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fritextramole · 1 month

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a hidden gem, my own goldmine

part 1 of a Vanessa Abrams playlist - best heard in order

tracklist and quotes under the cut

The Revolution Will Not Be Televised ~ Gil Scott-Heron

The revolution will not give your mouth sex appeal The revolution will not get rid of the nubs The revolution will not make you look five pounds thinner Because the revolution will not be televised, brother

Chain Gang ~ Sam Cooke

Can't you hear them singing I'm going home one of these days

The Rebel Girl ~ Hazel Dickens

There are blue blood queens and princesses Who have charms made of diamonds and pearl But the only and thoroughbred lady Is the Rebel Girl

The Mesopotamians ~ They Might Be Giants

In Mesopotamia (No one's ever seen us) The kingdom where we secretly reign (And no one's ever heard of our band) The land where we invisibly rule As the Mesopotamians

Myriad Harbour ~ The New Pornographers

(Ah, who cares, you always end up in the city) Stranded at Bleecker and Broadway Looking for something to do

Which Side Are You On? ~ Work O’ The Weavers

Which side are you on, boys? Which side are you on?

Thus Always To Tyrants ~ The Oh Hellos

Over hill, over dale, through the valley and vale Do not weep, do not wail, I am coming home to you Every tomb, every sea, spit the bones from your teeth Let the ransomed be free as the revel meets the day Let the valleys awake, let them rattle and shake

Twenty Five Miles ~ Edwin Starr

Now I'll be so glad to see my baby And hold her in my arms one more time, huh Now when I kiss her lips, I turn a back over flip And I forget about these feet of mine I got to keep on walking, hey

THE FRIEND SPACE ~ Ryan Woods

I really hope I don’t throw it away But you couldn’t imagine the way I feel And now I can’t see why You wouldn’t wanna be my baby I got all you need

Comin’ Down ~ Jackie Shane

What's wrong with me? I said it's a simple fact I don't believe you're ever comin' back

Even The Losers ~ Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers

Well, it was nearly summer we sat on your roof Yeah, we smoked cigarettes and we stared at the moon And I showed you stars you never could see Babe, it couldn't have been that easy to forget about me

Sylvias Mother ~ The Refreshments

Sylvia's mother says Sylvia's packin' She's gonna be leavin' today Sylvia's mother says Sylvia is marrying A fella down Galveston way

Hot & Heavy ~ Lucy Dacus

When I went away it was the only option Couldn't trust myself to proceed with caution The most that I could give to you is nothing at all The best that I could offer was to miss your calls

I Can’t Stand the Rain ~ Ann Peebles

I know you got some sweet memory But like the wind, ah, you ain't got nothing to say

Radio, Radio ~ Elvis Costello & The Attractions

They say you better listen to the voice of reason But they don't give you any choice 'cause they think that it's treason So you had better do as you are told You better listen to the radio I wanna bite the hand that feeds me

Stairway to Heaven ~ Led Zeppelin

There's a lady who's sure All that glitters is gold And she's buying a stairway to heaven When she gets there she knows If the stores are all closed With a word she can get what she came for

Solidarity Forever ~ Pete Seeger, The Song Swappers

We can break their haughty power, gain our freedom when we learn That the union makes us strong

American Idiot ~ Green Day

Welcome to a new kind of tension All across the alien nation Where everything isn't meant to be okay In television dreams of tomorrow

9 to 5 ~ Dolly Parton

There's a better life And you think about it, don't you? It's a rich man's game No matter what they call it And you spend your life Putting money in his wallet

Stop! In The Name Of Love ~ The Supremes

I watch you walk down the street Knowing your other love you'll meet But this time before you run to her Leaving me alone and hurt (Think it over) After I've been good to you

5AM ~ Amber Run

We run into a dark room And we spasm to the sounds Of a copy of Morrissey Or the blues of the Deep South

Val Kilmer ~ Bowling For Soup

So when you walk down that red carpet I hope you trip and fall I hope someone squirts you with a water gun A super soaker filled with pee

There’s A Ghost In My House ~ R. Dean Taylor

I can't hide (Ghost in my house) From the ghost of your love that's inside You're still such a part of me (Ghost in my house) Still so deep in the heart of me (Ghost in my house)

#gg #ggplaylists #vanessa abrams #gossip girl #source: senamarais

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danglovely · 5 months

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Kim Possible Episode Tiers: The C-Tier

The C-tier is probably best defined as episodes that I'm never really eager to rewatch, but I'm pleasantly surprised when I do. It's a good show, so they're good episodes . . . but at least one thing sticks in my craw about these ones.

Attack of the Killer Bebes: Drakken origin story! It's silly, but I still fall on the side of thinking that it mostly works. It's not a strong conviction, but let's roll with it.

Oh Boyz: Honestly, this would be lower if they didn't boy-band-dance their way through some lasers.

Larry's Birthday: I'm a little surprised Larry gets as much screen time as he does. I'm even more surprised that I kind of really like this episode. The twist, Dementor, it all sort of works for me.

Rufus vs. Commodore Puddles: It's a random 15 minute episode, but I just want to highlight one of my favorite Drakken quotes in it.

Mathter and Fervent: Two things I don't particularly love in Kim Possible: B villains and examining the relationship between Ron and his parents.

Two to Tango: I've mentioned it before, but Shego and Jr. have some winning chemistry and I've probably rated this episode too low.

Partners: This episode had some real potential. It tried to analyze Ron/Monique, Drakken/Amy + commentary by Shego, and Kim/Random Character all at once. It would have benefitted from being a bit more focused.

Monkey Ninjas in Space: It's sort of absurd to theme an episode of Kim Possible around a father's crisis about his kid growing up too quickly. She's an international superspy. That's the sort of plot you cede attempting when you created this universe.

Ron Millionaire: Why didn't Shego just take Ron's money? It's fine, but I never outright enjoy the "Ron loses sight of what's important" episodes.

Rewriting History: This could've been in a higher tier if it was more confident in itself. Why are Ron and Kim imagining this all in a shared dream?

Cap'n Drakken: Look. Drakken gets possessed by a pirate spirit. That plot being a C-quality episode for me is frankly, amazing. It could've easily been the worst episode in the series.

Team Impossible: This is the one time the show ever questions whether Kim is the best possible person to be doing this sort of work. Maybe it's important that it isn't a recurring question . . . but I found it particularly entertaining that it ends with a member of Team Impossible doing James's taxes.

Return to Wannaweep: The frustration of Gil clearly being a villain again and no one believing Ron (who saved everyone the first time they were here). I would say the Bonnie and Kim rivalry, which I'm normally fine with, left me exasperated.

Queen Bebe: RIP Steve Harwell.

Kimnation Nation: It's alright, but I thought the clone angle was underexplored and I don't particularly love Drakken riding solo for an episode.

Mothers Day: I have to say it. I don't like Drakken's mom. I think she removes anything threatening about him as a character and I don't think she adds all that much in her own right. What I did like was Ann being a great sidekick for Kim.

Bonding: I don't know what to make of Bonnie and Kim. I really like Bonnie as a character, I'm interested in her opinions and what it's like being the high school rival of an international super hero. I don't like petty drama. Maybe there was more to explore here.

Car Alarm: What were the Ed and Shego interactions in this episode? I will say the birds in car joke got me multiple times.

Homecoming Upset: There's a story to tell about Bonnie's feelings about Ron that I'm not sure I've totally figured out yet. This is a good subversion episode and it has my favorite bit of CCR voice acting.

Rufus in Show: I think I would outright hate this episode, except it's surprisingly funny.

Animal Attraction: There's natural humor in giving all your characters a romance test and having the results pair them with the most ridiculous outcomes. It would probably be higher if the villain plot was a little better than "revenge for getting kicked out of the billionaire club."

Vir-Tu-Ron: This is actually a pretty good episode and maybe I'm just bitter about Ron and Zita never being appropriately resolved by the show.

#kim possible #kp tiers

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philtstone · 5 months

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20 Questions for Fic Writers

thank you so much to the lovely @tllgrrl for tagging me! without further ado ...

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

as of this one, 197! i have been on these fanfic streets for roughly ten years, it all tends to accumulate

2. What’s your total AO3 word count?

1,056,672 ..... do with that what u will

3. What fandoms do you write for?

yall, this is a prolonged list. i dont think theres been a source material ive written for once that i dont randomly write for again every so often. i have 1-2 big phases per year, usually. just go look at my ao3 dashboard sdlkfjldskf

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

to the surprise of absolutely no one, all five are from the age old skywalker happy trash family au. thanks for being so consistent star wars fandom, ur all real ones <3 but also my writing has improved so much since then that occasionally the hingeless urge to go back and re-write every fic in that verse is real

5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

i try my best to! every so often life gets in the way, but especially in the last few years, i really try to engage with comments as much as i can. ive also been lucky enough to write in pretty small fandoms for the last couple years (ironically, given ive been in my second m*rvel era) so replying to comments has been a lot more intimate and friendly anyway

6. What is a fic you've written with the angstiest ending?

i was going to say "i dont know" because for the most part -- and especially my more recent fics -- everything ends up pretty consistently bittersweet. then i remembered vintage phil: "we want to live by each other's happiness", or the b99 captain america au

7. What’s a fic you've written with the happiest ending?

i tend to very consistently write things with shades of happy and sad. that said, some of my favourite purely "happy ending" fics include:

"easy, easy (my man and me)"

"i found a dream"

"hark the bluebells"

"i believe in you and in our hearts"

8. Do you get hate on fics?

eh, not really. i dont generally write chapter fic with controversial enough plot points and the unresolved nature of updating chapters to generate true "hate". i have gotten some really bizarre comments where one has to wonder what was going through the commenter's head when typing it all out, but most of those are not things that stick.

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

not me feeling emotional abt my ao3 tenure .... 15 yr old me would have such a different answer ...

i write often and (i hope) as authentically as possible about lived-in romantic relationships, and as ive gotten older it has felt more and more organic to include scenes in and around sexual intimacy where appropriate. i dont think most people would classify that as "smut", though.

10. Do you write crossovers?

if i am writing an au, it is a true au, with the single and sole exception of the force sensitive claire au, which is, on a technicality, a crossover

it also is, on much less of a technicality, unfinished ...

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

not that i know of and i certainly hope not!

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

not to my memory

13. Have you ever co-written a fic?

the closest ive ever come to this was, actually, writing the b99 cap au with maya Back In The Day. our tumblr messages used to just be draft upon draft of scenes evolving in real time. but never formally. friends are an integral part of the fic writing process tho

14. What’s your all-time favorite ship?

the world should know i am an anne-gil truther. blueprint if there ever was one

15. What’s a WIP you want to finish, but doubt you ever will?

sadly, probably "happiness, like those palaces in fairy tales"; my beloved small time constance-centered parks-flavoured musketeers au .... my writing style has just changed so much since, and it was such a huge undertaking. i still have half of the unpublished anne/aramis flashback chapter saved in my google docs though.

16. What are your writing strengths.

ive been told im good at prose! and writing from childrens' pov, which i am fond of doing, though in a tragic turn of events i havent done much of it recently

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

as i see it, sometimes i dont know when less is needed for a fic to be more. often, this comes from a lack of clarity on my end re: what the fic is trying to be -- OR when im trying to write about something i dont really know. at the end of the day, though, this problem recurs because fanfic is supposed to be fun, so something being a bit too messy and a bit too long is not a huge deal to me. hopefully its also not a huge deal to my readers!

