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earnestly-endlessly · 3 years

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I love your fic recs! Do you have any with Protective!Erik?

Protective! Erik is one of my favourite tropes so I have a TON of fics to share with you. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.

Protective! Erik fic recs

Erik Lehnsherr's Guide to Saving the Universe By Meeting Your Soul-Mate and Falling in Love in Less than 72 Hours – madneto, Pangea

Summary: Army Pilot Erik Lehnsherr is just trying to enjoy his day off when a mostly naked person crashes through the roof of his car. Even more alarming, the strange falling naked person—who goes by Charles Xavier when he's not speaking an ancient dead language—brings tidings of the apparent potential end of the world, and begs Erik to help him put a stop to it.

Well. His mother has been nagging at him to go out and meet new people.

In Sound and Silence – endingthemes

Summary: Erik is assigned to care for the special patient in room 301.

How Not To Meet Your Future Boyfriend – ikeracity

Summary: Erik punches Charles in the face the first time they meet. There isn't anywhere their relationship can go from there but up.

Forgotten – FuryRed

Summary: Charles is having a really bad day. Not only has he woken up in the middle of the afternoon with no idea where he is or how he got there, but when he returns home he’s confronted by a stranger with intense eyes, who insists that he knows Charles rather more intimately than Charles remembers…

Thou Shalt Not Eat Stones – valancysnaith

Summary: Two months after Washington, Raven found Erik in a skeevy motel off the Florida interstate.

“They have Charles, Erik,” she said.

The bedframe shrieked. In the bathroom, the showerhead snapped in half and clattered into the tub.

Demoted – JayPendragon

Summary: Erik Lehnsherr is a detective-specialist with the NYPD Mutant Tactical Unit, ready to help out where his skills are needed. Or he would be, if he and his partner hadn’t been demoted. For the next four months, he is patrolling the Lenox Hill precinct with Azazel – if he doesn’t die of boredom first. One night they are called in to investigate a potential case of domestic violence, yet the tenant assures them he is both alone and unharmed. However, there is something about this Charles Xavier that compels Erik to follow up.

Warning: Sensitive material, domestic abuse and dubious consent

Watch Your Back – swoopswoop

Summary: Bodyguard AU where Erik is overly protective and things aren't as simple as they seem.

If We Met Differently – swoopswoop

Summary: Erik wasn't the only mutant 'taken in' by Shaw, Erik learns this the hard way when a new mutant is dropped into his cell. They manage to escape together, but things aren't all roses after that. Erik has a score to settle and needs to make sure Charles is safe.

The Color of Love (Character Swap Remix) – BadLuckBlueEyes

Summary: Nobody sees in color until they meet their soulmates. When your soulmate dies, your vision returns to black and white. What happens when your soulmate only dies for a few minutes?

Omega Online – miss_aphelion

Summary: Newly imprinted Charles is having trouble dealing with his overly protective alpha—so in desperation he seeks advice in an omega chat room. Emma Frost is more than happy to help, Raven isn't helping at all, and Erik can't stand to be out of touch with Charles for more than five minutes at a time.

Cannot be Contained in Words – wallhaditcoming (uvcatastrophe)

Summary: Crime syndicate head Erik Lehnsherr travels to London on business, where he meets oxford student Charles Xavier. Their liaison spawns into a years long transatlantic affair, kept apart by Erik's work and Charles' studies,which Erik chronicles in photographs. When distance ceases to be an issue after four long years, the overlap between Charles' past and Erik's work create a whole new set of complications.

A Pertinent Reminder – ikeracity, Pangea

Summary: Sometimes it's easy to forget that getting involved in Erik's mob business isn't all fine dining and sex on yachts. There's nothing like taking a couple of bullets to remind Charles of the reality.

Part 3 of the Associates series

A Dangerous Game – ikeracity, pangea

Summary: When a familiar enemy of Erik's returns to the city for some old-fashioned revenge, Charles is sucked deeper into the world of the mob than ever before.

Part 6 of the Associates series

You don’t choose the thug life (except when you do) – Anonymous

Summary: Charles is kidnapped and discovers that Erik, the Alpha he has been dating for the past few months and is head-over-heels for, is not just a wealthy businessman but actually the head of a syndicate.

He is rather unhappy about this discovery and Erik gets an earful for lying to him. Then Charles is kidnapped again and really, he hopes mating Erik won't result in weekly kidnapping because he has a thesis to finish and papers to grade.

Marrying a Mob – Ook

Summary: Charles is a teacher at a very exclusive school. When armed men burst in on the trail of two children, of course he stands up to them and gets hurt. The children are Erik Lehnsherr's children (of course); a "prominent businessman" or, less politely, "mobster".

Erik is grateful to Charles for saving his children's lives at the cost of his kneecap. So very grateful.

Naturally he tries to reward Charles for his actions. Equally naturally, Charles will be having none of that.

Azazel finds the whole thing unspeakably hilarious. Naturally.

Rumor Has It – blueink3

Summary: "Did I hear the doorbell earlier?"

"Yeah, but I'd steer clear if I were you. It seemed a little tense. I don't know what's going on, but there's a kid out there who looks freakily like the prof."

Nearly six months after Cuba, Charles' life is turned upside down for the second time. Though he's slowly learning to adapt to the first, he's not sure he can handle the second. Luckily for him, there are a few people out there more than willing to help.

Forward Momentum – AsYouWish

Summary: Six months after Cuba, Charles and Erik find themselves thrown fifty years into the future, where they meet their older selves, the Avengers, and a world that's very different from their own. Faced with the pieces of their broken relationship, an unparalleled adversary, and dealing with Tony Stark on a daily basis, Charles and Erik do their best to adapt while trying to find a way back home -- and to each other.

Runs in the Family – Anonysquirrel (chibirisuchan)

Summary: Alex knew his own reputation. Hell, he'd started some of his own reputation, because it kept some of the smarter thugs off his back. Everyone knew Alex's reputation. There was no way Hank didn't know his reputation, but he'd brought Alex into a house with some really expensive things and a lot of innocent little kids and his too-friendly, too-harmless dad.

But clearly Hank hadn't told his family anything about Alex, just like he hadn't told Alex anything about his family. At least, not about the brain-breaking parts of his family.

"I didn't know where to start," Hank said, for the dozenth time.

Featuring mpreg!Charles in a Kiss The Cook apron, overprotective!Erik in wet black leather, and baked goods. Lots and lots of baked goods.

Round the Corner Waiting – swoopswoop

Summary: When things go so spectacularly wrong during a relationship, Charles - now a single dad - almost makes a big mistake, only to be stopped by a mysterious man who just might turn his life back around.

Hide Your Fires – swoopswoop

Summary: As the sole heir, Prince Charles, had no problem with the roles and responsibility that would come with ruling a kingdom. Though he was the only one who did not see a problem. After years of being shuttled back and forth between kingdoms, his Regent hoping he would find a match more suitable to being King, he is finally sent to Genosha. Though the path has never been less clear than the one to a foreign kingdom with no ties to his native land.

Shaw’s Captive – swoopswoop

Summary: Magneto killed Shaw, it had to be done for the sake of mutant-kind but what he wasn't expecting to find hidden deep with Shaw's complex was a man held captive, obviously tortured, that somehow made Magneto turn into Erik.

Erik now has a potential human in his citadel as he continues the war with the human's.

Mind’s Eye Blind – Sperare

Summary: As far as Erik is concerned, if you want to scare a person into talking, you have to present him with something more compelling than what he stands to lose...

And there is nothing in the world more compelling than Charles.

Chipped – Rosawyn

Summary: Magneto's fledgling Brotherhood find Charles Xavier in a mutations research lab as an apparently willing subject for an experimental suppression device.

Okay, I Feel Better Now – Harleydoll

Summary: The AU in which Erik is sent to a mental health facility after being convicted for Shaw's murder and pleads insanity, and Charles is his paranoid schizophrenic of a roommate. Powers, Hellfire conspiracies, protective!Erik, and of course the inevitable angst.

Five Nights in Nuremberg – FuryRed

Summary: When Charles escapes from the mutant prison he has been held in for the last two years he knows that he’s going to need help to avoid being recaptured.

What he doesn’t expect is that help will come in the form of a mysterious German man who rescues Charles and takes him to his home; a handsome stranger who, frustratingly, doesn’t speak a single word of English…

Five Bullet Points – Sperare

Summary: It was supposed to be Erik locked away in a prison one hundred stories below the ground.

Charles was never supposed to be there with him.

Notes: Unfinished but an excellent read. Highly recommend it.

Stolen – ishipitsobad

Summary: Erik is a miserable, grumpy, cantankerous bastard, and he has every fucking right to be. He drew the short end of the stick when he got the Underworld as his domain, and there isn't very much fun to be had in judging and governing dead souls who would rather be anywhere else but with Erik in the depths of Hell.

So when he meets Charles, brilliant and lovely Charles who is more popularly known amongst the mortals as Persephone, and feels the promise of something wonderful that could make his eternally doomed existence infinitely more bearable... you can bet all your drachmas Erik's not going to let Charles go any fucking time soon.

My Barbaric Darling – baehj2915

Summary: Erik is revivified caveman. Charles is the anthropologist(?) taking care of him. This is as ridiculous as it sounds. Romcom misunderstandings and prehistoric wooing ensues.

Swimming with Sharks – Not_You

Summary: Erik used to be a shark. Now he's not, and has to figure out how to be a good human father to his twins. Charles is willing to help.

Eucalyptus leaf of my soul - kageillusionz, ourgirlfriday

Summary: Zookeeper Raven at Taronga Zoo keeps having ideas on how to capitalize on interest in the zoo mascots, Koala Charles and Drop Bear Erik (the only drop bear in captivity!), who have captured the hearts and minds of the public. First it was to introduce prospective mates (It’ll generate attention, Hank. People are perverts. They’d love to see koala porn.). This idea was not effective the first through fifth attempts, as Erik and Charles seemed to show at best polite interest in the newcomer before resuming whatever marsupial debate they had going. However, the resulting lesbian koala orgies did indeed generate interest. Then Raven unveiled the Hug-A-Koala program, which was successful, as the public showed great interest in hugging Charles, and Charles seemed to enjoy being hugged.

Then Raven unveiled the Hug-A-Drop Bear program, and Hank, not for the first time, wished he had a flask handy.

Notes: Yes, they’re Koalas, yes they’re adorable, and yes, Erik is super protective even as a Drop Bear.

#cherik #cherik fic recs #fic recs #protective Erik #long post

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andrewdz · 4 years

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Favorite Albums of 2019

2019 was a big year for me in music. According to my Last.FM stats, it’s the most music I’ve listened to in one year. That played a big role in why I have a top 50 albums list for the year. There was a lot of stuff I really enjoyed.

I tried to find new bands this year because I’m over 30 now which they say is around the time you stop seeking new music and I want to prove that wrong. 14 out of my top 50 were brand new artists to me, which I wish was higher, but that’s a goal for next year now.

I also reignited my love for some bands. I got really into the Go-Betweens in 2019. I bought a documentary about them, a book about the two founders of the band, and got a box set of their last three albums that is now one of most prized music possessions. I also found some Deerhunter records in Nashville that I listened to quite a bit. I also got to see them live this year which was a real treat. Other artists I got really into this year was Townes Van Zandt, Guy Clark, Bombay Bicycle Club, Chris Isaak, Hightide Hotel, The Brave Little Abacus and Titus Andronicus (who I was already into, but got almost all of their albums on vinyl now).

It was another terrific year for live shows as well, as I got to see a lot of artists I loved as well as ones on my bucket list. Kacey Musgraves, Sharon Van Etten, Priests, mewithoutyou (2nd time), Tigers Jaw, Titus Andronicus (2nd Time), Angel Olsen (3rd Time), Deerhunter, Trampled by Turtles, and Miami Horror. The best month was late April to late May when I got to go to five amazing but very different shows. It was one of the most fun months of my life. I got to see the Drums (2nd Time), PUP, Ratboys, Doomsquad, Operators, Desire, Chromatics, and Passion Pit! All of them were some of the best shows I’ve ever been to.

Now enough about my music year, let’s get to the list. I only wrote things about the top 30 but wanted to highlight some other ones so expanded the list to 50. Like I mentioned earlier, it was a really great year of music. Not sure if I will release a list of favorite songs this year, but we’ll see. I’ve lately become more of an album fan instead of singles. Let me know what you checked out this year!

50. Chromatics – Closer to Grey

49. Hatchie – Keepsake

48. Nilufer Yana – Miss Universe

47. Denzel Curry - ZUU

46. Pedro the Lion - Phoenix

45. Proper. - I Spent the Winter Writing Songs About Getting Better

44. Turnover – Altogether

43. Jay Som – Anak Ko

42. Big Thief – Two Hands

41. Jimmy Eat World - Surviving

40. Titus Andronicus – An Obelisk

39. The National – I Am Easy to Find

38. Priests – Seduction of Kansas

37. DIIV – Deceiver

36. Mildura - Mildura

35. Jamila Woods – LEGACY! LEGACY!

34. Doomsquad – Let Yourself Be Seen

33. Charly Bliss – Young Enough

32. Operators – Radiant Dawn

31. Black Marble – Bigger Than Life

30. The Get Up Kids – Problems

I was late on the Get Up Kids (I know, I know, I’ll turn in my emo card after this article), and I’ve been trying to catch-up these past couple years. And what perfect timing because it’s the first album in eight years (They also had a terrific EP in 2018). It’s a really good return album from them. They can still write amazing pop punk anthems, and few bands leave songs stuck in my head as often as the Get Up Kids do. It’s interesting that the early wave of emo are now elder statesmen of the scene and they touch on that a little in this album. Reflecting on the past and what it means to be a band in 2019. It’s always good to see a band not only not just rely on nostalgia to tour on, but still release relevant music that stands up with some of their best material.

Favorite Track: Satellite

29. Bon Iver – i,i

It’s interesting where Bon Iver has gone in the past decade. First bursting on the scene with the perfect story of going to a cabin and recording a heartbreaking breakup album. Since then he’s won some Grammys, been featured on Kanye West songs, and embraced the synthesizer. For some reason, however, this album reminds me more of “For Emma, Forever Go” than his previous couple albums despite still using the more electronic approach. It has that same raw honesty that his debut had. He’s not alone in the woods anymore. He’s commanding a large group of musicians now, creating this huge sound without losing any of his heart. He also sounds more assured in himself. It’s seems like the beginning of a new era for Justin Vernon and the last song “RABi” sounds like his “riding off into the sunset” moment. Awaiting the next adventure.

Favorite Track: Faith

28. Yola – Walk Through Fire

A really strong debut album from singer/songwriter Yola. It’s really soothing with a nice wall of sound production that just sweeps you away. It also helps that she has such an amazing voice. Songs like “Faraway Look” & “Lonely the Night” feel like songs I’ve known my entire life, but was just waiting for Yola to record them. Really excited to see what she does next.

Favorite Track: Lonely the Night

27. Prince Daddy & the Hyena – Cosmic Thrill Seekers

“Cosmic Thrill Seekers” is an ambitious album, like “The Monitor” level of ambitious. It’s written almost entirely by Kory Gregory about his cycles of struggling with mental health with allusions to Wizard of Oz. They take you on a journey on this album. The feelings of self-destruction, to wanting to escape from people who aren’t even your friends, and not quite fitting in with rest of the world while also playing the most anthemic guitar riffs and crashing cymbals. I can only imaging what the experience is like seeing this album performed live. It would have to feel like a sonic tornado, and you would wonder what just happened after you’re walking away on the street. This album didn’t make it number one on any charts, but this album is going to mean so much to so many people. Also, the last track goes right back into the first one to begin the cycle again.

Favorite Track: Lauren (Track 2)

26. Strange Ranger – Remembering the Rockets

It’s amazing how much this album reminds me of 90’s indie rock. It is so easy to picture Strange Ranger playing this album in between sets of Mazzy Star and Teenage Fanclub. I had not really clicked with Strange Ranger’s earlier stuff, but this album just seemed to make sense to me. It sounds like a fully formed album with a band that is confident enough to be more adventurous. There are some incredibly poppy hooks, but also some interesting synth beat choices. Also the switch of singing songs about the end of the world to being excited to go on a date gives the album a little extra something. A good mixture of despair and hope.

Favorite Track: Leona

25. Lost Under Heaven – Love Hates What You’ve Become

I love when a band just says “F*** It! Let’s make songs meant to be heard in a stadium,” even though they will never get a chance to. This is one of those albums that is meant to be turned all the way up with you screaming along to every chorus in your car. They are definitely wearing their hearts on their sleeve on this one, encouraging you be the best version of ourselves so by the time the album reaches it’s colossal closer “For the Wild,” you are ready to take on the world. It’s fun when a band decides to be super sincere on an album. You actually feel like rock and roll will save us, just like you did when you were a teenager and first found music for yourself.

Favorite Track: For the Wild

24. Mark Ronson – Late Night Feelings

I think my favorite thing about a Mark Ronson record is how much they seem like an awesome compilation album, and this one lives up to its name and is a perfect soundtrack for late night out on the town. He’s got a great ear for collaborators creating the perfect songs to best suit their voices. Lykke Li, Angel Olsen, Alicia Keys, and even Miley Cyrus have some terrific showings on this record. There’s no super hit like “Uptown Funk” on this album, but it is a fun listening experience, and I cannot get enough of Angel Olsen’s “True Blue” on here (Which really should have ended the album. It’s a perfect end credits song).

Favorite Track: True Blue

23. The Drums – Brutalism

The Drums are a group that has had quite a decade. They’ve released four albums, and every member but Johnny has left the group. “Brutalism,” however, is still a strong album in one of the best indie rock discographies of the past 20 years. There are some throwback songs to the early Drums days (Body Chemistry), a rare acoustic ballad (Nervous), and one of the catchiest songs they’ve ever written (626 Bedford Ave). The Drums get overlooked, but they’ve quietly created an impressive catalogue that is just begging to be reevaluated with “Brutalism“ adding a lot to that conversation. Not many indie rock bands make it to five albums, let alone having songs on that fifth album that fit along their biggest hits.

Favorite Track: 626 Bedford Ave.

22. Brittany Howard – Jaime

When I first heard this album was coming out, I thought it meant that Alabama Shakes were done as a band and Brittany was going to be an exclusively solo artist now. However, after listening to this album, I understand why it was not an Alabama Shakes record. This is a very personal record that just wouldn’t sound right as a band collaboration. This is Brittany’s story. She’s singing about life on the road, her faith, first crushes, family, and making sense of what it’s like growing up in the south. This solo record also gave her a chance to explore some different sounds than she would have on an Alabama Shakes record. You can hear some Prince influence, especially on the final track “Run to Me.” Not sure if she plans to release more solo records, but I hope this isn’t the last.

Favorite Track: History Repeats

21. (Sandy) Alex G – House of Sugar

“House of Sugar” has probably got my favorite Side A of any record this year. It just gives a chance to showcase what I love about (Sandy) Alex G so much. You’ve got the psychedelic drone style and that fast almost folk-punk style. It’s just filled with this fun eclectic sound and his voice, while probably viewed as limited in sense of range, just captures so much emotion in the music. I found this record to be one that rewards you the most the more you listen to it. I feel like I’m always discovering something new with each listen. I always enjoy checking out the latest (Sandy) Alex G record because his albums are always adventurous, and “House of Sugar” is definitely that. I would have a tough time describing this album. It’s like when you’re in a dream and there are those moments that completely change the scenario and location, but for some reason it makes sense to you in a way you can’t explain. That’s what this album is like for me.

Favorite Track: Gretal

20. Angel Olsen – All Mirrors

If I had to describe this album, I would say it’s Angel Olsen’s “Nebraska” if she had Bauhaus as her backing band. This is a big sounding record, and it’s easy to let the emotional crescendos take you away. You feel every emotion she’s putting on this record, and it is a wild ride. It’s a breakup record, and this album does a good job of capturing that feeling fresh off a breakup that just feels like a tornado of feelings. It’s a storm of emotions, but sometimes there’s a beauty in a storm as well. She said there’s an acoustic version of this album that will come out next year, but I’m glad we got to hear this version first. We get to feel the real raw emotion on this, and then when more time has passed a chance to be softer with a more reflective look back.

Favorite track: All Mirrors

19. billy woods + kenny segal – Hiding Places

It really sounds like Woods is letting it all out on this album; frustrations with music, other people, the current state of things, and his intensity is only amplified by the beats from Kenny Segal. The samples on this album are not catchy, and they shouldn’t be. This is an album that wants you to reckon with what Woods is saying. That’s what makes the final album so impressive. It’s a perfect blend between Wood’s lyrics and Segal’s beats. Complimenting each other in frustration and uneasiness. I was not familiar with either artists before this album, but I’m definitely a fan now, and I hope they will collaborate again in the near future.

