11. the character everyone gets wrong
>> Plunkett <3
9. worst part of canon
Obviously it's all the character assassination and ruination that occurred in order to make Hook better. But also less seriously, Hook's fuckass clip-on ponytail in his first flashback to when his brother gets stabbed in Neverland. Why was it so important that he have a little ponytail???? ARE YOU HAPPY WITH THAT CHOICE, OUAT??????
17. there should be more of this type of fic/art
More fic with vaginismus!!! (and art ig but I don't know how that would be depicted explicitly without text xD)
do you still do anti-hook rants, or are you past that? because your old rants fuel my soul.
I do! Not as often, only because I don't get as many asks about Hook as I did in the mid 2010s. But my hatred for the character is alive and fresh, my bitterness that had Colin O'Donoghue not been so fucking gorgeous, Captain Swan never would've been a thing, and the way they shafted Neal so epically (SIMILARLY TO HOW RIAN FUCKING JOHNSON SHAFTED FINN FOR KYLO REN I SAID WHAT I SAID) will always stick in my craw.
But Neal now belongs to me, so much so, that I changed his name and gave him his very own full-length novel--which, after "Hell's Heresies" (ALSO A SWANFIRE OG FANFIC!) will be published for the delight of Swanfire/Neal Cassidy fans everywhere.
So keep your eye out for Nolan Jack in the next few years...
It’s been a decade and I’m still traumatized by the revolting, vile, putrescent abomination that is Kill Beauty. And I am still running across simpering abuse glorifiers! In the wild, even!
Andrew Chambliss or whoever vomited out that vile plot point, if I ever get my hands on you….
And don't even get me started on Belle's friendship with Hook, that is literally so sick...
Just remember The Outsider, please, and then the fact that when in S3 Belle said "Hello, he tried to kill me, twice", Hook said he had special circumstances?! like that excuses him?! that he tried to kill a person that didn't even do him anything bad?! like, he literally hurt her only to hurt Rumple?! there's so much wrong with this line of his thinking and actions already, but the fact that he excused his actions with special bloody circumstances and then literally never even tried to apologize and then all of a sudden they're best buds and Belle thinks he's?! a good man?!
"OUAT went downhill once they introduced THAT character" love how they all know it's hook ohnotheydidnt[.]livejournal[.]com/118680401[.]html?thread=19910749265#t19910749265
It’s interesting to see that not just Rumbellers, Swanfires or Swan Queeners think Hook fucked it all up. It’s reassuring.
A lukewarm defence of Hook, though: it didn’t have to be that way. Hook could have been a great villain, an amazing antihero or even a solid redeemed villain turned good guy. It didn’t have to be this way. I was actually excited at the idea Hook might be introduced back in season 2. I was naive and thought we were gonna get an Eton-educated, complex character that was a mixture of refined man of reason and a man controlled by his rage and passions. We got a Captain Sparrow wannabe (fuck POTC for that), a character that was a sort of play on every single pirate stereotype of the age. Colin was, and is, a great actor, he could have played more than a guy who is basically redeemed because he’s good-looking.
I’m also gonna add that Hook appeared right around the time A&E kinda began to improvise the plot. Everything past season 3A was them just making shit up as they went and it shows. It happens to also coincide with Hook making an appearance and it is sort of linked but it’s not all Hook’s fault. Also I honestly liked Rogers, Hook 2′s alter ego in season 7. Man, it would have been SO interesting to get more of Rogers from earlier. What if Hook used to be a massive baddie who at some point has a kid, changes his ways, and now is faced with having to atone for his past? What if he was a man with an actual twisted moral code, so for some he was a villain but, unexpectedly, he was a hero to others?
