entrancelogs | don't blink

[ honestly, what spurred her on was stiles' network post. the whole 'i'm going to die' whisper right before he turned it off to do whatever it was that he was about to die from. it was stupid, it wasn't worth it, and why was derek letting him get away with it?

but she doesn't focus on that, sprinting off down the hallway and towards the library as quickly as she can. martha said don't blink, don't look away from them, but if she hasn't seen any yet that means they all have to be somewhere, right? ]

Stiles? Stiles! [ don't be dead. for the love of god don't be dead. ]

[ Stiles literally literally cannot believe that worked.

From where he's standing, he's a little taller, with his eyes peeking through his fingers, and there's a pile of angel dust on either side of his feet. That's not the end of it--he's sure there had to be more of them--but as far as he currently knows he is 100% alive.

Just feeling a little older than usual. Stiles can roll with that.

He hears Allison calling from down the hall and whirls around, and that's when he sees it--a flash of gray right behind her when he turns the corner. He practically yells-- ] Allison, turn around!

[ -- and scrambles down the hallway as fast as his legs can carry him, trying to get as much blinking out of his system before he skirts around and tries to come up behind her for backup. ]

[ he's too late.

because while hearing stiles - or someone that sounds like stiles - yell from down the hall is reassuring, because it means that stiles is still alive, it also pulls her attention. it gets her to look one way, see a flash of grey, and then look another way. in the direction of stiles. it's only a second (just a second, shouldn't be that long) that she realizes what it is he's saying and she turns back around.

it takes all of her gymnastics balance to keep her from toppling over, with how close the angel is, but she manages it. what she doesn't realize is that she's already a bit too late, and maybe she blinks once without really noticing, but she's changed even if she doesn't know it yet.

instead, she's just walking backwards, eyes wide now in an very conscious effort to keep them open. ]

Stiles? [ she can't look over her shoulder for him, but she keeps moving in that direction anyway. ] Stiles, where are you!

So going outside when there were living statues around was not the best idea he ever had, but now that it was over Victor had to be sure no one else dealt with the same fate. The only problem was that once you stopped looking at them, the Angels started moving. They were creeping closer every moment.

He saw familiar dark hair and moved to her. The flash of a mirror assured him that she knew the risks, and he quickly pulled the brim of his hat over his head. Maybe she wouldn't notice that he aged thirty years.

"Still a warrior princess, I see," he noted.

Mary Margaret still isn't sure how she feels about this place, or being told about the curse - it's real, mary margaret. henry's thing is real - or really anything that falls in between. She's not sure how she feels about magic, or about Wonderland, or about Queens of Hearts or Cheshire Cats, but what Mary Margaret can understand is that people are in trouble, and she can help.

It's why she's out and about with the mirror, it's why she's actually able to swallow down her fear and get out there. Because there are rules to follow and she can be okay. Don't blink, if one of them sees you just point the mirror at them, and if you can get them to look at each other, even better. Stiles told her so many different tricks of the trade she doesn't even know where to start, except for helping people get out and into the mansion.

She jumps when Whale walks up to her, mostly because he's coming from the back and she has two different statues in front of her. The jump makes her squeak and she steals a look over her shoulder - not long enough to notice if he's changed at all, but long enough to know it's him.

Mary Margaret laughs (a little uncomfortable, but not much) at his statement, trying to shrug it off. "Who knew carrying a compact would come in handy." For the record, she's not carrying a compact. It's just MM trying to make a funny.

Luckily when Mary Margaret looked away Victor had his eyes on the Angel, so it didn't venture any closer. They could take turns blinking, and maybe she would be saved from aging thirty years... Victor has a theory that these Angels are especially attracted to people like himself and Mary Margaret, who were kept out of time.

For his own part, Victor also had a hand mirror on him. "Mirrors," he mused. "Wonderland certainly knows how to drive home a point. Now, let's get you inside, hm?"

True she was Snow White deep down, but she didn't remember and that made her a bit more of a target.

They did owe Regina that much, at least. Given their twenty three year gap to play with in the face of these angels. Though Mary Margaret doesn't really have any plans to test that theory, turning back quickly enough that hopefully she didn't age too much. She just had to be sure it was someone she knew, and when she had that much, she was back to the angels.

