star_kingdom | oo2 ❀ tale as old as time

( there’s a clunk of a book falling to a table, which hits her device and causes it to start recording. )

Bother, I’ll get that in a moment… ( she mutters to herself and for a time it goes unnoticed to the housekeeper that the trinket is recording at all, as she’s still busying herself with dusting the shelf the book fell from. clearly it’s been far too long since this place had a proper and complete cleaning, she’s been trying, but the whole building needed a one over and it’s been taking a lot of time.

still!

Belle finally settles down to a chair in the front room of Rumpel’s shop, fanning herself with the collar of her dress as she tosses the rag to the table. ) So much work to do here, this is almost worse than Dark Castle was.

( it’s then that she finally notices the device and smiling to it, leans to grasp it. )

Well, well… I don’t suppose anyone wants to lend a hand with a bit of clean-up? ( she chuckles, considering it’s not really what one would normally call a ‘bit’ of a clean-up. ) I suppose I might as well serve this as a public announcement: anyone with severe dust allergens might want to avoid Rumpelstiltskin’s store — at least for another hour or two before I’ve finished with it.

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I'm glad you're making friends.

Quite so, ( chuckles )

Oh yes, it's quite nice, really.

[Here though he laughs a little, high pitched.] And it's a reputation well earned, of course.

Proper friends. ( or so she assumes )

Of course. ( she laughs with him )

What other sort, my dear?

[It's good to hear her laugh. It always is. He remembers the first times he heard it, in his empty, dusty home. It has him looking more than a bit thoughtful.]

Come now, I never saw that many friends come visit you back in our world, after all. I'm starting to think I was your only friend back there — business partners and such, I know you had. But you know what I mean.

I had none. By choice and by... well, consequence. What I am does not lend itself to having friends.

[But then there was Belle. Had to go throw a wrench in things. Let light into his dark little existence.]

None at all? ( she frowns. what a sad existence that must be, and how long had that lasted before she came to be his housekeeper? tsk ) Then I'm glad I accepted your deal.

Well, for a short while after I was cursed, I was very popular. End a war and save a generation of children and you earn a few fair weather friends, at least.

[Another little wave of his hands.] But such things did not last.

Ah, I suppose I can see that, yes. ( but that's not really true, proper friendship is it? poor man, how long had he been alone? now she just wants to hug him )

Still, it just makes me glad to have been brought to your castle, then.

[A shake of his head at that.] It shouldn't, deary.

I never should have made that deal. Taken you with me. It's like plucking a flower from the vine. All's well and pretty in a vase for a while, but it's inevitably the end for the flower.

It shouldn't, no. But matters of the heart aren't often within reason, are they?

( she gives a gentle shrug ) Perhaps so, but when the flower is set into a vase of magic, the flower will continue to blossom and grow. Don't you think?

[Belle you confuse him forever. He's still amazed you can stand being in his presence, never mind.]

If it's well cared for, yes. But I...

( she will love this ridiculous man forever, even should she not get to properly be with him. )

—always cared for me. If you'll notice, I am still here. I haven't withered yet.

I have... always cared. [And oh he loves her, even when he thought that he wasn't entirely capable of it.]

Well, so you haven't. Let's be sure we keep it that way, shall we?

I have no doubts that you plan to make sure that never suffer anything, should it be in your power to stop it. ( just like always, really. )

That is my plan, yes. [If by any means he can manage it.] Even in this place. [Even if a lot more of it is out of his control.]

I trust you. ( she nods )

Well. I'll see to it that your trust isn't... misplaced. [Little laugh here, nervous more than anything else. Trust. Man. He's not good with that.]

I'm certain it won't be. ( she gives him a reassuring smile, picking up on those nerves )

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