#hettie || threads

[animationadventures]

Young Eda spinoff this. Philip and Caleb spinoff that. Adult Hexsquad spinoff would be fire. But hear me out.

Gimme a spinoff called Lost Hoots. A show that goes through all the theoretical adventures we could have gotten if the show hadn't been shortened. No serialized plot needed, just show us what these intended episodes would have been like so we could explore x character or x location and how they would have fit into the Owl House world. Examples include:

Hettie Cutburn episode

Vitimir episode

Osran episode

Mason episode

Steve and Matt episode

Beach day episode

Bat Queen origin episode

Hooty origin episode

Dell episode

Clawthorne family healing episode

Emira episode

Vee and Camila episode

Human realm shenanigans episode

Multi-trackers episode

Demon realm food episode

Glandus episode

St. Epiderm episode

Dadrius and Sonter episode

Wittebane bros and Evelyn backstory episode

RAEDA WEDDING episode

The possibilities I tell you.

Don't come @ me saying it's too late, the show's already over; I know that. Let a guy dream about what could have been and what can still be someday.

[himbovillains]

@dolcesuono — continued from here

what with their back-and-forth flirtations and now her proposition to him, it is as good as promised that they are going to end up in bed together. of course, he cannot take it as fully certain, but he would place a wager on it. ‘ i swear it upon my honour that i will make my appreciations of your talents known in the most ardent of manners. ’ he reaches past her, under the guise of pushing his empty glass closer towards the centre of the table, when it reality it just gives him a viable excuse to brush his hand against hers without anyone noticing that being what he's trying to do. ‘ is that acceptable? or perhaps i shall go on to tell you of the many ways my mouth can sing your praises. ’ he pauses, apparently considering what he'd just said to her. ‘ though perhaps i should leave that for a more private location, where there are less prying ears to hear what i may say. ’ as though he wouldn't be waiting until they were alone anyway, as though he doesn't know exactly what it is that he's doing when he teases her like this.

[sepublic]

Alright but imagine like. A director’s cut for S2 of TOH, with new episodes inserted between pre-existing ones in order to not disrupt the continuity, while also filling in certain gaps, fleshing things out a bit more, etc. Such as s2e19.5, providing more context to Hunter meeting up with Darius after Labyrinth Runners!

Each of these ‘lost episodes’ introduces one of the four coven heads who never got named onscreen; Vitimir, Hettie Cutburn, Osran, and Mason (the characters done most dirty by the shortening imo, they didn’t even get names or voices). The scenes with the Coven Heads in King’s Tide are extended to include more dialogue and input from all of them, so it feels more like a natural culmination of the nine characters coming together, rather than just the five. If the Snyder cut of Justice League can exist...!

And we can throw in other plot threads, character arcs and interactions, and lore bits that the show had to leave out, too! So stuff like Steve and Mattholomule being half-brothers, the Galdorstones, the Bat Queen’s past, etc. Provide additional buildup and foreshadowing for stuff that might not have necessarily needed it, but it’s still nice; Like for example, Steve realizing he’s unhappy after seeing the strain in his relationship with Mattholomule, prompting his moment of self-discovery with King; Or an Emira arc, with a brief scene where she considers cutting her hair to embrace her own chosen identity, something she eventually does at the end of the show!

[the-fiction-witch]

The mademoiselle P3

Media The Artful Dodger

Character Jack Dawkins

Couple Jack X Reader

Rating Adorable!

Warnings: Amputation / 1800's surgery / ether/ body horror

I couldn't help but move an ottoman over to sit on, and I looked closely at the amputation, I had been done... terribly, even just from this look I could tell this must have caused her agony even before weight bearing, the skin overstretched and warped, the thread used to sew up the amputation had never been removed, skin partly healed around it, it wasn't even surgical thread it was twine! fraying and splintering as old twine does, 

"what on gods earth-" I muttered bringing a candle closer to better see what fucked up nonsense was happening here, "Who did this!"

"A clown."

"Yeah, I think he was,"

"No, he really...really was."

"He was a clown?"

"Yes."

"An actual... actual clown!"

"Yes."

"Uhhhh you mind telling me what happened?"

"It's a very long story. I was in an accident and he was the only person nearby with any form of training and here we are." She explained, 

"Okay, I take it it's causing you more pain than usual?"

"Yes doctor, I can barely walk let alone perform." 

"well that's certainly no good, I've heard of the magic of your performances. Wouldn't want to deprive anyone of that."

She blushed a little, "Well is there anything you can do doctor?"

"Uhh... I can give you some painkillers they should help your walking but If I may be so bold, I think it would be wise to have a doctor really look it over, when was the last time someone looked at it?"

"When it was done."

"Which was?"

"Twelve years ago." 

"Alright, tomorrow come up to the hospital and I'll take a real proper look see what's going on. you sure it hasn't had any other work in that time?"

"Mild stuff, cutting back skin, infection control and such."

"Right, and not once has anyone suggested ... further amputation?"

"A couple of times, but I need to dance so we always just did the minimum."

"Alright, come by tomorrow whenever you can," I told her as I gave her some medicine 

"I will, thank you, doctor."

"You're welcome mademoiselle," I told her as I took her hand and gave it a gentle kiss, "Have a nice evening."

"You too doctor Dawkins," she smiled, 

I took my bag and headed out filling in the paperwork as I went, as soon as I got back to my room I collapsed on my bed, I don't know why I felt so... conflicted, that I had looked at her pictures and desired her so much when... she must have been in agony to do it. I felt guilty about it, like It was my fault she was in pain. I took my box from under my bed and looked at the various postcards, I looked at her in these poses and situations and noticed how often they had her sitting down, how often the drawings stopped at her knees, or hidden by dresses, all of it to hide her away. I wanted to help her out I didn't want her to feel any more pain. 

I made sure to clean up as I knew the mademoiselle was coming in today, and soon enough Hetty came and told me I had someone here to see me. So I fixed myself up and headed into one of the small patient rooms, and saw the mademoiselle sitting on the bed with a nervous smile.

"Bonjour docteur Dawkins,"(Hello Doctor Dawkins)  She smiled,

"Bonjour mademoiselle," (Hello mademoiselle) I smiled back, "Quelle belle robe tu portes aujourd'hui," (What a beautiful dress you are wearing today) 

"merci beaucoup docteur" (Thank you very much doctor) she blushed, 

"Now, lets have a look." I told her, "if you could?"

"Alright," she sighed, sitting back on the bed and unlacing her boots letting them fall to the floor, I got my tools and had a much better look really investigating and it was worse than I suspected and I think she knew that too as the longer it went on the more grim her face got,

"You know what I'm going to say," I told her, 

"You think I need a further amputation?"

"I don't think I know." I sighed leaning on the metal bed, "I know this is a big decision with you, but if I don't do this, you are going to get worse... and you could die."

"I don't really have much of a choice do I?"

"I can't in good conscience let you go without at least letting me do an operation to pull back the skin and at least remove the twine."

"Alright, When can you do it?"

"I can get you into the surgery theatre today."

