#really it's adult mary but lizzy is who matters

[artist-ellen]

Fooduary Day 4: Mixed Berry Tart

Tarts are an old, old, old kind of food. However it wasn’t until the invention of enriched dough (shortcrust) in the 1550s that the pastry outside (previously called coffin because it was effectively a box-plate for the edible center) was meant to be eaten with the filling. With this one it's more about the colors being a mixed berry palette than something more literal like some of the others but this is supposed to be a for fun challenge so I'm not sweating over it. Maybe the others are too cheesy?

I am the artist! Do not post without permission & credit! Thank you! Come visit me over on: instagram, tiktok or check out my coloring book available now \ („• ֊ •„) /

https://linktr.ee/ellen.artistic

[bywordofaphrodite]

Book Reviews 7&8: Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen & Anne of Green Gables by L.M Montgomery

This review’s theme is female-led romantic classics ! Audience age: roughly age 10+

This review is about two of my all-time favourite female-led classics! Pride and Prejudice is one of the only classics I can truthfully say I enjoy, sorry to lovers of classics I just cannot bring myself to love many of them. Elizabeth Bennet is a timeless heroine, and her story is an easy, comfortable read. Anne of Green Gables, likewise, echoes the same sentiments, albeit with considerably more hijinks added into the mix- and with the heroines’ age gaps and very different circumstances, this is to be expected!

Nostalgic review

Rating: ★★★★★

These novels are, if I didn’t already make clear, comfort stories in the best sense of the word. It’s been several years since I last read either of them in full, but there is a special ease about them at all times; even in the midst of disaster, you know there is hope just around the corner.

In the case of Pride and Prejudice, I’ll admit that as much as I love Lizzy, it is the entirety of the story that draws me in more than just her character. I love the general vibe of the novel, the drama and gossip in the town and all the fuss that comes about with each new ball the Bennet sisters must attend for social reasons. The surprising scandals are all very alluring, and really, Jane Austen’s stories walked so Gossip Girl could run!

On the flip side, Anne as a character- she is one of my absolute most favourite characters ever written. I’m no orphan and I’ve never had to struggle in the way she did, but I grew up the odd one out in a small town, with a hot temper and a huge imagination that always managed to get me into trouble. Everything about Anne is relatable to me- right down to the infamous scene where she attempts to dye the red hair she hates and it goes green instead (I tried to bleach mine and it went orange, so I didn’t fare much better).

While it has been a long time since I last read these books, I am expecting more positive surprises than negative ones, now that I’m older with a bit more perspective!

Pride and Prejudice Review

Post-read: ★★★★★

Synopsis: Elizabeth Bennet, the second daughter of a middle-class family desperate to marry off their five daughters, navigates her way through matters of marriage, estate, love and temperament in an attempt to make a match that ensures her own happiness in a time where love was not always a priority.

Set in Regency England, the middle-class family the Bennets begin to fear their ruin as Mr Bennet grows older. See, Mr Bennet’s estate and fortune detailed in his will can only go to a male heir upon his death, thus ruling out his five daughters without their marriages taking place. As luck would have it, two eligible rich men arrive in town, and Mrs Bennet becomes obsessed with setting up her daughters with them. Amidst numerous balls and trips to the rich families’ residence of Netherfield, Jane Bennet catches the eye of sweet Charles Bingley, while Elizabeth begins a cold war with Bingley’s best friend Fitzwilliam Darcy, after he slights her upon their first meeting, to Mrs Bennet’s fury.

Over time, Mr Darcy becomes increasingly attracted to intelligent and witty Elizabeth, but so do other, less appealing characters to the likes of Elizabeth’s pretentious and stupid cousin, the clergyman Mr Collins, and the handsome militia officer Wickham, who tells Elizabeth that he has lost his fortune because Darcy stole it from him. When Elizabeth’s fifteen year-old sister runs away with Wickham in the middle of the night, Elizabeth is forced to hear our Mr Darcy’s side of the story and put aside her prejudice toward him. He, in turn, overcomes his pride, and by the end of the novel the two are able to freely admit their love without pride or prejudice standing in the way.

For such an old book, it really does stand the test of time. The lessons Austen teaches in this story are forever applicable to relationships in any timeline, though we have to make do without the fancy dresses and balls (and the gender norms and sexism, so it’s still a win for us, I suppose). I enjoy her writing and love how humorous it is; Austen perfected the art of polite mockery. Elizabeth is a good role model, and her character development over the course of the novel is wonderful.

Characters who aged well: first and foremost, Elizabeth Bennet of course. She’s headstrong and real, and satisfyingly selfish when necessary (nobody should be selfless when presented with a proposal from Mr Collins, and I will not hear otherwise). Mr Darcy remains an eternal heartthrob- I do sometimes wonder how someone less determined to see the bad side in Darcy would have viewed him from the get-go (my guess that had Jane been the perspective offered, Darcy might have been cut a bit of slack earlier. But where would be the fun in that?). I won’t comment on all the characters, but I will mention that I appreciated Jane much more as an adult. As often happened with sweeter female characters, internalised misogyny used to get the best of me on occasion and I would resent them for being ‘boring’. Now I just think she’s lovely.

For a villain, Mr Wickham aged so well. I once saw a Tumblr post declaring him the 1800s equivalent of a modern-day fuckboy and it’s stuck in my mind ever since because yes, that’s exactly what he is.

Characters who aged badly: Everybody hates Mr Collins, but I don’t know if I’m entirely correct in listing him here, given he wasn’t well liked back in 1813 either. As an antagonist, he technically aged well, but I’m going to keep him here anyway because I felt like ranting about him. The same goes for nauseating Mrs Bennet and Mary… they aged as intended, but I will remain frustrated with them anyway.

Favourite scene/quote: ‘An unhappy alternative is before you, Elizabeth. From this day you must be a stranger to one of your parents. Your mother will never see you again if you do not marry Mr Collins… And I will never see you again if you do.’

This line never fails to make me laugh, whether on paper or onscreen. He does delight in vexing his over-excitable and irritating wife, and in this case it was all the more pleasing: he saw his wife trying to force his favourite daughter into marrying perhaps his least favourite person on the planet and supported Elizabeth’s decision to reject the man wholeheartedly, as well as reinforces the bond between father and daughter in a humorous way.

Scenes I particularly enjoyed are the ones surrounding Wickham’s secrets and shocking fake elopement with Lydia, partially because Lizzy and Darcy become close, but mostly because all the detective work unravelling the drama is so entertaining. It’s pleasing to see Darcy come out the undisputed hero after all Wickham’s deceit and attempts to ruin many girls’ reputations in attempts to get their fortunes.

Anne of Green Gables Review

Post-read: ★★★★★

Synopsis: red-headed orphan Anne Shirley is adopted by unmarried siblings Matthew and Marilla Cuthbert by accident. After a trial period, they agree to keep Anne, and the misunderstanding brings the greatest joy to their small farmhouse in the town of Avonlea.

This book! Everything about it!

As I anticipated, time did not change any of my love nor expectations for this book, but rather made me fall in love with it all over again.

Starting at the beginning, Anne’s introduction to the Cuthberts starts off with her first asking him to call her by a name she chose herself, and then settling with keeping her own name as long as they remember to spell it with an ‘e’. This alone is already something I relate strongly to- I can’t bear when people forget the second ‘e’ in my name… it looks so empty.

Moving on from the names!

Anne is enrolled in school, a place she is successful in due to her intelligence, yet many adults in the town, including her teacher, refuse to treat her very well. Anne’s temper gets her into trouble of numerous occasions with adults and classmates alike, the most memorable instance being when the handsome popular boy Gilbert Blythe calls her ‘carrots’ and tugs her plaits to get Anne to notice him- and she does, but likely not in the way he hoped: she smashes her writing slate over his head. Utterly iconic move.

The friendship between Anne and her neighbour Diana is a high point of the book, too. Anne is always on the lookout for ‘kindred spirits’ or ‘bosom friends’, terms she applies not only to Diana, but also to Matthew and her second teacher, the amazing Miss Stacy who represents that one literature teacher every writer child connects with.

Navigating dozens of scrapes and accidents, Anne manages to graduate school and attend an academy where- with Miss Stacy’s encouragement- she obtains her teaching license in one year instead of two, and ties first place with Gilbert Blythe, whom she has ignored to the best of her ability since the ‘carrots’ incident, though he has tried many times to obtain her forgiveness. Toward the end of the novel, Matthew has a heart attack that shatters both Anne and Marilla, and she gives up the scholarship she won in favour of teaching close to home in order to stop Green Gables from being sold. Gilbert Blythe passes on his teaching position at Avonlea school to Anne so she won’t have to struggle, and Anne finally accepts that she has lot more love for Gilbert than anything else.

Though they do not get together in this book, the following sequels end with their marriage, and their developing romance is a special part of this first novel too.

Characters who aged well: Anne Shirley, best girl! I think I’ve already listed enough examples to showcase what I think of her, but I also think she has aged very well as an interesting character and feminist role model, all the way back in 1908. Gilbert, too, is a wonderful example of how a man should be, and his character growth is every bit as good as Anne’s. The supporting characters are wonderful too.

Characters who aged badly: Mr Phillips, Anne’s first teacher who treated her terribly and tried to marry a student in the same classroom. Predator teachers exist now too, of course, but this man simply did not cop the jail time he deserved (yes, times were different then, I don’t care).

