#though if their arc ends with chase “getting better” and emma staying with him i will fucking riot.

[mkulias]

i "like" chemma but obviousy not in a "i ship them" way but instead in a "i find it fascinating how these two are so absolutely terrible together and only make each other worse and yet continue to get back together. i want to study them under a microscope and figure out why the fuck they are like this" kind of way

[daniclaytcn]

distance

distance

Summary: “Dark Ones don’t care much for beauty. Or anything that represents life. Do they?”-Alternative take on the Dark Swan arc. In which Killian confronts Emma about the events in Camelot a bit sooner.

A/N: This has been sitting in my drafts for the longest time and I finally got around to editing it. Hope you all enjoy!

Tagging those who may be interested: @shady-swan-jones @snowbellewells @withheartfulloflove @capswantrue @alyssinmymind @kiwistreetswan @winterbaby89 @princesse-swan @cryingaggressively @myswan-myhappyending-mylove @kmomof4 @therooksshiningknight @fierytempestarii @captainswanfanfic @captainswancygnet @cshappybeginning @blowmiakisscolin @ohmakemeahercules @superchocovian @jonirobinson64 @several-kittens @badwolfandtimelords @tiganasummertree @enchanted-captain-swan @gingerchangeling @snidgetsafan @resident-of-storybrooke @badwolfreturns @golfgirld @yeratimelordkatniss @myrandomstuff2016 @killian-morelike-killingme @spartanguard @thislassishooked @theonceoverthinker  @high-seas-swan Please let me know if you’d like to be added/removed from my tag list.

It’s been a week since they returned from Camelot.

 One week, spent in trying to find a way to recall the six that are gone from their memories. And for Killian, it’s been one very long, exhausting week filled to the brim with research, pent up frustration that he’s probably not as good at hiding as he thinks he is and little to no sleep.

 illian stares at the open book in front of him, eyes glazed over, trying his best to keep focused. It’s a losing battle. He can barely remember what the book is about, the words seem to be spinning and there’s darkness, just little tendrils of it at the edges of his vision, creeping in slowly, threatening to swallow him whole-

 “Killian?”

 The darkness vanishes and Killian thinks he must have imagined it. Blinking slowly, he looks up at Belle, whose face is a mixture of confusion and worry.

 “You’ve been staring at the same page for the past ten minutes,” Belle says, concerned. “Is everything alright?”

 “I’m fine, lass,” Killian assures her, but it’s rather half-hearted. “I’m just a little tired.”

 Little would be an understatement. Killian has spent the last few nights wide awake in his cabin, unable to go to sleep no matter how tired his body feels. Even drinking doesn’t help.

 “I’ll say,” Belle murmurs. “You look terrible.”

 “Come now, love. I look as devilishly handsome as always.” Belle looks unamused at his poor attempt at humor.

 “I’m serious, Killian,” Belle insists. “You look like you haven’t slept in days.” Killian winces at her all too accurate assumption. “Go back to your ship and get some rest. I’ll finish up here.”

 “Are you sure?” David and Mary Margaret are with Regina, trying to find a way to restore their memories. If Killian left now, Belle would be alone with the research.

 “Yes,” Belle says firmly. “I’ll be fine. Go.”

 Killian leaves the library, but he doesn’t return to his ship. Instead, he finds himself wandering in the direction of the house Emma has taken up residence in.

 He pauses outside the fence, looking at little wistfully at Emma’s car parked in the driveway, before diverting his attention to the house itself.

 Killian needs to see her. He knows their meeting on the Jolly Roger ended badly, the stunned and hurt expression on her face still haunts him. He still needs to see her. To say what, he doesn’t know, but…

 Killian almost knocks on the front door but then thinks better of it, knowing she probably won’t answer.

 The door is unlocked and he goes in.

 Stepping into the living room, a shiver runs down his spine. The air reeks of dark magic. Killian isn’t sure of how and why he can feel it, but he just can; the darkness assaulting his senses like thousands of sharp, unforgiving needles.

 Killian glances around cautiously. Emma is nowhere to be seen and she doesn’t appear out of thin air the way he expected her to when he entered her personal space. Somewhat relieved and saddened at the same time, Killian moves towards the mysterious locked door he’d seen before, when a flash of pink catches his eye.

 There’s a single, pink middlemist rose lying on the mantelpiece.

 It’s only a simple flower and Killian should really be diverting his attentions to other important things, but he finds himself inexplicably drawn to it. He grips the rose gently by the stem, twirling it absently as he tries to remember where he’s seen it before.

 Killian shudders slightly, feeling the dark magic that cloaks the flower, preserving it perfectly. Every instinct in his body is screaming at him to drop the flower and get the hell away from this place, but he can’t.

 He needs answers.

 And then Killian hears her voice, breaking the oppressive silence, warming and chilling him at the same time.

 “Killian.”

 The minute he steps into the house, Emma can instantly feel it.

 Killian’s presence washes over her like a wave, calming her and quickening her heartbeat simultaneously. Emma’s hands around the hilt of Excalibur tremble violently and she sets the sword down hastily.

 For a moment, she contemplates staying down where she is, in the dungeons below the house. If Killian can’t find her, he’ll leave and maybe that’s for the best. His words from before still hurt terribly. And then again, doesn’t she deserve it?

 Emma feels for the chain around her neck, hidden under the collar of her dress. She grips the ring Killian gave her through the cloth and takes in a shuddering breath, remembering the moment he gave it to her.

 “It’s a reminder, that you’ve got a piercing eyed, smoldering pirate here, who loves you.”

 What he said then was such a contrast to what he said just a few days ago.

 “I loved you.”

 Go to him, the darkness urges. Punish him for what he said, rip his throat out. Oh, wait… the darkness lets out a terrible high pitched chuckle, sneering at her. That won’t work, will it?

