#why is darcy present for all of those

[beheworthy]

closer and closer

[harmonyrae]

To Love a Prince

Synopsis: A feeling without a name. What you’ve felt ever since he walked into the audience hall on the day of your debut. Love at first sight only happens in fairy tales, right?

Content Warnings: SFW (future works could have NSFW elements fyi), plot & heavy angst, bullying - mean girls style, Sera being a blunt badass bitch once again (bless her), feeling invisible & forgotten (idk what that’s called)

Word Count: 7k

“Ellie! Are you positive you don’t want the book?”

Sera’s booming voice echoed up the stairwell making you cringe and brace for impact. A chorus of crying erupts from the bedroom next door and you sigh, so it begins. A blur of white and loud clicks pass your open bedroom door.

“Sera! The twins were sleeping!”

Cora yells down to her and you hear Sera swear. Your mother chastises her before both women climb the stairs to rush into the room with the screaming children. 

“Pamina no… Jane was just falling asleep!”

You step out of your room and lean in the doorway to watch the chaos unfold. Cora picks up her daughter and shifts her to her hip. Your mother chases after Pearl who had crawled out of the bed with her sister. If Leo wasn’t such a well behaved child you’re not sure how Rafayel and Cora could have managed with the twins. The girls are as wild as Winnie was as a child. Strangely enough, the set of twins that Winnie had a year later were nothing like their mother. 

“Jane, I know you are exhausted, please?”

Winnie was desperate, thankfully Zayne scooped his daughter into his arms to give her a moment of rest. He held his children to his chest and hummed in their ears, calming them down almost instantly. 

Cora and Sera tuck Pearl and Pamina in with a sigh of relief. Zayne settles Jane and Darcy into their cot before checking on Avalon. Theo’s daughter could sleep through anything, you’re convinced. 

“Is everything alright?”

Sylus walks in with Rose fast asleep against his shoulder. Sera gives him a kiss on the cheek before carefully taking their daughter to her cot. You could hear muffled giggling from downstairs where Leo and Sephie were playing with Rafayel and Caleb. 

This was your new normal. The past two years had been nothing but babies and whispered conversations at family dinners. You couldn’t even play your piano unless the house was completely empty. Those moments were few and far between nowadays, with your mother urging your sisters and their husbands to bring her grandchildren by. 

If it weren’t for your debut, you’re not sure your mother would even notice your existence. You know it’s unfair to think like this, but you’re rather used to it. Being the youngest, and quietest for that matter, meant sometimes you were just forgotten. It rarely bothered you, you preferred being alone. Reading your book and playing your piano in utter silence was your idea of a perfect day.

“Ellie, you’re quite sure you don’t need the book?”

Sera’s presence next to you takes you by surprise, drawing you back to the room full of babies. Their parents slip past you, tiptoeing out of the doorway you’re partially blocking.

“Yes. I’ll be fine.”

You turn on your heel and return to your room with Sera right behind you. To your surprise, all of your sisters and your mother are waiting for you in your room when you return. You hadn’t even realized they passed you, perhaps you do spend too much time in your head. 

“Sylus said Leo is already sleeping, even Sephie’s giggles can’t wake him.”

Sera plops down next to Cora who leans over onto Sera’s shoulder and closes her eyes. Theo extends her hand to you and you walk back over to your dressing table. You sit and let Theo finish pinning your hair in place, your long hair is usually twisted in a braid so you’re thankful she took over. You were completely lost in how to fix the mess on your head. 

“Has anyone discovered why the Queen has turned the debutante presentation into a circus? 

Winnie examines your bookshelf, pulling a few out to “borrow” as she makes her inquiry. Your mother, laid back on your bed with an arm over her eyes, just groans in response.

“Most likely due to last season being so dull, no young ladies got married at all! And the balls were apparently ‘too bland’ - even the Queens Ball was a disaster.”

“Who knew stuffing a hundred doves in a box could be so gruesome?”

Sera barely contains her laughter. What was meant to be a glorious release, the sky filled with dozens of beautiful doves, turned out to be a catastrophe. Seems the delicate birds are not so “delicate” afterall, especially if they are fighting for air in a confined space. 

“Time to get dressed.”

Theo taps your shoulder and helps you remove your housecoat. Your dress hung loosely on your petite frame, yet another reason you wish you were more like your sisters. At least they had a semblance of a figure, unlike you. Theo ties a silk belt and does her best to accentuate your delicate features.

“Ellie is bound to be the diamond of this season. Even if the Queen wasn’t asking the ladies to, what did she say… ‘prove themselves worthy of the attention” - Ellie would have piqued her interest.”

Spinning around, taking Theo with you, you stare at Winnie. 

“What do you mean?”

“Not only are you well known in society already, playing at nearly every ball you attend each season, but you are also the last Raeton daughter. The Queen always pays special interest to the baby of a noble family. The last bird to leave the nest. The final act of a magnificent play! Society will remember the Raeton name based on what you do.”

Your jaw aches from how you grind your teeth, your fingers rubbing small circles over the tight muscle. Theo pulls your hand away and turns you to face her. 

“Don’t listen to her. This is your first season, today will be the worst of it. You look lovely, Ellie.”

You can’t help but smile, you could always rely on Theo to calm you down after Winnie riled you up. That was the song and dance of your childhood. Cora and Sera in the stable with their horse, Winnie releasing frogs into the sitting room while Theo sat on the couch with her pen and paper, you lifting your feet to avoid the creature while you practiced at the piano. Now, they all have children of their own and you… well you’re still at the piano. 

“Yes, Eleanora, you look beautiful sweetheart. For the first time I am not worried about a debut, even with the Queens theatics. Ellie, you are charming and talented and kind… I have no doubt this season will be kind to you, even if you don’t find a match right away.”

You may be charming, talented and kind, but you are also awkward, high-strung and timid. Regardless of how today goes, you doubt the season will be any less taxing as all those before. 

The carriage ride to the palace was quiet. You breathed a sigh of relief as you leaned back and extended your hands. You close your eyes and move your fingers over the imaginary keys, humming the melody to the sonata you chose to impress the Queen. It was nothing extraordinary, an original piece you wrote when you were a child that you’ve spent half a dozen years perfecting. Today, you didn’t want to be experimental, you wanted to be safe. 

The palace is crowded, young ladies cling to their mothers while couples huddle together to speculate what each of them will be doing. The doors to the audience chamber were usually open upon arrival, allowing family to file in and wait for the Queen. The guards in front of the doors remain completely silent, which only fuels the wildfire of rumors. 

When the doors open, the crowd rushes forward to find a spot to stand. Your grip on your mothers arm grows tighter and she pats your hand, urging you to keep your eyes closed until she says so. You follow her instructions and steady your breathing. Just get through this and you can go home. Everything will be fine. The Queen’s booming voice startles the crowd.

“Today we are welcoming young ladies into society, witnessing the flower bloom. Watching them bask in the sunlight. However, we are also welcoming a distinguished guest, who will be staying at the palace this season, eager to see what our humble society has to offer.”

The crowd becomes lively as families begin to huddle close to whisper and speculate. The Queen clears her throat and continues.

“Our kingdom strives to have an exemplary relationship with all of our neighboring nations. With news of the mounting tension in Philos, we are offering our aide to bring their country back to its former glory. The King has sent his son, the crown prince, to initiate those efforts. He will be joining us this season as our most honored guest. Please, Prince Xavier, join me!”

The crowd goes completely silent as they turn towards the opening doors. A young man enters, dressed in white, his blonde hair swept across his forehead. He scans the crowd as he walks towards the Queen, his bright blue eyes catch the sunlight and shine like clear diamonds. Your throat tightens and your palms become slick with sweat. You’ve never been a nervous person, how is it that just a glimpse of this prince is enough to unsettle you? 

Prince Xavier sits next to the queen and leans back, as if he’s at afternoon tea and not a formal gathering with all of society. The Queen nods to the man standing beside her, he steps forward and begins reading off names. Young ladies step forward, curtsy, greet the queen and announce what they will be presenting. Some ladies sing, some play an instrument, but when Miss Langford drew a rather impressive sketch of the Prince the Queen was elated. 

“Miss Raeton.”

Your mother squeezes your arm when your name is called. She walks with you, arm in arm. You keep your eyes cast down to the floor to avoid the stares of the crowd and the judgemental glare of the Queen. When you reach the front, you curtsy with your mother and wait for the Queen to address you.

“Lady Raeton, she is your youngest, is she not?”

Your mother stiffens and now you’re the one holding her steady.

“Yes, your majesty. She is.” 

“Well, the final Raeton daughter enters society at last. I do look forward to seeing how you fair during your first season. Am I correct in assuming you’ll be performing a piece on the piano forte today?”

“Yes, your majesty.”

She smiles and gestures to the piano that had been set up for the occasion. The placement was curious, right under the largest windows with the drapes pulled back to allow the sun to nearly blind the player. As you sit, you immediately feel the intense heat of the sun and almost giggle at the thought of the Queen trying to intimidate the player with temperature. Luckily, your piano at home was right next to the window and you were very used to playing under such conditions.

You close your eyes and allow your fingers to rest against the keys, visualizing yourself at home without a huge crowd and two royals watching with your entire social standing in the balance. As the first note echoes through the hall, you feel your shoulders relax and your lips curl into a soft smile. You play with gusto, not holding back as you press the keys firmly and confidently. The song is meant to inspire and it does its job, you feel unstoppable. 

As the song ends, you almost feel disappointed, wishing you could play more. When you look up at the Queen she isn’t even looking at you, she’s looking over at the prince. He leans over on the armrest, his chin propped up on his hand, his eyes locked on you. Your cheeks flush, you stand and curtsy once more before rejoining your mother. The next young lady steps forward and the presentation continues, your mother gives you a quick hug while the Queen is distracted.

“That was marvelous, darling. I’m so proud.”

As the presentations come to a close, the Queen stands and clears her throat. 

“Miss Langford? Miss Raeton?”

Upon hearing your name, you almost trip over your own feet. Your mother gives you a gentle shove and you step forward to address the Queen. Miss Langford - tall, curvaceous, gorgeous - sways her hips as she steps up beside you. 

“I would like to formally invite you both, and your mothers, to tea. Retreat to the drawing room and I will send someone to fetch you. I would like an encore performance, wouldn’t you enjoy that as well Prince Xavier?”

Your eyes flick to the prince, who stares at the Queen in surprise. He nods and offers a polite smile to you and Miss Langford. The Queen claps her hands and waves her hands.

“That is all for today! You may go!”

As the hall empties, your mother fights against the crowd to get to you. She holds you close and drags you toward the window. You’re about to complain, but her lips close in next to your ear.