She nodded, 

"Alright, I'll make sure everything is sorted I'll get you in as soon as possible." 

I made sure to get the theatre prepped while she got some stuff delivered by her maid, And soon enough Hetty brought her in,

"Right, Up Here mademoiselle," I smiled helping her up onto the table, "Just relax I promise I'll take care of you."

"I do hope so." She nervously nodded lying on the table, 

"Okay," I nodded fetching the ether, "Just breathe gently for me, when you wake up this will all be over," I reassured her she nodded and did as I asked slowly drifting off until she was gone. "Okay... Let's do this." I told Hetty that I needed her as my nurse, I quickly got to work revealing the true situation and it was bad. The skin was stretched and infected in places, with dirt and grime under her skin, the bone had been left as a sharp splintering point as if broken by hand not cut in the amputation, 

"Oh my -" Hetty gasped,

"I know,"

"How'd it happen?"

"she wouldn't say, I don't imagine it was good," I answered, I did my best to save it but amputation was the only option so I did as low as I could just under her knee and made sure to sew it up in a way that made it look as good as I could, once I was done Hetty took her back to her room so I cleaned up and went on with my other work, After a good while I went to her room to go and check on her, seeing her sat up in the bed with a box in her lap, "Bonjour mademoiselle," 

"Hello Doctor," she said looking through her box,

"How do you feel?" I asked sitting beside her 

"Humm... Like I lost weight," she chuckled playfully glancing at her leg which made me chuckle a little, "It still hurts, which is odd. As it's not there."

"The phantom limb will fade."

"I know, I remember when they took my foot, it itched for days but it wasn't there." She said, "Thank you, doctor, most doctors I've seen just do what I ask... not what I need."

"You're very welcome." I smiled, "And uhh you can just call me Jack,"

"Alright, Jack." She smiled, "Y/n." 

"Y/n? That's a very beautiful name." 

"Thank you," She blushed, "I'm going to take a guess and say you know who I am?"

"I do. I uhhhh" I blushed, "I spent a lot of time in the navy growing up, your postcards... gave me a lot of peace then. And still do now."

she chuckled, "I'm glad I could be of such, Peace to you." She smiled gently taking my hand, I smiled and held her hand tightly, "I can't thank you enough Jack, though... I'm not sure what the future holds now."

"I wouldn't be so quick to be fearful, not much has really changed trust me... Most people won't even notice. You're far too beautiful for people to be looking at your feet."

She laughed, "I guess so. The postcards won't change that much."

"No, not really. But... I'll still look forward to seeing them. I'll pick up your next one just to show you so." I winked 

"Humm... I'll send you it special," She smiled squeezing my hand,

"How did it happen? if you don't mind my asking?"

She seemed sad but flicked through her box before she handed me a postcard with a beautiful young girl, a ballerina dancing on a stage. "I wasn't always a showgirl, That was me... Once."

"My god- You were beautiful."

"Where?"

"Are- sorry I-"

"It's alright, I spent my whole life wanting to be a dancer classically trained from three, My father worked every hour god sent just to get me into ballet school." She explained, "I was so happy when got a job at the royal opera as a ballerina."

"Impressive."

"They were talking about me like I was something special," She said, "my first tour and this one show we were out in the sticks, I went on and did my part but- the galley walkway above the stage collapsed, fell down to the stage below... By the grace of god, it fell where it did. A few inches to the left I'd be dead. But it crushed my foot" She explained, "I was losing blood so fast, my foot wrecked beyond repair. The nearest doctor ten miles away, the only person in the company who had any training... was one of the men playing a clown in the opera, He had some medical training but nothing near what was needed but- time was not on our side. So they did what they could and took my foot there and then on the stage." She explained, 

"How old were you?"

"Eighteen."

"What happened? Once it healed?"

"I healed while the rest of the tour went on and when we returned to the opera house... They tossed me away. Said I would never dance again. Wanted nothing to do with me. So I tried everywhere else but who wants a crippled dancer. The only place that would take me was a small club in pairs, they didn't want me to dance more just... take off my clothes. So I did. Learnt the violin, learnt how to perform in shows, named myself the mademoiselle, and... I suppose the rest is history." 

"For what is worth. I think you'd have made a beautiful ballerina."

"Thank you," she blushed, "But now... I'm not sure what to make of myself, I don't even know I can be a showgirl now."

"I'd pay to see you, still."

"You would?"

"Absolutely."

"even like this?"

"I would."

"That's very sweet of you." She smiled, "But if my boss doesn't feel the same... I don't know what I'd do, or where I'd go."

"Well... Port Victory is a little place, not much goes on here, it's full of those of us with nowhere else to go. You'd always be welcome here."  

"You think I would?"

"I'm sure you would," 

"What would I do?"

"Whatever you want, I'm sure a smart girl like you would find something." I smiled giving her back her ballerina picture, 

"I'm sure I'd find something, even if I just became some...business guy's wife."

"I think you could do a lot better than that"

"You do?"

"Yeah, I mean... I think you could end up a doctor's wife." 

"You really think so?"

"j'en suis sûr mademoiselle" (I'm sure of it mademoiselle) I smiled kissing her hand, "I'll leave you to rest." I smiled getting up to head back to work,

"Thank you, Jack."

"You're welcome Y/n." 

[audrey-carr1]

You'd have to stop the world just to stop the feeling

A/N: I'd be lying if I wasn't inspired by Rebecca saying she loves Chappell Roan. RIP Hetty, you would have loved Chappell too. If you couldn't tell by the title, this is loosely based on the lyrics of Chappell Roan's "Good luck, Babe". Don't worry I will be doing a more heart-wrenching version with Hetty being the one who broke things off soon. :)

Enjoy, loves! It's a long one!

word count: 3k+

warnings: Angst, fem! reader, mentions & thoughts of suicide, character death, hurt with a little comfort if you squint.

May 1876:

"Hetty, you and I both know that we cannot up and run away together," I say pulling her into the library away from possible listening ears.

"Who says we cannot? We just need the opportunity, and it's staring right at us," Hetty says. It seems in her head she has almost everything figured, but I see nothing but holes in a poorly put together plan.

"There is no opportunity," I sigh, "You are getting married, Hetty." I sit on the couch and reach my hand out for her to follow suit.

"To a man, I do not love! I can not have a life like that, I will not live out my mother's life," Hetty shakes her head in frustration and sits next to me.

"Hetty we could be caught," I whisper adjusting the skirt of my dress to sit closer to her.

"Not if we leave now, please do not make me leave without you," Hetty grasps my hands tightly in hers. Wrapping her fingers around mine.

"Hetty, you know I could not let you do that,"

"You'd rat me out?" Hetty asks.

"Because you aren't thinking clearly. We do not have a true plan, we cannot start a life together on luck," I hiss wiping angry tears from my face.

"You said you wanted to be with me. That you would do anything for us to be together, and now you have cold feet?" Hetty cannot believe what she's hearing. She felt like she was the only one trying to save the relationship.

"Hetty I'm thinking about our future. Your future for heaven's sake is hanging by the thread of a land deal," I try to reason with her, but I know once Hetty has her mind made up it is up to the Lord himself to change it.

