PATHETIC.

and whose fault was it that she was inexperienced? the comment was bitten back, because uma knew the answer — it was the king’s father’s, for trapping them on this island in the first place. and she had done rather well in the battle, surviving with ease up until the little beastie boy had jumped in between the two.

and so, a hint of a smirk tugged on her lips, uma’s stance straightening as the compliment took hold. “well, i mean, she’s always been riding her mother’s coattails. just look at how easy it was for me to take over her turf when they were gone.” and she had made certain that she could keep it, through her own strength. “the easy road has never been an option, but it made mestronger.”

not a complaint, however, because ursula’s distance and mood swings had pushed uma to build her own power base. her crew, gathered from serpent prep and the wharfs, to let her be able to challenge mal. her ship, won from the pirate captain, so that she had a place for her people to meet and rest when home wasn’t safe. all so that she didn’t have to rely on her mother’s reputation to survive the isle, but had one that was all hers.

gazing at the pages before her, she forced herself not to look up at the woman holding her close. “no one would tell me anything more than that.” her voice was soft, fear of breaking whatever spell had brought the woman she had vague memories of back. “aunt morgana got mad when i even brought you up to ask, and no one else knew anything.” after that incident, she had given up on even trying to connect with her mother, instead shifting her focus on getting stronger. just to be safe.

                 “ what can i say, if i would have strangled both maleficent and grimhilde the day we woke up here, maybe i would have been the one leading this prison ” and she did wonder why she hadn’t just done that, why she hadn’t fought. perhaps because she knew it wouldn’t matter, perhaps it was because she hadn’t cared enough to fight. more questions and fewer answers. “ the easy road hasn’t been an option for anyone in this family, well, except for triton, he had it pretty easy growing up ”

                 speaking about her brother, that never happened. she never thought about him as her brother either. it was easier that way, it was easier protecting yourself from feelings you knew could cause you harm and her brother, he had caused her harm, over and over again. she’d never been afraid to say that. he had formed her into what she was today, he had been the reason why her anger had clouded her and still, she was considered a villain. 

         this wasn’t their idea  of a good time.  the three women were people they tried like hell to avoid.  especially after what he did to maleficent, all so he could find his love.  the other two women, well, he wasn’t as intimidated by them.  but they still left him feeling a bit uneasy.  ❛ true love is possible for everyone.  even for you, you know. ❜  he will admit to himself though, that snow white was way out of his league.  he was nothing but a shepherd, he didn’t deserve her.  he was lucky to have her.

                         ❝    well,  it  took  you  bloody  LONG  ENOUGH,  didn’t  it,  darling  ?? ❞   brash,  some  would  say  HARSH  were  the  monochromatic  haired  woman’s  words  as  she  spoke,  but  one  could  hardly  BLAME  her  now,  could  they ??  she’d  been  trapped  in  this ETERNAL  DAMNATION  for  what  felt  akin  to  aLIFETIME.  && of  course  the  monochromatic  haired  woman  had  schemes,  had  plans  of  her  own  to  get  out  of  here,  none  of  which  had  worked  no  matter  how  much  effort  had  been  put  into  executing  them.  && had  she  EXPECTED  ursula  to  show  up  here  ??  no.  she’d  run  off  with  DADDY  the  moment  she’d  had  the  first  opportunity  to  do  so.  left  them  in  the  DIRT  so  that  she  could  run  off &&  collect  on  her  happily  ever  after.  &&  assuming  that  the  other  woman  could  get  her  out  of  this  place  then  she’d  consider  it  a  START  on  making  it  up  to  her.  

                         &&  it  was  furling  the  fur  that  adorned  her  shoulders  further  around  her  slight  frame  that  she  stood  from  behind  the NEWLY  APPOINTED  mayor’s  desk,  crystalline  gaze  never  once  leaving  that  of  the  SEA  WITCH.  ❝    did  that  GUILTY  CONSCIENCE  finally  catch  up  with  you  ?? ❞  she  continued,  heeled  footsteps  carrying  her  to  stand  just  before  the  other  woman,  not  so  much  of  a  HINT  of  her  characteristic  smirk  resting  across  the  expanse  of  her  countenance  now,  for  she  wouldn’t  say  it,  wouldn’t  ADMIT  it  to  anyone,  but  ursula  leaving  her  there,  walking  out  on  them,  walking  out  on  her  because  there  was  something  more  IMPORTANT,  it  broke  her  entirely.  but  the  monochromatic  haired  woman  would  NEVER  give  the  power  of  that  KNOWLEDGE  to  anyone,  not  even  ursula.  ❝    do  hurry  up,  i  haven’t  got ALL  DAY,  you  know  ??  ❞   with  a  flourish  of  her  hand,  the  VILLAINESS  ushered  the  other  away,  for  if  she  wasn’t  here  for a  REASON,  then  cruella  really  had  no  time  for  what  she  had  to  say.  not  in  the  slightest.  

                 there wasn’t really any reason for her to even turn up here, after all, the woman had left her behind three decades ago, why shouldn’t she be able to do the same? still, her conscience always told her differently, always told her to wait, look out for the monochrome haired woman. ursula had been her impulse control and in less than a week she had gotten herself killed. perhaps she had been needed, after all, the only reason why she had left so easily was that she imagined she could be replaced, she had been replaced. the evil queen, she would always come first, wouldn’t she? always be there to take the spotlight from everyone else. wasn’t it enough that she had pretended to be her? then she had taken her family. 

