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akaanonymouth · 8 years

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Berena/ Holby City World Book Day Snippet

“Enough!” Serena throws up her hands. “This madness has to stop!” She jams her hat firmly on her head and stalks to the lift, the stuffed cat jammed firmly under her armpit. “It’d be quicker if you used the broom!” Fletch calls, ensuring the doors are closing before she can fly back out and hit him with it. Ignoring the almost frightened looks she is garnering from people she passes, she steadfastly makes her way to Keller, all the while muttering furiously. Sacha, sitting by the desk, gets to his feet slowly, hands outstretched. “Please, Ms. Campbell, I didn’t mean it. Don’t turn me into anything… unnatural, like!” he pleads, high pitched and trembling. Serena comes to a dead stop, and looks him up and down darkly. “Rather large for a hobbit, aren’t we, Mr. Levy?” “Gamgee,” he corrects, smiling rakishly. “And my mother said I could be anything I want.” Serena almost loses herself in the banter, but her mood is too established to be overcome even by a six foot halfling. “Have you seen Ms. Wolfe?” Sacha’s eyebrows raise. “Yes. I found her on the second turn. Won a Dairy Milk. Haven’t had any luck since, though. So I’m not giving any clues, if that’s what you’re after,” Serena almost growls. Since when,” she says, too measured, too calm, “does dressing up as a character mean embodying it so completely? I mean, you don’t see me flying about the place, cackling spells left right and centre; this is still a hospital,” Sacha opens his mouth, promptly closes it again as Serena’s face dares him to even try. She pinches the bridge of her nose. “I waded through half a ward full of Hogwarts wannabes down on E.D., AAU sent me on a wild goose chase, quite literally, I might add, thanks to the wonderful patient dressed as Peter Rabbit who brought a real life Jemima Puddleduck with him, Darwin… Well, does embodying an evil queen really constitute dressing up for Ms. Naylor, or just a well overdue coming out? Anyway, the Italian is quite the infuriating riddler, too – it seems the same person that explained World Book Day to Bernie, also explained it to him – and so…” she takes a deep, fortifying breath, and bestows a sickly, false smile upon Sacha, who has backed up a few paces. “I am still none the wiser as to where, exactly, Wally is, and, as you can probably tell, entirely unamused that the entire hospital has somehow become an embodiment of a bloody activity illustration!” “Maybe it would have been easier if you used your broom!” he chuckles, the humour almost literally melting from his face under Serena’s acerbic eyebrows.

He nods placatingly, his lips moving for a few seconds before forming words again. “You know, not all ice queens are evil, just… umm, just an aside,” he adds, quickly. “And you might want to cast your…umm, net, your net!… A bit wider. Think outside the box,” Serena’s arms cross almost violently. “Mr. Levy, apparently I need to spell it out to you, I am not in the mood. Where. Is. Bernie?” The Wally, Serena’s mind supplies, and she rolls her eyes at herself, at the fact that, even when she’s exasperating, Bernie can still slip past her facades and make her smile, even if not entirely happily. She feels a hand on her arm, and turns her head slowly. “Follow me,” Essie smiles, and Serena arches an eyebrow. Sacha barely contains a snort as Serena takes in Essie’s deep red cloak, the hood pulled up over her plait, the apron and the basket hanging at her waist. “Obviously,” Serena mutters, rolling her eyes.

They reach paediatrics to find as many beds and chairs as possible gathered around the windows, and other patients, carers and nurses navigating the mesh of machines and wires to find a space. “What-” Serena breaks off as a youngster squeals and points through the window, only for the various gasps of delight to melt away into disappointment. “The building opposite is empty, being demolished soon,” Essie explains. “This morning, the builders dressed up as Harry Potter characters, did a bit of a skit from a cherry picker. Kids were delighted. Some of them can’t leave, and can’t dress up themselves for various reasons,” Serena softens as she watches everyone staring avidly out of the window. She frowns minutely. “This morning? So, what are they doing now?” “Ah,” Essie smiles. “They’re looking for our big bad Wolfe, currently known as Wally.” Serena, thoroughly confused as well as exasperated again, sighs. “Oh, don’t you start. Simple sentences, please, for a simple mind, it’s been a long day.” “Ms. Wolfe went out for a break earlier, and a couple of kids spotted her. Started betting that so-and-so couldn’t find Wally, too. The nurses offered up prizes. Gave the kids something fun to do. The ones that could leave the ward came looking on Darwin, Rossini riddled them to Keller, Sacha found them, they found Bernie, and since then, every half hour or so, she pops up in one of the windows of the building opposite, in various shapes and sizes. She didn’t want to do it all round the hospital, said it wasn’t fair on the kids that couldn’t leave the ward. So,” Essie shrugs, beaming. “There she is,” Serena’s hand moves to her chest as she takes in the children, pointing and whispering and poking each other excitedly. “Yes,” she says, wonderingly. “There she is,”

Serena marches determinedly up to the builders, thankful that some of them, at least, are still dressed up, so that they don’t look at her as though she’s completely batty. At least, until she opens her mouth. “Fifth floor, third window, please, quick as you can,” she stands in front of the cherry picker, hands on hips, tapping her foot expectantly. “‘Scuse me?” one asks, a blonde fringe poking out from underneath his hard hat. “I need you to take me up to the fifth floor, third window in from the right, the one without the glass,” she explains, patiently. He looks between her, the machine, the window, her again. “Couldn’t ya just fly up, Professor?” he grins. “Very droll, haven’t heard that once today. And there are other literary witches outside the Harry Potter universe, you know,” she huffs, somewhat indignantly. He smiles, shakes his head. “Sorry, darlin’, no can do. It’s not really allowed,” “Oh, come now, Mr. Malfoy,” she drawls, hooking her arm in his, oozing charm. “Slytherins aren’t ones for cow-towing to petty regulations, are they? I won’t tell if you don’t. I really need to find Wally, or Wanda, or whatever the stripy hero is calling herself. She’s rather a big deal around here. Besides,” she squeezes his arm, breaths deeply enough to draw his attention to the pendant dangling tantalisingly on her chest. “You wouldn’t want your father to hear about this, would you?” He barks a laugh, untangling himself from her, and has a quick word with a couple of other men who have been watching their interaction with some amusement. “Alright,” he relents, unlocking the cage and ushering her in. “But if my father does hear about this, it’s your guts I’m offering him for garters, capiche?” She winks at him, and holds on to her hat as the wind picks up around the second floor. “What Professor did you have me down as, anyway?” she asks, a glint in her eye. He gulps and looks desperately up. “Let’s Obliviate it,” he says, hopefully, and she laughs, the final tendrils of the days annoyances flying away. The ascent is excruciatingly slow, but finally, they reach the fifth floor. Serena turns to face the hospital, an exaggerated frown on her face. She holds her hands up in the universal “Where?” sign, and after some jostling and earnestly searching faces, they start pointing frantically. Serena turns slowly, moves closer to the window as a red bobble hat comes poking up from the sill. When Bernie’s head follows, she is momentarily taken aback at coming face to face, quite literally mere inches apart, with Serena. “Bloody hell!” she exclaims, and leans out of the window to look around. “Contrary to the apparently universal belief, my preferred mode of transport is not a broomstick,” Serena remarks, drily. Bernie blushes, but recovers quickly. “Well no,” she says, smirking. “Go big or go home; good motto,” she gestures to the cherry picker. Serena arches a brow. “I wore out the broom flying around the entire hospital looking for you,”

Bernie laughs, and Draco Malfoy hangs over the edge to hide his silent chuckles. He pulls out his wand and starts entertaining the onlookers with some intricate, clumsy movements. “Well,” Bernie laughs more gently now, holding her arms out in surrender. “Here I am. What can I do you for, Meg on the Moon?” Serena’s quite forgotten why, exactly, she was so intently searching for Bernie; knows she can’t hide the fact, as Bernie’s eyes are sparkling and a smile just clinging to the corners of her mouth. So she ducks her head, smiles disarmingly. “Treasure,” she breathes. Then, more loudly, with a nonchalant quirk of her shoulders, before Bernie’s eyes widen impossibly. “I found you. I heard there’s a prize. And you know how I love a good prize.” They’re vaguely aware of Builder-Malfoy’s movements, of very distant yells and cheers as he riles up the crowd of spectators. “Sacha ate the chocolate,” Bernie whispers, her tone light and playful, laced with undertones. “And wine would have been unethical, illegal, cruel…” “A good prize, Ms. Wolfe,” Serena repeats, stepping as close as she can to the to the edge of the cage. “I don’t fly, not even for chocolate. Not even for Shiraz,” Her face is full of challenge, and Bernie’s be-striped chest rises and falls visibly faster. They see Builder-Malfoy’s wand waving dangerously over them, then jabbing at the air above them quite insistently. Bernie’s lashes flutter, her teeth worrying her bottom lip until she releases it, excruciatingly slowly. “Nope,” she says finally, a smile spreading lazily over her entire face, holding out her arms. Serena leans into them, her own coming up to reach out. “Seems I was all out of Protego charms.” They pull each other close, and capture adoring laughter in a kiss.

#my fic #agonising over three fics and this just tumbles out in five minutes #world book day insp #tumblr insp #Berena #i really wanna think more about what jac would actually dress up as #because ice/snow/ evil queen seems too obvious #maybe Emma made her be Miss Honey #Sacha Levy the six foot Samwise Gamgee #i fucking love writing #even if i use the words smile laugh arch and eyebrow far too often #Holby City meets Harry Potter #Serena Campbell #Bernie Wolfe #holby city

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the-king-andthe-lionheart · 3 years

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A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes - Arya Stark and her Cinderella Motifs

In A Song of Ice and Fire, GRRM often uses fairy tale motifs to help tell a character’s story. Sometimes this motif spans all throughout the characters arc while other times it will only be used for one or two scenes, or anywhere in between. And often one character can have several fairy tale motifs at different times in their arcs or even running concurrently. For Arya, she has quite a few fairy tale motifs in her arc, but for now I’m going to focus on her Cinderella motifs that are mainly prevalent in A Clash of Kings but do show up at other times all throughout her arc as well. I’m going to focus primarily on Arya’s A Clash of Kings arc, but we will be stopping by A Storm of Swords and A Feast for Crows a few times too. And I am going to use several versions of the retellings of Cinderella, including the Disney version, but only the 1950 original and none of its sequels. I also want to note that not all the parallels are obvious due to things being more metaphorical or symbolic, while other times being whatever subversion that tickled GRRM’s fancy at the time.

There are many common aspects across the board when it comes to Cinderella retellings. Often it entails the heroine losing one or both of her parents, being oppressed by her abusive stepmother and stepsisters and being forced into menial, backbreaking labor that leaves the heroine dirty and often covered in ashes. It usually entails a magical guardian who helps the heroine, magical transformations, ballgowns and a ball where she falls in love with either a Prince or a King. An identifying item is also involved, usually a slipper made of gold or glass, where one of the pair is lost when the heroine is running from her beloved. And the Prince/King almost always searches the realm for the woman that identifying item belongs to, and when he finds the heroine they usually marry.

Written out like that it’s hard to believe that this is a motif used for Arya. After all she’s not in the position to be going to balls and she’s just a child so it seems unlikely at the time she’s at Harrenhal she’s going to fall in love. However, this motif appears all throughout her arc in various and creative and subversive and repetitive ways, and motifs don’t have to be all or none and they don’t have to be in the order the original stories were laid out. A lot of people also don’t like the idea that Arya has an actual Disney Princess motif in her story because she’s a “tomboy”, but the fact is that Arya is a Princess at the time she’s at Harrenhal, it’s even explicitly stated in Arya X ACOK, whether people acknowledge it or not, where a lot of these motifs take place. I know some people will be dismissive of this and think I’m reaching, but I hope upon reading this I’ll have convinced you of this motif being present. :)

Step-Mother and Step-Sisters

Some of the two most common features in any variant of Cinderella is the “Persecuted Heroine” and the “Female Persecutor”. Often this manifests as the wicked stepmother and the evil step-sisters, but in some versions a stepmother does not appear, and it’s the heroine’s older sisters who confine her to the kitchens instead. In the opera, La Cenerentola, Gioachino Rossini inverted the gender roles where the heroine Cenerentola is oppressed by her stepfather. And in some retellings at least one of the step siblings is somewhat kind to the heroine even. We symbolically see these archetypes many times in Arya’s narrative with various types of inversions.

When we enter ACOK, we find a dirty and disguised Arya traveling with Yoren and the Night’s Watch recruits, having just lost her father (a subversion of the prevalent theme of Cinderella losing her mother very young). She is also being bullied by two older boys, Lommy and Hot Pie:

At Winterfell they [Sansa and Jeyne] had called her “Arya Horseface” and she’d thought nothing could be worse, but that was before the orphan boy Lommy Greenhands had named her “Lumpyhead.” - Arya I ACOK

That wasn’t the hardest part at all; Lommy Greenhands and Hot Pie were the hardest part. - Arya I ACOK

“Look at that sword Lumpyhead’s got there,” Lommy said one morning […] “Where’s a gutter rat like Lumpyhead get him a sword?”

[. . .]

“Maybe he’s a little squire,” Hot Pie put in. […] “Some lordy lord’s little squire boy, that’s it.”

“He ain’t no squire, look at him. I bet that’s not even a real sword. I bet it’s just some play sword made of tin.”

Arya hated them making fun of Needle. “It’s castle-forged steel, you stupid,” she snapped, turning in the saddle to glare at them, “and you better shut your mouth.”

The orphan boys hooted. “Where’d you get a blade like that, Lumpyface?” Hot Pie wanted to know.

“Lumpyhead,” corrected Lommy. He prob’ly stole it.”

“I did not!” she shouted. Jon Snow had given her Needle. Maybe she had to let them call her Lumpyhead, but she wasn’t going to let them call Jon a thief.

“If he stole it, we could take it off him,” said Hot Pie. “It’s not his anyhow. I could use me a sword like that.”

Lommy egged him on. “Go on, take it off him, I dare you.”

Hot Pie kicked his donkey, riding closer. “Hey, Lumpyface, you gimme that sword.” […] “You don’t know how to use it.”

[. . .]

“Look at him,” brayed Lommy Greenhands. “I bet he’s going to cry now. You want to cry, Lumpyhead?” – Arya I ACOK

In the first two quotes we have Arya likening the behavior of Hot Pie and Lommy to that of Jeyne Poole and Sansa. In AGOT, Sansa and Jeyne took on the “evil step-sister” archetype (and before anybody attacks me, I don’t think these two are actually “evil”, just children who think it’s okay to bully someone who is different from them), but now we are shown that this archetype has temporarily shifted onto Lommy and Hot Pie, with some subversions. These two are now male and they aren’t related to Arya in any way. Some variants of the Cinderella story do portray male siblings mistreating the younger “Cinderella” sibling though. One of the stories in One Thousand and One Nights depict a story called “Judar and his Brethren”, in which the main character is poisoned by his biological brothers in the end, depicting a rare tragic ending for this retelling. However, these subversions are completely fine because either way, they took on the role of the “bully” to Arya’s Cinderella archetype currently in the narrative.

Furthermore, while Septa Mordane was the obvious “wicked stepmother” archetype to Arya’s Cinderella archetype in AGOT, I think arguably this has fallen to Cersei now (and the Lannister’s as a whole). Cersei may not be present, but she is the reason why Arya is in the situation she is in right now. After all, Cersei takes on the role of “Evil Queen” for Sansa and Jon (they both share Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs motifs) so I do think she is the metaphorical “wicked stepmother” in this equation regardless of the fact that Cersei isn’t anything remotely close to a stepmother to Arya in the narrative, but she fits the general archetype of “female persecutor” the most in the current situation. For the case about Septa Mordane being a “wicked stepmother” archetype, I want to point to Cenerentola by Basile, in which the “wicked stepmother” started out as being the heroine’s governess, and Septa’s are the closest substitute to a governess in the universe of ASOIAF.

This isn’t the end to these archetypes being in play. As the early chapters of ACOK go on we see the animosity between Lommy, Hot Pie, and Arya disappear to the point where they become allies and then friends. With this shift in dynamic we see the archetypes disappearing with some of these same characters taking on entirely new Cinderella archetypes, while the “wicked stepmother” and “evil step-sibling” archetypes move onto other characters as well.

At Harrenhal we are introduced to two wicked women who next take on the “evil step-sibling” archetype, Goodwife Harra and Goodwife Amabel. These two even comment on Arya’s feet:

When Arya's turn came round, Goodwife Amabel clucked in dismay at the sight of her feet, while Goodwife Harra felt the callus on her fingers that long hours of practice with Needle had earned her. "Got those churning butter, I'll wager," she said. "Some farmer's whelp, are you? Well, never you mind, girl, you have a chance to win a higher place in this world if you work hard. If you won't work hard, you'll be beaten. And what do they call you?"

Arya dared not say her true name, but Arry was no good either, it was a boy’s name and they could see she was no boy. “Weasel,” she said, naming the first girl she could think of. “Lommy called me Weasel.”

“I can see why,” sniffed Goodwife Amabel. “That hair is a fright and a nest for lice as well. We’ll have it off, and then you’re for the kitchens.”

“I’d sooner tend the horses.” Arya liked horses, and maybe if she was in the stables she’d be able to steal one and escape.

Goodwife Harra slapped her so hard that her swollen lip broke open all over again. “And keep that tongue to yourself or you’ll get worse. No one asked your views.”

The blood in her mouth had a salty metal tang to it. Arya dropped her gaze and said nothing. If I still had Needle, she wouldn’t dare hit me, she thought sullenly.

“Lord Tywin and his knights have grooms and squires to tend their horses, they don’t need the likes of you,” Goodwife Amabel said. “The kitchens are snug and clean, and there’s always a warm fire to sleep by and plenty to eat. You might have done well there, but I can see you’re not a clever girl. Harra, I believe we should give this one to Weese.”

“If you think so, Amabel.” They gave her a shift of grey roughspun wool and a pair of ill-fitting shoes and sent her off. – Arya VI ACOK

Later Goodwife Amabel even threatens to rape Arya:

Three Frey men-at-arms were using them that morning as Arya went to the well. She tried not to look, but she could hear the men laughing. The pail was very heavy once full. She was turning to bring it back to Kingspyre when Goodwife Amabel seized her arm. The water went sloshing over the side onto Amabel's legs. "You did that on purpose," the woman screeched.

"What do you want?" Arya squirmed in her grasp. Amabel had been half-crazed since they'd cut Harra's head off.

"See there?" Amabel pointed across the yard at Pia. "When this northman falls you'll be where she is."

"Let me go." She tried to wrench free, but Amabel only tightened her fingers.

"He will fall too, Harrenhal pulls them all down in the end. Lord Tywin's won now, he'll be marching back with all his power, and then it will be his turn to punish the disloyal. And don't think he won't know what you did!" The old woman laughed. "I may have a turn at you myself. Harra had an old broom, I'll save it for you. The handle's cracked and splintery—" - Arya X ACOK

Menial, Backbreaking Labor

When Arya is enslaved and forced into the oppressive walls of Harrenhal, she is forced to scrub floors and do other menial, backbreaking work from sunrise to sunset, just like Cinderella:

Weese used Arya to run messages, draw water, and fetch food, and sometimes to serve at table in the Barracks Hall above the armory, where the men-at-arms took their meals. But most of her work was cleaning. The ground floor of the Wailing Tower was given over to storerooms and granaries, and two floors above housed part of the garrison, but the upper stories had not been occupied for eighty years. Now Lord Tywin had commanded that they be made fit for habitation again. There were floors to be scrubbed, grime to be washed off windows, broken chairs and rotted beds to be carried off. The topmost story was infested with nests of the huge black bats that House Whent had used for its sigil, and there were rats in the cellars as well . . . and ghosts, some said, the spirits of Harren the Black and his sons. – Arya VII ACOK

She spent the rest of that day scrubbing steps inside the Wailing Tower. By evenfall her hands were raw and bleeding and her arms so sore they trembled when she lugged the pail back to the cellar. Too tired even for food, Arya begged Weese's pardons and crawled into her straw to sleep. – Arya VII ACOK

Magical Transformations and Mice

In Disney’s Cinderella, the fairy godmother transforms mice into different creatures. On the road to Harrenhal, Arya not only likens herself to a sheep, but a mouse and continues her time at Harrenhal referring to herself as a “mouse”. This is also a subversion, while Cinderella in the Disney incarnation befriends mice, in our story Arya becomes the meek mouse:

On the road Arya had felt like a sheep, but Harrenhal turned her into a mouse. She was grey as a mouse in her scratchy wool shift, and like a mouse she kept to the crannies and crevices and dark holes of the castle, scurrying out of the way of the mighty. – Arya VII ACOK

He does not know me, she thought. Arry was a fierce little boy with a sword, and I’m just a grey mouse girl with a pail. – Arya VII ACOK

She was very small and Harrenhal was very large, full of places where a mouse could hide. – Arya VII ACOK

Even Jaqen calls Arya a mouse:

She crept up quiet as a shadow, but he opened his eyes all the same. “She steals in on little mice feet, but a man hears,” he said. How could he hear me? She wondered, and it seemed as if he heard that as well. “The scuff of leather on stone sings loud as warhorns to a man with open ears. Clever girls go barefoot.” – Arya VIII ACOK

However, through Jaqen, Arya begins to feel more in control of her situation, stronger and is transformed, if only for a short time.

