#david jenkins you are so beloved to me

[kamwashere]

i really LOVE this show’s consistency in not giving a single fuck about historical accuracy. like yes wedding cake toppers during 1700s totally make sense go on

#david jenkins you are so beloved to me #our flag means death #ofmd #kamwashere

[piratecaptainscaptainpirates]

I really adore that everyone who works on OFMD seems to love it just as much as we do.

Not just the cast, though that's undeniable - Rhys Darby says Stede is the role he was "born to play," Taika loves it so much he got some of Ed's tattoos. Samba and Vico and Con are always talking about how much they love it and would surely be giving us mountains of bts content were it not for the strike.

And the crew are so excited to share things with us! They put so much care into the props and sets and costumes, and they want to share all the little details with us. The writers, especially our beloved creator David Jenkins himself, openly and happily talk about how they're fans of the show and brought that love into it.

There is so much love in this show. I think that's why that one review of season 2 that called it too much fanservice has only been sitting with me even worse since season 2 has actually started airing. "Fanservice" has such a cynical, negative connotation, and you really get the impression that everything in season 2 is there not just because fans wanted it but because the creators love this show, too, and they want to give us narrative beats that are extremely satisfying. Think about the end of s2e5 with the obvious callback to the first "you wear fine things well" scene - it's a great moment, not just because it's a callback for the fans but because it's a callback for Ed and Stede, too, because it allows them to reclaim that moment where Ed wanted to make a move and didn't, allowed them to move their relationship forward at the same time.

This show is so earnest and sincere and such an obvious labor of love. I feel incredibly lucky.

#ofmd #ofmd s2 spoilers #our flag means death

[bookshelfdreams]

ofmd wasn't "profitable" enough but I didn't even get the feeling hbo wanted to make money off of it. They didn't promote it when s1 dropped, and the promo for s2 was erratic at best. They don't sell merch. Or physical copies. There's no bts documentaries other than what actors (shoutout to Samba ilu) make themselves in their spare time.

It took more than a full year for me to be able to watch s1 legally! I still can't access s2 legally anywhere! It's not that ofmd is unprofitable, it's that hbo refuses to profit off of it, because - well, because profiting off of it would mean investing work and money into it.

And like. Of course, when you compare it to the juggernauts hbo holds rights to, like GoT, ofmd is small fishes. But.

How on earth do these clowns think cult classics happen?

A Game of Thrones was first published in 1996 and didn't make it on the NYT beststeller list until 2011. The first edition of the first Harry Potter book was 500 pieces. And yeah, TV shows are different, but if you look at today's media landscape, would things like Star Trek, or Buffy, or Doctor Who stand the slightest chance? These things take time, is my point. A piece of media doesn't become a massively profitable, beloved classic over night. It takes time and effort to build that kind of franchise.

And the thing is! Nobody who makes these decisions even likes stories. I'm convinced that whoever is in charge at hbo, at amazon prime, even at disney, thinks storytelling is dumb and for idiots. They think it's enough to just slap the name of something people love on whatever garbage they spit out, for it to be profitable. They think it's the brand that sells: Look this has "Lord of the Rings" on it! Look, this one has "Game of Thrones", you like Game of Thrones don't you? Watch my show, boy.

But this isn't how this works. It's not the name that sells (unless, I suppose, you're the MCU, and even there one gets the impression the trick is finally stopping to work), especially not when the product is bad. People aren't idiots.

But it's not about making something good. It's not about making a meaningful piece of art, or telling an engaging story. ofmd served its purpose; it drew in all the subscribers it ever would, so there's no point in letting it go on. Even in the s2 that we did get, this is evident: the penny pinching is palpable, it's clear that the studio didn't want to spend any more money than absolutely necessary on it, and then cut the budget by 40%.

It's not about art. It never has been.

And it's not even about profit, because to be profitable eventually, stories have to be allowed to thrive first. You tell a good story first, and success happens later, often much, much later.

And ofmd was incredibly, astonishingly successful. It was the most in-demand series for weeks after the s1 finale. But even that wasn't enough, it's never enough, ofmd could have made record-setting profits and it still would have been cancelled, because -

Well, I don't know. Because we live in a bad time for art. Because Orwell was right, and stories have become commodities, like shoelaces. Because. Well. It's not about telling a story, is it?

What's the point of a story? What's the point of making something for the joy of making it? What's the point of a piece of art, existing, if it cannot be transferred into numbers for the stockholders?

idk how to end this. I hope David Jenkins finishes the story he wanted to tell, even if just for himself. I hope, against all odds, that weird, fun, heartfelt, beautiful little stories like ofmd continue to happen.

But goddammit.

#i knew this would happen but im still devastated #& i think the reason for that is. if not even something as inconsequential and silly as a fun little pirate romcom is allowed to exist #fuck #anyway ik its not that important but sometimes one just has to rant #our flag means death #thoughts

[emptymasks]

so there's an interview with david jenkins up on gizmodo about izzy's death and i have feelings. again.

the interviewer is a big fan of izzy. and jenkins is upset that they are upset about izzy's death. i know he probably doesn't want to make people really upset with izzy's death. but how could he not have known how beloved izzy was. perhaps he didn't realise how many more people would come to love him over this season.

trying to console the interviewer by saying "ghosts exist in this world" since when? buttons turning into a bird might not even be canon, it's left as this maybe, so don't make up and give false hope that he could come back as a ghost. that feels cruel. i know he's trying to make the interviewer feel better but man. don't make promises you can't keep.

of course he took it hard.

izzy didn't get much time to belong though. i love that speech he gave. but for him to get punished for it. to kill of the character with the most growth because it doesn't matter because he's not as important as ed. izzy deserved better than to a plot device for ed to grow.

'to see their friend go' uh.. i don't think we got to the point where stede and izzy were friends yet. sadly. because he died too soon for that to happen. i think being buried near them, and without his ring that they took of his corpse, is selfish on ed's part.

i don't know how this is kind. i don't know how you can describe this as kind.

i... am almost laughing since i feel so delirious reading that. you wanted to avoid killing your gays by.. killing one of your gays. right. an.. upbeat note.. i.. how.. did you really think no one liked izzy that much? maybe he didn't expect so many new izzy hands during season 2 but...

again the interviewer gets upset about izzy's death. jenkins tries to console and comfort them but couldn't. i can't believe he didn't see this coming. i'm sorry he's sad too. though surely he wanted people to be sad? to feel sad about izzy's death? maybe he didn't think anyone would take it this hard. but i'm sure con could have told them different given the stories i know people have told him about how much izzy means to them. i think it's wrong to call the show homophobic, i think the show is still a great piece of lgbt+ representation. and i also think the ending was rushed and izzy's death wasn't fair (and not enough people accept that ed abused him and was his abuser and no one should have to give their abuser closure) but i think if he had to die it could have been defending the crew, and not being stupid enough to let ricky have a gun, because that didn't feel very in character. i just. i'm with the interviewer. i'm not mad at jenkins i'm just disappointed and upset. and i know he didn't mean any of this maliciously, and yes i know it's all fictional, but people are still allowed to complain and be hurt. no matter how stupid you think that might seem. there's no need to get angry at people who are upset about izzy's death. these are just my thoughts and feelings and there's no ill will too anyone who disagrees with me.

i'm sad at you.

#lets kill of the suicidal character im sure that'll look good and people wont be upset at all #our flag means death #our flag means death spoilers #izzy hands #my rambles #mine

[gentlebeardsbarngrill]

02/05/2024 Daily OFMD Recap

TLDR; Cast & Crew; Rhys Cameos; Samba BTS; Samba & Rhys Goofyness; Wee John Wednesday + surprise Leslie; UK Launch; Watch Party Reminders; What We Do In The Shadows; New Watch parties: Love Birds; Articles; Fundraisers; Schadenfreude; Trends; Morale/LoveNotes/MORE RHYS CAMEOS; Daily Darby/Tonight's Taika;

Jeez Louise fam today was a seriously jam packed day! Once again Im worried I'm gonna miss something because there was just so much so please feel free to let me know!

== Cast & Crew ==

The Crew section is a hefty one today, so buckle up buttercup it's gonna be a chaotic and heartwarming ride.

Okay so, yesterday we had that lovely message that was edited from our beloved captain. But then our dear friend @meowzawowaza_ over on twitter released yet another part of the video that specifically went over Rhys' frustrations with the cancellation. Now it's less positive, but as she says, it adds another layer that is helping rally the troops to keep fighting. Here's the thread with the videos. Apologies if you don't have twitter... I don't have a link outside of there at the moment. If I find one, I'll update it here.

THEN because she's awesome, our lovely @lucyrosebutler decided to share the cameo she had gotten previously. Which he ended with, "Yeah, you be you, keep rock'n, and yeah, you be you, and do it loudly."

Before continuing with the cast & crew...

== Kudosboard! ==

Wanna send our lovely captain, Rhys, some kudos and love after all he's given us, especially the last two days? You can do so over on kudoboard.com! Thank you @madzilla84 for making this happen! Get on over there and send our sunshine man some love!

Alright! On to more Cast & Crew.

= Samba =

Samba, our favorite BTS buddy posted a new BTS picture + was making sure to shout out the new S2 out on BBCIplayer today!

= Samba & Rhys =

Then because our entire cast and crew is a pile of goofballs, Rhys and Samba shared this little exchange on twitter:

= Wee John Wednesday Monday! =

And well, then there was Wee John Wednesdays Monday! Where we not only got to see the expected three cast members: Kristian Nairn, Vico Ortiz, and Madeleine Sami, but a SURPRISE guest, Leslie Jones who crashed the Instagram live party.

You can watch the whole thing on Kristian Nairn's IG Here. WHICH I highly recommend because it was an absolute blast and got so many of us pumped and ready for more. Some highlights that absolutely cannot describe the pure and wonderful chaos were:

Rocket Jousting

Leslie fucking every alien in space

Leslie wants to come to a convention

Horny pickle ball

Jenkins is on board for s3 if it happens

They see how hard we're working on SaveOFMD and they said "they deserve it" (s3) and "so do we!"

