#Hug | Laurie and Jo

[hockey-and-timbits]

—Little Women (Greta Gerwig, 2019)

[loveinhawkins]

Steve doesn’t think anything of it when he says it.

He’s lying on Robin’s bed, squished between a diverse collection of childhood teddy bears. Robin’s sat opposite him up by the headboard, her feet knocking against his knees; she’s massaging Pond’s cream into her elbows, and the room smells of cocoa butter.

Steve breathes in leisurely.

He thinks back to just a few months ago, when he’d first gotten the job at Scoops Ahoy—when he’d found out that his only co-worker was going to be a Robin Buckley: who the hell is she? he’d thought with a familiar carelessness, an echo from his junior year. Before the monsters. Before…

“Hey, Robin,” Steve begins. The words come slowly, like he’s wandering through the thought. “Do you ever think that, like… that it’s kinda crazy, y’know, how we ended up here?”

Robin pauses in her massaging. She gives him a dry look. “This is a pretty standard Sunday evening for me.”

Steve snorts. “Not like that, dickhead.”

Although maybe it is like that actually.

Maybe it’s about how he now watches Murder, She Wrote in the Buckley’s living room without Robin’s parents batting an eye; how they said he could join them for dinner beforehand, and then he kept showing up earlier and earlier to the point where him and Robin just spend the whole day together, and it’s never awkward, there’s no quips or whatever from her dad about them secretly being together; and maybe it feels sorta like a fairytale in the best way; maybe he feels a little like Laurie except he doesn’t want to propose to Jo.

And maybe it’s that the whole thing is just insane: that the entire goddamn trajectory of his life somehow took this wild turn, has made him land here, of all places, and he doesn’t even mean it in an asshole kind of way.

He means…

“Guess I’m just… just thinking. Like, it all kinda worked out, y’know?” Even as he says it, he knows it’s a risk—because they’ve not talked about Starcourt, not really, they’ve just talked around it, but this hardly counts, right? It’s just a joke, it’s just… “Yeah, I, um, got my head knocked around, but, it, uh, it meant I ended up here, so.”

He wants Robin to laugh—or at least, he thinks he does.

She doesn’t. She just goes very still.

He feels something twist in his gut; she’s got this way of looking at him, like he’s accidentally said more than what he thought he did.

“Steve.”

Robin crawls forward, clumsy and urgent. She grabs hold of his wrist. He feels the grease of body lotion as her thumb moves in tiny circles against his skin.

“That didn’t need to happen,” she says so seriously, and for some reason that’s almost the thing that does it, the thing that almost gets him to break on a slow Sunday evening in October, because whenever his stupid brain brings him back to July, to blood and pain and a deep, unimagineable fear, he tries to remember how it felt: how he laughed through it with Robin in a bathroom stall, and it would almost be enough to soothe the sting, that he could endure it, could endure anything so long as he could have this, please just let me have—

“We could’ve had the most boring summer of our lives,” Robin says, with a smile that’s a little sad, a little wistful, but always kind. “And I still would’ve…”

He hears them again, those words he’s been clinging to.

Listen to me, Steve. It's shocked me to my core, but I like you. I really like you.

“It just would’ve taken longer,” Robin finishes. Her eyes dart all over his face, and he suspects that he knows part of what she’s seeing: the ghosts of bruises. “Okay?”

For a moment, Steve can’t speak. “Okay.”

Robin shuffles up next to him, sitting right on top of one of her bears—“You’re squishing him,” Steve points out, to which Robin just snorts—and then she’s hugging him, maybe tighter than he’s ever been hugged before.

He lets his head fall forward and breathes.

They break apart eventually. If there’s a wet patch on her shirt, Robin doesn’t point it out—just says there’s cake for dessert, and she doesn’t move back to her spot, so her elbows are practically always in danger of catching Steve in the ribs.

And God, Steve tries to believe it: that he could have all of this without… That he could’ve always had it.

He tries.

[cannibalizedlove]

Since ur wanting requests what if i requested one where its laurie laurence x cowboy! Reader where laurie laurence doesn't quite like guys and has the whole attitude where he's like "two men together r gross" Bc its the 1800s but the reader has this like very attractive southern accent and flirts with laurie so much to the point laurie just melts and falls in love? Could either be smut or fluff! (I came up with this idea from a southern show I was watching lol)

This is probably the cutest request because I love cowboys and Laurie, so I hope you enjoy as much as I did! I made this one a longer one, just because I love the idea so much and wanted to create more <3

Voice like whiskey.

Information and warning — much longer fic than usual, slow burn, male reader, cowboy reader, internalized homophobia laurie, laurie being a little rude jerk, the march sisters are included, grinding, making out, alcohol, pure gayness.

You were the March sisters younger cousin, and had been popping in for holidays since you were a young child.

Even though you were never around except for birthdays and Christmas, you would always send your earnings home to the girls.

Marmee would always ask you to stay, how she had the extra room and how the girls would love to be with you — but you always had to decline, the dirt roads and cattle called for you. She always thought your work was admirable, so she never pushed.

Soon, Christmas had rolled around and it was time to go see your family. With your boots muddy, your hat containing your messy hair, and dirt on your face; you knocked on the door, greeted by the smile of sweet Amy.

“Oh my beloved, Y/N! You’re finally here for us!” The girl exclaimed, throwing her arms around you and hugging your chest.

“Amy! Oh how I’ve missed you, darlin’” You chuckled, ruffling her hair and embracing her tightly.

“Where’s the others, I have much stories to tell about the trails, damn horse ran off cause of a snake, funniest thing!” You shook your head, patting Amy on the back before looking around for the other sisters you desperately missed.

“Well, Meg is at the fabric store, sewing some dress for some stupid dance I wasn’t even invited to!!” Amy grumpily replied with her hands on her hips, rolling her eyes as she continued; “Beth’s upstairs reading her music, you know how she is.. Oh, and Jo’s out in backyard with Mr. Laurence.” Amy said his name in a singy-songy voice.

You looked at the young girl with confusion, shocked at the new name, had Jo fell for some man? Impossible you thought, she’d never settle down and throw away her freedom for some boy.

“Mr. Laurence? Who in the Lords name is that.” You asked, making your way to back door as you tracked mud throughout the house, something Marmee would scold you for later.

