tanderbolt

Lucid Dream..

Unique idea, sounds cool.

Strong Style! (anime-style pro wrestling RP kinda like Hajime Ippo/NJPW/NXT )

Heck yes, definitely interested.

Lexicon-Fantasy Worldbuilding A-Z

Definitely interested.

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

Collaboration between Ghost Shadow and Tanderbolt

The day had turned to late afternoon, the formerly bright yellow sun becoming a deeper orange as it started its lengthy descent from the heavens.

Viewing as such from a slightly frosted window in the lodge lobby, Dominic stood still and stiff as a statue, the only movements he made being the subtle twitch of his fingers as he awaited the other Guardians. Rather, the other competent Guardians. Having sent both Ilya and Funes a message earlier that afternoon, it would only be a matter of minutes before they arrived.

Ilya spotted Dominic outside and walked up to him. He said "Glad to see you're here. I don't have much time but Funes is here too, we can talk in his room. Follow me."

Turning as the large figure of Ilya approached him, Dominic nodded curtly, holding a certain air of professionalism and formality about him. "Yes, of course. Lead the way." He replied with a motion of his hand, his typically warm and inviting gray eyes now steely and resolved. He had been assured countless times that no one else could have followed them to Earth, but Dominic knew better than to take anything at face value.

Ilya led him to Funes' room down the hall on the first floor. A few people stared at Dominic as they walked by. "I like this job better, though Funes had to help me with the air fare. I didn't make much in the army. Glad I got a visa, I'd probably be a farmer if that never worked out." He stopped and knocked on Funes' door after finishing his sentence.

"It's a shame. Soldiers don't seem to get paid much these days...not like it was that much better back Home." Dominic replied, somewhat bitterly. "Being a farmer might not be so bad. Tiring work, but well worth it from what I've heard. Nevertheless, I always felt more comfortable in a museum of library." He added, his tone lighter as he cracked a small smile.

"That's a lot of words from someone who's never given either professions a serious try. Things are different here, there's less farmers, and in this country there's no conscription." Funes opened the door when Ilya was in the middle of his sentence. He said "I presume things are still the same in the old world. I wonder if the peasents have even noticed many changes at all, in my village our only interactions with the feudal landlords was paying taxes and helping with wars. Now, I'm sure Dominic would be able to enlighten us, if he knows anything about it at all. I don't recall him spending much time with the average villager, and I wonder if he has found need to do so over the course of the 318 days since he last visited us. Of course, he's probably here to discuss more pressing matters such as the children, all but two of his visits have primarily concerned that subject."

"I'm afraid my work with the peasants has been little aside from flying over their heads every so often." Dominic replied, somewhat dryly (though there was a bemused glint in his eyes).

"Your earlier assumptions are correct. My visit here regards the Children." Dominic then added before looking behind him, checking for any bystanders before entering Funes' room completely.

"I spoke briefly with the Sorcerer before coming here. He mentioned our plans were 'accelerating', that it would soon come time for the Children to return to the Fairy Tale World. I don't know any specifics, but I do know we need to work out how we're going to tell them who they are -- what they are. It's far from being simple information." He finished soberly, planting both hands in his coat pockets.

At that point Ilya walked into the room and motion for Dominic to follow him. He said "Has the situation gotten worse? What exactly would they be doing when they got back?" Funes didn't talk, he was still thinking at this point.

"That, I'm afraid, is not in my knowledge. I suppose it all comes down to the Dark Queen and how prepared she is. As for the situation itself...I cannot say. It hasn't been peaceful for the last thirteen years. There are many things hidden beneath shadows." Dominic replied in an almost dark manner, his eyes narrowed.

