rubycity_ooc | February Test Drive!

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February Test Drive!

Thinking of apping a character but not sure they'll fit in the city walls?

Have no fear, a meme for you is here.

Directions:

Use an RNG to choose a location and prompt, or wait for someone else to tag.

Post with your character with their name and canon on top!

If you'd like, leave contact info for people to get in contact for plotting and other such shenans.

Tag around! Make friends. Don't be afraid to chat OOC while tagging.

Locations

1.TRAIN STATION - The place where everyone gets dumped off at. Your first view of Ruby City, complete with informational posters telling you all about where you've ended up.
2. THE BEACH - Lovely year-round, though in the winter months, you're probably not likely to dip your toes in.
3. THE BLACK STALLION - A rather quaint bar. Supposedly, the burgers are great, but you don't see anyone immediately who's willing to serve you. Maybe you're meant to get it yourself.
4. THE OBELISK - The tall monolith in the center of the city marks the gathering place of many events, though right now it seems to be cold and dark.
5. THE CLOCKTOWER - Offering an impressive view of the city, several residents come here to clear their heads, if they don't mind braving the narrow staircase.
6. THE COFFEE JOINT - the front windows are warm and welcoming, and it seems there's always someone friendly enough to fix you a cup when you wander through.
7. THE CATACOMBS - Intrepid, aren't you? Those weird holes may beg exploring, but go too deep and you're going to be in a lot of trouble, considering the viciousness of the creatures held within.
8. THE CITY STREETS - All told, Ruby City is a lovely place, once you get past the fact that several of the buildings look derelict and on the verge of falling down. There's no harm in doing a little sightseeing.
9. THE PARK - You thought it'd be a lovely stroll, but the park is anything but friendly, if those approaching wolf-like creatures are any indication.
10. CHOOSE YOUR OWN - Don't like what we've come up with? Feel like picking your own place? There's a whole host of lovely locations to choose from in the City.

Scenarios

1. NEW ARRIVAL - Step off that train, walk down the street. People usually latch on to newcomers to try and help them out. Even if you look shy, the other residents probably won't be!
2. WATCH TALK - Feeling lost? Disoriented? Don't worry, everyone feels that way on their first day. Fortunately - if the signs at the station are to believed - the watch in your pocket can be used to talk to whoever else might be here.
3. BAD WEATHER - Aw, man. Whether it's snow, or rain, or just plain cold, today was definitely the wrong day to get dumped off in a City in the middle of nowhere.
4. A RUN-IN - Maybe you weren't watching. Maybe they weren't. Either way, you just bumped into someone. Perhaps apologies are in order?
5. HELP, IT HURTS - Clumsy, aren't you? Perhaps wherever the train brought you from wasn't so friendly, or you just tripped and twisted your ankle. Either way, you're in a bit of pain. Hopefully someone will notice your booboos and help patch you up.
6. HUNGRY - It isn't very obvious sometimes that restaurants are what they are, especially in a place like Ruby City. Where can a person go to get a bite to eat around here?
7. MISTAKEN IDENTITY - Hey, there's someone you know! --Or maybe not.
8. BEING FOLLOWED - Maybe you're just being paranoid, or maybe you've got a reason to be afraid. Whatever it is, it feels like there's eyes on you...
9. CURRENT EVENTS - None at the moment, but feel free to look through our <href="http://rubycity-ooc.dreamwidth.org/tag/event">event tag!
10. CHOOSE YOUR OWN - Don't like any of these ideas? Feel free to come up with your own!

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"Do you still have the... the magic?" he asked. Yes, even as hurt and angry as he was... he would not mention the dagger in front of someone else. In part it was to protect his papa, in part... it was to protect the other little boy. His eyes didn't flick to him, though they wanted to. He had learned not to remind his father when there were witnesses around.

Oh how he wished he could answer that with a negative. Instead, he just ended up looking more miserable than he had previous and after a silent internal debate he silently nodded. A small gesture from his right hand and abruptly the glamour he'd been using to keep his Storybrooke appearance fell away to reveal his actual appearance.

"You're so much more important to me than it, Bae. I know you won't believe me, but it's true."

