Valentine's Day }{ Open post

[asap]

WHO || Characters in the log [open or closed]
WHAT || VALENTINE'S DAY
WHERE || ALL AROUND THE CASTLE
WHEN || 2/14
HOW || DO WHAT YOU WANT

It's Valentine's Day! All around people are happily snuggling up with their loved one or drowning their feelings in booze and/or ice cream. Give out cards or chocolate or commiserate with other single people! Whoo Valentine's Day!

Comments

[untethered]

[ his confusion is apparently adorable to her, and her smile twitches up more as she admits: ] Since the very first day I met you.

I've yet to meet anyone else who's ever left such an impression. [ a beat ] In this world or the last. [ it's said with a sort of simple honesty that's difficult to argue with, but she glances back at him. WAS THAT TOO MUCH. MAYBE SHE SAID TOO MUCH. ]

[undealt]

[He focuses on the road and there's a second where he looks a little terrified of the notion and he can't imagine why. Then it slowly shifts into a contented, happy smile.]

Well, the feeling is mutual. Ever since we met, I can't help but feel like being around you is right somehow. As if we were always meant to meet.

[Now it's his turn to look like he's said too much.] It sounds ridiculous, I know, but I've always been a big believer in fate.

[untethered]

[ ajfka;fj;a ] That doesn't sound ridiculous at all.

But I have a question that might. I... I only just realized that I've no idea what your name is, beyond Sir Gold.

[undealt]

[That gets a chuckle out of him.] No, that's a reasonable question, actually. When I first arrived here, "Gold" was the only name I could recall, so I took it upon myself to choose a first name for the sake of... uncomplicating things. Auric seemed right, at the time, so that's been my name ever since.

[untethered]

Auric. [ she repeats the name, as if trying it out. ] Is that what you'd prefer to be called?

[undealt]

You can me whatever you like. [He's never had anyone call him by that name before and he seems a bit amused by the idea that she might.] It certainly sounds less informal than Gold.

[untethered]

[ what if she just wants to call you disgusting pet names instead, gold. what about then. ] Auric it is, then. [ there's a small degree of triumph in her expression, as if she's mentally congratulating herself on achievement: unlocked [gold's first name]. probably true. ] It suits you.

[undealt]

Certainly better than whatever it is Emma knows me by. [He grimaces. He's buried that knowledge in a deep, dark hole, but this discussion of names has just brought it back up.] She allegedly knows more about my past than I do.

[And he chooses not to accept it. It doesn't make any sense at all.]

[untethered]

[ yeah, no, you can't say shit like that, and just leave it hanging, bro. ] Allegedly? [ confusion colors her gaze, as she shakes her head slowly ] You don't believe her?

[undealt]

I believe she's a bit confused. [Maybe she lost her memories of her son and just compensated for it with his storybook somehow.] She seems to believe I'm some sort of character out of a fairy tale.

[This was a very interesting plane conversation they had OVER A YEAR AGO and he has buried it in a dark hole since then.]

[untethered]

[ she looks over at him with interest, a little smile on her face, because that sounds adorable.

IN THEORY. IT SOUNDS ADORABLE. ] A ... fairy tale? What sort of tale?

[undealt]

[I ROLLED A WILL SAVE TO SEE IF HE'D LIE AND HE ROLLED A SIX, so... clearly he just wants to crush Belle's dreams. Or he's too self-deprecating to think he'd make a good Prince Charming.]

Rumplestiltskin. [ye...ah. Good thing he has to keep his eyes on the road, so he doesn't have to look at her and see her CONFUSED FACE.]

[untethered]

Rumple... Rumplestiltskin? [ yeah she basically just fails at saying that all over town as if she were regina, it's pretty adorable. it's clear that she's never heard that ridiculous name in her life. ] What an odd name for a fairy tale.

[undealt]

You've never heard of it? [This time he does look at her, so he can look... oddly hopeful. A head-on collision was risked just for puppy eyes.]

[untethered]

I can't say I have. But there are so many stories in this world, and I've only been able to try and catch up with them for the last few years.

Who is he?

[undealt]

Well, it's a dreadful story. [No, really, he would feel that way even if he had his memories, because it's so inaccurate.] He's an imp who spins straw into gold.

[Maybe he'll get away with just that. WHO WANTS TO BE AN IMP? NOT HIM FOR SURE.]

[untethered]

[ raised!eyebrow ] An ... imp? [ yeah, that is clearly the important part here. ] You look a bit tall for an imp. [ wait no this is not a joking matter, is it? yes it is ] But... what's so dreadful about making gold out of straw?

[undealt]

Not so much that as the story itself. It's a bit contrived. [siiigh. here we go.] As I recall, it was something about a woman's father boasting his daughter could spin straw into gold and a greedy king imprisoning her in a tower until she could produce the desired result. As she couldn't do as her father promised, she expected her days were numbered, but Rumplestiltskin came to her in her tower and made a deal with her- he would spin the straw into gold in exchange for something of hers. This continued until she had nothing more to give beyond her firstborn child. She eventually married the king who had imprisoned her and bore him a child and when the imp came to collect, she begged to be released from the deal. So he provided her a counteroffer- if she could guess his name within three days, she could keep her baby. Naturally, she couldn't think of anything, but a page wandering the woods came across Rumplstiltskin singing around the campfire, believing his game to be won. During his song, he revealed his name, which the page reported back to the young queen. She guessed the correct name and in a rage, Rumplestiltskin split himself in two.

[He basically read the entire story after Emma told him and it stuck with him.] So, as you can see, it's all a bit ridiculous for her to think that could be me.

[untethered]

[ belle listens with the tiniest little frown on her lips, but she doesn't look worried about the story's implications. just somewhat bemused by the whole thing. ] It... doesn't sound very much like Emma, believing in such a strange story. Did she say what made her think such a thing?

[undealt]

Just that the entire town of Storybrooke seems to be populated with people from fairy tales. Her son had a book of them- one might even say he believed in them very strongly, from what I recall. As Emma doesn't remember him, perhaps she just... remembers the things he told her. After all, losing your memories of a person doesn't erase the effect they once had on you.

[untethered]

[ his words seem to strike some kind of chord with her, and she glances at him out of the corner of her eye again. ] Like an echo, of what they were to you.

It's sad to think that she's forgotten her son. But I imagine it might be worse if her... if she did remember.

[undealt]

Indeed. [He smiles a bit, though that smile fades completely at the thought of Emma being separated from a son she could actually remember. Like something about that makes her summation of things hit home. An echo.] Well, the boy has an adoptive mother, so he wouldn't be alone in the world. That brings little consolation when you know you may never see your child again, however.

[untethered]

[ she nods, looking lost in thought. ] Well. Perhaps you're right then, that she simply wishes to hold onto him in some small way in the corner of her memory that can't lose him.

After all, that story doesn't sound anything like you, aside from the fact that your name is Gold.

[undealt]

An odd coincidence, most certainly. [He laughs it off. He's been holding that whole revelation in since Bermuda and now that he's been able to laugh it off with someone, it has less of a hold on him.

And somewhere in all of this they have made it into the city. /HANDWAVES TIME. He goes quiet once they have to start looking for something and eventually ends up heading to the park after catching a glimpse of a sign. Impulsive decisions are us.]

[untethered]

[ INTO THE PARK THEY GO, and she takes his arm again as they're walking, all romantic and shit. ] Almost like a slice of home, in the middle of the city.