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martianbugsbunny · 2 years

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OUAT Thoughts Pt.21--Episodes 22-1

I have watched through S3E1; spoilers DNI. Also, spoiler warning for anyone further behind than I am.

—Let’s have a round of applause for the writers. The last episode of season 2 was exceptionally well done. There was absolutely no wasted time or unneeded drama.

—For example, Belle and Mr. Gold. She got her memories back and nobody had to go through the angst of her being mad at herself or at Mr. Gold. She’s just there for him right from the second she’s herself again. Also, that was beautiful for their sake, because they’re finally becoming the people together that they should be.

—Which of course means they have to split up. But I choose to believe that they’re going to be reunited, because I trust Belle to be persistent.

—He kept the cup even though it was broken!

—I doubt Rumplestiltskin would bring his dagger with him to Neverland, particularly if he fears Peter Pan this much, which leads me to conclude that he’s having Belle watch it for him.

—Grumpy is a lovely guy. Asking the Blue Fairy to make that extra dose of memory potion for Belle was very nice of him. I doubt anyone else would’ve even thought of it.

—I respect that Hook’s reason for turning against Tamara and Owen is “I don’t want to die”. Everybody and their grandmother has a noble, self-sacrificing reason to fight for something. It’s nice to acknowledge that some people’s motivation is self-preservation.

—That red vest Hook wore during Bae’s backstory was gorgeous. Actually, his clothes as a whole aren’t entirely atrocious.

—With other types of story being used in OUAT (such as Dr. Frankenstein) there should be a least one ballet story. Technically, Sleeping Beauty has been a ballet, but that doesn’t really count. Giselle, maybe?

—*sigh* now I’m never going to see more of Red or Dr. Hopper!

—At least the portal in the middle of the ocean looked cool. Which it did, by the way. Water tunnels are iconic.

—The Shadows in Neverland are very Kingdom Hearts. (Which, by the way, is a masterpiece of storytelling in itself. 10/10.)

—I disagree with Hook. Rumplestiltskin having a wardrobe change *is* a good use of our time. Getting to see him without his Dark One makeup, but wearing the Dark One clothes, is quite the experience.

—Regina’s blue jacket really stands out against the oceanscape. I mean, I like most of her fairytale clothes better than her “real” world clothes, but her jackets are nice.

—Yes! Tamara and Owen really just got bumped off right from the start. Outstanding.

—So they’re really sticking with the whole malevolent Peter Pan thing. Brilliant. It’s about time somebody figured out what a creepy bastard he can be.

—On the other hand, how am I supposed to take this kid seriously? He’s been set up well, with everybody talking about how terrifying he is, but now I need some action to back that all up.

—Vengeful granddad is a good look for Rump.

—I hope Bae keeps that stick to fight with. Also, he should get some fairytale clothes.

—Darn, Prince Philip is back. Well, at least we might get to explore how that happened eventually. It’ll be a fun adventure if nothing else.

—That storm was epic. Way to reinforce how scary Neverland is.

—It would be cool if Ariel was one of these mermaids. Not that I actually think she will be, because she’s one of the Princesses, but it would still be awesome. It would be so much more interesting if she loved a human when she’s supposed to kill them, than what OG!Ariel’s story is. (That girl is just so whiny. I mean, I could write essays about Ariel, both her good parts and her bad parts, but I think she comes out as a general dislike for me.)

—Okay, Robin, come on. If you move into a guy’s house because he’s been cursed out of the world, why would you trash it? Does he like living in filth? Couldn’t he be bothered to dust once in a while…like, once a year even?

—I’m glad they’ve finally acknowledged how weird it is for Emma’s parents to be her age. But I do feel sorry for them, they’re trying their best.

—My feelings about Hook have gone from “he’s so stupid” *annoyed* to “he’s so stupid” *fond*. I don’t even know what happened.

—Maybe it’s his soft spot for Bae. I mean, I still don’t buy that he loved Mila as much as he claims/believes he did, but the fact that he seems willing to care for a person outside of romance is important to me.

—Hook and Rump killing their feud for the sake of this quest is also important to me. Both of them have been rather uncompromising in the past, particularly when it comes to holding grudges, but now they’ve dropped it all because this is more important.

—I love seeing Charming with a sword again. I much prefer that to his guns.

—Emma doing pull-ups in the Jolly Roger (what a fun name!) reminded me of something I really like about her. Unlike Elsa, Anna, Rapunzel, etc., it’s plausible that Emma can pull off the physical feats that she does. She trains. Her background is a job that required her to be athletic and capable. It makes sense that she can do all the jumping and the running and the dragon-slaying (even though I disapprove of any and all dragon-oriented violence). Emma is a much more realistic person than many Disney ladies are.

