[OPEN] I used to know a fisherman who loved to hunt the sea for sharks

[beardman]

Who: Caleb Brewster and you!
Where: Fourth floor hallway
When: 8/1, early evening
Rating: PG-13 seems safe. Swearing, probably, but not more than that.
Summary: Caleb arrives in Wonderland, confused as can be.
The Story:

[What strange days had come to pass - And the one they'd hanged seemed a more honorable man, even at the gallows all dressed in his red coat, than the one who got away. That's fate for you, Caleb had thought to himself. He'd strangle that bastard with his bare hands if he ever got the chance, but he knew he'd have to wait in an awfully long line to do it.

What a mess.

He'd expected it would take him a long time to fall asleep once he finally did reach his cot, but he'd underestimated just how weary his body was. That sort of exhaustion was no match for whatever worries and thoughts he had, even after such an eventful few days, and he was out almost as soon as his eyes closed.

When he opens his eyes, Caleb is surprised to find himself standing in a hallway full of mirrors. It's not the first time he's had a strange dream (though they tend to come after a good night of drinking), but something about this place feels different. It feels real... His head is clear, the floor underneath his boots is solid, and with the exception of their numbers, the mirrors seem perfectly normal - if a bit fancier than he normally sees. He takes a few steps forward and nothing changes, and he can't seem to shake the feeling that this isn't a dream at all.

But if that's the case, then how the hell did he get here? And where is here? He debates with himself for a long moment before deciding that he's never been afraid to take the bull by the horns, and he calls out -]

Hello? If anyone's here, you'd better speak up now!

Comments

[spycurious]

[Ben is returning from his daily hours in the library, all spent attempting to learn the patterns of its shifting nature. He's lost in thought, coming up the final flight of stairs to enter the corridor he'd chosen for his room, when he hears a familiar voice and nearly trips on the last top step.

Is that--]

--Caleb?! [His heart leaps into the air and threatens to crash down into disappointment knowing the risk that it might not be his friend. It thunders in his ears and he takes a deep breath, entering the corridor proper.

He sees him. The disheveled clothes. The accent. The beard.]

Caleb Brewster!

[Ben's features light up and he feels as though a weight was just lifted off his shoulders. He breaks into a run to close the distance between them.]

[beardman]

[That's not the voice he expected to hear, but it's a welcome one. If Ben's here, then things are all right. The sight of his dearest friend brings a smile to Caleb's face, and the way Ben is smiling at him in return warms his heart. He holds his arms out wide for a hug.]

Bennyboy!

[spycurious]

[Ben gently crashes into his best friend and locks him into a strong embrace. It could throw them both to the ground for all he cares, but he knows Caleb is sturdy enough that it wouldn't really matter.

What does matter though is that he's here. He claps a hand on Caleb's back.]

Of all the faces I'd hoped to see... When did you arrive?!

[beardman]

[Friendly as they usually are, Caleb saw Ben shortly before he went to bed. How much time is he missing, then, between when he went to sleep and when he found himself standing in the corridor? The thought takes some of the wind out of his sails, but he hugs Ben back just as tightly.]

I'll be honest with you, there. I don't know. As far as I can remember I went to bed the night after the hanging and then I found myself standing here. [He gestures vaguely at the hall around them, then gives Ben a sly little grin.] And I haven't been drinkin', neither.

[geiger]

[ By the sounds of that, whoever this was had just arrived. Nora remembers her own arrival, hours of creeping round corridors with her gun in her hand, trying to get the jump on whatever enemy had brought her here and hoping it wasn't the Institute. She feels almost obligated to make sure this man doesn't go through the same sort of panic.

She exits the tearoom she'd been in slowly, hands spread to show she means no harm. ]

You all right, there?

[beardman]

[A woman? Honestly, not what he expected, but all right. He eyes her for a moment, assessing potential risks, before he relaxes just a bit. Women aren't to be underestimated, of course, but this one does look like she doesn't mean any harm... And she's neither a wily, bearded Scotsman nor a tall ginger with a creepy smile so really, he's already doing better than he could've been.]

