#much like Fanny Price herself

[bethanydelleman]

Why You Should Read Mansfield Park

Mansfield Park is consistently voted the least favourite Jane Austen novel, much to my despair. A lot of people don't even read it based on that reputation. If you are an Austen fan, or even just a book fan, this is why you should read it.

Mansfield Park: Something for Everyone

Are you an extrovert who wants to understand the other side, have you ever experienced: “pausing a moment for what she knew would not come, for a courage which the outside of no door had ever supplied to her“? Try Mansfield Park and live inside the head of an introvert!

Are you tired of everyone loving the highly extroverted and witty Elizabeth Bennet, Fanny Price is your heroine! Watch her go from unappreciated and ignored to, “the daughter that he wanted,” by being quietly helpful, moral, and kind, not bright and sparkling.

Do you enjoy watching university-aged people creating drama, being selfish, and having elaborate love triangles? TV ratings seem to indicate yes. Look no further than Mansfield Park! Sisters who love the same guy, unrequited love, hidden jealousy, and can the bad boy finally go good?

Not into drama? How about intelligent critiques of the Church of England, a good deal of it still relevant today? Mary Crawford has you covered!

Into Poetry? Fanny Price thinks in poetry! Check out her monologue on “tyrannic memory” or her reflections on sunlight when she’s staying with her family in Portsmouth. Mary Crawford didn’t pay attention, but you will love it!

Do you love free stuff? Who doesn’t love free stuff? Watch the master of mooching, Mrs. Norris, abscond with all the extra jellies after the ball and sponge a heath, some eggs, AND a cream cheese from Southerton. Have you ever made someone feel better by stealing green baize?

Want romance? Only read Ch 30 and forget everything else that happens!

Mansfield Park, give it a first chance, or another chance.

(Also, neither movie (1999 or 2007) follows the book. The 1983 mini is the only one true to canon. If you’ve watched Fances O’Connor as Fanny Price you don’t know the real story. And these aren't small quibbles, they completely changed Fanny's character in 1999, it's the forerunner of Persuasion 2022)

[serenemusing]

just finished Mansfield Park, I will defend Fanny Price with *my life*. it never occured to me that people would dislike her this much. like I get her trying too hard to be "morally superior" at times but... that happens because she *has* to prove herself, she cannot afford to be rebellious. she is treated as inferior by almost everyone around her, everyone makes a point to tell her again and again how little she is worth. and honestly I love Jane Austen for showing a realistic depiction of someone being brought up in those circumstances, of someone who is indeed shy and most definitely also disabled and whose character growth doesn't end up being "haha see I am pulling through, I am now less disabled and more Certified Stronk™ and oh so inspiring™ for abled people to see".

no, instead we are shown a heroine who is in fact sensitive and ill and doesn't just get over it. instead we get to see her character grow with those traits. we see actual trauma and someone treated like shit by everyone around them, and while it might be satisfying to have her "snap out of it" and react to the people around her, the truth is that trauma does most often not work that way.

either way she evokes very specific feelings in me that i'm sure people who have been through some things are also familiar with, and all i can say is that she deserves better, and i don't like her any less than any other Jane Austen heroine.

[warrioreowynofrohan]

After a reread of Persuasion, I’m thinking about how it relates to Austen’s character types discussed in this post. It stands out from S&S, P&P, and Mansfield Park in not haveing a ‘charming rake’ type as the main male antagonist, but instead a reserved, intelligent, courteous, cold-blooded and selfish man. There is no counterpart to Willoughby, Wickham, or Henry Crawford.

Instead, if Mr. Elliot is a counterpart to any of the characters in Austen’s other novels, he feels like a dark mirror of Darcy. They are both reserved; both (at least at the time of the main plot of the book) place a high value on social status, and look down on commonness and vulgarity. However, while Darcy’s arrogance makes him rude, Mr. Elliot has impeccable manners; and where Darcy in has strong principles and treats the people for whom he is responsible well, Mr. Elliot is a hypocrite and, though voicing good principles, is in fact cruel and uncaring to those who are dependent on him. Mr. Elliot is, really, the type of person that Wickham portrays Darcy as being. The other thing that brought this comparison to my mind is Mrs. Smith’s description of the friendship between her husband and Mr. Elliot, which very much recalls the one between Bingley and Darcy (as an additional note, both Mr. Smith and Bingley are named Charles):

From his wife’s account of him she could discern Mr. Smith to have been a man of warm feelings, easy temper, careless habits, and not strong understanding, much more amiable than his friend and very unlike him - led by him

I think this all goes with one of Austen’s common themes, and one that is especially important to Persuasion - the importance of not marrying in overmuch haste and without good knowledge of and, at a minimum, respect for your partner. Darcy is decidedly not like Mr. Elliot in character - but at the time if his first proposal, for all Elizabeth knew he might have been.

And on the flip side, Frederick Wentworth is not like Willoughby or Wickham - but given the short time Anne had known him when he first proposed, he might have been, and Lady Russell certainly sees that danger. He is, at that time, daring and charismatic, but not prudent, having saved none of the money that he won in his naval career. There’s also another reference to the ‘charming rake’ type in that, like Henry Crawford, he for a while courts two sisters, the elder of whom is attached (though, unlike Maria Bertram, not engaged) to another man. In Wentworth’s defence, he isn’t aware of the latter, and isn’t trying to make them both fall in love with him, just being his (naturally charming) self, and keeping his eyes open for who he might like to marry; and he very nearly gets himself badly entangled and, later, freely acknowledges that as his own fault. Really, Wentworth has elements of all three of Austen’s main male character types, and is the better for it. (Anne herself has, I think, the most in common with Elinor Dashwood in being the only sensible and intelligent person in her family, and in being very perceptive, and with Fanny Price is being rather quiet and imposed upon.)

On the whole, this combination of characters makes the book feel less on the side of intelligence and judgement, and more on the side of a warm and open heart, in making for happiness, whereas S&S and P&P focus more strongly on the need for ‘sense’ and intelligence. Intelligence may well be a necessary quality for a truly good marriage, but it is not a sufficient one, not when it is combined with a cold and selfish heart.

[ninja-muse]

I bought Evelina on Jane Austen's recommendation and barely a day into reading it I was torn between "yes, of course Austen liked this!" and "oh, this explains so much!" and by halfway through I was consumed with glee over what I'd picked up. This is essentially an Austen novel but with twice the ~*~drama~*~ and so at least in my mind, twice the fun. You get awkward interactions at balls, terrible and embarrassing relatives, multiple suitors, and a frantic carriage ride with fake highwaymen, it's a whole thing.

The forward in my edition said that Burney was trying to be realistic with her characters and situations, not to be dramatic for the sake of it, and I think she pretty much nailed it. Evelina is a very believable seventeen—shy, naive, socially awkward, impulsive, deeply embarrassed by the people around her and also her own actions. She's trying to navigate an adult, social world with no experience and little guidance and with the bonus of rock and a hard place options thanks to cultural misogyny. Most of the drama comes from situations that anyone might find themselves in even now—parties, family dinners, nights on the town, people inviting themselves over because they "were in the area", visiting people you dislike out of obligation. Are some of the supporting characters a little larger than life and some of the situations the same? Sure, but I've read modern romcoms that needed more suspended disbelief, and I've read eighteenth-century novels that needed more too. Burney's ability to hit the ups and downs of emotions per the tropes of the sentimental novel while sticking to everyday topics and characters is commendable. Marvelous, even.

