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Post by leo on Jan 31, 2015 3:44:36 GMT
Leo continued to stay just outside of the barrier that alerted Rumpelstiltskin that someone was in the vicinity of his castle. He had been watching Rumpelstiltskin's coming and goings for several weeks. Studying the comings and goings of the Dark One. The people who came to him in search of help. The girl that he had brought to his castle to clean it for him. He studied her schedule when she brought the clothes and sheets out to be washed. He had ran several experiments on the alerting barrier of Rumpelstiltskin's castle. Timing how long it took him to respond to someone approaching it. He really did all of his research. There was no point finding structural weaknesses of the castle because in that sense, it was unbreachable. Something that Leo had never seen before in the past. So there was no point in looking for it.
The Wanderer used the curse that the Queen and the Dark One put on him to his advantage. Because not even Rumpelstiltskin could remember him if he saw him, he could spend as much time as he needed researching the castle as he needed. Leo didn't have so much a plan to steal something specifically from the Dark One as he just wanted to pester him. Luckily, he already had eternal life thanks to the curse. What was the Dark One going to do to him? Curse him again? Rumpelstiltskin seriously underestimated the abilities of the former Duke. Next, Leo was going to visit the Queen's castle and do the same thing he was going to do to Rumpelstiltskin.
He was dressed in all black. A black tunic, a black pair of pants, a black cape, and a pair of black leather boots. His hair was down to his shoulders and it was a dirty blonde color. He also put some black paint over his eyes and on his lips. As he the sun set, he watched the pretty brunette go up to the library tower. Grinning, tonight was going to be the night. Sliding down the steep hill he had perched upon, he moved swiftly through the forest that was between him and his destination. When he hit the wall, he scaled it just as swiftly and ducked next to the door of the castle. Holding his position for a moment to see if Rumpelstiltskin was going to come out, he took a breath. When he was satisfied, he opened the door softly and ducked into the hallway. As he continued to check his surroundings, he took off down the hallway and found the door to the room he had seen Rumpelstiltskin in the most. Kneeling beside the door, he grinned to himself and pulled to small tools from the inside of his cloak. Putting them in the keyhole, it only took a minute before he found all the tumblers and put them into place to unlock the door. He pushed the door open and there he saw the wheel. The wheel where Rumpelstiltskin spun straw into gold. He walked over to it and pulled the needle off of it. Sticking it in his belt behind his back, he turned around to make his exit. And then...he heard the lock on the door unlock on itself.
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Post by rumple on Jan 31, 2015 4:12:08 GMT
Rumpelstiltskin continued to spin the straw into gold on his wheel. He pumped his foot as he got lost in the thoughts of who else needed to make a deal. Here lately, it seemed like everyone was trying to get his attention. Which was nothing new, but more and more people seemed to be calling on the Dark One. People were always willing to make a deal with him. Everyone wanted something. Everyone had a price that they'd be willing to pay. Yet, every time someone called on him, they seemed to be surprised but what he wanted. Everyone tried to barter gold and jewels with him. But he was able to spin straw into gold. He had no need of their riches. They would always argue with him. They would call him a monster or an imp. And yet, at the end of the day, they would all accept his terms.
As he continued to spin, he felt the alarm go off in his mind that something passed through the magical barrier near his castle. "That damn barrier. I'm going to have to tear it down and put a new one up..." He said silently under his breath. It had been going off almost every day, and yet, he wasn't able to find anyone or any trails or foot paths that indicated someone had actually breached his barrier. It didn't alert him of animals or inanimate objects. Only people. But for some reason... He sighed figuring that maybe the magic was just a little faulty. There had been a lot more foot traffic coming in and out of his castle here lately. Or maybe Regina had tampered with it just to annoy him. Or maybe Belle had some odd effect on it.
But then it went off again. Standing up and looking out his window, he slammed his hand down on the window sill. He waved his hand at the door that led into his dining hall and locked the door. And then he smoked out to the edge of the barrier. When he reappeared in the wooded section, he started investigating the area. His eyes focusing here and there while he was trying to feel for a presence with his mind at the same time. Nothing. No one. Something was setting his alarm off. He knew it. Walking to the edge of the cliff, he looked at the side of it. He saw some evidence that something slid down it. He tried looking at the forest that led to his castle but nothing was moving. Giving up, he smoked back to the entrance of his castle. Walking into it, he waved his hand again to unlock the door into his hall. He figured he'd just go back to spinning. As he walked into the great hall, he saw an odd man in his castle. "Who the hell are you and how did you make it all the way in here? I locked that door." Rumpel said looking at the strange guy.
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Post by leo on Jan 31, 2015 4:29:53 GMT
As soon as Leo heard the lock unlock, he darted over to the table and leaned against it. He put on the most blank expression he could. And then he heard that voice. The voice that seemed to be the bane of his existence. It was the man who ruined his now eternal life. But he couldn't let anger control his motives now. If he was going to be known as the man who stole from the Dark One, he was going to have to play this calmly. "I'm..." Leo started and thought for a moment. He cleared his throat and took a step toward Rumpelstiltskin. "My name is Ethan Nigma. I come from a small kingdom on the outer border of the Enchanted Forest. I was sent here by a man to make an offer to you. To see if you're interested in making a deal." He said hoping that one his more common aliases didn't ring a bell with Rumpelstiltskin.
