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treatian · 2 years

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The Chronicles of the Dark One: Fathers and Sons

Chapter 3: Wild Imagination

He believed he'd be away from them, believed that he'd wind up on the island, and when he opened his eyes, he was there. It was dark, but his eyes cut through the lack of light to observe a familiar scene from his childhood. It was a jungle island. The terrain was rocky and solid but littered with a soft mixture of dirt and sand. Dead branches, fallen leaves, and stones of all shapes and sizes littered the ground around him. In this place, the brush was overgrown, and trees grew larger than he'd ever even known them to grow in the Enchanted Forest. If some myths were to be believed, then this place was even older than his fairy tale home, so he didn't bat an eye at the ancientness he felt around him, though the loneliness of it certainly struck him.

He was never keen on returning to Neverland, but he'd be lying if he said he hadn't kept an ear out for stories from there all his life. The same way the hair on the back of his neck pricked up every time he heard his mother's name and tales, Peter Pan would always have that same power over him, he imagined. However, whether or not to let that power show was entirely up to him. So he'd listened over the years as the stories had evolved. Changing from tales of boys running and playing and joyously living their lives to something right out of Lord of the Flies. The boys he'd heard tales of lately were not sweet or innocent. They were ruthless. They were hunters. They were Pan's soldiers and spies, sent about the island to do his bidding, loyal until the end. For that reason alone, he lingered where he arrived on the island and sent his senses out around him, listening for heartbeats and breathing, trying to smell emotion and sense danger.

There was nothing. Nothing and no one around him. He was lucky…for now.

He looked about the island again, trying to get his bearings on where he was exactly but found no helpful landmarks. There was a sense of familiarity with his location but nothing firm. That wasn't shocking, the last time he'd been here, he'd been a human child, and that was hundreds of years before Pan had taken power. It was probably foolish to think that he could tell where he was. That was no matter; where he was on the island was of little consequence. Where he was on the island in relation to where Henry was, was the true matter of importance.

The first step to saving Henry was to find him. But he had to be careful; he couldn't go about it directly because he didn't know where his father could be, and he didn't know it even half as well as he knew his father did. If he went directly to Henry and snatched him up from under his nose with no exit plan, he could ruin everything. There was going to be more to this than just "get Henry." He also needed to get Henry home. The best way to make a plan was to have more information. If he could locate Henry, he could gain some information, perhaps even keep an eye on him to ensure he was alive and stayed alive. His best-case scenario would be to find him with Greg and Tamara before they could turn him over to Pan. But to locate Henry now?

He had to do this carefully. He didn't know the extent to which his father felt magic, but he knew that he was capable of it. The good news was that he was in a place that had its own magical power source, and he knew how to tap into it. The bad news was that using belief over his own magic was far from instinctual. It might slow him down, but that too had its benefits as well as its risks. The advantage to doing this slowly and carefully was blending in, staying under the radar, and winning. The potential risk was Henry.

Neverland was a world run on belief. And he could feel that power waning even as he stood there calculating his next step. Henry, a boy made of nothing but belief, would be a person of great value to a place like this. If he took too long and Pan got his hands on him…it could be devastating.

He knew what he was going to do. He needed to utilize the magic of this world to stay under the radar, but he couldn't use it to go about finding Henry directly. So he'd split the baby. He'd use magic to find where the portal opened; good old-fashioned tracking would help him locate Henry from there.

He took a deep breath and closed his eyes again. He believed. He believed in belief, in the power of it. He believed that the island could take him to the place the portal had opened up, that it could take them to where Tamara and Greg brought Henry through. He believed. He believed. He believed.

And when he opened his eyes, he saw…forest. A different part of the forest. It was right up against the beach but not the sea. There were no tides or waves, but it still smelled salty. Perhaps it was a river or the remains of one. And salt wasn't the only thing he smelled. Magic was in the air. Magic from their realm. The kind of magic summoned by a portal.