"Then why do you keep it? Why did you break your promise? If you regretted it...why do you still have the magic?" he asked, almost screaming, tears running down his face. He forced himself into a standing position.

"Ever since... You keep saying this is for me, that is for me, I matter. But I don't! Because what I WANT has never mattered. You smile to my face and agree, but then you ALWAYS just do what you want anyway! You never cared what I wanted, and you never ever trusted me!"

He turned his face away, hand in small fists as the tears ran. That was the heart of it. If he had just admitted that Bae gave him reason not to trust him, if he ever pointed out how Bae had betrayed him first... But they never just... talked any more. What was the point of trying to talk to someone who would rather play with magic than listen. Even if Bae was the one at fault... didn't he deserve even a little bit more?

"I know. I was wrong. I was afraid. I was so...scared of the past repeating itself...that I caused it to repeat itself. Can't you give me a chance to prove that I've changed and that I can be a better man, a better father than I was before?" His voice broke as he spoke, but he paid it nor the tears that fell any heed.

"I'm willing to listen and to talk...about whatever you want to talk about. Please, son. Just give me one more chance."

He closed his eyes. "Then... let's talk. Tell me... what I did..." he whispered softly. "When was the moment I hurt you so badly that... that I could no longer reach you?" he asked softly. He was pretty sure he knew the moment but... would his papa actually tell him that, tell him the truth? Or was this just more of the old one thing to his face, then do what he wants thing?

He opened his eyes, though tears made it hard to see, and tried to search his father's face for... for some idea if the answer would be the truth.

"It wasn't your fault, son. It was mine. I was too blinded by my fear and the magic of the curse at that point to realize that I was driving you away from me. I never wanted to make you feel unloved, I'm sorry that I didn't trust you enough to ask you to come back with me. I had been left by people that I loved too many times that by that point--I was afraid you would leave me as well."

He paused for a ragged breath. "Without you, I would have been nothing. I was so... scared of becoming my father that I ended up following in his footsteps regardless. Son... I am so very sorry that I caused you to suffer because of my cowardice."

Edited (grammar edits) 2015-02-12 07:48 (UTC)

Over by the wardrobe, Henry was sitting with his knees up to his chin, silently listening to everything that was being said. So much sorrow and anguish and pain. Henry had heard of it all but seeing it...that was a whole different kettle of fish.

Not wanting to interrupt such an important conversation between father and son, Henry stayed quiet and simply continued to listen, filing all the information away for later on. Perhaps if he had any questions, his grandfather might see fit to answer them when they were alone.

"To... ask me to come back with you? So... you never intended to keep the promise after all?" he asked softly. He should have realized by now. He should have known. "I wasn't going to leave you Papa, and I didn't... but you... you left me..."

He shook his head. "You said without me you would have been nothing... but... clearly that's not true. I was told that you're a better person than you were... Papa... you were at your best without the magic, you took the magic because of me...and without me you're better?"

He swallowed hard and closed his eyes. "It sounds to me like I only ever hurt you, only ever made you worse."

He swallowed hard a few more times. "I never wanted to hurt you Papa. I love you, I always have. But maybe... maybe it would have been better if I had died... instead of mama...."

Edited 2015-02-12 08:13 (UTC)

"No! Don't say that!" The words exploded out before he could think better of them and he had to close his eyes and take a breath to calm himself before he continued.

"Don't blame yourself for my mistakes. It was my choice to go after the dagger as a means of keeping you safe. I may have not realized the mistake it was to do that at the time, but it was my choice. You are blameless in that. You helped me so much, you gave me purpose. You are such a better person than your mother ever was..." He didn't want to continue that line of discussion, but given Hook was here and no doubt would delight in telling the boy all his misdeeds given the chance, he best get things out in the open before the pirate could. Even if it meant he was that much more unlikely to earn his son's forgiveness here.

"Son...your mother left us. She left us and ran off with a pirate. I didn't know that at the time, I thought your mother had been kidnapped by the pirate and that I'd failed to save her from being--" He cut himself off, unable to actually express that fear in its entirety. Such concepts weren't meant to be heard by such young minds.

