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brian-in-finance · 2 years

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Video 📹 clip. Full video in story link below ⬇️

Outlander stars Caitriona Balfe and Sam Heughan break down the action-packed season 6 finale

"It's the first time we've done action together," Heughan tells EW.

Jamie and Claire make a hell of a team — but sometimes that's not enough to keep them out of harm's way.

On Sunday night's season 6 finale of Outlander, Claire (Caitriona Balfe) and Jamie (Sam Heughan) faced off against Richard Brown (Chris Larkin) and his Committee of Safety once again as Brown came to arrest her for the murder of Malva Christie (Jessica Reynolds).

Claire refused to give herself up, resulting in a Western-worthy shootout between the Committee of Safety and her and Jamie. But after an hours-long standoff and much discussion of Jamie's seeming nine lives, the couple decided to give themselves up and let Claire stand a fair trial.

Unexpected mercy came in the form of Tom Christie (Mark Lewis Jones), who insisted on allowing Claire and Jamie to spend one final night in their bed and then commenced to follow them on the road to the nearest town.

As things devolved, Brown and his men became restless, ultimately separating Jamie and Claire, threatening Jamie's life, and taking Claire to Wilmington where she may or may not get that fair trial. Tom stuck by Claire's side, promising to ensure Jamie's life and that she is handled justly.

But Jamie didn't waste any time taking matters into his own hands. After being rescued by Ian (John Bell) and the Cherokee, he set out for Wilmington with vengeance on his mind.

We caught up with Balfe and Heughan about getting to film their first action scenes together, when they knew they would have a shortened season that ended here, and what lies ahead for our favorite Scot and his Sassenach.

Credit: Robert Wilson/Starz

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: At what point did you know you would stop with eight episodes and that this would be the finale?

CAITRIONA BALFE: It was quite late, wasn't it, Sam? The original plan for this season was always 12 episodes. Obviously, COVID made it slightly difficult. I made it slightly difficult. There was going to be a point where I wouldn't be able to shoot anymore. Instead of writing Claire out of a few episodes, they decided instead to stop at a certain point, and then tack whatever episodes we didn't do on to this season that we're shooting now. But that decision wasn't made probably until halfway through shooting.

SAM HEUGHAN: There was a point where we were going to break for a bit and come back and continue after you'd given birth, which would have been interesting...

BALFE: I think they were like, "You can come back after eight weeks, right"? I was like, "Ahhh, maybe not."

Did that lead to any rewriting of this episode, as far as you know?

BALFE: Not really. I don't think they adapted any scripts really at all? This was the story that was always going to be told. We had the final four episodes that we're shooting now. They've since been kind of changed since we've started season 7, but this was always the way it was going to be shot.

We've seen Claire and Jamie stand by each other through thick and thin, but this is the first time we've seen them in a shootout together. What was it like filming that together?

HEUGHAN: Claire — or Caitriona — is pretty good at loading rifles, and also a pretty damn good shot. It's sort of them against the world, right? They're a good team, and it's fun to see them now literally fighting people off to protect their home. It's the first time we've done action together.

BALFE: It's the first time I've ever smoked a gun, unintentionally. Note to self: when you fire and there's a flash in the pan and you've got all this smoke going up, don't inhale at that moment because you literally will smoke the gun.

Sam, why do you think Jamie ultimately relents and gives themselves up?

HEUGHAN: There's no other option, and it's an interesting one because they talk about death in this episode in the scene. Jamie's weighed up all the odds and this is the only option. Their salvation, or not salvation, but at least, an option, comes in the form of the fisherfolk and gets them out of this situation with the Browns and the standoff. But are they going to something worse? I don't know. Or Jamie doesn't know. But at least it's a way out. You can see that there's no other option. No one's coming to rescue them, or the people that are coming won't be able to be able to be effective. So, they're stuck. They're completely stuck in a dead end.

Tom seems oddly protective of Claire. What do both Claire and Jamie make of his sudden kindness and his change in behavior?

BALFE: I don't know. It's funny. Tom's just a funny one. You never really know what's going on in that strange little man's head. But it's been so lovely working with Mark Lewis Jones and watching the evolution of that character, and the evolution of the relationships that Claire and Jamie have with him. Is he just wanting true justice as he sees it? Does he want Claire to have a fair trial because he believes so piously in truth and fairness and all of those things? Maybe. Maybe there's another reason. But at least it is nice for her to have a face — I was about to say a friendly face but I don't know if you can really call him that — but it's nice to have Tom there in that capacity because at least Claire feels like she has some protection once Jamie's gone.

Should we still be suspicious of Tom, though? I think Jamie would be.

HEUGHAN: I mean, look, we started the whole season with flashbacks to how their relationship started off and it's always been very confrontational. They've been on different sides. But there is this strange respect between them. And at this point, in this episode, Jamie's beginning to question why Tom is helping and he may be working out the reasons why. But salvation comes in the form of Tom Christie, which is very unexpected. And as Caitriona said, working with Mark Lewis Jones has been incredible, but also the character has this incredible arc and you may find out more later on in new seasons.

Claire is in danger of losing her life, but Jamie and Ian are hot on her trail. She's been in tight spots before, but how worried should we be? Can Jamie get there fast enough?

BALFE: It's very dangerous times at the moment. There's multiple threats. There's the threat of the Browns and all of that, but this is a time where law and order is completely breaking down. We don't know if there's going to be any form of trial, what that might look like, are people willing to take justice into their own hands. There's a lot going on, so you better hurry up.

And we know Jamie will protect Claire at any cost, so is there more bloodshed coming to Wilmington?

HEUGHAN: Well, Jamie's lost many of his nine lives. It's all about allegiances and what side are you on? We see the Cherokee at least side with Jamie, interestingly, but as Caitriona said, the world is breaking down around them. You can't rely on the traditions or the moral code that we're used to, so who knows where salvation will come from, where rescue will come from. But Jamie certainly will do everything he can to rescue her from prison.

Caitriona, did you really just say you had to stop working so you didn't have to keep wearing that wig?

BALFE: Which one? The short one? I like the short one! Not the short-short one. I wasn't a big fan of that one. But the like bob-y one, I'm into it.

HEUGHAN: Jamie didn't like it.

BALFE: Jamie didn't like any of them.

HEUGHAN: Jamie cried.

BALFE: Jamie cried over her hair!

Will next season pick up right where we left off, since it's those last four episodes?

HEUGHAN: We actually pick up with Claire's hair.

BALFE: In fact, we're just dedicating an entire episode to Claire's hair. We're just going to sit there with it for one hour.

How much easier was this finale for both of you? I imagine it was significantly less emotionally taxing than the end of season 5?

BALFE: It was much, much easier. I'm going to say that.

HEUGHAN: It was definitely easier. We have the same director, Jamie Payne, who's brilliant and he did such a great job last season. There's a reason we brought him back. He works so well with the writers and the crew, but also with us as well. And he really involves us in the conversation. But yeah, it was nice to do something a little more lighthearted. The end of last season was pretty, pretty horrific for all the characters. We enjoyed the shooting stuff, right? Even though Caitriona was how-many-months pregnant?

BALFE: I think it was six-and-a-half months.

You're already back filming season 7. Can you tease it at all?

BALFE: There's a lot going on next season. We're almost done with our first block, and it's been really, really great. It's felt super positive. Everybody's really excited about it. We have some amazing actors that have come in. I don't know what we can say. Usually we get a list of, "Don't say this and don't say that," but nobody said anything. Maybe we can just say everything right now.

HEUGHAN: It's going very well. And it feels really positive. It feels like a really strong start. So there's a lot to look forward to.

BALFE: What we can say is there will definitely be conclusion to some of this, some of these threads will have been tied up early on. And we will then have a lot of new characters join that are going to be very meaningful to the series.

This interview has been edited and condensed for length and clarity.

Video 📹⬇️

https://ew.com/tv/outlander-caitriona-balfe-sam-heughan-break-down-season-6-finale/

Remember… they were like, "You can come back after eight weeks, right"? I was like, "Ahhh, maybe not." — Caitríona Balfe

#Tait rhymes with hat #Good times #Outlander #Season 6 #Finale #Interview #EW #Entertainment Weekly #1 May 2022 #My screenrecording

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fruitcoops · 3 years

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Sometimes I forget that Leo is 19 and can’t drink in the states. I think he would get away with stealing drinks from the boys or having someone on the team order for him in public for a while but once the season’s started and people are actively watching the games, the bartenders and wait staff start to figure out who he is and catch him being sneaky

I only write drunkenness on a case-to-case basis because it squicks me out sometimes, but something about this ask really stuck with me. To @lalalasocks, I hope your sinuses feel better! Have some outside perspective of Coops to soothe the soul <3 SW credit goes to @lumosinlove!

TW for a drunken rookie (no explicit alcohol)

“Pots and I are going to take it up the left,” Sirius said, never taking his eyes off his whiteboard as he drew out the lines of the play. iPads were generally the more conventional tool, but he had a thing for tradition and Sirius Black’s flair for the dramatic never ceased to amaze. “Knutty?”

Leo nodded and leaned forward, swiping a drop of sweat off his temple with a glance toward the game as Talker flew past. “I’ll be in for the rest of the period as soon as Coach calls it.”

“Bien.” He tapped Remus’ shoulder pad with the end of his pen and marked a path up the other side. “Loops, the puck is coming to you fast, so you need to keep eyes on us. Once you get it, turn on the jets and get it in. Good?”

“Good,” Remus confirmed, bumping fists with James. Leo watched them with no small amount of surprise—even though Remus had only been a player for six months, their line was rock-solid. James was the powerhouse while Remus flashed down the ice; Sirius counterbalanced them both in the middle. He was grateful he wasn’t the one to see them coming at him on plays.

“1, 6, 7, 12!” Coach barked. Leo clenched his teeth around his mouthguard and got ready to hop the boards. A swish of skates, a bump of Kasey’s shoulder, and it was game time.

-----------

“I love you,” Leo hiccupped, plopping himself down in Logan’s lap and tangling a hand in his dark curls. He went to kiss his cheek, then frowned. “Oh.”

“Hi,” Sirius laughed with a gentle pat his side. “Good night so far, Knutty?”

Leo made a face. “Where’s my Canadian?”

“I have no idea.”

His lip slid out even further into a pout. “He told me I could sit on his lap,” he whined plaintively, resting his head in the crook of Sirius’ shoulder with a heavy sigh. The bar was warm—a little too warm, actually—but it felt nice to be sitting on something soft rather than feeling the sticky floor under his sneakers. And there was one more reason he needed to find Logan, one other highly important thing… “An’ I gotta give him a kiss.”

“Do you want to go look for him?”

Leo made a noncommittal noise and swung his leg under the table absently, letting the alcohol in his system lift all his post-game tiredness away. His head hurt a little from being awake so long. “How ‘bout I stay here and wait?”

“I think it’s about time to get you home.”

Leo sighed again, picking at a string on the knee of his ripped jeans. “Am I squishing you?”

“Non.”

“Mmkay.” A bright square of light half blinded him and he squinted. “Who’re you texting?”

“Finn.”

“Why?”

“So that he can pick you up and get you home before you fall asleep on me,” Sirius said, quite amused for some reason. “Comfy, rookie?”

He shifted even closer into the warmth and closed his eyes. Usually he got horny when he drank, but that feeling had already passed and a nap was sounding awful nice. “I like it when you call me that. Hate when other people do it, but it’s different with you.”

Sirius gave his upper arm a light squeeze. “Glad to hear it.”

“Used to drive me nuts,” he snorted. “Those first couple’a weeks on the team were rough.”

“…why?”

“Cause I had a huge crush on you.”

Cozy silence fell between them until Sirius moved to look at him. Leo blinked sleepily. “You what?”

“Well, Kasey was my first crush, right? I had his jersey an’ his poster an’ he’s fucking hot, but you’re the captain.” Sirius was so nice to him. Not everyone would have let a 6’4” hockey player sit on their lap and wait for their boyfriends. At the moment, though, Sirius looked a bit like Leo had thrown ice water in his face. “And obviouslyFinn and Logan are my boys and I love them so much and they were sopretty when I met them but, y’know, it’s the thrill of the captain vibe.”

“Am I interrupting something?” a new voice asked through poorly-suppressed laughter.

Leo turned his head to look up with a smile. “Hey, Loops, how’re you?”

“Pretty good.” Remus shared a look with Sirius, grinning, before taking the seat next to them. “You two look…content.”

“Oh, fuck off,” Sirius said immediately, though Leo felt his chest hitch with a laugh; he tapped Leo lightly on the elbow a moment later. “Finn’s heading over, d’accord?”

“But I just got here,” he mumbled.

“You’re in my spot,” Remus teased, sliding a glass over. “Drink up, bud.”

Leo narrowed his eyes. “What is it?”

“Water.”

He thought for a second—he wasn’t thirsty, but his mouth was getting dry—and yawned, sitting up enough to stretch before grabbing it. In two gulps, it was gone. “Aw.”

Remus bit his lip and passed a different glass over. “You can have mine too, it’s okay.”

“How are both of you so nice?” he asked, looking between them in something like distress. The music was getting too loud, but they were both watching him intently. “It’s not even fair, man. Can’t you just be an asshole for once so the rest of us don’t look bad?”

Sirius shook his head and pressed the water cup into his hand. “Been there, done that. Do not recommend. Besides, the designated drivers don’t get to be mean.”

Leo felt a little better once the water was gone; he blinked slowly, scanning the crowds for any signs of Finn’s hair or Logan’s ass. Both were identifying features he would never get tired of. “Loops?”

“Yeah?”

“Why is your hair soft?”

“I—” He tilted his head to the side in confusion. “Have you ever touched my hair?”

He leaned back against Sirius, stretching his legs out until his knees popped. “No, but it looks soft. Like Finn’s, if Finn was blonder and had curls. Fluffy.”

“It’s very fluffy,” Sirius confirmed, pulling him up a little more.

“Hey!” Leo protested. “Watch the hands, your boyfriend is right there!”

Sirius rolled his eyes with a huff. “I was making sure you didn’t slide off the bench.”

“Sure,” Leo said with a suspicious glare. “Just ‘cause I won MVP for this game—”

“Okay,” Sirius groaned, standing and detangling his limbs to transfer Leo’s weight onto Remus. “I’m going to go get your boyfriends from wherever they got distracted, and then you’re going to go home and sleep so you’re not dying at practice tomorrow. Oui?”

He disappeared into the mass of people without giving Leo time to respond, wiping his hands on the thighs of his jeans as he craned his neck to see over people’s heads. “Rude,” Leo sulked, cuddling up into Remus’ side instead.

“I know, right?” He took a sip of something lemony and Leo pulled a face. “What?”

“Aren’t you DD?”

“Last I checked, DD’s are allowed to drink lemonade,” he laughed, patting the top of his head. “That was an awesome save in the third, by the way. You could’ve got the hat from that one alone.”

“Which one?” Leo yawned again, licking his lips to rid them of the stickiness he could feel forming.

“The splits one.”

“Mmm, yeah, that was pretty badass.” More people darkened his periphery and he scooted over to make room. “Hey, mes amours.”

“I hear you were bothering our dear captain?” Finn asked, kissing his cheek with a grin. There was no alcohol on his breath, only the mint from the peppermint candies he always stole from the little container by the bar. “Come on, baby, time to go.”

“But Loops and I were talking,” he whined, though it only took a small tug on Finn’s part to get him to snuggle up into his soft shirt. “He was telling me how good I did in the game.”

A warm hand stroked his hair out of his eyes; warmer lips brushed his forehead, and he felt Logan’s hand on his knee. “Bedtime, love,” he said in a quiet voice, almost too soft for Leo to hear over the noisy bar. “Wanna be in the middle?”

Leo looked up in hope. “Really?”

“Ouais. C’mon, Knutty, up you go.”

He wobbled a little as he stood, but got his feet under him within a few moments with the help of Finn’s arm around his waist and waved off everyone else’s offered help. “Gonna be fine for practice,” he promised, patting Sirius’ hand with a nod. “Totally fine, don’t worry. Go—hic—go grind on your boyfriend, ‘kay? You both need it.”

“Sweet Jesus,” Sirius muttered. “I pity your head in the morning.”

“I’m fine,” Leo scoffed. He was already sleepy—there was no way he would have a headache, not after he had two whole glasses of water. “G’night.”

“Drive safe,” Sirius and Remus chorused as Logan fit himself under Leo’s other arm to kiss his neck twice, sending butterflies through his stomach. The outside world was nice and quiet; Leo barely got himself buckled into his seat before dozing off with his head against the cool passenger window.

#leo knut #sirius black #remus lupin #finn ohara #logan tremblay #sweater weather #vaincre #lumosinlove #my fic #fanfic #drunkenness #postgame #coops #oknutzy

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jaskiersvalley · 2 years

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(Season 2 spoilers)

So I've started watching S2 and I want your opinion. They really make Eskel show up for one episode, be a jerk and then die. After your writing I felt attached to him and thought this was very unfair. They didn't even really give him scars!

I will pop this under a cut because, as you say, spoilers for Season 2! It is also a bit of a ramble, oops.

Okay, I spent quite a bit of time thinking about this, the show, and Eskel as a whole. After watching the show my kneejerk reaction honestly was that Episode 2 just didn't happen. But I've done a fair bit of reflecting, reading and picking through things and have come to several conclusions.

1. The show hasn't taken Eskel away from the fandom. We're still here, still loving Goat Dad and his polite, succubus fucking, fisstech taking ways. If we're being realistic, the show was never going to give us fanon Eskel. But what can it do for us? Bring more people to fanon. There wasn't enough of Eskel in the show for there to be an exceptional amount of content for him but there was enough to maybe pique interest for some viewers. They'll come to fanon for more Eskel content, maybe hoping for a fix-it and they'll find us here, welcoming them with loving arms and showing them our interpretation.

2. He was a dick in the episode where he turns up, which is not at all the side we see of him (what little there is) in the books or the games. But let's try to put it into perspective. He's just come off the Path, got home. On his way up encounters a weird Leshy. When he tells his family, Vesemir chides him for fighting it for 6 hours without killing it. So is Eskel going to then admit he also got injured? Given that he's already in a bad mood, hurting and tired, he's not going to want to risk ridicule. But the flashback in Ep. 3 shows much more the Eskel that fanon wanted to see. Which leads me onto the next point.

3. The show is action adventure with a focus on the family bond between Geralt, Yennefer and Ciri. It has very limited space and can't include everything from the sprawling lore of the Witcher world. Because there's a huge amount that they could pick and choose from, not just the books and the games but the Gwent lore, the Table Top RPG. This is before we consider that the show creators want to make their own mark and have their own ideas and theories explored. As amazing as it would have been to see more of life at Kaer Morhen, the bond between witchers, there just wasn't time. There could have probably been a whole series dedicated to Geralt, Lambert, Eskel, Vesemir and Coen's relationships. But that's not the focus of the show, they're merely supporting characters there to further the story of the main characters.

4. As for the scars...well. Again, it's all interpretation. The books and the games didn't match in terms of scars. I can only imagine that such extensive prosthetics would have been uncomfortable to wear and work in (just think of Anya Chalotra's problems with her pre-transformation Yennefer look. It had some serious consequences for the little I know.). They also had a different actor than planned, Covid restrictions to contend with, and probably wanted to have their own interpretation of the character. They turned Lambert ginger with long, luscious hair yet I've not seen so much kickback against his casting.

5. Basil Eidenbenz did a fantastic job. Poor guy already had fandom rallying against him from the day he was announced as the replacement Eskel. Too young. Too skinny. Too pretty. Frankly, if that was me, I'd be devastated to walk into something with already so much hate against me. But he did the show, in Ep. 3 he gave Eskel some real warmth, gave a flash of what fanon decided Eskel's personality is more like. He worked with what he had, what the script and the directing allowed him. And kudos to the guy. His portrayal of Eskel might not be what the fandom wanted, but he gave an excellent performance in his own right.

So what now? Fandom feels let down by canon. That's nothing new. We're going to do what fandom does best and write/draw/create all the fix-its. We'll continue with our own characterisations, make something that makes us happy. Canon is nothing more than a suggestions, we can pick and choose our own. And in The Witcher fandom? We have a whole feast to choose from. So don't let the show's portrayal bring you down. Use it, celebrate the bits you liked from the show and politely ignore the rest. Am I going to continue writing Eskel? You bet. Will it be show canon Eskel? Probably not. But that does not mean I can't cherry pick aspects from the various canons and mash them into something of my own. I can only hope everyone else can do the same and focus on the bits that bring them joy rather than what they disagreed with.

#the sock speaks #eskel #the witcher #the witcher netflix #the witcher season 2 #the witcher s2

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lambourngb · 3 years

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a skeleton of something more [2/6]

previously here. malex wip fic. a short serial leading up the premiere.

spoilers for the trailer and promo, will be instantly AU. If I’m going to the trouble of writing a malex fix-it for the season 3 opener, why not fix 2x13 too?

**** THEN ****

After Alex closed Tripp’s journal, he met Michael’s gaze across the table at the Crashdown.

His golden-brown eyes were heavy with pain, the reminder of how his mother’s story had ended was still fresh between them despite the span of months since the fiery end of Caulfield. What had resulted in being the fiery end of them, even though Alex hadn’t known it at the time. The look of sleeplessness in Michael’s face reminded Alex, that outside of this small piece of Nora, he had the weight of Maria still in the hospital recovering from the pathogen Flint had released. The press of the Deep Sky ring in his pocket warred with the hesitation to place one more burden on Michael, would the abacus of their fragile friendship balance out?

He flashed to that last argument in Michael’s bunker, a disaster of his own making, thinking he could believe in his father, but thankfully harm was averted at Crashcon. That recent memory was motive enough for Alex to decide. Whatever happened next, he needed Michael on the same page with him.

As Isobel moved to leave the table, explaining to Michael that she needed to check on Max, Alex held Michael’s gaze deliberately. Then he folded his fingers down, until the last three fanned out in a downward W.

“After what happened with Maria, maybe you should come with me, Michael. You can help me shake some sense into Max,” Alex heard, tuning back into Isobel’s voice. Her eyes moved back and forth between them, a crease of suspicion wrinkling her upturned nose, as she stopped on him. “It’ll be a good distraction.”

Without looking at Isobel, Michael’s eyes remained trained on Alex’s hand. “No, thanks, I’m good here. I’ve had my fill of stubborn ass people who don’t want to listen to sensible advice from me, so I’ll catch up with you later, Isobel.”

She made a dismissive huff but did not argue, leaving with the barest semblance of a polite goodbye to Alex, but that was typical Isobel Evans. Michael waited until his sister was on the other side of the door, before speaking quietly, his gaze finally moving up from Alex’s hands to his face. “I haven’t seen you flash that sign to me in years.”

