Here is our interview with theforgottenpromises on their story “Clarity In The Fog”
What inspired your story?
I was so lucky to have regalducky’s beautiful artpiece as a starting point. The words used, the colors, the darkness, the angst. I was sold. And then I suppose after considering about 341 different ways to interpret and work with what regalducky offered, I landed on one because of a comment my sister made when I asked her what to do. “What if Emma isn’t physically gone? What if she just mentally checked out?” I told her no of course, then shamelessly stole that idea and claimed it as my own. A true younger sibling. I tried to get some of the whole hijacked mind feel from The Hunger Games: Mockingjay into it too but stories have a habit of leading a life of their own so I didn’t exactly end up where I thought i was headed. Which was totally fine in the end!
Let’s get deep: why do you write?
I write because I love it. I love stories. I love words. I love the beauty one can create by putting the right words in the right order. English isn’t my first language, but I fell for it even before I even knew how to understand it. To me, there’s no better language to express emotions in than English and writing is just another excuse to use more of it. That said I’ve always have a very lively imagination, creating entire fantasy worlds in my head before I could even read or write properly and now, 20 years later I’m still dreaming. I never wrote much because I didn’t know where to start or end (and because I never. just. sat. down. and. wrote.), but then I found this little thing called fanfiction. It offered pre-existing characters with their own traits and some rules to work with as well as a potential audience. After reading a lot of it I decided to try my hand at it myself. So far, so good!
Do you ever have conversations with your characters, and talk back to them?
No, I just write what’s in my imagination.
What is your favorite type of writing to do?
I still feel like I’m new to the whole writing thing. So far the only stories I’ve ever written and finished are all fanfiction. Writing about romance is a given for me and somehow I’m incapable of writing a story that doesn’t end up with a good dose of angst in it. There’s something beautiful in deep emotions. Good AND bad. So at some point I’ll always find myself writing about that.
If you could live out one scene of your writing what would it be?
I once wrote a oneshot about SwanQueen taking a cable car ride together (A View To Live For), which was inspired by my own terror when riding one of those up a mountain! And I tend to slip phrases or little habits of my personal life or people around me into my stories, but nothing super major yet. As for the scene I would want to live out… I suppose romantic ice skating on a frozen pond surrounded by fairy lights (Storybrooke Secret Santa) wouldn’t be completely awful.
How do you shape your characters?
Writing fanfiction, you don’t really get to create your characters from scratch. I do, however, have very set head canons for the existing characters that I will rarely stray from because I seriously hate reading/writing about things that feel out of character to me.
Fandom: Once Upon a Time
Pairing: Regina Mills/Emma Swan
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: ~4000
Note: For @theforgottenpromises for @onceuponasecretsanta. Sorry this is late! It’s rather lengthy, so I’m going to post it in chapters. I hope you like it! <3 Happy (belated) Holiday and New Years!
Summary:
The forest is motionless—no creatures, no wind. The leaves beneath your feet make no sound, and you can barely breathe for the stillness. Clouds crackle with lighting and smoke but no rain falls. It’s days and days.
Your mother remains positive: She’s changed, she says. She’s strong, she says. She’ll be alright, she says. You aren’t sure if it’s for you or herself that she keeps repeating, and repeating, and repeating.
The trees thin out and you come to a village.
Maybe she’s been through here, your mother says. Maybe we can—
But the village is full of bones, burnt bodies and half-houses and one man left alive, just barely. He lives long enough to look you in the eye.
She’s back, he whispers, she’s back. Please, god help us. She’s back.
Things I’d like: I’ll be honest. I’m swen, and SwanQueen is basically all i’m pasionate about when it comes to this show. So as far as “things I’d like" go, I’d like something revolving this ship. Fics, videos, maybe a lockscreen for my phone, I’m not very picky when it comes to what kind of form I’d like my gift to be in. I’m terrible at coming up with prompts but if I had to narrow it down i’ll just say I’m a sucker for angst. I read and have read all ratings and everything works for me. I like non magical AUs too.
No-no’s: Like I mentioned before, I’m here for SwanQueen so anything centering something or someone else would be considered a no-no for me. I’m cool with OQ and CS as long as it’s in a past tense or a temporary thing in a SQ centered gift. I’m also alright with any other character making an appearance if it suits you. However, I really don’t like anything OOC and I don’t particularly love Enchanted Forest AUs.