Favorite Track: Red Dust

18. Truth Club – Not an Exit

There is something very old school about Truth Club. They’ve got this post-punk nasty guitar riff energy that just make this an album a delight to hear. They sound like a band with something to prove, delivering exactly what you want from a post-punk record. Sweet riffs, monotone vocals, and done in less than a half-hour. Love it.

Favorite Track: Student Housing

17. Helado Negro – This is How You Smile

Sometimes records just feel like a dream as if you can just see the music and travel in it. That’s how I feel every time I listen to “This is How you Smile.” The mixture of electronic and folk makes such beautiful music and Roberto Carlos Lange’s voice is perfect on top of these amazing collections of sound. Apparently he invited a lot of different musicians to play on this record and it really sounds like a group of friends got together and had the perfect jam with Lange’s artistic vision taking the lead. Some songs tackle today’s issues with even some field recordings from an Abolish ICE March in Brooklyn and singing about being proud of being Latinx, but not being confrontational about it. It’s beautiful music with a message.

Favorite Track: Please Won’t Please

16. Deerhunter - Why Hasn't Everything Already Disappeared?

You’ve got to give credit to Deerhunter for continuing to make really interesting albums throughout all of the 2010s, and this one seems like a good one to end the decade with. When so many of their contemporaries have disbanded or walked away from music, Deerhunter has kept going. Not resting on their past success, but creating new sounds and challenging their audience to go somewhere new with them. They can still write an amazing hook and the lyrics are as sharp as any previous album. It’s an ode to a world that seems to be on the brink of destruction by its own design.

Favorite Track: Plains

15. Anderson Paak – Ventura

Anderson Paak is on quite a creative streak with this being his fourth album in five years and I think this one may be my favorite. He’s got some amazing guests singers on this album including Andre 3000, Brandy, and the legendary Smokey Robinson. It just sounds terrific too. The 70’s soul-funk inspiration makes for some of the best grooves I’ve heard this year, and it’s a perfect album for a night drive.

Favorite Track: Jet Black

14. PUP – Morbid Stuff

Few bands do “ANGER” as good as PUP, but Morbid Stuff is not the typical angry record either. It’s like “I’m angry. You’re angry. Let’s be angry together” kind of record which is perfect for the general attitude of 2019. PUP inspires a real passionate fan base, and on this record it’s easy to see why. They packed it with cathartic anthems for the disenfranchised. Not getting along with your family? Not quite over your ex? Feel like you missed that turn you were supposed to take in life about four years ago? Get over here and let all that anger out by singing along with us. This album is community even though you can’t be with this group in person. It also helps that this is a band that can PLAY. The musicianship is just fantastic which is probably helped because this is a band. These four guys have been PUP since the beginning and they sound better and better on each album. So let’s get angry!

Favorite Track: Kids

13. Raphael Saadiq – Jimmy Lee

It’s been eight years since the last Raphael Saadiq album, and it’s understandable because this album is dealing with a lot of heavy issues; addiction, incarceration, faith, and losing family. It’s also an album that Raphael Saadiq could have only made after being a bit older with some life wisdom to look back at. Sometimes it can be uncomfortable to listen to, but also necessary. It feels like a very personal album, and you can tell how much work must have been put into producing it. The album sounds terrific, which makes sense for how much experience he’s had producing other projects in-between albums. I also forget how talented of a singer he is. This album is a real showcase of his vocal skills. Some songs sound like he’s pouring his soul into it, and just somehow keeping his voice from breaking. You get swept up in that anger he feels. This album will make you really think about where the world has been, where it’s at today, and where it’s going. A powerful and necessary album for 2019.

Favorite Track: Rearview

12. Orville Peck – Pony

Orville Peck’s music is the kind of music that would sound just as perfect being performed on stage at the Grand Ole Opry as it would hearing it off a jukebox in a dive bar in the middle of nowhere. Peck’s really tapped into that timeless country sound that just seems to sounds good anywhere in any situation. Feeling sad? Perfect. Feeling that freedom you get from just hitting the road alone? Perfect. That baritone voice is so beautiful to listen to as well. It’s a new generations Roy Orbison or Chris Isaak. Beautiful but haunting, and it wouldn’t sound out of place in a David Lynch film. The storytelling in the lyrics are also astounding. I can picture the desert riding while listening to “Dead of Night.” It’s fascinating to know that this is Peck’s first album because it’s so well formed in terms of lyrics, vocals, and hooks. Makes me even more excited for what the next album will sound like.

Favorite Track: Dead of Night

11. Great Grandpa – Four of Arrows

“Four of Arrows” sounds like a level up album from Great Grandpa after their terrific debut “Plastic Cough.” It’s a great example of a band expanding their sound without losing the identity that made their first album special. The band sounds tighter, richer (especially with the addition of strings and synths on some songs), and more ambitious. It also helps to have the amazing Alex Menne vocals. She really conveys an energy that escalates these songs’ emotional payoffs. Especially on a song like “Digger” where she sings (almost screams) “That’s why I hate you,” “That’s why I love you” with almost the same energy. You may not know what each song is about, but you certainly know how it feels.

Favorite Track: Treat Jar

10. Holy Ghost! – Work

Sometimes all you need is great dance album in your life, and Holy Ghost! provided that for me this year. They have a kind of style of dance music that has fallen out of critical favor by the end of this decade, but I still love to hear it. They continued the tradition of Daft Punk’s “Random Access Memories” of applying their flavor to 70’s dance music, and it’s terrific fun. This album is super catchy, has wonderfully danceable grooves, and features a 7-minute plus dance closer. A perfect dance record.

Favorite track: Do This

9. American Football - American Football (LP3)

With emo revival being a big topic of conversation this past decade in certain music critics’ world, it’s only fair that one of the greatest emo bands ends the decade with a terrific album. After reuniting a couple years ago for an okay album, I’m glad they went back to studio to create an album worthy of comparison to their first album that influenced so many amazing artists. The musicianship on this album is just stunning, with a rich tapestry of melancholy permeating throughout. They also happened to create possibly the best duet of the decade by having fellow emo legend Haley Williams join them for “Uncomfortably Numb.” Just beautiful. #defendemo

Favorite Track: Uncomfortably Numb

8. oso oso – Basking in the Glow

To be honest, I feel invested in oso oso. I remember a few years back he released “the yunahon mixtape” as a pay what you want on Bandcamp and planning to walk away from music. I checked it out, and loved it on first listen. Then the album got some nice shout-outs from critics and other artists and eventually found an audience. So to see not only oso oso stick with music, but to release this terrific follow up record as well, feels like a win for everyone. There is a common misconception that emo=sad music, but this album shows that is not the case. There’s a joy on this album that is super infectious. He wants you to feel a part of his joy. It’s an album of positivity that we needed in 2019, and it helps that so many of these songs are very catchy. This is the “dance around your bedroom” kind of album, and just let yourself go for a half-hour. I’m so happy that this album is getting recognized on so many year-end lists. It feels like a win for the entire emo scene that usually gets ignored. The fact that it happened to oso oso makes it all the better.

Favorite track: The View

7. Big Thief - U.F.O.F.

I always thought of Big Thief as a perfect band for fall. Something about their music feels like the end of something before dealing with something that will be tough but necessary. That they’re the ferryman taking us into the next stage in life, and the cost is you’re going to feel a little sad listening to some heartbreaking tales. U.F.O.F., their first album of 2019, can break you down. In the first track “Contact” we hear lead singer Adrianne Lenker let out these howling screams. Giving ua permission to let yourself go. Be your most pure self as this album takes you on a journey. I don’t mean to make this album sound depressing, because even though there’re numerous allusions to death it is quite hopeful. You get to LIVE because one day you will die. It makes life more important because it has an ending. This album doesn’t have a lot of hooks on it, but it just makes it more important to listen to it as an album. It’s one big piece that feels so right together. It’s hard to imagine anyone having as creatively successful year as Big Thief did in 2019. Kind of apt they got it in right before the end of a decade. A necessary end, I think.

Favorite Track: Cattails

6. Mini Dresses – Heaven Sent

Listening to Mini Dresses’ “Heaven Sent” feels like I found some hidden album demo from the early 2000s that was secretly a masterpiece. I truly do not know why hardly anyone seems to be talking about this album. If it came out in 2008 it feels like it would have been huge on indie blogs. This album is so catchy and a style of indie rock that doesn’t seem to be big anymore, which is a shame because it’s too good to miss. This album reminds me of Blondie if they would have been part of the indie wave of the mid-2000s, which if that sounds cool to you, please check this album out.

Favorite Track: Rank and File

5. Better Oblivion Community Center – Better Oblivion Community Center

After hearing “Would You Rather” on Phoebe Bridgers’ phenomenal debut album “Stranger in the Alps,” I suppose we were all secretly hoping for more songs from Conor Oberst and Phoebe. There are few songwriters that can capture the feeling of loneliness and emptiness, but still have that sense of hope that it can somehow get better like these two can. “If you’re not feeling ready, there’s always tomorrow” on their last song “Dominos” really hits that point home. Their voices sound great together and the production on this album is fantastic. They’ve got the hooks, they’ve got the ballads, and they’re ready to make you cry, but they will be the first ones to help pick you back up. This album feels like an old friend that knows you get sad sometimes, but is always there for you when you need them.

Favorite Track: Dylan Thomas

4. glass beach – the first glass beach album

There’s nothing better than when a band just goes for it on an album. I haven’t listened to an album that has made me think of emo, Disney, Hellogoodbye, and Playstation video game soundtracks all before I’ve even made it to track 5. It’s like they threw everything on the wall and everything stuck. I would not be surprised to find out that this band is around my age. It sounds like an album that only someone who grew up in the 90’s and early 2000’s could make. Just picking sounds from everything in that era and making an album out of it. It’s pure chaos, but somehow completely makes sense. This album is not for everybody, but if it clicks with you, it’s like it’s looking into your soul.

Favorite track: cold weather

3. Slaughter Beach Dog – Safe and Also No Fear

I was a big fan of Modern Baseball, like all good emo revival fans should be, and was super sad to hear they were going on indefinite hiatus. When I heard Jake Ewald was starting a new project as Slaughter Beach Dog, I checked out some songs from his album “Birdie” but didn’t really connect with it. Probably because I wanted something more like Modern Baseball. Then when this album came out, it had some buzz from critics whose opinions on music closely line up with mine, and I checked out this album. Whatever opinion I had on the first album, this one was the exact opposite. I really connected with. Listening to it feels like those times where you visit your old hometown, driving around the old spots you used to hang out. Then you realize these spots don’t mean what they did to you anymore, and they never could. No matter how much old friends want you to be that old person again, you can’t go backwards and you’re fine with that. This is also a beautiful sounding record. It sounds like Jake let the other musicians have a bit more say in the sound, and it does sound like a band collaboration. It’s a sweet indie/folk/alternative sound that just pierces my soul. If we don’t get another Modern Baseball reunion, that’s fine. It sounds like Jake has moved on, and I’m ready to follow wherever his new music takes him.

Favorite Track: Black Oak

2. Sharon Van Etten – Remind Me Tomorrow

It’s always exciting to witness an artist make the album they were always meant to. All of her work has lead up to her masterpiece. You feel her soul on this record. Not one moment feels faked. She’s not hiding anything from the listener. Talking about letting go of your past self (I Told You Everything), making a new version of yourself (Comeback Kid), letting yourself love again (Jupiter 4), and what it’s like to be a mother (Stay). Also, on this record she embraces the synth and it makes for some tremendous production. The anthems have an extra kick to them. Not only is this a terrific album for 2019, but one of the standouts of the decade from an artist who already had an impressive discography these past ten years. I’m not sure where she will go next, but I’m hoping this is a sign of what to expect from her in the 2020s.

Favorite Track: Seventeen

1. Purple Mountains – Purple Mountains

This is my favorite album of 2019, and it’s not even close. I was not familiar with David Berman until I heard the first couple singles before the album came out. His name was one that I heard critics tweet about or referenced by other artists, but had never really checked out his music. However, after hearing “All My Happiness is Gone” and “Darkness and Cold” I could not get enough of this music. The melodies were incredibly catchy, I thought the lyrics were super memorable, and they just felt like they really connected with me. He sounded like a natural storyteller, and I was hooked on every word he said. I’m not usually a lyrics person, but I paid attention when I heard these songs. Then when the album came out, it was a treasure trove of an album that I could really dive into. This heartland country sound with a terrific backing band, Woods, complimenting David Berman’s unique voice. I loved it immediately. Then when the tragic news came out of David Berman’s passing, it hit me hard. It’s difficult to talk about this album without acknowledging David committed suicide shortly after it was released. However, I don’t think of this album as a suicide note. This really felt like an album about life. There are struggles, but there are the good moments too. Find the happiness where you can. Margaritas at the mall, that lovely connection of a child with their parent, and if the snow is falling and it’s looking bad, enjoy how warm it will be inside. Berman’s legacy will be everything he contributed to culture; his poetry, his wit, his dark humor, and especially the music. Every once in awhile now when I hear “All My Happiness is Gone” on the radio or if it comes up on a shuffled playlist, my eyes start to well up. Not because I’m sad, but because I’m happy David shared a piece of his soul with us. That’s the real power of music.

Favorite Track: All My Happiness is Gone

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let-it-raines · 5 years

Text

Betting on the Bullseye (18/?)

Summary: Emma Swan loses a bet that means she has to ask her celebrity crush to be her date to her office’s annual fundraising gala. Killian Jones is that celebrity crush. She expects all kinds of humiliation and for her dignity to be completely lost. What she doesn’t expect is for him to say yes.

Rating: Mature

A/N: I wrote this chapter awhile ago, and I was so proud of the movie title I made up…I checked Netflix the other day, and they have the same movie. So, you know, either I saw the movie without realizing it, or Netflix has some explaining to do…I kid, I kid :D Thank you guys for continuously being the best!

AO3: Beginning | Current

Tag list: @nikkiemms @resident-of-storybrooke @wellhellotragic @bmbbcs4evr @onceuponaprincessworld @jennjenn615 @mayquita @captainsjedi @teamhook @skyewardolicitycloisdelena91 @artistic-writer @branlovesouat @dreadpirateemma @kmomof4 @ekr032-blog-blog @galaxyzxstark @lifeinahole27 @andiirivera @ultimiflos @hollyethecurious @thejollyroger-writer @superchocovian @cs-forlife @qualitycoffeethings @jonirobinson64 @notoriouscs

When he got the call in the middle of August, he felt actual butterflies in his stomach. He’s always hated that turn of phrase, but oftentimes, it’s the only phrase he thinks can actually describe what it’s like to be so damn nervous that he feels as if something seriously wrong is going on in his body. He could feel it in his stomach and in his throat. Hell, he could feel it in his fingers some days.

He was excited.

He was terrified.

It happens sometimes. He wishes it happened more often, but honestly, he wonders if it keeps the excitement for what he does alive to get to read through scripts to find the rare gem that actually speaks to him instead of liking everything that passes over his desk. This one, though, the more he reads it, the more he thinks about it, the more he gets inside of Michael’s head…the more he wants it.

Which is probably why he’s about to throw up as Robin drives him over to meet with the producers and the casting directors. He’s not even really auditioning, just talking to them, but it feels like he’s doing his first audition all over again. It had been for an extra with one line in Grey’s Anatomy, and he felt as if he was attempting to prove himself to be Tom Hanks or something.

It was ridiculous.

He didn’t even get that role. It was one line. He’s pretty sure he was supposed to be ordering coffee or something.

His phone buzzes in his lap, and Emma’s name pops up, instantly calming him down for a moment.

Emma: Go kick ass today, KJ! I love you!

Emma: I also love your ass, but that is totally unrelated to what I’m supposed to be telling you right now.

Killian: I love you too! I’ll try to kick arse with my good arse just for you!

Emma: That’s all I ask.

He does kick arse if he says so himself, the meeting going far better than expected. They want him. He knew that they wanted him, but they actually, seriously want him. He’s still got to do negotiations, to work out a few details and to screen test with potential costars, but he’s got the role if he wants it. It’s all early in the preproduction stages, but damn is he excited.

“You look like Roland after I let him eat more than one donut,” Robin laughs as they drive away from the lot and make their way to go get lunch. “You excited?”

“Obviously, mate.” He pulls out his phone and texts Emma about everything, knowing that she’s at work right now and can’t really talk. He really wants to tell her anyways. “And nothing compares to your son on a sugar high. Absolutely nothing. It’s like he’s been possessed.”

“He has been. By sugar.” Robin pulls off of main road and down into one of the business districts. “You want to go in somewhere or do take out?”

“We can do take out. Just pick something out Roland will like since we’ve got to pick him up from school.”

“He’s not going to be hungry.” “He is if we have any kind of junk food, and I feel like we deserve junk food.” “Because we’ve worked so hard today?”

“Exactly.”

Sure enough, when they pull up to pick-up at Roland’s elementary school, the boy climbs in the backseat, buckles himself in, and then immediately asks for some of the fries Killian is eating.

Like clockwork.

-/-

He swears that every Labor Day weekend his corner of Santa Monica gains at least half a million tourists. He’s sure that’s a bit excessive, but it’s only Thursday and people are absolutely everywhere. It’s to the point that he’s in the grocery store trying to stock up for the weekend, and he can’t turn anywhere without running into a cart with someone stocking up on beer and any kind of junk food he can imagine. He can’t really say much, not when he’s doing the same thing, but he absolutely cannot wait to get his things, check out, and get home before he has to drive to the airport to pick Emma up for the weekend.

He should have just ordered online and had his stuff delivered, but he wasn’t exactly sure what he wanted when he thought about it the other day after he and Emma had talked.

Emma’s had a hell of a few weeks at work, has pretty much wanted to pull her hair out nearly every day, and even though he saw her two weeks ago before he had to come back to California to meet with the producers for this movie (he wishes they’d give it a temporary name other than Project 783 because he’s a bit tired of calling it that), she was too stressed for either of them to really enjoy it. It’s been a long summer. A good one but incredibly long.

He’s pretty sure there’s several songs about long hot summers, and that’s pretty much been his entire summer. With a lot of airports and Uber rides and living out of his overnight bag.

But Emma’s coming in today, is already on her plane, and is staying through Monday. They’ve got his premiere for Highland Waters tomorrow night, a day to themselves on Saturday, and then they’re spending Sunday out on the Jolly with his family, Anna and Kris included. He’s pretty sure Anna has texted him at least five times a day double checking that Emma is definitely going to be here this weekend. Despite how much time Emma has spent with Elsa, she keeps missing Anna.

Anna is not okay with it in the slightest. Sometimes he thinks she’s been his sister-in-law for his entire life instead of five years with the way she treats him. She’s refreshing, and he’s completely sure that she and Emma need to meet on soft ground for when Anna inevitably tackles her.

Yeah, she’s definitely going to tackle Emma.

After he finally checks out and loads his groceries in the car, he drives home a little faster than he should and quickly puts everything away. He’ll have to tidy it all up later, but he needs to go ahead and make his way to LAX because he already knows that traffic will be awful. It nearly always it, and this weekend is going to make it worse.

Sure enough, he’s late to show up, but he hasn’t gotten a text from Emma letting him know that she’s landed, so he parks in hourly parking and makes his way inside, taking the long route to avoid the photographers that stake out at the exit nearest to the parking lot. He doesn’t see her anywhere, but considering it’s at least thirty times more insane than the grocery store in this small corner of the airport, he doesn’t exactly expect to right away.

Killian: Have you landed?

Emma: Yeah, but we’re taxiing right now.

Emma: My legs are so stiff, and the man next to me has talked for this entire flight.

Emma: Ah, shit. He just asked if I’d get dinner with him.

Emma: Why are people so weird?

Killian: What did you say?

Emma: Obviously I said yes.

Killian: Bring me some takeout from wherever you go.

He keeps texting back and forth with her until the texts stop and he’s left simply standing there watching and just waiting for her to show up somewhere.

“Hi, hi, hi,” Emma sighs as she jogs up to him at the airport, wrapping her arms around his shoulders and holding onto him as he tugs her closer, the bill of her baseball cap rubbing into his cheek with the sudden embrace. “How long have you been waiting here? It took forever taxiing after we landed, and then I had to pee, which I pretty much refuse to do on the plane which was hard because I had coffee…and yeah. Sorry for being late.”

“I absolutely do not mind,” he promises, quickly brushing his lips over hers as many times as he can before things turn inappropriate in a very public place. “Even if you were obviously going out to dinner with that man. I’ve just been watching people get black suitcase after black suitcase mixed up with other people’s very similar suitcases.”

