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froggywritesstuff · 2 years

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character list

the title is self explanatory. this is a list of the characters i'll write for. it'll probably change over time, and if you see a character you'd like but don't see them on the list, just ask cause i might've forgotten about them

Hamilton

Eliza Schuyler

Angelica Schuyler

Peggy Schuyler

Maria Reynolds

Alexander Hamilton

John Laurens

Philip Hamilton

Lafayette

Hercules Mulligan

James Madison

Thomas Jefferson

Aaron Burr

Umbrella Academy

Viktor Hargreeves

Diego Hargreeves

Klaus Hargreeves

Allison Hargreeves

Luther Hargreeves

Five Hargreeves

Ben Hargreeves (Umbrella or Sparrow)

Sloane Hargreeves

Jayme Hargreeves

Stranger Things

Will Byers (non female readers only)

Mike Wheeler

Lucas Sinclair

Dustin Henderson

Eleven Hopper

Max Mayfield

Robin Buckley (non male readers only)

Nancy Wheeler

Jonathan Byers

Steve Harrington

Eddie Munson

21 Chump Street

Justin Laboy

The Goldfinch

Boris Pavlikovsky

Theodore Decker

Marvel

Peter Parker (any actor)

Steve Rogers

Bucky Barnes

Sam Wilson

Makkari

Sersi

Sprite (platonic only)

Steven Grant

Marc Spector

Layla El-Faouly

America Chavez (non male readers only)

Kate Bishop

Yelena Belova (platonic only)

Shuri

Namor

Riri Williams

X-Men

Mystique

Kitty Pryde

Peter Maximoff

Rogue

Logan Howlette

Wade Wilson/Deadpool

Scott Summers

In The Heights (movie version)

Usnavi de la Vega

Vanessa

Nina Rosario

Benny

Sonny de la Vega

Heathers

Veronica Sawyer

JD (Jason Dean)

Heather Chandler

Heather McNamara

Heather Duke

John Doe

Ride The Cyclone

Noel Gruber (male or nb readers only)

Ocean O'Connel Rosenburg

Mischa Bachinski

Constance Blackwood

Ricky Potts

Hatchetfieldverse

Paul Matthews

Emma Perkins

Ted Spankoffski

Bill Woodard

Ruth Fleming

Pete Spankoffski

Richie Lipschitz

Max Jagerman

Grace Chasity

Lex Foster

Ethan Green

Hannah Foster (platonic only)

Heartstopper

Charlie Spring (non female readers only)

Nick Nelson

Tara Jones (non male readers only)

Darcy Olsson (non male readers readers only)

Elle Argent

Tao Xu (non male readers only(headcanoning him as bi or pan is disrespectful and transphobic))

Tori Spring

Imogen Heaney

Isaac Henderson (platonic only)

Do Revenge

Eleanor Levetan (non male readers only)

Drea Torres

Wednesday

Wednesday Addams

Enid Sinclair

Bianca Barclay

Xavier Thorpe

Ajax Petropolus

Eugene Otinger

(young) Morticia Addams

(young) Gomez Addams

Beetlejuice

Lydia Deetz

Tomorrow When The War Began

Ellie Linton

Lee Takkam

Fiona Maxwell

Homer Yannos

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse/Across the Spider-Verse

Miles Morales

Gwen Stacy

Pavitr Prabhakar

Hobie Brown

Margo Kess

Miles G Morales (earth 42)

Miguel O’Hara

Maze Runner

Thomas

Newt (non female readers only)

The Broken Hearts Gallery

Lucy Gulliver

Nadine (non male readers only)

Nick Danielson

Treasure Planet

Jim Hawkins

Enola Holmes

Lord Tewkesbury

Turning Red

Mei Mei

Miriam

Abby

Priya

Raising Dion

Nicole Warren

Tevin Wakefield

Dion Warren (platonic only)

Julie and the Phantoms

Julie Molina

Luke Patterson

Reggie Peters

Alex Mercer (non female readers only)

Flynn

Carrie

Abbott Elementary

Janine Teagues

Jacob Hill (non female readers only)

Gregory Eddie

Brooklyn Nine-Nine

Jake Peralta

Amy Santiago

Rosa Diaz

Love Victor

Victor Salazar (non female readers only)

Benji (non female readers only)

Felix Weston

Pilar Salazar

Lake Meriwether

Lucy

Mia Brooks

Andrew

In Treatment

Eladio

Laila

Spree

Kurt Kunkle

Once Upon a Time

Emma Swan

Regina Mills

Killian Jones

Mary Margaret Blanchard

David Nolan

Henry Mills

Mulan (non male readers only)

Graham

Neal Cassidy

Peter Pan

Jefferson

Dash and Lily

Dash

Lily

Boomer

Juno

Juno MacGuff

Paulie Bleeker

Summer Days Summer Nights

Debbie Espinoza

Frankie Espinoza

Scream (1 through 6)