 Shut up, Emma snarls back, but it simply laughs at her.

 Emma sighs and glances at Excalibur.

 Before she can second guess herself, she quickly magicks herself to the living room.

 Killian stands with his back to her, holding the middlemist rose. Emma’s heart clenches painfully at the sight and a lump rises in her throat. In the field where he gave her that rose, he chased her demons away and comforted her. And in the same field, he’d almost bled to death while she begged and sobbed for him to stay with her.

 You failed, dearie, the darkness says maliciously. You failed him and the rest of your family. If you had been stronger, this wouldn’t have happened. I know what you’re thinking. You’re wishing you were the one who died in that field instead, aren’t you?

 Emma’s nails dig into her palm as she tries her best to ignore the voices. In Camelot, Killian and Henry helped her block out the darkness, doing everything they could to help her resist it.

 But she had given in.

 The darkness is right

 She has failed everyone.

 She should have been the one to have gotten nicked by Excalibur. Not Killian.

 “Killian,” Emma whispers and sees him stiffen, his shoulders tensing before he turns to face her.

 “Swan,” Killian replies, his voice tight and his eyes guarded. Emma aches at the distrust in his voice and longs for those few, beautiful days in Camelot; where he looked at her with love and tenderness in his face, when he stood by her every step of the way, when he pressed his brother’s ring into her hand and implored her to stay safe.

 She longs for the time when he loved her.

 He loves her.

 The moment their eyes lock, Killian can feel it, can feel the intense love that rushes through his body, spirit and soul at the sight of her. He knows he’s being irrational. She isn’t his Emma, it as clear as day. The gold in her hair has faded to silver, the jade of her eyes to a dull black. Gone are the red leather jackets and jeans, replaced by silk and satin that’s as dark as night. Her warm, bright smiles have turned into calculating; knowing smirks and the light in her magic has turned to darkness.

 She isn’t his Emma.

 But gods, he still loves her.

 “Beautiful, isn’t it?” Emma murmurs, jerking her head in the direction of the rose. Killian glances at it and nods.

 “Aye. I’m surprised that you’re keeping it around, though.”

 Emma raises an elegant brow. “And why is that?”

 “Dark Ones don’t care much for beauty. Or anything that represents life,” Killian challenges. “Do they?”

 An emotion he can’t quite place flickers over Emma’s face but then her lips stretch into a predatory smirk as she strolls over to him, her movements graceful and cat like.

 “Well, it depends…” Emma says lowly, reaching up to trail her fingers over his jaw line. Killian stares at her defiantly, determined not to reveal how her touch affects him, even now.

 And yet, he knows. He can recognize the flirting for what it is: a self defense mechanism. It’s what he used to do back when they had first met, after all. Killian has always been able to read her like a book and now’s not any different.

 “After all, you are quite pretty,” Emma continues. She leans in, her breath hot on is lips. Killian’s heart almost stops as he wonders if she’ll kiss him and hates himself for the desire that sparks under his skin.

 But then Emma pulls away, something dark and bitter in her smile before she turns away from him.

 “Too bad you don’t care about me anymore,” she says flippantly and the forced light hearted cheer in her voice is almost too much too bear.

 “I apologize,” Killian says lowly and Emma spins around to face him, her eyes flashing dangerously.

 “For when you refused to accept me or for when you said you did not love me?”

 “For both,” Killian says truthfully. “But tell me, love,” the endearment slips out without him noticing and Emma’s face softens. “What happened in Camelot? How did the darkness consume you?”

 “Who says it did?” Emma asks silkily. “Maybe I just liked it.”

 “Liar.”

 Emma jolts at the loudly spoken word and stares at him in disbelief. And yet, it shouldn’t surprise her, after all this time, how well he can read her, how well he knows her.

 “Lying, am I?” Emma sounds far bolder than she feels. “That’s funny, coming from a pirate,” she hisses the word like an insult, but even her deliberate way of making Killian run doesn’t faze him.

 “’The Dark One lies, the Dark One tricks,’” Killian quotes and this time, he’s the one who steps forward, encroaching her space. Emma’s breath hitches at his proximity and her gaze darts to his lips for a moment. It’s been far too long…

 “You done nothing but lie to me for the past week, Emma,” Killian continues and she winces, digging her nails so deep into her palm that she draws blood. “And I’m sick of it,” he adds furiously. “Tell me the truth. Tell me what happened in Camelot. Tell me what we-what I,” his voice cracks on the syllable. “Did to fail you.”

 Emma sucks in a breath sharply. He couldn’t be any farther from the truth. She was the one who had failed them. She was the one who had made so many mistakes.

 This is her mess and she has to clean it up.

 “You didn’t fail me,” Emma says quietly and Killian looks surprised.

 “But everyone else did?”

 His blue eyes bore into hers and a shiver ripples down Emma’s spine at the intensity of his gaze. She wraps her arms around herself and turns away, her voice defensive when she speaks.

 “Why do you care? After all, you don’t love me anymore.”

 “That was a lie,” Killian’s quiet admission makes her whirl around, eyes wide in shock.

 “I was lying,” Killian continues. “To you and to myself.”

 Tears burn brightly in her eyes and Emma ducks her head, doing her best to blink them away. “If you knew what I have done,” she says, her voice breaking a little. “You wouldn’t be saying that, then.”

 “Let me be the judge of that,” Killian insists. “Emma, look at me.”

 She does and is almost blown away by the love and gentleness she sees in his face. The guilt washes over her once more and she thinks wildly that he wouldn’t be looking at her like this, not if he knew what had happened in Camelot-

 “Emma, meeting you taught me one thing,” Killian says. “It taught me that all sins can be forgiven when someone loves you. And I love you, Emma Swan, not matter what you’ve done.”