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic.

u can pry doing this from my cold dead hands. & are also always free to criticize my phrasing and translations, lol, except for that one time i made bucky barnes speak farsi, which is a language i actually know

19. First fandom you wrote for?

star trek aos, baybeeeee

20. Favorite fic you’ve written.

IMPOSSIBLE QUESTION. i love many of my children equally!

here are some all-timers from those fics which i have not mentioned yet:

hopeful./summertime

and there's a keepsake my mother gave me

then she'll be a true love of mine

just to hear the nightbird singin'

my daddy was a prominent frogman

thank u so much for the tag my friend! i had heaps of fun. tagging @firstelevens, @sesamestreep, @sennenrose and @flyinghome-againstthewind as well as anyone else interested!

#my writing #these are too many fandoms to tag lol

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jomiddlemarch · 1 year

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christmas prompt #6, anne/gilbert!

“I’m sorry, Anne, truly,” Gilbert said, his arm warm around her waist, the words dropping as softly as the snow that had begun to fall.

“I’m not,” Anne replied. She didn’t dare glance up at him. He was tall and sturdily built and it was taking a great deal of determination to serve as his crutch, which she could hardly let him see. He’d be sure to insist she go to fetch someone to help him back, as if she’d leave him sitting beside the frozen pond with only his great-coat and scarlet muffler to keep him from becoming a block of ice. She could also feel her nose turning an unbecoming red in the cold and was vain enough not to want Gilbert to notice.

“You ought to be,” he said, wincing as he made an entirely unsuccessful attempt to bear some of his own weight. Like every doctor she’d ever heard of, he made a poor patient, a fact she intended to share with him just as soon as they were settled safely back at Ingleside, Susan whipping up a delicious pot of her famous vegetable soup, “known to keep body and soul together, Mrs. Doctor, a tonic far tastier than anything the Doctor ever prescribed.”

“Let’s not have any oughts or shoulds,” Anne said. “It was a wonderful idea, an afternoon of skating, just you and I, the way we never did back in Avonlea. I had a lovely time, you thought of everything, the flask of hot tea and those lemon biscuits—”

“And then I nearly crushed you, falling like the greatest oaf, as if I’d never worn a pair of skates before,” Gilbert interrupted. “If you weren’t so quick and graceful, I’d have hurt you badly.”

“That’s quite enough,” Anne said, letting her voice hold the faintest hint of Marilla’s regular asperity. “You didn’t come close to toppling me and the only consequence is your poor sprained ankle. If you’re quite sure it isn’t broken, you’re limping terribly.”

“I’m sure I can diagnose a broken ankle, whether I’m the patient or yet another one of the infinite McPherson clan,” Gilbert said. “It’s just a sprain—”

“A bad one,” Anne said. “I saw how you looked when you tried to stand up, don’t try to convince me otherwise. You shan’t and it will be a waste of your strength.”

“You’re not wrong,” Gilbert said, which she knew was as far as he would go in allowing he was in pain. She made a quick mental inventory of the pillows in the sitting room and decided which ones she’d use to prop up his foot. The squashy green velvet one she sewed just before Walter was born, the one he said made her look like a most industrious nymph, would at the top of the pile. “Why aren’t you sorry, though, Anne-girl? If you’re not sorry the skating ended early, it sounds rather heartless and that’s the last word I’d use to describe you.”

“I’m not sorry because I loved skating with you, Gil,” she said. “It felt like heaven, flying about the ice, and though I’d never want you to be injured, now you’ll have to rest for a few days. You can’t drive the carriage with your bad ankle. I’ll have you all to myself at Ingleside, Dr. Blythe unable to attend clinic or conduct any house-calls. I can’t think of the last time you had to stay at home and let yourself be tended to. You’ll have to let me be the one who takes care of you.”

“It sounds like work,” Gilbert said. “Me, a useless lump stuck on the sofa, Jem and Walter running you ragged—"

“I shan’t tell Susan you said that,” Anne replied. “She’ll reproach you so long and thoroughly you’ll wish you’d sprained both ankles or knocked yourself insensible. The boys will be delighted that Papa is home and happy to read them stories and Susan will be overjoyed to make us all twice as many of her little snacks as usual and when Jem and Walter are napping and Susan is in the kitchen, I’ll have you all to myself—”

“And what will you do with me?” Gilbert asked, his voice low, a little husky, startling to hear outside of their moonlit bedroom.

“That’s quite a good question,” Anne said. She risked a look at his face, the gleam in his hazel eyes obscuring any distress from his ankle or the growing cold. “You’ll be at my mercy, won’t you?”

“I will indeed,” he said. “I’m curious to see what form it will take.”

Nine months later, the form was apparent: twins, Di her mother’s image and Nan just as fair, with his own dark curls and eyes. He’d laughingly suggested they name Diana Mercy, but Anne, tired but indomitable, had only shaken her head and cuddled the swaddled babies a little closer.

#anne of green gables #anne/gilbert #shirbert #ice skating #romance #prompt fill #ingleside era #susan cooking #fluff #anne shirley #gilbert blythe #married life

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charthanry · 1 year

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TAG 9 PEOPLE YOU WANT TO GET TO KNOW BETTER

I was tagged by @hughungrybear :)

THREE SHIPS

Current or all-time? I’ll just go with the three that immediately come to mind:

Pat and Pran, Bad Buddy (obvs)

Steve and Tony, MCU

Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian, MDZS

*Honorable mention to Jake and Amy from Brooklyn Nine-Nine.

FIRST SHIP

Ever? Hmm, before Pacey and Joey it was Anne and Gilbert from the Anne of Green Gables series (books AND Kevin Sullivan’s tv adaptation from the mid-1980s). Gilbert Blythe was my first crush. Anne and Gil’s relationship taught my younger and impressionable self that love was friendship caught on fire and to never settle for anything less; that you can fall both slowly and ardently. Gilbert and Anne set the goalpost for all my future ships, with Gilbert proving that sometimes the nice guy does get the girl.

Also, I cannot imagine a more picturesque backdrop to fall in love in than Prince Edward Island. It’s on my bucket list to visit.

LAST SONG

I’ve been listening to a lot of K-Drama OST lately. I usually have one song on loop for weeks until it wears itself out on my spotify. Last month it was “With You” by Jimin and Ha Sung Woon from Our Blues (fantastic drama btw, I ugly cried in nearly every episode). This week it’s “Goodbye” by WENDY from The Beauty Inside.

LAST MOVIE

I’m embarrassed to admit this, but just yesterday I rewatched Leap Year on Netflix. I shamefully also own the DVD. Gah, *hides face* don’t look at me.

It’s a cheesy, clichéd, and improbable romcom about an American who impulsively follows her boyfriend to Ireland to propose to him on February 29th. Cue the endless mishaps and series of incredibly manufactured bad luck. She ends up falling instead for the stranger who helps her on the way. The script is silly and absurdly unrealistic, but damn if the chemistry and charm of the two leads doesn’t save the day.

My favorite scene is when Matthew Goode’s ‘Declan’ wakes up alone on a bus stop bench and realizes that Amy Adam’s ‘Anna’ has left him without waking him to say goodbye. The disappointment and regret in his body language is so palpable that Anna who is standing behind him watching, feels every ounce of his turmoil. She studies him for a beat before breaking the moment with banter. And damn, Matthew conveyed all this just by the way he stands and very subtly slumps his shoulders in defeat. And Anna’s reaction to seeing him this way is just...so telling that you want to shake her and say c’mon girl, you’re chasing the wrong guy.

It doesn’t hurt that this era of young Matthew Goode is totally my aesthetic. Just look at him. Add to all this the brogue-y accent and WOOF.

CURRENTLY READING

I consume written media the same way I consume music and shows. I devour it. I practically subsist on Ao3 content alone. Lately, it’s been a lot of Red, White & Royal Blue fics in anticipation and giddiness for the upcoming movie.

CURRENTLY WATCHING

I’m in the middle of season 2 of my annual West Wing binge-watch. I’m by no means into politics, but I have yet to discover better American television than Aaron Sorkin’s The West Wing. It’s nearly perfect in its execution.

Currently waiting on a lot of shows to finish airing so that I can binge watch (I’m not making the mistake I did with Bad Buddy by watching it every week, I nearly died). On my list:

Never Let Me Go

My School President

Crash Course in Romance

Moonlight Chicken

CURRENTLY CONSUMING

Right now? Snacking on Irvins Salted Egg Salmon Skin chips that I got from Costco. It’s deceptively bad for you (high in both cholesterol and sodium content), but the ‘dangerously addictive’ boast on the packaging is wildly accurate.

CURRENTLY CRAVING

Food-wise? A big bowl of homemade pho with all the accoutrements.

ONWARD TAGS

@depressingly-lonely @hereforlou @reasonablysurmised @aliceisathome @keelpay @inhumanevoid @frostluvrs @faillen @leconcombrerit @rosetintednerdglasses and anyone else that wants to join!

#tag game #this was fun!

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littlewomenpodcast · 2 years

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Gilbert

Sorry that it took forever for me to get back to this. It has been a while since I´v read AOGG and I wanted to think my answer. I do read lots of Montgomery. The last book I read was "Blue Castle" (which I love).

Gilbert Blythe...

How do I feel about this character?

My first introduction to Gil was the 1985 Anne of Green Gables series where Jonathan Crombie played Gil and like millions of other young girls I fell in love with him and his performance. Later I read all the AOGG books many times.

I think Maude wrote Gilbert to be every woman´s dream man. What I know about Maude is that when she was younger she used to date a very nice looking young man and they liked to "make out" (her words not mine) and he became a model for Gilbert.

Maude Montgomery was very unhappily married. Her husband was a preacher who suffered from a disease that made him see frightening religious visions. I´d imagine it would have been very scary for the husband, and also Maud and their two sons.

I think Maude did the same as Louisa May Alcott and Jane Austen. She wrote happy romances and relationships to her novels because she could not live in one herself.

What most people love about Gilbert is that he is a very kind person. Gilbert is also a trickster, and many people compare him to Laurie in Little Women, but I think the essential difference between Gil and Laurie is that Gilbert hardly ever makes jokes that harm other people. Laurie catfishes Meg and he tries to pressure Jo to have sex.

Gilbert doesn´t do stuff like that. He is emotionally much more mature (the braid pulling and the carrot is the only time when he isn´t). Funny thing about him pulling Anne´s hair, I always thought that it would be something that Jo might do in Little Women since she identified with boys and not always in such a good way.

Gilbert is smart, he is funny and when I was a child my favourite Anne book was the third one where she goes to college. Anne is dating that guy whose name I now forgot, and when she tried to imagine her future Gil just kept popping up there. I always thought it was interesting how she tried to convince her that Gil was just a friend, but I think Marilla said it the best when she said that Anne had very unrealistic ideas of what she thought love and romance were. I think many of us have a similar experiences when we are younger.

All the people I ship romantically with this character?

Anne Shirley

My non-romantic OTP for this character

hmm...maybe Diana, in the book Diana really is a super Gil and Anne shipper, and so is most of Avonlea let´s be honest.

My unpopular opinion about this character?

It´s funny how people sometimes say to me that Friedrich in Little Women is written to be too perfect and I always say that well...he is based on Henry David Thoreau and Louisa loved him and got mad if anyone would criticise Henry.

Maybe something similar happened with Maude, was Gilbert based on men who she liked and admired? I think so.

One thing I wish would happen/ had happened with this character in the canon?

As much as I love Anne, a story through Gilbert´s pov would have been super interesting. I actually think one of the things that he fell for in Anne was her intelligence. They are both quite academic characters when you think about it.

