they departed the plane. And they were on their way back to the Base.

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Divergence: Albuquerque, USA

1.12 Arc Seconds

Focal Point: 34°35'55.7" N 106°33'41.6" W

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#rainbow six siege #fanfic #alexsandr senaviev #r6s kapkan #r6s tachanka #r6s #lgbtq #long reads #tachanka #maxim basuda #long post

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historiaxvanserra · 7 months

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bonfire, harvest, & frost

frost- I don’t really know. I guess maybe just hang in there it does get better. I’m the kind of adult kid me would that was pretty cool so that’s quite nice.

harvest - This is such a cop out answer but I feel like most books have a character that I can relate to in some way. From acotar that character is Nesta (she’s just such a wonderfully flawed character and I love her).

bonfire - my dream home is a georgian country home in the rural English country side. Not a person in sight with more animals than people. And my dream decor is dark florals, antique furniture, lots of green, lots of plants, moody maximalism. I want my house to look like a cabinet of curiosity or a Victorian apothecary.

#thank you for the questions lovely

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astrowithkaro · 3 years

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Hi hi 🦷

I love your birthday series, and I was wondering if you could do June 30 when you have time?

It’s a super cool series to read!

~rue

Language Of Birthdays: June 30 - Cancer

[You can find the rest of the series here; or check out my masterlist]

The Day Of Motivation

It is extremely difficult to get June 30 people to do something toward which they are not personally motivated. Those born on this day are usually of two types, introvert or extrovert, both of whom have highly personal goals. Their world is indeed a private one to which few are admitted. More introverted June 30 people will most often manifest a lifestyle in which they stick close to home (often working out of their own house). Their lives are so well circumscribed that favorite haunts are basically just an extension of the home situation safe, secure, known. More extroverted June 30 people may appear to be mild-mannered until they reveal themselves in a performance situation. Here they must be careful that their flamboyance does not get out of control.

Almost all June 30 people have highly developed technical talents, even to the point of virtuosity. They make formidable opponents, rarely at a loss to defend themselves; this ability, however, is most often exclusively either mental or physical. More introverted June 30 people must beware of a tendency to repress their aggressions. Often those born on this day are unable to express these feelings out of a fear that they will injure themselves or someone else.

A more extroverted June 30 person expresses his/her aggression, being extremely competitive, but runs the risk of becoming violent; such a person is a fascinating but dangerous adversary. Paradoxically, however, when these extroverts are alone with those they are comfortable with, or publicly engaged in discussion, they can give the appearance of passivity, even docility.

Both types of June 30 people frequently appear to be other than what they really are, depending on the situation, who is present, and their moods, which are generally more severe in men than women born on this day. This quality may make them somewhat mysterious. Because those born on this day are often unknown even to themselves, they will benefit from self-examination.

June 30 people have an undeniable talent for handling money, whether their own or others'. Their astute financial sense often attracts others to them and puts them in a position to give helpful advice. They are extremely sharp in making cost calculations, thus maximizing profit while minimizing expense.

The personal motivation at work in June 30 people often manifests in a hobby or out-of- the-way pursuit which interests them still more than their profession, and they will not hesitate to pour unlimited energy into this area. When, however, they are in touch with their environment and the wishes of others, they can also be valuable contributors to society at large. Those born on this day should actively seek out activities involving trust, give-and-take and social exchange. Because June 30 people will only let very few into their private world, being chosen as their friend can be a true compliment.

Strengths:

Technically proficient

Money wise

Motivated

Weaknesses:

Moody

Repressed

Negative

Advice

June 30 people must beware of hypochondria based on a host of minor complaints. Upsets of the digestive system, lungs and psyche are most common. As far as diet is concerned, those born on this day must beware of a tendency not to eat during times of depression. Balance is the key for them and they should avoid or control food binges, cravings or obsessions if possible. Some June 30 people will only eat food cooked by someone they love and trust; they should, of course, know how to cook for themselves and at the same time treat themselves a bit more gently. Moderate exercise, such as walking or swimming, is recommended for those born on this day.

Learn to like yourself more

See what you can do for others

Channel your aggressions into creative pursuits if possible

Uncover your fears and work on them

Don't allow yourself to retreat into a shell

#cancer horoscope #cancer life #cancer sign #cancer women #cancer sun #cancer #cancer tarot reading #cancer monthly horoscope

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fanfics4all · 4 years

Text

Should Have Been Me

Request: Yes / No (I'm sorry to bother again but I just love your fics so much) could I request another but harry has a twin sister who is a hufflepuff but no one really knows about her she's practically Harry's shadow she was selected in the goblet of fire along with her boyfriend (Cedric) to some attention but doesn't work so when they to the cemetery before Peter kills Cedric she takes the hit know others will miss him more than her and he brings back her body Harry gets devastated for losing his sister @kiss-cult

Don’t be shy, request things! <3 Have a nice day/night

Cedric Diggory x Fem!Potter!Reader

Word count: 2643

Warnings: death and that should be it

Y/N: Your Name

PLEASE DO NOT STEAL MY WORK, I WORK HARD ON MY FICS AND IT’S NOT COOL TO STEAL SOMEONE ELSE’S WORK!

If you want to be on the tag list for anything (My series fics, specific character fics, or just all of them) All you have to do is send me an ask and I will add you!

Masterlist

(Not my photo, credit to whoever made it!)

When I first got sorted I was a little upset that I wasn’t in the same house as my brother. Harry was placed in Gryffindor and I was placed in Hufflepuff. Being new to the wizarding world I was kind of scared and nervous. Luckily an older student named Cedric helped me a lot. We became close and Cedric ended up asking me out. I of course said yes and Harry wasn’t happy about it at first. He’s always been the over protective brother, but once he saw how incredibly happy I was he accepted it.

It was the beginning of fourth year and I was sitting in the Great Hall next to Cedric. We may have seen each other over the summer recently, but it wasn’t enough.

“Now we’re all settled in and sorted, I’d like to make an announcement. This castle will not only be your home this year, but home to some very special guests as well. You see Hogwarts had been chosen-” Dumbledore cut himself off as Filch ran up to him. He whispered something to him and ran off again.

“So Hogwarts has been chosen to host a legendary event. The Tri-Wizard Tournament.” He said and people started whispering. I furrowed my brow confused about what was going on.

“Now for those of you who do not know, the Tri-Wizard Tournament brings together three schools for a series of magical contests. From each school a single contestant is selected to compete. Now let me be clear, if chosen you stand alone. And trust me when I say these contests are not for the faint hearted, but more on that later. For now please join me in welcoming the lovely ladies of the Beauxbatons Academy of magic and their headmistress Madam Maxime.” Dumbledore said. The doors opened and a group of very pretty girls dressed in blue danced their ways up the aisle. Butterflies flew into the air and just about every boy was staring at them. They bowed and everyone applauded.

“And now our friends from the north, please greet the proud sons of Durmstrand and the high master Igor Karkaroff.” Dumbledore said. The doors opened again and some older looking boys walked up the aisles holding bo staffs. They were twirling them around and something slamming into the ground, making sparks fly. The girls were staring in awe, well I wasn't, I didn’t much care for them honestly. Once everyone was settled the feast started.

Once it was finished Dumbledore gained everyone’s attention again for another announcement.

“Your attention please! I would like to say a few words. Eternal glory, that is what awaits the student who wins the Tri-Wizard Tournament. But to do this that student must survive three tasks. Three extremely dangerous tasks. For this reason the Ministry has seen fit to impose a new rule. To explain all this we have the head of the Department of International Magic Cooperation, Mister Bartimus Crouch.” He said. Thunder roared above us and it started to rain. Students screamed as they started getting wet. Someone casted a spell at the ceiling and everyone was back to normal.

“Who is that?” I asked Cedric.

“Mad-Eye Moody. He used to be an Aura.” He explained and I nodded.

“Why is he called Mad-Eye?” I asked.

“Well, he lost his eye and leg during the war and he honestly his job just made him lose it.” He said and I frowned.

“How sad.” I said.

“After much deliberation the Ministry has concluded that for their own safety no student under the age of seventeen shall be allowed to put forth their name for the Tri-Wizard Tournament. This decision is final.” Mr. Crouch said and a bunch of students started booing.

“Silence!” Dumbledore shouted and everyone quieted down. Dumbledore casted a spell over a box and it revealed a goblet containing a blue flame.

“The goblet of fire. Anyone wishing to submit themselves for the tournament merely write their name upon a piece of parchment and throw it into the flame before this house on Thursday night. Do not do so lightly, if chosen there’s no turning back. As from this moment the Tri-Wizard Tournament has begun!” Dumbledore explained.

The whole week Cedric was talking about wanting to put his name in. I was worried about him doing so, but I couldn’t stop him if he really wanted to. Luckily he came to me before he made his final decision.

“Well, what do you think?” He asked and I sighed.

“Honestly? I think it’s too dangerous, maybe it’s because this is still kind of new to me but still, it’s really up to you.” I said.

“Do you not want me to?” He asked and I bit my lip.

“I just don’t want to see you die.” I said and he smiled.

“Don’t worry love, I promise I’ll come back to you.” He said and kissed me.

“You better.” I giggled. He quickly wrote his name down and grabbed my hand. He led me through the halls and to the goblet. He ran up and placed his name into the fire. That was it, there was no going back.

The rest of the week I was so anxious. I wasn’t going to be better until they picked names. I could only hope that Cedric wasn’t picked. Thursday came soon enough and we were all gathered in the goblet room.

“Sit down please! And now, the moment you’ve all been waiting for, the champions selection!” Dumbledore said as everyone was taking their seats. Dumbledore approached the blue flame and it started glowing red. A name flew out and I felt my heart rate picked up.

“The Durmstrang champion is, Viktor Krum!” Dumbledore shouted. People cheered as another name came out.

“The champion from Beauxbatons, Fleur Delacour!” He shouted. Peopled cheered as the last name came out.

“The Hogwarts champion, Cedric Diggory!” He announced and my heart clenched. Cedric smiled as he ran up to the front. He grabbed his name and ran into the room with the others.

“Excellent! We now have our three champions! But in the end only one will go down in history. Only one will hoist this chalice on champions, this vessel of victory the Tri-Wizard cup!” He said. Everyone cheered, but the goblet started glowing red again. Another name flew out and Dumbledore silently reads it.

“Y/N Potter. Y/N Potter?” He called and my eyes widened. I looked over at Harry, who looked just as shocked.

“Y/N Potter!” He shouted again and I slowly got up. I walked up to him and took my name from his hands.

“She’s a cheat! She’s not even seventeen yet!” a few people shouted.

“She got Cedric to put her name in!” Someone else said, but I ignored them and walked into the room with the others. Everyone looked at me with a mix of shock and confusion.

“Y/N? What are you doing here?” Cedric asked.

“I-I don’t know. My-” I was cut off by the teachers bursting into the room. Dumbledore grabbed me and my eyes widened.

“Y/N! Did you put your name in the goblet of fire?” He asked.

