1st slide

[freeslider]

[In the lobby, there is a soft crack of sound, almost like thunder, followed by a rush of wind as a a blue swirling portal opens up in the air. Another flash of light illuminates the area and a moment later, a young woman tumbles head over heels and lands squarely on one of the couches. Giggling, she's quick to bounce to her feet]

How was that for a landing, guys.

[She turns on her heels, taking in the lobby for a moment with a look of wonder before turning back to the portal]

Guys?

[The drop in her smile is instanteous, and it falls further into near panic as the portal snaps audibly shut, leaving her for all intents and purposes, alone.]

Oh God. Ok...don't panic Wade this has happened before. Kind of.

[She rakes a hand through her hair and looks around again]

Quinn?! Remy?! Professor?! Please tell me you're here somewhere.

[Because if they weren't this was it for her. No timer, no sliding, and never having a chance at seeing home again.]

...please...

Comments

[deltacain]

You'll have to be a bit more specific on "Professor."

Oh, there should be a book nearby. It's a communications device.

[freeslider]

[He's always been and will always be Professor to her, even though she was never his student. It's never mattered.]

...Arturo?

[In the lobby, Wade spins around aimlessly, looking for the source of the voice, and eventually her eyes settle on the open journal not far from where she landed. She moves closer and bends to take a look]

Far out...

[deltacain]

Webb. Unfortunately.

[A pause.]

Welcome to Paradisa.

[freeslider]

Paradisa? Is that the name of city or...?

[deltacain]

From what I've heard, a dimension. Or this part of a dimension.

[kid_apocalypse]

[There is a gray-skinned kid walking through the Lobby when the portal opens and Wade tumbles out. Used to both interdimensional travel, and weird things in general, Evan barely bats an eyelash at the spectacle before him. In fact, the only reaction he gives is the baseball that's been hovering over his head drops to the floor, and rolls near Wade.]

Huh, that's different. I've seen a few people pop into the castle already, but I don't think I've ever seen it happen with a lightshow before. Kinda cool.

[He scoops up the baseball, and sticks out his other hand for Wade to shake.]

I'm Evan, and this is Paradisa; pocket dimension and pain in the butt for everyone stuck here.

[freeslider]

[She stares first at his face, then the baseball, then his hand, and then, still a bit wide-eyed, reaches out to shake his hand. She's still worried about where her friends are, and the mention of a pocket dimension makes her wish even more that Quinn or Arturo were here to field that idea.]

Um...hi...[a beat] I'm Wade and...sorry, could you run that by me again? Pocket dimension?

[kid_apocalypse]

[Evan, used to that reaction, just smiles.]

Hi, Wade. Yeah, this place is a pocket dimension, a world all by itself. It takes people from all times and places and brings them here, and in return for a room and being able to wish for most any material thing we want, something is taken from us, like a memory, or a skill or whatever. There's magic involved, and giraffe-people. It's all kinda weird and complicated, heh.

[freeslider]

[Giraffe-people? What?]

So this isn't...this isn't another Earth?

[Usually she would follow that with 'I bet that sounds crazy', but WELP]

[kid_apocalypse]

Nope, though people from some version of Earth or another are pretty common here. Judging by your flashy entrance, I'm guessing dimension-hopping isn't something new to you?

[Judging by his casual tone, it's not terribly new to Evan, either, though his appearance is probably already proof of that.]

[mal_addict]

[Maladict has been sitting in her usual people-watching spot in the lobby, sipping a cup of coffee. She arches a brow at the portal, before turning her attention to the woman it deposited]

Probably not. But I give you a nine out of ten for the landing.

[freeslider]

[She regards Mal warily, still shaken, the idea of being here alone forever fluttering around in her mind.]

Thanks, I guess. Can you tell me where I am?

[mal_addict]

Paradisa.

[She gestures to the stone wall]

The castle here, it's...well it has it's own mind, I suppose. It brought you here. It brings a lot of people here.

[freeslider]

That can't be possible. I was just with them. We were traveling together. Why aren't they here? [Oh no she's starting to get vaguely hysterical]

[mal_addict]

That;s what the castle does. Divide and conquer. Maybe they're already here, maybe they'll arrive after you, maybe they won't arrive at all. It's all a matter of what the castle chooses.

[kungfuwitch]

[Phoebe had just so happened to be nearby when the portal opened up. Amazingly she didn't seem surprised at all to see a woman tumble out of it. She'd gone through a similar portal before, after all. She smiles kindly when the woman looks her way]

Now that was an impressive entrance.

[freeslider]

[She turns to the other woman, blinking. She'd normally be better at offering a stranger a smile, but she's still reeling a bit]

Compared to what, exactly?

[kungfuwitch]

A lot of people just wake up in their beds, here. I can't really talk, though, I had my soul sucked out of my body by a demon and ended up here, instead. It was a heck of a light show when I showed up, or so I've been told.

[She laughs] I'm sorry, I'm being rude. Welcome to Paradisa. I'm sure you have a lot of questions.

[freeslider]

[She actually gapes a bit after that explanation, but then blinks and offers her hand]

I'm Wade and...yeah...I think I do.

[kungfuwitch]

Phoebe Halliwell. It's a pleasure to meet you, Wade. [She takes that hand, giving it a shake before nodding towards the couch]

Mind if I sit down? Maybe I could give you some answers.

[silentrunning]

[Chell's sitting on another of the couches, reading a book when the portal opens. But of course something like that would get her attention. Her head shoots up as she watches silently.]

Nice landing.

[She says finally.]

[freeslider]

[Wade spins on her heel again]

Thanks. I'm, uh, not used to this much of an audience.

[silentrunning]

[Chell smiles kindly at her.]

You're new around here... I'm Chell. How did you do that landing?

[freeslider]

Luck, pretty much. Half the time I land face down in dirt or something...

[And usually right alongside three other people who are nowhere to be seen]

[silentrunning]

Landing facedown in dirt doesn't sound pleasant.