I gotta have faith.

[up_off_thefloor]

It had been a really weird day.

Eric had been to a lot of weddings (mostly his mother's) and he was pretty sure they weren't supposed to be so, well…funereal. Oh, the wedding had been beautiful of course. Lily van der Woodsen-er, Lily Bass, now-wouldn't have anything less than a beautiful wedding. She had lots of practice, if nothing else. But

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[sommer_tobi]

There hadn't been anyone there a second ago, Tobi was sure of that. But, in the second it'd taken for him to blink, there had been.

"Hello?" he said tentatively as he slowed his jog to a walk and approached the boy cautiously. As long as Tobi had been there -- nearly a year now -- he'd never seen anyone just materialize in front of him. It was disorienting, to say the least.

[up_off_thefloor]

Eric jumped at the sound of an unfamiliar voice, turning to look at him. "What--what's going on? Who are you?" he asked in a voice that wasn't quite steady. "How did I get here?"

[sommer_tobi]

Tobi made sure to stay right where he was when the boy jumped and held up a hand to show that he wasn't about to attack him or anything like that.

"My name is Tobi," he said clearly, easily, already wondering just how he was going to explain everything. "You are-- I do not know how you got here. No one does. You are on an island now."

[up_off_thefloor]

"Um." There wasn't really much else Eric could think of to say to that. He blinked in confusion and shook his head. "No, see--I was at a wedding. In New York. This...is not New York."

[sommer_tobi]

"Yes," Tobi replied, not doubting him at all as he took a careful step closer. "I was at rowing camp. In Germany. I have been here almost a year."

[up_off_thefloor]

"Yeah, but that just...I mean, this doesn't happen. Unless I've snapped." Eric's eyes widened. "Oh god. Is that it? Mom marrying Bart pushed me over the edge? At her wedding?" He looked more chagrined by the idea than anything. "She's gonna flip...."

[sommer_tobi]

Snapped. That wasn't one Tobi heard frequently and it took him a moment to remember it was a slang term. He shook his head, his voice still soft, but a little more insistent when he took a step closer.

"No, you are not insane," he said. "Unless we all are. There are many of us and we come from many places. But, we are all here now."

[up_off_thefloor]

"But...but where is here? And why? And how? This is like some messed up kid's book..." Eric pushed a hand through his hair, looking distressed. "Except it's way too hot to be a hallucination," he added almost to himself, taking off the tuxedo jacket he was wearing and draping it over the chair. "I just don't get how this happened. And why me? I'm nobody special."

[sommer_tobi]

Tobi's lips twisted in sympathy, unsure of how to really explain it so the boy could understand. Not for the first time, Tobi wished his English was better.

"It is an island," he tried, watching the boy carefully, eyes on the jacket and then on the shirt underneath. He swallowed. "Nobody can get off and nobody knows how we arrive here. Do you-- what is your name?"

[up_off_thefloor]

"Eric. Eric van der Woodsen," he replied automatically. "Sorry, this is just, um. Really confusing."

[sommer_tobi]

"Yes," Tobi replied, understanding that completely. Even now, months and months after he'd arrived, he still remembered that first day, how lost and confused he'd been. It'd taken awhile to wear off. "This is normal. But, I can show you some things." He glanced over his shoulder toward the Compound, nodding at it. "I live there. Many people do. Would you like to see it?"

[up_off_thefloor]

Eric looked up at the nondescript building, shaking his head. "From a hotel room to a dormitory. Looks like I'm doomed to never stay somewhere with personality again." He sighed and gave Tobi a faint nod. "Sure, I guess. Thanks."

[sommer_tobi]

Tobi quirked a smile at that and nodded, laughing softly as he started to lead Eric toward the building. "It is better inside," he tried to assure him. "And, is bigger than it looks with many floors underground. Bathrooms, kitchen, laundry room."

[up_off_thefloor]

"I'm guessing room service is out, though," Eric joked, following him gamely behind and trying to have a positive attitude as he realized pretty much everything was different, now. His world was gone, everything familiar had ended and it was going to take some adjusting.

[sommer_tobi]

Laughing quietly again, Tobi nodded. "It is not a vacation," he agreed, sounding a little disappointed in that. "But, it is not bad. There is a beach and much to do. Many people. I have a boat."

[up_off_thefloor]

For Eric, hotels and room service weren't a vacation, they were just daily life, at least lately. But he didn't bother mentioning that. "And everyone just shows up like I did?" he asked, still boggled by the whole situation.