emma bassford

be unstoppable. be a force of nature. be better than anyone here and don't give a damn what anyone thinks.

[lizzydobbs]

nick cole + emma bassford “I’m not gonna hurt you.”

Emma had agreed to meet him for dinner against her better judgement. It had been an impulsive answer: he’d made it sound so simple and casual and for a brief moment she’d thought that maybe taking their relationship to the next level wouldn’t be a bad thing.

But as soon as she got there, she realized her mistake.

It was lovely. It was like he’d carved out a little place of another world, just for the two of them. He’d made her dinner, himself, and set it up in the little garden behind his apartment. He’d strung lights from the trees and music played softly from his phone.

She didn’t know what to say. No one had ever done something like this for her. Most of the guys she’d dated attempted to impress her with how much money they were willing to spend on her … but no one had made something for her. They’d invest their money (it was easy enough to come by for them), but Nick had invested his time. 

He’d already walked down the stairs into the garden, but she was stuck at the top; still too surprised to be able to move. He walked back up to her and extended his hand out to her. But she still didn’t move. “I’m not gonna hurt you.” He teased.

You will, she thought, suddenly. Or I’ll hurt you.

That’s how it always ended, didn’t it? With broken hearts and disappointments. It wouldn’t be today or tomorrow or even a week or a month. But eventually this would end, wouldn’t it? Just like all the others. And this one, she realized, would hurt so much worse than all the rest.

Coming here had been a mistake.

“What is it?” He asked, realizing something was wrong.

“I — I should go.” She said, taking a step back.

“I’m so sorry, Nick.”

[lizzydobbs]

nick cole + emma bassford: “when did you last let your heart decide?”

“Come on, one cup of coffee,” He said, “On me. It’ll take ten minutes.”

Part of her wanted to say yes, but part of her knew that this would all end in disaster if she said yes. It wouldn’t just be one cup of coffee. It would start that way and they’d have a great time. And then there’d be lunch and then dinner and then suddenly they’d be together. And it’d be wonderful for a time, but then it’d all be over. She’d been down that road before and she didn’t like it.

“Sorry, I can’t.”

“Hey, when’s the last time you let your heart decide?” He asked, teasingly. He wasn’t expecting this to change her response, she could tell that, but the innocent question had still struck a chord.

“Always,” She said, a bit too harshly given the situation. She wasn’t her sister. She didn’t make choices based on what she was supposed to do. She made them because she wanted. It didn’t matter if it was stupid or unexpected or a mistake. She made her own choices and she’d suffer the consequences. She didn’t let others make them for her.

Or at least she liked to tell herself that. The trouble with living defiantly was that she often did things just because she knew that her parents wouldn’t like it. So, in a way, they did still make her decisions for her. The outcome just wasn’t what they’d wanted.

“I’m afraid it’s my heart that’s telling me no.” She replied, cooly. But he was still smiling and then suddenly she was smiling, too. She brushed past him and crossed the street, heading towards her apartment, suddenly afraid that maybe the next time he asked, she just might say yes.

[lizzydobbs]

Nick Cole + Emma Bassford: “movies are made for watching, not for asking questions.”

Emma liked watching movies: there was something about surrendering yourself completely to another world; another life that had always appealed to her. But  movie watching wasn’t something she did much of as a child (her parents scheduled almost every minute of every day for their two daughters) and while she tried to do more things like this as an adult, her between all the practices and fittings and rehearshals, most nights she came home and collapsed, exhausted.

The opening credits were rolling, but she wasn’t paying attention to them. Instead, she was watching the Coles watch the movie. Susan was curled up in an oversized arm chair and the younger girls were snuggled up together in a matching one. She’d displaced Marc from his normal place on the sofa (he said he was just as comfortable on the floor and with the mound of pillows Susan had brought out for him, she believed him) and Chris sat next to her on the couch.

She loved this family and she’d wished she’d been a part of it growing up. They’d all just met her, but already they’d made her feel as though she was one of them (even though Emma knew she wasn’t).

The Bassfords had never done anything like this, as a family. She almost laughed trying to imagine her parents indulging in something as trivial as a movie. Neither of them knew how to relax or laugh or to spend time doing anything that wasn’t to further their social status or keep up appearances.

Everything in her life had been so superficial. She thanked god every day for Vivien. They didn’t always see eye-to-eye, but they loved and  supported each other. Emma wouldn’t have survived her childhood without her.

It was because of Vivien that she was here, at all, tonight. She was spending the evening at the Turners. They had extended an invitation to Emma, but she has politely refused. She knew that Vivien was only marrying Elias because it was expected of her. Emma had tried over and over again to convince Viv that she had other life options available to her but she would not listen.

