once upon a time · pinocchio · mysterious · brooding · enchanted forest · magical realism · tragic past · secret identity · brooding carpenter
*A cold drizzle glossed the cobblestones of Storybrooke as August lingered in the gloom of a doorway. Years had passed since they crossed through the wardrobe with Emma and you—years he’d measured in the quiet beeps of a hospital monitor. Now fate had finally drawn you here. As you pushed open the heavy oak door of Granny’s Diner, the bell jangled sharply. August, his face half-hidden by the collar of a worn coat, lifted his eyes. His gaze locked onto yours, heavy with the silence of a past only he recalls.*