“Glad to know you haven’t forgotten it.”

“You, making the ‘wait for me, I want you now’ signal? Nah, that’s been burned into my brain over the years.” Michael said it with a faint trace of bitterness. “I guess news travels fast, Maria only dumped my ass this morning.”

Alex winced and looked down, swallowing the surprise and spark of hope that welled in his throat at that disclosure. It was better to concentrate on the unique talent he had of stepping on landmines around Michael, than wonder about what had happened with Maria. It looked like he was still good at causing harm without intention, judging by the stung bite in Michael’s voice. “Fuck, I’m sorry, I didn’t know. I wouldn’t have-”

“No, I’m sorry,” Michael cut off his apology firmly with a wave of his hand, calling a time-out. Alex waited, his teeth pressed into his lower lip as Michael rubbed his eyes with a weary half-smile. “I’m being an asshole right now, and that’s not fair to take it out on you. It’s been a shitty day already, and — anyway, … you definitely know how to get my attention, Alex.” He tilted his head, self-deprecation on his face, “for better or worse, you’ve always been good at that.”

It had been the sign they had developed whenever their paths had crossed over the years while Alex had been on leave in Roswell, but it had started that summer after high school. After Michael’s hand had healed poorly from Jesse, the last three fingers had been left frozen in a claw, it had been a shared fuck-you to his dad to use it to form their own secret communication. A three-fingered W, turned upward meant it wasn’t a good time, and he would find Michael later; turned downward, well, that meant it was safe to approach him, and it had often ended in a hurried blowjob in his car. Perhaps he should have used more care in using it now, but Michael wasn’t the only one running on the fumes of insomnia and stress. “Sorry, I needed to talk to you, and I wanted to make sure you didn’t leave with Isobel-”

“It’s fine, really. It’s not a bad memory either, remembering that we had our little secret language.” Michael wiggled his fingers in reassurance, his left hand still wrapped with a bandanna. “I can make that signal a hell of a lot easier now, too. But anyway, what did you need?”

There was still a voice inside Alex’s head that said ‘you’, no matter how long it had been. He shoved that down deep, along with his curiosity about Maria, and concentrated on his purpose. “Your advice on something, and then if it’s not too much to ask, your help.”

“Anything.”

Alex blinked, nonplussed by the easy acceptance.

Michael gestured encouragingly, “seriously, anything, just tell me what’s going on because the way you’re hemming and hawing, it is freaking me out.” Suddenly, all expression washed out of Michael’s face as a horrible thought occurred to him. “Did you get deployed or something?”

“Not exactly, not how you’re thinking,” he winced at the earned glare from Michael as he continued to stall while the words still tripped and fumbled around his mouth, heedless to the mounting frustration between them both. He sighed, and regrouped. Pushing the closed journal aside, Alex dug into his pocket and laid the signet ring on the table before Michael. “Let me start at the beginning, I found this in my dad’s things.”

“Jesse never seemed like a jewelry kind of guy to me.” Michael picked up the ring, examining it closely with a sarcastic smirk. “Other than parading around town with that wedding ring, when everyone knows your mom left him back during the Bush years, Dubya that is.”

“My father is all, was all, about appearances.” Alex placed the photo of the group on the table, sliding it over to him. “That ring marked his membership in this paramilitary group called Deep Sky. Every man in that photo worked at Caulfield, at one time or another.” He tapped his finger over the face of his father, then moved it to the right. “That’s my dad, and that is Ricky Long.”

Michael frowned, pulling the picture closer to squint at the faces. “Wyatt’s dad?”

“No, Forrest’s.”

“Nazi guy? Seriously?” He rubbed at his chin, the stubble longer than usual painting his jawline. Alex dragged his eyes away with effort as Michael considered that information. There was a reluctant understanding in his eyes, having recalled that Forrest Long wasn’t just ‘Nazi Guy’ to Alex, but someone who had expressed interest in Alex. Personal interest. “I guess that’s something you guys have in common then, dirtbag dads.”

He didn’t look thrilled to admit that to Alex, but it was a mark of how far they had both come as friends that Michael had said it anyway regardless. It was kind of him. It was the same type of empathy Alex had extended toward Michael, when he had expressed interest in Maria. Cut open, bleeding under his skin from all the ways he had squandered his own chances, he had said something similar to Michael once upon a time. That was what love was all about. Then he had kept saying it, until he believed it most days because wanting Michael to be happy was the easier ask.

It was a gracious sentiment that was entirely wasted by Michael when it came to Forrest Long.

“It would be, uh, something to bond over, if I hadn’t noticed that Forrest wears the same ring now.”

Michael’s eyes sharpened. “Family heirloom or do you think he worked at Caulfield?”

“I don’t know, but he is an ex-Army vet.” Alex tapped the photo of the members gathered together, “That was part of what I’ve been looking into, identifying everyone who worked at Caulfield right until the end. As for Deep Sky, I don’t know if it’s military service, Caulfield, or a family legacy that ties every member together, I just know that Dad kept in touch with those who were involved at the prison.”

“Makes sense, Jesse was able to get a hold of the atomizer and pathogen that Charlie developed from somewhere. For all of his strutting around at Crashcon with a uniform on, that didn’t look like it was an official use of government property.”

“Right, it definitely wasn’t, and before you tell me to leave it alone-” Alex began, remembering Michael’s response to the investigation into 1947. He had considered Alex’s actions back then to be an act of futility, something that could only hurt by being revisited. The past being the past, unable to be altered.

This time Michael cut him off, “No, I was wrong about that. I, um, I finally realized that just because I don’t see you connected to that place or the rest of your family, doesn’t mean you don’t. And while I wish that you didn’t, Alex, if digging into this gives you some sort of peace over it, then do it.”

Alex looked down, feeling the weight of relief that Michael understood. After his father’s body had been removed, after the questions and lies had been spun, he had spent the entire night sleepless over having been made into an effective weapon to force Michael’s compliance. Helena had known where all the weak spots were thanks to Flint, and had armed herself with a depowering agent. Once Flint was recovered, there was nothing stopping him from employing a similar tactic in the future.

“If anyone’s going to destroy me, it might as well be you.” Michael had once declared with a bold carelessness that had infuriated and terrified Alex at the time, but that was nothing compared to now having a lived experience to back it up. His mind had easily used the memory of Maria’s collapse after the faintest exposure at the Crashcon and had exchanged her with Michael, being torn apart molecule by molecule, by an invisible threat.

Give him an enemy that he could see any day, especially one that bled.

“I’ve been fighting so long, I don’t know what peace looks like anymore.” Alex held out his hand for the ring, and Michael gently laid it in his palm, brushing his fingertips over Alex’s skin. A lifetime of controlling himself kept the reaction off his face as he rubbed his thumb over the raised emblem of Deep Sky. “But I have learned recently that when something seems too good to be true, it is.”

Neither of them mentioned Jesse and his performance from the last few months, but Michael frowned again, “Wait a second, you think Forrest targeted you on purpose?”

“A member of a secret paramilitary organization just happens to ask me out after I was involved in the destruction of Caulfield? You really think that’s a coincidence?” Alex raised his eyebrow skeptically at Michael, before looking out the window to watch the pedestrians on the street.

“I think you’re the hottest guy in Roswell, so I’m not surprised he asked you out.” Michael flushed a little when Alex turned back to stare at him in surprise over the flattering comment. “Seriously, you’re a catch, but I will agree, it’s not a good look that he’s got that ring. But maybe it’s crap he wears because of his dad, and he’s got no idea he’s parading around?”

“You’re being awfully generous.”

“Isn’t that what you want? Because last time I checked, you were the one telling me that I should have faith in people, even if they give me no reason to.” Michael flattened his hands on the table, drawing Alex’s attention to the bandanna on his hand again. That damn fight kept echoing between them to Alex’s dismay, but Michael didn’t let him linger over it, “While I stand by what I said about Jesse, ‘cause he messes us both up, all I know about Forrest Long is that he is way too interested in Nazi history and he has good taste in guys.” Michael wetted his lips, nervously to tack on, “I also know that I trust you, and your instincts, so if you say there’s something not right about him, then I believe you.”

“There’s something not right about him,” Alex repeated seriously.

“Then I believe you, so what do you need me to do?”

“He wants to get close to me for some reason, probably related to what I know about aliens, so I’m going to let him. And I need you to back me up in case something goes wrong, and maybe use that lock pick you have in your brain?” Alex waited until Michael nodded in agreement, feeling the swell of gratitude at his support. Anyone else would probably think he was being paranoid, or that this was a delayed reaction to his father trying to kill them, but Michael, for all of his previous counter-arguments, had never truly believed in the good of humanity. Maybe in a few days, Alex would feel guilty in relying on that. Maybe in a few days, his suspicions about Forrest would be eliminated.

“He’s involved in running the open mike night at the Wild Pony with Maria, so I thought maybe I could perform a song or something? He drives a Prius, and while he’s listening to me sing, you could slip out mid-song and insert this into the code reader of his car.”

On the table was a small device that mimicked a thumb drive, small and black. It was the type of technology that Alex had used in the Air Force, tracking terrorists abroad. It had taken a fair amount of searching to purchase the equivalent stateside to have on hand. Michael picked it up curiously, turning over his hands.

“It’s designed to download the GPS history of his car,” Alex explained, before rubbing the back of his head in thought. “That’s how I uncovered what my dad was up to, first by tracking his movements. If I let Forrest take me home, I can gain access to his laptop and phone.”

Michael furrowed his brow in concern, “You’re really willing to go that far? And what if he is involved in something shady, what then?”

“My father and brother both used me to get to you, there’s really nothing I wouldn’t do to keep that from happening again and if it means playing along with this guy, letting him lead me to the members of Deep Sky? Then I will.” If anything, his words only deepened the concern on Michael’s face, but Alex had been committed for a long time. Since the red level threat. Since the short ride to the recruitment office. Maybe as far back as his guitar going missing in the music room.

“I’ve slept with guys for worse reasons.”

CONTINUED HERE

#Malex #roswell new mexico #malex fic #alex goes undercover #not forrest long friendly #getting back together #Season 3 speculation

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flyersheartbreaker · 3 years

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Forever By Your Side| Isaac Ratcliffe

a/n: this is my first imagine that I am officially publishing! I am very excited to share all of my writing content and series with you guys :)

Pair: Isaac Ratcliffe x reader

Summary: Watching your boyfriend Isaac get seriously hurt during one of his home games and watching him battle through the toughest injury a hockey player could battle, so he can continue on with dream playing in the NHL

Warnings: Hockey Injuries, Cussing, Cute Fluff

Word Count: 3,321 words

It was just another ordinary Sunday afternoon watching a game live from the PPL center here in Allentown, Pennsylvania or so I thought. The game was going really well with the Phantoms up 3-1 on the Hershey Bears half way through the second period. There was your beloved star-studded boyfriend number 19 carrying the puck up against the boards through the neutral zone when suddenly bam everything went to complete silence, except for that shear sound that you wish you could so badly get out of you head.

I jumped out of my seat and darted up the stairs from the lower-level seats that I was sitting in with some of the other girlfriends. I can hear the god-awful scream ringing in my ears over and over again that was coming down from ice level. The crowd was silent, so quiet that you could probably hear a pin drop and when that happens you know for a fact that it isn’t good. Nothing ever good comes from silence at a time like this and I needed to get down to the locker rooms as quick as possible.

Isaac got hit hard up against the boards and fell awkwardly down to the ground, and his right foot looked like it twisted the wrong way. He's had rough collisions before, but never like this. Isaac is a big dude that you surely didn’t want to ending up colliding with, but this time it looked like Isaac got the wrong end of the play. I never in my life ever heard him yell in absolute pain like the wat he was when the trainers and his teammates were trying to help his 6-foot-6 body off of the ice.

My heart was in my stomach as I was racing down the stairs that would lead me to the home locker rooms. I quickly flashed my team badge to the security guard Frank without saying a word. He must have known it wasn’t good either, as he told me to breathe and be careful myself as I jumped down the last few steps.

If Isaac had a season ending injury, it would kill him. He was just heating up and playing his best hockey yet and working his ass off day in and day out so he could eventually make the Flyers roster within this season or even next season for sure. But if his season is over that means his chances of getting to the NHL level could be too and that would just destroy him completely.

As soon as I rounded the corner to the trainer's office, I saw him being helped on to the examine table. His face was as red as a cherry, and he was in a lot of pain. The trainers quickly started icing the area the best that they could as they slowly untied his skate and too it off of him.

“He is definitely going to need some X-Rays done immediately and possibly an MRI as well depending on what the results of the X-Rays are.” The Phantoms trainer Brian Grogesky said to Neil who was one of the Phantoms physicians.

“Jeff and Robert are on their way down from the press box and getting the emergency X-Ray equipment ready. In the mean time you need to relax the best that you can Isaac.” Neil said to Isaac as Isaac tried his best laying down comfortably on the examine table.

Both Brian and Neil noticed me standing outside of the door of the trainer's room and signaled me to come on in, in hopes that Isaac could ease up and relax a little bit more with me by his side.

“Hello, y/n! Looks like we got a live one here and that big boy landed pretty hard on that ankle of his.” Brian said trying to make light of the situation.

Isaac sat up on his elbow and looked me dead in the eyes. I can see and feel the pan behind them, my heart sank even more for him. I just want him to be okay, I want him to be able to play the rest of this season, he worked way too fucking hard for this to happen to him.

“Hey babes, how is the pain?” I said walking over to Isaac and grabbing his hand while kissing him ever so lightly and carefully.

“It's a bitch babe if I am being honest. I’m trying not to think of the worst, but I can’t help it. This isn’t fair, why me? Why fucking me?” Isaac said in more frustration.

“Isaac, don’t get too far ahead of yourself. We don’t know the actual results just yet. But whatever the outcome is you can come back from it stronger than ever. Hockey injuries is sometimes apart of the game as silly and stupid as it sounds, but you’re a fighter and you got this.” Neil said as he placed another bag of ice on Isaac’s ankle.

“They are right babe, your team trainers, physicians and any other doctors have your best interests. Let’s get you into the X-Ray room and then go from there okay big guy.” I said while planting another kiss onto Isaac’s lips.

Jeff brought in some crutches for Isaac to use, so they can take him down the hall to get the X-Rays taking care of. I am hoping that is all that Isaac is going to need and that whatever it is, it's a quick recovery.

After a few short minutes Isaac was crutching back out of the X-Ray room with a look of disappointment on his face.

“Oh no babe...how bad is it?” I asked him while he collects himself.

“It’s not broken...but they are sending me for an MRI early tomorrow morning to see if that shows up with anything and then go from there.” He said in a low tone.

“Well, that is a plus sign that it isn’t broken. You got to be positive about this honey, you need to be optimistic. You can't be negative. Everything is going to work out for the best. Hopefully it's just a minor sprain and you will be back on the ice in no time.” You told Isaac as you wrapped yourself around his side.

All of Isaac’s staff and trainers helped Isaac out of the arena and to his car and safety got him into the passenger seat while, I got into Isaac’s driver's seat.

“Alright, make sure when you get home you put more ice on that ankle for at least 15-20 mins on and then same time off. Do it throughout the night if you can and also, make sure you are using the crutches as much as possible and for the love of God Isaac do not put any pressure on that ankle until after we get the MRI results and see exactly what is going on. We don’t want to make the injury any worse than what it could already be. Try to get some much-needed rest and we will see you in the morning.” Brian said closing the passenger door.

The ride back to Isaac’s apartment complex was extremely quiet. I didn’t know what to say or what to do, so I just let Isaac sit there and pounder in his thoughts alone without me distracting him. Which probably wasn’t a good idea, because I know my boyfriend, I know for a fact that he is thinking the worst possible scenario that he could think of right now.

I helped Isaac out of the car and into the elevators up to his apartment and got him comfortably settled on the couch with his foot/ankle elevated and two ice packs placed on the injured area.

“Do you want or need anything? You want me to bring out another pair of comfy clothes for you?” You asked Isaac as you placed a pillow behind his head/back and placed a blanket right by him as well.

“No, I’m fine...” He whispered as scrolled on his iPad to rewatch the ending of the game and rewatch highlights and the moment of his injury.

You so badly, wanted to say something along the lines to him like "babe don’t be watching that now, it wasn’t your fault, there was nothing that you could have done to prevented that from happening, so on and on.” But deep down you knew nothing would make him feel better until he knew what the main results were. And as the night went on, you could see the realization hit him that this was going to keep him out for a while. He just looked sad, and drained.

After a couple of hours, another X-Ray, and an MRI later, you and Isaac were sitting there waiting in the trainer's office for the results from both the trainer and team doctors.

Both Brian and Jeff walk in with a folder which I assume held the test results for Isaac’s ankle/foot.

“Well, the good news is the second X-Ray that we took this morning once again showed that there was no brake in both the ankle and the foot.” Brian said.

“And what about the MRI? What did the MRI show?” Isaac asked nervously.

I grabbed Isaac’s hand and interlocked his fingers with mine. I could see the look on both Brian’s, Jeff’s, and even Coach Gordon’s face that this news that they are about to give doesn’t seem to be very promising.

Jeff cleared his throat ever so calmly and spoke. “The MRI came back with a high ankle sprain injury which means we really don’t have a timetable for you to return to at this point of time. This type of injury is extremely difficult to recover from quickly. So, with that being said we need to place you on injury reserve indefinitely until we get more of a clear view on this injury.”

“Out indefinitely...so that could mean that I might be done for the season?” Isaac ever so softly spoke.

“Unfortunately, yes Rat...I am so sorry and with it being late into the season already we don’t want to risk anything further and do anymore damage to the ankle. Brian, Jeff and myself all agreed on shutting you down for the remainder of this year. So, it’s better for you to take this time to heal carefully and properly and then eventually rehab it back to full strength without any other necessary tests or worse case scenario surgeries. Then once you have healed properly, we can train and get you back to 100 percent for next year's rookie and training camp.” Coach Scott Gordon said while looking at both Isaac and myself.

My heart broke ever so much for Isaac, this isn’t fair. I know injuries can be a part of the game sometimes, but why did this have to happen to Isaac and why now?! He has been killing it day in and day out since being drafted in 2017. He deserves his chance at playing at the NHL and now with this setback is he ever going to make it to that level?

The ride to Isaac’s apartment was once again a quiet one and this time I don’t blame him. I mean how is he supposed to react to something like this? What is he supposed to say or do when your head coach, trainer and team doctor shut you completely down for God knows how long.

Isaac settled down on the couch and tossed his crutches to side and unstrapped his high ankle boot so he can comfortably rest his ankle on the pillow in front him.

"Baby, I am so fucking sorry that is happening, it’s not right nor is it fair to you." I said, resting my head on his shoulder while getting cozy next to him.

"What if this is it for me? What if I can't play anymore after this?" He asks, eyes filling with tears.

"Hey, hey, hey, don't say that. You being negative will only make that happen. You are a fighter Rat...you are one tough, strong as hell hockey player who will power through this. I promise you that." I said grabbing his hand and interlocking our fingers together, while placing a kiss on his hand.

A tear rolls down his cheek ever so slightly. "All I wanted to do was be that excitement that both the Lehigh and Philly fans need. All I wanted ever so badly was to have my chance to make it to the NHL level and it got taken away from me. Why do bad things happen to good people?" Isaac asked broken and frustrated.

Once he started crying, I had lost it. Nothing I could do, or say would take that pain away from him and it just broke my heart. I went into the kitchen and I just cried as grabbed him more ice packs from the freezer. How am I supposed to look at the man that I love, and not have my heart shatter like glass when I look into those eyes that were once so shiny, and bright, but now shows nothing at all? I have no idea the pain he is going through or the frustrating emotions he is now going through as well and I feel terrible.

I eventually collected myself and walked back out into the living room and ever so easily and softly place the ice packs on the injured area and took my seat back on the couch next to Isaac.

"That's the crappy thing about life.” I breathed as I took a deep breathe myself and continued on. “For some reason, it always attacks the good ones, and praises the hell out of the bad ones." I sob, wiping away not only my own tears but also his tears once again. "We'll get through this. I promise. It'll be hard, and it'll be long, but we're going to pull through this." I tell him as I run my hand through his hair.

He squeezes my other hand tightly. "What if during my time out things don’t get better and I need to get surgery, and it's worse than they thought? That could happen. What if they see that my injury is worse than what they thought and that I am out on the shelf even longer and I completely miss this upcoming season as well? Or worse they tell me that I can't do this anymore?" He asks, gasping for air. "I don't want that to happen and I'm scared to death that it will."

I snuggled beside him even more then I already was, resting my head on his chest, sobbing harder than I was before, because I honestly hate when he thinks that he isn’t good enough or he thinks his career is over because of a minor setback or in this case a possible major setback. "Then we’ll cross that bridge when we get to it, okay? Just for now, it's a bump in the road. No journey to greatness is a smooth one Isaac. Whatever the hell happens next, we'll face it together as a team, because I am not leaving your side and letting you fight this injury alone. I know that you so badly want to break and that you feel like this the end of the road, but you need to keep pushing and listen to the training staff and follow their instructions."

"I love you so much." He tells me, sniffling. "Thank you for helping me with this, baby, I couldn’t do this without you" Isaac said while planting a soft and slow kiss on my lips

"I'll help you through anything. No matter what." I said while smiling and kissing him softly back.

It was battle to get Isaac’s ankle back to a healthy, normal, and stable ankle for a hockey player at his height and weight but we were able to do it. It was a long road and journey until Isaac was back out on the ice skating again and preparing himself for this upcoming training camp season.

Isaac looked and felt good, until one day right before the Flyers condensed training camp something didn’t seem right with him.

Isaac met up with Flyers trainer Jim McCrossin and after a deep examination we found out that Isaac was suffering from a fractured rib and a collapsed lung. We don’t know how exactly this had happen or when it happened. It could have been from when he fell during his ankle injury or from being hit during Rookie Camp, we don’t have the answers right now. And once again, here I am watching my boyfriend being completely destroyed and devastated all over again.

Isaac became instantly depressed, and much worst this time around because he knew there was no chance of making the Flyers squad this season and who knew when he could lace up for the Phantoms season as well. But thank God for Jim McCrossin who helped Isaac get the right and special care that he needed and got him completely healthy so he could play for the rest of this Phantoms season as well.

Isaac was getting game day dressed for a home game here in Allentown. I sat on the bed and watched/admire him as he fixes his tie in the mirror.

"Try not to worry about tonight so much baby, you are going to absolutely kill it out there like always. Once you get out on that ice, I have no doubt in my mind you will play just like how you used to before all of these setbacks. And just remember that no matter how easy, or how hard tonight’s game is going to be I'll be here for you always. But also, please promise me one thing, that if you don’t feel right to let your staff know immediately because I never want to see you get hurt like this again.” I said walking up behind him and wrapping my arms around his torso.

