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Post by Hollywood Heidi on Oct 1, 2016 20:20:13 GMT -8
Etta gasped. The water's surface had an abnormal shift as if something below had sucked in the water along with the rock before spitting it back out. The beautiful, calm setting had felt like a safe haven so it had caught her completely off guard. Her heart raced as her adrenaline spiked and it shoved her over that edge she'd been dangerously teetering on.
Everything happened so fast after that.
The sharp pain of the monster within clawing its way to the surface had her keeling over onto the ground. Her fingers dug into the earth as if trying to keep her hold but her eyes turned black as did the world around her.
***Etta disappears within herself as Hyde takes the surface***
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Post by Hollywood Heidi on Oct 1, 2016 20:20:52 GMT -8
***Hyde overpowers Etta to the surface and takes control***
Still on all fours, the form previously hunched in pain shifted. Her back straightened and her head snapped up as she took on the posture of a predator. Hyde's eyes pierced the area of the water that had held a threat and growled. She quieted as almost immediately, the monster picked up a scent. Hyde quickly stood, turning her piercing black eyes up at the creature that perched in the trees. She bared her teeth with a growl.
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Post by DarkSideCookie on Oct 2, 2016 1:56:05 GMT -8
Rumplestiltskin watched the scene from out of his hide. "Oh look who has taken over the control...", he whispered with a grin, as suddenly the woman's posture and expression has changed. The monster inside has awakened. And it was feeling his presence. It seemed there was a bigger storm raging inside her, than he had thought.
With one quick move the Dark One jumped downwards and joined Hyde. "Hello dearie." For the time being he was just awaiting her reaction, even though he was able to fight back the monster and bring back Jekyll whenever he wanted to.
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Post by Hollywood Heidi on Oct 2, 2016 9:35:15 GMT -8
"Hello dearie."
Hyde lunged at the scaly creature but found her feet planted in place. With an angry growl, she swiped out a hand to rip the smug look right off his face but was just out of reach. She tried again to move but when she looked down at her feet, was confused to find nothing hindering them.
Hyde looked back at the scaly creature and growled. Whatever this was, it had to be him doing this to her. The scaly creature radiated a kindred darkness, temporarily overriding her blood-thirst. Her growling quieted. She crouched and watched him with curiosity as she bided her time.
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Post by DarkSideCookie on Oct 30, 2016 13:05:34 GMT -8
An amused expression lay on the Dark One's lips, as he watched Hyde trying to reach him. He noticed the hate-filled look in her eyes, which amused him even more. Of course she would like to do nothing better than ripping out his heart, and realizing she wasn't able to made her even more furious. But then something seemed to soothe the beast a little. And this something was no less than Rumplestiltskin himself. He became tired of watching her trying to kill him with her eyes.
"Have we calmed down, dearie?", he asked with a grin, pretty sure about that she exactly knew it was his doing. "Fine.", he then answered his own question. "No offense, but I'd prefer to talk to the less beastly personality." And with these words and no room for any objection Rumplestiltskin freed Jekyll from her inner hide.
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Post by Hollywood Heidi on Nov 20, 2016 12:02:58 GMT -8
With no more than a bored flick of the scaly creatures hand, Hyde shrieked with fury as she felt herself pulled back into blackness.
***Hyde disappears as Etta regains hold***
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Post by Hollywood Heidi on Nov 20, 2016 12:18:05 GMT -8
***Etta resurfaces***
Etta found herself suddenly off balance and fell forward bracing herself with her hands. What was she doing crouched on the ground? She'd been standing only a moment ago... hadn't she? Oh God, the monster. The monster had taken control. Panicking, she looked around her for carnage but there was none. A pair of legs were before her and she followed them up to the scaly face of the Dark One, stumbling to her feet.
"You," she said, the annoyance and accusation over his long absence clearly stated in that one word. She looked around again in muddled confusion. She couldn't quite remember how she got here or what she'd been doing. "What happened?" she asked, her voice shaky with fear, not only for losing control to Hyde but that she might have hurt or killed someone.
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Post by DarkSideCookie on Dec 18, 2016 5:02:46 GMT -8
Wordless Rumplestiltskin watched Henrietta's sudden panic and had to lie if he would have said not enjoying it. The control he had over her and her inner beast. His joy grew even more, as she followed his pair of legs above her.