Mads just randomly runs into Taika on the beach

Gypsy made a chest binder for all Vico's outfits @edscuntyeyeshadow ty for the screenshots here on tumblr

Oh and David Fane popped in because he's a gem of a human being. Thanks @madzilla84 for catching that!

= Leslie Jones + Convention =

PSSSST: Wanna help get Leslie to a con? Go request her on the Galaxy Con Websites! Thanks @insane_foliage on twitter for the suggestions!

= Vico Ortiz =

Upcoming cast events! Sunday Feb 11, 4PM PST, Vico will be interviewing with the lovely Samantha Rei on Instagram Live

= Erroll Shand =

I just, can't get over how amazing Erroll's IG Stories are, and how much he interacts with the goofy fan memes. I love this guy.

== Uk Launch ==

So many people logged in for the UK Launch of S2!!! Thank you everyone! The data teams over at @saveofmdcrewmates are still crunching numbers to show how things went the first day, but we can definitely see #OurFlagBBC trending for a bit!

Also Pink News was tweeting about the launch, and Wee John Wednesday!

Great job everyone-- please keep it up if you have the spoons! Wanna watch OFMD again? You can help support the UK Launch by watching it on BBCIplayer! Once again, if you are outside the US you can get instructions on how to here on @reallygoodplants page, or from this article.

== Watch Party Reminders! ==

= What We Do In The Shadows Watch Party! =

Tuesday February 6th, 9PM GMT, 1 PM PST, 4PM EST

Watch Party Hashtags:

#VamPirates

#SaveOFMD

#AdoptOurCrew

== New Watch Parties! ==

FINALLYYYYY we have a Love Birds Watch Party! Feb 9th - 9 pm GMT, 4 pm EST, 1pm PST.

Watch Party Hashtags:

#AdoptOurLoveBirds

#AdoptOurCrew

#SaveOFMD

==Articles==

So many articles today with the UK launch, including the Guardian again!

What’s On TV This Week: 5th February – 11th February

TV Tonight: It's the Final Series of Curb Your Enthusiasm

Our Flags Means Death fans get TV licence just to watch pirate show

The Best Romantic TV Series to Get into the Valentine’s Day Spirit

8 TV Shows Were Canceled in January 2024, Including 4 From HBO

Why won’t there be a Our Flag Means Death season 3?

= Fundraiser Status =

eSIMs and Sanitary Products for Gaza by Our Flag Makes A Difference is currently at 27% of their goal. If you're looking for a good cause to donate to, these folks have been incredibly transparent about all funds.

@One of the crew, @mcstuffiesphd is selling Jeff stickers as well as other SaveOFMD merch and donating 50% to the Our Flag Makes A Difference group for the above fundraiser.

== SchadenFreude / Trends Time ==

Thank you @btweenhisteeth on twitter for capturing this metric! Looks like WB Discovery is still having a bit of trouble with their stocks. Wonder why that could be?

Other fun trends that popped up today: Thank you @merryfinches catching a shot of the pile of royalty below.

== Morale / Love Notes ==

So normally I just want to say all the things about how lovely you all are, but Rhys posted YET ANOTHER video on cameo tonight, and I feel like his voice is the sunshine we all need. The longer one up, is dedicated to LGBTQIA+ folks with some anecdotes from Rhys' childhood, and another specific to the crew for this show (it's about 3 mins 10 seconds long). Please take a few minutes to go watch them, you don't need a log in or anything for them. It's just worth it to hear our lovely captain say nice things.

== Daily Darby / Tonight's Taika ==

And to end the night, just some silly gifs that maybe sort of but don't quite go together for tonight. Goodnight lovelies, it was a LOOONG day today, please go get some rest. Love you.

#daily ofmd recap #ofmd daily recap #daily ofmd recaps #ofmd daily recaps #save ofmd #saveofmd #save our flag means death #ofmd #our flag means death #rhys darby #vico ortiz #kristian nairn #madeleine sami #leslie jones #erroll shand #samba schutte #ofmd bts #our flag makes a difference #ofmd watch parties

[jaskierx]

re the whole s2 izzy stuff i completely get what a lot of people are saying about how he’s just not important enough to the narrative to bother giving him a proper redemption arc

but i really don’t think that’s it. he’s clearly important to david jenkins. he’s got a ton of screentime. he’s everywhere, woven throughout really key ed/stede moments. he’s had traits mapped onto him that used to belong to other crew members in s1

he’s been elevated to ‘important crew member you’re supposed to like’ with no arc at all and i think could be Because the writers view him as important. as in they view him as too important to waste time on an arc when they could just develop him offscreen. and it’s worked bc it’s been received really well by folks who aren’t me and my small beloved support group of unhappy mutuals and anons lmao

i really do think it’s just a big messy combination of budget cuts, sloppier writing, fanservice, budget cuts, djenks’ love for con o’neill, budget cuts, a lack of recognition that a significant number of fans would feel hurt by seeing his s1 homophobia be not just handwaved but almost erased entirely by inserting him so clearly into key scenes of ed and stede’s relationship, and budget cuts

in conclusion fuck you hbo give your shows a better budget x

#i am. ruminating #maybe this is all leading to his s2 finale death in which case i’ll stop complaining forever or at least for a while #ofmd #ofmd s2 spoilers #izzy critical #the izcourse #lyse.jpg

[radcats]

im gonna put my two cents in about izzy's death (even tho literally no one asked)

however you feel about izzy's death (im mad but u can feel however u want im not ur mum) we have to discuss what david jenkins is now saying about it. because i saw a spoiler for the ep and spent a two hour lecture convincing myself that if they do it right maybe it will make sense (they didnt but again, not the point rn).

but djenkins tweeting that "there is no show without izzy" and telling that interviewer "ghosts are real in the show" can mean one of two things.

either hes trying to make people feel better, and izzy is not coming back at all, which is simply getting peoples hopes up and will eventually let the fans down (again)

or izzy is going to come back. which is still not good because it means they "killed him" off for shock factor.

now when they did this with lucius it made sense. it was done for shock factor yes, but the shock of "holy shit look what ed has done. look what izzy and stede have pushed him to do. hes gone completely over the edge." and lucius was killed in a way that he could come back from. no one saw him die. there was not a funeral for him. he just, swam off.

we saw izzy die, so if they bring him back with magic or as a ghost or whatever, it was still done for shock, and made the ending to season two feel (imo) very similar to the ending of season one. the (possible) loss of a beloved character, except one made sense, and kept the fans on tenterhooks, and one just pissed people off. doing the same trick in both series feels like bad writing to me, like djenkins doesnt know how to tie up loose ends.

either way, how he is acting after izzy's death doesnt sit right with me and i dont wike it.

#izzy hands #ofmd #our flag means death #our flag means death spoilers #ofmd spoilers #david jenkins #obviously this does not mean i dislike djenkins #or think that people sending him hate is ok #(it is Not) #im just a bit pissed off that this is how he has decided to handle things #anyways #bedtime now #im not gonna talk about how i feel about izzy dying #because it would be so long #and not eloquent at all #and frankly other people can put it into words much better than i can #at least right now #maybe ill go into it later #idk

[futuristicclambiscuitmaker]

ofmd s2 spoilers!

on a rate from good omens to mild heartbreak it’s on a very nice spot somewhere on the spectrum. i love and respect what they did with what they had, it’s incredible and at least for now i don’t have complaints that would influence the overall impression.

however. david jenkins. mr david sir who told you it was okay to do that? who told you that it was okay to perpetuate ye old he found himself and an appreciation for life; therefore he must be ready to embrace death stereotype? when will we start saying you found love for yourself so go on, love yourself, love long and prosper? you do that (stede), and you do that (ed), and you do that (izzy)

you could say that you can see izzy’s “death” coming, but like… so what? i as a queer woman don’t see it as “it was narratively meant to be” in any way, i just think “aw man another one might bite the dust because i’ve seen this before and it has been drilled into me that if we have a found family it will inevitably lose a beloved member”.

i love the episode, i adore the show, it’s been healing in more ways than one get it? good omens, but i so wish we could snip that last bit of string that ties us to sad queer media.

just to not end on a sad bit because i did love the episode, i’ll say that i literally uttered “jim…” when they were throwing knives from a tree. i love jim. i love that i see how much fun vico has with them. love laugh love jim jimenez.

#and now i’m gonna browse the tag till my eyes fall out #ofmd #ofmd s2 #ofmd spoilers #our flag means death #good omens #good omens s2 #jim jimenez loml

[originallypoki]

Our Flag Means Death S2 Spoilers!

Something people doesn't seem to realize, is that pacing has a key impact to a story. Yes, the tale you want to tell can be the best someone has ever come up with, but if your pacing of it is awful, it pulls the whole story down with it. To rushed pacing? It loses meaning and impact, because there's no time to become attached. To slow paced? It becomes boring and uninteresting, finishing the book, show or movie feels more like a task than actual fun.

The first 4 episodes of season 2 of OFMD were awesome. The pacing was perfect, we had enough time to register what was happening and to sort out our emotions. I was a bit thrown off by ep 5. Because, while still good paced, you can start the see the problems because of the missing 2 eps ( for example the skipped fight, instead choosing to tell, not show. )-

Then episode 6 and 7 happened. And oh boi, I wanted to drop the show, only my love for it keeping me going.

I know that it isn't David Jenkins and the production team's fault, since the 2 episodes got cut, giving us the total of 8. But I can't excuse the decision to cram the plot of 10 eps into 8. If you have so little time left, why don't just cut some 'unimportant' storypoints?

Like Ned Lowe, he was introduced and died in the same episode. His purpose was to give GentleBeard development I know, that still doesn't give him enough importance to let him stay in the shortened version. Just like the second break-up from GentleBeard we got in ep 7.