It stood out in stark contrast to the island's magic, even if it was only a shadow of its former self. That shadow was far more powerful than what he felt now from the island. And the people who'd been using it. They would be covered in it just as he probably was. That could be a problem, but hopefully, then Pan's Shadow would be drawn to the bigger beacon, the ship and the others, as it faded from him. That left him to simply sniff out the magic clinging to Henry and his captors, and locate them.

He inhaled deeply, then followed the scent. Off the beach. Into the jungle. Though a path that was freshly made. It didn't take long until the scent of magic grew stronger, and he paused at the sound that caught his ears. A heartbeat. Two. Two heartbeats. One calm and normal, another weak and erratic, someone dying. That wasn't good. If it weren't for that last fact, he'd have been satisfied he'd found them and turned away before he revealed himself. But if someone was dying…

The path before him opened up into a clearing, and he took in the sight before him with curiosity first and anger second. The site was obviously a place where people had stopped for an evening and started a fire for warmth. But there was a problem with it. A big one. There was a body beside that fire pit. One that he recognized.

Greg Mendell.

There was no hint of how he died, though he didn't exactly spend much time worrying over it when he considered that he knew who the murderers likely were. And it was hard to focus on him when the sound of the dying heart called to him.

Tamara.

He could hear her gasping for air from across the clearing. She was making noise, the dead leaves rustling around her as she squirmed on the ground as if there was any hope for her.

She was alive. Barely. There was an arrow sticking out of her back, thumping in time to her heart, a signal of just how deep it went. He smelled a poison; if it wasn't the same stuff that Hook had used on him, then it was a close cousin. Dreamshade…he'd read about Neverland having it but never had any in his possession while knowing what it was to identify it. Now he knew. And a lot of good it did him because Henry was nowhere in sight.

He glanced over at Tamara. Part of him rejoiced to see her there, like that. He hated her. For how she'd managed to trick him and how she'd fooled Bae, not to mention how she'd killed him…he wanted nothing more than to watch her suffer and die as his son died. But she was also the last one known to be with Henry, and their campgrounds looked as though they'd been attacked. He had to know if Henry had already been taken. He had to know what he was walking into. And the extra heartbeat in the woods…Henry's? Or something more sinister?

He stepped closer and stood over her, making it so that she had no choice but to see him. Did she know who he was? Exactly who he was? The shock of fear he smelled coming off of her mingled with the stench of death would suggest Bae had told her that much, at least. Good.

"So, where is he?" he asked of her. "Henry."

She opened her mouth, but all that came out were breathless gasps, her fingers flexing as if trying to dig into the ground and hold onto this world. That close to her heart, the arrow had probably pierced her lung as well. She'd be dead soon, and any pertinent information she might have would die with her. He wore his mask of false patience. He knew how to play these situations. And if the reward was great, he knew how to play them even in the direst of situations. If the prize was his grandson, then he could indulge the woman who had murdered his son…for now.

"There, there," he hushed, offering comfort that seared his soul. "I can help you speak." Belief. He believed the arrow hadn't hurt her. He believed the arrow wasn't tipped in poison. He believed…

He waved his hand over her, and it was so. The arrow vanished, leaving her whole once more. And Tamara…Tamara took a deep breath. She pushed herself up into a sitting position and looked up at him with eyes of gratitude. "Thank you," she said, tearing up.

He wanted to pluck those eyes from her skull.

"Where's Henry?" he asked, focusing on the primary objective. Her heart began to race again, and her face screwed itself up as if she were about to start sobbing. He swallowed hard, preparing for the worst with a reaction like that. "They killed him?"

"I don't think so," Tamara finally answered, allowing him to finally release a breath. "I told him to run, and he did."

"Where?"

"The jungle," she answered, raising her hand to point into the brush. He was less than pleased with that answer. Pan attacked here, leaving Mendell and Tamara for dead; Henry ran off on an unfamiliar island that was no doubt covered with Pan's faithful followers. He wasn't likely to get far, but still…there was always hope. He needed to confirm-

"Pan wants him; he's behind all this. Look, Mr. Gold…I didn't know who I was working for," Tamara finally burst out tearfully. None of it came as a shock to him. It was what he'd suspected since he'd first found out. "I'm sorry about Neal."