My Grandma passed away earlier this year and it might sound strange to some but some of my happiest memories of my childhood have to do with me staying at my grandma´s garden reading Anne of Green Gables. She had a big garden with apple trees and currant bushes and I imagined myself being in Green Gables.

So lately every time when I have tried to read AOGG it has felt a bit painful and bittersweet. It always makes me think of my grandma and her beautiful garden.

#gilbert blythe #anne of green gables #jonathan crombie #ask little women channel a question #grandmother #memories

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cantstoptheimagines · 3 years

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Love Letters (Gilbert Blythe | Anne with an E)

Part Two

Summary — Gilbert has liked you for a long time. He finally decides to confess when he sees the love letters you’ve written to all the boys you’ve loved before.

Requested by anonymous — im so happy to see you want some anne with an e request because Gilbert owns my heart <3 Maybe some angsty pining where he has a crush on reader but she doesnt know about it and she keeps gushing to him about her crushes until he cant take it one day and confesses

Warnings & Other Tags ➳ Fluff, fluff, and more fluff; hugging; kissing; maybe some angst if you squint; crying.

Notes ➳ Word Count is 721. ➳ Reader is gender neutral (they/them). ➳ Loosely inspired by “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before”, in case you hadn’t noticed.

Gilbert didn’t know what to say.

He had stopped by your family’s farmhouse to pay you a visit, but you weren’t there. Your guardian had allowed him to make himself at home, however, seeing as you wouldn’t be gone much longer. Upon being welcomed inside, Gilbert made, what he could only deem, an interesting discovery.

On your writing desk, four letters were spread out, each of them decorated with beautiful calligraphy that could be your handwriting. Each of them had a name written at the top.

Dear Henry—

My Darling William—

Dearest George—

My Beloved Edward—

“Gilbert?”

He turned at the sound of your voice. You dropped your bag onto the floor as you smiled at him, though you were clearly confused.

“Is there a reason you’re in my room?”

Gilbert stuttered, but quickly regained his usual confidence, “I was told you would be back soon, so I decided to wait for you. I wanted to pay you a visit.”

“Oh,” you nodded, before you smiled again, “well, welcome! Would you like some tea? Or something to eat?”

“No, no, I’m fine, thank you,” he replied. “I see you’ve been writing recently.”

You looked down at your desk. Realizing what he had been looking at, you quickly took the letters in your hands and shoved them into your desk drawer.

“Pretend you didn’t see those,” you laughed. “They’re nothing.”

“Pretend I didn’t see your love letters?” he asked, raising his eyebrows. “Were you going to send them?”

You shook your head, and answered, “No. It’s just something I do to express my feelings. I would be far too embarrassed to ever send them. They’re just silly letters I write to all the boys I’ve loved before, nothing too special. Like I said, it’s quite embarrassing, really.”

“It’s not embarrassing,” he said, trying to comfort you. “You have a right to express your feelings in any way you feel comfortable.”

You smiled, “Thank you, Gil.”

Gilbert nodded, before he let a smirk slip onto his face, “So... did you ever write me a letter?”

You felt your face become warm and tried not to smile. You quickly hid your face in the palms of your hands, sitting down at your desk. Gilbert, though he was surprised since he was only joking, couldn’t help laughing at your expense.

“Did you really?” he asked, hearing you mutter a ‘yes’ in reply. “Could I read it?”

You uncovered your face, turning to glare at him, “Are you serious right now?”

“Only if you’re okay with it, of course!” he replied. “If not, I won’t ask again! I’ll understand if you don’t want me to read it.”

Gilbert watched as you narrowed your eyes at him. After a moment, you sighed, reaching into another drawer of your desk and pulling out another letter. You held the folded paper out to him.

Sweetest Gilbert—

“You’re sure?” he asked. “If you really don’t want me to read it, don’t feel pressured to—”

“It’s okay,” you said. “I trust you. Your letter was the first one I wrote.”

Gilbert smiled back at you. He looked down at the letter, tapping it against his palm, before handing it back to you. Confused, you took the letter back from him.

“Gilbert—?”

He stopped you, and explained, “You didn’t mail them for a reason. I don’t want you to regret letting me read it.”

You gave him another smile, though this one was much more heartfelt. Tears welled up in your eyes at his response.

Gilbert, realizing what was happening, exclaimed, “Don’t cry! Why are you crying?!”

Gilbert bent down in front of you, wrapping his arms around you in a hug. He gently traced his hands against your back in an effort to comfort you.

“I’m not upset,” you laughed, pushing him back but keeping your hands on his shoulders as you admired him. “Thank you.”

Gilbert smiled at you again, taking your hands in his own. He looked into your eyes and reached up to wipe away your tears.

“I really care for you, (YOUR NAME).”

You placed one of your hands against his cheek, admiring him once more. After a moment of pondering, you moved forward, pulling him into a kiss. Gilbert exhaled, returning your affection.

Maybe him discovering your letters wasn’t something to be embarrassed about after all.

#2021 #love letters #anne with an e #anne with an e imagine #anne with an e imagines #gilbert blythe imagine #gilbert blythe imagines #anne with an e x reader #gilbert blythe x reader #requested

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sakura-83 · 3 years

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Things from Anne with an e that I feel like writing down

Season 1 Episode 6: Remorse Is the Poison of Life

1. Diana having to run through the dark with nothing but a lantern and quite reasonably tripping. I never really thought about how dark it would actually be out because there’s always light.., somewhere in a modern city. It’s dark but you can usually still see

2. Every time Anne and Diana are separated they end up reunited during some great tragedy and are like “I missed you so much!!” Like yeah that’s great but. Please focus

3. It’s terrifying how easily children could die before modern medicine. They still can die very easily and that’s still terrifying but back then there was no quick fixes or easily accessible help

4. “It’s an old wives tale.” “I might be one but not the other. Evidently one doesn’t have to be either thing to know it.”

5. Anne knowing how to treat croup because all of Mrs. Hammond’s sets of twins had it

6. “I was supposed to be a boy but when I wasn’t, they decided to keep and raise me.” “How extraordinary!”

7. Minnie May almost choking to death on her own phlegm and Anne ultimately saving her because there’s no way the doctor would’ve made it all the way from Soencervale in time

8. “I believe I need a brandy.”

9. It’s really interesting how much of the script comes straight from the book

10. “I’m so glad I live in a world where there are white frosts, aren’t you?”

11. John Blythe’s love for adventure and how Gilbert undoubtedly sees it in Anne

12. Eliza apologizing for how she misjudged Anne

13. “My darling Diana”

14. “I can’t tie myself down to anything so unromantic as dishes at this thrilling moment!”

15. “Even aunt Josephine said she’d like to see you again, and she doesn’t like anyone.”

16. “Shes disinclined to stay home alone since her companion passed away.” “Her companion?” “Her best friend forever and ever.”

17. “Aunt Josephine never married. Neither of them did, they lived with each other their whole lives.” “I’d live with you forever if I could. But I know you’ll leave me the date you get married to some wealthy and handsome gentleman. I hate him already.” “How’s Gilbert?”

18. “It’s very likely Gilbert’s father isn’t going to get well, so it’s more than possible that when Gilbert finally comes back to school… he’ll be an orphan.”

19. The cut from that conversation to John Blythe’s funeral

20. Matthew grabbing Marilla’s arm because he knows how much john meant to her

21. Gilbert watching the snowflakes melt in his hand

22. Marilla’s flashback

23. Young Marilla teasing john

24. Him giving her the same hair ribbon she later gifts to Anne

25. Anne and Gilbert being just like their parents, mirroring their romance and yet achieving the love Marilla and John could never have

26. Anne trying to make Gilbert feel better but making it seem like it’s about her. I often find it hard to articulate my relation to others in a way that does sound like I’m relating and not like I’m making it about me

27. Aunt Josephine on a stroll in the woods

28. Anne’s ranting about her “extensive knowledge of being an orphan”

29. Her calling Gilbert a dumb boy and refusing to think about him

30. “Romance is a pesky business. No sense to be made of it.”

31. “May I enter your humble abode.” About Anne’s run down little shed

32. “I couldn’t be less interested in Gil- that boy!”

33. “Let your ambitions and your aspirations be your guide.” “But I have so many!”

34. “I’ve always wanted to be a bride, but I don’t really expect to be a wife.” “Interesting!” “So you see the conundrum.” “I do. I have the following thoughts to offer. First, you can get married any time in your life, if you choose to do so.” “That’s true-“ “And two, if you choose a career, you can buy a white dress yourself, have it made to order and wear it whenever you want.” “Why didn’t I think of that!? I love that idea! I’m going to be my own woman!” “I’m a proponent for making ones own way in the world.”

35. “If you become a doctor, perhaps you can discover a cure for old age.”

36. Anne calling aunt Josephine her new role model, as well as Marilla and Matthew

37. “I’m going to be the heroine of my own story.”

38. Marilla finding an old letter from John

39. The theme Unrequited Love playing during this scene

40. It’s fascinating when you come to recognize the instrumentals by name, the names actually have a lot of double meanings in relation to the show. Fire in The Town not only plays when there’s an actual fire, but also when Anne’s rumors about prissy set the town ablaze

41. “If the key to a mans heart is through his stomach-“ “Which it is!” “Then, we have to make sure that this is the best shepherds pie that Gilbert has ever had.”

42. Anne wanting a boy to loved for her brain and personality rather than her abilities to keep a home

43. “Don’t you think Gilbert looks even more handsome now that he’s sad?” “I didn’t notice.”

44. I just noticed aunt Josephines mourning clothes, I know she was grieving but I didn’t put two and two together

45. “Take the boy the godforsaken pie before I suffer a mental collapse.”

46. Anne rambling excitedly about Jane Eyre.

47. Anne almost spoiling the book, just like Gertrude used to do

48. Anne suddenly breaking down over death. I’ve done that before, far more frequently in middle school when I realized that we all die someday

49. “It must be awful beyond measure to lose someone that you love deeply. In a split second, a heartbeat, they’re gone forever… and there is nothing you can do to change it or bring them back…”

50. “Anne? You’re crying on the potatoes.”

51. “There’s nothing wrong with saying ‘I’m sorry for your loss’, Ruby. And I’m going to say it because I am.” “You’re just going to make it worse if you say that. His father!! Just died!!!” “That’s what people say when someone dies.” “I don’t want you to upset him.” “He’s already upset because his father just died!”

52. “We hope you like shepherds pie.” “Everyone LIKES shepherds pie 😡. We hope it’s a comfort to you, Gilbert.🥰”

53. Anne telling “but I would make a terrible wife!” And running out.

54. Matthew offering to help Gilbert get his farm back in order

55. Gilbert not wanting to be a farmer but having an entire farm shoved off on him when his only family does, despite being… 14 at most? 15 maybe?

56. Matthew losing all his crops when the Dal Marie sank

57. Billy wanting Gilbert back to control the “ugly orphan” and Gilbert defending Anne

58. “She’s smart, deal with it.”

59. Gilbert telling billy to read a book for once

60. “I’ll give you a tip, okay? I’m not your bud. And if you ever hassle Anne again, you’ll regret it.”

61. “What’s your problem?” “Ask me that again. No, seriously. Go ahead.” “Why you gotta be like that?” “Ask me!” “…what’s your problem?”

62. Gilbert throwing his stuff at billy to preoccupy his hands and THEN punching him straight in his stupid face

63. The boys are fighting!!!! And rolling around in the snow too that’s kind of funny looking

64. Gilbert beating billy in that fight

65. Marilla telling Gilbert about his father

66. All of Gilbert’s siblings died

67. Gilbert’s father taking him to Alberta before he died, where Gilbert was born

68. “You resemble him in many ways.”

