[IC] Once Upon a Time...

[Major Ursa]

(Collaboration Post Featuring YoshiSkittlez's Mayor Regina Mills and Major Ursa's Sherry Attar)

Regina stood in the alleyway between her office and a separate building that had been empty for as long as anyone could remember. Truly it was the best place for Regina to conduct her business without any fear of anyone coming across her. She checked her cellphone one last time, growing impatient with the response time. Usually she was here by now...

Humming a certain melody, the woman continued to unhurriedly to her destination…stopping when she caught sight of the rose bush, Sherry smiled down at a particularly beautiful flower, humming the particularly relevant folksong. It was…well, a really good day—well, not for most, the earthquake wasn’t generally celebrated anywhere. But, such an event gave her plenty to write about; an ambitious journalist’s dream. And while she wasn’t ambitious in the least, in a long run, the activity was good. The earthquake may have happened, but the roses still smelled sweet, and that was good enough for her.

Continuing along the side walk, past the alley…back pedalling and heading down the alley way…Shoureh mimed the action of checking her watch (she wasn’t wearing one, and it was quite obvious due to her lack of sleeves), her canvas bag swaying a bit, before humming pleasantly as she stepped up to the mayor of this fair town. Nodding politely, one hand held in the other, “Oh, it seems I’m wearing ‘Late’ as my fashion…now, I must tell you, I’ve been quite busy. As you’d expect, I’ve been sorting through more flattering photos of you at the scene of the mine’s collapse—by the way, taking in the rescued child was a stroke of brilliance, I did not see such a twist coming…” And the woman went on and on…

Regina was about to abruptly cut the woman off but stopped when she mentioned the boy...Mason. She couldn't keep this meeting very long, he was at her home, sleeping but alone and that didn't set well with her gut.

"If that's the best you've got for tomorrow, then I suppose you haven't heard what our visitor did to get himself arrested this evening?" Regina said, making her sentence and to the point, the best way, she learned by experience, of getting to her.

Raising an eyebrow at the mention, and then snapping her fingers as the memory resurface, “Oh, lover boy? Yes, kissed the girl, but she was unable to wake from her coma to cry? Strange in the head…I wonder if he thought her sleeping beauty, and himself the charming prince? I suppose…this story is the one you want me to cover, above all, yes?” Humming her distracting folksong…

Regina gave a simple nod yes, tolerant of this woman's ramblings...for now...

Leaning forward, cupping a hand to the side of her mouth for dramatics, a pantomime of secrecy-whispering, “I suppose it best for the written piece that I don’t mention your involvement with this charming Mr Carlyle, am I right?”

"It never happened." Regina replied, her eyes narrowing, growing darker in the shadows of the night, leaving it to no longer be discussed.

Drawing back with only a slight frown, “Pardon me…but this is your mistake, not mine. And…very well, all public, commonly known associates with the man will be marked down as our fair mayor welcoming this newcomer. Now, you couldn’t have come here just to tell me about what I already know…surely?” Rubbing her smooth hands together, only the lightest sound barely coming from the friction, Sherry tilted her head and gave the mayor an imploring look.

"In regards to your article..." Regina began, her once ill-tempered voice slowly melding into...tolerance. "I want you to humiliate him, make it so that he can never show his face in Storybrooke again. I don't care what you have to put in there, and I don't care how you get your pictures to do so. I want. Him. Gone." She hissed but then quickly withdrew, not wanting to give into her anger, not now. "Gold isn't going to make it easy on you, I'm sure. Still, you do this for me and you'll never want for anything again."

Sherry couldn’t hide her confused expression, blinking a little bit before staring down at her feet, rubbing her bottom lips in nervous though, “Mr Gold and Mr Carlyle—why would the newcomer be protected by Gold? The newcomer went into that shop once before, but…”

Pondering to herself for a while, almost forgetting Regina’s presence, she held a hand up to the mayor with a determined, possibly fired up expression on her face, “I could drag him through the mud, but with Mr Gold involved in this…I’ll have to drag the poor man through the cow dung, too, for good measure. Gold won’t make it easy for me, but I plan on making his own task harder as well. Anyone affiliated with Mr Carlyle, well, I’ll have to get someone to report on some about them too…getting a hand on some genuine pictures would be good, and then photos can be enhanced to suit your needs…”

“As for payment…hmmm…HMMM…” The journalist already had a good job, her pursuit of knowledge, more to write about. Now, what could she possibly want? “How about…the meaning of life? A book of all the world's knowledge? The world’s most perfect man? Any man who can make tea the way I like, I may just settle for that kind of guy…” Tapping her chin, she gave the mayor a playful smile…knowing that this cunty woman wouldn’t play, “How about you tell me how on earth I got started working for you?”

Regina stifled a haughty laugh, considering the description of the things she would want; the woman had no idea that each of those, except for maybe 'the world's most perfect man' was probably locking up his Pawn Shop right now, but the second request kept her mind from such thoughts.

"You came to me. Penniless, jobless, reputation less..." Regina started, repeating the lie that she had implanted into her head long, long ago. "I simply gave you a chance, one chance, and you have yet to disappoint me."

Nodding her head at Regina’s reminder of the sort of life she lived…the woman in her memory seemed a fraction less…Regina-like, in her mind, “You have my gratitude, you always will. Since you seem to know me better than I know myself, tell me…what do I want?”

"You want to do as I say, because if you don't, you will be ruined." Regina replied immediately in a cold threat, her eyes once again narrowing in the dark. "But..." She added on, letting her eyes soften up again. "...you've never given me reason before to doubt you before."

Letting out an exaggerated sigh, Sherry gave the mayor one last smile, though she obviously didn’t seem happy… “You don’t have to make me sound like a slave, sheesh…hmmm…hey; maybe you can do like people of the past do, give me your first born child as payment?” With her tease, she took a step back and gave a sort of sarcastic salute…before turning and making her way out.

Regina couldn't help her reaction, her jaw hung open in complete shock. Not her too! But then, then she realized that the woman was only joking and Regina exhaled a breath she didn't even realize she was holding. Shaking her head, trying to force herself to calm down, she reached into her pocket and dialled Robert's number.

"Hey." She said once he answered. "That wine is getting warm..."

[Lord Wyron]

*~*~Henry's Perspective~*~*

Henry hurried down the stairs of the bed & breakfast, the floorboards creaking and groaning audibly with each step. He adjusted the scarf around his neck nonchalantly, grabbing his gloves from his coat pockets and slipping them on with ease. The weather in Storybrooke was becoming more and more frigid with each passing day, almost mirroring Henry's change in disposition. Since his time spent in jail he was less cheerful, more brooding and quiet; and everyone knew it, since he was still the talk of the town.

He reached for his headphones around his neck when a sudden voice called out, "Mr. Carlyle?" From behind. Henry jumped slightly; as few people talked to him openly anymore, preferring to keep their safe distance. He turned around slowly, looking for the source of the voice.

His eyes landed on Granny, who had a troubled expression on her lined face. "Oh my, this is terribly awkward--" The old woman began, earning a puzzled look from Henry. Granny took a deep breath before continuing, "I need to ask you to leave." She finished simply, seeming to avoid looking him in the eyes.

Henry said nothing, his puzzled expression turning to one of stunned shock.

