#her confrontation with Killian

[strengthtojourneyon]

Watched the Arena tour and if I don't talk about it I WILL EXPLODE

Oh my word, I was so excited for this show and let me tell you it did not disappoint. It was my first time seeing a stage production of the musical and it completely outshone the film, and the arena tour specifically was such a perfect show from top to bottom, I'll never forget how it felt hearing those opening notes from the live orchestra.

Ugh it was just so cool!!! And the actors oh my word lemme talk about the actors for a sec -

Killian Donnelly:

This man has the voice of an angel. An angel. He understood Valjean so well, portrayed him as this quiet, careful character, who kept his emotions and secrets close to his chest. That was until the final song where he finally allowed himself to feel and to show his emotions without inhibition....heartbreaking 10/10. And like I said, his actual singing was so, so haunting. Bring Him Home was definitely a highlight, his tenor is just so pretty and melodious!! And yet at other times his voice is so strong and decisive, like in The Confrontation and Who Am I - honestly the talent that man has is insane. He was perfect and from now on he is my favourite Valjean.

Bradley Jaden:

This man. THIS MAN. He has altered my brain chemistry permanently. Watching him play Javert has become one of those life derailing, permanently changing how I view the musical forever experiences akin only to the first time I read AROS. Holy heck is this man the perfect Javert! I was legit so excited when he came out for the first time! Honestly, he just was Javert. He truly embodies what it means to become your character (it helps that he looks like him too, with his long hair and wolfish grins) and his voice??? Hello???? Stars was a masterpiece, I swear I have never heard it sung so beautifully in my life! The way he knelt and did the cross on the edge of the stage instead of raising his baton above his head over-dramatically? The quiet devotion and faith in every note? The juxtaposition of Javert's inner thoughts and how he presents himself to others? This man!! And when Javert died I swear he had everyone on the edge of their seats. He so perfectly encapsulated the distress of the character, balancing drama and emotion and melody all at once to flawlessly depict such an important scene. I don't care what anyone else says, he is the greatest Javert of all time in my opinion.

And also, why the hell is there no Bradley Jaden fanclub here? He needs one!! I'll be president myself if I have to!

Rachelle Ann Go:

Supermodel looks and superstar voice, I don't know what more to say. She portrayed Fantine with a bit more fire, a little more resistance than I am used to, but I'm all for it. She had that "I've lost everything, so I no longer care anymore" type attitude that makes perfect sense for her character. When she came back for the epilogue she had this ethereal grace to her that really made her feel like a real angel.

Jac Yarrow:

He really does suit Marius, both looks and personality wise. His voice was enchanting <3 I nearly fell in love with him myself, no wonder Eponine and Cosette were both into him! Seriously though, he completely slayed Empty Chairs at Empty Tables. He was also really very sweet when Eponine died, green flags all around, wholesome Marius energy that I am here for all the way.

Jo Stephenson:

I prefer my Cosettes blonde, but aside from that, Jo did an excellent job with the character. I really thought she encapsulated the quiet dignity and elegance of older Cosette very well. She hit all her notes perfectly and I had no idea she was an understudy until I read my programme. Kudos to her she did really well and I look forward to seeing her again in a role of her own.

James D. Gish:

Good grief, what a heartthrob. Stunningly handsome and deeply passionate, he is everything you could ever ask Enjorlas to be. I really could hear the emotion in every word he sung, his battle cries stirred the hearts of the entire audience! Still, he never came off as uncaring or overbearing towards his friends, but rather as encouraging and confident, exemplifying the traits of a true leader. It was so, so heartbreaking when he died, everyone really adored him and I genuinely cannot find any fault with his performance. It was perfect. He was perfect. Huge kudos to my new favourite Enjorlas.

Beth Curnock:

Another understudy, but you wouldn't have known it from her performance. As someone who usually listens to the symphonic recording, I was pretty nervous about Eponine. I was worried she would put on that awful accent that Kaho Shimada does (no offense guys, it's not for me). Thankfully Beth did not, her voice was angelic and refined, her clear understanding of the character shone through in her every movement, every note, every action. She was incredible and it was heartbreaking watching her die in Marius's arms. A rising star in the industry for sure.

Sebastian Sero:

Incrediably talented for a 12 year old. He made an excellent Gavroche, I wish we could have seen even more of him. He nailed the part completely, he had the perfect amount of sass and resilience that made him perfect for the role. Whenever I imagine Gavroche now, I will imagine him.

Marina Prior:

So I didn't actually know who she was before I watched the show, I was super confused why the audience cheered for ages when Madame Thenardier cam out lmao. What kind of pitiful excuse for an Australian am I? Regardless, she played the role really well and the audience just adored her. She and Matt Lucas were such a talented comedic duo and even with all of her silliness, her incredible talent for singing shown through her every note. To the point that her husband broke the fourth wall to go "It's not phantom, love" which was so funny.

Matt Lucas:

Absolutely hilarious. Every time Thenardier came onto the stage the audience knew they were in for a good time. I loved how confident Matt was with the character that he felt he could add his own personal touches, with all his fun little quips. He just had this infectious energy to him that really drew you in. (Side note - the background choreography in Beggars At The Feast being just the rest of the cast swaying is freaking hilarious to me). If I had one small criticism, it would be that his evil laugh at the end of Dog Eats Dog was not nearly evil enough for my taste, but that's a very, very small thing and ultimately does in no way diminish his spectacular performance.

So that's the actors, and if you're still here, here's my thoughts on my three ships:

Valvert:

Oh boy, strap in buddy-

HOLY HECK THE CHEMISTRY BETWEEN KILLIAN AND BRADLEY. Dude. Dude the Valvert vibes were off the charts. Soft valjean x sharp Javert if you can understand what I mean. From the beginning, Javert has to be all gay about giving Jean his paper, slapping it onto his chest (just admit you wanna touch him, dude) and then during the MsurM era you could just tell they were into each other. Trust me bro, those longing glances were frequent. Ooooh and the confrontation. Masterpiece. Both of them were so dramatic, Javert was raving and spitting and the toxic yoai levels were crazzzzy. Especially when they actually were looking at each other!! Oh and when Javert was interrogating Thenardier he gets all lost in his thoughts thinking of Valjean and accidentally grabs Thenardier's coat (imagining what you wanna do to Valjean, buddy?) heck even Thenardier is like "what the hell dude. Get your repressed gay ass away from me". During First Attack you could really see longing in Valjean's eyes as he frees Javert. Longing to keep him prisoner or longing for a world where they were on the same side? It's up to interpretation. And Javert lunges at him and Valjean keeps him at bay with his knife, their faces only inches apart....bro I cannot be normal about this, ever.

Marisette:

What can I say? They were really very cute. It felt like every opportunity they got they would kiss. Just gentle, wholesome love the whole way through. They remain my beloved token straight couple. Their gentle tenderness was a good contrast to all of the toxic yaoi/doomed yaoi going on around them.

Enjoltaire:

Gotta say, not too big of an Enjoltaire vibe in this show, Enjorlas did seem to be more patient with Grantaire though. He was a little more open to him, a bit more gentle when he tried to stop him from singing in Drink With Me. Also it was hilarious when Grantaire stole his microphone in Red and Black and then hopped happily away so his boyfriend could have it back. That was giving bickering married couple/playful banter vibes and I was all for it.

Additional thoughts:

Absolutely excellent show all around. There is less acting as a result of it being an arena tour but it still felt like a full, complete, easily understood show. I adored every minute and when Valjean and the bishop hugged at the end I burst into tears.

If I was to have one small criticism it would be that Javert should have been in the final song. It's 2025, we shouldn't be pushing the narrative that people are unforgivable and that those who commit suicide don't get into heaven. Come on now.

But that aside, I highly recommend it! I just wish I could have stayed and watched that performance over and over again. It was life changing for sure!!

[deadgayturtles]

buckle in guys. i blew up irl’s phone with notes about act one and only stopped because act two started. then james’ enjolras fried my brain in act two and all i could remember was him. but don’t worry i put the pieces together so now i have so many notes for last night’s show.

les mis arena tour 22 may, melb/aus

made a minor attempt to sort the notes but i just had so many thoughts sorry 😭 also if you want to read my notes from saturday’s matinee and tuesday’s show they are here.

bradley as javert. i already said this but he is really such an insane javert! and i mean that literally, javert just feels like such a crazed man

bradley’s javert for most of act one is so steely and rigid in his expressions and the way he carries himself. this only falters when valjean presents him with things that make bradley’s face quite literally go what the fuck?

^ when valjean instructs him to let fantine go, i fully believe that’s the first time javert has ever felt doubt/confused. basically any time that valjean shows compassion, bradley’s javert turns from stoic, angry and rigid, to a little bewildered and confused (and then very angry again)

bradley’s stars is sooo incredible. i mean his voice, his expressions! his eyes are just so full of longing it’s crazy

and then killian as valjean was just gut-wrenching. because tell me why he is so soft when myriel gives him the candlesticks?

and all throughout him singing the first who am i, all i could think about was the contrast between the way killian performs who am i and the way bradley will perform javert’s soliloquy later. and like the two songs being technically mirror points of each others’ journeys but faced with unexpected compassion, valjean turns soft and gains a new life of freedom, and killian really sells that, but bradley’s javert faces that compassion with anger and outraged confusion so he’s left with only the option to kill himself at the end

^and the staging really mirrors itself, with the way that valjean tries to return the candlesticks to myriel but myriel pushes it back to him, and the way that javert tries to make valjean take his life but valjean tells him to go

bradley smirks quite a bit when he’s captured. really liked that. silly little cop still thinks les amis are gonna die. he’s right of course but shhh

god do i love rachelle as fantine

when fantine gets the letter about cosette you can actually see her read it and the anguish on her face

and on tuesday i only noticed how strongheaded she plays fantine but she reallyy plays it with such nuance because up close it is like a strongheaded front but you can also feel that she is a little bit scared standing up for herself

her fantine has so many moments where she reacts to other people’s comments about her with incredulity

fantine only genuinely smiles twice. the first is when she tells valjean to tell cosette she loves her, and the second is when little cosette walks past her ghost 😭

some very cute cosette moments today, like when valjean is talking to the thenardiers after she and marius bumped into one another, cosette keeps looking back at marius and giggling. so cute.

caleb as marius is also adorable. my precious little fool. and they are so flustered around cosette. so so cute

my goodness can shan ako sing.

like fantine, shan’s eponine has a little bit of fear underneath the surface when standing up against the thenardiers!! i was very impressed because she was visibly shaking as she confronted them, and yet the singing is so powerful and strong. god i love eponine

and when marius comes over her hand does a little nervous flutter back and forth like she wants to take his hand 😭 (oh my god guys i’m reading over this and thinking about how she later dies from taking a bullet to her hand for him)

shan’s on my own is breathtaking. it’s heartbroken but more than that it’s so angry? it’s like her heart is breaking for herself and she’s angry at the world for putting her in this position. i love it

in the epilogue, shan and rachelle’s voices are absolutely heavenly!!!! genuinely feel like the angels are singing. especially the way that rachelle starts, and they slowly begin to harmonise with one another, it just sounds heavenly.

idk where to put these random thoughts so here they are before we get into les amis 😭

owain williams sings the first solo line of the show and does such a good job of it. what a powerful voice. someone fill me in on whether he’s been other characters in les mis before and whether any of those were valjean. i think he’d make a great valjean

at the start of act two caleb’s mic was not turned on :/ but they reacted pretty well tbh, it was as if nothing happened

rachelle also sang come to me instead of come with me in the epilogue 😭 (same lol)

my new favourite game to play is what is michael burgen doing when he’s not grantaire?

favourite answer: he’s super fucking drunk in master of the house. man is just drunk in every life

had a slightly older gavroche today, not as spunky as i like my gavroches but a fun vibe nonetheless! his delivery of some lines is very deadpan kind of funny

i never got to mention it so mentioning it here, but michael is the children’s director and i feel like it really shows/benefits his interactions with gavroche (they are so cute oh my goodness)

i have complaints about les amis guys. who cut their lines and why. please give it back to them they already have so little. some of the lines that remain are no longer sung by the same amis that usually do too. because i am very sure that joly’s line in drink with me was given to a different ami :(

during red and black one of the amis is like really angry about marius and r??? i didn’t like that at all. it also does not make sense because it’s not like this ami doesn’t sing the second red/black with grantaire so like tf? idk i think it was unnecessary and weird

ok BUT enj and r are the ones who take turns calming this ami down sooo…

at the end of look down when enjolras is leaving the stage is stopped by the beggars in the corner and he holds each of their hands and gives them each money. i cannot explain it but it is very different from the way that marius and valjean do it centrestage. it just feels so compassionate and caring and gentle

did i mention that james’ enjolras is as gentle as he is ferocious? as idealistic as he is afraid? the dichotomies oh god.

james’ enjolras is sooo full of hope you just can’t not agree to follow him into battle

also such a smiley enjolras. everyone cheering loudly and he smiles quietly to himself. his friends are being nuisances and disrupting his meeting but he smiles to himself before quietly stepping away to talk to other people

especially such fond smiles for grantaire. even when grantaire begins his heckling. and i swear the smiles are bigger for r than for marius

and the heckling sort of stops and starts but each time it starts he has a bigger smile while shaking his head in a what can you do kinda smile

grantaire is also the only ami to enter the stage/musain after enjolras (other than marius obvs) like he was literally trailing behind him

side note: after grantaire comes on stage for red and black he has a very funny moment where he passes the bottle from hand to hand behind his back in a like i’m not drinking kinda joke which absolutely everyone ignores HAHHSHSHS

when lamarque’s death is announced, grantaire looks at enj

and he gets sad while everyone else gets hyped up by enjolras, then drinks and distracts himself with gavroche, as in calls him over and they hang out, very cute.

both enj and r’s first instinct is always to protect gavroche, several times when the barricade is being fired at or when javert’s identity is revealed, either one of them or both of them immediately shield gav with their whole body! there is one shot at the barricade where the two of them both cover gav and i need the image seared into my brain, like gav is already next to grantaire so he tucks gav in, and enj is a little bit away but jumps over to also have gav tucked into him so the two of them are sheltering him together and i love my little family unit 😭😭😭

also when gav starts to reveal javert’s identity, james’ mic is turned off but i could hear him yell gavroche’s name worriedly

the thing that sold me on james being my new favourite/definitive enjolras is the fear that he clearly feels after eponine dies. like up till this point he’s been very confident and unafraid. but during little fall of rain he sits in the back and his head hangs low and from where i was sitting you could see him in distress

he shakes as he sings the next few lines/songs, but still putting on that brave idealistic leader for the amis

continues to sit by the barricades looking very despondent during drink with me

but before grantaire goes to sing his lines he stops by enj and does a cute little bow/curtsey thing, and at this enj looks up and smiles/laughs, and waves him on (i’m gonna die)

today’s enjolras was just so gentle. maybe because i was so close i could really see it idk.

marius goes to confront/stop r and enj practically wrestles marius away. but then the way he puts his hands on grantaire’s shoulders trying to comfort him is just so gentle

and grantaire violently shrugs him off then turns to look at him

and his anger just turns into this desperate look, and he kind of collapses into enj’s arms. except that enj also kind of grabs him and pulls him into the hug.

and the hug is so gentle, with r’s head like snuggled in enjolras’ chest, and enj leans his own head on top of grantaire’s

and they stay like this craddling each other for a bit

but then grantaire pushes out of the hug, and stumbles backwards. gavroche comes to hug him and grantaire hugs gav for a bit before gav leaves

and as grantaire and gav are hugging, enj is just standing there looking at r

and after gav leaves, r sort of sways toward enj again before he really turns to leave. at this point, another ami who’s next to enj talks to enj, and another one comes to stand with him, and only then does enj stop looking towards r leaving T-T

after les amis die, enjolras does not immediately go to the balcony with r and gav. he walks to the top of the seats before the balcony and stays standing there for most of the interlude. then he sits there amongst the amis for quite awhile, up until the line in turning where they sing nothing ever changes. only then does he get up and join r and gav on the balcony. when marius sings phantom faces, all of les amis stand up but enj is the last to sit down (by at least a good 15 seconds i’d say). it was like his soul refused to leave and was stubbornly lingering on.