69. “He asked you to go?” I’ll always be grateful to him for thinking I’d be brave enough. Obligation… can be a prison.”

70. Anne trying to write a letter to Gilbert apologizing for what she said

71. Anne visiting aunt Josephine for advice and accidentally interrupting her grieving

72. “Emotion is rarely convenient and often intolerable, but I find at the moment that I don’t mind it.”

73. “Grief is the price you pay for live, you see. So it’s alright.”

74. “You and I are not the marrying kind.” “Ah, but I was, in my way. And we had a full and wonderful life together, and I gave no regrets. That’s all you really have to decide Anne, to live a life without regrets.”

75. Anne kissing aunt Josephine on the cheek and running off to live said life

76. No Matthew don’t make that loan deal!!!

77. Anne sprinting to Gilbert’s house bit for the first time of many to come, being too late to reach him.

#anne with an e #renew awae #awae #anne shirley cuthbert #gilbert blythe #josephine barry #marilla cuthbert #mathew cuthbert #diana barry

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x0401x · 4 years

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Violet Evergarden Movie Summary

The initial plan was to make this a short bullet-point thing, but I felt like there was too much to clarify and I had no choice but use novel references to explain certain parts, so I decided to just write a normal summary. Many thanks before-hand to my friend Yuuki, who gave me all this info.

Apologies for taking relatively long with this thing. Not even I expected that I would end up writing this much. Buckle up for the ride, ‘cause it won’t be fun.

Nope, not kidding. It really won’t.

First thing I need to make clear is: this movie is one and a half hour long and divided into three parts and two different timelines: the times when Violet existed and the times after she dies. Already in the beginning of the movie, Violet is dead.

Yes, you read this right. She’s dead.

Now, I don’t mean that she’s dead in the literal sense. This is 60 years in the future. She might be alive or not, but it’s never said. However, the timeline of 60 years later is considered an era without Violet, apparently because she has retired and her “legend” is over, so to say. It’s also a time where Auto-Memories Dolls don’t exist. That’s one good punch in the face. Let’s keep counting.

The movie is sort of like a tale being read by someone else, which at some point goes into Violet’s first-person POV. The whole thing is kind of a look back on Violet’s life tragectory and how it took a new turn when she decided to continue looking for Gil despite all the mess of the TV series.

The era where Violet exists is an era where telephones are being introduced to the people, so Auto-Memories Dolls are starting to become unnecessary. I would argue that the creation of the telephone isn’t enough for an entire occupation to start disappearing so quickly, since new inventions are normally extremely expensive and not everyone has access to them (or even knows about their existence) so immediately after their conception. Realistically speaking, ghostwriters would still be important as long as there were still so many people unable to buy phones. Not to mention that this is a steampunk world where compulsory education doesn’t seem to be a thing yet, so even in the off chance that everybody can buy a phone, there would still be a lot of people who can’t read or write on their own. But all of this clearly went over the animators’ heads, so not only ghostwriters but also the mail business in general are nearing their doom in the movie.

The one looking back on Violet’s life was Ann, who was telling it all to her granddaughter, Daisy (who, by the way, is voiced by Morohoshi Sumire, the same girl who voiced the seven-year-old Ann). Ann had kept all the letters that Violet ghostwrote for her mother, as well as the newspapers about the CH Postal Company. Looks like the article was printed after Violet left CH, since she isn’t in the picture with everyone else.

In this era, CH’s main office has been turned into a museum. Nerine is shown working in it. Of course, she’s a grandma by then. Speaking of the CH personnel, Erica also quit being an Auto-Memories Doll and became a playwright like Oscar. She appears in the newspaper, though, so she probably a while left after Violet did. Taylor also appears there.

Back to Daisy, she was writing a letter to her parents, in order to learn how to properly convey feelings with written word. The message of this scene seems to be that, no matter the tools, what’s important is that we convey our feelings to the people we love.

As we see in the trailer, Gil’s mom has passed and Violet runs into Dietfried when visiting her grave on the anniversary of her death. To anyone who is wondering: yeah, Gil never went to see his mother and she died thinking that he was dead.

Nobody knew that Gil was alive. Not his mother, not Dietfried, not the Evergardens and not even Hodgins. No one.

Here’s what happened to Gil in the anime: he survived the incident at Intense, of course, but got separated from Violet in that explosion. His tag miraculously stayed on the same spot, though, as we saw in the TV series. Now, since this isn’t explained in the anime at all, I have to make it clear: the tag is that necklace the soldiers wear. It contains their names and ranks, so that their bodies can be identified even when they’re irrecognizable. Without the tag, the people who rescued Gil had no idea who he was, so he was sent to a different place to get treated. He ended up at a monastery hospital instead of the one in Enchaîné. I would debate that his uniform alone is enough to identify him as someone from the Leidenschaftlich Army, or maybe they could’ve just asked him which troop he belonged to after he woke up and relocated him to where his fellow men were, but who even cares about all these plot holes anymore? Definitely not me.

Anyway. After Gil was discharged, he ran the fuck away. Like, literally.

If anyone out there was hoping that Gil would finally have his moment to shine as the self-sacrificing, thoughtful and ridiculously kindhearted character that he is in the novel, I have bad news for you. What we had here was even worse than it being Gil’s excuse movie. It’s like the whole thing was made to drag his character so deep through the mud that he’ll never be able to get up again. There’s pretty much nothing in this one and a half hour that actually justifies what he did to Violet. I’ll elaborate on this as we go on.

Anime!Gil became a nomad and went traveling. He offed his ass to the island where that lighthouse displayed in the most recent official art is located (that’s why Gil and Violet were at the beach on the movie poster). He doesn’t have a prosthetic in the anime because, apparently, he was more worried about disappearing as fast as possible to somewhere he would never be found, and never attempted to contact anybody. So nobody knew that he was alive, hence the grave, which, as we feared, was not a fake one. His family really did think he had died.

This is a point that I have already addressed before, but that also means Gil really did abandon Violet to luck. If anything dangerous ever happened to her (as it did, and it was always very obviously likely to happen, since she was the southern army’s most outstanding soldier and quite literally fled from the military), he wouldn’t even know. If word ever got to him, it would probably be too late. And even if it weren’t, he wouldn’t be able to do anything to help her. More than allowing her to live freely, it felt like he was running away from his responsibilities regarding Violet.

Punch on the face count is currently at six.

By sheer coincidence, Violet learns that Gil is living in that island. She goes to see him and Hodgins goes with her after trying to stop her at first. When Gil finds out that they came to see him, he outright refuses to meet them. It pretty much takes the near entirety of the goddamn movie for them to see each other face-to-face. I say face-to-face because all of the following shit happens:

Hodgins goes to talk to Gil. It lasts about 20 minutes.

Gil talks to Violet from behind a door. This one is about 10 minutes.

Dietfried also comes to the island to talk to him. Also about 10 minutes.

At long fucking last, Gil goes to see Violet. But that, too, is only for about 10 minutes.

Hodgins gives him a speech very similar to what happens in chapter 8. Now get ready to fall back from your seats: Dietfried basically goes there to tell Gil that he won’t run away from taking over the family anymore, so Gil can live freely. Yes, Dietfried is officially a better Gilbert than Gilbert himself. I crave death.

So, after much ado, they come to a conclusion: Gil will stay in the island. In order to completely free himself of the shackles of his bloodline, he stays behind, living the way he wants to. ‘Cause all anime!Gil wants is to rot away alone by the sea, apparently. Now prepare yourselves, for it gets worse. Ready?

Violet stays with him in the motherfucking island.

That’s right, ladies and gents. Another fear became true. She quits her job at the CH Postal Company and goes to live with him. Well, at least, not as a housewife. She starts working with mail services in the island, and Gil helps her with it. Her life goes on like this and she dies in the island as well.

This is where the timeline after Violet passes away comes into light, parallel to the era when Violet was alive. Daisy talks about what happened after Violet left CH, as if it were a tale from the distant past.

That’s it.

The movie paints this as a happy ending. I can hardly see it as one. I know it almost looks like everything was solved, but it just got swept under the rug.

The main point that makes me sad in this ending is that Violet’s character development did a 360 degree flip. In the end, she threw everything to the air and went to live in someone who she always put before everyone else, even herself, but who didn’t do the same for her (in the anime). She’s gone to a crammed little island, where she led an uneventful life away from everyone and everything that’s ever had a positive impact on her. All she has is Gil.

Of course, he’s all she needs, but he isn’t all she should have, and that was the entire point of pushing her to go live on her own. Which is exactly what she earns in the novel: two loving parents, a father figure, a brother figure, a best friend and several other friends and acquaintances whom she formed a bond with. She has all she needs, so she doesn’t have to cling to Gil for any reason. There’s no emotional dependance on him anymore. She doesn’t need him to be whole. She just wants him because he happens to be the best person she’s ever met.

Anime!Violet is most definitely not whole. She almost got there, but then she backtracked completely. And anime!Gil... in my friend’s words, is a weakling. There’s nothing in him actually worth all this undying blind love. Sure, he’s full of regret and shit, but it’s too easy to only act upon it now, by vanishing into thin air like a coward.

The deal with novel!Gil is that he looks around at everything he has, everything that had been burdening him and killing him on the inside all his life, and decides to make use of it for Violet’s sake. He continues being family head and working in the army, amassing money and connections in order to have every means possible to protect Violet should anything happen to her. And as it turns out, he does end up having to use those means, more than once, but he will keep this up for as long as he needs to, because he lives for her now. That’s what makes him worth all the blood, sweat, tears, mental sanity and even body parts that she gave away for his sake: he pays it back. Every cent.

Punch in the face count ends at twelve. Thirteen if I include the fact that the movie ends with a last shot of Violet after she and Gilbert do a pinky swear. Looks like they were really trying to buy everyone with tears.

Oh, well.

I hope this has been a good enough summary. Sorry if I rained on anyone’s parade. I’m pretty sure we won’t get a remake ever, so I really wish we all can get over this soon.

#violet evergarden #fyeahvioletevergarden #kyoani #kyoto animation #violet evergarden movie #summary #gilbert bougainvillea #claudia hodgins #dietfried bougainvillea

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idanwyn-et-al · 3 years

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(XIV|21-22: Fluster. Anne-Sophie Bale.)

[♪]

She should’ve returned the Fury’s Looking-Glass back to its striking configuration. With its focus spread into a crystalline web of defensive aether, glowing on her back like a jagged block of new-blown glass, she was too recognizable. Gloved hands passed purposefully-loud whispers behind them; veiled eyes stared openly.

“There she is, Raphael’s strangest daughter.”

“Nothing like her uncle Alberic. A shame...or, perhaps, a blessing.”

“Going to apologize to the Fury, I’d hope.”

“Oh no, no, haven’t you heard? Tis no longer a crime to conduct such foul sorcery out in the open.”

Anne-Sophie liked to pretend that it didn’t bother her anymore; head held high and her pace purposeful, unhurried, she continued toward the cathedral. It was just past Vespers, and she was, in truth, partially here to let herself be seen. The thorn-laden viny tongues had always grown their poison roses just outside the great doors of St. Reymanaud’s; for so many, their devotions stopped just beyond the Fury’s stony gaze.

Like infants, all of them, playing peek-a-boo with the Goddess. Once those doors closed, they couldn’t see Her, and thus, She ceased to exist. Anne-Sophie smiled wide at the image of all those nobles playing dress-up in their parents’ finery, gobsmacked every time the church’s doors opened to reveal the Fury within.