Sidney Prescott

Billy Loomis

Mickey Altieri

Roman Bridger

Jill Roberts

Charlie Walker

Sam Carpenter

Tara Carpenter

Amber Freeman

Chad Meeks-Martin

Mindy Meeks-Martin

Quinn Bailey

Venom

Eddie Brock

Honest Thief

Ramon Hall

Beth Hall

Wild Child

Poppy Moore

Kate

Drippy

Freddie Kingsley

Monsters and Men

Manny Ortega

Marisol Ortega

Ghostbusters: Afterlife

Trevor Spengler

Phoebe Spengler (platonic only)

Error 143

Micah Yujin

Community

Abed Nadir

Troy Barnes

Annie Edison

Jeff Winger

Britta Perry

The Obession

Logan

Delilah

The New Girl

Lia Setiawan

Stacey Hoffman

Mythic Quest

Poppy Li

Brad Bakshi

Adventure Time

Finn

Princess Bubblegum

Marceline

Marshall Lee

Prince Bubblegum

Flame Princess

School Spirits

Madison

Simon

Charley (non female readers only)

Wally

Rhonda

Dungeons and Dragons: Honour Among Thieves

Simon Aumar

Disventure Camp

Aiden (non fem readers only)

James (non fem readers only)

Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies

Jane Facciano

Olivia Valdovinos

Nancy Nakagawa

Cynthia Zdunowski

Richie Valdovinos

Ted Lasso

Roy Kent

Jamie Tartt

Keeley Jones

Sam Obisanya

Transformers: Rise of the Beasts

Noah Diaz

Elena Wallace

Mirage

Helluva Boss

Blitzø

Stolas (non female readers only)

Loona

Millie

Moxxie

Octavia

Verosika Mayday

Fizzarolli

Asmodeus

Hazbin Hotel

Charlie Morningstar

Vaggie (non male readers only)

Angel Dust (non female readers only)

Husk

Alastor (platonic only)

Vox

Lucifer

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (rise + mutant mayhem + tmnt 2007 + tmnt 2012)

Donnie

Mikey

Raph

Leo

April

The After Party

Yasper Lennov

Space Force

Tony Scarapiducci

Renfield

Teddy Lobo

Robert Montague Renfield

Undercovers

Bill Hoyt

Amazing Digital Circus

Jax

Parks and Recreation

Leslie Knope

Ben Wyatt

April Ludgate

Andy Dwyer

Jean-Ralphio Saperstein

Randy Cunningham: 9th Grade Ninja

Randy Cunningham (18+ people DNI unless requesting platonic stories)

The Earliest Show

Josh Bath

House of Lies

Clyde Oberholt

Mean Girls (movie + musical + movie musical)

Cady Heron

Regina George

Gretchen Wieners

Karen Smith/Shetty

Janis Ian/Sarkisian/Imi'ike (non male readers only)

Damian Hubbard (non female readers only)

Warm Bodies

Peep World

Nathan Meyerwitz

Your Boyfriend

Peter Dunbar

Invincible

Mark Grayson

Shapesmith

Chilling Adventures of Sabrina

Sabrina Spellman

Harvey Kinkle

Nick Scratch

Rosalind Walker

Theo Putnam

Prudence Blackwood

Ambrose Spellman

High School Musical: the Musical the Series

Gina Porter

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thehatchetsims · 3 months

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Welcome to the neighborhood! This is what i like to call the nerd section, since I thought it be nice to have Pete live near his besties, and the Chasity's

at the start of playing the npc house was just empty & the chasity's did not have a pool.

So not much actually happened at the welcome wagon. The boys met their neighbors and Ted was his usual flirty self which made everyone uncomfortable and hate him. Including his little brother's best friends parents.

BTW meet Richie and Ruth's parents.

Seth and Eliza Lipschitz. Eliza is Paul's sister because we thought it was fun to have him be an uncle. Also they have a family cat, Mango. :)

Daniella and Neal Fleming. Not much to say about them. they're nice.

#thehatchetsims

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utterrandomnesswithlulu · 2 years

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Poet, writer, editor, and critic, Edgar Allan Poe, was known for his poetry and short stories. His works mostly delved into the macabre. Poe’s writing influenced American literature as he helped shape detective fiction, romanticism, and gothic writing.

EARLY LIFE

Born to actors, Edgar Poe was born on January 19, 1809, in Boston, Massachusetts. Poe had an older brother, William Henry Leonard Poe, and a younger sister, Rosalie Poe. Unfortunately, his father, David Poe Jr., abandoned his family in 1810, and his mother, Elizabeth Arnold Hopkins Poe, died from consumption, known today as tuberculosis, a year later.

The Allan family, who resided in Richmond, Virginia, were prosperous merchants who took in Edgar Poe and gave him the name Edgar Allan Poe, even though they never formally adopted him.