“Oh, hes a fine young gentleman, you’ll like him!” Amy giggled, sitting down in the living room as she watched the fires flames grow with amazement.

You made your way out back, watching as Jo— and who you assumed was Mr. Laurence — rough housed.

“So when are you plannin’ on greetin’ me, you rascal?” You called out to Jo, watching affectionately as she laughed and smiled playing with her friend.

“Y/N! My boy!” Jo announced, pushing Mr. Laurence off of her and into the cold grass.

She ran to you, wrapping you in her arms with a tight squeeze. “I’ve missed you dearly. I can’t wait to hear about the trail stories!”

The Laurence descent watched with a cocked eyebrow, dusting his fancy winter clothes off as he approached you.

“Hello. I’m Laurie.” The boy said flatly, he was a bit taller than you, pale, and overwhelmingly handsome.

“Why, I’m Y/N, nice to meet you. This your boyfriend Jo?” You teased, elbowing her shoulder with a grin, resulting in a slap on the chest and a groan from you.

Laurie didn’t know what he was feeling, your eyes had a fire he hadn’t seen before, your hat casted shadows on your face that perfectly carved it like a statue. Your voice was like whiskey, he thought, but Laurie was refusing the drink.

“Who’s this Jesse James rip off..” Laurie whispered to Jo, taking a dig at your stereotypical attire.

“Laurie, this is my cousin, he’ll be staying with us while the holidays are going on. Y/N, this is my neighbor, Mr. Laurie Laurence.” Jo explained in an announcing speech.

As the day wore on, you found yourself trying to talk to Laurie more and more, each time he’d blow you off. This caused a pang in your heart, but you knew your charm had never let you down.

During dinner you had taken a seat next to him, and spread your legs enough to make the two of yours knees touch. This connection made Laurie blush, but never once moved his knee; a good sign you believed.

You told the stories about the cattle running off, and how your horse got spooked by a rattle snake leaving you in the middle of the trail.

Some of them would earn an under the breath laugh from Laurie, but most would result in a scoff and eye roll.

This cat and mouse game only made you want him more.

The girls were in the living room, Marmee had went to bed early, and you two boys were in the kitchen. You poured yourself a glass of rum, and offered Laurie one in good manners.

“No thanks, Billy the Kid.” Laurie huffed, leaning up against the kitchen island, the opposite side of you. The whole night he had been taking jabs at your country twang, your dirty boots and roughed up clothes.

Each time you felt like dropping the whole thing more and more, hell it was the 1800’s, men weren’t allowed to be together. There wasn’t a point in the hopeless flirting, you knew it wouldn’t work, yet you craved for him to feel the same.

“Come on, lighten up, old boy.” You playfully hit his arm, leaning against the island, taking a sip of your alcohol.

“Stop flirting with me. I don’t swing that way.” Laurie spat, and you felt your heart drop.

You knew from the beginning, but hearing it out loud was a pain much worse than the idea of it.

Laurie watched as the color drained from your face, and felt an overwhelming sense of sadness.

Laurie was sure he was straight, he believed women were gorgeous and his grandfather always told him he was going to marry a woman.

Yet, all that was thrown out the window with you. You were so charming, and as much as he led on that he thought your outlaw attire was ridiculous, he thought your tight jeans with that belt were extremely tantalizing.

All you could reply with was a nod, you took your drink into the living room and joined the sisters in their activities.

It didn’t last long before you decided to wallow in your tears in the comfort of the Marches guest room.

You made your way up the stairs, entered the room and shut the door, quietly sobbing against it. You hated this, you wanted to be ‘normal’, you wanted to have a wife and live comfortably, but it just wasn’t in the cards for you.

You had stripped down to your boxers and dirt stained shirt, laying on the bed with your head in your hands, when a knock broke you out of your trance.

“Not in the mood, Amy.” You yelled out, just wanting to be left alone in your hour of rejection.

“It’s Laurie.” A beautiful voice from the other side of the door called.

‘Is he really here just to make you feel worse?’ You thought. How stuck up could one man be! You were expecting more insults to be spat out by him as you opened the door.

“What can I do for you.” You asked coldly, only to look up and see tears in the taller males eyes.

He let himself in, sitting on the edge of the bed with his hands awkwardly rubbing against his knees.

“I’m sorry for how I’ve acted. I’m.. embarrassed of the truth I guess.” Laurie said quietly, like he was ashamed to even speak privately about it.

“Embarrassed about what, Laur?” You sat next to him, his eyes tightly screwing shut as he smelt your attracting musk.

“You can tell me, if its about ear-“ You were completely cut off, Laurie grabbed your face, smashing your lips into yours and pulling you closer.

He greedily grabbed for all of you, he needed you like you were his oxygen source. He crawled ontop of you, sitting on your lap and licked your bottom lip, asking for entrance, when you graciously accepted his request, he dug in like a starving man.

Your tongues fought for dominance but ultimately, you won. Needy moans escaped from his pretty lips, and he grinded down on your growing bulge.

His entire body was heating up, his mind was melted, all he knew was your mouth and he was obsessed with it. Laurie didn’t know if it was the rum, or your taste, but he was completely drunk off of it.

When you pulled away slightly for a moment to catch your breath, Laurie backed away, his face a shade of bright red that you could see even though the dimly lit room.

“I thought you didn’t.. swing that way.” You asked in shallow breaths, touching your lips in a complete state of shock.

“I don’t know. I just know I want you. I’ve never felt this way before.” He said, hiding his face in his hands, afraid of ruining everything.

��That’s okay, Laurie-Darlin’. We’ll figure it out together.” You held his face in your calloused hand, keeping his eyes on you.

“Just come here, country boy.” He pressed his lips against yours once again, a softer more gentle approach than before.

Your voice was like whiskey, and he was finally accepting the drink.

[veronicaleighauthor]

In Defense of Amy March

A couple weeks ago, I did a re-read of “Little Women.” It had been a couple of years since I picked it up and I was in the mood for some Alcott. Oh, and the March family. I’ve been deeply attached to the story since I was about fourteen. Jo March was the heroine after my own heart. There was one character though, I could never warm to. That was Amy March. I really couldn’t stand her. She burned Jo’s manuscript and got that trip to Europe, and she was just so snobby and selfish. Right? I mean, that’s how she’s portrayed in most adaptations. Jo has to toil and suffer while Amy gets everything handed to her on a silver platter. During this re-read I decided to pay attention to the youngest March sister and see if I was justified in my dislike of her.

