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

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

[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?

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( Clementine swallows thickly, reaching out a hand to rest on his arm briefly in some kind of attempt to reassure Louis when she sees that look on his face. That look that makes something ache in his chest. )

Time stops while we're here. If Wonderland sends us back, we'll go back to the same moment we left. ...back to Abel's face, back to everything else.

( She follows his gaze to the spot beside her, closing her eyes against a wave of something and then something else painful, hard. It's not the first time she's been separated from AJ but... at least she knows he's alive this time. )

He's- He's not here. Usually no one from my life's ever here with me. ( and she does manage a smile again, because she'd been- she'd convinced herself she wouldn't see Louis for a really long time and that was hard- that was hard to stomach. ) ...you're kinda a first.

Edited 2018-10-12 00:25 (UTC)

[There's real comfort in her touch. It means she's solid. Real. He reaches out with his own hand, giving hers a gentle squeeze, a silent thanks for her reassurance. ]

Well. That's something, I guess.

[He's still going to worry about them. It all got so fucked up so fast. The quietly blooming guilt remains in his chest- that Clementine had a call to make, and that she picked him over Violet- that Violet has suffered for that choice, but he tries to push it back. It's not the time to even try to unpack that.

He's aware the lack of AJ must be hurting her something awful- and so, he does what he does best. He tries to make it better. His smile echoes her own, as he reaches over to gently boop her nose with the tip of a finger, making a soft 'womp' noise. ]

For real? Wow, well, lucky me. I didn't even have chance to write a speech about it or anything.

Edited 2018-10-12 01:04 (UTC)

( Clementine feels the comfort too. She feels the thanks that comes in the silent squeeze of his hand against her own hand. This is... new. This quiet affection, but she finds the comfort in it- in him. She lets herself open up enough to feel that comfort. She doesn't usually allow that of herself, but he has a way of disarming her.

That unpacking is not... something she'd be good at doing now either. Later- later. The biggest issue with Wonderland is it sometimes gives too much time to think. and think some more.

She lifts her head and then there's the tiniest huff of a laugh at the booping. The sound just about surprises her given the ache that still exists in her chest. A smile tugs across her face. )

...you'd write a speech about that? ( She shakes her head, because she doesn't know why she'd be surprised by something like that. It's Louis, and her heart does that thing that it has a habit of doing when she's around him. That flip-y kind of thing. ) Because Wonderland has its own set of problems even if they're less constant than what we're used to. ( She doesn't know if he should really feel lucky to be here, but she does feel lucky that. he's here. so... yeah. )

[It's always a delight to see her smile, to even hear the slightest echo of her laugh. She deserves to be happy, and if he manages to get her even a fraction closer to that, he considers it something worth his time. ]

You better believe it!

[He puts his hand to his chest, expression faux-solemn, this is Super Serious, obviously.]

Ladies, gentlemen, various others- I'm here today to talk about how deeply touched I am to be Clem's first Person From Her Life to appear in Wonderland. I'd like to thank Wonderland itself, of course, for yanking me from home to be here, couldn't have done it without you, Creepy Otherworldly Force. I just such an honour, real tears, people, real tears.

[There are no tears, just his regular dumb grin. ]

Less constant problems are good! I'll take 'em.

( Clementine is already shaking her head with a soft smile as she realizes what she's done by doubting the fact he would make an actual speech. She lifts her hands up on either side of herself as if in a failed attempt to stop him attempt to stop him. )

Louis, you really don't have to--

( She does a literal face-palm briefly, but she is still smiling with that fondness that he is kind of the only person to ever bring out in her.

Fondness, and feelings, and stuff. )

You're ridiculous. ( But her voice is warm as she lightly smacks his arm. Also, thank you, Creepy Otherworldy Force. ) And I don't see any real tears.

You want a tour of this place?

[She set up her own trap. She can enjoy all her stuff, because he sure loves bringing it out of her. He laughs, giving a theatrical bow.]

Thank you, thank you, I'm also available for birthdays and other celebrations! The real real tears cost extra. Plus deposit.

[Still, if anyone is going to show him around Crazy Town, he wants it to be Clem.]

Yes, please. Not that I'm not loving the hallway, but I could live with seeing more of this place.

You could make a real business out of it.

( Her smile only widens when he gives that theatrical bow, and a laugh ends up escaping her. She doesn't think anyone else has been so good at getting her to smile or laugh before, not even pre-Apocalypse. The smile is still in place even as she starts to walk forward. )

It's a big place: ten floors. Luckily, you landed on the first floor. That's where a lot of the important rooms are at... like the kitchen.

