#i do think she's extremely secure in her marriage to clark

[nat-20s]

I really do think Lois "lmao you and bruce should get strippers next time you hang out" Lane is one of the biggest Clark has two hands advocates. One day she probably is like "so when are you gonna hook up with Bruce anyway" and Clark gives her the SADDEST WETTEST eyes of all time like "are you breaking up with me 🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺?" and she's like WHAT no I just think that you can have a wife and a boyfriend as little a treat. And Clark is like oh ok...but uhhh, *coughs* wh-why bruce? and Lois is like idk man maybe it's the literal DECADES of homoerotic tension?? the fact that the two heartbeats you have memorized best are his and mine?? he made you your own rose breed and learned Kryptonian for you I think there might be something there lol.

[oh-for-fic-sake]

April Teaser Collection!

Here is the  latest peek at my stuff sitting on my pc that will hopefully be finished over the next few weeks. I hope you find something that tickles your pickle. below the cut are The Stand In, It’s A Match, Deliverance, Mans False God, Gloria Regali.

But instead of being managing to be all sneaky and close the door hiding henry in your room like a naughty teen with her boyfriend Henry was up and awake.

"Aha! Gotcha! Who said you could sneak out of bed this morning baby? I was lonely with out you~" you screamed and just about jumped out of your skin as Henry wrapped himself around you from behind dragging you back into him, nuzzling into your neck pressing an open mouthed kiss to it. Your shout of surprize had silenced both of the women's chatter making them jump, even Kal came darting back in gruffing as he leapt up the stairs heckles and tail raised and growling on high alert. Fuck.

"now why cant i get a good morning like that?" Tee giggled crossing her arms at the both of you, your mother eyed you both with a knowing grin and hummed agreeing. Henry snapped his head up and gulped. Fuck. You and henry stood still for a few seconds far to shocked at being caught with your pants down so to speak. You shifted on your feet but henry held you still hands on your hips using you to shield his nude form from your guests he hadn't known were there.

"O-oh shit- err good morning ladies!" He said turning red his voice higher than usual as he shuffled backward taking you with him. As he tried saving his modesty, he didn't take the covers with him because- well he had thought it was only you on the bus!

"I err- shit i didn't see you there... Sorry about almost flashing you both like that..." he said with an uneven tone tip toeing back into the room, still holding you at his crotch hiding the once half hard- now softening cock.

"Good girl, where's your mother? Hmm? Your not supposed to be out and about alone are you?" Henry spoke slowly digging his fingers into the dense soft fur managing to find and hold the collar below the thick fur, then he leant down scooping up the lead what was still attached to her. Kal grunted and sat on the floor leaning his weight on henry's leg. Henry looked down and patted Kal scratching his ears chuckling. Kal's eyes still wide taking in the larger dog in front of him, it was comical Kal was used to being the biggest bear... but he was a good four to five inches shorted then this magnificent grey floofer.

"Kal, you okay there bud?... year she really is big isn't she, you best behave don't want her telling you off do you?" He spoke slowly calming both pups... and gosh did Kal look like a pup compared to her. Slowly both dogs leaned towards one another sniffing the air then with a happy yip Amii began licking kal... like a pup. Henry burst out laughing it was too sweet watching Amii sniff around his bear, whilst Kal sent his human a look clearly pleading for help as this new huge female smothered him with affection. But henry wasn't falling for it, Kal was wagging his tail just as excited to make a new freind.

Honestly henry was glad, akitas were fickle. They either liked you or they didn't. He got the feeling Kal would like this gentle giant for now he was a little awe struck over being smaller then something.

"Clark? Clark come and help me- I cant reach the milk! Its at the back again!" Martha said quietly you smiled. It took a lot of coaxing but you had indeed tried what Clark had explained as 'cow juice' and had developed a taste for it. So Martha had promised you milk every day if you liked. Which you did like. A lot. Clark pressed another kiss to you and walked off towards the milk refrigerators expecting you to follow.

You made to follow but a sweet scent hit you and you stopped mid step. It was wonderful and ripe, sweet and succulent. You pivoted and followed without much thought. Your feet found there way twisting around the display of 'leafy greens' to a bright colourful isle. You salivated at the smells. There were so many intoxicating scents you didn't know what to look at first.

You pressed a hand on a small net package full of strange green fuzzy balls. Kiwi's? You read and scrunched your face up at the peculiar name. Then plucked the bag up and held it to your nose sniffing. They smelled divine, like a type of food from home. Okriin a small soury sweet treat given to children on their birthing date. You sniffed again and almost cried. It was so similar but so different sweeter and fuller in the scent. You cautiously sniffed again and closed your eyes before tentativly prodding it with your tongue wanting to see if it tasted the same.

"y/n? Y/n?!- oh god there you are? What are you doing? You almost gave me a heart attack" Clark said racing towards you his mother behind him with the cart. He slid to a stop and blinked at you. As you scrunched up your nose.

"the texture of these are... Not very nice?" you said naively moving for the fruit again sticking your tongue out once more trying to discern if it was edible like this. Clark moved quickly gasping holding your hands that had the.. Kiwi's in it.

"no no.. No we- you don't eat them like that... You peel them and eat the inside, and we don't lick things in the shop okay?" he explained plucking the fruit from you and placed them in the cart, Martha chuckled into her chest she couldn't help it, you were extremely cute.

Kal proped himself up on his side and smiled sadly nodding. He knew. He knew the state they found you in was their fault. Thats why he was so adamant to look after you now to... make amends in a way. You'd proved you could barely survive on your own. But Kal was also angry; angry that you'd been abandoned, he had thought Bruce would atleast put something in place to look after you but he hadn't. Bruce hadn't helped you, he to busy saving his own skin and trying to fight him and the new regime. But he was more angry at himself you had been alone, with no means to protect yourself or really survive. And he should have known! He should have realised you were scared, that you would stay away from the new citizen system he put in place. That you'd fear being caught and killed like many of the others.

"I know, but we have her now... its going to be better now, we are going to right the wrongs love... we can give her the best life  look after her and nothing will ever hurt our little one again" his voice was strained his face in firm lines, hard and stone like. He truly was a god, carved in marble. Perfect. Diana nodded laying back curling herself around you. Kal drew a deep breath and shuffled closer winding his arms around his family, holding both his girls.

He chuckled when you grunted pouting in your sleep when he sandwiched you between Diana and himself. Trying to wriggle fee from the group hug.  But once again you settled after a few moments relaxing as you were now being warmed from both sides a small smile graced your face. Kal grinned and nuzzled the back of your head pressing chaste kisses to your bed ridden hair, he felt at peace having you here with him. And he meant what he said no one will ever touch his little babygirl.

"what wrong? Whats going on?" you spoke quietly trying not to stare at the clearly sick monarch. You didn't want to see it, you didn't want to think of the implications of the illness he was clearly suffering.

"nothing gets past you does it my girl?" your father spoke jovially trying to lighten the mood but failed miserably, his chuckles dying off fairly quickly and he heaved a sigh. Your uncle broke the silence and your fathers hand slid to yours under the table and squeezed your fingers tightly trying to reassure you.

