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( o p e n )

Who: charlie (

notready) & OPEN
Where: multiple places
When: now and any time!
Rating: pg (for now)
Summary: charlie takes to exploring more of wonderland...

beach;

[ She doesn't remember the last time she'd gotten to see the ocean.

Certain things had sort of prevented it, so Charlie had stuck to the same old routine around the diner and only thought about things she should have. Having the kid, figuring out what to do after that. So, the sand and sun and water seems like a good idea until she actually gets there and takes a look around. Then, it's just a reminder of the desert and how much she misses everyone. She had Michael and she had Alex, but it didn't bring back the people she had lost, or the fact that she couldn't shake the perpetual sense that something wasn't right.

There's a sigh, and she eventually plants herself into a spot close to the surf, bare feet and legs stretched out to touch the water. Whether or not she ends up wet when the tide comes in doesn't matter. She's determined to be happier about things, and she smiles at whoever happens to walk by. ]

hedge maze;

[ Charlie hadn't gotten out of the mansion since she'd arrived, so it's a lot of random exploring and hesitantly breaking the safe shell she's built around herself since then. She finds herself just outside the maze, peering up at the hedges and remotely curious. No one had said anything about it being dangerous, which means it should be okay to walk through. Right?

She's not entirely sure about it, but she doesn't let it stop her, wandering in. Further and further, turning corners and trying to remember which direction she'd come in case she had to run back. However, that really doesn't do much good at all, and after a while, she does her best to convince herself she's alone. Except-- ]

... hello? [ Turning around, she glances behind her and keeps walking. ]

anywhere else;

[ It's impossible to miss this girl. She might be walking the length of a certain floor to see if the rooms really going on for an eternity. Or she might be sitting at a table in the tea room drinking coffee and people-watching. In fact, it's also likely she's just sitting in the garden and looking at the fountain. Pick a place, and she's there! ]

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[Bigby was by himself in the tea room, secluded in a corner where he could smoke in peace. He'd been isolating himself lately, finding the silence far more comforting then being around people. He was in one of his moods and he could hear Collin in his head telling him to suck it up and to stop acting like a fucking brooding bitch.

Stupid pig.

He glanced over at the table next to him to see a girl watching him curiously. A memory tickled the back of his mind - what was her name? He'd met her somewhere before.]

Take a picture, it lasts longer.

[Smooth, Bigby. Very smooth.]

[ Oh, she remembers him. There's definitely no mistake about that, thrown off by his comment and then completely amused by it. She's used to this sort of talk--or had been. Things change, people change, and she knows Wonderland does that to people. To what extent, that she isn't familiar with, but she can give the guy a break. And rather than run off or dump her drink into his lap (entirely by accident, of course), Charlie gets up and sits with him. ]

Maybe I like lookin' at the real thing. [ Her smile is small. ] Bad day?

[ A little of it is the waitress in her trying to coax a bit out of him. A little of it is genuine curiosity. ]

[Of course she takes that as an invitation to sit across from him. And there was that stupid pig in his head telling him it was animal magnetism. If only he could threaten the idiot ham to make him breakfast or send him packing to the Farm.

I'm the best friend you've got here, Bigs. Ain't that a sorry sight?

Yeah, he was losing it.]

Nothing to look at really. [He exhaled towards the ceiling, sparing her the worst of the smoke.] And hasn't anyone taught you that every day is a bad day in Wonderland?

[ Now that... she could disagree with. Charlie's not blind, doesn't have a problem going after what she wants, but there's also that small voice in the back of her head telling her to be careful. Oddly enough, it sounds like Michael and Jeep, and those are not the people she wants in her thoughts right now. The conversation is also a different sort of distraction, eyes on his face as he smokes. It also makes her crave a cigarette, but she'll manage without seeming like too much of a bother. ]

I guess that'd be up to me. [ She sips at her coffee, wondering. ] And they've told me plenty. It's just a little easier to think about stuff here than all the things going on back home.

[ Charlie looks up and gives him another smile. If she tried to explain the situation, she'd probably sound crazy. Talking about angels and God is one thing. Actually being involved with their plans and trying to avoid them another. She doesn't think this guy needs to know about that; it'd only add to whatever's bothering him. ]

You wanna talk about it?

[Stuff going on back home - yeah, Bigby can understand that. There's always stuff going on back home. He spends most of his time here wondering if anyone picked up where he left off. Did they find the killer? Was that sick bastard Ichabod Crane ever dealt with? And Bloody Mary - that was one chick who needed some serious Mundie meds. How was life in Fabletown without him? It kept him up some nights.]

Not really. [He tapped his cigarette out in the small ash tray and reached in his pocket for his crumpled pack. He slid a cig out and offered her one - she looked like the sort who wouldn't turn her nose up at a smoke.]

