onceuponaland bingo challenge
Prompt: Regina/Kathryn - only friend
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Prompt: Short Skirt, Long Jacket
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Prompt: Regina/Snow White - maternal
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Prompt: Because you loved me (um, so the prompt definitely inspired this fic, because I tried to think of some context in which this phrase could be uttered between Emma and Regina, but because I cannot write fluff, it turned into something really random and yeah, IDEK)
Characters: Regina, Emma
Word count: ~1,155
“Why did you do it?” Regina asked abruptly.
The two of them were standing on the sidelines of the party - Emma because as much as she loved her newfound family, it was still a little overwhelming finding herself with parents who cared for her so much after all these years of thinking she’d been abandoned. She was enjoying watching them get reacquainted with old friends in new forms now that all imminent threats had been dealt with, but she had to separate herself from the crowd because she didn’t really feel like part of it.
(Funny how she could look like their equal in age but feel so young and lost when it came to all the history and shared experiences they were merrily recounting)
Regina had been standing alone for obvious reasons and Emma decided that joining the former Mayor and previously-Evil (now-working-toward-redemption) Queen would make herself less conspicuous. Or at least, it was unlikely people would come up and try to draw her back into the festivities. A lot had changed in Storybrooke since Emma had been flung into Fairytale Land and fought her way back, but Regina’s ability to intimidate people with a mere arch of her brow remained strongly in evidence.
They actually spent a few pleasantly quiet moments together with Regina acting as an effective shield while Emma took a breather from all the hectic socializing…til Regina opened her mouth and decided now was the best time for a heart-to-heart.
(Emma winced. Best not to think about Regina and hearts)
“What?”
“Why did you save me?” Regina bit out as though the words physically pained her.
For all Emma knew, they did. Sure they might be living under the same roof now, what with this shared custody thing they were trialling with Henry (the kid sure had them wrapped around his little finger), and Regina had renounced her evil ways in an attempt to win Henry over, but it didn’t mean she’d warmed up to Emma much.
“It was, you know,” she shrugged.
“I do not know, Miss Swan, that is precisely why I asked the question.”
“Impulse, I guess,” Emma said shortly. “I saw a creepy soul-sucking thing approaching and my instincts kicked in. I’d’ve done it for anyone.”
“That doesn’t explain why you were so adamant about preserving my life when we first found out what had been sent after me. There you are, having learned everything Henry told you was true, that I really was the Evil Queen from his book who’d put a dark curse on everyone, and when you find out that my life is in jeopardy and guaranteed to end very soon and very painfully, your response is to help? Anyone else would’ve cracked open the champagne and toasted my impending demise, but you insist on saving me! Why?”
Wow. She guessed Regina been holding that in ever since she’d been unceremoniously dumped in Fairytale Land. Seemed like the curiosity had been driving her nuts in Emma’s absence. Shame she was going to have to disappoint her.
“Look, I’m sorry you’re taking it so personally that I didn’t want you to die in agony. Next time I’ll know better, I promise, no heroics.”
“That doesn’t answer-”
“I honestly don’t have an answer for you, Regina, I don’t know what to tell you! It was the right thing to do? Henry believed me to be the hero and I wanted to live up to that for him, maybe, I don’t know.”
Regina had subsided and was regarding her with bemusement. “I can tell you didn’t grow up reading fairytales. In any scenario where the hero sacrifices themself for another, it’s meant to be because you loved me. Not mere impulse or just because! It’s a powerful and poignant gesture, out of tremendous sentiment - not to be wasted on your foe. There are standard practices to be adhered to, traditional forms to be observed. The hero doesn’t save the villain, they slay them and then marry the princess and live happily ever after.”
(only Regina could make a fairytale sound like a bureaucracy - she could practically feel the woman yearning to scrawl criticism in red pen all over the report of Emma’s handling of the situation: Improper Application of Heroism. Misdirected Display of Compassion. Failure to Operate under Black-and-White World-view. She should’ve presided over Regina’s death with a martyred expression, sermonizing how this was the fate that befell all those who took the path of villainy, probably)
“Eh, well, all the princesses I’ve met are already spoken for, so I’m not in any rush. I can always get with the slaying later on if need be.” She shot Regina a meaningful stare. “Say…the next time you use up all the hot water in the morning and I’m left with freezing cold water for my shower.”
