#sorry for giffing entire scenes at once instead of doing normal sets like a normal person I'm not normal about him. | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

snackhobi · 3 years

Text

how we interface ;

part of the human touch verse (masterlist here)

pairing: android!taehyung x f!reader / word count: 1.7k / genre: fluff, established relationship, light smut (NSFW) / warnings: none?; this is set after the main story

a/n: so here I am, revisiting the human touch verse, finally. thank you to my beta readers @hobi-gif and @morndas, I love and appreciate you both so much 💖 to the anon who suggested a ‘naughty scene’ with android tae, there’s a lil something in here for you!

The first time it happens, you think Taehyung is malfunctioning.

You’ve lost count of how many times you’ve held hands by now. You never thought you could be so familiar with someone else’s hands: how their fingers entwine with yours, the warmth of their palm against your own; how their thumb feels rubbing across the back of your hand, tender and soothing and so full of love. But here you are, your hand in Taehyung’s, his in yours, like it’s meant to be there. What once was new and exciting is now a motion of comfort—as practiced as blinking or breathing.

But this? This is new, this sudden sensation of smoothness where Taehyung’s soft skin had been moments before. You glance down. You haven’t been looking at your joined hands, focused instead on the film that flickers across your TV, and there’s a beat as you take in what you’re seeing: the bare white of Taehyung’s android body, normally hidden away underneath the synthetic skin that covers him. You know what androids look like under their skin, the smooth white plastic bodies, but you’ve only ever seen a glimpse of Taehyung’s—a slip of white on his temple when he’d removed his LED, that under skeleton you haven’t seen since.

“Taehyung?” You’re uncertain what to think, equal parts confused and concerned. He doesn’t seem to be in pain; barely seems to register it at all, even, only turning his attention away from the screen at the sound of your voice. Like he hasn’t noticed anything amiss. “Are you okay?”

His eyes fall to your joined hands. “Oh,” he says. “Yes, I’m fine. Sorry.”

And just like that you watch as the skin shifts back into place, creeps from under his sleeve to cover his ivory hand; in mere moments everything is back in place and Taehyung seems unperturbed. As if nothing important has happened. He lifts your hand to his mouth, presses a fleeting kiss across your knuckles, an easy touch of affection that still has you melting, snuggling as close as possible to watch the rest of tonight’s movie.

Maybe it’s an android thing, you think. If it’s important and Taehyung wants to tell you about it, then he will. Until then there’s nothing more to do than to lean into his side and watch as Sophie and the Witch of the Waste toil up the stairs to the palace. You shift, resettle, drape yourself across your love; you feel the way a laugh rolls in his chest, contained, a smile bleeding out across his lips.

“Comfortable?” His voice is so quiet, so low. So achingly soft.

You can’t help but smile back. “With you? Always.”

The second time it happens, you barely notice it at all.

Too caught up in everything else to really notice the way Taehyung’s arm has gone white, skin receding from his fingers and rolled back, from hand to wrist to elbow and up to his shoulder; too busy gasping for air, eyes blown wide and skin sweat-slick, Taehyung above you and around you and inside you, all heat and pleasure. Both hands pinned to the pillow beneath your head, his fingers entwined with yours as he rolls his hips, watches the way you arch your back and tilt your body towards him, needing more, more, more.

It never gets any less amazing, how easy it is to lose yourself in each other’s bodies. How love can be expressed through lust. How even as you’re losing yourself, you’re kept grounded by Taehyung’s presence—he knows you better than you know yourself, knows your body, knows how to touch you just so, how to throw you deep into the ocean of sensation and pleasure, kept tethered only by his skin against yours. It never fails to leave you breathless, speechless, the only words from your lips a lilting refrain of his name, stuttered and sobbed, a melody of choked whimpers and keens.

Once your body is spent, you’ve all but forgotten that moment where Taehyung’s arm had turned blindingly white—too distracted by the way your peak had been building, entire body clenching hard and tight before you’d tumbled over the edge just seconds after, cumming hard and wet around Taehyung’s unrelenting thrusts. You don’t think about it, how Taehyung’s android arm had been bare to your gaze, unimportant when the two of you had been intent on something else. When he reaches for you, pulls you close, both hands and arms look just as normal: all elegant lines and honeyed skin, reverent as he touches you, drags the pads of his fingers over the tremble of your thighs. There’s no naked metal and plastic. No stark whiteness set against your skin. Just Taehyung’s familiar hand smoothing up and over the curve of your hips.

“Angel.”

You lean towards the pet name, ease into the deep softness of Taehyung’s voice, as warm as the palm that traces across your waist. Too focused on his still-simmering gaze to think about anything else right now. There’ll be time for that later.

The third time it happens, you decide to ask what’s going on.

It’s been a long day, one that leaves an ache throbbing just behind your eyes, your entire body weighed down with it all. But Taehyung is kind and gentle, just like he always is, and it’s easy to unwind in the way he folds himself around you.

(You’re not sure you’ll ever get used to this. To the knowledge and comfort of someone’s love and support, no matter how exhausted you are, how burdened and tired. It’s not something you thought you’d ever find, and even though you have it now—have had it for long enough that you know it’s here to stay, that Taehyung is here to stay—sometimes it feels like a dream. A wild-winged flight of fancy that’s somehow touched ground in your life, become real, and is so much better than you ever could have thought.)

It’s just the two of you in the kitchen, in your own world of soft quiet as Taehyung makes you tea; something warm and soothing. You watch as he moves, meticulous and smooth, and you can’t help but smile and reach out, fingers brushing across his wrist. Wanting to feel, always.

He turns at the touch. Angles his body and his smile towards you, turns his hand palm-up so you can lock your fingers in place, every inch of you gone mellow, ochre yellow sunlight. Taehyung’s smile is subtle in his lips but obvious in his eyes—set deep in the dark of his gaze.

It’s easy, this time, to feel the way his skin subsides from his fingers. His hand is still warm (it always is) but it’s smooth and unyielding, now.

“Tae? How come your hand keeps doing this?”

A soft pause. Taehyung unravels the weave of your fingers so that you’re not holding hands any more but instead are mirroring each other, his palm and fingers against yours, held in the air in front of you. A mirror’s reflection in position.

“It’s how androids interface,” he says. “We can share information and memories like this.”

“Oh,” you murmur.

Now that you get a chance to look, really look, you notice the level of detail in Taehyung’s android body. The little dips of his joints, the darker lines that cross the unblemished white; the flush of blue across his knuckles, the soft glow of the thirium that powers him; his entire arm is alabaster apart from that blue glow at his knuckles and elbow, so pretty. Still beautiful, of course. Every part of him.

“I can’t help it.” Taehyung’s still smiling at you, at the way you’re staring at your hand against his, how they’re both similar and yet so different all at once. “It’s an intimate thing, I think. Wanting to share with you and let you see everything. It happens without me even realising.”

You hesitate as a small breath catches in your throat. Then:

“Does it bother you? That you… can’t interface with me like this?”

Your voice comes out small. You know that Taehyung’s been concerned about his android nature, that the fact he’s a robot and not human might one day become something that bothers you. That you might find him lacking. You’ve felt the same, though, even if you might not have put a voice to it—that being human might become a barrier, that it means you might not be able to connect with him the way he wants.

(That your two experiences in life and living are fundamentally too different and that it might all fall apart because of it.)

Taehyung’s smile doesn’t falter. “Does it bother you that I’m an android?”

“Of course not.” The answer is immediate and honest, even in the midst of your uncertainties. You’d love Taehyung whether he was an android or not—because he’s him.

“There’s your answer.” He’s looking at you with such an aching fondness, and his response is easy; relaxed. “Being an android or being a human doesn’t affect how I feel about you. I love you.”

He says this often. Reminds you daily of that unrelenting love for you. And no matter how many times you hear it, your heart swells—full to bursting with so many more emotions than you think you could ever put a name to, but with love the resounding echo throughout it all.

He pulls his hand away from yours so that he can cup your cheek, and though the sensation of his android body against your bare skin is unfamiliar, the adoration behind the touch isn’t. Just because you interface differently doesn’t make it any less fulfilling, you think. Doesn’t make it any less real or amazing (because you are amazed, every day, that someone like Taehyung could ever love someone like you).

“I love you too.”

The words don’t feel like enough to express every glittering facet of love you hold in your chest, but you hope that Taehyung feels it anyway. You hope that everything you do expresses that love, that it shines through, always. He deserves it. He deserves everything.

And when he smiles even wider at your words, uses the smooth hand against your cheek to tilt your head into a kiss—android or human or otherwise, you’ve never been happier.

taglist: @beyoncesdragon @vensulove

#titles are hard. 'how we interface' sounds so clunky but iunno i feel like the extra parts/drabbles need names right? hhh anyway #taehyung x reader #taehyung x you #bts x reader #taehyung fanfic #bts fanfic #taehyung au #taehyung scenario #joy.masterlist #way too lazy to tag this properly! oops!

459 notes · View notes

vnderoos · 4 years

Text

better than butterbeer ✷ cedric diggory

(gif is not mine, credit to the owner) warnings / language(?), a barely steamy scene at the end word count / 2.8k

masterlist in bio ↴

THE CORRIDOR WAS FILLED with students, all of them rushing every which way as they all transitioned from one class to another. "Watch where you're walking, you bloody—" Y/N started to snap when she slammed straight into the chest of another student, but she cut herself off when she looked up and her eyes met the beautiful grey's of Cedric Diggory. Her stomach did a backflip and her cheeks immediately flushed red at her previous words. She cursed her quick tongue silently. "I'm sorry, Diggory, I thought you'd be someone else," she told him, feeling guilty for trying to bite his head off.

Cedric, on the other hand, was quick to shake his head and flash her a toothy smile. "No problem, Y/N/N, just read this, will you? I've got to get to class," he hummed, holding a folded note out to her, and she took it in her hands softly. She didn't have time to ask him questions about it—in fact, she didn't have time to say anything else at all—before he patted her once on the arm and stepped around her.

She cast a quick glance over her shoulder, watching as he disappeared into the flood of other students, and she looked back down at the piece of parchment between her fingers with furrowed brows. She felt a little uneasy thinking about what was on it as she started towards her own next class, as Cedric normally tended to speak with her in person and not through exchanging notes, but she was curious about it nonetheless. She thumbed it open delicately and her eyes flickered over the paper.

Come to the Great Lake after your classes. I want to show you something. — From: Ced :)

Y/N couldn't help but grin down at his message after she'd read it, tracing his smiley face with her thumbnail. This wasn't the first time that Cedric had wanted to show her something. He'd taken her on handfuls of spontaneous trips, actually—like the time he brought her to a field outside of the castle grounds to see a bunch of light blue wildflowers, or when he snuck her up to the Astronomy Tower after curfew just so he could point out the constellations with her—and she couldn't help but feel excited that he'd thought of something else.

She folded his note back up and tucked it neatly into one of the pockets of her leather bag, for safe keeping, of course.

—

Y/N's classes hadn't seemed to end quick enough that day as she'd sat through the rest of her lectures with Cedric's message pinging around in her head the whole time. All she could think about was what he wanted to show her at the Great Lake that she hadn't already seen before. It was just a lake—filled with nasty little Grindylows and a giant squid, sure—but it was just a lake nonetheless. At one point during her day, her head had been so clouded with possibilities that McGonagall had even gotten onto her for neglecting to write any notes for the entire first half of the class.

Miss Y/L/N, I do hope you realize that daydreaming all class won't help you pass your OWLs. Plus, I'm sure your parents didn't buy you such a pretty quill for you to tap it against your chin all year, she'd said. The red that had tinged Y/N's cheeks after that had been brighter than Ron Weasley's hair, especially since almost every head in the class had spun to face her.

All of that had been forgotten, though, as she hurried down the dirt pathway to the Great Lake, her hair and her leather bag bouncing as she ran downhill. The path soon faded into the rest of the grass, and as she neared the lake, she spotted a figure laying in a patch of sun on the grassy slope that led down to the bank. She recognized the familiar mess of his brown hair and his Hufflepuff robe and she was quick to identify him. One of Cedric's knees were bent, keeping him laying steady on the slant of the ground, and the other was extended out in front of him.

He was looking up at the sky when she walked up behind him, a small smile tugging at her lips at how concentrated he looked. "Hey, Diggory," she called from a few feet away, with a playful lilt in her voice and her green robes swaying with the gentle breeze.

At her greeting, Cedric pushed himself into a sitting position and he turned to smile at her over his shoulder. His cheeks were dusted pink from the slight nip in the air and it was all she could do to notice how good he looked in that moment, especially with the warm light of the sun rays shining behind him. She'd always found herself captivated by him, though, as most girls did. He really was a good-looking boy, but something inside of her always made her feel like it was better that she kept that to herself.

"Hey, Y/N."

Y/N flashed him a light smile in return, choosing to ignore the way that her stomach swirled when her name left his lips. "You know, we could've gone to get butterbeer instead," she told him as she made her way towards him, setting her bag next to his in the grass, and he shook his head softly.

"I wanted to show you something, though, remember?" he told her and she nodded once. How could she forget it when it was all that she'd been thinking about since she bumped into him in the corridor? He patted the space beside him in the grass. "Lay next to me," he instructed and she waited until he moved his hand away to take her seat, lowering herself down onto the ground.

She folded her hands over her chest and Cedric rested his over his stomach as they looked up at the sky. Nothing about it looked out of the ordinary or particularly interesting to her. "So, what'd you wanna show me?" she questioned, curiosity prickling under her skin as she studied the familiar, blue sky and the same, white clouds for something new.

Cedric let out a breath of amusement, a smile breaking out onto his lips, at her eagerness. She was always like this when he took her to see these sorts of things—impatient and overly excited—but he blamed himself for that in part. He loved a good buildup. "Just wait a bit and you'll see," he promised, tapping his thumbs against his stomach, and she nodded. The two of them fell into a comfortable silence as they laid still in the grass until the sun started to set. As the sun went down, it painted the sky with so many pretty colors—shades of pink, orange, and yellow streaking between the clouds. Since they were sitting on the side of the lake, with no trees looming over their heads, the view was beautifully unobstructed, too. "This," Cedric said, grinning up at the sight. "This is what I wanted to show you."

When she'd come to meet him, she hadn't known what to expect, but it certainly wasn't this. She'd heard from Fred and George a long while ago that on particularly sunny days, the giant squid would bask in the shallows of the water for warmth, so the thought of that being Cedric's surprise crossed her mind once, but she hadn't even considered such a spectacular sunset.

"This is beautiful." Her voice was a breathless whisper as the sight had left her in awe. She found herself lifting one of her hands up to the sky, pointing her finger at a specific place where the sunlight looked like trickling gold behind the clouds. It was so vivid that part of her thought she might be able to coat her fingers in it if she reached out far enough. "That's my favorite part. It's so pretty, isn't it?" she asked him and she could see his hand enter her field of vision as he pointed up at the same, molten cloud.

"That one?" he asked and the side of his hand grazed her own in the close proximity. His skin left tingles against her own that shot all the way down to her elbow, and she looked over at him with newly flushed cheeks. She nodded her head. She had noticed when she walked up that Cedric looked nice that day, with a bit of color in his skin from the cold, but only then, while they were laying face-to-face, did she realize how handsome he really looked. His walnut hair spilled into the grass and a little over his forehead, some of the strands sleek with the reflection of the sunlight. His skin looked so warm beneath the orange lighting that the sun cast across him and she could see patterns in his irises when her eyes came to meet his. Her breath hitched in her throat when his full lips parted before he spoke. "It is pretty," he muttered with his eyes never veering from her own and she could barely hear him over the drumming of her heart in her chest.

It was like time seemed to stand still in that moment as the fingers on their hands, both still suspended in the air, fell relaxed. She saw his Adam's apple bob in his throat as he swallowed thickly, moving the back of his hand to graze over her own softly. She sucked in a breath and his knuckles rustled over hers, before he began to trail them down her arm slowly.

Cedric's eyes were locked on hers the whole time he did it, like he was looking for a sign that she didn't want this, but she was frozen still. His touch left goosebumps in its wake as it travelled the length of her arm and she shuddered.

When his hand reached Y/N's face, he hooked his forefinger beneath her chin and swiped his thumb over her bottom lip. She couldn't stop herself from grabbing his wrist lightly and pressing a kiss to the pad of his thumb. He blinked once and his tongue darted between his lips, running itself over them as he watched her. She managed a small smile at him, and she folded his hand into a fist, peppering a kiss to each of his knuckles.

"Diggory?" she asked and he hummed curiously. "I've got something to tell you," she whispered against his skin. His eyebrows lifted, as if to encourage her, and she closed her eyes. She took a deep breath before she opened them again and she gave his hand a squeeze. "It's been on my mind for a while, but I think I really like you," confessed Y/N, her voice as quiet as ever. "I realize that we're friends and it's probably stupid of me to even think of you like that, because it might ruin everything, but—"

Y/N stopped talking when Cedric leaned in to kiss her. His lips planted a soft peck against her own, leaving the sweet taste of caramel and her heart pattering after they'd gone. "I really like you, too," he responded with a grin.

She could feel her cheeks flaring, probably just as pink as the setting sun, and she smiled softly. "Oh." Her heart was thundering in her ears and her stomach was swarming with butterflies at his similar confession. She never would've thought that her sly, Slytherin heart would beat so quickly for a happy, Hufflepuff boy, but she'd be damned before she ever found herself complaining. "That— That's nice," she stuttered out, still in a state of disbelief, and his honeyed laugh filled her ears.

Cedric, whose hand was still in her clutches, pulled her hands over to his own lips and he kissed the back of her hand. "'Nice'?" he repeated. "Just 'nice'?" he asked again, his voice obviously teasing, but her face was on fire nonetheless.

She shot him a look of mock annoyance—the smile tugging on her lips giving her away—because he'd always known but how to get under her skin. "Shut up, you know you make me nervous, you prick," she told him and another laugh spilled from his lips, but it didn't last long that time because he caught her staring at his lips. His laughter died down as her eyes moved back to meet his, her hands falling from his own. With the thought now in his head, his eyes flickered to her mouth, only for a second, and she reached out to grab one of the sides of his robe. She ran her thumb over the fabric nervously, shifting her eyes to her fingers and back up to his again. "Would you... Would you kiss me again, Diggory?" she questioned, clearing her throat, and a smirk crossed onto his lips at the question. He was quite cocky then, and part of her hated it, but the other part of her thought it was the hottest thing.

"Diggory? Really?" he muttered, pretending to ignore her question as he plucked at a piece of grass between them, and she sighed in frustration, still playing nervously with his robe. "I thought for sure you'd use my first name by now," he teased and she rolled her eyes.

"Is that what you want?" she asked.

"I don't think I've ever wanted anything more," he joked, touching a hand to his chest and tightening it into a fist to make it seem like it wasn't all just a ploy to tease her—which it was.

"Fine," she hummed. "Would you kiss me again, Cedric?" she repeated her question and his name fell from her lips like a whisper, the cockiness on his face falling clean off after it did. She could see a flicker of something pass in his eyes and she furrowed her brows. "What?" she asked.

He shrugged his shoulders. "I think I might like it when you call me Cedric," he said with a small smile on his lips, and before she could answer, he propped himself up on his elbow. He reached out to cup one of her cheeks softly in his hands, leaning down to press his lips against hers.

The kiss started out slow and sweet, just two longing mouths melding into one quiet moment, but the second that Y/N sighed against his lips, the mood shifted. Cedric's hand slid from her cheek and he knotted his fingers in the locks of her hair, pulling her mouth roughly against his by the back of her neck, and he poured more passion into the kiss. Her fingers were still clasped around the sides of his robe and she pulled his body closer to her own.

Cedric's balance teetered at her actions and he grunted against her mouth, his hand leaving her hair and slamming down on the other side of her. His lips broke from hers at the quick motion and their eyes met for a second. His pupils were dark as he looked down at her, his chest heaving, and they only stayed apart long enough for him to slot one of his legs between hers. His lips attached themselves to hers once more and her hands let go of his robe, sliding up the muscles on his chest and coming to tangle themselves in his hair. He lowered himself down closer to her body, using his hands to keep himself hovered over her, and his tongue swiped against her bottom lip in his next kiss.

From then on, the two were a mess of lips and tongue, and they'd even cracked teeth at once on accident, but when they'd gotten their fix, Cedric pulled away. The two were both red, and not just from the cold anymore, and they were panting like dogs. Cedric started to laugh softly, pulling his arm up from the other side of her and falling back onto his side as she joined in. "I take back what I said earlier." She lifted a hand to wipe the saliva off of her swollen mouth and she pushed herself up onto her own elbow. "This was way better than butterbeer," she hummed.

Cedric chuckled and he threw his head back. "You're telling me," he agreed. When he let himself fall back into the grass again, Y/N did the same and he set his hand, palm-down, in between them. She tucked her hand beneath his and intertwined their fingers, sending him a soft smile.

For the rest of the sunset, she stared contentedly up at the sky, sneaking glances at the beauty laying beside her, but for him, it was the other way around.

He found her far more stunning.

