#if only emma could be theree

[cleo-serotonin]

this image breaks my brain

[hereissomething]

puppet combo when there is woman

[hyperfixatinglove]

It's full moon tonight and I instantly thought about infected!Jacob and how the werewolf shit would complicate things between us

[heyitslapis]

its times like this when i really wish i had an SO's shoulder to cry on

Because I think i factrued/sprained my foot the other day it happened wednesday but its still pretty swollen and pops when i try to walk on it without hobbling. i know i signed up for health insurance through work. i wrote down the insurance company name as Bayside and I have my personal insurance id number but the card never came in/got lost in the mail (and i already called for one replacement that never came so idk if theyll send me a third) so i cant confirm the insurance name nor call them, but i need to because ive called/visited 5 health care facilities around me and NONE of them have even heard of Bayside. So im calling the phone number that my manager provided me with telling me that was the insurance company. I keep calling the number (and mind you ive called them before to try to get a second insurance card sent to me but that was in like April) and i get that its saturday but theres no answer and the stupid automated machine wont let me leave a voicemail. the automated answering voice on the phone also says that theyre called National Benefit Plans by SafetyNet and google says the phone number im using belongs to National Benefit Plans out in San Antonio Tx (i live no where near there). I found National Benefit Plans' website on SafetyNetPlus dot com but National Benefit Plans doesnt have their own website, just through SafetyNet, and also the SafetyNet website says on a side panel that "this is NOT insurance" and instead keeps saying "health benefits" instead so idk what the fuck ive been paying for for the last 6 months tbh and im having an emotional breakdown bc i dont want to fuck my foot up for life just cause i couldnt figure out my health insurance/benefits shit

[kiwidotcom]

there should be a trend of adults being like “heres what you should know about naming your kid XYZ”

because Emma is in the top names every year and i just want parents to know that if you name ur kid Emma and they go to camp, and they sing a song where they rhyme a word to your name, the only word anyone will think of is dilemma. and it may or may not haunt ur kid for life

[goosin-around]

This is so weird but I have so many headcanons about ouat and social media (mostly regina) so heres a lovely little list

people kept texting like they were writing a letter and it bothered Henry so bad he hosted a "learning how to text" session

Rumple and Granny both refused to attend

Regina went and still types like shes from last century but now she awfully misuses abbreviations and slang terms

Emma and Ruby are tiktok feins like they are so annoying

zelena adores AITA posts on tiktok with subway surfers gameplay

she regularly gets banned for offensive language and is on her 7th account

Emma tries to relate to Henry by using tiktok brainrot terms and he hates it

Snow and David have a joint spotify account and they argue daily about who gets to use it and when

they totally could get separate profiles but the refuse

Regina made a family life360 group and snow went ballistic when she got added and refuses to let Regina forget about it

belle is so deep into booktok

hook has an insane tiktok following because they think he's a pirate cosplayer

henry tried his best to explain his family tree on tiktok without explaining the curse and it does not go well

Ruby makes tiktoks following the swanqueen journey and people love it

Emma tried very hard to get Regina on social media but she ended up regretting it when Gina started commenting mean things on the charmings lovey dovey posts

(and dirty things on all of emmas)

the one and only tiktok post regina made on Henrys account got millions of likes

Emma makes a tiktok account for the sheriff's station and Regina doesn't know about it to this day

granny forces ruby to advertise the dinner and it is the worst video ever

(yk the one on youtube where ruby tells us to ask if theres avacado? imagine that but worse)

Regina had a flip phone and an ancient computer until Emma forced her to upgrade

Baby neal is a total and complete ipad kid (so is emma lets be honest)

henry hates the fact neal has an ipad with a passion; regina and him regularly send the charmings articles about the dangers of technology on youth)

regina claims to not have any socials and is a strong believer that its bad for you, but she secretly has accounts to keep an eye on henry and to watch horse videos

[hydenborn-balan-pawsometoons]

The Maestro of Mystery waved goodbye to Emma Cole and Leo Craig, watching them leave, both with happy hearts. He soon removed his hat to wipe away the remaining tears in his eyes, before looking down at the tear he shed.. He picked it up and held it to his heart and sighed.

"What an adventure this was.. To think it had to end so soon... Emma and Leo, I shall never forget you..."

Balan was already thinking back on the adventure he shared with the two children who had recently just departed from Wonderworld... Once again, Balan was alone with his thoughts in his theater, somewhat disappointed that things had to end as quickly as they did.. Then again, a lot of them would end as quickly as they started. It's become a routine.. a repetitive one at that... Either way, he knew another adventure would be just beyond the horizon! In which he was correct! Except... this adventure would not be one that he'd expect...

Down in the depths of the Negati's realm, Lance was still trying to fight back the forces of Wonderworld's force of Balance. If there were two positive sides present in Wonderworld, it could fall apart and dissapear! So no matter what, there always would have to be a Negative and Positive force in Wonderworld. That being the Maestros... but Lance wasnt so quick to give up this time...

"I.. Can't live like this for much longer... Balan... he needs to know the truth... H-He needs to remember.. his past... his youth!.."

Lance dug deep into his heart, where he has kept the most deepest and darkest fears of others.. the pieces of the hearts of many... Including Balan's.. but how could this be?... How could the Maestro that was meant to heal the hearts of others, be missing pieces of his own and had never noticed?... Only Lance knows for sure.. but now he's become desperate. He no longer wants to reprise this role, or let Balan meet the same fate! From the deepest pits of Lance's heart, he painfully pulled out the missing pieces of Balan's own heart!

"Please Balan.. let your heart become anew... Now is your time to remember, there is so much more to you... For my final waking moment as the Maestro I used to be, I plead... Just forget about me... JUST BE FREE!!!"

Lance tossed the pieces as hard as he could, sending them flying up and up and up and out of the Negati's realm. The light of the glimmering shards was the last thing Lance would see before he was engulfed by the Negati once more.

Before Balan would know what hit him, a sharp and quick sting would pang at his heart and mind. The missing pieces of his heart reached him as his mind began filling with memories he had long forgotten... the entire life that was taken from him in an instant at such a young age... Balan could feel his heart beating hard and fast... He couldn't understand why he was remembering all of this... His old home, Hyden.. An Island hidden from the rest of the world. A place he couldn't even begin to think how he could possibly go back to.. His family and his life as a prince.. The prince of the Balance Element... But most painful of all... How his family was taken from him by a tyrannical leader of Chaos... As unexpected as these memories were.. It made him realize... There was more to his life than this theater.. there was more than just Wonderworld. There was a world that was waiting for him.. a world that needed him... but he had no clue how to get back... But... he had to try.

This would begin a new chapter in the life of the Maestro of Mystery. The beginning of his search for his old home. But not only that... He wanted to save Lance... If Lance was the one who hid away the dark memories of others, he must have hidden Balan's aswell. If these memories were returned to him, Lance but still be there somewhere! The real Lance! If theres a possibility that Balan can find his own home, there's a possibility he can save Lance aswell! There just has to be a way. And Balan will find that out... And thus would begin Balan's new adventure. His quest to find his new home, and to save Lance from the forces of the Negati. Of course, this meant he would have to explore from outside his theater, in which he's not very used to or dressed for.. But he doesn't really have any other outfits.. But perhaps removing a few layers will be enough. And so he did just that. Perhaps he wasnt much of a Maestro of Mystery anymore.. but a Healer of Hearts. Healing the hearts of others along the way of his new journey.

Balan Wonderworld Hydenborn AU

Prologue (You are here) - Next

[slice-0f-anime]

**SPOILERS FOR LINK CLICK S2**

I had this theory about how lu guang and cheng xiaoshi got their powers.

