YoshiSkittlez

[ROLEPLAY CLOSED] - Once Upon A Time (Restart)

Scar Lionhart, Freya Beauchamp and Esmeralda Lovel- Present Day - The Pride Lands

True to his word, Scar led Maleficent from the arena to the barracks where the victors were instructed to wait for their King. Aside from the two newly-made generals, Scar kept his promise and allowed Maleficent to create a small group of soldiers to her choosing and with a quick snap of her fingers and a plume of purple smoke, the make-shift army was transported back to the Moors where they were given immediate control over the military Maleficent had beforehand.

The two said very little between one another as Scar then led her from the barracks back to the castle, seeking out the chambers in which he kept his dancers. There would have been more than enough time for the arena to clear out in the time they had spent at the barracks - the soldiers would have escorted them out first not only because they were a high priority to keep protected amongst the rabble of citizens, but because most (if not all) of the dancers had a high flight risk.

Giving very little into patience, the moment Scar reached the doors of the chambers, the two stations guards scrambled out of the way just in time for Scar to force the doors open with a push of his hand, swinging so hard that they banged against the walls to a stop. Immediately, the women within the room gasped, one even shrieked but they all fell into uniform, dropping to their knees and bowing their backs until their heads were level at his feet save for the few who were stationed to provide food and water. But even an air of uneasiness was clear on their features as they held their breath, averting their gaze from Scar in hopes that he wasn't there for them.

Esmeralda was silent as she was escorted back to the room. She was starting to see a common trend in these outings in the Pride Lands... Not one of them ended well. She slipped quietly into her room as her thoughts raced about and she came to the realize she'd be dead with in the month if she didn't leave. She wasn't going to let Scar break her... No more than he already had. Besides, the fire that lived inside her was going to do those around her more damage as Scar's own fire burnt them all.

She didn't have much time to dwell on it all when the door suddenly flew open and hit the wall. Esmeralda turned slowly and looked as the King entered. There was a feeling in the pit of her stomach that he was there for her. All the same, she followed in suit and sunk to her knees with all the other women and lowered her head. She felt dirty down there on the ground, which was bemusing considering this floor was probably cleaner than any place that she had called home before she was captured. Unlike the other dancers, showing that small fire that still burned with in, she looked Scar straight in the eye from her position.

It didn't take long for Scar to spot her; she was the only one with a blood-stained bandage wrapped around her torso and with their backs all bared to him, she stuck out like a rock amongst diamonds.

"Gypsy." he called though his tone remained conversational, motioning for her with two fingers, beckoning her forward.

Esmeralda held a moment, the smallest act of defiance that she could muster, before she sat up straight before moving to her feet. Careful of those around her, she walked forward. Surely, this wasn't more punishment... She was absolutely certain she hadn't done anything wrong this time. She taught the dancers against every fiber of her being and they performed well enough at the dinner... Had he not been pleased? Well, he couldn't see it as her fault that the others didn't learn fast enough for his liking.

She stopped in front of him and took a deep breath but said nothing.

Scar opened up his hand he had been motioning to her with and placed it palm-side up between his body and Maleficent's, as though expecting something from her.

"You lot dabble in a bit of magic, aye?" he asked her rhetorically, making sure that his posture was straight and his head held high so he could look down at her as much as possible.

She had remained silent up until this point- her arms crossed loosely over her chest as she watched on with amusement; the way that the guards hurried to please their King, the way that the little dancers cowered about before him the moment that they heard the doors open and slam back against the walls… it was glorious to watch. Catching movement in the corner of her eyes, Freya turned her attention over to where his hand was held out to her, the small but simple action causing her eyebrow to quirk and a soft smirk to play lightly over her lips- she knew exactly what it was that he wanted, the very thing that she had offered to him while they had been watching the evening entertainment; and at this point, she was so ever willing to comply to his demands...

Lifting a single hand up from where it was folded over her chest, Freya lazily flicked her wrist, the action seeming to cause the small though still thick plume of purple smoke that engulfed his hand completely, only dissipating once the weight of the whip that she had promised to him was now within his possession, her head nodding once to him in encouragement as she once more returned her hand back to its place over her chest, her soft pink lips maintaining the mischievous smirk that she had gotten not moments before as she continued to watch on silently.

Flinching lightly, obviously not used to any sort of display in magic no matter how simple, Scar quickly regained himself by fastening his grip over the handle of the leather whip. If it did as the witch had promised, then this enchanted weapon would not only be able to inflict pain and leave a mark, but that mark would soon dissipate into nothing - as though it were never there.

For good measure, and just to ensure that the gypsy was paying attention, Scar rolled the whip loosely around his hand and gave it a quick flick. The snapping crack filled the air as the strip of black leather uncoiled; louder even than the willow-branch whips he used on the normal which gave him a pleased smile, though degrading as he was still looking down at Esmeralda.

The Gypsy couldn't help but flinch slightly when the whip cracked in the air. After all, she had become rather accustomed to the stinging pain caused by such a weapon. Despite that though, she managed somehow to keep her face calm as she held his gaze.

He let his shoulders hunker down a bit, sliding his head forward so that he was on an equal level as her's and spoke directly into her ear in a hushed, graveled whisper.

"You defy me again, Gypsy, and I'll be able to whip you all day, all night, and then all day again until my own hands begin to bleed. You see... this is a very special kind of weapon, one that will allow me to handle you as much as I please, and the wounds just. Keep. Healing."

He smirked as he pulled his head away, standing back to his full height and let both hands rest behind his back - the position of a well-trained soldier that came out of habit.

"Now turn around and see that I can also be a gracious King when my subjects obey my word. You taught my dancers your way of dancing, and for that I reward you."

Scar moved one of his hands from it's resting position on his back to cup Esmeralda's chin, jerking her head upwards a bit so that she was looking at him in a way he saw fit.

