#neal lives au

[waltongoggos]

Neal Gamby/Lee Russell Halloween AU Pt. 1 - History seems doomed to repeat as Michael Myers escapes from a mental hospital and returns to Haddonfield, Illinois on a murderous spree. That is until two co-vice principals decide to be the ones to step up.

[shady-swan-jones]

Happy Autumn season! Fics for your cocooning era

Too Well Tangled (18/21 - "J'adoube") by @myfearless-love

Determined and tough-minded Emma Nolan is on a singular mission: to rescue her dim-witted brother from the clutches of Killian Jones, the infamously rakish Marquess of Hookstone. Little did she anticipate her own burgeoning desire for the audacious, unscrupulous scoundrel she intended to despise. Killian Jones, the enigmatic Marquess of Hookstone, has more than earned his sinister sobriquet, the "Prince of Darkness."

Dreams That You Wish Will Come True by @snowbellewells

Granted a night to seek adventure and dreams, young Killian Jones meets young Princess Emma at her birthday ball. Though the moment is filled with all the excitement and magic of the best fairy tales, it is over too soon and he must leave before the dream is shattered. Will they find each other again? A Reverse Cinderella AU

The Witch in the Woods by @hollyethecurious

“If it’s aid of a magical sort ye seek, then you’ll be wanting to find the witch in the woods.” That’s what the apothecary had told him. The witch in the woods. A designation that brought forth images of an old crone, hump-backed and wrinkled with warts on her nose and long spindling fingers whose knuckles were gnarled and stiff - not the blonde goddess currently grinding an assortment of herbs with her mortar and pestle, her brilliant jade eyes sparkling in the candlelight that was also casting a honeyed glow over her smooth, creamy skin.

Untie Me (7/?) by @shady-swan-jones

“Save the smolder, Jones, you already have me.” But the compliment hits despite her deflection, nestles stubbornly in her heart. 

“Oh well, now it’s over,” he makes an exaggerated face and moves to retreat. He shakes his head, lips together in a line. “Emma, you and I are just beginning. Let me make you feel good.”

She smirks, heat rising to her chest. “How good?”

laundry day by ssadumbass

killian and emma spend some quality time together on laundry day

At the Dawn There is Rejoicing by jdmusiclover

Emma Gold has led a difficult life. Her brother and her father died when she was a child, and she was then coerced into marrying the odious Neal Gold. She thought she’d been granted a reprieve when he was believed to be lost at sea–only for him to return disabled and in need of a caregiver. Killian is a newspaper reporter who is tired of his routine life. When he falls ill, his editor forces him to take a sabbatical. What will happen when Emma takes Killian in as a border for the summer?

Exacting His Revenge by @jrob64

When Hook sees an opportunity to finally get his revenge on Rumplestiltskin, he seizes it, putting him in the company of Emma Swan. A season 2 canon divergent story.

the most dangerous thing is to love by @exhaustedpirate

The Darkness whispers in Killian's ears and he lets it, lets it play him like a puppet so he can get his revenge. But what if the strings are cut? Will he let it manipulate him until his worst nightmare comes true? Until he destroys his happy ending?

Overboard by @elizabeethan

Emma Swan spends years trying to find her parents, and when she finally does, she gets more than she bargains for

Finding Home by PirateDragon28

Emma Swan is living with her twin sister Ruth and Ruth’s 3 year old daughter, Flo. Emma and Ruth were separated at birth and found each other half a year before Flo was born. Now they live in a small 2 bedroom apartment together. Emma’s a bail bondsperson and Ruth works as a police officer for the BPD.

Heart Bound by @4getfulimaginator2022

CS historical AU (mid-19th century), real world setting, teacher!Emma and artist!Killian. After years of private tutoring, Emma goes to teach in a village by the sea in a desperate bid to escape her heartbreak and the outside world. She thinks that she'll always be lonely and out of place, but the local lighthouse keeper, a fellow recluse and the town outcast, makes her see that she is right where she belongs.

Trying Something New by @overlordofthelollipopguild

After Rumplestiltskin traps Emma and Killian in the past, they manage to escape him and realize they will have to live in the past in order to catch up to the future.

Murder Most Foul by CSColifer 

Murdered Killian Jones has one last message for Emma Swan.

Love Bites (But So Do I) by @grimmswan

"Do you have any idea how tempting you look? It's going to take everything in me not to ravage you in front of everyone."

"I'm sure we can find some place to indulge ourselves." Emma grinned wickedly at her lover.

a place in time - chapter xv by @swanslieutenant

Emma’s an agent working to reunite missing people with their families when the biggest missing persons case of all time appears in front of her in a flash of bright, white light. Thousands of missing people from throughout history, including one particular pirate, appear on the shore of a lake in the middle of winter: none have aged a day since their disappearance and, with no memory of their missing time, must venture into a strange and uncertain future. Loosely based on the TV show “the 4400.”

A Cottage by the Sea by @snowbellewells

Princess Emma has always been drawn to the shores of Misthaven, where the sea meets the shore near her parents’ castle. When an unknown boy washes up on the sand, with eyes as fathomless and blue as the waters that brought him to her, he soon becomes Emma’s best friend, her partner in crime, and her other half.

Flight 815 by @honey77bun

"Hello, who is this? Director William Webster's voice called out. "Hello, this is your assistant, Strickland. I'm calling you on a very important matter." "What's the reason?" "In the case of Flight 815. As you know, at the Coast Guard Air Base in Miami, a girl named Emma Swan appeared on board the plane." "Did you find out she wasn't a spy?"

Can I Be Your Werewolf? by @belovedcreation

After a particularly nasty encounter with a criminal, bounty hunter Emma Swan's friend convinces her to adopt a guard dog from the shelter. Little does she know that the massive dog she brings home is really the werewolf Killian Jones, who's laying low in wolf form to hide from danger. She forms a bond with her pet, one that is tested and strengthened once Killian reveals his true nature. But Killian will never be a free man and Emma will never heal from her past until a power-hungry werewolf is stopped from his mission to control all of Storybrooke.

Burn The Ships (4/?) by @booksteaandtoomuchtv

Pan and his pack of gruesome werewolves torment and put an end to individuals who find themselves unlucky enough to be a guest of Neverland. After being betrayed by her ex, Emma finds herself the game in this month’s hunt.

Captain Hook has never found the sport particularly alluring, preferring to spend his change far from Pan’s cruel crew. When he catches the scent of his mate, he is forced to join in the hunt to find her before the others can.

Saving her will mean betraying Pan and no one betrays Peter Pan and lives to tell about it

An Offer She Can’t Refuse (3/3) by @deckerstarblanche

As soon as he cracked his eyes open the next morning, Killian knew she was gone. With a frustrated groan, he glared up at the stucco ceiling and flipped over onto his stomach, pressing his face into her pillow and feeling like a fool.

Welcome to the Enchanted forest by Emmaducklingsaviour

Post curse and on her 16th birthday Emma gets herself in a time loop with dire consequences. Before she can face them, Emma, Killian, Elsa and Red are suddenly pulled through a portal, returning to the Enchanted forest. This is a direct continuation of Welcome to the Storybrooke

Hope will come by AlwineMews

A new curse has sent the small town of Storybrooke into a deep sleep, freezing time in place. Shortly before the curse broke, a stranger kidnapped Emma and Killian's newborn daughter, Hope, and took her out of town. 28 years later, Hope accidentally drives into Storybrooke and breaks the curse as she crosses the town line.

Can Emma, Henry, Natalia and Killian become a family? And what is the story behind the missing persons and the sudden appearance of Sherlock Holmes?

Misthaven by IreneRose21

After Killian was resurrected by Zeus, the whole town of Storybrooke comes back to The Enchanted Forest. Snow and David become Queen and King of Misthaven again, the largest and most loved Kingdom in the whole Realm. That is until they are betrayed and murdered by a close ally, which causes all the Realm to enter in the most deadly war The Enchanted Forest will ever see.

Happy Beginning Captain Swan by isaballerina89

After Emma Swan finished the final battle with the adult Gideon, Storybrooke changes for the better. Emma and Killian finally have a life that they both can enjoy together without fighting the town's villains.

Unfinished Business by ohmakemeahercules

Don’t let me be your unfinished business, Emma had said. Killian has a lot of thoughts to process and emotions to process before that happens. Takes place right after he sends Emma up the elevator in 5x20 Firebird.

Forget Me Not, Prologue by @zaharadessert

The village of Storybrooke is as unremarkable as any number of villages in the English countryside. It has a pub, a church, a post office and a village green. But one summer a little boy and his mother come to stay, and suddenly some remarkable things start to happen...

Timeless by @killiansprincss

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?

Once Upon A Grimm by @hollyethecurious

The world was far more complex than most people realized. Humans went about their lives, completely ignorant of the fact that there was a world of fairytales existing right alongside them. Well, not really fairytales. Not in the Disney sense, anyway. Many, like the Grimm brothers, had woven the truth into their stories, but the creatures they wrote about were even more nightmarish than their macabre and monstrous depictions.

free fallin' by temporarystatus

On a dark and stormy Halloween night 27 years ago, five people stepped onto an elevator. They never stepped off. Now 28, Emma Swan and her son Henry work together to discover what caused her parents and the other inhabitants to suddenly disappear.

Anything Could Happen (2024) by wildseafairies

Killian and Emma have been friends for years. Not just friends, though—best friends. Until today, that is. Something has changed between them, Killian just can't put his finger on what it is. So, when an inebriated Emma stumbles in the dark room he's been hiding in during Mary Margaret and David's engagement party (and doesn't seem to recognize him), Killian sees his chance at untangling whatever went wrong there by taking an epic trip down memory lane with her. And maybe—just maybe—that's also the way for both of them to confront the intricate feelings they've been quietly harboring for each other…Who knows?

