I Get Emotional Over Fictional Characters

Shannon | NOT a spoiler free blog | Sometimes salt/vent | Reader and writer of fanfiction, tag is #my fanfic | Lover of ships and platonic dynamics alike

[lilacblossomdreams]

I've said that Marinette has to "make a mistake and learn a lesson every episode" because she needs to have an active role in every episode no matter how tenuously relevant, but I never sat down to, like, actually quantify that, so let's play a game. What episodes can you remove Marinette from except as Ladybug and have said episodes work just as well, if not better?

I'll start.

Riposte: The conflict was entirely between Adrien and Kagami, and literally anyone could've made the call that led to Kagami's akumatization, including D'Argencourt. Heck, strictly speaking not even Kagami needed to be in the episode—fencing is a gender-segregated sport, and honestly Adrien having a male rival that he later becomes friends with is a much more interesting idea than yet another love rival for Marinette.

Reverser: Literally any classmate could've come up with the idea of erasing Marc's name from the notebook, including Marc himself.

Cat Blanc: The conflict of the episode wasn't caused by Adrien and Marinette knowing each other's identities, but by Gabriel knowing Adrien's, and Gabriel could've found that out about a trillion other ways.

Simon Says: Marinette being grounded had no relevance to anything and was basically only there to staple her to an episode otherwise all about Adrien. Sad, because it could've made for a great episode all on its own.

Silencer: Bold claim considering it's the Lukanette episode, but like. Luka really didn't need to have a crush on Marinette, and he didn't even need to be in a band with her classmates. Dude goes to a completely different school and was initially supposed to be older.

[richardsphere]

Gamer: Anyone could have beaten Max and caused him to not-qualify. In fact, given their close early-show friendship and their respective competitive natures, both Alyx and Kim (probably more the former then the latter) could've provided the inciting incident. Rogercop. Chloe could've accused literally any other character for the vanished bracelet. Her going for Marinette first is entirely arbitrary. Timebreaker. They literally did give someone else the watch to protect. Thats how replacable she is in this episode's akumatisation.

[lilacblossomdreams]

I'd say Rogercop kinda works considering the pre-existing rivalry between Marinette and Chloé and the fact that "open mouth, insert foot" might as well be Marinette's middle name. That a lack of tact and social graces on her part can alienate people even in situations where she's in the right is also a lesson she does need to learn.

But yeah, completely agree for the other two.

[generalluxun]

Rogercop is such a strange episode. The bracelet never matters again despite being the only thing Plagg can't phase out of. Marinette starts accusing her classmates to deflect blame. Ladybug decides to gaslight Chloé for no reason. It would have been better if she wasn't involved at all.

[im-up-to-shenanigans]

consider: chloe accusing sabrina for stealing her bracelet! she sits right next to her, tried to touch it before chloe shut her down, and it would make for some great tension in that dynamic. plus, it would also add to the whole "roger getting fired by andre" thing. if a fight between their daughters were to cause it

it could've been a great episode to develop chloe's character, especially in terms of how she treats sabrina. it could've been a great sabrina episode in how she realizes the current dynamic with chloe is really toxic and could expand on her storyline in evillustrator!!

but nope. gotta include marinette in everything

[dyk-tv-theme-song]

Visit Original Link

Do you recognize this TV theme song?#288

I know this and can name the series

I know this but can't name the series

I might know this

I've never heard this

Voting ended onJan 18

[dyk-tv-theme-song]

Series: Grimm (2011-2017)

Composer: Richard Marvin

lmao who would watch this dumbass show? *trips, spilling glossy jpegs of Monroe all over the floor* Wait, shit, those aren't mine...

[reiding-cm-fic]

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

“I never have any normal fans,” he’d once said. He was both vindicated and depressed to have this confirmed in the form of a stalker. Now, with his stalker behind bars, Spencer faces putting things back together. But at least he doesn’t have to do it alone.

Wrote this for the Criminal Minds 2025 Holiday Gift Exchange (@cmgiftexchange) for the excellent @im-up-to-shenanigans! I hope you like it! 💜💜💜

[im-up-to-shenanigans]

YEAAHHHHHHHHHHH

i've been waiting to read this for a couple days now <3333

okay i left a pretty lengthy comment on ao3... also sorry for the (probable) multiple emails because i kept editing it 😂

[im-up-to-shenanigans]

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

my gift for @foxy-eva for the @cmgiftexchange

Summary: You've been dating Spencer for three years and want to make this Christmas extra special. Turns out, he has the same idea.

