I danced a tango with my hubris high on youth. We swept across the dance floor to subjective truth.

[undealt]

WHO || Gold, Belle, Faye, and an extra super special awesome OPEN section.
WHAT || Gold and Belle get hamburgers (IT'S NOT A DATE!! REALLY!!!), Gold teaches Faye how to use her magic for things other than lighting people on fire, and CHOOSE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE.
WHERE || LONDON: A restaurant and then back at the castle.
WHEN || Some indeterminate time between my last open log and when everyone leaves for their missions.
HOW || PROSE OR ACTION SPAM HIT ME WITH YOUR BEST SHOT. The starters are actionspam, but seriously. Follow your heart, son.

BELLE |

It's totally not a date. You can tell, because a guy in a suit is actually being caught dead in a place called The Giraffe, because it seemed reasonably low-key enough for dinner and a nice chat about... trying to reverse the effects of the Veil. Yeah. But totally not a date.

Hamburgers are ordered. Chatting has commenced. Awesome.]

To be honest, I've started filling in the gaps in my memories with whatever I decide feels right at the time. It's quite effective until someone comes along who remembers more than I do and contradicts it. Though that's only happened once and I think I came out of the situation better than one might expect.

FAYE |

[As soon as Gold gets back from his meeting with Nessa, he leaves Faye a mesage to meet him in the library. The minute she arrives, he's waiting with Milah, who is currently sprawled out underneath a table- she's only as long as the length of the table, but still. CROCODILE UNDER A TABLE.]

I'm sure you're wondering why on earth I'd think to conduct a magic lesson in the library. Seems like an accident waiting to happen, doesn't it?

[You know, because you're a pyro...]

OPEN |

[And in this last option, you can pick Gold in one of two places:

(A. THE HALLWAYS. On his way back to his room. This is totally an excuse to maybe accidentally force someone into seeing his abomination of a room. idc.

(B. THE RECEPTIONIST DESK. Because I'm too lazy to throw him at the actual one and you know everyone wants to listen to his sexy Scottish accent answering phones all day.

Both locations will probably also contain (1) six foot long yellow crocodile.]

Comments

HAMBURGLARS

[untethered]

You mean you're sort of... inventing a history for yourself? [ TELL ME MORE ABOUT THIS HEADCANON THEORY ]

[undealt]

An old habit I picked up before I was recruited by the Knights. [He folds his hands and leans across the table a bit.] There's only so many pitying looks you can take when you're forced to admit you don't remember the little details. Small things evolved into a more elaborate tapestry. It doesn't answer any questions I might have about myself, but it's comforting.

[untethered]

I suppose I never even considered it. I was lucky to fall in with an... understanding lot when I arrived. And there's a lot I remember about the Shadow World.

[undealt]

So what do you remember? If you don't mind me asking, of course. [yeah, here to talk business. that's totally what this is.]

[untethered]

I remember... what kind of world it was. Not like here. There was more... mystery, I suppose. Places unexplored, magic and danger ... but I suppose a great deal of that's followed us into this world too.

I always wanted to be a part of that. All that unknown outside the walls where I grew up. I wanted it more than anything.

[undealt]

And you got your wish. [He's a little endeared with that, even if he'd never considered the idea of him being a romantic until now.] I can't recall wanting anything that badly.

[He can't recall it, but he knows it's there. A void that can't be filled. And magic was a suitable substitute for an absence of something. Plus it made him feel better, knowing he had power over something, if not his situation.

If anything, his wanting has been reduced to wanting either answers or more magic to better get those answers and if not that, make him feel better for a little while, but it's hardly on the same level as what she's saying.]

[untethered]

[ a wistful look flits across her features ] I did get it, I suppose, in coming here. But... [ her brows knit together as if she's thinking very hard about something ] I feel as if I had found it there as well. But I can't remember how.

It's... frustrating, remembering only the longing for adventures - and not any of the adventure itself.

[undealt]

And that's not just something you can invent for yourself. Without the actual experience, it might as well just be a story. [He's terribly sad that he can identify with her on that level. It's an odd sort of camaraderie.

He pauses for a moment, considering something.] Have you ever met anyone here who, for no reason you can recall, seemed familiar. They don't recognize you and you don't recognize them, but there's this undeniable connection that suggests you have a history neither of you remember.

