keep talking to yourself

[madehervows]

Who: Regina Mills & like, half her cast
Where: Various locations throughout Wonderland
When: February 1st
Rating: PG
Summary: Regina's returned from a canon update, time to catch up with the important people. And Zelena.
The Story:

» HENRY

[Arriving in Wonderland is always an awful experience; one minute you're celebrating progress on Operation Mongoose, the next you're waking up in the gardens of a place you didn't even remember a few seconds ago. The blank book from the Author's library is heavy in her hands as she climbs to her feet, memories of Wonderland slotting themselves back into place. Right. This place is a thing.

Instead of walking to her room and subsequently coming into contact with the nest egg, Regina poofs herself to her room, silently thankful that she didn't return to Wonderland during yet another event that's decided to strip her powers. What she doesn't expect is the sight of... something in her room. Some sort of weird, puppet thing? Wonderland, what.]

What the hell is this?

» NEAL

[So her son is a puppet. That's. Something, alright. While she wouldn't put it past Zelena to do it to screw with them, it reeks more of Wonderland magic than Zelena. This time.

Still, she needs answers and Henry needs to get some rest because being a puppet can't be good for your system. If puppets even need rest... It's hard to tell. She leaves Henry alone with the new book, and makes her way out into the hall. Emma might have answers, and even if she doesn't, she should probably be told that their son is a puppet.

Movement in the hall catches her eye, and she stops. Right. Right. It had been hard enough to get used to it the first time, but in the chaos of finding out her son is a puppet and everything that had happened in Storybrooke, it slipped her mind.]

Neal.

» EMMA

[After her talk with Neal, a stray memory passes through her mind. A memory of a conversation in Wonderland, in fact. There'd been a Denny's, after that god awful event that sent them down the Oregon Trail and Gold telling her Emma had changed their shared history. Something about changing the day her parents met, leading to Snow White's capture at her own hands, after a ball celebrating the engagement between Prince James and Princess Abigail. She remembers that with startling clarity, but when the conversation springs to life in her mind, she takes a detour to Henry's room.

She finds The Book without much trouble, flipping through it until she finds the pages she wants. Snow White and Prince Charming's first meeting, with no mention of a Princess Leia or any capture of Snow White. It's.. hard to reconcile, honestly. She knows that Marian made it back, instead of being killed by her, but that was forgettable. That hadn't involved a very personal execution.

With the book in hand, she makes her way back down the hall to Emma's room. If she's sleeping late, nobody cares, because Regina's banging on the door like her life depends on it.

And if the pirate's in there, she swears to god.]

» ZELENA

[The one, well, one of the people she has no interest in seeing is Zelena, so naturally that's the next person she runs into.

Not that Regina knows that.

Given that Zelena is currently a pig.

What is this. What's happening.]

» ROBIN HOOD

[With that weirdness over with, it's time for the final visit Regina needs to make. Fitting, since it's the most painful one of all. She should be celebrating, given that Wonderland is the only place she'll ever see him again, the only place that they can be together, but. Her own temporary disappearance is enough to remind her that it might not last, that even this is a temporary reprieve from her own happy ending being ripped away. Again.

It's funny to think that just a few hours ago she had... accepted the loss and made progress on Operation Mongoose and here she is. At least time the barrier separating them is simple wood, instead of a leftover spell that shouldn't even exist.

No.

No

"The next time a happy ending knocks at my door, I'm gonna be ready."

That's what she told Henry, and she meant it. It isn't what she thought it would be, but maybe Wonderland can be her happy ending, for now. With that in mind she finally, finally knocks.]

Comments

[henrydaniel]

[Henry knows his mom is supposed to be back soon. It's been a week, and so he'd been trying hard to stay awake in her room in case she showed up again in the middle of the night. Since the TV is out as far as entertainment goes, he tries to read, needing to be up on the bed in his present form so that he doesn't have to worry about holding a large book (all books are large right now) in his lap. But he ends up falling asleep sometime around seven in the morning. What wakes him is the sound of his mother's voice sounding vaguely irritated. Lifting his little muppet head, he almost doesn't want to talk because how embarrassing, but then he's so glad to see her that orange felt is jumping toward her.]

Mom! You're back! You're back!

[madehervows]

[Okay, she'd know that voice anywhere regardless of whether he's human or not. All she can do is stare in shock as her son reveals his new body, her mind reeling from this revelation. This is the last thing she ever expected to experience in Wonderland.]

Henry? What happened to you?

[Her own problems mean nothing now. Her son might be in danger, and that takes priority. When he crashes into her, she nearly falls over just because she wasn't prepared for it, but soon she's hugging her son as tightly as she can.]

[henrydaniel]

[He's so embarrassed, and he heaves a big sigh.]