“No sir!” I answered.

“Did you ask one of the older students to do it for you?” He asked.

“No sir!” I said.

“You’re absolutely sure?” He asked.

“Yes sir.” I answered.

“Well of course she is lying!” Madame Maxime said.

“The hell she is. The goblet of fire is an exceptionally powerful magical object, only an exceptionally powerful conjurer could have hoodwinked it. Magic way beyond the talents of a fourth year.” Mad-Eye said.

“You seem to have given this a fair bit of thought Mad-Eye.” Igor said.

“It was once my job to think as dark wizards do Karkaroff, perhaps you remember?” He said.

“That doesn’t help Alastor. Leave this to you Barty.” Dumbledore said.

“The rules are absolute, the goblet of fire constitutes a binding magical contract. Mrs. Potter has no choice, she is as of tonight… a Tri-Wizard champion.” He said and my eyes widened. Cedric and I went back to the common room and everyone was giving me a nasty glare.

“Ignore them.” Cedric whispered and took me to my room.

“Did you actually put your name in?” He asked.

“No! I’ve been so terrified for you, I would never even think about putting my name in!” I said and he nodded.

“Alright, I believe you. I just had to ask.” He said.

“I don’t want to do this Ced.” I said.

“I know, but you have to, love.” He said and kissed my head.

The first two trials weren’t the easiest. Cedric had helped me prepare, but I was alone in this. I had managed to survive until the last challenge. Everyone was gathered outside at an arena and music was playing like nothing bad was about to happen. The champions walked out, along with myself. My nerves were at an all time high.

“Earlier today Professor Moody placed the Tir-Wizard cup deep within the maze. Only he knows its exact position. Now as Mr. Diggory-” Dumbledore was cut off by people cheering.

“And Mrs. Potter tied for first position they will be the first to enter the maze. Followed by Mr. Krum and Mrs. Delacour. The first person to touch the cup will be the winner. I’ve instructed the staff to patrol the perimeter, if at any point should a contestant wish to withdraw from the task he or she need only send up red sparks with their wands. Contestants, gather round.” He said and we all walked over to him.

“In the maze you’ll find not dragons or creatures of the deep. Instead you’ll face something more challenging. You see, people change in the maze. Oh find the cup if you can, but be very weary you could just lose yours;ves along the way.” He said and I became more nervous.

“Champions! Prepare yourselves!” Mad-Eye said. Cedric hugged his Father and I hugged Harry.

“Be safe.” He said and I nodded while I bit my lip.

“I’m scared Harry.” I whispered.

“Hey, you can do this.” He said with a reassuring smile.

“Harry’s right, you’re strong.” Cedric said coming over to us.

“I’m so scared.” I said.

“Hey, you got this, love. You can win this.” He said and I smiled slightly.

“Don’t go easy on me, Ced.” I said and he smiled.

“I wouldn’t dream of it.” He said and pecked my lips. Harry went up went up to the stands while Cedric and I went to out starting spots.

“On the count of three… One-” Dumbledore was cut off by the cannon going off. Cedric and I entered the maze and I watched the walls close behind me.

As I was walking through everything was making me anxious. There was a heavy mist and there were noises all around me. While I was walking I noticed Fleur was on the ground unconscious. She was slowly being swallowed by the walls and I started panicking slightly. I shot up the red sparks and hoped that someone would save her. I kept walked through the maze and noticed something shining in the distance. I started towards it and someone tried to hit me with a spell.

“Get down!” Cedric shouted and I ducked. Cedric hit him with a spell and ran up to him, kicking the wand from his hands. He pointed his wand at Viktor’s body and my eyes widened.

“No stop! He’s bewitched Ced!” I said. Cedric wasn’t himself. The two of us started to struggle.

“Get off me!” He growled.

“He’s bewitched!” I said again. He pushed me off him and the two of us started running towards the cup. The undergrowth grabbed Cedric and he fell to the ground. I looked at Cedric and I froze in fear.

“Y/N!” He called. I quickly gained the courage and sent a spell to the plant that held him. I helped Cedric up and he looked at me.

“You know, for a moment there I thought you were gonna let it get me.” He said.

“Never, I was just scared.” I said.

“Some game huh?” He asked.

“Yeah…” I said with a sigh. The wind started to blow and Cedric pushed me towards the cup.

“Go! Take it, you saved me!” He said and I shook my head.

“Together, on three. One, two, three!” I said. We both ran towards the cup and grabbed it at the same time. The cup ported us somewhere and we landed on the ground.

“You okay?” He asked.

“I think so, are you?” I asked and he nodded.

“Where are we?” He asked. I looked around and noticed we were in a graveyard, it looked just like the one Harry and I have been dreaming of…

“I’ve been here before…” I whispered.

“It’s a portkey. Y/N, the cup is a portkey!” Cedric said.

“I’ve been here before in a dream. Cedric, we need to get back to the cup, now!” I said.

“What are you talking about?” He asked, grabbing me by the shoulders. I felt a sudden pain in my head and I groaned in pain as I held my scar.

“What is it?” Cedric asked, his voice filled with concern.

“Get back to the cup, please!” I begged. Wormtail walked out holding what I could only assume is what’s left of Voldemort.

“Who are you? What do you want?” Cedric asked, getting ready to protect me.

“Kill the spare.” I heard Voldemort’s voice said.

“No!” I shouted before he could cast the spell. I jumped in front of Cedric and the spell hit me.

Cedric’s POV

Y/N was dead. She took the curse that was meant for me. She sacrificed herself for me.

“You idiot!” The creepy voice hissed. The man who was holding something walked closer and he trapped me with a tombstone.

“Do it quickly.” The voice said and the man dropped something into a cauldron.

“Bones of a Father, unwillingly given.” He said. A bone hovered over to the cauldron and was dropped in.

“Flesh of the servant willingly sacrificed.” He said and cut his own arm off over the cauldron.

“Blood of the enemy forcibly taken.” He said and walked over to Y/N.

“Leave her alone!” I growled at him, but he ignored me. He took the knife and sliced down her arm. He quickly took the knife back over to the cauldron and let the drops fall in.

“The Dark Lord shall rise again!” He said. The cauldron burst into flames and Voldemort emerged.

“My wand Wormtail.” He said. My eyes widened. He was back. He looked back at me with a smirk and then over at Y/N.

“Such a shame.” He said looking at her.

“The only reason you are still alive is so you can return her to Harry Potter. Tell him I have returned and I will win.” He said and I was freed. I ran over to Y/N and grabbed the cup. We were transported back to the arena and everyone was cheering.

“Y/N?” I heard Harry asked, and I just cried. Harry ran over and kneeled next to his sister.

“What happened?” He asked with tears falling down his face.

“He’s back! Voldemort is back. It was meant for me, I was meant to die. She jumped in front of me and took it.” I tried.

“This is your fault! You killed her!” Harry cried and clung to his sister.

“I-I…” I couldn’t say anything. I felt like it was my fault. I should have been the one protecting her, not the other way around.

“I’m sorry Harry.” I cried.

“Sorry won’t bring back my sister!” He shouted. He was right. Y/N was gone and it’s all my fault…

Tag list: @les-bio-lie @tashy-bear @ashwarren32 @hollie-blogs @schisbro87 @lover-of-books-and-teas @nerdygaloresposts @teenwolfbitches2 @genius2050 @drw0301bieber @lady-of-lies @ravenmoore14 @ravenempress101 @cillianchamp @rowanthomasknapp @in-slytherin-we-trust @accio-rogers @sambucky8

#harry potter imagine #harry potter and the goblet of fire #cedric diggory #cedric x fem!reader #cedric diggory x fem!reader #harry potter x sister!reader #cedric x potter!reader #cedric diggory x potter!reader #fanfic #request #hufflepuff #hufflepuff!reader #cedric x hufflepuff!reader #harry potter x hufflepuff!reader

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focusfixated · 3 years

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sept-dec fic rec round-up

i fell right off the bus towards the tail-end of the year, so here’s a round-up of a the last quarter, and i’ll do a full-year round up after christmas.

dancing with a stranger by @geislieb rating: M || fandom: it (miniseries/book) || pairing: richie/eddie summary: magical amnesia fic where eddie meets richie after a comedy show in new york. sweet and simple, there’s a charming, jovial innocence to the characters here.

richie tozier: talking about nothing by @clown-emoji rating: T || fandom: it (film) || pairing: richie/eddie summary: lesbian richie tozier testing stand-up material about her girlfriend, transcript-style. funny, punchy and compelling, a well-written monologue that’s comedic and emotional at the same time.

the lost words by @bottle-of-smoke rating: E || fandom: it (miniseries/book) || pairing: richie/eddie summary: magical amnesia fic where eddie meets richie at a truckstop in the middle of a snowstorm. distinctive, detailed, and poetic, full of wonderfully-observed details and a very compelling eddie-POV.

miss you like a home by @hallo-catfish rating: E || fandom: matthias et maxime || pairing: matt/max summary: after maxime goes to australia, matt and max both navigate the distance, lockdown, and their feelings for each other. this story touched me deeply. intimate, joyful, painful, an effortlessly good read, and extremely cathartic.

closing conditions by @hallo-catfish rating: E || fandom: star wars (sequels) || pairing: kylo ren/armitage hux summary: real-world lawyer AU. sometimes you’re just in the mood for troubled psychosexual power fantasies brimming with repressed desire and subsumed violence. moody, darkly comical, endlessly compelling.

a particular affinity by @louiselux rating: E || fandom: hannibal || pairing: hannibal/will summary: will discovers hannibal has an olfactory disorder. one of those wonderful bits of writing where the author nails hannibal’s impenetrably highbrow psychologising and captures something vivid, primal and erotic.

courtship by @yambits rating: M || fandom: lord of the rings (books) || pairing: frodo/sam summary: frodo and sam have feelings for each other, but decide to go through a proper customary courtship first. romantic, old-fashioned, beautifully-observed. unfolds slowly, patiently, and with endless warmth.

previous fic-rec round-up posts:

01 january 02 february 03 march 04 april 05 may 06 june/july 07 august

#reddie #hannibal #kylux #frodo x sam #hannigram #matthias et maxime #it #it fic #reddie fic rec #hannigram fic rec #hannibal fic #star wars #star wars fic #lotr #lotr fic #fic rec post #monthly fic recs #fic rec masterpost

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livingcorner · 3 years

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Transform Your Kitchen with a Fresh Coat of Paint

DAVID A. LAND

Are you building a new house and planning your dream kitchen? Or maybe you’re craving a fresh, new look for your existing kitchen. It’s true what they say: The kitchen is the heart of the home. It’s where you and your family will spend lots of time, and where your guests will likely end up congregating. It should be a space that feels inviting and relaxing and also delivers the style and personality you want your home to reflect. Do you want a light and airy kitchen? A happy and whimsical space? Or a cozy, rustic kitchen? No matter the look, your starting point should be in establishing the color palette. An all-white kitchen will always be a classic, timeless look, but don’t be afraid to bring in some color, even in a small kitchen. The paint color—even the exact shade of white—you choose for the walls will instantly set the tone.