[pruneunfair]

Manhwas except the villainess is the protagonist.

Groundhog Duchess, FL: Rhyse Sinclair. Tone: psychological horror (Not your typical reincarnation story)

Rhyse has achieved everything she could've ever wanted, she found a loving family, she has supporting friends, the woman who schemed for her downfall is dead, and now she's married to her husband Cliff as the new Duchess Rudwick! Until she woke up in her bed, the dates set back to where she started, living in her abusive family home where she laments that it was just a dream.. and then her dream comes true! Finally, she's achieved the happiness her dream foretold. Right after her wedding night she wakes back up, in her childhood home with her abusive family. It keeps happening over and over, no one believes Rhyse when she tries to speak out. There's something pulling the strings, something keeping her from speaking on her accord. She begins to avoid the Rudwicks, hoping that it would end this teasing nightmare but no matter where she goes, she always ends right back into Cliff and Killians arms, back to being tormented by Edith, back to a life that will always be taken away from her right when she's at her highest and with each passing time, she starts to lose more of herself and becoming more and more spiteful and bitter. Will Rhyse finally be able to put an end to this cycle and achieve a happy ending that lasts forever with her unexpected ally?

the flowers from another world, protagonists: Robelia and Aisha Tone: Comedy (Divorcing my tyrant husband)

Aisha had it all. She was the pampered consort of the tyrannical Alexandros and on her way to becoming the next empress, a major improvement from her boring life in Korea. She never wanted to leave, that is until mysteriously all the love and attention she would bask in has disappeared.

The once quiet and obedient empress Robelia was all of a sudden Alexandros love again! One by one Aisha starts to lose everything, all her allies turned on her and none of her endeavors had a chance to succeed not to mention Robelia has been nothing but insufferable the entire time. When Aisha finally confronts Robelia on her sudden change in behavior the two argue further until Alexandros shows up. Much to Aishas dismay, he only assists Robelia but somethings odd.. Robelia doesn't seem to be enjoying ANY of the attention..? Huh, odd. Who wouldn't want to be adored by a man who would do ANYTHING for you? Well it turns out Robelia is also from the same world as Aisha and she's been acting the way she has so she can divorced and live away from the nobles. The women come to an understanding in their commin goal and as frenimies they go on misadventure after misadventure to restore Aishas plot powers so Robelia can easily get divorced and leave. But the more time Aisha spends with Robelia, the more she sees from her point or view and she starts to wonder if Alexandros is even worth it?.

Two birds on a wire, FL: Claudine Van Brandt, tone: drama+tragedy (cry or better yet beg)

As far as Claudine could remember she was reminded that everyone has a destiny to fulfill in the aristocracy and hers was to marry and bear heirs. All Claudine really wanted in life was a carefree one where she got to live in luxury and enjoy the finest of all so to please her family and live her ideal life at the same time, she chooses a long time acquaintance, the Duke of Berg, Matthias Herhardt. Despite her fiancé's strange behavior Claudine was fine with how things were until she starts to notice Matthias take an interest in someone else.. the niece of one his employees and a girl she knew back then: Layla Llewellyn. Suddenly everything begins to feel as if it's falling apart. Claudine guaranteed luxurious life is now at stake and she's willing to do what it takes to achieve it! But what about Layla? No, why should she care? She's the one who's wreaking Claudines home, if she'll become collateral damage then she deserves it for flirting with someone else's man.. until she learns of what kind of psychological damage Matthias is inflicting on Layla, Claudine terrified now: if she marries that man then who knows what he'll put her through, screw her luxurious life and her families desires she needs to escape now!.. but not before she breaks Matthias and Layla up and free the poor girl she wrongfully accused, that is if Claudine isn't already too late.

the human saintess, FL: Diana tone: romance+ self growth (For my derelict favorite)

Diana is a saintess of common origins, with no one reconginizing her due to her lack of status a miracle in the form of two handsome men grant her the chance to finally use her healing powers for the good of the common folk, all seems well until one of her friends Cael reveals that he killed their enemies for her in the name of love. It seemed sensible at the time that she rejected him harshly and told him to leave. With only one man left she chooses Helios as her husband and becomes the crown princess. Now that she's a noble, Diana must learn how to act as one even if it means restricting some of her power to the poor. All Diana wants is to be accepted, to finally receive some payment after all that hardwork she'll even ignore news on Cael if she has to, he must be doing better anyway now right?. Well, not exactly. By ignoring any news about him Diana never realized that Cael had attempted suicide more than once, but what could she do? By the time she finds out she also learns that Caelus is married so it should all be fine.. until Caelus's new wife Hestia keeps harassing her for her faults, she just won't leave! But Diana can't say anything, she's the saintess! She HAS to be good.. but to who? The nobles or the commoners? Why can't it just easy for once!?

Slowly but surely, Diana will learn that even if she's a saintess, she's still a person and as a person, she makes mistakes, some big and some small. If she wants to get any better she has to make things right. Starting with the people she neglected below.

into the dark forever, FL: Marianne Edenverre, tone: self destruction.

All her childhood Marianne had been nothing but bad fortune. Her mother treated her terribly and even living as the 5th princess did little to differentiate from her previous homelife. All her new half siblings refuse to treat her as human for her status as an illegitimate child except for the 4th princess Alisa, the bright bundle of joy that made her feel welcome.However, a single person cannot make up for the mistreatment, especially if that person is the star of the family. Why can't Marianne have that? Who does Alisa even think she is!? Is she taunting her? Marianne won't stand for that disrespect, she suffered enough hasn't she? When is she gonna get her paid her dues? If God won't pay her then she'll just have to steal it herself so Marianne summons a demon to give her the help she needs. All of a sudden, everyone loves her! She's the star of the show and now Alisa is the scapegoat, finally, now the 4th princess will know what it feels like to be ostracized but when that doesn't work, Marianne decides to just arrange her death instead. There, no more Alisa, she's finally the most adored girl in Edenverre... wait, Alisa has been reincarnated into the princess of a enemy empire? Well Marianne can't let that stand idly by, she needs to get rid of Aisha de Elmire now, no matter what it may cost.

Project Leila, FL: Yvonne Eckart, tone: coming of age tragedy.

After getting lost during a festival, Yvonne loses her not just her brothers and father but her sense of self, she had been possessed by the goddess Leila and its been relentless in its pursuit to possess her. Yvonne waited and waited for her father to come and find her, she wouldn't let Leila break her spirit but when she finds her father taking another girl in as her replacement, Yvonnes heart drops and she almost loses all hope and Leila almost succeeds.. but Yvonne is able to snap out of it at the nick of time, it was a close call but the pain of abandonment never did go away. During the remaining years, Yvonne never bothered to go back home anymore, they seemed to like that purple haired girl anyway and surprisingly Leila wasn't so bad to talk to as it was the perfect being to vent to. Day by day Leila keeps trying to trick Yvonne into letting it possess her but she always stands her ground and declares that she'll never affiliate herself with the likes of the goddess. But when Yvonne is found and arrives on Penelopes coming of age ceremony, it becomes tempting. All Yvonne saw was the girl who stole her life but the real monsters may have been more close to home then she thought. Just how toxic did her family become and will she be able to resist Leilas temptation?

The concubines woes, FL: Diane Poitier, tone: female rage+self reflection (I will abdicate my title as empress)

Diane Poitier had been a patient girl. After losing everything at a young age she had been determined to never let that happen again when she becomes the Emperors concubine. He has no wife, she's is the owner of the Ivory palace, and she resembles his deceased mother, the cards should have all fell in place, but they never do. The Emperor instead marries the crown princess Adelaide of Kotrov. Just like that Diane feels everything crashing down around her so she makes an enemy out of Adelaide, belittling her and trying to drive a wedge between the new married couple so she can return to the escapism of knowing she's the Emperors one and only. Yet with all the grievances she causes, Adelaide never sees Diane as an enemy, if anything the empress is the kindest to her then anyone else has ever been, one side of Diane wants to keep pushing until Adelaide snaps but the other is weeping so much it can't come up with the words. Why is she even doing this? What will this get her? Will the Emperor even marry her at all when he gets divorced? Why is she being this way to the one woman who has shown her kindess?These are the nagging questions the keep Diane up at night.

Divorcing your husband, FL: Sumin Jeong, tone: comedy (Marry my husband)

Sumin will never admit it but she's been a snake in the grass for most of her life, she can't stand seeing her friend Jiwon happier than her so what better way to ruin her life then to sleep with her husband while Jiwon is terminally ill? Well.. Karma inevitably catches up to Sumin and she is killed by the very same man she slept with after he accidently murdered Jiwon to eliminate any witnesses. Instead of waking up in heaven or hell, Sumin is back 10 years ago! Does she even deserve this? Of course she does! How could someone so deserving like her not? It turns out though that she lost a little something along the way.. her charisma! It's been stolen the moment Jiwon died and when Minhwan killed her. Without her cutesy baby act no man will just crumble when she says "Oppa!" Sumin actually has to work for what she wants now, and the only 2 men who are still willing to adore her are her killer and older co worker who has a thing for her childish talk, jeez were her co workers always this terrible? Whatever, she'll play into Minhwans hand for the time being.. after all, she could use a little life insurance from him.

Golden cage, FL: Rashta Ishka, tone:tragedy+female rage (remarried empress)

The tragic tales of a girl sold into slavery and the men who take advantage of her. Most strived for beauty but Rashta hated it, her beauty was a curse and it drew in all predators who wanted to take a bite out of her. The first man who fell for her was one of her masters who currently raises their child, the second is the Emperor of the empire who loves her like a hunter loves their trophies they caught and the third is the most charming yet manipulative of them all. During the duration of one year, Rashta navigates the life of a concubine and later empress. The ladies in waiting hate her for displacing their empress, the men desire her for her innocent beauty, her former master blackmails her, and her idol: the empress won't even turn an eye to her direction, her only hope is to keep going with her role of the prey Sovieshu caught. Keep acting cute, keep speaking in 3rd person, she doesn't even have to learn much etiquette if it means Sovieshu will find it charming. Slowly, she is picked apart by everyone in her life and the only people who could've helped her have been pushed away. There's no saving Rashta, she's already trusted too many of the wrong people and made too many mistakes but maybe when her children grow up and learn their mothers story they'll be the voice to put an end to slavery and grant the next generation the future she always wanted.

Aim for the throne, FL: Isabella de Mare, tone: suspenseful drama (Sister I am the queen in this life)

Isabella may be her families favorite but that alone isn't enough. She knows her worth as a woman only means so much and as much as she loved her mother, she refused to end up like her as a de-facto wife of a mere cardinal. No, if she only mattered for her beauty than Isabella was going to use it to it's fullest: she wants to become queen of San Carlo, but when her half sister Ariande comes to live with the family, the new competitor meant buisness and had already earned their fathers favor much to Isabellas annoyance. What was supposed to be a subtle warning is quickly figured out and it turns out Ariande isn't as dumb as Isabella thought. Throughout the years that follow, both sisters clash and plot to rise up the ranks. Isabella becomes a renowned beauty engaged to prince Alfonso and Ariande becomes reserved but most devoted to her religious studies, earning her privileges with the clergy. This has been Isabellas most formidable foe yet and she's willing to go to lengths of murder to secure her destiny as queen of San Carlo. Little does she know.. the golden rule cares little about beauty.

Black widow, FL: Krista, tone: thriller drama (remarried empress)

Out of all the ways it could have happened why this?, Krista was already deposed of her position of queen as expected when her husband died but with her positive reputation with the people and her brother in law remaining single, Krista was confident she'd stay as the beloved queen of the west. Oh, Heinrey brought in the former empress of the east to be his wife? Well she can't be shocked, the kingdom does need heirs after all, Heinreys starting to establish his fiancé as queen already? It's fine.. maybe he'll let her stay with them instead of sending to her to compshire to mourn for the rest of her life besides, she'll always have her loyal ladies in waiting. Wait no.. most of them are already defecting from Krista to the new queen.

Krista is losing everything and her foolish family isn't helping her case, all she has left is the peoples support for her but even that is fleeting!? What? Of course.. his majesty has stated he'd fill the mouths of those disrespectful to the new queen with rocks and sew it shut, it must've scared everyone into submission. Everything is on line now, Krista's father is continuously pushing buttons he shouldn't be pushing and when Krista's brother attempts to kill Navier, all fingers point to her as his accomplice. If Krista wants to clear her name she's gonna have to play the hard way and put on an act like she's loyal to Heinreys new wife and hope that the Heinrey doesn't execute her to protect Navier.

