#i’m sad seb didn’t get gaston

[stephmatthewsmith]

these spot the difference games are getting harder.

#seblos #hsmtmts #i’m sad seb didn’t get gaston #seb matthew smith #sebastian #joe serafini #duckies #spot the difference #season 2 #quince ep

[multimetaverse]

HSMTMTS 2x06 Review

Yes, And was a messy ep that brings us to the halfway point of the season. Let’s dig in!

Tonight took some big steps towards the Rini breakup. The conflict isn’t quite earned as they did too much too quickly in making Ricky overbearing; to go from Ricky supporting Nini going to YAC and them singing love songs to each other just 3 eps ago to Ricky now accusing Nini of changing because she didn’t get pineapple on her pizza just doesn’t work. Largely that’s because it’s clear that the writers are working backwards from an outline that requires Rini to be broken up before the finale.

The Rose song is great and Olivia’s vocals are wonderful as always but again it’s not quite earned. The lyrics make it seem like Nini thinks Ricky is holding her on a pedestal and holding her back when that’s not what we’ve seen on screen. Ricky and Nini went through a lot as they were finding their way back to each other and they learned not to see each other through rose coloured glasses and while Ricky was sad that Nini went to YAC he was supportive and respected her wishes, notably the only time he admitted how much he wanted Nini to come back to Salt Lake was after Nini had already made up her mind to return.

Rini was always going to break up both because writers struggle with writing happy or stable couples and because Tim became enamoured of Rina after writing 1x05 and will want to explore them at some point. Tim’s claimed that he has future seasons all planned out but I’m skeptical that he’s really thought out how to keep Ricky and Nini and Gina on goodish terms with each other for the remaining 2 seasons of the show while also not completely closing the door on the Rini endgame the show’s been aiming towards since the pilot.

It’s clear that Ricky has unresolved issues from his mom effectively abandoning him which are impairing all his relationships. And while it’s true he could try calling Lynne it’s the parents job to reach out and she is obviously fine living her life without Ricky. Not sure how much closure we can get with Lynne when she comes back in 2x09 but I hope we at least get an apology on her part.

Yet another ep of Gina going through it. That flashback to Gina tearfully telling Ricky that she wouldn’t have ‘’given up on us’’ if she hadn’t moved certainly paints Ricky’s behaviour this season in a worse light. I do hope the show doesn’t take the cowards way out and have Ricky being too stupid to realize that Gina had romantic feelings for him. Though again we run into the problem that these emotions aren’t fitting the story. There really wasn’t an ‘us’ for Gina to fight for, she and Ricky had only been hanging from 1x05-1x08 and never actually dated or went on dates. Also by this point Gina should be questioning her feelings for Ricky and whether he’s worth it; it’s not like he’s done anything nice for her this season like getting her chocolates for Valentine’s Day. 

Still Gina did make some strides tonight. She finally opened up to Ashlyn which seems to have lifted a weight off of her shoulders and makes the decision to stay in Salt Lake. She also brushes off Ricky wanting to be improv partners which leads to her accepting EJ’s offer which led to a sweet callback to them being wonderstudies. I’m glad she’s not going to Louisiana but it does mean we were robbed of a HSMTMTS/Secrets of Sulphur Springs crossover. 

Kourtney and Howie are finally together. I’m glad they didn’t waste time dragging this out. Kourtney’s confession was very in character and I liked the earlier hufflepuff dragging. As an aside I wonder if say 10 years in the future, shows will still be making light hearted unqualified references to Harry Potter or will J.K. Terfling have completely destroyed the goodwill the series has by then.

Lily continues to act as if she’s in Glee working for Sue Sylvester to take down the One Directions and honestly I’m here for it. I especially liked that she stole some of the condiments on her way out of Salt Lake Slices. Antoine seems alright, the espionage bit was funny. Seems like Salt Lake City would be a pretty shitty place for a French student to study.

EJ remains underused especially since this is his last semester as a student. His Gaston answer was surprisingly thoughtful and hinted at him getting over Nini with Gina as he sat down next to her. His may I have this exercise was just the right amount of smooth and goofy. 

Ashlyn had a good ep, she killed Home, Julia has a great voice. And she stood her ground with Gina but was also there for her and managed to help her decide to stay. Loved her line that she was still part Caswell.

Mike Bowen is sweet, thoughtful, and rocking that beard? Must have been hard for Miss. Jenn to let him go but ultimately she made the right decision as it would just be too messy to date the parent of one of your students.

Lots of funny little moments this ep; the camera panning to the exit sign during Gina’s confessional, the group chat with Miss. Jenn and the real group chat without her, Seb hula-hooping with wild abandon. 

Looking Ahead:

Well we’re now at the official halfway mark of the season. It’s been an uneven first half, lots of pacing issues, and clear signs of the covid pandemic impacting production. Disney + has announced that future seasons of Disney + originals will be released on Wednesdays from now on so we have that to look forward to for S3 and S4.

Carlos uploading the Rose song will inevitably lead to disaster. Nini is very right to tell Kourtney not to let Ricky know, the lyrics paint him in a very bad light. The song gives us more context for why Lily said to Ricky that his gf needed some space in the trailer. I suspect Lily will end up being the party crasher that Ricky re-evaluates in 2x12, I don’t think Tim is going to keep Lily as a one dimensional antagonist this entire season. 

Ricky said in 2x01 that he’s never breaking up with Nini again and I think that’s true because Nini will break up with him. I think it comes before 2x12, maybe them exploring an old haunt in 2x08 is where it happens though the description for 2x11 also sounds like it could be hinting at a Rini breakup.

Well we now know what one of the secrets rising between Gina and Nini will be in 2x10, Nini was already jealous of Gina and Ricky in S1 and I doubt she’ll enjoy hearing that Gina confessed to Ricky in 1x10. Since Gina has already confessed to Ricky it makes it less likely that her speaking her truth in 2x12 is related to her and Ricky. 

EJ and Gina doing the morning announcements starts next ep, that should be fun. Especially since Mazzara is aware of EJ’s feelings for Gina. There’s a pretty clear path to end the season with Portwell or at least set it up for S3. EJ already likes Gina, the announcements help bring them closer, Gina starts getting over Ricky and realizes that EJ puts her first,  maybe Mazzara helps one or both of them at the cast party, and Gina shares her truth and confesses to EJ. So far the show hasn’t done anything it can’t pull back from but sooner or later the writing will have to commit one way or the other. One thing I’ll say is that it’s already clear that making EJ a senior was a big mistake and I expect it to cause a lot more problems for the show in the remaining two seasons.

There’s also a path for Ricky and Gina to get together but that seems less likely given the clear mess Ricky is right now. Seeing his mom in 2x09 probably helps a bit but it’s hard to see how any relationship Ricky gets into won’t swiftly crash and burn. There’s also the matter of when exactly Rini break up, if it’s too late in the season then there wouldn’t be time to jump right into Rina. There’s also the matter of the unexpected facetime call he gets in 2x10 and the party crasher he re-evaluates in 2x12. Even if they’re not linked it does suggest there will be some curveballs in Ricky’s story and at least the party crasher info suggests there’s some non Rini or Rina related twist being planned for Ricky in 2x12. 

Until next week Wildcats

#HSMTMTS #Rini #Rina #Portwell #Ricky Bowen #Gina Porter #Nini Salazar-Roberts #EJ Caswell #HSMTMTS Reviews

[klausalvatores]

I’m sad that Seb didn’t get Gaston or another big role. Y’all wasting Joe’s voice come on

#hsmtmts spoilers

[sapphosclown]

hsmtmts 207 spoilers !!

felt like rewatching it here’s me thoughts 🤪

EJ AND GINA CO-ANCHORS SO TRUE

the 2 seconds of gini content love to see it

ok nini said the song means so much to her and then repeatedly tells ricky it means nothing 🤨

ej and ricky talking in the beginning 🥰

SEB LOOKED SO SAD THAT THEY COULDNT DO DEAR EVAN HANSEN AW

kourtneys like cut away where she’s giggling ab howie i love her

i love her except keep ur phone on silent queen 😚

“i… have.. abs???”