And, of course, there was always the mirror.

"A point?" She has to actively resist the urge to look back over her shoulder at him, keeping her face turned towards where a statue or three were placed around the hall. A few deep breaths later she realized what it was he was saying, and she frowned.

"I'm okay. As long as I keep the mirror- I just need to make sure everyone out here is safe."

"Of course you do," Victor answered with a twitch of a smile. Whether she knew it or not, she was acting exactly like Snow White would in this situation. Which made him wonder if Emma could somehow break the curse for Mary Margaret in this place... A thought to dwell on at another time.

"But someone needs to be sure you're safe, too, and since I'm the only one here I guess that's me."

"But I couldn't ask you to put yourself in danger for me." This whole situation still feels so foreign to her. Or, maybe, it's the fact she's adapted so quickly that feel foreign. She shouldn't be so quick to talk about putting someone in danger and making sure everyone is safe.

She's a school teacher, for god's sake.

And yet here she was, staring right at an angel who could age her in seconds, kill her in just a bit more, and she and Dr. Whale are simply having a conversation about stepping back inside.

"Did you see anyone else out here?"

As long as they had the mirrors fixed on the Angels, Victor believed they would be safe. The Angels couldn't bear being seen, making the mirror a constant threat. Of course once Victor got Mary Margaret inside they would need to destroy the mirrors, too. He heard that an image that held an Angel long enough would itself become an Angel.

"You're in danger," he pointed out, "and I've actually been attacked by one of these things already. I don't think you should have to experience that." He chanced a look at the Angel and was satisfied to see it still frozen by their mirrors.

"I know it seems cowardly, but we need to retreat. They can't be destroyed."

Mary Margaret wasn't aware of the bit about the mirrors becoming angels, which was telling for just how prepared she was to come running out here trying to save people. She had one piece of information and then she was gone, out in the thick of it, probably putting herself in more danger than she was helping.

But she was helping, or trying to help, and that's what mattered.

"I'm not in danger yet." Which wasn't true. There were still angels, still that angel, but as far as Mary Margaret was concerned it was caught in the mirror. But then Whale mentions already being attacked by one, and her attention goes from arguing to worry in less than a second. "Attacked? What happened? Are you alright?"

Victor raised an eyebrow, then tipped his hat back so Mary Margaret could easily see his face. Revealing how nearly thirty years had added onto his appearance, giving him more defined frown lines on his face and touching his hair with gray.

"I have a theory that people like us are more of a target," he mentioned, pulling the brim of his hat back down again. "Since we were in a time loop for twenty-eight years, these beings will want to take that time back. If I hadn't stopped it, I'm certain it would've aged me to death."

She can't help the gasp that escapes when he lifts his hat, her hands moving to cover her mouth. It's the first time she's seen the effects of the angel powers close up, and even with Stiles she wasn't really sure if she believed it. But now it was undeniable, and...almost unreal.

When Whale starts in on the time loop, though, Mary Margaret's brow furrows. It's a moment later that she makes the connection between 'time loop' and 'curse' and the furrowing eases up. "We need to get you inside. If they've taken this much from you, you can't get caught again."

He rolled his eyes and finally decided to go ahead and let her "save" him. But they would need to do it walking backwards so the mirrors were pointed at the Angels. Hopefully once he was inside, Mary Margaret would stay that way too. She wasn't much help to anybody without her memories as Snow White.

[Martha doesn't see much point in staying put. She would rather be out and about so that she can try and help anyone who gets themselves into a bind. She stalks down the halls with purpose, though she isn't armed. No weapon will work against the angels -- all she can rely on are her eyes and her wits.

Not to say that she isn't careful. She forces herself to look everywhere, in each nook and cranny and out of each window that she passes. When she spots an angel, she keeps an eye on it for as long as she can before placing a mirror in front of it or finding someone else to take over for her.

Each time she turns a corner, she does it quickly, eyes wide open and ready. At this point she should aska closet for some eye drops. All this not blinking is getting tiring.

Around this particular corner, however, Martha comes across not an angel but a relative stranger. Someone who had been looking for Emma, she knows that much, but she doesn't have the rest of the details.