So yeah, I see why this caught Austen's attention. It's got a relatable teen girl doing "modern" teen girl things, it spoofs Georgian society in the excitingly foreign location of London, it's got enough going on between the personal growth and the suitors and the awful relatives and the problems with Evelina's parentage and inheritance that there's always something happening and always something to keep reading for. It's a novel about a female life by a woman who was reacting to the over-the-top novels and characterizations she saw around her. And I think if you're familiar with Austen at all, you can see what she took from it too? There were definite resonances with Northanger Abbey but also with Fanny Price and Catherine de Bourgh and there is literally a cad named Willoughby.

In other words, I had a lot of fun reading this and I've yet to finish another book this month that I wanted to talk up more. (The Demon of Unrest is also very good, but do I want to be discussing the American Civil War? Not really.) This is definitely a classic I think more people should read, especially if those people like modern Regency romances and/or Austen herself. Can't recommend it enough!

[lemonxlimee]

Okay well I'm bored so here's some of my osc headcanons

Outdated as of May 29th 2024

Sibling/Family

Pencil and Pen are siblings. Pencil is older by a few years, and Pen has trouble being apart from her for too long due to his RAD (Reactive Attachment Disorder). Marker is their cousin, he's younger than them both.

Tree, Leafy, Flower and Grassy (in that order) are siblings. They usually don't acknowledge this because the age gaps between them are so big, but Flower and Leafy have a propensity to favour each other since their ages are closer and they grew up together. Their ages in BFB are: Tree: 27, Leafy: 19, Flower: 18, Grassy: 6

Woody is a cousin. He's 17 in BFB.

Silver Spoon and Knife are brothers. They don't know that; Silver Spoon was raised in a rich neighbourhood by their mother, and Knife was "raised" by his "father" somewhere else.

Firey and Match are half-siblings. Firey is a little older than Match.

Firey Jr is the result of a failed Firey recovery. The former likes to think of them as brothers, but Firey would rather not think about the little one.

I also agree with the idea that Firey is a fireafy child, but I don't like fireafy so I choose to ignore it.

Paintbrush and Broomer are cousins, and they have lunch over their art every other weekend. Paintbrush is The Broomer Boys' album artist.

Gelatin and Lollipop are not related, but they think of each other as their sibling. Gelatin is younger than Lolly.

Fan and Paper are cousins.

Coiny and Nickel (bfb) are twins, but Nickel is younger.

If they were to be humans, Yin and Yang would be conjoined twins.

Book, Journal and Casey are siblings.

Fan and Fanny are siblings.

General

Black Hole has alexithymia. That means he has trouble identifying his emotions and often feels as if he doesn't have them.

Liy used to be an assassin; that's why she found so much joy and fulfilment in being part of Death PACT.

Because of his RAD, Pen has convinced himself he and Eraser are soulmates.

Two's birthday is 2/2/2002. They're the third-youngest Numeric Algebralien, the only younger being Four (4/12/2004) and X (7/28/2008).

Golf Ball made herself prosthetic arms, but she rarely uses them as she finds them to be "a hassle." Tennis Ball wears him, though, only because he feels an obligation to use GB's invention (since she made it for him, and it would be rude not to accept a gift!)

all the Electric contestants (Remote, TV, Robot Flower, Lightning and Fanny) are in an alliance. Price Tag and Profily are honorary members.

Coiny is dyslexic. That means he has trouble identifying words and letters and often spells and reads things incorrectly.

Bell loves Christmas music and often forces her teammates to go carolling with her every morning in December.

Blocky is great at physics (some of his pranks wouldn't work unless he carefully calculated them first, so he needs to be at least a little smart). One time, while helping nanny one of Rocky and Grassy's playdates, he noticed GB building a contraption where the support beams were slightly too small, and he helped her fix them. Much to the surprise of everyone involved, Blocky ended up being an asset to the scientists.

Firey speaks Spanish, and Taco is fluent in Mexican Spanish; they often can be heard muttering to each other about their respective Grrrs. Neither Leafy nor the rest of TLTDBGSI know this.

Pie wakes up at 3:14 AM every single day. Since Fanny is a light sleeper, it bothered her for the entire 6 months they had to room.

Fanny isn't much more grateful for having to bunk with Marker, either -- if it were up to her, he'd be sleeping in the yard.

Needle was the kid who tries way too hard in gym class but no one complained because WOW can she kick that ball

Like all metal and electric-based characters, Nickel can zap people by touching them, if the conditions are right. The only exceptions to this are Balloon and Goo since they are made of rubber-based materials.

Pillow smells like lavender

Match has autism

Book speaks 5 languages - English, French, Latin, Greek and German

Firey Jr is very skilled in lockpicking. He usually uses this to get into Firey's gas stash (their equivalent to candy).

Genders

Leafy is bigender, she/it

Golf Ball is unlabelled (who has time for silly things like this when there's more important things (science) to be done??)

Book is mtf

Pillow uses she/it

All the algebraliens are agender

One uses he/she Two uses they/he Four uses he/they/it Five uses she/they Six uses she/he/they Seven uses he/it Eight uses he/they Nine uses any/all Ten uses he/they Fourteen uses it/he Fifteen uses she/he X uses he/they Pi, tau, euler, and i all use they/it

Lollipop is mtf

Fanny is a demigirl

all the mechanical minds are agender and just go with whatever pronouns

Pie (canonically?) Uses she/they

Pen is ftm

Sexualities (there's a lot here)

(INHALE)

8 ball is aroace Balloony is gay Barf Bag is asexual panromantic Basketball is lesbian Bell is ace lesbian Black Hole is aroace/gay Blocky is gay Bomby is aroace Book is lesbian Bottle is pan Bracelety is VERY lesbian Bubble is lesbian Cake is gay Clock is demi/bi Cloudy is gay Coiny is bisexual David is ??? Donut is pan Dora is ??? Eggy is demi lesbian Eraser is bicurious (thought he was gay for AGES until Teardrop) Fanny is demi/pan Firey is straight Flower is lesbian Foldy is straight Fries is straight Gaty is unlabelled (sexuality doesn't matter to her as long as she has friends, and if she falls in love, oh well!) Gelatin is aroace Golf Ball is unlabelled (who has time for silly things like this when there's more important things (science) to be done??) Ice Cube is unlabelled (too focused on REVENGE >:D) Leafy is bi Liy is demi/ace Lollipop is lesbian (obviously) Loser is gay Marker is asexual Match is lesbian Naily is bicurious Needle is bi Nickel is gay Pen is gay Pencil is lesbian Pillow is lesbian Pin is bi Price Tag is unlabelled (rimshot) Profily is aroace Puffball is pan Remote is unlabelled/asexual Robot Flower is unlabelled (what is sex.?) Roboty is aroace Ruby is lesbian Saw is lesbian Snowball is straight Spongy is aromantic but wouldn't pass up on an opportunity to have any relationship Stapy is straight Taco is demiro/demisexual Teardrop is bi Tennis Ball is straight Tree is pan TV is aroace Winner is gay/ace Woody is bi/ace Yellow Face is ??? All the Speaker Boxes are aroace Four is bi Two is unlabelled X is bi

[darklydeliciousdesires]

Immortal Beloved - Chapter Ten.