Your Loved by StonEvo

Emma just needs to make it through her Senior year. Then Henry and herself can finally be free of the system and be there own family. But will her New Foster mom, Mary Margaret worm her way into there hearts. And what's with the town sheriff always eyeing her new guardian. Emma could careless if it weren't for the fact that the towns resident bad boy is always with said sheriff also giving her eyes as well as weird butterfly like feeling in her stomach. None of that matters, because Emma's going to graduate and leave this dumb little town behind and hopefully out run the past she also left behind in Boston. All she needs is the only person who truly loves her, Henry.

More

[crystalandparrot]

Rottmnt x Reader

Chapter 1

Please don’t steal or use ideas without permission :)

This is an AU! The reason will be explained in later chapters, but in this AU, the yokai and mutants are fully integrated with humans. The hidden city mainly consists of Yokai and mutants with the occasional human visitor or partner.

Donatello is an independent scientist who still goes by Othello Von Ryan. He found out through trial and error that he was not made for a group laboratory. Now Donatello mainly confides himself in his lab at the lair, he's expanded of course, a man of his caliber shouldn't have to deal with such a small area. He's made great strives in the scientific community, solving some of the world's leading problems. Having won numerous awards, he still finds himself unfulfilled somehow.

Michelangelo is a successful artist, both on paper and in the kitchen. He records himself on the internet, hoping to inspire young minds to fulfill their dreams, no matter how they may look. He prefers to try anything and everything he can, gaining many new skills and discovering new things about himself. Although his desserts were delicious, the feeling of being alone only left a sour taste in his mouth.

Neon Leon. Successful actor, known for being one of the first openly Yokai actor. He inspired other Yokai's and mutants to remove their disguises and embrace what makes them unique. Leon made the world laugh with his one liners and his comical timing. His range is crazy, going from musicals to action, his talent knows no bounds. Although he has romance on the screen, he couldn't hope for something a little more...real.

Raphael (and don't skin me for this), the sweet turtle, became a guidance counselor for trouble youths. You know those kids that throw chairs? Yeah, Raph helps them. More often than not, Raphael recommends the wrestling team, which Raph just so happens to coach. Raph's helped a lot of kids figure out how to reel in their anger and get to the root of their problems. Raph's even managed to give a few select students permission to cut class and go to the weight room if they felt too angry. But no matter how many people Raph's saved (and no matter how much Raph spoke in the third person), Raph couldn't help but feel like there was one more person he needed to help.

April O' Neal. Some say she's the greatest hands on reporter of all time. With Sunita as her partner and camerawoman, the two get dirty, discovering the real problems that people won't report. April's most successful and controversial paper, "Yokai, Mutants, and Humans, oh my!" gained incredible popularity after people read just how many Yokai and Mutants were feeling neglected. Due to April's paper, the government passed a law, allowing Yokai and Mutants to come up to the surface and reveal themselves with no prejudice. It's still an ongoing battle to give everyone the fairness they deserve, but April and Sunita O'Neil fight for justice.

(Y/n) (L/n). Oh wait! That's you! You're a kind hearted soul who's just gotten a job at the School's library. You must really love the Dewey Decimal System...oh you have a nickname for it? Wonderful...You're a creative soul with a passion for helping. You have a myriad of skills, all of which may not have helped in getting this job, but they might help in getting something else. Your day starts off, relatively normally...

Having just moved back to New York after living in the Hidden City for five years was...different, to say the least. Saying goodbye to the nice old tortoise Yokai you had been staying with, you headed out, bags in hand. "Bye, Mrs. Shapiro! Call me if you need someone to water your plants!" You said, waving to the wrinkly tortoise.

"Oh, goodbye dear. I'm gonna miss you. Oh! Drop by Erin's on your way out!" The tortoise Yokai, Mrs. Shapiro, waved a long clawed hand at the you.

You nod with a smile and shut the door behind you. Heading down the street, you waved to friendly Yokai and mutants that walked past. After seeing the street clear a bit, you pulled your phone and headphones out of your pocket. Popping in the earbuds, you played your favorite playlist you found on Spotify. It was titled, 'Jammy Jams', the description being 'Songs for elite music listeners'. The playlist and many more like it, all with a theme of some sort, Studying, Building, (crime fighting?) Jogging, all came from one account by the name of Othello.

As you scrolled through the playlist, you saw the little notification. 'Othello is listening to Weird Science'. With a shrug, you tapped the notification, the song blasting through your headphones as you matched where Othello was in the song. Definitely an oldie, but it fit him...or her...or them—it fit the vibe! As you continued scrolling, adding some of the songs to your own playlists, you didn't hear the three voices yelling nor the shocked gasps of the onlookers that quickly moved out of the way.

A sudden PUSH and you were on the ground, groaning next to a stranger as Technologic blasted through your headphones.

"C'mon, Dee! He's getting away!" A turtle Yokai with dark hair in a half up, half down bun, ran in place and pointed to the direction that they needed to go. He wore an orange mask, had stickers and paint all over his shell, and in his hands sat a Kusari-fundo.

"No, no, I'm fine, Michael." The turtle Yokai next to you, (Dee?), stood up so suddenly, you thought he teleported. He wore a purple mask that wrapped around his head, his-tech goggles sitting on top. On his arms were multiple hi-tech screens and buttons that wrapped around his arms on large bands. Looking on the ground, he spotted his phone and your own, both faced down. He quickly swiped one up, and tucked it in his pocket, "May this be a lesson never to text while running!" The turtle pointed up at the sky almost heroically.

"You crashed into me!" You said defensively.

The turtle Yokai made a noise of surprise and looked down at you, as if suddenly noticing you for the first time. "I was actually referring to me." He muttered, coughing awkwardly. Without warning, two metal arms came out of his...shell? It had to be a shell, right? But it was more purple and armor like. The cold metal of the arms shook you out of your thoughts as they lifted you onto your feet.

"Oh, uh, thanks." You said, now just as awkward as the Yokai in front of you. "Don't you have to—" you pointed your thumb behind you, where the other turtle was freaking out.

"Donnie!" The orange clad turtle whined.

"Right." With a bit of showmanship, the purple clad turtle picked up your unlocked phone off the ground and handed it to you. As you took it, you noticed how he made sure your fingers did not touch. "Adieu, madam." He gave a slight bow and left, joining his accomplice in their efforts.

You giggled as he left, the whole interaction being odd. You looked down at your phone, the screen dimming. You tapped it to ensure it stayed unlocked and reopened Spotify...except, why were the apps in a different format? And your headphones were cutting out, and the background is different, and...what's the use? You know the truth, you switched your phone.

[hollyethecurious]

CS AU: Pan Says... (12/13)

Summary: After waking up in a strange room with a naked stranger, Emma and Killian must endure the twisted game their kidnapper insists they play in order to gain provisions and avoid punishments.

A/N: Deep breath, y'all...

Much love to my @kmomof4 and @ultraluckycatnd for being amazing cheerleaders and betas! Love you, ladies!

Rated E / Also available on ao3 and ff.net / buy me a coffee / add to tag list / Curious? Come Ask Me!  

Part One / Part Two / Part Three / Part Four / Part Five / Part Six  / Part Seven / Part Eight / Part Nine / Part Ten / Part Eleven

Part Twelve

Emma’s eyes bounced from Killian to the man who had just revealed himself as his father, her breath refusing to release so she could take in a fresh one.

“It was you?” Killian seethed, yanking against the metal band still securing his wrist to the wooden block. “You’re the reason I… All this time? It was you?!”

Killian’s father, Brennan, flinched against his son’s ire then stepped forward, causing Killian to be the one to flinch back this time.

“Aye,” Brennan replied. “But this madness has to stop. I won’t continue to stand by and let him--”

He released Killian from the block, allowing him to surge to his feet and grab the man by the front of his shirt. “Now? Now you take a stand? Now you--”

Killian’s words were cut off by the sound of something coming from both of the Lost Ones’ ear pieces. No doubt Pan was sending them instructions, but Emma could not make it out. Something in the way that Brennan’s head jerked towards the still masked Lost One, all color draining from his face, made Emma’s stomach drop.

“No!” Brennan cried out, forcing Killian behind him as the masked Lost One plucked the hatchet from the couch and advanced on the two men with the weapon raised, ready to strike.

Emma screamed, momentarily paralyzed as both Brennan and Killian fought off the Lost One. In the struggle, Killian lost his footing, his head slamming hard against the wooden block before he crumpled limply to the floor.

“Killian!” Emma, finally able to make her body move, rushed to his side. There was a nasty gash at his hairline, pouring blood from the wound. She yanked off the cardigan she’d pulled on over her sleep set before she’d woken him earlier and balled it up to press against his head.

“K-Killian,” she sobbed, attempting to rouse him though he remained listless as she pulled his head and shoulders up onto her lap. “Wake up, Killian. Please! Come back to me! Come back to me, Killian. Please!”

The sound of a door being forcibly opened jerked her attention back to the still warring Lost Ones. In horror, she watched as the masked Lost One shoved Brennan into the entryway closet, then trapped him inside by shoving one of the nearby dining chairs up against the underside of the handle.

Shoulders raising and lowering from his panted breaths, the Lost One turned and retrieved the hatchet he must have lost hold of during the struggle. Brennan pounded against the inside of the closet door, his screams muffled by the solid wood. The masked Lost One advanced towards Killian, forcing Emma to cover Killian with her body in a vain attempt to protect him.

“No!” she screamed, her arm flailing widely towards the approaching Lost One in some ridiculous effort to fight him off. “Get away from us! Get away from him! I won’t let you hurt him!”