[princessanonymous]

When Night Comes

Platonic Yandere Vampire

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First Chapter

16. 𝓣𝓱𝓮 𝓑𝓾𝓻𝓷𝓮𝓭 𝓞𝓷𝓮

(Y/n) woke up tired the next evening. She could hear the two of them arguing throughout the day, the sound of their voice carrying all the way up to the second floor. She hadn't been able to sleep at all because of their constant arguing that lasted through a great part of the day. (Y/n) wondered who that man really was. From his appearance, she knew he was also a vampire, but knew next to nothing about the elusive Killian. She theorized that he must be the mysterious companion that was mentioned several times at the balls they had gone to. The frequent mentions of Killian at social gatherings and Dorian's guarded responses left her questioning the dynamics between the two vampires.

The intensity of their discord contradicted her expectations. Despite Dorian's readiness to defend their relationship, the palpable tension suggested a deep-seated animosity. They didn't seem to like each other. She didn't know how to feel about this new addition to life at the estate. He had mentioned that he planned to leave, but something was telling her he might stay longer than he expected. (Y/n) didn't know if she liked that. He had called her an uncontrollable beast, after all. 

She wondered if this had something to do with her upbringing. She wasn’t born into nobility and she wondered if he had realized it.(Y/n) knew how some aristocrats looked down on ‘poor peasants’ like her. It wasn't uncommon for those born into privilege to harbor preconceived notions about the lower classes. Her stomach twisted. Nothing good ever came out of her sort meddling with them. She should have listened to her parents; if she had, none of this would have happened.

Silence finally came during the middle of the day as the arguing ceased. Exhausted, she finally found reprieve in rest, waking up late the next night. The perpetual confrontation had dampened her spirits, relegating her to her room for most of the night, seeking solace in books. Dinner became a subdued affair, and her arrival at the table prompted strained smiles.

The two vampires were already present and she only ducked her head and took her usual seat, not knowing how to act around the new resident of the manor.

"Did you have a pleasant night, starshine ?" Dorian's strained attempt at warmth hung in the air. It was clear he wasn't as happy as he tried to portray.

Nodding in response, she joined the meal in a hushed atmosphere. The tension among the trio remained palpable, a stark contrast to their usual dynamics. Dorian was sipping his glass of blood, (Y/n) was eating and Killian did neither. Words were scarce, and the burden of unresolved conflicts pressed heavily.

Eventually, the blond broke the silence : "Well, don't you have anything to say, darling?" He almost snapped impatiently as he turned to the other man.

"What is it again?" Killian's sharp retort fueled the anticipation of another argument.

(Y/n) cringed, feeling another quarrel coming. She hoped this wasn't going to become the norm.

"She looks terrified of you," the blond noted. "Say something !"

The girl pushed her plate away and stood up. "May I excuse myself ?" She whispered politely. Without following the proper table manners she had learned, she turned and left before an answer came. She would most likely get reprimanded for it later, but she couldn’t care less now.

Her feet led her to her room and she simply collapsed on her bed, closing her eyes. With enough concentration she could almost tune out the noise from downstairs. She opened them once again a while later when someone knocked at her door. "Enter," she said, expecting a few servants. Ever since her attempt to escape, it was rare for her to be left with only one or two servants; she wasn’t trusted not to somehow convince them to let her leave freely like she had done the last time with– the corpse.

The knock on her door later revealed an unexpected visitor. (Y/n) stood up, waiting for him to say anything.

"I must apologize," he began, an unusual sincerity in his tone. "For my rudeness. My behavior was unbecoming."

"It's alright," she responded with practiced politeness.

"Dorian and I have quite a complicated relationship," he admitted. "I did not wish for you to be troubled by our antics." He paused before bitterly commenting : "We have been partners for more than 150 years, yet we can't seem to agree on most things."

"150 years ?" She repeated, baffled by how long they had known each other.

A faint smile accompanied his reply. "You will find that this is nothing in the eyes of a vampire." The smile waned at these words, a shadow casting over his face. "Do you truly want to become a vampire?"

(Y/n) looked away. She had never been asked that question. She had vehemently been opposed to it, but nobody cared. "I don't..." she admitted. She hadn't admitted this in a while.

His brows furrowed as he approached her, sensing the internal conflict within (Y/n). The air grew thick with uncertainty as he contemplated his words. Finally, in a hushed voice, he offered, "I can help. Help you leave."

A wave of hope and relief washed over her. Killian was a vampire too. Surely, he would know how to thwart Dorian’s plans the way she couldn’t. At the same time, a lump formed in the girl’s throat and she didn’t understand why.

Fidgeting, a sense of unease twisted in her stomach. "I— Yes, but..." Her words stumbled, her breath quickening. "I don't know, I—"

"Calm down," Killian advised gently. "Why don't you sit down?"

Seating herself, (Y/n) felt the weight of conflicting emotions. "I want to— I should want to, but..."

(Y/n) was beginning to slowly appreciate her time here. Sometimes, she found herself actively trying to spend time with the vampire. The girl had gotten used to it by now. She liked being able to just rest and Dorian was mostly very compassionate. But these thoughts scared her. Adjusting to the unexpected comfort provided by Dorian became a source of fear. They scared her so much, because this was her parents' killer and she couldn't forget it. She shouldn't. Yet, she yearned for the comfort he brought her, and couldn't help it. Moreover, she had nothing to return to. She was alone.

The room seemed to blur and spin around her, and she clutched her bedsheets desperately, attempting to ground herself. Mumbling explanations and justifications to herself, her thoughts spiraled out of control until a hand rested gently on her shoulder, jolting her back to the present. Teary-eyed, she looked up at Killian.

"You do not have to if you don't wish to," he assured consolingly. “Not now at least. We can wait a few days.”

Nodding silently, she bit her lower lip, still shaken by the sudden panic. She didn’t know if her decision would change in a few days. If it did, she feared it would be for the worst. Yet, she acquiesced mutely.

“Dorian is quite a charmer,” he added. “I am sure you must have noticed. Don’t be deceived by his caring exterior.”

“You talk about him as if you didn’t like him,” she noted. He didn’t respond. “Why don’t you just leave him ?”

Killian’s eyes grew vacant for an instant, as if he were remembering a somber memory haunting him. He shook his head and addressed her with a strained smile. She knew it was fake, but didn’t comment on it. “This can wait. I can’t leave you with him.”

“But before all that,” she probed more than she thought she should, “during all these 150 years. Why didn’t you ?”

He opened his mouth for a second, then closed it once again. Finally, he settled on answering, “I suppose I grew accustomed to our way of existing.” There was something so melancholic in his voice, a tinge of sadness and a bit of confusion as if he himself was unsure of his response. Then, in an even smaller voice, he added, “When you are born in a burning house…”

She tilted her head to the side in confusion. He shook his head dismissively, tapping lightly on her head. Then, he changed the subject. "Is this your bedroom?"

(Y/n) nodded, and a small smile tugged at her lips.

He looked around and his eyes landed on a shelf. "You have a lot of dolls," he noted.

A shrug accompanied her explanation, "They were gifted to me."

"Did you name them?" Killian inquired curiously, taking one of the dolls from the shelf. "My younger sister had the habit of doing it," he added with a touch of fondness.

"You have a sister?" (Y/n) asked, intrigued.

"I used to," he corrected with a hint of gravity, pointing at a doll with auburn hair and hazel eyes. "Why don't you name her Clementine?"

After a moment of consideration, she nodded. Pointing to a doll with dark skin and brown eyes, she decided on the name Cordelia. The process continued for the other porcelain dolls— Emmeline, Cosette, Angélique, and others — and slowly, her uneasiness began to dissipate. In this small act, a connection formed, and perhaps, this new resident wouldn't be as undesirable as initially thought.

┉┈◈◉◈┈┉

For those who didn't know, the full quote used was :

When you're born in a burning house, you think the whole world is on fire. But it's not. — Richard Kadrey

I know it isn't from that time period, but I really wanted to use it.

[hypnos333]

Healers love

Luke castellan x black goddess reader

Synopsis: You worked at the camp as a full goddess but also a youngling and you never could fall in love because of the curse of Apollo until you met a Hermes half breed

Your apollos granddaughter also Asclepius daughter, You took over your father deity, as healing, medicine and surgery. So your grandfather thought it would be good for you to work and watch the gods half breeds.

Your father, Asclepius was really uncertain of his only daughter babysitting the gods half breeds but after a lot of convincing from his father. He sent you away but not that you mind, your grandfather and dad was overbearing to you.

You were cluttered in the infirmity room all day, Chiron fixed up Cabin 305 for you because no one heard of you. Pacifically you being Asclepius child.

One day when you were healing kids who have minor injuries. That’s where a Hermes boy comes in with him limping and holding his shoulder in pain so you instantly rushed to him.

You checked him over before opening your healing purse with lots of Ambrosia.

Ambrosia is healing food something demigods consume but having to much has consequences but Mortals can never consume them.

It was risky to give this boy Ambrosia but he did look in pain so you risked it you shoved the little piece of bread in his mouth making his swallow while using your healing magic. He groans in pain as the Ambrosia reached his leg as you healed his shoulder.

You moved away to go your next patient. “T-Thank you pretty girl” The Hermes boy mumbled tiredly making you blush slightly.

“Your welcome Messenger” You sigh pulling a blanket up to him before tending to your other kids.

When he first saw you, he immediately noticed that you were gorgeous for a healer goddess maybe Aphrodite blessed you with her beauty. And the way you immediately rushed to him made him fold. He wanted you at first sight, screw the gods but not you definitely not you. You were different and is just for him.

Maybe even Aphrodite even gave her blessing into you two to fall in love.

When Luke woke up he was greeted to you listening to his heart with your stethoscope that you mostly keep around your neck in the infirmary room.

He blushed as his heartbeat went up making you glance at him and smile as you put your stethoscope back around your neck. “Oh i’m glad to see your up love” You cheerfully said writing down his condition.

“My name is ___ Killian” You said making his arch his eyebrows as he was going to say something you already beat him to it. “Yes I made the last name up” You sigh.

“What’s your name?” You asked making him remember he never told you his name.

“Uh Oh i’m Luke Castellan” he answered making you nod before writing it down on the clipboard before putting it down.

“Well Luke your all good to go, I gave you some medicine to heal faster and everything should be good, I will need you to be more careful unless you’ll be close to getting a broken shoulder or sprain leg” You said professional.

You looked at him for an Okay but all he did was stare at you in admiration and lovesick.

You’re no Aphrodite but you would know when people fall for you at this point. Everyday now he come 5 times a week and it was often.

He’ll come with scapes, scars, sicknesses or even almost sprains.

So you confront him about it.

“Luke you can’t keep hurting yourself it’s either your really clumsy or your here for something else and I see if capture the flag and your amazing so what’s up with you?” You asked him wrapping up his arm.

“You watch me play capture the flag?” He asked lighting up at you watching him win every single time.

“Stop changing the subject” You scolded making him chuckle nervously.

Over these past weeks you grown having feelings with the Hermes boys and loved his company but you also grown worried he’s hurting himself on purpose.

“This is probably the best way to tell you but I’ve been wanting to ask if you want to go on a lunch date with me?” He asked hopefully but felt a boost of energy and that where he realized you were still holding his arm but white tint came out of your hands and onto his arm making him feel more strengthen.

“___?” He asked out making you snap out of it.

You pulled him into a kiss luckily the infirmary was empty was it was just you and him.

“I’ll take that as a yes?” He asked pulling away slightly but instantly wanted to feel your lips again as his grabbed you waist pulling you closer.

“It’s definitely a yes” You breathed out as he looked at your chocolate brown eyes. He smiled before pulling you back into a kiss leading into a make out session.

He still hated gods but you…. You were definitely an exception he can never hate you. He was gonna keep you to himself. All he wants is you…..

[eddisfargo]

Not a Day Will Go By (13/14)

Well... I thought it had been over a year since I last updated, and I was feeling pretty bad about it. But apparently it's been... over two ??? I owe you all a huge apology, especially my giftee, @resident-of-storybrooke, and I will give you that apology! In the form of another 4K words, and a change from 12/? chapters to... 13/14. But wait! There's more! I already have most of the next chapter written! And it's the LAST, unless I split it, because it is lorge. Thank you so much for every comment y'all left. I didn't want to reply until I could reply with good news, but every time someone left a comment or a kudos, it gave me hope that there were still people who wanted to read this story, and set a writing fire under me. I cannot tell you how much each comment made my day! And thanks above all to @motherkatereloyshipper for immediately agreeing to beta again after all this time!! And once again for the gorgeous banner. Okay no further ado, hope you enjoy!

AO3 Ch 1 Ch 2 Ch 3 Ch 4 Ch 5 Ch 6 Ch 7 Ch 8 Ch 9 Ch 10 Ch 11 Ch 12 Ch 13

Fic summary: Captain Hook wakes up in a strange bed, next to a woman he does not remember. He finds nothing particularly unusual about this situation. But the woman seems to know him very well.

In Storybrooke, there’s only one surefire way to get back a lost memory. And it’s not going to work until he loves her.

Chapter summary: Hook confronts some things. And some people.

As the door of the shop loomed nearer, Hook’s nerves returned. Whatever Emma had said to the contrary, he needed to focus on finding a way to enact his revenge. At least his promise to do no murder today took some of the immediate pressure off. 

Emma turned to him, noticing that he’d paused. She gave him an encouraging smile. “Let’s go see if that knock on the head jogged any of his memories.” That got a reluctant smile out of him, and she waited another moment until he nodded before opening the door. 

At the chime of the shop’s bell, the Crocodile turned – expressly, it seemed, to sneer directly at Hook. “Oh good,” he said flatly. “They’re back.” 

���Anything?” Emma asked, addressing her question to the Queen. 

It was the Crocodile who answered. “Shockingly,” he drawled, “I don’t break under interrogation.” 

Hook glowered at the imp, who looked contemptuously back. Emma squeezed his hand once, and turned the full force of her attention to her adversary. 

“You’re right,” she said. 

Hook raised an eyebrow behind her, but she continued. 

“That’s not your MO, is it? So how about an incentive?” 

Eyes widening, Hook stepped towards her. “Emma…” he warned quietly. Even Regina was raising an eyebrow. Emma turned briefly back to face him… and winked. 

“Look, did you slip Killian a memory potion?”

