[ Killian gives her a raised brow. She's the one traipsing about his memory. He tries not to look too offended. Can't take his frustration out on her. She's a stranger. He holds his hand and hook up indicating he means her no harm. ]
The bloke whose memory you've stumbled into.
[ He nods his head to the younger him. ]
It's going to get quite nasty though, love, you might not want to look on.
[ Killian was certainly shocked. He's never been one that would shine in front of the gods. His deeds have typically been selfish and full of darkness. Not something a god would take notice of. He's not certain why a man like him deserved a second chance, but he didn't intend to waste it. Not when he wanted to simply live out his days with Emma. Though now they seem to be living them out here. He can only hope that one day perhaps her parents awaken and can back up what he's saying to her.
But she doesn't pull away. Which is almost a win when it comes to handling Emma Swan. You have to learn to accept the small victories. The tiny things that no one else would ever think to look for or be grateful for. You have to accept that things won't always be perfect, but Killian's never been a fan of perfect. He's a flawed creature. So is Emma. It's why they fit. ]
Aye. There have been some instances where circumstance has parted us, but I've always come right back to you, Swan. I'd go to the ends of the realm to find my way back to you.
[ His thumb strokes over her cheek. Grateful that even though she doesn't quite know how to accept all of this that she's simply here. Here and alive. ]
I'm fully aware that I've got my work cut out for me. I knew it the moment you tied me to a tree.
[ circumstances. that's a gentle way for saying portals, and storms, and the end of their world. she's tired of circumstances parting them, and she's tired of being the only one left standing. it's a weariness that's been bone-deep lately, something she can't shake even with a pirate pledging some version of forever to her. their version of forever is so limited that she can hardly grasp it.
how long is he going to be awake for? a day? a month? a year? in all of her efforts to get the people around her to hope for something more, she's still struggling with doing the same.] Killian. [ there's a part of her that wants this closeness, even in the middle of grumbling at him for reminding her of how she pulled him out from under a pile of dead bodies and shoved a knife against his throat the day they met.]
As much as I want to believe that you waking up here is the start of something good, I have to tell you, this isn't a place where a lot of good things happen.
[ take, for example, the two of them being trapped in this terrible memory of both of them getting their hearts broken. it's still just the tip of the iceberg compared to the conflict going on outside of this, and the actions that have been taken to create a war. anything could happen, and experience tells her it's usually nothing good.]
[ He's not going to make a list of the instances that have parted them. She doesn't need that. It'll likely only scare her more. Give her greater pause. Emma worries and when she worries she has the tendency to attempt to shoulder anything and everything that needs handling. Convincing his wife to lean more on him than struggle under the weight is a feat all on it's own.
Killian can only hope he's awake for quite some time. If not simply for himself than to help Emma. To remind his wife that sometimes things do go their way. His return to the land of the living with no strings attached was living proof of that. His wife will take some time to thaw. To soften to the idea that she's not this cursed individual that loves and loses everyone around her. ]
Nowhere's perfect, love. [ He's quite for an extra minute as he studies her. Noting any small and simply differences between the slightly older version and the one before him now. Just life experience as far as he can tell. ] As a man who has done an extensive bit of traveling I can safely say that the place doesn't dictate the good things. You and I do. You would do well to remember that, Emma.
When did you get so wise? [ has it really been that long in his memories, or did something else kickstart this transformation? she can't imagine it's been longer than a few years for him, but the way he talks, well - it sounds like life with Snow White and Prince Charming has started to rub off on him.
she tugs at him again, this time just to remind him of where they are. there have to be consequences for lingering in a memory, and she doesn't want them to be trapped in this one. it's only after staring off at the space around them before she notices a crack in this carefully constructed memory, and whether he follows or not, she'll head towards it to see if she can fight their way out of this the same way she has everything else.]
We need to get out of this before something else happens.
[ something else could be anything, but they've been here for too long as it is. if he's going to be a stubborn as he's been since he woke up, that's fine. he can do that in Olympia, where she has an apartment, and a dog, and the start of a life.]
Your bloody parents are always giving speeches. You pick up on a thing or two.
[ He'll go ahead and confirm her thoughts. Because it's true. The Charming family has changed him. Emma. Charming. Snow. Henry. Even Belle. They've all done their part to change Killian Jones. To bring out the parts of him that were kept hidden and buried. Lost to time and darkness that polluted everything in his life for some time. But they showed him that you could keep going. Emma showed him that more than anyone else really.