Far as I know, aye. But you understand why a man would be wary in this situation, don't you?

[geiger]

[ Nora looks relieved as he relaxes a little, taking another couple of steps toward him. ]

Absolutely. I remember when I first arrived, I was peering round every corner looking for trouble. Not a bad idea, but I promise you're in no immediate danger.

[beardman]

[She doesn't seem like a threat, but one can never be too sure. People have underestimated Anna plenty of times and learned quickly to regret it.]

I'll trust you on that one for now.

[doorkey]

Hullo? I'm here!

[ It's a young girl, certainly, poking her head around the corner with wide curiousity in her eyes, to see someone so distinctly old-timey standing there. Someone new, probably, given the way he's looking around.

She might seem a bit outlandish to colonial eyes, with a chin-length bob of bright blue hair capped off with a brimmed straw hat for summer exploring, yellow socks peeking over her sneakers, and a khaki cargo shirt decorated with a cheeky, cartoonish monkey on the pocket. In a moment of closet-whimsy, she'd finished outfitting herself with a garishly lime green shorts embroidered with a banana pattern.

Because the mansion can sure seem like a jungle out there, sometimes.]

Did I scare you? [ She carries a little spiral notepad, a messenger bag. A half-eaten muffin in one hand that she's considering finding a trash bin for, not so hungry as she'd thought.] I'm just looking for all the good places to put up posters.

[beardman]

...Uh.

[A little girl.

...All right, then. Caleb isn't sure what to make of her, and his brow knits in confusion. Her hair is blue, and what in the hell is she wearing? And what's a kid doing by herself in a place like this?

Well, actually... He doesn't know what a 'place like this' is, exactly. It could be a safe place for a kid. He has no idea! It's just that the sort of places he's woken up in with no memory of getting there are not usually the sort of places that are good for kids, let alone little girls with blue (?!) hair and bizarre clothing.]

No, you - You're all right. But listen, can I ask you somethin'? Can you tell me where we are?

[doorkey]

Sure. [ She nods, looking him up and down curiously, but with no particular surprise to have stumbled upon someone looking lost. That happens around here often enough. Sometimes they figure out how to work their network devices, first, but this man looks awfully old-timey, so she supposes she can't really blame him. ] You're new here, huh?

We're in Wonderland... um, we also just call it 'The Mansion', sometimes. [ The girl explains, rocking precociously in place from heel to toe of her sneakers. ]

There's welcome fliers down in the library that explain it all better, that you can read for yourself... and an adult wrote it all, so if you don't believe me....

I can show you where that is, at least? [ She offers, with a one-shouldered shrug. ]

[beardman]

[He nods a little.] I suppose I am... [Wonderland? That sounds... Bizarre. He looks a little skeptical, but he listens carefully.]

Welcome fliers. All right. So are you saying this is a thing that happens to a lot of people? [He really doesn't like the sound of that, 'welcome fliers' for a place he woke up in without any knowledge of how he got there. But there's no other leads as to what the hell he's doing here, so he gives Coraline another little nod.]

If you'd like to show me, I'd appreciate it. [Jesus - He doesn't know how to talk to children.]

[naughty_nurse]

Eek!

[After that shriek, he'll then hear the sound of a nearby door slamming shut. So. Good start.]

[beardman]

[The scream startles Caleb and he turns in the direction of the door slam. The others he's talked to so far seem to think he's supposed to be here, but maybe they're wrong? Shit.]

[naughty_nurse]

[After a moment, the door s-l-o-w-l-y creaks open, and she dares to poke her head out.]

H-Hello...?

[beardman]

Ah - Hello. [He gives her an awkward little wave, then holds both of his hands up.] Look, I'm not here to hurt you, but I do have some questions.