“Precisely what agenda do you think I’d be furthering by–”

“Is that a no?”

The imp rolled his eyes. “Yes.” After a short pause, during which Hook weighed the ambiguous response, he deigned to clarify. “It’s a no.” 

“Good,” said Emma, seeming to take his word for it as if lying weren’t the little man’s bread and butter. “Then our interests align.” 

“Do they, indeed.” 

Emma raised her eyebrows. “Hook with no memories is kind of a loose cannon. Sneaking into your shop, scattering all your junk… chatting up your wife…” 

It took a startled moment for Hook to recall that she’d mentioned a new wife, and had not , in fact, been referring to Milah. He opened his mouth to protest that he’d never even met the woman, but the delay in comprehension had been long enough for Emma to meet his eyes significantly. So rather than speaking in his own defense, he gave the Dark One a malevolent grin. 

The Crocodile adjusted his hands on his cane. “Convincing me I’d rather be rid of your husband is a bold gambit, Miss Swan. Surely there are other ways I could accomplish that than by… helping.”

Hook bristled. Emma had said something about having kept her name, but surely she wasn’t a Miss . Also, the man seemed to be threatening his life, which, in retrospect, Hook supposed was more of a reason to take offense. 

Emma crossed her arms. “There are,” she agreed, showing no sign of concern, “but wouldn’t it be sad for little Gideon to grow up fatherless? Again?” 

Now who in the bloody hell was Gideon? Was Hook supposed to have a child too? He could make nothing of the “again,” but he had more than enough to start sweating. Surely, surely any spawn he might’ve sired would’ve come up in conversation before now. He wanted quite badly to ask, but he didn’t want to admit ignorance in front of enemies. He’d bring it up later.

“Don’t you think,” Regina broke in, sounding bored,  “that if threats were all it took, he’d have sung by now?” 

Emma sighed. “You’re right. Regina, are you sure he knows anything?”

“Positive. He usually keeps a stock of Oblex residue, but today it’s mysteriously out of stock. Someone must’ve bought it. If it had been stolen, I��m sure he’d have made you do something about it before now.” 

“What the hell is an Oblex?” Emma asked. 

“Something you don’t want to meet,” Hook answered, bloody overjoyed to finally, finally know something that Emma didn’t. 

Regina looked at him as if she’d forgotten he was in the room. The Crocodile looked as if he wished he could. He’d almost expected Emma to be surprised he knew something, but in fact, she looked expectant. Almost as if his actually possessing relevant knowledge was not unusual. Huh. 

He cleared his throat. “An oblex is a sort of sentient ooze. They’re clever little beasties. Had to fight one off years back, off the shores of the Sword Coast. Near lost the ship’s doctor.” He saw that he had, at the least, Emma’s undivided attention, and he didn’t much care for the others. “You don’t want to lose a fight with one of those. Nasty blighters will eat your –” He froze, and finished more quietly. “...Memories.” 

“And that’s why,” Regina concluded, “their residue is the primary ingredient in a forgetting potion. It’s not easy to get, which is why I’m pretty sure you’d notice if some went missing. ” 

“And if–for the sake of argument–I’d sold some…” the Crocodile began, oozing insincerity. “The ingredient is not only usable in forgetting potions. In fact, I recently heard that it can be combined with certain herbs to create a tea, to ease a troubled mind.” 

Emma raised her eyebrows at the Queen, awaiting confirmation. Regina looked skeptical. “Oh? And where did you hear that, I wonder?”

“Now that you mention it, I recall a strapping young gentleman who came into my shop some time past, looking to make such a tea for his ailing aunt, or great aunt–something to that effect.” 

“Oh?” Emma said, with thinly-veiled interest, as if they were each playing their parts in the conversation. “Did he find what he was looking for?”

“One never knows what one will find in my shop.” It was incredible how such relatively inoffensive words could still make you want to knock someone’s teeth out. Maybe it was just his voice. 

“And what would be the price of such a valuable ingredient?” Emma asked politely. “If you found it?”

“As it happened, the young man’s relation had a few recipes I did not already know–a rare thing indeed.” 

There was a short pause, as everyone in the room considered.

“If I were to ask you for the surveillance footage…” Emma attempted.

“I don’t keep it longer than a week.” 

“Of course,” Emma said, sounding unsurprised. “That would’ve been too easy. Well, what did he look like?” 

The imp shrugged. “Not especially notable.” 

“Anything you remember? Anything at all? Hair?” 

“He wore a hat, but I believe it was dark.” 

“Build?”

“I wasn’t selling him clothes.”

Evidently, he was determined to make her pry any piece of information out of him. 

“You called him a strapping young man. What does that mean, exactly? Muscular? Athletic? Bulky?” 

“I suppose. I really didn’t take any special notice.” Hook wondered if the man would take any special notice of a hook in his throat. 

“Any notable facial features?”

“He may possibly have had a larger than average chin.” 

“Okay… anything else?” 

“Not particularly,” he said flatly. “Well, that does seem to be all I can recall about any recent customers. Now, if you would kindly vacate the premises, I would very much like to close for the day. It seems my shop could do with some… reorganizing.” Without turning his head, he leveled a glare Hook’s way.  

Without conscious thought, Hook found himself looking at Emma to determine their course of action. She turned to him, seeming satisfied with the day’s work. She exchanged a glance with Regina, who nodded. And, without taking their leave of the shop’s owner, they left. 

Somehow, Hook didn’t notice until the shop was well behind them that his hand was in hers. 

They walked in a companionable silence until they were far enough from the shop that Hook could breathe freely again. Hook sorted through all the questions with which the interview had left him, and tried to decide what to ask about first. He wanted to ask about Gideon , but the dread of finding out who he might be–not a son, surely not a son–made it difficult to form the words. 

Finally, he made himself open his mouth. “Swan,” he blurted, with no clear idea what he’d say next. She blinked, as if he’d pulled her out of some intense concentration, but after a moment she turned to him with a smile.

“What’s up?” she asked, raising her eyebrows inquiringly. 

Who is Gideon? “Did we…” have a child? He cleared his throat. “...actually learn anything from that interview?” He held back a sigh. Coward . 

She grinned. “Enough to get started with. We have a profile on our potential perp. Maybe the great aunt is real, maybe she isn’t, but it’s a small town. And at least Gold’s condescended to narrow the playing field a little. If they’ve got ‘recipes’ Gold’s interested in, they’re probably not out-of-towners. And I have a kind of vague physical description, if he was being forthright about all of it. I’ve definitely got enough to search with. Finding people is…” Her smile was lovely, and behind her modesty, he could see some pride. “Kind of my thing.” All at once, Hook became aware that Emma was caressing the hand she was holding. “Want to come?” 

“I–think I have some business to attend to,” he said, perhaps less firmly than he’d intended. She looked a bit crestfallen, and he added, “Sorry, love,” before thinking to question why he was apologizing. He didn’t owe her a bloody apology for being busy. He searched his mind for a story she’d accept for what he was busy with that didn’t involve searching for a weapon against the Dark One. 

“OK,” she said, leaning in to give him a kiss on the cheek. “I’ll see you at home. Love you!” She hesitated before leaving, as if she was expecting something, but then smiled ruefully and walked away. It didn’t take much in the way of context to figure out what she’d been waiting for, once he gave it a moment’s thought. But surely she couldn’t expect it of him. 

He stood for a moment, watching her walk back to her brightly-covered conveyance. As he pulled his hand slowly from the cheek her lips had touched, he considered the fact that she had not, in fact, demanded his plans. The word trust flitted through his mind, leaving a feeling suspiciously like guilt. 

Well, there was nothing to be done. He had promised her no murders today, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t plan. As for the wager with the Queen, that was easily dealt with. If she rightfully owned the Jolly Roger, he could win it back the way a pirate usually won his booty. And what was one extra murder once the bet was lost?

He began to walk, allowing his feet to choose the direction–they hadn’t steered him wrong so far. He spent a pleasant moment picturing the look of surprise on Regina’s face just before his hook pierced her heart. He could see the rage turning into fear, as the man she erroneously believed was no threat came for his reckoning. And behind her, there stood Emma, eyes wide and full of tears–

A loud, dissonant noise brought him to his senses. He realized he’d stopped cold in the middle of the road, and one of those wheeled metal contraptions–a bug, had Emma called them? But this one was red, and rather larger than hers--stood behind him. He made eye contact with the person behind the glass at the front. It was a man he didn’t recognize–hardly shocking, at the moment–who threw his arms wide in a gesture of impatient disbelief. The man slammed his hand in front of him, and the awful noise repeated. 

Suddenly in quite a foul mood, Hook gave his most menacing scowl and approached the conveyance, raising his left arm to make his namesake conspicuous. As he reached the side door of the bug, less than a foot from the wide-eyed man inside, there was a loud squeal and the contraption sped away. Ahh, well. If he was going to lose the bet– when , rather–it would be for more significant reasons. A blond-haired face with a look of abject betrayal tried once more to encroach upon his imagination, but he pushed it roughly aside. He walked quickly out of the road, in no particular hurry to repeat the confrontation. 

He tried to keep his focus on what was most relevant–forming a plan. Kill the crocodile, and leave this strange place, with all of these strange people. Unfairly attractive people with soft hands. Children with Baelfire’s eyes. Complete strangers who smiled at him, like the woman across the street was doing now. How on earth she could be smiling at him despite the thunderous scowl he was–

Hook stopped to take stock of his face, to find that his scowl seemed to have abandoned him, in favor of an expression with which he was unfamiliar. His lips were turned up very slightly, but not in a smirk or a leer. And his eyes were half-closed, when they ought to have been wide open and paying attention to his bloody surroundings, because now the woman was pushing her covered cart towards him, and she looked familiar. Ahh, she was the woman he’d seen earlier, just outside of the cursed pawn shop . Except that she’d looked familiar then, too, hadn’t she? But no, her cheerful smile was not striking any chords in his mind now. 

Not only was she smiling, she was actually walking toward him. 

“Hello,” Hook said cautiously. He was dealing with an unknown quantity, and he wasn’t sure how to approach her. 

The moment he spoke, something began to strike the covering of the cart from the inside. He managed to keep from visibly startling, looking with a raised eyebrow from the cart to the woman. 

The stranger laughed. “He heard you!” She pushed back the covering on the cart, which folded as it seemed designed to do. 

From the violence of the striking, Hook had been half expecting some sort of small but fierce wild animal. What appeared, however, was a very human baby. And it was looking right at him. Its expression might charitably be called a smile, although its teeth were largely absent. 

The baby looked at the woman who was presumably its mother and had some sort of semi-verbal communication. 

“Down?” the woman said, in the tone of someone repeating what they’d heard, although to Hook’s ears the baby’s word had sounded more like “aaa!” 

Without further ado, she leaned down and set the baby loose. To Hook’s surprise, rather than toppling over immediately, it took some rather wobbly steps in his direction. He controlled the urge to back away. He was certainly not afraid of an infant–even one that seemed determined to barrel toward him. What on earth made him so nervous? It wasn’t as if the tiny thing could hurt him. On the contrary, it was so small it looked as if a rogue breeze might damage it irreparably. He gulped, reflexively moving his hook behind his back. 

“Iiiiihggh,” burbled the baby, whose strong apparent desire to continue its headfirst forward motion was beginning to lose the battle to gravity. Well, it was awfully close to the ground. 

“That’s right, darling!” the mother said encouragingly. “That’s Killian!” 

Hook started. He hadn’t been anticipating his given name from this woman. And despite what she might be pretending, the child had most certainly not said it first. 

Hook’s sudden movement was the last straw for the baby’s momentum.Killian watched in confused fascination as the little thing paused for just a moment, looking nonplussed, and then fell remarkably slowly to its bottom, where it bounced slightly. Whatever it was wearing, it clearly provided some padding. 

Hook wondered for a moment if the infant was going to start bawling, in which case he decided he’d find a reason to be elsewhere. And, indeed, the small face worked for a moment, appearing to consider the possibility. But it was distracted in the nick of time by something shining on the ground, which it examined for a moment before managing to grasp the item and beginning to bring it towards its mouth. 

“GIDEON, NO !” the woman shouted, startling Hook, who’d almost forgotten she was there. He looked quickly back at her, and in that moment, he recognized her face. It hadn’t meant much to him when she was smiling at him, but in her distress, it came back to him. 

A cell. An interrogation. A blow. 

He’d wanted to use her for information. She hadn’t known anything, so he’d… 

He caught himself grimacing, and then frowned at his own reaction. Well, and why shouldn’t he have struck her? She’d been of no use to him. But why had she looked at him just now as if… as if she was pleased to see him? Women hid their children from him. They certainly didn’t encourage those children to run to him, shouting an admittedly mangled attempt at his true name. 

The woman had picked the baby back up–he supposed it must be a lad, if its name was Gideon–and removed the shiny object from his hands, with what looked like a surprising amount of difficulty. Honestly, how much grip strength could those tiny hands possess? Still, she seemed to be struggling to keep the baby in one hand and hold the item out of his reach in another. He considered how he would accomplish such a feat with only the one. 

He shook away the ridiculous notion. When would he ever be called upon to hold a baby? 

The baby was crying in earnest now, and Killian racked his brains for an excuse to make a hasty retreat. He had just recalled the fact that he didn’t actually need an excuse–he was free to leave at any time, social niceties be damned–when he realized a few things in quick succession. The child’s name was Gideon. Gideon was not Emma’s child, much less his own. The relief of not being tied to her permanently… rather startlingly failed to materialize. He pushed the thought away quickly. 

So, Gideon belonged to this woman. As he pieced his memories of her together with what he’d heard this morning, her name came to him. 

“Belle,” he said, without really planning to. She had been precious to the Dark One. That was what he’d wanted from her. She’d been… his lover? The implications hit him like a cannonball. Suddenly, the wailing baby looked quite a bit less cute. 

Not that he’d thought it was cute in the first place.

Evidently, he’d been correct about her name, because she looked up from her game of keep-away with the squalling infant, as if remembering he was there. 

She smiled grimly, holding the baby’s treasure up a bit higher. “Old battery,” she informed him, her voice rueful. He thought for a moment that the battery to which she referred was his against her, however long ago that had been from her perspective, but she seemed to be looking at the object. She approached him. “Here, would you take this away?” 

Hook reached for it, not without curiosity. But as Belle drew nearer, Gideon switched his attention from the “battery” to him. He reached out his little hands, tears still glistening on his round cheeks. 