The Allans sailed to the U.K. in 1815, where Poe attended school in Irvine, North Ayrshire, Scotland (his foster father, John Allan, was born there). In 1816, Poe returned to the Allans who were living in London. He continued his studies at a boarding school until 1817, when he entered the Manor House School at Stoke Newington.

The Poes and Allans wouldn’t return to Richmond until 1820. In ’24, Poe served as a lieutenant in the youth honor guard when the Marquis de Lafayette visited. Allan inherited several acres of land when William Gelt died (Poe’s foster Uncle and business benefactor).

It is well known that Poe suffered an addiction to gambling, and his debts began when he registered at the University of Virginia in February 1826. He lost touch with the Allans and Poe blamed his troubles on John Allan not supplying enough funds to expense his studies. Poe dropped out of college in 1827, discovering that his fiance, Sarah Elmira Royster, was engaged to Alexander Shelton. He traveled to Boston. He worked odd jobs as a clerk and newspaper writer, and before using Edgar Allan Poe to write, he wrote under the pseudonym Henri Le Rennet (1827).

Poe enlisted in the United States Army in May 1827 under the name Edgar A. Perry. He joined because he couldn't support himself with the odd jobs that he could get.

Claiming he was 22 (he was actually 18) he was stationed at Fort Independence in Boston Harbor for five dollars a month. This is the same year that his first book was published, a collection of poetry called Tamerlane and Other Poems under the byline, by a Bostonian. This publication received nearly zero attention and Poe’s regiment was posted to Fort Moultrie in South Carolina. Around this time Poe sought to end his five-year enlistment early by three years and explained to his commanding officer, Lieutenant Howard, his lies. Howard would only agree to end his enlistment early if he’d reconciled with his father. Poe’s pleas would fall on deaf ears until the passing of his foster mother, Frances Allan, on February 27, 1829. Poe wouldn’t be discharged until April 1829.

He moved back to Baltimore to live with his widowed aunt Maria Clemm and her daughter Virginia Eliza Clemm, Poe’s brother Henry, and grandmother, Elizabeth Cairnes Poe.

After receiving words of encouragement from influential critic John Neal, Poe published his second book, Tamerlane and Minor Poems, in 1829.

It wasn’t until John Allan married his second wife, Louisa Patterson, that Poe was formally disowned by the Allans. Poe was court-marital purposefully from West Point (his current employment) and pleaded not guilty for a dismissal knowing that the courts would find him guilty.

He published his third book titled Poems, which was financed by his fellow cadets and was printed by Elam Bliss of New York. Poe returned to Baltimore in 1831, and his brother Henry passed shortly after his return in August.

CAREER

Poe wouldn’t start his writing career in earnest until his brother’s death in 1831. However, it was hard to be a writer because of international copyright laws and publishers often produced unauthorized copies of British works. The industry suffered terribly during the Panic of 1837, a financial crisis that caused unemployment and profits, prices, and wages to drop and westward expansion to stall.

Writers were often refused payment or paid much later than promised, and Poe suffered repeated humiliation just to receive any compensation. He found work by writing short stories with a Philadelphia publication (Politian). He was awarded in 1833 by Baltimore Saturday Visiter for his short story MS. Found in a Bottle. Thanks to this, it put him in touch with John P. Kennedy, who introduced him to Thomas W. White, editor of Southern Literary Messenger in Richmond. Poe became assistant editor but was later fired for being drunk on the job. He maintained that job for approximately 10 years. He returned to Baltimore and married his cousin, Virginia, in 1836. Many biographers and historians disagree on the nature of Virginia and Poe’s relationship, Virginia, was 12/13 years old and Poe was 26 years old when they married.

Poe supported himself (and his wife) by editing Burton’s Gentleman’s Magazine and Graham’s Magazine in Philadelphia. In 1838 Poe’s novel The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket was published (this was published before his position at the Gentleman’s Magazine). He published many articles, stories, and reviews, which helped his reputation as a critic and editor. He published Tales of the Grotesque and Arabesque in 1839, and these works were published in two volumes.

In 1840, Poe announced that he was working on his own literary magazine called The Stylus (originally called The Penn). He left Burton’s around this time and attempted to secure a place at the Whig Party within the administration. The Whig Party was a political party in the U.S. next to the Democratic Party, which believed in protective tariffs, national banking, and federal aid for internal improvements. He had hopes to be appointed to the U.S. Custom House in Philadelphia. Poe failed to show up for meetings, citing he was ill (Frederick Thomas, Poe’s friend, believed that he was sick) and unfortunately missed out.

His wife, Virginia, began showing signs of tuberculosis in 1842. She only partially recovered and Poe began drinking more heavily and left his position at Graham’s and found work briefly at the Evening Mirror and Broadway Journal in New York City. Poe alienated himself from other writers after accusing Henry Wadsworth Longfellow of plagiarism.

On January 29, 1845, Poe would publish his most popular work, The Raven. It made him a household name, and even though he garnered attention for this short story, Poe would only get $9 (according to inflation, this would be approximately $300+) for its publication.