Well actually, just how cxs got them. I have 0 clue how they first came to be other than people just being born with them.

But essentially, I think lg originally inherited both powers and somehow split it with cxs. Cause this feels like the sort of power that would come as a whole, not half and half, you know? Seeing into the future and past of a photo + jumping into it for 12 hours is definitely a package deal, and besides, it's so unlikely that these two just happened to have these perfectly complimentary powers and just happened to meet their perfect match.

It's almost the same with the Li siblings because their power perfectly compliment each others too, except in their case, those two were twins. People say that twins are like one soul split into two bodies, so it would make sense that their powers were split as well, but then what about lg and cxs?

I suppose a case could be made for cxs originally being the power holder, but it makes way more sense for it to be lg. He seemed to know everything about the diving power while his partner didn't know anything, and needed to be guided pretty often. Like for the surveillance camera hack, lg might only know that because he used to hold the power and knows how to use it.

And this might be a stretch, but it would also explain lu guang getting stabbed and the vision of cxs dying in his arms. Theres a chance that in the original timeline, lg left him alone in the room while he went to save emma, and then qiao ling got possessed and stabbed cxs instead. Then when lu guang comes back, cxs dies in his arms. Filled with grief, lu guang dives back in time and gives cxs the dive power from the start. This would ensure that cxs wouldn't be in the room when the stabbing occured, and lg was probably fully willing to sacrifice himself instead.

Man I love this show so much. Maybe I'm delulu but hey it makes sense!

[leclsrc]

Hiii, could i request a charles angst drabble like just very angsty and sort of an ambiguous ending too? maybe theyre in a secret relationship and theres infidelity involved. sorry if this is too specific, thank you thoughh :)) <3

forever ago – cl16

genre: angst, drabble

auds here... as thanks for 500 :) this a bit long for a drabble sry! some lines are borrowed frm a drabble i posted on my last blog. title from “for emma” by bon iver—a bloody good song imo. hope this does ur req justice, anon!

Your heart twists with something unfamiliar. “I don’t know what it is,” you say, frustrated. “He hasn’t talked to me.”

Over the phone, your friend’s voice is slow and reassuring. “It’s probably nothing. The last race didn’t go too well for him, so he might just be shutting himself out.”

You nod, half-convinced, still staring at Charles across the paddock. You’re dubious, because if it was anything ordinary—if it was a bad race, a DNF, a crash—he’d shield the both of you from the rest of the world. He’s engaged in conversation with Pierre and Carlos, arms crossed over his torso, eyes crinkled with a smile. You try to persuade yourself into believing your friend, but deep down, you know it’s wishful thinking. Something’s wrong, you’re sure.

You purse your lips, swallowing the lump in your throat that doesn’t leave. You feel like the rest of the world.

He’s been ignoring you for a few days, limiting communication to intermittent texts that only come if you message first. You’ve exhausted every possible reason, but nothing works. You’re left to your own devices of wondering aimlessly for excuses. 

Nobody said pursuing a secret relationship would be easy, sure. But you and Charles had managed to pull it off for four years. And it wasn’t like anything was ever spoonfed to either of you—it was insanely difficult maintaining a professional journalist/driver relationship beside an intimate one. While some knew, it was still a secret from a good part of the paddock, let alone the public.

It meant sacrificing the better things of a relationship: sleeping in together, going on dates together, even holding hands. You resort to fleeting taps, lingering touches that look friendly. But you’re content. He’s yours, even in those moments. 

You blink, and you wake up cold in Silverstone, even under four layers of duvet.

You scramble to find Charles, and in the mess of the sheets, it takes longer than you anticipated. You kick your legs, but they only tangle. You even lift your head up, but find the duvet has totally engulfed you. You’re half-awake now, spent with the effort it takes to find him. You need to find him, even now, even when the sky is pale blue outside and you need to leave before anyone knocks.

Like always, he finds you first. A hand takes yours, pulls, and his strength causes the obstructions to clear.

You stare into his lidded eyes. “Je te tiens,” he says, voice deep, slurred, but reassuring. You nod, heaving a sigh, almost amused by your previous bout of anxiety. Why did you ever doubt yourself? It’s Charles, you think. He’s got you. 

You blink, and he’s far away again, across the paddock, distracted like he’s been so often lately. You rub the bridge of your nose, in a futile attempt to rid yourself of the dry pangs of pain there. You have a race to report. You can think of him later.

Turns out, the thoughts come sooner—just under an hour later, when you’re beside Will and using your phony reporter voice, reading off the fluorescent teleprompter text. “We’ll be inviting a few people to ask some questions on the live Formula One feed,” you say with a smile. “And our Ferrari drivers over here will get to answer some lucky fans!”

You gesture and turn to the screen beside you, still smiling. You’ll smile until your jaw aches. A fan comes on the air, a middle-aged man by the looks of it; his Texan accent permeates through the speaker and goes, “Hey Carlos and Charles, huge fan! Jus’ wanna ask, what is your favorite track this year?”

Blink, and your headache’s gone. You’re with Charles in his Monaco flat, legs swinging over the counter. He’s shirtless and cooking a grilled cheese. “I’m finally getting promoted next year,” you say, a fact you’ve reiterated about a million times tonight.

“Dunno why you’re surprised,” Charles says. “With your skill, ’twas just a matter of time, no?”

“Oh, ha ha,” you joke. “Don’t flatter me, it’s getting to my head.”

He sets the plate beside you, wedges himself in between your legs. You lean forward to rest your chin against his shoulder. “I love you,” he says into your neck. “I love you so much.”

And you blink, you’re holding your mic, Carlos is talking again, about how his favorite circuit has just got to be this and that, then the Texan fan is off the screen. It’s a few moments before the next fan fades into view, an excited and hyper teenager rattling off oh my god I love yous faster than you can count. 

“So this isn’t really related to racing,” she says, her accent distinctly Californian. “I just wanted to ask if it’s true that Charles has a girlfriend? ‘Cause, well, everyone saw him with somebody last night, and…”

The world spins slowly then, when you’re staring at the screen, listening to her voice. You try to blink and distract yourself but it doesn’t work. You keep smiling. You blink. It doesn’t work. You wonder why it doesn’t work. You wonder why you have to face this on air. You wonder why you can’t blink and be gone, if just for a minute.

Above all, you wonder who he was with while you were working late last night.

You swivel in your chair and reduce your smile to a tight-lipped one. “How interesting!” You chirp.

Years of practice have done your voice justice; even if you want to scream, your voice is level, enthusiastic. Your eyes flit over to Carlos, who’s already looking at you. His brows are furrowed, mouth half-open in clear confusion. You can hear Will stuttering beside you. “Oh, I—um, how in—how splendid.”

It’s not splendid. It’s not interesting. But Charles gulps and says still, “Yes, I’m seeing someone.”

The words cut through you like shrapnel. You feel yourself fall apart, right there, trying desperately to put yourself back together. Four years, and they’re gone, on the air. You exhale, try to subtly signal for the segment to be ended early. The rest is a blur—Will carries the rest of the interview with standoffish, fake interjections and additional questions. You just smile.

How could you have been so stupid, really. To think a secret relationship would survive. If anything, it made it easier for him to do what he did. You steal a glance and his eyes are cast low, dark. He’s so far away. Is this it, you think. Everything you’d ever worked for, loved for, fought for, hidden, celebrated—is this it? For another girl? You can’t help but wonder who she is. If she was that much better, that much more alluring, that Charles thought it a good choice to throw away four years under the bus.

The feed ends before your thoughts run out, and you drop your mic onto the surface of the table, leaving the pen immediately. Will says something but you can’t decipher it. Charles follows, even if you can hear Carlos holding him back. Leave her alone, he says, and Charles says, no, I need to talk to her.