In order to remain anonymous when he met with potential employers, he used a various amount of different aliases. After he got the details of the job they wanted done, he waited two days and showed up. He would only have to wait a day for the curse to do it's job and erase the knowledge of his appearance to the employer. But he waited two days to be safe. Some people, people with a strong sense of magic, could generally remember him a little bit after the first day. But no one remembered what he looked like after two days. "My employer wishes to know if you had a magical item that could hold an unlimited number of items. Regardless of size." He said putting both of his hands behind his back.
He figured that Rumpelstiltskin could respond in one of two ways. He could either refuse to deal with him or ask him who his employer was. There was a small chance that the Dark One would take the bait and deal with him directly. But he doubted that Rumpelstiltskin was that foolish. From the rumors he had heard, and he heard all of them, Rumpelstiltskin never worked through an intermediary. Luckily for himself, the Wanderer only worked through intermediaries. That way, his identity was always safe. He had a system set up so he only ever had to meet with clients twice. Once as the intermediary and once as the Wanderer. It also helped the employer feel more safe and in control that he got some face time with the man he or she was hiring.
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Post by rumple on Jan 31, 2015 4:51:09 GMT
Rumpelstiltskin looked the odd looking man up and down as he listened to him talk. He was dressed weird and only answered one of his questions. But then he said the magic word. Deal. "You still haven't told me how you got in here with the door locked." He said pointing back at the door. Maybe he was being too suspicious. He had been on edge a lot here lately with the alarm going off nearly daily. Taking a couple of steps towards the man that stood in his hallway. When he was about five feet away, he started walking around the man. He hadn't been gone long enough for this Ethan fellow to have stolen anything from him. Nearly all of his possessions had magical enchantments on them and this guy wasn't radiating anything. And yet, something was off about him. He was getting a weird vibe that he just couldn't quiet place a finger on.
"I do have such a pouch. However, I don't make deals through another person. I only deal with people who want to make a deal directly. There's too much grey area when a middleman is involved." Rumpel said wiggling all of his fingers at the man. "So unless you want to tell me who your employer is, there's not much else for us..." He said pointing at himself and then to the man with the painted face, "to talk about. But for the sake of curiosity, what exactly is your employer willing to trade for such an item?" A Bag of Holding wasn't a very difficult enchantment to put on a small bag. Plus, Rumpelstiltskin was always curious on what people were willing to trade for magical items. Everyone should know by now. Magic always came with a price. His particular brand of magic was no different.
There was something else Rumpel wanted to know. When the man turned around to face him, he looked a little closer at him. "Why are you wearing paint on your face? Even for this area, that's a bit strange..." Rumpel said in a suspicious voice. He hardly knew of anyone wearing face paint outside of certain balls or going to war. Some of the barbarians wore paint when they went to battle, but it was usually blue or red. Some kingdoms held balls were it was tradition to wear paint on the face instead of masks. But there was none in the nearby region that did. So he was curious why this man, who apparently snuck into his castle, was wearing it.
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Post by leo on Feb 1, 2015 4:56:01 GMT
Leo stood there with his arms behind his back, turning with the the Dark One as he was circled."The door was unlocked when I entered. There was a pretty brunette who entered that door..." He said pointing at the door in question, "And by the time I made it in this room, she was already heading out of that door..." Leo said pointing at the door at the other end of the large room. Leo felt that he gave a good excuse. From all of his research, she was free to come and go as she pleased, and she wasn't as near as careful about security as Rumpelstiltskin was. It appeared to him that he wasn't having much success passing this lie.
But it wasn't the first time that Leo had lied to the Dark One. A story that would have been in the fairy tales if the repercussion wouldn't had been so extreme. Once upon a time, Leo was the duke of a small kingdom that bordered the Enchanted Forest. His kingdom was known for it's perfect silk. It was rumored that they had a magical moth that never died. One day, Queen Regina decided to pay the kingdom a visit. She demanded that he sell to her kingdom alone and take a substantial decrease on how much he charged. Needless to say, Leo declined her generous offer. After a heated argument, Regina vowed to wage a war against his kingdom. Knowing that his kingdom couldn't take on the full might of Regina's wrath, he went to the man that stood before him now. Bargaining with Rumpelstiltskin, he told him he'd give him his kingdom's treasured moth in trade for getting Regina to leave his kingdom alone. Seeing how it would mean his kingdom's collapse either way, Rumpelstiltskin decided to oblige the duke. Curbing Regina's wrath, he went back to claim his side of the bargain. And Leo upheld his end, he gave the moth to the Dark One. And Rumpelstiltskin was furious when he got back to his castle and the moth died. Immediately going back to Leo's kingdom, he demanded his reward. But Leo had given him the moth that produced the silk for his kingdom. But then he informed Rumpelstiltskin that it wasn't the moth that was immortal, it was the magic in the room they kept the moth in that kept it alive. Furious, Rumpelstiltskin went to Regina and convinced her to help him cast one of the worst curses in history. The Grey Fox curse. It made Leo immortal, but at the cost that no one, not even Rumpel or Regina, would remember his face twenty four hours after meeting him.
