#Rumplestiltskin one shot

[depressedstressedlemonzest]

Oh great it's THIS fuckhead. What the hell does HE want?

#1 I havent taken shit, she WILLINGLY came with me. And probably to get away from YOUR stupid ass.

#2 do you not remember what happened the last time you drew your sword at me?

Slap bitch.

That lil Hmmmmm.

YOU turned him into a ROSE and NOW you're thinking about giving it to belle? Like you weren't thinking about giving her something anyway. Women love flowers.

"Flowers, chocolates,promises you don't intend to keep"

#saved by the bell #saved by the BELLE #or rather the knock #he's like #thank fuck #then #who the fuck is here KNOCKING ON MY DOOR?? #i am the Dark One #why am i still getting solicited? #it better not be fucking bible thumpers #id be cool if it were girl scouts #maybe belle likes thin mints #i didnt get a shot of the gaston rose but I'll live #rumbelle #rumplestiltskin #ouat rumple #belle x rumple #1x12 #skin deep #ouat #once upon a time #belle #ouat belle #belle french

[writerartistdreamer]

New fanfic alert!

Title: Musings

Fandom: Once Upon a Time

Characters: Belle, Rumplestiltskin

Summary: Belle happens upon Rumplestiltskin as he spins in the Enchanted Forest and admires him for a while- Belle's inner monologue regarding Rumplestiltskin and her growing feelings towards him

Around the hallways of the Dark Castle, the only sounds that could be heard were the creaking of Rumplestiltskin's wheel as he spun his thoughts away, fingers nimbly moving to catch the gold and let it gracefully fall to the floor, and the sound of Belle's heels as she walked around and dusted off whatever cabinet she could find, trying to make herself busy. It was a peaceful day in the estate, no desperate souls calling for deals and no trespassers trying to interrupt their day.

As Belle finished dusting in yet another chamber, she headed towards the Great Hall in order to catch a small break from the chores she had assigned herself for the day (since Rumplestiltskin had barely given her anything to do for the past few weeks). Perhaps she could even have a small conversation with the sorcerer, if he was ever so inclined. The girl rounded the corner and arrived at the large doors of the Great Hall, then carefully let herself in and closed the door behind her. Just as she was about to purposefully strut to the long mahogany table, where some of her usual conversations with her sorcerer took place, her eyes landed on Rumplestiltskin, sat on his stool in front of his wheel. His focus was solely on the straw he was spinning turning into gold and pooling at his feet and he hadn't seemed to notice her walking into the room. She took a couple of steps forward, yet remained on her side of the room, content with simply watching him, if only for a little while.

As Belle watched Rumplestiltskin so lost in the motions of his spinning wheel, her focus was on his fingers nimbly moving around, on his gaze so determinedly focused on the process, his teeth occasionally catching his lip. She had to admit she was strangely fascinated by the man, by everything he was and by everything he was not. He was not, as other people would say, a cruel monster who skinned children for their pelt for the fun of it, rather he rescued children and would almost never let them pay the price for a deal they would be striking. He was not heartless, as most of the stories had established him to be, rather he was often a grump, or a little awkward when he was at a loss for words (which, strangely enough, only seemed to happen when she was around), yet that could be justified by the stress and pressure the deals brought on him. Still, his grumpiness seemed to mostly be a part of the complex façade he was putting on in front of others, a way for him to let nobody see who he truly was- yet she was grateful for the occasional moments in which he did let her in and he acted like the man instead of the mask of the Dark One.

And she had to admit it- she found Rumplestiltskin to be handsome. The way his skin turned gold and shone in the sunlight, his amber eyes with such soul behind them, one could get lost for days in his gaze, his deft fingers, his soft curls and his silks and leathers were all incredibly fascinating to her. The thought of capturing his essence on a canvas struck her as a good idea, but then she thought that no painting could ever do her darling sorcerer justice.

Her heart skipped a beat and her breath caught in her throat as she kept on admiring him from a distance. Belle did not understand this sudden flurry of emotions bursting within, taking root in her heart. Her hands came to rest against her heart if only for a moment, at a loss for words. Yes, Rumplestiltskin was her friend, a very dear friend at that, yet she didn't think she had ever felt this way towards anyone else she had ever considered amicable. She was thankful that he still hadn't noticed her presence in the room, for she might have just burst out in flames if he turned around to acknowledge her in that moment.

Belle's hand reached for her necklace as she instantly started fidgeting with the pendant, a little motion that always managed to soothe her when she was nervous, or, in this case, when she had no clue what to do with herself or her emotions. Rumplestiltskin was indeed her friend, a friend she deeply cared about, for whom she would do anything in order to make him happy. Still, when the maid watched him, she was not sure her emotions were of a nature that she had ever related to a friend before. Perhaps it was time to delve into the library and try to understand what it was that was going on inside her mind or within her heart, what it might be that led to her breath catching in her throat whenever she so much as caught a glimpse of the sorcerer around the castle.

After what felt like an eternity of standing in the Great Hall, Belle made for the exit, ready to walk away and occupy her time with anything else, yet the spinning wheel came to a stop. As she made to exit the chamber, Rumplestiltskin stopped spinning altogether and turned to gaze upon her, finally noticing she was in the same room as him. "And you say I appear out of nowhere, dearie? When did you come in here?", Rumplestiltskin addressed her with his usual teasing smirk, his tone softer than the one he would generally be using around others.

Belle turned around to meet his gaze and walked closer to him, hoping her blazing cheeks would go unnoticed. "Not too long, I had just come in a minute ago, yet someone seemed too lost to even offer a greeting", Belle teased him right back as she was now standing right next to him.

"Right, well...I believe a cup of tea is in order, now isn't it?", Rumplestiltskin spoke as he stood up from his stool and waved his hand, making a tea tray appear on the mahogany table behind them. He offered her his arm with a small smile and she gracefully took it, ignoring the feeling of the butterflies racing in the pit of her stomach as they headed towards their respective seats to spend their next few hours in each other's company.

"I suppose it is"

#once upon a time #ouat fanfiction #rumbelle #rumbelle fanfiction #rumbelle fic #rumbellefluff #fanfiction #fanfic #fic #ouat fic #ouat fanfic #ouat #ouat belle #ouat rumple #rumplestiltskin #belle french #maidbelle #the dark one #dark one Rumplestiltskin #fluff #inner thoughts #pre relationship #the dark castle #the enchanted forest #oneshot #one shot #short one shot #sweet #romantic tension

[chasingmidnights]

For the Greater Good, Part 2

Title: For the Greater Good, Part 2 

Summary: Belle tries to develop a plan to get you back. And Rumple finally lets you out of your cell.  

Warnings: Some angst; mentions of war; I don’t think there’s a whole lot to be warned about. If I miss anything I apologize but you are responsible for what you read. 

Author’s Note: A continuation from part one that I did for my Whumptober challenge (Tales of a Whumpee Newbie). Read Part One here.

Wordcount: 1,229

Belle had been arguing with your father ever since you left with the Dark One. To say stubbornness ran deep in your family would be a huge understatement. 

“We have to go and rescue her!” Belle tried to argue with her father. 

He shook his head vigorously in objection to his daughter. “It would take an army Belle! And even then, I’m not sure that would work.” He sighs in defeat. “Besides, ours are wrapped up in these cursed Ogre Wars.”

“Then give me a horse and a sword and I’ll go save her myself!” Belle practically yells at your father, her nostrils flaring out a bit. 

Gaston, who had been witnessing the same fight since you had left, clears his throat. Belle snaps her head towards him and narrows her gaze at him, causing her brows to furrow. 

“Do you have anything else to add besides phlegm Gaston?” 

“I was just going to offer that I could go retrieve Y/n.” 

This catches your father’s attention and he perks up at the idea. Belle could tell that her father was considering it which only infuriated her more. You were her sister! She knew Gaston was only offering to get in the good graces of their father. Gaston had been trying to court you for months and Belle knew that if Gaston was successful, he would instantly have your father’s blessings. Belle needed to find a way to rescue you without getting Gaston involved. She couldn’t stand the brute of a man. 

Rumple had finally let you out of the cell, almost a week later. You did everything you could to keep yourself from going insane. Mostly, you thought about how much you missed Belle and your father. When he let you out, you made a nice big meal for the two of you and you took a much needed bath. It didn’t take long for things to return to normal, well as normal as they could get being indentured to Rumplestiltskin. You returned to doing your chores, making sure to avoid his son’s bedroom and he would disappear for long periods of time. 

You were about to enter the main room of Rumple’s mansion when you heard him talking to someone. You decided to hide behind the wall to listen. 

“Yes?” Rumple asks, his voice high-pitched and sing-songy. 

Gaston holds out his sword and points towards Rumple. “My name is Gaston and I’ve come to rescue Y/n. Release her now and I’ll spare your life.” 

Gaston? What the hell is he doing here? Is he seriously trying to rescue you? You couldn’t stop the eye roll from happening even if you had tried. Like your sister, you couldn’t stand the man. You heard Rumple’s voice go dark and it sent a shiver down your spine. It always amazed you how effortlessly he was able to change his voice. You were lost in your train of thoughts when the next thing you know, you heard the front door being closed. 

“You can come out now, dearie.” Rumple called out to you. 

How did he know you were there? You take a deep breath and come out from behind the wall. “Who was at the door?” 

The two of you are locked in a holding stare as you wait for him to answer. You notice how he’s holding one arm behind his back, your curiosity getting the better of you. Rumple is the first to break, almost dismissing the matter with a wave of his hand. 

“Some little old lady selling roses,” he pauses as he brings forth a red rose, holding it out to you. “I got you one.” He lifts an eyebrow as he waits for you to accept it. 

You’re completely surprised but a small part of you can’t help but feel a bit skeptical. You cautiously accept the rose. “Th-thank you.” 

A small giggle comes out of him. “It’s nothing really.” He can feel a smile beginning to tug up at the corner of his lips as he watches you lift the rose up to your nose to smell it. 

You begin to turn around to go back to your chores but before you can make it out of the room, Rumple stops you. 

“One more thing, dearie.” Rumple pauses as he waits for you to turn around. “I’ll be gone for a few days, I assume you can take care of yourself while I’m gone?” 

You tilt your head at him, he never tells you when he’s going to be gone. He’s always just gone. “Yes Rumple, I think I’ll be fine on my own.” 

“Good.” And just like that, he was gone. 

You smell the rose again before returning to your chores. 

Belle shook her head in frustration, Gaston had been gone for far too long. She didn’t even want to get started on her father. He would immediately shut down any idea that she had to offer and it was starting to annoy her. He would claim that he wasn’t going to lose another daughter and that would be the end of it. Well, enough is enough. Clearly something happened to Gaston, so she was going to do the rescuing herself. Belle didn’t care if her father didn’t approve. She had just finished packing her knapsack as she paused for a brief moment, glancing around her room to make sure she wasn’t forgetting anything. She’s pretty sure that she has everything as she closes up her pack and tosses it over her shoulder. Thankfully, their father had been asleep for quite some time now and she would be able to easily slip out into the night. 

It took Belle almost three days to get to Rumple’s mansion. When she got there, she couldn’t help but admire his home. Maybe you weren’t in dire need of rescuing afterall? Belle shook the thought from her head, she was here to bring you home. No exception. She takes in a deep breath before pushing open the massive, wooden doors. Her breath is soon taken away as she takes in the foyer and everything it has to offer. This is definitely not what she was expecting, there was almost a homey feeling to the place. She walks cautiously into the mansion as she continues to look around the place. 

“Hello? Y/n are you there?” Belle calls out, her voice wavering slightly. 

You were at the top of the stairs when you heard your name being called. You lifted your head at the familiarity of the voice. It almost sounded like, Belle? No, it was just your mind playing tricks on you. Then you hear it again. 

“Y/n? It’s me, Belle. I’ve come to bring you home.” 

Your heart swelled with happiness that your sister has actually come for you. You begin to race down the stairs and towards your sister. “Belle!” The two of you embrace in a loving hug and refuse to let each other go. When you do part, Belle rests her forehead against yours. After a moment, she straightens herself up and holds out her hand for you to take. 

“Come on, let’s go home.” 

You accept her hand and begin the journey home. Rumple might come after you but you didn’t care, you just wanted to be home with your family. Even if it was just for a little while.

#for the greater good #belles sister #once upon a time one shot #once upon a time #rumplestiltskin #belle once upon a time #rumplestiltskin once upon a time #a collection of one shots #once upon a time fandom

[ichigo-and-sundelion]

New drabble up on ao3!

#ouat #once upon a time #baelfire #neal cassidy #ouat rumple #rumplestiltskin #ao3 #fanfic #ao3 fanfic #drabble #one shot #angst #archive of our own #fanfic writers

[ouatsqincorrect]

okay but can we PLEASE talk about the s1 fight in the hospital closet??!?!? It was such a pivotal moment between Emma and Regina. I mean the way Regina's face drops when she realises that Emma's figured it all out. And Emma's face of absolute utter bewilderment when Regina says "actually he (Mr Gold) goes by Rumplestiltskin..."

There is just SO MUCH to unpack with that entire sequence. I wanna hear your thoughts.

Oh man. That scene is beautifully done and such a wonderful portrayal of how great Lana and Jen are at what they do. Being that angry and still being believable is no easy feat so absolute kudos to them

There are a few things that stand out to me with this scene

One, the absolute dread on Regina’s face when Emma tells her Henry was the one who ate the apple turnover. This isn’t what she expected at all and in this moment, her villainy is literally about to cause her to lose the most important person in her life and she knows it

And yeah, that moment where she realizes Emma knows about the curse is so fucking good! The way her head goes back! The way she closes her eyes right before she admits it! The way this is the first time in 28 years Regina is admiting to the curse’s existence (besides Rumple and Jefferson, but those situations are vastly different)

“You wake him up!” and “I can’t!” Thinking about how, at this time, that’s absolutely true. Regina doesn’t share true love with Henry right now because although she would give away the world for him, he sees her as a villain. She literally can’t wake him up. Only Emma can.

The pause when she says that that was the last of the magic she had, right before she gets pissed again that it didn’t put Emma asleep instead

Emma’s shaky voice when she asks Regina if Henry could die, Regina’s admission that yeah, that’s where they’re at right now

This shot, which is so beautiful in so many different ways I could cry

The fear in Regina’s voice when she says they need to go and talk to Rumple. The way that fear turns quickly into anger. The way Emma knows who she’s talking about without Regina even saying his name

And the “are you fucking kidding me” look on Emma’s face when Regina says he goes by Rumplestiltskin

I love this scene so fucking much.

#regina mills #emma swan #swan queen #ask #ouat rambles

[infiniteimaginings]

〔𝘔𝘳. 𝘎𝘰𝘭𝘥 - 𝘙𝘶𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘭𝘵𝘴𝘬𝘪𝘯〕

Started: February 18th, 2024 Updated: February 18th, 2024

All my writings for Mr. Gold (Rumplestiltskin) - Once Upon a Time

I. True Loves Kiss || Gen!Platonic | Angst/Fluff

∙ One shot | Rating: General Audiences | Pairing: Rumplestiltskin x Male!Reader Rumplestiltskin is an old friend of yours, you've known him for quite a while. He introduced you to his new maid for saving a kingdom from the great ogre war, what will happen when this 'maid' tells you her research for breaking curses?

#once upon a time #ouat #once upon a time x reader #ouat x reader #rumplestiltskin #rumplestiltskin x reader #ouat rumpleatiltskin #ouat rumplestiltskin x reader #mr gold #mr. gold #mr gold x reader #mr. gold x reader

[ibrithir-was-here]

Random AU idea that’s been percolating slowly in my head, but loose Once Upon A Time AU?

Basic idea is Lyta doesn’t give up on trying to get Daniel back at the end of Sandman, but goes even further hardcore and breaks into the garden of Destiny and straight up takes him on and thru some sort of magic + heartbroken madness+ righteous fury takes his book and rewrites her story to get Daniel back.

But beyond that Lyta wants all these beings that hold themselves so high to know the true pain their actions can inflict on mortals, and uses the books power to flips all the Endless out into the world as Humans with no memory of their past lives—and brings Morpheus back with them.

And now they’re all living miserable lives that have some sort of link to their function but in a way that makes them miserable but they can’t seem to break away from (like, Death is a doctor but always seems to lose the patients she gets close too? Desire is out there being ignored and never wanted by anyone and is separated from Despair, ect. Sorry it’s been a crappy couple weeks so my brain is shot for ideas on this exact part 😅)

There is one hiccup in this—Daniel, back to being a little boy, still has a connection to the Dreaming, and manages one night to bring the book The Sandman back with him from the Library. It’s not the full book, he doesn’t know his and Morpheus’s canon fates but between the book and his odd dreams he knows something has gone wrong with reality and the Endless and that he needs to find the Dream King and put things right with the world.