"I have summoned you here to discuss something that... Is very serious and the outcome will change the lives of many people. This is something.. I wished I could hold off but I'm afraid I cannot firefly" you bit your lip and braced yourself. This was bad news you could tell. A part of you thought for a moment of marriage, your gut churned at the thought and you felt sick all of a sudden. Where you being married off as a pawn? It was likely, it still happened even in this day and age it was just covered up with fairytale romance... Story book meetings and courtships, when in reality you were told that your to marry and that was the end of it.

"Y/n you are royalty. You were born in to a royal blood line that has ruled over this kingdom for nearly four centuries... And now it is time for you to take your place within it and do your duty" your father stated in his 'work' voice for the time being he was not your father, he was a prince. Heir to the throne and head of your family. And you were to listen and obey.

"You want to give me duties as a working royal?" you said sitting straighter only quivering slightly. You dreaded this, the publicity the duty and responsibility that you'd managed to avoid so far. But you knew one day you would have to take your place.

"yes dear. We need you. Now" your father said urgently, but there was something off. Like he was holding back, fearfull in a sense and it was not like him.

"Of course i will. Father I'm no fool I understand what my position requires of me and i will serve my country. You need only ask and I will obey. I only ask that i be given time to sort things out with the university security and such would need to be increased if they are having a working royal on campus-"

"I'm afraid its not as simple as that we... Are asking you to put your studying off" your uncle interrupted you making you frown. What? You furrowed your brow and made to shake your head but paused. It made sense... If you were to come and take on duties then the media may go wild and cause an uproar... They could cause issues on campus

"How long for?" you asked trying your hardest not to frown at your father and uncle

"Indefinitely.." the king replied holding your gaze firmly. it was then you knew this was serious, more so then anything you’d experienced before.

[gin-rummy]

Question for Bay: how do you deal with the fame and the attention that comes with being the spouse of a quidditch star

ok so that has an interesting answer. I mean what you need to understand first, is that I am a war hero, not as big as the golden trio but still a big deal, I’m Basically Harry’s sibling, and Ron is my brother-in-law (you may not be my favorite but I do love you, bro, I mean come on, you have She/her rights) so even back in Hogwarts I was in the limelight, I mean the Blacks are a big deal and even though it took till I was 18 for it to be legal I’ve been there kid for a long while.

but how I deal with it around my relationship with Ginny, that's honestly a really great question, I mean the press nearly broke Ron and Hermione up, and they are made for each other, ask anyone. So when we were 25 and my gran just died, we agreed that we would only explore our relationship behind closed doors we agreed that anything we did in public until we decided our next step had to make the press think that we were only spending more time together because of our family connections, for that first year we were never in public together alone, it honestly felt like we were debutants and needed a chaperone so nothing inappropriate would happen (not that we weren't having sex, cus believe me we were, lots of it) that first year was hard, Gin was traveling all over the world for her work and I was in the prosses of my internship so that I could become the next divination professor at Hogwarts, I was also talking to Minny about opening a group therapy type thing for the students of Hogwarts, it was something I had done when I was working in the muggle world, and I thought it could help the students of Hogwarts, who were still so affected by the battle there nine years previously, so we were both extremely busy and it was a new relationship and neather of us wanted to go public, because it was too soon for the press to get involved. that year Gin’s team, the whatever they are, played the world cup, and won, right after it was declared that they had won, all of us up in the stands, all of gins family ran down into the pitch, we were aloud there first because we were family, and right there in front of the whole world Gin ran up to me and kissed me, we had been talking about it for a while, wanting to go public, knowing that if we wanted to keep going we couldn't hide under the covers forever so to speak. but I wasn't expecting that kiss, and honestly, it was the best kiss I've ever had, the next several months sucked, big time. Skeeter being the lovely reporter that she is was the one to uncover our marriage, well kind of, she thought I was some floozy that Gin was cheering on a Ms. Bethany Clark Rhine with, because our marriage license is a public document, anyone can look it up and see who Gin is married to. the thing is we got married at 17 as soon as we became adults before I even had the chance to change my legal name... to me the marriage and the security it gave me was more important than a paper telling me something I already knew, now if Skeeter had done any more digging she would have seen that Bethany Rhine changed their name to Bay Clark Weasly - Black and that Ginny was actually Ginevra Molly Weasley - Black. Yet after that things settled down, every now and then we give a joint interview for a magazine, and about once a year on Ginny’s birthday I give an exclusive to Luna, but other than that being Ginny’s lover isn't any more interesting than being Harry’s adoptive sibling. well not knowing quidditch terminology does make for very interesting interviews.... the number of times they have tried to explain the rules to me as if Ron isn't my brother.

-Bay

[mst3kproject]

622: Angels Revenge

I would pay folding money for a half-hour gag reel of all the times Mike swung too hard or in the wrong direction or the wind was wrong and he took off Crow’s head.  It had to happen at least twice.  MST3K was not known for the sturdiness or sophistication of their props and we love them for it.

A fourteen-year-old boy steals some stuff from a drug dealer who looks an awful lot like Ben Murphy.  In revenge, Fake Ben Murphy and Actual Jack Palance beat the shit out of him. This upsets both the kid’s sister, an up-and-coming musician, and his schoolteacher, and they hatch a plot to destroy the drug depot.  They recruit a few friends – a Hollywood stuntwoman, a karate teacher, a model, a cop, and one of the teacher’s students – and steal some ammo from a bunch of neo-Nazis, and then it’s on to beat up the druggies!

I guess the idea behind this movie is fairly sound – a group of women get together to do a job the men aren’t willing to do.  The question of just why the men aren’t willing to do it is an open one.  Do the drug dealers own the police or something?  I dunno.  At the time it came out, Angels Revenge was panned as a ripoff of Charlie’s Angels, which it most unquestionably is, but there’s a reason that was a successful formula: women enjoy movies in which women kick ass, and men enjoy looking at boobs.  In the right hands, it would still have been a ripoff, but it could have been a much better ripoff.  Unfortunately, the grubby hands it got into were those of Greydon Clark.

The opening of this movie is a series of annoying missteps. A group of women we do not know (we’re not even sure how many there are) invade a gas station in the middle of nowhere and start blowing stuff up.  Their names are given in the opening shot but not in a way that makes them memorable. One character apparently dies, the others go on without her, and then she reappears to save the day.  None of this makes much of an impression beyond ‘oh, look, tits’, but we can tell they’re trying to get into the main building.  We get into it just enough that we want to see what’s inside, and then bam. Freeze-frame, narration.

The time for this would have been about five minutes earlier. Seriously, this ‘action opening’, obviously patterned after things like James Bond, goes on for five minutes at least in which we don’t really know what’s happening or who any of these characters are.  If we had just one to focus on that might help, but we’re watching six or seven of them run around doing different things and we don’t even know what their plan is so we can’t tell if it’s going right or wrong.  The whole sequence should have been either massively cut down to just enough to tell us action is happening before it goes into the flashback, or just moved in its entirety to its proper place later in the narrative.