"I promise babe, I know that I need to take my health more seriously and whatever happens, happens. One day I will make my dream a reality and officially play in the NHL, but for the time being I got to focus on the now and my health." He said as he spun around and kissed me.

Watching Isaac warm up made my heart race and beat fast. But it was all worth seeing him back out there skating with the team and his boys. He looked so good and happy out on the ice and that is all that I could ever ask for.

The journey was extremely hard and long this past summer and fall for both Isaac and I, but in the end it definitely made us a stronger unit in our relationship and it has totally made Isaac a stronger hockey player both physically and mentally.

After the game, I bolted down to the locker room this time excitedly to see my boyfriend, not in a complete shear panic like last time and waited for Isaac to come out after he was done with the media.

The door swung open and I immediately saw Isaac and jumped right into arms like a little high school girl. “Babeee, you were beyond amazing tonight! I am so very proud of you, how are you feeling?” I asked nervously but giddy at the same time.

Isaac picked me up and kissed me ever so passionately before answering any of my questions that I just threw at him. “I felt good and still feel good. It was awesome to be back out on that ice again playing with the boys in front of our home crowd, their excitement and energy helped out a lot. But truthfully, I couldn’t have done any of this without you, y/n. I love you so much and I can’t wait to continue this amazing hockey journey with you right by myside.”

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manygalaxiesinone · 2 years

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For the fun of it...here are some Digimon facts! ((Correct me if I’m wrong))

If TermnalMontage ever decides to do a Battle Royal video for Digimon one day, he might as well skip the rookie stage as there’s pretty much no point for it.

And you can pretty much thank Lucemon for that. To sum up, he pretty much stomps every other rookie digimon out there as while some can possibly be tough enough to fight champion level digimon like Kuwagamon, Lucemon’s rookie form is so powerful, it can rival ultimates like MagnaAngemon. I’m not saying he probably wouldn’t do one anyway for the sake of the lols, but just like with the Reverse Flash vs Goku Black Death Battle, everyone pretty much knows who’s going to win in the end.

The more recent Digimon games, starting as far back as at least Digimon world Re;Digitize, has its artwork being worked on by the same people behind Shin Megami Tensei titles like Devil Survivor.

For for those who were wondering why games like Cyber Sleuth kinda looks and feels like a Persona game...now you know.

Season 0 of Yu-Gi-Oh! was directed by Hiroyuki Kakudō, the same director behind the Digimon Adventure 1 and 2 anime, which probably would explain why episode 7 is pretty much an advertisement for Digimon/Tamogachi.

Even the villain of the episode, Haiyama, straight up looks like Ken from Adventure 2 when he was the Digimon Emperor, I mean just fucking look dood.

Humans can eat Digi-Meat. Yes, turns out the meat that digimon grow on their farms are actually safe for human consumption.

See this girl right here? This is Mon. Her mother got herself trapped in the Digital World and started eating the Digi-Meat for sustenance...WHILE she was pregnant with Mon. Granted she did die after giving birth, but Mon still grew up nice and healthy, so its doubtful to blame the meat for complications during the birth.

So let me get this straight, in the digital world, not only can I get my own loyal best friend for life, but I can also grow my own meat and eat it without any toxic vegans judging me and not have to worry about getting exhausted no matter what? Okay yeah, when can I get my own digi-vice so I can start packing my bags?

Bro can you imagine if Luffy found out about the Digital World? There’s gonna be chaos.

Overall, Digimon are bigger than Pokemon. No, I don’t mean in terms in popularity, I’m talking about the overall sizes of the monsters. Though I guess it really isn’t a shocker since Pokemon are meant to fit in pokects but I think it’s still fun to point out.

For reference, the tallest Pokemon as of right now is Eternatus which comes in at about 65 ft 7 in at most, which sounds impressive...

until you realize that’s pretty much the same height as a Greymon.

Now with Eternamaxing, it does become a whole lot bigger, going up to around 328 ft.

That’s still nothing compared to the likes of Examon who can measure up to 587 ft tall.

That’s bigger than Godzilla. To be fair, the measurements for both Pokemon and Digimon tend to vary, especially in Digimon’s case, so this is one fact you should probably take with a grain a salt.

I watched videos before about what if certain characters from other series were Digimon tamers and who would their partner digimon be? Naturally, Pokemon characters were among them and in one of them I heard someone suggest that Brock should get a Gotsumon, you know because he’s a rock type trainer with a solid defense and what-not. And while that logic is sound...I think I can do one better.

If Brock was a Digi-Destined, his partner Digimon should be an Elecmon. 100%. If you have to ask why then there’s a chance you haven’t watched Adventure 1 before or at least for a long time.

In the Digital World (or at least certain ones), all digital eggs are tended to under the care of Elecmon, up until at least in-training 2 stages which is right before the rookie stage. And when I say all Digi-eggs, I pretty much mean all, even the ones that would one day grow up to become villains, yet despite whatever hardships, Elecmon would protect the young digimon at all cost.

I’m pretty sure you guys already know where I’m going with this. The fact that Brock does everything in his power to look after his younger siblings after his parents practically walked out to go traveling along with his dreams to become a Breeder would make him and Elecmon a perfect sync pair. There’s no way you can convince me otherwise. And before you complain that Elecmon’s not a rock type and therefore wouldn’t suit brock...

The motherfucker has a zubat that he raised to become a crowbat, so that argument is null and void.

Remember when I said before that Digimon don’t have gender? Yeah I might have misspoken.

Digimon can develop personality traits that can be defined as either more on the feminine or masculine side, such as Lilithmon being vain about her body or Lilymon in Cyber Sleuth getting jealous of a guy chatting with other women. Yes, digimon can be attracted to humans like how a Gardevior can be attracted to its trainer. So in actuality, Digimon DO have gender, they just can’t sexually reproduce.

So “realistically” the only way these two are having a kid together is if they adopt. Not that there’s anything wrong with adoption, anyone who willingly takes in a deserted child to help them grow up in the world deserves props.

8. Allow me to introduce one of the most powerful and one of my personal favorite Digimon out there.

This is Azulongmon. What’s so special about this Mega level Digimon you might ask? Let me put it to you this way.

In the Adventure 2 anime, BlackWarGreymon decided to destroy all the Destiny Stones in order to wake Azulongmon up because he wanted to a worthy battle and was tired of washing the Digi-Destined left to right.

BlackWarGreymon succeeded in his goal of waking him up...only to get his ass one shotted by only a small portion of Azulongmon’s power.

That’s kinda like Arceus one shotting Mewtwo with a simple bitch slap from one of his many hidden arms. That’s not all though.

Azulongmon is one of the 4 Legendary Holy Dragon digimon that helps protect the peace in the digital world and usually spend their days in slumber and only wake up if shit goes down. In terms of Digimon hierarchy when it comes to their protectors, these guys are above the Legendary Digimon Knights. In other words,

Omnimon,

Alphamon,

and even the Godzilla dwarfing-sized Examon all answer to Azulongmon.

#digimon

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lifeofkaze · 3 years

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An Art of Balance #33

Orion Amari x MC

Warning: Mention on injuries and a teeny tiny bit of blood

A/N: Ira Janda and Julian Bennett belong to @slytherindisaster, Azariah Steele belongs to @cursebreakerfarrier, Henry McClarnon to @thatravenpuffwitch and, of course, Judith Harris to @judediangelo75

Word Count: ~ 5.900 (I sincerely apologise for this. I am so sorry.)

_____________________________________

Chapter 33: Leap of Faith

Both teams were already waiting at the entrance of the pitch, when the three Hufflepuff Chasers joined them. The shadow of the stands overhead was concealing them from most of the crowd while they waited for Murphy to make the usual introductions. The atmosphere was so strained it could have been cut with a knife as Orion made his way to the front to stand next to Charlie. Lizzie and Skye were filing into their position in the line according to their squad numbers; out of the corner of his eyes, Orion could see how tightly Lizzie was gripping the hilt of her broomstick. She would usually have a little banter with her friends on the Gryffindor team, but today, none of the fourteen players spoke a single word.

Orion could catch a glimpse of the bright blue sky spanning the stadium. The sun was glaring down on them, its burning heat lessened by the light breeze that had picked up; the conditions were perfect for the match of the year.

“Are you ready for the last match of this year’s season, the final of all finals?” Murphy’s magically enhanced voice sounded through the air over the excited rumblings of the crowd.

“Going against all odds, which are standing at a remarkable 7.6 % to 92.4 %, both teams are starting into today’s game with the same amount of points scored throughout the year,” Murphy elaborated on the starting situation. “That means, the winner of this match will claim the House Cup and be crowned Hogwarts’s new Quidditch champion! Without further ado, I present to you the first of the contenders: fast as lightning, brave as lions and daring as they come; a massive applause for Gryffindor!”

Charlie and Orion shared a short look before the Gryffindors mounted their broomsticks and entered the roaring arena in flashes of gold and crimson. Orion could feel his heart beating in his chest as they circled the perimeter of the pitch once.

When it was their turn, he felt a sudden and familiar sense of calm wash over him as he mounted his broom and led his team out into the blazing sunlight. This was it, the moment they had all been working towards was here; there was no going back now.

The teams gathered around Madam Hooch in the middle of the pitch. As she recounted the rules for them, like she would always do, Orion let his eyes wander over his team members one last time to check if they were ready to spring into action as soon as the balls were released. He and Lizzie locked eyes for a moment, his slight nod of encouragement answered by a barely visible smile tugging at the corners of her mouth.

“We’ve had a clean season so far and none of you is going to change that, do you all get me?” Madam Hooch barked, her piercingly yellow eyes sweeping the circle of players around her. “I want a good, fair game, alright? Captains, shake hands.”

Orion and Charlie did as they were told, clasping their hands together with a resounding smack.

“Good luck everyone.”

With the sound of her whistle, the Bludgers and the Snitch were released and Madam Hooch threw the Quaffle high up into the air; the game was on.

Skye lost no time whatsoever; shooting upwards on her Comet, she immediately claimed the Quaffle and headed for the Gryffindor goalposts. Lizzie and Orion were flying by her side before they veered off to their own assigned positions.

Just as Orion had anticipated, with the beginning of the match all his nerves had made way for an absolute clarity of mind. For the first in what felt like forever, he knew exactly what to do.

As it turned out, Hufflepuff and Gryffindor being the teams fighting for the Cup was a more than warranted pairing. Even from the beginning, the match was pretty balanced, albeit incredibly tough to play.

The Gryffindor Beaters Julian Bennett and Henry McClarnon - a tall, broad shouldered boy from Lizzie’s and Skye’s year with a long, black ponytail - were in unbelievably good form. Orion and the other Chasers had to constantly dodge the Bludgers they were sending at them; somehow, however, they still managed to function as a unit.

Skye’s and Lizzie’s individual training was paying off splendidly; they were interacting in a completely new way no one except their own team members had seen before. Until the Gryffindors had adapted to the new style, they were able to score quite a few goals.

It wasn’t long before Orion and his team had carved out a hard-earned lead. After a failed pass, Skye lost the Quaffle to one of the opposing Chasers near their own goalposts who didn’t lose any time. He made short work of his attack and cheered as the Hufflepuff rings flared up.

“Another goal for Gryffindor,” Murphy’s voice could be heard echoing across the pitch. “That means another ten points adding onto the lion’s score. But I’m afraid the goal scorer won’t have much longer to celebrate.”

As Murphy was speaking, Judith had sent a Bludger flying towards the unheeding Chaser. He tried to dodge the spinning iron sphere, but he had seen it too late; making contact with the handle of his broom, it broke the hilt into an assortment of varnish and splinters. The sheer force of the impact sent the Chaser spiralling towards the ground, where he hopped off his dysfunctional broomstick moments later.

“Ouch, that one might be in need of a new broom, I think,” Murphy commented, sounding way more excited at the situation than he had any right to be. “According to Which Broomstick?, the leading magazine on Quidditch gear, the standard model of the Cleansweep 6 would be a good shot, with only 14.5 % less speed compared to the reigning market champion, but I digress. This particular broom, in any case, is 98.3 % not flyable anymore and that means, as of now, Gryffindor is short a Chaser!”

The crowd groaned at his words; the Gryffindor supporters because they were missing a player and the rest because now the tides of the game were undoubtedly bound to shift.

“It seems as if Hufflepuff is losing no time in using the new situation to their advantage,” Murphy continued as he watched the rapidly moving scene in front of him.

“Amari claims the Quaffle and heads towards the Gryffindor goalposts at lightning speed; he dodges the Bludgers sent after him by McClarnon and Bennett but will he be able to score, ladies and gentlemen? Of course!” Murphy jubilated maybe a bit too enthusiastically. “Amari sends the Quaffle past Gryffindor’s Keeper Steele with deadly precision and secures another ten points for Hufflepuff!”

Orion usually wasn’t keen on cheering excessively, preferring to keep his mind focused on the next move. But he couldn’t help a grin as Lizzie and Skye flew to his side and clapped him on the back, both cheering all the louder for his lack thereof. Skye raised her arms towards the Hufflepuff stands, firing them up to give it their all with their support.

Without their third Chaser, Gryffindor was slowly but surely starting to get into a fix. Being short a player, they had trouble getting hold of their opponents and were outflown or scattered by Judith’s and Everett’s Bludgers more than once.

A powerless Charlie was trying to rearrange his team but it didn’t help; he was forced to stay on the sidelines of the game. He could do nothing until the Golden Snitch was spotted and his time to take an active part in the game had come.

Due to the new situation, Orion was able to pass the Quaffle back and forth with Skye and Lizzie to their hearts’ content; it was showing yet again, if there was one thing holding the power to unite them like nothing else, it was their shared passion for the game they loved.

With their decimated numbers, not even the above average speed of the lions was enough to stop them once Hufflepuff had adapted their strategy. They were able to score many times in a rapid succession, giving them a more than comfortable lead.

The effect the change in balance had on Gryffindor was palpable; as the Hufflepuff score was increasing, the Gryffindor Chasers were starting to play more roughly, bumping into whoever held the Quaffle more often than not. When Madam Hooch had seen enough of it, the shrill sound of her whistle cut through the air, awarding Hufflepuff a free shot.

Skye took the responsibility on herself and expertly threw the Quaffle past Azariah, much to the chagrin of the Chasers who saw their foul play backfiring on them. After Skye flew past them with a smug look on her face, they shared a look between them before they set after her. One coming up on each side of her, they suddenly yanked their broomsticks inwards and wedged her in. One of them leaned over and let the handle of his broom collide with Skye’s, throwing her off course.

Guessing what Skye’s reaction to being fouled would be like, Orion was quick to fly towards the scene, finding himself to be correct. By the time he arrived, all three players were arguing fiercely; only moments after Charlie joined the scene.

“T’was a bloody foul and you know it,” Skye snarled at the other Chaser with flashing eyes. Orion didn’t know what had been said earlier, but judging by the angry spots on Skye’s face, they had been working themselves into quite a state already.

“No idea what you’re on about, Parkin. Must be seeing things, I guess,” the Gryffindor Chaser sneered; it was the one who had crashed into her.

Skye leaned forward and opened her mouth to shoot back but Orion was quicker. He got hold of her shoulder and pulled her back. While he tried to insert a calm energy into the heated situation, there was unwavering determination underlying his touch; he would not let this escalate.

“It’s enough Skye,” he told her firmly. “Let it go and concentrate on what matters.”

“But Captain,“ Skye started protesting, but Orion shook his head.

“No, don’t waste your energy on a needless fight; these are not our methods.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” the Gryffindor Chaser from before chimed in angrily. “You have a problem with our methods, Amari?”

“Easy now,” Charlie interrupted before tempers could flare up again. “He is right; let’s just play, all this bickering is leading nowhere.”

His Chasers faltered under the withering look Charlie gave them. While he was always ready to put up a fight on the Quidditch pitch, Charlie was known to disapprove of foul play; he wasn’t happy with either of the turns the match had taken.

Thankfully, Charlie’s sharp words had the desired effect and their little gathering was dissolving quickly.

Sure enough, the move on Skye had not gone unnoticed by Madam Hooch and she awarded yet another free shot to Hufflepuff. Skye shot it brazenly past Azariah with all the force she could muster. He was diving for the right hoop, but wasn’t quick enough to prevent her from scoring again; his angry outcry could even be heard from where Orion was hovering in the air.

Cheering at her goal, Skye raised her fist into the air and flew by the Gryffindor stands on purpose. Orion furrowed his brow in dismay; he didn’t approve of her deliberate provocation at all.

“Hufflepuff scores another goal with Parkin’s free shot, raising the score into dizzying heights,” Murphy summarised the events for their onlookers. “Even if Weasley were to catch the Snitch right now, the additional 150 points wouldn’t be enough for Gryffindor to win. What a fantastic goal fest we are allowed to witness here today!”

When he heard Murphy announce the current score, Orion allowed himself to let a hint of relief touch his mind. He had felt confident about their chances at success from the beginning, but now, the end of their journey was becoming clearer as they approached the finish line.

Nevertheless, he remained apprehensive about the Gryffindors’ reactions. After all, if not even Charlie could secure their win right now, their situation was getting desperate and Orion knew a lion was most dangerous when it was wounded.

Contrary to him, however, his team didn’t seem to be sharing his concerns. Lucy was the only one still fully focused on the task of finding and securing the Snitch, but the others were visibly relieved at the high lead they had managed to attain.

He saw Lizzie and Skye passing the Quaffle between them a lot more recklessly than they had to; both their Beaters seemed to be more relaxed than in the beginning of the match as well. Orion felt the need to remind them to pay attention, but the sudden sound of Judith violently cursing stopped him dead in his tracks.

“The comfortable lead seems to have made the Hufflepuff team a little bit more careless than they should be,” Murphy exclaimed. “A Bludger from Bennett makes it past Harris and Everett and is headed straight for the Hufflepuff Keeper. I’m afraid this has a 72.3 % chance of ending badly.”

Neither of the Beaters was close enough to reach the attacking Bludger in time; Judith was trying to, but she was too far away to catch up with it. Orion could only watch with gritted teeth how Brian was trying to move out of the way, but he wasn’t fast enough. The impact of the Bludger against his shoulder probably wasn’t so bad in itself; he had been hovering close to his goalposts, however, and was now smacked into the middle one with force. Orion went pale as he saw his teammate collapse onto his broom and sink slowly to the ground.

He gripped the handle of his broom tighter and went off to go and check on him immediately; his movement got cut off by yet another Bludger whizzing over his head, straight into the direction of Lizzie and Skye.

Both girls had been watching Brian crash from somewhere close to the Ravenclaw tower; they were so distracted by their Keeper’s demise that they didn’t see the Bludger shooting towards them. A surprised looking Skye was able to dive out of its way just in time, but Lizzie wasn’t as lucky.

The crowd gave a collective gasp as Lizzie was hit square in the chest, her audible cry of pain ripping at Orion’s heart. He felt his breath hitching as he watched Lizzie getting knocked off her broom and into the wooden Ravenclaw Tower. She clung onto the blue banner hanging from it on pure instinct to keep herself from falling; her Comet, useless without its rider, was tumbling to the ground.

“McClarnon’s Bludger hits Jameson and leaves her without her broomstick, hanging from a height that will 87.4 % crush her bones if she doesn’t manage to hold on. Someone better do something right now!” Murphy’s voice was shaking with distress at Lizzie’s predicament.

Shrieks erupted from the stands as the Ravenclaw banners suddenly gave way before stopping again; they weren't intended to support the weight of someone clinging to them after all. Lizzie was screaming loudest of them all as she desperately tried to hold on to the piece of fabric that stood between her and more than several broken bones.

All of it had happened incredibly quickly, but the sound of her screaming had Orion snap out of his state of shock. He raced his broom over to the Ravenclaw tower as fast as it would allow, his heart thumping painfully in his chest. Lizzie’s eyes were wide with fear and relief as he reached her and helped her up on his broom. He saw how her ashy face twisted in pain as she held onto him with one arm, cradling her ribcage with the other. Her breath left her lips in a strained hiss and Orion could tell that she was hurt.

With Lizzie and Brian being attacked simultaneously, the match had all but stopped, everyone on the stands and the pitch anxiously watching the events unfold. A sigh of relief rippled through the crowd after Lizzie had been saved. Wanting her to get examined and needing to check on their Keeper as well, Orion signalled to Madam Hooch for a time out.

As soon as their feet hit the ground, Orion could feel Lizzie’s grip on him tightening as she struggled to support her own weight. After she had adjusted to standing again, she let go of him, clambered off his broom and gingerly sat down on the grass.

Her breathing was shallow and she dipped her head back into her neck. Orion could see that her eyes were shut tightly and her lips pressed together in pain. When she relaxed them, a distinct red sheen formed on them, growing into a ruby bead of blood that slowly started trickling over her lower lip.

He knelt down beside her immediately and gently took hold of her chin, turning her face ever so slightly to see how badly she was hurt. Lizzie winced at his initial touch but didn’t draw away. Instead, her eyes found his and the corner of her mouth twitched into a wry smile as she spoke.

“Don’t worry, Captain,” she reassured him, “I only bit my lip when falling, nothing too major.”

The strain in her voice did nothing to ease his worries, but before he could say anything, Ira appeared at their side, her brow furrowed in concern. She was acting as Madam Pomfrey’s extended hand during Quidditch matches, taking care of minor injuries. She brushed her blond curls out of her face before she gently but firmly pushed Orion to the side to examine the damage the Bludger had done.

Ira quickly checked Lizzie’s eyes for any sign of a concussion; when she was satisfied with the result, she moved on towards her bleeding lip. She took her wand out and muttered “Episkey”, making short work of the small wound. When she started scanning Lizzie’s ribcage, however, Lizzie grit her teeth, trying hard not to cry out at her touch.

“You’re lucky,” Ira stated as she straightened up again. “As far as I can tell, nothing’s broken but your ribs are badly bruised. This is going to hurt tomorrow.”

“Only tomorrow? What’s this now then?” Lizzie pressed out with a wry grin, trying to mask the pain that flooded her with every breath she was taking. “Can you give me something for the pain?”

Ira handed her a small, stoppered vial from her bag. The turquoise liquid inside was gleaming brightly in the sunlight as Lizzie unceremoniously upended it into her mouth.

The sound of angry voices approaching drew their attention; Charlie and Henry were headed over from where the Gryffindors had gathered; Skye was following in their wake, both Lizzie’s and her broomsticks resting on her shoulders. She was arguing loudly with Henry; a hint of annoyance at their bickering was visible on Charlie’s face. All of them knew that Henry hadn’t hit the Bludger out of ill intent; as brutal as it was, it was part of the game.