“…Some are saying it was Harren’s ghost flung him down.” He snorted to show what he thought of such notions.

It wasn’t Harren, Arya wanted to say, it was me. She has killed Chiswyck with a whisper, and she would kill two more before she was through. I’m the ghost in Harrenhal, she thought. And that night, there was one less name to hate. – Arya VII ACOK

I was a sheep, and then I was a mouse, I couldn’t do anything but hide. Arya chewed her lip and tried to think when her courage had come back. Jaqen made me brave again. He made me a ghost instead of a mouse. – Arya IX ACOK

Lucifer the Cat

In Disney’s Cinderella, Lucifer is Lady Tremaine’s cat who is described as being a sly, wicked, and manipulative mouse consumer. He spends the whole film trying to torment and catch the mice. I feel that Weese takes on aspects of this feline character, and I think this because of certain descriptors that are given to Weese to make him appear almost catlike:

“Weasel,” Weese purred, “next time I see that mouth droop open, I’ll pull out your tongue and feed it to my bitch.” – Arya VII ACOK

In his own small strutting way, Weese was nearly as scary as Ser Gregor. The Mountain swatted men like flies, but most of the time he did not even seem to know the fly was there. Weese always knew you were there, and what you were doing, and sometimes what you were thinking. He would hit at the slightest provocation, and he had a dog who was near as bad as he was, an ugly spotted bitch that smelled worse than any dog Arya had ever known. Once she saw him set the dog on a latrine boy who’d annoyed him. She tore a big chunk out of the boy’s calf while Weese laughed. – Arya VII ACOK

So here we have Weese purring, strutting, being compared to the Mountain who swats at peoples, and being watchful and observant, very much like a cat. And like in the movie, a dog attacks him. Now Weese didn’t fall from a tower window, but Chiswyck fell/was pushed. Considering these two are the two people Arya had Jaqen kill, I wouldn’t be surprised if they are meant to make up two halves of a whole in this regard. After all, they are both wicked creatures who prey upon the weak, just like Lucifer and they both got their just desserts for it.

Jaq the Mouse

In Disney’s Cinderella, Cinderella rescues mice from traps, as well as from Lucifer, and dresses and feeds them. They perform favors in return. At the beginning of the film, a mouse named Gus is trapped in a cage, and the leader of the mice finds him and retrieves Cinderella to free him. The leader of the mice is a mouse named Jaq, and he was also a mouse that was saved by Cinderella from a cage. This sounds awfully familiar…

Rushing through the barn doors was like running into a furnace. The air was swirling with smoke, the back wall a sheet of fire ground to roof. Their horses and donkeys were kicking and rearing and screaming. The poor animals, Arya thought. Then she saw the wagon, and the three men manacled to its bed. Biter was flinging himself against the chains, blood running down his arms from where the iron clasped his wrists. Rorge screamed curses, kicking at the wood. “Boy!” called Jaqen H’ghar. “Sweet boy!”

[. . .]

“Good boys, kind boys,” called Jaqen H’ghar, coughing.

“Get these fucking chains off!” Rorge screamed.

[. . .]

Going back into that barn was the hardest thing she ever did. Smoke was pouring out the open door like a writhing black snake, and she could hear the screams of the poor animals inside, donkeys and horses and men. She chewed her lip, and darted through the doors, crouched low where the smoke wasn’t quite so thick.

A donkey was caught in a ring of fire, shrieking in terror and pain. She could smell the stench of burning hair. The roof was gone up too, and things were falling down, pieces of flaming wood and bits of straw and hay. Arya put a hand over her mouth and nose. She couldn’t see the wagon for the smoke, but she could still hear Biter screaming. She crawled toward the sound.

And then a wheel was looming over her. The wagon jumped and moved a half foot when Biter threw himself against his chains again. Jaqen saw her, but it was too hard to breathe, let alone talk. She threw the axe into the wagon. Rorge caught it and lifted it over his head, rivers of sooty sweat pouring down his noseless face. Arya was running, coughing. She heard the steel crash through the old wood, and again, again. An instant later came a crack as loud as thunder, and the bottom of the wagon came ripping loose in an explosion of splinters. – Arya IV ACOK

So here we have Jaq who is leader of the mice, who also helps Cinderella by doing her favors. Then we have Jaqen H’ghar who is the leader of Rorge and Biter (this name seems even more fitting now) and who is performing favors for Arya, which leads me to Jaqen’s dual Cinderella archetype: Fairy Godmother.

Magical Helpers

Some versions of Magical Helpers come from fairy godmothers or talking animals or genies. In other versions this help comes to the heroine through her dead mother, often manifesting through animal aid. In One Thousand and One Nights, in the story of “Judar and his Brethren” Judar is our Cinderella figure, whose own brothers betray and poison him, but before that he was gifted a genie named Al-Ra’ad al-Kasif who granted Judar’s wishes. In the passage below Jaqen grants Arya three “wishes” which is typical for genies to grant in our popular consciousness:

She remembered that she hated him. “You scared me. You’re one of them now, I should have let you burn. What are you doing here? Go away or I’ll yell for Weese.”

“A man pays his debts. A man owes three.”

“Three?”

“The Red God has his due, sweet girl, and only death may pay for life. This girl took three that were his. This girl must give three in their places. Speak the names, and a man will do the rest.”

He wants to help me, Arya realized with a rush of hope that made her dizzy. “Take me to Riverrun, it’s not far, if we stole some horses we could—”

He laid a finger on her lips. “Three lives you shall have of me. No more, no less. Three and we are done. So a girl must ponder.” He kissed her hair softly. “But not too long.” – Arya VII ACOK

Later, we also see that “wishes” have consequences, which is also prevalent when genies are concerned. GRRM himself is a big fan of consequences and unintended side effects.

Jaqen is not Arya’s only form of Magical Help at Harrenhal however. Jaqen may take on the role of Fairy Godmother/Genie, but we also see Arya experiencing the help of not only an animal aid, but from a dead parent. For instance, the heroine in Aschenputtel, by the Brother’s Grimm, is given a hazel twig by her father that she plants over her mother’s grave. She waters it with tears and over the years it grows into a glowing hazel tree. The girl prays under it three times a day, chanting, and a bird emerges from it that grants her wishes. There are two instances of something similar happening in the books:

In the godswood she found her broomstick sword where she had left it, and carried it to the heart tree. There she knelt. Red leaves rustled. Red eyes peered inside her. The eyes of the gods. “Tell me what to do, you gods,” she prayed.

For a long moment there was no sound but the wind and the water and the creak of leaf and limb. And then, far far off, beyond the godswood and the haunted towers and the immense stone walls of Harrenhal, from somewhere out in the world, came the long lonely howl of a wolf. Gooseprickles rose on Arya’s skin, and for an instant she felt dizzy. Then, so faintly, it seemed as if she heard her father’s voice. “When the snows fall and the white winds blow, the lone wolf dies, but the pack survives,” he said.

“But there is no pack,” she whispered to the weirwood. Bran and Rickon were dead, the Lannisters had Sansa, Jon had gone to the Wall. “I’m not even me now, I’m Nan.”

“You are Arya of Winterfell, daughter of the north. You told me you could be strong. You have the wolf blood in you.”

“The wolf blood.” Arya remembered now. “I’ll be as strong as Robb. I said I would.” She took a deep breath, then lifted the broomstick in both hands and brought it down across her knee. It broke with a loud crack, and she threw the pieces aside. I am a direwolf, and done with wooden teeth. – Arya X ACOK

Here we see an inversion. Arya’s mother isn’t dead at this time, but her father, Ned is. He is who we hear through the heart tree giving Arya this empowering “Mufasa” moment that gives way to Arya’s true transformation in this arc, she reclaims her identity. And as soon as Arya asks the old gods for aid, a wolf howls in the distance as if in answer. It’s not confirmed but I do truly believe that this howl came from Nymeria, by way of the Old Gods/Greenseers, who somehow helped strengthen their bond. It is after this moment that Arya starts having full on wolf dreams in earnest and it’s through her first wolf dream that we see that Nymeria may have become Arya’s animal aid:

Her dreams were red and savage. The Mummers were in them, four at least, a pale Lyseni and a dark brutal axeman from Ib, the scarred Dothraki horse lord called Iggo and a Dornishman whose name she never knew. On and on they came, riding through the rain in rusting mail and wet leather, swords and axe clanking against their saddles. They thought they were hunting her, she knew with all the strange sharp certainty of dreams, but they were wrong. She was hunting them.

She was no little girl in the dream; she was a wolf, huge and powerful, and when she emerged from beneath the trees in front of them and bared her teeth in a low rumbling growl, she could small the rank stench of fear from horse and man alike. The Lyseni’s mount reared and screamed in terror, and the others shouted at one another in mantalk, but before they could act the other wolves came hurtling from the darkness and the rain, a great pack of them, gaunt and wet and silent.

The fight was short but bloody. The hairy man went down as he unslung his axe, the dark one died stringing an arrow, and the pale man from Lys tried to bolt. Her brothers and sisters ran him down, turning him again and again, coming at him from all sides, snapping at the legs of his horse and tearing the throat from the rider when he came crashing to the earth. – Arya I ASOS

We see here that Nymeria and her pack protected Arya, Gendry, and Hot Pie against their pursuers after their escape from Harrenhal.

Here is another instance of Arya praying under the heart tree:

Arya went to her knees. She wasn’t sure how she should begin. She clasped her hands together. Help me, you old gods, she prayed silently. Help me get those men out of the dungeon so we can kill Ser Amory, and bring me home to Winterfell. Make me a water dancer and a wolf and not afraid again, ever.

Was that enough? Maybe she should pray aloud if she wanted the old gods to hear. Maybe she should pray longer. Sometimes her father had prayed a long time, she remembered. But the old gods had never helped him. Remembering that made her angry. “You should have saved him,” she scolded the tree. “He prayed to you all the time. I don’t care if you help me or not. I don’t think you could even if you wanted to.”

“Gods are not mocked, girl.”

The voice startled her. She leapt to her feet and drew her wooden sword. Jaqen H’ghar stood so still in the darkness that he seemed one of the trees. “A man comes to hear a name. One and two and then comes three. A man would have done.”

Arya lowered the splintery point toward the ground. “How did you know I was here?”

“A man sees. A mean hears. A man knows.”

She regarded him suspiciously. Had the gods sent him? “How’d you make the dog kill Weese? Did you call Rorge and Biter up from hell? Is Jaqen H’ghar your true name?

“Some men have many names. Weasel. Arry. Arya.”

She backed away from him, until she was pressed against the heart tree. “Did Gendry tell?”

“A man knows,” he said again. “My lady of Stark.”

Maybe the gods had sent him in answer to her prayers. – Arya IX ACOK

In Cenerentola, the heroine’s (Zezolla) father is given a date seedling by a fairy and he gives it to his daughter. Zezolla cultivates the tree in which a fairy lives. This fairy gives Zezolla magical aid. When Arya prayed beneath the heart tree in the above quote it almost seems like Jaqen appeared from the trees, leaving Arya to question if the old gods sent him.

And like in Aschenputtel and Disney’s Cinderella, Arya spends time at Harrenhal singing/chanting to herself as well:

Barefoot surefoot lightfoot, she sang under her breath. I am the ghost in Harrenhal. – Arya IX ACOK

This is very strange for a couple of reasons. When we first meet Arya she claims not to like songs and doesn’t sing. She continues this up until she goes to Braavos. There she discovers that she likes the bawdy songs when she is using the name, Cat of the Canals. The only exception to this is when Arya is at Harrenhal. Another reason this is odd is because of where Arya is at physically and mentally. So either Arya was always lying about not liking songs, or Arya singing here is supposed to tell us something.

And while this might not mean anything, I found it interesting that Arya spends a lot of her time in ACOK barefoot. Now Cinderella isn’t really said to be barefoot in the stories, but she did usually lose a shoe when running away from the Prince/King, hence making her barefoot. When Arya decides to escape Harrenhal, she does don a pair of shoes again and from then on out she mostly wears them. This also leads to a fun bit of subversion. In the originals tales it’s always the Prince/King saving Cinderella from further oppression. But in Arya X ACOK, not only did she (a princess) plan the escape, but she saves Gendry, a lost (albeit bastard) prince, along with Hot Pie, from further oppression (and torture and death) by their slavers in their prison camp. (Hot Pie definitely reminds me of Gus Gus as well by the way :D)

From Rags to Riches

In many versions of Cinderella, we also see the heroine become physically transformed. The heroine is usually dirty, covered in ashes, and wearing “rags” before they are made over. In the most popular version, Disney’s Cinderella, the Fairy Godmother magically turns her from dirty household servant to highborn lady, adorning her in a silver ballgown and glass slippers. In Ye Xian, magical fish bones, help the heroine dress appropriately for a local Festival, including a light, golden shoe. And in Aschenputtel, the doves that emerge from her hazel tree, that grant the heroine wishes, drop a gold and silver gown and silk shoes down to her to wear to the ball. Also, noticeably, this is the time the Prince/King notices Cinderella and finally “sees” her.

While we didn’t get anything like that in ACOK, we don’t have to look much farther than ASOS, when Arya goes to Acorn Hall and meets Lady Smallwood, who puts her in two different dresses:

And afterward, they insisted she dress herself in girl’s things, brown woolen stockings and a light linen shift, and over that a light green gown with acorns embroidered all over the bodice in brown thread, and more acorns bordering the hem. – Arya IV ASOS

It was even worse than before; Lady Smallwood insisted that Arya take another bath, and cut and comb her hair besides; the dress she put her in this time was sort of lilac-colored, and decorated with little baby pearls. The only good thing about it was that it was so delicate that no one could expect her to ride in it. – Arya IV ASOS

And while there is no ball, Arya and Gendry spend their time in the forge together. This is the very first time Gendry has seen Arya look like a proper lady. Cinderella and Arya are no longer dirty and in rags and they are now in gowns looking their place in society, despite Arya’s dress not being nearly as grand. However, it’s enough of a change for Gendry to finally realize just who Arya truly is when it comes to her place in the world. And judging by his behavior after this event, he also begins to acknowledge that if he continues to stay by her side he could potentially love her romantically in the future as well:

Gendry reached out with the tongs as if to pinch her face, but Arya swatted them away.

[. . .]

Gendry put the hammer down and looked at her. “You look different now. Like a proper little girl.”

“I look like an oak tree, with all these stupid acorns.”

“Nice, though. A nice oak tree.” He stepped closer, and sniffed at her. “You even smell nice for a change.” – Arya IV ASOS

Runaway Princess

Now we may not have had a ball, but while taking shelter in a stone stable with the Brotherhood Without Banners, Arya does run outside, trying to get away from everyone:

His words beat at her ears like the pounding of a drum, and suddenly it was more than Arya could stand. She wanted Riverrun, not Acorn Hall; she wanted her mother and her brother Robb, not Lady Smallwood or some uncle she never knew. Whirling, she broke for the door, and when Harwin tried to grab her arm she spun away from him quick as a snake.

Outside the stables the rain was still falling, and distant lightning flashed in the west. Arya ran as fast as she could. She did not know where she was going, only that she wanted to be alone, away from all the voices, away from their hollow words and broken promises. All I wanted was to go to Riverrun. It was her own fault, for taking Gendry and Hot Pie with her when she left Harrenhal. She would have been better alone. If she had been alone, the outlaws would never have caught her, and she’d be with Robb and her mother by now. They were never my pack. If they had been, they wouldn’t leave me. She splashed through a puddle of muddy water. Someone was shouting her name, Harwin probably, or Gendry, but the thunder drowned them out as it rolled across the hills half a heartbeat behind the lightning. The lightning lord, she thought angrily. Maybe he couldn’t die, but he could lie. – Arya VIII ASOS

Now it’s not explicitly clear that it was Gendry who ran after Arya, calling her name, but due to the possible symbolism in the scene, and also his behavior in AFFC, it makes me think it was him. But whether he was or not I believe just Arya believing it might be him makes this applicable enough as a loose parallel for the Prince chasing after Cinderella, only for Cinderella to disappear like in many of the Cinderella retellings.

Searching the Realm

At the end of ASOS in the epilogue we learn that Lady Stoneheart and the Brotherhood Without Banners, who Gendry is a part of is actively searching for Arya:

The outlaw gave him (Merrett Frey) an encouraging smile. “Well, as it happens, we’re looking for a dog that ran away.”

“A dog?” Merrett was lost. “What kind of dog?”

“He answers to the name Sandor Clegane […] Did you see him at the wedding, perchance?”

[. . .]

“He would have had a child with him,” said the singer. “A skinny girl, about ten. Or perhaps a boy the same age.”

“I don’t think so,” said Merrett. “Not that I knew.” – Epilogue ASOS

In many retellings of the Cinderella story, the Prince/King searches the realm looking for the heroine with an identifying item, and typically that item is a shoe of some sort. Once the shoe is placed on the heroine’s foot it symbolically means the heroine is reclaiming her identity. Arya, however, didn’t lose a shoe, and I’d argue that when Ned/the Old Gods/the Greenseers spoke to Arya through the heart tree, empowering Arya, that’s when Arya reclaimed her identity, at least for that time as Arya must reclaim her identity multiple times in her arc. I’d argue that Arya’s connection to the North and her family is her overall identifying item. But I fully believe Gendry himself might be another “identifying item,” along with him still taking on the archetypal role of “prince”.

Why do I say this? Because in AFFC Gendry is stationed at one of the last known places Arya was sighted at with the Hound, the Crossroads Inn, where he is blacksmithing while also helping to look after orphans. He was likely stationed there by Lady Stoneheart and the Brotherhood Without Banners because he knew Arya the best out of everyone (remember LSH would probably have a hard time recognizing Arya after two plus years and a resurrection). So if she returned, he would not only have a better chance at recognizing her, but also possibly a better chance at keeping her there compared to anyone else. If people are doubting that this is Gendry’s role, just remember that the BWB is actively looking for Arya, and also note Gendry’s personality shift post-ASOS. Gendry has always been rude and moody, but in AFFC it has been taken to the extreme. He is absolutely furious and instead of being just plain rude, he’s actually become mean and more violent. He also seems to have something against the Hound now, someone who he previously had nothing against during the Hound’s trial by combat earlier in ASOS:

…The boy came and stood beside her, his hammer in his hand.

Lightning cracked to the south as the riders swung down off their horses. For half a heartbeat darkness turned to day. An axe gleamed silvery blue, light shimmered off mail and plate, and beneath the dark hood of the lead rider Brienne glimpsed an iron snout and rows of steel teeth, snarling.

Gendry saw it too. “Him.”

“Not him. His helm.” Brienne tried to keep the fear from her voice, but her mouth was dry as dust. – Brienne VII AFFC

That “him” was very pointed and because of the symbolism in the scene surrounding that “him” and the overall change in Gendry’s behavior I definitely take it to mean Gendry does have a problem with the Hound now. So what changed? The Hound kidnapped Arya. I think it’s safe to say that Gendry is just as invested as the rest of the BWB, if not more so, to finding Arya again, hence making him the “prince” searching the realm for his lost Cinderella.

A Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes

In Disney’s Cinderella, songs like “Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo”, “So This Is Love”, “Cinderella”, “A Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes”, “Oh, Sing Sweet Nightingale”, and “The Work Song” are included into the film. This isn’t the first time we’ve seen something like this in the previous retellings however. Like I mentioned earlier the Brother’s Grimm, Aschenputtel, features this as well to some extant. In Aschenputtel, the heroine would “sing a chant” to call upon the white doves that came from her glowing hazel tree. These birds would help her grant wishes and help her complete tasks, and it was most likely the inspiration for why birds were included in the Disney version, although birds have featured in more than just Aschenputtel. I mention this because GRRM wrote Arya a song in the novels:

“My featherbed is deep and soft,

and there I'll lay you down,

I'll dress you all in yellow silk,

and on your head a crown.

For you shall be my lady love,

and I shall be your lord.

I'll always keep you warm and safe,

and guard you with my sword.

“And how she smiled and how she laughed,

the maiden of the tree.

She spun away and said to him,

no featherbed for me.

I'll wear a gown of golden leaves,

and bind my hair with grass,

But you can be my forest love,

and me your forest lass.”

This is very clearly a love song also and we know it’s most likely about Arya and her foreshadowing a possible future relationship with Gendry. And it’s very clearly about them as Gendry is a bastard Baratheon “prince”, hence the mentions of “yellow silk” and a “crown”, and also because Arya quite literally is dressed as an oak tree at this time and almost a maiden and will be a maiden when they reunite later in the series. We also know the song is meant to foreshadow them because of the context. Tom O’Seven’s specifically winked at Arya as he sang this song, and after the song was sung Lady Smallwood, when taking Arya to get changed into a different dress, said to Arya, “I have no gowns of leaves,” which further tells the readers that this song is Arya’s song, her future love song.

A Mother’s Legacy

In the Magical Helpers section above I mentioned that a dead parent may be the one to help the heroine instead of the typical fairy godmother, by either sending an animal to aid the heroine and/or granting wishes, or by the heroine’s mother transforming into an animal. In some Greek versions, in “the Balkan-Slavonic tradition of the tale”, and in some Central Asian variants, the heroine’s mother comes back as a cow who is then killed by the heroine’s sisters. The heroine eventually gathers the bones and from her mother’s grave the heroine is gifted wonderful dresses. In other variants, the heroine’s dead mother comes back as a fish or a female dog. These animals represent the heroine’s mother’s legacy.

Jon chuckled. “Perhaps you should do the same thing, little sister. Wed Tully to Stark in your arms.”

“A wolf with a fish in its mouth?” It made her laugh. “That would look silly…” – Arya I AGOT

That night she went to sleep thinking of her mother, and wondering if she should kill the Hound in his sleep and rescue Lady Catelyn herself. When she closed her eyes she saw her mother’s face against the back of her eyelids. She’s so close I could almost smell her…

…and then she could smell her. The scent was faint beneath the other smells, beneath moss and mud and water, and the stench of rotting reeds and rotting men. She padded slowly through the soft ground to the river’s edge, lapped up a drink, then lifted her head to sniff. The sky was grey and thick with cloud, the river green and full of floating things. Dead men clogged the shallows, some still moving as the water pushed them, others washed up on the banks. Her brothers and sisters swarmed around them, tearing at the rich ripe flesh.

[. . .]

The scent was stronger now [. . .] Only the scent mattered. She sniffed the air again. There it was, and now she saw it too, something pale and white drifting down the river, turning where it brushed against a snag. The reeds bowed down before it.

She splashed noisily through the shallows and threw herself into the deeper water, her legs churning. The current was strong but she was stronger. She swam, following her nose. The river smells were rich and wet, but those were not the smells that pulled her. She paddled after the sharp red whisper of cold blood, the sweet cloying stench of death. She chased them as she had often chased a red deer through the trees, and in the end she ran them down, and her jaw closed around a pale white arm. She shook it to make it move, but there was only death and blood in her mouth. By now she was tiring, and it was all she could do to pull the body back to shore. As she dragged it up the muddy bank, one of her little brothers came prowling, his tongue lolling from his mouth. She had to snarl to drive him off, or else he would have fed. Only then did she stop to shake the water from her fur. The white thing lay facedown in the mud, her dead flesh wrinkled and pale, cold blood trickling from her throat. Rise, she thought. Rise and eat and run with us. – Arya XII ASOS

“So you sewed his head on Robb Stark’s neck after both o’ them were dead,” said yellow cloak.

“My [Merrett Frey] father did that [. . .] I only drank some wine…you have no witness.”

“As it happens, you’re wrong there.” The singer turned to the hooded woman. “Milady?”

The outlaws parted as she came forward, saying no word. When she lowered her hood, something tightened inside Merrett’s chest, and for a moment he could not breathe. No. No, I saw her die. She was dead for a day and night before they stripped her naked and threw her body in the river. Raymund opened her throat from ear to ear. She was dead.

Her cloak and collar hid the gash his brother’s blade had made, but her face was even worse than he remembered. The flesh had gone pudding soft in the water and turned the color of curdled milk. Half her hair was gone and the rest had turned as white and brittle as a crone’s. Beneath her ravaged scalp, her face was shredded skin and black blood where she had raked herself with her nails. But her eyes were the most terrible thing. Her eyes saw him, and they hated.

“She don’t speak,” said the big man in the yellow cloak. “You bloody bastards cut her throat too deep for that. But she remembers.” He turned to the dead woman and said, “What do you say, m’lady? Was he part of it?”

Lady Catelyn’s eyes never left him. She nodded. – Epilogue ASOS

In the Chinese retelling of Cinderella, Ye Xian, the heroine befriends a fish, which is the reincarnation of her deceased mother. In The Story of Tam and Cam, a Vietnamese version, the heroine Tam also had a fish which was killed by the stepmother and the half-sister, and its bones also give her clothes. And a typical scene in Kapmalaien tales is the mother becoming a fish, being eaten in fish form, the daughter burying her bones and a tree sprouting from her grave.

So not only is Lady Catelyn a symbolic fish, a daughter of House Tully, but she’s also been resurrected (reincarnated), and is looking specifically for our heroine, Arya, who I believe will be gifted several various things (both good and bad) by this incarnation of her mother, but we shall see if the parallel continues when TWOW and ADOS come out.

Conclusion

I really hope that after you read this monster you were as convinced as I am that Arya indeed has Cinderella motifs, and an extensive amount of them as well. Whatever it may mean I don’t rightly know, but what I do know is that at the end of the day, the many stories of Cinderella are an analogy. An analogy about someone “who unexpectedly achieves recognition or success after a period of obscurity and neglect”. Of someone whose attributes were unrecognized in their society, only for them to be recognized. And I don’t know about you, but that sounds pretty hand in hand with one of her other biggest fairy tale motifs as well that runs concurrently with the Cinderella motif, and that is the story of “The Ugly Duckling”, who after years of neglect, finds acceptance within society, as well as self-acceptance within themselves. :)

#arya stark #gendrya #asoiaf

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wlw-lovestruck-fiction · 3 years

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Lavinia fluff fic, with some angst in the middle to give it a little bit of ✨spice✨

Written by @cute-ogre

Her friend is hurting again, she is trying so hard to give the heart back to Lavinia, but she can’t.

She feels the anger and the frustration rising.

She can’t control it.

Lavinia can’t control Her.

“Let’s try again.”

“I told you! I don’t know if i-”

The wind get stronger and snow starts to fall in a storm, the forest around them starting to freeze up, and the shivering blonde woman in front of her is trying to hold her ground, play the hero. Trying to be brave, but she is nervous, that much is obvious.

I should’ve never talked to her in the first place, now I care about her and she is in danger and I can’t stop it

She can feel the anger, the bitter taste of madness that is possessing her body.

“Give it back, now!”

Her own voice sounds cold, demanding, echoing in the stillness of the now completely frozen forest, She steps closer to this girl in front of Her, that stupid little thing that is nothing more than it, a girl standing on Her way.

“I’m trying to!” The generational thieve waves her hand wildly.

“If you don’t give it back willingly, I will take it from you!”

The Ice Queen watches the girl give a step back for each step She gives forward until her back hits the frozen trunk of a tree, trapped, eyes staring on hers unwavering, but her chest raising and falling faster than before.

“Lavinia, please…”

There a low tone on her voice, almost pleading.

“What? Are you scared of me?” She is inclining Her head to the side, pretending worry “Owww, don’t you like to see me in a crown?”

The Queen smiles, cold as stone, bringing Her face closer to the little thief to whisper taunting.

“Tell me, which one is worse, living to see me kill everyone you care about or dying first?”

“Lavinia, that’s not you, you are not like this, please!” A killer sweetness appears in the Queen’s voice then.

“Oh, but I am. Give me back what you family stole from me and maybe I will be kind enough to let you go.

“I’m trying I swear!”

Hands hitting the trunk brusquely, framing the girl’s head and trapping her even further, the Queen growl.

“Trying is not enough. I don’t care if you die doing this. Give. My. Heart. Back!”

She watches the blonde flinch, closing her eyes. There’s a long pause and when her eyes open again The Ice Queen is overwhelmed with the sudden softness in those grey orbs. She blinks when the sweet and calm voice whispers hesitantly.

“Please, I understand that you are angry, you are hurt and I’m so so sorry, but I swear to you that I don’t want to keep a piece of you heart, I just want to put it back in place.

The snow around them start to fall more calmly now.

“It’s mine. It’s my heart.” The Queen grunts. Making the woman she trapped between Her arms nod, locks of dark blond hair caressing the pale skin of Her forearms.

“It’s yours, it is, and it should never have been of anyone else.” She says it oh, so kindly, and The Queen feels like She is suffocating, fighting against something She can’t touch, like drowning without water around Her “That’s why I’m trying to find a way to give it back, it belongs to you and that man should’ve never accepted it in the first place.” she pauses, swallowing. “Whe- When we love somebody, we don’t want to posses any part of them, freely given or not. Because love it’s not possession, so just being lucky enough to receive your love should have been enough for him. He didn’t need a reminder of it. I’m so sorry that he acted that way with you.”

The ice started to melt, the Queen’s eyes searching the other woman’s face, trying to understand her.

“Why are you saying those things? What do you want from me?”

“Nothing, I just want to help.”

The way this woman touches her left cheek, warm hand burning in her cold skin, makes something break inside of her. Lavinia closes her eyes, feeling warmth in her chest, making her mostly frozen heart beat faster.

It’s weird. She is not used to this feeling. To this warmth.

And oh, she knows that she isn’t all cold, but then most of the time she just doesn’t have it in her to be warm.

Warm in this moment, comes in the form of this beautiful woman, that seems to have the moon in her eyes and fire in her soul, Lavinia can’t stop looking.

“Why aren’t you scared? Why don’t you run? You know, I’m not one the good guys, not even close to it.”

The burning hands are trembling, but start a painfully soft caress, and Lavinia can feel her tense body slowly start to relax.

“I’m not scared because I know you, and while you are not all good, you are also not all evil. I don’t run because I know you are hurting, and I care about you. I-I like like you.”

Her words come out a little bit tremulous, teeth clattering, her cheeks pink and lips a little bit purple from the cold. Her warm breath hitting the cold air and becoming vapor after each word.

Lavinia can’t look away, her hand moving to touch the women’s face, seeing her pale fingers contrast beautifully with golden skin, learning in slowly until their foreheads touch, noses brushing softly, letting scape a little incredulous laugh.

Everything about this girl seems too good to be true.

And yet, when another warm hand touches her neck, Lavinia can’t hold back, her cold lips crashing against the warm, trembling lips of this absolutely intriguing woman.

She hears a gasp, and then she is being kissed back, slow and softly, burning hands in her hair and neck while her own hands trail delicately a path to the small of the blonde’s back ,pressing the soft body more firmly against her own, feeling the tips of her fingers burn from the warmth.

The soft trembling sigh in response makes her smile slightly, tongue tracing full lips softly, feeling her own lips tingling from the contact.

The woman was shivering from Lavinia’s ice, as much as Lavinia was trembling from her fire.

I’m going to freeze her. She is going to melt me.

And maybe that’s fair.

She feels warm hands grabbing the back of her shoulders, pulling her closer.

Or maybe we will cancel each other out

The Queen presses the little bookworm harder against the tree truck making her arch her back.

Maybe that’s was what I was supposed to feel all along.

She feels a little moan against her mouth, giving a not so gentle tug on the blonde’s hair in response.

Her body shivers.

Lavinia’s body shivers in response.

Like I’m not the only one giving, the only one shivering from a touch

Like I’m not the only one who cares

She ends the kiss, panting heavily, looking at the flush in the other women’s cheeks, the skin there as red as her own.

Moonlight eyes never looking away.

“You calmed me down, I- I never..”

“I will help you fix this. Please let me help you.”

Lavinia looks at her, sincerity bleeding from every pore.

“Okay.”

“Yeah?”

She is taking way more than one piece of my heart as hostage

The Queen thinks, a little bit annoyed, but can’t do anything but smile softly at this hurricane of a woman.

Give my heart back, keep all of me instead

“Yeah. But you better make yourself useful, you nerd.”

“I will.”

The blonde smiles back at her, so brightly that is like staring at the fucking sun, Lavinia doesn’t look away, can’t look away.

Way more than a piece of my heart indeed

Oh shit, that will be complicated

“Good.”

“Lavinia, can I ask you a question?”

“Hmh.” The blue eyed woman answer distractedly, looking at red swollen lips that are curling in a mischievous smile, before singsonging.

“Do you wanna build a snowman?”

“Oh, fuck you!”

“Keep laughing and I will turn you into a snowman, you little shit.”

The loud, bold laugh that echoed in the forest was followed by a reluctantly amused.

“Bold of you to assume that it wouldn’t be the coolest thing to ever happen to me.”

#answered #anonymous #lovestruck #women of lovestruck #eaa lavinia #lavinia x mc #ever after academy #ever after academy lavinia #fluff #fluffy angst #slight angst #touching thursday

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blooddrop-palace · 4 years

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Project Updates - What to Look Forward To

<3 Hello all! I've realized (humbly) that I have a small following of very nice people that seem quite interested in what I've written so far, and after seeing some mutuals post update-status posts, I thought I should share what's going on with my projects, also. (Thanks for the encouragement, @queenmuzz!)

Updated Dec-10-20

Sons of Fortune

Probably somehow my main focus now, though I am steadily working on other works. Currently working on the “In Between” special short before I start on Chapter 12.

I would also like to talk a little bit about my plans for this story: if anyone has paid attention to this story's tags, yes, I am touching up on the plots of most of the games. In fact, all of them, and the anime. (I already dealt with DMC4. No, I will not tear apart Fortuna lol.) Not all relevant tags are in, yet, because small spoilers. It looks like it's going to be a long while before I even get to the Temen-ni-gru, though. (There is a reason why that event is getting pushed back.) I want to have fun with the family fluff that is the twins each learning how to parent, first.

Hell Froze Over, and We Shall Reignite It

The drama of it all! Dante and Vergil are finally back from Hell, and Nero doesn’t even know his mother is now standing right in front of him. Meanwhile, even I’m anticipating seen how Snow and Dante is going to handle the obvious things currently unsaid... and I have a feeling a small measure of stupidity is still going to be involved.

Current chapter progress: Outline complete.

It's going to feel so interesting, shifting from "Fortune" back to Reignite. I get to write Sera and Vergil falling in love all over again, with a different set of circumstances. Whoa.

And, and... Nero meeting Sera... odd that I'm saying this as the writer, but I have a "I hope he likes his mom" feeling going on.

Also, no doubt Dante's brain is going to 404 when he sees Snow.

Nico prepares popcorn.

This is Not an Office Rom-Com

I have... about 8 new skits planned out. Nothing more written just yet.

That’s all I’m saying about this for now. =P

Hierarchy of Kings

Purely indulgent M/M romance of Vergil and an OC, existing all thanks to

@wordborne

Working on chapter 2.

I know I said 3 chapters only. I might have lied depending on how much I want to write. It's supposed to be just... awkward fluff of a listless part-devil who somewhat-recently lost his mate, got in a bit of a tiff with his brother, and now his children are trying to set him up with the prospective-king-of-hell, Vergil.

I think about this one a lot but I haven't written anything new for it yet, only because "Fortune" is taking over my life right now, haha.

Through the Lens of the Beholder

Okay, so...This story has no real plot. As a result, my drive for it is purely down to "if I think of a badass or cool photograph to describe." There is a TINY bit of plot. Only a little. And I don't know when I'll update. But this is why I'm trying not to START new projects. Four is a lot already! But because this one is supposed to be simpler than the other two, I will most likely finish this one before the others, so I can open a new project.

---------------

Speaking of new projects... Here are things ideas bouncing through my head:

- I still have a prompt from @maybeishouldwait sitting in my inbox. I WILL have it done one day, when I find the perfect way to write it.

A whole, entirely royally late set of Dadgil week fics. Yep. I want to write them. They just won’t be on time.

Written in Ink

A plot-less post-DMC5 story.

I say plot-less. There is a plot. The plot is:

Dante: Damn it, Verge, are you trying to turn my office into a zoo??

In which Vergil compulsively starts contracting strong demons he's defeated, left and right, because he's discovered "the joy of pets." The demons all take on a dark animistic form and things get wild.

A Persona and DMC fusion/AU

I have no title for this yet, and I absolutely cannot start this one until I have finished one of my other big projects. This one will take a lot of big planning, because I am making a new plot, using the mechanics of Persona, with DMC characters and setup.

What I want to write, is a teenage Nero as the protagonist, trying to solve a mystery... probably starting with the sudden disappearance of his mother. (Most likely Sera.) And he meets a lot of "new" people, and even finds new family... and yes, he will find his dad. (I'm thinking he'll know about Vergil, though. At least in name and a photo? Isn't that an interesting difference?)

For those of you not familiar with Persona, the major theme I really want to play with is that of the protagonist growing as a person (and in power) by befriending different people that helps them grow as a person. Each party member and important NPC is represented by a Tarot Card, signifying the type of journey the protagonist (The Fool) "embarks" with that character. There is growth in both the protagonist and that characters.

Again, this is ambitious to try and pull off... but it's in the back of my head. I'll focus on it once I've cleared some other stuff.

Sugar Sweet

A somewhat short-chapter series reader fic... of a surgeon/doctor!reader (barely 30 and good at what you do) who often saves the lives of shady people (e.g. mafia) because you care about saving lives, not the politics. But you do make good money out of it. (Hey, you gotta be at least a bit morally ambiguous if you're going to deal with devils.)

You meet one mess of a young mercenary named Dante, who is totally not human and deals with things like having bullets healed into his back, and he can't reach them to cut them out.

Dante doesn't care about bills for his office, or a lot of the debts in his life. You don't know where his money is going, or if he even makes much money at all (for the kind of specialty work he does? Money's going somewhere, but that's none of your business.)

You won't pay Dante's bills, or his debts, but he will accept pizza and ice cream. And new parts for his jukebox. And maybe a motorcycle. Or a new coat. Or a new car...

And you might complain to him about your dumb patients. Or just listen to him talk about his job. Or you two watch a movie together.

And this just continues. For years.

Tokusatsu DMC fusion/AU

So. First thing's first: I'm a big fan of Sentai/Tokusatsu. What is that, you might ask? It's a Japanese genre, and if you're familiar with Power Rangers, that's derived from Sentai.

Basically: Masked heroes with transformation gadgets, sometimes with motorcycles, fighting against evil. ("Magical girls" but strictly the opposite, a lot more physical combat involved, may involve upgrade gadgets, and not strictly limited to male heroes though mostly a male cast. Also not strictly for male-only audience. Girls like the eye-candy, too. :eyes-emoji:)

Why am I thinking about this?

Because I have found out that: Vergil's VA, Dan Southworth, was the Quantum Ranger (WHICH WAS RED). Nero's VA, Johnny Yong Bosch, was a Black Ranger and a Green Ranger.

...And Dante's VA, Reuben Langdon, had a role in a Japanese Toku show as "B-Fighter Yanma" forever ago???? (HE WAS BLUE!!)

What am I going to do with this info? I'll let you know later. But my Sentai/Toku-loving little heart is about to burst with hyperfixation overlap.

If I ever write this out, expect it to be just as cheesy as an actual Kamen Rider show. Or, at the very least, expect some art. I love Kamen Rider stuff!

