#they actually seem to have been very cooperative in that regard - especially where Henry was concerned

[wonder-worker]

"Any assessment of the emotional component of the reconciliation of [Empress Matilda and Geoffrey of Anjou] remains speculation: the chroniclers are silent on the issue of whether [they] grew to love, hate, or like each other. We do know, from their movements and actions, that Matilda and Geoffrey eventually arrived at a businesslike arrangement with a united viewpoint toward the dynastic, geopolitical goals that had dictated their marriage in the first place."

"Matilda and Geoffrey effectively transitioned from a Divide and Rule model to a Collaborative Union from 1144 onwards, in which they worked together throughout their marriage to ensure rulership over their territories and gained their rightful lands, as well as ensuring the inheritance for their children. Matilda and Geoffrey’s political partnership can effectively be argued as the most successful through applying different models of rulership. Ultimately the Plantagenets regained Matilda’s inheritance through Henry, conquered Normandy, and produced several male heirs."

Charles Beem, The Lioness Roared: The Problems of Female Rule in English History / Gabrielle Storey, Co-Rulership, Co-operation and Competition: Queenship in the Angevin Domains, 1135-1230

[searchingwardrobes]

Start of Time: 9/9

Here it is! The end of this journey! This has always been a gift for @teamhook​, and my dear, I hope this ending brightens your day after all you have been through! I always knew this was where it would lead, with these exact bits of dialogue inspired by the song by Gabrielle Aplin that you shared with me. I even incorporated some lines from the song into the closing scene for you. Sending you lots of love, my friend!

Summary: Killian and his son are driving through a bad snow storm when they find a disoriented woman walking down the road. The question is, how can they help her get home when she has no idea who she is? Written for @teamhook​​​ on her birthday.

Rating: T

Trigger warning: Alice Jones appears in this fic and Alice and Henry are both Killian’s adopted children with Milah. Henry isn’t Emma’s. Positive past Millian. No Neal.

Words: about 3k in this chapter

Also on Ao3

Tagging:  @snowbellewells​​​ @kmomof4​​​@jennjenn615​​​ @kday426​​​ @let-it-raines​​​ @bethacaciakay​​​ @profdanglaisstuff​​​ @resident-of-storybrooke​​​ @thislassishooked​​​ @tiganasummertree​​​​@whimsicallyenchantedrose​​​ @snidgetsafan​​​​ @delirious-latenight-laughs​​​​ @winterbaby89​​​​ @distant-rose​​@shireness-says​​​​ @xhookswenchx​​​​ @optomisticgirl​​​​ @spartanguard​​​​ @branlovestowrite​​​​ @welllpthisishappening​​​​ @stahlop​​​​ @hollyethecurious​​​ @ekr032-blog-blog​​​ @scientificapricot​​​ @wellhellotragic​​​ @vvbooklady1256​​​ @sherlockianwhovian​​​ @superchocovian​​​ @nikkiemms​​​ @lfh1226-linda​​​  @ultraluckycatnd​​​ @ohmakemeahercules​

It was awkwardly silent in the elevator. Honestly, it had been awkwardly silent the majority of the time between her and Walsh ever since she got home. Yet it seemed to hang even heavier between them since the doctor’s appointment earlier.

The elevator stopped at her floor, and the ding when the doors opened only punctuated the silence. Emma dug in her purse for her keys, and wished like every other time Walsh rode up with her how to politely send him away. He hadn’t pushed her for anything physical - mostly. He just whined like an oversized baby about it, constantly asking her when things would get back to normal.

In that sense, today’s appointment was almost a relief.

“Well, thanks for walking me up,” Emma told him as she grasped her keys.

Walsh gave her a smile that he must have thought was charming. It wasn’t.

“Come on now, Emma, you can’t let your fiance in for a few minutes?”

She pressed her hand firmly to his chest as he leaned in. “You’re not my fiance.”

“Of course I am. You just don’t remember.”

Emma narrowed her eyes at him. “Well, first of all, you heard the doctor today. Chances are, I won’t ever remember.”

“Chances is the word. You heard him, there’s always a chance. Especially if I jog your memory.”

He went to put his arms around her, and for the first time, Emma had to shove him off. It sent her heart beating erratically, and not in a pleasant way. It also sent anger flaring through her veins.

“God, do you even listen to me?” she shouted. She had tried so hard since she got back to New York to cooperate, hoping that following the lead of Walsh and Regina would bring her memories rushing back. Now she was sick of it.

“Actually I do,” Walsh snapped, “which is why I know you aren’t even trying to remember.”

Emma rolled her eyes. “You act like I’m doing this on purpose. And no, you don’t listen, because I wasn’t finished. Second, I don’t have a ring, Walsh.” Emma waved her hand in front of him.

“People don’t need a ring to get engaged.”

“I also listened to your message,” she bit out. “You proposed, but I never accepted. You may not need a ring, genius, but the girl has to actually say yes.”

“You didn’t say no.”

“Well, I am now.”

Walsh blinked. “Emma, seriously, this isn’t you.”

“No Walsh, it is me! Maybe this whole experience has changed me, maybe I’ll never fully remember who I was before, but that doesn’t change the fact that I have always been hesitant to marry you.” Emma pressed her fist, still clutching her keys, to her chest. “I know you and Regina keep treating me like a wounded puppy, but I do remember some things clearly. I was getting away to Maine because I was stressed and confused. I was unsure of so many things, including us.”

Walsh’s face fell, as if he were finally beginning to understand. “But I thought we were so good together.”

Emma was able to smile at him. She stepped closer, and laid a hand on his arm. “You were comfortable - safe. Being with you didn’t risk my heart because my feelings were on the surface. Your proposal brought all of that into focus.”

“So what you’re saying is, you were always going to say no.”

Emma nodded, truly feeling sorry for Walsh for the first time. “I’m so sorry. I don’t remember our first date or how we met, but I do remember that.”

Walsh nodded slowly, his shoulders slumping. He gave her a platonic hug, and Emma accepted it. Then he walked away from her, and when the elevator doors closed behind him, Emma sagged with relief against her door.

The phone in her jacket pocket vibrated, and she pulled it out to see text messages from her bandmates pop up one after another.

How did the appointment go? - Elsa

Did the doctor have good news? Are you getting your memories back? I’m dying with worry here! - Anna

Calling to check on you. And don’t take this the wrong way, but have you dumped Walsh yet? - Ruby

I wanna hear more about this hot vet you were snowed in with. And don’t tell me he wasn’t hot, I can read between the lines. - Ruby

Emma smiled as she scrolled through the messages. It was strange the way a brain injury worked. The moment she walked through her front door and saw her three best friends waiting for her, memories had flooded her. She didn’t remember anything but confusing feelings where Walsh was concerned, she couldn’t remember this supposed solo career Regina kept going on about, but she did remember these three amazing women. She couldn’t remember performing, but memories had returned of the times they spent together both on the road and before they hit it big. She also remembered the words to every single one of their songs. The doctor had explained to her that the brain was a complex organ. His theory was that she had retained her emotional memories, but not the details of her life.

Bizarre didn’t begin to cover it.

Emma locked the door behind her, toed off her shoes, and dropped her keys in the catch all by the door. She collapsed onto a couch that was too hard in a room that was too cold. The view of the city skyline outside her window seemed foreign. With a sigh, she moved to her bedroom, shooting off texts to her friends as she went. She slipped into a pair of comfortable pajamas, collapsed onto her bed, and grabbed the tv remote.

This was apparently her life, and she simply had no idea what to do with it.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Checkmate!” Liam crowed with satisfaction, but his face fell when he looked across the chess board to find Killian staring absently at the chess pieces. “Little brother? I beat you. Again.”

Killian sighed and knocked over some of the pieces in frustration. “Sorry. I guess I’m just not in the mood tonight.”

Liam frowned. “This is still about Wendy, isn’t it?”

“Emma,” Killian corrected him as he ran a hand wearily down his face, “her name is actually Emma. Emma Swan.” His hand dropped to his lap, and he studied his brother warily. “And please spare me the I told you so.”

Liam leaned back, both hands lifted in the air in surrender. “I’m not going to say that, trust me. This is a situation where I hate being right.”

Killian arched a brow. “My brother? Hates being right? Who are you and what have you done to my real brother?”

“Haha, very funny. Seriously though, I liked her. I liked how happy you were when she was here. If the situation had been different -”

Killian cut him off. “But it wasn’t. She has a life, a career, a fiance somewhere else. God, I was such a fool.”

“No, you weren’t. You were generous in offering your home to her. I was wrong, Killian. You did the right thing. I can’t believe I was so callous towards her.”

Killian drummed his fingers on the table as he regarded Liam. “You never seem to realize what an ass you’re being to the women in my life until it’s too late.”

Liam leaned his elbows on the table and rested his chin on his fisted hands. “With Milah, you’re right. When you adopted Henry, I still gave her hell. I worried a child was just another novelty to her. But then she was such a wonderful mother, then you got Alice, and . . . .”

Liam trailed off with a long sigh. Killian’s brow furrowed in shock.

“I thought you didn’t soften towards her until she got sick. Why didn’t you say anything? Try to mend things with her?”