So he manages to find Morpheus and now has to convince him he’s the Dream King and his estranged siblings are the Endless and they have to find their sigils that have been scattered in the Real World to fix things.

Neither of them realize at first what putting things back to how they were will mean for them both, but eventually they do and are faced with the dilemma of fixing the world meaning Morpheus dying and Daniel losing his individuality/family (Lyta is not evil btw just really really scared to lose her kid and desperate to stop this Murphy guy who seems to be threatening her life) and trying to find a way to fix things without ending it the same way.

And Hob’s here somewhere too but I’m not sure which part I’d want him to take? Maybe he’s the Charming stand in to Dream’s combined Snow White role and he’s in a coma cuz he was dreaming of Morpheus when Lyta rewrote reality and it scrambled his brain? So he’s kicking around in the Dreaming trying to fix th8ngs from that side too/keep the kingdom from crumbling again?

(Destruction is probably also out there still as himself and can still remember the old reality)

((Tempted to have the Corinthian in a Hook-ish role and have it be a Hobrintheus AU))

Honestly this whole thing happened due to listening to this fan song while thinking about Sandman and it all scrambled in my head and poof xD

For reference to how the song AMV’d into my head: Daniel =Emma’s part, Hob and Dream = Snow and Charming’s part, Lyta= Regina’s part, Corinthian =Hook part and really don’t have a Rumplestiltskin part😅 Loki maybe? Oh! Maybe he as vengeance for Dream sending the Corinthian after him tells Lyta how to screw with Destiny’s book? With her not realizing he was the one who even stole Daniel in the first place oooh I like that it makes Corinthian as Hook work even better yeah!

(If anyone wants to do anything with this please feel free !)

#might do more art for this later but it’s late and I’ve got a busy weekend #but thanks for indulging this little thing x) #my art #the sandman #sandman comics #sandman spoilers #ouat #ouat au #dream of the endless #Daniel hall #destiny of the endless #Lyta hall #dreamling #hobrintheus #the corinthian #death of the endless #desire of the endless #destruction of the endless #sandman au #pattycake productions #hob gadling

[chippedcupwrites]

It's CCA time!! A time of year that I'm always excited for, because it comes with the excuse of reading and re-reading copious amounts of fanfic in the name of nomination research.

Here's a neat little masterlist of my fics and my videos, if you are in need of a thing or two to pad out your nomination form. 💙💜💙

"The Finfolk's Bride" a series (currently) consisting of two fics; "Tomorrow" & "Ad Astra". In which Rumplestiltskin is a mischievous Fin and Belle is his ever-adoring human companion. (2/?) ∣ (3.4k) [possible noms]: Best Creature, Best Date, Best AU (Original)

◆ ◆ ◆

"Portrait of the Heart" a 'Skin Deep' prologue Rumplestiltskin's heart beats with a singular purpose – to reunite with his lost son. But his heart only has so many beats left before it fully gives into the Darkness. An enchanted locket known as The Heart's Caretaker may be his only chance to save what little light still burns within him. He just needs it to reveal to him the one person in the realm destined to banish his shadows and bring love back into his world. (5/5) ∣ (12.7k) [possible noms]: Best First Meeting, Best Rumbelle Secret Santa, Best Belle, Best Dark One Rumple

◆ ◆ ◆

"Lacey and the Tramp" a golden lace one-shot Gold and Lacey acquire a new furry companion...much to Gold's chagrin. Ft. Gold's mental agony of being haunted by Belle every time he looks at Lacey. (1/1) ∣ (1.5k) [possible noms]: Best Golden Lace, Best Comedy, Best Lacey

◆ ◆ ◆

"Pages of Reverie" a dark castle one-shot From a tome within the dark castle library, Belle unleashes a strange sleeping curse that forces her to confront her heart's deepest desire. Ft. Belle having a make out session with a dozen different fairy tale versions of Rumplestiltskin. (1/1) ∣ (2k) [possible noms]: Best One-Shot, Best Dark Castle

"Belle French & The Dork One" - Rumple & Belle Three minutes of pure Rumbelle goofiness (with corresponding goofy editing). (2:55) [possible noms]: Best Video, Best Fluff Art

◆ ◆ ◆

"Mary on a Cross" - Gold & Lacey “Your beauty never ever scared me” (1:18) [possible noms]: Best Video

◆ ◆ ◆

"Autumn" - Rumple & Belle “You’re the sweetness in a warm cup of tea. When the world around us quiets, and it’s just you and me.” (2:46) [possible noms]: Best Video, Best Fluff Art

(+ here are links to my scant few gif sets and image edits)

#would have made so many rumbelle gif sets last year if i wasn't so GOT-brained #hoping to make a metric ton this coming year......despite the chronic ongoing GOT-brain #the chipped cup awards #chipped cup awards #chipped cup awards 2024 #tcca #for your consideration #fyc #rumbelle #rumbelle fic #rumbelle fanvid #rumbelle art

[moon-spirit-yue]

Once Upon a Time, In a Land Far Away...

(So remember when I said I wouldn’t make an OUAT au? I was a liar. However, I am ending this fic after the first season or perhaps season two because ya girl can’t be writing all that. TW SMALL FIGHT SCENE IN THE BEGINNING ILL MAKE THE TW OBVIOUS!

READ THE NEW NAMES BECAUSE YOU WILL BE VERY CONFUSED IF YOU SKIP THIS! Raya’s Storybrooke name is Rose, Namaari’s is Natasha, Virana’s is Vanessa, Benja’s is just Ben, Sisu’s is Suki, Boun’s is Brian, Noi’s is Naomi, and Tong’s is Thomas. Please enjoy!)

“What the hell happened? I thought you managed to get lost or something,” Namaari hissed the second Raya came back into the room.

“It’s so much worse than we were hoping. Snow went into labor before they could finish the portal. The baby is being sent to this other world by herself,” Raya told her in a frenzied manner.

“Oh my god,” Namaari whispered, absolutely horrified.

“I just, I need to sit down,” Raya stated warily as she all but collapsed on the couch near the door.

Namaari shot up from the bed and rushed to Raya’s side. Just like she always does. Raya can always count on her.

“What does this mean?” Namaari asked worriedly.

“It means that Emma’s going to need to find a way to break the curse all on her own,” Raya sighed as she buried her face in her hands.

Namaari wrapped her arms around Raya and pulled her close. Immediately, Raya returned the embrace and squeezed tightly. 

The Heart woman never wants to let go of her. Namaari. Her wife. But now she doesn’t have a choice.

When the Evil Queen threatened Snow White and Prince Charming on their wedding day, everyone was on edge. The Evil Queen does many things, but make empty threats are not one of them.

Snow knew the only way to guarantee the safety of the kingdom and her unborn child was to consult with Rumplestiltskin. Then they discovered that Snow White and Prince David’s daughter would be some magical curse breaker for them all. The original goal was to put Snow in the tree trunk so that she could raise the little princess curse free due, to the fact that there’s only enough magic to send one person. They just couldn’t make the tree fast enough. 

“I can’t believe this. I run from Druun for six years, and now it’s all ruined because some bitch who’s in an eternal battle with her step daughter wants to even the score,” Raya spat.

She had to be angry. If she wasn’t enveloped in rage, she’d breakdown in tears, which wasn’t very appealing at the moment.

“Look, we’ve been through a hell of a lot in our lifetime, and we will get through this too,” Namaari assured her.

“I don’t understand how you could possibly be so confident about that. We’re putting our hopes, our lives, in the tiny hands of a baby that hasn’t even been alive for a full day. That’s too much of a burden for anyone to bear,” Raya huffed. She speaks from personal experience, after all. 

“I know it is, but Rumplestiltskin already prophesied this all from the beginning. Which means that as long as Emma can escape, we've all got a chance," Namaari assured her.

Raya sighed and took a glance at the window. She has no idea where this curse is going to take them. Nobody does. They're at an utter disadvantage. The most information Raya's gotten from it is that everyone's memory is going to be wiped.

“I’m sorry I’m being so negative about this. You’re going to be cursed too, I should at least be attempting to comfort you,” Raya sighed, feeling so utterly defeated. “I just have no idea how we can make it past this.”

“Hey, you’re the most hopeful woman I’ve ever met. I mean, you hoped for six years that a dragon could bring your father back, and you were right. You hoped for all of a Kumandra. I can hope for us both right now. That’s what marriage is. Helping each other when the other is struggling,” Namaari told her. 

Toi, Raya is so in love. She didn’t know it was possible to feel so much adoration for one person until Namaari. The Heart princess simply gave her wife a kiss. One that Namaari immediately returned.

“I’m going to miss this. Something tells me that in this cursed land, we won’t be newly weds,” Raya sighed, pulling Namaari in for a hug.

“You might be right about our marital status, but I’ll still be in love with you. I always have been, and I always will be. There are some things not even magic can change,” the Fang princess said in a soft, comforting voice. 

“Yeah? Well if someone as lame as you can manage to love me in a cursed land, I bet I can love you so much more. Because, you know, I’m a lot cooler than you are,” Raya mumbled, trying not to cry her eyes out. 

“As if. I’ll love you so much in this cursed land, you’ll be embarrassed at how lacking you were when the curse gets lifted,” she heard Namaari huff out.

“You know what? If you can somehow manage to get Rumplestiltskin off my back in the cursed land, I just might agree,” Raya snorted.

“Please. That guy’s like three feet tall. I can totally get him to back off from you in the new world. If I have to keep Rumplestiltskin away, then you have to help me deal with my mother. I bet she’s going to be especially difficult in the cursed land,” Namaari scoffed. 

“I think we have ourselves a deal, binturi,” Raya giggled.

At that moment, David rushed into the room and quickly closed the door behind her. He was holding Emma in one arm and his sword in the other.

"My god, what the hell's happening out there?" Raya blurted as she and Namaari both stood up from the couch.

"The queen's guards. They infiltrated the castle. They're...there's so much more than just me. I don't know how I'll get past them all," the prince rambled while trying to catch his breathe.

"In and out David, in and out. Look, we've got your back. Raya and I will have gladly go out there to offer some backup," Namaari assured him.

"I can't ask you to do that," David said, trying to shoot the idea down.

"Hey, your fate isn't the only one that depends on getting her to this other world before the curse does. Besides, it's been a while since I've had a good fight," Raya smirked, trying to not panic at whatever was beyond those two doors.

"Hey, we sparred four days ago," Namaari reminded her with a frown.

"I know what I said," Raya grinned, feeling her nerves ease little bit more. It's like just looking at her wife is good for her health.

"Okay, less flirting, more preparing for battle," David reminded them.

"That's fair," Raya conceded as she grabbed her sword.

Namaari did the same. They never did go anywhere without a sword. That probably says something about themselves.

"Alright. We're good," Namaari nodded.

"Pause. I want a kiss for good luck," Raya told her.

Though no one was willing to say it outloud, they all knew that it was very possible this could be the last time any of them see each other. That's probably why David had no objection when Namaari used her free hand to cradle Raya's face and give her a deep kiss. Raya decided she liked that kiss so much that there was no way it'd be their last.

"I love you," Raya smiled as her wife pulled away.

"I love you too," Namaari whispered fondly.

Then a loud crash resounded from the outside, causing the trio to face the door with a deathly grip on their swords. When they decided no one would be breaking in, Raya and Namaari stepped out in front of David to take on whatever battle awaited them.

There were six guards at the end of the hall. They didn't look like they had a clue where they were going. Raya's pretty damn sure she could take these guys, especially with her badass wife beside her.

"Go ahead David, we'll hold them off," Namaari told him.

"Dep la, I was going to say that! Can you read my mind?" Raya grinned.

"I just know you too well, my love," Namaari responded with a small smile of her own.

"Thank you, I'm eternally in debt to the both of you. And for god's sake, focus on the fight instead of flirting!" the prince exclaimed before rushing off to send Emma into the wardrobe.

"Tell Emma Auntie Raya and Auntie Namaari love her!" Raya yelled as David sprinted away.

(TW WARNING START)

Okay, the Queen's armed forces were now right in front of them. No biggie. The first guy that came up to her was a cinch to beat. A solid kick in the chest made him slam against the wall and knock the guy out cold. Poor bastard must have been new.

Namaari was dealing with her own trio of guards as the remaining two ganged up on the Heart woman. They were fast, but clumsy. One guard managed to nick Raya's eyebrow and nose bridge. While it wasn't going to do any lasting damage, it'd certainly leave a mark. The force of their hits meeting air kept them off balance enough to give Raya a chance to swipe back.

She checked the corner of her eye to make sure Namaar was doing well and of course, she's beating their asses. After a couple good stabs through skin, Namaari knocked the other three off thier feet.

Raya had managed to stab the last guy in the leg when his guard was down. Hah. These guys are really bad fighters. Then she heard Namaari groan.

"Hey, do you think that," Namaari began, before she lunged herself at Raya.

A Queen's guard jumped out of the shadows and came hurtling to Raya when her back was turned. Namaari was able to interfere, but the guard just moved the blade the side and sliced Namaari's arm clean off. Raya's wife collapsed to the floor, crying from pure agony.

With absolutely zero hesitation, Raya raised her sword and pummeled it straight through the guard's heart. He was dead before he hit the floor.

Then left nothing for Raya to focus on except for her wife. She quickly took off her waist band and firmly tied it around the edge of the spot where the arm was cut off to prevent further blood loss. She's honestly not sure how she did it with her tears blurring her vision.

Once the band was tight enough, Raya moved Namaari so that her head was resting on Raya's lap. The screaming had stopped, there was only a pained whimper was coming from her now.

(TW WARNING STOP)

"Hey, hey, hey, look at me. Namaari, you have to stay awake, do you understand me? If I have to live through this stupid curse, then so do you!" Raya sobbed.

This can't be happened. They've been married for what, a month? It didn't matter that there was a curse or everyone would be miserable, Raya wanted to be cursed and miserable with Namaari. For the rest of their lives. One month is not enough.

"You're...so bossy. Even now," Namaari mustered out.

Raya couldn't hold back the extra tears seeing Namaari in so much pain from such a simple sentence. She's trying so hard to stay awake.

"Thanks for the defense back there. That guy totally would have sliced right through my heart if you hadn't done anything," Raya whispered, tears still stubbornly streaming down her face.

"I know. I'd rather lose an arm than lose you," Namaari said.

"I wish you didn't have to lose one at all," Raya told her honestly.

"Will you still love me even if I only have one arm?" Namaari blurted.

God, how stupid is this woman?

"That may have been the most ridiculous shit you've ever said in your entire life, Namaari. Of course I'll love you without the arm. Besides, you've seen what dragon magic can do with those metal arms. Once this curse business is settled, you can get a magical metal arm and you're gonna look so badass," Raya choked out with a small smile on her lips.

"You think I'd look hot with a metal arm?" Namaari grinned.

Even though the reason why is so painfully stupid, Raya's just happy to see that smile.

"Duh. I think you'd look hot with anything. Do you think I'll look hot with the eyebrow and nose scar? The wounds are kind of deep," Raya sniffled.

"You're always hot. The scars will add to it. I wanna kiss them when they're healed," Namaari mumbled, seeming to drift off.

"Aye! Stay with me, One Armed Wonder!" Raya snapped.

"Did you just call me One Armed Wonder?" Namaari mumbled incredulously.

"Too soon?" Raya sheepishly asked.

"I want that engraved on my metal arm," Namaari decided with a giggle.

Raya laughed a bit too. It's so hard to laugh knowing that the love of her life is in so much pain and there's nothing she can do about it.

The ground began to shake. Raya looked out the window to see the black and green fog slowly take over the whole kingdom.

"It's coming," was all Raya managed to say.

"Kiss me," Namaari said.

And how can Raya say no to that?

Raya leaned down and pressed a soft but firm kiss on Namaari's lips. She's feels so safe in the kiss. Even when the world is ending. No one's ever made Raya feel the way Namaari does. No one else ever will.

Raya gently broke away and gasped as the shaking grew more intense. Raya leaned over Namaari in order to protect her body from any more potential injury.

"I love you," Raya yelled as the fog approached.

"Love...," Namaari trailed off.

She was way too weak. It was a miracle the Fang warrior lasted this long. But that's okay, Raya doesn't need her to say it out load to know she means it.

All she could do was hold her wife tightly as they were swept into a land where they were never married in the first place.

************************

(27 years later)

Roseline Heart woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning. Literally. There’s a spot on the mattress that has the spring sticking out because of how old it is and it ended up cutting Rose’s cheek. Now there’s a thin trail of blood coming from her face. Fantastic.

Groggily, Rose helplessly grabbed around for her glasses and shuffled to the bathroom. She’s pretty sure this is where the bandaids are. After actually putting on the glasses, success was Rose’s as she managed to get her hands the hello kitty band aid box. After cleaning up the cut as best as she could, she put her bright pink band aid on and headed out to the kitchen.