[beautifullies]

[ Claire's bustling about, just leaving her room for the morning to first head down to the clinic, then out to the gardens. Now that her husband's arrived, she's decided to stay dressing like she's walked fresh out of 1743 with her skirts and corseted top, hair up as a respectable married woman's should be.

That's about all she's got going for her though in terms of delicate female sensibilities. ]

Speak up or what?

[ There's a small smile just tugging her lips up, her words said in bemusement. ]

You have the look of a new arrival on your face.

[ Her accent is English, features delicate, and she takes a step forward. ]

I assure you we were all in your position once. Very out of place and utterly confused. But I promise it's all real.

[beardman]

[Oh, good. This one looks downright normal!]

Or... Something. I don't know yet, it'd depend on what happened. [He gives her a little smile. He's relieved. She doesn't look dangerous, but one could never be sure. He's still on guard, but not nearly as much as he had been.]

A new arrival, huh? I suppose that's what you'd call me, though I can't say I know what for sure where I've arrived.

[beautifullies]

As someone who only arrived a little over two months ago, I understand how you're feeling right now very well. And I promise you, this conversation is going to confuse you, but luckily there's good drink to help you through it.

[ Gesturing back toward her apartment, she tilts her head to the side. ]

We could continue speaking out here, or we could go inside and have tea if you'd like. I'm sure my husband won't mind, we're all new at some point.

AS DISCUSSED >:O

[nascensibility]

[It is one of those rare summer days wherein Evelyn has decided to settle comfortably inside, as opposed to accomplishing her work out-of-doors in the company of her archaeological equipment. The warmer months are preferable to the digs she holds and while she may adjourn later to the tent on the dunes she is infinitely grateful for central air conditioning.

In a classic case of "people not looking where they're going until it's too late," a gentleman happens to be walking down the stairs right as Evelyn is striding out of the library and rounding a corner. She screeches to a halt before it becomes a minor collision and clutches the wallpaper, laughing.]

Oh! Oh, I'm so sorry, you gave me a fright.

YES o7

[beardman]

[Now that he has a little bit of an idea what was going on, Caleb's decided to take some time to check the rest of the place out. It's fancy, that's for sure, but is it really the strange place everyone suggests? It bears looking into.

But even if it is, Caleb has always been good at rolling with the punches, and it might be a nice break from the war. He's devoted to what he does and he's honored to serve alongside his friends, but it does get exhausting.

He heads down the stairs to check out the rest of the mansion, and nearly collides with a woman hurrying out of a nearby room - ]

Ah! Sorry about that! [He gives her a smile and takes a second to discreetly look her over. He's noticed that there seems to be no shortage of beautiful women here, which is never a bad thing.] You all right, there?

[nascensibility]

[If he's looking for punches to roll with, look no further. Evelyn has a mean right hook.]

Yes. Yes, quite.

[This isn't the first time she has inelegantly run into a stranger, and she doubts it will be the last. The best she can do is mitigate the impression she's made.]

I'm afraid I have a habit of getting caught up in my thoughts- [Here she offers him some space, smiling apologetically.] ...but...that makes for a very crude introduction. Apologies, again. I'm Evelyn O'Connell. You must have recently arrived.

[like247]

Uhmmm, there's a lot of someone's around here. Any anyone in particular you're looking for?

[The voice is young, coming from a cracked door as Wendy pulls open the door and ducks her head out. It's not her room, but she had an idea so she is borrowing the closet.

She offers a bright smile though and a wave.]

I don't think I'm that anyone but I'm speaking up so, hi?

[beardman]

[A teenaged girl is really not what he expected, but all right. It's better than it could be.]

I can't say I know for sure. [He looks her over, then shakes his head and gives her a grin.] Can't help but feel like you're not responsible for me bein' here, though. Am I right?

[like247]

[That makes Wendy laugh, stepping out further and sliding her hands into the pockets of her jeans.]

Me? Nope. I'm not headless, blind, or a mouse. I wouldn't mind twins, but sadly I'm the only girl in my family. I'm also a kidnap victim like you are.