It takes him a moment to realize that they're still here. In this memory. This raw and painful memory. An empty rock tunnel and them. Killian moves to follow her because she knows a bit more about this than he does. He hasn't been here long enough to really say he knows much. ]
I'm not about to argue with you on leaving this memory, love.
[ There's no desire to linger. While he knows the outcome of the Underworld is happier and better that doesn't mean he wants to stick around. There are things that still make Killian's skin crawl and his bones ache here. ]
[ does she know what she's doing? not exactly. but she's sure that crack in the rock wasn't there before, and now that it is, there's a light coming through that she's guessing isn't from his memory. she moves closer to inspect it, walking up to the wall and studying it for a moment. there's her magic and then there's the thing she defaults to, although even Emma has to admit her response probably isn't comforting.]
No, but I was thinking I'd punch it. [ if it gives way, that means she figured it out. if she breaks bones, they'll try something else. it's better than being caught up in the storm for too long, especially when it has already taken so much away from them. the idea of channeling her aggression into something useful is almost cathartic, even if she could blast it or have Killian try to pry at it with his hook.]
[ By now Rumpelstiltskin is questioning Milah. Anger written clear across his face. He doesn't have time to answer Claire or really the energy. Because I never loved you. He knows the moment she says it that she'll get her answer. His hand surges outward and thrusts into Milah's chest. The younger him can only yell and move forward a few steps before the Dark One flings him back. Pinning him with ropes and pulleys before removing her heart.
When the younger him gets free he scrambles to catch the body of his falling love. Fear and grieve already overtaking his expression. Whispered words from Milah. I love you. Before her eyes shut. Watching it again like this doesn't reduce the ache in his chest. He should have done more. All these years later. ]
[ She's the one with the magic. Though he's fully aware that she's not quite as in control as she is later. But he believes in her. He's always believed in her. Especially when it comes to her magic. If she cannot make it work here then they'll find another way to break through this crack. His hook. Her desperate desire to punch almost everything. Which is naturally her first instinct here. He should have guessed. He's willing to go about that with her as well.
Killian gestures towards the wall with a smile. ]
By all means, love, give it a go. Unless you'd like us to punch it together? Get our bonding in early?
[ Is he he joking? Maybe. Maybe not. The couple that punches things together stays together right? ]
[ magic is great, but not everyone here has it, and most people have managed to navigate the memory situation alright. she's betting it's something that can be torn through, so when Hook allows her to take her chance, she steps back to prepare herself for this. there's a chance that it won't work and she'll break her hand trying, but hey, there are healers here. at the moment, it feels like a small price to pay for getting out of the remnants of the storm.]
I get the first hit. After that, you can bond with me all you want.
[ she may not be ready to call him her husband and settle into happily ever after, but she doesn't want to see anything happen to him here. it's why she doesn't hesitate to take the first punch, her hand (thankfully) slamming through the wall until the light on the other side glows brighter. it's all she needs to know to try again, literally willing to punch her way out if she has to.]
[Well, there's the answer to that. Claire covers her mouth, horrified by the sight she was warned about. Christ, she's watching this man lose his loved one. She turns away, dropping her hand and putting it on his arm, as if trying to urge him to look away, too.]
[ Watching this is painful. Yet he knows it's not the end for him. It's not the end of the pain he'll endure, but it's also not the end for his romantic life. Milah isn't the woman that his love died with. As a married man now he knows that. Which is why he doesn't look away. He owes it to Milah to not turn away. She knew how dangerous it was to speak to the Dark One in that manner. But she did it.
The light leaves her eyes as Rumpelstiltskin squeezes her heart. ]
I do.
[ He squares himself up. The removal of his hand was inevitable given that he was "holding" the bean in it. Or at least Rumpelstiltskin believed he was. ]
It'd be wrong of me to look away. She wouldn't look away if it were I.
[ He is somewhat waiting for something to go wrong. Only because it's typically how things go in Storybrooke. Things go awry in some manner. Things don't quite pan out the way they hoped. He's very aware of that given that what he remembers last is the Black Fairy sending a curse to them. Eventually it mixed with the storm and here he is. Watching his wife try to break through this reality they're surrounded with. Using her bare hands.
