[open]

[justella]

Who: Jacinda and YOU!
Where: The gardens or the rest of the mansion
When: 3/5
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Jacinda was just trying to get to her daughter not end up in another world.
The Story:

She isn't exactly sure what's happening- Henry came into the bar to tell her that Victoria had been arrested, which meant that Lucy was going to be hers again. That’s all she needed to hear before she was rushing out the door. All she can think about as she races through the streets is Lucy and bringing her home, finally. They can be a family again and maybe this time life won't find a way to knock them back.

She's at the tower and in the elevator, fidgeting and willing it to go faster, Lucy is on the other side of those doors and as soon as they bing open Jacinda is moving. Shes moving so fast she doesn't realize at first that this is not the tower, in fact she's not even inside anymore. She's taken a number of steps into a garden that she doesn't recognize. She stalls to a halt, startled and looking around.

"What the hell?" She spinning but there is no elevator behind her- just garden. Everywhere garden.

"Lucy?" Her voice is quiet and unsure the first time she says it, and then it picks up strength. "Lucy?!"

This has to be some kind of trick, or hallucination. How can she go from the tower to wherever the hell this was in the blink of an eye?

"No, no, no no," this wasn't happening. Not when she was so close to getting her daughter back, to getting everything she wanted.

"LUCY!"

Eventually she will move, it’s cold out there and she’s not dressed for winter. She’s looking for answers inside the mansion, poking her head into rooms, reading the pamphlet and trying to figure out what’s real and whts a crazy hallucination brought on by stress.

Comments

[justella]

She’s surprised at the disappointment she feels when he pulls his hand away, but she keeps the smile on her face and even lets out a disbelieving laugh. “Oh you’re that sure of your truck fixing skills?”

“Beignets. Sabine makes the best. And anything is better than frying chicken. Roni offered me a job at the bar until the truck is up and running. So between that and the bar it’s been busy. But a good busy.” Things has been looking up.

[henrydaniel]

"Does it work now?"

He can't help but laugh and look down for a second before looking back at her. That same, soft smile is on his own face. His mom's looking out for her, too. Either that means some part of her knows somehow that Jacinda is family or she's not as cursed as she's pretending to be. He has no way of knowing, but either way, he's grateful.

"I feel pretty confident in saying that anything I can do to help you out, just name it. Whatever you need."

[justella]

“The electric works.” She’ll give him that much.

This time she reaches forward and squeezes his hand. “Thank you Henry, I mean it, this would have been even more of a nightmare without you.” Even when she doesn’t want him to he seems to keep finding ways to save her- and maybe she’s not that opposed to it as she thought.

“Is there anything else I should know?”

[henrydaniel]

"Well...now that you mention it." He clears his throat and if he just keeps holding her hand, well, he's not gonna say anything if she doesn't.

"Ivy's here, too. She got here a few weeks ago."

[justella]

“Oh.” Lovely. She didn’t have the best relationship with her step-sister. “How has that been?”

[henrydaniel]

"Honestly?" Henry shrugs just a little. "She seems...lonely. I've talked to her a few times, just to try and figure out why she's so, well. You know. I don't think it has anything to do with anyone but her mom."

But that's definitely not all, and he looks at Ella Jacinda before barreling forward with no real idea what he's doing. "So, you know I told you people are here from different places, all over? Those people can look like other people. Like identical twins, but not related. And I'm telling you this because it'll look like Officer Rogers and Roni are here, but it's not them."

Technically. He's not lying, but he's also not thinking that Emma and Snow might be in the dumb book and she might recognize them from the illustration. That's a problem for future Henry.

[justella]

“Yeah well, Victoria raised us both.” And Jacinda didn’t turn into a petty uptight bitch. “If she’s lonely she’s only got herself to blame for that.” There’s definitely no love lost between sisters, and while sometimes Jacinda feels a way about that she gave up on Ivy a long time ago.

Sure Henry, just keep dropping bombs on her. “What do you mean it’s not them?”

[henrydaniel]

Huh, well. He could have guessed Ivy wouldn't get a warm reception from her step-sister so he doesn't dwell. Instead, he focuses on her question.

"Roni is Regina here. And Officer Rogers is Killian. They look alike, like...exactly alike. But one look at them and you'll know they aren't the same people."

[justella]

“Huh. Well, good to know I guess, that way I don’t call them by the wrong name.” This entire place is so strange, it’s going to take a lot of getting used to. “Anything else?”

[henrydaniel]

He still has her hand, and he's very aware of the fact, but she also hasn't pulled away. He should be a gentleman though, not push it, so he slowly lets go, thumb grazing her palm as he does.

"Only one other thing. The reason the halls are lined with mirrors. Apparently, our reflections are uh...really on the other side of the glass. 'Alice through the looking glass.' They're spies, for whoever's really in charge here, so maybe don't keep a mirror in your room."

[justella]

He should definitely push it. Hold her hand as much as he wants, she’s not going to complain.

“There are people on the other side of the mirrors?” She can’t help but glance at one. It looks so unassuming.

[henrydaniel]

"There are, but they're trapped. Mostly. Every now and then the Queen on that side lets them through. I don't know, to be honest I've never really gotten super involved with them when they come through or try to interact. But it's still a good idea to keep them mirrors of your room. They're spies."

He knows this is a lot, and he shakes his head a little. "That's part of the danger here. Things try to kill us all the time, but in four years, it's never happened. As long as we stick together, we'll be okay, Jacinda."

And this is exactly why he'll never hope for Lucy to be here, he'd lose his mind with worry.

[justella]

“Spies for what?” So many questions. “Why are things trying to kill us? What’s the point?” That’s great, she’s been kidnapped to a strange world that wants her dead. She definitely couldn’t have imagined this up herself, it’s too much.

[henrydaniel]

"It's...complicated." And there he is, grabbing her hand again to reassure her. "We don't know for sure. Only that this place needs memories to run. And some people come from worlds where things try to kill them all the time, so when those memories come to life in this place. Well."

He doesn't know what else to say. "If I hadn't been here for so long, I wouldn't believe it either, trust me, Jacinda.