( She takes a step inside of it so he can get a good look. Of course, food is also much easier to find here, but she'll show him that in a second. )

I should print out cards.

[If nothing else good happens today, he made Clem smile, and that's good enough for him. He follows behind, whistling appreciative at the kitchen.]

Holy shit, look at this place. It's fancier than the one back home.

[Omar would have palpitations. If he wasn't currently trapped in a goddamn cage. But cage-less Omar would have the best time here. ]

Ye-a-h. ( She smirks at his reaction, glancing up at him as she walks over to the other side. ) Not just fancier. It's magic.

( There are, of course, the cabinets with ingredients in them. Sometimes Clementine uses them instead of the closet, because she likes to work with her hands. When she was little, she remembers making food with her parents sometimes.

And she wanted to recapture the feeling, but also for people who are used to knowing what it's like to be hungry, for people who have to search every single day for food, the closets are special. )

Tell me any food ever. The first thing that pops into your head.

Right. Right. The magic thing.

[Magic is a really fucking weird concept to start to believe in. Then again, they have dealt with the dead up and walking around for years. Magic shouldn't be that far a reach.]

I want a Mc Ten-Thirty Five.

[Yes. He just asked for an off-menu McDonalds food item. Partly because he's still not convinced it will ~magically~ appear, and partly because it's been literal years since he got to eat one. ]

Go big or go home, Clementine.

Edited 2018-10-14 21:57 (UTC)

What even is-

( Clementine sometimes asks questions just to see what Louis will say, but she has actually no idea what that food is. She doesn't think she has to know in order to pull it out of the closets. Wonderland's magic is freaky that way.

Still. She lifts her eyebrow up in confusion and then opens the closet door, pulling out a McDonalds bag, which she hands to him.

Inside, she'll find a perfectly wrapped Mc Ten-Thirty Five. )

...but seriously, what is that?

Oh holy shit, it actually happened.

[Magic is real what the actual fuck. He unwraps it, taking a cautious snuff of it and yep, yep, he's transported back to before the world went to hell. Sneaking out to town with Marlon in the morning, all so they could get this mythical piece of food. He grins at her.]

Okay, so what you do, is you go to McDonalds juuust at the end of the morning, where they're about to finish the breakfast menu. You order yourself an Egg McMuffin.Then once the time ticks over to the regular menu, you get yourself a McDouble. You take the burger meat out of the McDouble, put it under the egg in the McMuffin and boom, you have a Mc Ten-Thirty Five.

[He waves it around before her making little 'aaaaahhhh' hallelujah chorus noises, before taking a bite out of it. ]

Hmmm, just like I remember.

( Clementine smiles at his reaction- at the grin that he's sending her way. Magic is actually real. It's one of the many good parts about being in Wonderland. When she first got here, she thought up a whole feast out of the closet. She was eleven then so it was stuff like chicken nuggets and cookies and mac and cheese.

And oh God, the hallelujah chorus noises. She presses a hand to her face, but she's still smiling. Tell no one.

Her hand drops down again to rest on the table, and she gives him a moment or two to enjoy it. She knows how long it's been since he last hadone after all. )

That sounds... complicated, impressively complicated. Here I'd just get the boring, regular Happy Meal. ( And it definitely smells-- well, it smells like McDonalds. )

Did you come up with it yourself?

[He'll cherish that smile forever, he saw that. ]

I didn't, I just heard it from one of the kids in Ericson's- they left before y'know. Me and Marlon thought they were bullshitting us so we went to try it for ourselves and it was great.

[He offers it to her, thankfully the side without the big bite taken out of it.]

Wanna try?

( Clementine inwardly feels a slight something at the mention of Marlon. In the last Event, she got into details about how she was pretty guilty for his death and for the loss it created and for the blood on AJ's hands- It's on hers too. Even if she knows Louis has forgiven her and AJ amazingly because he never had to, it's still sometimes strange to remember that they were friends for so, so long.

Back before the apocalypse started. So maybe there's a little pang for him and for his loss even if her expression remains pretty neutral. )

...yeah, I'll try a bite. I'm feeling brave today. ( She leans over and takes a bite. It's actually delicious, and she nods approvingly. ) Tastes like McDonalds

[Louis has been his group's go-to-emotional-support for too long to not notice the pang, and inwardly winces. Right. That's...not the best subject. He decides it's best to not poke at that particular hurt just yet. It's still a little too fresh for both of them.

