[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

Comments

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

[sadfreezingbrit]

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 or this or this or a locked-down and seemingly abandoned barber shop

[And then the stars aligned...]

[paper_knight]

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]

"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]

"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.

text; in response to new york

[turn4bout]

T4K3 M3 TH3R3

text;yes, good

[paper_knight]

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]

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.

Hey.

Re: text;

[paper_knight]

"Hey."

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

"Ready?"

[libraritology]

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 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]

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

[libraritology]

"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]

"Yes. But busier, of course."

Beat.

"Are you here, Miss Carnahan?"