Action + Video - I'm off on this super fun adventure

[teamfun]

[ARRIVAL; Action]

[It's been something of A Day for Louis. A roller coaster of some really awesome and some really horrifically terrible shit. One minute, he was standing over that absolute jackass, Abel, and the next he's stumbling out of the first floor storage room out into the corridor with some comedic arm flailing. He catches himself, then stills, glancing around the space that is definitely not Ericson's courtyard.]

Toto, we're not in Kansas any more.

[He lets out a soft laugh that's toeing a little too close to hysterical. Carefully, he slides what looks like (and turns out IS) a chair leg with nails rammed into the top from an inside pocket of his held-together-by-love-and-duct-tape trenchcoat. For the observant, there's a blood stain on the upper arm, dry, a few weeks old, but definitely there, and definitely around a recently duct-taped hole. He raises his makeshift mace as he edges to a window, peering out at the perfect, beautiful Walker-free grounds.]

Oooookay, Lou. You're having a little bit of a psychotic breakdown. That's okay, that's fine. It's been a weird day. You knew it would have probably happened eventually. It's all good. Someone'll snap you out of this any second now.

[If you're heading towards him or passing him by, congrats, you've got his attention, he'll wave at you with his free hand.]

Hi there, mental breakdown conjuration. How's it hanging? Good? Good. I'm great. Not freaking out at all.

[LATER; Video]

[Once he's been filled in on what's actually happening (but still not utterly convinced this isn't some kind of stress-induced hallucination) Louis picks himself a room. He has his first hot shower in literal years, and even trusts the (magic????) closets to give him a new set of clothes. Aside from the trenchcoat. That remains as filthy and duct-taped as always. He's not parting with that for anything.

He sets himself up in the kitchen, where he sets up his communicator with a few false starts. It's been a long-ass time since he got to play with actual electronics. He's got a veritable feast on the table around him- ranging from god-awful junk food to fancy-ass steaks. They never truly starved in the school, but when all you have to eat for nigh on eight years are variations of rabbit, fish or berries, you can't help but indulge. He'll regret it later, when his system freaks out from suddenly having too-rich nutrients again, but that is a risk he's absolutely willing to take. He grins, giving the camera a thumbs-up. He doesn't get what's happening at all, but he can't just sit still, this...this keeps him active.]

Hey there, fellow captives-slash-mental breakdown prisoners! The name's Louis and I'm brand new to this... whatever it is. AnyHOO, seen as it sounds like I'll be here for a while, I thought I'd get to know you a little better. [He raises a dirty, dog-eared pack of playing cards t the screen.] So! If any kids wanna come to the kitchen and share in my bountiful feast and have a good old game of War, you're totally welcome to. Highest card gets to ask a question to the other person, fun, right? Or, I guess, you can be boring and do it over the video instead. What'd you say?

Comments

° action

[thesamurai]

[ Michonne smells it (as it turns out, him) before she sees. That smell is unmistakable when you're outside of it for so long. But when you're in it - the end of the world, the dead and rotting, clothes that can't ever really be properly washed - you stop smelling it. It goes away.

Patrolling ever since Claire's murder, she has one hand on the hilt of her katana where it's still hanging behind her back. Could be a walker, but they just had an event, so maybe not. Could just be a person, so she doesn't come out, arm swinging. Then, she hears the voice and, well, walkers don't talk. ]

I freaked out when I arrived, too.

[ She can't help but do a double take at him, because Christ. He's not just young. He's 'what Andre would have looked like' familiar, and it makes her heart tighten painfully in her chest. Her face never shows it, though. ]

Kind of insane. Being magically kidnapped to a new world.

[teamfun]

[Louis remains tense, eyeing her carefully. Adults have been at best a disappointment or at worst a genuine threat to him, and he notices where her hand is, oh boy he does. She doesn't look like one of the raiders, though, he's pretty sure they only left the one living one behind, anyway.]

Um. Wait. Magically?

[He's starting to pay attention to what she's saying and it doesn't make any damn sense.]