“You know how bloody stubborn I am. I’m sorry, Killian, I would do it all differently if I had the chance.”

“I know.” Killian could never stay angry at his brother for long. He loved him too much.

“Besides, who says it's too late with Wendy - I mean Emma. She may be missing you just as much as you’re missing her.”

Killian absentmindedly picked up a pawn and twirled it between his fingers. “Doubtful. She’s a bloody rock star, for God’s sake.”

“The kids miss her too, don’t they?” “Aye.”

“She said she’d keep in touch.”

“People always say that. Then they never do.”

“Give her time. None of this can be easy.”

Killian was about to counter that Emma had no reason to think of them now that her memories had most likely returned, but before he could, there was a knock at the door. He gave his brother a confused look. It was late, and the kids were already asleep. Who could possibly be knocking? He hurried to the door, looked through the keyhole, then swore under his breath to find the view blocked by greenery. Alice had made a wreath for the door, and he couldn’t see a damn thing past her handiwork. He wrenched the door open, expecting it to be a local farmer with a livestock emergency.

It wasn’t a farmer.

“Emma,” he breathed in awe.

She smiled, and it was like the sun came out.

“You have no idea how happy it makes me to hear you call me that.”

Killian chuckled as he scratched behind his ear. “Well, I’m a bit embarrassed that I didn’t

recognize you. Let’s just say it’s mostly Radio Disney around here. And something about K-Pop which I don’t really -”

“I was never engaged,” Emma blurted out.

“Oh?”

Emma twisted her hands nervously and shrugged. “He proposed, but I never accepted.” She trailed off, her gaze darting to her feet. “It felt important for you to know that.”

“There’s no need to explain,” he told her gently. “I’m just glad you’re getting your memories back.”

“I’m not,” she said, her gaze flying back to lock on his.

“What do you mean?”

She bit on her lower lip. “I mean, I don’t have my memories back. I remember bits and pieces, feelings mostly.” She paused and took a deep breath. “Look, there’s something I just gotta say, alright?”

Killian nodded. He’d been sort of speechless anyway since he opened the door.

She licked her lips nervously before plunging in. “The doctors say I might never get my memories back. Not all of them, anyway. But I’m okay with that because what little I remember either isn’t that great or it’s fantastic.” She winced as she closed her eyes for a second. “I’m not making any sense, am I?”

“Not yet,” he admitted, “but I’m still listening.”

She returned his smile with a wobbly one of her own. “Right. So, I remember that I was a foster kid. I must have been since I was a baby because that’s all I remember. I don’t remember any of the places I lived or who I lived with. All I remember is that I never had a home.”

His heart broke for her and the sheen of tears in her eyes, but he didn't interrupt.

“I remember I ran away all the time. I just figured that when you really have a home, when you leave, you just miss it. So my whole childhood, I just kept running waiting to feel that, but I never did. Then I found my band. And I got to keep running, on the road you know? But it was okay because my family was running with me. I think that’s why they’re the only people I remember. Except -”

She paused, and a look of fear flashed over her face. He took a step closer and took her hand. “Except?” he prompted.

“Except you. And the kids.” She winced again, shaking her head and laughing. “Not that I wouldn’t remember you, I mean I met you after. What I’m trying to say is . . . I miss you. When I left here, I missed it all so much. My band - the people in it - were home, but that was ending. And then I met you - and Alice and Henry. I know it sounds crazy, but it’s like my life got a reset that day you found me. I want to start time, right here. With you.”

Killian searched her face, scarcely daring to believe this was real. He reached up with a shaking hand and traced her jaw with his finger.

“What about your career?” he asked softly. The last thing he wanted was to take advantage of her while she was in a vulnerable place.

She smiled at him as a single tear slipped down her face. “I never wanted that career. I loved the band - the people, I mean. But not the performing or the limelight. I just want to play and write songs on my guitar. I can do that anywhere.”

He let hope expand his heart for the first time. He cupped her face with both hands, catching her tear with his thumb.

“Stay with me?” he asked her.

Emma’s eyes crinkled at the force of her smile. “I thought you’d never ask.”

Killian bent slowly to press his lips to hers in a tender kiss. She sighed and tilted her head, allowing him more access. He threaded his fingers through her soft hair as his tongue lazily explored her mouth. Emma pulled back and smiled with such blinding happiness, he could hardly take it in. Then her eyes fluttered closed, and she captured his lips again. He wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her close. He never wanted to let her go.

I'm an atom in a sea of nothing, looking for another to combine. Maybe we could be the start of something. Be together at the start of time.

Rolling Stone Magazine - Two Years Later:

. . . The Grammy’s this year brought one big surprise: Emma Swan Jones, former member of the female rock band Wendy Sewed it On, took home the Song of the Year award for penning Ruby Lucas’s number one smash hit “The Song in Your Heart.” The romantic power ballad was a slight departure for the normally angst-filled alternative rock Swan-Jones was known for when she was part of Wendy Sewed it On. Yet her new hyphenated last name along with her acceptance speech may give her fans a hint for the change. In her speech, she thanked “my true love, my husband Killian. Words can’t say enough how much you mean to me or how you’ve inspired me. I wouldn’t have this award without you, babe.” Judging by the baby bump she was proudly showing off beneath her Elie Saab couture gown on the red carpet, Emma Swan Jones is very happy with her man which may mean more romantic ballads from her in the future . . .

[theonceoverthinker]

OUAT 2X06 - Tallahassee

Who’s ready for a vacay?! I’m thinking Florida!

...I was kind of hoping for Disney, but *shrugs* whatever. 

Anyway, under the cut for my thoughts on this OUAT vacation.

Press Release With the hopes of finding a magical compass that could help her and Mary Margaret get back to Storybrooke, Emma takes a journey with a not-too-trustworthy Captain Hook up a treacherous beanstalk in an attempt to steal the item from a murderous giant. Meanwhile, Emma’s past is revealed to be anything but magical when she meets up with a fellow thief who wants to make an honest woman out of her. General Thoughts - Characters/Stories/Themes and Their Effectiveness Past This was a really well put together segment! What makes it work for me is the care they brought to Neal while constructing his backstory in regards to Emma. It’s actually been a while since I’ve watched an episode with Neal in it, and I forgot about a lot of his charm and dedication. At the same time, the episode doesn’t make Neal perfect at any point, showing him be a thief and getting angry, exasperated, and even a little stupid. That stuff makes the betrayal of Emma’s trust, for as saddening as it is, feel like something that could feasibly happen, especially as the audience can interpret to some extent (Until it’s explicitly laid out a few episodes later).

I have an unpopular opinion among my fellow Emma fans. That is, I feel like she’s a character that doesn’t necessarily need a ton of backstory. That’s because episodes like these are so impactful for the exact reason that they're rarities. when someone lets Emma down in just one flashback, we understand how important that moment was to Emma and how it shaped that one facet of her personality so specifically. well, I feel like had they had too many Emma flashbacks, they wouldn’t have been as effective because they would have been akin to laying on a bed of nails: An overabundance of sob stories just makes one feel exhausted more than sympathetic and so much more of Emma’s depth is revealed from the parts of her that are not spoonfed, such as her one off lines about the effects of her lonely upbringing. Present I’ll go over this soon, but trust is a big theme of this episode, and Emma’s trust for Killian in the present is framed to be at a contrast with her trust for Neal in the past. And to a degree and not a small one, that does come through. There are a lot of subtle moments that show growth (Killian being able to read Emma, Emma confessing that she was in love once, Emma’s concern for Killian’s wellbeing). However, I feel like for in order for Emma’s betrayal at the end to make more sense as a move that frustrates but is still understandable, they should’ve shown a bit more growth in Emma’s trust for Killian. As it stands, their interactions feel like they more or less reset at the start of every new scene between them. Emma makes her distrust for Killian clear, the two of them do something (Climbing, knocking out Anton, exploring Anton’s castle), one of them gets in physical danger or something is otherwise exposed, and 1% of trust is added. I really feel like there should’ve been a bit more warmth or more obvious progress because not only on its own, but especially when compared to Emma and Neal’s story, it’s not as effective when Emma locks him up because I can’t help but feel like that’s something she probably would’ve done at the end of “The Doctor” too. What changed and does she regret her choice? It doesn’t seem to be the case because there’s not much within the segment itself to compare the moment to.