Then when we finally do start meeting the characters, the first one we meet is not the one who began narrating a moment earlier!  It’s the beat-up kid’s sister, the one who so-far looked like she was in charge. Finding out she’s secondary in the whole plot is a bit of whiplash, and as far as I can tell the main purpose of the Vegas sequence (besides showing us her midriff) is to give a cameo to Arthur Godfrey as himself.

From there the rest of the characters are introduced and we finally find out who the hell they all are and what they bring to the table.  April, the teacher, is the mastermind. Michelle, the singer, is the backer. Terry, the stuntwoman, is their engineer.  Keiko, the karate teacher, is the hand-to-hand fighter.  Maria, the model, is a distraction.  Elaine, the cop, is the tactician.  And Trish, the student, is… uh… somebody wanted a kid in this movie. The point is, if you go back and watch the opening sequence after the bit where everybody’s introduced, it’s much more involving and makes infinitely more sense!  They could have had five minutes of action, but they gave us five minutes of boredom just by putting it in the wrong spot!

After some of the movies I’ve see, incidentally, it is a point very much to this movie’s credit that I remember everybody’s names.  Well done, Angels Revenge!

That does not, however, outweigh the many other things the movie does badly.  The actresses are mere eye candy, hired for their looks and not for their talent.  They stand around in ‘sexy’ poses without bras on, and recite their lines like they’re in an eighth-grade play.  Even so, they’re better than the men, who are just as bad at acting but aren’t distractingly nice to look at.  The best actor in the entire movie is Alan Hale Jr and he’s only got about three lines.

Then there are the bits where the movie tries to be funny.  The Neo-Nazis are supposed to be funny, which I’m honestly okay with – Hitler hated being made fun of and so it’s the responsibility of all right-thinking citizens to mock him and his movement whenever possible.  But they aren’t funny, just a bunch of fat clumsy guys with Hitler mustaches.  I don’t know how people who make movies fail to understand that in order to be funny, characters have to do funny things.  Both the Neo-Nazis and other ‘comic’ male characters in the movie are presented simply as ‘lol, men are oafs, right girls?’ without any attempt at an actual punchline.

Another running gag is April, who insists she’s a Very Organized Person, and her over-full purse.  That’s not really funny, but I can’t argue with it.  Two years ago I bought a bag big enough to hold my knitting and I haven’t seen the bottom of it since.  Someday I’ll be rooting around for something, fall in, and end up in Narnia.

The sequence in which they rob the Nazis does provide some action and acts as a trial run to show us the women can work together successfully.  But we already saw that in the out-of-place opening sequence, so it’s not really establishing anything we didn’t already know.  The fact that we’ve also seen what comes after also tells us that they will succeed at this mission with nobody getting hurt (not that these idiots they’re robbing are in any way a threat), and sucks all the suspense out.  Man, the longer I think about it, the more ways in which that opening makes the movie worse!  Whose idea was that anyway?

The characters are stereotypes, boring at best and deeply offensive at worst. The black woman is six feet tall and works on vehicles, because black women are butch!  The Asian girl knows martial arts and uses a katana, because she’s Asian (and although she’s said to be from Vietnam, she has a Japanese name… it’s possible to come up with a backstory for her that incorporates this, but that’s not my job as an audience member)!  The white women are bitches and bimbos, more distinguishable by their hair than by their personalities.  April is presented as ‘the mousy one’ simply by not wearing lipstick on a heist.

I guess by having tough women and weak men, the writers thought they were being feminist, or at least appealing to feminists, but that’s not how feminism works on any level.  Strength and intelligence isn’t pizza – you getting an extra slice doesn’t mean I don’t get one.  Portraying the male antagonists as buffoons is actually deeply misogynistic, because it suggest that women can’t even play unless the men are idiots.  The point of feminism is that women are people just as much as men are, and deserve to be treated as such – by other women, by men, and by screenwriters.

Let me illustrate with an example from the opposite extreme: Elinor and Marianne Dashwood from Sense and Sensibility are sisters who each need to get married for the sake of their financial security. That might seem a very sexist premise for a story – and it is, but only because it takes place in a sexist culture. Elinor and Marianne have distinct personalities and different ideas of what makes a happy marriage, and they make decisions as individuals, not simply because they are ‘women’.  Each makes her own mistakes and learns her own life lessons, and the narrative explores what society has taught them to expect out of life versus the less romantic reality.  They are two human beings.  The characters in Angels Revenge, by contrast, are a bunch of pretty props.

It would have been so easy to make something actually enjoyable out of Angels Revenge.  As I noted above, it uses a successful formula and it really could have been a fun little piece of exploitation cinema.  Every decision made along the way, however, seems designed to sabotage it.  It’s badly-written, lifeless, cliched, racist, and based on a fundamental misunderstanding of feminism.  They hired women with no acting experience to play the main characters, and can’t decide which of those characters is our heroine. And of course, they edited it together in the wrong order, confusing and boring us and undermining what should have been important and suspenseful scenes.  This sort of thing just leaves me frustrated and annoyed.  You’re making a movie, people!  Could you not put a little fucking effort in?!

[wcterboi]

okay, it’s been a good while since i’ve written with anyone but i’m super excited to get back into it! axel is my new take on an old character of mine who was never really fleshed out much. i’m excited to share this new version of my emo prince with y’all!

/ zayn malik, agender + he/him / i just saw axel lewis at the wishing wall and i swear i heard them ask juliet for a muse by his side forever. people have said they’re a twenty six year old musician i got the feeling they were a scorpio because i’ve never seen them without the silver chain on his jeans but i could be wrong. they don’t have a timer, makes sense since people have said they feel apprehensive about soulmates, i heard they told someone “they hollow you out and tear you down and eat you alive.” i guess they’re from seattle, washington but have lived in asota for two weeks and i could have sworn their soulmate mark is a knife in an open wound on their right shoulder blade. you know people have said they’re kind of apathetic for a queer but you really shouldn’t judge a book by its cover. oh no, they left their phone here and it looks like they just got a text from their father and it says “you’re dead to me.” ♡ / penned by teddy, 22, pst, they/them /

micah axel lewis was born to the multi generation millionaire lewis family, it’s said that his ancestors on his father’s side originally navigated the northwest corner of the united states. ( lewis & clark, y’all. ) most of his family money is concentrated in technology at this point, the lewis’ are silent partners/board members for most of the major tech companies in the world. they also have quite a few hospitals, banks and investment firms within their grasp as well. let’s not also forget the university buildings named after them. 

lennox lewis always wanted his best for his child. for micah to be the smartest, most successful, logical, businessman that had ever graced the lewis family line. from age five, he sent micah to intensive academic bootcamps, stifled his creativity and self expression. 

where was his mom in all of this you ask? she was being the socialite that she was raised to be. 

azra bukhari found herself in an arrangement to marry lennox at the age of twenty five. at first she wondered if lennox would ever love her, it kept her up at night. she knew what her father was getting out of this hoax. it was a way for her foreign oil tycoon father to secure his place in the american market along with bringing a new and booming technological aspect to his future business which would keep the family accounts strong for generations to come. 