Favourite scene/quote: ‘I’m not a bit changed- not really. I’m only just pruned down and branched out. The real ME- back here—is just the same.’

This is the essence of Anne’s story, and I like to think for many people. Most people like to think they’ve changed while growing up, but the truth is that most people remain the same, they just grow into their ideas and find new dreams to follow; change doesn’t have to signify loss, just growth.

There are many great scenes in Anne of Green Gables, and narrowing down favourites is quite hard. As a romantic, I loved any scene with Gilbert, even though Anne herself was desperately trying to ignore him. All of Anne’s scrapes are hilarious, too, but if I had to choose, it’s when Matthew picks Anne up from the station the day they meet, and the quiet man- whose only interactions are with his sister- immediately takes a liking to the poor orphan girl no other adult has ever been kind to. Their ride home together signifies a beautiful change in both their lives, and their instant bond is heart-warming.

Overall verdict: I’ve read both of these novels more times than I care to count, so there was never really any strong doubt that I wouldn’t continue to love them a fair amount. It may seem a ridiculous thing to say that I still find them both to be well-written, but as someone who finds many ‘classics’ incredibly boring and too wordy to properly enjoy (looking at Charles Dickens, by the way), I’m making a note of my contentment with Austen and Montgomery’s writing styles. I do generally prefer female authors in the first place (and not just because most men can’t seem to write good female characters to save their lives) so I’m not entirely surprised by this, though I think it necessary to mention after my shock over the stunted sentences in Enid Blyton’s works and Nancy Drew and the Mystery at Lilac Inn.

While rereading these books I also felt compelled to re-watch the televised versions and show them to my younger sister too (she loves them!). I do have personal favourite versions, and this is due not only to the actors in the cast, but to which I deem the most accurate and faithful in comparison to the original written source material. For Pride and Prejudice, contrary to the popular version amongst most people who reference it, my favourite is not the Kiera Knightley movie. I greatly prefer the BBC show, finding the casting, setting and costuming far more accurately detailed. I don’t hate the movie, just to be clear! But if you want accuracy watch the television show, especially because the episodes had a chance to explore more of the script than the movie did, so there was no need to cut things out or rush certain developments.

As for Anne of Green Gables, there are a few different movies and series. My forever-favourite is the Megan Follows and Jonathon Crombie led film series, with the first movie released in 1985. The casting was perfect, I adored the settings and costuming, and Megan as Anne captured everything about the character in the most perfect way imaginable. As for the newer Netflix series Anne with an E, I have only seen a few episodes but I think that was really well done too; the casting of the leads was also very faithful to Montgomery’s novels. It’s a shame that Netflix chose to cancel a show that so many young people really enjoyed, but I hope maybe some of them will watch the movies or pick up the books!

The true importance of these books for me as a child was my connection to the characters, which hasn’t changed at all. Though I do identify in part with Elizabeth, it is Anne who is so much like me, and while I haven’t reviewed past the first book here, I can confirm that my personality has evolved in the same way hers does in the sequels. Something interesting I noticed when mentioning either of these series to people unfamiliar with them is that they are surprised I like these books. The reason? Owing to how old the novels are, people expect the characters to be boring and grounded in sexist tropes. While I cannot deny there are plenty of books out there that are full of these issues, the characters of Elizabeth and Anne are very much feminist in the best way possible. They fight against the expectations for their gender and forge their own paths. Their relationships with the male leads take a long time to develop- Anne and Gilbert do not get together until proper adulthood- because they want everything to be done on their terms, within their own certainty. Neither lead suffers from ‘not like other girls’ syndrome, both cherishing their friendships with the women around them, and Anne especially is a celebration of the best parts of femininity.

Ultimately I find both Pride and Prejudice and Anne of Green Gables to be comfort novels. There is conflict and angst, humour and love, and the reassuring knowledge that by the end of it everyone will get their happy ending.

[lollercakesff]

soft touch

chapter eight | ao3 pairing: anne/gilbert rating: mature wordcount: 1,793

Mary and Bash leave just before New Years, the house emptying on a cold winter’s day and leaving me to stir alone in a building that housed so much laughter and love. I long for work and a reason to get out but the phone is quiet, even Mrs Murphy not requiring any follow up since the birth on Christmas eve.

Eventually I find myself saddling my horse and heading towards town, seeking out anything to keep me busy for the afternoon. It’s there I find Michael and Sarah doing some shopping, their friendly faces beckoning me towards them as they walk hand in hand down the street.

“Dear boy, how was your Christmas? We didn’t see you at the service!” Michael greets, eyes questioning as I shift my bag on my shoulder.

“It was wonderful, really. Family from Avonlea came over and it was so good to see them again. We all missed the service on account of the Murphy baby,” I reply lightly and they both nod, gauging my answers.

“Well, that is to be expected in the life of a doctor I guess! We’re actually so pleased to meet up with you today - we’ve decided to hold a little gathering for New Years and we simply can’t miss having you attend!” Michael exclaimed, brightening once more.

“Oh - that’s very kind,” I reply, shifting on my feet and debating whether to ask who would be in attendance. I look between the two of them carefully, chewing my cheek before swallowing thickly. “I was wondering - who - “

“Why of course you could bring a guest!” Sarah counters enthusiastically, pressing her hand to her husband’s chest. “Wouldn’t it be delightful to have the doctor bring someone, Michael?”

The man nods and I close my eyes, a smile coming to my lips. “I was only wondering who would be in attendance,” I correct, looking at her head on.

“A couple friends from town, one or two families from our old community. We do have quite a name for ourselves when it comes to New Years, I must admit. But if you’re worried or wanting to spend the evening with someone special, please bring them along, we’d be so happy to meet them!” Sarah continues babbling and Michael chuckles knowingly.

“Dear, I think he understands your point,” he says with a smile. I breathe a sigh of relief and nod my head instinctively.

“I’ll try to make it. Thank you for the invitation but I must be on my way to the cafe before it closes.” I bid my goodbyes and make off towards the building at the end of the street, careful to disappear inside before the Turner’s can make any more assumptions on my relationship status.

I order a tea and biscuit, settling myself into one of the seats near the fire as I debate whether to ask Anne or not. It’s not unknown in the village that Susan is still away and though I’ve been meaning to talk with Anne since Christmas Eve the opportunity hasn’t yet arisen.

Sighing, I pick at my biscuit and stare into the flames with warring thoughts running through my head. Though it had been difficult for a moment, overall Christmas Eve had gone well. Anne had come out of her shell a bit more, had almost been the girl I once knew when she was with the children. It had been hopeful to see and I’d wished, selfishly so, that she would be like that all of the time.

But reality was different. She had demons. Dragons. And I wasn’t sure I was big enough to be the one to slay them, no matter how hard I tried. There was almost too much history between us now for me to be the one she needed, or ever.

“May I sit here?” Elizabeth Collins asks kindly, motioning to the chair nearest mine by the fire.

“Sure,” I reply and watch her settle onto the cushion lightly. She glances up at me and smiles, her eyes bright.

“How was your Christmas, Doctor Blythe?” She questions as she sips her tea.

Shrugging, I look back towards the fire and answer her politely. “It was well - and how was yours?”

“Oh, it was splendid. Father closed the store early and Ruth came home with her husband for a few days. It was so good to see them again and she had such exciting news - she’s pregnant you see, so we were all happy for her of course.” Her voice lights and she sighs contentedly with the story.

“That does sound like a good Christmas. Please pass on my congratulations to Ruth.”

“I will. Say, I just met the Turner’s down the road and they’ve invited me to their New Year’s celebration and they mentioned you were going. Would it be too forward of me to ask if you would escort me? You see my father - he wouldn’t let me - “ She stops up short when I see a figure over her shoulder look towards us, my face going pale as I recognize Anne frowning in her dark skirts. “What is it Doctor?” Elizabeth questions, shifting in her seat as I get to my feet.

Anne disappears out through the door of the cafe before I can even take a step, my coat and tea abandoned as I chase after her. Though neither of us would admit it out loud, it was clear to those in the cafe that as soon as I stood from my seat and left after her, something was going on between us.

“Cordelia, wait!” I shout down the sidewalk, watching as she walks quickly away. I hurry after her, slipping on the ice and crashing to the ground with a thump and a groan. My fall finally catches her attention and she turns to look at me, her face surprised. She takes a few steps back in my direction as I move to my feet once more, clutching my wrist in my hand. It was definitely sprained and the throbbing had already started.

“Doctor! Are you alright?” Elizabeth shouts, my coat in her hands as she kneels down beside me. I look up and catch sight of Anne pausing and stepping back, betrayal clouding her features as she takes off.

“I’m fine,” I mumble, taking my jacket from the young woman’s arms and hissing at the pain in my wrist. She reaches for my hand and I pull it away abruptly. “I’m sorry Lizzy - I can’t escort you to the party. I hope your father lets you attend anyways but I really must go now.”

I step around her and head to my horse, my hands dumbly working to loosen his reigns. I struggle to climb up but somehow manage it, taking off out of town and towards Anne’s cottage.

“It isn’t what you think,” I state when she opens the door, niceties abandoned as I take in her flushed cheeks and her eyes wide with surprise.

“And what is it that I think, Doctor Blythe?” She counters harshly, steeling herself towards me.