You're reading: Transform Your Kitchen with a Fresh Coat of Paint

One of the ways to make the biggest impact is to paint your kitchen cabinets. Whether it’s painting a dark wood a bright white to lighten your space, or taking white cabinets to a deep, saturated hue that creates a warm, cozy kitchen, or even a new coat of a bright yellow or blue to add a punch of personality, changing the color of your kitchen cabinets will instantly transform your room. (If you’re planning to go the DIY route, read this article for tips on how to paint kitchen cabinets. Yes, even laminate cabinets!) For even more inspiration, check out some of our favorite kitchens for many more kitchen decorating ideas, including kitchen island ideas, hardware inspiration, lighting, and even some ways to use wallpaper.

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Pale Blue and White

This blue and white combination brings us all the cool, calm coastal vibes in this kitchen designed by interior and textile designer Heather Chadduck Hillegas.

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Blue-Black

This moody hue is making us crave a rainy day indoors with a cup of tea while bread bakes in the oven. It is the perfect dull blue that still feels warm and rich.

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Historic Blue

This timeless blue is be a part of Benjamin Moore’s historic collection. It feels traditional but fresh in this kitchen designed by Grace Mitchell, especially off of the copper and bronze lighting.

Get the look: Kitchen cabinets: Philipsburg Blue by Benjamin Moore

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Green and White

The white walls of this kitchen designed by James Farmer feel fresh and bright off of the rich green cabinets and pair perfectly with the natural wood shelves and oven hood.

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Dark Teal

These dark cabinets work beautifully off of a bright white marble sink and earthy green tiles.

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Gray and White

We love gray in any room and especially in this kitchen designed by Sara Davis. The soft gray cabinets pop against the dark brown wood floors, creating a modern yet simple combination.

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Canary Yellow and Blue

Read more: Hell’s Kitchen, Manhattan – Wikipedia

Look no further than the classic yellowware bowl for proof that blue and yellow make for a timeless country combo, as seen here in this 98-square foot galley kitchen that features canary-yellow cabinets and quilt-like cement tiles. The petite 20-inch range maximizes cabinet space in the small kitchen.

Get the Look: Cabinetry Paint Color: Honey Bees by Sherwin-Williams. Backsplash Tile: “Tangier Primero” by Villa Lagoon; wayfair.com

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Pure Black

When homeowner Bailey McCarthy moved into her century-old Texas farmhouse, the wall were a boring beige and the cabinets, which vary in height, were white. “Painting everything black seemed like a good way to make the cabinets blend in with the wall,” says Bailey. She balanced the dark statement color with butcher block countertops and brass hardware and lighting.

Get the Look: Cabinetry Paint Color: Pitch Black by Farrow & Ball

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Soft Taupe

When you want to add little color but don’t want it to overwhelm, look to a soft taupe. The appealing neutral adds a warm, but airy, swathe of color. It’s a color that also pairs well with stained wood cabinets.

Get the Look: Kitchen Cabinetry Paint Color: Smoky Ash by Benjamin Moore

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Bright Blue

One Kings Lane designer Sarah Blank opted for a calming blue for the shelves, brackets, and walls, of this kitchen, lending more cohesion to the space.

Get the Look: Cabinetry and Wall Paint Color: Lulworth Blue by Farrow & Ball

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Sunny Yellow

Designer Alison Kandler and homeowner Jenn Chiarelli found the perfect sunny shade for the kitchen island in Jenn’s bright California farmhouse by pulling paint chips of colors that simply made Jenn feel happy. Then they found ways to incorporate the hues into the kitchen to create a look that is as colorful as it is cheerful. The black woven stools add a grounding element to the candy-colored space.

Get the Look: Island Paint Color: Tropical Moss by Dunn-Edwards Paints

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Gray Green

Designer Heidi Caillier chose a soothing green—that is a little bit gray and a little blue—for the Shaker-style cabinets. “It changes with the light,” Heidi says. “It also feels traditional to me, which is what I really wanted.” The color pairs particularly well with soapstone countertops and unlacquered brass bail pulls and knobs. Six-inch terra cotta hex tiles add distinct richness to the artfully layered kitchen.

Get the Look: Cabinetry Paint Color: Oil Cloth by Benjamin Moore. Hardware: unlacquered brass bail pulls and knobs; classic-brass.com.

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Off-White

When you have a lot of natural wood in your kitchen, pure white walls can feel too stark, especially if you’re going for a rustic kitchen look. Instead, choose a warm white that has just a touch of gray in it for a color that complements wood tones and works well with other warm neutral colors.

Get the Look: Wall Paint Color, Fleur de Sel by Sherwin-Williams

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Turquoise Blue

You couldn’t pick a better blue than the color of the original paint found on these salvaged tongue-and-groove boards. The turquoise tone compliments the buttery-yellow appliances, knotty pine floors, and barn wood cabinets to create a charming rustic farmhouse-style kitchen.

Get the Look: Appliances: bigchill.com

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Pure White

There is nothing more timeless, yet completely fresh, than an airy all-white kitchen. The look works especially well with kitchens that have varying textures (both literally and visually), such as the shiplap planked walls and open shelving in this dreamy kitchen, which keep an all-white space from feeling stark and sterile.

Get the Look: Wall and Cabinetry Paint Color, White Dove by Benjamin Moore

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Washed Turquoise & Buttery Yellow

To give her kitchen cabinets a slightly weathered look, Jolie Sikes of the Junk Gypsies first coated the cabinets with blue interior oil stain, then used a rag to apply and partially rub off a layer of wood stain. “Embrace color,” says Jolie. “Just because kitchens are utilitarian rooms doesn’t mean they should be quiet, sterile, or boring.” The buttery walls, combined with the natural wood stain on the windows, trim, and beams, create a warm backdrop for the room’s bold cabinetry and accents such as Jolie’s barstool mix—a pair of swiveling red tractor seats plus a vintage vinyl-covered number.

Get the Look: Cabinetry Stain: Aquarius by Sherwin-Williams plus Provincial Wood Finish stain by Minwax. Wall Paint Color: Canyon Cloud by Behr. Wood Trim Stain: Pecan by Minwax

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Read more: Hell’s Kitchen: What Happened To Head Waiter Jean-Philippe Susilovic After Season 12

Bright Green

In her South Carolina home, homeowner Lauren Northup looked down for her color play. Taking her color cue from the grass green floors at Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello, she choose to paint the kitchen floors a striking green. “Blues and greens mean rest, home, and happiness to me,” says Lauren. “This color on my kitchen floor is a good balance with the bright white walls and cheerful checked curtains.”

Get the Look: Floor Paint Color, Arsenic by Farrow & Ball

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Sky Blue

In their cozy converted schoolhouse project, designers Jason Oliver Nixon and John Loecke of Madcap Cottage looked outside for the kitchen’s color inspiration. They removed the small room’s drop ceiling and installed tongue-and-groove rafters, now swathed in a dreamy shade of sky blue—a design trick seen on Southern porches. “The color draws the eye up,” says Jason, “which makes the room feel like it stretches to the sky.”

Get the Look: Ceiling Paint Color, Blue Ground by Farrow & Ball

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Crisp White

Don’t feel badly if you’re a bit picky. Marsha Ahearn, the owner of this summer retreat in Martha’s Vineyard, painted her kitchen with a 50/50 blend of two shades to get her ideal white. It’s the perfect backdrop to let your brightly colored accessories pop.

Get the Look: Wall Paint Color, 50/50 blend of China White and Linen White, both by Benjamin Moore

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Cheery Yellow

This sunny kitchen proves there is no such thing as too much of a good thing. Its Shaker-style cabinetry, as well as its walls and those of the adjoining breakfast nook, are all awash in a bright and cheery yellow. Glass cabinet fronts and white trim, fixtures, and appliances add a punch against the solid color and help keep the space feeling light.

Get the Look: Cabinetry Paint Color, Convivial Yellow by Sherwin-Williams

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Forest Green

Most people opt for white in the kitchen, but this rustic kitchen is bathed in moodier hues. The paneled cabinets are painted in an earthy forest green while the fir beadboard is a golden brown—giving the 75-square-foot small kitchen a jewel box feel. An ivory apron-front sink offers a burst of brightness.

Get the Look: Cabinetry Paint Color, Mohegan Sage by Benjamin Moore

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Celadon Green

In this Massachusetts beach house kitchen, the Wood-Mode cabinetry is painted a pretty celadon green that is crisply set off by a white subway tile backsplash. It’s a pairing that brings a kitchen pretty color without overpowering. Cape Cod artist Tim Dibble custom-carved the kitchen’s slate apron-front sink to incorporate local icons: a windmill, whale, lighthouse, and the word “riptide.”

Get the Look: Cabinetry Paint Color, Coastal Plain by HGTV Home for Sherwin-Williams; lowes.com

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Bright Yellow and Blue

There’s nothing more appealing than a blue-and-white kitchen. And you can’t beat a yellow kitchen for a happy setting. We say combine the two for a true win-win. This Kentucky kitchen proves the point beautifully with its pairing of a warm blue-and-white quilt-patterned tile backsplash and a light and bright yellowy-green painted island. White wall cabinets and butcher block countertops keep things balanced.

Get the Look: Tile Backsplash: Snowflake in Azul; cubantropicaltile.com. Island Paint Color, Sweat Pear by Benjamin Moore

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Pale Pink

If you want to bring some color to your kitchen, but aren’t quite ready to fully commit, keep the backgrounds timeless and white, and then turn to appliances and accessories to add punches of color.

Get the Look: Wall Paint Color, Ultra Pure White by Behr. Refrigerator, SMEG; wayfair.com.

Source: https://livingcorner.com.au Category: Kitchen

source https://livingcorner.com.au/transform-your-kitchen-with-a-fresh-coat-of-paint/

#livingcornernews

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your-eddie-richie · 3 years

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𝑰 𝑳𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝒀𝒐𝒖 // 𝑫.𝑴

——————————————————————————————

.3.

It only took a few minutes before we were outside the front doors of the castle. Being the gentleman he is, Cedric helped Cho, Luna, and I out of the carriage, smiling at the way I blushed when his hand met mine.

"Cedric there you are mate!" Cedric and I turned to see a tall black haired boy in Hufflepuff robes make his way over to us. "Eric, this is Danielle Thomas, Cho Chang, and Luna Lovegood, ladies this is my best mate Eric Richardson." Cedric introduced us all and we all shook hands exchanging brief hellos. "So this is the girl you met on the train." Eric teased. "Well Danielle I'm sorry but I must steal your lover boy away from you." Eric clapped Cedric on the shoulders as a dark blush dusted Cedric's face. "I'll see you after the feast!" Cedric called as he was ushered away by Eric, throwing a smile my way. Turning I locked eyes with Cho, matching the wide smile she had.