"You,"
"At your service.", he exclaimed with an implied bow, showing a row of discolored teeth.
"What happened?"
"You mean before you sliced open that prince and the other doctor, or after that?" Rumple couldn't insist on coming up with such an answer. Maybe he was cruel. But to be cruel felt just fantastic.
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Post by Hollywood Heidi on Dec 30, 2016 21:07:41 GMT -8
"No," she whispered. Etta turned white as a sheet as the Dark One's words conjured the image of the last time she'd found herself standing over violently bloodied and broken corpses, the faces exchanged with those of Eric and Viktor.
The smirking scaly face pulled her away from the horrifying images and she gaped at him as realization dawned. He was teasing her. How could someone... He was sick. She steadied her wobbly legs after the rapid succession of emotions he'd just put her through.
Etta found herself settled on anger at the moment. She squared her shoulders, posture and manner of speech more prominently emphasizing a well bred lady as if to counterbalance the atrocities of the monster within. "I would ask that you do not make light of the horrific acts this monster is capable of."
Though politely worded as a request, her tone and expression clearly showed she was unbending on this.
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Post by DarkSideCookie on Jan 27, 2017 14:36:29 GMT -8
"I would ask that you do not make light of the horrific acts this monster is capable of."
"What is it, dearie? Have we lost our sense of humor? Ah yes..." Rumple let a finger raise up, like he had an idea. "I forgot we always seemed to have problems with that." A quite giggle followed his words, visibly enjoying this scene. "Well...", he lastly continued to speak more serious. "Jokes aside. You sufficiently explored the land?" Nah, he couldn't stop joking completely.
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Post by Hollywood Heidi on Jan 28, 2017 17:20:11 GMT -8
Etta had crossed her arms soon after he'd continued to prattle on with jokes regarding her situation and by the end of it, she was glaring at him. Most people wouldn't dare glare at the Dark One but Etta was a stranger to this land and its people--or in this case, creature--and therefore, was a stranger to the reasons why one wouldn't dare such a thing.
"I tend to avoid going out much these days," she said through gritted teeth before getting to the point. "You said you'd be back 'tomorrow morning'. It has been a week! Does 'tomorrow' not mean 'the day after today' in your land?" she asked, giving back some snark of her own.
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Post by DarkSideCookie on Feb 11, 2017 3:18:35 GMT -8
Rumplestiltskin had fun to twit her, even more because of the fact that she wasn't uninhibited by him like people usually were. She didn't know about the Dark One's power and his unrestricted readiness to use it.
"You said you'd be back 'tomorrow morning'. It has been a week! Does 'tomorrow' not mean 'the day after today' in your land?"
"Uh-uh-uh.", Rumple suddenly interrupted her with one raised finger in the air, shaking his head in negation, before he straightened out something very slow spoken. "Actually... I said your-training-will-start-tomorrow." An amused grin appeared on the Dark One's lips. "So, congratulation dearie! You've passed the warm-up!" A high-pitched giggle followed his words.
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Post by Hollywood Heidi on Feb 11, 2017 18:54:52 GMT -8
Passed how? Exactly what was the warm up? Sitting around, seeing if I'd turn into a monster again and massacre everyone around me?! she wanted to shout but she knew now that he was baiting her and that he seemed to be reveling in it. She needed to remain calm and collected. She would not feed the creature before her or the monster within.
Etta took a calming breath, her features going from anger to a businesslike seriousness. "Before we proceed with..." she gestured in a circular motion with a hand, "whatever exactly we're going to be proceeding with, I would like reassurance that my father is alive and well. Please," she added in hopes of keeping things at peace between them.
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Post by DarkSideCookie on Feb 12, 2017 0:10:01 GMT -8
Rumplestiltskin watched the emotions happening on Henrietta's face. And he absolutely made no secret of his amusement about it. She asked herself about the meaning of his words, about the warm up she had passed supposedly. All of this was already part of her training. She had to learn to control the beast herself, at least enough to become a useful token later. The rest of her training anyway will be more a farce. Rumple's radiant eyes were waiting for either Hyde to appear or Henrietta to calm down.
And ta-da! Henrietta seemed to have won the inner fight, as he bet on her this time.