Belle laughed. “Well, that works too,” she said, foisting the baby directly into Hook’s arms. His mind sounded an alarm. Something in his brain shouted Hook!! It took him a moment to connect this to the source of his suddenly faster heartbeat. He quickly adjusted himself so that the baby and the hook were as far apart as possible. He’d expected this to take some serious effort–especially since he’d never held a baby in his life. But almost without conscious thought, he’d adjusted his grip so that his hook was pointed down, his shortened arm supporting the baby’s body, with his hand gripping its back. 

The bloody madwoman didn’t even look concerned. She’d walked off to dispose of the battery without a second glance. 

Uncertain what to do with himself, Hook looked down at the baby’s face. Surely there would be some evidence of malignance, if the Crocodile truly had sired him. 

The baby gave him a mostly-toothless smile. He looked fully human, if nothing else. Perhaps Belle had been less than faithful to her scaly lover. Heaven knew better women than her had done the same. Hook squinted at the little eyes, trying to discern a resemblance to his old enemy. When the spark of recognition hit him, it was not as he had expected. Bae . 

He had always credited Baelfire with his mother’s eyes. And indeed, he recalled more vividly than he would’ve credited, the color had been all too reminiscent of his lost love. But in this child’s eyes–this child, with no direct connection to dear Milah–he saw the shape of Bae’s. There was only one possible source of any similarity between Baelfire and this child–his half-brother?--but that loathsome resemblance, Killian could not see, no matter how he searched. 

“Thanks for watching him,” a voice said from right in front of him. Hook startled, but did not drop the baby. Nor did he accidentally puncture his hide, which was a danger you’d think a mother would’ve been cognizant of. How had he not seen Belle return? Had he been so lost in his thoughts? 

Belle was grinning at him. “You’re so good with him,” she said, with the air of someone who is repeating an observation.

“Ahh,” Hook said awkwardly, uncertain what to do with this bit of flagrant misjudgement. 

“Aaaaaaaah,” gurgled Gideon, contributing just as much to the conversation. 

There was a moment of silence as the baby looked lazily from one of them to the other, drooling slightly. 

“Well, it’s almost too late for Christmas shopping, so we’d best be on our way,” said Belle finally, sounding oddly amused. “That is, if you’re willing to part with him?” 

Hook felt his face heat. Had he really been so distracted he’d forgotten to return the thing to its mother? It wasn’t as if he wanted to be holding him. He’d simply lost track of time somehow. He’d rarely seen a person so young this close. It was oddly fascinating–in a horrifying sort of way. 

As Belle reached for her child, he misjudged her grip and began to let go too soon. He reflexively tried to catch him with both arms, jerking the pointed one away at the last moment and throwing his good hand under him.

Gideon giggled delightedly, and even Belle permitted herself a breathless chuckle once the lad was safely in her arms, obviously more aware than her son of what had almost happened. The barrage of kisses she pressed to his tiny, laughing face were her only concession to the moment of panic. 

She cradled the baby to her with one arm, waving goodbye with every appearance of good cheer, as Killian waited for his heart to stop hammering. He continued his interrupted walk, and tried to remember what thought he’d been in the middle of. Ahh, yes, revenge against the Crocodile. 

It must have been a half a mile later when it occurred to him–far too late–that the perfect opportunity for revenge had just been utterly squandered. That child was–presumably– his son. Why hadn’t he–why hadn’t it even occurred to him to–bloody hell, he’d gone out of his way to avoid–

His unquestioned fear of accidentally damaging the child now seemed quite preposterous. He could have simply gutted him like a fish. 

The thought of gutting a fish made him oddly nauseated. He frowned. He hadn’t tired of fish in centuries at sea. Now seemed a strange time to start. This bloody town was getting to him, somehow. Making him into a landlubber. Making him soft . Making him into the man Emma seemed to think she knew. 

What he needed was a night on the Jolly. Alone . What he needed was to get her ready to leave. 

He made it the rest of the way to the docks unmolested. There was a moment where he thought he saw a red hat exiting a warehouse, but it vanished before he could be certain. 

Once aboard his ship, he took inventory. He would need to top up his rations, although there was a small supply of cans with pictures of food on them–those uncannily lifelike pictures common to this realm. Perhaps he could make it to the next port, if nothing else. Surely he could acquire food there, legitimately or not. He’d noticed with unease that the longer he stayed in this town, the less he recognized himself. 

Hook had nearly finished taking stock of his supplies when he nearly tripped over his feet. He froze. After centuries, he knew every inch of the Jolly Roger. There had never before been a loose floorboard in his quarters. 

Closer scrutiny confirmed what his feet had uncovered. There was a small space under one of the boards making up his floor. And underneath… 

He stared, trying to think through the implications. It seemed his future self had not been so innocent, after all. The man had been keeping secrets from his lovely wife. Perhaps he hadn’t changed as much as Emma had convinced him–as much as she’d truly seemed to believe. Perhaps he had already begun the plan now taking shape inside Hook’s head. 

Hidden on the Jolly, where no one but him could ever have found it, was a bottle of squid ink.

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

Tagging the same folks as last time, hope it's still welcome! Adding the "please tag for everything" crew. Let me know if you want to be added or removed for the last chapter!

@undercaffinatednightmarere, @jrob644, @kmomof4, @winterbaby89, @mie779, @elfiola, @tiganasummertree, @anmylica, @booksteaandtoomuchtv, @everything-person, @teamhook, @laianely, @booksteaandtoomuchtv, @exhaustedpirate, @anmylica, @hollyethecurious, @Gingerchangeling, @caught-in-the-filter, @ultraluckycatnd, @Stahlop, @LFH1226, @darkshadow7, @fleurdepetite, @captainswan-kellie, @motherkatereloyshipper, @sonnicat, @Jrob64, @beckettj, @whimsicallyenchantedrose, @jonesfandomfanatic, @myfearless-love

For any fellow stats nerds, this chapter was 4K words, about twice as long as the average chapter so far. And I have (drumroll) almost another 8K written. I just need to tie together all the scenes I have! Might split it if there's a good splitting place, or I might post it all at once. I'm pretty pleased with how it's turning out, aside from all the [insert words here]-type stuff in the middle.

[blunder-bat]

Why I ✨️Love✨️ Killian Rudwick

(Spoiler warning)

I fucking Love Killian's character growth. I knew he would improve as the story goes but fucking hell, that man has exceeded my expectations. Dare I say he is one of the rare Manhwa FLs who is both an absolute green flag BUT a 3 dimensional character whose only thought isn't "FL this, FL that" this man has actual rationale and logic going on alongside becoming more aware of his surroundings.

I love the way he is shown thinking about things in contrast to Edith's POV and having different viewpoints than her that keep him worked up (Like when he is pondering about her🥰)

One such example is the family dymanic. His behaviour with his family isn't something that is shown to be rebelious since the beginning , sure it's a sour spot but he is compliant. That is why he agrees to marry Edith despite not liking her.

But when he takes responsibility of Edith and starts catching feelings for her, he ends up fueding with his family on increasing frequencies. Like the time he snapped on them for giving the light of Lorraine to Rhyse instead of the first DIL like tradition dictated. He even shut his Father up, on whose dictate he married Edith, when the prospect of divorcing her was introduced.

Let's not forget the way he actually begins doubting Cliff and Rhyse as suspects for sabotaging his wife when his mind is no longer subservient to theres in the story. (And the way he continuously fights the mind control and tries hardest to not let his thinking be clouded by it? To the point he actually starts breaking its control on him? The man actually makes efforts to be a good man and passes with flying colours.)

You see that growth? 🥰 And I don't mean it just in the sense that he was falling for someone who prompted these changed by giving him confidence, I also mean him coming out of his shell more as the story progresses.

And I love his romantic side in more than one ways. Him being an absolutely respectful lover and husband who looks after and coddles his woman based on his observations and of her and the environment around her. He trusts her and loves her in a very healthy way, which I really appreciate since this webtoon doesn't make him toxic or absolutely one or at most two dimensional love interest.

I really love the way this Manhwa shows his thought process as well so it can be seen how he thinks, his anxieties and rationale when it comes to confronting his feelings about her. I love that he thinks about her in a way which makes it a husband wife relationship rather than thinking of her as a Goddess whose wish is his command.

He respects her but at the same time shows concern for his wife, not just her physical.well being but mental as well, wanting to protect her despite knowing she can take care of herself. Its not about him not respecting her autonomy, he does that very much and only speaks up on her behalf when she isn'talready doing that, but about how knowing that your loved one can handle themselves doesn't make you worry any less. I love it.

He notices her in ways which aren't just "this thing reminds me of her" but also remembers her tastes, her peculiarities and her little habits. (Notice how he picks clothes for hers? Tarts? The way he is often anxious and thinking of the problems that surround her?)

I love how Killian opens up to Edith to a point where his cardboard personality in the novel just blossoms into showing the human he is capable of being.

I did not have high hopes when I started this Manhwa, but boy am I happy that the love story turned out to be as amazing as the art!

Tldr: I love Killian because he grew, because he is greener than amazon, and because he feels so soo real he is fun to read

[xiao-hudie]

so i went and saw les mis in melbourne again after syd and this time i was Locked In so here are my thoughts!! (that i was frantically typing down on my phone during intermission and afterwards so that my mum and my friend were both like. tf is she doing)

les mis arena tour 22/05 - i was quite a bit further back so i didnt have the best view but you best believe i was focusing hard

ACT 1

the acoustics were a lot better here than in sydney

ntm the arena setup was so much better bc in the icc it was all on a slope and it felt a lot farther away

the way bradley smirks before the 'no' in look down is a character choice i absolutely adore and live for

bradley got UP in killians face today when he handed the yellow papers over i love valvert

compared to sydney killian sounded healthier? less tense maybe? hes such a phenomenal valjean i love watching him

got rachelle as fantine today

im ngl i prefer the fantine i had in sydney (aND I DONT KNOW WHO SHE WAS ITS ACTUALLY DRIVING ME INSANE)

the valvert chemistry between bradley and killian is genuinely so good confrontation is so TENSE (and bradley spits so much lmfao)

just. bradley. in general. i love him.

his facial expressions throughout the show are genuinely a highlight hes so expressive

the cheers for marina prior were crazy aussies love her so much and DESERVEDLY SO her mdm thenardier is so entertaining

the audience in general was so much better in melb the sydney one was so DEAD

little cosette was played by the same girl as in syd but she sounded so much more confident today i was so happy to see

icb i saw bradley sing stars TWICE hes so GOOD OH MY GODDDDDDD hes really perfected his interpretation of javert

genuinely i was on the edge of my seat hes so RIGHTEOUS and STIFF and DEVOTED wow i love his stars so much

james d gish remains a GREAT enjolras he just has the RIght Vibe

(he has such dmitri energy pls let him be in aus anastasia. far fetched i know)

im not the biggest fan of calebs marius (i saw jac yarrow in syd) but theyre a very sweet marius (and very small the height difference between them and james was comical)

ACT 2

bradley becoming progressively more and more dishevelled is a creative choice i adore and yet it still sends me

wtf happened for like 10 seconds it was Messy i think someones mic was off?????

shan ako remains a Very Very good eponine her voice is so strong and clear and her on my own is so powerful

bradley once again lunged at killian and they were face to face for a Concerning amount of time barely cms apart

and then killian HISSES 'go' at him and the smiles bradley gives are genuinely diabolical hes so wolf

we got enjoltaire fellas we got enjoltaire during drink with me

enj tries to comfort R and then gets thrown off

then grantaire breaking down in enjolras' arms and then he pushed him away and goes to gavroche

like wow i had my hand over my mouth i Dont remember that in sydney

i LOVE killians higher register in bring him home its genuinely so gorgeous

the amis dying with the lighting shooting them and enj being the last to die WOW and then the oboe melody afterwards while the stage was dark.... tears, i tell you

killian just casually strolling in w marius slung over his shoulder will always be funny and its very valjean of him

bradley SLAYED javerts suicide again (as i knew he would) it was the perfect balance of unravelling unhinged and also peak despair

hes genuinely like fully sobbing its crazy

THAT LAST NOTE it was so strong oml i love the effect they put on it its so haunting

[teamhook]

A Chapter a Day... Savage Heart CS AU

A love story between a pirate and his savior. An innocent, beautiful, selfless woman meets a man with no manners, no formal education and not even a last name. Will Emma fall in love with Killian once she discovers that beneath his tough exterior lies a heart-wild, but a heart of gold? This is a Captain Swan AU

