It's just another slice of modern life. It's not a fairy tale to me.

[undealt]

WHO || Mr. Gold vs. the Castle (aka OPEN)
WHAT || there's a guy in your library who has totally always been there. no really.
WHERE || the library
WHEN || like a week before the squiring ceremony.
HOW || either/or. i am flexible if you want more exp points.

The strange thing you might notice is that there's a crocodile curled up outside the library, not really bothering anyone. Just existing. As crocodiles do. Mostly, she's sleeping. Occasionally someone will walk by fairly loudly and she'll lift her crocish head and give generally displeased looks, but otherwise... Crocodile. Sleeping in the hall. Totally normal.

And a member of the Dragon's Fire presently flipping through atlases in the library will tell you as much. His atlas-hoarding is less normal, but he's not really going to comment on it, because he couldn't properly tell you why in the first place. Following leads on his own time, looking up information for missions- who knows. Maybe he liked maps in another life.

Plus they're more interesting than the pile of half-sorted legal documents he's been searching through, checking for loopholes and the like. He might be one of the few people in the damn castle who actually enjoys paperwork (he sort of insisted on taking that project), even if it's half abandoned right now in a fit of whimsy.

Comments

[undealt]

That was a loaded question. A useful ally in ruining Mayor Mills bit by bit- his ace in the hole, as it were, but little more than that, beyond him being generally fond of her, because she had verve, the likes of which he hadn't seen in Storybrooke in years, if ever. Complacency was par for the course in the town until she came along. It made things difficult sometimes, but it also made things more interesting. And, really, business hadn't been better- as far as he remembered.

"Well, I'd hardly call us friends," he admitted, shifting as he considered the question. "But we seem to find ourselves in each others' company often enough." He raised an eyebrow. "I hope you're not implying there should be something more to our relationship, Sheriff. I'm not sure who that would be more embarrassing for."

[uncurse]

Body language deflating, Emma realized defeat. Rumpelstiltskin was nowhere in there. She wasn't sure how it was possible - no, she was sure: the Veil - but Gold's memories had been cleaved clean out of him. She stared at him for a moment longer, then sighed and answered decisively.

"Believe me when I say it'd be you." Because, really, who among us has fucked whose relative. Not that she knows this but shhh. She reached up and tousled her hair a little, pulling it out of her face and then taking a deep breath to reassess her approach to the situation. "And now I'm your squire. How the hell's a pawnbroker become a knight?"

[undealt]

He noticed that. Couldn't for the life of him supply the context, but he knew enough about the Veil to know there was no use prying about the details, as much as he liked details- and liked, even more, having more insight into what precisely he lost, but lost memories told from someone else's POV would just be stories. No use to him at all, except frustration about a life not actually lived, as far as his mind was concerned.

So when she pressed on, he straightened up, content not to harp on what was lost. Given the fact that the only reason he was in the library at the moment was related to instincts gained from something he couldn't recall, it was just more puzzle pieces he didn't need, anyway. "A law degree from another universe, a complete lack of resources, and the fact that it took me years to build up that shop in Storybrooke and I had no desire to repeat any of that again, left me with few options. I was offered a position, so I accepted."

His face said it all, really- this was a marriage of convenience, him and the Knights. He wouldn't have chose it if he believed he had anywhere else to go and actually thrive.

[uncurse]

"Glad to know I wasn't too off the mark thinking this wasn't much your style."

She glanced around the library, shifty and uncomfortable. No. It wasn't hers, either. It was her parents'. It could have been hers, but Rumpelstiltskin and Regina had ensured that wouldn't be part of her story. She'd been to that world, now, tried to do things the way she might have if she'd never been sent through that wardrobe. She'd liked the old world better.

This new one, this … combination of the two. It was the most unsettling of all.

"Did you know it was me when you got assigned?" There was a sharpness in her voice that said she didn't like that idea. The idea that Gold might have just planned something else in her life to fall right into place so he could use her - memories or not.

[undealt]

"Yes, I'm terribly transparent, aren't I?" His memories may have fallen by the wayside, but his sass never would. Never mind that there wasn't a way in hell he wouldn't notice her being shifty. "But, then again, I'm in good company. This is a far cry from the comfortable life of a small town sheriff, isn't it?"

He tilted his head at her, considering the question for a long time like it was a terribly difficult one, even though it wasn't at all. He'd worn out his surprise when he'd seen the name and some investigation had turned up that it was the very same Ms. Swan. That much, however, he kept under his hat. Any desperation for a like soul is still desperation, after all. "I received a name, the same as all the Knights. I thought it might not be coincidence, as I don't make it a habit to believe in them." He shrugged. "I wasn't disappointed."

[uncurse]

Small town sheriff.

That was a welcome title-change from savior.

She eyed him for a moment, considering that, weighing whether or not she preferred it. At least it appeared the way he'd looked at her like she was something he could well use had changed.