The knight-scholar genuflected, then strode down the nave, her eyes fixed on the statue of the Fury. When she was young, she’d thought Halone actually lived within the statue; after waking Oberic from his own stony embrace, she was starting to believe that some part of Her did, perhaps, reside there. A summer home, maybe. At least an overnight inn on the side of the road; cheaper because it was in the bad part of town.

“O Goddess,” she intoned in supplication, “why do You vex me so? Why would You, in Your strong-armed purpose and keen sight, send me hurtling through the vast unknown, only to leave there with more memories? More sorrow?”

Halone-in-the-Statue was silent as ever. In one of the axial chapels, the women’s choir was practicing; the same verse over and over again, sang at half time, then double time, holding out harmonies here and there while the conductor fine-tuned each out of place thread in her tapestry. “♪In Her strength do we find our own./Confess our sorrows manifold,♪” was the line. Fitting, Anne-Sophie thought, a grim little laugh escaping her lips.

“Fury, I have fought for You. Ever in my battles have I glorified Your name; though others mock my skill as a slap in Your face, I felt You with me when I screamed myself hoarse. For Ishgard!” Her voice echoed in the sudden silence; “♪sorrows manifold♪” resumed. “For Ishgard. For our future. Now, I have the chance to find happiness with two more of Your children; to make my own future. I ask you; please grant me this.”

Another long silence; somewhere, some poor altar child dropped a tray, metal clanging, glass shattering, muffled upbraiding, apologies. “♪maaaa-niii-foooold♪”. The last flickers of the early-setting sun simmered within stained glass.

The fox-haired Hyur closed her eyes. She thought of those manor gardens deep in the Shroud that contained nothing short of a miracle; plants that had thrived in Coerthas before the Calamity. She remembered the peace and tranquillity their various scents filled her with; healing her mind, her spirit. Trineaux flitted through her thoughts; eyes like the distant sea, in Vylbrand, where it was warm, touched by the green of life. He’d made her a posy of woodland flowers; done everything he could to help her create the remedies for those that needed them. Not a word of complaint; just that unflappable, naive idealism that defined him.

Miovont, strange and spoiled in his own way, happily footing the bill for an expensive dinner at Wineport. Despite being eaten alive by his birthright, he seemed almost...silly, at times. Friendly, talkative, quick with a smile or to offer a kind word.

“Why can’t I be more like them?!” she found herself asking Halone, flustered as she realized she’d spoken into silence yet again. “I mean---that wasn’t---oh, godsdammit, I’m a grown woman, and here I am, acting like You’re my personal counselor.” She took a breath, made the Sign of the Spear, left her gil offering and lit her votive. “Forgive my follies, O Halone. I will strive ever to grow in strength, in Your sight.”

Anne-Sophie’s mind roiled as she turned and left St. Reymanaud’s, enrobing herself in as much dignity as she could muster. Behind her on the votive stand, unseen by any save for the Fury, her newly-lit offering sparked first the half-burned candle to its right to life, then the one to its left. “♪In Her streeeeength♪” filled the silence.

#Anne-Sophie Bale #Halone #Trineaux Cauvidain #Ishgard #FFxivWrite2021 #prompt 22 #fluster #ffxiv writers #ffxiv writing #Miovont Kotelleloix #Ishgardian Knights Errant #Reymanaud #Gotta love that Eric Whitacre for inspiration

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anneshirleycuffbert · 4 years

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YOU ASK AND I DELIVER !!

AWAE Alternate Universe: not-officially-dating shirbert at Queen’s College (stand-alone fic)

Summary: Everyone knows that Anne Shirley-Cuthbert and Gilbert Blythe are practically an item, despite the lack of official announcement that the two are courting. Well, everyone except Royal Gardner. Will the two finally own up to their feelings for each other?

Gilbert Blythe stared at an aggravated Anne Shirley-Cuthbert, who was presently glaring at the trigonometry problems in her textbook.

He felt his heart flutter as Anne bit her lip, trying to focus on solving the fourth equation. The two had made it a habit to study together within their first two weeks of attending Queen’s College, and Gilbert didn’t know how much longer he could bear having Anne at such close proximity yet far from him in matters of the heart.

The study group started out with all the Avonlea students, but the number dwindled by early-October when other pressing matters, like courting and social engagements, presented itself. Anne and Gilbert, unsurprisingly, were the only two who had stuck it out thus far throughout the year. Diana Barry would never tell Anne this, but she felt it right for her to bow out and join a secret study group that Jane and Prissy Andrews were in, not wanting to be a third wheel to an unofficial couple.

It was now mid-November, and the two students were sitting at their usual table on the second floor of the library.

Anne groaned and looked up at her study partner and friend. Gilbert flitted his eyes down to his notebook before she could notice he’d been staring.

“This is impossible. I’m not getting this at all, Gil!”

Gilbert coloured. He loved the new nickname with which Anne called him. He definitely preferred it over Slateface, a name she would tease him with when occasion called for it. “Gil” spoke of friendliness and familiarity. Fondness.

The curly-haired boy cleared his throat. “What’s confusing to you?”

Instead of explaining what she didn’t understand, Anne began her classic rant on the perils of trigonometry and why it should not be mandatory to learn. She then glared at Gilbert, which startled him.

“What?” Gilbert said, feeling defensive.

“Why are you smiling?”

“I’m not?” Gilbert immediately felt the corners of his mouth drop.

“But you were!”

Gilbert’s half-masked smile turned into a full blown grin. He threw up his hands. “Okay, okay! I’m sorry, you’re just so...” he trailed off, trying to find the right word to describe Anne Shirley-Cuthbert.

“So what?” Anne’s brows furrowed in confusion, her lips slightly pouting.

Beautiful, Gilbert wanted to say, focusing all his energy on not glancing down at Anne’s lips which he suddenly wanted to kiss, then and there.

“I don’t know,” Gilbert shrugged, defeated.

Anne frowned at him and opened her mouth to speak, when a familiar voice called her name.

Anne and Gilbert turned to find Royal Gardner approaching their table. Gilbert’s hand reflexively clenched tighter around his pencil.

“Hello Anne,” Roy greeted cheerfully. He glanced at Gilbert briefly. “Gilbert.”

Gilbert only offered him a tight smile and curt nod.

Anne smiled politely. “Hello Roy. How are you this afternoon?”

“Swell. I actually came over to congratulate you.”

Anne blinked, confused. “On what?”

“You don’t know?”

“Clearly not, since she’s asking what you’re talking about,” Gilbert muttered quietly. Anne kicked him under the table.

“Why, you won the Avery scholarship!”

“What?”

“I was looking at the announcement board outside the registrar’s office this morning to find they had posted the recipients of the various scholarships. You’re one of them, Anne. Congratulations!”

“Are you serious?” Anne pinched herself, and when she flinched, her eyes widened.

“Come, see for yourself,” Roy motioned for Anne to come with him and she bounded out of her chair.

She glanced back at Gilbert. “I’ll be right back!”

The sound of a pencil snapping in half made Gilbert jump in his seat. He frowned when he realized that he had broken his pencil.

It wasn’t that he was angry about Anne getting the Avery scholarship, no. Gilbert was always proud of Anne’s achievements and believed in her when no one else would. Gilbert Blythe was aggravated. But with whom?

Anne’s frantic voice rang through the library floor and Gilbert looked up from his broken pencil.

Behind her trailed a grinning Roy Gardner, and Gilbert knew just with whom he was aggravated.

“Gilbert! Gil!” Anne flew past the desks that students were sat focused in until the redhead began making a commotion.

Gilbert stood up. The moment his eyes landed on a joyful Anne Shirley-Cuthbert, a genuine smile made its way onto his lips. He stumbled a bit when Anne propelled herself to him and wrapped her arms around his neck, laughing.

“Oof!”

“Gil, you got the Gold Medal! Congratulations! You got the gold medal!”

“And you?” His voice was muffled in her hair.

Anne pulled away to look him in his soft hazel brown eyes. Her grin was radiant. “I got the Avery!”

Gilbert laughed and in a surge of celebration and joy for the both of them, embraced Anne and spun her around.

“Congratulations, Carrots,” he grinned at the redhead who was very flushed.

“Congratulations, Slateface,” said Anne, out of breath.

Gilbert noticed Roy standing a few feet away, watching them. Gilbert’s face grew serious and he motioned to Roy with a shrug. “Gardner is waiting for you.”

Anne, looking confused, turned. “Oh, he’s waiting for the paper I edited for him. I’ll go give it to him now.”

Gilbert sat down in his seat and watched as Anne grabbed a folder from her bag and walked over to Roy.

“I made some notes on the side,” Anne began explaining her edits to a very invested Roy. Her back was now facing Gilbert.

“Oh, this is fantastic! Thank you, Anne. This is exactly why I asked you to edit my essay. You’re absolutely brilliant,” he smiled.

Anne nodded and said something Gilbert couldn’t quite make out.

“You give yourself too little credit. Thanks again, Anne,” Roy said. “I’ll see you in Writing Club?”

As Gilbert sensed the conversation coming to a close, he propped up one of the books he was supposed to be reading instead of eavesdropping on Anne. He was going to pretend he didn’t hear anything but when Anne sat down across from him with a wide grin on her face, he couldn’t help it.

“How’s your boyfriend?” Gilbert muttered, grumpy after having just watched Roy Gardner flirt with Anne.

Anne, without missing a beat and without looking up from her book, replied with, “I don’t know, Gilbert. How are you?”

The two friends froze as they realized the implication of more that had escaped from Anne’s mouth without permission.

“I’m fine,” Gilbert choked out, sounding on the verge of tears.

Anne kept her gaze on her book, feeling her face flush a deep red at her response and Gilbert’s reply. Quiet occupied the space between them for a few agonizing seconds before Gilbert allowed hope to settle in his heart.

Gilbert cleared his throat. “Anne?” Worry trickled into his voice at the sound of her stunned silence. “Carrots?”

Slowly, her eyes traveled up from her book to Gilbert’s red face. When her eyes landed on his familiar kind ones, she felt her tense muscles relax a little.

Anne sighed. This was Gilbert, her best friend. She had been content to let things stay the way they were because she loved their friendship. But more than their friendship, Anne loved Gilbert, and she could tell by the stolen glances and laughter from past study sessions and inside jokes and the way his eyes bore into her, like they did now, that he felt the same way.

Anne broke eye contact from the intensity of it all. How could she risk their friendship? What if Gilbert didn’t even feel the same way and she just tricked herself into thinking his kindness and friendship and the way he looked at her was more than it actually was?

Gilbert’s eyes furrowed in confusion and frustration. After the whole situation with Winifred, he knew Anne was the girl he truly loved, the girl he was in love with. But he had made the mistake of letting go of the momentum it took years to build in the progression of their relationship. Gilbert had left a letter declaring his love to Anne, which Anne, for reasons unbeknownst to him, did not receive. Hazel mentioned a letter Anne left for him but had mysteriously vanished.

Neither refused to disclose the contents of their letters and so here they were, back to pining and feelings of unrequited love that they knew deep down were anything but.

Anne had just about made her mind to continue this act of just friends, remembering the feelings of a broken heart she‘d experienced when Gilbert was courting Winifred. The voice of reason in her mind brought up the fact that Gilbert had broken things off with Winnie. Anne bit her lip to keep the tears threatening to spill from her eyes at bay.

Gilbert felt desperation surge through him. “Anne.”

Anne looked at him with shiny eyes. “Gil, I... I don’t know what to say.”

“I do,” said Gilbert, determined now. “I don’t know exactly how to say this so I’m just going to say it.”

After a few seconds of silence, Anne felt the corners of her mouth tipping up. “Gil?”

