#a lot of the garden flowers are similar but i'm obsessed with that look | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

k1nky-fool · 1 year

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HEY THERE. How are you doing?

For Mita obviously: 2, 11, 14, 21, 25, 32, 44. Sorry if I'm a little late, but I hope you're feeling better now! Remember to rest and drink water.

I'm doing a little better now that my distraction is working. Tbh I figured Valentines would be a rough time for me, but I'm glad I have folks that are happy to give me a little thing to obsess over through the rough patches.

Minute

2. How loosely or strictly do they use the word ‘friend’?

Very strictly, but it's not as impossible as it might look at first glance. Mita is simply very picky about who she calls a friend.

The first way to become Mita's friend is if she recognizes that you need help, and you stay in contact with her and offer her an act of service in return for her help after she's given all the help she can. Obviously, that's how Devoan and Ekko end up staying friends with her, and that's a frightening way to meet her, but it would work.

The second way is much easier, but still pretty scary. If one of her current friends trusts you and she slowly warms up to you. This one will take quite a long time and she may vaguely threaten you to emphasize that her priority is to ensure the safety of her current friend. This method worked for Viktor, and even though they're still not the closest years later, Mita definitely trusts him enough to call him a friend.

The last way and probably the most terrifying way is just the Vander way. You gotta have a lot of confidence and kindness to just introduce yourself to her and be friendly. But there is a chance that it might work. Be a decent person, and you'll grow on her. You aren't safe from skepticism, but you aren't at risk of death.

11. If someone was impersonating them, what would friends / family ask or do to tell the difference?

Try giving her a friendly touch without permission. If she tries to break your hand, then it's her.

The standard procedure for people that are allowed to touch her is to reach out and wait for her to meet you halfway. Even the kids know to at least call her name before going in for a hug.

So if you even just put a hand on her arm without asking or giving any warning, and she does nothing, then there is no way that's her.

14. How do they put out a candle?

Full on pinches the wick. If she needed darkness in a candle lit room, she was usually wearing a mask. So she just kind of made a habit of pinching wicks.

21. What common etiquette do they disagree with? Do they still follow it?

Tips. Don't get me wrong, if there's a tip jar, she naturally assumes the staff isn't getting paid enough and she'll put a good chunk of money in there. There's enough skeevy business owners both topside and bottom that make the tip jar necessary, but just means she's gonna start vaguely threatening a business owner every time she sees them until the staff has enough money to survive without the tip jar.

25. What subject / topic do they know a lot about that’s completely useless to the direct plot?

She knows a lot about flowers, and what it takes to grow them. When she was alone as a creature, the spring flowers were something easy to take note of. She'd notice where they grew, what the conditions were like where they grew, and if the same flower was seen somewhere similar or different. If she had the chance, she'd definitely grow her own garden.

32. If they committed one petty crime / misdemeanor, what would it be? Why?

We know she's not above a felony, but she knew her fair share of petty crimes when she was younger. But if it were to really come down to a petty crime, it'd probably be trespassing on private property. Even if she wasn't doing anything there, she's just not where she's supposed to be.

44. What language would be easiest for them to learn? Why?

I'm thinking if Mita were in this world with our languages. I don't mean to sound boring, but she'd likely pick up on Spanish very fast. When I hear her voice in my mind, she has a very light Spanish accent.

Though, I think most romance languages would be easier for her to pick up on than any others. I do think she'd have more trouble with Portuguese than Italian, French, or Spanish.

#oc ask game #arcane oc #arcane #vander x oc #vander x minute #oc minute

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mirage-of-the-virtuoso · 1 year

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"Again."

The blue sapling lunged at the violet mesmer, who deflected the sword attack with their scepter, clones appearing out of thin air. In response, the trainee formed a phantasm of his own, then disappears into a cloud of smoke. As the mentor's clones looked wildly for their target, the trainee leapt out of the shadows and struck the other sylvari, only to once again be deflected.

Being spotted, the blue sylvari teleported backwards and swapped weapons, from a sword and torch to a staff. The skill difference was noticeable the moment he swapped sets.

