#but it’s so nice to have new ouat friends!!

[grilledcheeseandguavajelly]

To all of the ouat/swanqueen blogs that have followed me in the past week— I see you, and I love you 🤍✨

[melloween-candie]

Yandere Peter Pan

Peter Pan as a Yandere Headcanon

Requested // Request Rules

"Yandere Peter Pan ouat 🥺🥺 anything I’m just simping severely"

A/n - WAIT NO LONGER! I AM NOW A FULL ON WRITER FOR OUAT!!!

I hope you don't mind that I made it as a Headcanon. I also didn't really edit it, so if you find mistakes let me know! (I don't normally edit headcanons...)

Infact I've been planning on making a yandere peter pan Headcanon as a starter sooo... BUT don't worry if that's not what you were hoping for I plan on making tons of yandere fics for him

Submitted by Anon

Warning! Yandere behavior, manipulation, physical and verbal abuse, obsession, stalking, stealing, perverted actions, kidnapping, Stockholm syndrome

Word Count: 1,823

Once Upon A Time Masterlist

Fandom Masterlists

/"Talking"//Thinking//Muttering-Whispering/

One word-

TOXIC

This boy- no, MAN is fuc*ing scary as FU*K

It all starts with his shadow (obviously)

What I mean is that once his shadow took you to Neverland, Peter took one look at you and knew you meant more than something to him. He just didn't understand or knew that yet.

Eventually, he slowly becomes obsessed with you over time.

It starts off slow... In fact, he wasn't very pleased with you at the very beginning.

When you arrived at Neverland, physically, for the first time, he questioned why his shadow would bring a lost- girl???

He was frustrated, obviously cause girls weren't as easy to manipulate, unlike boys... They normally found it difficult to hear pans flute even when they are actually lost.

It was a strange irritating phenomenon to pan...

Anyway, you all already know that Peter isn't nice and when he doesn't like something he doesn't treat it with kindness...

So obviously, he made your arrival absolute he*l

At first, he thought that you were actually one of Captain hook's members sent to trick him and gain his trust, only to be backstabbed to death.

But quickly realized that was foolish.

Anyways, when I say he made it he*l I mean he personally showed you around Neverland...

He took you to Mermaid Lagoon. He made it sound like an absolute dream to swim in it and even said it was good luck if a mermaid appears... 💀

We all know that isn't true.

But when Pan saw you struggling to breathe, he felt something that he hasn't felt in years... Pain?

Afterwards, without any second thought, he pulled you out of the water, holding your collar.

He questioned why he did that for a couple of days, and Felix started to notice...

Then, a few days later, Pan found a different way of getting rid of you.

It was more painful but less gruesome and messy.

He tricked you into pricking your fingers with nightshade.

He simply asked for you to pick some nightshade upon that mountain.

He took advantage of your kindness.

Lying about how a lost boy was sick and that was the only cure but unfortunately, no male can go up that mountain because of a powerful curse, and that's why you were brought there.

You were a little frightened at the thought of adventuring alone in a new place, and to add to it, someone's life was on your shoulders too, but you did it.

It only almost cost you your life.

You see, Pan allowed you to get extremely ill. You didn't even know what was happening to you... All Pan said was that you were just unlucky and that you should have believed more in yourself, and now since you didn't, you're going to die for it.

But on the last day, Pan felt that feeling again, but this time it was worse- it had a friend, guilt!!

Instantly, Pan got the watch from the falls and made you drink it before you died.

Pan didn't even know why he did it... In fact, he secretly accused you of being a witch because of it.

He assumed you placed a spell on him when he wasn't looking, so whenever you are in danger, he feels pain.

But he soon learned you were a normal human.

In fact, all this strange behavior started to worry a certain lost boy.

That's right, Felix.

He questioned Pan why he was acting like this, and Pan just gave him an annoyed glare as he went back to staring at you from a distance.

Soon enough, Pan learned to accept you.

Which was good on your part since now he's not actively trying to kill you.

But anyway, slowly, over time, you start to get used to your new life as the only lost girl in Neverland.

Things were perfect for a good hot second until

Pan felt this sudden chill the moment he saw a lost boy touching you on your shoulder.

Slowly, over time, he started getting annoyed.

Annoyed at the lost boys for touching you.

Annoyed at them for making you laugh too much.

Annoyed at them for talking to you for too long.

Soon enough, he started to become more jealous.

He didn't even know how silly he was acting.

He would start by making slide comments about the lost boys every time they did something with you.

That would cause them to back off, and that made him happy.

It got worse, though.

He later became more aggressive.

Every time he saw you enjoying yourself around them when he wasn't around, he'd say stuff like - "This is so inappropriate!" Or "Why are you all standing around?! Do your chores!"

And he'd give you the worst of them all. All because you're the reason why he has a reason to be jealous, to begin with.

The worst you've ever seen it was when a lost boy actually tried flirting with you.

Pan instantly 'removed them' all because they were 'sick.'

It scared you shi*less to think that if you got sick, you'd be 'removed.'

It's safe to say you never disobeyed Pan, and you didn't plan to either.

Of course, Felix was a little agitated by the way Pan was behaving lately, but he never questioned it he just told the lost boys to avoid you from now on.

But then a couple of months went by, and the torment and obvious favoritism became worse.

In fact, a lost boy even tried confronting Pan, and he was quickly removed' too.

No one questioned or disobeyed him after that.

During those months, Pan became more touchy.

More communicative with you and only you

He'd ask you to visit him in his tent more often to the point where he ended up telling you that you were the only one other than himself who was allowed in there without direct order/permission.

Felix was kind of irritated by that.

But the favoritism only grew more.

Now, when it came to your training, at first, when you arrived, Pan did everything to kill you only to back out last minute, and now, he'd do everything to train you properly without letting you get hurt.

Before, you were only to train with the strongest (to get you killed), but then you moved down to the ones with similar strength as you to him and only him...

Everyone questioned it but kept it to themselves.

As time went on, you gained the 'mother' title very quickly, and Pan didn't even give it to you.

You were just naturally loving, and Pan actually liked that about you but grew to hate it because of how much attention you would give the lost boys when they were hurt.

He thought about hurting himself to get you to show some care for him once but quickly scrapped it because he didn't want to look weak.

Moving on to phase two of Yandere Pan.

This man is creepy as FU*K!

When I say creepy, I mean he starts to stalk you.

Before, he did it to try to understand you, but now he does it to see who he's dealing with.

This is the phase when Pan kind of switches to romantic thoughts.

It happens so slowly that he doesn't even realize his feelings for you until he starts masturbating...

He actually accepts it pretty well since he's been dealing with it the moment you arrived (he just didn't know)

Anyways, when he stalks you, he's actually looking for potential threats.

He becomes more protective in secret (you'll see this side of him soon enough)

And if he sees a boy getting to goodie-goodie with you, he'll instantly put a stop to it. Not in front of you, of course. He doesn't want to scare you off.

Anyways, he also stalks you to make sure you don't have a crush on anyone.

If he realizes that you do, then say your goodbyes to your crush.

But that's not the only creepy thing he'll do.

He'll also steal your stuff.

There really isn't any other reason for him to do this other than him masturbating to it.

He obviously doesn't give it back.

You'll have to find it yourself if you want it back.

Oh, and another thing.

He would sometimes stalk you in your sleep.

There ain't even any other reason besides him being obsessed with you.

He'd even get a little risk and get in bed with you.

He'd touch and play with your hair and whisper things to you sometimes.

It's like a therapeutic moment for him, and he enjoys doing this more than he should.

And he knows it's wrong, but he's selfish, so obviously, he can't handle himself sometimes.

What I mean is that sometimes he'd kiss you without you even knowing.

Sometimes on the lips and sometimes... In other places.

The grossest thing he has probably done was jerk off on you while you slept.

Of course, he cleaned everything off with magic once he was done.

Now, on to stage threeeee!

FULL ON YANDERE!

Soon enough, Pan wouldn't be able to control himself anymore.

This is the part where his feelings were pent up and built up for way too long.

So, he ended up exploding!

Of course, not in front of the lost boys.

He didn't really care much for them so the real reason why he didn't was because he still needs them.

Again, very selfish...

So instead, he kidnaps you one night.

When he couldn't handle it anymore

I'm sorry to say this, but you had a really rude awakening.

What I mean was there would be a really high chance that he rap*s you that night.

Then he proceeds to lock you up somewhere no one will ever be able to find you or get to you without him allowing it or him being there.

He would gaslight and manipulate you into believing that everything was your fault.

That his actions were your fault.

He'd punish you both verbally and physically.

He'd punish you physically every time you refused him without cracking.

But every time you caved, he'd insult you as he did things to you.

Whether that was kissing, force-feeding, or fu*king.

You didn't even have the mental capacity to refuse him for too long.

After all, you've been in Neverland for like a year now, and you've seen tons of scary shi* that he did.

Honesty, you were practically numb by the time he kidnapped you

Mind you, I said practically.

You've gotten so used to his shi*.

But now, this was a step up...

But it didn't take long for you to get Stockholm Syndrome.

After all pan is a master manipulator!

And he always gets what he wants in the end.

Why?

Cause PETER PAN NEVER FAILS!!!

A/n

Lol get it? At the end when I said peter pan never fails~ it was a quote from the show lolol. I love myself for that 🥹🥰

ANYWAYS I hope you guys enjoyed CAUSE I SURE DID!!!

[ask-missparker]

Are we out of the woods yet? / OUAT AU

Pairing: Red!Rick x Huntress!Luna

Summary: What if the beast was just a kind man wearing a red coat but he just didn’t know it yet?

Extra characters: Rochelle as Cinderella, Bruce Banner as The Father and etc

Note: Song reference to Taylor Swift in the title section

——

The mist of winter snow and the deep rains of night created a storm of cold weather within the woods. But it created a lovely new glimpses into the world, making it a winter wonderland with icicles forest above the cabin door. Despite the season not being the best, it made Red feel like he could do anything.

Which was the problem. He couldn’t.

His father wasn’t a huge fan of the winter season due to the weather and the craving time for wolves alerting the woods. And with his son being rather young, he wanted him to be protective as he feared who would have the courage to take him on if they learned the truth…

Red however was reckless and never listened to his father’s wishes of going out in the late afternoon. His father did make an exception to let him roam around free as long as he kept his deep red cloak with swirling marks on his hood. Red obviously listened to that request from his father, despite not caring for the low deep cut of a color.

In came a knock on his door as a young voice said, “Come on man, open up or I’ll huff and I’ll puff and I’ll blow this house down.”

Red opened the door rolling his eyes and scoffed, “You’re not funny, you know that?”

“Ah well, it made you open the door didn’t it?”

“Got me there. My father doesn’t like me hanging out with you yet, he takes to your charm quiet nicely.”

“I am handsome. Come on we gotta grab some fabric from the market and then we can plan our road trip we always wanted to take. You can finally meet a nice lady.”

Red rolled his eyes and ignored his last comments about exploring the land and finding a bride one day. He thought it wasn’t in his cards to do so. All Pete wanted to do was get him out of the house every once in a while instead of staying trapped. He had good intentions.

At the farmers market, the friends wondered around the place in search of fabrics and food to their respective families. Pete was off buying brown fabic for his new brown coat as Red was buying apples when he noticed a young fair maiden who seemed to drop an stack of pears from her basket.

“Uh miss, i think you dropped this?” He said holding up the pear as the young redhead turned around and smiled, causing him to return the smile.

She sighed at her clumsy tone taking the pear from his grasp and replied, “Ah, thank you..I did not even noticed it fell out of there.”

“No problem, be careful next time…”

“Ella. Just Ella…and uh, y-you are?”

“Red..or Rick depends on who asked.”

“I like them both..”

“Thanks. Well be careful, Miss Ella. Those pears are very expensive this time of year.”

“Ah yes i know, thank you again.”

The redhead waved at him, thanking the man so she went off to continue her path home. Pete walked over seeing Red smile asking who is the girl as the blonde waved him off saying he was just some nice young lady.

The two friends left the market, discussing the possibility of wolves being out that night thinking it was a bunch of silly tales and the wolves were just causing harm because they were scared. But a small part of Red wanted to be the hero and hunt that wolf himself, get a closer look at the creature up close. They went their separate ways afterwards, with Red going home to his father with beard and fruits.

His father was always kind hearted yet secretive about certain subjects such as hunting, wolves and royalty. He didn’t trust them, only himself and his family. He respected it.

Everytime he asked if he could go hunt the wolves with the other guys his age, his father said ‘no, you stay inside. you know red repeal wolves, kiddo, and keep that hood on.’ He was bark back and argue with his on the topic but relentlessly listened knowing he only meant well.

So in result he would stay put and enjoy his day at home, collect eggs from their shed and build items using wood in the afternoon if he wasn’t heading out. It was nice actually living a simple life but he always wondered if there was more to this.

Which led him to the moment he met her…

Red was doing his daily routine of collecting eggs from the chickens. Flipping on his hood, putting on his light brown gloves and boots for the snowy weather. He hasn’t seen Pete in days, it worried him and led him to wonder why he hasn’t seen him, especially since the high court sighting were running deep—

He paused opening up the door to the decently side chicken coop, sensing something was wrong. His ears perked up at the ruffling sounds and light whimpers, his senses were turned on looking inside. He stepped around grabbing a broomstick from behind the door ready to pounce at the intruder with a glare. The ruffling and sudden sniffing became louder with every step. Behind the stack of hey, he saw it.

More like her. He pointed the end of the broomstick in the front of them about to ask a couple of questions until he stopped short. His eyeline met her, following her gaze as she stood upright coming behind the the stack blabbing and stuttering softly, but Red tuned into rousing on her looks.

He never seen such beauty until this early night. Her deep chocolate brown eyes that held a whimper of fear behind them, her long hair glowing a raven black color and her honeycomb skin tone. He was completely mesmerize by her bewildering good looks that held a soften to them, like she can do no wrong. In his eyes at least. He glanced down to noticed a crossbow on the ground beside her and two pure white eggs in her hands.

She blinked noticing that he wasn’t exactly listening to her per say, that’s when she got a good look at the young man. His wild yet tamed blonde curls, his striking blue eyes that casted a shadow over whoever crossed paths with him, and his light creamy skin was like a breath of fresh air. Along with his deep voice, god she would’ve melted like a candle right now just hearing it.

He repeated his breathy question, “A-are you stealing our eggs?”

“I uh, i um..I’m sorry I-I could go. I didn’t m-mean to d-do that..t-take th-them back..” She response looking away for a moment holding the items towards him.

“Hey, hey, hey, it’s alright. You didn’t nothing wrong, I guess.”

“I didn’t..? But you look like your kinda mad..I’m sorry..”

“It’s alright, no harm them. Just wasn’t expecting someone in here. Why are you in my shed? And who are you?”

“…I’m uh, I’m uh..Frosty!”

She held a small smile, saying that bit but he could see right across her lie. He smirked, “That’s not your name. What’s your name?”

“..w-wh-why are you g-gonna do something if I tell you?” She asked glancing around the room for weapons but found none to her relief.

“What? No!..sorry, didn’t mean to shout. I won’t harm you, just wanna know why are you here?”

“..oh..oh okay. I’m Luna..like the moon? I am very sorry I am came here..it’s that, I have no where else to go. My home is a little far from here..”

