✹ .001 [ action/video ]

[holyshihtzu]

[ One minute, Juliet is raiding the supply closet for party accouterments and the next she's standing in the middle of an entrance hall in a mansion holding a fancy smartphone.

She doesn't address the mansion right away; instead, she finds a small alcove and curls up in a chair to read through archived posts for a couple of hours. She tries to keep a low profile as she gets her bearings, avoiding making eye contact with anyone passing by as she adjusts herself to using the device and then figures out how to access the network. Eventually, she gets the gist of it - weird Alice in Wonderland world, events, people coming back from the dead. It can't possibly be real and yet, here it is.

Once she's oriented herself as well as she can, she opens up a video feed to the network at large. ]

So, I guess I'm one of the new people that seem to turn up here every week or so. At this point, I'm pretty torn on whether or not this is even real or if I'm having some kind of really elaborate hallucination triggered by a contaminated water supply or someone using way too much ant killer in the break room.

[ For the record, the ant thing was totally not her fault. ]

My name is Juliet O'Hara. I came here from Santa Barbara in California. I got the impression everyone here has about as much idea as I do about what the hell is going on, but if you have any information that hasn't ended up on this blog... thing, I'd really like to hear it about now. [ She's trying to come off as commanding and confident, but it isn't really working out for her. ] Or if you just wanna say hi. That works, too.

[ Oh, and one more thing. ]

Shawn, I know you're here so don't mess around. I'm at the main entrance. Pretty sure you can find it. [ Now, that comes off a little more forceful. ]

[ Feel free to respond to her post or bump into her in the entrance hall! ]

Comments

[soupcansam]

[ Wow, well, there goes his attempt at hazing her, Wonderland style. He was getting out an elaborate costume from the closet but once the video finishes he just puts it all back, throwing it in to disappear who even knows where.

Still, he does grab two pineapple smoothies and heads down. ]

Jules! You blew my cover. I'm supposed to be John Charles Penny. Of shopping mall fame. A young billionaire from 1800 something.

[ He has no idea what the rest of the facts are, or what the guy's real name was or when and how he actually started. Just that it did start as an old-timey magazine.

A normal person would just say welcome or try to feed into her hallucination theory. ]

Delicious magical smoothie?

[ Asked as he hands it out to her. ]

[holyshihtzu]

That's exactly why we all hate it when you come up with your own cover stories.

[ It's a completely half-hearted dig because, as much as she hates to admit it, she's happy to see him. She hasn't seen any sign of Lassiter or Gus, which means without their partners, they both are kind of stuck with each other.

Still, she eyes the smoothie warily and doesn't take it. ]

What is happening? Last thing I knew we were getting ready to throw that party for Chief Vick and now I'm here.

[soupcansam]

My cover stories are solid, okay? You just need the imagination to get behind them. Gus would get it.

[ Which is said kind of mopily because he would. ]

Hey, I just solved the mummy case! Actually, I opened my front door and my long lost mother was standing across from me and then I showed up here but really. Same time frame, which you'll come to realize is super rare around here.

[twirlier]

[Santa Barbara? Shawn? Misty fairly squeals as she watches the video during one of her breaks in working on putting her garden to bed. She may still have time before snow but she's not taking the chance. She'll move up to the house soon and find a way to survive cooped up all winter.

This though! This is exciting.

Taking a moment to clean up, Misty gathers up a basket of cuttings she's taking to the house to dry and heads for the mansion. Spying the woman from the video, she offers a wave.]

Juliet! Hi. I'm Misty and if you're one of Shawn's people back home, you're definitely my people here.

[Welcome to being adopted instantly, Juliet.]

[holyshihtzu]

One of Shawn's "people?"

[ How does he do it? It's like he spends twenty seconds with someone and they're suddenly best friends. Granted, he's been in Wonderland for a lot more than twenty seconds, but sometimes Shawn's power of making connections even outweighs how impressive his psychic abilities are.

Misty is just being nice though, and Juliet did ask for people to say hi. ]

Sorry, I'm just still adjusting to all of this. I guess it's culture shock.

[twirlier]

His tribe? Those he knew before this place and were close to. [She can't help but laugh then.]Given the way you told him to be here now? Sounds like some of the ways I talk to him and Gren.

This place can be crazy though, I won't argue that. You're not alone though! Shawn's here, and he has his boat. And there's me and others. Everyone tends to look out for one another here, they really do. No matter how bad things get.

[She's just so excited to get to know this woman who is part of Shawn's life apparently.]

So... how long have you been here? Checked into the rooms? Found a place?

[spiritofgoodness]

[ Snow's just coming inside with her bow strung across her back after what wound up being a nice afternoon of practicing. As she walks inside she smiles at the person right in the hall but then realizes she's not super familiar and looks again. ]

Not to come off as what could be considered rude but, are you new? There's a certain look everyone has when they're new, and you have it.

[holyshihtzu]

[ Juliet pulls her gaze from her phone, a little startled at the interruption. She wasn't expecting anyone to approach her in person, and she's still getting her bearings enough that's she not really sure how to respond. ]

Yeah. I'm Juliet. I just got here... [ She fades off, craning her neck to look at whatever the woman has on her back. ] Is that a bow?

[ Yes, Jules, because someone wandering around with a bow is the weirdest thing in this place. ]

[spiritofgoodness]

Oh, it is! Sorry, I didn't mean to alarm you, I was just practicing. I'm Snow White.

[ She says that with a bright smile, extending her hand in greeting. ]

It's nice to meet you, though I wish it were in a place not...here?

