#the summer after season one of OUAT

[phoenixwrites]

Regina talks a big game. But for all of her suspicions, right here? She is afraid.

She was so desperate for Rumplestiltskin's curse, she did not see the little...failsafes, little loopholes for Rumple to see. For instance, why he asked for Emma's name, because Emma's name--the Savior's presence in Storybrooke--would unlock his memories of the Enchanted Forest.

Or that little, "I want everything I want, as long as I say 'please'" which turned out to be a little curse trick that would FORCE Regina to comply, whenever he said 'please'. (Which should've been utilized more often actually...I suppose that broke when the curse broke, but still.)

But here in this moment, Rumplestiltskin reveals a few things.

He gave up his biggest trump card against Regina--his name, the knowledge of the curse she cast--just for a tiny PIECE of his memories with Belle. Regina has always known that Belle is important to him, but I don't think she understood HOW important, that what SHE thought was a clever move--kidnapping Belle for further use against Gold--actually seems to be her holding on to an atomic bomb ready to go off the moment Gold realizes he has her.

He is not SCARED to give up his name. It alters things a bit, he's annoyed, but he is not afraid to do it, the way she is. That frightens her. Gold has had this plan for WHILE and she has no idea what it is or how it might screw up her own machinations.

She tries to get the upper hand back when she taunts him with the cup--but it's too late.

Gold is a dangerous weapon and the moment he realizes that Regina has Belle, that weapon is gonna be turned against the Queen.

[reality-shifting]

i’m gonna talk about my sudden fame dr because. why not. yk? so basically it starts out with me just living my normal life from like a lil under a year ago and then one day during summer vacation, i get a role on season one of this show called OUAT because it’s my favorite show currently in this reality lol-

and basically my role is melody and she’s pan’s love interest :) and my character becomes sooo insanely popular that her and pan become recurring main characters throughout all seasons of the show :3 kinda like what happened with hook in this reality- and basically pan and melody are a really cool villain couple :)

and like behind the scenes i eventually get together with robbie kay (the actor who plays pan) and yeah. after that it kinda develops into a more basic fame dr and yeah-

i also scripted tho that high school lasts longer and that i get really popular at my high school after becoming famous :3

[purpleprincessonfyre]

OUAT AU Season 2 - Take a look what you've done

Setting: The Enchanted Forest

Main Characters: Maleficent/Liane Felton, Charming/Nikolai, Hook/Jeremy, Belladonna and Joshua

Other characters: Alice Liddell, Sleeping Beauty/Petra Summers

IB: OUAT Season 2, Bad Blood (Taylor's Version)

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

Once again Liane found herself in that fire room, struggling to see as the flames encircled her. It was like hell as she tried to make her way across the glass floor, looking for a door or anything. She tried throwing her own fire at it but her powers weren't working for some reason. The flames burned at her vision, her eyes starting to water in the room, the room starting to fade as she began to hear a voice.

"Don't. Move."

-------

Liane's eyes snapped open to see a dagger pointed at her face, an angry redhead holding the blade, making eye contact with her.

"Hello, Maleficent."

Liane sighed. Of course the first person she'd meet in this land would be the one person with a bone to pick.

"Princess. Pleasure as always."

"Don't even try to use your magic, this dagger will go right through your neck."

"And I thought alarms were a rude awakening."

"Whatever you have planned, we will stop it."

Liane groaned but the realisation hit her.

"Where's my daughter?"

"Your- what?"

"My daughter. Belladonna. Dark hair. Bad attitude. Doesn't smile much."

"Oh uh, I think Alice has her."

"If you lay a finger on her I swear-"

But the Princess didn't even flinch holding her dagger tighter, the blade starting to dig into her skin. Liane stood up slowly, holding up her hands in surrender. The Princess lowered her dagger a little, seeing her not fighting back.

"Good. No fire."

"Wasn't planning on it."

"Al! I got Maleficent covered!"

As the Princess led Liane away from the tree, a short young woman stepped out of the shadows, sword in hand, Bella's neck being held under the sword.

"Let go of my daughter."

"Sorry?"

"I said, let go of my daughter.." Liane growled, her eyes changing colour as she spoke.

"No fire or off with her head!" The blonde with the sword replied, holding the flat of the blade to Bella's throat. Liane calmed down, her eyes returning to normal.

"Now let go of my daughter. Joshua put the gun away, that really won't help us here."

"I beg to differ, I have a firearm, she has a butter knife."

"Joshua just put it away."

"Fine." Joshua pocketed the gun and the blonde lowered her sword from Belladonna's neck. But the redhead wasn't dropping her gaze from Liane's.

"Whatever your plans are, Maleficent, you're too late. This land is already a wasteland."

"Look I do have a name yknow? Petra, I know you're pissed I cursed you but that was...years ago! I was a dumb teenager then!"

"Hardly."

"Okay fine it was my early twenties but still!"

"Why are you here?"

"We were trying to banish something called a Balance Knight that came after Alexander and got sucked into the portal with it."

The blonde put away her sword, her eyes widening.

"You brought the Balance Knight to the forest?"

"Sorry but who are you?"

"I'm Alice Liddell. Slayer of the Jabberwock, Protector of Wonderland."

"Wonderland? You know my husband, Ethan, The Ace of Hearts?"

"You married The Ace of Hearts? He was sent to kill you!"

"Yeah about that-"

"Can you tell your daughter to stop staring at me? She's got a very Cheshire stare."

Liane looked over at Belladonna who had her gaze fixed on Alice. She knew that look. She'd seen that look when Bella had requested they watch Twilight. And when she'd watched Edward Scissorhands. And Sleepy Hollow. She sighed.

"Bella honey you're staring."

"Right, sorry Miss Alice ma'am, uh I've just never met someone like you before."

"From Wonderland?"

"Sure."

Petra rolled her eyes. Clearly she was tired of this sidetracked conversation and wanted answers. And moony eyed Alice was not helping her situation.

"Alice! Focus. So you admit you brought the Balance Knight here?"

"Yes. Like we said."

"So you intentionally killed my future wife?"

"Wait what?"

"The Princess of Sunlight?"

"Oh I remember her. No! Of course not, we didn't even know the forest was still here.."

Liane continued, yawning hard. Petra backed off just slightly after hearing that, slightly less threatened by the former Bad Fairy. But she still had questions.

"Where are your horns?"

"Oh uh I still have them I just, they don't really fit in the world we've been stuck in for 28 years."

"And you're still wingless?"

"Thanks for that. Yeah I am. But if I know my husband he'll have stolen them back from Alexander by now."

The two assailants started lowering their defences as they received explanations just as Nikolai and Jeremy returned to the camp. They were just as baffled as Alice and Petra but the Princess seemed to recognise Nik at the very least.

"Your Highness, I didn't know you were here."

"Petra? Oh my God, have you been stuck here?"

"We were trapped here frozen until this past few weeks. I was found by Alice and Ethel when the curse was lifted. But it turns out the land wasn't destroyed by magic. But by ogres."

Nikolai tensed at that name. He'd heard stories about The Ogre Wars his father had taken part in. They had been ugly and brutal, tearing away innocent lives in their time. Knowing that despite the efforts of his family, they had returned brought him no comfort. Liane looked uncomfortable too.

"The ogres returned?"

"With a vengeance. We've been trying to find people who were trapped during the curse to no avail. Many of them must have followed you to the other land."

"True. Alex wanted to hurt people associated with myself and he left no stone unturned."

"The Dark Prince is in your world."

"Aye, but he's a mayor over there."

Jeremy chimed in, inspecting his hook.

"But we're still forgetting something rather bloody important I feel. How do we get home?"

Alice's eyes lit up.

"Oh! I had a friend who had a magical hat that could transport you anywhere! We could-"

"See darling that's how we got here. And that hat is now useless given the power it took to open the portal."

"Oh. Right."

"What about magic beans?" Liane queried, remembering what she'd heard from Ethan about travelling between worlds.

"Well they say its impossible to find them in these times, but I think of at least six impossible things before breakfast to decide they are possible. But we may want to keep moving, those ogres may have already heard us."

There was suddenly a tremendous thudding sound on the ground as heavy footsteps approached the camp ground. There was fear in Petra and Alice's eyes as they knew the sound well. Ogres had indeed heard them. The trees were trampled around them as they started to close in. Nikokai didn't hesitate, pulling a sword and belt from one of the corpses.

"RUN!"

The group ran for their lives away from the camp ground, Liane shot them with her fire to try and stop them in their tracks but only got one down as they escaped. Then she saw Petra's bow on her back.

"Nock an arrow, I have an idea!"

"What?"

"Do it!" Petra did as she was told and as she pulled the bow back, Liane lit the arrowhead on fire, sending the flaming arrow into the ogres eye as they managed to get the two in pursuit down, hopefully dead.

"Good thinking."

"Thanks."

The group looked around, seeing they were no longer surrounded by ogres and needed a new place to hide out. Nikolai was the first to speak up.

"I think I know somewhere we can hide. My old house should still be here in the forest. We can stay there if its not been destroyed."

"And how do you know it hasn't been?"

"I don't. But a little bit of faith might mean it is."

With no other options the group followed Nikolai through the trees until they came across a beautiful cottage that was still perfectly intact, and still looked like someone was living there. Very much so. Especially since there was steam coming out of the chimney. Nikolai drew his sword and Joshua held his gun tightly, unsure what his father was thinking. The group approached the house tentatively and opened the door to see a woman with blonde curls sat at the table, stuffing bread into her mouth, dressed in armour.

