August Booth/Pinocchio (Once Upon a Time): ENTP
Dominant Extroverted Intuition [Ne]: “I mean, when I start writing, I usually have one idea. And then, in the middle, I may get another idea, and things are different.” August is completely comfortable with changes in perspective. He doesn’t mind the unknown, and sees possibilities, allowing him to effortlessly generates ideas. He tells Henry that he hates when he gets a good idea that slips away from him. August thinks it’s important to have an open mind, and spends a great deal of time trying to get Emma to believe in magic. While in Storybrooke, he remains focused on the big picture and uses his creative way of thinking to get Emma to open herself up to the truth. While August is focused on steering Emma towards her destiny, he does give in to the temptations of life in the Land Without Magic. August likes to travel the world and see new things. He spent an entire year, and implies that once he got bored with his surroundings, he would simply hop on his motorcycle and move on to the next place. August is good at improvising in the moment (coming up with an excuse for snooping around Mr. Gold’s).
Auxiliary Introverted Thinking [Ti]: When August has a mission, he keeps his plans to himself, rarely discussing them aloud. Even though Henry is already a believer, August still opts against revealing himself. Instead, he keeps Henry in the dark, recruiting him for schemes while telling him as little as possible. August is comfortable with modifying his plans when he’s lead to a dead end. August’s logic is internal – he can see beyond “facts” and, even though his life depends on getting Emma to believe, he understands that she needs to discover the truth in her own way. He gets that most people are only able to see whatever is right in front of them, but August’s logical understanding is much more subjective. August enjoys working with his hands and fixing things and seems to comprehend how things work. He mends his bike, installs new locks for Mary Margaret, and even tries to regain the bond he once had with Geppetto by working with Marco (Ti-Fe). August is quick to come to rational conclusions about things. Emma can’t see that his leg is made of wood because she doesn’t want to see it. Her denial is so strong that she’s unable to see what’s right in front of her.
Tertiary Extroverted Feeling [Fe]: Getting Emma to believe is essential for August’s continued survival. Sure, he could just say, “Look, it’s all true. The Enchanted Forest is real. I’m Pinocchio, and I’ll turn into wood if you don’t start believing soon!” But he doesn’t. He understands that different people need to find the truth in their own way. He can’t force Emma to believe. He has to nudge her in a personalized way. August is good at playing on people’s emotions, allowing him to easily use manipulation as a tactic in his schemes. He poses as Mr. Gold’s long lost son in order to get the dagger from him. Although he needs Emma to believe for his own selfish reasons, he never uses that to convince her. Instead, he focuses on how important she is to everyone in town. August is quick to pick up on other people’s emotions – such as when he sees Henry in Granny’s and immediately concludes that he’s upset about Mary Margaret’s arrest. He’s able to relate to him because of their shared goal of getting Emma to believe and uses Henry in his plans. August also uses Neal’s love for Emma to persuade him to let her go so, so she can go on to fulfill her destiny.
Inferior Introverted Sensing [Si]: Emma’s need for concrete evidence and proof is one of August’s biggest hurdles. He knows that Henry relies on information he gets from his book, so August steals it and adds the story of Pinocchio to it to push them in the right direction. He relates to people by discussing his own, similar experiences. Emma’s inability to find evidence to clear Mary Margaret is “a case of writer’s block,” and gives her advice based on his way of remedying it. He tells her that he rereads what he’s already written as opposed to “plowing ahead blindly.” He advises her to go back to the beginning with the perspective that she has now to see if she may find something she previously missed (Ne-Si). August has difficulty learning from his mistakes and tends to repeat the patterns of behavior that have gotten him into trouble in the past. August seems to have an appreciation for the old-fashioned, choosing a typewriter instead of more modern technology for his writing. Instead of just telling Emma that he was the boy who found her when she was an infant, he takes her to the place where it all happened, presumably so she can feel connected to her past, and describes the blanket she was wrapped in in order to give his story merit. August has a sentimental streak, and is very reluctant to part with the pendant that Geppetto used to give him life – even when he’s told it’s the only way to save himself from turning to wood.
Note: I did consider ESTP for August, but my final decision is based on how he goes about getting Emma to believe. He doesn’t try to provide her with sensory evidence. Instead, he tries to get her to open her mind. I don’t think that most ESTPs would talk about “going on faith”/”taking a leap of faith.” He admonishes Emma for needing “evidence for everything.” From my perspective, he’s more of a thought/idea person than a sensory person. He’s a bit more subdued than the stereotypical ENTP.
Enneagram: 7w6 9w8 4w5 Sx/Sp
August: Whatcha working on?
Henry: Uh, no time to talk. I got to write it all down before I forget.
August: Yeah, I hate it when great ideas slip away from me.
Henry: They’re not my ideas. They’re stories from a book that I lost.
August: Must be a hell of a book. What’s it about?
Henry: Stuff.
August: Sounds exciting.
Henry: You seem awfully interested in me and my book.
August: No, I’m just being neighborly.
Henry: What are you doing in Storybrooke?
