#young baelfire

[girlinwaytoomanyfandoms]

I know that I have a bunch of requests to write, but I’ve been rewatching/watching Once recently and I noticed something that little me didn’t. That is that young Baelfire is SUPER cute! This boy is making me fall in love with him! Anyway, requests are open for this little boy only! He is so cute and sweet and there are like NO fics about little him that I could find! If you have any recommendations for fics of him, PLEASE let me know!

Fair warning; I have NOT finished the show all the way through yet! I just started season 2 (I’m in the middle of episode 2 right now) which means I haven’t watched enough of it to be decently safe when it comes to spoilers. I do know a couple of spoilers, but the less I know the better! I do know that Baelfire is Neal, but I don’t remember much about his character or how he acts (I never got past halfway through season 2 and that was quite a few years ago, so I don’t remember much about it). I love Baelfire when he was/is little, but different actors bring different things to each role and I don’t know how much Baelfire changes between little him and grown him.

All this to say, please give me young Baelfire requests and fic recommendations!

[gristlegrinder]

i got too embarrassed to write the tags i actually wanted to write in my tags on that rytlock poll i just reblogged, but. further thoughts on the matter from my first draft of my reblog before i deleted them.

id transcript / more readable version:

okay let me walk you through my math, because i’ve spent the better half of two hours thinking about this.

SO LIKE. ryland is around braham’s age. give or take two years in either direction. making him around 25 in 1334. we don’t have a confirmation on ryland’s age, but i’ve done my homework— and spent a frantic night trying to figure that out ages ago for an unrelated personal question.

(which is ‘how long has nicabar been with steel warband’? this is based on extrapolating that the last all-legion rally in grothmar probably took place in 1324, in the wake of charr-human peace treaty negotiations. i will spare you the details of that. anyways.)

that means rytlock has to be at least 45. i do not think he would have sired ryland younger than that. i think that makes the most sense in relation to ryland’s age, because not only is he rytlock’s oldest, but i also think he did sire him young because— *smacks chalkboard with my retractable pointer stick* rytlock and crecia’s flame legion reconnaissance mission!

i think they had ryland before they went on that mission, because crecia stays in flame for years after rytlock runs away with sohothin. (this is not in the screenshot to transcribe, but also in requiem: rytlock the way he talks about crecia suggests that he has literally not seen her, or at least been intimate with her in the same way, since she shanked him). (both of them) put (ryland) in the fahrar, go away, get the god’s sword. become a legendary (dragon)[sic]-champion killer by the time (ryland)’s ten. you know.

the other half of this is bangar, actually! bangar had to be old enough to have power in the legions, in order to take care of crecia and her dam in the way that he did. which suggests at least a 30-year gap between them, unless we think bangar was calling the shots around the blood citadel at age 20.

and bangar’s getting up there. he’s gotta have his meat cut up because his jaw’s not as good as it used to be. so, i think it’s reasonable to pin him down as like, mid-to-late seventies. (additional comment: you could argue that he’s older, but i’m going to play it fairly conservative— he’s old enough to begin having health concerns, perhaps influencing his sudden grab for additional power before it’s too late).

final answer: rytlock is around 45-50 by the end of icebrood saga! i may lean a little into the 48-50 range, just to give him a little bit of a buffer between like… graduating the fahrar and getting established with stone warband, and the baelfire mission.

sorry for the absolute onslaught of tags, OP.

[nym-wibbly]

A Bed of Thorns - the ending

I've answered a few Asks recently about the state, fate, and ending of my 12-year-old Belle/Rumple WIP, A Bed of Thorns.

I don't have it in me to admit that this thing defeated me (Once Upon a Time is all about not giving up hope, after all, so that would be silly) but I think it's time to put the ending out here for anyone who'd like the closure to find. It's not a huge secret. I've been sharing details of the ending and epilogue with anyone who asked privately since a couple of years into writing it, and I've never asked those people not to tell others.

As with all my works, anyone is welcome to snag my ideas and original characters for use in their own non-profit fanworks, so if my planned ending doesn't float your boat, by all means create your own! Of all my stories, I know that A Bed of Thorns was, is, and always will be so much bigger than myself. I lay claim to nothing but the words I've written. Even if I'm never able to complete it, the story lives in my head and heart, and the privilege of touching something once-in-a-fannish-career special still leaves me humbled (and more than a bit intimidated!)

Don't click the 'keep reading' if you don't want to know how the story ends!

Rumple eventually lets the Dark Curse (and Regina) go, trusting Belle to find a way to reunite them with Baelfire. A way that doesn't rack up the cosmic debt and devastate more lives. Belle finds the way, because there was always another way—multiple other ways to move between the Enchanted Forest and the Land Without Magic—Rumple just couldn't access those solutions by using dark magic, distrust, or dealing. And, having let Baelfire go all those years ago, he couldn't see the flaw in his approach until he had love in his life again. Magic bean, plot, then Rumple hesitates at the portal, afraid to go through and become powerless on the other side. Afraid it won't work. Afraid that Bae won't forgive him. Afraid he'll fail as a father again. Belle just holds out her hand and waits patiently for him—trusting him to make the right choice for Bae, not doubting for a moment that he will. She's so excited for the big adventure of this strange land without magic. They step together through the portal into Victorian London. In the brief epilogue Rumple and Belle finish up an anxious search by knocking on the Darlings' door, finding young Bae before he's taken to Neverland. Before it's too late for them to be a family.

If you love A Bed of Thorns even a fraction as much as I do - thank you.

Nym - September 2024

[the-price-of-magic]

Ruth is making her way downtown walking fast. She’s keeping to the brightest parts of the sidewalk. And she hears someone drunkenly talking as she approaches the Main Street. Almost to grannies.

@storybrooke-and-cinnamon

Rumple is blabbing on about the so called fight he had with Belle earlier but Neal has long since stopped listening. He sees the stranger approaching and tries to usher his father off to the side and out of the way so she can pass.

It takes Rumple a moment to register why he's being moved but once he clocks the young woman approaching the last of his filter vanishes. "Baelfire, look, a pretty young woman around your age! Pretty young woman, would you like to go on a date with my son?"

Neal's face goes red and he almost drops Rumple, "papa! Shush, she is a stranger, you cannot speak to people that way!"

"I want more grandkids! Henry is wonderful but he tattles on me!" Rumple whines.

"Papa shut up!"

[whimsicallyenchantedrose]

Season 4 Rewatch Drabbles: 4x5 Breaking Glass

Summary:  A series of 100-1000 word drabbles to accompany my    rewatch of season 4 of Once Upon a Time.  There will be a drabble–either a deleted scene, a “fix it” fic or a character musing for each episode of the season.  Focus will be on Emma, Henry, the Charmings and Killian–with an emphasis on Captain Swan’s epic love story.

Word Count: 687

Tagging a few people who may be interested (Let me know if you want to be added or taken off the list): @sailormew4 @annaamell @flslp87 @emmateo26 @bethacaciakay 

@ultraluckycatnd @effulgent-mind @ilovemesomekillianjones @brooke-to-broch 

@missgymgirll @galadriel26 @the-lady-of-misthavenn @charmingturkeysandwich 

@jennjenn615 @kimmy46 @snowbellewells @iamanneenigma

@daxx04 @nickillian  @gillie  @britishguyslover @ginnyjinxedandhanshotritafirst

@kmomof44 @linda8084 @golfgirld @captain-swan-coffee @searchingwardrobes 

@hollyethecurious @laughswaytoomuch  @allyourdarlingswans  @winterbaby89 @facesiousbutton82

@therooksshiningknight @lfh1226-linda @tiganasummertree @jrob64  @anmylica 

@booksteaandtoomuchtv @i-will-sing-no-requiem @bluewildcatfanatic @laianely

Other Chapters: (1) (2) (3) (4)

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Killian left the sheriff’s station and headed toward the harbor feeling an odd mixture of elation, self-loathing and dread.  The elation was easy enough to explain, after all, his first official date with Swan last night had been nothing short of magical.  For months–nearly for years at this point–he’d hoped for such an outing with her, an opportunity for fun, flirtation and general companionship.

It had been everything he’d hoped and more.  She’d looked positively stunning–not merely her dress, her carefully coiffed hair, the makeup that accentuated her lovely features, but her.  She’d been happy, happy to be with him, eager for what their relationship might become.  This morning, she’d sent a correspondence to him on his talking phone–what did she call it?  A text he believed–suggesting he take her lad out on the water.  It would seem the lad wished for sailing lessons.

Killian felt the salty sea breeze caress his face as the sea came into view.  He saw Henry standing beside a rather unremarkable boat, docked and ready to sail.  (How he missed the Roger!)

He was all too happy to oblige.  He cared for Swan, loved her even, but he knew if he were to have a lasting relationship with her, he must also have one with her son.  It was certainly no burden.  The boy was intelligent, curious, precocious.  He saw a lot of young Baelfire in the lad, and it gave him a bittersweet feeling.  Perhaps this time  he could be worthy of the lad.