"I can explain-"

"Michelle?"

"Nicholas?"

That's all for now and yes @gcthvile I searched your old Tumblr for Ethel's name, tag you're it @ask-missparker for Part 3

Tagging: @jackiequick @askstevella @ask-starrk @therealdaydreamstark @thechoooooosenone @marvelsfavoriteuncle @wizzzardofoz @ethan-lensherr @finlayholmes @rickb-chaos @luna-d-marsh @blueboirick @meiramel @cherrysft

[snowbellewells]

Self Promo Sunday: “Just As Much As I Do”

Notes: This is another little one shot I originally wrote in the summer after Season 3 of OuaT.  Post Season 3 finale, this one is meant to be the very next day, waking up back in the present, the Wicked Witch defeated,and Pirate and Princess maybe - just maybe - stealing a quiet moment or two in the afterglow. Rated T, though the reasons for that are only implied. Title and song lyrics included are from Snow Patrol's "Crack the Shutters", and of course I don't own that lovely song any more than I do OuaT or its characters. Enjoy – and please leave a review!

Also available on AO3 or ff.net, if that’s more your preference

Summary: The morning after the finale, waking up in his room at Granny's, for Killian Jones, it seems like his wildest dreams have come true magnificently.

“Just As Much As I Do” 

by: @snowbellewells 

Sunlight pours in through sheer white curtains, bathing the small room in golden glow and warming the darkness into hazy morning. As the sun's rays fall across the tangled sheets on the bed and heat the bare skin of a pirate, Killian Jones' eyes ease open, blinking in the sunrise and slowly regaining his bearings.

He rubs a hand over his face and back through his tufted, disheveled hair, confused and disoriented for a moment, not sure how he is once again in his familiar room at Granny's when yesterday he was sitting at a campfire in the Enchanted Forest of his past. Memory filters back to him with the same sort of gilded pleasure as the morning light. 'Emma,' his mind whispers, 'I brought her home.'

Turning from where he sits up in bed, bare to the waist as the sheets pool at his hips, he sees her lying beside him drenched in the wash of gold through the window, that cascade of blond hair lit up as if on fire. She is still fast asleep, splayed out luxuriously on her stomach, pale, flawless back on display for his perusal. As Killian gazes on her, admiration swirling within him, Emma mumbles drowsily and smiles without conscious thought, looking so much more peaceful and satisfied than he believes he has ever seen her while awake. She scoots closer to him, seeking contact in the depths of her slumber.

He reaches out to brush a lock of hair off her shoulder, smoothing it down her back with its fellows and letting his fingertips trail along the graceful path of her spine. That he can touch her at last, after so long – after so much wanting and denial – seems almost a dream. Killian's breath catches for a moment as he wonders whether he is awake at all.

Smiling to himself, he cannot help snuggling back into the mattress, studying every relaxed, glorious inch of Emma Swan while she is still unaware, knowing she would be blushing and trying to hide from such frank adoration, ducking her head self-consciously to avoid his gaze, if she were awake. Somehow he has earned his place beside his golden goddess – and no one or nothing, not even the sun itself gilding her in splendor before his very eyes, can worship her as much as he does.

Crack the shutters, open wide

I wanna bathe you in the light of day

And just watch you as the rays

tangle up around your face and body

I could sit for hours

finding new ways to be awed each minute

'Cause the daylight seems to want you

just as much as I do

The peaceful quiet of morning's first light is broken before he wishes as Emma's cell phone rings from the nightstand of his rented room and stirs her from her slumber. Her hand shoots out blindly to snag the offending object, and she mumbles "Hello?" blearily.

Emma sits up as she listens to the voice on the other end, bringing the sheet to wrap around her body as she does. Killian can tell already that it is someone needing something from either the Sheriff or the Savior, but she doesn't seem to mind the duty settling back onto her shoulders as she has in the past. Instead, she seems pleased, as if she finally knows that this is not a curse or a burden so much as her calling, part of belonging to people and a place of her own at last. She glances at him over her shoulder, a sly smile on her lips and a sparkle in her eyes; even as she nods and goes back to assuring the person on the line that she will be right there.

Once she has hung up, she glances at him sheepishly. "Back to work," she says with a shrug and that quirk of a smile at the corner of her mouth.

"Aye, Darling, so it would seem," he replies, reaching out to run his fingers through her hair and pull her in for a quick kiss.

To his surprise, she nuzzles into his touch, eyes closing for a few precious moments, savoring the warm expanding feeling rising in her chest. He half expected her to pull away – push him back and shut him out once again – when she woke this morning. It would seem instead that his Swan has bested him one more time, and his devotion to her only grows.

"No rest for the wicked, as they say," she murmurs affectionately, pulling back with reluctance to stand and begin redressing in the clothes they had shed in such haste the night before.

"And just which one of us are you calling wicked, Lass?" he questions, brow arching and grinning at her in a way that he hopes will sorely try her resolve not to crawl back across the bed and let the dwarves deal with their stolen trash bins on their own.

"Oh, I meant both of us," she teases back, mischief in her expression, "but those lips and that hand of yours leave no doubt where you're concerned."

He laughs, taken so by surprise that he tips his head back with it, a full-bodied, strong chortle. "Oi, Swan, what would you have had me do, you vixen? You were practically begging me!"

She actually giggles, looking so happy and completely pleased with herself that he wishes to keep that expression on her face forever. The flush that colors her cheeks and spreads down her neck to disappear in her shirt is so fetching that Killian is hard pressed not to haul her back into his arms and refuse to let her go.

"Shall I accompany you, Swan?" he offers, moving to get up as well and already scanning for where she had flung his shirt and vest.

"No, you stay put," she says with a hungry glint in her eye. "Go downstairs and have breakfast or something. It shouldn't be long before I can get back here."

"Oh," he smirks, looking terribly proud of himself, "I see. Am I under house arrest because you cannot get your fill of me, Sheriff?"

"More or less," she grins evilly.

"Insatiable minx," he returns, tongue peeking out to brush across his lower lip in a way that sends sparks along her veins and graphic images flashing behind her eyes.

"You've got no one but yourself to blame, Pirate," she throws out, giving him one last playful look before she slips out the door. Inside, her heart is swelling while she marvels at the absence of panic, at the fact that she truly wants to stay in the perfect little cocoon the two of them have created, and yearns to be back with him as soon as possible.

It's been minutes, it's been days

It's been all I will remember

Happy lost in your hair

and the cool side of the pillow

Your hills and valleys

are mapped by my intrepid fingers

And in a naked slumber

I dream all this again…

The next morning dawns in much the same way, and Killian's eyes crack open with the sunrise once more; years ever-alert from life on the high sea never failing to pull him into early wakefulness. He is stunned all over again by his good fortune: Emma is with him still. This time, instead of a sprawl, she is curled up into his chest, head tucked under his chin.

Still reverent as he touches her, almost afraid to shatter the illusion, he lets his fingers ghost over the apples of her cheeks, along the line of her nose, and twine themselves in her hair, cradling the back of her head, his handless arm tucking her even more securely into the shelter of his body, stump gently caressing her lower back. Her sleep seems calm and dreamless, which she had confided in him is new and rare, and Killian dares to believe that he has helped to make it possible. Her presence is soothing to him as well, banishing haunted nightmares he never thought to lose. There are no creases of worry marring her forehead, and the tiniest smile rests on her senseless lips, tilting them upwards in a captivating, if unknowing, manner.

Killian places the softest of kisses to her smooth brow, loving her just as he has ever since she stared deep into his soul in the diner when Storybrooke faced oblivion and offered him a second chance – a way to belong to something, to someone…to her. He had seen it then, desired it so ardently that it has fueled every action he has taken since. The intensity of this love, now that Emma recognizes and even welcomes the power she holds over him, and is even trying to give herself to him in return, is overwhelming in its power.

He simply rests here, ignoring the sun's rays spreading across the covers and attempting to rouse him from the most peaceful moment he has ever known. He has traveled a dark, harrowing road to reach this place and moment in time, searched lifetimes for the feeling of completeness in someone who loves him, who will fight for him as fiercely as he fights for her. He can see the warm wash of light over Emma's skin and appreciation for her steals his breath anew. A vision forms of each new day beginning like this one: the pattern of their future together.

Allowing his eyes to drift closed, Killian gladly disregards the dawning day for staying beside his love a little longer. He does not need the sun's help to adore the sight of Emma in his arms; she is branded on the back of his eyelids and in the depths of his soul, every detail of her safeguarded in his heart.

I could sit for hours

finding new ways to be awed each minute

'Cause the daylight seems to want you

just as much as I want you…

Tagging a few who might enjoy:  @jennjenn615​ @kmomof4​ @searchingwardrobes​ @jrob64​ @whimsicallyenchantedrose​ @laschatzi​ @apiratewhopines​ @spartanguard​ @therooksshiningknight​ @tiganasummertree​ @optomisticgirl​ @jonesfandomfanatic​ @xarandomdreamx​ @cosette141​ @stahlop​ @sotangledupinit​ @elizabeethan​ @donteattheappleshook​ @the-darkdragonfly​ @gingerchangeling​ @gingerpolyglot​ @xsajx​ @teamhook​ @revanmeetra87​ @winterbaby89​ @hollyethecurious​ @thislassishooked​ @drowned-dreamer​ @wefoundloveunderthelight​ @zaharadessert​ @caught-in-the-filter​ @ineffablecolors​ @let-it-raines​ 

[ginnyrules27]

Have you have any ideas for descendants AUs that isn't based in cannon, like a once upon a time AU or ever after high au

Oh boy that's an interesting question :D

Probably the only AU I've thought of is a kinda 'coffee shop' AU where no one has powers and whatnot. Believe it or not, I actually have some of it laid out lol

Bal Coffee Shop AU 

Mal runs a ‘hipster’-ish coffee shop that’s decorated with spray paint art that she does personally. 