Ilya said "Well, at least you're trying to help. Alan isn't even doing that, unless you consider flirting with the children as helpful." Ilya paused for a moment when he realized Funes was in the room. Caution wasn't one of his best virtues.
Funes spoke up angrily after hearing that "He spends thirteen years without a single communication with us and then he goes and does that? Why is he even a guardian, if we really need another we could surely find someone more competant. I personally know of at least a dozen figures who, if they are alive, would work better. Here, I'll start alphabetically: Aeneas, Anansi, Alyosha Popovich.." Ilya stared at Dominic, hoping that he would cut Funes off.

Holding up a single hand, Dominic rather smoothly cut in, "I appreciate the offer, Ireneo, but the Sorcerer attests that he chose Alan as Guardian for a reason...though even he seemed slightly irate. For now, the fool's landed himself in jail. Probably alcohol-involved in some way. Now, the largest issue still remains: the Children will need to find out who they are soon. Do either of you have an idea as to how we're going to tell them?" Dominic asked, eyes scanning both men for an answer.

Ilya said "It's been Funes' job to think of that, I'm mainly here to keep them safe." Funes said "I have researched it exstensively and had several ideas, though most of them involved a slower timeline. The usual manner would be to identify one who is friends with several of them and approach them first, then ask their assistance in telling the others."

"Hm...not bad, but what if the first individual doesn't believe us? We need something vague yet direct at the same time. If we're too forward, we could push them away. Too vague, they won't pick up the message." Dominic thought aloud, cupping his chin with a single hand.

Funes continued. "If they don't believe us then there's nothing we can really do, but that problem is the same for any approach we take. I think the way we can rope them in is to talk about details of their life, believe me I know plenty about each of them."

"Yes, you have a point. I'll take care of Eliza and Annalise. I've known them long enough, would make the news a bit easier. The rest we'll deduce when the time comes. I'm afraid Pinocchio-- Alan...might have caused us a number of problems. He's already seduced two of the children. Which of them, I'm unsure, but two of them nonetheless." Dominic explained calmly, though with a steely edge to his voice.

Funes' face turned red again. Ilya said "I can handle that, I will throw Alan out of the lodge if that's what we need to keep him from causing problems. I've seen him talking with Eliza and Daria, so those might be it. After we're finished, I'll go back to watching the door for Alan while Funes works on exactly what to say."

"You've seen him with Eliza?" Dominic repeated, his lips curved into a sharp frown as he spoke, his entire demeanor shifting. "I swear, if he so much as touched her the wrong way..." Dominic didn't finish his sentence, instead letting out a heavy sigh, rubbing his temple. "Now then, we've got a basic plan down. We'll speak more about it if necessary. Right now, I think our best idea is to make sure Snowfest goes well. Now, do either of you have anything you wish to bring to my attention?" He asked lastly, looking between Ilya and Funes once again.

Funes spoke up. "Just one thing. Both me and Ilya have noticed how much safer everyone is here, if we want to protect them, it might be best just to not go back, just let them live the rest of their lives. We could find a place for Yen Sid and anyone else that wants to come here."

Dominic at first looked visibly shaken that Funes used the Sorcerer's name so freely before moving onto his query. "There are kingdoms to run in the Fairy Tale World, it's the Children's home...they are not required to return, no. But I still recommend they do so. The Sorcerer could provide enough protection from Maleficent until we deal with her. Now then, I best let you two get back to whatever it is you were doing. We'll keep in touch." Dominic said lastly before offering a curt, if respectful nod, heading towards the door to leave.