Hook had so much potential, if I had been an honest Hook fan (they don’t call themselves hookers, right???) I would’ve been so disappointed. One of the things I love most about Rumple is that he ends up, at best, as an antihero. He grows, he changes, he gets people he cares for that he will fight for and protect, but he is NOT a hero. The ONE reason why people who were wronged by him don’t get their justice/revenge is because he’s too powerful for them to ever face. It’s not a matter that the Charmings and whoever decided that nope, Rumple is good now, y’all gotta accept it. The only reason that, say, the butcher’s son (whose dad Rumple turned into a pig) doesn’t get his revenge is because Rumple remains 100% the most powerful character until the end of the show, until he offs himself, so to speak. And I LOVE that.
OK, I realize those are fighting words. Also, the scene where alcoholic Milah had locked her young son alone in the house with an open fire while she went out to drink and party could be taken as evidence against Stockholm Syndrome. I’m not sure if I buy this or not now that the idea’s occurred to me.
But, really, Milah could be a picture book example of Stockholm Syndrome.
We have a woman who is reported kidnapped by an eyewitness who knew her. The neighbor who told Rumple what happened wasn’t describing Milah willingly getting on a ship. She was talking about her having been kidnapped.
When confronted with claims that he had kidnapped Milah, Hook confessed and also confessed to felonies he intended to commit. He followed this up by threatening to kill Rumple if he didn’t leave.
Years later, Milah is a respected member of the crew and wiling to risk her life to save Hook.
Anyone read about Patty Hearst? 19 year old kidnapped by terrorists in the 70′s, kept locked up in a closet, given political tracts to read and told to memorize them, told they were thinking about killing her but maybe she could join the group instead, then later asked if she wanted to join them. Was also sexually assaulted by members in the group. Was given weapons training and took part in a bank robbery. When arrested, she gave her occupation as urban guerilla.
There have been other cases of people with Stockholm Syndrome who, like Milah, fell in love with their captors and risked their lives to protect them, coming to see police and potential rescuers as the enemy.
Stockholm Syndrome seems to be most likely in people who are in terrifying situations (like Patty Hearst in the closet being told they were getting ready to kill her). Abuse and the need to conform to what the captor wants to survive are other factors. Mentally getting on the captor’s side helps captives please the person their lives depend on. It also helps to deal with the trauma of the situation, reducing the fear they have for the person who may kill them.
Could an argument be made that this is what happened to Milah? She hangs out at the bar and flirts with a guy but was kidnapped instead of choosing to leave with him (because Hook has been shown to not understand “consent” vs “coercion”). She adapts, eventually changing from prisoner to one of the crew. Maybe she even enjoyed turning the tables. Instead of being a frightened prisoner, she gets to help attack ships and kill people.
At any rate, by the time Rumple showed up, she was on Hook’s side and not turning back.
Prampt- When Emma finds out she’s pregnant, she realizes Hook is not a man she wants to raise a child with, nor was he ever really a man she wanted to be married to. She leaves him, and finds herself at Regina’s not much later. THANK THANK MY FRIEND
CW: Mention of abortion
--
Emma sat in bed and watched lights from cars on the street flash across the ceiling. Despite having a relatively quiet nightlife, Storybrooke never seemed to completely fall asleep. She could relate. She flopped onto her side and checked the time on her phone yet again. The other side of the bed was still empty, and the time was still a little after one in the morning.
So much for being home early to have dinner together. She’d only told him four times that him being there was important to her, so she supposed there was more she could have done to remind him. But she was his wife, not his mother, and she’d hoped by now he would have gotten his childish antics and selfish desires in check. He was a handsome man, but he certainly wasn’t a mature one.
Just before two, she heard the front door open and slam. He should have assumed she was asleep and been quiet; she stewed for a few minutes while he clomped around before coming to the bedroom. She listened as he unzipped his pants, hopped around tugging them off, and fell onto the bedspread with a satisfied groan.
Her temper, held well in check until this moment, enflamed. She sat up and stared at him. He grinned at her and sat up as well. When he kissed her, she could taste the alcohol on his tongue.
“You’re late.”
“You understand, don’t you, love?”
She pushed his shoulder to create space between them. “No, actually, I don’t.”