“Morning Sunshine! How’s-” Suki began before noticing bright ass bandaid on Rose’s face. “Okay, seriously, you gotta replace that mattress. Someone’s gonna call the sheriff on me for domestic violence if you keep this up!”

“Someone’s dramatic. I just forgot to put a thick pillow over it like usual. No big deal,” Rose said with a dismissive flick of the wrist.

“It feels like you never remember the pillow. Besides, you've already got a couple scars on your face. No reason to add on another,” Suki huffs while handing her an apple.

“Aye, don’t sass the hand that’s gonna be dying your hair blue tonight,” Rose warned. 

Suki simply stuck her tongue out at her and began rummaging through the cabinets to find some of her cereal. 

Suddenly a loud, obnoxious knocking at their door caused both girls to groan.

“You get the door, I’ll get the checkbook,” Rose said in defeat.

“You got it, bestie,” Suki huffed while headed to the door. 

Rose heard the door open as Suki made idle chit chat with their intrud- guest. Beloved landlord. She found the checkbook resting on her living room couch. Rose grabbed a pen, wrote out her check, and tore it off the booklet. 

“Mr. Gold. What a joy it is to see your wrinkly face so early in the morning,” Rose deadpanned.

“You’ve always known how to charm a man, haven’t you?” Gold mocked.

“Considering the fact that I’m a lesbian, I really hope not,” Rose grumbled while handing him the check. 

Mr. Gold examined it, front and back, before deciding it was sufficient.

“Well, everything seems to be in order. As per usual,” Mr. Gold spat. “I’ll leave you girls to your morning, then. Ms. Datu, I’ll be expecting your half of the rent on the first,” Mr Gold told her.

“And that is when you will receive, sir,” Suki said with an uncomfortable polite smile.

“Wonderful. I’ll be off then. Have an excellent day, Dearie,” Mr. Gold smirked. 

With that, he walked right of their apartment without bothering to close the door. Rose scowled and slammed the door shut. God, she wanted to take that cane from his hand and bash his face in with it. 

Will Rose ever understand what Gold’s problem is with her? No. No she will not. Rose just doesn’t get it! She’s an excellent tenant. She’s never been late for a payment. Not once. Hell, sometimes she gives Sisu extra cash in case she falls short with her rent money.

Yet somehow, Mr. Gold is never satisfied with her stellar reputation. In fact, he seems to be quite irritated whenever Rose manages to deliver the rent. Which is every time he asks for it. In simpler words, Mr. Gold is always pissed at Rose and there is nothing she can do about it. Rose wins none and loses all.

It used to make woman want to rip her hair out from pure frustration. Here she is, always giving rent when she needs to and she smells like flowers all the time! What more could a landlord want?! 

It wouldn’t be such an issue if he treated everyone else like this. But he doesn’t. Of course, just like any other landlord, he expects his tenants to pay rent on time and he tends to be a no nonsense kind of guy. But Mr. Gold’s willing to negotiate with others. He’s fine with coming to a compromise of some sort. But if Rose were to have issues?

She’d be on the streets faster than you can say ‘what a jackass’.

It’s not like there’s anything Rose can do about it, either. The only person that could match up to Mr. Gold in the realm of power in this town is Regina Mills, the mayor. Unfortunately, Mr. Gold has some sort of in with Mayor Mills, so Rose is totally screwed. 

But, well, Rose has accepted her status as Gold Enemy Number One. Nothing she can do about it now.

“God, I hate that guy. Why the hell can’t he just lay off your back?” Suki scowled. 

“Question of the century, truly. Think you can pick up some fruit while after work? Seems like we’re running low,” Rose asked her roommate.

“Got it. You better get dressed girl, aren’t you opening the store today?” Suki asked.

“Yeah, I need to move it,” Rose sighed while rushing into her room to get ready. 

Rose hastily put on a green long sleeve shirt and blue jeans that were way too big for her, held up by a dark brown belt. She flew in and out of the bathroom in record time. Once she grabbed her satchel like bag, she was ready for work. 

“Have fun, don’t hurt yourself!” Suki yelled as Rose put on her beat up sneakers. 

“If anyone’s gonna hurt themselves today, it’s you. See you later!” Rose yelled as she exited the apartment. 

Speed walking out of the building, Rose was so lost in her own world that she almost didn’t comprehend the fact that she nearly torpedoed into Mary Margaret. 

“Crap, sorry! I had a late start today,” Rose apologetically stated.

“Oh it’s no problem, Rose. You know, I was actually hoping I would run into you today. I’ll be super quick, I promise,” Mary Margaret said. 

“Yeah, for sure. What’s up?” Rose asked.

“Would you be able to tutor a kid in my class? His name is Henry, same age as Naomi, and he’s a really great kid. He’s just going through a bit of a hard time. He’s also a very quick study, the only reason why his grades have been slipping is because he lacks focus. His mother insisted on him getting a tutor and she has every intention of paying you. I only ask because of how great you are with Naomi and how much her grades improved after your tutoring,” Mary Margaret pleaded.

Huh. Rose really can't remember much of Namoi's progress. Well, Mary Margaret is her friend and a little extra cash couldn’t hurt. Besides, if she can help a kid out what’s the harm?

“That can work. I’m free after 4:30 on Mondays and Wednesdays, does that work out?” Rose asked. 

“Oh that’ll be perfect! I can not thank you enough! Think it can start today?” Mary Margaret asked with hopeful eyes.

Rose frowned and checked her phone to come to the discovery that today is, in fact, Wednesday. Shit, all the days blend together.

“I can do that, I just need to text Suki that I’ll be home late,” Rose responded. 

“You are seriously saving my life, thank you. Okay, meet me at Granny’s Diner at about 4:45 so that you two can get started,” Mary Margaret informed her.

“Granny’s at 4:45, on it. Alright, I gotta scatter before Moe has my head. See you later, Mary!” Rose yelled as she began a light jog to her car.

“Bye Rose! Thanks again!” Mary Margaret yelled.

Rose smiled and waved as she continued her jogging pace. The moment she got into her car, the pedal was to metal. Though she may have broke a couple speeding laws, Rose made it to work a whole two minutes early. 

Once she hopped out of her car that should have been thrown the in the dump years ago, Rose opened the door to her beloved place of work. 

Game of Thorns is her happy place. Surrounded by the soothing aromas of tulips and lilies, arranging the flowers to compliment each, and just staring at all the plants gives Rose a sense of peace. Besides, since the owner Moe French hates Mr. Gold, the old snake can’t set foot in this place. Here, Rose has solace. 

Mostly.

There is, of course, the fact that Natasha Fang is one of the shop’s biggest customers. 

The name Natasha is very fitting. Similarly to a gnat, Natasha does everything in her power to be as big of a nuisance to Rose as possible. The name quite literally speaks for itself.

Unfortunately, that would be very bad for business. The shop could just get rid of every single customer except for Natasha and they would still be kept afloat. She always orders in bulk and tips well, which is the only good thing Rose can say about her. 

Natasha is just so.....awful! Rose will never forgive how that woman betrayed her. Natasha and her stupid undercut can take a long walk off a short pier. 

“Rose, how are you on this fine morning?” Moe French asked as he walked through the door. That’s one way to snap Rose out of her thoughts.

“Morning Moe. I’m okay. I got my daily dose of Gold today, which was super fun for me,” Rose huffed as she set up the register.

“Ugh, that old bastard has no business harassing you! So what if he’s your landlord? He still has a job to treat his tenants with basic respect!” Moe rambled as he began to reorganize the flowers. 

“You are preaching to the choir, my friend,” Rose sighed. 

The two worked quietly together in order to set up the space for opening. Only a couple of customers came in the shop before Rose saw an unnecessarily flashy sports car parked right in front of the shop.

“The gnat is flying in!” Moe hissed when he also noticed this specific car.

Rose quickly retreated to the back room. It’s their fun little code word for saying that Natasha, the worst person ever, was entering the shop. Moe and the rest of Rose’s coworkers all understood the complicated dynamic between the two girls. Said dynamic being Natasha tries aggravating Rose at every possible opportunity while Rose does everything in her power to avoid her.

Rose is very grateful that her colleagues had her back and were willing to talk to Natasha instead. Does Rose realize that it's petty and childish to run from her problem? Yeah. But it works and gives Rose a better peace of mind.

"Mr. French, good to see you today," Rose heard Natasha say as she walked into the shop.

"Ms. Fang! And you as well. What can I do for you?" her boss asked.

"I'll need the usual, please. Carnations instead of peonies this time, though. One of our clients is obsessed with peonies so I'm trying to play to my audience. If you guys can help deliver them this Friday, that would be great," Natasha informed him. (Probably with her stupid fake smile.)

"Of course we can! Come on, I'll ring you up!" Moe excitedly stated as the footsteps got closer.

Ugh, Rose wishes Moe could be as anti Natasha as he was anti Gold. The girl does drop a lot of cash for this store at his core, Moe French is a business man. Rose knew this business would not be half as good without Natasha's participation. Doesn't mean she had to like it, though.

"Thank you for your business!" Moe said. Rose could practically hear the smile in his voice.

"Of course, Mr. French. I'll see you on Friday, Heart," Natasha said with way too much glee.

Though no one could see it, Rose scowled. She worked full time. When the shop is open, Rose is working. Of course Natasha knows that.

The young florist waited until she heard the door close before reentering the main part of the shop.

"I wanna punch her in her stupid face," Rose blatantly stated when she excited the room.

"All she'd need to is grab you with her prosthetic arm and it'd be over for you," Moe reminded her.

"Well I would have made the experience very stressful for her," Rose grumbled as she got back to work.

"I'm sure you would have, Rose," Moe nodded.

Rose internally groaned and mentally prepared herself for this Friday. Even it's only two days away, she needs all the help she can get. Rose is positive she doesn't work at the only flower shop in the world, so why can't Natasha go to literally any other?

It doesn't even matter. Rose is just going to do what she always does. Talk to Thomas exclusively, hide behind the flowers whenever Natasha's in eyesight, and teleport out there before any interaction can occur. It's in everyone's best interest.

The day droned on as usual. Moe decided to close up shop today, so Rose was able to get to Granny's Diner a tad earlier than expected. She saw Mary Margaret already at the diner, which was very convenient.

Rose walked up to the table where she was sitting and saw the kid also sitting with Mary Margaret. Huh, so the whole gang is here.

She was about to introduce herself when she caught sight of the woman sitting next to Henry. Can anyone explain why the ever loving fuck the mayor is sitting next to this little boy?

Rose gave the teacher a look and jutted her head to the side which is the nonverbal cue of 'get the hell over here right now'.

Mary Margaret, being used to Rose, knew what she was getting at walked over to greet her.

“Mary,” Rose said in an eerily calm tone.

“Yes, Rose?” Mary Margaret asked in a meek voice.

“Please do not tell me that Henry’s last name is Mills,” Rose hissed.

“Look, I’m sorry I wasn’t honest before, but he really needs the help and I was worried you’d judge him before meeting him!” the teacher exclaimed.

“I’m not judging him, I’m judging whether or not I’ll be able to even live in Storybrooke!” Rose snapped. “I can not afford to make this kid upset, Mary. I’ve already got Gold on my back for, I don’t know, breathing! If I manage to get on Mayor Mills’ bad side, I will quite literally have no choice but to leave town!”

“Rose, please, he’s not that kind of kid. Besides, one of the things he’s been struggling with is the relationship with his mother. Just give it a shot. One day trial. If you really think you can’t do it, then fine. But please, just try,” Mary Margaret begged.

Rose sighed at the kid that seemed absolutely miserable sitting next to his own mother. Just looking at him, Rose does feel bad for the little guy. And it’s not like Rose has anything better to do on a Wednesday afternoon...

“Fine. One day,” Rose agreed. 

“You are a god send! Okay, get ready to meet the family!” Mary Margaret whispered as she tugged on Rose’s arm. “Mayor Mills! Henry! Here’s this fantastic tutor I was telling you guys about.”

Madame Mayor looked Rose up and down, examining her like she’s trying to decide whether she’s worthy of being in her and her son’s presence. 

“Regina Mills. This is my son, Henry. Thank you for taking time out of your day to help him,” the mayor said in a drawled sort of voice. Then, Mayor Mills stuck her hand out to shake. 

“Roseline Heart. Everyone calls me Rose. It’s a pleasure to make both of your acquaintances,” Rose said with a polite smile. 

Rose then stuck her own arm out to shake. When she made contact with the mayor’s hand, Rose felt a vice like grip in the handshake. But she would not be the one to back down. As previously stated, she really can’t afford to. 

“Firm handshake. Wonderful,” the mayor said as she let go with smile. 

Rose isn’t sure exactly what kind of smile the mayor’s flashing, but she knows for a fact it’s not a genuine one. 

“Well, with that I will be off. The job of Mayor never stops. Behave Henry. I love you. And for heaven’s sake, actually pay attention to what she says please,” the Mayor told her son. 

After planting a quick kiss on her son’s forehead, the mayor was off. Probably to make an innocent man cry. 

Rose stared at Henry. Henry stared right back. 

“So. You wanna play go fish and every time you lose, we have to actually focus on your school work?”

At the prospect of a game, the boy’s eyes lit up with excitement. 

“Uh, yeah!” he grinned as Rose brought out a deck of cards to shuffle.

It may seem stupid, but it works. Rose challenges Naomi to a battle of go fish all the time when she needs to get work done. The ability to make homework fun tends to make kids more inclined to comply. 

Rose decided that she likes Henry after his mother picked him up. Mary Maragaret’s probably right. Just a good kid with a rough relationship with his mom, likely due to her job. 

There’s just one more stop to Rose’s journey before heading home.

Rose took slow steps to Storybrooke’s general hospital where she briefly passed by Dr. Whale. After a quick greeting to the physician, she entered the hallway where the patients reside.

Calmly, Rose sat at the chair right at her father’s bedside. Without saying a word, Rose held his hand stared at his expressionless face.

God, what she wouldn’t give for just one expression to overcome her father’s face. Rose’s father has been comatose for who even knows how long. Dr. Whale insists there’s hope, but that may just be his way of sustaining his paycheck. 

She wants her father back. More than anything, Rose wants her father to open his eyes. 

But just like every single day before, Ben Heart does not open his eyes. He lays on the bed, still as a statue as he always does. Nothing has changed.

Rose mustered up the courage to tell her father about her day because maybe, just maybe, he’s listening. Once there was nothing more to say, she got up to drive back home.

As she left her father’s room, she looked to the side and saw yet another face that has yet to move. John Doe, he’s been in a comatose state for about as long as her father as, and no one’s ever claimed him. Talk about a bad break. 

Rose figured it’d be best to leave before she gets too wrapped up in all the depressing thoughts. She managed to get home in one piece where Suki is waiting for her.

“Hey bestie! How’s your day?” Suki asked.

“The Henry kid is nice. I’ll continue tutoring him. Other than that, you know how my day went. Same as every other day.”

************************

(one year later)

Rose was scrolling through instagram on her phone, waiting for Henry to show up at Granny’s like usual. The kid was running late, which really isn’t like him. Rose contemplated calling him before the young boy burst through the doors.

“Hey Rose!” Henry exclaimed, practically vibrating with excitement.

Rose had to say, she’s surprised. She’s never seen Henry so....happy? Vibrant? Not utterly depressed?

“Hi Henry! What’s got you looking so positively gleeful after a long day of school?” Rose smiled.

“I’m not sure you can handle it,” Henry shrugged.

“Uh, I absolutely can,” Rose interjected. 

“Whatever you say. Just know I won’t be offended when you won’t believe a word I say,” Henry sighed.

With that, the little nine year old boy plopped a thick leather book on the table. It was definitely old and had beautiful golden lettering with the words ‘once upon a time’ written on it.

“Oooo, fairytales? I loved this stuff as a kid. What about this is unbelievable?” Rose asked.

“I know this going to be a lot to digest and like I said, you won’t have to believe me. Have you ever wondered why the clock never moves? Why you can’t seem to remember just about anything from their past? Why no one ever leaves this town?” Henry inquired mysteriously. 

“Uh, one is that your mother never hires anyone to fix the clock, two is just an age issue, and three is because we’re all too lazy or like this town,” Rose explained.

“All of your answers are incorrect! It’s actually because this whole town is cursed!” the young boy whispered.

Rose blinked once. Twice. Three times.

“Okay, I realize I’m not exactly in the height of my life right now, but I wouldn’t say I’m cursed,” Rose laughed.

“It’s not just you, it’s everyone in this town! They’re all characters in this book. You all just can’t remember anything and time doesn’t move,” Henry explained.