“So you came into my shed for shelter?”

“Y-yeah..I’m sorry about that. I just need a place to stay the night.”

Red was about to say ‘You can stay here forever!’ but instead he just nodded with a bright smile guiding her out the door to his small home. Luna explained how she was on a small mission to hunt down and possibly kill a prince’s heart but she couldn’t do it and let him go. Her boss called her stupid and poof her away into the woods side of the kingdom near the area of her home.

He thought she was brave and rather noble for that. She was blushing at his comment calling him sweet for that, causing him to start blushing softly at her.

It was love at first sight one might have said, especially since the moment his father, Bruce, was introduced to the young girl he found her to be rather lovely. He never took too kindly to strangers but for some reason he couldn’t help it and smiles at her. Especially the way her and his son looked at one another.

He heard she was a huntress but her attitude was too gentle to act than the ones he remembered meeting back in the day. Bruce cooked them some bread and eggs to eat that early night as he went to his den.

Red and Luna spent the rest of the night talking in the living room after dinner, laughing and smiling at one another’s jokes. Yes, the raven haired girl was shy and sweet but she was easy to talk to which made Red fall into such a ease with the girl. It was completely comfortable even.

Red leaned forward then said, “Uh, this is silly..but um, your the first girl I’m able to have a full blown conversation with..”

“I don’t think that’s true..” She replied placing a hand over his own, not pulling away.

“Oh no, believe me, it is! All the other times I can be very shy and awkward, wanting to get in then out of there..”

“I see what you mean. Most people hear my title and think I might hurt them, then they take one good look at me and laugh thinking they can use me..”

“Yeah you don’t seem like the strongest face I’ve seen..not rough or murderous, but kind and sweet..”

“You must say that to all the others girls..”

“What other girls?”

She blushed and grinned waving him softly at his comment. Her heart started to beat at his eyes staring at her own, it was like he can hear it. Her soft pumping of her heart, as she leaned in closer with her short time in her job she could tell where this was headed or so she thinks. Maybe he just wants to become friends?

“This is crazy and probably the most reckless thing I’m about to say to you but…do you think we what have here could happen? I just met you but I want to be around you and stuff..but my father won’t let me leave.” He added with a sigh.

“Why not? You are perfectly capable of doing that yourself I think.” She responded.

“With wolf sightings, he doesn’t want me to head out…and my friend, he has been gone for a few days..”

“Well maybe he is the wolf? He is hiding or something.”

Red was silent for a long period of time as a grin appeared on his face, she was onto something. He only ever seen Pete during the day and never at night, if he could prove he is a wolf and a good person, he could be a hero. Catch the wolf, prove someone’s innocence and show his father he can take care of himself just fine.

“You’re a genius!” He shouted, out of impulse pressed a kiss onto her lips and suddenly pulled back, “I-I’m so sorry. I didn’t know what came over me..”

She blushed again, touching her lips with a slight pout, “N-n-no! Th-that was okay. You uh, kiss kinda nice? I liked it…”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah…why am I genius?”

“You gave me an idea! How do you catch a wolf?”

“Well, if your friend is a wolf..to prove th-that he is one and not have run off or hurt anyone, you can uh, tie him to a tree..o-only if it wants to, of course!”

——-

The next couple of nights, it was planned and staged. Rick would go out with Pete, tie him up to the tree and leave Luna in place pretending to be in underneath the covers. Especially since she would wear her red cloak to disguise herself as a asleep figure.

Red had successfully convinced Pete to go along with the plan, reminding him how he always wanted him out of the house. And showing this act of bravery could be it! Pete, ever the optometrist friend, went along with the plan having his friends tie him up with a rope. The two started a fire to keep warm and brought food just in case for the night.

All that happened was to wait it out. Wait for Pete to turn all teen wolf.

Meanwhile at the house, Luna was asleep in Red’s bed or at least pretending to be. There was a small note on the table beside her to fake the idea that Luna left the night to grab extra firewood while Rick was asleep. Bruce walked in sensing something was off but couldn’t place his finger on it, picking up the short note not knowing to believe it or not as he let out a sigh. Bruce decided to shake his son awake, turning him off to find Luna in this place as she sat up.

“What the hell happened?” He asked, trying to keep calm as his grip crumbled the note.

“H-he is in not danger! I promise, it’s alright.” She tries to explain, in a light voice.

“Where is he?”

“Well um, he is with Peter. And I know you don’t like him but..i trust Rick on this one..we figured out that he is one of the wolves this winter.”

“You did what?! You two kids are insane for that. It’s dangerous out there.”

“But Mister Banner, he is a grown young man. They b-both are are..they can take care of themselves.”

“You think Peter is the wolf?”

“Y-yes. A we-werewolf..he’s also human. B-but he won’t hurt him, he got him tied up..that’s a good thing!”

“No it’s not. Oh, that poor kid..”

“A-what? What happened?”

“Follow me.”

As they spoke rushing out of the house, Pete was tied up screaming and shouting trying to break the chains starting at the wolf in front of him. If wasn’t his reflection as a wolf but his friend. In front of him stood Red, Rick Banner, as a deep dark blackened wolf with beating blue eyes snarling at him as he stumbled in front of him the pounced tackling Peter to the very snowy ground they stood on.

Luna and Bruce walked up the hills carrying weapons, along with torches to keep themselves into the seeing well of the woods. Luna was holding her crossbow looking around for clues of anything possible as Bruce lead the way to the center of the woods to find his son explains what he know.

Luna was flabbergasted and asked, “W-wait? You knew?”

“Of course I did. We thought the trait would not pass onto him, since my grandfather was one and so I wasn’t as strong for the gene.” He explained.

“What do you mean?”

“I do have the gene, I can turn into one myself when I was younger but my cells with age weren’t as strong as they once were. I still have my senses but the rest faded away.”

“And Red?”

“We thought he wouldn’t get it. But when he was 14, it started coming and going. I paid a Wizard, for that cloak keeps him for turning, but he doesn’t like to always wear it.”

“Why didn’t tell him..?”

“I didn’t want him to have that burden of thinking he was a beast. That he couldn’t be loved..”

“Or find any love? I felt his heartbeat..he can love..I think I might love him…”

“Then he got very lucky to find you...god, I’m fool to keep this from him, I messed up.. but I didn’t mean to.”

“I know you didn’t mean to. You were trying to protect him..”

Once they arrived, Luna noticed a small path of bloody footsteps on the ground as she held up her crossbow in slight waves of fear. Bruce gasped at the body on the ground, pressing a hand to the pulse trying to see if the body, being Peter’s, was still alive by any chance. But he wasn’t. The bloody footsteps came in circles as the black wolf came back snarling with striking blue eyes that looked at Bruce in anger and sadness then back at Luna whimper then run.

Bruce was running after him, as the idea of bring his son down crossed his mind but he didn’t want to hurt him. He told Luna to find him as he followed behind her. Luna nodded holding her crossbow and chased after Rick, up and down the snowy deep dark nights of the wood.

Using her skills, she tracked him into a small cave, lowing her crossbow at the wolf curled up into himself, snarling and whimpering. She could hear Bruce telling her to stand back as he tossed the cloak over his son, but all she did was kneel in front of him holding out a hand for him to reach.

Rick’s snarls calmed down looking away as he sadly whimpered, nodding reaching for a paw towards Luna sensing her to be gentle. The cloak was thrown onto his body, as he shuffled from wolf to human dressed in his normal clothes panting. He seemed like he blacked out, looking up at the two with watery eyes, as Luna took his hand and he tightened his grasped.

“W-what? What happened?” He asked out, looking around to noticed them in a dark carve.

“We have to go..” Bruce repiled, helping his son up as he patted his head, “..I’m so sorry.”

“Sorry for what? Where’s Pete?”

“He’s gone..he dead.”

It took Rick a moment to realized what he meant, gasping at the realization that hit him like a ton of bricks. His eyes water in shock and disbelief that he did such as thing, mutter that he was the wolf. Thinking he was a beast that can’t be loved. He looked at Luna with watery eyes, sniffling as it started to come back to him that the howling belonged to him. Luna held him up by the bicep, shaking her head leaning her face forward giving him an unspoken promise that it wasn’t his fault, that he didn’t know and it was an accident.

“It wasn’t your fault, you hear me?” She repeated, in such as kind yet sweet tone it was very much believable to him.

He nodded, biting his lip and sighed, “I’m so sorry…it was my plan to set this whole thing up..”

“You didn’t know, Rick..it’s okay, I’m here…I’m not going anywhere, I’m right here.”

“Your too kind to me..”

“Because you showed me kindness first..”

The trio run off escaping the woods and back into the warmth of the cabin, turning on the fireplace shutting off the newly installed fabricated curtains. Rick held his cloak close to his chest talking with his father who explained to him the truth. There were shouting, yelling and a few short notice barks at one another.

Luna looked out the window every once in a while, trying to keep the peace between father and son waiting for it all to die down. After a while, it did. Bruce apologized greatly for what he has done and Rick thanked him for the apology, for his honesty, but not fully forgetting him just yet.

Which was understandable.

————

Late that very night, Rick was asleep in the bed next to Luna trying to relax after that nightmare of a moment. A part of him still felt like a beast, wondering if he will be seen the same way after this. He felt Luna left the side of the bed, keeping his eyes closed waiting for her to return.

Luna was wrapped up in a warm brown blanket when she heard a tapping from the windows, peaking her curious opening the shudders to find a man in dark clothes leaning against the windows grinning lightly. A wishful attitude in his position, holding an item in his hand that lightly glowed.

She closed her eyes searching for a moment of courage and gulped, “W-who ar-are you? Wh-what do you w-want?”

“Hello to you too, dearie.” He said turning around to face her properly and nod, “You’re more beautiful than the stories. I’m Cole, I’m here to give you a gift for your troubles.”

“Wh-what is it? Do I have to give you something in return?”

“No of—oh no, wait there is something darling. This gift is a test, I want to see if your admiration for one another is true.”

“A-admiration? Wh-what is that supposed to mean?”

He pulled out the item that was that blood red shining rose that glowed a gentle pink. It was stunning, being enchanted by the strength of love, devotion and kindness. With a lovely dose fitting chance of admiration is what held the heart of that rose. It was a challenge, a test to see if your love was true. If it wasn’t just a game of the mind.

“Woah..” She muttered reaching out to touch it.

Cole pulled it away for her reach and chuckle, “Hold on darling, you will get your gift. I just want to know if you think your worth it.”

“…I um, I like to think I am..am I?”

“That’s for you to see for yourself. The flower will keep glowing it’s beautiful streaks but only if you want it to.”

She took the rose about to say another word but she somehow understood what he meant. It was magic with a price. As she blinked at the shudders, he was gone. She closed the window and curled back into bed holding the rose to show to Rick. He asked what it is as she explained, hearing what the item respectfully stated made him give the first true smile of the late night.

The pair curled into one another arms chatting quietly the whole night though in pure silence as the moonlight shining above them.

Who could ever love the beast? She did.

——

Added more to the series! What do we think?

Tags: @missstrawbs2001 @purpleprincessonfyre @meiramel @gcthvile @rickb-chaos @gaminggirlsstuff @wizzzardofoz @thechoooooosenone @luna-d-marsh @rooster-84 @thecavalrywife @cherrysft and etc

[jackabelle73]

Love and Happiness, ch 9

Fandom: OUaT/Rumbelle

Rating: Teen

Word Count: ~3,200 for this chapter; ~31,800 total so far.

Ch 9 on AO3

A/N: this chapter is for @reolf for their birthday. I'm so lucky to have you as a friend. <3

-

Walking into Storybrooke Island University Library felt like coming home. 

Belle stopped just inside the doors, closing her eyes and breathing in the smell of thousands of books. It was a little ritual she had, just taking a moment to remind herself of how lucky she was to be here, in this fortress of knowledge. The small sounds of a working library washed over her… patrons’ feet tapping on the floor. A hushed conversation from the circulation desk. High-pitched giggling from the children’s section. Books being stamped as they were checked out. 

“Belle! You’re back!” 

The Head Librarian’s voice made her open her eyes. Archie Hopper stood before her, arms loaded with books. 

“Yes. My honeymoon is over, and I have my husband’s permission to work. I’m hoping that I can resume my internship here.” 

“We could certainly use your help,” he nodded. “Two more staff members have left in the past month, either to get married or because they are expecting a baby.” 

“Oh, really? Who left? Here, let me take some of those for you. I’ll walk with you and you can catch me up on everything that’s happened.” 

She followed him down an aisle, helping to reshelve books as he told her about the staffing changes and everything else that had happened in the past month. He was called away to deal with an irate patron, and she finished the chore on her own. It didn’t feel like a chore at all, really. She loved this work. 

She paused in the act of stepping down from a stool, attention diverted by a book at eye level. The Bear and the Bow, the spine read. The cover showed a large bear, towering over a woman with long red curly hair who was notching an arrow into her bow. The woman looked not at all afraid, glaring back at the bear with defiance. 

Hmm. This must be a new acquisition since she’d been gone. A bit of heroic fantasy would certainly be a nice break from all the historical and legal texts she’d been reading for the past month. It was a wonder that the book was on the shelf at all; a story featuring a courageous heroine was not the sort that Queen Regina normally allowed in her library. Tucking the book under her arm, she walked slowly down the aisle, scanning the book spines to see if anything else caught her eye. 

The quiet click of a door closing carried to her ears as she pulled down another book for closer inspection, right before Henry Mills walked around the end of the bookcase. 

“Mrs. Gold!” he gasped, pulling the large book he held close to his chest and staring at her with wide eyes. 

She spied a distinctive red sticker on the spine of the book he held. Only books kept in one section of the library had that sticker, and there was only one door that Henry could have just exited. 

“Henry… did you take that book from the government archives?” 

“My mom asked me to pick it up for her,” he claimed. 

“Mmm. I doubt that, considering how tightly that area is regulated.” She held out her hand, and he surrendered the book with a sigh. “How did you even get in there?” 

“My mom’s the Queen and Mayor,” he shrugged. “I have my ways.” 

She wanted to ask him more about his methods, but restrained herself. 

“If it were up to me, I’d let you take it. I’m not one to inhibit the pursuit of knowledge.” 

“So I can have it back?” he asked hopefully. 

“You’d never make it out of the library without getting caught. There’s a sensor embedded in the spine, that will set off alarms as soon as you walk out the door.”

“Really?” He peered at the book as if he could see the offending piece of security. 

“Yes, really. You’d better go, Henry. I’ll find a way to get this back where it’s supposed to go.” 

He gave one last glance at the book she held, before he turned away. He’d only taken two steps before he turned back. 

“You won’t get in trouble, will you?”

“No. I’ll be fine, Henry. You should go.” 

He nodded and left. Belle looked both ways to be sure no one else was near, before peeking at the title. The Mills: From Laborers to Ruling Family.  The author was listed as Isaac Heller. Flipping through, Belle got the impression of a tell-all book, in the style of a tabloid. How in the world had this gotten published? No wonder Henry had been interested… but why would it be kept in the tightly restricted government archives? 

Curiosity gnawed at her, as she tried to think of some way she could get it out of the library without being caught, so she could take it home and peruse it at her leisure. When no ideas presented themselves, she sighed and went to the circulation desk, mentally rehearsing the lie she would tell Archie. 

