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gothic-safari-clown · 3 years

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The Mind’s Power Over the Body

Part Eleven: Exacting Revenge

Story summary: They only ever had each other. It had been that way since high school, ever since Elianna transferred to dreary Arlen and took Jonathan under her wing. They go separate ways for college, and when they're reunited at Arkham Asylum professionally, Elianna comes to find that they've both changed during their time separated. Can she look past the promise of danger and stay by Jonathan's side as they slide further and further into the darkness while she grapples to come to terms with the truth about herself? Can she accept what needs to be done in order to hold onto the only person who holds any meaning in her life? This is a very self-indulgent AU that draws from several different canons of the DCU and ignoring others, starting in the Batman Begins Nolanverse. This will follow the plot of the movie, although the timeline has been very slightly tweaked.

Part One / Part Two / Part Three / Part Four / Part Five / Part Six / Part Seven / Part Eight / Part Nine / Part Ten

Word count: 2606

Trigger warnings: Needles, drowning

I know that I've written Arkham in this story is very different from the movie; it's part of the AU. It's mostly for atmosphere and aesthetic. Sorry if it's confusing, I like the thought of them sneaking around; it's kinda cute, isn't it? Sneaky little monsters? Plus, like, in the movie, they just go through a door, and the whole setup is just...there???? Where anyone with a key could just stroll in? That makes no sense to me; I had to change it for my own edification.

The trick to staving off impatience is to make yourself forget about whatever you're waiting for. Or at least, that was what got Elianna through the week. She had pushed the plan so far to the corners of her mind that the day of, she had forgotten that it had finally arrived.

Of course, once it did resurface on her radar, she couldn't stop thinking about it.

Paperwork finished, and nothing left to do but wait, Elianna found herself bored, playing the pre-programmed solitaire on her desktop office computer. No one else was left in the facility besides the night orderlies, security, and the inmates, so when Jonathan knocked on the door, she buzzed him in without question, eyes still focused on the screen in front of her.

He came in, closing the door behind him, and when she didn't greet him straight away, he walked around to her side of the desk to see what she was looking at. She just needed a place for the three of spades, and everything else would fall into place, but she was about to give up on it when Jonathan reached over and took the mouse from her, finishing the board in a few clicks.

"I hate you." El put her face in her hands, annoyed at having missed the clear space for the card.

"Thank you. Are you ready?" She nodded and shut off the dinosaur of a computer and gathered her things.

"Is there anything I should know before we do this? Anything you need from me?"

"No, all you need to do is watch, but you can administer the serum if you'd like." He pushed his glasses up his nose as they stepped into the hallway.

"I think I'd rather watch you do it the first time, just to get an idea of what to expect. Where are we going?"

"Service elevator goes to the basement. And that's fine, just don't report me."

"I'm afraid you're stuck with me." El pushed on the door to ensure that it was locked, a habit she had developed to make sure that Zsasz couldn't be waiting in her office for her when she returned.

"Damn," Jonathan replied with dry sarcasm before, "ow," when she smacked him on the arm as they started walking for the service elevator. "If you're going to hit me, can't you at least pretend that you don't want to hurt me?"

"Yeah, yeah. Maybe I'll be your bodyguard when people show up outside your apartment with pitchforks and torches."

"I'll hold you to that." He pressed the 'down' button to call the elevator and, once inside, produced a key to allow them access to the basement. "That woman from the DA's office, Rachel Dawes, seems to think I'm up to something; maybe you should track her down."

"You are up to something." El reminded him as the elevator began its descent.

"She doesn't know that. She just happens to be right." Elianna laughed softly and followed him into the dingy hallway when the doors reopened. He led her into the third closet on the left and shut the door behind them.

"Hey, this reminds me." She chimed up, and Jonathan squinted at her through the darkness. "If we don't start having sex, Harley is going to be really disappointed in us."

"Oh my God," he muttered, and she laughed as she followed him to the back of the closet.