Family Fantasy MMO

Snow introduces Dante, Vergil, Nero, and Kyrie to Final Fantasy 14 (because that’s the MMO I play) for family bonding. Yep. Mainly for silly indulgence.

Stardew Valley Visit

Post DMC5, Vergil and Dante accidentally end up going on a vacation when they try to leave Hell. No pairing with the farmer, but instead just a relaxing and somewhat introspective moment of the boys being stuck with most of their power temporarily sealed, learning how to take care of a farm, and maybe do a bit of healing by interacting with the townsfolk while they try to find out where their swords went and how to get home.

Re-Colourize

Otherwise what I would call the “re-colour of Nero and Snow” AU.

What if Vergil was found by Kassy’s family and raised among them? What if Dante ended up briefly in Fortuna and then convinced Sera to run away from the island?

What if we have a Nero who, though brash, is outwardly more soft and open-hearted, and has red-orange and gold colours instead? What if we have a Snow who is named Chiyuki, who wields her katana more like Vergil does, and has a more ice-queen aura about her, and has a teal and blue colouring about her?

This is my excuse to switch up the pairings, but also write Vergil being taught to fight more like an assassin.

Raised by the Blade

Imagine: Yamato, cracked, broken, and separated from her Master... desperately searching for a way to get back to him, and ended up washed up on the shores of Fortuna. Humanoid, but clearly not if anyone saw the cracked, broken, and no-normal look of “shattered” in her torso, that she would have to keep covered.

Made from the power of Sparda, she is pale with white hair... and she finds herself drawn to the orphanage...

Where she finds the toddler that is Nero.

Devil Hunters’ Podcast

Nico “accidentally” finds entertainment in recording the Sparda Family arguments as they talk about hunting; after all, they all share one braincell.

Ascended Monochrome

A white angel remains by the side of Nelo Angelo. Mundus was not pleased by the behavior of his second creation, from the human woman that he had picked up with the treacherous Son of Sparda. But he later discovered that by using her, he could keep Nelo Angelo complacent. Eventually, underestimating love will be his downfall.

Fall to Royalty

A story of where Vergil wins against Mundus the first time, and takes the throne of Hell. But what is he to do next? Eventually, ruling Hell seemed meaningless when there was no one by his side, so he goes to seek out the Lady Knight that he had vowed to never think of or go back to unless he had obtained the power he sought.

Doppelganger Woes

So, I heard Capcom retconned Gilver to be some sort of imitation created by Mundus. I’m all for this! And I’m going to DO something with this.

Side-Project: DMC Tarot List

I started on this maybe months ago; and I have a tentative list oh what characters go with what card and a few detailed descriptions. I think I should confer with

@harlot-of-oblivion

at some point about this, and anyone else interested in, well, Tarot stuff.

#devil may cry #fanfiction #Project Update

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kinetic-elaboration · 4 years

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April 8: Rejected Chopped Madness Ideas

Now that Chopped Madness @chopped100challenge is over (for me), it’s time to talk about my fics! Because I like doing that. I have a lot of stuff to say but since it’s very late and I need to be asleep....4 hours ago, I’m going to start with my rejected ideas.

Qualifying Round: Bellamy + Canonverse + Fairy Tale + Good Guy/Villain Switch

So I went through a lot of potential ideas for this, by which I mean, I thought of a lot of fairy tales I could conceivably re-write without coming up with concrete or specific ideas for any of them. I reread Lorrie Moore’s The Juniper Tree. I considered Bluebeard but got caught up in the gender dynamics of it--especially difficult with a male protagonist. I thought about Jack and the Beanstalk and I think I was going to do a Mount Weather twist on it (??? don’t entirely remember but it’s usually MW with me lol).

(Was very pleased that Bluebeard and Jack and the Beanstalk were written btw.)

And I seriously considered The Snow Queen, because I love that story but also because Snow Queen, Ice Queen, Azgeda. Seemed like there could be something there. I was going to have Octavia be infected by the malevolent mirror, and then Bellamy go on a mission to save her. I especially liked the idea that the mirror could make her violent and pessimistic, and she could say stuff like ‘we’re all just evil, aaaah morality!!’ except coherent. But I got stuck on the rest of the tale, and how to simplify it, and ultimately I just thought it would be too long.

Round 1: Harper + Angst + Strangers to Lovers + Road Trip

This idea was obvious to me from the start. I had to make some alterations to my original thoughts to make sure I kept all the tropes/requirements but I never seriously considered writing anything else.

Round 2: Murphy + Dystopia + Partners in Crime + Sharing a Bed

I didn’t have any other ideas that were at all thought out for this one, other than what I went with, though I cycled through a lot of possibilities for the dystopia, very fast. Mostly wondering if I could steal an existing dystopia in its entirety. I ultimately decided it would be easier to create my own.

Round 3: Raven + Modern AU + Superpowers + Found Family

I’m not into superheroes really so it was hard to make this actually about superpowers and not about, like, magic. I kept thinking about Charmed lol. By which I mean specifically having the main action take place in a house owned by a superhero (found) family and it’s sort of their HQ and also just really nice. But this is only a setting, not a plot, and I never settled on it for too long because I was afraid it would, in fact, look like magic, and not like superpowers. Because of the inspiration.

(I cycled around and around and around the same ideas over and over in planning this one.)

I thought it would be simplest to combine the two tropes in my head for planning,which is to say: what kind of things would a found family of superheroes do? That I could write about without focusing too much on a villain specifically? (A villain, I felt, would be too action-adventure for me and I didn’t want to come up with one.)

Some ideas I came up with: superheroes go on vacation; former teen superheroes attend a high school reunion; superhero friends adopt a new superhero. Superheroes on a retreat was also on this list.

I focused on that one, for a variety of reasons, but initially it was going to play out as: Raven, disillusioned from a battle or defeat, leaves her friends and goes on a retreat by herself, and then they follow her and bring her back to fight another battle.

I also considered the possibility that her love interest could be someone who does not appear to be a superhero, and then s/he is revealed to have powers at or toward the end. Specifically, I thought this person could be Murphy, and he could also have fire-related powers, like Raven. So, like, that’s the surprise. But I was pretty set on doing Princess Mechanic from the start because I haven’t written them in so long and I’d written Murven for the last round.

Anyway, I don’t have any intention of resurrecting any of these ideas BUT if someone ELSE wanted to do The 100/Snow Queen fusion I would not say no. Or former teen superheroes attend a high school reunion. Or, like, anything else from these random brainstorms. But mostly The Snow Queen one.

#the year 2020 #2020: writing thoughts #the 100 chopped #most of these are either too similar to what i actually wrote or in fact already written but the snow queen....the snow queen...

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longsightmyth · 5 years

Link

So no review per se but here are a hella lot of status updates under the cut:

March 16, 2016 – 3.0% "I'm not sure how I feel about this season divide country thing but we'll see"

March 18, 2016 – 24.0% "See, I thought they were meeting in a town or city, which would be hard enough to find someone in, but the instructions were apparently 'meet me in a country'"

March 18, 2016 – 25.0% "Yes it DOES explain the oath. You don't need to explain that to us, we get it."

March 22, 2016 – 28.0% "Idk if the book wanted me to think that the government is terrible and everything with the question about whether the maids always obey the king's orders (which... Yes? That is actually their job?) but when a pretty low-ranking guest's lady's maid talks like Rose is talking like she is, it isn't successful."

March 22, 2016 – 29.0% "Not that outspoken servants cannot still be oppressed servants, but the general attitude does not point in that direction (also, still am not fond of New Meira)"

March 25, 2016 – 29.0% "Bets on Meira being a swapped out baby queen."

March 25, 2016 – 31.0% "MORE instalove? Isn't one a book enough?"

March 25, 2016 – 33.0% "Oh no a king is thinking of politics and the wellbeing of his kingdom. What calumny. What horror. (I can understand MEIRA being upset, I can, she had no warning whatsoever, but the book is trying to make me think Noam is evil, and so far I have evidence only of the opposite.)"

March 25, 2016 – 34.0% "A king just doesn't want to throw his kingdom into a war and you automatically assume he had something to do with the death of his wife. Because that totally makes sense...?"

March 25, 2016 – 34.0% "Okay maybe Meira isn't the Secret Queen. Which begs the question of WHY she's important enough to hand off in a political alliance marriage. I mean, king's foster sister is a perfectly respectable and important relation usually, but since literally nobody knows anything about her parentage or if she'd be a reasonably competent queen it makes no sense that Noam wants her to marry his son so badly."

March 30, 2016 – 34.0% "Okay book I just finished The Winner's Kiss so you had better up your game, this bullshit threatening of kings with nothing to back it up isn't going to fly."

March 30, 2016 – 35.0% "Also you appear to have used a name I gave one of my ocs in my lotr fanfic. Obviously only to hurt me."

March 30, 2016 – 38.0% "Seriously wtf is with the complete personality swap I cannot get over it"

March 30, 2016 – 39.0% "Book, you tried hard to tell me that women who like pretty things are just as cool as women who like sharp pointy stabby things, but every time Meira talks about ladies or pretty things she is SUPER scornful and I don't see anything to contradict her. You realize noble ladies find power even when they aren't given it overtly right?"

March 31, 2016 – 44.0% "There's nothing INCREDIBLY wrong with this section - at least nothing I can pin down - but all of this seems really overdramatic, and the love interests don't have enough character for me to say whether or not the supremely stupid display of toxic masculinity was in character or not. Also that fight was particularly silly."

March 31, 2016 – 45.0% "Hang on, still confused about magic access. The only places to get magic are the season kingdoms, but the rhythm kingdoms have magic conduits too? Do they have to pay a fee to go recharge them or something, or have I missed some key point of magic use?"

March 31, 2016 – 46.0% "Wait, how did Winter have food if it was always winter? Did everyone live off evergreens? What about the animals? Was there a thriving greenhouse agricultural system? These are things I want answered."

March 31, 2016 – 46.0% "In the words of Meira herself: Sweet snow! Is she going to learn that protocol isn't useless and being in a position of power might actually help?!"

March 31, 2016 – 46.0% "What, Cordell can't spring for a tutor for their queen-to-be, she has to go to a classroom?"

March 31, 2016 – 47.0% "Wait wait wait you can MINE magic? Why the fuck hang everyone been doing it?!"

March 31, 2016 – 47.0% "Like, I get that it's apparently super deep down, but guys. Magic. Everybody wants more of it, and even if it's hard to get to you have the means to do it. And I haven't seen that this is a Balrog situation either."

March 31, 2016 – 50.0% "Honestly I think the dialogue wouldn't bother me so much if there weren't so many dramatic whispers and things. 'Said' is not a bad word, no matter how many creative writing teachers try to tell you otherwise."

April 1, 2016 – 51.0% "Are. Are there no guards on a king's study? The king's chambers? Even I he isn't there important shit is, as evidenced by what Meira just found! WHAT IS WITH GUARDS IN YA LITERATURE?!"

April 1, 2016 – 51.0% "Do all YA guards go to the same crappy guard school or something?!"

April 1, 2016 – 52.0% "Oh for heaven's sake. A king's foster sister without titles of her own would be a powerful political asset in that the King would (theoretically) care for her, or at least care for his reputation as a person who takes care of those close to him, so you forge an alliance based on that. She wouldn't give anyone any rights over her foster sibling's country, because she's a foster sibling with no title."

April 1, 2016 – 52.0% "There is no way that having Theron marry her would give anyone any sort of authority."

April 1, 2016 – 52.0% "Aside from that, Noam playing all sides of the board is pretty clever and sometimes what rulers have to do to keep their people safe from an apparently magical apparently tyrannical dickface."

April 1, 2016 – 53.0% "For a bunch of people convinced that Noam acts in whatever way is politically expedient for the wellbeing of his country (and also that doing so makes him evil) these people seem awfully surprised that Noam is acting in whatever way is politically expedient for the wellbeing of his country."

April 1, 2016 – 53.0% ""Spring is here. In Cordell." (Meaning spring the country). Well gosh. Would've been great if somebody had FORGED AN ALLIANCE WITH THEM. (Though actually, Noam, you made copies of your top secret correspondence? Really?)"

April 1, 2016 – 54.0% "Sure, six folks against an army, why not. If the soldiers are trained as shoddily as all the guards it makes total sense."

April 1, 2016 – 54.0% ""Let's go jeopardize our entire planned alliance by getting the principle members killed! Sound good? Cool." WHAT IS WITH THESE PEOPLE."

April 1, 2016 – 55.0% "Oh look our evil king puts all his magic into agriculture, otherwise known as HELPING HIS PEOPLE EAT. What true tyranny! (Seriously though how did Winterians get food if their queen put all her magic into mining I need to know. Did they adapt to eat rocks or something? Eating is srs bsns, book)"

April 1, 2016 – 56.0% ""Noam truly believes he was doing us a favor?" I mean. He kind of was. It's not everybody who looks at a group of eight refugees and goes 'sure, let my son marry the king's untitled foster sister and I'll help you reclaim your kingdom'."

April 1, 2016 – 56.0% ""You brought them here! When you started writing that letter..." Y'all do realize that there was a public announcement and ball for the engagement of the heir to the throne and a Winterian, right. Like, Mather was announced as the King of Winter. Does. Does nobody but me remember this? Did you think nobody heard about it?"

April 1, 2016 – 57.0% "Did you just send the heirless King of your exiled country into battle. Did you. Yes you did, because everyone in this book except Noam is completely incompetent when it comes to strategy, and even he has his moments."

April 1, 2016 – 58.0% "How are those cannons moving so quickly?"

April 1, 2016 – 58.0% "HELMETS ARE NOT JUST FOR DISGUISE THEY SERVE A VITAL PROTECTIVE FUNCTION IN THAT THEY PROTECT YOUR HEAD OH MY GOD WHY WOULD YOU JUST TAKE THE HELMET OFF JUST BECAUSE HE KNOWS WHO YOU ARE JESUS CHRIST WHY WOULDN'T HE TELL YOU TO PUT IT BACK ON I HATE EVERYTHING YOU ARE IN THE MIDST OF MEDIEVAL ISH MAGIC BATTLE JUST BECAUSE THERE ARE CANONS DOESN'T MEAN YOU CANT PROTECT YOURSELF AGAINST THE ARROWS OH MY GOD"

April 1, 2016 – 64.0% "That part (with Meira actually appearing to care about the enslaved Winterians when she sees them, and not just us being told she cares) was actually pretty good."

April 1, 2016 – 72.0% "Credit where credit is due - this just improved by leaps and bounds, not least by Meira starting to wonder if she has in fact been something of a brat."

April 1, 2016 – 74.0% "EXPONENTIALLY better"

April 1, 2016 – 76.0% "Okay book, you're getting better and all, and this isn't exclusive to you, but where did this idea that not screaming meant strength come from? Like, not screaming while in pain can be a statement or a way to not bother other people in dire situations, but not screaming when you're being whipped doesn't automatically mean strength okay."

April 1, 2016 – 76.0% "Okay book she has to get water eventually or she's going to literally die unless Winterian body processes are different from other humans. Which, I guess, would explain how they didn't need to grow food in a land of eternal ice and snow. But if she's human like the rest of us she's going to die if she constantly does heavy lifting and carrying without any water except breakfast and dinner. She's going to die QUICKLY."

April 1, 2016 – 78.0% "I admit that I am not an expert on metal, but I'm almost positive that an old belt buckle is not even serviceable knife material without a forge and some tempering."

April 1, 2016 – 80.0% "Dammit Meira."

April 1, 2016 – 80.0% "I'd like to refer you to my status at 29 percent and note for the record that I'm only refraining from gloating because it was so obvious."

April 1, 2016 – 87.0% ""The only thing that saved us was our magically exhaustible magical conduit that has to recharge, so my father didn't retaliate against the giant magical army that nearly killed us all. Obviously this means he's terrible." Book, do you ducking hear yourself."

April 1, 2016 – 88.0% "Book. Are you putting in a rape attempt in front of her love interest. Is this a thing I am reading in the year of our lord 2016."

April 1, 2016 – 88.0% ""There are no other weapons near me, no chairs I am break or vases I can throw" you know what, book, I am tired of theoretically weapon-and-fighting-competent chicks being like 'whoa is me there are no weapons' this is when your feet and fists and teeth and head come into play, you have been literally trained to murder people come on now. (Don't get me started on fixations on fancy weaponry)"

April 1, 2016 – 93.0% "'Exotic grace' when referring to the only people of color so far? Come on, book, get your shit together."

April 1, 2016 – 96.0% ""We'll need to barter rations from Cordell." Have you always done that or is this only because of the defeat of Angra? TELL ME."

April 1, 2016 – 97.0% "Really Noam you AND your heir rode into an unknown situation in a different country? I expected better of you, sir."

April 1, 2016 – 98.0% "Is Meira going to be forever follows by the ghost of her mom in a literal sense? Why have we seen no other ghosts? (Also, please stop with the gasping)"

#myth reads #myth reviews #books #book reviews #Snow Like Ashes

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shireness-says · 6 years

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If I Could See Your Face Once More (2/6)

Summary: This time, there’s no celebration at Granny’s when the latest crisis has been resolved. Instead, they’re left to deal with the body of Killian Jones. A 5B canon divergence where Killian dies in Camelot, never becoming a Dark One. Rated T for language. Also on AO3. ~3.9K. Chapter 1

A/N: And here’s my second @csmarchmadness contribution! Thanks again to @xemmaloveskillianx for organizing the event, as well as @snidgetsafan for her excellent beta services (and generally being an awesome person).

On top of that, an extra thanks to all of you who read the first part! The fantastic response to this absolutely warms my heart. The next chapter of this will be posted on the 24th, and then after that we’ll get a bit more loosey-goosey. I’m almost done writing this thing, guys - just need to get through half of two chapters!

Tagging: @thejollyroger-writer, @profdanglaisstuff, @captainsjedi, @ultraluckycatnd, @superchocovian, @snowbellewells, @killianjones4ever82, @wellhellotragic. Shoot me a message if you want to be added to the list!

Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoy!

“I’m about sixteen weeks along,” she tells him, sitting next to him on the master bed, staring at the comforter. He had barely allowed her to clean off the rest of the blood and wrestle him into clean clothes before dragging her down next to him. Bandages and stitches and ice packs can wait. “Second trimester, though barely, but chance of miscarriage goes down substantially so we don’t have to worry about that.”

She’s making it all sound so clinical, like she’s trying not to force him to form emotions about the situation. But… bloody hell, Emma’s expecting. A child. His child. He knows she’s used to people not sticking around, but it’s impossible for him not to fall in love with the little one, now that he knows they exist. It’s hard to put that into words though, so he just slips his arm around her waist and pull her closer into him. “How long have you known?” he asks quietly.

“About two months.” She pauses. “Regina and I found a spell that we thought would send the Camelot folks back – didn’t work, by the way, they’re still hanging around and causing trouble – and I know I wasn’t getting nearly enough sleep but I guess I must not have eaten that day either because I passed out. I can’t really use my magic right now, it turns out, at least not in large doses, or it’ll completely exhaust me; my magic is all tied up with the baby right now, or… something. I don’t fully understand it. Anyway, Regina brought me back around, but insisted I go get checked out at the hospital. They ran some tests, and that’s how I found out about the bean.”

He grins, even if it aggravates his black eye. “The bean?”

She blushes. “Uh… yeah. Well, I felt kinda bad thinking about the kiddo as an it, and ‘little bean’ kinda stuck.”

“Well I think it’s very cute.” Suddenly, the other part of that story sinks in. “So Regina knows?”

Emma nods.

“Who else?”

“Just Regina. I needed a bit of time to come around to the idea, but by the time I was ready to start telling people, Henry was deep into his research and determined to get you back, and I just thought… if I was going to start telling people, if at all possible, I wanted the next person to be you. Thankfully, Henry had found a way down here by the time I started showing, so it’s just been a lot of oversized sweaters for the last two weeks. At least it’s January in Maine, so it doesn’t really look unusual.”

“Are you doing ok? Feeling alright?”

“Yeah, the morning sickness has mostly gone away, though it wasn’t as bad as with Henry. Cravings are starting to kick in. Emotions are all over the place, which has been… fun.”

He smirks into her hair as he presses a kiss to the side of her head. “Thought I saw you tearing up back there, in the cavern.”