"I hope to reward you often, Gypsy. I trust by now, you have learned compliance."

Esmeralda's jaw clenched as he took hold of her chin not even allowing her the chance to turn around as he had instructed. As he brought his face close to her's once more, she resisted every urge to spit on his face. Not only did she not want to give him any reason to use his new toy, she didn't want to see how his guest might react to such a show of disrespect. She had heard whispers that the horned woman wasn't too fond of such things.

She didn't move her chin from his hand, instead waiting for him to release it, a small sign of the compliance that he had beaten into her. After all, there were too many innocents in the room to give him any reason to hurt someone as he had the little boy and his mother. The thought of them practically ripped the wound back open as she felt the weight of the limp boy's body on her chest. Slowly, she turned, doing as he had asked.

Freya couldn’t help the soft yet still quite malicious chuckle that slipped out through her lips as she watched the scene before her- the fact that he had only once cracked the whip, yet seemed to enjoy the feeling of it in his hands causing her to feel a warmth in her heart. He could use it to his hearts content, and as she had promised him before at the arena, all wounds inflicted would be healed- vanished as though they had never existed, though the stinging pain would remain; causing those who had done wrong to remember their punishment clearly. Pushing away from the wall that she had been leaning happy against, Freya slowly moved herself forward, a single arm dropping to her side as she passed him by, while her other reached out towards the girl that she could see was clearly injured beyond healing naturally without leaving marks of any kind. Scar had been right; such wounds required magic, especially if he wanted her to remain as flawless as the others that surrounded them in the room.

“My, my… you certainly did pull a number on her didn’t you darling…” She let her eyes flick up from following her fingers as they brushed over the bandages while she circled around the girl once, her gaze meeting with that of the gypsy for only a moment before she tore it away again, her fingers pressing slightly harder against the bandages so that she was purposely agitating the wounds that were underneath, “..no matter my dear- nothing that dear old Maleficent can’t fix for you…”

Esmeralda heard the sound of skirts brushing along the ground as she stood facing the other dancers. Her back tensed slightly as she felt fingers brushing along her bandages, which only caused her back to ache slightly. However, she did not move away from them, keeping her head looking forward. It was difficult not to look at the woman though when she was suddenly standing in front of her. Esmeralda stared back at her until the witch continued her circle around her once more. That was when the pain erupted through her back as she felt Maleficent's fingers pressing against one of her many wounds. Unable to hold it back, a small whimper escape her lips.

The sound of the girl’s whimpers, no matter how soft, caused Freya's lips to spread wider into a more obvious grin like smirk, mirrored almost to the T by Scar. She had to admit that the sound had her reveling in her own ego boost, it was something that she loved… inflicting pain on those when she had the chance; she might have to pay a visit with Jafar to the village to the west of the Moors, it had been quite a few years since they had last gone for a stroll together, “Well… she has a voice… how interesting…”

Pulling her now slightly blood-stained fingers from the woman’s back, Freya took a single step backwards as she once again flicked her wrist lazily, though this time the action caused the bandages and the girls top to disappear completely- her eyes then dropping down to look upon the gypsy’s back as she tilted her head, bringing her hands together in front of her body so that she could look upon the extent of the wounds.

Esmeralda was mentally kicking herself for allowing herself to vocalize any form of pain but really, she couldn't help it. The pain had demanded more of a reaction from her, the fact that she managed to keep it to a soft whimper was just short of a miracle. As the sharp pain turned into a dull throb as the woman removed her fingers from her back, Esmeralda looked down to see purple smoke wrapping around her torso before quickly dissipating. With the disappearance of the smoke, she noticed her top had gone along with it. She blinked a few times, staring at her bare chest but made no movement to cover herself up. Taking a deep breath, she raised her gaze to look over the kneeling women and passed any guards, acting as though nothing were different. Scar and Maleficent wanted to torment her but her pride wasn't about to allow that to happen.

Freya was getting bored, and very quickly as well- the Gypsy was doing all that she could to show her defiance to her by keeping her mouth shut, and that was quickly taking all the fun out of the little game that she had been playing with the girl. Quirking her brow slightly as she took in the woman’s posture, Freya shifted on her own feet, being sure to take another step closer to her as she reached out her arm, her hand pressing flush against the wounds on her back causing more pain as she pulsed her magical energy into the injuries, feeling them burning almost red hot beneath her palm as they began to heal and seal themselves off underneath her very touch; the thought of forcing more pain while helping the child causing her grin like smirk to return full force to her lips once again.

Esmeralda's jaw clenched when she felt the pain against her back once more. Along with the normal throbbing and insane sting from where the woman placed her hand, there was now a burning sensation as well. Remembering how the woman had reacted before to her whimper, Esmeralda did her best to internalize her pain, however, that did not stop her eyes from watering. She quickly dropped her head, not wanting anyone to see her tears. However, Maleficent seemed to know exactly what was happening.

“Oh my darling- am I hurting you child..? Well do forgive me… it should only last but a few seconds longer; you have the word of the Queen…” Pushing slightly harder against her back for no apparent reason at all, Freya waited until she was sure that each of the wounds had been properly healed before she pulled her blood covered hand back, letting it drop down to her side as she looked over the handiwork that she had performed- not a single scar could be seen upon the Gypsy’s back, not a sign that she had been injured at all besides the lingering pain that could be felt by the child; though getting duller with each moment that passed the them all by, “..I’m sorry my dear… seems the pain will be lingering a little longer than I had originally thought… Oops; my bad…”

Another unintentional whimper escaped her lips as she pressed harder against her back. Esmeralda was only vaguely aware of what it was that the Queen might be doing but all it really seemed like was the woman attempting to torture her for pleasure. As though Scar brought her here just to allow her to cause pain. However, moments later, the pain dulled slightly as the woman removed her hand from her back. She apologized again for the pain but Esmeralda knew that she had greatly enjoyed it... As the moments past and the pain slowly died out, Esmeralda was certain that she was right to assume the woman had just healed her as her 'reward' from the King.