Beta-ed by the always amazing @ilovemesomekillianjones

Cover by the sweet @xhookswenchx

|A03| |FFN|

Chapter 2: The First Born Son and a Rebirth

~~~Flashback

Brennan Booth, a wealthy landowner that owns most of Misthaven sits in his favorite leather chair reviewing some estate documents that were left pending by the unexpected death of his steward. Suddenly there is an urgent knock on the door.

"Enter," he says, and his wife, Cora, promptly enters.

"You have a visitor," Cora says.

Brennan looks up to see his longtime friend, Archie.

"Brennan, John is dying and he is calling for you."

Brennan scoffs. "What would John need to speak to me about? We are far from friends."

Archie answers, "You have Madeline in common, or have you forgotten about her?"

Brennan looks up to his friend and gets up to respond. "Fine, let's go see what that lowlife wants to see me about."

They leave his house on foot and take to the street, walking at a fast pace, both lost in thought. Brennan remembers Madeline fondly. She was such a beautiful woman, possessed a smile that brightened the darkest days. He would never understand how Madeline Jones ended up married to a wretch like John Long.

"We are here," Archie suddenly says.

They stand in front of a shack that barely seems suitable for housing animals, much less a family. The thought of Madeline withering away in a place like this fills Brennan with guilt. He should have fought for their love, but in the end, they both settled for people who never truly loved them, he was nothing but a coward.

They knock on the door and slowly enter when no one answers.. There is a man lying on a cot, thin and brittle. If Brennan wasn't aware of where they are, he might not have recognized the man before him.

"You sent for me?" Brennan asks curtly. He turns around when the door to the home bursts open, and a boy barely older than his son August enters.

"Who are you?" the boy asks looking between the men.

John's eyes dart from the boy to Brennan. "Killian, get out! I have business with them."

The boy, Killian, walks to the door and before leaving the shack glances back at the men one last time.

John glares at Brennan and goes on. "Must I say the words?"

Brennan looks at him and shakes his head. "What are you talking about? You wanted to see me. Here I am."

"You must be blind if you do not see the resemblance. Killian is your son. The son you sired with my wife. Madeline tried to pass him as mine, but the older the boy got, the more I could see the man that had an affair with my wife. We both saw it, and where she loved Killian for being a part of you. I hate him for it," John says.

"Madeline would never have kept this from me! She would have found a way to let me know of his existence!" Brennan screams at the man.

John only laughs before replying, "What makes you think she didn't try? She hoped to her last breath that you would come to rescue her and that little bastard son of yours. The truth of the matter is, she was not good enough for you. Madeline went to see you and was welcomed to your home by your pregnant high-class wife, the one that was good enough for you to give your name. She was heartbroken once more by your actions and settled for me.

"I never confronted her, so she always wondered why I was so cruel to Killian when I loved Liam so wholeheartedly. When the heartbreak finally was too much to bear for her and she was too weak to care for the boys, we decided to send Liam away to be with my sister. She wanted to send Killian too, but I told her that my sister would not be able to handle both of them. Killian was three years old when Madeline passed. The truth is, Killian did not belong with my sister, or here for that matter. For years I have had to take care of him, and he's not even my blood!"

"He is truly my son?" Brennan asks to no one in particular, standing in disbelief in front of the man that destroyed his lost love. He has a son, another son to be exact. Killian, is his first-born.

A fit of coughs take over John, and the frail man looks to Brennan before taking his final breath, hoping that his last confession will be enough to redeem him.

"What are you going to do? Cora will not welcome Killian," Archie asks.

Brennan knows his friend is right. "I will tell her he is the son of the steward of my estate, who recently died. She doesn't bother getting to know anyone she considers below her class. I will say August is lonely and since she can no longer have any more children, he will be August's playmate."

After discussing what arrangements need to be made for the deceased man, Brennan and Archie head outside to collect Killian. They tell him that John has passed away and has asked for Brennan to take Killian in.

Killian is confused that his father has attempted to make any sort of arrangement because the man has never shown any form of love towards him, but he accepts the story since he has nowhere else to go.

As months pass by, Killian and August bond, they truly act like brothers. Brennan tells Cora he wishes to adopt Killian to give him a better chance, but Cora doesn't like the idea. She tells Brennan that he needs to send Killian away because he is a bad influence on August, but she is unable to deter him, and he adopts Killian.

Why would her husband want to give his last name to a nobody? Cora is not blind, she sees the way Brennan looks at the boy and decides to confront him. "Brennan tell me the truth! Who is Killian to you?" Cora yells.

He looks at her and finally answers. "Killian is my firstborn. He is a Booth, and I want him to be an equal to August in every way, that is why I gave him my last name." He picks up a folder from the desk and holds it up towards his wife. "All there is left for me to do is to update my will and then August and Killian will have equal rights to my fortune."

A sharp boom of thunder rumbles outside, coinciding with Cora as she snaps, livid with her husband's decision. "There is no way in hell that bastard will have the same rights as my son!"

Tucking away the documents in his breast pocket, Brennan ignores his wife and heads to the stables. He mounts his horse and urgently rides away. He pays no mind to the weather, or anything except that he needs to get these documents to his friend and lawyer Archie.

As he rides through the pouring rain, a flash of lightning catches his attention. By the time he glances back to the path in front of him it is too late, a fallen tree blocks his path. Brennan tries to get his horse to jump it, but instead the horse's front hooves catch on the felled trunk and both rider and horse are thrown precariously through the air.

Brennan is found lying unconscious by a good samaritan. Archie who had been on his way out to see the Booth family, curious as to how the adjustment was going with a new son living in the home came across his friend and the man trying to help. Once Archie and the good samaritan get Brennan back home a doctor is summoned, and the samaritan takes his leave. Cora sits by her still unconscious husband's side and discreetly searches for the papers that will secure her future fortune.

The doctor uses smelling salts to revive Brennan and he regains consciousness, but after a quick assessment of the bruising taking over the injured man's body, the doctor knows he will be unable to stop the internal bleeding in time."

"It'd be wise to get your affairs in order," the doctor says gravely.

Brennan frantically calls for August as he realizes this may be his only chance to pass on the truth that Killian is his true son.

Brennan is quickly deteriorating when August rushes to his bedside.

"What is it, Father," August asks, taking his father's hand in his own.

With his last breath, Brennan is able to say, "August, please take care of Killian." The lasts words Brennan Booth says to his youngest son are not the ones he had hoped to utter.

With Brennan Booth's sudden death, Cora, always a clever conniver formulates a quick plan.

"August, please send Mr. Hopper back in, I need to discuss a few things with him. Once you have done that please go to Killian and tell him what's happened."

August complies with his mother's wishes. As Cora sits staring at her husband's lifeless body she decides she must get rid of the only other person that knows of her late husband's illegitimate son.

Archie arrives at the door and knocks quietly. "You wanted to see me?"

"Yes, this will be quick, no need to get comfortable. You are fired. You can go now." Cora states coldly.

Archie just stands there looking at her as she gets up from her chair and leaves him behind.

By day's end August is the sole heir to the Booth fortune, Killian has been sent away without August's or Archie's knowledge, and Cora is already contemplating her next move upon society.

~~~Rebirth

Time never stays still. Years pass by and Killian grows up out on the streets of the port-town, unloved, and in the company of sailors and pirates. He has so few happy memories. The only time he had felt like his luck had changed for at least a brief moment was during his time with the Booth's. That was the closest he had ever been to having a family after the passing of his mother.

His father had always treated him with hatred, but his father's final moments puzzled him. Why would he ask Mr. Booth to give him a home? He seemed like a different man at the time of his death, his final request did not seem like the man that had raised him without love and guidance, in poverty and neglect and never gave him his last name. Some questions would stay unanswered.

As a young man Killian became part of Edward Teach's crew, a known pirate. He moved up quickly in the ranks. He grew to enjoy drinking, women and especially the rush of being an outlaw. He won Teach's position as Captain of The Jolly Roger at a young age in a duel. The crew of the Jolly Roger rejoiced in the new life their young captain breathed upon them.

The lost boy and fatherless son of Madeline Jones thus became a ruthless, womanizing pirate. His dastardly reputation harbored him an unbound loyalty with his men. Killian renounced the last name Brennan Booth had given him before he too abandoned him. Killian embraced his mother's last name because in reality, she had been the only one that had truly loved him. He was simply Captain Killian Jones from that day on.

Tagging:

@hookedonapirate @kmomof4 @searchingwardrobes @seriouslyhooked @profdanglaisstuff @let-it-raines @revanmeetra87 @snowbellewells @hollyethecurious @kymbersmith-90 @branlovestowrite @thejollyroger-writer @shireness-says @ilovemesomekillianjones @killianjonesownsmyheart1 @thisonesatellite @thesschesthair @winterbythesea @stahlop @resident-of-storybrooke  @superchocovian  @lfh1226-linda @artistic-writer @thislassishooked @shardminds @winterbaby89 @xhookswenchx @ultraluckycatnd @gingerchangeling​ @laschatzi​ @courtorderedcake​ @wellhellotragic​ @xemmaloveskillianx​ @pirateherokillian​ @optomisticgirl​ @darkcolinodonorgasm​ @sherlockianwhovian​ @andiirivera​ @nikkiemms​ @djlbg​ @jennjenn615​ @officerrogers​ @scientificapricot​

[kmomof4]

12 (Actually 13) Days of Captain Swan Fic Recs!!!

Well, we finally made it to Day 13!!! Today I'm reccing @overlordofthelollipopguild!! VERY recently returned to fandom after a long hiatus, she has started working on some of her unfinished fics that are just PHENOMENAL!!!! This first one is the longest fic I'm reccing in any of the posts, and yes, I'm quite aware of how long it will take to read, but I'm telling y'all, IT IS SOOOOOO WORTH IT!!!!! READ IT READ IT REEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEAD IT!!!!!!!

Broken Souls Mend Hearts - Rated T - Captain Swan AU where Cora lets the curse take Killian, and the course of his and Emma’s journey forever changes their lives. A lot will stay to canon with exceptions made to accommodate Killian being cursed to Storybrooke as well.

Now stands at 99 chapters and over 700k, but I'm telling y'all, this is a MASTERPIECE of a fic and EVERYONE should read it!!!!

Taking That Second Chance - Rated T - After the end of 4a (pre 4b), Killian dies in a random accident and Emma thinks about all of the time she wasted with him and how she regrets they didn't have more. The next thing Emma knows, Mary Margaret is waking her up in the EF. Emma realizes that she's travelled back in time, so she has a choice to make: follow the same path, or change it so she and Killian have more time.

Fight for Her - Rated T -CS drabble. Post-Good Form. In which Charming is Hook's wingman...for his own daughter.

Defending Her - Rated T - CS drabble. Post-Good Form, sequel to “Fight For Her”. Killian confronts Neal after Neal upsets Emma.

All of these fics are wonderful and I first REALLY hope you read Broken Souls, but also enjoy all of these as much as I have!! Merry Christmas everyone!!!!

[priscilla9993]

Chess Allusions: Pawn Parallels

Rogers: “So you can use [her info] as leverage against [Belfrey]?”

Weaver: “Well that’s how this game works, Detective.”

Talking in the park, Weaver and Rogers both want the information that Tilly knows, the kind that causes Victoria to feel threatened, enough to blackmail Weaver with Tilly’s imprisonment and some CCTV footage of his misdeeds. Although both detectives covet finding and questioning Tilly for what she knows, their motives differ. 

Weaver has a “means to an end” approach, valuing Tilly only when she can be useful in his schemes. His selfish nature sides with his freedom and power over her wellbeing, and he’s okay with that. Tilly might be his informant with the ‘best eyes and ears in Hyperion Heights’, but at the end of the day, she’s replaceable, someone worth losing if it means he gains a stepping stone in the long game against taking down Victoria Belfrey.

Rogers: “Is that all this girl is to you and Belfrey? A pawn? Then why don’t we split up, since one of us actually wants to help her?”

But to Rogers, who doesn’t even know Tilly at this point, he sees Victoria and Weaver’s game as something where people win at the expense of somebody else and goes into full papa bear mode. Rogers wants to help Weaver as a partner and wage justice against Victoria, but not at the cost of using Tilly. He sees Tilly as a vulnerable person caught in the crossfire of a game they didn’t even know they were playing, rather than a soldier in a chess match, and wants to talk to her on equal terms. 

His opinion of Tilly being a bit off kilter but innocent at heart only strengthens when Weaver, in the hospital, unexpectedly pardons her of assumed criminal charges, telling Rogers an obvious lie about a masked robber being the one who shot the gun. Upon meeting Tilly outside of the hospital room, Rogers sees a confused, distraught, and guilt ridden young woman playing a game of chess alone. He tells her the facts with a kind opinion, “Look, you weren’t in your right frame of mind. He doesn’t blame you.” They build up an acquaintance and the budding start of a camaraderie over chess.

However, this all changes when the monster that is Gothel/the fire nation arrives Eloise Gardener gets into the playing field. Victoria and Drizella play cat and mouse, Weaver uses Tilly in a game of lies, and Rogers tries to make sense of things, inadvertently rescuing Gothel, the big bad spider.

Rogers to Weaver: You lied! And you made Tilly lie. Why did you do that?!

Weaver: Because you don't know what's going on around here... But I did it for one reason: to protect you from your bloody self.

(gratuitous physical violence scene bc I love the dynamic)

What Rumple could mean by ‘bloody self’ could be that Rogers lets his temper cloud his judgment first before he goes seeking revenge on/fighting for justice for those who deserve it most. I think that's where Rumple sees the most Killian come out from the supposed "Eagle Scout" detective, stubborn and determined to stick to his guns until he gets to his desired conclusion, which in this case is finding Eloise Gardener (Gothel). 

Rogers defends Tilly, despite only meeting her a few times, going so far as to bodyslam Weaver as he confronts him. However, he loses his respect for her after finding Eloise, where no explanation could outweigh the cost.

Rogers: What do you want?

Tilly: To say I’m sorry about the page. Weaver said it was for the best and I can’t always figure that out for myself.

Rogers: Take a look at what he was covering up. Now tell me, was that for the best? You know what? I understand. I’m just disappointed. You weren’t the person I thought you were.

Rogers is a man of many things, holding grudges being one of them and being rational in the other. The blonde informant had gone so far as to even lie to him about Eloise, dead of all things. As much as he wanted to forgive Tilly, he didn’t know if he could.

At the end of the day, in Rogers’s mind, Eloise needed help, rescue, and emergency aid, something that only happened because of his deep obsession with finding a missing girl from a cold case. And Tilly deterred him from saving a life, unintentional or not.

Roni: “Henry told me about how Weaver used that girl, Tilly.”

Rogers: “Well, it seems to me like she wanted to be a pawn.”

Rogers feels his trust was betrayed and remains disappointed in Tilly. He saw Weaver being a shady bastard from a mile away, but he didn’t expect her to be complicit in Weaver’s dirty schemes. He wanted to believe Tilly was the kind of person who questioned whatever she was told and made her own path on decisions like he did, not so easily roped into following plans, especially ones of slimy bastards like Weaver. If Rogers saw Tilly as an innocent victim of society before, moved around like a pawn, he feels wronged in his judgment and probably thinks she was content to be a sheep to Weaver’s mysterious whims. 

Who was he to believe she could be more than a pawn when she chose to be one?

Luckily, Roni was there to whack the obviously menacing poisoned cake from his hands and knock some sense into him.

Regina as Roni: “You know, people only let themselves be used when they don’t have any other option. How about you give her one?”

Tilly, even if a marmalade sandwich was needed as incentive, had been willingly helpful to his case. The only moment she hadn’t been was when she was under Weaver’s thumb, someone she had known and trusted like a father figure, unlike him who was a stranger in her eyes. People came and went from the older detective’s team, knowledge of informants and detective partners leaving frequently unless they had a special skill set or blackmail hanging over them. If anything, she wasn’t fully to blame.

What Tilly and Rogers can't see until it's too late, being cursed and all, is that they are good natured people afraid of getting hurt, wanting to help others, but unfortunately victims of manipulation, of those with ulterior agendas that use them as playing pieces, making them no better than pawns. 