“i also padded the tush for you” “aw thanks i actually needed that”

THE FAKE ZOOM ON CARLO’S PHONE LMAO

“i would” LMAO

nini why are those heart eyes at gina so aggressive 😏

“we have to get even… right?”

why are they all so stupid i love them

everyone was so shocked gina volunteered to be look out

ok but don’t leave nini and kourtney unsupervised either bc they actually stole ginas stuff too 😁

ginas so pretty

WHYD THEY ALL YELL WILDCATS THEYRE SO DUMB

Anyways kourtney is also cute as hell in this ep

sorry i don’t like miss jen romance plots

“what’s your name” oh shit oh fuck oh shit what do i do- “diane”

north high extra making gina uncomfy for 1 minute straight

that’s the face of a lesbian who doesn’t wanna talk to this man if i’ve ever seen it

“can i get your snap” is so funny to me

RISOTTO

THEUR AWKWARD LUGHS WHEN THE GUY LEAVES LMAO THEYRE BOTH GAY IDC

it’s the way they’re bad lookouts

why the fuck did they make nini wear a tie under that shirt

that’s literally just mean whyd they do that

if they dressed me like that i’d probably wanna leave the show too /j

the only connection to hsm they have now is still calling them wildcats

i think they should’ve incorporated more hsm songs instead of periodically calling then wildcats when that’s not even their real mascot

FUGLY

“oh yeah? what isle we BOP TO THE TOP” good try babe

ej and gina being the only ones excited

don’t fucking talk ab ashlyn like that

gina standing up for ash so true

“miss jen said not to dance with the enemy” miss jen: 💃💃

sorry don’t care much for this performance

in the mean time i was eating a cheese pizza lunchable and both of the cheeses taste the exact same

rickys like fuck ur compliment… what is the compliment

it wasn’t even a compliment that was so bitchy

ricky doesn’t even like her but he looks back at her later

ik theyre just trying to break up the couples but i like that ashlyn is the center of a love triangle

plot twist red is jealous but also has a crush on antoine

tom holland on stilts

no ash loves him so much aw

also how can anyone see ej in that shirt and think straight man ik that’s stereotyping or something but COME ON

he knew damn well he was being rude

EJ “yesssss” LMAO I LOVE HIM

it’s ok ej i think the mob song is great (this version at least i haven’t heard the og sorry)

he didn’t have to be bitchy telling nini to leave

sad she didn’t perform but also i think she would’ve looked goofy lol

i’m gonna watch the performance cause i like it but here’s what i remember

ej shouldve gotten a solo

why does ricky have a guitar

ashlyn absolutely ate that blonde bitch up

red too absolutely ate

yk who else ate. carlos

HE ATE THAT ONE NOTE I STG

also kourtney and gina advancing so true

although their dancing looked kinda weird cause it was just them idk anyways

um yeah this performance is fun i’m watching it now

i didn’t notice when i watched the first time but whyd the captions spoil it was howie 😐😐

jealous red looked so funny

also east high won sorry

seb that’s what i said they should’ve had a judge

nini really said oh well we’ll do it anyways like no queen you’ll literally be disqualified

EJS FACE WHEN THE CAMERA PANNED TO HIM LMAO

rickys kinda right the song doesn’t really fit it’s too much of a pop song not musical theater

look back

i can’t believe the mf teacher took the mask. how fucking pathetic.

i don’t like that nini won’t fucking talk to ricky about how she feels even when he tries to talk to her like guys you could fix your relationship very easily

also anti romantic portwell it makes me so uncomfy

although howie being the beast i- plot twist idk how i didn’t see that coming

i like that her music she’s going by nina i think that’s kinda fun

also the preview… i stg ej and gina are gonna have some sort of moment and i’m gonna hate it

if ej doesn’t have a good amount of screen time i’m rioting

the preview pictures looked like ricky and nini make up

OH YEAH EJ GASTON MOMENT PLS

ok that’s all i think thank you

#idk who liked reading these but it’s fun for me 🤪 #hsmtmts #hsmtmts s2 spoilers

[theemmataylor]

A Frozen Medley || Sebastian, Gaston, Emma, Evelyn, Alaric, and the Mikaelson Brothers

I | II | III | IV | V | VI | VII | VIII | IX | X | XI | XII | XIII | XIV | XV | XVI

Kol seemed to hear the words Niklaus didn't say. He was thorough and gentle with his hands. When he thought Nik was ready, his hips moved closer and he held tight onto Nik's hip and carefully pushed inside.

"Relax," he encouraged quietly, though his mind was lost in how amazing it felt, nuzzling his nose against Nik's neck. "I'll be gentle. Just try to relax." Kol went slow, kissing Klaus' shoulder. "I need you, Niklaus. I will always need you."

Nik hugged his arms against his chest and closed his eyes and relaxed. He wasn't sure if he loved this or hated this, he wasn't sure if he wanted it to never stop or to already be over. The sensations that moved through his body were intense, overwhelming, and he didn't know where the discomfort ended and the pleasure began; being taken like this seemed to somehow erase the line between the physical and the emotional, and he was lost. He was completely, completely lost, and all he had was the feeling of Kol inside him, reassuring him --

And when he realized that, all at once, Nik started to love it. He bit the back of his hand hard to stifle a moan and his breathing deepened, then started to become rough. "I want this," he whispered, although he wasn't sure it made sense to whisper since he was already having this. "I want this. I want this.."

For a moment, Kol was afraid that Nik would try to pull away, that he would hate every moment of it and he would blame Kol. He was afraid that, for Nik, the sex had never really been anything more than the need to lay claim to something else, someone new.

As his brother whispered, Kol couldn't help his relief and he picked up his motions, then rolled them in their joined sleeping bag carefully so that Klaus was on his stomach. "Fuck," Kol whispered, biting into Nik's back to control his volume. "Fuck, I've needed you."

Once Kol was finished, much later, he rested over Nik for a while, feeling his own heartbeat, and he kissed his brother's shoulder and neck. He pulled his hips back to separate them and sighed. "Are you okay?" he whispered.

Nik had rested his head on his folded arms and he lay still for a moment, his breath shuddering, before he nodded. "Yes," he whispered, lips moving against his own forearm. "Yes.. I'm fine. But you... might... need to do that more often.." He closed his eyes and took a breath, held it, then let it go and reached up to rub a hand over Kol's shoulder. "Are you alright?"

”Yes," he whispered, rolling to the side and pulling Klaus closer. "You've never let anybody do that for you before, have you?"

Nik shook his head. "No. I don't -- I didn't -- like -- allowing anyone to have control over my body. In any way." He was frowning but happy, odd as it all felt. When he noticed that the cat was lazily tapping her tail against Sebastian's chest, watching them with half-open eyes, he just sighed and turned to completely face Kol.

”I hope..." you weren't disappointed. "I hope to have the chance to be with you again," he admitted, seeming to have forgotten that Klaus had already asked him for that. "If you want me to just... receive, or whatever, though, Nik, that's... I can."

Nik shook his head. He hated feeling younger than Kol, but sometimes it happened and this was one of those times. With a sigh, he kissed Kol sweetly, then closed his eyes and rested his forehead against his.

"Switching.... feels... complete."

Kol nodded. Smiled. He shimmied closer until they were touching stomach to knees. "You should maybe sleep?" His eyes closed and he smiled. "We both should..." Kol chuckled. "You're not done yet, are you?"

His laughter was soft, an almost devious little chuckle, and he pressed his hips into Kol's. "What gives it away, love?"

Kol's kiss this time was rougher. He had stopped thinking about how this was wrong after Elijah had caught them. After Kol had claimed he'd initiated it all. Now he wanted Nik and the urgency of his kiss said as much. He didn't care how many times. He didn't care if they did it until the sun rose again. At least they would keep warm. His teeth came away with Nik's lip and he hummed quietly. "So," Kol said with almost a challenge in his voice. "Do something about it."

“Bite your tongue, brother," he purred, "lest you wish me to bite it for you?"

As if playing with Fate herself, Kol kissed along Nik's jaw and then licked along the edge of his bottom lip. "You can do anything you--"

Sebastian's voice filled the small tent and Kol's heart raced. But the Colonel... Captain. Whatever he was, was just muttering in his sleep.

"This chute won't open..."

The bloody hell did that mean? Must be dreaming of jumping out of planes or some such rubbish.

Kol's wicked grin returned. "Anything you want," he continued, melting against Nik's body, refusing to let real life invade their bubble.

The leopard had stopped purring a while ago, and she sighed when she heard the human speaking. He deserved untroubled dreams -- all of them did. She moved, laying partially atop him, resting her soft, fluffy face alongside his neck so her low purring would be near his ear. She couldn't do magic like this -- even if she hadn't been exhausted from her efforts to break into this prison -- but she could still try to help him feel safe and calm. Purring was sometimes the only tool werecats had, and so it was what she gave him -- the soft sound of acceptance.

Tuning out the quiet rustling and slapping noises coming from the other two men -- although the gods knew she couldn't ignore the smells wafting up out of their conjoined sleeping bags -- she closed her eyes again. One fluffy paw rested on his chest and it kneaded softly as she started to drift back off.

Surprisingly, (thankfully), the night passed uneventful. Seb went to wake Gaston after his own four hours were over, wanting to let the rest of the crew sleep as long as possible. He thought he'd been as silent as he could be, but as he entered, Emma sat up a little. She had been tucked in close beside Gaston, likely fueling from his heat source. She smiled softly and carefully crept from the sleeping bag, throwing on clothes and coat and boots before following him back out.

"Do we have to wake him?" She asked. "I know it's his turn. But if he can... you should both get to sleep. More, I mean."

"I've slept too much as it is. Go crawl back in bed. Keep him warm."

She shook her head. "I shouldn't. If he lets me cuddle with him much more and smiling sweetly at me I might just fall for him, and wouldn't that be so typical. To love the man who was mean to me in the beginning."