then she met him, ice blue eyes, dark hair, a sharp jaw & pale skin. in that moment, she could feel her bone shatter as she fell and the knife behind her ear burned as it changed. the mark stretch and grew, it seemed to move as if trying to flee from her body. before her eyes fluttered shut, all she saw were pale blue eyes burning into her. when she woke up, there was a detailed mark of a knife going into an open wound on her chest. 

blinking slowly, she turned her head and saw the same mark on lennox’s cheek and in that moment she wept. she was never one to believe in divination but in what world could a mark like this tying them together be a good thing? and it wasn’t. she knew from the minute she saw the splotch on her baby boy’s back that things were not going to get any better for them. for a few years she tried but after that, azra stopped really being a mom to micah and began to treat him like a trophy as she tried to drown her loveless marriage in parties, lavish gowns and enthralling jewelry.

at age eleven, he was sent to his first boarding school and by thirteen, axel was the name he gave to his teachers and friends. (only his parents still call him micah at this point in his life.) away from his father’s watchful eye, axel’s stifled self and expression and creativity came out in droves and stunned his teachers. not only was this boy extremely intellectual, he was a creative genius to boot. by eighteen, he had already figured out that he was going to do music and performance art as a career. by twenty he had secured a place at university of berkeley school of music and after that there was no looking back. at twenty four, he signed his first record deal and by twenty six, he’d done his first minor stint in rehab. then he moved to asosta, mainly to get away form his family but mostly to find his inspiration again and possibly love...if it existed. which he didn’t think it did. 

you read his story, didn’t you? he’s being hearing it since he could talk and his mother always said, “your soul mark is a knife in the back, i think you were born to be hurt.” and how true that was, his father hurt him with his lack of acceptance, his mother hurt him with her apathy and he hurt himself by inheriting that apathy for himself and others. hopefully he’ll find a reason to unlearn it. 

okay so he’s super sarcastic, a bit morbid, relatively stoic and quiet.

pretty wise, into art and music, will usually have a guitar on him or a sketch pad.

might want to give you a stick & poke, might also want to ghost hunt and try and scare you.

loves caves and gemstones, honest’y is like a kid when it comes to exploring and spelunking.

takes a while to break his shell and get used to people.

[briangroth27]

Incredibles 2 Review

I absolutely loved Incredibles 2! It's a great time at the movies and definitely worth the 14-year wait. I was initially skeptical of it picking up seconds after the original, but I think the story threads here—particularly Jack-Jack's (Eli Fucile, Nick Bird) development and the Anti-Super laws—needed to be dealt with onscreen rather than off.  I liked that they reversed the structure of the first movie and had Helen (Holly Hunter) go off on the adventures while Bob (Craig T. Nelson) stayed at home to watch the kids. Even better, this switch was rooted in statistical facts that Elastigirl was the most effective and efficient hero between herself, Bob, and Frozone (Samuel L. Jackson). Since so much of her Elastigirl persona was left in the past in the original movie because she’d moved on in life while Bob hadn’t really, showing Helen truly loving her work and being great at it was a perfect moment that let us see a whole new side to her. Seeing Helen so overjoyed at getting to be a hero again—and being great at it, with no collateral casualties—was excellent! It was also nice to see that she had detective skills; a good contrast to Bob smashing his way through problems (and which have probably have helped her deduce what her kids are up to over the years!). That her heroic competence was truly valued outside her family circle and by the people who wanted to use her to push their politics Bob Odenkirk, Catherine Keener) was a genuine and welcome surprise; I'd love to see more female heroes respected and revered the way Elastigirl is here. Bob playing Mr. Mom was a lot of fun, even if I’m more than ready for a competent parenting duo instead of the always-effective mom and the cliché overwhelmed dad. That said, Bob’s battle with Dash's (Huck Milner) new math, Violet's (Sarah Vowell) teenage angst, and Jack-Jack's terrible toddling was extremely relatable and a great change from the superhero midlife crisis we saw in the original. I enjoyed Bob’s playful ego about being the better hero in his marriage and loved that it was balanced by genuinely caring that Helen had the space to do what she needed to do. That sort of loving/selfish balance is an extremely difficult line to walk but the writing and acting totally pull it off without making him unlikable (and it's not even hinted or implied that Helen is in any way selfish either). It was especially sweet of Bob not to tell Helen what was going on with the family not because he didn't want to come off as incompetent, but because he knew she'd stop her mission. Yes, he benefits from her completing it, but I fully believe that he also wants the better future for his kids that Helen can secure. I would've liked to see more of Dash and Violet in general, and particularly their school lives. Dash has homework trouble and Tony (Michael Bird), the boy Violet made a date with, forgets her (a cool example of superhero lives wreaking havoc on civilian ones as well as the law affecting the Parrs in an unexpected way), but the Anti-Super laws would've been stronger if we'd seen the kids’ lack of choice Bob talks about. Violet wanting to be normal and Dash being "defined as a person" by heroism does play out that choice, but we don't really get to see consequences of the laws in terms of impacts on the kids. Does having to come in second place in track rankle Dash? And if he's defined by being a hero, how does he feel about having to hide at school?  Is anyone suspicious of his speed? Does Dash have to fight to control himself when confronted by bullies that openly hate Supers? By teachers who preach that Supers are bad and should be illegal? Playing up the questionable aspects of the first movie's ending—is he cheating by using his speed, even for second place? How is not living up to his potential affecting his development?—would've built up a lot more pressure on the need to make Supers legal again. Violet hating being a Super made her a good proponent for not being legalized, though I would’ve liked more of that as well. How much of her tragic love life is really angst about not being able to be herself? Maybe she could’ve gotten involved with a student organization to keep Supers illegal, pitting her against her mom’s efforts. What if she discovered another Super kid at school and was forced to choose between outing them or letting them stay hidden? Might she find that pretending to be normal at school is simply boring or stifling her in ways she doesn’t want to admit? That said, I loved what we did get from Dash and Violet and absolutely dug Jack-Jack's awakening powers! The idea that Super babies often have multiple abilities is a very cool metaphor for kids having unlimited potential and it also made for a lot of fun, varied action scenes. His battle with a raccoon was highly entertaining and his unexpected bond with Edna Mode (Brad Bird) was a brilliant twist! Edna discovering a role as a loving aunt was as hilarious as it was heartwarming and a great way to reveal a new dimension of her character. Frozone is always a welcome addition and it was great to see more of him here, both as a "rebel" with Bob and Helen trying to get the Anti-Super law reversed, as a protective uncle to the Parr kids, and finally a hypnotized enemy. I’d like to finally meet his wife Honey (Kimberly Adair Clark) though. It's beyond time she was more than just a nagging influence taking the joy out of his superheroics (though I like that she knows her worth!). I really hope she’s also a retired Super so we can see what the two of them are like outside of their home. Or, it would’ve been easy to make her a Lois Lane-type figure, so she could cover Helen’s return to prominence and at least get a moment of bonding with her. Either of those options would be great and I’d like to see their relationship explored somewhere. I knew who Screenslaver (Bill Wise) was almost immediately, but that didn’t lessen my love for this character at all. The hypnotism was a spooky and old-fashioned angle that felt totally fresh and fit the retro-futurist world of The Incredibles perfectly! Screenslaver also managed to comment on modern concerns about social media obsession, which was a nice bit of relatability (just like Bob and Dash's struggle with new math) while remaining rooted in the films’ era, when TVs were the hip new thing everyone was obsessed with. Screenslaver was a creepy, cool villain who topped Syndrome for me. I just wish his argument—that people were getting lazy and becoming too dependent on Supers—was more explored with examples of people being "less" because of superheroes (beyond hearing about a death caused by waiting on one). Maybe Screenslaver should’ve been saved for a movie set after the law against Supers was lifted, but slightly clearer examples of his point here would’ve worked just as well. I feel like his argument would be stronger if we got to see Supers making things too easy or if more people were put in peril because they waited for Supers to fix their problems instead of the big argument against heroes being the collateral damage their fights cause. That said, I absolutely loved this villain and would definitely be down for a Screenslaver return! Underminer (John Ratzenberger) was also a cool, second-tier villain that felt like a classic comic book bad guy. He's clearly patterned off of Mole Man, but that didn't matter to me; it was kinda refreshing (and appropriately old-school, given these movies’ time period) to see a villain who just wanted to rob banks. He also provided a good way to reintroduce the family's heroic dynamic and to showcase Bob and Helen's different fighting styles while complicating their lives further, building off the end of the first movie brilliantly. I liked that it became a strike against the heroes that he was forgotten in the scramble to stop his drills and that he actually got away. The new Supers that were introduced didn't make the biggest impression, but I preferred this to more focus on a bunch of random new people who would take screentime from the Parrs. I did like Voyd (Sophia Bush) a lot; her fangirl attitude toward Elastigirl was fun and she was a nice answer to Syndrome's toxic fandom. I hope she returns in a sequel! Krushauer (Phil LaMarr) was a solid threat and got some good and funny lines in, while Screech playing up his full animalistic nature was creepy and something I hope Daredevil does with Owl Jr. These wannabe Supers did bring a variety of challenges to the final battle, so as secondary adversaries go, they worked perfectly. All the fight scenes contained very clever uses of everyone’s powers and were choreographed with an insane amount of fun and imagination! The numerous powers on display also made for battles that were never uninteresting. Even Bob's Incredibile got a nice showcase here as a display of the retro tech in this universe. I love the design of this world in general, but classic spy and superhero aesthetics like that are my favorite parts; I wish more superhero franchises would embrace stylized elements like this to carve out their own identities. Speaking of classic aesthetics, I loved that Bob, Helen, and Lucius had their own old-timey superhero theme songs! Michael Giacchino’s music was great as always, but those themes were great surprises! Brad Bird's direction was crisp and the writing emotionally resonate, bringing the heart of the first movie back at full force.  I can't wait to see what comes next from this world! I hope we don't have to wait another 14 years for Incredibles 3 (and I didn't need the apology/”trust us the wait was worth it” video that played at the beginning of this one; it only made us wait longer!), but I definitely want to see more adventures in this universe. Now that Supers are allowed again, I’d love for the next movie to introduce Dash and Violet's trouble-making cousins as wannabe supervillain bad influences. Cousins would bring aunts and uncles who have differing parenting styles from Bob and Helen, as well as Bob and Helen’s in-laws, who have their own opinions on how to “correctly” be heroes as well as parents. I'm thinking Christmas Vacation with superheroes, but whatever the next film is, I'll be in line to see it! While we wait, you should see Incredibles 2! It's among Pixar's best and definitely worth seeing on the big screen!

