#cursed!storybrooke

[notonlymice]

She's coming for you, coming for me She's nothing but trouble She's walking like me, talking like me She's my body double

— She by Winona Oak

[reginamillls]

have some more of my OUAT 911 AU... part one here

* * *

The forest seems to move around them, the nature of its ancient depths unknown to all of them. This wasn't just an ordinary forest-

"Keep going!" Captain Gerard yells through the heavy storm. "We're not leaving until we find the Queen!"

Their group continues on, their numbers now merely seven, when at the begining of their campaign they were twenty men strong. Its disenheartening, watching thier brothers in arms get picked off one by one, but their Captain was a hardened man and he didn't allow any of them to grieve.

It sits like a rock, heavy on his chest, but Thomas pushes forward.

If they don't complete this quest, then all of their deaths will be for nothing.

"I hate it here," Salvatore grumbles under his breath. "It's been nothing since rain and darkness. My armor is rusting-"

Thomas smiles despite himself, shaking his head at his closest friend. He bumps his shoulder into Salvatore's own and gets the other man to smile. Even in the dark, Thomas can see it as a challenge.

Salvatore pushes back and for a moment they're both just young men who grew up together, finding joy when they can when their world was hard. Thomas almost laughs, but he restrains himself from doing so.

"You'll get the Captain's attention," Thomas says, and what brief joy he had falls from his face. "We both know what he's like."

Salvatore looks at him, and nods his head solemly.

They know what their Captain is like when he gets an idea in his head, stubborn to the point of being dangerous. The King sent them on this quest, to capture the Queen of the Fae so that the King could control magic. So that their country could never be in danger again.

It's the ultimate honor, to die for their King and Kingdom.

But looking around at what's left of the people Thomas had grown up with, withering away from the months of travel, shaking from the cold and jumping at their own shadows in fear-

He's starting to have his doubts.

"Come on Men!" Gerard yells. "We're so close! We can get that Fairy, put and end to this quest and come home as heroes!"

The men all cheer as much as they can, their voices carrying throughout the trees. It feels like a battle cry of sort, though Thomas doubts they would win in any fights with how exhuasted they all are.

And still, Thomas joined in their cheers.

***

The forest twists endlessly in front of them, blocking their view. Thomas swears they've been walking in circles. It feels endless.

They're tired, exhausted and in such poor spirits that even Gerard agrees they should try and camp out for the night.

They find an area where the forest is so dense, that they are covered from most of the rain, and Thomas is sent out to try and find anything dry enough to use for firewood. He gives Salvatore his sword to watch after and grabs an axe. Gerard won't let any of them go in pairs with how few of them are left.

"Come back," Salvatore says grips Thomas' forearm weakly. Thomas has noticed how he had begun to visibly shiver hours ago, and that he was hiding his coughs from the others. "Don't make me come save your bastard ass."

"I can handle myself." He promises. "I always do." Thomas smiles and sits his friend down, giving him his waterskin. Salvatore tries to push it back but Thomas is stronger and they've both been taught never to show weakness and Salvatore gives up and takes the water. "Rest. Please." Thomas urges quietly.

"Fine," Salvatore huffs. "If only so I have the strength to cary you out of this cursed forest." He gives Thomas's arm another squeeze.

Then Thomas is off.

Alone.

[redknave]

i like to think anastasia & will had separate flings with jefferson but they didn’t know he was a mutual ex until one day when he randomly showed up in wonderland again

[martianbugsbunny]

I'm sure someone else has already pointed this out but did y'all notice that extra little way Regina punked Snowing during the Curse? She co-opted Snow's place in Charming's life. She made it part of Storybrooke's...well, story, that she was the one who originally found comatose David. She found him. She stole Snow's job.