Turning her back to the Gypsy so that she was now looking over to where Scar was standing, Freya inclined her head to him ever so slightly, letting him know that what it was that he had wanted her to do was now completely done- his precious little dancer was once again blemish and mark free; ready again to perform at a moments notice without drawing the unwanted attention that she had been with her injuries. Lifting her hand back up, she dropped her gaze down so that she was staring at the bright red crimson blood that covered her palm, her eyes seeming to flash over golden for a few moments as she passed him by, the blood disappearing from her figure as she once more made her way back to the shadows, allowing him to take over the situation- for now, her job was done.

Smirking with his arms now crossed over his chest, clearly enjoying Maleficent's theatrics, Scar waited patiently until the wounds were healed; merely spectating the entire ordeal until he caught the witch's glance that she was done. Giving her an affirmative nod - a jerk of the head only once, Scar unfolded his arms from his broad chest and approached the Gypsy closer, circling her just as Maleficent had done before him until he was facing her front properly.

He lowered himself down onto his haunches, tilting his head slightly as he reached his hand out to once more take hold of her chin, though this time with an air of gentleness in his grasp. He didn't even seem to notice that the Gypsy was topless in front of him, his eyes never once strayed though within the Pride Lands, nudity was just as common as walking on two legs.

"There." he said softly, keeping the conversation between just the two of them. "Perfection. Just as it should be." He smirked a bit then as he moved himself to stand, patting her cheek a few times like one would their pet dog. "I do hope you've learned your lesson, Gypsy." Scar then said, raising his voice up to a normal level. "Come later tonight, I'll show you just how rewarding I can be." There was a sort of glint in his eye, followed by an arrant smirk as he turned away from Esmeralda and back to Maleficent.

"Now, if you don't mind, I have it rather set in my heart to not be conversing with a swan at dinner tonight."

Esmeralda looked up at him with her tear filled eyes as he spoke. His voice was soft and held no malice in it. She listened to him as he spoke of perfection before patting her cheek and rising again. It was his next words though that made her stomach churn. Another 'reward' was to come later that night and from the look in his eyes, a look she had seen many times before, she had a feeling she knew exactly what was to come... She needed to leave.

“..and here I was led to believe that cygnet’s held such great conversation…” Chuckling softly as she came to a stop half shrouded in the shadows of the room, Freya turned her head back so that she was looking over her shoulder at him, she reached her hand out in front of her, gesturing to him to lead the way so that they could complete her reason for being within the Pride Lands. It was, after all, the reason he had called upon her in the first place- to allow his swan Princess to walk about the castle as she pleased; the Gypsy and the whip has just been small little gestures between the two that seemed to work in the favor of them both.

“..please- after you my dear Scar…”

Finite Incantatem [AU Harry Potter RP]

Ghost Shadow and I have been making progress with our collab, though with different schedules it has been slow. HOPEFULLY it can be completed tomorrow ^.^ Thats what I'm aiming for.

Finite Incantatem [AU Harry Potter RP]

Rosaline Hall 10:21 A.M.

The meeting had gone as Kate had anticipated, quite quickly. It seemed that the very moment she stepped foot into the room, being motioned to wait by Ronan himself as he didn't want to repeat himself (understandably), everyone was up and shuffling about, getting themselves ready and making preparations as to what was to come. And that's what had Kate's insides twisting themselves into very uncomfortable knots. She was being sent on a mission too; paired up with Alberta, of all people, and going to Bristol - wherever that was.

It wasn't as though going with Alberta was a bad thing; Kate had nothing but the utmost respect for the hardened woman... but it was just that. Bertha was hardened (yet somehow compassionate), experienced and altogether intimidating for a person like Kate. She was an exceptional duelist, perhaps the best defender she had ever seen and Kate had definitely seen her fair share of wands. That was how she came about knowing someone, by examining their wand. It was the wand that chose the wizard, becoming an extension of not just their magical capabilities, but who they were as a person. Very few people realized that anymore, deeming their wands as nothing more than tools, but Kate knew better.

There was so much to the meeting, so much that Kate was able to pick up on between the bits of conversation she did manage to hear that it was all a blur - coupled by the growing feeling of anxiousness that nearly had each and every sound afterwards nothing more than a dull buzzing sound. She was going to be sick.

She kept her feet planted within the room, unable to move even if she wanted to for the time being, watching those within the meeting room pass her by as they went about their business leaving only her and Ronan for a few short moments.

She half expected him to say something to her, that by him putting up a finger to his lips signaling for her to wait meant that perhaps there was something that he wished to discuss but when the silence continued to buzz on, Kate figured that it would probably be best to leave him to his work rather than interrupt with the questions she had about what it was that they were to do later that day. Clearly, she had been wrong and he had nothing to say to her.

A bright blush crept over her cheeks as she tucked the book she had been holding tighter to her chest, willing her legs to move her to the exit, keeping her eyes down. Across the threshold, she paused and took a simple look back over her shoulder at their ever so sombre leader. Her head tilted to the side in a curious manner as she (by complete accident) let her thoughts take over her movements of getting out of the room.

There was so much to him, and yet, she hardly knew anything. She doubted that anyone knew much of their leader and perhaps that was the way he liked things. She very well could have pinned it on her curious nature, but she didn't want to be just anyone. She wanted to know him. Perhaps, that way, she might be able to help him.

Without even realizing it, she blew out a soft sigh as she collected herself once more and left the threshold of the meeting room, her feet carrying her to the one place she could walk to from anywhere within the Manor blindfolded.