"Yeah, that's basically what I said. I just thought it was funny. What are you doing?" Jonathan was pushing aside a stack of mattresses leaned against the wall, revealing a loose panel, which he removed and gestured for her to step in first. "Seriously?" He gave her a confused look, to which she sighed in conceit and walked through to the other side of the wall, muttering something about cliches. "Why is this even here?"

Well," Jonathan cleared his throat and stepped through after her, replacing the panel. "This place has been around for a couple of hundred years, and as you know, asylums used to be a place to shove people that society didn't want to deal with. They renovated a few decades ago but never actually got rid of these old chambers, just walled them off. In fact, they even had it soundproofed. I haven't been able to figure out why, but it's convenient. Believe it or not, I'm not the first doctor with cause to mistreat patients; I think whoever was in charge during that renovation probably wasn't the best person either." El nodded in understanding, and they went down a short flight of iron stairs, which took them around one last corner.

Elianna slowed at the tableau before her. Zsasz was strapped to an old transport dolly by the neck, abdomen, wrists, and ankles, clearly agitated by how he squirmed.

"How...how did you get him down here?"

"Well, those guards that were in the room with you that day felt bad about what happened and took the opportunity to make it up to you."

"The stairs?" She turned around and looked at them, then back at Zsasz.

"He was moved here on the dolly. It's my understanding that he didn't particularly enjoy being wheeled down the stairs." Jonathan put his hand on El's back and guided her all the way into the spacious...What would you even call this? A torture chamber?

When they came all the way into view, Zsasz finally noticed them. The way his voice washed over Elianna was all too familiar and reminiscent of something cold and scaley, like a dead fish, but this time she was able to brush off the sensation. She held the power here.

"Doctor Montgomery! Have you come to conduct our next session? I think we're really starting to make progress." The deranged man laughed as he struggled harder against the leather cuffs; as they approached, El could see that they were reinforced.

"Mister Zsasz, you'll be helping me with an experiment tonight. Doctor Montgomery is here as a witness, and I'm going to have to ask you to refrain from speaking to her." Jonathan interjected before El could say anything.

***

For the first time, Zsasz seemed uneasy, and his eyes followed Jonathan's briefcase as he set it on a nearby table, unlatched it, and then revealed a false bottom. "I do hope that you aren't uncomfortable with needles," he continued as he produced a syringe and a vial of stale-looking, yellowish liquid. "Usually, I would prefer to use a gaseous form of this compound, but I'm afraid I only have one gas mask with me, and Doctor Montgomery and I are both very interested in seeing the results of this experiment." Jonathan monologued as he prepared the syringe.

El moved to sit on the table next to the briefcase setup, and Zsasz made sharp eye contact with her, and she felt a chill run down her spine for the first time in days. She found that she had almost missed the feeling as she held his glassy stare with one of her own. A vision of him in a few minutes writhing against his restraints, screaming until his lungs filled with blood suddenly appeared in her mind, and the thought made her smile involuntarily.

Zsasz, on the other hand, hadn't been expecting for her to smile and frowned uneasily, making a more desperate attempt to wriggle out of the restraints as he returned his attention to what Jonathan was doing, which was to take a voice recorder out of his case, switch it on and begin speaking into it.

"Serum fifteen, experiment one. Subject name: Victor Zsasz," he spoke into the receiver before setting on the table and advancing on Zsasz, not bothering to sterilize the injection site. El leaned forward to watch the injection, fascinated to see what would happen next.

Jonathan stepped away from the dolly, and already Zsasz was visibly shuddering and straining against the cuffs holding him in place. El got to her feet and slowly moved closer to examine the effects.

"How does it work?" She asked, observing the way Zsasz's eyes flitted about the room as his breathing intensified. Behind her, Jonathan smiled at her curiosity before explaining.

"The serum introduces higher glucose levels in the bloodstream. Once it reaches the brain, the compound amps up the output of cortisol, glutamate, and adrenaline to the amygdala. In addition to that, the flower I told you about naturally produces a high concentration of a powerful hallucinogenic compound. Altogether, it causes the brain to go into a state of terror and hallucinate things they fear. The aerosolized version works faster, but you don't have a mask, so it should kick in any time now."