More and more of the trainee's clones appeared, shattering just as fast. The sapling got close, appearing as one of the clones before casting a chaotic storm and leaping backwards, a similar purple aura swirling around him. Before long, more clones appeared once the phantasms expired. It didn't help that there was an occasional sharp pain from a mantra sent their way. A quick pinch to throw them off-rhythm.

Too bad it doesn't quite work on them.

The trainee was distracted by a clone coming for him, practically demanding his attention. A quick close-range shatter or two, and the trainee was gasping for breath on the ground.

"Again."

The blue sapling cast a healing signet, blinking away to the edge of the ring and casting more clones before swapping back to his sword and torch, leaping forward for a flurry sword strike. Once again disappearing into the air, the violet mentor cast one of their phantasms to again distract the sapling. The sword mesmer leapt out from the side and shattered his clones, a crystalline shield preventing him from harm for just a second or two. A second is a lot of time in battle.

Two more clones appeared from the blue sylvari, and all three sprinted towards the mesmer mentor.

Having had enough of this, the mentor used a shatter skill, dazing the trainee so much that he dropped to the ground.

It's now that the mentor notices the flowers in the blue sylvari's white leaves.

"That's-"

"Again."

The mentor caught him by the wrist when he swings, twisting it behind his back and pinning him to the floor.

"That's enough, Chrysallus. You need a break," the mentor firmly stated.

The sapling, Chrysallus, struggled to get free. "I can- I can get this, Auri!" he grunted, fighting to stand. "One. More. Time."

Auri, the mentor, sighs. "You're obsessing again, Chrys. This perfectionism of yours is getting out of hand. No one learns everything in a few days."

"I can learn this!"

"You will wear yourself out first, then where would you be? This would get you killed in a fight."

Chrys finally stops struggling. He loathes giving in, but he didn't have any more energy to keep fighting.

Auri lets him go. "We'll call it a draw-"

"Don't pity me, I lost."

"I'm not pitying you, I'm acknowledging your progress," the violet sylvari huffs. "Stop shooting down praise that's rightly earned, you will not get anywhere being difficult like that."

Chrys sheathes his weapons, still looking irritable. Auri approaches and embraces him from behind. "Why don't we go into the Garden of Dawn? Unwind for a little while? Treat the bruises?"

After a moment of silence, Chrys pulls away and tugs them by the sleeve of their shirt. He never was particularly verbal when frustrated.

They link arms with him and lead the difficult sylvari away from the training ground, over by a small pool. Both of them dive in and swim to the other side, being met with a brightly lit space paved with smooth rocks and a small waterfall at the end. They sat down in front of it, and Auri wasted no time meticulously untangling some flowers from Chrys's hair.

"Aurienal." Hearing their name, they made a hum in response. "Do you know of any other sylvari like me?"

"Like you?"

"These damn flowers. Pesky little things always being an inconvenience."

"Well, you refuse to take breaks when you need to, these 'pesky flowers' make it easier to give you that time," they reply. "A strange little quirk, but it's benign, for the moment."

"Hmph."

Once the flowers are picked out, his mentor pulls him back to relax against them. "So, your body has a visual cue. If you had continued as you had, you likely would have forced yourself to collapse."

"I would have been fine!"

"I'd have to drag you to a mender on principle." That response earned a growl. "Don't growl at me, kitty cat. You're the one being difficult."

"I am not a damn cat."

"No, but you share a lot of similarities with them!" Hearing Auri laugh, Chrys just huffs in annoyance.

"You're lucky I tolerate your pet names. But I don't want you using them in front of others."

They rest their forehead on Chrys's head, feeling him relax a little. "Not one word. But I reserve the right to call you 'kitty cat' when you're being difficult."

"Oh shut it, I'm not doing it on purpose."

Auri helps him settle, noting his yawn from exhaustion. "I know. Now get some rest. We'll get some food once you've recovered more of your strength, my treat."