 Emma doesn’t notice the tear the spills down her cheek until Killian tenderly brushes it away with a swipe of his thumb. His touch on her skin burns and Emma closes her eyes, leaning into his touch.

 “Tell me what happened, my love,” Killian whispers, resting his forehead against hers. He entwines their fingers and presses their joined hands to his chest. “Tell me what happened, so I can help you.”

 Emma kisses him, then and Killian responds immediately, his hand cradling the back of her head. Emma sighs into the kiss, fire roaring through her veins when his tongue darts out to tease the seam of her lips.

 She pulls away, then and smiles lightly and the wrecked look on his face.

 “Are you going to tell me the truth, now?”

 Emma sighs softly and steps back, releasing their hands. “It might be better if I just show you.”

 Her heart pounds fiercely as she summons Excalibur. The sword appears in a cloud of black smoke. Emma grips the hilt and shuts her eyes, trying to brace herself.

 She’ll tell him the truth and he’ll probably be angry at her, but its okay.

 As long as he’s alive, it’s okay.

 And he’ll forgive her eventually, because he loves her and they’ll defeat the darkness.

 Together.

[eddycurrents]

For the week of 10 September 2018

Quick Bits:

 Archie: 1941 #1 is fairly morose and downbeat in tone and execution as a recently graduated Archie Andrews seemingly sleepwalks through this opening chapter, depressed and anxious about the future, both in terms of what he wants to do with his life and with the growing fear of the war in Europe. It’s not bad, elevated by wonderful art from Peter Krause and Kelly Fitzpatrick.

| Published by Archie Comics

Birthright #31 returns after an extended break, opening a new arc following Kallista and Brennan, while diving into the backstory of Mastema. I like Joshua Williamson taking us off down this thread and the art from Andrei Bressan and Adriano Lucas is as beautiful as always.

| Published by Image / Skybound

Cemetery Beach #1 is a very entertaining start to this new action/sci-fi mini-series from Warren Ellis, Jason Howard, and Fonografiks. It’s been a while since I’ve seen some of Ellis’ dialogue be this funny, but it’s very welcome.

| Published by Image

Champions #24 tackles the increasing problem of school shootings with the added intersection of a world with superheroes. Now, that may sound like a recipe for disaster, condescending patronizing or an after school special with saccharine solutions, but that’s not what’s presented here. Jim Zub, Sean Izaakse, Marcio Menyz, Erick Arciniega, and Clayton Cowles instead present a thoughtful story of the helplessness of the situation, that you really should pick up and read for yourself.

| Published by Marvel

Crowded #2 is as good, possibly even better, than the first issue as we get further development of Vita and Charlie’s characters, and a broader understanding of many of the facets of the series’ world. This really is a great comic, wonderful humour, amazing premise, interesting characters, and beautiful art. Christopher Sebela, Ro Stein, Ted Brandt, Tríona Farrell, and Cardinal Rae have something special here. Don’t sleep on it.

| Published by Image

Exiles #8 is a good jumping-on point, as the team’s history is explored and the issue sets up a new group of antagonists in the Watchers. Saladin Ahmed is doing a great job of building these characters and making their unique alternate realities interesting. Nice guest art this issue from Joe Quinones, Joe Rivera, Jordan Gibson, Chris Sotomayor, and Muntsa Vicente. 

| Published by Marvel

Fantastic Four #2 has a couple things in its opening page that could be considered problematic, the first in its depiction of an alien race that could be an analogue to the racial stereotype of Native Americans as the “noble savage”, the second is of the sexualization of a child. Neither are particularly endearing in how they’re presented and I’m kind of surprised they made it to print.

That being said, the rest of the issue is pretty good. It’s the kind of sci-fi adventure you’d expect from the FF, though it does feel like we’ve been dropped in at the end of an adventure we’ve never seen, and it has beautiful artwork from Sara Pichelli, Elisabetta D’Amico, and Marte Gracia.

| Published by Marvel

Hot Lunch Special #2 is just plain great storytelling. Eliot Rahal, Jorge Fornés, and Taylor Esposito are crafting a crime story here that is the perfect storm of characters, plot, and execution. It’s dense and heavy, navigating through the Khoury family and their shock at the death of their youngest, masterfully told through both dialogue and art.

| Published by AfterShock

Iceman #1 isn’t a bad start to a new series from Sina Grace, this time with Nathan Stockman and Federico Blee joining him for the art duties. While still cracking wise a bit, this seems like it’s going in a much more serious direction than some of Grace’s previous series. Great art, and an interesting hook for a new group trying to “cleanse” mutantkind.

| Published by Marvel

Infinity Wars #3 gives us the twist in the tale that’s going to deliver most of the tie-ins and spin-offs for the series, as Gamora remakes the world and causes the fusion of various heroes. It’s an idea we’ve seen before in things like the merged DC/Marvel Amalgam universe, which could be fun depending on where the creative teams take it.

| Published by Marvel

MCMLXXV #1 is kind of a mash-up of different 70s exploitation film genres, creating an interesting action horror story from Joe Casey, Ian MacEwan, Brad Simpson, and Rus Wooton. MacEwan’s art is very nice, reminding me a bit of Troy Nixey, with some interesting character designs and wonderful depictions of the action.

| Published by Image

Mech Cadet Yu #12 concludes the series with a final battle between the robos and the Sharg, again following the important themes of teamwork and sacrifice. This has been a very entertaining, action-packed story from Greg Pak, Takeshi Miyazawa, Raúl Angulo, and Simon Bowland.

| Published by BOOM! Studios

Oblivion Song #7 is the big answer to the Transference, maybe, as the series turns itself on its ear again with more sweeping changes. I really quite like how Robert Kirkman and Lorenzo de Felici are keeping us on our toes as the series keeps pressing forward. 