[juniperhillpatient]

Wait every single time I rewatch this show I’m caught off guard by how cruel Regina truly is to Belle. It’s hard to say her treatment of Belle or the glee she takes in it is the “worst” thing she does considering in season 1 alone she sexually assaults a man on threat of murder then murders him anyway, sentences multiple children to death, carves her own fathers heart out, tries to kill her stepdaughter for being prettier than her, & gaslights her own son to name only a few of her worse crimes but….. Jesus Christ the narrative is cruel to Belle 🙁

[goosin-around]

Regina about to cast the dark curse: I am going to create an environment that is so toxic

[totallyambularmua]

Once Upon a Time (ABC / Disney+) Collection

[kelyon]

Courtship 1: Introduction

How Lacey French became Mrs. Gold. Part of the Golden Cuffs 'Verse

Mr. Gold comes for the rent and leaves with a dinner date.

Read on AO3

Lacey French was huddled up by the space heater behind the counter when Mr. Gold walked into Game of Thorns. Outside it was already pitch black, even though it was fifteen minutes before five o’clock. Lacey knew it was 4:45 without looking at the clock because today was Rent Day and everyone knew Mr. Gold was always on time. That man was as consistent as a machine--and just as heartless. 

He made his way up to the counter, circling around the displays of unsold vases and dusty Happy Birthday mugs. In his sleek black coat, he looked like a panther or a wolf. A predator who knew his prey was as good as caught and would take his time savoring the hunt.  

Lacey straightened up and gave Mr. Gold a quick nod. She wasn’t afraid of him. He wasn’t here for her. Poking her head through the door to the back of the shop, she called out: “Dad! He’s here!”

When her father didn’t answer, Lacey turned back to Mr. Gold. 

“Excuse me just a minute.”

By a silent inclination of his head, Mr. Gold indicated his permission for her to leave. 

The rickety stairs down to the basement shook under her running feet. Her father was over by the utility sink, his back turned to the door, up to his elbows in water and fertilizer chemicals. 

“Dad!” Lacey shouted over the running water. “Didn’t you hear me? Mr. Gold is here. For the rent.”

His back stiffened. The water turned off. Turning around slowly, he looked at her with the same expression he’d been wearing ever since Mom got sick. The expression of a man watching his whole world turn to dust. He picked up a green towel from the counter and dried his hands.

“Alright,” he grumbled. “Let him know I’m coming.”

Lacey hesitated before going back up the stairs. “We do have it, don’t we? The rent?”

Her father sighed. “How was business today?”

“Terrible.” He knew that. “It’s January. The only order we’ve had all week is Johnny Byrd buying Lisa a dozen red roses.”

All Dad did was nod and put the towel back on the rack. “Just go tell Gold I’ll be up in a minute.”

Mr. Gold was still on the other side of the counter when she got back. He stood with gloved hands on top of his gold-tipped cane and his eyes roving over the dingy storefront. Was he still happy he had bought the place from them? Or was he realizing what a worthless investment it was? 

She cleared her throat and Mr. Gold’s gaze shifted to her. 

“It might be a while,” she told him. It might be a very long while, if they had to wait for her dad to gather up all the rent they owed.  

Mr. Gold took a step closer to the counter, where Lacey had taken her usual place on the stool by the cash register. She had counted out the drawer this morning when they opened. There had been less than forty dollars in change and nothing had come in or gone out since.

“Everything alright?”

His voice was mellow, almost friendly. His accent gave the words a lilt you didn’t hear much around Storybrooke.

Internally, Lacey rolled her eyes at herself. Lilt. What a pretentious word. Useless too. It wasn’t like anyone was giving her bonus points for using vocabulary words in a sentence.

“No.” Lacey answered Mr. Gold with frankness born from metaphysical levels of exhaustion. “No, nothing’s been alright for a very long time. Thanks for asking.”

He didn’t seem put off by her rudeness. If anything, it looked like he leaned a little closer to her. 

“I read about the accident in the paper when it happened. They were your cousin and uncle, is that right?”

Lacey clenched her jaw. Of course Mr. Gold would pick that as a topic of conversation. “Yep. Uncle Peter i--was my mother’s brother.”

A month since it happened and it was still hard to use the past tense. Not that she could think about Mom in past tense either. It would all take a lot of getting used to.

“A terrible thing,” Mr. Gold said softly.

She shrugged. She was so tired of accepting people’s sympathy. “Can’t blame the widowmaker highway for living up to its name. Everyone knows you shouldn’t leave Storybrooke in winter.”