Now Rose wasn’t entirely sure to handle this. What Henry was saying is clearly some fantasy to cope with whatever issues he’s dealing with at home. 

“Look, Henry,” Rose began. 

“Just wait. Let me ask you something. Do you remember why exactly you hate Natasha? Do you remember who gave you that dragon pendant? Or the ring on your right hand? Can you remember how you met Suki? Or Ms. Blanchard?” Henry asked, quickly following one question after another.

“Well, Natasha betrayed me. When were kids. Yeah we were young, but she clearly lacks remorse,” Rose said.

Though she didn’t want to admit it, Rose only addressed the first question because it was the only question where she was certain of her answer.

“But what actually happened? What did Natasha do to betray you?” Henry pressed.

Now Rose had to admit, the details are.....fuzzy. Rose can say beyond the shadow of a doubt that Natasha is a traitorous snake that should be avoided at all costs.

But honestly? She doesn’t remember exactly what occurred during this awful betrayal. The person who gave her the ring and pendant were important to Rose. She’s kind of sure of that. Rose is also pretty sure whoever gifted her those items were from the same person. However, Rose isn't entirely sure who this person is. She thinks they were gifts from a relative.

The gold dragon pendant with a bright blue gem in the middle went matched well with gold band of the ring that also has a bright blue circular gem in the center. Little diamonds run along the band making it the most beautiful and valuable thing Rose owns.

“I have a terrible memory, Henry. Anyone that knows me can attest to that. So what if I can’t remember the exact bits of what Natasha did? Or who gave me jewelry? Or how I met my friends? Having the memory of a goldfish don’t mean there’s a curse,” Rose tried to remind him.

“I get why you don’t believe me. After all, you got wronged by a lot of people which made you very cautious and untrusting,” Henry sighed, looking incredibly disappointed.

Rose frowned at seeing the boy so dejected. She tried to think of a way to cheer him up without lying and saying she believed him.

“If you’re so intent on the idea everyone in this town is a story book character, who am I?” Rose asked just to humor him.

At this, Henry’s eyes lightened up. He opened the book and flipped to a page in big, fancy letters that read out to be ‘Raya and the Last Dragon’. 

“This is your story. You’re Raya, untrusting heroine that has to learn to have faith in order to get her happy ending. In the book, after Namaari betrays you, you have to find the almighty dragon Sisu in order to return everyone from stone. Then Namaari proves herself by risking her life to save you and everyone else in Kumandra. After that, you two spent a lot of time together reuniting the five lands and eventually you two fall in love and get married! You were only married for a few weeks before the curse hit,” Henry informed her.

“Huh. Well, at least my story book life has a happily ever after before this supposed curse,” Rose huffed. “Wait, so who do you think Suki is? And Mary Margaret? Oh, you have to tell me who you think your mom is!”

“Suki is Sisu, the dragon that helped you save the world. Mary Margaret’s Snow White and my mom, well...,” Henry sighed, clearly hesitant to speak. “She’s the Evil Queen.”

Well this theory is most certainly going to drive an even bigger wedge between Henry and his mom than before. Though Rose has to admit, she finds the concept of Suki being a dragon very amusing.

“Wow. That...is a lot of information you dropped on me,” was all Rose could say after that.

“Yeah, I know,” Henry nodded. 

“Alright, I’m still not quite convinced that everyone in this town is a cursed fairytale character and you’re fine with that. So I just have one last question for you,” Rose told him.

“Lay it on me,” Henry nodded.

“Who’s my wife? You know, the girl that’s really Namaari but got cursed and is now not my wife. According to you, because I am doubtful,” Rose grinned.

“You’re not gonna like my answer,” Henry admitted sheepishly.

“Oh no. Who is it?” Rose asked, weirdly afraid of who he was going to say. 

“It’s Natasha Fang. She’s your wife before the curse,” Henry informed her. 

“I want a new one,” Rose demanded. 

“What,” Henry deadpanned. 

“I said I want a new one. Natasha Fang can’t to be my wife, she sucks! So pick a different one,” Rose told him. 

“I can’t just pick a different one, it’s who you married! You chose Natasha! She chose you! It already happened, there’s no take backsies!” Henry glared.

“Um, excuse you, if you get to tell me my entire life is one big curse, then I get to have a better wife! What about that girl who works at the electric company? She’s cute and she always gives me a discount whenever she needs to fix up my apartment! Make her my wife instead,” Rose whined childishly.

“That’s not- you know what? There’s no point in arguing with you. If there’s any hope of saving you and everyone else in this town, I need cold hard proof,” Henry sighed. 

“.............................are you sure cute electrician girl can’t be my wife?”

“Yes, Rose. I am sure. Cute electrician girl is not and will never be your wife. Deal with it.”

“............................rude.”

#raya and the last dragon #rayaari #namaari #raya x namaari #namaari x raya #ratld #raya and namaari #ratld namaari #raya disney #ratld raya #ouat #once upon a time

[ace-cf-cups]

For Your Consideration

2023 year was my first year in the fandom (well, technically 2022 was my first year in the fandom and the year I made my Belle rp blog, but in terms of actually contributing something to the fandom 2023 was my first year).

I started it off with great ambitions regarding writing and gifing and editing. I ended up posting only a handful of gifsets, three ficlets, two of which I wrote for Rumbelle Showdown (shoutout to @jackabelle73 for hosting this wonderful event last year, by the way), and 0 fanvids/edits. I'm not particularly proud of it, and I really, really wanna make much more content this year. We'll see how it goes 😅

Anyway, I still decided to give participating in @the-chipped-cup-awards a try. It looked fun last year, when I was only a bystander.

So, without further rambling, I offer to your consideration what little I wrote and made in the year 2023.

Fanfics

Premonition - a ficlet written for the 1st Round of Rumbelle Showdown 2023, for the prompts ""; EF!Rumbelle hurt/comfort

Belle and Rumple are slowly growing closer as they spend evenings in each other's company in the Dark Castle.

Then, when one day Rumplestiltskin is called away for a deal in the middle of their conversation and doesn't return for an hour, Belle begins to worry.

Possible nominations: Best Comfort, Best One-Shot, Best Short Fic, Best Dark Castle, Best Drama, Best Trope (sickfic), Best English Language, Best Belle, Best Dark One Rumple

His ray of light - a ficlet written for the 2nd Round of Rumbelle Showdown 2023, for the prompts ""; human AU, major character injury, possible MCD

Alan Gold is in a happy, healthy relationship for the first time in what might be his whole life.

But when one day a figure from his past unexpectedly shows up at his beloved's doorstep, it might mean the end not only of his happiness, but life itself.

Possible nominations: Best Death, Best Hurts So Good, Best One Shot, Best Short Fic, Best Storybrooke, Best Drama, Best AU - Original, Best English Language, Best Mr Gold

Sacred promise - originally written as a starter for my rp partner, I also decided to post it as a ficlet; season 6 fix-it without all the breakup bullsh*t

Belle's and Rumple's baby boy has kicked for the first time.

Rumple has major feelings about it.

Possible nominations: Best Family, Best Fix-it, Best One Shot, Best Short Fic, Best Storybrooke, Best AU – Based on Once Upon A Time, Best Trope (kiss to the baby bump), Best English Language, Best Mr Gold

Gifsets

this "happy ending at the end of realms" set

Possible nominations: Best Fan Art, Best Graphic Art, Best Fluff Art, Best Use of Color

this "in my memory, it doesn't end..." set

Possible nominations: Best Fan Art, Best Graphic Set, Best Angsty Art, Best Fluffy Art

this silly little Woven Beauty set

Possible nominations: Best Fan Art, Best Graphic Set, Best AU in Art

#rumbelle #the chipped cup awards #the espenson awards #for your consideration

[withgirl-sq]

For the true or dare game

🍄🔪🍦

🍄 ⇢ share a head canon for one of your favourite ships or pairings

I'll go for Azutara -- I think that Azula would recognise how inept she is at romance at some point and would actually start to study how to become a better girlfriend to Katara who finds one of the books she has been reading and figures out what she has been doing. Somebody like Sokka would point out how weird it is but Katara would actually find the studying itself to be th emost romantic thing ever.

🔪 ⇢ what's the weirdest topic you researched for a writing project?

The only thing I've researched recently is physiotherapy for a broken shoulder so I'll have to go for that

🍦 ⇢ name three good things about a character you hate

The only character I truly hate is Captain Hook from Once Upon a Time so I'll give that a shot lol --

He was an entertaining villain before they put him and Emma together

Him and Regina are funny frenemies

He's backstory with Rumplestiltskin was interesting - liked the spin on the Crocodile story

I know that two of these are actually about another charcter in the show but this was difficult lol

#azutara #azula #katara #azulara #kazula #avatar the last airbender #anti - captain hook #once upon a time #emma swan #regina mills

[cssns]

Hi everyone! Please help me welcome @anmylica to this year's CSSNS!

What’s your Tumblr?

@anmylica

How long have you been in the CS/OUAT fandom?

2 years officially, but I was a fan of the show from the start of the first season!

When did you start shipping Captain Swan?

I don’t really remember when I started, but I got hardcore into them when I rediscovered the fandom after life got in the way and took me away from it when the show was running episodes.

What drew you to this event?

It’s a way of helping keep the fandom alive, and I wanted to challenge myself into writing a genre that I don’t really write.

What inspired your topic?

Sonata Arctica’s song “Fly with the Black Swan” gave time the basis, and then it sort of took off from there into what it’s become. The lyrics will give a hint as to where I’m going with it!

If you would like to share a snippet/sneak peek/summary of your fic or artwork, please use the space below.

Captain Hook has finally paid off his debt to Peter Pan and left the waters of Neverland for good. Newly arrived in the Enchanted Forest, he is more determined than ever to get his revenge. But all is not as it seems. Rumplestiltskin has since been killed and a new Dark One has taken his place. After finding proof that it wasn’t just Rumple, but this Dark power that was responsible for the death of his beloved, he sets off to the North Mountains, the last known location of this new Dark One, to end the Darkness for good. But after he’s separated from his crew by an avalanche (from which he was saved by a beautiful black swan), he realizes that the price of ending the darkness for good may be higher than he’s willing to pay once he meets the new Dark One. Meanwhile, unbeknownst to both Captain Hook and the Dark Swan, the Darkness has plans of its own…

What are you looking forward to most about participating in this event?

The chance to write in a genre that isn’t my usual. I’m going more for a horror thriller feel here with this fic, and it’s going to be very interesting because I actually hate that genre with a passion. We shall see if I manage to capture the elements of that genre with this!

Ooh, such an intriguing concept for a story! I'll have to go listen to the song now. I know you're going to knock it out of the park! Brittny's one-shot will be dropping Tuesday, July 11th. Please make sure to go say hi and welcome her to the event!

#GTKM #CSSNS23 #anmylica #gtkm interview

[martianbugsbunny]

Martian’s Masterlist!

Figured it was about time I collected all of my fics into one area, will ofc be updating it as I write more. It’s sorted by ship, including wherefrom they originate, with a brief description of what type (one-shot, chapter fic, same-universe if I’m feeling saucy) and a short summary of what happens. V proud of myself for figuring out how to link these tbh, but if any of the links isn’t working for the love of Pete please let me know. Fics with more than one chapter will be linked to the first chapter because...logic.

For the tags, I have chosen to only use the ship names, not __ x __ format, for the sake of trying to keep the tags somewhat in hand. I have, however, tried to use what I’m aware of being the most popular/common names for ships, as well as the alternate ones I’ve seen for more niche stuff. Also tagged are the shipped characters. If I add new ships, I'll have to reblog bc of the tag limit.

*Hands you the rabbit hole* Have fun going down!

CaptainCroc/GoldenHook (Rumplestiltskin x Killian Jones {Once Upon A Time}):

Is This Love Persevering? (It Feels More Like The End of the World): One-shot. Established CaptainCroc mourning the loss of Baelfire. Canon-divergent for the sake of Rumple actually getting to attend his son’s funeral.

Who Makes You See Color: Chapter fic, 14 total. CaptainCroc soulmates AU where one person sees color earlier than the other. Extends from pre-Dark One era to the First Curse being broken.

The Truth Echoes Darkly: Short series; part 1 for The Truth Echoes Darkly. Echo Caves AU where instead of Emma, Hook confesses that he loves Rumple for maximum awkward.

The Echo Goes On: Short series; part 2 for The Truth Echoes Darkly. Back in Storybrooke, Rumple finds himself obsessed with Hook and realizes that he’s fallen in love as well.

My North Star: One-shot. Established CaptainCroc vow renewal, featuring Hook’s inner thoughts about how much he loves Rumple.

Better Than Blood: One-shot. Pretty racy, but the point is thinking about the poeticism of having sex with your ex-nemesis.

Cherik (Charles Xavier x Erik Lehnsherr {X-Men Movies}):

Sweetheart Will You Sleep With Me: One-shot. The night before they fight Shaw, Charles and Erik make the most of the little time they know they have left together and sleep in Charles’ room. Fluff, don’t get too excited by the title lol.

Baby While You’re At It: One-shot. Based on a Jessie Murph song. Angst with a happy ending. Charles is furious when Erik crashes a party at the school, so they have it out in the kitchen and get more-or-less back together by the end.

Espionage Husbands (Talos x Nick Fury {Captain Marvel/Secret Invasion}):

Locked In This Embrace: One-shot. Focuses on the forehead-touching scene from Episode 1, plus an original scene or two afterwards. Mostly Talos pining for Nick with a happy ending.

If You Are Gilgamesh And Did These Things: One-shot. Angst without a happy ending because the author was very upset and sad when Talos died. Nick is grieving Talos; Sonya isn’t helping.

Frankenwolf (Ruby Lucas x Victor Frankenstein {Once Upon A Time}):

Den of Blankets: One-shot. Ruby’s wolf instincts kick in during pregnancy and she builds a blanket-fort den. V fluff.

She Deserves To Have Your Name: One-shot (possibly same-universe as Den of Blankets). Victor has doubts about whether or not their child should have the name Frankenstein, but Ruby wouldn’t hear of anything else.

It’s Just A Dream: One-shot. Ruby has a nightmare spawned from her fears of being a bad parent; Victor comforts her.

As The Storm Blows Through: One-shot. Victor has anxiety during a storm because of what happened with Gerhardt, and Ruby comforts him.

Secret Admirers Are For The Subtle: One-shot. Victor anonymously sends Ruby flowers at the diner so he can drop by, “notice” them, and stick around to sketch them, all so he can spend time with Ruby. She’s on to him the entire time.

Blue Skies Smiling At Me: One-shot. Utterly fluffy beach fic. Ruby is having a good day relaxing with her friends, and it only gets better when her handsome husband joins them.

Frankenberry And The Fruit Brute: One-shot. Fun little Halloween fic where Ruby and Victor discover the General Mills cereals that match their fairytale identities.

Precursor To A Love Song: One-shot. Hyperion Heights AU where Ruby and Victor meet and feel an instant connection, even though they don’t know why. She’s a fashion designer and he’s a piano player/freelance artist. Potential springboard for a full chapter fic if I feel like it.

HatterHare (Mad Hatter x March Hare {Adventures In Wonderland}):

The First Kiss: One-shot. Just a fluffy lil idea about what their first kiss might’ve been like.

Every Bit Of You: One-shot. Projection’n’stuff about food issues basically.

Kalluzeb (Garazeb Orrelios x Alexsandr Kallus {Star Wars Rebels}):

Don’t You Know It’s Because He Loves You?: One-shot. Kallus discovers that Zeb is in love with him via a Lasat Honor Guard tradition.

To Convince You That I Love You: Chapter fic. Kallus does risky things to prove he would do anything for love of Zeb, or that he’s worthy of him, and ends up getting hurt. Angst with a happy ending, hurt/comfort.

Lokius (Loki x Mobius {Loki}):

The Man Of My Dreams And He’s Just Out Of Reach: One-shot (with a very long name lol). Mobius stands there across the street from Don’s house and misses Loki. Author was having some Feelings™.

Outlaw Queen (Regina Mills x Robin Hood {Once Upon A Time}):

A Slice Of Life: One-shot. Regina spends the day with her boys and thinks about how awesome it is to have them. V fluffy because the OQ family didn’t get enough of that.

Paxe/AxePaz (Paz Vizsla x Axe Woves {The Mandalorian}):

We Are Mandalorians: Our Love Must Be Forged: Chapter fic, 11 total. Axe and Paz slowly fall in love as they engage in the battle to retake Mandalore, more or less a fix-it for Paz dying in S3 canon.

PloKit (Plo Koon x Kit Fisto {Star Wars: the Clone Wars}):

Reader, Plo Married Him: One-shot. Plo and Kit share some quiet time just after their wedding.

The Tender Daily Ritual: One-shot. Basically just fluff; Kit helps Plo with lotioning his skin because it dries out in oxygen atmospheres.

