[Keb]

I should very much like the sand dollar that Rumple sent Belle. (Belle’s sand dollar?) And also the Gold magic Belle uses.

[Keb]

Adam confirmed that the Belle and Neal posters going around were official on Twitter a while ago. (Though I’m lost as to why you’d cut a bit  of Belle’s skirt out to show the moon? It’s otherwise very pretty, but the skirt doesn’t look right.)

Anyway…thoughts on the triangle.

What makes it fascinating and heartbreaking for me is that Hook is going to be incredibly torn over this. While he has clearly fallen for Emma, he also cares enough about Neal that he isn’t going to want to be in the way of Neal’s happiness–he believes himself a man of honor, and he knows that he hurt Neal badly as a boy (first by breaking up his family, though on the Milah side of the equation he feels more than justified, he gets that this hurt Baelfire a lot, and then by selling him out to Pan in a move that was definitely bad form, and we don’t know what further history they may have had in Neverland…but, oh yeah, he also tried to kill Neal’s dad, again, feeling justified on one level but realizing that Neal may possibly have been hurt by this).

But I think, too, that’s why SF is the sturdier ship–for Hook to do the right thing and redeem himself, he will have to relinquish his claim to Emma’s heart (as long as that’s what she wishes). It would be an act of love toward both of them–Milah’s son and Emma–to allow them to be together and rekindle their love.

And then he can go heal Mulan’s broken heart. Or be with Tink. Or something even more beautiful.

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

[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

[Keb]

Well, I like the nerdiness…but if you want to talk about “traditionally” handsome, MRJ is actually closer to what was considered hot on TV 40-50 years ago. Colin’s more conventionally handsome by modern standards, I think. MRJ would fit right in on a classic western like Bonanza or something though. And I think he’s downright cuddly. (The dog agrees.)

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

[Keb]

They’re both hot. I do think that Colin’s got a certain raw sexiness (with added omg you’re such an adorkable nerd IRL) that MRJ doesn’t exude, and due to the paths of their characters you have pirate with romantic language and awesome accent vs scruffy American dude who curses in TV-13 American… so there’s nothing exotic about grown-up Neal. IE, he winds up comparatively everyman.

And you can like both and still favor one coupling over the other–in fact, I think we’re supposed to, because they’re both awesome, complex characters with both good and bad traits, played by hot, talented actors (oh wait, that’s everyone in the main cast and most of the guests/recurring chars to boot). Liking Hook a lot makes wanting Swanfire that much more painful (er, emotional?) because it’s such a complicated triangle–their relationships are multidimensional instead of just two guys who like the same girl.

(And getting into just how complicated is like drawing up Henry’s family tree…)

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

[Keb]

Yes. One of the best things about the Beauty and the Beast tale in all its forms…the belief that even if you think you’re not lovable, you might be anyway.

I never know if it’s that I aspire to be Belle or that I so often feel like the beast that makes me love the story so much.

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

[Keb]

Why I loved the “I’ll never stop fighting for you” line:

–he’s saying he’s got her back now, even if he screwed up before

–he believes she’s worth it

–Belle’s belief, from Mulan: “When you find something worth fighting for, you never give up.”

–Mulan also influenced him to hope for a second chance, and fight for one

–Hook himself has said a man unwilling to fight for what he wants deserves what he gets…so Neal is not like Daddy in this regard. (He did get some good traits from Papastiltskin, but we haven’t seen Rumple fight very hard even for Belle yet…though his main enemy is himself.)

(also can we just adopt Mulan into the floof family please?)

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

[Keb]

Yeah, 3 months tops. S2 came out to about 40 days even with my trying to pad it as much as possible. It’s been a week in Neverland.

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

[Keb]

Thank you guys for being here. Neal gets a lot of hate sometimes (and I get it, if you love Hook you want him happy and Neal gets in the way), and for some reason it’s even harder for me to accept Neal-hate than Rumple-hate. Here’s me thinking his promise to always fight for her was a promise for the future, a vow that he does still love her and will try not to hurt her again because he knows he screwed up, and people on Tumblr are putting the worst possible spin on it.

Perhaps more of Neal’s backstory, and maybe Tamara’s, will connect the dots of his psyche better, but since he found out he was a father, he’s done his best to be there for both Emma and Henry. And even when he’s hurt her, it’s been accidental or because he believed he was helping her at the time…gah, can I just hug him? Please?

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

[Keb]

We also know for a fact that Peter was outside of Neverland at least once, when he was the piper. So possibly he has seer abilities, possibly he found a seer to help him, but regardless, perhaps the image was revealed outside of Neverland at some point.

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

[Author]

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