↴

taglist / @pvintbreak @umpoedameron @h4ppydancing

#harry potter #harry potter x reader #harry potter imagines #cedric diggory #cedric diggory imagines #cedric diggory x reader #robert pattinson #robert pattinson x reader #robert pattinson imagines

1K notes · View notes

chuckbass-love · 4 years

Note

Omg so hear me out! But I have an idea

What if just after a steamy moment between Chris and y/n he tells her that he has to do a sex scene with his co-star for defending Jacob and y/n instantly gets jealous and upset. So she decides to go sleep on the couch cause she doesn’t wanna see Chris right now due to the fact that he’d chosen the worse time to tell her about the fact that he had to pretend to fuck someone else.

And then the day he comes back after the sex scene he does to talk to her and he kissed her but she pulls away instantly and just says something like “How was she? Was she better then me?” And Chris is so baffled that he follows her up to their bedroom trying to get her to talk to him since he’s worried he’s upset her. Below could be his reaction to her question 🙈

Jealous

Hey love!! I love this idea so much! I really hope you love this because i always get a bit iffy wondering if people actually enjoy what i write for their requests. I’m sticking with the gif in the request. I’ve also changed a couple things with this though so yeah.

Also to the other people that sent in requests, i am working through them. They will be published throughout the next 2 weeks. i promise, sorry for slacking😬

Disclaimer: My work is not to be posted anywhere else other than MY Tumblr, Wattpad and Ao3 without my permission. However, reblogs are welcome.

Pairing: Chris Evans x Reader

Warning: Smut, angst, fluff. Basically the works. Oral (female receiving), fingering, language, insecurities and jealous behaviour.

Word Count: 2,373

GIF NOT MINE!!! Credit to @capsgrantrogers go check them out ❣️

------------------

“God i’m so glad that i’m shooting close to home so i get to do that with you every night” he pants as he turns on his side, his eyes meeting yours.

“Me too” you smile, softly at him. Your hand rests on his face, cupping it slightly as you lean in to kiss him quickly “talking of actually, there’s something i wanted to run by you” you raise a brow and motion for him to continue.

“See, there’s an intimate scene that i’m shooting tomorrow, i wanted to let you know beforehand so you’re not shocked when you see it on tv. It’s just a bit of kissing, we’ll both be shirtless and-” you don’t even give him the time to finish, you’ve heard enough for now.

“Wait, what? When did you find out about this Chris?” your annoyance is abundantly clear at this point, he sits up, letting you finish before he responds. “I only found out the other day. It’s not a long one, it’s a 10-15 second long scene and it’ll be over faster than it starts” you shake your head, getting off of the bed and heading into the bathroom to run yourself a bubble bath.

“But, why now? Why do you choose now of all times to tell me, Chris? It’s hardly the right time. You just finish screwing me and you decide to tell me that tomorrow you have to fake fuck another woman”

“It’s just Michelle, we need to, it’s for my job honey, i can’t exactly say no”

“Whatever, have fun i guess” you scoff, slamming the door in his face and locking it to stop him coming in. You need some time alone right now and a bubble bath should help to calm your angered state.

You know it’s all just part of his job, it’s his career. Kissing other women is just what it entails but it doesn’t make it any easier. He has to do sex scenes and intimacy with other actresses. You’ve always been jealous but this time it’s the way he chose to tell you more than anything.

You get into the bath, lying down and trying your hardest to relax your shoulders and your entire body but it’s no use, nothing works.

On one hand you feel bad for kicking off and getting mad, but on the other hand you don’t care.

All of these insecurities and fears are all just about you being wary of him leaving you one day. Like what if... actually no. NO. You refuse to put yourself in that mind set. You’ve been going strong with Chris for 2 years now. He loves you and you love him. But right now you need to allow yourself time to be mad.

Once you get out of the bath, you wrap a towel around your body and open the door. No sign of Chris until you start changing. That’s when he appears in the doorway, a look of worry and cautiousness. Like he’s not sure if you’re okay or if you’re still mad at him.

“I’m sorry” he finally speaks up after what feels like minutes of silence and tension “Chris, i’m tired okay” you feel so exasperated and exhausted. It’s not even just because of what happened, you’ve been working hard lately with your own career and maybe all the added stress has caused you to over react but even so, it doesn’t matter. You’re still upset.

You finish changing before walking out of the room, he follows closely behind, wondering where you are going since It’s late.

“I’m gonna sleep on the sofa”

“Please, can we just talk about it”

“Chris, seriously, let’s just leave it”

“But you’re avoiding me like the plague all because i have a sex scene to film. Like christ Y/N what do you expect me to do? Make a big deal and refuse, it’s my career” you jump at the way he raises his voice at you, he almost never raises it and what’s worse, he never does it to you.

You take a step back before responding “it’s not just about that Chris. How would you feel if the roles were reversed? Huh? If i had just finished having sex with you and then blurted out ‘oh by the way babe, i’m going to be fake screwing another man tomorrow, no biggie, love you’” you mock. Not having a single care for how petty you must sound.

“Y/N i love you, i only love you. What is it about this scene? I’ve filmed plenty of them before and you choose now to suddenly say you’re not okay with me doing them. It makes no sense”

“Of course it’s going to make no sense to you, you’re not the one that’s sat back for years and watched it. You’re not the one that’s been insecure for so long and pushed away worries of-”

“Of what? Of me leaving you? You really think some fake sex scene is going to change how i feel about you Y/N? Do you really think that low of me?” you pause for a second, looking down to the floor and spotting Dodger. He looks from you then to Chris then back to you.

You feel tears brimming in your eyes, Chris spots it instantly as he steps closer, closing the space between the two of you. He leads you over to the sofa, sitting you down on it. He kneels in between your legs, holding your hands.

“Chris, i know you love me but i just worry sometimes that with me being what famous people call a ‘regular person’ that you’d be better off with someone in the same career as you, that’s all”

He just sighs, turning away before turning back to you “I love you and that’s all there is to it Y/N. I don’t care about you not being famous, i hate that word anyway” your eyes meet his as your tears fall. He wipes them away, stroking his thumb across your cheek, in an attempt to soothe you.

“I hate fighting with you, please come to bed with me. I just want to cuddle with my girl before a long day tomorrow” you let out a small giggle, trust Chris to make you smile so easily even after an argument. It’s one of the reasons why you love him so much.

You just nod, not saying another word as he lifts you into his arms, carrying you to the bedroom and pressing kisses to your head.

He lays you down on the bed before getting in himself, he pulls the cover over the two of you “I’m glad we spoke about that” you rest your head on his chest as he throws his arm around you “me too” another forehead kiss and you’re out like a light. He listens to your light snores as you cuddle him more in your sleep and he just smiles.

Chris gets your frustrations and your worries to a certain extent. He understands how his life can get in the way, it can make you insecure. He’s an actor, you’re not. You’re not famous at all. It’s a hard thing to accept but he’ll make sure that from now on, he does everything that he can to make you feel good enough.

-----------------------

As soon as you wake and look over to Chris’s side of the bed, you realise that he’s no longer there. He had an early start with filming for Defending Jacob. So it’s not a surprise to you. Instead of feeling shit about the scene he has to do today, you pull yourself out of the funk, reminding yourself of the words he spoke to you just last night.

“I love you and that’s all there is to it”

He does love you. He won’t stray, you’re the only one for him.

You decide to shower, to take your mind off of it for now.

Once you’ve showered, you change and dry your hair before doing your makeup, maybe dolling yourself up will help? Baking is also on the agenda. He’s not back until 5pm today, an earlier finish than normal. The schedule isn’t as hectic.

So you decide that you’re going to make some dinner later, ready for when he gets back. Some chicken and pasta should do, along with a cold beer, his favourite drink. You flop down onto the couch, picking the remote up to turn Netflix on, you have some time to kill before your business meeting over Zoom. Might as well watch more Vampire Diaries.

Your laptop starts making a noise, signalling that the call is ready, you gather your notes before joining the meeting. Your face pops up as well as your colleagues. This can be your distraction for the next hour or so.

--------------

You finish up with dinner, putting the lid on the pot and making your way to the table with cutlery and drinks, ready for when Chris gets home. He texted that he was leaving the set, that was 10 minutes ago. He’s at least 20 minutes away. So he won’t be long.

Whilst you wait, you sit on the sofa again and you pick your book up and decide to continue reading.

“Honey” he calls out before entering the room.

Chris’s eyes fix on you, a soft smile and a look of adoration in his eyes as he walks over to give you a kiss. You pull away before he can though. His eyes scan your face for a clue as to what’s got you acting off.

“So, how was she then?”

He sighs, loudly as he gives you a look that screams ‘really Y/N’ you mean it in a sarcastic way though, just like when you ask “was she better than me?”

All of a sudden you’re being tugged further down the sofa by your legs, your book is pulled from your hands and he’s lifting up your dress, exposing your brand new laced panties. You can’t help but feel embarrassed slightly at his unsubtle and rather seductive behaviour. You don’t think twice about letting him get on with it though.

“Does daddy need to prove to you that you’re the only one for him?” a pool starts to develop, you shiver at this words and the freezing cold temperature of his hands on your bare thighs. He lifts the dress up a little more until it’s up by your chest.

He pulls you down further before his fingers hook into the panties, sliding them down and off so he can really examine you. You hear a low growl erupt from him as he licks his lips before then taking his bottom lip in between his teeth.

You whimper a little, the anticipation is all too much for you, watching him moan and groan at the sight of your soaked pussy.

Just as you try to buck your hips up, his cold hand causes you to jolt as it pushes you back down.

“Down baby, let daddy make you feel good”

And just like that, his tongue starts to lick you all over, his fingers circle your tight and needy hole, desperate for you to beg him before he plunges them deep inside of you. But words aren’t possible right now, you can’t even bring yourself to talk as he continues his assault on your sex. Licking, sucking and slurping. Even spitting on it before rubbing at your clit with his thumb, stretching it down as the rest of his hand holds you down on your stomach.

“Fuck, Chris” you moan, realising what you said after. He prefers daddy, you know this.

“Now now honey. You know that’s not my name right now, don’t you? I’ll let it go this time but i expect you to correct yourself”

“Sorry daddy”

“Good girl. Now, do you want my fingers baby?” you nod frantically, tugging at your bottom lip “yes. I do, please daddy” he shoves them into your mouth, letting you suck them until he decides that your poor cunt has suffered enough.

You hum against them before he finally removes them, wasting no time in sliding them into you, two to start off with and then a third is added.

Your back arches at the extra addition and eventually that along with his mouth wrapped around your clit is far too much for you to handle. You’re so sensitive already, you can tell the climax is nearing.

“Like this baby? Like my fingers filling you up huh?” he starts “daddy only has eyes for you princess, you should know that by now but i’ll tell you what. When we’re in bed later, i’ll prove it to you even more when i’m screaming your name as you make me cum” your walls flutter around his digits, making him smile even more, he enjoys watching you like this.

He gets a thrill out of making your world spin. When your eyes roll back, when your back arches and your toes curl. Especially when you struggle to speak. They are the best times for him. He loves knowing that he’s the only one that can get you into that state.

His fingers get faster, dragging along your walls deliciously. His tongue flicks over your clit too, sucking occasionally and now your peak is just around the corner.

“Chris. Oh god Chris. I’m gonna cum” you yell, gripping onto his hand on your tummy, which he removes as he holds it above your head. Your hips start to buck like crazy.

“That’s it baby, cum for daddy”

The coil in your stomach finally snaps, thanks to his dirty words of encouragement.

You don’t move, just lay there panting. Your heart beat is through the roof as you calm down after that intense orgasm. You’ve definitely needed that all day.

“I think we need dinner now” you say, sitting up and adjusting your dress but he just pulls you down so that you’re straddling him.

“There’s plenty more proof where that came from baby, so don’t think that was all” you feel your cheeks heat up as you suddenly go all shy.

He’s most definitely proved himself but you can’t wait for round 2.

------------------------

General Tag List: @deadlymistress24 @coffeebooksandfandom @chris-butt @holtzkinnon @mychemicalimagines @llamadelreyx @haus-of-bitch-talk @buckstaybucky @thewinchestergirl1208 @chrissquares @patzammit @adriannajackson @dummiesshort @cevans-fics @americasass91 @toni9 @aaliferouss @bradfordmyworld

Just Chris & His Characters Tag List: @onetwo3000 @persephonequeenofthedead @whiskeytangofoxtrot555 @rynabarnesrogers @princess-evans-addict @stxvercgersslut @chris-evanslover @bval-1

#chris evans #chris evans smut #chris evans angst #chris evans fluff #chris evans x reader #chris evans x female reader #smut #defending jacob #angst #fluff #cevans #fanfic #fic #one shot #request

451 notes · View notes

mendespideys · 3 years

Text

in need of saving | e.y.

pairing: eren yeager x reader

warnings: mentions of fighting, swearing, blood, etc. it’s angsty

summary: eren’s emotions get the best of him and you’re his last hope. based on the line “you’ve been talking with your fists” from when you love someone by james tw.

a/n: this is my first ever drabble/fic/one-shot (whatever you wanna call it) of aot. my husband made me watch it, i became obsessed and now i am here putting my obsession into my writing lol. hope you guys like it. enjoy!

also, to the people following me for marvel/sm content - i’m sorry lol

gif credit

it was no secret that eren jaeger was slowly but surely losing it. maybe not losing it, but definitely losing his cool. and a lot more frequently than what everyone had deemed normal for him.

because it was also no secret that eren was known for losing it time and time again. everyone in the 104th cadet corps had seen the green-eyed boy pick a fight more than once - especially with jean. the two of them seemed to bubble with anger just at the sight of one another and no one really knew the real reason why.

whether it was jean using what was definitely eren’s least favorite nickname he had ever gotten (suicidal maniac) or eren making a comment about the redhead being a coward - the two of them could barely get along on a good day.

but, lately, everyone seemed to be getting on eren’s bad side. horse-face was no longer the only insult coming from him and it certainly was not the most cruel one that had slipped past his lips either. eren’s anger - or whatever it was - was no longer only focused jean. he seemed to be taking his feelings out on everyone. everyone except you.

even the captain and the commander had been getting their fair share of snarky comments and attitudes from the titan shifter. while they were undoubtedly unable to hold their ground, eren was definitely crossing lines he shouldn’t have.

and, so, you were forced into your current situation.

“tch,” captain levi pushed himself off the table he had been leaning on. “the brat is out of control. while i have no problem beating the living shit out of him, i doubt more fighting is what he needs.”

hange nodded. “it seems he’s either too tired to heal himself or he chooses not to. his injuries are taking longer and longer to disappear. we have to do something before it’s too late.”

before it’s too late.

you shuddered. the thought of something happening to eren sent a shiver down your spine. worrying about him was like second nature to you and the only one who appeared to understand you was mikasa.

“with all due respect, commander,” armin spoke up, his bright blue eyes studying the room before continuing. “we have all tried. he doesn’t want to listen to any of us. it’s pointless.”

a sigh fell from his lips, as a subconscious hand rubbed his bandaged shoulder. poor armin. even the innocent, genius best friend had been unlucky enough to experience eren’s wrath.

“everyone but y/n.”

your eyes darted toward the mention of your name and you met captain levi’s steady gaze. you cowered under his intense stare, feeling other eyes on you as well. you cleared your throat, feeling a weird sense of pressure in the pit of your stomach.

“i’ve tried, too,” you swallowed thickly, refusing to remember all the times you had tried to talk him. “i- he doesn’t want to listen.”

“you haven’t really tried,” levi remarked. “the brat’s picking fights left and right. every little thing seems to set him off and you are the only one who can get him to stop. y/n, we all see the way he looks at you. eren might be humanity’s last hope, but right now, you’re his.”

your heart was thumping in your chest. you had noticed the difference in eren’s actions toward you as well. the touches that lingered a little bit longer than normal, the longing stares he thought you never noticed, the way his anger practically melted away when his name left your lips...

but to hear someone else confirm it aloud felt weird. foreign. because you had pushed those observations to the back of your mind, desperate not to over-analyze any of them. the two of you were just friends.

a knock on the door startled you out of your messy web of thoughts. the door opened before either one of the superiors could give permission to do so, revealing a timid yet determined sasha. she addressed the whole room, but her brown eyes were on you.

“um, sir, sorry to interrupt, but eren and jean are back at it again and i’m afraid neither one of them is stopping, sir.”

no one seemed to notice the half-eaten potato clutched in her hand - or if they did, they chose not to mention it - as she saluted the captain and commander. you were already practically out of your seat before she could finish and the look from sasha that went unnoticed by everyone else certainly did not go unnoticed by you.

you followed hot on her heels, your gaze fixated on her bobbing ponytail as she scurried through the hallways but your mind totally elsewhere. there was an uneasy feeling bubbling deep inside you and no matter what you told yourself, you couldn’t shake it.

while eren did lack the ability to take control of his emotions and strategically plan out his next moves, his brute strength and impeccable hand-to-hand combat techniques made up for it. therefore, you were more worried about jean than eren, to say the least.

so, to say you were surprised when you entered the field and laid eyes on the two was an understatement. the sight you had imagined and prepared yourself for was nowhere to be seen. instead, the one eren was injuring was himself. by the look of it, there definitely had been a fight between him and jean, but the latter was merely watching connie’s attempts at stopping the brunette.

you came to a halt immediately, unsure of how to process the scene playing out in front of you. a trembling hand mutes a sob, which is now nothing more than a pained whimper as your eyes traveled up and down eren’s body, mentally assessing his injuries.

his nose was definitely bleeding. this wasn’t an unusual sight as it tended to happened a lot during his early experiment stages with hange. but you weren’t prepared for the bruising that was already forming and there was no doubt in your mind that his nose was broken.

his forehead was stained red as well, strands of his growing hair sticking to the sides of his face. it was impossible for you to appraise the extent of the damage as you were unable to determine the origin of the crimson liquid.

everything seemed to happen in slow motion and too fast all at once. at the sight of the your group, connie’s attempts were replaced by captain levi’s with mikasa not far behind. hange made a beeline for jean, who was muttering frustrated nothings while rubbing his jaw.

so eren had gotten a few hits in.

a gentle nudge brought you back, once again, from the dark chaos within your mind. you met armin’s blue orbs, attempting to ignore the pure worry swimming within them. his eyebrows arched as a silent plea and you followed his gaze to where eren was wildly trashing against the captain.

in any other situation, you would have laughed at the ridiculousness of it all. the captain’s height was a frequent talking point among your group and there was no denying how small he looked compared to eren’s towering frame. in any other situation, you also would not have bothered hiding how impressed you were with the captain’s ability to overpower the younger boy.

“y/n-” levi warned, voice strained, as the bloodied boy continued to attempt resisting him.

with a nod (to convince yourself or as a response to levi, you were unsure), your unsteady legs carried you toward the two of them. eren’s eyes were wild with determination, his nostrils flaring with anger. but you quickly realized when walking closer that there were a dozen other emotions pooling within his emerald orbs.

“eren,” his name fell from your mouth with ease. skillfully, you maneuvered your hand around his flailing limbs, placing your palm on his swollen cheek. “eren, it’s okay. hey - stop, it’s okay, i’m here.”

it was as if a boulder had fallen off his shoulders. his actions halted immediately and his entire body relaxed at the sound of your voice. you wouldn’t have believed the effect you had on him if you hadn’t just witnessed it. levi reluctantly let go of eren, still on stand-by in case the boy would try anything.

“y/n,” your name fell from his lips just as easily, his voice nothing more than a whisper.

and just like that, he crumbled underneath your touch. you fell to the ground with him, ignoring the pain as your knees came in contact with the hardened dirt beneath you. bringing your other hand up as well, you trapped his face, forcing him to meet your gaze.

he didn’t try to look anywhere else. he couldn’t. the pained look he was giving you was almost too much and you resisted the urge to look away. his bottom lip was trembling, the slit in it leaking blood with every movement. you found yourself having to withstand the yearning to kiss the pain away.

“eren, what’s going on with you?” you tried to maintain a steady voice but there was no doubt that everybody could pick up on the worry behind every word. “this is- you can’t keep doing this. you have done nothing but talk with your fists and you need to stop. you can’t go picking fights with everybody over the smallest things.”

eren didn’t respond. the mixture of dirt and blood - both dried and fresh - and the threat of nightfall made it hard to see, but the violent jerks of his body made it obvious: he was crying. your own tears fell as well as sob after sob raked through his body.

“i can’t help you if you don’t tell me what’s wrong,” you swallowed down your own cries, your mind focused on nothing but helping the heartbroken boy in your arms. “eren, i need you to talk to me. please?”

“w-why? you shouldn’t- i’m a monster. a stupid good-for-nothing bastard. you- why do you want to help me?”

anger coursed through your veins. you wanted to beat the living shit out of whoever had made him feel this way about himself. they had absolutely no right. eren’s cries echoed in the twilight. you didn’t check if your comrades were still an audience. frankly, you didn’t care.