“It’s nice to have accomplishments and be elegant, but not to show off or get perked up,” said Amy thoughtfully.

When the story opens, Amy is a kid. She’s twelve and the baby of the family. Mr. March is serving as a chaplain at war and Marmee works outside the home. Older sisters Meg is a governess, Jo is a companion, and Beth is the homemaker. Amy goes to school and deals with much of what most kids deal with. She struggles with her lessons, she is teased for being poor, she tries to sneak pickled limes in to eat them. Amy is on the receiving end of her teacher, Mr. Davis’s brutality when he discovers she has limes and raps her hand. She is self-conscious about her nose. She has to wear everyone’s hand-me-downs. She is determined to be a proper lady, she is artistic, and she tries to improve her vocabulary. Amy takes parts in her sisters’ theatricals, though doesn’t want to go to the extremes that Jo goes to, and avoids bruising herself.

If anybody had asked Amy what the greatest trial of her life was, she would have answered at once, ‘My nose.’ 

Amy and Jo often disagree with one another. One evening, when Jo and Meg plans to go out to the theater with their new friend Laurie, Amy is determined to join them. She and Jo go round and round, but Amy is bluntly told she isn’t wanted and it would be an intrusion for her to be there (my words, not the actual dialogue). While Jo is away, Amy burns a manuscript her sister has been working on. A fight ensues and though Amy tries to make up for what she did, Jo won’t forgive her. She tries once more to spend time with Jo, when her sister and Laurie are skating at the local pond, and nearly drowns as she crashes through the ice. Her live is saved and she and Jo reconcile. Jo forgives the girl and though Amy knew she was doing wrong when she destroyed the manuscript, maybe it’s time we as readers (myself included) forgive her too.

Amy opened her eyes, and held out her arms, with a smile that went straight to Jo’s heart. Neither said a word, but they hugged one another close, in spite of the blankets, and everything was forgiven and forgotten in one hearty kiss.

When Beth falls ill with scarlet fever, Amy is determined to stay at home with her family, risking her own health and wellbeing. Laurie manages to convince her to go to Aunt March’s, where uncertain of what the future may bring, she makes a will of her own in case she dies. Aunt March takes a liking to Amy and from then on, she is the older woman’s companion. Once Beth is well, Amy is allowed to come home, in time for her father to return home from the war and to see her older sister Meg engaged to John Brooke.

The next time we see Amy, it is three years later and she has grown into the proper young lady she always aspired to be. She dresses well, pays calls, dabbles in various forms of artwork, donates her time and energy to charity booths. Somehow, we as readers belittle this, when this was common way of life for ladies in the 19th century. Consider Marian Brooke, of The Gilded Age TV show, who embraces her own femininity and lives and thrives in New York society. Amy March is doing the same thing – while Jo breaks many of the societal rules, Amy wants to be part of that world. This is best demonstrated in Part Two, when Amy and Jo pay calls at various friends’ and relatives’ homes. Amy does her utmost to help Jo, but Jo (and don’t get me wrong, I love my girl Jo) is downright rude, improper, immature, and sloppy. Amy, on the other hand, is well-mannered, her appearance is neat, she is respectful, and she shows an interest in her hosts. This leaves an impression on Aunt Carol, who is planning a trip to Europe. She originally planned to invite Jo, but the visit shows her Amy would be a better candidate to take to Europe.

“You can go through the world with your elbows out and your nose in the air, and call it independence, if you like. That’s not my way.”

You laugh at me when I say I want to be a lady, but I mean a true gentle-woman in mind and manners, and I try to do it as far as I know how.

So, Amy didn’t steal Jo’s trip to Europe. She was true to herself and a wealthy relative rewarded her for it. She accompanies Aunt Carol and her family on their tour of Europe. This was another common practice in the 19th century. Family or friends would take a young lady along, to see the sights and with any luck, make a match there (think “The Portrait of a Lady,” by Henry James). Amy enjoys herself there, meeting new people, wearing the fashions of the time, learning about art and the countries she visits. The original plan of her life is that she becomes a successful, famous artist. In that way, she’s equally ambitious to Jo. However, while in Europe, she comes to accept her own limitations. Amy understands she has talent, but she doesn’t have genius. At least not compared to the greats or her contemporaries. She comes to terms with this; she will always love art and be artistic, but she must be practical now.

Very few occupations were open to women of that era, especially in the social circles Amy moved in. Teaching or being a governess would have been acceptable – many ladies of genteel and respectable families worked as governesses. Meg worked as a governess. But the pay wasn’t great and it would be a step down for a socially conscious young woman. The only way to secure her future was to marry well. By today’s standards, and many readers of “Little Women” it’s considered mercenary for Amy to think of marrying for money. However, again, think of The Gilded Age show, where some of the characters did or do want to marry for financial security – Agnes van Rhijn and her son Oscar van Rhijn.

Amy herself states: “I may be mercenary, but I hate poverty, and don’t mean to bear it a minute longer than I can help. One of us must marry well. Meg didn’t, Jo won’t, Beth can’t yet, so I shall, and make everything okay all round.”

If Amy marries say Fred Vaugn, one of her suitors, she intends to help her family and those around her. It isn’t a bad plan…but it isn’t the right plan for her. After spending some time with Laurie, who she met up with in Europe, she understands she can’t marry just for money. Marmee and Father didn’t raise her that way and it wouldn’t be enough for her. Love, respect, admiration, and friendship must be part of the equation. The more time she spends with Laurie, she slowly falls in love with him. However, Amy isn’t pleased with Laurie’s behavior as of late. If she had really wanted to marry for money, she could have ignored his vices and set her cap at him. He once loved Jo and after nursing a broken heart, he meanders around Europe spending his grandfather’s money, wasting time, and not living up to his full potential. It is Amy who inspires him to become the best version of himself…and it is Amy he truly falls in love with. According to the book, Amy didn’t steal Laurie from Jo, because he never truly belonged to her.

“I’m not afraid of storms, for I’m learning how to sail my ship.”

Amy and Laurie both find their way, they marry, and after the tragedy of losing Beth, they return home. They find their happy ending together.

So was Amy selfish, shallow, prissy, or evil? Nope. No more than the rest of us. She was a young woman who found her place in the world. Her definition of happiness was different than Jo’s, but it doesn’t make her any less of a heroine.

