[Introduction - Not Quite James Bond]

[in_your_eames]

Eames awakes late in the afternoon to the depressingly familiar sound of over-large feet kicking their way through the front door of his flat. A lurch of adrenaline propels him up and out of bed before his body remembers how hungover he is, a vile headache stabbing him between the eyes and temporarily crippling him whilst the ominous feet stomp

Comments

[notgandalf]

"I'll bet." Tony didn't even glance up from his laptop. He was sitting in a comfortable chair, frowning slightly at something as he tapped at the keyboard almost absently.

"Also better than waking up outside where all kinds of crazies could get at you."

[in_your_eames]

"The crazies were in my bedroom a few moments ago."

Eames sits up and glances around warily. This doesn't feel like a dream, but that means almost nothing. A moment of intense internal focus yields nothing; he is unable to forge here. Interesting.

"Have you been here long?" he asks his new companion casually, ignoring the little voice at the back of his head begging him to ask where the bloody hell he is.

[notgandalf]

"Define long." Tony does glance up then for a moment, then turns back to his laptop.

"Because for some people a few hours is long and for others a few thousand years is long."

[in_your_eames]

Eames blows out a long breath, brow furrowed in imitation of deep thought.

"Well. All possibilities considered, and, of course, taking into account the average lifespan of a human being from a developed Western society... should I have brought my toothbrush?"

He punctuates this punchline with a smug little nod of his head, smile wide and, on the surface, unconcerned.

[notgandalf]

Tony snorts a laugh and finally shifts in his seat to look up at the stranger properly.

"And probably a good book too. I'm Tony. Welcome to your new home."

[in_your_eames]

"My new home?" he echoes incredulously. "What the bloody hell is this place?"

Before the sentence is fully out, he's remembered his manners.

"Call me Eames. Just Eames."

[notgandalf]

Tony shuts the computer and shrugs. "This place is The Mansion. Yeah, I know how it sounds. It's ..." Here the wizard shrugged again. "It's a really fancy, comfortable prison of sorts," he says, then smirks again.

"Or maybe rehab. Or the after life. Maybe a huge dream. Really, it depends on who you ask. And it's nice to meet you Eames."

[in_your_eames]

"Prison, rehab, the afterlife or a dream," Eames recites, then shrugs. "All rather valid options. I take it there's no way out?"

[notgandalf]

Tony nods. "Not yet," he says. "And people have been here for years."

[in_your_eames]

"Hmm." Eames is silent for a long moment, processing. This all sounds suspiciously like a dreamshare gone wrong to him, and while his normal response would be a swift "suicide" to jolt himself out of the dream, his uncertainty prevents it for now.

"Has anyone ever died here?" he queries. No harm asking about it, at least.

[notgandalf]

Tony nods. "Yeah. And pretty much every time, they come right back here."

[in_your_eames]

"That's-- I'm not sure whether that's reassuring or not," Eames admits. "This is all rather a lot to take in."

[notgandalf]

Tony smiles a bit, the expression one he hopes is at least a bit reassuring.

"On the plus side, at least the first person you've met is me. I'm about as tame as it gets here." Magical powers or no. "There are some pretty intense people here. And not-people. Want me to show you around? Take you to your room?"

[in_your_eames]

Not-people, Eames mouths to himself, deciding not to query for now.

"That would be wonderful, if it's not too much trouble."

[notgandalf]

"Nah, not as if I'm busy," Tony says with another smiled. He stands, tucks the laptop under his arms and gestures. "Common room. A lot of people tend to hang out in here, reading or napping or whatever."

[in_your_eames]

"Still, it's very decent of you." Eames rises too, finally taking the time to scope out the room properly. "Just how big is this place?"