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

Collaboration between Guardian Angel Haruki and Tanderbolt Alan wasn't in the restauraunt by the time Ilya checked, and just as he was about to look around the rest of the building he heard a ping on his radio, signifying that someone rang the doorbell at the security office. He made his way over there, wondering what it was about. When the door was opened, the first sound that would be heard would be the man's swearing and badmouthing of the woman that stood in front of Ilya. She looked to the man in front of her, and she said to him, calm and collected, "Hello, I need this man placed into temporary custody until the rest of police arrive to properly arrest him," This wasn't what Ilya wanted to be dealing with right now. He glanced at the man for a second before turning his attention to the woman. "You don't look like an officer, can I see your badge?" Morgan answered with a nod, "Detective Morgan Reginald," as she handed him her badge, just like she had shown Miss Eliza Brie. She said to him "I was sent after Mr. Raymond Wren, on suspicion of credit card theft and fraud," Ilya grew more irate. "Alright, alright, I'll hold him here. I tell you, there's so many rules here, everything must be done in the proper way. Things are much less formal where I come from." The detective nodded and thanked him before she listened to him gripe about the rules. She answered him somewhat sympathetically, "Paperwork especially can be quite troublesome," Ilya nodded "Well, as long as your doing most of it, I don't mind. Before you leave, there was a man that I have seen around here that I wanted to speak with you about." Morgan nodded lightly, knowing that she was doing most of the paperwork. But when he mentioned that he wanted to talk to her about a man he saw around lately, she raised an eyebrow and she asked "Oh? Is this man causing a problem?" "His name is Alan, and he is a bit of a shady character. I haven't seen him do anything illegal personally, but I have heard rumors. I may have to bar him from the hotel, he is not the kind of person I want hanging around here. I'm just letting you know of courtesy, so you that can be aware of him. I'll send what other information I have over to the department." She listened carefully as Ilya told her about Alan, and once he was done, she nodded and said "I see. Thank you for letting me know," She then asked "Do you have a picture of him? Just in case I happen to see him?" Ilya took a moment to pull up a blurry image from the security cameras and print it out. The video he was flipping through show Alan doing card tricks while surrounded by several teenaged girls, Ilya frowned when he watched it. He gave the picture to Morgan without a word. Morgan took the picture with a "Thank you," to Ilya, and she studied the picture of Alan. She honestly could see why Ilya would be worried. She made sure to commit every single detail that she could see in this picture to her memory. She said to Ilya "Thank you again. I hope you have a good day," She then turned and left the office.

Once Upon a Time...