The library.

---

Rosaline Hall 11:30 A.M.

Kate had taken her time in getting to the library, wanting to shake off what she absolutely knew to be the look of naivety and anxiety on her face. Everyone within the Ashes was reasonably seasoned in these sort of things - missions - whereas Kate was very much always the 'behind the scenes' type of girl. She didn't want to come across that way, not when Ronan was putting his trust in her enough to send her into a situation that he even described as 'walking in blind.' This was her chance to prove herself that she belonged in the Ashes just as much as anyone else. And the thought was terrifying.

She managed to shake off her nerves by walking the subtle paths of the gardens out back, taking her time by admiring the flowers that grew there and the serenity that the lake in it's center brought. Before she knew it, an hour had passed, and if Viktor was ever going to get his book back, she knew she had to head back.

Walking towards the entrance of the library that was just in sight, Kate passed Alora who looked to have just been in the library, as she was holding a book just the same as Kate was. Kate offered a soft smile of 'hello' to her as they passed one another by and continued on into the library, heading towards the main desk though she didn't know why she bothered. Viktor was almost never behind it - not one to play by the 'typical' rules. But at least it put her out in the open where he would be able to spot her... whatever isle he had gotten himself lost in this time.

"Can I help you, Ms. Ollivander?" The Librarian's silky voice rolled out of nowhere as he strolled out into the main area mere feet from her. Viktor wore a curious expression on his face, a single brow raised inquisitively, his eyes appearing to search her; trying to read her like an old manuscript. He toyed with his wand deftly between his fingers, a simple gesture to pass the time, most likely, though otherwise appeared focused on her.

Kate startled slightly at his voice, but her mind quickly came to terms on who it was before she turned her body to look over at the librarian. She gave Viktor a soft, shy smile and nodded her head a few times, releasing the book she had held to her chest and handed it out towards him.

"Yes, I just wanted to get this back to you."

Taking the book in a single hand, Viktor's eyes darted down to the front cover for a fraction of a second before looking back up at Kate. "Hm....It's only been a day, Ms. Ollivander. Read through it that quickly?" He asked with an amused smirk, tucking the book underneath his arm while the other hand went to his coat, hiding his wand somewhere inside it.

Kate let out a quiet, almost nervous sounding laugh as she reached her hand up to tuck a lock of her brown hair behind her ear, seeming to not know what to do with her hand now that it wasn't holding onto a book.

[color=darkkhaki]"Heh, I uh, I have a lot of... time... on my hands?" she said, though it came out as more of a question, sounding somewhat unsure of her answer. [color=darkkhaki]"You know, to uh, read."[/i] she then added on, sounding a little more confident as she was able to clarify what she meant before, though that didn't make it any less awkward.

"I can respect a speed reader when I see one." Viktor replied with a continued half-smile, turning to return the book to its proper place.

Though his back was turned to her, he continued speaking, "So, apparently you and I will be working together - looking for this 'David Howell' fellow. Not sure what use Alberta could have for a wand-maker and librarian....but I suppose we'll figure that out soon enough...What are your thoughts?" He asked in a curious tone, disappearing behind one of the many shelves, the obvious sound of books fumbling signaling his attempt to replace the book.

"I... pardon?" Kate blinked a couple times, taking note that she had left her lips parted slightly and closed them back up as she tilted her head to watch Viktor from behind. It seemed that she wasn't the only one that was having doubts as to what she would be useful for out there - she hadn't been expecting that. Nor was she expecting to be asked about it so upfront. "Oh! Um..." She paused to cross her arms over her chest and let her hip rest against the high front counter of the library. "I um... I think that whatever Ronan has planned, he wouldn't do so without thinking it over properly first. I... I trust him, and I trust he has a plan. For both of us."

"That's the base answer, Ms. Ollivander." Viktor replied, his head appearing from behind the shelf to eye her. Though his words may have had a disappointed connotation to them, his tone was nothing less than conversational.

"Dig a little deeper. Ask the questions everyone thinks but never asks, look for hints, subtleties in the words. You'll usually be surprised at what you find." He added with a small wink and a smile before disappearing once more.

Quirking an eyebrow, though nodding her head a few times to indicate that she not only understood what he was saying to her, but agreed as well, Kate gently pushed herself off from leaning against the front desk to cross over to the bookshelves that Viktor had disappeared behind.

"So, um... what about you?" Kate asked, finding that once again, her curiosity was getting the better of her, forgoing her shy behavior and driving her to find out more about the people that she had been living with for the past year. She knew she wouldn't be getting any answers about Ronan or anyone else anytime soon, but she could start with Viktor. "Everyone thinks you're just a simple librarian, but I'm willing to bet that there is more to you than that, isn't there? Hints, subtleties and all..."

Letting out a contemplative sigh, Viktor eyed Kate curiously, though couldn't help as another smile tugged at the corner of his lips. "There's more to all of us, isn't there? No one is what they seem. At least not truly. As for meg, I like to envision myself as a...collector, a purveyor of things and objects. Certain things shouldn't be allowed into the hands of Death Eaters. That's where I come in." He explained, albeit slightly vaguely.

"But I can't give you too many hints, now can I? That would ruin the game." He added, planting both hands, now free, into his coat pockets with a rather pleased expression.

Kate let out a soft laugh, unable to help the slight blush that crept across her cheeks as her eyes looked away from Viktor and to the space of the floor between them. It wasn't the sort of response she was expecting, but it was better than nothing. She crossed her arms back across her chest, holding tightly as though she were attempting to give herself a hug simply for the sheer satisfaction of comfort before she brought her eyes to look back up at the librarian.