His breath caught as he gazed down at her with those sad eyes and tortured face. Her nerve was…incredible. Less than twenty-four hours since she'd murdered his son in cold blood, and now she was saying his name? Crying over him as if she was a grieving widow and not the one who had pulled the trigger.

"I'm so sorry," she wept. He felt his hand begin to shake. He was losing his patience.

He took a breath, made sure his face was stone and kneeled before her. "I know," he whispered with honesty. "You were merely a pawn."

Nothing about what she'd told him concerning her and Pan had been a shock. Only Bae…

"Can…can you forgive me?"

He felt himself smirk as he kept his high ground, kneeling over her as he was. Forgive her? After she'd done this less than twenty-four hours ago, stared down at his son as he lay dying? Shot by her? And she wanted to know if he could forgive her?! He didn't understand why she thought that was a possibility. It wasn't sorrow she felt, just cold, calculated desperation. She was interested in saving her own life and using the father of the man she'd killed to do it. Not even in her wildest imagination…

"No," he growled. Then reached out before that look of hope could die and pulled her heart from her chest. He let her see it in his hand as he rose and squeezed it tight so she wouldn't be able to fight as the pain overwhelmed her. He wanted her to feel how it was to be betrayed by someone she longed for forgiveness from, who could have helped her, been family to her.

Then he crushed it and watched the life drain from her eyes as he avenged his son.

#Rumbelle #Rumple #Rumpelstiltskin #Dark One #Henry Mills #Neal Cassidy #Baelfire #Peter Pan #Tamara #Greg Mendell #ouat #ouat fanfiction #fanfic

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ouatsqincorrect · 9 months

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me, showing my little sister ouat for the first time (we’re on 2x20): ok so recap. greg and tamara are a part of this cult and they want to destroy all magic. i guess we’ll just have to see who the cult leader is huh….

my sister: is it granny?

#why yes #yes it is #not incorrect quotes

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raviolitin · 6 months

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Hook and David’s interaction in this scene is genuinely so much more important than it comes across.

Not only does it set up the perception these two have of each other going forward - it also puts their respective actions later in the scene into perspective.

David is fighting for people who aren’t himself, thats why it’s so easy for him to rush off in a hurry and forget about the danger it’ll impose upon him - he isn’t doing this for himself, he’s doing it for his family. Why would his own life matter to him? That’s not what he’s protecting and is his last thought in any situation.

Hook, on the other hand, isn’t fighting for anything but his own life. First and foremost, he is preserving himself. That’s why he can’t fathom why David would rush off and get himself killed just to catch Greg and Tamara or get them a few more beans. Why would he risk his life just to save it?

This stark difference means neither can really understand the others actions. David wants more beans because more beans means a higher chance his family can escape and survive, Killian wants to settle for one because backing away from Greg and Tamara means his life won’t be in any more danger, and he’ll live to fight another day.

Both of their views are narrow and that’s the reason they both act so hostile and confused over how the other chooses to behave - Killian being bewildered over David’s extreme lack of self preservation, and David being aggressive in response to how Hook holds him back from continuing the fight.

#ouat #once upon a time #ouat rewatch #david nolan #killian jones #captain charming #2x22

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batmanisagatewaydrug · 1 year

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every single book I read in 2022. all 129 of them.

jesus christ

let's start with the best of the best; everything else will get listed beneath the read more because I'm not an animal. even just picking out my favorites is honestly probably going to get pretty lengthy, even though I'm trying to keep the synopses short.

batmanisagatewaydrug's noteworthy books of 2022

Complaint! (Sara Ahmed, 2021) - necessary for anyone doing diversity work in higher education, tbh

America is Not the Heart (Elaine Castillo, 2018) - achingly gorgeous novel of heartbreak and healing.

The School for Good Mothers (Jessamine Chan, 2022) - honestly? I feel very good calling this my favorite book of the entire year. sensitive, smart, chilling.