"I'm afraid we have a "No felons"-rule. It.. it turns out it's a city ordinance." Granny added, sounding as if she wanted this conversation over with as soon as humanly possible.

Henry finally spoke, his tone bitter and tired, "Let me guess: The Mayor's office called to remind you of that ordinance, eh?" Granny merely nodded her head curtly in response.

"You can gather your things, but I need to have your room key back." She finally said after an awkward moment of silence.

Henry was wordless as he reached into the pockets of his coat, procuring the small, metal key and dropping it in her open palm. "I won't be long." He said bluntly before heading back upstairs to pack his bags...

*~*~Mark's Perspective~*~*

Mark walked Grip down the street nonchalantly, holding the dog's leash in one hand while the other occupied his jacket pocket. Though his expression remained one of clear indifference, many thoughts ran in his mind. Miners Day was today, and he'd undoubtedly be volunteering at the nunnery as he always did. It was one of the few places where he showed any bit of true emotions, and the nuns loved having him as a volunteer. But now it seemed Mr. Gold was pricing rent higher and higher - and Miners Day was the one day in Storybrooke that the nuns could hope to pull in enough extra money to pay what was due.

Mark sneered visibly. Mr. Gold was never a pleasant man to deal with - but pulling every cent he could from nuns? That was simply cruel.

He stopped just outside Granny's, tying Grip's leash around a nearby lamp post. "Now, don't worry, boy. I'm just gonna go in and grab a coffee, alright? Be good - I won't be long." He told the dog, scratching him behind the ears and earning himself a happy bark and lick in response. Mark merely smiled - a true sincere smile before heading inside the diner. As he did, he couldn't help but notice Henry Carlyle leaving the bed & breakfast portion of the building, holding his suitcase.

"Did the newcomer get himself evicted?" Mark asked himself neutrally. He didn't believe the Daily Mirror one bit, but knew that something was off about Henry - as if he had become more introverted and cold, as made even more evident by his new change in clothes. "Poor sod." Mark added indifferently before stepping up to the counter and ordering his drink.

[Guardian Angel Haruki]

*~*~Dr. Faye Stevenson~*~*

Dr. Faye Stevenson couldn't be better. Life for her went on normally after the incident with Henry and Jane Doe. But, there was something different about this past week: No blackouts! She certainly didn't let the opportunity of her other persona's disappearance go to waste. She became a little more outgoing, going to lunch with co-workers and trying to make friends after work, ignoring the dread that she felt at the possibility that her persona will rear their head in again. It also turned out, from her recent meeting with Dr. Hopper, that Regina had given it back to the psychiatrist, despite Dr. Hopper's attempts to lie and say that he found them again. In light of that, and how Regina hasn't threatened her with anything, Dr. Stevenson decided not to charge the mayor.

However, as the week went by, she couldn't help but wonder as to why she partially trusted Henry. The question bugged her along with the fact that the Sheriff didn't question her about how Gold struck her. She put those questions in the back of her mind every time she focused on her job, the patients, or if she wasn't socializing with her co-workers after hours.

Now, as the Head Doctor, she was having Storybrooke Hospital have their own fundraiser for Miners' Day. After discussing with the other doctors, they all decided to raise money for research into ALS by setting up a dunking game for the visitors/patrons. They have the tank with the target already, all they needed is a volunteer to be the poor sod to be dunked into the tank of water. Unfortunately, nobody responded to the flyers Storybrooke sent into the paper. Dr. Stevenson honestly didn't blame them. Being dropped into cold water didn't sound appealing to her either. Even Leroy didn't want to volunteer for the position.

Then an idea hit Dr. Stevenson. She mumbled "Maybe he would..."

[Major Ursa]

Knox Kowalski

And life continued on, as normal. Sure, the town newcomer had been arrested for kissing the comatose Jane Doe, there was much to be done during the week about the earthquake related damages, and Mr Gold was out free walking the streets…but there was also days of rest, peaceful mornings with Ruby at the diner.

Mornings with Ruby at the diner, new moments in life to fill his head with confusion.

Previously, there was Ruby running around the diner with little reservations on her choice of dress, heavier make up and clothing...Knox supposed the switch up was what caught his attention, and not in a cautious or disturbed way, per se. Longer material uniform, instead of short shorts, no makeup…the security guard caught himself staring and trying to remember what she looked like with shorts, essentially imagining the waitress with less clothing. Gods, was he finally seeing her for what she was? At one point, he almost choked when Ruby bent over a table wearing skinny jeans…much to the confusion of the good people sitting in the booth over.

Feeling none too pleased with himself over his new found morning distractedness, the man could only force himself to stare into the girl’s face when she got close enough and make on topic conversation, remember that the fries were for eating. Ruby herself, the memory of their...time together, the 'small' interactions...were what kept his attention, among the other things. Catching her eye, staring at her soft lips, exchanging an apologetic look (both had busy schedules), occasional physical contact that Knox otherwise previously never noticed (hands touching, shoulder pat, poke)………aaaaaand, on the other end of things, there was the usual morning to noon activity of watching security footage or checking the sign-in logs, and night shift as an actual patrol around the hospital.

Not much would change in schedule, with it being Miner’s day, only that Knox would be needed in the hospital more than ever. Quite a number of regular security staff was off to enjoy the activity, so Knox felt compelled to stay to make sure nothing went wrong with the decrease in their regular numbers. With Jane Doe being kissed inappropriately on a regular, full staff day, you can never be too careful…or paranoid.

[YoshiSkittlez]

There was something absolutely magical in the air that day, and Regina couldn’t help but to feel that Miners Day wasn’t even the half of it. She hung up the office phone and looked over at Mason who was playing with his new train set just in front of her desk and smiled warmly. Things could have not been going better for The Mayor of Storybrooke. Henry was on his way out (with no one wanting him to stay, who would allow him a room when Granny’s of all people kicked him out), she recently discovered the patch to mend her scarred heart and late-nights with Robert only proved to be fruitful.

“C’mon Mason, I’m finished with my business work today. I told you it wouldn’t take very long.” Regina said pushing herself from her chair to join Mason at his side. “Just leave your train set here, we can pick you up another for home.”

“Are we going to Miners Day?” Mason asked eagerly, folding his hand into Regina’s out of habit. Regina nodded and smiled, running her fingers through his thick head of brown hair.

“Just as I promised. Maybe we can see about someone getting you a haircut too.”

The two smiled at one another, both basking in the warming love that they both desperately needed. An unspoken bond had formed between the boy and Regina over the last week. Wherever Mason went, Regina wasn’t to be found too far away. Even at school, Regina made a point pick him up and drop him off at exactly the times needed to be able to spend the most amount of time with him. She also made a habit of joining him for lunch, whether it was taking him something in a Hulk lunchbox she let him pick out, or taking him to Granny’s.

The warmer changes in Regina’s heart started coming out visibly as well, as today she had undergone the silk shirts and dress pants. Today, instead she wore a tight-fitting black turtleneck and blue jeans. Practical for the normal person’s everyday use, but still holding an air of class when Regina wore it.

The duo left Regina’s office after Regina had locked it up tight and set up the security alarm, and made their way down to the heart of Storybrooke to see what it is they could find this year...but unlike last year, they had someone to do it with together.