Collaboration between basically all of the people in the RP (except DSW, and I guess Vicier is a part of us now too) Edric tossed and turned in his sleep, the only thing keeping him from lying directly on the cold stone floor being the thin sheets and pillows the group managed to procure that hadn't disintegrated into useless threads in their hands. What little sleep Edric *did* get, however, was riddled with fitful and restless dreams that did little but make doze off for thirty minutes, only to awaken again in an absolutely confused state - rinse and repeat. There was one dream, however, that stuck out; lasted longer, felt the most real to him... *Edric found himself standing in what appeared to be a small village, except he wasn't there at all...he could see in front of him as usual, and felt like himself, but people either didn't take notice of him or simply walked right through him. He was little more than a ghost, an intangible spectator watching events unfold before him. Though the village that served as his current setting would have been homey and friendly under normal circumstances, an air of dread was upon it like a thick cloud, as though impending danger was not far. The few villagers that remained near him all seemed to hurry towards the village square, marked by a somewhat pitiful fountain that looked as though it had been built decades ago, and hadn't been maintained for just as long. The villagers, all on the verge of cowering to their knees circled around a single individual who stood out amongst the rest. The figure wore thick black robes that flowed about their frame, giving him or her the impression of a dancing shadow or distorted bat, the figure's gender, physique, and appearance hidden beneath the black fabric; a hood drawn over their face to hide their visage. "Wh-what is it you want, Dark One? We're just a poor village...we have nothing of value!" One of the townspeople, braver than the rest spoke up, his voice stammering and flimsy The hooded figure, now identified as The Dark One turned its head to the villager in question, revealing at least *part* of his visage underneath. The lower half of his face was covered by similar black cloth, the little parts of his skin that could be seen were pallid, sickly, veins bulging out of his forehead. His eyes were an icy blue color, as if frozen over completely, both alive yet dead at the same time. As though The Dark One was ltitle more than a lich, a soul in an otherwise dead shell. "Oh...you know why I'm here." The Dark One replied, his voice cold and menacing, a dark edge to it cutting into the already tense atmosphere. Though Edric didn't recognize the voice himself, he felt a certain sense of remembrance to it...as though the man, or thing, underneath the hood was familiar. Without waiting for a response from the townspeople, The Dark One continued, this time darting his head between the villagers; as if studying for a deception of the eyes. "I seek an artifact, a compass to be precise...one that is said to point towards something the user has lost and wishes to find again. My...sources have led me here. Now...Where. Is. It?" The Dark One demanded, his voice becoming more hostile, more impatient; clearly not wishing to waste time. Edric shuddered as he watched the scene take place. Rumpelstiltskin was frightening, perhaps the most frightening being he'd ever crossed...but at least he had the facade of madness and nonchalance. This person, however, lacked such a front - preferring to get down to business with no distractions. "The Lost and Found is, safely, out of your hands, Dark One." Another villager spoke up, stepping forward amidst the still crowds. He wore a tattered robe and tunic, various bottles and vials strapped to his person through belts and bandoliers - an alchemist. The Dark One glowered at the alchemist for a moment, as if sizing him up before a single hand shot out in front of him; an unseen force beginning to strangle the potionmaster where he stood, forcing him to claw at the unseen hands around his throat. "It appears this town will be *less* cooperative than I would like." The Dark One began, not releasing his hold on the alchemist as he spoke. "Let's see if we can change that." The warlock finished as he squeezed his hand tighter, a sickening *crunch* sounding as the alchemist's neck snapped, his lifeless corpse falling to the dirt ground in a heap. Edric could only look on in horror as The Dark One slowly pulled down the cloth that covered his mouth and drew his large hood back, revealing himself as none other than....himself. Edric's mouth was agape as he saw his doppelgänger in front of him, an alternate version of himself...the New Dark One. His hair, usually dark brown, had begun to gray, losing its luster and youthfulness. His skin had become grossly pale, even moreso than he originally appeared under his cowl. Wrinkles had formed around his mouth and eyes, giving him a more aged appearance than before. His lips had paled to nearly a blue color, and his teeth, formerly straight and white had become crooked, rotton, and almost....sharpened? Before the confrontation could continue, everything around him faded away into nothingness...