#chrysallus #aurienal #crystal echoes: aurienal #crystal echoes: chrysallus #oc lore #catmander chrysallus #mender aurienal #sylvari oc #i just bounce around little details like this in my head like a windows screensaver #personal story lore #for context: chrys wields staff and sword/torch - auri wields scepter/focus?#might be off-hand sword. i gotta check again #edit: i forgot there were utility skills that also summoned phantasms and i found the one auri used. still unsure if their off-hand in this #by the looks of it; auri used scepter/sword in this one with the double deflection and many clones

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pinejay · 4 years

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making a plant wishlist...

i rly want norfolk pine, pilea peperomioides, callisia repens variegata, oxalis triangularis green shamrock, turtles on a string, hoya compacta, ficus triangularis (NOT variegated), jewel orchid var alba, hoya polyneura, calathea lutea, stephanie erecta

as for gardens plants: nasturtiums, himalayan poppy, matilija poppy, japanese anemone, hellebore, orange cosmos, mountain laurel (if the climate fits)

#ref #a lot of the garden flowers are similar but i'm obsessed with that look #i would just like to get different colors with the different flowers

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twh-news · 3 years

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"Loki" Director Kate Herron Talks The Epic Season 1 Finale And The Easter Egg Fans Should Go Back And Listen For | Buzzfeed

Warning: There are MASSIVE spoilers ahead for Season 1 of Loki!

Welp, Loki Season 1 just came to an end and I think it's safe to say that the Marvel Cinematic Universe will never be the same. Following the Season 1 finale, we sat down with director Kate Herron to talk about everything — like how it felt introducing the multiverse and Jonathan Majors to the MCU, casting this incredible ensemble cast, Loki's bisexuality, and so much more. Here's everything we learned:

1. First, Kate has always loved Loki, so she knew she wanted to be involved in the "character's next step" in some way.

"Basically, I love Loki, and I found out they were making a show about him. As a fan, I was like, 'I need to know where he's gone.' Then, I just wanted to know what the story was going to be. I loved the character. I think Tom Hiddleston's performance is amazing. I really wanted to be part of whatever this character's next step was because I think Loki's had one of the best arcs in the MCU."

2. Directing all six episodes of the first season felt like filming a six-hour movie.

"Directing all six episodes was a really unique experience, right? Because normally TV is run through the showrunner system, and Marvel didn't do that on Loki. It was incredible. It was quite an undertaking to do six hours and run it like a giant film. I'm so grateful for the opportunity, and I'm really proud of what we made."

3. When Kate signed on to Loki, only the first few scripts had been written, the "rough shape of the show" was in place, and they knew Loki would be arrested by the TVA.

"When I started, Michael [Waldron] had written the pilot. Then, there was a second episode written by Elissa [Karasik], and Bisha's [Ali] episode was written. So, there was a rough shape of the show. It was already fixed in that Loki was gonna be arrested by the TVA and then it had this twist that he was going to try and solve the mystery of who this other Loki was, but then it pivots and becomes this love story about him falling in love with himself. I just thought that was so inspired and the message that had about self-love. I just really wanted to be part of that."

4. And they always knew the show would end at The Citadel at the End of Time and the multiverse would be born.

"As we dug into it with Kevin Wright, our producer, the studio, Michael, Tom, and also our whole team, I think it was always thinking like what was the best story, in particular during the second half of the show. We always knew they were going to The Citadel, something would happen, and the multiverse would be born, but we didn't necessarily know it would come out of Loki and Sylvie fighting. That idea came out of discussions with me, the writers, and the studio."

5. It was "always the plan" to introduce Jonathan Majors to the MCU during the Loki Season 1 finale.

"I think me and the writers were just like, 'Well, they haven't told us we can't introduce that character. I guess we're doing it.' It was really exciting and I felt really honored that I got to be part of it."

6. Kate was involved with Jonathan's casting for He Who Remains/Kang alongside Peyton Reed, who will direct Ant-Man: Quantumania, and Marvel Studios.

"Being part of the casting discussion with Marvel and Peyton was amazing. It was massive. I was just like, 'Wow, I can't believe I get to be part of this conversation.' Everyone was just so excited about Jonathan. He's one of the best actors. I just couldn't believe we got him."

