There was so much about Atlantis that Erin felt like she needed to learn. Between the over 200 people from different worlds and the city. Erin was starting to see why her friend Delilah liked it here so much. She also was starting to wonder if she’d ever learn everything about this place that she wanted to.
She’d been reading up on Atlantis history in Footsteps Bakery with a tea and scone when the door opened, looking up the wind picked up sending a wave of cold air blasting through the shop. All of her very neatly organized papers went flying up in the air. That familiar panic started to set in as she jumped up trying to catch everything or stop them from getting too far. Everything fell to the ground as the door shut cutting off the wind.
Henry had really been enjoying Atlantis so far - he’d seen a lot of realms, he’d been more places than your average person and there was definitely no way to deny that. He might have missed the motorcycle a bit; but at least he was pretty glad to be back somewhere with you know, public transportation readily available and not having to acquire a horse or a carriage if he needed to get somewhere without the bike. Either way, he was having a lot of fun - no small amount of that was due to seeing his Mom so happy though. Overall, he was glad he’d shown up; he might have already been considering staying too. At least for awhile, he’d known already other people who had shown up had decided it was worth staying and hey, he had siblings to get to know and there wasn’t exactly a shortage of cute girls around. It’d be another adventure, another way to you know - find his place in the story. There had to be something ironic about an Author from their ‘verse showing up here to help save creativity anyway, right? Right.
He’d been just about to start into the Bakery to grab himself some coffee and maybe a snack while he explored the city a little more when someone started to come out, giving them a little nod he braced himself against the poorly timed gust of wind and tried to quickly step inside - making a quick move to grab a paper that flitted in front of him as the breeze was cut off by the now closed door. Crouching down he started to collect some papers at his feet and looked over to the fairly frantic look woman who he highly suspected the papers belonged to. “Some light reading?” He questioned as he picked up a few last sheets and tidied up what was in his hands, holding them out to her.
Things were everywhere and Erin felt completely and totally disorganized, she’d gotten better over the years keeping herself together, but that didn’t mean she wasn't flustered and her face wasn’t a little bit red. She’d gotten a lot of the papers quickly and looked up with a little awkward smile at someone talking to her.
“Oh,” she said looking down pushing some hair behind her left ear. “Yeah, I decided to stay, and I feel like there is just so much that I need to catch up on.” She seemed to remember herself. “Thank you, for helping me pick up the papers.” She meant it too. “I’m Erin.”
Being an avid fan of reading and knowing things, Henry was intrigued by the little bit of what he’d glanced at as he’d picked up the papers. At the least, he was able to surmise that she had been reading up on Atlantis - he’d actually been trying to do the same thing but, admittedly, Henry had gotten a little side tracked by the whole wedding thing and preparing for it. He was beyond excited by his (predictably) impeccable timing on being able to be here for it. Relieved as well, really, if he’d shown up just after or something? It would have wrecked his spirits a bit. But Henry, at least now, wasn’t the sort to dwell on that type of thing. Right now, he was just elated to be here. Another adventure, which was exactly what he’d set out to do anyway.
Erin was clearly the serious sort, based off of her response, but it only made Henry give her a sort of half-smile, half-smirk as he watched her tuck her hair back. It was endearing to watch someone actually care about knowledge so much. It was rare Henry saw something like that - even in all of his travels, she already reminded him a bit of Belle. Thirsty for words, organized, hungry for information. “Henry Mills.” He said, introducing himself before he looked around - grabbing another single sheet of paper from just behind where she was, holding it out for her, “I think my Mother would like to think I have good manners and so, I’m afraid I can’t accept your thanks. But appreciate them nonetheless.” He joked.
“Oh! Thanks,” she said taking the piece of paper from him and mentally making a note of how she should better organize them and find a stationery store or an office store to get supplies. She really needed the papers to be in the right order again.
“It’s really nice to meet you, Henry Mills,” Erin meant it too. “Can I get you a tea? Or a cup of coffee?” She paused before rushing to add. “To say thank you for helping me pick up all the papers, it’s really the least that I can do.”
“Well, I saw a woman in need of help and I know how distraught I’d be if any of my papers went flying all over.” It was polite as much as it was the truth. Henry was just polite in that sort of way and of course he would have helped even if it was a guy as well, but perhaps a little more because of natural charming habit. Of course some men may have meant that in a patronizing way, but that wasn’t really within Henry’s personality - whether by good, inherited nature from his grandparents or the fact that all things aside, Regina had raised him to be a good person.