* Waking up with a start, Edric placed a single hand over his heart to control his heavy breathing, nearly hyperventilating as he struggled to determine where and when he was. Realizing he was still in Snow White's castle, thankfully normal, Edric slowed his breathing, wiping cold sweat off his brow and rubbing his tired eyes. He wasn't sure what time it was, but he knew he wouldn't be getting any more sleep. Snow was already awake when Edric got up. She was used to getting up shortly after sunrise and going to sleep quickly after sunset, one week in the modern world hadn't managed to erase her feudal habits. Her sleep had been unremarkable, it was pleasent to be in a familiar place, even if the recent news was not very satisfying. She made a quick lap of the surrounding area, even though she knew that someone else had been on watch. She didn't see anything to be concerned about, so she returned to the bedroom where she saw Edric was now awake. He had a worried expression on his face, so she said "Everything alright? Did you have trouble sleeping?" Edric appeared to jump slightly as Snow's voice pierced through the silence like a fine blade. Under normal circumstances, he'd probably have heard her approach, but his senses were still rattled. He'd had this nightmare before, or at least something *like* it. He would never have opposed the prospect of perhaps becoming The Dark One...but he'd never had dreams of it before, let alone two. "Oh, uh...yes, I'm fine. Just a nightmare is all, nothing to worry about." Edric reassured in a slightly shaken voice, running a hand through his tangled mess of hair as he did so. "What I wouldn't give for a cup of tea right now, though." He added on a slightly different tangent, his tone drifting off as though he were talking more to himself than to Snow. "What about you? You haven't spoken terribly much since we left the camp, Snow...I know it has to be hard, finding your home like this. Want to talk about it?" He offered, his voice filled with sincere and genuine sympathy, lacking the sharp, haughty tone he preferred to carry when conversing with others - a habit from being a cat, maybe. "I've been doing a lot of thinking, five years of sleep has left a lot to ponder. It's sad to see this, but I've been through so much I'm not even sure this ranks in my top 10 tragedies. I do want to talk, I want to know what's been going on with you since we met last. If you know anything about what happened in that other town, I'd be interested to hear it." said Snow. "Storybrooke, eh?" Edric asked rhetorically, cupping his chin as he was formulating a concise summary in his head. "Well, I haven't been there for five years, as a start. I was sent to New York at first, in this brilliant country called America. Granted, it isn't so brilliant when you're dressed as a carny in a world filled with mechanical horses and buildings stacked on top of each other. But I got used to it quick. Became something of a floater, worked at jobs all over the place. Let's see..." Edric paused before continuing, counting his fingers and mumbling under his breath. "I was a street magician, short-time chef, mixologist, casino card dealer, one-time band manager - that one didn't end too well - and the occasional musician. Oh yeah, fun times. But, as seems to be the case in my life lately, something has to always ruin the fun. In this case I had the realization that I had to go to Storybrooke and be the 'Savior' of sorts. Though I'd rather call myself an 'Organizer', or perhaps the cool, handsome foil who saved the day without trying to. But I digress; I came to Storybrooke with vague directions and a bit of money left to my name. You were still asleep at the time I arrived. I managed to get involved with Her Majesty, the Evil Queen within about two days of my arrival, arranged more business with Rumpelstiltskin before that, became loved by the town, then ostracized by the town, then loved by the town again within my first week; and then kind-of let you finish the job with Puppy-Eyes." Edric finally finished, hardly seeming to take a breath in-between paragraphs as he spoke. However, given his expression, he seemed quite pleased by his summarizing of events. Snow stared for a moment, blinking slowly. She started speaking a few times, but never managed to finish a thought. "Did she kno- You worked with Rump- Ostracized? I think I know less now than I did before." Edric's expression quickly turned to one of confusion of his own, as if he was surprised that she was unable to follow along with his summary. "Unfortunately, most of my tenure was filled with boring things like grocery shopping and conversing between more *interesting* things like--" Before going on, Edric thought on what he was about to say (with a pensive expression), before finally saying in a more cautious tone, "You know what? The grocery shopping *was* pretty interesting. Did you know that they have a machine that purifies milk for you? Filters out all the bacteria and makes it healthy? Or that tomatoes are *actually* a fruit? Brilliant stuff...groceries..." Edric seemed to trail off, his voice losing the cheerful resolve it held earlier in his strange spiel on produce. "Yes, I do have memories of that. They're kind of vague, like I went through what they call college over there, but I don't remember anyone or any events. I just know what I learned, but not what I've done. Strangely, a lot of it seems to be about how to teach children. I enjoy hearing about your life, it makes me realize the value of the feudal system, but right now I would like to hear about life in Storybrooke and what happened to everyone else." Edric seemed puzzled at first, but replied nonetheless. "Everyone else? They were all under Regina's Curse, barring herself and Rumpelstiltskin...fake memories, fake lives, fake *everything*. There were even faces there not native to The Enchanted Forest...there was a storybook I was given to by The Dark One...one that I first read to you in the hospital, one your....daring prince read to awaken you. It was a history book, a chronicle of sorts. The Curse spread *further* than The Enchanted Forest. It