"Personally, considering the actual likelihood of us all getting out of here alive, I think a little cliche love might be what we all need. I... would kill to get to say goodbye."

Emma's gaze turned sad. "Please don't give up for the sake of us. I mean. You can make it back alive too, you know?"

His lips stretched into what might have been a sad smile. "You have a soft heart. But I'm afraid you're wrong here. But that's okay. I will have served my purpose. That's what matters to me."

Her eyes filled with tears and she searched for something to do. "I'm going to make breakfast," she said quietly. "And coffee. Something strong. Something to warm you all."

She set out to do just that, trying not to look at the strange Englishman. The strange man who loved someone and would never get to say goodbye.

Evelyn had come out while they spoke, in her human form. Arms wrapped around herself, she held the ends of her translucent shroud against her body as well as she could to keep them from flapping. The cold was deeper now than it had been last night, she thought; not significantly deeper, but noticeable. And that, she knew, would only continue.

For a moment she looked between the two of them, then she walked over to Emma, glad that the snow numbed her bare feet enough that she couldn't feel any pain from them. "Emma," she said, her voice quiet and musical, her gaze straightforward, "remember not to die out here. Even if Moran has already decided to. You have the same ten minutes Gaston has -- the stove can be left unattended when you go in to warm yourself."

”Are we going to have to spend the whole day like that? Shooting clips in ten minute increments? I'm not arguing. Just curious. There really is no daylight. And this... cold hurts. More than it did, anyway. I just... What are we doing? Shouldn't we go before winter happens? While we have food?"

"I'll catch a seal today. We'll feed from it. Use it's blubber to burn a small fire. Nothing big. But maybe we can get some heat. Have that family meal you want."

Emma tried to smile. She looked at Evelyn. "You should shift or go in too. You're hardly wearing anything. And Eli would kill me if he knew I was letting you forget about your own well being."

Evelyn frowned. She wanted to shift -- this was misery, and she hated the way her hair whipped around he face -- but she couldn't talk like that.

"Don't worry about me, Emma. I have chosen my lot. Today, to deal with the cold, what you and the others need to do while Moran and I are gone is build an igloo. It will be much warmer than those tents -- and, if you build wisely, you should be able to make it big enough to work and cook within. Everything needs to begin happening inside. I don't particularly care for what you humans do with your cameras," she tried brushing her hair behind her ears, but her fingers were already numb, "but I do need you alive. Whatever your group decides to do, stay or go, you will need to be able to prepare, and that requires shelter. Remember. Shelter first. Always."

In the blink of an eye, Evelyn was in her leopard form. The wind ruffled at her fur but she looked much more comfortable, even while staring up at Emma with a demanding look before turning to Moran to see if he was ready to leave.

Sebastian grabbed a few things. Gun, spear, something to fish with, then nodded at Evelyn.

When Emma caught her eyes again, she frowned, but her gaze spoke of her surrender. "Fine. Ten minutes. Just let me get the food on and the timer set. And... and please be careful. Both of you."

Sebastian again nodded, then held the gate open for Evelyn, following her out.

Emma set up the stove. Food would take a while to prepare. And it wasn't as if she could burn down trees. She had made both a pot of coffee and one of tea, slipping back into her tent with four copper lined mugs with the lids on. They would stay warm until the others woke.

She slipped into the sleeping bag, sitting up while she leaned against a heavy trunk, and sipped at her coffee. Thankful for the warmth of both the man beside her and the liquid in her system.

The wind had scoured away their tracks and most of the scent, but Evelyn was able to lead them out to the same place again. There was no sign of the polar bear, although she watched warily for it, and they found the breathing hole again without incident. Once there, she lay down on the ice and just sighed, waiting and looking up at Moran from time to time.

Eventually, she shifted back and sat up, wrapping her arms around herself. "If you get too cold," she said, "just lay down on the ice and push your face into my fur. Being on the ice won't chill you any more than the air will at this point... I can alert you if the creature arrives." She knew she was treating him a bit like a lost kitten, but it was how he seemed to her. Without waiting for a response, too cold for one, Evelyn slipped back into her fur.

--

Elijah and Gaston were both up when she came back in. "You," Elijah said, "are far too productive, Miss Taylor. You put the rest of us to shame. How are things?"

”I just wanted you all to get to sleep. He was patrolling all night. You and Alaric worked on the generator. Today we need to build a freaking igloo, which I think readers would love, actually. But I... I can't do much. Carry much. And I know you all... I mean. I'll likely die first. So I thought that I would be helpful while I can be."

She managed to make it through without fully crying, though her eyes pooled.

Alaric had woken when Elijah spoke, and rested his head on Elijah, letting him and Gaston choose which drink they wanted before taking the last mug.

"Breakfast should be ready in about thirty minutes."

--

Sebastian had nodded in response to Evelyn, fighting against the cold for as long as he could before leaning into her. She was warm. Her fur smelled nice. And she was soft. And for once he was grateful to not be allergic to cats.

He felt a bump beneath them before she'd roused him and he lifted his head. "Was that..."

Gaston ignored the drink entirely, in favor of just pulling Emma into his arms and holding her. "Thank you," he said softly, his voice warm. "Thank you for caring, for helping us, for making breakfast -- but you won't die, Miss Taylor. You won't die. Not here." He hugged her, careful not to be too tight, and kissed her hair.

Elijah looked down at his tea for a moment, then reached over and took Alaric by the hand. I love you, he thought, and won't let you die, either.

--

The leopard moved very cautiously as she got to her feet; every movement was precise and graceful, deadly, as she took care not to alert the seal under them to her presence. She trusted Moran to do the same, then hunched down, ready to spring. Once the seal showed its head, Moran could shoot it or spear it, but if it started to get away under the ice, if it didn't immediately die, she intended to dive in and catch it. Perhaps it was a terrible idea -- she knew she'd get very, very cold -- but it would be worth it. They would not waste a life, and the humans needed every scrap of meat, fat, and skin they could get their hands on. The fire Moran had mentioned would even warm the igloo some...

It would be worth it.

Emma looked up at him and tried to smile, but the expression trembled a little. "It's okay, Gaston. You kinda expected that I wouldn't make it out here from the very beginning. I'm sorry I gave you such a hard time about your instinct." She stretched to kiss his forehead, this time managing a tiny smile.

Alaric's heart broke for both of them. The gunman, it seemed, had grown fond of her. But her honesty was the most overwhelming. He would never admit it aloud. But she seemed the least likely, strictly off her stature and reserve on material for her body to feed off itself, to survive through all of this. But to actually consider watching her die of starvation and from freezing to death?

He looked at Elijah and kissed the back of his love's hand. I love you, too.

--

Sebastian grabbed the spear. If nothing else, if the seal started to slip under, it would be something to grab on to.

He was silent as he watched Evelyn watch the seal beneath the ice. He could see the feline in her ready for the attack. He could see how dangerous she was. And he found a new sense of respect for her -- which was something, since he trusted her enough to let her be a source of protection for his crew.

When the seal emerged, he waited, waited for it to be far enough out that he had a better shot. That slipping back in wouldn't be automatic. He waited. And finally, he jabbed.

He struck home and watched as the spear sunk deep within the flesh. Then Sebastian hung on. The weight of the animal trying to retreat began to pull against him, dragging him across the ice despite his cleats. "Fuck," he muttered, looking at Evelyn. "I can't shoot. I can't let go. Just... get it to stop fighting. Help me."

Holding off had been difficult, but without him being in danger of going in yet and without him asking for help, the cat had held still. As soon as he began to say help me, though, she sprang. There was a splash, a sickening crunch sound, and the seal went limp and still, the cat's jaws buried at the base of its skull.

Everything seemed suddenly still. The cat's silvery eyes turned to him, seawater and seal blood dripped down her face, and for a moment there seemed to be nothing of importance other than the hunt, the kill, and the silence on the ice. Then, ears going back, she started backing away from the hole, working with him to pull the seal out. It was going to be a long, slow, slippery process, but at least they'd both be working so hard, freezing wouldn't be possible.

--

"Hush," Gaston said softly. He closed his eyes and rested his cheek against her hair. "We'll be alright. All of us. Today, we build an igloo. Tonight, we'll be warmer than ever." Opening his eyes, he looked at Elijah, who nodded.

"It will definitely help, and will buy us time to -- decide. Prepare."

"Indeed." Gaston hugged her once more, then carefully got up and finished dressing. "I'll be back. Forgive me, I need to make my check."

Once he'd left, she wrapped her arms around herself and smiled, her expression seeming far more cheerful than what she felt inside. She'd never understood all those things she'd read about being lonely and smiling through it, but as she watched him leave the tent, she thought she got it. He wasn't hers. He was kind and warm and friendly enough. He was handsome. But he wasn't hers. And he never would be.

He was doing his job. Trying to keep them alive. And that started by making them believe they were going to live.