-Cousin of Uma: who works at her mother’s fish pub causing tension with her other cousins who think overfishing damages the ocean. 

-Friends with Evie, Jay, Harry, Carlos, and Gil

-Evie manages her own design company and Gil helps out

-Carlos is a Veterinarian  

-Jay is a professional athlete, teases Mal for having ‘mainstream’ friends while maintaining her ‘grunge’ image

-Harry works part time at the coffee shop and the other half with Uma

-The denial still exists, much to everyone’s frustration.

-The coffee shop is a split off of Olympus Coffee Company, a conglomerate that was on every corner. 

-Hades (her father) runs it but gets criticized by other CEOs for being too soft on customers, looking the other way if someone’s short on cash, giving free food to the homeless, etc. 

-Hadie (her brother) volunteers at the local community garden their mother set up

Ben is the son of a wealthy publishing company CEO (Belle) and politician (Beast). Everyone thinks he’s going to follow in his father’s footsteps. 

-Dating Audrey, the daughter of a wealthy florist conglomerate and Congressman. 

-Best friends with Emir and Akiho

-Emir runs a non profit soup kitchen despite being the middle son of a Congresswoman 

-Akiho runs an ice cream truck in the summer and helps his dad run their ice rink in the winter rather than volunteer as a congressional aid for his mother

-His father volunteers to be Santa every year because he inherited his family’s reindeer farm

-His aunt runs the books for the ice rink 

-Lonnie’s a professional athlete but comes home every off-season

Otherwise, everything else is more crossovers (LOTR, Liv and Maddie, GoT...possibly OUAT if I can figure out how to make it so Baelfire's still alive...). Though they'll have to wait until I publish what I'm already working on :D

[adarkrainbow]

An introduction to my Fables posts

(This is a rewrite of my original intro post about Fables, because after some try-outs and testings I finally found how I wanted to make my posts about this comic book series).

“Fables” is a comic book series by Bill Willingham (and Mark Buckingham, who was the main artist). It started in 2002, and ended in 2015 at 150 issues - but not before giving birth to a dozen of various spin-off series, as well as a very popular video game (whose fame got its own independance apart from the comics): “A Wolf Among Us”. 

I will talk about it right off the bat: Fables is a divisive comic series. It is divisive because some people do not like Bill Willingham or his personal social and political views - and there is a debate as to how much of them he placed in his comic-book series. It is also divisive because some people feel somewhere in the middle of its run the series’ quality downgraded heavily, and what was a great comic devolved into someone contrived, cliche, nonsensical or edgy for the sake of it. It is divisive because it has some... very divisive characters. 

But there is one thing that cannot be denied: this series is a landmark in fiction, and cannot be ignored. It is one of the great titles and best-sellers of DC’s “Vertigo”, putting it on the same shelves as Sandman, Hellblazer, Swamp Thing or Doom Patrol. It even had two crossovers, one with “The Unwritten”, another wth Batman himself! It was one of the great works of urban fantasy and “fairytale fiction” of the 2000s, which had a great influence on how both genre are treated today. It won several Eisner awards. And its success is so great the main series was re-started not so long ago, and a sequel to the game “A Wolf Among Us” is in the works. 

I remember when I discovered “Fables”. Until now I only knew of “shared fairytale universes” and “fractured fairytales” throughout things such as “The 10th Kingdom” or “Once Upon a Time” - both actually related to Fables, as The 10th Kingdom was one of “Fables” primary inspirations (alongside “Into the Woods”), while “Once Upon a Time” was born of a failed attempt at adapting “Fables” into a television series. When I first started reading it, it was like a shock, a revelation. Everything I liked about the 10th Kingdom and OUaT, but in a darker, more serious and adult tone, with this typical “Vertigo” feel to it, the feel of a “literary comic”. I devoured the entire series in one go or so - it took several summer months, but I just read through it. At first I was there for the story but after a moment I wans’t even carried by it anymore - it was like a weird fever dream where all sorts of fictional worlds crashed together in a splash of beautiful art. 

And this is one of the things that marked me and struck me with Fables - one of the reasons I am constantly drawn back to this series and why I want to make posts about it. Fables is a living encyclopedia - or rather a gigantic illustrated bibliography. The shocking thing with Fables is the amount of fictional characters, worlds and references in it. Willingham did a massive, extensive research to create an entire multiverse of fairytales and nursery rhymes - it has more characters than any other fairytale world I know of, and it made me discover many MANY stories I didn’t know about. It isn’t even just fairy tales and nursery rhyme, but also more modern literary work, and various poems, and myths and legends. It is a MASSIVE monster. 

Anyway - all of that to say summer is coming, and for me summer is the Fables seasons. I always read the issues during summer and I associate its mad magic with the long hot days. And so I plan on making several posts about it. I will avoid talking about the divisive topics below - because I have not the expertise or knowledge to actually truly speak about them, but also because I want merely to focus on the cultural references and on the powerful things, the reasons “Fables” was adored, famous and beloved in the first place. 

[themattress]

Oh hey, look what I found! It’s circa 2013, reflective of the show’s first two seasons.

Producers:

- Lost is what shaped Once Upon a Time’s structure; the latter show could not have happened without the former. Unfortunately, it didn’t learn the biggest lesson that Lost imparted: plan out a set end-date rather than going along until you’re suddenly cancelled. Maybe the negative reaction to Lost’s finale spooked OUAT’s producers from doing that; idk.

- Adam Horowitz and Eddy Kitsis’ personal backstory is truly inspiring: having the patience to wait a decade from having their original idea for OUAT until all the pieces were ready to fall into place to make it the best version of itself right out of the gate. It’s a reminder that with patience and dedication, you too can ultimately have your big ideas pay off and create something great that you can then proceed to callously ruin...oh wait, ignore that last part.

- With that said, Adam and Eddy are pretty loose-lipped on the fact that the initial idea wasn’t truly centered around the daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming, who was just a means to an end, but around the Evil Queen and how unfair it must feel that she can’t get her Happy Ending. The show tragically devolved back to that morally stupid premise in the end.

- Seriously, so many times in this book there are accounts from producers, writers and actors talking about how it was the show’s pilot script that drew them into the project. Said pilot is ultimately not reflective of where the series actually ended up, since the pilot centers strongly around Emma, Henry, Snow and Charming, with Regina and Rumple as the antagonists.

- According to Adam and Eddy, following the success of the first season the cycle is always the same: the show is renewed by the network, after production on the current season wraps in Spring all the writers map out what they want the next season to look like, and then they reconvene in Summer to start pre-production on the new season. Rinse and repeat until the show’s cancelled. As we ended up seeing, with Adam and Eddy in charge this kind of cycle works far better on seasons with two interconnected half-season story arcs rather than ones with full-season story arcs; Season 1 was lightning in a bottle they just couldn’t recapture.

- Captain Hook and the Peter Pan mythos were wanted for Season 1, but they couldn’t secure the rights, which is just as well since I don’t really feel it would fit in that season.

- Some A&E bullshit that maybe they once stood by but ultimately discarded: “We don’t want mythology to trump character, so we want to do our best to make the show simple, even if it’s complicated.” “We want to strike a good balance between introducing new characters and developing the main ones introduced in the pilot”. “We want to make the real-life Storybrooke stories as exciting as the ones in a faraway land where the characters are slaying a beast”. Literally every single one of these statements rang false by Season 4; it’s kind of amazing. Mythology trumped character, the show became exceedingly complicated, new characters were constantly stealing the spotlight from the old ones sans Regina and Rumple, the main characters stopped developing in organic ways, and Storybrooke stories were almost all beast-slaying all the time with little of the engaging real-life stuff being utilized anymore.

- “An interesting arc is that Regina chose Henry’s life over the Curse”. Um, did she? Because her admitting the truth about the Curse to Emma and teaming up with her to save Henry does not remotely indicate that she was ready and willing for the Curse to break; it breaking as a ripple effect from Emma’s True Love’s Kiss on Henry clearly came as a surprise to her. Man, the whitewashing of Regina’s character by A&E started up even earlier than I thought it did!

- Let’s have a toast to some of the show’s unsung heroes: the majority of its directors. Directors like Steve Pearlman and Ralph Hemecker did their damndest with the show the whole way through, even with the later material that didn’t deserve their talent backing it up.

Writers: 

- Andrew Chambliss’ demeanor gives off the same impression his writing credits on the show do: if he’s paired up with a more talented screenwriter like Ian Goldberg than his work will be passable at best, but if not then it’s probably gonna be subpar because he has a severe overestimation of his own abilities and is a self-admitted graduate of the Joss Whedon School of Writing where characters constantly need to be tortured and “darkened” for the Hell of it.