Thank you very much to all of you still keeping up with this :)

Previous chapters - Prologue One Two Three Four Five Six Seven Eight Nine

Tag list - In the comments

Words - 3,556

Warnings - 18+ only. Adult themes + vampire content throughout. Minors DNI!

“She’s gonna be a spoilt princess. I could fucking kill Bryn, if she weren’t dead already.” 

The way John viewed the scene before them so adoringly did not match his lightly delivered vexation, him and Polly standing and watching the heartwarming sight of Katie being led up and down the driveway aboard her new pony, Bryn's Christmas gift to her. “We agreed on a fucking rocking horse, and she goes and buys a bloody Welsh Section C!”  

“They’re a good pony for a child to begin on, so I’m told,” Tommy spoke as he joined them, a mischievous smile playing his lips as John turned with narrowed eyes. 

“You were in cahoots with her, weren’t ya?”  

He sniffed, lifting his chin. “Heels down, Katie! That’s it!”  

“Don’t fucking avoid the question, Tom!” 

His laugh rumbled, watching as Bryn circled them around at the top of the drive and ran back up again, the little dun coloured pony trotting along neatly as her new owner squealed and giggled with delight from the saddle. “Might’ve lent a hand in the purchase.”  

John continued to mutter, chewing on his toothpick as Polly gave him a shove with her elbow. “Oh, come on, John. Like you didn’t buy out half of Rackham’s toy department for her as it was! A pony isn’t that different to some of those fancy rocking horses they had there, too. Have you seen the price some of them fetch? Holy shit.” 

“Yeah, but a real horse ain’t got its hooves nailed to a bit of wood, has it? A real horse eats a fuckload of hay and needs shiny bits of expensive metal nailing to its feet, and everything else that comes with ‘em! Bloody money pits, they are.” 

“John?” Tommy questioned, placing his hand onto his shoulder, his brother still viewing him from under a somewhat furrowed brow. “You aren’t exactly short of a bob or two now, are you? Stop being a misery and look how happy your little girl is. My stable lads will look after the pony, and Katie can come up here whenever she likes to ride him.”  

“Yeah, and that’s all gonna be on me, ain’t it, since fanny Anne over there is conveniently asleep all fucking day!” His continued pissed off splutters had his aunt and brother in soft fits, fanny Anne herself overhearing his protests.  

“Tommy is right, John,” Bryn called, halting her jog as she and Katie arrived back with them. “Stop being a misery.” Lifting Katie from the pony, she placed the tot down, watching her run back into the house as one of the stable boys led her favourite Christmas present back to the stables. John shook his head, pulling her close as the others entered the house. 

“For that, you’ll go over my fucking knee, Brynhild.” 

“Oooh,” she purred, stroking his cheek with her fingernail. “Is that a promise?” 

His hand found the round of her bum, smacking it hard several times. “Get in the fucking house.” 

Christmas Day dinner was always eaten on the evening in the Shelby household, the day itself preceded by gift giving and light snacks, plenty of port and whiskey, and a jolly good time had by all. John had felt a little bit out of sorts for not having Bryn by his side until 5pm when the sun had finally melted into the wintery horizon, Katie too making her displeasure known. 

It had been tricky, deciding what to tell the child in order to explain why she only ever saw Bryn in the evenings, John deciding simplicity was the best. “Sunlight makes her poorly, pige, so that’s why we only see Bryn at nighttime.” She’d taken her father’s word as easily as he’d delivered it, luckily. He’d reveal the truth to her when she was old enough to understand what it meant to be a vampire, feeling that four years old was much too young to truly grasp the concept.  

Before the merriment could continue, the matter of the spy locked up in the butler’s pantry had to be dealt with, Bryn, John and Polly going down to see to it themselves while everyone else assembled in the lounge. John picked up the telephone where Bryn had left it the previous night before descending the steps, the three of them waiting until the coast was clear of serving staff who were bustling around.  

“Good evening, young lady,” Bryn spoke as they entered, finding a very disgruntled looking Helen on the opposing side of the door. “I believe you have a telephone call to make, hmm?” 

The girl wanted nothing more than to scream for help, cry out the injustice done to her, but she knew no ears within the household that could hear would come to her aid. She was alone, discovered as a spy, with thirty pounds to show for her trouble. Taking the receiver she was handed, she made the call, uttering the lie she had been fed while the vampire who had instructed her stared unflinchingly, taking the phone away again once she was done.  

“Now I shall escort you upstairs to pack your belongings, as Mr. Shelby has directed me to escort you from the property as swiftly as possible,” she spoke, while John untied her bindings one by one, Polly observing from the corner.  

Shoving Helen in Bryn’s direction, he picked up the rope, beginning to coil it in his strong hands, watching the way his vampire lover viewed him do so with keen interest. “Don’t think I’ll put all of this back where I found it.”  

Bryn returned the wink he gave her before escorting Helen out, leaving him and Polly behind in the pantry, the latter letting out a long breath before picking up a bottle of gin and pulling the cork out.  

“Well, that’s that almost done with.” Holding the bottle to her lips, she downed a mouthful, her face pinching as she swallowed. “Fuck, I don’t know how people can drink this shit! Tastes like perfume.” 

Going into his pocket, John retrieved his hip flask, unscrewing the cap and taking a long glug of the whiskey within, passing it to his aunt. “Me neither.” Taking the flask back, he swigged from it again, sighing as he screwed his eyes tightly shut. “We can’t trust no one. I ain’t even sure that she’s the only one who’s been sent by ‘em. Surely Edward wouldn’t be so fucking stupid as to only send one down here, eh?” 

“One’s all it takes, John. Besides, if it was anybody else in the house with her, reason dictates they likely would have freed her and ran for it while we were all sleeping, regardless of Bryn’s little blood link insurance policy,” Polly advised, lighting up a cigarette. “You’re right, though. This is the time we circle the wagons. Any new people sniffing around should be treated even more suspiciously than usual. I’m going to have a word with Bryn, too. I’ve been thinking. Those tattoos of hers, lovely that they are, are a fucking giveaway. She needs to extend her makeup down from her face and neck, or not show off her tits quite as much.” 

“Shame,” John sniffed, lighting himself a cigar, “they’re fucking cracking tits.” 

She rolled her eyes, opening the door. “Come on, you bloody letch. Let’s see to her getting the fuck off the property.” They headed back up the stairs, hovering by the door only a short time before Bryn and Helen joined them, the latter clutching her small bag in a tight grip. The outside air was crisp, a smattering of snow still present on the ground as she was marched away from the homestead and up the driveway. 

“How am I to get away from here now? Where do I stay?” 

Polly laughed a little bitterly, a final drag taken on her cigarette before she flicked it away. “Should have thought of that before, shouldn’t you, girl?” 

“Could I please have a car take me into town?” 

It was Bryn who laughed this time, her hand reaching out to cup at the back of her neck. “There is no point, Helen. You shan’t be leaving the property.” With a snap, her fangs bared, gleaming white through the darkness. “Ever.”  

Like lightning, her mouth clamped onto her neck, her hand muffling Helen’s scream as she began to drain her. Polly’s eyes rounded in horror, John a little taken aback, but more accepting of the outcome. Bryn wasn’t stupid; he had wondered if she truly intended to let the Rasmussen spy leave with her life intact.  