Instead we got very out-of-character characters, Stede for example. I can see why he acts the way he does in ep 7. It would make sense, had he more time to have proper character development! Instead he feels weird, plus the very very uncomfortable second-hand embarrassment scenes (like the fight with Zheng). And sadly after ep 3, I couldn't feel the same chemistry GentleBeard had in S1. While there were cute scenes, like the end of ep5, I felt like something was missing to make me actually care. It's just my feelings, so not very important, but it was a bit disappointing.

The end of ep 7 gave me hope. Because it was a perfect way to introduce a villain, who's a genuine threat to our heros. And I maybe like Prince Ricky a bit to much. Then ep 8 came crushing down while drowing my love for OFMD, that made me ignore everything wrong with the second half of S2.

I like ep 8, well the first few minutes. It felt like I finally had time to see what's happening and David Jenkins didn't leave us completely clueless. ( Let's ignore the logic holes since it was is a comedy show and they were always there. ) And I was way to busy squieking like a pig of happiness to think critical.

I have many criticism points, but will only focus on one;

Izzy's death. And by god, I. Am. Pissed. Killing a character that is beloved by the fandom isn't the problem. While I love him, he's my favorite, I also love a good ol' angst. But he was in the middle of his redemption arc, and ending this with death is just such weak writing. I have nothing against killing a character off for development. Iron man for example, his whole story is about becoming a better person and jumping over his ego. And it ends just like Izzy in death. But Tony was through his arc, his death was the final, showing he has changed, showing he would do everything to save the universe and more important, the people he loves.

If Izzy died at the start of or before S2 I wouldn't complain, because it would've been perfect for him. Maybe if he died a more impactful death I wouldn't write this. But you can't make a character finally change and then destroy the meaning of it by killing him off in the fucking middle of the change. It would've had so much more impact seeing how he becomes a part of the crew he loathed not even a few weeks ago. Episode 5 did that great, while a bit fast. I like how he and Stede get along. Growing closer. It was a bit too fast paced, and I hoped for them to finally communicate, not talk. The same with Ed, I wanted him and Izzy to finally talk to eachother and not through eachother. However, giving us acutally communication while Izzy's fucking dying is not how you give impact. (And credit where credit's due; I really like that dialog, it was beautiful and the right words choosen to explain how Izzy feels)

Not to forget what a meaning it conveys. Izzy always did what he thought was right, even when it was completely wrong. But when he finally grows and begins to do actually what is right and let's go of Ed, he dies?

Still, I wouldn't say that they shouldn't have done a season 2 at all. It has great potential and I can see what they were going for. So, while it has it's problem's, it's nothing what a good fanfic can't fix. So I look forward to the amazing works that will build up on this hot mess and / or 'correct' it.

So bye, I'll go cry and give the last three episodes of S2 of OFMD, the last 20 minutes of S2 Go treatment T^T (except that GO S2 was fucking fantastic through the whole season)

#I love complaining #maybe I'm a bit salty because I wanted Izzy to get a boyfriend lol #the story had great potential #just too little time #this doesn't mean I hate season 2 #I had really really fun wachting it :D #also my love Izzy <3 #also unqualified opinion lmao #gentlebeard #gentlebonnet #izzy hands #izzy ofmd #izzy our flag means death #edward teach #our flag means death #our flag means death season 2 #our flag means gay #israel hands #blackbonnet #blackbeard #stede bonnet #ed x stede

[londonspirit]

A show like Our Flag Means Death comes to us all rarely in fandom, consuming us all in such a way that we can’t stop thinking about its characters and how much they all mean to us. Part of that is because the brilliant cast of actors who bring them to life are all so willing to engage with their fans and talk to them, but another part of it is because the show itself manages to give time to each of these characters to help them grow.

That comes down to series creator David Jenkins and his writers, who managed to bring us a wonderful season 2 of our beloved pirates. The show came back for season two at the beginning of October and has been releasing multiple episodes each week, giving fans a brilliant but fast second season. Now that we’re already at the end of it, we’re left hoping we’re get a renewal for season 3 and a bit of a mess after what happened in the final moments of season 2.

I was lucky enough to talk with creator David Jenkins about the finale, and the season as a whole, and what it meant to come back for season 2, to revisit these characters that mean so much to fans, and how it feels to change the perception that some of us have on these characters, like Izzy Hands (played by Con O’Neill).

Spoilers ahead for the second season of Our Flag Means Death!

Talking about the finale, the season as a whole, and the fanbase that really did rally behind this show to make it all possible, Jenkins broke down everything that makes Our Flag Means Death special.

Saying goodbye to Izzy Hands

After season 1, I wouldn’t think I’d be an Izzy Hands fan, and yet, here I am. I did start our chat by telling Jenkins that I thought he should be in jail for making me care so deeply for a character like Izzy only for making me have to say goodbye to him by season 2’s end. He has such a journey from the start of the season, going from being Blackbeard’s right-hand man to a man on the ship without a real purpose and even singing “La Vie en Rose” during a celebration for the crew. All of this warmed the audience to him and left me a mess when Izzy was shot and killed in their final stand, as they tried to flea as a united front of pirates.

Lightly joking with Jenkins about my new feelings on Izzy, I asked how they mapped out Izzy’s growth as a character into what would ultimately be his end. “Con can do so many things and I really did want to give him all the toys to play with,” Jenkins said. “I wanted to give baby everything. He gets to sing, he gets to be there without a shirt, he gets to have a death scene. He has multiple death scenes, gets his legs shot off. He gets to have unrequited love. So I think it was just going logically with what happens when this guy bottoms out from this toxic relationship.”

Jenkins went on to explain what happens after you let Con O’Neill have all his toys. What happens in the aftermath? “And then it was kind of confusing because we’re like, ‘Okay, well how does he come back? What kind of things does he do?'” he said. “‘How does he get a new leg? What is that gonna look like? Oh, it comes from the unicorn. Oh, cool. That’s cool.’ And watching him kind of rebuild himself and realize that he’s loved and he’s part of this community and that he is not a first mate anymore and I think it would be very uncomfortable for him to be on a ship and not first mate. So what kind of things does he get up to? Oh, he whittles. Okay. Oh, he is gonna train Stede because he’s largely bored. Then it was a surprise, I think, to all of us to have him end up as kind of a father figure to Ed and be the one that gives him permission to just be himself.”

Logically, it makes sense that Izzy would not be able to tempt fate once more after facing death multiple times throughout season 2. Still, the idea of not having Con O’Neill in the series’ future hurts.

Embracing the outrageous

When you break down Our Flag Means Death, it is, as Jenkins pointed out about one outlandish moment … stupid—not in a “this show is beyond unreasonable” sense, but it is a comedy. We love our beloved pirates very much, but they are so silly, and when we’re reminded of how silly the show can be, it’s nice—like having Blackbeard (Taika Waititi) find one of Stede’s (Rhys Darby) many letters that he wrote him when they were separated from each other. It’s emotional and sweet, and then out of nowhere, Waititi turns and screams through his tears, “You wrote me a lovely letter,” and I burst out laughing. It is so incredibly stupid that I couldn’t help but cackle, and Jenkins recognizes that the show finds a delicate balance between the beautiful moments and the completely outrageous.

This scene in particular ended up being on of my favorite moments in the finale. It was a long time coming and a setup that really paid off through the season as a whole. Ed wasn’t really in his “Blackbeard” look for most of the season, and he hadn’t read any of Stede’s letters, so for this to be kind of the combination of the two moments really hit.

Then, to have Waititi crying as he yells just really makes it a perfect storm of nonsense. “He’s also come from the sea. He’s also dressed like the rogue warrior. It’s stupid on a lot of levels,” Jenkins said of the scene in question, to which he said, “I love dumb and sweet. That’s a great spot to live in.” That led to us talking about how they manage to bring all of that into the writers room with all their characters in mind.

Spending time with our beloved characters

Our Flag Means Death has a lot of pirates on their ships. In season 1, we had two ships to really worry about. The Revenge met up with the pirates of Blackbeard’s crew, and they worked together for the most part. In season 2, we’re meeting so many other pirates from history and yet we’re still finding that balance between our favorites and the new characters making an appearance on the show. So we talked about how they found a way to bring those sweet moments into the show with these new characters.

Jenkins said, “That is the challenge of making the show because there are so many amazing people in the ensemble and they’re also good and they could all have their own show. And I think making sure each script has something for everybody and they all get something to do, it’s an embarrassment of riches and it is like one of the focuses of the writers room just to say, ‘Hey, who are we servicing? Like, who aren’t we servicing? Can we put them in the script more?’ It’s always the challenge of this show. There’s a billion people on it. There’s so many people on the show. There’s a lot of people.”

That reminded me of one of my favorite developments in season 2, the highlighting of Fang (David Fane). At the end of every episode, there’s a little scene during the credits, and for the most part, Fang was a major part of them. It was a joy to see him have his moment in the sun, and for Jenkins, it was about letting Fane have time to shine.

“Dave always does such sweet things too that are like ‘Oh well, we have to get that in.’ He’s just lovely,” Jenkins said. “There’s a real kindness to him, and I just am so impressed with him as an actor. I think he was already great, but I feel like I really fell in love with him in the second season. Just getting close on his face even is always wonderful. He always gives really such cute, interesting things.”

Music and Our Flag Means Death

The music of Our Flag Means Death is very important to the show as a whole. When the trailer for season 2 included Prince’s “The Beautiful Ones,” I knew exactly what the themes of the season held. It shows not only a love for storytelling through song but also a deeper understanding of the characters and where their emotions lie. So I brought up the use of music in the show as a whole, and Jenkins revealed that there is a rule to the music on the show (even though it isn’t really known to us).