"Yes, I suppose so." she agreed, nodding her head a few times before letting her gaze fall back down to the floor. She shifted her weight awkwardly from one leg to the other as a multitude of other thoughts now began to fill her mind, though none were relevant enough to bring up with Viktor. At least, not right now. Well... there might have just been one thought...

"So, I um... I was wondering..." Kate once more forced her eyes back up to Viktor, freeing her right hand to tuck a loose strand of her hair behind her ear as she swallowed, trying to find her words. "Back at Hogwarts, there was an, um, restricted section in the library; one that was accessible only to the staff and a few select students for, ah, justifiable reasons..." She shifted her weight again and tucked the strand of hair back behind her ear that didn't want to stay in place. "Is there anything like that here? In this library? I um... I've read a lot of what you have... not for just personal entertainment but research and, well... I was wondering if you might have anything that... isn't exactly open to just anyone here?".

"You're looking for books on the Dark Arts." Viktor replied, phrased more as a statement than an inquiry.

He eyed the young woman curiously, as though attempting to read past her expression, into her thoughts, her motives, as though he was reading her mind.

"We try not go keep many books on the Dark Arts here, if we can. Take it as a....personal statement against the Dark Lord's regime." Viktor replied, though his fixed gaze on her was...slightly wary.

"You've come to me before on self-made spells, Ms. Ollivander, a rare craft. I should wonder why you'd be interested in a Restricted Section." He added coyly with a smirk, though that look in his eyes never left.

"Well... not Dark Arts... exactly." Kate replied, feeling her face growing rather hot. The topic of Viktor's gift as a Legilimens had been whispered through the halls, though there wasn't any concrete proof that he was one, not that she spent much time talking with others about those who lived within the manor. Still though, Kate had to wonder by the way he was looking at her, scrutinizing, voicing her thoughts, however vague. "I... I wasn't able to really find anything, um, relevant in the book you gave me about self-made spells. I was hoping that... that there might be something on self-made curses instead?"

"Curses, eh? You don't seem the Cursing type. Then again.....the best ones don't." Viktor replied with a somewhat more joking look in his eyes before turning with a small flourish towards the deeper confines of the library, motioning with a single hand for her to follow behind.

"I tend not to keep a 'Restricted Section' here, and most of the....especially dark volumes are kept in Ronan's inventory, but I have a few things here that might be worth looking at. I warn you, though, Ms. Ollivander...Curses are specifically Dark Magic. I am loath to think of the long-term consequences of using your own custom Curses." The Librarian warned in a suddenly serious tone before motioning to a more sparsely filled shelf and planting both hands in his coat pockets.

Nearly tripping over her own two feet as her body seemed to move to follow Viktor on impulse, her mind had been playing 'catchup' and just a fraction too late. She recovered quickly, however. Physically it was nothing more than a slight stumble, not even noticeable unless someone was really looking and thankfully Viktor had his back to her. She followed after quickly, managing to catch up, able to cross a fair amount of distance in a short amount of time despite the heels on her feet.

"Oh! Oh no! Not for me!" Kate was quick to reply, a genuine tone of surprise coming from her, seemingly surprised herself that someone would even think she would be capable of looking into something as dark as curses. [color=darkkhaki]"No, no charms are my thing. Charms are good, nothing like... like that" Sighing to herself, realizing now that she wasn't making a bit of sense, she started over. "I simply wanted to research them, find out how they are made, and how... how they can be... cured..." Her voice was betraying her. Despite how much she wanted to keep what she was up to a secret, she was a terrible, terrible liar. And she wasn't even lying. She couldn't even bring herself to do so, but the allusiveness of her words might as well have spelt out what she was really up to on her forehead.

"Curing curses? You have ambition, Ms. Ollivander....perhaps Slytherin would have suited you." Viktor replied in a bemused manner, crossing one leg over the other.

"You can look at what you can, but I'm afraid the road to curing Curses is a long and toilsome one. If anyone could have done it before -- before all this, it could have been Dumbledore." Viktor added in a more sombre tone, speaking the late Headmaster's name with a sort of hushed reverence.

Kate couldn't help the nervous laugh that came up through her throat. While she had many friends who came from the Slytherin house, she knew for certain that it was not a place she would have been able to thrive very well.

"Oh, no, Ravenclaw suited me just fine. Everyone in my family came from Ravenclaw, my father, he-" Kate cut herself off short, a shooting pain coursing up through her chest and to her heart at the recollection of her father. He was gone, as well as the rest of her family, grandfather included. She had failed to protect the wand shop when it had been under siege from The Dark Lord's followers and when she awoke, Garrick was gone... and so was everyone else. That had been over a year ago, and still nothing. In all reality, they were probably dead. That thought had Kate swallowing a forming lump in her throat, giving herself a moment before she looked back to Viktor. "You, uh, you said you might have something?" she asked quietly, now wanting to focus on the topic at hand.

Eying Kate curiously as she appeared to go lost in thought, Viktor quirked his eyebrow briefly but otherwise said nothing, merely motioning towards the same shelf. "Look to your heart's content. See if there's something that might interest you. As for myself...I'm less of a combatant, so Curses never really piqued my interest so to speak, ergo I cannot exactly recommend a book." He added with a roll of his eyes at his own shortcoming.

Nodding her head a few times to let him know that she understood, Kate brushed past him to take a look at the old tomes on the shelves in which he had led her to. He was right, of course, there wasn't very much, but it was better than nothing. She turned her head to look back at him, a flicker of a smile turning up the corners of her lips.

"Thank you, Viktor. I'll let you know if I find something worth checking out."

"Take your time, Katherine." The Librarian added on a final note, using her first name (or at least, the lengthened version of it) for what seemed to be the very first time before he strolled off towards the main area of the library, leaving her to search in peace.

Finite Incantatem [AU Harry Potter RP]

Ghost and I are working on a Viktor/Kate collab. It's been a difficult for me with my work, school and middle-of-divorce schedule but we should have it up fairly quick.