As soon as she felt her heartbeat still, her body was dropped onto the drive, Bryn licking her lips before receding her fangs once more.  

“Oh, Polly,” she sighed, placing a hand upon her hip as she gestured to the corpse. “Surely, you did not forget what I am beneath the charming woman you are coming to know, hmm? You might not have grounds to fear me, but anybody who crosses me does.” 

“If I did, Brynhild, you’ve certainly reminded me. Holy shit,” she spoke, lighting herself another cigarette.  

“I couldn’t risk her leaving here with only her word that she would say nothing. If someone’s word can be bought, then it is not to be trusted.” Looking down at the corpse, she felt not an ounce of anything, the coldness in her vampiric nature not stirred at all. “She served her purpose; did the job she was paid for. Now, she can do no more.” 

“I suppose Tommy gave you his blessing?”  

Not much got past Polly. “Indeed, he did. Now, can one of you tell me where I might find a shovel?”  

“Round by the stables, next to where they keep the saddles an’ all that.” John told her, Bryn disappearing and reappearing in a flash. Polly headed back to the house, John watching as Bryn struck into the frozen ground, the soil crumbling like sand under the power she wielded the shovel with. Usually, it would have taken two grown men about an hour to dig through frozen soil. For Bryn, she had dug out a deep pit in just over five minutes.  

“Okay,” she spoke, pulling the thirty pounds she had given to Helen the previous evening from her apron, looking down at the corpse with distaste. “Put her in.”  

John rolled the cadaver until it fell from the edge and into the deep pit, thinking what a good job Bryn had done. It was at least eight feet deep. With their inconvenience buried, Bryn also dragging various debris over the unmarked grave so that the plot did not stand out, they headed back to the house arm in arm to join the festivities as if nothing had ever happened.  

Once there, they sat down at the long table with the rest of the family, enjoying the warmth from the fire as they ate dinner, Arthur being Arthur and proposing a very drunken toast that mostly consisted of cussing and hiccupping. Once the children had gone to bed, the later evening saw the arrival of a few close friends, Johnny Dogs among them, John not able to immediately offer an introduction as Bryn had excused herself to tuck Katie in.  

“So, you’re still alive, John? Not come to anything bad on those teeth now, eh?” he joked, John being able to detect the slight trepidation in his demeanour he was attempting to mask with humour.  

“Nah, nothing bad,” he replied, grinning to himself at the memory of just how erotic it was, to be bitten by a vampire. It never failed to do something to him that no human woman could ever compare with. It was fair to say, in fact, that the living had been ruined for John now he’d had a taste of what immortal felt like to fuck.  

Johnny laughed, waving a finger. “Oh, now would you look at that grin on the boy? That’s a grin of a... Jesus fucking wept!” His words were halted by the fact that in the space it took him to blink, John suddenly wasn’t standing alone beside the fire, an elegant looking woman in a dark green beaded dress appearing at his side. “Oh... oh so you’re the shadow walker girl, are ya? Oh, I see now, yes... yes. Um. Yes.”  

Johnny’s usual bravado becoming dented further with every syllable uttered had John snort laughing into his whiskey glass, the gypsy continuing. “Oh now, you understand me apprehension here? There’s a lotta bad blood between my folk and yours, there is?”  

“Not from my personal perspective, Johnny,” she spoke, halting his hand where he rapidly pointed between himself and her, stroking the back of it as she transmitted her energy onto him, calming his nerves. “It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance. My name is Brynhild.” 

“You’re a Scandinavian girl, are ya? Oh, you must be with a name like that, eh?” 

“I am Norwegian, yes,” she confirmed, Johnny still taking a time to calm as his muscles stiffened. Bless his heart, though. He was trying his hardest.  

“Oh well that’s grand, so? I bet you get some fucking terrible winters all the way up there?”  

Bryn gave John a gentle shove as he shook with silent laughter. “We do, yes.” 

“Now tell me, love. You’re not hungry, are ya? Because I know you shadow walkers like the gypsy blood? I don’t want to be getting bitten, so, so if you could keep them teeth away, I’d be thanking you!”  

That was the moment John erupted completely, Bryn not able to bite back her smile. Oh, he was such a card. “Trust me, Johnny. My preferred blood source is standing right next to me.”  

His eyebrows almost vanished off his forehead entirely. “Now there’s a thing?” His eyes darted between them uncomfortably for a few moments. “Well, if that’s what tickles your fancy, John. And, and why not, if you like it? I mean I’m not making aspersions or nothing! If it floats your boat, and um, yours too, Brynhild. I’ll erm, I’ll go and say hello to Tommy now.”  

“Fucking hell!” he wheezed, him and Bryn both in mild hysterics as Johnny shot across the room, calling out to Tommy. “I ain’t ever seen a fella work so hard not to die of fright in all me life!” 

“I’m surprised he didn’t begin to glisten beneath his eyes with the effort, the poor man,” Bryn chuckled, composing herself. “I am sure once he’s used to me, he might calm down a little bit.”  

“I kind of hope he doesn’t, because I’ve never seen Dogs so flustered before and fuck, it’s gonna entertain me for ages, that!” he laughed, pulling Bryn close and kissing her cheek. The gathering lasted into the small hours, John and Bryn the first to depart to their room, Bryn flicking her hand in the direction of the fireplace as soon as they entered. The flames roared into life, the hearth sparkling amber as heat began to sweep through the chill of the room.  

“Right, now you’re probably wondering why it is you ain’t had your Christmas present from me yet,” John began, taking her hands and bringing them to his mouth, kissing her cool fingers as he smiled adoringly at her.  

She began to nod, her grin a little twisted at the corner. “I had thought it to be somewhat lacking, yes, this much is true.”  

His smile grew, while on the inside, his heartbeat began to thrum in frenzy, nerves washing through him. “Well, that’s because I wanted it to be just you and me when I gave it to ya.” Taking a small box from his pocket, Bryn’s hands flew to her mouth with a gasp as she watched him drop down to one knee before her. “Brynhild, I know it hasn’t been long, but you mean more to me than any other woman ever has or will. I love you, sweetheart. Will you marry me?”  

Her eyes filled with tears, nodding rapidly. “Yes! Oh, my various gods above, a thousand times yes!” 

“Good,” he hummed, winking at her as he flipped the box open. “You can have this now.” 

There within sat on a little cushion indent, was the most beautiful ring she had ever seen. It was an emerald cut diamond, flanked by an art deco arrangement of smaller ones that all extended around onto the platinum band it was set upon. “It’s engraved an’ all.” 

Taking the ring from the box as he stood, she studied the inside of the band, gasping softly. 

My immortal beloved 

“Oh, John!” Her tears fell like crimson rain as he slid it onto her finger, taking his pocket square so she could dab them away, placing a kiss upon the tip of her nose.  

“Don’t you ever say I can’t be romantic.”  

“I never, ever would, my love,” she told him, falling into kisses that felt never ending as they began to strip one another of their clothes.  

“I love you,” he breathed, moving her hair from her neck. “I love you.” His lips met the side of her throat, hands cupping her waist to lift her. “I love you.” Clasping her tightly to him, he carried her to the bed, lying her down, thinking how he’d never seen a woman look at him in the way she was in that moment, his mouth falling to hers once more.  