There's a slight chuckle when she uses his words against him. He waits for her to take the first swing. He doesn't here a sickening crack of any bones thankfully. Instead Emma manages to get through. He doesn't move to step in. She's perfectly capable of punching her way through things. If she needs his help she'll ask. ]
[ living here isn't that different from living in Storybrooke. for every step forward they take, they're usually sent two steps back, stumbling deeper into a war that none of them fully understand. there's always something to keep things chaotic, whether it's the warring factions or the threat of the storm. for once, she's just glad that her methods seem to work. she feels the way the illusion shatters around the force she puts into it, and one punch becomes two, and then three.
it takes her a moment to realize that Killian isn't doing the same, that he's letting her have this and maybe (just maybe) she's getting a little carried away. in the moment, it's enough just to being able to take a few swings at the memories around her, but by the time the space is wide enough for them to get through, she's breathless and looking a little ashamed of herself, reluctantly reaching for her pirate's hand to bring him back into the world they're meant to call home now.
it still doesn't feel like one, but she tends to think it'll take more than an apartment and a job for it to become a place she has any connection to.] ... Let's go.
[Claire's no so bound by bonds of love here, and so she doesn't look back, but she does stay put. She doesn't know this man, or the woman, or anything about what's going on here but it would be wrong to run off. Not that there's really anywhere to go.]
[ Though they had told him she had been in the Underworld. He still hated that he never got a chance to see her. To tell her goodbye. He glances at the woman when Rumpelstiltskin cuts his hand clean off. There's no need to watch that moment. ]
[ She's in his memory. It might help lessen the awkward feeling if they knew one another's names. At least he hopes it might. It's strange to have a stranger be there to witness (or not really witness) the death of Milah. But in a way he's happier that it's not Emma. ]
Killian Jones.
[ Gone are the days of using his Hook moniker. Or even bothering to introduce himself as a Captain. He's got no bloody ship. ]
He's gone now. [ He's referring to the Dark One. The younger him remains. Anger having taken over his face as he stoops to pick up the hook once attached to the ropes. The one that now sits on the older Killian's stump. ] You can look.
[ She's very bossy for a lass who doesn't know him. A bit like Emma. He doesn't really put up a fight. There's no reason for him to stay. He lets her pull him by his arm away from the scene entirely. ]
I've only just met you and you're already bossing me about more than my wife.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
for claire
[ Killian gives her a raised brow. She's the one traipsing about his memory. He tries not to look too offended. Can't take his frustration out on her. She's a stranger. He holds his hand and hook up indicating he means her no harm. ]
The bloke whose memory you've stumbled into.
[ He nods his head to the younger him. ]
It's going to get quite nasty though, love, you might not want to look on.
for emma
[ Killian was certainly shocked. He's never been one that would shine in front of the gods. His deeds have typically been selfish and full of darkness. Not something a god would take notice of. He's not certain why a man like him deserved a second chance, but he didn't intend to waste it. Not when he wanted to simply live out his days with Emma. Though now they seem to be living them out here. He can only hope that one day perhaps her parents awaken and can back up what he's saying to her.
But she doesn't pull away. Which is almost a win when it comes to handling Emma Swan. You have to learn to accept the small victories. The tiny things that no one else would ever think to look for or be grateful for. You have to accept that things won't always be perfect, but Killian's never been a fan of perfect. He's a flawed creature. So is Emma. It's why they fit. ]
Aye. There have been some instances where circumstance has parted us, but I've always come right back to you, Swan. I'd go to the ends of the realm to find my way back to you.
[ His thumb strokes over her cheek. Grateful that even though she doesn't quite know how to accept all of this that she's simply here. Here and alive. ]
I'm fully aware that I've got my work cut out for me. I knew it the moment you tied me to a tree.
no subject
how long is he going to be awake for? a day? a month? a year? in all of her efforts to get the people around her to hope for something more, she's still struggling with doing the same.] Killian. [ there's a part of her that wants this closeness, even in the middle of grumbling at him for reminding her of how she pulled him out from under a pile of dead bodies and shoved a knife against his throat the day they met.]
As much as I want to believe that you waking up here is the start of something good, I have to tell you, this isn't a place where a lot of good things happen.
[ take, for example, the two of them being trapped in this terrible memory of both of them getting their hearts broken. it's still just the tip of the iceberg compared to the conflict going on outside of this, and the actions that have been taken to create a war. anything could happen, and experience tells her it's usually nothing good.]
no subject
Killian can only hope he's awake for quite some time. If not simply for himself than to help Emma. To remind his wife that sometimes things do go their way. His return to the land of the living with no strings attached was living proof of that. His wife will take some time to thaw. To soften to the idea that she's not this cursed individual that loves and loses everyone around her. ]
Nowhere's perfect, love. [ He's quite for an extra minute as he studies her. Noting any small and simply differences between the slightly older version and the one before him now. Just life experience as far as he can tell. ] As a man who has done an extensive bit of traveling I can safely say that the place doesn't dictate the good things. You and I do. You would do well to remember that, Emma.
no subject
she tugs at him again, this time just to remind him of where they are. there have to be consequences for lingering in a memory, and she doesn't want them to be trapped in this one. it's only after staring off at the space around them before she notices a crack in this carefully constructed memory, and whether he follows or not, she'll head towards it to see if she can fight their way out of this the same way she has everything else.]