Rating: G

Pairing: Spencer Reid/Fem!Reader

Tags: Fluff, Romance, Christmas Fluff, Pregnancy, Marriage Proposal, Female Reader-Insert

Sneak peek under the break <3

With a heavy sigh, you slouch over the shopping cart, hanging your head between your shoulders and closing your eyes. For just a moment, you try to block out the cacophony of last minute shoppers, the music playing over the speakers that you can swear has looped three times since you entered the store, the crying kid two aisles over. You take a breath, slow and deep. . .

Someone bumps into you, jostling you back to awareness with a startled cry. The brief spike of annoyance is quickly squashed when your met with the apologetic, and clearly frazzled, mother of a fussy toddler trying to finagle her own cart through the busy walkway. She’s still apologizing as she disappears into the crowd, even after your assurances that it was fine and there was no harm done, really.

Casting your eyes over the gifts you’ve picked out so far, you go over the list in your head once more. One by one, everyone gets checked off when you spot their intended gift until you get to the final person. Spencer.

In theory, it should be easy to get him something he’d like. Pick out some old or nerdy book, maybe some figurines from a sci-fi franchise, a slew of colourful socks. . . simple. Easy.

Read the rest on AO3

[segamascott]

Why the fuck are you 30+ on tumblr

this is my house?

[masterwords]

2x07 - North Mammon

[im-up-to-shenanigans]

ok well after reading your tags i'm never watching north mammon the same way again 😭😭😭

anytime i think of teenaged derek morgan desperately working for his way out... i become an emotional wreck

[derinthescarletpescatarian]

Who wants to hear a story about how stupid I am

[forestuck]

Isnt that why we’re on this website

[derinthescarletpescatarian]

Every single time I hear someone reference Madonna as still being alive (like when they mention her Tumblr or Instagram), my brain immediately goes, “wait, no. Madonna is very definitely dead.” Like, I am CERTAIN that Madonna is dead. It’s a rock solid fact of my existence, there’s simply no way she’s alive, that’s “proof you’ve woken up in a parallel universe” kind of shit.

Madonna is not dead. But I keep forgetting that, and being dead certain that she is. I remember watching documentaries about her, about her history of being abused at home and in the industry, about her courage and skill and how she was taken advantage of, about what an iconic actress she was. I remember the outrage when that Playboy jerk got buried next to her as “the ultimate blonde”.

Now, people more astute than me might have noticed that I have confused Madonna with Marilyn Monroe. I usually don’t get this far in the proceedings. I usually go, “oh, I must be confusing her with someone else. Who is it… oh, Marilyn! It’s the M’s that must be tripping me up!

“I’ve confused Madonna with Marilyn Manson!”

[kaylapocalypse]

Who is also still alive, though I genuinely wish he wasn’t.

[derinthescarletpescatarian]

I was confused by this reaction so I googled Marilyn Manson and it turns out I have also confused Marilyn Manson with Eddie Izzard.

[scrumptiousangst]

How many celebrity victims with this identity trolly claim before you find someone actually dead?

[derinthescarletpescatarian]

#I get those two confused too 😭#also. this is a safe space so I will ask#is marilyn manson not a serial killer 

WHEN I REALISED MY MARILYN MONROE MISTAKE I ALSO THOUGHT THIS but no apparently he is a singer and I don’t know what the serial killer’s name is

[alexseanchai]

Charles Manson. Who is in fact dead.

[lostsometime]

To be fair, Marilyn Manson deliberately chose his stage name to reference Marilyn Munroe and Charles Manson, so he wants you to think of them when you say it.  It’s kind of the point!

[tribblehugger96-deactivated2024]

okay but Eddie Izzard?

[derinthescarletpescatarian]

I just hear the name Marilyn Manson and I think “oh yeah that’s a genderpunk rockstar name”

And yes I did think that Eddie Izzard was a rockstar. I… may have gotten her a little bit confused with Ozzie Osborne.

[maximumsunshine]

Ok. Well Eddie Izzard is alive.

But you did finally stumble upon someone who is dead. Apparently Ozzie Osborne died literally 2 days ago.

[lynati]

Yeesh. And there wasn’t even a Supernatural meme about it.

[joasakura]

As of 13 November , Ozzy was still alive.