“I was trying to figure out how to ask you to the party. Lizzy just happened to have worse timing than me,” I offer and watch as her expression shutters. I don’t know what to make of the pause she takes and I say a small prayer when she opens the door slightly to let me inside.

“I’m sorry I ran away like a child,” she says once I step into the kitchen, watching her pace next to the stove. “I don’t know what came over me. I should have been more like an adult and remembered I have no ownership over you. I’m sorry to have embarrassed you in town.”

Was that jealousy in her tone? Where did that come from? I wonder to myself, watching her shift under my gaze. “You didn’t - that’s not why I’m here. You’re my friend, Anne, so I want to go to the party with you,” I sigh, trying to catch her eye.

She looks over at me and frowns. “Why?”

“Because you’re Anne. Because I want you to feel safe in this town and the one way I know how to do that is to help you meet the people of it. It doesn’t have to be anything more. It can just be us, as friends, enjoying a night in the company of good food and good people. Come with me, please,” I finish quietly, my eyes locked on hers.

There’s a drawn out silence as she turns it over, her arms crossing and uncrossing over her chest as she changes her mind repeatedly. Finally she closes her eyes and nods, opening them to look at me with a measured look.

“Is your wrist hurting?” She questions while inside I’m jumping, leaping bounds of joy so high that I can barely feel the ache. “Let me look at it.”

That sentence shocks me out of my distraction and I stuff down the surprise as she takes my hand in both of hers. It’s the most contact we’ve had in years, apart from my medical exams, and her touch feels otherworldly against my skin.

Her fingers move slowly, checking each finger before sliding across my palm and to my wrist. I wince as the pain riddles up my arm and into my shoulder, drawing back despite my heart shouting at me to stop.

“Yes - it’s definitely sprained. It’s fine though, really. I’ll wrap it when I get back - “

“And how do you propose to do that properly with one hand?” She interrupts, looking at me plainly. Marilla’s aged sensibility shines through her for that briefest of moments and I can’t help but smile.

“You’ve got me there,” I admit and shrug, meeting her gaze with mine.

“Let me wrap it before you go and I’ll sleep better tonight.”

“Okay. But tell me really - are you coming with me to the party?” I try not to sound too hopeful, afraid of making her change her mind.

“Yes.” She replies shortly and I exhale, lifting my arm and offering my aching hand to her willingly.

“Good. It’ll be fun, I promise,” I add as she draws me further into the house. My boots track slush across the kitchen but neither of us seem to mind as she pulls out a chair and eases me into it. “Now, I’m going to let you do this but I don’t want you to get any creative ideas, okay? You have to follow my instructions on wrapping it, I don’t want you ruining a perfectly good appendage because you got too fanciful with it, you hear?” She nods and leaves the room laughing, loud, joyful laughs, and I feel like I’m on cloud nine.

[albionscastle]

First Impressions 7 - New Friends and Old Enemies

I’m writing slowly but I am writing!!!! I’m working two jobs right now so updates will be slow, but still coming.

There brief mentions of domestic violence, past, in this chapter.

Disclaimer: I actually really like Zac Efron but I thought he had the perfect look to be a Wickham character so there we go. 

FIC MASTERLIST

FIRST IMPRESSIONS 7

NEW FRIENDS AND OLD ENEMIES

LIZZIE

Colin Ryan being back in town was an unexpected and decidedly unpleasant turn of events. It had been 3 years since she’d last seen him, hightailing it out of town after she’d threatened to expose his true nature. She still shivered in fear when she thought about that last day with him, how she’d finally gathered the courage to leave, the bruises on his ribs a stark reminder of his temper. Oh, he’d slapped her, pulled her hair, screamed in her face, but for the first time she’d felt strong, strong enough to get out. With all the proof she’d gathered there was nothing that he could do except let her go and get out of town.

She’d dealt with the fallout for a year, the gossip and the finger pointing, the bill that Colin’s parents had stuck her with for the wedding, not to mention the constant lamenting of her mother. The only person to ever know what had really happened was Maya, and as far as anyone else was concerned, well it was none of their fucking business.

Though now she knew for a fact that Lydia had known about it all along and after the incident with Colin the day before she was pretty sure that Jack and Tom had cottoned on to it too. She had shrunk, all her strength had gone until the moment Jack had taken her hand. Disgusted with herself and stunned at his thoughtfulness, Lizzie had spent the whole night tossing and turning, unable to quiet her thoughts, even with her medication.

Tiptoeing into the kitchen, she passed Maya and Lydia sound asleep on the couches. For all the issues Lyds had, she was staunchly loyal to her sisters and had been able to make her laugh. Waking her before 9am however merely guaranteed you a slew of obscenities and a bitchy mood for the rest of the day, didn’t matter who you were. Maya, though, woke to the smell of the coffee maker, shuffling into the kitchen quietly.

“How are you doing, Lizzie?”

Lizzie shrugged, taking another sip of her Death Wish under her sister’s disapproving eye.

“I didn’t sleep much.”

“Drinking that crap won’t help. Did you take your meds?”

“Yes, mom, I did.” Lizzie rolled her eyes and kept sipping her coffee.

Maya was definitely the only one, other than her doctor, who knew about that. Lizzie even went so far as to have her prescription filled at the next town over, just so no one could add to the gossip. There was still so much stigma attached to her condition and the cause of it that it was best just to stay quiet.

“I’m sure he won’t be here long.”

“I don’t understand why he’s here at all. His parents moved away, retired to Aspen or some such shit. There’s absolutely no reason for him to be here.”

Maya nodded sympathetically, getting up to raid the fridge.

“Knowing that jerk I’m sure we’ll know sooner rather than later. But we aren’t going to let him get to us, right Liz?”

“Don’t worry about me, Maya. It was a shock seeing him yesterday, but now I know he’s here I can handle it. I won’t let him get to me again.”

“I’ll fucking kick him in the nuts if he ever comes near you again.” Lydia muttered, dragging herself  over to the coffee machine.

“Language Lydia!”

“Bite me Maya.”

“Stop it you two.” Lizzie muttered.

After breakfast, which was more pleasant than expected with Lydia full of caffeine, they finished a rough draft of her paper and attempted to talk some sense into her about her wardrobe. As always it was a waste of time, but Lizzie would never stop trying.

They were meeting mary and Kate for lunch at the park, the first time all the sisters had been together since Kate’s birthday party. Mary’s job and the band meant she rarely left the city and kate had been kept fairly cloistered since she entered the convent, only able to communicate through letters. Lizzie missed them both terribly and unashamedly cried when she hugged Kate, looking both like a child and a grown up in her brown habit, her eyes as big and serious as ever.

“You look happy Katie.” Lizzie whispered, not willing to let her sister go.

“I am happy, Lizzie. The convent is so peaceful and we do so much outreach. It’s perfect for me.”

Kate, or Sister Mary Kate as she would soon be known, was the center of attention. From the city Mary was in contact almost daily, especially with Maya who went to class close to where she worked. Seeing her was a happy extension of the texts and calls that were normal. Her girlfriend was a little hesitant at first, but Kate was ecstatic to meet her and quickly erased her fears of being accepted. It was just perfect, sitting on their blankets, eating and talking, just the 6 of them. Any residual ill feeling that Lizzie had about Colin was swept away in the balm of her sisters.

A soccer ball suddenly flew towards them, expertly caught by kate before it could destroy their picnic. Hot on it’s heels was a man, shirtless and so well built that even katie was gawking open mouthed.

“Sorry ladies, it just got away from me.” His perfect white smile spread across his face as he took in each of the girls in turn.

For her part, Lizzie had never seen a more gorgeous man her whole life. He turned that megawatt smile onto her and she couldn’t help but respond in kind, her cheeks flushing as he looked her up and down before holding out his hand.

“Hi, name’s Brad, Grad Wick.”

JACK

Jack couldn’t sleep, he was still wide awake at 2am, his brain refusing to shut off. He tossed and turned, kicking the blankets off then pulling them up again. He warmed milk in the tiny suite microwave and even counted sheep, but nothing worked. Every time he closed his eyes all he could see was Elizabeth cowering in front of Colin Ryan.

It pissed him off.

If there was one thing he hated it was men who abused women. It didn’t matter which woman, he abhorred it. Had Caro come to him saying she’d been hit he would have felt the same way, despite how much he disliked her. There was no excuse for violence in a relationship and least of all against someone as small as Elizabeth Bennet. He didn’t even want to imagine the extent of the abused, but his mind of course had other ideas. Instead of sleeping he’d been he’d been laying there while increasingly worse scenarios had flashed in his head.

With a 5 am call time he decided there was no use in trying to sleep any longer. He stumbled out to the bathroom, hanging his head under the cold shower spray to try and clear the cobwebs. What the fuck was wrong with him lately? Honestly this shoot couldn’t be over quickly enough in his opinion, he needed to get home, walk the glenns and get his shit together. He was a grown man, successful, in demand and yet this one bloody woman had managed to derail his peace of mind. It didn’t matter how pretty, smart or nice she was, they were from two different worlds. When he left Indiana in November he would never see her again.

The twinge he felt in his chest at that thought was something he was going to ignore.

She’d hugged him though, held his hand.

He tried to tell himself it was just the situation, that she would have done the same with Tom. The part of him that he wanted to shut up disagreed, that traitorous voice was telling him that Elizabeth might actually like him. They were both adults and maybe her prickliness was just a product of her former relationship. He just had to be….less aggressive, more….