"Before we proceed with...""whatever exactly we're going to be proceeding with, I would like reassurance that my father is alive and well. Please,"
Wow, she really seemed to pull herself up, sounding actually amicable. "I remember to have proved to you already before, didn't I?" Rumple let a pause following his words. "But you shall know I'm no monster." A grin played around his lips, when he spoke out monster. He just couldn't stop to twit her. "So, come near to the water and convince yourself."
One more time the Dark One did the magical trick to show Henrietta the pale but whole face of her father looking back at her.
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Post by Hollywood Heidi on Feb 12, 2017 10:16:39 GMT -8
"I remember to have proved to you already before, didn't I?"
'Yes, but that was several days ago, she thought but didn't feel the need to express that once again what he knew very well.
"But you shall know I'm no monster."
She clenched her teeth to stop herself from scowling at him again.
"So, come near to the water and convince yourself."
Etta took quick steps, eager to see her father's face. She knelt down at the water's edge, wanting to be as close as she could to him. He looked so pale still. There was pain in his eyes, and not just physical. There was an emotional pain that cut much deeper and she knew it was because of her. She felt it too. "He looks so pale," she said quietly, starting to reach out a hand but stopping short of the water. She did not want to disturb the image.
Etta kept her eyes on the image of her father. He reminded her of who she was. Who she had been. Of the happy moments, growing up well educated and well bred, taught manners and the expected ways of their social status, though reminded not to be held back by the unfortunate limits set in place for women. Her father had enriched her life further by raising her with the education she hungered for and had told her to ignore the women who tutted that no man would want to marry a woman who was overly educated or thought too much for herself. He'd told them that he wouldn't want a man who thought like that for his daughter and sent them on their way, then gave her a smile and words of reassurance that she would be happier than any of those interfering clucking hens would ever be. And he had been right. There had been several good men who had shown interest when she'd grown into a woman but Gerhardt, the well respected soldier who encouraged her rather than made attempts to lure her away from her books that had earned her attention and love.
The thought of her father and Gerhardt grounded her and reminded her of who she was. She spoke calmly now. "I'm a stranger to this land, its people, but most especially, the reputation of the man I've stumbled blindly into a deal with so I do not mean to offend if I sometimes ask for some form of reassurance that my father is alive and well. You have to understand," she added, gesturing between the magical image in the water and the magical creature that had produced it, "that we don't have anything like this in my world."
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Post by DarkSideCookie on Mar 10, 2017 16:09:01 GMT -8
Rumplestiltskin wordless watched her looking at her father's image on the water's edge.
"He looks so pale,", she lastly said.
"Well, I'm no doctor, you know.", he answered in an amused way and added in thoughts 'It's just the way someone is looking after the attack of a beast daughter'. But this time he remained silent. Exceptionally.
"I'm a stranger to this land, its people, but most especially, the reputation of the man I've stumbled blindly into a deal with so I do not mean to offend if I sometimes ask for some form of reassurance that my father is alive and well.
Oh, not only strangers to this land were stumbling blindly into a deal with him. Thus far he has gotten almost every person he wanted to make a deal with into one. A satisfied expression was shown on his face as for this thought.
"You have to understand, that we don't have anything like this in my world."
"Of course not, dearie. This is magic." And magic was power. "Well then", he suddenly said and let the image of her father disappear within one moment. "If there isn't anything else, let's help you to control the beast." At least the beast with another personality.
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Post by Hollywood Heidi on Mar 11, 2017 16:22:48 GMT -8
After her father's image disappeared, Etta stood and faced the Dark One. She already knew he'd been in her world because he'd been working with Viktor. For her and her father's sake, he'd been in the right place at the right time. Even still, he could have easily let things play out as they would have. Etta didn't like being completely in the dark, especially not with this creature. She wanted to know what she'd gotten herself into and at the same time, it could help her understand how all this worked, should she decide to pass the information on to Eric.
"Why did you approach me to make a deal? I'm sure it wasn't out of the goodness of your heart," She added dryly. "Easy mark? Leverage to have over Viktor?" She paused as an irksome thought occurred to her. "Did Viktor ask you to help me?" Oh, she would have words for Viktor if this was a decision he made without consulting her.
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Post by DarkSideCookie on Apr 14, 2017 5:39:34 GMT -8
"Why did you approach me to make a deal? I'm sure it wasn't out of the goodness of your heart,""Easy mark? Leverage to have over Viktor?""Did Viktor ask you to help me?"
