#rumple keeps interesting souvenirs

[paradigmparadoxical]

Experimenting with GIFs. This gets faster when you know what you're doing, right?

It worked!

[lady-divine-writes]

Kurtbastian one-shot “Coming of Age” (Rated PG13)

Summary: An unfortunate accident while teaching his son to ride a skateboard does more than knock the wind out of Sebastian's sails. (1741 words)

Part 53 of Daddies

Read on AO3.

“Exercise bike … dragon fruit cuttings … barbells … another exercise bike … golf clubs … ooo, questionable Japanese print of three naked guys doing it. That’s definitely going in the save pile …”

Kurt peeks out the kitchen door into the living room when he hears his husband mumbling, finally awake after his three hour, painkiller-induced coma on the sofa. Kurt looks his exhausted husband over – the mess of hair on his head, his five o’clock shadow, his wrinkled white t-shirt. With cell phone in hand, peering at the screen through squinty eyes, he looks less like Sebastian Smythe and more like a stereotypical, rough-around-the-edges love interest from some cheesy rom-com.

And it makes Kurt smile.

It’s been a long time since he’s seen his husband so adorably rumpled. It makes him want to cuddle up next to him with a mug of apple cider and waste a whole day doing nothing but being quiet in one another’s company.

With everything going on in their lives, it’s been so long since they’ve been able to find the time.

Well, we have the time now, Kurt thinks as his eyes fall on the cast on Sebastian’s right arm – a souvenir from a recent attempt to teach their son to ride a skateboard.

Thomas took to it like a fish to water. But Sebastian - more like a fish trying to make a three tier Belgian chocolate cake with sour cream frosting.

To be fair, Sebastian used to be an incredible skateboarder back in the day. It was one of the things that attracted the hell out of Kurt when they first tried their hands at being friends. Watching him grind on the railings all over campus made up for a good third of the crap Sebastian had said to him in high school.

But working full time, traveling, getting married, and adopting a kid – especially a kid with special needs - left little time for Sebastian to sharpen his skills. He did fine going forward and stopping. He even popped a decent Ollie. But his attempt to do a kick flip ended with his feet twisted underneath him. He flew head over heels, then landed on his back with his arm twisted beneath him.

Kurt stayed by his side the entire trip to the hospital. He tried to joke with him, take his mind off it the same way Sebastian did with Kurt when he accidentally mixed Ambien and Dayquil with a booze filled donut and had to get his stomach pumped.

Sebastian cracked a smile, but that’s all Kurt could get out of him.

He didn’t make a single sarcastic comment the entire time they sat in the exam room, didn’t make a single off-colored joke when the nurse came to take his temperature. In fact, he was a model patient, which is odd for Sebastian.

And ever since, he’s been uncharacteristically quiet.

The more Kurt watches his husband sulk on the sofa, the more he suspects it’s not the painkillers keeping him sedated.

“Whatcha doin’?”

“Scrolling through Facebook marketplace.”

Kurt makes a face. “Why in the hell would you do that?”

Sebastian shrugs, making an I don’t know noise.

“Did you find anything interesting?”

“A-ha.” Sebastian turns his phone so Kurt can see. “Look at all these used CPR dummies! And just $40? That’s a steal!” Sebastian shakes his head, returning to the screen. “Why are the kid ones anatomically correct? That’s just nasty!”

“Uh … I feel there’s a story behind this,” Kurt says, sitting beside his husband. “And after our Elf on a Shelf battle, I’m not sure I want to hear it.”

“Wes has an irrational fear of CPR dummies.”

“But … he’s a doctor.”

“Yup. It made for an interesting four years during his Red Cross internship.”

“You’re not going to buy those CPR dummies, are you?”

“Why not?”

“Because there’s no need to have half a dozen used CPR dummies in the house.”

“They’re not going to be in our house.” Sebastian chuckles. “I’m gonna send them to Wes.”

“Why would you want to do that?”

“Because pulling pranks on your loved ones can be fun.”

“Or mean.”

“You should talk.”

“Bas …” Kurt puts a hand on his husband’s knee, hoping to pull his focus, but Sebastian doesn’t look away from his phone “… what’s going on with you?”

“What do you mean?”

“You’ve been a stick in the mud ever since you broke your arm.”

“Probably because I broke my arm.”

“Yeah, but the old Sebastian Smythe wouldn’t have let that keep him down. He would have seen the silver lining.”

“What silver lining?”

“For one thing, he would have jumped at the chance at getting a five hour bj whilest high on powerful, hallucinogenic painkillers. But you haven’t propositioned me. Not even once.”

“Maybe that’s because I’m not the old Sebastian Smythe,” he grumbles. “I’m just an old Sebastian Smythe.”

“Ah ...” Kurt nudges his way underneath his husband’s left arm, wedging himself between Sebastian and his phone, but Sebastian raises his arm higher to see over his head. “I think I see what’s going on. Sebastian, falling off a skateboard once does not make you old.”

“It doesn’t make me young,” Sebastian counters, swiping vindictively at his cell phone screen with his thumb.

“You haven’t stepped on a skateboard in over a decade. You can’t expect to just get on it and go. It’s not a bicycle.”

“Nothing says I wouldn’t have fallen off a bicycle, either.”

“I thought you were the one who didn’t care about growing old.”

“Yeah, well, maybe that’s because, stupidly, I didn’t think it was going to happen to me.”

Kurt is about to remind him that growing old happens to everyone, but he knows what his husband means. Even as a realist, knowing that old age happens to everyone, it scared the hell out of Kurt when it happened to his dad.

And when it started happening to him - his first grey hair heralding the beginning of the end as far as he was concerned.