The Broadway Journal would shutter its doors in 1846 and Poe (out of a job) would move to a cottage in Fordham, New York with his wife. Virginia would die on January 30, 1847, at the age of 25.

Poe became increasingly unstable after his wife’s death and attempted to court Sarah Helen Whitman (poet), which amounted to nothing thanks to his drinking and Whitman's mother's constant intervention. He would resume a childhood relationship with Sarah Elmira Royster and become engaged with her for a short period.

“LORD HELP MY POOR SOUL”

On October 3rd, 1849, Poe was found semi-conscious in Baltimore. He wasn’t wearing his own clothing and mumbling about an unknown character called “Reynolds.” Poe was transported to Washington Medical College in dire condition and unfortunately succumbed to his ailment on October 7th, 1849.

Newspapers who reported his death said that he died of “congestion of the brain” or “cerebral inflammation.” Which were common causes of death caused by excessive drinking, or alcoholism. While his cause of death remains a mystery even today, thanks to Poe’s medical records and death certificate were lost. Speculations on his death include delirium tremens (DTs), heart disease, epilepsy, syphilis, meningeal inflammation, cholera, carbon monoxide poisoning, and even rabies. One theory published in 1872 believed that Poe died from cooping, which is caused by forced voting of a specific candidate. This can lead to violence, including murder.

Rufus Wilmot Griswold, a literary rival, published a fake obituary under the pseudonym Ludwig and said that Poe was a lunatic, drug-addled, drunk, who will not be mourned because his death shouldn’t be a surprise. Most of the obituary contained falsehoods, lies, and distortions because Griswold was attempting to destroy Poe’s reputation after his death. Thankfully, this was denounced by friends of Poe, including John Neal.

LEGACY

Poe is credited with *initiating the modern detective story, developing the Gothic horror story, and being a significant early forerunner of the science fiction form (*Britannica). His works are still widely read today and authors, writers, and directors still take inspiration from his long list of material. Adaptations of his works have graced the silver screen since the 1960s, starting with House of Usher (starring Vincent Price). Poe’s insights into the human mind and his duality when writing have inspired artists around the world.

Tourist flock to Boston to visit a statue and plaque of his approximate place of birth. A museum in Richmond, Virginia, has the largest collection of memorabilia, and there is even a plaque dedicated to his mother at St. John’s Episcopal Church (Richmond, Virginia). Edgar Allan Poe had two graves as well. He was originally buried in an unmarked grave until almost 15 years later, when he was moved to Westminster Presbyterian Church. Before all this, Poe’s cousin ordered a gravestone, but it was destroyed in a train accident and never re-ordered (nothing would mark Poe’s grave until 1875-ish).

A new House of Usher mini-series is slated for a possible 2023 release on Netflix and is a part of Mike Flanagan’s universe (Midnight Mass, The Haunting of Hill House, Haunting of Bly Manor, Midnight Club). The Fall of the House of Usher was published by Edgar Allan Poe in 1839 in Burton’s Gentleman’s Magazine.

CONCLUSION

Edgar Allan Poe is a must-read. My personal favorite is The Tale-Tell Heart.

Is his work scary? Not particularly (says someone who regularly reads Stephen King, Anne Rice, Dean Koontz, and Neil Gaiman), but his imagination and acumen into the darkness and duality of the human mind and heart are what’s interesting to me. His clear loss as well, which is documented in his works such as Annabel Lee, Ligeia, and Dream-Land. These works are known as Dark Romanticism, a form of gothic writing that Poe was well versed in.

The Raven is his most well-known story and probably the most quoted (Quoth the Raven “Nevermore”), and it is considered a poem. The Raven is about the never-ending torment in mourning and grief (specifically the narrator losing Lenore), and through this exchange, he is able to work through his bereavement and gain wisdom. Poe wrote The Raven when his wife was incredibly ill and struggling with TB and he was working as a relatively unknown writer.

Do you like Edgar Allan Poe?

#edgar allan poe #the raven #the fall of the house of usher #mike flannigan #annabel lee #nevermore #spotlight artist #writer #poet #critic #short stories #dark romanticism #gothic writing #lenore #the tell tale heart

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elizadushkudaily · 1 year

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White Collar

August 2011. Eliza Dushku plays Raquel Laroque in episode 3x9 On the Fence. (IMDB rating: 8 / 10)

Conman Neal agrees to help the FBI catch other white-collar criminals. In this episode Neal works with Raquel - an expert in Egyptian artifacts - to identify a smuggled amulet. (comedy crime drama)

(credit to IMDB)

#white collar #poster

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elizaneals · 8 months

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🏺#Throwback to my #summerinternship in #NYC while in college going to a #TOGAParty 🪩 Uhh that's all I can say about that but the #internship at #NYU working for #TwinVision was a #learningexperience 📝 #TBT #throwback #brunette #flygirl #wayfarers #tan #noclothes #togas 🎀