What I CAN do: I write SQ fanfiction (and/or swan mills family), and that’s pretty much all i can do.
What I absolutely CAN’T do: Since I’m not interested in any other ships I could never do any of them justice in my writing. My skills are unfortunately limited to writing and my writing is limited to SwanQueen.
Back-Up Gifters: I wish I could but no.
If YES to back-up gifter, would you be able to make 2 gifts at the same time? -
Anything else: My third year participating. Huge thanks to the mods for making this happen. I’m already excited!
Things I’d like: I’ll be honest and tell you the main reason I’m still in the OUAT fandom is because of Swan Queen and Swan-Mills Family feels so as much as I would like to name more ships and give you more to work with, I really can’t.
As for my requested types, I’m okay with anything that works for you except for fan mixes. Non Magical AUs, Future AUs, other AUs, Holiday themed, canon, canon divergence anything goes. A cool lock screen for my phone, a fic, a video… I’m not very picky.
I’m a sucker for angst but if fluff is your thing then I’m down with that as well. Any rating you’re comfortable with is fine.
No-no’s: I don’t ship anything other than SQ (besides maybe Snowing as a side plot) so other ships would be a NO for me. I don’t particularly like an Enchanted Forest AU! nor do I like Rumple very much.
What I CAN do: I’m a writer. Fanfiction is unfortunately the only thing I have to offer.
What I absolutely CAN’T do: The only OTP I’ve read about and know well is Swan Queen, so that would also be the only OTP I can write a genuine fic for. I can only create a story with Emma and Regina as the main characters and I can’t write smut.
Back-Up Gifters: No :(
If YES to back-up gifter, would you be able to make 2 gifts at the same time?
Anything else: Last year’s OUASS was awesome. I’m super excited to do it again!
Another small gift for theforgottenpromises, it has nothing to do with the fic, I just wanted to try something after I wasn't sure about the fic :D But I hope you like it a bit at least :)
Hello, theforgottenpromises! As promised, ice cream cheating is all forgiven, here's your gift! I hope you like it, it didn't exactly turn out the way I planned but it has some tiny smut ;)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The spell of shattered sight was over. The Snow Queen was gone. Robin was gone. Rumple was gone. Things were getting back to normal. Well, to Storybrooke normal when you can take a breath between villains’ attacks and you can fix some things that happened during the fights.
Emma sighed and ran her hand through her blonde curls. She was sitting on her bed for about an hour, looking alternatively at the ceiling of her room and her phone.
She deleted the text message for the n-th time and decided to dial that number instead.
“Hello?” The voice on the other side was impatient.
“H-hi, Regina…” Then Emma went silent, not knowing how to express her thoughts exactly.
“Ehm, yeah, sure. I was wondering… I wanted… Just, can we please talk?” She said it quickly.
“I think we are talking.”
“Jeez, R’gina… Can we meet somewhere?”
“I’m sorry but I have meetings the whole day.”
“Okay then what about we meet in the Rabbit hole afterwards? What time do you finish?”
There was a short silence on Regina’s side. She was considering this whole phone call and the meeting and then she smirked.
“8 o’clock, don’t be late.” And with that, she hung up.
Emma sighed but smiled. And then she frowned nervously again, when she remembered what that was that she wanted to talk about and that she actually wanted to apologize and apologizing was never her strength.
---------------------
Emma entered the bar just on time. She looked around and saw Regina sitting in one of the booths, drinking wine. She stopped to get a glass of beer and went to the brunette.
“I’m not late, you’re early” Emma said when she was sitting down.
“I didn’t say anything,” Regina smirked, looking into her glass.
“I just figured you would say something about me coming late.” Emma murmured.
“Am I so bad?” Regina looked Emma in her eyes.
“What?” The green eyes widened.
“Nothing.” Regina sighed. “What did you want to talk about?”
“Hmnm… well… you remember what happened when you were under the shattered spell, right?” Emma asked nervously, only flicking on Regina with her eyes.
“Yes, I remember very well how I was trying to kill your mother with that sword. Why?”
“So you also remember when I made you furious…”
“Do you mean when you came to my vault with that Snow princess and first thing you asked was about my dress? Yes, I recall that.”
“I don’t mean…”
“I know what you mean, Emma…” Regina didn’t really look at her, she was making circles with her glass of wine.
