entrancelogs | Open} It comes to say it’s hard now

Entry tags:

Open} It comes to say it’s hard now

Who: Barbie, Julia, Open to you
Where: 8th floor, in the tunnels, around outside
When: During July
Rating:
Summary: Preparing once more and ignoring the slot that had been in his head
The Story:

The Eighth FloorAnyone coming by might find Barbie moving from one room to another. One is the one that he is sleeping in, Julia's room where he is living. The other is the room he's taken over, that one would find his name on. No one is living actually in that room though.

Instead he's used the closets to outfit it with shelves and bookcases, totes and boxes. All of them were things that he wished they'd had in Chester's Mill to help them get through how bad things that had happened to them. He wouldn't let it happen here in Wonderland as well.

So he spends a part of each day working on stocking up on things he imagines they might need depending on how things go. The room has lanterns and canned food, bottled water and even scuba tanks. The Army had taught him to always think about how bad things could get. Chester's Mill had shown him just how bad it could be. He isn't prepared to let that happen to him and Julia in Wonderland.

The Tunnels

Several times throughout the month, Barbie can be found beneath the mansion, going through the tunnels. He wears a mining helmet with a light, steel toed boots, and climbing gear strapped to the backpack he is carrying.

Not that he expects to find a pit in the tunnels, but he can't help but to check things out and be sure.

Outside the Mansion

Throughout the month Barbie can be found around the mansion making sure he stays in shape. Running on the beach. Swimming in the lake. From time to time he also wills one of the rooms into a half court basketball court where he can be found shooting hoops and playing against "imaginary" players unless someone else chooses to join him.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Pushing carefully to his feet so that he doesn't drop the ring, Barbie drops it into her palm before dusting off his hands.]

Naw. I was just ensuring that love stays strong, something I suspect this place needs. Finding that out myself, so really don't worry about it. I'm just glad I could help.

You can call me Barbie. [And because he's used to being asked...] It's a nickname.

[ Jane perks up at the mention of his name and smiles. ]

I'm gonna go out on a limb and say not too many people here go by Barbie. Which means you must be Julia's Barbie.

[He starts to open his mouth to make a smart quip about hoping not, but then Julia is mentioned and he smiles.]

That's exactly who I am. You know, I kind of like it put that way. More like the idea that she talks about me. Wait, if it's good. It was good?

[ Jane laughs softly and nods. ]

It was good. All good. In fact, I've been looking forward to meeting you. It's always nice to meet the other couples here. Opens up a whole world of double dating, if you're interested.

[ If her own husband is interested, which, that'll take convincing. But he'll do it if he knows it makes her happy, and it will. ]

Julia actually took care of me during an event when I was suddenly five again.

[He chuckles at that, and nods.]

Definitely. Julia and I really need more actual dates. Given our start and all, we didn't get much chance at dating in the Dome.

[That makes him grin, wide.]

I can see that. She and I... we kind of took in kids back home. I admit, they are the ones I would change places with if I could bring them here instead.

[ Their starts are different but honestly? Jane and Kurt didn't date much either. Sort of saved the world and then got married a couple months later. After his baby with another woman was born and everything. ]

She was so nice that after I told her everything about my past and we've been friends ever since so it's really nice to meet you, and I'm glad she has you here. Wonderland is...one thing when you have someone you trust with you. It's another when you're alone.

I'm glad I'm not in this alone. I think I would've gone batshit to show up here and find she wasn't with me, you know?

[And it's as honest as he can be, with anyone. As he has been with anyone. Without Julia here, thinking he left her alone in the Dome? He would never have made it.]

You're not in this alone then, are you?

I know, trust me I do. Back home I felt...pretty alone for a really long time.

[ But that's all behind her now and she smiles. ]

My husband's here, and a really close friend. My sister-in-law was for a while - two years - but she left a few months back. It's better with people, I think. Being without anyone is a pretty terrible feeling.

That would be something we share then, and I'm sorry we do. No one should have to go through that.

[He doesn't talk about it much, not even to Julia, but about how much his life before the Dome, before her, was doing and moving and not being and enjoying. He assumes she knows, but one day he should say it in so many words, he knows.]