*

“Can we talk freely here?” Belle asked, as they entered the house that evening and hung up their coats. 

“The house should be safe. I had Dove here all day, watching for anyone who might try to plant a listening device.” 

“Good. I want to tell you about something that happened at the library.” She launched into her tale, finishing with, “I told Archie that I found it on a table near the government archives, and had no idea how it got there. He praised me for turning it in.” 

By this time, they were sitting down to a dinner prepared by his housekeeper. With their honeymoon period officially over, Mrs. Potts had returned to her duties. Whatever she’d cooked for their first post-honeymoon dinner, it smelled delicious. 

“And young Henry didn’t tell you how he got in?” Mr. Gold asked.

“Only that he had his ways,” Belle smirked, amused by the idea of the Queen’s son defying the rules. 

“Hmm. Well, all children go through their rebellious phase.” 

“Did Bae?” she asked, hesitant but she felt that he needed to talk about his son. When had he last had anyone in his life that he could talk to about his son, and the devastating loss of him? 

There was a barely perceptible pause in the motion of his fork, as he scooped up more food. 

“Only a little,” he said briefly, then immediately followed it with, “you didn’t tell me the title of this contraband book that Henry had.” 

She nodded, accepting that he didn’t want to talk further about his son, before reciting the title. 

“Really? That book?” He actually smiled, a rarity for him. 

“You know it?” 

He chuckled. 

“I have a copy in my library. I’m surprised you haven’t run across it already.” 

She dropped her fork with a clatter. 

“Where in the library?” she asked, already sliding off her stool. 

“Miss French, it’s been there for over a decade. I doubt it will disappear while we’re finishing our meal.” 

“Oh. Right. Of course.” She returned to her seat, abashed at her questionable manners. “I just… get excited about books.” 

“Really? I hadn’t noticed,” he said wryly.

Belle was able to laugh at herself, picking up her fork to resume eating. 

“I was really surprised to see that book in the Government Archives. I only skimmed through it, but I would expect that the Queen would want all copies destroyed.” 

“Most were, believe me. My guess is that Regina held on to one copy so that she had proof of the lies Isaac Heller told about her family. Should he ever attempt anything like that again, she could submit evidence in court that he’d done it before.” 

“What a miserable pair of women. It’s sad. Nothing has ever been enough for them. Nothing will ever make them happy.”

“You’re correct about Cora. Had she ever achieved all the power and status she craved, then perhaps she could have been happy for a while… but then she would have wanted more. Power feeds on itself and is always hungry. Regina, though… she might be a different story. There’s a glimmer of hope for her to change, because she’s found something that makes her happy.”

“You mean her son.” 

“Yes.”

“I saw them together, the day of our interviews. She really loves him. Anyone could see it.” 

*  * * 

Weeks passed, during which their lives settled into a surprisingly mundane routine. They rose each morning, had breakfast together, and drove into town, where they went their separate ways for the day. 

Belle had resumed her studies, and only took a couple weeks to catch up on the work that she’d missed while on her honeymoon. When she wasn’t at school, she was at the library working at her internship. It was a relief to settle back into her former routine and realize that she was still on schedule to graduate on time. 

At the end of the day, she would meet Mr. Gold at his shop, and they would share the ride back to his house -- which she was increasingly beginning to think of as not just their house, but their home. They would share stories of their day over dinner, and usually spend a quiet evening together in the den. She would study or read, while he worked on his rental ledgers or sat with his own book. 

Their life together was wonderful, Belle had to admit. It was nearly perfect… if not for the shadow of a government threat hanging over them, and the worry over Bae’s safety. There was no way to know if Mr. Gold’s aunts had been able to deliver the crucial message to his son. They could only hope, and wait, knowing all along that they might never get confirmation. The best they could hope for, Mr. Gold told her grimly, was that nothing would happen. No change meant that the government hadn’t captured Bae. 

It was an imperfect solution, and Belle could tell that the uncertainty was taking its toll on her husband. Though he was as kind to her as always, she caught him sometimes staring off into space when he was supposed to be reading, and the grim twist of his mouth said that he wasn’t thinking happy thoughts. She’d heard him walk past her door in the middle of the night, and surmised that he wasn’t sleeping well. 

She knew he had continued his work to aid the Queen behind the scenes. She wasn’t happy about that, but accepted it as necessary to insure Bae’s safety. For now, they were biding their time. Hopefully, one day soon, they could talk again about challenging the government’s unfair practices, but now was not the time. Not when his son’s safety was at stake. 

*

“I think I found something!”

Belle rushed down the hall toward Mr. Gold’s office, arms wrapped around a large book, and turned into his office just as he was exiting in response to her call, causing the two of them to collide. She rebounded from the impact and would have ended up on her derriere, if not for his quickness in wrapping an arm around her waist to steady her.

She found herself pressed against him, with only the book she still held forming a barrier between their bodies. His face was so close that she could feel his breath when he exhaled, and she realized with mortification that she was staring at his mouth. She forced herself to raise her focus to his eyes and found him staring back at her, his face reddening.

She stepped back and he released her immediately.

“Are you all right?”

“Yes, and thank you for catching me. I’m sure that would have been a very undignified fall.”

“No matter,” he assured her, using one hand to smooth his waistcoat. “You said you found something?”

“Yes! It’s in here.”

She passed him to enter his office, no longer feeling like a stranger in his work space. There was a small table by the window, and it was there that she laid the book and opened it to the bookmarked page in the sunlight.

“That’s a very old book,” he commented, reaching out to touch the yellowed page edges.

“Yes. And even this is only a reprint of the original, which is hundreds of years older.”

He gave the words themselves only a quick glance before turning to face her. “You’ll have to tell me what you found; you know I can’t read this language.”

“Right. So… we know that the current constitution, including the arranged marriage law, is based on a model of government established hundreds of years ago, written down in a book that our previous ruler dug out of an archive somewhere.”

“Yes. Always seemed a bit convenient that she found a document that described a government that gave her exactly what she wanted.”

“Very convenient… and badly translated.”

“How so?”

“This section here--” she outlined a paragraph with her finger without quite touching the page— “is the basis of the marriage law. The modern translation of these words reads, ‘the government shall choose for each citizen a life partner, and offer whatever support necessary to insure the success of each marriage.’” She opened her eyes, only then realizing that she’d closed them as she recited the words by memory, and saw Mr. Gold staring at her, lips parted and body tense.

He cleared his throat and glanced down at the book between them.

“So you’re saying that’s not what this book says?”

“It’s not how I would translate it, no. I read it as, ‘the government shall support each citizen in choosing their life partner, and offer whatever support necessary to insure the success of each marriage.’ Mr. Gold… they reversed the verbs in the current translation. There’s a world of difference in meaning between ‘support’ and ‘choose’ and they reversed them!”

“How sure are you of your translation?”

“I’m very sure of how I translated this book. The problem is, this is a later edition of the original. It’s very common for each edition to have minor edits, or changes in translation. What we need is to see the original.”

“Do you know where it’s kept?”

“According to my favorite professor at university… in the Government Archives of the University Library, where I have my internship. It’s theoretically possible to receive access to the documents kept there, but permission is granted to very few. The most commonly approved applications are from academics and scholars, like my professor. That’s how she knows where it is; she’s seen it there.”

“Hmm….” He leaned back against the table, tapping his fingers on his cane as he thought. “It’s unlikely that either of us could be approved to see these documents. There are other ways, though. How about you let me work on that? You’ve done your part by finding this information, and translating it. My skills are more suited to procuring items of value, especially those most difficult to procure. I’m going to enjoy this challenge. Well done on your part, Miss French.”

He gave a small salute as he went back to his desk, and the wink that accompanied it made her stomach flutter. He picked up the phone and started dialing, his attention already intent on his task, so she picked up her research and left, closing the door behind her.

*

The clock next to her bed read 2:08 when she opened her eyes, wondering why she was awake. She got out of bed and went to her door, opening it a crack to look out in the hallway. It was empty, but the light from downstairs told her that Mr. Gold was awake. 

Wrapping a robe around herself, she went downstairs and knocked on his closed office door. She didn’t wait for his answer before opening it and stepping inside. 

“Miss French. What are you doing up at this hour?” 

“Wondering why you’re up at this hour,” she countered. 

He sighed. “I’m sorry if I woke you. I found myself unable to sleep, and thought I might get some work done.” 

“You’re worried over Bae,” she stated. He simply nodded. “I can’t imagine how hard it must be, to not know. Can I help in any way?” 

“I’m afraid there’s nothing that anyone can do, Miss French.” 

“Well, I can keep you company, at least.” She saw him start to protest, and cut him off. “You shouldn’t be alone. Just let me grab a book, and I’ll sit with you.” 

He only nodded acknowledgement when she re-entered his office, The Bear and the Bow in hand, and made herself comfortable on the small couch that she’d never seen him use. She didn’t try to draw him into conversation, but focused on her book. She felt his eyes on her occasionally, but continued to read, till her eyes grew heavy and she let her head fall back against the cushion. 

She didn’t know how much later it was, when he shook her awake, whispering her name urgently. 

“Miss French! Miss French, you must wake up now.” 

His panicked tone chased away the last traces of sleep-induced fog. “What is it?” she asked, sitting up. A blanket fell away as she did, and she had the passing thought that Mr. Gold had covered her as she slept. 

“Someone is in the house.” 

“What?” She was fully awake in an instant. 

“I heard footsteps upstairs. I need you to stay here, and lock the door, while I investigate.” 

He stood up from where he’d been bending over her, and for the first time she saw a gun in his hand. The sight made her go cold; she’d never known that he owned a gun. He strode toward the door as quickly as his injured leg allowed, and left, closing the door behind him. 

What danger was he walking into upstairs? She couldn’t stay here, safe behind a locked door, and let him take all the risk. Not when she could possibly help. Crossing to Mr. Gold’s desk, she scanned the items in plain sight and grabbed a glass paperweight in one hand, a silver letter opener in the other. 

As quietly as possible, she left the office and tip-toed up the stairs. Mr. Gold was already out of sight, so she hurried to the top and looked down the hall, to see him pressed to the wall outside Bae’s room. A light shone from beneath the closed door. She moved to the wall herself, and crept closer. She was still several feet away from Mr. Gold when he turned suddenly, opening the door and pointing the gun into the room.  

“Stop where you are!” he commanded, and Belle shivered at the menace in his voice. “Turn around with your hands up, or I shoot!” 

“Don’t shoot!” A man’s voice. “It’s me, Papa. It’s Bae.” 

The color drained from Gold’s face, and the hand holding the gun fell limp to his side. 

-

[whyulooklikethat]

Pipers Princess Pt3

So I'm thinking of doing Cobra Kai charters x reader (Moon, Hawk, Robbie, etc...) What do you think?

Peter Pan x Fem!Reader OUAT.

Wornings: use of the word Idiot, awkward ppl, tree climbing, use of Y/n L/n, bad writing, Misspelling, tell me if there's anything else.

And now I’m just standing there. I probably look like an idiot but so do they, they're staring at me like it’s the first food they’ve seen in years! Some of them are actually drooling! “So these are the lost boys?” I break the silence. “Oh umm yeah and you’ve already met felix.” “Yeah, and you can teleport?” “Yes, I can, cool isn’t it?” “Yeah. Umm so it’s ALL boys, I'm the only girl?” “Indeed you are” “Why?” “Why? Well Because you are very special” “Special? How am I special?” “Y/n? Are you hungry?” Felix interrupts. “Oh, yeah that's why we came here!” ‘I know Peter is avoiding this question, but why? And the question about how the time is different. Speaking of, I should check the time’ then look down at my watch to see the new time. 8:36 so time does change here. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Time skip ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Peter and Felix had to go do some random shit. So I was left alone, Sitting on a log not far from the woods. I can see all the lost boys staring at me, some of them whispering to a friend or two. But then something unexpected happens, one of the boys sits next to me. “So, you're the new recruit?” He says, looking at me. “I suppose so.” “Well I’m Devin.” He says, sticking out his hand. I’m hesitant at first not really knowing him, but he seems nice enough… “I’m Y/n” I say, shaking his hand. There is a moment of awkward silence. I look down to relieve some of the tension, noticing our hands still in the same position. This time I am the one to let go. He looks slightly… disappointed? So I smile at him and say “Have you ever climbed a tree?” “No, why?” “Because you're about to.” I say and grab his hand and drag him to a nearby tree, I then let go of him and jump, grabbing a branch and pulling myself up. “C’mon!” I shout out of happiness, reaching out for his hand. He looks at it, contemplating what he’s going to do. Suddenly he grabs my hand. Immediately I pulled him up. “You're really light!” I say surprised. “Really?” “Yes, also… Tag!” I say taping him and then starting to run, well more of jumping from branch to branch, and tree to tree, even swinging on the vines. Evenchily I stop, finally noticing he is no longer behind me. I sit down on the branch and out of the corner of my eye I see… Is that another girl? Turning my head I see her. Short, half blond, half brunet, pretty, and most definitely a girl. You see there are two options: she's Wendy or Tinkerbell based on the stories. She turns her head, and sees me. I wave at her and she waves at me. But it’s more of a come here wave rather than a hello wave. So I jump down and walk over to her. “Who might you be?” She says. “Y/n.” I pause thinking about whether or not I should tell her my full name. “Y/n L/n” I say. “I’m sorry did you say Y/n L/n?” “Yes, I did.” “Oh my lord. He actually did it…” “Who did what?” “Did he not tell you? I suppose that makes sense. Oh yeah, “He” Is Pan.” “So what did he not tell me and who are you?” “We should talk about this inside…”

Idk why I stopped here but i did...

[you-cant-spell-subtext-without]

Reintroduction?

I guess maybe I'm back on Tumblr after all. Thank you Neil Gaiman (and muskrat for making the bird so insufferable; tangentially).

Just wanted to say hello to new friends and old; I'm Irena - this used to be a strictly SPN blog but I think at this point it's safe to say it's multi fandom. I still love our 15 year show (all of it; there's no hate here please). I'm a deancoded deangirlie and I ship destiel but I don't care if you do or don't (I stay in my lane and enjoy things and have no problem with others doing the same!). I'm also a fan of Good Omens (currently hyperfixating), Our Flag Means Death, What We Do In The Shadows, Lucifer, The Magicians, The Bear, Gotham Knights (aside from the SPN pipeline, Batman is my favorite super hero so give me anything Batman, really), The Winchesters, Heartstopper, Walker Independence, OUAT, Bridgewater and all Lauren Shippen projects (The Bright Sessions is my favorite), LOTR, 12 Monkeys (the show);

I like travel, reading (queer romance and fantasy romps are my favorite but I'll take a good thriller or poetry collection any day, too), cooking/food, running, SPN cons, Taylor Swift (I love music period but Taylor deserves her own category), jumping rope, and friendship.

I write - poems and fic (destiel mostly but there are some crossovers) and my ao3 is linked in my bio if you'd like to take a gander. I like kind people who thrive in chaos; anyone who isn't a dick to other people is welcome in this house. I love recommendations on things to watch, see, read, eat. Drop some in the asks!