“Sorry,” Gilbert breathed out. “Just gathering my courage.”

The sound of Anne’s laughter gave him all he needed.

“Anne, I know some time ago we had sent each other letters,” he began. “That neither of us ever received. I thought I could go on without you knowing how I feel about you. I can’t anymore. I can’t sit by while others ask to court you–“

“No one’s asked to court me,” Anne rolled her eyes. “And I doubt anyone will.”

“But they will. Roy Gardner has had his eye on you from the beginning. Anthony Partridge and William Smith have been competing for your attention. But that’s not the point,” Gilbert exhaled. “The point is... I like you, Anne. No. I love you. I’m in love with you, Anne Shirley-Cuthbert. I can’t let us go on at Queen’s without you knowing how I feel, because I’ve allowed myself to hope that you might feel the same for me.”

“I–“

“And it doesn’t matter if you don’t have feelings for me. I mean, of course it does, I’ll respect whatever your response.”

“I–“

“I just want you to know that you shouldn’t feel obligated to say or do anything because of how I feel for you. If you don’t feel the same, I’m content to remain friends because I love you, Anne.”

“Will you let me say something now?” Anne looked at the boy with a pointed stare.

Gilbert blushed, sheepish. “Yes.”

“Gilbert Blythe, I love you too.”

Gilbert blinked. “Yes, I know you love me as a friend Anne–“

“No,” laughed the redhead. “‘I love you’ as in I’m in love with you, you idiot.”

“Oh.”

The two smiled at each other with burning cheeks and joyful hearts. After a long time of waiting and pining, they were finally on the same page.

A familiar voice broke the trance Anne and Gilbert were in. Cole Mackenzie stood a few feet away looking at them knowingly.

“Hi Cole,” Anne greeted, elated to see their friend.

“Hey,” nodded Gilbert, smiling.

“Finally figured it out for yourselves, have you?” Cole smirked, glancing between the two.

“Shut up,” said the two in unison, garnering triumphant laughter from the art student.

Gilbert turned his gaze toward Anne, not bothering now to hide how captivated he was by her. He watched as Anne scolded Cole for skipping his class, even if it was to visit them, even if it was to escort his friend Genevieve to visit her sister at Queen’s, and does Aunt Jo know of your shenanigans because if not, you shall certainly be found out!

Anne felt the warm heat of a familiar pair of hazel eyes, and her cheeks flushed without even looking at Gilbert. She said goodbye to Cole, who didn’t even bother saying his standard dramatic “au revoir!” to the raven-haired boy because he knew Gilbert’s one-track mind was thinking of only Anne now. Anne felt Gilbert’s left hand take hold of hers across the table and she interlocked her fingers with his.

Silently, with the soft hum of kindred and requited love beating through their locked hands, Anne Shirley-Cuthbert and Gilbert Blythe went back to studying.

That is, until Anne could finally focus again on her trigonometry problem and be faced with the same infuriating dilemma, to which Gilbert would laugh and face the wrath of a redhead scorned by mathematics.

to read more of my awae literary universe: click here or click #awae:dlu !!

#awae:dlu #anne with an e #anneshirleycuffbert #awae #shirbert #renew anne with an e #renew awae #renewannewithane #annewithane #gilbert blythe #anne shirley cuthbert #cole mackenzie #diana barry #awae fic #awae fluff

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seawolvesanddragons · 3 years

Text

AWAE 25 Days of Christmas Day 24 - “Surprise”

(Follow up to “Unknown”) Friday had arrived with an air of excitement and glee among the Avonlea schoolchildren, as everyone speculated for the final time who their mysterious gift giver was. Anne was fairly certain that Ruby or Tillie had her - Diana swore it wasn’t her, and who else could give Anne such thoughtful, Anne-centric gifts? There was something so familiar about the handwriting too.

Anne didn’t devote too much time that Friday morning to trying to figure out who her own gift giver was. She’d find out soon enough. She was far more preoccupied with a bigger problem: she would have to tell Gilbert Blythe that she was his gift giver.

Logically, Anne knew there shouldn’t be a problem with this. It was hardly as if she and Gilbert were still at odds, Anne would even classify them as friends. And it was also highly unlikely that she was the only student in class to have a member of the opposite gender as her gift partner. All she would need to do was walk up to Gilbert and have a short conversation. It was not at all the most daunting thing she had ever done.

Yet, the very idea of doing so seemed to be giving Anne’s stomach flips. Anne couldn’t make sense of it.

The schoolhouse was already a chaotic mess when she arrived. Everywhere, her peers where pushing and prodding each other to talk to people. Anne scanned the crowd for Ruby and Diana, but they were both talking to Moody. Anne would have to wait her turn.

She looked for Gilbert too, strangely apprehensive, but the older boy was nowhere to be seen. That in itself was odd - Gilbert was always one of the first to arrive.

Something small and white caught her eye on the edge of her desk. A tiny bit of parchment, folded neatly into a small scroll. When she unfolded it, words appeared.

Go to the place where you found your second surprise.

Anne’s heartbeat quickened. A scavenger hunt! There was such a delectable air of mystery to that.

In the coatroom, right atop her usual peg, there was another note.

Now, find your favorite rock outside.

Outside? Why would Tillie or Ruby send her outside?

It was puzzling, but Anne wasn’t one to turn down an adventure. She scanned the room one last time for Gilbert - it wouldn’t be polite to make him wait, wondering, while she ran around on her own instructions - but he was still nowhere to be seen. Anne hoped he hadn’t fallen ill.

By her favorite rock next to the stream bed, the one Anne always claimed when the girls ate outside, there was yet another clue, this one telling her to follow the path she and Diana walked everyday.

At the fork where she was supposed to turn left, there was a large wooden arrow made of sticks, pointing right. And a promise on the accompanying paper underneath; your “mystery mate” is awaiting you there.

That, more than anything, settled the matter. Only Ruby, Diana, and herself called this whole thing “mystery mate.” She had to hand it to Ruby, this was beyond anything Anne would have expected.

Anne rushed along the wood path about 100 yards, until she reached the fairy ring that she, Diana and Ruby had constructed two summers ago.

Standing the middle was Gilbert Blythe.

“Gilbert!” Anne said, shocked. “What are you doing-”

Impossibly, everything fell into place.

Your mystery mate is awaiting you there. The oh so familiar handwriting. The fact that Diana and Ruby were both talking to Moody, even though Anne knew that Diana had Ruby’s name.

“Hello, Anne,” Gilbert greeted her. He was twisting his cap in between his hands, and the smile on his face almost looked shy.

“You’re my mystery mate,” Anne shook her head, finding the whole situation a little ironic.

“You don’t sound pleased,” Gilbert frowned.

“No! No, I mean,” Anne tripped over her words, not wanting Gilbert to misunderstand her meaning. “I’m not displeased, really. I just find it funny, because well,” Anne waved her hand at herself in a little “ta-da” motion. “I was your mystery mate as well.”

“I know,” Gilbert gave a small smile. “The situation is a bit unlikely.”

“You knew?” Anne blinked. “But how? I didn’t even tell Diana!”

“Your handwriting,” Gilbert said, as if it had been obvious. “The way my name was written on the first note was identical to your letter about the gold.”

Anne felt like a fool. Her handwriting! It had never even occurred to her that she should take care to disguise it. Of course Gilbert recognized it and figured out her identity.

“So you knew practically all along,” Anne sighed. “I suppose that took a lot of the fun out of it for you.”

“On the contrary, this past week was the most fun I’ve had in a while,” Gilbert said, his simple honesty taking Anne by surprise. “Even knowing it was you, I could never guess what you would leave me, or how. I don’t think anyone can ever quite predict you, Anne.”

Anne coloured at the compliment, unsure how to respond. Searching for a safe topic, she changed the subject.

“I was convinced it was Ruby or Tillie,” Anne admitted. “Or someone had Diana helping them, the gifts were just so well suited to me.” The idea that all those thoughtful gifts had been from Gilbert... Anne’s stomach was doing flips again.

“Give me some credit Anne, I have known you just as long,” Gilbert said. “Admittedly Diana did help with the flowers after she figured it out, but everything else was me.”

“Diana figured it out?” Anne asked incredulously, momentarily distracted from the butterflies in her chest. “And she didn’t tell me?”

“She didn’t want to ruin the surprise,” Gilbert told her. “She was the one who helped me set all this up this morning, actually.”

“Right,” Anne was still trying to wrap her head around her dear Diana in cahoots with Gilbert Blythe, of all people. “And just why are we out here? I thought the reveal was supposed to be in the schoolhouse.”

“I thought it might be better this way,” Gilbert rubbed his neck, looking a bit out of sorts. “A bit of privacy, since ours was an unlikely situation.”

Anne hadn’t even considered it like that. Now, thinking about it from that angle, she was very glad Gilbert had set it up this way. The idea of doing this in front of everyone, with all the girls still teasing her about the “romantic flowers” was mortifying to even imagine, much less live through.

“Smart thinking,” Anne said admiringly.

“Do my ears deceive me?” Gilbert teased. “Did you just admit that I was smart?”

“I never claimed you weren’t smart,” Anne defended herself. “You wouldn’t be any good as competition if you weren’t smart.”

“Of course, my mistake,” Gilbert laughed.

“Speaking of, we should get back,” Anne sighed. “It’s only a matter of time before Ms Stacey notes our absence.” Strangely, Anne didn’t feel all that excited to return to the school building - she, who normally loved school more than anything outside of her friends and Green Gables.

“Right,” Gilbert said. “Of course.” He had that strange look in his eye, that intensity that Anne remembered seeing at last Christmas, when they had been blowing out candles, and again after Bash and Mary’s wedding.

“Anne?” Gilbert asked, and his voice was hoarse, barely a whisper in the trees. “Can I walk with you the way back?”

The logical, rational part of Anne wanted to roll her eyes and point out the obvious, that of course they would be walking back the same way, they were headed to the same place.

Luckily, Anne’s more emotional side caught up to her in time to stop her from doing just that. Gilbert’s request was deeper than the surface message. Anne’s heart was pounding again as she considered.

“Yes,” Anne said at last. “But there’s one last surprise I have to give you, first.”

“Oh?” Gilbert looked down at her hands, trying to see what she had for him. Anne leaned in towards him, and pressed her lips softly against his cheek.

“Merry Christmas, Gil.”

#awae #awae fic #anne with an e #anne of green gables #anne shirley cuthbert #gilbert blythe #shirbert #25 days of christmas challenge

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gilbertsannegirl · 3 years

Text

The Scientist

Merry Christmas to @rootedbutfl0wing! Sorry it’s a couple of days late, but I really hope you do enjoy it! Hope your Christmas was wonderful, and it was a lot of fun getting to know you a little bit :) And thank you @kindredspiritssecretsanta (@royalcordelia) for once again hosting this wonderful event! Once again, cannot wait till next year x

Read it on AO3 / fanfiction.net

2019 Fic

2018 Fic

Summary: Based on The Scientist by Coldplay, which I thought kind of fitted Anne and Gilbert a lot (have a listen if you’ve never heard it before! It’s a beautiful song). Major moments of their relationship from Gilbert’s point of view, along with missing scenes and an AU ending, definitely enemies to friends to lovers. Hope you enjoy!

Come up to meet you; Tell you I’m sorry; You don’t know how lovely you are

Red. He saw it, red hair. Never was there another colour like it. Gilbert slowly turned in his seat to see a scraggly, freckled girl seated next to Diana Barry. Who was this girl? The sun glinted steadily through the window onto that hair that had drawn his eye in the first place. Why it’s as red as carrots, he thought, continuing to do nothing but stare at the girl who he had never seen in his life. She glanced his way, to which he winked at her, smiling smugly that she’d looked.