#throwback #brunette #flygirl #wayfarers #tan #noclothes #togas #bluesrock #elizaneals #eliza neals

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unblogparaloschicos · 1 year

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Cine: Beach Rats (2017)

En público, Frankie (Harris Dickinson) suele reunirse con sus compañeros de tropelías (Frank Hakaj, David Ivanov y Anton Selyaninov) para efectuar algunos robos de poca monta, fumar cigarrillos de marihuana o participar en concursos de humo de cigarrillos eléctricos. Todo, mientras padece los últimos días de vida de su padre (Neal Huff), convaleciente de un cáncer fulminante, y pasa el tiempo utilizando su medicación para pulverizarla y continuar drogándose, oculto de la mirada de su madre Donna (Kate Hodge), que de tanto en cuando le reclama que se busque una novia, y de su hermana menor Carla (Nicole Flyus).

En privado y de noche, su situación se vuelve aún más compleja: ingresa a “Brooklyn Boys”, un chat de citas de hombres gays, y se contacta con machazos mayores, con los que tiene relaciones sexuales a cambio de un poco de hierba, en ocasiones, en medio de la noche y a metros de la playa. Eso es lo que quiere creer, que lo hace por la droga. Se enamora de Simone (Madeline Weinstein) en un evento con fuegos artificiales, pero sabe que hay algo que no puede (o se niega a) comprender en sí mismo. Algo falla en esa relación y son sus encuentros con Michael (Erik Potempa), uno de esos “clientes”, los que despiertan todas las alarmas. Para peor, cuando su estabilidad económica comienza a agobiarlo, Framkie invita a sus amigos a unirse a su peculiar cruzada para adquirir la mercancía. Porque, a esta altura de los hechos, es lo que dice hacer: juntarse con extraños gays sólo por eso, no por el sexo.

Eliza Hittman, autora y directora del filme, ha recibido once premios (entre ellos, el de Mejor Directora en el festival de Sundance) y dieciséis nominaciones por este doloroso retrato de un adolescente perdido (y en más de un sentido).

youtube

#cine #BeachRats #2017 #adolescencia #gay #HarrisDickinson #KateHodge #NicoleFlyus #MadelineWeinstein #NealHuff #ErikPotempa #FrankHakaj #DavidIvanov #AntonSelyaninov #ElizaHittman #EstadosUnidos

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mystical-flute · 2 years

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Black Coffee & Pumpkin Pie: Chapter 10

AO3 || FFN || Ko-Fi

“Are you sure we don’t look too touristy?” came Lily’s voice among the crowd gathered in the French Quarter. It had taken quite a bit of convincing the group that no, the best parades were not on Bourbon Street, but a look from Eudora had them quieting down rather quickly, and so, the group had moved quickly in the early morning light through the already crowded streets, finding a clear spot along the parade route.

Eudroa, along with Eli La Bouff, had decided to come with the young adults, and while many of them had protested at first, a quick mention of a parents’ group chat started by Regina ceased any opposition. Neal had felt even more pressure to keep everyone safe at the thought of Storybrooke’s Fire Chief, Fire Captain, Mayor, and Sheriff all in the same group chat with his mother.

He was going to die if anything happened during this trip, and he was certain that no one would be able to find his body, given the high ranking people involved.

“Meh, there’s really no such thing as too touristy. Mardi Gras has people dressin’ so ridiculous, it’s hard to tell who really lives here and who’s a tourist. I mean, look at that guy wearin’ Big Bird’s cousin over there,” Charlotte replied with a giggle as she gestured to a man wearing a blue feather coat. “Although, if you start flashin’ your breasts, especially in this area, that would give you away, no question.”

Lily stared at Charlotte, looking like some grand master plan had been ruined. “I thought that was a thing people did!”

“Nah, just tourists,” Neal replied with a grin. “And it’s more common on Bourbon Street. I don’t think you’d get the response you want here. Look at all the kids that are around here.”

“Then you’d end up on social media… where your mom would be able to see it,” Alex pointed out, gesturing to the hundreds of cameras in their view taking photos of a high school marching band marching by. “You know that’d tank your credibility at school too. If you weren’t arrested first, of course.”

Lily sighed, reaching out to catch a set of beads as they flew in her direction. “Yeah, you’re right. Maybe I’ll flash ‘em to someone else, in a more private setting.” A wink was tossed in Charlotte’s direction, who turned as pink as the shirt she wore.

“Oh my God you two, get a room! I thought Emma and Neal were the only two we were going to have to worry about on this trip,” Elaine said with a roll of her eyes.

“Hey, we haven’t done anything!” Neal protested, raising his hands in a show of surrender, before he felt a sudden weight in one and glanced down, a keychain was in his hand, having been tossed from the passing float. It had a swan design, and seemed well made for something getting tossed at a Mardi Gras parade, so he quietly tucked it into his pocket as the conversation continued around him.

