deal 005 ❖ [video]

[intogold]

[Rumpelstiltskin is smiling. This in and of itself is probably not at all surprising. In fact, it's genuinely par for the course.

The video shows that he's not in his shop for once, instead out and about and in motion. And even more surprising, perhaps, is what he decides to ask about.]

Where I'm from, love is a very powerful magic. Well, the right kind of love is.

So tell me, dearies, what is your experience with love? Have you been in love? Does love conquer all where you're from? Has it ever saved someone you know?

I can't help my curiosity, after all. [Here he giggles, high pitched, the sound sudden and then ending just as abruptly.] So perhaps you wouldn't mind indulging an old man's wondering.

Comments

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[soldierofloveandbeauty]

[Well, she can understand that. She puts her duty before it, kinda sucks but it's a must to protect the things you care about.]

Usually it's for a good reason, right?

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[ukidokiotaku]

[She actually has to ponder this. This ism pretty good stuff here.]

But there is someone for everyone, it's just nigh on impossible to find.

[Video]

[letdownmyhair]

Oh- um, thank you?

What's... "Stuffy"? [She's never heard this adjective before.]

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[intogold]

Oh, I see. Nothing. Well, my mistake then. [Yeah he's not buying that, Winry.]

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[intogold]

Yes. [A little wave of his hands.] Thus my asking those questions.

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[intogold]

I mean that those who lose their loves or never have their love returned, well, something in them breaks. Evil isn't born, my dear, it's made. And broken hearts shatter that way quite often.

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[intogold]

Sometimes the reason is good. Sometimes it's simply the way fate works. Other times other things triumph over love, even if perhaps they should not.

[Fear, for example. That's what defeated his love. He's a coward.]

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[intogold]

Not always true. We want to believe it, but who sets up such perfect cosmic balance? Fate is not quite so kind.

[Video]

[intogold]

Too pleased with themselves. Not willing to just have fun. Preoccupied with proper this and proper that. [He smiles, toothy and lacking much warmth.] Princes can be charming but they can also be terribly terribly boring.

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[intogold]

Nothing specific, deary. There's no list to check off one by one. True love comes when someone is willing to do more for their love than themselves, when the balance shifts and their life is no longer worth it if the world doesn't have their love don in it.

[Video]

[letdownmyhair]

[She pauses while she considers this. She hasn't met anybody boring yet. So clearly she hasn't met any princes.]

Are all princes boring?

audio;

[memoryreprieved]

When their life is no longer worth it... [ She goes quiet for a spell. But just as it seems like she's no longer there- ] Have you ever had something... like that?

[Video]

[intogold]

[A little shrug of his shoulders.] No, I'm certainly some are just plain Charming.

audio;

[intogold]

Something like that yes. [A pause at that question.] Almost. But my weaknesses were stronger than my love. And because of this, people suffered.

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[memoryreprieved]

What... What happened to them? [ Perhaps it's best not to ask. But another part of her wants to know. ]

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[intogold]

I lost them. One to another world. One to death. [Vague, perhaps, but usually he doesn't even admit this much. But since he did bring up the subject.] Though the latter... well. I may have a second chance.

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[memoryreprieved]

I see... [ More than she might like. But at his latter comment... ] So, you mean they're here then? [ Because Ven did say that sometimes people show up. ]

[moonbeams]

[Her ace falls a little.]

No... He hasn't shown up, even if a lot of my friends have. I worry, sometimes that it might be like when.... [she bites her lip a bit, and shakes her head.]

I don't know if I could imagine love being used that way at all! It's not what love is about.

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[brbgettingwrench]

[Damn it. Well, she tried.]

I'm sorry.

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[iscursednomore]

Understandable. But my answer is, it's not something I've experience in a relationship sense, more in a familial sense.

[renkinjutsu]

[Nope, that's not charm. He's pretty sure this guy might not be all that stable. W o w.]

Magic. That's like throwing your hopes to some god you can't even see.

[Video]

[letdownmyhair]

Hmm... I haven't met anyone "charming" around here yet, so I guess I've never seen a prince before.

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[offrillsandswords]

Re-Really?! Then hope that it never happens to me.

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[soldierofloveandbeauty]

[Just be glad Minako doesn't know that]

Fated to be without love. It's a sad thing to behold.

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[ukidokiotaku]

Then you are saying it's basically not real?