Just as Jonathan finished his explanation, Zsasz began screaming. Closer to howling actually, a haunting, inhuman sound that made Elianna furrow her brow as Jonathan spoke quietly into his voice recorder. El leaned closer to Zsasz's face to further assess his experience. His eyes shifted to her face with dilated pupils, and a look of horror overtook his face, all the while screaming and pulling at his cuffs so hard that she was surprised that he hadn't dislocated anything yet.

"What is he seeing?" El inquired, pulling away from the screaming, terrified maniac before her. Jonathan brought the voice recorder closer, now standing next to her.

"Mr. Zsasz, would you mind telling us what you see?" The howling and thrashing gave way to paranoid muttering and sudden, jerking movements as if he could catch the restraints off guard and trick them into releasing him.

"Get it out, get it out of here," Zsasz demanded in a desperate voice through gritted teeth, repeating it over and over. Jonathan frowned slightly, retreating to his briefcase and removing a burlap mask, at which Elianna couldn't help but laugh a bit.

"Was that Scarecrow, or do you still have a fixation on the one that was out on your property?"

"Where do you think Scarecrow came from, El?" He retorted distractedly as he removed his glasses and put on the mask, crossing back over to Zsasz. "Tell me what you see, Victor." He ordered again, looming over the scarred man.

"Get it out!" Zsasz screamed again in response.

"I can't take it away unless you tell me what it is," Jonathan's voice had become low and impatient; he must be trying really hard to keep Scarecrow back since I'm here. Zsasz looked Jonathan, or rather the mask, in the eyes—eyeholes?—and his breathing grew even louder as he ground his teeth.

"Don't you see it? The water! It's rising so quickly; you have to get it out if here, or we'll all drown!" The thought of drowning causes Zsasz to begin hyperventilating.

"Aquaphobia," El mused, leaning back in. "Does that stem from your parents' accident, Victor? They died on a boat if I'm not mistaken." The desperate screaming resumed, and El observed as it was interrupted by a coughing sputter, as though he were trying not to drown. That's interesting. Zsasz's mind had produced such a life-like delusion of rising water that his body was reacting as though it were really there, and all the while, Jonathan had taken the mask off and was speaking quickly and quietly into his recording device.

After only a few more minutes, Zsasz's gasping breaths and twitching slowed and eventually stopped as his head lolled to the side. Jonathan checked his pulse to assess whether or not he was dead.

***

"Subject has fallen unconscious at," Jonathan took a moment from his notes to check his watch, "twenty-five minutes." He switched off the device and turned to replace all of his equipment into his case, returning his glasses to his face.

"Twenty-five? Really?" Elianna took one last look at Zsasz's unconscious, vulnerable face. "Didn't feel that long."

"No, because you enjoyed it, you should have seen your face," Jonathan informed in a light voice as he relatched his case and tilted his head for her to walk with him back up the stairs. "Eyes all lit up-"

"Look who's talking. What's with that mask?"

"Some subjects react more strongly to it. It makes them more likely to cooperate."

"I guess that makes sense...hey, are we just leaving him down here?"

"The guards will take him back up when they see us leave; no one else will ever know." He reassured her and went first through the panel, pushing the spare mattresses back over it once they were both out. "Are you hungry? We can pick up something to eat on the way home." El hummed in response.

They emerged from the bowels of Arkham and were approaching the car when a sudden thought struck her. "Are you afraid of anything?" Jonathan looked down at her, face impassive, and opened the passenger door for her, moving to the driver's side once she was in.

"Just Granny," he finally replied after closing and locking the door.

"That's it?" She got a nod in response.

"In the early stages of the project, I hadn't figured out the system for test subjects yet, so I had to test it on myself. I had to learn to push down many things to record the results reliably, and eventually, I had done it so much that none of the other things even made an appearance anymore. I still get hallucinations of things that are traditionally 'scary,' but I get none of the accompanying physical symptoms."

