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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[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?

[intogold]

[...he doesn't talk about these things. Never mentions Baelfire. For good reasons.

It's painful. And he's still a coward who runs away.] No other help for it.

[youthfulheart]

I suppose that's true enough.

[intogold]

I'm a solitary creature. [A slow, calculated smiles.] Monsters often are.

[youthfulheart]

You really don't look the part, you know.

[intogold]

[And his eyebrows shoot up at that.] Don't I? Are your eyes in working order, deary? I can craft a potion for that.

[youthfulheart]

[She laughs.] I can see you just fine. You don't look any more frightening than Mabruk. He was a powerful magician, and I'm fairly certain he was a man.

[intogold]

[Rumpelstiltskin looks at her a bit quizzically before laughing as well, an amused little chuckle.] Fairly certain, is it?

Well I was a man as well.

[youthfulheart]

I only met him for a few brief moments. He wasn't happy to leave, but given everything else that happened, I doubt he carries a grudge. [Well, she hopes not. Mabruk had been a very powerful magician.]

So you said. [She pauses.] Do you think you've become a monster, in ways than just looks?

[intogold]

Oh absolutely, yes. Much more than just looks. [At least he's honest.]

[youthfulheart]

Why?

[intogold]

I am a man possessed of powerful magic now. And... [Little lift of his finger like a professor coming to his ultimate point.] all magic has its price.

[youthfulheart]

And just having the magic made you a monster? [Yeah, she doesn't buy that. Schmendrick has some very powerful magic and he's no monster.]

[intogold]

This sort of magic? Perhaps. But [And now he looks about, a bit conspiratorially, as though this next part is quite the secret indeed.] I'm a dangerous man.

[youthfulheart]

Ahh, well that'll do it.

[She smiles a bit.] Do you plan on being dangerous to me?

[intogold]

[He purses his lips thoughtfully. On a simple first impression, she reminds him just the slightest bit of Belle. And that is reason enough to answer.] No, I don't have any plans on that, deary.

[youthfulheart]

Then that's the important part.

[intogold]

Well, yes, I imagine it is. [Another little laugh and a shrug.] Perhaps I'll even do my best to play nice.

[youthfulheart]

[She laughs.] I do hope you will.

[intogold]

I try not to disappoint, deary.

[A pause and he adds.] It's been lovely talking with you. If there's something I can do to help you settle in more comfortably, do let me know, mm?

[youthfulheart]

To be sure. And you do the same.