“Don be an eejit.” he muttered as he dressed. “The last thing ye need is a fuckin woman complicatin the shite outa things.”

Lizzie wasn’t a roll in the hay type of woman and that’s all he wanted. One and done, no complications, no emotions, no phone calls, no nothing. He’d vowed he’d never let another woman close after Lisa and he needed to keep to that. No distracting redheads. He would be polite and nothing more.

If he ended each day imagining how good she might feel beneath him, or astride him, her hair falling around them both, then so be it. Taking himself in hand was infinitely preferable to the fallout that would come from being intimately involved with a Bennet.

Determined, and his mind made up, Jack was feeling a lot better when he arrived on set. Even Caro had backed off enough that he didn't dread being at work anymore, all he had to do was get through the next six weeks and he’d be home. There were any number of discrete, gorgeous women he could entice to bed if he wanted. By Christmas all this bullshit would be in the past.

“Jack!” Tom was trotting to catch up with him as he left the set for the day. “Do you want to do for a run?”

Jack was pretty sure that Tom’s new love of running was based more on necessity than a desire to exercise. With the lovely Maya no longer sharing his bed every night, the lad needed to run off all that sexual frustration.

And so did he if he was completely honest.

The late September weather was a welcome relief from the sweltering heat of July and August in Indiana and Jack barely broke a sweat as they jogged around the lakefront park. His endorphins had him feeling much better and the physical exercise would certainly ensure a good night’s sleep.

“Hold up mate!” Tom panted, bending over to catch his breath.

“Ye ain’t givin up already are ye lad?”

“Just give me a second old man.” Tom groaned. “Not all of us have your stamina.”

“Hence why ye still have the body of a teenage boy.”

“Shut it Angel Face.”

Jack winced slightly, apparently some fans had likened his unshaven face to something like a cherub and Tom hadn’t let it go since. His aversion to the comparison was a constant source of delight to Tom, who seemed to love nothing more than getting under his skin.

Snarky cunt.

He pushed Tom a little further before taking pity on him and slowing to a walk. The park was full of people, families picnicking and using the playgrounds, couples walking hand in hand. If he felt a twinge of envy, he quickly shoved it down deep. Alone was better, alone was safe.

“Tom! Jack!” Lydia’s loud call couldn’t be ignored and he groaned inwardly as Tom trotted off in the direction of the Bennet sisters.

All five of them were there, but Jack saw only one. Elizabeth sat, leaning on her elbows and laughing at the man who sat with them. He had never seen her smile like that at him, in fact he was pretty sure this was the first time he’d ever seen her really laugh.

His gut twisted.

Tom was already sitting down, an arm around Maya, commenting on Mary’s tattoo. Kate, the novice nun, smiled warmly at him and he moved closer. The memory of Elizabeth’s hand in his bolstered him, even though she was no longer laughing. He raised a hand in greeting, getting a curt nod in response.

“How are ye all doin?” Jack was about to sit down when the breath was knocked out of him in shock.

The man beside Elizabeth turned and Jack felt himself freeze, anger and disgust rolling through him.

What the fuck was that piece of shit doing there?

He looked at Elizabeth who seemed confused, then at Bradley Wick who sat there smirking, daring him to say something.

That would have been a mistake.

Instead he turned, without saying a word, and walked away.

LIZZIE

He really was a rude bastard. She watched as Jack walked away, a stunned looking Tom hot on his heels. Just when she thought there was a slight that she might have misjudged him, he had just merely reinforced her dislike of him.

Arrogant, uptight assclown.

“Nice to see some things never change.” Brad remarked wryly from beside her.

“You know Jack?”

“Shit, I’ve known him since drama school. He was just as big a cock back then.”

Lizzie’s eyes narrowed, something in Jack’s eyes had seemed deeply shocked when he’d seen Brad. there was definitely more to this story.

“Bastard never liked me. Too full of himself to pay attention to lowly nobodies like me.” Brad laughed quietly.

“Seems like there might be some history there.” Lizzie cautiously, curious despite herself.

“You noticed that did you?”

“Kinda hard not to.”

Brad’s handsome face looked sad as he took a deep breath. Lizzie instantly felt sorry for him, having a feeling that what he was about to say hurt him.

“Jack was a year behind me at drama school, we met when we were both going out for a play. He seemed like a great guy, until I got the part instead of him. Then he found out that I’d grown up in an orphanage in Leeds. After that he did everything he could to ruin me. He’s talented, don’t get me wrong, I would have been more than happy to share roles, but no. It escalated in his second year, he was cast as my understudy in a play. It just got worse until eventually he got me fired, he stashed coke in my dressing room. I had a record from when I was a teen so when he told the director, well I was done. I got booted out of school for that too. Jack ended up with an agent and a slew of offers.”

“That’s awful.” Lizzie admitted.

She honestly hadn’t imagined that Jack was that much of a prick.

“I made do.” Brad shrugged. “He was young, insecure, and a lot of people do worse in our line of work.”

“That doesn’t make it right!” Lizzie sputtered. “Was that the last time you had contact?”

“I wish.” Brad murmured, looking at the ground. “I ran into him again last year on set. He didn’t recognize me at first, not for a few weeks. The girl he was with, Lisa, sweet girl. He treated her like shit, I found her crying one day and sat with her, he saw me with her and dragged her off. Next day I saw her getting in the cab to leave, her lip was all busted. I was fired the same day.”

Lizzie felt sick to her stomach, her head spinning. It was worse than she’d ever imagined, she never would have thought that he was violent. A vision of him standing beside her the day before, facing off Colin, came unbidden. The fucking nerve of him! To act like that when he’d done the exact same thing himself!

Her stomach protested for the rest of the afternoon as she fought to engage with her family. Brad had left soon after Jack, apologetic and charming. He’d offered to take her to dinner, something she’d rain-checked. What she wanted to do was to talk to Maya, to try and process what she’d just heard.

After they’d visited their parents and Lizzie had been forced to listen to her mother informing her that she’d run into ‘dear Colin’ at the store, she finally managed to take Maya aside, imparting everything she’d learned from Brad. She’d been as shocked as expected, her eyes wide as Lizzie spoke.

“I always thought he was just prickly.” Maya gasped. “Figured he would warm up eventually.”

“As if, he’s been a dick since the day we met him.”

Maya looked thoughtful as Lizzie paced back and forth in a tizzy.

“I can’t believe the fucking nerve of him. Where does he get off acting like he’s so much better than everyone else? It makes me sick Maya.”

“Maybe Brad was mistaken?”

“I doubt it Maya.” Lizzie snapped. “The guy was practically in tears when he was done. What possible reason could he have to lie?”

“I didn’t say lie, Lizzie, but maybe Jack wasn’t responsible for all his bad luck.”

Lizzie leveled her sister with a hard glare, she really was naive at times.

“You can’t talk him out of this one Mai, you just can’t. He hit his girlfriend!”

“Yeah, I guess you really can’t argue with that. But what about Tom? Why would he be his friend?”

“I’ll bet any amount of money that Tom has no idea. Jack’s an actor, he can make himself into anyone he wants.”

“What do we do?”

“Nothing. He’ll be gone in a few weeks. Just don’t expect me to have anything to do with the asshole. I love Tom to death, but not even for you will I associate with an abuser.

“I understand. I’m just so sorry this happened.”

“I’m not, because now we know the truth of what he is.”

Even Maya couldn’t see the good in him now, and she was the one who liked everyone. By the time Lizzie got back to the apartment she’d apologized several times in text for sticking up for him. It didn’t matter, she thought sourly as she sat in her living room window, she never had to see him again unless she chose to. She was just grateful she’d found out now, instead of after she’d invited him to lunch to say thank you. He didn’t deserve a thank you, he deserved to be outed. Why Brad never had she understood, Lisa was an actress and he’d wanted to spare her the scandal. Besides Jack probably wouldn’t hesitate to ruin them both if the truth was even so much as hinted at. As much as Lizzie wanted everyone to know what a creep he was, she wouldn’t do that to Brad.

“How did everything get so fucked up?” she sighed, realising for the first time how utterly unsatisfied she was with everything.

Her life had been in a holding pattern since she’d called off the wedding and if Brad could overcome what he had then there was nothing to stop her.

It was time to stop being afraid to live.

JACK

Bradley Wick! Just when he thought he’d seen the last of the cunt here he was, as always, just in the shadows of his life. Everywhere he’d stepped in the last decade Wick was there, at least in his mind. The bastard haunted him, the mistake of attempting to be the man’s friend and co-worker was something he lived with everyday.

Seeing him with Elizabeth made his blood boil, it was as if the man knew exactly who would hurt him the most and that’s who he targeted. The only reason he’d walked away was so the ladies didn’t have to witness him pounding Wick into a pulp. That and the assault charge stemming from that would ruin his career. Brad would of course come out smelling like roses, just like he always did.

“Jack, mate. Are you going to tell me what that was about?”

“Nope.” he took a shot of whiskey, weighing up the pros and cons of just drinking from the bottle.

“Seriously man, I’m worried. I’ve not seen you like this before.”

“I’m fine Tom.” another shot. “I have history with Bradley Wick, thas all. None of it good.”

“That’s all I’m going to get?”

“Yup.” If he played his cards right he could be blind drunk before it even got dark.

“I don’t like this Jack. This isn’t like you.”

“Too bad, is me now. Take me or leave me, I donna care.”