And here he was now. Lying to him once again. When he saw that Rumpelstiltskin was slightly curious, he decided to press forward a little bit. "My employer is willing to do you a future favor...for free." He knew that he had to follow up with why a favor from his employer would be beneficial to the Dark One. Pulling out a tarot card, he handed it to Rumpelstiltskin. Seeing the look on Rumpel's face was worth getting caught over it. "And to answer your question, oh Dark One, to why my face is painted is simply because he..." Leo said pointing at the card, "commands me to. It's a distinguishing mark so that those who mess with me have to compete with him." Him...The One Who Wanders. The most skilled thief and assassin known throughout the territories. If anyone could find Rumpelstiltskin's dagger, it was him. There were many rumors. Some of the most popular ones was that The Wanderer wasn't one man. It was many people. Another rumor was that he had magic more powerful than the Dark One. And yet another was that he could steal a person's underwear while talking to them in the eye. His reputation was so great that even the Dark One would hesitate double crossing him. |
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Post by rumple on Feb 1, 2015 5:20:09 GMT
Rumpelstiltskin had a scrunched up look on his face as if he was slightly confused and annoyed. But, it did sound like something that Belle would have done. He really needed to talk to her about making sure the doors were locked when she walked through. So his story could have possibly happened. He looked odd and dressed like a thief, but everyone should knew not to steal from the Dark One. "Fair enough. But next time you or your employer want to talk to me, all you have to do is call my name and I'll come to you. That way, confusion like this won't happen. And I won't feel the need to rend to flesh from your bones." Rumpel said turning that annoyed look into a smile.
As the young man pulled a card out from his pocket, Rumpel snatched the card from him. "Why would I..." He started to say as he looked at the card. His facial expression changed once again. He actually looked horrified as he looked at the card. If information was power, than the man that this card represented could be considered one of the most powerful men in the territories. If even half of the stories were true that he heard of this particular person, Rumpelstiltskin had something to worry about. "He Who Wanders..." Rumpelstiltskin said to himself turning his back on the stranger. For a moment, his hand quivered. There was a flash of fear. Something Rumpelstiltskin hadn't felt in a long time.
"I'm afraid I'm going to have to decline. No offense to you..." He said handing the card back to the stranger. "Or your employer. But with a man like that..." Rumpel said returning to his normal demeanor, "I'd prefer not to be involved with him. However, I'll point you in a direction that he can find a pouch that fills that description." Rumpel was glad to let go of the card and give it back to the stranger. Suddenly, it was a relief to not have that card weighing his hand down. "Head west south west. It's a few leagues from here in a kingdom known as Arendelle. The last time I heard, the royal family had such a pouch. They would be more hospitable and willing to deal." Rumpelstiltskin said just wanting to get the stranger out of his castle. At one point, there had been a Bag of Holding in the kingdom of Arendelle. So he wasn't technically lying.
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Post by leo on Feb 13, 2015 5:55:49 GMT
Leo's plan couldn't have worked better. Rumpelstiltskin was so focused on getting this 'messenger' out of his castle then paying attention to his surroundings. And more importantly, on his possessions. Leo could have been wrapped in the Dark One's gold thread and he would have been able to leave without being searched by Rumpelstiltskin. Or maybe that was just Leo's pride starting to come out. But the fact was, Rumpel wasn't going to risk starting a war with the Wanderer by excessively insulting his 'messenger'. And with that little bit of knowledge, Leo was sure he'd be able to get out just fine.
Taking the card back from Rumpel's hand gently, he smiled and nodded. "Thank you Rumpelstiltskin. On behalf of my employer, he and I apologize for bothering you. Also, I'd like to give you some information, free of charge." He said bowing a little bit to help sell his generosity. "There was a man hanging around the west section of your palace. And I feel obligated to inform you that he can transform into a wolf." Leo said smiling and heading towards the large doors. As he got to the doors, he turned back towards Rumpel to see that he hadn't moved from his spot. "One last thing and I'll take my leave. He Who Wanders is gathering information on the Queen of the Enchanted Forest. If you change your mind on wanting to deal with him, don't hesitate to contact Red Sarah. She's one of the few people who can contact him."
Waiting for Rumpelstiltskin's reply before he opened the door, he smiled and nodded before leaving. Closing the door behind him, he heard the lock click almost immediately. He had actually done it. He had been the first person to steal from the Dark One and get away with it. Scott free. Not only did he successfully steal from the Dark One, he had lied to him to his face and he believed it. And not only did he accomplish all of that, his nickname, his persona, had made Rumpelstiltskin flinch. To have the Dark One blink, that was a feat that not many people had accomplished. But right now, he needed to disappear. He had to quickly escape the grounds. That way, he could keep his legend intact. So, without another moment passing, he decided to run into the forest. As he worked in and out of the trees, he didn't bother looking back. Either Rumpel was going to appear in front of him, or he was going to get away free. Looking back over his shoulder wouldn't change anything.
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