Their large apartment felt cold and empty when Vivien left that evening and all Emma could think about was where she was and who she was with. Calling Chris had been impulsive and she’d regretted it almost immediately. He’d been trying to get her to go out with him and she’d rebuffed him at every turn. They’d remained friends, somehow through it, but she hoped calling him suddenly in the evening wasn’t giving him the wrong impression.

He’d told her that he had plans, but that she was still welcome to drop by. Now that she was here, she was glad that she had. This sort of distraction had been exactly what she had needed.

“Do you guys do this a lot?” She asked.

“Shh, movies are made for watching, not for asking questions.” Chris scolded, but he was smiling at her. “Yeah. It used to be a weekly thing and now it’s more of a monthly thing, but we still make sure that it happens.”

“I think that’s great.”

“You’re welcome to come, anytime.” He offered. “But now you are going to have to shut up for real, because it’s starting.”

She nodded, smiling, and snuggled into her side of the couch and for a moment, everything was okay. 

[littlesati]

[emmabassfordtfs]

ooc / emma + ben

how long ago do you think it was that ben asked emma out btw??? I guess it also depends on how long you think the Bassfords have been here? Do you think they were here the last time the Turners were in town? 

[emmabassfordtfs]

ooc / nick + emma

[nicholascoletfs]

*rubs hands together*  This be beauteous, me pretty!  (Idk why I’m talking like a pirate and/or a parrot but ok)  

I mean to be perfectly frank, there’s a part of Nick that enjoys the challenge, not to mention unraveling the various layers.  I think they’re both stubborn and I think he weirdly respects that about her esp bc he knows better than most that the flipside of that is loyalty and in his book, that’s one of the best traits a person can have.  I think he’s also the sort of guy who, aside from not giving up bc ~second child syndrome~ believes in acting on it if you feel something bc he knows how short and sudden life can be and you may not get another chance, so I think he’s like, “Look, I like you,” or whatever and just tries to be as straight forward as possible which is really funny in light of everything else.  

But anyway, I think the first time he asked her and she turned him he was pr shot down - I mean, yknow, he put on his armor and played it cool (rolls eyes at more second child behavior) and was probs thinking, ‘she’s made it clear she’s not interested imma respect that’ blah blah blah but then they kept seeing each other and she eventually started flirting again and he started flirting again and he was like, ‘maybe i have a shot afterall’ and feel like eventually he asked her again and the cycle happened again, but the third time he was just like, ‘ok something i don’t entirely understand is going on here’ and I think he’s probs said something atp like, “Hey, look, if you’re not interested at all, that’s fine.  Just tell me if you don’t want me to ever ask you out again and I won’t.  But until you do that, I’m gonna keep trying to get you to go out with me because I think we’d be great together.”  Or whatever, so now he just occasionally asks her out and so far she hasn’t accepted his invitation, but I don’t think he’s given up.  

Do you think she’s ever actually impulsively said yes and broken up with him just as impulsively, later?  Bc I can also def see them being kinda on/off etc but again I think he’d be persistant hahahaha  I think also as he gets to know her parents and sister better he’ll understand what she’s going through better and better but idk how well he knows any of them atp?

Tbh I’m not sure ~exactly where they are in that whole cycle atm?  Like, idk if they’ve been going on like this for years or if he’s still recovering from her first rejection of him atm?  But idk I have a feeling that’s kind of how his mindset is/will work?  Do you have any ~sense of that whole thing?

Oh, yeah!  I def feel like they def have a solid friendship and tbh I think they’re fairly similar in terms of outlook etc and have alot in common despite the socioeconomic differences hahahaha and in true Cole/Pierce/Wyler style, I think he’s def sort of welcomed her into their family circle (Susan and Gigi probs did too tbh) and he’s like, “Look, I know that whole thing *vague gesturing towards Elias and that side of town* is kinda messed up.  If you ever need somewhere to go to get away from all that, you can always come here, *gestures towards the Cole/Pierce/Wylers of this town*” etc.  (Also, Gigi def kinda hero-worships Emma, I think, but more on that later hahahaha)

[emmabassfordtfs]

OKAY, so I love all of this and I think, at this point, she’s rejected him a couple of times but has continued to kinda still flirt w/ him (#facepalm) and maybe she will actually say yes to him for the first time here soon B/C I WAS LIKE OMG WHAT IF THEIR FIRST DATE WAS VIVIEN/ELIAS’S ENGAGEMENT PARTY B/C THAT WOULD BE FUN FOR EVERYONE!!! Like I was gonna post that as the first event so that’s something that’s coming up and maybe he’s like “what about saturday?” and she’s like “can’t my sister’s engagement party is then ... but you can come if you want” idk she’s probably half teasing b/c wHO WOULD WANT TO GO TO THAT unless you think that Nick would be like HELL NO I’M NOT GOING TO ELIAS’S PLACE FOR ANYTHING 