On a more positive note, in addition to just Killian’s interactions with Emma, we get a lot of insight into his character on his own. For instance, Killian, despite working for Cora, doesn’t trust her, adding to the later-on emphasized concern for self preservation. We also see the first of Killian’s signature impatience. It’s weird. After over 100 years in Neverland, Killian has definitely shown how patient he can be, but as his revenge gets closer, practically insight, we see how that patience just drops to nothing. One could conceivably even call that a fault in his character, but I’d argue against that given how we've also seen later on instances where Killian has had no patience with his revenge right in front of him, so it does make sense. It's also very interesting parallel to Rumple, who in later episodes is shown to experience similar behavior. All Encompassing The issue and theme of trust (Or rather, destroyed trust) is prevalent through the two main segments. In the past, Neal betrayed Emma’s trust, and taking from that experience, Emma betrays Killian’s trust (And to a smaller extent, Snow’s trust through not telling her about her favor from Mulan). This episode also has a really nifty parallel to its own predecessors. Now, in a lot of episodes of season 2 thus far, we’ve see characters internalizing a bad lesson in the past, but  rejecting it (mostly) in the present (Rumple being more cooperative with Belle’s needs, Regina refusing to inflict the same pain on Henry that Cora inflicted on her, and Regina being able to let go of Daniel). However, for the first time this season, we see a character who internalized that lesson in the past (protect yourself because you don't know when someone will betray you, even if you trust them), but actually refused to move on from it in the present. Emma, despite seeing and even acknowledging that she does to a large extent trusts Killian, still leaves him cuffed atop the beanstalk (“I can’t take a chance that I’m wrong about you.” Insights - Stream of Consciousness -I love Killian in his robes! He just looks so snuggly, even more so than usual! -”Bad form” makes what I believe is its first appearance! -Killian, watch that! That’s your soon-to-be mother-in-law talking! -I like how the mythology of the giants factors into the present story. Keeping in tune with one of the secondary themes of the episode -- that things are never what they seem -- the giant’s were described as brutes (As per Killian’s story), they were (As we later learn) more like isolationists and he war of giants and men was flipped from the known storyline. Watching this episode with the knowledge from “Tiny” already in mind makes all the scenes where the giant’s history is described so gruesome. -Has anyone ever written a fic where Cora actually does accompany Killian up the beanstalk? -”Emma Swan. Good name.” Am I the only one to connect this to Rumple’s “Emma. What a lovely name” line? -I know Neal gets a lot of flack for the “women” line, but I’m not entirely convinced that that was what he was going for. Instead, I feel like he’s playing to the cop’s sexism. I feel this way both because of the really over-the-top-but-in-a-way-that-one-can-tell-it’s-fake weasel-y smile he gives the cop and the “we” he says regarding his and Emma’s escape once the cop goes away. -”You’re not gonna argue with me?” “Would it do you any good?” I like that subtle display of Emma and Snow’s growing bond! -”Well, you never forget your first.” Now I really want to know what Killian’s first beanstalk was like! -Does anyone know what an Apollo bar is? Like, I know that it’s a fake candy bar, but what’s inside? -Random dude in the shop: Just yell “He’s stealing!” And why did you guys not chase after them?! -”Are you sure? Is this...what you really want?” MY POOR EMMA!!!! She’s been let down so many times! -I just realized that after the events of “Awake,” everyone in town had nightmares for months! How much you want to bet there was an Insomnia Club that was formed afterwards? XD -I like how Aurora’s grown to trust Snow so much given their rocky start! (Sleeping Snow, anyone?) -”It’s where the Final Battle was.” I know A&E had absolutely no knowledge as to the Season 6 finale, but I can’t help but snicker anyway. -”It’s rum, and a bloody waste of it.” I feel like this line would’ve worked better with that deleted scene from when they were climbing the giant’s beanstalk. -”Maybe I was once.” I find that this is such a good acknowledgment of trust that Emma now has in Killian. -How strong is Killian that he can get such a loud sound out of that simple pounding with a bone? -I love Anton’s costume! It’s so cuddly! -”I’m the worst human around!” I wonder how much Killian truly believes that. Like don’t get me wrong, Killian’s a baddie and a bad baddie, but does he consider himself worse than Rumple or was that line just part of the ruse? Because it’s Killian, I could honestly buy either. -Jack is so fucking extra. Who puts their own name on their sword?! -Emma just has the most beautiful hair ever! -I love seeing how much Emma’s willing to fight for her happiness when she knows she has it. As soon as Neal tells her he can’t go to Tallahassee, but instead needs to go to Canada, Emma’s all ready to go! -I sometimes forget just how Neal and Baelfire are the same person. It’s not like it’s executed badly or anything, but it’s such a change. -”You know your rights?” I’m not a cop by ANY means, but I’m pretty sure the cop has to actually say the rights (Correct me if I’m wrong). -”We do it side-by-side and fast.” Another line that shows Emma’s increasing trust for Killian! -”You gotta promise that you’ll be there for me.” “I promise.” LIAR! -”Money’s not what she needs.” August, she has roughly ten years left before she can break the curse AND she’s an ex-con. She might need that extra money! August, I’m not liking you in this episode! -How did August send Neal a postcard in his wooden form? -*Bites Anton to get freed* Emma, I don’t know what your dental plan (Or lack thereof) is, but stick with it! Also, more characters should bite to solve their problems! XD -Emma’s gotten so comfortable with a sword! -”You’re wrong.” [About all humans being killers] Emma, saying that while waving the sword isn’t helping your case. -”Now go before I change my mind.” Anton, you precious bean! You can see him trying and failing to be a badass! -”A jump from a beanstalk.” You’re one hell of a daredevil, Emma! Arcs - How are These Storylines Progressing? Emma and Snow getting back to Storybrooke - We get both half a means of a return journey as well as a future means of communication between the realms. Favorite Dynamic Emma and Anton - I honestly stuck this here because I figure I have talked (And will talk) about the other main dynamics, so why not go a touch more obscure?! So, what I like about Emma and Anton’s connection is something that connects her to both Neal and Killian, but gets its due emphasis here: Emma and Anton believe themselves to be alone and have learned not to trust others. And Emma, after understanding Anton’s story, position, and his victimization at the hands of those who bastardized his history, she shows him understanding and compassion, and Anton returns that. Writer We’ve once again got one new writer (Christine Boylan) and one old writer (Jane Espenson). It’s a pretty decent premiere! The past segment especially was fantastic, painting a story about Emma and Neal that was simple, but it worked for that reason. The present segment, well I have a bit more issues with it.  I feel like there was this tug of war. they wanted to keep the characters consistent but also tell a story about trust and how Emma’s past ruined that growing trust, and while it’s possible to do that, the journey needed more room for more overt growth. Now, I like the more subtle shows of growing trust (As I said before, confessions of love from the past and concern for each other), but it also felt like those subtle bits didn’t really move Emma and Killian anywhere meaningful, making the climactic moment fall flat, and that’s frustrating because I can't help it feel like this was easily fixable. Why couldn’t Emma and Killian have a moment where they were talking a bit more comfortably, perhaps right before the scene before Anton re-enters the castle, and Killian says something that echoes something Neal said to her in the past segment (Think like when Felix called Calhoun a “dynamite gal” in Wreck It Ralph)? It would’ve contributed more to the crossroad that Emma found herself at the end of the episode and would make her decision (Again) more understandable for as frustrating as it is. Rating 7/10. I really hate giving this episode this score. It’s an okay score for an okay episode, but after the first five episodes of the season scored 10’s or Golden Apples, it feels worse than it actually is to have to put that number down. I loved this walk through of Emma’s experiences with trust. It paints this really vivid image of the types of disappointments that Emma has seen through her lifetime of abandonment, but gave a good deal of nuance and understanding to Neal, someone who ordinarily may have been just straight up villainized. I took points because I felt that there could’ve been just a bit stronger of a growing trust between Killian and Emma. I felt it, but to be a parallel to what Neal and Emma had, I just wish it was stronger because it really just feels like Emma did exactly what she would’ve done to Killian in the previous episode. I want to see her journey and previous experiences shape her actions and while I felt like it was done okay, it was still too weak to contribute to what should’ve been a more tragic payoff. Flip My Ship - Home of All Things “Shippy Goodness” Captain Swan - “Don’t think I’m taking my eyes off you for a second.” “I’d despair if you did.” Those two lines are just the best! Everything one would want from chemistry to animosity is there and it’s just fantastic! The same goes for the famous “I love a challenge line!” Also, in two weird CS/SF parallels, (1) Neal calls he and Emma a we, whereas Emma calls she and Killian “we,” and (2), Neal calls their escape “home” to Emma in the past and Emma does the same with Killian in the present. Also also, I just genuinely love the way Emma worries for Killian after the giant falls, shouting “Hook” as loud as she can. Also, also, also, “Everything we need is right in front of us.” Note how the two of them were looking at each other. Swan Fire - I like how in Emma and Neal’s first scene, Emma raises an impressed eyebrow to Neal as he’s lying to the cop. It’s such a sign that she’d found a kindred spirit! It’s also reinforced when Emma smiles at Neal’s second request for drinks. I like how Neal upgrades their lied about relationship from “girlfriend” to “wife,” subtly signifying how their relationship has truly grown. Also, “this little guy saved us!” I know that was totally not intended to be about Henry necesaarily, but fuck it, I’mma imagine it! Also, the kiss afterwards was adorable as all hell! As was the conversation in the hotel room, and it makes their tragic downfall all the more tragic! Also, there’s a Snowing parallel I just noticed! In the hotel scene in the flashback, Emma talks about how dreamcatchers (Which is kind of her thing with Neal) kept the bad dreams away. Meanwhile,  Charming used a candle (Fire = Balefire)  to ward the nightmares off from Snow. Also also, “what you want” seems to be a bit of a line between them, akin to “I will always find you” and “I’m a survivor,” said twice by Emma -- once to confirm and again to reaffirm her dedication to Neal! Finally, I just love how Neal initially stands up to August on Emma’s behalf when he says he’s her guardian angel. ()()()()()()()()() Thank you for reading! And to the fine folks at @watchingfairytales to putting this project together and helping me keep the lights on! 

