[39: video]

[paper_knight]

Today Mark is walking up and down a snowy New York street, circa 1935 or so, knocking on doors. He's already heard from other transmissions that all of the worlds are empty, but he wants to verify it for himself. "This is the neighborhood where I grew up," he says, panning the camera over the unmarked sidewalk. "I've never seen it so empty."

Later in the day he'll make his way through the rifts to a somewhat more rural area, marked by the silhouette of a lighthouse and the sound of crashing waves. The emptiness is less eerie here--most of the homes would be locked up for the off-season anyway. Mark is poking around in the only lit building, riffling through his own filing cabinet in an attempt to determine the timeline in which this place exists. "None of this makes any sense..."

Comments

[ I'm sorry, they can't escape meeting forever ]

[sadfreezingbrit.livejournal.com]

Philip really just wanted to take a quick look at his former prison in Greenland. Why risk going back? Honestly, if he was all that rational about it he wouldn't have run off into his icy death in the first place.

Turns out the door further into the unknown parts of the facility wouldn't open and the way back was blocked, just as he remembered it. Also turns out the place was completely deserted, at least if you were willing to take Clarence's word for it.

Philip was, at least this time. Not that it mattered who was technically inside when all he had was a patch of ice...

Ah, but enough of it. Better return to the mockery he calls his home, aka. Wonderland. Better try to, because as it further turns out, well... those visuals outside? Really not that great when you're trying to figure out which portal will get you back.

Hint: Many of the ones Philip just went through are not the answer. Not unless he was looking for this (http://i.imgur.com/2vBGd.jpg) or this (http://i.imgur.com/L1wNW.jpg) or this (http://i.imgur.com/mpIw3.jpg) or a locked-down and seemingly abandoned barber shop.

Now, why should any of this matter to Mark Meltzer?

Well. Perhaps it needn't, but don't say the narration didn't warn him if he happens to encounter the sound of a door rattling in those abandoned streets, followed by an annoyed voice with an English accent proclaiming: "Fantastic, wrong turn again".

[And then the stars aligned...]

[paper-knight.livejournal.com]

A rattling door you say? That sounds incredibly suspicious. Mark homes in on it with unfailing accuracy.

"Hello?"

[ ...and burning crocodiles rained down from the sky? ]

[sadfreezingbrit.livejournal.com]

"Hello?" Philip responds likewise, but without conviction, almost as if by accident.

Months of auditory hallucinations after Greenland he has learned not to put too much stake into voices or noises he merely hears in passing.

Still he rattles at the door again (without success) and makes another, more deliberate attempt:

"Is someone there?"

(Someone is not always someone you want to find in a deserted dimension, but the door seems sturdy enough and the escape portal is right there, just in case.)

[Yes, these are the end times indeed.]

[paper-knight.livejournal.com]

"Yes--are you stuck?"

While he waits for an answer Mark starts scoping out the building for a window he can break, if necessary.
It's not like there are any angry detectives here to get on his case.

[ Oh dear. Oh dear, I better hide the good chinaware then. ]

[sadfreezingbrit.livejournal.com]

"That depends."

The door won't be of much use of him, so he lets it go and takes a step away. To his left there is a window he could probably break, but...

"Who is this?"

Paranoia - It's a popular good in Wonderland.

[paper-knight.livejournal.com]

It is possible, after a certain amount of contact with one Alex Kralie, to become tired of paranoia, no matter how much of it Mark has in his own makeup. So his tone is a bit long-suffering, here.

"My name's Mark. If you don't want help I certainly can't force you."

He moves within sight of the heavily curtained window.

[sadfreezingbrit.livejournal.com]

Mark...?

That Mark?

''

Tsk. Exaggerations. Philip sheepishly lets his hand glide away from where he keeps the small revolver.

"Can't be too careful," he offers apologetically.

The confirmation is good enough for Philip. Now he thinks the voice is behind the curtains now, but his pinpointing skills hardly compare. His abilities to bypass obstacles on the other hand...

"If you're standing in front of the window, move away!"

Polite in tone, but rather decisive as request. With good reason.

...

Moments later a chair comes crashing through the glass.

[paper-knight.livejournal.com]

"Fair enough."