“Shut up,” she mumbles back.

“And the little one – the bean’s alright?”

She smiles back at him and pulls his hand over to her stomach and its barely-there bump. “Yeah. The bean’s great. Good strong heartbeat. Can’t feel movement yet, but I should be able to in another few weeks. I’ve got the sonogram picture in my phone, I’ll show it to you later if I find where I set it down.”

After the day he’s had (hell, the weeks and months he’s had), the life-changing information he’s been given, it’s his turn to tear up as he pulls Emma down with him to lay across the bed. “Thank you”, he barely manages to whisper – whether for saving him, for coming for him in the first place, or for this miraculous and unexpected gift, he can’t honestly say, but Emma seems to understand anyways. She nods into his shoulder and snuggles in as close as she can manage with his injuries as they both doze off.

And Killian Jones finds the best sleep he’s ever had in the Victorian house that has never quite been a home until this night.

------

They attempt to tell Emma’s – their family the next morning, but as it turns out, no one is really surprised. Snow had apparently put the pieces together several weeks ago, and true to form, couldn’t resist telling apparently everyone who would listen. Frankly, Killian is shocked that Emma hadn’t realized everyone knew sooner – the town of Storybrooke isn’t known for its subtlety.

(She does grumble out an “I guess that’s why Granny’s been trying to force vegetables down my throat”, much to his amusement.)

Snow is thrilled, Henry excited, and Dave seemingly stuck at something resembling the denial stage of grief (“Oh, he’ll come around,” Snow tries to reassure Killian. “He just doesn’t want to accept that you and Emma… you know.”). In the end, it seems like Liam is the only one caught off guard.

And boy, is he ever off guard.

Killian couldn’t help but notice a weird tension between Emma and his brother when they initially retrieved him, but he originally wrote it off as Liam feeling uncomfortable with finding his place in the strange new family his little brother had collected. That doesn’t seem to be the case though; he damn near sweeps Belle and the lady Snow off their feet with elaborate bows and kisses over their hands, is getting along with Dave just as well as Killian always feared (no, that funny feeling is not jealousy, thank you very much), and seems tickled pink that Henry calls him “Uncle Liam”.

But Emma…

Well, it becomes painfully, capital letter obvious that Liam Jones, beloved brother and friend to all, Does Not Like Emma Swan.

After several uncomfortable days of Emma trying to avoid Liam at all costs, Liam ignoring Swan whenever possible, and Regina developing a habit of viciously glaring at the elder Jones whenever he tries to act friendly towards the former Evil Queen, it all comes to a head when Killian enters the office of his house where both Emma and his brother have found themselves holed up just to find Emma leaving, nearly in tears.

“Hey, hey, hey,” he stops her. “What’s the matter?”

She tries to smile, even if she looks like she might fall apart at any moment. “Nothing to worry about. Just… upset that we haven’t found a way out of here yet.”

Now, Killian may not have his Swan’s lie detector, but she’s enough of an open book that he can see she’s not telling him everything. “Are you sure?”

She nods. “Yep. Perfectly fine. I’ll be upstairs.” And if her brisk tone wasn’t already enough of a red flag, she practically flees the room like some kind of hellhound is chasing her.

He immediately turns back to Liam, who’s been watching the entire exchange with a look Killian doesn’t want to place. “What have you done?”

Liam sputters and tries to deflect. “Excuse me? Why would you assume I had anything to do with that little display?”

“Well, when the mother of my child comes out of this room after having spent time with you, about to cry, I tend to put two and two together. So what happened?”

“Sure it isn’t just hormones? Pregnant women cry a lot, as I understand.” “Not this one, not where others can see. I’m only going to ask one more time – what the hell did you do?”

Liam sighs, and Killian already knows he isn’t going to like whatever his brother has to say. “Well, Miss Swan asked why I didn’t like her. I simply answered her question.”

“Stop beating around the bush, Liam, what did you tell her to leave her so upset?”

Liam at least has the decency to act hesitant to respond. “I simply told her it wasn’t a personal dislike, she just wasn’t nearly good enough for you. And I struggled to see how she had tricked not only yourself, but your friends into thinking so.”

Killian loves his brother, but were it anyone else saying those vile words, he’d sock them in the face. “Why the hell would you say that?” he shoots back, starting to raise his voice.

“Oh, please, Killy, I’ve been watching the Captain’s log - not to mention, you told me the story yourself. She’s left you for dead to be eaten by a giant, imprisoned you enough times I lost count, seems to have been incredibly cold to you even after you started courting her. Must I justify this?”

“Must I remind you where I was before her? I was living for some twisted idea of vengeance! I was ready to die for that! And she saved me!”

“I have trouble believing you were that bad in the first place, but even if you were, she’s not the saint you seem to think she is. Or have you forgotten she’s a thief?”

“Was a thief. And what of all the things we had to do to survive, Liam, the snatches of food we’d swipe to not starve to death? She’s been abandoned, Liam, never had anyone, had to bite and scratch her way through life and do whatever she had to in order to survive.”

“But some of that was by choice, wasn’t it? How do you even know she won’t give up this child too? Henry filled me in about how she let him go, some nonsense about ‘best chances’. How can you be with a woman who abandoned her son, after what Father did to us?”

That’s the final straw, really. Killian knows his voice is raised far higher that it should be, but he can’t bring himself to care. “Oh, so you heard that whole story then? About how she was in jail because the man she loved set her up for his crime – oh, and that’s not just me saying that, the bastard admitted to it - told me himself. Now, Emma likes to tell people she was eighteen when she had the lad, but I can tell you, when we celebrated her 31st birthday a few months ago, Henry had already been 13 for several weeks. So she was only 17 bloody years old, in jail, chained to a hospital bed in case she tried to stage some wild escape in the middle of labor, I suppose. Hadn’t finished her education, so no chance of securing employment upon her release. No family to take the babe. Never had anyone to selflessly love her, let alone any parents, so didn’t even know where to start with being a mother. But yes, I can see where you might think it was a crock of shit that she gave him up for adoption so he might have his best chance, or at least a damn better chance than she got.”

That outburst, at least, seems to shut Liam up for the moment.

“Now, I’ve got an amazing woman with spectacular trust and abandonment and self-worth issues, who you just told wasn’t possibly good enough for me, waiting upstairs. I trust you can see yourself out.”

He can’t even find it within himself to wait and see if his brother leaves.

------

He finds Emma upstairs in the nursery, appropriately enough, with tears running down her face, and he knows immediately that she’s heard every word.

“I’m sorry I made you fight with your brother,” she whispers.

He shakes his head. “He’s being an arse. I should be the one apologizing to you, for not noticing earlier how he was treating you. And that you had to hear what was just said.”

She pauses, apparently fighting back tears. “I… I know I probably don’t deserve you and how much you love me, and if you decide you’d rather move on with Liam I’ll have to be okay with that, but… I spent three months without you, Killian. And I was miserable. I’d deal if I had to, but I don’t ever want to go through that again.”

Killian pulls her to him with those words, closer than he ever thought possible, to try and make his words have the greatest impact. “Oh love, I’ll never leave you again if I can possibly help it.”

(He only hopes that’s a promise he can finally keep.)

------

Regina decides the next day that he’s healed enough to attempt to split Emma’s heart. It warrants a lot of protesting on his part, worries not only about Emma’s safety but the bean’s too, but Emma’s sheer confidence that this will work finally wins him over. After all, when that means she believes them to be true love, who is he to argue?

So he lets Regina reach into Emma’s chest, all for him, only for her to be blasted back.

It’s not going to work.

------

Of course, it’s not simply a matter of them not being True Love – the verdict is still out on that – it’s something far worse. It’s, instead, a matter of Hades carving Emma’s and Regina’s and Snow’s names onto headstones, trapping them in the Underworld and getting his revenge for their steady work of sending souls to a better place (because of course this group of heroes has been up to their old redemptive tricks, even down here).

However, the Charmings have never been accused of being quitters, and a new plan is concocted quickly. Henry already has the pen in his possession, thanks to the machinations of the house; there’s no reason there shouldn’t be a storybook down here too, and if they can find it, perhaps Henry can use his author powers to write them a way out of the Underworld. Even Liam admits that the plan has merit, citing rumors circulating of a book with the power to defeat Hades, once and for all.

Killian can’t help but feel guilty about the whole thing. After all, none of them would be here, now cursed to remain so, if they hadn’t come to rescue him - hell, if he hadn’t gotten in the way of Arthur’s sword in the first place.

“This is all my fault,” he laments to Emma. “You should never have come after me. You shouldn’t be here.”

“Hey, none of that,” Emma tries to soothe. “You’re not the one responsible for our names. Hades did that. And we all came of our own choice, even Henry. Especially Henry. You know that. He threatened to find his own way here if we didn’t take him with us.”

“That doesn’t erase the fact that you’re here - that you, and Henry, and the baby, and all the rest of our family are in danger, all because you’re trying to save me. That doesn’t keep it from lying heavy on my conscience.”

“Would you do the same thing for us?”

Killian stares at her like she’s grown a second head. What kind of absurd question is that? “Would I — of course I would, Emma. In a heartbeat.”

“Okay, well, that’s exactly what we’re doing here.” Emma softens suddenly, reaching up to smooth a gentle hand along his cheek. “I know you think you’re the most expendable, Killian, but not to us. We’re here because we don’t want to experience life without you any longer, and at a certain point you’re going to have to loosen your grip on the wheel and accept it, Captain. None of this is your fault.”

The doubt and guilt still niggle at the back of Killian’s mind, but it’s so much more pleasant to embrace Emma’s words instead, so he gives into the temptation and drops a gentle kiss of silent thanks on her lips.

Apart from all that, Liam has been acting distant all day, and on a certain level, Killian understands. He and Liam were never the type of brothers to fight much, circumstances bringing them much closer than most. He’s uncomfortable too, through the sharp anger he still feels, and doesn’t relish being around Liam right now either. But when he joins the rest of the group at the sorcerer’s mansion after checking on the bar, Liam is acting even stranger. Killian can’t help but wonder what’s happened, or if his brother is just feeling guilty about the things he said about Emma, but there’s no time to address the issue right now. The mansion is positively filled with books, and each one must be checked to make sure it’s not what they’re looking for.

He gets truly suspicious when Liam, of all people, finds the book, only for Henry to discover that it’s missing crucial pages. As Liam excuses himself, supposedly to continue the search, Killian follows him, only to discover Liam tossing something that looks suspiciously like paper into a well.

Before Killian can even muster up an accusation, Liam turns around with an apologetic look on his face.

“I’m sorry, Killian, but I promise this is necessary.”

And then everything goes black.

------

He comes to, propped against the stone wall of a cave, with Liam watching over him. Killian forces himself back to his feet as soon as he’s fully awake, determined to find a way out.

“What the hell Liam? What did you do with the pages, and what the hell are we doing here?”

“I had to, Killian!” Liam protests. “It was the only way.”

“The only way for what?”

The look on Liam’s face now is undeniably panic, as he starts pacing back and forth.

“I made a deal with Hades.”

“You did what?”

“It was the only way, Killian! He’s locking things down here, not letting anyone move on. If I got rid of the pages, he’d let us move on, no opposition.”

If Killian was angry before, he’s furious now. “I don’t want to go, Liam! I thought I made that clear, did it not sink into that thick skull?”

“Killian, please, this is for the best. I’m just looking out for you.”

He loves Liam, but it’s like centuries of frustration boil over in a moment. “You’re always telling me what’s best for me, Liam, don’t I get a say in my own life? I managed nearly three hundred years without you, and you still don’t trust me to make my own decisions. You’ve never really trusted me though, have you? I’m sure I gave you reasons not to over the years, with the drinking and the gambling and generally being the younger brother, but Gods, Liam, it still hurts that you trusted your bloody monarch over your own brother, and died because of it. I am begging you – believe me, just this once, when I say that I know what is best for me. Even if their wild plans don’t succeed, I will do anything to spend longer with Emma and Henry and my child. And that’s what’s best for me right now.”

It hurts, walking away from his brother in a rage for the second time in as many days. Killian only hopes Liam doesn’t choose this moment to cross over, leaving him in anger and without any resolution. But on this matter, Killian has to draw a line in the sand. It’s time he stops viewing Liam as a god-like figure who can do no wrong, stop letting Liam control his life and his shadow guilt Killian even from beyond the grave.

He’s got a family to get back to.

------

When he finds Emma again, back at their house, she’s in a full-scale panic that Hades had imprisoned him again, or worse, that he had left for the Great Beyond without saying goodbye. Killian can feel her physically relax as he gathers her in his arms, planting a kiss on her forehead and murmuring “I’m not going anywhere, love.”

Liam slinks back some hours later, apologies on his lips, as if that will make it all better. Unfortunately for him, Killian’s not yet ready to talk, to forgive. That will come later; he still loves his brother unconditionally, but it’s stopped being a blind love, one in which he refuses to see any flaws, and has turned into something more painful, if ultimately more healthy: seeing his brother as a human being that makes mistakes, rather than some god on a pedestal.

Liam is less understanding about the matter, resulting in something of a spat between the two brothers, the elder Jones seemingly not understanding that this issue isn’t something to be glossed over and easily resolved.

“I already apologized, Killian,” he snaps. “What more do you want from me?”

“I don’t know,” Killian replies quietly, calmly, coldly. “But right now, I just want you to leave.”

It’s easily the harshest fight they’ve ever had, and Liam leaves without another word, stalking to the front door and all but slamming it. Killian isn’t comfortable with the way they’re leaving things, per se, but he’s not ready to just let bygones be bygones either, so this is perhaps the best he can hope for.

Killian may have displayed his anger earlier, but it’s later that night, in bed with Emma, that he finally lets the sorrow and disappointment reign.

“I don’t understand,” he laments, head resting just below her breasts. “How could he do that? How could he even think it?

“I don’t know, babe,” Emma soothes as best she can. Her hand slips through his hair, scratching along his scalp and calming Killian more than her words do.

“He was always my hero, you know?” He says. “Liam always knew best, was always so sure of himself, always in charge, and I accepted that. He’s my brother. But gods, it’s been almost three hundred years. I’ve learned what’s best for me, how to make my own decisions. I’ve been grateful to have this extra time with him, but… Gods above, how could he think that abandoning any hope of resurrection, abandoning you and Henry and the babe, could be what was best for me? What happened to him?”

“He’s been down here a really long time. Who knows what that can do to a person. But maybe,” she suggests gently, “maybe you’ve just grown up. So to speak. I know Liam is your hero, but he’s also just a man. Which usually means he’s not as perfect as you remember. Maybe… maybe after everything you’ve been through since you last saw him , you’ve both changed. Now it’s easier to see him without the haze. Rose colored glasses? Is that the term?”

Killian manages a watery chuckle against her stomach before stretching up to drop a kiss on the underside of Emma’s jaw. “Aye, that’s the term. You’re probably right,” he admits as he curls back around her side, stretching his arm across her abdomen where their little one grows.

“I’m sorry you had to take them off,” Emma whispers into the darkness.

Killian swallows heavily, forcing the fresh emotion back down. “So am I.”

He’s still here, Killian reminds himself as he holds Emma closer within his arms. Despite it all, he’s still here, and he has no intention of letting go.

#cs march madness #captain swan #cs ff #cs canon divergence #cs angst #my writing #If I Could See Your Face Once More #Chapter 2 #oh look its more angst

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twilightmademegay · 6 years

Text

I wrote Bella*/Edythe fanfiction

And now all you nerds get to read it. Enjoy. Give me your thoughts.

*Bella does not physically appear in this, it’s mostly about Edythe’s gaywakening.

I had heard a boy, a few high schools back, refer to me as “Snow White”. It made me laugh at the time, how this human could compare me to a dainty, helpless princess when I was perfectly capable of crushing his windpipe in one hand, if I so desired. It didn’t offend me, though. Snow White was a far kinder nickname than Ice Princess. That was a title bestowed upon me far more often.

Either one’s fitting, I thought to myself, smiling bitterly. It was clear to me now, as I lay buried in a snowbank, that the comparisons they drew were more accurate than I cared to admit. My skin was freezing, especially now that it had acclimated to the air around me. It was also pale, and even sparkled like snow in the sunlight.

Sighing, I ran my hands through the powder around me. It was soft, fresh and actually sort of calming. With nothing for company but the stars and some scattered pines, it was easy to forget my reason for coming here.

Well, maybe not that easy. I couldn’t stop picturing her face. Her deep chocolate eyes that betrayed thoughts I longed to hear for myself. How they filled with terror when she saw the monster she’d made of me.

I growled quietly, particles of snow puffing up into the air as I quickly flipped onto my side. It wasn’t fair. I had lived for a century and this human girl, this insignificant child, would be the one to ruin me. There wasn’t even anything special about her.

That’s a lie, I reminded myself, and you know it. Her silent mind had intrigued me at first, yes, but any curiosity was swiftly blotted out by her cloyingly sweet scent, how I so desperately wanted to sink my teeth into her lovely neck and taste-

I sat up immediately, taking deep breaths of the fresh air. She’s not here now. It’s over. You’re fine. I was not fine. I could easily run back to Forks tonight, climb through her bedroom window and take what the monster inside me craved. Even the memory of her smell was enough to make my throat burn with desire, to make my fingers twitch in impatience. It would be so easy. But I knew I couldn’t go through with it. Just imagining the disappointment on Carlisle’s face, not to mention Esme…

I groaned. I needed to compose myself. Just look at you! Obsessing over Bella Swan like every mouth breathing boy at your school. Where’s your dignity, Edythe? It wasn’t that I couldn’t understand what all the fuss was about. She was beautiful, in her way. She had an… interesting face, all sharp contrasts. Delicate bone structure, but wide eyes, full lips. Her skin was almost as pale as mine, but her hair was a deep brown, even darker than her eyes. I chuckled softly. With that coloring, maybe she was Snow White. But what would that make me? The evil queen? I certainly couldn’t be prince charming. Mike Newton was already vying for that role, as irritating as his attempts were. When we first came to Forks his constant and often vulgar thoughts about me had been an annoyance, though nothing I wasn’t already used to. But when I recalled the way he thought about Bella, a dark feeling came over me. Jealousy, my mind supplied easily, but I dismissed the notion. I would never harbor anything short of resentment for Mike Newton, so what was there to be jealous of?

The sound of snow crunching in the distance brought me out of my musings. Tobias, no doubt, coming to find where I’d run off to. I cringed. He was nice enough, but his interest in me was obvious, even without the glimpses I had into his head. The feeling was not mutual, but I still felt bad every time I brushed off his advances.

“Ah, Edythe!” He exclaimed once he drew nearer. “There you are! I’ve been looking all over for you.”

“Hello, Tobias.” I smiled faintly as he took a seat next to me.

What is she doing all the way out here?

“I don’t know,” I replied, shrugging. “Sometimes it’s nice to be alone with my thoughts.” I added the last part hoping he’d take the hint. He didn’t.

I always forget you can do that! “My sisters told me to leave you alone, but you seemed upset, so…” He trailed off, and I didn’t bother with a reply, choosing to look up at the stars instead. I should ask her what’s bothering her.

He took a breath. “I don’t want to talk about it,” I interjected before he could ask the question out loud. “It’s nothing.” He scoffed.

“Are you sure? Because it doesn’t sound like nothing. You even have this little crease between your eyebrows.” He reached out slowly, like he wanted to smooth it out, but I threw some snow at him before he could. He laughed, shaking his long blond hair out and hitting me in the face. I glowered at him. “Oh, come on, Edythe. Lighten up, will you? There must be something that’s bothering you.”

“Besides you, you mean?” I grumbled. He simply held up a finger, stroking his chin in thought.

Then his eyes lit up. “Oh! Is it boy trouble? Finally found someone special back home?”

I had never been more grateful that I’d lost all ability to blush. “No, Tobias. No one back home.” I tried to ignore the hopeful tone his thoughts took on after that.

Here goes nothing. “Don’t worry. I know you’ve only got eyes for me.” He grinned widely at me, confident and smug, but I simply stared back at him, unimpressed. He deflated a little, averting his gaze.

“In all seriousness, Edythe…” He sighed, then looked back at me. You know how I feel about you. Just give me a chance. Please.

This was why he always made me feel guilty. Beneath all the bravado, he was earnest. A good man. But not one I could ever want.