- Speaking of which, Ian Goldberg dropped out following Season 2. I get the impression he was not on board with the sudden Neverland-based shift A&E took the show in toward the end of that season, which is understandable even though I think it worked out for the best.

- David H. Goodman is a good man (ha!), his main issue is that, if anything, he’s too good; too trusting and deferential to the whims of A&E. Otherwise, he really knows, likes and respects all of the characters and truly wants to explore and depict their emotions as best as humanly possible. He should’ve been the showrunner; the show would’ve been better off.

- Christine Boylan seems like a nice person/writer, I hope she went on to better things after she left. (Checks her IMDB page, sees “Cloak and Dagger” and “The Punisher”) Damn it.

- Robert Hull was hit-or-miss with his writing, and he’s even more trusting and deferential to A&E than Goodman (incidentally his frequent writing partner). But ultimately he left the show to pursue his own ambitions, with limited success so far outside a two-year run on Gotham.

- And then we have Daniel T. Thomsen, the man who was among the show’s greatest assets in its prime of Seasons 1-3.  If Felix Hernandez was OUAT’s Production Wizard, then Thomsen is its Pre-Production Wizard, the one primarily responsible for its overall high writing quality. As one would expect, he’s very thoughtful and insightful, taking his job very seriously and caring greatly about the characters, their relationships and their development. It’s little wonder he left after Season 3, since all the plotlines and character arcs he managed got wrapped up at that point. He also appears to be the main guy to thank for the “Captain Swan” pairing; he has great care for Emma’s character (it’s no coincidence that Will Trent has many similarities to her) and in his own words “I don’t think anyone’s going to get tired of Captain Hook anytime soon” (little did he realize we’d tire of everyone by the show’s end!)

- Last but not least is the show’s most frustrating writer: Jane Espenson, who is both one of the undeniable best screenwriters across the whole series and another graduate of the Joss Whedon School of Writing, with all the flaws that entails. A telling quote of hers in this book is that she loves that the show is willing to “go there” and have these huge, shocking twists and unexpected dark developments happen. In earlier scripts of hers like “That Still Small Voice” and “Red-Handed”, things like that worked since the characters were fresh and new, and the show “going there” with them added onto them. But by the time of later scripts like “Best Laid Plans” and “Murder Most Foul”, it actively ended up harming the characters, feeling dark and shocking purely for the sake of it. And I don’t think Jane ever came to realize this distinction.

Actors:

- Ginnifer Goodwin is a treasure, and I love her personal take on Snow as a character who was the same core flaws as her stepmother (vanity, obsessiveness, and clinginess) but ends up dealing with them in a healthier manner, alongside her family. This made her a highly effective foil to Regina in the show’s early days. I deeply miss that Snow / Mary Margaret.

- Reading Jennifer Morrison’s segment is painful because it’s so obvious how much she invested into the character of Emma Swan and making her a relatable, flawed protagonist, and from the sound of it A&E at least used to try to be invested in that character and her development as well. Like with Ginnifer Goodwin’s situation, I can’t even imagine what it must have been like in later seasons when the actress realized A&E only truly cared about Regina and were all too willing to throw their character under the bus for her. At least she can take comfort in knowing she, unlike Robert Carlyle, made the right choice bowing out in Season 6.

- Speaking of which, Robert Carlyle! He is so amazing, as honest about the show’s many strengths back in its prime as he would later be about its many weaknesses later on, and as acutely aware of what kind of character he is playing as always. I love reading his insights about what drives Rumple, what his conflicts are, what his justifications for his actions are (while maintaining they are not true excuses). The show was incredibly lucky to have him.

- Lana Parilla’s an odd case. She’s not a bad actress by any stretch of the imagination, but when it comes to Regina she clearly believes in going 100% extreme. Subtlety is difficult to come by with her; she’ll take what’s on the page and play it at full volume. This can work, especially early on when the extremity of her performance made the character legit intimidating, but other times it’s a problem. As Lana reveals in this book, she was totally convinced Regina’s road to redemption out of love for Henry in 2A was going to be an enduring thing so she played it completely sincere and sympathetically. As a result, her joining Cora and relapsing into evil in 2B feels way more jarring than it otherwise might have. Regina being written and acted crazily is fine when that’s the point; when not it’s just grating.

- Funnily enough, Josh Dallas has the same problem in Season 1 and admits it, saying he just went as over-the-top as possible in making David Nolan a thoroughly un-charming wimp. Honestly, he lucked out that this side of him didn’t last past that first season and that he built up enough goodwill with his fantastic depiction of Charming; otherwise I’d resent him more.

- Jared Gilmore was not a very good actor at this point, but he was always a very good kid. None of my feelings of frustration or annoyance toward Henry ever transferred toward him.

- Emilie de Ravin never watched Beauty and the Beast before filming “Skin Deep”. That explains a lot about how underwhelming she was as Belle in Season 1. I feel like she came into her own in Season 2 when Belle started to form a more unique identity for herself, and like many others I feel sorry for what became of her character given her talk of enjoying playing her (”She puts herself on the line for what she believes in; it’s not for selfish reasons or trying to make herself look good”; boy, would Emilie’s words there not hold up overtime.)

- Colin O’Donoghue is very much like Robert Carlyle. He knows his character inside out, the good and the bad and the reasons for all of it, and he does such a good job talking about it. There’s a damn good reason he and Hook ended up being mainstays beyond just being hot.

- Megan Ory, much like her character, deserved better. That is all.

[kelyon]

TMI Tuesday

Hellooooo Tumblr!

God, it feels good to feel good!

Dark Mistress chapter 32 (Unification) is COMPLETED! I'll be posting it on Friday. I've got snippets for everybody. (Though, of course, if EVERYBODY asks for a snippet, I'll have to give you one letter at a time, and no promises that they'll be in the right order.)

I do still have a bit more re-working to do. Mostly relating to transformation as a happy ending. I have Thoughts on this subject, which seems fairly natural for a lifelong fan of fairy tales. Put short, it's the classic Beauty and the Beast dilemma: If Beauty falls in love with the Beast as a beast, is it really a happy ending if he turns into a prince? If Beauty loves the Beast but kinda wants him to be a prince, does that mean she doesn't really love the Beast? Is the curse in these stories an external burden that is forced upon an innocent, or is it the (maybe overblown, maybe justifiable) punishment for past sins? Or all these all different types of stories that have overlapping themes but aren't necessarily refuting each other?

Like I said, lots of thoughts. Especially once I started thinking about these curses as metaphors for queerness and disability and mental illness. I guess those are all also very different subjects with very different solutions that are particular to each individual and the person/people who love them.

(And don't get me started on the Lacey of it all. I'm going to have a lot to figure out by the time I write the sequel to Golden Rings.)

Anyway.

So this Friday you're gonna get the last "real" chapter of Dark Mistress. There will be an epilogue on June 9th (providing all goes well and I don't have any relatives in the hospital between now and then.) After that, it's the Summer of WIPs. More details to follow.

In the mean time, hit me up with questions about my fics, OUAT, fairy tales, writing, the Horizon video game franchise (I just finished my replay of Forbidden West but haven't gotten to Burning Shores yet) or seasons 1-6 of Bob's Burgers.

I hope you all have a wonderful day. I will see you in my inbox!

Dark Mistress is here

My inbox is here

[gillybear17]

Hey everyone!!!!! If you have any John B, Topper Thornton and Pope Heyward imagines I would really appreciate if you DM me the link!! I also would love if you sent me any JJ Maybank, Rafe Cameron, Sarah Cameron, Kelce, Kiara Carrera imagines that maybe I haven’t read yet I would really love that!! I need new imagines to read even if it’s another fandom other the outer banks send them my way!!!!! Smut, Fluff, Angst, Sister!Reader of any character!!!

The fandoms I love other than Obx are Obx cast,Dolan Twins, One Direction, 5SOS, The 100, The Outsiders, The Originals, The Vampire Diaries, Legacies, American Horror Story(all seasons), Animal Kingdom, Peaky Blinders, Bridgerton, Avengers, Karate Kid/Cobra Kai, Chicago PD/Med/Fire, DC, Marvel, Euphoria, Elite, Gossip Girl, Game of Thrones, Glee, Grey’s Anatomy, Hemlock Grove, After, Hunger Games, Harrison Osterfield, Tom Holland, Peter Parker(All actors), Haikyuu, IT(2018 and 2019), Justin Bieber, Shameless, Jesse Pinkman, Jurassic Park/World, Knives Out, Kingsman, Kian Lawley, Lucifer, Team 10, Logan Paul, Magcon, Omaha, MGK, Nick Robinson, Noah Centineo, OUAT Peter Pan, Power Rangers(Any movie), Queen, Riverdale, Shadowhunters, Stranger Things (Steve Harrington and Billy Hargrove mostly), Supernatural, Sex Education, Teen wolf, any Dylan O’Brien character, Scream( movie abs tv show), Thirteen Reasons Why, Twilight, The Devil All the Time, To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, Any Timothee Chalamet Character, The Dirt, Umbrella Academy, any anime show, Vikings, Walking Dead, Why Don’t We, K-Pop , any horror movie killer, (I’m a freak I know I’m sorry 😂😂) Fear Street(Parts 1,2,&3)and YOU(Preferably Theo Engler)💝💘💓💖💗💕💞❤️♥️❤️‍🔥❤️‍🩹💔❣️🧡💛💚💙💜🤎🤍🖤💟😍🥰😻🤩😛😝😜😎😂🤣😇☺️😊😉😌😗😙😚😘😏🥳😹😽🌺🌸🌼🌟✨⚡️💫⭐️🌈🌹🦋💍💋

@mackenzielovee

@just-my-fandom

@shadowgirl138

@tweedlydumbtweedlydoo

@livinfullpogue

@toriswrites

@twinklelilstarkey

@poguestyleskye

@novxturient

@tbmaybank

@lindzaylove

@stardusttkachuk

@inkandpen22

@outerbankies

@jjpogue

@dreamypeaches

@overly-b

@sortagaysortahigh

@rekrappeter

@mentalpolaroids

@ilovefandoms102

@cinnamon-roll-seth

@thegreatestofheck

@maddiwrites

@rafej-cambanks

@favefandomimagines

@pogueszn

@misspankow

@heybarzy

@pogue-summer

@butgilinsky

@sweetlysilent

@matthewtkachuk

@anonymous0writer

@rudethstyles

@cobaincreates

@madmadmilk

@mayraki

@iwrite4obx

@o-b-x

@beauvibaby

@kooksfor-life

@obxmxybxnk

@cryonme

I will be making a fic rec list of the imagines I have read so that will be up soon I just have to go through them so I can give credit to the writer/s!!!