Next time, let’s hang out with some moon kids! Season 2 Tally (57/220) Writer Tally for Season 2: Adam Horowitz and Edward Kitsis: (20/60) Jane Espenson (17/50) Andrew Chambliss and Ian Goldberg (10/50) David Goodman (10/30) Robert Hull (10/30) Christine Boylan (7/30)

Operation Rewatch Archives

[minatsuki-on-main]

BTB background info masterpost #2 (RIS-related characters)

As a followup to this post about general lore, I’ll deal with info and trivia on characters from the non-supernatural side of the story here. Note that, again, 1) I’m not making a summary of the plot 2) this is mostly random notes and trivia, there might be more information on the wiki (which, however, I can’t verify, so I won’t mix it in with mine). There are a few characters that we don’t know much about other than a general idea of their personality through their participation in the plot, so some notes here aren’t detailed but I’m open to suggestions if backed up.

Contents:

Info about RIS members and people (more) related to them

Keith Kazama Flick

Investigator at RIS

Nicknamed ‘Genie’ (=genius in German)

Takes on the role of Canopus in regards to the prophecy (a position previously occupied by Heath Kazama Flick)

Deciphered the Jetblack Epitaph at age 12

Well-versed in mathematics, physics, cryptography and biology (more specifically genetics)

Son of Heath Kazama Flick

Has spent a portion of his childhood at Jaula Blanca living with his father

Had an adoptive sister named Erika

Went to university with her and Gilbert

Was already working at RIS when Erika got assassinated (see: post #1)

Abducted Dead Kyle (Erika’s supposed killer) from the hospital and tortured him

Was exiled to the Archives Division of RIS for 7-8 years as punishment for the Dead Kyle incident

Returned to the Coastal Branch afterwards (at the beginning of the anime, on the anniversary of Erika’s death)

Age unspecified but should be around his forties (is inflexible, has bad stamina

Owns a notebook inherited from his father that contains notes about the resurrected gods, some pages of which are in Koku’s possession

Knows basic survival skills like fishing

His hobby is cooking, especially Gumbo with shrimp, which seems to be his favourite dish

Drives dangerously

His favourite singer in university was Kate Bush

Sometimes inattentive to his surroundings (his documents are expired, doesn’t hesitate to ruin a digital blackboard by drawing schemes for the current murder case)

Doesn’t understand the mindset that leads to murder and considers it an illogical act

Has been suspecting Gilbert ever since Erika was killed but didn’t come forward about it to anyone without solid proof (perhaps out of residue affection towards him)

Could have had a pseudo-incestuous relationship with Erika; however, this is only strongly hinted and never explicitly stated

Lily Hoshina

Investigator at RIS

Around 25

Shorter than 160cm (5′3)

Asian

Left-handed

Holds resemblance physically and in character with Erika Flick

Lives with her father, brother and adoptive brother, Koku

Equal intellectual capabilities to Keith’s but more on the intuitive side

Enjoys food a lot, especially pastries and Zeppole di San Giuseppe in particular

Likes techno music (in which she differs from Erika)

Lively and tends to be snappish when indignated

Extremely persistent

Has some knowledge of astronomy (from a high school ‘sweetheart’)

Kaela Yoshinaga

In charge of informatics, programming and security systems at RIS

Very aggressive when angry

Excellent hacker

Likes drinking

Has a taste for cars (especially Hummers)

Wears an earring in one ear

Dislikes people who complain about society

Has a bit of a morbid fascination for RIS’s murder cases and actually likes being involved in them

Mario Luis Zurita

Work is more centered around direct action than brainwork

Holds the police in high regard

Strong sense of justice

Thinks solving cases one at a time is more productive than focusing too much on the big picture

Brian Brandon

Seen doing online research for the cases

Has a bit of an anxious personality (which also makes him perceptive to the RIS being spied)

Well-versed in cryptography (communicated a message to Keith through the watch)

Boris Meyer

Branch leader at RIS

Oldest member

Knows most things about Keith’s past and sometimes tends to spill them (especially to Lily)

Guards Keith’s gun that can shoot blue steel bullets (Keith asks him to bring it before the Heian-Jin fight)

Struggles with technology and texting

Jean Henri Richard

Long-time RIS member since before Erika’s murder

Undercover Market Maker agent

Has been brainwashed by Minatsuki

Generally well-liked among the team

Likely of French origin (uses his name with the French pronunciation)

Eric Toga

Higher position in RIS comparing to the younger ones, also a long-time member

Has a lot of respect for Keith and claims to have learned everything from him

Tends to be strict but has a habit of snapping when particularly angry or drunk

He was the one who had to arrest Keith for the Dead Kyle incident

Had a plan of his own of kidnapping Dead Kyle but Keith anticipated him due to lack of communication; this event made him value teamwork in the future

Seems to have both connections and good knowledge of informatics (he can get satellites moved on request within a few seconds)

Has a nail-biting habit

Gilbert Ross

Forensic doctor at RIS

Has the prophecy role and codename ‘Regulus’

Keith’s close friend since boarding school who he also went to university with

Has Impulse Control Disorder and a possible additional Dissociative Personality Disorder that functions as a coping mechanism for the former (later post on this to be expected)

Serial murderer due to an innate necessity to kill and a lack of control over it

Son of Alberto Puzo, Jaula Blanca CEO, who was his first victim (Gilbert claims his motivation was his father’s ‘softened attitude towards research’)

Used to have romantic feelings for Erika Flick (whether they’ve been in a relationship at one point is unspecified)

Murdered Erika because she ‘fell in love with the wrong man’ in his words

Has always known about the existence of reggies (possibly through his father)

Proposed and led the attack on Jaula Blanca to retrieve Minatsuki

In close cooperation with Market Maker and reggies, coordinating the organization along with Minatsuki whom he has kept under psychological manipulation since childhood

Covered up his murders by swapping places with reggies before being discovered

Has an underground facility where he commits his crimes underneath the RIS’s building which costs around tens of millions to maintain

Preserves his victims’ corpses through embalming

Most of his actions had the goal of setting up a puzzle for Keith and getting him to commit murder by killing him

Utilized Minatsuki’s brainwashing ability for various ends, among which communicating his messages to Keith and conditioning reggies to confess to his murders in his stead (which he also did with Dead Kyle)

Often hallucinates Erika

He considers murder to be the core of his personality to the point where he gets emotionally hurt upon Keith telling him he doesn’t understand it

Most of his victims are young women similar to Erika (which brings him to target Lily)

Enjoys making video recordings of significant events of his life and rewatching them

Has a strict daily routine which makes him an undetectable criminal

His separate personalities were created to cope and erase the guilt after each murder

Heavy smoker and coffee-drinker (possible reference to the comorbidity between ICD and substance abuse)

Tends to have breakdowns and temper tantrums when things don’t go his way

He’s reminded of Erika by the snow

His favourite band was Blue Öyster Cult

Erika Flick

Keith’s adoptive sister

Physically similar to Lily, the main differences being her taste in music, two star-shaped birthmarks on her shoulder, and wearing glasses

Gilbert was in love with her and they might have been in a relationship for a certain period

Insinuated to have had an affair with Keith (which Gilbert references by saying she ‘fell in love with the wrong man’ and ‘couldn’t keep her emotions under control’)

Murdered by Gilbert, probably out of jealousy

Heath Kazama Flick

Keith’s father

Had the role of Canopus before Keith

Of Japanese origin, has lived in Japan

Cellular biologist (also researching genetics)

Was among the scientists who successfully resurrected the 13 winged gods in the new restoration program at Jaula Blanca

Humanitarian approach to research

Liked being around children at JB, is often seen talking to them or bringing them on excursions

Murdered by a young Minatsuki on Gilbert’s command during the Jaula Blanca attack

Might undergo updates. The next post will be about reggies and resurrected gods individually. For corrections and further questions, send me an ask. Again, I’d point you all towards the wiki, where there are plot-related descriptions as well. 

Part one | Part three (soon)

[starrnobella]

Forever & Always - Chapter 26: The Truth

A/N: I'll apologize for not getting this chapter out sooner. Things have been a little hectic with me lately. I started taking grad school classes and seeing someone on a slightly regular basis as well as opened up another fanfiction facebook group, so I swear sometimes I'm doing too many things at once. However, I'm here now with the chapter and I do hope you all enjoy it.

I'm not sure when the next chapter will be ready to go because it's only about a quarter of the way written. I'm hoping to work on this story for NaNo 2018 and actually finish it out. Then maybe I can consider what happens next.

This is self-betaed. This story is my baby and I've been editing it from the beginning.

I run multiple groups on Facebook that you are more than welcome to check out. My personal group is starrnobella Fanfiction Friends & Fans where you can hear all about my updates as well as get some behind the scenes info on the stories I'm working. I'm the owner of Draco's Den and Storybrooke Cafe. Draco's Den is a group dedicated to Slytherins and all the potential crossovers that exist there in. The Cafe is dedicated to the lovely inhabitants of Storybrooke. I'm on the admin team for Hermione's Haven, Melting Pot, and Marvelously Magic Fanfiction as well. All of these groups are wonderful and we'd love to have you as a member.