His bee stung lips closed in a suck upon the pebbled peak of her nipple, fingers trailing through the petals of her cunt, pushing inside her, slick wet awaiting his touch. The rotation he used had her hips bucking against his hand, Bryn clasping his face and kissing him with filthy indulgence. Her groan poured out rich and rumbling, especially when his thumb moved to rub sparks at her clit.  

She was virtually dizzy with pleasure when he finally replaced his fingers with something much thicker, his mouth sucking lilac welts against her neck. His body became flecked with the goose pimples from the sensual glide of her nails down his back, charging across his freckled skin like a herd of wild horses. His arm trailed down her body, hooking beneath her leg and levering it forward until it touched her chest, his hand grasping her throat as he pinned her to the bed.  

The way it allowed his cock to sink in deeper had her wailing, teeth nibbling along her jaw, tongue following the patterns of the tattoos that swirled across her chest. His girth dragged at her, making her wetter around him, John utterly saturated with the gloss of her arousal as his hips began to drive like a piston.  

“Fuck.” He gritted, teeth grazing her throat, the wild heat rising between them both, his mouth swallowing down each of her little cries as their lips met, whispering his love tenderly. It was a heavenly juxtapose to how brutally he began to fuck her.   

Their kisses became magmatic, his forehead pressing to hers as he stared unflinchingly into the crystal blue of her eyes, until the fluttering of her cunt had him closing his eyes tightly, burying his mouth at her neck as he groaned almost helplessly.   

He lost any tentative threads of control, his thrusts staccato, cock making constellations burst through the hug of her molten walls, Bryn’s nails digging into his shoulders as she clung to him, rolling her hips up to meet each barbarously delivered thrust. The lightning jumped from strike point to strike point as the storm swelled and crashed, her entire body alight as he pulsed jets of hot cum within her.   

Utterly spent, breathless and all that was electrifying ebbing away, the sparks still gently fizzed through them as they stroked one another, sharing tender kisses. Everything was warm, serene and lazy, words of love whispered, adoration abounding. He fell asleep still inside of her that night, Bryn enjoying his warmth before gently moving him beneath the covers, getting up to go and sit upon the wide windowsill. 

Watching the diamonds sparkle upon her finger, she looked out into the pale blue of the moonlight, her eyes glancing back to where John slept. She knew that running was no longer an option, and it should never have been. An existence exiled from her offspring, standing behind those of power for protection, driven by her fear of being captured again was not who she was.  

Closing her eyes, her memories took her back over a thousand years, back to the siege upon Mercia, Bryn stood before a heathen army of a hundred Vikings, her heathen army. She heard her own bellowing war cry, their advancement descending the great hill in which they had waited atop, running into the valley to meet the oncoming men, while from the east and west, the remaining two hundred of her army had encircled the Mercian’s entirely.  

Wiping out those who stood in her way was in her blood. She had lived and breathed it in her human life, after all. Now, she had to find her way back to it in order to secure her future. Now was no longer the time for hiding. Now was the time to remember who she was.  

Now was the time for war.  

[fictionadventurer]

I have been following your reading of Ruth with interest; when I read it myself the main impression was that of relentless misery. Certainly, characters were kind and nature was beautiful, but Ruth's life overall was too sad for me, even if it shone forth with her sweetness, innocence, generosity, and mercifulness.

With time I have come to a more... analytical approach if you will. I feel like The Problem With RuthTM is that Gaskell is serving on her plate more than she can chew. A good part of the story feels like an homage to The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, with the pointing out of double standards, the protection of children, forgiveness of those who made your life miserable, etc; but it is also trying to include commentary on single motherhood, religious hypocrisy, social cruelty... and that kind of corners her into writing Ruth, the fallen woman, as too angelic, too perfect, too innocent, all the time, and that gets a bit grating after a while. Even Fanny Price has her moments of jealousy or anger in her inner thoughts! It also corners her into... having to kill her off in the end? Even if it isn't a horrible death in disgrace, and she is an exalted character at the end of the story for her virtues, it still sort of carries the idea that she cannot "come back" from the mistake of her youth.

Ruth does become too good, and I wished that Gaskell had been able to show her as a more complicated character--would she have been worthy of redemption if she hadn't been perfectly good after she repented of her major sin?--but I was able to forgive it somewhat because Ruth is set up as innocent and trusting from the beginning, and Gaskell points out that her present-focused personality is both the source of her sin (not thinking about the consequences) and her later saintliness (letting go of the past and not thinking of herself). I didn't think it made her an annoying character, because that portion of the story was less about her and more about how other people react to her--here's a community that loves her because she seems perfect, so how does that change when they find out her deep, dark secret?

I don't think Gaskell was trying to do too much. I think the story's incredibly focused because everything centers around one theme: sin. How do we fall into it? How do we rationalize it? How do we hide it? How do we redeem ourselves from it? How do we judge others for it? Almost every character has to grapple directly with some major sin they commit and the fallout from it.

It's why I don't agree that this is at all a Tenant redux. Bronte was writing directly about gender and marriage and critiquing the societal structures surrounding both. Gaskell centers the story on Ruth's fall not to comment on gender or sex, but to explore sin, and this happens to be one of the most severely-judged sins in her society. Even if the surface situation seems similar--a woman pretending to be a widow to hide a shameful past--their realities and personalities are exact opposites, and the stories are exploring very different things.

As for the ending, I also heartily wish that Gaskell had come up with a happier ending for Ruth. I was so disappointed when I realized Gaskell was going with the expected cliche. However, I don't think Gaskell was trying to say there was no redemption for Ruth. She had been thoroughly redeemed in the eyes of the town. The death read to me as, "Well, the story has to end somewhere, and this provides the easiest ending point."

Actually, aside from my disappointment at the chosen path, I think this is one of Gaskell's best endings, because it's thematically and structurally coherent. Ruth going to care for Mr. Bellingham at the risk of her own life is a mirror to Mr. Bellingham abandoning her after his first illness. The first time, she was shut out from caring for him; the second time, she comes when no one else will dare. After his first illness, he proves that he doesn't love her by abandoning her for his own convenience; during the second, she proves what love truly is by coming at risk to her own life. (Also, the fact that the one servant who stayed with him was the boy he'd rescued from the river at their second meeting--my heart!). Ruth has retained her innocence and grown into someone courageous, while Bellingham with his worldly prosperity has magnified his faults and fallen deeper into sin. Ruth has become someone so selfless that she gives her own life, while Bellingham is so selfish that he expects to be commended for merely giving money to a child he's abandoned for twelve years. (Gentle Mr. Benson throwing him out of the house was almost enough to make me forgive the rest of the ending).

The callbacks and mirrors made for a much tighter ending than Gaskell usually manages--even if I was disappointed in the choice, it didn't come out of nowhere, the way, for instance, that some parts of Mary Barton do. It made it satisfying to me as an overall story, so I can forgive a lot of smaller flaws along the way.

[anghraine]

The fuller Darcy next-gen headcanon, while I'm at it:

Elizabeth Jane (Lizzy) Darcy. She's quiet, withdrawn, dutiful, and intense. Strong eldest daughter vibes. She's very handsome and expected (not by her parents so much as their wider social circle) to be charming and witty to go with it, like her mother, and is neither; she low-grade resents her while also idolizing her. Gets on well with her father and most of her aunts, but rarely confides in anyone.