Emma sipped at her coffee while the other two looked at each other and she pulled the sleeping bag higher up around her, trying to use any of his residual heat it held to warm away her silly, pathetic sadness.

"So," Alaric said, voicing the question for Emma's sake more than his own, "what do we need to make the igloo. Tell us exactly what we'll have to do. We can start after breakfast."

--

Sebastian had been grateful for her, and tugging that seal was no easy quest. He got the material worked under the beast eventually, however, wrapping and tying off the bottom end of it to keep it in a sort of cocoon and keeping the seal from slipping out. "Take a moment to rest and breathe. The journey back will be a long one. When you're ready, we'll go."

By the time Sebastian and Evelyn got back with the seal, which had to be almost three hundred pounds, construction on the igloo was well underway. One of the tents had been disassembled to make space for it and there were tracks and trails in the snow from where they had gone out to cut chunks of compacted snow from outside the perimeter. It had come surprisingly far, Evelyn thought, and it looked big and sturdy, beautifully so. Everyone was sitting down eating and looking tired, and she sighed at the thought of how good it was going to feel to just lay down and do nothing for a while. They had taken turns dragging the seal, but even so...

Elijah looked up and beamed when he saw them return with a large cocooned lump. He pushed himself to his feet and went out to them. "There's hot soup, Moran. Go get some, get off your leg. I'll bring it the rest of the way." Elijah held his hand out to take the end of the cocoon, gratitude and warmth in his eyes and his smile.

They had all worked their tails off to get the igloo to how it was, planning to sleep there that night. It was starting to form shape and all the boys (and girl) didn't waste much time socializing. But then it was lunch time and Kol took over making them all something light to get them through the rest of the "day."

All that being said, though, he couldn't help the relief he felt when he saw that Moran and Evelyn were actually hauling something back.

Sebastian nodded at Elijah's suggestion and went over to sit, catching Gaston's gaze. "Any trouble today?"

The rest of them kept working through lunch, even though Emma had wanted family meal times. This was an exception and there wasn't much time before it turned frigid again. Though Emma did run over and wrap her arms around the cat's neck. "My tent is still up. Go lay on my sleeping bag. Be warm and comfortable for a while. You've worked enough."

Evelyn caught Emma's hand in her sharp teeth and gave a small, careful, demanding tug to show that she would only go into the tent if Emma went with her.

"No trouble," Gaston said, and gave Sebastian food and water. "Niklaus may I have the --"

Nik tossed him the medical kit and he caught it, then looked at Sebastian. "Have you taken your antibiotics today? Put your foot on my lap, I'll check your leg while you eat."

“But I need to help..." the argument wasn't much, and Emma allowed herself to be tugged in the direction of the tent and immediately felt the warmth. She smiled and pet Evelyn gently, lovingly. Evelyn would be good for Eli. She'd already been with him this long. "Are you okay? Sorry. I know you can't answer. And you shouldn't shift. At least not before you're good and warm. I just. Worry, I guess."

"When did I become the one being given orders," he teased lightly, though did as he was told. "Took antibiotics last night before bed." How long ago had that been? Didn't matter. He was fine. "Igloo looks good. Family camping now? Or just one giant opportunity for group sex to stay warm."

”Group sex, of course. Stay. I'll be back." He went and got the antibiotics and gave Sebastian his dose. "Take it right now, in front of me, sir." Please.

The sniper lifted a brow and stared pointedly at Gaston. But when he saw the 'please' in the other man's stare, he consented. "You all act like I'm actively avoiding it. But if you all are going to eat me later, it might be good that I'm not toxic."

It sounded like a joke.

It wasn't.

"Looks like this might get finished tonight. When was the last time anybody checked the markers on the back side? I assume you didn't leave the crew while we were gone?"

“I did not," he said, and once he'd seen Moran take the antibiotics, he got to work checking his leg. He was quicker than Elijah, but just as thorough. "You... really need to take it easy for a few days. Hauling that seal doesn't seem to have... done any good by your stitches."

“Take it... you're bloody joking, right? Listen, LeFevre. I appreciate your concern, but there is no time to take it easy. Thanks to the cat, we seem to have one less person to worry quite so much about. Because I believe her only concern is the girl. But we also have another mouth to feed when we were already not going to have enough food to get us through. So. Tell me when exactly am I supposed to take it easy?"

“Now. Now is when you are supposed to take it easy." Gaston's eyes sharpened, a glimpse of his more dangerous side showing, although he still tried to keep it under wraps. "You killed a seal. We have plenty of food. Shelter is going up. You have to let your leg heal, because if doesn't? We lose you. If you get an infection? They can't eat you, and I suspect you're hell-bent on making sure they do.  Let Elijah worry about the plans, the numbers, the amount of food. You have done something amazing in bringing us the seal -- and now it is time for you to rest."

”Mind your tone, LeFevre." Sebastian spoke quietly, his own tone silky and dangerous. Something he'd picked up from Jim along the way. "I'll rest for a bit, fine. But while I'm here you can make a full round marker check."

The problem with telling Sebastian Moran when to rest, was Jim rarely allowed him the luxury to do so unless he was on the brink of death. And he still felt relatively well. Besides the pain that had crept up to his thigh.

Fucking wolf.

"Elijah is one man. He is one civilian. Do not put too much weight on his shoulders. He will try to carry it all."

For a moment it looked like Gaston was going to immediately obey, but when he finished getting Moran's pant-leg back down, he leaned in closer.

"Moran, I love you like a brother and I would follow you to the end of the earth, but ask yourself one question: Who? Who do you think really hired me? If you think it was the BBC that hunted me down and chose me, you are wrong. If you think it was the Mikaelsons, or Saltzman -- why do you think I am really here?" He stood up and put the kit away.

"I'll go check the markers."

His first thought was Montparnasse. If Gaston cared so much about Sebastian's survival, about his well-being it had to be Montparnasse. But... but Montparnasse hadn't known Sebastian was even in the arctic circle until he'd called.

Once Gaston had stood to go check, Sebastian sat there in silence, staring into the distance. Thinking.

Thinking about why Jim would have hired someone else. Someone to watch over Sebastian. What had the sniper done to cause Jim to believe Sebastian couldn't handle himself. The others, considering the numbers, it made sense to have a two person team. Was that all it had been? Or did Jim doubt him?

Why did Jim doubt him.?

Kol nudged Niklaus lightly as they went for more snow. "He looks like he’s seen a ghost. Think we should tell him it was just your white ass?"

“Moran!" Nik called. "Apparently, my ass is quite an elegant, lily-white apparition. If you've seen it and it frightened you, I apologize. However, if you're going to continue sitting still, you ought to go into the tent, else you'll catch your death."

”The next person who tells me what to do or how to tend to myself is getting shot," Sebastian growled, losing his humor. It didn't matter that everybody seemed to be in better moods than yesterday. He, apparently, wasn't willing to suddenly be part of the jubilation.

Kol inhaled as if he were about to say something.

"Kol, I will shoot you for the fun of it. Do not test me."

The youngest Mikaelson closed his mouth again and his eyes went wide. He looked at Nik and just shrugged the threat away, moving on toward the gate.

The girls were in the tent and Sebastian didn't feel like bothering them. In any case. He wanted to eat in peace, and he was still catching up and cooling off from hauling that seal. Eventually, though, he wandered into the tent and laid down, not speaking to either woman.

Once in the tent, Evelyn flopped down and gave herself a thorough grooming before changing back into her human form. She crawled into the sleeping bag with Emma and snuggled up against her.

"Tell me how you are."

#part thirteen #a frozen medley #one shot #familyispower #bourbonandbrushes #gastonlefevre #theveritasi #v nature doc

[stephmatthewsmith]

UPDATED HSMTMTS

Beauty and the Beast Casting

Ashlyn - Belle

Ricky - Beast

EJ - Gaston

Carlos -Lumiere

Seb - Plumette/Babette

Big Red - Le Fou

Gina - The wardrobe i can’t remembers name/ duster

Kourtney- MS Potts.

#hsmtmts #sebmatthewsmith #carlos+x+seb #ej caswell #ricky bowen #seblos #gina porter #season 2 #i’m sad seb didn’t get gaston

[multimetaverse]

HSMTMTS 2x08 Review

Most Likely To was the best ep of S2 so far and ended one ship while launching another. Let’s dig in!

Gaston was super fun, a very nice showcase for both Larry and Matt. This is the kind of energy that early S2 was lacking. Also feels like the first ep where East High might actually have a shot at beating North High. Covid restrictions played a role but we really needed to see more rehearsal scenes and scenes of the wildcats just being theatre kids. This also may be one of the last times we see EJ perform as a student in the musical so I’m glad we got this.  

EJ has been criminally underused for most of S2, he’s marketed as part of the big 4 along with Nini, Ricky, and Gina and Matt Cornett’s name is listed 3rd in the credits but in the early eps of S2 you’d think he was guest star. Lately he’s started to become more important and tonight was an excellent showcase of why he’s such an interesting character. I’m not gonna check but this feels like it’s the most EJ screen time in a single ep that we’ve gotten all season long. 