Song Recs: Love Hurts - Nazareth; Paranoiac Personality - Alice Cooper

Let me know what you think by dropping a review!

Love always, ~starr

"What do you mean you just tackled-?" Snow whispered into her phone only to be cut off by the ringing of the bell indicating that planning period was almost over and soon children would be filing into her room. "I can't talk now. The kids are coming back. I'll see you after school."

She quickly slammed her phone shut and threw it in her bag without even so much as a goodbye to her wonderful husband on the other line. Her phone landed in her bag just as the first student walked into her room with a big smile on their face excited for class today. Snow sighed internally and knew that she was in for a long afternoon if what she and Charming had been able to discuss was anything to go by.

"She hung up on me," Charming said with a frown as he placed his phone down on the desk and crossed his arms over his chest. That was very unlike Snow. She always made a point of at least saying goodbye before she hung up. Maybe the stress of going back to work at the school was starting to get to her. Charming shook the thoughts aside. That was something to worry about at another time. "So what are we going to do with them?" he asked motioning to the two gentlemen in adjacent cells next to his desk with his head.

Emma looked up at Charming from where she was working at her desk and then trailed her eyes over the two people in the single cell of the station. "We need to talk to Hyde and Jekyll's just in there because I don't trust him not to disappear if we leave him loose," she replied with a shrug. She then busied herself back with the paperwork that she had been working on before Charming drug her out of her thoughts.

As she stared idly at the forms, there was one blank on there that she wasn't quite sure how to answer. Place of Origin. There were two possible answers for this blank, plus the other more creative answers she had come up with in her head. She laughed quietly to herself as the locations bounced through her mind.

After a few moments of her own private joy, she decided that it was time she actually talked to the two men in the cell. She just now needed to decide if she was going to talk to them together or separately. She also had to decide where she was going to talk to them if she did separate them. She wasn't sure that leaving one of them behind with Charming and Killian was the best idea. She glanced around the room and decided that she really didn't have a choice.

"Alright. I'm going to take the scary looking one into the interview room," Emma said, pushing her chair back from the desk and gathering up the files that she was looking over. Before she walked away from her desk, however, she opened the top door to her desk and slipped something into her pocket.

Hyde thought he had seen a chain falling from her hand, but he wasn't quite sure what exactly it was. For all he knew it could have been the keys to open whatever room she had mentioned in her thinly veiled insult. He brushed it aside however because it meant that he had a chance to talk to her and come clean before Jekyll decided to share more of his lies.

Emma walked up to the cell and unlocked it motioning for Hyde to step forward. Once he was out of the way of the door, Emma closed it again leaving Jekyll pouting on the bench inside. She placed a gentle hand on Hyde's shoulder and led him towards the door to the side of the office. Opening it quickly and leading him inside, she had him take a seat at the table while she went to tell Killian and Charming one last thing before they sat down to chat.

"Keep an eye on him, okay?" Emma said, nodding in Jekyll's direction with her head. She was met with a nod from each of them and she smiled before heading back into the interview room. "Here we go," she mumbled under her breath closing the door behind her.

"Should one of us have offered to go with her?" Charming asked, crossing his arms over his chest as he leaned back in the chair at his desk. This was the first big bad criminal they had ever had in Storybrooke and none of them were really sure what to do with him. Certainly the Evil Queen was a threat, but she was someone they were used to dealing with. Hyde was from a different land completely and they knew nothing about him. Even with the help of the story books Emma, Henry, Regina, and Violet had found in New York, they were still pretty much clueless about the man.

Killian shook his head. "I think she'll be fine without us, mate. She does a pretty good job of holding her own." That was one of the things that Killian loved about her the most. Although there would never be a day that went by that he didn't worry about her, especially with the visions that kept waking her up at night. He was more anxious to get her alone so that he could find out what Archie had told her this morning. Glancing over to Charming momentarily, Killian debated about letting him in on the few tidbits of information about his daughter that the man should have been privy to, but stopped himself before he said anything.

Charming laughed to himself quietly. The pirate wasn't wrong and he rightfully shouldn't be. He had spent much more time with Emma than he had been lucky enough to spend with her. Not that those thoughts brought him any comfort. He was her father after all. He should know her better than anyone. Just another thing to blame on the Evil Queen. Luckily she was sitting pretty in a padded cell over at the hospital. Maybe he should go pay her a little visit. Just to say hello and tell how nice it was to be on the outside looking in.

. . . . . . . .

Entering the interview room, Emma plastered a half hearted smile on her face as she quickly shut the door behind her. Hyde was sitting there patiently waiting for her to come back. The man had been strangely calm since they had apprehended him at the blimp. Jekyll had been oddly giddy the entire time. That was something she hadn't expected to see coming. If she was being honest with herself, it would have been the other way around.

She pulled out the chair opposite of Hyde and placed the folders down in front of him. Taking a seat, she flipped the folder open and sighed deeply as she hung her head for a few moments. As she lifted her head to look at him, she smiled softly. "Hello, Mr. Hyde. I believe it's time we were finally introduced," she said, extending a hand to him.

He graciously took the hand she offered and shook it briefly. "Yes, Ms. Swan, I would have to agree. Although I am well aware of who you are," he replied calmly as he pulled his hand back to rest in front of him. He interlaced his fingers and took a deep breath waiting for her questions to begin. He knew that she would have a lot of them and he had no intentions of lying to her. There was no reason to lie to her. He was already bound to spend the rest of his days in a cell even if this did all happen to play out in his favor.

"Well then it seems that you are at an advantage because I don't know much about you," she replied. "Let's start simple. Why don't you tell me where you are from? I was filling out the forms regarding your arrest and I did not know what to put of place of origin."

Hyde chuckled as he nodded his head. "Yes it does seem you are at a disadvantage. My place of origin is London. I was forced to relocate to the Land of Untold Stories when my alter ego out there decided that life in London was too much for him."

"Why did life become too much for him?" Emma asked curiously resting her elbows on the table and leaned forward to rest her head on her hand.

"Can I ask you a question before I answer that, Ms. Swan?" he asked.

Emma nodded her head, "Sure. And please, call me Emma. Ms. Swan reminds me of Mr. Gold."

"Duly noted. Can I see what it was that you slipped into your pocket from the drawer in your desk earlier?" He raised his brow slightly as he spoke. He knew his knowledge would come as a shock to her, but hopefully she would be kind enough to oblige him the favor.

"How did you," she began to ask, but her voice trailed off as she slipped a hand into her pocket. Her nimble fingers wrapping around the necklace and slowly extracting it from her jacket. She placed it gently on the table and slid it across to Hyde. She watched as he slowly reached out to big it up.

"I never thought I'd see this again," he whispered as he picked up to examine it. Laying it flat in the palm of his hand, he ran his thumb over the face that was sculpted into it. He looked up at Emma, tears threatening to roll down his face as he continued to touch it. "Where did you find it?"

"Killian and Charming found it in the dirt when they first stumbled upon the crash site. Who was it meant for?" Emma inquired as she watched him intently.

"A beautiful woman I once had the pleasure to know," Hyde said reminiscent of a time when he was happy for the long haul instead of just momentary glimpses of time. "Dr. Jekyll wanted to give it to her to express his affections towards her, but she did not feel the same way about him."

"I see," Emma said nodding her head, "where do you come in?"

"Dr. Jekyll created a potion that would allow him to transform into a different person. Me, to be exact. I am every part of him that he thinks is attractive. However only one of us could exist at a time," Hyde explained.

From there he began to tell Emma the story of how he had made his way to the Land of Untold Stories. He told her the truth that he knew. As far as he was aware he wasn't the one that killed Mary that night. The only thing he knew about that night was that he had woken up in a pool of her blood. By the time he had made it home from her apartment, Jekyll was gone. Leaving him to pick up all the pieces of what his alter ego had done. It was just a piece of saving grace that he had found Jekyll before the police had come to arrest him. The only place left for them to hide was to leave London completely.

"That was the first time I met the man you call Mr. Gold," Hyde admitted. A shiver ran down his spine as he spoke. It felt as though the man was lurking in the corner of the room, but he knew that wasn't possible. Just because the Dark One knew everything, it didn't mean that he was everywhere. "He offered me exactly what I needed. A chance to get away. It was a chance I wasn't about to give up, so I went to find Jekyll and the two of us left London and headed to the Land of Untold Stories."

"Of course, Gold would be involved," Emma said with a laugh. "So in the Land of Untold Stories you were able to start over?"

Hyde shrugged. "There was no starting over. It was just a way to stop anything that was happening to you."

"That doesn't sound like such a terrible place. Why did you choose to come here?" Emma asked. She was intrigued by the chance to just stop her story. Although the more she thought about it, the less it appealed to her because it wasn't just her story she would be pausing. It would alter the lives of more than just one person. Two of them were sitting on the other side of the door babysitting an apparently crazy man.

