mr. gold pawnbroker & antiquities dealer

[sticktomybooks]

Belle is dusting the shop. Rumple has such a lovely collection but he only occasionally remembers to clean it. Having started, she can see why he avoids the task- there's all sorts of small, delicate pieces that accumulate just horrific amounts of dust- but she refuses to let that stop her. The shop is entirely too dusty, and she is going to fix it.

It's something to do, at least. She doesn't need to be in the library for another hour or so, and Rumple's gone off somewhere again. She suspects he's getting her a present again. She keeps telling him he doesn't need to buy her things, she loves him just the same, but the fact that he thinks to buy her gifts makes her so happy she hasn't really made him stop.

She's free, she's found Rumple, he loves her, she loves him. Life is good. And right now, at this second- this shop is going to be spotless.

She moves onto the next piece, humming to herself in contentment.

Comments

[darkest_evening]

"Nothing that Lynn would consider funny business while she's gone," agrees Adarin, easily.

He and Lynn follow with no trouble. Adarin's - not sure what he's planning, yet, but he's definitely not going to sit on his hands until they can go home. 'Evil queen'? That's worrying. He suspects that this is going to be the type of place where it's really smart for him to give them some kind of easy bait to go after. Hm. Easy bait - well, two out of three people he's met so far are interested in magic. Let's make it an item that is the 'source of his magical power.' That'll do nicely.

"Are you taking your sword with you?" he asks of Lynn.

[blooded_poet]

"No. If there's no magic outside of the town, it might break. And it's hardly replaceable."

[made_not_born]

"A sword would also be noticeable," Regina says, adding sourly, "and somehow I can't see Emma lending you a gun."

[blooded_poet]

"What's a gun?"

[made_not_born]

"...as powerful as a crossbow, but they're much smaller and louder and shoot very small pieces of metal."

Woman's got a sword, Regina's going to make some assumptions about her world's available weapons.

[blooded_poet]

"Ah. I might want one of those, later."

[darkest_evening]

Adarin makes a 'do not want' face.

[made_not_born]

"Those, you do need papers for. And they need special- arrows, I suppose, to work."

[blooded_poet]

"I see. Thank you. I'm not planning to be here long," she gives Adarin a look, "but that would be useful to have."

[darkest_evening]

"There is no way," mutters Adarin sarcastically, "that this can end badly. At all."

[made_not_born]

"Just- take Emma," Regina sighs. Infuriating though she finds the woman in all available ways. "She's the sheriff, she has a gun, she has her papers. Though really, I cannot imagine why you would need a gun to convince someone to see Gold."

[mask_of_the_monster]

"Very funny," Rumplestiltskin says frostily.

[blooded_poet]

Lynn snorts. "Ha. Look, Adarin, you can bond, you have similar traits."

[darkest_evening]

"Joy of endless joys. Because the first twin wasn't nearly a headache enough. We'll be going shopping for pretty clothes together within a week."

[blooded_poet]

"And go dancing with all of the boys?"

[darkest_evening]

"No, of course not," he drawls. "I have standards."

[sticktomybooks]

Belle laughs. "Sorry," she tells Adarin, "this one's mine."

[darkest_evening]

"Yes, I figured. Also it would be profoundly disturbing to date someone who looks exactly like me."

[mask_of_the_monster]

"Even if we are, obviously, devilishly attractive," Rumple smirks.

[darkest_evening]

"Well, of course."

[blooded_poet]

"Thank you, that is your capacity of ego-stroking for the next month fulfilled. Carry on."

[made_not_born]

Regina is just as uninterested in the ego-stroking as Lynn is, but she at least has something to distract. Home sweet home.

"My house is right up there," she says, pointing. "Let's find you both some modern clothes, shall we?"

[darkest_evening]

"Yes, let's."

[my_own_savior]

There is a blonde woman, waiting outside of the door to Regina's house. She looks at the group and double-takes.

"... Woah," she says, looking between Adarin and Rumplestiltskin. "That's - new."

[darkest_evening]

"My name is Adarin, actually, not 'new.'"