[gillybooboo-2016]

Hey everyone!!!!! If you have any John B, Topper Thornton and Pope Heyward imagines I would really appreciate if you DM me the link!! I also would love if you sent me any JJ Maybank, Rafe Cameron, Sarah Cameron, Kelce, Kiara Carrera imagines that maybe I haven’t read yet I would really love that!! I need new imagines to read even if it’s another fandom other the outer banks send them my way!!!!! Smut, Fluff, Angst, Sister!Reader of any character!!!

The fandoms I love other than Obx are Obx cast,Dolan Twins, One Direction, 5SOS, The 100, The Outsiders, The Originals, The Vampire Diaries, Legacies, American Horror Story(all seasons), Animal Kingdom, Peaky Blinders, Bridgerton, Avengers, Karate Kid/Cobra Kai, Chicago PD/Med/Fire, DC, Marvel, Euphoria, Elite, Gossip Girl, Game of Thrones, Glee, Grey’s Anatomy, Hemlock Grove, After, Hunger Games, Harrison Osterfield, Tom Holland, Peter Parker(All actors), Haikyuu, IT(2018 and 2019), Justin Bieber, Shameless, Jesse Pinkman, Jurassic Park/World, Knives Out, Kingsman, Kian Lawley, Lucifer, Team 10, Logan Paul, Magcon, Omaha, MGK, Nick Robinson, Noah Centineo, OUAT Peter Pan, Power Rangers(Any movie), Queen, Riverdale, Shadowhunters, Stranger Things (Steve Harrington and Billy Hargrove mostly), Supernatural, Sex Education, Teen wolf, any Dylan O’Brien character, Scream( movie abs tv show), Thirteen Reasons Why, Twilight, The Devil All the Time, To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, Any Timothee Chalamet Character, The Dirt, Umbrella Academy, any anime show, Vikings, Walking Dead, Why Don’t We, K-Pop,any horror movie killer, (I’m a freak I know I’m sorry 😂😂) Fear Street(Parts 1,2,&3)and YOU(Preferably Theo Engler), Euphoria!!!!!💝💘💓💖💗💕💞❤️♥️❤️‍🔥❤️‍🩹💔❣️🧡💛💚💙💜🤎🤍🖤💟😍🥰😻🤩😛😝😜😎😂🤣😇☺️😊😉😌😗😙😚😘😏🥳😹😽🌺🌸🌼🌟✨⚡️💫⭐️🌈🌹🦋💍💋

@mackenzielovee

@just-my-fandom

@shadowgirl138

@tweedlydumbtweedlydoo

@livinfullpogue

@toriswrites

@twinklelilstarkey

@poguestyleskye

@novxturient

@tbmaybank

@lindzaylove

@stardusttkachuk

@inkandpen22

@outerbankies

@jjpogue

@dreamypeaches

@overly-b

@sortagaysortahigh

@rekrappeter

@mentalpolaroids

@ilovefandoms102

@cinnamon-roll-seth

@thegreatestofheck

@maddiwrites

@rafej-cambanks

@favefandomimagines

@pogueszn

@misspankow

@heybarzy

@pogue-summer

@butgilinsky

@sweetlysilent

@matthewtkachuk

@anonymous0writer

@rudethstyles

@cobaincreates

@madmadmilk

@mayraki

@iwrite4obx

@o-b-x

@beauvibaby

@kooksfor-life

@obxmxybxnk

[talesofafangirlwithadvr]

April 2021 Picks

And we’re back with the end to another month. April! Wow! Lots more great picks to talk about this time. Lots of new ones to the list too. So, let’s dive in!

Spoiler territory ahead!

THE FALCON AND THE WINTER SOLDIER

or should I say Captain America and the Winter Soldier

I just finished the finale last night, so it felt right to start off with The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. I really enjoyed it and I feel the episodes got stronger as the series went on. Each one felt like a mini-movie and I was upset it was over and had to wait another week for another one. I think the finale was my favorite. Especially the reveal of Sam as Captain America. I love his suit, his speech and the montage of everyone watching him. The last part of the episode was definitely my favorite and one I can watch on repeat. I loved seeing happy Bucky and him goofing off with the kids in Louisiana. He deserves so much happiness as he has now accepted he’s no longer who he once was. Bucky and Sam’s relationship is fantastic and I can’t wait to see it more. I know there’s a possibility of a second season and they have to be in a future MCU movie. Regarding the villain, I feel I was confused for most of the show as to what their objective was. I’m curious if this is because they had to reshoot parts during the pandemic. I also am mad with Sharon. Like what happened with her? She is definitely the true villain of the show. I also don’t love that we haven’t seen the end of Walker (but Wyatt Russell did a fantastic job). I also loved Torres and I hope he becomes the next Falcon. Definitely so different vibes from Wandavision, but just as good!

THE IRREGULARS

This is a show that more people need to be talking about! It was SO GOOD! I feel like I heard some buzz about it when it first came out, but not much after. It follows the teens featured about who live on the streets during Victorian London. The leader of their group, Bea gets approached by Dr. John Watson (that’s right...as in Sherlock and Watson) to take on a case that has more supernatural qualities. The story takes off from there. I think the group dynamic was fantastic. There wasn’t a character I didn’t like and each one brought something else important to the group (which they even bring up towards the end of the show). [I’ve watched a few cast interviews since finishing the finale and they seem like they get along really well in real life too.] There is a kind of love triangle, but it didn’t bother me and was over fast. I did like both combinations though. Lots of twists and turns along the journey. I have no idea if there will be another season, but there should be. It didn’t end on a major cliffhanger, but definitely ended in a way where it could continue nicely. Come on Netflix. 

HBO’S THE NEVERS

From one show set in Victorian times to the next. The Nevers just premiered on HBO and HBO Max earlier this month. It follows an ensemble of characters, similar to other HBO shows, ranging from characters who are called “the touched” to men in government who are against them. Being “touched” means they have a special talent or power, which can range from healing to speaking other languages, being extremely tall, or being an expectational inventor (I seriously love Penance. I just don’t know how to explain her ability). Amalia True and Penance Adair are two of the main characters and they help bring in others who are touched to a remodeled orphanage that is a safe haven for people like them. Of course there are those who are against them existing. This seems to be at least two groups as someone is abducting and experimenting on some of the touched, but we don’t know who they are...yet. I love the fusion of a historical setting with a fantasy element. I am very excited to see where the show is headed. I also love seeing so many of my favorite British actors on the screen together.      

ONCE UPON A TIME IN WONDERLAND

Time for a throw back. Fans of ABC’s Once Upon a Time might remember the short lived spin off following Alice in Wonderland (and some of Aladdin). It only lasted for one season of 13 episodes, but I remember loving it and I am so happy I can rewatch it on Disney Plus. It reminds me of why I enjoyed OUAT so much and I think this show deserved another season or more crossover with the original show. (Luckily the Knave got that opportunity.) I think it should have aired as a summer show or when OUAT was on hiatus, this way more fans would have tuned in. It is something I’ll believe forever. 

Anyway, I’ll stop ranting now... I love Alice. I think she’s a badass and a fierce warrior. If you follow some of my posts on my other blog, Lydia-yougowith-Stiles, you’ll know that I love a warrior romance and Cyrus and Alice fit that perfectly (even if they are apart for much of the series). I also love Alice’s hair and outfits. Everything about her is cool. Her relationship with the Knave is one of my favorite friendships ever. I think they balance each other out so well and how they spend most of the journey together. Back in the day, I totally shipped them, but now I definitely don’t. (Even though I don’t love Anastasia.) This is definitely worth the watch if you’ve ever heard of Once Upon a Time or not. There is very cheesy CGI especially for 2013, but once you get pass that you’ll love it. 