[YoshiSkittlez]

Many, many years ago…

Dawn came, but Rumpelstiltskin hadn’t slept a wink. How could he when he knew the fate of his wife and child, never to see them again? They were dead, claimed by the sea in its roiling wake. There had to be a way to get them back, somehow. He was The Dark One, anything was possible, right? He couldn’t think of that now, not when he was about to receive vengeance for the death of his family.

Rumpelstiltskin sat atop an archway adjoining two roofs, awaiting the pirate Killian Jones to arrive just as he had set it up the night before. His bloodshot eyes scanned the streets until finally, the pirate made himself known. From his spot on the archway, Rumpelstiltskin tossed down an old, rusty sword at Killian’s feet, causing the pirate to pause and look up at the monster.

“Pick it up dearie, and let’s begin!” Rumpelstiltskin shouted down to the pirate.

“There’s no need.” Killian replied, keeping his eyes on Rumpelstiltskin as he moved his hand to grab at his own sword, but forced to look at the sheath as his hand found it empty.

“Sorry…” Rumpelstiltskin’s voice came from directly behind Killian, catching the pirate off guard. “…but killing a man with his own sword is just too delicious to pass up.”

Killian turned to see his very own sword in the hand of Rumpelstiltskin, and was then forced to pick up the older sword that the monster had thrown at his feet earlier. He took a moment to test the blades weight, and suddenly lashed out at Rumpelstiltskin with a powerful swing down of the sword, aiming to get this duel over and done with as soon as possible.

Rumpelstiltskin showed no inexperience with the pirates sword, as each strike was so easily parried by The Dark One that he even took it a step further and rested his free hand behind his back. They continued to strike their blades together, time and time again until Killian was sure that he had him and swung indefinitely, however The Dark One was no longer there; vanished into nothing but air.

“Ships that pass in the night?” Rumpelstiltskin asked from behind Killian. “Well…at least one ship…”

Killian went at Rumpelstiltskin once more, making Rumpelstiltskin take a step back with each blow until once more he was sure he had him until Rumpelstiltskin caught his sword with his own and forced Killian forward, knocking over a stack of barrels and falling to the stone ground. He quickly got up, refusing to give up the fight and attacked the monster again with a shout of anger that echoed into the night.

Rumpelstiltskin, again blocked each blow, using his foot to kick Killian back a few paces once and when the pirate returned, used his free hand for the first time to punch the pirate in the face, again causing the pirate to stagger back. Killian went back at him blindly, swinging his sword with fury and lunging to catch even just the reptilian clothing of the beast but Rumpelstiltskin slapped his sword down, and kicked him down onto his chest with his boot.

Killian got back onto his feet, only stopping when he was on a single knee to see that his own sword was pointed directly at him, Rumpelstiltskin had won the duel; it was over.

“Go on, I’m ready for the sword.” Killian said bravely, looking up into the monster’s eyes that glared down upon him. Rumpelstiltskin raised the tip of the sword to Killian’s neck and studied his face carefully.

“No…” Rumpelstiltskin said through his gnashing teeth. He bent down at the torso a bit, getting on a closer level to Killian’s face though keeping the sword tip at the pirates throat. “Do you know what it’s like-” He asked. “-to have your family stolen from you? To feel powerless to stop it? It feels as if your heart has been ripped from your chest.”

Rumpelstiltskin straightened up and lowered the sword.

“Actually, let me show you…” He plunged his hand forward, and Killian found the hand of the monster slide into his chest as if he were made of Jell-o. A sharp pain came from the pirates throat as he suddenly felt Rumpelstiltskin’s hand close around his heart and squeezed down hard.

“NO! STOP!”

Rumpelstiltskin, with his hand deep in the chest of the man who had stolen Milah and Baelfire, turned his head to see…a ghost?

“Milah?” Rumpelstiltskin’s dark eyes widened, unbelieving of what he was seeing. It was Milah alright, done with the tattered and worn dresses he was able to provide for her and instead donned the apparel of a pirate. She hadn’t run away after all, she left him.

Against his better judgment, Mr. Gold closed up shop early that day. He really wasn’t one for traditions, and the pointless one belonging to the town only known as Miners Day; a made-up holiday simply to bring the town together in some bullshit attempt at ‘togetherness.’ As Mr. Gold locked up his shop, he couldn’t help but to sneer as two children chased each other, a race to see who could get to Granny’s bakery booth first. One of them was bound to trip over their untied shoelaces and bust up their knee pretty badly, and then he would be stuck hearing their snot-nosed whimpers of pain.

Before that could even become a possibility, he took hold of his cane and limped down the street in the opposite direction. It would be a longer route to get to the heart of Storybrooke, but it was also a route that would be less populated, and he wasn’t much in the mood for striking any new deals today. He did, however, need to make a short stop to visit his dear friend Mother Superior.

“You’re raising the rent again?” Mother Superior, despite her quiet and pristine manner, couldn’t help but to vocalize her worries at a steadily louder volume than deemed appropriate coming from a nun. Thankfully, everyone else was at Miners Day already and none to overhear them.

“You were twenty-three minutes late on last months; did you sincerely think that wouldn’t come with its consequences?” Mr. Gold asked in an almost pleasant tone.

“But…but it’s Miners Day! The nuns, we’ve all put in what we had left for our preparations. We’d have to sell every candle to be able to afford double rent!”

“That…” Mr. Gold said twisting his cane around a bit to keep his hands occupied with something. “…is not my problem. I’ll be by later tonight to collect.”

Without another word, Mr. Gold made his way off of the porch and back onto the street, whistling a merry tune to himself that sounded much like ‘hi-ho’ from the Disney version of Snow White.

[tanderbolt]

In a more unruly town, Miner’s day would be the worst day of the year for the police, but in Storybrooke even shoplifting was exceedingly rare. Robert had revised his patrol route for the day, spending most of his time walking around on foot to watch the merchant’s stalls. No one had any problems to report, but he asked around anyway, always telling them to call him if they needed something.

It had been over a week since the visitors first arrived, and the town had returned to its normal sleepy self. Henry was still in town, but Robert believed wouldn’t be sticking around for long, his reputation had been severely tarnished. He still had no idea what he was even doing in town in the first place, he had no friends or family living to visit. There had been no new sightings of the mysterious woman, and even though Dr. Stevenson had been willing to help, she had no information on her. There were several other unresolved cases, which troubled Robert greatly.

He sat down for a moment, in a spot where he had a clear view of the main line of stall, and pulled out his notebook and paper. He looked over the facts of the case of the tax money, Regina had reported the money missing, and he saw it in Henry’s car, but Henry had no prints on it. Every time he asked for more details, Regina blew him off. The fact that he had seen them talking to each other seemingly amicably only raised more questions, why would the mayor befriend someone who she saw steal from her?

He also didn’t like Regina’s refusal to report Mason’s case to Child Protective Service, or how she implied that she had illegally accessed Dr. Hopper’s files. He could never remember Regina as anything except a law abiding and just mayor, these actions were not something he’d expect from her. Even his relationship with her seemed off, he didn’t enjoy being with her and could not understand why he had come over to her house for “wine” so many times in the past. If this change in Regina was permanent, he would definitely regret being the town sheriff.