Scogan (Scott Summers x Logan Howlett {X-Men Movies}):

Torn Between Love And Fear: One-shot. Scott wants to stay after sex and sleep in Logan’s room, but Logan is terrified of hurting him during a nightmare. Angst with a happy (and sort of spicy) ending.

You Scratch My Back, I’ll Scratch Yours: One-shot. Logan and Scott discover they have a mutual pain kink and indulge in it together for the first time. Incredibly spicy, I'm so proud of myself.

Spones (Spock x Dr. McCoy {Star Trek TOS}):

I Could Drink A Case Of You (I Would Still Be On My Feet): One-shot. Based on a Joni Mitchell song; angsty with a happy ending.

#martianbugsbunny writes fic #masterlist post #masterlist #captaincroc #goldenhook #rumplestiltskin #Killian Jones #Captain Hook #ouat #once upon a time #frankenwolf #ruby Lucas #victor frankenstein #hatterhare #mad hatter #March hare #adventures in wonderland #kalluzeb #Garazeb Orrelios #Alexsandr Kallus #paxe #axe woves #Paz Vizsla #Star Wars #plokit #Plo Koon #kit fisto #spones #spock #leonard mccoy

[jackiestarsister]

OUAT Rewatch: Season 3

Spoilers for future seasons are noted in parentheses.

Episode 3x01 “The Heart of the Truest Believer”

~ I don’t like the pattern that the show developed of focusing on a new world and “big bad” antagonist each half-season. I generally prefer when most of the action takes place in Storybrooke, attention is given to the various townsfolk, and the different plotlines overlap.

~ Despite this, the introduction of Neverland for a while makes sense thematically. Peter Pan is full of children alternately rejecting and longing for parents. Neverland serves as metaphorical underworld, a place for the characters to wrestle with their demons and face themselves, and each other, for who they really are.

~ This is an episode with no flashbacks, a rare thing in this show. It makes sense given how many different parties there are to juggle at the same time.

~ This episode starts with Emma saying “I can’t be a mother,” and ends with her saying “I’m a mother.” It’s like an encapsulation of her whole character arc in the show!

~ Henry is an interesting contrast against Greg and Tamara. He’s usually framed as the optimistic believer, but here, they are the ones showing blind faith while he asks logical questions.

~ “We don’t ask questions. We just believe in our cause.” So basically, Greg and Tamara are part of a cult.

~ Who are the “countless other people” Emma says they’ve lost since the curse was broken? Is she thinking of the refugees Cora killed? Does Emma know about Johanna and the others Cora killed or transformed in Storybrooke?

~ “The minute I let go of the belief that things will get better is the minute I know they won’t.” That’s an interesting take on optimism and pessimism. Sounds sort of like self-fulfilling prophecy, or the idea that “your focus determines your reality,” as Qui-Gon Jinn says in Star Wars: The Phantom Menace. Basically, your attitude shapes the world.

~ What are the rules for when/where Gold needs his cane? He needed it in Storybrooke even after bringing magic there, but he leaves it behind and seems to walk fine in Neverland.

~ Greg and Tamara unknowingly working for the Lost Boys doesn’t make a lot of sense, considering how much they supposedly relied on science to counteract magic. I would have preferred for them to be part of an actual network of people opposed to magic.

~ Tamara yells at Henry to run. Did she care about him on some level, despite killing his father?

~ Why does Henry immediately think he can trust the kid that pulled him out of the way? How does he know he isn’t also one of the Lost Boys?

~ Hook encouraging Emma, giving her Neal’s sword, and drinking to Neal’s memory is so sweet. He may deny being sentimental, but he does feel deeply, and he is sensitive to others’ (or at least Emma’s) feelings.

~ Hook’s answer about how long Baelfire was with him is suitably ambiguous, since this show likes to play with time, sometimes glossing over long periods, sometimes inserting stories within stories.

~ Everyone is so out of sync, each following their own ideas for defense against the mermaids. I feel bad for Hook trying to keep his ship steady while his new crewmates just add to the chaos!

~ How would catching mermaids in a net help? They shouldn’t want them on board!

~ Mulan and Neal’s scene feels like it’s more about her than about him. We already know what he did and why he did it, since he explained it two episodes earlier.

~ Those slow-motion shots when the waves crash on the ship are pretty cool!

~ How does Neal know about Rumplestiltskin’s castle? They never lived there when they were together. Did he learn about it from Henry’s book?

~ For someone who hated magic, Neal seems quite adept at detecting it and figuring out ways to use it.

~ Emma and Hook working together at the helm!

~ All the talk about outrunning a storm comes to a head in the lyrics of “A Happy Beginning”!

~ The weather-emotion symbolism may be heavy-handed, but honestly, the fights that break out make sense for who the characters are. Snow vs. Regina, David vs. Hook—they all have bad history, and in a crisis, stress can unleash bottled-up emotions.

~ Getting to fly must be such a dream come true for Henry!

~ Emma finally takes a leap of faith, signifying a turning point in her story. And although she says she blames her parents, and the recurring theme in Neverland is that she feels like an orphan, she trusts her parents to save her.

~ Hook is so quick-thinking and pragmatic, and willing to cooperate with the guy he was just fighting, when Emma is in danger.

~ Rumple is self-parodying now!

~ Neal and Rumple both come across items that had to do with both themselves and their fathers.

~ The interior of Rumple’s cabinet looks like it’s decorated with roses!

~ Hook raises his brow at Emma when she says they’ve been at each other’s throats; thankfully, she owns up to her part right away.

~ As they follow the heroes, Hook gives Regina a look as if to say “Oh, what the hell?” or “I’m game.”

~ “It’s so much easier to get people to hate something than to believe.” True words, even though they’re from Pan.

~ What happened to the freaking mermaid?! I’m going to assume that after the storm calmed they turned her back to flesh and set her free.

~ That last scene, with the Lost Boys coming out and surrounding Henry, is pretty terrifying cliffhanger. It lets us imagine the worst, but the following episodes make it seem like they haven’t done much to harm or frighten Henry.

~ This might be one of the best episodes of the snow!

Episode 3x02 “Lost Girl”

~ It’s really cool to see so many characters—Emma, Snow, David, Regina, and Hook—share so many scenes. It’s a balancing act for the writing and directing, and it gives the actors plenty of opportunities for their characters to play off each other, in both old and new ways.

~ Emma may have declared herself the leader, but she backs up Hook as their guide, showing great trust in him. This is impressive considering how untrusting she has been toward him and how untrustworthy he has been toward everyone.

~ Snow’s insistence that “It is never too late” doesn’t really make sense in this kind of context. They could quite plausibly reach Henry after he’s been hurt or killed. But Snow seems to take it back at the end, when she says they found Emma too late.

~ I had forgotten/not realized that Snow’s identity is questioned as much as Emma’s, Hook’s, and Gold’s in this part of the series. She is told not to deny who she is, just like Emma in the present struggles with admitting who she is. While she cannot hear the children’s cries—probably because she knew her parents loved her, and she was practically grown when her father died—she did lose her parents and her home, so she is a type of lost girl.

~ Leaving the campsite by herself to investigate the eerie children’s cries is not a smart move.

~ David says “Just name your price” way too easily, as if he doesn’t know how great the price of Rumplestiltskin’s deals can be. He should know better by now.

~ Hook and Regina both call Emma by her first name, something they rarely do. It makes sense that it would be when she’s wrestling with her identity, though I’m not sure it was intentional.

~ Emma’s voice is so flat and emotionless when he admits that she is the Savior. Her proclamation at the end of season 6 is a huge contrast to this!

~ Did Hook know about Emma being the Savior, or did he follow up her admission with questions about what that means?

~ As much as I love Belle, the vision of her that Gold sees in Neverland is really weird. Did they just want to find a way to include Emilie de Ravin, keeping her part of the regular cast? Or was it so Gold would have a character to play off of as he wrestles with his demons? In a way, she is still serving as an angel/devil on his shoulder.

~ Hook mentions “what [he] did to Rufio”! Interesting way to allude to Hook. Since the Lost Boys are framed as villains in this version, it may not have played out the same way; however, they are also victims of Pan, so it may have been one of Hook’s darker moments.

~ The moments where Pan and Regina simply call off their forces and leave their enemies alive doesn’t make sense. They have no reason to retreat. What was even the point of the battle with the Lost Boys?

~ The show never really delves into matters of governance and what makes someone a rightful ruler/leader. It is presumed that Snow and Charming were rightful because they were noble, heroic people.

~ I wondered why Snow was suddenly wearing an ostentatious necklace. It’s cruel of Rumplestiltskin to take that knowing it was her mother’s. Only, how did she have it at that point, after being driven out of her palace and living on the run for so long?

~ Hook actually hasn’t brought out the rum often up to now. The first time was to wash Emma’s cut, and the second time was to toast Neal. This is only the third time he offers it, but the first time Emma comments on it as a recurring thing.

~ Emma and Hook’s moments are natural and understated, and that’s great. They’re getting used to each other as teammates, and at the end he confirms that he wants to know her better. That last shot of Emma seems to be Hook’s point of view watching her walk away.

~ Appearance vs. reality is actually a theme throughout the episode. Hook warns that Pan looks like a boy but is really a demon. Snow thinks she has found Excalibur when it’s an ordinary sword. Gold has a vision of Belle. Emma and Snow’s identities are both questioned, along with David’s identity as shepherd/prince.

~ I hate the fake adventure/false confidence trope. It’s like Felix Felicis in Harry Potter.

~ I like seeing David and the dwarves having tension. They may have helped Snow pursue him, but they really don’t know him, and it makes sense for them to be skeptical of him given how much Snow has put herself at risk because of him.

~ Despite what he has said about honesty being important in their relationship, David deceives Snow in both the past and present timelines of this episode.

Episode 3x03 “Quite a Common Fairy”

~ “You think you’re the diner at the feast, tasing the offerings: a little love, a little darkness. What you don’t realize is you are the feast, and the darkness has tasted you.” That’s an interesting metaphor!

~ Rumplestiltskin is the one who tells Regina that her rage is all she has.

~ Tinker Bell was the first person to give Regina a second chance!

~ Hook says David won’t see summer. Does that mean it’s springtime at this point (assuming Hook is referring to Land Without Magic time)?

~ Robin Hood and Neal also talk about second chances!

~ What did Tinker Bell mean for Regina to do? Have an affair, which could be considered treason for a royal consort? Forsake her responsibilities as queen, wife and stepmother?

~ Why is the Shadow still looking for believers at this point, after Henry has already been found? Does Pan still want to recruit Lost Boys anyway?

~ I want to see a whole series (or at least an arc) about Hook’s various adventures in Neverland, as it’s repeatedly hinted that he has quite a history with Tinker Bell, Pan, and the Lost Boys.

~ “Come with us to our camp,” as if they have one set up already?

~ It’s quite harsh of Tink to say that Regina ruined Robin’s life by not seeking him out. He ended up falling in love with Marian and having a child with her; that was pretty good. (The way she really ruined his life was when she had Marian put to death.)

~ Why does Pan trust Tink? What is their relationship like? How did she even end up in Neverland?

~ Robin’s lion tattoo is probably a tribute to Richard the Lionheart!

Episode 3x04 “Nasty Habits”

~ Why does Rumple make and put on war paint? It’s true that he uses masks, but what is the practical purpose of making and wearing it?

~ Hook was probably the one who taught Baelfire/Neal to tie an overhand knot!

~ Baelfire was an artist, like Milah! He’s shown sketching as a boy, and the walls of his cave are covered with drawings. He drew the Darling family, their house, and the second star to the right in the sky; and he made a new version of Hook’s labels for port and starboard!

~ Baelfire in this episode acts more like Neal as we’ve seen him in adulthood.

~ Rumplestiltskin accurately predicts Belle leaving him someday

~ Regina smiles when he hears what happened to Greg

~ Hook acknowledges that Neal was Emma’s “partner in crime”

~ This may be Rumple and Neal’s first real father-son adventure. It seems a little too easy for them to get the squid ink after Rumple made it sound so impossible to get last season.

~ It seems a bit dissonant to see evidence of multiple points of Neal’s life that all had to do with Neverland

~ Charming insisting “I’m plenty hot”!

~ Hook throwing Charming’s own life philosophy back in his face is so ironic and interesting! But then Hook follows it up with “hope and reality are often worlds apart.”

~ Hook tries to be self-sufficient, lighting the torch on his own, and he looks so annoyed when David steps in to do it for him.

~ Part of Pan’s pipe tune sounds like “Hedwig’s Theme”

~ So many Lord of the Flies and The Crucible vibes from the Lost Boys’ dancing

~ I’m impressed that Emma is the one to figure out how the star map works. Maybe she really does have a bit of pirate in her!

~ “This is a real family reunion.” The dramatic irony is that all four generations of men are in the same place, yet they don��t reveal it!

~ The irony that generational wisdom was passed from Pan to Neal and then to Emma, about never breaking in unless you have an escape plan.

~ Why can Henry now hear the music? What changed for him? Did his supposedly dreaming about Neal make him suddenly feel unloved?

Episode 3x05 “Good Form”

~ The teaser scene is a good way to show Henry getting more comfortable with the Lost Boys, but it doesn’t have much to do with Hook, and this episode is really focused on him.

~ Flashback Killian looks so incredibly happy when he sets out on his mission with his brother.

~ Snow watches Emma to see how she reacts to Hook’s flirting!

~ How many times does Hook call David “mate” in all? Seems a little too much.

~ Even Captain Liam Jones whoops in delight when the ship flies!

~ Killian used to tie his hair with a huge blue hairbow!

~ Killian expresses the hope that they’ll “never have to bury another sailor at sea,” but ends up adding to that number. Kind of like Frankenstein trying to reverse death and instead causing more of it.

~ Even Pan knows that Hook is good at surviving!

~ The cliff, rope and possibility of the person at the top killing the one climbing up give big Princess Bride vibes. When Hook says “You were supposed to wait,” I really expected David to reply “I hate waiting”!

~ It’s fitting that Regina’s chosen method of communicating with Henry is to use mirrors!

~ Henry using his sword to draw a home!

~ Why does Henry drop and break the mirror?! Keep that magical item, kid!

~ Charming’s triumphant musical motif when he’s healed!

~ Emma, Regina and Snow each pulling out their different weapons when they think an enemy is approaching is both funny and really cool!

~ Hook’s reaction after Emma kisses him = he is stunned! I agree with whoever posted the theory that that was the moment he realized he was actually in love.

~ The cut from his old crew cheering “Captain Jones” to Hook drinking alone is a striking contrast. He no longer has a crew following his lead, but he has true friends and allies and is willing to follow their lead.

~ Hook really is layered, in the sense that his actual motives are hard to figure out. At the end, there’s still ambiguity about how much of his good actions were because of his ideals of honor and how much were in effort to win Emma’s favor.

~ Hook’s frequent tangling with poison is actually in keeping with Peter Pan, where he tries to poison a cake for the Lost Boys and Peter’s medicine.

Episode 3x06 “Ariel”

~ Did Snow lose consciousness when she jumped into the water, or was she resigned to drowning?

~ If Snow’s past experience with mermaids consisted of Ariel, she should have been more sympathetic to the ones that attacked Hook’s ship!

~ Regina trying to teach Emma about magic feels like a sudden development, and isn’t explored for the rest of the episode. There’s been no discussion of Emma’s abilities since coming to Neverland.

~ Hook, Snow, and David’s conversation about the nature of secrets turns out to be setup for what they have to do later!

~ It makes sense for Snow to blurt out the truth: she gave away Regina’s secret as a child, and lying is pretty against her nature. It would probably be even harder to attempt to lie to her daughter, who is already a pretty mistrustful person.

~ Flashback Snow affirms Ariel’s believe in love at first sight, but she herself denounced that as a reality when she met Charming.

~ Rumple got rid of his war paint

~ Why do Pan and Rumple say that Pan can only die if Rumple also dies? How does that work?

~ Pan foreshadows Rumple and Belle having a child! But how does he know what she looks like? And Peter Pan, boy of eternal youth, talking about a woman’s fertility, while eating eggs, is just weird.

~ So above-the-knee skirts are acceptable formalwear in Eric’s kingdom? Is that just so Ariel can show off the fact that she has legs? And is that a tail on Snow’s dress? Where did they even get these fancy outfits—did they steal, or use Ariel’s shipwreck treasures to buy or barter?

~ Did Snow give Ariel some dance lessons before they crashed the ball?

~ The dancing and talking scene is so awkward, as everyone else is watching while they discuss such personal matters.

~ There’s some irony in Regina being the one to save Rumple from an imposter, when she herself impersonates someone else in this episode.

~ “Happy endings always start with hope.” That’s Snow White’s philosophy in its simplest form.

