entranceway | [video]

[Jefferson toys with the idea of publicly announcing his arrival for a long while. He had lived too long a hermit outside the fringes of Storybrooke society, and the idea of rejoining the thriving masses does not sound very appealing to him. Besides, there are other dangers to consider. Would the Queen of Hearts still be looking for him? Is the same Queen even in regency? He knows full well that nothing ever remains the same in Wonderland, and to expect the same as when he was here before would be absurd. He finally decides it is worth the risk.

How could he flush out his target without causing some sort of stir?

The video begins with Jefferson facing the camera directly, hands folded calmly in front of him and a darkened room behind him. He smiles easily, but there's something a little nervous in his demeanor. As far as anyone knows, he is new to Wonderland after all. A certain amount of uncertainty is to be expected. Little does anyone suspect how much time this man has spent in this nonsensical place. Or, at least, a fair facsimile thereof.]

Greetings, residents of Wonderland. It is my pleasure to make your acquaintance. My name is Jefferson, and I am a merchant by trade. Mostly rare fungi, but occasionally I dabble in trinkets... and hats. [He pulls a black silk hat into view of the camera briefly to illustrate his point.] I seem to have lost something of mine, and I wonder if any of you have seen it. It's about the size a breadbox. Cylindrical. Soft. Shabby-looking, I'm afraid, but very sturdy. If you feel you have found it, please contact me. I would hate for my something to cause a problem for anyone, so the sooner it can be back in my hands, the better.

[The smiles comes back, a little wider and more confident.]

And now Wonderland, I must ask you a very important question....

How do you take your tea?

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

I never knew the Queen of Hearts by her name, only by the blade of her axe. But I can't imagine it makes too much difference.

[He doesn't find the distinction between "the same" Wonderland and "a" Wonderland to be comforting in the slightest. Of course there are different versions of each realm. What were they teaching children these days?]

People don't just wake up in other realms one day. That's not how it works. [Except apparently that it did. It's happened to Jefferson twice.] Another curse?

That's kind of how I think about it. It's easier. We've all been cursed again and time is frozen. Except it's not just people from the Enchanted Forest or...other places we know from home. There are people here from places that don't even have magic, too.

[There's something ironic in that Jefferson is both asking for information from a kid and also is believing what he says with very little hesitation. But Jefferson knows Henry believed all the stories with the same conviction that Jefferson knew they were true. Henry was the only other person who knew about the Queen's curse and was the one to set the wheels in motion for it to be broken-- If there is anyone to be trusted to have good information, why not the savior's son?]

Your mother brought us to Storybrooke with her curse. Is this another trick of hers, or someone else at work?

[and the pressing question] Who else from our world is here?

[Instead of asking 'why would my mom bring people here from places she doesn't even know?,' Henry just shakes his head.]

Nope. She has no idea how or why we're here. Oh, and when we leave, we won't remember. I've been here three times, and I don't remember. But people knew who I was before I ever met them.

[As for the other question...]

Emma and Rumplestiltskin. And people I don't know if you ever met: Robin Hood, Killian Jones, and my dad, Neal. His dad is Mr. Gold. Oh, and...there's Zelena...

['Rumplestiltskin' is too much to keep saying. And he trails off a little at Zelena's name.]

[Kid, Jefferson doesn't know why your mother does anything. Why drag him from Wonderland and into Storybrooke and leave him cursed to remember both lives? She'd already beaten him, and he was useless to her without magic. Apparently, she just really loved to torture him. Who knew why?]

Like someone you've never met looking you right in the face and calling you your fairytale name. That much I get. [but not remembering a forced trip to Wonderland after you leave it? What a blessing.]

[So this isn't Regina's fault after all. Being disappointed in that news doesn't change the fact that he is still stuck back here... and with that list of names, Jefferson's face falls into a sour expression. This is going to be a troublesome imprisonment.

He tries to recover at least a little. Can't blame the bearer of bad news.] Quite the illustrious set of grandparents you have.

Yeah...it's weird, I know.

[Henry sighs just a little, because it's confusing - and that's putting it lightly.]

My family tree is really...big. And it seems like it's always getting bigger. But anyway, I think if you just stick with the idea that this place is super weird and sometimes dangerous, and that magic exists here, too, you'll probably be okay.

[Or, as good as any of them ever are.]

[Henry's family tree included Jefferson's old business associate, two women he kidnapped, a man who destroyed his hat, and the betrayer who got him trapped in Wonderland... whose mother had Jefferson beheaded.

He really isn't sure how much more of that family he could survive.]

Live long enough and you get used to "weird". [A word of wisdom from someone who had lived way longer than he appeared or would admit to.] Magical and dangerous, and it's pretty much business as usual.

Thanks. [he says after a pause]

You're welcome. Do you...need anything? The closets are magic and you can pretty much ask for anything out of them. Well, things like food and clothes. Furniture and weapons.

[For vendor explanations, Jefferson will unfortunately have to go somewhere else. Henry has no idea about it since no one in his family will let him near them.]

[Regina's already hinted about what the vendors could do for him. But the deal with the closets is a nice trick. Way more helpful than he had been expecting from anything in Wonderland. He would have to experiment.]

Thanks, kid. I think I've got it from here. This isn't my first time in Wonderland-- as you know. It just takes some adjusting.

[No, wait. He did think of something.]

Have you... heard anything about Grace?

Edited (icon) 2015-05-25 08:07 (UTC)

[Henry hesitates just a little. He doesn't really like having to say that she's not here.]

Not yet. But, new kids come here all the time, so she might show up. It's not impossible.

[It's the closest he can get without being overly optimistic. Henry knows he's been really lucky to have a lot of his family here.]

[Jefferson's conflicted emotions show on his face before he thinks to turn away from the camera. One the one hand, Wonderland is a awful place, and he's relieved she isn't trapped here. But on the other hand, he'd come so close on so many occasions to reuniting with his daughter. It's really almost more than he can take.

For a moment he doesn't know how to respond. Unlike the kid, Jefferson is not known for his optimism. In the end, he just nods in acknowledgement of the news.]

[Henry feels guilty, that he had to burst Jefferson's bubble like that.]

If you need anything, I can always help.

[It's really the least he can offer.]

[Better to burst it now than to have him holding out hope for something that wouldn't come.]

You're all right, kid. Somehow, your mothers did right by you. [He likes you way more than either of them, and he knows for a fact that even with a rotten parent ~~like himself~~ the child can grow up to be the best kind of person.]

Yeah, I guess they're okay.

[He smiles a little, trying not to have any hard feelings about the past. He may or may not be successful, but for now he' s just trying to be helpful.]

Talk to you later, Jefferson.

[He completely understands any hard feelings. Wouldn't be the first time, and won't be the last.]

Take care of yourself out there.

[video]

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