7. Jonathan brought a lot of "cool ideas to the table" once he was cast, and Kate gave him "space to play."

"He just brought so many cool ideas to the table. I think when you're working with an actor like Jonathan, it's really just about giving him space to play, and let him find the character and give him a cool way to do that. I really enjoyed working with him. We finished the shoot filming in The Citadel, so it was really interesting that we finished filming with Jonathan. I just felt very lucky I got to direct him."

8. Jonathan actually voiced the Time-Keepers in Episode 4, which added to the Wizard of Oz homage.

"Obviously, the Time-Keepers were being made in post, and we hadn't cast anyone [for the voices] yet, and I thought, 'Well, Wizard of Oz. Like it should be the wizard, right?' So I thought it would be cool if it was Jonathan, and I think the key thing then was just working with him in a way that we could disguise his voice. I think the fun thing was, Jonathan is an amazing character actor. So we just sent him the art and he was sending audio clips to me and Kevin Wright and being like, 'What about this voice?' It was just so much fun to do that with him. I think that was just joyful."

9. Kate's favorite Easter egg from Episode 5 was Throg — in fact, Chris Hemsworth recorded new lines and sounds for that small part.

"That one I was very proud of and it was very fun. I had that shot designed for a while. I think I'd seen it in Futurama, and a lot of animation does it, but I love the idea of going through the dirt and it reveals something. I always felt like that shot would be the place to insert an Easter egg. When we had Throg in there, it was so much fun and it was perfect. We also recorded Chris [Hemsworth] for that. It was just so much fun."

10. She also loved the Thanos Copter and said it was a "funny" detail the producers loved from the comics, so they had to include it.

"The Thanos Copter was great. Kevin Wright, our executive producer, was really obsessed with that copter, I was like, 'We have to put the helicopter,' and it was so funny. Episode 5 is our best Easter egg episode. There's so much deliberately because of the nature of The Void as a place where deleted things are sent."

11. There's one Easter egg/detail Kate hasn't seen fans catch onto yet, and it involves a "familiar" voice at the very end of the Season 1 finale.

"The one I would say is — it's less Easter egg and more cool story-wise. So, at the very end of the finale, when Loki is in this alternate TVA, there's a character that runs behind him and is going to the armory and people should listen to the voice. It's very quick, but it's someone familiar."

12. Loki was inspired by numerous iconic sci-fi movies, like Children of Men, Alien, Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Metropolis, Starship Troopers, and more.

"Bisha, in the episode [she wrote], she spoke about Children of Men and also Before Sunrise as a reference, so I was really inspired by that and the idea of bringing these sci-fi things together. Across all the TVA, I wanted it to just be a big love letter to sci-fi movies, like Metropolis, Brazil, Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, [and] Alien. A reference I could never talk about early was Starship Troopers just because, obviously, the TVA are bad guys and in that movie they also use a lot of propaganda film and we had our Miss Minutes film. So, that movie played a hand. There was so much across the show. We had references from everywhere."

13. And the inspiration for how The Void would look in Episode 5 actually came from Teletubbies.

"I never really spoke much about it, but basically in Episode 5, The Void was originally written like a desert, but when I pitched, I said I thought it would be cool if rather than like a Mad Max desert apocalypse, it's more like an overgrown garden. Like, this is the place where the TVA throw their rubbish in. I just loved the idea of that. I think I realized as it started to unravel that I'd basically pitched the British countryside. As we were building it, I was like, 'Am I just homesick?' I remember trying to explain it to the visual effects artists who were making it, and I was like, 'You know, it's like the Teletubbies. You know, rolling hills just one after another.' So, yeah, the Teletubbies became a useful reference when describing The Void. So, that's how they played a hand in it."

14. Kate was the one who suggested Sophia Di Martino audition for the role of Sylvie.

"Sophia was in a short film of mine called Smear. I was very happy to pay her, finally, for her talent. When we were reading for the role, I was like, 'There's this actor I know and I think we should ask if she wants to read.' Everyone was like, 'Yeah, sure.' So, she read in these audition tapes, and we were all watching the tapes back and I remember everyone at the studio was like, 'Wait, who's that?' And I was like, 'Oh, that's my friend Sophia.' They thought she was amazing."

