LouisaLand

39, she/her, New Year’s Day baby. Voracious reader, passionate about the arts and culture, a foodie. Modern Languages graduate. A true Hufflepuff.

[katnissmellarkkk]

prim :

gale :

johanna :

haymitch :

compilation of Katniss being a kind little gift giver 🥺🥺🥺

[katnissmellarkkk]

i need to tack this on the end too because gale threw her little gift back at her feet 😠

[louisaland]

Katniss is such a thoughtful gift giver!

[louisaland]

SVU Season 13 and 14 thoughts

Netflix now has Seasons 12-16 of SVU available to watch.

I am about halfway through Season 14 and finding it quite enjoyable.

Watching Olivia find out that Elliot had put in his papers without even telling her then having her be the one to have to clean out his desk broke my heart and made me shed a tear. Of course the last item she picks up off the desk is a picture of Elliot and Eli who is wearing a white snowsuit. Her gaze lingers on it for a second and it is just so poignant as she helped deliver Eli and saved his and Kathy’s lives. 

My brain still wonders how Elliot would handle certain cases and it would have been cool to hear about Lizzie and Dickie graduating, how Kathleen is doing, Eli starting preschool ( and maybe coming in with Kathy for birthdays). I think Elliot and Kathy would have probably ended up divorcing for real if Elliot had stayed with SVU ( never home, continuing to go undercover without warning). 

I adore Munch, and when he is paired up with Finn, I know I’m going to snort or laugh at loud at their snarky repartee. Richard Belzer’s role seems much diminished over these two seasons, which saddens me a lot, but I assume he had some health problems before he died so his character got less screen time.

I think Amaro is an interesting character. He dresses a lot better than Stabler, that’s for sure! 

Very early on, he seems jealous and/or suspicious of the colleague his wife sends their way, as he has never heard of him before. We also get little facts about his family, like he has sisters and was seemingly raised mostly by a single mum.

Amanda I adore! She is pretty closed off at first, and evidently finds it hard to trust people, but she really is an excellent detective. Her instincts and gut feelings are usually tight on the money, she has compassion and empathy for the victims but is tough on the perpetrators ( and herself, if she gets things wrong). 

It is also cool that she is so good with tech and amazing to see how logging evidence with photos taken on a phone is now a thing. In a little over a decade, communication and tech have got so much better, as I remember in S1, there were episodes about the dangers of this new thing called the internet! 

Her sister is such a terrible person, ugh! I was especially irked by Kim saying she always wanted to be a cop and Amanda “stole” that from her. Um, no, Kim probably thought about it for 2 seconds, then decided it was too much work, while Amanda actually took the classes ( I headcanon she got herself a scholarship to go to university) and worked hard to get her forensics degree. 

I adore her rapport with Fin, she actual seems to be less guarded/more open with him as he is stable, reliable and an excellent person to train her. I think that definitely helped her become more open to a good relationship, plus the fact that after Kim steals all her stuff, she wants to talk to a psychologist, which she ends up doing. 

She is great at undercover too. The ep when she goes to the sperm bank with ZOlivia, posing as a married couple was really great. 

I swear Olivia gave the same speech about getting through it/you’re stronger than you think/you can call me anytime speech to several victims in episodes that were fairly close together. It just feels really rehearsed and formulaic, basically lazy writing!

Loved her relationship with David Haydn, he really seemed to understand her, was good at his job, made her laugh and was pretty hot. I skipped a few episodes here and there so am not entirely sure exactly why they broke up, as I find the legal stuff hard to understand at the best of times, but they were dating and working on the same case ( and maybe unintentionally sharing info about it that should not be shared with the other), or they hadn’t disclosed they were dating and it came back to bite them on the butt. 

Seeing Peter Scanavino as Johnny Deppski ( not sure of correct spelling of his character name) was so fun, plus his little scene with Kelly Gidfish just made me squee. 

All in all, I am really enjoying these Seasons, though I may still skip 15 and the William Lewis arc, as I still don’t think I’ll be able to handle it. 

The guest stars are great, particularly Piaget Brewster and Patricia Arquette. I recognised a lot of faces from other TV shows too ( Desperate Housewives, Grey’s Anatomy…).

[louisaland]

Have you been watching me at the cinemas?

I don’t know! Are you a famous actress or one that has been on SVU a lot?

What could I have seen you in recently?

Or, if you’re asking what I have seen recently at the cinema, I watched a French film called La Maison des Femmes ( The Women’s House) which is about a centre in the outskirts of Paris, in a rough/underfunded area that offers psych services, activities ( yoga, art…) and practical/financial support to women who have been SA’d/married by force as young teens/had FGM ( vaginas/vulvas been mutilated). There are also some OB-GYN doctors on the team who specialise in reconstructions as well as pregnancies/giving birth.

It was very moving and I got pretty attached to the characters, especially the psychiatrist/psychologist who was also a fairly new mum.

[claires-audience]

Dick Wolf cry and rage baited us into EO to promote organised crime only to then not renew it ???? Make it make sense. Give us at least one of those now

[a-bensler-blog]

I'm SO glad that in the last couple of years I quit watching SVU unless there was Bensler in it. I won't give 1 single cent to that Dick........ .

OC is/was a MUCH better (written and all) series than SVU though. I'm not the only one thinking this, a lot of people thought so.

[louisaland]

That is disappointing to hear!

I was looking forward to a sixth season of OC as I wanted to see Eli have a come to Jesus moment and re-evaluate his career choice as well as mend his relationship with his dad, as he treated him really badly in Season 5. I also love how it is filmed, as it is so light/bright so you can easily see who is in the scene and where they are, while SVU is so poorly lit a lot of the time.

While I find the SVU cases more interesting, I love the focus on the Stabler family and all their relationships in OC, but I also like the early seasons of SVU where we got to see how the cases affected Elliot’s parenting and his relationships with his kids. We got so much more backstory about Elliot’s childhood in OC, which I really appreciated. Elliot’s relationship with his mother is just a delight and Ellen Burstyn is perfectly cast and a gem!

Maybe she didn’t want to be on the show anymore, as she is in her 90’s and that impacted its non-renewal?

I think Meloni also has a couple of other shows he is in now too, so that is probably another reason. Maybe he will still pop up in occasional SVU eps.