And that brought him to the self-loathing and dread.  How had he been so stupid? So arrogant?  Why the hell had he believed blackmailing the Crocodile a good idea?  Ever since he’d met Swan–and particularly ever since he’d chosen to come back to her with the bean and assist her in saving her son from Neverland–he’d wanted to change, to become a good man.

For her, aye, but that was not all.  He wanted to become a man he could be proud of, and yesterday he’d failed out of a misguided desire to be whole for her.  It had been years since his disability had made him feel so very inadequate, but she was so perfect, so complete, and he was…well, as Pan had said, he was a one-handed pirate with a drinking problem.

A rush of love and wonder and gratitude rushed over him as he thought over last night.  She hadn’t even noticed his left hand at first.  Her parents had needed to bring it to her attention.  Once she did notice, she’d cared only about the cost Rumplestitlskin might have exacted. Similarly, this morning when he’d shown up at the sheriff’s station with his old, familiar hook, she’d merely asked what happened before shrugging it off.

She was truly amazing.  She cared for him, saw him.  She didn’t see a broken man, a man lacking.  She saw a man she believed to be good and worthy, whether he had two hands, one hand or none at all..

But he wasn’t a good man.  Because of his stupidity, he’d allowed Rumple to blackmail him, and now….now there was no telling what horrors the Crocodile had in store for him.  What would the bastard make him do?  What would happen when Swan inevitably learned the truth?  Now that he’d had a taste of what life with her was like, he couldn’t bear to lose her.

And so he lied to her.  Not with his words, but with his silence.  There had been many instances in his long life when Killian had hated himself, but he rather doubted there was ever a time he loathed himself more.  Somehow he had to get out of this.  Somehow he had to find the courage to tell her the truth.

Until then…he must soldier on.

Henry spotted him, and waved exuberantly. “Will this boat work, Killian?” he asked eagerly.  “You think you can teach me to sail it?”

Killian pushed down the uncomfortable feelings and smiled.  “This shall do quite nicely lad, and it’s a lovely day to be out on the water.  What say we set sail?”

[mystical-flute]

Take My Hand and Whisper 'Run'! Chapter 4: Growing Roots

Also on AO3 || Buy me a Ko-Fi

Something wasn’t right.

Snow White and Prince Charming’s daughter was in Storybrooke, as had been foretold. The clock tower was moving, and people weren’t doing exactly what they’d been for the past… well, he couldn’t be sure how many years it had been. All he knew for sure it hadn’t been twenty-eight. Emma had looked far, far too young. But it had to be her, he knew it.

His curse wouldn’t have broken otherwise.

Then why? How?

Rumplestiltskin’s fingers drummed unconsciously against his cane. There had been a woman with Emma. Old enough to be some sort of guardian, but that didn’t explain exactly how someone from the Land Without Magic got into Storybrooke. His curse had ensured that. Even that odd father and son duo had been caught up in the curse as it had been forming the town, from what he’d been able to deduce.

What unlucky souls.

Then what had prompted Emma to show up to Storybrooke so early? She was still rather young too, so perhaps it wouldn’t hurt him to nudge her in her mother’s direction and out of Regina’s claws.

He would have to figure out what was going on with them though. How they got to Storybrooke, who they were working for (because surely, this couldn’t be good), or what they knew about the curse. It really was the only explanation, that the older blonde with her was from The Enchanted Forest or one of the other realms instead of being from The Land Without Magic.

But for now, he would continue to pretend everything was as it should be, especially when it came to Regina. It would be one thing if Emma was an adult, she would be able to handle  Regina with no magic, he was sure, but a teenager? A teenager stood no chance against Regina in any realm.

On the upside, Emma being here early meant there would be more time for him to figure out where his son was, and the less time apart he was from Baelfire, the better. Three-hundred years had already felt like an eternity.

Rumplestiltskin moved throughout the shop, making sure there was nothing he wouldn’t want out. The curse had left little hints toward its victims, and Rumplestiltskin didn’t want Regina to realize it. Many of the trinkets in his shop were from the ordinary citizens of Misthaven, but some, like the chess set that had belonged to Snow White’s father or Jefferson’s hat box, were tucked away in the back room Storybrooke’s citizens knew never to go near. He was not going to tip his hand to Regina. Not now.

Once he made sure his shop was as conspicuous as ever, he moved to the box of all his clients, beginning to go through them for some sort of hint as to who could have gotten someone out of the Enchanted Forest before Regina’s curse hit. Though there was the matter of how, he just wanted to know the who, for now.

Princess Jasmine? No - her husband had set their genie free only days before the curse. Surely there wouldn’t have been time for them to escape.

King Stefan? Of course not. They would have needed Maleficent to escape.

Alma Madrigal… her family had magic, that son of hers had prophetic abilities, so realistically, the family could see the curse coming but to find an escape route? He wasn’t sure. Still, he turned the card sideways, just in case.

He continued to flip through the cards, and while it was tempting to stop on Blue or any of the fairies, Rumplestiltskin knew that they’d all been busy working on trying to mitigate the curse to the best of their abilities, It couldn’t have been them.

Then who? How had this random person gotten the Savior into Storybrooke?

Or worse, why?

Rumplestiltskin didn’t exactly care, but even though she was without magic, he knew Regina had a temper and enough control over the town that she could make things very difficult for the newcomers. As easy as it would be to just let her do what she wanted, Emma was here, and she was the key to all of this, so he couldn’t just let anything happen to her. She’d be much less willing to work with him if her friend was dead.

So he would do what he did best if things got dicey - try to gain control from the shadows.

He shut the box when he saw the woman from last night approach the shop.

“Good morning,” he greeted with a tight smile when she entered. “Is there anything I can help you find?”

“Answers, I hope,” she replied. She was nervous, he could tell, and he could easily take advantage of that. A desperate soul was a desperate soul, no matter what realm they were in, after all. And if it helped him, well… he was all for it.

“I would be happy to provide those, if I can. But if it’s a map of Storybrooke you’re looking for, I’m afraid mine are all outdated and vintage,” he quipped with a twitch of his lips. “I do believe the library or welcome center should have some up-to-date ones.”

“Not a map… historical information about Storybrooke, like how it came to be and stuff like that.”

Rumplestiltskin raised a brow. Ah. He knew what she was getting at now. Both of them were holding something back - their identities, for one - and he leaned against the counter with a small smirk on his face. “I see. And what makes you think I can help you with that?”

“Because I’ve heard stories. Stories that you like to make deals.”

Ah… interesting. So this woman was perhaps from the Enchanted Forest instead.

“I do like to make deals, but it takes a specific sort of person to get me to make a deal.”

“A desperate soul?”

He smirked a little. “Yes, exactly that. However, since I have questions for you, I am considering this to be a mutual favor instead. Now… what is your name?”

The woman leaned closer to him (careful. That was good, especially if she was going to be an asset). “My name is Tinkerbell.”

Aha, a fairy. That made sense now. A fairy must have managed to make it out of the Enchanted Forest before the curse hit and cared for The Savior. But that didn’t answer all of the questions.

“And why did you bring the Savior here a decade before the curse is due to break?”

Tinkerbell frowned, face showing genuine confusion. “What are you talking about? What curse?”

Well, that wasn’t what he expected to hear. The fact that there were any fairies out there that didn’t know about the curse was a bit of a surprise to him - those winged insects had been at the front of Snow and Charming’s attempts to delay or stop the curse. So why hadn’t this one been?

“Regina cast a curse on our world… were you not part of the fairy brigade that was trying to stop her?” he questioned.

“I was banished from the Enchanted Forest,” she replied. “I don’t know how long I was gone for but… clearly long enough for Regina to go completely out of her mind…”

Rumplestiltskin frowned. He didn’t like the thought of working with a fairy to break the curse, but if she had also been scorned by Regina and was the only other person in the town who knew about the Enchanted Forest, it seemed he had little choice.

“Alright dearie, I believe you,” he said, clasping his hands on top of the handle of his cane. “Why don’t you tell me where you came from? Where were you banished to?”

“Neverland.”

Ah… that made sense. Banished to a realm notoriously difficult to get to, that was hostile, and that had no sense of time. Even though she was a fairy, he felt a little sorry for her. “I understand now. So… what is it you wish to ask me?”

“Everyone here… they’re from the Enchanted Forest? But how?”

He gestured for her to step behind the counter, not wanting Regina to pop in for a surprise inspection. If this fairy knew Regina had already run into her once here, there was no telling what she would think if she saw the two of them talking.

“Regina cast a curse. The Dark Curse,” he said, leading her to the back room where he kept extra merchandise and his spinning wheel. “It was to get revenge on Snow White for being manipulated by Regina’s mother.” Sure, technically Snow had been the one to tell Cora about Daniel, but realistically, there’d have been no way for Regina and her stable boy to run away and live happily ever after. Not while Cora still breathed anyway.

Tragically, for all the known realms, Cora still did.

Or at least, as far as he knew. He didn’t know what had become of the Enchanted Forest in the past fourteen years, but if anyone was still there, he had no doubt Cora had wormed her way in to take advantage of the situation.

Tinkerbell frowned a little. “I see… and how is the curse supposed to break?”