Tom just shook his head, disappearing out the door, no doubt to see Maya.

It bothered him.

The fact that he liked Elizabeth Bennet bothered him.

He was jealous of Tom, who could give himself so easily.

The fact that he couldn’t read Lizzie bothered him, her elusiveness both enticing and infuriating.

Bradley Wick suddenly being in town enraged him.

Everything had gone to shit.

Himself included.

He couldn't wait to leave this shithole, not that he had much to look forward to in London, but it was better to miserable in familiar surroundings. As far away as he could get from Elizabeth, Brad, all of them. Callum would knock some sense into him over Christmas he was sure, his little brother never failed to be the logical one. Had he listened to Callum in the first place, the two years he'd wasted with Lisa would never have happened. None of his family had ever really liked her and made no secret of their feelings, Jack had just been too stubborn to listen.

Look where that had landed him.

He didn't have the stomach to finish the whiskey, drinking the night away had gotten old in his early twenties. Losing his head was also most certainly not the way to deal with the situation?

Should he warn the Bennets?

They wouldn't believe him, no one ever did. Wick had this fucking gift of charming his way out of every situation and he already had door in the door. Nothing Jack could say now would hold any sway, plus he would have to admit his own guilt and shame in past events. He wasn't ready for that, for the disappointment and the accusation, he got enough of that from his own mind.

He found himself wandering, the sun dipping below the horizon, the breeze from the lake chilly. Jack told himself he was just going to get dinner at the only good restaurant in town and that it had nothing to do with the place being directly across from Elizabeth's movie theatre apartment.

He kept telling himself that as he sat alone in the window with his food, watching her shadow as she read a book behind the curtains. He watched her lights go out at 8:30, tipped his waitress well and shuffled back to the hotel, ready to fall into an exhausted, dreamless sleep.  

Hoping to escape from himself for just a little while.

[intergalacticrp]

NAME :// QUINN HART ORIGIN :// ALICE IN WONDERLAND AGE :// TWENTY-EIGHT JOB :// CEO OF HART FINANCIAL CORP, HOUSE REPRESENTATIVE FC :// MARY LAMBERT

I can get a bit crazy       Have to get my way              Twenty four hours a day                     ‘Cause I’m hot like that

BIOGRAPHY ://

TO BE WRITTEN BY PLAYER // WILL BE INSERTED ONCE WRITTEN

AESTHETIC ://

torn playing cards and worn out poker tables. the smell of expensive perfume mixed with something not quite right. the edge of a large garden, looking in but never touching. roses. roses painted a color that’s unnatural. reds so deep that they look back at you. the blackness of a soul that never cared. hearts. playing games. the fact that you are better than everyone else around you. being right all the time, even when other people try to fight the facts.

MISC ://

Growing up in a very wealthy family, there is nothing Quinn has ever wanted that she was not given or allowed. As a child she was impatient, sensitive, egotistical, and prone to temper tantrums - something that has not changed how that she is an adult. The only person who she never directs her rage at is her brother, Klaus. She only truly listens to his advice. Over the years Klaus has also developed an uncanny ability to calm his sister down when she's in one of her fits. 

Quinn has loved hearts for as long as she can remember. Her closet is full of heart-patterned dresses, skirts, and blouses. Almost all her jewelry has some variation of a heart on it as well. She's not quite sure when the obsession with hearts started - not that it really matters. Someone jokingly called her the "Queen of Hearts" once, and ever since then the nickname has stuck.

The only person who was really happy when Quinn took over her family's company was Quinn herself. Hart Financial Corp.'s board of directors doesn't approve of Quinn becoming CEO and would much rather have her brother in charge, but they all seem too scared of Quinn to openly voice that opinion.

One of the main reasons Hart Employees have such a problem with Quinn is her tendency to fire anyone with opinions contrary to her own or anyone performing at a lower level than she deems acceptable. They prefer Klaus because he is diplomatic and levelheaded - something Quinn is completely unaware of.

When Quinn became CEO, Yen Sid himself offered her a spot on his asteroid to relocate the corporation's base of operations. He lets a lot of Quinn's recent 'sketchy' business dealings occur without any trouble. Quinn knows there another reason behind Yen Sid's proposition besides getting more businesses on his space station, but if he's looking to cash in a favor or the like, he's yet to make it known to her.

CONNECTION ://

Klaus Hart : younger brother. the only person who can calm her down.

Reid Whitman : her personal assistant. he always makes sure she's on time.

Lucian Valtor : president of relix industries - a company quinn would very much like to align her own with.

Maverick Hatter : a strange man who sometimes gets on her nerves. makes good tea and hats.

Elizabeth Hearts : lizzie is like a mix of quinn and klaus. and her last name is hearts! likes her.

Alice Liddell : a pest. works for maverick.

AVAILABILITY :// OPEN ||- TAKEN BY ████████

[artandteaandstuff-blog]

Strange Places - Part 11

Summary: Emma Swan is only just getting to grips with the whole fairy-tale thing, let alone the villains. She’s already defeated the Evil Queen. But the Evil Queen’s mother is a new story entirely. Not to mention Captain Hook. She will do whatever she has to do to take him out. Until one day she wakes up in an entirely different bed, only to find out she’s married to him. | Captain Swan.

Author’s Notes:

Tagging a few people who are/ were reading! If you want to be taken off this list or added to it, please let me know! Also if I missed you, shout at me!!

@pottlock @killian_whump @silmarilswan @katromine @like-waves-on-the-beach@the-selfish-heart @galadriel26 @elaine-spades@blackwidownat2814@spartanguard @lifeismadeup-ofmoments@superchocovian @linda8084@georgianablythe16@revanmeetra87 @swanslieutenant@swanandapirate@dreadpirateemma@ofshipsandswans@superchocovian @mayquita @laschatzi

Also this is under the cut because HUGE spoilers.

FF.NET

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 I Part 10

New Eyes

The phone rang out clear and loud in the house, echoing off every wall and every floor. Emma was only just walking into the kitchen when she heard it and stopped in her tracks. She couldn't suppress a sigh. This was the third time it had rang this morning and she knew exactly who it was.

"You're not gonna get that?" Lizzie asked, as she brushed by Emma's legs and ran into the kitchen. She moved so fast she was like a blur and Emma didn't quite register what was happening until she jumped up onto one of the kitchen chairs.

"Nope."

Then the ringing stopped, replaced with a beep.

You have reached the Swan-Jones household, Killian's voice rang out. Clearly, we are unable to come to the phone right now. Leave us a message and we'll get back to you.

There was a pause and then:

'Emma, it's me. Again," Mary Margaret said. "Look, I'm just calling to say I think it would be best to meet up. This is something we can't really do on the phone." Then her voice became softer, almost broken. "We are so sorry we didn't believe you. Please, don't shut us out. Let us in."

Emma scoffed.

"Don't shut them out!" Lizzie cried. "Let them back in!"

"I'm not shutting them out. Just… I just need time."

"Why?"

"Sometimes people need time."

Lizzie looked at her with those big, blue eyes. "... Why?"

She giggled at the look Emma gave her.

"Shouldn't you be doing homework or something?" Emma said, folding her arms, giving her a stern look. "Or have you finished?" She raised an eyebrow.

Lizzie shook her head vigorously. "I didn't finish but I had to stop."

"Huh. How come?"

"Because it's crazy dance time."

Emma stared at her. Crazy what time? Dance? What kind of insane ritual was 'crazy dance time'? Without any explanation, Lizzie grabbed her colouring book from the kitchen table and pulled it towards her. Emma waited to see if Lizzie would say anything else on the subject, but she just picked up a crayon and began to scribble a mass of dark green hair in one of the princesses in the book. Her own hair fell like a dark curtain around her, her chin jutted out in thought.

That was when the phone rang again. Emma groaned, burying her face in her hands, listening as Killian's message played out again.

"Uh, hey Emma. It's, uh, me…" David said, his voice hesitant. Emma marched across the room. "I'm just ringing to—" She pulled the phone out of the wall, cutting off whatever stupid apology speech he was about to make.

"There," she sighed. Placing her hands on her hips, she swivelled to face Lizzie.

"You can't keep avoiding them, Swan," came a voice from behind her and a thrill ran through her, shocking her. It wasn't a thrill of disgust, either. She turned and saw him walking towards her. "Especially because you'll have to see them soon."

"I have to?" She raised her eyebrows. "Who said that?"

"Henry." He made his way over to her with cautious steps. Now he knew she was from the past, he was being even more cautious with her. "Your boy rang this morning. We've been invited for dinner next week, if you'll be so inclined." Then he lowered his voice to a whisper, moving his lips to her ear. "He thinks it would be a good time for you to finally meet Violet."

"What are you whispering about?" Lizzie demanded, throwing her hair over her shoulder. "Are you talking about adult stuff again?"

"What?" Emma laughed.

"You're always whispering about adult stuff," she said, matter-of-factly, turning back to her colouring. Emma could make out her scribbling a princess's face a neon green. "I wanna know the adult stuff."

"I'm pretty sure you can't know the adult stuff until you're an… adult," Emma said, smiling. "It kinda defeats the purpose otherwise."

"You're always doing adult stuff." Then she tutted loudly. "I wanna be an adult. Then I can know the adult stuff. And I can stay up until late like you do."

"Oh, love," Killian sighed. "We don't stay up that late." He exchanged a look with Emma, rolling his eyes.