He circles a hand around your wrist, wrapping just underneath the Cartier bracelet you’d gotten to match his. The reminder makes your chest ache with a totally wrenching pain, throbbing through you as he pulls you into an empty space in between motorhomes.

“I’m sorry,” he says. He sounds desperate, solemn.

“Do you love me?” You ask weakly. And when he laces your fingers together and nods: “Then why do make me look like a fool?”

He shakes his head. “It meant nothing, cherie. I promise.”

“You’ve no right to tell me that,” you heave. Your chest is so heavy you legitimately feel like drowning. “And for me to find out on the job? I thought this whole time that I did something to you. Turns out you’re just busy fucking someone else to be kind to me. I thought you were mine, Charles. How could… how could you hurt me like this?” You don’t mean to sound so broken, but you can’t even blame yourself.

“I didn’t mean for it to happen this way.”

“But it still did,” you say simply. “I thought—I thought it was gonna be us. I thought you were the one—the one person who would never hurt me.”

You’re crying, you realize, tears running down your cheeks and onto your jaw. When his silence persists, you purse your lips, wipe the tears out of your eyes before they stream again. You can feel people staring, you can hear hushed voices, make out your friends trying to find you. “Charles,” you say wetly. “All I ever did was love you. You said you would do the same.”

This time, when you blink, you manage to picture the past clearly.

You’re in Monza, your first day on the job, a balmy day with a sea of red fans. The paddock is intimidating, crawling with people,  and you’re having trouble looking for your boss. The crowd is unbelievably noisy, vibrating through the entire area. Vaguely Italian cheers erupt through the place.

You’d circled the area a couple of times but still, you haven’t placed where you need to be. You turn several times to pinpoint the landmarks, the hospitalities, the logos, but to no avail. You’re lost.

“You okay?” Someone says, with an accent just as European as everybody else’s. 

“Yeah, uh—well, lost, to be honest. I need to find the media pen, ‘cause it’s my first day.”

“Right over there,” he says, smiling. His eyes crinkle, almost disappear with how big he beams. He stretches a hand out to shake yours and you take it, introducing yourself quickly. He lets his hand linger, and you smile back. You have a feeling this isn’t the last time you’ll see him.

Your heart twists with something unfamiliar. “I’m Charles.”

[summ6rbummer]

PATRICK HOCKSETTER X FEMALE BULLY VICTIM PT. 2

ITS MORE THAN BULLYING NOW.

patrick x reader bully victim

again, overall tw and the same ones as last time. also the reader has only a mom in this, so sorry if you don't have one or you dont like yours.

--------

its been a few days, and i genuinely cant figure out what patrick was talking about on friday. what did he mean by 'im real and i think you are too." what does that mean? of course patrick is real, nobody that sadistic could be fake, but then what did he mean that i was too? god why does he have to be so mysterious all the time? i just want an answer to all of this..

--------

i try and shove it to the back of my mind, as i walk downstairs to make something to eat. jesus this is weird. im kind of glad he decided to do that yesterday, so then i could have the entire weekend to think over it. this is so crazy. i have no idea if i'm more nervous to go back to school now or not..

my mind was going 100000 miles per hour as i stretch on my tip toes and grab a box of cereal from the cabinet, and then the milk from the fridge. there was a note from mom on the counter next to the fruit bowl.

hey honey,

i had to go into work early to help mike with a project. maybe go to Emma's house later, but i wont be home until 10 ish. there's a pizza in the freezer.

love you!

i slurped cereal out of my spoon as i read the note and smiled to myself. i should go to Emma's house. i haven't seen her in a minute and it'll help get my mind off this whole 'patrick' situation. i nodded in agreement with myself, then put my empty bowl in the sink and went back to my room.

i fixed up my bedhead, and then grabbed a pair of jean shorts and a large t-shirt, and my chuck taylors. i took a glance at myself in the mirror and sighed, mentally scolding myself for the shit I've let happen over the last 5 years, like i did every morning. i'm so stupid. so vulnerable.

whatever.

i shut off my light and closed my bedroom door, then went downstairs. i grabbed my house keys off the hook next to the door, and then closed and locked it behind me. i felt uneasy the whole walk to Emma's house, constantly checking over my shoulder. eventually i got to Emma's and her mom let me in, and i was thanking god that Emma only lived about two blocks away.

me and Emma spent the day together. we went to the convenience store and got slushies, and then to the park where we met Jonathan and hung out with him for a bit. once the day few by, and the streetlights started coming on, we all agreed that we should go home before it got darker. as soon as i was walking home and i wasn't with Jonathan and Emma, dread crept over my body. it was dark, i was alone, and i had no clue whether or not henry and his gang were out on one of their little 'patrols.' i feel like it took an eternity to get home, but i finally did, and as soon as i unlocked the door and stepped inside, I locked the door and went to the kitchen. I reheated a slice of leftover pizza and leaned against the counter while i ate it. it was dark in the house, with the kitchen counter lights being the only thing lighting up the room i was in. after i was done eating, i turned to the sink and scrubbed a few plates that were sitting in the sink. when i was done, i clicked off the kitchen lights and walked back to my bedroom. halfway down the hallway, i heard the sound of clothes hitting the floor. inside my bedroom. immediately my heart dropped to my stomach, and i became silent. slowly i backed up, sliding my socks along the carpet, never lifting my feet, not making any noise. i slipped back into the kitchen and frantically looked around, somehow forgetting where anything was in my house. i grabbed a bread knife from the first drawer and spun back around, quietly pacing back and forth, trying to get my head on straight.

okay.. theres someone in your room. you dont know who.. but you know that they could be dangerous. shit. okay.

i inched back down the hallway, not breathing. i slowly grabbed the doorknob and opened the door. my room was still. there was nobody there. yet my clothes were scattered all over the floor, my bookshelf was missing three of my favorites, my window was wide open, and there was dried mud on my floor. my jaw dropped in shock and i uttered out a small squeak. i stood there in disbelief as i walked into the room further and closed the door behind me. i flicked on my lights and dropped the knife on my bed. after i stuck my head out of my window and saw nobody, i quickly closed and latched my window, pushing my curtains closed. as my fingertips dragged over the windowsill, my nails caught on a notch in the wood. my brow furrowed as i looked closer and traced the lines. there were two letters engraved in my windowsill. initials.

P. H.

that son of a bitch patrick. terrorizing me at school was one terrible thing, but breaking into my house, my room, destroying my belongings, stealing my stuff and carving his fucking name into my windowsill. carving his name into my life. im fucking done dealing with this.

i threw on a sweater and my working boots, grabbed the kitchen knife again and stormed out of my house. i didn't bother to lock the door. i didn't care if id be back or not. i was going to kill this freak.

author note.

HI IM SO SORRY THIS TOOK SO LONG SO MUCH HAS HAPPENED BUT IM WORKING ON THE NEXT PART I PROMISE THERE WILL BE SOME ROMANCE BECAUSE IK YOU ASKED FOR THAT!! I LOVE YALL SM

[killiansprincss]

TIMELESS A CAPTAIN SWAN AU - CHAPTER 6/19

Summary: Season 3 divergence - When Zelenas time portal works, Henry wakes up alone in Storybrooke and must travel to the Enchanted Forest to get his family back. Only once he gets there he quickly realises its not like the one in his book, theres no Evil Queen and his mother Emma wasn't put through a wardrobe, theres even a poster inviting the entire kingdom to her engagement ball, to Hook. What will happen once Henry gets them to break this new curse and they get their memories back?

In which every chapter is inspired by a different Taylor Swift song.