"Which is why we take the money that is left and we run. Please I cannot live like this,"

"Hetty, you are panicking. Please think about what it is you are asking me to do. What you are asking of yourself! You are being hysterical!"

"I am not hysterical!" Hetty cries. I flinch at her raising her voice, and she gives me a quick apology. We both know that this conversation is not going anywhere, and it's going to lead to more angry words than comfort. We sit in silence for a few moments. I reach my hand back out to grab hers.

"Hetty, as much as it pains me to watch you have to live and love someone else, I have no choice but to let go and love you from a distance. I am aware I am telling you something you already know. I, however, cannot leave my family right now," I become nervous as I prepare myself to tell her something I wish I didn't have to, "I also have something to tell you, and I know you will not take it well. However, I do not wish for you to hear about it from anyone else but me."

"Well it's not like you're going to tell me you're engaged to be married to that Englishman,"

I avert my gaze to my hands, and Hetty does the same. Hetty's eyes immediately fall upon my engagement ring, and she feels as if her heart has been snatched from her chest. All of this commotion may actually send into Hetty hysterics.

I watch Hetty's face as more tears well up in her eyes, and how her cheeks start to redden in anger underneath her makeup.

"I believe this is when we end our liaisons," I say quietly.

"Leave," Hetty says throwing my hands back into my lap.

"Hetty?" I ask not entirely sure that is what she said. I feel my heart drop as I look to her.

"Go! I do not wish to look upon you any longer" Hetty shouts before turning away from me.

I know she doesn't mean it. However I am no longer in the mood for attempting to talk sense into her. I place a kiss on her cold cheek, and try to ignore the heaviness in my chest as I leave the room without a backward glance.

_____________________________________________________________

May 1876:

I see Hetty twice before her wedding after our argument. The first sighting is at the dressmaker's. We happened to have the same shop sew our wedding gowns. My mother dotes and fauns over me while Hetty is surrounded by her sisters, aunts, mother-in-law, and other female cousins.

"How lucky are we to have two brides at our shop," The seamstress says no doubt happy she has the richest bridges in the county to sew for.

I glance at Hetty from the mirror, and I see her looking back at me. I manage to give her a smile, and I feel my knees weaken when she does the same. I feel her gaze travel over my frame, and I feel my cheeks grow warm. Hetty licks her lips, and as if I were under her spell I do the same. Our moment does not last long as Hetty’s attention is pulled away as she called on by someone in her party. Besides stolen glances, we do not have much of a chance to speak as our families are prattling on about the details of our respective weddings.

Hetty and her family leave, but I happen to sneak one more peek at Hetty before she leaves. By an act of fate, she looks back at me with a passing smile before she exits the shop. The look in her eyes that says she is not mad at me. That same look of love and adoration is still there, it's subtle due to our current location but I know it's there.

A smile breaks out on my face, and no matter how hard I try I can not seem to keep it contained.

______________________________________________________________

June 1876:

The second sighting we meet in secret is the night before her wedding. Hetty did not want to be alone before the wedding as her father would not return from business until the morning, and Margaret was out with her cousins until tomorrow as well.

Hetty and I had meant for it to be a simple meeting, we have never been simple. It started off with confections, then wine, and we ended up with our legs tangled together in sheets.

We are careful to not leave marks on the other one's body, as we love each other physically for what may very well be the last time. I am not sure how long we have spent pleasuring each other. I do know the sun had not yet set when Hetty’s back first met the mattress, and as Hetty brings me to completion yet again the moon hangs in the sky.

“You my dear are perfectly debauched,” Hetty says wiping her fingers on a nearby handkerchief. She kisses me and I moan as I taste myself on her lips.

"Are you sure I cannot come to England with you?" Hetty pouts.

"If I could, I would pack you in my favorite steam trunk," I reply kissing her nose. She snorts as this, and we laugh. I love when she laughs, it is the most beautiful ever symphony composed.

Amid our joy, I cannot help but feel overcome with emotion. While I enjoy being with Hetty, my mind does not want to come to terms that this is our last time together. It continues to wander to ideas of us running away, or us getting caught if we did try to leave. No matter how I try to tell myself I have to keep Hetty safe, my mind tells me that will be impossible in another country. I tried to keep the tears from falling, but a few escaped and fell down my cheeks. I was hoping they would go unnoticed, but Hetty sees them and kisses them away.

"We'll visit each other yes?" I ask softly my voice breaking.

Hetty pulls me in closer, our arms wrapped under each other's as her head rests on mine. She kisses my forehead before whispering, "Of course, my heart, nothing will be able to us apart," She shivers and I pull the covers over us as the sweat on our body starts to cool.

"I feel as if I am trapped on a merry-go-round that never stops. Nothing I do seems to ease my mind," I say another tear escaping my eye.

Hetty hums in agreement, "I believe you'd have to stop the world to stop that feeling, my love ."

The moonlight shines through Hetty's window, and I admire how the light illuminates her skin. Her red hair makes it seem as if she's glowing.

"I love you, and I'll never cease loving you," I say looking up to meet her eyes. I try to commit this moment to memory, so I may never forget how loved I feel.

"Till death do us part, my everything," Hetty vows before kissing me goodnight.

______________________________________________________________

1895:

"(y/n)?" My husband calls out.

"In the parlor dear," I call out to him.

He soon enters the parlor room, takes my hand, and kisses it in greeting. He sits down on the settee to me and places his hand on top of mine. Confused, I look at him and see his face is stricken.

"Darling, you look vexed. What troubles you?" I ask caressing his face in my hand.

"I fear that I have terrible news, and I am not sure how to tell you,"

"What could possibly be so terrible on our trip back to New York? We get to see our friends, and most importantly I get to do some shopping. I wonder if Hetty will finally be available-"

"That is the problem, darling. Hetty..." He clears his throat before continuing, "Hetty has died in an apparent suicide."

I tilt my head in confusion. Processing the words that hang in the air. I look in his eyes, and while I can see no hint of dishonesty my mind tells me his playing an awful trick.

"That is not funn-“ I begin 

He cuts me off, "I would never joke about a matter like this. A pal of mine is friends with their lawyer. It'll hit the public tomorrow. I wanted to tell you because I know how close you two were." Only if he truly knew.

"Well thank you for telling me, I think I will retire to my room now ," I say getting up from the settee.

"If you need anything-"

"Thank you, but I'll be alright," I squeeze his hand in assurance as I leave the room. I use the rest of my strength to carry myself to my room, and I feel as if I'm dragging myself by the time I reach the door. Once inside, I collapse against the wooden frame. My chest heaves and burns as I try to take in air, but it feels as if there is no oxygen left in the room. My eyes sting with unshed tears. My thoughts race, and I feel as if I'm going to tear my hair out. To have spent years an ocean away from Hetty was one thing, but to now spend the rest of my life without her Hetty is going to drive me mad. I have to be with her. I cannot stand to be alone without her. My ears buzz, and my heart pounds. It feels as if all of my sense are in overdrive at once. 

