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]

"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."