ᴛʜᴏᴜɢʜᴛ ɪ sᴀᴡ ᴛʜᴇ ᴅᴇᴠɪʟ ᴛʜɪs ᴍᴏʀɴɪɴɢ, ʟᴏᴏᴋɪɴɢ ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ ᴍɪʀʀᴏʀ...

[villainously]

Who: hooker & YOU, & some others (Alistair, River, Freya)
Where: scattered places in the mansion
When: over the next few months idk spread out a little bit!
Rating: could end up with violence possibly but I don't think it'll be too bad
Summary: dark pirate shenanigans and working toward a reveal!
The Story:

ＦＲＥＹＡ.

His map-making is starting to feel like a bit of a lost cause. He's not sure what pushes him to keep on it, when he got a few respectable drafts from longer-staying residents, certainly good enough to give up on the project. He can't quite manage it, though. He needs something to occupy him during all his sleepless nights, and mapmaking is at least relaxing.

Besides, might be he'll get a rare stroke of luck for all his fixation. He's hoping to find the illusive entrance to the mirror side, though everyone else had been quite clear in how impossible that was. Impossible had never bothered him much before, why on earth would it start now? Still, it's hard to say the work was not with an underlying level of hopelessness; he had simply lived hopelessly for most of his life. Might be he was used to it, now.

At least the work had given him opportunity to make new acquaintances about the mansion. Plenty had offered to assist him in his work, and he didn't see a good reason to refuse. It was a good way to keep abreast of the other inhabitants of the mansion. It was why he'd invited Freya to meet him, and he was surprisingly early for their agreed meeting, already in the parlor and with his map at the ready before she even arrived. She did not make much noise as she entered but he heard her anyway, pale eyes dusting up from his work to notice her arrival. "Freya, is it?" He couldn't imagine who else would be looking for him, but that was a good guess.

ＲＩＶＥＲ.

After his talk with Emma, Hook did his best to spend more time in the mansion. He preferred the comfort of his ship, but still, he could see her concern and didn't want to make it worse. If things went south it'd be better if he was near to the people that mattered to him. It wasn't too much work to spend spare time in the mansion, especially on the weekends. No matter how discomfiting he found the idea he was being watched through every mirror.

He's on his way to visit the dining room when he swings a corner and practically runs face-first into someone. Perhaps he ought have, but somehow his reflexes manage to move faster than his thoughts, catching her at arm's length before they can run into each other. He manages to look at least slightly apologetic to have grabbed a stranger with the dangerous steel of his hook, even if he hadn't harmed her at all. The pirate releases her as quickly as he grabbed her, hand and hook aloft as if to prove he had no ill intent.

"Surprisingly sharp corners, these," he says in excuse, apology, and explanation all in one.

ＯＰＥＮ.

After his talk with Emma, the pirate spends more time in the mansion. You can find him at the BAR, because of course you can, though no matter how much he drinks it doesn't seem to do him any favors. He spends a surprising amount of time in the LIBRARY, too. Belle is gone now but he supposes she'd approve of all the reading he's been doing. Last but not least, he can't help it, he does spend a fair amount of time working on THE JOLLY ROGER. Either below deck, drowned by maps, or above, with a small and surprisingly brave cat following at his heels.

Maybe you want to check in on rumors you've heard of his especially hot temper, or maybe there's something else you want to bring to his attention. Either way, he's definitely looked better; the dark circles he's wearing haven't gone away, not in months of being in Wonderland.

ＡＬＩＳＴＡＩＲ.

It's been an uncomfortable few weeks for the pirate, though perhaps — if anything — he looks a little bit better than he had a few weeks ago. There was no magic cure to his insomnia, unfortunately, more nights were sleepless than not. Still, he'd managed to get a little rest for his weary mind thanks to the few nights he got to spend with Emma. He wasn't sure what exactly about her presence managed to finally let him turn his thoughts off, but even a few hours of sleep did him quite a bit of good.

He wasn't perfect, far from it, but at least he was a little less uneven thanks to a few hours of rest. He may have been used to being awake for days at a time. That doesn't mean he enjoys it. A man could go mad left with his thoughts and nothing but time on his hands. He's in a better mood than usual as he sits in the library, surprisingly content with his book. It is called Treasure Island, so maybe that explains it.