"So, controlled, repeated exposure to the toxin can slowly start to eliminate your fear response?"

"It's either that, or it's possible to build up somewhat of an immunity to the toxin, which I think is more likely," Jonathan commented and finally started the car. They drove in silence for a few minutes, and Elianna found herself once again trying to make a life-changing decision.

"Do you think it would work on me?" The question catches Jonathan off-guard enough to tear his eyes away from the road for a moment to give her a look of surprise.

"Are you asking me to dose you?"

"I think I am, as long as you think it's safe." He sucked in a deep breath, his face stern, and Elianna fell silent to let him think.

"It could work, but we'll use the original formula just in case. It's the one I've tested the most, so there's less of a risk."

"Then let's do it." She said without hesitation. If there was one thing she had learned over the last week, it was that there was no use in resisting her impulses. Jonathan nodded slowly. Every day was becoming more interesting than the last with her around again, and he had the feeling that that wouldn't change any time soon.

#the mind's power over the body #jonathan crane #scarecrow #batman begins #nolanverse #elianna montgomery #jonathan crane x ofc #slight au #fanfiction #multi chapter fic #attraction to the insane #cillian murphy #cillian murphy scarecrow #tmpotb chapter 11

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tentwars2k21 · 5 years

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“The Proper Way to Cook a Lamb”

Hawaii on an island AU || Hawaii POV Only

A/N: this is a oneshot.

TW: abuse, alcoholism, racism, and death

Rating: NR

Word Count: 1,920

I remember living in a barred room as a child. The long silences and freezing drafts when it rained. I had only one blanket, an occasional meal, and the liberty to go to the bathroom twice a day. When I finally broke out of the cupboard, later revealed to be a large dog’s cage, I was ten years old, homeless, and could barely speak.

An old lady, who insisted that I call her Nana, took me in. She always spoke of my bright white hair and how I reminded her of rocks on a beach.

Nana taught me how to speak Diné, Hebrew, and English, but she insisted that we speak only English in public. “It’s what everybody else speaks,” is what she’d say, and I believed her all the way up until I was beat up for being “black.” Even when I felt the most free, I was trapped.

I didn’t even know what “black” meant, and when I asked Nana about it, she broke down crying. I googled it many years later, but I still don’t get why it’s a reason for my eventual execution.

Not too long after that, Nana enlisted me into a surfing class, “for the betterment of” my mind. It was the first time I fell in love.

It was also the first time people other than Nana called me by my name, Hawaii. I remember almost fainting from shock!

The waves and the freedom of the sea guided me to and from home, work, and play. I didn’t have to wear shoes and I could wear as little clothing as I wanted (so long as there was a bra and underwear on me.) I dreamed about surfing and I lived for surfing.

Then Nana took me hiking, and it was the second time I fell in love. I was surrounded by greens and browns, and even though I was alone I felt warm unlike in my cage. I didn’t wear shoes there, either, for shoes felt restricting against my feet.

I remember when Nana would come home from work, two hours after my surfing lessons, and bring me home a gift from the marketplace. She would bring me anklets and instruments, even if I wasn’t any good at playing them. When I was sick, she would bring me wooden figurines that the Hatałii made for me. On my first Tu B’Av, Nana brought me a box of chocolates. I ate them all so fast that I felt nauseous. Nana wasn’t angry with me, though; she was only patient.

It was the third time I fell in love.

Two weeks ago, just a few days after my sixth Tu B’Shevat, Nana fell ill, and not even the Hatałii could save her.

We cremated her and poured her ashes on the same trail that she took me on my first hike. It rained the day we went, a sign from the Lord of His sadness. I was alone, and that allowed me to cry a little harder.

“Glorified and sanctified be God’s great name throughout the world which He has created according to His will.

May He establish His kingdom in your lifetime and during your days, and within the life of the entire House of Israel, speedily and soon; and say, Amen.

May His great name be blessed forever and to all eternity.