| Published by Image / Skybound

Peter Parker: The Spectacular Spider-Man #309 concludes this two-parter focusing on Sandman, with gorgeous art from Chris Bachalo and his army of inkers. This one’s a lot more action-oriented than the quiet reflection upon death in the first chapter, but it’s still very satisfying.

| Published by Marvel

Runaways #13 begins a new arc with some incredible guest art from David Lafuente and Jim Campbell. Along with the return of Alex Wilder, this drops in another old threat for the team, leading to one of the more action-packed issues of the series so far. Still, amidst the chaos, Rainbow Rowell still has a laser-focused eye for character development, giving us some interesting reactions to Wilder’s return.

| Published by Marvel

Scales & Scoundrels #12 concludes this two-part arc with Dorma and with it the series for the foreseeable future. This has been a great all ages fantasy adventure series from Sebastian Girner, Galaad, and Jeff Powell, and I wish it had have caught on better since the quality has been extremely high. Great characters and beautiful art, I do hope they find a way to bring it back in some form, and I highly recommend people to check out the series in the collections. 

| Published by Image

Volition #2 is another beautiful comic. The artwork from Omar Francia is gorgeous with a nice polished sheen to the colours that enriches this world of sentient machines.

| Published by AfterShock

Weapon H #7 continues to be more entertaining than anyone probably thought possible. Though I really quite like Cory Smith’s art, I’m thinking that Ario Anindito’s is even more suited to the weird, alien creatures of this turn in the story.

| Published by Marvel

The Wrong Earth #1 is a solid debut, kicking off new publisher, Ahoy’s, foray into comics. It’s a nice package with a lead story, a back-up comic, some interviews, a one pager, and a short story. It gives nice value for what you’re picking up, especially when you consider the talent involved. 

The lead story from Tom Peyer, Jamal Igle, Juan Castro, Andy Troy, and Rob Steen is the main draw, though. It’s a rather brilliant premise of a superhero crossing alternate realities, switching from a kind of Adam West Batman-esque quaint, bright world to a much darker grim and gritty world, and vice versa. It’s executed very well, capturing the tone and atmosphere for both takes perfectly.

The backmatter also nicely enhances the experience, particularly the back-up comic featuring Stinger from Paul Constant and Frank Cammuso, presented in a kind of retro comics fashion. And a suitably bonkers adventure prose story from Grant Morrison, with illustrations by Rob Steen.

| Published by Ahoy Comics

X-23 #4 pushes further to paint the Cuckoos as out and out villains now. Which is a bit of a shame, much like with Emma Frost, but I can’t deny that Mariko Tamaki isn’t doing something interesting with them and the story overall. Also, Juann Cabal and Nolan Woodard continue to deliver stunning artwork.

| Published by Marvel

X-Men Blue #35 takes a moment for each of the time-tossed original five X-Men to chat with their present day counterparts about going back to their own time, while flashing forward to the seemingly nightmarish future that would exist if they stayed. Obviously with Extinction going on events are a bit out of order, but I still like the handle Cullen Bunn has had on these characters.

| Published by Marvel

Other Highlights: Accell #14, Amazing Spider-Man #5, Astonisher #10, The Beauty #23, Dejah Thoris #8, Charlie’s Angels #4, Daredevil #608, Domino #6, Farmhand #3, GI Joe: A Real American Hero #256, Head Lopper #9, Joe Golem: The Drowning City #1, Journey Into Mystery: Birth of Krakoa #1, League of Extraordinary Gentlemen: Tempest #2, Low Road West #1, Mage: The Hero Denied #12, Moth & Whisper #1, Ms. Marvel #34, Nancy Drew #4, The New World #3, Ninja-K #11, Old Man Logan #47, Proxima Centauri #4, RuinWorld #3, the seeds #2, She Could Fly #3, Sleepless #7, Star Trek: The Next Generation - Terra Incognita #3, Star Wars: Darth Vader #21, Star Wars: The Last Jedi #6, The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl #36, Venom: First Host #3, Wasted Space #5, The Weatherman #4, The Wicked + The Divine #39, World of Tanks: Citadel #5

Recommended Collections: Anthony Bourdain’s Hungry Ghosts, Dissonance - Volume 1, Dry County Complete, DuckTales - Volume 3: Quests & Quacks, Elsewhere - Volume 2, Infinity Countdown, Infinity Countdown Companion, Kick-Ass - Volume 1, Koshchei the Deathless, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers - Volume 6, Oblivion Song - Volume 1, Slam: Next Jam, Star Trek: The Next Generation - Through the Mirror, Star Wars: Darth Vader - Volume 3: Burning Seas, Star Wars: Thrawn, Strangers in Paradise XXV - Volume 1: The Chase

d. emerson eddy did not start a joke that started the whole world crying.

[unwanted-animal]

Hey John! Have you been keeping up with ouat? I stopped watching right before rumple has really short hair? What's happened since?

this is gonna be long erin i’m so sorry 

-sucks in a breath-

So S5 ended with Belle putting herself in a sleeping curse so Rumple could save their baby. He does, and when he get back to storybrooke he takes Hades’ magic crystal and takes the magic from Storybrooke so he can try to wake her. He goes to new york, henry and violet and emma and regina chase him because wanting to wake your pregnant wife is TOTES EVIL GAIS so Snow tells the new villain, Mr. Hyde, that Rumple’s trying to wake his pregnant wife so Hyde steals her and they have to go to the land of untold stories to get her back

s6 starts with rumple getting her back and he goes to “Morpheus”, god of dreams, to wake her. but in the dream, when he’s trying to ease belle’s nightmares and wake her, “Morpheus” reveals himself to be their son all grown up somehow even though he’s a fetus inside belle and now belle is mad at rumple for tricking her when he DIDNT FUCKING DO ANYTHING and so her unborn fetus kisses her and she wakes up and she storms back to storybrooke because reasons apparently.