We need to get out of this before something else happens.
[ something else could be anything, but they've been here for too long as it is. if he's going to be a stubborn as he's been since he woke up, that's fine. he can do that in Olympia, where she has an apartment, and a dog, and the start of a life.]
no subject
[ He'll go ahead and confirm her thoughts. Because it's true. The Charming family has changed him. Emma. Charming. Snow. Henry. Even Belle. They've all done their part to change Killian Jones. To bring out the parts of him that were kept hidden and buried. Lost to time and darkness that polluted everything in his life for some time. But they showed him that you could keep going. Emma showed him that more than anyone else really.
It takes him a moment to realize that they're still here. In this memory. This raw and painful memory. An empty rock tunnel and them. Killian moves to follow her because she knows a bit more about this than he does. He hasn't been here long enough to really say he knows much. ]
I'm not about to argue with you on leaving this memory, love.
[ There's no desire to linger. While he knows the outcome of the Underworld is happier and better that doesn't mean he wants to stick around. There are things that still make Killian's skin crawl and his bones ache here. ]
Do you know how to do that?
no subject
No, but I was thinking I'd punch it. [ if it gives way, that means she figured it out. if she breaks bones, they'll try something else. it's better than being caught up in the storm for too long, especially when it has already taken so much away from them. the idea of channeling her aggression into something useful is almost cathartic, even if she could blast it or have Killian try to pry at it with his hook.]
no subject
What happened?
[A useless question when she can very well watch and see.]
no subject
When the younger him gets free he scrambles to catch the body of his falling love. Fear and grieve already overtaking his expression. Whispered words from Milah. I love you. Before her eyes shut. Watching it again like this doesn't reduce the ache in his chest. He should have done more. All these years later. ]
no subject
Killian gestures towards the wall with a smile. ]
By all means, love, give it a go. Unless you'd like us to punch it together? Get our bonding in early?
[ Is he he joking? Maybe. Maybe not. The couple that punches things together stays together right? ]
no subject
I get the first hit. After that, you can bond with me all you want.
[ she may not be ready to call him her husband and settle into happily ever after, but she doesn't want to see anything happen to him here. it's why she doesn't hesitate to take the first punch, her hand (thankfully) slamming through the wall until the light on the other side glows brighter. it's all she needs to know to try again, literally willing to punch her way out if she has to.]
no subject
We don't need to watch this.
[Not that they can escape the memory so easily.]
no subject
The light leaves her eyes as Rumpelstiltskin squeezes her heart. ]
I do.
[ He squares himself up. The removal of his hand was inevitable given that he was "holding" the bean in it. Or at least Rumpelstiltskin believed he was. ]
It'd be wrong of me to look away. She wouldn't look away if it were I.
no subject
There's a slight chuckle when she uses his words against him. He waits for her to take the first swing. He doesn't here a sickening crack of any bones thankfully. Instead Emma manages to get through. He doesn't move to step in. She's perfectly capable of punching her way through things. If she needs his help she'll ask. ]
no subject
it takes her a moment to realize that Killian isn't doing the same, that he's letting her have this and maybe (just maybe) she's getting a little carried away. in the moment, it's enough just to being able to take a few swings at the memories around her, but by the time the space is wide enough for them to get through, she's breathless and looking a little ashamed of herself, reluctantly reaching for her pirate's hand to bring him back into the world they're meant to call home now.
it still doesn't feel like one, but she tends to think it'll take more than an apartment and a job for it to become a place she has any connection to.] ... Let's go.
no subject
It's just a memory.
no subject
[ Though they had told him she had been in the Underworld. He still hated that he never got a chance to see her. To tell her goodbye. He glances at the woman when Rumpelstiltskin cuts his hand clean off. There's no need to watch that moment. ]
What's your name?
no subject
--Claire. Claire Fraser. You?
no subject
Killian Jones.
[ Gone are the days of using his Hook moniker. Or even bothering to introduce himself as a Captain. He's got no bloody ship. ]
He's gone now. [ He's referring to the Dark One. The younger him remains. Anger having taken over his face as he stoops to pick up the hook once attached to the ropes. The one that now sits on the older Killian's stump. ] You can look.
no subject
[They just met, but they know one another's names, and she gives his arm a tug. At least to turn.]
no subject
I've only just met you and you're already bossing me about more than my wife.