Like...bibity-bopity-boo bullshit? Beeeecause I'm pretty sure I haven't come across any fairy godmothers recently and I really won't look good in glass slippers.

[His babbling could be a mark of confusion, but he honestly has no brain-to-mouth filter so this is pretty regular. He glances, very quickly- loathe to take his eyes off her in case she attacks him= at the window, then back again just as quickly, lowering his voice. ]

Where are they? The walkers? How big's the perimeter of this place?

[Because he can see a LOT of land here and there's no dead around at all. Everything's green and lush, not the brown, decayed mess outside usually is.]

[thesamurai]

[ Walkers. So, that confirms that. ]

No walkers here. Not like home, at least. We're not even in the same world anymore, most of the people here don't even know what a walker is. So, yeah. This is exactly like bibity-bopity-boo bullshit with less of the cute Disney aspect and more of a 'what the fuck is happening' viewpoint.

[ She learned a long time ago, with Clementine, mostly, that kids are beyond censorship. She's sure this kid is no different. And besides. Kids aren't really kids for long in their world. Her hand lowers away from the katana then. Maybe he knows her. Maybe he's from her future. ]

I'm Michonne. And I got pulled here about three and a half years ago.

arrival... bc this has to be as awful as possible right

[keephersafe]

[Since he first arrived here, R has enjoyed walking the grounds of the mansion. From his first day, when he shuffled his way awkwardly from one end to the other in the low light of evening, hoping not to be noticed... to now, when he's more than happy to venture out in the clear light of day.

He's on his way there when he comes across the young man, and even someone as occasionally to notice the obvious as R can realise that he's only just walked into the place. It takes a while for the ones who come in carrying weapons to stop holding onto them everywhere they go.]

Um-- [R listens, for a moment, to the boy talking to himself, then blinks a few times when his attention falls on him.

How's it hanging?]

Uh... fine... thanks. [He replies, his voice slowed with uncertainty.] Are... are you okay?

HECK YES

[teamfun]

Ooooooh yeah, I'm great, just super. This is an absolutely regular day. Nothing weird going on at all. Nope.

[He stops freaking out enough to listen to the part of his brain screaming at him that something is wrong and looks at R again. He takes in the completion, the gait- everything about him screams walker, but walkers don't talk and they sure as hell don't ask how you're feeling.

Louis keeps a tight hold of his weapon, but doesn't raise it, not yet. ]

...Dude, are you okay? Did...did you get bit?

[Maybe he's on the cusp of turning. Not a super fun thing to happen to anyone. He absolutely doesn't want to put down a complete stranger- nooo thanks.]

[keephersafe]

[The whole time he's rattling on, R is watching him with a small, puzzled frown furrowing his brows and a confused look in his eyes. It's not unusual for people to show up here like this - hell, R was all kinds of shaken up when he got here the first time - but he so rarely actually gets to see it.

And then... the question. It cements the answers to several questions he might have had and R visibly grimaces, shaking his head.]

Not Dead. Not anymore.

[He looks it, to the untrained eye. To anyone who hasn't known him for long enough to see how much his overall appearance has improved. His pallor is still greyish, dark veins still standing out against his skin, but his eyes are bright and he's clean and certainly not falling apart.

The walking only suffers when he's distracted.]

... Please don't try to hit me with that. It'll hurt.

° video

[endingpoint]

[ Have a heavily tattooed woman, Louis, and she smiles a little as she waves just a bit. ]

Welcome to Wonderland, though, I'm never really sure if that's the right thing to say. I'm up for card games, but since I'm not a kid, I could offer some advice on how to get by being new, instead?

° video

[teamfun]

[His smile fades a little, replaced with a considerably more cautious expression. There are a lot of adults here, and that's something he has to get used to again, but it doesn't mean he has to like it. Not until he knows he can trust them. He's still not convinced about that happening any time soon.]

Sure, I could take some newbie advice. I don't want to end up accidentally insulting the flowers or grinning cat or anything.

° video

[endingpoint]

Hmm, well.