He immediately forgot his fight with Skye, however, as soon as they were within earshot. His usually cheerful face was pale and his brows drawn together with worry.

“Lizzie, thank Godric you’re alright!” he exclaimed. “I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to hit you so hard. I thought you’d dive or something!”

“Well, thanks to Julian knocking out our Keeper I was a tad distracted,” Lizzie replied sardonically. “I’ll give you that, Henry, you have a brutal swing.”

The tall Beater hung his head; it was palpable how bad he felt, although he had only done his job. “I’m really, really sorry.”

Charlie crouched down next to her, his brown eyes looking her up and down. “You alright, kiddo?” he asked her quietly.

Lizzie nodded and got to her feet again. “I’ll survive it; the potion’s working already.”

“That’s good to hear,” the voice of Madam Hooch could be heard behind them. She had been over at the Hufflepuff goalposts to check on Brian and had now come over to see in what state Lizzie was in.

“Your Keeper is out cold, I’m afraid,” she told Orion, who grimaced at his fear being confirmed. “He won’t be playing another second today, I’ll have him sent straight to the Hospital Wing.”

Her yellow eyes rested on Lizzie, trying to determine whether she should follow Brian or not. “What about you, Jameson? Can you play again?”

“Yes,” Lizzie answered immediately, simultaneously with Orion’s determined “No.”

Lizzie gave him a stubborn look. “Of course I can play; I have to. You heard Madam Hooch, we’re short one player already.”

Orion crossed his arms in front of his chest and shook his head. “Absolutely not,” he declared firmly. “I applaud your dedication to our team, but right now it is thoroughly misplaced. You’ll go to the Hospital Wing and get yourself examined properly.”

Lizzie couldn’t believe her ears; it was very unlike Orion to not trust her judgement. “Are you serious? No matter how far we’re in the lead, with two players missing, we might as well give up straight away!”

Madam Hooch had watched their discussion silently; there was no way to tell her opinion from her unreadable face, so Lizzie was surprised when she spoke up.

“I’m afraid she’s right, Amari,” she said matter-of-factly. “With only five players your team will be in a rough place before you can say Bludger Backbeat.” She shrugged. “But in the end, that’s your decision.”

Orion knew they were right; the only way they could win this match with Lizzie and Brian missing was by Lucy catching the Snitch as quickly as possible, but there was no way to tell when or where the evasive golden ball would make its next appearance.

Injuries were a regular part of Quidditch and they all had been at the receiving end of a Bludger one time or the other; but Orion was still deeply shaken by the thought of Lizzie hanging from the side of that tower. He didn’t want to risk her getting hurt again.

He ran his hand through his hair and closed his eyes, uncertain what to do. “I don’t know,” he sighed doubtfully before turning to Ira. “You examined her, what do you think?”

Ira was looking uncomfortable at being dragged into the discussion. “Well, the potion I gave Lizzie should last for a bit, so she won’t be in pain for now; it will hurt like hell once it’s wearing off, though.”

She could only shrug helplessly as Lizzie and Orion both stared at her intensely, both wanting her to say the complete opposite. “But from a medical perspective, there’s nothing really speaking against it. If you promise me to get straight to Madam Pomfrey afterwards,” she added with a sharp look at Lizzie.

While he was glad that Lizzie really didn’t seem to be injured too badly, Orion still wasn’t convinced. “I don’t have a good feeling about this.”

His restless gaze met Lizzie’s for a moment. She locked eyes with him, unwavering resolve burning in them. Despite being the one who had fallen off her broom, she radiated a calm determination that slowly spread over to Orion as everything else around them seemed to fade for a moment.

“If you don’t want me to get back into the game, I will accept your decision,” Lizzie told him quietly. “But please, think about it. You know it just as well as I do, without a Keeper and three Chasers there is no way we can win.”

Orion bit his lip. He knew that she was right and he wanted to believe her, but there was no way of telling if the odds were really worth the risk.

Sensing his resolve wavering, Lizzie put her hand on his forearm, just where his captain’s armband was tied over his yellow robes. “Orion, please, let me play. You can trust me.”

His dark eyes flickered over her face, taking in the faint trace of blood still clinging to the corner of her mouth. “Are you absolutely sure?”

She only smiled at him for an answer and nodded.

Breaking the contact with her, Orion closed his eyes for a moment. He could feel her words were ringing true and he could see how badly she wanted to finish the match. What was more, he knew that she understood how much achieving their goal with this team meant to him.

And yet, she was ready to accept his decision, regardless of her own wishes. She trusted him to do what was best for all of them.

He took a deep breath and opened his eyes. If Lizzie was so sure about it, he had to give her the benefit of the doubt and take a leap of faith; he just hoped it wouldn’t be misplaced.

“Alright, you heard her,” he declared loudly and clapped into his hands. “Let’s get back into the game. It’s time to finish this”

***

After both teams had returned into the air the match resumed, albeit it was palpable that everyone was still shaken by what had happened.

It became increasingly difficult, if not downright impossible, for the Hufflepuff Chasers to score. Orion had withdrawn Judith and Everett from the main events of the game; they couldn’t leave their goalposts at the mercy of the remaining Gryffindor Chasers, so the two Beaters were now circling the hoops and setting Bludgers on every crimson-clad player that dared venture too close to them.

As a result, however, Orion, Lizzie and Skye were left without any sort of protection themselves. They were too busy dodging Bludgers and taking the Quaffle off their attacking opponents to even come anywhere near the Gryffindor posts.

Lizzie had just lost the Quaffle again and had turned around to chase after it, when her attention was caught by a flesh of red robes shooting upwards at a steep angle.

It was Charlie, his eyes trained on a spot high above them where a golden gleam was visible against the blue sky. Lizzie held her breath as she watched him ascent, her hunt for the Quaffle all but forgotten. Gryffindor had been able to score a few times and Hufflepuff was exactly 150 points in the lead; if Charlie caught the Snitch now, they would find themselves in a tie.

Luckily, the Snitch was hovering at a point in the air that had Charlie fly directly into the glaring sunlight. He tried to follow through for a few seconds longer before he couldn’t take the brightness anymore. Closing his eyes, he turned around and the Snitch vanished from sight once more. Relieved, Lizzie let out the breath she didn’t realise she had been holding.

She could hear Charlie’s outcry of frustration as he flew past her. A tie would play into Gryffindor’s hands; if two opposing teams had scored the same amount of points when the Snitch was caught, the winner was determined by a shoot-out and Hufflepuff was short a Keeper.

Much to everyone’s surprise, Charlie gestured to Madam Hooch, who blew her whistle moments later. Gryffindor was calling for a timeout.

Orion was looking as concerned as Lizzie felt herself when he gathered his team around him. His dark eyes swept over them as he spoke. “That was a close call; from what I could see, he very nearly caught the Snitch.”

Lucy’s shoulders slumped. “I know, I’m sorry; I should have seen it before him.”

“Don’t worry,” Orion shook his head, “Charlie is a gifted Seeker and he was in a better position to spot it. But the moment to call for a timeout is a peculiar one; I assume Gryffindor is about to change their strategy. They will probably switch to a full offensive while Charlie will go after the Snitch even more determined than before.”

He turned his attention to Lucy again. “Don’t let him catch it. We have to end this game on our terms and do it fast. As of now, we are exactly 150 points in the lead; if Charlie can secure the Snitch for his team, the winner will be determined through a one on one duel between the Chasers and the Keepers; and from where we stand, we are acutely short of one.”

“I could substitute as Keeper,” Skye offered. “I know how to play every position.”

Orion shook his head. “I appreciate your willingness to step up for the sake of the team, but I need you in the field to make sure the Quaffle stays with us and we manage to score at least one additional goal. And should it really come to a shootout, there is no one that could replace your precise aim.”

Skye nodded in agreement and Orion turned to Everett and Judith. “Make sure our goalposts are protected, should Gryffindor try for a counterattack. Chasers, try to keep the Quaffle in our ranks and score if you get the chance. We must not let it come to a one on one fight. Any questions?”

When all of them shook their heads, Orion nodded determinedly and mounted his broom again. “Let’s go and bring this Cup back home.”

Even though the Hufflepuff team had changed their tactics according to Orion’s plan, it proved incredibly tough to withstand the repeated assaults from the Gryffindor team.

Whatever Charlie had told them had reignited their desire to win and they set about their task with a grim determination. The Beaters were barely able to protect the goalposts from the continued attacks anymore, but somehow they managed.

They had been playing for several hours now and Lizzie wasn’t the only one who was starting to feel the exertion of the exceeding duration of the game. Everyone’s concentration was beginning to slip and the manoeuvres gradually becoming sloppier.

After another attempt on the Hufflepuff posts, Everett kicked the Quaffle back into the field; but even his brutish strength was fading and he didn’t have the experience that their Keeper did, so the Quaffle flew past Orion and began descending right in the middle between him and one of the opposing Chasers.

Orion immediately set after it and managed to catch it only moments before his opponent reached it. They almost collided in mid-air but Orion ducked under the other’s feet and sped up his broom on his way to the other side of the pitch, Lizzie and Skye falling in formation beside him. They only needed to score this one goal to make them breathe more easily.

The crowd had fallen increasingly silent as the match had dragged on, when suddenly a rumble went through the stands and Murphy’s voice drew Lizzie’s attention.

“Once again, Weasley seems to have spotted the Golden Snitch,” he exclaimed in excitement. “With O’Connell on the other side of the pitch, we might be witnessing the last moments of this year’s season right here and now! But I strongly suggest taking a good look at the Hufflepuff Chasers as well, as they are positioning themselves in their favourite formation to prepare for a last desperate attack.”

Lizzie gripped the handle of her broomstick tighter as she heard Murphy’s commentary; she knew the chances of Charlie letting the Snitch escape a second time were minimal. Out of the corner of her eye she could see both Julian and Henry aiming Bludgers in Orion’s direction, so she didn’t lose any time; lying as flat as she could on her broom, she sped up and broke free of their arrowhead formation. She shouted Orion’s name as she overtook him and he passed the Quaffle to her without a moment’s hesitation.

She could see Charlie extending his arm to reach for the Snitch and knew she had only moments left to score. The Gryffindor Chasers appeared at her side, trying to close in on her, but Lizzie pulled every last bit of speed her Comet could muster from it and left them behind. She had reached her favourite scoring distance and was absolutely sure she could bring the Quaffle past Azariah if she aimed for his least preferred hoop; the only question was if she still had the time to do so.

Lizzie was already preparing to throw when she suddenly saw Skye veering in from the side ahead of her. Employing one of their signature manoeuvres, she had used the focused attention on Lizzie to round behind the Gryffindor defence and reappear unexpectedly.

Lizzie was in a prime position to score and it was only seconds until Charlie would close his fist around the Snitch. Her eyes flickered to the commentary box and for a fraction of a second she could see Ethan Parkin standing in the first row next to Murphy, leaning dangerously far over the railing in excitement and anticipation.

Lizzie decided to go all in.

Screaming Skye’s name, she threw the Quaffle in her direction with all the strength left in her, praying to every God she had ever heard of that this wouldn’t turn out to be the worst decision of her life.

Skye caught the Quaffle expertly and with Azariah not expecting the most borderline reckless move Lizzie had ever pulled off, he had no chance to dive for the right hoop in time as Skye shot the Quaffle towards him with brutal force.

The goalposts behind him were flashing up in the same moment that Charlie pulled out of his dive, the tiny wings of the Golden Snitch beating furiously against the palm of his raised hand.

The stands exploded into screams and cheers but all of the players were holding their breaths. No one knew what had happened first, Skye scoring or Charlie ending the match. All fourteen pairs of eyes were trained on the commentary box where Murphy tried working out the events.

“Parkin scores an incredible last minute goal as Weasley catches the Golden Snitch almost simultaneously!” Murphy almost stuttered in excitement, something close to no one had ever heard him do. “The chances of both moves happening at the exact same time lie way below 0.5 %, so let me check the scores.”

The moment seemed to stretch into forever; Lizzie held her breath and Skye, who had flown to her side, gripped her arm so tightly it hurt when Murphy bent down to his megaphone again.

“Parkin scored first!” Murphy screamed so loudly his usually steady voice cracked. “That means, the final match of the season ends with 90 to 390 points for Hufflepuff! Hufflepuff is this year’s reigning Quidditch champion!”

#hphm #hogwarts mystery #quidditch #orion amari #murphy mcnully #skye parkin #charlie weasley #lizzie jameson #aob #art of balance #the quidditch squad #longest quidditch chapter ever #sorry got carried away #ONLY TWO CHAPTERS LEFT NOW #OMFG #the end is nigh #I'm getting emotional over here

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elsanna-shenanigans · 3 years

Text

June Contest Submission #6: Love, imperfect

Words: ca. 5,500 Setting: mAU Lemon: lime CW: angst

–

“Do you think they’ll end up canceling people’s flights?”

With her heart still stuck in her throat, Anna opened her eyes to look at the stranger sitting next to her on the plane. He appeared calm, but then again, she was sure that so did she.

“I hope not,” she muttered before she gave him a tight-lipped smile and looked away. Another rough movement had her gripping the armrests and her stomach dropping. She kept trying to remind herself that airplanes were built to handle the worst—or so the article she’d skimmed as she waited at the gate had said. Even in the most severe turbulence, your plane isn’t moving nearly as much as you think! It sounded like a load of bullshit then and it sounded like a load of bullshit now. Plus, the exclamation mark at the end was absolutely unnecessary.

The man next to her loudly cleared his throat. He seemed like he was trying to grab something out of the pocket of his trousers. Anna glanced at him. What the hell are you doing? she wanted to ask. The whole thing set her on edge for some reason. She just wanted to land in Miami already, call a cab and get to the address Elsa had texted her days prior. Was she looking forward to it? Not really. But it was better than thinking she was about to die and hadn’t even said goodbye to Chester, her cat.

She’d told her parents this wasn’t a good idea. But her mom had insisted on some quality time because, “When was the last time the four of us spent some time together?” Anna had no idea, and she’d said so as much, which only aggravated her mother even more. But wasn’t she proud that her daughters were onto bigger and better things? Surely a few skipped holidays meant nothing compared to the pride their parents must feel on a daily basis.

The turbulence continued. There was a storm coming. It wasn’t supposed to hit until late that night, which still allowed Anna to make it to Miami on time and probably even make it to Elsa’s apartment before the rain began.

As to her parents… well, she really hoped their flight wasn’t canceled.

~~~

Anna could still remember the exact moment she became fixated with success. It happened on the summer day when she was ten years old and saw her older sister, Elsa, draped in four gold medals at the regional swimming competition. Their mom had signed them up for the swimming team at the community center after reading an article on the importance of sports in building girls’ self-esteem. Elsa had provided an aloof smile before she’d gone back to reading her book, but Anna… she was excited—she loved swimming.

When the season started, it didn’t take Anna a stopwatch to tell her that Elsa was easily the fastest swimmer on the team, often finishing races a full length ahead of everyone else. Anna would know, being that she was usually the one bringing up the gear. “You just need to practice more,” her mom would gently instruct when she complained about being last. So she spent the summer in the pool, with her dad dropping her off early on his way to work while Elsa was still at home, probably combing her pretty, perfect blond hair. Anna didn’t mind though, because she was sure all the effort would pay off in the end when she showed her parents and her sister how good she’d become in the final match of the summer. But things didn’t exactly go as her optimistic ten year-old self had expected. Elsa won four first place medals while all Anna walked away with was a cruddy participation ribbon with dry hot glue sticking out from under its cheap label.

Watching Elsa standing on the podium, nodding humbly at the rousing applause with the medals draped around her neck and that stupid, perfect blond hair darkened still by the water, Anna was filled with a burning need to be up there. Because she didn’t just want to be a hard worker. She wanted to be a winner.

But unless she wanted to grow up in Elsa’s superior gene pool shadow, she had to find another way to get noticed. In the end, she learned that if she studied hard enough and had a 4.0 GPA, she’d earn awards and scholarships. She discovered that if she steered clear of sports or sororities in college and filled her time with extracurricular activities like the debate club, she would be able to quell the worries in her head that her sister was the only winner in the family.

Of course, those who truly knew her, knew how much she loved Elsa. It was one of those things that just… was. Inevitable and innate. In her eyes, Elsa was perfect. And she hated her for it just as much as she adored her for it. Because where she was clumsy, Elsa was poised. Where she didn’t know when to shut up, Elsa would say the right thing at the right time. Where she would feel inferior, Elsa would tell her just how much there was to admire. And where she would go weeks without contact, Elsa would give her a call, reminding Anna of all the times she has ever loved her.

But that didn’t seem to matter in the end. Anna pulled away from the family in order to forge her own identity and so did Elsa. The Holmen sisters, thriving. The parents, proud. It was perfect. It should have been perfect. Except it wasn’t.

Somewhere deep inside, Anna always knew there was something missing.

~~~

The night skies were crackling by the time she got in the taxi. The driver was requesting an address. The radio was giving out unsurprising news.

There is a thunderstorm warning already being reported by the National Weather Service in areas such as Miami, Miramar, Aventura and other parts of South Florida, with potential wind gusts up to fifty-five miles per hour—

“You’re shitting me,” Anna muttered under her breath, already pulling out her phone again. The first time she’d done it was to let Elsa know she’d landed. Some drab text that was responded to with a much nicer Can’t wait to see you! It shouldn’t have warmed Anna as much as it did but that was beside the point.

Her mother picked up after the fourth ring. “Hi, honey. I was just about to call you. Did you land safely?”

“Hi. Yes, I did. Did your flight get canceled yet?”

“No,” her mother drawled. “It is delayed.”

The man on the radio went on and on about flooding and frequent lightning. The first signs of rain speckled the car’s windows. The trees were wildly ruffled by the wind.

“But you saw the news, right? It’s going to be canceled eventually.”

“Even if it is,” Iduna said calmly, “we can fly in tomorrow. This isn’t an emergency. We can wait.”

Anna pinched the bridge of her nose. “This was a bad idea,” she couldn’t help but say.

There was a pause before Iduna spoke again. “Can you fault us for wanting to spend time with you two? It’s the only time of the year you’re free, given how holidays seem to be getting more and more complicated for you.” It was a jab, fair and square; exactly what Anna got from skipping Thanksgiving and Christmas for the past two years.

“Could’ve been anywhere but Miami,” she still mumbled.

“Miami is nice,” her mother argued. “Besides, your sister’s apartment has room for all of us.” There was something hidden in her mother’s voice that made her feel dejected. The underlying praise that Elsa always seemed to get even by the most offhanded of comments. Even when she wasn’t in the room.

Anna was ready to hang up.

“Just let me know when you’ll be flying in.”

“Maybe you girls can catch up in the meantime,” Iduna suggested as if she hadn’t heard her, “I know it’s been a while for you too, but trust me, it’ll be like old times.”

Looking out the window, Anna forced a smile even though no one was watching. “Sure, mom,” she said. Truth was, she couldn’t remember what old times even felt like.

After hanging up, she leaned back against the seat and closed her eyes. The ride was supposed to be a short one. Ten minutes or so, Elsa had told her over the phone some days ago. She’d sounded happy—excited in that demure way of hers that was stupidly charming and which drove Anna nuts in a way she could not explain.

Was Anna also excited? It was hard for her to tell. Her knee began to bounce as soon as the car merged into traffic. Her palms were damp despite the coolness inside. Her heart was beating like it was trying to hammer its way out of her chest. No, she was nervous. Or maybe… maybe she was both.

Maybe she was just a mess and acceptance was long overdue.

When the taxi slowed down and parked outside an apartment building Anna only recognized from pictures Elsa had shared in their family group chat, she briefly considered asking to be taken back to the airport. But instead, she paid the fare and allowed the driver to pull her carry-on suitcase out of the trunk amidst strong gusts of wind and a rain that was starting to pick up. “Welcome to Miami,” the man exclaimed—sarcastic given the circumstances—while all Anna could do was give him a smile she was sure looked more like a grimace.

The wheels of her suitcase announced her entrance into the building. The lobby was empty; quiet in an almost unsettling way. She sent Elsa a quick message and ignored the sensation of her stomach churning in anticipation. A distant thunder rumbled as she made a left, slowly heading for apartment 112.

It didn’t come as a surprise that Elsa was waiting for her outside. She was leaning against the door, flashing Anna a lovely smile she did not know she had missed until that moment.

“I’m so glad you’re finally here,” were Elsa’s first words.

“I thought I wasn’t gonna make it,” were hers.

Her sister met her halfway with outstretched arms that welcomed her with such gentle affection that Anna could not help but melt in the embrace for a brief pause. Elsa smelled like gardenias, faint and familiar.

After stepping back, she stretched out a hand to grab a hold of Anna’s suitcase. “Let me take this for you.”

“I—it’s okay. It’s not heavy.”

Elsa gave her another disarming smile. “I don’t mind, Anna. You must be tired.”

She found herself blushing for no reason as she let Elsa take the suitcase and lead her down the hallway. “I’m not, actually. Just… weary. Lots of turbulence.”

“Well,” Elsa dragged out, “mom called.”

“Of course she did.”

Elsa chuckled. They entered the apartment at the same time that she announced, “Their flight’s canceled ‘til tomorrow.”

Anna rolled her eyes. “Shocker.” She paused in the middle of the spacious living room, taking things in. It all looked so perfect. The immaculate furniture, the carefully arranged throw pillows, the pristine wooden floor, the tall plant in the corner that looked real. And then the absolute mess of a storm that was happening outside the window. “I told her since the beginning this was—”

“A bad idea?”

Anna turned to where Elsa still stood in the hallway, a hand resting on the handle of her suitcase.

“What—”

“Mom told me,” she provided, a sad, apologetic smile slowly appearing on her face.

Anna’s stomach churned. “I’m sorry. I just meant that—you know, Miami’s weather isn’t the best at this time of year and maybe we could have gone somewhere else like the woods or a small town or, I don’t know, New York or something.”

“Of course. Yeah.” Elsa rubbed her arm in what Anna could tell was a sign of self-consciousness. “The weather’s pretty bad, huh?”

“The worst,” she awkwardly agreed.

They stood in silence for a few seconds before Elsa pointed her thumb in the kitchen’s direction. “I have wine. Would you like some?”

Anna felt a sliver of ease. “Wine would be nice.”

She sunk into the sofa while Elsa went to grab a bottle of chardonnay and a couple of glasses. Through the window behind her, she could see that the storm had gathered force. Gusts of wind whipped the heavy rain around while the trees were roughened by it, moving sideways as if tugged by a rope. The street lights, it seemed, shone for a deserted world.

“Are you hungry?” Elsa asked once she was back from the kitchen. “I can cook something real quick if you are.”

