What Your 'OUAT' Ship Says About You

If you're a living and breathing human being — and if you're reading this, I assume you are — then undoubtedly you've got your preferred Once Upon A Time ship and you're sailing it proudly. I know the feeling. Every time you see your OTP on screen, your heart goes all crazy and even the smallest interactions can spawn intense feelings of angst or joy (not to mention multi-chapter fanfics). It can be a wonderful — and wonderfully rewarding — part of watching the show, depending on which characters have caught your eye, and it can also be super frustrating. Such is the struggle of the shipper, particularly a Once shipper. But whichever pairing floats your boat, so to speak, says a lot about who you are and what draws you in, and it's a really interesting thing to think about.

I should preface this by saying that I'm very much a "live and let live" shipper. I definitely have an OTP and will defend it with my dying breath, but I also don't think any other pairings are less valuable or worthy of respect. Fandom should be an inclusive and positive space for shippers of all kinds, and this is even more true for the Once community, which is based of the ideal that true love can conquer all. That love comes in all forms, so let's share it with each other, eh? And now, without further ado, let's get to what your Once Upon A Time OTP says about you.

Captain Swan

If you love Emma and Hook together, you're likely drawn to the idea of chivalry and a partner who will fight for you consistently, but not too aggressively. You want someone who is attentive and willing to prove that his love is genuine, someone who will allow you to lower your guard in your own time and who won't get bored waiting for you to get to a place where you can let him in. Seeing their relationship, you likely feel comforted by the gentleness they're able to bring out in one another, and find it really heartwarming.

Outlaw Queen

Those who love Regina and Robin Hood together are likely big believers in fate and the idea of soulmates, and are drawn to those who are honorable and true above all else. You find yourself gravitating towards partners who are selfless and aim to do the right thing, even when that may be the hardest, and not the thing they truly want to do. Together, you feel that Robin and Regina offer one another a second chance at things they both thought were lost, particularly love.

Snowing

Fans of Snow White and Prince Charming are the most hopeless romantics of all, believing that True Love conquers everything and that fairy tales can be real if only we believe in them enough and are lucky enough to meet the right person. You are inspired by the idea of finding The One, the person with whom you mesh perfectly and undeniably, and you will spend much of your life looking for that person because you know he or she is out there.

Swan Queen

Emma and Regina may not be a romantic pairing on the show just yet, but that doesn't mean they're not a canon relationship. Fans of the Evil Queen and the Savior together are obsessed with potential, with what lies just beneath the surface. You value trust and acceptance over all else and believe in seeing the goodness beneath the surface in others, where most would not think to look. Swan Queen shippers know that love and loyalty are hard wrought, but you believe having these elements in place is the key to a deep and lasting relationship.

Rumbelle

If Rumpelstiltskin and Belle are your (chipped) cup of tea, you likely believe in love's power to not only retain but heighten our humanity and the goodness within it. You don't believe that anyone is beyond saving or not worth investing in, and you're an eternal optimist when it comes to any obstacles that might stand in the way of your relationships. You know that everyone has a heart inside them, you just have to get them to let it shine.

Regal Believer/Swan Believer

A ship doesn't have to be romantic, and those who love the Regina and Henry relationship, or the Emma and Henry relationship, are likely those who feel family comes first and means more than any other connection you can make. You believe the love you have for your flesh and blood — or those you've adopted as family — can conquer anything, can change who you are from the inside out, and you find yourself rooting for the Swan-Mills clan because they always have each other's backs.

Images: ABC; colinodonorgasm, captainswaan (2), freifraufischer, longfelo22, purpleelephantsarewrong/Tumblr