hit The Land Without Color, and even Oz of all places. But everyone coexisted, in an ignorant bliss of sorts." Edric finished, his tone becoming more thoughtful and musing as he did so. She paused for a moment before saying "So, everyone just continued on with their fake memories for those five years? There were people from other realms there too? I have to say, it is an accomplishment to rule a place like that and establish peace and prosperity. I suppose she had to use magic, but imagine how much better it would have been if someone deserving had been in charge." "Better? There is no 'better' when it comes to a town filled with idealized citizens unaware of their *true* selves. The only way for there to be true peace is with absolute freedom. Take Wonderland for example...my home was kept at peace for many years, and we shunned rules to the point that the laws of physics, day, night, and the seasons were no longer necessary. We were happy because we were completely free of rules, of restrictions...free from sanity." Edric chuckled slightly, almost as if reminiscing. "I suppose you'll see soon enough. The Queen of Hearts has tried her hardest to impose order upon us...but one cannot create something as powerful as order in a land that will not allow it." "Oi! Your Highness, Cat," Killian walked up to the two of them and handed them their rations, before he said to two of them, "You two should eat. We need to go soon...Some ogres are on their way here," He then walked back towards where the mirror was, while he took a bite out of his stale biscuit. As a certain shadow man dropped down from some of the darkened, unbroken ceiling, Knox took the time to also fix Killian with a rather critical look, "Ogres? Why would they be closing in on this particular location? If they are coming, I could always check out their locations quickly in order to see which entrance they'd be coming in through." "Ogres?" Edric repeated in a curious tone, disappearing from his spot and reappearing just beside Killian as he walked away, the illusionist conjuring an ornate stone chair out of thin air before sitting down....or so he appeared to. "I haven't heard any ogres...they're not exactly known for their quiet manners." Edric observed aloud, his blue eyes seeming to bore holes into Killian, as if trying to read him, study for any deceit. As if on cue, there was a loud sound coming from outside, as if something large had fallen hard. Bursting into the room with a big ole grin on her face moments after, a certain mercenary has a crazed excuted look on her face, "S'op eer s'uaeen, we go'a 'o!" Jill wiped the sweat dripping from her brow, dancing from standing on one foot to the other, before realising that she left the door wide open. Scrambling over, she slammed the doors closed and barred it with great importance, turning to stare over at each of the room occupants before stuffing half a fist into her mouth to help her speech, "Tha' was fun, but now we really gotta go...!" Lifting her hand from her side, and her hand out of her mouth, Jill began a long incoherent monologue about...something about the truth of human violence, how to bake the perfect tofurkey, and the secret of magic...maybe. Really, half of the speech was her hand gestures. None of it, garbled talk or hand gestures, were coherent. "A good morning, indeed!" Edric put in, his voice slightly indignant, as if the ogres had quite literally ruined his morning as opposed to threatening his life. "Well, worse come to worst, I can always throw this at them." He suggested, tossing his stale biscuit in the air like a ball before catching it again. Standing up from his 'chair', which soundly disappeared into smoke (an illusion most likely), Edric's expression once again became more observant, distrustful even as he looked closely at Jill. "Wait a moment...what was fun? What on earth did you do?" Edric asked, quickly looking around for any windows or crevices he could look out of for any enemies. "Playing tag with ogres, are we? That won't do at all! Well, then, I suppose time to visit home sooner than expected." With a twirl of his hand, a felt top hat appeared in Edric's palm, promptly put atop his head (with an extra pat on the top for good measure). "I shall not return from my extended vacation *without* looking my best. Now...let's make haste!" Edric said excitedly before sprinting off towards the Looking Glass. Jill hopped up and down, clapping her hands loudly before pointing and nodding at Edric the Cat's exclaimation with mad approval. The shadow man seemed to have been only slightly shaken by the sound of gods knows what from outside, but otherwise seemed to have only just moved a little closer to the mirror...as if, just in case they really needed to leave, Knox would only be but a few strides away. Killian looked confused...all of a sudden his lie became a truth and when he looked at Jill, he realized that she was the reason they stopped questioning him. After Snow, Knox, and Henry walked on ahead and were completely out of earshot, he looked at Jill and he asked her quietly, loud enough for only Jill to hear him, "Jill...What happened out there?" He wanted to know if the ogres were really coming, without giving Jill any inkling of why he lied. Jill, on the other hand, was making big ole sparkly 'are you proud of me' kid eyes at Killian when nobody was watching. Making a big sweeping, presenting gesture with her hands enthusiastically. Both in a 'after you, princess' and 'tah dah!' manner. Killian blinked at Jill's look in her eyes, and her gesture, and he caught onto her intention immediately: she must have felled a tree in order to make his lie a truth. He