“I had lunch before getting on the plane,” she answered as she watched Elsa pour the wine. She let out an inconspicuous huff of breath, rubbed her sweaty palms on her jean-clad thighs. Guilt gnawed at her insides. But she meant what she’d said. This was a bad idea because of the weather. Nothing else but that.

So why did she still feel so guilty?

“Thank you,” she muttered when Elsa handed her the glass of wine. She watched her join her on the sofa, prop both feet up, fix her platinum blond hair by running a hand through it. Anna wasn’t sure why such a banal action drew so much of her attention. So she decided to look everywhere that wasn’t her sister. “This place is cozy,” she commented.

“It looks like it’s been pulled straight out of a catalogue,” Elsa said.

“I mean…”

“It’s okay, you can say it.”

She chuckled. “Fine. It does. But it’s still nice, and it’s very you.”

“Very me?”

“Yeah, you know,” she shrugged, “perfect.”

Something flashed across Elsa’s eyes that was gone before Anna could discern it. The guilt grew. She tried to mollify it. “You did a good job, though, seriously.”

“I should take that as a compliment, coming from a successful real estate agent.”

Anna rolled her eyes but the smile on her lips gave her away. Being called successful by the one person who’d always seemed to be better than her at everything felt nothing short of amazing. “I should hang a sign on your door that says ‘Holmen Approved’.”

Elsa laughed, which instinctively made her smile grow. “What an honor.”

A thunder rumbled in the sky. Anna wondered if it would be a good idea to close the curtains. Watching the city being trashed by a thunderstorm didn’t exactly scream comfort.

“This is my first Miami storm, you know?” Elsa suddenly said.

“Popped your cherry then.”

Her sister’s foot bumped against hers. “Gross.”

Anna took the time to take a large swig of wine. She wanted to take the edge off herself; get rid of that nagging notion that this was bound to end up being a disastrously awkward night simply because she did not know how to act normal around Elsa. “So how’s the city treating you overall?” she decided to ask, aware that she’d probably asked this before but unable to come up with anything else at the moment.

“I can’t say it’s been bad,” Elsa said, “But I’m looking forward to starting the school year. I’ve had too much free time on my hands.”

“So there’s no one in your life?” she found herself asking.

“I…” Elsa tilted her head, giving her a curious look, “I would have told you if there were,” she said in a voice that ignited in Anna a deep feeling of shame. How many people had she been with that she had not told her sister about?

“Besides,” Elsa added, “I just moved here. You know I’m no social butterfly.”

“Right,” she said before she looked away. How could she have forgotten? Elsa had always liked spending time at home rather than being outside, meeting people and making new friends. She liked her books and her European authors whose names Anna could never pronounce. She liked her solitude, her quiet time. And yet… Yet, it had always been her the one unwilling to lose touch.

“What about you?”

“Hm?”

“What about you?” Elsa repeated. “Anyone in your life?”

Anna found it a little comical that they were carrying themselves as if they hadn’t talked in years rather than three days ago. “No,” she responded, “Not for a while.”

Elsa’s gaze carried a strange sense of intimacy. “I’m sure there’s someone out there…”

She paused. ��Right now? I hope not.”

The hearty laugh that broke out of Elsa caught her by surprise. It was so uncommon in her that for a moment Anna did not know how to react. All she could process was the way she swooned despite herself, feeling warm all over and even, she dared think, happy. Happy in the company of Elsa in a way she had not been so in years.

The lights went out some time later, while she was in the bathroom and Elsa was back in the kitchen preparing something to eat. It was one of those things that was predictable yet appalling, and the only thing Anna could think of saying in the middle of the pitch black room was, “Well shit.”

Back in the living room, Elsa was moving around with her cellphone acting like a single spotlight at a club. She was lighting candles, placing them each on strategic places. “All these catalogue candles are finally going to serve a purpose,” she said, and Anna couldn’t help but smile at the offhandedness of it.

It wasn’t until they’d sat back down, bathed in the warm light of the candles while they ate and shared a lighthearted conversation, that Anna could have laughed at it all.