“I just overheard Lady Danton, the Queen intends to find a match for the Prince this season. It is Lady Danton’s opinion that Miss Langford and you, my love, are her top choices for the Prince.” 

You stare at your mother. She must have gone mad to believe a single word Lady Danton said. You? A suitable match for a Prince? Surely not. 

A tall gentleman approaches you and your mother.

“Please follow me.”

Your mother, Lady Langford, Addison Langford and yourself, follow the man through the winding halls of the palace. He opens the door to a large parlor and you see the Queen, the Prince and other royal family members lounging with their tea. The Queen rises and approaches you, after exchanging pleasantries, she gestures for you to sit and enjoy a cup. 

“Please, have some tea. I shall demand the encore once you’ve had time to replenish!” 

Sipping your tea, you try to think what you’ll play next. You had only practiced one song, while you know countless others, you hadn’t expected this. Sudden changes always make you anxious, you can’t seem to catch your breath. Even drinking, quite possibly, the most expensive tea you’ve ever had couldn’t distract you from what your mother had said. Were you truly being considered a match for someone like the Prince?

You spot him by the window, his eyes lit up in the afternoon sun as he examines the palace garden. He’s tall, broad, well-dressed, rather quiet and his face… he’s unbearably handsome. His soft features and wide eyes make him appear almost lost in the chaotic whirlwind of the Queen’s presence. 

Addison approaches him with a sickeningly sweet smile, her curtsy a tad too low, her torso leaning forward until her decolletage was on full display. In front of the Queen? Her own mother? She’s just asking for a scandal with this performance. She makes small talk with the Prince, the corner of his mouth tipping into a polite smile. You wish you were more outgoing, you’d walk up and join the conversation. If Lady Danton is right, you have an equal opportunity to impress him. Wait, why do you care? Do you care?

“Miss Raeton! Do play us another song!”

The Queen chirps from her armchair, her feet propped up on a cushion as a servant refills her tea cup. You look over to your mother and she nods. You can see her cup tremble as she lifts it to her lips. And she thought your debut would be less stressful than your sisters…

You take a seat at the piano, thankful it is positioned in the corner far away from your audience. Perhaps they will just enjoy the soft music and not pay too much attention. Of course your hopes are in vain, as soon as you begin playing a familiar tune the Queen claps.

“I do love this melody, but oh! Prince Xavier? You must know a duet or two, how about you play with Miss Raeton?”

The Prince stares at the Queen, his posture growing tense as everyone in the room focuses on him. He clears his throat and straightens his jacket. 

“Yes, your majesty, I know a few. However, Miss Raeton’s performance is lovely, I would not want to impose.”

“Nonsense! Miss Raeton, you must play with the Prince! I insist!” 

Well, if she insists... You’ve played duets before, but your father was the only one who took the time to practice with you. It’s been years since you’ve had the chance. You look over to the Prince and bow your head, you’re unsure if he will see the gesture as an apology or an invitation. 

“Of course, your majesty.”

You look over at the Prince, whose cheeks flush as he walks towards you. You move over to make room for him to sit. He raises a brow and hesitates, leaning forward just enough to whisper. 

“Are you quite certain you wish to play Secondo?”

A giggle escapes before you can stop it. Your father had encouraged you to learn how to harmonize by ear, and now it was second nature. Typically, the more experienced player would play Secondo, your decision to sit on the left side was a statement. One you were not willing to take back. You sit up straight and flash a smile. 

“Quite.”

The flush staining the Prince’s cheeks deepens as he sits next to you. If this means you would no longer be a worthy candidate for him, so be it. He tilts his head toward you and stretches his fingers over the keys.

“What would you like to play, Miss Raeton?”

His voice dips as he says your name, slow and sweet. You see his lips part to flash a coy smile in your direction. Oh… your heart flutters and your stomach drops. The way he is looking at you out of the corner of his eye is… why are you so nervous?

“Are you familiar with the Sussex Waltz?”

He nods. You turn away from him and place your hands over the keys, waiting for him to begin. You hear him chuckle softly before he begins to play. Your fingers dance across the keys together, his playing the sweet melody while yours harmonize effortlessly. As the song comes to an end, your hands brush against each other, when he doesn’t pull away immediately you nearly fumble the finale. Closing your eyes, you see it through and when you hear the room fill with applause you open them to look over at the Prince.

“You play very well. I must ask, did you compose the piece you played at the debut?”

You nod, your eyes flit back to the keys. His fingers remain beside yours, his pinky brushes against yours as he stretches his fingers. A shiver runs down your spine as he maintains contact, when you glance at him he wears the whisper of a smile. 

“I… I’d very much like to… to play with you again. If you are willing?” 

Your heart flutters, the way his voice shook as he asked… Your cheeks ache from how wide your smile has grown. 

“I would… very much. Yes, I would like that.”

“Your Highness, that was incredible.” Miss Langford curtsies. You notice how she dramatically bats her dark lashes at him. 

“Thank you, Miss Langford. But I believe the praise is better directed to Miss Raeton. I provided the melody, but she brought the piece to life.”

The Prince watches you, his cerulean eyes scan your features like he’s committing you to memory. You’re too distracted by Addison’s glare to notice how the Prince blushes as his eyes dip down to your neck.

“She certainly did! Oh, your Highness, her Majesty told me you were invited to Lord Blackwood’s ball. I do hope you’ll be in attendance.”

You feel the Prince move his hand away, his pinky was still linked with yours when Addison approached - had she noticed? 

“Yes, I… I will be attending.”

“Forgive me for my boldness, your Highness, but I must insist you save me a dance.”

You stare at your hands in your lap, Addison has always been confident while you hide in the shadows. The way she smiles and dances, graceful and elegant, she’d be a perfect princess. 

“O-of course.”

You stand and curtsy, whispering your thanks and farewells to the pair. You don’t stand a chance. 

“She insisted he save her a dance, he agreed and then he didn’t ask for you to save him a dance?!”

Your fingers spasm causing you to hit the wrong key, turning the soft tune sharp. You’d been playing all morning and your hands were aching, but your newly discovered anxiety had kept you up all night. Playing is the only thing that can calm you down. Your sisters had left to take the children to Rafayel’s aunt’s house a few hours ago. Talia was kind enough to volunteer to watch them overnight, which meant your sisters could truly enjoy the ball. So when they returned to prepare for the ball they were shocked to see you were still seated at your piano. 

Sera sent the rest of your sisters away, promising to get you ready. Cora made her promise to “be nice” and Theo gave her a stern look - they really must think you are too fragile for Sera’s bluntness. Sera nearly shoved them through the door before pulling a chair over to the piano. She propped her feet up on the stool next to your thigh and threw an arm over her eyes. 

“Go on, tell me what’s wrong. And don’t say you’re alright, I know you’re not.”

Thus began the story about your interaction with the Prince, his lingering touch and Addison’s interruption. Sera’s demeanor had shifted from “tell me your problems” to “let’s plot” rather quickly. Now, she was positively livid at the notion the Prince hadn’t asked you to save a dance tonight. 

“I… he was probably surprised by how forward she had been…”

“He’s a Prince! Surely he’s been trained to handle surprising encounters with more dangerous adversaries! And yet he could not muster up the courage to ask the young lady, who he's obviously more interested in, to save him a dance? It is positively ridiculous!” 

“Sera…”

“No! I do not care if he is a Prince. You deserve better! A man who will tell other young ladies that he is not interested. I have known you all your life, you think I do not know that you only play Beethoven and skip tea when you’re upset. Did you even sleep last night?”

You pull your hands back and stare at them in your lap. You hadn’t realized how intuitive Sera was, or that she’d paid attention to your habits so closely. Your silence tells Sera all she needs to know. 

“Ellie… you’re losing sleep over someone who you do not truly know and who is treating you as an option. You are not an option. And if he had any sense, he would have seen that right away.”

“She’s right.”

Sylus’s voice startles both of you. Sera drops her feet off your stool and turns to face him.

“You do not even know what we are discussing!”

Sylus strolls in and settles onto the sofa, unbuttoning his overcoat as he leans back. He smiles, winking at you before he narrows his eyes on his wife.

“Do I need to know? Even if I disagree, I know better than to say so when you’re using that tone, my love.”

Sera scoffs and crosses her arms.

“What do you mean I have a tone? What tone is that, exactly?”

You touch your lips to remind yourself not to laugh, you’ve missed how passionate Sera can become. Sylus loves to tease her, riling her up just to see what she’ll say. 

“The tone of a big sister fighting for better treatment for her little sister. Feisty, with the right amount of bite.”

Sera deflates, her shoulders relaxing as she realizes his intent. 

“Well… she does, does she not?”

“That is why I agreed.” 

Sera turns back around, her cheeks are flushed, but there’s a subtle smile she’s trying to suppress. She looks up at you and tries her best to look stern. 

“Do not give him any more of your attention.”

“Pardon?!” Sylus chirps.

Sera flips her hair over her shoulder and scowls at Sylus.

“I’m talking about the Prince, you crow! Now sit up or you’ll wrinkle!”

Sylus chuckles turn into a belly laugh when you snort. Sera stares at both of you with her arms crossed. She stands and grabs your elbow, pulling you up.

“I despise you both. Come on, you need to get ready.”

Sera guides you upstairs to your room, she begins pulling dresses from your wardrobe - completely ignoring the dress hanging up on the door.

“You are not wearing that boring old thing. We will find you a dress that will make the Prince regret his indecision. He shall watch you dance all night long with the knowledge that his cowardice caused him to lose his chance to be with Eleanora Diana Raeton.”

You don’t argue with her, you’re not only too tired, but also the thought of the Prince staring at you all night… It may be improper, but it is a nice feeling. 

Sera braids your hair and twists the ends securing them with a few bejeweled pins and twists loose strands into delicate waves. Putting your simple dress to the side, Sera pulls one of your more… opulent… dresses over your head. The square neckline and heavy beading flatters your small chest and the wispy sleeves fall elegantly over your shoulders. Your best gloves fit snugly around your upper arms and the necklace around your neck is your absolute favorite. 

“How do you feel?”

Sera looks at you in the mirror, her hands smooth the soft ivory fabric before wrapping around your waist to hug you.

“I feel… beautiful...”

Sera’s smile lights up the room.

“Good. Enjoy yourself tonight, dance, drink, be merry. Do not let the Prince ruin your happiness. And if he asks to dance? Refuse him.”

“Sera!”

