1. video/action

[henrydaniel]

[Henry had to figure out a way to ask for an artist without actually letting his mom know what he wanted. He had to be vague, and though she knew a little about what he was doing, he didn't think she knew that he was having a real actual book made for. Which was why Henry's face appeared on screen and he gave a little smile and wave.]

In case you don't know me, I'm Henry. I'm looking for someone who can illustrate. You know, like a kid's book or something?

[Wow, this was not shaping up to be subtle at all, but he figured as long as Regina was still surprised by the finished product, it was okay.]

If you can, it'd be great if you could get back to me. Or you can find me in room 27 on the eighth floor. Thanks to anyone who can help.

Comments

[henrydaniel]

Rachel Dare. I'll keep that in mind if I don't really hear anything else. Or maybe instead of asking one person to do everything, more than one person can help.

Thanks for replying by the way. And for the name.

[He seriously appreciates it, and smiles a little. ]

What's your name?

[ripstides]

The pictures might not match up but it would be a pretty cool project if it managed to get people to work together. [ and it's for his mom, so Percy is one-hundred percent is behind the idea. parents that inspire kids to make them cute gifts are obviously good parents and he wants to see more of those in the world. ]

Not a problem, man. I'm Percy. If I could draw more than stick figures, I'd be helping you myself.

[henrydaniel]

As long as the pictures were good, I don't think the matching would matter too much. [He's sure it wouldn't matter.]

I can...kind of sketch, but I'm not good enough for a present like this. And your friend messaged me just now, so thanks if you said anything to her.

[ripstides]

Probably not. [ it might even add more to the book as a gift, to see all the work Henry went to in gathering people to put it together. he knows his mom would get misty-eyed if the situation was the other way around and Percy doesn't know what the book is about. ]

Everybody's got their own talent. I'm pretty great at not dying. [ and making a joke of things, that too. ] I didn't, but it doesn't surprise me that she found this all on her own.

[henrydaniel]

Then I'm great at enjoying a variety of food.

[Said in a fake snooty voice and followed by a laugh.]

It's nice to meet you, by the way. Like I said before, my name is Henry. Have you been in Wonderland very long?

[ripstides]

[ fake snooty or not- ] Dude, tell me about it. Pizza delivery straight from my closest was the best thing that ever happened to me. Dreams do come true.

[ it brings a tear to his eye. ]

Yeah, you too. [ he can't help but try and slot the kid into a cabin, wondering where he would fit in back home in a Greek camp. ] Somewhere around seven months now? Longer than some, I guess. What about you?

[henrydaniel]

[Henry has to think back a little.]

I think I've been here...maybe four months? Three and a half at least. But I was here before, twice. Which is really weird, the whole 'not remembering' thing.

[ripstides]

[ yeah, no kidding. he's had his memories messed with back home. he knows what it feels like to have memories bleed through ( only to disappear ), unable to grasp them for long, unable to pull up anything on his own. he thinks about Reyna, knowing exactly who he was in the Roman camp, and standing in front of her and not being able to place her. not being able to place anything in his former life with the Greeks because Hera took that away from him. ]

Maybe it comes back to you. [ there's always hope. ] A fried of mine was here for a little while when I first got here, then left without a warning. He just came back a few days ago and doesn't remember a thing. Of all the things Wonderland is capable of, it seems bizarre that letting us keep our memories isn't one of them.

[henrydaniel]

Both my moms and my grandpa, I think, are trying to work on a way to let people keep their memories of Wonderland when they leave. [Which he really hopes works so that he can remember is dad.]

I've had my memories taken away before, for an entire year. But it was a curse. If this was a curse - Wonderland and the memory thing, I mean - then it could be broken.

[ripstides]

Do they actually believe they can pull it off? [ how? comes to mind. there's plenty of things he can't explain back home, plenty that carries over here in Wonderland that boils down to magic. ]

Rough. [ he exhales, thinking back to his short stint in New Rome. ] I disappeared off the face of the earth for about eight months back home. I took a really long nap because someone thought it would be better for everyone. When I woke up, I didn't remember anything about my life except for my girlfriend's name. It was the only thing she couldn't erase. [ ha ha ha, don't judge him. ] It lasted for about a week. I got them back by drinking gorgon's blood from the right side of the body. I bet if we asked, all Wonderland would give us was vials from the left. That side is lethal, by the way.

[henrydaniel]

Both my moms and my grandpa, they...kinda know magic. How cast curses, how to break them. It's a family thing that I don't know everything about yet. [But he would one day, because he wants to learn magic just about more than anything.

He listens in rapt attention to what Percy is saying, eyebrows going up a little.]

I don't know anything about having to drink the blood of things, I do know about taking people's hearts and crushing them up for potion ingredients or other things. [Pan.] Wonderland doesn't seem like it would actually do anything to help us if we really needed it. It seems like this place likes things to kind of be a disaster most of the time. [There's a brief pause.]

What's a grogon?

[ripstides]

Curses? Like turning unsuspecting men into rodents? [ not that he's bitter or anything. ] Even I know magic's not all bad. You have to take the good it can do in with the bad it can do when the wrong people learn how to use it. When the time is right, I'll bet you'll learn everything you're supposed to know.

[ magic is complicated. ]

Brutal. I wouldn't either normally. I don't think Gorgon blood was a cure many h- [ heroes ] -umans would sign up for, considering the kind that can kill you and the kind that can save your life look exactly the same. Just so we're clear, you're not.. taking hearts and crushing them, are you?

[ guy's got to know. ]

Ever heard of Medusa? Crazy vindicated lady with snakes for hair and a serpent-like body with eyes that could turn anything to stone. Am I ringing any bells?

[henrydaniel]

That, and making potions and casting spells. I guess kind of like...witchcraft? What I know about magic is that it always comes with a price. So you have to be really careful or else bad things can happen even when you don't mean for them to.

[Well, that gets a nice long pause, Percy. Uhhhh...]

Am I taking out hearts and crushing them? No. [It's not a lie. But then he's nodding and hopefully jumping to the next topic.]

Oh, yeah, my grandparents went up against her! They tricked her by making her look in her own reflection.