~ “I can’t ask him to give up his dream for someone he just met.” Isn’t Eric asking her to leave behind her life for him?

~ Snow’s attitude about being open to love is fleshed out more in her conversation with Ariel than with Emma: “Even if you get hurt, you’ll know you tried.”

~ Making Regina the Ursula stand-in is weird. Lana Parilla does a fine job imitating the animated villain’s way of speaking and moving, but story-wise, it’s just weird.

~ The confrontation between Regina and Snow on the dock doesn’t make sense. Regina turning Snow into a mermaid in order to kill her more easily … just doesn’t make sense when she’s sitting on a dock. Snow could have jumped into the water and caused Regina to lose her trail.

~ I have to admit, though: Ariel using the fork as a weapon is great!

~ Hook only has a few scenes in this episode, but he shows so much emotion and character in those moments focused on him! He is so genuinely uncomfortable, yet resigned, about sharing his feelings about Emma with the group. Then, he looks so concerned and sad watching Neal hug Emma, while Snow is happy, and David is probably trying to decide whether he likes Neal or Hook better as a potential match for his daughter. And when he overhears Neal and Emma, you can see in his face and the cinematography that this is when he really starts to view him as a rival.

~ I want to know what happened when Neal crossed the rock bridge and faced Hook, Snow, and David. He’s barely interacted with Emma’s parents, but they know how much Emma and Henry care about him; and it his first face-to-face meeting with Hook since he was a kid. (Hook was unconscious when Neal saw him in New York, and Hook had just tried to kill his father, so it wasn’t much of a reunion.) How did they greet each other?

~ Who can tell the prince that “it’s time” to leave? Isn’t he in charge of when they depart?

Episode 3x07 “Dark Hollow”

~ This is another episode that doesn’t use flashbacks, except at the very beginning to fill in a gap.

~ There are scattered references to believing in this episode, without much of a consistent theme: Mother Superior encourages Belle to believe in herself; Snow tells Charming he didn’t believe in their love; and Regina questions Gold’s belief in Belle.

~ The brothers’ car has a teddy bear keychain hanging from the rearview mirror!

~ Hook and David are both feeling so awkward, as Hook has become a third wheel/part of a love triangle and David is being shunned by his wife.

~ The dwarves make a good point! Trouble seems to follow Snow and Charming like a magnet.

~ The Hook and Neal scene is so awkwardly written. Why does Hook throw it out there? And “dalliance,” while suitably old-fashioned, sounds like it could mean so much more than just a kiss. Did he really not realize Neal didn’t know? Or did he want to make Neal jealous?

~ “You came to Neverland on a pirate ship through a portal, but you draw the line at a magic coconut?” “Fair enough.” Indeed!

~ Ariel says “Look at this stuff!”

~ Considering that the show’s main theme is hope, it’s odd that they don’t talk about that aspect of the myth of Pandora when they introduce her box as a magical item.

~ It makes sense that after the secrets were shared in the previous episode, the repercussions of them need to be worked out in this one.

~ Neal’s reaction to Hook keeping and passing on his cutlass is the same as Emma’s: “I didn’t know you were sentimental.” He totally is, he just doesn’t want to admit it!

~ Emma and Hook’s scene is excellent! Honesty looks good on him, and gratitude looks good on her. He shows faith in her abilities. As serious as he is, he shows his arrogance in his certainty that he’ll win her heart, and he shows his lightheartedness at the end.

~ Ariel closes the door on their way out of Gold’s shop, but it seems to be open when they pass by it.

~ Snow’s declaration to Charming has so much emotion—anger as well as love, which is an unusual combination.

~ Snow and Charming’s theme sounds so sad when they hug.

~ Why does Hook ask about how to ignite the candle? Does he not have some method of starting fires, like flint, or his hook?

~ Ariel asks “Who is she?” as if the men’s sister must be someone known to them.

~ It’s sad that Baelfire sacrificed himself to prevent the Darling family from being torn apart, only to have that happen anyway. Wendy went back to look for him, and John and Michael must have spent some time there in order to still be alive when Henry was born.

~ I still wish Greg and Tamara’s network had actually been dedicated to destroying magic. That would have made John and Michael’s involvement make a lot more sense.

~ Looks like Pan could have let Wendy live in relative comfort in that treehouse furnished like her old nursery, but instead he keeps her in a cage just because.

~ “It wasn’t the lighter we were fighting over.” Actually, they were, since Emma was the one who lit the candle!

~ Emma’s reprimand of the two men makes sense. Just a few days earlier, Neal was engaged to someone else, and then she thought he was dead; and Hook alternated between enemy and fair-weather ally. They have had no time to think or talk about what their relationships will be like when the crisis is over. She is nowhere near ready to “choose” either of them.

~ How does Tinker Bell knowing Baelfire/Neal fit in with her storyline with Regina? He was there a century or two before the curse was cast, but Tinker Bell only lost her wings about a decade or two before it was cast. Did she live in or visit Neverland even before losing her wings?

~ How long did Regina and Gold wait for Ariel on the beach? Her journeys and her adventure in Storybrooke must have taken her hours, possibly a whole day and/or night.

Episode 3x08 “Think Lovely Thoughts”

~ They did a good job casting an adult who looks like Pan and a child who looks like Rumple/Gold!

~ Why does Rumple have a Scottish accent when his father has an English accent?

~ Rumple’s father teaching him about the power of names!

~ Emma is the one who says “Family means being together!”

~ So when Baelfire got a bean to take him and his father to another land to be a family, history was repeating itself!

~ So apparently Hook told Emma about his brother at some point offscreen. I would have loved to see that conversation.

~ Rumple/Gold calling someone a coward is such a pot-calling-kettle-black move!

~ Emma’s reaction to Rumple/Gold agreeing to something just because Neal asks is great

~ David throwing Hook a knife and saying, “Here, in case your good looks fail you” is quick but hilarious!

~ Neal saying his father abandoned him, in front of his father, hits so much harder when you know Rumple’s father did the same to him!

~ If the Shadow predates Peter Pan, what is its origin?

~ Skull Rock is such an obvious Underworld—not only is it full of skulls and an hourglass, traditional symbols of death, but they also have to cross water in a boat to get to it, like Charon!

~ That musical buildup as Rumple/Gold enters Skull Rock is different from the score’s usual style, and it sounds epic!

~ Pan and Rumple are actually the same type of person: they consider themselves weak as they are (which may cause self-fulfilling prophecy), so they gather magic to make themselves feel powerful.

~ Pan shedding the responsibility of fatherhood is actually in keeping with J. M. Barrie’s story, where he wants to stop play-acting as the Lost Boys’ father.

~ Pan’s formerly Scottish accent comes out when he says “just as we planned”!

~ Why aren’t the spinsters who raised Rumple given names? Why are they never mentioned? They gave him a decent home and taught him a trade; they were the closest thing he had to family until he married Milah.

~ It is strange and unsettling to have a place of death set in a place of eternal youth.

~ “Any rule can be broken” = Pan’s life motto, and possibly a big influence on Rumple

~ This is when Regina and Emma really face the consequences of lying to Henry in the past

Episode 3x09 “Save Henry”

~ Why does Regina’s preservation spell have a time limit? For Daniel it endured for years.

~ Emma finding her identity as a mother and becoming a mother-figure to the Lost Boys is so much like Wendy in Peter Pan!

~ It is so sweet to see Regina and Henry’s first meeting!

~ Hook pulling Felix down when he stands up to Emma says so much!

~ What story was Regina going to tell Henry on her first try? She is cut off after “there was …”

~ Dr. Whale confirms that Henry always had a strong heart!

~ I’m surprised Regina would let Snow White, the person she hates most, hold Henry, the one she loves most!

~ The hospital seems to be bustling with pediatric patients. Were they there during the whole curse?

~ Gold supposedly didn’t remember his old identity until he heard Emma’s name; but he really does act as if he knows what he did when Regina confronts him.

~ When the baby isn’t crying and the camera shows a good view of his face, he really does look like kid Henry!

~ Although Regina’s motherly love shines through in this episode, she shows that she still lacks remorse for her past wrongdoings. In her view, they were worthwhile because they led to her adopting Henry.

~ It seems a bit too easy for Regina to take Henry’s heart back from Pan.

~ Do the mothers just leave Pan on the ground? Why don’t Emma and/or Regina try to kill him, or capture him in Pandora’s box then?

~ Hook calls Henry the guest of honor! And gives him the captain’s quarters! That’s their first direct interaction, instead of just watching each other interact with the others, and it’s wonderful!

~ I’m extremely surprised that they would leave Henry alone. Even if there was really nothing to fear, I would expect at least one of his three parents to want to sit up with him.

~ What made Neal change his attitude toward Rumple/Gold? Was it learning that Pan was his father and had abandoned him as a child?

~ What does Rumple/Gold mean when he says “Blood magic works both ways”? Did Regina’s protection spell involve blood magic?

~ Gold telling Regina that she raised her son well is such unexpected praise from her teacher!

~ Who is the “bo’sun” that Hook calls out to? David? Neal?

~ David revisits Emma’s speech at the start of the season, and expresses, without explicitly saying it, just how proud he is of her becoming a leader and uniter of people.

~ Tinker Bell has been absent this whole episode until her scene with Wendy on the Jolly Roger. Their interaction is sweet, but it raises a lot of questions: Did Wendy and her brothers ever interact with Hook and/or Tink during her time in Neverland?

~ Neal is so sweet telling Henry that he has a dad, and always will; but it’s hard to swallow that if you know who Henry really is and what happens to Neal.

~ Jared Gilmore does such a good job of playing Pan, it’s scary!

~ Seeing the beginning of Regina’s relationship with Henry makes their interactions in the next two episodes even more heart-wrenching!

Episode 3x10 “The New Neverland”

~ Ariel and Belle look like they coordinated their outfits to be reverse colors.

~ Eric chopping fish as a nod to “Le Poisson” is funny, but how does he feel about Ariel being a mermaid?

~ Snow and Ariel reunited! I’m glad they showed that, even though there was no dialogue.

~ I was wondering where Wendy got that bathrobe/dressing gown; a while later I realized, it is the same one Baelfire wore when the Shadow too him and Hook rescued him! Either Hook must have kept it on his ship all those years, or Baelfire must have left it in his cave and got it back during this trip. Either way, and one of them must have offered it to her during the journey back!

~ What happened to all the Lost Boys that came to Storybrooke? Where did they stay that night? Did Emma and the others keep their promise to find them homes? Did some of them go with the Darlings? Or do they become vagrants in the Enchanted Forest after the next curse?

~ Good on Snow for giving Regina credit in front of everyone. She didn’t do that after returning from the Enchanted Forest.

~ David does the same thing in this episode’s past and present storylines: encourages the women he loves not to lose the joy of the present moment due to fear of the future.

~ Hook looks so sad and wistful watching Emma with Henry. He may be nonchalant with Neal, but he is really sad about the decision he is making.

~ Hook deciding to back off and let Emma and Neal have a chance, for Henry’s sake, is significant because it’s the opposite of what he did when he and Milah fell in love. He didn’t care about taking her away from her child and his father. Hook is trying to do right by Henry, as he did not do for Baelfire.

~ Earlier in the season, Emma said she couldn’t think about herself and the men who love her because they needed to focus on saving Henry; but even now that Henry is safe, she says she can’t think about herself because of what he just went through.

~ Why was Medusa living in the Enchanted Forest, rather than Greece or some equivalent? Are there other gorgons, as David refers to her, in their land?

~ Did they make a reference to The Lightning Thief when David talks about sending Medusa’s head in a box?

~ David saying he knew what he was getting himself into, after the way he fell in love with Snow on an adventure, is pretty sweet, and reassuring!

~ Neal sitting by himself is made more awkward by the fact that he’s behind Emma’s parents and across from his father and almost-stepmother.

~ David and Emma finally have a good father-daughter moment, full of parental wisdom and free of crisis or tragedy!

~ How can the Blue Fairy be (seemingly) killed so easily? Does she have no defensive magic?

~ David mentions Frederick! That’s a nice callback to a minor character.

~ If Pan and Henry switched bodies, they should be speaking with each other’s accents, not their own. Henry, at least, wouldn’t be speaking with a different accent; Pan would try to imitate his.

~ Snow and David talk about having a child in both the past and the present! The flashback carries such a poignant message, and is relatable to any parent or potential parent who has worried about raising a child in a world with so much suffering. And Snow is right about how they’ll always have someone or something threatening them.

~ Neal, Hook, and Tink could be their own trio! They’re all Neverland veterans, and each, apparently, knew each other long ago.

~ Emma’s conversation with Snow and David is a nice contrast against their conversation at the start of the season. She is more patient and respectful toward them, and even affirms that they are good parents, even though she disagrees with them.

~ What Emma says about being the Savior sums up her attitude across the series. At this point, she more or less accepts her identity as the Savior and the responsibility that comes with that role; but in the second half of this season, after she has a taste life without that responsibility, she keeps trying to run away from it.

Episode 3x11 “Going Home”

~ Peter Pan calling something “child’s play” is a strange choice of words.

~ If Pan is telling the truth about never loving Rumple, then his appeal to him at Skull Rock was all a lie.

~ Tinker Bell talks about the Black Fairy, who apparently was exiled by the Blue Fairy.

~ The structure of this episode works differently than any other thus far: instead of one storyline told through flashbacks, it’s more like a series of vignette flashbacks. This spreads the focus across the whole cast of characters: the Charmings, Hook and Tink, Henry, Rumple and Belle, and finally Emma.

~ Tinker Bell’s storyline really doesn’t line up with everyone else’s. Flashback Hook speaks as though they just learned about the dagger from Baelfire, but Tink says she lost her wings a long time ago, which would place the scene sometime after Regina became queen, only a few years or a decade or so before the Dark Curse was cast.

~ It’s interesting to see a battle in a church. For one thing, the shadow tries to get through stained glass windows. For another, the name Killian means “church,” and this is one of his more heroic moments!

~ David is the one who pulls Hook back to safety!

~ This might have been Neal’s first direct (onscreen) interaction with the Blue Fairy since she gave him that bean when he was a child. But they were in the same scene when August became Pinocchio again. Did she recognize him then?

~ Possible inconsistency: In Episode 2x19 Hook said Cora gave him the cuff, but now Pan says he made it.

~ How and when did Gold get the cuff from Greg and Tamara before they went to Neverland? By the time they all found out the truth about them, he was too distraught by the news of Neal’s death. And the cuff disappeared from Regina when the Blue Fairy healed her.

~ (Spoiler Alert:) Knowing that the Black Fairy is Rumple’s mother makes his use of her wand to defeat his father more ironic.

~ “Your happy ending may not be what you expect, but that is what will make it so special.” That is so true of real life!

~ So, since Ruby is inexplicably absent (I’m guessing the actress didn’t want to keep coming back), they have Granny use her wolf senses instead?

~ I don’t like the device of simply freezing everyone. It feels like a weak excuse so they can see the important interaction but not be able to intervene. And it takes away the actors’ ability to react openly. But you can see Belle reacting slightly to Rumple, realizing what is about to happen.

~ It seriously seemed like Rumple was going to cut off his own hand, which would have ben both an echo of his self-harm during the Ogre Wars and his amputation of Hook’s hand.

~ Rumple talks about wanting to give Baelfire/Neal a chance at happiness, but that was never really his priority. He wanted to find him so he could apologize and try to start over.

~ I was wondering where Rumple’s dagger and shadow were! Nice way to bring that back. Although I still don’t understand why Pan’s death required Rumple’s death.

~ This may be reading too much into a running gag, but Grumpy announcing “It’s here” whenever a curse approaches kind of makes sense for his character: his pessimistic personality has him watching for any approaching danger or impending doom.

~ Hook jokes about preparing their souls for death, and how his will take some time—ironic knowing about the Underworld arc!

~ When Regina is explaining the curse to Emma, there are two brief cuts to Hook, where you can see him reacting to the news that he has to be separated from Emma and possibly never see her again.

~ Couldn’t Hook and Neal also have escaped the new curse, since they weren’t victims of the first one? Did they decide to return to their realm just so they wouldn’t lose their memories? Or did they not want to force Emma to choose between them in that moment?

~ Emma’s second chance with Henry is such a “be careful what you wish for” moment. She is getting the kind of life she spoke about in the previous episode and the start of this one, a life free from the responsibility of being the Savior, but the price is being away from the rest of her family and friends, and at the last minute that devastates her.

~ The shot of the smoke overclouding the storybook!

~ It looks like Emma and Henry had to leave behind everything—even the belongings she has always held onto, like her baby blanket.

~ Emma and Henry seem pretty well-to-do in their new lives. Does she have a lot of money now?

~ From the end of this episode through the rest of the season, Hook now serves as the prophet, just as Henry was in Season 1, calling Emma back to her true identity and relationship with her family and kingdom.