“The only rule is that the music can’t be later than 1989. That’s the rule that Maggie and I agreed on. But then we broke that rule because we’ve got that song ‘Run’ in the second episode when Blackbeard wrecks the ship. And that came out recently but very rarely we break it.” The song he is referring to is “Run From Me” by Timber Timbre and was released in 2014. So, it is “recent” according to their rule, but it’s hilarious that it’s the newest song and is still nearly ten years old. What is so fascinating to me though is that the show uses music to really tell us a lot about its characters.

Jenkins works closely with Maggie Phillips, the music supervisor, to bring to life the feel of these characters and the scenes in such a way that we really understand the feelings of the characters we know and love, so I asked more about the use of things like “The Chain” in season 1 or how music plays into their creation of the season as a whole that makes the season more powerful overall.

“I’ll listen to music a lot and then I’ll make like a playlist that has a lot of songs on it that has like, maybe like a hundred songs on it as I’m listening,” Jenkins said. “And as we’re working through the season and just putting on Spotify and just putting on the algorithm. Sometimes you’ll hear some stuff where you’re like, ‘Oh, I have to get that,’ like Pygmy Love Song is a very weird and that was an algorithm thing where I was like, ‘Oh, that’s gotta be in the show.’ Then Maggie Phillips, our music supervisor, does the same thing. And then by the time she’s sent one, there’s a lot of things that overlap on ours. There’ll be wonderful things on hers that I hadn’t thought of and so it kind of goes as we’re building it. I need to listen to music while we’re putting the season together. Not necessarily while I’m writing, but while I’m kind of thinking through and in pre-production. And then just kind of imagining some of the sequences. You hear some songs and you’re like, oh yeah, that. And then you make a laundry list and then most don’t make it. And then do.”

Don’t worry, fellow pirate fans. I did tell him that we needed the dream pirate song playlist on Spotify. I said it’d be a hit within the fandom, and Jenkins said, “I love that. Well, make a playlist, make one, I’ll join. I’ll put some stuff on. I’ll put some stuff on that I’m not gonna use, but I’ll put some stuff on.”

A show for the fans

One of the reasons Our Flag Means Death became such a hit was because fans could not stop sharing their love for it. I mentioned that while the show itself is so good, the fans really did help to hype it up so people really started to tune in and understand just how good it was. Jenkins also mentioned that he knows we’ve been vocal fans at The Mary Sue, and I did of course say that we were “very loud about our pirates.”

He went on to talk about the excitement and creativity of the fanbase for Our Flag Means Death and how the reaction to the show has been exciting. I asked what the response has meant to him, especially seeing people who maybe didn’t even know who Rhys Darby was prior to this show who are now big fans, learning about his work and embracing his comedy.

“I think seeing the costumes and seeing people dressed up and there was one shot of like all of the different categories of cosplay, of like there’s the Izzy and the Blackbeards and the Luciuses in a line at one of these conventions, it’s like, oh my God, every time I see art I’m blown away, ’cause I just don’t know how people are so creative,” Jenkins said. “And then it happens so quickly. There’ll be art the morning that one of the episodes is released. I can’t get over that and I can’t get over the quality of it. When you see a really beautiful piece of art that’s about a moment that you or a character that you like it’s just moving. It really does make you stop in your tracks.”

A wistful season

As much as we don’t want our pirates to go, the season has, unfortunately, come to an end. Season 2 is over, and with it comes feelings of hope and loss all rolled into one. So for my final question, I asked Jenkins what he hopes season 2 leaves fans with now that we’ve said goodbye to characters like Izzy Hands but have a lot to unpack with characters that we know and love on their new journeys.

“I don’t know, a kind of like a wistfulness,” Jenkins replied. “I think that things change and that change isn’t always bad and that I like that there’s a bunch of different flavors in the end. There’s marriage. There’s a newer couple moving in together and Stede and Blackbeard, I guess they’re not newer, but I mean, maybe they’re not as evolved as Black Pete and Lucius in talking about their feelings. And then the kids drive the car away while the parents watch at the end and whatever adventure they’re heading to. So I just think that, looking at change being inevitable and that it’s not bad. The main thing is that you just want to be a part of something and when something ends, you wanna be a part of something new. Those are good things to take from this.”

Our Flag Means Death season 2 is on Max now, and hopefully we’ll be back with our pirates once more in a third season.

#our flag means death season 2 #ofmd s2 #ofmd s2 spoilers #spoiler #our flag means death #ofmd #david jenkins #interview #the mary sue article

[why-yes-i-am-an-adult]

Man, this is specially baffling to me because I distinctly remember season 1 when the problem the weirdos in the fandom had with the show was that they despised Izzy. Calling the show homophobic just because he existed on it, and talking horrible mean shit about Con O'Neill just because he liked his character...

And now you have they opposite problem? So they harrassed David Jenkins for burying their beloved Izzy who did nothing wrong in his life ever?

Full offense, but all of you are impossible to please because you're just sad and miserable and will just nitpick anything to find an excuse to be horrible to people who made something beautiful with love and care.

#I feel so bad for David Jenkins #he is the last person who deserves this vile fandom nonsense #I hope you all didn't completely ruin everything for him #ofmd #ofmd season 2

[sassy1121]

I posted 1,360 times in 2022

That's 1,031 more posts than 2021!

132 posts created (10%)

1,228 posts reblogged (90%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@ourflagmeanslgbtqia

@queerpiracy

@forpiratereasons

@creepy-paper

@knowlesian

I tagged 1,298 of my posts in 2022

Only 5% of my posts had no tags

#our flag means death - 519 posts

#wwdits - 277 posts

#fan art - 145 posts

#taika waititi - 65 posts

#text post meme - 47 posts

#frenchie - 41 posts

#😂 - 37 posts

#fandom crafting - 26 posts

#david jenkins - 20 posts

#harvey guillén - 20 posts

Longest Tag: 119 characters

#however as an apparently official old i must say i’m identifying with the teachers and parents more than anyone else 😬

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

"Hey, I meant to ask before -- has the dolly got a name?"

Wee John looked down at the rag doll nestled snuggly between his forearm and belly. "Nah, haven't had 'em long. Found it in a trunk and just..." He blushed a little and looked away. "It's silly."

Frenchie looked at him with open curiosity. "Nah, mate -- what? It's adorable. Just thought if it was gonna be roommates with us, I should know its proper name. Just been callin' it 'Dolly' in my head, but that seems disrespectful if it's not her name. His name? Their?" He looked a bit like he was trying to do sums in his head.

Wee John furrowed his brow and mumbled, "Hadn't really thought about it. Never had a doll before."

"What, never? Not even when you were a wee lad?"

He scoffed. "Never was 'a wee lad'. Always been big and always had to act grown. I can't remember anyone ever treating me like a lad, not really."

It was Frenchie's turn to scowl. "You said you made dresses with your mum -- you never made the scraps into toys or nothin'? I had a rag doll my mum made from a walnut and a scrap of linen." A small smile lit his face at the memory.

"Oh, there was no time for any foolishness like that. Work, work, work, it was. Ten mouths to feed, and me the man of the house."

Frenchie's look of sympathy was confusing. Isn't that how it is for everyone who grows up to be a fuckin' pirate? Besides His Nibs, of course. "I get it, man. Still a shame though. Every kid deserves something of their own, just for fun."

Wee John thought he might cry, but he pushed it aside. "I suppose... I suppose I'd call her Sinéad, after my nan?"

Frenchie reached out to gently take the doll's hand and bowed ever so slightly. "Very pleased to make your acquaintance, Sinéad. Welcome to the room. But so's you know, the bed is for sleepin' and the nook --" he pointed to the corner "-- is only for sittin'."

Wee John held Sinéad's arm and shook Frenchie's hand for her. "Much obliged," he said in a voice higher than his own.

"Well, now that's settled," Frenchie grinned, "where exactly are we gettin' these mints?"

88 notes - Posted April 28, 2022

#4

Tonight my kid (13??? for those keeping track at home) asked me what “slash fic” means. She was so, so, SO offended when I told her. Offended that there’s a special word for it. 

We had an extremely interesting discussion about why you would need a word just for that, and what the fic and fandom landscape looked like before she was born. 

Then I told her about the word “femslash” and she got EVEN MORE OFFENDED. 

I think we landed on “well now if you say ‘fanfic’ people *assume* it’s gay, so CHECKMATE STRAIGHTS”

163 notes - Posted May 21, 2022

#3

me, anytime I've forgotten to do something or not been able to concentrate over the last week:

188 notes - Posted March 26, 2022

#2

Lighthouse Painting, my beloved.

(embroidery on random cotton fabric. it's about the size of a business card. i'm gonna stitch it to my bag, where it will get very beat up, so let's all just remember it as it is in this moment, shall we?)

207 notes - Posted April 22, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

See the full post

4,248 notes - Posted April 8, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

#year in review #my 2022 tumblr year in review #your tumblr year in review #how bout them pirates huh #only 20 posts of harvey content? i feel like all i do anymore is thirst after harvey

[stedelovesed]

Creating generative value

Or: Why We Need to Stop Worrying and Trust that Nathan Foad Will Be Back for Season 2

Gals, gays and theys, (swash)buckle up. What we were hoping, crying and begging for happened: in early June, our beloved gay pirate show Our Flag Means Death was renewed for season 2. We’re going to get our BlackBonnet reunion. Repeat: we are going to get our BlackBonnet reunion. Stede and Ed are going to be together again, and they are going to talk about their feelings, and they are going to be happy. This, I manifest. 

Of course, there’s someone else that we are all desperate to see - Lucius Spriggs, the Revenge’s scribe, played by Nathan Foad. David Jenkins, creator, writer and executive producer of OFMD, recently Tweeted an image of the season 2 premiere script to announce that filming for season 2 had begun. The Tweet was accompanied by a very cryptic caption: “Anyone care to have their shit fucked up? Because this is happening. 🏴‍☠️💔🦄 #OurFlagMeansDeath #justiceforluciusrip” Leon Miller, writing for CBR.com, reckons that Jenkins’ hashtag #justiceforluciusrip “seemingly confirmed that Nathan Foad's Lucius Spriggs did indeed die at the hands of Taika Waititi's Blackbeard” in the Season 1 finale, "Wherever You Go, There You Are." 