Of course, the main reason for EJ’s increased screen time is because of Portwell. I’ve been neutral on them but tonight they really won me over’ their scenes were so sweet that they warmed even my cold black heart. Matt and Sofia are good friends irl and that shines through in their easy rapport and great chemistry. Gina snorting at EJ’s joke was cute and I loved the shot of Gina accidentally walking into the shot for EJ’s confessional. As an aside, they’ve been doing some fun stuff with the confessionals lately which helps add a bit of the metaness that helped make S1 so great.

The real big Portwell scene tonight was EJ and Gina talking on the couch at Ashlyn’s. Lot’s to love there. Gina’s speech to EJ about what she sees when she thinks of him was sweet and her saying that EJ tried to do the right thing and often failed but kept trying echoes what she said of herself during her confession to Ricky. Also when EJ asked Gina if she understood the feeling of having her life mapped out she replied, ‘’not really’’ which is almost certainly the inspiration for Gina asking a question to EJ and him responding ‘’not really’’ in their pre S2 face time call on the hsmtmts instagram. 

EJ is still wracked with guilt for the guy he used to be but Gina reminds him that he’s grown and is a good guy which leads to her slip up about her seeing him that way vs the rest of the gang hinting that she’s beginning to catch feelings for EJ. Which leads to EJ complimenting her and them having a moment that could well have led to a kiss if Ashlyn hadn’t come home. And they cap it off with Gina falling asleep and EJ covering her with his Duke sweater. 

It’s been nice not seeing Gina upset over Ricky these past two eps and it’s a damning indictment of the poor writing and pacing of S2 that her story in the first 6 eps can be summed up as Gina being upset over something Ricky said or did. Not only has Portwell allowed EJ to rise in prominence but also it’s allowed Gina to escape the rut her character was stuck in pining for Ricky. 

I hope after S2 is over that we get an interview where Tim explains how the Portwell plot came to be. The S1 finale set up some possible interest between them as did the pre S2 face time call but nothing came of it during the first 4 eps, they stood next to each other a lot but barely interacted otherwise. Notably in 2x01, which Tim himself wrote, EJ tries to grow a beard and tells Ashlyn that he says her as so young which is extremely jarring now that we know that EJ is crushing on Gina who is Ashlyn’s age. 

Was Tim not set on doing Portwell until he realized he needed to give Gina something else to do other than hopelessly pine for Ricky? Narratively, it made sense after Rini got together in S1 to put the other two Big 4 characters together in S2 but did Tim not want it to seem so obvious to the audience so he deliberately kept Portwell apart until 2x05 where EJ’s feelings make for a nice plot twist? Was he just reluctant to plug EJ back into the love square due to how much more complicated it would make things but later felt he had no other options? Or was it just plain old bad pacing and writing?

Of course, I wish that there wasn’t such a large age gap between Sofia and Matt but there are no Gina ships that avoid that problem, there’s also an age gap between Sofia and Joshua, just as there was between Olivia and Joshua and Matt in S1. Depending on when they film S3 there’s a good chance that most of it will be finished before Sofia even turns 18 which is deeply unfortunate. There’s a broader issue of teen girls being cast in mostly age appropriate roles while their male love interests are older adults and in particular it often affects female characters of colour. Netflix has a really bad track record with those kind of age gaps but Disney has problems too as we’ve seen on HSMTMTS and on GMW where by the end of S3 they had 18 year old Peyton Meyer as the boyfriend of 14 year old Rowan Blanchard’s character (not to mention canon Joshaya which didn’t have such a bad age gap between the actors but was problematic regarding the ages of the characters themselves).

A knock I’ve seen on Portwell is that EJ is just gonna leave for university next year but that was never gonna happen, Matt’s under the same 4 season contract as all the other mains and he’ll be sticking around in some capacity much like Sharpay ended up doing in the movies. It is true that EJ will probably have to move on at the end of S4 while Gina still has her senior year left but that will also happen with her and Ricky since he’ll be graduating at the end of S4. It was a big mistake to make EJ a senior but it also may end up being a big mistake to make Gina a sophomore. It would have been too messy to retcon EJ to be a junior but Tim probably should have taken the chance to retcon Gina into being a junior in S2.

That Rini breakup was so sad (missed opportunity for gotta go my own way). They managed to get in a Troyella reference with the treehouse. This was inevitable they just have not been communicating well though now that we know that Ricky thought Nini left YAC for him some of his desperation to spend as much time together as possible makes more sense. I think Rini is endgame if the series has 4 seasons but it wouldn't shock me if we never seem them dating again and they only get back together in the series finale. It also wouldn’t surprise me if Nini never dates anyone else for the remainder of the series or at least not seriously. 

We’re not even halfway through the series so it’s way too early to permanently slam the door on Rini though this time apart will probably help Joshua and Olivia move on from their own bitter break up before it bleeds too much into their performances. I do wonder if Tim really has a clue what he's gonna do with them for the remaining 24-28 eps of the series, assuming S3 and S4 have 10-12 eps each. 

Roman Banks killed If I Can’t Love Her and the montage of all the couples or ex couples was great.

It was nice to finally meets some parents other than the Bowen’s and Salazar-Roberts’. Kourtney’s mom was played by Dara’s actual mother and their dynamic was great as expected. It seems from their conversation that Kourtney's father is dead which I don’t believe has been mentioned before. Cash Caswell.... well it gets what the character is about across. He really looks and sounds like a rich Utah republican, I bet he knows Mitt Romney personally. I liked EJ going to tell his father that he’s not going to Duke and recognizing that he wants to build his own life on his own merits. 

We saw a bit of that S1 Miss Jenn energy tonight which was fun though I didn't like how curt she was with Seb nor did I like how rude Carlos was to Seb although we know that blows up in 2x10. 

Jazzara rising! I really liked how Jazzara and Portwell are sort of mirroring each other and since Mazzara knows about EJ’s feelings for Gina it wouldn’t shock me if helping EJ out is part of him showing a softer side in 2x12.

Of course Ashlyn is VP of the Nostradamus society. It's clear her family has some kooky new age beliefs (her parents are probably members of some naturopathic medicine group on Facebook that doubles as a gateway into Qanon)

It was nice to see Big Red being such a good friend to Ricky and the return of Ricky’s infamous pillow hugs. Lmao at Ashlyn just chilling while Big Red is comforting Ricky

Also Miss Jenn saying sexy and Big Red referring to pillow talk, the writers are adding a bit of spice when cooking up these scripts.

Looking Ahead: 

Looks like Gina may be wearing EJ's duke sweater next ep according to some posts I saw. Jack presumably is there to somehow help Gina decide what she wants with Ricky and EJ though him having wanderlust might also feed into Gina’s thoughts on settling down in SLC or moving with her mom around the country.

Let's see what mom of the year, Lynne Bowen, has up her sleeves. Ricky’s bedroom at her place in Chicago looks much nicer than the apartment Mike Bowen has so perhaps she makes a lot more money than he does. 

Not looking forward to the Zoom portions of the ep but I guess it was inevitable. 

There’s only two paths for Gina’s story to go in the remainder of this season; either she decides to move on from Ricky and give EJ a chance or she decides that Ricky is worth trying again and squelches her budding feelings for EJ. The former looks much more likely after tonight’s ep but either way it needs to be handled with care. Inevitably Gina and Ricky need to talk about what happened between them but if Tim really wants Ricky to continue being a viable love interest or even a good friend to Gina then he needs to really have Ricky apologize and show a thoughtful, kinder side of him that’s largely been missing this season. 

What I think Tim is doing is setting up Portwell getting together in 2x12 but Ricky pining over Gina until Portwell break up late S3 and Rina get together in the S3 finale before they break up later in S4 and Ricky gets back with Nini near the end of the series. If I had Tim’s ear I would tell him that he should pick which ship he wants to do, Rina or Portwell, but don’t do both. He wants canon Rina? Great then end Portwell before it starts and have Rina happen in S3 and introduce other obstacles to them getting together rather than having to damage EJ’s character and make him lose another girl he likes to Ricky. He wants canon Portwell? Great then have Gina and Ricky’s conversation be closure for the both of them and have Gina and EJ get together and break them up without Ricky being a cause of it or waiting in the wings to get with Gina soon afterwards. Doing both will be a disaster and I truly hope that Tim Federle carefully thinks over his mistakes in S2 and really plans out the remaining 2 seasons of the series while there’s still time to prevent things from going really off the rails like GMW and AM did thanks to the bad decisions of Michael Jacobs and Terri Minsky. 

Until next week wildcats. 