“It’s a shame that road is outside city limits. I’m sure Mayor Mills would make it safer, if it was under her control.”

“Mayor Mills can do anything when she wants to.” It was such an obvious fact it barely needed to be said. The Mayor of Storybrooke was cunning and capable. The town was lucky to have her in charge. 

“And just before Christmas, too.” Mr. Gold shook his head.

If Lacey started thinking about Andrew and Uncle Peter’s funeral she would start thinking about Aunt Terri and Janine and Chloe and how sad they all looked and how helpless she had been to do anything for them, just like they had been helpless to do anything for her at Mom’s funeral. If she started thinking about it, she would start crying and never stop.

So she made the active choice not to think about it. Instead, she looked at Mr. Gold with clear eyes and quipped:

“Yeah. Hell of a way for my little cousin to find out there’s no Santa Claus.”

He made a noise, a half-snort that was choked back by sheer force of will. The lines at the corner of his mouth were slightly deeper than normal, like he was biting back a grin. His eyes, when he looked at Lacey, had a glint in them. It wasn’t entirely amusement, but there was a sort of fondness there. Maybe a sort of admiration.

Or maybe she was kidding herself. 

This was the longest conversation she’d ever had with Mr. Gold. She’d never spoken to him at all before her mother got sick. She’d never had to. They didn’t rent from him back then, and he never came by the flower shop to get a bouquet. Who would he buy for? Everyone in town was afraid of Mr. Gold, and he didn’t seem to mind his reputation. People didn’t matter to him, except as names in a ledger. Debts and favors owed, antiques pawned at his shop, rent paid in full or past due.

Lacey bit her lip. Dad was still not back with the rent. If she listened closely, she could hear the floor creak as he moved around upstairs. He was searching the part of the building where they lived for any extra cash they might have squirreled away in different hiding places. It had to be cash, of course, Mr. Gold didn’t take checks. That was just as well. Any check Moe French wrote now would bounce like a tennis ball on a trampoline.

What would Mr. Gold do if they didn’t have the rent?

Despite the cold, she rolled up her sleeves. Trying to look casual, she went over to the buckets of roses lined by the wall and picked through them for the fullest blooms.

“Do you like flowers, Mr. Gold?”

She tried to act innocent, looking over at him with a yellow rose in her hand. She wasn’t sure what she was trying to do right now. Stall, apparently. Give Dad more time to look for some surprise cash. Get Mr. Gold in a good mood so he might go easy on them when the money never showed up. Maybe he’d take a flower arrangement in lieu of rent . Maybe if she made a good impression, he wouldn’t throw them out on the street.

From the look on his face, he saw right through her. Clearly, Lacey was not the first person to try to warm him up when they needed something. She was about to give up the game, when he took a step toward her. 

“A well-maintained garden is a thing of beauty,” he said calmly. “Yet it always seemed a waste to bring flowers inside and watch them die a slow death in a vase.”

Lacey shrugged, and slid the yellow rose back with its brethren. So much for that. “They die if you leave them outside too.”

“I suppose they do.” Mr. Gold took another step closer. His voice took on a darker tone. “It is a cruel world for pretty things.” 

Lacey moved. She couldn’t say if she was moving away from him or toward him, but she moved and then one of the buckets crashed to the ground. Long-stemmed red roses scattered all over the floor.

“Shit,” Lacey hissed. These were Ever Reds, the best red roses they had. This was the variety they could charge the most for and most wanted to avoid damaging. If these petals got bruised they’d be worthless.

“Shit,” she said again. She’d gotten on her knees and was gathering the spilled flowers as quickly--and carefully--as she could. At least the water had stayed in the bucket. At least she wouldn’t have to clean up the spill. 

“Stupid. I’m so stupid,” Lacey muttered under her breath. 

It wasn’t until Mr. Gold spoke that she remembered he was in the store. 

“I wouldn’t say stupid.” He made the remark casually. He was holding one of the roses in his leather-gloved hand, examining it. He held it out to her. “I thought I read something about you being valedictorian, Miss French. I remember thinking what a shame it was that so many scholarships would only take you as far as Storybrooke Community College.”