—This stuff with Henry intrigues me. He’s the culmination of both the brightest and the darkest bloodlines in the fairytale world. If he develops magical abilities, that could be an interesting plot point.

—Although, having two very angry moms with magical powers makes him one of the scariest people in OUAT canon, so…anything else might just make him OP.

—I hope they go back to Storybrooke eventually, because I’ve become rather fond of it. And of the other characters who show up there.

—I love watching the actors’ names roll by at the beginning of each episode. I specifically look for Ginnifer Goodwin and Robert Carlyle—Ginnifer because I love her as Judy Hopps, and Robert because I love him as Rumplestiltskin. Seeing their names just makes me happy.

#once upon a time #ouat #belle #mr. gold #rumbelle #rumplestiltskin #neverland #grumpy #Captain Hook #baelfire #regina mills #Peter Pan #Henry #the charmings #prince Philip charming #bye Storybrooke #you will be missed #martianbugsbunny reviews

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t-jfh · 2 months

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YouTube video >> One Breath Around The World short film by freediver & filmmaker Guillaume Néry - Les Films Engloutis [Released 2 February 2019 / 12mins.+41secs.]:

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ONE BREATH AROUND THE WORLD short film features freediver Guillaume Néry

Writing & Direction — Guillaume Néry

Cinematography on breath hold — Julie Gautier

Production — Les Films Engloutis

Co-production — Morgan Le Faucheur, Almo Film

Editing — Ben Nardini

Original soundtrack — Guillaume Ferran

Colour correction — Arthur Paux

Sound design — Ben Nardini

Compositing — Léonard Mercier

Sound mix — Xavier Fulbert, Ideocast

Still photography — Franck Seguin

See this related link via The Eye of Photography magazine >>

Guillaume Néry, À Plein Souffle, a book with photographs by Franck Seguin (published January 9, 2019) at editions Glénat:

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YouTube video >> Arvo Pärt: Da Pacem Domine (full album) - Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir, Conductor: Paul Hillier • Video production by Sylvain Moore [Released 15 September 2020 / 64mins+58secs.]:

Film production by Sylvain Moore includes imagery sourced from Deep Oceanscapes - BBC Earth, ELV Nautilus and Guillaume Néry (see related YouTube video: One Breath Around The World short film by Guillaume Néry, above).

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#Youtube

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therealestateprojects · 2 years

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How to Use the Rustomjee Payment Scheme and Book Your Dream Residence?

Every single human being who steps into the city of dreams, dreams of owning a home in Mumbai. For the city that never sleeps and serves as the core foundation for people's desire for luxury and comfort, it inevitably becomes important to consider purchasing residential spaces from reputable builders in Mumbai. This is a very important factor of consideration for making a real estate investment in the city, specifically because only the top builders registered with RERA will offer you the world’s finest amenities, easy access to home loans, on-time completion of the project, and high-class security systems in a gated community. If you are wondering which builder to pick to purchase a property in Mumbai from, end your search right away! Rustomjee is among the best builders in India whom you can trust blindly.

If you are seeking to invest in new projects in Mumbai, you must check out the best properties by Rustomjee. The payment scheme offered for the finest Rustomjee projects, with out-of-the-world amenities and luxuries at their finest, will only feel alluring towards investing right away. Let’s look at the 5 most popular and magnificent Rustomjee estates and their respective payment schemes so that you can pick the most suitable residential investment for yourself.

Rustomjee Crown, Prabhadevi Situated in the most sought-after vicinities of Mumbai — Prabhadevi, the Crown is considered among South Mumbai’s finest gated communities. This magnificent estate offers lavish 3, 4 and 5 BHK oceanscape residences with breathtaking sea views on the higher floors and over 60 lifestyle amenities scattered over 2.52 acres of the landscaped podium. All you have to do to buy an apartment here is make 20% of the payment and book your home.

Rustomjee Seasons, BKC Annexe Rustomjee Seasons is a 3.83 acre magnificent estate that offers 3 BHK lush residences starting at Rs. 5.72 Cr (all inclusive) with incredible amenities and a remarkably easy commute to and fro from work. Work-life balance is truly perfectly balanced here. All you have to do to buy an apartment here is make 20% of the payment and book your home.