Anyway she breaks up with rumple AGAIN - they’re married, I want to point out - and goes to stay on the jolly roger because living with the man who tried to kill you three times is apparently better than living with your husband who hasn;’t done ANYTHING wrong in a whole season but what the fuck ever right? anyway hyde is loose and rumple puts a spell on the boat to protect belle and keep the bad guys out but SURPRISE Dr Jekyll is the real bad guy and he was??? already on the boat??? so Hyde uses the dagger to force rumple to stand around useless as Jekyll tries to kill belle

and Captain Rape Bro gets to save her because this show can’t do a fucking thing without trying to paint Admitted Serial Killer and Drunk Captain Hook in a good light

rumple can’t like. look himself in the eyes in a mirror. so he cuts his hair because bob had to cut it for Trainspotting 2 and all their wigs were terrible and could not capture the majesty of the floof

so Belle yells terrible things at rumple for using the spell on the boat and says he cut his hair??? for her??? when no he did it because he hates himself you’ve known him for like a hundred years belle wtf and rumple gets mad and says yeah you’ll only be with me when you need me for something and they stay apart

Belle, throughout the next half season arc, continues to fucking come by rumple’s shop just to insult him. meanwhile regina drinks the potion to separate her and the evil queen just like hyde and jekyll did so the EQ is just. free. because lana is amazing and they wanted two of her. so, fuck yeah for that. but the EQ wants to jump Rumple’s bones even though they’ve NEVER had that sort of relationship and it was always mentor/student - you know, because rumple was in love with C O R A. Her MOM. 

anyway eq is like hey look we can speed up the pregnancy and rumple’s like alright and she kisses him a bunch and he goes to see belle but he doesn’t use the potion. belle uses the ‘IF YOU DO THIS WE’LL NEVER GET BACK TOGETHER’ line she’s been using since s5 because nothing says true love like literal emotional manipulation

so rumple dumps the eq 

there’s like some shears that can cut the strands of fate??? rumple wanted to use them to free their son from any ties to the darkness(tm) but hook gets a hold of them and rumple has decided that was dumb anyway

Belle refuses to let rumple anywhere near her or the child so when the EQ speeds up her pregnancy- which she blames rumple for, ugh - she gives baby Gideon to the Shady Blue Fairy.

Who gets beat up.

The baby is taken by the black fairy, rumple’s mum, and like taken to a land where he’s aged up into an emo brat

and again, belle blames rumple for this

also emma has dreams about a cloaked figure killing her and she thinks it’s regina but she’s also super anxious because OH NO SHE WANTS TO BE HOOK’S HAPPY ENDING BECAUSE HE DESERVES ONE AND SHE WANTS TO GIVE HIM BABIES TO MAKE HIM HAPPY and Archie is like “fuck this y’all need Jaybus they don’t pay me enough for this shit”

Anyway the figure turns out to be Gideon who wants to be the saviour.... because???

for some stupid reason Snowing is cursed so one half of them is always a sleep i think the EQ did that i don’t know

anyway the EQ gets ahold of... the lamp? something? and makes a wish that emma gets put in like her perfect world so she’s put into a wish realm where she’s a princess and she married Bae but he died and her parents are still the rulers and it’s kinda cute but Regina follows her in and pretends to be the EQ so she can wake emma up and she does!

Also hook’s old and grey and has a huge beer gut and it revitalized me

So emma and regina are gonna go home but then! LO! A ROBIN HOOD!

robin’s not even a hero anymore he’s just a fuckin layabout thief

in a Gay Panic(tm) regina’s like eeeeyyyyy come home with us bc i can’t exist without a white man in my life apparently and they have to go find pinnochio who’s still a shifty bastard and they go through a tree wardrobe back to storybrooke because fuck continuity 

and now gideon is back and he’s emoing all over storybrooke and there’s sexual tension between him and rumple ‘cause he blames rumple even though rumple didn’t do??? a fucking thing??? and rumple’s like ‘fine then punish me’ chicka bow but gideon’s dead set on becoming the saviour so prances about in his voldemort cloak and belle’s like ‘shit we messed up’ and i’m like ‘YOU messed up miss gold but whatever’ and they seem to be bonding but we all know adam and eddy hate the rumbelle fandom so  ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ who knows

and that’s about where we are right now, s6 is still airing and it’s bad 

[lotornomiko]

The Shattered Dream Of Innocence Chapter Thirteen

Brand spanking new summary!

Adults can’t be trusted, Emma Swan knows this first hand. They lie and they hurt, and act with an evil that leads to all kind of ruin. They shatter dreams and destroy innocence, and more than not trusting them, Emma has never wanted to grow up to be just like them. Never once tempted, never once dreaming, she’s about to find out that becoming an adult is not just inevitable, it’s a fate that just might be worth dying for.

This unavoidable state, this end to her childhood? It comes in the form of a storm dark pirate named Captain Hook. Through her encounters with the pirate, Emma’s about to learn it all, the joys and the sorrows of being an adult, the heartbreak and elation of letting go. There’s a choice to be made here, a future that might just be worth reaching for, if her friends and her family don’t tear her apart. If HE doesn’t tear apart, the demon known as Peter Pan willing to go to just about ANY length to keep her….

As of 2/15/2018 currently going over it, to correct a few typos, and do some overhaul and rewriting, to hopefully get Arc Two finally started! A Hook Emma pairing….some triggers may apply…M rating that will get a little more explicit over time….