While he was sitting there, he made a list of all the strange occurrences that had been happening lately. Mason, Henry, Tax money, Mysterious woman, Jail escape, Earthquake, Regina’s changes, Thing underneath h-. Robert stopped in the middle of writing the list, realizing that it was distracting him. Sometime, he’d have to confront Regina about these, but he wanted to be careful. Offending her would mean losing the closest thing he had to a friend, dooming him to more nights of drinking at home and reading Flaubert.

[Major Ursa]

Sherry Attar

Pages, light like feathers of a wing…this was her heaven, flipping through to the next page of the novel for what was literally the nth time. All books were the escape from the mundane, and at the same time, a prison that enchanted her to return time and time again into its feather clutches. A good book knew how to pace its developments. What most would think as boring drivel, and lengthy descriptive filler…was a creeping fuse. And boom, the story exploded most spectacularly.

To be honest, Mr Carlyle’s little kiss scene was a dull affair at best…but like it or not, a job from the bossiest bitch of the crew was still a job. It did have some interests tied to it, such as the involvement of Mr Gold. Why take care of the newcomer, when he didn’t even care for the plight of the quaint little nuns and their church? Mr Carlyle didn’t look like he came from a whole lot of money…if he could afford Mr Gold, surely, he could afford a proper apartment or house.

Some of the best stories came in purely picture form, and what Sherry wove was a mental tapestry of a scene most foul. Omit a detail here, imply a detail there, and interview a confused nurse way over there…and you had the story of a prowler from out of town coming into the hospitals trying unsavoury things on the innocent, vulnerable Jane Doe. If a certain nurse (who remains unnamed) hadn’t seen what happened, my, what might that villain have done?!

And this continued on, and on, article after article.

Of course, she did spend an equal amount of time making some side articles on the efforts of the mayor. Being all over town after the earthquake, to personally see to the disaster relief, taking care of the small orphan boy…Regina never looked so good.

Sitting cross-legged in Granny’s diner, Sherry smiled brightly and waved at the attending waitress, Ashley. “Can I get some hot water, please?” The waitress waited a little bit for the rest of the order. Sherry gave her a smile. The waitress gave her an imploring look. “That’s it for now.” A sour sort of look the waitress’s face, but she forced a smile and left to get the hot water. The Miner’s day was today, the could only mean a newsprint article covering the event…that’d be Sherry’s break from all this Mr Carlyle business.

[YoshiSkittlez]

Ruby glanced up at the blue-lit analog clock that hung up on the wall behind the counter in Granny's Diner. Only ten more minutes before Granny's would be closing for the day, and she couldn't have been more relieved. That morning had been busy to say the least, helping Granny back in the kitchen cooking up enough sweets and pasteries to put an entire army into a coma, and what made it worse was that Knox had been roped into working that day and was unable to help her pass the time.

Ruby quickly headed out of the kitchens, covered in a light sheen of sweat only to start wiping down the emptying tables in the diner, finding that only one customer remained; Mayor Mills' little stock puppet for The Daily Mirror. She couldn't help but to glare, if just a bit in the woman's general direction. How could she respect a woman who so blatently drag someone as sweet as Henry Carlyle through the mud the way she did? Of course Regina was the puppet master, but Sherry didn't have to comply.

She quickly finished all the tables but hers, allowing the woman at least five more minutes before she would have to say something in regards to having to leave so they could close. Ruby then went back into the kitchens to see what else she could help Granny with and began to package the goods to transfer downtown.

"I haven't seen your broody friend in here today..." Granny commented, bustling around the steamy kitchen in order to find another box large enough to carry the freshly baked cookies.

"He's not broody." Ruby quickly commented, but couldn't help but smile as she was brought back to thinking about him for the hundredth time that day. "He had to work."

Things between her and Knox had been, toned down to say the least. Both of them had been increasingly busy as of late, her with Miners Day preperations and him with...well, his work. Sometimes she wondered if he actually liked putting in extra hours. She had tried on a number of occasions to get him to take a day off, or at least a few hours so they could go for a walk or catch a movie or...something that normal couples would do, but there seemed to always be something else that came up; like an unseen force that was keeping them from being together.

Tonight wouldn't be any different either. The biggest day in Storybrooke, and she probably wouldn't even see him until her morning shift where he ordered cheese fries and coffee and she prayed to God that it wouldn't be busy with customers so she could sit down and drink a strawberry smoothie with him.

Granny just made a 'mhhm' noise from her throat and handed Ruby a collapsed box.

"Put that together will ya? When your done go ahead and start filling your car and head on down, perhaps we can get a good spot this year."

Ruby complied and put the box together after finding the duct tape, deciding to take the back exit to begin filling her car with the already packaged boxes to keep from having to make eye contact with that foul woman again.

[YoshiSkittlez]

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[YoshiSkittlez]

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[YoshiSkittlez]

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[YoshiSkittlez]

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[Guardian Angel Haruki]

Collaboration between Ghost Shadow as Henry Carlyle, and I as Dr. Faye Stevenson

*~*~*~*

Faye walked to Granny's from the the heart of the town, where the hospital was setting up the game booth for Miners' Day, and after she entered, she took a seat at a booth, setting down a duffel bag next to her. While at Granny's, she looked around wondering if she would see Henry here.

As if on cue, the soft but audible ring of the door bell sounded as Henry walked through; the crisp cold air cutting through the air-conditioned environment of the diner like a sharp blade until the door closed behind him, keeping the wicked wind from permeating any further.

At first not seeing Faye at the booth, Henry promptly removed his gloves; stuffing them in his coat pocket as he loosened the scarf around his neck. His eyes drifted across the restaurant until landing on her, staying locked there for a few moments. Though it was quite obvious he wanted to approach, something held him back: fear, apprehension maybe, possibly even shame.

Dr. Stevenson quickly noticed him after the bell rang and when his eyes landed on her, she quickly looked out of the window, as though she hadn't been looking at him to begin with. She could hear the whispers coming from the other customers who noticed Henry enter the diner. She never really read the town newspaper, because she knew that it was biased in Regina's favor.

She noticed that some people left after Henry entered, and there were fewer customers in the diner. She shook her head and she leaned back into the booth seat.

Henry watched everyone leave with almost apathetic disinterest, but it didn't take a doctor to notice the pain that hid in his eyes. He let his head cock to look at Faye once again, rapping his fingers against his leg as he seemed to debate speaking to her or not. He had no other choice.

"I need your help." He said aloud to her, not letting his eyes leave hers for a moment.

Faye looked up to him when he came over, and after he said that he needed her help. She nodded and she stated while gesturing to the empty booth seat, opposite to hers, and she offered, showing that she was willing to listen, "Why don't you take a seat?"

She noticed the pain in his eyes and the fact that he had a suitcase in hand. She can guess as to what his problem may be.

Henry muttered a quiet "Thank you" and walked over, sliding into the opposite booth and managing a small smile, though it was hollow - not his smile. "Hello." He said simply, clasping his hands together before relaying his issue.

"Regina's evicting me." He said, not caring to use the mayor's proper title. "She's lost the court case and she knows it, so she's pulling every last string she has to keep me out. I need somewhere to stay, and I was wondering if...." He trailed off, though it was quite obvious what he was asking the doctor.

