and she never returned

status :  closed to @goldxlocked location :  winter masquerade

IT WAS MORE THAN OVERWHELMING ,  but hansel had lost himself in more than a few glasses of champagne and was able to let his guard down just enough to have some actual fun .  there was a little voice nagging that he should be keeping an eye on the guests ,  making sure no fights broke out ,  that no one got belligerent ,  but it was a party and he was not the host ,  so for once he was able to convince himself it was not his problem .  the masks made for a mystery that filled him with both anxiety and excitement ,  whose face could be lingering behind the next great spectacle ?

when he finally slips away from the thick of the crowd ,  he is breathless ,  taking a step outside to catch some fresh air .  this is more luxury than he’s seen in his entire life ,  even the outside of the house is perfectly kept like someone swept the grounds daily .  completely unbidden ,  he thinks back to the little cottage he had spent his childhood in ,  the wild weeds and mushrooms that grew contemptuously in the forest that surrounded it .  he pushed the unwanted thought from his mind ,  taking a sip from his champagne flute as he turned away from the sprawling manse .

the sight he was met with ,  however ,  had him choking the light alcohol back up in shock ,  making an utter fool of himself in front of the beauty before him .  he wiped the residue from his lips with the back of his hand ,  laughing nervously .  “ wow , ”  he breathed with an incredulous shake of his head .  “ i mean … just wow .  you look amazing ,  mari . ”

THE EXTRAVAGANCE OF the competing gowns of the night failed to impede upon the confidence of Marigold Locke. She had a fondness for dressing up that was unmatched by stealing or lying, ( though whether or not it fell into the same category as the latter was debatable ). As a child, dressing up had been a rare and dreaded occasion, as it meant wearing a dress hand sewn by a parent and passed down from an older sibling. More specific details of her past came and went as they pleased, and she much preferred if they could leave altogether. When she entered the ball, she searched purely for Hansel. Despite his hesitance in making their relationship known, she was hopeful that under the security of their masks, he’d be a bit more daring with public affection.

When she found him, his reaction didn’t disappoint. Her eyes went wide and she basked in his praised, leaning against the door frame with her arms under her chest and a smirk that suggested that he wasn’t telling her anything she didn’t already know. “Baby, I’m Goldie tonight.” She started towards the man. “We weren’t supposed to recognize each other, you know. You’ve already ruined all the fun,” she teased. As she straightened his tie, she slyly unbuttoned the top button of his shirt and readjusted his collar. “We were supposed to be two strangers who danced together, fell in love, had sex in an elevator... I had it all planned out. It was going to be very hot.” 

He scoffs, her presence is a welcoming one, a reminder that whatever the hour his house had always been something of an attraction to some. Steady footfalls carry him down towards the blonde, adjusting cuff links adorned upon his sleeves as his gaze swallows her whole. “The party was hours ago, and you’ve seemed to have missed out. A pity really. Shall I make calls around to get it started? An evening just for the Goldilocks herself.” His voice is booming, an echo within his emptied home before he lets out laughter, hollow in its delivery. He was a man of performance, a man who’d found comfort in pretending, in losing himself. “Ah but you see, it surely isn’t empty now, now is it?” A brow perks, piqued with interest as his words remain coy. “I do hope you didn’t come here with intent to knick a few heirlooms here and there. If that is the case, might I suggest a few gifts from beneath the tree as well?” 

SHE SMILED AS though they shared a secret, one corner of her lips pulling slightly higher than the other. “Well that may be a little dramatic,” she remarked with a hint of sarcasm, rolling her eyes playfully. “You know I don’t like to be the center of attention. I prefer to be the shadow that no one sees coming.” The blonde woman narrowed her eyes to match her expression with enigmatic words. Marigold stood from the couch, pulling briefly at the bottom of her dress to adjust the length, then started towards one wall of the room. Slowly, she made her way around, looking over his chosen decor. “Like I said, you’re lucky I’m here. I never come here for any other reason than to see you.” Her attempt at feigning innocence was spoiled by the guilty grin that she struggled to hide. Despite her words, she quirked a brow at the offer. “If you’re trying to give me an early gift, I suppose I could accept it,” she conceded. “Which one should I choose?” Already, she was walking towards the tree, eyeing the gifts below with wide eyes. 

Location: Fabletown’s Winter Masquerade Date: December 21st, 07:30 PM open to all!

This must’ve been one of the more aesthetically pleasing events Gaston has ever been to. As he looked around he wondered if any of those fancy looking women and men alike were aware of its meaning to stop everyone from freaking out. He himself barely felt any tension inside of him given he’d always been a hunter, not someone else’s prey. They could die, apparently, nothing new to him, though this time he opted for a change. 

With himself just enjoying the party despite seeing behind the facade, Gaston boasted with his good looks, grinned at women passing him, enjoyed the view, their gowns shimmering and clinging to their curves. “I’d hoped for a remarkable party tonight. Jareth sure doesn’t disappoint.”

MARIGOLD LOCKE HAD multiple intentions in attending the winter masquerade that year, including but not limited to impressing Hansel and looting from those who became too distracted with the festivities of the night. It was unfortunate that such goals contradicted each other, and thus to complete one she had to excuse herself from the other. She had just paused to take a small plate of cocktail shrimp from a passing waiter when Gaston spoke. 

“Lottie, too,” she added, defensive against the common forgetfulness of female influence on a successful night. “I bet their budget was fucking insane.” Her eyes inspected him up and down for anything that glistened in the light. She set her plate down on a nearby table, shrimp out of sight but far from forgotten. “Looks like they’re not the only ones,” the blonde said with a smile, crossing her arms under her chest as she took a step closer. “You’re looking better than usual. Did you do something new with your hair?”  