The Lost One stopped just short of her, his head craned down as though he were staring at her. “Pan says if I do this then he’ll free us. You and me.”

A cold chill ran down her spine and disbelief nearly choked the breath out of her.

“He said he’d get our son for us, too,” the Lost One continued, his voice combatting Emma's denial with the stark reality before her. “We can be a family, Emma.”

“N-Neal?” she whispered on an anguished breath. She could have happily lived the rest of her days without ever hearing his voice again. She blanched when he crouched down in front of her, his words finally hitting her full force and causing her panic to spike. “Our son?” she repeated back to him. “How did you…? What are you…?”

“It’s why you’re here,” he told her, his voice sounding crazed from beneath the mask he still wore. “I wasn���t supposed to have a family. I wasn’t supposed to make attachments. It’s why he tested me with you, why he had me set you up for the watches. To make sure I’d side with him. Stay loyal to him.”

“To Pan?” she gasped. “You were working with Pan when we met?”

“Of course.” Neal removed his mask and Emma was struck by how much he’d aged. The laugh lines she remembered, a feature she’d found quite attractive in her youth as they played into the cool, older boy fantasy she’d fallen head first into, were now deeply etched in his face. His eyes held a wild, equally crazed quality that matched his tone, and Emma couldn’t help but attempt to scoot back away from him. The added weight of Killian made such a retreat impossible though.

“Pan took care of me when no one else would,” Neal continued, his voice almost affectionate and adoring as he spoke of his relationship with their demon captor. “He was my family. I wasn’t allowed to have a family unless he provided it. So, when Henry found me...”

“Henry?” Emma said on a startled and anguished exhale.

“Our son,” he told her, reaching forward to brush the back of his hand down her face. She fought against the instinct to pull away, the madness of his demeanor making her cautious, especially since he still had the hatchet loosely gripped in his hand. “His name is Henry. Henry Mills, and he--”

“Don’t,” Emma begged, shaking her head and clamping her eyes shut, wishing she could do the same with her ears. “Please. I don’t want to hear this--”

“He’s a smart kid,” Neal pressed on, ignoring her plea. “Managed to hack into the adoption agency’s database. Found his birth certificate with our names… Well, the names we both went by at the time.” Emma’s eyes snapped open and met his, a knowing look spilling out from his brown, deranged depths. “Swan, huh? Did you change it after your release?” Giving her a commiserating shrug, he confessed, “Cassidy isn’t my real name either. It’s an alias Pan gave me, so when Henry searched it, Pan got a notification. He must not have been able to find you, though. That’s probably why he ended up on my doorstep and not y--”

“Where is he?” Emma demanded frantically, fear gnawing at the lining of her stomach. “What did you do? What did Pan do?”

“Nothing,” Neal said, confusion knitting his brows together. “He’s fine. Back home with the woman who adopted him. But…” He grabbed onto her hand, squeezing it almost painfully tight, an exuberance filling him as he told her, “Pan says he can be ours again. He says once I’ve killed Killian and we’re both free of this place, then we can raise Henry and be a family.”

Emma yanked her hand free, unable to take any more of his insanity. “Do you even hear yourself? You want Pan to kidnap a ten year old boy, take him from the only home and family he knows, so he can live with strangers?”

Neal’s countenance darkened, a cold, sinister expression taking up residence on his features as he angrily declared, “We aren’t strangers, we’re his parents! He came looking for us!”

“You and I are strangers to him, Neal!” Emma shouted back. “And we are strangers to each other! You haven’t seen me in eleven years, you don’t even know me. Which is obvious if you think I would ever go along with a scheme like that!”

“But…” His tenuous grip on his own reality seemed to be slipping and Emma pulled Killian tighter into her embrace. “Pan says I can be free.” His eyes shifted from her down to Killian. His expression became murderous, but there was also an unnerving look of giddiness in his eyes. “All I have to do is kill him.”

Emma chanced a glance around Neal, the chair blockading the closet door shifting further and further back with each strike Brennan was applying to its surface. She stood, causing Neal to mirror her actions, and placed herself firmly between him and a still unconscious Killian.

“Fine,” she spat. “Have your freedom, Neal.” Bracing her stance, she raised her hands and declared, “But you’ll have to kill us both to earn it, because I am not leaving this place without Killian.”

Rage flared from deep within his eyes and a guttural roar made every hair on her body stand on end. Adjusting the hatchet in his hand, Neal reared back and Emma lowered her shoulder, ready to throw herself at him in the hopes of knocking him off balance or maybe even off of his feet. Before either of them could go through with their actions, the closet door burst open and Brennan charged at Neal.

“ENOUGH!”

Pan’s shout and the piercing feedback that followed had them all abandoning their attacks in favor of covering their ears.

“None of you will leave this place until our game is at an end,” Pan stated from overhead.

“Let’s end it then!” Brennan bellowed at the ceiling. “What more do you want? We’ve played your game and I, for one, am done! I refuse to play along any further unless it is to directly win my freedom.”

“Same here!” Emma yelled up at the ceiling while still keeping an eye on Neal, who was clearly conflicted with minding Pan’s declaration that enough was enough. “You’ve had your fun,” Emma continued, emboldened by Brennan’s words. “It’s time for this sadistic game to end!”

The silence felt as though it would never end and Emma knew they were all holding their breath in anticipation of Pan’s response to their demand.

She did not think any of them were truly prepared for him to respond as he did, though.

“Very well, then,” Pan said in a hushed tone. “Pan says to follow the black lines. The final round will commence momentarily.”

“What about Killian?” Emma asked, trying to not let the fear of what Pan might have in store for them get the better of her just yet. “He’s still out cold.”

“Here,” his father replied, shoving past Neal and moving to stand over his son. “I’ll take care of him,” he assured her after hoisting him up and over his shoulder. Just as he’d done once before.

Turning towards Neal, Brennan eyed the hatchet then stared hard into his fellow Lost Ones gaze. “We gonna have a problem?”

Neal’s attention bounced from Brennan, to Killian, to Emma, then back to Killian. “Nah,” he said. “I trust Pan. I’m sure he’ll give me another shot at him. Besides,” he said with a smug sneer aimed at Brennan. “It’ll be more fun this way. I want the bastard to suffer good for thinking he could touch what’s mine.”

“I am not--” Emma began indignantly, but Brennan cut off her retort with a sharp look and curt shake of his head.

“Let’s get moving then,” Brennan said, gesturing Neal towards the door then holding Emma back and indicating she should fall in behind him and Killian as they made their way out of the apartment.

Emma didn’t really relish the idea of riding the elevator down with Neal, but Brennan made sure to keep himself between them. She tried to focus on Killian, running her fingers through his hair as his head dangled at the small of Brennan’s back. Fighting back tears, Emma tried to keep her breathing even and her pulse rate calm. Both Neal and Brennan looked as though they were mentally preparing themselves for battle and Emma wished she had the comfort of Killian’s encouragement and insistence that, no matter what Pan might have in store for them, they would be able to overcome it. Together.

Once they exited the elevator, however, it quickly became apparent that together was not in the cards for any of them.

Coming to a dead end along the black line, Emma glanced up at Brennan with a question in her brow. A question that was immediately answered by Pan.

A pressurized release hissed through the hallway and four doors opened: two to the left and two to the right, each with a number displayed above the frame.

“Pan says,” the speakers overhead uttered, “your instructions for the final round await you in your respective rooms.”

Emma entered her assigned room and jumped when the door slammed shut behind her. The room was empty, save for a metal bench jutting out from the wall and another door, opposite of the one she’d just entered through. Laying atop the bench was an envelope with her name neatly printed across the front.

With trembling fingers, Emma opened the envelope and unfolded the piece of paper that awaited inside.

“Here goes nothing,” she muttered under her breath, her hand flying up to her mouth as she read the final, terrible, edict Pan had for her.

~/~

Killian groaned as his body rolled then jerked violently when it almost toppled over the edge of whatever he was lying on. He forced himself to move too quickly a second time, causing his head to throb painfully as he bolted upright and frantically looked about the room as the final moments before he’d lost consciousness played inside his mind.

“Emma!” he called out in a near hysterical tone. “Emma, love! Where are you?”

“She’s fine,” Pan's voice answered from the speaker crackling in the corner. “We’ve all been waiting for you to wake up.”

“Where is she?” Killian demanded, leaving the metal bench he’d been passed out on and woozily making his way towards the corner where the camera was mounted. “What have you done to her? If you’ve hurt her I’ll--”

“Save your threats and calm yourself,” Pan hissed. “You’re going to need all your faculties to face what’s ahead.”

“What do you mean?” Killian replied with a heavy dose of dread. “What are you--”

“The Final Round is about to begin,” Pan told him, causing Killian to balk.

“The Final Round? As in…”

“Everything you need to know is in the envelope.”

The speaker clicked off without any further explanation. Killian spun around, looking for an envelope, then finally found it tucked away under the bench. It probably fell to the floor when he’d hastily gotten up.

Tearing it open, Killian tossed the outer contents aside and unfolded the note within. The words, neatly handwritten upon the page made his stomach drop and blood go cold.

Pan says, each of you has been given a task. Those who complete theirs and survive the day shall earn their freedom.

Killian Jones: Pan says, in order to earn your freedom, you must kill Brennan Jones using the dagger provided.

The sound of sliding metal wrenched Killian’s attention from the paper and he skittered back as something fell from the ceiling and landed next to his feet. A dagger, he realized with a sense of nausea. A dagger sheathed in a holster designed to tuck into the band of his pants.