But sitting beside his husband, curling into his side and laying his head on his chest, he recognizes that he also never believed Sebastian would grow old. Being a responsible adult human isn’t how he sees his husband, even though he’s been that for a while now. Sebastian has a certain boyish charm that seems to withstand the test of time. Nothing fazes him, he takes nothing seriously, and even at his most infuriating, he always finds a way to make life fun.

Listening to Sebastian talk about growing old is like watching Peter Pan hang up his pixie dust and his pointy hat to become a lawyer. It’s inconceivable.

“Breaking your arm doesn’t mean you’re old. It just means you’re not that good on a skateboard anymore.”

“Harsh.”

“But that’s not a bad thing. I know that we want to teach our children, be everything for them. I know you want to be Thomas’s hero, but you already are, and you didn’t need to get on a skateboard to do that. The most important thing is that you’re willing to try and willing to do. And willing to fail.”

Sebastian sighs, dropping his hand with the phone in it to his side and his head back on the couch.

“But I shouldn’t have failed. That’s the thing. I should have been able to get right back on that skateboard and ride it as if a day hadn’t gone by since the last time. And for a good few seconds, it felt exactly like that. I was riding again, and nothing had changed. But then I tried to do that flip, and I felt … heavier than I remember. Clumsier. My brain was telling my feet what to do, and my feet said Sorry! New phone, who dis? And then I hit the ground, and the whole world stopped. Thomas was so worried about me and you were calling 9-1-1 because I couldn’t get my ass up and do it myself. It was just so … humiliating.”

“I get that,” Kurt says, wrapping his arms around his husband’s torso and giving him a hug. “But I think you’re being a little too hard on yourself.”

“That comment is begging for a NC17 rated comeback, but I just can’t come up with one right now.” Sebastian sighs. “See? I told you. I’m old. I’m losing my touch.”

“I don’t see how you can honestly believe that. You’re in excellent shape! You exercise constantly - you run, you play handball, basketball, tennis. So, you couldn’t land one kick flip. To be honest, with the amount of stuff you can do, I would say you were due for one tiny failure. And aside from that …” Kurt snuggles closer, letting his hands roam, careful to avoid certain bruised areas in search for the ones that turn Sebastian on with the mere suggestion of a touch “… do you really think an old man would be having the amount of sex that you do? And not just regular, boring, vanilla sex … inventive sex.”

“Inventive, huh?”

“Yup. And you call me flexible.”

Sebastian grins and Kurt knows he’s got him. “Yeah, well, if there ever comes a day when I can’t fuck, please do the humane thing and shoot me.”

“It’s a deal. And look, if you want to take up skateboarding again, it’s not too late. Tony Hawk is 51 and he still boards. You’re nowhere near that old. With a little time and effort, you can get your old mojo back.” Kurt bites his lower lip in an attempt not to laugh. “I’m sure Thomas would love to teach you.”

“Ha-ha.” Sebastian glares at Kurt, but his grin doesn’t only stay, it grows. “I guess you’re right. I’ll take stock of how many more limbs I’m willing to fracture and get back to you guys.” He raises his left arm and goes back to fiddling with his phone. It makes a cheerful dinging noise and Kurt sighs.

“You just bought those CPR dummies, didn’t you?”

“Maybe …” Sebastian giggles. “Can’t help it. Facebook makes it too easy.”

“Sebastian, I love you, but you are a man with way too much money and way way too much time on your hands.”

Sebastian scrolls back to the questionable Japanese print, his thumb hovering dangerously close to the ‘checkout’ button. “You’re not wrong.”

[faithandfearcollide]

OUAT rewatch: 2x09 - Queen Of Hearts

Hook: So pretty… Yet, so useless.

I find this to be one of Hook’s more callous acts. Killing Belle was pointless (no pun intended). It served no purpose which makes it feel more harsh somehow? This directly after stabbing a guard in the neck and right before accepting an assassination contract. This is prime Hook villainy.

...and you know what? It’s great. Not what he’s doing but that we’re seeing him doing it instead of pretending he didn’t hurt a soul in his life and then telling us he still somehow has all this guilt to atone for. Which he does. This is why!

Hook: Do I look like I’m playing a game of chess? My hook, if you please. Regina: No.

Actual children Captain Hook and The Evil Queen.

I liked this directing/acting choice. The way Regina saunters around him and sizes him up and he does the same when she turns around him.

Regina: Care to join me for a drink?

This entire interaction between Hook and Regina was so fun. I wouldn’t say I ship Hooked Queen but they sure do have an appeal that I appreciate. And Lana and Colin have great chemistry.

Regina: There’s one person I don’t want following me to this new land. You’re to see to it that doesn’t happen. Hook: An assassination. Who is it you want me to dispose of? Regina: My mother.

Aww Regina, is that a hint of care I see on your face?

Rumplestiltskin: We have to consider the possibility that, when that portal opens, it won’t be his family that come through. It’ll be Cora. Regina: And neither one of us wants that.

Regina: No. I can’t lie to him. I am trying to be a better mother.

Take note rumple.

Rumplestiltskin: You won’t be able to be a better anything if Cora comes through. And if she does, she will be a threat to everyone – including your son. So, if you truly want to be a good mother to Henry – to protect him – if you want to be better, prove it.

Rumple sure does know how to twist the knife and push all of Regina’s delicate buttons, doesn’t he? The devil on her shoulder to Henry’s angel.

Regina: I think this time, it’ll happen the other way around. Henry: You think so? Regina: I do.

Regina: I promised you I was going to do better – to be better. So, yes, I’m going to do everything in my power to see to it they come home safely. Henry: Wow. You really have changed.

Is it any wonder Regina is so star struck by this little angel when she’s got him looking at her like she lights every star in the sky for him? I mean damn, the Evil Queen doesn’t stand a chance with this kid having her whole heart.