There's this thing in the lobby. And...I guess if you touch it, this happens. But I didn't know, and it was like...I couldn't help it. I had to touch it.

[Ugh, mom, please don't judge him.]

[madehervows]

[Regina, however, heaves a sigh of relief. She'd been worried it was a curse or something Zelena had done. The way he makes it sound, Wonderland's behind it.]

I'm suddenly glad Wonderland saw fit to send me home. [Not the greatest thing to say.] But you're okay?

[henrydaniel]

[Yeah, not the greatest thing to say at all, and Henry looks down a little, nodding.]

I'm okay. It's just...

[This muppet body makes it so hard for him to not be emotional, though he can't really cry because...felt can't cry? But still, his tone is sad.]

I was afraid you died and no one knew. I looked for you. Because Mary Margaret died, and then Robin and so I didn't...want you to be dead, too. But I was afraid you were.

[wickedwest]

[That's right. She's a puppet. Deal with it. Or better yet do what you always do Regina, and take this away from her. Please. You be the muppet pig.]

Back, I see.

[She's just not going to address the fact that she's a puppet and try to carry on like normal. Keyword being try.]

And here I thought you'd be gone forever.

1/3

[madehervows]

[Uh. Yeah, no. Pass on that. Have fun being the muppet pig, sis.

She doesn't actually realise it's Zelena until she starts talking, and even then she sounds like a horrifying mix between herself and a famous pig.]

...Zelena?

[Hang on, Regina needs to burst into laughter.]

[madehervows]

3/3

[madehervows]

[Okay she's done now.

Really.]

What on earth happened to you?

[wickedwest]

[Oh good. You're done.

And she'll see who has the last laugh when she turns back time and was never made of felt for a short period of time to begin with.

Here's a hint, it'll be here. Because Regina won't exist.

...actually it probably wouldn't since this wouldn't have happened and she'd have nothing laugh about, but who cares about details like that?]

Wonderland happened. A shame it didn't happen to you as well.

[She would've enjoyed taunting felt Regina.]

[madehervows]

[Even if time is rewritten, Zelena will always feel an unsettling hatred for pigs. Admit it.

Admit it.]

Well, you can't have everything.

[GET IT

IT'S FUNNY BECAUSE SHE NEVER GOT ANYTHING.]

... You were right, you know. Black does look better on you.

[But only when you're a pig.]

[wickedwest]

I know it does. Glad you finally adm...

[Oh wait, you were just being a bitch weren't you, Regina?

Damn it, how did she even fall for that one?

There's just like...this muppety scowl on her face right now, and it's directed at her sister, and it probably looks completely ridiculous because biker eyepatch puppet pig scowling. Really.]

Well, it does. Of course it looks better on moi than on someone like you.

[Also the sooner this puppet hell ends and she stops using random mois the better.]

[alionsheart]

[ To say that he's worried would be an understatement. Knowing she wasn't completely gone from Wonderland did alleviate some of his concerns, but given everything that had happened recently, the loss of her cuts him deeply. It seems that lately, they're destined to be constantly pulled apart, and the reality of that does tend to exhaust even those clinging most fervently to hope. But he holds on nonetheless, he believes in his love for her, in the love he knows they could have together.

It's just the timing, always the timing.

Not expecting anyone - and certainly not her - Robin opens his door without any hesitation, curious as to who it could be. The moment his eyes are upon her, though, he reaches out, cradling her cheek in his hand. ]

Regina...

[madehervows]

[This is real. This is real. Robin Hood is right in front of her, despite saying goodbye to him forever just a few short hours ago. For everything Wonderland has thrown at her, its attempts to break her and ruin everything she has ever loved, it has given her this. It has given her a chance to temporarily abate the heartbreak and be with the man she loves one last time.

She covers his hand with her own, leaning into it as a smile spreads across her face. Tears threaten to fall, happiness rather than the pain they've become so accustomed to lately.]

I never -- [She hestiates, ever so briefly.] I never thought I would see you again.

[alionsheart]

[ The look on her face would seem characteristic given their separation, and her return, but he knows from events in the past that she might have gone through things back home that he's yet to experience. Her words seem to confirm that, and he stifles the urge to blindly and automatically say, I will always be with you.

Because he doesn't know, has no idea. What's happened between them? Haven't they been through enough? And yet, he can't be overly woeful about it, ignorant as he is at the moment as to what's occurred, and because of the very simple fact that they've been reunited again. And he will never, ever let her go. Taking a step back to urge her inside, he closes the door, and then both of his hands are cradling her face now, his forehead pressing to hers. ]

Whatever's caused you to think that, love, I can assure you I would never stop trying to get back to you. But what's happened?

[madehervows]

It's a very long story.

[She offers him a tired smile as she steps into the room, it's been a very long day. One that he'd been part of, even if he hasn't experienced it yet.