Roni was right. People like Tilly wouldn’t let themselves be used like pawns if they didn’t have any other option. She had been brave enough to show up to the crime scene to apologize to him in person after what she did, not caring about being forgiven, and he hadn’t even given what she had said a second thought. Knowing Weaver, Rogers would have concluded that the old bastard probably didn’t even give her the entire picture and used her good intentions in an ill manner befitting the man’s deceitful ways, leading her to think it was for the best. 

This leads to Rogers making a step in the right direction. It doesn’t take more than Roni’s small nudge of advice to get him to internally forgive Tilly and go in search of her, eventually offering a chess set to help pass the time with a weekly game and a friend who’d listen if she’d accept. From then on, Rogers and Tilly both grow and begin to trust again, trying to protect the other from getting harmed as the consequence of another’s scheme.

[indianariesolive]

My Unpopular(ish) opinions/takes on Legacy of the Gods series by Rina Kent

Contains spoilers ⚠️

Starting off strong, let me just get this off my chest, I really dislike God of Malice. This is mainly due to the insufferable MCs; Killian & Glyndon.

First of all, I found Killian really difficult to empathize with. Sure, what his dad said about regretting having him sucks but that's no excuse to be an a$$hole. I'm sure that if a mid/ugly guy with no money & prestige did the same things he'd done when first meeting Glyndon (iykyk) they'd be mercilessly ripped apart by the fandom. Also that one line in his POV when he said that the main reason why he chose to be a med student was because that gave him a free pass to poke & prod into people's innards & watch them squirm in agony 🤢

Coming to the 2nd part, Glyndon. As a protagonist she was such a blank slate. Killian at least had personality! (A bad one but he had one nonetheless). Same can't be said about Glyndon with her wimpiness coupled with an absurd inferiority complex (despite being talented & surrounded by a powerful & loving family & friends) as well as her lack of a deep connection with her friend group. On a more serious note, I despise the absolute double standards with which she views Killian & her brother Landon. Both are clinically diagnosed psychopaths but she has none of the grace & understanding for her own brother but readily excuses her boyfriend's behavior even though both of them are the same person, different font. 🙄

Moving on to the 2nd book, God of Pain is one of my favorites in the series but not without its fair share of drawbacks. Even though Annika appeared to be a manic pixie dream girl at the beginning she grew on me as chapter by chapter, her POVs revealed her to be more complex & headstrong, contrasting the whimsical image she's perceived as (both by her love interest, the MMC Creighton as well as the other characters like her friends & family). She's a sweet, soft girl with a dormant badass side that can get dangerous when provoked & that's precisely what Creighton had to learn through the hard way.

Getting to the gist of my main problem, I really hated the way everyone treated Annika after the you-know-what. I mean, what else was she supposed to do, watch her beloved brother get murdered by the love of her life? Everyone cut her off 'cause 'she hurt Cray-Cray who's like our brother'. Well, SHE HAD TO DO THAT TO SAVE HER OWN BROTHER, YOU ABSOLUTE DUMBASSES!!!! Y'all brains weren't braining here. Also, that scene near the end where there's this huge confrontation Creighton has with Adrian Volkov & Annika with her quick thinking just snatches a guard's gun, negotiates & diffuses the situation without bloodshed was just chef's kiss. 😌

Also, everyone gushes over Lia & Yan's friendship but Yan's bond with Annika, how he plays the role of the fun uncle while Adrian glares & has to rein them in as the level-headed dad. 🥺

That brings me to this sidenote: Glyndon could take a page out of Annika's book & learn a lesson: How to Love Your Brother & Stand Up for Yourself.

Regarding Jeremy & Cecily, I don't have any major complaints. I like how Cecily put Jeremy in his place & made him grovel for disrespecting her with his trust issues. Putting his mommy issues aside, Jeremy was overall a good character for a dark romance. He's got the hot biker thing going.

Moving on to Landon & Mia. I have nothing against Mia per se. She's pretty cool. I only hated how the author ruined her bond with her twin Maya. Also, I'm kind of ashamed to say that I wasn't the biggest fan of Landon at first but then going through his POVs made me realize that I'd been bought into the anti-Lan propaganda by Glyndon. He actually cares for his siblings, unlike Killian. He just has an unconventional way of showing it. Plus there wasn't a huge power-gap/imbalance between him & Mia so that's another point in his favour.

Last but not the least, God of Fury featuring Nikolai & Brandon has got to be among my top favorites. I only dislike the unnecessary mud-slinging with the irrelevant ex Clara. Everything else was perfection. I never expected Nikolai to be such an adorable & funny character. Also something I find really funny was that both in this book as well as in her POV, Glyndon claimed to be the one closest to Brandon. The way she described her dynamic with her brothers was, "Bran & I are a team against Lan." And not only did Brandon shut her down in a gentle yet firm tone, also her dense arse never noticed anything wrong with Brandon like!?!?! Landon was the one who'd picked on Brandon's tendency to hide & repress his emotions & stuff, and he was the one who'd tried to help Brandon open up, even if his attempt was unsuccessful. So much for her being the one on the same team lol.

[deadgayturtles]

okay some notes from les mis arena tour last night!! 20 may melb/aus

i was so far back it was a little hard to see so the notes are not as great and also anything i alr said on saturday i didn’t type up again xx

- was supposed to be alfie & michael on today, but bradley and killian ended up going on (ngl, i was a little distraught bc i bought today’s tickets just to see alfie and michael, i’m already seeing bradley and killian twice 😭 but i get that shit happens…)

- bradley was significantly less disheveled today?

- rachelle ann go is back as fantine! she is phenomenal. probably the strongest and most elegant fantine i’ve ever seen, she’s angry in parts of at the end of the day and lovely ladies that i feel are usually played as frightened or nervous, but rachelle’s fantine is fierce and defensive? and i LOVE it

- ^ the fact that she keeps her head high for so long/through so much makes it really devastating at the end of lovely ladies, and every time she sings about cosette too — the contrast of her being so soft and vulnerable when just seconds ago she was standing her ground is amazing!! gosh did my heart break during her death

- i also never knew how much i liked the at the end of the day sequence till today? something about it… or maybe i just really like rachelle

- the confrontation was really good today & the way killian sings to fantine is so loving and soft 😭

- my god does bradley just look like a crazed man in these scenes (i’m obsessed)

- when valjean frees javert at the barricades, there is a moment where they are like inches away from each other and ngl i was like are they gonna kiss or… (and valjean says go very softly and i may have been converted to the valvert agenda)

- another thing i’m obsessed with is the set design for this production!!! one thing i couldn’t see from the side the other day is that the wood of the barricade that hangs from the top (it goes up and down throughout) forms the shape of a roof during the intro of the thernardiers, overall it’s all just very clever… at the very end of the musical the colours of the french flag sweep across the audience also, very nice

- the children today were amazing! so adorable and gosh they can sing, cosette has a very sweet voice and gav was so spunky!

- in building a baricade enj has very serious reactions to wtv the other amis say but when grantaire says let’s give them a screwing they’ll never forget enjolras turns his head to him and smiles/smirks at him with like a head nod and his arm stretched out toward r, and r has this like slightly bashful moment???

- when gavroche reveals javert’s identity at the barricades, everyone celebrates gav esp enj and r, and blink and you’ll miss it enj hugs gav then motions gav to go over to grantaire, it was very parents and their son and i will never get over it

- today’s drink with me: marius tries to confront grantaire but enj stops him then goes to r, honestly i was way too far away to tell how enj was feeling about it but he sort of puts his hands on r’s shoulders and is violently shrugged off by him, at this point enj looks very at a loss of what to do and gav starts coming over.

- grantaire turns to look at enj and it’s kind of angry but also desperate? very melancholic anyways and they just stare at each other for awhile before r collapses into enj’s arms (i’m not even exaggerating he collapsed into his arms) and enj kinda just holds r for a bit before once again being violently pushed away (honestly poor e lol he’s just trying his best)

- r turns to go and gav runs to give him a big hug

- enj is just standing where r left him and staring at r go, grantaire does look back at him once before finally leaving with gav

- enj stands there until one of the amis come to collect him :<

[daisyachain]

Another thing I like about Pentiment is that it sets out an obvious option for each case while keeping it non-conclusive. Ferenc and Guy are two people Andreas personally hates because they step on his toes at work. Your smartass brownnose coworker and your boss who is unfair on your friend. The path that the player is incentivized to take as Andreas is the path that Andreas himself would want instinctively. If you accuse Ferenc and Guy, you probably want them both dead.

Specifically: you have to accuse Ferenc and/or Guy because you want them dead. The evidence for them having done the deed isn’t as strong as for other suspects. Ferenc is weak-willed, and he has some measure of Father Gernot’s protection against any accusations of witchcraft or heresy—his motive is far thinner than the others. Guy’s fumbled magic attempt shows that he’s trying to solve his problem in the most non-confrontational way possible. He won’t even speak to Andreas when he presses him. For a person of Guy’s paradoxical sensitivity, it doesn’t make sense that he’d risk setting off a mob.

This may all just be my inaccurate read on the characters, but I think that Ferenc and Guy are purposefully written as the least likely suspects and the ones the player most wants to choose. In accusing them of the murders, the player/Andreas sends them to their deaths because he wants them dead more than any of the others, not because he thinks they did it. You and Andreas kill somebody because you want them to be killed more than anyone else. Is that not murder?

The story then loops back around to remind you of your choices. Ursula is a key part of the player’s experience in all 3 acts, so it’s not coincidence that her death is linked with the death of the person you’re supposed to accuse. Guy’s consequences are less obvious, but you would feel real bad about killing him if you investigate fully on another game. Jobst’s misbehaviour in Act 3 is maybe the best indicator that you’ve made life worse off by failing to deal with him.

All that is to say—Pentiment deliberately skips the satisfaction of finding whodunit. Beyond that, it shows you how tempting it is to become a murderer and how tangled the consequences of any death can be. That’s not to say that choosing any of the other accused is the right choice, but Ferenc and Guy specifically are people that you’re supposed to want to kill and who you’re supposed to regret painfully once the deed is done. The replay is baked into the game. You’ve fucked up the first round when you see Ursula in flames.

Then, making things even more worse: the logical next step is to kill the person whose death will do the least harm. That’s Ottilia for Act 1, a bereaved woman, and Jobst, Brigita’s only help on the farm, for Act 2 (I think. Don’t know what happens if Hanna dies). Jobst can go either way, but killing Ottilia would feel awful. What then? Do you kill Lucky and widow Agnes? Do you kill Hanna and orphan Killian? By pulling a fast one on you with the obvious answer, the game shakes your belief on every subsequent playthrough. If Ursula died because Andreas didn’t want his friends to die, then what else could happen?

[satansapostle6]

love and blood | killian jones

The course of history is changed forever when a ruggedly charming pirate’s fate is intertwined with that of a dark sorceress more powerful than any he had ever encountered.

Warnings: Violence. Mature themes/language. Sexual content.

I. The Encounter

II. The Witch

“Who am I?!” Killian Jones demanded angrily. “Who the fuck are you?!”

He heard a low, amused chuckle before seeing the figure before him vanish in a cloud of enchanted smoke, just as a tall, slender figure in a long black dress appeared before him, all of the candles in the room spontaneously lighting.

“I’m the witch,” the same serene voice he’d been hearing said simply.

Hook stopped for a moment as he finally looked at her in the light.

“Are you the ruler of this place?” he asked cautiously.

“One might say so, yes,” she answered.

The woman standing before him, he couldn’t help but notice, was beautiful. It was the very first thing he saw, whether he could help it or not. There were no other words that could describe it; she was just beautiful.

It couldn’t be explained the way Hook felt himself gravitating towards her, even in spite of the danger he was most certainly in. He was as close to hell as possible, but somehow, all he saw when he looked at her was an angel.

“What have you done with my men?” Killian rasped.

He was both confrontational and fearful.

“Relax; they’re safe. Back home, actually,” the witch assured him.

Everything about this woman confused him; her calmness, her lack of violence. She’d had the opportunity to kill all of them, and yet she hadn’t. To Killian, it seemed she’d almost gone out of her way to keep him placated. It was extremely suspicious. Despite this heated situation, she just stood there, hands together as if waiting on him.

He stared at her in awe, eyes wide as a giant raven came swooping down, parking itself onto her shoulder like a perch, cawing loudly. The black bird just sat there, as if it were also watching him. He found the bird to be very unsettling; it moved and behaved like a human, somehow.

“Who are you?” Hook demanded again. “What do you want with me?”

She studied him for a moment before answering his question.

“My name is Carmilla. You’ve been sent to me by an enemy, and I wish to know why.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Hook stated, attempting to get away with as much as he could.

Why he was sent to this castle, he still had no idea. He was still trying to figure out whether Col was anywhere to be found.

“I wouldn’t advise you lie to me,” Carmilla said softly, “It isn’t a good idea.”

Hook nodded, realizing that attempting to convince this sorceress of his innocence could only result in his own death.

“I don’t know anything, alright?” he admitted. “The man who sent me to you… He was strange. I never even saw a face… I’m not even sure it was a man.”

“Strange, you say?” Carmilla thought. “Describe this person to me. Where did you meet them?”

“In the Enchanted Forest,” Hook told her. “My men and I… we were stumbling about, drunk. This cloaked figure came to us… The man. He asked if we liked diamonds. We said yes… He said he’d pay us, if we took some of his magic, and came here to carry out a task.”

“And what is that task?” the sorceress wondered.

“He said we needed to find someone named Col,” Killian Jones explained. “He said to find someone named Col, and obtain something called the ‘Blue Scroll’ from him, my any means necessary. Those were his exact words,” he supplied, laying all of his cards out on the table.

“The Blue Scroll?” Carmilla’s voice grew thin like a whisper.

Hook nodded in response.

“You’re certain?”

“Yes,” he promised. “That’s what he said.”

“This man, or whatever it was…” she thought for a moment. “Can you describe him?”

“Not much,” the pirate offered. “He was, er… A bit shorter than I am. Dressed in all black every time I saw him. Lived in a hovel. Deep in the woods.”

“A hovel?” the woman echoed.

Hook nodded, watching her reactions carefully.

“Can you describe his voice?” she asked hopefully.

“Like I said. Hard to tell if it was a man or a woman,” Hook told her. “It was rather soft for a man, but a bit too deep to be a woman.”