Need a post deleted

I figured that instead of making a new thread I could post here, but I also need a post deleted

http://www.roleplayerguild.com/topics/77946-x-men-noire-a-nation-reborn/ic#post-2582317

Finite Incantatem [AU Harry Potter RP]

That is all :^)

Once Upon a Time (Rebooted)

Rumpelstiltskin and Regina

The Enchanted Forest Outskirts ~ The Dark Castle

He was back at the spinning wheel again. Finally he had a few moments to himself to get lost amongst his cornucopious amount of thoughts forever plaguing his mind; some thoughts not even his own but belonging to Dark Ones before him, though they all now shared the one, brilliant mind. Amongst the flickering (more prominent) thoughts of Snow White and The Evil Queen was a simple, arguably pure thought that was altogether alien to himself and all the Dark Ones before him.

Belle.

Today was the day that she would be getting married and the only reason he knew that was because of the ever so chatty witch that liked to pay him visits with the most nettlesome of news. Really, he could have done without Regina's theatrics, he was doing quite well on his own after he had sent Belle away. He was ready to be done with his little maid altogether, never to look back or blink an eye, but Regina made it a point to become a thorn in his side, giving him updates on the girl that he truly could have gone the rest of his immortal life without knowing. Like her wedding.

It was Regina's fault that she was gone in the first place. Regina's fault that the ever-so-content help was suddenly driven to change things. They had a good thing going, he and Belle. He ordered her what to do, and she did it. She kept his castle clean, cooked him his meals, laundered his clothing, made him tea... it was the perfect arrangement and that crooked little witch ruined it all - putting ideas into Belle's head about True Loves Kiss. He knew Regina's aim, she wanted him weak; vulnerable. Well it wasn't going to happen. The Dark One has no weakness, so he cast Belle out, urging her to continue the engagement that he had broken up the very day he collected her as a prize for saving the Kingdom of Avonlea from the Ogre attack. The debt had been paid tenfold; he simply didn't need her anymore...

Wincing, Rumpelstiltskin felt the thread in which he was spinning knot up in his careful hands, ruined beyond (non magical) repair. Grimacing, Rumpelstiltskin let the thread go, staring down the knot as though it had gone out of its way to offend him. Despite the castle being completely empty save for the Imp, The Dining Hall, as well as the whole entirety of The Dark Castle, held a solemn quiet haunting even The Dark One himself, it's echo sending a cold shiver down his spine.

No... that wasn't a shiver... that was a pull of magic...

Becoming more aware of his surroundings, Rumpelstiltskin quickly moved his hand over the knotted thread in which he had been spinning, watching it untangle itself and took up his post again, simply watching himself turn the wheel where the straw thread slowly turned itself into gold, coiling up in a small basket at the foot of the spinning wheel.

She was here. Of course she was here, he had seen this days ago which gave the Imp ample time to plan out Kaeden Liddel's escape from Wonderland Prison because in order for him to get what Rumpelstiltskin wanted, Regina could not be at her castle. Knowing that she would be coming to pay him a visit on this particular day, out of any other, well it was just too perfect and he didn't need his ability of foresight to be able to know that.

The lock in which Rumpelstiltskin had set on the twin, grandiose doors that led into The Dining Hall was quickly shattered as though it had been made of glass. The doors, in turn, flew open by the will of magic, allowing Regina entrance into his personal space, walking right on in as though she owned the place.

"Flimsy locks." Regina half-giggled as she entered the room which finally brought the Imp to look at her for the first time, as though he hadn't heard or felt anything prior. " I have a deal to discuss...a certain...mermaid..." Regina went on, stopping at the table in the center of the room before she reached Rumpelstiltskin. On the table was nothing more than a simple tea service, comprised of a small kettle, a sugar bowl and only two tea cups all nestled in snugly on a tray of pure silver. One of the teacups looked to have been damaged; a large chip on the brim that took out quite the chunk which quickly caught Regina's attention.

"I'm not dealing today." Rumpelstiltskin replied, turning his head back to the wheel and away from her, though he made sure to keep a careful eye on her from the corners. Regina cocked her head to the side, unafraid to look directly at Rumpelstiltskin. There was no child-like giggle, no snark. Nothing but... normality and quite possibly a tinge of sadness that held Regina's attention much more than a damaged old teacup. When Rumpelstiltskin said no more, Regina turned back to the tea service, opting to help herself.

"Are you angry with me?" She asked, holding the tea kettle paused in the air as she was just about to pour it into the cup. But when Rumpelstiltskin said nothing once more, she went on, resuming by pouring her tea. "What is it this time?"

"Your little deception...failed." Rumpelstiltskin finally replied and only then did he return his attention to the woman helping herself to his tea, hiding the fact that he felt somewhat relieved that she had chosen to use the undamaged cup. "You'll never be more powerful than me. You can keep trying, dearie, but you're never gonna beat me..."

Regina met the Imp's gaze and held a knowing smirk, hearing the slow increase in Rumpelstiltskin's blood-lustful voice. She set down the tea cup and kettle back onto the table and approached him, letting her painted lips curl out in a false pout.

"Ohh, is this about that girl I met on the road? Hmmm?" She asked, her voice dripping with mockery. Rumpelstiltskin returned his attention to the spinning wheel before him, perhaps he had said too much already. Regina let out a cold laugh at his subtle response as she returned to the table and to her cup of tea. "What was her name?" She went on, picking up the tea cup and raised it to her lips. "Margie? Verna..." She went on, trying to recall the name on her own.

Rumpelstiltskin stopped spinning, if but for a moment.

"Belle..."