"Oh Henrietta, even in death you continue to ruin me!" I cry out. My sobs echo off the walls and only remind me how hollow I feel. I manage to get into my bed clutching a pillow to my chest. My body shakes as the sobs do not cease. They feel to be growing in strength with every second I live knowing that Hetty is not with me. 

“I can’t go on like this. I need to be with her,” I think to myself. “This pain is far to much for me bear. I need something to rid me of this madness quickly.” 

I call out for my maid, Bernice, and she quickly comes rushing in and closes the door behind her.  

“Yes, madam?” Bernice answers

“Bernice, I need you to do me a favor, and you are not to speak of this to anyone. Am I understood? Not even my husband, I do not care how long he may inquiry you”

“Madame? I’m confused,” Bernice says in a concerned tone. 

“Just listen,” I begin rummaging around my room through the blur of my tears,” I need you to go and find some cyanide, strychnine, I do not care if it’s arsenic. I do care that you do this efficiently and discreetly. Not one word to my husband,” 

“Madame, you know that I can do no such thing,”

“Then what do I pay you for! I am giving you an order so follow it!” 

“Madame, I know you are grieving for Hetty but-”

“No! You do not get to speak her name! Do not speak her name and tell me what I am doing. I know what I am doing and I am trying my best to be with her again. I have to be with her again. No I need to be with her again! ” I shout.

I finally find my hidden money box and I take all the contents from within. I catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror, and if I cared I would be horrified from my appearance. “She has taken the sun, moon, and stars from my world with her, and I need them back. I need her back. Now take this money and go. Please I beg of you. I need this pain to cease. I need to stop this world to stop the feeling, and this is the only way.” I look towards Bernice again.

I try to force the crumpled dollars into her hand, but she will not take them. Deep down I know that there is nothing I can do to make her go, and I cannot go and do it myself. I am not sure I would make it past my front door.

“Damn you,” I cry out as I fall into Bernices arms. I am not sure if I am cursing Bernice or Hetty. No matter hard I cry, thrash, or how loud l cry out for Hetty, Bernice does not leave me. Once the tears have ceased she helps me out of my clothes and into a bath. She does not speak while she bathes me, and she does not ask why I grieve so heavily for Hetty as wife would for her spouse if Hetty was only a friend.  I do not look in her eyes for confirmation that she may already know the answer. Bernice helps me into bed, and sits in the chair next to my bed to watch me. My body no longer feels like my own, just a dead weight anchoring my soul from where it wants to be.

Even after all the fits of tears, I cannot find myself to be tired. Everytime I close my eyes, I am assaulted by memories that are too painful to relive at the moment. My mind plays devious games by making me wonder what was going on in Hetty’s head in her final moments.

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

1895: It has been two weeks since Hetty's death. I helped her children give her a beautiful funeral. She was dressed in very best, and her favorite flowers were purchased from every floral shop in the county.

I had managed to tamper down my emotions except for the fire that stoked my anger as Elias is no where to be found. A rumor has started that he had run off with a maid leaving Hetty to deal with the misfortune.

After talking with Thomas about where they would like to live, we find that it's best if they stay in New York with their aunt Margaret. I am not exactly sure how I would have managed three children in London, but I know that I have done my best. It also would have been a way for me to have tangible parts of Hetty with me, as selfish as it sounds.

"I hope you do not mind that I wish to stay here. I only want to be close to my mother. I can feel her presence here. I would not mind if you stayed a bit longer to help transition into my role as head of the house," Thomas says, " I am not sure how I will manage this alone."

"Of course, anything for my favorite nephew," I embrace Thomas in a hug. 

During my extended stay, I take it upon myself to gather up Hetty’s bedroom. Her bed still unmade, her nightgown still laying on the nearby chaise. The room smells entirely of Hetty, and I am almost knocked over overwhelmed by the feeling. As I begin to pack her belongings into trunks, something in the back of her dresser catches my eye. I reach my hand back, and my fingers pull forward a tiny box with a card attached. I look for a name for who it’s addressed to and I don’t find one. I open the box to find a gold ring with two gemstones I recognize as birthstones belonging to me and Hetty. I sit down in her vanity chair as I begin to read the letter.

______________________________________________________________

My dearest, (y/n)

I meant to give you this ring to on our last night together all thoseyears ago. I put it away and hid it as I could not part with it. I believed it to be a part of you with me that got me through my first years of marriage with Elias. I also hoped that one day I would be able to give this to you.

That night you had said, you felt as if your mind was thrown off it's axis. I have been feeling that way since I saw you off to your new life in England. Please do not think me silly when I tell you I did not leave my room or eat for a week after your departure. I had never felt more beside myself. It took a threat of Margaret writing to you of my condition to bring me to my senses. I could not bear the thought of worrying you because of my selfishness. 

(y/n), please know that I never meant to cause you worry or strain when I had planned to run away with you. I was so overcome with the thought of living a life where I did not have you. I was acting on a whim I thought was best. It wasn't until you told me that you'd love me without ceasing that I knew I was never going to lose you no matter what. Please know that you have never lost a place in my heart, and I give you this ring as way to give you a piece of my heart. For you to have and to hold. 

I cannot wait for your arrival to New York. I will be waiting by the phone for your call. 

My love….my heart….my everything….

Til death do us part,

Henrietta

_________________________________________________

Dearest, Hetty,

My love. Oh my love, how will I continue to go on without you? I will never smell the spice of your perfume on your skin, nor feel the warmth of your embraces. I will not hear your laughter that have always brightened even the sunniest of days. I no longer have a chance to feel your lips pressed against mine, and I pray I never forget the way your lips taste. I thought living in England, thousands of miles away from you was hard, but finding the strength to continue to breath and walk an earthly plane you no longer grace is enough to drive me insane. I feel as if any minute my husband will have committed.

I apologize for not being there for you, as I should have been. Not only through the most recent circumstance, but over the past 25 years, I have not kept my promise of staying in contact with you. I still have unopened letters from you in my home in England that I now feel too sick to open. 

Wherever you are, please know that I am not angry with you. I never could be, even though at times you could be very infuriating. You have been and continue to be my only weakness. You once told me that I would have to stop the world to stop the feeling of being caught on a never-ending merry-go-round. Hetty my world stopped when you left. I have never felt more hollow. I do no eat. I do not speak. I do not sleep as your beautiful eyes now haunt my dreams instead of inspiring them. It pains me to write this letter as I have the knowledge that you will never read it.

My husband and I leave for England tomorrow. I have given one of your maids the instructions to bury this bottle containing with this letter my wedding ring on the property. I now wear the ring you would have gifted me in it's place. I now carry a piece of your heart with me for the rest of my days. 

Until we meet again my love….my dearest….my everything…. I love you and I will continue to love you without ceasing.

Yours forever more,

(y/n)

I fold the letter and I place it in a bottle. After sealing it, I give it to Hetty’s maid, and I tell her to have it buried immediately. With me, I have a couple of Hetty’s items. I have a bottle of her signature perfume, and a pair of her gloves. I exit Woodstone manor for the last time, and I turn to face the house once more to commit this moment to memory. I turn my gaze up to one of the windows, and I feel as if Hetty is there watching me. I feel the sunshine on me, and I embrace it’s warmth as if it were her. 