[louisaland]

My thoughts on Turmoil (Law and Order SVU Season 11) and other ramblings

I was just rewatching Turmoil ( Season 11 ep 8, I believe) and was struck by the mirroring of the scene of Dickie and Elliot at the precinct and the moment they share at home that closes the episode.

In the scene at the precinct, Elliot reminds Dickie that he is his father, not his friend. This is said in anger/frustration.

Then when they reconcile, his tone is much softer and gentler as he reassures Dickie that he is his son.

So it’s the same message ( I love you and would do anything to protect you/keep you safe) being presented differently.

Elliot really isn’t listening to Dickie in the precinct, and Dickie isn’t talking to him.

In Elliot’s  defence, Dickie accused him of being unfaithful in his marriage and his partner of being the other woman, which is a really low blow from Dickie and must have been super hurtful.

Also, about a year ago (the previous season, Season 10, Swing) Elliot found Kathleen overdosed on drugs and she nearly died. 

That’s got to have activated Elliot’s overprotective papa bear side, so hence wanting to know where Dickie is and who he is hanging out with at all times. There is still some degree of trust as the phone trace is only activated once Dickie is declared missing, I can see Kathy advocating for it to not be turned on and Elliot reluctantly agreeing, Dickie also had the credit card for emergencies, which shows faith in him to do the right thing/that he can use if he’s really stuck. Though I do think Dickie should have been told you can’t make withdrawals with it, as that is quite an important factor. 

I think if Elliot had been calmer, he could have led with how he’s sorry his job makes it difficult for his son to make friends and maybe address the bullying Dickie had been subject too ( Danny Proctor refers to him as Dickwad, so it’s at least verbal).

Elliot also knows that Shane and Dickie were hanging out/volunteering at the homeless shelter. 

To be fair, if Dickie had told him that was where they were going/what they were doing, I’m not sure Elliot would have believed him. 

But he could have led with that, saying that he’s very proud of Dickie serving the community ( I think both boys help out there as well as doing homework). 

Elliot handles Dickie’s explosive rage much better in their final scene. 

In the scene at the precinct, as soon as he pushes Dickie up against the wall, he regrets it and tries to pat his son's shoulder/pull him into a hug but Dickie pushes him away. 

In their final scene together, Dickie turns away from his dad, like he’s going to go back out. 

So Elliot grabs hold of his arm quite firmly but then wraps his other arm round his son’s shoulders. I think this is what he intended to do at the precinct as he can tell his son is hurt and frustrated then too. He lets his fear of losing his son take over though, which manifests in anger, and Dickie knows exactly which buttons to push to make him angrier.

At home, he takes into account/notices his kid’s feelings a lot more. Dickie had evidently been crying as his eyes are red and glassy, and he’s been isolating himself ( almost certainly staying out alone and not wanting to talk to his dad and probably anyone in his family). 

I love that Elliot apologises (he always does when he has been too hard on his kids or crossed a line) and wants to make things better for Dickie. 

His line about Dickie can hate him all he wants kind of implies the “but I love you no matter what”.

It’s interesting to see how different his relationships with all his kids are and how they resolve conflict. 

In Season 1, Sophomore Jinx, when Maureen is 15, he is the first one to make a move towards reconciliation, telling her he doesn’t want to have a Cold War with someone that he loves. They exchange “I love you”s too.

Kathleen is more hug first then talk about what’s going on. I’d say that in the earlier Seasons, up until Swing, their relationship is quite volatile/explosive, but by Season 12 it seems really solid/stable.

By the time Eli comes along, we see how much he has learned from his mistakes with the older kids, though I still think he’d tell Dickie he’s got him/that he’s right there ( like he does when he hugs Eli at Kathy’s funeral) and would tell Dickie that he’d sorry he’s hurting so much, like he does when Eli runs away to New Jersey in Season 2 of OC ( Season 23 of SVU, I think). I need to write a coda/missing scenes for the episode, as I headcannon that Dickie stayed at Kathleen’s dorm and she talked some sense into him ( If Dad can forgive me for all the crazy shit I did you’re fine. Dad just wants to apologise and comfort you. He doesn’t want you to join the army and never see you again) then secretly texting Elliot to let him know Dickie’s with her and not to worry. She’d also recommend grief counselling and she knows someone on campus. I’d also write a scene where Elliot takes  Dickie out ( to a café near the house) after he’s had a good cry so they can talk about everything. 

I’d also have a scene where Dickie finds out that Shane has died. Would Elliot have tried to speak to him about it and then, when Dickie refuses to speak to him, Kathy passes on the message? Or maybe he’d find out via a school assembly. Maybe one of the teachers suggests Dickie say a few words at the school memorial service?

I can imagine Dickie feels guilty/it’s all his fault for Shane dying, maybe thinks it would be better if he’d been the one to die as Shane was an only child and his parents have more children, so losing one of them would be easier, especially if he’s already feeling like they love Eli more than him. And if he’d left school with Shane and could have explained to Harold that the card is his and everything would have been fine. In reality, they could both have been hurt or worse, which is obviously Elliot’s fear, but I think Dickie would be too deep in his feelings to realise that. He probably feels bad for blaming his dad when, in his mind, it’s all his fault. 

Elliot has always been good at providing physical affection ( hugs/kisses) and we see how gentle, patient and kind he is with little kids ( Dickie and Lizzie at the start of the show, aged about 6/7, then with baby/toddler Eli, plus the many victims or victims’ kids he has comforted/reassured/got to open up/helped through a difficult situation).

So it’s lovely to see how he comforts Dickie at the end of the episode. 

I wish we had seen Dickie and Elliot’s relationship deteriorate, as in Lunacy ( Season 10) they are hanging out together at the precinct and at home, and seem to have a very close, affectionate relationship where they tease each other ( Dickie calls his dad “Dude”, like you would a friend/peer) but can also talk about the big/important things. 

Between Lunacy and this ep, there has been a shift. In Lunacy, Dickie tells Olivia he goes by Dick now and Elliot says he only asks to be called that when he wants to impress someone, implying there has been a conversation about it or Elliot has just picked up on it either through observing his son’s social interactions or spending time with him in a group. 