My favorite movie is Forgetting Sarah Marshall and I've seen it 15 times. I am a strong proponent of purse cheese. I have one child, one partner, and one dog. I'm horrid at geography. Nice meeting you all (again or for the very first time). I've missed being here!

[jackiestarsister]

OUAT Rewatch: Season 6

Overall thoughts: This season finally feels like a return to the style and tone of the first two seasons, with the present-day action taking place in Storybrooke, and multiple storylines with multiple potential villains playing out. Those are the seasons I like best!

Episode 6x01 “The Savior”

~ The teaser sets up the conflict for the whole season: can a Savior get a happy ending?

~ “There’s nothing more dangerous than an untold story, and the people who don’t want them told.” What a great line!

~ Where did all of Zelena’s baby supplies come from? Did Robin Hood own any?

~ Regina and Zelena are so endearingly awkward interacting as new housemates!

~ The camera freezes on a cross-shaped headstone when Regina says “Heroism comes first”! Was that an intentional symbol?

~ “When it comes to fixing our biggest problems, there are no shortcuts.”

~ When characters visit the asylum/prison part of the hospital, it usually feels like an homage to One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. Emma’s visit to Hyde is the first time it feels like an homage to Silence of the Lambs!

~ Rumple/Gold has already faced the challenge of making Belle fall in love with him again, back in Season 2 when she lost her memory. Having him do so again in the dream world feels unnecessary.

~ The Oracle basically quotes Yoda from The Empire Strikes Back! I’m surprised Emma doesn’t call this out.

~ It’s amazing to see Regina acknowledge that she was a horrible stepmother to Snow, and for Snow to realize that Regina was the one who made her learn about hope!

~ Regina’s monologue and the montage at the end are soooo lovely! I much prefer her new attitude, that one’s life is made up of many stories, over her Season 4 obsession with an Author controlling her life.

~ When Belle passes by the pawnshop, the camera looks out over a candelabra like Lumiere!

Episode 6x02 “A Bitter Draught”

~ The Count of Monte Cristo seems like the kind of story that should be in a Hook-focused episode, since it deals so much with revenge and piracy.

~ I love Hook and Belle’s scene, the fact that he apologized for trying to kill her in the past, and the acknowledgement that he still has work to do in the area of forgiving himself. That baggage did not go away when he decided to return from the Underworld. And Hook’s music theme sounds so sad and pensive during that scene!

~ Regina swordfighting … is not something I ever expected to see, but okay, cool.

~ Why the heck does Rumplestiltskin suddenly act like he wants Regina? They might be past the teacher-student phase of their relationship, but it’s still incredibly uncomfortable!

Episode 6x03 “The Other Shoe”

~ Looks like Hester Prynne from The Scarlet Letter is now in Storybrooke! I guess it would make sense for her to have sought refuge in the Land of Untold Stories.

~ Emma watching Hook interact with Alexandra is soooo sweet!

~ I like that this episode revisits the backstory of a character who had a one-off episode so early in the show.

~ It seems strange for Ella to say “There’s no such thing as magic.” Did she not live in the Enchanted Forest, or at least a neighboring kingdom?

~ Dopey getting his master’s degree! And Grumpy/Leroy’s attitude toward Emma!

~ It might have been better setup to show Ashley’s reaction to seeing Lorinda’s name on the list of newcomers.

~ Mary Margaret was already shown returning to her teaching job in the middle of Season 4, presumably after she took some maternity leave. Her time away in Camelot and the Underworld only amounted to a couple months, at most. Why is her return to teaching such a big deal now?

~ Hook and Henry practicing swordfighting is great, and shows that Hook has now joined Henry’s father and maternal grandfather in the role of mentoring him!

~ They brought back Gus! It’s nice to see Ella having a friend with her in her home and at the ball.

~ I like that they show how Ella and Snow met! That helps explain how they recognize each other at Ella and Thomas’ engagement/wedding ball.

~ It almost seems odd that OUAT hasn’t depicted the Cinderalla ball before, earlier in its run.

~ Cutting from the glass slipper to the glass chess set—both possessions/gifts of Rumplestiltskin—is great!

~ David’s desperation seems a bit out of nowhere after he appeared so optimistic in his scene with Mary Margaret.

~ Hook really let Belle settle in and put her own mark on her cabin, which was previously his own!

~ Looks like Snow was as responsible for Ella’s happy ending as Emma was for Ashley’s!

~ Dr. Jekyll meeting Dr. Frankenstein is hilarious! As is the fact that Snow thinks getting them to teach is “part of getting this town back to normal”!

~ Snow and David’s final scene is so sweet, and their conversation about Neal is full of truth! Childrearing may not be “epic,” but it really is the most important work.

~ They really contrived a way to get Robert Carlyle to read poetry in his full Scottish accent!

~ How can the Evil Queen simply free Hyde? Did Regina not take any precautions against this after finding out she had visited him?

~ I like the theme of this episode, about seeking happiness even when the future is not a guarantee, and the fact that the storyline ends in reconciliation for Ella and her sister and their respective loves.

Episode 6x04 “Strange Case”

~ In situations where you feel powerless, cutting your hair can feel like a way of reclaiming control. So, it makes sense for Gold to take that action, even if it seems random.

~ Interesting to see Gold fixing a watch, and his shop full of clocks, considering the show’s name and theme!

~ Rumplestiltskin basically plays the same role in Jekyll’s story as he did in Frankenstein’s.

~ Gold sinks to new levels of abuse in this episode, imprisoning Belle in the name of protecting her.

~ It’s pretty significant that Gold is comfortable with Belle being with Hook on his ship, considering their history with Milah.

~ Leroy and David have a great, supportive little exchange.

~ Grumpy/Leroy has never articulated the dwarves’ job(s) as “protectors” before. I thought he was going to say that what they do best is work—they seem to gravitate toward physical labor, whether in the mines or in the magic bean fields.

~ “It’s the queen!” Nice little callback to the pilot episode!

~ It looks like Snow is now teaching middle or high school level, whereas during the curse she was teaching elementary school.

~ Now I’m wondering whether Storybrooke’s schools bother with actual certification or accreditation. Does Snow really have the know how to teach?

~ What is with Belle’s outfit? It looks like a nightgown, or hospital gown, or something for the beach or a maternity shoot.

~ Interesting that Hook is the one to save Belle, and Gold sees it!

~ The fact that Gold’s attempt to protect Belle ended up putting her in danger is so emblematic of their now-toxic relationship.

~ Considering how they set up the new arc with Regina and the Evil Queen, I wasn’t expecting Jekyll and Hyde’s story to end so quickly!

~ I like the framing of Regina and Emma’s profiles against the ocean.

~ David’s angst and mixed feelings about Hook and Emma’s relationship aren’t really resolved by the end of the episode.

~ I knew Shireen was Jasmine!

~ The credits list Tom Sawyer as a character! Where was he?

Episode 6x05 “Street Rats”

~ What is with the use of captions for time and location? They were hardly ever used before the previous season.

~ Aladdin’s accent sounds like that of someone from the lower class in some part of England.

~ I like Jasmine’s clothes very much, but she’s wearing way too much jewelry for someone in disguise or on a mission in the desert.

~ What did the Evil Queen mean about her and Archie being a good team? The fact that she forced him to do unethical things during the curse?

~ Jasmine and Aladdin’s argument scene is great! And he does the apple trick like in the movie!

~ Regina is like Satan, or Eris, sowing discord among Emma’s family, and either creating or exposing a lack of trust.

~ The heroes should remember that A) people have kidnapped and impersonated Archie before, and B) he would never betray a patient’s confidentiality.

~ They pay homage to two movies with a single prop!

~ Why would any villain with half a brain discuss their plans and motives in a public place, with other people right in front of them?

~ On the other hand, it’s interesting to see Zelena and any version of Regina talk about their children.

~ Why don’t the heroes rush to find Archie after realizing he’s missing?

~ Regina being the one to comfort someone who’s grieving is new!

~ There isn’t nearly enough spotlight on Hook in this episode, as he learns that Emma’s life may end because of her role as the Savior. But that shot of him looking back at her before leaving her in the crypt is beautiful and speaks volumes!

~ Emma and Henry’s scene is wonderful, and her turnaround makes sense. She wouldn’t change her attitude after hearing a “hope speech” from her parents, but she would do so in order to comfort and encourage her son.

~ Hook manages to turn a banal question like “Pizza or Chinese” into a profound moment: “Your heart’s desire, Swan. That’s all I want.”

~ I had thought that Hook was past keeping secrets, especially from Emma; but it makes sense that he would keep one with the intention of having a way to help/save Emma.

Episode 6x06 “Dark Waters”

~ I spent the whole episode confused about when the flashbacks take place. The opening caption says “At the time of the Dark Curse,” but Hook was frozen in time with Cora for the 28 years of the first Dark Curse being in effect. Did Hook leave Cora at some point and resume traveling on the Jolly Roger after time started moving again, before Emma and Snow arrived in the Enchanted Forest? That’s the only explanation that would make sense of Liam Junior aging yet Hook still being on his quest for vengeance.

~ Hook wants so earnestly to be a good parental figure to Henry, making him a healthy breakfast and offering to play video games with him!

~ Henry is still ambivalent about Hook: one moment Henry sounds defensive against Hook, probably because he is still attached to his father; the next moment, he’s defensive of Hook when the Evil Queen taunts him.

~ If Belle is one trimester through her pregnancy, that suggests that the baby was conceived during her honeymoon in Season 4, not during her brief reconciliation with Gold in Season 5.

~ It’s interesting that Liam Junior followed in his brothers’ footsteps with a career at sea, only in an entirely different way.

~ Hook and Henry’s interactions and bonding are so good!

~ I’m glad that Liam Junior and Nemo reunited, but I wish there had been a little more time given for Liam’s reconciliation with Hook. A lifetime of suffering would not be forgiven that quickly.

~ Of course Emma would have done the same; she practically did the same with Excalibur!

~ Gold is quite bold to refer to Henry as Hook’s son in front of the Evil Queen!

Episode 6x07 “Heartless”

~ The fact that the Evil Queen can just waltz into the Charmings’ apartment and magic one of them away …

~ How did Snow meet the Blue Fairy prior to knowing the dwarves? And how did Snow not realize that the one she thought she met was an impostor, Cora? In Season 1 it is implied that the fairies joined Snow White’s fight because Blue owed Grumpy a favor after he let go of Nova.

~ The Blue Fairy throwing axes!?

~ Wilby and Longbourne sound like nods to Jane Austen!

~ The Evil Queen quoting that Dylan Thomas poem is unexpected but fitting!

~ It is a bit odd to see Hook be the one to give a pep talk/hope speech, but he makes a good point about Emma’s relationship to her parents. The time travel adventure gave her a unique role in bringing her parents together. In a way, she is as responsible for their relationship as it is responsible for her existence.

~ I tend not to like when the writers have characters meet only to forget about it later; but in this case it feels forgivable because they do figure out that it was each other!

~ Why would Gabriel leave Snow unattended in the prison wagon?

~ Belle makes a good point about the difference between being “pure evil” and being too weak to be good.

~ The Evil Queen really reconstructed the glass coffin just so Snow and David could play out that scene?

Episode 6x08 “I’ll Be Your Mirror”

~ It’s amazing to see Regina upset about Snow and David’s sleeping curse, when she was the one who originally put Snow under one!

~ That split-screen montage is so bittersweet, and unusually artistic cinematography for this show!

~ I wish we got to see Hook helping Henry figure out what to wear to the dance! That glimpse of Hook holding up a tie for him is such a tease.

~ The Evil Queen tying a tie around Henry’s neck while deceiving him is so symbolic!

~ When did Belle meet Jasmine and Aladdin?

~ How can Gold quote Cora saying “Love is weakness”? I thought his character couldn’t regress any more, but I was wrong.

~ Is the Dragon’s daughter Mulan?!

~ The Evil Queen really seems to have forgotten how Cora ruined her life, if she is now trying to shape Henry into a king.

~ Even though it’s part of a sinister, almost seductive conversation, I like that they finally addressed the fact that Henry is a prince, and that being royalty is about more than just birth.

~ It’s nice to see an episode focused on Henry, and on his relationship with his mothers! Their maternal love triangle was the main source of conflict in the first two seasons, and it’s wonderful to both revisit his childhood with Regina and see how much they have all grown. Emma and Regina talk about Henry like the coparents they have become.

~ Where was Hook this whole time? Did the Evil Queen knock him out only temporarily, so he was able to arrive just in time to restrain her?

~ Was Sidney once Aladdin’s genie?!

Episode 6x09 “Changelings”

~ From the beginning, the show has always played with the fact that Rumplestiltskin takes children through unfair deals, but never explained why.

~ Rumplestiltskin has a tapestry of the Visitation in his castle! How appropriate, since it’s a story about two pregnant women!

~ The Evil Queen finally has an outfit that I like! She looks more like a warrior now!

~ I never realized until now that a genie’s tie to his lamp, which enslaves him while giving him his power, is just like the Dark One’s tie to the dagger!

~ As can be the case in real life, the thing that keeps Gold from being loved and forgiven is the fact that he believes he can’t be loved or forgiven.

~ This must be the first time Emma actually assists a mother in labor and delivery! It’s beautiful to see, though a little odd to think that Emma’s one childbirth experience was with the newborn’s nephew.

~ Who knew it was possible to simultaneously feel so much hatred and sympathy for a character?

~ So is Belle still living on the Jolly Roger? Or do the fairies let her stay in the convent to recover from the birth?

Episode 6x10 “Wish You Were Here”

~ Regina really should have thought of a better version of her wish! For instance, instead of sending just herself, she could have sent Henry or someone else Emma and the others would have trusted.

~ How can Regina be so certain that the reality she is in is not real? How does she know the doppelgangers aren’t connected to their counterparts in Storybrooke?

~ It was way too easy for David to get hold of the lamp! And the Evil Queen could have just magicked it into her hand.

~ “We’ve been portalled!”

~ Princess Emma’s characterization really doesn’t make sense, even for an alternate reality. If her parents were brave heroes, and she was raising her son to be a knight, she would at least try follow and set good examples of heroism. Surrendering the key to the kingdom in front of her parents makes no sense; they would have taught her the value of sacrifice and the importance of protecting their people.

~ If the Dark Curse was not cast, how in all the realms did Emma meet Baelfire/Neal and have Henry with him at such a young age?

Episode 6x11 “Tougher Than the Rest”

~ They did a great job of casting a teenage August! He both looks and sounds like him.

~ Nottingham does the same thing as Gabriel, leaving the prisoners in transit just so they have an opportunity to escape.

~ Regina never mentions to Robin the fact that his other version had a son. That makes a huge difference in his identity!

~ Didn’t Emma learn from her experience with Marian that you shouldn’t bring people across time and realities in order to save them?

~ Lana Parilla’s acting in a single shot, when she goes from grieving Robin to rejoicing at his arrival, is great!

~ How is it so easy for Emma to knock Gideon back with her magic and destroy the sword?

~ It looks like there is a carving of a swan on the shelf in Marco and August’s garage!

Episode 6x12 “Murder Most Foul”

~ This is one of the biggest episodes about David and his family, but also manages to move forward plot and character development for Hook and his relationship with Emma.

~ David and James probably both had trauma from being separated from each other as infants.

~ Emma is still wearing the very same clothes she wore when Gideon was born!