#HSMTMTS #Portwell #Rini #Gina Porter #EJ Caswell #Ricky Bowen #Nini Salazar-Roberts #Kourtney Greene #HSMTMTS Reviews

[theemmataylor]

A Frozen Medley || Sebastian, Gaston, Emma, Evelyn, Alaric, and the Mikaelson Brothers

I | II | III | IV | V | VI | VII | VIII | IX | X | XI | XII | XIII | XIV | XV | XVI

When it was Gaston's turn to take the extra ammo and reload, he winked at Kol. "Thank you, darling," he said, his voice casual, but his hands quick and deft. "Now, get back down there." He glanced at Sebastian's leg and his lips thinned slightly, but then he got back to work. "Moran, care for me to provide a distraction? If I get onto the porch roof, it's a bit lower than this, I could feign distress as if I want to get down, perhaps that would draw a few more into the open for you?"

--

When Elijah was given the message, he keyed the mic again. "Our hunters prefer that everyone stay indoors, for efficiency's sake, but thank you for the offer."

"You've got it. I'll call Ed. Signing off this channel, back once I have contact with him... Anything you want him told?"

"Our departure time may be somewhat delayed, we have an injury to deal with."

"Medevac?"

"I don't think so."

"Okay. I'm going to tell him to wave off and land in deeper water if he still sees those cute boys on the roof, somewhere the wolves can't come mess with him. He can taxi in when you're ready."

"You're a dear."

"Don't tell the hunters." The air went dead.

Elijah looked over at Emma, then smiled and shook his head at her. "Emma, you are quite the remarkable woman. Just what was it you heard this morning, incidentally?"

"Of course he acts like we're not in the middle of a bloody war-zone," Niklaus muttered, amused but annoyed at Elijah's overly calm demeanor, although he understood it.

Sebastian figured the scent of his blood would draw the wolves, but Gaston seemed to be the only one the sniper was willing to take suggestions from and he nodded, preparing himself for the attacks that were about to come.

At least the pack was starting to thin. They should be done before too long, surely.

"LeFevre?" Sebastian said in a gruff voice. "Don't be an idiot." By that he meant, be careful.

--

Emma smirked at the voice over the radio and then seemed to relax back to where she'd been sitting, still taking notes.

"I... don't know what it was. It woke me. Might have been scratching on the side of the building. And I know I heard a howl. This place is... a little creepy."

Kol smirked at Nik and finally met his eyes for a brief moment. "Elijah could have lost his leg and would still be cracking jokes."

"Depends on which of his three legs he lost," Nik returned, glancing slyly over at Alaric before he looked at Emma, who he had been filming for the last few moments.

--

"Yessir," Gaston replied, as he looped a rope around his waist. He slung his rifle over his shoulder and made a little yelp sound, then slid down to the lower roof where he landed flat on his stomach -- intentionally, although it looked like an accident. He froze at first, then made a show out of scrambling to try and find his footing, remaining on hands and knees...

Which drew out the one wolf who had been holding back.

Head lowered, a much larger, more heavily muscled creature came out, her lips pulled back in a snarl as she sniffed towards Gaston. He scrabbled, knocking snow and ice chips off the roof, and let his foot dangle over for just a moment --

The wolves forgot about Moran as the alpha redirected their focus to the frightened, awkward prey. After studying the distance to the roof for a moment, she tensed and prepared to leap -- then launched herself into the air with a single, powerful thrust.

Gaston told himself not to be afraid, even though the moment she had looked up at him, he'd realized she could do it. She could make it up here --

But she didn't know what Sebastian Moran was capable of, or how quickly he could react.

Sebastian had kept silent, holding his fire, waiting to see what would happen. But when that beautiful, terrible creature leapt, Sebastian couldn't help but marvel for a split second.

Then he fired.

Sebastian knew that if he hadn't shot her at such close range and square in the chest, if he had had to shoot her at a distance, she might not have been killed by the bullet.

When she went down, though, the pack seemed to circle in around her.

The sniper kept shooting.

--

Ric had met Nik's gaze and smirked, awkward as he may be. "Yeah, well, at least there is evidence that he'll need that third leg in the near future."

One shot seemed to turn into more and more, and Nik went quiet and pale. He hated guns. If he was going to shoot anything, it would be from behind one of his many cameras; the sound felt like a brutal assault and he was glad not to be one of the hunters.

Elijah dropped his forehead into his hand and rubbed at it, looking deeply sad, but patient.

-

As soon as he felt safe doing so, Gaston joined Moran in opening fire. One of the wolves got away -- just one. It raced away out into the wilderness, tail tucked, looking back over its shoulder from time to time with terror in its eyes. Gaston would have fired at that one as well, but by that point, he was out of ammunition again. It was up to Moran, if he had a shot left, or one wolf would live to tell the tale.

"Fuck," Gaston swore, and sighed heavily as he lost sight of the retreating one.

Sebastian could make the shot. He knew he could. But the creature wasn't attacking. This place would smell of its fallen pack for long enough that Seb hoped there wouldn't be an issue for the townsfolk later.

"I'm going to regret letting it go," he muttered, helping Gaston up, then looking around at all the carnage.

Grabbing the other rope, he let himself down, then watched as Gaston did the same. "We need to move the bodies. Nobody needs to see this."

Sebastian entered through the front doors, seeing the crowd. "It's safe. We're going to take care of the aftermath. If any of you feel willing with a strong enough stomach, we will take help with this. The pack was large."

"I'll go," Ric volunteered.

Kol followed after him, already having dressed by this point. Emma stood, and she looked as if she were going to as well, but Sebastian stopped her. "Ma'am. You can hate me for being sexist all you want. But this carnage out here... I would rather you stayed inside." He felt her start to turn against him, could see it in her eyes. "Please."

She huffed but nodded. "Fine."

"Wait," Elijah called out. "Rare as it is this far north, there have been cases of rabies before in the arctic. These wolves seemed healthy enough, from what I saw, but any unusual behavior should always be considered a red flag. It's unlikely they have any illness, but we need to handle the bodies as if they do -- and we need a sample of brain tissue."

Nik gave Elijah a dark look. "You're kidding."

"Blood, brain, and saliva. I'll get them when the moving is done. But please, everyone, treat the corpses as if they're toxic. Emma, can you put out the radio call to the town that the shooting should be over, and help moving bodies outside of the town would be appreciated? Also, there's a radio call-sign and frequency directory on the desk. Can you look through and try to find a way to contact the local wildlife department? This should be reported. They may not be able to send anyone for days, but..." In all honesty, the bodies would still be there. Burying them wasn't an option, there was no spare fuel up here to burn them with, but they could at least get them sent out of town. "And see if they can give you the information for exactly where I can send our sample to, with the next pilot returning south. It may be tedious, but it's important."

Elijah nodded that the others could go, but he put his hand on Moran's arm, and his eyes were ice-cold. "Your leg is injured," he said, "and you will let me care for it now, before going out to examine and move bodies. Unless you'll be returning south to a hospital, I cannot, will not risk the safety of this expedition by letting you increase your already high chances of infection." This didn't sound negotiable in the slightest. "Gaston will guard the others. You. Sit there." He gestured to the chair by the water and the medical kit.

Before any of them headed out, Alaric checked a couple of the cabinets until he found gloves. They were mediums, and likely wouldn't fit comfortably on all of their hands, but it was enough that maybe they could avoid coming into direct contact with any of the creatures. "The alpha," Sebastian said, glaring at Elijah but there wasn't much force behind the stare, "The alpha should be just off of the front porch. She was huge. The shot is in her chest. Save her for your samples."

As Emma moved to the desk to make the call that Elijah had instructed her to make, Sebastian moved to the chair indicated, barely limping. His adrenaline was still pumping too hard, too fast, for him to be able to really feel anything. Without pardoning himself in front of the woman -- she would likely see plenty of mostly, if not fully, nude men in the month to come -- he kicked off his boots and peeled away his pants, then his coat followed.

It took Emma some searching before she found the number for the wildlife department, and then she made that call next. The man who answered sounded half asleep, and relatively bored with the report of wolves. "No, you don't understand," she insisted. "There were... God. A dozen or more?" She was just going off the shots fired. "Maybe two. And they closed in on our hotel. We had two shooters on the roof. This town is... Please, just come for the cleanup. We're working to move the corpses out of the way, but they shouldn't stay there." Obviously.  "No, I know you're busy. I know this area is prone to such wildlife. But if their scents and there blood will attract larger animals, don't you think you should freaking come and clean it up sometime before winter sets?" It had been a mistake, she felt, to first tell him that she wasn't a local. But eventually it seemed evident that they would be out by the time the week closed to collect the bodies.

When she was finished with the call, she moved over to stand at Elijah's shoulder. "Can I help?"

"Wild animals do tend to bite," Elijah said dryly. He had put long surgical gloves on and had Moran's leg in the garbage can, washing it thoroughly with soap. "But hopefully this one won't sink his teeth into me..." He glanced quickly up at Emma, a playful light in his eyes, before immediately focusing back on cleaning Moran's leg.