Let it be said that he was present in the library first when Alistair strolls in. He has the advantage of previous presence! Hook probably could have left him to his own devices, but when has Killian Jones ever done that? "Please tell me you're not here to whisper commentary as you read, I was so enjoying the silence." You know, the silence he's breaking to pick a fight with the man just for walking in the room. That silence.

ooc: if you'd like to be a part of this, I have a plotting post here and you're welcome to add me on plurk at goplayzelda! I started all these in prose in lazy, but I will match whatever style you fancy! also, the timing for these is kinda wibbly-wobbly... I suspect some open things will happen before his argument with Alistair. more or less my starters are in imagined order of the time they occurred, though they will be spread over the ac period and not all right after another! :)

Comments

[accelerate]

Throwing his hands up in a gesture of coming in peace, Barry ensures his face is still a blur. Some people can be pretty cluey, and he's seen all the films on superheroes available on his Earth. The better he hides his identity, the better chance he has of not being identified as the man in red.

It's a little weird to be confronted with someone who doesn't recognise him, but Barry's dealt with this briefly in Kara's world. No one knows the Flash here, and that's all the more motivation for him to make a good name for himself in yet another world. The one Alistair's formed for him is a little off base, and so Barry feels compelled to redirect him into seeing the Flash as less of a Hannibal Lector reincarnated and more of a friend looking out for someone with slower reflexes.

With his vocal cords vibrating, his voice echoes when he says, "I'm not in the business of kidnapping, and I'm not really a one-eyed purple people-eater, but thanks for the offer. I'll keep it in mind for next time."

Personally, he hopes there isn't a next time. Whatever had driven these two to have a kerfuffle in the library is hopefully going to be shelved. Permanently.

"I'm the Flash," he says, and though he smiles, Alistair can't see it. He can hear the pride in his voice, though, and see it in the way he shrugs sheepishly. Hands still up to show he has no intentions of harming him, Barry stays where he is. "And I took your friend to the pool to cool off. Just thought I'd swing by and make sure you're okay before I go again."

[fatherlesskind]

It sounds weird too, as well as being able to appear out of nowhere and make people disappear. Hurrah. He needed more weird in his days in the crazy magic mansion. Although, the longer he stares at it, the more he can see that it does definitely have a human face, it's just blurry somehow. But it - or he, as becomes clear when he speaks - doesn't seem to want any trouble and, more importantly, has a sense of humour which is always a good sign. Demons aren't know for making jokes. Besides, based on how quickly Hook vanished, if he wanted to whisk Alistair off as well he'd already be gone.

"The-" OK. Not the first person he's met with a strange name. Mystique is a strange name and she admittedly looks like a demon and has abilities that aren't anything Alistair is familiar with and he trusts her. And the stranger has seemingly good intentions. So long as his 'friend' isn't getting possessed or eaten then he's not complaining about the man's absence.

Relaxing, Alistair smiles, winces (ow again) and nods. "Sure. I mean, I'm fine. Thanks. For checking, uh-" Flash? The Flash? "Flash. And for stepping in. I appreciate it." Though he would have preferred to get some payback for his face first. But he's not going to complain about someone wanting to prevent trouble.

With another smile Alistair dips his head in farewell before turning his attention to tidying up the dropped books and planning where he's going to hide the one Hook had been reading. With half an eye on the Flash's departure just to see if it's a swift as his appearance. That's going to take some getting used to.

[accelerate]

The Flash lifts his hand to his temple to give him a salute — no mocking intended with the gesture — and finds all seems to be fine. His friend here doesn't have any intention of chasing after the man he thinks to be Captain Hook (of Peter Pan! He's going to need to tell Iris about this as soon as he gets out of here) and if he does, Barry's sure he'll be able to find them quickly before anything gets too bloody between them.

Content the dust seems to have settled, he says, "Anytime." He juts his thumb toward the shelves. "Except, maybe you should consider fighting in front of the history books instead. Children books, dude …" He shakes his head.

But he's gone within a flash. A burst of yellow electricity and a gust of wind that threatens to tip half the books off the shelf.