[ She laughs just a little and shakes her head. Even if she knew about his distrust, she wouldn't throw him to the wind. ]

I think it's actually possible to insult the flowers? Be careful in the gardens. Have you found a room to sleep in and figured out the closets?

Kitchen

[like247]

Wendy thinks back to when she first got here. A year ago. It might as well feel like a million of them for the events and the panic and the insanity that has gone on. And the friends.

It's probably the only way she survived this place, and even if they come and go, it helps. So it isn't long before she stops in the door way, all flannel and denim and curious.

"What this life is depends on your life before," she points out without preamble. "So depending on how good or bad that was is how real or lame this is about to get. I'm Wendy."

Kitchen

[teamfun]

Louis offers her a wide smile, honestly glad to see another teenager in this place. There are way too many adults here for his liking. Teens make things normal.

"Well, Wendy, my home is a pretty terrible shitshow, given no dead people have tried to eat me, and no living people have tried to shoot or kidnap me, I'm calling this place 'cautiously not awful'".

He waves a hand to an empty seat.

"Come on in, enjoy this pile of magical junk food."

action.

[waitin]

( Whenever she comes to Wonderland (and she's gone to her world and back many times now), she has to cut out what she leaves behind. It was easy the last two times, because it was her and a newborn (AJ before she knew him)... and then she'd been alone for so long. She didn't know Javi well enough to miss him yet. This time? This time, it's different. She has to cut out a lot, assuming she won't see any of them until Wonderland sends her back.

She has to cut out AJ, who has become a constant in her life (family, someone she worries for, someone she'd die for). She has to cut out Violet who stood by her and AJ and defended them and- and got taken. Ruby, who was kind and warm, and Tenn, who was somehow sweet and innocent still, and all the rest. ...and Louis. She has to cut out Louis, who defended her against his best friend whose death she was responsible for, who is charming and funny and unlike anyone else she's ever met, who she admitted feelings to and kissed... before it all went to hell.

It's going to be much harder to cut out what she left behind this time, to not feel like she's missing something this time, to not feel an ache.

To say she's not expecting to hear Louis' voice in Wonderland is putting it lightly. She hears his voice. She sees him, and her heart kind of jumps into her throat and shock hits. She thinks this might be a very vivid dream except she tends to have nightmares when she sleeps. And that's definitely him with Chairles, acting like- like only he acts. It'd almost make her smile if not for the strength of the sudden emotion that follows. )

...Louis?

[teamfun]

[Clem is something of a stabilising presence in Louis' life. He was serious, when he told her she reminded him of Marlon- or at least Marlon in the old days- solid, unshakeable. Someone you could cling to while everything else sank down around you- because she'd just always be there.

Whatever the hell this madness is, he's knows with absolute certainty he can get through it if Clementine's here, too. He half runs, half jogs over, confused fear giving way to genuine happiness to see her. Does he hug her? What's the protocol here, he has no idea. Instead he settles for standing in front of her, rocking on the back of his heels a little, trying to release some nervous energy. ]

Clem! Now we've established we are, indeed, ourselves- do you know where the hell we are? Beeeecause I sure don't. I think I'd remember suddenly being in a super fancy- is this a hotel? It's giving off hotel vibes. Except hotel vibes at the start of a horror movie where everything seems okay, but is kinda off and then suddenly everyone's screaming and are "oh wow, we never expected this hotel to be so terrible, it looked so innocuous at the start!"

[At least he has to pause for breath at some point.]

action

[slapfight]

[You had to go and make a wizard of Oz reference didn't you, Louis?

Well, now there's a green girl. Kind of. She's in the process of checking her communicator when she notices that she's being waved at. She waves back, squinting at him.]

Actually, by the usual definition, you're freaking out a lot. [Oh stars. He's a new one. Well. Time to show him her expertise.] You just arrived, didn't you?

[teamfun]

[That sure is a green girl. A green triangle girl. This is not helping his not freaking out at all. Nope. No siree. ]

Holy shit, did you eat all the green crayons or something?

[One day, he'll think before opening his mouth and letting words just fall out. One day. Not today, though.]