Rumplestiltskin: It’s now… Enchanted. It will enable you to rip out her heart. I believe you’ve seen it done before. Hook: Yes. Rumplestiltskin: The enchantment will only allow you to rip out one heart, so make sure you do it right.

How does the season 5 recollection of this make a lick of sense with this scene? It still bugs me that the writers try to pretend like they didn’t blatantly trample all over canon with that episode when this scene exists.

I always find it funny when anti’s try to deny the fact Hook had any interest in Regina. I mean, come on now...

Cora: I’m the ‘Queen’ of Hearts. Do you really think I’d be so careless, as to keep my heart where everyone else does?

She says as if it’s obvious that there’s any other place to find a person’s heart other than in their own chest. This is the kind of oddity we have the pleasure of enjoying with a show like this. lol!

Hook: Yes, indeed. A pirate always keeps a souvenir of his conquest, but this… Well, this is much more than a mere trinket. This is a symbol. Something that was once magical, full of hope, possibility… Now look at it. Dried up, dead, useless. Much like you. The time for making deals is done, just as I’m done… With you.

Anti-CSers/Anti-Hook peeps use this scene against Hook a lot and it’s always kind of grated me because I personally think he has every right to be pissed with Emma. And of course someone like Hook who already has abandonment issues to begin with would take to heart being abandoned atop a beanstalk with an unfriendly giant. Obviously it’s shitty for him to leave them like this but not unsurprising from a villain that he’d handle a situation like this. And him throwing a few personal jabs at Emma while he does it wasn’t without reason.

Cora: After everything we’ve been through, why do you still doubt me?

D’aww these two are so weirdly enduring.

Hook: Well, what shall you have me do Cora: Get me close to my daughter. And then, I’ll rip her heart out.

I believe Hook says it best: “Mother of the year.”

Regina: I’m sorry, mother. Without you, I never would’ve become the person I am now. But I had no choice. I had to do this. After you killed Daniel, you told me something I’ve never forgotten. Love is weakness. Well, mother, you are my weakness, because I love you. That’s why I couldn’t risk taking you to the new land with me. Your grip on my heart is just too strong. And for what I need to do… I can’t have any weakness.

Cora: My daughter’s curse is coming. We have to protect ourselves.

I love that the lesson Cora taught Regina about love is a rule that not even Cora herself could follow. And not only is it one of the reasons Regina goes to this extreme, but it ends up being the cause of Cora’s downfall.

You can say a lot about the CGI on this show but this was amazing. I was so impressed with this sequence when I first saw it.

Cora: Regina doesn’t need me – not now. Not when she thinks she’s about to win. But I still have a place in her heart. And the curse won’t last forever. It will end. In twenty-eight years, there’ll be a savior. And she’ll break it. Hook: Twenty-eight years? Cora: You won’t even notice. You’ll be frozen, like all those in this corner of the land. But, when the curse ends, our quest will resume. And, when it does, Regina will truly have lost everything, and then she’ll need me. That’s when we’ll go to this new land. You’ll get your revenge. And me, I’ll… Help her pick up the pieces.

This was quite the dedicated plan, Cora. She really had no qualms waiting 28 years for all of this to play out so that she could wiggle her way back into her daughters life again.

You’d be hard pressed to find a mother/daughter relationship as dysfunctional as this. You know you got problems when you gotta wait 28 years and a curse for your own daughter to calm down enough to be willing to talk to you again.

Snow: When I was a little girl, I used to sneak into Cora’s chamber and watch her practice magic. She had a spell book and, Emma… The spells were in the book. Emma: Yeah, isn’t that what a spell book is? A book that has spells in it?

I looooove this sequence. The parallel portals, Cora and Hook trying to get to Regina and Rumple while Regina and Rumple try to keep them away. Just such a cool moment.

Again, Regina and Rumple vs Cora and Hook was one of my favorite arcs on the show, and this brought it all to a head in such a neat visual way.

Hook: I may be a pirate, but I bristle at the thought of a woman losing her heart – unless it’s over me. Emma: I had no idea you had such a soft side. Hook: I don’t. Just like a fair fight. Hook: Good form. But not good enough.

I had a lot of respect for Hook after this. I really like Hook as a villain who's a self-aware shitty person, but also still has a code about him and doesn’t take anything too seriously.

Also I’m all for the idea that he took it easy on Emma because he liked her, but then got too cocky and that’s how she won the fight.

Henry: Mom? You’re not helping Emma and Mary Margaret, are you? Regina: I’m helping you, Henry. Henry: What are you talking about?

Henry: Mom, what are you doing? Regina: We can’t let Cora come through the portal. You have no idea what she would do to us.

Henry: Emma and Mary Margaret are going to defeat her. They’re the ones that are going to come through. Rumplestiltskin: Henry, your mother’s right. It’s going to be Cora. Henry: No. It won’t. Good always defeats evil. You should know that more than anyone. Regina: What I know, is my mother will destroy everything I love – and that means you. And I can’t let that happen.

You can actually feeeel the panic in Regina over this whole situation (Lana, you so brilliant). She’s lost everything because of her mother and now she's staring at the person she loves more than anything in the world and having to picture a reality where her mother is in the same space as he is. It’s hard not to sympathize with Regina’s choices here. It’s hard not to understand her lack of blind faith in the heroes and lack of willingness to risk everything (Henry) for them.

Add to that the fact that the last Regina saw of Cora, she was trying to get her claws into Regina’s unborn child. This reaction from her makes a world of sense.

Emma: What was that? Snow: That… Is a great subject for discussion. When we get home.

The intrigue...the speculation...the wonderment....and all it amounted to was us finding out 4 years later that apparently Emma just had a super special song in her heart.

Henry: You can’t! Stop it! You can’t! You’re going to kill them! Please! No! They’re going to make it through! We have to turn it off! You’re going to kill them!