Edward Darcy (named for Mr Gardiner and Lord —). He's sensible, down-to-earth, loyal, earnest, and easy-going. Very much wants to live up to his strong sense of responsibility as The Heir. Most people like him well enough without having a strong impression of his feelings or personality. Gets along well with both parents, but is slightly intimidated by his father's sterling reputation and force of presence.

Christopher Darcy (Kit, named after Darcy's father in my headcanons). He's high-spirited, clever, friendly, and very content in his own skin, more so than any of his siblings. Like Edward, he's easy-going and practical, but more energetic. He can be a bit careless and outspoken, even impertinent, while also able to pull on a touch of hauteur when annoyed. His spirits and confidence can make him exasperating at times, but also endearing to pretty much everyone around him, including both parents.

Georgiana Darcy. She has quite a bit in common with her brother Kit; she's not quite as comfortable with herself, but she's at least as fearless and impulsive (Voted Child Most Likely To Give Her Caretakers Headaches). She's quick-witted and can get carried away with her own ideas, but is also gregarious and kind, and readily befriended the family's shy charity case, her cousin Fanny Price Bella Wickham.

Honorable mention next-gen characters: Bess Wickham, the most driven, intelligent, and calculating of the Wickham children; George Wickham, her closest sibling, less ambitious but more careless; Martha Bingley, a bubbly, inquisitive, matchmaking middle Bingley child; and Sarah Gardiner, born a few months after P&P ends, thoughtful, pragmatic, and courteous.

[ijustkindalikebooks]

You know, I hate stereotypes but as I look out my window and I see stereotypical British weather in the beginnings of Summer, you know this one is based in truth. Of course it's raining.

I have completed 42 books this month ( plus 4 DNFs) and have read novels, manga, poetry and essay collections to get to this point. I read mainly from women this month and predominantly fiction which is not unusual, but the numbers were so high this month.

I also had my highest amount of five star books this month as well, so this might be a bit of a long one.

I am also going to link four different gofundmes I am aware for people trying to get themselves and their families out of Gaza.

Dina - Lulu - Doaa - Jumana.

Blue Exorcist 14 and 15 by Kazue Kato - I really am deep into this series now. The end of the last arc was fantastic and this one involved some of my favourite characters and I really feel the strength of the team and class is really beginning to show now. I just really appreciate this series alot so far and I can't wait to keep reading more of it. The story of Rin who finds out he's the son of satan when his exorcist father figure is killed, Blue Exorcist is definitely a heck of a series so far as they fight demons and break curses.

I Who Have Never Known Men by Jacqueline Harpman - I've read this month so many books that have demanded to seen, heard and felt and this is definitely one of those books. The story of a young girl who grows up with a group of women who finally escape the confines of a cell they were trapped in, this book tells the story of her exploration of the world she now inhabits. Gloriously written and packing an emotional punch that will leave you breathless for days, I'd recommend this book to everyone.

Sketchy Vol 1 by Makihorichi - I am not going to dwell on this long as I have a whole review on this blog for it, but I highly recommend this manga about a woman who gets into skateboarding and begins to find new friends and create a new life for herself.

Mansfield Park by Jane Austen - I've been reading alot of classics and honestly very few have got five stars, actually few have even got four, but Mansfield Park is just so good. How Austen writes people is way ahead of her time, she is fantastic at creating people you love, you hate, you feel for and this book is no exception (even if the awful man in this book seems to come from my home county smh). The story of Fanny Price, a young but poor girl who is sent to live with rich family, she navigate, love, life, loneliness and envy, it is a classic for a a reason.

Homebody by Theo Parrish - I was lucky enough to see them discuss this book at my local Waterstones and was able to get a signed copy of this fantastic graphic novel. The story of Theo as they figure out their identity and find the gender they feel at home with, Homebody is a beautifully drawn and fantastically written story of figuring out who you are. I loved this so much and highly recommend it.

Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan - Keegan is at the height of her talent right now and it's short stories like these? Novellas? That make that so abundantly clear. A beautifully told story about a man learning where the power lies in his Irish village (with the church in this case) it touches on the Magdalene Laundries and the impact they had on women and the places they were based in. A tale of quite hope and heroism, this book is a gem.

The Facemaker by Lindsey Fitzharris - I will say from the top if you are not comfortable with explicit examples of wounds or surgery, this is not something I'd recommend, there is a lot of detail that goes into how these men got their wounds in world war one and I took several breaks to read this book. However this doesn't change just how well written this book is and the depth this has gone to research Doctor Gillies who basically invested plastic and reconstructive surgery for men who were burnt, scarred and hurt in the trenches and the impact of his work that is still seen today. The story of a pioneer in 250 pages, it's a piece of history that doesn't get heard about.

What were your favourite books of May? Please let me know!

Vee xo

[lastmafagafo]

What's the difference between nice and kind?

I reread Mansfield Park, after more than a decade. The first time I read it, I was a teen, discovering Jane Austen works and watching every adaptation I could put my hands on. Back in the day, Mansfield Park became my least favourite of her novels, while Fanny Price, despite not being my least favourite Austen heroine, couldn’t stand a chance with Lizzie, Emma or even Elinor on my list.

Now, for a series of reasons, I decided to read the novel again and, for my surprise, I liked Fanny a lot. I dare even say she is one of Austen's strongest heroines, succeeding where others failed. Despite being shy (and clearly having low self esteem issues), Fanny do stand up for herself when it's really needed.

That’s more than you can say about Anne Eliot, who was persuaded to refuse Captain Wentworth's first proposal. Fanny is also a good judge of character*, better than Marianne and Lizzie, who let themselves being fooled by Wickham and Willoughby, Catherine Morland, who befriended shallow Isabella (and also accused her father-in-law-to-be of murder), and Emma who managed to misjudge every single character in her story, including herself.

Not saying that Fanny is perfect, tho. She can be a bit of a doormat when it comes to dealing with her Aunt Norris. I dare say Fanny can even be a bit manipulative sometimes. But she surely has her heart on the right place.

I've seen some people compare Fanny with Mary Crawford, stating that Mary would do a much better protagonist. How? Comparing Fanny and Mary is like comparing being kind and being nice. Fanny is kind, and we know it because in her thoughts she really seem to care about the people she loves (and even those she doesn’t love so much). Even when refusing Crawford she worries about his feelings. But Mary, she is not kind, she is nice. Like a chameleon, she changes her demeanor to match her companions. When in Mansfield she is witty and charming, but not improper, specially when compared with Maria and Julia. She even gets closer to Fanny (in acquaintance and demeanor), since she knows that was something Edmund would approve. Back in London, she is changed. With her friends, she is coquettish and frugal, forgetting about Fanny when keeping her friendship is not as useful as it was.

Mary seems confident, but she is a people pleaser. She seeks others love and attention, and expects to gain something from her actions. Fanny doesn’t.

I could say this is an issue of today, of our social media/attention seeking selves, but knowing even Jane Austen's family had very different opions about the novel and Fanny, I dare say nice x kind is a timeless debate. I think Jane knew it, and how easily people could mix the two. Something, I confess, I’m still trying to learn myself.

What do you think about it? Leave a comment, or call me on my DMs.