"Right...well, you can rest assured I had nothing to do with that tragedy..." Regina replied almost instantly, conjuring up a silver spoon from thin air and began to stir the tea in her cup around, keeping her back to Rumpelstiltskin to hide the smirk on her lips. Rumpelstiltskin felt his blood freeze over, his heart dropping to his boots... Immediately he stopped the spinning wheel, feeling his body tensing until he was so stiff, for once he felt like he fit into the dragon-hide coat properly.

"What. Tragedy?" He practically demanded, pulling himself away from the spinning wheel to approach her at his table. Regina pulled the spoon from her mouth slowly, her eyes wide as she turned to face him, her expression now quite shocked.

"You don't know?" She asked, astounded. When Rumpelstiltskin didn't reply, only looking at her coldly, she set the spoon and cup of tea down onto the tray and turned to face him once more. "I was wondering why you weren't at the Royal Wedding. Didn't get an invitation?" Rumpelstiltskin's lip twitched, his fingers flexing as he was starting to grow impatient, but he remained silent. That was all Regina needed, and she gave him a quick, understanding smile. "Me either." She then finished, using Rumpelstiltskin's own words against him that he used with her when Snow White and Prince David were getting married. Casually, Regina returned to the wooden table and picked her cup back up. She kept him waiting to take a small sip of her tea, drawing it out as long as she possibly could, practically being able to feel the Imp coming apart around her. It was glorious.

"Well...after she got home... it was quite the miracle the knight still wanted her after her... association with you. The wedding was today, of which I'm more than sure you know..." Regina paused, looking at Rumpelstiltskin directly, her dark eyes shining with the fact that she held a secret that Rumpelstiltskin was so intent on knowing. She could have asked him for anything right then; she had no doubts that she wouldn't be able to. But what would come next, his reaction, would be all the pay she would ever need. "The bride never showed."

Just as Regina had expected, there was a reaction from the Imp. His entire visage shifted, the sickly green tinge to his skin almost lighting up, as did the rest of his features but it was his eyes that told Regina everything that she wanted to know. His eyes held, however small, a look of hope.

"That's right, Rumpel. She ran. Ran from every little girl's dream of being married off to a knight, to be royalty and raise a happy, healthy family under the fat protection of the crown."

Rumpelstiltskin stood stock still. He tried moving his arms in the elaborate flourish that he was accustomed to, but the most he got out of them both was a few awkward twitches that never went any higher than his wrist.

"S-so... she needs... a... a home?" he stated, more than asked. A flicker of a severely repressed smile showed for only a fraction of a second on the corner of his lip, his eyes widening and brows raising to his hairline. Belle had run from her own wedding, and he couldn't help but to think that he might have been a reason. He didn't want to think that way, but with that thought came a torrid of others that quickly followed behind; that he regretted pushing her away the very moment she was gone. He regretted letting her go, regretted pushing her into the arms of another man. Regretted his harsh words towards her. A quick fluttering in his chest told him right away that this was perhaps the best thing he had ever heard, almost too good to be true. He wasn't wrong.

Regina let out a cold laugh that instantly turned off everything Rumpelstiltskin had been feeling. It was that one laugh that brought him back to the nature of their conversation, of what had led up to this moment to begin with. Belle running from her wedding was no tragedy, at least not to either of the two standing within The Dining Hall. So... what was the tragedy? He felt his insides starting to twist and knot; similar to how the thread had knotted in his hand only this time, Rumpelstiltskin felt the pain. He almost didn't want to know.

"She was hysterical! The nursemaids helping her to get ready said that she had lost all sense of her own mind, that she kept begging them to make it stop. When no one would help her, she ran straight into The Infinite Forest... Now... why would she do that, I wonder?" Regina gave Rumpelstiltskin a pointed look.

Rumpelstiltskin's dark eyes narrowed, not buying into what the witch before him was saying. He knew Belle, she would never knowingly step foot into that cursed forest. It didn't take a dark sorcerer like himself to know what dangers lurked within those woods. But more than that, The Infinite Forest was in the complete opposite direction of The Dark Castle. In the complete opposite direction of him.

"You're lying..." Came his eventual reply, but the uneasiness in his voice made Regina quirk a black eyebrow.

"Am I?" She challenged, practically able to see the varying thoughts playing across Rumpelstiltskin's mind as he stared right back at her, trying to surmise on his own what had happened but unable to find any doubt in Regina's words. He let his guard down too quick, he was too hopeful that Belle might actually be wanting to return to him. No, instead, she wanted to be lost not only from everyone else, but to herself as well. Any time spent in The Dark Castle would have driven anyone else to do the same thing.

After a few very tense moments, Rumpelstiltskin pulled himself from whatever dark hole the woman was burying his thoughts into and shook his head no, pointing a gnarled finger at her.

"We're done." He waved his hand, the double doors of the room opening up magically as if to show her the way out and Rumpelstiltskin walked to the doors themselves, stopping at the threshold with an arm gesturing for her to leave. He wasn't going to allow this woman to plant any more thoughts into his head; he would not be played like a puppet. Regina shrugged and walked towards him slowly after setting down her cup of tea.

"Fine, I have other house-calls to make." She said with a light chuckle, dragging her finger on the table as she walked towards him and looked upon the dust that gathered upon her finger. "Hmmm...place is looking dusty Rumpel..." She said meeting him at the doorway. "You should get a new girl." She gave him a pleasant smile and took her leave.

Rumpelstiltskin closed his eyes hard, waiting until the witch had left his house completely before magically shutting the doors once more. He walked to the table and picked up the cup that Regina hadn't used for her tea and admired the small chip the cup had on the rim. If what Regina had said was true, then Belle was gone, forever. Even he couldn't track her down in The Infinite Forest before it was too late. To do that would require a more complex location spell... and he simply didn't have the time. Belle was already lost and even quite possibly, dead.