“you want to know why? because you’re human. because you have the abilities you have. because i truly believe you’re one of humanity’s last hopes. because you deserve to have someone believe in you the way you believe in saving all of us,” you inhaled deeply, overcome with emotion. “because i love you.”

eren’s sobs stopped just like that; as if they had an off button that you just pushed. the momentary silence - which felt way longer than you would ever admit - was broken by a sound somewhere between a shaky sigh and a surprised gasp coming from eren.

you couldn’t bring yourself to regret your confession. you didn’t feel an ounce of remorse and definitely not any embarrassment. maybe it was due to eren also showing vulnerability or maybe it was because you had practiced said confession more than once.

you didn’t care. he knew. he knew now and that was all that mattered.

his eyes searched your face. you weren’t sure for what, but you assumed for a sign of wether or not you were speaking the truth. your features held nothing but earnest as you returned his analyzing stare and it seemed to satisfy his silent investigation.

“i feel- it’s too much. too much pressure. i don’t know what i’m doing anymore. i’m not- there has to be someone else. i-i can’t do it... so many people. they’re all dead because of me. i’m not strong enough to-”

the last drops of self-control you had were eliminated by his proclamation. while it might have been difficult to comprehend for some, you had understood every word and with each broken sentence, your heart ached more and more.

eren’s disjointed admissions were halted by your lips on his. you didn’t know where your newfound confidence had come from but you were grateful for its presence. his lips molded against yours almost instantly - so effortlessly.

you ignored the taste of iron just as eren ignored the stinging from the cut on his lip. while the kiss was nowhere near being sexual, it was definitely more than just a peck. your lips moved together in pain and understand and love and relief.

unwillingly, you pulled away. suddenly aware that you more than likely still had an audience, the fresh evening air felt good against your flushed cheeks. the two of you remained silent, attempting to revert your breathing patterns back to normal.

eren rested his forehead against yours. you were sure sasha could practically hear the way your heart was stammering in your chest. and if not, eren definitely could. with each thump, your chest tightened and you were sure that if human bodies had not been designed with rib cages, your heart would have been long gone.

your thumb caressed his cheek, his fresh tears smearing with the dried crimson in the process. a gust of wind took ahold of the few pieces of hair framing your face. eren gingerly grabbed the loose strands, tucking them behind your ear. he had done so countless times before, but something just felt different this time around.

“i love you, too,” he whispered, the previous insecurities long gone from his voice. he had never spoken truer words.

you smiled. “let’s get you cleaned up, yeah? and i think you might owe someone an apology.”

eren’s limbs ached and although he didn’t want to admit to that, his body betrayed him. he had just barely stood back up when his trembling legs buckled. he prepared to meet the cold ground and the pain that would ensue, but a pair of hands caught him before it happened.

you were just as surprised as eren appeared to be as levi attempted to steady him. it seemed the captain hadn’t ventured far. hyper aware that he probably had heard every word shared between you and eren, you didn’t dare meet his eyes.

you sprung into action immediately, moving to eren’s other side. he winced as you navigated his arm around your shoulders, causing you to sputter out apologies while doing so. captain levi’s amusement didn’t go unnoticed by you or eren, but neither of you decided to comment on it.

with you and captain levi both being significantly shorter than eren, supporting his weight was easier said than done. after some trial and error, though, the three of you were able to move almost seamlessly.

eren’s strength was wavering by the second, you could tell, but he had enough left to come to a halt when you neared his most recent victim. you met jean’s eyes, hoping he could sense how apologetic you were. he confirmed with a nod then turned his attention to the boy who seemed to be getting heavier and heavier in your arms.

“i’m sorry, jean, i-i honestly don’t even know... i’m sorry.”

“what? no ‘horse-face’?” the redhead chuckled, almost sadly. you realized that they had already cleaned him up. “don’t worry about it, eren. you did more damage to yourself than me anyway.”

jean placed a hand on eren’s arm that was thrown over your shoulder. the interaction was brief but seemed to mean a lot to the both of them. then, they nodded and jean walked back toward the remainder of the group. sasha and connie were both saying words to him that you couldn't hear.

you could feel the distressed stares that armin and mikasa were both sending in your direction. you gave them a nod, promising that their childhood friend was okay. he would be, at least. you had already made it your mission to ensure it.

as you and captain levi hauled eren toward his dorm, the severity of the situation began feeling heavy on your shoulders. eren had definitely broken more than a few rules and you were sure captain levi would make sure he was punished for his insubordination.

you weren’t entirely sure you would be off the hook either. sure, you hadn’t broken rules or gone against direct orders, but you hadn’t exactly abided either. captain levi could easily find a reason for why you should receive punishment as well and no one would even question it.

captain levi’s steel eyes followed your every move as you opened the door to eren’s room, you could feel it. it didn’t feel like his typical burning glare but you couldn’t quite place your finger on the emotion behind the action either.

as if sensing your thoughts that were now moving a hundred miles a minute, a groan came from eren. you watched them both quietly as captain levi managed to plop eren down on the chair you had placed next to the bath. another groan escaped the green-eyed boy and you could tell he was exhausted and in pain.

“captain, i’m-”

“tch. save it, brat. we have all been there and if they haven’t, they will. i’m surprised it took you this long. you’re a lot stronger than you give yourself credit for, kid,” levi interrupted, turning his attention toward you. “y/n, i trust you’ll take good care of humanity’s last hope. i’ll see the both of you at breakfast tomorrow morning.”

“i- yes, sir.”

captain levi left without another word, leaving you and eren alone for the first time all day. you suddenly felt hesitant, unsure of what to do next. eren’s grunts of frustration filled the silent room as he began - well, tried to anyway - removing his tunic.

you swatted his hands away gently, removing the article of clothing with ease. you had seen eren’s bare body before but you were still just as awestruck. this time, though, his skin was littered with scrapes, cuts and bruises of almost every color imaginable. you swallowed the urge to yell at him.

the silence continued as you washed his body ever-so-gently. once you had been able to get him into the tub, that is. more than once, you had to momentarily stop your actions to check if eren had either fallen asleep or passed out.

every time, his eyelids would flutter open instinctively, as if missing the warmth of your touch the second it disappeared. his green eyes would widen until they landed on you and he would relax, his lids falling shut once again.

the silence wasn’t uncomfortable; it was filled with unspoken words of gratitude and affection. the two of you enjoyed it to the fullest - maybe even a little too much. reluctantly, you stopped running your fingers through his brown locks that never seemed to stop growing.

eren didn’t protest when you told him it was time to get out despite how much he wanted to. he also didn’t protest and tried his best to help when you began putting a change of clothes on him. he didn’t protest when you whispered it was time for bed, either.

he did protest when you attempted to take your leave, however.

“stay,” it was a soft plea that pulled on your heartstrings. “please?”

and, so, you climbed into bed with him without hesitation. he nuzzled into the crook of your neck so quickly that it seemed like second-nature to him and was asleep within minutes, his soft snores the only sound within range.

well, you had definitely broken rules now. but you decided that eren sleeping next to you was more than worth whatever form of discipline captain levi could ever devise. you would handle whatever it was with pride if it meant you could stay like this forever.

/ / / / /

ok, um, this didn’t exactly go where i had envisioned it to but i’m not really mad? idk. i had to put some levi x eren in there bc i live for their mentor/mentee relationship. if you made it this far, please send me some asks and let me know what you thought 🥺

186 notes · View notes

thegreatestofheck · 4 years

Text

Ocean and Alcohol Pt. 9 ✘JJ Maybank✘

part one! part two! part three! part four! part five! part six! part seven! part eight!

(not my gif! all credit for this absolute beauty of a gif goes to rudypankows. Thank you for blessing us with this. Thank you.)

Word Count - 5916 Warnings - A little swearing, brief mention of self harm Synopsis - The search for the gold is afoot. JJ visits you one morning and you say something you probably shouldn’t have. You and the Pogues find the Royal Merchant, but it isn’t everything you thought it would be. Taglist - @bitterbethany @lovelymaybankk @ilymarkchan @downbytheouterbanks @clearcolourlessglass @obxwriterfan @tangledinsparkles @chill-sushi A/N - Hey guys! Sorry for the slow update on this one. I’ve been really struggling to write the canon scenes, but I think I managed decently with this one! Things are gonna start getting heated in the next chapter, so be ready for that. I pray that you guys are staying safe out there and doing all you can to fight for justice. I love you all. Never forget it. If you need me, my DMs are always open for any conversation you need to have. Please rely on your friend’s and even strangers during this time and take care of yourselves! As always, stay safe, stay healthy, stay groovy.

Listening to John B sob was heart-wrenching. His father’s words echoed in your own head as John B clung to the wall, the only thing that was keeping him from falling to his knees. Kie curled herself around him in an attempt to hold him together. Part of you wanted to hug him too, if it would stop the sound of him crying. It broke your heart and you weren’t sure why.

After what seemed like a lifetime, John B managed to stifle his tears and stand up straight. Kie stepped back and away, closer to you. John B turned to look at you guys and you saw the tears that still ran down his face, eyes rimmed red.

“Why...Why don’t we go get some fresh air?” You suggested when no one said anything. There were a few half-hearted nods from the others. Kie was the first to move. She plucked her ukelele off the floor before walking out the front door. Pope and JJ followed after her.

You waited, watching as John B put his hand back on the wall to keep him steady. His eyes were glued to the tape recorder on the table. You took a shaking step toward him and placed your hand on his forearm. He flicked his eyes over to look at you. With a small nod, you gave his arm a short squeeze.

The fresh air was good. The Chateau had begun to feel stuffy, unwelcoming, like a dark cloud loomed over the building. So, when you left, the night air was comforting. The darkness of the night was starting to fade as the moon started to dip toward the horizon. You would need to get home soon, at least for a few hours. But for now, your friend needed all the support he could get and you weren’t about to leave him.

The five of you sat on the dock, everyone except for Pope perched on the railing. You sat beside JJ, one of his hands resting on your knee. The night was silent, save for the sound of the water lapping against the dock and Kie strumming her ukelele.

“How much was it again?” JJ asked, breaking the silence. A single light shone above John B’s head, illuminating the tears on his cheeks and the grimace in his lips.

“Four hundred mil,” Pope said, tapping his foot. JJ sighed, sliding his hand off of your leg and turning to face the others. You suddenly felt cold at the loss of his touch.

“Let’s talk split,” he said. You closed your eyes so he wouldn’t see you roll them. “Now, before we say evenly, may I remind you that I am the one that can properly defend us from those groupers who were after us.”

JJ pulled the gun from his pocket and you glared at him, sliding off the railing to sit next to Pope. You hated that thing in his hand. You hated it because you wanted it so badly.

“Protection isn’t cheap,” JJ continued as John B took a long drink from his beer can.

“You have no training,” Pope said. You wished he wouldn’t feed into JJ’s antics. You pulled your legs up to your chest, settling your chin between your knees.

“YouTube, bro! That’s at least a five percent bump right there.”

“You haven’t-”

“Any objections?” You lifted your head, hand following. “Didn’t think so.”

You rolled your eyes and put your head back down. Kie raised her hand with a small shake of her head and Pope scoffed.

“I didn’t hear any, so-” JJ said, shrugging his shoulders.

“What would you do with the money, Pope?” Kie asked with a small smile, trying to turn the conversation away from JJ.

“Pay for college in advance,” Pope said as if he could see it happening right in front of his eyes. “And also textbooks. Those are expensive. Elm?”

“Wait til I’m 18. Hire a damn good lawyer and get my brother the hell out of that house,” you said, raising your beer can as if it was a toast. Or a promise.

“You’re going to use your money to move out?” Kie asked. You nodded your head, taking a drink.

“Once I get custody of my brother and settle us somewhere safe, you guys can have the rest,” you said. You finished off the rest of your beer, watching the water through the wooden railing. “What about you, Kie?”

“Yeah, what does a socialist do when she’s rich?” Pope asked, turning to his friend. Kie laughed, but she looked up at the sky, thinking.

“I just wanna make a double album,” Kie said with a smile on her lips. “About OBX. The Pogues. You know, the way Catch a Fire is about Kingston.”

You smiled at her idea. There was something so wholesome about it. She looked so free to do whatever she wanted with her money. She was going to take it and do something she loved with no obligations, no fears, no worry. You were almost jealous of her.

“Record it at Marley Studio, Peter Tosh producing-” She continued, a dreamer’s smile still on her face. You smiled along with her. “Peter Tosh is-” Pope started.

“Peter Tosh is dead, I know.” Kie raised her can of beer. “Spirit of Peter Tosh will never die.”

“Amen,” you echoed, lifting your empty beer can.

“I know what I’ll do,” JJ said, looking down at you. “I’m gonna get a big ass house on Figure 8 and go full Kook.”

“You’re gonna go full Kook?” Pope asked in disbelief.

“Yup,” JJ said. You looked back at him and smiled. “Gonna make a marble statue of myself, and then I’m gonna get a koi pond. Put a bunch of those fish-”

“I’m never visiting,” Kie said with a laugh.

“Can Kid and I come live with you?” You asked, only half-joking.

“Of course, Babe,” JJ said, ruffling your hair with his hand. You swatted his hand away from your head, but with a grin.

“What are you going to do with the money, JB?” Pope asked, looking over at his friend. Everyone else turned to him. His face was set in stone, staring out over the water. Finally, he nodded and turned his head into the light, looking at his friends. There was a small smile pulling at the edge of his lips.

“To going full Kook.”

***

You drove back home, your mind reeling. The Pogues had their plan to go to the hotel where JJ worked to look up the coordinates that John B’s dad left for the Royal Merchant. You could feel the gold at the tip of your fingers. The answer to your problems, the fulfillment of your dream to get your brother out of the clutches of your father, was right there. You could see it in front of your eyes and you wanted it now more than ever. It killed you that you couldn’t be beside them the entire time, but you had to be extra careful now more than ever if you really wanted to get Kid away from your dad.

It was around 4 in the morning when you flopped into your bed. Sleep consumed you rather quickly. When you woke up at 9 the next morning, you wondered if you were ever going to get a good night’s sleep with all the time you spent running around with the Pogues.

Your dad was already at work when you woke up. There was a note on your door from Kid, telling you that he went over to Dex’s until Dad was home. It made you smile. You were glad that Kid was comfortable enough to leave the house under Dad’s nose. You had always wanted him to have a normal life where he could just go over to his friend’s house without fear of being punished for it later.

You would wait around until your friend’s needed you, as you always did these days. Instead of moping around, you turned your music up as loud as it would go and started to clean the kitchen. Cleaning the kitchen slowly became cleaning the dining room and then cleaning the foyer until you had cleaned almost the entire downstairs. A knock at your door startled you, spinning around to look at the front door.

You looked over at the clock, wondering who might be there. Kid and Dad would have just walked through the front door without knocking first. You tried to tell yourself that it was probably just the mailman. Walking across the room, tiptoeing, you heard the knock again.

A smile broke across your face as you pulled the door open to find Pope and JJ standing on your porch.

“We have a delivery for, uh, ‘one hot babe’,” JJ said, pretending to hold a package under his arm. You crossed your arms, leaning against the doorframe with an amused smile on your face as Pope groaned.

“I’m sorry. I think you have the wrong house,” you said, tilting your head to the side.

“Oh no,” JJ grinned, eyes scanning your body. “This is definitely the right house.”

“God, okay, please stop,” Pope begged, squeezing his eyes together. “Elm, we need your help.”

“Of course,” you said, standing straighter. “What do you guys need? Did you guys find anything?”

“Yeah, we found the place where the coordinates are. We just have to get a drone to get us down there,” JJ said.

“We’re stealing a drone,” Pope said, side-eyeing JJ.

“It’s not stealing. It’s borrowing.”

“We are taking a drone from its rightful owners and using it for our own, selfish purposes.”

“Okay, stealing or borrowing, whatever. What do you need me to do?” You asked. JJ and Pope both turned to look at you.

“We need to borrow your car.”

***

You drove behind the van, Kie sitting in your passenger seat. The windows were rolled down and music thrummed through the car. Kie hand her feet sticking out the window, bouncing her legs to the beat.

“Can I tell you something?” Kie asked suddenly, turning to you and lifting her sunglasses onto her head.

“Sure.”

“You have to promise not to laugh at me.”

“I would never laugh at you, Kie.”

“Okay, here goes.” Kie sucked in a deep breath. “John B kissed me.”

You nearly stomped your foot on the break.

“What?”

“Yeah, a few days ago. I didn’t want to say anything at first, but John B already told the boys and I didn’t want you to feel left out of the loop.”

“I, um, I appreciate it, Kie.” You cleared your throat. “Did...did you kiss him back?”

“I just want to be friends with him,” Kie said, looking back out the window. “He knows that. I told him.”

“I don’t really know what I should say, but I could punch him if you’d like,” you told her, glancing over in her direction. Kie laughed and shook her head.

“Thank you for the support, Elm, but you don’t have to punch him. I just don’t want it to be awkward is all. You know I…” Kie looked down at her hands. “I wasn’t there for him when his dad went missing. I’m just trying to make up for it now, but I guess I was sending some signals that I hadn’t meant to.”

“I’m sure John B knows you’re there for him. And the air is clear now, right? He knows that you want to be just friends so you can go back to doing all the silly friend things you did before without feeling awkward, right?” Advice wasn’t something you were entirely good at. You had never really had to give it to anyone before. Or pep talks. But Kie smiled at you and then turned to look out the window.

“You’re right.” She dropped her sunglasses back onto her nose. “Thank you, Elm.”

“Yeah, no problem.”

You two fell quiet once again, listening to the music. Maybe one day you would be able to sit with someone, listen to their problems, and give them sound advice, but you guessed that today wasn’t that day.

Up in front of you, JJ stuck his head out of the van window. You couldn’t help but smile when he opened his mouth and stuck out his tongue like a dog.

“What an idiot,” you mumbled to yourself, hiding a smile behind your hand. JJ blew a kiss to you from the window. You made a display of catching it and pressing your palm against your cheek.

“You’ve got that boy whipped, you know,” Kie said, watching with a smile. You turned to look at her, hoping she would elaborate. “When you’re not around, he barely stops talking about you.”

You weren’t sure why your smile started to falter.

“He’s got me pretty whipped too,” you said, watching the wind blow through his hair. He lifted his face up to the sun and you felt your heart warm at the sight of him.

“Yeah.” Kie smiled. “I can see that.”

You drove up to the salvage yard, seeing the van a few feet back. As you and Kie stepped out of the car, you looked back to get a thumbs up from each of the boys. You returned it with a smile. You and Kie both walked up to the gate.

“Hello?” Kie waved at the security gate. “Excuse me?”

You smiled as sweetly as you could when the guard walked up to the gate.

“Can I help you, ladies?” The guard asked. You looked over at Kie and then bit your lip. “My car,” you said. “It has a flat.”

“Do you think you can help us?” Kie asked, with a smile all her own.

The guard looked back and forth between the two of you for a moment before his lips twitched upward and he nodded his head.

“Yeah, I can help.”

“Yeah?”

He turned back toward his guard shack. You turned to Kie, both of your smiles dropping.

“It’s too easy,” she said, squinting against the sunlight.

“Way too easy.”

When he came back out, carrying a toolbox, you waved him over toward your car.

“It’s the back one,” you said as Kie leaned up against the door of your car. “It wasn’t like this when I left the house. I have no idea what would have caused this to happen.”

“Well,” the guard said as he set his tools down and crouched to the floor. “If you hit something sharp on the road…”

As he explained it to you, you met Kie’s gaze and rolled your eyes. She shook her head and laughed quietly, looking at the ground. When you glanced up at the gate, you saw the boys scamper into the salvage yard before the gate shut. You could only hope they’d find the drone quickly.

But time ticked on and the guy was almost finished with the tire. You met Kie’s gaze again and it was clear that she was thinking the same thing. With a small motion of your head, she went around to the other side of the car to try and let air out of another tire. You lowered yourself to the gravel and gave the security guard a smile.

“Thank you for helping us,” you said, reaching out to put a hand over his as he started to put his tools away. “I wish there was some way we could repay you.”

The guard gave a soft smile, not the kind that you expected.

“Don’t worry about it,” he said, pulling his hand away and closing his bag. “Just glad I could help.”

You stood after him and hurried after him as he walked to the other side of the car. There was a series of barks from inside the salvage yard and you sincerely hoped that it was just JJ barking at snakes again. The guard scowled, stopping and staring at the gate.

“What was that?” he asked.

You shrugged, jumping up onto the hood of your car.

“Nothing important,” you said, kicking your feet back and forth. You brought his attention back to you for a few moments, before he walked a few steps farther and saw Kie desperately trying to let air out of another tire with her hair clip.

“What’s going on?” He asked, looking up quickly when the barking sound returned. You glanced down at Kie, who looked up at you, cringing. Neither of you had the chance to say anything before the security guard took off back toward the salvage yard.

“Shit,” Kie hissed, pushing herself off the ground. “We gotta go.”

“The boys-”

“They’ll be fine.”

You slid off of the hood of your car and jumped into the front seat, starting the car. You drove off as soon as Kie was in the other seat, only feeling sort of bad about leaving the boys behind as you rattled down the street, away from the salvage yard.

You met up back at the Wreck, starved and exhausted. When you saw the boys pull up in the van, you let out a happy sigh and walked toward them. Pope was the first one out of the car, still shaking from the adrenaline. You walked up to him and threw your arms around his neck, pulling him into a tight hug.

“What happened in there?” you asked, pulling back and moving toward JJ.