Subsequently it took us about another ten minutes before we were seated at the Ravenclaw table in the great hall, talking with others about how our summer break was and if we visited any places. "Dani, how was your summer break?" Padma Patil smiled. Then we were off into a conversation about how I spent most of my summer with my mum doing muggle things.

Before long the sorting ceremony started. After about 50 different kids getting sorted between Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Slytherin, and Ravenclaw and a lot of clapping and cheering Dumbledore was ready to give his speech.

"Now we're all settled in and sorted, I'd like to make an announcement. This castle will not only be your home this year but home to some very special guests as well. You see Hogwarts has been chosen..."

Dumbledore was cut off as Filch ran well more like hobbled between the Hufflepuff and Gryffindor tables, making his way to whisper into Dumbledore's ear, then hobbling off out of the Great Hall.

"So Hogwarts has been chosen to host a legendary event. The Triwizard tournament. Now for those of you who do not know, the triwizard tournament brings together three schools for a series of magical contests. From each school a single contestant is selected to compete. Now let me be clear, if chosen, you stand alone. And trust me when I say these contests are not for the faint hearted, but more of that later. For now please join me in welcoming the lovely ladies of the Beauxbatons Academy of magic and their headmistress Madam Maxime."

We all watched in awe as some of the most beautiful girls made their way into the Great Hall dancing around, mostly charming the guys.

"Psst, Dani." I glanced at Cho as she motioned her head to the Hufflepuff table. Confused, I quickly glance over only to meet the gaze of Cedric. As soon as my eyes met his he smiled and sent me a wink causing me to go crimson turning back to the Ravenclaw table. "He hasn't even glanced at the Beauxbatons girls." Cho murmured as what had to be the tallest lady I've ever seen walked into the Great Hall following the Beauxbatons girls.

"And now our friends from the north, please greet the proud sons of Durmstrang and the high master Igor Karkaroff."

It was then that the Great Hall erupted into whispers as Victor Krum along with other Durmstrang boys entered the hall, spinning bo staffs and breathing fire. "Terry it's Victor Krum!" Anthony Goldstein almost had a heart attack as him and Terry Boot started to whisper excitedly about Quidditch. After embracing Igor Karkaroff, Dumbledore let the feast begin.

After piling my plate and eating enough to stuff me like a turkey, Dumbledore stood, clearing his throat while waving his hand, taking away everything on the tables, leaving them bare.

"Your attention please! I would like to say a few words. Eternal glory, that is what awaits the student who wins the triwizard tournament. But to do this that student must survive three tasks. Three extremely dangerous tasks." He paused a moment as the Great Hall buzzed with excited whispers coming from every inch of the hall.

"For this reason the ministry has seen fit to impose a new rule. To explain all this we have the head of the department of international magic cooperation Mister Bartimus Crouch."

No sooner than the words left his mouth a great crack of thunder sounded over head, and rain began to pour from the enchanted ceiling of the Great Hall, causing many screams of surprise. Then a man stepped out of the shadows, his wand drawn, casting a spell that caused the thunder and rain to cease, returning the ceiling back to the starry night. "Blimey! That's Alastor Moody! That's Mad-Eye Moody!" Terry Boot gasped as Mad-Eye limped up to where Dumbledore stood, saying something brief before taking a seat at the head table, taking a swig from a flask. I didn't bother to listen to Terry or Anthony gawk over the mysterious man.

"After much deliberation the ministry has concluded that for their own safety no student under the age of seventeen shall be allowed to put forth their name for the tri-wizard tournament. This decision is final."

The Great Hall erupted into a stream of boo's and yells about how unfair Barty's rules were, how they were rubbish. I rolled my eyes, not too interested in listening to everyone argue. I almost jumped out of my skin when Dumbledore roared over the crowd. "Silence!" The hall went dead silent immediately, not a soul muttered a single word. I glanced back over to the Hufflepuff table, watching Cedric as he intently waited for more information. All eyes were on the headmaster as he waved his wand over a box all of us watching in awe as it melts away into a goblet.

"The goblet of fire. Anyone wishing to submit themselves for the tournament merely write their name upon a piece of parchment and throw it in the flame before this hour on Thursday night. Do not do so lightly, if chosen there's no turning back. As from this moment the tri-wizard tournament has begun."

Not too long after we were all dismissed to our common rooms, and it was then that the Great Hall got loud again with the murmurs of the twi-wizard tournament. "This is awesome! I told you this year was going to be great didn't I?" Cho giggled as we stood, ready to get to bed. It was then I felt a tap on my shoulder, turning I was met with Cedric's bright smile and his blue eyes."Danielle, I wanted to tell you goodnight, and I was wondering if I could possibly see you before classes start tomorrow?" "Goodnight to you too Cedric and that would be nice, I'll um... see you in the morning then." I spoke softly before parting ways with him, catching up to Luna, Padma and Cho while anticipating the lovely feeling of my dorm beds sky blue silk sheets and breakfast tomorrow.

#draco malfoy #harry potter #fanfic #hermione granger #ron weasley #fred weasley #george weasley #luna lovegood #cho chang #cedric diggory

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hermoodymaximalismhome · 8 months

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hometoursandotherstuff · 3 years

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Amber was a teenage goth and she’s 100% a goth at heart. Here’s how she made a dreamy, dark, moody home for her family, on a budget.

Amber said, “Our home is a Victorian semi. We instantly fell in love, as we both love period properties. It stretched our budget so we decorated by buying second-hand/vintage, upcycling furniture, and painting bathroom tiles. The majority of the changes we’ve made are cosmetic.

Amber’s favorite room is the lounge. She wanted a room w/black walls, but was a bit nervous. She’s so glad they did it, b/c it oozes atmosphere and pleases her soul.

The dining room is deep teal with white. Amber says, “ Your starting point for inspiration can come from anywhere: A film, a holiday, a cushion.”

The master is a pretty, dark, sanctuary. It reflects Amber’s styles of moody, maximal, eclectic, bohemian, & vintage.

The mural in the spare room was bought from a friend’s company.

Painted wall tiles and tub in the bath turned out great.

https://www.apartmenttherapy.com/dark-and-moody-maximalist-uk-house-decorated-on-a-budget-36869272

#goth design on a budget #got decor ideas #goth decor inspiration #moody decor #black decor

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chaoswillfallrpg · 3 years

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ALICIA AVERY-JONES is FIFTY-FIVE YEARS OLD and THE HEAD OF THE AUROR’S OFFICE in THE DEPARTMENT OF MAGICAL LAW ENFORCEMENT at THE MINISTRY OF MAGIC. She looks remarkably like VIOLA DAVIS and considers herself NEUTRAL. She is currently OPEN.

→ OVERVIEW:

tw: death, murder

Alicia-Avery Jones is a name equated with excellence in the wizarding world. A feared and famous Auror before she took on the role of head of the Auror’s Office, Alicia is a powerhouse who rules her workplace with an iron fist. The middle child of famed Quidditch player EMMERSON AVERY and socialite ANGELIKI BROWN, Alicia had a charmed life and was raised in the beautiful village of Alton. Her childhood was staged in Avery Castle, which sat high above the Muggle village and allowed for brilliant viewing when staring out from the drawing room window. The Avery family were famed in the wizarding world, retaining their wealth by becoming the backbone of the British and Irish Quidditch League. Alicia’s siblings, her older brother EDWIN AVERY and younger sister EUDORA were flying not long after they began walking. Alicia was different. Their home had an extensive library and whilst her siblings flew around the pitch on their grounds as their mother watched and drank lemonade, Alicia would pull books out and flick through them on the lawn. The Avery family had been flyers for generations but with two children already taking to the skies and their lineage firmly intact, Alicia was encouraged to follow her mind. Through her books she visited far away lands, read about their ancestors and joined long voyages with great explorers or read the manifestos of great sorcerers who longed to make a change in the world.

Through books, Alicia became obsessed with the idea that a single person could inflict change. Sitting under the hat at eleven years old it considered her options, she had such drive, determination, wit and intelligence… “GRYFFINDOR!” It shouted as Alicia ran to take her place next to Edwin. Alicia had never quite considered herself much of a Gryffindor, but accepted the will of that hat and that it had glimpsed more for Alicia in Gryffindor. Amongst the loud personalities of the house of lions, Alicia was able to hold her own becoming friends with fellow bookworm MINERVA MCGONAGALL who had also seemed like more of a Ravenclaw to her. Her time at Hogwarts was largely in the shadow of the close of The Global Wizarding War, with friends beginning to drop off her radar as whispers about blood purity became louder, leaving her with mostly Minerva and TOBIAS MISSELTHROPE for friends who shared her liberal opinion that blood did not define the sorcerer. When ALBUS DUMBLEDORE returned from his famed duel in Alicia’s sixth year to take up the mantle of headmaster, it confirmed everything Alicia had already believed in. It was up to the individual to change the world and whilst there was good in society who were willing to stand up and defend it they would never fall into what Grindelwald had been planning. Graduating a former Perfect and Head Girl, Alicia quickly enrolled in the Auror Programme and began her training.

A fierce duellist, Alicia stood out in class, Alicia trained and read all day, sacrificing any form of a personal life which would become a staple for her. Her younger years saw Alicia leave a string of broken hearts behind her, but none was more painful then her first girlfriend JOSEPHINE BATES. Alicia met Jo during her training at the academy, a fresh faced eighteen year old, at the time it had felt like love but Alicia knew it wasn’t built to last. Josephine was an adventurous soul whose life had meaning according to love rather than work and soon Alicia’s long hours drove a wedge between them. It was at this point she met BALTHAZAR JONES, a prosecution barrister at Wizengamot and someone Alicia was tasked with working closely with on a case that was about to pass through the court. An expert witness for Balthazar, the two spent an intense period of time going over the case, united in a singular goal. Balthazar was someone Alicia truly admired. Like Alicia his work was his life and the passion and conviction that he pursued his cases with were incredibly similar to that of her own. Although she believed what she shared with Josephine was love, with Balthazar she believed she had found someone whose soul was not only similar to hers but the same and the quickly began a relationship while his case was still being processed through court.

Their short romance was wild. Shared kisses round doors and long evenings alone were passionate and fun, resulting in the pregnancy of their eldest child HESTIA JONES. Alicia was committed to her job and her life in the Auror’s Office, and wasn’t confident she would make a good mother. Balthazar was the only person she could imagine attempting to go on this specific journey with. Alicia loved her baby daughter with every fibre of her soul and when she looked at her, she felt the immense desire to make the world better and safer, not just out of ambition but for Hestia more than anything. As Alicia climbed the ranks at work and put criminals away she spent more time at work, leaving Hestia in the care of nannies, elves and family. It wasn’t the ideal situation Alicia had envisioned for Hestia, but she wanted her daughter to have the best in life which unbeknownst to Alicia was simply time with her parents rather than expensive books, pretty dresses and people in handcuffs. By the time Alicia and Balthazar had discussed being ready to have a second child Hestia was ten years old and sadly would not receive the best of her parents as she was due to go away to Hogwarts. When GWENOG was born, Alicia and Balthazar made a promise to be there more for their children but quickly became swept up in the day to day of raising a baby.