And for those curious, the old summary:

Old Summary: There are consequences to growing up. Emma Swan knows this well. And yet she finds herself tempted, and all because of a meeting that had been inevitable. A meeting with a certain pirate captain, the infamous Hook. Emmas about to find the joys and the sorrows of growing up, as well as learn just how far Peter Pan will go to keep her. Hook Emma pairing. AU

Of course the details had been haze, enough time passing for the boy, that Owen had forgotten the details of his home of origin, and whatever situation he might have faced there. Emma however hadn't, the look that came to her eyes whenever she became worried, or felt threatened, proving as much. It was a wonder that she was able to look upon Neverland and see exactly what Pan wanted. It was a downright miracle that Emma hadn't lost her child's sense of wonder. Because abuse did things to children, made them view the world differently, made them grow up faster. And Emma was already showing a wisdom the likes of which only harsh lessons would have granted to one so young. Lessons Hook himself knew, and had still ignored, until Emma bit out a harsh reminder for him.

"We each have our own private burdens to bear." She had said. "Neither one of us needs to be weighted down with the addition of one another.”

She was right, but it didn't make it any easier to accept! Smee would accuse him of being foolhardy, would say Hook was ignoring, maybe even forgetting the lessons lthey had all earned at Peter Pan's hands. The lessons spilt in the life's blood of Owen and other children like him. Even with knowing that, remembering it, Hook wasn't sure how to switch off his heart, how to keep from becoming invested in Emma and her well being. In allowing her to remain on his ship, Hook inevitably tied them together, the man curious, downright drawn to her and the pained air she had about her.

Which just left him thinking he was a glutton for misery. Because what else was he inviting but that, Hook knowing he wasn't going to be able to save her. Not from her past, and not from Pan, and it was a small miracle that he and his pirates hadn't done any further damage to her. Not yet at least, though Hook was aware of the way things could go wrong, how easily it would be for one slip up to send Emma along the path to growing up.

It was inevitable, it WOULD happen though Hook would fight to keep it from happening while Emma was aboard his ship. His task would be a lot easier if only Hook wasn't so curious about her, about everything she said and did not, the girl reluctant to truly share anything about herself. But what she didn't say might speak even louder than some of what she did, and Hook couldn't seem to get his thoughts out of this pattern!

Worried that his tormented inner thoughts was showing on his face, Hook still couldn't stop staring at Emma. He saw her worry at her lip, teeth biting at that flesh, the girl fidgeting in place as she considered his last question to her. He supposed it was answer enough, the girl's instincts most likely screaming warnings about him to her. Warnings she'd be right to listen to, because no good could come to Emma of her continued association with Hook.

Wondering if Emma would be strong where he was weak, Hook's smile was sad, almost bitter as he got up off the steps. She was watching him, wary as always, but not to the point she had backed up. His intent wasn't on her for once, Hook getting down on one knee, busying himself with the remains of the broken bowls. One had shattered almost completely upon impact with the deck of the Jolly Roger, but the other hadn't fared so badly. A bit of a glue, and it would be as good as new, Hook using the mostly intact center to hold the pieces of it and it's broken twin inside it.

"Smee will be annoyed with me." Hook murmured, not betraying his surprise when Emma's shadow fell directly over him. "For letting the bowls break."

"It was as much my fault as yours." Emma told him, slowly kneeling down before him. Some of her hair swept forward over her shoulders, the girl helping Hook to gather the broken remains of the bowls. There was no helping the porridge, not until they had a rag with which to clean it up. And in the heat of the morning sun, it wouldn't take long for the porridge to dry into harden lumps on the deck. Yet another reason for Smee to be annoyed, what with the older man liking to keep the ship in sparkling clean condition.

"They broke because I grabbed you." Hook pointed out, still intent on the mess at their feet.

"I didn't have to drop mine in response..." Emma protested. "I could have held on. I do have two hands after all...." She trailed off with an appalled sound, Hook smiling more as he looked up at her. "I...I shouldn't have said..."

"There's no harm in pointing out the obvious. I am at a disadvantage where hands are concerned."

"You don't behave as though it's that great a disadvantage." Emma still looked aghast. "I...I mean...I haven't exactly seen you struggling to make up for the lack of your left hand..."

"I've had roughly three hundred years to get used to only having one hand." Hook told her. "I couldn't help but adjust, and learn how to compensate for what others would perceive a weakness."

" A weakness..." Emma shivered as she said it. "Yes...Yes I can imagine how that would be bad to have on a ship full of pirates."

"Indeed." Hook gave a quick nod, letting Emma take the bowl and the pieces inside it in her hands. "I won't lie and say there wasn't a few of my crew who tried to take the reigns of leadership from me because of my...situation." He wasn't smiling then, because it hadn't been just his hand's loss that had let his crew think Hook weak. His grief over Milah had been near crippling, and only the fact that he had reacted like the wounded animal he had been in truth, had kept Hook violent enough to dispatch those who had challenged his authority and right to leadership in those first days in Neverland.

"But you...overcame such problems." Emma guessed correctly. There was a look in her eyes, an almost cautious admiration then.

"I'm good with my sword." Hook told her. "And even better with my hook." Her eyes glanced at the hook in question, but she didn't shiver this time.

"I've heard the stories."

"Have you?" Hook asked. "From who? Pan?" Emma nodded. "You can't always believe the things that boy tells you." scoffed Hook, unable to help himself.

Her brow furrowed. "But he's right about this, isn't he? You have killed with that hook. You've gutted and mutilated countless many."

"I wouldn't say THAT many." Hook grumbled. "No more than a dozen, a dozen and a half tops." It left her blinking, as though she was confused and surprised by what he had said.

"I can't tell if you're joking or being serious."

Hook smiled at her, allowing a teasing light to enter his eyes. "Maybe one day you'll be able to."