“Yeah, that we’ve seen,” Yue teased, sticking her tongue out and dodging a swat from Emma.

Emma rolled her eyes and groaned. “Ugh! You guys are the worst!”

“Nah, we’re not. Otherwise you wouldn’t have invited us,” Eliza declared.

Neal shook his head. Though this group could be… a lot to deal with, he was glad he had a group of friends like them, and he was happy to be able to show off Mardi Gras to them.

The parade continued on, and the group reached up to catch the goodies tossed by the people on the floats, and by the time they made their way back to the restaurant, all of them had a small amount of trinkets.

“Well, that parade sure saved us some money on souvenirs!” Alex said, dropping onto the couch. “Granted, I don’t think Mom and Dad will be happy with just some plastic beads and a cup on it, but still.”

“We’ll take you guys to get some good stuff, none of that boring touristy stuff,” Charlotte promised with a grin. “There’s a cute little boutique with hand made accessories, and a metalworks place where you can get some really cool stuff for people in all sorts of careers.”

“Guess it’s true what they say - go where the locals go,” Roland said with a grin. “This trip has been so much better with you guys showing us around than it would be if we’d gone by ourselves. We really can’t repay you enough.”

“Oh no, don’t you worry about that,” Eudora said with a kind smile. “Any friends of Neal’s are always gonna be welcome here. You all just be careful tonight. The French Quarter might be where the best parades are, but Bourbon Street is where the parties are, and things can get a little wild ‘round here.”

“You may be downplaying New Orleans, Eudora,” Eli said with a laugh. “Bourbon Street is never completely empty during Mardi Gras. There’ll be more people here than you’ve ever seen. And since the weather’s so nice, more people than usual, I’d say. It’s perfect weather for Mardi Gras this year. It’s like the gods were smiling on y’all when you were planning your trip.”

“I mean, you’re just making it sound better and better, Mr. la Bouff,” Lily grinned. “So much to do and see, so many people to talk to, a party that won’t ever end? Sounds like a great time to me!”

“I think I’m gonna stick closer to our home base,” Yue said, with Eliza nodding in agreement as they glanced at the crowds beginning to form outside the restaurant. “Those crowds are making me a little nervous.”

Lily sighed. “You’re no fun, you two. I don’t know how that is considering one of your mothers is the fire captain of our town!”

“Yeah, and you don’t even know half the horrors she’s told us about parties in Chinatown when she was growing up,” Eliza said. “The parades were fun, but if I go out, I’m staying around here with Yue.”

“It’s alright Lily, I’ll take you to all the best party spots,” Charlotte said with a grin.

Eli didn’t look particularly thrilled at the idea, but didn’t say anything.

“There are some fun places around here we can go to,” Tiana said. “Mama’s friend Louis has a jazz band that’s playin’ at Woldenburg Park. It’s one of the more tame things to do this time of night.”

“Now that sounds up our alley,” Yue said. “That sounds like fun!”

“What do you want to do, Emma?” Neal asked.

“I’d love to listen to the jazz band play. We can always party tomorrow night too.”

Lily frowned, but went back into Tiana’s bedroom to change. When she returned, she was in a crop top and shorts, and a pair of sandals. “Alright, alright, fine. Come on Roland, Alex, Lottie.”

The group split then, half going out on the busy Bourbon Street, the others going to the slightly-quieter Woldenburg Park, taking in the sounds of New Orleans with Louis’ jazz band. There were crowds, of course, dancing and clapping along with the music, and Neal just relaxed against the blanket they’d spread out near the stage, a lazy grin on his face.

“Well, don’t you look right at home,” Emma giggled, plopping down next to him, a bottle of water in her hand.

“Shouldn’t I?” he questioned with a grin. “This was my home for years after all.”

“Oh no, of course you should! I just meant -”

He laughed, wrapping an arm around her as she leaned against his shoulder. “I’m kidding, Emma. Don’t worry. By the way, Mama said Louis and the band are willing to give us a backstage tour once their set is over.”

“Really? That sounds great, Neal!”

They sat in a peaceful silence, listening to the band. Take the A-Train, by Duke Ellington soon filled the air, and Neal tapped his fingers along to the beat before he paused and glanced at Emma. “Hey, I’ve got something for you.”

“Hm? What is it?”

Neal reached into his pocket and pulled out the silly swan keychain he’d caught during the morning’s festivities.

“Really?” Emma gasped, taking it into her hand. “You want me to have this?”

“I wouldn’t have given it to you if I didn’t,” he grinned. “It reminded me of the swans that are in the pond at your farm.”

Emma smiled. “It’s beautiful… thanks Neal.” She reached into her pocket and pulled her keys out, attaching the swan to it and holding it up to the stage lights so she could see better. “There. Looks good on my key ring, doesn’t it?”

“Like Cinderella’s slipper fitting her perfectly.”

Emma snorted and rolled her eyes in mock annoyance. “You can be so cheesy sometimes. But I guess that’s part of why I like you.”

