003 [video]

[sexandoutrage]

[Are you sick of his face yet, Wonderland? Well, you might as well get used to it, because you're far more likely to catch him here than in person. But at least this time there's more of a point to this than piglets or sassing the crowd. It's something he's been mulling over for a few days, and Sam's post about classes (and other things) has finally spurred him into action.]

Okay, so I've been thinking about this a lot lately, and I've dug around and haven't found what I'm looking for, so I'm looking to you guys to kind of...Help me compile a few things.

[He leans back in his chair, lacing his fingers together over his middle.]

Now I'm sure by now, we've all heard the story of how the Jabberwocky is supposed to show up at some point in the relatively near future - because let's be honest with each other, folks, five years isn't that long, and I can't give you an ETA on when I can get us out of here, just that I can - and that doesn't leave us a whole lot of time. Now, I know I wasn't here when the message was delivered, but you guys have been pretty great at giving me an idea of what we can expect. And I know there's some dissent among the crowd here about whether that's still going to happen or not, but just. Let me run this by you.

Thanks to all of that, I've put together a few ideas, and I'm curious about who might be on board. Because ultimately, it's going to take every last one of us to make it work. So consider this me putting out my feelers for how you guys feel about it.

One, we should probably start weaning ourselves off the closets of this place. Stockpile what we can't make ourselves at first, use those greenhouses for more than just a landmark, maybe. I know there's stuff out there now, but it might be good to start looking into things that go beyond being pretty decorations. Start looking into food crops, medicinal plants, that kind of thing. I know cold turkey's not an option, but on the whole, whether this Jabberwocky really shows up or not, it might be better as a whole if we stop relying on "magic" - [He uses finger quotes.] To do everything. And we should probably think about giving this place a different power source. I don't know what's running the electricity and everything now, but I've got some better ideas for that.

Two, there's a list of classes - which is highly informative, actually, I didn't think you guys had anything like that - but no kind of guide for who can do what here. Basic things, because while we don't age, we can get sick, we can die, we need haircuts...You get the idea. So what I'm asking is, if you have a basic skill like that, no matter what it is, let me know. I'm gonna be putting it together, so it can be in that updated pamphlet you've heard Pepper talk about working on. I know people drift in and out of here, and that's fine, because editing isn't that big of a deal. That way people don't have to take a blind stab in the dark for what they're looking for, and have a list right there ready.

And...I guess that's it. Everything I had on my list for now, anyway. If you have anything you wanna add, let me know, because I fully admit I've still got the new car smell here, and this was just stuff that happened to occur to me talking to you guys.

[ADDENDUM TO THE ORIGINAL BROADCAST:]
By the way. My birthday's tomorrow. Feel free to direct all gifts you plan to shower me with to Miss Pepper Potts. She knows what to do with them.

[Because clearly Tony's birthday is the most important part of anything ever. Stark parties are legendary.]

Comments

{ video ; private }

[thehobbsgirl]

[ Abigail hesitates before she sends her answer. Part of her thinks it is safest to stay as far under the radar as she can, and offer no information about herself. But it sounds important, and she decides that ultimately, not answering will probably seem more shady ]

My dad taught me how to hunt. So, you know... shooting, gutting, skinning, that kind of thing. [ He'd been talking about planting gardens, after all, but if they're going to be doing some sort of survivalist living-off-the-land thing, hers might actually be a useful skill-set. Abigail doesn't want that to be the only skill she lists, though, so she adds ] I can help with gardening, too.

{ video ; private }

[sexandoutrage]

[On the whole, he's not really looking to judge too terribly hard. It's at least apparent to him that there are so many different backgrounds in the mansion that it would be hard to assume anything beyond the surface details.]

I actually hadn't thought about that. Admittedly, I haven't spent any time in the forest yet, but I didn't know if there was any game out there or not. I was thinking, too, cows and chickens and whatever it is you keep on a farm might be good to look into, too.

But yeah, definitely maybe a garden. And probably a rough headcount of how many people are actually here, so we have a good idea at volume.

[thehobbsgirl]

I don't know if there's anything out there, either. [ She gives a little shrug; Abigail spent plenty of time wandering in the woods back home, but she doesn't feel such a powerful need to escape, here. Ironic, given that they are all trapped here, but the cage is much bigger than the one she's used to. ]

I can take a look and tell you sometime, if you want. [ It's a neutral offer - she isn't sure how much merit there is in this plan of his, but she's not exactly overwhelmed with things to do in this place. Having a task might be good for her. Part of her thinks she should leave it at that, but finally, she says. ]

I haven't heard the story about the Jabberwocky. [ Well, okay, she knows the poem, but something about the way he says it makes her think it's something more specific and sinister than that ]

[sexandoutrage]

[It might not have merit, no. It's not even really a plan. He doesn't really...Do those, instead letting his gut take the lead. And his gut says he might want to at least flirt with the idea a little before dismissing it, after hearing it from so many sources.