After a muttered word to Diana, the girl gazed out the window and, at least what Gilbert began to believe, blatantly ignored him. Feeling the need to see those grey-green eyes look his way once more, he began to rack his brain for ideas. Carrots…

“Carrots,” he hissed softly while tugging gently on the red hair he’d already grown so fond of, “Carrots.”

She whirled around in horror, her eyes flashing a delicious shade of green. “How dare you!” she screamed, and the next Gilbert knew was she’d gone and smashed something over his head. Was that a slate? Either way he found himself apologising profusely to Mr. Phillips who’d rushed to the scene.

Ann Shirley has a very bad temper. Ann Shirley must learn to control her temper. * Was written on the board, and the girl grimly marched to the board placing an ‘e’ at the end of each Ann. Anne Shirley. What a beautiful name for a beautiful girl. Anne stood seething under that sign for the rest of the afternoon, glaring every now and then at the boy who started it all.

At the end of the day Gilbert waited behind for Anne to leave after her lecture from Mr. Phillips. Intercepting her at the door, he glanced into her eyes, “I'm awfully sorry I made fun of your hair, Anne," he whispered contritely. "Honest I am. Don't be mad for keeps, now." *

The lovely girl with the golden, red hair snubbed her nose, and marched away with Diana at her side. Despite this, he grinned dumbly. She’s simply lovely, he thought his eyes following her down the road as she made her way towards what he assumed to be her home.

I had to find you; Tell you I need you; Tell you I set you apart

With the mayflowers in hand, Gilbert set off towards Patty’s Place, smiling sweetly at what could come of this particular visit. He found Anne in the orchard her head buried in a book, and he smiled slightly at her usual Anne-ness.

Handing her the Mayflowers, he carefully told her of his plans for the summer: staying in Kingsport to work at the Daily News Office. Gilbert watched as her face fell, hoping this was as good of time as any to ask her the question he had yearning in the back of his mind ever since that fateful day he called her carrots. She quickly composed herself however, and before she could make any more excuse to leave to pick violets, he said, “Things can't go on like this any longer. Anne, I love you. You know I do. I - I can't tell you how much. Will you promise me that someday you'll be my wife?” **

Anne quickly turned away shaking her head. Gil’s face fell immediately. Perhaps he was deceiving himself all along. Had she really never loved him? What about at Echo Lodge? Surely there was something in her eyes then. She begged for his forgiveness, and he gently, in person and heart, let go of her hand.

“There isn't anything to forgive. There have been times when I thought you did care. I've deceived myself, that's all. Goodbye, Anne.” ** And as he walked away that day, malice entered his heart. He must never think of Anne Shirley again.

Tell me your secrets; And ask me your questions; Oh, let’s go back to the start

Gilbert sat, his work sprawled across his desk as he ran his hands carefully through his curls. Biting his lip, he thought carefully about what was bothering him so. It has been a year, a year to the dot. His eyes glistened with tears once more as he remembered the terrified look on Anne’s face as he told her of his love for her. Oh, how he regretted it now. Shaking his head, he recalled their beautiful friendship, dwelling on the secrets that she had lovingly entrusted him with.

“Gil,” Anne said, a little melancholic after a particularly deep conversation between the two of them, “Could I tell you something? Something I’ve never told anyone else?”

He looked at her curiously, “Not even to Marilla or Diana?” At the shake of her head, he swallowed carefully, “You know you can tell me anything.”

“Well, I never really thought of it till now. Do you really think anyone could love me? I mean romantically? I’m afraid that I’ve not grown up surrounded by love that I don’t know what I’m looking for. Marilla and Diana, they think me foolish with my fantastic ideals of love. But when I was about 5 or 6, I was living with a family who’d hired me as a work hand – to look after the children, you see. I remember their eldest son was much older than their youngest children. He was about 15 or 16. He wrote poetry and was melancholic. He was the only one in that household that ever paid any attention to me and snuck me food when no one was looking. I didn’t love him romantically of course, I was only 6, but I feel that’s where this all sprouted from in the end. Don’t you think it’s strange that these memories come back to us so many years later?”

Gilbert had stopped their walking a while back. He looked deep into her eyes and whispered, “Anne…”

Anne cleared her throat at the intimacy in his voice, and Gilbert immediately thought himself an idiot for letting such intimacy come about in this private moment, “Um, I should… go. I’ll see you later Gilbert.”

Thinking back to this moment now, just a few weeks before they went to Redmond, he knew how idiotic it was to ask for her hand. He wasn’t the brooding hero she had longed for her whole life – he was plain old Gilbert Blythe, ex-best friend of the most remarkable woman to walk the earth. Yes, she was…

Nobody said it was easy; It’s such a shame for us to part; Nobody said it was easy; No one ever said it would be this hard; Oh, take me back to the start

Gilbert saw the radiant girl – no, woman – waltz into the newly decorated hall on the arm of Royal Gardner. Her figure was dressed in an apple green with a low scooped neckline, and her ruddy tresses were laced with small snowdrops. She’s simply beyond beautiful tonight, and you can’t have her. He sighed, lacing his fingers with his ruddy curls, and pacing near the wide window that showed the snow covered land. His best friend – ex-best friend, he scoffed – was on the arm of another man and if the whispering around him was true, she would continue to be on his arm forever.

He felt a gentle tap on his shoulder, and he swung around to see Christine Stuart with a small smile gracing her lips. “Gilbert, are you ready for our dance? The band is set up now.” In the short while of pacing, the room had come to life. Women and men dressed to the nines, chatter erupting and creating an atmosphere of warmth. He nodded and grabbed her hand, placing it in the crook of his arm as they meandered to the dance floor.

They twirled and swayed slowly to the tune that was being softly played. Violins, piano, and flutes all filling his head with sweet song. Not as sweet as Anne, the thought rudely interrupted. He shook his head, gracing a glance at the couple dancing not two feet away from him and his partner. And I guess that is the man who will sit and read her Tennyson by firelight. Yes, but you would do that for her too…

“Gilbert, is everything alright?” He quickly looked up and then down, realising that he had stopped their slow dance and there were people hurrying to avoid crashing into them. “You’re awfully pale. Did you want to sit down for a spell, or perhaps get some air?”

“Um, yes please. I just need to be alone for a little while. Will you be alright? I’ll be back by the next dance.” Christine opened her mouth, but Gilbert had already started walking away continuing his pedantic running of fingers through his hair. Oh, why did you ask her to marry you anyway. You ruined everything; she could still be on your arm as a friend – best friend – not on the arm of that Royal guy. He gasped in the cold air and his hardened heart frosted over as the rivers seeped from his eyes.

I was just guessing at numbers and figures; Pulling your puzzles apart; Questions of science, science, and progress; Do not speak as loud as my heart

Every day Gilbert placed one foot in front of the other to pull himself out of bed, through the door and into the gates of Redmond to face his studies, and it was paying off. Another year without Anne; another year of topping every class. It was the easiest distraction from the rushing thoughts and escorting Christine around to various social gatherings. Pouring into schoolwork was always something he had enjoyed, but especially now when it was the only thing in his life that he could fully control. Especially when flashes of red hair and green eyes invaded his dreams every night. Especially when he couldn’t have her.

Tell me you love me; Come back and haunt me; Oh, and I rush to the start; Running in circles, chasing our tails; Coming back as we are

It hadn’t been so long ago that they were walking through Hester Gray’s garden – she was picking flowers and he was desperately trying to see more in their friendship. Days often turned to dusk while they were together. And oh, they could talk, or rather Anne could. In every memory he had of her, there were glimpses of moments that he had misconstrued as love. Fleeting touches – of course they were by accident – meaningful glances – Miss Lavender’s wedding, I think she did love me then, perhaps for a moment.

Anne was still very much on the arm of Royal Gardner at every social gathering, while Christine Stuart was on his own arm. The distractions of schoolwork and being up for the Cooper prevented Gilbert from taking in much of the gossip that surrounded the couples. In the back of his mind, he knew what they were saying. Gilbert to wed Christine and Royal to wed Anne. He knew the gossip around his love life was not true, Christine was engaged to another man and he didn’t think of her in that way. But Anne… All of those rumours could very well be true. Where would that leave him?

“Gilbert!” No… it couldn’t be her. “Gil!” And just like that her red hair was staring him in the face.

“Anne?”

“Yes, of course. Gilbert, I just wanted to congratulate you. It seems we are both on the honours list, I’ve just come from the dean’s office. Here,” she shoved a piece of paper into his hands, “see for yourself. It’s all so exciting!”

And in that moment Gilbert allowed himself back to those friendship days of Lover’s Lane, the Dryad’s Bubble, the Lake of Shining Waters, and imagined what it would be like to be with her in those places now. She continued to chatter but stopped when he suddenly gathered her into his arms. “Thank you, Carrots.” And he walked away, leaving her mouth wide open and a few tears gathered on her eyelashes.

Nobody said it was easy; Oh, it’s such a shame for us to part; Nobody said it was easy; No one ever said it would be so hard; I’m going back to the start

That moment of the honours list sustained him for some time. She was radiant at convocation in her dress with his flowers. His promise to her all those years ago. If we make it to graduation I’m sending you a bunch of Lilies of the Valley. The Cooper’s Prize was his and Anne had made the honour’s list for English. Well, of course. In the times that he has known her she has been the storyteller, and so honours in English was never a negotiable thing.

The dance began and through the crowd he could see her. She was once again in a shroud of pale green taffeta, his flowers laced through her hair. Everything slowed as they made eye contact with one another. He stumbled towards her, dropping Christine from his arm. As if in a daze, he made his way through the ballroom. But then he saw the haze of her eyes, and the shock in her face as she turned towards the entry of the room. She began to run out into the cool of the early summer night.

In that moment Gilbert knew exactly what he was doing, and yet his knees never stopped knocking, his hands never left his curls. He was going after her. And this time nothing was going to stop him. In the craze of the ballroom, he flung himself around dancing couples and out the door. In the moonlight he saw the pale skin of her throat accentuated by the curls let loose down her back.

“Anne!” She stopped her dazed walk but did not turn to face him. He quickly caught up to her and placed both hands on her cold shoulders. “Anne-girl, what’s wrong?”

“You did it again.” She murmured, which he barely caught through the howling wind.

“What?”

“You call me Anne-girl, you send me gifts, flowers, you never break your promises. And yet you look at me in the same way you always have, even after I broke your heart. Gil? How can you still look at me that way? I’ve never deserved it Gil… I’ve never…” It broke his heart more to have this precious girl crying in his arms over unspoken words, glances, and touches. But he did speak his heart over two years ago in that orchard. Could it be that she’s changed her mind? “And now, you’re going to marry Christine and it’s all my fault that I never understood… I never understood…”

“Anne-girl,” he said in reverence, “is that what this is about?” She pulled her head off his chest to look into his kind, hazel eyes, and he reached up to wipe away her tears. “I’m not engaged to marry Christine. It’s all silly rumours, one’s which I never paid much attention to anyway. You see… I have a dream. I persist in dreaming it, although it has often seemed to me that it could never come true. I dream of a home with a hearth-fire in it , a cat and dog, the footsteps of friends – and you!” ***

And there was once again that moment in which Anne looked at him like he thought he must look at her and he knew there was no separating them again.