Which came as a surprise for me bc I went to look him up, certain he’d died in the early aughts

[derinthescarletpescatarian]

#I GOT SO SHOCKED WHEN THEY SAID OZZY OSBORNE DIED#and then he didnt die 

Ozzy Osborne dies semi-regularly but he’s got a necromancer on retainer just to fuck with everyone

[im-up-to-shenanigans]

i'd forgotten about this post until i found it in my likes and this... aged a certain way after recent events

[masterwords]

So in your last couple of asks you have talked on this in general about how Morgan is shit on for his more "questionable" moments. To me its very obvious that he catches a lot more flack and villainized in comparison to his white counter parts (ie jj and rossi). Are there specific moments that drive you insane when people choose to villainize Morgan?

For me, an instance people bring up is in revelations (2x15) when Morgan tells JJ "one you is here and one of you isn't". I get he could have been kinder about it (considering the circumstance...), but when people say that Morgan is blaming her I just feel like I want to rip my hair out. Its so obvious that he sees that she is spiraling and she wants someone to blame her. He clearly clocks that and doesn't want to indulge in her spiraling making it worse for her, so he tells her the truth she is there and Reid isn't. (this was also said in the audio commentary by the writer of this ep Chris Mundy).

Another time is in Mosley Lane (5X16 i think) when Morgan questions JJ's bias on being a mom and only taking this case cuz of it. Don't get me wrong I'm not saying Morgan doesn't suffer from early season misogyny. However, in this episode a child went missing for 8 years and the mother of this child kept coming into the BAU for 8 years. Considering this is season 5 we can assume JJ has been on the team maybe for 5-6 years right? Thats means all that time JJ turned this mom away every single time and didn't give a shit before, but suddenly she is a mom and gains empathy for only people she identifies with (which isn't empathy ngl) she wants to take the case. Also people forget that literally less than a season prior when JJ came back from maternity leave she chooses to believe in a fortune teller (almost jeopardizes the case) instead of her trained agent colleagues cuz she saw a mom going through the motions of losing her child. (lmfao this turned into me hating on JJ, but I feel my point still stands). My point is was he wrong for questioning her?

Overall, I will say the writers used Morgan sometimes as a plot device to create tension for the sake of the story. At time this ends up leading to bad writing choices or it adds to the layers him being a complex character. In general people don't want to look at the nuances of these scenes. Anyways sorry for the long ask/rant. Love your blog!

Oh man, your chosen moments here get me all kinds of worked up too. Fully agreed on all accounts.

Morgan is often used as the one who questions why they have cases that are out of the ordinary or don't necessarily have substantial backing as to why they should take it, and I think people read that as him dismissing the case in general when often what he's saying is "why us?" because they are presumably the A Team. And maybe the case would be better suited somewhere else to free them up for a case that actually requires their level of expertise. And the fact that he does this is something that Hotch appreciates, as is shown multiple times when he blatantly looks to Morgan and says "What do you think?" like in "Demonology". Or when he has Morgan in the surveillance van with him in "Brothers Hotchner", you KNOW that's because he can't be impartial and Morgan can. (And as an added bonus, Morgan is the only one on the team who seems to know Sean but that's neither here nor there as far as this ask goes.)

Some of the moments that make me most crazy when it comes to fandom are like...when Morgan is pissed in 5x05 - Cradle to Grave because Hotch is being an asshole. People saying that Hotch is justified because he's been doing Morgan's job and Morgan shouldn't be mad to have to do his work? Sure, that's valid, but HE DIDN'T KNOW and Hotch is just out here being a huge jerk piling shit on without telling him why...I'd be mad too. And yeah, Hotch has a reason for it, he's testing Morgan and clearly Morgan passes his test...but you cannot blame him for being pissy. Hotch clearly doesn't.

Another one is in 7x09 - Self-Fulfilling Prophecy when Morgan confronts Hotch about Strauss and it gets heated. Morgan. Is. Right. PERIOD. Is he blunt and maybe more aggressive than necessary? I dunno. Maybe? Maybe not. I think if I were in his shoes and I felt like Hotch was always harping about trust but not letting me, his number two, in on big things like this but also asking me to babysit blindly...yeah I'd be mad too. And again, clearly by the resolution of the episode, you can tell that Hotch agrees.

The thing that people fail to mention is how often he apologizes. How often he admits he was wrong or tries his best to do better. How much he listens and cares. Like when he gets in Hotch's face in 11x18 - A Beautiful Disaster and brings up Foyet, and Hotch looks devastated when he replies, what's the first thing Derek says? "I'm sorry." He knows he shouldn't have said it (even if he wasn't really wrong for feeling that way...) because he had a front row seat to that one and it's just plain cruel to throw that out there.