Doubt anyone is really missing me back home. Funny thing is, this place really isn't all that different. Same shit, different day.

[ She doesn't turn her nose up at the gesture. In fact, she's grateful for it, smiling as she takes one from him. How long had it been since she'd smoked last? It's not as if she probably couldn't get that stuff from the closet, but it still weirds her out, so she'd gone without. ]

Thanks. [ Held between her fingers, she waits for him to offer her a light. ] I bet everyone thinks that 'bout home though. It's probably not true, really.

[ And there's a thoughtful look. ]

You just have to find the right sort of people to make it better. [ A tip of her head. ] I mean, I don't think you're so bad.

[Bigby takes his lighter and flicks it, holding out the flame so that she can light her cigarette before lighting his own. He takes a long, deep drag and exhales, chuckling softly. Not bad, eh? That's another ghost from his past that's pulled from his memory.

You're not as bad as everyone says.

How many women were going to haunt him? It was starting to become far too many to count.]

You haven't known me long enough. How do you know if I'm bad or not?

[He grins - yeah, he's a bit amused.]

[ Charlie leans over the table, cigarette to her lips so that when it catches she can suck in a mouthful. It tastes familiar and different all at once, like it's been a lifetime since she's had anything like this. It's almost nice, leaning back and looking at her coffee before glancing back at him. It's true; she didn't really know anything about him or where he'd come from or what he was like. But that hadn't really stopped her before. Besides, it's not like she's actually opposed to those things. She wouldn't have sat with him here or at the bar if she had been. ]

I don't, but something tells me you aren't. [ She takes another drag from the cigarette, looking him right in the eye. ] Would you tell me if I was wrong?

[ If there was the slightest thing off about it all? She doesn't need another angel surprising her either. ]

[Bigby shrugs and admires the way she enjoys her cigarette. How long has it been since he seen someone else smoke? It feels damn good to have a partner in crime, he must admit, and he smiles.]

You're wrong but not many people know who I am here. It's strange, considering everyone knows me at home. Bad is my middle name. I know that sounds like a come on but it's true when you're the Big Bad Wolf.

[Bigby takes another long drag before he smirks.] Not that I really expect you to believe me.

[ There's a slight twist to her expression, and then, she laughs. Maybe it's a little rude, but it's not as if she'd been expecting that. Angels, vampires, Wonderland. The Big Bad Wolf? Her life feels like a fairytale. ]

Say I do believe you. [ Charlie places her half-smoked cigarette into the ashtray, going for her coffee instead. ] Is all that stuff really true? The stories? 'Cause it seems like everyone's getting everything wrong these days.

[ She smirks right back. ] It's not the weirdest thing I've ever heard.

[What a place Wonderland was that being told you were sharing a smoke with the Big Bad Wolf wasn't the weirdest thing the girl had ever heard. He didn't think he'd ever get used to the laughter as a response. Centuries of gasps and horrified stares have conditioned him to expect nothing else.

Still, she wasn't moving away and her company wasn't bad. He decided to go with the truth, for what it was worth.]

With me the stories tend to err on the side of caution. They're a bit too tame. Red Riding Hood, The Three Little Pigs, The Boy Who Cried Wolf - all of them are true but there are far more stories that are never told and they tend to be more gruesome.

[ If she was honest with him about the things she'd seen and done, he might not have believed her either. So, she's had a lot practice trying to accept things as they come and only questioning the important parts. Somewhere, she's still a little wary, but he hasn't been exceedingly terrible, and aside from his general surliness, which she suspects is more him than anything else, it's pretty nice. She doesn't have to sit around wondering who she's going to have to push away when they tell her they're worried about her. ]

Now I know you're just tryin' to scare me away. [ Her smile is a bit softer, drinking the rest of her coffee and taking up the cigarette again. ] But it's in the past, right? Does that sort of thing matter anymore?

[ Forgive and... well, not necessarily forget, but something to the equivalent. ]

Depends on who you ask.

[He is being vague on purpose. It was one thing to talk about his past as though it was a source of pride. It was another thing to acknowledge that it was all a front. Being big and being bad hadn't been important for a very long time but he would never admit it out loud. He had a reputation that kept people at arms length and sometimes he rather liked it that way. Other times... well, he'd rather not talk about that.]

Been a long time since I was wearing grandmother's old dressing gown, I have to admit. These days I've been tamed. I'm the Sheriff at home, a position I should really start up again here. If there's one thing Wonderland needs it's a Sheriff.

[ Her eyebrows go up just a bit at that. Sheriff? Of course, it would sort of make sense, especially with the way he's talking to her and that particular air that just says so. Every girl likes a man in a uniform, but that's something she really shouldn't be thinking about right now. ]

If you think that's what it needs, then you should do it. [ She shrugs just a little. ] It ain't like there's a whole lot stopping you. All those things you said-- it's supposed to make you a better person. Dunno if it actually counts in Wonderland, but it won't hurt to try.

