entrancelogs | Everyone should get their best chance.

Entry tags:

Everyone should get their best chance.

Who: Henry Mills and YOU
Where: Main Street, ~~bars~~, his castle, his house.
When: Oct 24-28th in various places.
Rating: Don't cuss in front of him. Maybe at most PG.
Summary: Henry gets to relive parts of the curse with a new perspective.
The Story:

October 24, 25

He's home. It's the first thing Henry realizes when he wakes up to Regina knocking on his door. He's in his own bed, with his lamp that shows the stars on the ceiling and all of his things. All of his stuff. They're home, and he wants to make sure everyone is home with him. So, after dressing faster than he ever has in his life, he heads out the door and runs down the street toward Granny's. The hub of activity for their small town except...Granny's isn't there. The diner isn't there, and as Henry turns in a small circle it seems like other stuff is very, very different, too. And so, a walk down Main Street happens, an attempt to find people in his family happens, and over all, Henry spends two days noting what's different and noting that the entire place is so much busier with all of Wonderland here, too. The end of the first night gives him a crash course on how to deal with intoxicated family because apparently dealing with another event so soon is a little rough. The second day finds him staring up at the now working clock tower at 8:16 in the morning, and where he'd once been so glad that time was moving again, he's now worried.

October 26th

When Henry realizes his castle is back, some pieces begin to fall into place. He takes his book and retreats to the old (once demolished but now back) safe haven and opens it. No Princess Leia and Prince Charles. His grandparents met as they always had, and Snow never turned herself into a lady bug to get away from Regina. So everything is the way it was when Emma first came to Storybrooke - it isn't that hard to figure out. He sort of wishes Archie were here so he could at least have someone to talk to while all of his parents go through whatever it is they have to go through. At least, Henry figures, he doesn't have to eat a poison turnover this time. He's already spending a lot of time being kissed on the forehead by both moms and his dad, and nothing is working. He can't help break this curse because...it isn't one. It's just Wonderland.

October 27, 28

It isn't Regina's fault. He's going to stand at the front door if he has to and tell every single person that his mom didn't do anything. He never did a good job of protecting her in the past. Sure, he told Emma and his grandparents that Whale couldn't let the mob kill her, but he hadn't done anything about it, and now he can. So he hangs out at home, sometimes goes outside to walk around the block. Catches up on comics, plays video games, and decides that this is where he needs to be for a little while, and then he'll switch and go hang out with Emma, then Neal. He has no idea how long this is going to last, but his plans are to make the rounds. He needs to make sure everyone is okay but starts at home because no one gets to blame Regina this time.

[ooc: Action or prose works, feel free to tag him anywhere around town too if none of these prompts work.]

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"Hey, kid."

Emma's voice comes from somewhere behind him, immediately followed by the sound of footsteps as she hoists herself up onto the 'castle' and walks towards the edge, grabbing hold of the nearest pillar to steady herself as she drops down to sit beside him. Of course he's here, reading his book. She'd found him when she'd gone to talk to Regina on the first day, to try and figure out what was going on around here, and they'd seen each other several times since -- but it had been a long while since they'd been in this exact spot together. A storm had washed his castle away, only to be replaced by another playground later on.

The new playground had been nice, but it wasn't theirs. This was.

She looks out over the water for a moment before leaning in to get a look at the page he has the book open to, giving him a wry smile. "Studying up on your history?"

Henry doesn't even look up until she's beside him. He's not the round cheeked smaller child he'd been during their days in the castle before, either. He has a little more wisdom in his eyes, and he looks back down at the book. It's open to Regina marching into Snow's wedding.

"It's wrong again. Or maybe...right. The one Regina gave me a couple days ago is this version too, but if we were really back in Storybrooke, you'd be in here."

There's a subconscious leaning against her, their shoulders touching as he gravitates closer to his mother on instinct.