“There was a dog,” Pope said as he walked toward Kie.

“Yeah, we heard it,” Kie said.

“Thought you guys were going to distract the security guard,” JJ said, wrapping an arm around you as you stepped up to him.

“Eh, we tried,” you said. “Maybe we should have sent you to seduce him instead.”

JJ grinned.

“That probably would have worked better. I’m very seductive.”

“Yeah, you are,” John B piped in, walking around from the other side of the van.

“Come on in, guys,” Kie said. “Dad’s got some food for us.”

“I love your dad,” you said, moving to follow after her as she and Pope walked up the ramp. But JJ pulled you back, putting his hands on the side of your face and pressing a kiss against your lips. You smiled, looping your fingers through the belt loops of his pants to pull him closer.

He broke the kiss and brushed a piece of hair behind your ear.

“What was that for?” You asked him, trying to bite back a smile. JJ shrugged, dropping his hand to rest against your collarbone.

“I haven’t been able to kiss you yet today,” he said.

“In that case, maybe you should do it again.”

He leaned down with a smile, but before his lips could touch yours, someone knocked on the glass window. You both turned around. All three of your friends were standing there, holding plates of food. Pope faked a gag. John B held up a thumbs up. Kie held the food up higher.

“Should we go in?” You asked, looking at them still. JJ sighed.

“It does smell pretty bitchin’,” he said, running a hand down your bare arm, leaving goosebumps. You leaned up on your toes and pressed a quick kiss to his cheek before turning toward the Wreck.

***

The next day, your dad hadn’t gone to work, which meant you weren’t going out.

JJ knocked on your window pretty early in the morning. You had to tell him that you couldn’t go. He pouted, but you grabbed him by the scruff of his shirt and pulled him closer. A short kiss from you and his pout was gone.

“I’ll see you tomorrow,” you said, only a breath away from him. JJ nodded his head, not taking his eyes off of your lips.

“I’m sure they would be cool if they had to wait a few minutes for me,” JJ said, breathing heavily. You smiled, leaning down and kissing his nose. The tips of his ears burned red. Before you could retreat back into your room, JJ grabbed hold of your chin and pulled you back to him.

Your stomach butterflied when his lips met yours, goosebumps littering your skin. You melted at his touch as his hand left your chin, finding it’s resting place on the nape of your neck, the metal of his rings cool against your skin. Every cell in your body wanted to pull him into your room right then and there, but with your dad right down the hall, you knew better.

Still, you took your sweet time.

He still tasted like the beach. Salt and sand on his lips and you never wanted anything more. You could feel his heart pounding in his chest and it was beating to the same rhythm as yours.

JJ tugged gently on the bottom of your shirt, his teeth grazing against your skin. A quiet gasp escaped your lips when you managed to suck in an ounce of air. Hearing JJ struggle for breath made your stomach flip in a thousand different ways. After what Kie told you in the car about him and the way he kissed you know, confidence grew inside of you that he could possibly like you just as much as you liked him. Maybe, somehow, he needed you the same way.

Neither of you wanted him to leave. If you could stay here, leaning out of your window, you would. Even though you were still in the house that brought you so much pain, the house that had you tiptoeing around like the floor was made of shattered glass, being near JJ made you feel safe. A word floated through your head, a word that you had never been able to claim before.

Home.

You hadn’t meant to say it, especially not then. The words had been playing in your mind for days, weeks maybe. Every time you looked at him, every time he looked at you, every moment you were just sitting there together, every sound of his laugh, every time he smiled, every time he made you dance. The words bounced throughout your mind, always at the tip of your tongue. And every time you had managed to keep the words locked behind your teeth.

Up until now.

“I love you.”

You regretted the words as soon as you said them, pulling back through the window. JJ just stared at you, his lips parted and his eyes wide. Your face burned and your heart constricted in your chest. If the floor could open up and swallow you whole, you wished it would. Oh, to be anywhere other than where you were right now. You shouldn’t have said it. You should have just kept it to yourself.

“I, uh, I have to go,” JJ said, turning away from the window. Ice settled against your bones, freezing you from the inside out. The sun was hot and blaring, but still, you started to shiver.

“Yeah. Yeah.” You refused to look at him and he wouldn’t look at you. “Say...say hi to everyone for me.”

“Sure.”

“See you.”

“Yeah.”

You watched, pressing your lips together as tight as you could, as he climbed down from the roof. You didn’t want to watch him run across the grass away from your house, so you pulled the curtains together.

Your hands shook as you pressed your fingers to your temples, pacing back and forth. You weren’t going to cry, there was no point in it. It was stupid. It was the heat of the moment, you said something you shouldn’t have. You would apologize when you saw him tomorrow. There was no need to panic.

Still, your heart thudded so painfully, it hurt your ears. It felt like you couldn’t breathe all over again, like you were drowning, but not in the good way. You thought you were going to be sick. Sweat beaded down your neck as goosebumps still scattered across your legs. You thought you might combust from the inside. Part of you wished that you would.

When someone knocked on your door, you whirled around, still dazed. You quickly pulled your hair up into a ponytail in an attempt to hide your panic before calling out to whoever was on the other side.

Kid peaked his head in.

“You good?” He asked.

“Yeah, why I wouldn’t be?” you scoffed, tucking your hands under your arms.

“I saw JJ running across the grass and then I heard you pacing. Just wanted to make sure.”

“Yeah, Kid. Everything’s fine.”

“Okay, well, tell him to be more careful next time. Dad might see him.”

Next time. After what you did, you weren’t there was going to be a next time.

“Sure, Kid. I’ll tell him.”

“Also, Dad wants our help with something. Might want to put on some fresh lipgloss.”

As your hand shot up to your lips, Kid closed the door with a smirk. You huffed to yourself, doing as your brother suggested, before trotting downstairs with your best attempt at a smile.

“Hey, Kiddo!” Your dad was in the kitchen still making breakfast. “You look a little sunburnt. You been going out?”

“Just been tanning in the backyard,” you lied quickly, sliding into a chair. “Thought I might as well.”

“I’m sorry you can’t go out more, sweetheart,” he said, passing you a plate of french toast. “I just want you to be safe and there’s nowhere safer than home.”

You smiled and took a bite of toast so you wouldn’t have to respond. It tasted bitter in your mouth, despite the syrup and powdered sugar. You couldn’t believe how heavily your father deluded himself. This house was probably the place where you were the least safe. At least you didn’t feel so trapped anymore.

“Why did you stay home from work today?” You asked, staring at your plate of food, trying to swallow what felt like ashes in your mouth.

“Just wanted to hang out with you guys today.” Your dad sat across from you with his own plate. “There’s some more work to do outside from Agatha. I see that you and your brother haven’t really been doing it yourselves, so I thought I might as well kick you guys into gear.”

You swallowed a lump in your throat and you smiled.

“Yeah, sounds good.” You knew better than to mention the fact that you had cleaned the house yesterday. It would just make things worse.

“Good. Finish your breakfast and then get your ass outside.”

Your dad picked up his plate, shoving his share back as he stood. You flinched, turning back to your plate. He stormed out the front door. You looked over at Kid, who held his hands tight in his lap.

“It’s okay, Kid. Enjoy your food,” you said with an attempted smile. Kid looked up at you with only his eyes, not lifting his head. In hopes to convince him to eat, you took another bite, despite your entire body’s reaction being to throw it back up again.

Slowly, Kid started to eat again.

The day passed with no problems aside from your dad being a passive aggressive douche bag. You wanted to make sure that Kid had sunscreen on so that the burns already on his back wouldn’t get worse. But your dad locked the sunscreen in your house and refused to unlock the doors to let you grab it. He wouldn’t even let you inside to get water or use the restroom.

By the end of the day, you were almost glad that your dad had you doing manual labor throughout the day because you hadn’t thought of JJ since that morning. Of course, once you laid down back in your bed, it all came flooding back.

You slammed your face against your pillow and screamed as loud as you could. How could you be so stupid? Not being able to hold your tongue when you should have was always an issue for you. Now, here you were, in the pitfalls of that fault.

Regret floated around you like a cloud. One knick in your wall and the flood came pouring out. You were no longer worried just about JJ, but fears overcame you about your friends, your mother, Ms. Lana, your dad, Kid. If you had just shattered your relationship with JJ, where would that put you with John B, Pope, Kie? They were his friends, but were they really yours too?

Maybe that’s why your mom really left, then. You were too clingy, too comfortable, too needy. Maybe you told her you loved her too many times. Maybe she was sick of looking at you.

You were crying before you even realized it. The floodgates had burst open in your heart, and that was reflected by the tears that streamed down your cheeks.

You were alone in your room, maybe that was a sign. Maybe that’s where you were supposed to be. Alone. Alone.

The thought forced a sob through your tightened jaw. You pressed the back of your hand against your mouth to keep any more from bouncing around your empty room. Still, the sobbing shook your body, chest heaving. You bit down on the back of your hand until you tasted blood, clamping your teeth down to keep yourself from making sound.

Your eyes fluttered shut as pain finally sparked through your hand. At first, your reaction was to pull your head away, but you didn’t when you realized that it took your mind off of the thoughts. You kept your hand in your mouth until you fell asleep.

***

The next day, you were sitting in your room with a book in your hand. When the knock came to your window, you snapped your head upward. Pulling the curtain open, your heart sunk when you saw Kie sitting there, waiting. You tried to smile at her as you pulled your window.

“Hey,” you said.

“We’re finding that boat today, Elm,” she said, a childish grin on her face. “You ready to be rich?”

“Hell yes.”

You followed her out to the car, hoping in the back before thinking about what you said the day before.

“Hey, Elm,” Pope said, holding out his fist for you as you climbed inside.

“Hey.” You smiled. John B tapped your shoulder with his hand as you settled into the seat behind his and you swatted him right back. When you finally made eye contact with JJ, that same painful ice shot through you again, burning to ash in your stomach. You pressed your fingers against the back of your hand through the bandage you wrapped around it, feeling the pain once again.

“What happened to your hand?” Pope asked. You looked down and tried to smile.

“Oh, you know, burned it trying to make breakfast this morning,” you said, giving a short laugh.

“You really are terrible at cooking.” You looked over at JJ and there was a smile on his face, as if nothing the day before had happened. You smiled back, hoping that you could forget it yourself.

“So, we’re getting this gold?”

“You bet your ass we’re getting that gold, Elm!” John B drummed his fingers against the steering wheel, banging his head to his own beat.

As the five of you stepped onto the boat, JJ grabbed your wrist and turned you around.

“Hey, we good?” He asked, brushing his thumb against your wrist. You gave a few short nods, unable to look him in the eyes. “Ellie-”

“Yeah, yeah. We’re good.” You leaned up and pressed a quick kiss to his lips before turning and hopping onto the boat with everyone else.

The day was supposed to be calm, but as soon as you made it to the spot where the Royal Merchant was supposed to have sunken, waves started to ripple across the water. You watched with growing alarm as a storm started to roll closer and closer to your small boat. John B called out for JJ to move the boat this way and that, but the current was too strong. You could feel it pulling the boat faster than he was able to move it. Kie called out how far down the drone was. You could feel the tension on the boat, or maybe it was the static from the storm.

You weren’t sure which.

“It should be right here,” Pope said, glancing up. You and Kie ran over to where John B and Pope were staring at the screen.

“Where is it?”

“I don’t know, Kie.”

“Wait,” you said, pointing at a darker spot on the screen. “What’s that?”

As Pope got closer, your heart dropped into your stomach, a smile breaking across your lips.

“What is it?” JJ called from the wheel. No one said anything for a moment, mouths dry. John B started to smile as more of the ship came into view.

“It’s the Royal Merchant.”

JJ let out a holler from the front, but the more you all looked at the screen, the more your smiles started to fall. A heavy rock settled in your stomach. The gold wasn’t there, there was nothing but an old wreckage.

“It’s not there,” John B said. You could see the heartbreak on his face. “Just, pull up the drone.”

Thundered rumbled in the distance, making you look up from the screen to the darkening sky.

“Shit,” John B breathed.

“Look, we can do another pass. Recharge the battery,” Pope protested as John B walked away. “We...we can go back down!”

You fell back against a cooler, staring at the bottom of the boat. The gold was there, you could feel it on your fingertips, yet it was just out of reach.

“The gold could be buried, we don’t know!” Kie shouted over the wind as it started to pick up.

“If the gold was buried, we would see it on the metal detector,” John B said, leaning against the side of the boat. You dropped your face into your hands.

“Somebody beat us to it,” John B told them.

“Or it was never there.” You could hear the anger in JJ’s voice. He turned the wheel a little too harsh and you grabbed hold of the railing to keep from toppling off of the cooler. No one said anything until you were all back onshore.

Still, there was silence when everyone stepped off. The urge to cry was right there, but you held it back. If anyone should be the most disappointed, it should be John B. You couldn’t help but think about that life you almost convinced yourself you could have had.

As you walked away from the boat toward the van, you kicked the rocks beneath your feet. JJ walked up behind you, lacing his fingers through yours before you knew he was there. You turned to look toward him, startled at first. But then he smiled down at you. You could see the disappointment in his eyes, but there was still a smile on his face. You squeezed his hand as he brought your knuckles up to his lips. You didn’t even realize it was your wounded hand until you saw the bandages.

It all felt stupid now. The breakdown, the biting, the tears. Maybe you had freaked him out, you had freaked yourself out, but that didn’t matter. Cause here he was, by your side.

You smiled back, bumping his shoulder with yours as you walked back to the car.

#jj maybank #ocean and alcohol #jj obx #obx #outer banks #pope heyward #john b #john b obx #pope obx #kiara carrera #kiara obx #jj angst #jj fluff #outer banks fic

155 notes · View notes

verobatto · 4 years

Text

Destiel Chronicles

Vol. LXIX

It was a love story from the very beginning.

I Want You Back (Part II)

(11x16b/11x17)

Hello there! Finally finishing the second part of this meta.

It will focus on the parallel between the entity from the 'Safe House' episode and Amara it’s suggesting. Afterwards we will talk about one of the episodes that were discussed more controversially among us Destiel shippers, I'm talking about 'Red Meat', and I will show you step by step that it is, indeed, a very Destiel one.

Thanks to @destielle for beta-ing this one! She's amazing. Thank you girl! 😘💝

Soul Eater

Let's talk about that haunting parallel I just mentioned.

If you check episode 11x16, there is this entity from that house that ate souls.

RUFUS: A Soul Eater? What the hell is that?

BOBBY: Undead creature that feeds on souls. Hence the name. They exist in a place between our world and… another. Soul Eater moves into a house, and once it does, it makes what the lore refers to as a ‘nest’.

RUFUS: A place that exists outside of time and space.

SAM:The nest looks and feels like whatever house the Soul Eater is in.

The creature created a fake house, like a reflection in the mirror. It’s a fake home in which the entity shows people the souls of the ones they love in different and terrible situations (dead) to keep them under it's dominium. From the moment the seal was broken, the creature attacked again.

SAM: Apparently, the nest messes with their victim's head, shows them things they love, parts of their soul in distress, it keeps the victim's soul vulnerable.

So we have a broken seal, a powerful creature eating souls, a fake reality to keep them dominated, right?

And Bobby saying that he could feel the evil in that dimension…

I think we have the perfect description of Amara here, Dean and Sam broke the sigil, Cain's Mark, and she was released, she eats souls, just like the Soul Eater, creating a fake happiness/reality to dominate the victims/Dean.

Again the writers are showing us that Amara is evil, her dominance over Dean is established through fear.

I think it’s vital to mention that between all the books Rufus and Bobby were reading, there was one with the title "Fallen Angel", it make us recall Castiel and Lucifer with the particularity that they're sharing vessels at that moment. Two fallen angels: one fell due to love and the other due to hate.

Another interesting visual narrative that acted as a foreshadowing, was the soul eater placing a hand on Dean's chest in the same way Rowena will place her hand on him in the last episode of the season where he’ll become a soul bomb.

And now, pay close attention to the following scene, because it’s connected to the next episode (Red Meat).

RUFUS: What'd you see, Bobby?

BOBBY: My boys. Both of 'em. Both of 'em dead. And I saw… well I don't know what the hell I saw.

And…

SAM: Hey, you said the Soul Eater made you see things. Plural. So… what else did you see?

DEAN: I saw you. Dead on the floor.

This was a foreshadowing of Sam laying dead on the floor (well he won’t die, but almost) in the next episode. But it’s A BLATANT MIRROR. BOBBY SEEING HIS SONS DEAD ON THE FLOOR. AND IT’S REFLECTING PURELY FAMILIAL LOVE. A father and his two children who are brothers.

FAMILY LOVE, there's no hint of ROMANTIC LOVE in here, no Wincest! Bobby was actively chosen to pose as the mirror. The writers easily could have used a couple with the husband seeing his wife laying dead on the floor, right? But it was BOBBY who saw his boys on the floor, just like Dean saw his brother. It’s about Family!

Sorry I'm a little bossy here, but I need you to understand this point before jumping to the next one.

Using Logic

Let's analyze episode 11x17 with logical facts…

The mentioning of Castiel at the beginning of the episode is there to remind us that Dean is feeling miserable because they couldn't rescue him yet. And he is not sleeping because of that. Sam is trying to comfort him by saying that they’ll get him back.

The episode introduced Corbin and Michelle, a newly-wed couple very much in love.

Corbin would do anything to protect Michelle (Dean mirror) and he is the one becoming a monster (werewolf), so he’s acting as our Castiel's mirror here.

Sam gets shot, and he has a very bad wound. We have Corbin trying to kill him, because he would do anything to save Michelle, even if that implies making a bad decision.

Now, we have Dean thinking his brother is dead. But keep in mind that WHEN HE ENTERS THE ROOM SAM IS ALREADY DEAD (in Dean’s eyes at leat). So DEAN DIDN'T SEE HIS BROTHER DIE. HE FOUND HIM DEAD, LAYING ON THE FLOOR. (First fact).

Then this… he asks Michelle to assist him in his try to contact Death… but … he also says this ..

Dean: Okay. After I do this, go get the doc and tell her to, um... Tell her to bring me back, if she can. If not... no hard feelings, okay?

He is not suicidal here, THIS IS TOTALLY DIFFERENT TO EPISODE 13X05 WHEN HE WANTED TO DIE, NOT WANTING TO LIVE BECAUSE CAS WASN'T ANYMORE. Even knowing Sam was dead, Dean wanted to live. GIVING YOUR LIFE FOR YOUR BROTHER DOESN'T COUNT AS A SUICIDAL THOUGHT, BUT INSTEAD AS SOMETHING ANYONE WOULD DO FOR THEIR BROTHER, especially when that brother is your little brother you raised yourself like a father. (Second Fact).

Dean wants to be alive because he needs to rescue Cas.

Billie: That's what I thought. It's cute, though. You pretending you're trying to save Sam for the greater good, when we both know you're doing it for you. You can't lose him. But even if Sammy could win the title bout... the answer would still be “no.” The answer will always be “no.” Game's over, Dean. No more second chances. No more extra lives. Time to say bye-bye to Luigi, Mario.

This sums up perfectly how Dean feels about Sammy. He raised him, he always took care of him. He can't lose him because all his life revolved around Sam. This is not Wincest, this is solely FAMILY LOVE. Remember what we said about Bobby a little earlier, these were Bobby's feelings too.

I will put here an addition from Destielle, she talked about the well known toxic codependency, and i think is important too:

"Billie basically calls out the toxic codependency between Sam and Dean here. ‘You’re doing it for you’ she deadpans. It’s more about Dean fulfilling the task, or rather duty, John gave him so early on, that it’s part of Dean’s personality. An automatism. He doesn’t want Sam to live because it was Sam’s wish, but because Dean needs Sam to keep things the way they always have been as so not having to deal with himself."

Is interesting because John Winchester heritage to Dean was the GUILT and the FIRST BORN duty, so practically, he keeps reacting and acting like a soldier that needs to protect the little brother and the entire world, I talked so many times in My metas about this toxic heritage and about THE BIG PROTECTOR living inside Dean. Interesting comment my friend! Thank you!

Dean’s spirit [sadness and desperation in his eyes]: I'm asking you... I'm begging you, please. Bring him back. Bring him back and take me instead.

DEAN WINCHESTER WILL ALWAYS GIVE HIS LIFE IN EXCHANGE FOR THE ONES HE LOVES BECAUSE HE IS DEAN WINCHESTER. NOT JUST FOR SAM, BUT FOR THE WORLD, AND CAS.

Billie: I'm not here to bargain with you, kid. I'm here to reap you. And the kicker is... Sam's not dead. [Dean looks stunned] But you are. Or will be, soon enough.

Now… let's go with Michelle and Dean's conversation… the third fact:

Dean: Michelle, this is gonna be very hard. But you will be okay. And, eventually... eventually you'll get back to normal.

Dean is talking from experience. Drawn from every time he lost a friend, a family member (including Sam) which he always affronted in the same way, by hunting, drinking heavily and stuffing bacon in his face. It always was hard at first but got better with time until he got back to normal. He's talking with determination because he lost a lot of beloved people. But … he hasn’t lost the love of his life yet… Michelle did…

Gif set credit @thejabberwock 👇

Michelle [sighing]: No, I won't. They said I could leave... [she sighs] an hour ago. But... where am I even supposed to go? After everything we survived together... [turning back to Dean] I watched the man I love die. There's no normal after that.