Blessed and praised, glorified and exalted, extolled and honored, adored and lauded be the name of the Holy One, blessed be He, beyond all the blessings and hymns, praises and consolations that are ever spoken in the world; and say, Amen.

May there be abundant peace from heaven, and life, for us and for all Israel; and say, Amen.

He who creates peace in His celestial heights, may He create peace for us and for all Israel; and say, Amen.” I muttered to myself as I knelt down over the ashes that were slowly washing away, leaving some bones that didn’t burn in the mud.

I stayed in the jungle for 3 days before returning home to cover all the mirrors and sit for 4 more. I didn’t need to sit and mourn for as long as I did, even if it is tradition, but it helped loosen me up.

Then I picked up my surfboard and went to hit the waves even though I no longer had lessons. I’m only seventeen.

I was hired into Nana’s old position, yesterday. The man who hired me looked down towards me in pity. He says I don’t have to wear shoes. I thank him.

He told me that he’d keep my roof over my head and food on my plate if I cleaned his shop every night. I asked him about my surfing lessons. He says that I have cook him dinner and he’ll pay for them. I accept.

Nana’s old boss is very weird. He keeps asking me when I’ll turn 18. I tell him that I don’t know. He gets mad.

He has a daughter my age, he tells me, but she lives all the way in Mississippi.

“Where’s Mississippi?” I ask, taking off my apron and handing him some chicken noodle soup for his cold.

“In America.” He slobbers.

I don’t know where it is, but I’m too afraid to ask him about it. “Oh,” is all I say.

When I can, I go hiking. One day, I stumble across an old statue. It stares at me. I stare back.

I don’t ever touch it, but I do hike up to it as often as possible so that I may stare at it. I’ve memorised it’s face.

“May I get a sketchbook and some pencils?” I gather the courage to ask my boss while he’s eating dinner, getting drunk, and watching ‘football.’

“Whatever.” He burps, and I let out the breath I was holding. That night, I go to Walmart and buy a sketchbook and some pencils. Even with permission, a fear inside of me tells me to never thank him for it.

I go to the statue two hours before my surfing lessons, and I begin to put how it looks down onto paper. I do this for an hour, then I head back to civilization so that I can go to my surfing lessons.

“Where have you been all day?” My boss smells of onion and liquor as I come down from the ladder I had been using to dust off the tops of the shelves.

“I went hiking and then I went to lessons.” I tell him kindly. It seems to be the wrong answer, as he knocks over the ladder; I jump at the sound of it.

“We’re going to Mississippi tomorrow, come cook me dinner after you pack your shit.” He says sharply before leaving. I hurry up and head home to gather my things.

“You’ll be sleeping on the floor tonight.” Is all he says to me after he finishes his dinner. Needless to say, I didn’t sleep.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

I’ve never been on a plane before, and I’m pretty sure the lady sitting next to me knew that. She smiled kindly at me and squeezed my hand through the lifting of the aeroplane and the aggressive tidal waves of air in endured. She reminded me of Nana, and when I drifted off to sleep, I dreamt of Nana squeezing my hand as I surfed through the waves.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

This place, Mississippi, is almost as warm and humid as the beach at home, but the places here look oh so different! My boss forces my into a yellow car, a taxi, and takes me to his daughter’s house.

The roads are made from a hard, black dirt that has white and yellow stripes and dashes on it. Other cars pass and follow us, and there is a river not too far away that, my boss says, is also called Mississippi.

We sit for hours and less and less cars pass us and fewer and fewer houses are seen from my window. Everything stretches thin until we pull onto a dirt road that has a big, white house at the end of it. A pregnant lady in a baby yellow sundress waddles out of the house as we pull up; a man comes around to the front from a shed to the side to greet us. When I get out of the taxi, the man looks at me like my Nana looked at wasted Papaya, but with more hatred.

Everyone shook hands, the lady hugging both me and my boss. She smiled and her eyes sparkled. The man looked like he was going to light me on fire with the steam in his brain.

“I’m so glad you could come, dad,” the lady smiles to my boss as she pulls away from their hug. “And just in time for easter?”