“Sounds like quality entertainment.” “Right? Your flight’s luggage is coming out on this belt in front of me, so yours should be here soon. I’m surprised you didn’t do carry-on.”

She shrugs, pulling back from him and tightening the plaid shirts that’s wrapped around her waist. “Too much stuff. I wasn’t exactly sure what to wear tomorrow, and Ruby convinced me to bring…a lot. I figured you could help. Plus, my foundation went over the TSA limit for liquids weirdly enough, which I found out at security. That was a fun time.” “Sounds like you’ve had quite the adventure, Swan.” “I have. Look, there’s my suitcase. Let’s go.”

Emma practically jogs off to get her luggage, and he wonders just how much coffee she’s already consumed this morning. It’s got to be quite a bit, and he knows that she’s definitely going to crash in the middle of this afternoon. But it doesn’t matter. She’s here. She’s here, and he’s absolutely convinced that they’re going to have a wonderful Labor Day weekend with all of the plans that they’ve been making.

He hasn’t been this excited for a weekend in a long time.

-/-

“I like this,” he croons as he walks up to Emma at the counter in his bathroom that he’s come to think of as her counter. All of her stuff is there, the things she leaves behind both on accident and on purpose, including the damn toothbrush she ordered replacements heads for and had them sent here instead of to her home. He’d already signed up for the refurbishment ones, but he didn’t let her knows that when she texted him about the delivery. So now he has an entire dentist’s office worth of toothbrushes.

“Thank you.” She finishes putting her earring in and then turns around. “If I move from side to side, the fringe shakes.” She demonstrates for him, twisting and turning so that the white fringe on her dress moves with her, and he’s about as fascinated with it as he is with the smile on Emma’s face. It’s almost like she’s living some kind of childhood moment she never got right now, and all he can think is how happy he is that she’s happy. And how much he wants to spend the rest of his life with her.

He’s known it for awhile even if they’re not there yet, but he’s there. And he’s perfectly happy to go at Emma’s pace. He knows that she’s it for him. All this summer, the months of flying back and forth, of getting brief moments of time together and even more talking on the phone, it’s been difficult, but it’s kind of reaffirmed things for him on what he wants out of life. Emma’s not the first woman he’s been in love with, she’s not even the second or the third, but she’s it in every big sense of such a small word. He somehow…somehow he just knows it with every fiber in his being.

God, he loves her. More than anything.

“See?” Emma laughs, looking up at him as the fringe stops moving, resting back in place and framing her body. “I bought this dress forever ago and have never worn it. It looks okay for the premiere, right?”

“You look stunning, my love,” he promises, taking her hands and kissing her knuckles so he won’t mess up her makeup. His lips move along the skin of her hands until he’s kissing her wrist, right on the small black dot. “And this is perfect.”

“Thanks. You look nice too. Very handsome but,” she reaches up and runs her hands through his hair a little bit, “your hair is too flat. You gotta add a little life to it.”

“How embarrassing will it be for me to admit that I usually have someone do my hair for things like this?”

“Only a little,” she laughs, continuing to mess with his hair, which feels far too good than it has any right to feel. “Why didn’t you for tonight?”

“Smaller event. I’m not even wearing a tie or anything.”

Emma rolls her eyes before turning around and picking up her lipstick and reapplying the red, her tongue poking out the slightest bit. “You are obviously in shambles.”

“Thank you for your never ending support.” He can see her wink in the mirror. “Always.”

The show sends him a driver, which he really didn’t understand for something like tonight when it’s simply a miniseries premier and not a movie, but he’s not going to complain about not having to worry about how much he’s had to drink when thinking about them getting home. So he thanks Steve, before helping Emma into the back of the car, her dress seemingly always in movement, and loading in himself.

Robin’s waiting for him when they pull up to the hotel where they’re hosting this thing tonight, and Steve drops them off at the front entrance where he can see Isabelle getting out of her car as well. Apparently, the producers are trying to schmooze them one last time.

“You ready, darling?” he asks Emma, taking her hand in his, lacing their fingers together as Robin walks them through the front doors. “Yep,” she says quietly, her eyes darting around the room that’s bursting with people. “This is kind of weird.” “Aye, I know. It’s pretty unconventional.” “A pipe burst down at the theater where they were going to do this,” Robin explains, “and they’re having to redo all of the upholstery. And this was a good last-minute option even if things are a little unconventional for it being a show.”

“That’s shitty luck.”

“It is, but this is a nicer place if I’m honest.” They walk into one of the ballrooms, and there’s a wall set up for them to take pictures by, a group of photographers and journalists already taking pictures and interviewing some of his costars. “Jones, you know what to do here. Take your picture alone, then some with Isabelle, and then you’ve got one interview at the end. Emma, you can stay with me if you want to.”

He looks over to Emma, and she nods her head, smiling at him even if her eyes are blown a little wide. “You going to be okay, darling?”

“Yeah, I’m fine.” She squeezes his hand before releasing it. “Go do your thing, KJ.”

So he does, standing and taking pictures, alternating between smiling and staring at the cameras with an emotionless look. This, to him, has always been one of the most awkward parts of his job. It’s not the interviews. It’s standing alone and having people take pictures of him. So he’s eternally thankful for when Isabelle finishes hers and comes to stand next to him, wrapping her arm around his waist and smiling.

“You’ve got these crazy eyes going on right now, Jones,” she laughs, all the while her pose never fades. “I’d try straightening those out.”

“It’s the damn flashes and the way it’s far too dark in here.”

“You’re supposed to be a professional,” she teases. “Get it together.”

“I would, but your shoes are just so bright that I’ve been blinded.”

She hits his back – hard – and he laughs while they continue to move across the small carpet until they separate to do their own interviews. She’s one of his favorite costars, someone who he actually likes to talk to outside of work, and even though they’ve been finished filming for months, he knows he’s going to miss her when she flies back home to New Zealand instead of staying here.

When he’s finished talking, having gone through Ezra’s entire backstory once again as well as explaining just how excited he is for the miniseries to begin, he makes his way through the doors, figuring that’s where he’s supposed to go. It’s definitely different than he’s used to, not at all familiar, so he waits inside the impromptu theater that he’s just stumbled into until Robin and Emma also come through the doors with smiles on both of their faces. Good.

“You want to get something to drink, KJ?” Emma asks, coming up to him and poking her fingers at his chest. “Because I know for a fact that you hate watching yourself on screen, and I feel like you are going to need a couple glasses of rum for that.” “Are you trying to get me drunk?”

“No,” she promises, wrapping her arms around his neck while he rests his on her hips, feeling the soft material of her dress under his fingertips, “I am not. I’m just trying to make life more bearable for all of us before you whine and moan all about your performance in the show.”

“She’s right, mate,” Robin laughs. “You’re going to give us all hell this entire time.” “See?” she nudges, running her fingers through the hair at the nape of his neck and pleasantly scratching his skin. “You need something to drink. Plus, I think there may be food.”

“Swan, I would never dare bring you somewhere without food. I’m not a madman with a death wish.”

“That’s a good plan for you.”

After they get their drinks and Emma finds herself some food (“They have mini cheeseburgers, KJ. I knew your job wasn’t worthless.”), they settle themselves down into their seats while people continue to move around them. Isabelle comes to sit next to Emma, and they absolutely hit it off. It’s wonderful, even if most of it is them teasing him, but Emma’s just got this smile on her face, her eyes lighting up with joy…and it’s all he wants. He wants her to be happy, and if it means him suffering through being made fun of and having to watch himself on screen, it’s completely and totally worth it.

Plus, there are other scenes that he’s not in, and those are okay to watch. Those are brilliant to watch because it’s a bloody brilliant show. Emma gasps in all the right places, laughing at all of the totally inappropriate places when he’s doing something like sword fighting, and she spends the entire time whispering a live commentary in his ear that has his stomach rolling while he stifles his laughter in her hair and in her shoulder as he runs his lips across her bare shoulders every time he gets a chance. She smells like her hairspray, her perfume, and a little bit of rum on her breath. He enjoys the spice of it.

He enjoys her.

“That was brilliant,” Emma sighs when it’s over while the room claps. “Is there any way you can get me the entire thing, like, right now? I kind of want to know what happens next without you giving me spoilers.”

“I don’t think I have that power.”

She groans, stretching out her legs in the seat while her head falls back. “What good are you?”

“I thought we already established that the sliders you consumed earlier were what I was good for.” “That’s what your job is useful for. You, on the other hand, need to be worth something.”

“I’ll just have to think on that, love.”

He’s not sure if he ever comes up with something he can be good for since he can’t get Emma the entire season on Highland Waters, but he does get her some more food and a refill on her drink as everyone settles around the bar, chatter and laughter filling the room while music plays on the speakers overhead. He’s not exactly sure who all is here, most of the faces unrecognizable to him, so he assumes they’re executives instead of the crew he was so familiar with while filming. He would recognize the crew.

“So tell me,” Isabelle sighs as she comes up to he and Emma in the lounge by the bar, the wine in her glass sloshing around, “how in the world does Killian Jones get someone who is such a catch like Emma here?”

“I ask myself the same thing every day,” Emma teases, settling herself down on his thigh while he wraps his free arm around her waist, the other hand holding his glass.

“You have literally known her for three hours, Isabelle.”

“Yes, but in those three hours, she has informed me that you organize your fridge and pantry as well as everything else in your house like you’re in some kind of organization club.” “I am not embarrassed by the fact that I’m organized. Emma should be embarrassed by how much of a slob she is.” “Hey,” Emma laughs, adjusting herself in his lap while she slaps his hand over her stomach, “I am not a slob. I’m not a slob,” she repeats to Isabelle, “and really, the weirdest thing about Killian is definitely that he eats his salad without combining ingredients. Like, if there are strawberries in there, he eats all of them before moving onto the lettuce.” “That’s not weird.” “That’s really weird, Jones. I can guarantee it’s not the weirdest thing about you, but it’s pretty weird.” Someone calls out her name, and Isabelle looks away, practically tripping over her own heels even as she stands still. “I’ve got to go, but I’m going to come back and find you guys later.” “So she’s drunk, right? She can’t actually that clumsy all of the time, and if she is, that was incredible acting in that first episode.”

“She’s definitely a bit intoxicated,” he chuckles, tilting his head to the side and brushing his lips across her jaw and down her neck while she moves and gives him more access to her skin, little moans escaping her lips. Bless her. “I think we may be too, but we’re sitting down.”

“Because we’re, ah,” she gasps when he bites down on her skin, and it sends a shiver down to the base of his spine, “intellectuals.”

“Big word there.”

“You really are drunk if you think that’s a big word.”

He hums, leaning back in the chair and yanking her back with him so that she giggles, the sound high and lilting even with all of the sounds in the room. “I think we should go home, Swan,” he growls into her ear as his finger start moving over her stomach, wishing the damn fringe wasn’t in the way. He loved it at the beginning of the night, loved the way it made Emma feel, loved the way it hugged her curves, but he’d really rather she not be wearing it right now.

“I think that sounds like a plan, Stan.”

They load back into the car and get a ride home from Steve. He can’t say he’s ever made out with a girl in the backseat of a car, not since he was a teenager and Liam would have lost his mind had he and Hannah Kirpatrick been in the house, but now as a thirty-three-year-old man, he does just that. She tastes like the spice of the rum they’ve both been drinking, maybe a bit like the chocolate she ate right before they left, grabbing it on the way out the door, and it’s intoxicating as always as her lips move against his over and over again.

They’re probably scarring poor Steve, but he honestly doesn’t care when there’s a white fringe dress on the floor of his living room.

-/-

“Okay, so remind me that I am not twenty-two anymore the next time we decide to go out and drink so much,” Emma groans when she wakes up the next morning, her voice far too loud for how much pain he’s in.

“You’re talking far too loudly.”

“Oh my God, so are you.”

He chuckles, even as his head pounds, and wraps his arms further around his pillow, burying his face in the softness while he tries to will everything away. “You are nearly five years younger than me, so you’re much closer to twenty-two and not feeling dead from drinking too much.”

“You have a bigger body mass. Harder to get drunk.”

He kicks out on the other side of his bed until he finds flesh with his foot. He’s honestly not sure what part of Emma’s body he’s kicking, but he doesn’t care. “Rude,” he mumbles into his pillow, turning a bit and opening one eye just so he can see her stretched out as well, her hair covering her face from his view. “You’re not supposed to comment on a man’s body mass.”

“You’re taller than me and weigh more. Your body mass is bigger. It’s not an insult.” He kicks at her again until she yelps. “I hate you so much.”

“You don’t.” “I do.” “Will you still hate me if I go make us some hangover food?”

“Pancakes with chocolate chips and whipped cream would be acceptable. And coffee. And bacon. It has to be cooked in the oven and not the microwave though.”

“Bloody hell,” he grumbles, rolling over in bed and letting his eyes adjust to the light, “how are you being so specific about what you want?” “I am a specific type of person.”

“Okay,” he sighs, slowly getting up from bed and letting his eyes adjust to light, “I will go make us all of that food, but I’m also going to make you eat some fruit, yeah?”

“Fine, Mary Margaret. I will eat all of my food groups.” “Don’t tease Mary Margaret when she’s got a good point. Besides, you eat salads all the damn time.” “Not when I’m miserably hungover and not picking everything out like you do.”

He’s miserable pretty much the entire time that he’s making breakfast, the medicine he took and coffee he’s drinking helping a small bit. Emma eventually joins him, her hair wrapped up in a towel on the top of her head while she’s changed into the sleep shorts she likes and one of his older t-shirts that she must have gotten out of one of the drawers in his closet. Misery loves company, so as he and Emma grumble and groan all while waiting for their food to be cooked, it’s not quite as miserable as it was.

Or maybe it is. He did drink a hell of a lot of rum yesterday.

But eventually he feels less like death and more like a human being. The food helps, even if he does have a lingering headache, but honestly the fact that they hoard themselves away in his bedroom with his curtains closed to block out the sun and do nothing but hide out under the covers while the rest of the country likely has a nice Labor Day Saturday helps the most. Plus, Emma grabbed bags of chips out of his pantry and brought them upstairs with her so they really don’t have to leave his room at all.

Except to go get water. Neither of them thought about water when they both really need it.

“I’m proud of you, you know,” Emma speaks out of nowhere, making him turn his head to face her. She’s got a bag of salt and vinegar chips in her lap, something he already knows makes her tongue break out because his does the same, not that she cares about that, and if he were to shake out his comforter, he knows there’d be crumbs everywhere.

“For what, sweetheart?”

She shrugs, the bit of sunlight that’s peeking through the window casting across her face and hitting the green of her eyes, making them shine even more brightly than usual. “For your premiere yesterday, for getting the role for that movie that doesn’t have a name yet. I totally think it should be called After Life, though. People will think it has supernatural stuff in it when it doesn’t. It’ll just be about what happens after life is over for someone you love.”

He laughs, scooting up on the mattress and inching closer to her, nearly sitting up himself. “I’ll have to tell the producers that. Get you a paycheck for the name and everything.”

“Always looking out for me.” “Undoubtedly.”

“But I’m also just…” she sighs, her entire body heaving with the movement, and it’s what gets him to sit up against the headboard with her. “I’m proud of you for who you are, for getting this life for yourself, for not letting your past define you any more than it has to.” “Emma, what’s all this about?”

“Nothing,” she promises, putting the chips on the table next to her while he watches her features, watches to see if there’s anything she’s not telling him. “I don’t know why, but I was thinking about the Sorellino’s, about how I was late because of work, and how at the end of the night you told me how proud you were of me. That meant so much to me, probably more than I can ever tell you, but I also realized that I never told you how proud I am of you for the life that you’ve built.”

Emotion lodges itself in his throat, as do the words he wants to say in response. He remembers that night. How could he not? He remembers telling Emma how proud he was of her, remembers the way her eyes lit up and her lips trembled a bit, and he also remembers her telling him that his mum would be proud of him if she were here to see him. And while he doesn’t think what he does is changing the world, he’s glad that he does what he loves. Emma telling him that his mum would be proud of him, well, that was just the same if not better than anything else she could have said.

It doesn’t change the fact that he can feel his entire body heat all the while thinking about Emma and how she thinks him to be a man who she’s proud of, a man who she wants to be with despite all of his shortcomings and failures.

“Thank you, my love.” He leans over and brushes his lips over hers, tasting the chips she’s been eating.

“You taste like onions,” she groans, her entire demeanor lightening instantly so that he laughs against her lips.

“You taste like vinegar, so you really can’t complain.”

“Lucky for you, I do have a fancy toothbrush compared to your regular, manual one.”

“You and that damned toothbrush, Swan.”

She winks, reaching over and grabbing the big of chips before popping a large on in her mouth. “You’re really going to appreciate it when I eat this entire family-sized bag of chips all by myself in the next hour.”

“Those were for you and Anna for tomorrow. She’s going to kill you before she even meets you.”

“Don’t be so salty, KJ.” Emma pops another chip into her mouth while he groans, scrunching up his face. “Totally worth using the word salty for the look on your face right now.”

#betting on the bullseye #captain swan #cs fanfic #cs ff #cs fic

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citizenscreen · 5 years

Text

Out of the blue I watched a new-to-me movie the other day about a retired Army Colonel who takes on corrupt politicians in his hometown in Georgia. The movie’s title is Colonel Effingham’s Raid, a 1946 comedy directed by Irving Pichel starring Charles Coburn as the title character. Colonel Effingham’s Raid has a lot going for it with charm high on its list of attributes thanks in large part to Coburn, the Georgia native with a talent for comedy and an English accent. It was then that I decided to dedicate an entry to him because I enjoy him so…and…lo and behold, this week would have been his birthday.

Charles Coburn (June 19, 1877 – August 30, 1961)

We have an embarrassment of riches in the character actor department of classic films. There are numerous memorable actors who deserve praise for bettering films simply by their appearance no matter how small a role. One of those is Charles Coburn who enjoyed a popularity many of the other character players did not. Indeed, thanks to Coburn’s 3-decades-long screen career during which he appeared in nearly 100 movies and television shows, his name recognition rivaled that of the stars whose names appeared above the title. Coburn was also highly regarded critically receiving three Academy Award nominations for Best Supporting Actor, taking home Oscar once for his delightful portrayal of Benjamin Dingle in George Stevens‘ wartime comedy, The More the Merrier (1943). More important than awards, however, was Charles Coburn’s undeniable ability to delight greatly with his talent.

Charles Douville Coburn was born in Macon, Georgia on June 19, 1877 and grew up in beautiful Savannah. He was the son of Scotch-Irish Americans Emma Louise Sprigman and Moses Douville Coburn who were not entertainers, but that didn’t stop young Charles from taking odd jobs at the local Savannah Theater starting at the age of 14. He was bitten by the entertainment industry bug early and did everything from handing out programs to being the doorman to theater manager by the age of 18. Failing to make his mark in Georgia, Charles left for New York at age 19. Although Mr. Coburn didn’t hit the big time immediately, his Broadway debut in 1901 was an inevitability as was his forming The Coburn Shakespearean Players in 1905. His partner in that endeavor was another actor, Ivah Wills, who became Mrs. Coburn in 1906. The two had six children together.

In addition to managing the Coburn Players, Charles and Ivah starred in and produced many plays throughout the decades during which the troupe traveled to college campuses across the country and appeared on Broadway. The couple met when he was playing Orlando to her Rosalind in As You Like It. They continued to work together until her death in 1937 performing Shakespeare and French and Greek dramas and comedies. In her book, Greek Tragedy on the American Stage: Ancient Drama in the Commercial Theater …, Karelisa Hartigan mentions how the Coburn Players would give over 100 performances every summer mostly outdoors. The popularity of their performances created an interest in outdoor theaters with other companies following their lead. Charles Coburn played most of the male leading parts with Ivah, billed as Mrs. Coburn, playing the female leads. The productions were often called “amateurish” by critics, but the performances were always praised. These scholarly productions likely led to Charles’ English accent despite being a Southern gentleman.

I’d be remiss not to mention that although few know her name, Ivah Wills had a long list of credits in her own right both as an actor and producer in a career that spanned 35 years. Ivah garnered positive reviews along with her husband and both were highly regarded members of the acting community. To put it in perspective, consider that George M. Cohan was among the honorary pallbearers at Ivah’s funeral.

Cobrun and Wills in The Taming of the Shrew

Ivah and Charles

After Ivah Wills’ death, Charles Coburn moved to Hollywood to start a movie career. He’d already appeared in a 1933 short film and in The People’s Enemy, a crime drama directed by Crane Wilbur. However, the roles that would cement his legacy as a screen star began in earnest in 1938 with comedic performances far removed from his classical training, but roles in which he excelled. Coburn’s best movie roles are the ones where he perfectly balances the high-brow snootiness with a touch of bumbling fool. Roger Ebert described him as a toned down Charles Laughton and that’s exactly right. Coburn paved the road to stardom at the age of 61 and became a steadfast presence that could be counted on for his comedic timing as charming old men with affected manner and accent – always with a monocle, which he removed only to eat, and sometimes chomping on a cigar. One cannot help but smile when he appears on screen.

Clarence Brown‘s Of Human Hearts (1938) offered Coburn his first substantial role alongside a first-rate cast led by Walter Huston, James Stewart and another terrific character actor, Beulah Bondi. Although that film is a Western, Coburn played a doctor, the type of professional role along with several judges, business men, a couple of “sirs,” and rich guys that he enjoyably brought to the screen throughout his career.

Charles Coburn’s memorable big screen credits are too numerous to list, but he made important contributions to such enduring classics as John Cromwell‘s Made for Each Other (1939) and Garson Kanin‘s Bachelor Mother (1939). A personal favorite of mine, Preston Sturges’ The Lady Eve (1941) wherein Coburn plays “Colonel” Harrington, father to Barbara Stanwyck’s Jean Harrington, a duo of card sharps adept at swindling the rich, would not be the same without him. The actor followed that Sturges gem with his first Oscar-nominated performance as an irascible tycoon who goes undercover as a shoe clerk at a department store to try to uncover agitators trying to form a union in Sam Wood’s The Devil and Miss Jones (1941). Starring Jean Arthur, Robert Cummings and a slew of fantastic character actors like Spring Byington, Edmund Gwenn, S. Z. Sakall, and William Demarest, you must make time to watch The Devil and Miss Jones if you’ve not seen it. It is bewitching fun.

Coburn and Jean Arthur in THE DEVIL AND MISS JONES

The 1940s served several standouts for Charles Coburn who appeared in 4 to 5 pictures a year in the early part of the decade. Of course, his Oscar-winning performance in Stevens’ World War II comedy The More the Merrier stands tall above the heap. Opposite Jean Arthur and Joel McCrea, Coburn is wonderful as the retired millionaire who finagles his way into a room during the wartime housing shortage. Coburn’s blustering but endearing manner in this film typifies the greatest gift he brought to the movies, by my estimation, and it is hard to resist. Variety agreed with me as of this movie they wrote, “A sparkling and effervescing piece of entertainment, The More the Merrier, is one of the most spontaneous farce-comedies of the wartime era. Although Jean Arthur and Joel McCrea carry the romantic interest, Charles Coburn walks off with the honors.”

Another worthy 1940s turn for Coburn was Ernst Lubitsch‘s Heaven Can Wait in 1943. Here he plays another grandfather and another millionaire with usual memorable flare alongside a stupendous cast led by Gene Tierney and Don Ameche. Once again I must mention Pichel’s Colonel Effingham’s Raid in which Coburn co-starred with Joan Bennett and William Eythe and several other veteran character actors like Donald Meek and Cora Witherspoon. This was a fun discovery.

Charles Coburn received his third Academy Award nomination for what TCM’s Robert Osborne described as a “rip-roaring performance” as a gruff but loving grandfather in the coming-of-age tale told in Victor Saville‘s The Green Years (1946). Following that performance, Coburn’s big screen appearances slowed down significantly. He had signed a contract with Columbia Pictures in 1945, which required only four films in two years. This meant that the actor had more time to return to the stage and to dedicate time to television work, which he did with gusto starting in 1950 as a premiere guest on many anthology series. Still, Coburn made a few notable pictures in the 1950s delighting audiences with a comedic millionaire performance as Sir Francis “Piggy” Beekman in Howard Hawks‘ Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953), a role that could have easily been creepy portrayed by anyone else. He also played against type in John Guillermin‘s murder mystery, Town on Trial (1957), which I must get my hands on.

Coburn with Jane Russell and Marilyn Monroe in a publicity shot for GENTLEMEN PREFER BLONDES

Coburn’s final screen appearance was in The Best of the Post, an anthology series adapted from stories published in the Saturday Evening Post magazine. The March 1960 episode is titled “Six Months More to Live.” That seems a somber ending to a stellar career, but one to be proud of for many reasons not the least of which is that Coburn appeared in five Oscar Best Picture nominees: Kings Row (1942), The More the Merrier (1943), Heaven Can Wait (1943), Wilson (1944) and Around the World in 80 Days (1956). Only the last of these won, but they were all improved by the Coburn brand.

At the time of his death Charles Coburn was married to Winifred Natzka who was forty-one years his junior. The two were married in 1959 and had a daughter together. The actor’s final acting role was fittingly on stage in a production of You Can’t Take It With You in Indianapolis, Indiana a week before his death at the age of eighty-four. The previous year he had been honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame located at 6268 Hollywood Boulevard. If you ever pass that address be sure to look downward at his star – it was well earned.

A Tribute to Charles Coburn Out of the blue I watched a new-to-me movie the other day about a retired Army Colonel who takes on corrupt politicians in his hometown in Georgia.

#Character Actors #Charles Coburn #Classic Character Actors

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wherestoriescomefrom · 6 years

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Sherlock and Molly go to the park with Rosie and are mistaken for her parents.

It went a bit longer than expected, anon! Hope you like it :)

The sunlight was bright – Molly looked up at the sky, the blue a rare occurrence in London. She took a deep breath – Hyde Park was gorgeous, at this time – when the weather was right for them to be ought. She looked at Sherlock – who was disinterestedly regarding the infant in the stroller. They were sitting on a bench – taking a small break from Sherlock’s long dictation on the various species to be found in the park.

A butterfly fluttered by.

Molly’s eyes fluttered.

“How’s John now?”

“Better,” said Sherlock shortly. Rosie dropped her stuffed toy, and Sherlock stared at her, as if daring her to speak. “Explain yourself, Watson,” he commanded.

Molly laughed. She got up, bending over Rosie’s stroller. “Pay no attention to him, Rosie,” she cooed.

“You baby her,” frowned Sherlock.

“She is a baby.”

“She’s going to be six months soon, and hasn’t even mastered object permanence.”

“You know that babies master that over the course of eight months, right?” asked Molly, amusedly. “I suppose you came out of the womb with object permanence awareness?” She sat down on the bench again.

Sherlock looked disgruntled. “Very funny, Molly.”

Molly plucked on her jumper, deciding to remove it. Unconsciously, she handed it to Sherlock who folded it immediately. He promptly brushed off the leaves that had stuck to it – and handed it back to Molly.

A couple was approaching the bench, and they were smiling at Rosie. Molly squared her shoulder, waiting for the inevitable third set to come and coo over Rosie – it was a slow day. Normally, Rosie roped in nearly seven different people.

“Oh, lord, Molly,” muttered Sherlock. “Can we play deductions and chase them away?”

“You know you’re banned from playing deductions in the park, Sherlock,” said Molly patiently. “Besides, Rosie likes the attention.”

“Of course she does,” said Sherlock, with the voice of someone who had been betrayed.

The unsuspecting couple approached Rosie, and one of the women smiled at Molly. “How old is she?”

“Around six months,” smiled Molly.

“She’s beautiful,” said the other woman in the couple. “I’ve always wanted child.”

“Well, what’s stopping you?” asked Molly, attempting to maintain polite conversation.

“Oh, Emma’s parents haven’t accepted her yet. We’re waiting for their blessing to marry,” said the woman bending over Rosie.

“Oh,” said Molly, at a loss for words. “Well, I wish you luck.”

“And you two?” asked the woman named Emma. “How long has it been for you?”

Molly blushed red. “Sherlock and I aren’t – um – together.”

“Oh,” said the-one-named-Emma. “Terribly sorry.”

“Oh no – it’s fine.”

“Well – um, Ashley and I should be going,” said the-one-named-Emma. She disappeared with her girlfriend, leaving Molly’s heart hurting.

“Their parents won’t accept them. They ought to throw the towel in. Extremely conservative northerners,” Sherlock said.

“Right,” muttered Molly, getting up. “Well, let’s be off, Sherlock.”

Sherlock followed her as she pushed Rosie forward. “You’re upset,” he stated.

“Not… upset,” said Molly. “I’m – wistful?”

“That’s not convincing,” said Sherlock. “Was it that woman who thought we were together?”

Molly nodded slowly.

Sherlock didn’t say anything for a second.

“What’s the matter with the assumption?” asked Sherlock. “For any onlooker, we do perform the roles of a couple. I spend most of my time free at your home, and you do the same. We have shared interests and hobbies – we speak, outside work. These are the traditional markers of a couple, isn’t it?”

“But we aren’t one, Sherlock,” sighed Molly. “And while I have become cynical enough to not value myself through romance, it does pinch a bit.”

She could hear him frowning.

“Oh,” he said.

Molly continued to walk by, looking up at the sky periodically. It was too lovely a day to be unhappy, she told herself sternly. She shut her eyes, to remember the time after the fall – with Sherlock in her home, spread on her bed – every part of her body controlling the ridiculous fear and pain she was feeling. How he had dragged her into the bed, threw his arm around her, and spooned her. “I’ve heard physical contact is a comfort during moments such as this,” he had said. While it was said coldly, there was a certain amount of sheepishness in it – that did not rip Molly’s heart into pieces.

“Molly?” he said.

“Mm?”

“Could you turn?” he asked her formally.

“If you want another sample of toadstool,” Molly muttered, as she turned.

He loomed over her – the bright, blue sky glittering with a kind of happiness that Molly found almost ominous. He brushed some of the hair from her face.

“I don’t sleep,” he said.

“What?”

“I don’t sleep – sometimes, I don’t eat for days. I have an erratic schedule, I can be cruel – sometimes, even rude. I don’t care for crap telly –”

“Sherlock, why are you –”

“I hate being interrupted. I can be overbearing – and arrogant, and pompous. It caused Mary’s death, and I’m sure it causes more harm than it should. I hate my brother, despite him being my biggest resource –”

“What on earth, Sherlock –”

“And I – I cannot abide by your idiotic habits. Your humming. Your constant muttering. Your awkwardness, your shyness.”

“Sherlock, stop.”

Sherlock became quiet.

“This is who you want to be with?” he asked.

Molly raised her eyebrows. “For starters – you’d be lucky to have me. Secondly, yes. I didn’t go into this blind, Sherlock Holmes.”

He didn’t smile – he regarded her, with that cold terrifying stare that Molly loved.

And he kissed her.

The blue sky could have fallen on her that minute, and she would have known nothing of it.

#sherlock #sherlolly #sherlock holmes #molly hooper #hello void this is ridiculosity #my writing

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roslinadama-sinequanon · 7 years

Text

Major Crimes Re-Watch-Final Cut

The Crime-A woman is found dead in a pool-not drowned, stabbed to death. Needless to say, Provenza jumps right in with his “the husband did it”. This time the husband turns out to be a bigwig movie director—and extremely unsympathetic. The fact that this guy was hardly broken up about his wife’s death, didn’t remember that she was pregnant, had affairs and asked his current lover to cover for him during the time of the murder makes it initially look like Provenza was right.

“Great, that’s your reward for making history.”

Provenza is the last of his academy class still left on the job. Rather than being happy he won the pot he is feeling a bit old and depressed—feelings which are probably even stronger because he lost what he thought was his chance to run Major Crimes. For once Andy doesn’t seem to be ribbing him here, he seems simply happy for him.

“Dr. Morales, this is Deputy DA Emma Rios, who may be confused.”

Quite an entrance for the new character, Emma Rios. Enjoyed the subtle humor ---Sharon and Morales’s exasperation with her childish whining and Julio’s immediate interest in her. Love Sharon’s WTF look when Rios comes storming into the morgue freaking out at the sight of a dead body. Um…what did you think you’d see in the morgue, Emma?

“The mask won’t help; it just collects the smell in one place.”

Julio is instantly smitten and Sharon is rolling her eyes at Emma’s continuing complaints and the way Julio is babying her. LOL over the way Sharon shoves the reports at Julio to get his attention back and the way Morales tries to gross Emma out even more.

“Unless she was drunk.”

“No, she was pregnant.”

Oh, Sharon, honey, you’re such a good Mama. You just know that Sharon Raydor never even had a sip of win when she was pregnant with Emily and Ricky and interestingly enough she assumes all women would be so conscientious when pregnant.

“Is she the new, uh…”

“Deputy DA, that’s her.”

“What’s she like?”

“Lt. Provenza and I will both be with you.”

“Oh man, that bad.”

I wonder if Sharon had planned for Provenza to be there all along or if she asked him after meeting Rios. I also wondered why she chose Provenza over Andy since in Season 1 Andy seemed to have more to do with helping Rusty, than Provenza. I came up with two reasons. One, this is not personal as the other matters were with his mother and biological father, this has to with the case against Stroh and Provenza is the Senior Lt. thus Sharon’s second in command. Two, she probably knew that Andy would never have been able to be as dispassionate as Provenza and there was a good chance he would have completely lost his cool with Rios, which wouldn’t have helped Rusty. I could totally see Andy getting in Emma's face and telling her to f***off when she got heated with Rusty. Andy is as easily baitable as Rusty.

“You were with a Mr. Douglas Grant standing in your underwear.”

First of all, these guys give out their real names to their prostitutes?

Second, just the little tilt of Sharon’s head shows us that this is going to be extremely uncomfortable for her. It’s one thing to know Rusty had to prostitute himself, it’s another to have to hear the details. She is already more Mom than Captain with him. And, intellectually Sharon and Provenza know Emma has to be tough on him to prepare him, but watching it is difficult.

“How you became a whorphan?”

“A what? A...A WHORPHAN”

“DDA Rios WE ARE GOING TO STOP!”

This is one of my favorite scenes because we get to see the professional Sharon Raydor warring with the personal. She interrupts Emma’s interrogation a couple times when Emma asks uncomfortable questions of Rusty and then just totally loses it when she calls Rusty as whorphan and Rusty starts to come unraveled. We rarely see Sharon lose her cool so that’s why it is a favorite of mine. I often wish the writers would give Sharon a little more range when it comes to emotions instead of making her so perfect all the time. I get that she is more reserved, but you cannot tell me there aren’t times when she is bitter or furious or that she really lets goes and cries rather than just tearing up. It’s like Duff has her on some Madonna pedestal where she has to be perfect all the time, she never has a bad day, she’s never sick, never complains, never puts a foot wrong. While I think he went overboard with Brenda, I’d like to see a little more “real” Sharon rather than always-perfect Sharon.

“Rusty has a right to have his guardian present.”

“Wait, my client LIVES with you!”

LOL Oh, Emma time to get up to speed. Emma does have a point here. How many jurors would believe that Sharon hasn’t discussed the case with Rusty and as she said, the fact that Sharon is clothing him, feeding him, putting a roof over his head, paying for his expensive private Catholic school and giving him access to her car could be misconstrued as bribery. But it is the way Emma says it and comes across that is so oft putting. She is, quite frankly, obnoxious.

“That boy was selling himself on the street to survive, which puts him at special risk---“

“Don’t talk to---“

“DON’T... interrupt me. It puts him at special risk for suicide.

Darth Raydor at her best. Sharon quickly puts Rios in her place. Also, I hadn’t even thought about suicide, but leave it to Sharon to know this and to be concerned. Rusty couldn’t have been placed with a better, more caring or informed guardian.

“If he stops cooperating with us I will put him back with DCYS, find him another foster home…And you should tell him that.”

What is it with Taylor and all his threats? He really is a bully at heart. His way of leading is through threats and pushing his weight around and he refuses to listen to anyone. Sharon knows Rusty better than anyone and she knows this would be a HUGE mistake. In this scene Taylor also asks Sharon if she can handle being both Rusty’s foster mom and a police captain and she says she can because in both roles she supposed to protect him, but it is pretty obvious by now that Sharon is really struggling with being objective when it comes to Rusty and the Stroh case. This is no longer simply professional, it’s personal. Taylor just threatened her family and we can see in that little leap of panic in her suspiciously shiny eyes that she is afraid of losing Rusty.

“Not eating on the couch, standing in front of the couch and I have a plate under my hamburger.”

Aww..And he didn’t even have to jump up off the couch and lie about it; he really was standing watching TV before Sharon came through the door. “Mom’s” lessons are taking hold. And this is the first time we’ve seen Sharon slip out of her high heels into a pair of uggs.

“DDA Rios is turning out to be more complicated than I’d hoped.”

Even here, Sharon is being very careful to remain neutral. She has to try to convince Rusty to testify WITHOUT threatening him as Taylor had requested.

“People will find out about me, they will.”

“And they will also find out that under very difficult circumstances and against your own best interests Rusty Beck was the kind of person who was brave enough to do the right thing.”

This is one of my favorite scenes in the whole series. Rusty is hurting. He has finally allowed himself to begin to trust this life with Sharon, to let people in and now this is all being threatened; his world is crashing in on him. He is going to be humiliated; everyone in school will know he was a prostitute. Sharon hates seeing him in such pain over this and she is really trying hard to hold it together, her voice choked with emotion, eyes tearing. I just WISH the writers would give us some of this emotion when it comes to Sharon’s freaking love life. The closest we’ve come to emotion with her and Andy was the little catch in her throat when she realizes his blood clot is in his carotid artery—and of course, she was upset when he collapsed. However, why is it that the writers don’t have a problem giving her emotional mothership scenes (think also about the emotional scene when she lets Ricky have it about Rusty’s adoption) but can’t give her an emotional scene with her boyfriend/lover? Can they only write Sharon emotionally as a mother because they don’t really know who she is as a woman and a lover?

“Trial? Who wants to go to trial? I want to put the killer behind bars for life…today.”

For the first time she and Taylor are on the same side.

“One of the nice things about me DDA Rios is that when I’m really unhappy about something, people never have to ask. “

One of my favorite lines in the whole series. Love Taylor’s look of “Whoa, the lady’s got claws.”

“Why are you walking like a clown?”

Andy really does look ridiculous—if he saw someone walking around like that, he’d think that person was an idiot. It’s hard to mesh the tough, sexy Andy on TC with this kind of buffoonish Andy.

“I’ll talk about the Griffith Park stuff if Sharon isn’t there. I can’t go over it again in front of her.”

“What’s the other condition?”

“I don’t want you there either.”

“Why?”

What a difference from season 1 Rusty who made all kinds of sarcastic comments about his past “Of course I’m comfortable in backseats, what do you think?” because he was trying to push everyone away and keep them at arm’s length. Now he wants to forget it, hide it, because he wants these people to like him. He’s so afraid he is going to lose Sharon’s love and Provenza’s friendship if they really knew everything he’s done. It also shows that he sees Sharon as more of a mom than a police captain now. A year ago, he would have had no problem talking about what he had done in front of her, but now what teenager wants to talk about their sexual acts in front of their mother?

“He still shouldn’t be living with you.”

“Get over it.”

Great way to end the episode. Sharon in protective mama bear mode is a force to be reckoned with. And like with bringing Daniel Dunn into the picture, Emma Rios is a threat to the Raydor/Beck family, which brings tension, makes them closer and has the viewers rooting for them to thwart the evil Emma.

I really liked this episode. It was a great way to start a season in which Rusty really does become Sharon’s son. Also with some of the humor we can see that Sharon has more ease and is more comfortable with the team. Lots of great emotion and angst with the mothership. The only thing missing IMO is NOT ENOUGH ANDY. Season 2 also seems to be where we see the shift in the dynamic to the co-parenting of Rusty to include more Provenza than Flynn.

#sharon raydor #Major Crimes #andy flynn

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best-left-hook-jones · 7 years

Text

It Is Not Yet Evening (6/?)

Summary: Historical AU. It is 1917, and with the Russian empire on the verge of collapse, Emma - a former maid for the Imperial family - means to escape the imminent revolution and start a new life in London. Desperately fleeing the Bolsheviks and armed with fake documents and a new identity, she sets out to find the mysterious man with the power to grant her her freedom. But the road to Moscow is a treacherous one, and a chance encounter with a wealthy British businessman may change her life forever.

Words: 25,784

Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5, Chapter 6

14 km North of Chudovo; March 14th, 1917. 7:41pm.

He truly hadn’t meant to spend their first few moments in the cabin together in a heated argument.

He had overstepped by undressing in front of her - he knew that now - but he hadn’t expected her to react as violently as she had. It had been a while since he had spent, well, any amount of time with a woman, particularly one that he had bothered to learn the name of. He hadn’t wanted to push her.

That wasn’t entirely true. He had, but perhaps only just a fraction, though. Just enough to see if he could see a glimpse of the emerald green in her eyes that he had seen in the flatbed train car.

Instead, her eyes had filled with anger, annoyance and, worst of all, distrust. She had walls - he understood that - but as she had begun listing out her demands, he couldn’t help but think that there was now a moat between them as well. She wanted professionalism and boundaries, while he wanted…

Well, to be honest, he still wasn’t quite sure what he wanted. He had found her again, and while there was not an insignificant amount of satisfaction gained from that feat, it had done very little to relieve the itch he was feeling. It was as though he had coaxed a raven to perch on his arm, beautiful, and mysterious, but also flighty. She was clearly capable of holding her own, but that didn’t mean she would not flee if he got too close. It was difficult knowing that at any given moment, Emma was already ready with one foot already out the door.

Killian held out a steadying hand to her as they crossed the narrow platform between the trains. The dining car was the one directly before theirs, but it still meant that they would need to make the same daring shuffle that he had done to find Emma. He crossed first, opening the door ahead of her and guiding her by the elbow. Emma squinted at the flurry of snow, her long hair blowing furiously around her face, though she appeared steady enough in her footfalls.

They both half fell through the threshold into the dining car, their cheeks already slightly reddened by the whipping wind. He straightened himself out, turning reflexively to check that his companion wasn’t any worse for wear. It took not an insignificant amount of effort to resist brushing a few stray hairs away from her face as she brushed the snow out of her skirt folds.

The dining car was nearly vacant as they entered, only a handful of passengers willing to brave the cold between the cars to reach it. The seating consisted of heavy, ornate armchairs on either side of small circular tables lining each side of the carriage. They were fixed to the side of the walls like booths, the tall backs of the chairs concealing its occupant from behind. Despite it’s relative emptiness, each table was made up with a white linen table cloth and silver cutlery; the perfect picture of elegance for their more wealthy travellers.

Whoever had designed the carriage had had an eye for detail, and each meter of wall contained intricate wooden designs and individually placed lamps and ashtrays. Thin carpet extended the length of the room, trodden down and scuffed by boots and fancier heeled shoes. The liquor cabinet that took up a half of the panel near the attendant’s station was surely empty from the prohibition, the distinct lack of clinking glass bottles ringing through the cupboard doors confirming his theory as the pair passed by.

A handful of men in heavy suit jackets sat in the corner nearest the door, puffing away at their cigars as they drank their tea. The older gentleman nearest Killian turned to eye him momentarily before he flicked his attention back to his group, joining back in to and discuss politics and finances, no doubt. They seemed the sort, gruff and stiff as the smoke pooled around them and crept up the delicately carved walls.

The duo chose a table by one of the windows that appeared to be the least covered in soot. Not that it mattered, really; the sun had long since fallen below the horizon. He lent her a hand as she scooted into one of the ornate chairs, maneuvering carefully in the narrow space between the leather armrest and the tabletop. He waited until she was settled before joining her on the other side.

Almost as soon as his bottom had touched the seat, a uniformed attendant appeared at his side, no doubt to introduce himself and welcome his new guests. The man instinctively turned his attention toward Killian, though the businessman was quick to wave him toward the blond across from him. Emma took over immediately, slipping seamlessly into her role as translator.

After a moment, Emma turned her gaze back on Killian, asking him what he preferred for dinner.

“Whatever you suggest, Miss Emma,” he replied, careful to avoid choosing something that she would not also eat.

She nodded once before listing something off to the attendant, who gave a short verbal confirmation and left without another word.

Not too long after, the attendant arrived back with an array of dishes on a silver tray, his precision and steadiness remarkable considering the motion of the train. When everything was laid out - a selection of meats, breads, pickled root vegetables and even a small bowl of what appeared to be sweets - Killian gave the man a large handful of rubles. The man raised his eyebrows at the weight of the money in his hand and immediately took his leave, no doubt wondering how much extra he had been slipped and how well he would be able to hide his earnings from his colleagues. Either way, Killian was certain that their little table would be receiving special attention for the rest of the evening.

He removed one of the starched napkins from the table and tucked it across his lap, the shiny silverware clinking against porcelain as he began serving the food on to his plate. He looked up at his companion to see that she hadn’t moved a muscle, her hands clasped firmly in her lap.

“Please, do not hesitate on my account,” he encouraged, gesturing to the small buffet before them. “Help yourself to whatever you would like.”

For the upteenth time that day, she seemed to waiver at his offer. “It is not your responsibility to feed me.”

He wanted to sigh at her resistance.

“You are under my employ, after all. It is my responsibility to ensure that you are well taken care of while under my service.”

“I am only under your service for the time being,” she reminded him.

“True enough. But you would not leave a man to dine on his own, would you?”

She still appeared uncertain but moved to take a chunk of bread from the basket nearest to her. Killian watched her chew the piece slowly, her pace even and polite, though her eyes betrayed her hunger and were already scouring the table for more. He felt himself relax a bit as she laid out her own napkin and began spooning a decent portion of meat on to her own plate. She dug into her meal, and Killian felt a small flame of satisfaction that she did not seem to distrust him enough to go on a hunger strike to spite him. But for all he knew, she could just as easily change her mind again. Killian dearly hoped not.

It was going to be a bloody long trip.

Settling into the upholstered seat, he pulled a flask out of his waistcoat. Emma’s eyes landed on it immediately and she looked around quickly before leaning in, her voice a hiss.

“Where did you get that?”

“What?” He asked innocently. “The flask? I believe my friend Smee gave it to me. He-”

“No, the alcohol .”

“Oh, yes. That. I am afraid that was also Smee. He can be very resourceful when he needs to be.”

Using his thumb, he popped open the top and took a mouthful of the spiced rum, relishing the smooth burn down his throat. Wiping away a drop in the corner of his mouth, he held out the flash toward his travelling companion. “Would you care for some?”

If it were possible, Emma’s eyes blew wider than they already were.

“There is a prohibition in effect. You cannot be seen drinking.”

“Is that a ‘no’, then?” He asked, jiggling the flask in his hand.

Despite his teasing, she seemed to consider it, her eyes fixed on the small metal container. He was almost about to retract the offer when her hand came up, beckoning for the flask. He handed it over immediately and she brought the flask to her nose. She was cautious, her face crinkling in disgust as the strong smell of the alcohol hit her. Then, without another word, she tipped the flask up and took a quick swig.

To his great amusement, she coughed and spluttered as the strong alcohol went down. She gave him a small glare before she too burst into laughter. She shoved the flask underneath the tablecloth as the attendant came over to see what the fuss was about, but as neither could form words through their tears of laughter, the man graciously took his leave. With the attendant’s back turned, she slipped the flask back to its owner, who replaced it at his side.

The laughter subsiding, Emma grabbed her handkerchief and began dabbing at her teary eyes. Even with her eyelashes saturated and her cheeks wet, she was still the most graceful thing he had ever seen. How had anyone seen it fit to place her in a third class carriage? It astonished him to think that she could be anything other than an heiress, the way she carried herself. She had already shown herself to be secretive, but Killian couldn’t help but wonder if there was more to it than that.

“What?”

He nearly blushed at being caught staring.

“I apologize. It is only that you are - er - very elegant for someone travelling third class.”

“Are you teasing me now?” She raised an eyebrow at him as she tucked away her napkin again.

“I would never,” he replied, his voice full of sincerity. “You are very well-mannered and composed. It makes me wonder what it is that has brought you so far from home.”

“Well, I will have you know that Russian women are always elegant.”

It was a weak deflection, but it reminded Killian of another mystery he hoped to unravel.

“Nolana is clearly not a Russian name.”

“Indeed not.” There was a strong sense of finality in her statement.

“Come, now,” he prodded, “There must surely be a story behind that.”

“Wouldn’t you like to know,” she teased, reaching across to pluck a small red candy from the silver dish on the tray. But just as quickly, Killian’s hand shot out and pulled the dish away. His face was earnest, his voice sincere.

“Perhaps I would.”

Emma only scoffed. “So I may not have any sweets until I answer your questions? Am I a child to you?”

“Far from it. However, I would like to know more about you.” His mind worked quickly, formulating a plan. “How about a trade? A candy for a question.”

Another raised eyebrow and a careful smirk told him that she was not about to take him up on the bribe. “I am afraid it does not work that way. We agreed not to discuss personal matters. Besides, I am not that eager for dried varenye anyhow.”

“Dried what?”

“Dried varenye. It is a candied fruit,” she stated simply. “And would you look at that? An answer. I believe I have earned myself a sweet now.”

Before he could move, she had reached out quickly and stolen one of the candied strawberries from the bowl. Clever girl. But it was still a deflection and they both knew it. He was getting nowhere with his direct questioning and it wouldn't be long until she lost her patience with him entirely. He would need to try a different approach. There was only one reason that she would be so coy with her answers. Perhaps it was time to address it.

“You are afraid.”

She raised an eyebrow at him. “Of you? Certainly not.”

“No, of talking. Of revealing yourself.”

“Well, I do not need you to talk. You are something of an open book, you know?”

“Is that so?”

“Indeed.”

He looked down at his plate, searching. A small feeling of impending victory filled his chest as his eyes landed on what he was looking for. He snatched it up, turning the small oval in his hand.

“What is this worth?”

“What? An egg?” Emma asked, confused.

He rolled his eyes. “Yes, well done, Miss Nolana. But how much is it worth ? From a market, let us say.”

She hesitated.

“You do not know, do you.” It wasn't a question, and by the way that Emma appeared both tense and guilty at the statement, Killian thought he was on to something.

“I do not understand the point of your silly games,” she spit out instead.

“I was only confirming a theory that I had been considering for a while now.”

“Pray tell.”

He tilted his head, unfazed by her sharp tone.

“You are not accustomed to being on rations,” he accused.

When her eyes grew wide, he continued. He was on to something, he was sure of it.

“You do not know how much a single egg would cost, despite the price being well beyond a common man’s means.” He gestured at the array of food before them. “Yet you do not seem awed at the selection of delicacies in front of you.”

“A lady should never appear overly passionate about arrangements made for her. It would not be proper.”

His face darkened with annoyance. “Do not do that. You and I both know you are much more clever than that.”

Emma went silent. He hoped that she was mulling over his words, but he couldn't rule out that she was planning an exit strategy. He dearly hoped she wasn't.

After a moment, she spoke, her tone calmer and more careful than it had been. “Alright, Killian Jones. What are you proposing with this ‘theory’ of yours?”

“Killian,” he reminded her. “And I believe you must be someone of importance. You are too smart, resourceful and, frankly, beautiful to be travelling in third class. Which can only mean that you do not want to be found, and only people worth recognizing are afraid of being found.”

She only blinked, and Killian fleetingly thought that she would make a hell of a poker player if she were ever to brush up on her card skills. “And just who am I, then?”

“Daughter of a police chief?” He suggested, though the look on her face let him know immediately that that was a miss.

“How would a daughter of a police chief be recognizable,” she pointed out. “Moreover, why would she need to hide?”

“Scandal? Or perhaps to evade a former rival that your father had imprisoned years ago? Or ,” he stressed, leaning forward slightly, “perhaps you were sent by your father to find someone who has eloped without paying their debts.”

She laughed at his - admittedly ridiculous - tale. “A bounty hunter? Truly? That seems unlikely.”

He shrugged. “It was only a theory, as I said.”

Though he had been obviously wrong in the details, he could not help but feel that he was close with his initial assessment. Despite his later playfulness, she had stiffened at the early implication that she was not who she seemed to be. She was important, somehow. If only she would tell him the truth.

Emma’s curiosity seemed peaked at his questioning and she was staring at him with intrigue. “Why are you so curious?”

“Why are you so secretive?” He countered.

“I am not secretive. You simply ask a lot of questions that I do not wish the answer.”

He raised an eyebrow, unable to hide his smirk. “Such as your name?”

“You underestimate how much power a name can have,” she warned, her voice becoming stern again, her eyes flashing. Despite his best instinct, he pushed on.

“Is that why you will not tell me? Does your name have power?”

Emma leaned forward a bit at that, the green in her eyes darker than before. She seemed to weigh something in her mind for a moment, her lips pursed together as she searched his eyes. He wasn’t sure what he would have said next because all of his thoughts turned to ash as her emerald eyes flickered down once before rejoining his.

“And what about you, Killian Jones? Is it common for a man of your standing to have a tattoo?”

The comment left him stunned and he followed her eyes to where the dark lines marked his forearm. At some point in their conversation he had moved the sleeve of his shirt up slightly, revealing the red heart and dagger that occupied most of his right forearm. But it wasn’t the intricate design that seemed to catch her attention.

“Who is Milah?” She asked, her voice full of curiosity - and, perhaps, a bit of fear? He would have to return to that thought later, his mind whirling.

He couldn’t talk about her. Not now. Not ever, perhaps.

“Someone from long ago,” he managed out, shucking down his sleeve to cover the marks and dropping his eyes back down to the table.

He couldn’t see the reaction on her face, but the soft “oh” that escaped her lips was enough to tell him that she was backing down. Still, he could not bear to raise his eyes to hers again. He did not want her pity, even if all evidence suggested the woman in front of him was clever enough to decipher what Milah had meant to him.

Of course, Emma would never really know. Milah had been unique and irreplaceable, the only thing in his heart that had remained untouched by grief and anger. His memories of her were a refuge when he was hurting, but mostly they were a place where he could wallow in his own self loathing in peace. For a long time, the pleas of people telling him to pick himself back up had fallen on deaf ears, and it was only the memories of his former lover that had fueled any sort of fire in his spirit. Though he had nearly always immediately tried to douse the flames in the nearest barrel of rum, on some level he had been grateful for the pain; it had served to break the feeling of emptiness and sorrow that threatened to pull him under. Pain, he had believed, was better than monotony.

Emma Nolana would never understand that.

He prayed that she would never understand that.

It was a long moment before she spoke again, her voice significantly softer now.

“My father is British.”

His head whipped up to face her again, his eyes slightly wide. The blond seemed to be debating something in her mind, her teeth worrying over her lips as she prepared herself to speak again. When she did, her voice was slow and even, picking each word carefully.

“His name is David Nolan. He worked in Russia for many years before marrying my mother. My mother was a Russian school teacher, and I am told it was love at first sight. They moved to England ten years ago, but I chose to stay behind and work. My father was a scientist, you see, and there was not enough work in Russia for him anymore so he returned home. They still send me gifts from time to time.

“As for my name,” she continued, a small smile curling up on her lips, “In Russia, it is customary for the child to take the father’s last name, with the daughter’s name having the feminine ‘a’ at the end. I am Emma Nolana.

He wished he could find the words to speak. Finally, an answer to one of the many questions he had pestered her with. But the knowledge seemed to sit a bit heavier in his heart. Just as every move she had made since they had met only a short number of hours ago, the moment had been on her terms and hers alone. She had revealed a piece of herself to him, not out of force, but as a gift. It did little to soothe the persistent ache in his heart - old wounds always seemed to carry fresh pain - but he couldn’t help but feel a touch lighter that she had entrusted him with a detail of her past. He hadn’t cracked her walls, but that did not mean that she was unwilling to throw him a rope, it seemed.

He opened his mouth, ready to say something, anything. Just as he was preparing to thank her - for what, exactly, he wasn’t sure, but it felt necessary somehow to do so - she reached across the table and popped another red candy into her mouth. She gave a small hum of satisfaction, a bit overdramatically, he thought, and in that second the moment of revelation was gone. He gave her an amused look for her theatrics and took one as well, the sweet flavour bursting on his lips. She was right; they were good.

They finished their meal in light conversation. The food was chosen well, and Killian made sure to say as much, complimenting Emma on her selection. She only blushed, waving off the praise and changing the subject quickly. Killian was relieved that she did not appear to be too put out by his earlier interrogation, however a part of him wondered if that was because he hadn’t gained any more ground than she had been willing to give. A stronger part of him hope that he had proved himself to be a fair confidant and that that was the reason for the easy conversation that they had fallen into.

Over the course of the evening he also learned that she was a private tutor for a handful of wealthy children. She did not reveal much about her mysterious employers, however Killian did gather that there was at least one boy in the family and that he enjoyed geography. She spoke fondly of the children and their parents, her voice soft as she recounted a time when the young siblings had been given toy pistols one day and had spent the afternoon tormenting one another with them.

He spoke of home as well, though he had admittedly blushed when confessing that he lived alone and was not much of a socialite. Emma did not seem phased by his solitary lifestyle, asking him instead about the types of books he read in his spare time and the types of meals he was able to prepare himself. He laughed at the disgusted look on the blond’s face when he had revealed his recipe for his fish stew, arguing that the taste of it trumped it’s consistency. She further balked at that, promising to provide him with a much better recipe later when she had her journal paper.

It felt like only moments later that the attendant finally announced that he was finished for the evening, prompting Killian to tip him an extra bit of coin for the late hour. The train car jostled them as they walked back to the cabin a little while later, the two giggling like school children as they fought to remain upright. Emma had explained that the snow had been wreaking havoc on the railways, causing delays and disruptions along the line. As they passed over a particularly rough area of track, shaking the locomotive to its core, Killian couldn’t help but wonder how the train didn’t fall apart entirely.

By reflex, he reached for Emma’s hand to steady her, and was surprised to find her skin calloused underneath his as they brushed his exposed wrist. He frowned at the rough texture. Such hard labour would hardly be common for a woman of her standing, even as a tutor - unless, of course, he had been wrong in his assessment. He sighed; another two steps back, it seemed.

“I must apologize for the journey being so rough for you,” Emma laughed, pulling him from his thoughts. Her cheeks were slightly flushed from laughter.

“Well, I must say it hasn’t all been that terrible of an experience,” she admitted with a smile. “I was rescued by a fair maiden from a very angry station attendant, after all.”

“I am sure you would have managed on your own eventually.”

“You think so?”

“Absolutely not,” she laughed, and he revelled in the sound. “You would have been a goner for sure.”

“Hmm you are probably right,” he mused, letting himself sway slightly closer to her as though he were about to recount something truly scandalous. “I believe that makes you deserving of a reward.”

Her eyes seemed to grow a bit wider at that, and he noticed them briefly flicker to his lips and away. Was it just his imagination, or was the angel blushing? Interesting.

“What did you have in mind?”

He took another half step forward at the half-hopeful sound in her voice. He wasn’t quite close enough to make their positions improper, but he was near enough to see that her eyes had darkened considerably. Still, though, he could sense a slight hesitation.

“Please, you couldn’t handle it.” He let the ‘t’ hang sharp in the air. Though he couldn’t pinpoint the exact moment in the night that their conversations had taken on a more flirtatious tone, there was no mistaking the electricity that sizzled in the air between them now. It was nearly palpable, and though it was not nearly one sided, Killian wasn’t certain what her reaction would be to his forwardness. Indeed, he wasn’t quite sure what it was he was playing at himself. But whatever he had been expecting wasn’t the sultry return that he received.

“Perhaps you are the one who couldn’t handle it.”

It was a dare - no, a challenge . He had pushed her and she had pushed back in equal measure. All he had to do was take it. It wouldn’t take much, just a slight lean forward. A gentle press of his lips against hers. Or perhaps he could tease her more, a peck to the cheek to leave her unsatisfied and begging for more.

Killian Jones was not entirely inexperienced when it came to women; it was simply another set of sins that stained his already disgraceful past. A quick romp with a handful of nameless and faceless women had brought a sort of catharsis to him on the days when his demons seemed to gain the upper hand. The feeling of sweat slick bodies tangled together for a night of ecstasy filled his mind, and it was almost too easy to imagine enticing the same groans of pleasure from the lips of the beautiful woman in front of him. It would not be the same primitive and carnal drive with Emma, of course. She was an angel that he did not deserve, and if by some miracle she deigned him worthy of any part of her, he would be sure not to waste it. It was not the cruel intoxication of loneliness and grief that drew him toward the blond haired beauty in front of him. It was something more, something far more meaningful than he could describe with words.

Something that he had not felt in a very long time.

A sudden vision of long dark hair and brown eyes filled his mind and he froze. The rush of adrenaline through his veins seemed to slow and his heart - which only a moment ago had been filled with warmth - clenched in his chest. The wrong side of deja vu cut through him and he couldn’t help the doubt that settled over him.

The feeling that this was a mistake.

And so he faltered. The moment lingered a little too long, the indecision in his eyes a bit too clear, and he watched, crestfallen, as her walls shot back up in an instant. She had placed the moment in his hands, and he had fumbled it. Another three steps back.

He opened his mouth to explain himself, but she had already disappeared into the cabin.

#Captain Swan #ouat ff #captain swan fanfiction #captain swan ff #cs au #ouat fanfic #csff #cs fanfic #It Is Not Yet Evening #nextfewwords

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lamiaward · 7 years

Text

Operation Out

I don’t own OUAT

au after 1x02 : Henry does not actually go to his mother's office that day. So instead Regina needs a new plan, one that eventually leads to this hard won friendship with Emma Swan and a slowly improving relationship with her son. However, it also leads to the curse slowly unravelling until Regina breaks and admits to Henry the curse is real.

Warnings: slight manipulation. Mentions of Cora (/ thus abuse but nothing very graphic)

It had all been rather simple. Get the fool to come to her office, make her believe Regina was genuinely apologetic, let her talk (she was bound to say something wrong eventually) and just wait for henry to hear his ‘saviour’ say something along the lines of ‘he is insane’ , have Henry’s faith in this Emma Swan crushed. There. A simple plan really, one that couldn’t go wrong. She just knew the Swan woman was bound to say something wrong and if she defied all the rules logic dictated, Regina would be able to manipulate her into saying something surely. So really, simple and fool proof.

Except for the one thing she had not taken into consideration: Henry recently found rebellious nature.

Emma Swan was still talking and usually, Regina’s plan would have gone perfectly. She had actually heard the words ‘troubled’ and ‘crazy’ leave the infuriating woman’s mouth. She was convinced it would have been enough to make sure Henry never trusted or like his so-called birthmother again, but-

He had apparently decided he didn’t need to show up. Oddly enough, the first she felt was a bit of relief (she had, in fact, thought about how crushed Henry would be but had ultimately decided that he was better off feeling crushed – surely, he would get over it- then actually getting attached and then being disappointed as Emma Swan surely failed in all ways possible) but that was quickly replaced by almost equal measures of anger and concern.

So now he favours doing homework to spending time with me She looked at the woman sitting across from her, still prattling on about ‘fairy tale illusions, needing him to be okay’, and had to temper down on the need to scowl and possibly strangle her.

Regina quickly formulated a new plan. It had not been her intention to ever be friendly with this intruder ( what if she took it as invitation to stay?) but she might be able to use this to her advantage. After all, if she couldn’t connect to Henry but – no matter how humiliating and unfair I was- this woman could. Perhaps she could use her.

“ I would never call my son insane, miss Swan- “ especially not because he is right, but you do not need to know that, bumbling buffoon . “ But I am concerned about his recent behaviour”

It was like pulling teeth, but she admitted “ I am quite at a loss” . Regina hated admitting weakness, but she just knew this woman would be lured into a false sense of security if Regina showed a ‘vulnerable side’.

Like expected, this woman looks a combination of uncomfortable and empathic. “ I can only imagine- “ no really can’t, you have no idea “ what it is like. I just- I don’t think the therapy is helping”

“ Oh, because you are a verified psychiatrist who deals with such cases constantly “She says in a snide tone before she can stop herself. All she want to do is drive this woman out of town. In the old world, she would have probably already ripped her heart out. Playing nice is excruciating.

Hazel eyes darken with anger. “ What is your problem, lady- I am just trying- “.

“ You have to see this from my side, miss Swan. Henry is going through a difficult time, I am doing everything in my power to aid him and then suddenly a stranger comes to my town and presumes to have some sort of claim, some right to my son”.

For a moment, the swan woman seems ready to fight- her eyes ablaze, her jaw tightening, her mouth opening like she is going to yell- but then something makes her deflate.

“ I don’t think I have any right- I know he is your son” for the first time since they have met, the woman sounds almost meek. Regina is not good at emphasizing – especially not with rude women trying to take away her son- but she is very good at spotting weaknesses, or cracks in someone’s armour. So she immediately notes the pain (and is that regret?) and files it away for later.

“ Exactly. So you might comprehend, miss Swan, that your presence here certainly complicates things”.

“ Listen, I might not have raised him or anything, but I have given birth to him. I cannot just walk away now that I have actually met him- now that I know he isn’t happy”.

“And whose fault do you presume that to be” Regina asks, ready to destroy this woman if she even thinks of being as self-righteous as to blame Regina, when it is her who has driven Henry farther away than ever-

“ I don’t know. I don’t- listen, what made the kid like this? I mean, when did the issues start”.

Regina is caught off guard, enough to automatically reply “ I suppose when he discovered that he was adopted”.

Perhaps miss Swan isn’t a complete fool (though she certainly is one, if she thinks coming between Regina and the only person she cares about is a good idea), because she immediately states. “You did not tell him, he found out somehow” It should be a question, but it is not.

Why am I still talking to this person? Because really, Regina is actually starting to feel vulnerable. She doesn’t like sharing parts of herself and almost never does. Henry is the only exception- and even he hasn’t seen every part of her.

Still, she finds herself admitting “ At first, he would not even tell me why he was being so.. distant. The behaviour worsened to the point that I felt it was in Henry’s best interest to talk to doctor Hopper. I eventually discovered that the root of the issue was that Henry knew he was adopted” She doesn’t admitted that Henry never told her, but that she threatened to ‘make sure you have to eat out of bins the rest of your life’ if Hopper did not tell her what was going on.

“ So you discovered he was mad about the adoption thing- “ the adopti- Is this honestly the woman that bore my smart son? “ and then what?”.

“ Miss Swan..”.

“ I am just trying to figure out what is going on here – what happened that he read that book and immediately decided this town was cursed and everyone was a fairy tale character”.

“ He has always had a rather active imagination” Regina thinks of four-year-old Henry who loved drawing and would run to her office, shouting ‘ momma! Look what I made” and how he grinned so widely as he showed her whatever he had thought off this time.

“ His shrink said it was his way to communicate”.

“Communicate what? That I am evil “Regina snaps.

The nuisance on her couch raises her hands defensively. “ Lady, I am not saying that. Although the things you have done to me really don’t speak in your favour”.

Regina stands. “I think this conversation is over, miss Swan. And if you care for Henry the way you claim you do, then you will leave this town and not complicate matters further”. Playing nice with this woman is just impossible. Nearly everything about her infuriates Regina.

Regina is itching to put an end to this conversation so she can get Henry , but this woman really cannot take a hint. She presses into Regina’s personal space. “ I am not abandoning my kid “.

Regina wants to laugh and say “ you already did it once, why should I believe you won’t do it again?”. Instead , she smiles and leans in. “ Miss Swan. You said it yourself” you are not a mother”. I have no idea what you are, but I do know that Henry needs stability and discipline and someone responsibilities. He needs the exact opposite of you, he needs his mother”.

She can see a flicker of doubt in those hazel eyes, but there is more anger. “ He also needs someone who just listens to him instead of immediately puts him into therapy!”.

“ I can see that my apology was a waste of time and effort. Please let yourself out, I am going to get my son?”.

“ Get Henry?”.

“Yes, miss Swan. I did not intend to spend this much time talking to you , so I am late with making dinner”.

She tries to march away from this woman that makes her blood boil and misses the days where she could control people more effectively, but is halted when a hand grabs her bicep. She gives the hand on her arm an incredulous look, then glares at the woman it belongs to.

“ Wait. I know that we don’t exactly agree, but we both want him to be happy, right”.

“ Miss Swan, you have wasted quite enough of- “.

“ Wouldn’t it be better if we worked together? “.

She finally releases her grip on Regina’s arm. “ I am not planning to stay. I just want to know he is happy and then I will leave”.

“ You keep changing the story, dear. First it is ‘none of your business’ and you will drive back to whatever place you crawled out from. Then you will only stay for a week in that shabby inn. And now this”.

She presses even closer . “ What is it going to be next?”.

She pulls back a little. “ This is exactly why you are bad for Henry. What if you form a bond with my son and then suddenly decide it is time to leave? “.

“I wouldn’t do that to him”.

“ I do not wish you to stay, miss Swan, I think you are a bad role model for Henry. You encourage him to skip school, enforces his belief that I am evil and stimulates his rebellious behaviour’.

“ I am –“.

“ But Henry wants you here. I have no idea what he sees in you that makes him think – “ she normally would hide the pain in her voice, but it seems that such emotions spook miss Swan. “ you are fit to be his mother, but he does. He doesn’t believe you will leave, that you will break his heart. Or fail in any other way”

“ The last thing I want is to hurt him”

“ Which is why you should leave before you encourage his notions even more , before he gets too attached to you”.

“ And you don’t think me leaving now will hurt him”

“ He will be far more hurt if you would leave after pretending to believe in him”.

“ Or he might stop believing himself after I have stayed for a while and nothing happens”.

Or all my hard work might be destroyed. “ You will still be in his life – even though you have no rights whatsoever- and you will make my son pull away even more”

“ Or he might actually be grateful. You do realize that anything you’ve done since I came here only strengthens his belief? If you had not gone after me the way you h-“

“ I really am not interested in being lectured, miss Swan, and especially not by the woman that encourages the worst of my son’s behaviour”.

“ I am just saying that actually being friendly to me might change Henry’s perspective of you”.

That is nothing I haven’t though off yet, you idiot. I just wonder whether Henry will ever see me as anything but a villain with his overstepping birthmother here “ Or it might just make it easier for you to take him from me”.

What Regina is quickly starting to think off as the bane of her existence rolls her eyes. “Whatever. If you are ever done being paranoid, you know where to find me”.

And Emma Swan does something unusual for her, she leaves. Regina opens the door for her, not trusting the woman to leave without slamming her door, and closes it immediately. She feels tempted to take a detour to the kitchen for the headache she has after this, but instead walks upstairs to check on her son.

She pretends she didn’t notice him hiding something and quickly grabbing his math book to pull it on his lap. She walks towards him and nearly crumbles at the look he sends her way -so very hostile- but miraculously manages to hide that.

“ You still need to eat sweetheart”.

“ Don’t care” he pretends to focus on his math book.

She sits down next to him. “I am sorry I did not come to get you earlier, Henry, but miss Swan was here”.

That gets his attention. I would like to rip her throat out. Her son is hostile and almost cold around her, but he immediately perks up at even the name of that damned woman.

“Is she still here?” he asks excitedly, already starting to walk towards the door.

“ No, she just left’.

He turns around, glares at her. “what did you do?”.

“ I am worried about you spending time with her, Henry. What do we even know about her?”.

“ I know she isn’t like you, that she isn’t evil”.

It is a wonder that Regina can keep her face from showing how much that hurts. “ I am your mother Henry, I am just attempting to protect you”

She walks over to him, bends so she is at eye-level. She desperately wants to embrace him but she knows he won’t allow it. “ We know very little of miss Swan, she might be dangerous”.

“You’re just saying that because you want her gone”.

“No, I am saying that because I am concerned of the woman’s influence on you”.

“ You are not worried about anyone but yourself, that is all you care about” he accuses.

“ I care about you, Henry”.

“I am not dumb, I know you are lying” is all he says and – how has it come to this. How can my own son believe I don’t love him?

“I am not lying. I reckon I care far more than this Swan woman”.

“ No, you don’t. Evil people don’t care”.

She is already opening her mouth to ground him or – better yet, tell him to never see Emma Swan again- when she hesitates. She doesn’t ever listen to people telling her – or warning her, in the sheriff’s case- what she should do. But she isn’t a fool and she has realized that whatever she has been doing until now, has only caused Henry to pull away more.

Perhaps she needs to change tactics. “ I do care a great deal Henry, which is why I won’t forbid you to see this .. woman”.

That catches him off guard, at least. “ You won’t?”.

“ No. But there will be conditions. You will not see her without me present”.

“ That is unfair!”.

“Henry, I have no idea who she is or even where she lives. She could endanger you or take you. If you insist on seeing her, it will be supervised”.

She is already steeling her for another fight when he slowly nods. She is not naïve enough to think that it means he will just accept her demands – he is most likely already thinking of ways to work around it- but at least he is not hurling accusations at her.

“ If you want to see her, you will talk to me first. I will then make the arrangements with miss Swan. There also will be no more running away or constantly disobeying me. If you run away again, I will assume miss Swan has something to do with it and you will not be allowed to see her anymore’.

He glares at her. “ So you still want to keep my mom from me”.

“that woman is not your mother, she is an intruder”. Before he can protest, she adds “ but if she is truly that important to you, I will tolerate her presence. For now”.

She almost wants to take it all back, to call Graham and demand he arrests Emma Swan ( and preferably sends her to a prison far away from here) when Henry remains hostile. It is not like she had expected to be hugged in gratitude, but even this seems to not change her son’s attitude.

She straightens. “ We are going to have dinner. I am withholding the dessert as punishment for your behaviour”.

“Can Emma come? “.

“ I think it is better if we allow miss Swan some time to cool off”

“So you did say something! I knew it, I knew you would-“.

“ I said nothing that was not the truth. And I would advise you to actually use the manners I taught you or I might revaluate whether I want that woman spending time with you”.

She sighs. “ However, miss Swan can come to dinner another time. I will ask her tomorrow. As long as you stop the accusations Henry, they are extremely hurtful and untrue”.

He doesn’t say anything- probably so that wretched woman will be allowed to visit- but the look in his eyes manages to convey quite clearly what he usually would’ve used words for. She pretends it doesn’t hurt so terribly, then automatically reaches for him and has to pretend even hard that him pulling away from her doesn’t hurt even more.

“ I will be downstairs, in the kitchen” he used to love helping her in the kitchen, no matter what she made (but especially when she made anything sweet). “ Do you want to help, darling?”.

He glances at whatever he has hidden for a moment. “ I do actually have some things to finish..” there is a moment where she is hopeful, where she thinks allowing miss Swan to spend time with him might benefit her already when he says ‘but’.

Then: “I might as well make sure you are not poisoning anything”

“ Henry!” .

“ It is your thing, isn’t it? “. He almost seems regretful for a moment, but she has to blink furiously and the next second he just looks angry.

“ You cannot keep talking to me this way, Henry”.

“Or what? You will rip my heart out? “.

She bends down again, reaches for his hand “Henry, surely you cannot believe that I would ever hurt you”

He moves his hand out of the way, glares at her. “ Yes, I do”.

“ well, you are wrong. I would never hurt you. And for that comment-“.

He surges forward. “No! You just promised I would be allowed to see her”.

“ I am not going to reward you for being awful to me Henry. You can stay here or you can come into the kitchen to control whether I have ‘poisoned’ anything. But you will stay in your room after dinner- I will call Archie- and actually do homework. If you can behave , I could invite miss Swan to dinner on Monday”.

“ I am sorry okay- I just “ she almost breaks, easily would have if he had hugged her and called her ‘mom’ again. But he does neither of his things and she suspects his apology is just so he can see that woman.

“ There are consequences to our actions, Henry. And you need to learn that, I am afraid”.

She is almost getting used to his glares, but the way his eyes are wet hurt. He stares at her for a moment, then angrily wipes at his eyes and runs out of the room. “ No running, Henry! You could get hurt”.

She calls doctor Hopper- who stutters and is awfully meek as always- then goes towards the kitchen, where Henry is leaning against the counter.

It would almost be like old times, working on dinner together. Except, Henry would have been bouncing with questions and excitement – all ‘what is that, what do you put in this, where did you learn this’- while there is an icy wall of silence right now. She would have held his hand to show him how to stir something, now he won’t even allow her near him.

The icy silence continues during dinner, but he cleans the table without her having to ask for it. He doesn’t thank her though or even allow her to finish the question she was asking, just shrugging and going upstairs. She hears the door slam.

And then she is alone,

Again.

-----------

Henry is still sullen and angry, but he is no longer accusing her of everything from making him eat poisonous food ( it is celery dear) to ripping out the hearts of random townspeople, nor is he calling her evil. In fact, he is talking very little to her- apart from saying things like ‘where are my shoes’ or talking about that woman.

Regina is furious about how he has only known Emma Swan for days – and she has done little but destroyed town property and been a general thorn in Regina’s side- and she has already been granted Henry’s adoration and near-worship. While Regina has given him everything the past ten years and now has to be happy when he even says ‘thank you’.

It is terribly unfair and it makes her loathe the sight of blonde hair, red leather and the safety hazard that is her car. The woman lingers in her town and everyone immediately seems to like her- even though she is rude and steps all over boundaries and is a criminal-, as evidenced by the updates she get from Sydney. That is also how she knows miss Swan is using her roommate to keep updated on what is going on with Henry. Apart from that, she does not insinuate herself in Regina’s life.

It is two days later when the blonde decides to bother her again. She is at Granny’s , reading the newspaper and waiting for her lunch to be brought to her table. Seconds after the door opens, she can hear the chair across from her being shoved backwards.

She slowly lowers the newspaper, then glares at the woman that has the audacity to sit down across from her without permission. “ Miss Swan, is there any reason you are forcing your presence on me?”.

“ How is he?”.

“ If you are referring to Henry, I am certain your neophyte secret agent has already told you everything you have no right to know”.

“ MM says she cannot ask too much, because that would be inappropriate. She keeps talking about the teacher-student relationship and boundaries”.

Regina is annoyed that Snow has actually managed to do something semi-right. “ It is wholly inappropriate to interrogate my son, yes”.

“ So how is he?”.

“ Well, he is finally not running away anymore- likely because there no longer is a teenage delinquent around to encourage him”.

“Lady, I am seriously getting sick of your ins- how do you even know this shit?”.

“ Could you perhaps talk without using an abundance of swear words? “.

“How do you know?”.

Regina sips her coffee, enjoying watching the woman’s fury rise. She finally puts the cup down. “ I am the mayor. I take my town’s security very seriously- “.

“ So what, you send people to spy on me? That is abuse of power”.

Regina laughs. “I am not doing anything illegal , miss Swan. And if I were, you still have no leg to stand on. You chose a closed adoption, so you have no legal rights to Henry. And yet you still come here and stalk a young boy whose mental state is already fragile”.

“ I did not stalk Henry- “ miss Swan rolls her eyes. “it was more like he was stalking me , honestly. But really I am not here to fight with you”.

“A bit of friendly advice dear, people generally try to not bother and annoy people if they do not wish to fight with them”.

“ Are you trying to pick a fight with me? Because you really are not following your own advice”.

Regina reminds herself that it is not good for her mayoral image to punch the woman across from her. “ Miss Swan, you were the one who sat down uninvited “.

“Fine, you have got a point. Just tell me whether Henry is okay and I will leave”.

Regina sighs. “ Miss Swan- “ she is just about to list every single reason that she is not going to be blackmailed, especially not by someone who cannot even choose proper clothes for themselves when Ruby arrives with her lunch.

She stares at the both of them , then smiles brightly at the bane of Regina’s existence. “ Em! Hey, how are ya doing?”.

“ Hey Ruby, I am fine. Just talking to the mayor for a bit”.

“ Yeah, I can see that” Ruby looks both shocked and amused.

She puts the kale salad in front of Regina. “ There ya go, madam Mayor. Can I get you anything else? “ .

Regina smiles, almost genuinely. “ Thank you, dear. And no, I do not need anything else”.

She gives Regina a big smile before focusing on the annoyance across from Regina. “ Is there anything you want, Ems?”.

“Actually miss Lucas, that is not necessary. Miss Swan was just leaving”.

“ Actually I wasn’t” She turns to Ruby, smiling as she rattles off an order. “ A grilled cheese, fries, a donut and hot chocolate with cinnamon”.

Ruby glances uncertainly at Regina. “ Ehm- “.

Regina is already opening her mouth, ready to rebuke the blonde nuisance and teach her about manners when she remembers her son’s constant questions – when is Emma coming, can I see her tomorrow- and reasons she needs to talk with her anyways. “ Oh never mind, just let her stay” . She rolls her eyes. “ she is probably going to ignore my wishes regardless of how clear I am about not wanting her here. Might as well save time”.

Ruby stares for a moment, a very long moment. If Regina actually cared about her, she would probably check for a pulse. She finally shakes herself like a dog and gives that same easy smile. “ Sure thing, ladies. It is coming up”.

Then she leans towards E- miss Swan and whispers something that makes the woman laugh. Regina is even more annoyed when she realizes Emma Swan’s laugh is rather pleasant. If I still had magic, I could make her laugh sound like a dying hyena. She smirks at the image, which is when Ruby slowly pulls back and saunters away.

“ Is there any reason you are smirking like that?”.

Regina regrettably lets go of the rather pleasant images – all the ways magic could have been used to humiliate this woman- and focus on miss Swan again. “I couldn’t help but note the familiarity between you and miss Lucas. You seem to have you gotten.. close during your stay at her grandmother’s inn”.

The swan woman gives a tiny smile. To other people than Regina, it might be a bit terrifying. “ What are you insinuating here?”.

“ Surely you are not stupid enough that you have to ask”.

Swan leans back, crossing her arms. Regina has to hide a smirk – hit a nerve, didn’t I? . “ Why would you assume that?”.

Regina slowly rakes her eyes over the woman’s body. She has to admit- her body is one of the few likable qualities Emma Swan has to offer. She returns her eyes to hazel ones. “ You do have a certain air about you”.

“ A certain- that’s bullshit. And I am not in this town to do anything like that”.

“ I just noticed , dear, no need to get defensive”.

“ I just want to know m- Henry is okay”.

“ He is fine”.

The woman scoffs. “ You are lying. Try again”.

Regina arches an eyebrow. “ I assure you that I am not lying”.

“ Still lying. You are starting to make me rethink my decision to keep my distance, madam mayor”.

“ I can still have you arrested , miss Swan”

“You won’t”.

“ I have warned you already not to underestimate me”.

“ I am not. I just know you already would have if you planned to”.

The awful woman leans in a little. “ Do you know what I think? I think that you do love your kid. I think you are just awful at social interactions. But maybe you finally understand that Henry will only get pissed at you if you drive me away, so you are hoping he will change his behaviour if you kind of ignore my existence instead of seeing it as an insult to you”.

“ And once again, you are pretending to be a certified psychologist” Regina herself is surprised that her voice is less venomous than it should be.

“ I am not. It is just pretty important for a bailbondperson to understand people. If you know what drives them , how they think, it gets easier to catch them”.

Despite herself, Regina is a little interested. This woman is nothing. She is worse than nothing, with her atrocious manners and meddling personality. She also the first person in ages to actually dare to disagree with Regina, which she should find annoying and infuriating and wrong ( and yes she does, but she finds it also refreshing and thrilling). “ You did mention that your job consists of finding people” Regina remembers

“ It does. Why do you have such a distasteful look at the idea”

Just thinking of a couple of idiots and their ‘I will always find you’ catchphrase. “ I was remembering something unpleasant. So you chase after people that ran away?”

“ Well, yeah essentially. I put forward part of the money people need to be freed before their trail. If they run away, I chase after them to get my money back”

“ That sounds dangerous”.

“ I haven’t gotten hurt very often, but it sometimes happens yes” Regina quickly takes a bite from her salad to give her hands something to do when the woman smiles at her – a smile she would call Cha , she would call absolutely nothing. Apart from obnoxious, possibly.

“There was this one women who was tiny with a sweet smile . So I expected it to be really easy “ she grins. If Regina believe the woman able of this, she would think it to be in a self-deprecating way. “ Man, was I wrong. Turned out she had a black belt, so as soon as I tried to take her with me, I found myself with my ass on the ground and a foot in my stomach”.

“ So you actually have a habit of underestimating people”.

“ Well, I learned not to assume things after that. That thing to say about tiny people being terrifying? It is kind of true. That woman had the nastiest expression I’ve ever seen, really”.

Regina cannot hold back a small chuckle at the expression of slight terror that is on Swan’s face as she remembers the encounter.

“ I am not surprised that you find other people’s pain amusing “ Swan says, but she does not sound angry or judgemental. She sounds more like they’re old friends who are just teasing each other.

“ I am sure it was only beneficial to have your ego damaged a little”.

“ Maybe. It definitely taught me to watch out for tiny women ”.

“ Have you often been beaten by women like that, then?”.

“ You are just eating this up, aren’t you? I can almost feel your sadistic enjoyment”.

“ I am just making the best of a bad situation”.

“ It isn’t that bad, we are actually being pleasant. Anyways, I have told you an embarrassing story, now it is your turn”.

Regina arches an eyebrow. “ I did not ask for that story, miss Swan. Why should I offer one in return?”.

“ Because I might have more stories like that and I just know you really want to hear them”.

“ I do not”.

“ Another lie. You lie a lot, don’t you?”.

Regina scowls. “I am not lying. I have no hidden desire to hear about your life, miss Swan”.

“ Lie. So what do you want to know? “

“ I would like to know who Henry’s father is” Regina normally tries to think before speaking. This time she just asks the question she has had ever since the woman was in front of her house. She feels a weird sensation in her stomach as the woman in front of her turns hostile again suddenly.

“ He was an asshole. Next question”.

“ Are you certain he doesn’t know or do I have to worry about another person stealing my son from me?”.

“Believe me, he won’t want anything to do with Henry” the swan woman has given Regina excellent ammunition to hurt her; she looks furious in way only helpless and desperately hurt people do. Her laugh isn’t like before, it is almost ugly. “ Too much fucking responsibility”.

She would probably only need a couple of well-chosen words to make miss Swan stomp out of the dinner in furious , painful embarrassment. Instead, Regina opens her mouth and says in an almost hesitant voice “ I used to ride horses. This one time I was attempting to saddle my horse when it pushed back, I stumbled and- I fell into the manure”.

Why did I just tell her that. That is private. Worse, it is one of the memories that have Daniel in it: he had been the one to insist that she needed to know how to do certain things herself. (after all, when we are married, we won’t have servants for everything either. We will have to do things without help). And memories with Daniel in it are more than private, they are sacred.

She wants to tear apart this odd woman, that just waltzes into her town, wins her son’s affection and makes Regina do things like offering private information. Then she actually looks up, scolding words on her tongue and she finds that desire a lot less strong.

Emma Swan is smiling at her, not laughing at her, but smiling almost gratefully. Regina wants to bristle at that smile. Wants to slap it off her face.

“ You were a horse girl? “.

“ I suppose. I did enjoy riding “.

A mouth corner twitches. “ Apart from the moments that you fell into shit”.

She tries, really she does, but for some reason her muscles don’t listen so she answers that smile. “ Apart from unfortunate accidents, yes”.

The moment is shattered by Ruby’s cheerful voice and the sound the plates make as they are placed on the table. “ Hey Em, sorry that it took some time , we- “ she stops her babbling as she finally realizes that both women were leaning forward a little and smiling at each other.

Her eyes sparkle mischievously. “Am I interrupting something?”.

Regina bristles. “ Absolutely not”.

E- miss Swan doesn’t even react to Ruby’s suggestive tone. “ Thank you, Ruby” she grins. “My stomach is really grateful”.

Ruby laughs. “ I am sure”. She throws miss Swan one of her usual looks. “ I am honestly surprised that you look like that when you shovel greasy food into your mouth like you are trying to set a world record”.

Emma shrugs and swallows two mouthfuls of grilled cheese. Regina watches in sick fascination. I am going to have to teach her table manners before I actually invite her to dinner. “ I work out a lot. And I have a fast metabolism, so.. “.

“Well, enjoy your food” she leans forward again – for god’s sake- and mutters something. This time, she is shoved playfully and admonished “ It is not like that at all, that is crazy. Now let me eat in peace before someone hears you”.

Regina narrows her eyes in suspicion because miss Swan glances her way as she says ‘someone’. As soon as Ruby has sauntered away - throwing a far too suggestive ‘enjoy your … food, madam mayor’ her way – she turns her focus on the woman gobbling food.

“ Did miss Lucas say anything interesting”.

“ No, she just likes saying stupid stuff. She likes watching people’s reactions”.

Regina grimaces. “ Chew, then swallow, then talk. Honestly, your table manners are worse than my ten-year-old, rebellious son’s”.

“ Maybe you shouldn’t ask me stuff while I am eating”.

“Fine” Regina pointedly picks up what little is left of her salad. She watches the swan woman- who holds a slight resemblance to some sort of animal, perhaps a wolf, as she sinks her teeth into the grilled cheese and almost immediately swallows. Soon, the grilled cheese is gone and her attention is now on her fries.

After she has eaten about half of them, she nudges the plate towards the middle of the table. “Take some”.

“ I prefer to stay healthy, thank you “.

“ How bad can a couple of fries be?”.

“ Depends on the salt , oil and such that is used to prepare them”.

“ Yeah whatever. Come on, I could feel you stare on them”.

“ That was because you eat like you are a starving animal, dear”.

She stares with incredulity at the fry that is wriggled in front of her. “ You totally want this”.

“ I do not”.

“ Lie. Are you going to pretend like you will immediately get a heart attack or gain ten pounds or are you going to actually eat something that does not taste like cardboard?”.

Regina sighs. For what must be the fifth time, she questions her own sanity as she accepts the fry.

Somehow, this escalates until it is Regina sharing a plate with the swan woman and actually arguing who deserves the last fry- I have had fewer than you. Yeah, but I ordered them- until Regina naturally wins and gets to eat the last one.

She is still enjoying her victory when she glances at the clock and realizes she should already have been working again. She cannot remember if she has ever taken a too long lunch break in all the time she has been mayor.

“Did I just piss you off again?” miss Swan sounds both amused and exasperated somehow when Regina throws some money on the table and stands.

“ I was on my lunch break, dear”.

“ Ah got it” she smiles before frowning. “ I still don’t know how Henry is doing though. You were mostly insulting me and not really offering any information”.

Regina grabs her coat and tugs it on. “ Ask him yourself. You are invited for dinner tonight” She gives Emma a quick once-over. “ I expect you to wear better clothing and have better manners then”.

She grabs a napkin, then wipes at Emma’s face that has crumbles and cheese . She only really notes what she is doing ( Henry spent most of his time flinging food or at least managing to get everywhere apart from his mouth) when Emma stares at her with this ‘what the Hell’ look. She quickly drops her hand and clears her throat.

“ 7 O’clock, miss Swan. Don’t be late”.

And she rushes out of the door before miss Swan can actually gather her wits (or whatever semblance of it).

The weeks pass quickly and each one has Regina in different states of emotional turmoil. She can see little signs of her curse unravelling – people suddenly talking about events they should’ve forgotten or looks thrown at her that are filled with less intimidation and more loathing- which leaves her furious and -although she would never admit it- frightened. During the moments that Henry is still angry and rejecting her, she thinks about burying her hand in miss Swan’s pretty hair and throwing her in a cell herself. When Henry actually is encouraged by Emma to “ treat Regina like a human being and not some cartoon villain” she feels more inclined to squeeze her shoulder or smile at her ( or that one time, when she had had a little bit too much cider, lick and kiss the cider off her lips) As Graham spends most of his time at doctor Hopper’s couch – most think he has lost his mind, but Regina knows. It is only when he snaps and attacks her (and is punched by a furious Emma for it) that she feels a little safer. He is locked up- and Emma Swan somehow is appointed Sheriff ( Henry beams and Regina can feel her lips turn up despite herself) , town life changes in ways she thought she would never be okay with.

Sometimes she isn’t – especially not when Emma confides in her when ‘Mary Margaret’ suddenly starts getting ‘wacko dreams about hitting men with rocks’ – and sometimes she is- Emma and she somehow forge a friendship after a lot of bickering and near-escalations and accusations. Even Henry changes- she pretends she doesn’t notice his talks with Emma, that she doesn’t know he still believes- because even if his belief seems strong, he treats her different now ( the first time he called her mom again, in this offhand way like it wasn’t what she would have killed for all over again, she dropped a plate and nearly burst into tears).

Sometimes, she has to fight her impulses. She still has Graham’s heart in her vault, still has Sydney following her around ( sometimes. Mostly, he is too terrified of Emma to really stalk her the way he did before) and other people in town that she could use to make sure her curse is protected. In the beginning, she sometimes does- telling Sydney to print an article “ on that woman’s delusions, perhaps write she has spent time in the psych ward “ or holding Graham’s heart to make him forget for a little while before the memories return in dreams- but then Emma somehow becomes this person that matters somehow and Henry has moments that he just absentmindedly calls her mom or smiles at her.

Or she confides into Emma that “ I have hurt people for a long time and now I don’t know how to stop” which leads to Emma telling her she has “done some fucked-up shit Regina and I managed to turn my life around”. And that somehow makes it easier ( she still runs to her vault and searches for ways to keep the curse intact, convinced she will lose them both, knowing there are no ways – that perhaps not even Rumplestiltskin knows a way)

She doesn’t know when exactly it happens. Emma might have been there for six months , maybe a little less time, maybe a little more. It is a cold night (the weather, just another sign of her curse breaking) and she has invited Emma – in her own way, which basically consists of “I will not be accused of second degree murder simply because you are idiotic enough to go outside in this weather- to stay. She expects there to be ridiculous stories and perhaps a little too much drinking and gentle barbs.

She does not expect her fucking world to be lifted up and crashed, ruined, destroyed.

They have actually shared stories from their pasts before- even painful ones, like details from Emma’s time in foster care or what growing up with Cora Mills as a mother was like. They have learned to open up -without Regina getting furious ( she has never dealt well with remembering pain) or Emma running away- and tell each other things they would not soon tell anyone else.

This night – it goes further than that. Regina doesn’t know how it happens, but suddenly there is a teary-eyed Emma Swan that sounds so furious( almost dark. And pained) as she admits “ I get the kid, really. It used to be all I thought about. Why did they give me up? I thought it was just me. I thought I wasn’t good enough. I kept being sent back, so that had to be it. And eventually, I didn’t care anymore. They dumped me at the side of a road like I was fucking trash”.

(Regina almost grabs Emma and tells her, actually has to bite her lip not to tell her about that night and how Emma’s father almost died in order to get her away from a curse. How there were tears on both their faces and Snow had never looked so defeated and miserable before)

Later, when Emma has fallen asleep and might not even remember, it all Regina can think about. She tosses and turns and finally falls asleep only to have nightmares that have all to do with Emma. Until this moment, she could pretend that she had not doubted anything as Emma felt torn apart about Graham (she had actually become friends with him) or Henry was almost sick with worry as Mary Margaret had to stop teaching for a few weeks because of the dreams.

I cannot hurt them like this anymore. It is too painful .

So that has her creeping towards her son’s room in the early hours of the morning, leaning against the door as she watches him for a moment, gently closed it behind her and sits down on the bed.

“ Henry “ she hardly notes her voice trembling. Perhaps Henry does: he wakes easier than usually.

“ M-mom? Wha- whas wrong? “ he mumbles sleepily and even now, she is so very glad he still calls her ‘mom’. She tries to not dwell on the fact it might be the last time.

He rubs his eyes, then gasps and points at her eyes. “You are crying, why are you- “.

“ Henry- “ a sob catches in her throat and she needs several moments to collect herself.

“ Mom, what is going on? Do I need to get Emma?”.

She grabs his arm as he starts to stand. “ No, this is something between you and me”.

He moves back on the back after a short hesitation. “ Okay”.

She takes a shuddering breath. “ I just- I cannot continue like this anymore. I have to- even if it destroys me, I have to be truthful before it is already happening and you won’t believe me if I told you I didn’t know how”.

“ Okay.. mom is this about- “ he doesn’t speak the words, but she knows.

She manages a tearful laugh. “ Yes my smart, smart boy. It is about the curse”.

She forces herself to look at him as she takes one shuddering breath and tells him. “ It is real. Everything in that wretched book of yours is”.

She presses her hand to her stomach, though it helps little. “ I am the Queen”.

#Swan queen #season 1 au #Regina x Emma #Regal believer #don't allow me to rewatch or stuff like this happens

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justsoyoudonthaveto · 4 years

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So….it’s been a bit of a month, hasn’t it? Between work, and making sure that both Older and Younger Son do their school work while sitting on the couch, coming up with interesting things to have for dinner based on how picky everyone is, and a general feeling of panic around every corner, I’m exhausted. Friday I found myself teaching violin. Have I ever played violin? Nope – I played the flute, the fife, and the piano – all equally bad. But times being what they are, we do what we need to do.

And what I need to do right now is see if Hayden Christensen is an actor who just needs a better script and a better director to turn in a good performance, or if he is just a plank of wood with blue eyes. I found this gem on Prime, and just realized it’s an hour and 41 minutes – that’s quite long – but I’m determined to push on. I sat through Revenge of the Sith a few days ago and the forehead acting was seriously painful, but not as bad as the dialogue. We are, instead, going to watch Little Italy, which is basically Romeo & Juliet with pizza. (There WAS a Hallmark version of this a while ago, but this one isn’t it. If anyone cares, THIS was it) AND I’m watching this while Older Son is practicing his trumpet.

HC in Revenge of the Sith – you can see the beginning of the forehead acting right here!

This movie also stars Emma Roberts and Alyssa Milano, and is set in, you guessed it, Little Italy, which honestly really doesn’t look like the Little Italy I know about in Manhattan. There’s a joint narration of both our lead actors, while they have a “we were kids” background. Their fathers were best friends running the “best” pizza joint in the neighborhood. Alyssa Milano is Emma Roberts’ mom, and Danny Aiello is Hayden’s grandfather.Emma’s family has the sauce, and Hayden’s family has the sauce. Emma’s character is named Nicky, and Hayden’s is named – um, not sure yet. Anyway, it’s idyllic, and they are up for “Best Pizza” at the San Gennaro festival (which seems to be the only Italian festival in NYC).

Flash Forward to LONDON – Nicky works as a chef under Jane Seymour – who is described as a prettier, scarier, Gordon Ramsey. Nicky has a chance to win a job at a Mayfair Fast Casual restaurant, but in order to do so, she has to go home, and redo her visa. And Jane Seymour drops a bomb – she has to go back to CANADA – so this whole Little Italy takes place in Toronto? ARE YOU FREAKING KIDDING ME?

Hayden’s character is named Leo – and he stayed home in FREAKING CANADA, and we find out that the two families have fought since the flashback – and now there are 2 pizza places next to each other, and they are feuding, feuding, feuding. Leo is telling his dad they have to modernize, and it’s like he told his Italian dad to put English cheddar on the pizza. Both pizza joints have Indian co-workers, whom you KNOW will get together at the end. So far, HC is … okay. He’s very loose in the role, which is nice after being so uptight as future Darth Vadar, but he’s not setting the world on fire – that being said, this is a movie about a pizzeria. Do you really want that to be set on fire? True story, in my hometown, the owners of the “posh” Italian restaurant that was next store to the only pizzeria in town blew up their restaurant in the 80s for the insurance money, thereby robbing a small NJ town of pizza for almost a year.

Nicky comes home from London in a big hat. They head to the bar where Leo works. Their eyes meet and music starts, but you know they’re gonna hate flirt till they kiss. And after 2 shots, Leo challenges Nicky to a soccer match. Nicky has two very thirsty female friends who are mildly inappropriate for a movie what both Older and Younger Son have decided to watch with me. But now they’re playing soccer in the rain, and doing shot when either of them miss. It’s in slow motion, and there are a lot of spectators who don’t seem to mind to be watching in the rain until there’s thunder, which is good, because Leo goes in for the kiss, and then Nicky passes out.

I cry foul that the first male butt we see in this movie is Leo’s pal Luigi, a large Chinese guy who acts Italian. Nicky wakes up in Leo’s bed, and thinks she had sex with Leo, but no, Leo was a gentleman.

Both mothers hide wine in the hanging baskets of fake gerber daisies that separate the two pizzerias.

Nicky hasn’t told her family she’s only home for a visit, and not to stay. Her family immediately makes her eat pizza. And Nicky’s family did something to the pizza at Leo’s place – marijuana looks like oregano after all. And Leo is getting seriously sexually assaulted by the cops who came to break up the pot party.

Jesus is everyone in this movie hot for each other? Andrea Martin, Nicky’s grandmother, is in love with Danny Aiello, and they just met each other in a confessional at a Catholic church.

Nicky shows up at Leo’s house, just as Lisa, a flight attendant and Leo’s sometime girlfriend. Nicky gets jealous of Lisa, which, seriously girl, you’ve been gone for five years. But even though Lisa is probably naked already in Leo’s apartment, Leo still asks her out for dinner the next night.

At Luigi’s bar, both fathers meet up to insult each other and hate boast about their children. It is SO bad and so dumb. Cut to the old people, who cannot meet up in a confessional anymore, are now sitting in a Starbucks freaking out over a caramel macchiatto.

Cut to Nicky’s parents’ backyard where they are grilling. Alyssa Milano comes in saying she almost forgot the nice cannolis. Dad gives her a kiss and then says, here, take the gum (apparently she’s got bad breath) leave the cannolis. Ha. Ha. Ha. Ha. I wonder HOW long it took the writers of this to put that in there. And Alyssa Milano’s character has just invited some kind of sleezy Italian stereotype to keep Nicky back in Canada. Ew, stereotype just sniffed her shoe.

She’s at Leo’s house, and he’s making her dinner – yes, it’s pizza – that she just put FIGS on top of. WHAT? He lives in a dive apartment that has a pizza oven. They are flirt pizza baking. I’ve been really comfort baking these past few weeks – today I made a lemon drizzle cake and a loaf of Italian bread. But apparently this pizza is good, even with freaking figs on it.

Andrea Martin is back at church in front of a very jankety statue of Our Lady. And Danny Aiello is totally proposing to her right in front of the statue, and even though Andrea Martin looks at him with heart eyes, she says no.

Leo has a rooftop garden that is populated with lamps.

He has a desire to open an organic pizzeria. Seems weird. Now they are dancing across from each other and I do not get it, but they are so in love with each other, you guys, it’s amazing that it’s taken this long for Nicky to say “I should go.”

Poor Andrea Martin, squeezing tomatoes and pining for Danny Aiello. Danny Aiello is giving love advice to Leo, while Leo cooks his revolting fig pizza. And Danny Aiello just said “You can take the girl out of Little Italy, but you can’t take Little Italy out of the girl.” WRITERS – I’m staring at you disapprovingly over the tops of my glasses right now.

Everyone freaks out over figs on pizza, and yet Hawaiian pizza is totally being made fun of.

Andrea Martin is back at the Starbucks and she’s had like 8 caramel macchiattos. She’s trying to drown her sorrows in coffee, and Danny Aiello shows up and seems to be quoting John Lennon or something to get back in her good graces, by stating that he wants a home for the two of them where they can watch The Bachelor in bed together. Regardless of how dumb that sounds – because the true test of marriage is watching Dateline and then finding out what happened at the end because your husband stayed up to watch it while you dozed off – they love each other and get engaged.

Leo climbs a ladder to deliver pizza to Nicky in her bedroom. It’s a heart shaped pizza. Next day, they both jump on a vespa and go riding through the San Gennaro festival, eating gelato and exploding eggplant with firecrackers. They also rode through a fire hydrant and now they are back in Leo’s apartment all “I gotta get out of these wet clothes” and now we’re in for a sex montage because ha, this is NOT your friendly Hallmark movie, it’s on Prime.

Oh, wait, it’s not a montage, it’s a fade to black, and then fade in on Andrea Martin and Danny Aiello. That’s not upsetting.

Jane Seymour FaceTimes in the afterglow, reminding Nicky that she needs to do her job, and asking her if she’s been “shagging” and if there is a penis more pressing than her restaurant in Mayfair, and quite honestly, that’s funny.

Leo doesn’t know she isn’t back to stay, and she casts it up to him that he’s had a lot of girlfriends in the past five years, and she’s now going HARD into The Sad Times. Let’s see what Leo does in his own Sad Times, because I really hope we don’t get a return of forehead acting.

Old people arrange a family dinner at “Korma Sutra – a Sensual Italian Restaurant” (with a bunch of Indian carvings on the wall) where both the Montagues and Capulets sit down for a curry and they announce that Andrea Martin and Danny Aiello are seeing each other. And the tired feuding old men get freaked out, and it comes down to letting the “Best Pizza” contest in the San Gennaro festival decide who has the Best Pizza, and whoever doesn’t have the best pizza has to leave. But because tired feuding old men aren’t allowed in the contest anymore, they have to have Leo and Nicky enter instead. And Nicky says, “I’m a chef, I don’t do pizza.”

Because that’s not insulting to her entire family. But then it gets more insulting and Nicky is way more into The Sad Times.

Leo confronts his best friend Luigi about the fact that he’s really Chinese, because Luigi is his Sassy Friend who tells Leo that he’s in love with Nicky – and then we find out that Luigi is gay, so he’s extra Sassy.

This movie is taking way too long.

Pizza Competition Time. round One – they have 10 minutes to make pizza. Leo is making proccioto and melon pizza, and who knows what Chef Nicky made. But of course, they both make it to the finals, where they have to make a Pizza Margharita. Nicky is rolling the pizza dough with a pin. I feel like that’s wrong.

The winner is Leo, because of course it is, and because we know that Nicky switched the sauces underneath the table. And then Leo makes a statement about the whole thing, but Nicky misses it because she already took a taxi to the airport. But Leo hightails it to the airport in a Vespa (which he leaves at the front entrance of the airport in clear violation of all those 9-11 rules).

But Nicky keeps getting stuck in the metal detector – just in time for Leo to make a heartfelt declaration to her from the steps overlooking the security line.

AWWWW Gay Luigi just had a meet cute with the gay Security Guard! Sassy Friends DO find love! We also discover the source of the feud (and it’s dumb) and then everyone realizes they’re being supremely dumb, and then the Angry Security Lady takes back control from these weirdos and starts moving people through the line again.

Everyone is happy and in love, and flash forward to a new restaurant owned by Leo and Nicky – it’s the wedding reception of Andrea Martin and Danny Aiello, and Gay Luigi caught the bouquet. Jane Seymour shows up and loves the pizza and wants to franchise, and the Indian sous chefs get to dance with each other, and everyone loves each other and east dessert pizza. The end.

Ok. I’ve seen this movie before in the Hallmark version, and although that one was probably filmed in Canada, it did pretend to be the US. Looking at all this pizza, now I want pizza, but we’re having lemon pepper chicken with angel hair pasta tonight. I wonder how good Canadian pizza actually is – I’m spoiled by living in NJ, where the best pizza in the US is (shut up Chicago, that is NOT pizza).

Did we answer the question : Is Hayden Christensen a good actor or not? – I think so. I think he’s … not bad. He needs a lot more help than he was EVER given in the Star Wars Prequels, and it helps when he’s not saying corny-ass dialogue like “I can overthrow the chancellor.” There was very little forehead acting in this, although a lot of forehead wrinkling, making me believe he’s a lot older than he was playing as Leo. If you’re looking for a good performance of his, go see Shattered Glass.

Was this movie good? Meh. But since we’re stuck in the house, what else are we going to do – especially now that allergy season is here on top of everything else. It was a nice diversion while my bread is baking and keeps me from wondering why my Lemon Drizzle cake didn’t rise that much – unless it’s supposed to be half the size of the loaf pan? Anyway, doesn’t matter. We’ll eat it later. And besides, that’s not the point. The point is, I watched Little Italy, just so you don’t have to.

Solving the question, did Hayden Christensen deserve the abuse Star Wars generated? All that, plus pizza, Alyssa Milano, Danny Aiello, and Canada. I watched Little Italy, Just So You Don't Have To. So....it's been a bit of a month, hasn't it? Between work, and making sure that both Older and Younger Son do their school work while sitting on the couch, coming up with interesting things to have for dinner based on how picky everyone is, and a general feeling of panic around every corner, I'm exhausted.

#Hayden Christensen #Is there good pizza in Toronto #Pizza #Toronto

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sere22world · 4 years

Text

modern life causes tooth decay, and care is unaffordable

Light gently touches the town on the morning of fall Friday: farmers and miners Bank, grocery store

Letteredsignboard is a yellow brick court that advertises sugar for sale.

In many ways, this is Jonesville, the county seat of Lee County, the poorest county in Virginia, and the farthest Appalachian county here.

On this day, all the attention is focused on the suburbs, where the preparations for the free health clinic will be held on the weekend at the small airport are in progress.

The first group of patients will begin to arrive in a few hours.

They will come from roads and highways, nearby towns and valleys further away from southwest Virginia and Kentucky.

Some people hardly have enough gas to go to Jonesville.

A woman drove from Tennessee with her broken glasses in her arms.

Truck and chestx-

Raymachine has stopped at one end of the runway.

When the sky is a little clear, an old plane will fly on the mountain, bringing folding dental chairs, medical equipment, surgical gauze and glove boxes from Knoxville.

The clinic is organized by the medical volunteer team in remote areas (RAM)

This is a non-profit organization that has led hundreds of missions since its inception in 1985 and has brought medical aid to some of the poorest places on Earth.

This will be Ram\'s first visit to Jonesville.

But health problems in the Appalachian region

Cancer, diabetes, joint injury

Nothing new.

Bad teeth are nothing new.

Toothache is nothing new. In LeeCounty —

Remote, isolated and poor

The shortage of various health care is a long-term problem.

Insufficient staff in main and mental health care.

The shortage of dentists is the worst.

According to federal estimates, about 49 million Americans live in communities designated as dental specialty shortages --

One of them is LeeCounty.

If there is a shortage of local dentists like Li county, there is also a shortage of money to pay them.

\"These people are not forgotten,\" explains John Osborne, head of dental at RAM, a Knoxville dentist.

\"The system has passed.

\"At these free weekend clinics, hundreds, sometimes even thousands of sore teeth are pulled out.

Loss of teeth due to illness may indicate other loss of quality of life.

In terms of oral health, complete tooth loss or tooth loss is called \"the ultimate sign of the burden of disease \".

This is a symbol of failure.

The teeth after tooth extraction will not grow back.

However, when routine care is delayed for a long time, when more complex procedures cannot be realized or selected, the extract meets the urgent need to relieve infection and relieve pain.

The news of the Li County RAM clinic program captured headlines in local newspapers.

People talked about it in churches, gas stations and coffee shops in the United States for a few days. S. 58 bypass.

At the airport this Friday, as volunteers struggled to build a field hospital with tents and folding tables, excitement filled the air.

Volunteer doctors, nurses, dentists and health workers are from out of town \".

A man with a \"friend of coal\" bumper sticker on his truck came here with a pizza.

A member of the high school football team, General Li county, is waiting in a red-numbered jersey to help unload the plane and eat pizza on the runway quietly and hungry.

Then there\'s a deep one.

You can hear the roar of throated, and everyone looks up at the sky.

\"Here comes the plane!

Shouted someone.

WarII-vintageC-World

47 freighters landed smoothly, then glistening on the narrow runway at the foot of the mountain.

Stan Brok, founder of Ram, a skinny, charismatic Englishman

Bornadventurer greeted the crowd in a calm, serious way.

As usual, he was wearing a rustic shirt and trousers, all brown.

Block was known for its water dragon fish in the 1960 s-wrestling co-

Star of Omaha Wild Kingdom TV show mutual aid.

When he launched RAM, his initial goal was to provide health care to people living in remote areas

He visited the third world during his trip.

But when he found out that the United States had someone in urgent need of help, he began organizing clinics closer to home. (

Block died in August 29, 2018 after the book was published. He was 82.

The organization he created, \"Medical in remote areas\", is continuing his work. )

Brok told the football players that the plane they saw was used to invade.

One day, young people of their own age parachuted out of the plane at June parach6, 1944.

\"A lot of young people didn\'t come back,\" he explained, as the football players listened with a shy attention.

Then it\'s time to go to work.

These actions honed by Brock over the years are military-accurate and help convey their urgency.

In the direction of Brok, football players began to transport carefully organized boxes of materials from the plane.

Slowly and methodically, the hospital finally took shape on the weekend.

Areas are set up for medical tests and exams.

Glasses are provided free of charge.

Airport waiting room transformed into asix-

President of dental clinic

When the cold of the evening fell on the mountain, a row of cars and pickup trucks were already formed on the way to the airport.

In the darkness before dawn on Saturday, about 400 people were waiting. Worn-

Out-of-town miners, old farmers, tired housewives, and unemployed workers all took their numbers at the door, wrapped in coats and blankets.

Charlton Strader, a retired construction director with tremor and chronic blocked lung disease, said he had dental benefits in the past, but he lost them.

He said his teeth had begun to \"break \".

\"I have always had a problem that bothers me,\" he said . \".

Randy Peters, a former miner and bed-pad worker with multiple hardening, also suffers from his teeth.

\"I have several broken and several bad tooth decay,\" he said . \".

\"So I can\'t eat.

Ernest hodeway, a disabled miner, said he was here to pull his teeth.

\"It won\'t hurt you, but it will,\" he predicted . \"

When he had to leave the coal mine, his dental insurance was over.

Now his teeth are beginning to disappoint him.

\"My teeth have been fine until I start taking arthritis drugs,\" he explained . \".

\"No one wants to lose their teeth.

I heard you have a good life for a few years.

\"He said he had just paid off the $1,500 he owed for pulling out three bad molars teeth, and he was told to pull out these bad molars teeth before knee surgery.

He is still fighting to save his leg. He showed it.

Terrible swelling.

\"I\'m a good person, but I\'m sure I \'ve been tested,\" he said . \".

When the sun rises completely, the city center of Jonesville is empty.

\"Everyone was pulled out of their teeth at Ram,\" said the waitress at the coffee shop . \".

Throughout the day, the patient came out of the dental clinic and clenched the gauze between the remaining teeth.

They sit in the folding chair under the tent to recover, or wait for friends and relatives who are still in service.

\"I \'ve been pulled twice,\" said unemployed nurse Emma Marcy . \".

\"One was infected under the filler.

Marsee\'s daughter, a waitress, is also waiting to be taken care of in the tent.

Marsee says her financial security depends on her smile.

\"It\'s all about appearance,\" said Marsee, a strawberry blonde with golden eyes.

Who wants a waitress with bad teeth \"if you\'re not healthy --

Look at the individual ,[customers]

Don\'t want that person to take care [them].

Everyone in that big tent is struggling.

\"It\'s hard in this area because there\'s no work,\" Marsee said . \".

Even if people are sitting in folding chairs, some people\'s behavior shows fatalism and they are tired of themselves.

Destruction: The girl with her teeth badly rotted drank another Coke.

A thin mother holds a cup of sweet juice waiting for the baby to see the dentist.

The woman who smoked the cigarette coughed so badly.

A study by the Southwest Virginia Federation of graduate medical education found that \"nerves\" are a common complaint in the region.

\"The neural cause that is often reported is that there are too many problems and too few solutions,\" the authors of a study on the problem found (

Southwest Virginia Federation of graduate medical education, \"Report to the Virginia Parliament, January 2008).

The consortium concluded that residents in the area were more likely to commit suicide than people living elsewhere in the state.

Marsee is also familiar with the dark side.

\"Drug abuse in this area is terrible,\" she said . \"

It\'s shown in some hopeless drugs. Black Teeth

The region has long been poor, but people hate to move on.

\"Your roots are here,\" Marsee said . \".

\"It\'s hard to leave it.

\"There is an ancient and beautiful theme --

The green woods are shrouded in the mountains.

The love of family, the good of neighbors, the good of strangers.

When they die, the teeth burn.

This is a very old pain.

There is silent evidence on the human fossil record: the unearthed ancient mummy with a parcel on the lower jaw.

Alaska\'s front teeth, tired of a simple tool, sometimes between 1300 and 1700. D.

Apparently to relieve the abscess.

The teeth of the Danish people in the Middle Ages have a rosary (

Charlotte Roberts and Keith Manchester, Archaeology of diseases, 82).

Decay is a progressive disease that, if not controlled, causes extreme pain and tooth shedding.

There are many factors.

Diet plays a major role.

In a very old age, when there is less and less exquisite food, toothache is a curse of privilege.

When sugar becomes cheaper, tooth decay, the main cause of toothache, becomes more common.

The habit of drinking sweet soda has been widely influenced.

A stable bath of sugar will never allow the teeth to be repaired and remineralised on their own.

Now, hundreds of ordinarythe-

Prescription drugs taken by millions of Americans make teeth more prone to illness.

One of their side effects is dry mouth, which reduces the natural flow of saliva to clean and buffer teeth, helping to protect teeth from decay.

If there is no fluoride to strengthen the teeth, there is not enough regular home care, and there is no timely professional care, the process of the disease will progress.

Severe toothache is not uncommon.

Millions of Americans experience toothache.

A study by the American Dental Association found that economic factors were the main reason why Americans delayed access to the required professional dental care.

Private or even public dental benefits can help pay for services.

But in 2014, it was estimated that there was a complete shortage of Americans.

While the national health care reform plan, which signed into law in 2010, took significant steps to expand access to dental services for children, it did less in addressing the system of adult fragmentation.

Even many working adults with private health insurance do not have adequate dental insurance.

While regular preventive visits can be covered, beneficiaries typically need to pay a percentage of the cost of surgery such as filling, Crown, root canal and implants, which can run to hundreds, thousands of dollars. Among U. S.

A 2015 survey found that for adults struggling with unpaid medical expenses, 12 u202f % of dental bills accounted for the largest share of the bills they paid for the problem.

The researchers concluded: \"Insurance is not a panacea for solving these problems . \"

Most people with dental benefits will lose them after retirement.

Health insurance is a health care program in the United States that covers about 55 million elderly and disabled people, but does not include regular dental services.

Of the more than 1 million residents in nursing homes in the United States, many have particularly severe dental problems.

Since 1987, when federal law sets new standards for institutions receiving health insurance and Medicaid funding, nursing homes are required to provide oral health care services.

However, in the daily cycle of cleaning, turning over and replacing bedridden and disabled patients, simple brushing and dentures care is often overlooked.

The authors of a survey note: \"Clinical studies in most nursing home residents report that oral hygiene is generally inadequate and that related dental, gum, and periodontal conditions are also prevalent . \".

\"Medical and care services are provided almost uniformly, while dental and mental health services are rarely provided.

\"Visits by dental professionals are also rare in many institutions.

Many patients at Louis Anna State dentist Gregory Falls say he has been in his rounds of nursing homes and has not been cared for years.

When he looked at the mouth of a new patient, he was not surprised to find rotten, rampant infections, broken limbs in his teeth, and even cancer in his mouth.

As the dental director of these families, he was given an allowance.

Most patients receive Medicaid, but there are very few adult dental benefits in the state.

Folse estimated that he donated more services than he charged for Medicaid.

He said that he travels 40 to 50,000 miles through the jungle and the Bay every year, drives a pickup truck, carries portable tools and instruments, sets up facilities in nursing homes, community rooms and beauty salons to repair false teeth, tooth extraction.

\"900 patients with severe gum disease or abscess.

Half my patients.

I took all the swollen ones away.

Everyone is in pain.

All the loose teeth

I help them as much as I can.

No money, no money.

Families pay some, nursing homes.

Nobody pays sometimes. I do it.

\"It\'s a challenge for some patients to have dementia and let them open their mouths.

The work is rewarding, he said.

\"I have a patient in a wheelchair.

She had a stroke.

She was happy to have her dentures.

She reached out and grabbed her wallet.

She got inside.

She found a piece of bread. ‘Here doc. Take it.

\"I don\'t want to eat her last piece of bread,\" FRES said with a smile . \".

\"I don\'t know how long it took to put it at the bottom of her wallet.

We have to give up because we are rich.

She gave me her poverty.

\"The rate of tooth damage is a serious economic indicator.

The poor are more likely to suffer from toothache.

Their oral health is worse and it\'s hard to find a dentist who will treat them.

The lack of funding to pay for health care is a major hurdle: one out of every five Americans is covered with Medicaid, a huge federal

The national health care program for the poor.

However, since only a small number of dentists see Medicaid patients, insurance does not guarantee access to treatment.

Under Medicaid, children are entitled to dental care, but often face difficulties in accessing services.

Less than half of dentists see any Medicaid patients in most states included in the 2010 study in the United States. S.

Office of Government Accountability

A 2016 study by the American Dental Association found that in the program\'s database of insured children, the proportion of dentists registered as Medicaid providers nationwide was 42.

But this percentage does not necessarily reflect the percentage of dentists actually participating in this program.

\"That doesn\'t mean you see a child with Medicaid.

That doesn\'t mean you have an open date, \"said Marko Vujicic, an economist who helped lead the study.

\"Think of it as what it is.

This is the best data we have.

\"This is more difficult for adult beneficiaries of Medicaid.

Adult dental benefits are an optional part of the state Medicaid program.

They are the first line of projects during the fiscal tightening period and will eventually become the chopping board for the budget.

Toothache is the destroyer of sleep.

They make it very painful to eat, work and raise children.

It is the poor who are most likely to pray to heaven for relief.

They resort to legal and illegal drugs and civilian remedies.

Some even pulled their teeth out of despair.

In the free clinic in Li county, in the solid, stoic mountain people, Tabitha Hay, her fragile face and dark eyes looked like a lost Tropical was blown away by the storm.

She and her motherin-

Lao and her husband arrived at the clinic after the 13 th.

Bellevue, Florida is an hour\'s drive away. They were self-employed.

They clean the house and take care of the pets. off retirees.

After work on Friday night, they drove all night to Jonesville.

All three of them need to be taken care of, but Tabitha, twenty

Six, the most needed.

She was hurt by a molar tooth that rotted under the filling.

\"I feel like my chin is squashed,\" she said . \".

\"Sometimes the pressure is like an explosion.

I\'m hungry, but I can\'t eat it.

In order to sleep, I have to put a heating pad on it and nothing can eliminate the pain.

\"After missing a week of work, she tried to get back to work the day before her trip.

\"I try to work.

I can\'t do anything.

I cried in the back seat.

A dentist in Florida told her that the cost of the withdrawal would reach $500, she said.

That\'s the money she didn\'t have.

She arrived too late to receive care at the free clinic on Saturday.

She was told to wait until Sunday.

At night, she slept in red Kia with her husband and mother --in-

Face another night of pain.

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