But either way, I feel like he should meet her parents/step into her world for a hot second b/c I think that it would let him understand her a little more and it would also, I think, show Emma that she’s more important to him than her world and really help to soothe those fears that she always has when she’s w/ someone, but at the same time, I think it would probably be the push she needs to suddenly break up w/ him b/c she’s realizing that he’s a genuine good person and she thinks he’s too good for her + she comes with soooo much baggage/problems and as much as she just wants to cut her family out of her life, she never will b/c of Viv and Viv is part of their world and Emma will always be part of her’s and Nick deserves better than that. 

but ommmggg Emma loves hanging out with the Coles/Wyler/Pierces and it’s basically exactly how she wishes her family was (+ viv obviously). Anyway, i feel like Emma loves all of them so much and I think she def abuses his “come whenever you want invite” i mean coles/pierces/wylers > turners/starks/lennoxs 

[emmabassfordtfs]

ooc / alek + emma

okay, so i know we talked about these two for a hot second, but i can’t remember the details??? was it just that he was gonna flirt with her?? haha??? I actually think she’d flirt back w/ him, especially since he flirts w/ all the pretty girls, so she knows he doesn’t mean anything by it ... I do think that the Bassfords would love for them to get married (apparently they love rich killers from denmark for their kids but okAY) + tbh I think that Emma also likes flirting w/ him b/c it frustrates her parents and they see them flirting but never anything else and are just like wHY EMMA WHY

[emmabassfordtfs]

what scares you about the future? everything / an emma bassford moodboard

[emmabassfordtfs]

ooc / nick + emma

I’M SO SORRY ABOUT EMMA SHE’S SUCH A MESS. 

anyway i know i told you atp that she’d probably flirt back w/ him and probs give him the wrong idea #facepalm ... and ultimately she’d turn him down if he asked her out for a whole host of reasons, but mainly 

she’s had such bad luck w/ relationships in the past (s/o to the bassford parental units)

she’s also become pretty cynical about love and marriage in general 

BUT at the same time i DO think she really likes Nick and he seems like such a genuine person that I do think that there’s times where she’s tempted to take him up on that coffee or whatever, b/c I think that despite all of her past failures, she wants to prove her parents wrong that not ALL guys are into her for superficial reasons (even though part of her is terrified that this is true, regardless)

So I think in general she’s gonna be giving him such mixed messages and I’M SO SORRY emma doesn’t know what she wants or what to do #help 

Also, I think she’d enjoy him as a friend and when she gets to know him better, I think she’ll realize that he is a good guy but then she also knows that she has issues and that he’s probably a better person than she is and there’s probably a lot of reasons why they wouldn’t work out and she wouldn’t want to lose him as a friend especially b/c I don’t think she has many of those (s/o to the Bassford parents again who are probably like David Lennox when it comes to letting their kids have healthy relationships #facepalm) AND I feel like between meeting Susan through the Turners and Gigi through work that she’s gonna grow to love all the Coles and so it wouldn’t just be Nick she’d lose if things went south. 

BUT at the same time, she’s also one to take risks and act first and think later and so SO MANY MIXED SIGNALS and tbh she probably doesn’t tell Nick any of the reasons behind her behavior b/c a++ communication skillz right here. So like I can also see her just going for it and then like three days later freaking the hell out and being like HAHAHA NOPE NOPE THIS ISN’T WORKING BYE and ????? 

[emmabassfordtfs]

ooc / emma + jack

~problematic younger siblings/disappointment children unite~

anyway, we talked about how these two knew each other as kids??? and emma kinda followed jack around and climb trees w/ him and generally run wild?? i think we said it was only for one or two summers so idk how well they know each other now/if they’ve seen much of each other since, but emma will be v glad that he’s around b/c besides viv she looks at all of those ppl and is like “ew??? i don’t wanna talk to any of you?!??!” and like even if jack is pretty quiet i feel like she’d prefer the comfortable silence to like 99.9% of the other conversations that are being had 

[emmabassfordtfs]

ooc / emma + gigi

so these two would def know each other from the theater! :D i feel like emma would really like gigi tbh and is v happy that she’s there b/c i think that lorraine basically reminds her wayyy too much of all the ppl in her parent’s social circle and she’s like “ew” and meanwhile gigi is way more pleasant <3 (i mean i have to talk w/ tina, but i do feel like lorraine is probs nicer to someone like emma than she is to someone like gigi?? but i still feel like emma would see through her b/c she’s known soo many ppl like that) BUT either way, i think she’d really enjoy gigi and i mean obvi she’s not an expert on costuming or anything, but she’d be there to give her general pointers about the company and the other staff members, etc. and how to navigate backstage, etc. etc.  