Previous chapters

AO3 Link

Just want to send a huge love to everyone who has sent me love on this fic! It means the world that people are seeing and reading the fic that has made me fall back in love with writing! The best it yet to come so please keep reading!!!

_____

CHAPTER 6 - BUT DADDY I LOVE HIM

Now I'm running with my dress unbuttoned

Screaming "But Daddy I love him!"

I'm having his baby

No, I'm not, but you should see your faces

I'm telling him to floor it through the fences

No, I'm not coming to my senses

I know he's crazy but he's the one I want

~~

It had been two weeks since Emma last went to the tavern, since her night with Captain Hook. While it didn't lead to anything more than some flirting while drinking and then fumbled kisses towards the back of the tavern before she had to run back, she missed him. 

Every time she fell asleep her mind wandered to his scruffy face and his piercing blue eyes. They’d promised to meet back in 2 weeks, her parents were away on a diplomatic mission in a kingdom that was a four day journey out of Misthaven. This allowed her to see his ship and stay the night. Truly pretend she wasn’t a princess for a night. 

She had everything planned out. She told her ladies she would be going to bed early as she intended to wake early and go riding, that way they wouldn’t be alarmed when they go to wake her and find her not in her bed. While this wasn’t her first time sneaking out to stay with a man overnight, it was the first time with a Pirate. 

Captain Hook. Most fearsome pirate in all the lands. Supposedly. He was anything but fearsome. Sure a little cocky and arrogant, but not fearsome. He made her smile and laugh more than she had in a while. Emma had no clue what was going to happen tonight, but she didn’t care, as long as she got to see him again. 

When she gets to the tavern where they agreed to meet, Emma is practically shaking with nerves. Why was she so nervous? She orders a drink and sits at her usual table, waiting and waiting for the Pirate. 

“Swan. You came back?” Emma looks up to find the Pirate grinning at her. 

“You came.” She was so worried he wouldn’t come, that he would forget about her, but here he is standing in front of her in his Pirate leathers and a smile that makes her feel warm inside. 

“Of course I came back, I wouldn’t forget about you that easy Swan.” He tells her with a smirk on his face. “I couldn’t let a lady drink alone now could I?” 

The Pirate and the Princess. Who would’ve thought? But Emma didn’t care. What people at the Castle would think was the last thing on her mind right now.

That night was an incredible night. The famous Jolly Roger fastest ship in all the realms wasn’t Emma’s first choice to make love but it was better than an alley behind the tavern. 

Pirates had reputations. And Emma wasn’t so sure what to expect, she was used to casual fucking behind the tavern or bent over in the servants kitchens when nobody was around. It had been quick and only slightly pleasurable, more uncomfortable because of the awkward spaces and the fear of getting caught. But it was a totally different experience.

“We don’t have to do anything you don’t want.” He says as they enter his quarters, it was small but still large enough to host a bed and a desk. He was being a gentleman, but tonight she didn’t want a gentleman.

“I want you.” She tells him, grabbing him by the lapels of his coat and kissing him hungrily the way she had been imagining for the past 2 weeks. No man had ever kissed her like this, with such passion, no man had made her moan as his lips travel up her neck, biting that spot behind her ear. 

They had no fear of getting caught, Hook had told his men not to bother their captain. They had all the time in the world to slowly explore one another’s bodies. It was passionate, hungry and nothing like Emma had experienced before. Every night for 2 weeks she saw his face as she touched herself imagining what it would be like when it was his fingers instead of her own. 

That night, and the next few nights with Hook was just like she always imagined sex would be. Passionate and hungry for more. It’s like he knew exactly what to do with her body and what touches would make her moan and scream his name over and over again. She was never going back to fucking behind an alley with a stranger again now she knew Hook and how he made her feel.

____

5 years pass by in the blink of an eye and suddenly Princess Emma of Misthaven is in love with the infamous Pirate Captain. Of course nobody knows besides the two of them. Merlin forbid if her parents found out, they would kill her. And him.

Neither planned for it to turn into a secret relationship. But time passed and their feelings for one another only grew deeper. Hook couldn’t believe it either, the last woman Killian Jones loved was Milah and that was over 300 years ago. But Emma made him feel alive again, she didn’t judge him for his past and he felt connected to her in a way he couldn’t explain. 

They tried to stay apart for a while, a pirate and a princess couldn’t be together. But it lasted five days before Emma snuck out to see him. Being apart from him hurt more than anything. It was worth the risk. She loved him and couldn’t imagine loving anyone else even half as much. 

“Run away with me.” Killian whispers one night as he strokes Emma’s hair as she stirs in his arms. 

Emma isn’t sure if she heard him right. “What?”

“Run away with me.” He tells her again. 

Emma turns her body over to face him. “You’re crazy.”

Had she thought about running away before? Of course. But to actually go through with it was another story. 

“Am I?” He asks, looking into her eyes, Emma feels him look into her soul. “I love you, Emma. And as much as I love that you sneak out and risk everything to see me, I don’t want this to go on forever. I want to have you by my side always and parade the market without you having to hide. I want to show you there is a world outside of Misthaven.” 

She wanted that. More than anything. “I can’t. Killian I love you so much, but I can’t.”

“What are you saying?” 

“I’m saying that we can’t run away and be together. It won’t work. I can’t leave everything and run like you can.” They didn’t argue often, but this was serious. 

“Emma, you have been telling me for years that you never wanted this life, that being royal meant nothing to you. Why all of a sudden are you not willing to drop it all when what we have is so good and could be amazing?” 

“Look just because you don’t have any family left doesn’t mean I have to completely let go of mine.” She regretted it as soon as she said it. 

“I think you should go.” He tells her, and she doesn’t argue.

She lies awake that night considering his offer. She wanted to spend the rest of her life with him, she had no doubt about it. But at the same time, she would be giving up so much. 

She didn’t want to be Queen. Even being a princess was exhausting, it wasn’t the life for her. When she was with Killian she had seen a life she wanted, travelling across the realm and not having to play a role she didn’t know how to do. She was an extension of her parents, couldn’t get too political with the other members of the royal court, couldn’t express her true thoughts or feelings. She didn’t have to bite her tongue around Killian, she could speak freely and joke with his crew. She could walk around the market stalls and talk to people and they had no idea who she was. 

If she were to leave though, would she be able to see her family again? She didn’t want this life but she wanted her family. If she were to have a family with Killian, she would want their child to know its grandparents. 

Emma had been the responsible Princess for years now, she was careful with her steps and tracks with her sneaking around. She had a whole other life that her parents had no idea about. The Emma they thought they knew was nothing like the Emma she truly was.

So she sneaks out again a few nights later, when she is sure it's safe. She didn’t like leaving Killian after an argument, it didn’t feel right. And she had a plan. She would test the waters with her parents. Leave them a note and let Killian show her what he could for 2 weeks before returning. It would show she was serious about this, and serious about her future. When she tells Killian the news, he spins her around and kisses her. She knew this was the right decision.

____

That night she plans on leaving, Emma bids goodnight to her parents insisting she is tired and needs to rest. Instead once she begins to pack a bag. Just a few undergarments, shirts and loose pants she stole from her father a while ago.

“You’re leaving. For good this time.” Emma turns around to find her little brother-well not so little anymore- standing in the fireplace, a secret tunnel between the siblings' rooms. 

It’s not a question, but a statement, he knows. Leo is perceptive, he sees a lot more than people think. 

“The stranger you’ve been courting all these years. Mother and Father won’t allow you to marry him so you’re running away.” Leo was smart, he picked up on Emma’s more frequent running away and he also noticed her more frequently turning down suitors from their parents.  

“Yes.” She admits. She couldn’t lie to her brother. “But it’s not forever. I’ll be back in a few weeks , it’s to prove to mother and father this is what I want.”