What do you think? Do you like Amy March?

[xdenqte]

NO TIME TO DIE

summary. In which, you’ve fallen gravely ill. But it’s much worse than you could’ve thought, sepsis. You’ve now been informed that you only have a single week to live.

includes. laurie laurence x fem! reader, love confessing, a lotta angst, hurt/comfort, also a lot of crying so ☹️

One week.

One week was all you had.

It wasn’t enough, you wanted more time. There were so many things you wanted to do.

You now lay in your bed with tear streaks down your cheeks, helpless, you couldn’t get out even if you wanted to, you felt weak.

You stared at the painting across from you, it was beautiful. It took your mind off of your infection for a while now.

You didn’t want to leave, you hated yourself, you couldn’t sleep, you cried too much.

There was one other thing that took your mind off of your suffering.

Laurie Laurence.

Laurie visited you everyday since he got the news, the first time he heard, he rushed over to your house and found you in your bed.

Tears in his eyes, he hugged you, thoughts were racing through his mind, he didn’t want to lose you, he’d rather die first than lose you.

You fidgeted with your hands, there was nothing you could do.

You then heard someone knock on your wall

“Hey.” He said.

“Hi, Laurie.” You said, your voice was hoarse and raspy.

He sat down next to you, you could tell he was tired.

“How’re you feelin’?” He asked, you could hear his voice breaking.

“I’ve been better.” You said. “H’bout you, how’ve you been?”

“I-“ He croaked. “I’ve been- I’ve been good.” You could tell he wasn’t, tears were swelling in his eyes

You nodded, pursing your lips together. You put your hand on his, then sat up closer to him.

“You’re sure?”

He hesitated, how could he not? he was going to lose you, forever. He was devastated.

A single tear streamed down his face. You raised your hand to wipe it away with your thumb.

"I don't feel any pain." You reassured him, he knew, but he still couldn’t bear to see you like this.

He put his hand on yours as his tears streamed down his face, he laid his head on your shoulder, you wanted to cry. You tangled you fingers in his dark curly hair, you only wanted to spend the rest of your days with him. Then you snapped. You were going to pass away, there was nothing stopping it, you wish there was, oh, how you wish there was. Your heart ached at the thought of you breathing your last.

“If I could take this away from you. I’d do it in a heartbeat.”

• • •

Morning came, a week had passed by as if it was nothing, you woke up with tears down your cheeks, nothing but tears.

Your mother came running into your room, and wrapped her arms around you.

“My dearest daughter.” She cried.

“Oh, mother.” You said, as you pulled away.

She then sat up, and dried her tears. “So, me and your father, we have a small surprise planned.”

“Really?” Your eyes glinted with hope.

She nodded.

You then watched with a smile as everyone in the March family came through your door, including Laurie.

Jo, Meg, Amy, and Beth all came up to you and wrapped their arms around you, this was the happiest you’ve felt.

Amy, being the most excited, said, “We’ve each decided to bring you a small gift, of course, ‘twas Laurie’s idea, after all.”

You turned to Laurie to find him smiling at you, you then smiled back at him.

You smiled at them in awe. “Thank you guys, you honestly didn’t have to do ALL of this.”

“Nonsense.” Meg said. “We all love and care for you, we wanted to show that.”

Each of the March sisters passed around their gifts, as you thanked them, you couldn’t help but feel sad, not because they weren’t want you wanted, no, because you had no use for them, you truly loved every single gift, but, after today, you’d have absolutely no use for them, you fought the urge to cry, yet again.

“Thank you, guys, this truly meant a lot.”

They then all went and hugged you once more.

“We really do love you.” Amy said.

“As do I to you.” You said.

• • •

Laurie was the last one to leave, he couldn’t think for once to leave you alone.

Laurie sat beside you on your bed, you could see the sunset peeking through your curtains and shining onto this face.

“Laurie, I can’t thank you enough for doing this.” You say.

“I only did it for you.”

You smiled at him.

“I care for you, I really do.” He reassured.

“I’d do anything for you.”

Your smile dropped halfway, you did and didn’t believe what he was telling you.

He hesitated. “I’ve fallen in love with you.”

Your eyes glistened in the sunset, his words felt like stones being carried off your shoulders.

“Laurie…” Was all that slipped out.

He inched closer, and caressed your hand with his.

His voice was like a whisper in the wind.

“My darling,” He began. “When you smile, the earth shakes, the universe stops, the heavens collapse, and my heart bursts.”

There was a beat.

Happiness was an understatement for what you felt in that very moment, not even the words of God himself could describe your emotions, your facial expressions didn’t move, but your eyes…your eyes said it all.

Your eyes shined up at him like the waters from the shining ponds in the backyard. He then pressed his forehead against yours, as he said,

“I love you.”

Your hand reached up, and caressed his face, he then put his hand on top of yours.

He looked so pretty.

Though you’d be gone by sunrise, you wanted to spend the rest of your life with him, everyday, forever, you’d taken yourself for a fool, the day you fell for him, you were taken aback by your emotions. You couldn’t trust them, then, you grew fond of them, you realized you knew what real love feels like, it felt wonderful.

You shut your eyes, tears streaming down from your eyes, it was all too much.

Laurie tsked silently.

“C’mere.” He said, he laid you down as he did next to you.

You laid your head on his chest, you felt safer, but your emotions still came flooding out.

His hand was buried in your hair, knotting it, you couldn’t care less, you just wanted him next to you, only you and him, forever.

As you were falling into your eternal sleep, you uttered 4 words that stuck with him forever.

“I love you, too.”

[im-a-real-tough-kid]

I feel like i need to say more about Little Women so here goes.....

EXTREMELY BORING AND DISAPPOINTING BOOK. God knows how I finished this in SIX FUCKING MONTHS. I skipped so much stuff because it added literally nothing to the story. But I kept going because 'there must bs SOMETHING that makes this book so popular, right??' well NO.

Meg has no personality except being 'a good housewife'. I sort of liked Jo but then she goes and gives up writing for a random old man who likes her(?????) . Beth's death was boring and soooo unrealistic and I don't know why she was in the book itself. Amy was simply infuriating. 'I'll be an elegant woman and marry a rich man and please the society', what kind of message is that???? (And this is supposed to be an empowering book???)