"Guess that's proof enough that we're not, huh." It was disappointing, in a lot of ways, although leaving Wonderland would have meant leaving certain things behind, things they weren't ready to say goodbye to just yet -- time with Neal, for one, something that made Emma feel guilty about just how thrilled she'd been in those brief moments when she'd thought they were finally home.

He leans against her and she puts her arm around his shoulders, giving him a squeeze.

"You know, I think I like this story of the version better. The original."

"Yeah but...with you in it it's like my entire family is here. And that's what I want. That's how it should be. You're my mom, and this is your family. Our family. You should be here," he says quietly.

Henry looks up at her, eyes searching her face. "Grams is just...Mary Margaret again."

"I'll admit, I liked being in the book, made me feel like I was a part of something. Maybe it's just that the new story reminds me that they almost didn't meet at all." Because she'd unknowingly screwed things up by doing something as minuscule as being there, even staying out of sight. "Having the whole family in the story, though... maybe I should start looking at things your way."

She always did appreciate Henry's perspective on things.

She gives him another squeeze as she leans over to rest her chin on the top of his head, pulling their one-armed hug closer. "She doesn't know me, either. She will. Whatever's going on here, you know we'll find a way to make it right."

It really shouldn't have taken him this long to think of it, but he looks up at Emma with a sort of lopsided grin.

"True love's kiss. If this is really a curse then...we broke the first one. Maybe we can break this one too and at least give everyone their real memories back."

He's suddenly a little excited again. He can't always help, doesn't always feel like he does much to aid situations, but in this case, maybe he can.

Edited 2014-10-25 16:18 (UTC)

"We've had good luck with it before." The idea hadn't escaped her, either -- it had been present at the back of her mind, but things had been so hectic that they hadn't gotten around to it quite yet. Too much time spent debating whether or not this was a curse or if it was just Wonderland being Wonderland.

She guesses it didn't really matter what it was. It needed to be broken regardless.

She smiles at him as she leans in and kisses his forehead, tousling his hair in the process. For as averse to affection as she's been in the past with others, she's never had that problem with Henry. She lets her lips linger on his forehead for a moment longer than really necessary, glancing up over the top of his head to see if anything might have changed on the horizon.

"Do you feel magical?"

He waits, waits to feel something, to see the rainbow-like pulse radiate out from between them like he remembers it happening with Regina. It must have happened in the hospital too, but he wasn't awake yet, then. It never happens though, and he heaves a heavy sigh.

"No. I guess it couldn't be that easy. Which isn't fair, since everything else is mostly the same. Except...I know Regina didn't do this, I don't have to try and convince you that fairy tales are real, and...there are a lot of people here who shouldn't be."

"You're right, it's not fair. Guess we could only fall back on the same solution so many times."

She grimaces, straightening up as she lays a hand on his shoulder and gives it a gentle squeeze, an attempt to comfort him. They'd tried, and she was sure they'd try again, but at the moment, it wasn't doing them much good.

"At least that part's a little easier? I already believe." She leans back on her hands, looking out over the water. "Except I guess that's not too helpful this time around. As far as Wonderland's concerned, I'm not the savior, I'm just another captive -- if this is even Wonderland's fault."

"What's the point?" Henry asks suddenly, a look of genuine confusion and maybe a little irritation on his features.

"In stories and movies, even video games, when something weird and unexpected happens, there's a reason why. A lesson, or something to find. Wonderland keeps doing stuff and there's no reason for it. I don't get it. Because why else would we be here, but all of the people we know from the mansion are too? It doesn't make any sense for it not to be a trick. Like the Oregon Trail was. I almost died. But for what?"

It's a rant he didn't even know he had in him, and when he finishes he closes his book, just staring at the cover. Because he knows there isn't any real answer, not really.

"No reason that we know of." It's a very slight correction, but remains one all the same. Her smile fades at the mention of him almost dying; they'd been separated for that event and she'd been forced to hear about it second-hand, something that made her feel like a complete failure as a parent despite the fact that finding him had been close to impossible. She was lucky that Robin had been there. They both were.