"If you wanted to stay in my home," She finished his question for him. She seemed to think over it for a moment, and she answered "Yes. However there is a condition. Are you going to be ok with the fact that my home has video cameras as part of its security system? The cameras are not in the bathrooms or guest bedroom,"

Henry couldn't restrain an audible sigh of relief, his shoulders seeming to relax slightly. "Faye, I can't...I can't thank you enough for this." He said with a warm smile, his true smile.

On the question of a security system, his expression turned to one of slight confusion for a moment, but settled back down. "Yes, that's fine. I've nothing to hide." He reassured.

Faye seemed to be a little relieved as well when he said that he would be fine and that he had nothing to hide. She said "Good, good," After she stated that, the waitress brought her lunch, and left after Faye thanked her, but before Faye could ask the waitress to take Henry's order.

She then said "Also...there was something I hoped you could help with," She then asked "But first things first, have you ever heard of Miners' Day?"

"Yes, of course, it's been the talk of the town - besides me." He said, finishing with an almost bitter tone to his voice. "Are you helping there?" He asked curiously.

Faye nodded and said "Yes, in a way. As Head Doctor, I'm having Storybrooke Hospital run a fundraiser on Miners' Day. We will be raising funds for research into ALS, so we will be running a little game booth on Miners' Day. The game will be the classic dunking game, where someone will be dropped into a tank of water if they hit a bulls-eye. The thing is...we need someone to be dropped into the tank...and no one's volunteered for the position,"

She finished the explanation awkwardly, knowing how unappealing the idea may sound to Henry.

"I see..." Henry replied, sounding quite perplexed. "Very well, I'll be your guinea pig." He said with a huff, running a hand through his hair. Under regular circumstances, he would have most likely made a joke about her wanting to see him soaked - but times were awkward and cold now, and he presumed it would remain like that for some time...

Faye smiled kindly and she said in response to his answer, with a sigh of relief, "Thank you," She then said "Hopefully, this will be able to help you a little more as well,"

"I certainly hope so." He replied, letting his eyes drift off out the window to look out at the street. "So..." he began almost awkwardly, "Howya been?" He asked in a conversational enough tone, turning to look at her once again.

Faye answered awkwardly, "I've been well. I haven't blacked out in a week, so that's good," She wanted to ask how he was doing, but she knew better. She probably would have a hard time going through with the town hating her as well.

"Well, that's good. I'm happy for you." He said friendly enough, though still seeming distant. "I uh--I missed talking to you." He said, sounding almost...nervous; a trait uncommon with him, especially when talking to others, which he was especially good at.

She noticed the nervous tone in his voice, and she knew that that was uncommon. She nodded in response while biting her bottom lip and she answered in agreement, "It has been a while since we last spoke, hasn't it?"

"Indeed it has." Henry replied, purposefully dodging the altercation in the hospital that strictly limited their interaction. "So...when's your work day over?" He asked curiously, more and more confidence entering his voice.

Faye answered simply, the awkwardness gone as she spoke, "Today's Miner's Day. I'm free except for the fundraiser," She then looked at her watch and she stated, "Speaking of which, we should head there, and get you on your throne," She joked at the last bit as she stood up and waited for Henry to do the same.

"Oh, I see!" Henry exclaimed, looking at his own pocketwatch he kept safely secured in his suit jacket pocket. "Yes, I suppose we should. Do you have any spare clothes or a...hairnet?" He asked, placing a hand on his, admittedly well-styled hair, adding emphasis.

Faye answered Henry, showing him the small duffel bag she brought with her, "Yes, there are spare clothes in here...and there's a swimming cap in there too,"

"Sounds good." He acknowledged, rising up from his own spot at the table. "Well, let it never be said that I denied having a bit of fun. Shall we be off?" He asked warmly, hiding his excitement of being able to actually stay with Heather...or Faye longer than a few minutes.

[YoshiSkittlez]

During his patrols, Robert happened to see Regina and Mason walking around the town square, shopping at the various stalls. He thought that now might be a good a time to bring up his concerns with her. Maybe he could even make sure if Mason was ok, he was beginning to doubt whether Regina would be a good parent.

If this had just been any 'Miners Day,' Regina would have been found sticking her nose up at the little trinket booths and poorly put together fundraisers but this year, she had Mason. She couldn't deny the boy the way he looked with wide eyes and wonder at Marco's small toy stall, particularly fawning over a small, hand-blown glass figurine of a wire-haired terrier.

"These prices are a bit steep..." Regina said checking the paper tag on the dog, her voice not at all amused as she looked up at Marco with a slight glare.

"Twenty-five percent of the proceedings go to the children in the hospital." Marco said with a pleased smile, though faltering when Regina's expression didn't change.

"I'll give you seven dollars, and you can give twenty-five percent of that to your charity." Regina handed the small glass figure to Mason and began to dig through her purse.

He hated to interrupt Regina's moments with Mason, but he knew that the oppurtunity was fleeting. Robert walked closer to them, standing off to the side. He looked at the merchant and said "If you have any problems with a customer, let me know. I can sort it out, no matter who it is." He was trying to give a subtle hint that Regina really should have paid full price.

Regina lifted her head from digging through her purse and looked up at Robert with a cold glare.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" She asked, straightening up her back. She was still shorter than Robert, but height alone had never been much to intimidate her.

"Just trying to help all of Storybrooke's residents. How've you two been, enjoying your time together? Mason's gonna have to meet with some people to find a more permanent home soon, I hope you guys have some fun today." Robert had read in books that he was supposed to "sugrarcoat" bad news, but that advice was intended for someone who actually had social skills.

Regina flinched, but her mouth remained shut until she turned around and got back onto her knee, looking at Mason and running her fingers through his wild brown hair.

"Mason, why don't you run home and put your little trinket into your bedroom?" She suggested, her voice eerily calm from what it had been just a few moments back. "And then on your way back, pick some apples from my tree, we can have a snack at the park later." She patted Mason and he was on his way.

Regina seemed to ignore the look on Marco's face when the boy had run off with one of his figurines without paying, but at Regina stood back up she slapped a twenty down onto the booth, however her eyes never left Robert's.

"What are you saying?" She asked, her eyes narrowing, daring him to suggest anything that might entail Mason having to leave her side.

"The law is clear, we need to take him to the regional office in Boston to get him in the system. I'm sure that when he's up for adoption, you'll be at the top of the list, but you do need to go through the proper channels." Roberts voice was as firm and unchanging as ever, he treated this like dealing with any other disobedient citizen.

"I am NOT taking him to Boston." Regina replied, feeling Marco wince at her raised voice. "We both know that's not how the system works, I'll never see him again and he'll be thrown into some house where he's just a meal ticket!" Regina could feel her eyes growing wet, but remained strong under the terms that no tear fell. She shook her head lightly to keep it so, and took a deep breath before she really lost it.

"Robert, I'm begging you. Overlook what the state says, no one here will blame you. Word won't get out, that I can promise. I need him. I need my son..."

"It doesn't matter who knows, what matters is that there are laws, put in place to determine the right decisions are made. As a mayor, surely you can understand that. Maybe in the past I would have let this slide, believed that you were the perfect parent for him, but recent events have made me less sure. This decision will shape the rest of his life, I cannot leave it solely up to us."