His grin didn’t fade. “Don’t be like that.”
“Like what?”
He didn’t respond immediately. “It’s been a long day, and you’re going to nag me?”
She recalled her busy schedule, from working an extra shift with David due to a drunken festival held by the dwarves to helping Snow prepare for a family party the next week, and all the little things around the house she’d taken care of because if she didn’t, nobody would.
“What did you do?”
“Plenty,” he responded, his smile still in place but his voice edged with hardness.
Pushing him would end poorly, and she was well-practiced at walking on eggshells. “I had something important to tell you.”
“What is it, then?”
This wasn’t the right moment, and her throat clenched. “It’s not that important, really.”
“Oh, good.” He kissed her again and nestled into the covers.
Frustrated, she balled her fists against her thighs. “I’m pregnant, Hook.”
He laughed first and then silenced. The quiet of the room was tense, and Emma shifted uncomfortably. She’d expected a happy response—hell, any response, really. His laughter hadn’t come from a place of joy, and now, he wasn’t offering anything.
“You are?” he finally asked.
“I’ve taken a few home tests. Yes, I am.”
“You’re sure?”
Still, he wasn’t enthusiastic, and she hesitated. “Well, pretty sure.”
“How far along?”
“I’ll need to see a doctor to find out.”
“So, it might not be too late?”
It was her turn to freeze awkwardly. “What?”
“You know… to…” He drew his thumb nail across his throat and lifted his eyebrows.
She had nothing to say, which he took positively. Rubbing her thigh, he promised to take her to the doctor in the morning to get it taken care of. Then, he fell asleep, mouth agape and snores rumbling. She quietly rose, packed a single bag of clothes, and left.
Several minutes later, she stood on the dark street and wondered what came next. All she knew was that she was never going back. Ever since giving Henry up for adoption, she’d promised herself that if she ever had a chance to have another, she’d do everything in her power to keep them.
She couldn’t stay with a partner whose first thought was abortion, who thought he could decide for her what was going to happen. He hadn’t even asked what she wanted to do. Fighting a wave of emotion, she sucked in a deep gulp of cool air. She could go to her parents, but they had enough on their plate already.
As a kid, she’d known she was a burden to everyone who took care of her, and she didn’t want to be in that position again. Except, she didn’t have many options. She hadn’t taken any money, just her wallet with her ID and a bank card. While going to an ATM was plausible, she knew she’d never hear the end of it when Hook learned she’d taken money from their account.
Names flashed through her mind, all of which she discarded as unacceptable for one reason or another.
Slowly, she walked through the neighborhood, right up to the door of the one name that wouldn’t leave her alone. For whatever reason, she trusted Regina to help her.
She knocked.
A few minutes passed until the door opened to reveal a tired looking Regina, still dressed like she was at the office.
“Uh, so…” Emma rubbed the back of her neck. “Could I maybe come in?”
Regina’s gaze drifted down to the bag in her hand and back up to her face. “Is something the matter?”
“I just, sort of, need somewhere to sleep?”
“Is that a question?”
“No.” Emma cleared her throat. “I need somewhere to crash tonight. I’ll be out of your hair in the morning.”
Regina stepped back and gestured for Emma to enter. “Would you care to explain?”
Part of her desperately wanted to keep this whole affair a secret. Secrets had kept her safe—and maybe if she’d kept the baby a secret, he wouldn’t have shown this ugly side of himself to her. Maybe she could have pretended for a lot longer that things were okay.
“Um…”
Regina paused in the doorway to the living room. “If you’d like to talk, I’ll be finishing up some work for another hour or so. If you’d rather just sleep, you know where the guest room is.”
She had a choice, which ended up making the decision for her. “I won’t be interrupting your work?”
“This can all be done tomorrow. I’m working because I couldn’t sleep.”
Emma found her way to the couch and sat. “If you’re sure…”
Regina stared.
Emma continued, “I left Hook.”