ZOEY’S EXTRAORDINARY PLAYLIST

It was on a longer break than I expected, and I didn’t miss it as much as I thought I would (which I know doesn’t sound good for a show), but I am still loving all the episodes this season. It feels like there are more musical numbers, which I love. Mandy Moore is killing it with the choreography. There are so many amazing moments. I also was a big fan of the newest glitch episode. Everyone is so talented and I also like that we’ve started to hear from more like Jenna and Tobin. Leif has become one of my favorites. I don’t love the new neighbor next door, but I think we’re done with his storyline. I’m not loving the Zoey love triangle, but I do like her with either Simon or Max. She seems really happy with Simon now. (FYI: I haven’t watched the most recent episode yet. The glitch one was my latest.) Can’t wait for more!    

KUNG FU

CW’s newest show this month was Kung Fu, which I just learned was a reboot. It follows Nicky who returns after 3 years to her home in San Francisco. Her family has mixed feelings as she has had no contact with them for the last 3 years. She is now a Kung Fu master and warrior, out to avenge her mentor’s death and stop a villain from acquiring mythical weapons. The show gives me Arrow vibes every time I watch it. It has similar flashbacks each episode to an earlier time in Nicky’s life. While Nicky’s mission is different, the style just gives me early seasons of Arrow vibes, which I am not complaining about. It stars Legacies’ Alyssa Chen, who I didn’t love on Legacies, but instantly fell in love with Nicky. I think she’s a bad ass character and love how she’s fighting for the underdogs on the streets of San Fran, while also taking down a bigger evil. The love triangle is heating up and I’m definitely team Henry (even though there’s some mystery there). I think he’s great and once again we have an awesome warrior romance. They balance each other so well and it’s only been like 3 episodes. Now they’ve also been sleuthing together and it’s just amazing. 

NANCY DREW

Are you sick of hearing me talk about CW’s Nancy Drew? I hope not because I’m going to fangirl again. I LOVE THIS SHOW SO MUCH! I can’t wait till Wednesday comes and I tune in a little after it starts, so then I can fast forward on my DVR. Then when the episode is over I basically start it all over again and watch select scenes that were awesome. (More specifically, they tend to be Nancy and Ace scenes because I love them and we’re entering so much angst I don’t know if my heart will be able to handle it!!!) 

I’ll say it a thousand times: THIS CAST IS EVERYTHING! Their dynamic is amazing. You can have any match ups and it’ll be a great time. There is not one person I don’t like. I was so upset that there wasn’t a new episode last week (especially because it was my birthday). I loved the last one with the Hardy Boys and that Nace reveal! OMG! I’m so sad that Grant has left again because we barely had him, but I feel he’ll eventually come back. He has to. I loved the ending when he spoke to Thom by signing to him. (My heart!) I seriously can’t say enough great things about this show. It is not your typical CW show and deserves more love and views. So happy a third season has already been confirmed!! 

LAST NOTES

Just started Shadow and Bone on Netflix and am loving it! I’m sure I’ll have an entire post dedicated to it when I’m done. (Currently going to start episode 6.) I have no background on the universe or the books (just what my sister is filling me in with as we watch). I definitely plan on reading Six of Crows after this!

So what are you enjoying? Let me know. I’m always looking for more shows to add to the list! Can never have enough. 

[shewhotellsstories]

I was watching a reaction video last night and a really tone deaf rant brought back some memories. I can’t help but continue to feel troubled by this awful trend of shippers and stans being horrible to actors who play characters they feel are a threat to their ships. I’m reading a bit about about Kat Graham getting hate from Delena stans in addition to the run of the mill fandom racism (didn’t follow the show for it’s last two seasons). Candice Patton has really gone through it in her years working on The Flash. Rahul Kohli’s appearance on Supergirl was brief, but the stans still descended to harass him. Same story with Staz Nair regrettably from what I’ve seeing from the sidelines. SC and Reylo stans were so aggrieved that they decided it wasn’t a total dick move to invalidate John Boyega and Mehcad Brooks’ experiences with racism just because they decided something isn’t racist if you don’t like the person involved over the summer. Which like, yeah, we’re discussing systemic racism and police brutality but sure. Your ship’s the most important thing here obviously. Troublingly I remember a faction of stans from the ATLA fandom call an actor a pedophile over a ship, which yikes. Seriously, yikes. In that vein I notice the level of vitriol gets dialed up if the actor is a person of color. But I also vaguely remember OUAT actors after another being driven off of twitter one by one because things got so nasty in the fandom. And Chris Wood has spoken out about being cyber bullied too.

I just don’t get what the people who do this are hoping to accomplish. Based on my understanding actors have little control over scripts and even though I have many opinions about the shows I’ve watched, I haven’t felt the need to be awful to actors over it. There is a fascinating psychological study here somewhere.

[nerdgatehobbit]

6/1/22

… It’s been a while, oops? First off, I have changed my avatar to include my Lugia plush. Hopefully the change won’t throw anyone off, especially as I kept Billy & Kimberly in it.

I just finished the second season of Sun & Moon, and I’m really excited for what’s to come next! After that, I’ll be backtracking to watch some earlier seasons. While I have seen a lot of Journeys, I doubt I’ll do any actual reviews.

Obviously, I really liked the first 2 Kenobi episodes and hopefully I’ll like the third when I see it.

The third TOS season hasn’t been too bad yet, outside of the usual ‘oof this is the 60s’ moments. At this point I don’t know if I’m experiencing the opposite of hype backlash or if the season will slide downhill. Well, I already know I’ll be very exasperated by the finale, so besides that. I’m definitely looking forward to watching DS9 next, though.

Just one episode left in XWP’s 2nd season for me to watch. It looks like it’ll end strong, as I really liked “ Lost Mariner” and I know Cupid returns in the finale.

In contrast, I’m pretty whelmed by ALOK. I’m really trying not to compare it to ATLA, but I think between the crew trying not to be repetitive, them actually trying for a Water/Fire belligerent romantic tension dynamic (I swear they do best with non-spotlighted pairings), and all the executive meddling… it got rushed and not as planned out as ATLA. I like the characters & the animation, but the plot is askew, which negatively impacts everything else, most notably the world building.

I’m getting behind on the mini SG-1 watch, so I need to fix that. Especially as I’m not letting myself do a SGA rewatch of any kind until I finish that project. Though I do want to do something special next month for SG-1’s 25th anniversary.

Sometime this summer I should start up the 2nd season of Arrow, given the series’ upcoming 10th anniversary. I do feel a bit bad now that my LOT watch will be starting after the show’s end, as I’ve been sitting on that project for a while. No clue when I’ll go back to The Flash. Similarly, it’ll probably be a while before I resume OUAT, and I suspect I really will end talking mostly about the costumes rather than untangling the storylines.

The 2008 Sense & Sensibility miniseries and the Sherlock Holmes in the 22nd Century cartoon are most likely to be added to the rotation next.

[dani-luminae]

Dani’s Fic List

As promised for my 300 followers celebration, a list of all my active fics on Quotev! I think this is comprehensive. If there’s a fic that’s left off, that’s by accident. All of these are on my “published” list on Quotev.

For this story list, I’ll start with ones that already have links posted on here, then move to other lesser-known ones (below the cut). These are listed in no particular order at all.

@auradon-bore-a-don Since you asked to be tagged, here it is! Like 95% of this is all Descendants-related. It’s been my hyperfixation since the first book came out back in early summer 2015 and it’s stuck... 

Behold, a bunch of nonsense that comes from an overactive imagination and no social life!

-

 Title + link: Sophronia

Fandoms: Disney Descendants

Basic plot: Sequel “A” to Good to be Bad: A Disney Descendants Twisted Tale, this story focuses on Ben and Audrey’s adopted daughter, Sophie. When the terrible Horned King escapes the Isle of the Lost, Sophie sets out to protect her kingdom from any evil, no matter who it is.

Title + link: Nightshade Rose

Fandoms: Disney Descendants

Basic plot: Sequel “B” and a sort of “What if?” take on Good to be Bad: A Disney Descendants Twisted Tale, this story is focused on Princess Nightshade, a Princess of Auradon who lives unaware that her parents are the Rulers of Evil who threaten her land.

Title + link: Never Enough

Fandoms: Disney Descendants

Basic plot: The sequel to Rewrite the Stars; Ben follows Lia to her home planet of Solasar as Lia prepares to marry her fiancé and become Queen. However, there’s more happening on Solaar than they could ever expect.

Title + link: The True Defender

Fandoms: Disney’s Descendants (mostly), Treasure Planet

Basic plot: A D2- and D3-based AU featuring Lia. Will also go on to cover an AU of Good to be Bad: A Disney Descendants Twisted Tale.

Title + link: Love from the Stars

Fandoms: Disney Descendants; contains elements from the world of Treasure Planet

Basic plot: Ben and Mal’s wedding is derailed by the arrival of space pirates who abduct Ben, but he’s rescued by an Etherial, one of the most powerful creatures in the galaxies.

Title + link: A Wondrous Place

Fandoms: Disney Descendants

Basic plot: Essentially an AU of Descendants, just with BenJay as the endgame instead of Bal.

Title + link: Come Alive

Fandoms: Disney ZOMBIES

Basic plot: Zeraphina is a Zombrid – half-human and half-Zombie – forced to hide her hair color and fit in. But now that Zombies are welcome at Seabrook High, she’s hoping to start on a new chapter of her life, one where she doesn’t have to hide who she is.