“The daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming, Emma, is the Savior. She is the girl you came here with, isn’t she?”

Tinkerbell’s eyes widened. “How - how could you possibly know that?”

He smirked. “I’m the Dark One, dearie. I saw this coming. Well, not precisely this, but I did know the daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming was going to be the one to break the curse. And then last night when I heard her name, the curse on me broke.”

“But just on you.”

“Indeed. Too many of us who are freed from the curse before we truly know how to defeat Regina will only serve to make Regina angrier and more paranoid than she has a tendency to be,” he explained. “But doing it all at once…”

“We could get her contained without worry. Even without magic.”

He nodded.

Tinkerbell sighed. “But how do we even do this? Emma… she hasn’t had the best start in life. She believes her parents abandoned her. She understands that Neverland is real but… I don’t know, I think this might be too much for her.”

Rumplestiltskin couldn’t say he was surprised. He’d thought at least one of the Charmings had escaped, but knowing both of them were in town, it was a miracle that Emma had survived at all, and begged the question of what exactly happened to make her come to the Land Without Magic all alone.

“We should work together… to try and help the people here,” Tinkerbell said.

That was a sentence Rumplestiltskin was hoping wouldn’t come, but he knew, with things being so early, he would need help with this. 

Even if it meant working with a fairy.

“Fine, fine. Where are you staying?”

“The Bed and Breakfast… Granny said we can stay as long as we earn our keep.”

Hmm… he wasn’t sure he trusted Granny, well, actually, his concern was more on Regina manipulating the poor plebs of the town into doing her bidding. On the other hand, if he jumped too far in helping to set Tinkerbell and Emma up in town, Regina would absolutely question what his goal was.

He tapped his fingers against an empty shelf as he pondered what to do, before he steeled his resolve and moved to the safe - Mr. Gold had more money than he knew what to do with, and subconsciously, Rumplestiltskin supposed that was because of the life he’d lived in the Enchanted Forest. He could part with some of it though, if it meant keeping the Savior safe until they figured out how to break the curse on the rest of the town. Swiftly, he placed the money in a little keepsake box that had come with the curse (it belonged to Snow White, if he remembered correctly), and handed it to the fairy.

“What’s this?”

He smirked a little. “Consider it a nest egg. Save it for a rainy day.”

Emma let out a sigh and took a seat behind the counter. The lunch rush was over, and now there was going to be a lull before the dinner rush began.

But something had been bothering Emma since she’d gotten here. It was nice to feel settled (even if they were living in a hotel and only had a few pieces of clothing each), but there had been so many kids like her that hadn’t been so lucky. So many kids were still stuck in horrible places, unable to escape, or ready to be thrown out on their asses when they turned eighteen.

She repressed a shudder at the thought. No, her life wasn’t exactly great, but at least she hadn’t been tossed on her ass at eighteen. She had people she cared about now. People who would fight for her, and whom she would fight for… and even though they were in this small town where strangers looked at them like they were outsiders, she was not going to go back to Minnesota. Not for all the money in the world.

“Emma? Not that I’m upset that you’re taking some of the load off here, but does Rosetta intend to enroll you in school? The year started a few weeks ago but I’m sure you’d be able to catch up no problem,” Ruby said, breaking Emma from her thoughts by leaning against the counter next to her.

Emma blinked, unsure of what the answer was supposed to even be. Probably yes, right? Considering she was from the Land Without Magic (which was a joke since Peter Pan was able to infiltrate this place and take kids away), and had been to school in the past but… Tink wasn’t technically her legal guardian, and she had no idea if her old school even had her records anymore. How was she supposed to start at a normal school after being in Neverland for months? This wasn’t like when she had bounced from home to home… but on the other hand, she had liked school in the past. She had liked learning, for the most part, even if making friends had never been her priority (and how could it have been, when she’d lived in group homes for years and either bounced around or lived with too many other kids the last thing she wanted to do was be around more of them?).

Now that she had Bae and Tink though, Emma felt that she almost wanted to go to school.

How Bae was supposed to deal with school though… she had no idea.

“Oh - uh, yeah, maybe. I’ll have to talk to her when she gets back, but since we’ve got plans to settle down here, I should probably be in school, right?” Emma laughed lightly and adjusted a haphazard napkin holder in front of her. “What’s school even like here anyway?”

Ruby shrugged. “It’s school. Gross food, gym class that teaches nothing except how annoying running is, boys who like to show off cars in the parking lot that they say are theirs, but totally belong to their dads, itchy uniforms…”

“Uniforms? I’ve never heard of a public school having uniforms before,” Emma frowned. She’d gone to a Catholic school once - the uniforms were itchy and annoying then, and she doubted it’d be any better here. She’d seen kids walking around with uniforms here, but she had assumed they had been from a private school.

But if she was going to go to school here, she’d put up with the uniform if she had to.

“That was the worst part,” Ruby continued. “I couldn’t even have my red streaks. Can you imagine me without them?”

She giggled. “No, I really can’t.” Ruby with just plain black hair was a little strange of a mental image, she had to admit.

Ruby smiled a little. “But it’s really not so bad. You don’t have to spend money on a uniform at least, because they’re free, and actually, you’ve seen a lot of the teachers come in here for their morning dose of caffeine. Most of them have been teaching there for as long as I can remember…”

There was something odd about her tone, wistful and far away, like Ruby couldn’t exactly remember what she was talking about, so Emma cleared her throat before speaking again.

“Is Granny going to be okay with that? I mean, part of us staying here was that we worked to earn our keep,” she said, biting her lip. “We don’t have enough to get a place of our own yet.”

Ruby waved her hand. “It’ll be fine, I promise.”

Emma gave her a weak smile and nodded. “Yeah, you’re right. Thanks Ruby, I really appreciate it.”

“Of course, any time,” Ruby replied with a grin. “If you do end up at school and they give you any shit, don’t be afraid to tell them who you’re staying with. I’ll deal with it.”

Emma’s eyes widened. She hadn’t expected Ruby to be that friendly toward her, but she couldn’t say she was mad. “Wow, thank you Ruby, that’s really nice of you. I will, for sure.”

People in this town were so friendly. Almost a little too friendly, if she was being honest with herself, but they were staying here, so she supposed this was something Emma was just going to have to get used to.

Emma wasn’t sure if Storybrooke just wasn’t used to new people or not, but getting enrolled in school had been unnervingly easy. Her records had been sent from her old school, the principal - Mr. Lafayette - had a uniform ready for her and had been willing to meet with them on a weekend, of all things.

But Emma was set for her first day of a proper high school, after managing to splurge on some back to school clearance supplies, and to her great surprise, they were better quality school supplies than she’d ever had, despite them being the last of the season. She even managed to score a pair of black shoes and some new, warm socks, as was part of the uniform for Storybrooke. Having all these new things was certainly a new experience for her, overwhelming, in a way. She couldn’t remember the last time she had new clothes.

And now here she was, new uniform, backpack, and freshly showered, with food in her stomach and more in her backpack for lunch. The food was threatening to come back out though, because of how nervous she was as she stepped into her home room classroom.

“Ah! You must be Emma Swan, our new student,” the teacher, Mrs. Haddad said with a bright smile. “Come in. Everyone, I know you like to blow this class off but I need you to listen! We have a new student joining us today. This is Emma Swan. I expect you all to be kind and make her feel welcome.”

The grumbling from her classmates wasn’t unexpected, so Emma didn’t react to it, instead turning to Mrs. Haddad when she addressed her directly.

“Emma, you can have a seat next to Adeline, alright?” Mrs. Haddad said, gesturing to where a red-haired girl was sitting, who gave her a bored wave.

Emma shuffled her way over to the desk and took a seat, and the din of the classroom began again.

“So you’re new, huh? We’ve never had a new kid before,” Adeline said with a small grin. “Where are you from then?”

“Minnesota,” Emma said with a small smile. “My cousin got me out of a bad situation and we ended up here.”

Adeline rested her chin in her hand. “Really? That’s super interesting. Where are you living then?”

“Oh - just at Granny’s, for now. We’re trying to find a cute apartment or something but we don’t really know the layout of the town and let’s face it, this place isn’t exactly a real estate hub.”

Adeline snorted. “This place isn’t a hub for anything. But listen, I work for Sinclair Designs after school, just answering phones and whatever. Estella has a couple of properties around town that Mr. Gold hasn’t been able to pry out of her hands yet. I could probably set your cousin up with her to talk, if you want. Oh, but if I manage to get that connection, there’s something you should know.”

“What’s that?”

“If you have a dog, don’t let Ms. SInclair see it. She gets a little squirrely about dogs.”

Emma blinked. “Oh - we don’t have a dog, no.” A dog - or any pet - would just mean another mouth to feed, and they still couldn’t afford that.

Adeline grinned. “Great, then you should be fine. I’ll try to set something up. Give me your number so I can call you.”

The meeting was set up, and Tink, having wanted to go alone, did so, leaving Emma alone in the hotel room to do homework while Bae was down at the diner working. The concept of having a place to call home - that wasn’t a bed and breakfast room - was a tempting one, but Emma couldn’t help but think about her old foster sister, the one that had been taken away and sent to a mental hospital.