And their Marmee, who is always preaching everyone left and right and tries to teach her girls a lesson...all of it is just so dull😭. They are extremely poor but they give their Christmas food to someone even poorer than them. There is no portrayal of exactly how much money they have because they always get on well and hold parties and go to picnics??? And yet they are poor?

The four girls don't seem to be like sisters at all. Amy (or was it beth, i don't remember?) BURNS Jo's book, she has a minor outrage, then Amy starts drowning so Jo FORGIVES HER FOR BURNING HER GODDAMN BOOK?? I mean yes ofc you don't want your sister to die but those two things are totally unrelated, how can you forgive her for destroying your hardwork just because she was about to die?

And NOW comes the most senseless part of the whole book- Amy and Laurie ending up together. Biggest WTF? moment in the book because i had been ROOTING FOR JO AND LAURIE the moment they became friends😭. They had so much chemistry and were definitely good for each other. I didn't really understand why she rejected him and later regretted it.

But how did he start loving AMY of all people??? She was mourning her sister's death and comes and hugs him and suddenly his feelings have changed? One moment he was sulking about being rejected by Jo, now he's falling for Amy and marrying her?

Then comes the even bigger plot twist, Jo marries the professor, who is 15 years older than her and who made her give up writing stories. I don't even have words for this.

All in all, it was a very difficult read. It was just a bunch of different stories packed together in 700 pages, of which I skipped about 100. It all just came down to the women always needing men and fitting with the stereotypes of the society and being incapable of doing anything on their own. Probably the worst book I ever read.

Also, this was my first 'classic' and I've been hugely disappointed. So I need GOOD classic recs, please help.

[2truehearts]

do you ever just. associate ur friends with a memory or scene or line or feeling or habit u saw bc i do that and one of my friends is the line from a fic i wrote. the other is a scene from little women where laurie proposes to jo. another is the way my heart flutters when i get hugged and kissed and i have this one friend where whenever i think of them im reminded of car rides and windy days and a blur of dresses dancing and overlapping with the different lacy hems and silky fabrics and laughs holding unto the other as if it were a scarf being threaded together like. do u ever just. think of them and weave them into u like u would with making a scarf?

[stray-kaz]

Sugar & Spice : a Theodore Laurence x reader FF : two

A/N: The gif is from one of my favourite moments in film ever, and if that makes me a little bit crazy, I do not care, I love it.

18 and up, y’all.

“Marry me.”

The words came one month later, and Laurie pleaded his case with stormy sea eyes, insisting that he had loved you for years already, so why make you both wait any longer? Your yes came in the form of a hasty kiss, your fingers in his hair, stuck fast. He wrapped his arms tightly around you and your nose bumped gently against his.

He propped his chin on top of your head, oblivious to the people passing you by in the park, watching the young lovers with curious eyes.

The sun was high and warm, the sky perfect and blue, the scent of late summer flowers sweeping lightly on the air as the floral arch was being set up in the Laurence family’s backyard.

Inside the March house, the four sisters, Marmie and Hannah were fussing around you like hens, tugging at your dress, straightening the lace detail below your collarbones and adjusting the pale blue ribbon at the back of your head, the rest of your hair flowing down away from it to your shoulders.

Suddenly, Jo hugged you from behind, careless of the wrinkling fabric of your wedding dress.

“I still can hardly believe it” she mumbled in your ear. “One of my best sisters and my best friend. It’s like a dream!”

Meg rolled her eyes but smiled as she gently ushered Jo away from you.

“Come now” she said over her shoulder, winking at you. “Your beau awaits, lovely.”

You nodded and followed them, the others falling into position behind you, your small bouquet of wild purple flowers shaking slightly in your trembling hands.

As you approached the waiting group of your friends and Laurie’s family, your breath caught; your fiance was standing in front of the arch, which now had sunflowers woven through the tiny purple blooms it had boasted the last time you saw it.

Laurie saw you looking and grinned, holding his arm out to you when you finally reached him. You tucked your hand into the crook of his elbow and leaned your head on his shoulder.

“My favourite colour and your favourite flowers” he said quietly. “I’m glad you like it.”

You didn’t have words to reply, and you didn’t think you would be able to verbalise your enthusiastic consent to marry him, but you told him you loved him in no uncertain terms and said I do, and he did the same, eyes fixed on you the entire time.

And when he leaned in to kiss you, all you could see was the colour of his eyes as everyone and everything around you faded away, leaving the two of you alone in the backyard in front of an arch of flowers.

You were dancing contentedly with Robert March when your young husband approached to steal you away, high colour flushing his cheeks and his gaze a little feverish. Your breath hitched in your throat; you knew that expression, it was the look he wore when he wanted to ditch the chaperone and kiss you breathless against a wall or a handy piece of furniture.

“May I steal my wife, sir?” Laurie asked politely, ever the gentleman in spite of his true desire. “I really must speak with her.”

Robert nodded and smiled, passing you over to him.

“Of course, Laurie” he said. “By all means.”

Laurie jerked his head in a quick nod, snatched at your hand and all but dragged you away towards the house, crowding you up against a wall out of sight of the wedding guests. His hands bracketed your head, pressing hard on the wall, his lower body pressing the front of your skirts. He leaned his forehead against yours, his stormy eyes piercing and hungry as he let his mouth skim over yours.

“Right now?” you murmured, a little higher pitched than you meant.

“Uh, please” Laurie groaned, shifting his hips even closer. “This day is too long, my love.”

You couldn’t prevent the laugh that escaped you, followed by a hapless moan as the tip of his tongue grazed yours, having taken advantage of your suddenly open mouth. You were embarrassed by your reaction to him, to him begging you for more, to the unrestrained want in this day is too long, my love.

You moved just a little and you brushed against the firmness below his trousers, causing both of you to jump a little and groan, his mouth still dangerously hot on yours, his hands now gripping your waist, fisting the creamy material of your dress and tugging it up ever so slightly.

You put a hand over his to stop him. He stopped kissing you to gaze instead, and you swallowed hard at the sight of his blown out pupils, black as an eclipse.

“Theodore Laurence, everyone is still here!” you hissed, wide eyed.

He didn’t say anything else, but he did reach down to haul your skirt up high enough to enable him to slip his right hand underneath, searching, finding the top of your expensive wedding underwear and delving past the fine fabric. You gasped at the same time as his lips parted on a sigh as two slender fingers found evidence of your excitement at his actions, in spite of your cautionary reprimand.