Then, by Turmoil, Ms Newsome says he hates being called Dickie, that nobody calls him that anymore and he goes by Richard.

Communication between them must really have deteriorated for him not to tell his dad that. Maybe he doesn’t want to hurt his feelings, as his dad chose his name and probably the nickname too. 

Also, if every time they’re talking and it ends in an argument/Dickie feeling like his dad doesn’t trust or listen to him, he might not feel like confiding in him/thinks his dad wouldn’t respect his choice to go by his birth certificate name. 

The signs that their relationship isn’t as good as it once was could have just been comments to Olivia/Fin/a victim’s parents like “Yeah, 15 year old boys. Mine’s going through a really unpleasant phase right now” or Dickie’s grounded again/he’s hanging out with a kid who is a bad influence/he’s being really quiet or argumentative I think he’s hiding something…

Dickie is also the child who seems the most affected by the separation. He’s the only one we see actively request to spend extra time with his dad ( in Season 6 he stays with him for a few days) and he gets into a fight in Season 8.

It must have been really hard on him living with only women ( maternal grandmother, mum and three sisters). He even requests talking with Elliot over playing games ( video or board) at the end of Season 6 Game ( when he is staying with his dad). Also in Season 8 when the kids surprise him at the precinct for Elliot’s birthday, Dickie is snuggled in so close to him that he is hard to spot! 

Also, once his parents do reunite, they have a newborn then a toddler to look after who understandably needs a lot of their time and attention. 

It’s got to have been hard not being the only boy anymore so maybe Dickie felt a bit displaced/neglected if his dad is cooing over Eli and being gentle, fun and playful with him and only criticising or interrogating Dickie about where he was, what he did and how Shane’s a bad influence etc etc…

Plus Kathy and Elliot nearly split up again as she wants to leave him in Season 10 ( I think the ep is called Wild, it’s the one with the animal trafficking ring where Elliot goes undercover and gets shot) as Elliot is at work a lot so obviously not spending time with his wife and kids. Eli would be oblivious but the older kids would pick up on the tension/realise that a lot of the same things that happened prior to the first separation are happening again. 

I do wish we’d got more episodes focusing on Stabler and his kids, especially in the earlier seasons. Like Maureen and Kathleen’s high school graduations ( there could have been an ep with a runaway who wanted to escape parents who were really putting pressure on them for perfect grades, Ivy League university and they want to be a musician/artist and get tricked into some abusive situation), or something with Lizzie. Maybe a teacher she idolises is accused of grooming a girl in her class/theatre club and she defends the teacher/asks her dad to suspend the investigation, causing tension at home.

[allbornscreaming]

SUNRISE ON THE REAPING (2026) THE HUNGER GAMES (2012-2015)

[jacnaylor]

sooooo was on my svu tag earlier (finding a funny post to send to me friend) and came across gender swap olivia....something about elliot looking kathy in the eyes and saying 'you're the only woman i ever loved' and like, in that moment they both know it isn't technically a lie. but it's also not really the whole truth. also you know when cassidy comes back and gets accused of being inappropriate on the job and he says the only thing he did was sit in the room and talk to that woman. and male!liv knowing that's definitely true because brian wants to fuck dudes. male!liv still adopting noah but having to answer questions about adopting as a single man who is a product of rape then to go on to adopt a male child who is the product of rape. both real liv and male!liv trying to give noah a different childhood than they had in the same way. male!liv finding out about his biological brother. not just another sibling who was kept and loved and had a good relationship with the dad but another BOY who had the life he didn't get. male!liv looking more like his father and brother than his mother. maybe in this universe serena supporting him joining svu. she was always afraid for olivia more than anything and she understood the dangers of the job. and maybe she does feel that for male!liv to some extent in terms of the emotional trauma but feels at least the physical trauma would be different because he is fighting other men (for the most part) and what that conversation in the restaurant would turn into. male!liv wanting the same kind of love and well, worry, from his mother even whilst wanting support but maybe never getting that.

also....one day going to court male!liv spills coffee on his shirt or tie and he has to swap with elliot and maybe kathy is like why is that man wearing the tie i bought you for christmas and why is his coffee stained tie in a box you're taking to italy

[louisaland]

what would you call male!Liv? Oliver is kind of obvious, so maybe Sebastian, as I believe that is Viola’s twin in Twelfth Night and Viola is almost an anagram of Olivia, so there would be an interesting literary connection there, which would be very apt for Serena as that is what she teaches!

[louisaland]

Empty Nester Part 4 Dickie ( Law and Order OC fic)

I was working on Part 3 ( Kathleen’s chapter) and was getting nowhere with it, so decided to write this one instead, and it just kind of wrote itself!

“Hey Dad, sorry I’m late. My planning meeting ran late and then the subway was a mess” Richard said, dropping his coat and several bags on the seat of the booth. 

Elliot rose to greet his son, hugging him fiercely.

“No worries, bud. You wanna get a beer first or do you wanna order food straight away?” .

“Both please, Dad. This one’s on me, OK?”.

Father and son sat down on opposite sides of the booth, waiting for the game to start.

As they were chatting, after having ordered, a teen boy made his way over to the table.

“Hi, Mr S! Are you here to watch the game too? I hope the Jets win!” 

“Hi Joshua, how nice to see you. Yes, I’m here for the game. Go Jets! This is my father, Detective Stabler.” he replied, gesturing at Elliot.

“Hello Mr, um, sorry, Detective Stabler” said Joshua, shyly extending his hand for Elliot to shake.

“Nice to meet you too, young man. What grade are you in?” Elliot asked, smiling at him, his eyes bright and crinkling slightly at the corners.

“I’m a freshman, Sir” he replied, looking down at his shoes, seemingly embarrassed by Elliot’s warm and gentle tone.

“You’ve got a great handshake, kid. Nice and firm. What’s your favourite subject at school? Don’t feel like you have to say Science and Tech because my son is your teacher!” Elliot continued, trying to put the awkward boy at ease.

Joshua glanced up, biting his lip, scrunching his hands into his pockets.

“Um, I like gym, and art, I guess. And I’m not saying it because you’re Mr S’s dad, but I like tech too.” Joshua replied, earning him an approving grin from Dickie. 