This is a rich piece of text over there. First of all, she's convincing Dean she won't be back to normal. Ever. She's the one talking with authority now, because she's talking from her experience of losing the love of her life… 'where am I even supposed to go?' SHE'S LOST, Just as lost as Dean will be for the first 5 episodes from season 13. 'After everything we survived together…' these words are carving deep into Dean's heart, because the man he loves is in danger in the very moment, and I know he's recalling everything they survived together. 'I watched the man I love die, there's no normal after that', Dean's face is priceless here, full of fear, he doesn't want to go through the same Michelle has and had to. He doesn't want to watch Cas die. And I want you to remember the first fact I pointed out, MICHELLE IS SAYING SHE WATCHED CORBIN DIE, not that she found him dead. Okay? So we are not talking about a reference to the death of Sam here. Dean didn't watch him die, he found him dead. And secondly, Dean knows Sam is okay by now, so why would he display a face full of pain and fear? Who's the one in real danger now, possessed by Lucifer? CASTIEL. DEAN DOESN'T WANT TO SEE CASTIEL DIE. HENCE THE TERRIFIED EXPRESSION.

AND THAT'S WHY IN THE NEXT EPISODE HE WILL FIGHT AGAINST RATIO, AGAINST WHAT’S THE LOGICAL THING TO DO, JUST BECAUSE HE DOESN'T WANT TO SEE THE MAN HE LOVES DIE. Sorry for the yelling. But I needed to make things clear.

To Conclude:

The Soul Eater in episode 11x16 is a blatant mirror of Amara. Another way to show us her dominance over Dean is a forced and dark one.

Episode 11x17 must be analyzed with logic. The clues are in the details and related to the previous episode in which Bobby saw Sam and Dean dead. It was purely about FAMILIAL LOVE and it must not be mistaken for something else because that just would be a twisted interpretation.

Dean giving his life in exchange for the one of EVERYONE shouldn't be mistaken for suicidal tendencies, too.

The fact that he wanted to go on with his life EVEN THOUGH BEING CONVINCED SAM IS DEAD is an important difference to how Dean is behaving in 13x05.

We have the foreshadowing for Castiel's death and Mourning!Dean and a prelude to 11x18 where we’ll have a very desperate Dean trying to save his angel.

Hope you liked this one! See you in the next meta!

Tagging @metafest @magnificent-winged-beast @emblue-sparks @weirddorkylittlediana @michyribeiro @whyjm @legendary-destiel @a-bit-of-influence @thatwitchydestielfan @misha-moose-dean-burger-lover @lykanyouko @evvvissticante @savannadarkbaby @dea-stiel @poorreputation @bre95611 @thewolfathedoor @charlottemanchmal @neii3n @deathswaywardson @followyourenergy @dean-is-bi-till-i-die @hekatelilith-blog @avidbkwrm @anarchiana @dickpuncher365 @vampyrosa @foxyroxe-art @authorsararayne @anonymoustitans @mybonsai1976 @love-neve-dies @wildligia @dustythewind @wayward-winchester67 @angelwithashotgunandtrenchcoat @trashblackrainbow @deeutdutdutdoh @destiel-is--endgame @destiel-shipper-11 @larrem88 @charmedbycastiel @ran-savant @little-crazy-misha-minion @samoosetheshipper

@shadows-and-padlocked-hearts @mishtho @dancingtuesdaymorning @nerditoutwithbooks @mikennacac73 @justmeand-myinsight @idontwantpeopletoknowmyname @tenshilover20 @teddybeardoctor @pepevons @helevetica @isthisdestiel @dizzypinwheel @jawnlockwinchester @horsez2 @qanelyytha

@imjustkipping @destielle @agusvedder @spnsmile @shippsblog @robot-feels @superlock-in-the-tardis

If you want to be added or removed from this list just let me know.

If you want to read the previous metas From s11, her you have the links.

Vol. LXII, XLIII, XLIV, LXV, LXVI, LXVII, LXVIII

Buenos Aires July 7th 2020 5:36 PM

#destiel #destiel chronicles #destiel meta #supernatural meta #season 11 meta #vol XLIX

63 notes · View notes

expression-in-its-essence · 4 years

Text

The Goldfinch movie.

7 min 26 secs in : Why the fuck did they start the movie like that. Why didn't the explosion take place? Theo's mom's apartment? His anxiety? Also.. why do they keep cutting the scenes abruptly? They ain't tweets... No limit.. then??

8 min 2 sec in : Okay they went to the apartment. Audrey's sweater deserved more screen time. The lipstain on the mug in focus *chef's kiss* poetic cinema!

9 min 19 sec in : Do you see what I see? Tom Cable's face has a stark resemblance to Boris's face. Did Theo have a crush on him?

9 min 54 sec in : Mr Barbour's hand is shaking. I like that they put it in there. He was sick. Nice. (I'd imagined Audrey's apartment building entrance like they showed the Barbour's apartment building entrance. Wild.)

11 min 8 sec in : Don't shove it into his face that y'all are fancy okay? He's not used to that life style. He didn't have maids making his bed. ARE YOU GIVING HIM DRUGS, MRS BARBOUR? But you just glared at your husband for offering him the same sort of thing?? Oh God. Poor child. "it's perfectly understandable" my ass. You gave him meds just because your sleep was getting affected.

14 min 39 sec : Woah woah woah Theo wtf you're so smol how'd you do that? Also... Again. The frame of Theo and Tom standing close and Theo and Boris standing close when they kissed, Theo is wearing the same damn sweater.

16 min 58 sec in : Ayyyy Jeffery Wright!

20 min 33 sec in : "He drank a lot", Theo about his dad. Honey just wait up, you will too. (The grilled sandwich and the cute lil smile 😍 also this is the first time since the movie started that Oakes' voice isn't deep.)

23 min 54 sec in : Wizard of Oz poster, I see you!

24 min 19 sec in : I love how Oakes is expressing being caught off guard. Theo knows he did something bad and every time he's dealing with something he didn't expect to deal with, he's like OMG THEY KNOW ABOUT THE PAINTING AND IM FUCKED even if no one knows.

25 min 1 sec in : The glasses made a difference. He went from mature to cute. Angry bird to angry birb.

25 min 44 sec in : Another sweater? Or was this THE sweater of Audrey? (Off topic but Oakes is hella cute. I could murder anyone who hurts him.)

29 min 9 sec in : Pippa doesn't remember or doesn't wanna remember? There was something in her eyes that was hard to read. Also, why doesn't anyone say 'I'm sorry about your mom' to Theo? Do Americans not care? It's weird to see no response when he tells people that Audrey is dead.

31 min 17 sec in : "The Goldfinch, destroyed"? Then why is Theo upset. Good riddance. Oh yeah. I know why. It's Donna Tartt we're talking about.

32 min 39 sec in : Hobie just casually predicting the future. "It's only fake if you pass it on as an original". Theo's like, "noted, gonna do exactly that".

34 min 16 sec in : Why does Theo write like a five year old child? That's toddler handwriting! And omg all the Andy-prom-dress memes are making sense now. (Also did I mention that Mrs Barbour seems more selfish in the film than she does in the book. Like hey I'm putting up with this kid because he helps my kid. He's serving a purpose for me. What the hell.) (How old is Andy anyway? He looks younger than Theo. I think he's different. Didn't grow up like other kids. That was mentioned in the book right?)

35 min 20 sec in : Ayyy Hobie's earring!

35 min 49 sec in : He shopped for himself? Nice! Didn't know kids could shop without adult supervision in the West. (Because they can't in the East.)

35 min 50 sec in : Ayyyy Sarah Paulson! Damn she's hot. How can you dislike her? *heart eyes*

37 min 30 sec in : I can't bring myself to hate Luke Wilson since Skeleton Twins but SHUT THE FUCK UP LARRY! AUDREY DESERVED BETTER. Look at how Larry and Xandra are looking at the place like they're vultures.

39 min 34 sec : They got the airport scene right. STOP GIVING HIM DRUGS WTH IS WRONG WITH THE ADULTS IN THIS MOVIE!

41 min 12 sec in : Ayyy Popper!!!!!

43 min 27 sec in : It just dawned on Theo that he's alone. Oh god. My poor baby.

45 min 12 sec in : Let me take this moment to say that Ashleigh Cummings is pretty. And I finally get why y'all were pissed at the non linear storyline and the weird voiceovers. Guess I'd been prepared for that so it didn't really suck that much.

49 min 30 sec in : I'd imagined Boreo reunion like the Platt Theo reunion. In the day. Dang it. Also... Adult Platt Barbour was not supposed to be good looking? In the book?

55 min 34 sec in : Without context, none of it could make sense. Apologies to whoever didn't read the book beforehand. Crowley fucked this up.

58 min in : Ayyyy Finn Wolfhard! BORIS IS HERE AND IM SO EXCITED IDK WHY

1 hour in : It's such a Boris thing to leave the bag unzipped.

1 hour 3 min 20 sec in : Slumdog Millionaire's Jai Ho (2008) is playing in the background. The only song that I've recognized so far. Wow. Lets me know about the time setting. Nice.

1 hr 3 min in : Someone gif " That cost twenty dollars!" *Stare* "That would have cost twenty dollars!"

1 hr 8 min in : So Boris's room is exactly like I had imagined but Theo's room isn't. Boris just mentioned Kotku though.

1 hr 9 min 14 sec in : Isn't it hella hot in Vegas? Why are they wearing sweaters? Or does drug intake make you more vulnerable to the environment?

1 hr 10 min 15 sec in : Xandra Theo argument : gold. "Cocktail sausages that you like." I wanna laugh in Crowley's face. What was he thinking?? Omg I'm dying.

1 hr 11 min 17 sec in : The slap sound didn't work??

1 hr 13 min 53 sec in : I like serious Boris better.

1 hr 14 min in : The slum house Audrey dream thing was not in the book. That's an entirely new addition.

1 hr 18 min 26 sec in : The Welty Theo scene is awesome. The sound effects work. I feel suffocated. The ambulance noise fiasco is also nicely pulled off. (also Theo's Yellow bag was dirty af then how did it get all clean when he didn't even do anything to it?)

1 hr 20 min 57 sec in : Shhhh Potter.

1 hr 22 min in : Holy shit he got slapped twice!! Ouch! And Larry's audacity to tell Theo to stop with the crying?? Good thing he died. Asshole.

1 hr 25 min in : "You don't tell me a lot of things but that's okay". I see what you did there, Boris. Which was of course, I love you.

1 hr 26 min in : "Act normal" - Theo knows his way around drugs pretty well, doesn't he?

1 hr 30 min in : "No family No friends" line punched me in the face. (Also awww popchik's excuse was the last resort for Boris to make Theo stay.)

1 hr 31 min 17 sec in : That pause after "What do you have to tell me?". You can clearly see Boris struggling to hold something back. Which was of course, I love you.

1 hr 31 min 34 sec in : What the fuck is that music? Oh heyyyyyy they kissed!-- he fucking runs away?? Also what kind of a kangaroo runs like that? (Yes, the taxi driver watched. I don't have to wonder anymore.) (They didn't address why he took the bus instead of flying?)

1 hr 33 min in : I didn't imagine Welty's room like that at all. Also why doesn't Hobie seem happy to see Theo again?

1 hr 35 min in : Longer stretches of one storyline are kinda bearable. From drugs in storage unit to waking up beside Kitsey. We got Vegas and Young Theo. Nice. (Also, who the heck puts jewelry in shoes? Is Theo that dumb? And now I can't think of anything else than Boris piercing his ear for the emerald earring. Tumblr has fucked it up bad.)

1 hr 43 min in : They nailed the Kitsey Theo confrontation.

1 hr 44 min in : Ayyy Ozma of Oz!

1 hr 48 min in : I noticed it before but I wasn't sure... Now I am. Pippa has Welty's ring. On her finger. At all times. (also, is NYC always that noisy? Must suck to walk on the roads.)

1 hr 52 min 23 sec in : They nailed the Theo Pippa date. What's that song playing in the background? I want the name. It's almost like two hours and I still haven't seen Aneurin Barnard once. Why! (Jerome's mentioned in the movie btw.)

1 hr 52 min 51 sec in : Complained too soon. Boris is sat in the dark doing god knows what. My man Aneurin is here!

1 hr 53 min 37 sec in : BOREO REUNIONNNNNN - no don't look at me like that I only watched it thrice.

1 hr 56 min in : Boris saying "it's someone else" with a knowing look and Theo looking at him. The frickin yearning.

1 hr 57 min in : Boris is like you're unhappy, I'm here, we're both rich, let's f*ck. "We could"... What are you suggesting dude he's repressed!

1 hr 58 min in : "you unwrapped it and showed it to me." So many meanings. The heart, the love the soul... Wow. Good for you, screen play writers! ( It's kinda hilarious how Boris got mad at Theo for never quote unquote fucking opening it.)

2 hr 1 min in : I'm calling it. They're going to fuck up the Theo Hobie confrontation. They put it on the wrong time. And they also fucked up the text from the book.

2 hr 5 min 48 sec in : Even Platt is saving his sister's face. Also where did Todd go? Did he never grow up? I wish Mrs Barbour didn't use Theo like she did.

2 hr 7 min in : The frame where Boris is between Kitsey and Theo. Chef's kiss.

2 hr 10 min 54 sec in : *intense music playing* Boris put his leg up on the table and I burst into laughter THOSE ARE THE FAMOUS FUCK ME PUMPS.

2 hr 11 min in : AAAAA THE FOREHEAD TOUCH AAAAAAA (Theo just knows without looking that Boris is close enough to touch? Theo are you sure you don't feel feelings for him?)

2 hr 12 min in : Theo is so worried that I'm not sure if it's for Boris or for losing the painting again. Omg he just murdered a man. Oh god.

2 hr 14 min in : Theo is spiralling. In the movie they imply that Hobie played a part in him attempting suicide. So wrong. Poor Hobie. In the book that wasn't the case.

2 hr 15 min in : The transition of the Goldfinch into Audrey, wow. Also, is it the first time we're seeing her? The movie started so long ago that I've forgotten if I saw Theo and Audrey in the museum. Boris following right after Audrey? That's a subliminal message. Boris is here to rescue y'all.

2 hr 16 min in : No shit Boris is freaking out right now.

2 hr 17 min in : The diner scene. They're both crying. "Happy Christmas, Potter" - which was of course, I love you.

2 hr 18 min in : No don't you dare compare Audrey and Mrs Barbour. Audrey would never drug her child or use him for her benefit.

2 hr 20 min in : Poor kid bumps into his mom lol. I found it funny.

On the whole

The movie was nice if you'd read the book beforehand. The first hour was steak, The second hour was Korean BBQ and the rest of the twenty minutes were minced beef. If you get what I mean. Weird analogy. It could have been much better. But it was really very nice in some places. Most places I'd say.

I didn't like how the pop songs ruined the mood of certain moments. I didn't like how you couldn't hear the conversation over the music playing. For example in the engagement party when Platt and Theo talked. Or in the diner scene.

Both Borises killed the accent thing. They tried their best. Cut them some slack.

Oakes deserves an Oscar for holding up this movie on his smol shoulders. I was shook at how a kid could act that well.

Popchik deserved more screen time. I'm still pissed they didn't add the Popchik Boris reunion. But then they couldn't make it chronological, what were we supposed to expect anyway.

Ansel Elgort y'all. Theo sure improved his handwriting lol. Ansel's writing is nice. He was actually good in this movie. Better than he was in The Fault In Our Stars. The internet is just mean. The critics too. I will never understand the hate.

All in all, it could have been a better adaptation but it didn't suck as bad as everyone made it out to be. John Clownery should be punished nonetheless. Special shout-out to Roger Deakins for making it work.

#donna tartt #theo decker #boris pavlikovsky #finn wolfhard #oakes fegley #ansel elgort #aneurin barnard #the goldfinch #boreo

60 notes · View notes

thelawyerthatwaspromised · 5 years

Text

We Really Need to Talk About the Forehead Kiss Scene

Consider this another iteration of the Sansa and Jon “Would that be so terrible?” scene that I covered a little while back.

For a lot of people that believe that Jonsa will happen, the scene on the battlements in “The Winds of Winter”, the finale episode of the sixth season of Game of Thrones, is the starting point of that belief.

It’s unusually sweet, as Jon and Sansa scenes tend to be. It’s almost semi-unnecessary to the plot. It’s the last we see of Jon before it’s revealed that he is the son of Rhaegar Targaryen and Lyanna Stark, making this decidedly un-sibling like interaction with Sansa a bit less suspicious except upon rewatch. (Sidenote, imagine if this scene took place after we learned about R+L=J...)

But a lot of Jonsa skeptics (I’ll call them that though there are obviously varying degrees of this such as “venomous”) seem unable to understand why this particular scene feels so different from just about every single other scene on the show. To me, there are multiple factors that make this particular scene unique from any other on the show.

It’s an almost perfect example of a “romance setup” from multiple angles.

1.) It didn’t really advance the “plot”

For some reason, this scene was included among the 10 most crucial scenes of the series by HBO pre-season 7 buuuuut not a lot happened at face value.

Jon had just banished Melissandre for burning someone alive (inquisitive emoji) and was watching her leave on the battlements. He’s approached by Sansa. She says she’s sorry. He credits her for winning the battle. They say they need to trust each other. They leave. So why is a “recap of events” considered a crucial scene? Why was it on the show at all? Viewers wanted to know what Jon was going to do about Sansa arriving with the KotV and if they were going to have a conflict about it. Except that part took about 5 seconds. And the opposite happened.

Similar to the Littlefinger choke scene in season 7, this didn’t really directly affect the actions of the characters in any way. Even if a scene doesn’t advance “plot”, it’s meant to advance the “story”. What happens here between Jon and Sansa? It revealed something between the two of them that wasn’t revealed simply through the dialogue. It’s inclusion in the show at all should leave you wondering about its purpose, but the added layers of the length, framing, and use of reaction shots should make it fairly obvious that it’s a romantic scene.

2.) Both characters are pleasantly surprised by each other’s tenderness towards the other

I think to really grasp this scene, you have to get inside the heads of each character.

Normally, any surprise in Game of Thrones is a bad thing. The strange quality of the battlements scene is that it’s an inversion of the normal routine. We need to take a step back and evaluate the psychology of Jon and Sansa as they’re entering.

Jon has just banished the person who resurrected him. He’s just won a battle that he knows he should have lost. He’s clearly been quite introspective about Sansa and what she meant and her importance in winning the battle since he’s already preparing her chambers. Somehow, the tent scene is magnified in its intensity because this scene is its exact opposite and it’s where we last left off with Jon and Sansa.

Sansa pleaded with Jon to listen to her.

To be fair to Jon, it’s hard to understand what Sansa is saying but instead of trying to understand her more, he allows them to be dead locked and unable to finish their thoughts.

and it ends with Jon’s sad resignation that he desperately wants to win but he’s not sure if he can.

So this was the last time they spoke privately before the battle. Jon feels guilt for failing to listen. Sansa feels guilt for calling in Littlefinger, an option neither she nor Jon would have wanted.

Then - their relationship suddenly became stronger because of the weakness they revealed to each other. Instead of punishing each other, they forgive each other. Instead of gloating, Sansa reaches out and expresses to Jon that she never wanted it that way. Instead of holding it against Sansa, Jon reaches back and validates her importance in multiple ways.

The most rewarding part is how they each give wonderful gestures to each other in turn without being prompted.

He’s publicly affirmed her place as the Lady of Wintefell...

She objects but only because she thinks he should be seen as the head of the family...

Sansa tells him he should take it. Jon responds with a sad smile and says he’s not a Stark. And then Sansa gives Jon the most gentle but meaningful affirmation that he’s ever gotten on the show...

“You are to me.”

(I decided halfway through this to leave the text off the gifs because I want the focus on the micro expressions of the actors because...damn...)

What else could anyone say to Jon that would mean more to him at this point? His entire life has been marked by his non-Starkness. Sansa is working to undo the biggest source of his sadness without his ever asking for it.

Jon’s gift to Sansa is recognition and it comes in two parts;

1) “You’re the Lady of Winterfell.” He was right there as Lyanna Mormont referred to her as a Lannister and a Bolton. He was right there as Lord Glover looked right into her eyes and told her that House Stark is dead. No. Jon is determined that those statements are to be corrected.

2) “We’re standing here because of you.” He’s not just “gifting” her the position and the lord’s chamber. She’s earned it in his eyes. Her place is meant to be elevated above his at this point. This is before he was crowned as king. He was content for her to be in charge until he was thrust into the position of command.

So what does Sansa do? He’s just basically said “you were right” and she has a chance to respond. Does she gloat? Does she say “well yes I suppose I am the last remaining Stark (that we know of) and so I should rule our house...I also command the loyalty of the Vale”? None of that, she apologizes to him. She’s still expecting his anger and disappointment and feels she deserves it.