What had seemed so easy with Hestia was much more difficult with Gwen. The couple cut their hours back at work to make time for their girls and enrolled Gwen in sports and took an interest in her likes. A lot of the mistakes she had made with Hestia, Alicia was determined not to make with Gwen and although it was difficult with her job she tried to be there as often as she could. With Hestia having graduated Hogwarts and Gwen safely away at school, Alicia decided to accept the position of Head of the Auror’s Office in 1972 whilst, unbeknownst to Alicia, Hestia had both begun and finished her training within the Auror’s Office. Due to the Ministry taking a crack down on nepotism in the 70s under EUGENIA JENKINS, Alicia wasn’t overjoyed to hear Hestia had gone behind her back and enrolled in the Auror programme, potentially jeopardizing her promotion she had secretly been once again gunning for. When Hestia arrived home with her grades in hand, all she was met with from Alicia was silence. Alicia wanted to be happy for her eldest born, but having given up so much of her younger years to being a mother, Alicia was energized by the idea she would once again be working in a job which challenged her. Her silence was not met kindly by Hestia, who in equal silence packed her bags and moved out that same evening, much to the displeasure of Alicia.

In the years that followed Alicia’s promotion, she has seen two more Ministers for Magic which has seen her now working under MILLICENT BAGNOLD and in a time of severe unrest, with fingers pointed at her as the person who isn’t doing enough to stop it. The death of the Minister’s son BOOKER BAGNOLD was a particular low point in Alicia’s career and one she vowed she would never repeat. Since his death, Alicia is focused unwavering and determined, her personal relationships suffering as a result. At work Alicia is unforgiving, running the Auror’s Office with the help of ALASTOR MOODY with sheer tenacity. Her primary goal above all else has been the arrest of SILAS CRUMP who it is widely believed was responsible for Booker’s slaying, though Alicia is not convinced he is to blame. As cases pile up and strange mysteries come to light, Alicia can’t help but wonder if something much bigger is at play. The vampire attack on the co-leader of Sorcerers for Equality BENJY FENWICK is another thorn in her side as well as a clue that all of these cases may not be isolated. Confident in her abilities, Alicia has appointed herself the lead on the case, privately looking into a number of vampires including the elusive GEORGINE FARIBULT and her establishment she had previously been turning a blind eye to, in the hopes of unravelling the biggest case of her career and ensuring the safety of the people of London.

→ ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

Blood Status → Pure-Blood

Pronouns → She/Her

Identification → Cis Female

Sexuality → Pansexual

Relationship Status → Single

Previous Education → Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry (Gryffindor)

Societies → Pura Sorores

Family → Balthasar Jones (husband), Edwin Avery (deceased brother), Eudora Shacklebolt (sister), Hestia Jones (daughter/colleague), Gwenog Jones (daughter), Lucille Jones (niece/colleague), Florence Jones (niece), Genevieve Avery (niece), Jasper Avery (nephew), Kingsley Shacklebolt (nephew/colleague)

Connections → Tobias Misselthorpe (best friend), Minerva McGonagall (best friend), Alastor Moody (close friend/colleague), Millicent Bagnold (friend/boss), Rutherford Bagnold (friend), Celeste Maxim (friend), Josephine Bates (ex-girlfriend), Cecily Greengrass (adversary), Cygnus Black (adversary), Benjy Fenwick (person of interest), Georgine Faribault (person of interest), Silas Crump (person of interest)

Future Information → N/A

ALICIA AVERY-JONES IS A LEVEL 9 WITCH.

#marauders rp #marauders rpg #harry potter rp #harry potter roleplay #Alicia Avery Jones #open Witch #open neutral #witch #neutral #open #Ministry of Magic #aurors office

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war-sword · 5 years

Text

i know places

(draco x hufflepuff!reader)

summary: Draco has been your secret boyfriend for a few months, and you decide to go public at the Yule Ball. But, does it get a little too public? words: 4,048 A/N: sorry you all were content starved for all of july!! but i’ve got other stuff in the works 💅 i hope this isn’t too angsty for you. shy literally told me to cut out the angst so no one gets mad at me but then i decided i uhhhh didn’t care. she tried to warn me lmao. taglist: @clockworkherondale @accio-rogers @mayorofzillyhoo @diademofdraco @drawlfoy @ladybuginthetardis @silversslytherin @lushlavenderskies @socontagiousimagines

read the rest of my masterlist

◈◈◈

“Y/N, come out! I want to see your dress!” Hannah calls from our room.

I smooth my velvet skirt in the mirror, and crack open the door. “Ready?”

Hannah swipes her lashes one more time and turns from her vanity to look at me. I push the door all the way open, and she gasps. “Oh my GOSH it’ssososopretty!!”

I do a little twirl in the center of the room, and my skirt swishes about. The dress I’d had my mom send was one I’d found last year when I was at home for summer. It’s velvet with a long skirt and a petticoat so it’s fluffy, and a sweetheart cut neckline with little cap sleeves. I hadn’t bought it the first time because I hadn’t had anywhere to wear it to, but as soon as the yule ball was announced I sent my mum a letter to please buy it, but only if it came in dark green.

“It matches your eyes so well!” Hannah says. “You should wear green more often.”

“That’s what Draco says.” I roll my eyes.

“He’s going to love it, and so is everyone else.”

I put on my jewelry– two drop earrings with silver moons on the ends to match my necklace– and my shoes. I’d just washed my hair that morning, and left it down in long curls.

In the common room, all the girls are having a sort of compliment party as we go our ways, telling each other how pretty we look. Our friend Justin is waiting for us at the entrance to the common room, looking very handsome in his suit. “Justin, you look so cute!” I give him a big hug.

“You look cute too! And you, Hannah.” Justin says.

“Thank you!” Hannah does a little curtsy in her pink vintage gown.

We walk out the entrance together, and make our way to the great hall. Hannah leaves us when she finds her date, and we wave goodbye to her as she departs. “Where is Lisa?”

“She’s somewhere. She didn’t really care if we showed up together or not.” Justin says.

“So relaxed. I envy you.” I sigh.

“Draco wants to make an entrance?” Justin raises an eyebrow. I nod. “Naturally. How about, I go down the stairs first. You wait up here and I’ll make sure he’s ready before you come down. You know, for the drama.” He makes hand motions as he says drama, and I laugh.

“Sure. I’ll peek around the corner and watch.”

“Okay, game time!”

We laugh and high-five. Justin takes the steps down two at a time, and starts sifting through the sea of people at the foot of the stairs. I look around the corner to watch. I actually spot Draco before Justin does, in the back, talking with Crabbe and Goyle. I’m startled by a tap on my shoulder. It’s Hermione.

“Oh, sorry did I scare you?” She says apologetically.

“It’s fine! I’m just watching. There’s an awful lot of them down there. I feel nervous to walk down all these stairs.” I turn to look at her dress, a beautiful blue with lots of fluttering pieces. “You look fantastic!”

“Thank you!” She brushes her skirts. “I love your dress, too! It’s very wintery… and green.”

I catch her meaning about the green. People were going to pick up on it sooner or later, but I know Hermione meant no harm. “I picked it out myself. Mum said it would bring out my eyes.”

“It does!” She gives me a wave before heading down the staircase. “See you later!”

“Bye!”

I hadn’t forgotten about Justin and our plan, but I didn’t want to make too much of a scene. It was almost eight, and I needed to go. I didn’t look to see if Justin was ready, so I just walk down the stairs a few paces back from Hermione. Luckily, my skirt is big and I have to hold it, so I have a great excuse to not look for Draco’s reaction as I come down the steps. As soon as I reach the floor though, people are looking at me. I’m sure I look nice, but I start to feel self-conscious about my decision. Walking through the crowd towards one of the walls so I can look for Draco, I hear what people are saying: “Slytherin green!” “-probably because she’s Malfoy’s date. What, you didn’t know?” “-can’t believe it, she’s so nice..”

Maybe this was a big mistake.

I feel a light touch on my hand, and there he is. Draco looks absolutely dashing in his black and white dress robes, his blue eyes bright and clear in the candle light. He takes my hand and pulls me in for a small hug. “You look absolutely beautiful,” he whispers in my ear. He pulls back and gives my hand a kiss.

“Thank you,” I say. “You look very handsome yourself.”

“You want to go in now?”

I nod. The sooner we get in the hall the further in the back we can be. As we move through the crowd, I curse myself for wearing such a full gown. I pull it close with one hand, muttering apologies to everyone we pass.

Though we rarely are seen together outside of the occasional hanging-out, I think people caught on pretty quick that there was something between us. After the ferret incident earlier in the year, nearly half the student body had seen me calm be the only person ever to successfully calm Draco down from his rage. No one in my own house had ever brought it up to me before, but Hannah is really bad at whispering. I didn’t know I could feel so self-conscious about being around him.

Draco doesn’t want to be in the back, but I get him to settle for off to the side. I immediately sit down, making myself as small as possible. “What’s wrong?” Draco asks, full of concern.

“Everyone is whispering about me. About us.” I clasp my hands together.

“Of course, you look beautiful,” Draco says, putting his arm around me.

“It’s not that. I could hear them, they… they think I’m some sort of suck up. Like I don’t know what’s happening to me. Like I don’t know you, or something.” I mumble. “Wearing green was a bad idea.”

“Hey,” Draco tilts my head up so I’m looking at him. “Since when have you cared about what other people think about you? That’s my concern.” I laugh at that a little. “Let everyone say what they want to, and if they say anything bad, I’ll personally make their life Hell.”

“I’m sure you would,” I giggle, taking his hand.

“Most definitely. I just want tonight to be about us, and I want to show my beautiful girlfriend off to everyone. Just one dance, and we can leave if you want.”

“Okay,” I say, putting my head on his shoulder. Draco kisses the top of my head.

“Let’s go stand so we can watch all those stupid champions parade in.”

“You just want to make fun of Harry.”

“Sure.”

I smile. Draco had made me feel better. And he was right, I usually don’t care what people think, so why did I now? We go and stand at the edge of the dance floor, and I see Justin and Lisa standing across from us. They catch my eye, and Lisa lays her head on Justin’s shoulder, sighing dramatically. Justin mimes pulling her close and saying something heartfelt, and they collapse into giggles. They’re making fun of me and Draco!

I stick my tongue out at them, and then point at Draco next to me, making a slash across my throat. We all laugh.

“What are you doing?” Draco asks.

“They’re making fun of us, for being drama queens.” I point across the floor.

Draco just looks over at them, stone faced, and makes an L with his fingers and puts it on his forehead. Lisa and Justin die with laughter. “Was that funny?” Draco asks.

“So funny!” I giggle. “Okay shh, here they come.” The Tournament Champions come in, and both Draco and I gasp at the sight of Hermione with Victor Krum.

“I can’t believe it! That boy looks dumb as dirt and Hermione is the smartest girl I know.” I whisper.

Draco looks surprised. “I’ll agree with you on that.”