15. Sophia's audition tape was so good that she was immediately cast.

"Basically, everyone was really excited by her tape and I think she got cast in the room, which is incredible. I was excited because I got to bring my friend along. She's such a good actor. She's fantastic in Flowers and I was just so happy that she was coming along for the ride. I think she's done such a beautiful job with Sylvie."

16. One of the most important things when crafting Sylvie and the other Loki Variants was making sure they were their own characters, and not just Loki copies.

"I think the most important thing, minus just tiny little gestures, was really making it important that Sylvie was her own character and that all the Lokis weren't just 'faded photocopies.' They were all their own Loki. It wasn't even that they stood in a similar way or looked similar, but what in their soul made them a Loki. I love that line, 'Lokis always survive.' That idea goes across all our characters who are Lokis."

17. Casting Sylvie was one of the hardest things, and Sophia was able to bring her own spin to the character and she was the perfect "sparring partner" for Tom.

"Sophia has this talent — and I think Tom has it as well — where she's so funny and naturally so witty and charismatic that you can't take your eyes off her. She's also really good at playing characters with a lot of anger, pain, and vulnerability. I just felt that those qualities were so Loki to me. She brought her own spin on it too. Tom's performance is so iconic, so Sylvie was a tough role to cast because you need to give him a good sparring partner, but also, it's another Loki and people love Loki. So, it was really making sure that she felt distinctive enough that she was different, but also that we gave Tom a really fun actor to play alongside. It was really fun watching them. It was really fun seeing their chemistry grow."

18. Sylvie's fighting style was actually crafted to have similar movements to Loki's, thus showing that they are basically two sides of the same coin.

"I know Tom and Sophia spent a lot of time together. I think the fun thing with Sophia was the little things, like the fighting styles. She has a very different life to our Loki. Loki is very balletic in his fighting style, because he grew up in the palace, whereas Sylvie grew up in apocalypses. So, she was going to fight a bit more like a feral cat. I thought that was fun to play with. We worked with Mo [Ganderton], our stunt coordinator, and it was really fun to find little mirror image stuff they would do when they fight. We did a little bit of that on Lamentis and there's little bits here and there where we've done that. There's also little gestures that they do that are quite similar."

19. Kate had a "four hour" phone call with Owen Wilson before he was cast. They talked about Marvel, Mobius, and Loki.

"Everyone was so excited to cast him. I remember, they were like, 'Kate, just call him and see if he's up for it.' That was a lot of pressure. But then, I spoke to him on the phone and we spoke about Marvel and Loki in Marvel. Also, we talked about what our show was doing, who Mobius was, and then just getting his take on it. It was a very detailed conversation. I think we spoke for like four hours. At the end, he was like, 'I'm in.'"

20. Wunmi Mosaku's role was originally supposed to be a male character, but Kate suggested having an "open casting" because she thought Hunter B-15 would be really great as a female character.

"When I spoke to the studio, I was like, 'This character is cool, but I just think it could be really interesting if this was a female character. So, could we do open casting? We'll have men and women read, and we'll just see who's the best person for the role.' So, Wunmi read for it and just blew everyone away. We were like, 'We have to cast this person!' So, we kind of remade the role, really, around her."

21. Kate loves the idea that Hunter B-15 joins this club of sci-fi female characters who were originally supposed to be men.

"It was cool because I love Ripley in Alien and I love Kara Thrace in Battlestar Galactica. In the original Battlestar, Kara Thrace's character was played by a man, and Ripley in Alien was originally written as a man, so I liked that Hunter B-15 was joining these badass women in sci-fi. That was really cool to me."

22. When Kate pitched her ideas to the studio, she include Gugu Mbatha-Raw as the actor she wanted to play Ravonna.

"Gugu was in my pitch when I spoke to the studio. I was like, 'I think she'll be really great.' I love her work as an actor. From Belle to the episode of Black Mirror she's in, everything she's in is so different. I think that's so interesting with Ravonna because in the comics, Ravonna's been good and bad, and she's such a big character. I was like, 'I'd love to see Gugu's take on that character.' The studio was really excited by that and so was Gugu."