"You just pretend to go to sleep. Then you stay up and make weird noises."

"What?" Emma said.

Killian coughed loudly. "Alright, that's enough of that." He swept her off the chair with one arm and she squealed and giggled, kicking her legs about.

"No, daddy, no!" She shrieked, reaching forward with her arms. "I need to finish my colouring!"

"Noooo you don't."

"I do! I do!" She kicked her legs again and then giggled. "Let me go!"

"But then, my love, how on earth shall we do crazy dance time?"

That again! Crazy dance time! What was it? She tried to catch Killian's eye, but he was too busy setting a thrashing Lizzie on her feet. As soon as her toes touched the ground, she turned to him, colouring abandoned.

"Crazy dance time!" she all but shouted. She bounced up and down, clapping her hands together. "Yay! Yay! Yay!"

Killian jumped up and down with her. All Emma could do was watch the whole scene unfold, head tilted, her mouth slightly open. She hadn't seen Killian like this before; he'd been his usual brooding self since she'd arrived. But ever since he found out Emma was not in fact his Emma, but Emma from the past, he'd mellowed a little. He was smiling at her a lot more, that was for sure.

"I'll get the music." Then he crouched down to her level. "But you know…" he said softly. Lizzie hung on his every word, watching him with those big, round eyes.

"Yeah?" she breathed.

"All great dancers are in need of an audience."

Her eyes widened even more. "But… we've never danced in front of an audience before!"

"Alas, we have not. So we need the best audience available… Do you know what I'm saying?"

She nodded slowly, like she understood every word that left his lips. That makes one of us, Emma thought. She was becoming more confused by the second.

"Mr. Lamby and Mr. Bah?" she whispered.

Killian nodded solemnly.

"Alas, I shall get them!" she said and threw her hand up in the air before she ran in the opposite direction.

"Oh no, darling, that's not what alas means," Killian said but it was too late; she was already gone. He moved back to his feet and met Emma's raised eyebrows with a soft chuckle. "Ah," he said.

"Are you gonna explain what the hell that was about?" she said, trying to distract herself from her heart. She wasn't sure why it has started beating faster, but that's exactly what it had done as she'd watched him lower himself to Lizzie's level.

He chuckled, scratching the back of his neck. If Emma didn't know him any better, she'd say he was embarrassed. "Crazy dance time… ah. Well, it started as a little bit of fun. We both agreed that Lizzie should learn to dance, should any balls come up."

"In… Storybrooke?"

"Your parents are fantastic at throwing a good party. At least, Dave is." He leaned on the kitchen counter. "We agreed that I should teach her, since I'm an excellent dancer."

"You are?" Everything out of his mouth was a surprise. She couldn't imagine Captain Hook getting out his dancing shoes.

"As are you." His eyes sparkled.

"I am?"

"You have that yet to come."

At his words, her heart flipped. You have that yet to come. The way he said it made her life feel full of possibilities. She'd worried that finding out the truth would make her feel the opposite, like she was drowning. True, there was a little bit of drowning, but she also felt a slight buzz of excitement at her future prospects.

She shook her head. She was being stupid. She may have found out he was actually her husband, but he was still Hook. To her now, at least.

"So why is it crazy?"

"Because she's six. And 'slow, boring waltz' doesn't sound like much fun for a six year old."

Emma had to give him that one.

Lizzie came bounding back into the room, two stuffed toys under her arms. They were both lambs with black button eyes and little ribbons tied around their necks. Lizzie pulled out a chair for each of them, whispering to them as she placed them on the chairs in turn. What she was whispering, Emma didn't know. One look at Hook told her he didn't have any clue either.

That's when she whirled around and pointed directly at Hook. "Daddy! Where's the music?"

"Oh! Right. Sorry, boss." With an 'oops' face directed at his daughter — their daughter — he made his way over to the stereo and played about with some buttons. Within seconds, a slow tune was wafting out from the speakers and into the room. Killian turned back around, his eyes on Lizzie. He held out his arms.

She ran over, her hair bouncing as she did so.

"Do you remember what to do?"

"Yeah! I stand on your feet like this—"

And she proceeded to shuffle onto his boots, her tiny feet hardly covering his. She grasped his hook in one hand, and his hand in the other. Then she looked up at him and he gazed down at her. There was nothing in his eyes except pure, unfiltered love. Emma wasn't sure why she was just seeing it now— it had been there all along.

"Are you ready?" he asked, his voice soft.

"I'm ready."

Then Hook took a step and Lizzie stepped with him, giggling as she did so. They took another step and then another and another, all in time to the music. The whole time Hook didn't take his eyes off the girl in front of him, not even to throw Emma a look. His lips curled up into a soft smile, and Emma found herself mirroring it. They both watched as Lizzie huffed out numbers, counting her steps.

"One-two, one-two, one-two…"

It continued on for some time but Emma didn't get sick of it. She joined Lizzie's audience halfway through, sinking into one of the chairs, watching them, eyes in awe. Captain Hook was not the monster she thought he was. She'd never seen him softer than in this moment, dancing with his daughter.

"You're improving," Hook told her. "I think the next step is the dress. What do you say, Swan?"

"She'd look beautiful."

"A true princess."

Emma could picture it, Lizzie and Hook whirling around the kitchen. Hook, in a royal tunic and Lizzie, in a sparkling white ball gown.

She almost cringed at herself. When had she gotten like this? She didn't care for ball gowns or dancing or Hook.

And yet…

"I need to finish my homework now," Lizzie said, stepped off Hook's feet.

"Leaving so soon?" Hook teased. "We were just getting started."

Lizzie shook her head. "Homework. Anyway, it's mommy's turn to dance."

Emma's heart jolted. "What?"

"Come on, mommy," Lizzie said and rushed over to her. She took her hand in her own and tried to pull her to her feet. Of course, she was no match for Emma.

"I don't dance," Emma said.

"Yeah you do." Lizzie frowned. "You and daddy dance all the time." Tug.

"Uh—"

"And it's really pretty—" She paused to yank on Emma again. Her next words were breathless with pulling. "And you look like a princess, mommy—" Tug. "And daddy looks like a prince— And I wanna see and I wanna watch."

"I thought you had homework?"

Emma threw a desperate look in Killian's direction and he quickly jumped to her defense. "Uh— Lizzie, I don't think Emma really wants to dance right now… And you should do your homework."

"Why, is she sick?" She said, disregarding the homework comment.

"No, she's not sick."

Lizzie gave up on her yanking when she realised it wasn't getting anywhere. She planted her feet firmly on the ground, folded her arms and glared at Emma with a look that reminded her completely of herself.

"Please," she whined.

Emma looked up at Hook and he just shrugged.

So that was how she found herself in his arms a few moments later. She placed one hand on his hook and he used the other hand to pull her closer, placed on the small of her back. It felt too intimate and she didn't know where to look except his eyes. But when she did look in his eyes, she felt like she could drown in them. They gave her that awful butterfly feeling, and that was something she couldn't afford to have.

At least Lizzie was happy. She sat down and clapped her hands, watching as they began to move on the kitchen floor, stepping in time.

He was too close and it was making her head dizzy. She swallowed and her mouth was strangely dry. Her stomach flipped as he pulled her even closer. If she had told herself a month ago that she'd be in the arms of Captain Hook, dancing, as he looked at her like he wanted to—

Like he wanted to what, exactly? She didn't know.

"I still don't know how to dance," she whispered, to distract herself more than anything.

"You're a natural."

He was smiling at her. It was a soft smile, so unlike the leering grin she had become accustomed to. This smile was full of promise. Love. The air felt thick. She was looking at his mouth too much. She tore her gaze back up to his eyes to find him staring at her with a certain wonder. He moved his hand from her back up to her face, brushing the back of it across the soft skin of her cheek. She closed her eyes at the touch, wondering why she was doing that, but being unable to stop herself.

When she opened her eyes again he was looking at her. His eyes dropped down to her lips, mouth slightly parted, breath coming quicker. They moved closer together simultaneously and Emma was screaming at herself what are you doing?

"Eww, please don't kiss," Lizzie said and they both jumped. Emma hadn't realised they'd stopped dancing. "That's gross and I'm going to do my homework." She hopped down from the chair and disappeared out the kitchen without another word.

Emma expected Hook to drop his arms and spring to the other side of the room, but he didn't. Neither did she. They were watching each other again. Then Hook let out a gentle laugh.

"I'm sorry. She can be a little…"

"Try full on." But the words were accompanied with a chuckle.

"Yes." He smiled, meeting her eyes again. That's when she realised they were still holding each other. He must have realised it too because he took a hasty step back, clearing his throat. He seemed so much… shyer. Nervous, even. Where was that confident man who believed he was God's gift to Earth?

"How does this work?" she asked, suddenly.

He blinked at her. "Sorry?"

"How does it work? You— me— our marriage? Everything?"

He quirked an eyebrow. "I thought we'd had this conversation?"

"Yeah we have but I was trying to… manipulate you." She dropped her eyes, surprised at the surge of shame she felt. She didn't think she'd ever feel shame where Hook was concerned. "But I mean how does this work? You were so… flirty and— and arrogant." She almost winced at the words. She didn't want to offend him. "And now you're so..."