-END-

A/N: This was supposed to be a one-shot, but I believe I'm going to write a heart-wrenching, gut punching epilogue. Y'all ready!? WOO! Anyway, feel free to leave comments and let me know your thoughts!

[marvelousgeeksbackup]

Ghosts Season 3, Episode 8, “Holes Are Bad,” is a heartwarmingly balanced episode that brings revelations and reminds viewers how special and well-rounded these characters are. Written by Sophia Lear and directed by Jude Weng, it effortlessly touches on sacrifices as a theme by carrying out long-kept secrets. 

Flower is officially back, and as much as the episode centers around her return, it’s also a monumental showcase for Hetty Woodstone’s growth, giving both Rebecca Wisocky and Sheila Carrasco the kind of beautiful scene that many have likely wanted to watch for a while. Flower and Hetty are often on opposite sides of a coin, but what we see here intricately brings to light the thread that binds all these characters into one place. It isn’t their curse or Woodstone Mansion itself; it’s a love and care for each other that surpasses all of that.

Continue Reading

[forasecondtherewedwon]

Three!!

Thank you, Kaye!!!

Shuffle #3: “Bitter Taste” - Billy Idol

There's nothing I can do to change it now / But if I cut myself open, baby / You can read all my scars

And Spit at the Stars (And Scream in the Dark)

Rating: T Word Count: 962 music shuffle fic game

Summary: Belle dies on the table.

He puts his hands inside people for a living, for as little of a living as it is. When Jack strides down the street, the hard-packed dirt reminds him of the roof of a man’s mouth—the mouth of the very man he’s passing. He’s retrieved small objects (marbles, stones) from the noses of half the children who rush to tug off hanged men’s boots. He’s delivered them from their mothers, hand inside the birth canal as he eased slippery shoulders free. He knows what their fathers’ shattered elbows looked like before he doctored their wonky mending. He could identify a dozen men’s patellas by touch. Blindfolded.

Blood; blood always feels the same, but the veins that spill it, the flesh from which it seeps, are unique under his fingers. So he’ll remember this, and run back through it: Did he open cleanly? Did he disturb her vital workings when he reached all the way into her, to the back of her, positioning the noose and pulling the thread taut? Did he tie it too snugly? Before all of it, did he hold the mask to her face too long, drowning her in ether?

When he feels—

When he feels Belle’s heart stop—

It doesn’t even mean blood to him. Jack’s palm is on her non-rising chest, everything he never felt from the inside flashing through his mind behind his unfocused eyes. Bone, lungs, the chambers of her heart. He would occupy those chambers, live inside her, join her there. His red hands scrabble up her neck. Nothing in her throat jumps against his fingers.

Hetty takes him by the shoulders, and he twists, twists like the babies who wriggled their way into this horrible, hurting world with the help of Jack’s hands. But Hetty is determined and strong; she will brace herself beneath the arm of an amputee to raise him onto his remaining leg. She clutches Jack’s shoulders, and he jerks, eyes fixed on Belle’s face, no longer flushed with agony. Or life.

“She wasn’t in pain, Jack,” Hetty is saying. “You did that for her. She wasn’t in pain.”

Her voice is thick like the tears pushing their way out of his eyes to splash down his cheeks. He can hear Belle’s mother crying now, a lonely wail that calls Jack back to storms at sea, the wind and the slanting rain.

When he shakes out of Hetty’s hold, it’s because she lets him go, dropping her hands. He looks at her wildly, finally. A tremor touches each of her features in turn—her brow, her nostrils, her chin—but she stares back at him, hiding nothing. How do they take care of this? How can they possibly be the people in charge? Who will nurse them, hold a mask over their nose and mouth to shelter themfrom their pain? Of all the times in his life Jack’s needed someone to step in and save him—

Sneed is drawing a sheet over Belle’s body. Jack takes snatching hold of his arm, but Sneed turns his head and meets Jack’s eye with such sympathy. Chest heaving, Jack senses that he doesn’t so much look at Sneed as watch the man watch him; he feels like a picture on a wall. Rather than wrest Sneed away from her, Jack only squeezes and releases his grip.

“Enough!” Gaines rings out, tolling Jack’s hour like the bell in a clock tower.

His guillotine hand comes down on the back of Jack’s neck. Jack shrugs him off violently, and before Gaines can make another grab for him, Sneed steps between them. The sheet ripples down over Belle.

“He isn’t going anywhere,” Sneed grits out with a hard edge.

At first, Jack thinks Sneed is insisting on preventing his arrest altogether, but then Sneed adds, “Look at him,” and Jack understands Sneed isn’t taking a legal stand, just telling the predator in Gaines that his quarry is too weak to run.

“It will be you under arrest if you’re wrong,” Gaines assures Sneed, striking Sneed’s shirtfront with the barrel of his pistol.

At the casual hostility of this contact, Jack’s hand darts out, fingers flexed like a claw; he’s prepared to choke the life out of Gaines with his tie. Sneed’s reflexes are just as quick—something for which Jack rarely gives him credit—and he knocks Jack’s hand aside before he can assault the Captain. Hetty, too, is stirred to action, taking both doctors by the elbow and giving a backwards yank, away from the danger of Gaines’s gun and their own impulsive stupidity. For a moment, they are, the three of them, connected, and loss is the current running through them.

“Gentlemen, some self-control. For her parents.” This can only, and does, come from Hetty.

The next thing Jack knows, he’s taking hold of the brass railing and hauling himself up into the wooden stands. He mounts the stairs, fighting shock, catching the toe of his boots on the steps until his climb becomes a stagger, a flail, until his palms press the theatre’s back wall and he turns and slumps down it. His head lolls as he takes in the view. Why do the spectators come? Why the children to the gallows and the grown men to the surgery? Is the attraction that the person on the table has a fighting chance, or is there always a cruel presumption that life can’t win? Once the surgeon’s fingers have plumbed your insides, you’re doomed? The lesson from up here is: never let life crack you open.

Jack could strangle the fool who keeps asking if Belle’s breathing. He could kill them with his bare hands. He looks down at the shape in the sheet, the body he knew from the inside.

Fully.

[lighthouseborn]

What did your muse's family look like? Parents, grandparents? Big or small? Who was around the house when your muse was a kid?

Childhood HCs

Henry's family is more network than blood ties, though both factor in, and it's like. Big. But also... small.

When it comes to specific wordage there are things I would say that probably wouldn't be said IC by many of them because there's just soooo much family trauma in various shapes all around him. It means these claims don't always get so directly addressed, but it's like this: Elizabeth and Will are his parents, but so is Jack — Bootstrap (to whatever degree is quite manageable for a dead man working on a spirit ship) is Henry's grandfather, and so is Teague, and by some accounts you can throw Mr. Gibbs into some kind of family category around this level too (though I suspect that's more like. when you have Grandparents you don't know that well and don't see that often. I'm not so sure he saw a lot of Gibbs when he was younger but there's still a thread there.) I also think Anamaria was around enough that Henry considers her family, if not necessarily the other way around. Then there's Hetty, whom Henry has known since they were too little to quite remember how they met and to him she's family, too (and by extension, her family — parents, two younger sisters.) This is Henry's close circle. (Which, of course, includes Carina and their girls later. But this is childhood-centric.)