“Yeah, well I didn’t even get there.” She snapped at the mention of an old wound. “Now I’m spending my life on my knees on the ratty carpet of a failing flower shop.” 

She looked up at the rose in his hand. He was offering it like it was a gift, but it was her merchandise. Its beauty didn’t mean anything to her except for what price it could offer. If it wasn’t worth money, it wasn’t worth anything. That was the cold, mercenary way she had to look at things. 

She took the rose by the stem and tossed it in the bucket until it could be sold. By the time she got to her feet, she had calmed down a little. She was able to look Mr. Gold in the face and tell him the lesson it had taken her almost two years to understand: 

“Stupid is thinking that booksmarts and good grades alone will get you anywhere in life. Or that anything you accomplish in high school will mean a single thing once you’re out of it. Or that no one decides your fate but you.” She shook her head. “So yeah, I’m actually really stupid.”

With a heavy sigh, Lacey shoved the bucket of roses back into place. When she looked up, Mr. Gold was staring at her arm. Thin lines of pink and red streaked across her pale skin.

“Oh!” Lacey giggled as a reflex. “I didn’t even feel that! It’s an occupational hazard here at Game of Thorns. Roses are always hungry for blood.”

They had a first aid kit under the counter. Most of the scratches were surface-level, but she swabbed her arm in betadine just to make Mr. Gold feel better.

“See? No big deal.”

He was staring at her again. At her face this time. For just a second, he looked confused. It was the first time he had looked at her without looking like he already knew everything about her. For just a second, he looked like she intrigued him. 

Then the wall came up again. The wall of cold civility that separated Mr. Gold from everyone else in the world. The wall Lacey hadn’t realized was there until she saw it come down.  

“You should have dinner with me, Miss French.”

Lacey blinked. “I should?”

“Yes.” He was so calm. So matter-of-fact. Like it was the most obvious thing in the world. 

She blinked again. “Like a date?”

He wrinkled his nose but conceded the point. “I suppose it is. Let’s say Tuesday evening, Bella Notte?”

Lacey felt her eyes go wide. She’d been to Bella Notte exactly once in her life, on her eighteenth birthday. And that had just been for lunch with Mom! She’d never gone there for dinner. Her parents had only had dinner there on their twenty-fifth wedding anniversary. And Mr. Gold was offering to take her there on their first date? This was big. She had to play it cool.

“Sure!” 

That was less than cool. The word wasn’t a total squeak, but Mr. Gold’s lips did twitch at the sound.

Lacey cleared her throat. “The store closes at six. I can meet you there--”

“I’ll pick you up at eight,” he said smoothly. His eyes traveled over her, from her oversized sweatshirt to her threadbare blue jeans to her dirt-stained sneakers. “Wear something suitable, won’t you? I want to see you in the nicest thing you own, Miss French.”

“You know, you can call me--”

“Gold!” Her dad burst through the door at the front of the shop. He had an envelope in his hand that even Lacey could see wasn’t full enough. “Mr. Gold, I--uh--Can I speak with you privately?”

Lacey rolled her eyes. “Just say the words, Dad. I’m sure Mr. Gold has figured it out by now.”

Her father shot her a dirty look, then turned to face Mr. Gold. “I apologize for this, but it does look like I’m going to need a slight extension on this month’s rent.”

For the first time since he had come into the store, Mr. Gold smiled. “That’s quite alright, Mr. French. Perfectly understandable. This is a slow time of year for many businesses.”

“I--yes. But things will pick up in just a few days, once people realize how close it is to Valentine’s Day.”

“For your sake, I hope it won’t be that long.” Mr. Gold showed his teeth like a crocodile. “According to your rental agreement, there’s a fifty dollar fee for every day the rent is in arrears.”

From behind the counter, Lacey watched the color drain from her father’s face. “But that’s--that’ll be more than a thousand dollars before Valentine’s Day!”  

Mr. Gold gave an exaggerated shrug. “That’s the agreement you signed, Mr. French. If you can’t abide by the contract, I’m well within my rights to evict.”

“Wha--No, you can’t do that!”