August: I’m a writer.
Henry: You can write anywhere. What are you really doing here?
August: Stuff. Good luck with the stories.
Emma: You going to come in? I thought you wanted that drink.
August: I do, but I didn’t say here. Hop on.
Emma: You want me to get on the back of that bike?
August: That’s what ‘hop on’ means.
Emma: How about if we go somewhere, I drive?
August: How about you stop having to control everything and take a leap of faith? You owe me a drink. Hop on. I know a good watering hole.
Granny: If you don’t, I will.
well. There’s even a legend. They say that the water from the well is fed by an underground lake, and that lake has magical properties.
Emma: Magic? You sound like Henry.
August: Smart kid. So, this legend. It says that if you drink the water from the well, something lost will be returned to you.
Emma: You know an awful lot about this town for being a stranger.
August: And you know very little for being the Sheriff.
Emma: How do you know all this? You’ve been here before?
August: I know all of this for one very simple reason – I read the plaque.
Emma: You actually believe that?
August: I’m a writer. I have to have an open mind.
Emma: Yeah, but magic?
August: Water is a very powerful thing. Cultures as old as time have worshipped it. It flows throughout all lands, connecting the entire world. If anything had mystical properties – if anything had magic – well, I’d say it’d be water.
Emma: That’s asking a lot to believe on faith.
August: If you need evidence for everything, Emma, you’re going to find yourself stuck in one place for a long time.
Emma: Maybe. Or, maybe I’ll just find the truth before anyone else.
[He hands her one of the cups.]
August: Well, Miss Skeptic, there’s one thing I can tell you for sure that requires no leap of faith, and I know you’ll agree with me.
Emma: What’s that?
August: It’s good water.
Ruby: You can’t be serious. A whole year without a roof over your head?
August: Well, you get used to it. Plus, I had the motorcycle. So, if I didn’t like a place after a while…
[Granny calls for Ruby, but Ruby ignores her.]
Granny: Ruby?
Ruby: I’ve never even been out of Storybrooke. What was your favourite place?
August: Nepal. Best people. They have these prayer temples carved into mountains that are overrun with lemurs.
Ruby: What’s a lemur?
Granny: Ruby!
Ruby: Just give me a sec!
August: They’re little animals. And they have these eyes that reflect light. So, at night, it looks like they glow.
August: I don’t think that hot chocolate’s going to drink itself. You’re upset about your teacher, aren’t ya?
Henry: She didn’t do it. Why can’t anyone see that?
August: Because most people just see what’s right in front of them. And I don’t think you’re going to find the answers you want at the bottom of that mug.
Henry: Then where?
August: That a book in your bag? You know I’m a writer. So, I’m partial to finding my answers in the literary form.
Henry: It’s just a book.
August: Is it?
Henry: Yeah.
August: I think we both know that that’s not the case. Can I get a water, please?
Henry: What do you know about it?
August: I know it’s a book of stories.
Henry: Aren’t all books?
August: Stories…that really happened.
Henry: You think my book is real?
August: As real as I am.
Henry: How do you know?
August: Well, let’s just say that, uh, I’m a believer. And I want to help others see the light. That, my friend, is why I’m here.
Henry: But I already believe.
August: Oh, I’m not here for you, buddy. I’m here for Emma.
Henry: So, you want to get her to believe? Why don’t you just tell her?
August: Well, there are some people – like you and me – we can go on faith. But others – like Emma – they need proof.
Henry: Last time I tried to find proof, I got trapped in a sinkhole.
August: There are less dangerous places to look.
[August taps Henry’s book.]
August: What you doing?
Emma: Grasping at straws.
August: Still trying to find a way to prove your friend’s been framed?
Emma: Every time I go down a path I think leads somewhere, it ends up being a dead end. I used to think I had these great instincts… Superpower. Ah, I don’t know.
August: It sounds like you got a case of writer’s block. Only without the whole writing part.
Emma: Maybe.
August: You know, when I get struck by a block, I usually reread what I’ve done, rather than plow ahead blindly. Sometimes, I find there’ll be a little nugget of inspiration left behind.
Emma: You mean start over?
August: I mean, when I start writing, I usually have one idea. And then, in the middle, I may get another idea, and things are different.
Emma: So, your perspective changes.
August: Exactly. When you started this investigation, what was it about?
Emma: A missing person. Then, it became a murder, and then a cover-up.
August: If you knew that then, maybe you would have approached things differently. Where you going?
Emma: Scene of the crime.
August: I’ll drive.
(August follows her.)
Emma: No, I’m fine.
August: No, you’re not. You haven’t slept in days. And, let’s be honest – it was my idea.
Emma: Hey. I’m sorry.
August: For what?
Emma: For doubting you. I made a mistake.
[She hands him a bag containing the bug from the vase.]
August: What’s that?
Emma: Evidence. Evidence that proves that I’ve been trusting all the wrong people. I should have listened to you. This bug was from Sidney.
August: The newspaper guy?
Emma: I should’ve seen it.