                “ i simply figured you could need your impulse control back ” it hadn’t been easy, making a deal with her uncle. it wasn’t like she was close to the ruler of the underworld. on the other hand, hades had always despised zeus more than poseidon, it left her with some room to move however she wanted and perhaps if she would agree, bring someone back to life. brown eyes watched the woman while she got up from her chair, she had to say it was rather impressive, cruella being the mayor? which poor idiots had voted for that to be a good idea. “ oh, i heard, got yourself a new little boy-toy? ” did she sound jealous? not at all, if cruella didn’t love her anymore, then she should be able to toy with every man with mommy issues there where. “ sad really, i thought i’d come back and pick you up, get you back to the real world but you seem to like it here, perhaps i should let you stay here until my uncle is tired of you playing mayor ”

                             ❝   annoy  you ??  NONSENSE,  i’m  hardly  capable  of  such  a  thing,  ❞  disingenuous  smirk  found  its  place  across  the  expanse  of  her  features  as  she  spoke,  brow  arching  as  ATTENTION  turned  away  from  the  REFLECTIVE  surface  of  the  shop  window  && back  toward  the  other  woman.  THE  SEA  WITCH.  a  last  ditch  attempt  at  finding  somebody  on  this  DAMNED  isle  capable  of  anything  other  than  mumbling  about  how  UNFAIR  their  lives  were.  how  unfair  THEIR  lives,  were  ?!  she  couldn’t  BELIEVE  it,  they  knew  nothing  of  how  unfair  life  could  be  &&  she  ensured  that  she  told  them  as  such.  REPEATEDLY.  but  the  woman  standing  before  her  wasn’t  one  that  she’d  attempted  to  get  to  KNOW  in  the  slightest,  for  she  had  no  INTEREST  in  the  lives  of  anyone  other  than  herself,  after  all.  

                             pursing  her  lips  for  the  BRIEFEST  of  moments,  she  truly  would  be  at  her  WITS  END should  this  fail,  should  the  other  woman  not  have  anything  that  could  help  her  ABORT  this  curse,  the  wretched  aging  that  her  body  seemed  insistent  'pon  doing,  no  matter  how  SLOWLY.  nonetheless,  she  wanted  it  STOPPED  &&  she  wanted  it  stopped  now  &&  even  on  this  isle  there  were  no  LENGTHS  too  far  for  her  to  go  to,  to  ACHIEVE  it  either.  ❝  oh,  of  course  you  do,  it’s  hardly  as  if  you’re  BUSY,  is  it ??  ❞  light  chuckle  spilled  from  CRIMSON  painted  lips,  arms  folding  across  her  chest  now.  ❝   now,  a  little  fishy  told  me  that  you’re  rather  SKILLED  with  potions  —-  would  that  be  TRUE,  dear ??   ❞    

               “ i think i’m the judge of that ” she was alone, in a place like this it was better to not be attached to anyone, especially when it came to these sorts of people, these sorts of humans. she had never understood humans, why they thought they were so interesting, so intelligent. she had despised humans and now she had to live among them. wasn’t it punishment enough to give her legs? one might have thought so but the king, oh, the little beast king, he had made sure with his book nerd of a queen to keep them trapped here, to have them suffer. “ little fishes shouldn’t speak about things they don’t know ” 

              lips pursed, attention falling completely on the other woman. afraid of getting old, raised a child to stay young, lost her precious little magic. pathetic. “ depends on what you’re looking for, an easier way to get rid of those wrinkles, dear, would be to use some wrinkle cream, i’m sure the fairest of them all can spare some of hers ” oh she enjoyed this, toying with these poor unfortunate souls, she had the answer, she always had an answer, for everything.  “ alright, i’ll play along, if i would have something to help with your little situation, what would i get in return. ”

Uma: LIFE AIN'T FAIR.

               always in such a hurry, afraid of being late. perhaps that was her biggest flaw, getting late to her own shows, her own opening nights. being an opera singer, not the easiest work, she’d admit that much but she loved it, she loved the lights, the makeup, costumes, scripts, songs, the music. oh, she adored the music, the way it could transform the entire mood of the audience, the way she could make people feel with her voice combined with the light strokes over a violin’s strings. it was like pure magic, she wouldn’t change it for anything in the world. 

               her next fault was perhaps not looking enough when she was running, scripts in hand, bag clutched to her side while she moved through the crowd. the only chance was to go through this way, the stage door would be closed by now. so when she bumped into a tall woman, she caught herself being surprised, she would have imagined seeing her in the crowd but sadly, stress must have blinded her. “ i’m so sorry, i really need to get going but, uh, just say you know me, i’m ursula and you’ll get a better seat ” gentle squeeze to her hand before she was off again, hopefully the brunette would stay long enough for her to actually be able to give a proper apology. 