“In time for what?” I blurt out. The lady turns to me.

“Easter?” The lady moves a little towards me. “The celebration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ?”

“Who’s that?” I blink twice, and the lady just shakes her head and moves away.

“Is she-” the man starts, looking at me in disgust.

“Jewish? Yes.” My boss says. The man spits towards me.

I spend the day cleaning my boss’s daughter’s house and cooking the trio dinner, as it was around 4 in the afternoon when we arrived. Around 10, when all the chores were done. I bid everyone goodnight and the lady took me to the shed so I could sleep.

“We don’t want you smelling up the sheets.” She said before leaving me with the sheep.

I slept peacefully.

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I awoke to three men dressed in white barging into the shed. The sheep fled and left me alone. The men grabbed me and tied me like Nana used to tie rabbits on sticks.

“I can’t believe that you got us a black Jew, John.” One of the bedsheeted figures said.

“And just in time for easter!” Another said as they threw me beneath some hay in a truck. “It’s a miracle.”

“Only the best for my Klan.” the man who I assumed was John said; he sounded quite an awful lot like my boss’s daughter’s husband. The truck began to move.

I don’t know how long it moved for, but it seemed to be forever.

Then, just as it had started, it stopped.

The smell of smoke burned my nostrils as the three men dragged me out.

“Tonight, we have lambchops boys!” John yells, throwing me into a circle of white sheet men. A cross burned as gasoline was poured onto me.

“No, please,” I put my hands in front of me as the mob moved closer to me and screamed. I begged them not to do this, I called to the Lord to save me from this death. The men threw stones at me before a red sheet man walked forward with a book.

“Silence, lamb.” He commanded, and I whimpered as he drew out a pitchfork. “Nobody can hear you.”

And, at that moment, the cross fell next to me and I was engulfed in flames. The men just laughed and danced, a few warming their hands over my screaming body. I yelled and yelled even after my voice was taken from smoke inhalation. It hurt so much, and I questioned my belief in the Lord. If he truly loved me, why must I be in so much pain.

Then, as if he had answered my inflamed prayers, I fell asleep.

#hawaii #submission #tw alcohol #tw abuse #tw racism #tw death

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swanqueeneverafter · 5 years

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After The Sunset, Pt.6

Enchanted Forest. Past. (A horse drawn carriage travels along the dark dirt road. Up ahead, an injured man lies in the road accompanied by his friends, one of whom waves for the carriage to stop.) Guard 1: (Pulling on the horses reigns:) "Whoa, Whoa. Who's that?" Little John: "Please, sir, we need your help. Our friend got knocked off his horse, and he can't move his-” (The injured man screams in agony.) Allan A Dale: “Kind sirs, please, we beg you, you have to help us!” Man Inside Carriage: “What's all this then?” Guard 1: “Wait here. We'll take care of this.” Man Inside Carriage: “Gladly. Be quick about it.” Guard 1: (To Guard 2:) “Watch them.” (Guard 2 holds a crossbow on the men as Guard 1 approaches.) Allan A Dale: “His leg. I fear it's broken.” Guard 1: “Is that blood?” Little John: “We need something to stop the bleeding quickly! Help!” Allan A Dale: (As Guard 1 runs back to the carriage:) “And water if you have it! Please! (Guard 1 returns with some water:) Quickly!” (While Guard 2 has his eyes firmly locked on the men in the road, another man lowers himself from the tree above and steals two bags from the top of the carriage.) Merry Men’s Camp. (The Merry Men are gathered around the campfire toasting their latest triumph.) Little John: “Aah! Did you see the look on that guy's face? I thought he was gonna faint!” Allan A Dale: “Tuck, those bramble berries came in handy. It looked just like bloody flesh!” Robin Hood: (Joining them:) “Brilliant job. (Raising a tankard:) And here is to my merry men!” Merry Men: “Robin Hood!” (A hooded man enters the camp, carrying the two stolen bags from the carriage.) Robin Hood: “Well?” Will: (Dropping the bags to the floor and lifting his hood:) “What do you say to that?” Robin Hood: (Checking the loot, chuckles:) “I say well done, lad. (Shakes Will’s hand:) Welcome to the merry men. Here's to Will Scarlett!” Merry Men: “Will Scarlett!”