Check out more of my reviews, opinions, and original short stories here!

[abbygkane]

I have far more heart than you my lord, for you have none (1/?)

Summary: Northern England 1874 - Baroness Abigail Griffin, the widow of the late Baron Jacob Griffin, receives four years after her husband's death an alarming letter. His Lord the Duke of Eden and newly retired captain of the Royal Navy, Marcus Kane, has returned to Sunderland and he has grand plans for the school the Baroness runs, namely remodelling the building into separate apartments. 

Threatened with the prospect of losing her mother's legacy, Abigail sees no other option than to travel to Eden and demand an audience with the cold-hearted yet handsome Duke. 

Will the baroness succeed in her mission or will she end up losing the last thing she has of her mother? It's a tale of heartache, family, unlikely friendships and turbulent romance.

AKA an AU Kabby period drama inspired by the Brontë sisters you never knew you wanted until now ^^

Also special thanks to Romana @catalan1 for proofreading this  ♡ ♡

For six years, the Baron and Baroness Griffin, together with their little girl Clarke, had been a happy and loving family. Thanks to the Baroness’ many talents, she had managed to transform the Griffin estate, Arkadia Park, into a warm and inviting family home. The parents doted on their daughter, a cheerful child with golden curls, a pair of bright blue eyes that were almost an identical copy of her father’s, and a smile, which the Baroness teasingly described to her husband, as one that would surely break more than one young man’s heart when she grew up.

Life had been good at Arkadia Park. There wasn’t a day that passed without laughter and the servants blessed themselves on being so fortunate in working for a family that obviously loved each other and who were genuinely interested in the well-being of all those who lived and worked on the estate. The Baron often travelled abroad for business purposes, but he always quickly returned and never without a gift for his two favourite women in the whole world.

Whatever did the Baroness do while her husband was away you ask? If she had been more like her other female acquaintances, she would have spent her days inviting people for tea, or going from brunch to soirées, while letting a governess raise her daughter. But, dear reader, as you’ll quickly discover, Baroness Abigail Griffin wasn’t your typical Baroness. No, instead of carelessly squandering time, she played an active role in the upbringing of her daughter while being in charge of the small town school, making her the recipient of more than one sneering jab by several members of Sunderland’s aristocracy.

For you see, Baroness Abigail Griffin, née Abigail Walters, daughter of Thomas Walters, the local doctor, and Elizabeth Walters, a schoolteacher, didn’t grow up among the aristocracy. Her parents owned a modest townhouse not far from her father’s medical practice and the school where her mother both taught and was headmistress. As a child, she would sometimes accompany her father during his rounds, learning how to use a stethoscope, or helping her mother in the classroom, which is where Abigail discovered her love for teaching.  So it wasn’t a total surprise to her parents when she told them she wanted to become a teacher as well.

When her mother passed away only a year after she had become Baroness Griffin, Abigail had used her husband’s connections to buy the school in order to make sure that the local children still had a place to learn. Jacob Griffin had wholeheartedly supported his wife’s decision her compassion for others had been one of the things that made him fall in love with her in the first place. Unfortunately, other members of Sunderland’s riches were less pleased, both with her marriage with Jacob and the notion of a Baroness actually working. But Abigail brushed off any remarks with ease. The knowledge that she was teaching children how to read and write was of greater importance to her than being invited to a formal dinner party.

