[ 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

[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.

[thereporter]

"I refuse to believe that. There have to be parameters. The rules aren't changing, we just don't know all of them yet."

It's said with the same cool confidence that Julia constantly exudes these days, but she's also happy to take a step back for a moment. Claire has always been a great grounding force for her; it turns out the only people capable of talking Julia down tend to be those who are as stubborn as she is.

"I just need to figure this out, Claire. I don't want to be stuck here anymore."

[beautifullies]

Well, that makes her pause, and Claire stares at Julia for a moment.

"...I'm sorry, what? That's quite a different tune. I thought that you and Barbie both were content to be here as long as you could together?" she questions, crossing her arms.

[thereporter]

"Who the fuck is Barbie?"

It takes her a minute. She completely wiped his name from her mind, and she hasn't thought about their weird interaction all day. Still, realization dawns on her after a couple seconds.

"Wait, the guy who lives across from me? That Barbie?" As if it's a common name and she could somehow be confusing him with someone else. "I'm not with him. You know I'm married, Claire."

It gives her pause, though. Maybe he was right when he said Wonderland might have something to do with how he ended up in her bed in the dead of night.

[beautifullies]

"I'm sorry, what?" She can't help repeating herself, here.

How dare you talk to your mother in that tone?????

"I would say you've lost your mind completely, but clearly something else is happening. What I know is that you two have been in love for quite a while. You're trying to build a home here, I've never once heard you mention wanting to leave."

[thereporter]

"Sorry," Julia mutters. She doesn't like apologizing and generally won't, but even she knows talking to mom like that is unacceptable.

"But I have no idea what you're talking about. I did wake up with him in my bed this morning, though. He said that he thought Wonderland was behind it but honestly, I just thought he was a creep." Claire has her full attention now, because if Wonderland is screwing with either of their memories, Julia wants to know. "What else did I tell you before? About him and me?"

[beautifullies]

Well, this has Claire on high alert too, and she frowns, bringing her arms around herself as Julia speaks. "I know quite a lot but I'm not sure it matters. Tell me, though, am I married? And if so, to whom? As far as you know, I mean."

[thereporter]

Now, Julia is completely confused. She gives Claire a wary look, stepping back slightly as she weighs her response as if this is a trick question.

"Jamie, of course."

Is it obvious, though? Because Julia has a sinking feeling that her memory of Claire's life is going to be equally as skewed.

[beautifullies]

"Jesus H. Roosevelt Christ," Claire mutters, dropping her arms. "Something is happening, and I've got a good notion that Wonderland is to blame."

Leaning against the wall opposite Julia, she continues. "I've never been married to Jamie. I've been married to Frank Randall for twenty years and we have a lovely home near Oxford when I haven't been kidnapped to a random location. But both you and Jamie believe I'm married to him."

[thereporter]

"God damn it."

Julia shakes her head before resting it momentarily in her palm. It doesn't seem like the best time to mention that in Julia's memory, Frank is dead and Claire is perfectly happy with Jamie.

"And we have no idea which one is real and which one is a fake memory implanted by Wonderland." She looks at Claire again. "I'm happy with Peter. I can't imagine a universe where I would have moved on from him."

[beautifullies]

Claire's more hesitant to agree, her eyes shifting downward before finally looking at Julia again.

"Of course. Neither can I. With Frank, I mean."

Yes. Everything's perfect, nothing to see here.

[thereporter]

Totally perfect. Julia has a husband who loves her, a great job, and a nice house in Chicago. That's all a girl really needs, right?

Right?

"And knowing what we do know, we just have to wait out the next few days until we figure it out," Julia says. She hesitates for a moment. "Although... This morning, I couldn't find my wedding ring. I haven't taken it off since I got here. But..." She heaves a resigned sigh. "I did find Barbie's dog tags in the drawer next to my bed."

[beautifullies]

"Well, I certainly wouldn't simply sleep naked in a man's bed for no reason," Claire says pointedly.

"Perhaps the truth lies with the men confused about our confusion." Which is hard to accept, considering that would mean the life both she and Julia thinks is real is a complete fabrication.

[thereporter]

"Barbie doesn't remember me either, though. He was just as baffled by the whole thing as I was."

She didn't believe Wonderland was up to anything at first, and that he was just a creep or a drunk that found his way into her room. He made a convincing argument in the end, though, one Juliet wasn't thrilled about.

"I take it Jamie remembers you?"

[beautifullies]

Claire's quiet for a moment, then nods, looking at Julia. "He said we've been married for three years. Well, twenty, because I'm also about thirty years older than he is. But he said we've...always been married according to what I told him when he arrived," she says with a confused frown.

"How can that be, when I don't remember it or him at all?"

[thereporter]

"Maybe it's true. We know Wonderland runs on memories. What if..."

Julia looks shifts slightly, staring over at one of the paintings, her face turning pale.

"What if they gave us fake memories so they could take our real memories for good?"

[beautifullies]

"You mean..."

She can't even imagine it, swallowing heavily and looking back toward her room, then at Julia again.

"It could be true."

[thereporter]

"If it is, we'll never know for sure."

Damn Wonderland. Chances are this is an event, sure, but that doesn't mean Julia trusts anything Wonderland throws at them.

"We deserve to know. Barbie doesn't know anything but Jamie remembers things differently. How much have you talked to him?"

[beautifullies]

"He convinced me to sit and speak with him." Claire looks insanely uncomfortable, clearing her throat. "He...knew things about me. And...he isn't lying. Maybe it isn't true, maybe it's just Wonderland, but he believes it, whatever he's trying to tell me is true."

[thereporter]

"It might be true," Julia says, although she looks about as comfortable as Claire does. "Or maybe all of our memories have been changed. But Claire, if you and I woke up with Jamie and Barbie, and Barbie's dog tags..."

She lets out a breath, crossing her arms over her chest.

"We can't ignore the possibility that he's right, any more than I can ignore the possibility that you're right about me and Barbie."