And since you brought up Revelations, I would like to point out that of the 3 of them who said something to Hotch in the "what's my worst quality?" scene, Derek is the only one who pulls his punch. He answers because he knows Hotch needs something, he won't accept their silence because he feels like he's got to prove a point, so Derek chooses the most benign thing he could think of. You're telling me after years working together, he couldn't come up with something worse? But he isn't trying to hurt Hotch's feelings, so he says "you can be" and "sometimes", he softens the blow. The other two answers are just plain mean, which is fine, they have their reasons, but when we're out here vilifying Derek for things he says and he's out here doing things like this...come on.

I know all of this is very Hotch-centric but at this point when I rewatch most of what I'm watching is these two so the examples that come to mind involve them. I know there are a ton of other scenarios with other characters that only further bolster this point.

[im-up-to-shenanigans]

omg i hate how people wildly misinterpret Morgan in revelations. he did not blame JJ!! you know who blamed JJ for Reid being kidnapped?? JJ

let's take a look at this dialogue again:

Morgan: I thought you were going to try and get some rest.

JJ: Everybody else is working. I should be, too.

Morgan: We can handle it.

this entire time, he has spoken to her gently and softly. he's trying to get her to rest. he is looking out for her wellbeing

JJ: It's funny. I keep thinking... the one thing we need to crack this case is, uh... well, Reid.

Morgan: Yeah.

here, he is solemn. the team isn't making much progress, and he's probably thinking the exact same thing she is: that if Reid was there, he'd have some brilliant deduction to get the ball rolling again

and what does he do? he turns to leave. he's gonna go back to work. to him, the conversation is over. but JJ isn't done

JJ: You think Reid and I should have stayed together at the barn, don't you?

Morgan: JJ, go get some rest.

she is putting words in his mouth. JJ feels guilty and is blaming herself and is projecting that blame onto the nearest person, who happens to be Morgan. Morgan refuses to entertain this, and gently encourages her to look after herself instead of spiralling like this and pointing the finger back at herself

JJ: I can tell that's what you're thinking, so...

Morgan: I just want to get Reid home safe.

this is his only concern: Reid's safe return. he has no interest in blaming JJ. but once again, JJ keeps pushing because she wants someone to validate that it was her fault, so that her self-flagellation is vindicated

JJ: But... if I had his back, like I was supposed to, he'd be here now.

Morgan: JJ, what do you want from me?

she's leading him to the answer she wants from him. he has neither said nor confirmed any of this. all of these observations and accusations are coming from JJ, who is traumatized and emotionally compromised. in other words, she is not a reliable source right now. and still, he has yet to raise his voice at her. he has yet to get huffy. he is still calm. and, to my observation, when he asks this question, he just sounds tired. tired, but in no way accusatory

JJ: I just... I want... someone to tell me the truth.

Morgan: The truth is one of you is here, and one of you isn't. You got to figure the rest out for yourself.

JJ, despite what she says here, isn't out for the truth. she's out for blame and penance. and Morgan shuts that down. he tells her what the truth is: that one of them is here and one isn't. anything outside of those facts, JJ has to come to terms with herself because Morgan refuses to blame her

she's the one who was pushing for him to blame her. she was the one who was saying "i should've... if i had... i can tell that's what you're thinking..." JJ was putting words in his mouth and Morgan refused to indulge her

and before anyone says anything about "well what about that look at the end??" ok, let's talk about that. JJ hugs Reid and apologizes. and what does Reid tell her? "it wasn't your fault."

Reid himself confirms that his kidnapping was not JJ's fault. he doesn't blame her. the hug ends, and JJ looks at Morgan... who nods, ever so slightly. he is confirming what Reid just told her: that this wasn't her fault

and JJ finally lets it go

BUT WHILE WE ARE ON THE TOPIC OF REVELATIONS

(i'm sorry i have Many Thoughts about this episode. the brainrot is real)

i have many issues with the "what's my worst quality scene" and it mostly comes down to people assigning Hotch faults that he doesn't even have

Reid gets a pass because he was just trying to get Hotch's attention to pass on the hint. Hotch is not a narcissist, and he knew Reid wasn't actually accusing him of being one.

Hotch says, "I have no sense of humour," but i am inclined to disagree. just a few episodes ago, in 2x12, Reid was shooting off bottle rockets in the bullpen, and rather than reprimanding him, Hotch gives a stern reminder that they've talked about this... before placing the canister on Reid's desk and saying, "You're really starting to get some distance on those," before walking away with a smile. cue the following exchange:

Prentiss: So he does have a sense of humour?