Instead, he flashes her a grin.]

I know right? I forgot how amazingly awful McDonalds actually was. Still, neat kitchen, I like the idea of getting whatever you want to eat whenever you want it. I'm seeing a lot of three-AM pork chops in my future.

There are actual ingredients to do actual cooking too, but you can pull anything you want to out of the closets. ...and not just this closet. Any closet in the mansion. ...you can get anything from them. I don't mean just food.

( Like anything.

There's a pause as she eyes him with a tiny but warm smile on her face, because she can only imagine how that would turn out given Louis. His mind works in beautiful and unique ways. )

This feels a little dangerous to tell you.

[She's right to feel that way, she's absolutely right. He gets that excited and slightly insane glint in his eyes.]

So what you're saying is, I can pull literally anything out of a closet? [He taps his chin, a grin spitting his face.] Ooooh, I think I can have fun with that.

[He's going to cause so much trouble. For now, though, he'll resist the urge. He still has a lot to learn, more to the point, he gets to spend time with Clem without the world falling apart around them. ]

So! What other exciting rooms are there to be had?

I am saying that. Anything unless it's something personal from your life. Those cost. ...I'm pretty sure you could have too much fun with the closets. ( Clementine raises an eyebrow knowingly, cause she sees that expression that he's making. There's definite trouble ahead for Wonderland, but thankfully, Louis' style of Trouble usually ends up being a lot of fun too.

...but also she'll have to keep her eye out.

She inclines her head toward the open door and starts to walk backwards as she looks at him. )

Follow me.

Clem, Clem, Clem. There's no such thing as too much fun.

[She will absolutely have to keep her eye out, just in case he ends up setting the whole mansion on fire or something.

He follows, with a heartfelt, if very wacky salute.]

Lead the way, mon capitane.

How did I know you were going to say that?

( She lifts her eyebrows but her expression is amused nonetheless, because he has that effect on her. Clementine ducks her head, turning around to start to walk forward even if she stays close to him. She stops as they reach the next room. )

There's a clinic on the first level too. If you ever get injured or hurt, you can go there, assuming the mansion hasn't totally transformed... like it does sometimes. ( That's something else she has to tell him about. )

They've usually got a doctor to check you out.

Because you know I'm where the fun's at. Team Fun, remember?

[He nods, taking that in. It's always good to know where your medical folks can be found. Wonderland may seem relatively safe, compared to home- but you never know. Louis might live for the moment, but he's not an idiot- medical stuff is important.]

That's good. I doubt any of them would have Ruby's bedside manner, but I'll just have to learn to live with it.

[And, without request or reason, he'll give his best Ruby impression - which is to say it's terrible, but Ruby isn't here to punch him so it's all cool.]

"Maybe if you learned to duck once in a while, ya'll wouldn't get hurt so bad. Next time a'hm gonna just give you a needle and thread and let you do it yourself." Not that she ever would but the girl liked to get a point across.

How could I forget?

( Clementine laughs at the impression. Her back resting against the wall, but the smile is clearly on her face as she lifts her head to look at him, seemingly impressed. It's a very accurate impression. There's something about being with Lous, around Louis that makes her feel very warm, and good. It reminds her of the reasons why life's worth surviving for. )

You're lucky she's not here to hear you say that. She can hit pretty fucking hard. ( She shifts that smile from her face if only bcause this is important to point out. So he knows, so he won't be surprised when the Mansion suddenly does it's thing. ) This place is pretty safe most of the time, but-

Sometimes there are Events. That's when things can go to shit.

She can hit really fucking hard. I'm amazed Aasim could breathe afterwards.

[It's always so good to hear Clem laugh- if only because he knows its something she has had little reason to do for so very long. Hearing her laugh and seeing her smile makes his chest feel tight and fuzzy.

He cants his head.]

So. What sort of things happen? I'm guessing "Events" don't mean "frat parties that got out of hand" like they sound like.

( Clementine smiles at the reminder of the moment when Ruby really hit Aasim. There were a lot of bright, good moments at the school. It was nice-- more than nice, it was good.

Wonderful. Louis was usually responsible for those moments. She really hasn't ever met anyone like him before. )

It takes shit from people's worlds, and sometimes it transforms the mansion or it brings monsters in. Not... just walkers. There's been walkers here before, but anything you can think of and... some shit you can't even begin to imagine.

They're not always bad. One time we went to a different planet- went up in Space for a week, but sometimes it's fighting for your life. Sometimes it's being forced to tell the truth or to face the shit in your head that you never want to face.

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