Um...I think so? I just came out of [he points at the still open storage room door, which is clearly just a storage room and not a portal back from whence he came.] theeere?

[Action]

[mourning_ghost]

[The fact that Louis has run across a bird - far larger than a normal bird - is likely not helping Louis assessment of his mental state. Said bird gives Louis a questioning look.]

I'm fine. Do you need a doctor?

[He does keep an eye on the human's weapon warily. He's not sure if he can do anything if the human decides to attack him, but he can at least attempt to flee any confrontation that may occur.]

[teamfun]

[There's a big bird. There's a big bird and the giant bird is talking to him with actual words. He stares a little longer, before throwing caution to the wind and talking to the FUCKING TALKING BIRD.]

Yep. Yep. I'm talking to a big pigeon so I'm gonna tick the big ol "yes" box for the do I need a doctor question. Because clearly, I do.

Kitchen

[shslliar]

[Huh. Kokichi was going to come here for a mochi, but he heard a new guy recording in there and thought, "Hey, I wanna mess with him." Plus, War was always fun as a card game.

So he will wait until he's pretty sure the other dude was finished with the network before walking into the room.]

Hey, you're Louis-chan right? I heard you were playing games in the kitchen and I wanted in on it.

[If Louis is worried about the adults, then Kokichi isn't gonna scare him. The strangely dressed gremlin boy is only a little older than he looks.]

[teamfun]

[Louis flashes Kokichi a grin, not bothered at all. Kids, he can handle. Kids, generally, don't turn around and try to turn their fellow kids into kid soldiers. Kids are safe. ]

Great! Come on over, enjoy some fried whatevers. I'm playing War. You ever played that one before?

action

[krmvgivv]

Man, if I had a dollar for every time someone called me a mental breakdown conjuration, I'd--

[He frowns.]

Probably still not have anything cause Stan would have taken it because he misses money too much to let anyone else have it. You're new, huh?

[teamfun]

Well, at least you can add it to your pile of imaginary money. Buy yourself an imaginary castle, one day.

[He lets out a chuckle, more nerves than anything else, looking the way he came, then back to Dipper. He lowers Chairles, glad that at least there's another kid here.]

Iiiif you mean new by "literally just fell the through closet out into a whole new place" then yup, I sure am. Wait, shit. Is this Narnia?

[That had closet portals, right? RIGHT?]

kitchen

[choosetruth]

[Georgia doesn't make too much of a habit of greeting newcomers unless she has good reason to. There's so much to explain and she knows she's not the most patient person. But she wants a damn Coke, so she's in the kitchen anyway.

She sees the feast and the duct taped trenchcoat. There's a certain look--hungry and haunted--that she's seen all too many times.

She doesn't know who he is, and she doesn't know where he's from. But she can a pretty solid guess.]

Zombie apocalypse?

[teamfun]

[Louis arches an eyebrow in her direction, before offering an uneasy smile and a single finger-gun.]

You got it. Either you're a mind reader or you're the best detective ever.

[You still have walker grime on your coat, it doesn't really take Columbo here, Louis.]

Arrival!

[mettatonvevo]

[It's not terribly uncommon to be innocently walking through the mansion and encounter someone you have never seen before brandishing a blood-stained weapon of some kind. And it's not terribly uncommon to run into people who are convinced Wonderland is an illusion. But it's that rare pairing of both of these flavors of new people that can make someone who has been around for over two years a bit antsy, since the last time someone thought this was all fake they set the library on fire. But, Mettaton is still quite the curious robot, so he cocks a hip and raises an eyebrow as he stares at this human.]

Don't you think that's a bit rude? Calling people you have never met before a "conjuration", whatever that means.

[teamfun]

...I was kinda joking about the Toto thing but here we are.

[Because of course Louis says the first thing that comes to mind when there's a robot person talking to him. Or maybe it really is a tin man?]

Aaaaalso I just fell through a closet into somewhere else, where I'm being talked to by a robot person. Pretty sure that's high up there in the "probably a conjuration" list.