“Sounds like you’re quite the all-rounder then”, Elliot  intoned, smiling encouragingly at the boy.

“Thank you, Sir. Bye Mr S, see you at SHANE club on Tuesday!” Joshua said, before dashing back to his table where an older woman was sitting. He sat down and began talking, gesticulating as he recounted his exchange with the Stabler men.

“Here you are, gentlemen” said the waitress, coming over with a tray laden with their orders, that she proceeded to place in front of them.

“SHANE club? What’s that, Rich?” Elliot enquired, his eyebrows slightly raised in confusion. “Is it some new class or after-school requirement?” he questioned, putting down his glass of beer after having had a drink. 

“No Dad, it’s a club I set up. It started off as just being a place for kids to hangout at lunch time if they didn’t have any friends or just needed a quiet place to chill, then it morphed into an extra-curricular computer club…” Rich trailed off, suddenly finding his burger and fries incredibly interesting to look at.

“Oh, Rich, that’s so great! I’m so proud of you” Elliot replied.

Rich took a deep breath, to compose himself emotionally and mentally.

“I just wanted to give the kids what I didn’t have when I was at school. I was awful to you and Mom when I was that age, so I figured I could try to minimise that for my students’ parents.” Dickie explained.

“It was only your sophomore year that was difficult for a little bit, bud. And, in your defence, you had a lot going on then, with a baby brother, parents who’d just got back together after being separated and how I handled everything you were going through…” Elliot swallowed thickly, his eyes glassy for a moment, before blinking and regaining his composure. 

Dickie’s gaze misted over too, and he sighed before continuing,

“It’s fine, Dad, you did the best you could. Do you want to know what the name stands for?” he  asked, as his father placed his hand over his in the table.

Elliot nodded, his gaze meeting his son’s.

“It stands for Social Hangout And Networking Experience. It’s kind of a crappy acronym, but the kids helped me come up with it when I explained why I wanted to name it that. And no, I didn’t give them the full story, they got the sanitised version and a PSA that drugs are bad, kids”

“I think it’s great, Rich. Your students clearly adore you if the one we met is anything to go by.” Elliot replied.

“I don’t know, I do my best. Joshua’s a great kid. His dad left them about a year ago and he took it really hard. His brother is at college so it’s just him and his mom at home.” Dickie explained.

“Poor kid, that sounds tough” Elliot replied.

“And talking of brothers in college, have you heard from yours lately?” he asked.

“I get texts at odd times from him as he forgets about the time difference. He doesn’t like his room-mate, as he’s a rower so gets up at 4 a.m.. And allegedly no-one on his floor knows how to cook, the dining hall food is terrible and there’s nowhere to buy proper food!” Dickie mimicked his younger brother’s tone with a dramatic sigh and a theatrical eye roll.

Elliot snorted in response. 

“Yeah, I don’t think Eli’s ever going to be a morning person! Charlie tried to appease him with coffee but apparently it was gross as it wasn’t made from freshly ground coffee beans. And sharing a room is a first for him too… It’s probably all my fault for spoiling him when we were in Italy…” Elliot mused.

“Dad, you did a great job. Eli was technically an only child and you had more time at home as you weren’t as stressed and always working like you were when you were here. And Eli’s always been a picky eater. I remember when you came back for Mo’s wedding and we had Carl’s bachelor party at the game. Eli only ate fries as he didn’t like the hot dogs, as they weren’t made with “proper” sausages or real cheese. Didn’t he request avocado on toast for breakfast one morning too? When I was six, I don’t think I knew what an avocado looked like!” Dickie replied, shaking his head at the memory. 

“Yeah, that sounds about right for Eli. I’ll have to send him a care package as there’s that Italian place near the office that sells stuff that should meet his standards. How’s he doing otherwise?” Elliot questioned.

“All I know is that there’s a girl he likes in his lit class. A redhead apparently. And that is where the intel on Eli’s love life ends!” 

“Ah, well, you know more than I do then!”

Elliot shook his head, despairing at his youngest's lack of communication.

“Excuse me, Mr Stabler?” 

Joshua’s mother had made her way to the Stabler’s’ table and had taken advantage of a lull in their conversation to address Richard.

“Hi! Ms Cook, Joshua’s mom, right?” he replied, getting up to shake her hand.

“Yeah, that’s me. I just wanted to thank you for all that you’re doing for my Joshy. He loves your tech class and the after-school club too. You’ve helped him regain his confidence and he’s back to being my sweet, helpful boy. He has friends now! Oh, and he’d kill me for calling him Joshy, he hates it. I get “It’s Joshua now, Mom!” all the time. Anyway, he just went to the bathroom so I have to rush back. Thank you again!” she said, smiling sincerely and her eyes welling up slightly. 

“Ah, it’s nothing, really. You did all the ground work, raising a kind, sensible and empathetic kid. He’s got a real talent for coding. Please let me know if there’s anything I can do to help on that front. And I know a thing or two about not wanting to go by a nickname anymore. At least Joshua came to you and talked about it. I think PTCs for the freshmen are soon, so I’ll see you then. Thank you for your kind words, if all parents were like you and they had kids like Joshua, my job would be so much easier!” Richard concluded, before she rushed back to her table, regaining her seat mere seconds before her son exited the restroom. 

Richard regained his seat and Elliot grinned at him.

“I know I’ve said it before, but I really am proud of you, Rich. You’ve found your calling, it’s wonderful!”

Richard smiled back before replying.

“Thanks, Dad. It took me a while, but I found my niche eventually. I can’t  believe I wanted to join the Marines at one point. That taster weekend I went on was the worst 72 hours of my life!”

“Yeah, you hated every minute of it but you were so stubborn that you felt you had to stick it out… I wonder what Eli will end up doing?”

“Well, no-one has followed in your footsteps yet, Dad. And didn’t you want to become an architect when you were young? Grandma B must have told me that about a million times growing up. You could take classes online or something, I can help you set it up if you want.”

“Well, so far, thankfully, no-one has done so as you know how dangerous it is and how it took me away from time with you guys so much. Hopefully it’ll be 5/5, as I can’t see it being a good fit for Eli at all.”