“Took long enough,” Regina stated simply, reaching for a cup of steaming liquid. Tea, Emma guessed.
“What do you mean?”
“I wouldn’t normally interfere,” she paused while Emma snorted, “but since you asked, you’re too much of a free spirit to be tied down to a man like him. Well, given his nautical theme, perhaps your boat was never meant to be docked in his marina, so to speak.”
“I never really like metaphors.”
“He’s a man that likes control.”
“So?”
“You’re a woman who needs control.”
Emma looked down at her hands. “I don’t know about that.”
“You’ve spent a lot of your life ceding control for one reason or another, but I know…” Regina cleared her throat and stood abruptly. “Would you like something to drink? Tea? Coffee?”
“D’you have that sleepy time tea?”
“I refuse to call it such, but yes, I suppose I do.”
Emma waited patiently while Regina busied herself in the kitchen. Having this conversation felt oddly like an out-of-body experience, and although she’d been certain of Regina’s help, she hadn’t expected this sort of support. A few minutes passed before Regina returned with a warm cup of sweet-smelling lavender tea. Emma blew steam from the top, cooling it prior to taking a sip.
“I mean, irregardless of—”
“That isn’t a word.”
Emma smiled. “I know.”
“I believe you’re what Henry would call a troll.”
She couldn’t hold back her laugh; it felt good to release some of the anxiety and tension. “Well, whatever it was between me and Hook, it’s done now.”
“Did something happen?” Regina’s eyes scanned over her again.
Emma realized the implication and shook her head quickly. “No, nothing like that. He’s never hit me.”
“Good.” There was a threat behind the single word, one that promised a lot worse than hitting.
“I’m pregnant.”
Regina’s expression brightened slowly. “You are? When did you find out?”
“I wasn’t sure until this morning.”
The sunshine blooming on Regina’s face faded quickly. “And I suppose he wasn’t exactly prepared to be father of the year?”
“He wants me to get rid of them.”
“And do you?”
“No.”
Regina hummed quietly. “A predicament.”
“That’s why I couldn’t stay, not any longer.”
“You’re welcome to stay here as long as you need.” The offer came without hesitation, and Emma was nearly bowled over by the kindness. Again, Regina was more than she expected.
“I wasn’t easy to deal with when I was pregnant with Henry.”
“I don’t mind.”
“You might.”
Regina shook her head. “Miss Swan, you have yet to realize the effect you have on people.”
“Oh, don’t start with the savior stuff.” Emma leaned into the cushions, letting her head fall back.
“I mean on a personal level.” Regina reached toward her and then changed her mind, lowering her hands to her sides. “You’ve come to mean a lot to a lot of people. Myself included.”
“I don’t…” Emma shook her head. “I don’t know what you mean, but thanks?”
“This is hardly the time or the place, but I do care for you.”
Emma puzzled over this a moment before making eye contact. “Yeah, I care about you, too.”
Regina smiled tightly. “I believe we mean slightly different things. I don’t want this to color your decision to stay here, but I only thought it fair to mention so you have all the relevant information.”
“Stop hiding stuff behind your complicated way of saying things.”
“I would like to help you raise this child,” Regina replied, although the answer shed no light on what she’d said previously.
Emma’s heart beat a bit faster. “You would? I mean, it’s a lot to ask, and you’re not related to the kid—”
“I’ve raised another child I was not biologically related to,” Regina interrupted. “I think that turned out rather well.”
“Henry, right.”
“I don’t want an answer this evening. You’re facing something quite large, and you need the appropriate time to think and reflect.” Regina gestured to the stairs. “Go, get some sleep. I’ll be here if you need me.”
Feeling emotionally tangled, Emma stood. She pulled Regina into a tight hug, whispering thank you and enjoying the comfort the proximity delivered. She had a strong feeling that Regina cared for her a lot more than idle words let on, and she had to admit her own heart harbored something similar. Still, she was married, at least for the moment.
For now, she’d see where this fresh direction took her.
