1st Dream || Video

[youthfulheart]

[One dark brown eye fills the screen. There are flecks of honey in that brown eye.]

I don't see anyone in there.

[She pulls the communicator away, brushing back a lock of her always difficult dirty-blonde hair. She's had a hard life and she's somewhere in her 30s.]

Well, that little white beast said that there were people I could talk to on this thing. And that my world was destroyed by the darkness. So how did I get here, huh? Why wasn't a wizard like Schmendrick spared? Or the Unicorn? They're both more powerful than I am and the Unicorn can fight the dark.

[More softly.] What's the point of being a wizard if you end up being the one needing to be saved? Damn that man. [Despite her angry words and tone, she's worried about him. He has become so dear to her.] And damn these demons for doing this.

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[youthfulheart]

[She drops him something of a curtsy in return.] Well, now, it seems wherever I go, I'm destined to meet men with strangely different names.

[intogold]

Are you? Well that is quite a destiny! [A little sharp sound giggle.]

[youthfulheart]

Well, between Cully, Schmendrick and now you, Rumpelstiltskin, it certainly seems that way.

[intogold]

That is quite the collection, though I find I prefer my name to the others. I'm rather fond of it.

[A little bit of a laugh.] But your name is lovely, deary.

[youthfulheart]

It certainly makes you memorable.

Oh, well thank you.

[intogold]

It helps. But there's quite a bit else of me just as memorable, I assure you.

You're quite welcome. [The last is singsonged chipperly.]

[youthfulheart]

Oh? And what would that be?

[intogold]

My ability, of course. My magic. [Another bit of a giggle.] And the uses to which I put it.

[youthfulheart]

[She's never known a magician to giggle so much. But then, she's only known a few.]

What sort of magic do you use?

[intogold]

[He's a little broken. But at least he's usually cheerful about it.]

All sorts. From potions to spells to charms. Whatever the situation happens to call for.

[youthfulheart]

You sound like a master magician.

[intogold]

Something, like that yes. I'm a bit of a conjurer. These days, anyway.

[youthfulheart]

These days...?

[intogold]

[A shrug of shoulders hands held up in a confused little gesture.] I was a man before I was a monster. But that was lifetimes ago.

[youthfulheart]

Lifetimes? How old are you?

[intogold]

[Another trilling laugh and he shakes his head.] I'm not sure I remember. Older than I look, to be certain.

[youthfulheart]

[He doesn't really look like a monster to her. He has her really quite curious.] Was it a curse?

[intogold]

[Oh! His eyes widen just a bit. A perceptive little thing, was she? That was always interesting. And dangerous.] That's right, deary. It was indeed. But sometimes curses have their... perks!

[youthfulheart]

Sometimes they do. Schmendrick was cursed to be immortal until he surpassed his master in skill. Of course, sometimes things can lose their appeal.

What sort of perks did yours give you?

[intogold]

Strength. Strength enough not to be a coward and a weakling any longer.

[youthfulheart]

And you couldn't find that in yourself? [This is Molly judging you.]

[intogold]

No. [It's answered simply, none of his usual smile.] In the face of an army backed by a sorcerer trying to take my son from me, I was not nearly strong enough.

So I changed that.

[youthfulheart]

That's... a lot more understandable.

[Softly.] Were you able to get him back?

[intogold]

Oh, yes, I stopped them from taking him.

But I lost him anyway, later. [A wave of a hand as though he can brush away the seriousness.] Lifetimes ago.

[youthfulheart]

And it's really been so long that you can just wave it off now?