Emma + Baelfire = Swanfire

[kfchimera]

The whole looks thing is silly as it is subjective.  Cannon fact, Emma finds Neal attractive.  Beyond that, you know, MRJ  reminds me of another “unlikely” heartthrob by the standards of the classic Disney Prince type.

Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark/Iron Man  has plenty of appeal as a romantic hero, despite the gruffy, scruffy I may be a jerk  persona and fact that he’s not built like a warehouse like Thor/Hemsfield.    It’s not just THAT  character, the actor has been Sherlock Holmes with plenty of fangirling, all the way back to his turn on Alley McBeal and probably even before that.    So even at a pure looks level…there you go, MRJ’s not even an unusual “type” of romantic male lead.

I feel like a lot of this really is sort of shipper/fan propaganda.  I know there’s people from every side (its not just Neal vs Hook…there’s very vocal anti-both from SQers actually), and you’ll see thinly reasoned rants about Hook too, where people wish him gone, then it triggers  all the people playing chicken little about how he’s the only person that they watch the show to see.  It always makes me raise an eyebrow if ratings go up for an episode that way–these fair weather fans are probably some of those who don’t seem to understand the story because they aren’t watching all of it apparently, only if it has their favorite.

I don’t think Neal fans tend to do that–they tend to be a subset of fans of the show in general because the show has never promoted Neal as a character “A legend, Captain Hook!”, or his face as “look hot guy”.

They do dress him more as an ordinary guy too, and while I would love to see him in that 3pc suit again, or even that nice scarf and wool coat,  if they keep going with the more rugged look, it suits the character.  He grew up pretty poor, not in fine clothes, though his leather jackets wouldn’t be amiss either 😛

I think Neal and Emma would make each other happy.  They’d support each other when they don’t, and listen when they get angry.  There’s a level of communication that makes me feel they just complete each other.

Edit: I agree on the predictions we need to see that onscreen!

[RumplesGirl]

I feel like a lot of this really is sort of shipper/fan propaganda. I know there’s people from every side (its not just Neal vs Hook…there’s very vocal anti-both from SQers actually), and you’ll see thinly reasoned rants about Hook too, where people wish him gone, then it triggers all the people playing chicken little about how he’s the only person that they watch the show to see.

I wish I could find an average fan. One who just watches the show without participating in any sort of fan culture and ask them about every aspect of the show.

I think Neal and Emma would make each other happy. They’d support each other when they don’t, and listen when they get angry. There’s a level of communication that makes me feel they just complete each other.

And that in the end is the only thing that matters: who will make Emma happy. It’s Emma’s choice. I want it to be one thing but I’m not Emma.

"He was a lot of things to me" "The only conclusion was love"

[Slurpeez]

Here is probably one of my absolutely favorite SF fan video to date:

Emma and Neal – I Miss All the Little Things [3×6]

"That’s how you know you’ve really got a home. When you leave it, there’s this feeling that you can’t shake. You just miss it." Neal Cassidy

[heatherc1275]

kfchimera wrote: I feel like a lot of this really is sort of shipper/fan propaganda. I know there’s people from every side (its not just Neal vs Hook…there’s very vocal anti-both from SQers actually), and you’ll see thinly reasoned rants about Hook too, where people wish him gone, then it triggers all the people playing chicken little about how he’s the only person that they watch the show to see.

I wish I could find an average fan. One who just watches the show without participating in any sort of fan culture and ask them about every aspect of the show.

kfchimera wrote: I think Neal and Emma would make each other happy. They’d support each other when they don’t, and listen when they get angry. There’s a level of communication that makes me feel they just complete each other.

And that in the end is the only thing that matters: who will make Emma happy. It’s Emma’s choice. I want it to be one thing but I’m not Emma.

I have a couple of friends who are like that and I love chatting about OUAT with them because they don’t really have a ‘ship’…they just love the show. I honestly don’t know who they’re rooting for overall because they just enjoy everything and don’t really pick favorites. I know one is a big Snowing fan but the others just watch it all. It’s refreshing for me to just chat in general terms about the show (or about something in a particular episode) rather than just in ship terms for a while. I love our SwanFire group here though too! 🙂

 

#MoreBOOMLessGloom

[RumplesGirl]

Gaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah.

That was absolutely wonderful.

"He was a lot of things to me" "The only conclusion was love"

[Phee]

That vid is perfect. The song fits them SO well.

[heatherc1275]

I feel like a lot of this really is sort of shipper/fan propaganda. I know there’s people from every side (its not just Neal vs Hook…there’s very vocal anti-both from SQers actually), and you’ll see thinly reasoned rants about Hook too, where people wish him gone, then it triggers all the people playing chicken little about how he’s the only person that they watch the show to see. It always makes me raise an eyebrow if ratings go up for an episode that way–these fair weather fans are probably some of those who don’t seem to understand the story because they aren’t watching all of it apparently, only if it has their favorite.

I don’t think Neal fans tend to do that–they tend to be a subset of fans of the show in general because the show has never promoted Neal as a character “A legend, Captain Hook!”, or his face as “look hot guy”. They do dress him more as an ordinary guy too, and while I would love to see him in that 3pc suit again, or even that nice scarf and wool coat, if they keep going with the more rugged look, it suits the character. He grew up pretty poor, not in fine clothes, though his leather jackets wouldn’t be amiss either  

Thanks for sharing this because I thought I was the only one who was noticing that and it fits my fandom of the show as well. I became a big time fan of the show in general way early in season one and I’ve always maintained that I’m a fan of the SHOW first and ships or favorite characters comes second for me. I love the overall story that Adam & Eddy are telling us and I want to see where it ends up and I’m confused by people who claim to only watch any show for one or two characters and won’t watch anymore if they’re gone. If you only started watching the show for Hook for example, not trying to single anyone out although a few folks on that other board I’ve mentioned a few times fit into this category, then did you even watch season one??! He wasn’t in it…he was never even mentioned for that matter so why are you a fan of the show if he wasn’t even around until episode 2×4? I don’t know if I’ll ever understand that mindset. I’ve seen people claim the same thing about other characters too and while I’d be sad to see any of the characters killed off/leave the show, I’m not going to stop watching because of it. I don’t watch TV for the characters; I watch for the stories and its only when the stories either get too weird or go way off track that I consider giving up a show (i.e. Glee, which I gave up after season three and I’ve never looked back).