And it makes sense. Leave aside that it was absolutely necessary for Sansa to bring in the KotV and ask yourself “when was the last time Sansa was ever actually rewarded or treated gently by someone she thought she wronged?” She’s existed in a constant state of punishment since Littlefinger betrayed Ned in the throne room in season 1. Misery is her expectation. Her expression as Jon approaches confirms this exactly.

Part is her actual guilt, and I’m sure part of it is an expectation based on her experiences...and to her pretty obvious surprise, Jon does the exact opposite.

HA. You’ll have to wait for the kiss gifs because I want to change gears now.

The entire last section was explaining why this scene was so unexpected given the context of the setup. Both characters had reasons to treat the other harshly. Jon for his stubbornness. Sansa for not telling Jon about the Vale. All the components were there to reinforce an ongoing feud between the two. These were the factors commonly cited by those oh-so-brilliant Starkbowl predictions leading up to season 7.

Yet despite that tension, we didn’t get a shouting match and glares and future plotting. We got a moment of clarity for once...and a whole new set of questions about these two. The beauty of their quiet moment together was in its simplicity - but also in the way that the writers indicated that there was so much more going on than we could have ever known.

Yet all of this information is packed into a scene that’s so quiet and slow. It’s in the romantic pacing.

3.) The Pacing

Jon and Sansa have had always had a distinct strangeness to their scenes in that they’re almost all completely different from any other. Their reunion was a moment of triumph for any Stark fans as they were the first two reunited since the pilot episode. Their fireside chat started incredibly sweet and ended with the heightened stakes of Sansa attempting to convince Jon to re-take Winterfell. The Pink Letter scene is the realization that their little oasis was about to meet the realities of a harsh world that still viewed both of them as threats.

The cloak scene where Sansa gifts Jon a Stark cloak after Jon takes keen interest in Sansa’s new dress is another moment where each took the initiative to validate the other without any prompting.

They argued twice, while at the encampment and in the tent before the battle, but each scene was unique as Sansa indirectly criticized Jon’s decisions to follow Davos considering Stannis’ ultimate failure, and Jon mostly tried to tune Sansa’s arguments out - while the tent scene is where those complaints came into a direct collision.

Then they met on the battlements and it was equally emotional but in a total reverse of tone.

Simply put, this scene was about “Jon & Sansa” as an entity and not about “Jon” having a talk with “Sansa”. It’s all in the pacing and it’s all in the framing.

We already know the setup. Now comes the payoff. Jon has already told Sansa they need to trust each other. That would be the “plot” purpose of the scene. As far as things happening that affect the story directly, it could have ended right there. “It’s ok Sansa. We’re a team now.” Or, alternatively, Jon could have kissed Sansa’s forehead and THEN said they need to trust each other and the tone could be viewed entirely differently. Instead, the show disposed of the “textual” purpose of the scene and continued right through with the “subtext” (which also continued into season 7) which is: what exactly is the nature of Jon and Sansa’s relationship?

It’s not just the forehead kiss. It’s not just the romantic back drop. It’s not just the setup. It’s not just the micro expression of the actors. It’s not just that the whole scene is relatively unnecessary. It’s all of that mixed together.

This is where the pacing comes into play. Let’s recap the scene to this point...

Sansa gets about 13 seconds of an entrance before Jon tells her he’s having the lord’s chamber prepared for her.

Sansa waits 3 seconds before answering “mother and father’s room?”

Jon waits about 3 seconds before he says he’s not a Stark.

Sansa answers “you are to me” almost immediately.

Jon has roughly a 5 second reaction shot.

There’s about a 5 second pause after Jon gives Sansa credit for winning the battle before Sansa starts apologizing.

Sansa says sorry and Jon waits about 6 seconds before he even starts walking over to her.

There’s about 3 seconds between Jon saying they have enemies and him reaching up to kiss her.

Jon gets roughly 3 seconds to kiss Sansa and about 4 seconds of gazing at her (and her gazing at him). They make this moment last.

Then they transition into a micro expression that juuuuust says everything.

The second Jon closes his lips, he looks down and abruptly starts to walk away. But his mood has immediately turned almost melancholy or sort of a confusion. It’s not normal to kiss someone tenderly and then just turn around and leave. Even if it were entirely platonic. There’s something left unsaid...especially since the camera focuses on the post-kiss for almost 6 seconds altogether before Jon starts to leave. Viewers aren’t the only ones left a bit bewildered.

Sansa’s reaction tells the same story.

She stands in the same position, almost frozen. She’s internally probably as confused as Jon. She came to Jon to apologize (remember, she approached him) - which I’m assuming she would have been dreading. She got her apology, and he delivered his form of “there’s nothing to forgive” which would normally signal that her part here is over. Yet he initiates physical affection for her when positive physical affection is something that’s a very complicated subject for her.

And it stuns her. As he begins to leave, we see her expressing that she doesn’t want the moment to end.

It’s ridiculously beautiful. Sansa finding a reason for Jon to get one last look, right after he had turned away in sort of Byronic melancholy, only to have her call him back again is extremely romantic given what we know about both of these characters.

The immediacy of Jon’s response in turning back towards her and the utter-seriousness of his look again makes the end of this scene a twist of its own.

“Winter is here.” That phrase is of course a play off of “Winter is coming” the words of House Stark and the ominous warning of fear and looming destruction echoed throughout the entirety of the series. Those words should mean “fear”; real “fear”. (also take note of her deliberately deep breath as her eyes scan Jon again..)

And how do they react to this potentially terrifying threat? By being adorable again!?!?

Well of course they do. Because winter is here and they are home. Think about this. Being together (moments after entering a scene which they both began reluctantly) is enough to make them smile sweetly as they acknowledge the coming storm.

And the end really cements Jon’s view of Sansa as a noble lady.

And the pure joy Sansa feels as the scene concludes.

To wrap up...the scene didn’t have to happen in the first place. The setup made you wonder if there was going to be fracture. It was tender. It was warm. It’s pacing made you sit and take notice. It didn’t waste any time - it took its time.

We were meant to see not just the displays of forgiveness and validation by Jon and Sansa towards each other. We were meant to see them expecting the worst and getting something beautiful instead. We were meant to see them wrestling with the confusion of where the scene was heading. We were meant to see them completely comfortable in each other’s presence in this very moment - and we were meant to see a very subtle but also very unsubtle indication that the direction of their relationship is causing (and must cause) them inner conflict before it can truly provide them fulfillment.

They weren’t a royal couple in this scene but I’m fully confident that after the finale season has concluded, this scene will be the one everyone can point to and say “this is where Jon and Sansa ending as king and queen truly became possible.”

#jonsa #jon x sansa #king and queen in the north #jonsa is endgame #tltwp meta

826 notes · View notes

adecila · 5 years

Note

Hi. Are you going to do the 2nd ep preview post? I would like to read your opinion.

Hi anon, thank you for being so patient. I watched the promo a bunch of times and I also saw the stills from the episode. Now, in case you avoid spoilers, I am not saying I have them, but I am not sure which information was confirmed by the show runners in interviews by now. I don’t count trailers, promo pics and still as spoilers. If the information comes from an interview, trailer or other official sources, it ain’t a spoiler.

Moving on..

1. Jaime vs Dany ...

I have seen some people are talking about Jaime’s trial in episode 2 but I was very confused. I was telling a few friends last night - nowhere have I seen it confirmed. I think someone speculated Jaime is on trial and the entire fandom ran with it. Happens a lot. No, we haven’t had any confirmation this is a trial. And I know people think this is the case because he is standing, you have armed guards behind him somewhere, you get a Dany table and a Jon table... well... no. I disagree.

Is this meant to somehow parallel the Tyrion trial(s)? No... I don’t think so. Mind you, Jaime is not in chains. This to me looks a lot like a petitioner to the court would be received. You have the monarch (in this case the alliance - Dany in the middle, flanked by Jon and S.nsa), and then you have the rest of the court. Plus, it has been established the North side doesn’t like the Dany side, hence the two tables, hence they sit separately since the Northern Lords are like YoU cAn’T SiT WiTh Us. The guards would and should be there by default. Jaime is standing because he is addressing the Ruler.

Keep in mind, the previous episode finished with Jaime arriving in incognito mode in WF. Maybe Bran calls the guards and Jaime is taken into the Great Hall to explain himself - not only is he arriving in non Lannister colours, he is also arriving by himself. He’s got some explaining to do, since last these people have met, he was to march to Winterfell with an army to aid in the fight against the Army of the dead.

About Dany’s discourse - Dany and Jaime haven’t officially met. He tried killing her on the Field of Fire 2.0 and he almost got roasted by her baby Drogon (*pets* the best son ever). They also crossed paths in the Dragon Pit Summit (LMAO idk why I am calling it that; I guess it’s because fake truce or armistice is too much; oooooh let’s call it a parley). But they haven’t actually spoken. And Dany has some things to say to the man who killed her father. In my opinion (but who the fuck knows anymore since the writing is killing me and after episode 1 I have so little faith), Dany will have her Queen mask on, she is angry because quite frankly WHERE THE FUCK IS THE ARMY BITCH. Like ofc this means Cersei betrayed them, you don’t need a genius (*cough* S.. *cough*) to tell you that if he is travelling low key and alone.

Dany needs closure. She will probably tell Jaime - listen, my brother told me all about you; because you killed my dad we had to flee; because you killed my dad we were poor and starving and on the run; the only thing that made us keep going was fantasising about all the ways we would kill you to avenge our father. I don’t blame them, tbh, it’s quite normal, considering what Viserys was feeding her. But! Dany knows now that Viserys was lying; that her father was a mad man. She knows this from Barristan Selmy. So I am REALLY hoping that heavy and meaningful speech that is making Jaime shit his pants (fo real look at his face lmao someone gif it pls) and Tyrion to look 10 years older is ending in something along the lines of “My daddy was cray cray; you did good; you can live; but try to kill me again and you die.”

Why? Because it makes sense, and because we have seen Jaime fighting in the trailer, so we know he survives this meeting.

On the other hands, the Starks also have beef with Jaime fookin Lannister - honestly get in line.

Now... do I think Bran Starkashian the drama queen (present at the meeting) will drop the bomb that Jaime pushed him out the window? Hmmm... I cannot make up my mind. My issue is that if he does, then it’s gonna create more drama, and after episode 1 I think the writers can bring it up and just gloss over it (ugh remember how they dropped the Viserion is a wight news?). But, I also think that since Bran isn’t Bran anymore, then what does this matter to him? If this were still Bran, sure I could have seen a point in revealing it. They could also just do a Bran vs Jaime scene in which Jaime goes to apologise and Bran just says some trippy shit.

2. S.ansa vs Dany in the Library (sitting in a tree K-I-.. neah we’re not there yet)

So, as it’s framed, I am guessing Sansa says something to Jaime, hence the look Dany has on her face at the table in the Great Hall - must be something surprising. Then I guess we get their private meeting over how y’all bitches should have never trusted Cersei. I guess S.ansa is at least directly talking to Dany not instead of, ya know, AT HER or ABOUT HER. We also have a still with a fake Dany smile, but I am hoping for some meaningful dialogue here. Dany and S.ansa have quite a lot in common so I really want some meaningful chat here so we can move the fuck on from the train wreck that was the episode 1 welcome. Will this be the episode the writers let S.ansa actually use her brain? We’ll see in 80-ish hours.

3. Jorah x Varys x Tyrion and then some Sam and some Gilly stills

I think this is either before or after a joint small council meeting. But since Dany is in her white outside coat again, then it must be after Tormund x Edd arrive. They look intense so maybe it’s more likely afterwards. Maybe something happens in that meeting.

Also the stills of Jon x Arya and the one of Sam x Jon look from the same place. Sam’s intense look shows me that he might have some residual tension with Jon after that shit reveal. Jondry 5eva.

The still of Sam x Gilly x Little Sam on the bed is so cuuuute. I hope this is post the crypt discussion with Jon and it’s when GIlly knocks some sense into it. Alternatively, it can be the night before the war for some more extra feels.

4. The Forge x Arya

Guessing Arya is going to Gendry to pick up her new weapon and to deliver her Many Faces speech. Is she saying it to Gendry? I think so. Guess this is also where we gonna see sexy Gendry hehe *Gendrya intensifies*

5. And then it gets weird to me... two battle scenes? MAYBE? WHO THE HELL KNOWS ANYMORE

When I first saw the troops moving in the day, I said cool beans, so maybe preparations. But then I see a catapult going off during the day? And more stress? And more people moving. Tormund x Edd arrive during the day too. And we know they are technically behind the dead, since Last Hearth, where Ned Umber was supposed to be was already passed by the dead (since we got the message) so they can’t be arriving before the dead, can they? So how come they arrive and deliver a “they are coming message” and Jon asks how long do they have? How can they be moving faster than the dead? These aren’t slow zombies and Tormund x Edd don’t have a snowmobile laying around. Do they?

But then you have night battle scenes or rather preparations: Missandei x Grey Worm kiss, Jorah with Heartsbane I hope (I hope this is Sam’s token of I have been a shitty boy to your Queen pls say sorry), Arya with a bow (I am so turned on btw), Jorah riding with the Dothraki, Tyrion on the battlements, Jon on the battlements, Lyanna Mormont in armour!!!! So something is happening as night too. Is this a continuation from the day prep? Is this something else entirely? Then why fire the catapult? Is it a test? Am I overanalysing? Certainly.

What is sure though is that we won’t get a battle this episode, we will get the build up to it and everything in between.

6. Jonerys in the crypts

Ah again some actual leak info I have from when Friki was still allowed to talk (nothing new, just something he has already said), but I’d rather say in a different post. So this is clearly not following the Sam x Jon chat, since here Jon has his furs, and Dany is dressed again in her outside white fur coat. My bet is this is just before the battle, and Jon went to pay his respects to his dad (and mom?) one last time, because he is an emo sad boy.

Is this about the reveal? Hmmm not so sure. It is very reminiscent of the Dragon Pit when Jon was sad he had fucked up with Cersei and Dany went to console him. Maybe this is post small council and Dany also goes to console him (she is wearing the white coat there).

7. More small stuff from the stills that we didn’t get from the promo

Tyrion drinking in front of a fire - maybe he is with Bran, since he is also pictured close/next to a hearth.

Sansa eating - she could be in the Great Hall. She looks quite relaxed so idk maybe this is in a more informal setting. Maybe it’s the same as the one with Tyrion.

Bran in front of the Heart Tree during the day - I am hoping one more vision. Maybe this is before Tormund x Edd arrive? Or after? Is Bran trying to see the NK again?

Gilly outside - maybe she is talking to Davos who seems to be in similar setting in a different still?

I think I might have skipped some stuff, but feel free to ask :)

I have quite high hopes for this episode. I am hoping it will end the fucking drama once and for all and I am hoping they let Dany speak for herself more, since she was really toning it down in episode 1, in hopes of appeasing the North. But since that didn’t work, I am so fucking ready to see the Dany we know and love. The Queen we chose.

#alice has mail #got 8x02 promo #got 8x02 #game of thrones #game of thrones promo

22 notes · View notes

princesskimnamjoon · 5 years

Text

Yellow Roses - Namjoon x Reader

-Soulmate AU

-Part 1

-Word count: 2k

-Soulmate tattoos were something special and unique that appeared when you turn 18, but what happens when your soulmate is the last person you could ever see yourself falling in love with?

gif credits to holy-jinsus (not sure if that’s who the gif belongs to but thats the original poster!)

You spent majority of your time inspecting your soulmate tattoo, looking over the intricate design almost daily since it appeared on your skin. Most people were elated when their tattoo appeared, wanting to know right then and there who had been chosen to be in their life by some outside entity. You had no interest in finding your soulmate any time soon, your life was too consumed by school and work, and you weren't willing to try to squeeze love into that mix. Long sleeved shirts had been your best friend since your 18th birthday, being the only thing you could think of that would cover the large mark from the rest of the world.

Your soulmate tattoo was beautiful, nonetheless. Swirling vines around your arm, interlocking in the middle of your forearm with a single yellow rose. You wished it was higher on your arm though, sometimes it was just too hot for long sleeves or sweaters. Hoseok always told you that even if you did meet your soulmate, that didn't meant you HAD to date them right away. In turn that meant that you didn't HAVE to wear long sleeves, but you knew in your heart that as soon as you met them you would never want to be away from them.

Most of your time was spent with your best friend whenever you weren’t busy with the countless hours of school that you had, or the job that you had picked up at the flower shop down the street from your apartment. The cafe that you and Hobi frequented seemed more crowded today, but as soon as he saw you walk into the entrance his face lit up, and his arm shot into the air to signal you over. The two of you had been friends for years, yet his reacting was always the same. Before turning 18, you had wished that maybe he would be your soulmate, but that would just make things too easy for you, and that wasn’t how your life worked.

“Do you want to go to a party tonight?” Hobi questioned before you had even pulled your seat out, and you shifted your gaze up to him, only to be greeted with full puppy mode Hoseok. He knew that this always worked in his favor when it came to getting what he wanted, but you were still curious.

“Who’s party?” you asked skeptically, plopping down into the seat and setting your bag down between your legs. Any time he asked you questions in this way, you knew he was about to say something that you didn’t want to hear. You two had been friends for too long for you to not know this by now. He smiled at you sheepishly, only confirming your suspicions that you were not going to like what he was about to tell you and causing you to regret your decision of even asking in the first place.

“Namjoon-” he began, making you groan loudly. To say that you hated Kim Namjoon would be too harsh, but you greatly disliked his existence to say the least. He was Hobi’s friend, so you tolerated him enough, but any time he was around you, he treated you like shit. You could only handle being treated this way for so long before you knew you were going to snap.

“You don’t even have to be around him! Just go with me!”

Somehow, after what seemed like hours of him pleading with you, Hobi had finally convinced you to go with him, and you found yourself standing in the living room of Namjoon, a drink in hand and a sour look plastered on your face. Hoseok had ran off somewhere, and you had made a mental note to get your revenge against him later on. The room was packed with unfamiliar faces, your back pressed against the wall to avoid the bumping bodies. Your face twisted slightly in distaste, wishing that you had just stayed home instead of coming here.

“Not your scene?” A voice said from beside you and your head shot up, eyes meeting with a pink haired boy that appeared next to you. You had to admit, he was EXTREMELY handsome but you had no idea who this was, and you were slightly put off by his sudden appearance at your side. You shrugged your shoulders, looking around you slowly to observe the mess of people in front of you.

“I’ve never understood the point...but Hoseok bribed me into coming and then ran off. That was about an hour ago and I still haven’t seen him yet,” a chuckle escaped your lips as you thought about it, but you shrugged your shoulders once more.

“That’s kind of lame of him, but I feel you. Parties aren’t my thing either but my roommate insisted on throwing one,” the boy explained, annoyance evident on his face. Your eyes widened slightly when he said this. How could someone that was actually pleasant to be around, be the roommate of Namjoon? “I’m Taehyung by the way, but I like you, so you can call me Tae” he added boldly, shooting a smile at you.

“I’m...Y/N but uh...you can call me Y/N,” your attempt at a joke was weak, causing you to cringe at yourself. Tae erupted with laughter, smiling at you widely, something you were sure he was only doing to ease the awkwardness.

You spent most of the night with Tae, and managed to get a little tipsy which made things better in your opinion. You spotted Hoseok for a moment, but he was completely plastered and you knew you'd have to bring him back to your apartment tonight. Your new friendship with Tae was growing faster than expected, and you gladly exchanged phone numbers with him. Something about him was comforting, and you liked that.

“I can’t believe you’re Namjoon’s roommate,” you said when the alcohol really began to hit. Tae looked over at you curiously, hoping that you would elaborate on this statement. “You’re so...so WARM and...NICE. Namjoon is the opposite…he’s mean and standoffish…” you exasperated, shaking your head. Tae looked shocked at your bold words, but even more shocked that Joon had ever been mean to you. It was rare that Joon was ever mean to anyone, that was never a side of him that Tae had seen though. Joon could get pretty annoyed with people sometimes, but he was never blatantly mean to anyone.

“What has he done exactly, if you don’t mind me asking?” Tae was leaning his back against the wall, chewing against the rim of his red cup as he watched you. You leaned your head on his shoulder gently, thinking back on all the things that Namjoon had done in the past that hurt your feelings. You weren’t the type to get offended easily, but for some reason hearing it from him always stung a little more than normal.

“One time, I was hanging out with Hobi when Namjoon came over to his apartment for the first time. I tried being nice to him and include him in our conversations, but for the most part he just ignored me. I didn’t mind it at first because he didn’t know me so I thought that I was coming on too strong and he was just shy, but then…” you let out a deep sigh, feeling Tae’s arm wrap around your shoulders. “He told me that I was annoying and he couldn’t understand how my soulmate could stand being around me. It hurt more than it should have because I didn’t even know my soulmate yet. I still don’t know who my soulmate is…” Tae’s eyes grew soft as he squeezed your shoulder gently. He had never imagined that something like that would come out of Namjoon’s mouth. Everyone knew that soulmates were a touchy subject because they were so sacred. Tae couldn’t wait for the day that he met his own soulmate, and he knew that Namjoon was just as excited to meet his.

“I’m sorry...I’ve never known Namjoon to act like that.” Tae said in a hushed voice, his mind running a thousand miles a minute, trying to find some sort of explanation.