Black Feminist Thought (Patricia Hill Collins, 1990) - truly ashamed to say I didn't read this sooner. Collins' clear-eyed analysis remains crazily spot-on 30+ years later.

Hurts So Good: The Science and Pleasure of Pain on Purpose (Leigh Cowart, 2021) - I read this book so early in 2022 and literally have not stopped thinking about it since.

Batman: King Tut's Tomb (Nunzio DeFillippis, Christina Weir, José Luis García-López, and Kevin Nowlan, 2009) - dare I say the most fun I had with a comic all year.

You Made a Fool of Death with Your Beauty (Akwaeke Emezi, 2022) - a romance unlike any other. queer, fun, sexy, bold as hell, and joyfully life-affirming.

The Dangers of Smoking in Bed (Mariana Enríquez, trans. Megan McDowell, 2021) - DELICIOUSLY creepy short stories that will lurk in your brain forever.

Lesser Known Monsters of the 21st Century (Kim Fu, 2022) - if a more perfect short story collection exists I am yet to find it.

The World We Make (N.K. Jemisin, 2022) - I normally hesitate to include sequels on a list like this, but god DAMN Jemisin is the queen of modern spec fic for a reason.

We Do This 'Til We Free Us: Abolitionist Organizing and Transforming Justice (Mariame Kaba, edited by Tamara K. Nopper, 2021) - excellent collection of Kaba's abolitionist writings, drawing on years of organizing experience and wisdom.

Jade City (Fonda Lee, 2017) - look out! new favorite doorstopper fantasy series alert!

Priestdaddy (Patricia Lockwood, 2017) - about the best damn memoir I've ever read. heartbreaking and hysterical in turns, poetry the whole way through.

Batman: The Long Halloween and Batman: Dark Victory (Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale, 1996 and 1999) - it's always so exciting when something much-hyped lives up to the hype in every way. Batman at his grim and moody Batmaniest with a Gotham that’s deliciously bleak.

Station Eleven (Emily St. John Mandel, 2014) - I didn't think I'd like this book much at all, then ended up proposing on the second date. oops!

I'm Glad My Mom Died (Jennette McCurdy, 2022) - you will also be glad McCurdy's mom died, and also experience every other known human emotion along the way.

Kaikeyi (Vaishnavi Patel, 2022) - SPLENDID mythology retelling + political fantasy.

My Body (Emily Ratajkowski, 2022) - haunting haunting haunting personal essays about Ratajkowski's life as a model and subsequent alienation from her own body.

Batman: Bruce Wayne, Murderer? (Greg Rucka et al, 2002) - genuinely what can I say I'm a messy bitch and I love when the Bats are having a terrible time.

The Batman Adventures Vol. 2 #1-17 (created by Dan Slott, Ty Templeton, Rick Burchett, Terry Beatty, and Bruce Timm, 2003) - a continuation of the Batman: The Animated Series universe that frankly just fucking rules.

Little Rabbit (Alyssa Songsiridej, 2022) - a potent and erotic adult coming of age story.

The Right to Sex: Feminism in the Twenty-First Century (Amia Srinivasan, 2021) - thorny, difficult, vital essays.

Fearing the Black Body: The Racial Origins of Fat Phobia (Sabrina Strings, 2019) - jaw-droppingly thorough research into the role of fatpobia played and plays in the project of race-making.

On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous (Ocean Vuong, 2019) - yeah so it turns out no one was REMOTELY exaggerating. Vuong really is That Good.

Hench (Natalie Zina Walschots, 2020) - wild fun with a ruthless protagonist and her sex villainous beetle man boss; what more could you ask for?

Love Your Asian Body: AIDS Activism in Los Angeles (Eric C. Wat, 2021) - learning about queer history makes me feel like I’m holding something so vibrant and fragile and precious right in my little queer hand. this book is an emotional journey in such a shining way.

