open ♔ september castle socialization

[wynn]

WHO || Everyone! [ota]
WHAT || Shenanigans.
WHERE || Anywhere in the castle, surrounding environs, London, etc!
WHEN || First half of September, any time between the September squiring ceremony and the War announcement on September 18th
HOW || Actionspam

[ The castle can be a happening place, even on more mundane days. This log is for random interactions over the course of the first half of the month.    Because not everyone is into parties, ok.

You are encouraged to start your own threads and tag around, and feel free to threadjack into any on-going threads that aren't specified as 'closed' in the subject lines since people can enter into rooms even in the middle of what's going on. WE ARE BIG ON THREAD-JACKING HERE. You can also specify 'single thread', meaning you want only one response for all participants, rather than multi-thread, where a number of different scenes/threads can be done as replies to the top prompt.]

On this log:
Drax @ the desk
Kate Bishop @ the desk
Sam @ the desk
Henry @ the desk
Kate Bishop @  roof/dining hall/library/grounds/bathrooms/desk/Dragon's Hoard/etc
Abigail @ Movie theater / library /firing range / training room
Francesca & Val'drin | closed
Penelope & Sam @ the woods
Emma Frost @ the library
Spike @ rec room
Lydia, Stiles, Astrid, Adam | closed

Comments

[uncurse]

[ When she hears the door swing open, she wipes her eyes instinctively. Feeling Hook lean into the opposite side of the stall door comes shortly after, and she remains silent a moment, dwelling on all the ways that question could end, and they way she knows it does.

Can I help?

What can he do? What can anyone do? She’s the one who made the mistake, thirteen years ago now, to trust Neal, to give their child up because she couldn’t bear to think of his father, or of the thought of him remaining in foster care until she could win that battle.

Can he give her back the memories she lost? Can he tell her the first thing about motherhood? Can he tell her that despite all her fears to the contrary, her son (because he has always been her son) had a good life and she made the right choice? Can he do anything, anything at all, to make her feel ready?

Then, no. He can’t help.

And yet she finds herself turning, leaning the side of her head against the stall, staring down at the lock. Relenting. Waffling. ]

What the hell are you doing?!

[ She puts on incredulity well, a last line of defense. This is the women’s room, after all. The basic logic of it feels like a safe place to defend. ]

[unhand]

[He looks down to where he can see her feet and smiles a little.]

Pirate. I'm well-used to going places I don't belong.

[Usually for far more nefarious purposes than this. He knows how little he can do. He doesn't know all that much about parenting, or how to give advice. There was a boy, once. Hook can't remember why he let the boy on the ship, or what caused it to end so badly, but he remembers the boy. He remembers feeling like he could be a father. He remembers failing at it.

He's not the one Emma can get advice from. He can't fill in the missing bits past what little she told him in Neverland. All he can do is be there. Hold her if she lets him. Have all the faith in the world that she can do this. That she'll be good at it, if she lets herself.]

[uncurse]

[ Of course he is. Probably well-used to ignoring personal space, too. Actually definitely that. She’d know. Turning, she rests one palm on the stall beside the door, and uses her other hand to flip the lock and pull the door open, leaning in the entry to the stall. She leans over slightly, shoulders hunched, looking flatly unimpressed. ]

Is that what you think you’re doing by squiring the kid? Helping?

[unhand]

[Hook shrugs one shoulder, leaning a little towards her. He doesn't touch her. Not quite. But he's certainly brushing up against that personal space barrier.]

I didn't know he was yours when I agreed to take him on. But I don't regret it. He's a good lad.

[uncurse]

[ She sizes him up, a bit reluctantly, then pulls the stall door open the rest of the way so that she’s not entirely blocking the way with her body. An olive branch, in a way. ]

Thank you.

[ It’s clear that’s hard for her to get out, but she offers him a nod and tucks her hands back into her pockets. ]

For warning me.

[unhand]

[He smiles at her, reaching forward to squeeze her shoulder.]

I know it's not an easy thing to have sprung on you. But you needed to know.

[uncurse]

[ An awkward chuckle, more like a breathy smile, slips out of her and she hunches her shoulder, drawing away from the touch in the least defensive manner she can. She doesn’t know how to accept that kind of care and support still. She isn’t used to having it. ]

I know.