“Laurie...” you whimpered, your breath soft and panting.

He raised his head to meet your eyes again, a faint smirk skewing his mouth to one side.

“Yes, my love?”

“If you stop, I shall never wear purple again.”

Laurie grinned and sank those same two fingers inside you, smothering your loud exclamation with his own mouth. When you had stopped making such a lewd sound, he kissed you gently and eased his fingers into a steady rhythm.

He murmured softly against your lips, still parted under his.

“I want to see what my pretty wife looks like under all these layers.”

[joelalorian]

hi lauri! i'm here to hand you a friendship bracelet, a hug and also to ask you, with my scout's honor, if you could share a scout cabin with three celebs, who are you choosing?

love @undercoverpena

Thank you so much, Jo! I love the friendship bracelet 🥰

What a great question! The first celeb is easy. It would be our gorgeous, brown eyed boy Pedro. The other two are harder… maybe Gerard Butler and Raúl Esparza. I have no doubt I’d be hyper focused on Pedge and forget the others were even there 😂😂

[once-upon-an-imagine]

You (upset with Argyle because he spoiled your book): All right, okay, Laurie proposes to Jo, and she says no, even though she’s still in love with him, and then he ends up marring Amy.

Argyle: Hey! Mine was by accident! All right, the boiler explodes and destroys the hotel, and kills the dad.

You: Huh. Beth dies.

Argyle (with his eyes tearing up): *Gasp* Beth, Beth dies?

You: Um-hmm.

Argyle: Is that true? If I keep reading is Beth gonna die?

Eddie: No, Beth doesn’t die, she doesn’t die. Does she, love?

You: What?!

Jonathan (glaring at you for upsetting his bf): Argyle's asking if you’ve just ruined the first book he’s ever loved that didn’t star Jack Nicholson?

You: *Sigh* No. She doesn’t die.

Argyle (extremely hurt): Then why would you say that?!

You: Because... I wanted to hurt you.

***BONUS***

(Argyle storms into the room, clearly upset)

You: What?

Argyle (looking like a sad puppy): Beth is really, really sick.

You: Awwww.

Argyle: Jo’s there, but I don’t think there’s anything she could do.

(You hug him)

You: Argy?

Argyle: Yeah?

You: Do you want to put the book in the freezer?

Argyle (nodding his head): Okay.

You: Okay.

[hockey-and-timbits]

I just hate that you’re leaving me.

—Jo March, Little Women, (Greta Gerwig, 2019)

[strideofpride]

ooooh I'd love to hear anything you got on your modern LW fic(s)!

safe travels <333

Thank you, love! 💕

Okay yesssss!! There’s so Much Detail I put into that fic that I don’t know if people didn’t catch or just didn’t comment on but I’d love to talk about lololol!!! And basically just be like “look what I did” hahahaha

-for starters, I did put quite a bit of myself into it, such as: Jo hating AirPods (I think they’re so dumb) and Jo & Amy being really really into Duolingo and often doing friend quests together (literally me and my friend lololol we’re obsessed). A Cinderella Story and the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants were big movies for me growing up (I added Bend it Like Beckham for Jo cause duh). I even had John’s sinus surgery Meg references lol and Amy’s prized stuffed frog named Froggy is a reference to my prized stuffed bunny my mom named…Bunny. Like Jo, I think it’s horribly uncreative.

-I also used this fic as an excuse to dump my headcanons of who the March sisters would be as present day late 20-somethings (well Meg is 30 - Jo is 29, Beth is 27, and Amy is 26 (I think this matches their age gaps in the books) - I tried to subtly acknowledge all of their ages in the fic. Meg & John have been together half their lives since they were 15 - that’s also a little reference to George & Lemon from Hart of Dixie albeit more positive lol. Multiple references are made of Jo being almost 30. Jo makes reference to Beth not joining the 27 Club just yet. And Amy’s “revenge” of erasing all of Jo’s stories occurred when she was 13 & now she’s “twice that age”)

-Also getting to figure out who they would be in girlhood in the late 90s/2000s was a lot of fun as well! Like of course Amy had a Justin Bieber phase and Meg was a swiftie

-the March sisters group chat: I was very cognizant of how each sister would type. Meg types with perfect capitalization, grammar, and punctuation. Beth is looser but still has auto caps on. Meanwhile, Jo & Amy both have auto caps off (another shared similarity of course) (and Meg’s comment about Amy loading the car is a reference to Beth being sick)

-Meg buying her coffee from Blue Bottle (“basic and overpriced” to quote Jo) is my little reference to that scene where Meg buys the fabric she can’t afford in the 2019 movie. (Believe it or not, my only familiarity with the story is the 2019 movie which I’ve seen twice and read the script once) Basically, there’s still that girl who craves luxury deep inside her somewhere

-cancer obviously seemed like the natural modern equivalent to scarlet fever but a big part of why I’m reluctant to go deeper into this universe is that it bums me out to think of Beth dying but also…Beth is dying in this universe in the next few months or so. That is very very much a key element of Little Women I think, that Beth dies and the family has to find a way to go on living even in their grief, so no, Beth is not going to make some miracle recovery. She will die and that’s sad but it’s supposed to be. It wouldn’t be Little Women without grief.

-the headphones! When Jo makes her comment about not having headphones, she’s talking about herself, but Amy thinks she’s talking about Laurie! Which is why she reacts the way she does because she thinks Jo knows for a half second there

-Laurie grabbing an earlier flight was sooo cause of Amy. Also just want to point out that the third person narration only refers to him as Teddy cause it’s Jo’s POV and that’s what she calls him :)

-Amy of course refuses to meet Jo’s eye or hug Laurie for long because she’s trying to hide their relationship (as mentioned in the Laurie POV)

-the Bear article in Vulture about the one take episode is a real article published on July 29, 2022

-I decided halfway through writing it that the Marches would have a shit ton of cats they had taken in over the years but there was no natural way to fit a scene in about it so I just went back and started making a bunch of random small references to the cats whenever I could lol

-the avant garde letters bit is just a Julio Torres joke I stole lol

-this is very specifically set in August 2022 and as someone who still wears a face mask today, it was very important to me that I specify that they’re wearing face masks anytime they’re indoors in a public space (except only Beth is wearing one when they’re out at the strip club, because she’s immuno-comprised and can’t take a night off as Jo points out) also the rehearsal dinner takes place on the restaurants outdoor patio for that reason as well

-there wasn’t a lot of Marmee in this fic but anytime someone does a service for the family (tailors Meg’s dress, hosts the rehearsal dinner) you see her compliment them profusely which felt very in line with her character to me

-Beth is wearing a baseball cap at the Apple store…both to cover her bald head but also because as she mentioned earlier she burns easily

-of course, Laurie does not love the dig Jo makes at Amy because he’s in love with Amy!