[emmabassfordtfs]

ooc / emma + lexi

i have this headcannon that lexi was emma’s neighbor when she lived on the ~wrong side of town~ and she was constantly asking her stupid questions about how to live b/c there’s so much that servants have always done + emma’s like “i thought that just sort of happened???!?!” but no she was very determined to do everything herself but she probs also needed some help with some very basic things #facepalm

[vivienbassfordtfs]

OOC | Viv & Em

ALL THE HEART EMOJIS

[emmabassfordtfs]

KATE THE BASSFORDS ARE EVERYTHING I NEED IN THIS LIFE <33333 (and everything each other needs tbh ;DDD) 

Anyway, we’ve talked about them already and idk do you think there’s anything else we need to add or do you think we’re ready to start them??? 

[emmabassfordtfs]

intro / emma jane bassford

from the moment she was born, emma bassford was a disappointment 

her mother was told that she couldn’t have anymore children after emma

emma was supposed to have been a boy

instead the bassford line dies out w/ her father 

tbh there’s def a sense of satisfaction that comes w/ knowing that

but her parents have always been focused on what they can control (which turns out to be quite a lot)

both emma and her sister have been brought up with the ultimate goal that they will get married to wealthy men from old, prestigious families. and then have children and plan social and charity events until they die. 

they’ve literally been trained to be the perfect wife idk the bassfords still think this 1889

and emma’s been trying to rebel against their plans for most of her life

as a very young child, she tried to be the perfect daughter and learned how to dance and play the piano and speak french, but when she was like seven or eight she realized that she really didn’t like doing most of the things she was trying so hard to accomplish 

and that’s when she started sneaking away from her tutors and climbing trees instead

she has always genuinely liked ballet, however

she did take a year off when she was a kid b/c she knew that her parents approved and she wanted to completely rebel against them but she missed it too much and eventually went back

she’s very happy that she did especially since they were encouraging when it was a hobby but now she’s thirty and it’s her career and they don’t really like that she’s much more focused on that rather than catching a husband

emma thinks that she’s living her own life but really her parents are wayyy more involved than she thinks

they’ve sabotaged a lot of opportunities in her life in order to steer her towards the life they want for her 

most of her romantic relationships have ended b/c of them (unbeknownst to emma)

emma has trust issues b/c of this and thinks that most men only want her for her looks/money/connections

this is something her parents have tried to tell her and she’s realizing it’s true

part of her wants to keep dating nice guys to ultimately prove them wrong

but part of her doesn’t want to get hurt again so ...

her parents have also sabotaged her former living situation when she lived in a small apartment on her own/ with her own money

emma is gonna say what she feels/thinks -- be it good or bad. 

sometimes she’s a little more ~veiled~ with her insults and idk she def thinks she’s amusing especially when her targets don’t realize that she’s insulting them smh but most of the time she’s gonna be pretty direct with you

the less direct thing is more something she does when she wants to insult someone she shouldn’t (generally when they are like her sister’s guests or something vs. her parents when she literally does not care) and kinda compromises w/ sarcasm/double entendres 

emma is fluent in four languages: english, french, italian, and sarcasm

she’s a very driven and dedicated person

she thinks she’s v much in the know but there’s a lot of things she’s still naive about tbh

HER SISTER IS EVERYTHING TO HER

she really just wishes that she wouldn’t do things like marry elias turner

like why, viv, why?!?!?!?!?!!?

still trying to convince her not to do that tbh

is hella defensive of viv DO NOT TEST HER

likes to be independent and does her own cooking/cleaning/laundry 

likes watching netflix in yoga pants on the couch 

pretty flirty but rarely serious about her pursuits 

has a good sense of humor

tbh she makes jokes about a lot of things

being able to laugh (+ alcohol tbh) is how she’s survived this long

likes to do things that would shock her parents

but also likes trying new things for the experience 

for all of the opportunities her lifestyle has given her, there’s so many things she’d never, ever do if she lived her life like her parents

emma’s pretty friendly most of the time but sometimes she can come off as rude

tbh she can be prejudice but really it all depends on her mood/how your first meeting goes

is hella stubborn

also very bad at forgiving people once they’ve crossed a certain line 

[thefoursistersrp]

Name: Emma Bassford ♦ - (Keira Knightley) ♦ Age: (30) ♦ Occupation: Ballerina ♦ Relationships: (sister:) Vivien “Viv” Bassford ♦ Description: All of her life, Emma’s been fighting against being thrown into the life her father has wanted for her. Rather than focus on finding a husband, she’s focused on her career. She can be charming and witty, but she’s also very honest about her feelings and opinions (much to the dismay of her father, who would have her say pretty things or nothing at all).  TAKEN BY LIZZY.