The Griffin’s couldn’t have been happier and they were extremely grateful for the life they had.

Unfortunately that all changed on that fateful Thursday evening in April, in the year 1870. The Baroness remembers rising from her bed that morning with an uneasy feeling in her stomach. A feeling that had stuck with her for the entirety of the day. It had been some time after dinner when Miss Cartwig, her housekeeper, had come into Clarke’s bedroom where the Baroness had been reading her daughter a story, informing her mistress of a visitor. The Baroness had taken one glance at the pale face of her housekeeper and she had realised that something terrible must have happened. Leaving her daughter behind in the capable hands of Miss Reyes, she had followed Miss Cartwig into the drawing room where Mr. Collins, her husband’s business associate, had informed her that the boat Jacob had been on had been caught unaware by a storm before sinking to the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean and unfortunately there had been no survivors.

Abigail doesn’t remember much from that night. Only a feeling of complete numbness and shock. After thanking Mr. Collins for coming over so late and notifying her, she had politely dismissed him before walking back towards her daughter’s room where she had fallen asleep on the bed, her arms wrapped around Clarke, tears rolling down her cheeks and body wracking with sobs.

Going on with her life without her husband had been hard, but the Baroness never gave up. She still had Clarke, her little girl who was more and more turning into the spitting image of her father, a fact that eased the Baroness’ sorrow. At least a part of Jacob would forever live on through their daughter. Having no knowledge of trade and business, she had sold her husband’s share of the company he had owned with Mr. Collins. The sum of money she had received for it had been substantial and secured both her and her daughter’s future, well as enabling her to keep all of her servants.

The school, regrettably, had been registered under her husband’s name, and with his death there was a possibility she could lose it to another buyer. Luckily the Duchess of Eden, Vera Kane, who had always had a soft spot for both Abigail and Clarke, had offered for her son to officially buy the building, with Abigail remaining in full control of everything. It had been an offer the Baroness had gratefully accepted and she would never forget the Duchess’ kindness.

So the years passed at Arkadia Park, the inhabitants of the house all carrying on with their lives, but life at the mansion wasn't the same. Even though the Baroness still remained the same caring and affectionate woman, everybody could see that the sparkle in her eyes was less bright than it had used to be. 

And I can hear you think, dear reader, surely the Baroness has suffered enough already? There must be some form of a happy ending for her. And I can assure you that there most definitely is. Unfortunately, the Baroness is going to have to struggle through some hard times and changes first. Changes that all start with the arrival of a certain letter. 

A gentle knock on the door of her late husband’s study room, where Abigail had been studying documents and going over bills for the school, pulls her attention from the paperwork.

“Come in,”

With a warm smile, she watches Miss Cartwig entering the room with a bundle of letters in her grasp.

“Ma’am, your mail,”

“Ah yes, thank you Miss Cartwig. You may leave it on my desk,” she kindly replies, before returning her attention to the papers in front of her.

From the corner of her eye, she watches how the letters are placed on the desk, but to the Baroness’ surprise her housekeeper doesn’t leave the room, but rather lingers while standing next to the desk.

Brow furrowed, the Baroness raises her gaze and takes in the rather nervous disposition of Miss Cartwig. Which is unusual because the woman is normally the epitome of calmness.

 “Yes? Was there anything else you needed?,” she politely inquires.

“Oh no, ma’am. Everything is in order”, her housekeeper rushes to reassure her.

“Are you sure Miss Cartwig? Because you’re still standing next to my desk and I’m sure if you keep doing that, you’re going to ruin your dress,” the Baroness dryly comments, and she’s unable to suppress a small smile when the other woman promptly releases the fabric she’s been subconsciously twisting between her fingers.

“It’s just - I didn’t mean to pry ma’am, but when I accepted the letters from the carrier I couldn’t help but notice that there’s a letter from his Lord the Duke of Eden,” Miss Cartwig explains.

At that the Baroness raises an eyebrow, eyeing the letters with renewed interest.  “The Duke? To my knowledge, he is still in America.”

“Apparently he arrived home a week ago. Or at least that’s what Mr. Sinclair has heard during his trip to town this morning.”

“A week? And how come I haven’t been informed of this?,” the Baroness questions, wracking her brain to the last conversation she had with the Duke’s mother, Vera Kane, more than a week ago. The woman hadn’t mentioned that her son was returning home, and the Duchess wasn’t the kind of woman to forget to mention something as important as that.  

“I don’t know, ma’am. It seems that his return was a bit of a surprise to his own home as well. Allegedly the Duchess nearly fainted when her son turned up after being away for nearly four years.”

Concern for the older and kind woman colors her expression. “Is she alright? Was a doctor called?”

Taking notice of the note of worry in her mistress’ voice, Miss Cartwig gives the Baroness a comforting nod, “Oh yes, ma’am. She was only a bit shaken. Especially when he informed her that he had taken two children, under his guardianship.”

“Children?,” the Baroness can’t help but loudly exclaim, a certain degree of disbelief clear in her tone while abruptly rising from her seat.

The notion that the stoic and pragmatic Duke would willingly take children under his guard baffles her mind. What on earth had possessed him to do so?

Realising that she’s standing behind her desk with some papers still clutched in her hands, and most certainly looking slightly absurd, the Baroness clears her throat and quietly settles down into her chair.

“Children you say?,” she softly repeats.

 “Yes ma’am”

“Where did you get all of this information?,” the Baroness inquires.

“Mr Sinclair heard it from Mr. Shumway. Apparently Lady Sydney hadn’t been able to talk about anything else than the return of the Duke,” Miss Cartwig informs her with a small smirk

“Oh, I don’t doubt that. I’m sure that Lady Sydney already has fabricated a reason for her to visit the Duchess at Manor Eden in order to coincidentally come across the Duke,” the Baroness murmurs conspiratorially with a twinkle in her eyes.  

It’s a well-known fact in their town that Lady Diana Sydney had a certain interest in the Duke or rather his fortune. So far the Duke has never returned any of Diana’s advances which she took as a sign that there still was some hope.

Ridiculous woman

“Yes, well, thank you Miss Cartwig. I’ll read the letter right away,” the Baroness states after a couple of seconds, making clear that she would like to be left alone. 

Abigail stares at the bundle of letters lying in the corner of the desk. She can’t help but feel a sense of trepidation. Nothing good has ever come from a letter from our esteemed Duke of Eden. Or any encounter she has ever had with the man for that fact. The Duke had the exceptional capability of being able to get under her skin and aggravating her in mere seconds. Whatever affection she felt for the Duchess, that courtesy didn’t extend to her son.

No, she and the Duke didn’t get along at all. Their last encounter had been a prime example of it. Thinking back to the last time she had laid eyes upon the Duke and remembering the things he had said, at her husband’s funeral, was enough to make her blood boil once more.