"I came here hoping I could find out what happened to Mary. I left before anyone had come forward with what happened other than the accusations that it was my fault. I don't remember anything from that night," Hyde explained. "Which would lead me to believe from previous experience that I wasn't the one with her when everything happened. When Jekyll and I were still part of one person, I would only remember what happened when I was awake."

Scrunching her face slightly, Emma sighed. He wasn't lying to her as much as she wished he had been so that they could just arrest him and be done with the whole unfortunate matter. Now she was going to have to sort through everything that Hyde had told her and gather proof. Her super power was not going to be enough to convince everyone that Hyde was actually the normal one and Jekyll was insane. That was going to be a task and a half all on it's own.

"So you think that Jekyll killed Mary in a jealous rage because she wanted you and not him? Then he took the potion to separate the two of you, so that you would take the fall and he could run away," Emma repeated slowly.

"I know that it sounds very unbelievable, Ms. Swa - Emma," Hyde said. "But I promise you that I am speaking the truth. Your power should prove my words to be true."

"What power?" Emma asked, quirking her brow at the man. She wasn't sure what he knew about her and Storybrooke as a whole. Based on who he associated himself with, there wasn't much he wasn't aware of at this point.

"You can tell when a person is lying, can you not?" he replied.

She nodded her head. "I believe you, Mr. Hyde. But before I can release you, I need to prove to the others that what you have told me is true. I'm sure you know that Jekyll has done a rather good job at proving you are the insane one who is a danger to society."

"I'm aware of the tricks my alter ego has been playing. I will wait as long as it takes for you and your friends to understand the truth. I fear that my beloved died that night so many years ago which means all I have left to do is wait until I am able to join her once again," Hyde said calmly. "I'm ready to return to my cell if you don't have anymore questions."

He rose from the table and extended a hand to Emma which she took happily. "Thank you for listening to me, Emma. Most people in your situation wouldn't have given me the time of day or listened to me for the amount of time that you have."

"Of course, Mr. Hyde. I promise I will try to get this situation sorted quickly," Emma said rising from her chair. She walked over towards the door and opened it offering to exit the room in front of her.

Killian and Charming watched as Hyde came walking out of the door without his cuffs. In fact he had a smile on his face. The two of them exchanged a look of concern before turning their attention back to the door waiting for Emma to come out. She was smiling as well. She was talking pleasantly with the man who was supposedly insane and had threatened to take over their town.

"Emma," Killian said concerned as he walked over to open the cell for Hyde to walk in. "Everything alright?"

She smiled and wrapped an arm around his waist and rested her head on his shoulder. They both watched as Hyde stepped into the cell and took a seat on the small bench along the back wall. He nodded at each of them and Killian slide the cell shut and looking it again.

"Everything is fine. I think it's time we went and got some lunch," she suggested happily. She raised up on her tiptoes and pressed her lips to his cheek briefly.

"Are you sure we can leave them alone here?" Charming asked quirking his brow. Something didn't add up to him and Emma was acting far too calm for his liking to deal with the crazy men that they had arrested today.

"Yup," Emma said before turning over to the two men sitting on opposite sides of their cells. "I'll bring something back for you both. Just try not to kill each other while we're gone."

Charming and Killian exchanged yet another glance, but just shrugged it off. Besides once Emma interlaced her fingers with Killian and started walking towards the door, there was no turning her down. Emma seemed to be in a good mood and there was no denying her of anything when she was in a good mood.

Once they arrived at Granny's and placed their orders, Charming decided it was time to ask the hard questions. Killian just watched as the whole situation played out. He had his own questions to ask Emma, but those would be better asked when they were alone at home this evening.

"What happened in the interview?" Charming asked crossing his arms over his chest. "Because when we got back to the station this afternoon, he was the one we were concerned about the most and then you just let him walk out of the room without any kind of restraints."

"He's not the one that we need to worry about," she replied simply.

"Care to explain why?" he asked. His frustration was starting to become more evident in his voice, so he stopped himself and took a deep breath ready to listen to what Emma had to say. He knew that Emma was good at her job, but there were some things that he still wasn't sure that she knew what she was doing. Alway the worrisome dad, he supposed.

Emma repeated the story that Hyde had told her when she asked about the necklace. She explained how she planned to prove his story by finding out what had happened to Mary that night. There had to be reports of the situation somewhere. Now that she had a name, she might be able to find more. She knew that her dad was leery of the information she had just told him, but she knew that with time he would come to see the truth.

She was sure that Killian had questions of his own about the Hyde situation, but from the look on his face he was more worried about the conversation she had with Archie this morning. Once they got home, she would tell him everything that they talked about. Together they could decide if it was worth the hassle and risk to Belle to talk to Gold about all of this. It was becoming more and more obvious to her that she didn't really have much of a choice. He was the only one with enough knowledge about magic. Although maybe he could just direct her to a book that she could read and make sense of what was going on without having to spend a lot of time with the grumpy old man.

"What has you convinced that we can trust him? It's not like he's been very forth coming with any information until now," Charming insisted.

Emma fought the desire to roll her eyes. It was quite a struggle for her because it was well deserved, but at the same time she knew that he meant well. "He's not lying," she said calmly as she reached down to grab a hold of Killian's hand that was resting on his leg. She gave his hand a gentle squeeze and she noticed the smile twitching at the corner of his lips when she did so.

"How can you tell?" Charming asked exasperatedly. His concern was in the right place, but he was acting out to the wrong person. Of all people in town to not trust the word of, his daughter was the wrong one.

"My super power," Emma practically shouted back at him. Once she realized what she had done, she huffed as she slumped back in the booth. She hadn't meant to yell at him, but he was pushing the wrong buttons. She was still emotionally raw from her session with Archie and just coming to terms with the reality of her situation.

None of them spoke again until Granny came out with their food. Her pleasant persona lightened the entire mood around them. Something that desperately needed to happen. Charming knew that he had crossed a line, but he wasn't sure how to fix his mistakes. He also wasn't looking forward to dealing with the wrath of his wife when he got home. Especially since he didn't really get the chance to explain why he was tackling someone in the woods today.

As they ate, they chatted briefly. Although the conversation stayed very light and positive. It was as though they were all walking on eggshells around one another, at least Charming was as he spoke to Emma. Killian just continued to observe the interaction from the outside look in.

Nearing the end of the food on their plates, Granny brought out two bags with food for Emma to take back to the station. She went to pay for them and Granny insisted that she just take them. It wasn't like her family didn't help to fuel Granny's income on a daily basis as it was anyways. Emma thanked her for the food and soon she and Killian left Granny's to go back to their captives. Charming had decided to call it an early day and pick up Neal from Blue and head home.

As they crossed the road and walked up to the station, Killian pulled Emma in close wrapping his arms around her waist so that she was flush against him. He gently pressed his lips into hers and smiled when she melted into his embrace and wrapped her arms around his neck, the bags of food resting against his back. After a few moments, Emma pulled away and rested her forehead against his as she nibbled on her lower lip. Killian smiled at her as he leaned back.

"I haven't had the chance to say hello properly since this morning," he said cheerfully.

"I'm not complaining," Emma said with a laugh. She pressed her lips against his once more quickly before letting go of him. "Hello. Let's get them their food."

"Aye, that would be a good plan," Killian said with a nod as he leaned over to open the door for her. She smiled and nodded her head thanking him for the extra hand as she walked inside.

"Who's hungry?" she called as she walked into the room. The two of them hadn't moved an inch since they had left. She laughed to herself quietly as she approached the cells. Each of them came up to the bars and reached through them happily accepting the bag from her before returning to their benches.

Killian watched on in awestruck wonder at how she interacted with them. She treated them like they were people instead of criminals or crazy people, no matter what the truth about them may be. It reminded him much the way that she had treated him after she had gotten to know him. At first she may not have trust him, but given time he had proved to her that he could be trusted. One of his early attempts had at least ended well for him.

Emma: Did you really save his life? Killian: Does that surprise you? Emma: Well, you and David aren't exactly, how do you say it? Mates.

Killian: Doesn't mean I'd leave your father to perish on this island.

Emma: Thank you.

Killian: Perhaps gratitude is in order now.

Emma: Yeah, that's what the thank you was for.

Killian: Oh, that all your father's life is worth to you? Emma: Please, you couldn't handle it.

Killian: Perhaps you're the one who couldn't handle it. What was that?

Emma: A one time thing.

There was one thing about that kiss that he had never told her. She was right, he couldn't handle it. He knew from that moment on that one kiss from her would never be enough to satisfy him. That was when the chase for her truly began. He smiled proudly to himself as he thought about the ring he, Snow, and Henry had picked out. He couldn't wait to give it to her. The proposal would be the last mad dash for the finish line of her heart. All he needed was to hear that one simple word come out of her mouth.

When Emma turned back around from talking to Hyde, she noticed that Killian seemed to be lost in thought. She quirked her brow as she walked over to him stopping just in front of him and crossing her arms over her chest as she waited for him to come back to reality. She started making silly faces at him, which last all of about five minutes before he came back to life.

"How long have you been standing there?" he asked slightly embarrassed that he had been caught spacing out.