° video

[endingpoint]

[ Jane's always kind of on the lookout for new arrivals, just to be nice, really, to pay it forward, so to speak, the way people had helped her. ]

Hi, Juliet, I'm Jane. You know Shawn? Well?

[ Jane things he's quite possibly the single most annoying human on the face of planet Earth, but she won't say that to a possible friend. Yet.]

° video

[holyshihtzu]

As well as you can know anyone who you occasionally have to babysit and who never, ever goes away.

[ Shawn is her friend but she isn't blind to how insufferable he can be most of the time. ]

I work with him back home. He's the psychic consultant for the SBPD.

Video

[oneagainstall]

[Well, she's from Santa Barbara - so it's a good bet that she's asking for that Shawn.]

Someone who did their fuckin' homework before screeching all over the network- will miracles never fuckin' cease.

Shawn's around somewhere. You a friend of his?

[His tone just might suggest that he'd much prefer it if she'd answer that question with a 'yes'.]

Video

[holyshihtzu]

... Yes?

[ She definitely picked up on that. ]

We've worked together for a couple of years now. I take it he's never mentioned me? [ Harsh, Shawn. Whatever. ] And by the way-- [ She pouts dramatically. ] I always do my homework.

[alsoagirl]

[ Jessica's been pretty upset all day, because she's quickly learned what it means when a message fails to go through to someone. Losing Liv hasn't been easy, especially with all that's going on, so she had to go outside to an isolated area and cry dramatically, as a teenage girl is wont to do.

By the time she's stepped into the entrance hall, she's thankfully cleaned the blood off her cheeks--she's learning! Yet the weight of her sadness is still very much pushing down on her shoulders as she trudges along, and it's enough to nearly make her walk right past Juliet...but it's hard to ignore a new scent.

She lurches to a stop and blinks over at the new arrival, quietly sniffing a few more times. At least she's not being obvious about it? ]

First day?

[holyshihtzu]

[ Obvious or not, Juliet notices the sniffs and follows by discreetly sniffing herself. Does she already smell? It's not like she hasn't showered in the last 24 hours, and her clothes are clean besides some supply closet dust.

Satisfied by the fact that whatever the girl is sniffing couldn't possibly be her, Juliet settles back into her seat and takes a look at her. She looks like she's just a kid, and the sense of sadness bleeding off of her is almost palpable. Juliet offers her a glowing smile; if she can take her mind off of all of this for a minute by cheering someone else up, maybe it will help her get some perspective. ]

Yeah, just a few hours, actually. My name is Juliet.

Entrance Hall

[suspense_kills_me]

[Red's walking through the entrance hall on his way to the kitchens. It's been his favorite route of late, and makes him feel like he's keeping tabs on things, though this would be the first time he stumbled on someone looking through their device like they just got here.]

First few minutes here?

[holyshihtzu]

Uh... [ She checks the time. ] A little over an hour. Am I that obvious?

video;

[middlefinger]

You're a friend of Shawn's? Well, at least you know someone here, that always makes things a little easier.

[it's not much, but it's something.]

Knowing people in general makes things easier, because a lot of events are a hell of a lot harder to survive on your own.

video;

[holyshihtzu]

Yeah. We mostly work together, but it's been for a couple years.

[ Juliet definitely considers him a friend, if a somewhat frustrating and annoying one. ]

I've seen a few people talking about the events, but I'm not sure I'll actually get it until one happens. I can't think of anything back home that's even comparable.

[video forever]

[shrimpheavennow]

Yeah, it's probably all been covered at this point?

[...Still, though. For her own personal reputation, at least.]

There was an event two weekends ago, though, so if anybody you meet acts differently from any posts you saw then, uh, that's why.

[Y'KNOW, JUST. JUST SO SHE KNOWS.]

[holyshihtzu]

So I shouldn't expect a drunk blonde woman yelling about the lack of an event on the network every other weekend?

[ She's just checking! :) ]

video }

[geekorthodox]

[ Oh, this is too good. Someone who knows Shawn? Someone from his home? Patterson tends not to respond to newcomers - not because she doesn't want to be welcoming - but only because she's sometimes gotten way too easily caught up in trying to actually explain this place to people and well...it's overwhelming for someone who's just arrived, to say the least.

But this, she can't pass up. ]

I have a few theories about this place, but first...hey! I'd say "welcome" but I think, "Sorry you're stuck here, too" is probably more accurate? One silver lining is everyone else here feels your pain and we all kind of have each other's backs.

And if you know Shawn, it's like a siren call here. He's pretty famous.

[holyshihtzu]

[ For the definitely not first time today, Juliet is regretting having called out Shawn in her address to the network. She's not sure what he's told anyone of her (if anything), but considering she's already had to bring up the fact that he is absolutely not the head detective of the SBPD to one person, she can't even imagine what he's told anyone else.

At least he's likable. Having to meet all of Shawn's friends is a far better option than meeting anyone who might want to kill him.

(To be fair, sometimes those are the same people.) ]

From his perspective, he's pretty famous back home, too. I think I have other words for it. [ 'Annoying' and 'obnoxious' are two better ones that come to mind. ] Are you two friends?

( video. )

[wildwest]

Someone does their homework.

[ a blog, though? the fuck's a blog. he always thought the running reel of network posts was some sort of feed system. like twitter, whatever the hell that ways. his wife has a nasty habit of teaching him modern terminology without actually explaining the finer details to him. ]

Shawn Spencer?

[holyshihtzu]

I like to be educated, though I understand I have a lot of catching up to do.

[ She's not sure whatever else to call it. People certainly seem to treat it like a blog, at any rate. ]

Got it in one.