Episode 3x12 “New York City Serenade”

~ This episode has so many callbacks to the pilot episode that then diverge from how that one went: opening shots of a rider in a hurry, only for it to be a non-emergency; Emma meeting a man in a restaurant, only for it to be a steady boyfriend rather than a stranger.

~ Why is David back in his bloodstained shirt from the day the first curse was cast, while the others have new outfits?

~ The curse was also a “be careful what you wish for” moment for Snow and David, since they had been talking about returning to the Enchanted Forest, yet when they return Snow is so dejected when she says, “We’re back.”

~ “Emma Swan always gets her man.” We’ll see if that holds true!

~ Since Hook and Emma didn’t meet until after she broke the first curse, it’s interesting to see him interact with her as an unbeliever. He’s in the same situation as Henry, Jefferson and August in Season 1. His words sound very much like The Matrix.

~ It can’t have been very long since Snow and Aurora last saw each other, maybe two months or so. How did Aurora and Philip defeat the ogres and “take back the kingdom” so quickly?

~ The dialogue is a little clunky in an effort to impart information about the time skip, like Emma’s reason for moving to New York and her first date with Walsh.

~ Adding characters like Tamara and Walsh, to who try to ensnare the heroes with romance, may seem like mere soap opera drama, but it actually is in keeping with fairy tales involving a true spouse and a false spouse. Some examples are Odette and Odile in Swan Lake, or Una and Duessa in The Faerie Queene. For a biblical example, it’s like the metaphor of Israel forsaking their relationship with God to pursue love with pagan gods/nations, who end up causing harm and destruction. It takes a prophet to remind them of their past relationship and call them back to it.

~ David and Snow are so disappointed that Hook is leaving! Despite their rocky start, after their week together in Neverland, they really saw him as a friend.

~ (Spoiler:) Hook is so emphatic about the Jolly Roger being his home and his need to find it! That speaks volumes to his actions during the time skip and what is revealed in the season finale.

~ Neal may have suffered the greatest loss out of any of them: he lost his father, lover, and son all in the same day.

~ Henry is so sweet, but his attitude is almost the opposite of how he was in Season 1. Instead of insisting that something is wrong in his life, he chides Emma for always looking for something wrong.

~ Emma’s dilemma in this episode is a relatable one: whether to stay where she is, in her comfortable life, or leave it for something that is more difficult but also more true and satisfying.

~ Hook has seen Emma take a literal leap of faith, at the start of this season, so it makes sense that he would be hopeful about her doing it again.

~ Emma chaining Hook by the wrist and him calling “Swan!” is just like during their beanstalk adventure!

~ Belle persists in hoping that Rumple can come back!

~ Regina refers to “our castle” so soon after David and Snow talked about whether it was hers or theirs!

~ Who are the mounted knights riding with the others?

~ Hook’s expression when she says he hasn’t changed = she is wrong, and has no idea how much! I think in that moment, he considers telling her about what he did to find her, but then decides against it.

~ “There was nothing for me in the Enchanted Forest. Why would I stay?” The implication of his words, with such a long, serious gaze, is clear: he had nothing without Emma.

~ It’s no wonder Hook pours another for himself: he has to sit and wait while Emma talks to the man she now loves.

~ Emma asks Henry to give Hook a hand! Pun intended?

~ Emma taking her red jacket makes sense, because it is pretty much the only thing she still owns that she had during her time in Storybrooke.

~ The part when Emma sees Mary Margaret is so well directed and shot! And that maternity outfit is so cute!

Episode 3x13 “Witch Hunt”

~ That may be the longest teaser yet: three separate scenes before the title card!

~ In the season 2 finale, it was revealed that Blue Fairy/Mother Superior had figured out how to make a remembering potion, using a hair from Pinocchio’s head. Why could she not do that for Henry to restore his memories? Did it only work for victims of the curse with double lives? At this point, Henry practically has the same situation, with fake memories of a normal life.

~ David smiles proudly when Mary Margaret says—not untruthfully—that she committed banditry!

~ So, this curse made Regina the mayor again?

~ Regina using magic to lift rocks = Star Wars tribute!

~ Who was in on the fact that Emma and Regina’s fight was fake? Did Leroy/Grumpy, Belle, Archie and the others know?

~ Is throwing her drinking glass at the mirror just Regina’s usual way of dealing with anger?

~ It’s funny that Regina is the one who thinks to make Leroy/Grumpy the town crier!

~ This episode kind of plays with how (over)dramatic the characters can be. Emma, Regina, and Leroy/Grumpy all play up their usual roles in order to deceive the townsfolk.

~ I wish we saw more of David, Hook, and Robin working together. As the romantic interests of the show’s three main characters, they’re probably the three most famous, heroic, and romantic male characters in this show!

~ I also wish we saw more of the Merry Men as a group. And why is Mulan not with them? I know she comes back later, so her absence is probably explained away, but just how brief was her stay with them?

~ So, do flying monkey bites work the same way as werewolf and vampire bites? If you’re bitten you become one?

~ “She couldn’t be prouder of you.” Regina is talking about herself, not Emma!

~ In an odd way, Regina and Henry are going through what Emma and her parents have been going through: they’re physically together, but emotionally distant, because at least one party does not know/remember their previous relationship.

~ The way Regina talks about the Wicked Witch and Hook refers to Emma as the daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming makes me wonder how aware all the Enchanted Forest characters are of the fact that they are considered fictional characters in the Land Without Magic.

~ Rumple/Gold is back where he was at the start of the series, insane and locked in a cage.

~ How long was Zelena in the castle? What was she waiting around for? She had no way of knowing Regina would return from the Land Without Magic.

Episode 3x14 “The Tower”

~ It feels fitting to have an episode focused on David/Charming’s feelings about fatherhood. Mary Margaret/Snow is generally a more central character than him, so she has had more screen time with Emma, and her feelings about motherhood were explored when she and Emma were stranded in the Enchanted Forest together. Also, one of David’s primary characteristics is his “fearless bravery,” so it is very humanizing to see him wrestle with his emotions as he faces a future he cannot control.

~ In the dream sequence, Emma says “You found me,” just like Snow and Charming always say to each other, but it feels totally different.

~ Did Charming pick up Hook’s drinking habit?!

~ How did Robin actually help Regina break into the castle? He hardly did anything, just accompanied her.

~ “Speak of the handsome devil” sounds more fitting for Rumple or Hook, or even Zelena, Regina or Cora. Even what Zelena then says, that she’s there to make their lives “as easy as possible,” sounds like a devil’s temptation.

~ It is strange for them to hire someone they barely know, when they know someone in the town is the Wicked Witch.

~ Did Zelena actually know Johanna, or was that just a lie to get her in Snow’s good graces?

~ I love Emma and Hook’s music motif!

~ It feels weird to have a classic fairy tale play out post-curse, for a character who is aware of the Land Without Magic.

~ The Wicked Witch owns a bicycle!

~ The whole conflict centered around fear is reminiscent of Frozen—and David actually shouts “Let it go” to Rapunzel!

~ Charming saying they should build a nursery at the end of the episode shows so much growth from when he saw it in his dream! It’s an act of faith that their child will be alright and that they’ll be together.

~ Regina seems pleased when they find out Rumplestilstskin is alive!

Episode 3x15 “Quiet Minds”

~ It sounds as though Hook and Neal had a chance to talk in the Enchanted Forest, and that Neal expressed his ideas, even before Hook’s departure and Neal’s conversation with Snow and Charming. I wonder if Hook asked Neal to go with him to find the Jolly Roger?!

~ So, Rumple/Gold can run now? What happened to his limp?

~ It’s nice to see Snow and Emma finally interact directly with Belle, and actually look supportive of her relationship with Gold.

~ It is ironic that Baelfire/Neal, who was so determined to rid his father of the darkness and magic, is now willing to use darkness and magic. This episode seems to show him doing some of the things his father did, going to extreme lengths for his son’s sake.

~ The fact that Emma can communicate a request to Hook just with a look, and that he understands and grants it, says a lot about how much they understand each other. It is a pretty big request, for him to help Belle and Rumple/Gold given his history with them. (Spoiler: His apology to Belle is so flippant here, I’m glad to know he gives a better, sincere one later on.)

~ It’s nice to see Neal and Belle finally spend some time together. They never really got a proper introduction, since she was suffering from amnesia and false memories when he arrived in Storybrooke.

~ Belle says Neal and Emma had “true love.”

~ Hook so rarely shows his true emotions or any kind of genuine affection.

~ Emma saying “We’re not in Manhattan anymore” = a twist on the line from The Wizard of Oz?

~ The idea of Leroy/Grumpy (and presumably the other dwarves) taking Henry fishing is cute!

~ That book looks beautiful, not “befitting the Dark One.”

~ This is the first episode since Season One that goes into the lore of the Dark One. Why are Belle and Neal not curious about how Lumiere knows so much about it?

~ Is Regina’s blue scarf significant? It’s such a bold color, which is rare for her.

~ Why is Robin near the farmhouse? Was he tracking the Wicked Witch on his own, or did the heroes give him an update?

~ Neal wanting Henry to know who he is may seem presumptuous, but kind of makes sense, because Neal knows what it’s like to think your father abandoned you. He wouldn’t want Henry to feel the way he felt.

~ Emma asking Hook to stay with Neal is kind of a big deal! They never resolved their complicated triangle of relationships.

~ I love Hook and Neal’s conversation! They’re finally seeing each other as friends again.

~ Belle and Neal talking about having the courage to die for one’s family … such sad foreshadowing!

~ David is the first one to get Emma to admit that she hopes she and Henry can go back to their lives in New York.

~ Why is it that Gold can hear multiple voices, but not Neal?

~ Regina has challenged the label of “Evil Queen, but here she says “The name served me well.”

~ I generally like Robin Hood, but he is way too quick to act all romantic with Regina. At that point, he barely knows her, and if he truly knows her reputation, how can he say the stories were exaggerated?

~ This is the first time Belle comments on what Rumple did by making the Dark Curse. She refers to it as a “mistake,” because it “condemned countless people to misery.” But it did reunite him with his son, so it kind of makes sense that Neal would have the same recklessness seeking a way back to his own son.

~ Emma and Neal laughing over their similarly failed love affairs is pretty funny, and it’s the first time we’ve seen them really relax around each other since they reunited at this stage in their lives.

~ “I just want you to be happy, even if it isn’t with me.” For all his immaturity at times, Neal really does love Emma and want what’s best for her, regardless of whether he is part of that.

~ “You can’t hang on to both.” That is Rumple/Gold’s conflict in a nutshell, torn between his love of power and his love of his son.

~ Rumple/Gold actually taught his son something good, the power of sacrifice. But since that cost him his life, Gold probably regretted imparting that lesson. (Spoiler: Maybe that contributed to his character regression?)

~ The characters learning Zelena’s identity as the Wicked Witch would have been more impactful if it were also when it was revealed to the audience.

~ Cutting from Gold mourning his son to Robin Hood playing with his son is really effective!

~ That whole montage is almost as emotional as the actual death scene, and helps to show how the cast really is like an extended family. Regina now realizes she has a chance at love, both romantic and maternal. Snow and Charming comfort Belle and Hook, who they’re not exactly related to but both had connections with Rumple/Gold and Neal.

Episode 3x16 “It’s Not Easy Being Green”

~ This episode’s title is way too silly in contrast with the serious opening. Neal’s burial is so beautifully solemn, as everyone who had a connection to him helps to bury him. The only thing I don’t like is the presence of random extras; why not just have some of the dwarves or other recognizable friends there instead?

~ The cut between the first shovelful and Rumple’s underground cage is so effective!

~ Emma and Hook’s conversation is one of their best. It starts out with their usual quips, but it then becomes quite serious, talking about vengeance and grieving, and then offering and accepting great help and great responsibility. It’s not at all flirtatious, and not a word is said about Emma’s feelings or relationships with either Hook or Neal. It’s more like Emma and Hook have reached the point of trusting each other and being comfortable enough to confide, advise, and help each other.

~ What did Tinker Bell do after returning to the Enchanted Forest, and what does she do after being pulled back to Storybrooke? Did the Blue Fairy reinstate her, or whatever was needed for her to serve as a fairy again? Does she live with the nuns now?

~ This is the second time a character in this show has said “prophesized,” when I think the correct verb is actually “prophesied.”

~ I think the revelation about Zelena’s relationship to Cora and Regina would have been more impactful if it took place in this episode, rather than at the start of this half-season. When they meet in the Enchanted Forest, Regina does not have much of an emotional reaction, and the audience does not relate to the characters’ reactions in the moment because it’s been known for a while. Here, the whole town learns together who she is, and Regina is shown wrestling with that new information about her family.

~ They’ve mostly stuck to the Hollywood version of The Wizard of Oz (which is annoying to a book nerd like me), but they take the silver color of the shoes from the book.

~ How did Rumplestiltskin not know about Zelena? He has the gift of foresight, and he knew that Cora’s daughter would be the one to cast his Dark Curse.

~ Why would Rumple tell Zelena about the Curse he plans to cast? He never seems to have told Regina. In fact, Regina traded it to Maleficent for the Sleeping Curse, as shown in the pilot episode.

~ “I don’t think that a sleeping curse would be good for the baby.” No kidding!!

~ What is with all the creepy closeups of Zelena, and of Rumple/Gold when they interact?

~ Why would Robin be so bold as to ask to read Regina’s letter, which she clearly is upset about? They barely know each other, why would he expect her to confide in him?

~ It’s so good to finally see Hook and Henry interact! Up until this half of the season, they had barely even spoken to each other.

~ It is way past sundown when Zelena goes to the town square for the showdown.

~ Zelena being in the clock tower seems like a nod to Wicked!

~ Why does Zelena bother with flying on a broomstick when she can just teleport?

~ Regina seems to be branching out in her wardrobe by adding vivid, bright-colored accessories. In the last episode it was a deep blue scarf. In this one it’s red gloves. Is this a sign that she is growing out of her Evil Queen persona?

Episode 3x17 “The Jolly Roger”

~ They totally stole the idea of a fake army in a road robbery from BBC’s Robin Hood!

~ This is the first time we’ve seen Hook in armor!

~ “This is a way of life. You have to fully commit to it.” Sounds like something a Jedi or karate master would say to their pupil. But Emma’s reply, “Not a problem,” gives a kind of false impression: she is only willing to improve and embrace her magical skills as a means to an end, not as a way of life.

~ The light reflecting off the water shines around Hook, making it look like he’s surrounded by light! Coincidence? Possibly, but still quite symbolic!

~ Hook says “my reasons” when Emma and Henry are framed by him and Mr. Smee = they are both of his reasons!

~ Hook gets so serious and heated when he hears news of the Jolly Roger. He really does care passionately about his ship. But Smee is also onto something: what Hook says about the ship is also how he feels about Emma being gone from him.

~ Hook and Henry’s little exchange about cheating says a lot about what Hook is wrestling with in this episode! He could get away with nobody knowing about how he cheated Ariel, but he chooses to come clean.

~ Blackbeard hardly has any beard to speak of!

~ Hook actually says he’ll “never give up the Jolly Roger without a fight”! If only he knew.

~ The shadows on the sail while they’re fighting are a clear reference to Disney’s Peter Pan!

~ If Hook was outside of the curse when it was cast, how did his spyglass end up in Gold’s shop?

~ Why would Eric being underwater necessarily mean he was dead? Isn’t it possible that he could have found a way to be underwater, just as she found a way to be on land?

~ The way Zelena wants Hook to remove Emma’s powers is really twisted in itself: it would be a kiss of betrayal.

~ Why did Zelena send Walsh to seduce Emma eight months before the curse was cast? Did she already anticipate Emma being a threat to her?

~ Emma actually expects/hopes that Hook will join her family for dinner! But now that she does, he pulls away, literally and figuratively, not wanting to hurt her.

~ Regina and Snow are actually sitting side by side, enjoying Granny’s food together! Henry may not realize how momentous this is, but it’s probably the first time he has all these family members with him enjoying a meal together!

~ Hook using the spyglass he retrieved earlier is a small but fitting setup/payoff. He is so wistful watching Emma with her family, seeing her so genuinely happy—he probably has never seen her so happy up close.

Episode 3x18 “Bleeding Through”

~ Regina makes the same move that Charming did in the first episode, throwing her knife the same way he threw his sword, only for their enemy to vanish!

~ It’s a mark of how much she has changed that her first question upon arriving is whether anyone was hurt.

~ Regina and Emma both wear vivid blue in this episode! But Regina covers hers with her black coat. Later, Regina has a white shirt on, opening to reveal a black top underneath. Is that symbolic, like she’s becoming light on the outside but still has darkness within?