[ A beat passes. She nods past him. ]

They’re gonna think we bailed on the tab. We should get back.

[unhand]

Not particularly dastardly to skip out before we eat. [He drops his hand, walking over to get the door. An elderly lady greets him with a disapproving glare and mutters something not quite under her breath about public indecency and them needing a room. Hook just smirks at her and shrugs unapologetically as he lets her pass, then glances back at Emma.]

[uncurse]

[ Emma stops as she exits the stall, awkwardly at an impasse with the older lady. Arching her eyebrows, Emma tilts her head at the judgmental look and averts her gaze, eyelashes fluttering as she works very hard not to be peeved at the insinuation. Letting the woman move around her, Emma slips out of the bathroom and leads the way back to their table. Leaving, if she can manage it, the conversation about Henry behind in the bathroom. ]

[unhand]

[Oh, look, the waiter's there holding a pizza and looking extremely perplexed as to where they've gone! Hook slides into his seat and the waiter puts down the pizza and two plates.]

Well, I can already tell it's surpassed my attempts...

[There's no fire.]

[uncurse]

Your attempts didn’t exactly set a high bar.

[ She gives the waiter a nod, stepping around him to get into her side of the booth. The waiter bails once they’re settled. ]

[unhand]

True. But I can't really regret it. Had I simply assembled a sandwich, I wouldn't be out here with you.

[He gives her a slim smile and takes a sip of his beer. Then he puts down his mug and pulls a slice on to his plate.]

[uncurse]

[ She tilts her head, giving him a put-upon look, clearly calling him out on this not being out exactly. Not like that. But here they are, anyway, and chastising him has never gotten her anywhere. Instead, she pulls two pieces of pizza onto her plate. ]

Well, I couldn’t find anything good on Netflix. Watching you flounder’s probably the closest to quality entertainment I’m likely to get tonight.

[ Which is an outright lie, interestingly enough. Orange is the New Black season 2 just came out and she’s been watching it with Faye and Lila (bluff 15). ]

[unhand]

I don't know what that is. [But he knows she's lying (sense motive 22). He doesn't call her out on it, but he does give her a knowing smirk. That's not why she's here.

He takes a bite of his pizza slice and chews it thoughtfully.]

[uncurse]

[ Holding her ground well, Emma doesn’t allow her expression to falter. Her placid expression never quite reaches stoic, but she manages quite well to look unruffled. ]

I don’t wanna know what you’re doing to keep yourself occupied without it.

[ She chuckles through a bite of pizza, shaking her head as she begins to chew. ]

[unhand]

You'll have to show me some time. [Second date maybe? He's forever optimistic.]

[uncurse]

Will I?

[ She arches her eyebrows, fighting the playfulness out of her expression and dropping her gaze so she can tear at the crust of her pizza, picking at her food. ]

[unhand]

I could persuade you. [He doesn't fight his own playfulness at all, leaning forward with a smirk.] I'm very convincing when I want to be. [Considering his diplomacy check was a 28? He sure can be.]

[uncurse]

[ Her will save was 25, so she does a really good job holding it together initially, but eventually has to press her lips between her teeth and duck her head to hide her smile, reaching one hand up to obscure it under the pretense of wiping sauce away from her mouth. Herp romance how does she shot. ]

[unhand]

[He smiles at her for a moment, then looks down at her own pizza, taking a bite. He chews and swallows before he breaks the silence again.]

Do you remember anything from your stint as a statue?

[uncurse]

Not a thing. From the sound of it, I should be glad for that. Apparently my head came off.

[ It never occurs to her that sharing this might upset him. ]

[unhand]

[Hook knew, actually. Between the scar on Emma's neck and the fact that Faye had described the situation while sobbing into his shoulder, he has a pretty clear picture of what happened.

Doesn't stop him from flinching and looking like he might throw up (will save 10).]

Aye, for the best, then. Seems you retained a memento from the experience nonetheless.

[uncurse]

Nice of you to notice.

[ Sarcastic? We just don't know. She reaches one hand up to absently rub at the fine red line. ]

It's just a scar.

[unhand]

And much better to have a scar than no head. [He gives a sympathetic smile.] Try not to lose it again. I don't know how many close calls we get.

[uncurse]

If I didn't know better, I'd think you were worried about me.

[ She smiles just slightly, hiding the humor behind her beer mug as she takes a drink. ]