“If you’d wake up earlier, you wouldn’t have that unfortunate problem,” Regina said with a remarkably straight face, considering Emma had actually tried setting her alarm clock earlier and earlier and yet never been able to get enough hot water before giving up and figuring Regina probably rose at the crack of dawn just to use it all up to spite her.
“Right. So. Look, we’re not a regular fairytale, obviously. I just think you need to stop thinking about this in terms of what the stories say we should be and how we’re meant to act and just…go with it.”
Regina’s eyebrow inched higher, silently indicating her incredulity at Emma’s suggestion. A few millimeters higher and she could probably read that as a scathing commentary on her lack of wits or whatever.
“It’s a bit late to try and follow the correct storytelling clichés now. I’m not sure what you’d be using as a frame of reference, Regina, how many stories have the villain and hero living in the same house to raise a kid together?”
Her expression turned appalled. “Good grief, Miss Swan, we’re hardly all that- domestic.”
“You cook, I wash the dishes and Henry puts away. What would you call that exactly?” Emma bit the inside of her cheek to keep from snickering out loud at the look on Regina’s face. Obviously the woman had spent so long building up her self-image as the Destroyer of Happiness that the recent developments with their living situation hadn’t really sunk into her brain just yet. “You made pancakes for breakfast the other day. I’ve seen you in your fuzzy slippers. I don’t think we can just slot back into the hero-villain roles after that, y’know?”
“Enough already, you’ve made your point,” Regina said crossly.
“We do laundry-”
“That’s enough, I said!”
Emma didn’t bother suppressing her laughter this time. She didn’t know how they’d gotten to the point where she could wind up Regina for fun and not end up exchanging blows, but rewriting the traditional fairytale with her was definitely going to be an entertaining journey.
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Prompt: Female Character(s) - power comes in many forms.
Music: Intro by The XX
Characters: Regina, Emma, Snow, Red, Cinderella & Abigail.
If the vid doesn't work on youtube, it's also available to view here. (I have no clue how to embed from divshare, though, so finicky!)
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Prompt: Short Skirt, Long Jacket
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Prompt: Regina/Snow White - maternal
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Prompt: Because you loved me (um, so the prompt definitely inspired this fic, because I tried to think of some context in which this phrase could be uttered between Emma and Regina, but because I cannot write fluff, it turned into something really random and yeah, IDEK)
Characters: Regina, Emma
Word count: ~1,155
“Why did you do it?” Regina asked abruptly.
The two of them were standing on the sidelines of the party - Emma because as much as she loved her newfound family, it was still a little overwhelming finding herself with parents who cared for her so much after all these years of thinking she’d been abandoned. She was enjoying watching them get reacquainted with old friends in new forms now that all imminent threats had been dealt with, but she had to separate herself from the crowd because she didn’t really feel like part of it.
(Funny how she could look like their equal in age but feel so young and lost when it came to all the history and shared experiences they were merrily recounting)
Regina had been standing alone for obvious reasons and Emma decided that joining the former Mayor and previously-Evil (now-working-toward-redemption) Queen would make herself less conspicuous. Or at least, it was unlikely people would come up and try to draw her back into the festivities. A lot had changed in Storybrooke since Emma had been flung into Fairytale Land and fought her way back, but Regina’s ability to intimidate people with a mere arch of her brow remained strongly in evidence.
They actually spent a few pleasantly quiet moments together with Regina acting as an effective shield while Emma took a breather from all the hectic socializing…til Regina opened her mouth and decided now was the best time for a heart-to-heart.
(Emma winced. Best not to think about Regina and hearts)
“What?”
“Why did you save me?” Regina bit out as though the words physically pained her.
For all Emma knew, they did. Sure they might be living under the same roof now, what with this shared custody thing they were trialling with Henry (the kid sure had them wrapped around his little finger), and Regina had renounced her evil ways in an attempt to win Henry over, but it didn’t mean she’d warmed up to Emma much.
“It was, you know,” she shrugged.
“I do not know, Miss Swan, that is precisely why I asked the question.”