Never Have I Ever (Isabel Yap, 2021) - EXCITING short story collection centered on girls having Just The Weirdest Time.

and everybody else:

fiction:

Light From Uncommon Stars (Ryka Aoki, 2021)

Our Wives Under the Sea (Julia Armfield, 2022)

A Tiny Upward Shove (Melissa Chadburn, 2022)

A Prayer for the Crown-Shy (Becky Chambers, 2022)

Disorientation (Elaine Hsieh Chou, 2022)

The Laws of the Skies (Grégoire Courtois, trans. Rhonda Mullins, 2019)

The Monster Baru Cormorant (Seth Dickinson, 2018)

The Tyrant Baru Cormorant (Seth Dickinson, 2020)

Greenland (David Santos Donaldson, 2022)

Dead Collections (Isaac Fellman, 2022)

The Halloween Moon (Joseph Fink, 2021)

A Dowry of Blood (S.T. Gibson)

Nightmare Alley (William Lindsay Gresham, 1946)

The Vegetarian (Han Kang, trans. Deborah Smith, 2015)

The Metamorphosis (Franz Kafka, trans. William Aaltonen, 1915)

Before the Coffee Gets Cold (Toshikazu Kawaguchi, trans. Geoffrey Trousselot, 2019)

Woman, Eating (Claire Kohda, 2022)

Long Division (Kiese Laymon, 2014)

Jade War (Fonda Lee, 2019)

No One is Talking About This (Patricia Lockwood, 2021)

Portrait of a Thief (Grace D. Li, 2022)

Elatsoe (Darcie Little Badger, 2020)

A Snake Falls to Earth (Darcie Little Badger, 2021)

Glitterati (Oliver K. Longmead)

Gideon the Ninth (Tamsyn Muir, 2019)

Harrow the Ninth (Tamsyn Muir, 2020)

Nona the Ninth (Tamsyn Muir, 2022)

The Memory Police (Yoko Ogawa, trans. Stephen Snyder, 2019)

Even Though I Knew the End (C.L. Polk, 2022)

100 Boyfriends (Brontez Purnell, 2021)

Flowers for the Sea (Zin E. Rocklyn, 2021)

Any Way the Wind Blows (Rainbow Rowell, 2021)

Interview with the Vampire (Anne Rice, 1976)

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe (Benjamin Alire Sáenz, 2012)

Aristotle and Dante Dive Into the Waters of the World (Benjamin Alire Sáenz, 2022)

Into the Riverlands (Nghi Vo, 2022)

Siren Queen (Nghi Vo, 2022)

Strange Beasts of China (Yan Ge, trans. Jeremy Tiang, 2020)

short story collections:

The Memory Librarian: And Other Stories of Dirty Computer (Janelle Monáe, Yohanco Delgado, Eva L. Ewing, Alaya Dawn Johnson, Danny Lore, and Sheree Renée Thomas, 2022)

Walking on Cowrie Shells (Nana Nkweti, 2021)

Terminal Boredom (Izumi Suzuki, trans. Polly Barton, Sam Bett, David Boyd, Daniel Joseph, Aiko Masubuchi, and Helen O’Horan, 2021)

nonfiction:

Gender Trouble: Feminism and the Subversion of Identity (Judith Butler, 1990)

How to Read Now (Elaine Castillo, 2022)

Playing the Whore: The Work of Sex Work (Melissa Gira Grant, 2014)

What We Don't Talk About When We Talk About Fat (Aubrey Gordon, 2020)

White Tears/Brown Scars: How White Feminism Betrays Women of Color (Ruby Hamad, 2020)

Belly of the Beast: The Politics of Anti-Fatness as Anti-Blackness (Da'Shaun L. Harrison, 2021)

Some of My Best Friends: Essays on Lip Service (Tajja Isen, 2022)

One Day We'll All Be Dead and None of This Will Matter (Scaachi Koul, 2017)

How to Slowly Kill Yourself and Others in America (Revised Edition) (Kiese Laymon, 2020)

Sister Outsider (Audre Lorde, 1984)

Conversations with People Who Hate Me: 12 Lessons I Learned from Talking to Internet Strangers (Dylan Marron, 2022)

Cultish: The Language of Fanaticism (Amanda Montell, 2021)