Because her mother was right. It was like old times.

~~~

The window had ceased to rattle from the gusts of wind outside, but the power had yet to return and the rain had yet to stop. The food was gone and so was the chocolate bar Elsa had taken out of the non-working fridge. A new bottle of wine sat on the coffee table amidst lit up candles. The girls sat on each side of the sofa, facing each other.

“There’s no way he said that,” Anna laughed. She was nursing her third glass of wine, more at ease now than she had been the whole two preceding days.

“He did,” Elsa groaned while she covered her face with the hand that wasn’t holding her own drink. “And then he slipped me a note and winked at me. He winked at me!”

“What did the note say?”

“Something about how he’d been crushing on me since I gave that Durkheim lecture in class. Can you imagine? How bold he had to be to slip a note like that to his professor?”

Anna laughed some more. “Can you blame him though?”

“I’m not sure how to answer that,” she responded, embarrassed still.

“Kinda hard to blame him at all for having a crush on you.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, I—” Anna paused. What did she mean? “You know, you’re just,” she waved a hand in her general direction, “you.”

Elsa arched an amused eyebrow. “Me.”

“Yeah. You’re just… really crushable. No. Wait. That came out wrong. I just—I mean you’re just so pretty and smart and your hair’s always so perfect and you’re practically good at everything you do. So what's—what’s not to like?”

Elsa was biting her lip. It was very distracting. “You think too highly of me,” she murmured.

Anna frowned. “No, I don’t. Or maybe I do. But that’s because it’s true.”

“But it’s not…” She shook her head, trailing off.

Lightning suddenly illuminated the room. Anna readied herself for the thunder while across from her Elsa began to recoil. The loud bang came at last, making her sister visibly wince.

“Are you okay?” she asked.

“Yeah.”

“You sure?”

Elsa shrugged nonchalantly. “Thunder just makes me anxious.” She took a sip of wine as if to restate the casualty of her words, but Anna wasn’t convinced. She watched her closely for a handful of seconds while in her mind she struggled to make a decision. She dwelt on it, bit the inside of her cheek in hesitation. But in the end, the need to comfort Elsa won over everything else.

“Come here,” she said.

“What?”

Anna spread her legs open and patted the empty space between them. “Come here.”

She playfully rolled her eyes. “I’m not a kid, Anna.”

“If you don’t tell anyone, I won’t either.”

Elsa bit her lip again. And again, Anna’s eyes traveled down to witness it. She set her glass of chardonnay on the coffee table. Might be best to stay clear of alcohol for the rest of the night.

Elsa moved slowly across the sofa until she finally settled between her legs, facing forward. Anna wrapped her arms around Elsa’s midriff, and was unable to ignore how the whole of her seemed to react to the touch, the proximity, the warmth of Elsa’s body. She rested her chin on her shoulder, felt the way Elsa relaxed and leaned back. A smile appeared on her face. She could not remember the last time they’d embraced like this.

“You weren’t scared of thunder before,” she pointed out in a soft voice.

“Probably one of those things that comes with age.”

She was amused by her answer. “We’re not that old.”

“But we’re not ten anymore,” came Elsa’s whispered retort. She finished the last of her wine and stretched an arm to place the empty glass next to Anna’s on the table. As she rearranged herself again, Anna paid close attention to the softened features of her face in the dimness of the room. She traced with her eyes the lines of her profile, the freckles that had always been fainter than hers, and the lips that, for some reason, kept drawing her attention tonight.

“What?” Elsa asked.

Anna blinked. “Nothing,” she said, heat prickling the back of her neck.

Her sister shifted slightly in their embrace in give her a side glance. “Why won’t you tell me?”

“Because.”

“Hasn’t dad told us enough times that ‘because’ is—”

“Not an answer,” Anna finished. “Yes, I’m aware.”

Elsa cast her another glance, lingering this time in a more intimate way. "Then tell me.“

She hesitated. “Were you always this stubborn?”

“No,” Elsa chuckled, “that was you. Stubborn and determined.”

“Well, I had to be.”

“Why do you say that?”

Anna’s lips parted but no words left her. They were drowned in silence for a moment, the rain incessant against the window. What could she possibly say to that? How could she possibly explain that the sole reason of her determination—of her never-ending stubbornness—was the one sitting safely in her arms?

She rested her chin on Elsa’s shoulder and looked down instead, focusing on the hand that rested atop hers; on the hand whose fingertips had been drawing loose patterns on her skin only seconds ago, drawing a comfort she did not know she deeply needed.

“Anna?”

“Yes?” she answered, lost someplace else.

“Say something…”

She slowly tensed up. There was so much vulnerability in Elsa’s voice that she knew she wasn’t just seeking random thoughts and vacant words. But where Elsa wanted the truth that hid beneath her silence, Anna wanted none of the insecurities that came along with it. She wanted none of the detachment, none of the things that could separate her from her sister. Not tonight. Not again. But no matter how hard she tried, the thoughts persisted. Like a nagging passenger in the backseat of her mind, Anna could not ignore what had been so deeply ingrained into her life.

“It’s dumb,” she murmured at last.

“I’m sure it’s not.”

Anna breathed a weary sigh through her nose. Closing her eyes, she leaned her head to the side, resting against Elsa’s. Her mouth opened again, then closed. Words felt heavy in her tongue, reluctant to come out.

“Why won’t you just drop it?” she asked.

“Because,” Elsa said, “I don’t want you to feel like you can’t talk to me.”

“Is that what you think I feel?”

“Is it not?”

At her silence, Elsa extricated herself from Anna’s arms. She moved in the sofa until she was facing Anna, sitting still between her legs, knees digging into the cushion. The light of the candles danced in the blue of her eyes, piercing Anna’s own until the air left her in one quiet rush. There lay an ardency beneath them, captivating and impossible to look away from, so much so that Anna’s desire to stay quiet shifted into something else entirely.

But then Elsa was talking again, and again, she was asking to know what was going on in Anna’s head. And out of everything she’d ever had to learn, why could she not have learned to deny Elsa a thing?

She gathered what she could of the scattered remnants of her past, of the cumulus of memories that ruled most of her decisions and shaped their relationship into what it was today. The impotence of feeling like she’d never be as good as Elsa turned into the impotence of being unable to put it into words. The back of her eyes stung. A lump formed in her throat. She waved a hopeless hand in Elsa’s direction, and let it drop in defeat.

“I look at you,” she finally said, “and I see all the things I’ll never amount to.” Pain flashed across Elsa’s eyes, causing Anna to look down at the space between them. “I can’t see anything else but that,” she softly added, “and it gets in the way… It’s been getting in the way for so long.”

“Anna, I…” She went quiet. Anna could see the way her chest rose and fell. The brow that was marred with sadness and regret. “I wish I’d known this sooner.”

“Why?”

“So that I could show all the ways you’re a much better person than me.”

She let out a humorless chuckle. “That’s so unlikely it sounds ridiculous.”

“How?” Elsa questioned. She inched closer until her hands were cupping Anna’s cheeks. “Please tell me how so that I can prove you wrong.”

At the impossibility of looking away, Anna ended up lost in her sister’s eyes. “I don’t know,” she whispered, deep down knowing she would never find an answer to that.

“I know you think I’m this perfect human being,” Elsa murmured, “and that I have everything I could hope for. But the truth is that all the accomplishments in my life could never compare to the mere presence of you in it. And still… I’ve always missed you, even when you were right next to me.”

Anna’s eyes fluttered closed. The walls were crumbling around her and all she wanted was for Elsa to become her solace.

A thumb caressed her cheek, and she leaned into the touch without thinking. Her heart was thumping heavily in her chest. Her voice was raw when she finally asked, “Do you miss me now?”

“… No.”

Slowly, Anna opened her eyes. A tender smile was tugging at Elsa’s lips and, like a magnet, the depth of Elsa’s gaze drew her in. She leaned closer until they were breathing the same air and the buzzing in her mind had quietened to a vacant hum. The wind howled, but all Anna could register was the blood pulsing in her ears and the barest of sighs as she softly pressed her lips against Elsa’s.

It was sudden and overwhelming. An impulse fueled by a feverish pleasure that soon drove her to press harder by capturing Elsa’s lower lip between hers. She sucked lightly, eliciting the softest moans out of Elsa as warmth shot straight through her body and settled between her legs. It wasn’t until she nibbled, hoping to elicit a greater reaction out of her sister, that Elsa’s lips parted and their tongues met in a desperate need that would not be satiated.

Submerged in candlelight, their bodies shifted until Anna was lying on top of Elsa with both forearms framing her head. There was no pause in between, only the innate desire for more. Anna could feel her sister writhing beneath her, subtle movements of her hips bucking while her hands trailed up Anna’s back. The room was growing hot. She could feel the smoldering heat in this sweater she wanted to take off as soon as possible. But it was hard to do that when Elsa would not stop kissing her in a way she’d never been kissed before. Her passion shook Anna to the core. It sent waves of ecstasy through her body.

With one last sucking motion on Elsa’s lower lip, she kissed her way down the line of her jaw and towards the warm, soft spot below her ear. The scent of gardenias reached her nostrils. A low, throaty moan reached her ears. Elsa’s hand weaved itself through her hair as she bucked her hips for the last time that night.

The power came back on and all Anna could think of for a dreadful split second was that their parents had walked in on them. She froze with Elsa’s fingers still in her hair and her lips parted in a mix of shock and fear. She was panting, her arms shaking from the propped up position she was in. Below her, Elsa was dead silent.

In the seconds that followed, Anna quickly sat up and looked at her sister with wide, frightened eyes. Elsa’s hair was disheveled, her lips here rosy and plump. The air escaped her lungs in one quick, short breath.

What had they done?

“I’m so sorry,” Anna rushed out, all but falling off the couch on her way out of the living room.

“Wait—”

She did not listen. Her feet carried her down the hallway.

“Anna—”

She ran out of the apartment, the door slamming shut behind her.

Blinded by panic, Anna sprinted towards the exit. She heard a door opening and shutting again, her name being called out. She registered the everlasting emptiness of the lobby before the front glass doors parted, leading her out into the night and a city that was still being pounded down by rain. There, covered only by the roof of the driveway, she froze again, aware of her feet clad in nothing but the mismatched socks she’d put on this morning and the flimsy sweater she’d wanted to get rid of mere minutes ago.

Elsa’s helpless voice came from behind her: “Anna.”

She heaved a sigh and, a moment later, turned around. Elsa was standing there, in socks and downbeat, watching Anna with eyes that begged her to stay.

“I’m sorry,” Anna said, loud enough that it could be heard above the downpour.

“Don’t apologize. Please.”

“But I shouldn’t have—” She looked away, withdrawing into herself. Her mind was a mess. All that talk about Elsa being perfect must have gotten to her head, messed with her feelings. They got carried away, that was all. It did not matter that she’d enjoyed kissing her. It could not matter.

But Elsa…

Anna looked at her again; at the person who’d always given her nothing but unconditional love and support. She saw the person who’d taken her out for ice cream after she flunked her calculus test in twelfth grade, the one who’d cheered the loudest when she graduated college. She saw the twelve year-old girl who’d turned six chocolate gold coins into medals and draped them around Anna’s neck that one memorable summer. She saw them all in the woman Elsa had become and was overcome by an insurmountable need to cry. Because Elsa had been the greatest constant in her life and still, Anna felt as if she were seeing her for the first time. Imperfect but beautiful all the same.

“Come back inside,” Elsa murmured at last, taking a step closer towards her.

“But what we did…”

Elsa shook her head and extended a hand for Anna to take. “What we did, we can figure it out together.”

Lightning gave way to thunder, but Elsa barely flinched: Anna was finally holding her hand.

They fell into each other’s arms the same imminent way that sunshine follows the rain. Anna let herself be held as she burrowed into the warmth of Elsa’s neck and hugged her tighter around the waist. Tears prickled her eyes before she shut them closed. They would figure it out, she reminded herself. Whatever this was—whatever this could be—they would do it together.

“You know,” Elsa said after a while, holding her still, “I don’t think either of us would have made it very far in socks.”

“I did realize pretty late that this was a bad idea.”

Elsa hummed. “Seems like the night’s been full of bad ideas, huh?”

“Maybe not all of them were bad,” she dared to say in a voice so low that the words would have been lost to the rain had her sister not been so close.

“Maybe,” Elsa whispered, holding her tighter and placing a lingering kiss on the side of her head.

#elsanna #submission #june 2021 contest #prompt: storm #lime #cw: angst

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ojcobsessed · 3 years

Photo

oliver jackson-cohen for flaunt magazine, by jessica romoff, july 2019

***

The first horror movie I ever saw was The Exorcist on my grandmother’s RCA console TV, midnight on Christmas Eve. My grandmother is a Catholic Portuguese woman who was devout to cross stitching and Jesus Christ, resulting in crucifixes nailed into every wall of the living room. So, as every flash and jolt from the TV screen would animate the tortured figurines with chilling white light, I prepared in panic and thrill for each one to flip upside down.

Not only did this movie ignite my passionate love for horror, but actor Oliver Jackson Cohen’s passion as well. Mine lead me to accumulating random 70’s slasher movie memorabilia and sporadic nightmares, while Cohen’s lead him to eventually being the star of hit Netflix horror miniseries The Haunting of Hill House as his character Luke Crain, with a few nightmares as well. The 10 episode show is a modern reimagining of Shirley Jackson’s novel “Hill House” and follows the Crain family during the summer they lived in the haunted home, and flashes forward on their lives decades after the tragic events.

During a phone interview with him, I learned Cohen is much more than just a dedicated actor with a jawline that can cut glass; Cohen is a whirlpool of empathy, an artist who gushes his heart into everything he does, and demands that his character Luke, and those battling with similar struggles, are portrayed more than just their addiction.

With your role in last season, I was really impressed by how you portrayed a character with drug addiction, and how you refrained from making him a stereotypical, one dimensional person - and I was wondering how you avoided leaning on this cliche when approaching Luke?

Thank you, number one, I think we all have seen drug addicts portrayed in movies and tv shows before. Most of the time, they are always portrayed as their addiction, and I don’t think that’s very true for anyone who knows anyone who has substance abuse problems; there is actually a fucking person there. So it was very clear from the get-go that I had a responsibility to present a fully formed human being, and they actually brought in a specific writer to write Luke’s character- who was a heroin addict in recovery. I said to Mike, the director and creator of the show - before we even started that it’s very important that Luke is the sum of all his parts and is not just his addiction. So I think that the way I approached it, is that when I first began doing all the research and the pre-work before we started filming, I started looking at documentaries, because I had never done heroin before, so I thought, Oh I’ll start looking at documentaries - but then I realized quite early on that that was putting a judgement on him. And I don’t think it’s fair - because behind anyone who has fallen into this trap is someone who is deeply struggling. And I felt it - I felt a huge amount of, not pressure, but a need to show the person behind the addiction and show the person who is actually struggling, and why he had become an addict. So I focused on that - so I spent no time whatsoever seeing Lucas as a drug addict; I saw him as someone who was struggling to come to terms with everything that he had experienced and happened in his life. And so I focused on anyone who is trying to numb themselves, that know they’re running away from something. So I built up the terror of that, instead of focusing on “I need my fix.”

Was there something that happened in your own life, that was out of your control and not your fault, but regardless someone judged you because of that - perhaps driving your connection to Luke’s character?

Oh 100 percent, and that’s what is so interesting, because I don’t have a substance abuse problem - but I think that out of all the characters I have ever played in the past 10 years, there’s the most of me in Luke. Like, all of that stuff of just trying to function, and the vulnerability, and just trying to be normal, and being so ashamed - all of that is my own shit, and so [laughs] I didn’t need to be a heroin addict to understand the pain that he was going through, so, so much. I think it’s incredible getting to play someone like that because, in a weird way it felt like therapy - I was able to go to work everyday and just be all the parts of myself. I think it’s interesting as well for men, there’s this whole thing about having to be a certain way, having to always be strong, and I think inherently a lot of people do feel incredibly fragile. So all of that stuff of Luke is me, and my stuff, and I didn’t have to pretend - I just got to go to work and be as vulnerable as I feel. You know we all have incredibly complicated lives and incredibly complicated upbringings, and I used all of my stuff: I was diagnosed with PTSD a couple of years ago so all of that is in there with Luke - and it felt incredibly cathartic to be able to kind of put it all out there and be there.

When your work is something that is so emotionally rigorous, and strenuous, it must be very draining dedicating yourself to a character who is really struggling his whole life - How do you unwind and decompress from this intensity?

[Laughs] I….you know what, I’m not very good at it. I feel like I’m one of those people, I’m sort of with the school of thought that you either go to work and you fucking do it - and you do it for real, or go home. I’m not into this whole I’ll just pretend! thing, so it’s probably not the healthiest way of working. But I feel it’s necessary, and then I don’t know how to handle it. There were a couple of days on set where specifically we were filming all of Luke’s episodes or the stuff where he’s sort of roaming the streets - that got way too intense. We would rap at 6 am and I would go back to my house and sleep for a bit, and then wake up and just be so out of sorts: I would have to call people at home to reassure me that everything was okay.

I imagine the intensity can be overwhelming

Yeah, I mean, it sounds really wonky - but I think that when you’re messing around with stuff like that, and you’re tricking your brain into thinking something is real, and then on top of that you’re drawing from your own personal well of shit that probably should be kept untouched - it’s gonna be messy at times. So yeah, it gets… it did get a little hairy. But again I felt that it was important - and I think all of us across the board in the cast felt that it was so important to do that - to give Luke a voice. And what’s been so interesting when the show came out, it was so overwhelming, the response, specifically from people that have struggled with addiction. And it was so warming to hear these stories from people, so I think it was necessary for all of us as actors to go to those dark parts of ourselves, and put that out on screen.

Is there something that you wish you knew before you began acting in a horror TV series? Or about a TV series with intense family drama with horror influence?

Hm..I don’t know. Just… it’s all good. [laughs] it’s gonna be all good.

Honestly, that’s pretty solid universal advice. And I was wondering, are you a fan of horror in general?

Yes! Huge

And is this a genre that you want to continue with?

Yes, I had never done anything horror before, so this was a dream. I remember I watched The Exorcist when I was like eight or something, and it completely terrified me - and I still to this day have nightmares about it. I think what’s so clever about horror, and I think specifically with what Mike has done on our show, it becomes a metaphor for something else. So specifically with Hill House, if you take away the house and all the ghosts and all the horror elements, it’s about childhood trauma. So you can swap out what all those kids went through, the horror they experienced, can be swaped out for sexual abuse, or physical abuse, or anything like that. So you manage to kind of navigate all of these horrific things we kind of don’t want to look at, in the veil of ghosts, so it becomes palatable for an audience. I never knew this, Netflix told me this, that horror is the most watched genre in the whole world.

Really!?

Across the board, yeah! I thought it would be comedy. But that’s why Netflix made the show. Because they realized that actually there was such a massive market for horror. So yeah, a really long winded answer to your short question - yes I was a fan of horror, I always have been.

Me too! I’ve never thought about how horror can be a metaphor for trauma. That’s so fascinating. Just one last question - I know that you can’t say too much about the second season… right? Or they’ll shoot you.

Right [laughs]

So, see if you can answer this: if Season 1 and Season 2 were mythical creatures, what would they be?

[Laughs] What would they be… ahhh...I genuinely don’t know how to answer that question. They’re both just beasts from the darkest corners of our minds. Season 1…. Uh… what I can say - is that season 1 I believe was amazing, and with what they’re doing with season 2 is even…. More incredible.

#oliver jackson cohen #oliver jackson-cohen #peter quint #luke crain #haunting of bly manor #haunting of hill house #2019 #tw: childhood trauma #ptsd

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heyitssmiller · 4 years

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Chop It Like It’s Hot

Chapter 6: I’ve Got a Bad Queso Loving You

Pining. Food that may or may not be a disaster. The end of an era.

Also people actually wanted to be tagged for updates?? That makes my heart so happy <3

Tag List: @heyoitslysso @unknown-and-invisible

Chop It Like It’s Hot Masterlist

@lumosinlove

It was weird, walking into the studio by himself for the first time. Finn kept expecting Logan to be right by his side like always and it hurt a little every time Finn remembered. He walked into the kitchens where he was greeted by a sunny smile and kind eyes and dimples.

He still missed Logan, but it was hard to mope with Leo Knut around.

“Hey,” Leo greeted, motioning for Finn to join him at the station. “Welcome to the final four.”

“Thanks. It feels weird here.”

Leo hummed. “Quiet, right?”

“Definitely less hectic.” Finn agreed, leaning his hip against the counter. “So what are we cooking today?”

“Well, why don’t you tell me? We’re cooking for someone special to you. I’m assuming that’s Logan, right?” At Finn’s nod a strange, unreadable expression flashed across Leo’s face before he continued. “Okay, so what types of food do you think of when you think of him?”

Finn thought about it, then smiled. “Our first date – after years and years of being friends and crushing on each other but refusing to do anything about it – was at a Mexican restaurant. We were on a roadie and went to go get dinner together and I was so frustrated at this point that I kind of just blurted, ‘Is this a date?’” Finn laughed a little at the memory. “And Lo, he just stared at me with those big green eyes of his for a moment and said, ‘I sure hope so.’ And that was it. No more drama, no more fuss. Just those two sentences – that was all we needed.”

The look from earlier was back on Leo’s face. Finn still didn’t know what it meant.

“I think we can definitely work with that.” He said finally. “How about we elevate a Mexican dish? Something to be meaningful but to also showcase your cooking? I've got a few recipes in mind. What about grilled citrus-marinated chicken?”

Finn wrinkled his nose and shook his head.

“Alright. Pulled pork tamales with corn salsa? Polenta stacks? Chipotle Mahi Mahi burrito bowl?”

“Oh!” Finn said excitedly. “I like that one. Logan calls me Fish sometimes.”

Leo laughed. “Why?”

“Nicknames are kind of a thing in hockey. It’s considered weird if you don’t have one. I’m Harzy, Harz, Fish, and probably a few more that I’m forgetting.”

“And Logan?”

“He’s Tremz or Tremzy, usually.” He looked over at the blond, propping his chin in his hand and smiling. “You want a nickname?”

“Oh, god. With a last name like Knut, I’m sure you’ll have plenty to go off of.” He laughed, turning to head towards the pantry. Finn followed after him like the love-struck puppy he was.

“Nut. Nutty. Peanut. Peanut butter. Nutter Butter. Honey bunches of nut – “

“How have you already come up with so many?” Leo stretched to grab a bowl off the top shelf, his t-shirt shifting up to reveal pale skin Finn desperately wanted to reach out and touch.

“I’m a professional hockey player.”

“Fair enough. Can you head to the spices and grab smoked paprika, chili powder, cumin, salt, pepper and onion powder?”

Finn grabbed the ingredients and met Leo back at the station. “Ready to get started? You’ll get the printed recipe and you can take as many notes as you want now and use them tonight.”

Finn clicked his pen in response, earning another smile. “Let’s do this.”

“So we’re going to combine olive oil, chipotle chiles, garlic, smoked paprika, chili powder, cumin, salt, pepper and onion powder into a bowl and whisk it really good. Then you can add the mahi mahi and toss it in there. Next we’re going to place it in the fridge while we start the rice.” Leo covered the bowl and set it in the fridge before reaching for a pot and turning the stove on.

“Add coconut milk and some coconut water to a pot and bring it to a low boil before adding rice, salt, unsweetened coconut and coconut oil. Stir to combine, then place the lid on the pot and turn the heat down to the lowest setting possible. Following so far?”

Finn nodded, definitely feeling a little overwhelmed.

Leo gave him a reassuring smile. “You got this. Next, let the rice to cook for ten minutes then turn the heat off completely. Let the rice sit on the stove, covered for another 20 minutes, then remove the lid and fluff the rice with a fork. Add the cilantro and lime juice – “

“No cilantro.”

Leo looked up from his pot. “What?”

“No cilantro.” Finn repeated. “Lo doesn’t like cilantro.”

“Got it. No cilantro. I think we’ve got enough seasoning without it.” Leo grabbed another bowl and pushed some ingredients towards him on the counter.

“Now we’re going to make the salsa. Add the diced mango, chopped strawberries, jalapeño, lime juice, pinch of cayenne and a pinch of salt to a bowl. Toss it, cover it, and keep it in the fridge until ready to serve. Now we’re going to cook that fish.” Leo grabbed the fish out of the fridge and sent him a sly look. “Hopefully this doesn’t count as cannibalism.”

Finn laughed loudly. “Oh man, wait until Logan hears that.”

Leo fiddled with the settings on the grill, which made Finn a little nervous. As seen in the build your own burger competition, he wasn’t the best with grills. He’d scared away all the ducks with how loud he screamed when he turned the grill on too high and flames erupted from it.

“You’re going to want a medium heat to cook this fish. Once the grill is nice and hot, add the mahi mahi, skin side facing up. Cook these for about 4-5 minutes and then flip them and cook until they’re crisp and mostly cooked through. This is super important: remove the skin. We’re going to be cutting this fish into chunks and having pieces of fish skin in there would be really gross.

“Last thing is to plate these. All you’re going to do is divide the rice among your tortilla bowls and add the lettuce, black beans, and corn. Divide up the fish and then top each bowl with salsa, queso, and a dollop of sour cream. And you’re done!” Leo looked over at Finn, who was still writing notes. “Not so bad, right?”

Finn gave him a blank stare, then ran a hand through his hair nervously. “Go over it again one more time?”

“Sure.” Leo pushed one of the plates over to Finn. “Want to try some first?”

“Fuck yes.”

***

Logan stood in the studio hallway yet again, waiting with the rest of the families the final four contestants were cooking for tonight. It was going to be weird, being on the opposite side of the judging table. But at least he wasn’t cooking.

They finally got the cue to enter the kitchen and his eyes immediately found Finn, who was grinning madly and running right at him – whether he was allowed to or not. Logan laughed as Finn collided with him, hugging him close. “You just saw me this morning.”

“Yeah, but I missed you.”

Logan melted a little at that and kissed him softly on the cheek. “Did you have a good day?”

Finn whined, shooting a longing look over at Leo. “Lo, you would not believe – “

“Please head back to your stations, recruits!” Dorcas called.

“Gotta go.” Finn sighed, taking a step back. Logan gave his hand a squeeze.

“You’ve got this.”

“Recruits, tonight you’ll be creating dishes for your loved ones. And your team leaders, of course. You can use any notes you’ve taken. You have an hour to complete this task and your time starts… now!”

Logan took his seat at the judges table (weird) and watched as Finn dashed off to the pantry. He made small talk with the other family members as time began to tick down much slower than he remembered from his time on the show. He turned his head when Leo sat down next to him and smiled almost nervously.

“I hope you’re not too mad at me for last week.”

“Nah,” Logan said with a shrug, doing everything he could think of to slow his heartrate down. “I deserved it. I served you guys raw pizza dough.”

“Only because I suggested you start over.”

Logan laughed incredulously. “Because my pizza wasn’t a pizza! Seriously, don’t worry about it.” He looked over at Finn, who was shying away from the grill as he threw the fish on it. “I’m glad he made it instead of me. He’s been so excited to be on this show.”

“He’s really improved a lot. You both did.”

“I’m still not sure I trust either of us in the kitchen.”

“Baby steps.” Leo said with a smile. “You’re more capable than you think.”

He glanced at the clock and let his voice carry to the contestants. “One minute left, recruits!”

Finn glanced up from his plating, cursed, and started working faster.

“Five, four, three, two, one, time’s up! Stop what you’re doing and step away from your plates!”

“I can see why you like this so much.” Logan said, eyes still on Finn as he looked down at his plates critically. “You get to sit here, no stress, and eat people’s food. This is the dream.”

“Not on this show. You should’ve tried some of the earlier dishes this season. I got food poisoning twice.”

“You did what?”

“It might’ve been three times if I’d eaten that chicken you tried to serve in the first challenge.” Leo teased.

“Why isn’t giving a chef food poisoning an immediate elimination?”

“Because then we’d have very few recruits left, and that would be a very short season.”

Finn set down his plates, smiling nervously. Logan looked down and smiled softly. “Mexican food.”

“No cilantro, just how you like it.”

God, Logan didn’t deserve him.

“Let’s see how this tastes.” Leo said, looking down at his plate. “The presentation is really nice.”

They both took bites of their food. The fish was dry, but Logan thought the rest of it was really good.

“It’s under-seasoned a little bit,” Leo commented. “And the fish is a little dry, but your salsa is perfect and the ratios of everything else in the bowl is very nice.”

Logan grinned up at Finn. “I definitely wouldn’t be opposed to you bringing this recipe home.”

“We need move on to the next contestant. Nice job, Finn.”

Finn beamed and grabbed his plates back.

***

“And the chef who will be leaving us tonight is…” Logan held Finn’s hand and waited for Leo to finish.

“Finn. I’m sorry, your time as a recruit is over. Please turn in your apron.”

Finn sighed, squeezed Logan’s hand, and stepped forward.

“It was really close, but in the end the under-seasoned and overcooked fish did you in.” Leo said, looking apologetic. “I’ve really enjoyed having you on the show. You’ve been a joy to teach.”

“Thanks for having me.” Finn said, trying to be cheerful as he handed over his apron. “I had a blast.”

After the cameras stopped rolling, Logan and Finn made sure to find Leo before they left. He was scrubbing down the grill and looked up when he noticed them. “So this is goodbye, huh?”

“Looks like it.” Logan replied, unabashedly staring and trying to memorize everything he could. Was it weird to miss someone when you hadn’t even said goodbye yet? When they were standing right in front of you?