“What? Just tell him your card is full and he should have secured a dance last night…”

With that, she turns to bounce out of the room. You giggle to yourself, if only you had the courage to do what she suggests. You make your way back to the dayroom to play the piano until the rest of your party is ready to depart. Your mother is shocked at your choice of dresses, but praises you for your boldness.

The ride to the Blackwood’s manor is filled with the latest gossip. Miss Reed has accepted an arranged marriage, Miss Tate was caught with the stable boy, Miss Krout spent the winter courting Lord Winslow only to reject his offer of marriage. You should really write all of this down, there’s too many scandals to remember.

Lord Blackwood welcomes your family and almost immediately after being announced, everyone breaks off. Rafayel and Cora make for the garden, Sylus and Sera search for wine, Caleb and Theo waste no time joining the other dancing couples and Zayne and Winnie find themselves surrounded by pregnant guests asking for advice. 

You cling to your mother, who whispers encouraging words in your ear. You spot the Queen, seated next to a large floral arrangement, which she is immensely displeased with by the looks of it. Her companions keep her laughing and her glass full. 

Eventually, you see Addison with her usual group, huddled together in a corner. Addison occasionally points to a young lady, eliciting a giggle from the rest of the gaggle. When she spots you she immediately starts walking over. You sip your wine and say a prayer, your fingers digging into your mothers arm just as she arrives in front of you.

“Lady Raeton! Miss Raeton, how lovely to see you both. Eleanora, I barely recognized you… your dress is gorgeous.”

You feel your mother tense, you’re glad she can also sense how insincere Addison is. Before you can reply the booming voice of the announcer echoes through the hall. 

“Prince Xavier of Philos!”

Every head turns to the giant staircase, the Prince stands at the top, he nods to the crowd as politely as he can. His hair is slicked back, with his white double-breasted tailcoat and matching trousers he looks like an angel in the candlelight. He begins to slowly descend the stairs and Addison immediately rushes past you towards him. You hear your mother sigh loudly.

“She’s rather eager isn’t she? She’ll make a young man very irritated… I mean happy one day.”

“Mama!” You gasp.

She chuckles and pats your arm. 

“Do not wait on him all night. Mr Jeremiah Bloom appears to be very interested in taking you for a waltz.”

You stare at her for a moment, it’s rare that your mother and Sera agree on something. But it seems waiting on the Prince to “choose you” is something neither woman wants for you. You search the room for Jeremiah and find him by the dessert table. He tries to appear nonchalant, but you noticed how he’d turned his head away a moment before. Taking a deep breath you make your way across the room.

Keeping your head down, you make your way past the Prince and Addison, only stopping briefly to curtsy before continuing. Your chest aches when you don’t hear the Prince say anything, but when you look over your shoulder you see Addison dragging him to the dance floor. 

“Miss Raeton, coming to inspect the offerings?”

You smile, eyeing Jeremiah as he places a small cake on his plate. He’s an attractive man, curly brown hair, bright eyes, and a sweet voice.

“Mr Bloom, yes, it appears they have a lovely spread this evening.”

He nods, his cheeks turning rosy as you step a bit closer. 

“I must say, I am surprised to see you in attendance, usually your shop keeps you busy all season. Did you provide the arrangements tonight?”

“Yes! Ahh yes, I did. I am invited to every event my shop provides arrangements for, I do not usually attend. I was able to hire a delivery boy this season, so I had more time to relax after finishing the designs.”

You examine the flower arrangement on the table. The pink roses are in full bloom, bright and fragrant. It seems his garden was blessed this season. 

“They’re beautiful…”

“Thank you… Miss Raeton, I would… I would very much like to ask you to –”

“Miss Raeton?” 

Jeremiah’s face pales as he looks at the man standing behind you. The voice is sharp and deep, when you turn to face the man you’re shocked to see the Prince standing a tad too close. Your eyes blow wide when you see him, your legs shake as you try to curtsy, you lose your balance and he catches you.

“Your Highness, I lost my footing, forgive me.”

“I would like to ask if you would honor me with a dance?”

He holds onto your arm, his eyes locked on yours. 

CRASH

A waiter drops a tray of champagne behind you, glass shatters as the liquid soaks into the back of your dress. You gasp, shifting forward, the Prince holds onto you, but your other hand flails and lands right into the top layer of a decadent cake on the table next to you. With the back of your dress wet with champagne, your hand coated in sugar and your confidence sinking into the floor, you let out a pitiful cry. 

You pull your arm away from the Prince and bend to pick up the bottom of your dress. Carefully maneuvering around the broken glass you rush to an open doorway. You can hear the waiter apologizing profusely and the hurried footsteps of the Prince behind you. 

“Miss Raeton!”

You don’t stop. You’re turning the corner when you hear Addison’s voice. Peaking around the corner you see Addison standing with the Prince, her hand on his arm. She leans closer and places her other hand on his shoulder. Your throat tightens, your cheeks burn, tears spill before you can stop them. Your cake-coated hand drops, smearing across your already ruined dress. 

“Miss Raeton will need time to clean up. Would it not be better for your Highness to dance and mingle while you wait for her to return? Surely, she would not wish for you to worry yourself with her condition. Come, dance with me until she returns.”

She tugs his arm and turns him around, leading him back to the dance floor. You’re about to back away and continue your search for a place to clean yourself when you see the waiter. He's still kneeling on the floor picking up broken glass, but he looks up at the Prince and Addison as they pass. The man smiles at Addison, he nods and chuckles to himself as they pass him. 

No. She wouldn’t. Would she? Who would believe you?

You bite your lip and a tear slides from your cheek into your mouth. The salty aftertaste of your tears serves as a reminder - you never stood a chance. You race down the hallway until you find a servant who points you in the direction of a cloakroom. When you find the door, you hurry inside and search for a towel. You pour water into a basin and clean your hand before turning your attention to your dress. The beautiful ivory discolored, drenched from your knee down, the bitter scent of the champagne lingers no matter how much you wipe at the fabric. 

There’s a knock at the door, your mother or one of your sisters must have seen the incident and made their way to you. Sitting down on a chaise to slip off your soaked slippers. 

“Y-yes, come in.” You stutter through a sob, barely looking up when the door opens.

“I-I’m alright, I think I should go… I should go home.” You sniffle loudly.

“Eleanora.”

You stand so quickly you almost tumble over, the Prince shuts the door silently before slowly making his way over to you. Using the back of your hand you dry your cheeks and blink rapidly to dispel any remaining tears. 

“Y-your Highness, you should not…”

“I should not be here?”

He stands in front of you, his brows knit together with concern. You watch the concern turn to frustration as you step aside, trying to create distance. 

“I… I am not…”

That feeling without a name wells up deep in your chest. You’re exhausted and angry, so angry. Why is he wasting his time with you? Why is he here? Addison is waiting for him. You grip the towel in your hands so tightly your fingers start to hurt. Finally, you huff and look up at him directly.

“I do not need your pity. Your intentions should remain elsewhere. I am sure Miss Langford will be a splendid Princess.”

You stalk past him only to be caught and hauled backwards. His hand wraps around your waist, an arm slinking up your back to pull you flush against him. When his lips find yours every inch of your skin is set ablaze. The room fades to white, you drop the towel and grab onto his shoulders, fingernails digging into the fabric of his coat as he deepens the kiss. Something deep in your stomach begins to coil and writhe, your hips press closer to his. He groans softly, which makes that feeling bloom. He pulls back, resting his forehead against yours. His hand settles on the side of your neck, thumb tracing your jaw.

“Never suggest any other woman would ever be worthy of that title.”

His whispered words bring fresh tears to your eyes. He moves his fingers to your chin, his nose rubs against your cheek lovingly. 

“Ever since I saw you sit down at that piano I’ve thought of nothing but you. You closed your eyes, your fingers danced across the keys, your smile… Like the music was singing to you, telling you a secret only you’d understand. I had forgotten what that felt like… to feel for the sake of feeling.”

His thumb traces your lower lip, his own lips drag across your cheek to your jaw. You close your eyes, letting the world fade away as you embrace this moment.

“All I’ve ever known is my duty to the crown. But you reminded me of something I’d long forgotten. Something dead and buried. I did not believe in love until the moment I saw you. You may think I’m mad…”

“No…”

He leans back just enough to meet your eye.

“I do not… think you are mad.”

The corner of his mouth twitches and you lean in to kiss it. He shudders, his hands moving up and down your back like he’s afraid to let go.

“I only want you… please…”

“Your Highness, I –”

“Xavier. Please, please call me by my name.”

You pause, every argument dissolving on your tongue. Love, the feeling without a name. What you’ve felt ever since he walked in the audience hall that day. Love at first sight only happens in fairy tales, right? No. You’ve never been so sure of anything. You love him.

“Xavier…” You whisper.

A soft gasp, he stares at your lips.

“Xavier…” You whisper again, wrapping your arms around his shoulders, your fingers sliding through his soft hair.

“Xavier…”

He closes the distance, his lips capture yours once more. The tenderness from the first kiss has melted into something passionate and raw. His lips move with intensity, faster and deeper than before. He moans and you shiver, gasping at the warmth that spreads through your chest. As his tongue slips in and your knees give out. He holds onto you, backing you both up until you feel the chaise behind you. He lowers you both onto it, one of his hands dipping to pull your leg up to his side. His fingers dig into your thigh and you whimper, letting one of your hands drop down to his face. His skin is hot, his pulse rapid, you want more. 

“Xavier…”

Whispering his name against his lips proves to be your undoing, he groans and dips his lips to your neck. He presses open mouth kisses down the side, to your collarbone and across your chest. His hand begins to pull up your skirt and he lifts himself up to look at you. You nod, urging him to continue whatever he has planned. Caution long forgotten, the feeling of safety, happiness, love… That’s all you want to feel.

His hand dips under your skirt and traces your inner thigh. You gasp, your chest rising and falling faster as he continues to place kisses to your heated flesh. His fingers move higher and higher as his lips capture yours again. Your stomach tightens with anticipation, more, more, more… 

Click

“Oh! Your Highness!”

Xavier flies backward, standing and taking a step back. You stand and straighten your dress, your eyes locking with Xavier for a moment before looking towards the door.

“Miss Raeton…”

Addison Langford stands by the door, a hand over her heart, her face barely holding back her rage. She closes the door and steps further into the room. 

“Eleanora Raeton. I am… Well, I am shocked.”

“Addison…”

“Your Highness, I do hope you are not considering a union with a compromised woman.” 

She looks over her shoulder at the door, you can hear muffled voices in the hallway. 

“Addison please…”

“You shall call on me early in the morning, your Highness. I am sure my mother will be delighted to accept your offer to marry me.”

Xavier hands curl into fists, he takes another step forward.