Devastating if true, of course. Foad’s Lucius was nothing short of incredible. At the risk of sounding cliché, he’s the heart of the ship; warm, gentle, supportive, and, as a viewer, so, so funny. We watched as he comforted Stede during the events of the eighth episode, “We Gull Way Back, as Stede battled with feelings of jealousy towards Ed’s old friend and former lover, Calico Jack. Lucius’s romance with Black Pete (Matthew Maher) is nothing short of joyous. It’s deep and complex and filled with love, desire and respect - just another example of how this show elevates and prioritises queerness. 

The final episode, though. Agh. My heart hurts to think about it. Ed is heartbroken and believes that Stede left him on the beach because he didn’t love him back, and his coping mechanism is to wander around the Revenge in Stede’s old robe and take sad baths. Lucius is there for him through it all, offering support and kindness to Ed. And Ed, heartbroken Ed, decides to push Lucius over the side of the ship and leave him to die. 

Brutal. I still can’t believe I even typed those words. If I had more space in this post, I’d explain, at length, why I believe that Ed was so utterly devastated with grief that having Lucius around was just a reminder of Stede, but I don’t, so I won’t. Nevertheless, I’m convinced that we haven’t seen the last of Lucius Spriggs. Sure, Nathan Foad hasn’t been posting on Instagram about being in New Zealand for filming like other cast members. Sure, David Jenkins’ Tweet and hashtag don’t really give us a lot of hope for Lucius’ survival. Here’s the thing, though: Lucius will come back for season 2, and here’s why.

First of all, for all the reasons I’ve mentioned above and more - Lucius Spriggs is the heart and soul of the Revenge. If there’s one thing OFMD knows, it’s how to give its viewers the warm fuzzies. Second, the absolute drama that will erupt when Lucius appears, alive and well, on deck after Ed thought he’d killed him - there’s no way that David Jenkins would deprive us of Foad’s exquisite facial expressions during a scene like this. Third - and perhaps this is the cynic in me - but we’re here talking about it, aren’t we? OFMD is a television show that skyrocketed in popularity through word-of-mouth. Fandom is one of the best media marketing tools there is, and even for that reason alone, the ‘surprise’ return in season 2 of one of OFMD’s best characters would cause the fandom to go into meltdown, even if it was just to Tweet, “I told you so #Luciuslives”.

#NETS5005

[acanofpeaches]

why is it at 2am when I have the best writing ideas, the injustice of it all!!!!!!

#I am writing bits and pieces of 4 different ofmd fics #yes I am insane #I have the brainrot™️ so I’ll most likely finish thrm #I have a long fic mostly plotted and I am stuck with issue do I write all at once or do I write in sections #That hadn’t worked out so well with me BUT I am also not going to make it 400k words #LOOK AWAY FROM MY UNFINSIHED AMPU #MY BELOVED I WILL FINISH YOU ONE DAY #although now I feel like just editing out the hamilton musical bits and publishing as gay historical fiction #thank you David Jenkins for the inspo #ANYWAY lots of writing coming ur way!! #peaches speeches

[gentlebeardsbarngrill]

03/24/24 Daily OFMD Update

TLDR; Rhys Darby; Vico Ortiz; Kudoboards; Fan Spotlight; Daily Darby/Tonight's Taika;

== Rhys Darby ==

Captain's having some birthday celebrations in Aotearoa! Thank you Rose for these lovely peeks at the festivities!

= Vico Ortiz =

Vico as Izzy Hands in Drag Kings. There are also videos. I didn't know if anyone had brought them over yet, if you'd like them, let me know!

== Kudoboards closing soon =

Thank you to @sharpenyersword on Twitter for setting up ALL THE KUDOBOARDS! The rest of the Kudoboard's will close on the 31st. 

Go send the cast and crew some love folks!

David Jenkins

Nathan Foad

Con O'Neill

Ruibo Qian

Leslie F*cking Jones!

Matthew Maher

Vico Ortiz

Samson Kayo

Alex "Ass Tonight" Sherman!

David Fane

Kristian "Wee John Wondays" Nairn!

Samba "BTS and Baking King" Schutte!

Fellow OFMD Fan Crew!

== Fan Spotlight ==

Blood Bucket Bill! One of our favorite side characters! Time for Grant Lobban to shine! Thanks @melvisik <3 So glad to see some of the lesser known characters getting some love.

== Love Notes ==

Hey Lovelies. I hope you all are having a relaxing weekend. As you can see things have been slow over the weekend. This is a great time to fill out some Kudoboards for the other cast and crew if you feel so inclined :) Tonight I'm gonna do something a bit different. I've read a lot of Thich Nhat Hanh over the years and there's a quote I really love from the book, Reconciliation: Healing The inner Child.

“Go back and take care of yourself. Your body needs you, your perceptions need you, your feeling needs you. The wounded child in you needs you. Your suffering needs you to acknowledge it.”

This is something I've spent a lot of time thinking about, the little me, and what she went through. I recently played this meditation by Taika for myself, but thought, "well im not a kid any more is this really for me?" and you know what? We could all use a little encouragement, even if we aren't that little anymore. Whether you play it for you or play it for the little you that was, it's just something nice and calming to try.

Anyway, something a bit different tonight. Hope it brings you some joy. Love you crew, thinking of you <3

== Daily Darby / Tonight's Taika ==

Tonight's theme -- STRIPES!

Darby Courtesy of @thunderwingdoomslayer

Taika Courtesy of my beloved Connie @spirker

#daily ofmd recap #daily ofmd recaps #ofmd daily recap #ofmd daily recaps #ofmd #our flag means death #taika waititi #vico ortiz #rhys darby #kudoboard #Youtube

[lilacmoon83]

Finding You Always

Also on Fanfiction.net and A03

Chapter 203: A Grand Deception

David parked the car and hurried out toward the field. He was slightly late, but fortunately their was still a lot of game left and he spotted his wife and daughter in the stands. He watched Margaret's eyes light up upon seeing him and felt his heart flutter. It always did when he saw her and she was near. She had confessed that hers did the same and it was the most remarkable feeling either of them had ever experienced.

"Hey...sorry I'm late," he said, as he leaned down and kissed her.

"You're just in time," she replied, as he sat down beside her and pulled her into his arms. They smiled at each other and shared another kiss. They got a few side eyes from other parents, but that was nothing unusual.

They had always known they were different from many other couples and the honeymoon faze had never ended for them. She rested her head against his shoulder, as they watched the game.

"Oh...he's got the ball…" Summer called, as they watched their son with bated breath. Bobby made his move toward the goal, weaving through the other players and took his shot. The ball sailed passed the goalie and into the net. They were on their feet, cheering loudly and the game went along, with their son dominating, quickly impressing his coach with clear, athletic prodigy.

Soon, they were down to the final seconds of the game and Bobby was making his way down the field with some more incredible footwork.

"He's amazing…" Margaret gushed.

"Well...he is ours," David agreed, as they held each other and cheered, as their son stunned the crowd, fellow players, and his coach by making another goal with a fancy flip shot to kick the ball into the goal. The ball sailed passed the goalie again and this time, actually made a hole in the net.

"Wow...what a kick!" David cheered for their son.

"Oh...he's amazing. I guess our daughter isn't the only one with athletic ability," Margaret gushed, as she put her arm around their daughter. Summer looked down shyly. Her parents never missed an opportunity to brag about either of them.

"Someone should really tell baby bro that he's not actually supposed to put a hole in the net though," she joked.

"My my...that was quite the goal, I believe it is? I'm afraid I'm not much on sports," a new voice said, as Margaret turned to find Dr. Jenkins there, observing the game.

"Oh...Dr. Jenkins, what a surprise," Margaret said. He smiled.

"I know, I thought I should finally take the advice of my other colleagues and get out of the lab for a bit for some fresh air and see what all the fuss is about. These sports functions certainly draw quite the crowd, which translates to funding for the school, after all," he said. She nodded.

"So...that is your boy there?" he asked. She nodded proudly, as her son had the ball again, causing her daughter and husband to start cheering for him. He scored again in the final seconds and they cheered loudly together. Dr. Jenkins watched the man with his new colleague pick her up and spin her around, as they cheered. He felt a stab of jealousy, as he stared at the raven haired beauty. He had found her to be simply remarkable in both beauty and skills as an educator. He did not find that often and had been simply enthralled by her ever since their earlier introduction.

"He is killing it!" David cheered and she chuckled at his enthusiasm, before noticing the doctor again.

"Oh baby...this is the head of the science department here, Dr. Jenkins," Margaret introduced, as David shook his hand.

"Dr...this is my husband, David," she said.

"Nice to meet you," David said.

"Likewise…" the doctor said in a tight voice.

"But you can call me Ian," he corrected. David nodded, as his attention went back to their son

"My...he has quite a grip. Is your husband an athlete as well?" Ian asked.

"No...but that is definitely where our children get their athletic ability. I can barely run in a straight line," she joked.

"But actually David is with the Federal Bureau of Investigation," Margaret replied.

"That's...impressive and explains the muscles," he muttered, but fortunately Margaret took his comment as a joke and chuckled.

"He's my hero," she said, glancing at him with a dreamy stare, which gave the doctor another pulse of envy. He knew he wasn't much to look at and had never been one to have women falling all over him. But his intellect had drawn a few his way, more than some might think, as some women found his brains to be very attractive. But it never worked out. While it was his genius that drew them to him, it was also his genius that eventually drove them away. He was obsessive, in both work and relationships, and eventually poisoned any romance. Usually once the newness died down, his obsessiveness with work left anyone else in his life neglected and the few that had been able to keep his attention were eventually driven away by his same obsessiveness when it was directed upon them.

