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

[teamfun]

You keep saying Wonderland like it's an actual place.

[He just...opens the storage room door again and peers inside. It's just a storage room. It's not going back to the school.]

But...yay? [Well, if he's going crazy, he might as well own it.] So, do you have a name, Talking Bird?

[mourning_ghost]

Because it is.

[He watches the human peer into the storage room.]

I'm Nageki Fujishiro.

[While mourning doves like Nageki are more common in North America, he was born and raised in Japan as his name suggests.]

[teamfun]

[Louis is far from believing the bird is from Earth, much less America.]

Okay. Cool. I'm Louis. Currently having a breakdown but otherwise nice to meet you.

[mourning_ghost]

It's nice to meet you, too. The dining room is this way. You can get something to eat there if you are hungry.

[Nageki can at least tell Louis what he needs to take care of himself, for when the human realizes this isn't the result of a mental breakdown.]

[teamfun]

[Food WOULD be great. It's been a dwindling resource, as of late, and Louis tends to make sure the younger kids get a good portion of his share. Especially AJ. ]

Food? Sure, okay. Why not. Makes sense Crazy Town would want to make sure I got a good meal in me.

[mourning_ghost]

[Nageki leads Louis to the dining room and seats him at a table.]

Think of something that you want to eat.

[He thinks of a small bowl of millet seed for himself, which appears on the table in front of him.]

[teamfun]

[Louis has experienced a lot in his life, but magically appearing bird seed is not one of those things. He yelps jumping back from it, before edging a little closer.]

What the fuuuuuuuuck?

[He taps the bowl, before looking at the (talking!??!) bird.]

Okay. Magic. It's magic. This is fine. This is regular.

[It is NOT regular, at all. Still, he IS pretty goddamn hungry, so-]

I'd like a Mc Ten-Thirty-Five.

[mourning_ghost]

Mc Ten-Thirty-Five?

[Nageki's first thought would be that a clock, but that makes no sense in the context of food. He looks curiously at the table to see what shows up.]

[teamfun]

[And lo, what appears is a lovingly wrapped abomination of nature in a McDonalds takeaway bag. Louis opens it, wide eyed.]

Awwwww shit, it actually worked.

[He opens it to show the bird.]

See? It's the unholy but delicious combination of an Egg McMuffin and a McDouble.

[He takes a bite, chewing thoughtfully.]

Tastes just like the old world. Hmmmmmm.

[mourning_ghost]

[Nageki eyes the food skeptically. Aside from the egg, it looks like the kind of food that would have made him nauseous when he was a chick. Oily food hadn't been good for his sensitive stomach.]

What's the old world?

[teamfun]

The old world, you know-

[He pauses, eyeing the bird. No. He wouldn't know.]

Before the walkers. Back when everything was... normal.

[mourning_ghost]

[He's not sure what "walkers" are either. The humans of Wonderland come from too many different circumstances. Nageki's idea of normal involves an Earth where birds are the dominant species. That's probably not what anyone else in Wonderland would consider normal.]

Something like Earth in the early 2000s?

[What technology was available back then again?]

[teamfun]

[Louis doesn't have a clue what year it is, he can only make a rought guestimation.]

Uuuum something like that, yeah.

[mourning_ghost]

[Nageki views that time period as the one he comes from, only with humans as the dominant species rather that birds. Similar enough, but with more smartphones than the actual time period likely had.]

Does that mean you are a hunter-gatherer now?

[The only human Nageki knows in his own Earth is a high school girl who proudly proclaims her hunter-gatherer ancestry. Louis is the first human Nageki has met who might have a similar background.]

[He picks at his millet.]

[teamfun]

Yes, actually!

[Because that is very much true, for his main role in his group- aside from being everyone's emotional support system. ]

I made a lot of snares and stuff to catch our food. I supply run, too.

[mourning_ghost]

I know a hunter-gatherer on Earth. If she came here, I think she'd like to meet you.

[If only to discuss the finer points of fighting creatures or keeping hunter-gatherer skills sharp with someone who would understand.]

[teamfun]

Oh yeah? I'd be down for that. We could talk about like finding cool, edible stuff and whatever. Real hunter-gatherer things.

[mourning_ghost]

Mm. It sounds challenging.

[Wasn't there a story about how jackals took over her home once?]