~ I had forgotten about Zelena and Rumple’s scenes in this episode—I must have blocked them out, because I hate how sickening their dynamic is.

~ I’m a bit surprised that the Charmings all went along so easily with Regina’s plan to summon Cora’s spirit, and Regina’s confidence that they would go along with it, to the point that she didn’t tell them beforehand.

~ Did Hook really interrupt the ritual by bumping the table, or was that a joke?

~ When Regina tells Emma “Make sure you are [ready,]” Hook and Snow stare at her for a moment, like they can’t believe Regina is encouraging Emma, or they see that as a sign of how serious things are.

~ As they leave, Hook starts to reach out as though to put his hand on Emma’s back, but then he pulls his hand back.

~ This might be the first time Regina and Snow have been alone since right after Cora’s death, when Snow asked Regina to kill her.

~ Cora and Leopold starting a fire together is pretty symbolic.

~ Some interesting information about Snow’s parents is revealed in this episode, such as the fact that they were engaged since infancy. That may explain why Snow had such strong relationships with each of them, but we never see them onscreen together during her lifetime. Also, Leopold says he’ll have to have an heir “immediately,” but apparently, as in the original fairy tale, it took them many years to finally have a child, since Snow is years younger than Zelena and Regina.

~ Emma is surprisingly excited about progressing with her magic. It’s kind of sad that Hook is finally seeing her in a good mood, at a time when he is weighed down with worry.

~ What is Hook reading at Granny’s? Are he and Emma just hanging out there because they’re both staying at the inn?

~ How in the world did Leopold swing a proposal to Cora while his betrothed, Princess Eva, was visiting him? How did she and her family react? Why was she still there afterwards?

~ As selfish as Cora was, she must have felt more love for Zelena than she did for Regina, because she still had her heart when the first was born, but not when the second was born. I wonder if part of the reason she was so awful to Regina was because she reminded her of the daughter she gave up.

~ Snow and Regina are both literally and metaphorically cleaning up the mess left by their parents!

~ The last scene with Regina and Robin is so beautiful! While I think their arc in Storybrooke could have been written better, they do have great onscreen chemistry.

Episode 3x19 “A Curious Thing”

~ If Snow was about a month pregnant in the teaser scene, and then eight months went by, she really was full term when the curse was cast! I’m guessing that time was frozen in Storybrooke until this episode, when the curse was broken.

~ Why is Regina so contemptuous and contentious with Robin? What happened during those eight months?

~ There is a ceramic swan decoration in the hotel room behind Emma!

~ Regina’s bright red dress is beautiful—and considering it’s Emma’s usual color, and matches Mary Margaret’s coat, it seems to cement her as one of the good guys!

~ For such a formidable fighter, Hook seems to get abducted and/or tied/chained up quite often and easily!

~ Hook is aware of what a telephone is!

~ Gold abducting Hook could have been a really impactful closing scene for the previous episode or opening scene for this one. It must have been full of emotion and suspense for Hook, and extremely mixed feelings for Gold since they have such a bad history but also a mutual enemy in Zelena.

~ One interpretation of the spinning wheel in “Sleeping Beauty” is that it represents the cycle of life and time. Rumple alludes to this symbolism while using his own spinning wheel!

~ Was Leroy supposed to be supervising Henry? It’s strange that Emma is so comfortable leaving him behind with no magical protection, knowing that Zelena and Gold are at large.

~ Hook is like both a protective parent and a co-conspirator with Henry. I love it!

~ The way they talk about Snow and Charming’s child, it sounds like, even though he isn’t a Savior, he might have light magic of his own by virtue of being another product of true love.

~ Did Snow and Charming tell all their friends/followers that they were going to cast the curse, or did they make that decision on their own, without warning anyone? Even if they had a good and noble reason for doing it, not consulting the people it would impact is pretty messed up. They uprooted countless people who had already been uprooted before.

~ How many flying monkeys were there? And how can the heroes kill/destroy them so easily, knowing that some of them could be their transformed friends?

~ What happened to Mr. Smee? Did he continue running and leave Henry behind? That seems in line with what we’ve seen of his character.

~ The way the camera focuses on Regina as Snow and Charming say their goodbyes … what is she thinking/feeling? She probably still wishes she had a love like that, and may envy them theirs, but also have difficulty with the fact that they are sacrificing it.

~ Biologically, it would have made more sense for Regina to duplicate Snow’s heart rather than split it in half.

~ How is Neal able to communicate with birds? I thought that was just Snow’s talent? It does harken back to the bird that delivered August’s postcard to Neal in Season 2.

~ I really hope they figured out it was Neal who sent the message and memory potion!

~ The weather in this episode seems to fluctuate from moderate to winter/snow to moderate again.

~ This episode both begins and ends with a rose!

~ What is the “curious thing” of the title?

Episode 3x20 “Kansas”

~ Dr. Whale/Frankenstein, the man Mary Margaret/Snow dated and had a one-night stand with, being the one to deliver her baby is kind of messed up. I can’t see how Whale, Snow, or David are comfortable with that.

~ Glinda telling Zelena what she cannot do reminds me of Glinda and Elphaba in Wicked, and how Elphaba sings about refusing to accept limits that others set for her. Zelena is actually similar to her in that she refuses to give up on what she wants or stop believing in herself.

~ Now that they know about Hook being cursed, they should realize that him accompanying Emma is bad strategy.

~ What Glinda tells Zelena about innocence being reclaimed ends up being true of Regina in this very episode, and is also applicable Hook and other redeemed villains in this show.

~ Emma should know that the CPR procedure calls for chest compression first, rescue breaths second.

~ If Emma had done CPR on Hook under any other circumstances, he would be sure to say something cheeky when revived; but here, he gives no thought to their relationship, he is only alarmed and concerned about the consequences of her saving him.

~ The lights flickering as Mary Margaret gives birth strengthens my theory that the baby has its own magic

~ It’s cool to see so many characters forming lines of defense to protect the royal family, but disappointing to see how easily Zelena blows past them all—even Regina, who out of all of them should have been able to hold her own.

~ Regina wearing red is a visual contrast against Zelena’s green, as they are opposite colors

~ The writers seem to be trying to set up Zelena and Dorothy as analogues of Regina and Snow White: an older sorceress who feels threatened by a younger woman. Or maybe that is just the nature of those fairy tale archetypes.

~ Why doesn’t Dorothy talk about her desire to return home when she is with the witch sisters? Does she ever have her hero(ine)’s journey with the Scarecrow, the Tin Man, and the Cowardly Lion?

~ “If you believe you are evil, then that is what you will become.” Glinda is right about self-fulfilling prophecy, but it could also work for other people believing that someone is evil and then causing them to become just that.

~ Dorothy’s final scene begins with a closeup of her shoes, so the change to the slippers is more visually impactful.

~ I wish there was a longer focus on the lineup of heroes arriving: Robin Hood, Regina, David, Emma and Hook with their respective weapons drawn.

~ Zelena’s defeat seems to come too easily, considering it’s had a half-season of buildup. And in the end, as with the Neverland arc, it comes down to Regina alone, rather than a team effort with the wonderful ensemble cast.

~ “He can handle anything, just like his big sister.” So sweet, and followed by Emma having a protective hand on the baby’s head while David holds him!

~ Regina actually sounds like Snow when she talks to Zelena about second chances. It’s so interesting that they make the callback to her season 1 line “Evil isn’t born, it’s made,” now with the addition of “and so is good.”

~ The music in this episode is wonderful, the way it weaves in character motifs and emotional beats in each scene.

~ Hook looks so stunned and dismayed when Emma reveals that she still intends to leave, though he keeps his own emotions in check as she enjoys a happy moment with her family. His brief, wistful smile as he watches their reunion/first meeting is heartbreaking.

~ I can understand Rumple/Gold wanting revenge on Zelena and falling back into his old ways, given that she killed his son and enslaved and abused him. But Rumple/Gold pretending to give the dagger back to Belle doesn’t make sense. Why not just keep the real one, since she was willing to let him have it? It’s really contrived for him to pretend to give it up and lie about not having it.

~ The fact that Gold chooses that moment of deceit to propose to Belle is pretty messed up, because it means they are starting their marriage on a foundation of a lie.

~ Gold’s overall regression, starting now and continuing into the next season, makes Belle seem naïve for having faith in him when he is deceiving her; it’s kind of insulting to her intelligence.

~ In terms of theme and character focus, this episode feels a lot more like a wrap-up of many season-long or half-season-long arcs, rather than a self-contained episode.

Episode 3x21 “Snow Drifts”

~ The connection between the flashback and the present day is that Emma finally has the family she always wanted, but now is leaving them.

~ I wonder if Emma thinks that her parents don’t need her anymore now that they have another baby.

~ Robin and Regina’s scene may seem like fanservice, but it is FULL of foreshadowing.

~ Robin’s words, “Maybe things happen when they’re supposed to. Maybe it’s all about timing” is so in tune with both the show as a whole and this episode in particular!

~ The mention of Rumplestiltskin’s vault is also setup/foreshadowing within this two-part season finale.

~ It feels like there should be a scene setting up where Hook is at this point, since all the other characters had scenes like that.

~ It looks like Granny’s chalk drawing of the stork has the Charming family’s coat of arms on the baby blanket!

~ From what Leroy says, it sounds as though Aurora had her baby just a day after Snow had hers! I wonder if the two kids grow up sharing birthday parties.

~ Henry giving the storybook to Hook is a significant gesture. Both of them, at some point, tracked Emma down in order to bring her to Storybrooke so she could save her family. Handing the book off to Hook is like Henry passing on the role of reminding Emma who she is and where she belongs. This is a great show of trust and acceptance on Henry’s part.

~ Hook says that Emma defeated Pan and Zelena, but it was really Regina and Gold who did.

~ Hook telling Emma “Hold on” and Emma saying “I can’t” pretty much sums up their dynamic in this half-season!

~ When I first saw these episodes, I had never seen Back to the Future, so I didn’t get that the whole finale was based on that story’s premise. But the fact that they are self-aware about it, with Emma mentioning Marty McFly, and the way it impacts Emma’s character arc and relationships makes this seem excusable.

~ Emma’s reaction is so happy when she recognizes her parents and realizes this is the moment they meet.

~ Hook attacking his former self is not only amusing, it also has some psychological symbolism. It’s like putting to death his former self, who he now knows was not worthy of Emma.

~ Emma’s choice of the alias Leia is not only a laugh. It’s fitting in two ways: they are both characters associated with hope, they both have interactions with close family members without knowing they are related, and they both fall in love with thieving scoundrels who have a change of heart after meeting them.

~ Where and when did Hook learn how to waltz? Did his mother teach him as a child? Did the royal navy have balls? Did his pirate crew infiltrate such events in order to rob the guests? Did they have music nights on his ship? Did he ever waltz with Milah or other women he met?

~ Hook is clearly pleased to be in such a romantic setting with Emma!

~ I’m curious how the politics and hospitality customs work between neighboring kingdoms. Apparently Midas has to show deference to Regina, even to the point of letting her arrest a guest in his home.

Episode 3x22 “There’s No Place Like Home”

~ I really like that they brought Neal back for the finale, and that his words to Emma frame her arc in these episodes. Even though he is gone, she still feels his influence, and it leads her home.

~ Where did Emma get that new outfit? Regina might have taken away her ballgown, but she wouldn’t provide her with such a nice dress and cloak, with a matching headband to top it off.

~ Even if Regina went to the trouble of feeding her condemned prisoners, there is no way there would be metal wires on the spoons that apparently serve no practical purpose.

~ It’s hard to tell how much of the footage of Snow and Charming is from the first season and how much was reshot! It must have been a cinematic and directorial challenge to hide Ginnifer Goodwin’s pregnancy while filming her as young Snow White; the camera focuses on her face to hide the shape of her body, and they probably used a double for the shots of her running, climbing, etc.

~ Hook and David’s heart-to-heart is simultaneously so earnest and so amusing! Does David remember that conversation?

~ It looks like Hook is crying along with Emma when they see Snow White burned at the stake. They may not have many direct interactions, and not many of those may be positive, but he really does care about her.

~ Hook shares how he relived his brother’s death after losing him, but he probably experienced that with Milah too. Both of them died in his arms, and he probably blamed himself for both of their deaths.

~ Since Emma says “It’s so nice to meet you” after learning her brother’s name, I think she may not have actually touched or talked to him until that moment. She probably did not want to get attached to him when she was planning to return to New York.

~ I suspect that seeing her parents fall in love was part of what helped Emma accept and act on her feelings for Hook.

~ The fact that “home” is the big theme of this half-season, and particularly this finale, makes Hook’s revelation about the Jolly Roger even more impactful, both to Emma and the audience. He gave up the closest thing he had to a home, in the hope of helping her find her home and having a place in it.

~ Gold and Belle’s wedding seems like it may not have taken place the same night as the coronation, but the way it is visually and thematically interwoven with the other three couples is really beautiful.

~ This season finale feels as though it was written so that it could be the series finale if the show had to wrap, but then they got the green light for more episodes and wrote in cliffhangers to lead into new conflict in the following season. If it weren’t for Gold’s deception and the arrival of Marian and Elsa, this would have been a perfect spot to end the show, with the four romantic couples together and happy, and all the children happy with their parents (or potential stepparents in the case of Regina for Roland and Hook for Henry).

I plan to explore a lot more about this season in my character study fanfics!

#Once Upon a Time #ABC's Once Upon a Time #Once Upon a Time reactions #OUAT reactions #Captain Swan #episode analysis

[whimsicallyenchantedrose]

Season 2 Rewatch Drabbles--2x12 In the Name of the Brother

Summary:  A series of 100-500 word drabbles to accompany my   rewatch of season 2 of Once Upon a Time as an attempt to finally jump   start the muse again.  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 the very beginnings of Captain Swan’s epic love story, as   soon as a certain dashing pirate makes his appearance.  

Word Count: 442

Other Chapters: (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7) (8) (9) (10) (11) (13) (14) (15) (16) (17) (17.5) (18) (19) (20) (21-22) (22)

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

Emma took a deep breath and then sat on Hook's hospital bed. It was the first moment she'd had to just sit and take in what had happened since…well, she didn't honestly know when the last time was. This past week had been insane.

Just look at tonight. She'd taken a call about a disturbance at the town line, only to find Rumplestiltskin hovering over a confused Belle who'd been shot in the shoulder by a revenge-minded Captain Hook, such that she'd lost her memories.

Oh, and If Captain Hook was here, so was the Queen of Hearts, who also happened to be the Evil Queen's mom.

If she didn't know any better, she'd swear she'd accidentally ingested something that was giving her a really bad trip.

But she did know better, and this was her life now, and she needed answers from Captain Hook before something else hit the fan.

Emma tried to convince herself that that was it; that was the only reason she was here. She needed answers. It was why she'd been so damn relieved when she got the report from Whale that Hook had only sustained minor contusions and a few cracked ribs. It was why she'd insisted the nurse hide him as soon as they'd reached the hospital. It was why she was sitting on his bed and watching the even rise and fall of his chest as he slept.

But deep down, she knew better.

She knew how she'd felt, seeing him lying awkwardly in the street after being struck by a car; the way her heart stuttered and then raced at the sight of him, when she'd believed she'd left him behind for good. The way she'd felt such intense concern for him until she'd assessed his condition and been on the receiving end of a few more of his flirtatious lines.

There was a connection between them that she couldn't explain and didn't want to acknowledge. Part of her wondered if she'd get him out of her system if they just had one good hook up (no pun intended), but the rest of her knew better.

Sex wouldn't fix it; he'd be addicting, and it wouldn't just be the physical and carnal pull. It would be feelings, hopes and dreams, wanting everything.

And, of course, ultimately heartbreak.

That did it; the surety of heartbreak. It made her straighten her spine and fortify her walls. He was just beginning to stir. She'd get her answers from him, and then she'd get the hell out of here, away from him, and away from what she just knew would be the worst mistake of her life.

                                                                                   NEXT CHAPTER-->

#once upon a time f #once upon a time drables #rewatch drabbles #2x12 in the name of the brother #emma #killian #very early CS

[macravishedbymactavish]

I've been gone,

Being sick,

Working hard (or looking like it),

Getting ready for an excellent adventure in May with our friends (which is also the beginning of the long term relationship we'll be having)

Getting sent the cutest spam of the boy I lowkey rumplestiltskined (there's a whole story, trust me)

And facing my morality by one of my grave fears becoming a reality for someone I know.

Buuuuut, if I can rub my 3 braincells together (I stole a brain cell, so now three. Moving on up) I have ideas. I've been inspired by Captain Mactavish and a song I recently heard.

And I started a Hesh smut for pearl that I need to finish

And the misfits, angsty lost in the world au for Soap and Ghost

And the sports bra one shot with Soap

One day at a time, one word at a time.