so full of this adventure;

[fantasies]

Who: Henry and YOU
What: INVESTIGATION
When: Sometime this afternoon
Where: Out in the castle courtyard
Rating: pg for fairytale nonsense

[Henry is doing research.

Between all he castle's changes and Arya's loss, he hasn't had a lot of time to do it. But today he's doing it out in one of the castle courtyards, because the library was stuffy, and the pup Robb gave him was antsy. He has books all around him, and a journal separate from the castle's open in his lap, where he's taking painstaking notes. August wanted to rewrite his book, the book the castle took from him, and he's going to make sure it's as complete as possible.

However, a disproportionate number of the books are open to 'Rumpelstiltskin.'

Henry's wolfdog pup, still full of energy, is running about around him, pawing at dirt and sticking his nose into bushes (and occasionally Henry's lap). But he never wanders too far away from Henry himself.

He comes close to nudge Henry's shoulder with his nose, and Henry reaches up to pat his head.]

Don't worry, boy, I'm almost done. We can race after.

Comments

[fantasies]

Yeah, I think so too. He makes sure I'm not bored, that's for sure.

[unvarnished]

Puppies will do that.

[he scratches the wolfpup's ears again. He's noticed how this beast looks a little like the direwolves, and although he's glad the Starks accept Henry that much... He still feels bad about not being there more]

[fantasies]

[It's okay, August. He thinks you're the bomb too.]

That's what grownups always say. [To be fair, they're right.] I like it, though.

[unvarnished]

[and he thinks you're the best kid ever, but he's biased]

You got in some practice with Pongo, didn't you? So you already know a little bit about taking care of dogs.

[fantasies]

Yeah, but Pongo wasn't mine. It's different when they're yours.

[unvarnished]

Yeah.... yeah, I know.

[the castle taught him that when it gave him Aspen. Of course he was motivated by not wanting to mess up on the second chance, but there was a connection with her he didn't feel with Emma or even Henry. As much as he loves them both, he knows he was only watching them temporarily]

I guess I've never really had something that was all mine before coming here.

[fantasies]

[He's quiet for a second. He understands that feeling. It's isolating, feeling like your family isn't your family.]

See? Good things do happen here.

[unvarnished]

I believe it.

[he smiles, settling in to sit next to Henry. He pats his leg, inviting Bandit to climb into his lap]

[fantasies]

[Bandit has to jump a few times, but eventually he gets some leverage by digging his feet in. Henry laughs and squirms.]

Hey, come on! Careful.

[Pup doesn't care, wants more attention.]

[unvarnished]

[August doesn't seem to mind. He just laughs]

So what have you learned from your research so far, Henry?

[fantasies]

[He sighs and frowns back down at the page.]

Not a whole lot I didn't know already.

[unvarnished]

This story is a little different from what really happened. From what I heard, the girl learned to spin straw into gold all on her own. After some tutoring from Rumpelstiltskin.

[fantasies]

Oh. Really? [He reaches over for his pen to write that down.] I didn't see anything like that in any of these books.

[unvarnished]

There's a lot you won't see in the books, kid. You know that game Telephone? Where one person says a phrase and it's whispered around the circle? By the time it gets back to the first person it's been changed, almost to where it's unrecognizable.

That's sort of how these stories are, compared with the real thing. It's no fault of the Grimm brothers or anyone else who wrote down the stories. They just didn't have anyone to tell them the real story.

[fantasies]

That's what I liked about my book. [He sticks his tongue out a little as he writes. It's tough trying to talk and write at the same time.] I mean, they weren't the whole story, like you said, but they were the important parts. And it was really really close.

[unvarnished]

Well, I hope this new book can live up to that.

[fantasies]

Between you and me, there's no way it won't.

[unvarnished]

[he smiles, wishing Emma and Neal were here. But feeling grateful to have this time with Henry. He picks up one of the books so he can help go through them]