[Spoilers: He's not talking about her.]

[untethered]

[ WELL GOOD FOR YOU GOLD, because her lids flutter a bit as if she's processing whether he just said what she thought he just said, and then she's staring at him with renewed focus ] I... may have an idea of what you mean.

[reallywicked]

[Don't let her carefully perfected unimpressed face fool you... Faye is actually pretty fucking stoked for magic lessons.]

I could think of a few better places.

[There's something in her mind that tugs her to think about an empty lab... like for high school science classes, but she can't put her finger on the reason why.]

[undealt]

[Gold paces to the other side of the table.] We're doing this in the library, because the members of the Dragon's Hoard prefer to not have their books lit on fire. Now, Nessa and I both agreed your problem isn't necessarily that you lack skill- just discipline. No fault of hers, of course, but I find teaching someone anything requires teaching them something they want to learn simultaneously.

[reallywicked]

[Cue an indignant look because she hasn't set any books on fire, okay. That is rude. Her expression calms slightly when he mentions learning something that she wants to.]

I'm listening...

[undealt]

You want to you learn magic- stronger magic. It's not easy and if I'm right, you're the type to get frustrated, hence the library. I find it very difficult to lose my temper when there's a risk of property damage.

[reallywicked]

Right. [Yeah, Faye doesn't give a shit about consequences of property damage, but she will do her best to stay on her best behavior to avoid lessons being halted.] So... are we going to get started now or what?

[undealt]

[So eager, young Skywalker.]

I'll save the lesson on the benefits of patience for Nessa. [And here's where I'm glad Arden pretty much said that magic in OUAT = Urban Arcana magic. LESS BULLSHITTING.] Now magic is about emotion. The more powerful the emotion, the stronger the spell- hence why spells conjured in anger can be highly destructive and those cast with the intention to protect are especially potent. Unfortunately, if you can't control the emotions, then you might as well be swinging a sword blindly into a crowd. Are you with me thus far?

[reallywicked]

[She's almost offended at how patronizing he's being, asking is she's following him. IT'S NOT THAT HARD OF A CONCEPT, OKAY, GOLD??? But he's the only one she thinks can actually teach her something worthwhile, so she only gives a half-hearted roll of her eyes and sighs half as hard she might have otherwise.]

Somehow, I've managed to keep up.

[undealt]

[He's like 98% patronizing when it comes to teaching magic, gurl. Learn to embrace it. Also, he has an ulterior motive here.]

Really? Because it's usually the simple lessons that are hardest to learn.

[Look how smug he's being, Faye. Doesn't it just make you frustrated.]

[graveflowers]

[Violet is just trolling the hallways, as one does, when she stops and, well, kind of stares like a rudemonster. Not at the man, which is rare, let's be real here, but at the animal doing it's kick ass little slithery walk.]

That's a fucking crocodile.

[Yeah. No shit. Did you notice?]

[undealt]

And they say the education system is terrible these days. [Yeah, if you're going to be obvious, he's going to be smarmy, Vi.]

[graveflowers]

Luckily I was home schooled. [Look. She's a little caught off guard by the crocodile in the hall.] Which is why I spotted that she's a crocodile and not an alligator and didn't insult you pet's delicate sensibilities.

[So there.]

[undealt]

Well, thank you for that, but she's a familiar, so I'm certain she's fairly put-off being called a pet. Just so you know.

[Grin.] And you must be one of the newer squires.

[graveflowers]

[What the heck is a familiar? You know what, she can figure it out later.]

Mhmm, glad to know I'm still awkward enough to be noticed.

[undealt]

They all have that look about them. I will give you this- you're less confused than most. Either the Veil was surprisingly kind to you or this world's not much different from your own- either option tends to make for disoriented squires for the first several months.

[graveflowers]

Probably both, actually. Although my world is freakishly similar to this one. I didn't actually realize what happened until I tried to phone home and no dice.

[And her memory loss is insidious, she doesn't realize the scope of what she's missing until she's forced to think about it.]

[undealt]

I was in a similar situation, although I find it's hard to reconcile going to bed in Maine and waking up in Manhattan.

[The Veil loves irony, apparently.]