The champions all file in with their dates, and we watch them all have the first dance. Draco’s eyes are on Harry as he stumbles around with Parvati Patil, and Draco does a large eye roll when Parvati whispers to him loudly to watch her feet.

In order to save the awkwardness that is none of the Champions really knowing the dance, the teachers quickly start to step in to join them. Professor Dumbledore takes Madme Maxime out onto the floor, followed by Professor Moody and Professor Sinistra. Soon the floor is getting full and Draco takes my hand. “There’s plenty of people, want to go?”

I give a small nod and let Draco lead me to an empty spot on the floor. He puts his other hand on my waist and spins me around toward him, flashing me an encouraging smile. As we spin to the music, I start to feel more comfortable. Draco is talking to me, and with the music and his words in my ears, thoughts of everyone’s whispers disappear. One song rolls into the next, and we’ve danced to four songs without me realizing before Draco pulls me back to the side.

“Feeling better?” He asks.

“Yes.” I grin.

“I’m glad.” Draco looks relieved. “Want to go or hang out a bit more?”

“Let’s eat,” I say, dragging Draco behind me as we go over to the food.

Draco and I get snacks, and I’m stuffing a small chocolate pastry into my mouth when Blaise waves at Draco from across the room. Draco sighs and turns back to me, but I give him a gentle push on his arm. “Go ahead, I’ll be okay without you for a few minutes. I see Hannah over there anyway.”

“You sure?”

“Positive. Go hang out with your friends for a while.”

Reluctantly, Draco leaves. I go over to Hannah who’s with our other friend Susan. We have a good time giggling together and discussing our other friends who we see milling around, and across the room I see Draco having fun with his other friends.

As the Ball progresses, I start to have more fun than I thought. When the Weird Sisters come out, I join Hannah, Justin and Lisa in jumping to “Magic Works”. It’s a while before I see Draco again, as I’m getting something to drink I feel a hand slide around my waist and turn to find his eyes.

“Okay, love?”

“Yes.” I blush a little at the pet name. “My feet hurt something horrible, though. Want to come sit with me outside?” I ask loudly over the music.

Draco and I walk out of the Great Hall and go out into the fairy-lit garden, where we take a seat on one of the benches. I hand Draco my glass and pull my skirts up to reveal my heeled shoes.

“What are you going to do, go barefoot?” Draco asks as I pull my shoes off and wiggle my toes.

“No, I’ve got these.” From my pocket I pull a tiny pair of flats and my wand. “Engorgio!” My extra pair of shoes grow to their normal size, and I slide them onto my feet before shrinking my heeled shoes. Draco looks mildly impressed as I tuck them away into my pocket. “Much better,” I say.

Just then, Harry and Ron come down the path, moving back towards the castle at a fast pace. “Hey, Y/N,” Harry pants as he goes past.

I can feel Draco tense up next to me as they pass, but I rest my hand on his knee to let him know it’s fine. “Where are you two off to so quick!” I call.

Ron turns around as he passes, walking backwards so he can talk to me. “Looking for Hermione. You haven’t seen that Hungarian bloke anywhere, have you?”

I shake my head. “Sorry!”

Ron lets out a groan and turns around, running a bit to catch up the Harry. Draco is brooding even over such a short exchange.

“C’mon, want to walk?” I ask, standing up, trying to get Draco to stop thinking about Harry and Ron. I take my glass back and I drape my free arm though Draco’s as we stroll among the maze of rose bushes.

“Thank you for coming with me,” Draco says, out of nowhere.

“To the ball?” I clarify. “Of course. You know I never get nervous about being out with you… I don’t know what came over me earlier.” A fairy flies down from the groups above and perches gently on the edge of my glass, playing with the water droplets on the sides.

“I know, that’s exactly why I’m grateful” Draco answers. “Normally I’m the one who wants to hang out somewhere where we won’t be bothered, or just generally not be very public about our relationship.” He looks over at the fairy on my glass. “When you were feeling shy earlier, I just finally understood how you might feel when I say that stuff all the time.”

“Oh, Draco, don’t worry about that. It doesn’t bother me, honest. Besides, I like being private. I know how your parents are. But there’s no one I would’ve rather gone with tonight, and I’m glad we did.” I pause in my walking to gently blow a breath at the fairy, and it tumbles off the edge in a pouf of sparkles.

When I look back up, Draco is looking at me with a similar glitter in his eye. “I love you, you know.”

My heart leaps into my throat. “You do?”

“Yes,” he says, grinning like crazy.

I feel my own face breaking out into a huge, stupid smile. “I love you, too.”

POP.

A bright flash goes off behind us and Draco and I whirl around. A tiny boy with big eyes stands a few feet away, holding a camera. For a moment, the three of us are too shocked to do anything but stand there, bewildered. The moment the boy turns on his heels to run, however, Draco snaps into action.

“Petrificus totalus!” Draco cries, drawing his wand from his robes at lighting speed. The boy instantly goes stiff as a board, and I abandon my glass into the bushes as I reach out to grab the back of his robes to stop him from falling flat on his face. I turn him around so I can get a good look at him.

“Who is this?” I ask.

“Creevy, obsessed with Potter his first year.” Draco says, sounding mildly disgusted.

“That kid? But, that makes him a third year. Students that young aren’t even allowed to come to the ball, how’d he get in here?”

“Let’s find out. Repariforis.”

The boy immediately starts to squirm when the curse is lifted, but he’s so small that my hands on his shoulders are enough to keep him in place.

“What are you doing taking pictures of us?” Draco asks coldly. I don’t reprimand him this time.

The boy squeezes his eyes shut and doesn’t answer, just keeps wriggling to get free of my grasp. “I’m not going to let you go until you tell us!” I say.

“Somebody asked me to!” Colin squeaks.

“Who?” Draco continues.

“I can’t say!” Colin opens his eyes and looks up helplessly. Draco just lifts his wand again, and Colin shrinks back. I have to take a step forward to keep my grip on him.

“Take the film out.” I snap.

Colin pales. “What? But I’ve just put a new roll in-”

“If you take it out and give me the photos we’ll let you go.” I say firmly, taking one of my hands off his shoulder to hold it out in front of him.

Colin looks defeated, and opens the back of his camera to remove the roll of film. He places the barely used canister in my hand, and I chuck it into the fountain to our left. Colin watches sadly as it sinks to the bottom. “Next time you want someone’s photograph, ask permission.” I point my finger and Colin takes off running in the other direction.

“Well done, babe.” Draco says, pocketing his wand. Despite his words, he’s not smiling all that much.

“That was strange. Who’s off hiring Colin Creevy to take our photograph?” I mutter, going to take Draco’s arm again.

“Creepy’s more like it. Maybe it isn’t anyone, and he’s just weird.” Draco pulls me in close and places a kiss on my forehead. “Come on, let’s not let it ruin our night. I know a place behind a tapestry on the fourth floor that’s waiting on us.”

I snuggle into his chest and let out a small giggle. “Okay, let’s go.”

◈◈◈

On Boxing Day I make my way down to the Great Hall for a late breakfast, and take a seat with the rest of my housemates at the table. I see Draco come in a few minutes later followed by Blaise and Pansy, all looking equally tired. Draco gives me a small smile as he goes to sit down.

Halfway through the meal, the owls come in. I don’t see my jet black owl among the ones soaring over my table, and resign myself to no mail. Not that I expected much; my parents had sent me plenty of things on Christmas.

Hannah’s copy of the Daily Prophet lands in her outstretched hand. She unrolls it to read the front page when her fork stops mi-way to her mouth. “Oh…”

“What?” I say, leaning to look over her shoulder at the paper. I feel like everything goes still as my eyes catch the headline part way down the page, along with a photo of me and Draco that was much worse that what Colin had captured of us in the garden.

SACRED TWENTY-EIGHT, NOT SO SACRED ANYMORE

Rita Skeeter, Daily Prophet exclusive correspondent

The Malfoy bloodline has been one that, for centuries, remained one of the most well known names in successfully keeping their family tree filled with only other Pure-Blood wizards. With an expansive state being handed down for centuries, a great family fortune, and an outstanding reputation of generous gifts to the Hogwarts Board of Trustees and the Ministry of Magic itself, the most recent generation of the Malfoy family has been more than able to uphold the impressiveness their surname commands.

Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for the up and coming generation. The single heir to all of the Malfoy glory is Draco Lucius Malfoy, currently in his fourth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. It appears, however, that his parents have failed to instill in him the values and expectations that come with being from a family of his stature. Spotted this weekend with the Half-Blood Y/N L/N as his date to the Triwizard Tournament’s Yule Ball shows he’s decided to toss his family name and tradition to the side in favor of a more passionate, heart’s desire endeavor.

I can’t read on, and I feel like the porridge I’ve just eaten is about to make a reappearance. I look away, but the photo of me and Draco snogging that was clearly taken from through a window outside the castle is still burned into the back of my eyelids. Hannah throws down the paper when she finally notices my green expression. “Hey! Y/N, take a deep breath, it’s going to be alright-”

“Oh no, it’s not,” I say shakily, looking around at the rest of the people in the hall. Other students who’ve gotten their copies of the Daily Prophet are deep into reading, whispering amongst each other. Someone from across the hall catches my eye and quickly looks away, and I feel myself start to get hot and sweaty.

Hannah’s got her hands on my arms, trying to talk me down, but I’m not hearing a word that’s coming out of her mouth. I can only look at Draco, stone faced as he and Pansy scan the front page of the Prophet.

It only takes Draco a second to realize what the article says, and his face falls almost immediately. Pansy pulls the paper away and I can see her asking him if he’s alright, but his eyes are unfocused, still staring into space where the paper was. It feels like an eternity before he finally looks up and catches my eye.

“I’m so sorry”, he mouths. Before I can reply back, his handsome eagle owl unceremoniously drops a blood red envelope onto his plate in front of him.

If people all over the all weren’t watching us before, they sure are now. The Howler has barely hit Draco’s breakfast before he’s snatched it up, and starts full out sprinting to the doors of the great hall. Some people from the Gryffindor table are laughing, but most of the hall catches their breath, wondering if they’ll actually get to hear Draco’s famously scary parents chew him out.

In my dazed and upset state, I can’t even move. I just push my bowl of porridge out of the way and lay my head on my arms. The Howler bursts open in what’s probably a corridor off the entrance hall. Pretty far, but not far enough to hide all the horrible words that come screaming out of it.

“DRACO LUCIUS MALFOY, IN THE NAME OF MERLIN, HOW COULD YOU HAVE BEEN SO FOOLISH TO MAKE A MISTAKE AS GREAT AS THIS! AND BE SO, SO UNASHAMED! IT IS ONE THING FOR YOUR CLASSMATES TO KNOW THIS, BUT TO HAVE THE ENTIRE WIZARDING POPULATION OF BRITAIN BE PRIVY TO YOUR UTTER INSOLENCE–– A TRAVESTY OF THE HIGHEST REGARD! I CANNOT BELIEVE THE DAY HAS COME I’VE READ AN ARTICLE BY THAT RAT THE DAILY PROPHET CALLS A REPORTER AND FOUND MYSELF AGREEING WITH HER EVERY WORD! A HALF-BLOOD! FOR SALZAR’S SAKE! I’LL LET YOUR AUNT HAVE YOUR HEAD FOR THIS! DO NOT THINK FOR A PRECIOUS SECOND THIS IS THE LAST YOU’LL HEAR OF THIS MATTER, DRACO!”

