[ open ] the spirits are ruthless with the paths they choose

[thevulnerability]

Who: Chloe Decker and Julia Shumway and you!
Where: Various
When: Oct 26-29th, during the AU event
Rating: PG
Summary: Chloe is an actress who never met the devil. Julia is a savvy reporter who never ended up under a dome. Shenanigans ensue. Open starters in the comments, gifs under the cut, will match format.
The Story:

Comments

Chloe Decker | OTA

[thevulnerability]

THE POOL

Since autumn makes it hard to go to the beach, Chloe makes due with what she can by the pool. Even without the summer sun beating down on her, she's playing make-believe with a skimpy bikini, gigantic movie-star sunglasses, and a magazine that she spends more time fanning herself with than actually reading. She's even treated herself with a fancy drink with a little umbrella.

It's felt like nothing exciting has happened in weeks, and the truth is, Chloe is bored out of her mind. She actually doesn't mind Wonderland; she loved acting, of course, but she's never been completely comfortable with the attention that comes with it, and anonymity in Wonderland isn't unwelcome. Still, she can't completely turn off being dramatic, and she's had her fair share of starlet crises since her arrival.

"Ugh," she announces to the pool room, to no one in particular. "I never thought I'd actually get a chance to get bored with this place."

NETWORK POST { VIDEO }

[ Chloe is still in the pool when she addresses the mansion at large, her sunglasses now perched on her head. Her winged eyeliner is on point, btw. ]

I know I'm not the only one that misses their job back home. I can't exactly do the thing that I did here, either, and I know people find a way to be busy, but I'm having a really hard time with it.

What do the rest of you do to scratch that 'I miss what I did back home' itch? Other than open another bar?

[ What? There's a lot of bars here. ]

Pool }

[livemoore]

Liv is nice and human now, normal flesh-toned, hair a regular blonde color, and she's just walking in, her own white and pink polka dot bikini on when she hears Chloe lamenting about the lack of things to do.

"For a place with infinite possibilities, things definitely start to feel repetitive here."

She settles into a chair beside her and glances over. "I guess we're supposed to get creative and do something about it, probably."

[thevulnerability]

Chloe is glad to have some familiar company when Liv arrives, especially during this lull in activity that she probably should appreciate and will, instead, totally take for granted until the next event that tries to kill them all.

"Probably, but I feel like there's a limited scope around here when it comes to things to do." Chloe sets down her magazine, pushing her sunglasses down her nose and staring at Liv incredulously. "I like your hair that color. I didn't realize you were planning on changing it. Your make-up looks great, too."

Not that everyone should run their style choices by Chloe first but... She does spend a lot of time around professional stylists so people really should.

[livemoore]

"We can create anything, right? More people should."

At the compliment, Liv looks at Chloe in confusion before smirking. "I haven't changed anything, but thanks? Glad I look exceptionally great today. I had no idea you were so in tune with how I looked," Liv teases.

video

[selfworthbitches]

Awww, you miss your job back home? [Mazikeen purses her lips and puts her hands out, as if waiting for cuffs.] You gonna arrest me, officer?

[thevulnerability]

[ Chloe just rolls her eyes in return. ]

You do realize that was just a character I played, right? As in, not real?

[selfworthbitches]

[One she played well enough for Lucifer to fall in love with her. Maze just rolls her eyes.]

You realize I don't care, right? As in, about you?

[thevulnerability]

Well, the feeling is mutual. I barely even know you.

[ Chill with the hostility, girl, Chloe doesn't even go here anymore. ]

Julia Shumway | OTA

[thereporter]

THE HALLWAYS

Julia Shumway is the ever intrepid reporter, regardless of the choices she's made in life. Anyone who encounters her in the entrance hall, though, might sense something a little different; perhaps her slightly more inflated ego, her slightly less apparent self-doubt, or--maybe the most obvious--a complete lack of contentment that has otherwise followed her around Wonderland. She's separated from her husband and misplaced from the city she calls home, and Wonderland leaves her constantly feeling like she's crawling out of her skin.