*Anne of Green Gables Chapter XV

**Anne of the Island Chapter XX

***Anne of the Island Chapter XLI

#annesecretsanta #anne of green gables #aogg #anne with an e #anne shirley #gilbert blythe #anne fanfiction #shirbert fanfiction

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pluviophile-bookworm · 3 years

Text

AWAE 3x1 rewatch: thoughts and reactions

So we’re finally here, up to the (unfortunately) final season of AWAE. I will be rewatching and reacting to the first half of the season only, since I’ve already posted my reactions to episodes 5-10 when they were coming out. Just thought I’d say that here.

For this rewatch, I will be adding onto the notes to myself I made when first watching the episode. Also, this is dedicated to Amybeth McNulty for her birthday today.

So, without further ado, I suggest we dive right in.

Can we talk about how Anne’s beautiful green ribbon gets untied and flies into the air while she is riding through the snow and she doesn’t even seem to care? I mean, she looks back and smiles at it, but doesn’t even think of trying to retrieve it… If I were her, I would have turned the horse around. Although it did seem like the ribbon was too high up in the air for her to reach. Also, her hair is beautiful flying loose in the wind… like we’ve never seen it before. [Present-day note: of course we’ll see it like that again, and from Gilbert’s point of view. That scene was magical. Truly magical]

So… Ruby still has it for Gilbert… and she has it going on strong… she’s supposed to be covering the hockey game for the school newspaper, but she’s dropped her notebook in the snow [Present-day note: again, my dislike of ruining material objects speaks here, but - I felt really bad for that notebook. It’s done nothing to deserve being ruined by the snow] because she only has eyes for one of the players… and so does Anne. I really hope the budding love between her and Gil doesn’t shatter poor little peach Ruby’s heart. [Present-day note: I’m so beyond happy she got over him before Anne realised that she was, as they would say on Friends, ‘under’ him.] She’s a dearie and deserves the best.

The hockey field (probably nothing more than a frozen lake, but this is the 19th century, so, you know) has apparently turned into a place of courtship, as Billy is giving his attentions to Josie and Moody to Diana… but her parents won’t allow it. “Too rich to be a minister’s wife?”, Josie teases. But then the attention shifts to Gilbert who stares at something undefined between Anne and Ruby, leaving it ambiguous which girl his affections are directed to. The whole thing is very awkward to watch, and with no Cole around to reassure Anne that Gilbert has a crush on her, and her only, she may as well think he’s finally returning Ruby’s sympathies. That scene is intense.

The natives appear – a man and a little girl, presumably his daughter, the girl that was mentioned in the articles promoting this season. It turns out the man is the one who makes the hockey sticks for the boys, and the difference in nature between Gilbert and Billy is once again emphasised by how they each treat him. Billy is superficially polite, saying “Thank you” when receiving his new stick, but he says it in a sort of patronising way, like the subtext here is “We whites are better than you”. Gilbert, on the other hand, is just as polite and respectful as he would be to any white man – or woman, for that matter. I mean, he lives with a black couple, so he can’t be racist at all. I mean, he’s an absolute cinnamon roll.

Anne is even better with the natives, as in, she doesn’t even notice anything about them that would make them superficially different than her and her peers. She asks if she could write an article about the man, but not about his lifestyle or different standards, but about the sticks he makes. She sees the quality work, not that the man doing it is non-white. And I bet she’ll be learning a lot about their life and culture later on, in a perfectly respectful and inclusive way. This is beautiful.

Billy comes back and is all kinds of disrespectful, so the girl, Ka’kwet, shows her dislike of him very clearly, and her father warns her against “stir[ring] trouble with the white man”… the tension can’t be ignored anymore. It can practically be cut with a knife.

The man offers a great judgement of Billy – “The little man with the big ego” – in his own native language, so only Ka’kwet understands. But he couldn’t be more right.

Billy walks away, muttering “Savages” under his breath. Anne, however, isn’t shaken for a millisecond in her wish to visit and interview them later.

So, Billy won’t even be coming back to school, as he’s stepping into the family business. I’m hoping we won’t see much of him anymore. [Present-day note: Unfortunately, we will. And when I say unfortunately, I mean devastatingly. Before this season, I didn’t think this excuse of a guy could get any worse, but in the latter half he’s proven to be an absolute entitled monster. I loathe him, and I’m not even sorry for allowing myself to feel such negative emotions.]

Jane is “chaperoning” Josie and Billy as they walk back from the game? I mean, yes, she is his sister, but she’s younger than him, I think. But well, I’m not sure how chaperoning works in such a situation.

Anne arrives at the natives’… village? What is it, exactly? Anyway, her new budding friendship with Ka’kwet (which, the poor thing says, just means “starfish”; now she and Anne can bond over wishing they had a different name – although Anne isn’t as resentful of hers anymore, now that she’s signed the family bible as “Anne Cordelia Shirley- Cuthbert) is just so beautiful… this show is pure aesthetic. [Both visually and in terms of content.]

Marilla disapproves of Anne’s having fraternised with the natives… the tension builds up. I guess Anne won’t be stopped from seeing her new friends so easily, though.

At the Pye household, Josie’s mother is pressuring her to “get a hold” of Billy before someone else does. I mean, she’s a Pye – an unpleasant person as per the book, so she deserves him. Let her have him, as long as Gilbert is reserved for Anne and Anne alone. [Yeah, in retrospect, not even Josie deserves this imbecile. But I didn’t know back then just how bad he could be.]

So Anne’s words “seems to me I was destined to be the bride of adventure” from the teaser are part of her evening prayer – a change from the (apparently) usual plea to make her good-looking, which she now, on the brink of age 16, sees as a childish wish and not a real prayer. Anne has grown!

“Many suitors or even just one…” Come on, Anne, are you blind? You have one – The One at that. Take Notice of him… I mean, the Take Notice board will be returning as per a gif set I saw here on Tumblr, so I really hope Shirbert moves on a bit quicker than it has so far.

Bash and Mary have a baby! Since when? I don’t know, but I love it. Is Gilbert the godfather? Seeing as he is Bash’s best friend and honorary brother, he must be… oh dreams…. [Either way, he’s her Uncle Gilby]

Her name is Delphine? That’s beautiful. Also, Gilbert just kissed her forehead before going out to school… the dream has come true.

The unlikely duo of Rachel Lynde and Miss Stacy takes centre stage in the next scene where Miss Stacy says she doesn’t need a man as she has discovered self-sufficiency after her husband’s death. Mrs. Lynde, of course, wants to play matchmaker for her. As I said, this is an unlikely duo and I would very much like to know how this relationship turns out further.

Anne and Diana are dreading the nearing day of their separation as Di goes to finishing school in Paris and Anne goes to college in Queens. I really want to know how this separation will turn out. [Fortunately, I won’t have to find out, and neither will they.]

Another line of tension builds up with the resurrection of the Take Notice board, as the girls discuss the pressure to get married soon and Josie teases Anne about becoming an old maid, as seen in the trailer.

Poor Ruby takes the blow instead of Anne as she, who will apparently be going to Queens with Anne and Gilbert – only in order to remain close to him (poor unfortunate soul), is desperate to receive any advance from him. I really don’t want her to suffer, but here she is now, crying about him not noticing her. I almost want her to not end up going to Queens, as that will most probably be the place where Shirbert’s relationship will finally bloom, and I don’t want her to witness that. [AWAE Ruby would have loved to be Book!Ruby, as she gets much more attention from him there - but she doesn’t care as much. However, seeing as how Book!Ruby ends up, AWAE Ruby should be glad she’s not quite her.]

Anne “bet[s she] can help” Ruby’s Gilbert issue – but if she is the root of the problem and she doesn’t know it, how can she possibly be of any use to poor Ruby?

I’ve never seen Anne ignore someone so hard as she just did Moody – he greeted her and she barely turned her head in his direction, muttering a quick “Hi” before returning to her conversation with the girls… good thing he is not one of her suitors. Although she doesn’t pay much more attention to Gilbert, you know.

I see Moody has grown up a lot since last time he was seen, and he’s now a close second to Gilbert, at least the way I see it. That’s quite a glow up he’s had. But I kinda wanted Diana and Jerry to be a thing – and now I’m low-key shipping her with Moody “your dress is very… blue” Spurgeon. The poor guy has always been awkward around her; it’s obvious he likes her. [See, I told you I only ship couples that have explicit signs of potential to happen. Even though Diana and Moody didn’t happen even for a second, I’ve apparently seen something in her and Jerry stemming from that one single conversation they had. I mean, he did call her ‘the most beautiful girl I’ve ever seen’, so that must have been what made me ship them - even before I had the slightest idea they were going to be a thing this season. I still can’t get over the fact that they were not endgame. In my mind, at least, they are - somewhere in that future we didn’t get to see.]

And now the super famous “take notice” scene between Anne and Gilbert is happening… oh the tension. [You know, this scene reminds me of Vanessa Hudgens’ Rather Be with You. If you haven’t heard that song, go listen to it and then try to tell me I’m wrong here.]

Anne was apparently talking about Ruby in this scene, and Gilbert was blabbing on about “the right person” and stuff… Shirbert is on!!

Well, that was a turn of events! The second Anne mentions Ruby you can actually see Gilbert’s emotions change. Kudos to Lucas for portraying that only with his eyes. How to those kids do that?

And poor Ruby has been observing him during the conversation, of course… she is so deluded, the unfortunate thing – she thinks his reluctance to post means he’s looking for a much more romantic advance to make… Poor thing. Shirbert will break her heart and might just ruin her friendship with Anne forever… and she dies young in canon. I just hope Moira finds a way to give her the happy ending she deserves… [And, as we know, Moira didn’t disappoint there. I’m so glad things turned out for Ruby the way they did]

Jerry can read long complicated texts now… he’s reading Frankenstein [Little did I know how important this book would be for his story arc this season], for goodness’ sake! I stan one (1) beautiful [inside and out] French farm boy!! And I ship him with Diana even more now. Although if her parents won’t allow her a future minister, how will they allow a farm boy?

Diana has actual royal ancestry… but that ancestry is “keeping [her] from Queens; from [Anne]”. Isn’t this a tragical Bro-mance right there? It is indeed.

Marilla is helping Mary with the baby… makes me wonder if she has been dreaming of one for so long but never got to have it and this is why she’s so attached to this one… this series is beautiful but dramatic… it really tugs on my heartstrings.

Diana stands up for herself and her own wishes in front of her parents… but she doesn’t achieve more than angering them that way… poor little rich girl, indeed.

Also, I just love how the Barrys express their anger. Diana sits at the piano and starts playing angrily, while her mother embroiders angrily and her father reads his newspaper angrily. [I had no idea two out of those three things could be done angrily. I’ll leave it to you to figure out which two.]

The Take Notice board has a note on it saying “Susan has her sight on Moody Spurgeon”. Who is this Susan and why is she eyeing Moody if he’s courting Diana?

Anne is super excited about turning 16… “Once upon a time this was the happiest day of my parents’ life”. I really want her to find out about her ancestry eventually. But I want her and Gilbert to finally get together more. [Of course, both of these will happen in this season. I sort of knew that even back then.]

Let’s sum up: Anne has beautiful hair, but, more importantly, dreams of finding out her family history; Ruby has it bad for Gilbert - but we already knew that; Ka’kwet and her father make their first appearance and create tension in the process; Billy is racist on top of everything - but we all expected that; courting is in full swing; Rachel Lynde plays matchmaker; lots of tension caused by the Take Notice board; eye (and eyebrow) acting; Jerry reads Frankenstein; Marilla is a really good mother, and not only to Anne; who’d have known embroidery and reading could be done angrily; who is Susan; Anne is nearing 16 and things are about to change forever.

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