Rustomjee Erika, Bandra East Rustomjee Erika in Bandra East offers optimally designed residences with an array amenities and comforts. The 2 BHK residences are priced at Rs. 2.40 Cr. (all inclusive), while higher-floor homes are priced at Rs. 2.89 Cr (all inclusive). All you have to do to buy an apartment here is make 20% of the payment and book your home.

Rustomjee Bella, Bhandup West Rustomjee Bella is the finest gated community in Bhandup that offers 1 and 2 BHK luxurious residences with incredible rooftop amenities starting at Rs. 77 lacs. All you have to do to buy an apartment here is make 20% of the payment and book your home.

Rustomjee Summit, Borivali East Situated in one of the most desired suburban neighbourhoods of Mumbai, Rustomjee Summit offers 3 BHK lavish residences starting at Rs. 2.65 Cr (all inclusive) with spectacular views of the Golden Pagoda and the lush green setting of the Sanjay Gandhi National Park. All you have to do to buy an apartment here is make 20% of the payment and book your home.

Why wait any longer when you can get yourself a luxurious Rustomjee apartment with a payment scheme that makes luxury affordable and contentment inevitable? Enquire Now

Share this Blog & your thoughts with us in the comments below!

#property in Mumbai #builders in Mumbai

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incoherent-orca · 2 years

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i wanna watch avatar 2 but not as an action movie, just as a documentary

just throw out the plot and give me alien oceanscapes

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with-the-same-tattoos · 2 years

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I actually meant 2 doodle some valentines art today but I'm fucked so I ended up doodling Mag self insert stuff????? This post for a lil extra context, honestly this isn't selfshipping anymore I'm just fully in depth daydreaming about how me and Peter Lukas could create the most insane space of chaotic de-existance the apocalypse be damned. I wish he would patron me so I could endlessly paint the loneliest oceanscapes. I do wanna explore my own thoughts abt isolation and he's a very fun guy 2 explore them thru. SO what if we make out a lil on tje side..... hahahhahahahahahah

#the magnus archives #tma #mag #peter lukas #plukas posting #self insert x plukas #tma self insert #art #kaniart #doodle

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mbonuemeremmuseumofart-blog · 4 years

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"Wooded Landscape Dry Season #2" by a visual artist, Sir Mbonu Christopher Emerem. #artstrendsettinguniversal, #avantgardeartworks, #cuttingedgeartworks, #innovativeinventivearts, #popularAfricanartworks, #highdemandAfricanness, #blackartworldculturearts, #Afrocentricinspiredarts, #edgyethnicarts, #interconnectivities, #prints, #oceanscapes, #landscapepaintings, #portraitpaintings, #expressionism, #mbonuemeremmuseumofart, #abstractexpressionism, #fantasy, #artdeco, #impressionism, #surrealism, #minimalism, #symbolism, #conceptualart, #mbonuemeremauctionshouse, #SirMbonuChristopherEmeremartworld, (at Mboun-Emerem Museum Of Art) https://www.instagram.com/p/B9jLVYXHwg2/?igshid=99weg0iwi8kz

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fatehbaz · 4 years

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Western knowledge and science shapes the structure of Western cartographic language, from the smallest part of the symbol to the overall look of the map and the ways in which the map is used. From the initial categorization of a geographical entity as a point, line, area, or volume, an ontological structure and epistomelogial assumption has been established in the map. [...] Hawaiians understand place as a multidimensional metaphysical continuum that ranges from the heavenscape through the landscape on to the oceanscape. It is also a repository for cultural knowledge. Knowledge of place is not only limited to the senses of sight, hearing, taste, touch, and smell but also incorporates other more abstract “sense” that are linked to intuition, place, time [...]. These more abstract senses are a critical part of Hawaiian spatial-knowledge acquisition, symbolization, and transmission and can only be accessed through various cultural practices [...].

This “depth of place” knowledge is not confined to the boundaries of land, but is inextricably intertwined with the spiritual realm. All parts are interrelated [...]. Different places were given distinct, place-specific names for wind, rain, stars, cloud types, lava formations, and ocean wave movements that describe not only their individual traits but also the specific phenomena associated with them. For example, “Ka makani ka ̄ ‘aha‘aha la‘i o Niua’ alludes to ‘the peaceful ‘aha‘aha breeze of Niua that drives in the ‘aha‘aha fish.’ In this example ‘aha‘aha refers to both the fish and breeze of the same name. Fishermen knew that when the breeze blew, it was the right time to launch their canoes in search of the ‘aha‘aha fish.