“I am certainly not the only guest to see Miss Raeton enter this cloakroom. And I did not come alone. I imagine the gossip will be damning when you are seen leaving, your Highness. I may, if so inclined, be willing to dampen those rumors.”

You sob, your hands clutch your stomach. Xavier turns to look at you, he reaches out but you back away. His face twists, anger and desperation melt into helplessness. Someone of his standing, even if he’s the one who compromised you it would be disgraceful for him to propose to you. His father would never approve of the marriage, he wouldn’t accept a woman like you as the future Queen of Philos. Even if Addison covers up your indiscretion, she has the upper hand. You stumble forward, locking eyes with Addison. She has the audacity to smile, but why not? She won.

You open the door and let it swing open fully. Outside, Addison’s mother waits for her, the moment she sees you she gasps. She steps forward and looks past you, seeing her daughter and the Prince inside. You close your eyes and slide past her, but you still hear her mutter under her breath. 

“Disgraceful…”

You continue down the hall, looking up to see the hall lined with a few of the Prince’s guards. They must have accompanied him. A few guests just stare, leaning to look past you. You hear their gasps and whispers as the Prince exits the cloakroom. Your name on their lips, your dress askew, the Prince’s hair a mess - the damage is done. 

Ducking down another hallway, you break into a sprint. Your shoes forgotten in the cloakroom, the cool wooden floors under your feet turn to gravel as you rush through the front door of the manor. You run, your lungs burn and your eyes sting, but you don’t stop. You stumble and fall, your knees and palms breaking open on impact. 

“Miss Raeton!”

Mr Wilson, your family's coachman, rushes to your side. He kneels and pulls his handkerchief from his breast pocket, dabbing at your bloody palms. You look up at him with tear filled eyes. 

“P-please take m-me home.”

Mr Wilson helps you up and escorts you to the carriage. He pulls out a blanket from under the seat and wraps it around your shoulders.

“I will find a servant to tell your mother where you’ve gone. I will be back in a moment.”

He turns and jogs to the house. You sit alone, shivering and bloody. You’ve ruined your reputation. You’ve ruined your family's reputation. And worst of all…

Your heart is completely shattered. ✨♔❤️‍🔥✨

AN: I know. I hurt my own feelings with this one... This is it for Part 1 of the Regency AU series. There will be a Part 2 eventually, which will be the conclusion for each story. Part 2 may have smut or there will be a "bonus chapter" for that. I like how it's SFW yet suggestive imo - let me know what you think!

If you're curious, CLICK HERE to see a breakdown for each couple & their kids/ages. I know it's a lot to keep track of when reading lol

𝕿𝖆𝖌𝖑𝖎𝖘𝖙: @trishiepo0 @not-so-quite-human @kitsunetori @babyx91 @libriomancer @lilyadora @crowskitten22 @letharue @silverbrain @alastor-simp @drama-trauma @0tterteeth @mysticcollectionvoid @godzillaglitter @godoffuckedupcats @klmpun @ariallaisawesome @kiude @tati-the-fangirl @mtcozylove @3fingersofscotch @stxrrielle @angelicspaceprince @hebreeee @beykyuns @sylusgirlie7 @goblynn @moonberry69 @laddelulu30 @mariojins @zhongtar @emneedshelp @xsammijoanneex @bubbleteakittyy @canta-loop @sylus-crow @mikachux3 @msturi2u @katasstrophie @never-justforever @rione-x @lalaluch @bruisedchickensoup @creator-freak

[bennetsbonnet]

'Go to hell' is basic. 'I hope one of your favourite characters in all of fiction constantly gets their personality and motivations misrepresented in posts that go viral online, leading to persistent misunderstanding of them as all of their flaws are excused and their character arc is flattened' is real. It's possible. It's terrifying. It happened to me. Again.

(Obviously not my screenshot as for starters I wouldn't 'like' such a thing... but anyway I quit that hideous website long ago. This is yet another terrible Mr Darcy take courtesy of Pinterest... why is it always on there that I find these horrendous takes?!)

At what precise point in the narrative was Mr Darcy ever shy?

He certainly seemed to have no problem with speech when it came to insulting Elizabeth at the Meryton assembly when he publicly insulted her, nor was he so overcome by 🥺social anxiety🥺 that it prevented him from making it abundantly clear that he was singling her out as the subject of his disparaging remark:

'Which do you mean?' and turning round [Mr Darcy] looked for a moment at Elizabeth, till catching her eye, he withdrew his own and coldly said: 'She is tolerable, but not handsome enough to tempt me; I am in no humour at present to give consequence to young ladies who are slighted by other men...'

But Darcy was not simply awful about Elizabeth in her presence. Oh no, he was also quite happy to insult her looks to his friends;

Mr Darcy had at first scarcely allowed her to be pretty; he had looked at her without admiration at the ball; and when they next met, he looked at her only to criticise. But no sooner had he made it clear to himself and his friends that she hardly had a good feature in her face...

As well as making Elizabeth and her family the butt of his jokes, as Caroline Bingley later informs us:

'I remember, when we first knew her in Hertfordshire, how amazed we all were to find that she was a reputed beauty; and I particularly recollect [Mr Darcy] saying one night, after they had been dining at Netherfield, "She a beauty!—I should as soon call her mother a wit."'

Nor did Mr Darcy (who we are explicitly told has no difficulty making long speeches) have any problem with telling Elizabeth to her face exactly how far he considered her beneath him during his proposal to her:

[Darcy] spoke well; but there were feelings besides those of the heart to be detailed; and he was not more eloquent on the subject of tenderness than of pride. His sense of her inferiority— of its being a degradation—of the family obstacles which had always opposed to inclination...

All while he insulted her intelligence as he insisted that he's Such A Catch that he could have easily flattered his way into her heart:

These offenses might have been overlooked, had not your pride been hurt by my honest confession of the scruples that had long prevented my forming any serious design. These bitter accusations might have been suppressed, had I, with greater policy, concealed my struggles, and flattered you...

Idk... he doesn't seem so shy to me!

The only way any of this behaviour could be accidental was if Darcy was a full-time somnambulist. But given that he doesn't use that excuse in his letter, I'm inclined to believe that wasn't the case...

Also, I feel like shy and aloof is sort of a contradiction. Shy people are less inclined to be outgoing and talkative by their very nature, but it does not necessarily follow that they are rude and if they are, innate shyness is no excuse to hurt anyone's feelings. To be aloof, to me, seems to be a conscious choice rather than merely someone's nature. So, while I would agree that Darcy is aloof, he absolutely knows how to speak to people; he knows how to be polite. But he chooses not to be, because he thinks everyone else is beneath him...

Mr Darcy's choice to be rude and treat those that he viewed beneath him with utter contempt, as they were not worth the effort it would require from him to simply be civil, is such a fundamental aspect of his character. It is absolutely vital to grasp if you are ever to fully appreciate Pride and Prejudice for the masterpiece that it is.

Otherwise there's no pride and no prejudice... so what are we left with... 'and'? Doesn't exactly sound like a page-turner to me...

[itspileofgoodthings]

@joons Chelsea this is so funny I’m going to SCREAM

this movie HATES that it has to deal with plot it just wants vibes but it's Austen so everything is connected and it can't get away from plot no matter what it does

[kathrahender]

Trollhunters Ships Analysis

Jlaire ❁ The first thing we know about Claire is not that he's a punk/gothic girl, a girl with good grades, something about her family, or something interesting about her. The first thing we know about her is this: she's the crush of Jim. And although in the novels it is shown the reason why Jim has a crush on Claire, in the show it doesn't. And not showing why Jim likes her makes you think that reason is very shallow. You could think "maybe he likes her because she's popular" or "maybe she's attractive for him". And the truth is he doesn't know anything about her at the beginning, so he's just in love with an idea of her. Later in the show, they start talking more and become friends, they decide to go together to a ball, and in season 2, they kiss. My question is the following: Why did they go to the ball together or kissed if Claire didn't show she liked Jim in season 1? Yeah, they talked, and Claire told him they were going to get out Enrique from the Darklands together, but when did Claire show she liked Jim too? Last time I checked, during the whole season, Claire was more interested in the safety of Enrique than in dating Jim. And suddenly, she's in love with him. Damn, I know the show didn't have many episodes to develop the realtionship, but at least they could have worked a little more in them (or at least make them take longer in deciding to date). I've seen other movies where a character had a crush in another character, and those writers handled better that relationship with even less time.

Stricklake ❁ At first, Strickler just wants to talk to Barbara because Jim was the trollhunter, without meaning to really fall in love with her (something he eventually did). But in the second part of season 1, he uses her to manipulate Jim into not hurting him (entwining his fate with Barbara's, which is not okay even if he doubts doing that to her). Later, when Vendel is breaking their bond, Strickler says "Forgive me, Barbara", which, fair, can be Strickler's way of saying "I'm sorry", but it would have been better to directly say "I'm sorry". In the final episode of season 2, he came back to Arcadia (after leaving at the end of season 1) and in season 3 we see them going to talk to Barbara. And he could have made it about her, he could have acted as if he cared about her and her feelings, but I got the feeling that talking to her again was something he did to feel better with himself rather than really apologizing to Barbara for "leaving without telling her" (we all know that wasn't the reason why he neeeded to apologize, but that's what Barbara believed at that moment). Their development during season 3 after that was "okay", but I don't like how they got there. Strickler hurt her and her son, even if he wasn't good at apologies, and even if he wanted to show he was sorry instead of directly saying it, sometimes you need people to tell you they're sorry for hurting you. And Barbara deserved that apology. (Strickler might not be a person who directly says "I'm sorry", but other character I've seen are the same, and some of them did apologize even if it "wasn't in their blood")

Darby ❁ The main problem with this ship is how many times Darci appeared. She wasn't one of the main characters, and she wasn't present in every episode (or almost every episode) like Toby, Jim or Claire. She didn't even have a proper development as a character: everything "important" about her was her relationship with Toby, as if she was there just to date him. Besides, their development is almost null. For example, why did Darci like Toby? She said, while taking of her mole mask, that she wanted him to invite just her to the ball and not other girls (what puts Toby in a bad position because he asked all the girls from the high school to go with him to the ball), but why? Why did she want him to invite her? What did she saw in him, when at the beginning of the show she didn't even pay attention to him? Also, why did Toby like Darci? It's the same problem Jlaire has. Toby didn't know her, and for some reason he fell in love with her. And for what? Because of how she acted being the mole mascot? Sorry, but that isn't believable. And they weren't even friends like Jlaire did! Darby went straight from “students who barely knew each other” to “couple". This ship is more like a way to give Toby a happy ending (to imitate Jlaire and Stricklake) than a naturally relationship. You could blame the number of episodes again for that, okay— but there are plenty of other shows and movies with less screen time that handled romantic arcs so much better.