“I’m sorry, Tobias.” His eyes saddened. “Look, you surely must know that you’re a wonderful person, and incredibly handsome, too. You’ll find somebody that will love you, I’m sure of it. It just won’t be me.”

He smiled ruefully. You know I had to try. No hard feelings, honest.

“If it makes you feel any better,” I added, “It’s not just you. I’ve never felt that way about any man.”

Huh. His mind suddenly filled with thoughts of Rosalie and Eleanor. “Maybe you should stop trying to find a man, then.”

I furrowed my brow at him in confusion, looking into his mind to see why he put a slight emphasis on man, but he shook his head at me and smirked. Good night, Edythe, he thought, before singing some pop song loudly in his head to drown out his thoughts as he ran away.

I flopped back down into the snow once he was out of sight. Well, that was weird. What did he mean by “stop trying to find a man”? Maybe he was telling me to resign myself to a life of loneliness? As if I hadn’t already come to that conclusion long ago. And why would he be thinking of Rose and El? What did they have to do with my inability to find-

“Oh!” I gasped, sitting bolt upright. He must have assumed… My sisters had always preferred women, and they found happiness in each other. Did he think that I? No. No, that was preposterous. I didn’t have any aversion to it as a concept, even I wasn’t that old fashioned. The love between Rosalie and Eleanor had always seemed so natural to me, so right, that I could never understand why some people resented it. But for me? I was over a hundred years old, wouldn’t I have figured that part of myself out by now? No, Tobias was wrong. I just hadn’t found anyone that I liked, that was all.

I slowly lowered myself back down. It was only natural that Tobias had come to that conclusion. I had, after all, just told him that I had never been interested in a man. But that wasn’t just to spare his feelings, even if that was my intention in saying it. I thought back on all of the men I had met over my many years, and not one of them jumped out at me as a romantic interest. I couldn’t even recall a passing attraction.

My thoughts then turned to Tobias. He was objectively gorgeous, perfect, like all of those who shared our condition. I imagined he was also quite handsome in life. Tall, broad shouldered, a kind face. If any man were fit to be my mate, it was Tobias. And yet, he stirred nothing within me. But his sister Irina, on the other hand…

I shook myself. Stop. What are you thinking? Clearly, my mind only went down this path because Tobias had planted the idea in my head. I shouldn’t have even entertained the possibility. Of course, Irina was beautiful. It was just as objective a fact for her as it was for Tobias. But did I give Tobias a second look? Did I look over his body like my eyes roamed across the sharp lines of Irina’s collarbones, the dip of her spine. Did my gaze ever rest a moment too long on his mouth?

This time, I stood up. I began to pace back and forth, so quickly that I ran ruts into the snowdrift. I had no romantic feelings for Irina. I did not feel devotion for her like Carlisle felt for Esme, I did not desire to protect her like Jasper did with Alice. I did not look at her with the same soft eyes that Eleanor had for Rosalie. I was not in love with her, of that that much I was certain. But lust? Simple attraction?

I abruptly stopped moving. “Oh, my God.” I breathed. “I’m gay.”

Before I registered what I was doing, I was already running south. I thought about the pretty girls who would approach me every time we moved to a new school. How pleased I was that they wanted to be my friend. I realized now that it was much more than that. I remembered the time I found a copy of Le Fanu’s Carmilla at the library and read it three times a night, every night for a month, and how I bought my own copy that was now heavily marked up. It was the only piece of vampire fiction I had ever enjoyed. Perhaps I had seen myself in it?

I stopped about fifty miles north of Seattle and leaned against a tree. It occurred to me that I was on my way back home, most likely to inform my family of my revelation. They were the people I cherished most in this existence, and I desperately wanted to share my discovery with them. I especially wanted to talk to Rose and El, the two people in the world that would understand this best.

But oh, I had almost forgotten why I wasn’t at home in the first place. Bella Swan. I ground my teeth in frustration. Was one girl really going to keep me from my family? At a time like this? No. I was a lot of things, yes, but not a coward. I would not allow her to keep me from where I belonged.

So what if she smelled delicious? I had plenty of experience keeping my thirst under control. So long as I avoided her like the plague she was, I wouldn’t be tantalized by the perfume of her blood, the inviting rosiness of her cheeks, the aggravating silence of her thoughts… I could make it through another year or two before we moved on, and she could continue with her mundane human life. Maybe she’d even marry that loathsome Mike Newton.

There it was again. That pang of jealousy.

But suddenly, I understood it.

“Oh, shit.” No, I could not even consider that right now. It could only be a passing attraction, like Irina. Perhaps the mystery of her mind and her mouthwatering scent had mixed together and caused some sort of confusion with my feelings. I could not afford to like Bella Swan. And neither, quite frankly, could she afford any further attention from me.

In any case, it was a problem for later. Right now, I needed to go home.

It wasn’t long before I reached the house. I slowed to a stop as I got to the end of our long driveway and found Alice waiting for me on our front steps. She sprung to her feet as I approached, smiling and throwing her arms around me.

I am so proud of you. I love you so much. She pulled away, but still held me by my shoulders. And I missed you. Are you going to stay this time?

“I think so, Alice. I hope I can, at least.”

Wonderful! She grinned, exuberant. Now, don’t let me keep you. You have some news to deliver.

“You didn’t already tell them?” I asked.

“Of course not,” she laughed. “You only get to come out to them once. I could never take that from you.”

I would have had tears in my eyes, were I still able to cry. I pulled her into another crushing hug. “Thank you.”

She giggled, pushing me towards the door. Go on!

I decided to start with my father. He was my creator, in a sense, so it felt right to tell him first. I knocked gently on his office door.

“Come in.” Carlisle looked up from his desk as I entered. “Oh, Edythe! Welcome home.”

His thoughts were a mixture of relief to see me back safe and worry for the reasons I had left in the first place. He had already made up his mind to move the family if need be, which made me wince. I hoped it wouldn’t come to that.

“It’s good to be home. Listen, Dad, I’m here because there’s something I need to tell you.”

He looked closer at my eyes and I saw a flash of relief in his mind when he realized they were not the brilliant crimson he had feared. He had thought, briefly, that I’d given in and murdered the girl. I couldn’t say I blamed him, though his ready forgiveness for my imagined sin almost shamed me more than his anger would have. It strengthened my resolve to do nothing that he needed to forgive.

“No, it’s not-” I paused, taking a deep breath I didn’t really need. “Dad, I’m a lesbian.”

Shock flashed across his face, but as I listened to what he was thinking, I realized that he wasn’t surprised for the reasons I expected.

“You already knew?” My voice was shriller than I intended, so I cleared my throat before trying again. “All this time, you knew?”

You didn’t know? He attempted to school his expression, but couldn’t control the quirk in the corner of his mouth.

“I just discovered it when I was up in Alaska,” I admitted sheepishly.

I thought she would have figured it out by now. Maybe Rosalie was right, maybe she is a “clueless lesbian”.

I was about to ask him if everybody in our family knew but me, but the place his thoughts trailed off to gave me a different question to ask.

“Father,” I began calmly, trying to control my voice. “Please tell me you did not turn Rosalie into a vampire because you thought I was lonely and needed a girlfriend.”

Carlisle lost his humor quickly. “That was a long time ago, Edythe. Edythe? Where are you going?”

I was already at the bottom of the stairs. “I’m going back to Alaska to bury myself in the snow forever. Goodbye, Carlisle. Great talk!”

#twilight #twilight renaissance #twilight saga #bella swan #edythe cullen #bella/edythe #bella x edythe #rosalie hale #eleanor cullen #carlisle cullen #esme cullen #alice cullen #this is gay #i'm not sorry

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dismuch47 · 5 years

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Game of Thrones Theories

It’s always fun to throw these out there and read them again after things have gone down. So here is my revised theory list, as my predictions have altered somewhat...

ARYA STARK

Hate to say it, but I think she’s gonna die. She was obsessed with legends of heroes as a child... and now she is one: Arya Stark who disguised herself as a boy with her sword Needle, favorite of the Many Faced god, who completed revenge on those who murdered her family, killer of the untouchable Little Fnger, and slayer of dragons. I added the last one, because I KNOW she is going to kill an ice dragon with that spear. She is going to be the source of so much inspiration to bards, but she is going to be cut down in this war against the Night King. “Okay... today...” She will tell the god of Death, “But not this second...” as she does one last amazing feat to give the good guys the tipped scale they need...like a bad ass boss. Gendry will listen to her hero deeds through songs for the rest of his life, bitter sweet smile on his lips for his first love and the most bad ass woman he ever knew.

GENDRY BARATHEON

Obviously I love the Gendrya ship, that’s why they come first to my mind, but I don’t think they are fated to be together. Their love is true, but she never wanted to be a Lady in a castle. And I don’t think she’s going to survive to the very end. But I do feel that Gendry is being built up to take the iron throne. That this series is going to end how it began; the wheel will not break, but it will wear down. But this time... a Baratheon and Stark will rule... as it should have been the first time. Gendry will have bard songs to remember his first love Arya, but he will be in matrimony with Sansa. It will be a political move... but as he is kind, she is beautiful and witty... it will work. Love... not sure, but he’ll be true to her, unlike Robert. Oh... and there is still a chance that he could be legitimate...but I’ve already written about that and don’t want to take the time to write it all up again. Short version: It’s all Jamie’s fault the Cersei is crazy and Gendry was raised by a blacksmith.

SANSA STARK

There was a time that I hoped that Sansa would renew her marriage to Tyrion, for numerous reasons (I might have shipped them at one point..), but I feel that Sansa is no longer bewitched by the idea of being married for the sake of love. It is obvious that the north looks to her as their level-headed ruler, and she becomes more and more like her mother every day... so I feel that she’s going to be on the throne... and pressured to marry Gendry Baratheon. They will have a long winter to turn him into the king figurehead he needs to be... but Sansa is the one pulling the strings and whose council he trusts. It will be political, but they could grow to lust for each other and...who knows... love? The fact that they both love Arya (though for different reasons) is just more common ground.

BRAN STARK

I don’t care. But I feel like the three-eyed raven does more harm then good. Pushes people away. And when his plan totally fails, we’ll see that everything was going to play out exactly the way it would have even without his “help.” Hello I can see everything that has already happened: WORST SUPER POWER EVER. Seriously, warg some crap to make things better for everyone instead of making them feel self-conscious for things they can’t control! I truly believe that the death of the “memory of man” is a good thing...all these prophecies and fates make everyone feel trapped... instead of letting everyone carve their future with bold uncertainty. I’m calling it now... death of three-eyed Raven is a GOOD thing. It will help wear down, or break the cycle.

JON SNOW

He never wanted the throne, and I don’t think him finding out who he is has changed that. It’s only there to add drama and tension. I do feel that he’s going to have to play out that prophecy of killing his beloved, Daenerys... because DRAMA. He’s going to end up either taking their boat baby elsewhere to be raised or he’s going to die. I would like to think he would survive... because I don’t think Dany is going to make it... and the dragon line will continue... though maybe not with the dragons...

MOTHER OF DRAGONS

She dead. The days of commanding mythical creatures and magical people are coming to an end. Drogon will die by the Night King’s Dragon, which will be able to HURT DANY WITH IT’S FLAMES since it is not regular fire... so her mortality in battle will come as a hard blow. Strip her of the muscle, which was gained with muscle and dragons, take away dragons and you have a very vulnerable woman with no real know-how to lead or inspire loyalty. So really, in my opinion, her usefulness is going to run shockingly low once the NK army mows over her 3,000 like nothing. Except for drama. So... boat baby and turning against Jon...and having to be killed by him...for....yah now. DRAMA. I’m sorry, but I’m just over her.

CERSEI LANNISTER

I think Jamie will be responsible for her death, but not in the way that we think. I think she is going to legit kill him. And possibly his gold hand will come into play of her death...whether by being bludgeoned by it (*cough* by Brie of Tarth *cough*) or being melted down into a sentimental weapon to killer her with (*cough* by Brie of Tarth *cough*).

SIR BRIENNE OF TARTH

Oh she gonna LIVE, baby. She gonna team up with The Hound to take down The Mountain. She gonna put the Mad Queen down. And then she gonna be head of the King’s guard. Because that’s how you crush the wheel of sexism, baby!

JAMIE LANNISTER

Dead. Just... dead. He’s gotten redemption, he’s pissed off Cersei and at times is responsible for her madness... so... dead. It’s time. And I’m sure it will be sentimental and in the arms of a gorgeous lady knight which is more than he deserves... Or crumpled up by the Mountain.

TYRION LANNISTER

He’s my fav. He’s my boy. But I don’t know if he’s gonna make it. How nice would it be if he did... that the one that everyone mocks as being weak and useless and ugly makes it out on top...but I just don’t know. If he doesn’t make it, may it be on his witty terms, and not like a coward.

BRONN

Dead.

THEON GREYJOY

I don’t want him to die... because his redemption has been heartbreaking and sincere, but I also don’t want him to live with the memory of what he’s been through. I could see him dying honorably, and it would be a sigh of relief to him.

YARA GREYJOY

You go get that fishy throne! You’re doing amazing sweetie.

NIGHT KING

So I’ve always had a theory that the white walkers and the long winters are basically a reset button for mankind when things get too immoral, incesty, and just unbalanced...so while they are terrifying and it seems horrible that they take infants for their army and slaughter thousands.. look at what the human kingdoms are doing: burning little girls, sacrificing infants, slaughters at weddings, using imprisoning and torturing in the name of righteousness, brother and sister joining in lust, conquerors called messiahs... it’s an unholy mess and the white walkers are like “yucccccck... let’s just mow this over and see if anything worthy crops back up in the spring...” This whole summer verses winter... it’s a tale as old as time: death must come in order to purify for a hopeful spring. It’s a cycle...and I think that the walkers are apart of the cycle when it comes to mankind. But if they are defeated, then mankind is going to be left to face it’s own morality issues, rather than blame an ultimate evil. Can mankind even handle that? And then there’s the theory that the NK is just cruising for a queen, which I find reasonable. And if he is...it’s going to be a Stark, as a call out to the Stark Crow that went mad for a White Walker Queen.

So those are some predictions. It will be interesting to see who gets killed tonight...

#got spoilers #theories

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silverloreley · 6 years

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WIP part 1

Okay, this is for @26ja who agreed to read some bits and pieces of a WIP ff I started writing... I don’t really remember when. It’ll likely take me years to finish it (I’m busy and I work on multiple projects depending on the inspiration). As such, there are holes and a lot of things to refine, but it has the general vibe.

Anyway, it’s a rewriting of the 4th Cave of the Golden Rose movie, with a slight crossover (one Disney character. I just love her too much and she fits well into the plot imho). The bits will be under the cut, it’ll make for some long posts, so, for the mobile users, you can block the tag “cotgr wip ff” I’m going to use for those snippets.

1) not the start of the ff, but the start of the real changes. After the first half, where Fantaghirò was killed by Darken, Tarabas agrees to a blind condition to bring her back to life.

«What do you want me to do?» Tarabas asked, ready to give up to whatever mad request Darken could make. The shock of Fantaghirò's death was still too strong, even if the Master of Evil agreed to restore her to life, the former wizard wouldn't risk another confrontation, not when there was still the chance for him to kill the queen of Tuan for good. Darken, knowing well all of this, smiled maliciously and expressed his will: «In one of the cells, there is a peculiar prisoner. You'll recognize it because there are no flowers around it. I want you to kill the prisoner...» he handled a sturdy looking, rough stone sword «With this» «Who is this person? Why do you want his death so bad?» «It's because of the very powerful magic held in that undeserving human body. The sword will allow you to take this magic, making you as powerful as you used to be. With just one life you'll have a great power again» «Tarabas, don't! You'll be evil again if you kill an innocent!» «Sadly, I never said “innocent”. The one you're about to kill is guilty of terrible crimes» At the curious moment of silence at the announcement, he went on «The first crime: a curse, that turned an entire kingdom, a florid place in its best summer, in an eternally frozen wasteland. Then, not happy, the second deed: when the princess of the kingdom tried to stop the ordeal, her heart had been infected with ice, turning her into an ice statue little by little» «What is your problem? I thought you liked evil deeds» «When someone like us performs them!» the Evil Master exclaimed, somehow indignant at a concept that was obvious only in his devious mind «But no time for politics. Let's go, you'll coat this sword with the blood of the Winterborn and your magic will be great again, stronger than ever with the power of snow and ice!» «What if I won't?» «I'll kill them all, one by one, in the most painful ways I know. And this time, you can be sure no one will come back from the land of the dead» «You have to refuse!» «It's just one human life. One guilty human life in exchange for all of your innocent ones. It doesn't even sound that evil, after all» he reasoned «Perhaps, once he'll be in his right mind again, Tarabas will kill you all too» «Never» he spat. «We will see, boy. We will see» he murmured maliciously, then made a grand gesture towards one of the corridors «Shall we go?» The cell was indeed the only one not covered in the horrible carnivorous flowers and getting closer to it the reason became clear: albeit being in the depths of the earth, the temperature in that spot was freezing, like full winter on a high mountain's peek. Snow covered the floor and no bars were in sight, only columns that partially covered the sight and frozen vines dead on the ground, covered in snow and ice thicker as every step. At some point, it was visible a chain, dark and pulsing with magic, shaking at any attempt of the prisoner to move. When the former sorcerer finally got sight of the prisoner, he was a little taken aback: there lied, asleep, a young woman in early twenties at most, with skin as pale as the snow around her and braided hair of the lightest blonde he had ever seen. Her turquoise skirt sparkled even in the faint light and so did the light cape that covered the rest of her frame, which had a snowflakes design foreign and enchanting at the same time. Her veiled sleeves were torn at the wrists where she was bound by the chains, the skin there was tainted in red and black spots, the result of her fight against the cuffs. Her furrowed brows spoke of pain and her lips thinned in the motion of her face as she clenched her fists and hissed, a tear escaped her closed eyes and ran down the exhausted face, that twisted with sufferance. «Here! Your pray caught for you and I must say, it wasn't easy as it seems to keep her here. She's far too powerful for normal bindings and a mere cell. No, I had to create...» «Chains made from fear» Tarabas competed and, as to praise him, the chains shortened, pulling the girl's arms a bit more. The elder looked amused «Yes. Her own fears are her limit, her binding rule and the spell I put on her keeps her mind in a sleep full of nightmares. Either you kill her...» he moved to caress the chains «Or she will feed those chains so much they will pull further and further until they rip her limbs away» «You're a sadistic monster!» «Of course I am! I am darkness, Evil in its purest form!» «Wake her!» «Why so? Oh, I get it! So you can see her face when you end her life, see the light fading from her eyes. Look» he gestured toward the girl «The spell is wearing off, soon she'll be awake» She was, in fact, waking up, beautiful ice-blue eyes opened and looked around in confusion. At the sight of the two men she tried to get up and she managed to get on her knees, only to be kept in place by the chains. She grimaced for the hurt in her arms, fear evident in her wide-opened eyes. «Who are you? Where am I?» «Silence! You're in presence of the Masters of all Evil. You're only here to die» All of sudden, the air around the young woman froze and at the same time, the chains pulled her. A gasp of pain escaped her lips and she looked at the restraints the bound her limbs. She raised her eyes towards the assaulters, nothing but fear in her gaze. Tarabas couldn't believe such pure eyes could hide a malicious soul and he held the sword with unsteady hands. «Why?» she asked, chin up and trembling lips. «That's always the question, isn't it?» Darken reprimanded «You useless mortals don't recognize your lives have no value other than pawns in a bigger game. Even you» he made to touch her face, but she recoiled. Darken grabbed her chin anyway «All this power and the wrong hands to hold it. But worry not, you'll be relieved of it soon» «Stop it!» Tarabas ordered. He grabbed the elder's hand away with a brusque motion and furthered it from the girl's face. The other didn't seem upset by the sudden outburst. If anything, he seemed pleased: «That's a bit of nerve I see? Use it well then, and abide our deal» he urged. The girl's eyes switched to him. In the artificial light of the fake paradise, turned there into a winter ruin, her pale face drained of all colour at the sight of the stone sword. «If you want my magic,» she said, pleaded «You can have it. It's nothing but a curse to me, it always was. I won't fight for it, there's no reason to kill me...» [...] He swung the sword, but didn't hit her body. She felt the air move beside her, close to her face and past her frame, just before the pull on her wrist subsided. When she opened her eyes, finding the courage to look, she saw the sword that was supposed to end her life was deep into the ground, the chain that bound her broken by it. Tarabas' body was still hunched over the weapon, his face at the same level as hers. «I'm not evil. I'll never be so again» he was murmuring. His green eyes were too on the sword, then met her blue ones. Her features gleamed with relief and gratitude and nothing, no spite or sense of victory, made him think of a wicked soul. In that moment he had the certainty she was, after all, innocent. He was now sure: sparing her life was the right thing to do. Darken's enraged scream shook the underground and took Tarabas out his epiphany.