When the Hawaiian government [...] switched to private property under advisement of Western counselors, ahupua’a boundaries were translated into a Western concept of boundary, thus distorting their meaning and function. The Hawaiian concept of boundary as inclusive and fluid -- adjusting to changing environmental conditions with the seasons [...] -- was misrepresented as a non-Indigenous concept of boundary as an exclusive, fixed line. Large landowners with capitalistic ventures inevitably evicted all people who lived within their boundaries [...]. This mistranslation of the meaning of ahupua’a replaced traditional Hawaiian resource management with the modern land-use planning view of land and ocean resource management as separate systems. This mistranslation is also written on the Hawaiian map today [...]. The lines that delineate the boundary are a solid overlay that ends at the coastline. To restore sustainability and ahupua’a [...] requires active participation [...], [i]t also requires mapping capable of expressing ahupua’a depth of place.

Nu‘alolo Kai is a half-mile-long narrow strip of shoreline on Kaua’i, located at the base of steep cliffs that quickly rise to nearly one thousand feet. It has a wide fringing reef at the northeast end that provided Hawaiians that lived at this fishing village with the sustenance of aquacultural abundance.

The depiction of Nu’alolo Kai on a conventional Western map is shown [...]

In Western convention, [...] maps are oriented with north at the top and presented in [...] an aerial perspective [...]. From these [...] maps we gain a sense of Nu’alolo Kai as a fixed location in space, a uniform, homogenous, gently sloping beach without people. Neither map gives any indication of Nu‘alolo Kai as a place of seasonal changes so significant that traditionally the mapping of this place was always in motion. [...]

To reincorporate the seasonal and cyclical variations that defined both mapping and resource management at Nu‘alolo Kai, we worked with the same digital geographic data sets used in the creation of the maps in figures 2 and 3 to map Nu‘alolo Kai in a different way, altering some dimensions [...]. By shifting to the oblique, the viewing angle of the map reader shifts from the “view from nowhere” to one that is situated in place. Oblique perspective also allows the map reader to see the sheer cliff line, with its complex interaction of shade and shapes, which dominates the landscape but is largely invisible in the orthogonal, aerial perspective. [...] The conventional map of Nu’alolo is oriented with north at the top, and the map reader looks down at a shoreline, which appears to be accessed from the interior and whose central place-making features, the cliffs, are invisible. But Nu‘alolo Kai is only accessible from the water, and thus it is always viewed from this angle, which looks toward shore.

The fixed, seasonless, and timeless space of the [Western] map was addressed through a focus on the dimension of lighting.

These maps demonstrate the significance of seasonality to representing depth of place. In the summer maps in figure 7, the sun is high and illuminates all parts of the landscape. In the winter maps of figure 8 in which the sun is low, portions of the landscape receive no sunlight (in particular the area near the black dot in figure 6). This lack of sunlight is an important element in an understanding of Nu‘alolo Kai as a place, for in winter the ground never dries, thus promoting the germination and sprouting of ilo (worms or maggots). The Hawaiian term for this time of year is ho’oilo (to cause germination or sprouting). Ho‘oilo is also the time of year that the Milky Way is prominent; Hawaiians affectionately refer to the Milky Way as ilo because it looks like a big worm in the night sky.

Although these maps more accurately express nuances of Indigenous depth of place, cross-cultural misrepresentation lingers. In traditional Hawaiian cartographies, Hawaiian spatial knowledge is represented through integrative and interactive performances of oration and brings the cartographer, the subject matter (the place being portrayed), and the map reader together in the same place at the same time. In Western cartography knowledge is represented through performances of inscription that physically and temporally separate the place and the cartographer from the observer.

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Margaret Wickens Pearce and Renee Pualani Louis. “Mapping Indigenous Depth of Place.” American Indian Culture and Research Journal. 2008.

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aberrantforge · 3 years

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Kadu

Primarily aquatic creatures evolved in a latenly magic Ocean ecosystem.

Kadu are a species of smaller sized aquatic creatures. They have a mix of traits between fish and amphibians, they have a triangular arrowhead shaped heads very similar to the Diplocaulus. They have crocodilian scales and scutes along their bodies with a very unique set of adaptations. Firstly, they have a set of gills and lungs for both terrestrial and aquatic life. Their slender bodies are called "bendy" and flexible, they have a longer pair of hind legs but still hunch forward a bit from a better grasp on aquatic life. Running from their shoulders to the base of their tail is a pair of "wings" used by the Kadu to expertly glide through the waters, along with their tails ending with a long tail fin that can be folded down when not in the water. This fin setup can be folded into their sides, but when opened they can even be used to have a weak glide ability, jumping out of the water like flying fish they can glide for a few moments to get to safety.