“You’re leaving.” Is all Leo can say, Emma can see the hurt in his eyes-she doesn't like hurting him. 

“Leo. In a few years mother and father will step down as rulers of the land, and for years they have been training me and teaching me because I’m the eldest. But here’s the thing, it’s not gonna be me, I don’t care that it’s my birthright. Leo you will be an amazing King one day, I’m certain.”

She wraps her arms around her brother who, despite being ten years younger, was the same height as her. “I love you kid. And I’m not gonna leave you, I’ll still be here-just not in the Castle.” 

“He makes you happy.” Again it’s not a question. “I’ve never seen you happier. I can tell when he’s not around because you’re grumpy and moody but when he’s around you have that sparkle in your eye.” 

Emma can’t help but shed a tear as she wraps her arms around him tighter. 

Handing Leo an envelope, she tells him,” Give mother and father this in a few days. Not right away, let me get a head start first.” 

When Leo is back in his room and her parents are sure to be asleep, Emma climbs down her balcony for the last time and heads down to the docks, to her future. 

____

“Where are the rest of your crew?” Emma asks as she climbs aboard the ship to find it empty apart from Killian waiting for her.

His face lights up when he hears her voice, she’s his forever. “I gave them the night off. I intend to celebrate tonight.”

“And what exactly are we celebrating?” 

“The start of forever.” He says as he takes her hand and brings her closer to him. He takes her bag and tosses it aside. 

Killian gets down on one knee and Emma’s heart begins to race as he pulls out a ring. “Emma. I love you, meeting you all those years ago was the best thing that ever happened to me. Before I met you, there was a hole in my heart and every moment we have spent together has helped heal that hole. I don’t know what is going to happen, if we run away forever or not, but all I know is I want you by my side. Will you marry me?” 

Tears are streaming down Emma’s face, she hadn’t expected this at all. She loved Killian and while the thought of marrying him had crossed her mind a few times, she never expected Killian to actually propose. She can barely get her words out but she does manage to say “yes!” 

Killian slips the ring on her finger as he gets up and takes his fiancées face and kisses her. “I love you so much.” 

Wiping the tears from her face, she admires her ring. “This is your brother's ring, isn’t it?”

Killian nods. “Aye. It’s kept me safe all these years, and now it’s your turn.” 

Killian and Emma spend their first night as a newly engaged couple just wrapped in another’s arms, not quite believing what had happened. But they were happy. Both of them. Happier than they’d been in a long time.

___

Snow and Charming didn’t realise their daughter was missing a few mornings later. Leo didn’t say anything-keeping the promise to his sister. 

“She’s gone.” Leo eventually says, holding the note she gave him.

‘Dearest Mother, Father and Leo.

I must confess I have been hiding a secret for some time. I have been courting someone very important to me for years, and I wish I could have confided in you about it, but I feared the worst.

For you see the man I’ve been courting in secret is a Pirate. And I know what you’re thinking, Princess’ don’t marry Pirates. Well I guess you’re right, which is why I’m abdicating my line of succession. Leopold is the name of a King, and he will be a better ruler than I could ever be. 

I won’t be gone forever. This isn’t a note to say I’m running away and you’ll never see me again-well no it is a note so say I’m running away, but I plan on coming back. Just not as a Princess. 

All my love

Emma ‘

“Did you know about this?” Snow asks her son once they’ve taken in the letter.

Leo shakes his head. “All I knew is she was sneaking off to a tavern, but I had no idea about any of this.” It was a smooth lie, he didn’t know about the Pirate technically until last night.

“Tavern?” David asks. “What Tavern?”

Fuck. He shouldn’t have said anything. “I don’t know, all I know is she came back smelling of whiskey and rum and assumed that’s where she was.”

“The Tavern by the docks, in the village we used to live in.” Snow has practically a lightbulb moment. “I bet that’s where it is. Plus it’s the perfect place for a Pirate to steal her away.” 

The King and Queen send for their carriage almost immediately, wishing they aren’t too late, and Leo wishing they were.

“We’re closed!” A male voice screams from behind the door after David had knocked on it for a fair few minutes.

David knocks on it again, and it opens to reveal a rugged man with a stern face. “I said we’re closed didn’t you h-“ Suddenly the look of realisation hits the man as he apologises. “King David, your highness, I am so sorry. What, uh, what did you need this fine morning?” 

“Wait a second.” Snow interrupts before her husband can say a word, looking intently at the rugged man in front of them, searching for the reason she recognised him. Then it hits her. “Pinocchio?”

The rugged man smiles. “I’m shocked you recognise me, I am no longer made of wood, nor a boy. I go by August now.” 

Snow smiles at him fondly. He and Emma were best friends growing up, neighbours in their village. His father, Geppetto was a carpenter and managed to bring his son made of wood alive with the help of magic. But standing in front of them was no longer that little boy made of wood. No wonder Emma was able to sneak in here without being recognised.

“It’s about Emma. She’s run away. I assume you know her whereabouts.” Snow says, a mix of paranoid mother and Queen in her voice.

“Why don’t you come inside and we can talk.” He tells them, opening the door wide enough so they can squeeze in without him unlocking it properly. 

“Emma first came here about seven years ago.” He begins, pouring some water into a goblet for his King and Queen. “She didn’t know I worked here then, but when she knew I was protecting her identity she would come by every couple of weeks. Growing up we always said we would go to the Tavern together when we were of age, but that never happened so I guess it’s nice we kind of had that experience a few years later than planned.”

“But why?” Snow interrupts, desperate to know if they did something wrong. 

August just shrugs. “I can’t say for certain, but I’m fairly sure she wanted a night of freedom whenever she could get it. A few nights a month where she wasn’t Princess Emma, and didn’t have all these duties and requirements. It’s nothing against the two of you, she just wanted a chance to be normal again.”

“And what of the Pirate she’s run away with?” David asks with a sneer on his face, he’d never liked pirates and the fact his daughter had run off with one made him sick.

August chuckles as he takes a sip of water. “I was wondering when Hook was going to come up.”

“Wait, Hook- As in-“ Snow asks, terrified. 

“Captain Hook. The one and only yes.” 

Snow goes pale. The most fearsome Pirate in all the land, was the man their daughter had run away with?

“If I’m honest I never saw it coming.” August continues. “He has a reputation, but it continued for weeks, then weeks turned into months and months into years. I don’t know much about their relationship but all I know is I have never seen Emma as happy as she has been the past few years.” 

“Where is she?” David asks, worrying they’re too late.

“All the Pirate ships were gone from the harbour this morning, I have no idea where they are, truthfully, I'm sorry.” August couldn’t lie, Snow and David knew this, but it didn’t mean it hurt any less. 

“Do you know when they might be back?” Snow asks, holding back her tears. 

“Could be anywhere from a few weeks to a few months.” August tells them. “Look I know Emma, she won’t be gone forever, I think she wants to prove a point to herself and to you two that she is serious, the moment she’s back I will send word if Emma doesn’t do it herself first.” 

___

The King and Queen wait every day for the word that their daughter has returned but it doesn’t come and evening falls and they wait again. It’s two weeks later they get word from August a large Pirate ship had docked, and sure enough a few hours later Emma returns home. 

Well it’s Emma for sure. But gone was the Princess with her hair braided back into her tiara, now it was wild and in a loose ponytail with a headband gracing her forehead. And no longer was she wearing a gown made from the finest silk, now a white blouse with a brown corset covered her top half with leather pants and a brown belt with a scabbard for a rather large sword across her waist. 

“Hello mother, father, brother.” Emma says, making a point not to curtsey. 

“Emma.” Is all her mother can let out, taking in the sight of her daughter.