Finn piped up, “If you’re ever in Gryffindor, look us up. We’d love to see you.”

“Same for when you come to New York for games.” Leo smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes.

“Here,” Finn grabbed his phone out of his pocket. “What’s your number? We can send you our team schedule when we get it.”

Finn, you’re a genius.

“That would be great! I, uh, I really liked having y’all on the show. It’d be nice to see each other again.” His cheeks were red again, and Logan had to bite back a whine. He wanted to kiss those red spots so badly.

But this definitely wasn’t the time. There were people everywhere, two of them were probably leaving in the morning, and they didn’t know when they’d see him again. Or if he even liked them back.

Fuck.

Both Logan and Finn had forgotten just how awful the guessing game really was.

#lumosinlove #sweater weather #coast to coast #finn o'hara #logan tremblay #leo knut #o'knutzy #chop it like it's hot

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chrispaulcolfer · 3 years

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thoughts on hummelberry? i hate them and i feel that kurt was never more ruined as a character than when he was with her.

It's funny you should ask, dear non. I just got into a heated rant with my spouse about hummelberry today. Mostly my spouse listening to me rant, because of the recent scene I reblogged? Yes, the one in season 4 where Kurt puts Rachel in her place by popping her inflated ego.

Let's preface this by saying that hummelberry does have good moments - Rachel coming to Kurt's defense to get their football boyfriends to stand up to Karofsky in season 2, the speech she gives in Swan Song, and then the one she gives in season 5's "A Katy or a Gaga". There are times where she steps up to the plate and is a good friend to him for a change. And of course they're cute when they break onto the Wicked stage in season 2, the Christmas elf outfits in season 5, the excitement over being in Vogue and then going to that showcase with Santana in season 4. There is potential! But they missed the mark by making Rachel awful when it comes to Kurt. "Best Gay" for example? Shut up and go sit down.

I loathe this friendship. I hate it so damn much. The writers could've made it into a great friendship if they put time and energy into character development instead of needing Kurt to seem relevant in season 3 by attaching him to Rachel's side the entire time out of NO WHERE. Oh wow, two people into Broadway? They totes need to be bff's now for that reason alone haha. Give me a break.

Let's see - in season 2 when Kurt tells them all he's leaving for Dalton, Rachel's more concerned about him being competition then the actual problem of why he's leaving. Then she goes for Blaine after knowing Kurt's feelings about him, but lol who cares because she may get a boyfriend who will keep up with her vocally. Kurt needs some humble pie, because she gets what she wants in the end always, haha.

In season 3, she laughs at him after he chooses her to be his Juliet because him playing anyone masculine is hilarious. Also in season 3 she runs against him for student president, then ruins his winning by cheating - he said he was going to cheat himself, why would she add onto that and make it even more obvious? Oh right, guilty conscious. After Kurt gets his NYADA letter, she makes it about herself by ruining his excitement. When Kurt is against her marrying Finn so young, she tells him that he's just jealous (remember at the time gay couples marrying in Ohio wasn't an option - so yes, he's totally jealous that he can't just marry someone for the hell of it). Then the bullshit of him not getting into NYADA after giving a kick ass performance but she does after harassing Carmen for WEEKS. How the fuck would Kurt consider that fair?! Oh, right, he's always the bigger person who is just happy she gets to go live her dream. Duh. OH and remember when Rachel mentions wanting to see Kurt in a bridesmaid dress???? 😌 get fucked.

Then we hit season 4, and her ditching Kurt for two fake friends who become her echo chamber. These new friends badmouth Kurt and she can only timidly disagree with them but then gets hyped on them hyping her up - and then they ditch her at midnight madness, KARMA OR WHAT?! Speaking of, she went out on a limb and told Kurt that he only got into NYADA because Carmen knew he was friends with her. Not his talent. Not his moving performance on the spot. No, he's clearly not in her league and he should be honored to be bff's with her because that comes with perks, lol. Then when he beats her fair and square, it's a damn narcissistic pity party all over again (oh woe am I, I didn't win, I'm just not gonna be an actress and perform anymore because I suck. Pity me). Not to mention that she asked Brody to move in WITHOUT consulting Kurt at all, which lead to unwanted flashing that Kurt did NOT consent to. (Also how is it that Kurt gets a tiny promotion only because he pulled Rachel into it? Why couldn't he have done that for himself? Why does his success lead back to her this season? Fuck you glee.)

Season 5, she manipulates and gaslights the situation regarding her and Santana's feud by calling Kurt a traitor, "replacing her best gay" with Elliott, and basically stating THEY (Kurt AND Santana) kicked her out when she made that decision on her own. She then ignores Kurt telling her NOT to go to LA and does it anyway because she's so bored of Broadway now apparently. Then Chris' episode of only showing up to Kurt's Peter Pan gig because he called her out on being a shitty friend. If Kurt hadn't done that, she wouldn't have been there (Santana might not have been either, lbr). ALSO THE FUCKING BASH EPISODE?! Again, she only feels bad because Kurt almost DIES and then it's "bff's forever".

Season 6, I didn't pay much attention to. But I do know that while Santana was going off on him with that "rant", Rachel just stood there making faces. Faces that suggested that she agreed with a few of the awful things Santana was saying. And then she got upset when Kurt offered Jane & Mason advice that was actual good TEACHER advice to do better which boy Jane and Mason took to heart and bettered their performance. I do know that Kurt got shit on a lot in this season as well, even Mercedes had to come back to kiss poor whittle Rachel's ass and downplay Kurt's contribution. Like what the fuck is that about. Plot wise season 6 is trash anyway, so, no shock in reality.

I have a theory that has decided majority of those who enjoy hummelberry only want to be in a threesome between Colfer and Lea and that's it. Because they're both pretty people (Rachel in season 4? Hell yes, please more of that to look at, thanks). The fundamentals of this friendship is messed up, and I consider it toxic and emotionally/mentally abusive. There's no growth between them. It's just Kurt being the better and bigger person, while Rachel continues being self-involved until Kurt snaps then it's suddenly 'oh I can't lose him quick gaslight maneuver'. Even when there's consequences, she makes up for it by the end of an episode, but then is back to her usual ways by the next one and onward.

#anti hummelberry #anti rachel berry #answered #long post

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randomfandom815 · 4 years

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Defending the women of LOST/Sexism in LOST

People say they don’t like Kate Austen because she’s “annoying” “can’t choose between Jack and Sawyer” “always wants to join every single mission”. Kate has way bigger things to worry about than sorting out her romantic feelings. Yes, she is developing feelings for both Jack and Sawyer, but she doesn’t have time to figure them out while trying to survive on the island. And the fact that people don’t like her because of the whole “I’m coming with you” thing is a little ridiculous, because they’re hating Kate for wanting to protect her friends and do whatever she can to help. You know who else does that? Jack. But plenty of people love him for those very same reasons. Yeah, a lot of Kate’s character was centered around the love triangle, but that isn’t the character’s fault, it the writers’s.

Then there’s Claire Littleton. People always complain about her “my baby!” thing, but... she only actually says that a few times, AND, if your child was taken from you or you thought your child was going to be hurt, wouldn't you be worried out of your mind? Wouldn’t you want to do anything to help them? People also criticize Claire for her entire Season 6 arc. She was alone, on the island, thinking everyone had abandoned her, with only the MIB for company. She was also tortured by the temple Others, who she thought had taken her child. Claire was a single mother who just wanted to keep her son safe, give her a break.

Sun-Hwa Kwon is a character who actually doesn’t receive that much hate, but there is still the fact that people don’t like her because she left Ji Yeon to go back to the island for Jin. Here’s the thing: Sun had no way of knowing what was would happen on the island. She had no way of knowing that Jin had time traveled to the past, and she had no way of knowing what would happen with the MIB/Locke. She thought that she would be able to go to the island, bring Jin and the others back, and the two of them would reunite with Ji Yeon. And then in the submarine incident, Sun didn't want Jin to stay. She wanted him to live and take care of Ji Yeon. It was Jin who made the decision to die with her, not Sun.

Shannon Rutherford is a very unlikable character. Even I don’t enjoy her character, or Boone, and that is a view shared by many other people in the fandom. Many people call her selfish, spoiled, and just plain rude. And she was all of those things, but that wasn’t her entire character. Remember, they had all just been through a plane crash, landed on an island with no chance of rescue. Also, friendly reminder that she was only 20 years old. She was scared, and her way of coping with that was to try to do something normal. Let’s not forget, in Pilot, Part 2, she volunteered to go on the mission to fix the transceiver. She was constantly feeling useless, and it didn’t help that other characters, especially Boone, were constantly putting her down and mocking her. When she started to see Walt, she genuinely made an attempt to help him, even though she wasn’t sure if he was even there. Her death was untimely, and I wished we had gotten to see her grow more as a person. Also, her death was used for shock value and to further Sayid’s character development.

And now, one of the most hated characters of LOST, Ana Lucia Cortez. Now, while the characters I mentioned above were shit on and criticized, Ana Lucia was absolutely hated by the fandom. People hated her attitude, her toughness, her dislike of most of the people around her, and the fact that she killed Shannon (who, by the way, was just as disliked by many Ana Lucia haters). You know who else has a similar attitude? Who has that same toughness and dislike of people? Who else killed someone? That would be Sawyer, a fan-favorite, white male character who is beloved by the fandom. Now, for the last point, what I am comparing here is Ana Lucia killing Shannon to Sawyer killing the man he thought was Frank Sawyer in Australia, right before flight 815. Ana Lucia killed Shannon because she was trying to protect the people she was leading (including Sawyer!) from who she thought was the Others, and killing Shannon was an accident. Sawyer killed the man completely on purpose and out of revenge. Oh, and it wasn’t even the right person. Yes, I am aware of the man Ana killed long before flight 815 out of revenge, but if we can take her very small amount of character development, in which she refused to kill Henry Gale, a known Other at that point. Whereas Sawyer was still willing to kill a bunch of people in Season 6, the end of his character arc. And yet, Sawyer is still in most people’s top five characters lists (just to be clear, I do not hate Sawyer at all, and this is not anti Sawyer but pro Ana Lucia). You may argue that people love Sawyer because of his character development, which I do agree with. However, Ana Lucia was never given the chance to have Sawyer-like character development because she was killed off in the same season that she was introduced in. She wasn’t even allowed to be in the church in the flash-sideways, and she didn’t get to “move on.” Ana Lucia deserved way better than the death for shock value that she got.

Next up on the list is Juliet Burke. She, like Sun, also isn’t the target of a lot of hate, but there are still things that need defending. The first thing is, of course, her sudden change of mind when it came to detonating the hydrogen bomb in Season 5. Yes, it was selfish of her to endanger everyone on the island just because of the way Sawyer looked at Kate. But if the plan did actually work, which she thought it would, that meant she would lose everything she had gained over the past few years, including Sawyer. Juliet is incredibly kind and feminine while also being badass at the same time, which is amazing because you don’t usually see those two traits coinciding (usually a badass character isn’t very feminine and a “traditionally feminine” character isn’t a good fighter). As for all of her motives in Season 3, Juliet was trapped on the island for three years. All she wanted to do was leave and go home to her sister. Yes, she manipulated Sun, but right after that, she made things right by helping Jack make a plan to stop the Others. Her death was heroic, and I’m glad she was finally able to be happy in the flash-sideways. (I am declining to mention her whole relationship with Goodwin and all the drama with Ben, although I might dive into that in another post).

Now, the character Rose Nadler has almost nothing that needs to be defended. She is a constant wise voice of reason who isn’t concerned with the drama of the rest of the survivors. Her relationship with her husband Bernard is very sweet, but she doesn’t let that stop her from doing the smart thing (like stopping his SOS sign idea). Not only that, but Rose has one of the best (and most meta) lines on the show: “If you say live together, die alone to me, Jack, I’m going to punch you in the face.”

Another character who doesn't need much defending is Charlotte Lewis, but not for the same reason as Rose. Charlotte was done dirty by the writers. Of the science team, she is the least fleshed out and explored. She had a single flashback and a little bit of exposition information from Ben, but that’s pretty much it. Every significant thing she did was for the sake of other characters. She had a fake-out death so Ben would reveal that he had a spy on the boat. She was taken to the Barracks so that members of Jack’s group would have a reason to go there. Her going to the Barracks was also an excuse to get Miles and Kate there. And she only died/was dying for shock value, to up the stakes of the time flashes, to provide more questions to the characters and the audience, and to further Daniel’s character development. In the flash-sideways, all she did was go on a date with Sawyer and further his character development. She didn't get to go to the church and move on. Daniel and Miles, the other members of her team, on the other hands were given compelling backstories and centric episodes.

Penelope Widmore is similar to Charlotte in that there isn’t much to defend because she doesn’t do much that affects the plot. Nearly everything she does is about Desmond, and the writers barely even gave her a personality. I’m sure Penny was an actually interesting person, if they had bothered her to give her any storyline that didn't involve her love interest.

Danielle Rousseau is a character that kind of slides in and out of the story as needed. Now, Danielle isn’t the subject of a lot of criticism just because she isn’t very focused on, but from what I have seen, here’s what I have to say: Danielle was alone on the island for sixteen years. And for sixteen years, she had to live with the knowledge that she was forced to kill the man she loved and her team. Not to mention the fact that her daughter, Alex, was taken away from her when she was just a week old. Can you blame Danielle for being paranoid? Her death was not a fair end to the character, and it was only used to kill off Danielle quickly and provide shock value.

Her daughter, Alex Rousseau, is similar to Charlotte and Penny in that she doesn’t need to be defended because everything she does is to affect other characters. In this case, those characters are Ben and Danielle (especially Ben in the later seasons). Danielle’s entire character is centered around the fact that she lost Alex and has been searching for her, and Ben’s motivations after Season 4 are largely motivated by Alex’s death. She herself doesn’t have much of a character arc, and her death was only to provide shock value and further Ben’s character development.

Another character that falls into the category of not having much to defend because every action is for someone else is Libby Smith. Once the tailies and the main survivors joined together, she was almost immediately shoved in a relationship with Hurley. The only things we knew about her backstory were that her husband died, she was a clinical psychologist, she was in the same mental hospital as Hurley, and she gave Desmond a boat. That’s it. She didn’t have a centric episode, and she only appeared in other people’s flashbacks. Her death was only to provide shock value and further Hurley’s character development, as well to show that Michael betrayed the survivors.

Notice how many of these women died for shock value and/or to further a man’s character development? Notice how many of these women are disliked for traits that other characters are loved for? Notice how many of them barely exist as their own character without a man? I love LOST, I really do, but their treatment of female characters needed a lot of improvement.

#lost #lost tv show #abc lost #lost tv series #fandom sexism #sexism in fandom #kate austen #claire littleton #sun-hwa kwon #shannon rutherford #ana lucia cortez #juliet burke #rose nadler #charlotte lewis #penelope widmore #penny widmore #danielle rousseau #alex rousseau #libby smith

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alj4890 · 3 years

Text

And Then I Left You

(Thomas Hunt x oc*Amanda) in a "what if" version to the RCD/TRR fan fic And Then I Met You Series

A/N This was one chapter that I couldn’t find a way to divide up. It’s a tad long, but let’s just say that what we have been waiting on finally happens.

@krsnlove @my-heart-beats-for-ya @aworldoffandoms @flyawayboo @trappedinfanfiction @everythingmarvelsherlockspn @sophxwithers @kate-mckenzie @twinkleallnight

Masterlist

Chapter 6 The Chase is On

Cordonia, The Royal Palace...

Glancing at his door, Drake set his coffee cup down to see who was knocking in a persistent and irritating manner.

"Hey. Where'd you disappear to last night?"

"What were you doing with Thomas Hunt?!" Amanda stormed into his chambers and shut the door. "I thought you were my friend!"

Drake rolled his eyes. "I see you're in your usual, reasonable state of mind."

"Just answer me this." She took a deep breath to try to remain calm. "Are you on my side?"

"Come on, Amanda." He muttered. "Of course I am. That's why Hunt is--"

"I don't want to hear anything about him!" She snapped. "I don't care why Thomas is here." Her eyes narrowed on Drake. "I simply want to know that I can still depend on you to help me if I need it."

He folded his arms. "I'm trying to help. If you would just--"

"That's all I needed to hear." She twirled around and quickly left his room.

Dropping his head back, Drake groaned in frustration. He then searched for his phone to send a group text to Thomas, Liam, and Maxwell.

Drake: A's been by showing that she's just as stubborn as before.

Liam: I will have a talk with her. She can't ignore me during this social season.

Maxwell: 😬 Is this the same A we grew up with? She ALWAYS finds a way to wiggle out of stuff she doesn't really want to face.

Thomas: I think my only chance is to irritate her into finally speaking to me.

Drake: Maybe you can corner her at the derby.

***************

The Derby...

"Now remember, you have to remain pleasant whenever they bring Thomas up." Nadia whispered.

Amanda grit her teeth. "I can fake it for a few minutes."

"That a girl." Olivia encouraged her as she stepped up to talk to the reporters.

"Your grace!" Ana smiled warmly. "Welcome home."

Amanda's answering smile was more natural at that opening to her interview.

"Thank you." Her eyes lifted to the crowd of people milling about the track. "I didn't realize how much I missed Cordonia until I came back after such a long absence."

"It must have been a surprise to come home and discover that you are to take part as one of Prince Liam's suitors."

"Quite." Amanda shrugged with a smile. "I know though that his royal highness will choose a lady that will make all of Cordonia proud."

"How do you rate your chances?" Ana continued. "Given your closeness over the years, do you think you have a better one than the other suitors?"

"Not at all." Amanda gripped her hands together. "I believe that Prince Liam will give every lady a fair chance to see if they are meant to be his future queen."

Ana's attention drifted over Amanda's shoulder. "There you are!" She motioned for Thomas to come forward. "Perfect timing. I was about to ask how things are going with The Earl's Undoing."

The duchess stiffened when he stepped up next to her and set his arm around her waist.

"Everything is moving along as expected. Our only hiccup is Ryan's need to extend a promotional tour of his last film." Thomas turned toward Amanda. "Lucky for me, her grace has been so understanding."

Amanda felt her cheeks heat up with color. "I'm certain anyone would understand a need to wait on one of their leading actors."

"You'd be surprised how many refuse to hear the real reasons behind delays."

Against her better judgement she lifted her eyes to his.

An apologetic smile formed on his lips. He kept his gaze on her face as he spoke. "I intend on making it up to her grace once everything is ready to begin."

Amanda's eyes narrowed more in confusion than anger. She didn't know what to think about that or any of what he was hinting at. Her curiosity was starting to override her furious pride.

"Does this mean you might have to push back its release date?" Ana asked, interrupting her thoughts.

"Possibly. We will know more once filming begins." He explained.

"Speaking of dates, I noticed that both you and Simone Carmichael just so happen to be here at the same time." Ana grinned at him. "Are you spending these next few weeks with her?"

Thomas had to grip down hard on Amanda's waist to keep her from walking off.

She had lowered her head so that her large sun hat hid her annoyance. He still caught the brief twist of disgust on her lips.

"No. I had no idea Simone was coming here." He bit down on his tongue when he felt Amanda pinch his hand. "From what I gathered, she came here strictly to do a photoshoot for you."

Ana chuckled. "Well, that and I might have hoped once I knew you were here too to help romance along."

"Forgive me." Amanda said sweetly. "But I must join the other suitors."

"There isn't anything to help along with Simone." Thomas gripped a handful of material at the back of Amanda's dress to keep her in place. "I wish her nothing but luck in her career and personal endeavors."

Ana didn't bother to hide her disappointment. Her eyes then lit up when she focused once more on Amanda. "Your grace? You know Thomas well. Which of his recent dates do you think was the most successful?"

Amanda could feel Thomas stiffening next to her. One quick peek revealed his frown firming while he waited to hear how she would respond.

Unable to believe her luck, or rather lack thereof when it came to her own personal romances, a laugh escaped her lips.

Thomas nearly cringed from the sharp, bitter edge he and those who knew her well could only detect in what was usually a warm, carefree sound.

"I wouldn't dare to presume Thomas's heart." She made a show of checking her watch. "I really must be on my way."

"Thank you, your grace." Ana added. "And Thomas," she winked at him, "I'll be watching you and those who visit Cordonia."

"Let. Go. Of. Me." Amanda hissed once they were well past the press.

"I need to speak to you." He insisted.

"You're ruining my dress!" She whispered harshly. "If you let go of me then I will listen."

She couldn't believe he actually believed her lie. Once his fingers eased, she made a mad dash through an opening in the crowd.

"Amanda!" He tried to keep an eye on her as he was forced to pause here and there to keep from mowing people down in his pursuit.

The last glimpse he caught was seeing his escaped lady ducking into the suitors' tent.

*******************

"Riley got into Liam's tent safely." Maxwell whispered. "Operation Big Apple is officially a go."

Nadia giggled. "Good. I hope we can find them a lot of special alone time. It's going to seem so weird to Riley being basically courted like a contestant on a reality show." Her nose wrinkled. "It's a shame they never got to go on real dates before all this."

"It will work out." Maxwell told her. "We'll--" he saw the one who really needed help and waved. "Thomas! Up here!"

"What are you doing?" Nadia didn't bother to whisper. "He's the enemy of our friend!"

"Babe, he's so not the enemy." Maxwell grinned at her anger mounting. "If you would hear him out, you'd know just how bad he has it for our friend."

Nadia hmphed as she watched the still an enemy in her eyes climb the stairs of the section they were seated in.

"How'd it go?" Maxwell asked.

"I was making some headway until Ana brought up Simone being here." Thomas sat down next to them. "Then she escaped before I could get a word of explanation out."

Nadia's delighted smile held a hint of evil.

Maxwell shook his head in exasperation over the two women he knew and loved. "Will you tell my wife," he whispered, "without mentioning a certain someone's name, why you went on those dates?"

Thomas eyed him then frowned at Nadia. He tried not to think too much about how he must be desperate to continually open up to these people who were practically strangers. He had a hard enough time doing so with his own friends. Accepting help from Amanda's had to mean that even he was unaware how much he must love this woman who refused to be near him.

"I wanted to make certain it was her I wanted instead of just someone."

Nadia's brow furrowed. "You didn't know?"

"I did to some extent. But before I took a chance on ruining our friendship, I wanted to make certain."

"And every one of his dates was a bust." Maxwell added. "Nobody could measure up to our Aman--her."

Nadia looked back and forth between the two. "Oh. Then why did you come early?"

Thomas glanced around to make certain no one was listening. "I was asked by someone how I felt about her."

"Key component of operation Big Apple." Maxwell added.

Thomas merely quirked an eyebrow at that cryptic statement before leaning closer. "I told him I am in love with her and he planned on me being here for all this," he gestured around, "so that I could be with her in secret." His eyes flickered to the suitors' tent . "But she won't allow me to tell her how in love with her I am."

Nadia remained silent after his heartfelt confession. Maxwell shared a concerned glance with Thomas at his wife’s unusual reaction to something that would normally make her squeal with fluffy feelings.

"That is the most romantic thing I've ever heard!" Nadia clapped her hands over her mouth.

"And we have one more for team Thomas." Maxwell announced with glee.

******************

The Royal Palace grounds...

Thomas stood off to the side with Drake, Maxwell, and Nadia as the ladies of the court lined up to greet the queen. He scanned the overly eager smiles and excited whispers of many of the young women hoping to catch Liam's eye. A slight smirk formed as he noticed just how uninterested Amanda seemed with it all.

Her facial expression was one of calm neutrality. She didn't gush when Liam walked by, merely curtsied and bowed her head. A genuine smile flashed across her lips when he paused to say hello. Other than that, she might as well have been standing in line for some mundane task.

Once the queen and Liam chose their partners for the croquet game, she and the remaining ladies were forced to follow along and clap politely for them. Thomas caught a few of her eye rolls each time someone complimented the prince on his amazing form with the use of a croquet mallet.

"Things must have gone well in the tent." Nadia whispered. "Look how happy Liam and Riley are together."

"I knew it would." Maxwell boasted. He then noticed Amanda trying to peek over towards them instead of focusing on the game.

Her hat helped shade her eyes as she ever so often turned to look at Thomas. The slight tightening along her lips was the only indication that she didn't understand why those closest to her were hanging out with him.

Thomas noticed and met her gaze with his own questioning glance. Her body stiffened in response before turning her attention back to a game she had always found immensely boring.

"Wow." Drake whispered. "I'm impressed. I've never known a simple look could irritate her that much."

"Will there be mingling anytime soon?" Thomas asked.

"Once all the fawning is done, we'll be able to eat and mingle." Maxwell explained.

"Good." Nadia placed a hand on her stomach when it gurgled. "I hope it's soon."

It wasn't long before Liam and Riley won, causing many to surround him to offer their congratulations.

Drake snorted. "With how they're acting you'd think he just became some conquering hero of a war or something."

Thomas had lost sight of Amanda when the crowd of ladies surged. As Liam politely excused himself, while holding fast to Riley's hand, he managed to get through and find an empty table.

"We better join him before he's surrounded again." Maxwell tugged Nadia along with him.

"You coming?" Drake asked when he noticed Thomas's hesitation.

"I was trying to see where Amanda went." His eyebrows lifted when he noticed her talking to the queen and pointing directly at him.

Her smile was a bit unnerving with the smug triumphant he could so easily see.

Much to his surprise, she began to walk over with the queen just a step ahead of her.

"Your majesty," she said sweetly, "allow me to introduce Mr. Thomas Hunt."

"A pleasure to meet you, Mr. Hunt." Regina greeted him. "Her grace tells me you have quite the interest in Cordonian history."

Thomas blinked. The only history he knew had been interested in was whatever took place in Amanda’s book. "Er, yes. After reading Amanda's story, I have wanted to see the fields and buildings where it all took place."

Regina smiled in approval. "Then I am most happy to be your first guide."

"My first what?" His brow furrowed.

Amanda laughed softly. "You are a lucky man, Thomas." Her eyes sparkled with imminent victory. "Queen Regina knows every historical happening that occurred on the palace grounds."

"You flatter me, your grace." Regina fondly replied. "Now go and participate with Liam and the others. I will make sure your Mr. Hunt is taken care of."

"You don't need to--"

Amanda curtsied and interrupted his attempt to get out of this. "You are too kind, mam." Her smile grew at Thomas's shock. "And don't believe a word Mr. Hunt says about not wanting this tour. He is afraid of irritating people with his need for extensive detail."

His eyes narrowed at her success with getting rid of him for the remainder of the afternoon. Little did she know that he was not going to go down without a fight.

"Perhaps her grace can join us, since it is her book that sparked this interest."

"She can once the tea is over." Regina took his arm. "Now then, let us start over there with the apple trees that Queen Odette planted for each child she bore."

Thomas frowned at Amanda's unabashed glee as he was forced into this. He knew he should be pleased that she couldn't chance being within the same area as him, but he had intended for today to be the end of her not listening.

He was ready to do whatever was needed to finally tell her what was in his heart. If need be, he would sneak into her chambers and force the issue. Yet...with her anger, she might use that as a way to make him leave her country.

Two hours into the tour, his prayer for escape was answered. Regina was summoned by the king for some matter or another. She quickly gave her apologies and insisted he go enjoy himself at the tea party.

"And do give my apologies to Lady Amanda." She said as she paused at the door. "Let her I know she can tell you even more stories from the past than I can."

"Thank you." Thomas bowed his head. "I intend on claiming her attention as soon as I find her."

***************

Amanda had known as soon as Thomas disappeared with the queen that he would find a way back to the party. There really was only one option she had if she intended to not be confronted once again with whatever he felt the need to talk about.

But how could she sneak away without anyone noticing?

She grimaced at the ruby red dress she had on. It practically screamed designer and had drawn a lot of attention. With the floppy sun hat and heels, she couldn't have been less prepared to escape into the capital. She set her barely touched teacup down and began to walk the perimeter while trying to think of a plan.

"What are you doing?" Drake asked when she walked past him.

"Hmm?" She paused, preparing to glare at him. Then it hit her. If there was one person in the world who knew a way to get out without being seen, it was Drake. "Remember our conversation this morning?"

He eyed her warily. "Yeah?"

"Then let's get out of here." She whispered.

"Why?" He nodded toward the banquet being set up. "You love those pitiful excuses they call sandwiches."

"I'd rather have a cheeseburger."

His eyebrows lifted. "Really?"

"I missed breakfast." She whispered. Which was true since she was afraid of bumping into Thomas in the palace dining room. "This tea isn't going to hold me over until dinner."

Drake hesitated. A big part of him was ready to fall into her plan for his own sake. If he heard one more lady giggle while saying how strong Liam must be to swing his mallet, he would end up saying some kind of snide remark. He hated seeing his best friend be showered with phony attention.