I REALLY wish I wasn’t stuck at work because I can’t see the great photos posted from Tumblr. 🙁

 

 

 

#MoreBOOMLessGloom

[astrawoid]

It’s absolutely Emma’s choice.  I would hate for the “triangle” to be resolved with a death of one of the members.  That would be a total cop out.  But I believe in the writers and in E&A and believe that they will have Emma choose who she wants to be with.  I am a bit mystified by why CS shippers believe that their theme is choice.  Apparently Hook is the only one that gives Emma choices rather than making it all about himself.  I never thought that Neal was all about himself.  In fact, he comes off to me as someone who puts other people before himself.  The only time you could really say that Neal put himself first was when he didn’t go after Emma when the curse broke.  And that has been one of his biggest regrets.  He is human tho and I can forgive that he didn’t go after Emma.  He really truly felt that Emma couldn’t forgive him and therefore didn’t go after her.  And I’m sure he was also afraid of having to face his father.  But again, he regrets it.  Probably one of the biggest regrets of his life.  I know we have all done things we regret.  Maybe not to the scope of what Neal did but we all know what regret is and can identify with him.  He is just an ordinary person and maybe that’s why some don’t like him.  He isn’t larger than life.  He isn’t over the top.  He’s just appears as a normal, average guy.  But Neal is all about choices too.  He hasn’t always made the right one but also doesn’t make choices for other people.  I don’t think he takes away Emma’s choices at all.  He never says that she has to be with him and he never says that he won’t give her space if she wants it.  But just simply that he will be there for her and fight for her.  I guess it’s all up to interpretation but I didn’t take it as creepy or as he is taking her choice away.  He loves her and now he will simply show her how much.

"We were happy."
"Because... it was born out of true love."

[Slurpeez]

It’s absolutely Emma’s choice. I would hate for the “triangle” to be resolved with a death of one of the members. That would be a total cop out. But I believe in the writers and in E&A and believe that they will have Emma choose who she wants to be with. I am a bit mystified by why CS shippers believe that their theme is choice. Apparently Hook is the only one that gives Emma choices rather than making it all about himself.

I actually find it quite amusing that some CS fans use the argument that Neal somehow took away Emma’s choice by letting her go to jail but conveniently leave out the fact that Hook did the same thing to Emma, only worse! Hook left Emma for dead, without any provisions, in a magically-fotified jail cell meant to contain the Dark One himself! If it hadn’t been for Rumple’s foresight, then Emma and her mom would’ve died in a matter of days without any water! Hook took away Emma’s chance to return to her son, despite her pleas for mercy from him, because at that point Hook was very vengeful and couldn’t look past Emma’s betrayal atop the beanstalk. That callous vengefulness on Hook’s part towards Emma, combined with his “jabbing her with a sword” comment and his attempting to kill Belle (twice), was the tipping point for me which made switch from thinking of Hook as a potential suitor, eventually settling on Neal instead after “Manhattan.” Hook got whitewashed this season, but last season he came across as an abusive, sexist misogynist at times. Also, most recently, Hook didn’t want to tell Emma right off the bat about Neal, and instead went to her parents. This may be splitting hairs since Charming tried to keep the secret from Emma too, but I’m glad that Snow spilled the beans. Hook and Charming were trying to take away Emma’s choice to “protect” her from her own emotions.

"That’s how you know you’ve really got a home. When you leave it, there’s this feeling that you can’t shake. You just miss it." Neal Cassidy

[Keb]

I think it’s important to remember the timing of Tamara’s intrusion/seduction in Neal’s life, too. She bumps into him the day that August goes to Storybrooke. That’s ages before the curse breaks even (it’s November 2011, a month after Emma went to Storybrooke. We know the curse was still in place Valentine’s day of 2012 cuz that’s when Rumple brought out the cane o’ feels on Moe, and there were at least a few weeks after that before it was broken). Since August seemed to believe that Neal’s being there before the curse was broken would stop Emma from her destiny, Neal wasn’t “allowed” to go to her yet; he was still waiting.

And that’s when Tamara bumps into him and persuades him by whatever means to fall for her, and give up on his receding hope that Emma could forgive him and still want him. (He lost hope again 🙁 ) It’s the easier path, since he does fear both Emma’s rejection and his father’s return to his life, so yes, he’s running away again…but he might have made different choices if Tamara had not inserted herself into his life at that exact moment.

I do still wonder if she had some kind of supernatural hold on him, but that’s mostly because I’m sure there’s more to reveal about Tamara’s motives and skills. Something feels missing on her end of the story yet. Regardless, yes, he chose poorly, but he was being manipulated.

Keeper of Belle's Gold magic, sand dollar, cloaks, purple FTL outfit, spell scroll, library key, copy of Romeo and Juliet, and cry-muffling pillow, Rumple's doll, overcoat, and strength, and The Timeline. My spreadsheet: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B6r8CySCCWd9R0RUNm4xR3RhMEU/view?usp=sharing

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