entranceway | video || no hour of life is wasted that is spent in the saddle

[ Disregard the date, shame on my timezone, this is clearly the 18th, a splendid morning after a hideous series of murders, which left the Duke of Buckingham occupied with matters other than his daily riding routine, such as not getting blood on his boots.

But well, well, it's all behind us now, is it not? Which brings Wonderland to a far more important matter, namely the vexed nobleman standing by the stable door, the stable door on the grounds no less, after his own showed no trace of the prized animal he meant to visit.

And of course, last he recalled Ascalon, bright as the steed may be, had insufficient knowledge in regards to opening his stable door on his own, which currently accounts for a great deal of ire in the duke's tone. ]

I found today that of my horses appears to have been... misplaced.

[ And that is putting the dirty thievery mildly. Buckingham takes a sharp breath. The riding crop in his hands creaks irritably. ]

Andalusian. Black. I'd not suppose anyone would have an idea concerning his whereabouts?

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Was he one of the horses in the stables?

[ Buckingham clenches his teeth, making an effort to sound marginally less keen on immediate murder of the culprit. For the boy, you understand. ]

Not the stables on the grounds, no. I keep my own, by the mansion, but... I had to look elsewhere, to be sure.

[ He arches an eyebrow. ]

Why? Has something happened to the horses as well?

[ He saw Athos' glorified mule in its box, perfectly content. He paid little attention to any of the others. ]

Edited 2014-02-19 00:02 (UTC)

I don't know. I haven't been allowed to leave the room for a while. It wasn't safe. So I haven't been out to check on them.

[Not that that had often stopped him, but there had never been a murderer on the loose before. Not like this. Emma had done all the walking of Lucky recently. Henry moving between Emma, Mary Margaret and Regina's rooms while things were being settled and figured out.]

Does your horse have a name?

[ Not safe, not safe? The duke frowns. Ah yes, that! Murder. Tragic. He recalls it very clearly now. ]

Mm, of course.

[ Anyway, about that horse... ]

Ascalon is his name, though I'm sad to say he cares little whether one uses it or not.

Maybe he does care.

[Henry no. No Henry. Stop now. You don't want to have this conversation with the Duke.]

Maybe he just has a different name and he is trying to figure out why you never get it right.

[But back to the point.]

I'll help you look for him, though. If you want.

Didja look under the couch?

[Gabriel? Being helpful? Yeah, no. Not really his first instinct. Though he's putting on a great serious face, at the moment.]

Or between the cushions? So many things get lost in there.

Do you think he has been stolen or that he's escaped?

..I think somebody took him, man.

[Yes thank you Jesse.]

I'm, uh-- pretty sure I heard something that coulda been a horse the other day. In the halls.

[Like... Clippity-clopping and whatnot.

...Or he could have been amped up and out of his mind, you know, because that's a thing that happens from time to time and paranoia can take some pretty hilarious (and awful) forms...]

[ That voice, that voice, how vexingly familiar it is to him. But his encounter with the trickster has been so very long ago, and Buckingham can no longer quite place the sound. He tries, fails, and frowns. Luckily the expression is needed here, regardless of recognition. ]

Had I given the impression I was looking for a toy horse? Let me assure you, he is quite alive and not quite the right size for... your ideas.

[ But he is ever so grateful for the suggestions. You can tell by the way he looks like he wants to stab the screen with his knife. ]

I think my horse capable of a great many feats, but opening two locked gates is not amongst them.

[ In other words, Buckingham has is suspicions. Angry, angry suspicions. ]

[This is going to be completely unhelpful, but sue him, he's just really curious.]

How do you even misplace a horse?

Yes, I suspected as much.

[ But he is ever so very grateful for the revelation, truly. See that smile? SMILE. GRATEFUL. Most certainly not strained and irritated at the universe and everyone in it. ]

I don't suppose you had any urge to investigate, and saw who... rode him?

[ Through the halls no less, damn them. ]

[ By this point Buckingham's faux smile of murderous annoyance is clenched so tight he'll have trouble getting it unstuck without the use of some tools. ]

Suppose it would require someone else to involve himself and... see to it that the horse is misplaced in my absence.

[ Excuse you what the what now. ]

[ ...Well, somebody is very lucky that, as far as Wonderland's young population is concerned, Buckingham's mind draws a very fine line between endearing and obnoxious, which Henry hasn't crossed just yet, despite the duke's more murderous mindset of the day.

Speaking of that, however, to find the horse would mean to find the one who removed it from Buckingham's stables in the first place, and if the duke has any say in the matter then that person is headed for a fate perhaps not suited for a younger audience.

And so: ]

You're... too kind to offer, Master Henry, but he'll only have so many places to go, why, I... expect I'll hear word from whoever borrowed him any moment now.

[ He clicks his tongue. ]

Although if you happen to catch him anywhere before that, do let me know, won't you? And... ask him his real name first, if it pleases you.

[Sorry not sorry. It's a question that needed to be asked, if only because of the sheer ridiculousness of it all. Who's ever even heard of someone misplacing a horse of all things?

Still, Wash can see he's only proved irritating. Maybe he's not the first one to ask the very obvious question.]

Right. I guess that makes more sense than losing it in the more literal sense. [That is absolutely not amusement in his voice. Nope. Not at all. ...Except maybe a tiny bit. But, he clears his throat and carries on in a more appropriately serious manner after a moment.] Is there, uh. Is there someone here that would even do that, though? Hide your horse from you, I mean?

[He just smirks, because winding people up for him is a ritual. Like someone else drinking coffee in the morning.]

You, my friend, have not seen the right couches, and neither has your High-Ho-Silver. But if you wanted a toy-sized horse...

[There's a sigh, and then Jesse runs a hand down the side of his face.]

No. I-- I wasn't sure I was actually hearing it. I thought it was like... [A figment of his methed out imagination??] I don't know, like somebody's TV or something. And yo, there was some psycho knifing people in the halls, I wasn't about to open the door to investigate, come on--

[HE'S TRYING, YO.]

I'm on the eighth floor though, if that helps... At all.

[Maybe he can follow a trail, who knows.]

I will help you look. Have you any idea where to start? Any suspicions?

[ Oh shit.

Now, America had a good excuse for the "borrowing," but he's not inclined to explain it to someone who is obviously missing their (ill tempered) companion. Lest America be accused of being a horse thief, he'll have to play this very carefully. Be subtle about his knowledge of the horse's whereabouts. ]

HAVE YOU CHECKED THE ROOF

[ So subtle. ]

Are you sure? I think maybe I could figure out how to get Lucky to try to track him maybe. Dogs are really good at that sort of thing.

[He frowns a little but he'll keep an eye out whether Buckingham wants his help or not.]

I don't actually know how to speak to horses. But I'll give it a try if I see him. I'm sure he'll come back soon.

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