She sighs, shaking her head.

"When Wonderland does these things -- they're pulled from people's memories. It's no real secret that this place eats away at what memories we have. Slowly, but-- some of the people who've been here longer are missing little things, like words. The vendors trade memories for whatever they have to sell. People who die too many times lose parts of themselves, too. Wonderland gets something out of making us relive memories, whether they're ours or someone else's. I don't know if it's power or what-- but these things don't just come out of nowhere."

"I...didn't know that," he says with a slight frown. "About how or why things happen here."

But then, he latches onto what she's saying about memories, and his frown deepens.

"Regina gave up something for me. To get my book from the vendor. So when events like this happen, does that mean she'll miss something else? Something bigger?" Again, he knows Emma maybe doesn't have the answers, but this time he acknowledges that.

"It doesn't matter," he realizes. "There's nothing anyone can do about the memories thing. It's just really weird."

"There's no handbook or anything that spells it out, but people who've been here awhile have managed to put that much together. It doesn't answer most of our questions, but it's something." Knowing where events came from and the effect they had wasn't the problem. They still didn't know the why, though she hoped they would see a change in that sooner or later.

"I don't know if it's bigger or smaller. I've never dealt with the vendors, but-- yeah. She'll be missing something." Maybe they would be, too, but she couldn't be sure. Hell, how would they even know?

"It does matter. Even if we can't change it yet, it's better to know. Knowing is part of what drives us to find a way to change things."

Looking around a little as he listens to Emma, Henry thinks about her words, thinks about knowing versus not knowing, and she's right. When he hadn't know for sure the curse was real and all he felt was like he was crazy, he would have given anything to have a real fact to prove everything Regina had done. His book was proof to him, but no one else. If he'd had another piece of the puzzle ,maybe it would have been easier.

"Like how I knew the curse was real, so I found you because you had to change things." Looking up at her, he gives his mom a little smile, leaning against her again. "It's weird being back here. It's home but...everything is wrong. There's no Granny's, and people who are supposed to be here aren't. And people who shouldn't be are."

There's a frown of guilt, because that includes his dad. "I was glad we were home."

"I was, too."

She puts an arm around his shoulders, giving him a tight squeeze as she does her best to smile, but there's something hollow about it.

"When I first woke up, I was sure we were home, that something happened and we got to keep our memories and we were done with Wonderland, but..." She shakes her head slightly. "It didn't last long."

She knows he has to be thinking about Neal. She has been, too, since the moment she realized what going home would have meant for him. She pauses for a moment before adding, "We'll find a way to change things, kid."

Robert's daughters are fully grown, and his son Jake is spending the evening with a friend, so Robert decides to leave his house and go to the bookstore, spending nearly two hours there just reading the first few chapters of different books before finally deciding on one called The Long, Fatal Love Chase.

He stops to get himself an ice cream cone as well, and smiles as he passes by a young boy, though he obviously doesn't recognize him at all, and keeps walking.

Edited 2014-10-26 20:08 (UTC)

Well, this isn't weird.

Henry has no idea what cursed Robin's name is, but he does have a vague sense of what his life is like. What makes it even weirder is knowing he has three kids but none of them are Roland. Also that his daughters are older than him because he didn't think Robin was that old?

This whole thing is so confusing.

"Uh...hey," he says, because if they're going to be here, he's still really positive that Wonderland can't screw up soulmates, and he's going to get Robin and his mom to meet somehow. Again.

"I've seen you around. You're a teacher, right? Just not my grade yet, I don't think."

Edited 2014-10-26 21:44 (UTC)

He's not rude at all, so even though he wasn't expecting to be engaged in conversation, Robin stops and turns around, smiling as he swallows a bite of ice cream.

"I teach History," he confirms with a nod. "I'm terribly sorry, I know I've seen you around before, but I can't seem to recall your name."