You can take a step out from this and start getting people like the community on the lighthouse island, Thyra and the other villagers, and in Shipwreck Cove, Lucia and Auntie Nettie+her charges as well as the Pirate Lords Hector Barbossa (whom, by all evidence, was a confidant of Elizabeth's) Mistress Ching and Gentleman Jocard, and Elizabeth's contacts. This is also, in a way, family, it's just the next level out, and gets very complicated very quickly. This is part of Henry's... openness? His lines aren't always the clearest, or most defined, and it's only when he's taxed and stretched thin and pulled apart at his very core that the lines begin to show at all. In a certain way, all of Shipwreck is family (community) — in an even more complicated way, all of the Brethren Court's many extending enterprises outside of the cover are family. Or at least something he belongs to. The ripples roll out and out.

Many of these people were around when he was younger — in particular, Teague, Autie Nettie, Hetty's family, and Jebat and Teretai (Shabira's parents) are all people who looked after Henry when Elizabeth had to leave him behind for one reason or another. That's how his family-shaped list got so large to begin with, there was a real... it-takes-a-village kind of bond and building ground. All these people who made it possible for him to grow up to be the way he is -- for him to grow up at all, a boy born into a community fighting for their right to live, his mother a primary target of that fight. But the thing about that is I think... it was something Elizabeth had to learn, that necessity pushed her into discovering this net of people around her who can and could and would and wanted to help and see her succeed. And I really do think that it's that whole net and yet also. I think it was also very much a little nest of two.

I have this feeling like Elizabeth was initially really protective of Henry in almost a hide-him-from-the-world way. At least while he was very very little, anyway. And then as things shifted it became necessary for her to trust other people and etc., hence the net. Henry's ever-growing tangle of threads and ribbons and anchors and bowlines. But when you really really really start pulling it apart (which he Hates btw, he Hates when you start asking him to make things a hierarchy, when you start stripping away at it — that that's something you can even do-) I do think, with enough dedicated dismantling and callous cutting-away, when you get to the middle it's Henry and Elizabeth. And if you cut any more, you kill him outright, not just unmoor him.

And so there's ripples and strings and he hates when you ask but really, the thing is, it's him and mum. Him and Mum at the end of every day, with whatever bedtime rituals. Him and Mum inventing games and having hard conversations. Him and Mum with their idealism. Their tempers. Him and Mum with a key to a chest holding a heart that only still beats for them. Him and Mum, ten years, fifteen years, twenty years waiting in their roost at the top of the world.

[fallowtail]

thinking about hetty again what else is new. putting it under a read more because i feel bad i keep spamming the tag with long posts about my blorbo lol

sorry if none of this makes any sense or is cohesive i'm just rambling ok but i just (clenches fist) the fact they decided to let hetty feel realistic in her place as an upper class victorian woman...(throwing her at the wall) they could have been easy and made her a rich white upper class woman who was still a feminist despite her complete lack of life experience outside the confines of her home, but instead they made her truly feel like she came from her class and stature and i LOVE it. she is so so so fundamentally and deeply flawed

she's awful to people she perceives as below her and she's manipulative and desperate for power and to feel like she's in control and she wants to boss the other ghosts around, and she wasn't a woman who was interested in the idea of feminism because she had no exposure to any other world view than the one she was entrenched in and praised and rewarded for (outside of her direct family situation...we can all agree she was not being rewarded by elias lol) so it didn't even click as an option for her, let alone really even having much awareness of the concept.

she hated how her husband treated her but didn't necessarily think it was wrong of him to be doing so (which we find out from her interaction with molly) bc why would it be, that's just the way things were! we see this "its just the way things were" mindset as well with how hetty is able to bring herself to extend the olive branch to elias despite how much she hates him, because if she is being offered a chance to learn to be good than well...doesn't he deserve that too? until he tells her to fuck off essentially and she immediately, well, we all know what she does with that information lol (i almost wish he hadnt gone down on us so soon after his introduction though, because...would she have kept trying? i think maybe she might have.)

she's managed to get to a place where she realizes how she lived her life was bad and that she's in "purgatory" for a reason, and she realizes that she wants to change and be good, but she struggles with it because she doesn't have any frame of reference to know what about her behavior was bad, and what it was she was doing that made her an awful person. she just doesn't know until someone directly tells her because she has no frame of reference to know these things, and a lot of the times the other ghosts...don't tell her. you get the idea that, up until sam showed up, the other ghosts didn't actually do much to explain things to her, they just get annoyed that she doesn't get it, they roll their eyes because that's just how hetty is, but when stuff actually gets explained to her (sam + flower + alberta, usually) she is able to digest it and we get to watch her very slowly develop empathy and sympathy for other people, even if it takes her some time to get there and if she doesn't fully connect the dots right away.

there's such an interesting plot thread with hetty of the duality of living within a place of privilege and imprisonment at the same time and how that shaped her, and now that she's being exposed to other concepts, to other worldviews, to being able to interact with people outside of her social bubble, she is interested in them, but is repeatedly dragged back down by years of social conditioning (example: the scene where she tells flower not to let pete treat her badly, that she doesn't want to spend her afterlife continuing to forgive the sins of the men in her life, but then continues to do that exact same thing over and over again) because change isn't linear and by god is hetty woodstone walking a wobbly line and looping herself around in circles while she tries to figure it out.

hetty was/is screaming about the yellow wallpaper but instead of tearing herself apart she took it out on everyone else around her, specifically her employees (#girlboss!) because she was in a position to do so with little to no consequences, it was what was expected of her, and it would be the only actual sense of control she had, and she enjoyed it. in the newest episode hetty comes to the conclusion that sam is correct and that you can't treat modern workers that way, in a showcase of how she only ever kind of gets it- the lesson there was that "hetty, treating people like that is (was) wrong period", but she always gets stuck filtering the lesson through the social expectations of her time. she's trying, and making an effort, but she struggles to fully get there, especially when it concerns her own past bad behaviors and isn't something that can bring her a sense of pleasure.

WHEW. hetty woodstone, good lord. what a character.

[shoes--off]

CBS march madness

Speaking of that march madness vote on Twitter... I may have played around with notion a bit.

Stats from the Twitter post threads from CBS: Round 1 | Round 2 | Round 3 | Round 4

Battle stats

In round 1, Kasie (from NCIS) and Lucy (from NCIS: Hawai'i) had their battle score the most views. Logically, the % of people voting out of these views was much lower in % than most other battles; the Hetty (from Ghosts), Kasie and Lucy battles had the most % of all votes cast at 12.53%, 13.16% and 26.24% respectively. The Lucy R1 battle had more than a quarter of the votes out of 8 battles! Kasie was pitted against the next best performer, Hetty, in R2; their battle got 24.92% of all votes. The R2 Lucy battle continued overperforming, with 42.2% of all votes across battles.