When Hobi finally approached you again, you could smell the alcohol on him, and a small whine came from his throat. When you heard this noise, you knew that he was starting to feel sick, and staying any longer could cause a real mess to occur. You had to quickly say your goodbyes to Tae, promising to text him as soon as you got home before ushering the intoxicated boy out of the house.

“I want to stay the night with you, Y/N. Please don’t leave me alone.” Hobi slurred, making you smile slightly as you helped him into your car. You had already made up your mind that you didn’t want to leave him in his apartment by himself, but it still made you smile hearing him ask. He smiled up at you as you leaned over him, helping him buckle his seatbelt, and he rustled your hair when you pulled yourself back out of the passenger door. You could feel him watching you as you walked around the front of your car to the drivers side. Sliding into the seat and starting the car felt like a relief you had been waiting for all night. While you were pulling away from the house, you could still feel his eyes on you, and he big sigh left his body.

“I get why Namjoon likes you so much. You’re so...good, Y/N. You’re too good.” Hobi slurred, making you chuckle and shake your head.

“You’re too drunk right now. If anything, Namjoon hates me,” you stated, watching the road ahead of you. Hobi shook his head furiously, a serious look on his face.

“No, no Y/N. Joonie really likes you,” he told you, his voice as serious as possible, “he always asks me about you. Like, all the time. He asks me about the stuff you like, what kind of music you listen to, stuff that a crush would ask about. And on top of all that stuff, I think he’s your soulmate! Your marks are really similar.” Your car swerved slightly when he said this, putting you in a momentary state of shock. Even if he was drunk, why would he say that? Hobi had seen your mark numerous times, but just how many times had he seen Namjoons? Before you could ask any questions, you heard a light snoring from beside you. Now you were only stuck with yourself, and the thoughts that swarming your mind.

The entire drive home, all you could think about was what Hobi had said to you. Namjoon? Your soulmate? This whole time you were under the impression that he hated you, there was no way. If he was your soulmate, he would be much nicer to you than he was, that’s just how soulmates worked. They were nice because they could bare to be mean to the person that they were destined to be with forever. Maybe Hobi was going crazy, that's why he thought your mark looked the same as Namjoons, or maybe he just hadn’t seen it well enough and had gotten it mistaken.

When Hobi finally woke up, he sang along loudly to the radio, out of tune and obnoxiously, but not even this could bring you away from the thoughts that you were being burdened with. Before realizing it, you were in front of your apartment complex, the car finally coming to a halt. Getting your drunk friend out of the car and up the stairs was a task that you weren't physically or mentally prepared for, stumbling through the threshold of the door the easiest task of the night. When you finally had him situated in your bed, you felt relieved. That moment of relief quickly depleted when you heard your phone go off on the other side of the room. You groaned, not wanting to move but you slowly made your way over, thinking that maybe it was Tae making sure that you were home safe.

authors note:

hey guys! this is my first story type post on here other than the social media AU that i started. ive been really inspired by other writers on here, and have recently gotten REALLY into BTS. ive listened to their music in the past, but i havent been doing the best mentally lately so finding something to fixate myself on lately has helped a lot with not disassociating or becoming closed off from everyone. thankfully, i found this in BTS and made this! i have a part 2 of this already written out and i’m not sure when i will be posting it just because i work 9-5 on week days so i don’t really have time to do it, but if i get good feedback on this i will try to post it ASAP.

thanks for reading :-)

#kim namjoon #bts #soulmate au #bts soulmate au #kim namjoon soulmate au #bts x reader #namjoon x reader #x reader #x reader insert #bts reader insert

26 notes · View notes

cromulentbookreview · 5 years

Text

Just Friendly Crustaceans

Under the sea! / Under the sea! / There’ll be no accusations / just friendly crustaceans / under the sea!

That’s Homer’s solution to everything, to move under the sea. It’s not going to happen.

The Light at the Bottom of the World by London Shah!

Leyla McQueen lives under the sea (under the sea! Sorry, I really can’t help myself). Anyway, Leyla lives in a world that was flooded as a result of an asteroid strike. Society has rebuilt itself, somewhat, under the water, despite the fact that living underwater isn’t exactly great for humans. I mean, just think of the mold! Euch. Or, well, in Leyla’s case, it’d be mould, because she lives in Underwater London which is either awesome or horrifying, depending on how you look at it. Leyla is a driving instructor by trade, teaching others how to pilot their submersibles, but in her free time, she loves a good race. In fact, we get our first introduction to Waterworld London via an unofficial road race which Leyla wins. Which is great, because she can really use the prize money to help pay for a lawyer to help her dad - see, Hashem McQueen has been arrested for supposedly helping depressed people suffering from an all-consuming sadness called the Seasickness kill themselves. Which is weird because I’m pretty sure that, even without his help, those people would’ve figured out a way to kill themselves anyway, but whatever. Either way, the charges are bullshit, and Leyla has been doing her damnedest to prove it, but keeps hitting roadblocks (waterblocks?) every step of the way.

Until she gets the chance to race in the London Marathon, the top prize of which includes a single personal request from the Prime Minister. If she wins the Marathon, she could ask for her dad’s freedom and it’d be granted, easy-peasy, right?

Right?

Yeah, it’s not that easy. Nothing is ever that easy when you live under the sea (under the sea! Damn it!). Especially when there’s these weird, genetically modified humans called Anthropoids running around, committing acts of terrorism. Anthropoids were created to survive under the water, and survive they can - but apparently Anthropoids also went insane and hate normal people so much they just want to kill anyone who isn’t a fellow Anthropoid. London is supposedly safe from the Anthropoids, but this is a YA fantasy action/adventure novel so you know that won’t last long.

Anyway, Leyla competes in the London Marathon, but things absolutely do not go as easily as she’d hoped. I mean, the book would be pretty short if things went easily. After the race, Leyla is given a chance to leave the safe, familiar waters of London for the world beyond - and, possibly, a chance to rescue her father herself. Along with Ari, the infuriatingly handsome son of one of her grandfather’s friends, and her Maltese puppy, Jojo, Leyla leaves London and heads into the dangerous unknown. Under the sea. Under the sea. Darling it's better / Down where it's wetter / Take it from me...

Maybe it was just me, being a weird loner kid whose best friend was her imagination, but I loved imagining what life would be like if the world were entirely underwater. Getting to swim through your school, going from house to house on a canoe, diving for old-world treasures, riding a walrus to work, you know. All that fun stuff you can experience, unless Jasper Johns steals your boat. Because, seriously, life under the sea does sound awesome. Well, except for the cold. And the wet. And the pressure. And the dark. And the ability to, uh, breathe. And, I mean, we’d better get used to the idea as soon as Greenland and Antarctica melt. But anyway, the concept of an underwater London meant I was absolutely going to read this book. Shah brings the setting to life, with all the wonders/terrors of the sea. The writing is lovely, but story-wise, yeah, this is definitely the first book of a series, meaning: you have 10,000,000,000 questions, but this book won’t be answering all of them, so be prepared to wait.

Character-wise, Leyla has an optimism about her that borders on naiveté - but even as she goes through some pretty harrowing experiences and learns her world isn’t what she thought it is, she remains optimistic. I love this - it would be easy for a YA protagonist to become cynical and bitter (adolescents, am I right?) but Leyla perseveres, despite her fears. It’s pretty clear throughout the book that Leyla suffers from anxiety, and Shah’s descriptions of Leyla’s feelings of panic and stress are absolutely spot-on. How she can maintain such a positive attitude living under the sea with her father behind bars and an anxiety disorder without prozac is a mystery to me.

Ari, meanwhile, is much more of a cipher - he’s handsome, he annoys Leyla at first, but they grow on each other after a while, making eyes at one another...but pretty much all of Ari’s backstory is veiled, and I get the distinct sense that Shah is making us wait until the sequel to give us his full story. This is the problem of getting suckered into serieses instead of standalone books.

By the way: I do not recommend reading this at the same time as listening to the audiobook of Mira Grant/Seanan McGuire’s Into The Drowning Deep, because the events of both books will start to blend together in your head and you’ll get some pretty weird nightmares about living life underwater and weird merpeople/sirens/anthropoids. I figured, hey, both these books are about what it’s like under the sea, they can’t be so different, I’ll read one and listen to the other! Except they are. One is an optimistic YA fantasy action/adventure, the other is a straight-up horror novel in which scientists can be super smart, but also really, really stupid. Like, fatally stupid.

Also, and this is no offense to the action scenes of The Light at the Bottom of the World (which are awesome, by the way) but: how can you have flames and explosions underwater? I mean, you can definitely have an underwater explosion, but not with flames, right?

Eh, if they can do it on Spongebob and in the Aquaman movie then that’s fine with me.

The Aquaman movie is very much OK with me. For. Uh. Reasons.

Yes. Reasons.

Hi there, Jason Momoa...

Where was I?

Oh. Yes. Light at the Bottom of the World by London Shah. Jason Momoa could be the light at the bottom of my world any day...

OK, back to the review, I swear. I didn’t intend for this to just become an Aquaman gif fest. (OK, maybe I did a little).

Seriously, I can’t believe that once again I’ve found myself suckered into another series. Because of course this couldn’t be a standalone. Everything is a series these days. I mean, things tend to just go with this picture I saw on Brittany Cavallaro’s Twitter:

Every. Single. Time! Bah, I says. Oh, well. What’s next on my to-read list?

*checks to-read list*

Damn it, it’s all sequels!

RECOMMENDED FOR: Anyone who has ever dreamed of what life would be like if we all lived under the sea, Aquaman, any literate dolphins out there.

NOT RECOMMENDED FOR: Anyone who knows anything about what life would be really like if you lived under the sea; non YA fans, literate jellyfish.

RATING: 4/5

RELEASE DATE: October 29, 2019

ANTICIPATION LEVEL FOR SEQUEL: Mauna Kea

GRATUITOUS JASON MOMOA GIF:

AQUAMAN RATING:

JUST ONE MORE LITTLE MERMAID REFERENCE AND I’LL BE DONE, I SWEAR:

#the light at the bottom of the world #london shah #under the sea #london #underwater london #waterworld #young adult #young adult fantasy #young adult action/adventure #submarine #underwater action #aquaman #underwater explosions #the little mermaid #jason momoa

1 note · View note

callumturncr · 6 years

Text

A Different Path [Sirius Black AU] - Part 1

Summary: Post-graduation AU in which the reader, Lily and The Marauders have just joined the Order of the Phoenix. As tensions are at its highest in the First Wizarding War, the reader, who likes Sirius Black more than she would like to admit, is framed for the murder of Marlene McKinnon.

Parts: 1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5 – 6 – 7 – 8

Gif is not mine. Words: 2k.

A soft whoosh signaled that she’d arrived. Stepping out of the bright green flames that had transported her to the Ministry of Magic, Y/N gazed around in wonder at the Atrium. Many wizards and witches poured into the hall through the many ornate fireplaces lining the corridor and in the center, a few feet away stood a towering fountain. As much as she wanted to go over to inspect it further, one look at her watch told her she was later than she would’ve liked to be on her first day. Heels clicking on the polished floor, she set off for Level 2 which was home to the Department of Magical Law Enforcement.

As she walked, Y/N tugged subconsciously at her new, midnight blue robes. It had been a few months since she’d graduated from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and she missed her friends desperately (despite having seen her closest friend, Lily Evans, only last week). Her pace quickened with the prospect of meeting them all again and in no time, she was standing in front of the particular chamber Dumbledore had instructed her to come to. Straightening her robes once more, she pushed open the door.

The chamber itself was quite small for the Ministry’s standards and the paintings of previous ministers hanging on the walls dwarfed it even more. Y/N shuddered with the realization she could probably name most of them – thanks to her incredibly tedious History of Magic lessons back at Hogwarts. At the far end stood a table piled with food and hovering next to it stood a redhead she knew all too well, along with James Potter. A voice called out for her as she started towards them.

“Y/N!”

Turning around, she saw none other than a beaming Sirius Black striding towards her.

“Hello Sirius,” she said as she returned his smile. “You look well.”

Once he was close enough to see her properly, he stopped in his tracks. His dark grey eyes gave her a once over before an even larger grin came over his face.

“Your hair.”

Y/N rolled her eyes before nodding at him. It had taken Lily the better part of an hour to convince her to do something different – and permanent – with it when they had stopped at a Muggle salon so Lily could get a haircut. Y/N had insisted that there was no need to go in the first place, she could cut Lily’s hair herself but the latter had insisted using magic was dangerous, let alone wandless magic (which Y/N was quite accomplished at). Besides, Lily had said, you’ll be able to see the Muggle world, you’re always saying you want to!

One of Sirius’ fingers curled around the ends; now carmine red and bleeding up into black. Playfully tugging he said, “Pretty. It suits you.”

Y/N turned her head before he could see her flush and instead tugged his arm so they could make their way to where Lily and James were still standing. James smiled as he caught sight of them.

“Hey you two. Dumbledore is about to start speaking soon. Y/N here, have a muffin,” he handed one to her and batted away Sirius’ hand as he reached out to take one. “Piss off Sirius. You’ve had five already.”

“Have not! You wouldn’t know anyways you’ve been here the entire time talking to Evans–”

“Let’s find our seats guys,” interjected Lily and she steered James away, Sirius and Y/N following suit. They sat down near the front, joined by Remus and Peter. The latter seemed a little jittery which was quite different compared to how confident he acted at Hogwarts, she thought. As much as she tried to hide it, Y/N didn’t like Peter Pettigrew and she could never pinpoint for what exact reason this was. Always hiding in Sirius and James’ shadow, Pettigrew had vigorously cheered on their treatment of Severus Snape (the former two however had grown well out of their ways). As incredibly unpleasant as Snape was, no one deserved to be bullied, although taking Remus’ lane and staying out of it herself hadn’t been much better either.

“Welcome,” boomed the voice of Albus Dumbledore, cutting short her train of thought.

“I thank you all for joining me here today and for agreeing to be a part of the Order of the Phoenix. What we are trying to achieve here will be extremely trying not to mention dangerous; you will all be given as much responsibility as the Ministry places on its Aurors.” In her peripheral vision she thought she saw Sirius perk up because Marlene McKinnon had just walked in. Slightly late and looking sheepish, she slid into the chair next to Y/N, who shot her a smile before returning her attention to Dumbledore.

“As all of you know, dark times lie ahead. Lord Voldemort gains more and more supporters every day and has the backing of most ancient pure-blood families in the wizarding world. I advise constant vigilance to all of you and once again, thank you for your contribution to the Order.”

Lily was muttering something about Dumbledore’s speech but before Y/N could turn to hear properly, another voice called out.

“All the Hogwarts students come to me!”

It was Alastor Moody. Glancing around at her group of friends, Y/N was relieved to see all of them looking just as baffled. Slowly, they shuffled over to where he was standing.

“Dumbledore has placed you all directly under me,” he began gruffly. As he spoke, he looked around the circle as if sizing them all up. “These first few weeks I will send you to sort out minor inconveniences to the Ministry. I want no fooling around.” He eyed James and Sirius specifically. “I may send you on these tasks alone or with a partner. You will report back to me on whatever you find at the scene.”

“He’s brilliant you know,” Sirius leaned over to whisper, “Caught almost all of the Death Eaters they’ve put in Azkaban so far. Best Auror the Ministry has right now.”

“Black!”

Sirius’ eyes snapped back to Moody. Y/N froze, terrified. With his stark black robes and stiff posture, he reminded her largely of Professor McGonagall but even stricter (which Y/N didn’t think was even possible). While her old teacher had put up with Sirius, this was the Ministry and she expected Moody to be furious at him for interrupting. Even James looked at his friend with wide eyes.

“Sorry Sir, I was just–”

“Since you’re so eager, you can go to the first house Crouch wants checked. And take your friend with you,” he barked. His hasty look made Y/N snap out of her state.

“O-of course Sir. We’ll go right away,” Y/N gave a quick nod before pulling Sirius away. They walked at brisk pace, out of the chamber and back down to Level Eight where the Atrium was. Y/N gave him a light shove as he stepped into the green flames.

“I can’t believe you got us into trouble on the first day!”

As the familiar feeling of being forced through a sinkhole engulfed them both, she thought she heard him laughing.

“How was your holiday?” she asked as they walked.

“Very good actually. Better now that we don’t have school anymore and I didn’t have to go back to see my family,” answered Sirius, smiling bitterly.

Y/N nodded and then to diffuse some tension, poked Sirius in the side and added, “And because of Marlene. Lily tells me you guys were barely out of each other’s company for more than a few days.”

A blush came over his cheeks and he gave her a good natured shove.

“That too, yes,” he paused. “How come you didn’t come over to James’ that day? Lily said you weren’t feeling well but you wrote to me only two days before saying everything was fine.”

Y/N hadn’t gone because she had been unsure whether to join the Order in the first place. The shame had risen in her throat like bile with the realisation and there was no way of avoiding the topic if she’d gone to James’. More than that, she wasn’t sure she could’ve faced seeing Sirius and Marlene together. Of course, Lily knew all this and had simply made an excuse but Y/N couldn’t reveal this now.

“I… I just wanted sometime to myself to really think if… if this is what I want to do.” She fiddled with her fingers as she avoided looking at him. “At Hogwarts I threw myself into my studies because I was convinced the Auror career path was the one I wanted to take. When Dumbledore told me about the Order, I was hesitant to agree.”

It wasn’t a complete lie, what she told him. Sirius didn’t say anything and only stared at her intently, prompting her to continue.

“You guys knew immediately that you wanted to join, no matter how dangerous. I– I don’t know if it has anything to do with you all being in Gryffindor or anything but I just wanted to think it through before I agreed and...”

Sirius had reached out to squeeze her hand. The action startled Y/N for a second but she recovered quickly enough so he wouldn’t notice. “Seeing all of you guys again before I agreed to come would’ve made me choose this just for my friends you know? To be together with all of you and I didn’t want that to be the only reason.”

“I understand.” She had never heard his voice this soft. “And you don’t have to justify it Y/N, I just wanted to know if you were okay.”

Y/N opened her mouth to carry on but Sirius beat her to it.

“It’s got nothing to do with houses either. I know you’ve felt out of place being the only Hufflepuff among us but your reaction was normal. I… I also reconsidered after agreeing.”

Sirius was glancing at her out of the corner of his eye, like he feared her judgment. Y/N tried not to let her surprise show on her face.

“Oh?”

“Yeah. This Order stuff is like Dumbledore said, Auror work without all the training and I didn’t know if I was good enough to do it. My mother’s voice in my head certainly reminded me.”

“Sirius that’s– that’s rubbish. You were one of the best students in our year – top grades as well as mastering non-verbal magic, you were the one who taught me remember? And you became an Animagi, albeit illegally. Even McGonagall said you were at the top which is very high praise,” he rolled his eyes playfully as she continued.

“You will be good at this, I know you will. And if you ever have doubts again just imagine the look on your mother’s face when she finds out you’ve gone and joined an organization that wants to protect Muggle-borns.”

It was at this stage she realized that Sirius still had not let go of her hand. Looking up at him, Y/N saw that he was grinning.

“That is a very impressive list. Do you often think of my accomplishments to know them off by heart like that?”

Y/N snatched her hand back and poked him in the ribs hard. Sirius’ loud laugh echoed around the neighborhood.

“Only teasing Y/N, you know how much–”

She cut him off with a huff.

“I think this is the house.”

Sirius spoke again before she could knock.

“Thank you Y/N. You how much it means to me. This is year is going to be fun.”

“Of course,” she replied curtly. “Living in mortal peril is always fun. I should know, I was a first-hand witness of your pranks.”

“Always the responsible one. Maybe it is a house thing–”

“Sirius!”

Chuckling, he raised a hand to knock and Y/N shook her head as he greeted the woman that opened the door.

It was going to be a long year.

#sirius black #sirius black imagine #sirius black imagines #sirius black x reader #sirius black au #sirius x reader #sirius x you #sirius black fanfiction #marauders era #harry potter #harry potter imagine #harry potter imagines #harry potter fanfiction #sirius black fanfictions #my writing

264 notes · View notes

seriouslyblacklikemysoul · 6 years

Text

Of tragedy and hope - Sirius Black x Reader

Request: Hi! Can I get a Sirius black x young teacher? If that's fine. Like where she's the new history of magic teacher and everyone starts liking it(mostly boys hah) even Sirius and you can make the end thanks. Warnings: My English, language. Gif and pic aren't mine. Credits to their original owners. Also, you can request again! Word Count~2.6k MASTERLIST / Pending Requests

September first arrived a bit too fast. It was a bittersweet day and a very different one since it was the last first day of Hogwarts, the only place -after the Potter's - he could call home. He had missed it, though. All the adventures of the infamous Marauders, all the pranks and the detentions... "Why so serious?" James tried to make a pun but this time he felt the same. Sirius smiled brightly and hopped on to the train which was about to leave but he bumped into someone, almost knocking them over but thankfully he caught...her. "I'm sorry, I wasn't looking where I was going" she quickly apologized and got to her feet. Sirius was unable to say a word. How was it possible that he hadn't noticed her before? "It-it was my fault, no worries, love" he finally managed to answer, making her chuckle and raise a questioning eyebrow but dismissed the case with a smile as she walked away. James and Remus had witnessed the scene and were about to make his life a living hell. They were smiling like the Grinch. "Not a word" Sirius threatened but Remus was one step ahead. "Of course, Pads. That's your speciality" he mocked him and found an empty compartment for them to sit. But the question remained... who was she?