“Emma, you look incredible!” Leo blurts out, he knew their parents wouldn’t be happy but he knew his sister and she looked right in this moment.

She wasn’t alone, she was with the Pirate with a Hook in place of his left hand. He stood slightly behind Emma, but there was no doubt they had arrived together. 

The Pirate stepped forward and Emma took his right hand and laced their fingers together and smiled. “Mother, Father. This is Killian, my fiancée.”

“Excuse me, what did you just say?” David jumps up from where he was sitting at this news-his daughter couldn’t be engaged to a Pirate.

But Emma held her ground. “You heard me. We’re engaged to be married. And there is nothing you can do about it.”

“Are you pregnant? Is that what this is about?” He turns towards the pirate his daughter had locked hands with, “Have you impregnated my innocent daughter and come here begging us for permission to marry her so the child isn’t a bastard?”

“I’m not pregnant father. That has nothing to do with my love for him.” Emma was standing her ground, this was what she wanted, she needed to stay strong.

“Oh and you’re sure of that?” David questions, not recognising the woman standing in front of him, she couldn’t be his daughter, she just couldn’t. His baby girl was curious and quesuoned everything, but she wouldn’t hide this from them, 

“You wouldn’t.” Emma scoffs, knowing exactly her fathers next movement. 

“Guards. Take this Pirate away from my family.” David practically spits at the word ‘Pirate’. 

“Grumpy, stand down.” Emma commands, only leading to David telling him to take him away, and they repeat this until the head Dwarf gets very confused.

The other Dwarves come running in, ready to take an order from their King. 

“You can’t tell them to stand down, I thought you weren’t a Princess anymore?” Her father seers. He’s right, and this tells the Dwarfs they can seize the Pirate.

“If you’re taking him, you’re taking me too. We go together.” Emma tells her father.

“Emma, love, don’t worry.” Hook says from behind her, “they can take me, you need to stay here. You know where I’ll be.” With a wink, if they take him to the dungeons he can easily escape. 

The Dwarfs take the Pirate down in shackles and go down to the dungeon, much to Emma’s pleas not to. “What is your plan for me then Father dearest? Keep me prisoner?” I love him, is that such a crime?”

The King doesn’t say anything tot his daughter or even answer her, instead he turns to his son. “Leo, show your sister to her room. I believe the new amendments should be ready.”

Leo goes to object, seeing the pain his sister is clearly in, but his father stops him. “If you want to be a King one day, you shall listen to what your current King has to say.”

Emma doesn’t allow herself to cry in front of her father, he wouldn’t get to her like this. She needed to be strong, and figure out an escape. Her father threw Killian in the dungeon that he managed to get out of once before, he could do it again with ease.

 Am I truly a prisoner in my own room?” Emma comments upon entering her room to see a lock on her window, and extra guards posted right below the balcony.

“I’m sorry Emma. Mother and Father were so worried, I let slip that you would sneak out, it’s my fault.” Her brother says, also seeing the current state of the room for the first time. 

Emma wraps her arms around her little brother. “This is not your fault Leo. And I don’t care that you told them, they were sure to figure it out somehow.”

Emma doesn’t cry until Leo leaves the room and she knows she’s alone. This was meant to be the beginning of the rest of her life, but instead trying to prove she was able to live the life she wanted.

[faithintheunknownsblog]

LULU FATHER OF PLANTS AND FOUR CHILDREN???? im SENSIBLE!!! aand i dont want to force it, but could do it the other way around? would be alucard/vlad human and your s/o is botanist?? and theres a little cottage style house in a field with flowers… that would be lovely (and the four kids playing too) i really love your writing!!

A/N: AHHHHH FINALLY DONE!!!

So for the sake of the story I will say this is more modern day since I still have no idea what to write for a botanist (and I’m sorry that there is not much for the botanists part of the story)

Weeds and Wildflowers

You wake up to an empty bed and the smell of your favorite breakfast food, making you smile. It was a Saturday which means family day, which is what gets you through every draining work week. You throw on your pjs and head straight to the kitchen, the first thing you do is greet your beloved husband with a kiss.

To think such a mean looking man would be one of the most loving and caring people on earth. Alucard is a family man because he didn’t have one of his own growing up and being with you, and having children, is more than he could have ever dreamed of.

Alucard kisses you back and once you two break apart he says, “good morning, love. How did you sleep?”

“Like the dead,” you yawn. During the week you’re the one who has to take care of the kids most of the time because Alucard gets stuck at work.

You two have four beautiful children; your oldest daughter Emma who is seven, then Joseph who is five, Charles who is two, and your newborn Ava who is only four months old.

Then there is your fur baby, Baskerville, though he isn’t a baby. He is a fully grown wolf that Alucard decided to help when he found this wild wolf limping in the field a few years ago. Then Baskerville decided to follow Alucard home and he’s been a pet ever since. Baskerville is gentle and extremely protective with the kids, even when the kids are rough with him.

“Mmm, I don’t doubt it,” Alucard says and flips a pancake. He may not be home much. But always tries his best to get home before dinner so he can help put the kids to bed, though that doesn’t happen too often. But he ALWAYS makes sure to take the load off your shoulders whenever he gets the chance. Like if he does get home for dinner he will make sure to clean the dishes, and spend time with the kids before putting them to bed. Alucard takes on the responsibility of tending to Ava at night even though he gets home late and wakes up early. He will go to Ava whenever she cries before you even get a chance to realize. That’s why you keep bottles of breast milk and/or formula in the fridge, so he can just grab one and feed Ava to get her back to sleep.

“So what should we do today?” You ask Alucard as you sway while hugging him from behind. But before he can answer you both hear three sets of feet- along with four paws- puttering their way towards the kitchen.

The steps are accompanied by laughter and Alucard quickly moves away from the stove before the kids could make their way into the kitchen. Because once the kids do make it to the kitchen they run to their father to embrace him in a hug.

Alucard is able to pick them all up at once and spins around, all laughing but you have to quiet them down, “shhh! You’re gonna wake Ava up!”

“Alright, alright,” Alucard sets the kids down and goes back to the stove. The kids all sit down at the table and patiently wait for breakfast to be served. Which wasn’t too long because Alucard has already been cooking for a little while now, just so he could have breakfast ready for them.

You decide that it is time to get Ava up anyway, so you go to the nursery to get her. When you pick her up she’s a bit fussy at first but that’s normal for any child, so you sit in the rocking chair and breastfeed your daughter.

Once you’re finished with that you get yourself all situated then leave the nursery carrying Ava out with you. But before you can even make it through the kitchen entrance, Alucard is taking Ava from you and holding her close.

Alucard tickles Ava and she lets out little laughs. Alucard lets out a soft chuckle, his ocean blue eyes full of fatherly love as he watches his daughter smile.

Ava is the only one with those beautiful blue eyes, but other than that you think she’s going to look more like you than him. She has your nose and smile. Emma looks like both of you but she has her father’s laugh, Joseph looks more like Alucard but has your hair, and Charles looks like you but has Alucard’s smile. Not that any of it matters because your children are all beautiful nonetheless.

After all of you are finished with breakfast it’s time to get everyone ready for outside. Whenever the weather allows it, everyone is exploring the backyard and letting imagination create new adventures. Though you have to sit back with Ava but it doesn’t bother you much since you want to let the kids play with their father. Besides, watching Alucard with the kids is so heartwarming because he has just as much energy as them.

Even if you don’t keep up with them you still do walk around the yard with Ava, Baskerville is right by your side as you two walk. He walks between you and the field, just in case he needs to protect you and Ava from something that could come out of the field. Though he still listens for the kids as well, he knows they’re safe with Alucard as they run around the yard and climb on the huge swing set that Alucard paid to have hand built for them as soon as he found out you were pregnant with Emma. And it was all worth it with how the kids never want to get off of it.