She had the phone number… and she was alone in the room, so…

Emma grabbed the phone and dialed. “Hi, I’m Emma Swan, and I was hoping to speak to Miss Duval, please.”

“One moment please, I’ll see if she’s available.”

Emma bit her lip, pencil tapping against the table as she waited.

Finally, the line reconnected.

“Emma?”

Emma smiled in relief. “Hi Uma.”

[princess-ibri]

Rumplestiltskin Family Tree + Enchanted/Snow White stuff

So, this background stuff is pretty darn dark, like, lots of implied pretty bad stuff, though it doesn't go into detail, but hey it's the kinda Big Bad Background Villain family of my DisneyVerse so that's to be expected.

So the being this dark family starts out with is Chernabog, lord of all darkness and evil within the DisneyVerse. In the pre-historic times of the EverRealm he takes as his first mortal disciple the human woman Var, who eventually becomes the demon sorceress Vor of Sofia the First infamy.

They have a demon son called Voland, who takes to wandering the world in the guise of a soldier, oft accompanied by three massive hell-hounds, causing terror and strife wherever he goes. And at one point in his wanderings he decides it's time he take a wife. With his familiars help, he nightly steals away the Princess Achlys, heir to a great empire of the EverRealm. When this affront is discovered, Voland is captured by the Emperor's forces, but they prove no match for his powers nor hell-hound familiars. And in one day, the Empire is laid to utter ruin..

Achlys later gives birth to her own son, Rumplestiltskin, but by this time she has learned enough magic of her own in secret to manage to escape her binding to Voland, and in her last act of vengance before fleeing she curses the child to never be able to hid his demonic heritage behind a charming face as Voland once had, and so Rumplestiltskin is forced to bear his green and scaly visage for all time.

(Achlys goes on to become the Dark Enchantress who causes trouble later for Belle and Adam)

Despite his unseemly looks Rumplestiltskin tries over the years to gain a wife of his own (often to the refusing lady's detriment, such as the case of the poor Princess Toute-Belle and her lover the King of the Gold Mines) Eventually he decides to take a page out of his father's book and just steal one away, and so the unfortunate Camilla finds herself trapped in Rumplestiltskin's subterranean lair.

She too eventually gives birth to a son, (which Rumplestiltskin names Baelfire, a suitable name for the demon prince he's meant to become ) But Camilla too manages to escape her captor.

But unlike her predecessor she takes her son with her as she flees, boarding a ship meant to take them far from Rumplestiltskin's power. For a time she is able to enjoy her freedom and even finds love with the ships captain (who isn't Hook he's not even born yet in the DisneyVerse timeline), but Rumplestiltskin eventually tracks her down and has his revenge.

Her child, however, is smuggled away in time and grows up in the forests of Andalasia, under the name Niall and with no knowledge of his dark heritage. Eventually, he meets the young Princess Amelia, daughter of Snow White and Florian. They fall in love and eventually marry and have a child, a young son named Heinrich.

The family is happy together for a time, until Amelia's older brother Argent decides to remarry after the sudden death of his wife Queen Rosamund, choosing as his new wife his court sorceress, the Lady Narissa.

Amelia and Niall soon discover that Narissa had been behind the death of Queen Rosamund, and try to reveal her dark nature but she struck back at them before they could.

Queen Snow-White and King Florian were told that their daughter's family had all died in an attack from a vicious dragon, but in reality only Niall had perished. Young Heinrich had managed to escape into the magical wishing well that formed a portal to Our World.

There, he was eventually found by his great aunt Eva, who had gone to explore Our World years back. He told her what had happened in Andalasia and how Narissa had taken the throne. They attempt to go back but find that Narissa has sealed the portal against them by then.

Amelia meanwhile had been tranformed into a swan, as part of a protective spell that had been placed upon her by her aunt, meant to give her the means to escape her enemies and keep under cover. But the clash of magic between the protection spell, Narissa's magic and the enchanted well causes her to be trapped in Swan form and bound to the water of the castle.

For years she watches over her nephew Edward, trying her best to find a way to contact anyone who might be able to help her break the spell and overthrow Narissa. Thankfully Narissa had to unlock the portal to push Edward's former fiance Giselle into it, and had not been able to relock it (it was a time consuming spell) before she was defeated forever. This allowed Eva and Heinrich to finally return to Andalasia (after living for several years in a town Eva had founded, which she left in the hands of a woman named Malvina Monroe when they left) and break the spell that had trapped Amelia for so many years.

The family that had survived was at last reunited. Snow White and Florian, Eva and Amelia, Heinrich and Edward, as well as Edward's new wife Nancy.

They mourned their lost years and lost loved ones, but at last were able to find a happily ever after for the years they had left together.

[themeepyfreak]

Day 6: Favorite Trope

Friends-to-Lovers

I love the friends-to-lovers trope because the characters form a bond and truly get to know each other before romance ever comes into the picture. And when romance does get involved, instead of getting crushes on each other for shallow attributes like their physical appearances and public masks, the characters get crushes on each other for their true selves. As friends, the characters have seen each other at their best, at their worst, when they're happy, when they're sad, when they're trying too hard, when they're not trying enough, etc. And despite knowing all of their flaws and unattractive moments, the characters still fall in love with each other- warts and all.

That's one of the reasons why I love Swanfire- because it's the essence of a friends-to-lovers relationship. Even though there was mutual attraction between Neal and Emma from their first meeting, I doubt either of them tried to pursue a romantic relationship immediately. When they both met, Emma was too closed off and unwilling to trust people after her trauma with the foster system. And even though Neal was flirty with Emma at first, his flirtiness and confidence seemed to be a mask he formed from living on the streets for years. (Whenever Neal was sincere in "There's No Place Like Home" and the latter parts of "Tallahassee", he fidgeted and was more insecure and acted more like young Baelfire did.) When Emma and Neal met, they were both just two lost, homeless kids in need of a friend, not a romance.

Because of their dire situation, Emma and Neal decided to cohabitate the bug and work as thieving partners which acquainted them with each other fairly quickly. They spent almost every minute with each other, living together in a small space barely as big as a closet. Inevitably, they grew to understand each other more than they even knew themselves, as shown by Neal knowing how much Emma yearned for her parents and Emma knowing Neal's mentality concerning the tallies in his Neverland cave in "Nasty Habits". They saw each other at their moodiest, grossest, most braindead, etc. But despite this, they were still fascinated with each other, interested in each other's stories and thoughts and opinions, until they finally fell in love with each other- warts and all.

[ouatsnark]

hi!! i have one more ask i promise! saw another post saying it doesn't make sense for emma to think getting pregnant again would be a second chance at motherhood esp being an orphan who got adopted and saw her birth parents have another child, but isn't her having another child supposed to be a parallel to snowing and henry was a grown man by the time she got pregnant and he was ok with it?? HELP

Wait. Does this have to do with Emma supposedly replacing Henry with Hope? I can't stand this "logic" because it implies that second born children are replacements and that parents only have the capacity to love one child at a time. A second child isn't a replacement but just simply expanding the family. And if anyone thinks that a second child is a replacement well then they need to change their thinking. Also this is usually said by people who take Hope and make her Hope Mills. So it's OK then but not if she's Hope Swan-Jones. And it usually has to do with Emma not following her adult son around. CaptainSwan haters are so tiresome.

So if I understand this correctly (translating stupid is often tricky) Emma getting pregnant again means she is abandoning Henry the way she was adopted and abandoned? How so? I mean her adoptive family sent her back as a child and never communicated with her again. Emma is not doing this with Henry. For one, he's an adult. And two, she quite literally goes to see him. Emma Swan did not abandon her adult son. She did not cut off communication with him. She still very much loves him. Emma and Killian understand the horrors of abandonment so there is no way they'd repeat that with Hope or Henry. All you would need to do is look at Emma's goodbye to ADULT Henry and see that no one could replace him in her heart. It's quite clear in their interactions in Season 7 that Hope is just a precious addition to Emma, Killian and Henry's family.

Another thing is Emma and Killian are true love! Why wouldn't they want to make their family even bigger? It makes perfect sense to me that Emma would want a child with her true love, Killian Jones. And Killian, I am sure, would love the chance to raise his own child. Just look at the way he was with Henry and how he wanted young Baelfire to see him as a father figure (you know, before the rejection).

And before anyone cries "but Regina didn't abandon Henry! Emma did to go have Hope!" Once again, Henry is an adult and having one "mother" following him around into his adulthood was more than enough (too much if you ask me). Emma loved Henry enough to let him go and find his own story without interfering.

And YES. Emma wanting a second chance to raise a baby is definitely a throwback to Snow wanting the same in Season 3. They both missed out on their first born's first everythings. Both women are also doing it at a time when their first born is grown and has a life of their own to lead. Snowing and CaptainSwan have so many parallels and having one girl and one boy and their girls being products of true love is another!

I think people who use this "logic" to hate on Emma or CaptainSwan either are grasping at reasons or honestly do not think a person has the capacity to love more than one person at a time. And that just isn't true. Unless your favorite is Regina Mills then I could see how you'd see things that way but luckily we aren't talking about her....