I barely hear the end of Draco’s dad’s speech because I’m crying so hard. Hannah is rubbing my back in an attempt to get me to calm down, but the whole Hall has settled into quiet whispers that make me want to vanish into the floor and never return. I rip free of Hannah’s embrace and streak out the doors the same way Draco did.

As I suspected, Draco ran down the corridor that leads to the dungeons, hoping the would block the most sound. Draco’s on his knees in front of the smoldering remains of the Howler. He looks still at first, but when I stop and wipe the tears out of my eyes, I can see him shaking. He’s crying, too.

“I’m so sorry,” he chokes out. “I never… this is the worst way this could have ever gone.”

I crumple to the floor beside him. “It’s not your fault, I don’t know how she learned any of that stuff or got that photo.”

But Draco wasn’t listening to me. He had that same faraway look on his face as he did when Pansy showed him the article. “I wanted to tell them, when we were ready… they’re going to cut me off…” He turns his head to look over at me, and I fling myself into his arms, scrambling into his lap. Draco is pulling me to him like he is trying to hold all of me at once. “They’ll never let me see you again,” he chokes into my ear.

“No, no, they can’t. They c-can’t!” I sob over and over, hopelessly. “They can’t… no. I’ll… I’ll find us a place we can hide, where no one else can find us.”

Draco’s sobs start to subside. “Are you sure?”

“Yes,” I whisper into his ear. “For me, it’s always you. We’ll make it.”

#draco x reader #draco malfoy x reader #draco malfoy imagine #draco malfoy #hp imagine #x reader #yule ball

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chrismalcolmhnd2c · 4 years

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Something New

©NESPRESSO

©DUALIT

“Learn something new. Try something different. Convince yourself that you have no limits” Brian Tracey

Research the Narrative

Point of sale product shots demand a high degree of photographic finish and quality.  They should represent a product at its highest quality.  

Within your blog/workbook, research product shots and advertising photographers. Demonstrate through annotation, your understanding of detail and presentation of perfection. 

Tell the Story

Choose an item that is brand new and blemish free and photograph it to the highest quality possible.

Your object should be photographed with a plain white background to show maximum quality.

Care should be taken to ensure that the best lens and viewpoint are used to maximize the product shape.

Edit and refine: Complete worksheet

High level retouching will be necessary as the object must be as close to perfect as possible. (even brand-new items will have flaws that need fixed)

Be prepared to use a range of retouching techniques to optimise this final file for use as an advertising shot.

The object should be easily dropped into other background so we will look at ways to cut out and present the object as a vector cut-out.

Submit: Final image on A3 canvas, and the object cut out of the background as a PSD. Upload to my city: Upload to my city.

Research

TOP 5: PRODUCT STILL LIFE PHOTOGRAPHERS

January 19, 2016 admin Brands

This week, counting down on our TOP 5, I am going to be listing my favourite product still life photographers, these are purely based on their portfolio and on their popularity.

STILL LIFE PRODUCT PHOTOGRAPHERS

1. Nori Inoguchi

http://www.norimichi.com/

Born in Japan, NORI Inoguchi was educated in New York where he refined his passion for photography. His love of luxury and desire to create visually stunning images inspired him to become a still-life product photographer; NORI seeks to find beauty in all of the objects he shoots. With his sophisticated eye and minimalistic approach, he has exploded onto the world stage and has earned bookings from the best names in fashion, cosmetics and electronics. His career has brought him to Paris, London, NY and even back to his native home of Japan. Using clean, clear and crisp techniques, NORI has created numerous campaigns since 2009 and he has since become a trusted name in the field.

2. Sam Kaplan

http://www.samkaplan.com/

Since striking out on his own in 2011, the 29-year-old Boston native has eschewed high-concept aesthetics and taken a more hands-on approach built around exacting precision—a sculptor’s finely honed interest in process and material. His approach might seem throwback, but that’s part of Kaplan’s appeal. Unlike many of his photographic peers, he had a rather low-tech schooling, studying fine art and art history at Wesleyan University.

3. Lucas Zarebinski

http://www.lucaszarebinski.com/

Lucas grew up in Bielsko Biala, Poland, a small city famous for goose down comforters. When he was 17, he dated an photographer named Olga who later inspired Lucas to become an artist even though he said ” I always wanted to be an artist but I was horrible at drawing.” In the few months he was around her, he realised that he had a talent for still life photography. He then moved to Michigan when he was 20, got a degree in Fine Arts and Photography while he parked cars at night and learned English from his 3 roommates. Fast forward 10 years later. He now live in New York permanently and creates images for a living.

He says in his biography ” I love creating conceptual images, pushing the boundaries of still life photography and resolving client’s problems with an inspiring imagery. I still like red beet soup and blueberry pierogis, but I also like beef with broccoli and spicy tuna rolls these days. ”

4. Jonathan Knowles

http://jknowles.co.uk/

Jonathan Knowles is one of the leading photographers of his generation. Specialising in graphic still life, liquid and beauty, Jonathan’s unique photographic style has earned him award-winning advertising commissions worldwide.

In the past ten years, Jonathan has consistently featured in the ‘200 Best Advertising Photographers in the World’ books. He is one of the top 10 all time award winners in the Graphis Annuals.

Notable commissions include campaigns for many globally recognised brands, such as Coca-Cola, Guinness, and Smirnoff. He is also the creator of the famous O2 bubbles.

He shot the Black Sabbath 13 Album cover, as well as directing and filming the footage that is currently played on stage during performances. Black Sabbath loved the imagery and invited Jonathan to the album launch in New York, where he received a friendly strangle of gratitude from Ozzy.

5. Zachary Goulko

http://www.goulko.com/

Like a modern Chiaroscuro master, beauty, product and still life photographer Zachary Goulko harnesses the power of light to infuse two-dimensional images with drama, shape, and volume. His moody, provocative photographs illuminate the power of a single moment: the arresting beauty of a face, the grace of a sculptural curve, the fluid interplay between light and color and form. It is the Moscow-born photographer’s mission to capture the essence of each subject, and to present its beauty to the world in fresh and unexpected ways. He is an exhaustive experimenter, conjuring moods, intertwining lines with rhythm, exploring the architecture of shape and light. His still life and product photographs are clean and precise, yet startlingly intimate. They achieve a level of visual poetry that is unique in the commercial photography world. With a fully equipped high end studio, based in the New York City area, he photographs product and still life images for many world renown beauty and cosmetics brands. Among Goulko’s clients are L’Oréal, Lancôme, Clinique, Estée Lauder, Strivectin, Shu Uemura, Frederic Fekkai, Patek Phillipe, de GRISOGONO, Roger Dubuis, and Zac Posen, . With a background in design and interactive programming, he is constantly seeking new ways to push the technological boundaries of his medium and give full expression to his creative vision.

Source: http://claphamstudiohire.com/top-5-product-still-life-photographers/

PRODUCT PHOTOGRAPHY IDEAS

Unusual and even extraordinary product photography ideas are what make many leading brands stay demanding and make people talk about their creative product shots and buy their products. Let me tell you how to do product photography like creative product photographers do. I’ve gathered 20 original product photography techniques and ideas for any product.

What Is Product Photography?

Product photos belong to a branch of commercial photography which is about advertising a product. There are several classical ways of shooting products: product photography on a white background, ghost mannequin, lifestyle product photography, motion images, photos of the product line, tabletop photography, photos of the product being packed, 360 product photography, etc.

Creative Product Photography Ideas

High-quality product photography is important for you and your client. Therefore, it is obligatory to choose the right strategy to demonstrate each product. But many photographers have a moment when they need to diversify the photos or add some creative elements. Here are some different product photography ideas for your inspiration:

1. One Second Before

This is an example of creative product shots that are taken right before something unexpected: an explosion, fall, etc. That is why you as a photographer should manage to catch the moment in the second before it happens.

2. Use Smoke

This product photography idea is a good way to make your product look dramatic. Use the coloured smoke if it is suitable for your product design. To make smoke more accurate, use Photoshop brushes.

3. Floating Products

You may hang some goods to make them look three-dimensional. Hang a product using a line, wire or rope. Then remove background or a line from the photograph of a floating product in Photoshop.

4. Association Game

If you need extraordinary product photo for a fashion magazine or billboard advertising, what can be better than funny surrealistic illustrations. Such photographs are typically taken in the studio using special product photography lighting kit and digital drawing techniques in Photoshop.

5. Motion Product Photography

This creative product photography idea is realized by means of short exposure and quick photographer’s and assistants’ actions. The photos are striking for a lot of reasons, but the thing that sticks out at first is how adding motion makes images pop.

6. Photo with Models

Give your product character and show the features that make it unique. Use different product photography ideas and creative lifestyle to highlight the product usage.

7. Combined Background

In addition to the familiar white background, I frequently use the background tone that is in harmony with the color of my product. These two product photographs are a good example of colors combination. You may combine the background depending on the product color increasing the image contrast.

8. Crashed or Broken Product

It is pretty a specific idea for product photos and not everyone decides to use it. It attracts people’s attention and evokes pity and interest to the product. It is better to get a shot at the beginning of product crash.

9. Use Reflection

You may use smooth plain covers with high reflectivity as the surface. For example, your product photos may be taken on an average ceramic tile. Make sure, you work in good lighting. In order to take such image, it is necessary to choose the right angle and lighting to get excellent reflection.

10. Product Absorption

This product photography idea has something to do with putting an object into the sand, water or other materials when you intend to put an accent. You may also use different tiny thematic items in which the product may drown.

11. Product Series

Grouping product images creates almost the same effect as zooming. Comparing several products in one photo a customer understands their main differences, volume, shape, size and other features. Moreover, it can persuade your potential customers to buy the whole kit.

12. Symmetry and Dynamics

To take this kind of product photos you have to put a camera at different angles. However, you should be careful while shooting obscure angles in order not to misrepresent the product. Put other products relatively symmetrical mixing them up with different small details.

13. Emphasize the Product’s Colour

Showing the contrast between the background and the product looks fashionable. But the main difference of this photo is an angle between the surface and the background, which creates a three-dimensional image of the lipstick. This dimensional curved shimmering paper underlines the color and the dimension of the product.

14. Sand Print

This product photography idea requires a special background. It may be usual clay, snow, sand, mastic or similar material.

15. Use Associations

Be as much creative as you can. Here Photoshop is you best friend who will help to realize even the craziest product photography ideas as to shape ketchup in the form of a tongue or a lipstick in the form of ice-cream.