He had the impertinence to imply that she wasn’t suited to run a school since she was merely a teacher. And to add insult he also inquired if she would be able to keep up with the monthly payments for the school. Did she even know how to deal with money? The Duke didn’t add the because you’re not used to having such money since you married into the aristocracy, but it was heavily implied in his condescending tone. Her emotions had been running high that day and he had managed to rile her up so much that she had basically thrown him out of her home. She can still see the look of absolute shock on his face. Because nobody even dreamed of addressing him so disrespectfully, but Abigail had just buried an empty casket because her husband’s body hadn’t been found among the wreckage of the ship and her patience was running low. So she had ordered him to leave her house, which he had done without another word. Two days later his mother had informed her that had left with the Royal Navy.

Honestly, to this day Abigail can’t understand how someone as kind and friendly as her late husband ended up being friends with someone like Duke Marcus Kane.

But now the Duke was back and the Baroness was dreading whatever was in the letter. Perhaps the letter was merely an invitation to dinner. Not that the Duke was particularly set on maintaining his social relationships, but the Baroness knows that his mother would have insisted on it.

With her heart slightly pounding in her chest, the Baroness picks up the mail and sifts through them until she sees her name written in that unmistakable cursive handwriting. Taking a deep breath, she breaks the seal and her eyes flicker across the paper.

Dear Lady Griffin

I do hope that both you and your daughter are well.

I’m sure you have already heard about my unannounced return to Sunderland.  With my return to the country, I’m also once more taking up my responsibilities as Duke. My mother has informed me of the arrangement she had made with you concerning the payments of the school in my absence.

Unfortunately, I can not condone this arrangement. I know from experience that my mother is a very caring and giving person and in some cases a bit too caring. I would hate for her to be taken advantage of.

Let me be clear, I’m not suggesting that you are purposely taking advantage of her kind nature, but even you can’t deny that my mother’s fondness of both you and your daughter might have clouded her judgement and resulted in her being extremely lenient towards you.

During my stay in America I got a visit from out mutual acquaintance, the Earl of Mt. Weather, Lord Wallace and he has expressed an interest in the Elizabeth Walters school, namely in the building. He has made me an offer I can’t refuse and I’ve decided to sell the building to the Earl.

Now I realise that this is all sudden and I do apologise, but my decision has been made. Earl Wallace’s project is in the best interest of the town and I’m sure you’ll find another building for your little school.

Taking into consideration the short notice, I’m giving you until the end of March to move out of the building, so that gives you eight weeks the time, which should be sufficient.

Sincerely

His Lord the Duke of Eden, Marcus Kane

 The Baroness sits upright in her chair, while wordlessly staring at the piece of paper in front of her. Her eyes skim the letter once more and now the numbness makes way for indignation.

How dare he?

Throwing the paper on the desk, she quickly rises from her seat before agitatedly crossing the length of the room, the skirt of her dress rustling over the floor.

The sound of laughter catches her attention and the Baroness turns her gaze towards the window, which looks out over the garden.  With one of her hands pressed against her chest, Abigail watches how Clarke, her precious daughter, is chased by her lady's maid, Miss Reyes. All thoughts of the school and the Duke leave her mind as she observes with a tender smile how carefree and lively Clarke is. After her husband’s death, her daughter and the school had been the only two things that made her get up in the morning.

Losing the school was not an option. Not if she had a say in it. That pompous man could say whatever he wanted, she was not giving up her mother’s school.  Coming to a decision, she purposely strides towards the door and calls out Miss Cartwig.

“Miss Cartwig have Lincoln prepare the carriage and the horses,”

“Yes, ma’am. Where to?”

“To manor Eden. Something important has been brought to my attention and I need a word with the Duke that simply can not wait.”

Normally while travelling to manor Eden, Abigail would admire the beautiful scenery, she has always loved nature, but during this particular trip it takes all her self-control not to tear the letter which is firmly clenched into her grip apart.

The Baroness understands that by turning up at the manor without any word, she’s breaking protocol and the Duke will no doubt blame her lower upbringing, but if there’s one thing her parents had taught her was that you should keep fighting for the things you believe in. And she will not lose the school without a fight. Propriety be damned. If the Duke thought that she would just accept his decision, he had seriously underestimated her. She may be a Baroness through marriage, but she definitely wasn’t one of those women who simply followed a man’s orders without voicing an opinion of her own.

In fact, it had been her refusal to do certain things just because a man had told her to do so that had caught Jacob’s interest in the first place. Growing up, he had never come across a woman who had stood up against men and voiced her own opinion as strongly and passionately as Abigail. So when confronted with Abigail who, besides being extremely smart was also beautiful, Jacob couldn’t help but fall in love with her.

Abigail for her part had taken a bit more convincing. Men of Jacob’s social class usually didn’t choose women like her, or at least not for a long time. Their interest usually ended very quickly. But Jacob had insisted that he was being earnest and that if she would allow him, he would like to properly court her. After some pleading on his part, she had finally relented, not that being courted by the handsome Jacob Griffin had been a huge sacrifice on her part. Nonetheless, from the beginning of their courtship, she had made it absolutely clear that if they ended up married, she would continue to teach.

When word had spread that Jacob Griffin, the only child of the Baron and Baroness of Arkadia Park, had intended to marry a teacher, gossip and speculation had run wild. Rumours of her being pregnant out of wedlock were whispered in corners. Others were convinced that she had seduced him and was only interested in his money. Of course, those who knew them or had even seen them in the same room had seen the obvious infatuation and love they had for each other.

She’s so lost in thoughts that the abrupt halt of the carriage startles her. Taking a couple of deep breaths to collect herself, the Baroness awaits before descending from the carriage.

Looking at Eden, she can’t help but be impressed. Every single time she sees the manor it takes her breath away. Unfortunately, this time her reasons for visiting aren’t as pleasant as the previous times.

She had barely left the carriage when a man starts to walk towards her.  

“Ma’am, can I help you?”, he asks with a distinctly American accent.

Abigail doesn’t recognise the man, but figures that he must be the new butler.

 “Yes, my name is Baroness Abigail Griffin and I wish to speak with the Duke.”

“The Duke is currently out riding,” the man brusquely states.

Looks like the butler’s manners are just like his master’s. Non-existing.

“That won’t be a problem. I’ll just wait inside,” she retorts.

Ignoring the indignant spluttering of the butler, the Baroness turns around and addresses her coachman.

“You may come back in two hours,”

 “Yes, ma’am,” comes the swift reply before giving her a salute and leaving.

Abigail starts to walk towards the entrance, the butler hastily following her.

“My lady, I must insist that you come back another time.”

“That won’t be possible I’m afraid. The matter is quite urgent," she insists while entering the foyer.

 “Ma’am I-," the butler starts again when a voice interrupts.

“Abigail? What a lovely surprise.”

Turning around, Abigail watches the Duchess approach before closing the distance and giving the older woman a hug and a kiss on the cheek.

“Vera, it’s so nice to see you again,” Abigail warmly greets her.

“You know the lady, Duchess Kane?”, the butler stiffly inquires.

The Duchess scoffs, “Why yes, of course, Mr. Jaha. This is baroness Abigail Griffin, she lives at Arkadia Park. We’ve been friends for some years. Why don’t you fetch us some tea?”