Hesitantly, Killian bent over and picked up the weapon, turning it over in his hands as the desire to throw it far from himself began to overtake him. Before he could follow through with the action, one of the doors creaked open, revealing a dark corridor, and the speaker came to life once more.

“Pan says… LET THE FINAL ROUND BEGIN!”

A hissing sound whooshed from the walls and an acrid, green fog began to pour in. Clearly, it was meant to prompt the occupant from the cell, and not knowing what might await him beyond, Killian clamped the holstered dagger onto the band of his sweatpants and hurried away from the menacing mist.

It became apparent rather quickly that he was in some sort of labyrinth. Several times he’d had to backtrack after coming to a dead end. Warring with himself as to whether he ought to call out for Emma, Killian had chosen to keep silent, not wishing to put her in harm’s way should she reply back, revealing her position to whomever might have been instructed to…

This was madness. Utter and complete madness. Did Pan really expect them to--

“Killian?”

The sound of his name from his father’s lips pulled a growl from Killian’s chest as he spun around to face his treacherous sire. Grabbing him by the shoulders he slammed the man against the wall.

“I’m not going to hurt you, son!” Brennan assured him, his hands raised in supplication. “You’re not… you’re not the one I was ordered to…”

Killian released him and backed away, not because he trusted anything the man had to say, but because he wanted to keep him fully in his sights.

“Am I?” Brennan asked, his hands still raised and back still pressed against the wall. “Am I your target, son?”

“Don’t call me that!” Killian shouted. “Don’t you dare call me son! Not after what… You are no father and YES!” he bellowed, getting into Brennan’s face once more, sneering. “Yes. Pan says I’m to kill you.”

The two of them stood there for an innumerable amount of time, chests heaving, eyes flickering between the others, neither of them willing to be the first to blink.

But blink Killian did. He had to. He was no killer and he knew it.

“But I can’t do it,” Killian whispered, stepping back and dropping his head as he ran a shaky hand through his hair. “I won’t.”

“You have to.”

Killian balked, his head shooting up as he stumbled backward, hitting the wall on the opposite side of the corridor. “What?”

“It was always going to end this way,” Brennan said, taking a tentative step towards him. “I earned myself a death sentence the moment I disobeyed Pan, he just… wanted to watch me suffer first.” His jaw clenched and his Adam’s apple bobbed tightly. “You have no idea how much I wish I could have spared you all of this. I thought… I thought I had, honestly. But it was all for nothing.”

“What are you talking about?” Killian replied, his anger resurfacing, unwilling to give the man any quarter for the part he played in Killian’s incarceration and torture. “Spared me? I’m here because of you!”

“I know, and I--”

“You’re what? Sorry?” Killian spat, advancing on him with a single step and relishing the way the man cowered in the face of Killian’s wrath. “Sorry for what? For being a poor excuse of a father? For running out on your sons when they needed you most? For abandoning us!?”

“I didn’t abandon you!” Brennan shouted, bringing himself back to full height and refusing to back down.

“Then what would you call it?!”

“I was protecting you!” Brennan insisted, gesturing wildly at the space around them then back at himself. “From him! From my mistakes!”

Killian was taken aback by the revelation, the shock of it causing him to lean against the wall for support. “You… Your involvement with Pan goes back that far?”

“Aye,” Brennan lamented, his shoulders sagging and his expression twisting with shame and regret. “After your mother… I lost myself. I know I don’t need to tell you that,” he grimaced, probably plagued by the same memories Killian had of those dark days.

“I drank and gambled and tried to console myself in women,” he confessed bitterly. “The kind of women one typically has to pay for their attention. I racked up a mountain of debt in a series of establishments and one night… my bill came due.” Mournfully, he held Killian’s gaze and shared, “The night before you awoke and had your entire world turned upside down… again.”

A long buried memory clawed its way to the surface of Killian’s cognition. A knock at the door. His father telling him and Liam to stay upstairs. Angry voices making their way up the stairwell. Liam telling him not to worry. “It’s fine, little brother. Whatever it is, Father will handle it. Go back to bed.”

“He… he came to the house?” Killian murmured.

“No, not him,” Brennan replied, shaking his head and releasing a deep sigh. “He never does anything on his own. He sent his Lost Ones, and demanded I pay the debt in full. When I told him I didn’t have the money he gave me two options.” Swallowing hard, Brennan stepped forward and placed a hesitant hand on Killian’s shoulder. He could see the reluctance swirling in his father’s gaze - the wish that he did not have to reveal this dark secret to his son. “I could leave that night and repay my debt in his service or…”

“Or?”

The muscle at his jaw flickered and he was barely able to choke out the words. “Or… I could let him have you and Liam as payment.”

Killian sucked in a disgusted, dread-infused breath, his vision threatening to turn black as he held it too long.

“I flat refused to let him take you and your brother,” Brennan assured him with vehemence. “I knew enough of the depraved world Pan ran. I was never going to subject you to that, so I agreed to leave and pay the debt myself.”

Killian blew out the held breath and asked his father the question that had plagued him his whole life. “Why did you never contact us? You could have left a note. You could have reached out. Why did you never--”

“Because I was forbidden to,” Brennen told him in a tone of long held anguish. With a deep, fortifying breath, he recited from memory, “Pan says this shall be your final act as a father.” Tightening the grip he had on Killian’s shoulder he admitted, “but it wasn’t… and for that infraction we have both paid dearly.”

“I don’t understand,” Killian said, shaking his head in confusion with furrowed brows. “What does that mean? What did you do that caused Pan to--”

“For years I served Pan out there,” he said, jutting his chin towards the wall. “In the world. Doing odd jobs and furthering his dirty work.” Releasing Killian’s shoulder, he dropped his gaze, the fingers of his right hand fidgeting against his thumb. “One day, I came across an article about a car accident that killed an Admiral’s wife and left the Navy Captain, who had been her lover and the driver of the car, to answer for her death.”

His eyes flicked back up, a maelstrom of emotions storming within their depths. “I kept tabs on the trial. On you. And on the Admiral. It was clear that he wasn’t going to be satisfied with whatever outcome the court martial ruled, so after the trial was over and you were dishonorably discharged I… paid the man a visit.”

“You what?” Killian expelled on a shocked breath. “What did you do?”

Brennan’s countenance hardened, a menacing aura Killian had never seen from his father before, and he wondered whether the man he’d known before Pan had conscripted him into service would have ever been capable of such a darkness.

“I told him to accept the verdict the court had handed down and to leave you be. I told him to let go of his anger, his pride, and his thirst for vengeance and to let you move on with your life.” Remembering himself, Brennan softened his stance and his tone, but it didn’t change the chilling effects his next words left behind. “I told him to move on with his own life… or I would see to it he no longer had one.”

Killian stood paralyzed from shock. Shock and disbelief and the release of something that had been holding him captive for far longer than Pan had.

All this time. Waiting for the other shoe to drop. Certain that Gold would find a way to mete out further retribution against him, not because of Milah’s death, but because Killian had dared to claim her heart. All this time. Waiting. Dreading. For nothing. Because the last man on earth he’d ever expect to come to his aid had--

“Pan found out and had me brought here,” Brennan continued, cutting off the spiral of Killian’s thoughts, “I stewed in a cell of my own for months and months until he finally told me what he had in store for me. Until he brought me into a control room and showed me the video feed of you waking up next to some woman. Neither of you having any idea how you got here.”

“Why did it take him so long to act?” Killian wondered aloud, wishing to forgo thinking of what his father had witnessed that day. What he may very well have witnessed in the days and weeks since. “You said you visited Gold after my discharge. That was nearly a year ago now.”

“He needed that time to observe you,” Brennan explained with contempt coloring his tone. “To learn all he could before taking you, so that he could squeeze every bit of suffering he could out of us both.”

“What about Emma?” Killian inquired. “Why her?”

Brennan sighed and shrugged his shoulders, clearly wishing he had an answer. “I have no idea why she’s here other than she’s Cassidy’s punishment.”

“Cassidy?” Killian repeated. Realization as to the identity of the other Lost One dawned and hit him full force. “Neal Cassidy? The man who--”

“Set her up for his crimes and left her in jail to rot, not knowing he’d also left her pregnant in the process?” Brennan supplied, stunning Killian. “Yes. That Neal Cassidy. Although,” he hedged. “I only know that much of their history because… Emma shared it with you.” Brennan looked away, unable to meet Killian’s eyes as he confessed, “If we weren’t forced to witness your interactions and punishments firsthand, then Pan would have them played for us via video in our cells. Neal and I, we’ve… seen and heard it all.”

Hot pricks of humiliation rippled along the back of Killian’s neck and flushed across his cheeks, but he pushed past the mortification and clarified, “So you don’t know what Neal and Pan’s history is or what he did to cause Emma to get wrapped up in it? You never asked?”

“Oh, I asked,” Brennan told him, meeting his eyes once more with a very Jones-esque smirk pulling at his lip. “He just never answered.”

“Pan was the one Neal fenced the watches for.” Emma’s voice caused both men’s heads to snap in the direction of the tunnel she was emerging from. Relief flooded Killian as she approached with raised hands and measured steps. “I’m not here for either of you,” she told them. “Neither of you are my target.”

“You’re not mine either, love,” Killian assured her, rushing towards her and gathering her in his arms before crushing her to his chest. “Are you alright?”

Her hair caught in his beard as she nodded her head, and she had to pluck the strands from his face when he pulled back.

“The watches?” he asked, attempting to comprehend her words. “The ones Neal set you up for?”

“Yeah,” she said, craning her head to gaze up at him. He hated the sadness and pain clouding those jade depths. “Because Pan told him to. To test his loyalties. Turns out he’d already been working for Pan when we met and kept working for him long after sending me to jail.”