The oceanscape that the kadu people come from is latently magical in nature, the land itself was once an ancient site of a powerful, long lost civilization that had mastery over rune magic. Even today in the ruins overtaken by kelp forests and sometimes coral reefs the magical energies emanate from ancient rock. This had an adverse effect on the Kadu, some believing that the Kadu are a result of the magical runoff. This have given the kadu a natural rune energy in their bodies,

Their culture is very calm and collected, their species come from a startlingly dangerous part of the ocean. It's shallow seas are home to green magic waters filled with sea grass, kelp and other aquatic flora, that hide dire rune sharks, warm water leopard seals and predatory sea reptiles, like a smaller species of mosasaur and fully aquatic crocodiles living near the shores. None are as dangerous as the Titan guillotine fish though, an ancient species of fish with a head covered in stony rune covered plates going about halfway down its back, it's Mouth has no teeth, only an extension of its skull in a blade like slicing jaws that give its name the guillotine fish. They grow up to 30 feet long and are largest of the predators that live on the seas. All of these posses a very real danger to the Kadu people, and because of that they've learned to become very calm and keep their cool around Larger creatures, giving them the ability to make better decisions when presented with danger.

Racial Traits

Kadu have a racial bonus of +2 to Agility and +1 to wisdom

Kadu have a land speed of 15ft on land, and 30 feet swimming speed.

Kadu are small

Kadu speak Aquan and Common

Aquatic Glide: If a Kadu is wearing light or no armor, they may have their wings unfurled, giving them 10 feet of bonus movement speed, and advantage on Acrobatics checks when in the water. Additionally they may make an Acrobatics or Athletics check to leap from the water, they may glide twice as far as they fall. If a Kadu glides and lands in the water they do not take any fall damage, and if they land on ground they take 1/4 of the damage.

Kadu can breathe underwater

Runic influence: Kadu have an innate connection to the runic seas, with glowing runes even naturally forming on their bodies. A kadu may use a detect magic, mage armor, or Longstrider once per short or long rest. This ability gains an additional use at levels 5, 10, 15 and 20.

Kadu add double their proficiency bonus to resist being intimidated

#dnd #dungeons and dragons #writing #dnd homebrew #dungeons and dragons 5e #d&d 5th edition #dnd 5e #d&d 5e #5e #dnd character #dungeon master #dungeonmaster #dungeons and dragons 5e homebrew #dnd 5e homebrew #5e homebrew #homebrew

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ourflagmeansbts · 1 year

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Source (Season 1 - March 16th 2022)

sambaschutte: BTS#9: The Magicians🏴‍☠️✨ Our vfx, builders, lighting and set design teams are miracle workers🖤🔥 David van Dyke walking around with his magic balls (the ones he’s holding) to record the lighting from every angle for post production magic✨ We had two stages on the Warner Bros lot: one with the ship, and one where they built the kitchen and galley (where things would “rock” while shooting) and the magnificent captain’s cabin🤩 The wizards behind the screens would project the oceanscapes on the screen and monitor greenscreen activities🧙🏽‍♂️The last slide shows how amazing our teams were. That ended up being a massive ship in episode 2☠️🖤

#ofmd #ofmd bts #our flag means death #our flag means death bts #s1 #set design #video #2022 #sambaschutte

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vatrixsta · 5 years

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Pierced (2/?)

Siiiiigh all of your lovely comments on part 1 have forced me into this course I wanted to take anyway and I just hope you’re proud of yourself. Shout out to @csmarchmadness for the always handy gun to the head - all the ladies there are awesome and I enjoy stalking their conversations when I finally get online again at my obscene times of day and night. :D I’m going to try to update this with some regularity, so I hope you enjoy! And we’re off.

Also on AO3

Emma had to cancel this date that was absolutely not a date.

There was just no possible way it was a good idea, date or no date. Not only were his eyes too blue and his smile too bright and his hands too… perfect when they touched hers, but she wouldn’t even be able to ruin it quickly by sleeping with him too fast because of the fucking piercing she gave him.

She was feeding Henry an incredibly nutritious dinner of Spaghettios and carrot sticks (he was going through a phase where he hated basically everything and at least she was still getting carrot sticks past his rapidly shrinking palette) when she realized that she didn’t actually have Killian’s number and would have to figure something out tomorrow, maybe ask Ruby to run interference. Except Ruby wouldn’t, the whore, because she wanted Emma to make nice with the Sex God.