Staja ❁ This ship at first seems like something interesting: a human ex-bully dating an alien princess, but when you look deeper into it, you see there's a lack of good writing there. Mostly because of Steve (not because of Aja). In Trollhunters, he was a bully who changed and started to be better in season 3, but in 3 Below, the writers just threw away that sub-plot as if it meant nothing and wasn't important. Instead of making Steve try to be better, and keep working in his redemption, the writers decided to make him stupid again, reversing all the progress he did in earlier episodes. They made him a flat character, without giving him the complexity they gave him in Trollhunters, and he went from being "the bully who tries to be better" to "the stupid boy who dates Aja, a princess from another world". The writers decided to make Aja a strong independent woman, and that's okay, but they also should have given Steve a good characterization. And they decided to disrespect him and disrespect what he was trying to be in Trollhunters: a better person. I'm not criticizing the writers for giving Aja a feminist writing, I'm criticizing the writers for being biased towards her and making the Steve (the boy of the relationshi) weaker and more stupid to highlight Aja's character. As I mentioned in another post, writers don't need to make the male character in a straight relationship weaker, more stupid, or useless in order to make the female character stronger, more intelligent, or more useful.

Ps: This is my opinion, and while I accept to have a discussion about what I said, I don't accept people forcing me to change my mind or saying "you're wrong because [X] 😡😡!"

Ps 2: I tagged this as anti Jlaire, anti Stricklake, anti Darby and anti Staja, but to be honest I'm not an anti of any of these ships. I don't hate them, I just don't like how they were handled in the show. I can perfectly read a fic of them because the only media I don't like of them is the canon. Honestly, fic writers are definitely better at writing them than the canon writers were.

[magixfairyix]

Magical Adventure Idea:

OKAY so y'know when the Winx go to Ovrum and they see those shadowy figures clawing at the walls/magic cells, or whatever the hell they're stuck in.

WHAT IF those shadow figures were the past 'metees' or 'descendants' or 'vessels' of the Ancestral Witches? They had broke under the pressure, and their souls had been sent to Ovrum (for what reason? I have no fucking clue yet) for eternal torment for their failure.

WHICH would be a good reason for Icy to destroy the tiny af tree of life. Or if I rewrite Magical Adventure (will never happen) there might not be a tiny tree of life. The big one gets destroyed and that's it.

The Trix (obvs working for the Ancestors) see the shadow figures clawing at the magic cells, and Darcy especially is horrified. Either Belladonna and Liliss make a comment how "this is what happens if you fail us, though you three would never. Right?"

Darcy nods, but inside she is crying and panicking.

The Trix agree: Fuck this shit, we're out

One of them (probs Stormy, because Tharma is less insane than the other two, and would just be like: my child went to cause chaos, it's fine, she'll be back) would dip, and try to find the Winx and Specialists.

[Winx, Specialists, and Iorda wandering around]

Stella: Wait! I hear something!

Stormy: *appears*

Musa: DIE-

Stormy: WAIT WAIT WAIT I come in peace

Sky: And how are we supposed to believe you?

Bloom: Yeah... Weren't you with the Ancestors a moment ago?

Stormy: *deadpan look*

Stormy: *gestures to Iorda*

Stormy: Maybe ask the fucking lie-detector

Iorda: *sigh*

Flora: Is she telling the truth

Iorda: She does indeed come in peace, but-

Stormy: Okay, bitches. In short, did you guys end up walking past those weird shadow figures?

Aisha: Omg yes. Creepy as hell

Nabu: They almost got us

Stormy: Eheh THOSE things were the past witches who were apparently mentored by the old hags, and if we fail, THAT'S what will happen to us

Iorda:

Musa:

Flora: Jesus mother of dragons holy fudge...

Riven: Yeah she's telling the truth

Musa: Lie detector?

Riven: Nah, Liliss and the Ancestors are bitches so that seems about right

Timmy: Guys! Focus!

Musa: *leans in closer to Riven*

Musa: Y'know, you could shoot your shot with Darcy again

Riven: Later

Brandon: ...

Musa: Brandon ffs we broke up like, three months ago

Musa: Get with the program

Iorda: Oh sure, oh sure, and it's definitely not because of you being gay for the witch in front of-

Musa: Stfu

Timmy: FUCKING FOCUS

Stormy: So anyways we KIndA need ur help

Bloom: Winx?

Winx: Alright, that sounds like a plan

Nabu: But... won't you three be sent to some jail after?

Tecna: Most likely, unless someone vouches for them. But that someone must have decent enough political status, but not royalty, otherwise that would become a planet-wide issue. They would also have to have enough of a connection to the Trix to...

Tecna: *turns to Iorda*

Stormy: Vouch for us and we will NEVER commit crimes again <3

Iorda:

Helia: I mean, she DOES seem truthful

Iorda: This is ONLY because I know that the Ancestors are bitches, but istg if this is a lie-

Stormy: YAY! COME ON SLUTS, TIME TO DEFEAT SOME HAGS!

Stormy: *drags Iorda along with her*

Iorda: HOE WTF-

Stormy: JUST A SEC BITCHES! I NEED TO HAVE A CONVO WITH MY FELLOW LESBIAN!

Bloom, calling: Iorda! You safe?

Iorda, calling back: YES I'M FINE

Iorda: Anyways, wtf you want?

Stormy: Musa. But that isn't what this convo is about

Iorda:

Iorda: Continue

Stormy: The first Ancestor you should kill is Liliss

Iorda: Why...? You're being vague...?

Stormy: *sigh*

Stormy: RIVEN! GET YOUR ASS OVER HERE!

Riven: *appears*

Iorda: Again, why?

Riven: Liliss is... kind of the most, well, insane. Also, her mind control powers would be a big issue

Stormy: Yeah, also if Liliss is present than Darcy will not risk helping you guys. At all. So kill her first, please?

Riven: That too. How's Tharma doing btw?

Stormy: The best a horrible parent figure can be ig

Riven: *nods*

Iorda:

Stormy: Also, Liliss sucks

Riven: Fr

Iorda: Alr I guess. But also, how does one kill an Ancestor?

Riven: Fuck it we ball

Stormy: Fuck it we ball

Iorda: *sigh*

[penguinlife]

Sunday Blog (18 May 2025)

I am ligit worried about Luke Newton. He launched his PR relationship with the fungas, and boom, he is just gone. He gave the S4 new couple launch clip an obligation like. He didn't like the renewal announcement. (Well, neither did Nic), and that was it. Now, that might be that they have not been confirmed for S5 & S6. It might be that they are moving to the Featherington spinoff.

Quick detour...

A Featherington spinoff with them all moving to the country post S4. The queen bestows a new estate to Lord and Lady Whistledown post a very eventful social season that Pen realises fame is not what she wants in life. The new estate is in shambles, and they set out to build a new life. It is on a smaller scale as Bridgerton. We get a new love story for Portia. Pen writes her own novel. We get introduced to new characters in the village. In the last episode, the queen pops in for a visit, demanding that LW return to the ton next season. This would fit in with a substantial time jump (4 years). S5 Eloise and Philips love story.

Back to my post.

I feel like Luke and Nic need to admit to the mess this has become and apologise. But I know this is unrealistic. I just feel like it has caused a lot of harm to their images.

So very interesting, the poll I did asking who was responsible for this mess. More than 60% believe that it is orchestrated and fake. There was no consensus on who might be responsible. But most people blamed Luke and both their PR teams. It was unfair to add the PR teams. Because they essentially work for their clients, and they don't have their own ulterior motives. I very strongly believe that a Gen Z PR person at Shondaland/Netflix used chat GPT to come up with this strategy. Because no person in the business with more than 10 years would even suggest that to pull in 2 young fame hungry wannabes as partners is a good idea. Having Luke present as a single guy working on his career and Nic in a private relationship with someone also focussed on her career, much better optics. Nic and Luke are just besties. Addressing the rumours head-on. But that does not serve the S4 new leads at all.

I must say, I am very disappointed that I can't stand Jake anymore because of Nic and his Shenanigans on the pink carpet. I would've loved to support his work. But I literally want to gag when I see those pics. I feel like a good step in redeeming himself would be to remove them from his tags. Show that he is not using Nicola.

Another detour...

Where should Luke and Nicola disappear to for the summer holidays

Ok. So if it was up to me, I would rent a property in the South of France, with a private chef and pool. Spend 6 weeks just lounging around and spending private time together. Maybe have some friends/family join for a few days.

Back to where is Luke. Does anyone know if they have wrapped S4 yet? To me it makes sense that Luke would not like the S3 anniversary clip, because why would they push him to have this fake ass relationship and then turn around and post a Polin BTS/First kiss scene. I think they know we know, so the clips were to repair some of the damage. We have had a weird sort of confirmation that the cast and crew are on lockdown regarding anything S4. Probably to control the public discourse around the new season. It has already not been too promising. First, the association to Mr Darcy. I almost laughed myself into a coma with that one. Then, the exact same line from everyone at SAG. As if they were handed a script on what to say about the new season.

This is not the first time a show/movie has rolled out a prelaunch damage control strategy. My question is, how bad is it. Is it just the chemistry?

[thefisherqueen]

I came across the surname Baskerville in a text completely unrelated to Sherlock Holmes (in a book about wild camping), and it's gives some really interesting insight into the history and present state of UK inherited titles and landownership so thought I would share!

'William the Conqueror invaded England in 1066 and then made himself king. It was like any other invasion of conquest, in any other time or realm. King Harold the Second was dead. Long live the King. Life goes on. But there was a difference. New laws saw all of the land seized by the Crown - a relatively unique development in the history of conquest. Sasxon barons were replaced by the Norman lords and their allies. The Domesday Book - the most definitive land registery document every devised - was produced on William's orders in 1086 to identify the new owners and their land holding and what they might owe, in tax, favour and loyalty, to the king: the sovereign Landlord.

Landownership had worked broadly in the same way ever since our ancestors abandoned the nomadic life, and took up the shovel and plough about 10.000 BC. What the Normans changed in Britain was the communal right of access over the land. That system of non-communal access is still very much in force today amoung the modern-day descendents of the Normans. Which is why William's 1086 census - the Domesday Book (and its modern version, the Land Registry) - remains so important. It serves as a legal document that established ownership by the legal holder of the title.