"I don't think I'll be around long enough to ever know you that well." Emma said, and the way she phrased it upset him, though he hid his reaction behind a forced smile.

"I guess that depends on how long Pan takes to come trade for you." But the longer she stayed here, the more she was put at risk, Hook trying his best not to brood and failing as he rose to stand.

"You know I don't believe Pan has what you're looking for...." She stood as well. "Or that he'll trade you it for me."

"It's enough that I believe." Hook told her.

"But even you don't believe enough to think he'll make it easy for you to get." Emma noted, and Hook nodded.

"He hasn't. I don't expect much to change even now.....but where my belief fails, my hopes live on."

"Hopes?" she echoed it as a question. "Because you think I'm special? To Peter I mean." Emma hurriedly clarified. "As if I am anymore special to him than any of the other members of our family?"

Hook wasn't sure how to answer that, without upsetting the very balance of the carefully crafted lies and illusions Peter Pan maintained. Lies that Emma's own life depended on, the girl needing to keep believing if she was going to avoid growing up any time soon.

"It's what I'm counting on." Hook finally muttered in a very gruff manner. He took the bowl from her, and began to walk away. But it wasn't that easy to be rid of her, Emma not only following close behind him, but persisting in the line of thought that had been opened to her.

"Because I'm a girl?" He didn't have to look at her to guess she was frowning. Not when he could hear it in her voice, the girl troubled and trying to figure out an oddity she hadn't given much thought to before. "Because I'm the only girl among the Lost Boys...." Hook said nothing, and still she turned defensive. "It's not that strange. Is it...?"

"I'm sure Pan has his reasons...." Hook said, ill at ease with how Emma continued to fret and wonder along this troubling vein of thought.

"But why would he only have boys?" Emma asked.

"Well..." Hook had to think fast. "Look at the life the lost ones lead. It's not one many girls would think they'd enjoy."

"And that means what exactly?"

"It's been my experience that where boys prefer rough play and being outside, girls are more apt to tea parties and dress up, playing with dolls." Hook told her. "I don't think many of them would choose the lifestyle of a lost boy, not if it meant giving up the comfort of their home life."

"Comforts...."Emma mused, her tone such that Hook felt gutted to hear it. "I guess it makes some sort of sense. Most girls wouldn't have reason or a desire to want to run away, or to go off on an adventure..."

Hook felt certain the odds were such that they favored that Emma had been running from something when she had chosen to go off with Peter Pan. "That seems to be the way of things, no matter the world." Hook said out loud. "Boys long for adventure, while girls typically care for the creature comforts of home and family."

"Must be nice...." She said, sounding wistful. Hook risked a glance at her, and saw the look in her eyes matched her tone. Hook was far too curious, wanting to know more, longing for it. But ever so afraid to ask. For her sake and his, Hook turning away.

"I wouldn't know." He said out loud to her wistful tone. She made a questioning sound, and Hook knew he shouldn't talk of any more to her. But the can of worms had been opened, the damage already being done. Maybe nothing could stop Emma from wondering at the reasons behind her being in Neverland, existing as the only lost girl. But perhaps he could distract her for a time, and if talk about his own youth could accomplish that, then Hook would gladly do it.

"What do you mean by that?" Emma was asking out loud.

"I wasn't always a pirate, you know..." Hook had to smile at her gasp, and the way Emma hurriedly tried to protest that that wasn't what she had been assuming. "Once...Once I was nothing more than a boy." But that had been spoken with a bitter edge to his voice, harshening the words rather than make them wistful.

There was silence for a few blessed moments, Emma not speaking as she allowed Hook to lead her past the still noisy mess hall, to the rear entrance of the galley. The kitchen was empty, the broken bowls set down on a counter top as Hook looked around to see what could be scrounged up to make up for the ruin of their breakfast.

There was only a few spoonfuls of porridge left, far too little to bother with scraping the bottom of the pot. Hook settled on grain sweetened by milk and a spoonful of sugar, a simple enough fare managed in quick time.

"It's hard to imagine you as a boy." Emma finally said, after Hook had handed her her own bowl of the cereal grain.

"It's not a time I look back on fondly." Hook admitted to her, leaning against a countertop.

"No?" She asked, and he could see the questions in her eyes.

"My home life wasn't ideal." Hook admitted. "Oh, on the outside, I suppose we painted a pretty picture. We were rich, and titled, with a grand house and many servants. But what went on behind closed doors..."

Her eyes had grown wide with shock, Emma forgetting to eat as she stared at him. Hook sighed, fighting the memories. "My parents weren't exactly loving...with me or each other." But that was putting it mildly, Hook remembering the beatings, his father not caring who suffered the lash, be it his son or his wife. Often times, his mother had had to heap on ample bits of make up to cover her own bruises and that of her son's.

"Many of my memories of that time...." Hook shook his head. "The people meant to love and protect us the most, can do the most damage." The fighting and yelling echoed in his head, culminating in the death of Hook's mother. "After my mother...passed, there really was no reason for me to stick around."

"You were loyal to her." Emma noted.

"We were loyal to each other." Hook corrected. "Though there was little we could do to help each other. And once she was gone, rather then continue to endure my father's abuse, I chose to ran away." A brief flash of teeth, a bitter smile. "I didn't have a plan, didn't care where I ended up. In those days anything seemed better than HIM."

She visibly shivered, Emma seeming to relate a little too much to what Hook was saying. It wasn't a response he had been trying for, her upset making Hook want to reach out and comfort her rather than continue talking. He went so far as to set down his bowl, then remembered himself, fingers curling as he drew his hand close to his chest. She didn't appear to realize how close he had come to touching her, Emma shaking, stirring the milky wet grain with a spoon.