23. Kate said it was "important" to recognize Loki's bisexuality in the show, and she loved how it was naturally worked into a conversation between him and Sylvie.

"It was just important for us to do it in a way that made it canon, acknowledged it, and also done in a way where like, if someone asked me, I would just be matter of fact about it, like, 'Yeah, I'm bi.' I think that was the important thing for it and building it into the conversation. It was important to the whole team and the way that it was written was really beautiful. It felt like the right place to do it because these two characters are starting to open up to each other and are being a bit more honest about who they are. So it felt like the right place to have that moment."

24. The TVA weren't always going to be Variants/humans. That idea was born out of conversations with Kate, the writers, and the rest of the Loki team.

"When I started, I think it was a bit more up in the air with like, who are the Variants who work for the TVA? Are they Variants? They actually weren't Variants when I first joined. Casey was an alien, for example. I think something we all locked onto was it was more effective to make them more human. It was already in there that the Time-Keepers wouldn't be real and that would be a big Wizard of Oz rug pull. But the extra rug pull we added was that, on top of all of that, the TVA don't realize that they're actually Variants."

25. One of the things Kate enjoyed the most was figuring out the "inner workings of the TVA," like how the Minutemen would operate.

"I think it was really fun, in terms of the bigger structural stuff, to work with everyone. Also, figuring out the inner workings of the TVA, like every squad of Minutemen would have a hunter and they'll be little details sprinkled across all the world building in the show. Generally, we always looked at the characters and what was the best story and how to get to the end goal in the most effective way."

26. The season finale intro — which included seeing space, the sacred timeline, and hearing quotes from the MCU and history — was an homage to Contact.

"Basically, Eric Martin, our writer, he'd written in this amazing idea that for the opening we do an homage to Contact, and kind of move through space to the end of time. Then, we'd see the physical timeline, and then we see The Citadel. I love Contact, and I was like, 'Oh, that's so cool.' We took that idea to Darrin [Denlinger], our storyboard artist, and me and him just nerded out about space and about how we wanted to pay homage to Contact but not be completely the same.

So we played with the idea of time and he was bringing in so many cool ideas. But then, the amazing pitch he had as well was like, 'What if when we pull out at the very end, the timeline isn't a straight line like how you guys have been showing it in the show? What if it's actually circular?' I thought it was such a good idea."

27. Kevin Feige helped come up with the idea to include Marvel quotes over the Marvel logo because it was something the MCU had never done before.

"I had this weird idea where I remember saying to my editor, Emma McCleave, I was like, 'Oh, can we add a baby crying or the sounds of the city? And it's like we just hear life.' So her, me, and Kevin Wright got really into that. So we were adding all of these different sounds into the timeline. We also had quotes from just life, not Marvel. Then, we showed that cut to Kevin Feige and the rest of the team.

They all thought it was cool, and then Kevin Feige was like, 'Oh, do you know what? We've never done quotes on the Marvel logo before.' So, we thought that was cool and we added the quotes to the Marvel logo intro. Then, me, Kevin Wright, Emma, and Sarah Bennett, Emma's assistant, decided to just put the MCU quotes across the whole thing."

28. Going from hearing all of the voices in the season finale opening to utter silence in The Citadel was also a way of learning something about He Who Remains.

"I loved the idea of all the noise and this Greek chorus building because when you finally pull out and see The Citadel and how isolated it is, it tells you so much about He Who Remains' psychology because he's surrounded by all this brimming life, but he's completely isolated and alone. I thought it tells you a little bit about his character and who he might be before we see him."29. Kate loves that the season finale opening is a "beautiful handover" from the previous phase of the Marvel Cinematic Universe into this one with the multiverse.

"It was a real group effort, and we were just really excited at the idea of it being this really beautiful handover from the previous phase of Marvel. Also, we get to encapsulate a little bit of our world as well, which was really fun. The editing team put so much time into that. I really want to watch it in a planetarium or something."