               “ true love, huh? ” brown eyes remained unimpressed, this hadn’t been her plan, this had been maleficent’s way to find someone to help them. why not make the most of it and provide some talk to the awkward silence around the fire. it wasn’t like they had anything to lose? “ sure about that? she seems a bit too pure for you, princey ”

If these two knew how alike they are? 

On the left, we have Ursula, too young to realize when to not trust someone, too young and naive to see that she’d lose everything that day. She wanted to sing, she wanted to travel, she never wanted to hurt a soul, she just wanted to make her mom proud and not to live like her father's disappointment and because of that she was punished, voice was taken away, banished from the sea when she choose who she wanted to be.

 On the right, Uma, a girl who has grown up in a prison, a girl who just want to run away, travel, feel the salty air around her, be free. She feels like she is her mother's disappointment, that she might be able to gain her approval, make her proud if she does this if she gets out from the prison and claims what will make her happy.  Show her that she’s just as strong as she was. 

If Uma would have known all along about her mother's history, what had truly happened to her. If Ursula would have realized she hadn’t turned into her mother but into her father. If these two could stop acting and start talking. 

Ursula wasn’t born a villain, she was made into one. Uma wasn’t born a villain, people say she is one. They both fight for their rights, for their happiness, for the approval and freedom they want and for that they are punished. 

                “ rough day at school? ” a simple question while she glanced up from the script she had in her hands. it wasn’t easy, keeping track of a teenager and still make sure she kept her career floating. life wasn’t like a waltz on roses when it came to being an opera singer, especially not when you were a good one. still, she liked to take the time to listen to her daughter, hear what she had learned during the day. usually, it was here, in her dressing room in the waiting for the night show before they could get home, eat a small dinner together and then repeat the pattern the next day. 

                there were times she felt bad, for raising her child like this, constantly behind the stage, letting people in the cast help her with homework if she needed it. it wasn’t ideal, it never had been but she had done her best, tried her best still, she wouldn’t give up on being a good mom. she sighed softly, throwing the younger girl a water bottle before she leaned back in her chair, nodding towards the chair beside her. “ come on, talk to me ”

IT HAD BEEN HOURS SINCE SHE LEFT. IT WAS DIFFICULT TO SAY about someone like cruella, but the behavior was odd. ursula had gone ahead, and she too had not year returned. finally, in pursuit, she too left to find some answers — and it wasn’t long before such a thing was PRESENTED to the faerie. she first sees ursula standing with her back to the trail. a few police cars, their lights illuminating the dusk covered forest for miles. and alone, tucked under the shadows, wait a hearse. just as her mouth creeps open toVOCALIZE concern, she sees it. a glimpse of black and white fur beneath a sheet where a body lay. and suddenly she feels legs give out beneath her. what little STRENGTH she had already to carry herself simply disappearing, along with the air from her lungs, as realization sets in.

she was dead.

just like that, she was gone. someone maleficent cherished deeply – even had FANCIEDquite a bit, more than just a friend. and she was gone. maleficent doesn’t even REALIZEshe’s knelt upon the ground, or that tears have made their way down a thin face. not until she feels ursula’s arm round her frame, and her hand wiping away said tears. SHE WANTS TO SCREAM. she wants to ask every question racing through her mind. and yet all she can do is bury her face into ursula’s neck. sobs unable to contain themselves within maleficent’s chest. hands clutching at the woman’s back for dear life. almost afraid if she were to let go, she’d lose her too. for their beloved trio now a duo – and maleficent was suddenly FACED with the harsh realization that at any moment she could possibly be alone again.

and oh how that terrified even the most terrifying of women.

               she had come back, of course, she had. the ocean was her home but she couldn’t abandon her family. the two women she had gotten to know was the closest thing she had to a family for over thirty years, she couldn’t just leave them for the ocean without properly making sure they got what they were looking for. somehow the charmings had started to trust her, which they where fools to do of course but it had proven to come in handy this time. emma was out looking for her son, of course, cruella would get in trouble the moment she wasn’t there, she was half the woman’s impulse control these days but it had been too late, her best friend, her almost lover, losing her life like that. It broke her heart, just when her happy ending was there, it was ripped away from her again.