Epic Book-Movie

Chapter 4 (Lie to Me Parody) part 1

Lie to Me is an AWESOME tv series!! If you haven't watched it, check it out! The short stuff is: It's about a guy who can tell when you're lying by watching you. Yep. Really. This guy is GOOD! He can tell if you're nervous, afraid, cocky, arrogant, sad or... any other emotion. Everything in here that I've tried to show as being lies, is actually real signs of lying. We tend to touch our face - itch our nose or play with our hair if we're lying. We'll use deflection (not directly answering the question) and, (when Morgana rubs  her hands together) we also use gestures like that that betray we have no confidence in what we just said. They say the left side of your brain holds your memories, while your right side is imagination. When you're recalling a memory, your eyes typically go to the left, remembering what you did, saw, heard etc... but if they go to the right - your imagination side - it typically means you're making stuff up. A typical myth is that you keep no eye contact when you lie. It's a myth. Often, we hold more eye contact to 'see if our lie is believed.' A person whose telling the truth will not so much stare at you to tell you. They will be distracted by noises they hear... Tiny 'micro expressions' can be used to tell what a person's really feeling. (When Morgana steps up to Uther, it's obvious she doesn't like him) small ones like disgust and contempt are fairly easy to spot, while some are harder. Anyway, enough science - if you want to know more, go and watch the series!!! I remembered a Merlin episode where they had that hunter guy that looked for signs of sorcery and he found Merlin - well this is a take off it! Enjoy! :)

"Merlin, please tell me how washing up is protecting Morgana." I whine, splashing water on another one of her many dresses.

"Please tell me how polishing armour and running Arthur's little errands is protecting him." Merlin mimicks me. "I don't know, but being close to Arthur helps me to protect him, know what he's doing, everything else."

"Gwen's her favourite." I say. "It's always: "Gwen dear, Gwen, please do that." and to to me it's: "Belle! Do that! Do this!" I pout and rub the soap over the wet clothes.

Merlin laughs appreciatively. "At least you don't have to be her target practice."

"That must be annoying. You must be tempted to... use your gifts to show him how arrogant he is sometimes?"

"I did." Merlin confessed. "A few times, actually. I couldn't STAND it one time, I just HAD to do something. So I made his sword fly out of his hand when he was fighting, and then he landed in the mud." He laughs. "But... then he made me wash his muddy clothes. It was worth it though, boy was it worth it?"

We're interrupted when Arthur comes down the hallway shouting Merlin's name. "I'm not here." Merlin calls out unconvincingly.

"I'd know your voice anywhere." Arthur chides. "Merlin, if you don't get out here in 3 seconds,  you're fired. You too, Belle, the king wants everybody in the throne room now."

"We're coming." I put down Morgana's dress and wipe my hands on a towel, following him and Merlin down the hallway.

"This man, Cal Lightman," I can hear Uther's voice long before I can see him as we step into the throne room. "Is here as requested by the Court. As you know, we had that touching testimony by a girl this morning, and so..."

"What testimony?" I whisper to Merlin.

"A girl came in this morning." He whispers back. "She was crying about seeing sorcery happening. Visions, she saw, of people. Dead people, apperantly."

"BEHOLD!" I get a good look at this Lightman guy, and he seems to captivate everyone around him. "I have seen a great evil!" He swings around, staring at everyone intently. "And... this seach for evil has led me here." His gaze sweeps the entire floor. "I will not rest until those people are dead."

I feel a shiver run up my spine and glance over at Merlin, who glances back with a slightly worried look on his face.

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"So, how was it?" Gaius pours food into both our plates.

I can hardly swallow mine. The man's gaze seems to haunt me. "It was... average." Merlin shrugs. "They had a man at the palace who professes to be able to find those who practice magic."

"Oh?" Gaius sits down. "Really? And I suppose that doesn't worry you?"

"Of course. But he can't prove anything." Merlin says cockily. "There is no way he can prove that I can use magic. No one forces me to use magic."

"All the same, I think I'll give my training sessions with Yoma a break until all this clears." I glance up. "The last thing I want is to be convicted again. I almost died last time."

"Don't forget, you still owe me for that." Merlin teases. "A glass of water... if you please?" 

"Get it yourself." I say with mock grumpiness, then oblige. I use the force to lift the pitcher up and pour it into his glass. He smiles and drinks.

"Many thanks."

From somewhere outside, a stick cracks in the darkness...