"Why? If you thought it was me, why would you want me to be your squire. Why even take one on at all?" She began to pace, uncomfortable with the notion that even without his memories, he saw something he could try to take advantage of in her.

[undealt]

What he didn't say was when he received that name, it was on a list, and that he did specifically choose her, but, well, that wasn't what she asked, now was it?

He waved a hand dismissively. "I had a feeling you and Hasmed wouldn't get along and old Zero would've had you tossed out on your arse. Wynn's not going to let me idly retire from active duty, and I'm a difficult man to get along with on my better days." He shrugged. "It just seemed appropriate, considering how comfortable we are with each other."

Whether or not that was meant to be an ironic statement remained to be seen.

[uncurse]

Comfortable. Regardless of how he intended it, the statement made Emma snort. Even without his memories, Gold was dangerous on his best days. He was out for himself, either way.

"Who's Hasmed?" There was sly interrogation to the way she guided the conversation back that way, trying to sort out where Gold's connections in the castle were rooted (diplomacy 27).

[undealt]

"As surprising as it might be, Ms. Swan, I was a squire, myself, once." He shrugged, not terribly concerned, because he knew full well that Hasmed would either seek out Emma, himself, or she'd figure out the truth and go to him. And it wasn't like he had anything to hide. Not anything he shared with Hasmed, anyway. "Hasmed was the Knight I trained with and now serve under as a member of the Dragon's Fire. The latter of which might be in the cards for you one day."

Assuming either of them survived the training process, at least. He could make subtle jokes about how comfortable he and Emma were with each other all he wanted, but the truth was that this was going to be a tense partnership. The advantages, however, definitely outweighed the problematic aspects.

[uncurse]

"The Dragon's Fire?" Someone hadn't heard of the different sects, yet. Time for some exposition (knowledge check 3). Her brow furrowed and she focused a questioning look on Gold.

[undealt]

"The sect that deals in magic," he offered, slyly. It had actually been something of a joke- to be honest, Emma would be more suited to another sect, but being squired to him meant she had access to magic if she had the talent for it. Why she'd have the talent for it was beyond him, but he did, so weirder things.

"Possibly outside of your purview, Sheriff, but it was also outside of mine, and now... Well, I suppose you could say I've got a knack for it."

[uncurse]

"Guess that Veil makes us all full of surprises." She studied him carefully, trying to decipher just how likely it was that he would have already known somehow that he could use magic without knowing he was the Dark One - but there was no way. There was suspicion there, in the way she watched him, as if she were trying to figure out which was more dangerous with access to that kind of magic: Rumpelstiltskin, or Gold. "Either way, I'm not interested. So, spare me the Karate Kid montage and let's just … get down to business."

[undealt]

There was definitely more to Emma's wariness than just her general instant distrust of him (nat 20 sense motive check- wow how canon are we right now) and he'd bet anything it had to do with what he didn't know about Storybrooke. Emma knew more than him- that much was certain- and his rampant desire to avoid any stories about his own life may have eased his mind, but it made dealing with the people who did know troublesome.

Given time, it would probably come out, whether he'd decided he wanted that information or not. In the meantime, he'd have to keep an eye on her, see what exactly she might be saying.

So after a moment of staring right back at her like he was seeing her wariness and raising her even more of it, he shrugged as if the staring contest hadn't just happened. "Well, you'll be sworn in soon enough. After that, it will be my duty to ensure you reach Knighthood." He punctuates that with a smirk, because he knows full well what Emma will think of that word choice, especially considering the next bit. "Should I get assigned to any missions, you'll accompany me, along with the other assigned Knights and their squires." He paused to consider that. "I think that about covers it."

[uncurse]

"That happen often? Them sending you to do fieldwork."

She didn't bother to disguise the way her eyes glanced down at his cane and limp, eyebrow raised. It didn't seem to his benefit to be sending him out to risk life and limb when he was already crippled, magic or not. He didn't know nearly as much as he had before he'd lost his memories, which meant he was just a novice with some raw talent - probably for the dark kind. How useful in the field could he be?

[undealt]

"Often enough." He pointed towards the door. "You did notice the crocodile."

People had a tendency to not fuck with you when you could grind their bones through their skin and had a crocodile who was more than happy to eat their faces on an order. He could hold on his own and his mildly agitated expression said that he didn't take all that kindly to the implication that he couldn't.

"You'll see soon enough. They don't typically give the squires a chance to get complacent before they're sent out."

[uncurse]

In a passive indication of deferment, Emma's expression relaxed - eyebrows raised - and she lifted her hands in surrender. He knew better than she did - clearly. That didn't make her more on board with his plan to teach her magic, but it did mean that he wasn't going to get in over his head with any mission he did go on.

Probably.

"I'll make sure to be ready."

[undealt]

"Good." His wet-cat-pissy agitation ebbed away and he went back to his usual vapid-smirking stoicism. "Well, the squiring ceremony's in a few days. I hope you can pull off chainmail."