-also, as discussed later on and in the Laurie POV, Laurie wants to talk to Jo to tell her about Amy

-also as mentioned in the Laurie POV, Jo is so surprised by the ooc bachelorette party Amy plans because it wasn’t her idea! It was Laurie’s!

-during their little fight at the rehearsal dinner, Jo thinks Laurie is noticing her sisters watching them fight, but really he was specifically seeking out Amy (and as you see in the Laurie POV, Amy did not walk home, she went out with Laurie)

-that part about Jo’s art consuming her in the big scene with Jo & Meg is very much inspired by Judd Hirsch’s scene in The Fabelmans

-heading over to the Laurie POV for a sec, the “very long intense conversation” they had about Amy having had a crush on Laurie growing up is of course a reference to the “I’ve been second to Jo my whole life” scene!

-the Marches having a backyard treehouse is a reference to my favorite Bones fanfic series Roots & Wings (specifically this scene)

-and finally, the ending: it’s of course a reference to the scene in the 2019 movie where Amy tells Jo to write something domestic. But it was also my attempt to be as meta as the end of the film was. “Who would want to read about that?” Well, millions and millions of girls over the past 150+ years have 🥹 And more personally, the reader of this fanfic just did as well ;)

fanfic director’s cut

[rughydrangea]

2022 drama year in review

Normally I’m very good about getting this in by the new year, but I had a few 2022 dramas to catch up on, so I’m late. I’m glad I took the time to catch up, though, as it’s got me excited about dramas for the first time in a long while. They’re still good! (Even if there should be more sageuks.)

Joining the pantheon of my favorites:

Little Women -- Hands-down the best adaptation of Little Women I have ever seen. The acting, directing, music, plotting were all superb. But there are two aspects of the show that really stood out to me: 1) Little Women is a novel about sisters born into poverty, who have no clear path out of that poverty. They all spend much of the novel learning the difficult lesson that being poor isn’t a state they will someday be liberated from but the noble condition in which they will live their lives. And poverty is explicitly linked with virtue in LMA’s worldview--when Jo starts to write racy stories to earn money, when Meg resents being the wife of a poor man, these are portrayed as moral failings that must be corrected. And though Amy does eventually marry into money, it’s not a road without hardship--she essentially has to salvage the man that Jo threw in the trash and teach him how to be a human again. Bless this drama, then, for refusing to romanticize poverty and ending with the sisters thriving off their stolen money. Living in this painful, heartbreaking, corrupt world as poor girls did not purify them, it merely hurt them. Stealing money from those who made them suffer may not fit LMA’s vision of ethical living, but it’s what In Joo, In Kyung, and In Hye deserved. Long may they enjoy their ill-gotten gains! 2) Finally, a Little Women adaptation willing to make the objectively correct decision and let Jo and Laurie end up together. Every other adaptation and the original novel found dead in a ditch. All hail Jung Seo Kyung.

My Liberation Notes -- Following up My Ajusshi was kind of an impossible task, but damn if Park Hae Young didn’t manage it. A thoughtful, heartfelt, deliberate show that never took the easy away out and somehow found the beauty in the small, painful, confounding details of life. I have like Kim Ji Won since Heirs and adored her since Fight My Way, but this drama showed an entirely different side of her, tamped-down and bitter and wonderful. And though one could argue that the show glamorized alcoholism (I don’t think you can drink that much soju and still look that good), it was all worth it for Mr. Gu. May we all get an alcoholic gangster hottie who worships us on command.

Through the Darkness--This drama was a lot more gruesome than I thought it would be? But it was also smart and deliberate and compassionate. The entire cast was great, but Kim Nam Gil was incredible, doing so much with silence and stillness.

Quite good:

Alchemy of Souls--So stupid. So fun. What is there left to say?

Love Like the Galaxy--It kind of lost me in the middle, but I was back on board for the end. Unexpectedly, my favorite part of the show hands-down, and the only story to make me cry, was the emperor and his doomed love triangle. Is this how I know I’m getting old?

Under the Queen’s Umbrella--Silly and heartbreaking in equal turn. Every time a mother hugged her child I melted. Lots of good, rounded, complicated characters but then there were also a few who were pure, cartoonish evil, which was less fun. The acting saved some of the more confounding writing decisions.

Not bad:

Strange Lawyer Woo Young Woo -- It started out so strong, but really limped to the finish line. I simply have no patience left for heroically idiotic breakups.

WHY??!?!?

*** ***** -- It turns out that when you watch a show that is absolutely not for you, you are not going to like it! I’m glad for the people who loved this show, but every time I saw a novel-length essay explaining how dramatically flawless it was, I truly felt like I was living in an alternate universe. Some of the acting was good, but a lot was aggressively not. The product placement was dizzying. Every single aspect of the premise and a lot of the conflict felt like it was scripted by aliens who hadn’t quite grasped human behavior. Still, I am grateful that it gave me something supremely silly to focus on at a very stressful point in my life, and it’s tough to fault a show that is pretty clearly for a younger age bracket for not appealing to me, an old person. The secondary couple ruled, though.

[the-other-art-blog]

Even if the 2019 film is not perfect, I still think they did an excellent job with AmyxLaurie. Laurie looked totally smitten by Amy when he was talking with Jo. And, by the sound of it, it looks they had a pretty good trip back, if you know what I mean.

Hi, anon!

About AmyxLaurie in that film... I think if Gerwig had stuck with the original scenes for them, it would have worked much better. I talked about this here (x) and here (x).