“Yes, ma’am," Mr. Jaha replies while bowing, but not without throwing the Baroness a glare.

“Charming,” Abigail mutters, causing the Duchess to chuckle while linking their arms.

“I admit Mr. Jaha takes some time to get used to but he is very good at his job,” the older woman comments, as they start to walk towards the drawing room.

“How is darling Clarke by the way? It has been simply too long since I’ve seen that delightful child. You must bring her for a visit soon.”

“Clarke is good, thank you for asking Vera. She sends her your love.”

“So what has prompted this surprise but very welcome visit?”, Vera inquires, as they both sit down, a note of curiosity audible in her voice.

Just as Abigail opens her mouth to answer, a maid enters the room with a tray filled with tea and scones.

Both women keep quiet while the tea’s being poured and the scones are placed on a nearby table. 

Picking up her cup, Abigail directs her gaze towards the Duchess.

“I’m actually here to talk to the Duke.”

“My son? Whatever for? Is there something wrong with the school?,” Vera quickly replies, her expression changing into one of worry.

“Forgive me, but aren’t you aware of the letter he mailed me?,” she hesitantly asks.

“No, I don’t know of any letter.”

“Ah, that’s unfortunate”, she mutters under her breath, but clearly she isn’t quiet enough because the Duchess picks it up.

“How is that unfortunate? What did the letter say?”

She doesn’t want to burden Vera with the content of the letter, “Oh, it’s nothing too serious Vera. The Duke merely wanted to go over some minor details now that he’s back in Sunderland,” Abigail replies, hoping to sound reassuring.

The Duchess doesn’t seem entirely convinced, but she doesn’t push for which Abigail is grateful.

“So you must be happy that your son has returned,” she says while taking a sip of her tea.

A fond smile appears on the older woman’s face. “I am, even if it was unexpected.”

As a comfortable silence falls between them, Abigail can feel a question burn on the tip of her tongue. After a couple of seconds, her curiosity can no longer be contained.

“I’ve also been informed that the Duke didn’t return from America alone.”

When the Duchess merely gives her an amused look, Abigail can feel her cheeks flush with embarrassment.

“Forgive me, I didn’t mean to pry," she stammers, but the Duchess shakes her head.

“Nonsense Abigail. It’s only natural that you’re curious,” Vera comments, “I don’t know if you ever met my niece Aurora Kane? She married an American businessman before moving to New York.”

 “I don’t think I ever had the pleasure of meeting her,” Abigail admits.

“She was a lovely girl but she did always seem to get into trouble. I was never too fond of her husband, but she loved him and that’s more than can be said of other marriages. But, sadly both she and her husband died in an accident three months ago, leaving behind their two children, Bellamy and Octavia.”

“Oh, Vera, I’m so sorry," Abigail softly utters.

The Duchess accepts her condolences with a small but grateful nod, “Thank you, dear.”

“Their grandparents on their father’s side are too old to take care of two children and since they don’t have any other relatives in America, Marcus settled the papers and became their legal guardian. Which is why I was so surprised by his return. I wasn’t expecting them so soon. I thought that the paperwork would take longer.”

“If you don’t mind me asking, how are the children?”

“Well, as you can imagine they aren’t very talkative. Octavia is still little so I don’t think she even fully understands what has happened, but Bellamy tries to act tough. Luckily both of them have taken a shine to Marcus which warms my heart,” the Duchess admits with a small smile.

The notion that children would actually enjoy spending time with the cold Duke sounds absurd to Abigail’s ears. Especially after reading his letter. Not wanting to hurt to older woman’s feeling, she makes a non-committal noise while taking another sip from her tea.

“The place must feel more lively with not only your son back, but also two children,” Abigail implores.

“Oh, most definitely. We’re still in the process of getting a governess and of course we need to appoint a teacher,” the Duchess agrees, “It’s all a bit chaotic but I honestly don’t mind it. I prefer it to living in this large house by myself.”

“How old are they if you don’t mind me asking?”

“Not at all. Bellamy’s 11 and Octavia’s 5,” Vera replies.

Abigail distinctly remembers how Clarke was when she was five and she’s about to comment on it when the door of the drawing room is thrown open.

“Mother, have you –,” the man starts to say, only to falter when he realises that his mother isn’t alone.

Closing his mouth, he straightens his back and turns his attention on her.

The man standing in front of her looks so vastly different from the severe and pale man she remembers from four years ago. His hair is longer and curly, he’s sporting a beard speckled with grey patches, his face slightly tanned and Abigail feels a flash of heat in her lower stomach.

They both continue to wordlessly stare at each other, without so much as blinking. Both have seemingly forgotten that his mother is still in the room, but the woman in question hasn’t. She’s glancing between the two of them, a knowing smile hidden behind her cup of tea.

“Marcus, I’m sure you still remember Baroness Griffin?”

His mother’s question breaks the trance that had settled over the two of them and the Duke seems to suddenly remember his manners and he bows.   

“How could I ever forget?,” the Duke murmurs, his voice low and gravelly and his gaze intense.

Feeling a blush creeping up, Abigail gives him a small nod, “Duke Kane,”

“To what do we owe your visit, Baroness?,” he politely inquires, sitting down in a chair across from her.

“I’d like to discuss the content of the letter you mailed me,” she replies and at the mention of the letter, his jaw clenches and his expression grows cold and Abigail feels disconcerted at the abrupt change in demeanour. Or how the change makes him look more like the Duke she remembers from four years ago.

“I don’t think that will be necessary. I made myself pretty clear in the letter,” the Duke curtly states, crossing his arms while leaning back in the chair.  

“Oh, but I think it is,” she swiftly retorts, putting down her cup of tea and gazing straight at him.

“Well, if you insist, we can schedule a –,” he starts, but Abigail cuts him off with a wave of her hand, not caring that she’s being rude.

“I’m available right now.”

“How convenient,” the Duke points out.

Abigail offers him a tight-lipped smile, “I promise it won’t take long. It’s only a little school after all.”

By the way his eyes narrowed, Abigail knows that he got her reference by calling her school little.

“Oh, come on Marcus, I’m sure you can spare a few minutes for the Baroness,” the Duchess insists.

Giving his mother a nod, “Alright then. Why don’t we continue this conversation in my office?”

“I would love to,” she agrees, as she rises from her seat, “It was so nice seeing you again Vera”

“You too dear,” the older woman replies while giving her a hug.

“Oh, Marcus. Was there something you wanted to ask me? When you came into the room?,” his mother asks before the both of them can leave.

“Don’t worry about it mother. It can wait. I promise,” he gently reassures her.

Please, if you’ll follow me, Baroness,” The Duke says while gesturing towards the door.

“Thank you, Duke,” she murmurs before walking passed him.

Her emphasis on his title doesn’t go unnoticed by the momentary tightening of his hands and the Baroness is barely able to suppress a smirk. It may have been four years, but she’s still able to get under his skin.

Good. He has to realise that I won’t give up on my school that easily.