MARIGOLD LOCKE OUTFIT 1 | ∞ : WINTER MASQUERADE

DATE: December 21st - 22nd 

COMPANION: Hansel Martinez

SEND MY MUSE “👀 + A QUESTION” AND THEY’LL HAVE TO ANSWER WITH 100% HONESTY.

Thoughtfully, Marigold shook her head. “No,” she answered simply, almost surprised to hear the answer herself. “I guess not. Don’t know why I’m surprised. Is it possible to have your heart broken by your own parents? Otherwise there was only ever Slightly who had the ability to break my heart. He may be fucking great at breaking things, and I may have tweeted a few things after we broke up, but I wouldn’t say he broke my heart. He wasn’t that good.”

status : open to all location : jack’s house on the hill. timestamp : december fourth ; 1:38 am

LONELINESS  ate away at him , elegance itself covered that feeling all too well. He’d distracted himself time and tie again, found a momentary fix in whatever inquisitive natures he’d had towards the customs, the people, of Fabletown. Ever the curious. His home, his sanctuary, the place in which he could fester in his loneliness, in his unwelcome pain. “You know, I don’t usually accept house calls from just anyone.” His feet carry him down spiral staircase, fingers tracing the bannister as hollowed laugh escapes him. 

MARIGOLD MADE HERSELF comfortable as she waited for Jack, draping herself perfectly inelegantly over the cushions of a luxurious couch. A long night at work had exhausted her, but she didn’t want to sleep. It wasn’t the first time she had been in his home, as she often ventured to his parties and always took home a souvenir or two, as if she needed them to remember the night by. “Where’s the party?” She whined as he announced his descent down the stair case. “Where’s the dancing and the drinks and the desserts?” She sat up. “An empty home isn’t very festive of you, Jack. You’re lucky I showed up when I did.”

LOCATION: The Candy Store 

STATUS: closed // @gretelmartinez

WITH THE SHINING lights and expensive gifts, it was easy to say that the holidays were Marigold Locke’s favorite time of the year. There weren’t many people from whom she received gifts, and even fewer who received ones from her, but the fact that people were buying in general made stealing so much easier. It was the method with which she typically found the few gifts to give to those who were close to her. Considering a gift for Hansel, however, called for a different process. She knew only one of two gifts she wanted to give to him ― the first one being that the second wouldn’t be stolen. It would come with its own receipt and all.

She held her coffee tight as she entered the candy store. The gift had a budget, after all, and shopping at the candy store granted her the accessible help of someone who knew Hansel even better than she. Once inside, Marigold took a sip of her coffee and looked around. Catching Gretel in an aisle, she approached the woman and said, “Do you guys have anything that could be a good Christmas gift? Maybe some sort of... candy arrangement, or something? I’m on a budget, but if I’m buying something then I want them to like it, you know?”

LOCATION: Marigold’s Room, Local Motel 

STATUS: closed // @wtchbait

MARIGOLD LOCKE BLINKED and took a deep breath and stretched her legs, then glanced around for the source of the movement that had waken her. The room around her was dark, save for the light of the television screen. The movie she and Hansel intended to watch hours earlier had now replayed itself three or four times. It was the scene where the Grinch stole all the Christmas presents from the Whos ― Marigold’s favorite part, but she ignored it in favor of the silhouette that sat upright on the edge of the mattress. She turned to her other side, propping an elbow to watch him.

“You don’t have to leave,” she said. It was difficult not to sound as though she was begging him not to go when she most certainly was. “It’s cold outside.” It was cold inside too, but she didn’t dare get out from under the blankets to turn the heater back on. She wouldn’t need to either, if he simply came back to bed. She pulled the thin comforter over her bare shoulder. “Just stay the night. Fuck your job.”

LOCATION: Marigold’s Room, Local Motel 

STATUS: closed // @destrvctions // Cain

MARIGOLD LOCKE NEVER gave much thought to the future. She didn’t even care so much for the present, either. At all costs, she preferred to keep her thoughts far away from her current actions and the possible consequences of them. Her inexperience with dealing with the ramifications of her mistakes gave her only one option when they caught up with her, which was to call upon someone else to help deal with them. 

SENT ( text: me  → beast ) : come over tonight

SENT ( text: me  → beast ) : and bring a pregnancy test?

SENT ( text: me  → beast ) : and chinese food

SENT ( text: me  → beast ) : PLEASE don’t forget the chinese food!!

She lay on her bed as she waited for the man to arrive, and was nearly half asleep when a harsh banging on the door jolted her awake. She hurried towards the door and hissed as she answered it, “Christ. Can you chill the fuck out? If you knock any harder you’re going to knock the place down.” She stepped aside to let him in, then closed and locked the door behind him. “I’ve already had two noise complaints this week. Did you bring the food?”

SEND MY MUSE “👀 + A QUESTION” AND THEY’LL HAVE TO ANSWER WITH 100% HONESTY.

“I swear if this ends up on Briar’sradioshow,  I’m fucking keying someone’scar.” With that out of the way, she sighed. Shaking her head thoughtfully, shetook a moment to mentally sort through her secrets, then shrugged to signifythat she had given up. “I tell a lot of people a lot of things, so if you’relooking for something that no one else knows then you’re shit out of luck. I’m planning a heist against Fritz and his casino, but I’ve told at least a handful of people about that. I have feelings for Hansel, but I think he knows that? Wendy does, anyways, and I may have told Meg…”