August: Well, don’t beat yourself up about it, Emma. Sometimes, it’s hard to see what’s right in front of us, but I knew you would.
Emma: I’m trying.
August: It’s almost nine. You all set? You know what to do?
Henry: Operation Cobra is always ready. I just…
August: You just what?
Henry: I don’t understand what this has to do with getting Emma to believe.
August: Sometimes, other priorities assert themselves. Can you handle a little improvisation?
Henry: Yeah. Can you?
August: We’re a go.
Henry: How bad was it?
August: Getting caught in his office? Not bad. I played it off.
Henry: What were you looking for? Did you find it?
August: Nope. But I have a feeling it’s going to find me.
Mr. Gold: Oh, my boy. My beautiful boy. Can you truly, truly forgive me?
August: I forgive you, Papa.
Mr. Gold: You were looking for the knife.
August: I thought that if you still had it, it would mean that you hadn’t changed.
Mr. Gold: Well, let’s go and find it and see.
[The two of them go to a spot in the woods. August begins digging with a shovel.]
Mr. Gold: I buried it here shortly after Emma came to town. Things were changing. Didn’t want to take the chance of Regina finding it.
August: Of course.
Mr. Gold: It should be right about here, son. Here. Look, look.
[Mr. Gold picks up the dagger out of the hole, which is wrapped in a cloth. He unwraps the dagger and hands it to August.]
Mr. Gold: I want you to take it. Destroy it, the way I know you always wanted to. I found you, and I don’t need it anymore. I chose it once. Now, I choose you.
[August takes the dagger and examines it.]
August: It’s remarkable.
[August holds up the dagger and points it at Mr. Gold.]
August: By the power of the darkness, I command thee… Dark One.
Mr. Gold: You’re trying to control me?
August: I command thee, Dark One!
Mr. Gold: You’re not my son. You’re not Baelfire.
August: Papa, why would you say that? I’m just trying to use your power to help us.
Mr. Gold: Enough! It’s over, Booth. Or whoever you are. My son would never try to use me. And he would know, that this knife cannot harness any magic in this world, because there is no magic in this world. That’s why he chose this place. He didn’t want me…
[Mr. Gold grabs the dagger from August.]
Mr. Gold: Dabbling.
August: So, why bury a useless knife?
Mr. Gold: Oh, I wouldn’t say it was useless. It still cuts through flesh rather nicely. It’s about time you start answering some questions, sunshine. Why the theatrics? Why didn’t you just come to me?
August: I needed you to work for it. I needed you to want it so bad, you would ignore what your eyes were seeing. Do I even look like him at all?
Mr. Gold: How do you know about this knife?
August: I hear things.
[Mr. Gold points the dagger at August, until he ends up backed up against a tree.]
Mr. Gold: No one here knows about this knife.
August: No one here remembers.
Mr. Gold: And, yet, you do. You’re from there, aren’t you? From my world.
August: The fact that you’re asking the question means you know the answer.
Mr. Gold: Well, now that that’s settled…
[Mr. Gold lunges at August, pinning him against the tree behind him. He holds the dagger to his throat.]
Mr. Gold: How about my other question? Who told you about me and the knife?
August: A little fairy.
Mr. Gold: Why did you want it? If you know who I am, then you know who I am. The chances of you surviving this little encounter are pretty slim. So, why take the risk?
August: Because I’ll die anyway.
Mr. Gold: What?
August: I’m sick. I’m sick, and I need magic. I was going to get the saviour to believe. But that woman… I don’t think I’m going to make it long enough to see that happen.
[Mr. Gold removes the dagger from August’s throat.]
Mr. Gold: She trusts you – it might be enough. Try again.
August: You’re going to let me live?
Mr. Gold: You’re going to die either way. This way, at least I might get something out of it.
August: Emma, wait up.
Emma: You heard the kid – Operation Cobra calls.
August: I didn’t think you believed any of that.
Emma: Oh, I don’t. But, sometimes, it’s the only way to get through to Henry.
August: You know, a custody battle against Regina isn’t going to accomplish anything. You need to look at the big picture. That’s the only way you’re going to understand what you’re up against. That’s the only way you’ll know how to beat Regina.
Emma: Okay, new guy. How’s that?
August: Take the day off. Come with me, and I’ll show you.
Emma: And where exactly would we be going on this magical mystery tour?
August: If I told you, you would never come. Oh, come on. Take a leap of faith. You come with me, and I promise you – you’ll find exactly what you’re looking for.
August: It’s not me slowing us down. It’s her. All she can think about right now is getting custody of her kid.
Mr. Gold: Sounds like Sheriff Swan needs a course correction.
August: She’s coming to you for legal advice.
Mr. Gold: And you want me to steer her toward you?
August: I can get her there. To believing. Trust me.
August: You look like you might be shorthanded.
Marco: I get by.
August: How would you feel about… Taking on an assistant?
Marco: I can’t pay you.
August: That’s okay. I just feel like fixing things.
August Booth/Pinocchio (Once Upon a Time): ENTP was originally published on MBTI Zone