"Help would be wonderful. Please go get a clean bath towel, the unopened roll of paper towels from under the bathroom sink, then put on gloves -- the blue ones there should be fine for you -- and I'll ask you to hand me things as they're needed." He glanced up at Moran next, meeting his eyes as he continued working. "We do have the antibiotics your medical statement said are safe for you, you should start them. I'll get your wounds washed, then irrigated, and make sure there's nothing still in them.. but I should be able to stitch most of these. I can numb the area; we have enough to numb four limbs on this trip. Are you comfortable with me doing that?"

His hands continued working as he talked to Moran, careful and deft; this wasn't Elijah's first time with a severe wound, not by a long shot. After another moment, he added: "Thank you, by the way, Moran; your skill and dedication are deeply appreciated, especially in such an unusual situation. It sounds as if the wolves knew we were in here -- Emma, would you tell  him what you heard?"

Emma had snorted a laugh. As a writer, she loved puns, and could greatly appreciate Elijah's wit. But then it was back to business and she rushed off to get the items she'd been ordered to get and then returned as quickly as possible.

Sebastian watched the pair, impressed that they were so comfortable seeming with each other after only meeting less than twelve hours before. But his eyes lingered on Elijah. The touches were gentle enough. Skilled.

"Please don't waste one of your doses on me." The sniper's voice was kinder this time. Quiet. He reached for the basic medication and then took it with the water that Emma was already offering. "I've been in worse scrapes than this. Stitches... They're fine. Just be quick about it." They would be gone for a month. One dose per week. He didn't want to risk anything. Besides, he had no intention of not being able to use his leg between now and boarding the plane.

"Mikaelson," he said after some time, still unwilling to thank the man in return. "I understand why you did what you did. But next time. If LeFevre and I leave instructions to stay inside, then I need you to stay the bloody hell inside." Seb never once raised his voice, but the demand was as conversational as could be.

He couldn't be worried about the rest of them. He couldn't be worried about them when dealing with the unpredictability of wild animals.

"I understand, at least as much as someone in my position can understand, but I do want to remind you that I care whether you live or die, Moran. If I have reason to believe -- and by reason, I mean experience and logic -- that I can offer you vital help without creating another distraction whose safety you need to fret over, I will. It is your job to see that we survive any attacks, and much as it pains me to say... I'll let you die before I force you to fail at that job by letting my life be lost instead... Your life still matters."

When he was done washing it, Elijah took off his gloves and pushed the bin out of the way. He opened the paper towels, had Emma lay the towel over his lap, then made a thick pad of paper towels over it. That done, Elijah had Sebastian put his leg on his lap, he put on fresh gloves -- they had well more than enough, this wasn't a supply they needed to skimp on, not yet, not when it came to handling Sebastian safely, for the sniper's sake -- and he got to work. The irrigation took time, but he carefully cleaned out and examined each wound, asking Emma to aim a flashlight and hold the magnifying glass when needed.

The plane landed while they were working, but Elijah didn't hurry the effort at all.

"What is your take on the wolves' behavior, Moran?" He had started the sutures, using his fingers to create a gentle pressure that alleviated some of the pain of the process. "As a hunter and a warrior -- how did their behavior towards you feel?"

Sebastian's jaw clenched but he didn't make any noise. He watched the cleaning, the stitching, and then when the men finally came in. He lifted a brow. They were finished quicker than he'd expected.

"At least five others came out to help us. The town is a fucking mess." Kol stated simply, his hands were freezing but otherwise they were all in fair condition. "I'm going to go take a hot shower. Shouldn't be more than five minutes. Then we'll start pulling things from the rooms for the plane.”

When the group passed through, Sebastian went back to Elijah's question. "I don't know what to make of it. This pack is larger than any one I've seen. These wolves were... large. When I shot the first one, I wasn't entirely sure that they weren't some kind of cat. But the tails were clearly wrong. And then... I don't know. They were too smart, too big, for their own good."

"Did they, at any point, display a fear of your firearms?"

Sebastian looked up at Gaston. "It's like they kept expecting them to... I don't know... Become useless? The only one that showed any inclination of fear was the one I let run off." I still bet I will regret that. "And I think that was only because we had killed its alpha."

That sent a chill through Elijah. "They -- knew the guns were dependent on ammunition? If Emma hadn't thought to get more bullets for you two... I wonder what they would have done next."

Gaston had just come in and, hearing that it was Emma who sent the bullets up to them, he gave her a brief and appreciative look before eyeing Moran's leg. He said nothing, but patted him once on the shoulder as he moved past, going to pack up their things.

Nik, still filming of course, asked: "So the wolves were stalking the hotel this morning... extra large, extra smart wolves, who weren't afraid of guns? Who understood them? Forgive me, but that's a bit worrisome."

"A bit," Elijah agreed.

Emma had been quiet save for trying again to explain to Sebastian that she hadn't understood exactly what she had heard that morning but the only way she could explain the sounds from her own experience.

Her eyes lifted to meet Gaston's and she smiled weakly, shyly. Then adjusted the light once more to follow Elijah's hands.

"I'm just... glad we hadn't been on our way to the plane and not known they were there."

"That wouldn't have happened. I will always go out first," Sebastian practically interrupted, though he seemed to look at her with an expression that was more reassuring than the scolding his tone seemed to take.

"Oh. Right. Well... You seemed like you were going alone?"

He smiled softly. "You did good, kid. Always report strange noises."

She didn't know why it made her feel better, but it did.

Kol finished with his shower quickly, finally warming up a bit, and then went straight to their room to dress and pack. This distraction had been... nice. Welcome. But he needed to get out of this hotel.

"Nik, why don't you go help our brother?" Elijah didn't look up from what he was doing.

Nik opened his mouth to object but he knew he didn't have a good reason. He shut the camera off, pursed his lips, then trailed ghostlike off after Kol. Slipping into the room with him, he shut the door behind them.

"Kol....?"

For some reason he had known Nik would end up in there with him, and so Kol managed to keep his expression neutral. He turned to face his brother, swallowing the newest wave of nausea from this hangover.

"How do you feel?" he asked quietly.

"You mean about the alcohol? Or about you?"

Kol's mouth opened and closed and he struggled to meet his brother's stare. "You remember."

Nik swallowed hard. His chest hurt suddenly and he was holding too tightly to the camera, so he stared down at it. "I remember...  Kol... you... I should tell you this, before we go north. I..." There had to be a way out of this conversation. He could find something to get angry about, or work for them to throw themselves at in complete denial -- but this was his brother. Could he do that to his brother?

Under less dire circumstances, yes, but this... is important.

"You should know that I've been -- a terrible brother to you. Last night.. wasn't by any means the first time I'd thought about -- such things. And not always drunk."

Kol's stomach twisted and he didn't know what to say. He and Nik rarely had deep conversations. They were reckless and usually the two children Elijah had to reign in in order to get them to take a situation seriously.

With a sigh, he set his clothes on the end of their cot and then stepped closer to Niklaus. "What... So you..." He rubbed the back of his neck and sighed again. "How long?"

"The last year-ish. But I won't -- act on... I won't try to -- make you do -- that -- again. After this shoot, I'll quit. I don't want to be... to cause trouble between you and Elijah. Or to take advantage of you." Nik closed his eyes tightly and took a slow breath, then looked at Kol. "Can you forgive me...?"

Kol was shaking his head before Niklaus could finish speaking. "You will not fucking quit," he demanded, eyes colder now. His thick brows pulled together and he looked at his brother as less of a... well, brother.

"Kiss me," he said, no hesitation in his voice. "Now that we're sober." I want to know if it feels as good as it did last night. "Kiss me again, Niklaus."

For a moment, Nik was sure that all of the air had passed out of the room. He stared at Kol, barely able to comprehend, before he set the camera aside and stepped forward. Taking Kol's face in his hands, he kissed him with all of the desperate affection and need he knew how to show. This might be the last time he ever got the chance to do this, to show Kol just how truly depraved he himself was, to show Kol how truly wonderful he found Kol to be. Nik wasn't usually one to make grand gestures or first moves, but when it was important, it was important.

At first Kol was skeptical. He wasn't sure that his memory of the night before was genuine. It had felt good; he wasn't about to deny that. But had the same... sentiments been there as what he imagined would be. He didn't hold Nik in return. He didn't initially kiss him back.

But then he felt it. And he melted.

One of Kol's arms went around Nik's waist, pulling him closer. He couldn't hate his brother, he remembered promising that, but he didn't know that he would... be this willing. This accepting of something that so many would be disgusted by. After a moment, his lips parted he tried to return all of the affection he felt from Niklaus. It was vital his brother knew that he was loved. Perhaps in more than just a familial way.

Afterwards, Nik looped his arms around Kol's shoulders and closed his eyes, resting his head against Kol's shoulder as well. "We needn't be anything we cannot be," he said softly, a deep, almost pastel-feeling sorrow in his voice, "I know it is wrong to be so drawn to you... but I cannot... trust anyone who isn't part of our family, Kol. And you, you are... you always seem to understand me. I need you."