Regina bit down on her cheek a bit, her eyes wandering to anywhere really, anywhere but on Robert. She crossed her arms over her chest, letting her hands run up and down her arms as if trying to give herself some sort of comfort.

"What do you want Robert? A raise? Whatever the price I'll do it."

"I want you to tell me what time I can expect to pick up Mason tomorrow. While you're at it, I have a lot more questions that you've been avoiding. Why did you have dinner with a man who you saw steal your tax money, somehow without leaving a single fingerprint on the envelope? How did you obtain a psychiatrist's private files? When something happens in an abandoned mine that registers a six on the richter scale, why seal it off that very afternoon? What happened to the Regina I remember, the one who would would've been answering these questions without hesitation?"

Regina couldn't help but to look around, seeing if anyone...important might be around to hear this conversation. The last thing she needed was Sherry snooping around for a greasy story for tomorrow's paper.

"You're over the line Robert." Regina warned him in a low tone. "Now back off before you regret it."

"As long as I am sheriff, I will do what it takes to keep Storybrooke safe and ensure that everyone follows the law. Tell Mason I'll see him tomorrow." Robert had said what he wanted to, and walked off, continuing his patrol.

"I made you sheriff Robert!" Regina called after him, her voice cracking just a bit as the tears started coming back. "I can take that away you know!"

She breathed heavily out her nose as Robert continued to walk on, her cold eyes snapping over at Marco who had gone extremely pale-faced suddenly.

"Don't look at me as if you understand because you don't. You have no children Marco, and you never will."

It wasn't so much of a slam on Marco as it was to Gepetto, but it made her feel just a bit better as she stormed away from his stall in order to find the one man in Storybooke that could help her right now.

[Lord Wyron]

Collaboration between YoshiSkittlez and Ghost Shadow
--

It took Mark a few more minutes than usual to get from Granny's to the town square as Grip felt the need to investigate and/or urinate on every new sight and smell he encountered. Mark kept up the pace, though, and managed to make it to the nunnery in good time - walking past an...almost pleased looking Mr. Gold, who whistled quite a merry tune while strolling past the building.

"That can't be good." Mark commented to no-one-in-particular, a certain sense of dread to his tone.

He tied Grip's leash to another lamp-post before heading inside, looking for Mother Superior. The woman hadn't budged from her position on the patio infront of the church, her head face-down in her gloved hands as she tried to keep from crying.

Mark stepped out onto the patio, his eyes instinctively doing a quick sweep of the area (habit from being a fireman) before landing on the head nun, who appeared quite distressed.

He stood still for a moment, unsure of how to go about this before approaching slowly, his face...empathetic, for once.

"Mother Superior, what happened?" He asked concernedly, his eyes narrowing as a theory entered his mind. "Did Mr. Gold do something to you?" He added on, looking almost upset himself. There's a special place in hell for someone who makes nuns cry.

The tiny woman jumped at Mark's voice, startled to have someone approach her in such a vulnerable position. She quickly wiped the tears from her eyes and forced on a smile.

"Oh, oh no, no...he didn't do anything." She tried to assure both herself and Mark with a couple awkward placed nods. "It was just...just a friendly reminder."

Mark quite plainly didn't believe her, tapping his foot on the floor almost rhythmically. "A reminder for what?" He asked gravely, though his eyes remained soft.

"We..." Mother Superior fidgeted with her fingers, struggling to find the right words that wouldn't make Mr. Gold angry in anyway. God knew he had eyes and ears everywhere. "...we were late on last months rent, and as penance, this month's rent has been doubled..."

"Doubled?!" Mark repeated in utter disbelief. It had taken a lot of effort to pay up last month's rent, let alone twice the amount.

He began pacing about the porch, apparantly thinking hard for a solution. "What...what can we do?" He asked, stopping to look at her again.

Mother Superior blinked...twice.

"W-we?" She asked. "Oh Mr. Dufresne, don't trouble yourself with our problems. We'll manage. We...we have candles to sell this year, as we did last year. We'll manage..." The shakiness in her voice revealed, however, they wouldn't.

Mark turned his head to look out at the crowds enjoying the festivities of Miner's Day, his expression turning indifferent and cold for a moment before softening as he turned to Mother Superior again.

"There's enough people out there...I'll see about getting some volunteers and going about the town." As if to emphasize, he placed a firm but gentle hand on her shoulder. "I'll make sure the nunnery stays open, even if I have to buy them all myself." He said with resolve, looking fully confident.

"I-" Mother Superior struggled to meet Mark's gaze, her cheeks flushing from not embarassment, but in gratitude for the kind hearted man standing in front of her. "Thank you..." She finally decided upon, her smile easing into that of becoming genuine. "We sold fourty three last year, this year, if we're to meet Mr. Gold's price...we need to sell them all...by tonight."

Mark nodded sharply, unable to help a smile of his own peeking through - warm, friendly, human.

"I'll check Granny's first, it'll get done!" He said one last time before quite hastily making his way out of the church: he had a *lot* of work to do.

[Guardian Angel Haruki]

Collaboration between Ghost Shadow as Henry Carlyle, YoshiSkittlez as Ruby, Regina, and Granny, and I as Dr. Faye Stevenson and Dr. Whale

*~*~*

Henry closed the door of his car where he left his suitcase, coat, scarf, and gloves behind; wearing only his white dress shirt and trousers.

"Something tells me this isn't going to be pleasant." He said, somewhat dryly, adjusting the collar of his shirt in the car mirror - always had to look his best.

"I should hope you don't laugh too hard at my expense, doctor. I'd like at least a shred of dignity by the festival's end." He said with a small smirk, a warm, almost playful tone to his voice: which only seemed to come out more around her.

Faye exited the car as Henry did, answering his dry comment, "You never know, it could turn out to be a fun experience," She laughed a bit at his next comment, and she joked in the same tone as Henry's, "Oh don't worry, I highly doubt you'll lose any more dignity from being the dunk tank victim,"

She then studied his attire, and she asked him "Are you sure you don't want to wear the Miners' Day T-shirt that was provided?"

Henry smiled slightly wider at her question, "Faye, can you honestly see me wearing a t-shirt and swim trunks?" He asked with a small chuckle. "If I'm going to make so wide a public appearance, I might as well look my best." He added, wondering internally if she was admiring him or not.

Faye shrugged and answered, leading the way to the Storybrooke hospital booth, "No, but it's a possibilty," After he made his comment, and she said with a slight mischeivous smirk of her own, "OK, but I bet you'll be wanting that T-Shirt and swim trunks after this event,"

As she led the way and spoke with Henry, the people around them seemed to ignore them, busy in their own affairs, until they reached the booth that Faye ran. Next to that booth was a giant dunk tank, colored only in primary colors. When they arrived, Dr. Whale ran up to her and he said "Dr. Stevenson! We still don't have a volunteer, what-" He stopped when he noticed Henry and he asked warily, "What is he doing here?"