She spots the mirror in the stranger's hands. Clever.]

... Hello there. You all right?

[ looking for emma is a good way to describe mary margaret. because really, it's either looking for emma, or looking for henry, both of whom she knows are out and about trying to save as many people as they can (or at least emma is, for sure). mary margaret had, for a bit there, been content to stay as far away from the angels as she could. content to sit back and just leave them outside. but they've been getting closer, so much closer, and after seeing stiles and hearing about his tips - get them to look at each and they'll explode, for one - mary margaret has had enough.

she's not the bravest, no. she's actually quiet timid and scared out of her mind. but if people are out here and getting hurt, she can't just sit around. so she takes a mirror, one the grabs out of the closet, and heads out into the halls.

but she gets caught up looking for angels, caught up in worry and that slight amount of terror, so much that she doesn't actually look out for anyone who might be human, normal. which is why she just about jumps out of her skin when she turns the corner and martha is standing there, her heart beating a hundred times a second. ]

Hi. [ sorry martha, you probably just scared mary margaret half to death. give her a second to get her breath back. ] Am I- oh, yes. I'm just fine. Are you all right?

[Martha catches that moment of horror on the other woman's face. She's familiar with the feeling that goes along with that look, like your heart is about to burst right out of your chest. Impossible, of course, considering the rib cage, but this has nothing to do with anatomy.

Martha reaches out and places a hand carefully on the stranger's shoulder, mainly to show her that she means no harm and to try and calm her down.]

Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you. I'm fine. You have a mirror, that's good.

[Martha's gaze darts to the mirror in the other woman's hand and then over her shoulder, but there are no angels to be seen.] You're Emma's friend, isn't that right?

[ the hands on her shoulders are enough to get mary margaret's heart beating regularly again, and she even goes as far as to give martha a small smile, before she shakes her head. ]

I'm just a little tense, is all. You're perfectly fine.

[ but mary margaret's eyes go over her own shoulder when martha checks there. she wasn't being chased by any angels, but that doesn't make her feel any safer. not really. the mention of emma brings her attention back to the front, to martha. ]

Yes, I'm Mary Margaret. I know her from home.

[The fact is that being tense is actually a good thing right now. Better than letting one's guard down and allowing an angel sneak up on you.

Martha still feels bad for startling the woman to such an extent, but they've moved past it.

Mary Margaret. It's an interesting name, and a familiar one. It only takes a moment for Martha to place it, seeing how they're already on the subject of Emma.]

Mary Margaret... That means you're Snow White, doesn't it? [And Emma's mother, on top of it all. Martha has to admit, Mary Margaret has the pale skin and dark hair she remembers from the stories.]

[ she ends up smiling a little, hoping the whole matter of running into each other and scaring each other has passed. it's only when martha mentions the snow white bit that her smile falters a little - just a fraction, before she looks almost sheepish.

her first reaction is to say you've been talking to henry, haven't you, but after her conversation with emma... ]

Apparently. That's what the book says, at least.

[Between that look and Mary Margarent's response, Martha's just a bit confused. She doesn't believe, does she?

The curse should be broken, though. Emma had told Martha all about it some time ago, but then again, Wonderland's never made things easy, and picking people from different times is a common thing here.

How confusing. But rather than give anything away, Martha nods.] Right! In the book. You and Prince Charming, or so I've heard. [She smiles crookedly.] Have you... settled in all right here, then?

[ mary margaret knows she's probably heard it from henry. and potentially even emma, if the whole thing is supposed to be true. so mary margaret does try to smile, does try to make it seem like she's not still fairly uncomfortable with the whole idea.

because she's not! definitely not.

even if she kind of deflates at the mention of prince charming, at the memory of seeing david off to boston. true love... ]

So we've both heard. I'm still waiting on him, though, so I guess we'll have to see if Wonderland gives me some more luck. [ does she sound upbeat enough? like the mere idea of it doesn't make her chest tighten uncomfortably? hopefully. ]

Oh! Yes, I'd say so. Having Henry and Emma here definitely makes it easier.

[When it comes down to it, Martha doesn't know all that much about Snow White and Prince Charming, save for the fact that they're Emma's parents.