*Isn’t it brilliant of Jane? Most of her novels, the heroine misjudge other characters, but in Mansfield it is us, readers, who are fooled by appearances.

[bethanydelleman]

If the Austen heroines lived today (and had to work outside of the home), what jobs do you think they would have?

If we look at the heroine's relative incomes, it's likely that Catherine Morland, Fanny Price, and the Dashwoods would require professions, as clergyman and naval marine don't pay that well today and the Dashwoods lost their inheritance. Elizabeth Bennet, Emma Woodhouse, and Anne Elliot are all trust fund babies, though Elizabeth and Anne would likely get jobs since their families are blowing all their money and they're not idiots. Emma is the only one who genuinely would not need to work, even in a modern context. I am not going to assign her a profession, I suspect if she existed in a similar context today she would manage her father's affairs, run the family company, and a charity, much like she does in the novel.

Catherine Morland - in university, is in a very general program and has no idea what to do with her life. Ends up in some sort of childcare career because she knows she's good at it but still scrolls through job pages imagining what else she could do. Writes very bad novels on the side.

Elinor Dashwood - public school art teacher, secure career path with a solid pay cheque, never even considered becoming an artist

Marianne Dashwood - concert pianist/piano instructor reluctantly, because piano playing doesn't pay well, failed lyricist. Has a very popular YouTube channel

Elizabeth Bennet - I see lawyer SO OFTEN in fan fiction, but I disagree. This observer of human nature is getting sucked into psychology and becoming a researcher. She'll realize how bad of a judge of character she can be pre-Darcy because now she has evidence. May become a therapist as well.

Anne Elliot - Anne is so intelligent, she can be whatever she wants. She's so good with kids too, maybe a pediatrician? She threw herself into education after the Wentworth thing.

Fanny Price - the Bertrams paid for her university education and she chose the most guaranteed source of income: accounting. Companies will always need accountants and she can help support her family.

Jane Bennet - I can see her also choosing a very practical career but then dropping out of the workforce to be a stay-at-home mom. Charles has enough money to make that work.

[volcanicmudbubbles]

Anne, after hearing that Louisa has chosen Capt Benwick over Capt Wentworth:

No one was hurt by Louisa’s choice, she thinks, and so there’s no reason to feel sad for any of them — no reason for regret. “No, it was not regret which made Anne’s heart beat in spite of herself, and brought the colour into her cheeks when she thought of Captain Wentworth unshackled and free. She had some feelings which she was ashamed to investigate. They were too much like joy, senseless joy!”

Anne Elliot 🤝 Fanny Price

[dreamsofalifeold]

((I need to give Shy a more defined personality...I have trouble connecting with her sometimes? She can be a lil all over the place and it bugs me because idk what I even want to do.

She's really scatterbrained. It seems like she's easy to forgive, and while that's true to some extent? Part of it is that she forgets to be mad after awhile. Plus, she just hates being angry and finds it exhausting.

She's also very impulsive and often does things without really knowing why? Which is weird because some things she'll do out of nowhere and others she agonizes over.

She's emotive and expressive, but only with like...very surface level feelings; deeper and more complex emotions are very difficult and confusing for her to untangle, let alone express. Shy doesn't have a good grasp over her own feelings and often can't explain why she does something like lashing out, or crying, or what triggers certain responses. She prides herself on being funny, but doesn't like being laughed at; she hates being laughed at by people.

I feel like she really likes classical music? Especially lush orchestral pieces, and showtunes. She loves gothic fantasy, and classic literature, and she's read the fairytale Undine like 30 times because she heavily identifies with the main character. She will rant at you about how Fanny Price should have deserved better for like 3 hours if you let her.

She feels deeply but expresses shallowly. If you say something to her, it stays in her heart forever, even if she's claimed forgiveness. Even she doesn't always know how much something has affected her, not until years down the line.

I'll try more later, on account of my brain don't work too good.))

[tadpal]

made myself angry. fanny price is a really difficult type of character to adapt to screen bc she is so internal and her arc is mostly static. she instead of learning something has to struggle to stay the same and stick to her morals in situations that tempt and test her. she has a minor arc of learning to speak up for herself but compared to other jane austen heroines it is quite undramatic as in, she is not involved in much of the Interesting Plotlines and instead is just an observer which is THE POINT OF HER CHARACTER and i GET IT that's a hard protagonist to make a film/tv show about. i really sympathise. but if you're not willing to TRY then why make a mansfield park adaptation at all? why not make the billionth p&p or emma adaption??? or branch slightly out and make a northanger abbey or a weird s&s that focuses on marianne but WHY adapt MISS FANNY PRICE if you DONT LIKE HER as a character?

[cherhorow1tz]

For this week's Tumblr post, on the theme of YA, I looked through this list of YA Jane Austen retellings. I wanted to highlight a couple that were interesting to me.

First, Being Mary Bennet by J.C. Peterson stuck out to me. Something that I appreciate is when adaptations, fanfics, sequels or prequels elaborate upon characters that stayed kind of in the background. Modern example that I watched recently was that I loved the spin off of Bridgerton, Queen Charlotte. I thought it gave the story of Bridgerton so much more depth and I loved being able to piece everything together and understand character nuances. Similarly, loved the Hunger Games prequel for its background of President Snow. This is why I feel like Being Mary Bennet would be so interesting because it delves into a seemingly side character. What seems cool about it, though is that it's not just an addition of Pride and Prejudice with more of Mary's backstory. It's about a girl who reads P+P and finds herself reluctantly identifying with Mary more than Lizzie, and showcases her own self-discovery journey of realizing that even if she felt like a side character, she is her own main character. Personally, also, I resonate with this as a middle child. Shout out to my overlooked middle child friends; I feel your pain. We are our own main characters.

Second adaptation I looked at was Sense & Second-Degree Murder by Tirzah Price. The first thing I noticed was that they just slightly changed Elinor's age for some reason. I looked it up and she's supposed to be 19 in the og, so I don't know why Price decided that 18 was better than 19. In the same vein of expanding on small (albeit not that small) parts of the original novels, I like how this adaptation goes into depth of Mr. Dashwood's death. It's something just mentioned in the beginning of S+S and the issue more becomes of what to do with his wealth. Though, I like the modern take of more focus on his actual death and what happened here. In the description, they also mention that John and Fanny exiled the girls to Barton Street in London, which I looked up and you can see below. I appreciate the author's selection of this street and the construction worker's tank that matches the "warning alarmed" sign. Adds to the effect of being relocated to a suboptimal living situation.

[rusakkowrites]

I promise I'm almost done (I'm not but I shouldn't bother you so much) but please, another DVD commentary if you don't mind because I love Charlotte transferred to Mansfield Park:

“Well,” sniffed Mrs Norris when the news of the engagement first became known, “I wonder at Dr Grant’s going to such trouble and expense to find himself a wife. Gadding off to Hertfordshire – and travelling post by all accounts – when he might just as easily have married a local woman. And inquire where I will, I cannot find out that this Miss Lucas ever had more than five hundred pounds to her name!”

Lady Bertram, less prejudiced against Dr Grant, was not so severe. She might in fact have been inclined to forgive Mrs Grant’s lack of fortune entirely, had the young lady proven to be sufficiently pretty. The first sighting of the new arrival, however, hardened her heart. Mrs Grant was plain, absolutely plain, and could not deserve to be so well settled. The sisters were thus agreeably united in their disapproval.