“That’s what I want to talk about…” Emma started, a bit unsure.
“What about that?” The brunette looked up, confused.
“I said I knew who Marian was and that I brought her here on purpose…”
A flick of hurt crossed Regina’s eyes.
“I don’t understand why we…”
“Just let me talk, please…” Regina raised her eyes and looked at Emma, waiting what this was really about.
“It’s not true. I didn’t know it. I didn’t make it on purpose, I didn’t want to hurt you, I never did and I will never want to hurt you. I’m sorry for saying that and I’m sorry for hurting you.”
“You already apologized for that, you don’t need to do it again.” Regina’s voice was soft. She expected anything but definitely not an apology.
“I’m not finished yet… The things I said about Hook… that I wanted you to see me happy, that’s not true either…”
“That you didn’t want me to see you happy or that you’re not happy?”
Emma took a big gulp of her beer to pro long the time of answering.
“Both, I guess.” She whispered it and Regina wasn’t quite sure for a moment if she heard it right.
“Are you not happy?” Regina frowned.
“I don’t think I am…” Emma answered.
“So why are you with that Useless joke of a man?”
“Because… I- you know, I’m not sure I want to talk about this, I wanted to apologize because I can’t stand the thought that you think I hurt you on purpose.”
“I accept that apology. But since we are already here and I haven’t finished my wine yet nor do I want to go home, maybe we can talk, instead of just sitting here in silence, what do you think?”
“Fine…”
“So why are you with him when you’re not happy with him?” She repeated her question, in case Emma already forgot it, because she really wanted to know the answer.
The blonde finished her beer. The whole glass and her empty stomach made the result of the alcohol come quicker.
“It’s just… you had Robin, your soulmate, destined by pixie dust and you seemed happy and I was alone. I didn’t want to be alone and Hook was trying to… get into my pants since the Enchanted forest so I finally agreed…”
“To let him into your pants?” Regina almost choked on her wine thinking about it and frowned with disgust.
“No! I didn’t… we didn’t…”
“Oh. I understand.” The relief was visible on the mayor. “So… were you just… jealous, of Robin?”
“What about some shots? Shots!” Emma gestured to the bar.
Regina didn’t say anything and waited for Emma’s reaction to her question.
When the shots arrived, Emma handed two to Regina and took two for herself. She then indicated clinging with glasses and then drunk both of them.
Regina looked at her a bit amused and drunk hers, just a bit slower.
“Sorry…” Emma ran her hand through her hair.
“It’s okay, you don’t have to answer.”
“Well, since we’re playing some truth game tonight and since you probably know the answer anyway… yes, I was jealous of Robin.”
Regina smiled first, then she frowned, confused again.
“But… I don’t understand… why would you be jealous of Robin?”
“Jesus Christ, Regina, have you ever looked at yourself in a mirror? Oh, besides, it’s not that you wouldn’t be jealous of Hook at all, right?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Regina buried her reddening face in her glass.
“Oh come on! I admitted it, you can too! It’s not that I wouldn’t notice that you started to make all your snarky sassy comments toward him right after we started to date, not before.”
“Well, I can say the same about you. I assume you own a mirror as well?”
“Are you saying what I think you’re saying, your majesty?”
“And what do you think I am saying?” Regina raised her eyebrow, challenging her.
“I think that you’re saying that I’m pretty.” Emma smirked victoriously.
“I believe you said the same about me, dear.” Regina didn’t change her expressing, looking directly in the green orbs.
“No. You’re not pretty.”
Regina couldn’t help but frown in confusion again, getting a bit upset.
“You’re gorgeous, Regina.”
That was the first time Emma saw the former mayor speechless. She opened her mouth and closed it again.
“I didn’t expect that. Thank you.”
“No need to thank me. That’s just a fact. You’re gorgeous and when your smile reaches your eyes, you’re even more beautiful.” Emma looked at her sheepishly but smirking.
“Emma Swan, are you trying to seduce me?” The alcohol was noticeable in her voice.
“Why would you think that, your majesty?” Emma leaned closer over the table, smirking.
“Because you look more into my cleavage than into my eyes.”
“Because it’s being on display! Speaking of which… you look more on my lips than into my eyes… Wanna explain that?” Emma raised her eyebrow. She felt the excitement going through her whole body. She was really enjoying this little game with Regina. She had no idea where this was going to but she didn’t really care.