Emma laughed, "Not long. What were you thinking about?" She hopped up to take a seat on her desk beside where he was leaning up against it. She interlaced her fingers together and rested her hands on his shoulder placing her chin atop her hands.

He turned his head slightly to look at her. "You. Us. Our first kiss." He winked and placed a gentle kiss on the side of her head.

"That kiss was pretty intense," she replied, her lips turning up into a wicked smile. "One of our better ones, if I had to pick a favorite."

Killian squared up to where she was sitting and stood between her legs. "Oh really?" he asked with a smirk quirking his brow.

She giggled in response as she nodded her head up and down furiously. He rolled his eyes and leaned in to kiss her gently before resuming his spot beside her. This was not the place for them to start getting playful. Especially when they had a captive audience. That was something that they could enjoy once they got home again. Something he was greatly looking forward to, but for now he decided to change the topic.

"So how'd your morning go?" he asked placing an arm around her shoulders urging her to rest her head on his shoulder.

She sighed softly. "It went about how I expected it too. He's willing to talk to me whenever I need someone to talk to, but he's not sure what any of it means. He had a suggestion as to someone else he thinks might be able to help me…"

"The crocodile?" Killian asked quirking his brow. He felt her nodding her head slowly against his shoulder. He leaned his head down and rested it against hers. He knew how badly she did not want to have to talk to Gold about all of this. Hell, he didn't want her to have to talk to him ever. Unfortunately as the Sheriff of Storybrooke, she didn't really have a choice and now her magic was going to force her to talk to him about something else. He turned his head to kiss the top of her's briefly. "I'm sorry, love."

She lifted her head to look at him, a soft smile on her face. "It's okay," she said softly. "I knew it would come down to it eventually. I don't know why I even got my hopes up that I would be able to avoid him completely in this situation."

"Do you want me to come with you?" he asked.

"I wouldn't say no," she said quietly. She leaned in and kissed him softly on the cheek. "Thank you."

"Of course, love," Killian replied. He looked over at Jekyll and Hyde before turning back to Emma. "Ready to head home?"

She nodded her head and hopped down off the desk. "Just let me get them ready for the night." She walked over to the closet opposite the station and returned with a small stack of blankets and pillows. "Give me a hand?" she asked motioning towards Hyde's cell with her head.

Killian happily obliged and walked over to open the cell for her. He watched as she handed part of the stack to Hyde and have a brief exchange with him before she exited his cell and closed it behind her before opening Jekyll's cell slightly. Her time spent with Jekyll was very brief. It was almost as though she couldn't stand to be in the cell with him for an extended period of time. Although based on the information that she had shared with them earlier, he really didn't want her to spend a lot of time with Jekyll.

"Good night, gentlemen," she said as she took Killian's hand pulling him along with her out the door. Killian turned off the lights as they exited.

Once Emma and Killian had left the station, Jekyll quickly crossed his cell and waited for Hyde to notice him standing there. He made a point of sighing audibly.

"What do you want, Jekyll?" Hyde asked as he put the finishing touches on covering the cot to make the place he would be resting his head more comfortable before turning to face his alter ego.

"What did you tell her?" Jekyll replied quickly. The man's beady eyes were moving about rapidly as he eyed up Hyde. Every single piece of his plan was most likely gone to hell, so making a fool out of himself now would not change the outcome. "She could barely look at me when she walked into my cell and she couldn't get out of here fast enough. That means you told her something to lower her trust in me."

"What she and I discussed is none of your concern until Ms. Swan decides to tell you what it is I said. I'm sure she will talk to you soon enough. She's not like the police in London. She wants to have all of evidence before she does any official paperwork," Hyde replied calmly taking a seat once again on the bench that he had spent most of the afternoon on.

"Don't think I missed that subtle reminder about Mary. She was mine and you stole her away from me. She deserved what she got," Jekyll growled.

"She didn't deserve to die because she didn't reciprocate your affections!" Hyde yelled back. "Do not speak ill of the dead. If that really is what happened to her. I never got to find out."

Jekyll tossed his head back in a fit of laughter. He had never heard anything so hysterical in all his life. There was no doubt in his mind that Mary had died because if she hadn't then he would have been even more of a failure than he already considered himself to be. At least if he had killed the wretched woman he would have succeeded at something. As he lowered his head back down, he looked at his alter ego sitting pathetically on the bench. Slowly he crossed his arms over his chest.

"You are a pathetic excuse for a villain. What happened to the tough macho man who demanded that all in this sad little town bow down to you and accept you as their leader?" Jekyll mocked before walking over to the small cot in his cell.

Hyde looked over at the person sitting opposite him and shook his head. Over the last few weeks he had come to accept the fact that no matter where he went there was always going to be someone with more power than him. There were also always going to be people around him that were simply more important to him. He also had learned one more very important thing.

"I learned that villains can't have get their happy endings if they are set on extracting their revenge. Something I would have thought you learned in London," he said snidely rolling his eyes before laying down on the cot below him.

Jekyll opened and closed his mouth a few times, but decided against. He didn't need to make the situation any worse than he already had. He had said enough to get under Hyde's skin. However there was still a part of him that was very desperate to know what was said in that interview room. It was times like this that he wished he had his own set of magical powers.

One of the many hidden secrets of Storybrooke was the location of cameras in important buildings all around town. There was a small flashing red light blinking just above Emma's desk. It would give her the perfect few of the two cells and their inhabitants. It would also give her the confession that she needed to help prove Hyde's innocence.

[chicagoindiecritics]

New from Al and Linda Lerner on Movies and Shakers: Marriage Story

The success or failure of Writer/Director Noah Baumbach’s examination of love and divorce rests not only on his own experiences, but on his pairing Adam Driver and Scarlett Johansson which exceeds expectations. It’s also the supporting ensemble that propels the humor and the drama making this a fully formed, satisfying portrayal of these lives. Laura Dern, Ray Liotta and Alan Alda are farcically funny as stereotypical divorce lawyers. 

Baumbach’s story of the deconstruction of a marriage and the reconstruction of individual lives begins his story with some clever misdirection. We see Charlie (Driver) and Nicole (Johansson) reading their notes as a voice over showing scenes of what makes each other so special. The tenderness and love in those notes show the care and compassion with which they hold each other. Then the reveal comes when this is an assignment from their mediator that, unfortunately is never read out loud. If it had been, the course of this film and their relationship might have been very different.

Divorce is a well-worn cinematic theme, notably in Kramer vs. Kramer or The War of the Roses, but here, Baumbach inserts his brand of talky-humor, some of it even verging on slapstick. Among these best of these are Nicole’s sister and mother player by Merritt Wever and Julie Hagerty. The scene where they over-think serving divorce papers is hilarious moment of physical comedy. 

Charlie and Nicole are a New York couple ensconced in the artsy theatre community. He’s the director of a troupe and she’s his leading actress. To the outside world they are in a perfect place with a bright, loving son (Azhy Robertson) to round out the fairy-tale life. Except Nicole longs to make new career move back home in Los Angeles. Even though she knows he respects her talent, Nicole resents Charlie’s oversized ego deciding what they produce and where they live. He’s wants to stay in New York with his play about to go to Broadway. 

Baumbach’s visual palette of New York and Los Angeles locations serves as a metaphor for the mindset of the players. The lifestyle juxtapositions between the coasts turns into the battle for laughs. The running joke about “You can’t beat the space” in LA gets a reaction every time. Baumbach also takes the opportunity to poke some fun at the ostentatious, self important LA show folk while taking multiple pokes at the name dropping, over-acting Broadway theatre denizens. Legendary composer Randy Newman adds both lighter background as well as the delicate, emotionally charged musical score at the most dramatic scenes. 

The middle act of the script turns much darker when the lawyers get into the act. But even here, Baumbach finds ways to lighten the mood. Nicole hires tough LA divorce attorney Nora (Laura Dern) who complains about looking “schleppy” while dressed in stylish red stilettos and, extremely expensive jeans. Charlie tries to get a softer, less expensive lawyer, still hellbent on getting custody of his son he loves so much, even though Henry seems often to reject him. Enter Alan Alda, back at the top of his game playing the smart, truth telling advisor with quick come-backs. He lays out Charlie’s tough spot, especially regarding custody of their son. Faced with that, Charlie surprisingly turns to the nuclear option for representation, Jay, played by ruthless, yet exceedingly funny Ray Liotta. He’s the caricature of the expensive shark-lawyer. In court, Jay tries to destroy Nicole implying she’s a drug user, asking “Coke?” Charlie won’t take the bait and responds with a low key funny line, “Not in any real way. She was addicted to Tums for awhile.”

Baumbach and cinematographer Robbie Ryan (The Favourite, The Meyerowitz Stories) shot so many closeups of Driver and Johansson as Charlie and Nicole. They capture their individual reactions, and to each other, to the turmoil they’ve unintentionally created for themselves and their son, Henry. The long scene where they meet at Charlie’s new apartment to discuss how the situation has escalated is a case in point. It’s especially disturbing when it boils over. 

