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

[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."