At Philip's next request, he steps aside--just in time to avoid the flying chair and assorted glass shards.

"Jesus!"

[sadfreezingbrit.livejournal.com]

Assorted shards are also what Philip brushes out of the way before climbing through the window outside.

A quick glance around. There's room, at least. Not sure where they are or when, but... first things first.

"...Sorry about that- about earlier. Just that... I don't exactly trust Wonderland to offer good surprises."

Looking at Mark now Philip realises that he's-- significantly might be an exaggeration, but certainly older to the point where Philip wishes he'd made a better first impression.

Better start with a remedy then. He offers his hand and name (plain "Philip", thank you very much) in greeting.

text; in response to new york

[turn4bout.livejournal.com]

text;yes, good

[paper-knight.livejournal.com]

Mark smiles at this transmission.

I'll meet you.

It's easy enough to find the rift--all he has to do is follow his footprints.

text;

[turn4bout.livejournal.com]

She's waiting at the Rift, a little more subdued than usual. This was the first time seeing Mark after...

Yeah.

She grins half-heartedly.

Re: text;

[paper-knight.livejournal.com]

"Hey."

His answering smile is a little lopsided. He knows he's lucky she's talking to him at all.

"Ready?"

text;

[turn4bout.livejournal.com]

She reaches out, feeling for his hand.

[paper-knight.livejournal.com]

He takes her hand and walks back through the rift, squeezing unconsciously at the crossing.

"Here--New York."

[turn4bout.livejournal.com]

She doesn't let go, even once they're over. Instead, she steps a bit closer to Mark, suddenly overwhelmed with unfamiliar scents. It's all grey on top of shades of grey and splashes of color here and there, and the sky-- where is the sky, it's just a tiny spec of blueberries above so much more grey.



It's all she can get out before she's able to sort through all the shades and smells and usually there should be millions of humans here.

[paper-knight.livejournal.com]

His smile evens out.
"Yeah? You should see it when it has a population."

[libraritology.livejournal.com]

Evelyn walked into a rift out of her own, in Egypt, simply because the buildings looked familiar - the advertisements were ones she recognised, architectural styles similar to ones she read about - and it wasn't until she compared a transmission from Mark to the structures around her that she realised where she was.

With the plethora of weird and unusual peoples from weird and unusual worlds, a snow-covered city (http://girlboxing.files.wordpress.com/2011/01/blizzard-new-york-1947-550.jpg) is surprisingly out-of-the-ordinary.

In a good way. Evie switches on her communicator and reaches out.

"Mark?"

Goodness, New York is cold, cold, cold.

"Mark, are you in your own world right now?"

[paper-knight.livejournal.com]

"Sort of. It's...the city looks different now. This is what it was like when I was a kid."

[libraritology.livejournal.com]

"Is this how you remember it?"

She wanders around another street sign, staring down the long, powder-dusted road. Lights are on in the buildings, cars are parked at the curb, but no one is home.

Just like it was at her own house.

[paper-knight.livejournal.com]

"Yes. But busier, of course."

Beat.

"Are you here, Miss Carnahan?"

[libraritology.livejournal.com]

"I am," comes the affirmative reply, and Evelyn trots around another corner, glancing up at several more signs. It's difficult to make out the exact numbers when they're covered in snow, but she tries.

"I believe I'm at the corner of (http://oi44.tinypic.com/28savfa.jpg)...ah...Fifth Avenue aaaaand...East 76th Street."

[paper-knight.livejournal.com]

"Fifth Avenue."

That's...a bit of a hike.

"I'll head your way. You might want to find somewhere warm to wait."

[libraritology.livejournal.com]

Good idea, Mark. Evelyn's teeth are starting to chatter from standing still for so long.

"Um, there's a- a cafe (http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_dqXIF9MH3lk/S_nJeT8rcXI/AAAAAAAAKCM/VCqOwJQ3PQU/s1600/screen-capture-2.jpg), or a s-soda fountain on the corner. I think it's called Sam's. I can wait in there for you."

And maybe see if there are any scarves lying around inside. She sets off towards the diner.

[paper-knight.livejournal.com]

And Mark does the same, with a good-natured "Roger that," over the radio.

His arrival is marked some time later by the chiming of a bell hung over the door.