“Only part of why you like me?” he gasped, placing a hand on his chest in mock offense. “You wound me, Emma.”

“So dramatic,” Emma said with a roll of her eyes. “You should be studying drama in college, not working as a fireman. You might put others at risk if you’re going to be such a drama king over your girlfriend finding parts of you she enjoys.”

Neal grinned. “Nah. I wouldn’t want to be an actor. Not now that I’m going by my birth name again. It’d be too easy to figure out who I was.”

Emma frowned, slowly nodding in agreement. “Right… we really wouldn’t want to do something like that.”

More and more people around them got up to dance, including Tiana, dancing with someone he didn’t recognize, so he held out his hand to Emma with a smile. “Come on, let’s dance the night away!”

Her face brightened as she took his hand and rose to her feet, Glenn Miller’s American Patrol beginning to play from the stage. “Yeah!”

Neal wrapped his arm around her waist, lacing their hands together with a grin. It felt nice, having her in his arms like this. Neither of them knew exactly how they were supposed to dance to it, so they just bounced around on their feet, swaying to the beat of the songs and laughing, under the starry, New Orleans sky.

------

Alice liked Storybrooke a lot. A quaint little town, away from the hustle and bustle of city life, little congestion, and more stars in the sky than she’d ever seen? Not to mention the kind people who had welcomed her with open arms despite her… quirks, and Margot’s family who had embraced her as one of their own without question. Though she loved her father, his job kept him busy while she’d been growing up, and she’d been bounced around between neighbors whenever her father’s workday ran longer than anticipated. Uncle Killian and Aunt Milah had never been able to watch her.

They had never come to their apartment at all - her and Papa had always gone to their houseboat for the holidays. Looking back on it now, knowing that her aunt had kidnapped Bae from his father and fled with him, she understood why.

But her heart broke for Bae whenever she thought about his life. How lonely he must have been, while Alice had been having the time of her life with a little cousin to play with. Knowing he’d been able to escape and find Tiana and Eudora made her so happy. She didn’t even mind that they had to pretend to not know each other, until her uncle and aunt were found.

What Alice hoped was that her father didn’t know anything about the kidnapping. That he didn’t know what a terrible thing Uncle Killian had done. If he did know… not only would he ruin his career, but he’d absolutely break her heart, and given how awful of a person Alice’s mother was, she really, really didn’t want to have two horrible parents. Not with all the good memories she had with her father.

Dammit, her mind was drifting again. She really needed to stop doing that.

Alice blinked and shook her head, turning her attention to the Zillow page in front of her. She hadn’t told Margot about her idea yet. Though they had discussed putting travel aside for now and settling down somewhere, they hadn’t talked about just staying here in Storybrooke.

“Alice? You in here?” she heard Margot call from the front door.

“In the kitchen!” Alice called back, reaching for her mug of tea and taking a sip before wincing. It was getting cold. She’d been thinking way too long this time, and rose to her feet to dump the cold tea down the sink with a frown before Margot entered the room with grocery bags in her hands.

“Hey, you alright? You’ve got that lost in thought look on your face again,” Margot questioned as she set the bags on the counter and started pulling groceries away.

Alice nodded. “Yea, of course! I just… I’ve been looking at places on Zillow.”

Margot paused, setting a jar of jelly down on the counter. “Zillow? What cities were you thinking of?”

“I wasn’t thinking of a city. I was thinking you and I could stay here. In Storybrooke.”

“Here?” Margot blinked in surprise. “Really? You want to stay here?”

Alice shrugged. “Yeah. Small town, nice people. Bit of a calm away from our crazy travel schedule. And next time we go somewhere, your mum can look after our place for us. Make sure there’s nothing going wrong there, you know? Plus, y’know, your family really accepted me. I feel… I feel happy here.”

Margot smiled softly and wrapped her arms around her. “I think that all sounds great, Alice. I’m glad you’ll be happy here. Did you find anywhere that caught your eye yet?”

“Not yet. Why don’t we finish putting the groceries away and we can look together?” she suggested with a wide smile.

“Sounds like a plan to me. It’ll be nice to have our own place where we can buy whatever we want and have our own space. Getting away from my mom sounds like a dream,” Margot groaned, taking Zelena’s favorite tea out of the bag. “And I never have to buy this brand of tea ever again.”

Alice laughed. “Right, because we have better taste when it comes to tea.”

“Exactly. One of the perks of going to China,” Margot said with a grin. “So did you want an apartment or were you thinking maybe an actual house?”

“A horse. I think I want to try growing a garden. We can have fresh herbs and vegetables in the summer! Do you think your uncle David would be willing to help?”

Margot nodded. “Are you kidding? I’m sure he’d love to. Aunt Mary-Margaret says gardening helps him relax, so any excuse he has to garden he’d jump at the chance to take.”