"I'm the mayor's kid," he replies. "Henry Mills. And, since I'm not in your grade yet, I don't know your name either."

He tries to make it sound apologetic, giving Robin a slight smile.

"Regina Mills," Robin smiles. "I met her once not that long ago, I enjoyed the relatively short amount of time we had to talk."

He knows what people say about her, but that's negative talk he's not about to be discussing with her son of all people.

Shaking his head, Robert holds out his hand. "I'm Robert Archer."

Edited 2014-10-28 05:05 (UTC)

Henry's eyebrows go up a little, then he shakes his hand. "Nice to meet you, Mr. Archer."

It takes everything in him to not smirk. Wonderland isn't really that creative, then.

"So you liked my mom? Talking to her, I mean. Not a lot of people go out of their way to."

"I enjoyed our conversation, brief though it was," Robin nods. "I've certainly no complaints about her leadership. You must be proud of her."

How can he make it not that obvious that he thinks Robin - Robert - should talk to his mom again?

"Sometimes she kind of...stays in the house a lot, alone. Because she doesn't have a lot of people."

If that's a little too eager sounding, he doesn't mean for it to be.

"It's just nice when people talk to her and aren't saying mean things."

"Oh."

Robert's face falls a bit when he hears that, because he doesn't think anyone should be alone at home like that.

"She doesn't have the opportunity or desire to go out all that much?"

"Not really. She goes to work and...maybe sometimes goes to Gra -" He stops himself because Granny's isn't there. "Goes out to eat. She has me, though."

And he tries, or at least he is now, and he knows he will when they go back to Storybrooke for real, but he also knows the reason it takes a little more to get her to smile now.

"It would seem to me many of us are losing out on the chance for wonderful company in your mother. Perhaps I could amend that, if you think she would be agreeable."

Agreeable? Maybe not. But Henry can almost bet he could convince her to see Robin.

"She might. Maybe...she'd like going to get something to eat for lunch." He doesn't know if there's a diner so he refrains from saying that. But he definitely does mean something casual as he tries not to be as obvious as he's afraid he's being.

"You should ask her later," he pus out there, and he'll go straight home to explain to Regina why a cursed Robin is asking her out to eat.

He is being a bit obvious, but it truthfully just makes Robin smile. The young lad clearly cares very much about his mother, and wants her to have friends.

"You really think she'd want to go out with me, of all people?"

Well, maybe. That question makes him pause because he wants to answer right.

"I think she'll be surprised you want to go out with her," he replies, smiling a little because that seems like the perfect answer.

That seems a reasonable answer, and enough to further encourage Robin.

"Then I'll be sure to ask her the next time I have a moment to speak with her," he smiles in return. "Is there...any particular place she would most like to go?"

"She likes..." He trails off a little; what does his mom like? He's never seen her go out, he has no idea what she might go do for fun.

"She likes wine," he decides, knowing he's seen her drink that. "Red wine," Henry adds. "So...maybe she'd just like to go out to dinner?"

"Red wine."

It's somewhat amusing that her son knows that, but children are more observant than their parents realize, oftentimes.

"That should be suitable. Thank you, Henry."

There's a grin, and he's so proud of himself. "No problem. Oh, and she really likes apples. And I think, dark chocolate."

He stops then, smiling sheepishly. "Maybe chocolate is too much for a first date over lunch."

He cocks his head to the side a bit. "Have you always put this much thought into anyone at all meeting with your mother?"

Whoops.

"....Maybe? I just...really think she could have fun with you," Henry shrugs. "That's all." It's not at all because they're soul mates. Nope.

"Well, thank you for thinking so highly of me," he smiles softly, resting a hand on Henry's shoulder.

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Everyone should get their best chance.

10/26, how could I resist. :c

you cannot resist me, it is futile :3

them at the castle gives me all the feelings. :c

ugh gonna have to go watch s1 again for the feels

me too ;_;

whoops 10 hours later found a typo

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10/25, somewhere around Main Street

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