Choosing to spare her the memories of those frightening first days on the streets, Hook instead began to speak of the day that everything had changed. The day that he had snuck aboard the first ship he was able to, looking more for a dry place to sleep, rather than to set sail for an adventure far from his home.

"It was a lucky day for me....the day I chose to hide aboard the ship of the infamous black beard pirates." Hook told Emma. "Of course, back then if I had known, I most likely would have stayed far far away." He let out a chuckle that wasn't too forced. "Even a boy sheltered from the world of the streets, had enough sense to stay away from pirates. Frankly, I was lucky they didn't decide to ransom me on the spot."

But his fine clothing had been ragged and torn, dirtied enough to be streaked with multiple stains. Young Killlian Jones hadn't looked at all like the aristocracy he had come from, and by the time the pirates might have suspected otherwise, he was already a part of them.

"It was risky business, stowing away on any ship." Hook continued out loud. "If you couldn't pay, often times you were pressed into a kind of slavery, forced to work for your passage. If the captain was honest, he'd let you go at the first port reached. But if he was not....well..." Hook shrugged.

"You wouldn't think pirates would behave better than so called civilized men." Hook said to her with a smirk. "But pirates have their own kind of honor."

"Honor among thieves..." She muttered, before eating a spoonful of the grain.

"Oh aye. It's a very real thing. Pirates may force stowaways into the life, but we're amply rewarded for our troubles."

"I've seen your hold of treasure." Emma said, which made Hook grin.

"We're rich beyond our wildest dreams, even after we divide the loot amongst us." He kept on smiling, liking the thought of the gold in the Roger's hold. "I'd be richer too, should any of my crew decide they've had it with the lifestyle."

"What does that mean?" Emma asked, in between spoonfuls of her grain.

"There's only two ways to leave the life behind." Hook told her. "Have enough gold to buy your way out of it, or..." He ran a finger across his throat, her eyes widening.

"You'd kill them?!" She squeaked out in a horrified whisper. "But aren't they your friends?!"

"A captain doesn't have too many real friends." Hook answered. "A pirate even less so. As a captain I am only as safe as my sword is sharp, might making right on the seas." It was a lesson he had learned with the black beard pirates, their own captain being turned against, a new leader being anointed in the blood of the dead. Hook hadn't been the one to kill Captain Black Beard, or the man who had followed, or even the third. He hadn't been old enough, or skilled enough until time came for the captain's title to pass for a fourth time, and then Hook had made his move. He had been captain ever since, the Jolly Roger christened in the blood of so many dead, Hook deeming it a fresh start as he set off to lead his crew into a new era of piracy.

"You..." Emma was swallowing nervously, having set down the bowl. "Your crew doesn't have all that many men left...."

"Neverland hasn't been too kind to us." Hook admitted. "More than one of my men has thought things would be better if they were to replace me as captain."

"So you killed them...?!"

"I've had to watch my back." Hook retorted. "It's kill or be killed when it comes to being captain of the pirates. We take what we want Emma, even if another man stands in our way."

Emma had paled, perhaps more than she should have in response to his words. He'd catch sight of the disturb look in her green eyes, and then Emma would push away from the counter she had been leaning against. "And your crew is okay with that?" She asked as she began pacing the length of the kitchen. "Okay enough to follow the man who slews their captain?!"

"We respect the strong and the cunning." Hook answered. "If a captain grows so weak as to not be able to hold on to his own ship and crew, is it any wonder that the men will fall into line for the one to replace him?"

"It sounds like a terrible way to live." Emma had hugged her arms around herself. "How can you stand it?"

"It was better than the alternatives I faced as a boy." Was Hook's simple answer. It got Emma turning to look at him, her brow furrowing as she processed this. Hook didn't rush her to speak, simply eating his grain as she stood there thinking. Struggling with something, perhaps a concept Emma wasn't sure that she should voice.

"I...I always..."

"Yes?" He asked, when she trailed off uncertainly. Emma bit at her lip again, before meeting his eyes with her own.

"I always thought if I---if anyone had their real parents in their life, then everything would be okay.....that it might not be perfect, but it would be better...."

"Better than what, Emma?" Hook asked, his voice soft and trying to coax her into opening up more to him. But his question merely got her to shrug, the girl turning away, her hand reaching for the little rack of spices that Smee kept in the kitchen. She didn't try to speak anymore, instead taking out each individual jar, running her fingertips over the ink scribbled onto the labels.

His curiosity had been teased to the point of frustration, even with knowing better. Smee would think him worse than a fool, might insist Hook was a glutton for punishment, talking of such things to the girl. Things that could only bond them closer together, things that could only make a fragile connection between them strengthen. One that would make it hurt worse when Pan did kill the girl.

But even knowing this, knowing how much it would hurt, and how much Smee would complain and berate Hook's choice, the pirate couldn't help himself. He felt drawn to the girl, pulled into her story, and knew it was already too late, Hook caring too much about Emma Swan to even play at indifference.

Knowing this made the decision easier, Hook approaching the girl. She glanced at him, and he felt the fine tremble go through her, Hook standing that close to her as he took a spice bottle from her hand. She didn't protest, didn't turn to watch as he began putting the bottles and jars back into the rack. Emma kept her eyes on Hook, who smiled at her once the spice rack was back in order.

"Would you like to see one of Smee's secrets?"

Emma was wary but interested, especially when Hook made it clear the secret had to do with Smee's success at cooking. Her appreciation and interest in Smee's talents with the preparation of foods, had Emma shrugging off most of her caution, the girl taking Hook's arm. She still seemed to shake a little, as Hook led her out of the kitchen, but the girl was brave enough to not let it stop her. Emma's heart was a bold, courageous one, and it just made Hook want to admire her more. How much stronger would that admiration become should he learn all there was where Emma Swan was concerned? He didn't know, and in the moment Hook tried not to worry.