The feast was incredible, as always. Dumbledore stood up, near the end of the night, gaining the attention of everyone. “I would like everyone to give a warm welcome to our new History of Magic Professor, Y/N Y/L/M! She has kindly agreed to fill the spot for this year. Thank you, Professor". It would be an understatement to say that Sirius' jaw had hit the ground and even Lily was laughing at him. There were loud cheers, and a few whistles, which of course, it was rather normal. She was young, beautiful and skilled. However, Sirius felt weird... He had seen her first. She stood up and kindly smiled at everyone before sitting back down and taking a sip of her drink. "So much for a quiet year, huh Pads?" James tried to make fun of him but he wasn't even paying attention to anything or anyone but the new teacher. "Do you want a baby bib, honey? Cause you're drooling" Marlene deadpanned a bit too mean. Sirius finally looked at his friends, with a lovestrucked look on his face. Great, he thought. "Shut up, Marls" he simply sod her off and returned to his gazing - or stalking, which it could become creepy. "You know what I think? I think a prank it's the best way to start our last year, don't you? And I know just the person" James winked at Remus before turning to Sirius who had paled. "Nah. Don't be immature" he stated but every single Gryffindor that had heard him burst into laughs, making her look at them, and making him go red. He didn't miss her smile, however. Oh, Merlin.

Next time Sirius saw her was in her class... and she was five minutes late. He couldn't help but smile as the time went by. He was going to be very surprised by her... in many ways. "Good morning to all" she greeted the class with a sweet and kind voice that made Sirius - and well, every boy really- weak. "History of Magic was the one class I could get some decent sleep, you know?" she started talking and the entire classroom laughed. "Professor Binns was... not very vivid. So, I get it. Besides, I am not that much older than you. Just two years. And trust me, I am not gonna teach this core class the same way. I don't want you to die of boredom. Yet" she went on. Two years -so, she was twenty. And then it hit him. She was the girl he had a crush when he was just fourteen. Therefore, it was only natural that he didn't pay attention to what she was talking about, instead just gazing at her, something that she noticed but didn't comment upon. Watching her, having captured the attention of everyone, made him feel...proud. He could hear the sporadic laughs she caused and the exclamations. She was truly different from Binns. It was something about her that made him think that she was graceful but she wouldn't hesitate to hex anyone into oblivion if she was provoked. "... and don't forget. I do not want you to study!" she cheerfully said once the class was over. James was already next to Lily and Remus was preoccupied with his notes. "Um, Sirius, can I talk to you for a moment?" she awkwardly asked him. It came as a shock to him that she knew his name but even if he wanted to say no, he couldn't. He was never gonna hear the end of it. "Hello, Professor. Look, I'm sorry about the incident on the train..." he tried to apologize but she smiled and waved it off. "Call me by my name, Sirius. I am not that old. And don't worry. Next time, though, please pay attention. Okay?" she told him, leaving him speechless. She gathered her things, winked at him and walked away. She winked at him. He was having a heart attack.

History of Magic had suddenly become the most thrilling class of the entire school, thanks to the new professor. Around Christmas, things changed a bit. She had started, per Dumbledore's request, teaching them spells as well, practically replacing the DADA teacher, to prepare them for the war that everybody knew was just around the bend. And she was good. Sirius had proven to everyone that he could be an excellent student if he really wanted to. Of course, she was impressed and that was his goal. The truth was that she had thought about him in a non-professional way and that scared her and thrilled her at the same time. He had made clear that he was interested in her as more than a student should be but he was never the one who followed the rules anyway. He didn't really mind breaking another one. Well, considering the fact that he was about to set fire on the dungeons just for the sake of it, did show something about him and his friends. "It's just one invisibility cloak and it's four of us. Of course, we will be seen!" James hissed at his friends. What they hadn't noticed was that they weren't alone. She was watching them curiously, smiling at their immaturity. "Wormy, transform. You're the smallest one" Remus reasoned. So, Remus was part of that as well, she raised an eyebrow. That little shit, she thought, appearing all innocent and smart while in fact, he had to be the mastermind behind their pranks. A rat appeared out of the blue - so they were illegal animagi. She was a Professor there and so she decided to end their party. That, and she really wanted to witness their facial expressions. "What if we get caught?" Sirius asked. He was all in for the prank but he would hate to disappoint her. He had to appear a mature and well-poised man, not a five-year-old that wanted attention. "Nah! We have the invisibility cloak" James proudly reminded him and for a second everyone believed it. "If only you were mute as well" she remarked with a fake desperation, making them freeze as she tried to hide her smile - and failed, well because of Sirius. His face was gold. But also, very, very handsome. Wait, what? She silently reprimanded herself and even though she tried, they locked eyes. "Just go back to your common room" she found herself saying. They were surprised, to say the least. "No detention?" Remus asked worriedly. Old habits, die hard. "Not this time, Remus" she answered kindly and Sirius discovered that his heart was beating twice as much as it should. She looked spectacular and her perfume was all over him. "Sirius, if you have a minute..." she told him, while the others winked at him and left. They knew, she thought. Great. The corridor was cold and dark, but it was also empty so no one would eavesdrop hopefully. One thing she noticed was that his eyes were extremely silver at the moment, not just grey. "Yes, Professor?" he shyly asked her but he soon realized that he had called her professor again, something that she had made clear, she hated. She just rolled her eyes but didn't comment on it. "About your... inquiry. He is... I'm sorry" she softly added. He had asked her if his assumptions were correct and Regulus had become a Death Eater. Apparently, he had. Even if they hadn't as much as exchanged a good morning, Sirius felt sick. It was his fault, after all. If he hadn't walked away, if he had stayed and helped him as a brother should... "Sirius, it's not your fault" she kindly offered him but he couldn't even look at her in the eyes...She didn't hesitate and wrapped him in her arms. Maybe if she held him tightly enough, all the pieces would stick back together. He let out a breath and hid his face in the crook of her neck, getting drunk on her sweet smell and trying to forget everything else. It was not a typical scene between a student and a teacher but they both realized that they weren't exactly typical. "Would you like to join me for a cup of tea? It helps me, so... maybe..." she trailed off. Something in that hug made her think that maybe it wasn't all black and white... and he let go of all his inhibitions...and just went with it. So, what if he liked her? He reluctantly left her embrace just to nod with a small, sad smile. He followed her, not a word leaving his mouth, all the way to her room. His heart was hammering but his mind was clouded. It was his brother that made everything... gloomier. And the fact that he still cared about him. She could see that... he had let her see that part of him. It wouldn't be the first time she had caught herself thinking about him. And it wouldn't be the last either. There was something about him... His unapologetic craziness, his quick wit, his devotion to everything he did and everyone he cared about...He was special to her. Once they were inside her room, he felt a bit awkward but soon enough the feeling was replaced by another, a warm one. She smiled, handing him a cup of her favorite tea and gesturing him to sit wherever he wanted. Her room was spacious and... familiar, with many books - Remus would adore her, he thought - and candles here and there but what caught his attention was a muggle device... A small vintage phonograph and a pile of vinyl records. He was absolutely fascinated and she saw that. "Can you... does it work?" he asked her while the true question lingered on a bit longer. She smiled brightly and with a gentle gesture of her hand, soft music filled the room. He didn't want to talk about Regulus, but he wanted her to know. "You know... we cling on to people who abuse us because we have learnt that this is the way people show affection, emotion... any kind of it. I am sorry about your brother, I really am. But Sirius, this is not your fault" she softly told him, a whisper above the music. He looked at her, knowing that she understood him better even than his friends, for a reason he never knew. He felt it and he knew it was there. She sat next to him, close enough for her perfume to getting him high but far enough to keep a safe distance. Or so they thought. "Then why does it feel like it?" he simply questioned. It wasn't meant for her, it was rather a genuine question. She furrowed her eyebrows, debating whether to speak her mind or not. She noticed how his eyes seemed almost like liquid silver in the faint light, how the curve of his full lips was not turned upwards, how his entire face was clouded. "Sirius, look at me" she kindly yet fiercely demanded. The moment his eyes met hers, he was done for. He never even thought that she was his professor because well, she wasn't just that. "We all make choices -bad or good, it doesn't matter. They are our choices and we learn to live with the consequences. You made yours, Regulus made his. Maybe it wasn't what he truly wanted but it's his choice nonetheless. You can't save everyone, Sirius. It’s enamoring, how full of life you are - your soul could rival the sun, it’s as if you shimmer with the promise of eternal bliss. Perhaps that’s why you so easily win the hearts of all; so golden and glamorous. But not everyone can handle that. Your brother is not you and you are not your brother. You love him, I know that. And that's all we can do, really. You can't change people, you just love them" she tenderly told him as his eyes were captivated by hers. She reminded him of a rose - the single flower that was so impossible to hate, delicate and pretty yet strong and powerful, even when it hurt him. Her voice mustered to calm even the most chaotic oceans of his mind, always soothing with soft notes of comfort. Even her eyes could mesmerize the most soulless creature, like him. He thought he didn't deserve that kind of kindness. She had a completely different idea. "Not of all" he quietly provoked her. Suddenly, it wasn't his brother that he wanted to talk about. He wasn't sure if he wanted to talk at all. Maybe he just wanted to spend the night away with her, speaking in soft giggles and stories of the easier days. They were both exhausted but through tired eyes and heartfelt smiles, they couldn’t help but fall for each other. He had always looked up to her. Her class and dignity were things he had envied. She spoke every sentence like poetry. She was smarter than he would ever be, he admired her. To him, she was alluring. What the hell? "Life is too short to pretend we don’t have feelings for each other" he simply stated and before she could register what was happening, he had cupped her face and not a moment later he kissed her. It was soft, tender and real yet somehow fragile but perfect no matter what. Her mind was screaming and protesting but her heart had already agreed with him. She kissed him back, tasting the smoke from his cigarettes and the tea, the tragedies, and the grace. He couldn't believe that this was actually happening. Her gentle touch was burning his arm but her lips told him tales of her soul and her ethereal beauty. At some point, she broke away but she was smiling, a smile so contagious that he couldn't help it. When he was with her, he acted differently. In a good way. He didn't have to pretend everything was okay when it wasn't. With her, he could easily drop the fake smile and put a real one on. And she didn't feel hurt or alone with him. He was easy to talk to and he listened to her. He wasn't pretending. They were happy when they were with each other and that was all it mattered.

Tags: @orionsirivsblack @nadinissavage @kapolisradomthoughts @geeksareunique

227 notes · View notes

dailyshameless · 6 years

Text

Shameless Gif Tutorial

[requested, or else I would’ve never done this lmao]

I’m going to show you how to turn a video into a gif, obviously. I’m going to make some Fiona gifs for this example, turning it from the first one to the second. I used them in this gif set.

This is how I’ve made gifs for six years now, adapting to each new version of photoshop. I learned from a tutorial I used to link people to when they asked how I make my gifs, but I can’t find that blog anymore, sadly.

Here we go...

I’m going to start out by trimming the finale episode into a clip using Quicktime. I first trim the scene I want to gif. I save that (usually named as a keyboard smash lol).

Next, I open that trimmed clip in Quicktime again to create clips for each gif I want to make. Save each of them. Again, I normally just do a keyboard smash with a proper number at the end of each clip.

Then we’re gonna open Photoshop. I have CC 2018. (I buy it for school, so I don’t know where you can download it, sorry.) It differs slightly from version to version. This is gonna require at least a basic knowledge of Photoshop.

Now you’re gonna go to File > Import > Video Frames to Layers You’re going to pick your clip from wherever you saved it, and click “Open”. A dialog box like this will show up.

You can adjust the clip as needed, use the little markers on the timeline under the clip to trim it if it’s a little long. Pressing “Limit To Ever [2] Frames” skips frames to make the file smaller (Tumblr has a gif limit of 3MB), but I find it makes the gifs choppy, I don’t use it. When it looks good to you, press “Okay”.

Now your screen should look like this:

I like to open all the files for one gif set at once, so I do the same for the rest of the clips.

Next, we’re going to crop them. I open go to View > Show > Grid and turn on the grid so I can trim all the gifs evenly. I do this to all the open files.

I like to play around with the height of the crop sizes before I settle on one, but I always know how many gifs I’m putting in the set horizontally before I initially trim the clips. For this, I’m focusing on Fiona’s face and putting two gifs next to each other. This is what my crop settings are for this gif.

And this is what the screen looks like.

This crop was easy since Fiona takes up the entire height of the scene, but if it didn’t and I was cropping out something more specific, I would use the guides and move the crop around, making sure each gif was cropped as close to each other as possible. Now I watch through each gif, making sure it’s cropped properly. I start over and crop it again if I need to. Then I turn the grid off, no need for it anymore. And now is when I save each file as a PSD, just in case Photoshop quits on me. Once again, I normally do a proper number with a keyboard smash, for times sake.

Now comes the fun part, coloring! I like to play around and make my own PSDs. I use this PSD for Shameless scenes a lot of the time, it works well on almost every kind of scene. I pretty much always end up adjusting layers, especially the Hue/Saturation and Vibrance. I’m gonna use that PSD for this, because I’m lazy. Next, I adjust the PSD a bit, making sure to save.

Then it’s time to add text, if the gif has it. Here are the text settings I use.

Then I like to add a drop shadow and stroke.

It should now look like this:

But, this clip has too many frames. I can’t really go over 70 and have it be under 3MB, so it’s time to delete frames. Instead of deleting every other frame to get in the whole clip, I trim it on either the beginning or end. Go to File > Export > Save For Web to see how the size of the gif is. I try to keep it below 2.6MB before sharpening.

Next, you’re gonna set the frame delay so it isn’t too fast or too slow. Select all the frames and set the time, I use 0.08.

Now, these next few steps are important for sharpening your gif. Be sure to follow them carefully or your gif may not move.

Make sure all frames are selected, like how you did to adjust the frame delay.

With all frames selected, I click the little menu lines to the right of the timeline (the frames on the bottom of the screen) and a menu pops up. Click Convert to Video Timeline.

The timeline on the bottom will turn into something like this.

Next, you’re going to select all of the image layers. You do not need to select the PSD. You can either delete the unused layers (from frames you deleted) or leave them. I leave them, since it won’t matter in a minute and saves time.

Next, you’re going to right click on the selected layers, a menu will pop up. You’re gonna click “Convert to Smart Object”.

It’ll look like this.

It’s time to sharpen! Go to Filter > Sharpen > Smart Sharpen. I use these Smart Sharpen settings.

Your layers will now look like this.

Then you’re going to go back to File > Export > Save for Web.

Make sure you go to the bottom right and change “Once” to “Forever”, or else your gif will only move once then stop.

Then, click save. You’re done!

Let me know if this helps, it took forever to screenshot and type everything out, so I hope some of you get some use out if it.

Let me know how it works for you!

-Paige

#gif tutorial #photoshop tutorial #ps tutorial #shameless

95 notes · View notes

tiny-little-bird · 6 years

Text

A good heart.

So, I was rewatching Jon and Davos’ scene in 7.04, and I’m sorry, but Davos DOES NOT say “I’ve noticed you staring at HER good heart.” he says “I’ve noticed you staring at A good heart.” Go back and rewatch it and hear/see for yourself.

I cannot believe that for months I thought he said “her good heart”, because that’s how people wrote it on gifests, photo collages etc. but in fact he LEGIT says “A GOOD HEART!”

So yeah, here is a gif of Jon staring at Dandelion’s “good heart”:

But you know at whose good heart he stared at, and EVERYONE was there to witness it? Sansa’s.

In the GIF below, we can see Davos is right there, on the left, assisting and looking at them. Then there is also Mel, right in the middle, between them. Why put them in the frame? Why have them assist to this moment? It costs to have actors on set, filming, this scene could’ve easily been shot without Davos, Mel, Pod, Brienne and Tormund looking at them, but they are there.

Ok, so below, he goes straight to looking at her chest and giving her a quick “scan”, he notices she’s wearing a new dress right a way. How… observing of you, Jonathan.

How convenient that the “wolf bit”, is exactly on her chest area, where her “good heart” is. lol

Also, can we all appreciate how in the gif below, Jon legit checks Sansa out, “scans” her top to bottom, head to toe, slowly this time?

*inserts sarcasm* But brothers do that all the time, that’s something completely normal and platonic, I don’t even know why I mentioned that. *winks*

Side note, (in the same gif) just look at how comfortable and happy Sansa looks and is, having him check her, and her body out like that, despite all she’s been through, how happy she is that he noticed her, and her new dress, that he seems to like it.

It warms my heart every time I watch this scene.

So he checks her out and looks at her good heart,

Then he does it again,

And again (twice, in the gif below). He stutters a little and then says, “I like the wolf bit.” all the while looking at her chest, then proceeds to look her in the eyes, smiling like a complete dork/fool, and then he goes back to look at her good heart again aka her “wolf bit”.

All the while, Tormund and Brienne are looking at this “very platonic” *winks again* exchange, unfold right before their eyes, and even if he’s not in frame, Davos is definitely looking at them too.

Have y'all counted how many times he looks at her “good heart” in this one scene? Because I personally lost count. lol

#JondelionCantRelate 🤗

Now we fast forward to season 7, and we have Davos say, “I’ve noticed you staring at A good heart.”, only, again, It’s not Dandelion, since we’ve never seen Jon do such a thing.

Davos would’ve said “her heart”, if it was her he was talking about, he was alluding to the cloak scene, “I noticed/saw you staring at A good heart (once).”, but I don’t think Jon got the memo he was talking about Sansa, at all.

Normally D&D should’ve made Davos say, “her good heart”,

“I think she has a good heart.” || “I noticed you staring at her good heart.”

but they chose to use “a” instead, to leave it up to interpretation, to make it sound like it could be ANY good heart.

And Jon then goes to say that there’s no time for it; on an island where he has nothing to do all day.

But go figure, while he was preparing for a war/battle, and after, while he was preparing the entire North for a zombie invasion, he had plenty of time to:

stare at Sansa’s “good heart”,

have intimate, heated conversations with her in a candle lit tent, where they legit looked like they were about to make out,

give her sweet and tender forehead kisses,

stroll around Winterfell with her to talk and sort things out,

look her in the eyes longingly,

smile to her

laugh with her

joke with her

and the list can go on.

You know how when you’re nit interested in someone you go, sorry I don;t have time for a relationship right now, I’m focusing on work? Yeah… “There’s no time for that.” is simply a polished way of saying “she’s not my type/I’m not interested.” lmao

But let’s get back to 7.04.

After the all the good heart talk, we get this scene:

Dayum Jonathan, calm your pants, your cousiness is showing again. 😂

But wait a second, doesn’t Jon’s (extra) reaction here, remind you of another scene which happened just two epsiodes earlier? Mhm… yup.

Only difference is, in the scene with Theon there were “spectators”.

And then we have Dadvos giving Jon this look:

And doesn’t Davos’ reaction also remind you of another scene from two episodes earlier? Mhm… yup.

I see lots of “wheels” turning in both scenes.

Davos has come to the same realization as Littlefinger.

Davos KNOWS.

Another thing that leads me to think that whole “good heart” conversation wasn’t about Dandelion but about Sansa, is that Jon doesn’t think Dandelion has a good heart.

And here we have it, “And you believe that?”.

Are we supposed to believe he thinks she has a good heart, when he clearly doubts Dandelion would let Missandei leave, if she decided she wanted to go home? No, we’re not, because he doesn’t believe for a second she has a good heart, because he doesn’t buy into her whole, saviour, liberator, protecting people from monsters facade, he sees past it.

The scene above literally contradicted his statement to Davos from two seconds earlier.

Internally he must be like, I wanted to leave too, and yet look at me, here I am, stuck here on this cursed island, she won’t let me go home, she won’t let me leave, and if the day ever comes that you’ll want to leave, she won’t let you leave either. I partly believe we’ll have a scene with Missandei in season 8, where she’ll ask Dandelion to leave with Grey Worm, and Jon’s incredulity about the matter will be proved right, Dandelion will not allow Missandei to “abandon” her.

There was even a deleted scene between Dandelion and Missandei from season 4, that went like this:

Dany: Never betray me.

Missandei: Never.

But I might be completely wrong about this, we’ll have to see.

So yeah, to me the fact that D&D didn’t show us Jon staring at Dandelion’s good heart, the fact that they had Davos say “I noticed you staring at A good heart.” INSTEAD of naturally having him say “I noticed you staring at HER good heart.”, the fact that the scene with Missandei confirmed he doesn’t believe Dandelion has a good heart, the fact that after the scene with Missandei, Jon goes berserk on Theon after Theon mentions Sansa, it all makes me believe Davos was talking about Sansa, that D&D were trying to subtly remind the audience that it’s Sansa’s good heart Jon stared at, NOT Dandelion’s, that Sansa is the one with the good heart and NOT Dandelion.

(all the gifs used in this post are mine)

#JonsaIsComing 💙

92 notes · View notes