In R3, once again the characters with the most votes battled each other, with the Lucy vs Kasie battle getting 67.85 % of all votes cast in this round. I assume the Twitter algorithm is responsible for the number of views; clearly, battles with NCIS franchise characters had the most. We can only compare the Kasie and Lucy battles until they faced off, and notice that the Lucy battles were getting more people voting among the tweet viewers.

The drilldown of the % of votes going to each character in each battle confirms that no character came even close to Lucy in any of the battles.

Character votes drilldown

TL;DR: not only did Lucy Tara win all the battles... it was a landslide.

[animationadventures]

Recreating the Lost Episodes: A Guide

Season 2

As we learned about S2’s production over the past year or so, the mouse’s decision to shorten The Owl House’s third season came around the time “Agony of a Witch” aired. This was around the time the crew had finished writing the first half of S2. They were given a choice, move forward with their intended original plans for the second half or rewrite the second half to accelerate the plot enough that they could wrap up the story with the little time they had left in their generously called “Season 3”.

They chose to accelerate the plot. This is extremely noticeable due to the suddenly announced deadline of the Day of Unity being a month away in “Follies at the Coven Day Parade”. If it weren’t for the cut, would the DOU have been instead announced for anywhere from three to six or nine months away and covered in S3, giving the story enough breathing room to explore character and relationship development we didn’t get?

So, a lot of amazing ideas had to be left as abandoned puzzle pieces, and us fans are left to figure out how they were supposed to fit together for ourselves. For all the fanfic writers who plan to recreate what we lost, this is for you. If I wasn’t already working on long term projects, I would try this myself too.

I have no doubt that the episodes we did get for Season 2B would have still been in the show’s lineup, but likely further down than they ended up being for most of them. Because of the anniversary for Manny’s death being a specific date, I imagine that would have stayed in the same slot for example.

Let’s start with the Bat Queen since that’s the earliest dropped plot thread I can identify. At the end of “Escape of the Palisman”, Luz promised to help the Bat Queen find out her past since she no longer remembered her original owner. As we saw in S2, she never followed up on this. As confirmed at the Gallery Nucleus panel, Bat Queen is not the palisman of the Titan, but rather a giant. So we might have gotten lore on giants in the demon realm, specifically Bat Queen’s owner and how she became who she is now.

Another dangling thread is Jean-Luc, King’s babysitter from his nest. We never see King and the gang try to reactivate him outside of the nest; he just sits in the corner of Luz’s room as a decoration for the rest of the season.

Then there’s the four head witches that didn’t get proper debuts – Hettie Cutburn, Mason, Osran, and Vitimir. We can assign at least two episodes and four at most to fleshing them out, two being if they teamed up the way Darius and Eberwolf did or four if they debut individually like Terra and Adrian.

As far as I can guess, Mason was intended to be involved in a scrapped plot line of returning to the Looking Glass Ruins along with Adrian Graye, as a mirror match to Gus and Mattholomule since they match coven tracks. With old storyboards starting the rumor Mason was Matt and Steve’s father (albeit with the name Ulrich), this could have really boosted Matt’s development of wanting power changing to multi-tracking, sticking with the theme of finding your own way instead of following in your parents’ footsteps.

Another team-up I can see is Hettie and Vitimir since their covens likely work closely in making cures and general healthcare. Hettie was said by Dana to be interesting to the crew, hinted at being creepy and having an interest in bloodwork. So perhaps the pair of them would be assigned to the Titan’s Blood case and eventually woven into King’s plot? Or the two would be split up, with Hettie being involved in King’s Titan plot and Vitimir being involved in Hunter’s grimwalker plot?

I suggested Vitimir being involved in Hunter’s grimwalker plot because the list of stuff needed to construct a grimwalker sounds like a potion ingredient list, and Vitimir is the head witch of the Potions Coven. Belos might have tasked him with gathering the necessary ingredients for a new grimwalker, suspecting Hunter is beginning to betray him like all the others as he grows independent through Darius’ influence and his adventures with the Hexsquad. Since Hunter is such a crucial piece in Belos’ plans, who better to task with the important and rare ingredients of a grimwalker than the head witch of the Potions Coven himself?

Osran is probably the biggest mystery player in how he would get involved. Since the Oracle Coven is all about foresight and contacting spirits, perhaps there’s something to be said about how nobody saw the Day of Unity’s true purpose coming. The Collector using his power to keep oracles from seeing the truth? Belos forbidding any scrying about the DOU? There’s a theory out there that he might have been intended to join the rebellion based on the burned tapestry in “Eda’s Requiem” the BATTs pass after their first raid. Maybe not being able to see the outcome of the Day of Unity gave Osran reason to change sides.

When writing the head witches, it’s best to remember each one has a sense of irony regarding the coven they are the bosses of. Raine is the head witch of the Bard Coven despite having stage fright, Darius is the head witch of the Abominations Coven but hates messes, Eberwolf is a beast tamer despite basically being feral himself, Terra is the head witch of the Plants Coven but has a toxic personality, and Adrian Graye prefers to direct others putting on illusions rather than perform himself. In that vein, Hettie is likely that creepy doctor that enjoys the pain of patients, Vitimir likely neglects lab safety despite working with potions if his toxic breath is a clue, Mason probably prefers to work solo rather than in a team like construction jobs usually require or relies on the power glyphs instead of his strength like normal coven members, and Osran likely is senile and forgetful about the present from constantly looking into the future.

There’s also the matter of Amity still having the portal key in storyboards for Clouds on the Horizon. The Roundtable covered this in their video about season 2, how Amity and Hunter’s duel was likely supposed to end differently but the accelerated plot necessitated a change at the last minute since it was part of 2A. Amity and Hunter probably came to a draw, neither having the information to leverage. This would explain why Amity isn’t upset with Hunter the next time they meet in “Labyrinth Runners”.

The thing with Raine also confuses me. At the end of “Eda’s Requiem”, we see them being restricted by their sigil then seems fine in “Follies at the Coven Day Parade” pretending to be brainwashed. I think them being captured was supposed to be a bigger part of the plot, but again the plot acceleration necessitated a change of what happened to them and the crew couldn’t change it the same way the duel at Eclipse Lake might have gotten. This by extension would have given the BATTs a bigger role too.

Development for the Blight family was also a big thing in Season 2. We properly met Odalia and Alador, Alador got a redemption arc while Odalia got worse, the origin of Amity’s family nickname was revealed, and the twins showed interest in multiple tracks. The one person in the family that really got the shaft was Emira because she didn’t have a B-plot expanding her interests like how Edric got to show his interest in beast-keeping and potions in “Reaching Out”. I have a feeling if it weren’t for the plot acceleration, we would have seen them more. Perhaps Odalia was intended to be the season’s major antagonist similar to how Lilith was in Season 1, appearing to cause conflict in more episodes than just two.

The Collector also wasn’t intended to be part of S2 according to one of the crew’s Post Hoots. Once they learned of the cut, they decided to throw him into the mix early. He’s woven so intricately into the plot now, it’s hard to imagine what the story would be like if he was delayed until later or didn’t show up at all.