Reid: Sometimes

i chalk this up to Hotch being a bit too critical of himself and knowing how he is perceived. but he does, in fact, have a sense of humour

JJ says, "You're a bully," like she's been holding it in for a while but... where??? when has he ever been a bully to anyone on the team but especially JJ, who seems to have some built up resentment here. where did that come from??? as much as i love me some mean!Hotch for whumpy fic purposes, that is intentionally out of character. Hotch is no bully, thank you very much

Morgan says, "You can be a drill sergeant sometimes," but once again... where?? Hotch is actually so lenient with his team. he takes on extra paperwork so they don't have to. he lets them speak their ideas freely. if someone messes up, he goes to them privately and addresses it calmly, but i don't think we ever even see him take disciplinary action against one of the team members??especially not in seasons 1 and 2, when this conversation is happening. he's been stern, sure. the most that comes to mind is him scheduling Elle for mandatory evaluations after she shot Lee. and then in 3x16 he warns Reid that pulling another stunt like he did will result in him being fired but like... Emily straight up demoted Luke in that one episode, and we never saw Hotch do anything that serious in response to something one of the team did

Next one... Prentiss says, "You don't trust women as much as men," but again i have to ask: where??? the only thing i can think to explain this is Prentiss reading Hotch's distrust of her specifically and attributing it to her being a woman, rather than the fact that she ended up on the team without either his or Gideon's approval. she shows up mysteriously, he's rightfully suspicious, and instead of Prentiss taking a step back, looking at the circumstances, and going "yeah, i'd be suspicious too," she chalks it up to misogyny. like what???? babe i think he just doesn't trust you

can we please stop using revelations to make morgan and hotch seem like worse people than they actually are? thanks

[stellarskyes]

Thank you for tagging me @no-name-blog92 !

Coffee shop or flower shop I au or fix-it | enemies to lovers or childhood friends | angst or fluff | love at first sight or pining | modern au or historical au I soulmates or unrequited | fake dating or secret dating | break up & make up or proposal & weddings | get together or established relationship | oblivious pining or domestic fluff | hurt/comfort or crack | meet the parents or meet cute

No pressure tags: @mklovesbagels @snonkerdoodlefizzy221b @cosmos-of-cows @six-story-lightbulb @dc-himbo @xihe1874 @c8wberry

[snonkerdoodlefizzy221b]

Thanks so much for the tag!!

I'm assuming this is fic preferences? I'm doing it based off that.

Coffee shop or flower shop I au or fix-it | enemies to lovers or childhood friends | angst or fluff | love at first sight or pining | modern au or historical au I soulmates or unrequited | fake dating or secret dating | break up & make up or proposal & weddings | get together or established relationship | oblivious pining or domestic fluff | hurt/comfort or crack | meet the parents or meet cute

No pressure tags @yeah-w-r-i-t-e @real-hawkguy @topsyturvy-turtely @deesi-academia @oh-munda-kukkad-kamaal-da @outxfspaced @stilltiredandcaffeinated @penname-artist @allforreading @yoshifan456 and anyone who sees this!

[outxfspaced]

Ooooo so much fun! Thank you for the tag:

Coffee shop or flower shop I au or fix-it | enemies to lovers or childhood friends | angst or fluff | love at first sight or pining | modern au or historical au I soulmates or unrequited | fake dating or secret dating | break up & make up or proposal & weddings | get together or established relationship | oblivious pining or domestic fluff | hurt/comfort or crack | meet the parents or meet cute

Obvs no pressure, but tagging @scarlet-moon @rebeccasteventaylor @estel-and-agape @whoswitchybabyanyway @threeoaksy @skiesoffoy @fieryphrazes and anyone who fancies doing this <3

[frankiebirds]

thank you for the tag! ❤️

coffee shop or flower shop I au or fix-it | enemies to lovers or childhood friends | angst or fluff | love at first sight or pining | modern au or historical au I soulmates or unrequited | fake dating or secret dating | break up & make up or proposal & weddings | get together or established relationship | oblivious pining or domestic fluff | hurt/comfort or crack | meet the parents or meet cute

some of those were hard choices!

tagging: @im-up-to-shenanigans @spencermorgans @anxiety-banana @meffez (but no pressure any of you xoxo)

[im-up-to-shenanigans]

crawls out of the Void beneath my bed, pulls my tumblr out of the box, blows on it, avoids the cloud of dust that now fills the air

i've been tagged!! :D

coffee shop or flower shop | au or fix-it | enemies to lovers or childhood friends | angst or fluff | love at first sight or pining | modern au or historical au | soulmates or unrequited | fake dating or secret dating | break up & make up or proposal & weddings | get together or established relationship | oblivious pining or domestic fluff | hurt/comfort or crack | meet the parents or meet cute

pretty sure any mutuals i had all think i'm dead or forgot about me so..... uh. it ends here ig unless you follow me and decide to participate

crawls back under my bed and disappears for the next eight months

[im-up-to-shenanigans]

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

Rating: T

Summary: Henry needs a dad. That's fine. Emma can deal with that.