Lana and Jared are both so good here.

Regina: Henry! What are you doing? Henry: Emma and Mary Margaret are going to come through. I know it.

Henry: You said you wanted to change – to be better. This is how. You want me to have faith in you? Have faith in me.

The moment that Regina Mills, a woman who’s only ever been damaged and hurt by hope. A woman who’s had it trampled and used against her time and time again her entire life-- That woman, that mother, she stares her son right in the face, lets all of that go, and she believes in him. Then stands up, turns around and faces what should have been certain death on that belief alone…I just--wow. That’s love bitch! I still get chills.

Rumplestiltskin: Regina!

Rumplestiltskin: No one can survive this. Regina: Hold my beer.

I really don’t think Henry realized what he was asking of Regina until he saw this. And I’m glad he didn’t have to watch his mom die like this. Even though it wasn’t his fault, I don’t think Henry would have been able to forgive himself even if Emma and Snow did pop out of that well afterward.

Regina: I’m sorry, Henry. I’m sorry.

Henry: Mom? Emma: Henry! Henry: Mom!

Wow ouch! If this isn’t the very definition of kicking someone when they’re down, I don’t know what is.

I like to believe Regina only survived this because someone was looking out for her. And after seeing her do the right thing and put all of her faith and belief in Henry, it allowed her to live to reap the benefits of that act. Everyone keeps telling her to prove herself and this was her doing exactly that. And I’m glad it eventually resulted in something good for her.

Snow: What’s going on? What happened? Henry: She saved you. She saved both of you.

Emma: Um, your mom… She’s, uh… She’s… A piece of work, you know? Regina: Indeed, I do. Welcome back.

Henry gives Regina all the credit here even though she probably only deserves half of it. Going back to an earlier point I made about Henry always forgiving her and giving her a chance, this was one of those moments.

And I think it’s really sweet that Emma took this moment to sympathize with Regina over her mom.

Henry: I was right. You really have changed.

It’s so sad how reluctant Regina is to accept this moment. Like at any moment Henry’s just going to disappear again and she’ll be left holding air.

Henry: Thank you.

But of course Henry turns his head up and does this and she’s his again. A moment between a mother and son who’s just found each other again.

I mean, I get it but like…I STILL CANT BELIEVE THEY DIDN’T INVITE HER FOR DINNER.

Rumplestiltskin: Congratulations. You just reunited mother and son. Maybe one day, they’ll even invite you for dinner.

If you listen closely, you can still hear the sounds of fandom screaming over this for the next month.

Aww she kept the rose...that Regina gave her after having her assassinated because she couldn’t stand the idea of being in the same realm as her again

....A-aww??

[prissyhalliwell]

FairyGardener!verse- (pure fluff) Jefferson meets Belle and starts to bring her little trinkets whenever he stops by to see Rumple. Rumple doesn't like this at all (which of course makes it all the more fun for our favorite hatter).

Author’s Note: IT’S BACK, BABY! The Fairy Gardener is finished and I will be posting a new chapter every Wednesday until it’s done. If anyone is still reading at this point, thank you so much for sticking in there!You can also find this chapter on AO3.

CHAPTER NINE

If Rumplestiltskin had regretted inviting Jefferson that first day, it was nothing compared to how much he regretted it the next time the Hatter came to tea. Or the time after that.  

It was the second time in two weeks that Jefferson had come to tea unannounced and Rumplestiltskin was ready to strangle the man. While it hadn’t been uncommon for his friend to pop in unexpectedly from time to time in the past, he’d never come this often in such a short period of time. It was obviously due to Belle’s presence in the castle, and Rumplestiltskin thought it very rude of her to be encouraging such behavior. It was his home after all, even if she did technically live there.

He’d hoped that Jefferson’s habit of being forgetful would decrease his visits to the Dark Castle, but the Hatter disappointed him by suddenly having a great memory. Rumplestiltskin wasn’t quite desperate enough to magically block Jefferson from visiting yet, mostly because he wasn’t sure if it would work. For someone who jumped back and forth between realms on a regular basis, magical wards probably wouldn’t be much of a challenge.

The only upside of the visits had been the improvement in Belle’s mood. She had stopped moping around the castle and was more talkative during their meals, even if she seemed a bit more reserved with him than she had prior to Blue’s visit. With Jefferson though, she showed none of this restraint, leaving Rumplestiltskin to believe she still harbored some resentment towards him.

To make things easier for her, he left Belle alone most of the time. He checked on the Jekylls every few days, but spent the majority of his time in his lab researching, emerging only for meals. The castle would still feed Belle if he wasn’t there, but he’d grown used to taking meals with her.

Besides, how was he supposed to learn anything about her if they never spoke? He rather missed their late nights by the fire, reading and trading stories, but he doubted Belle would be interested in that anymore. Maybe if things thawed a little more between them, he would ask. Until then, it seemed best not to broach the subject.

Like they had during the past two visits, Jefferson and Belle were laughing over some ridiculous story he hadn’t been paying attention to. Since they all revolved around Jefferson getting himself shrunk or nearly losing his head, Rumplestiltskin didn’t have much of an interest.

The three of them were sitting at the dining table in the Great Hall with both Belle and Jefferson doing a bang up job of forgetting Rumplestiltskin was even there. In return, he ignored them as well, though he did take note when Jefferson withdrew a small item out of his pocket and held it out to Belle with a grin. He’d brought her something during his last two visits as well.

Rumplestiltskin let out a low growl, unaware that he was digging his fingernails into the arms of his chair.

The pleased expression on Belle’s face was impossible to miss. “Jefferson, you shouldn’t! You’ve given me so much already.”