He laughed. "I'm still — how did you put it? — flirtatious, darling." He looked at her with his hooded eyes as if to prove a point. "But I'm a gentleman and you're not my wife… yet." He shook his head. "All I mean is I don't wish to make you uncomfortable, Emma. Whether you had amnesia or whether you were from the past, that was never my intention."

"So you just… changed."

"I told you who changed me." His eyes were soft.

"But I don't understand," she said, gently. "I don't understand how or why. It's just, I haven't seen it, y'know. Other Emma, future Emma, she can believe it because she's seen it."

"Why do I have the feeling I'm going to need a sizeable glass of rum for this conversation?"

Ten minutes later they were sat on the sofa, two glasses of rum placed on the coffee table in front of them. They were sat side-by-side, but Emma kept her distance. She didn't need another moment like earlier where she almost kissed him…

No. She didn't almost kiss him. Lizzie had read the situation entirely wrong. It wasn't the first time kids had seen something that wasn't there.

"It was a long process," Hook said. "It took you a while to trust me. I told you we'd shared a kiss in Neverland, yes?" She nodded. "We all returned to Storybrooke safely but alas, safety is not a luxury for people like us and everyone was ripped from this land and taken back to the Enchanted Forest. Then, when another curse was on the way, I came to find you."

"You did?"

"That's how I proved to you that I'd changed." He took a sip of his rum. "Not that that was why I did it. I didn't find you to prove something, I did it because I knew I was in love with you." He said the words so matter-of-factly, it made her heart flip. She hated it; her body betraying her.

"What about now?" she asked in a small voice.

He frowned at her. "You're my wife. Of course I love you."

"No… no, I don't mean you. I mean the other you." She blushed to say the words. "The villain-you."

"Oh." He smoothed his fingertips over his lips in thought. "Let me see. What state did you leave me in?"

"You're in prison. Well, you were. For shooting Belle, I mean."

"Ah," he murmured and his eyes glassed over with memories. "I remember." He paused, thinking and she waited patiently. Finally, he looked at her. "What am I feeling now? Basic, simple attraction. At least, that's what I'm telling myself, but I know there's potential for more." He gave a slightly bitter smile. "I became excellent at turning it off, you know."

She frowned. "Turning what off?"

"My feelings. Not properly, no-one can do that, though I wished I could. Especially because of the guilt I felt."

Emma's eyes widened. "Guilt?"

He set his rum glass back down on the coffee table. "Emma… at that point in time, I'm still telling myself I'm in love with Milah. That's why I'm doing these things; that's why I shot Belle. As strange as it may seem to you, it's because of love. I remember spending many nights laid awake on my ship, wondering why it was your face I could see when I closed my eyes, and not Milah's. The guilt consumed me."

Silence. She rubbed at the goosebumps on her arms.

"I had no idea."

He shook his head. "I don't expect you would have."

They sat in silence for a moment. And then—

"When—" She faltered, feeling a flush rising to her cheeks.

He flashed her a look. "When?"

"When did you fall..." She trailed off again but he got what she meant.

"In love with you?" He sat back on the sofa, his eyes swimming with memories again. "Neverland. After that kiss, I knew. That's all it took, one kiss. I'd suspected for a while. And then we went to the echo cave and I was forced to admit it to myself. And to you." He frowned.

She hung on his every word, unable to keep her eyes off him.

"And when—" She swallows. "When did I…"

"Fall in love with me?" She nodded. "That, I don't know. I suppose I have some idea, but I imagine it was slow, steady, not all at once like me. I let it consume me; you fought it for as long as you could."

Sounds like me, she thought, shifting uncomfortably on the sofa.

"But I fought for you," he continued. "And I followed you for weeks, making eyes at you like a lovesick puppy." He shook his head. "It was ridiculous, what I became. I would have sold my soul if it meant you'd feel as I did."

He laughed softly and she found herself smiling with him.

"And then we got married."

"Well, it took a few years. But yes, we did."

"And then we had Lizzie."

He smiled. "Aye."

She picked up her glass of rum and took a sip. "I can't imagine myself ever having more children, not after Henry." She frowned. "But somehow I did?"

"That was, perhaps, my fault," he said, and his voice was barely audible. She looked over at him. "I— uh—" He scratched the back of his head. "Wanted a child more than anything in the whole world. After talking, after some time, so did you."

"Huh."

They talked like that for a good few hours, Emma asking questions and Killian answering as patiently as he could. It felt good to talk to him, rather than sulk and ignore him. She felt like she was seeing a side of him she'd never seen before. Of course, she hadn't.

And that was when she felt it.

His love for her. It came through with every word he said, with every question he answered. And for once, it didn't scare her.

[switchedatbirthspoilers]

'Switched at Birth' Creator on Series Finale "Controversy," Scrapped Ending

Lizzy Weiss talks to THR about the all those surprise twists, that last scene and a potential revival.

Switched at Birth ended its five-season run on Tuesday with an eventful 90-minute farewell.

The final episode of the Peabody-winning family drama ended things by looking back at how the series started. The series contained several flashbacks to when the Kennish and Vasquez families – well, almost everyone – found out that Bay (Vanessa Marano) and Daphne (Katie Leclerc) had been switched at birth. At first, it was because Katherine (Lea Thompson) was feeling nostalgic about Regina (Constance Marie) deciding to move out of the guest house. Then, it was because Katherine learned John (D.W. Moffett) had known about the switch before she did – a fight that escalated and de-escalated quickly.

Meanwhile, Daphne stood up to a discriminatory sports surgeon who said she couldn't be a surgeon and be deaf. (And she reunited with Mingo). And despite Travis (Ryan Lane) moving to Japan to pursue a career in baseball, he and Bay decided to continue their relationship long-distance – permanently squashing any chance of her getting back together with Emmett (Sean Berdy).

Regina also figured out her romantic future. In exchange for making Will turn himself in, she offered to raise his son and wait until he got out of prison so they could start their life together in Kansas City. And finally, Toby (Lucas Grabeel) decided to ditch his unfulfilling DJ gigs to some sort of job helping those with disabilities.

After an extended break between seasons four and five – during which time ABC Family became Freeform – and a shortened final season, the final episode was largely one of resolutions rather than cliffhangers.

The Hollywood Reporter spoke with Lizzy Weiss about those finale twists and turns, the scrapped ending viewers didn't see and the possibility of a revival down the road.

The Hollywood Reporter | You mentioned there was a tag you shot at the end of season four that could have served as a series finale. Can you talk a little bit about what it was and why you decided not to use it?

Lizzy Weiss | It would have felt like a double ending. I feel like the emotion of the ending with the big wide aerial shot pulling back on the family and that song… the emotions sort of carried you and then once we tried putting the tag on it, it stopped the emotions. And plus, it was a flashback to the hospital with the girls as newborns and we cast 22-year-old actresses to play young Katherine and young Regina, and it felt like a disappointment to not end on the people that the fans have spent five years with. I hope the network does release it for the fans just in a tweet or a YouTube link because it was cool but it was something that we didn’t end up using.

THR | Another big revelation was that John found out about the switch before Katherine. Had that always been apart of the story for you? How did this twist come about?

LW | To be totally honest, no. When I pitched the show, I was very clear that I planned out that Regina knew and all of the reasons why, and when she found out when Daphne was three, and that she kept it secret so that was kind of baked into the first season. In preparing for the series finale, we watched the pilot again, and we zoned in on that scene in the geneticist's office where Bay and Katherine looked crushed and stunned and as if their worlds have just fallen apart. It was honestly just a choice that D.W. made for John to be the stoic father, but we just zoomed in and thought, 'Gosh, it almost looks like he's not surprised.' So just in the fun of the room, we spun off that: We can't mess with the mythology of Regina. We can't undo the whole show in one last episode, but what if hew knew a week before or two weeks before?  

The real intention of the John-Katherine story no matter what story we told, I knew that the end result would be we are re-validating them as the heart and the center of the show in terms of the family, the strength, that is the Kennish home. So we needed to shake them a little and then remind everyone they will keep getting through whatever is thrown at them. it just seemed fun to have.

THR | Another big moment in the finale was Daphne having to deal with the blatant discrimination of Dr. Bannon and her subsequent decision to stand up to him. Why in the final episode did you want to give her this obstacle for her?

LW | We definitely had had a couple run-ins with the face of authority who had questioned her. I felt like we really need to raise the stakes if we're going to bring this up again. We’re going to have to do it with someone who's a lot more blunt about it, and she hasn’t encountered that kind of resistance that much. These kind of doctors are out there, and this kind of arrogance. I always like to raise good questions and these are fair, realistic questions: How exactly would you be a surgeon? How would it work? Though he does it in a very gruff, ignorant way, he's asking questions that she's got to answer. Well, with technology, well, with an interpreter, well, with a little bit of help – and we researched, there are all of these tools. That's part of the message of this show, is that sometimes you do have to make accommodations, you may have to slow down, you may have to use your phone to text, you may have to learn a few signs, you may have to do things a little differently and that's OK in this world. We don't have to make the mainstream world the only way to communicate or live or have jobs. I just liked raising that one last time in a really big, potent, loud way.

I have a friend of a friend who was a doctor and got into a bike accident and became paraplegic and he's still a doctor. You figure it out, it doesn't mean it's easy. That's always been the message of the show: The world needs to bend a little bit and get with the program but not everyone's the same and that's OK.

THR | That also kind of relates to Toby's decision to change careers at the end. How did you decide on that ending for him?