“How did he end up here, then?” Brennan asked, pulling both of their attention back to him. “What did he do to…”

“He had a son,” Emma said on a choked breath, clinging a bit tighter to him. “Pan said he wasn’t allowed to have a family other than the one the organization provided him, so when Pan found out about…”

“How?” Killian asked incredulously. “How did Pan find out about your son if he and Neal left you in prison before you even knew?”

“Turns out you were right,” she said with tears pooling in her eyes. “He tried to find us.”

Terror froze Killian’s insides as he dared to ask, “Is he?”

“He’s fine,” Emma assured him. Though, he got the sense she was trying to assure herself as well. “At least, I hope he is. Neal said he was with his mom. The kid managed to hack into the adoption records and find our names. Neal said Pan told him that if he killed you, then Pan would let us both leave so we could raise him together, which is… insane.”

“It’s true,” Brennan confirmed. “Pan issued the order back in your flat after I revealed myself. It’s what set him off before you got knocked out.” Comprehension dawned across Brennan’s face which was followed by a look of alarm. “Which means you are likely Neal’s target, son,” Brennan warned. “And he will not hesitate to complete the task Pan has set for him.”

“Aye,” Killian sighed in agreement. No sooner had he taken in a fresh breath than a terrible truth occurred to him that made it still in his lungs; a realization he ought to have had earlier. Frantically, he shoved Emma behind him and plucked the dagger from his waist, holding it out towards his father.

Emma gasped, stumbling a bit from the force of Killian’s action, causing her to latch on the back of his shirt. “Killian! What are you--”

“If I am Neal’s target,” he began in a low tone, his eyes never wavering from his father, “and Neal is Emma’s target, and you are my target, then…”

“Aye,” Brennan replied, pulling out the paper he’d been left at the onset of their current game and reading, “Pan says, in order to earn your freedom, you must kill Emma Swan with your bare hands.”

“Over my dead body,” Killian growled through clenched teeth.

“Actually,” Brennan said, taking a sudden step forward, “I’d rather it be over mine.”

Brennan threw himself at Killian. The dagger, still clenched in Killian’s hand, plunged into him, imbedding itself up to the hilt, and he clung onto Killian’s shoulder to keep himself from collapsing.

“Father, no!” Killian shouted, releasing the dagger and holding on to Brennan as he slumped towards the floor, but not before Brennan yanked the dagger from his gut, removing the stopgap it had created and causing a pool of blood to quickly form beneath him.

“No, no, no!” Killian cried, desperately and futilely trying to apply pressure to the wound.

“It was always… going to… end this way,” Brennan panted with shallow breaths. “Couldn’t… protect you… with my life. Let my death… free you. Let it… mean something.”

“Father, please,” Killian pleaded, a choked sob escaping him.

Brennan’s eyes shifted to where Emma stood in shock over them, her hands covering her mouth as tears pooled in her eyes, and he said.“Take care of… each other.” His gaze returned to Killian’s. “And tell Liam…”

“No,” Killian said, shaking his head. “No. You have to tell him yourself. Whatever it is. You owe him that.”

“Tell him…” Specks of blood erupted from his mouth as he coughed, but he pushed past the gurgles of his impending death and said, “I’m sorry. For not being a better man. But it isn’t too late for you. Either of you boys. Be better… men than… I.”

“Father, no,” Killian sobbed, cradling Brennan’s limp form in his arms, his hand clutching the fabric covering the man’s still and silent chest.

Beside him, he felt Emma crouched down, her hand lightly resting on Killian’s shoulder. “I’m so sorry, Killian,” she soothed into his ear, her voice watery and choked from her own tears. Wrapping her arm around him, she reached forward and closed Brennan’s eyes then welcomed Killian into her embrace so he could pour out the torments of his soul into her shoulder.

He wasn’t sure how long they sat there until the well of his emotions finally ran dry. Once he was able to pick himself up off the ground, he took Emma’s hand in his and gave it a grateful squeeze.

“What now?” Emma said, her eyes displaying all the concern and heartache she felt for him while trying to remain strong. His tough lass.

“Now,” Killian said with a hard note of resolve. “We finish this.”

Final Chapter

[deadlyflames]

and the world has somehow shifted

Swanfire - Tangled AU - role swap

Snow White and Prince Charming are unable to beat the Evil Queen and King George after the monarchs align themselves with a dragon and a sea witch. Years later, Snow White and her husband live as outlaws at the edge of the enchanted forest, with a band of rebels as their subjects. Their daughter, Emma, is known as the rebel princess, and she takes up her parents' mantle of fighting against the tyrannical rule of the evil queen.

After centuries in Neverland, Baelfire is rescued by his father and taken back to the enchanted forest. To keep him safe from Regina, who grows more powerful by the day, and any of his countless enemies, Rumplestiltskin ensures that his son remains hidden away. For the past 4 years, Baelfire has been locked in a tower, in a deep valley surrounded by steep cliffs and mountains, protected with a powerful barrier spell.

And both their worlds were shifted when the princess without a crown managed to break through the spell that kept the boy in the tower separated from the rest of the world.

Lots of people in the swanfire au have the tangled au with Emma as Rapunzel (lost princess) and Neal as Flynn Ryder (thief using a fake name).

But Emma has canonically cosplayed as Flynn Rider.

Plus Neal is an artist like Rapunzel, and his dad would absolutely lock him in a tower to keep him safe. So i think this version works too

[jovenshires]

endless au edits: the battle of the bands au nobody asked for pt 7

battle of the bands 2024: an honest op-ed by jeremy elder the six entries to battle of the bands 2024 have finally been announced. not only will we be seeing sad men in their 30s's favorite new band the chosen, known for their appearance on the netflix reality show 'up & coming,' but also four other groups who desperately wish they were as famous. this includes: ftc, renowned alternative-indie sad-girl trio; kolivition, known for making the music your mom turns off every time she walks into the room; coventry, the punk girl group equivalent of that pinterest quote 'we are the granddaughters of the witches you could not burn'; and let's do this, who... no, that's it. who? anyway, it's not like any of that really matters, because i've yet to mention the smosh reunion, aka the wet dream of every millenial who asks for a veteran's discount after surviving warped tour. a clear favorite to win, smosh is coming in with an army of fans and a near-decade of experience on these guys. good luck to what little competition they have. in addition, i am thrilled to report that we now know the final lineup of judges. diehard battle of the bands fans - all two of you - will be thrilled to know that rhett mclaughlin and link neal of mythical will be back to judge yet another thrilling year of mediocrity. after winning ten years ago, those guys just won't let go of their glory days. (or maybe it's the other way around. blink twice if you need help, guys.) on the bright side, though, they've also introduced surprise judge jackie uweh. known for being one of the greatest performers of our generation, it will be uweh's first time judging a musical competition. i don't know what she's doing here and i highly suggest that she runs. and runs fast. the three will be the wonderful, charming, and dutifully impartial judges to this year's competition, and definitely will not be just handing it to smosh as a reward for their long-awaited reunion. (because ian hecox definitely wasn't signed onto the mythical label as a solo artist. it's not unfair at all.) finally, the emcee and host of the event will be newcomer to the rap scene, trevor. if that name doesn't ring any bells for you - don't worry, it doesn't for the rest of us, either. the 24-year-old rapper was apparently responsible for mixing the beats on mythical's latest and edgiest album, which, due to the power of nepotism, made him a natural choice for this year's emcee. known for his "meme rap" (i am being so serious right now), trevor auditioned for the battle of the bands but, fortunately, did not qualify. thus, he will not be competing nor, allegedly, performing. though i have my doubts. i reserve the right to run screaming for the hills the moment they hand him a mic. the soundcloud musician (that's right - don't bother looking him up on spotify, you won't get anywhere) will be hosting the battle of the bands and the series of live shows leading up to it. what does all this mean? well, it looks like this year is no different from the last, and predictable set-ups have means to predictable ends. nevertheless, i, your faithful and humble local reporter, will be making the trip to la with an all-access backstage pass in hand and reporting on the entire thing from start to finish. no rehearsal, live show, or, most importantly, complete disaster of a finale will escape my sight. rest assured that you have at least one decent and reliable eye witness to the whole fiasco. tomorrow marks my trip down to la - i'll be reporting live from the road. until then, i bid you adieu. may the best smosh - i mean, band - win.

[iamafanofcartoons]

No , RWBY is neither misogynistic nor homophobic...it is every bit the opposite

Rwby not written for the male gaze. Redesigns made by critics focus on sexualizing women.  RWBY has women show much less skin than the typical fairy tail woman. Also their clothes have pockets and pouches. Rwby is not written for the patriarchy.

So Personally I've always felt like misogyny was always made by the critics. A common thread in a lot of that group's criticisms seems to come down to not liking that some of the show's villains embody male power fantasies, and that the positive male characters it has aren't the main characters, with the female characters being a harem for them.

It's a female-centered story whose true focus is its main characters' growing and supporting each other through their weaknesses and struggles, and a lot of men can't stand it.

Rewrites and AUs focus on men, on straightwashing women, on validating edgelords, on telling women that they suck. And more importantly,  rewrites are obsessed with not letting women be right about anything or important unless they're tied to a male protagonist story.

But Rwby is about giving women roles typically held by men. Women not requiring men for authority, or guidance, but instead being men's equals. Or in the case of the female antagonists? Having mental superiority over deconstructed edgelords like Adam taurus or the "ends justify the means" deconstruction of ironwood.

They have girlfails like Cinder, who you can hate, but also admire that she keeps coming back and refusing to give up.

They have badass grannies like Maria Calavera.

They have autism-coded women.

And unlike Naruto? Women can actually WIN a 1 on 1 fight against a male opponent.