In lieu of answering just yet, she leans forward to close the distance between them and press a kiss to his lips. It isn't as heated as their night in the mausoleum, but that isn't what she wants right now. Reassuring herself that this is real, that there's no town line dividing them.]

[alionsheart]

[ She does look tired, weary, in fact, and though it troubles him, he also has the good sense to recognize that sometimes when you're that troubled, the last thing you want or need is to talk about it at length. He can give her that respite she deserves, a chance to just be, without other things weighing heavy on her. Just for a moment. His responding kiss is just as soft, and as they kiss, his fingers reach out to glide through her hair. ]

Would you like a drink? Or I'd be quite content just to kiss you a bit more.

[cursebreaking]

[Fortunately for the both of them, there's no pirate to be found, saving them an incredibly awkward breakfast, and Emma has made it even easier on them by already being up and dressed-- hell, she might even be caffeinated, which has the potential to make the upcoming conversation go a hell of a lot more smoothly.

Possibly.

She's quick to set her coffee aside and get herself into motion when she hears that banging on the door; it's not the first time she's heard it, and Regina has an incredibly distinct life-or-death kind of knock-- which is enough to inspire hope that maybe, just maybe, Henry's other mother has made it back to Wonderland. She braces herself as she yanks the door open, and while she doesn't quite smile-- she's glad to see Regina there, or as glad as either one of them ever was to see the other.

She'd been gone long enough that real worry had begun to set in. Even if only for Henry's sake, Emma had wanted her back.]

Regina-- you're okay?

[Possibly not, if she's knocking like that.]

[madehervows]

[Look, honestly, if Hook had been there there's every chance Regina would've poofed him to the roof or the center of the maze just to get him out of their hair.

When Emma answers the door, Regina holds up Henry's book to the illustration of Snow and Charming meeting.]

Despite Ingrid's best efforts, I'm alive and well. [And lol, no she's not explaining that one just yet. She has more important things to talk about.] I wanted to talk to you about your little trip into the past.

[She's not angry anymore; Regina and Marian have made their peace with each other, even if it didn't end the way it was meant to.]

Henry's book didn't change, not even after I came back. It still has the original meeting, the one you interrupted.

[cursebreaking]

[Well. She hadn't expected that. She squints hard at the page presented, as if it will actually change if she stares long enough, but no. It's the same as it always was, the same as before she and Hook accidentally stumbled their way into that meeting and wound up having to change things.]

How is that possible? I remember seeing the book change--

[Not to mention all the arguments she and Regina had in the aftermath.]

So what does this mean?

[madehervows]

It means that despite how powerful the Author is, his reach doesn't extend to Wonderland.

[Which... is a good thing, honestly. As dedicated to her search as she is in Storybrooke, if Wonderland is more powerful than his book, maybe, just maybe she can find her happy ending here.

After ensuring the events are no longer a problem, of course.]

This book has the power to change fate, Miss Swan. If Wonderland is more powerful than that...

[She trails off because you get the idea, right Swan.]

I AM SO LATE orz

[belovedson]

[Hey, she's not the only one surprised. Granted, Neal's been expecting Regina to come back, and she's not dead so far as any of them know. But he hasn't heard anything about her being around again, or anything new until people started turning into cartoon characters. Henry included, as if the kid hadn't had enough on him already.

At least he can be sure Henry's seen Regina, given that she's walking out of her own room.] Regina, hey. [And since she's got that look Neal gets every time someone from home shows up anymore:] Yeah, I'm still here, still not dead.

So when you'd get back?

No worries!

[madehervows]

[Regina at least has the sense to wince when he says that. It hadn't been intentional; between the chaos of the Snow Queen and returning to Wonderland to find out Henry was a puppet, things slip between the cracks.]

Sorry, [She frowns, more at the situation than anything.] a few hours ago.

[Which brings her to the most important point.]

Did you know Henry is a puppet?

[belovedson]

It's cool. [He really does get it. He's dead for them back home, has been for months. It's not like any of them can help it, and hell if it does Neal any good to get upset over it.

Especially when he considers all the crap Wonderland throws at them anyway. He's ready to ask after Henry himself, but Regina beats him to the punch.] Yeah, uh. We're kind of in the middle of an event. Apparently there's this thing in the lobby, and if you touch it...

[He motions towards her door, figuring she'll get the gist.]

Sorry. I guess I wasn't expecting him to go that far from your room. [Although Neal knows as well as any of them that when Henry wants to wander, he's going to wander.]

[madehervows]

[She can't help the sigh that escapes her; if Henry didn't wander where he wasn't supposed to, he wouldn't really be Henry.]

Of course Wonderland's sense of humour brings me back in the middle of puppets.

[You're not funny, Wonderland.]

Puppet aside, he's okay though. [In case you were wondering, Neal.] Did anything else happen while I was gone?