Currently Alucard and the kids are playing pirates, which includes sword fighting with sticks. You know Alucard has control of the situation but your motherly instinct still makes you tell them, “be careful! You’re going to poke your eye out!”

They don’t listen to you and continue playing, having the time of their lives. You just shake your head and watch them play to their heart's content. They’re climbing on the swingset and terrifying you as they jump off it and into Alucard’s arms. They’re ‘walking the plank’ and Alucard is the shark that eats them. You trust Alucard but dammit your children are daring and it scares the daylights out of you. They get their fearlessness from their father without a doubt.

Like how they will run into the half an acre of nothing but weeds and wildflowers that you inherited after your father passed away. The field and cottage have been passed down for generations, and the field was well taken care of for the longest time. But your father couldn’t keep up with it, so it got out of control.

Truthfully you don’t mind it though because there is so much more to explore and study now that the plants are all wild and free. It also gave you the perfect environment to study when looking at plant hybrids caused in the wild.

You continue to walk the edge of the field and look across it to see if there are any new plants to take note of. You notice some weeds around a group of flowers and decide to pull it. You know there isn’t really a reason to because the field was filled with weeds already and the flowers were still thriving. But it was a weed you haven’t seen before so you’ll take note of it once back in the cottage.

Alucard and the kids notice you and Baskerville walking along the field then run up to you because they decided to walk with you. The kids ask questions about everything you stop to look at but it doesn’t take long for them to start playing again, which you don’t mind as long as they don’t hurt themselves or each other.

Eventually the kids run into the field and Baskerville protectively follows. You and Alucard watch from the outside because he needed a quick break. He might have a lot of energy but keeping up with three kids that treat him like a jungle gym takes its toll.

You watch them run in the field, everything seems okay at first but the closer you look the sooner you realize what’s wrong and your eyes go wide. They’re running towards a patch of poison oak and as soon as you notice you yell, “get out of there!”

Alucard instantly goes on high alert noticing how you’ve become distraught and without question he immediately runs towards the kids. He doesn’t need an explanation, just knowing that something is wrong is enough to make him act without a second thought.

But even with how fast he runs he’s just a few moments too late as the kids run straight into the poison oak. And of course when they see their father heading towards them they stop, causing them to stand still in the patch of weeds you desperately didn’t want them in to begin with.

“Careful! It’s poison oak!” You shout to Alucard but you know he doesn’t care, he still runs into the patch of poison oak and grabs up the kids as if he’s trying to save them from a train. Baskerville runs behind them, he luckily didn’t run into the poison oak either.

Times like this you’re glad Alucard never wears shorts. It could be a 100°F (38°C) outside and he will still be in a pair of pants. The worst he’s going to get is a bit of a rash on his arms, whereas the kids are going to be covered in it since they’re wearing shorts and tank tops.

Once they are out of the field Alucard sets the kids down and they’re already scratching at their skin. You know that they’re itchy but you don’t want them digging into their skin, “no, no, don’t do that, it’ll make it worse. Let’s go back to the cottage and get you all clean.”

They nod and all of you walk back to the cottage, Baskerville walking closely behind.

Alucard looks over at you, “I’ll make sure to take care of that and anything else. You’ll just have to point out what needs to be gone.”

“I will but we have to get the kids treated first,” you say and continue walking to the cottage, opening the back door once you’re there. You let the kids in first and tell them what they need to do.

“Emma you go get a shower in my bathroom-” you turn to Alucard, “can you give the boys a bath while I put Ava down for her nap?”

“Of course,” Alucard says and takes the boys to the other bathroom.

You go to the nursery and get Ava all settled then make lunch for the rest of the kids as you wait for everyone to get done. Part of you can’t believe it’s already noon, time does fly.

Once the kids are out of the showers and at the table you grab the calamine lotion, gauze wrap, and gloves so you can treat the kids before the itching gets any worse. Alucard also grabs a pair of gloves to help as well, both of you putting lotion on the kids arms and legs then wrapping the gauze around them so they won’t scratch.

Once done with that you give the kids and Alucard lunch then grab your book full of notes on what’s in the field of wildflowers. You aren’t surprised by the wild oak popping up- it was really only a matter of time- but you wonder why it took so long for it to emerge. Or maybe it’s always been there and you just didn’t notice, you’ll have to check it to find out.

Alucard looks over your shoulder seeing how you’re writing questions for yourself to answer later. He doesn’t like the poison oak being where the kids could potentially get into it. But he also doesn’t want to keep you from doing your studies, so he thinks of a compromise, “should I just temporarily fence the patches off so you can look at them first?”

“Would you?” You ask with a sheepish smile, you know you don’t have to ask because he wouldn’t offer unless he would.

Alucard kisses your forehead, “of course honey. I’ll get to it now and you take care of the kids, okay?”

“You remember what it looks like, right?” You don’t give him a chance to answer, you dog ear the page and just hand him your book, “here, just in case.”

“Are you sure honey?” Alucard knows how protective you are when it comes to your book, even though you have let him use it a few times before with instances like this. Like when there were berries that were unsafe to eat growing at the edge of the field and you were worried that the kids might try to pick them. So you had those uprooted and taken care of so they won’t keep growing with the treatment you use each year.

“Mhm, just to make sure that you don’t run into anything else-” you nod to Baskerville, “-take Basky with you as well, just in case.”

Baskerville is protective of the kids but you want him to be with Alucard in case something goes wrong. Besides there isn’t much to do now that the kids are covered in poison oak. Usually you limit TV time but you decide to let them pick a few movies to watch until dinner.

Alucard is unable to fence off all of the patches while he’s out there but he gets the ones that are the easiest for the kids to get to. He also picks a bunch of berries that he saw you write down as okay to eat in your book. Which makes for a good side to go with dinner.

The next day you spend outside with Baskerville, studying the poison oak and fencing the rest of it off while Alucard stays inside with the kids. Once you’re done studying you go back to the cottage to do even more research, though you are positive you already know how to get rid of it without herbicides. But you always double check because you can’t remember everything.

Your research doesn’t prove you right but it doesn’t prove you wrong either. As there are many methods that are along the same lines but there are some slight differences between each of the remedies that claim to be the best.

Some say to completely remove the root and some say to just cut the plant down to the stem. Some say to wrap the plant in plastic and some don’t mention anything like that. Some say use vinegar and some say a mixture of vinegar, soap and salt. There are so many things and it’s a mess.

BUT this does give you the chance to do what you do best, testing and figure out which one is truly the best through trial and error. So you do different methods on different patches. If you didn’t have an interest in plants and worked with them for a living you’d definitely find all these steps you have to go through for the different methods annoying. But you love it.

You take notes of how the plants change and what works best. You even made up your own method along with combining parts of other methods together. You take notes of your controlled variable, independent variable, dependent variable, and constants.

And as time passes you take notes of your data daily and eventually find out which method is the best. Now being able to create a safe environment for your kids where they can run and play to their heart's content. Alucard makes sure to remember what was the solution you used and knows what to look for in order to check if there is any regrowth of the poison oak. Working with plants comes in handy when trying to keep your kids safe as they frolic in open fields of weeds and wildflowers

[kvothbloodless]

skitter and bitch are a t4t lesbian couple but wildbow is too much of a coward to admit it

This Does sound like something id write bur i actually do think something is lost by making Taylor trans. Not like, anything Major, or that couldnt be elevated by other changes, but as is, I think such an important part of her is that her incredible sense of universal alienation is Without any justification.