Rumplestiltskin bit back a comment about how he had given her the roof over her head and sanctuary from the Blue Fairy. Or how he had yet to toss her out on her fairy ass for keeping secrets from him.

“Ungrateful pixie,” he mumbled under his breath.

Belle flashed him an annoyed look from down the table and he flinched. Did garden fairies have super hearing? He’d have to look into it.

“It’s just a little souvenir from my last trip to Oz,” Jefferson said good naturedly. He ignored the current glaring contest going on between his two companions and lay the package of seeds on the table. “I thought poppies would look nice in your garden.”

“Thank you, Jefferson. I’m sure they’ll be beautiful,” Belle said, smiling widely. “Do you plant them in your garden at the cottage?”

Jefferson sighed. “Not anymore. I had to stop.”

“Why?”

“I kept forgetting where I’d planted them! I’d end up falling asleep mid-weeding.” He shuddered. “It was awful. I missed several tea parties.”

Belle chuckled. “Maybe I’ll use it on Rumple when he’s brooding.”

Rumplestiltskin frowned, crossing his arms over his chest. “I don’t brood.”

When the two looked at him with twin looks of disbelief, his frown turned into a scowl.

“Fine!” he said, throwing his hands up in the air. “Since the two of you are bound and determined to gang up on me – ”

Their peals of laughter interrupted him, annoying him further.

“Merlin, but you’re self-centered,” Belle managed to gasp out between chuckles. “Has he always been this temperamental?”

Jefferson rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “Definitely not.”

“Thank you, Jefferson.” Rumplestiltskin preened, pleased his friend had defended him. Perhaps he was being too harsh on –

“He’s usually worse,” Jefferson continued, matter-of-factly. “But it’s not his fault. Some people are just bad communicators.”

“That’s it,” Rumplestiltskin said, standing up. “I’m leaving!”

Belle held up her hand to stop him, hiccuping as she tried to control her laughter. “No, we’ll behave. I promise.” She flew off of her cushion and grabbed the package of seeds. “I’m going to plant these now before it rains later tonight.”

Both men looked out the window at a bright blue sky filled with fluffy white clouds. Jefferson opened his mouth to ask, but Rumplestiltskin beat him to it.

“Fairy magic,” he said with a sniff. He called out to her as she flew through the open window. “Not that you ever think to share that information with me!”

Belle ignored his taunting and disappeared into the garden. Rumplestiltskin collapsed into his chair with a huff.

“Ah, I think I know what’s going on here.”

Rumplestiltskin raised an eyebrow at the other man. “That would be a first.”

As usual, the insult bounced right off Jefferson. “It’s clear as day what’s bothering you,” he said, smiling inanely.

“Let me guess,” Rumplestiltskin said dryly, “my aura is off. Or perhaps my phlegm is unbalanced.”

Jefferson stared at him like he was simple. “Don’t be ridiculous. I’m sure your phlegm is wonderful.” He shifted in his seat to get comfortable and then swung his legs up on the table, ignoring the withering glare Rumplestiltskin sent his direction. “It’s quite simple really. You’re jealous.”

“Why that’s – ” Rumplestiltskin blinked. “That’s the most absurd thing I’ve ever heard. Why in all the realms would I be jealous of you?!”

Jefferson preened a bit, running a hand through his hair. “It’s not uncommon, you know. I do possess a certain je ne sais quoi.” His smile faltered. “I haven’t quite narrowed down what it is yet, but the ladies seem to love it.”

Rumplestiltskin made an impatient gesture with his hand. “I’m hoping there’s a point in here somewhere.”

Leaning forward in his chair, Jefferson looked him straight in the eye, his expression serious. “Belle is a woman.”

“She’s a mosquito.”

Jefferson laughed. “I think you’ll find she’s much more attractive than most mosquitos.”

The use of the word ‘most’ worried Rumplestiltskin, but he stopped himself from asking. There were certain things he just didn’t want to know.

“Regardless, I am not jealous of Belle’s affection for you.”

“No?”

“No.”

“Hmm.” Jefferson seemed to mull this over. “So…you’re jealous of my affection for her?”

“What? No!”

Jefferson let out a rumbling chuckle, rising from his seat and walking over to clap Rumplestiltskin on the back. “I only jest, my friend.” A wistful look passed over his face. “That ship sailed long ago.”

Rolling his eyes, Rumplestiltskin stood as well. Putting his arm around the other man, he began to steer him in the direction of the door. “I think that’s enough tea for today. Off you go.”

The Hatter nodded begrudgingly. “I suppose you’re right. I have to pick up some pickled herring for a customer anyway.”

Rumplestiltskin nodded along though he was only half-listening, already planning what he would do next. He had a potion to brew and some royal family trees to study in order to deal with some local monarchs. “Have fun with that. Make sure you check up on the Jekylls for me, like we discussed.”

Jefferson turned back to face him, a pout on his face. They had almost reached the front door, and Rumplestiltskin wondered how long it would take the Hatter to forgive him if he pushed him through it.

“Do I have to?” Jefferson asked, a hint of a whine in his voice. “They creep me out. Couldn’t I check on someone else for you?” His eyes lit up. “How about Regina? She’s a riot, provided she’s not busy causing one.”

With a shake of his head, Rumplestiltskin waved open the front door and gently ushered Jefferson through. “Goodbye, Jefferson. Come back if you have anything useful to share.” As Jefferson opened his mouth to speak, Rumplestiltskin clarified. “That I would find useful, I mean.” With a twitch of his hand, the door swung shut.

Letting out a deep sigh, he walked back to his spinning wheel, sinking onto the stool wearily. For someone who enjoyed peace and quiet, he certainly didn’t get much of it these days.

No sooner had the thought entered his mind, then Belle flew back into the room. She glanced around before stopping next to his spinning wheel, hovering in the air beside him. “Did Jefferson leave?”