~ I wonder how long Hook had been thinking about proposing to Emma, how long he had that ring, and what made him decide to take that step at that point. I’m guessing her defeat of Gideon was a big part of it, as he had been afraid that she would die.

~ Did Hook actually buy the ring, as Archie assumes? How could he afford it? Does he have any savings or income at this point?

~ Regina has a piano in her home! Does she play, or Henry?

~ Why couldn’t Regina heal Robin’s slight wound?

~ What David asks Hook to do really is awful: betray the trust of the woman he loves in order to make a good impression with her father and maintain the friendship they have.

~ Is that the Golden Fleece in Rumplestiltskin’s castle?

~ So Pinocchio existed when David was only six years old?! But he was still a little boy when Emma was born. Does that mean he lived as a wooden puppet for a couple decades before he became real?

~ David handcuffs Hook just like Emma has on so many occasions! Pretty crummy way to treat the guy who just did so much to help him.

~ David never addresses the fact that he sent his brother into the River of Lost Souls, which is supposed to be even worse than death.

~ Why would David challenge George (or anyone) to a duel with knives rather than swords?

~ David’s monologue is fantastic, and some of the best acting we’ve seen from Josh Dallas in this show!

~ For Hook, of all people, to talk someone down from exacting revenge is amazing!

~ David is terrified by the idea that even his best effort might not be good enough. David’s fear is actually one that he shares with Emma and Hook: that he won’t be enough to protect the people he loves.

~ The big question is, why does Robert’s ghost appear to David at that time? And why didn’t David find him, or at least his tombstone, in the Underworld? It’s as ambiguous as Hamlet’s father’s ghost in the play from which this episode seems to draw its inspiration.

~ The blessing scene is so excellent! The only weird thing is David calling Hook old-fashioned, when in the past Hook called David old-fashioned about his expectations for Emma’s relationships.

~ It seems like a stretch for Hook to recognize someone he killed on a dark rainy night decades earlier. It might have been easier to believe that he could recognize a trinket like the lucky coin; but he does not recognize it the whole time he and David are handling it.

~ I would have expected the episode to end with Hook looking at the pages, but having it end with him closing the engagement ring box is even more ominous!

Episode 6x13 “Ill-Boding Patterns”

~ It’s cool to see Beowulf appear in OUAT!

~ It’s so strange to see Gold discourage someone from giving in to their inner darkness. He practically drove Cora, Regina, and Zelena into it, and a vision of him urged Emma to embrace her magic as the Dark One.

~ Since when does Regina wear hats that match her outfits? Is she picking up aspects of Zelena’s style?

~ Regina being willing to let Robin go in order to find his happiness is huge character development from the woman who enslaved Graham and tried to kidnap Owen.

~ I can’t believe they gave Baelfire a storyline about “going dark”! I don’t like it when they use memory potion to create a storyline only to erase a character’s arc; but it says a lot about Rumple that he was willing to let Baelfire blame him rather than himself.

~ It feels odd for Emma to be absent for most of an episode, only appearing in one scene where she is ignorant of the full truth of the situation.

~ Even when split from Regina, the Evil Queen is proud of her town!

Episode 6x14 “Page 23”

~ I bet Henry asked for details about Hook’s proposal because he wants to get ideas for his own in the future!

~ I’m glad to see Nemo still acting as a friend and mentor to Hook, but their scene basically plays out the same way as Hook’s scene with Archie in the previous episode.

~ Why does Henry Senior ask “what are you doing” when Regina hardly moved?

~ The scene with Emma and Hook was inevitable, but I’m surprised it took place in the middle of the episode rather than at the end. Why did Emma come home at that point, after learning that Regina was going to face the Evil Queen? Was she coming to get Hook so he could be part of the action?

~ I like how the conflict between Emma and Hook is more complicated than just her being mad about what he did to her grandfather. She’s upset about the fact that he kept it a secret, because it shows his doubt about the strength of their relationship.

~ “Destinations never matter” is a pretty strong absolute statement.

~ I knew the arrow was going to lead Regina to face herself! But why did it not lead to her magic mirror? That would have been a fantastic tie-in with the themes and symbols of the original Snow White story.

~ Regina literally fighting herself, and then embracing herself, is amazing!!!

~ I LOVE Snow and Hook’s scene! They hardly ever interact with each other, and I don’t think they’ve ever had a scene with just the two of them. It makes sense that she would be the one to renew his hope that he can be forgiven and deserving of love.

~ It feels odd for Nemo to appear, and even mention Liam, without Liam himself showing up, when Hook is wrestling with so much guilt about his past. Liam would have stirred up all kinds of feelings about guilt and atonement.

Episode 6x15 “A Wondrous Place”

~ Wouldn’t “Let’s go fishing” be more fitting than “Let’s go hunting”? Or is kraken not a fish?

~ Hook almost acts parental with Jasmine and Aladdin, telling them to “Get on board before you get yourselves killed” and encouraging her to face her fear.

~ I would expect Henry to do more than sit around with his headphones in and ask “Are you okay?” when his mom is going through a heartbreak.

~ When and why did Emma stop wearing Hook’s ring pendant? Did she give it back to him when they both returned to Storybrooke?

~ Snow refers to her son as a toddler, but he can’t be more than a few months old!

~ I like that Hook and Liam Junior have a goodbye hug, but I wish they had more scenes together! Despite sparing him in their fight, Liam has not really been shown forgiving Hook or accepting him as his brother.

~ Jasmine mentions Scheherazade!!! About time a female storyteller got some credit!

~ How does Ariel’s flashback storyline fit in with her present-day story in Season 3? Did she not tell Eric about her mermaid identity when they reunited in Storybrooke?

~ While I wish Aladdin had been a more active character this season, it is cool to see Jasmine be the one to defeat Jafar!

Episode 6x16 “Mother’s Little Helper”

~ I can’t see Emma allowing Gideon into her home when Henry is there.

~ The Black Fairy is way too giggly. They speak of how evil she is, but she acts like a school bully.

~ Wait, so the Dragon did make it out of the mirror?

~ The way Hook says “civilized” reminds me of Obi-Wan Kenobi, but betting a ship in a game of cards seems like Han Solo and Lando Calrissian!

~ Would Blackbeard really carry something as powerful and valuable as a magic bean in his hat?

~ Captain Hook running from Lost Boys seems a bit undignified.

~ Gold saves Emma’s life in the very same manor where he tried to kill her!

~ How can Emma tell a parent that their child cannot be saved?!

~ If the heroes left behind the Lost Boys who were loyal to Pan, why did they take Felix along when they left Neverland?

~ Having Gideon be controlled by the Black Fairy via his heart may preserve his innocence, but also undermines all his motivation in the last few episodes. Whose idea was it for him to impersonate Aesop? Did he really hope that Emma could defeat the Black Fairy?

~ The Black Fairy’s dress at the end of the episode looks like spiderwebs! I guess spiders are kind of her motif, like the Other Mother in Coraline.

Episode 6x17 “Awake”

~ “Who said this was a rescue?” had me laughing out loud!

~ Emma and Snow wear similar shirts in this episode, black with white collars!

~ What caused the pixie flower to grow at that point, ten years after the curse was cast? Did some evil arrive that caused it to appear?

~ The idea that people woke up from the curse before Emma broke it really undermines the significance of her role.

~ Did David have fake memories when he first woke up from his coma? Did he understand the technology of this world?

~ Who is that police officer/security guard? Shouldn’t it be Graham as the sheriff?

~ David’s confidence that Hook is fighting for Emma is beautiful!

~ Hook references the Tiger Lily at Skull Rock incident from the book Peter Pan!

~ How could there be so many Lost Boys left behind on Neverland? There weren’t nearly that many in season 3!

~ “Why is it never past their bloody bedtime?” Hook must have had more than his share of hearing the Lost Boys’ parties!

~ The pig and the conch seem like allusions to Lord of the Flies, which is also about boys stranded on an island!

~ Emma shows great character growth in that she understands and forgives her parents giving up the chance to raise her in order to let her save the rest of their community.

~ I had to look up Geppetto/Marco’s toast, “Cent’Anni.” It’s a traditional Italian toast meaning “May You Live 100 Years.” That is so beautiful in the context of Snow and Charming’s sleeping curse!

~ The distribution of the sleeping curse in a chalice seems like a strange inversion of the Eucharist (aka Communion or the Lord’s Supper). They are aware of Snow and Charming’s sacrifice for them, and they choose to sacrifice for them in return. It also reminds me of Paradise Lost, when Adam learns that Eve has eaten the forbidden fruit, and chooses to eat it in order to share in her curse rather than be separated from her.

Episode 6x18 “Where Bluebirds Fly”

~ This may be the first Zelena-focused episode that I remotely like!

~ Honestly, Snow and David should understand why Emma and Hook would want some privacy. Both couples just reunited after being separated for a while, and the sleeping curse was going on even longer than Hook’s disappearance!

~ Does Regina just regularly go to Gold and/or Belle to stock up on potion ingredients?

~ Emma and Hook are so sappy and shameless at this point! And their bemused expressions as David and Snow argue over them are hilarious!

~ Hook is a good man to put up with his future in-laws’ bickering over his wedding; but he could have been a little more assertive about what he and Emma want rather than what Snow wants.

~ “If this is about Hook, that ship has sailed, and there’s a pirate on it, deal with it!”

~ David’s monologue is wonderful, but Snow’s reaction, expressing doubt about the outcome of the Final Battle, seems out-of-character for her.

~ Baby Robin’s care is a throughline of this episode, but who is taking care of baby Neal while his parents plan his sister’s wedding?

~ Emma saying Robin is “one of us” in the presence of only Regina and Zelena made me wonder if Robin might be a magic wielder like them!

~ I am surprised that they actually had Zelena give up her magic. When Emma tried to do that in Season 4, it was portrayed as a terrible thing, indicative of self-loathing. And magic has had such a huge impact on Zelena’s life and identity, for her to give it up is a huge personal sacrifice. I’m not sure we’ve seen her reach the point of being able to do something like that unless it was for her child’s direct benefit.

~ I like that Belle has a subtle arc in this episode, with her role as a babysitter having some relevance at the end.

Episode 6x19 “The Black Fairy”

~ I never thought we would see grown-up Peter Pan again!

~ If Tiger Lily was Rumple’s fairy godmother, that raises a lot of questions about her relationship with Pan and Hook in Neverland. Did she know about Hook’s quest for revenge on the person she was supposed to safeguard? Did she try to sabotage him, in order to protect her charge?

~ Gold should know that Hook would be outraged at him for putting Emma into a magic sleep of any kind!

~ “Dreams are a maze” = unsubtle reference to Inception?

~ It’s interesting to see Emma (attempt to) bond with Gold, of all people, over the experience of being an orphan.

~ Regina asking Zelena to look after Henry is amazing, but the timing of it in the middle of their comical driving lesson feels awkward. And shouldn’t Emma also be part of the conversation about who would raise him if his parents died?

~ Granny’s being the heart of Storybrooke … makes sense on some level, but could have benefited from more setup or acknowledgement of it as such.

~ “Jukebox?” “Jukebox.”

~ Finally, someone introduces the idea of passwords to confirm identity! They have fallen prey to too many magical impostures.

~ I find it a bit hard to believe that Regina never killed a fairy during her reign of terror.

~ Regina is wearing light colors when she faces off against the Black Fairy!

~ While it’s a bit of a stretch to believe that a fairy can be bested with a car crash, Zelena coming in to save Regina that way was both awesome and hilarious!

~ I don’t like the idea that the Dark Curse was created by the Black Fairy rather than Rumplestiltskin. Was he playing into her hand by finding someone to cast it, just as Regina played into his hand by casting it? That kind of behind-the-scenes manipulation isn’t needed since it was already there.

~ So after turning Granny’s upside-down, the heroes just have a relaxing dinner there? And they don’t even stand up when Gold informs them that he killed his own mother to protect them? They don’t seem very appreciative!

~ When did they decide to hold the wedding so soon? They just talked about postponing it! Most people wait at least a few months, and all that planning and arranging that had Mary Margaret so excited takes time!

~ Belle should recognize that Gold is singing the same tune he always has, saying that everything he does is to protect his family.

~ Hook asking Henry to be his best man is such a great moment! They started out mainly caring about each other because of their connections to Emma and Neal, but they’ve developed a real friendship and respect for each other.

~ What happened to the Blue Fairy?! Did the Black Fairy really torture her to get the information on the wand? Did Gold really restore her to the other fairies?

Episode 6x20 “The Song in Your Heart”

~ The title sequence is similar to the wedding episode of Steven Universe, with an orchestra tuning their instruments!

~ This whole episode is wonderful! The hilarity of seeing the characters break into song, and be self-aware about it, helps offset the heaviness of the present-day plot, where Emma’s wedding day and her entire future are both at stake. But the theme of music also serves a purpose for the present-day plot, and gives Emma an epiphany about her life, her inner strength/power, and her relationship with her parents. Music lovers know that there is something powerful, almost sacred, about it, and having that explored in the context of OUAT is really interesting.

~ The musical numbers do an impressive job walking the line between parody and earnestness. They represent each of the characters well, and are just plain fun to watch.

~ Hook is the only one who wholeheartedly embraces the singing without questioning it or finding it strange.

~ I can’t tell if Zelena is self-aware about her song or if it is one of those musical numbers that just represents her interior thoughts.

~ Zelena’s actions in the flashbacks don’t really make sense.

~ How can Emma leave behind her family when they’re frozen in the Black Fairy’s custody? Why does the Black Fairy let her go instead of threatening to kill them then and there?

~ Emma tries to do the same thing Henry did in season 3, giving up her heart to one of Rumplestiltskin’s parents.

~ Emma seems like the last person to embrace singing, as she’s always been the most resistant to things like magic and emotion and vulnerability. So it’s really significant that the climax involves her finding power through a song.

~ Emma’s song is the first in the episode that doesn’t feel like it’s half playing for laughs: the music is powerful, and the lyrics are completely serious and show Emma’s growth as a character. She has not only forgiven her parents, she has come to believe that they were right to give her up, because she needed to fulfill her role as the Savior.

~ “A Happy Beginning” is just perfect. The characters understand that there are still challenges ahead they need to face, yet they enjoy the happy moment, look to the future with hope, and commit to stand with each other through whatever comes.

~ Archie and Marco are both at the wedding, but August is nowhere to be seen! He must have been present off-camera, because there is no way he would miss Emma’s wedding.

~ I thought I heard several subtle references to songs from other musicals: “Let It Go” from Frozen, “On My Own” and “A Heart Full of Love” from Les Misérables

Episode 6x21 “The Final Battle Part 1”

~ Is that David’s sword, the one Emma used to slay Maleficent? Is that why they included those clips in the recap?

~ Why is Henry always exempt from the Dark Curse(s)? Did Fiona choose to keep him in Storybrooke so she could use him as leverage over Emma? Letting him retain his memories and the storybook seems like too much of a risk.

~ There seem to be way more asylum patients, and a much better facility for them, in this curse’s version of Storybrooke.

~ Emma taking her medicine gives big Matrix vibes.

~ When Hook wakes up, the first thing he does is look at his hand to see if his wedding ring is still there!