LW | That was always the plan and we were going to take it a little slower if we had had more episodes. We were going to kind of move him along but I think it worked really nicely to have it be an epiphany in that moment. I just loved the idea of this kid changing his life so profoundly not just as a father, but as a person.

THR | One of the biggest surprises in the finale was that Bay and Emmett ended up not getting back together. How did you come to that decision?

LW | Bay and Emmett had true love, but it was first love and they went through a lot together as you do when you're young. Maybe it's just timing, maybe things would be different if she had met Emmett at 21 instead of Travis, but they couldn't shake all of the things that they'd been through. And secondly, the intention of the second-to-last episode, where Bay pushes Travis to tell his mother the truth about what happened was purely intended to really show that this couple is the real thing. They can weather these kinds of storms as adults, that's an adult relationship right there. Emmett was this lovely, romantic, who would do these big romantic things for her but Travis and she are going through hard stuff and getting through it.

The intention of the montage was really to honor Bay and Emmett for everyone, for me, not just for the fans. I love Bay and Emmett, they were a huge part of the series and it was a nod to anyone who's ever had a very intense first love that they thought they would end up with forever but they don't. When you see that person, it's incredibly powerful, and this is someone who helped define who you are as a human being for the rest of your life but you go your separate ways. I teared up working on that montage; to me it really takes you back to all of those moments with Bay and Emmett. I'm quite sure that there are diehard 'Bemmett' fans who will never forgive me and will always feel like it was a mistake but this is how Bay and Emmett and Travis evolved over the course of all the things that happened.

THR | Can you pinpoint a specific moment in the show where you shifted from having bay end up with Emmett to believing she should end up with Travis?

LW | Just following the truth of the characters and the baggage and just some realities of doing the show with Emmett being in LA and we had to throw Emmett into a bit of a tailspin and it would have been hard to get them back together. I do think there is a jerking around of the fans and the triangle that at some point has to stop. As a fan of my own shows, I don't like that either. You have to know when to let go of the triangle and to make a choice. I think fans get tired of that.

Someone else asked me if you had gotten 10 more episodes, do you think you would have gotten Bay and Emmett back together, and I don't think so. This felt right for where the characters ended up. The truth of the story is the past five seasons ended with Bay not being able to go back, she wanted to go forward. Which isn't to say that Emmett isn't a huge part of who she is. That will be a controversy I'm sure, but there's also a lot of diehard Bay and Travis fans. You're never going to win with everyone and we were quite aware of that.

THR | Regina also makes a big move when she moves out of the guest house and gets back together with Eric, even though he has to go to prison first. Why was this the right way to end her story?

LW | I was so pleased with that twist. Luca was lovely but they weren't really soul mates and Eric always felt like her second soul mate after Angelo. He came with this backstory, we couldn't un-bake that from who Eric was and why he appeared in her life the way he did so we had to send him off last season but everyone really wanted Eric to come back in some way and then we really felt like, 'Oh God, we backed them into a corner.' He has this past, he's committed this felony, he has to leave the country, I can't believe Regina would leave her two daughters and go to another country. That didn't feel right even though that was on the table. Then when we came up with this moment of this flashback where her mom says sometimes you have to do the hard thing to get to the right place. … It felt like a great parallel and a great metaphor to have her come up on her own with this solution. Tell Eric, "Do what you got to do, face the music and I will wait for you." And then of course the beauty of her becoming a mom again, to a boy for the first time, just felt so sweet and it felt like we were spinning her off into a new family.

THR | In the end, Daphne calls Katherine and John mom and dad, respectively. Why did you want to include that?

LW | That was in my back pocket. That's one of the few things that I always wanted to save for the series finale. I just felt like it would be a really big moment and I didn't want to slide it in casually. It's a big deal for Katherine. Katherine's a very traditional mom, her identity was a full-time mom for many years before she went back to work and I feel like she's always been secretly waiting for this moment and wanting it but never asking for it because she thought it would hurt Regina's feelings. It was just so powerful for her to hear it. I don't think Bay will ever call Regina mom. Their relationship always felt a little more aunt-niece, big sister-little sister; they just had a more complicated relationship. Regina's a little less traditional. … I just like the distinction between the girls that way.

THR | You had been tweeting a little while ago about wanting to possibly write characters from Switched at Birth into your next show but you weren’t sure about the legality of it. What is the possibility that we'll see Daphne or Bay or someone else from the SAB universe in the future?

LW | What I learned was it's a little more complicated. You can't really do that. Of course I can use the actors again and I fully intend to, but I thought it would be fun to have Daphne or Travis or Emmett pop up as a cousin to this other character I created and link the shows, but I don't think that's legal.

THR | Well, would you be open to revisiting these characters in some sort of revival down the line? Revivals had become such a big trend in recent years.

LW | If in ten years, it is a trend and the network or some network or all of us are interested, of course. We even joke about it now. It would be fun to revisit who everyone's going to be in 10 years, Bay and Daphne as 35-year-olds or even 30-year-olds is just fun to think about.

x

[naturesloopholed-a]

Verses list. Editing it now but if anything peaks your interest let me know!

CANON:

Season 5 of the originals: Follows all events of this season with a few tweaks here and there.

Season 4 of the originals: Follows all events of this season with a few tweaks here and there.

Pre-Legacies: Anything before the events of Legacies so anything in season 5, Hope growing up at the school for the young gifted. Her interactions with the townspeople, etc.

Canon Legacies Season 1:  Follows all events of this season with a few tweaks here and there.

Adult: Anything that is set when Hope is +18 (But she is frozen in time at looking like she is 18).

Undecided: This is really where a lot of my threads fall into.

AU:

Dalia: Hope was taken as a baby by Daliha.

Just a Marshall: Hope never knew her father and was raised by Hayley for most of her life up until her father comes crashing into her life one day when she is 16 years old. Hope is a cheerleader for the Bulldogs, she is what most would consider normal but she has magic, she is a tribrid and still is learning about so much of her life.

Raised by Bex: Hope was given to Rebekah to keep her safe from the enemies of Klaus Mikaelson. While living with Rebekah, she goes by Andrea Jones, the poor child that lost her parents at two years old to a house fire. When Hope turns 15, she is brought home to New Orleans.

Hidden Away: Hope lives in New Orleans but everyone thinks she died at birth. Klaus and Hayley keep her hidden from the world and very few know that she is alive and hiding in the compound itching to learn about the world.

Once A Full Moon: Hope's mother was cursed to only walk around as a human on nights of the full moon. Hope grew up without her mother aside from those rare days until one day Hope breaks the curse that her mother has and saves her pack from the pain of not being human for long.

Raised on the Run: Klaus is on the run from enemies and that means Hayley and Hope were at risk. the family of three have been running since Hope was just a baby.

Superstar: Hope is known for her modeling and acting but what gets her more well-known is who her family is, someone that has built an empire from the ground up.

Human: Hope is very much human, goes to private school, has a loving family and helps her Aunt Rebekah with the fashion world in her free time.

Darkness: Hope flips a switch after her mother is killed. She no longer feels human emotions (Or so she lets everyone else to believe) and the only way to save everyone is to Hayley back to stop her daughter from destroying the world and herself.

Mystic Falls: Hope goes to the normal human high school that Elena, Caroline, and Boonie had gone too. She is still the Tribrid just has had to learn how to hide in plain sight.

College: Hope going to human college and trying to fit in.

Magical Amnesia: Set right after Gretta kills her mother (Or maybe her mother is still alive). Hope doesn't remember a thing, she remembers the basics of her life and who she is but she is pretty much a clean slate when it comes to most events in season 5.

Magic Bound: Klaus and Hayley made a hard decision of binding Hope's powers until she got older, leaving the young tribrid with no magic and thinking that she is just human. Her Aunt Freya breaks the news to her one day when Hope's powers resurface at the age of 17.

CROSSOVER:

100: Hope was apart of the 100 that was sent to the ground. follows the events of 100.

Reign: Hope became Mary's lady after one of Mary's ladies were killed. In a time where being a witch is punishable by Death, Hope is stuck trying to hide from the world while serving the Queen of Scotts.

Twilight: follows the events of Twilight but only with the Mikaelson family being in Forks.

Criminal Minds: Hope is human, she was taken by an Unsub and was saved by the BAU.

Supernatural: Follows the events of Supernatural only Hope does her own haunting, is often thought of as a demon (Since vampires in this universe are said to be demons)

Hunger Games: Hope is Prim's friend unless otherwise stated. She never was put into the games (Unless someone wants that plotline).

PRIVATE:

Vampire: Hope was raised by a single mother for most of her life. Her family trapped in a dreamscape and Hayley spent years trying to find a way to bring Hope's family back to them but Hope got tired of waiting and tried to take matters into her hands, which ended up killing her and since she had vampire blood in her system, she turned into a vampire. Hayley of this verse: diabolusdilexit

My Heretic: Hope turns Lizzie Saltzman into a heretic. Hope loves her girlfriend so much that she was willing to do what Lizzie wanted, what she dreamed of even at a cost. Lizzie: witchyxwoo

Hayley's Reborn: Hope kills her Uncle to bring her mother back from the dead. Hayley: witchyxwoo

Augustine Society: Hope was taken with her cousin Matthias by the people that do experiments on vampires but this time it is two powerful witches. In the end, Hope's blood is used to kill her cousin and bring him back to life. Matthias: herstolen