Anyway I love your asks! Feel free to keep sending them. This one made me think for a second because I had to translate their stupid speak. LOL.

[cupidthewriter]

Baelfire: The Virtue of Humility (Banlaine Kid Breakdown)

🍃

Baelfire is the second prince of Benwick and the Gazelle virtue of Humility. He is the second son of the Greed Sin Ban and Fairy Queen Elaine. He is the last member of the Virtues to join up. He is also the youngest virtue.

Baelfire is about 6 years younger than Lancelot. Baelfire looks up to him a lot, and was only 4 when Lance disappeared with Jericho. He did not understand why his brother would not visit. Lancelot does love Baelfire, but doesn’t show it very often. They have a complicated relationship.

He’s only 3 years younger than Junior, and keeps in close contact with that part of his family as Baelfire had no other friends growing up.

His name means “bonfire,” and refers to the Gaelic May Day festival, Beltane. It’s a celebration of the height of spring, around the time he was born.

He’s very close with his parents, because after Lance left with Jericho, he was the only child they had to focus on. He resembles both of his parents. He has his mothers soft eyes. He will be tall like his father.

He also knows Emerel, but not well, because his memories of when Jericho was around would be from when he was very young.

He whistles a lot, and plays a wooden flute. I believe it was a gift from his Uncle Harlequin.

He is very much opposite of Lancelot in some ways. He smells like honeysuckle, while Lance smells rather sour. Baelfire prefers sweets while Lance prefers salt. Baelfire is a softer kid than Lance, and prefers to avoid fights if he can.

Recent Concept art

He is the only active prince in Benwick, performing duties properly and responsibly even at a young age. He’s a humble little prince and asks for nothing in return. This leads into him fitting in as the Humility Virtue. He sees it all as his duty and strives to be the best prince he can be.

He feels he can’t get any better than Lance is, because of how much older he is, and how much cooler he thinks his brother is. He wants to be able to protect people he loves but feels he will never catch up to Lance.

He was there when Lance and Tristan had their incident, but was probably occupied playing with Violet. He stayed with his mother when Elizabeth was sick in GoE.

Baelfire’s fairy abilities include reading hearts, a control over the wind (inherited from his mother.), the ability to “talk” with the forest, and the general skill with plants most fairies have.

Much like Lance, Baelfire is highly skilled in combat (thanks to fighting with his father) and has heightened physical abilities and reflexes.

Baelfire’s fairy appearance is undecided so far, but I’d like it to be fairly similar to his mother and he would not have wings yet.

Baelfire wields a spear called “Ventus”, and can use it as transportation by standing on it like a skateboard and manipulating the wind. He could theoretically use it like a witch’s broom, but finds it uncomfortable.

I haven’t decided if Ventus is a sacred treasure yet, but most of the way Baelfire uses it is in conjunction with his wind powers. His spear and arrows will always find their target dead on.

Sometimes he can direct where Ventus goes with his whistling.

More refined concept art.

I’m not sure what story I want to approach with Baelfire. But I feel like there should be an ongoing arc of Baelfire trying to live up to his father and more so the idolized view he has of his brother. And how it’s not to prove anything to others— it’s merely so he can be the best prince and knight he can be and help others.

The Masterlist will contain links to the other virtues!

[booksteaandtoomuchtv]

Burn The Ships (2/?)

THIS IS/WILL BE MATURE.

NOW WITH BEAUTIFUL COVER ART BY @snowbellewells

1 | AO3 | 3 | 4 | 5 |

Summary: Pan and his pack of gruesome werewolves torment and put an end to individuals who find themselves unlucky enough to be a guest of Neverland. After being betrayed by her ex, Emma finds herself the game in this month’s hunt.

Captain Hook has never found the sport particularly alluring, preferring to spend his change far from Pan’s cruel crew. When he catches the scent of his mate, he is forced to join in the hunt to find her before the others can.

Saving her will mean betraying Pan and no one betrays Peter Pan and lives to tell about it.

@anmylica, @deckerstarblanche, @elfiola, @goforlaunchcee, @jrob64, @kmomof4 , @pirateswhore, @stahlopp, @teamhook, @tiganasummertreee, @undercaffinatednightmare, @xarandomdreamx, @zaharadessert

Emma was led from her room toward the all-too-familiar small garden that surrounded Pan’s compound. She spent her last several changes pacing the perimeter, yearning for the freedom to run and to hunt. It had been an improvement from the first few changes, where she was left in that tiny, lifeless room with hardly enough space for the smallest pup to pounce. Unable to even pace, she had curled up on the wooden boards, suppressing the pathetic whimpers that threatened to escape.

Escaping the kennel had felt like such a relief - the feeling of the damp jungle brush underpaw was too welcoming to notice the nefarious plans Pan was putting into motion. She realised, now, that he had let her run to prevent her growing too weak. Hunting a wolf unable to walk would spoil the sport. So, over the last few months, Pan had sent better meals before the changes and let her into the impenetrable garden under heavy wards and guards to build her strength.

Before they approached the final door that would release her out on to the grounds, the young boy leading her down pressed his hand against the opposite wall. A shimmering purple door appeared before them, the exit discovered entirely too late to escape. The boy pushed it open and the rich smell of wet earth met her on the warm, damp air that blew in behind him before she stepped out. This was the closest she had been to freedom since Neal - or, apparently, Baelfire - traded his crime for her innocence. Yet, the number of boys ambling around just beyond the threshold made it clear that any attempt at escape was pointless - it would just be a preamble for the chase to come. 

Pan’s second-in-command, Felix, stepped out from the crowd as the magical door Emma stepped through disappeared behind her. It was a sickening result of the captivity that the familiar face soothed her nerves for a moment. When she realised what just happened, she welcomed back the fear that had been present with her all morning. 

The crowd quieted, excitement and hunger building before Felix spoke. “Get a good whiff now, boys, because this is tonight’s hare.” He turned his vicious smile on Emma and her stomach dropped. “You will be given an hour to transform and hide before the hunt begins. You may go wherever you choose.” He stepped closer, voice low and threatening, “There is nowhere safe on this island and no way off the island.” 

Abruptly, he turned and spoke loudly to everyone gathered once more. “WINNER TAKES ALL.” Shouts and cheers rose around her as Felix muttered without turning back to her, “Run, little rabbit.”

And, Emma ran.

§§§§      §§§§      §§§§      §§§§      

The jungle seemed more dense and angry this evening. The plants pulled and tore at Killian’s fur as he made his way silently through the thick underbrush. His paws sank deep into hungry mud with every step he took as he stalked a pair of wolves, attempting to get close enough to catch their scent but not so close that they were aware of his presence on the island. 

Would he be able to sense his mate before he was close enough to pick up the scent? 

For the hundredth time today, Killian tried to reconcile the exciting realisation that he had found his mate with the terrible truth that Pan had been near them. Were they one of his pack? Would he see them tonight with the others tearing apart some innocent Pan set them on? 

Had Killian imagined the scent? The way it had woven itself into his mind and kept him distracted seemed less real as the day wore on. 

A low growl rumbled through Killian, as every part of his wolf insisted he knew it had been his mate. Even if the man was unable to accept something that felt so impossibly good could be anything more than a trick. He reminded himself that there was no magic that could mimic the bond of a mate. The scent, the connection, was undetectable to those outside of the bond before it was accepted by all parties. Assuming they would accept the bond - would anyone want him? accept him?

A howl erupted from somewhere behind him as Pan’s pack of Lost Boys made their way loudly through the island, playing their twisted game. Most of the sounds were coming from the Bowline Point, but there was something tugging at him to go back toward the caves. 

He looped back, avoiding Pan’s pack for now, as he followed that persistent little pull.

§§§§      §§§§      §§§§      §§§§   

Running all out in her wolf form as she tried to find a place to hide before Pan unleashed his hounds was like rich, dark chocolate - as bitter as it was sweet. The burn of air through her lungs as she pushed her body hard after months of being trapped made her feel strong and alive for the first time in months. The snap of branches breaking under her paws came less frequently as the thick jungle gave way to pebbles and rocks. The trail in front of her spread out and divided into two directions; one leading toward the ocean and the other was littered with caves.

The sea was filled with mermaids who were more dangerous than the bloodthirsty wolves behind her. 

Emma made her way toward the entrance of a cave at random, going deeper into the cavern until she reached a twisting maze of tunnels in which she could easily get lost. Which was exactly the point, if she survived the night - she would be asked to join Pan’s pack of lost pups. But, if they assumed she’d died… Emma felt a glimmer of something bright - a fool’s hope, perhaps - fuelling her as she ran deeper into the tunnels. 

She ran until she could no longer smell the sickly sweet smell of decay that was everywhere on the island - still, she ran deeper into the dark, stale air of the caves. She ran until her limbs were shaking, her body - pushed too far after months of captivity - collapsing on the hard rock of the cave floor. For a moment, she thought she could smell the sea with the fruity warmth of a cedar plank before exhaustion claimed her.