Smiling Henry nodded gently, “I could go for a little coffee and conversation, its better than just wandering around.” He said cheerfully, “Plus, I’m thinking of staying myself and it wouldn’t be horrible to hear if even half the stories about this place were true.”
“It is really a bit of a stressor when papers go amuck,” Erin admitted. “I really do appreciate the help.” She didn’t want to admit how much of a stressor it could be for her, but she also knew she didn’t need to.
“Well, great, what would you like? They seem to have loads of different kinds of coffee here.” She smiled. “And I can only really tell you what I’ve read, or what my friend Delilah has told me, she’s been here a little while now.”
Henry had an appreciation for keeping papers orderly that he wasn’t sure he could entirely explain, it wasn’t just being The Author - but it sure as hell helped. Okay, maybe it had a lot to do with that. But, granted, Henry had been a kid who liked books and comics long before he met his birth Mother and long before curses were a daily part of life knowingly. So he could appreciate it for other reasons anyway. Okay, even if he hadn’t been the most tidy of kids.
Pushing his hands into the pockets of his jacket he smirked, “Anything with caffeine is something I’ll try, as long as you add a dash of cinnamon.” He said with a little grin. “Seems like some people have basically been here for ages - I was, well, not exactly hanging around home before I got pulled through. But its intriguing and I am certainly pretty intent on learning what I can.”
“How about a cinnamon latte?” She suggested, although figured anything could add cinnamon to it.
Tilting her head as she listened she ordered what she wanted and ordered for him after confirming if he wanted the latte or something else.
“What were you doing before you arrived here?” She asked curiously. Erin liked learning and hearing about other peoples lives.
Pulling a hand out he gave her a little, appreciative point of his finger, “That, sounds perfect.” He said, smirking. Outside of being in Atlantis it had been a hell of a long time since he felt like he’d had real, just really damn good coffee. His adventures had mostly been to realms that resembled the birthplace of his grandparents and parents than his own. Nothing like New York City or Boston at least. Places more like Camelot or the Enchanted Forests - or other versions of them. Henry knew more than most, and maybe that made the decision to stay in Atlantis so easy, how much was out there and how ‘infinite’ the void and possibilities really were.
It made Atlantis exciting, it made the fight to save Creativity (something that The Author in him would be very willing to give his own life to save) all the more worth it. He knew what was out there, what could be lost.
“I was trying to decide if I should crash a ball or not.” He said, laughing a little at how ridiculous it actually sounded when said out loud. “But for simplicity lets just say I was on a hell of an adventure.”
Tilting her head there was way too much to what he said for her to just let it go. Crashing a ball? It sounded like a fairytale kind of situation to her, well balls usually had that air of magic that wasn’t everyday magic.
“Do you think you would have crashed it?” Erin couldn’t help herself from asking. “It must be an interesting event if you were considering it.”
Fairytale would have been an understatement - at least a funny one as far as ironies went. Henry’s whole life, despite going on his adventure because he wasn’t a fairy tale himself like those he loved, was a literally a walking, talking fairytale. And he had the ability to actually physically create and record other fairy tales. So, needless to say… fairytale was definitely an understatement when it came to Henry Daniel Mills. A very, very big one.
Grinning, he shrugged nonchalantly - he’d been riding through the forest on August’s bike, then he’d just sort of suddenly been here in Atlantis. Come to find out it was some sort of wish magic and you know, who was Henry to complain? He got to see his Mom get married, get her Happy Ending. And he could help a war he was practically destined for. “Probably.” He laughed, “You get a lot of interesting stories out of a good ball.
Erin smiled softly. “Was there anything particular about the ball?” She didn’t want to be annoying but she was a little bit curious about it.
She was about to ask another question when she heard her name, she turned to get both their drinks, handing one to Henry. “Well, we can sit down and you can tell me all about it if you want to.” She offered hoping he’d be up for it.
Giving a little shrug, Henry answered her largely non-verbally. There hadn’t really been anything different about that ball, at least not that stood out against any other ball out there. Of course, Henry didn’t know that he’d meet Ella along the way if he’d only stayed back on his adventure a little longer; but to be here - perhaps that was for the best. Fortune favoured time being kind and uncomplicated to him for once rather than the biggest mess it could possibly manage to be. “Now that is actually… a pretty long story…” He said, taking the drinking and nodding back to her table.