~ How is the Charmings’ old castle standing? Wasn’t it destroyed in the first curse? Didn’t Emma and Snow see it in ruins when they went there in Season 2?

~ Having Hook face the beanstalk again is a great way to get the characters to reflect on the beginning of his relationship with Emma. His speech to David is full of emotion and accurately summarizes what made his and Emma’s relationship so compelling, both similar and different from other love stories in fairy tales.

~ Henry acknowledges that Hook is Emma’s true love!

~ Even when she doesn’t believe him, Emma still loves and appreciates Henry so much.

~ Finally, they addressed the fact that Wish Snow and Charming were killed!

~ So Wish Robin, who was a selfish scoundrel, still met Friar Tuck at some point? Why do they never show this friar?!

~ Henry’s smile is so proud when Fiona talks about how hard it is to get Emma to stop believing.

~ Hook and David have a nice moment in the giants’ castle, but the context feels contrived. And that “obstacle course” isn’t all that difficult for Hook to overcome.

~ Is that dragon supposed to be Maleficent?

Episode 6x22 “The Final Battle Part 2”

~ Hook calling Snow “Mummy” is funny, but it feels a bit immature and regressive after he’s come so far in his relationship with Emma’s parents. And there’s absolutely no need for Snow to say “It’s important.” Hook knows how bloody important it is!

~ I wish Hook and David’s climb ended up making an actual difference in the plot.

~ Unlike when Emma first tried to leave Storybrooke, nothing impedes her when she drives away. Fate does not intervene with a wolf or some other distraction or obstacle.

~ It looks like Henry can draw, just like his father and paternal grandmother!

~ Having Snow and Charming reverse roles and play out the true love’s kiss awakening was not necessary. They already did that back in season 2, and they revisited the sleeping curse imagery throughout this season. There is no uncertainty about their love, so it does not carry any real suspense.

~ Is that the mirror from Beauty and the Beast?

~ What was that shot of Emma barging into the mayor’s office with the sword for? Did she intend to use it against Fiona?

~ How can light snuff out light? It doesn’t make sense.

~ Gold kills Fiona way too easily. How can she be defeated by her own wand? Does it work like the Dark One dagger, being the only thing that can destroy its owner? And why is Fiona’s death the event that breaks the curse, rather than Emma coming to believe?

~ Why did the writers have Belle reunite with Gold only for her to be left behind while he has his final temptation? Why not just have them reunite after?

~ Where did Emma get the beanie? Did she pause to put it on while running from Gideon with the sword?

~ Hook saying they should kill Gideon makes no sense. He was there when Gideon was born, and they know that he’s not in control of himself. Hook knows what that is like from his own experience of someone controlling his heart.

~ David calling Gideon a “son of a bitch” is actually insulting Belle!

~ Emma’s declaration of who and what she is reminds me of a line from Peter Pan declaring his identity to Captain Hook: “I’m youth, I’m joy.”

~ The climax and resolution happen way too quickly.

~ I think Hook should have been the one to kiss and awaken Emma. Yes, Henry doing it is a nice parallel to her waking him in Season 1, but their relationship had been solid and unquestioned for years, and he had already served a heroic role in the finale by getting Emma to believe. In contrast, Hook had just married Emma a day earlier, after many ups and downs in their relationship, and he had failed to break curses by kissing her on two previous occasions (in season 3 and season 5). Plus, his whole adventure in the previous episode had yielded no real effect on the plot. Having him be the one to say “I love you” and kiss Emma to restore her to life would have been more fulfilling for both the plot and the characters’ relationship. Plus, if he thought she was gone for good, it could have been a really emotional growing moment for Hook, seeing his love sacrifice herself for him and everyone else, and respecting that in spite of losing her. Then the kiss would have been completely based on how he felt, not on any pragmatic hope as in the previous cases.

~ Gideon turning into a baby again feels like the kind of false solution Gold proposed to his other son. He offered to make Neal a teenage boy again so they could have a do-over. Does turning into a baby again erase all of Gideon’s memories, the experiences that shaped him? (I can hardly call it character development since his character was not really well written.)

~ Was that Tinker Bell? Did she return to Neverland after all?

~ I’m glad that David is the one taking care of Neal now, instead of him being left with a babysitter while both his parents work!

~ Violet is waiting for Henry at the bus stop! But it’s such a fleeting glimpse it’s easy to miss.

~ Emma making Hook her deputy is excellent! He has come such a long way in his life, from indentured servant to navy man to pirate to law enforcement.

~ The dwarves making new signage for Regina’s door is sweet, but giving her the title of queen again seems weird. Snow and David are the real leaders of Storybrooke, and there are other princes and princesses there too. If they want to have an official leader, they really ought to be elected.

~ Having Gold and Belle dance to the music from “Beauty and the Beast” is sweet, but they’ve done it before, and their reconciliation doesn’t really feel earned after how much he put her through. How does she know if she can trust him now? Does he still have the Dark One dagger?

~ The only thing that seems missing from the montage is a shot of the Jolly Roger. Hook may not live there anymore, but I’m sure it would still be a part of his new family’s life.

~ That last shot of everyone sitting on one side of a long table is just like Da Vinci’s “Last Supper”! After all the jokes and sarcastic comments about family dinners in this show (“Maybe one day they’ll invite you to dinner,” “It’s a good thing we didn’t have Thanksgiving in our land,” etc.) it’s amazing to see them all come together for a meal—even those who have killed their loved ones and tried to kill them.

~ Honestly, that last scene of Lucy knocking on Henry’s door would not have been a terrible place to end the series. Then, if the writers wanted, they could have told Lucy’s story in a separate spin-off.

[konako]

It's nice that OUAT avoided the whole "scary monster must be aggressive, easy to anger" thing, but an angry Ruby here and there wouldn't have been so bad, she gets to show it so little in the show

Anon... 💖

Oh, there are so many things Ruby gets to do so little. Be so little... 

She's a gold mine of a character that was barely even touched. It's wild, that she was left there, mostly up for interpretation after a while...

Red's Untold Tale tried to explore some of those questions.

I remember when the first (mostly inaccurate) summary of the book came out, before it was available for purchase. And there was a mention of a shorter temper in Red, proposing that she was quick to anger during her teenage years (which, yeah, name a teenager that wasn't....). 

But then the actual book came out and there was nothing further on that. Maybe a few instances of Red lashing out at Granny or some other mean girl, but nothing further. Nothing that could be read as a supernaturally volatile temper due to her wolf side.

The wolf had no influence like that on her — at least not that canon supported.

And, to be fair, she's not an angry person. 

She's got some temper problems (more on that in a bit), but she's not the kind of person that would lose herself in anger easily. — DRK AU Ruby is a different story. It's simply not in her character, not how she developed as a person growing up. And not how her trauma shaped her.

She's soft spoken most of the time. Keeping calm whenever she can, offering a sympathetic and comforting presence. She's the helper, the supporter. She's a Protector. And a silent, gentle one at that.

She's "You can come live here". She's "Do you need help figuring out your path?". She's "Can I help you with what you are looking for?" and She's "Do you need a friend? I'm here".

She's soft. 

Hard edges in the form of teeth and claws, at most. 

But she's soft. "Yes, Granny." and "Of course, Snow" and "I'm sorry, Belle" and "Are you okay, Archie?" and "Do you need company, Mulan?" and "Easy there, Kansas"

Part of it, you could argue, it's her making up for her nature. She's aware of how she will be perceived and she's aware of the danger she poses to people if she ever loses control, so she keeps herself in check, and she holds back and she doesn't impose or pressure people. 

When she's able, she's in control of her emotions, in control of her actions and how they could affect (or harm) others.

Another part of it is how she was raised: Under Granny's strict and mostly cold expression of motherhood and affection. She was raised being shown little warmth, being told constantly what to do and not to do, who to talk to or not talk to, how to be and how (what) not to be. And, longing for that warmth and affection she was often denied, she became friendly, accommodating, helpful, charming, easy-to-talk-to, a people-pleaser, a source of warmth and affection herself, treating people with the softness she wished for herself.

Those are her larger parts. They're easy to see. Her heart and her smile is hard to miss and even Emma softens at Ruby's gentle and humble nature.

Still, she's a person, made up of many many parts, not all of them the same. Some, not even person-like. 

Some parts are wolf, you see.

She's impulsive. 

She's reckless. She's impatient and she's stubborn and she's anxious. Is that from her wolf or her human element? (The safest bet is: trauma) But who knows. A wolf's energy has got to go somewhere, right? Maybe that's how it manifests on her.

Instead of being overcome with anger, she's impulsive. Judgement clouded in a different way, no less dangerous (often exclusively to herself.)

She throws herself into something (a brand new wild idea) without a second thought, desperately trying to remediate a bad situation or a present problem. But she'd rather put her own safety at risk before she endangers or harms someone else.

That idiot. Just, take a quick look:

Wanting to go after The Wolf alone (when Snow was wise to try and talk her down);

Staying with Peter, although chained to a tree, when she thought HE would be turning into a feral bloodthirsty beast; (F)

Splitting up with Snow over a tear in her cloak because she couldn't risk hurting her friend; 

Any and all times she (quite literally) jumped into battle for Snow's cause; 

Quitting her job on the spot after an argument; 

Chaining Belle up so she could go and give her life to a murderous mob;

Stepping in between Regina and Archie when she thought Regina was threatening him;

Stepping in between Regina (after she had regained her magic and set fire to city hall) and the rest of the town, when she likely thought Regina was there to kill them all; 

Running to fight (???? gurl) Rumple and Regina in order to keep them from killing Snow and Emma via a well spell. Let me repeat: She, alone, against The Dark One and The Evil Queen. She was thrown on her ass so quick....

Wanting to throw hands with the Witch that had made her a pet back in DunBroch;

Immediately antagonizing Zelena in half an hour of arriving in the Underworld;

It’s said that anger is an emotional response of self-respect and self-preservation. So... whatever Ruby is doing... it’s the opposite of it. 

In some sad old ways, it makes sense... 

I can see why she’s slow to anger, while being so eager to risk her life in the heat of the moment. 

It’s from this sentiment of “Why argue? Why start up a fight? So they’ll respect me? That’s not even a good cause...” combined with “This problem requires a solution and if that solution is at the cost of my life, it’s a small price to pay”. 

Which both boil down to: I’m not worth very much. 

It’s a vice — The Vice — that Ruby is working to unlearn. 

Not without struggle. It’s hard and it’s rooted in the deepest parts of her being — and it’s a terribly corrosive sentiment to be so close to her essence as a person. She’s trying to get rid of it. It’s hard work. It is.

Snow’s helping her. Don’t worry. 

Belle’s contributed her share, David’s got some experience, Mulan’s learning to assist her and Dorothy’s there for extra support.

Ruby is surrounding herself with people that will help her let go of that self-deprecating mindset.

And she’s not hopeless, not a lost cause. Not a miserable person unable to feel anger under any circumstance, too soft for her own good, a pushover at the hands of anyone... 

Oh, no. She’s got her moments. 

Let’s take a look at them, too. You know, to be fair. 

Let’s do it like this: I’ll set it up. We take a look at the surface level anger. And then we see what’s really underneath. 

Because remember: anger is a symptom, not a cause.

Irritated at the idea of helping The Dark One find Belle. Disbelieving that Rumple won’t harm her Protecting Belle

Sternly casting her vote to execute The Evil Queen Voicing her wishes to protect the land and its people from more horrors and death by Regina’s hand

Barely masking her growing resentment of Greg Mendell’s stay in Storybrooke Apprehension at what his presence means for the extraordinary, vulnerable portion of Storybrooke’s population (herself included)

Annoyed at having to wait powerlessly. A tense situation she can’t help by throwing her life at the fire.

Lashing out at Spencer after he threatened to go after David Protecting David, not herself

A flash of disbelief at Anita’s order A feeling of betrayal by her mother The immediate urge to protect Snow

A rush of anger at seeing the Witch again Justifiably hurt and dehumanized, she wanted some sort of closure to that awful chapter. Violent or not. Anger at its purest.

Annoyed by Regina’s dog joke Plainly annoyed at the lack of respect; Regina’s being needlessly rude. Irritation at being reduced to her wolf part.

Annoyed by David’s unintentional dog pun Irritation at the accidental comparison and the following purposeful, immediate correction (that only highlighted David’s acute awareness of Red’s nature and his clumsy sensibility to it)

Annoyed at (another!) dog joke It’s getting old and Ruby has no time for it. She needs to help Dorothy.

Annoyed at Hook. It’s Hook.

And a handful of times during Child Of The Moon when Ruby’s anxiety overflowed into impatience and a short-temper before imploding in a panic attack.

But what do we draw from this? From the few moments we did see a glimpse of anger cross Ruby’s eyes? 

— And it truly was just a glimpse. 

Ruby, having lived the life that she lived, has in her to be more than just a little irritated. She’s earned the right to rage and go on a bloody rampage, if she felt like it. 

Instead, we got these little slips, when her softness takes a back seat to something else and when her desire to help is overshadowed by the need to protect (and, at times, to do so more forcefully). Some rougher edges in the means for the preservation of others.

And we got, at last, instances of self-respect and self-preservation! 

A mean look at an offensive joke or the feral, raw reaction upon seeing the Witch that turned her into a pet. 

Ruby is learning to protect and care for herself as fiercely as she cares and protects others. (Well, maybe “as fiercely” is an overstatement, but she’s getting there...)

More importantly, note that the anger is short-lived. 

That big warm, soft heart of hers is an inhospitable environment for anger. Denied further fuel, it dies a quick death, barely able to flourish. 

Anger comes, makes way for its cause and so it goes, forgotten, forgiven.

See?

Indignation at manipulative and selfish people, settling back to sadness at being at their mercy

Annoyance at powerlessness, stripped down to fear

Irritation at helping a long-time enemy, turned into empathy for the human heart beneath

Once cold and rational anger at monstrous behavior, distilled into (yet again) compassion for the person in pain.

Ruby doesn’t dwell in anger for long. 

It’s of no use to her. It gets in her way and it doesn’t help her already torturous struggle against the other monster inside her. She doesn’t need to foster another hungry beast and she’s not looking to be outnumbered in this fight.

She’s got better things to worry about.

But before I end this episode of “Ruby Is Good, Ruby Is Kind”,  a quick word from my inner wise aunt:

Anger is not a toxic thing. It’s not an ugly feeling. It’s not something one is not allowed to feel. Anger is often pain lashing outwards for once. Anger signals something else and takes on the battle another feeling is too shy to fight, and it’s not inherently an evil feeling. 

Everyone, kind soft-hearted werewolf or not, is allowed to be angry. 

Feel it, process it, get to the root of it, work on it and, with time, heal from it. 

Let anger pass, after it’s done its job. 

Don’t hold on to anger by anger’s sake and don’t use it to excuse hurting others.

Be a kind werewolf.

[martianbugsbunny]

OUAT Thoughts Pt.75--Episodes 21-22

I have watched through S7E22; there are no spoilers to be had. Spoiler warning for anyone further behind than I am, though.

Kinda satisfying that I got an even 75 on that.

—I have been ugly-crying for about twenty minutes.

—Rumple dying because he gave his heart to Hook is the most poetic, beautiful culmination of their stories I ever could’ve hoped for and it’s got me wrecked. And the fact that he did it expecting to never see Belle again makes it even more lovely of him....And the fact that Hook is going to spend the rest of his life walking around with Rumple’s heart inside of him...that’s beyond words for me.