Julia was here without me for a while, and I talk to others that have no one from home. I couldn't imagine being here without her, worrying about her back home. Even if time really does stand still.

Not even sure how that could be.

[ She can't help wondering what happened to him, and she wonders if Julia told him anything about her, but it doesn't matter right now. She wouldn't even care if she had. ]

I don't get the time thing, either. I can just verify it because I've left and gone home. Twice now. It's a...pretty weird feeling.

Wait, they send people back and then snatch them back?

[He's heard maybe hints of this but hadn't really put it all together how that could happen.]

Why would they even do that? Shit, I'm sorry. That has to suck.

[And he's not sure if it's better or not.]

Yeah, it's...I don't know why. I have a theory, but it might sound kind of dumb.

[ She bites her bottom lip a little. ]

Maybe Wonderland doesn't like the memories we came with, so it sends us back to live more life, then pulls us back in, hoping for more or something different or specific. It's just a thought, I don't think anyone can figure out how anything actually works here.

[Barbie hasn't been in Wonderland long but there's something about that theory that makes too much sense and he nods.]

Sounds better than anything else I could even imagine. Even if that sucks... well, I guess mostly for those on this end, huh?

Waiting here, never knowing who will or won't come back.

[And that thought, thinking of Julie going back and then waiting to hope she returns, strikes deep in his chest just thinking about it.]

This place really likes to screw with our heads. It's taken both my husband and I, and brought us back at two conflicting points that almost destroyed our marriage.

[ But she really doesn't want to get into it; they just met, after all. ]

We're fine but that Wonderland would do that at all is insane.

[Barbie winces at that admission.]

God, I'm sorry. I glad it sounds like you guys worked things out then. All of that about not letting this place win and all.

How long have you been doing this? If that's not like too personal or something.

We've both been here for...wow, I think over two years now. And we've each gone home and come back twice.

[ She thinks that's what he meant, but she's also terrible at interacting with people so she could be wrong. ]

I showed up in handcuffs, so that was fun and not at all suspicious looking.

[He's quiet a minute, considering that with a shake of his head. Even if he did slowly smile at that.]

Did you, huh? Well, that makes two of us, and then run into someone with a gun on the beach while I'm all, hey got a key maybe?

[He laughs at that, even though he glances down and then back to her.]

This place seems to random but you have to wonder. If only so that I could try and not find myself back in Chester's Mill. Not unless they send Julia back as well. I mean, I know she's there but...

[But being here, for him, is about them being together.]

[ She can't help but laugh just a little. ]

Someone eventually helped me. I can't even remember his name, he isn't here anymore.

[ Her ring's back on her finger now, and she twists it a little. ]

But there's a lot happening there, that isn't happening here?

[ Just a guess. ]

That's pretty much our life at home, too.

It happens a lot, doesn't it? People just disappearing from her?

[He hasn't been there long, but even he is picking up that.]

Yeah, a lot. With just about as many answers as we seem to have around here. Except seems a lot more are dying and they aren't coming back like this place.

Yeah, it's...jarring every time it happens. I showed up here with my brother and sister-in-law and then one day she was just...gone. After two years.

[ She misses her, especially now that even at home, she doesn't live in New York anymore. ]

I'm sorry. I'm sorry that's happening for you. If it's any consolation, my life is a shit storm too, so I don't always get it when people see this place purely terrible. I can see the bad, I just don't think it's worse than home. Most of the time.

[He shakes his head with a sigh.] I admit, I'm worrying about it. If they send Julia back, I don't know what I'll do.

[Or how he'd handle it. She would be gone, and facing his death and he wouldn't imagine knowing she went back to that alone.]

I know it's all about your perspective before, but they really need to face how much worse this place could be.

A lot of things about being here could be worse.

[ She agrees with him completely about that. ]

We could have no closets or we could be...forced into doing something terrible. There's no telling. I know when it sucks it really sucks. But it could always be worse than what it is.

[Barbie looks away then, shifting as he plants his hands on his hips.]

Yeah, I've already had one of those happen. I'm not upset about this place. Not after the Dome and all that happened after that.

[ Jane gets it. She really, truly does. ]

I hope being here gets to be better for you than it is at home. I know that's the case for me, at least for now.