"I thought that she would die in their custody and that is why I told you she was dead. However, I found out some time after I lost you that she was alive and well... and that she abandoned us on purpose to be with her pirate lover. She told me she never ....never loved me." He paused, needing to take another ragged breath to both calm himself again as well as steel his resolve.

"I was so angered by the fact she abandoned both of us like she had...that her throwing the fact she'd never loved me in my face like she did caused me to lash out and I...I killed her."

Edited 2015-02-12 08:37 (UTC)

Wow. That speech held new information for Henry. And while he could feel the pain Baelfire was going through, he also felt pride in his grandfather for keeping with the truth no matter the cost. He could see just how much this hurt the man and later on, he would tell him he was proud of him. Because he was and not just right now. Everything he'd seen Gold do in Ruby City...well not everything but a lot of things, they weren't the acts of the man who Baelfire had lost. This was a new Rumplestiltskin and Henry would do his best to help bring father and son together. Even if he wasn't the son involved.

With all those thoughts bumping around in his head, he didn't realise he'd leant against the wardrobe behind him. It was a small noise as the door banged and Henry looked sheepishly up at the pair, sorry for interrupting - the moment was difficult enough as it was - and he moved to lean against the bed instead, not really able to leave as Gold was in the doorway and in truth, he didn't want to leave in case he was needed.

Your mother left us. The words made no sense. They couldn't. They... she wouldn't have... would she? Bae opened his mouth to speak, to protest, maybe even to defend her... but his Papa didn't stop talking, and the words... they didn't get any easier to hear.

A pirate? Why would mama leave with a pirate? Why would she leave them? Maybe Papa was wrong! He opened his mouth to say as much, but once again his papa's words kept coming, answering the questions that Bae's mouth was not quick enough to form.

He thought she had been kidnapped and he had failed to save her from... from what? He felt his father cut off his words, and wanted to ask. No... he wanted to ask why Papa hadn't gone to get help. Bae would have come. Would have helped... then his mind cycled back... to how she had actually left them. His father had lied and said she was dead, thinking she was in trouble, and he wanted to yell at him for that, rage at him in her defense. But she hadn't been in trouble. She had lied and let him think she was in trouble. His head was spinning with pain and confusion and nothing was making sense.

Round and round the words went in his head, an insane story told by a mad scribe, meant to madden men. Except it had to be real, because no story was ever quite so odd. Bae could not imagine anyone cruel enough to write something, even as a fiction, that hurt as much as this did. No minds could be that dark.

And the words did not stop. Like the flash floods after the rain... unchecked, unslowing. His father told Bae that his mama was dead because he had given her up for dead. One attempt to save her and he stopped. And again that whirlpool of anger on her behalf, then anger at himself for defending her, but...there had been no way to know then so... anger at her behalf...

And then there was a moment. If the words were a flash flood, this was a bolt of lighting, illuminating, yes, but more... slamming into him, a sudden jolt of pain and energy that threw everything else out of his mind in a moment of painful clarity...

Papa tried once to save mama and gave up. Papa... kept trying to save him. He tried once to save Mama then came home to take care of him. But for him... they ran together. He let himself be humiliated. He risked fire and capture and worse... For him.

Bae knew that people called his Papa a coward, but he... he had never really seen it... never really believed it. At least... not until a few hours ago... not until his papa was too scared to keep his promise.

The pain of that crashed into the wonder that had been forming, leaving him emotionally unbalanced.

And then his father spoke more. More words and these... His father.... His papa.... killed his mama....

There was a noise, something banging and shifting. The distraction jarred him from the spinning words in his mind. The horrors that crashed upon each other. That one small spot of wonder almost buried under everything else. He could hardly see it. Hardly feel it.

He saw his father's eyes flick towards the sound just for the briefest of seconds before returning to him.

Everything was still spinning. Round and round in his head, spinning. He stumbled, mentally and physically. His hands flailed, trying to catch himself before he fell. His mind flailed also... catching on to the words that had started the flood.

His papa.... said it wasn't his fault... but... that... couldn't... be....

He made a small almost whimpering thing as he fell, still trying to catch something, anything to keep his balance...