“Hmm…” Regina closed her eyes a bit and hummed, licking her own lips.
“What are you thinking about, your majesty?” Emma whispered that, looking into the chocolate eyes, licking her own lips like in a mirror. She reached out her hand and touched Regina’s, drawing small circles on her wrist, sending shivers through the brunette’s body.
“I’m thinking about what these fingers of yours could do somewhere else on my body…” Regina practically purred that.
“Shall we go somewhere else?”
“I think the bathroom will do.” With that, and with a smirked, Regina got up from the booth and went to the bathroom, hoping the blonde would just follow her.
It took Emma few seconds to recover from the shock but soon she was following her dream soon to be real.
When the blonde entered the bathroom, Regina was standing at the sink, looking at herself in the mirror, adjusting herself.
“Hey,” Emma came to her from behind, hugging her around her waist, she started to kiss her on her neck then.
Regina leaned into the touch, tilting her head to the side to make more space. After a moment of enjoying Emma’s lips and tongue on her skin, she turned around in the blonde’s arms and searched for her mouth.
The kiss started as wild, lips crushing against each other, teeth biting and tongues fighting for more touch. Hands soothing each other’s bodies, craving for more contact, bodies pressing against each other.
After a while the kiss slowed down, lips nibbling lips. Regina then stopped and leaned her forehead against Emma’s.
“Hi,” she smilled.
“So… is this the alcohol or are you trying to find a compensation for Robin?” Emma asked, not sure what she wants to hear.
“What would you say?” Regina smirked and pushed Emma against the wall. Her hands started to explore the blonde’s breast, sneaking under her t-shirt, squeezing and massaging.
“I – don’t dare to – guess…” Emma said breathlessly, pulling Regina’s head closer to her neck.
“Then don’t,” she whispered it into her ear, sucking on her earlobe.
Emma breathed in deeply and flipped them around. Her hands started to explore Regina’s thighs under her tight skirt. After a while she opened the zip and pulled it down. Her fingers were playing with the hem of the brunette’s panties.
“Is this really how you want our first time to be?” Emma pushed her fingers inside, finding Regina wet.
“No,” Regina breathed out. “But I need you.” She pulled Emma’s lips to hers again, needing to feel her.
“I guess it’s not the alcohol, nor the compensation then,” Emma smiled against the red lips. Her fingers were wet now, she was stroking small circles against Regina’s clit. Their breathing was quick and shallow.
“Emma,” Regina whispered, digging her fingers into Emma’s back. The blonde was showering Regina with wet kisses everywhere she could reach.
“Can you just poof us somewhere else, like your bedroom maybe, so we can continue this?” Emma asked when she reached the full lips again.
“Gladly,” Regina smiled and purple smoke enveloped them.
Things I’d like: I was hoping for some fanfiction or a video. Though, a nice wallpaper for my phone would be amazing as well! Most beautiful manips/edits/wallpapers I can find are landscape images, which means chopping off half the pics to fit my screen(720 x 1280 pixels). My favorite character is Regina, especially the Storybrooke version. My ultimate OTP is SwanQueen so that would be my requested ship. Which means Swan-Mills Family is a big YES too! I read any and all ratings when it comes to FF. I like stories set in non-magical AU’s a lot, but the canon world is just a good. I am a big fan of anything deep and/or angsty… and this goes for FF, video’s and graphics/wallpapers.
I’m not very passionate about any other ships, so I’m sorry I can’t give any more ships.
No-no’s: I don’t really care for any other ships especially any ships that involve either Regina or Emma (like OutlawQueen or CaptainSwan) I don’t really like Fairytale Land or Rumplestiltskin either.
What I CAN do: I can write fanfiction and do fanmixes.. and unfortunately, that’s pretty much it.
What I absolutely CAN’T do: I can’t do anything that isn’t writing or putting together fanmixes. Since the only ship my heart is really in, is SwanQueen, I can’t create anything genuine for any other ship.
Back-Up Gifters: YES, if you’ll have me, I’ll be happy to!
If YES to back-up gifter, would you be able to make 2 gifts at the same time? Sure, no problem
Anything else: Using tumblr for anything other than following other people’s blogs and liking posts, but I’m sure I can figure out how everything works. I’m really excited!