Dr. Stevenson raised her eyebrows and she said seriously, "Dr. Whale. Henry Carlyle has agreed to be our dunk tank victim,"
Dr. Whale seemed to do a double take between her and Henry and he said to her "You cannot be serious, Dr. Stevenson," She interrupted him "I am serious, Dr. Whale,"

"Public humiliation? Seem appropriate enough to me, wouldn't you agree, Dr. Whale?" Henry asked dryly, stepping up to the tank without waiting for an answer.

"Shall I step in?" He asked, looking to Faye.

Faye nodded and answered in a semi-joking tone, "Go ahead, Mr. Carlyle. Your throne awaits," Just as Dr. Whale was about to protest, she said to him, "Dr. Whale, you can go ahead and spread word that the dunk tank booth is now open for patrons,"

Dr. Whale clenched his teeth, and he went off to do as Faye told him to. She stood behind the desk next to the tank, waiting for customers to line up for the chance of dunking the newcomer.

Henry untucked his shirt and mussed up his hair a bit before stepping up the short ladder behind the tank; sitting quite comfortably on the chair that sat just above the still pool of water.

He looked over at Faye again, grinning widely, his old self seeming to return. "Just to let you know right now, I'm going to try and get as much water as humanly possible on you." He said, his tone serious, but a small glint in his eye signaled amusement - though not giving an inch either way as to whether the threat was serious or not.

Faye retorted to Henry's warning in a joking way, while mimicking the secretary's voice "I've got my eye on you,"

Ruby had just arrived on the scene, heaving a box that was probably twice her weight in cookies, only too glad to set it down next to the booth that was beside the water dunking tank. She only got in two good breaths when she realized just who she was beside, and her lips split into a wide grin.

"I see you got your volunteer!" Ruby said with amusement to Faye, all the while looking up at Henry perched precariously on the dunk-tank seat.

Faye looked to Ruby, smiling happily as she greeted "Hi Ruby! Yes, he was the only volunteer, so how could we refuse?" She then asked Ruby, "Would you like to be the first one to dunk Henry into the tank?"

Henry waved to Ruby as she arrived before placing both hands on his knees, looking about the town square with obvious interest. One with trained ears could have heard him mumbling a song under his breath, most likely a nervous tic.

However, he quickly came to attention at the mention of Ruby being the first "lucky" contestant, his eyes widening in fear. "Have mercy." He said half-heartedly, playing the part of a literal victim well enough.

Ruby's eyes seemed to brighten at the idea, but then looking at the baseballs that were provided to throw at the itt-bitty target her smile faultered.

"I've never been too good with sports, he might not get wet." She said shifting her weight onto her opposite leg. She looked around them, unsurprised to find that no one else was jumping to the opportunity, more like avoiding the dunk tank altogether. Her face became serious, biting onto her lower lip in thought. If this dunk tank was going to get any attention, then something big had to happen.

Ruby turned back around, quickly and pulled a five dollar bill out of her pocket and handed it to Faye and took it upon herself to grab the first ball.

Faye had expected the answer. Like it would be that easy. But much to her surprise, Ruby seemed to have a change of heart, and Faye took the five dollar bill in surprise that turned into happiness, even though the original price was $1 per ball (the max payment was $3).

"You should have left Storybrooke when you had the chance!" Ruby yelled, pulling her arm back and flung the ball awkwardly, missing the target a good ways away but her determined face kept vigil. She grabbed the second ball and threw it with the same amount of luck.

Faye watched as Ruby threw the balls, giving words of encouragement to Ruby to keep on trying and to show the newcomer what for! As Ruby did this, she noticed that the people nearby watched, the scene. Some looked as though they were getting the idea of doing the same thing.

"How could you? You creep!" Ruby grabbed another ball, this one dropping behind her before being able to be thrown forward. Ruby watched the ball roll down the street just a few feet before a high-heeled foot stepped onto the baseball, stopping it in it's place. Ruby looked up from the shoe, up the blue jeans and black turtleneck until her eyes landed on Regina, looking at the baseball underneath her foot as if she had just stepped in a pile of manure.

However, her happiness faded into worry as she watched the ball roll into the street and under Madame Mayor's foot. Her smile was replaced by a hesitant look as worry that the mayor may try and shut down her booth creeped into her mind.

Henry's expression had turned mocking as Ruby failed (quite miserably) at hitting the target. No doubt that the hilarity of her attempts was just as inviting to the other citizens. However, all amusement faded as Regina entered the scene - strangely without Mason at her side.

The Mayor stooped down to pick up the baseball before looking over at Henry, tossing the baseball up and down in her hand, contemplating what to do with it. This seemed to catch the attention of those walking by, all stopping in their tracks, wondering with deep intent on what their Mayor was going to do next.

Henry's eyes locked hard onto hers, a sly smirk at the corner of his mouth as he awaited her next move.

A muscle in Regina's lip twitched. There was so much going on in her head at the moment that she didn't even think about the consequences of what she did next might wrought down on her. With strength that even surprised her, Regina threw the ball with precise accuracy, nailing the small red circle in the middle of the target.

"Oh, Dear." He barely managed to say as the ball hit the target.

A loud "DING!" resounded right after Regina hit the target, and the seat dropped Henry right into the tank, earning a laugh from Faye and everyone who was watching. Faye called to the people who had their attention on what was happening,

"Let's give it up for Ruby and Madam Mayor everyone!" She started to clapping and it didn't take everyone long to do the same.

She looked at Henry and she smiled her praises at him, silently telling him that this wouldn't have been possible without him. She watched as people stepped in line, waiting for the chance to dunk the newcomer.

Henry slowly lifted himself out of the tank, shivering and looking not-too-pleased at the moment. "I...f-forgot the...swim c-cap." He managed to say shakily, pointing to his wet, matted hair for emphasis.

Ruby took the moment to step back to the booth, surprised to find Granny already there and with the boxes of sweets unpacked and ready to start selling.

"You did a good thing Ruby." Granny commended, not bothering to look up at her granddaughter as she did though, but Ruby was more than happy to take the compliment.

Regina, on the other hand, seemed to have regretted her decision soon as Dr. Stevenson had turned her action into some sort of...heroic display. She could hear the crowd's eagerness to get in line behind her. She turned on her heel and pushed through them however, not wishing to stick around to be asked to do it again. It had felt good to dunk Henry into a bucket of ice-cold water yes, but now the people were starting to like him again...and this time it was her fault.

Granny had plastered up a sign on Faye's booth, and now next to the 'ALS Dunk Tank Fundraiser' was now an added note,

'$5.00 for a picture with town creep'

Faye didn't turn Granny away. After the sign was up, she commented with a small smile, "Good thing I brought a camera with me,"

Ruby found her jaw dropping at the sign and elbowed the older woman in the ribs.

"A bit much don't you think?"

Granny just smiled.

"If you don't, I will!" Granny said pulling a five-dollar bill out of her purse and then moved to hurry in line leaving Ruby to tend their baking stand, shaking her head and laughing all the while.

Henry managed to climb back atop the seat, rubbing his arms furiously to generate a bit of warmth. His eyes gazed over at the sign Granny put up. His head cocked to the side in confusion for a moment.

"Five dollars for a picture, eh? I'd say charge seven. After all I'm in a...very wet white shirt." He added, pointing to his quite-visible chest through the sopped material, managing a short laugh before shaking his head furiously to clear out some of the water.