Margaret seemed to be different though. She was not only incredibly fair, quite possibly the most beautiful woman he had ever set eyes on, but her intellect put her on a tier above any others he had ever known. He was surprised she didn't have her own doctorate and suspected that the man next to her was responsible for holding her back. With any luck, working together would make her realize how much potential she was wasting on "family life".

Bobby sprinted over to them finally, having been smothered with accolades by his teammates for basically winning the game for them and Margaret hugged him excitedly.

"Oh honey...you were so great!" she gushed, as she kissed his cheek.

"Mom…" he complained in embarrassment, as his father put his hands on his shoulders and congratulated him as well.

"We're so proud of you," David said.

"Yeah...but you do know that you're just supposed to get the ball in the net and not through it," Summer teased. He shrugged.

"Guess I don't know my own strength," he joked back and then looked at his parents.

"I guess some of the parents are taking their kids out for pizza and they asked us if we want to go. Can we?" Bobby asked. They smiled at each other and then back at him.

"Sure...that sounds fun and you're probably starved," Margaret said, as she noticed her colleague still loitering awkwardly. She kind of felt bad for him, for he seemed so lonely and awkward in social situations. But if she was being honest, he kind of unnerved her too. He seemed kind and interested in working with her, so she naturally chided herself for those feelings. Still...something in the back of her mind told her to keep this man at arm's length.

"Well...I suppose I will see you tomorrow, Margaret. Have a lovely evening," he said, as he walked away.

"Ready?" David asked, as he put his arm around her. She smiled at him and they walked to the car with their kids, unaware of the doctor's gaze on them.

~*~

Fandral walked through the portal and it closed behind him. They had concealed a chamber behind a bookcase in the library to use as their secret way of transporting to Bald Mountain when needed. In his considerable years, Fandral had seen rulers like Seth before and perhaps if he wasn't so childlike at times, they would have had a harder time building their resistance under his nose.

His power was nothing to balk at, as he could break bones and turn minds to mush with just a thought. But he was petulant, impulsive, and easily distracted. Though he may have been thousands of years old, he seemed stunted with a teenage mentality.

In many ways, it made him more dangerous than a wiser tyrant might be. But these character flaws had become of much use to them in their manipulations. Charming took full advantage of Seth's shortsightedness and Fandral's tactical genius in the art of war had become invaluable as well.

Charming easily distracted the supreme ruler with flashy shows of power, almost daily faux executions that were always a grand show, and a multitude of other distractions. Still, the subterfuge was taxing and weighed heavily on them both, especially since they knew Mephisto was getting increasingly suspicious of them and knew he would blow them all out of the water if he could. They had discussed neutralizing him, but did not yet have a plan to do so yet. They both knew though that it was their beloved wives that truly kept them from losing their minds and their hope in all this.

As the bookcase slid aside and allowed him to exit the small chamber, a genuine smile came to his face. As usual, she was an absolute vision. She sat in a comfy chair, her hair in a messy braid and draped over her shoulder. She was buried in a book, as he often found her, with her shoeless feet folded up beneath her skirt.

"You're staring again," she cooed playfully to him without looking up from her book.

"How can I not when the most beautiful woman in all the realms is before me?" he retorted, as he leaned down and she tugged him down by the collar until their lips met in a tender, passionate kiss.

"You seem a bit stressed, my love. More than usual," she mentioned, as she shifted so he could sit with her in the oversized chair. He pulled her into his lap and kissed her again.

"Midas has joined the ranks of the resistance," he mentioned.

"And his loud mouth has given you quite the headache," she said knowingly.

"Abigail must be beside herself. Is there no way we can tell her what's really going on?" Rose asked.

"Charming thinks it's too risky. Having Midas there is almost too risky, but it was better than the alternative and letting Mephisto actually kill him," Fandral answered.

"He is a boisterous fool, but I think if he realizes the dangers to Abigail if he doesn't cooperate, then I'm sure he'll watch himself," Rose reasoned. He nodded.

"We think so too," he agreed, as he pressed a kiss to her hair.

"I'm just happy that we remember everything...or that you do and woke me up," she mentioned, as she looked at him fondly.

Once the curse had hit, Fandral discovered that he had retained his memories and though they had no idea why, they chalked it up to him being Asgardian. When Charming realized he was still awake, he quickly clued Fandral in on his and Winter's plan for everything. It had given them an extra pair of allies they didn't know they were going to have. Fandral had worried that he wouldn't be able to let Rose in on the ruse, but since Seth was such a monumentally evil being, an entire field of pink poppies had sprouted around the base of Mount Olympus. Rumpelstiltskin had informed him that the poppies only grew in the presence of great evil and had the power to return memories.

So he had presented a bouquet to her that first morning after the curse was cast, kissed her, and awakened her to a world cursed. But he was glad he had her to take solace in.

"I worry about you so much, my love…" she expressed.

"I'm okay, my angel," he assured.

"If Seth were to discover what we are doing prematurely...I could lose you," she said.

"You will not lose me and Charming said that it might not be long now," he replied. She lifted her head from his shoulder to look at him.

"Really?" she asked. He nodded.

"Apparently, the doctor has found his way to Snow and we know his madness will create havoc," he replied.

"Once Snow and David awaken...they'll return and it will be time to break the curse and take Seth down," Rose said. He nodded.

"It will not be easy...if I'm honest, I'd rather you not be near the coming battle, but I know I also need you next to me," he confessed. She smiled and kissed him tenderly.

"I shall never be anywhere else," she said, as they got up and joined hands.

"Let's go tuck the twins in and go to bed," she suggested.

"Sleepy?" he asked in a teasing tone.

"Not yet...but I'm sure I'll be exhausted when you're done with me," she replied coyly.

"Oh I assure you...we both will be," he agreed, as they left the library for the evening.

~*~

Winter cuddled her granddaughter and the toddler cooed at her. It had been a wonderful day, at least after they had dealt with the messiness that required her husband to appear to be someone ruthless and evil. But that was not her husband. While he may have been the darker half of David Nolan Charming, he was not evil and she knew his duties for Seth often weighed heavily on him. He hid it well and his genuine smiles for their children and grandchildren kept them in the dark mostly about their dilemma. But their grown children and adult grandchild in Henry knew the alternative for their grandfather was frightening too and they did not have their true memories. In this life, no one refused the will of Seth. He ruled with an unrelenting iron fist, even if he was prone to childish tantrums and a sadistic whim. Charming knew how to handle him, appease him, and save most of their people from a much grizzlier fate than any of them knew.

For their children, they knew that their father was a good man, despite the things he had to do for Seth. They knew that he did those things for them and that they all had good and fairly peaceful lives, because of his dedication to protect them all.

Emma did not know she was the Savior anymore. They had used the curse to remove that burden from her and Winter knew it was one burden that her husband was happy to shoulder for her, even if it would only be for the duration of the curse. But she prayed it was almost over now. Rumpelstiltskin had informed them that Jekyll, though not yet awake, had managed to find his way to her counterpart's cursed self, Margaret Nolan. And she knew that in no time, his madness would awaken Snow and David. Then the battle for their very existence would begin.

She worried about him, so to see him smile with their children did much for her troubled heart. And she couldn't wait for the moment that Seth would pay for all of this. While her lighter half still would never advocate for revenge, Winter wanted it so badly on Seth that she could taste it. She wanted him to be turned to ash, which seemed impossible for a supreme Titan God like him, but she had been doing her research and had enlisted Rose and Belle's help in it as well. That's why she was reading this incredible boring old Tome about the ancient beings that existed around the time that Seth had been birthed into the world by his mother Rhea as the giant serpent Typhon. She was trying to find more clues on how to kill him versus simply just banishing him as Apollo and Artemis had done. So far though, she had nothing. Nothing except her youngest son using his star seed, but she absolutely refused to risk that. She was not losing Bobby. It was hard enough to be without him here, but at least she knew he was safe out there and happy in the Land Without Magic, free of any burden he would have with this on his shoulders.

Rumpelstiltskin was telling her continuously that her children were destined to face great evil, but Winter was intent on finding another way and Charming was insistent on shouldering the burden of taking Seth down from the inside, if possible. But for now, she had pushed the dusty old book aside and doted on her baby granddaughter.

Hope giggled and smiled up at her, making her cold heart melt and the tiny one played with her apple pendant. She didn't worry, for the pure power of the chalice inside her necklace would never harm such pure innocence and someone of their bloodline.

"Yes...you're Nana's sweet girl, aren't you?" She cooed.

"Are you sure you and Daddy don't mind watching her for the evening?" Emma asked.

"Are you kidding? You know we love it," Winter assured her, as Charming put his arm around her and the little girl cooed up at him.

"Yeah...there's Papa…" she cooed, as her husband took the baby in his arms.

"Okay, thanks...we shouldn't be too late," Emma said, as she and Killian left. They would probably go to dinner and then for a short ride on the Jolly Roger for a nice evening out.

"Come on sweetie...let's go to the nursery so you can see what Nana and Papa got you," Winter cooed and Emma rolled her eyes.

"They've gone and spoiled her rotten again," she pretended to complain. Killian chuckled.

"Aye love, but I believe that is what grandparents do," he reminded, as they left together for their date night.

~*~

Chemicals boiled at a full roar in the beaker and the glass clinked together, as Dr. Jenkins worked painstakingly through another experiment. He was certain he had the right formula this time, especially since he had managed to borrow a laboratory at Boston University from an acquaintance. He was using it during the wee hours of the morning so as to not be seen, in case this one went badly too. His experimentation would be considered madness, but he was certain that if he was successful, he could be on the cusp of a monumental breakthrough that would change the face to the mental health industry.

From an early time, Ian could remember dark and impure thoughts impeding his life. While he had always been brilliant and focused on his work, these dark and impure thoughts had negative consequences. He had left Great Britain shortly after he finished getting his first doctorate out of necessity.