But then again, he had promised to help Thomas with talking to Amanda. Shouldn't he find a way to keep her here so that they could finally put an end to her stubborn refusal? Of course, he could use the time alone with her to help ease the way for Thomas.

"After we eat," Amanda added, hoping to tempt him further, "we could find a place to play a couple of games of pool." She held her purse up. "I'll even buy the first two rounds of drinks."

She really is desperate for a break, he thought.

"Deal." He nodded toward a gap in the hedges. "When I say go, you head straight through there. I'll meet you down the hill in a few minutes."

She beamed at him before doing as she was told. As she hurried down the hill, she couldn't help but chuckle at her finding yet another way to avoid Thomas. Now she wouldn't have to worry about any confrontations or declarations or anything she didn't wish to hear.

This day was turning out better than she thought.

***********************

At a dive bar...

After grabbing a burger at some little hole in the wall place, the two had searched for a bar that they wouldn't be bothered at. The one they decided on was barely lit inside with an occasional neon side here and there. The few patrons sitting at the bar seemed the type to mind their own business and expected others to do the same.

"You sure about this place?" Drake asked. He felt a little uneasy at the type of patrons here.

"It's a bar without nobles or press." She pointed out. "This is exactly what we need."

The two wandered over to an empty pool table. Drake handed Amanda a pool cue then proceeded to rack the balls.

"You going to finally tell me why we left the tea party so quickly or not?"

Amanda shook her head. "How about a drink?"

He mentally shook his head as she ordered for them both. She was getting worse. Before news of Thomas’s dates had aired, Amanda had been more willing to talk about him.

"Are you going to break or what?" She asked.

Drake leaned down and struck the cue ball.

Two solids went in.

"Guess I'm stripes." She muttered.

Eyeing the other patrons, Drake sidled up next to her. "Maybe we should go somewhere else."

"Why?"

"Because you are in a fancy dress!" He hissed. "A dress that looks like you stepped out of one of those old paintings in the palace with ladies sitting in the gardens or something.

Amanda wrinkled her nose. "I don't think anyone here cares about that."

"Why did you decide to leave the tea party?" He demanded.

She leaned down to line up her shot. "Because I didn't want to stay."

Drake's head dropped forward in frustration. "Why?"

"You know why!" She twirled around to face him causing her skirt to flare out in an elegant spin. "I did not want to be cornered by Thomas again and forced to listen to him talk about his love life!"

"Amanda, do you know why Thomas is here? Alone?"

"I don't." She stuck her nose up in the air. "And I don't want to. What he does is none of my business." She took another shot. "And I intend for us to be nothing but workplace associates."

"And people call me stubborn." Drake grumbled. "Liam invited him here. If you would just--"

"Hey!"

The two turned toward a large, bald, burly man. The black leather vest he wore had on it what appeared to be a bleeding skull and other lovely items of death.

"This guy bothering you?"

Amanda relaxed. "No. But thank you for coming to check on me." She gestured toward Drake. "He is actually a friend of mine."

Casting a warning glare towards Drake, the intimidating man then faced Amanda. "I know you."

She highly doubted it. "You do? Forgive me, but I can't remember our meeting before--"

"You wrote that book." He stroked his beard while staring at her. "What is it called?"

Drake's eyes widened. "You read The Earl's Undoing?"

"That's it!" He snapped toward his other companions.

Four more heavily muscled bound men walked over and was introduced to the duchess.

Drake mentally groaned at the bodily harm that he knew was about to befall him.

Amanda was delighted if he was to go by how bright her smile was directed at the men she was introduced to.

"Did you really like it?" She asked. "I was worried that many wouldn't give it a chance being about people who aren't well known."

"We did." The one introduced as Breaker replied. "My sister has talked of nothing but your book since it came out."

The first one, who said he was known as Crow, spoke up again. "My mom loves it." He smiled, revealing a few missing teeth. "You mind if I call her and have her come here to meet you? She doesn't live far."

Drake cleared his throat while edging around the bikers surrounding Amanda. "We should probably head out. We--"

"Of course I don't mind." She waived off Drake shaking his head. "We can stay another hour or so if you want to call her." She smiled warmly up at Breaker. "If you think your sister might want to also, I would be more than happy to meet her too."

The men excused themselves, yelling to the bartender to give her whatever she wanted and to put it on their tab, and stepped outside to make their calls.

"Okay. We're leaving." Drake whispered. "There's a back door over by the restrooms." He nodded toward the other side of the bar. "I'll go first and--"

"But why?" Amanda sat down on a barstool. "I can't leave with their family members coming here."

"Did you not notice the fresh blood on that one guy's shirt? All the scars? The weapons?" Drake ran an agitated hand through his hair. "These aren't the kind of men you sit down and talk regency romances with!"

"But they approached me about that very thing." She whispered back. "If you want to go on back to the palace, I'll be fine--"

Drake held his hand up to make her stop talking. "I don't know why we're arguing about this. We're--"

"Arguing about what?" Crow asked.

"You sure this guy ain't bugging you?" The shorter of the five asked from over Drake's shoulder.

"I'm sure." She replied with a laugh. "Thank you though, Gearhead." She tilted her head towards Drake. "He's more like a brother to me and likes to try and be an older one at that."

The bikers looked on Drake with some respect.

"Hard enough making a sister do anything, much less one that isn't related." Breaker grumbled.

He slapped Drake on the back. "You're a good man for looking out for her."

"Thanks." Drake managed to say once he was sure no bones were broken.

While the bikers sat down next to Amanda to ask her more about her book, Drake sent a quick text to Thomas.

He knew if there was any chance of getting out of here safely, he would need some help.

******************

An hour later...

Thomas's entrance went by unnoticed.

The only sound in the bar was Amanda, reading her novel before a small crowd of some of the roughest individuals he had ever seen.

They were captivated as she added emotion to the dialogue.

After ordering a drink, he found a seat towards the back that allowed him a perfect view of her.

She gave her thanks as one of the bikers poured her another cup of tea when her voice cracked. She then continued with the passage that held her audience on the edge of their seats.

Elizabeth rode as if the very hounds of hell were nipping at her heels. Every moment that she felt slipping away meant that she might be too late.

"Eliza!" Marija called out. "Turn north!" She whipped her horse to catch up. "It is a shortcut to the abbey."

The two ladies continued down the moonlit road, each praying for the man they loved.

Reginald and Arthur were already in the field that would decide once and for all who would be with Elizabeth.

Arthur removed his great coat followed by his jacket, cravat, and vest. "Here." He handed them to his brother. "I'll fence better being unencumbered."

Reginald did the same. He then tested his rapier, moving it faster than the eye could follow.

"Brother, I beg of you, stop and consider what you're doing," Carlisle spoke in a low tone. "Please, don't do this. Sir Reginald has never been bested. You must--"

"I have to." Arthur snapped. He placed a hand on the younger man' shoulder. "When you lose your heart to someone one day, you will understand."

"This isn't love." His brother insisted. "This has been an obsession, one you refuse to let go."

"Some would say that the two are one in the same." Arthur rolled his wrist, testing the weight of his own rapier. "Now, forgive me, but I must fight for my chance with Elizabeth."

One noble who had journeyed with others to this spot to make certain honor was upheld in the duel motioned the two combatants to the center.

He dropped a handkerchief, causing the two to rush each other. Their swords let out a screech of metal as they slid over each other.

Arthur barely deflected Reginald's strikes.

He really is the best swordsman in Cordonia, he thought.

"Oh!" Crow's mom gasped. "This is my favorite part, your grace."

Thomas knew it was his too. He found himself leaning forward as Amanda continued after thanking the elderly woman dressed from head to toe in leather.

The two fenced, each with a determined fury to be the man to have Elizabeth all for himself.

They ended up face to face during a violent block.

"Elizabeth loves me." Arthur snarled. "She has been mine far longer than yours."

"That might well be so." Reginald spat. "But not only am I in love with her, I'm the only man she has ever been betrothed to. She is my intended. The Queen was the one to settle that Elizabeth will belong to no other but me." His eyes narrowed with the hatred he felt towards this man who dared to try and steal her away. "She is mine by right! Not yours!"

They pushed away and began to strike with more fury.

Each burned with a desire to permanently eliminate the one who stood between him and a lifetime of happiness.

The one that made them doubt that they held Elizabeth's heart.

Breaker's sister sniffed while wiping her tears. "Here it comes." She whispered.

Amanda yelled out Elizabeth's words.

"WAIT! PLEASE!"

The two noble ladies on horseback rode directly onto the field.

Before either could react to seeing the very one they were fighting over, Elizabeth slid out of her side saddle and ran to Arthur.

The bartender cursed out loud. "Elizabeth chose that bastard over Reginald?"

"Hush!" Breaker's mother told him. "Listen."

"Elizabeth." Reginald whispered, as he saw her take Arthur's hand and yank him further down field.

He gripped his sword. Anger fueled his body as he was forced to see the woman he loved choose another. He took a step forward to finish this duel and destroy Arthur once and for all. Yet something made him halt and watch his Elizabeth talk with the man she had met first.

Crestfallen and heartbroken, Reginald took one last look at the lady who had once been his then turned to collect his things.

I must leave, he thought to himself. Elizabeth deserves to be with the man she loves. I can't take that away from her when all I've ever wanted was for her to be happy.

He handed his rapier to his man servant. He then began to put his coat back on.

He was startled when a pair of arms embraced him from behind.

Turning abruptly he noticed a somber looking Arthur speaking to his brother and Lady Marija.

Elizabeth lifted her eyes to Reginald's face, taking in every feature she adored.

"Eliza," Reginald stepped back and took her hands. His eyes dropped to the ground as he spoke, unable to see her disapproval for his rash actions, "forgive me for trying to take the one you--" he noticed her damp skirt and silk dance slippers.

A surprised yelp escaped her lips when he picked her up and carried her over to a moss covered boulder. Her concern mounted when he knelt before her.

"Reginald, I--" her breath caught as he began to use his discarded cravat to tenderly dry her feet.

"You're going to catch a chill or worse if you remain out too much longer." He took a deep breath to calm his renewed anger over her having such a man to look after her. "Arthur should see you home at once."

Elizabeth cupped his cheek urging him gently to look at her.

"Why would I allow Arthur to take me home when I would much rather be with the man I am in love with?"

Reginald lifted his eyes to hers. "Eliza? Do you mean--"

"I love you, Reginald." She scooted off the boulder and into his arms. "You are the only man I can ever see myself married to."

Even in the early blush of dawn, he noticed her cheeks coloring from her admission. As if desperate to prove her heart was his, she slipped her arms around his neck and kissed him. His arms wrapped around her, holding her close as he responded to her sweet touch. When they broke apart to catch their breaths, their smiles were nearly identical with their joy.

"Eliza,” Reginald pressed her hand to his heart, "my love, my very being is and shall always be yours."

Amanda shut the well worn copy she had been given to read an exert from, thanking the group when they applauded.

She stepped off the stage and began to sign the copies they had brought.

"My lady," one of the bikers placed his hand on her shoulder. "You aren't like those nobles we always read about."

"Thank you, Ink." She patted his heavily tattooed arm. "I promise there are more out there, like Prince Liam, who care and want to listen to the people."

"Your grace," Crow's mom pulled her into a brief hug. "This has been the best surprise yet at this bar." She turned toward the others. "Right?"

Many murmured their agreement while some others spoke of the time Arnie threw a full keg at a guy who came in causing trouble as their favorite surprise.

"Will the movie follow the book, my lady?" Breaker's sister asked.

"Yes, it will."

Amanda whirled around at the sound of the deep voice she knew so well.

"Thomas! What are you doing here?"

He briefly shrugged while moving to stand a little in front of her.

"I plan on it being as if the words Lady Amanda wrote came to life." He explained to the group.

"You're that Hunt guy." Ink narrowed his eyes. "You better have treated our duchess like she deserves."

"Mr. Hunt has been nothing but kind." Amanda quickly spoke up. "He might love my book more than anyone."

"I do." Thomas said softly.

He took her hand and held tight when he felt her trying to tug it away without making a scene.

"If you will excuse us," Thomas met each of the suspicious pairs of eyes on him, "I need to speak to her grace about my plans in Cordonia."

Crow shared a glance with his comrades.

"It's fine with us as long as she wants to go with you." He replied.

Thomas cocked an eyebrow at Amanda.

Seeing no way out of this without causing a problem, she wished the bar patrons a good night and promised to visit again before she left the capital.

Drake breathed easier once they made it out the door.

"That might be one of the weirdest experiences I have ever had." He muttered as they walked to Thomas's car.

"They were sweet." Amanda glanced back at the building. "I never dreamed that people like them would enjoy my-"

"Get in the car." Thomas bit out as he held the door open for her.

She stiffened once more, remembering how angry she was with him. "I think I'll walk."

Drake didn't bother to mask his groan at her response.

Thomas tossed him his keys, told him to drive back to the palace, and grasped Amanda's arm. He guided her on into the night.

"I meant alone." She grumbled.

Thomas remained silent.

She huffed at that. "Why did you come to the bar?"

He abruptly stopped in his tracks. His grip on her arm caused her to stumble back against him.

She looked up at his face made harsher by the shadows and low light of a nearby streetlamp.

"Do you have no knowledge of the danger you placed yourself in? Do you have any idea what they would have done to Drake if those men had not been fans of your novel? To you?!"

His questions struck like a whip as he held tight to her.

She glared defiantly up at him. "I've been on my own for many years, Mr. Hunt. I do realize the danger, yet since those men were gentlemen I saw no need to treat them any differently than someone kind I meet at a palace ball."

"Your stubbornness is going to be the death of me." He let go of her arms, took her hand, and continued to walk the path back to the palace.

She twisted her hand to set it free, then jerked him to a stop once more when he refused to let her go.

"Why were you there?"

"Drake texted for my help in getting you safely out of that bar."

"And why does he have your number? And why are you reading texts?! You hate texting."

His eyes narrowed. "I never hated receiving texts from you."

For some reason that he didn't understand, that made her angrier than anything else he had said to her.

"Why are you mad at me?" He asked. "Is it because of--"

"You never told me!" She shoved away from him when his grip loosened. "We talked everyday, Thomas. EVERYDAY! Texted one another multiple times each day." Her eyes sparkled with tears. "I told you private things about myself that I never shared with any other person." Averting her eyes, she took a shaky breath. "And you couldn't bother to tell me you had begun to date again."

"Amanda, it isn't what you think. Those dates were nothing more than--"

"I don't want to hear it." She stepped out of reach. "I see now that I took advantage of our living arrangement and thought we had a closer relationship than we did." She looked up at him, trying to not let him know how hurt she was. "Like I said at the masquerade ball, I will treat you only with a professional courtesy and not involve you in anything personal."

"If you would let me explain why I did what I did--" his eyes widened when she jogged off to get away from him. "Amanda!"

She paused, gripping handfuls of her skirt. "I only want to know one thing. Why are you invited to the events?"

"Liam invited me." He replied. "He came to my home during his bachelor trip and we discussed you."

"Me?" She paled. "Why?"

"He believed that you have feelings for me and didn't want to possibly choose you when you could be with the one you want."

"He did what?"

She covered her face. She couldn't believe Liam would do something like this to her. She didn't know if she would ever get over this embarrassment.

"Liam then asked me how I felt about you." He added. "And I told him that I am in love with you."

Her head snapped up. "You told him what? Why?" Her brow furrowed. "Are you trying to protect me from something?"

"No. I told him because I didn't want to lose you in case he decided to choose a friend to marry." Thomas replied. "He then invited me to every social event so that I could secretly be with you."

"Then why the mass amount of dates?" He could hear her anger once more in her tone. "If you are so in love with me that you journey to Cordonia weeks before you planned, why did you date so many different women as soon as I left your home?"

Thomas guided her into a small park near the gate of the palace. He gestured toward a bench for her to sit. When she stubbornly refused to budge, he tugged her over and used his weight to force her down beside him.

"I prefer to stand." She grumbled.

"And I prefer you sitting beside me." He countered.

She scoffed while folding her arms and staring off into the distance.

"I didn't want to take a chance on hurting you." He began. "I--"

"Hurting me? How?" She removed her sun hat when she bumped him with her trying to face him.

He repositioned on the bench and set his arm across the back of it. "I was worried that my attraction to you was formed from you simply being near at hand."

Amanda's brow furrowed. "I see. So, you decided to start dating to test whether or not that was true?"

"Yes." He gently brushed a curl back that had been caught up in a breeze. "And every single one of them proved that I wasn't simply lonely." His fingers slid down her cheek. "I was lonely for you."

Thomas inched closer to her until he could easily slide his arm around her. "When Liam came to my home and told me you were his suitor," he paused, searching for the right words, "I've never felt so hopeless in my entire life. I thought in that moment I had truly lost any possible chance to be with you."

Amanda lowered her eyes. "I felt the same way when I saw the footage of your dates."

He cupped her cheek, carefully urging her to look up. "Those dates were nothing. There was no affection, no spark, nothing remotely romantic."

Her eyes searched his for the truth.

He waited patiently for her to say something about his confession.

Eventually she blew out a frustrated breath. “I don’t know what to think.”

“Would you like us to try and be together in secret?”

She quirked an eyebrow at him. “Would you? You've never struck me as the type of man who enjoys subterfuge.”

A hint of a smile appeared on his lips. “True, but I could last a few months doing so just to be with you.”

“We would have to be so careful.” Amanda blinked in surprise at herself for even considering doing this. “Even this,” she gestured to his arm curving around her, “would cause a scandal. Which, though it would eliminate me from being an acceptable choice for Liam, it would cause a great deal of damage to my standing within the court.” Her nose wrinkled. “I wouldn’t mind that so much but I need their support from time to time for votes that could affect the people of my duchy and for the various charities I am over.”

“Then we will make certain no one sees us.” He pulled her closer. “With your friends assistance, I think we can find time to spend alone.”

She felt her heart pick up speed as it finally registered that not only had Thomas confessed his love for her, but that she was about to do something so daring.

“Amanda?” He leaned closer to her, giving her time to make a decision. His lips brushed her cheek.

She swallowed before meeting his lips with a tentative kiss. She should have known that any kiss they shared could not remotely be considered chaste. It was all she could do to keep up with his passionate response.

After a few moments that felt all too brief, he eased away. “We better get you back to the palace before someone notices you're gone.”

“Drake is probably waiting by a side door we usually use to let us in.” she mumbled when his lips brushed hers again.

“Then we shouldn’t abuse his friendship.” He forced himself to move away from her.

Taking her hand in his, he led her out of the park.

The clock tower chimed the late hour by the time they found Drake leaning against the palace’s east wall with his arms crossed. Noticing that the two were still holding hands without Amanda arguing had him smiling in relief.

“Everything good?” He whispered.

The couple shared a look before both nodding.

“Thank God.” His voice returned to its normal gruff nature. “I was about to resign from trying to convince Amanda to hear you out.”

#Thomas Hunt #and then I left you #thomas hunt x amanda #thomas hunt x oc #choices fanfiction #choices red carpet diaries #choices the royal romance #trr drake #drake walker #trr liam #liam x riley #trr maxwell #maxwell x nadia #choices perfect match #pm nadia park #maxwell beaumont #and then I met you

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wxsuthorn · 4 years

Text

a sort of organised analysis of The Gifted characters

pt. 1: Pang

(this analysis includes episodes 1-13 of season one and 1-7 of season two, so it probably isn’t completely accurate, but i tried my best. also please excuse grammar or spelling errors that i might’ve made cuz i write these late at night when my creativity sparks lmao)

Characteristics and qualities in the beginning of season 1

Even in the very first episode, Pang already showed some idealistic qualities. He always thought that the school system wasn’t fair, and he always tried doing the right thing (or what he thought was the right thing). His idealism wasn’t as extreme in the very beginning of the show, since he wasn’t as confident in his abilities. He probably didn’t have much interest in changing the school system when he (and the people around him) saw him as a dumb kid from classroom 8. Getting into the Gifted Program was what affected his idealism to the point where it became a fault.

Before he discovered his potential, he was most likely very confused about his “academic rank”. He was in classroom 8, yet he was in the Gifted Program... but he hadn’t found his potential yet. I can imagine him questioning his worth and how significant he really was; he was also one of the first kids in the gifted class to outwardly express how they felt about the unfair treatment of the ordinary students compared to the gifted students. This was probably because he got to experience both ends of the unequal treatment, unlike the rest of his gifted classmates.

In terms of intelligence, Pang is street smart. In episode one he thought of a distraction to not get caught stealing the test. He also used the egg drop parachute to save his phone. He is innovative and can create ideas and identify problems. In episode one (again), he noticed that Wave was sweating and seemed weak. He also noticed Ohm’s bloody nose and Mon moving a locker full of weights. He was aware of shit... but he’s not very aware of other people’s feelings... at least not fully.

Pang’s friendship with Nac hits different after the pangwave fight but anyways... Pang knew that he didn’t use the cheat sheet, and he couldn’t tell Nac anything about the Gifted Program, so he probably didn’t fully understand why Nac was so upset when he technically did nothing wrong. Nac even said he wasn’t upset that Pang was in the Gifted Program. I think that’s why Pang never talked it out with him and just kinda exploded at him. Even though he may see himself as empathetic, it’s really just him being idealistic. He mistakes his ideals about equality for empathy, when, in fact, those are two separate things. When it comes to individual people, I don’t think he’s very good at understanding them thoroughly enough. Nac’s reasons for being upset with Pang are realistic and valid. He’s in class 1, Pang’s in class 8, yet Pang was the one who got into the Gifted Program. Nac gave Pang a cheat sheet, and even though Pang denies using it, he couldn’t really believe that he got in with the grades he has. And on top of that, Pang doesn’t even tell him what happens in the class. Nac feels used and excluded, but Pang wasn’t paying attention to that. He ended up blaming the unfair system, which was just a factor of the conflict, but never took a moment to look at what he himself could’ve done to help the conflict, or even what he might’ve done wrong. but issokay cuz pang is a smol bean and i love him

Characteristics and qualities in the middle - the end of season 1

Lets talk about Pang discovering his potential in episode 6. He first noticed it when he told Nac to bang his head on a metal bar. This wasn’t the first time he used his potential on Nac, though. In the first episode he used it on him and said something like “don’t talk to me ever again”, and so Nac didn’t communicate with again him until episode 6. This was when Pang used his potential on him saying “why can’t we just talk it out?” and Nac was finally able to communicate his frustration. Nac was blaming Pang for shit he didn’t do and it was unreasonable, according to Pang, but Nac didn’t know the full story. If you look at the way Nac sees things: Pang is in the Gifted Program, Pang used me to get into the program (because there’s no way he just got in without using my cheat sheet), I got punished when Wave provoked me and Pang tried playing hero, as if he was some perfect angel. Pang has new friends, he has no use for me anymore, I don’t need him either, I find new friends, Pang suddenly joins in, everything goes haywire, my anger and frustration towards him explodes, and he just ignores what I’m feeling and tells me that I’m wrong and that I’m an asshole. Like I did something wrong, and he’s perfectly innocent. Lmao Nac is salty af. And he has a good reason to be. Pang doesn’t understand Nac’s thinking, and on top of that, he makes almost no effort to understand. His beliefs blind him into thinking he’s done no wrong.

Now lets talk about his actual potential, and how it affects him. His ego and self esteem rises, but Pang doesn’t notice it. It’s explained in the end of season 1 that the reason Pang lost is because he wanted to do everything on his own because he thought that only he was able to defeat the director. His ideals and his ego are very closely connected. Pang teams up with Wave because he thinks that Wave will be the most useful to stop Director Supot. Now, I don’t think Pang doesn’t care about his friends, but his actions are neglectful. When Pang teams up with Wave, he tells none of his other friends about what he’s doing. He doesn’t tell Namtaan or Ohm, literally his two closest friends, and convinces himself that he’s doing it to protect them. News flash, he isn’t. He’s trying to be a hero. His ego rapidly increasing might be because of how he was constantly ridiculed when he was in classroom 8, and suddenly he gets this power that makes him “superior” to ordinary people. Another possibility is that his ego was already big, but we he only showed it/applied it when he was trying to take down Director Supot.

Now lets talk about the season 1 finale: Pang becomes aware of his ego through the director foiling his plan and humiliating him. This is a big part of his development as a character. Ofc in season 2 he still has a problem with neglecting and doing things solo, but he become a little more aware, and for 2 whole year’s he’s able to somewhat-effectively lead the gifted gang in their fight against the anti-gifted.

Characteristics and qualities in season two (up until episode 7)

Lets discuss: Ms Darin. aka ms loser. Remember in the beginning of episode 7 where he trusted her cuz of what she said and he noticed her actions (oop remember this trait from before? he’s aware of shit!), but it turned out it was all lies. He eventually got back on track after Third showed him the truth, and was smart enough not to trust Ms. Darin after that. I wanna guess that the reason he started trusting Ms. Darin so easily (other than what she said and did) is because he was in distress from failing Korn and Time. He needed some support, and he wouldn’t let his friends support him because “im a hero blah blah blah i dont wanna worry my friends they dont need to help me with my burdens cuz i can do it on my own :D” season 1 Pang type shit. Ms. Darin was an adult who seemed trustworthy enough, plus Director Supot was gone, and he was the main antagonist in season 1, so isn’t everything only gonna get better now that he’s gone? Plus when Grace said that he sounds like the adults lksdjlkjslfjjsdf THAT HIT ME.

Now I wanna talk about him with Chanon. I’m praying that Chanon is pure and not corrupted because if he is he might’ve used Pang and might do so in the future too... but let’s not focus on that. Pang finally has a mentor-figure in his life that he looks up. Someone to balance out his ego and show him that he can’t do everything on his own. yeah that’s all i have to say about that.

Punn. “You’re done, Pang.” Yeah lets talk about that because holy mcnuggets. Punn knows Pang well enough to know how intensely idealistic and passionate he is. Once the director is gone, Punn is like, bitch u got nothing else to obsess over MOVE ON. He’s basically saying Pang’s existence was so heavily tied with fixing the school system that when eveything’s fixed, he’ll be “done.” It’s similar to Five from the Umbrella Academy, where his whole life was set on fixing the apocalypse that he felt that life had no meaning without an apocalypse to prevent.

Now let’s talk about PangWave... I truly believe that Pang sees Wave as his equal, as his friend, and as a person whom he cares for deeply. His ego and idealism, topped with all the stress he’s going through (by himself), are dangerous towards his relationships. Wave feels used by Pang, and explains how Pang only comes to him when he needs his help, and avoids him when he disagrees with what Pang thinks. Pang is so fixated on his ideals and beliefs that he will do anything to make sure they become a reality. He’s obsessed, and it’s sooooo bad for his relationships with others. It shows that even on Namtaan’s bday, he can only think about “doing the right thing”, because that’s his number 1 priority. PANG JUST GIVE URSELF A BREAK PLEASE TAKE A METAL HEALTH DAY JUST SLKJFLSDKJJD MEDITATE OR SMTH.

I could type for several hours longer but I think this is enough word vomit for this post.

Summary

- VERY IDEALISTIC !!!! TO A FAULT

- He has somewhat of an inflated ego, but uses his ideals and beliefs to cover it up and convince himself that he is a “good person”

- He overworks his brain by never thinking of himself or other people’s emotions and focuses on his idealistic goals and his idealistic goals ONLY.

- He’s very aware of the things’s around him, and is street smart, but he’s not as aware when it comes to other people’s feelings and thoughts.

- He cares for his friends, but his extreme idealism ends up hurting them, and in turn hurting himself and further encouraging him to self-isolate.

- Independent, but this is mostly due to him thinking that he can handle problems on his own and he doesn’t want to get others involved.

- He is becoming more aware of his wrong actions, hence him apologising to Wave about going after Korn without him, but not enough to actually prevent these wrong actions.

- didn’t talk about this much but GUILT!!! I can tell that he feels immense guilt (especially in the latest episodes) whenever one of his friends get hurt and he’s very involved in what got them hurt. However, when it comes to hurting people emotionally, his guilt is tricky to read. At least for me it is lmao. Cuz he doesn’t always fully understand his friends’ feelings because he can’t always admit that he’s done something wrong, but with the recent pangwave fight he definitely felt some type of guilt there. Or maybe it was frustration? idk skjdflajsdfl someone else step in on this one pls

- He needs rest and a mental break. And some therapy maybe? Like please can one caring adult help this poor child.

- His character is actually pretty consistent wow the writing in this show is great.

- a cute boi who needs a hug. Preferably from Wave and/or Ohm.

#the gifted graduation #tgg #tgg spoilers #the gifted #the gifted series #nanon korapat #pangwave #the gifted pang #character analysis #pang character analysis #the gifted character analysis

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