10 Famous Product Photographers

https://spark.adobe.com/page/98pcx7gV8QkNW/

#somethingnew

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impressivepress · 4 years

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Landmarks of Early Soviet Cinema

The 1920s was a miraculous golden age for Soviet cinema, both for features and documentary.

The eight films included in this meticulously curated and handsomely presented collection convey the incredible excitement filmmakers felt at the opportunity to participate in the construction of the world’s first socialist state. Freed from the need to make money that drove the Hollywood industry, they could focus on “educating” the new Soviet population. Even Vladimir Ilych Lenin, the father of the 1917 Bolshevik Revolution and the first leader of the country that would become the U.S.S.R., understood that cinema, an art based on technology and machines, was the most suitable one for a country founded on the transformation of humanity through industry and technology. Cinema was nothing less than “the most important art,” Lenin famously declared. Experimentation was the order of the decade. It was a brief but brilliant interlude, before Joseph Stalin came to power and cast a puritanical and paralyzing pall over all the arts, including cinema, in the early 1930s.

In the thick booklet of detailed critical essays that accompanies the DVDs, curators Maxim Pozdorovkin and Ana Olenina write that their goal is to expand understanding of the early Soviet film industry beyond the relatively well-known work of Sergei Eisenstein and Dziga Vertov. (So highly respected was Eisenstein by the end of the 1920s that he was even invited to Hollywood in 1930 to work at Paramount Studios.) Pozdorovkin and Olenina sought to chronicle the development of Soviet Montage and to showcase “the many ways of approaching that mysterious moment between two shots…. Though the films collected here run the gamut of genres and montage styles, what unites them is a belief in the power of fragmentation, recombination, and juxtaposition. They take an active, transformative approach to the footage and display an acute awareness of the medium’s power over the spectator. They believe in cinema’s ability to transform the spectator.”

Four feature films and four documentaries make up the set. The directors are a who’s who of kino luminaries: Lev Kuleshov (The Extraordinary Adventures of Mr.West in the Land of the Bolsheviks and By the Law), Sergei Eisenstein (Old and New), Dziga Vertov (Stride, Soviet), Esfir Shub (The Fall of the Romanov Dynasty), Mikhail Kalatozov (Salt for Svanetia), Viktor Turin (Turksib), and Boris Barnet (The House on Trubnaya). All the films were originally released between 1924 and 1930. Each has a nifty new musical score, using both previously composed and original material. Robert Israel compiled four of them; his score to the early morning Moscow street scenes inThe House on the Trubnaya makes ingenious use of Sergei Prokofiev’s piano cycle, Fugitive Visions, to set the mood.

The films of Eisenstein and Kuleshov are the best-known. In Old and New, completed in 1929 with his trusty codirector Grigori Aleksandrov, Eisenstein (1898-1948) was responding to the Communist Party’s appeal to artists in all media to create work that addressed the transformation of the backward Russian countryside. The film’s production was severely complicated by the frequent changes in official policy on economic development in the agricultural sphere, and Eisenstein had to several times reedit and retitle the film. The dominant theme (as in so many other Soviet films of the late 1920s) is the triumph of the machine over outdated traditional methods. In this case, a cream separator represents the apotheosis of progress and a symbol of the shining future. Eisenstein considered the playful sequence in which the cream separator springs into action, spewing luscious cream, an experiment in “cinematic ecstasy” resembling (in Olenina’s words) “an erotic or religious rapture.” Farmwork never looked so sexy. The failure of the excessively “formalist” Old and New, roundly booed by the party press at its premiere, left Eisenstein traumatized. For nearly ten years afterwards he failed to complete another film, despite numerous false starts both in Hollywood and in Moscow. Only with the simplistically propagandistic Alexander Nevsky would he resurrect his career.

Like Eisenstein, Lev Kuleshov (1899-1970) not only made films, but also wrote extensively on film theory. His imaginative parody The Extraordinary Adventures of Mr.West in the Land of the Bolsheviks (1924) upends negative Western preconceptions about Russians and Bolsheviks, even as it consciously imitates the style of the American action films he so admired. With an all-star cast that includes the manic, leering Aleksandra Khokhlova and cameo appearances by two directors (Boris Barnet and Vsevolod Pudovkin), Mr.West reaches its Buster-Keaton-like climax in a memorable chase sequence. “Placing a cowboy in fringed chaps on the snowcovered streets of Moscow and having him lasso an unsuspecting Russian coachman,” writes Olenina, “is a strategy that bespeaks Kuleshov’s pursuit of comic defamiliarization.” By the time he made By the Law two years later, in 1926, Kuleshov’s style had dramatically changed, becoming less artificial and more moody and psychological under the influence of German expressionism. This gloomy story (adapted from a short story by Jack London) of murderous jealousy and passion among three prospectors under extreme pressure in the Klondike packs considerable emotional power, with another hyperkinetic performance from Khokhlova.

Future director Boris Barnet (1902-65) began as a Kuleshov protégé, but they parted ways after Barnet nearly killed himself doing a stunt in the role of the cowboy inMr.West. Soon he had a successful career as a director in his own right. Barnet’s fourth film, The House on Trubnaya (1928), a witty social satire on life under the limited capitalism allowed by the New Economic Policy, made him famous abroad as well. Written by a stellar quintet that included the formalist critic Viktor Shklovsky, The House on Trubnaya deals with one of the favorite topics of the era: the Moscow housing shortage. As thousands of peasants flooded into the capital, they resorted to all sorts of ruses to find a place to live, crowding into communal apartments that provided ample material for domestic comedy. Barnet uses an open staircase in an apartment building for lots of up-and-down action. “Chopping wood on the staircase is not allowed!” warns a poster, but some of the brawny barechested residents do so anyhow. Parasha (played with physical gusto by Vera Maretskaya), the country girl who has come to Moscow in search of her uncle, ends up as a domestic servant to a pretentious bourgeois hairdresser. But he gets his comeuppance when she joins the union and asserts her proletarian rights.

Barnet uses lots of entertaining visual tricks and puzzles: stop-frame with reverse motion, reflections in puddles and mirrors, even a car seeming to move in a full circle with small stop-motion jumps. A scene of a workers’ march through the city streets becomes a symphony of flags and flagpoles floating disembodied in the sky. Unlike most Soviet films of the period, The House on Trubnaya illuminates human feelings and foibles within an ideological framework, in a manner reminiscent of Ernst Lubitsch. A highly original and versatile talent, Barnet later made spy films that have been favorably compared to Hitchcock’s.

In Soviet cinema, documentary film occupied a highly privileged position. As Maxim Pozdorovkin writes in his accompanying essay, “Nonfiction film was recognized both as an art form and as source material for the writing of history.” Many Soviet filmmakers blurred the line between feature and documentary; Sergei Eisenstein’s Battleship Potemkin and October provide only two of the best examples. In his ground-breaking Man with a Movie Camera, Dziga Vertov (his real name was the more prosaic David Kaufman) proved that documentary film could be exciting and artistic. In this collection, Vertov is represented by his informational “lecture-film” Stride, Soviet (1926), a plotless and heavily edited assortment of scenes from the daily life and labor of Moscow. Without the aesthetic integrity of Man With a Movie Camera, it requires patience (and probably some political background) from the viewer, but offers in its best moments a dynamic portrait of a “city-in-progress.”

Esfir Shub (1894-1959), one of the few female directors in the early Soviet film industry, had a less “activist” view of documentary than Vertov. Her masterpiece, The Fall of the Romanov Dynasty (1927), is a “montage of historical documents” that she found in newsreels, official film records, and home movies of the Tsar’s family. For Shub, montage meant allowing the original footage to speak for itself without excessive formal manipulation. Because the footage she discovered is so emotionally revealing, exposing the amazing indifference of the Russian aristocracy to the squalor that surrounded them during the horrific slaughter of World War I, what emerges is a powerful documentation of “living reality,” as fellow director Vsevolod Pudovkin described it. The pace of the editing is slower, more deliberate, than in most other Soviet documentaries of the period, but the analytical message condemning the evils of the old regime no less incisive.

Vertov and Shub paved the way for the work of two other directors who took documentary in a more artistic, impressionistic, and even ethnographic direction: Viktor Turin and Mikhail Kalatozov. Both explored the remote and exotic territories on the southern fringe of the newly formed U.S.S.R., in documentaries produced outside the mainstream Russian studios. Both also celebrate the progressive mission of the Soviet government in bringing technological improvements to the lives of people whose lives had been virtually untouched by modern civilization. In Turksib (1929), made by Vostok-Kino in Alma-Ata, Kazakhstan, Turin chronicles the construction of a new railroad linking the textile industry of southern Siberia with the wool and cotton producing regions of Kazakhstan. His treatment of the harsh beauty of the Kazakh steppe is breathtaking, its endless sandy expanses sculpted by the wind into weird abstract patterns. To illustrate the need for a reliable connection between the textile industry and its suppliers, he shows a long caravan of camels overtaken and submerged by a violent sandstorm. Pumping pistons and speeding locomotives provide the solution. Turin uses many of the same techniques (visual metaphors, striking informational graphics, allegorical montage) seen in other Soviet documentaries of the period, but with unusual taste and restraint.

The setting for what may be the most remarkable film in this set, Kalatozov’s Salt for Svanetia (1930), is an isolated village high in the Caucasus Mountains of Georgia. Made by the Georgian state studio with Kalatozov as cameraman, it bears an introductory quotation from Lenin: “The Soviet Union is a country so big and diverse that every kind of social and economic way of life is to be found within it.” So Kalatozov (who was himself of Georgian origin) spends most of his time showing the bizarre, vivid world of the Svan community, living a highly ritualized and brutal existence to which the cinematography lends a mythological dimension. The village’s problem is that it has no salt with which to support life for both humans and animals. Graphic images of death and suffering abound. Only the arrival of a Bolshevik brigade in the film’s final moments promises relief.

Several decades later, Kalatozov would become world famous for his searing antiwar film, The Cranes Are Flying, and for his sumptuous portrait of the Cuban Revolution,I Am Cuba. Salt for Svanetia prefigures both of them in its unorthodox and arresting visual imagery. Pozdorovkin calls it “the most visually liberated film of the silent Soviet era,” with its preponderance of crazy angled shots and exaggerated naturalism. The evocative new score by Zoran Borisavljevic, which draws on traditional Georgian music, only heightens the emotional impact.

The quality of all the films restored for the Landmarks of Early Soviet Film DVD box set is exemplary. All but two of them (Turksib and The Fall of the Romanov Dynasty) have the original Russian intertitles as well as easily read English subtitles. The critical material in the accompanying booklet gives extensive historical background and information on the films, but there is one odd omission: the running time of each film is nowhere to be found. But anyone interested in Soviet film, or the early history of documentary, will want to own this set.

Harlow Robinson

Matthews Distinguished University Professor of History at Northeastern University

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Cineaste, Vol. XXXVII, No. 2

#film #soviet film #dziga vertov #lev kuleshov #cineaste magazine

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