While she still contributes for the blog, she doesn't waste her time with feel-good stories or fuzzy fluff pieces that might boost morale. Instead, she's looking for answers, big or small; she's eager to escape Wonderland as fast as she can. At the moment she is heading down the hallway, peering at the mirrors and appraising the pieces of art on the walls, as if any of them might hold a clue as to the greater story of this prison. Occasionally, she'll stop and stare out of the windows at the impossible views, trying to orient herself to the outside of the Mansion and failing every time.

[fortune_cookies]

Lorca for his part, is glad that nothing seems to be amiss for him this time around. His quarters look the same, his uniform looks the same, and he's just as confused about everything as he was a few days ago.

When he spots Julia in the halls, looking like she'd never seen the mirrors or the art on the walls, he figures something's up.

"I'd stop looking at those mirrors like they're going to answer a question. Never have so far."

[thereporter]

"Yeah, well, a girl can dream."

Julia sighs and pulls her attention from the mirror, wondering briefly if her Mirror self is spying on her. Probably. If Julia was in her place, she'd spy, too.

"I just feel like if we keep looking, we're bound to find something. I just want to get out of here." Especially with her day beginning with finding a complete stranger in her bed, Julia is more than ready to get out of Wonderland.

[fortune_cookies]

If Lorca was on the other side of the mirror he'd be spying. That's one thing he's learned, information gathered from one universe is often useful in another.

"Maybe, maybe not. I don't think we get a choice in whether or not we get to go home."

[endingpoint]

The fact that Kurt doesn't remember her, doesn't know that they've been married for three years, doesn't remember exactly how Jane got to be nearly six months pregnant at home, hurts. Jane's wandering, needing to be out of that room, trying to tell herself that it's just an event, whatever it is, that it'll be over in a few days and everything goes back to normal.

She's looking for a friend, so when she sees Julia, Jane speeds up a little, hand on her belly as she catches up. "Julia!"

[thereporter]

Julia recognizes Jane's voice immediately and turns around. The surprise on her face is completely unmistakable.

"Jane?" What the hell? First, she wakes up to some stranger in her bed, and now her closest friend is suddenly incredibly pregnant.

This is starting to feel like less of a weird day and more of an event if she has to be honest.

"Why..." For a rare moment, Julia is lost for words, and she waves at Jane weakly. "Did you wake up like that?"

[endingpoint]

"...Like what?" she asks in confusion, not even sure what Julia could be talking about. She's been the same since she re-arrived in Wonderland almost a year ago, which kind of sucks. This is turning out to be the longest pregnancy in recorded-but-will-be-deleted history.

[beautifullies]

Memories of going through the stones or not, Claire has always had the proclivity to adopt people wherever she goes. Perhaps because she lost her parents so young, she isn't sure. She simply tends to gravitate toward helping, being an ear, being support. As such, her relationships in Wonderland aren't any different - except, apparently, with one James Fraser.

Time traveled and married him? It sounds like a bloody science fiction novel.

Because she never went through the stones, she's dressed as any respectable woman from the 1960s would be; a sweater, a skirt and heels. Her hair is straight and not unruly curls which makes the gray easier to see.

"If you have more luck than the people who've been trying for years and years to work out the puzzle that is Wonderland, then you ought to receive some sort of award," she says to Julia rather than pass her by.

[thereporter]

Julia's choice only altered the six months of her life before her arrival in Wonderland, but it still has had a dramatic change in her personality and world-view. Since she has no memory of Barbie or the Dome, she no longer shares that connection with Claire over being misplaced in time or their experience with complicated romances. But Julia still looks at Claire very much like a mother figure; her life at home, between work and marriage, didn't leave her time to talk to her parents as much as she would have liked, a fact that disturbs her now that Wonderland has separated her from everyone she loves indefinitely.