“Oh, I know exactly who sought for you and your band of mercenaries,” Carmilla grinned, a glimmer of unmistakable bloodlust in her eyes.

Hook smiled charmingly, slowly beginning to feel better about his chances of survival. Although this strange sorceress was completely unpredictable and foreign to him, he felt that if he could figure out a way to align himself with her, he’d be able to leave her palace alive. As he wracked his brain for an angle to use with this woman, he suddenly realized; she was a woman, and he was a man.

“So, Carmilla,” he said finally. “Now that I’ve told you everything you need… How else can I be of service to you?” he asked softly, his voice thick with seduction.

But he was met with a derisive laugh.

“You think you could be of service to me?” she questioned.

Hook shrugged humbly, still laying on the rugged charm. “I’m sure given enough time I could think of a few ways I could be of service… your majesty,” he cooed, kneeling before her.

Hook knelt down before the woman, boldly taking her hand as he slowly pressed a soft, gentle kiss to it, not breaking eye contact. Carmilla looked down at him in every sense, picking him apart as her raven would a dead body.

“Perhaps ‘mercenary’ was not the proper epithet,” Carmilla remarked lightly, mussing up his hair and pulling it as he looked up at her with wide eyes. “Perhaps I should have said ‘whore’.”

“I could be anything you like, love,” he promised her, still on his knees.

Hook’s motivation was no longer survival. Now that it was apparent that if she had actually wanted to kill him she would have done it already, his motivation had shifted over to something different, but equally primitive.

“As much as I’d like to explore that proposition… There is something I suppose I could ask of you,” she concluded, seeing his eyes light up, “That requires you vertical,” she added quickly.

“I assure you, your majesty,” he remarked with the utmost flattery as he stood, “I can work vertically.”

“Would you like to offer your services in exchange for a reward, or do you insist upon being nothing but distracting?” Carmilla asked coldly.

“Apologies, love,” Hook replied, “Let’s talk business… What is this reward you speak of?” he inquired, his curiosity getting the better of him.

“Gold, jewels, treasure, I have it all,” she stated. “I could pay you by the boatload if you wish. None of it is of any use to me.”

“Mmm… Perhaps I’m no longer interested in material possessions,” the pirate suggested, pushing his luck.

“Then what, might I ask, are you interested in?”

“You,” he announced, looking her up and down. “I think you’d have your way with me if you could—”

“Do you?” she raised an eyebrow.

Hook continued brazenly.

“—and I must say, I’m very interested in seeing that happen.”

“What exactly are you proposing?” Carmilla asked. “Are you seriously proposing I reward you with sex?”

“I’m not not proposing it,” Hook offered humorously.

“Well, the reward definitely wouldn’t be mine,” she thought aloud.

“I wouldn’t be so sure,” he teased. “But, no. You’re right. Sex, while accepted, is not the form of payment I had in mind.”

“Then what do you want, pirate?” she glowered at him. “I don’t like having my time wasted.”

“I want a way to travel between the realms,” Hook asserted. “I know you’re powerful enough…”

Suddenly, the energy in the room shifted with a single movement. Carmilla did not appreciate the challenge. She only waved her hand, as Killian Jones seemed to be sucked into the palace walls, shackles of iron appearing on his hands and feet, as he found himself unable to move. He struggled against them at first, but then chuckled darkly once he saw the look on her face.

This was less of a genuine threat, and more of a demonstration of power.

“Hate to break it to you, your majesty,” he sighed coyly, “But I’m not exactly opposed to this…”

“Don’t forget, pirate, that I could kill you any time I like, and you’d still be none the wiser. Not killing you is my true gift to you,” she promised him with a smile. “I don’t even have to pay you… I own you.”

“Again. Not against this, love,” Hook quipped.

The iron shackles tightened even more, and he gasped aloud.

“Alright, I’m sorry!” he apologized quickly. “I’m sorry! I didn’t intend to disrespect you, Carmilla… I-I will be perfectly obedient from now on! You have my word!”

He winced as the heavy shackles disappeared, and he dropped to the ground like an apple from a tree, looking his serpent in the eye as he rose.

“Hmm,” the sorceress remarked with satisfaction. “And all I had to do was threaten your life… Do yourself a favor. Learn magic. Don’t be such a liability.”

Killian looked up at her with resentment. Never had he felt such hatred in his life for something so admittedly magnificent. This woman, this sorceress, standing before him was potentially the most foul thing he had ever encountered in his travels, apart from perhaps the Crocodile to which he’d lost his hand.

Taking one look at Carmilla, he would have bedded her in an instant, there was no doubt about that, but from the looks of her, he wouldn’t have trusted her if his life depended on it. Looking into her eyes, Hook already felt hypnotized. Mesmerized. The darkness of her eyes was one that called to him, like a black hole looking to devour.

Hook knew that he couldn’t resist her if it came to it; he knew better. He knew better than to put himself in a situation where he’d have to pit his inhibitions against her long, dark locks, and get back stare. Getting into bed, literally or not, with the likes of Carmilla was dangerous, but Hook had no choice but to brave it on his own. She was the only one with the ability to give him what he wanted. His revenge.

He knew that if, someday, he wanted to skin his Crocodile, he would have to befriend someone at least half as powerful. And so far, it seemed the witch of the Land of Blood was his best bet.

“This sorcerer. The one who sent us here,” he said, looking at her with urgency, “Who was he?”

“No one of any importance,” the enchanting witch said with a suspicious smile. “But, we do need to return to your land.”

“My land?” Killian questioned. “For what?”

“He has something we need,” she explained. “Something we both need.”

“And what might that be?” he wondered. “All the man had to offer me was diamonds, and gold.”

“That’s because he took advantage of you, my dear,” she reminded him, tapping at her temple with a finger. “You don’t know magic? You don’t ask the right questions.”

“And what questions might those be?”

“I have one for you, pirate,” the woman ignored him, stepping closer as her fingertips lightly brushed his face.

She examined him the way she would a statue, lifeless and solely meant to be admired.

“Is there someone you hate?” she thought. “Someone whose mere existence makes your blood boil?”

Hook seemed to find humor in the question. “Is it that obvious?”

“Tell me, Hook,” Carmella said, whispering into his ear, “What would you say if I told you there was a way we could travel between realms?”

Hook considered the idea for a moment, fully aware that the longer he remained aligned with this witch, the more he came to realize that he could benefit from it.

“What do we need?” he asked her with a newfound resolve.

Carmilla allowed herself a tiny grin beneath her cruel exterior, recognizing the commitment in his eyes.

-

III. Bloodlines

[grimmswan]

Love Bites (But So Do I) part 5

Captain Swan Supernatural Summer @cssns

In his search to find a way to make Emma his again, as well as do away with her werewolf lover, Neal learned of a witch that would create a potion for anything a being desired.

For the right price, of course.

“I need three potions. One to kill a werewolf. One to make the woman I want desire me again. And one that will allow me to sneak up to them and administer the first two.”

“That which you desire comes with a high price. Are you willing to pay it?”

Neal didn’t care what the price was. It was well worth it if it meant destroying his rival and having Emma back.

But he started second guessing things when it wasn’t gold the witch wanted, but half of his strength and his vampire speed.

He was barely able to defend himself with his abilities fully intact. If he were weakened, he would not stand a chance in a confrontation.

Neal went through with the transaction. Certain that once Killian was dead, and Emma was in love with him again, he would have nothing to worry about.

The witch crushed some herbs over Neal’s head and muttered a few words. A green smoke emerged from his mouth, drifting to an empty vial that the witch quickly put a cork into once it was full.

Payment made, the witch went to her cupboard and retrieved the potions Neal desired.

Holding up a vial that glowed yellow, the witch said, “Before you enter the property of your former lover and her beast, pour this over yourself. They will be unable to smell or hear you coming.” Holding up a glowing blue vial, she continued, “This potion will render any being powerless for three minutes.” Holding up the third vial, that switched from black to red, and back to black, the witch cautioned. “I would suggest you throw the vials at your attended targets at the same time, and act fast. The third potion will make your desired beauty forget everything and become your mindless slave, but only if she is away from everything that would remind her of her past.

Not wanting to waste any time, Neal rushed to the grand home Emma and Killian shared.

Just as he was on the edge of the property, Neal poured the first potion over himself.

He believed the best course was to climb around the outside of the building, peeking in through each window in order to discover which room the couple resided in.

Taking them by surprise was the only way he would accomplish what he wanted to do.

When Neal discovered the window he needed, he was overcome with rage. Inside, he saw Emma on the bed being taken by the werewolf. Though at that moment he was in his human form.

 She was positioned on her hands and knees. He was behind her, his grip tight on her hips as he pounded into her.

Neal did not believe she could actually be enjoying such force, but her moans showed that she did.

She would be moaning for him soon enough, he vowed. He would make her pay for all of the trouble she had caused him.

In fact, he decided that he would deny her any pleasure until she had properly and thoroughly made all of the suffering he went through up to him. As well as apologize for allowing herself to be touched by such a beast.

Neal fantasized about making Emma use her mouth, and only her mouth on him. He would not even allow her to touch herself until she showed that she was truly sorry for walking for all that she had done.

He shook himself out of his imaginings.  

Now was the best time to attack. While they were distracted. He just needed to break through the glass and douse them with the potions.

He would finally be able to kill Killian and have Emma obedient and all to himself.

But just as he put his hands on the glass, electric currents were sent coursing through Neal’s body. He screamed in agony. It felt as if his entire body was on fire.

The sack with the potions dropped to the ground, shattering the bottles inside. 

When the torment finally ended, Neal discovered he had been thrown to the street.

 Looking at his hands he discovered the tips of his fingers were blackened like ash. His once glossy nails had disintegrated. Checking the rest of himself over, he saw that his clothes were ruined. They were completely covered in burns and holes. Too much of his skin was on display and it looked red and charred.

With so much damage to his body, Neal knew he had to quickly get back to his home to recover. 

If a person of authority saw him, they would ask questions he would be unable to answer.

He knew he was not supposed to be anywhere near Emma or Killian. One more offense to the pair and the council would declare Neal a nuisance. Meaning he would be fair game for other supernatural beings to attack.

And if he were attacked at that moment, he would not have the ability to run away fast enough. 

He was self aware enough to know that he did not have any ability to defend himself.

But it was too late. Killian, in his beast form, emerged from the estate and came straight at Neal.

Powerful jaws ripped the pervert apart. Neal screamed in a mixture of fear and agony as massive claws dug into his flesh, tearing away a large chunk with every swipe. The massive werewolf foot was clawed and impressively strong. The full weight of the beast pressed down on Neal’s groin. Razor sharp claws sunk into the soft flesh. With only the slightest movement, the clawed foot tore away the appendage the creep was so fond of.

“I’m not going to kill you now.” Killian rumbled. “I want you to suffer knowing that while you are writhing in agony as your body is recovering, I will be making Emma’s body writhe in pleasure.”

He kicked the mess of the vampire into a nearby gutter, off of the street and out of the way of vehicles and pedestrians.

Neal was forced to recover among the insects and vermin. With half of his vampire strength gone, it would take him twice as long to heal.

Killian returned to his and Emma’s bedchamber, shirtless, covered in blood and sweat.

Emma’s eyes glowed green with desire as she gazed at her lover. Every inch of him was masculine male. And she loved that she could call him, hers.

Though he had only been gone a few minutes, she had missed him terribly. Everything felt cold and lonely without Killian holding her.

Emma had felt so empty when Killian had withdrawn from her to deal with their nuisance.

When they realized that their security system, one especially designed to guard against supernatural beings, had been triggered, Killian had insisted on going to investigate.

Emma’s pleasure was important to him, but her safety was even more so.

She could tell it was torture for him to leave her side. But he took his responsibilities to her seriously, and his code of honor would never allow him to ignore any threat to her.

He was so good to her. She wanted to do everything in her power to show him how grateful she was for his affection and protection.

She watched him hungrily as he moved to the water basin and removed his pants.

When he reached for a wet cloth, Emma realized he intended to wash before returning to their bed.

With vampire speed, she moved behind him. She trailed one hand down his chest as she slid her tongue over his neck.

“Let me get you clean. I promise to make it enjoyable.”

“I don't doubt that, love.” Killian returned with a smirk and a raised eyebrow. “A man would have to be mad to turn down the chance to have you touch him.”

She guided him to the bed and laid him on his back.

A relaxed sigh escaped Killian’s lips as Emma ran her lips and fingers over his skin.

“I love your scent,” she confessed to him. “I especially love how you smell after you've been in a fight. I love licking the blood and sweat from your skin. You taste so good.”

She finished her sentence by licking a long stripe up his length.

“Bloody hell, Swan! You have the best technique for getting a man clean!” He moaned, gripping the sheets so he didn't stop her from doing whatever she wanted to do.

He had a strong feeling that whatever she intended, he would enjoy it.

Hours later, Killian wasn’t close to being clean. But he didn't care. He felt too good to care about anything other than the naked blonde writhing her body against his.

She had begged him to allow her to pleasure him with her mouth. In return, he had begged her to position herself so he could use his mouth on her.

Loving her scent, her taste, the way her silken petals felt as he slid his tongue through them, Killian feasted on her with ravenous hunger.

The more pleasure he gave her, the more she moaned, which in turn created more pleasure for him.

It was an endless cycle of bliss. Both sent the other to paradise, where they took each other to the stars again and again.

But as good as they made each other feel with just their mouths, they both needed to connect in every possible way.

Killian grabbed Emma’s hips, pushing them down with one hand with the other arm wrapped around her waist, lifting her to press her back against his chest. 

With amazing ease, he slid himself into her heat. They both moaned at being connected at the most primal level.

“Bloody hell, love, how do you feel better and better every time I’m inside you.” Killian groaned.

He moved his hands over her body, taking special care to stroke her breasts, then slowly moving lower.

One hand reached her clit. He continuously caressed the red pearl, wanting to give her as much pleasure as possible.

With him touching her just the way she wanted, Emma was barely able to stay in rhythm. Not that it mattered. She gave Killian exactly what he needed when she came around him, crying out his name in her euphoria.

Keeping his fingers on her fold, he tightened his arms around her waist, and pumped savagely into her until they were fully sated.

They collapsed on the bed, kissing and caressing one another, whispering words of love and praise until they drifted to sleep, held tenderly in eachothers arms.

Outside, in the gutter, the only moans coming from Neal were those of severe agony.