§§§§ §§§§ §§§§ §§§§

White fur shimmered against the blackness of the cave.

Killian’s heart caught in his throat as he approached.

The other wolf didn’t move.

Please, please, be alive. He begged of her, of the gods, of anyone who was listening and could do something to change the scene that was unfolding before him.

Despite his pleas, the white wolf continued to lie unnaturally still. Lowering his head to hers, he thought he heard her draw in a weak breath. He stayed as still as possible as he listened for another. The moment drew out before him, lasting longer than the lifetimes he’d spent trapped in this realm. He watched her belly for movement, noting that too many ribs were showing while he waited for any indication that he hadn’t imagined that inhale.

Breathe, love. He thought as he nuzzled her soothingly behind her ear. Please, just breathe. And, I can take care of the rest.

Her chest rose. Killian felt the relief and fear loosen their hold on him, anger rising in their absence -it was now very clear she had been the target of tonight’s hunt. I’m going to rip out his bloody throat.

He needed to get her out of these caves, back to the Jolly, where he could help her and keep her safe. Then, he was going to set this realm ablaze and put an end to Pan.

[avatarskywalker78]

OC Pride Challenge Day Thirteen - Tropes of a Nonbinary OC

Rua┃ Rowan Evergreen┃ Matilda Prentiss (they/them)

Fourteen years before the Curse was cast, a young girl called Rua is abandoned by her birth parents to die in the woods, only saved by following a path of rowan trees towards Rumplestiltskin's Castle - a feat that should be impossible considering the hundreds of miles between this place and her home village...and the fact that there areno rowan trees near his castle. But whatever magic was used is untraceable and the Dark One knows he won't get any answers from a half-starved four-year-old even once she recovers - and, much as he would never admit it, there are ancient magics even he doesn't know all the details of. And after he deals with her parents he fully intends to go and give her to someone else...

But once upon a time he was a father, and he's just spent the last few weeks trying to make sure she lives to the next day, and for whatever reason she's grown attached to him - meaning that leaving her would shatter any remaining trust she has in people and deep, deep down...he doesn't have the heart to do that. So he takes her in - and unknowingly starts to change things.

Fourteen years later Rua is Rowan Evergreen, a young person who has strong magical potential and considers Rumplestiltskin a father...except they daren't say that out loud because they know full well that they're really nothing more than an apprentice to him - he's manipulating events to find his actual child, after all, and Rowan knows they can't compare to Baelfire, so they're not even going to try. They don't even share the same magic - Rumple forbid them from learning Dark Magic, and though Rowan can guess at the reasons why that doesn't mean the way he did so didn't hurt. With Rumple imprisioned and with their last words to each other harsh and bitter, they don't expect to get any answers of any kind until Emma Swan breaks the Curse three decades later.

So it's a shock when they suddenly wake up after Emma introduces herself in Storybrooke - because there's only one person who had the power to ensure that would happen, and they have absolutely no idea why...or what they're supposed to do now. Especially because, due to Rumple making an active effort back in their world to keep them hidden from his enemies, Regina has spent twenty-eight years wondering who the hell this new person even is.

Turns out this really is just the start of things - and secrets even Rowan didn't know of will eventually come to light...

Tagging (let me know if you want to be added or removed): @shrinkthisviolet @starstruckpurpledragon

[sentenceme-leni]

Day 56. Sunday. 7 sentences.

---

Secrets were important.

Secrets were the fates of his parents when he was a little boy. His aunts spun gentle tales about the absence of father and mother, and Rumpelstiltskin pretended he didn't remember those last moments with his father. That he had never heard Father ramble and swear over runaway wives.

Secrets were the fate of Bae's mother when his son asked for her. Rumpelstiltskin didn't ramble. He didn't swear. He lived his life barely above a whisper, and he also spun stories about a loving mother to a boy who pretended to believe him.

Secrets were the power of the dagger over him. That it was the key to his power. To his will. To his very soul. And it was a secret too, that Baelfire had used and abused that dagger. His boy, murder erased from his young conscience. That was a secret too.

Later, after the bean and the portal, secrets tore at him.

His mission was to be kept in the shadows. His love for his son must be hidden from sight. His determination to find him. His need for forgiveness. He took it all into his chest and never hinted that his action were anything than sheer villainy or simple boredom

Secrets were important.

"You promised me a story," Belle was saying now, bright and confident as she closed the distance between them. The girl stopped right in front of him to demand her prize, sinking into the seat next to his. "When I came back, you said, you'd tell me about your son."

Once again, he had made a deal he didn't understand. All because his clever, twisted mind couldn't understand Belle herself.

"You came back a day later," he reminded her, unwilling to reveal the truth of Baelfire again.

Cora had betrayed him. Belle might not deserve being painted with the same brush as his former lover, but no father would risk the memory of his son again.

"I'm sure the walk to town doesn't take eight hours, dearie. Don't try to cheat me. Ever."

Instead of growing angry, Belle gave him an understanding look. "Of course, Rumpelstiltskin. My mistake. I forgot that was a time limit to the offer."

There had been no such thing.

He had been so certain that, once allowed out of the Dark Castle, Belle would rush back under her father's protection, that he hadn't even considered that she would keep her side of the deal.

Unwilling to lie directly, not to her, not at this moment, Rumpelstiltskin opted for silence.

Belle waited for another few breaths, then she nodded to herself. Right when Rumpelstiltskin thought she would rise from his side and return to her duties, her hand moved to cover his.

Shock stopped him from yanking his hand away. Sheer shock. nothing else. If the thought to reproach her ever approached his brain, it was kicked out by a sudden rush of strangely content confusion.

"Of course," Belle said in a soft voice, smiling at him for some inexplicable reason, "If you ever want to tell me, I will want to hear you out. I'm right here," she promised. "Forever, isn't it?"

Secrets were important.

At this moment, Rumpelstiltskin added one more to the strongbox in the depths of his heart: He was happy to have Belle back.

The End

26/04/23

[nooowestayandgetcaught]

FLASH FICTION FRIDAY (MASTERPOST)

How exciting! I did every Friday for all of 2023!

@flashfictionfridayofficial

WEEK 1 -- Set The Stage (Will Byers/Mike Wheeler, Stranger Things (TV 2016), T-rating, 504 words)

There's only a couple more hours until opening night starts. And everything's ruined.

WEEK 2 -- Birth Of A Star (Sansa Stark/Ygritte, Game of Thrones & ASOIAF, G-rating, 365 words)

Ygritte longs to steal a maiden’s kiss.

WEEK 3 -- Fine By Me (Raul Cocolotl & Kat Elliot, Wendell & Wild (2022), No Rating, 417 words)

Raúl hears a terrified scream in Sister Helley's classroom and comes running.

WEEK 4 -- Pure Imagination (Artemis Crock/Dick Grayson/Wally West, Young Justice (Cartoon), T-rating, 459 words)

It's good to have their boyfriend-not-boyfriend finally home.

WEEK 5 -- Where Secrets Lie // First Light (Charlie Bradbury/Gilda, Supernatural (TV 2005), T-rating, 600 words)

Charlie abandons what remains of a normal life in search of the one she loves—a good fairy.

WEEK 6 -- Who Are You // Eclipse (Korra/Asami Sato, Avatar: Legend of Korra, M-rating, 700 words)

Asami loses Korra inside the Fog of Souls. She must get her back.

WEEK 7 -- Trapped In The Dark // Earthshine (Kim Possible/Shego, Kim Possible (Cartoon), T-rating, 700 words)

"Come on out, Kimmy… let's finish this."

WEEK 8 -- You're Not Alone // Nuclear Cluster (Faith Lehane/Buffy Summers, Buffy the Vampire Slayer (TV), E-rating, 1000 words)

Faith accidentally gets sent to another version of Sunnydale. A really messed up Sunnydale.

WEEK 9 -- Sea & Sun (Valerie Frizzle & Ms. Frizzle's Class, Dorothy Ann & Wanda & Arnold & Ralphie & Carlos & Keesha & Tim, Magic School Bus, G-rating, 765 words)

It's a never a normal field trip with Ms. Frizzle. This time, and to everyone's excitement, they head to the beach!

WEEK 10 -- Celestial Bodies (Baelfire | Neal Cassidy/Captain Hook | Killian Jones, Once Upon a Time, No Rating, 603 words)

In their final moments, Neal decides to reconcile with an old friend.

WEEK 11 -- Tree Of Life (Eris | Discordia/Bia, Eris | Discordia/Hesperides, Ancient Greek Religion & Lore, M-rating, 300 words)

Eris steals a golden apple, intending to disrupt one of the weddings happening on Olympus. Someone disrupts her.

WEEK 12 -- Filled With Clarity (Derek/Odette, Swan Princess (1994), G-rating, 564 words)

While they're still young, Derek realizes Odette is not what she seems.

WEEK 13 -- Deep End (Damian Wayne & Colin Wilkes, Damian Wayne/Colin Wilkes, Batman Comics, T-rating, 256 words)

As much as Colin would like to think this was forever, he wasn’t dumb—Robin wouldn’t need him eventually.