Even in the darkest moments of the story, Baumbach tries to inject a bit of humor. Deciding what to order for lunch during uncomfortably tough legal negotiations becomes a respite and a brief, appreciated diversion. Trick or Treating with Henry with each parent separately is difficult for all involved. One attempt at humor that fell flat involves the awkward scene when a vapid, humorless and clueless social worker spends an evening observing Charlie’s parenting skills. Henry doesn’t help. He’s not very cooperative on any level. The disaster ends in the worst possible way that literally involves bloodletting.  

Baumbach’s resolution of this story reminds us that time does provide a chance to reflect and heal. As ugly as the story gets, this marriage story allows these characters the ability to regain their balance and forgive. The shot where Nicole and Charlie are facing each other and one morphs into the other shows they still care about each other’s well being even though they’ve gone their own ways. 

The prime example of that is when Charlie, long post divorce, is at a bar with his theatre company and sings an emotionally charged rendition of “Being Alive” from Stephen Sondheim’s Broadway show, Company. This beautiful moment lets him, and us, know that he might be ready to stop take a chance on love again even if it could mean pain. Who knew he could sing? This is drives home Driver’s truly stand-out performance. 

As a couple, Scarlett Johansson and Adam Driver created a conventional happy family that fell apart. But individually, Driver soars in his performance of a self-centered, work-obsessed man who travels an agonizing path learning what love might actually be. Scarlett Johansson plays the good cop trying to find freedom from her husband as painlessly as possible, but comes to realize it’s just not that easy. 

Baumbach makes this a heartbreaking saga about divorce and the end of a relationship, but thankfully shows with positivity in the end, that the love that precedes it can never be totally erased.  

Netflix             2 Hours 16 Minutes          R

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[auburnfamilynews]

Hey, what do you want to know about these guys?

Thanks to the folks over at Roll Bama Roll for answering some questions about their boa constrictor of a football team. Hope we can make a good showing against them, but who knows. We’re just lowly ole little brother Auburn.

...

So, Alabama is really good. For the hype that the Tide received coming into the season, has it been met?

I actually think it’s been exceeded. We all expected the offense to be good, with the trio of sophomore receivers returning, Damien Harris returning, and the offensive line replacing only two starters with former 5-star recruits. Oh, and a QB that won a national championship in overtime. But I don’t think even the most ardent of Bama fans expected Tua to end up being this good. The defense lost the entire secondary and over half of the front seven, so we expected a step back. Add in pretty much an entirely new coaching staff aside from Saban, and we all had some uncertainty going in. The defense struggled early this season, but has really come into it’s own the last few weeks (though obviously you have to temper that with the fact that LSU and Miss St. have some pretty atrocious offenses).

Obviously, everyone is looking at Tua and the health of his knee. He seems fine, and poised to win you guys another Heisman. If he does somehow go out, what’s the confidence of Bama fans in Jalen or Mac Jones to win an Iron Bowl/SEC Championship Game?

I think we could win the Iron Bowl and maybe the SEC championship with a fully healthy Jalen Hurts, but it would be a lot tighter than with Tua back there. Unfortunately, Jalen is not fully healthy, as he’s still coming off his ankle surgery. We aren’t going very far in the playoffs without Tua though, so please don’t hurt him this week.

Mac Jones on the other hand... The freshman just isn’t ready. We aren’t winning anything if he is forced to be the guy for the majority of the game.

The offensive lineup around Tua has been great, and there seem to be a lot more weapons than in years past where the attack almost seemed like it depended on the deep ball to Cooper or Ridley. Who are the most important skill players you’ve got?

This year has been interesting in that regard. There’s always been one focal skill player on pretty much every Alabama team, except maybe the 2012 year when Eddie Lacy and TJ Yeldon had a nearly 50-50 split. At receiver, Jerry Jeudy, Devonte Smith, and Henry Ruggs all came in the same class and worked on the second team with Tua all 2017, then graduated to first team at the same time that he did. Ruggs and Smith were more of a factor than Jeudy in 2017, but have both dealt with some nagging injuries this year that let Jeudy take the lead, statistically. At running back, you would have thought that senior Damien Harris would be the go-to man this year, but it seems that Saban has been intentionally spelling him a lot all year to keep him fresh-- for late in the game, late in the season, and likely for the pros as well. Josh Jacobs, a change-of-pace guy that dealt with injuries his whole career, has really stepped up and become an all-around back. He catches the ball well, blocks better than any running back, and has added a good bit of power to his previously only elusive game. Then, there’s sophomore Najee Harris, the physical beast who was once the #1 recruit in the nation. As a pure runner, Najee is better than the other two, and is nearly impossible to tackle one on one. His spotty blocking has kept him behind the other two on the depth chart, but he’s always a danger to come in the 2nd or 3rd quarter and grind out some grueling 8-yard gains and give the offense a spark.

All that said, I think I’d actually say that freshman receiver Jaylen Waddle might be the most important. The diminutive speedster was expected to come in as an unrefined athlete who excelled at juking people, but needed work as a true receiver. Instead, he’s seemed to have become Tua’s most trusted target in critical situations. He may not have the most catches or yards, but he’s consistently made tough catches and squirted through traffic for a first down in the most important moments.

Looking at the results so far, the defense has been fine and they’ve always had a big cushion to play with. It’s never been imperative that they make a stop to save the game. How effective are they compared to some of the early-Saban lockdown units?

For probably the first time in Saban’s entire tenure, the linebackers are not the leading position group of the defense. Mack Wilson and Dylan Moses have been good and flashed talent, but they haven’t truly been difference makers. The outside linebackers Anfernee Jennings and Christian Miller have been solid if unspectacular, and are really missing Terrell Lewis, the physical freak of a pass rusher who tore his ACL just before the season started. The secondary has been much better than expected, especially true freshman Patrick Surtain Jr. Safety Deionte Thompson has been absolutely stellar at defending the deep centerfield, and strong safety Xavier McKinney has been excellent in run support and blitzes. Saivion Smith has had some struggles after replacing Trevon Diggs, who went out earlier this season with a broken leg. He’s talented with the ball in the air, but has really struggled in run defense and tackling on the perimeter.

Then there’s Quinnen Williams. The undersized nose tackle has been nothing short of a revelation. He started the season well, and has gotten better and better every single game. Sometimes, a guy just gets in the zone. And Quinnen is in the zone. He’s been nearly unblockable lately, leaving Gary Danielson laughing and speechless. Whether it’s been stopping a run or messing with the QB, Williams has been an absolute terror. And that kind of disruption up front can hide all sorts of minor problems that a defense might actually have.

Twitter has had fun with #BamaKickers because there have been some missed extra points and the like. If the game somehow comes down to special teams, how confident are Tide fans in the team’s ability to convert a game-winning kick, and why has this been such a problem for Saban over the years?

Ha, if it comes down to special teams, it’s game over. The fans have absolutely 0 confidence. Every year, I think that the field goal kicking has to get better than last season, and every year, it just gets worse. It’s pretty comical at this point. I’m not sure why Saban hasn’t totally given up kicking field goals. If the Tide had went for 2 after every touchdown this year, they’d only have to convert 44% of the time to score more that the kickers have trying to hit extra points. And you can’t tell me that Tua and company wouldn’t be better than 44% from the 2 yard line.

As for why? It’s just psychology at this point. It all started in 2011 when Cade Foster missed like three different should-be game winners in the “game of the century” 9-6 loss against LSU. It’s just gone downhill ever since. The kick six didn’t exactly help either, as you well know. Any kicker that kicks for Alabama now has all that history in the back of their mind, and it won’t go away. And every kicker that messes up just adds to the baggage to pass along to the next one. Until we get some sociopath of a kicker to break the streak, it will probably just keep on going.

You’re Nick Saban. What’s your biggest worry heading into the Iron Bowl?

The tackling on the perimeter defense. Auburn has some major speed, and the corners have been a bit suspect on keeping contain and forcing runners back in to the linebackers. Plus the linebackers have a little bit of a history with struggling with misdirection.

On the other side of the ball, the offensive line is dealing with some injuries, with left guard Deonte Brown likely out with a Turf Toe, and right guard Alex Leatherwood is day-to-day with a bum ankle. The line REALLY struggled against Mississippi State without Brown, and it very nearly got Tua killed. Fortunately, the Bulldogs’ offense was quite offensive to watch, so it wasn’t a big issue. But if Auburn’s defensive line can exploit that, while the offense takes advantage of the secondary’s tackling, it might be a long night for the Tide.

How does this game play out and what’s your score prediction?

Ultimately, I think Tua is finally healthy and comfortable. And as long as he’s healthy and comfortable, I can’t see Alabama losing another game. The Tide offense will start hot and jump to an early 14-0 lead before Auburn’s defense settles in and forces a turnover and a couple of stops. Auburn gets a score out of it, but Alabama answers with another touchdown in a 2-minute drill, going into halftime with a 21-7 lead. The second half is a little more bland. Alabama hits a big play early in the half for a touchdown, and follows up quickly with a defensive score off a turnover. Auburn mounts up and puts together a drive in the 4th quarter to make it 35-14, but doesn’t manage to score again as the Tide works to drain the clock.

...

Heathens.

from College and Magnolia - All Posts https://www.collegeandmagnolia.com/2018/11/23/18107519/opponent-q-a-alabama