“ Yeah, no clue what he’ll end up doing, but being a cop should not be on the list! But he’s a freshman, so he’s got at least  another 3 and a half years to figure it out, Dad. And if you don’t sign up for Architecture classes before Christmas, we’ll all club together and make it our gift to you!” 

“OK, OK, you’ve worn me down. Now let’s just watch the game, please.” Elliot said, and father and son turned their attention to the big screen that had been installed in the diner for the occasion.

[louisaland]

Empty Nester Part 2: Maureen

OK, so here is Part 2 of my fic of Elliot dropping Eli off at the airport for university and the aftermath. I’m going through the kids one at a time, in age order, as they help their dad adjust to his new normal. Currently working on the Kathleen chapter. She will almost certainly be recommending some sort of therapy!

Empty Nester Part 2: Maureen

Elliot removed his phone from his pocket and glanced at the screen as he made his way back to his car.

Maureen had left him a voice message. 

What the proper name was for it eluded him. Voice mail? No, that was when you called someone and they didn’t pick up and you used the answering machine option…

Elliot reached his car and got in. 

He pressed the play button and his eldest’s voice filled the vehicle.

“Hi Daddy, I hope you’re OK after taking Eli to the airport. At least you remembered to send in the cheque so he can actually go this time! Though maybe you only do that for applications to Columbia! Kieran and Seamus really want to see you, so why don’t you come for Sunday lunch this week? Grandma can come too, of course. Give me a call when you have time! Bye! Love you!”.

Elliot smiled and shook his head slightly at Maureen’s tone. She sounded so much like Kathy sometimes and she still managed to get in the odd ( and mostly affectionate) jab about not going to Columbia because he forgot to send in the cheque for it.

He quickly fired off a text in reply, saying he would love to come.

Shortly after, his phone pinged again and displayed a picture of Seamus and Kieran grinning and sticking their thumbs up. How were they nearly in double figures already?

Another message came through shortly after.

 “Your biggest fans can’t wait for Sunday! They are currently writing letters and drawing pictures for their favourite uncle ( sssh, don’t tell Dickie!), which I’ll add to Eli’s care package. I have been told it should contain Lego, but I’m going to stick to baked goods and snacks. See you on Sunday! ❤️❤️❤️”

Elliot’s heart swelled at his daughter’s thoughtfulness and he knew he’d have great food and a lovely time with his grandsons, who would surely want to use him as a jungle gym and have him build at least one Lego set. 

He put his phone on the passenger seat and began the journey home. 

[louisaland]

Empty Nest a Law and Order OC fanfic about Eli leaving for college and how Elliot handles this

This is the first chapter of several, as I plan to do at least one for each of Stabler’s other children, who are going to be trying their best to help their dad cope with this transition.

I’m going to try to get this up on A03 and provide a link to the story too. Hopefully I can figure things out!

Chapter 1

Elliot sighed as he watched Eli in the ever lengthening line for check in.

How was his baby, his little boy, ready to go to college? And why was Colorado so damn far away from New York? 

Well, technically Eli wasn’t old enough to start university. His super smart kid was graduating early and, in theory, it could have been a university in Europe, so it could be a whole lot worse, distance wise. 

Couldn’t he have gone somewhere in New York and at least come home for weekends?

Eli was now at the front of the line, and check-in seemed to be going smoothly. 

A small part of Elliot hoped that he wouldn’t be allowed to board, but Eli had made sure his ID was up to date, that his suitcase was under the weight limit, had printed off his tickets as well as having access to them on his phone. 

He watched Eli put his travel documents back into the inside pocket of his jacket, smile at the employee and casually head back in his direction.

He ran his hand through his long, dark hair as he ambled back, his long legs quickly covering the distance between the check-in desk and his father.

Eli grinned at him.

“So, all checked in, huh? Do you have time for a cup of coffee before you go through security?” Elliot asked, secretly hoping to eke out a few more precious minutes with his youngest child.

Eli glanced at his watch then the departure display board.

“I’d love to, Dad, but I saw the line for security and it’s insane” he replied, shaking his head a little. 

“Yeah, I get it. Call me when you get there, OK?” 

Eli nodded then Elliot pulled him into a big bear hug. 

His boy, not normally one for overly long or overt displays of affection squeezed him back.

As they pulled apart, Elliot cupped his son’s face for a moment. 

“See you, Dad! It’s only 36 days ‘til Parents’ Day, if you can make it that long!” 

His playful tone would have fooled a lot of people into thinking he was leaving with a heart full of lightness and joy. Elliot was not one of them, however.

“Ciao, amore” he said, smoothing Eli’s hair before reluctantly pulling away.

Eli gave him a wide smile,  and began to head towards the security area before turning back one last time and waving at his father. 

Elliot watched him go, seemingly rooted to the ground and his gaze fixed on his son until he could no longer make him out in the ocean of faces and bodies that were making their way to the next step before their flight. 

A well of memories sprang up in Elliot’s mind, flooding his brain with a multitude of images: tiny baby Eli, swaddled and behatted at the hospital that he’d been helicoptered to, colicky or teething Eli who just needed to be held, his first day of school in Italy, his jubilant cheer when he scored a goal at one of his soccer games, his proud smile and enthusiastic whoop as he’d walked across the stage at his graduation ceremony…

Elliot had no idea how long he’d been standing there but his phone beeped and buzzed, jolting him back to reality. 

He swallowed thickly, swiped at his eyes and consulted his phone. 

[louisaland]

i’ve been trying to think of ideas for the rue post and i’m drawing a blank! do you have any ideas on how you see her/hcs?

From canon, I think she is the eldest of a big family ( 4/5 siblings). They are being raised by an aunt/grandmother as mom died after her last labour. Rue sings to her younger siblings to help get them to sleep/comfort them.

Her surname is Braeburn. Schooling is not a priority in 11, apart from History classes to learn about Panem and a bit of science for the upkeep of the trees and bushes. Literacy and numeracy are really basic. Rue would like to learn more about science. Like in 12, there are few doctors, but there are a few healers who use plants for various remedies, as you really need to be at death’s door/giving birth to not attend work.