She was making sure Henry took a bath (six year old boys would pay almost any price to continue smelling like street urchins, she’d found) when it occurred to her that despite his flirtations, it was possible he didn’t intend for it to be a date. Maybe he really did just want her to design a tattoo for him and he was pleased with her professionalism and artwork. God that would be embarrassing, if she told him she couldn’t go out with him and he basically responded with, who asked you?

She was halfway through reading Henry his favorite book of fairy tales when she realized all the princes (and a few of the pirates) suddenly had blue eyes and British accents in her head and you know what, that’s enough for tonight, Henry, light’s out and I’ll see you in the morning, love bug.

She was laying in bed, staring at the ceiling, when she remembered he’d had to fill out the consent form for the procedure and would have had to put his number on there. If she got to work early enough, she could go into the client files she wasn’t supposed to snoop in unless an actual emergency occurred and tell him she was dying or moving to Yemen or anything that would stop this train before it ran straight over her heart.

She was waking up with a groan and Henry’s knee connecting with her pelvis when she realized that the idea of canceling this date that was definitely, absolutely not a date actually bummed her out. It was lunch and he was nice. She could design a tattoo for him -- he’d tipped her extremely well for the piercing -- and maybe finally be able to afford that new video game console upgrade Henry had been not so subtly hinting at for Christmas, which meant there were only fifty-two more shopping days until Black Friday.

She was walking Henry to the school bus, teasing him about the crush he had on a little blonde girl his age that he swore was not a crush at all, that they were going to be best friends forever and she just wanted to kiss his his precious little cheek so she did, glad that he only scrunched his face a little in distaste, when she seriously considered that she might be losing her mind. It wasn’t normal to think about someone you’d just met this much, to obsess over a virtual stranger (if you could consider someone whose cock you’d pierced with a 12 gauge barbell a stranger) to this degree. She definitely, absolutely had to cancel.

“His paperwork? Oh, yeah, I threw it out. I was drinking coffee while I filed last night and, well. Oopsie.”

Fucking Ruby.

Sending her friend and boss a glare that clearly communicated I do not believe you, you lying whore and glaring harder when Ruby’s unrepentant grin widened, Emma left the back office area and stomped over to her station for the only therapeutic option left to her: sketching.

The small notebook she used was the ninth of its kind since she’d started working at Red, White and Tattoo. She kept them all, tucked behind her little book of cocks, as Killian had referred to it (OHMYGOD STOP THINKING ABOUT HIM!!!) and filled with some sketches that had turned into elaborate pieces that decorated backs and wrists and ankles and every other body part conceivable to little half finished works she’d never fully cracked. There were also incredibly personal drawings she’d asked Ruby to ink on her own skin -- Emma had done the buttercup herself, but it was a process she’d rather not repeat.

Killian had said he’d be by to collect her at 12:30. It was currently 10:00 and Emma was praying someone would take advantage of the early bird special so she’d have something else to focus on.

After straightening up her station (twice) and sketching an elaborate oceanscape (she refused to actually color it; she knew the waves would match his eyes as well as her supplies could manage she did not need this fuckery) Emma was ready to crawl out of her skin, pissed at herself and Killian for getting her into this state. This was why she had her rules! This was why the last date she’d gone on had been a hit it and quit it one night stand with the dorky guy who’d sold them the front desk display case. That had been... three years ago? Oh, Christ. No wonder she was insane now.

Killian was thoughtfully fifteen minutes early, as he if he could sense his date was crawling out of her skin. He entered the shop with that wide, easy smile on his face and Emma forced a smile of her own that she hoped didn’t look too forced, because she didn’t want him to take her jittery mood personally even though it was 100% his fault.

Ushering them quickly out the door (she didn’t want to risk another embarrassing moment with Ruby playing the world’s most obvious matchmaker) Emma asked where they were eating.

“There’s a place I like to go, down by the water,” he said, adorably rubbing at the back of his right ear. “It’s probably the last of the nice weather for the year so I thought we could walk?”

“Sure,” Emma said, stuffing her hands in her pockets so she wouldn’t be tempted to do something stupid like reach for his.

They fell into a slightly awkward silence that actually should have been a lot more awkward, given they didn’t know each other too well.

“Robin - my partner? - he was shocked speechless I actually went through with it,” Killian said after a few quiet minutes.

“Are you following the after care instructions?” Emma said, probably a lot more sternly than was necessary.

“Yes, Mistress,” Killian teased.

Emma rolled her eyes. “You’d be surprised how many people blow it off,” she muttered. “An infected piercing is never fun. An infected genital piercing?”

“Emma, you have my word that I shall heed your every instruction,” he said, both teasing and serious at the same time. How did he do that?