At the school he had attended, he had fallen in love with the daughter of the dean in charge of the science department, but she had wanted nothing to do with him. After enough rejection to his pursuit of her, he had given into those dark and impure thoughts by assaulting her one evening. When he had come to his senses and realized what he had done, he had fled the country and changed his name to avoid being found.

He settled into America with his new identity and went onto complete his education with two more doctorates, but what had happened that night still haunted him.

The worst part was that he didn't really regret what he had done. He viewed her rejection as unfair and unjust. So many others found love, but never him and he didn't think that was right. He deserved love too and wanted to have it no matter what.

He was a smart man though and knew those dangerous thoughts would only lead to his incarceration, so he started experimenting on a way to rid himself of those bad impulses by experimenting with a serum that would be considered wildly unethical and dangerous by not only the scientific community, but the medical community as well. Still, if he could prove it could be done, he could purport a solution to violent criminals and mentally ill people, in theory anyhow.

So far though, his four experiments had been epic failures, resulting in some very unfortunate circumstances for the objects of his experimentation. They had, so far, all been students that had well known drug habits, which was lucky for him since he expected all the deaths to be ruled as accidental overdoses, but things were getting very risky, so he had decided to change his victim pool. Student deaths, though each one had been from a different college, was getting too suspicious.

Instead, he decided to resort to using transient people to experiment on. They were often known to be drug users and he surmised that no one would miss a homeless person. He was certain that he was close though and if he succeeded, then he would no longer be imbued with these monstrous thoughts and finally be liberated from the darkness. And he only hoped he could do it soon, for the thoughts in his head since he had met Margaret Nolan had been very lewd and inappropriate.

The fantasies were becoming very prominent in his mind. He kept imaging himself in a classroom with her and grabbing her arms. He imagined the fear in her eyes, as he forced her down onto her desk and took what he desired from her. He imagined her fear and her tears and it excited him. It was sick and twisted and if he were to avoid eventual incarceration for acting on any of these dark thoughts, he had to rid himself of these thoughts.

That didn't mean he wouldn't pursue Margaret in the meantime though. No, he only hoped that in absence of those dark thoughts, he would be able to seduce her away from her husband and claim her for his own. He knew it was a tall order. He wasn't a stupid man and had seen her husband, after all. He only hoped to appeal to her intellect. He didn't even know her husband, but he already loathed him. He knew the type. Handsome, charming, very fit and aesthetically pleasing. Probably treated her like a princess and righteously served the his agency in the pursuit of justice. The type to solve problems with his might rather than brain, or so he assumed.

Margaret was a rare woman though and he wanted her; he had to have her so that was why this experiment had to work.

He siphoned the serum into a vial and then filled a syringe, before leaving the lab to find the guinea pig he had set up for that evening's experiment. That required him to venture outside the science building and walk through the campus. Fortunately, that time of night, even most of the students were asleep and campus security thought nothing of seeing him, as he was here from time to time. He rounded the corner and found the man in the alleyway. He had given him food and water before and then promised that if he waited there, he would have a new drug that, while experimental, would give him a high like none other. And he was pleased to find the man still there.

"You...you have it?" the addict questioned. He was almost in full withdraw by now and shaking horribly.

"I do...it's your lucky night," the doctor said, as the man rolled his sleeve up. Dr. Jenkins was appalled by all the needle marks in the dirty man's arm. If it didn't work, he doubted anyone would miss such a cretin. He injected the man and waited with bated breath, as he began to convulse violently.

"This...this doesn't feel right…" he uttered, as he started seizing and then was holding his head in agony. He started screaming and stumbled away, as he fell and flailed wildly.

"The...the voices…" he screamed, as he held his head and climbed to his feet. He stumbled toward the street and right in front of a bus. Dr. Jenkins had watched the whole spectacle in a fury of disappointment and once the man was ended, he slipped away before the authorities could get there. He had failed once again and he was livid, but tomorrow was another day. Transient people were a dime a dozen and he was certain no one would bother with a deranged homeless drug addict. Tomorrow, he would find another test subject and he would keep doing so until he had success.

~*~

A vague chirping pulled him from a blissful sleep, as he held his beloved wife in his arms and he reluctantly rolled away from her to grab the offending device. Through bleary eyes, he managed to read the text from his boss and sighed, as he blinked to wake up. It was four in the morning, they had another body and he had to go.

"Mmm...baby?" Margaret cooed, as she noticed the absence of his warmth against her.

"Sorry...didn't mean to wake you, my darling," he whispered, as he kissed her hair.

"You have to go?" she asked.

"Afraid so," he replied, as he pecked her on the lips and got up to start getting dressed.

"Okay...please be careful," she pleaded. He smiled and leaned down to kiss her again.

"I will...go back to sleep. I'll call you when I can," he promised, as she drifted off to sleep again and he quietly left.

~*~

Nephilim

Mephisto angrily tromped around his realm. Since the curse, Seth had rebuilt his own palace on Olympus. It was large and golden, with statues of himself everywhere in true narcissistic fashion. That left Nephilim mostly barren, except for the souls of the dead and a few of his own demonic minions that were loyal to him. But Mephisto was not feared by mortals and heroes, nor was he regarded highly by the villainous. He had been thoroughly usurped by Prince Charming, Seth's Executioner and warrior of darkness, as well as his fair, little upstart of a wife, Winter. They were aptly feared, yet respected by most in the realms and regarded in high esteem.

When Seth threw a tantrum or wanted something, his right hand was there to appease his every whim and give their Lord what he wanted. But Mephisto knew manipulation when he saw it. He was a master of himself, after all.

He hated Prince Charming with a passion. He had always been a being full of malice and hatred, but none had pissed him off on a personal level quite so much as Prince Charming had. Not since Johnny Blaze anyway, whom he had cursed and been defied by time and again. Blaze had defeated him spectacularly and used the powers given to him by Mephisto for good, as sickening as it was. He had also killed Mephisto's unruly son as well, but all of that seemed to pale in comparison to the humiliation dealt to him by Prince Charming.

He was supposed to be Seth's right hand; his executioner. His realm was supposed to be filled with the souls of the dead and there had been many Charming had killed for Seth in the last two years. He used the chalice to do so and when Mephisto had confronted him about why none of the souls occupied Nephilim, Charming gave him the simple and plausible explanation that the chalice naturally sent those souls to the Underworld for their final judgement. Seth easily bought it, because it was how death worked in this realm, but something about it still seemed off for Mephisto. He usually was able to see the souls of the dead if they lingered after death, but he had never seen any. Every single soul had apparently moved on immediately to the Underworld with no trace of their astral presence in this realm, post execution. He found that very strange and suspect. But Seth never listened to anything he had to say. Charming had convinced the childish God that he was a fool and could not be trusted to carry out any important duties. Charming had charmed their Lord quite thoroughly and blatantly manipulated him right in front of everyone's faces. He was making a fool out of the supreme God and Seth was too blinded by his own arrogance and narcissism to see it. But Mephisto could and he yearned to prove it. He wanted to expose whatever nefarious plot that the Charmings were involved in and then make them pay. The tortures he had in mind for that smug prince were devious and he wanted nothing more than to realize them. But that meant he had to prove Charming's betrayal and that was not going to be easy.

The Charmings were careful and already wary of him. They made sure their movements couldn't be tracked and they were never followed. Which meant he had to find a way around those protections. If he could prove that they were frauds to Seth, then he would regain the respect and power he had once enjoyed.

But he needed help to expose them. That wouldn't be easy. Most of their enemies were either dead or didn't remember. And some weren't even a worthy threat anymore. They were far too powerful with that damn chalice in their possession. Each of them had half of it, his sword and her pendant. They had cast their lighter halves out into the Land Without Magic without their half of the chalice or so he thought. But there were ways around their power, he knew. They had shielded their entire castle with the chalice magic to keep prying eyes out and Seth was foolish enough to think nothing of it. But they had three grown children, two grandchildren, one being very small, and a great grandchild in young Lucy. Threatening one of the brats would force their compliance, but doing so without Seth finding out was another matter. The Charmings had him completely under their spell and were practically his puppet master. It made Mephisto sick. Even dark, they were everyone's darlings. But it was time to change the tides and figure out a way to dethrone them.

Fortunately, there was one man that everyone had forgotten. One that would be willing to be his pawn if it meant the promise of revenge on the ones that had taken everything from him and regain his stolen Throne. One that could do real damage if he had the necessary power.

He approached the forgotten cell in the prison and peered in on the occupant. This man had once been destined to be a great King, prophesied by Merlin himself. But his obsession with making Excalibur whole had led him down a dark path and forever disgraced him in history. But the promise of regaining his former glory would make him the perfect pawn to help him take down the Charmings.

"Who the hell are you?" the haggard man drawled. Mephisto's hand began to smoke and the tendrils of black smoke drifted into the cell. The man inhaled the smoke and recognition returned to his glazed, cursed eyes.

"Welcome back...King Arthur," Mephisto drawled.

"What...what's going on?" he asked, as he looked at his hands. He was dirty and disheveled, but he now remembered everything.

"There is a new curse and I have just returned your memories," Mephisto stated.

"Why?" the former King asked suspiciously.

"I need your help...to take down the Charmings," he responded. Arthur gritted his teeth and his eyes filled with fury.

"You must have a lot of magic if you think you can stand against them," he surmised. Mephisto smirked.

"I do...and I can give you powers too," he tempted.

"I am no amateur, demon...what is the price for this power?" he questioned. Mephisto chuckled.

"You are wise...and correct. There is a price and I will not deceive you, though that is my usual nature," he stated.

"The price is steep...but you would have a hand in a grand revenge and I promise I can seat you back upon the Throne of Camelot...your destiny," Mephisto promised.

"And my price for this?" Arthur questioned again.

"Your soul," Mephisto stated.

"A bit vague...what exactly does the price of my soul entail?" Arthur demanded to know. Mephisto smirked. Oh yes, this one would do nicely as a pawn. Smart, but willing to do whatever it took for power and revenge.