Title + link: Darkness Falling

Fandoms: Disney Descendants

Basic plot: Book 2 (of 3) in my Dark Haven series; Bianca, Princess of Dark Haven and daughter of the Rulers of All Evil, returns to the kingdom of Auradon to help Mal, Evie, Jay, and Carlos destroy the talismans (from Rise of the Isle of the Lost.) But there’s a more dangerous threat that none of them know of… (This fic is completed and this link currently acts as a placeholder for this series, until the sequel is published.)

Title + link: Fate and Fairy Tales

Fandoms: Disney Descendants

Basic plot: Carly is looking forward to a happily-ever-after with her fiancé Chad Charming, as Carlos looks forward to a future without their mother around. But the sudden and unexpected arrival of their father, the malevolent king of a magical race, complicates everything. (This fic is dedicated to Cameron Boyce, who passed shortly before its publishing.)

Title + link: Blue Fire

Fandoms: Sky High and Disney’s Descendants (crossover)

Basic plot: Haley is just your average, everyday super-powered teenager attending Sky High. It just so happens that her hair turns into blue fire and she has no idea where she comes from, or who her father really is. 

Title + link: The Crown and the Sea

Fandoms: Disney Descendants

Basic plot: a crossover between me and my girlfriend @megamultifandomtrashposts featuring our characters Bianca and Sophia. Bianca is with Mal, Evie, Jay, and Carlos as they return to the Isle of the Lost (from May Evil Reign), but the reign of Ursula’s daughter, Sophia, over the Isle complicates things...

Title + link: An Untold Story: Tales of Auradon

Fandoms: Once Upon a Time and Disney’s Descendants (crossover)

Basic plot: The second of three books in my An Untold Story crossover between OUaT and Descendants, this book takes place between Season 3A and Season 3B of OUaT. Instead of going to the Land Without Magic, Emma and Henry come to Auradon to stay with King Adam, Rose, and the rest of their adoptive family. This book includes an adaptation of Rise of the Isle of the Lost and the first Descendants movie.

Title + link: Heroes and Villains

Fandoms: Disney Descendants

Basic plot: This four-part story encompasses the first Isle of the Lost book, the first Descendants movie, and the Return to the Isle of the Lost book, before departing into an OG fourth part. This is the story of Royal, Mal’s half-sister, in a version of Auradon where the Isle of the Lost wasn’t the first solution for working with the villains and history is a bit different.

Title + link: Spells Were Made to be Broken

Fandoms: Disney Descendants

Basic plot: Basically a crossover between Heroes and Villains and the world of Descendants 3 post-D3, Royal, Chloe, and Skalja, the Princess Trio, are tasked to save the kingdom from an unexpected enemy.

Title + link: The Return

Fandoms: Disney Descendants and MCU (crossover, kinda?)

Basic plot: An adaptation of Return to the Isle of the Lost, featuring my OCs Lily and Balthazar, the children of Loki (from the MCU.) This isn’t an active story exactly, but it is the latest in the series while I’m planning out the next and final book.

Title + link: More than Flesh and Bone

Fandoms: Disney Descendants and Disney ZOMBIES (crossover)

Basic plot: Gwyn, a cheerleader in Seabrook, has mysterious ties to a certain Werewolf pack, ties that originate from her mother on the faraway Isle of the Lost.

Title + link: The Dragon That Cannot Fly

Fandoms: Disney Descendants

Basic plot: In the third and final book of her series, Nara, the adopted daughter of Queen Narissa, must team up with Naros, her brother from an alternate and almost-identical world, in order to put a permanent end to Queen Narissa’s evil.

Title + link: The Believers

Fandoms: Disney Descendants

Basic plot: In an OUAT-inspired story that combines OCs from various different stories, Ben awakens from a coma and discovers that his memories of Auradon were nothing but dreams. However, he soon learns that the world he’s in, Auradon City, is really his kingdom placed under a curse and controlled by Maleficent.

Title + link: Not All Treasure is Silver and Gold

Fandoms: Disney Descendants and Pirates of the Caribbean series (crossover, sorta)

Basic plot: Jackie is the daughter of Captain Jack Sparrow and Angelica. When she goes to Auradon, she finds a little adventure and a little romance with an old friend and a new one. (No love triangle, just polyamory.)

Title + link: Fathoms Below

Fandoms: Disney Descendants

Basic plot: In the final book of Selina’s series, Selina must confront and defeat Morveren, the first evil Sea Witch and the originator of her lineage, in order to protect her family and her kingdom. With fewer allies than ever before, this is quite a daunting task.

Title + link: The Unusual Kingdom Keeper

Fandoms: Disney Descendants and the Kingdom Keepers book series

Basic plot: Aria, the twin sister of Audrey, unexpectedly finds herself in the Magic Kingdom. In this world, Disney Characters are made real through the power of children’s belief in them, heroes and villains alike. And the villains are just as evil as ever.

Title + link: The Thieves in the Shadows

Fandoms: Disney Descendants

Basic plot: The second book featuring Jay and Aza, the two of them try to track down a mysterious rash of thefts throughout Agrabah. Unfortunately, they uncover a plot launched by Jay’s mother, the sorceress Azirah, to take over all the lands.

Title + link: The Rebel Descendant

Fandoms: Disney Descendants and Ever After High

Basic plot: Reign is Raven Queen’s adopted sister, and a Rebel to the core. But there’s more to Reign’s story than just a Rebel. She comes from somewhere else, somewhere that doesn’t need a Storybook of Legends.

Title + link: Maddie Baylor and the Second Titanomachy

Fandoms: Percy Jackson and the Olympians

Basic plot: Maddie is a friend of Percy Jackson, the son of Poseidon, and she’s no stranger to the world of gods and monsters; after all, she’s a daughter of Dionysus, herself. When it becomes clear that the Titans plan to rise again and defeat the Olympians once and for all, she’ll fight by Percy’s side in quest after quest to save the world.

Title + link: The Sorcerer’s Apprentice

Fandoms: Disney in general, I guess?

Basic plot: Belladonna Valaise is an apprentice studying in Sorcerer’s Town in a hidden, magical dimension. When an unusually mouse-like apprentice from another place arrives, seeking help to recover his master’s Animating Pen, Belladonna decides to seek out a little adventure and help.

Title + link: Bringer of Spring

Fandoms: Dreamworks’ Rise of the Guardians

Basic plot: Embla Springbringer has a very important job: each year, on Groundhogs Day, she battles the Frost Giant Rasgol to end winter and allow spring to come to her small Norwegian fjord. Embla has been doing this job even since the Man in the Moon called on her to do so. Now, the Man in the Moon has a very different job for her: becoming a Guardian to help defend the world’s children against Pitch Black.

Title + link: The Heroes of Tomorrow: The Next Trickster

Fandoms: Next Avengers: Heroes of Tomorrow

Basic plot: An AU and then some of the movie Next Avengers: Heroes of Tomorrow featuring my OC, Lokabrenna, daughter of Loki.

Title + link: Frost and Flame

Fandoms: Sky High and the Marvel Cinematic Universe

Basic plot: When Muspels, the Flame Giant enemies of Frost Giants, begin to come after Cassia for her half-Jotun heritage, Cassia is forced to turn to the last people she would like to help her: the Avengers.

 ~

Shared stories! These stories are shared/co-authored/inspired by @thetimelordbatgirl and her stories. 

Title + link: The Daughters of the Trickster

Fandoms: Disney Descendants, MCU, and Marvel’s Descendants

Basic plot: In our very first crossover, our OCs Lily and Locket meet for the first time and have to navigate the realization of alternate worlds and alternate families while battling Mariana, Lily’s mother.

Title + link: The Trickster’s Daughters Return

Fandoms:  Disney Descendants, MCU, and Marvel’s Descendants

Basic plot: In the second team-up, Lily and Locket return to join forces. They must face Mariana again, but this time the stakes are higher, with the impending freedom of the demonic Chernabogs.

Title + link: Sisters of Fire

Fandoms: Disney Descendants, Sky High, and Marvel’s Descendants (crossover)

Basic plot: An AU of Haley’s story, Blue Fire. Haley is not the only inexplicably fire-powered child at Whitefield Foster House. She has a foster-sister named Jayla, a powerful girl with golden eyes who can transform into a magnificent and fearsome dragon.

Title + link: Devil’s Due

Fandoms: Disney Descendants and Marvel’s Descendants

Basic plot: An AU of the above story. What if Haley was never kidnapped? What if she stayed on the Isle with her father? And what if Jayla had still found her way to this family? They’re quite the unexpected family, that’s for sure.

Title + link: Ties to Evil

Fandoms: Disney Descendants

Basic plot: A future AU on Heroes and Villains, inspired by the Family Business series. The second in the series featuring my OCs such as Adam (son of Royal) and Beryl (daughter of Beast and Belle.)

Title + link: The Dragon’s Son

Fandoms: Disney Descendants

Basic plot: A future AU on Nara’s series, inspired by the Family Business series. In which Fairen is the son of both Evie and Nara, he reluctantly leaves his mothers behind on the Isle when Prince Alexander chooses him to come to Auradon in his proclamation. While in Auradon, Fairen learns of Nara’s unlikely connection to Auradon, and the kidnapped Princess Roseleta.

Title + link: Heirs of Agrabah

Fandoms: Disney Descendants

Basic plot: A future AU on Aza’s story, inspired by the Family Business series. Ben’s proclamation never happened, but now his son Alexander chooses some children to leave the Isle of the Lost. One of these children is Jayra, daughter of Jay, who makes a unique and unexpected connection to Aza.