That’s all I have for Season 2. I’ll talk about Season 3 in the next part, but that will have to wait until we see how the other two specials play out to see what else was either dropped or squeezed into a montage.

In the meantime, try recreating episodes from what I’ve pieced together so far. Best of luck to all and may the Titan look down on you favorably.

[tabswrites]

Happy STS! I arrive with a character ask this week! If one of your characters emptied their bag/satchel/purse, what would we find among their personal effects? Crumpled receipts? Forgotten snacks? Wads of cash? More knives than they'd care to admit? Tell me about it!

Happy STS!

Hettie’s bag, made from the same scrap fabric she uses for her clothing, would be filled with the following on any given day:

Needle and thread, for emergencies

A journal where she keeps track of food supplies, names of people she trades with, sketches of plants, reminders for housework. She also loves to keep pressed leaves and flowers in between the pages.

A scarf to cover her hair in case it rains

Jars to collect herbs and flowers for tea

Cool rocks she keeps with her to decorate her garden or give to children

[ncisladaily]

Question: This is probably an irrelevant question, but given how high the ratings for the 3-part NCIS franchise crossover were, if the budget didn’t get so big, and if the time slot had been better, do you think NCIS: LA could’ve been renewed for a 15th Season? It more than likely would’ve been a short final season, but it would’ve been nice to get to see a lot of the show’s loose threads be properly wrapped up, like bringing Hetty home for good, resolving Kilbride’s family issues, etc. – Maria

Matt Roush: I’m not sure anything would have budged CBS from ending the show when it did. With the current exception of the NCIS mothership and Blue Bloods (no end in sight for either, though financial concessions have been made), the network has a history of limiting the duration of even hit franchises and spinoffs, often somewhere around the seven-year mark (when NCIS: New Orleans folded), which is when contracts and expenses tend to increase exponentially. To go 14 seasons is quite rare. But we already know LL Cool J will reprise his character of Sam on a recurring basis on NCIS: Hawai’i, so it’s also possible other aspects of the L.A. show might continue to resonate in the NCIS universe, even if just to give fans an update on Hetty and the others should the occasion arise.

[mashmaiden]

Okay, in doing my little "fill the plothole" thing my brain likes to do - I'm solving Sam's first name issue! 😜 (Started a new thread to not pile too much onto @sonyarebecchi 's original post 😇)

When DOJ Special Investigator/Inspector Wallace tried asking Sam out in 6x04, she was surprised Sam said he was married. "That's not in your record," she said.

Sam's response - "Yeah, well, a lot of things that aren't in my record, or Callen's or Hetty's or any of us."

The only time we've heard Sam addressed as Osama in an "official" capacity was in Russia, Russia, Russia by DOJ Agent/Special Agent Carlson when she was grilling Callen about the case from 12x01.

Unofficial mentions of Osama: 1 - an undercover persona (9x08), and 2 - was called that by the imam at the mosque. This could easily just have been his persona at that location (since Sam is the man who openly admits to belonging to "multiple gyms under multiple names," I could see the same being true for things like religious establishments)

So, since his father called him Samuel last night, and it was on his paperwork that was from his service days (3x09), I'm thinking that IS in fact his birth name, and that maybe the name on his federal "official" record is altered like his marital status was.

Maybe this is now just my rambly headcanon, but I figured I'd at least put it out there. Thoughts?

[blogger360ncislarules]

I had hope for this final Season, but from the way these last few episodes have been, plus, just now finding out that the writers were up to Episode 10 when they got the news, well. It's bringing back my disappointment about NCIS LA when it ended a few months ago.

The way ND has handled this Season is basically a bit similar to NCIS LA's final Season: Unannounced until the crew were almost done mapping out the Season, the Season itself is full of 1 bizarre loose thread after another, and then there's the scrambling to wrap up as many loose threads as possible before the final episode ends resulting in a very jammed and rushed final stretch of episodes that you are glad to see end.

Heck, even my reasons for sticking with each show till it's last episode is basically identical in a way! I stuck with LA because of Hetty, I stuck with ND because of Nace.

And here's where the disappointment comes in: NCIS LA only had Hetty voiceovers at the end instead of an in person appearance (made only tolerable by the most beautiful letter ever in the final episode), ND has all this crazy angst and wacko side stories leading into it's last episode.

Though, the bright spot to all this is: NCIS LA made sure to leave everyone alive and happy, with even an ending that could be the lead in to a future comeback. Maybe ND can deliver some kind of happy ending for all.

[entwifeexperience]

Here, There, Be Finley!

Spent the afternoon setting up characters and stuff for a Here, There, Be Monsters! game with my partner, which was a wonderful way to spend a birthday afternoon, especially as the previous group I setup is no longer going to be active and its been far too long since we actually played something together.

Me: 82 Plant Person: Hetty (She/ Her)

Prehistoric mutant Swamp Thing. Matted, algae sloth with huge driftwood claws. Almost 7’. Bioluminescence when friendly stroked

• Be: photosynthetic eukaryotic organism (algae), Megatherium (giant ground sloth)

• Have: Huge Claws, Big Heart

• Do: Plant Magic, Scary

• Wants: Prehistoric pal, to be cared for

• Need: to accept their circumstances

• Artefact: A bolo tie with a burnished shell clasp (passive) that allows the wearer to sing an heart-breaking lament or terrifying dirge

Finley: 51 Centaur (goat): Garbonzo (They/ Them)

Brownish fur, androgynous chest with white fur, youthful androgynous face, short curly hair, brilliant green eyes. Goatlike thin brown chin beard, from nervous plucking.

• Be: socially awkward, self-sacrificing

• Have: backpack of rocks, hat (important)

• Do: climbing, Magic: Force, Emotion, Gravity, Seed

• Wants: Friend/ Confidante, pet companion

• Need: Self-Compassion

Shrek and Donkey

Hetty released by Garbonzo after they being scared of her. Stuck together. Both don’t have a place without each other and see each other’s vulnerability. We see each other’s roots – that’s why we’re The Root Veg.

(The whole Shrek and Donkey thing just emerged out of nowhere and kept persisting)

Group: The Root Veg (TRV)

Small, stragglers

More or less new to this/ relatively unknown

Consensus (physically follow Hetty, Garbonzo has the high ground)

Cautious in the field

NPCs

12. L. Luz, a shy medium who tends to the spirits of lost birds.

13. Pillow, a genius homunculus who knows everything about Philosophy.

15. N. A. Cade, a proliflic playwright who’s cursed to keep writing every day.

Haven

• Structure: Mostly ruined castle (instant insides)

• Utilities: Library (Pillow), overgrown basement pantry allotment with mushrooms, herbs, veg, etc. (tended by Hetty and Garbonzo), courtyard garden much bigger than looks.

• Internal vibe: organic, cosy, cluttered

• Entrance: tunnels (any dark enough)

I am too excited to play and, if you haven't been able to tell, absolutely obsessed with this game!

Get it here: https://wendiy.itch.io/here-there-be-monsters

My ongoing read through thread: