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haejjoon · 1 year

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Hi I agree with the mako discussion I have always been neutral to her and this whole discussion articulated why. I feel like there's a big disconnect between the story concepts for p5 and the writers. I.e Ann's themes Vs her treatment in writing

Also I'm a local oc X canon shipper who likes to rewrite stories to insert my oc & Ur fic & blog is giving me inspiration for what I can do because I only recently started p5r after watching rtgame play it so I haven't digested & criticised details in full yet so hearing Ur thoughts really helps articulate vague impressions I've had!!!

That being said, I'm interested what u think of Sumi Because. I low-key don't like her (I DONT HATE HER but I don't love her beyond "she's cute")

Anyway that's all!!!! I love Ur au bye bye ✨

- oc anon

aw. hey anon!! thanks so much for dropping by :)) im glad the discussion helped somewhat

oh boy...... sumi. where do i begin.

i'll be clear from the start: i love fanon sumi. i think shes adorable, i love seeing her in fics, fanart, etc etc. and for the longest time i couldn't figure out why i loved her sm in fandom and hated her in canon? and then i realized:

sumi's character... has no clear purpose.

(sojiro voice) let me explain

each of the phantom thieves have a recurring theme of finding or rediscovering identity.

ryuji with track + his old teammates

ann with her stance on modeling

yusuke with his purpose for creating art (oh boy i also have a lot to say about Him)

makoto with her burnt out but not quite burnt out gifted kid syndrome

futaba with her purpose for living at all (ouch)

and haru with how she wants to define herself without her father's influence.

the only (ONLY) exceptions to this is akechi and the protagonist. akiren is the catalyst to aiding the others discover identity, and akechi already has his purpose in life so ingrained he doesn't need to (or doesn't bother) trying to grow as a person.

now... sumi.

she's first introduced as the brilliant gymnast honor student. over time, it's clear that she struggles with meeting others' (and even her own) expectations for herself.

if we follow the same formula for the other thieves, this would be when she'd start questioning why she does gymnastics at all, or who she does gymnastics for. instead, she double downs on her supposed love for the sport, and only spirals deeper and deeper when simple "hard work" doesn't pay off.

obviously we know why. she thinks she's her dead sister. but thematically, it just clashes with all the rest of the characters already presented, because the player now has no idea where her character's going with this. she suffers from the same thing makoto's character does: tons of payoff, no clear resolution.

by the end of the faith confidant she declares that she'll now be doing gymnastics as sumire, and not kasumi. that doesn't change the expectations stacked upon her to succeed. sumi never says, "it's okay if i don't succeed, because i'm doing my best." she says, "i'm going to succeed as sumire yoshizawa and not kasumi yoshizawa, and everyone will see me shine in my own way."

and don't get me wrong. it's a lovely conclusion on its own and i'm proud of her for it, but narratively it came so out of left field. there was no set up for that specific drive to succeed As Herself, because the entire set up thus far was that she just couldn't succeed at all. this is why the entire confidant felt so stilted to me.

and the reason for such a strange ending note is because of the twist itself. no one expected her to actually be her dead older sister. suddenly, sumi is a completely different person, and you're just supposed to roll with it through her confidant. there's just no time within the confidant itself for the player to digest it.

moving on from that though i just fucking hate how she's marketed. her entire palette is a copy and cut paste from joker's. her outfit is somehow worse than ann's--i get it, leotard for her gymnastic skills, but look up gymnastic leotards when you get the chance. there's no plunging necklines like her costume shows. her coat (again, carbon copy from joker's) is cut in the back in a way that no matter What You Do or How You Look at her, all you see is a flash of ass and thigh. the first thing you see of her the MOMENT YOU OPEN THE GAME is a slow pan up starting from her exposed crotch, for fuck's sake. fuck you atlus, she's fifteen.

also????? she's supposedly a gymnast, but she?? uses a ribbon??????? in her all out attack and in her final performance at the end of her confidant rank? is this just a localization issue? ribbon dancing and gymnastics are two very different sports???? someone explain??

she also pops up in thr story at the most random times, because the writing team over our beloved atlus couldn't figure out how to shoehorn her in to make her relevant to the main plot. why does she get the app in the first place, having nothing to do with the thieves as a whole? why does she awaken to a persona at all in maruki's palace, when all she does is vehemently deny who she really is?

dont argue with me on this, but the reason why she awakens to her persona SPECIFICALLY AT THAT POINT IN THE STORY at all... is so atlus could shove her into the opening cutscene where she "saves" joker. so the players could get hyped seeing her supple fifteen year old Pan Up From Crotch in the first five minutes of the game. joker didn't need saving. fuck off

and if you're gonna follow the rules already set in the p5 universe: how come she can use her persona so effectively in the first place? haru couldn't, even though she awakened. sumi definitely shouldn't be able to, given the whole... denying who she really is situation.

and lastly there's just some aspects of how she's depicted that rly irk me, but those are absolutely just my personal feelings. nothing inherently wrong with them, just annoying to me specifically:

- her over the top polite nature that only hinders her, but she doesn't abandon it to set straight boundaries with those being rude to her because she can't meet their expectation. even makoto told the principal to leave her alone that one time.

- the way she's so clearly shoved towards joker as the Canon Choice like makoto was in vanilla. p4 does this with rise, too, but it's far more bearable because of just how over the top she is with it, at least for me. i had a problem with yukari in p3 for much of the same reason as sumi.

- the fact that her outfit doesn't change after she accepts herself as sumire. i understand that it'd be a lot of work, but narratively, wouldn't it make more sense for it to change? akechi got two outfits (both ugly but i digress) for the two facets in his true self. if her thief outfit is a manifestation of her doubling down on her identity as kasumi, why doesn't it change? why is her hair, a clear indication of who she is as a person, still in a ponytail despite everything??? is she taking on kasumi's confidence in the metaverse?? it just isn't clear.

- her fucking magical girl transformation in her original awakening. sorry. it just wasn't necessary. again this is totally just a me thing but WOW it pissed me off so much first time i watched it, because what purpose was there to include that other than to make the player go "oooooooo shiny girl pretty girl near costume ooooooooo".

i think thats most of it. as a personality i adore sumi. it's why i love seeing her in art and fics. but as a Character made to drive a story's plot, there's so many holes i'm surprised the ship is still chugging along.

obligatory "this is my opinion im not forcing it onto you if you wanna dispute it with me go righr ahead, i love character analysis threads" here. jesus fuck this was long.

love you anon. muah <3

#sumire yoshizawa #read the entire thing before coming for my throat

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jojospresso · 1 year

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CLOSED!! thank you so much to everyone who reached out omg 💕

artists pls interact, OKAY SO

i’m looking to commission an artist to draw one of my many personas!! i’ve been looking for awhile and haven’t exactly found an artist that i want to commission, so it’s worth a shot to post here!

i’d like a horror theme with the expression from the photo;

And here’s the character in question! (art by my sibling, euphorilaw on every social). I have a ref sheet and more art for them, but I’d rather not post it here since I don’t know how Tumblr is with art thieves. I can send the Google drive link once I find an artist I’d like to commission!

A bust shot would be perfect, but I wouldn’t mind a half body if it’s easier to draw and whatnot! I’d also like it to be fully rendered/shaded.

I have a budget of up to $40, but I’m willing to pay more if it comes to that! I can only pay via Paypal or Ko-fi as stuff like Cashapp and Venmo aren’t available in Canada, I’m so sorry if this is an inconvenience!

I also prefer to pay upfront at the beginning, but if you feel more comfortable with me sending the first half upfront and the other half whenever the sketch is done or when the artwork is done, that’s also okay!

You can reach out to me by sending me a DM here, an email ([email protected]), or send me a DM on any of my other socials (@jojospresso, mostly active on IG)!! feel free to ask for my discord if you feel more comfortable communicating there!

I know this is super long and it might not have enough details, but thank you if you read this far :D okay that’s all, bye—

#looking to commission #artists PLEASE #commissions #looking for artist #looking for art #how do i tag this #oc stuff

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griffinverified · 4 months

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Some additional stuff from my comic site! Made fancy little character portraits for Moira and Indy!

(If you like this art hey check out Deck of Thieves at deckofthieves.com okay love u bye)

#my art #digital art #oc #sky pirates #steampunk #webcomic #art nouveau #oc art #deck of thieves

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papillon82fluttersby · 8 months

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Famous Five Art Nostalgia #20 – Part 1

Introductory post

Five Have a Mystery to Solve – Le Club des Cinq et le vieux puits / Le Club des Cinq et le secret du vieux puits

Original publication date: 1962 (UK), 1966 (France)

(Original cover art by Jeanne Hives, 1966)

When I first read the original English version a few months ago, I was surprised to find a whole section of the book devoted to a golf course, with extended descriptions of the scenery and activities, and a focus on its groundsman Lucas. And yet I had zero recollections of such a place from reading the book in my youth. Indeed, upon checking, the golf course never appears in the translation! Instead of visiting the golf course, the children take a walk around the harbour where they meet “le père Lucas”, an old fisherman, who then fulfills the same narrative purpose.

Evidently, golfing was deemed much too English an activity for a French audience and went bye-bye, haha!

The French title translates to “Famous Five and the Old Well” (or “Famous Five and the Secret of the Old Well” as a variant), focusing on the way through which the Five enter the underground place where they will discover the treasure. Consequently, you can expect said well to be depicted on many of the French covers!

~~~~~~

Plot summary (adapted from Wikipedia):

The Five are invited to stay at a holiday cottage near the coast. There they meet and make friends with Wilfrid [Edmond], a boy with an almost magical knack of attracting animals. Offshore is Whispering Island [l’île aux Quatre-Vents] where, according to Lucas, a former guardian of the island who now works at a golf-course on the coast [le père Lucas, an old fisherman], strange goings-on have been reported.

(Breakfast time with Dick and Anne!)

[Note: Julian, Dick and Anne’s family moved houses recently, they’re now located within biking distance to Kirrin village and George’s house.]

(Anne feels positively cheerful on this glorious spring day!)

(Meet Wilfrid and one of his many animal friends)

(Wilfrid saves a tasty rabbit from Timmy’s murderous fangs ☠️)

The Five and Wilfrid hire a boat and row across to the island where, despite the Five's resolve to avoid adventures, they find themselves stranded. Wilfrid has discovered that someone is stealing the island's old treasures.

(The children find the island a bit eerie when they discover a wooded area filled with statuary)

(George clutches Timmy, worried that he might wander off and get shot by one of the island’s armed guards)

The Five climb into the ground of a supposedly-empty stone house, and find themselves locked into a strange cellar along with Wilfrid and the stolen treasure.

(More precious statues are stored underground, along with other valuables)

(Anne tries climbing into a luxurious four-poster bed, which promptly collapses! Sorry, Anne, no luxury bedding for you ☹️) [Note: Very uncharacteristically, this is the only illustration by Jeanne Hives where a character has the wrong hair colour. Doubly sorry, Anne, this is not your day! ☹️☹️]

Before the thieves come back, they manage to escape through a ventilation hole. Unable to locate the hired boat, which the thieves attempt to take for their own use, the Five decide they will have to risk sleeping on the island. Fortunately, Anne and Timmy manage to shoo the thieves away from the boat, and Anne persuades the others to row back to the mainland.

The Five and Wilfrid spend a day with the police, recounting what has happened. The novel closes with the Five lying sunbathing on a hillside near the holiday cottage, with all the local animals and birds gathering round to listen to Wilfrid playing his flute.

~~~~~~

Cover art through the ages:

(Disclaimer: This is not an exhaustive list; sometimes the dates are difficult to pinpoint; and I have purposefully not included editions that re-used similar cover art, with differences only in layout and font style.)

(Original cover art by Jeanne Hives, Hachette, 1966) [Note: Since many of the book covers illustrate the same scene, I’m afraid I’m not going to try and find an original caption for each. Apologies! 🙏]

(Jean Sidobre, Hachette, 1973)

(Jean Sidobre, Hachette, 1978)

(Obviously inspired by Sidobre’s art from 1973 – J.P. Morvan, France Loisirs, 1981)

(Umberto Nonna, Edito Service, 1982)

(Yves Beaujard, Hachette, 1988)

(Paul Gillon is the only illustrator who did not depict the titular well, focusing instead on this glorious scene where Anne finds a way to cool down Wilfrid’s bratty behaviour! Julian is so proud of his fierce little sister! 😊😊 Hachette, 1998)

(Munch and Prunier, Hachette, 2001)

(Frédéric Rébéna, Hachette, 2010)

(Auren, Hachette, 2021)

~~~~~~

Thanks for reading!

#papillon82 reads #famous five art nostalgia #famous five #le club des cinq #illustrations #jeanne hives #enid blyton #our regular Sidobre and Nonna art will be coming this week :)

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karovke · 1 year

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• pinned post •

hi! my name is karo, i'm currently 18 (august 26) and i'm greysexual biromantic demigirl, i go by she/he pronouns and i'm from poland

this is my main and tf2 centered blog so obviously i'm gonna mostly post and reblog about it! i know it's all around my blog but i'm medic main (also learning to play soldier) and kind of sniper kinnie (i'm mentally ill)

i'm kind of self taught artist (my art is under the #my art)

besides of team fortress 2 my interests are pokémon, stardew valley, haikyuu, hetalia, naruto and some other anime, i also like plants and animals (my favorite are raccoons, otters, rats, pigeons and possums) and you know random things

#karoposting is my shitpost tag mostly about not tf2 things related, #tf2 is literally everything that mention tf2 and #karogaming is for my gaming moments (everything is also on #personal), #bark on main would be for the eventually horny posting (i won't be posting nsfw stuff but something suggestive may appear)

my favorite tf2 ships are red oktoberfest, bushmedicine, knife party and speeding bullet but i can enjoy most of them (spy x scout shippers kys)

dni if you are racist, homophobic etc, ai/nft supporters, proshippers, art thieves, jk rowling supporters and toxic people

my ask are open and i'll be happy to talk just please dont be weird :)

bye, enjoy your stay !!

#pinned post #karoposting #also i talk a lot in tags so yeah i'm normal #personal

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jaskersneakthief · 10 months

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Showing my tags since I feel like I never talked about em and they're important!!¡!

★jasker's art! = My art

jasker's sillyposts= My silly stuff I post

^⁠_⁠^ = a tag for images i very like, mostly scene/2010s stuff or very colourful things that make my tism brain happy

★10s 4evah = 2010s stuff too! :P

★fav gif = basically my favorite gifs and blinkies

fav= just my favorite posts, could be fanart/edits/funny stuff etc/ but it's mostly fanart

★blinkies [NEW] = for only blinkie posts!

★blinkies/stampz = blinkies and/or stampz!!1!

★🌃🌜thiefposting🧥!! = As u can see I love cartoon thieves, so it's posts that either give me those vibes or actual cartoon thieves aka Shif from Crime Time, Shifty from HTF, and my OCS!

Meff n thieves = my main OCS! Meff, A.J, A.B,Frankie and Maddie 💥

★jasker's OCS = same thing but also my other ocs (from different universes/aus/etc example: Min and J2dy or Loser, my ONAF oc

🎧💥Be aware that sometimes I forgot to put these tags!! But I try my best ///BYE!!!💥🎧

#★🌃🌜thiefposting🧥!!#★jasker's art!#jasker's sillyposts #^⁠_⁠^#★fav gif #fav #★blinkies #meff n thieves #★jasker's OCS #★10s 4evah #★blinkies/stampz

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starshinecarly09 · 10 months

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Hi buddies!

Hey guys! It's me, Carly! I am an American cartoonist who loves to watch cartoons, eat food, draw stuff, ETC. I am also diagnosed with autism, please help me.

⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️

My fursona, Carly the Cat.

☆About Me☆

Like I have said before, I am an American cartoonist who loves to watch cartoons, eat food, draw stuff, ETC. The name is Carly, but please call me Kitty, Catherine, Cal, Sweetie Pie, or Blue. My favorite colors are pink, blue, and black. My favorite shape is a ⭐️S T A R⭐️. My favorite food is chocolate (Yum!). My sexuality is pansexual. I am a Christian ✝️. I love to watch cartoons. And all of the other stuff. And I'm still autistic. My problem? I am a curious girl who likes asking people questions, I also get distracted when I have to focus on something else, and I get startled easily. Hmmmm.

♡The stuff I like♡

Cartoons, Anime, Comics, LGBTQ+, Food, Cats, Underrated/Obscure/Forgotten Cartoons, Electronics, Drawing, Requests/Art Trades/Comissions, My Comfort Characters (see down below), ETC.

💢DNI!💢

Okay, here are the stuff that trigger me the most…

Homophobia, Transphobia, Racism (don't talk to me about that), Silver Dollar City (god, I HATE THIS PLACE SO MUCH!!!), Foot Fetishes, Pedophillia, Zoophillia, Peanuts (the legume, not the comic series), Bullies, Art Thieves, Tracers, People Who Recolor Characters and Claim Them as Their Own, Crazy Fangirls, NFT's, ETC.

🥰My Comfort Characters🥰

Xiao Long from Gawayn, Manson from Matt's Monsters, Tracey Mcbean and Shamus Wong from Tracey Mcbean, Ian Kelley from Being Ian, Jerry from The Three Friends and Jerry, Eric Needles and Trevor Troublemeyer from Sidekick, Unikitty from Unikitty, and Gaston Lagaffe from Gaston Lagaffe.

⚡️Socials⚡️

Tumblr: You've landed here.

Deviantart: https://www.deviantart.com/carlythecat1227

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-J3B5yb74xYhUo-VxMA8Ow/featured

TikTok (private): https://www.tiktok.com/@starshinecarly

Fandom: https://the-official-starshine-carly.fandom.com/wiki/User:Starshine_Carly

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Starshinecarly

Scratch: https://scratch.mit.edu/users/CutieCarly/

Sketchers United: https://sketchersunited.org/users/161776

That's all I have to say, bye!

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lalalovezfrenchfriez · 1 year

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uh small writing practice I did today!

Untitled so far, it’s a historical romance set in pre colonized Tenochtitlán, the city in Mexico in the Mexica, or Aztec Empire. Yeah :)

The sharpened arrow to the throat. The dull blades to the gut.

The two young adults stared at each other in disbelief. At the glimmering gold on his fingers, to the cream colored cloth on her body. The only thing that had lit up the entire night, was the moon shining above them. It shone softly, yet enough for Xipilli to see the strange girl. For Meztli to see the strange boy.

The strange girl’s hair was cut short, in almost a boyish way. His nose was crooked, broken possibly. What was she even doing here? How did she sneak into the palace gardens? She was breathing oddly- unevenly. Was this her first time thieving? Xipilli tried to search her eyes. Yeah, it had to be. Her eyes glimmered shakily, the color of white moon. She was about to stab him in the stomach. Yet she looked…beautiful.

Who was this strange boy? Meztli had certainly never seen this certain nobility in the parties down town. She heard rumors of the Emperor’s and the Priestess’ bearing children but nothing of this pathetic, shriveled boy. His features were sharp, cute pointed nose, chin, rounded sharped ears- he looked almost like a skeleton. His face was scarred- probably from warrior training, yet his hold on his bow was hesitant. He had to be a runt of the Emperor’s children; Did he seriously not know how to hold a bow?

Meztli’s muscle was tense, it ached heavily, tight on the turquoise handle of the blade. No, she cannot even think about this boy’s life, no matter how pitiful it may be. She did not know him. She might never truly know him.

They continued to hold their position for a minute. Xipilli was underneath her yet held his bow and obsidian tipped arrow in an advantageous position. Meztli was on top, holding two blades right over his stomach. Their inhales were deep and sharp. One thing they both noted however, were their eyes. Each were huge, like prey.

“Eztli.” Meztli spat, rather quietly.

“Hm?” Xipilli blinked, drawing his arrow back first. He had been staring at the moon reflecting in her eyes too long to realize she had spoke.

His mind first went to the fact we let his guard down, but she flipped her daggers, and placed them behind her back. “Stupid,” She muttered, adjusting her clothes and hiding her mud stained skin. “Call me Eztli.”

“Oh.” Xipilli thought his answer for a moment, momentarily forgetting his own name. “Xipil- that is my name.” He bowed a little, before he took his obsidian arrow and placed it on the ground. Was he not being robbed? Killed? Kidnapped? He looked at the ground; perhaps he was being pitied.

The girl nodded, scratching her hair. “It is good to meet you, Xipil.” He had smelled sweet, sweet like the laelias that grew south of the great city. She cleared her throat and crossed her arms. “I believe this is good bye, Xipil. I must leave.”

But Xipilli didn’t notice her words- no he was also thinking. She smelled of a certain cactus juice, dull/ but like dried mud, the ones tracing her skin seemed to be a part of her. It was beautiful- She was, looking like tapestry…art itself. From her poised stance, from her interested look in the high moon: a Goddess.

What would Mother ever think of him for that.

Meztli took her stance to the edge of the building. “Let’s agree on something, Xipil.”

“Huh?” His eyes widened, and he registered the scene, “Wait, don’t—!”

Meztli sighed, looking at him. “Listen boy- I must go. However if you tell the authorities about me I will not hesitate to find you and slice your throat. Let’s call this even: You don’t kill me. I don’t kill you. Deal?”

Xipilli slowly let her words sink in. He tried to speak, his mind racing. Meztli sighed again before he nodded. “I-I mean- uh- okay. I will not tell them.” Xipilli looked up within the second, with a large, sly grin. “But if I see you again, may we talk? Perhaps over a drink?”

Meztli stopped looking at the edge of the building, calculating her jump down and looked at the young boy, annoyed. “This is goodbye. I will not see you again.”

Xipilli went to her, closely. “But I do not want it to be.”

“It must be.” Meztli insisted.

“But,” Xipilli said, a plead in this voice. “I will see you again, right?”

Meztli put her mask on again, the face of Mictecacihuatl, the Queen of the Underworld, and stared back him. “Perhaps in another life.” She jumped.

#creative writing #writblr #historical fantasy #historical romance #historical writing #tenochtitlan #mexico #frenchfriez_#writing #yippee writing!#yeah uh <3 enjoy #Spotify

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4getfulimaginator2022 · 2 years

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Follow the Emerald Road, chapter 1/4

chapter 1: I'll take the high way

****************

Despite being in a bar, getting drunk was the last thing on her mind.

Her definition of irony? When a minor detail you've forgotten pops up at just the right moment to bite you in the ass.

That was probably why she was sitting sideways on a dirty bar stool, staring at her phone screen in disbelief.

Hey babe, something's come up and my dad's flying me to Ireland for the weekend. Nothing serious, don't worry, it's business. Dinner's on me when I get back.

Neal never spelled his words right in any of his texts. It's why she suggested he sleep with a dictionary under his pillow. Not that he took her seriously, of course. He kept auto-correct off and continued to gleefully misspell at will.

Heaving a scoff, Emma Swan threw back the shot of rum she had ordered, wrinkling her nose at the sting in her throat. Her boyfriend was hopping on a plane to Europe just like that. No good-byes, no apologies. Excuse me, sweetheart, but here goes three grand while I whittle away the time in luxury suites and expensive buffet brunch meetings.

His message was five minutes old.

She was still dumbfounded that he hadn't invited her along for the trip. After all, she was kind of responsible for his reunion with his father and the fact that he'd returned to the family business.

Mr. Gold was an expert antiques dealer with contacts across the globe, with a backed guarantee to sell anything that came into his collection for its right value. It was why he had such a high-standing reputation and everyone with old junk to spare came flocking to his firm. Neal's feud with his dad went back to when he was a teen. Their argument over his mother, who had gone off and left the both of them years before to make a life for herself in Ireland, was absurd.

Emma couldn't see the sense of it. The woman was grown and could decide for herself and hey, it wasn't like she belonged to her husband ― that would be a creepy standpoint ― so if she did the wrong thing and abandoned her family, that was her choice. Nobody was responsible for what Milah Gold did and did not do.

Which was why Emma had seen the ad in the newspaper and begged her stubborn, obnoxious boyfriend to please reconcile with his father. She had argued that he should consider himself lucky to have family who loved him and wanted him back. People like her...they didn't get that. Ever.

Fencing those watches all those years ago had worked beautifully for their savings. But money got spent and with expenses piling up, what had been an extended vacation in Tallahassee became a one-way move to Boston, with nothing but two suitcases, the Bug, and new dreams. They made their way through college and got into business school, which was the most they could afford at the time. From penniless thieves to penniless students , Neal would joke. Then the whole meeting with Mr. Gold mixed their lives up again.

For the first time in his life, Neal had an honest job and found out he was pretty good at being an art agent. He knew how to sell, how to buy, and how to win while doing both. Emma, on the other hand, had paid the price for his newfound confidence.

Before, it had been just her and him against the world. Now he was busy all the time, working late hours in his father's store, going over the fine print of would-be contracts, and slipping off to look at whatever new item came in. But life was hard and she understood the power of hard work. She was busy as well. Being a bail bondsperson didn't come with a lot of days off.

But understanding that life wasn't fair didn't make her feel less lonely, less forgotten, or less worried about being left behind. Like she was this very second.

Milah was a sore spot for Neal. With his faint memories of his mom and how attached he had been to her as a child, he was about to do something rash. Emma could sense it. He had never forgiven his mother for leaving them and if she had a new family over there in the Land of the Leprechauns, heaven help that woman. Neal was bundle of nerves and raw emotion. He spoke first and thought later. Seeing the truth of Milah's situation, right in front of his eyes, would make or break him.

Again, she tried to convince herself that it was out of concern for her boyfriend that she was even considering this.

She needed to be there for him. He couldn't do this alone.

Plus, there was the other side of the scale. He would see his mom and maybe want to stay with her. Emma wasn't prepared to say good-bye if that happened.

"Hi."

The man with the absurdly euphoric face gave her another toothy grin. Was he high or what?

She tried to smile back, but it was more of a grimace than anything else. "Hello."

Short enough that his feet barely reached the stool's rungs, her admirer was decked out in a moderate suit and tie, restless as he fidgeted. He looked down at her legs, then up at her face, then down again. When his eyes rested on her chest, Emma stopped her efforts to be part of the conversation. Another horny weirdo.

"Can I, uh, buy you a drink?"

She tossed her head. "No, thanks ― couldn't afford mine."

The man slapped down a twenty dollar bill, waving at the bartender. "Happy, give the lady whatever she wants and then make it a double ― I'll have what she's having."

Happy wasn't looking too thrilled. "Don't fall asleep on my bar again, lightweight," he grunted before refilling Emma's usual shot of rum and then filling up another.

"Hey, it's epilepsy ― I don't fall asleep suddenly for the heck of it," the stranger snapped back. Then his expression brightened, and he gave her another hopeful glance. She got more confused. "Oh, he's my brother. My nickname's Sleepy for a reason."

Emma felt herself nodding mechanically, all while wondering why she always attracted all the deadbeats.

Rewind.

Neal was a good guy. She was with a great guy.

Bars brought out the worst men, that's all.

"So, what's a lovely lady like yourself doing here, all alone?"

Ah, in for the kill, girl. She smiled sweetly. "I was actually waiting for my boyfriend."

Sleepy chuckled as if he didn't believe her. "Well, where is he?"

"Was supposed to meet me after work, but he couldn't make it."

"Poor you." He paused. "Look, I know this sounds forward―"

"More forward than buying a stranger a drink?"

"You're not a stranger. You're..." His gaze darkened when it roved over the tight fit of the pink dress she was wearing. "You're beautiful."

She toasted the rest of her drink. "Thanks a bunch."

"I mean it. Someone like you deserves attention. What's your name?"

Clearly, he was not going to leave her alone. Emma almost wanted to laugh. She gets dolled up to catch a thief on the run, but the best she gets afterwards is one of the Seven Dwarves asking her out. "Name's Emma."

He extended his hand. "Nice to meet you, Emma. I'm Mike."

"Sleepy."

He shrugged. "It's a family joke."

"Look, Mike. " She stretched a bit. "I really do have a boyfriend. His name is Neal. I'm sorry, but I'm not interested."

His shoulders slumped. "Well, a woman comes to a place like this, dressed like that... You can't blame a guy for trying."

Emma let out a long sigh. "It's okay." She could be gracious to the poor guy.

Mike sidled up a little closer. "I own a drug store. It's not much, but... How about you? What do you do?"

"I'm more or less a bounty hunter."

Most of the time, that confession did the trick and scared off any asshole messing with her. But not this time. If anything, Sleepy here looked wide awake and definitely intrigued.

"Wow." He whistled. "That's impressive. You're one tough lady."

Shrugging, she leaned back on her chair. "Yeah, but it's tough work."

"Of course." He eyed her up and down again. "You're probably pretty assertive ― you go after what you want, and all that... Pretty straightforward, too."

Okay, enough of this game. If his eyeballs had hands, they'd be groping her.

"Emma!"

It was somewhere between a shriek and a banshee cry. That meant it could only be...

"Ruby, hey. Where's Graham?" She smirked at how the girl's face turned a shade of red to match her name. Short skirt and extremely high heels combined, Ruby Lucas defined the meaning of first impressions. Waitress by day and bounty hunter by night, she was "tough as nails" and disarmingly clever. She also was rather shocking when it came to romance. Like how the mere mention of her cute boyfriend could make her blush to pieces.

Provocative and romantic, Ruby was something else altogether. Mike's eyes were now bulging out of their sockets as he took in her appearance. Her dark hair was in complete disarray ( on purpose ), her makeup was perfectly applied, and her dress was a deep maroon, matched by black stilettos on self-manicured feet.

"He's got the late shift tonight." She took a seat on Emma's left. "And how about you ― did you get your man?"

" Busted ."

"Hell yes ― congratulations. That one was a piece of work. Where's Neal?"

And here she was, facing the same dilemma again. They'd barely just moved into the best apartment in Boston and made a real home. Was it asking too much if they could take their relationship to the next level and start a family of their own, instead of fighting over the past?

Ruby seemed to finally notice how riveted Sleepy was by the new conversation. "You ― who are you?" Her eyes narrowed.

"I'm a friend," he stuttered. "I'm―"

"Well, be a friend and scoot off. I need some girl time with Emma here ― alone ." She almost bared her teeth at him.

With a dejected wave, Mike carefully stepped down from his stool and scrammed. Most likely to make a round of the bar before circling back to see if she was by herself again and Ruby was gone.

Hah, not going to happen, buddy.

******************

Her colleague had hoisted herself onto his empty seat and was munching on the leftover snacks from happy hour. "You had dinner last night."

Emma toyed with the tips of her hair. "Yes."

"And he gave you something big and shiny?"

"Yes."

"Aw," she squealed, clapping her hands together.

"Earrings. Big, shiny, diamond earrings."

Ruby's wide-eyed stare transformed into a glare in mere seconds. "No ring? He calls it a special occasion, he doesn't cancel, he buys a new suit, and then there's no proposal?"

"Maybe he's just taking things slowly?" she offered. Her voice sounded weak to her own ears.

"Slowly? Slowly? Emma, you've been living together for over ten years . If that man doesn't marry you soon, I'd be happy to death-threat him for you."

She chuckled at the vehemence in her co-worker's voice. "No better way to compliment a girl than proposing under pain of death."

"I'm serious. What is up with you two lately?"

The question Emma was asking herself all the time. She couldn't ignore the signs anymore. Neal was pulling away from her.

"I don't know," she whispered. "It seems like he finds all the right reasons not to be with me."

Ruby crossed her arms over her chest. Her red lips formed a classic pout. "Then get him to own up. Corner him."

"This isn't one of our bailers, Ruby―"

"It doesn't have to be forceful. Just...stand up for yourself. Go to him, instead of waiting for him to come to you. Propose yourself."

"But what if he has doubts? If he's not ready?"

"If he's not ready now, he'll never be ready." Her brown gaze flashed fire. "Come on, Emma. This isn't like you. You're not afraid of anything."

She gulped down all of the insecurities that rose to her throat, wanting to be voiced. "Neal isn't here right now." The perfect excuse.

"When he comes home then."

"He...uh...he's actually overseas. Flying there, apparently. He's gone to Ireland."

"Ireland?" Ruby wolf-whistled. "Nice. Daddy paid his fare?"

"Ruby..."

"Oh please. Don't get me started. Neal is Daddy's little boy and he knows it."

Time to get out of this scene. Emma clambered down, wobbly on her heels. Ruby followed, but not before stuffing the remaining mini cheese and cracker kebabs into a napkin and slipping the little bundle into her purse.

"Why didn't he invite you?"

She groaned, pushing hard on the wooden door of the pub. "It's for work."

"And?"

The cool nighttime air was a relief. This girl would track her back to the apartment until she got answers, so it was better to make the most of it. "I think...he wants to find his mom."

Ruby looked skeptical. "Um...he couldn't ask you to do that?"

She in turn raised a brow. "Europe's got its own privacy laws?"

"Ugh, okay ― so maybe he needs to do this on his own. But that doesn't mean you couldn't surprise him."

"With what, exactly?"

Her grin was all teeth. And toothy smiles and Ruby meant big trouble. Like her mouth was about to spout an idea that Emma would regret listening to. "This year is a leap year, right?"

"Yes..."

"And Leap Day is coming up, right next week."

She could feel it ― the craziness was coming. "So...?"

Ruby jumped up and down, quite a feat for high heels. Oh no, this one was a whopper for sure. Enthusiasm of this size required equivalent brainpower. "So it's tradition ― centuries and centuries before, women have proposed to their boyfriends and whatnot on a leap day in Ireland. You could ask Neal the big question and save yourself the trouble of waiting. Then it's happily ever after."

Emma snorted at that. "Look, I'm not a big conservative here, but a woman proposing to a man when he doesn't want to propose himself. That just sounds wrong ."

"Wrong? It's not like you're extorting something from the guy," she pouted. "I mean, the worst that happens is he turns you down. We're not living in the nineteenth century."

"Yeah, but..."

"No buts ― it's perfectly feministic and a tad liberal." Ruby's bright smile diminished. "Emma, come on. Fight for something for yourself . If you want this...want Neal...you need to tell him. You can't push back because you're afraid he'll leave when it gets serious."

"He almost did once," she whispered, remembering a very frightened girl who did wrong things to keep ahold of her boy. "Reuniting with his mom...it might change things. He's restless. What if I am not what he wants?"

"It's part of the risk of proposing, but your belief in your love has got to be stronger than that. Right?" Ruby nudged her. She stayed silent. "Right. So here's how it gonna go: you're packing tonight, I'm buying you that ticket with my frequent flier miles.

"And you, Miss Swan, are going to Ireland in style. Tomorrow."

****************

The bed and breakfast wasn't much to look at. Dingy tavern that covered half the base floor, six small bedrooms upstairs that constituted the "bed" part of the place. "Breakfast" was that oversized room behind the bar called the kitchen, which was the most sensibly designed of the lot.

The bathroom was a fucking travesty.

But Liam Jones had loved the house all the same. And Killian Jones had kept it because he loved his brother.

Not because the goddamn shack had been in their family for generations and dear old Pa had left it to them since everyone else was long dead.

Too bad the sorry bastard hadn't paid off the mortgage as well before bequeathing it to his only sons.

It was why Killian had spent endless hours in his miserable closet of an office, pouring over bills to and from The Jewel of the Realm . Well, this certainly was no bloody jewel of an inn. It was awful, forcing the wankers that came in and out-drank their tabs at the bar to actually pay for all those bottles of whiskey and beer. He'd had to break more than a few noses to see coin. On the other hand, foreigners who came in for a brief stopover, usually to visit relatives in town or see the few local sights, made for a convenient, confirmed payday with all their lovely credit cards on file.

Like the very winsome lass currently parading around his establishment, cursing enough to make the wizened sailors in the corner blush and chortle through their shots, spilling rum everywhere on his recently wiped counter.

Not to mention that she was spilling water on the floor he'd diligently mopped the past hour.

A few choice words to taunt her American accent, high-heeled shoes, and perfectly curled hair had sent her scurrying to the telephone booth by the door, plunking out change to feed the machine. Drying the glasses he just washed, Killian watched her out of the corner of his eye, listening to her hurried whispers and frantic nodding. He couldn't make out what she was saying, but she sounded desperate.

Desperate enough to approach him at the bar and beg for a taxi driver to take her to Dublin.

He snorted. "There's no taxi service 'round these parts, lass. Unless you commission the first available bloke here sober enough to offer you a ride."

Five eavesdropping faces peered at her simultaneously, grinning like maniacs. At least half of them were already drunk off their arses.

Leroy, who could hold his liquor better than most of his brothers, was clearly enjoying the woman's distress when he snarled, "Sister, you'd have to be offering me a lot to get me ass all the way to Dublin in this weather." The way he was passionately chewing his tobacco, Killian was worried the man would forget the golden rule of never spitting on his floor. Profanity he could handle ― but not tobacco cud.

Her face brightened. Killian bit back a smile. Oh, this blonde fireball had no idea what she was in for. "I'll pay you anything! I don't have much cash on me at the moment, but―"

"Cash? Ya think I'll do it for just the cash?" Leroy glared at her. "What else are ya offering?"

Her answering pout was kind of cute. It almost made Killian feel sorry for her, the lofty American. "That's all I got."

The mischievous glint in Leroy's eyes meant trouble. He pointedly stared at her chest and crotch. "What 'bout payment in nature?"

Killian spit out the tea he had been sipping.

"Excuse me?" Her mouth dropped open. "Are you seriously suggesting―?"

"You and me. On a bed. Naked as babes." Even his smirk was dirty. "I get 24 hours with you and your diddies, then we're free to go."

She still was speechless. Killian didn't blame her ― the image Leroy had painted in his mind would have to be scoured out, or he'd suffer more nightmares.

"Diddies?" Still gaping like a fish, she was.

"It's...slang. Irish slang. Means breasts," Killian mumbled. He shouldn't be blushing ― he has touched enough breasts in his time. But seeing the lass embarrassed was making his stomach twist in knots for no reason.

He was no chauvinist, but the way she acted and talked made him feel like a bloody fool.

She said nothing in reply. However, her now tight expression and narrowed eyes suggested that she was figuring out this little game faster than he thought.

"So if I...if we fuck and I pay you, you'll take me to Dublin?" She crossed her arms over her chest. He could sense a tantrum of mass dimensions was on its way.

The group of men roared with laughter. Leroy grinned widely. "You got it, sister." Then his face froze comically from hesitation, eyes bulging and mouth hanging open. "Oh, but there is just one little, itty bitty problem..."

"What now?" she snapped.

"I don't have a bloody car."

The tavern was in an uproar, with chortles and sniggers and full-belly laughs echoing from the walls. Even Killian had a go at it, adding his chuckles to the mix.

Big mistake, git.

"So you think this is funny, asshole?" She poked her forefinger into his chest. "You know what will happen when my boyfriend finds out how you treated me?" Another fierce poke. "He'll kick your fucking asses, that's what!"

"Bloody hell, woman ― keep your bloody hands off me." That made the brothers laugh harder. The lass's face was bright crimson by now. "The lads were just having a bit of fun, is all. No harm intended. Besides, I don't see your boyfriend. Oops, is that him? No, probably not. He's not here, is he?"

She bared her teeth at him, the vixen. "What the hell is your name?"

"Killian Jones, proprietor of this fine establishment." He raised an eyebrow, his signature trademark for getting women to calm down and shut up. "And you are?"

"Emma Swan. If you won't get me a taxi, what does a person have to do to rent a fucking room in this town?"

He scoffed. "You're in luck. This is the only bed and breakfast in town."

She lifted her chin and stared down at him. "Do you have any available rooms?"

Tempted to say no, he decided against it. Money was money, after all. He needed money. Mr. Gold was pressing for the loan to be paid. "Aye." He pointed at the stairs in the corner. "First door on your left. I'll forgive the upgrade fee for having your own private bathroom, as a courtesy for any inconvenience."

"How kind." She gave him a cold, feral grin.

He couldn't help himself. Something about her just rubbed him the wrong way. "I believe the right words are thank you, lass."

Swan slammed her credit card down on the counter. "Just give me the goddamn key, Jones, and stop calling me that ."

"Aye, love."

Goddamn piece of work, that one was. Compassion, my arse.

*************

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!!! This fic is from 2015, and thanks to peer pressure on FF.net and way too many incomplete fics, I pulled it down then. Now it's back! Get ready for another movie AU that also got pulled down but is half-finished. 😍 Links to the fic on AO3 are below!

Follow the Emerald Road on AO3

#cs ff #cs fanfic #captain swan fanfic #cs ff au #leap year au #captain swan #4getfulimaginator #cs leap year au

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