Faye chuckled and shook her head at his comment. After Regina left, nearly all of Storybrooke had stepped up and attempted to dunk Henry at least once. Some came back for more attempts, and there were some who paid extra for the picture as Granny advertised. Dr. Stevenson noticed that the only person she hadn't seen in line was Mr. Gold. But then, that was to be expected, and she wasn't complaining about his absence.

[Major Ursa]

(Collaboration Post Featuring Ghost Shadow's Henry Carlyle and Major Ursa's Sherry Attar)

Henry eventually got out of the booth after he began to think even his bones were getting soggy. It seemed people were becoming more and more accurate, and he'd catch hypothermia soon if he didn't at least dry off a bit.

He went behind one of the nearby stalls, ensuring himself at least a bit or privacy as he began to dry himself off fervently, sighing as he knew he must look absolutely dreadful at the moment.

Of course, Sherry didn’t blame the waitress for spilling the mug of hot water onto her notebook...easily replaceable, and most of the important notes were memorised to every word. The journalist did end up paying and rushed home to get the biggest, fluffiest towel to fold the book into…dumb idea, there wasn’t much to be saved.

Childish, really, trying to save something that could be easily moved on from. Just about folding the big, hardly used towel into her tote bag, she tenderly peeled through the pages. Sad, she could see where she originally wrote word after word, and then where the ink ran. Well, there wasn’t much use dwelling on wet paper.

Walking in front of the stalls, Sherry looked around for a garbage bin. Swivelling her head right, then left, she caught sight of a bin just behind a stall. Lightly treading on over, she tentatively peered down at the notebook…before dropping it in. Well, at least it was still sunny. Turning to get back—ah! Just one stall away from the one she stood behind, wasn’t that…?

Weaving past the bin, she made her way to the man dripping with water. Tentatively, she gave her sunniest smile, “Hello, aren’t you that Mr Carlyle?”

Henry turned at the strange voice that called to him, his mouth twitching slightly. "It appears my reputation precedes me. If you have any questions, you'll have no luck getting an answer from me." He said almost coldly, immediately becoming defensive.

The journalist didn’t seem at all phased by his coldness, instead seemed to pause to herself for a moment to consider the idea, before reaching into the tote back to bring out the dry, folded towel, “Say, do you like Jane Austen?” Unfolding the big, fluffy towel… ‘If a book is well written, I always find it too short.’ was printed along the length of it in big black font, Sherry’s arms were spread out wide to show him the quote on her custom towel…before she bunched the whole thing up, and tossed it to him.

Her smile was a little bit wider, and that much cheekier, “I’ll have you know, you very much look the part of a wet cat right now!”

Henry nodded in thanks as he took the towel, raising his eyebrows slightly, quite impressed by the quote. When she compared him to a wet cat, he stopped, seeming to tense up sharply. "A...wet cat, you say? Why on earth would I look like that?" He asked with a slightly nervous chuckle, masking it with feigned amusement

“Well, you are sopping wet. As well, moments ago, you had the ‘fuck the world’ sort of expression on your face, when you looked over at me…it’s pretty popular with wet cats.” Sherry giggled, with an easy smile on her face as she crossed her arms, her tote bag swaying at the motion, “When, if I were you, I’d just be glad that the weather is better today. If it were cooler, cold water would be a death sentence upon you, and a towel couldn’t save you.” The presence of her smile confirmed the obvious, she was only joking.

Tilting her head, “Do well to dry yourself, you wouldn’t want to catch a cold…you need the strength to hold your head up high when others see you.” She gestured to the towel, now in his hands, "Go on."

"Oh...thank you." He said courteously. This woman was nice...almost too nice. Most people would have simply sneered or whispered something venomous before walking off. But this woman had approached him with benevolent intention. It couldn't be that simple, people were cruel...

With a mental shrug, he got to work drying himself off more, the towel the woman provided being much more useful in its job than the previous one. "Well, you know who I am...but what do I call you?" He asked affably enough.

Fidgeting a little bit, somehow her smile hadn’t worn down even a little, as Sherry turned around to leave…giving Henry one last look over her shoulder, “Sorry…you can call me very, very sorry.” And she left without another word.

Henry could only stare at the woman as she left, perplexed. Why was she sorry? What had she done? Henry couldn't help but feel a pang of pain in his heart, as if he was empathizing...but for someone he never knew...Henry could only shake his head, as if to clear his thoughts before returning to the dunk tank.

[Lord Wyron]

Mark was almost pleasant as he walked about the nunnery, offering friendly greetings and a smile to the nuns as he passed out of the church. In truth, he was extremely worried...he'd been helping the nuns during Miner's Day for as long as he could remember. It made him feel good, putting a smile on their faces, made him feel useful to Storybrooke and to himself.

His spirits weren't exactly lifted, however, when he found out that he would have to sell one *thousand* candles by tonight. However, Mark masked his worry and concern with an air of confidence and reassurance, praying to God that he would accomplish what seemed to him as so insurmountable a task.

The nun's helped him set up the candle booth in the hubbub of Miner's Day, stacking box after box of candles behind the stand to the point it looked like an indomitable wall. Mark sighed deeply, scratching the top of his head as he could only look behind him and see just how many candles he would have to sell...

Swallowing his fear once again, he mustered as much volume he could to his voice, reading off a pre-written advertisement from a small piece of paper: "Buy your Miner’s Day candles here! Handmade by Storybrooke’s very own nuns! Light your way to a good cause!" His calls did little to attract any attention, the most he was receiving being slight surprise that he was attending a booth.

Mark continued this process for what seemed like hours, reaching absolutely nowhere. Candles were almost old news by now, with electric lights and such - no one was interested anymore. Mark could do little but stand there, dejected, hoping someone would either take pity on him, or just put him out of his misery.

Mark left the stall after about half an hour to take a walk, clear his head. He had no worry about shoplifters - who the hell would run around stealing candles? He kept his pace slow and stiff, keeping both hands in his jacket pockets to preserve them from the still somewhat-chilly weather.

As Mark walked past the dunk tank and bakery stall (noticing Henry Carlyle as the quite-displeased victim), his eyes landed on Mason, who seemed to be lost - choosing to stay somewhere familiar instead of running off into the still-heavy crowds.

Mark felt an...instictive compulsion to check on the boy, blaming it on his fireman training. He approached the timid boy, squatting down to get on eye level.

"Hello Mason! Didn't think I'd see you here." He greeted friendlily, smiling softly. "You remember me, don't you?" He asked inquisitively.

Mason nodded his head hastily, responding with a simple, "Mark."

"That's right!' Mark replied in an encouraging tone. "Now then," he began, his voice turning slightly more serious - but not overly so. "You look lost...do you need me to help you find someone?" He asked, eyes locked with Mason's.

"I can't find my mom." The boy replied, chewing on his bottom lip by habit.

"Oh, I see." Mark replied empathetically before rising to his full height. He extened a single hand out from his pocket for Mason to take. "Come now, let's see if you and I can find her, eh?" He offered warmly.

Mason seemed to think on this proposal for a moment, as if weighing whether he'd want to stay where he was or not. But eventually, his own previous interaction with Mark, coupled with wanting to find Regina all the sooner won him over, and he took Mark's hand in his before the two of them went off on their search.