So all this about her waiting on him? Martha's clueless as to the details, and it doesn't seem like the sort of thing she should start asking about.

Better to focus on an easier and more immediate topic.]

Good, good. I already spoke to Emma and told her about how to handle this event, so she should be keeping Henry safe.

[And then it's time for a slightly admonishing look.] I imagine she's worried about you too.

[ yes, well. the more mary margaret hears about her own apparent role in all this, the less she really understands. so maybe she and martha are more on the same page than they think.

mary margaret nods, her eyes darting off down the hallway for a moment before they're back to martha. she's not really sure why - instinct, maybe? - but she smiles anyway. ]

Emma's good at adapting when she knows what to do. [ so she doesn't have to worry about henry, or emma, even though she will anyway. but then there's that look and mary margaret will smile a little sheepishly. ] You think?

["Good at adapting" is an accurate way to describe Emma. Martha's hardly ever seen her lose her composure despite what this place throws at them near-constantly.

To be honest, it's a trait that they share in common, but even now Martha sometimes has a hard time giving herself credit.]

Of course. She's made it sound to me like you two are... close. [She'll refrain from touching on the familial aspect of that for the moment. Still, she can already see that there are some things that run in this family.] Why wouldn't she be worried?

[ mary margaret could probably assume that much from martha, with how much she knows already. but she won't say anything until she could be sure. ]

We... [ mary margaret pauses for a moment, because they are close. really close. closer than she's been really honestly anyone for as long as she can remember. but hearing that emma's telling people that? or making it seem that way? mary margaret huffs out a little laugh. ] It's just the Emma I met first wouldn't let anyone know she was worried about anything.

[ does she sound like a proud mom? probably. ] I guess I'm still getting used to it.

[It's definitely interesting to get insight on Emma from someone from her own world. Not that there aren't others here, but no one has actually spoken to Martha about Emma like this. Seeing how the two of them have become close in their own right, Martha's awfully curious.

Not that now is the time to be discussing this sort of thing. She chances another glance up and down the hall, sucking in a breath and then letting it out again. She has a mirror on her, though -- they should be fine.]

So then... what was she like? And what changed? I'm guessing Henry had a lot to do with it.

[ part of mary margaret feels a little bad about spilling emma's not-secrets with martha. even if she had a pretty good sense of how martha and emma might get along, it still draws her eyes away in embarrassment before she shrugs. ]

It's possible that I'm just making this up, but I think Henry has a lot to do with it. Henry, and her whole thing with Regina... [ she worries at her bottom lip for a moment before she takes a breath, resetting. ] She finally let herself get attached to people, which in turn let her attach onto people as well. And when you've got rootless for so long, settling down can let some things resurface.

[It had to be hard to have the child you gave up suddenly reappear in your life in such a huge way, and so Martha isn't that surprised that Emma went from drifting to settling into one place.

Even if it's a place as odd as Storybrooke sounds.]

Makes sense, yeah. [Not to mention Emma had unwittingly found her family, but Martha's going to stay far away from that subject for now.] I'm guessing she probably needed a friend like you through all that. I'm glad you were there for her.

[ and here the mun thought you might have been talking about mary margaret. ]

I doubt I had much to do with it. [ even if that small smile says otherwise. ] I just gave her a room to stay in. Somewhere to go.

A roof over someone's head can make all the difference. That feeling of safety and structure, you know? [Martha's making assumptions, but she definitely doesn't think that Mary Margaret should sell herself short.

She's Emma's mother, for goodness sake! But Martha has to keep that to herself, as much as she wants to blurt it out.]

In any case, I think both of us should probably try to get somewhere safe before one of those things sneaks up on us. Take care, will you?

You're probably right. [ even if mary margaret isn't really sure, she does remember that talk. that moment emma called her family. mary margaret might not be the reason for the change in emma, but she's certainly enjoying it.

oh, right, yes. in danger. the angels. mary margaret nods and shifts the mirror in her hands. speaking of emma, she should probably go find her. ]

You too! And I'll see you another time. When we're not trying to stay alive.