WEEK 14 -- Cold Object  (Diedrich/Vincent Phantomhive, Kuroshitsuji | Black Butler, M-rating, 1123 words)

"Mine at last. Just like I have always wanted."

WEEK 15 -- -Against The Flow (Matsuoka Gou/Mikoshiba Isuzu, Free!, G-rating, 324 words)

Muscles. Men. Meetings with the Iwatobi Swim Club. That's all Gou is supposed to care about.

WEEK 16 -- An Eternal Summer (Jane Bennet/Charles Bingley, Pride and Prejudice (2005), No Rating, 448 words)

Mr Bingley refuses to leave Jane's side long while she's ill.

WEEK 17 -- What Comes Next (Kaneda Shoutarou/Shima Tetsuo, Akira (Anime & Manga), M-rating, 793 words)

When their enemies get the jump on them, It's his turn to save Kaneda.

WEEK 18 -- Didn't Mean It (Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III & Toothless, How to Train Your Dragon (Movies), T-rating, 423 words)

Hiccup doesn't want Toothless to think Hiccup is mad at him. Even if the workshop nearly got set on fire.

WEEK 19 -- How Far We've Come (Søstre | Sisters/Prinsesse | Princess/Prins | Prince, Den lille Havfrue | The Little Mermaid - Hans Christian Andersen, E-rating, 576 words)

Because of the prince and his princess, her sister no longer lives. This cannot be.

WEEK 20 -- Comedian's Night (Dick Grayson | Robin/Red X, Teen Titans Animated Series, T-rating, 987 words)

Robin investigates trouble in Jump City's local performing arts center and gets the unlikeliest backup.

WEEK 21 -- The Devil You Forgot (Coraline Jones/Wybie Lovat, Coraline (2009), No Rating, 1489 words)

Eleven years later, Wybie and Coraline return to the Pink Palace Apartments, unlocking their memories.

WEEK 22 -- Yes, Sir!! (Starlight & Sweetheart & Melody & Bright Eyes & Patch & Clover & Bon Bon, My Little Pony Generation 1.5: Tales (Cartoon 1992), G-rating, 339 words)

Sweetheart never learned to roller skate. The other ponies teach her and encourage Sweetheart to overcome her fear.

WEEK 23 -- All The King's Horses And All The King's Men (Ygraine de Bois/Nimueh, BBC Merlin, M-rating, 472 words)

On the eve of King Uther's long-awaited marriage ceremony, Nimueh convinces her lover to flee.

WEEK 24 -- Where The Flowers Grow (Higa Hiromi | Shadow/Oka Shokichi, SK8 the Infinity (Anime), T-rating, 566 words)

In the middle of his break, Hiromi gets an unexpected visit from Manager Oka.

WEEK 25 -- Sink Or Swim (OceanGate Titan Submersible, RMS Titanic, Logitech F710 Wireless Gamepad, Mysterious Banging Noises Coming at 30 Minute Intervals, Angry Spirits of the Working Class Poor on the RMS Titanic, Yacht-Destroying Orcas, Ever Given Container Ship, Titanic 1997's Director James Cameron's Evil Twin, Metal-Eating Bacteria in the Atlantic Ocean, US Coast Guard, OceanGate - Fandom, No Rating, 589 words)

Alright… who did it? Who went ahead and broke it?"

WEEK 26 -- Can We Kiss? (Daisy Duck/Minnie Mouse, Mickey Mouse and Friends, G-rating, 241 words)

For 'What Makes You Happy! Day… Minnie would like to ask Daisy something.

WEEK 27 -- Reporting The Scoop (Kururugi Suzaku/Lelouch Lamperouge | Lelouch vi Britannia, Kururugi Suzaku & Lelouch Lamperouge | Lelouch vi Britannia, Code Geass, T-rating, 1631 words)

Lelouch exposes Suzaku's bullies to the entirety of Ashford Academy without Suzaku's knowledge. It doesn't go over well.

WEEK 28 -- On The Edge (Julie Grigio/R, Warm Bodies (2013), No Rating, 493 words)

While bleeding out, Julie asks R to do something unthinkable for R. But he will. For her.

WEEK 29 -- The Sand Ocean (Kiba/Tsuma/Cheza, Wolf's Rain (Anime), M-rating, 999 words)

After a narrow escape, Kiba lets his pack rest before their journey begins again.

WEEK 30 -- An Old Friend (Margot Robbie's Barbie/J. Robert Oppenheimer, Barbie (2023) & Oppenheimer (2023) Crossover, T-rating, 1037 words)

Oppenheimer remembers Toni's little doll when she was fifteen. But never how remarkable it was.

WEEK 31 -- Gotta Go Fast (Daria Morgendorffer, Jane Lane, Jodie Landon, Michael "Mack" Mackenzie & Brittany Taylor, Kevin Thompson, Angela L, Daria (Cartoon), No Rating, 390 words)

The reception hall for Lawndale High's senior prom has a 24 hour go-kart track across the street. Pandemonium starts.

WEEK 32 -- Ten Years Later (Rafe McCawley/Danny Walker, Pearl Harbor (2001), M-rating, 1544 words)

In the middle of the night, Danny comes to Rafe. Once when they're kids and once before Rafe leaves for England.

WEEK 33 -- Broken Mirror (Princess Bubblegum/Marceline, Adventure Time, G-rating, 458 words)

Marceline accidentally knocks over Bonnibel's newest invention while cooking spaghetti.

WEEK 34 -- Mall At Night (Gregory & Wirt, Over the Garden Wall (Cartoon & Comics), No Rating, 1104 words)

Wirt and Greg end up accidentally locked inside after closing hours.

WEEK 35 -- Found Family (Ellie & Joel, The Last of Us (TV & Video Game), T-rating, 774 words)

"I can't believe you're in prison."

WEEK 36 -- Portal Fiction (Non-magical Fionna-world Marshall Lee/Gary Prince, Adventure Time: Fionna and Cake, (Cartoon 2023), E-rating, 1297 words)

Fionna goes missing. Marshall Lee and Gary finally meet and theorize about where she's gone… while in bed.

WEEK 37 -- How Do You Use 'It'? (Cornelius/Thumbelina, Thumbelina (1994), G-rating, 579 words)

During a journey in the nightfall, Cornelius encourages Thumbelina to inquire about their world and ride his pet bumblebee.

WEEK 38 -- Under The Night Sky (Chris Washington, Rod Williams, Get Out (2017), No Rating, 355 words)

"What the hell did I tell you, man?"

WEEK 39 -- Blood Is Thicker Than Water (D. J. Tanner & Stephanie Tanner, D. J. Tanner & Michelle Tanner, Kimmy Gibbler & D. J. Tanner, Full House (US TV), M-rating, 1151 words)

Stephanie ends up in the car accident with Gia when D. J. doesn't stop her from leaving. Nobody survives.

WEEK 40 -- Spine In A Twist (Cassia/Milo/Atticus, Pompeii (2014), No Rating, 944 words)

As everything ends, Milo finds comfort in the two living souls he belongs to.

WEEK 41 -- An Empty Grave (Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia/Jaskier | Dandelion, The Witcher (TV), T-rating, 1016 words)

Geralt barely survives against Vilgefortz. Jaskier looks after his recovery in Brokilon, washing Geralt's wounds and despairing.

WEEK 42 -- By Candlelight (Jet Black & Ed & Ein & Spike Spiegel & Faye Valentine, Ed & Ein, Cowboy Bebop (Anime), No Rating, 1136 words)

A group of lousy ship-jackers end up on the Bebop. They're screwed.

WEEK 43 -- Torn Veil (Will Graham/Hannibal Lecter, Hannibal (TV), E-rating, 1074 words)

"Chasing shadows in the middle of the night, Will?"

WEEK 44 -- I Can't Tell (Dimitri/Anya | Anastasia Romanov, Anastasia (1997), G-rating, 821 words)

Anya slips on an icy patch of road on their way to Paris and hits her head. The dreams afterward feel familiar.

WEEK 45 -- By Any Other Name (Lottie Turner/Etheldreda Bloodworth, Harry Potter: Magic Awakened (Video Game), T-rating, 200 words)

A rose is a rose, and Etheldreda feels something blossoming once again in her heart… if she had as such.

WEEK 46 -- Sand Of Time (Obi-Wan Kenobi & Leia Organa & Luke Skywalker, Leia Organa & Luke Skywalker, Star Wars: Obi-Wan Kenobi (TV), No Rating, 814 words)

Out of the middle of the Jutland Wastes, on Tatooine, Leia and Luke happen to meet.

WEEK 47 -- A Form Of Distraction (Peeta Mellark/Finnick Odair, The Hunger Games, M-rating, 1640 words)

With tensions rising, Finnick decides to get Peeta alone for a little bit.

WEEK 48 -- Nebulous Roads (Alphonse Elric & Edward Elric, Edward Elric & Alfons Heiderich, Fullmetal Alchemist (2003), T-rating, 630 words)

Edward nearly runs over the man who holds a resemblance to his younger brother. Meanwhile, Alphonse wakes up.