#cotgr wip ff #my work #My writing

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sieben9 · 6 years

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“a curious thing” impressions

Hey there. Hi.

So. I got destroyed by an episode of television. Again.

look I don't believe in burying the lead. usually.

Gotta say, I enjoyed the hell out of it. All the reasons why--well, the other reasons--are under the cut.

OK, before I get to the unabashed squee-ing (and in case you're wondering, yes that is going to be pretty much the entirety of this post), I wanted to note the one thing that kind of disappointed me. Namely, the handling of the season's mystery.

You may remember how hyped I was to finally have a solid (half-)season-long mystery arc again, because that's what New York City Serenade seemed to promise. "They're cursed again, but nobody knows who did it" seemed like a very good setup for some investigating and sneaking around, season 1 style. What happened instead is that they discovered Zelena's involvement, and as soon as that happened, assumed that she had cast the curse and focused on stopping her more than on investigating further. And granted, in-universe that made sense, but from a viewer's perspective, I would really have liked more of the mystery. This episode, obviously, provides the missing pieces, and surpriiise, it wasn't Zelena who cast the curse. I mean, we knew that, because it's been established who she'd have to kill for that, and Rumple is still very much alive.

Oh, and before we get to all that goodness (hey, angst can be good), just... just one more point of criticism. Not of the writing, mind, of the characters. Specifically, this line:

"Nothing that can't be undone."

The. Hell? I mean, I guess it's been established that most people don't really see Rumple as human (and yes, there is precedent for the Charmings visiting him in a cage/cell to ask for help with fighting a powerful sorcerer), but what kind of cold-blooded, heartless (again, no pun) asshattery was that?? If you don't care about Rumple, at least try and have a little empathy for Belle, for crying out loud.

Ugh. Nobles, am I right?

Oh, one honourable mention to Regina's reaction to finding out (again? again, but backwards in time?) Rumple is alive:

Gotta love that.

Anyway, enough of the complaining, and on to the fun bits! Or something like that, because that scene with the heart crushing. Holy crap. That was some intense stuff.

if you look closely, you can see a total of three hearts breaking here

Just... pain. Much pain. For everyone. David, for obvious reasons (I don't care how brave a face he put on or that he was convinced he was saving everyone, he knew he was about to die, that's not a happy mindset), Snow, for similarly obvious reasons, and Regina... well, here are the two people she still has left in this world, and they're suffering, and she hates it. Guys, she hates it so much. And this would be hilarious if it wasn't so sad, because let's please remember Regine from just two seasons ago who would have done a little jig if she could see this. And while I would have paid to see the Evil Queen do a jig, I still vastly prefer the beautiful character development.

Blabla, Zelena turns up and Makes Everything Worse, the usual and then...

I cheered. So much. Yes, I know, you could argue that it lessens the drama of the Worst Curse Ever (that's what it's called, right?), but honestly? I prefer the thematic reminder that True Love really is the most powerful magic of all. Not only that, this is such a different situation from the original "intent" behind the curse that it seems only fitting that there would be a way around the price. The curse is meant to hurt people, to make them miserable, and it was clearly meant to be cast in hatred. And none of the people involved did that. David willingly gave his life so that the curse could be cast, and Regina was casting it for Snow so they could save people, not cause them to suffer.

And can you see that absolute relief on Regina's face, too? Because, and I will repeat this until I'm blue in the face, she's come so far and I am so proud of her! She really didn't want Snow to suffer the way she has

...look, I am a little bit in love with this scene, OK? I could also write half a thousand words of the emotional state of everyone involved here, but I haven't even gotten to the best bit and this post is going to be so long... (I am nothing if not self-indulgent, alright?)

OK, anything else that left an impression? Hook's side quest? Nah, not really... Good witch? Not much there, either...

though Regina's wordless little "wtf" was a lot of fun

Oh, I know! The culmination of Emma's whole "New York was pretty good" dilemma. Again, not quite as thoroughly explored as I would have liked, but the scenes which centred that were still pretty good. Especially her conversation with Snow, and not just because I love any and all conversations between these two.

pictured: a very concerned, but still adorable badass

Snow's quiet little "because you forgot about us" really hit the core of the issue, didn't it? Yes, they were happy, but only because they didn't know what they were missing. That was all well and good while they didn't have the option to reunite with their family, but now that they do? Does Emma really want to return to that life or is this just her knee-jerk reaction because having family is messy? (hint: I'm pretty sure it's the second) And even if she wants to stay away--does Emma have the right to make that decision for Henry? (Nope. I don't think she does; especially not now that his mom is back)

Oh, and Neal's moment of awesome when he burst out of Rumple like some weird alien creature to send Emma that bottle. Weird as it looked, it was pretty badass.

Alright, now for the main event!

oh you can BET I have more than one of these

Just... ::unholy pterodactyl screech:: Regina broke the curse! With True Love's Kiss! With her son! (please imagine another 300 words of me flailing about the narrative significance of paralleling her with Emma's role as the Saviour in season 1 here) And without her heart in her chest, holy crap, woman, that is some impressive motherly love, right there. Everything might be numb right now, but that’s still more than enough for some good ol’ True Love.

And Henry finally remembers her! My wounds are healed, my skin is clear and my crops flourish, this is the best goddamn thing! No, you weren't promising too much when you said there were good things for these two coming.

And what I loved even more was that the episode actually let them have quiet moment. Because we're clearly in finale territory, now (I've already heard that the last two episodes are more of a coda-movie), and things are happening, but there was still time for "I got pretty good at math", and I loved it.

balm for my poor battered heart. now someone get Rumple away from that witch and we can all go home happy

Less happy that Henry didn't get time to say goodbye to Neal's grave, properly, but I guess you can't fault a baby for doing as babies do.

Alright then! Big finale! I'm fairly sure they're going to stop Zelena, but... uh, let's say "time-screwed Storybrooke" sounds just likely enough that I'm not absolutely certain.

And as a last little addendum: my heart melted like ice cream in the sun when Belle stepped up to the cage and gently coaxed Rumple back to something at least resembling sanity.

Nobody touch me.

Also, nobody mention Rumple's little chant, because it's been nearly 24 hours and I still haven't recovered from that.

#ouat #once upon a time #a curious thing #sieben watches ouat #sieben talks #this one was SO GOOD #gah #a whole day and a four-hour odyssey later and i'm STILL flailing with happiness

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azuresquirrel · 7 years

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WHAT UP PALS, I’M DOING A GOOFY LIVEBLOG OF THE FLASH mostly for the benefit of @spaceoperetta and whoever else finds me mildly amusing LET’S GO FAST.

EPISODE ONE.

Oh man I only watched one episode of Glee that this actor showed up in and but it’s going to take me a while to get used to him being Barry Allen and not that evil snot-nosed gay kiddo.

WHY HELLO THERE HAZY-FOCUSED IDYLLIC FLASHBACK OF TOTALLY DEAD MOM. WHAT A NEW AND GROUNDBREAKING SUPERHERO TROPE.

HI THERE DAWSON’S DAD WHO DIED FROM CAR ICE-CREAM (thank you forever lemedy for sending me that video)

And Barry’s mom was eaten by some CGI? I guess?

PRESENT DAY: Collins from Rent is investigating some shit with some jerkass who looks like the poor man’s Santino Fontana.

Oh great, Barry’s Sherlock I guess. JOY.

So Barry’s job is . . . CSI? BEING WILL GRAHAM? I never actually put thought into what Barry’s job was.

“your sad little nerdy dream” IRIS IS A QUEEN. “you look amazing’ and she eye-rolls at him. THAT BLACK JACKET WITH ROSES IS SOME GODDAMN UTENA DREAM AESTHETIC.

What city does this take place in? You know what, it doesn’t matter what city this takes place in, Barry definitely cannot afford whatever the rent is on this . . . apartment? Lab??

HARRISON WELLS APPEARS after extremely awkward relationship talk. I guess I should maybe not call him JD’s Gay Brother anymore.

BARRY YOU’RE NOT DOING A VERY GOOD JOB OF GOTTA GO FAST.

Awww, Barry’s got a little Charlie-conspiracy-board of his mom’s death. HEALTHY.

Yeah I’m pretty much paying no attention to the actual criminal plot/technoobabble about particle accelerators, I’M WAITING FOR MY SON.

Oh so NOW Barry’s going to be GOTTA GO FAST because of particle accelerator . . . lightning . . . which also maybe killed his mom/SENT HER TO THE SHADOW REALM. (I HOPE YOU’RE NOT HERE FOR ACCURACY)

MY SON!!!!! HE’S SINGING ALONG TO “POKERFACE.” HE TRULY IS MY SON.

Cisco is . . . looking at Barry . . . in a VERY not heterosexual way. While playing Lady Gaga tunes. Like. Dudes.

Also Catilin is here and I’ve taken it from others’ blogging that she gets a super raw deal on this show, but also her name is DR. SNOW like that’s badass.

Barry’s been in a coma for nine months = WOW SUBTLE REBIRTH SYMBOLISM THERE.

I know this is a pilot but this sure is GOTTA GO FAST-ing through the plot/premise.

“Your heart was going too fast for the EKG to register it.” I just fucking laughed. I’m not a scientist but WOW THIS SHOW.

Barry is learning how to GOTTA GO FAST while reuniting with Iris in a fucking coffeeshop, are we sure this isn’t just filmed fanfic?

Oh like that’s the bad guy or whatever. With the awesome power of FOOOOOOOOOG.

Barry just fucking VIBRATES HIMSELF INTO A CAR like jesus fucking Christ Barry, who allows you to do things by yourself.

And apparently in the space of a commercial break Barry goes to STAR Labs and says ‘HEY I HAVE A TERMINAL CASE OF GOTTA GO FAST’ and they set up a whole goddamn experiment and Cisco gets him into a fucking SKINTIGHT ROMPER????? LIKE????

(Cisco is 120% responsible for that outfit I will hear nothing otherwise)

Oh right so like . . . some time-travelling version of Harrison is TOTALLY the CGI that ate Barry’s mom right? I FORGET THE TIMELINE/TIMETRAVEL BULLSHIT ON THIS SHOW.

Okay so Badguy of the Week is supposedly white dude Storm but Storm is awesome so I’m sticking to this guy having the power of FOOOOOOOOOG.

Mmmmm this seems like a good time to bring up the traumatic murder of your mom that you’ve been obsessing over for at least a decade to a guy who TOTALLY isn’t the dude who murdered her.

Oh so I guess Iris is dating the dude who’s so boring that I literally blank out whenever he’s onscreen. PLEASE let this delaying the obvious endgame couple subplot not last long.

Iris is rocking these fucking great rose ensembles.

FOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOG.

I’m just saying we’re spending an awful lot of time on boring white dude side characters when we could have more CISCO.

Oh so I guess all of the Badguy/Monsters of the week were all caused by the ~particle excellerator~ doohickey.

Mmmm yeah the thing to do for a kid who just got out of a nine month coma is to yell “YOUR DAD KILLED YOUR MOM” in a public street the very next day. HELPING!

Metahumans, you mean BADGUYS OF THE WEEK.

Pffff all of Harrison’s looks in this scene of Barry yelling like an angry kitten are basically “JUST AS PLANNED.”

Oh shit so Momma Barry wasn’t eaten by CGI as THE WORLD’S WORST COPS LET AN 11-YEAR-OLD LIFT UP THE TARP COVERING HIS MOM’S BODY. CHRIST.

Am I supposed to know who this guy is? Is this Green Arrow? I DEEPLY DO NOT CARE. (it is Green Arrow. I STILL DO NOT CARE)

“You’re better because you can inspire your city in a way I never could” = my show sucks ass

Cisco’s face = “MY FANTASY THREESOME”

He . . . he literally made Barry’s suit. Like. Guys. GUYS.

This CGI tornado is basically “OH NO, IT’S COMING VERY SLOWLY TOWARDS US.”

Cisco: “Mmm yes I put a direct link to my line in your helmet. Because. Superhero reason. Those are the reasons. Yep.”

Cisco about a guy he met two days ago: “He can do it. I know he can do it.” Me: *looks into camera*

Harrison saying “I’m responsible for all of this” like he’s supposed to be contrite but he TOTALLY has an o-face right now.

IS BARRY GONNA DESTROY CGI TORNADO BY LITERALLY JUST FUCKING RUNNING AROUND IT? AMAZING.

“I don’t want you telling Iris about anything you can do. I want her safe.” WOOOOW THE MOST FUCKING ORIGINAL SUPERHERO TROPE IN THE WOOOOOOORLD.

SORRY BARRY THIS ISN’T GOING TO END WELL FOR YOUR DAD, JUST A HUNCH. THIS IS A CW SHOW, NOT ACE ATTORNEY.

Cisco literally adding bling to Barry’s suit while ironically wearing a Bazinga T-shirt = ICONIC.

Okay I’m taking The Flash liveblogging as mostly a goofy lark and don’t want to get all Discoursey and such but um . . . there are ways to show that Harrison is a duplicitous assholethat we should not trust WITHOUT doing the whole Faking a Disability trope. I’M JUST. THROWING THAT OUT THERE.

One episode down and my conclusions are that Iris is way too cool to be stuck in the “hero’s love interest CAN’T KNOW ABOUT SUPERHEROICS FOR HER OWN GOOD” plot and Cisco is my not-straight son and the true hero of this show.

#Azuresquirrel Watches The Flash #me looking at .gifsets: 'Cisco probably isn't straight'#me watching this episode: 'WELL THEN.'#oh yeah also Cisco is the main character now those are the rules #don't @ me about DC canon bullshit I DON'T KNOW THIS COMIC CRAP

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swanqueeneverafter · 7 years

Text

32. Witch Hunt, Pt.1

New York City. Present. One Year Later. (The alarm clock chirps at eight-fifteen a.m. Emma reaches over to turn it off as ‘Charley's Girl’ by Lou Reed begins playing in the background. For breakfast, Emma makes scrambled eggs for herself and Henry as he waters plants in their apartment. She sets down two plates of pancakes with the eggs as well as matching cups of hot chocolate for both of them.) Henry: “Mom, you forgot something.” Emma: “Right, cinnamon.” (Grabs the sprinkler and gives it to Henry, who pours cinnamon on his hot chocolate. They clink their cups together before drinking. Suddenly, there’s a knock at the door.) Henry: “Someone coming over?” Emma: “No.” (The knocking resumes as a loud pounding.) Emma: (Gets up to check:) “Henry, wait here.” (As Emma heads to the door, she turns off the music player. Upon opening the door, she sees someone dressed in pirate clothes.) Hook: (Smiles:) “Swan. At last—” (He tries to enter into the apartment.) Emma: (Blocks him with her hand:) “Woah, do I know you?” Hook: “Look, I need your help. Something's happened. Something terrible. Your family is in trouble.” Emma: “My family's right here. Who are you?” Hook: “An old friend. Look, I know you can't remember me, but... I can make you.” (He plants a kiss on her lips.) Emma: (She kicks him in the groin and shoves him back:) “What the hell are you doing?“ Hook: (Grunting in pain:) “A long-shot. I had to try. I was hoping you felt as I did.” Emma: “All you’re gonna feel is the handcuffs when I call the cops.” Hook: “Look, I know this seems crazy, but you have to listen to me. You have to remem—” (She shuts the door in his face.) Henry: “Who was that?” Emma: “No idea. Someone must have left the door open downstairs. Come on, let's eat.” (Walks back to the table.)

The Enchanted Forest. Past. One Year Ago. (Prince Phillip rides through the woods. Aurora prepares a picnic.) Aurora: “You’re late.” Prince Phillip: “I came as quickly as I could.” Aurora: “I’m hungry and I miss you.” (Phillip embraces her. They kiss.) Prince Phillip: (Looking at Aurora’s belly, gently stroking it:) “You’re always hungry now.” Aurora: “And cranky. I’m sorry. I know, there are royal responsibilities.” Prince Phillip: “None that match my responsibilities to you. Our family. I’m the one who should be sorry.” (In the distance, thunder and rumbling can be heard. Purple clouds rise.) Aurora: (Looking up to the sky:) “What is that? Is it a storm?” (Their horses flee the scene in panic. Lightning hits the ground.) Prince Phillip: “That’s not a storm. It’s magic. Come. We need to get you to safety. Now. (They turn to run. With one final rumbling the purple clouds disappear:) Are you alright?” Aurora: “Yeah, I think so. What was that?” Prince Phillip: “I don’t know.” (They turn around and face a group of former Storybrooke residents: Snow White, Prince Charming, the Dwarves, the Evil Queen, Neal Cassidy, Granny, Red Riding Hood, Hook and Belle.) Aurora: (Surprised:) “Snow? What happened?” Snow White: “We’re back.” Land Without Magic. Present Day. New York City. Restaurant ‘Ostria’. (Emma Swan enters. A man awaits her.) Walsh: “Hey.” Emma: “Sorry, I’m late.” (Walsh stands up and embraces Emma.) Walsh: “I guess that means you caught the guy.” Emma: “So optimistic. I like it.” Walsh: “If you hadn’t you’d have cancelled.” Emma: “You know me too well.” Walsh: “Emma Swan always gets her man.” (A waiter serves a glass of wine.) Emma: “And apparently my drink. Thank you.” Walsh: “Thank you. How did Henry’s volcano do at the science fair?” Emma: “It was Pompeii all over again. Thanks for your help.” (They clink glasses.) Walsh: “Come on. All I did was convince him not to use real lava.” Emma: “His teachers did appreciate that. Let’s eat. I’m starving.” Walsh: “Let’s do it. (Emma looks at the menu enlisting small plates. The scene changes to both of them enjoying a meal:) Are you happy? With your food - are you happy?” Emma: “Beyond happy.” Walsh: “I’ll be right back.” (Standing up.) Emma: “Okay. (A waiter takes the plate away:) Thanks. (Emma’s cell phone beeps:) Hang on, I’ll just finish one quick work thing. (Hook sits down opposite to Emma:) You!” Hook: (Interrupting:) “I can explain.” Emma: (Angry:) “You are a stalker!” Hook: “Don’t scream. Just hear me out. I don’t do this very often. So treasure it, love. I’ve come to apologize.” Emma: “For trying to kiss me?” Hook: “I was simply trying to jog your memory.” Emma: “It’s time for you to go. Now.” Hook: “Emma, your parents are in great danger.” Emma: “You really have no idea what you’re talking about.” Hook: “Cause you think you’re an orphan? Because that’s haunted you your whole life? I’m here to tell you everything you believed is wrong.” Emma: “You don’t know me.” Hook: “Alas, I know you better than you know yourself. I have proof. Take a gander. (He hands Emma a small piece of paper:) Here’s an address. If you wanna know who you really are, who your parents are, go there.” Emma: “Leave. Now.” Hook: “You’ve been there before. A year ago. You just don’t remember.” Emma: “A year ago I was in Boston. Till a fire destroyed my apartment and I moved to New York to have a fresh start with my son.” Hook: “Regina really did really a number on you.” Emma: “You’re a crazy person. Or a liar. Or both.” Hook: “I prefer dashing rapscallion. Scoundrel?” Emma: “Give me one good reason not to punch you in the face.” Hook: “You really don’t believe me? (He leans a bit closer:) Try using your superpower. Yep, I know about that. Use it. See that I’m telling the truth.” Emma: “Just because you believe something is true, does not make it real.” Hook: “Maybe. Maybe not. I know you, Swan. You sense something’s off. Go to that address. Take a chance. Then you’ll want to talk. When you do I’ll be in Central Park. By the entrance of the zoo. Don’t do it for me. Or you. Do it for your family. They need your help.” (Hook leaves.)