It was fortunate that neither of her aunts thought to ask Fanny Price for her opinion, for she would not have known how to reply. Mrs Grant, she was obliged to acknowledge, was indeed plain; but as their acquaintance progressed, Fanny began to suspect that she was also rather clever – and very good at managing those around her.

Being frequently called upon to sit with her aunts, Fanny was often present when Mrs Grant came to call on them. She thus had plenty of opportunity to observe how Mrs Grant, though never betraying any consciousness of their antipathy, methodically began to overturn it.

“I will say one thing in her favour,” said Mrs Norris grudgingly after one such morning call. “She is not brought up too fine. A clergyman’s wife should not be afraid of stepping into the kitchen now and then, and Mrs Grant’s receipt for mince-pies proves that she knows what she is about there. Besides, she has a good sense of economy for one so young. Dr Grant could have done worse for himself.”

“And she is very good with Pug,” added Lady Bertram. “Some young ladies, you know, do not care for dogs, but Mrs Grant quite dotes on him. I think it a sure sign of good taste.”

Mrs Grant, indeed, seemed to know how to please those around her without drawing attention to herself. She managed to avoid irritating Mrs Norris while making herself quietly agreeable and useful to Lady Bertram. She made intelligent conversation with Edmund, smiled at Tom’s jests and was always ready to listen to Maria’s and Julia’s tales of the latest balls and dinners they had attended. To Fanny herself she was unfailingly civil and pleasant while never singling her out in a way that might attract Mrs Norris’s notice.

There was nothing obsequious or insincere in Mrs Grant’s manner. Still, Fanny could not be entirely easy in her company. Mrs Grant was by no means unbecomingly reserved, but try as she might, Fanny found it difficult to discern her true thoughts or feelings. Yet she could not entirely suppress a peculiar suspicion that, beneath her mask of pleasant politeness, Mrs Grant was shrewdly observing them all – and that they might not have liked how much she saw.

Yay, it's fun to talk about the latest fic I've posted because the writing process is still pretty fresh in my mind. For this one, though, a significant share of the credit must go to AO3 user Sandel, who left such an intriguing prompt in the Non-Canon JAFF Ship Prompt Meme. The idea of matching Charlotte with Dr Grant came from them, and I found myself delighted by the possibilities that this match opened up.

“Well,” sniffed Mrs Norris when the news of the engagement first became known, “I wonder at Dr Grant’s going to such trouble and expense to find himself a wife. Gadding off to Hertfordshire – and travelling post by all accounts – when he might just as easily have married a local woman. And inquire where I will, I cannot find out that this Miss Lucas ever had more than five hundred pounds to her name!”

Lady Bertram, less prejudiced against Dr Grant, was not so severe. She might in fact have been inclined to forgive Mrs Grant’s lack of fortune entirely, had the young lady proven to be sufficiently pretty. The first sighting of the new arrival, however, hardened her heart. Mrs Grant was plain, absolutely plain, and could not deserve to be so well settled. The sisters were thus agreeably united in their disapproval.

I had so much fun with Mrs Norris and Lady Bertram. They had a bit of a comic relief role in this story, but they also provided a convenient way of showing how Charlotte was perceived in her new neighbourhood before and after her arrival. The opinions voiced here are pretty close to their thoughts about the canon Mrs Grant, just tweaked slightly to fit Charlotte's circumstances.

It was fortunate that neither of her aunts thought to ask Fanny Price for her opinion, for she would not have known how to reply. Mrs Grant, she was obliged to acknowledge, was indeed plain; but as their acquaintance progressed, Fanny began to suspect that she was also rather clever – and very good at managing those around her.

Being frequently called upon to sit with her aunts, Fanny was often present when Mrs Grant came to call on them. She thus had plenty of opportunity to observe how Mrs Grant, though never betraying any consciousness of their antipathy, methodically began to overturn it.

Fanny, as we know, is quiet but not blind. She sees a lot more than everyone else and is not blinded by flattery. (Maybe it helps that people rarely try to flatter her - she isn't influential enough.)

“I will say one thing in her favour,” said Mrs Norris grudgingly after one such morning call. “She is not brought up too fine. A clergyman’s wife should not be afraid of stepping into the kitchen now and then, and Mrs Grant’s receipt for mince-pies proves that she knows what she is about there. Besides, she has a good sense of economy for one so young. Dr Grant could have done worse for himself.”

“And she is very good with Pug,” added Lady Bertram. “Some young ladies, you know, do not care for dogs, but Mrs Grant quite dotes on him. I think it a sure sign of good taste.”

We know that Charlotte had to help out around the house more than the Bennet girls did (as Mrs Bennet makes a point of mentioning in canon). Unlike the canon Mrs Grant, I also think Charlotte would try to be fairly economical. I imagine she would plan ahead and try to save some money for her potential future children and herself, particularly as her husband is quite a bit older and her own dowry was very small. This would help her earn Mrs Norris's approval. As for Lady Bertram, she's very easy to please - just make her life easy and be nice to Pug.

Mrs Grant, indeed, seemed to know how to please those around her without drawing attention to herself. She managed to avoid irritating Mrs Norris while making herself quietly agreeable and useful to Lady Bertram. She made intelligent conversation with Edmund, smiled at Tom’s jests and was always ready to listen to Maria’s and Julia’s tales of the latest balls and dinners they had attended. To Fanny herself she was unfailingly civil and pleasant while never singling her out in a way that might attract Mrs Norris’s notice.

There was nothing obsequious or insincere in Mrs Grant’s manner. Still, Fanny could not be entirely easy in her company. Mrs Grant was by no means unbecomingly reserved, but try as she might, Fanny found it difficult to discern her true thoughts or feelings. Yet she could not entirely suppress a peculiar suspicion that, beneath her mask of pleasant politeness, Mrs Grant was shrewdly observing them all – and that they might not have liked how much she saw.

Charlotte is pragmatic enough to realise that a good relationship with the wealthiest family in the area is worth pursuing, no matter what her private opinion of Mrs Norris and Lady Bertram may be. She's not obsequious, but she's not above a bit of flattery to ease her way.

I also think Charlotte is pretty good at making herself agreeable to people - we see in canon how quickly she catches Mr Collins, and she's clearly working on the de Bourghs. She also seems to swallow a lot of unpleasantness from Mrs Bennet without complaint to keep the peace. I think Charlotte is the sort of person who doesn't let her pride get in the way when she sees an opportunity to improve her lot. There's nothing malicious about it, though - she's just looking out for herself and using the few advantages she has.

Fanny and Charlotte are both shrewd observers of other people. Does it stem from the fact that they've often found themselves overlooked - Charlotte due to her plainness, Fanny because she's the poor relation who's living on charity? It's possible, but nevertheless their motives are different. Charlotte is confidently and strategically looking for ways to turn every situation to her advantage, while poor timid, emotionally abused Fanny is constantly on the alert for threats.

I think Fanny would be simultaneously fascinated by and uneasy about Charlotte, kind of like she has mixed feelings about the Crawfords. She's pretty good at sensing when people have hidden motives, and they make her suspicious. But at least Charlotte can have no matrimonial designs on any of the Bertrams - until her single friend comes along... :D