Like. Shes so wholy internalized the view of herself that emma and sophia hammered into her, so internalized the fact that No One Will Ever Help Her, and this just like...isnt universally true? The Undersiders take to her right away (Bitch aside), and that was With her having the self-fulfilling belief that theres no point in reaching out because no one will ever like her. The Only reason she has the issues she did with the heroes is that Armsmaster poisoned that well, but it also serves to reinforce this belief, which gets pretty quickly dispelled (somewhat) (to the readers) once she joins the Wards.

But if shes trans, then suddenly there Is an actual reason for her to be mistrustful of strangers, for her to assume that if people really Knew Her, theyd dislike her. Because thats like, an actual valid worry in a world with widespread tranaphobia. It wouldnt in Any way reduce the bite of it, but it Would muddle the themes from stuff like Sophias bullying of her explicitly being overlooked because shes a Ward, beacuse now theres a secondary, separate motive for that. Hell it even somewhat muddles the issue of the bullying itself. Sophia targets her because shes weak and just takes it, not out of any larger beliefs. As it stands, the fact that No One steps in is entirely due to structural/cultural issues. Adding transphobia as a potential motive there sort of muddies that.

To be clear, having taylor be trans Could be amazing. All of the above arent really issues, so much as an opportunity for a new direction for themes that would need to be explored in full in order to keep the story from losing something. And having those themes Would add to the story A Lot. Worm definitely is lesser for having a central theme be the various circumstances that drive people to various moral actions and necessities, and then not exploring how specific forms of bigotry contribute to that on a wide scalw.

But like. Wildbow is too much of a coward to even leave it open to Interpretation whether either of them Might be attracted to women, so its not like id trust him to explore the themes of transness alienating you from a transphobic society, or to tie in his themes of society (and heroes) creating their own villains with that. I think he handled Averys coming out arc (and Veronas realizing who she is arc) in Pale Extremely well, but i still wouldnt trust him to write a story where "living in society while being queer" is a central theme.

That said, Rachel and Taylor would absolutrly have fucked sloppy style if Taylor had been with the undersiders longer, and Wildbow is a coward for disagreeing with this fact.

Hmm. This got away from me a bit. Anyways. Woe, long psot be upon ye

[heyitslapis]

i miss her

[raspberrysmoon]

someone just like you | share your address - ben platt | 14

"i want a key to your house, i wanna pick up your clothes, i wanna clean up your mess, i wanna know where you hide your things, wanna be in your pictures, wanna share your address."

she doesn’t know the boy in the bed across from her. she’s here to keep the act up, after all, she has time to study him.

his file name is max jägerman. he’s sixteen, born july 17th. he’s a tank of a guy, broad enough to nearly slip off the sides of the bed. he’s the hatchetfield high quarterback. that one she overheard from a nurse.

it was said cruelly, and followed by if it wasn’t my goddamn job, i might let the kid die.

..a chemist, kai guessed. paul- mom and dad don’t like the chemists. town rivalries. she wouldn’t have let them kill the boy.

i want a key to your house,

she’s watched too much death. too much harm. he’ll make a full recovery, she thinks. loss of muscle mass, maybe, but not much worse. he ingested it.

..he’s not charlotte. he's not ted. he isn’t paul. he wont have to get food from a tube forever, he wont have to relearn everything he knows, he..

he’s not paul. he didn’t have to get stitched back together like a torn-

i wanna pick up your clothes,

a ripped up plushie. he wasn’t near the blast. not as close as paul was.

she’s still not allowed to see paul.

but this boy- max, she tells herself- he’s safe. he’s going to be okay. weak, of course, as everyone will be, but okay.

theres something in knowing somebody will be okay. somebody in this godforsaken town will survive. even if charlotte or ted or bill or alice or that nerdy mini-ted dies, someone will live besides her.

i wanna clean up your mess,

thats a comfort, at least. watching max’s heart monitor beep away is a comfort, of sorts.

she reads to him. speaks to him like he can hear her. talks about what she wants to do with paul, with emma, in hatchetfield. what she thinks she’d drag him along to do, forcing him into friendship.

and max wakes up. he blinks for a while, unmoving, before looking at her and smiling.

i wanna know where you hide your things,

hey, kai. he’d said, like he’d been with her the whole time. and, in a way, he had. he admitted to hearing her talk, wishing he could talk back.

the next week is wonderful. max slowly sits up, she learns about him. his mother died six years ago, his father..

wanna be in your pictures,

unsaveable.

his favorite color is dark green. his favorite food is kraft mac and cheese (spiral only). his favorite music genre is folk. he’s scared to get older.

hes perfect for her in every conceivable way. they click, in ways shes never clicked with anyone. somehow, they know they’re meant to be here. meant to be together. to move into the worst months of their lives together, hand in hand.

the closest friend she’ll ever have.

the closest he ever gets, too.

wanna share your address.

they’re perfect.

safe.

alive.

[suckinitup]

also hi!!!! before u get much further in worm actually. holding a microphone up to u. i'd love ur worm thoughts like in general!!! (my favorite question to ask people <3) on. taylor & her character development. what u think the end of the worlds gonna be . rachel. etc. whatevers on ur mind!!!

hi hi hi!!! right now what it on my on my mind is taylor shooting a goddamn baby. and how necessary that was. and how shooting a baby maybe saved the world.

shes so fucking. shes so fascinating. taylor. god. shes horrible. she hated armsmaster for being brusque and an asshole but now she loves defiant for getting down to business because she Gets It. theyve got other shit to focus on. she spent so much time being pragmatic about the bullying and then went thru this whole fucking cost/benefit analysis for Years to survive coil and the nine and the nine again and shes just. man. i like how she gets along so well with rachel and defiant who dont do people super well but she DIDNT early on when she was still her most classic hero (and “normal”). AND something something breakdown of her typical social structures. further compartmentalizing people as tools and resources instead of People. minions. like bugs. she very obviously still sees them ss people shes just super fucking traumatized and everything has reinforced for her over and over again that she HAS to be pragmatic and clever and evil because this is a horrible game where she has to make sacrifices. but im also thinking about when theo compared her to jack. and i was talking before about missing the closeness of the undersiders and actually getting to know the characters as well as she does but. theres still that fucking distance with her and i really appreciate that i dont know shit about her team now. it makes me think about when they pulled that dildo prank and she just sat down at the computer to read reports afterwards while the others laughed. shes a general. an administrator queen. she gives orders so good that chevalier listens to her without a second thought. she has made so many calls and saved so many people. she got behemoth skeletonized. she is eighteen years old and yknow. i dont think shes thought about her dad even once after the two year time skip. thats. yeah okay.

that super classic horror theme of “youre doing horrible things and i understand why” << that is taylor hebert at the core. shes been slow-cooked into This since she emma first rejected her. since sophia first tripped her.

makes me think abojt dragon actually. and how dragon was terrifying. but we only saw her be TERRIFYING and kill people when she took out that bus of cherishes. and she got shut down and the chance of the world ending decreased. dragon was allowed to do what she did until she broke free of her bonds in the pursuit of justice. thinking sbout taylor. and how trying ti save people always makes her worse and worse. her obsession with saving dinah made her do so much. how much good vould coil have accomplished with skitter to manipulate him and dinah to guide him. and now shes shot a little girl who was even more defenseless. dinah couldnt be sacrificed but aster could. and yeah theyre at different scales but. i cant help but draw that parallel anyway. and the way that the prt will quarantine entire areas and leave the people inside as a little supervillain treat. and taylor recognizing that they couldnt save the w if they wanted to take doen the eight siberians.

i keep losing my thoughts and drawing connections all over the place idk if im even making sense at this fucking point but. God. Taylor Skitter Weaver Hebert. The character that you are.