World of Wonders: In Praise of Fireflies, Whale Sharks, and Other Astonishments (Aimee Nezhukumatathil)

Histories of the Transgender Child (Jules Gill-Peterson, published as Julian Gill-Peterson, 2018)

Yoke: My Yoga of Self-Acceptance (Jessamyn Stanley, 2021)

A Queer History of Fashion: From the Closet to the Catwalk (edited by Valerie Steele, 2013)

Transgender History: The Roots of Today's Revolution (Revised Edition) (Susan Stryker, 2008)

The End of Policing (Alex S. Vitale, 2017)

The Trouble With Normal: Sex, Politics, and the Ethics of Queer Life (Michael Warner, 1999)

Read My Lips: Sexual Subversions and the End of Gender (Riki Wilchins, published as Riki Anne Wilchins, 1997)

poetry:

Short Talks (Anne Carson, 1992)

Content Warning: Everything (Akwaeke Emezi, 2022)

Prelude to Bruise (Saeed Jones, 2014)

Alive at the End of the World (Saeed Jones, 2022)

Bright Dead Things (Ada Limón, 2015)

Motherland Fatherland Homelandsexuals (Patricia Lockwood, 2014)

Nature Poem (Tommy Pico, 2017)

Night Sky with Exit Wounds (Ocean Vuong, 2016)

Time Is a Mother (Ocean Vuong, 2022)

comics:

Batman: One Bad Day - Mr. Freeze (Gerry Duggan, Matteo Scalera, and Dave Stewart, 2022)

Spandex - Fast and Hard (Martin Eden, 2012)

Harley Quinn: The Animated Series: The Eat. Bang! Kill. Tour (Tee Franklin, Max Sarin, and Marissa Louise, 2022)

Batman: Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader? (Neil Gaiman and Andy Kubert, 2009)

The Sandman: Preludes & Nocturnes (Neil Gaiman, Sam Keith, Mike Dringenberg, and Malcom Jones III, 1988)

The Sandman: In the Doll's House (Neil Gaiman, Michael Zulli, Mike Dringenberg, Chris Bachalo, Malcolm Jones III, and Steve Parkhouse, 1989)

The Sandman: Dream Country (Neil Gaiman, Kelley Jones, Malcolm Jones III, Colleen Doran, and Charles Vess, 1991)

The Sandman: Season of Mists (Neil Gaiman, Kelley Jones, Malcom Jones III, Mike Dringenberg, Matt Wagner, P. Craig Russell, George Pratt, and Dick Giordano, 1992)

The Sandman: A Game of You (Neil Gaiman, Shawn McManus, Colleen Doran, Bryan Talbot, Stan Woch, and George Pratt, 1993)

Run, Riddler, Run (Gerard Jones and Mark Badger, 1992)

Catwoman: When in Rome (Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale, 2005)

Batman: Year One (Frank Miller and David Mazzicchello, 1986)

Batman: One Bad Day - Penguin (John Ridley, Giuseppe Camuncoli, Cam Smith, and Arif Prianto, 2022)

Batman: Bruce Wayne - Fugitive (Greg Rucka et al, 2002)

Batman: One Bad Day - Two-Face (Mariko Tamaki, Jaiver Fernandez, and Jordie Bellaire, 2022)

Batman & Robin Eternal Vol 1 & Vol 2 (James Tynion IV and Scott Snyder, 2015 and 2016)

Batman: Their Dark Designs (James Tynion IV, Guillem March, and Tomeu Morey, 2020)

The Joker War Saga (James Tynion IV and Jorge Jiménez, 2021)

Papergirls Vol. 1-6 (Brian K. Vaughan and Cliff Chiang, 2016-2019)

Real Hero Shit (Kendra Wells, 2022)

Poison Ivy #1-6 (G. Willow Wilson and Marcio Takara, 2022)

and some gaming guides!

Monster of the Week (Michael Sands, 2012) - great game. so cool. cannot wait to actually play it someday.