"This has nothing to do with Viktor!", Rumple suddenly straightened out a little bit annoyed already. Viktor... That guy had invited himself. And yet he got rid of him in the end. Rumple had no use and above all no nerves for another science advocate. "Believe it or not, I sense an unfortunate soul when it calls for help." That was everything she had to know.
Expectantly Rumple peered at her. He was somehow awaiting another question, as she didn't seem to be satisfied with his answer. There was more behind this sudden question-and-answer game, wasn't it?
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Post by Hollywood Heidi on Apr 21, 2017 18:22:50 GMT -8
"This has nothing to do with Viktor!"
'Touchy, touchy,' Etta thought to herself. With that reaction, there'd be no wondering if Viktor had any part of this.
"Believe it or not, I sense an unfortunate soul when it calls for help."
She avoided poking the crocodile into further annoyance and dropped all dry comments and snark. "Forgive my impertinence. I've been going through quite a rough patch." Etta treaded carefully and continued in a calm, nonchalant tone. "So that's how it works then? Or do people sometimes seek you out?"
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Post by DarkSideCookie on Apr 29, 2017 14:54:59 GMT -8
"Forgive my impertinence. I've been going through quite a rough patch."
Rumplestiltskin wondered a bit about the sudden courtesy of hers, throwing a leery look at her.
"So that's how it works then? Or do people sometimes seek you out?"
Aha, he knew it! Question-answer, question-answer. He already was right in the middle of it. "Why so curious all of a sudden?", Rumple wanted to know, peering at her like a secret could be read right behind her features.
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Post by Hollywood Heidi on Apr 29, 2017 17:34:28 GMT -8
"Because I'm trying to figure out exactly what I've gotten myself into," she said, shrugging off her questions as curiosity. He was looking at her suspiciously and she elaborated. "I'm not from here, if you'll recall. I'm not sure how common it is in this land to be making deals. Or if it's even recommended," she added cautiously.
Her deal with him was already set so there was nothing to consider for herself. Only a way to make it seem like she wanted to know if she'd made a good decision. "Would you make a deal with you?"
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Post by DarkSideCookie on May 12, 2017 12:19:00 GMT -8
"Because I'm trying to figure out exactly what I've gotten myself into,"
For what? The deal was struck. Everyone was aware of reading the fine print before signing a contract, even though he didn't often make use of fine print anyway. In this case there even hasn't been literally a contract. His deals, his practices.
"I'm not from here, if you'll recall. I'm not sure how common it is in this land to be making deals. Or if it's even recommended,"
At her last comment Rumplestiltskin raised an eyebrow. If it's recommended? Just as he wanted to start a reply, Henrietta continued with a very uncommon question.
"Would you make a deal with you?"
No one had ever asked him such a question before. For some seconds he just stood there, staring at her, when suddenly a grin appeared on his lips. He made some steps closer in her direction, as he spoke in his usual lifely way. "As for me... there is no father has to be rescued, no stepmother has to be stopped and no heart has to be acquired." Rumplestiltskin came to stop right in front of her. "So why would I have to make a deal with anyone? But...", he added with one finger raised up. "If I wasn't me, I probably would." A squishy question had to be followed by a squishy answer. But enough of that little chitchat. "Why exactly are we having this dialog, dearie?"
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Post by Hollywood Heidi on May 13, 2017 16:56:46 GMT -8
"If I wasn't me, I probably would."
She eyed him suspiciously. Somehow, she didn't doubt that a person like him would have made a deal with a creature like him. That is, if he once was a person. Maybe it had been what had lead him to become the creature that stood before her.
Those thoughts and his words did nothing to build confidence in the idea that striking a deal with him was a good one. Etta's eyes wandered in the direction of the castle down the hill in the distance, it's towers barely visible through the trees. Questioning him was not going well. He was uncooperative and each question earned her far more of his suspicion than clarity.
"Why exactly are we having this dialog, dearie?"
"What?" she said distractedly, putting her eyes and partial attention back on him. His question registered after a beat. "I told you, I was wondering what I got myself into."
She'd sounded distracted and when her eyes flicked once again through the trees, it was obvious her mind was on a place down the hill in the distance.