My research into where I could roll out a sleeping bag today meant looking at landownership. I discovered that very little had changed sinde the Norman invasion. Just 0,6 per cent of the population still owns 50 per cent of the British land, and most of this elite are the descendants of the 11th-century Norman aristocracy.

A report - "Who owns Britain?' - by Country Life magazine in 2010 was said to be the most detailed survey of its kind in over 100 years. The research claimed that just 1200 aristocrats and their families own 20 million of Britain's 60 million acres of land. The top private landowner in Europe was the Duke of Buccleuch and Queensberry, who owned 240.000 acres in England and Scotland. Research by the London School of Economics in 2013 claimed that the Normans who conquered England - with surnames Baskerville, Darcy, Mandeville and Montgomery - still dominate the student rolls for Oxford and Cambridge universities, still make up a large proportion of the elite that holds the prime positions in professions such as medicine, law and politics. They also control a good number of the political agencies, public bodies and charitable organisations that oversee rules regulating land management and access.

But 1066 was about more than Saxon lords losing their holdings. It was how it affected the peasants that mattered most. The common rights over common lands like Sherwood Forest and the Kentish Weald were gone. Those rights included the right to roam over woodlands, marshes, moors and coasts of many common areas; to graze animals, collect wood for fuel, tools and buildings, to eat fruits, to collect water from rivers and streams, to catch fish and generally to do all the things that made it possible to live off the land."

From: Wild camping. Exploring and sleeping in the wilds of the UK and Ireland, by Stephen Neale, page 29

I've been to the UK several times for hiking trips, and I remember being puzzled by the system of access to nature at first. It is quite bewildering to be just walking on a perfecty good path, only to suddenly find it fenced off, with aggressive signs warning walkers to KEEP OUT!!! Why are hikers treated with so much suspicion even in areas famous for its good hiking? And what do you mean by Right of Way? How come there's major roads and motor cross terrains within a national park? (turns out they are largely privately owned). Myself, I've never been shy to climb the occasional wall or fence, and pitch my tent somewhere even on private lands. I consider it my own gentle way of resisting the very idea of private property, which creates so much inequality. I've never yet faced any trouble for it, by the way. Turns out land owners have little desire to actually hike on their lands, especially in rain or cold or darkness, and the people who work for them are usually not payed enough to care about a lonely hiker who is causing no disturbance or damage whatsoever xD

[fiercefauna]

A lot of people draw Plague Doctors but never the kinds of things they might contend with in the worlds they inhabit, for this reason I feel justified calling this content “PlagueCore.” The Rat King is a positively ancient idea that is also a very modern-style urban legend. Some say it leads the rats as a kind of hive Queen you’d see in social insects, to others it is simply a disgusting horror of rats fused together by the indescribable filth of medieval streets. For this particular rat king I’ve written a tale set in my “Afflicted Lands” cannon. Two more of these glimpses into Afflicted Lands exist in my recents. There is no need to look for an “episode one” the tales are not meant to relate directly with each other but may feature reoccurring characters and fictional world references.

Triggers: some basic violence, and general horror themes in the following ghost story. That said, I present you with -

The Listener

We heard the front door open and two sets of footsteps cross the almost imperceptibly creaking floors. Pricking up all of our ears, we listened to the voices.  

“Talk to your parents later if you’d like a pet, for now let’s not be keeping rats around.” “They said you’d be a friend but you’re too much like a grown-up. I mean, we could have kept it for a little while.” “Be glad I just tossed it over the fence. You don’t want to know what those things get up to.” “Yes I do!” “You’ll wet the bed if I told you.”

“I’ve never been scared!” “Your Daddy says you’re scared all the time.” “No I’m not, I, just like to pretend I’m scared.” “Why would you do that?” 

There was a long pause during which the ancient mechanism of the re-stuffed, re-upholstered recliner in the living room groaned under a small form nonetheless choosing to forcefully leap upon it. “I’m - just lonely sometimes.” 

“Lonely means you were scared!” “No! Lonely is different!” “They’re basically the same thing. Look, if you want to know what happened to Darcy, shut up and let me tell the story.” 

We raised our whiskers as though they too, could detect sound. The irregular bumps of the house and more distant, ambient sounds of the neighborhood were soothing but rarely gave way to more meaningful information. 

“Darcy was moving into that old house by the school. He was cleaning it out, fixing it up, went into the crawl space and met a Rat King.” “What’s that?” “It’s a giant rat with like 20 heads, rolls around at night like a tumble weed looking for it’s last and most important head - yours!” “And why does it do that?” 

“People are smart, much smarter than rats on average. With a person’s brain, the King of the rats is wise enough to rule.” “So what happened to Darcy?” “The ball of rats exploded. One of the rats hit his face so hard it got stuck there - reshaped his skull into a rat head for the rest of his life.” “Did he die?” “No one knows where he went. They say he was looking for survivors during the last quarantine and found this woman being attacked by rats. Too scared of rats after what happened, he just left her there, and ran off into woods, screaming like a maniac. When they found the woman later, her head was gone! Never been recovered!” 

“Do you think he was ashamed? Of letting the rats get the woman, I mean?” “I think he was scared, I would be too, especially since they found that headless woman in this very - part of town.” 

We sighed relieved, that child’s insatiable curiosity would have doomed us had it’s guardian been less merciful with it’s tales of terror by the fire. Poor Darcy, we wanted to find him,  apologize. None were truly human during those damned quarantines. We had been blessed to forget, forget everything about the life before while the crow men were cursed with the memory.  And yet we needed them, needed them to help us rebuild ourselves one tale at a time, as we lingered between the walls, listening. 

[fideidefenswhore]

Hey os it true that Henry Percy used ti be the source of the nasty rumours about Anne Boleyn? Which specific rumours are we talking about? Did Anne or her inner circle know about Percy talking shit abt Anne?

A gentleman told me yesterday that the earl of Northumberland told him that he knew for certain that she had determined to poison the Princess. The Earl may know something of it, from his familiarity and credit with Anne. 

This is often only very briefly mentioned in Tudor biographies, if at all...altogether, it's a strange report. Is Chapuys suggesting that Percy knows Anne is a "poisoner", and yet is still devoted to her (note that it says "his familiarity and credit with Anne"-- not much to suggest contact between them once she's Queen-- not his "past" familiarity and credit with her)? Is he a secret ally to Princess Mary, or is it just that one of the men of his retinue is?

Also worth mentioning the source chain...Chapuys <-- an (unnamed) "gentleman" <-- Henry Percy. Thirdhand, at best.

A year later, we have it that Percy is dismissed as a source by one of Chapuys' trusted informants (Lord Darcy):

He also sent to warn me that perhaps the earl of Northumberland was sending to tell me some things, and that I should consider what was possible but not trust him too much, for he was very light and hasty (par trop legier et brefs).

Yet, in the same month, we have:

I have no doubt he will be delighted to hear that the earl of Northumberland is no longer such a friend of this king and of his ministers as he used to be, for the Earl's physician tells me that his master had lately complained to him of certain wrongs and injuries received at the hands of members of this government, and had declared that those who had so behaved towards him would soon have to repent of their ill-doings. The English people (he added) were so indignant at the oppressions and excessive tyranny they suffered, that the least effort on the part of Your Majesty would be the means of working the King's perdition and ruin. The King, said the Earl, had no other hope at present but the Turk's great military power, in which his friends trusted and glorified, but which after all was a most abominable trust. The Earl went on charging the King's mistress with arrogance and wickedness, saying, among other things, that a few days ago she had heaped more injuries on the duke of Norfolk than on a dog, so much so, that the Duke was obliged to quit the Royal chamber, and that, though finding only in the hall a gentleman to whom he no longer bore affection, such was his anger that he forgot entirely whom he was addressing, and began to complain in the bitterest terms of the said Royal mistress, bestowing on her the most opprobrious epithets, and calling her among other things "grande putain."

Yeah, this is an interesting element about this report about Norfolk (the chain of sources) that's not oft-discussed...why would Percy, exactly, be so offended that Anne had insulted Norfolk? Is it not perhaps a little convenient that the source for her being called a 'grande putain' by a close member of her family is the physician of her ex-flame, rather than, you know...a servant or physician of Norfolk himself (not like Norfolk was such a feminist that it's implausible, per say, but something to consider...)? Imo, this report should be scrutinized more often than it generally is.

See: primer of Anne's relationship with Norfolk, and with Percy.

No idea it the Boleyns knew of Percy's (alleged) animosity and hostility towards Anne in particular (or perhaps the men of her family as well, if the "king's ministers" above includes them); it'd be compelling to find interpretaions of that possiblity in fiction, though. Lots of material to use and avenues to take with it, in my estimation.

[abimee]

can I ask why one of your ocs is called first victim

in the world of YOU (ME) lives a man named Mimi who murdered his girlfriend/fiance Darcie, and in return begged the god of Time, Stopper, to rewind it

however, when it was rewound, he still wounded up killing his wife every time, and after the fifth time Stopper made hiim privy to the fact that he has asked for a second chance multiple times and the outcome is still the same. Mimi, being a scientist, realizes that this is knowledge only known between him and the time god, and becomes obsessed and fascinated with the finality of his fiuture as a horrible person.

Stopper doesn't rewind this time, but she gave Mimi information he should've never been privvy to, and watches as he tries to investigate the world further as to WHY this event --- him killing his wife --- is unavoidable. He stops showing remorse for his actions and instead shows morbid curiosity with his new plan; he wants to bring Darcie back himself.

He, with some manipulation of Stopper, finds out three core concepts in his world's existence; that people are two seperate forms, a soul (Object) and a body (Sprite), any soul (Object) can attach to any body (Sprite) while staying the same person, but by making that soul (Object) attach to a new body (Sprite), they are considered a new existence, and therefore whatever is befalling Darcie down the path of being murdered can be both further avoided AND she can be brought back to life by bringing her soul (Object) into a new body (Sprite).

He calls his research into this ''Beacons''; bodies that can be used to summon forth the souls of the dead. He calls them beacons because he believes all souls in this world drift off into the expansive darkness the gods, like Stopper, live in, and Beacons are bodies that guide them back to the living world, like lighthouse beacons.

Mimi is the older brother of Drew, who is friends with first victim. Mimi is also one of the two teachers at the only school left on the island, and first victim and drew are both in his class. first victim is otherwise a lonely teenager who doesnt have any familty and no support system, making her an easy victim to Mimi's needs; he needs a body that is still alive, to be his first test into being a Beacon, and find out what properties a body needs to house another person's soul in it.