Storybrooke. Present. Blanchard Apartment. (Emma lays back on the bed, a pensive look on her face. Checking her watch, she sighs and begins to sit up.) Emma: (To herself:) "Come on, where are you?" Regina: (Entering the apartment:) "Eager, are we? (As Emma turns to face her:) You know, of all your little perversions, I think a nooner in your parents apartment-" Emma: (Cutting in:) "Former apartment. They don't live here now... so it's not really that kinky, is it?" Regina: "Of course not. (Dryly:) Now would you like to have sex on your parents bed right away or-" Emma: (Getting to her feet:) "All right, you're right, this is too weird. I just thought it was an ideal location for us... exactly half way between the Mayor's office and my office." Regina: (Smiles, moving closer:) "Emma, I'm teasing you. It's perfect." Emma: (Unsure:) "Yeah?" Regina: (Removing her coat:) "Oh yeah. Now take off your pants." (Emma smiles, quickly unbuckling and lowers her jeans as Regina uses her magic to close the door to the apartment.)

Wonderland. Past. Red King’s Castle. (Rapunzel stands over a sleeping woman lying on a high backed chair.) Rapunzel: “So you’re Anastasia's Fairy Godmother. (The Fairy awakens, to see her wrists manacled:) You're not very impressive without your wings.” Fairy Godmother: “My wings. They're gone!” Rapunzel: “I cut them off. While you were sleeping. Surprise.” Fairy Godmother: (Stands:) “But why? Why are you doing this?” Rapunzel: “Consider it a ‘teaching moment’ for my other daughter.” Drizella: (Enters:) “Are you done here, Mother? I have a ball to get to, and the Prince won't-” Rapunzel: “Your fiance isn't going anywhere, Drizella. And if you're going to be a princess, you need to understand what real power looks like.” Drizella: “You have her wand. Can I?” Rapunzel: “Never rely on magic. Magic isn't power because magic can be taken. But fear... Fear lasts forever.” Drizella: “Of course, Mother. I'm sorry.” Rapunzel: “As you should be. I suppose there's no harm in using this wand just the once.” Fairy Godmother: “No, please, I only wish to protect Anastasia.” Rapunzel: “I am the only protection my daughter ever needs! Now, how does this work? Something like... (Waves the wand:) Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo. (The Fairy explodes into a cloud of dust:) Well, I guess that was it. (To Drizella:) If you see the Tweedles, have them clean that up.” (Rapunzel turns and leaves the room while Drizella stares after her, shocked by her mother’s actions.) The Red Queen's Chamber. (Anastasia stands before a basin, a look of concentration on her face. Sat behind her is Cora who, with a lazy flick of her wrist, lights a fire inside the basin, before dousing it.) Cora: "Now it's your turn." (Anastasia closes her eyes and concentrates hard. Opening one eye, she sees the basin is still not aflame.) Anastasia: "I'm sorry. I can't get it to light.” Cora: “Just keep trying. It'll come eventually.”