Rumplestiltskin made a big show of looking around, even lifting his boot to look under it. “If he hasn’t, he’s certainly picked a damn good hiding spot. ”

She crossed her arms over her chest. “It wouldn’t kill you to answer a question simply one of these days.”

He flashed her a crocodile smile. “How do you know? Perhaps it’s the way I’ve stayed alive for so many centuries.”

“No, I think that’s due to pure spite.” She gave him a cheeky grin before turning to fly away, most likely back to her garden.

“Running away so soon, dearie?  I suppose the castle’s too boring without your dashing friend here.”

She paused, a strange expression crossing her face. “Jefferson?” She gave an incredulous laugh. “He’s certainly many things, but I don’t know if I’d call him dashing.”

Rumplestiltskin scoffed and Belle rolled her eyes.

“Think what you like,” she said, “but I was just going over to the table to get our book. You promised you’d read more of it to me sometime, remember?”

He did remember. Reading in the evenings had become a regular pastime for them, up until Blue’s visit and the resulting awkwardness between them. As strained as things had been the last two weeks, he hadn’t thought Belle would want to return to their nightly ritual.  

“You’ve been…distracted lately,” he said softly. “I thought perhaps you’d enjoy a break.”

Belle gave him a sad smile. “I just needed time to come to terms with some things.”

“And have you?” he asked, unable to keep the hope out of his voice.

“I think so,” Belle said, her tone only halfway convincing. “But I’ll be even happier if you read me the next chapter of our book!”

As if he could deny her such a tiny request. The book appeared in his hands a second later and he opened it to where they’d left off, Belle perching on his shoulder so she could follow along as he read.  

“In the deepest, darkest part of the forest, where the trees are old and their memories long, where humans have never tread and only the wolves can roam, there came a babe.”

Rumplestiltskin turned his head slightly, catching Belle’s gaze with his own. This time the smile she gave him held no trace of sadness. He returned it with one of his own, feeling lighter than he had in days. His annoyance with Jefferson faded and he began to read the story with a renewed energy, reveling in the contented sighs that left Belle’s lips as he read.

Even the Dark Castle itself seemed at peace for once, raising a fire in the hearth as the storm clouds began to form outside and the rain fell down around them.

Inside, Rumplestiltskin and Belle were warm and comfortable, too busy exploring new worlds to worry much about their own.

Author’s Note: Big thanks to @b-does-the-write-thing​ for letting me borrow the lines Rumple reads to Belle from her fic, The Story Teller. If you like twisted fairy tales and a darker take on the Rumbelle story, check it out! 

[teoriasemserie-blog]

MAGIC CAN BE STOLEN: What happened to Swanqueen’s Magic

We all know Emma and Regina do the big magic of ouat. They even made an eclipse and broke a god’s spell twice. 

Well, season 7 is about steal magic, to steal magic is a thing in ouat, its a thing in Emma and Reginas life. So I’ll talk about how Hook is the big teaf of magic to Emma, how Robin Fake stolen our Queen and how now the charmings stolen the Wish Evil Queen’s magic. Well this is a common theme, season 6 talked about this, Robin Fake stoled Reginas magic things and Hook  kept the scissors to take away what makes Emma special, we all know the thing what makes her special is her magic. And this is a long time issue.

Hook

Hes a pirate, and pirates stole things, dont you think is stranger he now have a lot of magic things, we have seen him since season 2, we needed his help a lot of times, he doesnt knew about magic but now looks like he knows so much and has a lot of magic things that he just brings out when he needs. Things he stoled.

The Bean

All start in season 2, when Emma meet him, with the magic bean, he stole the bean, and so they have this conversation:

“Captain Hook: Do you know what this is, Emma?

Emma Swan: The bean that the giant kept.

Captain Hook: Uh-uh-uh. Yes, indeed. A pirate always keeps a souvenir of his conquest, but this... well, this is much more than a mere trinket. This is a symbol. Something that was once magical, full of hope, possibility. Now look at it. Dried up, dead, useless. Much like you”.

Hear me out, shes the symbol, magical, full of hope and possiblitity, and we will see he takes her magic, hope and possibility away. Emma is our symbol, our magic, Hook is stealing her from us.

And so in the end of season 2, he stole other bean from Emma, the bean she would use to save the people in the town. 

The Kiss

Gif by @frankie-blue-sq

We all know Hooks kisses are bad to Emma, in season 3b Zelena cast a spell in his lips, so if Emma kissed him, all her magic, power would be taked, if Hook was good to Emma, was her true love the kiss would free him of the spell and save Emmas magic, but the kiss took Emmas magic. 

So we really saw this, he stole her magic with the kiss. 

The hat

Hook really does a great job stealing magic, this is a pirate job, right? In season 4 while Emma was trying to deal with her magic, Hook was “helping” Rumple to full the hat with magic, taking the fairies. And bc Hook doesnt talk the truth, Rumple almost takes Emmas magic. 

The back from underworld

Go after Hook in the underworld destroyed Emma, she start to lose her force. When Hook comes back this go more deeper, she not even can use her magic well. 

The scissors

And we are in this again. Its season 6 people, we started this in season 2, Hook got the scissors what could take Emmas magic, what makes her special.

And we all can look to Emma, she looks sick, dry, dead, useless.

Hook 2.0

He wanted to use Emma, he said he wanted the true love thing, how this could help him to find his daugther? Just if he wanted to use Emmas magic to this.

Robin Fake

Well Robin Wood is a thief, this new Robin is a bad thief, he steal for himself and from people who help him, Regina tried to help him and him stole her magic things. In the end he get the QUEEN, see the serum dont take the evil part of a person, it takes the feelings this person doesnt want the others know. Regina and Emma parallels Rumbelle, and Rumple wanted to take off his feelings for Belle. In the finale of season 5 Regina was losing control of her feelings, so Evil was taking control of her, and this just happened bc Hook cames back. Evil is Reginas feelings, feelings are magic, so shes magic in itself, and Robin Fake stolen her as Hook stolen Emma. 