The problem? Neal wants more.

The second problem? Emma keeps running into Hook and, despite trying to keep it friendly between them, finds herself falling in love.

Merry Christmas to @stubblesandwich !! I'm your secret santa!! Hope you enjoy some season 3, post-Neverland pining :)

Written for @cssecretsanta2020

[im-up-to-shenanigans]

Yay! I'm not the only one who ships Prentiss and Reid.😊

they are so personal to me. i could yap about them for days 😭

i love them so much 💗

[pirateprincessofpizza]

fireside chat: a captain swan missing scene

@cssecretsanta2020 gift for @im-up-to-shenanigans

merry Christmas! i’m your santa this year :)

i enjoyed our quick lil chats via asks and it was so fun learning we have some things in common beyond cs! i hope you enjoy :)

i’m working on a cover/banner for this that i’ll likely post later, but i wanted to get the initial post with the fic up sooner rather than later!

---

summary: hook tries to talk to emma about the echo cave.

words: 689 according to docs, or 698 according to ao3 (just a lil guy!)

if ao3 floats your boat

thanks to @cosette141 and @eddisfargo for beta-ing! :)

---

“I heard what you said before, in the Cave,” Hook said, walking toward Emma to take over the night watch—or to join her, whichever she’d prefer.

“What?” Emma asked, turning as she sat on a fallen log, though more out of surprise than of any real need to clarify what Hook said.

“I heard you.” His steps, Emma noticed, had become wobbly, and his words had a slurred edge to them. “Would you like to talk about it?”

“Not particularly. And you’re drunk.”

“Ah, just means I probably won't remember a word you said, then! Isn’t that better?” Hook made a wide flourishing gesture to illustrate his point—or at least he made an attempt.

“No.” Emma looked back toward the fire in front of her, trying to ignore the pirate. He ignored her ignoring and sank down onto the log next to her.

Minutes passed, Emma staring at the fire, Hook looking back and forth between the fire and Emma.

“I just…” Emma began. grunting when she couldn’t find the words. “I just need time, you know? It looked like he died. Right?” She looked at Hook. “It looked like he died. He should be dead, not here. Not…Neverland. But he’s not dead, he’s here, and he won’t leave me alone for a second, and I just need time.”

Hook nodded, trying to understand. He thought maybe he did understand, even if only a little. His father…but now wasn’t the time to tell Emma that. Or was it? He probably wouldn’t remember either way.

Hook offered Emma his flask, and she accepted it. “I understand, I think,” he said. “Though certainly not the same, my father once…left, while I was young.” He paused and scratched behind his ear. “I tried to put him out of my mind, and eventually, I was successful. Mostly. Thought perhaps he had gone and died.” Hook paused again, shifting in his seat. “But one day, I came across him again. I had been tasked with killing him to prove myself. Instead, I bought him and his new family passage to another kingdom. Until I heard what he had named his new son: Liam, like my older brother. I was enraged. Killed him in cold blood just there.” He paused once more, then looked at Emma. “Now I’m not suggesting killing him, of course,” Hook said, gesturing toward the boy—the man—Baelfire—Neal, even. “Just that I know what it’s like. To think someone you cared for has died, only for them to come tumbling back into your life unexpectedly.”

Emma couldn’t do much more than stare. He is a pirate, she thought. She took a drink from the flask.

“Wow,” Emma said when she regained the coherence to speak. “I mean…thanks for telling me. You didn’t need to.”

“Aye, I just wanted you to know,” Hook said. “That someone else here knows the feeling of a ghost returning to their lives.”

“Right. Thanks.” Emma took a breath. “I meant it, you know? You said you heard? I meant it. Every word.”

“Aye, the cage wouldn’t have opened otherwise.”

“Right. I’ll always have some place in my heart for him. He was my first love, he’s the father of my kid. But he caused so much damage. I can’t be with him like that again. And no one seems to get it.” Emma took another drink and handed the flask back.

“If it’s any consolation, I do get it, as you say. And I’m here if you’d like to talk. Or,” Hook waggled his eyebrows at Emma, “anything else that might help.” Emma rolled her eyes, and he became serious once more. “Drunk or otherwise.”