They arrived at a seafood place Emma had been dying to try but always found other uses for her paycheck - luxuries like new winter boots for Henry and electricity.

“Um, this place is a little fancy,” she said, looking down at her work outfit of dark wash denim jeans, white tank top and red leather jacket.

Killian indicated his own attire - black jeans that were a little less tight than the ones he’d worn yesterday (a good sign he was obeying her instructions), a dark blue t-shirt and a black leather jacket of his own that looked more suited to riding a motorcycle than catching criminals, but what did she know?

“Casual dress at lunch,” he assured her. “To die for lobster rolls.”

Emma mentally calculated how much a lobster roll would set back her food budget as Killian placed his hand on her lower back and urged her into the restaurant.

She was going to have to make a rule about him not being allowed to touch her because her brain short circuited and she suddenly couldn’t recall what a budget was or how one accommodated for it.

They were seated at a table by the water and the view really was spectacular, the horizon a calming sight Emma was desperately in need of. Killian had good table manners (because of course he did), filling her water glass from the bottle their server left on the table before he attended to his own, confirming with her that the lobster roll sounded good (it really, really, really did) before ordering for them both. He added a pitcher of fresh blueberry lemonade for them to split, promising her it was not to be missed. Emma’s eyes bugged at the prices but she decided to give herself this afternoon with an unfairly attractive man who genuinely seemed to like her and wanted her to eat lobster rolls with him. There was plenty of time for reality to come crashing down when she couldn’t smell the sea and watch the flickers of sunlight play in Killian’s eyes the exact same way it did on the waves.

She tried this once, the dating someone new thing. Neal had pretty much decimated the part of her brain (and her heart) capable of trusting, but she thought, maybe there was a guy out there who’d remind her they weren’t all like Neal. (Never mind that she still remembered what it had been like at the start, her and him against the world, the mischievous flicker in Henry’s eyes reminding her that she could never really hate him the way she wanted to, because the best parts of him were like a gift every time she looked at her little boy.)

Once she got settled into work at the tattoo shop, she’d gone on a few dates, Ruby and Mulan eagerly offering to babysit toddler Henry. There had been five - maybe six? - guys total and every single one of them had been visibly deflated by the news that the hot 20-year-old blonde had a kid at home. Though the one she disliked the most had been the guy who’d feigned interest in Henry so he could sleep with her.

Emma realized that she really wasn’t looking forward to watching that disappointment cross Killian’s face. No one expected the hot (now 24) year old blonde who worked at the tattoo shop to have a kid. She suspected Killian was a little older than her (she’d have put him around 30 given his job and the slight laugh lines around his eyes) but she knew a single mom wasn’t exactly a highly sought dating prospect. She just felt shitty not telling him about Henry, when he was the best thing that had ever happened to her, just so she could, what? Enjoy a hot guy eating a lobster roll?

Yeah, okay, so maybe a little bit that. Besides, it wasn’t going to go anywhere. He didn’t need to know about her life because this was a friendly meal and she was supposed to be asking him about his tattoo not picturing him naked (and she could. From the waist down, at least, all dark hair and lean muscle and definitely a shower, not a grower--STOP IT EMMA) and nervously peeling a bread roll.

“Luv?”

Emma blinked. “Sorry, what?”

Killian smiled, but it was a little forced. “I, uh, suppose you were woolgathering.”

Great and now she’d been so lost in her social anxiety that she’d completely missed him speaking to her. If this were a date, she’d have pretty much blown it.

“I don’t get much time out by the water,” she said a little lamely. “I don’t get much time out, period,” she added ruefully.

“Workaholic?” he asked.

“Sort of,” she hedged. She took a lot of shifts at work to earn enough money to keep her and Henry far from the poorhouse. Ruby’s grandmother lived in the same building and watched Henry after school most days. She also let him stay over when the shop stayed open late on the weekends. There was a little sleeping bag zone in back dubbed Henry’s corner that he’d filled with books and toys and the oldest of his handheld video games. “What about you?”

There, that was nice and sociable.

“I enjoy my work,” Killian said. “But I have other… priorities that keep me from the workaholic label. Which, I suppose, brings us nicely to the subject of this lunch.”

Right. Not a date. He wanted a tattoo and she’d broken Rule #2 for him.

She gave him a professional smile. “Tell me a little bit about what you’re looking for.”

His lips pursed in thought for a moment, then he shrugged. “I suppose that’s part of the problem. I know what I want it to convey and I know the meaning behind it, but I’m not sure I know what symbol will best represent it to permanently ink on my body.”