Claire's new style choice does take Julia a little by surprise. She wears it well, although Julia might miss their complementary curly locks if Claire keeps this up.

"I've been wanting a journalism award for a while, so I'm not going to complain," Julia replies. It's nice to take her eyes off the really weird artwork on the walls for a while, though. "I know I probably look crazy to everyone else, but I really feel like all of this is important somehow."

[beautifullies]

"Well, it likely is. Important, I mean," Claire acknowledges as she looks over the pieces on the wall. "The trick is going to be putting all of the pieces together which could, in fact, drive someone mad. People have been here years and think they've gotten somewhere only to have the rules changed at the drop of a hat."

Claire doesn't envy this part of Julia's drive, to constantly seem to be knocked back.

[choosetruth]

When Julia steps through the door of the After the End Times office, Georgia immediately stands up, cold anger rolling off her in waves.

"What part of 'stay the fuck away from me and my organization' was unclear?"

[thereporter]

Julia has received some very unwelcome greetings in the past--dangers of the job, really, reporters tend to piss people off--but nothing quite like this. She freezes in the doorway, her eyes narrowing at Georgia and her bizarre outburst.

"The part where you've never said that to me before," she counters. "Are you okay?"

[choosetruth]

"I'll be fine once you leave. I don't enjoy liars being in my presence."

Sure, Julia had claimed she'd changed. But it was hard to trust that, coming from a liar.

[ closed to Barbie ] how the faces of love have changed

[thereporter]

The morning light filters through the windows of the bedroom and Julia turns over as she starts to gently fight her way from a deep slumber. She can feel the weight of someone else on the bed; Peter must have stayed home from work that day and is curled up warmly beside her. Her fingers stretch out as she brushes against the bare skin of his shoulder and then she startles awake as if electricity has just shot through her whole body.

This isn't Chicago. This is Wonderland. And Peter isn't here.

Julia shoots up into a sitting position, one hand grasping the blanket to pull it up over her bare chest, her other hand slapping the shoulder of the strange man sprawled out next to her in the bed. She's never seen him before in her life.

"Who the hell are you?!"

[theenforcer]

Barbie had fallen asleep in a tent in the desert of the Middle East. Curled up in a sleeping bag, waiting until morning to see if they could get a visual on the target. Except the ground beneath him is soft, the air doesn't smell as dry as it should, and suddenly there is a voice. Female and upset and he bolts upright, off the bed, grabbing for his gun.

Except there is no gun. Just his naked body and a woman he has never seen before yelling at him, and...

"What the fuck are you doing here? Do you have security clearance to be here?" He cants his head back, about to call for the guards when he notices the lack of a tent above him.

"Where the fuck is this, and who are you?"

[thereporter]

"Security clearance? This is my bedroom!"

She tries to scramble away from him on the bed. He's clearly a raving lunatic, maybe tweaked out on something hardcore. Julia imagines you could get all kinds of drugs from the closets, but surely she wasn't a sound enough sleeper that she wouldn't have heard someone break into her room and crawl into bed with her overnight?

Clearly so, and Julia can't get away fast enough. She keeps the sheets clutched in one hand and pulls her arm back, launching her fist forward directly at his face.

[theenforcer]

Blinking, remembering Wonderland. Remembering coming to this place and leaving the Army behind. He remembers a lot but in that moment he was back in the desert. The place where he should be. Nothing here is for him, and until he finds a way back, he won't stop trying.

Of course, he might try and pay attention. The punch catches him off guard, catching her by the hand and using it to show her back.

"What the hell..." He pauses though, looking around. There's something familiar about her. Something he can't place and then...

"What the fuck. How did I end up here?" He holds up his hands, placating, ignoring he's naked. "Look. Somehow I ended up in the wrong room. I think... Mine is across the hallway. I'm pretty sure I've seen you around."