Edgelord is what incels see themselves as. Incels also see themselves as victims of women. They also see themselves as tragic,  misunderstood,  or entitled to an ego.

Adam is the example of the incel: "I was hurt by society, so I am going to make it everyone's problem! I am a hero of justice, for I am giving the world the justice it deserves! I am an underdog!"

That's how incels, conservatives, otakus see themselves.

They saw Adam as a Vergil Sparda. A dude who murders countless innocent lives for the sake of power.....who believes that power is the only thing matters. He ain't morally grey, he's evil. But he's cool, and to a lot of very emotionally immature people, coolness means morally grey or anti-villain/anti-hero. Adam was introduced trying to rob a train and blow up innocent people....people accused blake of being a murderer and trying to blow up the train, then running from adam. Adam was shown in volume 2, as a cult leader neglecting the deaths of his people. As with "Burning the candle" Yang and Blake scene, RWDE and RWBY Critics disregarded that because it ruined their headcanons of what they wanted Adam to be.

How many Adam fanfics have you seen where Blake is written as the one abusing adam?

Male abusers see themselves as victims of women.

Coffeehouse Crime, Danielle Kirsty, Eleanor Neale. Look them up on Youtube. They cover multiple cases of murderers and abusers. And the details that go into emotional and mental abuse/gaslighting? They cover them all. Including how society turns a blind eye to abuse if its not physical. Which is what Adam fans do.

Btw, if you want an example of a murderer who was an IRL abuser? Just look up OJ Simpson, who got away with both thanks to his fans.

RWBY covers emotional abuse, shows the damage it can do, and shows through Blake the recovery.

Arryn has been a victim of IRL cyberbullying from blacksun fans, BobxEliza fans, and Adam fans.

To where she's had to deactivate her social media.

Art imitates life....RWBY Critics harassing voice actresses. Though thefloofartist actually sent CRWBY gore fanart of Bumbleby and tauradonna ntr fanart, that was horrific.

Roman Torchwick is an example of charismatic sociopaths being the criminal: Society was mean to me, so I'm going to be racist, steal from the elderly, and hurt kids. Sure he has charisma as a character....does that excuse racism, calling Emerald a Street Rat, trying to rob old men, and shooting teenage girls

Jacques emotional abuse and gaslighting, something many people refuse to acknowledge unless its clearly spelled out from A to Z. One Adam taurus fan on twitter made death threats to a woman trying to explain that emotional abuse is real.

Raven is a bandit. A bandit is a killer and a thief. You don't romanticize killers and thieves. One piece paints an unrealistic view of pirates. 

Ironwood and Atlas represent the American Macho mindset and the nationalism issue Americans have. Illegally occupying foreign nations with military force as a means of "peacekeeping"? Removing leaders from power who don't respect your authority or your ideas? My way or the highway? Unwilling to compromise? Willing to work with capitalist Corporations so long as your war machine is funded? The ends justify the means? Only villains say that! Merging the police with the military to have unlimited power? Putting the good ethical cop "Marrow" under pressure and mockery? Treating the poor people as acceptable losses to cut and cutting all aid and support to the 99%? Arresting or threatening good samaritans who try to help the impoverished and underprivileged because they're not recognized by your licenses? Refusing to accept checks and balances because you see yourself as above the law and being the only one with the big picture? Seeing it as your duty to police others?

People were willing to consider Ironwood a sussy baka so long as they could consider Atlas to be like Germany. But the moment CRWBY pointed out how Atlas was too much like America? The "patriots" got furious...because it was too much like looking into a mirror, and the Ironwood fangirls did not like what they saw.

Less character bloat compared to shounen anime. Shounen has thousands of character. RWBY barely has 200. But they focus more on women's characters than men, and that upsets the Cardin fans and fanfic writers. If I had a nickel for every youtube channel that decided to make the racist incompetent bully into some "gigachad", I'd have two nickels, which isn't much, but still weird that it happened twice. Meanwhile, let a man have 3-5 minutes of screentime, the critics will say that Team RWBY don't act like the main characters. Protagonist centered morality only in shounen. Team rwby do face consequences and are forced to evaluate their decisions. The women are the protagonists, and they can spend more than 10 minutes without breaking the Bechdel test. Something that, once again, adam and cardin and jaune fanfics fail within a paragraph.

"A man and a woman can spend several seasons together and be just friends at the end"

Ichigo and Rukia from Bleach, One Piece Live Action, Naruto and Sakura from that Gay Ninja Series.

Or in RWBY's case, I'm referring Blake Belladonna and Sun Wukong

Neither showed romantic attraction towards either gender for the majority of the show. Blake and Sun's arcs in V4 and V5 were about Blake learning to accept help, and Sun learning to recognize and respect people's boundaries. Neither Blake nor Sun actually made serious advances, and simply stayed good friends. Also if lesbians cannot exist without being fan service to you, that just means you're a pervert and need to touch grass.

Anyway, whomever said that RWBY Writers have no idea how to write women need to take a look at how their critics make video after video bashing women and LGBT.

Oh, and twitter calls RWBY post v3 "pandering to tumblerinas".

Given how Tumblr has no pedophiles/lolicons, less conservatives and terfs, and is very feminist? I'll take that as a compliment.

[mythuzalasheir3]

Can you give me a little more context on what Once Upon A Time is about?

What fairytale character do all the Hatchetfield citizens align with?

How closely does your AU follow either of its inspirations/what has it changed?

Once Upon A Time basically starts off with the Evil Queen cursing all the other fairytale characters to live in the miserable real world where the only happy ending is his own (and kind of rumplestiltskin's). The only person who can save the day is Emma Swan, the daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming, who was sent through separately so she wouldn't be trapped in the curse. She gets roped into it when the son she gave up for adoption, Henry (who was adopted by Regina/The Evil Queen), seeks her out on her 28th birthday.

It goes off the rails even further each season and they have a really good musical episode in season 6 (Wicked Always Wins and Love Doesn't Stand A Chance my beloveds) If you want to know more, I will ramble in DMs until the cows come home if you want :)))

I've mapped out seven seasons worth of characters, so I'm only going to do the main ones:

Emma and Henry are original characters, that are literally just them with a new coat of paint, called Helen and Sammy, respectively.

Snow White is Pete, and Prince(ss) Charming is Steph. The Evil Queen (King) is Solomon Lauter and Rumplestiltskin is Ted.

I have had to adjust the lore because of this change. Initially, Regina had it out for Snow because young Snow couldn't keep a secret from the Queen of Hearts (Regina's mum) and got Regina's true love killed. However, because Evil King Solomon is related to Charming, not Snow, his vendetta against Pete is to provoke Tedplestiltskin (trademark me, myth) because Ted killed his wife instead of Steph ,as was the original deal.

I have also genderbent a couple of other characters, like Pinocchio is going to be Alice, when she shows up, and Wilbur Cross and Howard Goodman are Maleficent, and Maleficent's kid respectively.

I have simplified the chaos of the Swan-Mills-Nolan-Gold-Cassidy-Jones family tree as best I can by splitting some of the characters' functions in the story up. Like Pete, as Ted's brother, takes on part of the role of Baelfire, Rumple's son, as well as Snow White, and narratively the Darlings in Peter Pan, while I have another original character (the son of Jenny and Andy Kilgore, who will be Captain Hook), to take Bae/Neal's role as Henry's father, and later on, part of Captain Hook.

I am also killing off Solomon early, instead of my Neal OC, and giving Regina's redemption arc to Becky Barnes, who's acting as the Wicked Witch Of The West, because I said so.

And it's just changes that ripple off of these, mainly.

[humblefryingpan]

(Once upon a time au - spoilers for season 3 and I think season 6)

Ngl I kinda loved the Henry/Pan body swap I low-key wish it stayed like that. It probably wouldn't have been great in the actual show but I'd love to see that in a fic/au

Everyone really struggling at fighting Peter because he looks like Henry? Amazing. And I like thinking about if they kept it that way, imagine them trying to raise the kid who looked like their enemy

(this is an angsty and long post)

Rumple looking at his grandson and only seeing his father who betrayed him. Tbh, I don't think he thought of Pan as the same person as his dad in general. Like pre-neverland he only saw him like that twice and it probably would've been more "the boy my dad invented to get rid of me" yk? That's my opinion at least

So Rumpy knowing Henry was supposey fated to kill him and then looking like that guy? He would not have handled that well and I'd have loved to see him having more of a reaction

Killian seeing his stepson and trying to ignore that he looked like the man who killed his brother. Pre-neverland I think he only knew Pan from when he rocked up and tricked him into killing his brother/best friend/only remaining family? So going from that, as well as everything in neverland, to marrying Emma and having to live with someone in Pan's body would've been sad as shit and I'd have loved it. He was dealing with his own guilt a lot when he moved in and I think this would've made it just that little bit worse

Regina and Emma trying to raise their son while looking at the man who kidnapped him. Both of them are definitely "fight first, question later" girls and they would've had to try to unlearn that in order to not hurt their son. Especially since they knew Pan as the guy that kidnapped Henry and the guy that tried to kill them all.

If this happened then the way I'd have done it would be someone finding out he was planning the curse and killing him before he could kill Felix (to stop the curse and also bc I love Felix and I have plans for him). Since he was still in Henry's body when he did the curse I would've said they killed him before he could switch places (I forgot how and when they switched back mb, doesn't affect the au too much right?)

So somebody (Rumple would probably work best but readers choice ig) killed Peter/Malcolm while he was in Henry's body and he got trapped in that body with magic so that he couldn't escape. Since the body would've been messed up when he got killed, Henry stays in Pan's body.