Therefore, first victim is Mimi's first victim --- she was groomed and brought to his lab where he attemped call forth his dead girlfriend's soul into her, but first victim fought back against it and managed to escape, but the attempt left a mark; first victim became physically withdrawn, and stopped talking to drew. She also began wearing an eyepatch over one eye, because the failed summoning left bits and pieces of Darcie supposedly within her, and the two souls trying to ''fit'' into one body has caused one of her eyes to bleed sporadically. First victim disappears one day altogether, and her friends never see her again

when You, the protagonist of this story, meets First Victim and the crew, it is presented as if You had woken up after being attacked and was taken to Lilly's apartment, where Drew suddenly walks in with first victim in tow. You and the crew wind up going on an adventure down underneath to a world called the Comical Kingdom, which lives in the puddle reflections to the fjallo islands. There, first victim is seen acting like her usual self, but with an eyepatch over her eye.

when You returns from this adventure, you (the player) and You find out what really happened; everything You just experienced happened 11 years ago, before they were born, back when first victim was still alive. You was not truly there to experience those events, but rather experienced a memory of those events. This is the only true time the audience ever hears or sees first victim

all of this was to prepare you for the answer btw. First Victim is not Actually named that, but her name was never known to You, and therefore the audience, and all she was remembered as by the system was the First Victim, so when You experiences the memory of her, her name is replaced with the title "First Victim''. So every time Drew, or Lily, or anybody says her true name, all the audience can see/hear is ''First Victim'', but the characters themselves are saying her true name. This is due to manipulation Mimi started to exhibit over the universe when he disappeared off tothe in-between, where he could manipulate the very existence of things, and wanted to wipe First Victim's existence away to hide what he had done'

i will also never reveal First Victim's true name 👍

[glasswinggames]

They arrived!!!!

I love them so much!! 😭💕

Fun fact and some Glasswing lore all in one!

These three were the first ocs I made from Ever After (excluding Oliver who is an odd case!)

So Athy and Cai were the first two, and I'd already created them both, but they really ended up coming to life in an arcana rp server I joined (it's also the server where I met some of the best people and friends I love 💕), and originally they were so different that it's wild to me how they ended up changing. The original Athy was a lot more femme presenting and had long darker pink hair, didn't have much muscle mass despite being strong, and originally didn't have all the scars! (Enjoy some 2019 glasswing art comparison to her new design 😂)

I definitely love how she's changed over the years, and her design reflects a lot more of who she is now though.

The one thing that has always stayed the same is her personality. Fun facts at potentially inappropriate times, and also as a way of introducing herself, quiet unless spoken to, always observing her surroundings, obsessed with books and enjoying simple easy to eat foods, that she will offer to share with others as a way of showing she likes someone. She's always been given a lot of my own autistic traits, often without me even realising, but I think it's why I've always loved her as my first.

Cai on the other hand started with short black hair, which is honestly so strange to me now because I can't imagine them any other way at this point. I brought them into the rp as a friend to Athy who was also trying to use the visit as an excuse to increase their following, which is pretty on brand for them. Like they do now, they flirt for the sake of maintaining their facade, and act like they have no care in the world, except for maintaining flawless skin (there was a full spa scene where they were teaching someone self care 😂), but were secretly plotting behind the scenes. They've had some very dramatic and intense romances over their time rping, despite being my canonically demi character, but one thing that has never changed is how much fun I have writing them.

What I find funniest about Cai is that when I started writing more actively for Ever After I changed their backstory to just be about being a tyrant and wanting to take the throne and doing bad things to get there, and somehow in the end I've come full circle, back to the days of their rp backstory, and though I won't do any spoilers, their ambitions are now far greater than just the crown (as they should be). But I think their rp has really changed them from what I originally planned for them, which was to be this character who could never fall in love, to now being someone who doesn't think they can fall in love... but when they do they fall so hard and so intensely.

Then finally Helios, he was actually created during a completely different modern rp! With a completely different name, it's hard to believe he was once known as Lothaire. He suits Helios so much better! In the modern rp he was a lawyer of a very rich family, who was very morally upright and very much a stickler for the rules... just for him to have a ship with the most chaotic guy there was 😂 which I think has started this string of Helios being attracted to chaotic personalities. Other than his name, and me giving him contacts, he's been one of my most consistent characters, which in itself is in character haha! I always aimed for him to have that Mr Darcy like edge, and I'm doing my best to capture that for him! I think at this point, whenever I think of Helios I just imagine him as just forever exhausted with everyone else's nonsense, the one sensible person in a room of people running around setting fire to everything.

In my head I always group them together, and I think I will always have a soft spot for each of them, even if I know for a fact they'd all hate me for everything I put them through. I think it's one of those things where I can identify the traits or parts of myself I've put into them a lot more easily since I've been stuck with em in my brain for so long. Athy has my autistic traits, Cai was the character who allowed me to figure out my own gender expression, and Helios has my perfectionism even if it's to a fault.

If you've stuck it out with me so far, then I hope you've enjoyed learning a little more of the origins of my original three! And some Glass lore about how I started this vn journey of mine with an arcana rp server! 😂

Thank you for reading and sending all my love to you all this weekend!

[tabbyofwisdom]

Don't ask me why I'm doing this now. Maybe it's because we're hitting the one year anniversaries of the end of the show, but here's a thesis that I've been ruminating on as to why I believed the symbols from the psychic pointed to Ted.

Presented below the break

My thesis, if it can be called anything, is that each of those symbols were meant for each of the three romantic interests in Rebecca's life, that they symbolized that they were one part of what Rebecca wanted and needed but that they were not the right man. I'm going to break down each symbol. Also, I don't remember reading anything like this but if someone has written something like this, I apologize.

The Green Matchbook: This was for Sam. Sam came into Rebecca's life and showed her that she could have fun again. That love can be fun. In season one, Sassy says, "No, the real Rebecca is silly. Strong, yeah, but not cold." She's relearning fun. But Sam is too young. The power dynamics honestly are really cringy. It's one thing to date someone more than half your age, it's another to date someone you pay that's more than half your age. Aside from that all, their life experiences are totally different. His is just beginning. Rebecca is, to use a metaphor, a phoenix. She's starting it all over for the second time, but she's got a lifetime of experience.

Shite in Nining Armor(honestly, this 'sign' was so stupid, imo): This one is obviously John Stamos Wingsnight. Rebecca's relationship with him was all about learning that love is leaving yourself open to being heartbroken. He obviously was not the person that was meant for her to be that open with......but he was age appropriate.

Upside down, drenched, but safe: Ok, this is the big one and the most controversial. This is boatman. She falls into the water but ends up being fished out by him. Their evening is all about Rebecca learning to let go. She's always dressed to the nine's and is always put together. She never lets her hair down, to be colloquial . That evening she lets herself be Rebecca. 100% her. Silly, in command, sweet, hopeful. We get to see the person Sassy knew but with the strength and stripes that she has earned through her marriage. Flashing back to a year ago, I was so happy to see this. I thought, "This is it. This is Rebecca and now that she's let herself be herself, she can be that with Ted." 😒 I have SO many issues but I'm just going to focus on "Sunflowers". As a woman, I was so nervous throughout the episode. If I was in a foreign country, by myself, fished out of a canal by a strange man, and he threw his phone into the canal(thus eliminating any type of communication) and then he made a joke about how my drink was not spiked, I'd be out of there faster than a Ted Lasso spit take. Again, I was so happy to see Rebecca let herself be....herself but I was just uncomfortable the entire time. When he kissed her foot due to 'habit' I was like, NOPE GIRL, GET OUT OF THERE. He's weird at best. I think the writers were going for "meet-cute" of the 90s and 00s romcom persuasion but we've all come to realize that those movies are rife with misogyny and creepy male behavior and while we may still look back with fondness for them, we don't like to see it in our new media. It wasn't cute. Beyond all that, if you're looking at this through a literary lens, you've seen the two signs so far but the wrong men for Rebecca. Logic would dictate that the third is not right either but that we're close to the end of our journey.

I felt like these signs were pointing the way for Rebecca to realize her feelings for Ted(apparently I was deluding myself). I'm reminded of a post that broke down the response of Darcy and Elizabeth from Pride and Prejudice after the first proposal. They both individually went out and worked on themselves and then came back together after they had realized their faults and worked on them. But the key is that they didn't do it, Darcy does not do this, in order to try again. To try to get the other one back. It was a realization of things, in this case pride and prejudice, that they individually worked on because it was pointed out to them. I bring this up because I see Rebecca's signs, and Ted's therapy(but I'm not going to get into that right now) as them working on themselves. Through these three men, Rebecca learns, or re-learns, things about herself and about what she wants out of a relationship. She gets back to herself, but with the wounds she gained. She is a better and stronger person. They are sign posts pointing to where she should go and where she should be headed. Follow these signs and you will get your lighting.

Rebecca wants someone to have fun with, to feel safe enough to be open to being hurt, and to be herself, wholly and completely. Who in our little show does that for her? There are so many instances where Ted proves time and again that he is all these things. From the insistence of Ted's that Rebecca join the team for the exorcism to his joy at seeing her join the team on the bus in Amsterdam and his laughter at her singing. The absolute care Ted takes to make sure she always feels safe and always has an option to say no, or to voice her concern and the forgiveness he gives her for her sabotage plans. With Ted, Rebecca was always able to be herself. It's slow to come out but through his use of "Oklahoma" we get pure, honest Rebecca. Through Biscuits with the Boss, Ted takes the time to get to know Rebecca, not Ms. Welton, but Rebecca. Ted gets to see the huge generous heart Rebecca has. By the last season Ted is open enough to ask "Am I a mess?" and Rebecca can respond that of course but she is too and that's why they get along.

The show didn't go the way it seemed to logically be going and many of us were left heartbroken and confused. There are many more signs that can be talked about (the September 13th connection, the way Rebecca can tell when Ted is having a panic attack, etc. etc.). Those are for later posts.

If you're still reading, thanks! And you're as crazy as I am :)

[darlenicy]

Winx Season 5 gives me physical pain part IV

Episode 7 to 10

5x7

Back in season 3 you would have had fairydust against everything. Broken wings? Fairydust! Blind? Fairydust! Omega portal open? Fairydust! But oil in the ocean? WHAT SHOULD WE DO?

valid, Diaspro!

Layla’s challenge is the hardest. Facing her fiancé’s death is nothing against Stella’s “You’ll never be a fashion designer” challenge, come on. They could have made Stella’s challenge about her parents. That would have been deep and season 5 does a lot with Stella’s struggle because of her parent’s divorce. But no. We have to remember that Stella is the silly fashion diva.

It was so much more fun when the trix were overpowered back in the earlier seasons.

5x8

Party at Alfea with the Red Fountain boys and who is not invited again? The cloud tower witches. And you guys really wonder why they are pissed about fairies? Why do they still exclude the witches??

