skiller0dani

[skiller0dani]

i want to talk about my ocs but im literally this image. i got nothing

[skiller0dani]

The absolute HURTTT in his eyes after Troy said what he said.

[skiller0dani]

it's been years but i'm still mad about the way OUAT dropped the ball on Baelfire. next to so many other things, they could’ve done sm more with Captain Hook trying to be the dad that stepped up for him in modern times as well like imagine!! two father figures trying to make amends with him god we could’ve had it all

[skiller0dani]

BAELFIRE DESERVED BETTER

You should've seen him. He overcame worlds.

[skiller0dani]

Thinking about how 14 year old Baelfire wanted to fight in the Ogre Wars because no matter what happened, it would mean a better life for him and his father.

Worst case scenario, he dies and is a hero, and his father is redeemed in the eyes of the village, meaning he can earn more.

Best case scenario, he survives and works his way up in the army, and is able to make something of himself after the war. Yet again improving him and his father’s lives 😢

[skiller0dani]

You know, there’s not a ton about my father that I remember that doesn’t suck. But he used to tell me that there are no coincidences. Everything that happens happens by design and there’s nothing we can do about it. Forces greater than us conspire to make it happen. Fate, destiny, whatever you want to call it.

[skiller0dani]

Day 3: Love Languages

Neal/Bae: Physical Touch

Neal/Bae's love language is the easiest to parse out in canon because it's prevalent throughout. Ever since Bae was a baby, physical touch was how Rumple expressed his love to him. In every flashback scene with Rumple and Bae, Rumple has a hand on Bae, silently supporting and protecting him.

And the show writers use this nonverbal interaction to parallel Bae and Rumple's relationship as it becomes more strained. When Rumple becomes the Dark One, his touch becomes more possessive. This continues until Bae starts rejecting Rumple's touch (as he rejects the Dark One) when Rumple tries to reach out to him in "Nasty Habits" and "Manhattan". In both "The Return" and "Manhattan", Rumple's abandonment of Bae is described as Rumple letting go of Bae's hand- a very physical action. That's why the moment when Bae grabbed Rumple's hand in "The Miller's Daughter" is so impactful- because it is the first time that Bae wholeheartedly accepts his father's touch and affection in centuries, even if he is still angry. As season 3A progresses, Bae physically distances himself from his father in Neverland when he finds out about the prophecy and feels like he can't trust him in "Nasty Habits". However, once Bae forgives his father in "Save Henry", he enthusiastically hugs him. In season 3B, Bae and Rumple literally share a body due to Rumple's love for Bae- their physical closeness once again symbolizing their repaired relationship. When Bae dies in "Quiet Minds", his hand falls out of Rumple's, representing their permanent separation. Bae no longer needs Rumple's physical touch and affection because Bae's no longer there.

Using touch to portray affection and genuine care is a theme for Bae throughout his life. In "Second Star to the Right", Bae uses physical touch to comfort Wendy. And later in "Tallahassee", Bae is more physically affectionate with Emma the more that time passes and the closer that they become. Even as early as their first "date" in "There's No Place Like Home", Bae plays with Emma's glove when he's being vulnerable to feel closer to her physically without crossing her boundaries and touching her.

Bae's need for physical affection in "Tallahassee" (especially after being touch starved in Neverland for centuries) is complemented by Emma reciprocating that physical affection despite not being a touchy person. Emma starts out being standoffish in the beginning of "Tallahassee" and "There's No Place Like Home", drawing into herself and avoiding any physical touch. However, as time passes, she gets more comfortable with being physically affectionate and even initiates it, especially when Bae is upset. One canon example is when Emma grounds Bae with physical touch when Bae is agitated about the wanted poster. When Bae starts arguing against Emma going for the watches, she swings her arm around him which seems to calm him down to the idea more.

I headcanon that Emma and Bae did a lot of hand-holding and non-verbal communication throughout their relationship. I think that they had signals to each other to make sure the other person is alright (which would have helped during heists as well) to complement Emma's innate ability to read Bae. I think that Emma realized early on that the best way to comfort Bae after nightmares was physical touch (hugs, gentle kisses). I can also see Emma sidling up to Bae whenever she sensed that something was bothering him and just quietly grabbing his hand and lacing her fingers in between his to remind Bae that he's not alone and make him relax almost instantly.

Just like physical touch is used to display the progress in Bae and Rumple's relationship, it is also used to show the progress in Bae and Emma's relationship when they reunite.

Bae has a tendency to fidget with his scarf, especially when he is vulnerable around Emma, which I think is a self-soothing technique. He longs for her physical touch, but too much has happened between them for him to reach out to her, so he physically touches his scarf to comfort himself. It isn't until the penultimate episode of season 2 after he breaks up with Tamara that he finally reaches out to Emma, hugging her when she's about to fall through the portal. This continues in season 3A when he hugs her after getting out of the cage in "Ariel" and stays beside her to support her throughout.