29. Kate loves that the season finale opening is a "beautiful handover" from the previous phase of the Marvel Cinematic Universe into this one with the multiverse.

30. And finally, even though Loki sets up a lot of upcoming MCU projects — namely, Spider-Man: No Way Home, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, and Ant-Man: Quantumania — Kate didn't have a lot of conversations with other MCU directors and writers.

"Kevin Wright and Stephen Broussard from Marvel were our producers on Loki, and they worked with Kevin Feige, Louis [D'Esposito], and Victoria [Alonso]. They always steered us in terms of the Marvel big picture and let us know if anything was off base. It's so secretive at Marvel, so I only spoke to Peyton just because our timelines crossed [with Jonathan]. Generally, Marvel manages everything internally and keeps us all in check."

#loki #loki series #kate herron #interview #article #buzzfeed #loki spoilers #spoilers #loki series spoilers

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lu-undy · 4 years

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100th Sniper/Spy short - The honeymoon 2

Here it is, the final request! Made by my dear friend, Vana, bless him.

Here we go!

"Ready for your first day in my country?"

"Yeah, show me your home, darl', let's go!"

"Wait, before we go. You know why I took you here?" Lucien asked.

"Yeah." Mundy smiled, his cheeks turning pink. "For… I mean because…" He looked at the ring on his hand. "Our honeymoon."

"Then I need to say it before we proceed."

"Say what?" Mundy asked.

"I love you." Lucien looked up with those ice-drop like eyes at his husband.

"So do I, darl'..."

Their lips met, they needed it like a period to their sentence. Lucien and Mundy exited their hotel and on they went under the bright sun of… Bordeaux!

"Some would argue she is the capital of the South West of France."

"Are you part of those 'some'?"

"Oui, I am. Bordeaux is what Paris would die to be, but never will."

They strolled along the streets.

"Paris and Bordeaux have very similar architecture styles. The difference is the mentality of the people, the rhythm of life and look above your head…"

"The sky?"

"Oui. Blue sky here, while Paris has pollution, rude people and almost more tourists than rats!"

"Sounds like you don't really like yer capital city, eh?" Mundy said with a smile.

"It is cultural. Paris thinks they have the elite and the rest of us are peasants. We know that they are played like fiddles, working like sheep, while we get the good weather and the smile on our faces."

"I see…"

The visit lasted the entire day. Churches, places, squares, parks and of course, vineyards! They did it all. Come the evening, they finished their dinner in a restaurant by the quays of the river, La Garonne, and decided to stroll along the riverbanks.

The buildings along La Garonne were brightly lit with their yellow lights, slicing through the blue of the night. The street lamps were made of intricate wrought iron laces and some shed multicolored lights.

They dragged their feet lazily on the quays, their gaits waving left and right, exchanging their usual banter, the one that made them more than friends.

"Gosh that was one hell of a long day…" Mundy said.

"Are you tired?"

"A bit yeah."

"Let us sit down somewhere. Is this bench over there alright?" Lucien asked.

"Sure."

They stopped and took a seat. In front of them, the river reflected the city lights, deforming them slightly under the current of the stream like an oil painting. It was fairly calm now and the quays had their success in the evening. Passer-bys of all ages, families and couples were enjoying the same warm evening than Lucien and Mundy.

"That's quite a lot of bridges you have over the river." Mundy noticed.

"Indeed and the traffic is always dense on them. The right banks used to be full of factories while the left ones were where the selling of the products would happen. But nowadays it has all changed. The factories became ultra modern apartments and the buildings you see behind us, those made of those beige stones, part of them are a museum and the rest is fancy offices."

"Ah, I see…"

Silence fell and they could now hear someone playing the guitar somewhere behind them. The quays had been converted to a space for all. There were playgrounds, gardens, benches, spaces for picnics…

"Lu'?"

"Oui?"

"D'you think… things happen for a reason?"

"To some extent, oui, I do. Why?"

Mundy took a deep breath. The air smelled of the river passing in front of them mixed with the flowers that laid along the quays.