Rumpelstiltskin delicately set the chipped cup back down on the tray, his eyes never leaving the ornate piece of china, letting the single tear he didn't even know was there to slide down his cheek silently.

No. This wasn't Regina's fault. This was his fault. The fault of a monster.

[ROLEPLAY CLOSED] - Once Upon A Time (Restart)

Simba Lionhart - Present Day - The Wildes -

A lone buzzard let out a resonating cry that echoed as far as the planes extended in all directions causing Simba to look up from his perch to watch as the large bird soared overhead, eying it's prize.

/It's gonna eat me!/

Simba lowered his head from watching the vulture fly past to watch as the small warthog began to run around in frantic circles, squealing and grunting as he tried to find a place to hide though amongst the vast terrain of The Wildes, the feat was impossible.

/He's not going to eat you, Pumbaa. Settle down buddy, you're scaring the buffalo./ Simba shook his head lightly, unable to help but smile at the expense of the warthog as the animal slowly started to settle himself down. /He'd want you dead before he tried anything, anyway./

/Dead?!/ Pumbaa began to circle himself again, letting his paranoia get the best of him, but before he could get back into the grunts and squeals, Simba let out a verbal laugh which immediately let Pumbaa know that he was only joking.

From the time that Simba had left Atlantis earlier that day, he did just as he had told Kidagakash and sought out the buffalo herd he had recalled passing a few days prior. It was simple enough to track them down; he had bonded with the leader of the herd so that finding them when there was a food shortage could be easy. It took very little convincing on Simba's part to get the herd to agree to turn back from where they came - closer to Atlantis - so that the Atlanteans could use them as a food source until he could come up with a better solution to the problem. The only thing that Simba hadn't exactly been counting on was the rate at which the herd traveled.

Drawing out a soft sigh, Simba pushed his torso forward so that it was flush against the back of the buffalo he had decided to ride during the trip back to Atlantis, his arms swinging uselessly on each side of the animal. He could have swore that the snails he had swallowed yesterday for a quick lunch were moving faster than these smelly, over-grown cows. Reaching back a bit, he adjusted the blue strap of cloth that he had been gifted by the queen as it was starting to ride up... again. Perhaps it wasn't the smartest thing to wear whilst straddling a buffalo, but it sure beat walking the plodding pace the animals had set. At least he had Pumbaa and Timon to talk to. Once he reconnected the bond of his friends after he left Atlantis, they met up with him rather quickly.

/Well I for one think the old buzzard has the right idea. I'm starving!/

Looking back at his leg, Simba watched as the small meerkat jumped off of the back of the warthog and grabbed hold of one of the strands of cloth Simba was using and climbed up it and onto the buffalo with Simba. Keeping his torso pressed forward, he strained his neck to then watch as Timon then ran up his bare back and sat himself down on Simba's shoulder.

/So when do we eat?/ Timon asked, tilting his head cutely as he looked back at Simba.

/We are not eating. You and Pumbaa are going to leave just as soon as we get there. I told you that already. This place has been lost for thousands of years, it's important enough that they are letting me in. The last thing they need are more strangers running about the city./

/And I told you that you ain't goin' nowhere unless I'm there to protect you./ Timon remarked, puffing out his chest rather proudly on Simba's shoulder.

Simba turned his head back to look forward and let out a quiet chuckle.

"So besides from this being a recently found lost civilization that dates back before all existence in a never-ending cycle of life, what's so important about this place anyway?" Pumbaa asked, keeping up a steady pace at the buffalo's feet below them.

Simba sat up a bit at that, bracing his palms out on the shoulders of the buffalo and looked upwards to the sky where he found the vulture still circling. He didn't answer right away, closing off his mind to be alone with his thoughts while he tried to come up with an answer.

/There's... well... they are like me.../ Simba said after a while, opening his mind back up.

/Like you?/ Pumbaa asked.

/He means that they are able to talk to animals too./ Timon clarified for Simba.

/Actually... no, Timon. I meant, they're human... human like me./

Timon jumped up from Simba's shoulder and onto his head, burrowing himself into Simba's mane of blonde hair and began scratching around, messing it up even more.

/You mean there's more of you hairless things? I always thought you were like, an extremely small albino lion or something... like, the kind with the disease the hyena's like to pick off from the herd./

Simba chuckled and shook his head, feeling the weight of the meerkat there and promptly raised one hand to pluck Timon from his hair and set him back on his shoulder.

/Nope. I'm all human. I just... I never thought I'd see another one for the rest of my life.../ Simba paused to let out a quiet sigh. /She's different though... different than were I came from. She-/

/Woah, woah, woah! She? As in... a girl?/ Timon piped up, an air of snark in his tone that for some reason, put a blush on Simba's face.

/Well why didn't you say so? Timon and I would be happy to help out. You see... the art of willing the female to mate is as complex and terrifying as-/

"Woah! Hey! I didn't say anything about that!/ Simba interrupted quickly.

Timon and Pumbaa took a moment to look at one another before looking back to Simba, both with expressions on their faces as to being completely lost.

/Well she's a girl, aint she?/ Timon asked.

/Well, yeah... but-/

/And she's like you, ain't she?/ Timon interrupted.

/Yeah but-/

//Then she's your mate!// Timon and Pumbaa both expressed at once, now looking quite pleased with themselves.

Simba sighed and let himself fall back into the back of the buffalo, hiding his face between it's massive shoulders to give him some time before he even touched on that topic with them. He may have been raised by the wild, but that didn't mean that he wasn't completely unaware of how things worked in the human kingdom either. And though he didn't know exactly how they were different, something just felt... different about it all.

/Let's... let's just get back to Atlantis guys.../

Once Upon a Time (Rebooted)

Uh... thanks for the bump? lol

Once Upon a Time (Rebooted)

bump