There were far more passionate words he wanted to say, but he couldn't. He couldn't. They refused to move past his lips and he just hoped, standing silent and still now, that Kol could understand at least part of it, that somehow his hands or his lips or the subtle way his hips seemed to press into Kol's, somehow something would tell Kol that he was the one Nik needed.

I don't know that I can do this.

Kol held tighter to his brother and rested his head on Niklaus' temple, closing his eyes. He wanted to give this a chance. He wanted to give in to the things he felt. He wanted to kiss Niklaus again. But he didn't know if he could sleep with him again. How could he? They were brothers. Family.

But it had felt amazing. Perfect. Like he knew everything I could possibly want.

"I'm here," Kol said finally. "I'm here, Niklaus. I'm not going anywhere." He pulled away enough to kiss Nik's forehead and then rested his cheek against the same spot. "And it's not as if we'll have any privacy over the next month. Let's just... get through this, yeah? Then we'll figure the rest of it out. Together."

Nik nodded and squeezed him again. He knew that he would never really be the one who would have a chance, he wasn't Elijah, but Kol could have been so much colder to him, so much angrier.

"We ought to pack."

--

"Wasn't there someone you needed to call?" Gaston asked Sebastian after he brought their packs out of their room and set them down. He looked at the leg, but it seemed that Elijah was almost done with the suturing. Enjoying the show, Gaston sat down and leaned forward to take in the details, although he was sure to stay out of Elijah and Emma's way.

Sebastian shrugged. "Montparnasse, yeah. He's the one who... Anyway. I was just going to check in. We haven't the time now. I can check in when we land."

He watched Gaston with a light smile on his lips, entertained that his own stitches were becoming some source of entertainment. Emma had looked up at the other man, feeling his presence. "Um... Gaston? Do you mind holding the light and magnifying glass? So that I can finish gathering my things and be out of Elijah's way when he's done?"

Gaston nodded to her and got up, coming around to her side. He took them carefully, and once she was gone, he sat down in her place. "Look at you, Moran, a mess. A complete mess. Washed your leg in a trashcan, hm? Seems about right." He gave his partner a warm smile, but it quickly sobered.

"You saved my life today, Moran. More than once. Thank you. I know you don't like a great deal of gushing but all the same... while Elijah has you captive... I'm deeply grateful. I owe you."

Elijah's eyes had flicked up in recognition at the name Montparnasse, but it was a subtle thing, easily missed, and he quickly refocused.

Sebastian shrugged at the gratitude, not knowing how to receive it. "I feel the debt was more than repaid, Gaston. I wouldn't have survived today had you not been there. You have an excellent shot. Thank you."

Emma returned quickly, having only stayed over night the once, and she left her luggage in an open spot by a chair, tucking her pen and notepad into a side pocket and then returning to watch as the final stitch was put in place.

"Thank you, Elijah," Sebastian said, looking up just as Alaric was lugging out the last of the equipment. "You're too skilled at that, I hope you know. But I appreciate the attention you gave. Let's wrap it and get going. That plane won't wait forever."

Elijah hummed a soft you're welcome and didn't change his pace. He got Sebastian's leg wrapped up once he was completely done with it, then helped him get back into his trousers before taking out one last thing -- a small glass bottle and a syringe.

"The odds of a rabies infection are low, Sebastian, but it's still possible. This isn't something I'll force on you, but I want you to know that without the vaccine, if you begin to show symptoms of rabies, it will be too late. You will die. This is your choice. I would prefer to give you the vaccination, but I cannot force it on you."

"So, no pressure, love," Nik said, walking out and lugging the first round of his gear. He had the most and the heaviest, thanks to all of his camera equipment, but he didn't mind.

Sebastian nodded in regards to the vaccination. There was no point in risking this. This had nothing to do with his pain tolerance.

Kol followed his brother out with a few bags, some of them Nik's, and happened to meet Sebastian's eye. Something... Something in the way that the gunman looked at him made Kol convinced that Moran knew what had happened the night before. But that didn't make any sense. They had been quiet, right?

Emma stood when the two brothers came out and began setting things down. "Can I help with anything?" She looked at Nik. "I don't have equipment like you all do, but I am happy to carry anything you guys need help with."

Kol looked to his brother, letting him decide if he wanted help or not.

The clerk showed up then and started talking to Alaric about everything that had happened with the wolves. She shamelessly flirted with him, despite being at least twenty years older, and a sense of normality seemed to return. Nik looked at them for a moment, then back at Emma. For a moment, he wanted to say no, but instead he just smirked and gave her a one-handed 'be my guest' gesture.

"Any help is appreciated. I only have nineteen tons of supplies -- and then Alaric has all of the food, sound gear, and pieces of camp in his hutch."

Emma beamed at him, happy to be able to be helpful. She liked Niklaus. He was handsome. And he was kind to her. A little flirty, but it never seemed inappropriate.

She headed in the direction of the room and started grabbing bags.

Alaric, meanwhile, flirted back lightly, but ultimately he was just being friendly. His eyes kept drifting over to Elijah. He wanted more from the day before. He wanted to hug Elijah and tell him to try not to be stupid again.

--

Eventually, everything was gathered. And the group was as ready to go as they were going to be. Sebastian managed to find a shirt and sweater to wear under his coat.

"Is anybody else ready to get the bloody hell out of this town? After wolves like that, how bad can the bears be?" Kol smirked and bumped into Niklaus, trying to keep things easy between them. "How long is our flight?"

Elijah had left most of his clothes behind -- the direct opposite of Niklaus, who had one  duffel devoted entirely to thick, fluffy, ridiculously warm garments. He needed them, never seeming to quite give off Elijah's level of heat. By this time, Elijah was dressed how he would be for much of the shoot, in a genuine Inuit suit. Nik smirked at him in it.

"About three hours," Nik said, and bumped back into Kol. "Elijah looked quite silly. I don't know how our dear brother manages to keep warm in those rags... Perhaps we'll just have to always give him more to carry." He knew his brother would be perfectly fine, but he liked to give Elijah a hard time about it all the same.

Gaston fussed a little over Sebastian when no one was looking, making sure he was warm enough, that he didn't try to carry anything yet, and that he didn't over-exert himself, but he at least had the kindness to be quiet about it. Still, by the time they finished loading the plane and boarded it, he was relieved that Sebastian was able to get off of his leg for a while and just relax, even if it was only three hours.

Once the plane was off the ground, Nik was filming again, and he made Alaric set up a boom to handle the noise of the engines. He started with Elijah, who was sprawled on top of a pile of gear -- much the same as the rest of them, but Elijah simply looked the most ridiculous. "Tell our viewers, Elijah. What are you wearing and why, why in God's name do you insist on looking like a murdered seal?"

Elijah sighed at him but began explaining the traditional Inuit garb all the same. He also explained that he used furs instead of a normal down sleeping bag, which got more smirks from Niklaus, who never tired of their brother's eccentricities. Still, he knew there was something to it, especially as the weather got colder and colder; Elijah always seemed comfortable, and was the only one who hadn't had hypothermia yet -- nor did his sleeping bag collect ridiculous amounts of ice simply from the condensation caused by body heat in the down. Still, he forced Elijah to go into history, culture, physics, and aesthetics all in one go before he started filming the others.

After pestering Elijah, he made everyone talk about what had happened that morning -- starting with Emma, who he termed to be 'quite possibly the savior of the day.' Nik seemed to be in an almost inexplicably good mood.

When he got to Sebastian, he asked: "Sebastian Moran. Man of mystery. Will this documentary be the first time you actually speak to the camera on purpose? Inquiring minds wish to know."

Alaric fell more in love with Elijah as he spoke, though this wasn't new information to him. The air of the crew seemed strangely light considering what had happened.

Emma said only as much as she knew, and didn't embellish anything the way anybody else did. Her voice was quiet and she gave an incredibly shy smile. She was a writer. She so much preferred to be out of the line of the camera.

Though, when the camera landed on Sebastian, he looked up but didn't speak, knowing that in a game of wills, this man would not win.

Nik gave Moran a full minute before chuckling and awkwardly crawling around the plane to get more shots. Eventually, though, he went and settled down and took a nap with his head on Kol's lap.

Once Nik settled, Elijah did as well. He always seemed to be relaxed, but now that the atmosphere was getting quieter, he went and leaned against Alaric and closed his eyes for a few minutes -- until Gaston spoke up.

"So, is anyone going to say werewolves?"

Elijah huffed.

Kol's fingers carded through Nik's hair and he didn't care how affectionate it looked. He didn't care if it made anybody uncomfortable. He couldn't not touch him.

Alaric kissed the top of Elijah's head and nuzzled him. He was just about to whisper something when Gaston spoke up. He snorted a laugh. Again, he was about to say something, but Sebastian beat him to it.

"Not the first time rumors of such has popped up. But if they were werewolves..." We just killed a small village of people. "They didn't have much awareness. Some. They understood guns. But Elijah yelling at us didn't seem to affect them."

His tone was completely serious.

#part four #a frozen medley #one shot #familyispower #bourbonandbrushes #gastonlefevre #theveritasi #v nature doc