The book never explicitly says that Amy had a crush on Laurie from the very beginning. But many adaptations had interpreted it as such, especially the 2018 modern adaptation and the 2019 film. I have no problem going through that route. Unrequited-to-requited love is always entertaining to watch. And I think it's something that can happen to any woman. An independent, smart woman like Amy can fall for an idiot. It happens all the time. (So many people reading this are nodding right now)

I would even accept the changes that Gerwig did, like altering the carriage scene so that Amy jumps to hug him. Then, Laurie standing her up and not apologizing in the studio is also part of this story. It shows how vulnerable Amy is when her feelings get in the way. She's telling Laurie that people can choose who to love, but she herself couldn't and Laurie is taking advantage of it whether he knows it or not. It's all part of the narrative that will climax in the garden scene.

That's why the garden scene is so powerful. That's Amy's wake-up call. At that moment she finally realizes how little Laurie respects her and how much he takes her for granted. And that he knows about her feelings! She's basically saying, “I love you but I'm not gonna let you do whatever you want with me.” Few people have that strength and willingness to walk away.

But it all means nothing when in the next scene Amy rejects Fred and goes running to find Laurie. I believe she rejected Fred because she didn't love him, and marrying him would be the same as what Laurie tried to do with her. What I don't understand is why is she so excited to see Laurie. And then she sort of implies that she wants to accept him now? Why? What happened in between? It doesn't make any sense!!!

Seems like there’s a missing scene there, maybe one where Laurie tells her he’s going to work with his grandfather? Or something that shows her (and us) that he genuinely loves her and is totally over Jo.

And then they reunite and they just kiss? And she's fine with it? How does that prove he's over Jo? In the book, they don't even have to say I love you, cause it's crystal clear. There are no doubts between them, they're in sync, and it's beautiful. But here, they needed a long serious conversation before that kiss. In the original script, Laurie has a whole speech and he tells her he loves her.

But in the final movie, there’s nothing that reassures the audience of Laurie’s feelings. And it only worsen when Jo “reconsiders” Laurie’s proposal. Jo is angry at Amy and mourns the loss of her “childhood love” (that’s how it is in the script! WTF! Wasn’t Jo a lesbian in this film?!)

Oh, and the “my lord” thing. Timothee made it sound more sexual than it really is. In the book, these two are living their own medieval fantasy where they are my lady and my lord, and their baby is the princess. Look, is the sex good? Hell yes! Remember, Amy has to be great or nothing. But “my lord” is not related to that.

[loaksky]

may i just say that your writing is one of the most beautiful things i have ever read? the way you write just hits me right in the heart and i feel as if i'm reading one of the most renowned and classic books every time i read a work of yours. you are amazing and i love that i came across you.

ALSO UR NEWEST NETEYAM DRABBLE REMINDS ME OF ANY MARCH IN LITTLE WOMEN WHEN LAURIE CONFESSED TK HER AND SHE WAS LIKE "youre being mean" bcs shes loved him for so long but she knew he used to love jo and ugdudgsudhdh youre amazing

give me a hug RN ! YOU'RE amazing for reading my brain spew,, i am SO appreciative <3

and SHAJDJKF i love that scene from little women ! i didn't even draw the parallel until you mentioned something, but i'm so 💞 that it made you think of that ! ilysm 🫶🏽

[lilacerull0]

So what are your thoughts on Jo's letter to Laurie in the 2019 film?

FUCK. (what a way to start an essay woah) THIS IS MY!!!!! FAVOURITE ACT OF ALTERING THE SOURCE MATERIAL AND IT SUCKS THAT PEOPLE JUST.... do not get it lol. it's an excellent addition and it says sooooo much if you read the text properly... let's look at it shall we:

the worst fate is to be a wife -> the worst fate is to live my life without you in it. she never confesses love!!!! she would... if they were still children. back when i love you only meant i love you ... when it could be something that was solely theirs!!!! she's not saying that she wants to marry him... she's just picking the lesser of what she considers to be two evils... and YEAH, it is a love story, her best friend is absolutely essential to her (which she knows now. that he's gone.) and she is lonely. and man the lifespan of this letter (it is alive to me ok) is simply devastating... it is kept alive in the mailbox laurie introduced, it is locked away thanks to the key laurie's gifted jo and her sisters (her sisters. the only force capable of overpowering jo's ambition). and that, to me, is the perfect metaphor for jo and laurie themselves... keeping each other alive, but at what cost... does the world you created protect you or cut you off from everything else (they are physically separated from everyone during the dance sequence... on the porch while life goes on) their friendship ridicules social norms and jo LOVES that, she loves seeing herself in laurie... and then. and then the person you thought shared your worldview is perfectly happy living the life both of you were supposed to be running away from... she literally tries to embody him here. (WEARING HIS CLOTHES IN THAT SCENE WITH BETH TOO!!!!!)

look at this progression:

they're practically sharing a face in the scene above vs the camera barely even lets them be in the same shot in the scene below and when it does there's a clear drift between them (excellent work with filters too. mwah), like they're not supposed to be in a room together (OBSESSED with how damn physical it all is and it's a FRIENDSHIP!!!! so punk, punk rock equivalent I AM RIGHT)... they embrace, but the focus is on each of their faces separately while the twin boys hug (jo sells her hair moment) from their youth does little to accent their individual features... their faces are mostly hidden...

she's not in love with him!!!!! the person who was supposed to be her equal in everything is just... not the same as her... what if she's the only one dreaming of far away places and pirate ships? well, for one... that would mean she's all alone. I'M NOT IN LOVE WITH YOU!!!! WE ARE JUST THE SAME!!!!! because of you i can love all the crooked parts of me. it's so fucked up actually lmaooo. back to the letter... THE DEATH SCENE (letters can die) look at the script, this fucking haunts me:

once it left the mailbox, the letter has to die... "she might end her suffering in the most tragic way - she leans towards the river"... just... the loss of friendship synchronized with physical impairment. it's all about the idealized world you've created in your head blending with the harsh version of reality you've also created in your head and resulting in The Unknown (the truth is always in the in-between) and jo wants the world to just ... stop altogether because of this... she can't get the bookish culmination of events, neither the fairytale nor the tragedy... she can't love laurie differently so no Happy Ending from her romance novels (she reads them!!!! we always forget it, but she loves romance novels!!!) and everything is so mind-numbingly passive so no Shakespearean Death... (i'd even argue that she doesn't end her suffering in the most tragic way because she finds her reality lacking in events that would support that sort of final act... also ties in to my thoughts on the movie's particular manner of storytelling! nothing Important ever happens, but lives keep on changing... amy march gets it!!!!) idk man... just. the letter. it's all about the letter.