The Enchanted Forest. Past. One Year Ago. (Aurora and Prince Phillip welcome the new arrivals.) Snow White: “How’ve things been since we left? The Ogres?” Aurora: “Defeated. We’re restoring our kingdom and our lives.” Snow White: (Nods:) “And congratulations.” Aurora: (Smiling:) “Is it that obvious?” Snow White: “You are glowing.” Regina: “Ugh. Why is she pregnant and I’m the one who’s sick?” Prince Phillip: “We have much to celebrate. And know that you and your friends are welcome in our kingdom. If you need anything we’re at your service.” Prince Charming: “Thank you, but all we need is horses. We have our own kingdom. Our own castle.” Snow White: (Resting a hand on Charming’s shoulder:) “Our castle was destroyed in the curse.” Hook: (To Regina:) “Well played, your Majesty. You laid waste to everything.” Aurora: “Not everything. Her castle still stands.” Regina: “Of course it does. I protected it.” Prince Charming: “Well, technically, the castle doesn’t belong to her. It was Snow’s before she took it.” Regina: “Well, to be fair, I married into it.” Snow White: “That you did. And now, we’re taking it back. (Smiling she takes a step towards Regina:) And you are coming with us.” Regina: “You can’t be serious.” Snow White: “Regina, everyone out there is scared and confused. They need hope. What better way to do that then to return united? You’re coming with us. I know you don’t like it. You’ll learn to. For our good. For yours.” Prince Charming: (To Phillip and Aurora:) “Thank you again for your hospitality. We should begin preparations.” Prince Phillip: “Good luck to all of you.” (Prince Charming, The Evil Queen, Hook and Snow White walk away.) Aurora: (Worried:) “You know we can’t pretend this didn’t happen. They’ve returned. We have to tell her.” Prince Phillip: “Aurora, we can’t. You know what’ll happen to them. What she’ll do.” Aurora: “We both know if she ever found out we hid this, she would take it out on our child. We have no choice. She has to know. We have to trust that they can take care of themselves. It’s not up to us to save them.”

Land Without Magic. Present Day. New York City. Restaurant ‘Ostria’. (Walsh returns and sits down again. He notices Emma reading Hook’s note.) Walsh: “Hey. What’s that?” (Sits down.) Emma: (Pockets the paper:) “Nothing.” (A waiter serves Emma a dessert.) Walsh: “Hope you’re still hungry.” Emma: “Walsh, I couldn’t eat another bite.” Walsh: “You remember our first date? You were being you. (Chuckles:) So I couldn’t swing a dinner. I brought you here for lunch, which didn’t stop you from ordering an ice-cream sundae, which wasn’t on the menu. I bribed the chef. They made one up.” Emma: “I remember. I was nervous. Now I’m full.” Walsh: “Will you at least look at it? (He turns the sundae around so that Emma can see an engagement ring placed on the plate:) Emma, I don’t want to freak you out, but I couldn’t wait any longer. I love you. I love Henry. I love our lives together and I wanna have a future together. (He stands up and kneels down taking Emma’s hand:) Emma Swan, will you marry me?” Land Without Magic. Present Day. New York City. (Emma leaves the restaurant. Walsh catches up with her.) Walsh: “I thought the worst thing that could happen was you’d say no but I never thought you’d walk out on the bill.” Emma: “Walsh.” Walsh: “No, no, no. I was gonna pay. It was- I’m kidding.” Emma: “I’m sorry. This wasn’t- You just took me by surprise. That’s all. A lot of things took me by surprise tonight.” Walsh: “Look, surprise was kind of part of the plan but I can see now it was not a great plan. So-” Emma: “Doesn't it all just seem a little fast to you? I mean, we've only been together eight months. I've had leftovers in my fridge for longer than that.” Walsh: “I know. I threw them out. Might have saved your life.” Emma: “How do you... we... know that this is right?” Walsh: “Emma, speaking for myself, I’ve known this was right since the moment you walked into my furniture shop. Why do you think your order was ready two weeks early?” Emma: “Your commitment to excellence?” Walsh: (Chuckles:) “I couldn’t wait to ask you out. It seemed the most non-stalkery way to speed things up.” Emma: “I love that end table.” Walsh: “That’s a start.” Emma: “I do love you. You know that, right?” Walsh: “Yeah, I do. And I love you.” Emma: “I’m not good at fast.” Walsh: “I know. I knew who I was proposing to. I knew you would say this is too fast and that’s why we don’t have to get married anytime soon. We can wait a year. Or more. Look, I don’t care if we don’t get married until we’re 65 years old and Henry already has kids. Okay? All I know is that I wanna spend the rest of my life with you.” Emma: “Can I have some time to think?” Walsh: “Take as much time as you need. I will be here when you’re ready.” Emma’s Apartment. (Emma enters and walks into the living room. Henry plays video games.) Emma: “Mrs. Cuse said you were quiet tonight.” Henry: “Not quiet. Concentrating. I’ve finally reached level 23.” Emma: “Do you mind if a fifth-level wizard joins you?” Henry: “At level 23? Good luck with that. (Emma sits and joins the game:) So what did you say? To Walsh?” Emma: “You knew? How?” Henry: “Come on, Mom. First date restaurant. A special night out. Writing was on the wall.” Emma: “Technically, the writing was in the dessert.” Henry: “So, what did you say? (Emma remains silent:) Poor guy.” Emma: “I didn’t say no.” Henry: “If you didn’t say yes, I stand by my poor guy assessment.” Emma: “I just need some time to think about it. I mean, it’s like a big step, kid. We’ve got a good thing going here, just the two of us.” Henry: “Yeah, and we’d still have a good thing if it was just the three of us.” Emma: “You think Walsh is worthy of joining our little family?” Henry: “He’s okay. (Henry pauses the game and turns around to face Emma:) Mom, not every guy is like my dad. Not every guy is just gonna leave you.” Emma: “He didn’t just leave. He set me up to take the fall for his crime and left me in jail. He doesn’t even know you exist. He doesn’t deserve to.” Henry: “This guy is not that guy. He wants to be with you. Us. He wants us to be his home. And anyways, I know you like him.” Emma: “How?” Henry: “Cause he’s the first guy you’ve dated I’ve ever met.” (Henry resumes the game.) Emma: “When did you get so wise?” Henry: “Somewhere after Level 16 when I became a knight.”

The Enchanted Forest. Past, One Year Ago. (Travel preparations are under way.) Sneezy: “Grumpy, look at us. We’re back to normal.” Happy: “We’re handsome again.” (Jiminy Cricket lands on Grumpy’s shoulder.) Grumpy: “Hey Jiminy, is that you? (Jiminy chirps affirmative:) Where have you been? (Jiminy chirps again:) Really? No kidding? (Jiminy chirps:) Okay. Okay. (To Prince Charming:) Hey, Your Highness. According to Jiminy, fifty more Storybrooke folk landed not two miles from here. They’re popping back all over the place.” Prince Charming: “That’s good. At this rate we’ll have the whole kingdom back in no time. Grumpy, you and the dwarves, spread the word. All new arrivals make haste for the Queen’s Castle.” Grumpy: “Consider it done.” (The dwarves leave and Prince Charming joins Hook.) Prince Charming: “That’s a lot of supplies you have there, Hook.” Hook: “Well, you know what they say about preparation and all that.” Prince Charming: “There’s no need to overload your horse. The Queen’s castle is less than a day’s ride from here. We’ll have everything we need once we get there.” Hook: “Aye. That would be lovely if I were going to the Queen’s castle.” Prince Charming: “You’re not coming with us?” Hook: “You are a perceptive prince, aren’t you?” Prince Charming: “Where are you going?” Hook: “Listen, mate. The Enchanted Forest is your home. Mine is the Jolly Roger.” Prince Charming: “Hook, you don’t even know if it’s -” Hook: (Interrupting:) “Regina told me how that bloody thing worked. It returned all of our belongings to this land as well as us. It means that somewhere out there is my ship. All I have to do is find her.” Prince Charming: “And what if you can’t?” Hook: “I'll just have to take another one, then, won't I? That's what pirates do.” (He finishes his preparations.) Prince Charming: (Stepping back:) “Huh. And here I thought you’d gone and changed.” Hook: (Mounts his horse:) “I tried the hero thing. Didn’t take.” Snow White: “So, that’s it? Emma’s gone. You’re gonna go back to be a pirate?” Hook: “Back, my lady? I’ve always been a pirate.” (He spurs his horse onwards and departs.) Neal: “Hey. What Hook said just now about all of our stuff being brought back here - is that true?” Prince Charming: “What are you looking for?” Neal: “I was thinking maybe we can stop by my father’s place on the way to the Queen’s castle.” Prince Charming: “Neal, I know you’re hurting, but Rumplestiltskin is gone.” Neal: “Maybe. Maybe not. And if he’s not maybe he can get me back to Emma.” Snow White: “Neal, it’s impossible. Regina was clear. The price of our return was a complete reset. No more portals. This is our realm for good. There’s no way to cross over. Not without another curse.” Prince Charming: “We have to move on. This is our home now. Now, I know, you miss them. So do we. Even if there were some way to get to them, they wouldn’t remember us. The best thing we can do for Emma and Henry is the only thing we can do: Let them be and know we gave them their best chance.”

Land Without Magic. The Next Morning. New York City. Emma’s Apartment. (Henry gets ready for school. Emma tidies up the kitchen.) Henry: “Mom, do you have it? My permission slip? It’s due today and if I don’t hand it in I’ll miss the museum trip next week.” Emma: “Yeah, your permission slip is right here.” (Emma takes a look at Hook’s note.) Henry: “Mom, is there something going on?” Emma: “No, nothing.” Henry: “No. You’re doing it again. You’re worrying.” Emma: “No, I’m not. I am thinking. There’s a difference.” Henry: “Are you thinking about Walsh?” Emma: “No, I- (Hesitates:) Yeah, I am. Can you blame me for taking 24 hours to think through making a life-altering decision? Just want to make sure that nothing is wrong.” Henry: “You’re always looking for something to be wrong. You don’t have to do that you know. Sometimes it’s okay to accept things are good. I gotta go. I’m gonna be late. See you. Love ya.” Emma: “Love you, too.” (Emma re-reads Hooks note. It reads: '89 Wooster Street. New York. NY 10012') Neal’s Apartment. (Emma breaks into the apartment and looks around. She notices a dream catcher hanging in the window.) Emma: (Picks it up:) “Flypaper for nightmares. Neal. (Emma walks around, picking up some letters. Again, she notices they’re addressed to Neal Cassidy. Walking around a bit further she picks up a camera. Henry’s name is embroidered on the strap:) That’s not possible.”

New York City. Central Park. Hook: (Relieved:) “Swan, I knew that’d work. It’s good to see you again.” Emma: (Angry:) “Why didn’t you tell me it was Neal’s place?” Hook: “I think the tone of your voice answers that quite clearly. You never would have gone if I had.” Emma: “What does Neal have you up to? Is he trying to get into Henry’s life? How does he even know about him?” Hook: “I already told you I’m not here because of Neal. I’m here because your parents are in trouble. Their entire kingdom has been cursed, ripped back to Storybrooke.” Emma: “What are you talking about? (Doubtful:) My parents? Their kingdom? A curse? Do you know what you sound like?” Hook: “Like a mad man, I’m sure. But it’s true. Your parents need you. You’re the only one who can save them. If you don’t believe me at all, why did you come here?” Emma: “Because Neal has a camera with my son’s name on it. (Emma shows Hook the key chain she’d picked up earlier:) How?” Hook: “Don’t you see? That is proof of what I’m saying. Henry must have left that in the apartment when you were in New York last year.” Emma: “Not good enough. I want answers. Real ones.” Hook: “There’s only one way you’ll get those. Drink this.” (Hook hands Emma a memory potion.) Emma: “Drink the thing the crazy guy just offered me? No, thank you.” Hook: “It’ll help you remember everything you have lost. If one small part of you senses that, don’t you owe it to yourself to find out if I’m right? What do you say, love? Take a leap of faith. Give it a go.” Emma: “Call me love one more time and you’ll lose the other hand.” (Emma cuffs Hook to a park bench.) Hook: “Swan, what are you doing?” Emma: “Making sure that you never bother my son and me again. (Emma whistles. Two police officers approach. Emma turns towards the officers:) This is the guy. The one who assaulted me.” Hook: “It was a kiss.” Emma: “There. He confessed.” (Emma turns to leave.) Police Man: “You’re under arrest for assault and criminal harassment, sir. You have the right to remain silent.” Hook: “Swan, please. You’re making a mistake. A terrible, terrible mistake. Swan, your family needs you!”

#sq #swanqueen #Swan Queen

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anonymous-hopeful · 7 years

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The Soul Society (Chapter One: Snow Melts With the Heat of Fire)

Inkwell Isle was once a happy place. Enchanted and eccentric, each resident had a unique quirk, a special feature about them that made them unique, no matter what part of the Isle they came from. In one place, you may see a dancing flower or sentient vegetables, and another you might catch a glimpse of a genie, a dragon, or a Baroness! It truly was a sight, that Inkwell Isle. One thing was certain; no one would ever get bored or feel dull with everyday life. After all, there was much to do, many to see, and plenty of friends to make. Surely nothing could ruin that...could it?

The question above was rhetorical. Of course something happened; evil loves to make itself home in wonderful, magical places. That's how it happens in every fairy tale you've ever heard. This time, instead of making itself home in a castle or a fancy mansion, it had nested in a casino. Indeed, a place of gambling and risk-taking, of drinking and smoking, of lies, money, losses, wealth, addiction...this alone could have let the civilians of Inkwell Isle know that the new casino being built a ways off from the third part of the Isle would be of pure sin. If that didn't, then the name of the casino would have made them realize immediately.

"The Devil's Casino? Oh my...you don't suppose the actual Devil runs it, do you?", Sally Stageplay, a struggling actress inquired.

"Why wouldn't he? After all, it isss in hisss name. No one here would name a casssino sssomething like that.", replied Cala Maria, a gorgon mermaid with hissing snakes for hair.

"Ye ain't supposin' that the Devil be in thar, is ye, Cala?", Captain Brineybeard, a wannabe pirate with no ship or crew had asked in response.

"Perhapsss...though I'd rather ssstay away. I wouldn't want to go belly up assss a resssult of dealing with the Devil.", Cala answered, shuddering at the name of the Devil on her tongue.

"I vonder vy ze Devil himself decided to place his casino here of all places. Zurely, zere is a more zuitable location.", Werner Werman, an army veteran rat with all too vivid memories of the painful World War I, said aloud.

"Most likey because it's inconspicuous. 'm sure the Devil may want a lil' peace an' quiet sometime.", an older man nicknamed T-Bone, one of the operators of the Inkwell Express, infered.

"Still...it kinda makes me...uncomfortable. I think...it's too close...to the...train.", another operator, a younger man lacking his vision voiced.

"Yeah. Brother and I think that Devil's casino may cause bad things to happen to Inkwell Express.", one of the twins working on the train concured.

"Not just the Inkwell Express! Those horrid vibes might just plague the entirety of Inkwell Isle as we know it! You can never tell with no-good hoodlums like the Devil...", Dr. Kahl, an inventor with too many failed projects pitched in.

"Well, pardon me, but I will be going nowhere near that place! Not that I could anyway. The queen is quite demanding.", Rumor Honeybottoms, a worker bee under the rule of a fearsome queen sighed.

"I don't believe I will either. This could lead to nothing but trouble. Almost as much trouble as wandering too far from Snowflake Summit.", Chill E. Freeze, a snow angel, chimed in.

"Mayhapsss we ssshould inform the othersss of thisss. I wouldn't want them entangled in trouble.", Cala suggested.

"Good idea! We can...go tell...them while we...do the...daily run!", the blind operator agreed.

"Well, this train ain't drivin itself...".

Moments later, after helping the blind operator onto the train, the Inkwell Express crew began their journey to the other parts of the Isle. Once they had left, the others had returned to their homes and places of work; Sally to the theatre, Dr. Kahl to the junkyard, Werner to his mousehole, Rumor to the hive, Cala to the sea, Brineybeard to the docs, and Chill E. to her mountain.

The rest of the morning was relatively okay, and so far, nothing had happened to the inhabitants of Inkwell Isle. This, as you may have guessed, would change when midday had set in. Atop of the mountain, which was relatively small, and barely at a high enough altitude to host its own snow, Chill E. and her flurries, miniature snow fairies, had began to notice a rapid increase in heat. Worried, the flurries squealed in dismay, causing the snow angel to repeatedly try and calm them down.

"Shivers! Icy! Flake! Calm yerselves! 'Tis only a bit of snow melting, and nothing more..."

Alas, her case was not helped as the snow kept melting, quicker every second, before up and evaporating after it had melted into water. This would prove to be quite the issue, as Chill E. and her flurries' only life source was melting right before their very eyes. An attempt or two to save the limited snow was taken, however, the lack of cold had weakened the power of the angel and her flurries significantly, preventing such a thing from happening. It seemed impossible, how fast that snow had melted and evaporated, yet it had done so, to their dismay, and now, they were on their way to melting as well. In the slightest bit of luck, it was rather simple in deciding a culprit; Hell was hot, no doubt about it, but the angel and the flurries could have sworn it had gotten extremely hot when the casino had begun its business. As they were melting, it had occured to Chill E.; why doesn't she fly to the casino and ask them to douse some of the flames? Surely, with all of the fur the Devil had, he too would break out into a sweat.

"Come little ones. Where we're going is dangerous, so I advise you to stay close.", Chill E. forewarned the small fairies.

All huddled in a group, the flurries and the angel made haste in getting to the casino, as now wherever they went, they had left a puddle of water. Once inside said casino, Chill E. had inquired with the utmost urgency:

"Who is the manager here?!"

As if he had known she was on her way, a dapper gentleman with a die for his head clad in a spotless purple suit had made his way over to her, a sly grin adorning his face.

"Why, that would be me. Greetings, madam. I am Mr. King Dice. I don't believe I've seen you around these parts. What brings you to the Devil's Casino?".

Scowling at the die, Chill E. had replied, "I want to meet with your employer. I have a dire situation at hand, if you hadn't noticed from before.".

King Dice took a good look at the snowman-shaped angel. Indeed, she and her followers were making quite the mess on the casino floor, one that would take ages to clean with a mop and bucket. Nodding slowly, King Dice answered her inquiry.

"Very well then. Follow me; he's residing in his office at the moment...and please, try to avoid making a bigger mess than you already have.".

Shaking, partially from melting, partially from fear, the snow angel followed the die to the office of the Devil himself. King Dice gradually opened the door and gestured for her to go in. Not wanting to hesitate any longer, Chill E. made her way inside, her eyes falling upon the infamous Devil.

"King Dice...who's this you've brought in? She's making a mess...", Devil snarled.

" I am Chill Evergreen Freeze, Devil, sir. I...um...have an issue...see, I am made of snow, and...well, your casino's heat is very well melting me...and my flurries. Aren't you hot...".

The Devil chuckled darkly, before stating, "When you've lived in Hell all of your life, ya get used to the heat. That being said...wouldn't it be nice if you could exist without depending on the cold to keep you alive?".

"What are you playing at? I apologise, but I do not have much time! "

At the snap of the Devil's fingers, a contract appeared.

"How about this; I give you and your little ones the ability to live without ever needing snow or cold again, along with the ability to create snow and ice whenever you feel the need, and all you have to do is sign your soul over to me. I won't take it right away, just when I feel the need to claim it as mine. Deal?".

There was an obvious choice; if she didn't agree, the Devil would finish her life right there in his office, and may just take her soul anyway. Struggling to speak, she grasped the quill on his desk and signed the contract, sloppily, but signed nonetheless.

"Good choice, snowball. Now, take the contract and get lost.".

With another snap of his fingers, Chill E. found herself outside the Devil's Casino with flurries in tow. She wasn't hot, or melty, or dripping. In fact, she felt fine, great, exemplary, amazing! Excited, she lowered herself onto the ground, her feet finally having the experience of standing on Inkwell Isle. Even the flurries had taken a break to stand on the Earth. At the moment, Chill E. was content, before gazing upon the soul contract in her hand, and finally realizing what she had done...

"I see...interesting tale, Chill E. . This meeting of the Soul Society is in recess. The inductees, please return to my hideaway in roughly an hour. Phantom Express...be prepared to tell your tale...".

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