nodded and as he mumbled "Ah," in understanding. He nodded a thanks to Jill and followed after Henry to the mirror, before letting Jill question him about why he lied...but the mercenary really didn't look like she was listening, at all. Snow walked with Henry to the room with the mirror, saying a few words quietly to him. "I'm beginning to doubt the competence of our companions. Jill is becoming a liability quite rapidly, and I have no idea why Killian puts up with her. Either he's been ignoring her behavior for quite a long time, or he knew and didn't tell us. At this rate he's either dangerously incompetant himself or decieving us, I'm not sure which is worse." "Oh don't worry about them." Edric began in a nonchalant tone before lowering his voice to match her own quiet tone, "Newcomers have an easy time getting lost in Wonderland. But you stay with me and I'll be sure you get out...we can just abandon the others if need be." He finished with a small shrug, the casualness to his voice off-setting the frankly treasonous words. "Wow...am I supposed to be impressed by such a gracious offer from such an upright citizen of crazy town?" No longer standing further away on his own, Knox was now standing beside the two. Arms crossed, he leaned down ever so slightly to adjust to their height differences, but he did seem vaguely amused...though the swirling darkness of his presence was overbearing in his close proximity, "But, I'll politely accept your offer. That being said, I'll follow the guide," "I can protect you if your own two hands aren't enough...*if he will.*" The last portion was spoken quite obviously to Mary, or Snow, whichever...a jab at Edric, and his earlier 'smart', yet selfcentric flee tactics. Dropping back down into the shadow he stood upon, cast by a pile of brick and dust debris, the shadow man stepped out from some shade behind the mirror and stood beside. Holding a hand out, he caught a wine bottle dropping out from a dark spot of shade at the ceiling, casually and even absently just turning it over in his hands as he inspected the labelling, "Oh, how fortunate. Look what I found." "I appreciate the offer, Knox, but I hope it doesn't come to it. I know Edric isn't exactly a fighter, but if he keeps his head he should stay ok. You're growing on me, I'm beginning to get over that whole fake marriage thing. And I think we should save that bottle for another time, unless alcohol affects shadow people differently." She stopped when she reached the mirror, and waited for the rest to show up. Edric seemed to ignore Knox as he spoke, either too focused to listen, or not willing to exert the effort speaking to the man. Instead, he chose to slowly approach the Looking Glass, letting his hand brush over the rippling surface, feeling the cool glass warp between his fingers. Silent, he turned back and nodded to Snow before placing one foot into the threshold, the glass seeming to open around his leg as it penetrated the surface before enveloping around it. Edric wasted no time stepping through entirely, the only sign of his former appearance being the still-rippling glass before it settled. Killian looked to Knox and Jill before he too walked through the Looking Glass, knowing very well that Jill would easily push him in if he didn't walk in himself. Snow figured now was as good a time as any to walk through the glass. She didn't want to be alone with the others, she didn't trust them like she did Henry. He had the courage to go first, something that she appreciated. She hadn't seen that much of him under stress, but this was a positive sign. She took a deep breath and stepped through, waving goodbye to the others. She wondered if they would even bother to follow. With a wide smile and another presenting hand gesture towards the mirror's portal, Jill was certainly...well, not too pleased to find that Knox how gone from beside the mirror to the other side of the room. Sticking her thumb in her mouth, pouting, a little cheesed, "Aw'et ooo go'a go?" "Ladies first?" Answering rather dismissively with a similar hand gesture for her to just leave, the shadow man was actively staring at the closed door. For a moment, she wanted to ask him if he wanted to stick around to ogres...but since he was a guy who popped up and around in an instant, has a big (dunno?) gas cloud of something non-flamable (gods knows she snuck up and tried!)--wait a second. "Wait. Edric the cat...is a lady?" ".........yes." Nodding slowly at this...yes. Yes, everything was starting to click into place! The signs were there! First being a cat, magically teleporting, then turning into a man, conjuring, going from Henry to Edric in name...Edric the cat was a lady! Wait, that didn't sound exactly right, maybe she mixed up a thought here or there. Huh. Absently rubbing her lips with two fingers, forgetting about the shade, Jill stepping into the portal herself. In the empty room, Knox let out a sigh and looked down at his wristwatch, at the time it would have been in Storybrooke. Finally, he disappeared for almost a minute, before reappearing in the same spot. There was a violently felled tree, but... "No ogres." A almost earnest, thoughtful look...mouth slowly curled to a grin. This was a trap if he'd seen one, or something else utterly _interesting_. Dropping in a floor shadow, and down beside the mirror, the shadow man touched the frame gingerly. It should be fine for him to lie by omission, at least this once. So long as they got their Alice, and he knew what was up, it shouldn't be a problem. Eyeing it up rather critically just one last time, the darkened figure of Knox stepped through the liquid surface of the magic mirror.