Tecna is totally me when she has zero motivation for the party lmao

Tritacy being cute again

Darcy doesn’t agree

Layla being a fkn bitch to Stella even though she just wanted to cheer her up????

I present: the toxic couple being toxic again:

Why do the underwater portals only have those weak selkies to protect them?

At least they kept baby musa’s and musa’s mom’s designs from season 2

Well, musa, THAT’S your true form lmao

Of course bloom changes her outfit to meet sky. I mean, wouldn’t messy hair bloom bring his memories back more easily?

5x9

Stella being bratty is a new thing that I totally hate about the newer seasons

Bloom not giving a fck about Stella and just thinks of herself and her date 😊 seriously?

Stella as a small kid…. Not really?

But brandon would be a good dad xD

Tec vs. Layla: You know nothing, Layla. I can’t xD

5x10

Are there no seasons in Magix at all? Never winter?

The other alfea fairies are so useless. If the winx would have been like that in their first year too, everyone would have died

[cocoscurios]

The Hour, the Spot, the Look, the Words Chapter Commentary

Chapter Twenty: The Keenest of All Anguish

“There certainly was some great mismanagement in the education of those two young men. One has got all the goodness, and the other all the appearance of it.” “I never thought Mr. Darcy so deficient in the appearance of it as you used to do.” I love that Jane came out and said it. She's not the pushover fandom makes her out to be.

Elizabeth could not get Jane’s words out of her head. She heard the reproach in them. It was Jane, so it was a gentle reproach, but it was there still, and Elizabeth took it seriously. Honestly, Jane is such a better person than I am, because I would've given Elizabeth a little shake YEARS ago. She had been ashamed of herself before, but this brought it back afresh. If even Jane could acknowledge that Elizabeth had been prejudiced... 

“I never thought Mr. Darcy so deficient in the appearance of it as you used to do.”

How much more would Elizabeth have liked Darcy if he had flattered her in the way Wickham had? She did not know that she would have been particularly fond of him - he was still so reserved and haughty - but she almost certainly would not have disliked him so much.

Well, she thought wryly, look at how flattered I am by his proposing, without even liking him at all! Of course I would have overlooked many things, had he admired me more openly. Mary plants the difference between vanity and pride early on, then Elizabeth comes out and explicitly scolds herself for her vanity, and yet some people still don't recognize the way P&P condemns Elizabeth's behavior AT LEAST as much as it does Darcy's. The fact that she also has to learn and grow is what makes her interesting and one of literature's very best heroines-- and it's why the relationship between E&D is Austen's most popular.

She had not realized before the strength of her own vanity, and how easily she could be worked on by those willing to exploit it. She had not realized how quickly she could be deceived by outwardly charming appearances.

None of these realizations made her feel any more comfortable.

Hadn’t she been just as silly as Kitty and Lydia, in her own way? Hadn’t she made just as much of a fool of herself?

I have been worse. Kitty and Lydia have only made spectacles of themselves. I have been gleefully abusing a man, across several counties, to anyone who would listen. And why? Because I was offended one time at a ball and let myself become unreasonable. 

She got out of bed, no longer able to lie still with her own shame and embarrassment. She paced up and down the room, her face burning, her stomach sour with guilt. She had certainly been unjust to him. No matter how much she disliked him, he hadn’t deserved half of what she had said to and about him.

She would probably never meet him again, there were no real amends that she could make, but she had to learn from this. She could not repeat this mistake again. I just love the parallels. Neither Elizabeth nor Darcy changes FOR the other; they don't expect to see each other again. Instead, they each see their faults clearly after making disastrous mistakes and change FOR THEIR OWN BETTERMENT, using what they learned from the other as their motivation. And they find each other in the end and live happily ever after because it's Austen, and the mutual improvement is poignant because it's a novel, but let's give them both credit where it is due-- they each took the initiative to change their behavior because it was the right thing to do, NOT because they were trying to win the other's approval and/or affection. Which is so much better.

***

Georgiana had been looking at him warily all evening.

“Is something wrong, Fitzwilliam?” she asked timidly.

He had been staring out at the room without taking it in.

“No,” he said, forcing himself back into the present. “Nothing is wrong.”

“You seem… displeased.”

“Not at all.” He tried to smile at her. “Do not fret on my account.”

She seemed unconvinced but said nothing for several minutes. Darcy returned to his own disagreeable thoughts.

“Are you upset with me?” she asked finally. “Is this about… are you thinking of Ramsgate?”

“No!” Darcy all but yelped. Georgiana stared. “No,” he said more calmly. “I am not upset with you, and I am certainly not thinking about Ramsgate. I have told you that you are not to blame for any of that.”

Georgiana looked close to tears now. Darcy went to her and took her hand.

“I am upset with myself, for something entirely unrelated. I have been--” he hesitated. “It does not matter now. You have done nothing wrong. Do not worry yourself over my ill humor.”

She smiled, a little tremulously, and went off to bed.

He would need to keep an eye on Georgiana. She was still plainly suffering from the events of last summer. We don't talk enough about how fresh Ramsgate is at the beginning of P&P and how that might be contributing to Darcy's Darcyness when he gets to Hertfordshire. There were still very few glimpses of the girl she had been before Ramsgate. The thought left him both angry and grieved. How much George Wickham had destroyed! He ruined everything he came in contact with. He had traumatized Georgiana, slandered Darcy, and poisoned Elizabeth Bennet against him. 

Wickham did not make me say what I did about her family. He did not make me insult her. He did not separate her sister from Bingley.

Wickham had certainly not helped, but Darcy had made quite a big enough mess on his own. 

He buried his face in his hands, frustrated and humiliated. Why couldn’t he be warmer with people? Less haughty and supercilious? Make more of an effort with those outside of his own set? No matter how ridiculous Elizabeth Bennet’s family was (and they were ridiculous), he should have been just as considerate to them as he was to his friends, and servants, and tenants. He had his own ridiculous relations. Their higher rank did not make them any less so. And now seems like the time to take a stand on Shy!Darcy! He's not shy. He's never given any indication of shyness, no matter how certain actors have played him. He's reserved. He doesn't know how to relate to people who aren't in his class and circle and doesn't make an effort to try. He's not a natural people person, and while he's not always socially comfortable, he's not shy. Georgiana is shy. There is a difference, and Austen makes that difference quite clear in the book. 

He should not have spoken to her the way that he had. He had been insulting, unfeeling, offensive, and to a woman he professed to love! He was horrified by his own conduct. No wonder she despised him.

There was very little chance of their ever seeing each other again, but he had taken her words to heart. She had shown him things about himself that needed to change, and he would change them. There was clearly no winning her now, and she would never get the chance to witness his improvement, but he would alter his behavior because of her. Because of her (and how she opened his eyes to his conduct), not for her.  He owed her that much.

[sc0tters]

Which kids do you think are trying to catch Santa and which do you think are peacefully sleeping?

For some of these I’ve aged up the personalities so these are how I think they’d be when they’re not actual babies (for some of them) and this is also the current baby list:

Cole and Darcy

- Rowden (this child will try to stay up by his window watching and waiting for Santa and the reindeer to come by)

Jack and Kennedy

- Sofia (this girl is peacefully sleeping with such bed hair, idk what cartoon it reminds me of but like she is in love with her sleep)

Luke and Allie

- Willow (she has a tent that she camps out in by the living room waiting to catch him in the act)

- Poppy (she will fall asleep on the stairs because Willow is a kicker so she’s not interested in sleeping near her sister, and it’s a second view)

John and Maya

- Auggie (she forgets that Santa is coming and then gets to be all shocked that her stocking is full)

Nico and Bianca

- Jakob (he goes to sleep early in the hopes of catching Santa but then he always forgets about waking up)

- their (unnamed baby girl) (she’s gonna be under a pillow hiding on the couch until she’s caught by her uncle Timo and Nico, many, many, MANY, times during the night)

Timo and Julie

- Noah (Noah prefers to sleep because then at like 6 he is up hitting pots and pans to wake everyone else up)

Jack and Mila

- Briar (she is a little devil and will HIDE under the tree waiting for Santa to come)

- Ethan (he wants Mila, if he has had his bedtime story then he is so not phased)

Alex and Spencer

- Reese (she’s has a nerf gun that she wants to use to catch him, like she’s got this elaborate plan)

Trevor and Blair

- Blake (who do you think is giving Reese those nerf bullets?)

- Tilly (she’s is watching her cookies because she hopes that Santa loves them as much as Trevor does)

Jeremy and Adelia

- Brodie (she tried to stay up but she ends up fast asleep on the couch and eventually moved into her room)

Nick and Scottie

- Ella (she’s awake with a list of questions wanting to ask him about things like how he knows what she does all the time, and if her parents were more naughty or nice)

Will and Bailey

- Max (he just wants to watch the Santa tracker app because he hopes that all the kids got gifts too)

Ryan and Ava

- Layla (she is sound asleep with her bunny)

Seamus and Liana

- Leigh (Rutger once said Santa knows if you’re awake and he doesn’t come so since then she’s asleep so early to get her gifts)

Sidney and Camille

- Rosie (she once had a dream that she spoke to Santa so now she wants to know if he had it too)

- Riley (he wants to ask Santa why he got a green jet instead of a blue the one year)

- Logan (this boy has tried to catch Santa and he failed every year)

- Lilly (she has a reindeer teddy bed she stays up making sure Santa doesn’t steal it)

Luca and Aspen

- Vivi (she’s so unphased, she just wants her bacon and waffles Christmas morning)

- Matteo (he wants to catch Santa but he is scared of the dark, so it’s a no from him)

Elias and Gracie

- Oscar (knows the sooner he is asleep the sooner Santa comes)

- Henry (he is kinda scared of Santa)

- Grayson (this boy loves his bed too much to care)

- Eleanora (Elias once said that she was hurting his feelings trying to stay up and since then she’s hasn’t dared)

Mason and Amelia

- Caleb (forget Santa, he is making sure the grinch doesn’t come steal his presents)

Oliver and Thea

- River (he just sleeps the night away)

Sidney and Celine

- Nathan (he gets videos of Sidney walking in a Santa suit so he gets to be convinced that he is indeed real.

Nico and Margo

- Bonnie (she has a princess sleep every day of her life and she LOVES it. Santa can come and she shall wait, she’s not phased.

- they have a second girl we haven’t spoken about yet

Andrei and Annabelle

- Alexei (he is the LEADER of operation catch santa)

- Artem (he is making sure that their parents don’t wake up)

- Arthur (he supplies the milk)