And I mentioned I had plans for Felix - he was clearly very devoted to Pan, like he didn't even get that mad when he killed him. I'm willing to bet that if he survived he still would've defended him. But now "Pan" is actually not Pan, it's the boy Pan wanted to sacrifice and I think Felix would've been pissed about that.

So he'd also be struggling with this entire situation. Losing Pan, but still seeing him in this town. Knowing Henry he'd try to talk to Felix too. Felix would either fully isolate himself, seek revenge on anyone and everyone who took part in Pan's downfall or he'd follow Henry around, trying to cling to any remaining part of Pan's existence. Assuming Regina doesn't kill him that is

Or if you want to stick to the canon show a bit more then Rumpy could kill him after the curse was cast but before he could turn back to himself.

And side note- Peter actually looks more like Emma and Neal's kid tbh. Like Henry looks sort of like Regina's son, and I see the snow white in him, but I don't see the Emma yk? So in the "Emma loses her memory again and thinks she's a regular parent" storyline she'd just assume he turned out more like her, Regina could alter her memory into thinking he always looked like that anyway.

And in that version she'd have the two versions of her memory. One where she sees her son as he always was and then getting the memory of who he actually was dumped on her. And struggling even more with seeing both simultaneously, even worse because Henry also wouldn't remember.

Which brings me to the point of - imagine Henry trying to grow up looking like the guy that took advantage of his kindness like that? Every time he looked in a mirror he'd see Pan instead of himself (and there are a lot of mirrors around when you're being raised by the former evil queen).

He'd see everyone struggling to adjust to him, he'd know why, and he'd probably feel insanely awful about it. He blamed himself for Neverland anyway, now he'd blame himself for everyone's discomfort.

And like I said at the start of this lil au infodump, I don't think it would've worked long term in the actual show. I don't think the writers could've got it to work in some of the storylines, but Pan-Henry has been rattling around in my brain like a lego stuck in a jar since I first watched it. Basically I want everyone to be sadder and I want more Pan, the angst potential in this is incredible to me.

[kazoosandfannypacks]

A few tropes I've seen in Captain Swan AUs that I adore

(by no means a comprehensive list, nor are these present in every fic!)

David and Emma are siblings. In almost every modern au, David is Emma's overprotective older brother, and Mary Margaret is her sister-in-law. They are almost never her parents.

Liam is alive! Victory!

Liam is not alive! Angst!

Rumbelle must be fixed. There is an innate realization in CaptainSwan fans that Rumplestiltskin has committed too many errors and Belle deserves better, so I'm delighted by how many modern aus pair her off with someone else entirely, as a treat. This often pairs well with a Liam Lives AU.

Elsa! Elsa only showed up in half a season of ouat, but she's often given a sister or close friend role for Emma, and that's honestly very beautiful.

Jefferson and Hook are friends. These guys literally never interact in canon, but they have a good fanon friendship for whatever reason

While the villainization of Milah, Neal and Walsh is common in fics, I have never seen a fic in which Graham is the evil ex boyfriend. In this house we honor Graham Humbert.

Brennan Jones is a bad dad, always, in every universe. I remember reading a fic where not only was Brennan still alive and being a bad dad, but Cora was Killian's stepmother, and there was a section where Bennan told Cora off for something she did and I thought "wow, you know you're a bad parent when Brennan Jones calls you out on it."

[ocenitram]

( @bluebellestorybrooke , EF au if that’s okay. For Neal / Bae )

“ Sorry, did —- did I wake you?” Belle asked, putting away the duster. Rumplestiltskin hadn’t exactly mentioned anyone else in the castle.

"No, i was trying to sneak out before Papa returned." Baelfire replied confused as to the new stranger living in his home. "Who are you anyway? my name is Baelfire but most people just call me Bae." he introduced himself.

[teamhook]

Event Update::Captain Swan Co-Storytellers Collaboration

Hello, everyone! I'm very excited to announce that although it will be a week event it is still producing fics and a lovely collaboration. We have 5 groups.

I'm going to share a sneak peek into what to expect when we post around Thanksgiving.

Below the cut:

Story 1:

Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm had been the authors of many tales. Jacob wrote the framework and Wilhelm edited the stories making them better. The main goal was to give hope to the human race. As time passed on; the stories became darker and grim which earned them exile to the land of untold stories where they could hurt no one ever more. Time had finally liberated them from their prison and now their arrival to Storybrooke will allow them to fix the Author's lazy writing.

Story 2:

A Study in Scones

Summary: When pastries go missing from Storybrooke’s bakery, Killian and Emma enlist Henry’s help with Operation: Gingerbread. (A Captain Cobra Swan Mystery Fic) Rating: T

Story 3:

Try Something New

Blurb: Before they were True Love, they had to do one thing: learn to trust each other. Follow Emma Swan and Killian Jones across three alternate universes where one small decision would change the course of their lives.

Story 4:

The slam of the Bug’s old rusty door justled Neal awake, he’d just spoken with Emma, giving her the warning he needed. Now all he could hope was that his words had been enough to change her mind. His own words echoed inside his head as he took in the place he woke up in, dark walls, barely illuminated by a reddish light. “Where the hell am I?” Neal mumbled and tore off his beanie, swirling around himself. “Where’s the exit?” A wall flickered in a bright light and images of Emma climbing a beanstalk with the fucking pirate flittered before him, “Why am I seeing this, I know this story.”

Story 5:

A Historical AU, set in Revolutionary War times. Killian and Emma are both working as spies (against the British) and there is going to be intrigue, angst, whump, and hurt/comfort.

Who else is excited?

[shady-swan-jones]

August Rec List!

So, it's August after April, right? RIGHT?

Today is Author Appreciation day so that ties in nicely, thank you @4getfulimaginator2022. Show your appreciation in the comments, it's mandatory. I have no way to enforce this but come on, spread the love!

She's Perfect But You're Mine (3/3) by me

Killian has a girlfriend. Emma handles it with the utmost maturity and grace. Or not.

Dark Swan Story by isaballerina89

What if Emma is pregnant as Dark Swan? Based in season 5 captain swan love story fanfic. It is different from the show.

What if... (Season 4) by Kml19

What if Captain Hook turned into the Dark One to get revenge on Rumplestiltskin? What if he only met the heroes in Neverland?

I can’t love you in the dark (oceans apart) by weareforeverstarlaced

Emma had long resigned her role as princess and Killian did the same, having left piracy. But now, as the mist covers their cliff side cottage, Emma and Killian say their final goodbyes when Rumplestiltskin steals the former pirates heart. And all they could do is wait it out until Rumplestiltskin’s torment was done and it’s crushed. Not knowing when it would happen. However, when morning comes and Killian is gone, Emma has one final idea to bring him back.

Ties That Bind (6/20) by Anonymous

When Killian Jones returns home after years away, it's not for a warm reunion—he’s there to confront his adoptive father, the powerful and rich politician Mr. Gold. Desperate to free Milah from his clutches, Killian finds himself ensnared in one of Gold’s infamous deals. In exchange for Milah’s freedom, Killian must carry out a dangerous mission that puts him on a collision course with Emma Swan, a sharp and determined agent for a secretive government force.

Into the Parallel by CSColifer

Emma and Killian are Travelers with and ability to travel through time and across parallel realms. A chance meeting will change their lives forever.

Cann I Be Your Werewolf? by @belovedcreation

After a particularly nasty encounter with a criminal, bounty hunter Emma Swan's friend convinces her to adopt a guard dog from the shelter. Little does she know that the massive dog she brings home is really the werewolf Killian Jones, who's laying low in wolf form to hide from danger.

Heart Bound by @4getfulimaginator2022

CS historical AU (mid-19th century), real world setting, teacher!Emma and artist!Killian. After years of private tutoring, Emma goes to teach in a village by the sea in a desperate bid to escape her heartbreak and the outside world. She thinks that she'll always be lonely and out of place, but the local lighthouse keeper, a fellow recluse and the town outcast, makes her see that she is right where she belongs.

Animal Instincts by @hookswench

Killian Jones noticed the moment Emma Nolan walked into the tavern. She was innocent... and she was trouble. As a lone wolf, he wanted no part of her pack politics. But when rival Neal Cassidy attacks, Killian can't just stand by. One quick escape later, and Killian finds himself alone with temptation. And Emma isn't one to back down from what she wants.

The Secret Romance by CaptainSwan02

Emma Swan and Killian Jones have been hiding their relationship for a while now, not wanting anyone to find out. The two have navigated treacherous waters and clandestine meetings, all to keep their love hidden from prying eyes. But as their feelings deepen and the challenges they face grow, the strain of their secret weighs heavily on them.

haunted by the ghost of you by @exhaustedpirate

Killian is cursed - cursed to lose Emma over and over again. He is doomed to live, to lose his love forever until he can break it.

For All Life and For All Time by @snowbellewells

Having lost her dearest friend and with her own life on the line, Emma Swan joins a noble band to face an ancient evil. Three of them stand by her in honor of the one they loved and lost. The other might be the first man she could love. He might love her as well - even more than life itself. Time will tell... if they both survive the fight against their immortal enemy.

Pan Says... (13/13) by @hollythecurious

After waking up in a strange room with a naked stranger, Emma and Killian must endure the twisted game their kidnapper insists they play in order to gain provisions and avoid punishments.

Flight 815 (3/?) by @honey77bun

Emma moved into a new, incomprehensible world for her, in 1986. What to do? Unclear. And in this chapter, she'll have to find the strength to figure out what the hell is going on.

Too Well Tangled (12/21) by @myfearless-love

Killian Jones, the enigmatic Marquess of Hookstone, has more than earned his sinister sobriquet, the "Prince of Darkness." His past, a stormy mosaic of rejection and rebellion, has forged a man both feared and revered. Yet, the indomitable Miss Nolan proves an unexpectedly formidable opponent for his infamous charm.