Her smile turned a little more personal, because she could relate. Her buttercup was easy - the other tattoos she’d had were a little less… on the nose and direct. It had taken her months to settle on them. “Why don’t we try this. Tell me why you want it and some of the ideas you’ve had and I’ll do my job to get you some sketches to narrow it down.”

He puffed his cheeks out like an adorable chipmunk with no idea how attractive it was. Damn it, she was so screwed.

“Brilliant.” He reached into a satchel and pulled out an old, battered copy of Peter Pan, then set it before her almost reverently.

“Okay,” she said slowly. “Big fan?”

His smile widened. “My brother and I read the tale a great deal during our childhood - he’s older, so some of my earliest memories are the little crush he always had on Wendy Darling.”

Emma laughed. “And you?”

Killian shrugged. “I’ve always preferred the company of real women.”

“Yeah, that’s just about what I’d figure you’d say,” she muttered. Damn chipmunk knew exactly how attractive he was.

“Though I confess, the last few years, there’s really only been the one woman in my life,” he added.

That confession definitely gave Emma pause. If he had a girlfriend -- a steady one at that -- it meant this was definitely just a business thing and she was suddenly mortified at the idea that she’d tried to call off a date that wasn’t even a date. That was what mortification felt like, right? That vice like grip around her heart that felt like disappointment and the death of some possibility, some flutter of perhaps when you met someone new?

“And is that lucky lady the other inspiration for the tattoo?” Emma asked, swallowing down the disappointment - because that was exactly what it was. She should have been used to it by now.

His smile didn’t widen - it glowed. Emma kind of wanted to vomit, which was perfect timing, because the lobster rolls were delivered by their efficient but discreet waiter. The blueberry lemonade was spectacular, too, damn the charming chipmunk who was obviously not available.

He’d said he was though, hadn’t he? When they’d been talking about his after care for the piercing? She could have sworn he’d said he didn’t have to worry about any sexual partners! She wasn’t so delusional that she’d made that up.

She was about to open her mouth and say something stupid and accusatory like how dare you get a single mom’s hopes up even though I’m not really interested because I’m an emotional cripple, but seriously how dare you sir - when his phone went off.

“Damn it,” he muttered as he stared down at a text. “I’m so sorry, it’s an emergency at work - please, enjoy the food and feel free to wrap mine up and take it with you.” He was waving the waiter down and scrolling through his phone. “Are you busy tomorrow night? A mate of mine is playing at a pub and I promised I’d go, but we can discuss this a bit more then. I’ll be much less likely to be called in at night, as well.” He shot her a charming grin and she was so dazzled that she forgot all her questions and simply rattled off her phone number. He responded by sending her two emojis, one that was lifting its eyebrow and the other giving her a cheesy grin.

Seriously, who the hell did he think he was?

Then he was gone and a few seconds later she got another text with an address and the time of 7:30, tomorrow night.

She was going to have to ask Granny to watch Henry, because apparently she was a total idiot for this guy. He’d left the copy of Peter Pan so at the very least she’d need to return it to him, since it meant so much.

When the waiter returned to ask if she’d like anything else, Emma had another moment of panic - she was going to have to pay for both of their lobster rolls. But when she said she’d only like to go containers and a check, the waiter said Killian had taken care of the bill on his way out.

Sneaky, multitasking little profiler - Emma took a grudging bite of her lobster roll, then couldn’t quite muffle an involuntary moan. It was amazing and she wasn’t above gloating a little that she would get to have his for dinner. He may have a girlfriend that was getting a loving and thoughtful tattoo out of him (even though she could have sworn he said he didn’t have one) but Emma could re-prioritize. She could enjoy spending some time with a very attractive man who was apparently willing to buy her delicious food in exchange for said time while she got to design a beautiful piece of art for him.

That was the definition of win-win.

So why did she feel vaguely shitty about the whole thing?

She texted him back anyway, with a thumbs up emoji. Then she started flipping through Peter Pan while she carefully kept her lobster roll hand separate from her page turning one.

Another text dinged on her phone. Killian - yes, she’d added him to her contacts, so what, shut up.

Great! Really sorry I had to run out on you - I should warn you, this does tend to happen a fair bit. So please don’t take it personally - you are as lovely and charming as a bloke could hope for and I’m looking forward to getting to know you better.

Seriously, who texted like that? Who had a right to be so thoughtful and flirty but not over the line flirty and perfect and apparently have a girlfriend even though he definitely said he did not have one?!

Emma took an angry bite of her lobster roll.

And responded with another thumbs up text.

#cs fic #my stuff #my cs fic #pierced #csmarchmadness

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