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Post by DarkSideCookie on May 13, 2017 18:24:51 GMT -8
If Henrietta only knew how close to the truth her guess actually was...
"What?"
Rumplestiltskin's eyes widened. She was sounding distracted. Her eyes were nervously flickering around. She was nervous. There was something she tried to hide from him. He knew it!
"I told you, I was wondering what I got myself into."
"A-ha!", Rumple suddenly yelped, his forefinger flipping into her direction. "You're nervous.", he set off his observations on her. "You are wondering about that. But not for your sake." A knowing grin played around his lips, as he suddenly got an idea of her intentions. "All this questioning Would you make a deal with you is to find out, if someone should make a deal with me, isn't it?" His grin widened once more. "It is.", he got to answer himself. "I wonder who could be that someone?" Rumple did know by now anyway. Her eyes down the hill in the distance have told him. But it was funny to know if she would recommend his service.
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Post by Hollywood Heidi on May 29, 2017 17:59:41 GMT -8
"A-ha!", "You're nervous.", "You are wondering about that. But not for your sake." "All this questioning Would you make a deal with you is to find out, if someone should make a deal with me, isn't it?"
He had Etta's full attention now. She watched him with a stony expression, her lips pressed together in a hard line.
"It is." "I wonder who could be that someone?"
Etta's expression remained unreadable. The fact that he seemed to be gleeful at the thought of someone wanting to make a deal with him made her more uneasy. "If there is someone," she stressed, "it's not my place to say." There was a stubborn finality to her answer and having the dreaded feeling he knew exactly who the 'someone' was, she emitted a slight nervous energy as if she was holding back from dashing to Eric to deliver a warning.
Whether or not she thought it was a good idea, and she was leaning more toward not, she felt it wasn't her right to speak for Eric or anyone else for that matter. She planned to deliver a warning against it before the Dark One could get to him, but in the end, it was his decision to make.
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Post by DarkSideCookie on Jun 11, 2017 10:04:10 GMT -8
"If there is someone,""it's not my place to say."
Rumplestiltskin was amused about Henrietta so hardly trying to remain unreadable. Of course he couldn't exactly read her thoughts, but he felt like already knowing her good enough to guess. Unfortunately. A stubborn unnerving person he would gladly be able to live without.
"Whatever.", Rumple suddenly ended up that topic. There still was some more time to spend with her, so they better got started with her training. "Any other questions?", he asked a little bit ironic.
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Post by Hollywood Heidi on Jul 16, 2017 22:22:29 GMT -8
Of course she had other questions but the Dark One was most definitely not happy with how she'd already pressed him for answers and he was far too suspicious of her motives as it was. For now, she'd shift her concerns elsewhere.
Etta needed to talk to Eric as she'd promised. She also wanted to be sure to give her thanks, say her goodbyes, and make sure their patient would be in good hands. That was something she needed to discuss with Viktor. There were a surprising number of things to tie up after only a week's stay.
"Just one. When do we leave?"
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Post by DarkSideCookie on Sept 3, 2017 10:52:01 GMT -8
"Just one. When do we leave?"
Rumple inwardly had to roll his eyes again. He really disliked the determining undertone in her voice, even though she was the one had to dance to his piping. He had saved her father's life and got nothing in return by now. Well, by now... When to leave? Oh she would learn about that early enough, but until then there was a lot of time to pass. Actually... enough time to take care of some other business before, right?
"Right away!" Suddenly a devilish smile lay on his lips. "However...", he added in a very impish tone, before he pointed to himself with both of his crocodile-skinned hands. "... that goes for me only. You... will wait here, till I come back." With one last giggle and the seeable amusement about playing with her some more, Rumple left her to herself one more time.
*** Rumplestiltskin exits to Prince Eric's Kingdom - The Royal Castle ***
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Post by Hollywood Heidi on Nov 4, 2017 21:22:10 GMT -8
"No, wait!" she shouted to empty air. Bloody hell. He'd seen right through the questioning. The fact that he used his magic to cheat and get to Eric before she could only served to add further doubt toward the idea of making a deal with the Dark One.
'Wait here, my ass,' she thought as she started to run for the castle. The chances of her making it back before they could seal a deal were unlikely but she had to at least try.
***Etta exits to Prince Eric's Kingdom - The Royal Castle***
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