“Thanks, but I probably won’t, Emma said. “I usually don’t.”

“Aye, those walls.”

“Yeah. The walls.”

“Right, well. You should get some sleep. I can take over the watch from here.”

“Thanks, Hook.” Emma got up from the log and went to her bedroll to try and sleep.

“Aye, anytime.” Hook looked into the fire.

He’d come to realize later that, despite the drink, he didn’t forget their conversation. But it would be a long while before he mentioned that to Emma.

[im-up-to-shenanigans]

SO EXCITED AJJDJEKSKDK ECHO CAVES FIC!!!!!

gonna comment my thoughts on ao3, but omg!!!

thank you so much!! 💗

[im-up-to-shenanigans]

Hey there! Santa here, back for one last anon message before delivering your gift. I want to respond to some of what you said in your last answer, and I also wanted to let you know it’ll likely be either a late Christmas day delivery or 26th delivery. I’m working on it, but the past few weeks have been super hectic and I’ve had essentially no downtime to sit and work on your gift. I’ll have some time in the midday and afternoon tomorrow, so I hope to finish getting it polished and posted by tomorrow night, but if not, it’ll be the 26th at the latest.

Now onto those replies!

I agree with all the moments you mentioned—those are so good! I like largely the same tropes, too. But I’m actually a little iffy on the 3B kidfic trope, lol! It can be done well, but overall the general idea irks me a bit.

More friendship moments between Killian and Snow, David, Smee, and Tink—yes please!! And I love CaptainBeauty as a friendship too. Their “I’m pregnant, remember?” “…Oh yeah.” always gets a laugh out of me.

Shows! Yes! I’m also a Miraculous, Phineas, and Psych fan!

Good genre picks for books as well 😌

The Santa Clause is a favorite of mine too! I haven’t watched all 3 in a bit, but I remember liking them all.

As far as older Christmas songs go—so fair! You can’t go wrong with the classics. Sometimes they do overplay some songs, but I tend to like a good mix of classic and newer.

Hope your holiday season has been great so far!! I hope you had a good Christmas Eve, and if I don’t see you around beforehand, I hope your Christmas is wonderful too.

🎄

I completely understand!! It gets busy this time of year. So I get it if you need a little more time <3

Kid fic isn't for everyone, that's for sure. And most of the time, I'm hit or miss with it lol But idk, something about the 3b ones hit different for me.

The "I'm pregnant" scene is so funny 😭 Like, how does he forget?? Peak comedy (but it was so sweet how he was trying to help her settle in and be comfortable)

One of the beauties of streaming my own music instead of listening to the radio: I can control how many times a song is played! So I don't ruin anything for myself by overplaying, which is, as you said, something that tends to happen this time of year. But as long as you can find a good balance, right?

I'm having a good Christmas so far! Hope you are too!

Merry Christmas, Santa 🎅🎄

[yayayachi]

Christmas party with the besties! They have a tradition to celebrate Christmas at Marinette’s every year 🎄

Merry Christmas im_up_to_shenanigans!! I was your Asheville Secret Santa ☺️ Hope you like it!!!

[im-up-to-shenanigans]

this so cute!!! i love it 💗💗💗

[im-up-to-shenanigans]

Hey there, Santa again!

Something I forgot in my last ask: would you prefer a fic to be set during/around Christmastime, or just on any other Tuesday (at least as normal as a Tuesday can be in Storybrooke)?

If you have any detail ideas, I’m open to hearing them!!

🎄

i actually would prefer it to be set in normal (ish) Storybrooke!

[im-up-to-shenanigans]

Hey there, Santa again!

I'm glad to hear you had a good Thanksgiving, and I hope this week is off to a good start!

I hear you on season 3. It's so good!

What are some of your favorite moments, from season 3 or outside of it? Personally, I love the finale and softer moments! And the goodbye scene in Going Home was so heartbreaking, but done so beautifully.

What are some favorite tropes of yours to read?

Do you have a preference between 3A or 3B?

You mentioned you're good with anything set in season 3. Do you have any particular preference as far as when, or whether it's canon compliant or divergent? Do you tend to read one more than the other? If so, would you prefer me to write in what you more commonly read or in what's less common for your reading?

Do you have any favorite characters or ships in OUAT besides Captain Swan? Is there anyone you wish we saw more of or anyone you wish they had included in the show? I wish we saw more of Tinker Bell, myself—she was so great and we only got about half a season with her!

Unrelated to the show—what are some of your other favorite movies, shows, or books? Any favorite Christmas movies or songs?

If there's anything you feel I've left out or anything you just want me to know, feel free to include anything extra as well!