When Regina and Emma tries to use their magic together after Regina got off of the Queen their magic is not so strong.

The Charmings

Emmas parents are very abusive, people dont talk about this but I will, they took a part of her, they agreed to her take away her magic so she could be normal, they did put her in the closet (and yes its a gay thing),in the alternative reality they did put her in the tower and they gave her to Hook as an object, Snow was planing Emmas wedding since season 2, she doesnt even knew Emma, in fact they dont know Emma, they dont care, they arent real of course, they represent her superego, and they are abusive to her bc she had an abusive creation. Evil represents Emmas ID. Wish Evil was banished of Wishland, so Emma was submissive there, Regina needed turn into Queen and kill the charmings so Emma could wake up. Hook and Charmings are working together to keep Emma submissive, the superegos job is to contain the desires. And thats why the charmings took Wish Evils magic. 

Zelena

Zelena was the person who did put the spell what took Emmas magic away, and she faced karma for this, she needed to sacrifice her magic to protect Emma and the others. Zelenas process is very interesting, in the second curse she did put things, we never saw what she really did put there but we saw she takes Reginas blood, thats how she oppened the vault, shes not Reginas sister. But the point is she wanted Regina to believe they were sisters, but why? Well Emma wants to be Reginas family, Zelenas process represents Emma desire, so she start this trying to see Regina as a sister, so she needed take away her feelings aka magic, you cant believe me so lets just see what follows this, we get Elsa, and with Elsa we had Ingrid, what Ingrid wanted? To make Emma and Elsa her sisters and family by force, in the same arc Rumple with Hooks help were stealing magic, and Rumple almost takes Emmas magic. Emma cant see Regina as a sister bc she loves her in other way, and we cant force family. So Zelena does a lot of bad things trying to take Reginas things but she ends up helping bc she wants Regina more than she wants anything bisides of course her daughter. So we need that Zelena takes her magic back.

The true love

Well the thing with true love is that its magic. We have true love couples and family, they help each other and do magic things. We saw Emma and Regina make magic together, even they made magic just with a touch as Snowing but what happens with people when they are with people whose arent their true loves? If true love bring magic, a no true love takes your magic, makes you sick and looking like death.

Thats why we dont see Emma and Regina making magic together anymore. And also Emma still has problems to use magic and we have saw just true love can help with this.

Regina- when Regina couldnt use magic in season 2, Emma touched her so the hat worked. In the underworld Regina couldnt use magic so she goes to see Daniel so a horse shows up and she heals the horse so she can use her magic again, and we all know Daniel was the person who took care of the horses.

Emma - Emma met Neal before go to underworld so she could use her magic without problem. When Emma wanted to heal Ella in season 6 she couldnt, she was having problems so Henry helped her touching her. 

Emma couldnt heal Wish Hook, so she uses his belief bc they arent true love. 

[teoriasemserie-blog]

THE WRONG STORY: EMMA SWAN AS RAPUNZEL

Well, Emma was paraleled with a lot of princess, Cinderella, Snow White, Aurora, and also princes. But Rapunzel has an interesting process and I’ll talk about this. First last remember our Emma Swan, did you remember her?

This is Emma Swan, a strong woman, who paraleled the prince charming, yes its the real Emma, shes not a princess, shes a warrior, she saves the queen and the prince.

And now we have this Emma, a codependent person, a perfect sing princess, someone Emma said is not her. Also she looks sick as her magic and life was leaving her. And its. Hook stoled our Emma’s life, so Emma is our missing girl.

RAPUNZEL X EMMA SWAN

We first saw Emma as Rapunzel in the ep The Tower, she doesnt dress as Rapunzel, she shows up in David’s Dream, where shes a perfect princess and he confronts the fact she never was and never will be like this.

In this ep we have David facing his fear what was about fail his child how he failed Emma, but he didnt fail her bc she didnt turned to be a perfect princess, he did fail bc hes making her turn into it, we just see this some seasons later. He did put her in the closet when she was a baby, and now that she grown shes sucked by the closet as a perfect princess. This happens to Emma bc wants to be what her parents wants.

While this we have Rapunzel facing her fears too, what was about dont desapoint her parents. SEE! This is really the issues of the ep. And as we saw it was about face yourself.

So to Emma be free of this she need face herself.

So we keep on this. Season 4, its the season that show us how abusive Snowing is to Emma, they took a part of her, they agreed to her take away her magic so she can be normal and in the end they are the villians that put her in the tower.

Dressed up as a princess again. Here shes really the princess in the tower.

And so season 6, we saw Emma as a sing princess, submissive and totally no Emma.

And here Emma using Rapunzel’s clothes. A submissive princess traped in a tower bc fears desapoints her parents. This Emma not even had a word in her kid’s creation, and needed her parents to save her. 

And now season 7. They talked about a missing girl linked to Hook, chess and a tower. 

(Here Emma starting to play as princess in season 4).

(Marring above a chessboard).

(Traped in the tower).

Oh and did I say Emma is now a sing princess? Rapunzel is really the sing princess, she sings in the original tale, thats how the princes find her. Yeah, we know Regina is her prince thats how Regina finds Emma in the wishland place, thats really interesting how in any realm Regina and Emma found each other and parallel the true love couples, right?

Wake up call (ep 7x6)

Regina’s central ep that has a tower in the oppening, a perfect tower. So Regina finds a girl who wants scape her abusive mother, this girl has magic but doesnt know how to use this, so Regina helps her, and we saw Regina destroying the tower what puts her in danger, and the girl (Drizella) saves her. 