Emma, on the other hand, tries to be standoffish around Bae but fails miserably- just like how she tries to deny her love for Bae but fails. Since they reunite, Emma is always pictured by Bae's side (which is seen in many stills from season 2B and 3A). Not to mention that other than Henry, Emma initiates physical contact (even if it is just casual) with Bae more than anyone else in canon in the earlier seasons. In season 2B, she physically pushes him in "The Miller's Daughter" when he stops to stare at the magical chalk barrier, and she physically grabs him to stop him from going after Henry when Henry confronts Regina in "Welcome to Storybrooke". In season 3A, Emma hugs Bae in Neverland after they get him out of the cage in "Ariel", Emma sidles next to Bae to hug him after his father dies (which encourages Henry to do the same) in "Going Home", and Emma's the one who initiates the hug with Bae at the town line when they are about to be separated yet again. When Bae dies in "Quiet Minds", Emma pulls Bae into her arms and lets Bae die being physically comforted by her- being loved. And lastly, when Emma reunites with Bae briefly in the underworld in "Souls of the Departed", Emma caresses Bae's face, showing that she still loves him even though he is dead.

This behavior especially stuck out to me because in the earlier seasons, the other person usually has to initiate physical contact for Emma to return it. But with Bae, she's a lot more liberal and initiative with physical touch, even when she "hates" him.

Finally, to cement how Bae associates physical touch with love and affection, Bae is very physically affectionate with Henry. From their first meeting, Bae mimics Henry's body language and leans in close to him when talking, showing his love and interest through nonverbal communication. As they get closer, Bae is always touching Henry- ruffling his hair, patting his shoulder, carrying him, hugging him, wrestling with him in the background of "The New Neverland", etc. And Henry returns it readily, appreciating physical affection just like his father does (though probably not as desperately as Bae seems to crave it). The blatant physical affection between Henry and Bae is what makes their relationship seem so close and loving, even if they had a limited time together.

[skiller0dani]

Ah man, on Season 3 of OUAT rewatch, and the best word for poor Neal really is just... unceremonious. Youch. I'm not a big Swanfire person but offing him like that is so lazy and cuts out so much good drama and other relationships. Neal and Henry! Neal and Rumple! Neal and Hook! Even Neal and Belle! I also love his energy. He is just a fairly average dude, no magic, no incredible skills, just his wit and his determination, and yet he consistently keeps up with our main cast.

Also, they put background actors who I think are supposed to be the Lost Boys at his funeral; imagine how cool it would have been if he took them in and became a group foster dad! That just feels like it would have been a lovely move forward for his arc.

Bah. The cracks in the writing deepen.

[skiller0dani]

2.22, And Straight On 'Til Morning 3.19, A Curious Thing

[skiller0dani]

So many people (rightfully) give Neal a lot of flack for leaving Emma for her destiny when there was still 10 years to go, but during my rewatch, I realized that August never told Neal how long the interim would be. August was trying to convince Neal to leave and telling him how far in the future everything was meant to happen would have been counterproductive since Neal’s decision was more likely to have been different. So for all Neal knew, Emma would break the curse in a year or two. The request for updates, the postcard, and reconciling with her after she fulfills her destiny also makes a lot more sense if he thought the wait was shorter. Because there is a huge difference between leaving and waiting for someone for a year or two before coming back vs leaving and waiting for someone for 10 years before coming back. It’s still a tough situation with no obvious correct choice, but a year or two of temporary abandonment is a lot less hurt than 10 years, especially if she gains her family (something she’s always wanted) due to his leaving.

It also explains why Neal never really moved on from Emma since as far as he knew, she could break the curse and he could reconnect with her at any moment. Even as the years passed, he never got closure on the situation until August met him in New York to tell him Emma reached Storybrooke (which seemed like the first time August talked to him since stealing the money). That’s when he finally decided that too much time has passed and that it’s been too long for Emma to forgive him. That’s when he finally opened himself up to other romantic love via Tamara and tried to move on. That could also be why Tamara played him so well, and why he got engaged so quickly, since he was still so naive in love and romantic relationships from waiting indefinitely for so long.

[skiller0dani]

Guyss

Mike doesn't even give a shit about the rain. Lucus has his hood up and Mike is just like i don't care about the rain I have to find my Will and apologise to him.

They are so endgame

[skiller0dani]

drake?

[skiller0dani]

I don't want to make ““doctor’s appointments””and ““schedule a follow up.”” I want to be coaxed gently into a crate and taken to the vet.

[skiller0dani]

my top 10 ouat quotes #8. Neal Cassidy & Emma Swan, 3x22 "There's No Place Like Home"

[skiller0dani]

@giftober 2024 | Day 8: home

Crappy home life? I get that. No, but it wasn't always. That's the problem. It was... it was really great once.

Once Upon a Time, 3.22 “There's No Place Like Home”

[skiller0dani]

the TENSION in this screen shot is insane. I need one of those pointer things with the gloves you would get at scholastic book fairs for this unbelievable crashout. I'm actually going crazy

[skiller0dani]

Especially during their infamous season 3 fight scene. You see the moment where Mike raises his voice a little, Will flinches, and Mike IMMEDIATELY switched to a much softer voice, and he doesn't do this for any other character.

I adore Mike's Will Voice because I have a personal theory that it originated because of Lonnie.

Mike's a loud person, as shown by pretty much every time he talks to anyone who isn't Will. But with Will, he seems to instinctively switch into a soft, breathy tone. Why?

I think that because of Lonnie, when he was little, Will was probably intimidated by loud yelling. Of course, little Mike would have instantly picked up on the fact that his favorite person would flinch or startle when he spoke too loudly. The sweetie he was, he would have quickly stopped using a loud voice when he talked to Will.

Maybe Will's not really as bothered by yelling anymore, especially with the ample selection of supernatural trauma he has to deal with. But it's part of Mike's dynamic with Will now.

I wonder if maybe over the years, Mike's Will Voice started absorbing some of his feelings for Will, too.