Gold didn't even think when he saw Bae begin to flail, the small body losing its balance and then begin to fall. There was no time to think, only to act and so he didn't think. He just moved to grab hold of one of his son's arms and then using his own strength to pull the boy toward him so that he'd fall against his body and not the floor.

No magic. Just a simple act of grabbing his son before he could fall and pulling him close and out of harm's way. It wasn't until seconds after he'd done it that he realized that Bae might not like being held so close to him after that particular confession. He didn't move away though, but he kept the embrace of his arms loose so if his son decided to pull away, he could do so easily enough.

"I'm sorry, son. I didn't mean to unbalance you like that."

Henry jumped up as Bae started to wobble, letting Gold catch him, but standing at the ready in case the other boy didn't want to be that close or touched by his father. It was why he'd stuck around. A third party almost. He half wanted to suggest that Bae sit on the bed, it was only two steps behind him, but he said nothing. He didn't want to get in the way.

Where Bae hadn't known what to do when Henry hugged him... this time his arms moved without thought. He clung to his Papa, the only one who had been able to fix things time and time again... until it had been their relationship that had broken.

Bae buried his face in his father's neck and the tears that had been starting and stopping since he fell through the portal came out in a rush, no more quiet crying, or tears running while he spoke or shouted. Instead there were loud, body wracking sobs.

Coherent thought had abandoned him. Base instincts took over. He hurt, he was in pain, but Papa was here, and Papa would make it all better.

Not thoughts he had since the dagger...since magic changed everything... but before that... before that there had been nothing, in Bae's eyes, that Papa couldn't make better. And just now... he needed Papa to make things better...

When Bae's arms wrapped around him and his boy began crying against him, he tightened his embrace around him. Holding him, one hand moving to rest over his son's shoulders in attempt to offer comfort with a soothing motion. "It'll be alright, son."

It would be in time. He debated quietly over his next words and after a moment decided to say them since they would only truly apply for their time here. Since his son would forget all of this upon his departure. He rested his head against the top of his son's as he spoke again softly.

"I'm here now and I promise you I won't leave you again willingly...and Henry will tell you, these days I don't break my promises. I won't let you go again, Bae. I won't make the same mistake twice."

Well now he really was dropped in it. But at least Bae hadn't pulled away from his father. Sitting down on the edge of the bed, he watched the two silently, nodding as Gold mentioned him even if Bae couldn't see.

"....Papa...." was about all the sound he could get out intentionally around the sobs. All the pain, all the fear all the anger... everything since the Ogre Wars, since they ran away to avoid Bae's having to go and fight.. All of the emotion boiled out in these sobs.

He clung to his father, clung to the promise that he wouldn't leave. There wasn't enough stability to focus on words like willingly, or to be afraid that this would be a lie too.

Right now... Right now he just needed to feel safe, and loved. Right now he needed his home, and his home had ALWAYS been his Papa...

There was the sound of wings briefly in the room and then a quiet chirp of inquiry. Gold knew without opening his eyes that the last member of their household had finally joined him. She'd likely been woken up from whatever warm place she'd been basking in by the havoc Bae's appearance had caused in him emotionally.

He continued to simply hold his son, letting him cry himself out while he offered what scant comfort and safety he could. He trusted the golden lady to realize that interrupting them would not be desired, possibly why he'd yet to feel her settle on his empty shoulder. She still surprised him at times at how smart she could be sometimes.

"It's okay, son."

Henry saw Gloria first as he was the only one currently able to. Glad she wasn't interrupting the pair hugging by the door, he stroked her carefully as she lay on the bed beside him. This would be fun to explain, though certainly easier than explaining Henry's relationship to Gold and this Bae.

He wanted to believe that. With everything in him... he wanted to believe that. But the fear was welling up in him again. Fear that his papa would again act only for himself while claiming it was for him, that his papa would hurt people again.

And he didn't know how to stop it from happening. He didn't know how to fix things. Going to the blue fairy had been his only real hope. And look where that had left him? His father was never going to give up the dagger, never going to give up his magic. But... where did that leave Bae? Where did that leave their family?

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February Test Drive!

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