Dracula in Storybrooke (6/?) by @grimmswan

“You don’t seem to be a vampire like the ones Dracula made.” Emma said softly, tracing her fingertips along Killian’s jaw. They were laying in bed. Holding one another. Gazing at each other lovingly.

Yet another villain had tried to tear them apart. And had failed. 

Not Broken At All (17/?) by @donteattheappleshook

A season 1 Neverland AU. Emma is still trying to adjust to her new life as Sheriff of Storybrooke and mom to Henry, who still believes everyone in town is a fairytale creature. When she finds a badly beaten, one handed man while patrolling, she’s convinced he’s crazy. But when Henry is suddenly taken out the window of a house everyone believes is haunted, the madman in the hospital might be her only hope of getting her son back. Whether he likes it or not.

I’ll Wait a Lifetime or Two by @hookedonapirate

At forty, Emma Swan is living her best life. She's happily single and owns a thriving art gallery with her best friend Elsa. And of course, there's the love of her life, her teenage son, Henry. Since the divorce three years ago, her carefully curated life has been quiet, peaceful, ordinary. So why does the one guy she ends up falling for have to be the rockstar her son has a poster of on his bedroom wall, whose life is nothing short of extraordinary?

Independence Day by @whimsicallyenchantedrose

With the Black Fairy defeated and the final battle won, Storybrooke is enjoying it's happily ever after and trying to make new memories. Emma has some exciting news for Killian.

Timeless (4/?) by @killiansprincss

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?

@caught-in-the-filter @allons-y-to-hogwarts-713 @the-darkdaughter-blog @teamhook @justanother-unluckysoul @karlyfr13s   @snowbellewells @xarandomdreamx @klynn-stormz @omninerdgirl   @facesiousbutton82 @finmnsoh56  @followbatb @killianxswan @booksteaandtoomuchtv @exhaustedpirate @anmylica @hollyethecurious @winterbaby89 @undercaffinatednightmare @resident-of-storybrooke @tiganasummertree @stahlords @darkshadow7 @fleurdepetite @captainswan-kellie @motherkatereloyshipper @soniccakes @jonesfandomfanatic @zaharadessert @bluewildcatfanatic @once-upon-a-happy-end @ultraluckycatnd @spartanguard

[perry-fics]

My Fics - Steve x Neal (Steal)

- So You Think You're Lonely

In the early days of Journey, Neal and Steve navigate their clashing personalities and creative differences while living under the same roof.

- Dissonance

Whoever said it’s better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all clearly hadn’t spent a night with Steve.

- Don't Fight It

Kenny thought he was just meeting the Journey guys, but what he didn’t expect was to get caught in the middle of the weirdest band dynamic ever.

- Steve vs. The Universe (series)

Steve is horny and the universe isn’t helping.

- Someday Soon (AU) (series) (also a little Steve x Gregg)

Steve is exhausted and his terrible day seems determined to go from bad to worse.

- Journey: Unscripted (AU)

“This isn’t just a movie about a band in the '80s,” Herbie said, leaning in, his eyes sharp with intensity. “It’s a raw exploration of fame—the way it distorts love and ambition, twisting everything good into something dark and messy. The audience needs to feel that struggle.”

Neal leaned back, running a hand through his hair, his heart racing at Herbie's words. “I’ll get there.”

- Let it be Me

t’s 1987 and Neal is getting married.

- Reunion

Steve and Neal reunite at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

- Edge of the Blade

The escalating tensions between Neal and Steve at the end of the Frontiers tour force the band to confront their issues before it’s too late.

[grace-williams-xo]

hey hey hey I saw your post!!! any good fic recs for white collar? :) anything is appreciated, I'm not picky!!!

thank you!!

Sure thing, White Collar fic recs coming right up! I have more in the folder if you want more/different, but here’s a mixed selection. I also have more similar fics but the list is already quite long enough, and some of these have sequels.

Always A Surprise: Neal/Sara, 1.7k, explicit, dom/sub, femdom. Neal is good little sub for Sara, but also wants Peter to fuck him—she knows and encourages his fantasies.

It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year: Peter & Neal, Peter/Elizabeth, Elizabeth & Mozzie, 3.8k, general, post-canon, reunions. Neal gets back from Paris and meets baby Neal at Christmas, also feat Diana and Theo.

Perspective: Peter/Neal/El, can be read as friendship, 5.2k, mature, kidnapping, hurt/comfort. Neal gets kidnapped and develops ptsd related to restraints ie his anklet, but Peter and El are doing everything they can to make him feel safe again.

Once Upon Another Time: Neal/Sara, Neal & Mozzie, 25k, mature, mpreg (not mpreg from Sara). Neal is a government breeder with no choice in the matter, and Sara is looking for her art thief at the same as the FBI—Sara finds Neal before Peter does.

The Last Con: Neal/Sara, 33k, teen and up, post-canon. Neal gets to live his life after canon, moving to London to be with Sara and work as an insurance investigator, but then he doesn’t anymore.

L’art pour l’art: Neal/Gordon Taylor, 834 words, general, fluff. The soulmates being fluffy in Paris.

Blown Up: Neal/David Siegel, 5k, explicit, character death, grief, suicidal thoughts. Very angsty sad fic with briefly happy Neal because Neal never gets to be happy.

The Island: Neal/David, 5k, explicit, character death, emotional hurt/comfort. Neal gets to fall in love, but it’s in secret, and he can’t be okay when he has to pretend it never happened.

Built on sand: Neal & Diana, 4.3k, teen and up, undercover as a couple, MLM WLW solidarity. Neal saves Diana from having to flirt with a guy on a mission, and Diana doesn’t realise how okay with it Neal is.

The Way You Make Me Feel: Neal/OMC, 6.3k, teen and up, bisexual Neal. Neal was in a nude painting for an ex boyfriend, then said painting ends up in FBI’s white collar division.

This Isn’t Where I’d Choose to Be (But Maybe it’s Where I Should Be): Neal/Peter, Neal/Matthew Keller, 666 words, general, AU canon divergence, not canon compliant. Peter, Neal and Keller get stuck in an elevator, prompting discussion and reenactment of the last time Neal and Keller were stuck in an elevator.

Our Secret to Keep: Neal/Peter, 2.6k, mature, semi-public sex, exhibitionism. Neal is underneath Peter’s desk with a gift, the gift is himself.

Audio Drama: Neal/OMC, Neal/Peter, Peter/Elizabeth (mentioned), 2k, mature, exhibitionism, professional ethics re consent. Diana, Peter and Jones have to sit in the van listening to Neal get a blowjob and then Peter confronts him about it and it ends about as you’d expect.

Fox Among Hounds: Neal/Peter, 11k, teen and up, pre-relationship, escorts, protective Peter. Neal pretends to be an escort for an undercover mission, and when it starts to go pear shaped I guess Peter was the only possible person to get him out of it.

A Gentleman’s Guide to Suits, Ties and (White) Collars: Neal/Peter, Mike Ross/Harvey Spector, Donna Paulson/Clinton Jones, 29k, teen and up, matchmaking, first kiss. Mike is on a mission to make Peter and Neal realise that they love each other via the most crazy crossover dinner party.

The New Boss: gen, crossover with Chuck, 14k, general, Neal Caffrey and Bryce Larkin are the same person. Hughes still gets pushed out as ASAC but maybe the CIA replacement isn’t who they were expecting.

Never Recognised A Purer Face: Blaine Anderson/Sebastian Smythe, Cooper Anderson & Blaine Anderson, 3.3k, teen and up, Cooper Anderson and Neal Caffrey are the same person, Seblaine high school sweethearts. Cooper Anderson faked his death, but now he has to protect his little brother from said brother’s criminal boyfriend.

[theladyragnell]

oooh for the ask meme - Kel and co., high school AU? this is just a dynamic that I absolutely live for <3

So the obvious thing here is, like, "Kel insists upon joining a men's sports team," but I think I've seen someone do something with that before, so let's try something else!

There is some kind of All Boys School that works rather like Eton, it's an incredibly prestigious boarding school that prepares future leaders, movers and shakers, and since Jonathan of Conte, a legacy student who's now in government and is head of the school's board, took over, there's been a rule on the books preparing the way for girls to attend, and Kel is, of course, willing to be the test case.

The thing with a high school AU is either that Neal has to be Kel's age, or he has to be some random older student who pops in to check on the babies? I think we're going to split the difference here! Neal is ~two years older than Kel, and he just transferred here from a less strait-laced school, but this school requires you to have a certain competency in, I don't know, horse riding, so he's put in with the youngest class for that, and that's how he and Kel bond.

First Test and Page play out much like they do in canon (allowing for everyone to be high school age, so starting the age they would be in Squire), Peachblossom things included, but with more focus on academics than on weaponry and probably with rowing and fencing instead of what weaponry remains. But the bullying and hazing plots remain largely intact.

Lalasa is on the school's cleaning staff, and as one of the few women working for the school she's given a bonus to live on-campus and act as Kel's Dorm Guardian, which is how they bond. On the day of Kel's final exams, which is also a day that alumni frequently come around, Joren locks her in an old outbuilding attic somewhere on campus.

I was trying to think of how to make the bandit attack work, and I think it's that they're on a summer camping trip learning how to light fires and things like that. Kel and her friends go to get some firewood and stumble into some kind of smuggling ring like it's a proper Boys Own Adventure story, and they bravely fend them off until the authorities arrive.

And then all the Squire and Lady Knight stuff is college and post-grad and would depart the text way more than this does!