See Regina will destroy the tower, she’ll help Emma to be free, she wants Emma to learn the right way to be free, if you do bad things you’ll never be free and your heart will turn to dark, this is season 4 plot, come on. Also was Regina who teach Emma how to use magic. 

THE STOLEN MAGIC

Its a big theme, right? And we all know Emma and Regina do the big magic of ouat. They even made an eclipse and broke a god’s spell twice. Well, season 7 is about stole magic, to stole magic is a thing in ouat, its a thing in Emma and Reginas life. So I’ll talk about how Hook is the big teaf of magic to Emma. And How Robin Fake stolen our Queen. Well this is a common theme, season 6 talked about this, Robin Fake stoled Reginas magic things and Hook  kept the scissors to take away what makes Emma special, we all know what makes her special is her magic. And this is a long time issue.

The Bean 

All start in season 2, when Emma meet him, with the magic bean, he stole the bean, and so they have this conversation:

“Captain Hook: Do you know what this is, Emma?

Emma Swan: The bean that the giant kept.

[she tries to grab it]

Captain Hook: [keeps it away from her] Uh-uh-uh. Yes, indeed. A pirate always keeps a souvenir of his conquest, but this… well, this is much more than a mere trinket. This is a symbol. Something that was once magical, full of hope, possibility. Now look at it. Dried up, dead, useless. Much like you”.

Hear me out, shes the symbol, magical, full of hope and possiblitity, and we will see he takes her magic, hope and possibility away. Emma is our symbol, our magic, Hook is stealing her from us.

And so in the end of season 2, he stolen other bean from Emma, the bean she would use to save the people in the town.

The kiss

We all know Hooks kisses are bad to Emma, in season 3b Zelena cast a spell in his lips, so if Emma kissed him, all her magic, power would be taked, if Hook was good to Emma, was her true love the kiss would free him of the spell and save Emmas magic, but the kiss took Emmas magic.

So we really saw this, he stolen her magic with the kiss.

The hat

Hook really does a great job stealing magic, this is a pirate job, right? In season 4 while Emma was trying to deal with her magic, Hook was “helping” Rumple to full the hat with magic, taking the fairies. And bc Hook doesnt talk the truth, Rumple almost takes Emmas magic.

Go after Hook in the underworld destroyed Emma, she start to lose her force. When Hook comes back this go more deeper, she not even can use her magic well.

The scissors

And we are in this again. Its season 6 people, we started this in season 2, Hook got the scissors what could take Emmas magic, what makes her special.

And we all can look to Emma, she looks sick, dry, dead, useless.

Hook 2.0

He wanted to use Emma, he said he wanted the true love thing, how this could help him to find his daugther? Just if he wanted to use Emmas magic to this.

Robin Fake

Well Robin Wood is a thief, this new Robin is a bad thief, he steal for himself and from people who help him, Regina tried to help him and him stolen her magic things. In the end he get the QUEEN, see the serum dont take the evil part of a person, it takes the feelings this person doesnt want the others know. Regina and Emma parallels Rumbelle, and Rumple wanted to take off his feelings for Belle. In the finale of season 5 Regina was losing control of her feelings, so Evil was taking control of her, and this just happened bc Hook cames back. Evil is Reginas feelings, feelings are magic, so shes magic in itself, and Robin Fake stolen her as Hook stolen Emma.

The true love

Well the thing with true love is that its magic. We have true love couples and family, they help each other and do magic things. We saw Emma and Regina make magic together, even they made magic just with a touch as Snowing but what happens with people when they are with people whose arent their true loves? If true love brings magic, a not true love take your magic, make you get sick and looks like death.

Sometimes people have problems with magic, we saw this with Regina in season 2, see if she was in a curse she couldnt see for real for a long time, so of course she couldnt use her magic, so Emma touched her and so Regina could use her magic. In season 5 Regina has problems again with her magic in the underworld, so she went to see Daniel, in the process she found a horse needing help, she helps the horse and so she can use magic again. We all know horse was Daniel’s thing, she was the stable boy who cared of the horses. Emma didnt has problems with her magic in the underworld bc Neal is the first person she did see, she saw him in a dream place, where he says to her dont go. And so in season 6 Emmas having problems with her magic, she tries to heal Ella but she cant so Henrys touch her and helps her to heal. So true love can help people with magic bc they can help people with their feelings.

The thing with Rapunzel of Disney animation is that someone is stealing her magic. So Hook is this person to Emma, he steals her magic, he makes her sick not just bc hes abusive but bc hes not her true love. Emma is with him bc she thinks its what her parents wants, also Emmas is lesbian, thats why she start the story as the prince bc Regina was her princess, well queen, not everyone has a princess, somes has a queen and a little prince. 

Not your story

“If its not your story bad things happens” thats what Alice said to Henry in the ep 7x1 and this makes so much sense, for you stay in a story this must be about you and you must be equal with your partner. See, Emma and Regina are our first couple, we start ouat with their story, we met them in the real world, also we see Emma saying Regina is just Regina not the Evil Queen, she never was from the tales, shes from the real world. This makes all sense if Emma was in a comatose, she cant have true love with people who arent from her story or who arent real, before you ask me about Elsa, Elsa represented Regina so she was linked to a real person, thats why Emma has true love with her as she has with Regina and Henry. And thats why OQ was so wrong, Robin is from fantasy and his true love is Marian, the couples must be together, as we saw with Snowing and Rumbelle and all the others. And CS too, Hook is from fantasy and Emmas true love is Regina, so of course a lot of horrible things would happen, and happened. Emma and Hook are still bad to each other, she still looks like shes dying. Emma need come back, has true love kiss with Regina and they need to go back to the real world with Henry where their story belongs.