Moe French was head and shoulders taller than Mr. Gold, and easily twice his weight. But he was the one sputtering and blustering helplessly, while Mr. Gold stood with the stillness of absolute confidence. Power radiated off of Mr. Gold, an aura so thick Lacey could almost choke on it.

She licked her lips.

“I--I have half!” Her dad offered the envelope. 

Mr. Gold took it with another fake smile. “A fine start,” he said. “Let me know when you have the rest. The fees start accruing at midnight tonight.”  

They watched in stunned silence as Mr. Gold made his way to the door. Before he left, he turned around. 

“Miss French, it was a pleasure speaking with you. I hope to see you again. Quite soon.” 

[lizardthelizard]

Been having Thoughts about August again.

So, you know how, in the Pilot episode, Emma comes to Storybrooke and, once she makes the decision to stay in Storybrooke for Henry, the clock tower starts working again and time becomes unfrozen ect?

Well, I'm just thinking about August and his reunion with Geppetto in The Stranger. And the parallel between that and between Emma causing the clock to work again.

Because, the clock that Geppetto and Pinocchio were working on in Fairy Tale Land is now broken in Storybrooke and sitting in Rumple's pawn shop. And, it's not until August makes the conscious decision to try and make amends with his father that he's able to help Marco to fix the clock and get it working again.

And, of course, it's a metaphor for the pair of them making amends and fixing their estranged relationship and for August trying to do the right thing for once in his life ect.

But also? I feel like it represents some of the same things that Emma(/Henry) 'fixing' the clocktower does, just on a smaller scale. Because, even though Marco still doesn't have his memories back and doesn't know that August is his son...He's still able to act as a mentor type figure, and August might not be filling the role of 'son', but he IS filling in a gap that Marco has been feeling throughout the 28 years of the curse in some small way. And the fixing of the clock has set things in motion for the pair and their future (even if August doesn't think he has much of a future left).

It's about change!!! It's about setting things in motion! it's about repairing the damage that has been done by both Regina and by Marco and August themselves!

[blairwld]

Dark Emma is so silly. She is doing improv.

[knight--error]

So, having watched the first 3-4 seasons as they aired and engaging with the series not at all since, when I wanted to dabble in some OUAT fanfic I thought, hey, let's check the wiki for some relevant info. And.

What the heck is this nonsense.

The Wish Evil Queen? Roni? Seattle?? Jekyll Serum? Weaver? What did this show DO while I was away?

[his-lost-one]

i’m thinking about pan again today and god i wish he had been in storybrooke

[swanfireprincessmydear]

Timing is a Bitch

Jade Prince and Danny Wheeler have had a crush on each other for as long as they can remember. After years of pining for one another, they finally agree to go on a date. Their first date seems to go perfectly - but timing is a real bitch.

(Pan’s Curse AU).

Rating: Explicit

Warnings: Smut! And an abundance of awkwardness and bad bad timing.

Hey… so THIS is the one where I said it was the WORST idea ever and no one’s going to like it other than me. You have been warned.

I also haven’t really spent much time editing it (oops) so it may be that this gets re-uploaded at a later date.

[elphabasthropp]

SWANFIRE OUTLANDER AU YOU SAY????

first of all LOVE that we all understand The Vision and Genious of this au. second of all you guys really are gonna make me do something w this huh 😂

[12freddofrogs]

Graham! Graham Graham Graham Graham!

I missed him. I really, really liked his character. And him breaking Charming out of the prison is a brilliant way to bring him back.

Also I am just glad the Huntsman gets to actually help Snow White. He promised to, and he gets to.

[alfhildr-the-word-weaver]

So I started watching Wandavision tonight, and I do already know some spoilers just from being around on tumblr when it first came out, but we just got through episode 3 and it's hitting me. Basically, this is Storybrooke and Wanda is Regina.

Except instead of taking away everyone else's happy endings, she's just trying to give herself her own. But really, that was what Regina was trying to do too, and it's definitely seeming like Wanda has also taken away the happy endings of others, intentionally or not. So in its essence, this is like Once Upon a Time for comic book characters (but without everyone turning up being related somehow ;) lol).