"I own you...for eternity. But the power you'll receive in return will give you everything you want. You will feed me with the damned souls I require to rebuild my empire and in return, you will have your Throne," Mephisto promised.

"And the Charmings?" he questioned.

"Oh...we will make them pay and you will be essential to help me do so," Mephisto tempted.

"I want you to offer the same to my most trusted Knight...Gawain. He is loyal to me, but will serve you well also," Arthur said.

"Offering me another man's soul without asking him first?" Mephisto asked deviously. This guy really was the worst and would be much more reliable than that stupid doctor, though he had returned to killing lately, which was mildly pleasing to him as he had those souls now as well.

"Gawain hates the Charmings as much as me...trust me, he'll want in," Arthur offered.

"It's a deal then, Your Majesty," Mephisto said, as he offered his glowing hand through the bars. Arthur looked at it and then took it and his agonized cries filled the prison, as he experienced the consequences of the deal he made. He felt his soul be pulled from his body briefly and watched in amazement, as his ethereal form was fitted with golden shackles, before it was thrust back inside his body. The magic and dark power he now possessed washed over his body and he gazed at the flames in his hand with a mad delight.

"You'll want to clean yourself up and trim that disgusting beard. You need to look the part of a King again," Mephisto said, as he moved to the next cell to offer the same deal to Sir Gawain…

~*~

David got out of his car, as he arrived at the scene, just outside the Boston University campus boundaries. It made him really nervous now that there was a murder so close to the same college his daughter attended and he hoped his boss had a few more answers now than she had yesterday.

He flashed his badge to the guarding officer and slipped under the crime scene tape. Onlookers, including many students, were starting to gather and he knew that meant they weren't going to be able to keep this under wraps much longer. He was a bit surprised when he got to the scene where the body was though. He was expecting another student, but as he pulled back the tarp, he noticed this man didn't look at all like a student. It was a gruesome scene, as the man had been hit by a bus and he put the tarp back down.

"Okay...I'm a bit confused. Your text said that we had another body, as in connected to the first four. But this guy...is different," he said.

"Initially...I thought so too," she said, as she showed him photos of his arm, which was littered with needle pricks.

"He's a homeless drug addict. He was probably high as a kite and wandered into traffic," Pat said.

"Sounds pretty open and shut," David replied.

"Oh, that's what we're meant to think. But witnesses say they heard someone screaming in agony just before this happened within the vicinity. What they described hearing matches a lot of what was happening to the last victim of this new drug we're seeing," she said.

"Wait...you think someone dosed this guy with the same stuff?" David asked.

"We won't know for sure until the toxicology report comes back, but my gut says so," she replied. His brow furrowed in confusion.

"Okay...but why change victimology? I mean, most serial killers don't change their victim pool, even when it gets too risky," David said.

"Unless we're wrong on that and this isn't really a serial killer," she replied, as she led him to the tent they had set up nearby with a table inside. She had the previous four victim files spread out.

"The only common denominator that these four have is that they were students with a known drug abuse history. Other than that, their races and genders are all over the place," she told him.

"Okay...so if it's not about students, then our perp looks for drug abusers?" David asked. She nodded.

"It would make sense in the change of victimology. Students are getting too risky and too many dead students is going to start attracting all kinds of attention. But dead homeless people? No one cares," she said. He sighed. It was sad and callous, but true.

"Okay...so if it's not about killing for this guy, then what is it?" David asked, as she flipped open another file folder.

"Possibly experimentation," she offered.

"We just got the analysis of the drug found in all four students back and I suspect we'll find the same one in the homeless man," she said, as she showed him the specs.

"It's unlike anything our analysts have seen before. The hallucinogen properties are off the charts. We've never seen a drug that causes such a rapid mental breakdown with only one dose, especially in such a miniscule amount," she said.

"Wait...one tiny dose? If this happened with one dose, then how can they be ruling these deaths as accidental overdoses?" David asked.

"That ruling has changed now. One dose has caused complete mental breakdown and so much physical strain on the organs that these first three died of heart failure. These last two would have probably suffered the same if our last student hadn't jumped off a building first and this man hadn't wandered into traffic. We're reclassifying all these deaths as homicides," Pat replied. He sighed and looked at all the victims.

"So...he's looking for guinea pigs to test his drug on. Student drug abusers are getting too risky, so he's moved onto homeless people," David surmised.

"It's our running theory," she agreed.

"So...what is he expecting this drug to do that it's obviously not doing without killing these people?" David questioned.

"That's the million dollar question and if he's getting desperate, we may soon see more and more victims, willing or not," she replied. He sighed.

"We need to find this guy," he said, as he looked at her.

"I know this isn't about students, but do you think we can put a couple agents on duty to watch this campus?" he asked. She smiled.

"Summer will be fine...but I've already assigned two agents to this campus," she replied. He smiled.

"Thanks...I know I shouldn't ask for favors like that," he said, but she put her hand on his arm.

"Hey...I love them too," she assured, as they turned back to the files on the table.

"So...the person experimenting is obviously very smart," she said.

"Yeah...like a scientist or something," he replied, as his eyes widened and she read his expression, as she dialed the Boston office.

"I need an analyst to pull the names of all science department employees from MIT, Boston University, Harvard, and Bay State. Include any consultants or guest lecturers as well from the past two years. Top priority," she said.

~*~

Elsa's hands shook slightly, as they waited to receive their guest that morning. Seth made regular visits to all the Kingdoms and it was actually a rare occurrence in what had happened in Midas' Kingdom. The old King had refused to keep complying and pleasing their Lord and had been swiftly dealt with, as a result. But Seth was known to be prone to fits of rage out of no where. As she felt her husband take her hand, she calmed a bit.

"Everything will be fine, my love. We have prepared a grand offering to him and your ice sculpture in his likeness is impressive," Leo assured.

"I hope so...Arendelle enjoys such peace. I only hope we can continue to give that our people," she said, as the gates opened and they straightened, before approaching arm in arm to greet their visitors.

They bowed deeply to Seth, as he entered, with Mephisto flanking him on one side and Leo's parents on the other side.

"The ice sculpture in my likeness is quite impressive. Perhaps you will make more of them," Seth said.

"Of course, my Lord...I can make as many as you like," Elsa replied.

"We have had a grand feast prepared in your honor, my Lord. All of Arendelle's finest delicacies," Leo added, as they bowed deeply to him.

"Good...a much better reception than I received yesterday in Midas' Kingdom. That shall bode well for Arendelle and its rulers," Seth said, as he moved toward the center of the room. All the staff and citizens bowed to him and began to cater to his every whim.

"Don't worry...he has no qualm with Arendelle and he enjoyed the ice sculpture. Feed and entertain him and this will be a peaceful visit," Charming assured them, as he put a hand on his son's shoulder. Leo nodded and the music and festivities, all in honor and dedication to Seth, began.

~*~

Fandral sheathed his sword in the scabbard on his hip and felt a pair of arms wrap around his midsection. He smiled and turned in the arms of the petite beauty that was his wife.

"Must you go?" she purred, as she kissed his cheek. Oh, how he wished he could just stay in bed with her all day, for he could never get enough of his sweet Rose.

"You know I would love nothing more, my angel...but training must resume. The Dark One thinks we are close to the end now. We must be ready when the resistance is revealed and we engage a war with Seth," he said. She nodded. She knew he was right and wondered if it was too much to hope to not only win, but to yearn for peace if they did defeat him. True peace and not the farce they were among now.

"We will have our happy ending, my Rose...and it shall only be a beginning," he promised, sensing her thoughts. She smiled up at him.

"I am happy, as long as I have you, my love...no matter what calamity we must face," she assured him, as he kissed her passionately.

"I'll return soon, my angel," he promised.

"And as always, I will be waiting. Your place is training our warriors and mine is researching ways to ensure our victory. I will do my part as you do yours," she promised in return. He kissed her again and then stepped into the secret chamber they had designed behind the bookcase, before portaling to Bald Mountain.

"You're late…" Grumpy complained, as the warrior strode beside him and they entered the training arena.

"Bout time you showed up. I'm not sure who is worse...you or Charming when it comes to pulling yourselves away," Regina griped, as she stood waiting with Robin at her side. When the curse hit, it had not taken Regina's memories or given her any cursed life, probably due to the fact that she had once been a caster of the curse. At Rumpelstiltskin's insistence, she had rebelled to stage her own execution and been one of the first exiled to Bald Mountain and changed it from a volcanic death trap to the training arena and barracks that it was. Robin had been devastated and tried to fight Charming for "killing" her, thus resulting in his own faux execution. Upon arrival, his memories were returned and he joined the efforts in training all their initiates in archery combat. Fandral smirked.

"True love...you know how it is. Besides, it would seem that those two are just as bad," Fandral commented, as James and Aphrodite scurried in, looking a bit hurried and disheveled. The former Queen rolled her eyes.

"The children were a bit clingy this morning," Aphrodite said, making James chuckle to which she elbowed him.

"Right...blame it on your kids," Regina deadpanned, as they began training the various people that had come to be executed under Seth's rule. Aphrodite had not lasted long either and was one of the first. Seth hated his fellow Gods, so she, Hermes, and Athena all fell victim to his wrath quite early. Thankfully, it was Charming who carried out their sentences and they arrived here with memories restored. Naturally, James had nearly lost his mind when he thought Aphrodite had been taken from him and his brother had carried out his sentence as well, exiling him here.

"Let's just get to it," James said, as he unsheathed his sword. Archery, sword fighting, hand to hand combat training, and magical training then commenced...

#Snowing #SnowxCharming #Charming family #OC Charmings #AU #original season 8 storyline #Rumbelle #OQ #Fandral the Dashing #Rose Red #Dashing Rose #Prince James #Aphrodite #Prince Goddess #romance #adventure #family #finding you always #the epic continues