Thirsty Sword Lesbians (April Kit Walsh, 2021)

special shame zone because I want you to know how bad this sucked, do not read this:

Rethinking Sex: A Provocation (Christine Emba, 2022). patronizing, puritanical, reductive, painfully cisheteronormative. weirdly afraid of group sex. not actually that provocative, just aggressively Catholic.

and last but most certainly least, a comic that I want to remind you all fucking sucked just one more time before the year is done.

Batman: One Bad Day - The Riddler (Tom King and Mitch Gerads, 2022)

Tom King, go fuck yourself. Mitch is cool though, the art slapped.

#bookblr #if you find a typo in here no you didn't xoxo #feel free to tell me your thots or ask about any of these i love to talk about my unhinged reading habit

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his-lost-one · 4 months

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omgomgomg omg omg OMG

AU IDEA!!!

so what if after pan‘s death instead of him like ending up in the underworld, he just. wakes up in neverland again. bc the hourglass wasn’t done yet. so he still technically had some time left. HAJDHKDJD

CUZ LIKE. idk but that would be so fun!!!

especially because he would still need the heart of the truest believer. and we all know that someone like pan would not just give up after almost failing like that- if anything, he’d be more motivated than before. but he’s obviously at a disadvantage now, since he lost quite a few of his pawns lol

like felix, the most loyal dude ever? gone hehe. the darling brothers? yeah unless he kidnaps wendy again they won’t do shit for him. greg and tamara? gotten rid of ^TM. the shadow? i dont fucking know but i doubt that he’s still around lol. lmao and i’m almost sure he also lost some of the lost boys, bc even tho we know that some either returned to or stayed in neverland, it’s also basically guaranteed imo that some of them left/stayed in storybrooke.

really the only advantage pan has now is that the others think he’s dead and that emma and henry lost their memories.

i wonder if pan wouldve promoted another lost boy to be the new second-in-command, like devin maybe or if he’d have just stayed the ruler alone lulz

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themeepyfreak · 9 months

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Day 3: Favorite Episode

2x21 "Second Star to the Right"

I love this episode for a multitude of reasons.

First, I loved all of the flashback scenes about Bae's backstory. Ever since season 1, I wondered what happened to Bae after he went through the portal. And after all of the foreshadowing about Neverland (from all the way back to "Tallahassee"), it was so satisfying to finally see the pay-off. Not to mention that the flashbacks also explain the beginning of Bae's life of crime- since in Victorian England, it was the norm for street children and the only option he had other than working in a factory conducive to minimal pay and child abuse. I also loved the portrayal of Wendy and the Darlings. I'll never forget Bae's expression when Wendy accepts him and the Darlings take him in as part of their family.

Second, even the present day scenes filled my Swanfire heart. Emma was still suspicious of Tamara, and while she might have claimed that it's only due to her superpower, it's obvious that she's so diligent due to her jealousy concerning Tamara's engagement to Neal (especially considering how she acts around Greg/Owen who also set off her lie detector). Then, the beach scene where Neal apologizes and explains how he never forgave himself was so heartwarming and raw. Especially when followed by Neal saying that he'll always have Emma's back, even if he still didn't believe her about Tamara.

The cincher of the episode was Bae sacrificing himself to the shadow for the Darlings paralleled by Neal sacrificing himself to the portal while shot for Emma and Henry. It not only harkened back to "The Return" but also showcased Neal's self-sacrificing nature which is prevalent throughout his presence on the show (even debatably in his decision to leave Emma in "Tallahassee"). It was heartbreaking to hear Emma and Neal say "I love you" to each other again only to lose each other again.

I still remember when this episode came out, and during the hiatus before season 3 was released, I rewatched it multiple times, just dreaming of possibilities of how Bae's story continued in Neverland as well as Neal reuniting and reconnecting with Emma in the place of his former trauma. While season 3 didn't fulfill all of my expectations, the last 2 episodes of season 2 will always be in my heart because of the hope and daydreams they incited.

#sfweek2023 #neal cassidy #baelfire #nealfire #emma swan #swanfire #ouat #once upon a time #reminiscing back to 2013 #i just loved all of bae's character development in this episode

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