—I’m never going to love like this again. This show is the single best story I have ever consumed and I loved every minute of it, even the parts *looking at you, finale* that emotionally destroyed me. Also, Rumple is the most stunning tragic character I’ve ever met and it is impossible for anyone to ever take his place in my heart.

—That scene where Rumple was fully prepared to kill Rumplestiltskin, to keep any realm from ever having to have him in it, was a pretty poignant personification of self-hatred and it was a really weird, dark kind of beautiful.

—Look at my funky lil lesbians going off to save the world!

—Alice was looking lovely at Regina’s coronation. That blue dress was so pretty.

—I cannot stress enough how much I adore the fact that in the last two episodes of the show, I got to see Rumple and Hook adventuring together as friends.

—Rumple calling Rumplestiltskin “crocodile” was fun.

—I’m rather glad I picked up CaptainCroc as my new hobby, because I think this stuff would’ve hurt me even worse if I wasn’t trying to pick up the little bits of happiness and inspiration between them, and starting to come up with how it goes down in my AU even while it was unfolding in canon. CaptainCroc may be my comfort ship.

—It’s great that the last time we saw Emma, she was wearing her red leather jacket and a full-length dress. V cool.

—Seriously, did they have to make the last shot of the entire show the “Leaving Storybrooke” sign? That is exactly the opposite of what I want to do. I want to live in Storybrooke for the rest of my life and never have to think about being without it again. I want Storybrooke to be a constant presence in my brain and a weighted blanket for my heart and I want to imagine it happy and full of life and with all the characters I adore in it.

—Moving all the realms to one place so nobody can ever be separated again was kind of fun.

—In case you hadn’t guessed, I think I lost a couple more marbles watching those two episodes. I’m also reinforcing my belief that fanfic, headcanons, and fan-life in general is the ultimate form of escapism and comfort and I can’t imagine not turning to it at the end of something great.

—Seeing Henry dark and angry was weird. I’m glad he got out of that without actually killing Regina, because I think would’ve been the end of me. And now he gets an entire family to help him get back on the right path. (Which he appears to be doing, as he’s wearing a sheriff’s badge. Nice to see that’s still in the family.)

—It’s nice that Tiana and Naveen appear to have ended up together.

—In similar news, I also kinda like that wish realm Hook didn’t end up in a romantic relationship. It was his bond with Alice that was important, and even if the writers maybe strayed from that a bit every now and then, it was both nice to see and also, and a parent and child thing, very OUAT.

—It’s great that we got to see Robin ask for Hook’s blessing to marry Alice. I want my girl to have the happiest ending possible, and it looks like she gets it.

—I suddenly realized that the entire time Rumple was in Hyperion Heights, he didn’t seem to have a single problem with his leg, and that’s maybe a little disappointing. Hook had a false hand. Without magic, Rumple still should’ve had a limp, even if made it a bit harder to do detective action sequences.

—Hook and Alice kinda have the same cute ear shape. Iykyk, and if you don’t I’m sad for you.

—Still crying, and it’s taken me about fifteen minutes to write this much. Mostly because I’m crying.

—I like how Hook’s alcoholism is taken seriously in this last season, and in a pretty subtle way. At Flynn’s Barcade, Nick and Henry had beers while Hook had a lemon water (warding off scurvy, I’m sure). In episode 21, Regina and Rumple had a drink and Hook had what I’m assuming is water, but in a mug. (I drink cool/warm temperature beverages in mugs to annoy my kid sister, and let me tell you it’s a fun little way to mess with people. Hook should do it more often.) Also, when Hook and Rumple went to Hook’s old home in the wish realm, the booze there was specifically mentioned in connection with the fact that Hook basically went there to die a slow death. I would give a round of applause for the writers, but the writers have upset me, so I’m withholding the applause. So there.

—As sad as I am, I do love that now nobody has to choose between Storybrooke, their magical realm of origin, or Hyperion Heights *snort*

—I don’t think I’ve mentioned it yet, but Killian is such the beautiful name. I love it. I know what I’m naming one of my next two plushies.

—Yes, I hate, despise, and loathe the fact that Rumple is dead, but it really was the perfect ending to his story. And his story was the most amazing one to come out of this show, which is saying a lot. I’m glad he’s with Belle again, because my head knows that’s how he gets his happy ending, even if my heart doesn’t want him to be gone.

—It was nice to see Snow and Charming again. Especially in such pretty clothes.

—Their little round table was the start of my crying. Three generations of heroes, how does it get better?

—Okay, I hated seeing him again, but good on Rumplestiltskin to have Peter Pan in the stocks. He had it coming.

—Very nice that original Hook had a bit of rubber on his hook so he could hold the baby safely.

—Also, very nice to actually see Hook and Emma’s happy ending. And Hope is the best possible name for their baby.

—I don’t stan wish realm Rumplestiltskin, because I already have the Rumple I love, but hearing him say “dearie” again sure was nice.

—Henry was a bit of an arse. He hit Hook over the head to sneak off and do inadvisable things. He basically told Rumple that he didn’t deserve a happy ending. And you know, that was a particularly arse move with his mother, also an ex-villain, standing right behind him. *shakes head*

—As you’re probably tired of hearing, this show is now my favorite story that I’ve ever experienced. One of the things I love most about it is the theme of hope. That’s hard to find sometimes, in our world, but I find that a lot of what these characters say, and what they go through, especially some of the stuff between Regina and Henry in recent episodes, resonates. It makes sense. And it does exactly what Regina wanted to do for wish realm Henry: it shows that if these people can survive, and hold onto hope, despite the bad things that go on in their lives, so can we. And I love that. Realism has its place, but that place is far away from me. I live in reality, and a dose of fantasy and joy and hope is exactly what I need in my stories, and I’ve found it nowhere better than here. The villains redeemed themselves, because the heroes gave them a second chance. Regina and Rumple and Hook got happy endings just like Emma and the Charmings did. Full marks.

—In other news, I have other stuff I have to do tomorrow night, but on Thursday I will be starting the series over. Which means I get to see Rumple A) alive, and 2) with his suit and long hair. Quite dapper. V dashing. Also, he’s gonna say “dearie” a whole lot.

[englishstrawbie]

So I’m in season 2 of New Amsterdam (mainly because of Lauren and Helen) and I’m really surprised there’s not more Helen/Lauren fics. Maybe it’s just the bi girl in me that sees 2 pretty faces and thinks what if they kissed, but I think it’s an underrated ship. Like Helen just suggested that Lauren buy a house so they can grow old and grey gardens together and they’re just such good friends and have such trust and Lauren thanked her after getting out of rehab. I also think Lauren and Casey would have been cute. Basically I really love Lauren and want her to kiss cute/nice people.

I've never been deep enough in the fandom to know what's popular and what's not amongst the ships. I've really just taken in what I've seen on my dashboard, which relies on other people reblogging stuff. They've got a following, I think, but it's not one that ever took off the way that Supercorp or SwanQueen did... but then the show isn't as big as Supergirl or OUAT.

I don't blame you for loving Lauren. I do like that she and Casey have a friendship that isn't complicated by sex or feelings. Too many times, it's easy to throw some drama in there by getting two friends to hook up. But yes, Lauren deserves all the love!

[grapecaseschoices]

Hey :) what OC are you working on right now? What inspired them?

Oh, hello! This was so nice to see in my inbox. Hope you're doing well! :-D

What aren't I working on? Let's do something old and something new, because my brain is actually active of late.

1- Something Old

Kendis: I'm currently working on them re: a multiverse storyline that's been recurring in the RP I have her in, and there's a current event up.

What Inspired Kendis?: I honestly don't remember what inspires half my characters 1234ew. I DO recall, wanting - as most desires usually strike me - to make a sibling for my friend's character, Ben. And I definitely wanted that teenaged energy (og Kendis - as Kendis, and not my first incarnation of Ben's baby sister - was 18). A lot of what influenced Kendis was wanting to catch that 'drunk girl you meet in the bathroom and becomes your strongest advocate' energy.

I like to sometimes dip into canons I know, so I'd say some of Cordelia Chase influenced Kendis (in the blunt aspect, in the seemingly shallow/egotistical, in the 'wtf is the supernatural ... well, fuck I guess I'm going to help you fight after all, ugh', in the being a lot smarter than you might think, in the unexpected vulnerability), especially Cordelia vis a vis Buffy in Buffy's vulnerable moments (never over Cordy, for all that wish-verse existed, being the one continously to have Buffy's back when shit was rotten).

Buffy herself is a factor, especially for Kendis as I play them now. And Caroline Forbes. (All these white women qwerwawq lmao) But Cordy was the OG.

2 - Something New (RP Style)

Ori Zhou: I mostly finished his app. But I haven't played him yet. I've dipped him a little bit into the RP canon, woven his past life and abilities into the plot I am working on for Kendis, but I haven't written him written him yet. But he counts, because I'm going to send his app soon ... and because I love him so much already.

What Inspired Ori?: So many things. This is easier because I started his app like two weeks ago. So, okay. OG Autumn Grove had a group of teens to mid-twenties called GAS (Gender Agnostic Sisterhood) and AG 2.0 doesn't have many YouthsTM, so I was like OG GAS characters have either grown or moved away, but I miss them. So, let me try my hand at another youth (because I TOTALLY need more characters that I don't play because Kendis has been loud and obnoxious lately).

My friends wanted someone with a magical girl past life. And I really wanted to create a storyteller sort (think Henry from OUAT, think Scheherazade), so I'm going to work on smashing that. I'm really proud of his powers tho. I'm also trying to challenge myself to play a himbo. I haven't before, so in his current life, my baby is a himbo with self-worth issues. A lot of his vibes is inspired by the quote 'how am i going to be an optimist about this' and the song '100 Bad Days' by AJR. So many little things went into this beeb, but Ima stop here. His pb/fc is Chella Man because Chella is deathly too cute (and I need more trans mascs in my roster. Like wtf Nat. MOAR!!!!)

3 - Something New (IF Style)

Isidor "Izzy" Sero: I can't say I'm working on Iz so much rotating him (and my other Wayfarer MC) in my head like a pig on a spit and very, very occasionally poking him with a stick. Izzy is present in the background in my mind but he's not active. Still, he's here because my Wayfarer MCs, like my Speaker and Bloomic OCs, are OCs that I definitely want to do more with and be current on but I don't have that strong a spark on yet. So I work on them passively.

What Inspired Isidor?: MOSTLY my desire for a Sero kid but also him coming out to be the 'opposite of Peitho' (my other Wayfarer MC). Basically, sometimes when I play an IF and I have a vague desire for another MC, a concept will solidify from the Choices Not Chosen. And that is how Izzy came about. A lot of 'what if I had chosen this instead' created more of a tortoise than a hare type of character. He's very slow going to start, but when he starts he goes. I also like to play gender roles with certain IFs -- particularly with fantasy/supernatural sorts. So, though he's very strength based, he's - as mentioned - not the first to jump into the fray with fits flying. Though he may seem the quiet, "stoic" sort, when he does speak he's spoken directly to -- yet he is also highly fucking sentimental. And though that governs so much of his credo, bein a Sero kid he apprecites adaptiblity and resourcefulness. (Actually that's one of the things I like about Wayfarer, so much of the in game lore and character backgrounds help inspire and shape your OCs as you go along. So, where I'd be a little more set with an OC in another IF, here there's a lot more wiggle room).

Thank you for the ask @worldstogetlostin! Sorry for the tl;dr but you've given me stuff to ponder :-D

[lingeringscars]

i know we've thrown memes at each other for so many different pairings but ! 🐆

i always want more

send me a   “ 🐆 ”   and i’ll randomize our muse lists  

david - vanessa. hm. i have thoughts but nothing like. set in stone. but thinking about vamps x inhumans

august - ryan. i need to think of ouat ryan but he’s the most selfless vs august kinda running off and living his own life and they’d be neat

nick - rachel. i know v little about new girl but maybe post island and everything rachel moves into the same apartment complex. she could use some humor in life. 

five - jesper. okay i was just thinking about diego & jesper. so like powered jesper out there in the universe found by five at some point. five dropping into the grishaverse during his time traveling problems. 

killian - june. this feels like something that could actually happen. i would have to think up a ouat verse for june but she probably tries to go after him at some point. 

gwen - melinda g. gasps. melinda who talks to ghosts and dear old gwen. maybe hs melinda and gwen are friends too bc melinda is the outcast but gwen is nice idk! 

beth - ruby. i don’t know anything about the queens gambit tbh but why not

atlanna - callie. hmmm. i dig it but no clue. me eyeing the unknown parents

selene - jesper. i feel like we could easily merge these worlds actually

floyd - michael b. LMAO BUT LITERALLY. assassins. 

some others that popped up / ideas that arose during: stiles - logan / tobias - eden / asli - shane, underworld x morganville, asli - harper

[wily-one24]

questions: 6, 12, 34, 38

Ooooh, more asks. I love it. :D

6. What's the best part of being online/ a creator?

Well, the best obviously is the interaction. I love talking to people and going back and forth with theories and discussions and squeeing and fandom loving. It's so much fun. I adore it.

And, of course, being as modest as I am, I love discussing my fics with people in the comments. The give and take, back and forth, it's energising.

The worst?

Sometimes i can put pressure on myself to get things done. It's supposed to fandom, a fun space, and most times I realise this, but this week I have been especially non-productive in fic writing. My friend keeps remindign me that I've been putting out bunches lately, so I deserve a break, but... I feel disappointed in myself.

Also, obvi, the odd fandom hate. But I only ever got that in OUaT fandom. I stay WAY AWAY from fandom dramas the majority of the time. Live and let live. Be free, baby. It's all good in the garden.

12. What's some good advice you want to share?

Do not borrow stress/worry from the future.

It sounds so simple, but I think this is a trap that is incredibly easy to fall into and a lot of us do it, myself included. Something happens and we begin to catastrophise. We think up the worst scenarios. "What if...?" and "When this...?" etc.

An example: my son has lost an item he really wants. He remembers lending it to his friend, but over text his friend said he didn't have it. He has torn his bedroom apart looking for it.

He could barely even sleep last night, almost in tears.

I had to remind him, reassure him. We have a plan.

He's going to speak to his friend face to face at school today and remind him (without accusing) that his is an important item.

If the friend really doesn't have it, we are going to clean his room from top to bottom (and probably excavate some ancient ruins, I have no idea what the hell is in that room, tbh).

If we still don't find it after that, we will make a new plan.

If worst comes to worst and the item is really lost, it is an item and can be replaced. Obviously, it would be better if we find it.

But he should not work himself up into a panicked/anxious state about never having this thing again, when there are things to do and a plan to follow and solutions to find.

This is a SMALL example of things we all do every day. An allegory for the huge, more adult problems we face. Like, we panic about situations and go into crisis mode and borrow stress from the future. TRY NOT TO DO THAT. Follow your steps first. Look for solutions.

At least, follow the steps and look for solutions BEFORE you stress and panic. Once things become present instead of future, then you should worry about them.

34. Any pet peeves?

I mean, rudeness.

More particularly, I cannot stand loud eaters. I just... I can't. It annoys the ever living fuck out of me. I cannot sit next to someone who eats loudly.