[ She'd gotten out again. After Derek had found Lydia, had taken her to the game room early the previous day everything had been fine. She hadn't 'blacked out' or lost any more time, at least not until late that afternoon. Somehow Lydia had gotten up and left, making it down the hall without any incident. This time Lydia hadn't gotten far before stopping, screaming again and snapping back out of it. Someone had died nearby, just around the corner, and she could be next if she wasn't careful. It was more crowded in the mansion now than it had been the previous day, and a lot more dangerous. And she's quick to pull out her device, to contact Allison. She should really have recognised the corridor, but she was a little too freaked with what was happening to concentrate enough to think on it ]

Allison? I don't know where I am.

[ Or more so she doesn't know what has happened. Why she's out. How she's out.

And there one was, at the end of the hall. She tried to keep in mind what Stiles had said, to not blink, but it was so very difficult ]

Hurry.

[ when allison gets the message, she doesn't even bother responding at first. after her first interaction with the angels, and with stiles, and with everything else she's been keeping on the move. the closets have given her mirrors, and with enough maneuvering she's been getting the angels to look at each other instead of her. getting them out of the way indefinitely.

she'd figured that whatever happened, with the whole pack looking after lydia, everything would be fine. allison's forgotten a lot of what it was like back then, back when lydia would black out and end up in other places, but with the message brings back that fear and oh god. allison has taken off down the hallway and up the stairs before she remembers to send back a response, the video bouncing around a bit as she runs. ]

Lydia- I'm on my way. Can you find a staircase?

Yeah, I-

[ There had to be one around there. Lydia might not have been able to immediately recognise where she was but every floor had a staircase, she just had to get to it. But that was getting harder ]

What about the ones looking at each other? [ Some were, some had mirrors in front of them ] Are they... whatever is closest to dead?

Get to a staircase. Do you know how far from the first floor you are?

[ she's running up, so she hopes that lydia's somewhere up. but it was just a hunch so allison's preparing herself to turn around, keeping her eyes peeled and her mirror up and ready. ]

The ones looking at each other are fine. They won't be able to get out of it. But if you find one looking at you, you can't look away. Don't even blink.

Uhm, third floor.

[ She'd seen a door sign as she passed, walking slow enough to be careful but as quick as she could in fear ]

Okay I'm at the stairs and- [ Shit. There was one coming down the stairs, one that Lydia was now eyes locked with. It wasn't moving, at least not as long as she didn't blink. Lydia didn't know how long she could hold that off ] Allison? [ Run. She sounds panicked now ]

I'm he-

[ because she'd been on the second, and it only took her forty seconds or so to get out and up the stairs, sprinting off down the hall and around the corner before she freezes, her eyes falling on the angel. out of her peripheral she can see lydia, but she doesn't take her eyes off the statue. ]

Lydia- [ her voice is rid of all fear, despite the way her chest tightens. she can't blink. no matter what. ]

Lydia, get behind me. I'm watching it.

[ Lydia hesitates before finally moving, edging slowly towards Allison. Lydia doesn't take her eyes off it even still, not wanting to risk the chance of it moving. The chance that Allison might accidentally blink, that something will happen. But soon enough she's there, stood behind Allison ]

What do we do?

[ allison's hand reaches out a bit protectively as soon as lydia is close enough, guiding her to stand behind her. ]

We have to get away from it. Either get it caught looking at another one or find a mirror. [ as she speaks, she takes very slow steps backwards, not taking her eyes off the angel even though it stands perfectly still in the hallway. ] If we can get to the stairs...

I don't have a mirror. [ Sadly, or the situation wouldn't be quite so dire ] Will it just follow us? [ She still didn't really get how since it was a statue despite Stiles's explanation ]

Okay.

[ she will not sound disappointed in that. she won't. she just has to adapt and move on. ]

Okay, just keep an eye on our backs. If there's one on the stairs we're screwed. [ will it follow them? yes. yes it will. as long as it doesn't have something looking directly at it, it will continue to follow them until they're dead.

but allison can avoid that bit and just take very slow steps back with lydia. ]

don't blink » { open }

Day 1 » Closed to Stiles

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Mary Margaret of course day 2 or 3 whatevs

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Day 2 (for Mary Margaret)

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day three | allison argent

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