Anastasia: “You make magic look so easy.” Cora: “It starts with a respect for the power itself and then the belief that you deserve such power.” Anastasia: (Walks over and sits beside Cora:) “Can I ask you a question?” Cora: “Of course.” Anastasia: “The magic... What exactly do you use it for?” Cora: “To get whatever you want.” Anastasia: “Anything?” Cora: “Almost. There are a few restrictions, the laws of magic.” Anastasia: “What are those?” Cora: “Things not even the strongest magic can accomplish. You can't bring back the dead. You can't make someone love you. You can't change the past.” Anastasia: (Stands, walks back to the basin:) “Can the laws be broken?” Cora: “No. They cannot. (Stands and joins Anastasia:) You say you want to learn, but something's holding you back. You're afraid. What is it?” Anastasia: “I don't know. I can... I don't want the Red King to see what we're doing.” Cora: “Why?” Anastasia: “Because I know he won't approve.” Cora: “And your mother, she wouldn’t approve either, would she? (Anastasia shakes her head:) Anastasia, you don't need anyone's approval. Whoever it was that made you feel this way, that you are somehow flawed or unworthy, you need to take that pain, the fear that they were right, and use it. (Turns Anastasia to face the basin:) It's the root of your power. Let it drive the magic and prove them all wrong!” Anastasia: (Closing her eyes once more and, channelling her power into the basin, causes flames to shoot skyward:) “It worked! It worked!” (Cora returns to her seat as Anastasia warms her hands with the heat of the flames.) Cora: “Feels good, doesn't it?” Anastasia: “Wonderful. (Chuckles:) I can't understand why the King's so against it.” Cora: “Oh, I have a feeling you won't have to worry about him for too much longer.” (Anastasia smiles and admires the flames that continue to rise from the basin.)

Storybrooke. Town Hall. Present. (Returning from their 'lunchtime meeting', Emma and Regina walk down the hall towards the Mayor's office, arm in arm. They slow their pace when they notice Leroy and two other dwarves standing outside Regina's office. Allowing her to go ahead, Emma keeps back as Regina gives the dwarves a curious smile. Looking to each other and nodding, the dwarves move away from the door to reveal their handiwork. Regina gasps as she reads the new lettering which reads; Town of Storybrooke. Regina Swan-Mills. Queen. Clearly touched by this, Regina smiles at the dwarves as they remove their hats and bow before her.) Emma: (Joining her wife:) "They wanted to do something special to show their appreciation for all you've done. (Kissing Regina on the cheek:) Surprise." (Not knowing what to say, Regina touches her hand to her chest in a silent thank you to all of them.)

Enchanted Forest. Past. (Will stands around the campfire as Robin call out to him.) Robin Hood: “Will? Will Scarlett? Give me your hand.” Will: (Holding out his hand:) “You worried I pinched something?” Robin Hood: (Chuckles:) “Not at all.” (Robin pulls out his dagger and slices Will’s palm.) Will: “Aah!” Robin Hood: (Re-sheathing his dagger:) “You're one of us now. For life.” Will: “A thief for life?” Robin Hood: “No. Not a thief. People call us that. (Puts his arm around Will:) That's not what we are.” Will: “Then what are we?” Robin Hood: “We help those in need. A thief only steals for himself.” Will: “Right. And that's not us?” Robin Hood: “We have a cause that's bigger than any one of our own needs. And that cause is humanity. When you steal for personal gain, the first thing you lose is yourself. Rest up, Will. (To the group at large:) We leave these woods at dawn.” Will: (Following:) “Actually, I wanted to speak to you about that. It might be worth hanging round for a few more days.” Robin Hood: “What for? We've swept the area clean.” Will: “Not completely. There's a place that sits on top of the Forbidden Mountain.” Robin Hood: “No. That is Maleficent's castle.” Will: “Yes, I'm aware.” Robin Hood: “She's a sorceress, Will. The one thing we do not mess about with is magic. It's dangerous. No matter how valuable it is or how much wealth it can bring you, it's never worth the consequences.” Will: “Which is why we walk right past all that stuff and go for the gold. There's a chest that she keeps hidden in the walls somewhere in the main hall. Word is there's enough gold inside to care for the people of this village and the next for years to come. Isn't that the point of all this? Helping humanity? I've got a plan, but it'll take eight men to get past the guards. She's away from the castle and not expected back for several days. We make our approach at nightfall and return here with the gold, and only the gold, well before dawn.” Robin Hood: (Shaking his head:) “You'd steal the pitchfork from the devil himself.” Will: “And be out of hell before he realized it was gone.” Robin Hood: (Thinks then relents:) “All right then. The gold. Nothing else.” Will: “I wouldn't think of it. I'm no thief.” (Robin laughs and walks away as Will joins the other Merry Men around the campfire.)

#sq #swanqueen #swan queen

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