It's a personal thing, I admit it. It's definitely some processing thing, I can't tell you why. But it drives me absolutely bonkers. I try to be reasonable and, if possible, remove myself from the situation.

I have had to relax my rules in the house about eating in the bedrooms (well, I mean, the kids are teenagers now, they deserve some responsibility). Because now I tell them with snack foods and stuff they can just go eat in their rooms, rather than sit right behind me crunching on crackers or popcorn or apples or some other loud as fuck shit they happen to find in a draw marked "things that will drive mum batshit crazy". Obvi they can't take, like, entire plates of spaghetti down there, but snack foods yes.

Or I will leave the room so I don't end up yelling. Because I will end up doing that.

There are certain times, like out in public and with large groups, where this is unavoidable. In which case... I try my absolute hardest to grin and bear it. But it's really damned difficult.

But overall?

Rudeness. There's no need for it.

Just be nice, man.

38. This is the favourite song question, which I just answered. You can find the answers... here.

@dahllaz, thank you for some thought provoking questions!!!

[savingthrcw]

About Emma Swan

[testing, low activity because I'm nearly all written-out] fc: Jennifer Morrison Open to: Killian Jones, David Nolan and Mary Margaret.

Canon divergences:

The damage done by the system, by her terrible life before getting to Storybrooke and the traumas she lived there as well have changed her personality from the one in the show to a less socially adapted, more emotion-driven one (as in she may snap at her parents too, at first, because overwhelmed, and she will call people out regardless of who they are, she clearly has no healthy routine/eating habits/sleeping habits).

It was very implied if not shown that she was severely abused in the system by foster parents who took in children just to get the money that comes from it, she chose to be homeless as a pre-teen/in her early teens and was only convinced by August to walk back into the system, she was back to homeless by age 16. Her life in general is a disaster in too many ways to count, constant abandonment and betrayals, there is not ONE relationship in her life, whether friendly or romantic, in which she's not backstabbed or left behind/abandoned for the first 28 years of her life and I believe it's only due to the show magic that she's not beyond help at this point, it's just not realistic otherwise, especially adding the traumas after she comes to Storybrooke, and that also means that her need to run away from commitment doesn't leave as quickly as it did in canon BUT nor does her desperate need to be close to her family, to have that love she always wanted, because Emma blatantly never fully gave up on it. Keep in mind that even villains in OUAT have known love, have been loved by at least one parent or sibling or romantic partner, Emma had none of that (that she knew of).

Her instincts drive her to be the romantic unrealistic fairy tale princess she was meant to be, and that is also shown when she basically acts like a cute fairy tale princess even while homeless, simply because she found Neal and she thinks they'll be family: princess-y cute dresses, happy, hopeful, domestic, despite literally sleeping in a car. But all of her traumas fight against those instincts.

-Which is also why once she and Killian start seeing each other she'll tell him a LOT about her past, if only to explain why she can't control the urge to pull back every now and then, to run, to be unnecessarily snappy. Up to you how Killian will react to it, given that in canon she was quickly softened by their relationship but also didn't share right away (even if he did see through her early on).

Here to write canon divergent ways for her to fall in love with Hook or more about their domestic time, AND different ways for the lost girl to get closer to her parents while still so traumatized.

She will never be friends with Regina but feel forced to play nice to keep the town safe, and she will be far more defensive/angry about Neal and what he did to her, while they’ll still co-parent until his death: let's not forget that regardless of his reasons she spent years thinking that he must have used her, tricked her and left her to take the fall while he kept the money (also confirmed by the fact that that's the version of the story she gives Henry in New York when her memories are rewritten). If we write that Gold followed canon in the background she also hates him to death from the moment he enslaved Killian regardless of the context (and tried to kill them both soon after). This has nothing to do with my enjoyment of Rumple/Gold as a character, and other muses of mine would be open to him. This is CHARACTER based, as in I cannot imagine Emma forgiving him after he took Killian's heart, much less trusting him anywhere near her family, and being sort of forced by circumstances to let Henry see him both because Henry would see him anyway and to avoid an actual war. She's also very hurt/disgusted by Walsh, considering the two SLEPT TOGETHER, planned a LIFE TOGETHER, while he was simply keeping an eye on her, ready to kill her for the Wicked Witch. Any joke about it will be met with pain and disgust.

The events of Dark One Emma can be entirely rewritten or left the way they are, but she will be absolutely hurt and angry by her family being so hostile and distrusting, regardless of them being right or not, while letting Regina and Gold participate in the 'what do we do now' discussions; she would have been far more like the Emma who questioned Regina about her past and any attempt from Regina/Gold to judge her would be met with instant aggression and a list of crimes they committed. She doesn't regret anything, as it is exactly what her parents and everyone else would have done and have done for their true loves all the time: trusting that things would work out even if there was a huge risk.

[kelyon]

TMI Tuesday

Hello, Tumblr!

So far, my plan to have a writerly vacation has not panned out--but I feel fine! My wife and I are hanging out with my sister-in-law, hanging out with her friends and seeing the sights of her new town. Today is our designated "stay-in" day, but even now I'm getting caught up in watching my wife and my SIL play "A Way Out". (It is such a great game and my SIL has no idea about the ending so I'm having fun waiting for that reveal.)

I'm still hoping to snag some writing time while I'm not working, but I'm also refusing to put pressure on myself. I am relaxing, recharging and staying cool.

But I'm also here for TMI Tuesday questions! I posted Chapter 13 of Dark Mistress on Friday. It got some good buzz, which is nice to hear. Apparently readers like it when I give my characters good things. (That happens so rarely in my fics, the positivite response is always a surprise.)

So hit me up! Let me know what you want to know about Dark Mistress, any other fic, Rumbelle in general, OUAT in general, or life in general.

I hope you all have a wonderful day!

Dark Mistress is here

My inbox is here

[extremelyblackandwhite]

old tired lonely place | jefferson

PAIRING: ouat!jefferson x babysitter!reader

WARNINGS: age gap (jefferson is older than reader)

A/N: the brainchild of my concept and @starbuckie​ has arrived. this is dilf!jefferson at its finest. warnings, i did stray away a bit from canon by making grace/paige a toddler (2-3) and a few other ways that will be seen lately. this is also inspired by ms. taylor swift’s enchanted because i guess i am now beatrice taylor’s version. 

next part

She looked at the clock on the living room, the ticking reverberating inside her head like a bomb. Tick, tick, tick. She’d never been this nervous for an interview before, yet again she’d never been a full time nanny before. She had gotten a degree in Childhood and Youth studies wanting to work in a nursery yet plans had changed, times had changed and in this town, her only choice was to either stay in line waiting to work at a daycare or look around for a better opportunity. The better opportunity came around once she saw a poster at the inn she was staying at for a full time nanny. She had studied children, so how hard could it be to adapt? In all honesty, she’d never done the nanny gig before but she had experience working in primary schools back home. 

Nevertheless, the nerves were eating at her, the ticking merely exacerbating that feeling. This town just made her reckless, feel uneasy with everything that was happening. It was almost too perfect in a way that seemed fake. It looked as if someone had crafted this town from its layout to its people. Yet, she was merely an outsider, maybe it was just the nerves. 

She looked up from her baby blue dress as the mother walked into the room, carrying a silver tray with a tea pot and a couple of tea cups. She stood there, smiling like a fool as the woman poured down the liquid into a cup, sliding it over to her. 

     - So, Y/N ... - she looked at the paper file in her hand, her CV printed in black ink. - You have a really nice CV.

     - Thank you, m’am. 

     - I’m gonna be honest with you, Y/N. We’ve been looking for a nanny for a while now and we really need someone who’s gonna be here all the time.

     - I’m the person for you, m’am. I just moved to town by myself so I can dedicate to the job as little or as much as you’d like me to.   

     - Would you like to meet Paige?

     - I would love to.

She was once again left in that living room; looking around and trying to appear as calm as she could. However, she doubted she looked anything but calm. Her eyes looked around the small house, slightly moved out of town and closer to the deep woods that surrounded the town like some sort of fairy tail. The mother returned, hand in hand with a brown haired 2 year old who was sucking onto her blanket, looking around with the same confused eyes she had. Y/N smiled at the toddler who shied away with a child like guideness before letting go of her mother’s hand to walk up to her with those messy, fast and guiddy child like steps. Y/N leaned down to be at her level, a kind smile as the child hugged her leg as if they had known each other for ages. 

     - Hi, I’m Y/N, what’s your name?

     - Paige. -  she looked up from her leg, her curls bobbling up and down as she smiled with that toothy smile which made everyone light up. - Do you wanna see my toys?

     - Sure. 

The three year old held her hand, pulling her deeper into the house. It was a house like every single upper middle class house in any country painted in beige and white colours with embroidered portraits of sweet sayings. The little girl’s bedroom was painted in soft pinks with various toys from dolls, plushies to little wooden toys yet she ignored all those shiny, brand new toys to run to a plush bunny on the corner of the world. It was home-made, at least it looked like it with all the scraps of fabric and the buttons for eyes. Nevertheless, Paige ran up to it like an old friend, her chubby arms wrapping around the plushie. Y/N leaned to her level, standing on her knees, watching her hug that plushie like her life depended on it. It was quite sweet. 

    - Who is this dapper gentlemen? - she straightened the bunny’s jacket.

    - Mr. Bunbun, this is Miss Y/N. - she said with a sheepish happiness. - She’s gonna be at our tea party today. 

    - She likes you. - the mother smiled from the door. - Can you watch her for a few trial hours while I do some grocery shopping?

    - Of course. We’re gonna have fun, won’t we Paige? 

The mother whose name she still hadn’t been told, left the two in the bedroom. Paige was a sweet girl, mostly playing around with her bunny and pretending to serve tea using a very small porcelain set of a tea pot and tea cups. Y/N enjoyed the time with the young girl, mostly playing along with her fantasy world and answering unasked questions from her plushies. Yet, she couldn’t shake this odd feeling, the same weird feeling she had felt the moment she had entered the house. Her eyes moved from the play table to the window. There was nothing there, there was merely the sight of forests and tall trees. There was nothing there but she felt watched, maybe the trees and animals were watching her. The twilight merely made the feeling even more overwhelming, as if something was glooming over the house.

The young girl started to get mellow, her arms wrapped around the bunny, her lips buried in the soft fur as her baby blue eyes started to flurry close. Y/N got up from the chair she was sat in, her arms wrapped around Paige as she picked her up to lay her in the equally soft pink bed. She pulled the comforter down, laying her down on the mattress before tucking her in. The bunny laid next to her as she fell asleep. Y/N remained by her side until the mother returned, then she left the room, closing the door behind her. 

   - What did you think? - the woman asked as the two of them stepped away from the room. 

   - Paige is a lovely girl. She’s very sweet, congratulations.

   - In that case, me and my husband would love if you could be Paige’s nanny. We will put together the paperwork and Paige’s routine tomorrow. If you could pass by at 9AM, it would be lovely.

   - Yes of course. - she smiled, shaking her hand. - Thank you for the opportunity.

She left the house with a spring in her step, even if the weather was pouring down rain into her navy blue cape. She had found a job, working with a lovely young girl and not even the rain coming down on her could break that happiness down. Y/N entered her car, putting the key on the ignition before driving into the small road through the woods which led to the centre of the town and to the small inn she was staying at. 

Her eyes were on the road, windshield wiping at the water droplets, the road merely illuminated by the headlights. Normally, she would be listening to the radio, yet nothing was being picked up and the only thing she could hear was the rain and the wind. The wind was strong enough to almost rock her small car, and as she drove down the road surrounded by the forrest, a loud noise caused her car to stop. She twisted the key again yet her car refused to start up again.

   - No, no. - she put the hood of her cape over her head, stepping out of the car.

The rain drenched her cape, running down her legs and arms as she made her way to the front of the car to lift the hood up. Smoke came out and while she realised that meant something was clearly wrong. She mumbled a few more no’s to herself before entering the car again. She fished for her phone, hoping this town had road side assistance; however, it didn’t matter if it did as her phone caught no signal at all and there didn’t seem to be a roadside phone for her to call emergency services. 

Her fists punched the steering wheel, her forehead leaning on it as her brain rushed through what she could do. There was nothing she could do. She could try walk back into town but there were no lights and she didn’t know the way, she could attempt to walk back to where she had come from but she couldn’t. She remained there for what felt like hours until a knock on her window startled her. She couldn’t make up who it was and as she rolled down the window, the face of a handsome man came into view. He couldn’t be too old, probably in his early to mid 30s, wearing plums and burgundy fabrics. 

   - You alright there? - he flashed her a white smile. 

   - My car’s broken. - she fully looked at him. Jefferson was taken aback as he completely looked at her, her hair wet and clung to her face but she still had this look of someone painted by a book illustration. The short blue dress covered by a navy cape. - Is there no signal in this town?

   - This is the woods, darling. 

   - You don’t happen to be a mechanic, do you? - she had soft eyes, the eyes of a dreamer. It almost made him forget it. 

   - No, darling, but you can try call roadside assistance from my house if you want. 

   - How do you know I can trust you? - she furrowed her brows at this stranger; yet again, the town had this weird hospitality. 

   - It’s either that or standing here isn’t it? - he watched the cogs in her brain turn, her teeth munch of her lip as she pondered the offer. - I promise I’m not some weird serial killer.

   - That’s what a weird serial killer would say.

She pulled her window up before unlocking her car door. Stepping out, he understood why the love sick couple had hired her, she looked like the stereotypical nanny in light blue and white Mary Jane shoes. Even her hair was pushed away from the face, the hair tied in a black piece of satin fabric. She definitely looked like she was good enough to watch over a child.

   - I’m Jefferson.

   - Y/N. 

   - I live just a few minutes into the forest, just follow me.

This was the best option she had of getting somewhere and not perishing inside her car. Nevertheless, she kept her distance behind him, following like a scared rabbit but still investigating him, almost copying his likelihood for her mind to keep. He looked detached from everything else, like the perfect, perfect town hadn’t decided to tell him of the colour palette or the silhouette. If everything was pastel and spring/summer, he was dark and reds. It was almost like he walked the line between darkness and warmth. She felt like he was capable of warmth, of care yet everything was kept hidden and locked away.

His home reflected it but also spoke of a longing, of a design which was lacking something. The house was certainly beautiful, like something out a gothic romance or maybe the type of home Mrs de Winter described. Like a hidden Manderley with the same amount of tragedy to it. 

   - Do you want anything to drink?

   - No, I’m fine. - she messed with her found, finding she had enough signal to call for assistance with the car. - Do you mind?

   - No, go ahead. 

Jefferson watched her from his kitchen, examining her microscopically. She sure fit the description of the sweet, innocent woman but he still didn’t know if to trust her, if to believe she was the best. Nevertheless, he felt an odd magnetic link to her, as if he needed to keep watching her. Well, he did, after all she was a stranger looking after his young daughter. His, not that couple’s, his Grace, not Paige, not anything else they called her. This woman was as much as his enemy as that couple was. Yet, there was magnetism. She lowered the phone, happy with her resolution.

   - They’re coming to get my car. - she told him from the living room. - I should get going.

   - Of course.

   - Goodbye, Jefferson.

   - Goodbye, darling.