[ Charlie considers reaching across the table and squeezing his hand, but he might not like that. So, she finishes the cigarette and drops her own hands into her lap. ]

Bet you'd smile more, at least.

I've been meaning to start up a Sheriff's office but Wonderland likes to throw the world upside down. One minute I'm someone else, and the next I'm some dragon's chew toy.

[Bigby does smile then and shakes his head.]

FUnny, never thought I'd say I was a chew toy for something else. Usually I make others my chew toy. Guess I got a taste of my own medicine.

[He offers her the pack once again. He's a chain smoker so he wouldn't judge.]

I smile enough as it is. I think I've used up my smile quota for the next decade or so.

[ She's halfway to taking another cigarette when the words finally sink in, and she freezes up, slowly shaking it off as best she can as she draws back. Everything just seems so... out there anymore. ]

Dragons, huh? [ Sure, why not. Someone had said there were all sorts of monsters here and in other worlds, so it'd only make sense, but it makes her uncomfortable to think about. ] Well... maybe you just need some help getting it started. Good things always take a little time anyway.

[ She's noticed that, so it's not too much of stretch to apply it here. Charlie pushes at her hair, tucking some of it behind an ear. ]

It's a good smile is all I'm sayin'. [ If she couldn't be anymore obvious, that might just be a line. ] I wouldn't mind seeing more of it.

A good smile, huh?

[Bigby grins even wider, his morbid sense of humor kicking in.]

Aren't you worried that you might become another in a long line of fairy tales? Last time someone told me what big teeth I have, it ended very poorly for her.

[ Even if it's morbid, it doesn't stop her from laughing again. That part, as strange as it is, doesn't even bother her. ]

Pretty sure I can take care of myself. I'm a big girl. [ Charlie does lean over this time, lightly tracing the table where the ashtray sits. ] Are you gonna try anything if I ask what you're doing later?

[Bigby watches her curiously. It takes him a moment before he realizes she's trying to pick him up. He wants to laugh - no one picks him up. They'd be too afraid he'd rip them to shreds. Besides, they all know his heart belongs to someone else.

But she isn't here, as he's been constantly reminded every day since arriving at Wonderland. The one who is here has her own True Love - so what was a little hook up between two unattached people?

He'd been alone for far, far too long.

Bigby smiles and leans back, letting her come close to him. He takes a long, drag and lets the smoke slip out of his lips slowly as he considers her offer.]

I make no guarantees, big girl. But I'm free if you're interested in seeing how much of the stories are true.

[ If they're talking about connections and people they miss, Charlie has her own list ready. There's Jeep, of course. Always Jeep, but her own feelings for him had been as undefined as the rest of the world after the angels had come to kill her and her baby. There hadn't been anyone at all in just as long, since she'd gotten knocked up and left on her own; her choice, really. Charlie had never needed a man to tell her what to do or how to handle herself. So, there are those things to consider as he counters her offer.

For some reason, even something fleeting sounds better than nothing at all. She doesn't like being alone, never has, and since she'd come to Wonderland-- she may have people she knows, but it's not the same. ]

Definitely interested. [ Then, she's smiling and reaching out to lightly rest her hand on his forearm. ] Is now good for you? I mean, there's later too, but... [ The slightest raise of her shoulder into a shrug. ] I'm not really doing much.

[Now? How eager was too eager? She must have been reading his mind because he had been thinking about suggesting now but didn't because he really wasn't sure they were talking about the same thing. He would never admit it, but he could count the number of 'flings' he'd had on one hand. The facade of the Lone Wolf wasn't much of a facade but the sad truth.

Oh ho, the Big Bad Wolf turns into a scared puppy when confronted with sex.

Shut up, you stupid pig.

Bigby tapped out his cigarette and slipped his hand over Charlie's own, leaning forward to brush his lips against her cheek as he whispered into her ear.]

So, your place or mine?

[ Charlie herself has lost count of the flings she's had, hadn't really thought much of it before she'd moved out to the desert and found herself waiting tables in a diner that didn't see much business except for the people rolling through toward Las Vegas, and even if it's once or a few times, she's actually looking forward to it. The contact, getting to know him a little. A thrill runs down her spine when he presses close and kisses her cheek. The gesture is sweet, and she soaks it up without compliant. ]

Depends on which is closer. [ Though it really doesn't matter to her. ] I'm on the fifth floor.

[ She's sure they can figure it out, not bothering to mention that part as she gently tugs at his hand and pulls him out of his seat toward the door. ]

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Tea Room

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