“Impulse, I guess,” Emma said shortly. “I saw a creepy soul-sucking thing approaching and my instincts kicked in. I’d’ve done it for anyone.”
“That doesn’t explain why you were so adamant about preserving my life when we first found out what had been sent after me. There you are, having learned everything Henry told you was true, that I really was the Evil Queen from his book who’d put a dark curse on everyone, and when you find out that my life is in jeopardy and guaranteed to end very soon and very painfully, your response is to help? Anyone else would’ve cracked open the champagne and toasted my impending demise, but you insist on saving me! Why?”
Wow. She guessed Regina been holding that in ever since she’d been unceremoniously dumped in Fairytale Land. Seemed like the curiosity had been driving her nuts in Emma’s absence. Shame she was going to have to disappoint her.
“Look, I’m sorry you’re taking it so personally that I didn’t want you to die in agony. Next time I’ll know better, I promise, no heroics.”
“That doesn’t answer-”
“I honestly don’t have an answer for you, Regina, I don’t know what to tell you! It was the right thing to do? Henry believed me to be the hero and I wanted to live up to that for him, maybe, I don’t know.”
Regina had subsided and was regarding her with bemusement. “I can tell you didn’t grow up reading fairytales. In any scenario where the hero sacrifices themself for another, it’s meant to be because you loved me. Not mere impulse or just because! It’s a powerful and poignant gesture, out of tremendous sentiment - not to be wasted on your foe. There are standard practices to be adhered to, traditional forms to be observed. The hero doesn’t save the villain, they slay them and then marry the princess and live happily ever after.”
(only Regina could make a fairytale sound like a bureaucracy - she could practically feel the woman yearning to scrawl criticism in red pen all over the report of Emma’s handling of the situation: Improper Application of Heroism. Misdirected Display of Compassion. Failure to Operate under Black-and-White World-view. She should’ve presided over Regina’s death with a martyred expression, sermonizing how this was the fate that befell all those who took the path of villainy, probably)
“Eh, well, all the princesses I’ve met are already spoken for, so I’m not in any rush. I can always get with the slaying later on if need be.” She shot Regina a meaningful stare. “Say…the next time you use up all the hot water in the morning and I’m left with freezing cold water for my shower.”
“If you’d wake up earlier, you wouldn’t have that unfortunate problem,” Regina said with a remarkably straight face, considering Emma had actually tried setting her alarm clock earlier and earlier and yet never been able to get enough hot water before giving up and figuring Regina probably rose at the crack of dawn just to use it all up to spite her.
“Right. So. Look, we’re not a regular fairytale, obviously. I just think you need to stop thinking about this in terms of what the stories say we should be and how we’re meant to act and just…go with it.”
Regina’s eyebrow inched higher, silently indicating her incredulity at Emma’s suggestion. A few millimeters higher and she could probably read that as a scathing commentary on her lack of wits or whatever.
“It’s a bit late to try and follow the correct storytelling clichés now. I’m not sure what you’d be using as a frame of reference, Regina, how many stories have the villain and hero living in the same house to raise a kid together?”
Her expression turned appalled. “Good grief, Miss Swan, we’re hardly all that- domestic.”
“You cook, I wash the dishes and Henry puts away. What would you call that exactly?” Emma bit the inside of her cheek to keep from snickering out loud at the look on Regina’s face. Obviously the woman had spent so long building up her self-image as the Destroyer of Happiness that the recent developments with their living situation hadn’t really sunk into her brain just yet. “You made pancakes for breakfast the other day. I’ve seen you in your fuzzy slippers. I don’t think we can just slot back into the hero-villain roles after that, y’know?”
“Enough already, you’ve made your point,” Regina said crossly.
“We do laundry-”
“That’s enough, I said!”
Emma didn’t bother suppressing her laughter this time. She didn’t know how they’d gotten to the point where she could wind up Regina for fun and not end up exchanging blows, but rewriting the traditional fairytale with her was definitely going to be an entertaining journey.
---
Prompt: Female Character(s) - power comes in many forms.
Music: Intro by The XX
Characters: Regina, Emma, Snow, Red, Cinderella & Abigail.
Click to viewIf the vid doesn't work on youtube, it's also available to view here. (I have no clue how to embed from divshare, though, so finicky!)