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

Ilya's daily life was simple and unappealing by most standards, but it never bothered him. His job title was security guard, but he oftentimes ended up doing whatever needed to be done around the inn. Right now he was unloading bags for a handicapped visitor, who happened to be his friend Funes. They had talked a little beforehand over phone, but it was different meeting face to face. After they squared away the most important matters, they turned to lighter fair. Funes asked Ilya if he had read books lately, Ilya asked Funes if when the last time he left his apartment was. Ilya's english had improved since Funes saw him last, but it was still riddled with errors, which Funes took pleasure in correcting. Ilya could see Alan in the lobby while he helped Funes with his belongings, but decided that now was not the best time to deal with him. Funes thought that Alan looked a little familiar but he was not completely confident, he knew only what the boy he saw looked like, not what he would look like as a man. Both of them grew flustered when they saw him kiss Daria, but Ilya hurried Funes along and assured him that they would talk about that man in due time. Funes got settled into his room and returned to reading, while Ilya walked back downstairs to trying to find Alan and have a little chat. By this time, Alan had left, and Ilya did not know where he went. He asked the girls "Where is the magician man now? I want to have talk with him, go over some of our policies." Immediately after saying it, he felt a little bit of regret. It must be at least a little startling to have a burly russian security guard with a nametag that says Igor interrupting your business. This would inevitably be mentioned in his next performance review.

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

Funes knew why he was visiting a ski resort, but that did not ease his awkward feeling. He never had a chance to try skiing before his accident, and afterwards he had only tried it once. The experience of crashing had been scary enough for him the first time, and he did not need any more memories of it. On previous visits, he spent most of his time sitting in room reading, sometimes looking at the scenic mountain view outside his window. He limited his social interactions to what was necessary for his job as a guardian, observing the two children without engaging them or doing anything to raise suspicion.

This time he would have to talk with an old acquaintance, Ilya Muromets. They respected each other even if they did not always agree. Their worst interaction had ended with Funes mocking Ilya's lack of education and Ilya mocking Funes' cowardice. Funes trusted Ilya but still doubted he would have that much to tell him about the girls, at least not much that was both relevant and unknown to him. The lack of surprise he experienced upon hearing that news was almost exactly the same as the emotions he felt now, when the taxi cab dropped him off at his destination. The ride took the same amount of time, the lodge and the landscape looked exactly the same. The only thing that had changed was now he saw his friend Ilya walking up to help him with his luggage.