"I don't know, it's just… I think that's it."

Lucien raised an eyebrow.

"That's it, what?"

"That's it, I'm happy." Mundy answered. "I spent my adult life alone, hunting because that's the only thing I know, and look at me now…? I'm here in France with you and I'm… I'm bloody married now!"

Lucien chuckled.

"Indeed you are, and so am I. But I understand your point. Oui, it seems that the life of running and killing is over, or for you, driving and killing. What I find comical is that it all took me back where it all started, in Bordeaux."

Lucien's eyes went on the river, the lapping sounds of the current, on the surface.

"I love you, Lu'."

"So do I, with all my heart."

"You know, my mind's been a bit stuck on the vows we took." Mundy said.

"Ah, the wedding vows? Strong words, hm?"

"Yeah… Strong words. I thought it was just a movies' thing, y'know, all made up and exaggerated and all… But no. When I said I'd stay with you and only you till the end, I meant it. I meant it in a very serious way, it wasn't jokes or made up."

Lucien smiled and leaned his head on Mundy's shoulder.

"I meant my words too, Mundy. For better and for worse, in health and in sickness." The Frenchman repeated. "Because I know all too well that 'home' isn't a place. It isn't a flat, nor is it a house. Home is when I'm with you, regardless of what is around us. Today we are in Bordeaux watching La Garonne flow, but who knows where we will be tomorrow…?"

"Still in Bordeaux cause the return ticket is for next week?" Mundy answered with a chuckle.

"I guess, oui, but you understood what I meant."

"Yeah, I do." Mundy took Lucien's hand and sandwiched it in both of his. "Gosh I can't think about anything else but you. It's like I've met you and I know I'm in love with you but we didn't meet properly yet and you don't know what I feel for you. You know, those days before you tell someone you love'em, when you're just obsessed, and it's all only in your head, cookin' and boilin' on its own…!"

Lucien smiled.

"Oh I know what you feel and I feel it too. Although in my case, this is quite a first."

"First marriage?" Mundy teased. "You plan on havin' others?"

"Non…!" Lucien laughed on Mundy's shoulder. "That is not what I meant. It is the first time that I sit in front of the river and show her the face of a happy man. I doubt she even recognises me with the grey hair and the tired eyes with lines at the corner."

"I'm sure she does." Mundy answered. "Hard to forget them."

"Forget what?" Lucien asked.

"Your eyes."

The Frenchman felt it in its core, the warmth. He slid his fingers between Mundy's and he felt the ring there. It brought some pink to his cheeks.

"Merci."

[Thank you.]

"Thank you too. You're a good guide, y'know."

"You sound surprised." Lucien said.

"Yeah, nah, I don't know. The more I know you, the more I find things that I like in you."

"Have you found something that you didn't like so far?" Lucien asked.

"Your music taste." Mundy answered.

"What?"

"You have a problem with your music, I swear you must be the only one likin' French stuff from the fifties!"

"Non I am not! It used to be hugely popular and it still is!"

"Popular? Stuff from the fifties? In French? Nah… Only an old frog like you could like that."

"Ah…" Lucien sighed. "The younger generation has no taste whatsoever."

"Oi, I like some good stuff!"

"American pop songs that are broadcast on loop on the radio and dull your senses? The same that have no lyrics, or barely any meaning, no poetry? This is no taste, Mundy, I am sorry."

Mundy chuckled and tilted his head to lean it on Lucien's.

"Funny old man."

"Acceptable young one." Lucien teased.

"Acceptable? Really?"

"Look here." Lucien said and Mundy looked down at him. "Oui, acceptable and only by me."

In the dark of the night, their lips met between their smiling lips and their closed eyes. When they parted, they added to the lapping sounds of the river.

"You will be the end of me." Lucien said.

"Can I be everythin' before that too? I feel like we're skipping quite a lot of things before we got to that point."

"Of course you can, and you are. I love you."

Mundy softened and tightened his grasp on Lucien's hands.

"Love you too, darl'. You're everything."

#tf2 sniper #tf2 spy #sniperspy

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