Alice could only grin, excitement building up inside her. Ever since she was a child, she’d wanted a garden, but it wasn’t easy to have a garden in Hyperion Heights. Not a personal one, anyway. When she’d been a kid she’d been part of a community garden club with her mother, before her mother had completely abandoned her. While Alice didn’t like her mother, she didn’t want gardening to become a sour memory. Having her own, with the help of people who loved her, would turn those sour memories sweet again.

“Yeah, you know, having a house would give us space to entertain. Maybe we can invite some of our travel buddies to visit us too. That way we won’t have to worry about being too loud for our neighbors that share walls with us, like when we were in Spain,” Margot said, breaking Alice from her thoughts again.

“Yeah,” Alice said with a grin. “And maybe we can invite my father to stay too.” She would have to figure out when in order to protect Bae from being discovered, but it would be weird for her not to mention her father if they were talking about having people over to their new place!

“Of course! I’m sure he’d love it,” Margot agreed, closing the fridge after putting the last of the refrigerated items away. “Let’s go check out Storybrooke’s real estate market.”

So they curled up together, a tablet between them, and scrolled through Storybrooke’s limited offerings.

“You know, if we don’t find anything here, Hyperion Heights is only a ten minute drive away. We could check there too,” Margot suggested. “It’s a bigger city, but I know they have houses with yards that you want.”

Alice must have had a frustrated look in her eyes. “Yeah, that sounds like a good idea. We won’t be too far from everyone in that case,” she sighed, and ran a hand through her blonde locks. “Why don’t we take a break for now? We can figure out din -” she was cut off as her phone began to buzz in her pocket. “Papa! Hi!” she greeted when she put the phone to her ear.

There was a large amount of background; noise, almost like a party, before she finally heard her father’s voice on the line. “Ah! Alice! I’m sorry, I thought I found a quiet place to call, but I guess not.”

“Where are you?” Papa was one of the last people that would call her from a party - especially one that sounded that wild and chaotic.

“I’m in New Orleans with your aunt and uncle. I have great news - we think we found Bae!”

Alice froze, her eyes widening in fear. Margot gave her an alarmed look, which she forced herself to wave off as she answered. “Oh - you did? How did that happen?”

“Killian said something about seeing a post about Mardi Gras on social media. Apparently Aunt Milah spotted him in a crowd shot of one of the parades. So now we’re looking to see if anyone knows him, but it’s been hard. I just wanted to let you know.”

Alice grinned nervously. “That’s great news, Papa. Let me know what happens.”

“Of course.”

“Alice, what’s wrong?” Margot asked the moment Alice lowered the phone from her ear.

“Call David. Tell him Killian and Milah Jones have been spotted in New Orleans.”

Margot stared and reached for her phone. “How did you - ”

“Because my dad is Killian’s twin brother! Please, Margot, we have to hurry before they find Neal - or worse, the woman that took him in!” Aunt Milah could be vicious when she wanted to be, and that wasn’t something Alice wished on anyone.

“Right. Okay,” Margot agreed, putting the phone to her ear. “Uncle David?”

-----

“That jazz museum was so cool! I had no idea it came from so many different genres!” Alex said with a grin. “I know exactly what my next essay is going to be on!”

“Oh for God’s sake, don’t remind me of school,” Lily groaned, wrapping her gift shop bag tighter to her wrist. “We’ve still got four days here!”

“It’s not my fault this city is full of inspiration!”

Neal laughed, fingers laced with Emma’s as they walked back toward the restaurant for lunch. Though Mardi Gras was still in full swing, the Storybrooke group had spent the morning exploring museums and landmarks around the city.

“I really am having a great time,” Emma said, moving closer and resting her head on his shoulder.

“I am too. I’m glad Lily invited me along - huh?” he paused and pulled his vibrating phone out of his pocket with a frown. “Tamara?”

Tamara’s voice was nervous and rushed as she spoke. “Neal. Hey. I know I’m probably the last person you want to hear from, but Mr. La Bouff told me to call.”

“What? Why did he do that?” he asked, gripping the phone tighter. Neal’s sudden stop had paused the others too, and they stepped into a surprisingly quiet part of the street.

“I don’t know the full details, but when I went into your mama’s restaurant to pick up an order, I heard a bunch of yelling. Something about your mama being a kidnapper? Mr. La Bouff came out of the back room and saw me, and told me to call you.”

Neal felt the color drain from his face. “Oh my God. They found me. Thanks Tamara.”

“Wait, what -”

But he didn’t wait another second. He ended the call and ran as fast as he could toward the restaurant, after a rushed explanation to the others. Dawn, Philip, and Emma had already pulled out their phones, trying to call Storybrooke’s police. He paid their conversations no mind as he rushed through the restaurant’s back door. There was no yelling from the office, so he rushed upstairs and burst into the apartment, eyes meeting Milah’s for the first time in six years.

“Hey! Leave her alone.”

#swanfire #emma swan #neal cassidy #ouat #black coffee and pumpkin pie #fanfiction

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