open-ish | i'm just trying to find my way to you

[uncurse]

CHARACTERS: EMMA SWAN and HOOK, SIX; and GOLD; others as they happen
LOCATION: Medical Bay ; Floor 013 ; others as they happen
WARNINGS: None
SUMMARY: Catch-all for September closed logs.
NOTES: If you wanna hit Emma up for anything, feel free to drop your own starter in this post, or get in touch with me.

Comments

[gilding]

[Gold's floor hadn't exactly been heavily populated before the call to move, but the sense of certain areas being communally used isn't as lingering now. It adds more to the peace and quiet of it, something he's taking a moment to appreciate after the ridiculousness of last month, making himself a pot of tea in the kitchen.

Or at least, it was peace and quiet. But then Emma Swan wanders in.]

I certainly appear to be.

[Low, but not quite under his breath, and also without any pause in what he's doing: pouring water from the kettle into the teapot. It's only when it's filled and he's set the kettle down, popped the teapot's lid into place that he finally looks up at her.]

Were you hoping for someone else?

[uncurse]

[ Her reply comes in the form of a long-suffering look, mouth set into a tight line. In some ways, his nonchalance is reassuring, a reminder of how collected they’d all managed to be in Storybrooke (for a time). That’s more than a year off, though, and the memory feels out of reach. ]

You didn’t hear the security announcement?

[ At least initially, she’ll give him the benefit of the doubt. Truth be told, she doubts he missed it: he doesn’t miss much. Which means it’s sheer stubbornness keeping him up here, like a few others she could name. ]

We can't keep running patrols this high.

[gilding]

A concern to those that need security's protection, I'm sure.

[He answers smoothly, no sign of surprise in his expression at all - either at the information of the announcement and patrols, or that Emma would bring it up. But he does raise his eyebrows slightly as he continues:]

Fortunately I don't fall under that umbrella.

[As she should already be entirely aware.]

[uncurse]

[ Here’s the thing: it’s not so much that she thinks he needs security’s protection as much as she thinks he’s exactly the kind of person that security needs to be keeping an eye on. Her gaze narrows on him. ]

We recommend everyone moves down to the lower levels regardless. You never know what could happen.

[gilding]

I'm perfectly content where I am, Miss Swan.

[Even in the times where the ship's troubles have reached out to snare around him uninvited, he hasn't yet truly felt threatened. And staying out of people's way has been his preference for a long time.]

But thank you for the concern.

[A smile, at that, but it doesn't quite reach his eyes. He very much doubts she's actually worried about him - at least, not for him.]

[uncurse]

Hey, your call.

[ Her shoulders shrug, and she puts on a very deliberate affect of casual warmth. Something behind her smile remains tight and untrusting, despite her attempt to weed it out. The way her eyes never leave him contributes, as well. ]

I’m just saying: you keep this far from the general population, people are gonna start to wonder what you’re up to.

[ The words obviously intend to disarm him, offered with a wary smile that tries to convey that of course she isn’t the one wondering. In truth, she doesn't wonder—she just assumes something that's bound to bite all of them in the ass sooner or later. ]

[gilding]

[It's a good try, he has to give her that. Not quite good enough, though, especially for how long he's been dealing with her now. He laughs a little, as though the idea of him being up to something is a gentle joke, turns his attention to lifting the lid of the teapot again, checking if it's steeped well enough yet.]

I've never had much care for people's wonderings.

[Accurate or not. He's lived with a reputation of one sort or another for a very long time, and the idea of one growing on the ship isn't entirely distasteful. There were very useful things that could be done with the right kind of word spread about.]

And I imagine most of them will be completely unaware I'm here.

[uncurse]

Most.

[ She returns the qualifier promptly, straightening her back and folding her arms over her chest. For a moment, she side-eyes him as if she expects to be able to assess his motives through scrutiny alone. Of course, she's never been able to read Gold so easily, but her instincts start there all the same. ]

Why are you staying up here?