Congrats! You’ve reached the end of my list of masterpieces and nonsense.

[thestraggletag]

Could I get the thing please i have become a Rumbelle shipper after watching three seasons of once upon a time and reading several fanfics

I am contractually obligated to now provide The Thing, though I also do it out of love. Okay, let’s go.

WELCOME TO RUMBELLE, YOU SWEET SUMMER CHILD. I SEE YOU THERE, SO   YOUNG, SO FRESH, SO WOOBIE. LET ME SLOWLY CLASP YOU TO MY BOSOM IN A   MOTHERLY WAY.

HERE’S AN ARTIST’S RENDITION OF WHAT HAS BEFALLEN YOU, COURTESY OF VALOSCOPE:

NOW   YOU STUMBLE AROUND, A LITTLE LOST RUMBELLE CHICK NEEDING LOVE AND   GUIDANCE, TREMBLING WITH THE FORCE OF A THOUSAND BOTTLED-UP FEELS. NEVER   FEAR, FOR WE’LL TAKE YOU IN, SINCE YOU HAVE BECOME

ONE OF US.

WE   HAVE TEA, FOR YOUR SHATTERED FEELS. WE KNOW IT HURTS, WE’VE ALL BEEN   THERE. MOST OF USE JUST DUMP A LOT OF VODKA INTO THAT TEA. IT’D BE   EASIER TO JUST DUMP A TEA BAG INTO A BOTTLE OF SMIRNOFF, TO BE HONEST.

HERE,   DEARIE, ARE SOME GIFS I BRING FORTH TO YOU SO YOU CAN BLOG ABOUT YOUR   FEELS, AND HOW RUMBELLE RUINED YOUR LIFE AND YOU LOVE IT. TAKE THEM,   DON’T BE SHY. YOU WILL NEED THEM, YOUNG PADAWAN. THEY WILL BECOME YOUR   NEW LANGUAGE. BE WARNED, LITTLE ONE, FOR THEY ARE OF A SPOILERY NATURE   THAT MIGHT HURT YOUR WEE EYES. THEY’RE ALSO AWESOME, SO YOU SHOULDN’T   STARE AT THEM DIRECTLY.

LIKE AN ECLIPSE.

OR RUMPLE’S LEATHER PANTS.

AND SINCE THIS IS A PRETTY COMPLEX FANDOM I DIRECT YOU TO A WELCOME PAGE   SO YOU CAN GATHER YOUR BEARINGS AND EXPLORE MORE OF THIS MAGICAL LAND   OF CHIPPED CUPS AND SEXY SCALY MEN. IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS THERE YOU’LL   FIND ANSWERS. IF NOT YOU CAN ALWAYS SEEK THERUMBELLE TAG, AND POST QUESTIONS THERE. RUMBELLERS ARE ALWAYS THERE TO ANSWER.

ALWAYS. RUMBELLERS DON’T SLEEP.

IF YOU FEEL THE NEED FOR SOME LOVELY VISUAL REPRESENTATIONS OF THE UTTER PERFECTION THAT IS THIS SHIP I DIRECT YOU TO THE RUMBELLE ARTTAG, WHERE MANY TALENTED PEOPLE POST TALENTED THINGS THAT PRODUCE BOTH AWE AND ENVY.

AND LAST, AND THIS IS WHAT I’M KNOWN FOR…

WE.

HAVE.

PORN.

NO, NOT LIKE OTHER FANDOMS. NOT SOME PORN. NOT ANY PORN. WE HAVEALL THE PORN.

ALL OF IT.

EVERY KINK.

EVERY FANTASY.

EVERY POSITION.

FOOD   SEX, PEGGING, BONDAGE, S&M (BUT THE REAL TYPE, NO INNER GODDESSES,   ALL KINKY FUCKERY), CANE PORN, PRIEST PORN, CANNIBAL PORN, SHADOW!SEX,   DADDY!DOM, DOM/SUB, BLOODPLAY, MIRROR-SEX, PREGNANCY KINKS, POWER-SEX,   INTERSPECIES SEX, LACTATION PORN, DAGGER!PORN, RAPTOR!PORN, MAGICAL  SEX  AND MANY MORE.

I BLAME THE ABUNDANCE OF PORN IN THIS FANDOM ON THE FACT THAT WE DECIDED EARLY ON THAT WHENEVER BELLE AND RUMPLE ARE NOT ON SCREEN THEY BE FUCKING. IN RETROSPECTIVE, TAKING INTO ACCOUNT OUAT’S DISINTEREST IN BELLE AND UNDERAPPRECIATION OF RUMPLE, THIS WAS A BAD HEAD CANON TO HAVE. OR, YOU KNOW, THE BEST.

I DIRECT YOU NOW TO MY FANFIC REC LIST, WHERE YOU SHALL FIND MANY TREASURES. YOU CAN ALWAYS GO TO THE RUMBELLE FICTAG IF YOU FEEL YOU NEED MORE RUMBELLE PORN FICS IN YOUR LIFE. AND YOU WILL. AND IF YOU WANNA HIT THE MOTHERLOAD OF RUMBELLE FANFICTION CHECK OUT THE RUMBELLE LIBRARY, RIPE WITH DECADENT FICS FOR YOUR PERUSAL.

IN   THIS FANDOM WE LIKE TO CELEBRATE WITH FIC, COPE WITH FIC AND START   MASSIVE FIC WARS SO THERE ARE SEVERAL YEAR-ROUND EVENTS DESTINED TO   BRING FORTH MORE RUMBELLE SEXYTIMES MOMENTS: FLOOFAPALOOZA (FOR WHEN YOU NEED TO GO ‘AWWW’ DESPERATELY), RUMBELLE IS HOPE (YES, WE GOT IT BAD), THE RUMBELLE CHRISTMAS IN JULY (FOR THOSE LONG HIATUS MONTHS), THE MAY DAY MENAGERIE (BECAUSE OUR SMUT NEEDS MORE CREATURES IN IT), THE GREAT RUMBELLE BLOWOFF AND THE RUMBELLE SHOWDOWN. IT ALL CULMINATES WITH THE T.E.A. AWARDS, WHERE WE MOSTLY CONGRATULATE THE WRITERS ON ALL THE SEX, FLUFF AND TEARS (GREAT PLACE FOR NEWBIES TO ALSO SEEK FIC RECS!).

MIND THE SPOILERS, DEARIE.

BUT IF YOU’RE ALL CAUGHT UP YOU SHOULD TOTALLY CHECK THIS TUMBLR WHICH WILL HOLD PRECIOUS TREASURES SO YOU CAN SURVIVE THE SUMMER HIATUS WITH MOST OF YOUR SANITY INTACT.

WE AIM FOR REALISTIC GOALS HERE.

IF   YOU HAVEN’T YET DELETED YOUR TUMBLR ACCOUNT AND MOVED TO A COUNTRY   WITHOUT INTERNET CONNECTION THEN CONGRATULATIONS, YOU INDEED HAVE THE   MAKINGS OF A GREAT RUMBELLER. AND YOU’RE GONNA LOVE IT HERE.

NOW LET ME HOLD YOU GENTLY, SOFTLY, LOVINGLY.

Welcome to the fandom, dearie.

[hitchell-mope]

I tend to side with those that the narrative doesn’t want me to side with

Ironically most of the time this is about the main characters. The narrative goes so hard to convince us these characters are making the wrong decision and we’re supposed to side with the opposing side. But the way they go about it makes me side with the mains more often than not

In season three of ouat we’re supposed to side with snowing, Mills and Killian because Emma wants to take Henry back to New York after the whole witch thing is over. But the thing is. Emma is entirely within her rights to take Henry Swan back to New York where hes safe and has friends. A nice house. A good life where he’s not in danger of being targeted by the latest crackpot of the week who has a vendetta against the family every other day. Not to mention that 28 years of abandonment issues don’t go away over night Snow

Order of the Phoenix. We’re supposed to think Harry’s overreacting with all the shouting and that he should let the adults do his job. But the poor kid has undealt with ptsd from seeing a classmate killed in front him and witnessing the return of the man who killed his parents, isolation from his friends over the summer, a freaking dementor attack, the government gaslighting him and being tortured by a teacher! Let the boy shout. Let him throw things. Let him punch Malfoy in the face. It’s what he deserves.

We’re supposed to think Mal is wrong for agreeing to close the island in d3 but she got manipulated by adults she (misguidedly) thought she could trust. She replaced her mother with her in-laws. It’s not her fault that they also replaced their free thinking son with her. And I haven’t seen anyone blaming belladam for the isle closure. When they’re the ones who guided her to it. All she’s doing is acting how she was raised. And I’m not going to blame her for that. It’s a helluva lot more sympathetic then throwing a coup cause you didn’t get what you wanted

Supergirl season two. Mon El is supposed to be this frat boy bitch from this parting slave trading planet. What were told isn’t what we’re shown. To me he comes off as earnest if a little clutzy earth customs wise. And he honestly comes off better than Kara does what with her constantly falling back on the “daxam bad” shtick every time he does something she doesn’t consider morally upright. Kara had like twelve years before she decided to become a hero. I don’t think they gave Mon El twelve weeks. And yeah. He shouldn’t have lied about being the prince. But given what his parents are like I really don’t blame him.

Of course sometimes both sides have a point. But a lot of the time the “wrong party” isn’t always wrong