[louisaland]

Looking for a Law and Order SVU fic

I read a feic not so long ago that had Olivia get pregnant and give birth to a baby girl, who I think she calls Sophie or Sophia. She gets pregnant after a short relationship with a guy called Kurt who is from another department/unit ( and who I think was actually on the show). He wants nothing to do with the baby/doesn’t want to be a dad. Casey helps her out a lot during her pregnancy ( Elliot is undercover or busy with his new baby and trying to save his marriage). I remember there’s a scene in a diner/café when Casey and Olivia are discussing potential names and Olivia rejects the suggestion of my name ( Louisa).

I think it must have been set in Season 9 or 10, as Elliot has had Eli but ultimately ends up with Olivia, after divorcing Kathy. He stays at SVU and ends up becoming Captain, while Olivia transfers to Computer Crimes towards the end of her pregnancy, as she can’t really manage being in the field at that point and doesn’t want to run the risk of getting shot and leaving her kid with no mother. It’s a multi chapter fic, and I read it in one night. If anyone could help, I would be very grateful.

[louisaland]

Law and Order OC Becky and family headcannons

I would like to know more about Becky’s family!

She doesn’t seem to have a particular accent, so she could be from Colorado ( where she and Eli met at university, maybe she stayed in her state to study?).

I think her surname is Roberts, and all her family have names that start with R. Parents are Ralph and Ramona ( who go by Alf and Mona), then Becky has two siblings ( one older, one younger) called Ruth and Reuben ( yes, they all have Biblicsl names, as they were all raised in the Christian faith, possibly Catholic but could be Baptist or something else). 

Alf is an engineer and Mona is a librarian. 

I’d like the parents to come for dinner ( as Eli was too drunk to attend last time they tried to do that) and maybe Elliot is invited too. They could be coming up for Owen’s christening.

If Becky decides to continue studying/working and Eli drops out of the police force to be a stay at home dad for a bit while he figures out what to do ( maybe something with languages or something artistic?), what does she do? Maybe something business related? She’s great with people/everyone seems to like her so maybe sales/advertising?

[louisaland]

Law and Order OC Season 6 wishlist

If we get a Season 6 for OC ( I really hope we do!) here are some things I would like to see.

Elliot working on himself/going to therapy/getting medical help for his tremor. I’d also love to see him bond/become friends with Carisi. 

It would also be nice if he didn’t live alone anymore as he is lonely and should have someone around if his tremor/mental health start getting worse. 

More time with Elliot and his children ( I would love Elizabeth to have something to say/do). Namely a chat between him and Eli where Eli apologises and they talk about his future, which will no longer involve a career in the police force.

I’d also like to meet Elliot’s sisters and see more of Bernie and Randall too. 

More Becky! And we should meet her parents who should get to know Elliot. 

Not sure what the OC team could be investigating but I like the Season long stories the most. I love the team, though would not complain one bit if Jet were to return!

[louisaland]

Plot outline for a fic ( when Kathy, Elliot and Eli are in Italy)

In my fic, Eli is 10, Maureen has had her twin boys ( Seamus and Kieran, they are a few weeks/months old). Eli is most definitely a mommy’s boy but still has quite a sweet, close bond with Elliot. I wanted to get some of my dialogue ideas on paper ( especially the father-son banter, which I think could be similar to Maureen’s repartee with her dad in the S2 premiere, Elliot being pretty overprotective and a bit strict about doing homework/education being super important, but above all he really loves his kids). So I hope that comes through. I am open to suggestions/improvements/corrections to the timeline…

Conversation about Kathy going to NYC to help Maureen with Kieran and Seamus as Carl is back at work. She’s going to go on a Thursday/Friday and she’ll be away for a full week plus a few more days, returning on the Monday evening/Tuesday morning.

Eli begs to come with her or says Elliot should go instead. Says his dad doesn’t let him do anything and treats him like a baby.

« You’re really helping your case there, bud » from Elliot when Eli is protesting/being whiny and sulky.

Kathy says it was hard enough to get school to allow him one day of absence when they went to Florence on vacation.

Bad mood for a few days.

Day 0/1 ( Thursday)

Kathy leaves that night/early Friday morning.

Eli drags out bedtime, behaves very much like a little kid. Gives Kathy a big envelope full of letters, drawings, little notes for each day she’s gone ( « for the plane », « when you land »… « journey home ») 

Day 1 ( Friday)

Grouchy Eli as he didn’t sleep well/went to sleep late.

Elliot gives him the first letter from his mom, he cheers up a bit.

Argument about homework needing to be done that night as Eli has a soccer game on Saturday, then is going for pizza with his friends after then a sleepover at Alessandro’s  house with Mateo, Enzo, Elio and other school/soccer friends. 

« Not sure why it’s called a sleepover as none of you kids ever gets any sleep at these things » from Elliot before.

« But Dad, I have like 3 things to do »

*Elliot checks his bag* « More like 5 things, buddy ».

« Whatever, it’ll take me 5 minutes to do them, Dad. Can’t I just do them on Sunday afternoon when I get back from Sandro’s? »

« Kid, this isn’t my first rodeo. We both know you’re going to come back from Sandro’s overtired and hopped up on sugar, then you’re gonna crash and be in a bad mood and not want to do anything. » 

« Eli, if it’ll take 5 minutes, then just do it now, please »

Begrudging agreement from Eli « Long division is stupid, I hate it » 

« Let’s see who can finish them correctly first. I’ll use the old method that I actually understand and you can use the new-fangled incomprehensible one. Winner gets to choose where we go for dinner. Deal? »

« Deal »

Elliot helps Eli with an illustration.

« Wow, you’re really good at drawing, Dad! »

« So are you, Eli »

« I must get it from you and Grandma B, and you can’t say I get it from Mom as she struggles with drawing a stick figure. She tried to draw a horse once and it looked like a dog! » 

Eli picks where they eat, they order. Elliot orders seafood pasta ( spaghetti alle vongole)

*reaches for Parmesan* 

« Dad! No! You can’t do that! Don’t you know anything? You can’t put cheese on seafood pasta! People will think we’re… tourists! »

« Last time I checked, bud, we kind of are »

« Pffft, next you’ll be breaking spaghetti before you cook it and ordering cappuccinos after 11 a.m. »

« Luckily I have Mr Italian Expert here so I don’t make any faux pas. Not sure what the rule is about cheeky 10 year old boys and dessert is though…  » ( playful teasing from Elliot who checks it is socially acceptable to have tiramisu as a dessert and of course lets Eli have some gelato)

Day 2 Saturday

Eli opens his letter from Kathy first thing 

« Sweetheart, I’m sorry I’m missing your game. I really enjoy watching you play and cheering you on ( yes, even when it is freezing cold, raining or really hot!). Just remember, win or lose, your Dad and I love you and are so proud of you. You’re a great team player, you train hard and always give 100%. 