WEEK 49 -- Fool Me Once (Asha/Star, Disney's Wish (2023), G-rating, 300 words)

Asha discovers the little star from the heavens she wished on… is actually a boy.

WEEK 50 -- A Promise To Break (Hakoda/Zuko, Avatar: the Last Airbender, E-rating, 1622 words)

Hakoda expects a diplomatic visit from the Firelord may mend some broken ties between their nations. Perhaps foolishly so.

WEEK 51 -- Among Any Option (Madeline Usher/Verna, The Fall of the House of Usher (TV 2023), T-rating, 100 words)

"What do you think, Madeline? Hmm? A kiss or a kill?"

WEEK 52 -- Imperfect Sign (Felix Catton/Oliver Quick, Saltburn (2023), M-rating, 587 words)

Instead of leaving when he poisons Felix, Oliver stays.

[deadlyflames]

Swanfire Month Day 14: Classic fairy-tale that reminds you of Swanfire: Orpheus and Eurydice

Emma was a poor girl. You might say she was touched by the gods. She would to bring the world back into tune, and fix what was wrong.

Baelfire was a hungry young boy. A runaway from everywhere he’d ever been. He was no stranger to world, no stranger to the wind.

It's a love song. It's a tale of a love from long ago.

It's a sad song. We keep singing even so.

It's an old song. It's an old tale from way back when.

And we're gonna sing it again and again.

This one is a bit of a weird connection. You can blame my obsession with Hadestown. I drew a lot of comparisons between Orpheus and Eurydice and Emma and Neal. Both work in either role. But I went with this interpretation.

I have this very specific image of a Swanfire version of the Underworld storyline. Like, it’s so easy for me to picture that arc being done for Swanfire. I mean, Rumplestilskin would obviously help Emma get to the Underworld for his son. Henry would follow for his dad. Regina would follow for Henry and Snowing would follow for their daughter. Even Hook would go with them for Baelfire.

But I think a really interesting way they could have used the Swanfire relationship in the Underworld was for Emma to do the Orpheus test. Because it makes so much sense for them.

(I think that’s what they were trying to reference with the true love test? Maybe? but it fell kinda flat in my opinion, but that’s a whole other thing)

Because it’s a test of trust and with their history, that trust was shaky, and still in the process of being rebuilt.

Just picture it though.

Emma walking through the dark.

She can’t look behind her and, for added uncertainty, Neal can’t speak either.

You can hear the echoing of footsteps and you can see the shadow behind her, but it’s uncertain. Maybe it’s a trick. Maybe it’s not.

Maybe he only said he would be behind her because he wanted to get her out of the Underworld.

She’s talking about all the hurt she felt after he abandoned her. All the pain they’ve gone through since they reunited. How he broke her heart and how she’s not even sure if he’s there now.

From Emma’s perspective, her and Neal are always being separated by powers beyond their control. When he left her when they were young, because of her destiny and his father’s curse. When he fell through the portal after being shot. When the curse was erased and they were ripped from each other again.

Why should this be any different?

It takes all her strength not to look behind her. To take that leap and believe that this will work.

When she’s just about to exit the underworld and return to the world above, she hits that pivotal fork in the road.

She can let her doubt take route, and turn to look behind. She can loose him one final time, and this time will be for good. But it will be the last time she gets her heart broken.

Or she can continue on. She can reach across all that hurt between them, and put her trust in him once again. She can open her heart up, even though letting him in risks the chance of losing him again.

The trust vs doubt dichotomy would be so interesting to tackle. Because that kind of blind faith is something that Emma has always struggled with, and it would be especially relevant to her relationship with Neal. It either ends in tragedy or a happy ending. I would lean towards happy ending because I feel like Emma choosing trust would be a good moment of growth.

Xxxx

Though the tragedy angle would break me. Can y’all freaking imagine. Emma turning back and Neal is there. She’s stunned and horrified.

“It’s you?”

He’s shocked but gives her a broken, comforting smile before he fades away.

“It’s me.”

Emma’s next arc is about the aftermath of guilt and grief. And then we all cry forever.

Anyway, sorry this part of the post was totally incoherent. The Underworld plot was a total missed opportunity. Hadestown is great, listen to it if you wanna cry.

[whimsicallyenchantedrose]

Season 3 Rewatch Drabbles: 3x12 New York City Serenade

(gif by @pirateherokillian)

Summary:  A series of 100-500 word drabbles to accompany my    rewatch of season 3 of Once Upon a Time.  There will be a drabble–either a deleted scene, a “fix it” fic or a character musing for each episode of the season.  Focus will be on Emma, Henry, the Charmings and Killian–with an emphasis on Captain Swan’s epic love story.

Word Count: 938

Other Chapters: (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7) (8) (9) (10) (11) (12) (14) (15) (16) (17) (18) (19) (20) (21) (22) (23) (24) (25) (26) (27) (28)

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Killian tossed the bean into the churning sea and then jumped just as he saw the smoke of the newest curse billow toward him.  He let out a long breath as the portal closed around him.

He’d made it.

Now came the real challenge.  Before he’d left the band of heroes, Regina had told him she’d given Swan and Henry a life in New York City.  Killian recalled the one and only time he’d been in this New York.  It had been a land of noise, bustle and endless people.  It was a strange land where he could walk among the citizens dressed as a pirate of old, and no one batted an eye. (Aside, of course, from that group of giggling women who had requested he take a selfie with them, whatever the blazes that was.) 

How did one even begin to search for someone in this sprawling metropolis? Killian supposed he could always break into Baelfire’s apartment and use it as a home base of sorts while he waited if that proved necessary. 

The portal deposited Killian upon a sidewalk and he fell to his knees with a wince.  He got quickly back to his feet, looking around himself, pleased to see this particular sidewalk was largely deserted.

Killian glanced around to find that he’d landed in front of what may be a lodging house of some kind–an apartment building, he believed it was called in this land.  It seemed to be outside of the heart of the city, the sidewalk lined by well manicured trees and shrubs.

Perhaps he’d been fortunate.  Perhaps the portal had deposited him in front of Swan’s abode.  He strode toward the gate before the building and pulled at the handle.

It appeared to be locked tight.

Killian peered down at the lock and frowned.  It didn’t seem to require a key.  All he could see was some manner of keypad.  How was one to pick a lock such as this?

He was still trying to determine the answer to that when an elderly lady came to the gate and gave him a disapproving look.

“Just why are you loitering here, young man?” she asked, frowning up at him.

Killian bit his lip to keep from laughing at the “young man” comment.  If only she knew his actual age!  “I believe my girlfriend lives in this building, madam,” he said in his most charming tone, the one that got even Granny herself to blush.  “Emma Swan?  Can you help me get in?”

If anything, the woman’s frown deepened, and she folded her arms.  “I’ve met Emma Swan’s boyfriend, and you are not him.”

Killian ignored the nasty, jealous feeling the statement evoked.  It was vital he get to Emma as soon as possible and restore her memories.  He hadn’t time to reflect on the current state of her love life and the emotions that dredged up within him.

“I think you must be mistaken,” he lied smoothly.  “That relationship is at an end, and she’s with me now.” 

She continued to watch him carefully for another moment, and then nodded, turning toward the keypad and unlocking the door.  “Well, I can’t say I’m sorry to see the end of Walsh,” she said.  “There was always something kind of….shifty…about him.  I’m not sure that you’re any better, though.  Don’t think I can’t see right through that charm you ooze.”

“You find me charming?” he asked, flirting shamelessly as he followed her into the building and then surreptitiously glanced at the buzzer board in the entryway to find the apartment number he was looking for.  His grin widened as the elderly woman finally blushed.

“Don’t let it go to your head, young man,” she said, turning to open an apartment door on the ground floor.

“I wouldn’t dream of it.”

Killian was still grinning from the encounter as he climbed the stairs until he’d reached Swan’s floor, but the grin was replaced by nerves when he reached her door.  Was he ready for this?  Was he ready to see her again and see the lack of recognition in her eyes?

Would his plan to bestow a True Love’s Kiss on her work to restore her memories?  He knew she cared about him; he’d seen it in her eyes when they’d bid each other farewell at the town line.  Was it enough to break a curse?

He took a deep breath and then stood taller, looking at the door determinedly.  There was only one way to find out.

Taking one more fortifying breath, he raised his fist and knocked.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Five minutes later, Killian hobbled down the stairs and back out onto the sidewalk, his heart smarting as much as his nether regions at the failure of his first plan.  Aye, it had been a long shot that his True Love’s Kiss would work.  Perhaps her feelings were not as strong as he’d hoped they were.  Still one hardly wished his kiss to his beloved to be followed by a swift knee to his groin. 

For a moment, as he got his bearings and began making his way toward Baelfire’s abode, Killian allowed himself to feel the sting of rejection, but then he firmly put it aside.

So his first attempt had failed.  He still had the potion.  Aye, he had hoped to give it to the lad after his kiss had restored Swan’s memories, but he could adapt.  It was time to rethink his approach and strategize.

Getting through Regina’s memory spell was going to be quite the challenge, but he loved a challenge, and he loved Emma.

She was worth fighting for.

NEXT CHAPTER-->