I look forward to seeing your answers! I'll get to work on that fic and see what I can come up with. I'll send more asks throughout the month as needed. If you'd like me to send any just to check in, I can do that too!

🎄 Until next time! 🎄

Hi, Santa!! My week's been pretty good, hope yours has, too 😊

Favourite moments... hmm, let's see. Well, cannot go wrong with the entire season 3 finale lol. I love the kiss in 3x5, the "when I win your heart" moment, the goodbye at the town line, the "if it can be broken, that means it still works" moment where she so wanted to kiss him (i know, she told me), ugh just... them in season 3.

outside of that season, i love the entirety of 2x6. love all their little domestic moments in s4. love the middlemist kiss in season 5. i have so many more but this is getting long enough lol

i think i love canon divergent and compliant pretty equally, so i think just write wherever the muse leads you and i'll be stoked! i do prefer 3A, but i love 3B so much too!

some favourite tropes: pining pining pining! i also lose my mind over a good secret relationship (an underutilized trope imo). a cs specific trope i can never get enough of are those AUs where they hook up once sometime during 3A and then when he comes to find her in 3B, whoops! looks like they have a baby together now haha. (but i know kidfics aren't everyone's cup of tea, so don't feel like you have to. this is one option of many that i enjoy!)

i also love me some good angst! that moment in 3x19 where everyone thinks Killian was lying and don't want to trust him? AAAHHHH we need way more fics exploring that little moment! not just between CS but also Killian with David (and Snow!! more fics with a friendship between them too!!)

other favourite characters: i love the charmings! i adore their relationship with each other, and i always eat up any moments they have with Emma (and Henry!) i'm with you on Tink! wish she had way more time here, as well as Mr Smee!! Killian and Smee are always so hilarious together, and i think the two of them + Tink would've been an amazing trio to explore. I love Belle! CaptainBeauty is actually my brotp in this fandom!

other favourite shows: well, as you can probably tell by my posts lately, i love Criminal Minds lol. other shows i enjoy are Miraculous Ladybug, the Justice League/Unlimited cartoons, Phineas and Ferb, Psych, Grimm, and probably more that i can't think of right now.

movies! my favourite movie ever is Megamind (no i haven't watched the sequel. or the follow up cartoon, no i don't plan to). other favs include: Road to El Dorado, The Princess Bride, Encanto, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Toy Story 1-3 (not 4), and many more!

now for books! i actually don't really have specific favourites here? but i love reading fantasy, romance, thrillers, and murder mystery! give me any of those, and i'm down lol

Christmas movies: i'll be honest, i'm not really a person who watches a lot of The Christmas Movies™️. i think most of them are ehh :/ however, i am also the girl who will watch every single Christmas romance movie (Hallmark or otherwise). i think i just like a little romance this time of year lol

but i do watch The Santa Clause movies (starring Tim Allen) pretty much every year. sometimes i skip #3 (definitely the weakest imo), but #1 is solid. #2 is my absolute favourite and i will watch it every year without fail

Christmas songs: i actually prefer a lot of the older songs. the classics, if you will. but more than that, i prefer Christmas Carols. the ones that sing about the birth of Jesus. (think Silent Night, God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen, etc etc). there's something so special about them that songs like Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas or Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer or Jingle Bells or [insert literally any modern song by a pop artist here] just don't have imo. i could listen to the carols all year round, even when i get sick of the songs that are played on the radio this time of year :)

feel free to slide into my asks any time you want, although it might take me a few days to answer them lol (i'm not actually on tumblr much, and sometimes my notifications get lost whoops)

i hope you're having a wonderful holiday season 💗

[im-up-to-shenanigans]

✨ HEEEELLLLLOOOOOO THERE! ✨

‘Tis I, your secret Santa checking in for the first time! How are you? How was your weekend? How was your Thanksgiving, if you’re American and celebrate?

I’ll be honest—I’m a bit nervous as I feel like I never know what questions to ask with these things! But I’m looking forward to being your Santa and delivering a gift that I hope will be perfect this Christmas. I’ll do some digging around your blog in the coming days/weeks as I try to think of things, but if there’s anything you absolutely need me to know right away, please do feel free to let me know!

Until next time!

🎅🎄

Hi, Santa! My Thanksgiving was pretty great! Travelled to see family and had a good time. I hope everything's well on your end, too!

As far as my preferences go, my favourite season is 3. Set anything in there, and you're golden (canon compliant, divergent, etc idc i love it). Although, I'm sure I'll love anything you come up with 🥰