I hope you listened to your Dad and did all your homework yesterday, as you will definitely be too tired when he picks you up tomorrow from your sleepover. Have fun with your friends, honey, but do try and actually get some sleep! »

Breakfast, overnight bag packed then match ( Eli passes to someone who scores the winning goal) fist bump with his Dad after, but he gives him a hug before he goes off for pizza. 

Day 3 Sunday

Elliot picks Eli up after mass that morning. Eli tells his dad that the whole gang of them were allowed to walk to the bakery together to get pastries for breakfast, as they are big kids. They take Matteo home and Elliot comforts Matteo’s  little baby brother Giacomo with bouncing and back rub. Mattéo and Giacomo’s mom is super surprised as she thought Eli was an only child.

On the way home:

«  Why can’t I have a little brother, Dad? Giacomo is really cute! »

« You say that now, but I bet you wouldn’t find him so cute when he has colic at 3 a.m. and keeps everyone awake… »

« I didn’t do that right? »

« No, buddy, you kept us all up all night with your colic, your teething… Just like your brother and sisters did » ( said with affection)

« But all the big kids call me The Baby, it’s soooo annoying… Well, not Mo, but Rich does All.The.Time. »

« I’ll talk to him about that… But look, Mom can’t have any more babies now. And even if she could, the new baby would take up a lot of her time. And he or she would have a ton of gear that  takes up lots of space which we don’t have. »

At home

Dirty soccer gear and contents of sleepover bag straight in washing machine request from Elliot to Eli.

Conversation about Kathy calling the previous night ( Kieran and Seamus were both asleep at the same time, for the first time ever since they were born). Eli annoyed as he also missed talking to Grandma B and Rich.

Rich says he’d have given up actual body parts to be able to have Dad all to  himself for over a week when he was 10.

Eli says there wouldn’t have been a problem if he had a cell phone, according to him « all his friends have their own phone » ( it ends up being one or two of them and s reminder from Elliot that they can discuss it when he starts middle school)

Eli somewhat mollified by letter from his Mom ( she says Elliot has definitely missed him while he was with his friends and could probably do with a hug).

Eli builds his Lego ( he’s creating a hobbit village) while Elliot sends some e-mails

« Elio, amore, can you come give me a hand, please? »

« Sure, Dad. Did you forget how to send an e-mail again? »

« No, that I’ve just about mastered… I’d like to send these pictures of our Florence vacation to Grandma. And I taught you to use a spoon and talk. I mildly regret doing one of those, I think »

« Well I’ll be choosing your nursing home! » ( all said playfully and affectionately, a bit like Maureen and Elliot’s banter in ep 1 of S2)

Eli quickly sends the pics, complaining that Grandma is going to say « Oooh, Eli, honey, you look just like your dad at the same age… It’s so embarrassing! Also, I’ve seen zero pictures of you as a kid, so until Grandma shows her receipts, the jury’s out… ».

Eli offers to write out what to do for his dad on a piece of paper.

Make dinner together, Eli makes avocado, mozzarella and tomato salad with a dressing as a starter. Sweet exchange about Elliot being unable to even recognise an avocado when he was a kid/when the Big Kids were little. 

They have « rainbow risotto » ( a childhood fave with a ton of different veg: bell peppers, courgette, mushroom…)  to get some veg into Eli « No, Eli, the piece of lettuce and slice of tomato on your burger last night are not enough vegetables to keep you healthy. »

After dinner 

« When did you last have a shower? A proper one, with soap? »

Eli hesitates/has to think for a long time, but Elliot makes a whomp whomp/wrong answer in a quiz show sound as Eli can’t remember when that was. He tries to convince Elliot that his rinse off after his game on Saturday is plenty. 

Elliot reminds him that part of the deal of growing and keeping his hair long is that it has to be washed and conditioned regularly so to do that while he showers. 

Elliot cleans the kitchen while Eli showers. 

Teasing exchange about Eli using up all the hot water and Eli feigns surprise that his dad had running water growing up « I was born in the 1960´s, not the 1860’s, buddy! » they end up playfighting and Elliot puts Eli over his shoulder, carries him to his bedroom and dumps him on his bed. 

Elliot says there’s half an hour until bedtime ( earlier than usual for the next few nights, to make up for the nearly no sleep last night, to try to avoid Super Grumpy Eli later in the week), so they can play a game or hang out for a bit. Eli suggests they watch a movie, but no dice « It’s a school night and you’d choose something like Lord of the Rings. Eli asks his dad to read to him ( The Two Towers, as he’d really into Tolkien right now). Elliot tucks Eli in, says it’d time for bed. Comes back half an hour later and Eli is reading.

« Bud, it’s bedtime »

« Yeah, you said it was time to go to bed. You never mentioned anything about sleep! » Eli feigns innocence.

« Ah, Future ADA Stabler, we seem to have got caught up in semantics. You seem to be representing yourself. What do you have to add to your defence? ».

« Imposing such an early bedtime on a minor is infringing on their human rights. No one else’s parents make them go to bed at this time! And also, I’m not tired! » 

« Overruled as your claims are undocumented and I have heard them all before, many many times. Are you a relative of Kathleen Louise Stabler’s, a New York City resident, by any chance? She used to make claims very similar to yours.  »

Eli tucked back in after a hug, light switched off and he finally goes to sleep!

Day 4 Monday 

Letter from Mom propped up at Eli’s place setting at the table, getting him out of bed and ready for school was an uphill battle.

« Can’t I have coffee, Dad? » 

« OK, you can try a sip of mine »

« How do you drink that? It tastes like I imagine tar would taste! »

Protests from Eli about being walked to school

« It’s a 10 minute walk away, tops! And there’s one road to cross! Almost everyone in my class walks there by themself! » 

Outside school « Daaaad, you can’t say « te amo » to your kids, you have to say « te voglio bene ». You’re sooooo embarrassing! »

After school, Eli’s friend in the building asks if he can come out to play football in the courtyard with the other boys in the building. Eli speaks in Italian but Elliot picks up on him not having finished his homework yet, so he has to do that first ( and homework for Wednesday too, as there is soccer practice on Tuesday afternoon/evening).

Eli has Italian spelling words, Elliot is dictating them 

« Jeez, Dad, your accent is terrible. Can you sound that one out for me, please? »

« Nice try, kid but I’m not falling for that one! I’ll tell you the words in English then »

Finally finish, Eli gets ready to go out to play soccer, and sees his dad also putting on his shoes and jacket. 

« Let me introduce you to this wonderful invention, Dad. It’s quite new, but maybe you’ve heard of it? It’s called a window! It has transparent glass and it means you can stay inside and I can go outside and if you look through it, you can still see me! »

Elliot argues he’s just trying to keep Eli safe, that anything ( or anyone!) could be out there…

Counter argument of it’s an enclosed courtyard and you need an entrance code and a key fob to get into the building complex, no one else’s parents come out there to supervise. 

Compromise reached: half an hour outside, and Eli has to stay visible the whole time. 

Day 5 Tuesday 

Eli happier as Mom back in a week.

Tired after soccer practice so not in the best mood. 

Elliot has made fresh pasta and homemade sauce for a quick dinner.

« This is delicious, but you do know you can’t actually call this carbonara, right, Dad? » 

Eli agrees to teach his dad the proper recipe.

Day 6 Wednesday

Eli gets super quiet after reading his note from Kathy. Elliot gives him a hug and lets him cry for a bit that afternoon, after a few protests of « I’m fine! Just leave me alone! »

Day 7  and 8 Thursday and Friday

Countdown to Kathy’s return in full swing.

Weekend plans made ( market on Saturday, Mass on Sunday) 

Day 9 Saturday

Trip to market. They buy lots of Kathy’s favourite foods for her return. Eli wants to get her a present. 

Day 10 Sunday

Mass, Dli protests at having to wear a tie/suit. Elliot teaches him to tie a tie, teases him that he’s no  altar boy. 

They watch a movie, play a game and build with Lego ( Eli still working on his hobbit town). 

Discussion about future career for Eli, he’s undecided. Wants to be a pro soccer player, Elliot wants him to have a back up in case of injury etc. College is important/I want you to have more opportunities than I did angle from Elliot. 

« Grandma’s told me a few times you wanted to be an architect. That would have been so cool! »

Vehement denial of this from Elliot.

Day 11 Monday

Mom home tonight! Eli begs to be allowed to stay up to see Kathy when she gets home ( she’s due back at about 11.30 p.m.). Elliot finds out plane had been delayed so Kathy won’t be back until the early hours of the morning. Eli really upset, he wanted his mom to take him to school the next morning. 

Tuesday 

Kathy is back! She gets up to see Eli at breakfast time, he wants her to take him to school but she is super tired/jet lagged and still in her pyjamas. Eli asks if he can come home for lunch, but that won’t be possible ( school needs more notice).

Wants to skip soccer practice but « you made a commitment, buddy. To your coach, to your team » speech from Elliot.

Kathy is awake for dinner ( Eli insisted on making her favourites). Slight scolding from Kathy for giving his dad a hard time. « He was being totally unreasonable though, Mom! » protests from Eli. 

Showers without complaint, even washes and conditions his hair without being told, and even consents to a slightly early bedtime as it means Mom will read to him and tuck him in. 

[louisaland]

Firstly, when you get this, you have to answer with 5 things you like about yourself, publicly. Then, send this ask to 10 of your favorite followers (non-negotiable, positivity is cool)

1) that I can entertain myself/be on my own for long periods

2) my creativity 

3) my eye for colour ( putting outfits together and accessorising them)

4) my ability to put together themed gifts which always seem to go down well

5) How hardworking I am

@themetaphorgirl @ocstabler @svubensler @victoriously-wicked @thisisonlychemistry @valentinesfrog

[louisaland]

Law and Order OC Season 5 finale thoughts

I thought the finale was pretty good.

Stabler being out for revenge felt very true to his character, and Reyes and Vargas being sneaky to help him was great. 

I think they hit the swearing quota for this episode, as there was a lot of it, but it felt true to the characters.

I love that Bell was on to them both if not straight away, then very early on.

The actor who plays Emory is good-looking but man he is so slimy! I wanted to punch him repeatedly through the screen. I was so glad that he got his come-uppance and Elliot telling him there was no deal and why wiped the smug look off his face pronto!

Yay for Joey having been on the right side of the law for at least the last six months. I would like to think that means he was clean too, but who knows what he had to do to stay in Emory’s good books. 

We now have an official birthdate for Joe Jr ( won’t someone think of the timeline?) which is the 19th of September 1981, which makes Elliot almost 15 when he was born ( October 1966 is his birthday, I believe)  and Joe Jr is only 3 years older than Maureen ( who was born in September 1984, if the info I have found is correct). 

In Season 3 or 4, when Joe Jr has hidden some documents/valuables in a safe, Randall and Elliot figure out the code that contains his year of birth and it is 1980-something. At least it is consistent with the info we got in this ep, which is something! 

If Bernie is 92 ( according to a recent episode, that is how old she is) and Joe Jr was almost 44, that means Bernie had him when she was in her very late 40’s (47-49, depending on when her birthday is). I imagine that she thought she was starting menopause rather than being pregnant. 

Joe Jr wanting to join the police force gives him yet another parallel with Joe Jr, Elliot and Eli. 

I do wish this had led to a heart to heart between Elliot and Eli, who would apologise for being awful to his dad this season and tentatively admit that he’s thinking of finding a different career, as it’s not a good fit/he’s scared of not being there to see his son grow up… 

I hope Elliot makes the most of his bereavement leave, but knowing him, he won’t. I do wish we’d had an update on his health, as he was in two serious accidents very close together. 

Seeing Olivia would have been great, but I am not sure how she would have slotted into the story. 

All in all, a good episode that tied up pretty much all the loose ends but wasn’t my favourite of the season.