But all of that aside, he takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly, because he's not even sure how to pass the story on without sounding like maybe he's one of those tinfoil wearing loons.]

Okay, so you know the poem, right? "Beware the Jabberwock, my son! The jaws that bite, the claws that catch!" That whole thing. Yeah, well, because this place is Wonderland, it actually apparently has its own version. If it was one nut in this can of Planters giving me this story I'd say forget it, but I've heard it about three or four times now, so I'm thinking it has some merit.

Anyway, apparently, back around Christmas, some people from five years in the future turned up and passed on the warning that the Jabberwocky's gonna make a grand reappearance, since this thing's already thrown a fit twice. It's only got once weakness, because no good D&D game is without the legendary unkillable monster, right? And there's a way to kill it, but the Duchess apparently had a hissy fit and ran off with it.

Now, that's bad enough, I know, assuming any of this actually happens. But not only will there be a pissed off dragon stomping around the place, the closets are going to quit working, too. So all that luxury we've been enjoying at any whim? Yeah, gone. Along with any and all food, too. I just found out a big problem of the future mess is that people were starving, and while...Yeah, normally I'd call this a load of shit, I'd really rather not starve and have to take on a dragon.

[He pauses there.]

And I want you to know this is weirder than talking about Viking aliens, so feel special.

[thehobbsgirl]

[ Abigail doesn't say anything to all that at first, but then again, it's a lot to take in. As Tony is talking, she listens to all the details, but it's hard not to think of it as a scenario from a movie rather than something that might really, truly be a part of her life. Abigail is used to upheavals, to hardship, but not of the rampaging jabberwocks or viking aliens variety. ]

Did they say why the closets stopped working?

[ If the future could be changed, it was worth looking into ways of averting the disaster, rather than merely coping with the consequences. Even if Tony wasn't around to meet these so-called counterparts from the future, he has heard this much second-hand. ]

[sexandoutrage]

[She can rest assured that she's not alone in that feeling. He's a guy that built a suit of armor that can actually fly, has gone toe-to-toe with the Norse god of mischief and an alien army with living warships, and this is still way off in jacket-with-no-sleeves territory for him.

It's fun. Really.]

I'm not really sure on that, no. There's some people here who are supposed to be getting their notes together on it all and letting me scan it in, so maybe once I can compile it all and have JARVIS cross-reference things I'll have a better idea of why, but right now I'm as in the dark as you are.

So... [He shrugs.] Hopefully I'll have an answer on that soon. But I'm thinking contingency plans aren't necessarily a bad idea, and since we actually have more like two years instead of five - believe me, I wish I'd have known that from the start - it can't hurt until I have more concrete data.

[thehobbsgirl]

No, it can't hurt.

[ And now that Abigail knows, she is certainly going to start a stockpile of her own. Not food, but anything else she can get out of those closets that might prove useful in the worst case scenario. She's never been a person who planned too far in the future, but look where that's landed her. She needs to start being more methodical, less reckless. Part of that, she thinks, is pitching in and not always watching from the sidelines, waiting for things to happen to her. That was what she'd done with the whole Nicholas Boyle situation, and it had worked in her favor (or so she thinks). So she says: ]

If you think there's anything I can do to help in meantime before everything goes to shit, I guess... let me know? [ It's as enthusiastic and genuine an offer as she can muster ]

[sexandoutrage]

Sure thing. You got a name, in case the Jabberpocalypse really goes down? I know it probably sounds dumb, and looks like a lot of hand-wringing, maybe, but...Well. I got a little experience in worst case scenarios. I'd rather not get caught unawares.

[thehobbsgirl]

[ Abigail's eyebrows raise when Tony says he has experience in worst case scenarios, her expression somewhere between skepticism and curiosity. She isn't sure if he's trying to impress her, but she doesn't push back and ask what he means - not yet anyway. ]

Abigail. [ A pause, then ] Hobbs.

[ She'll know by his response if he's heard of her. She's really hoping he hasn't. If he has, her talking about learning hunting from her father, knowing how to kill and carve and skin, that isn't going to go over so well. ]

[sexandoutrage]

[It's more that Tony has little in the way of a brain-to-mouth filter. A lot of time it is bragging, but this time...Well, this time he feels the need to impress upon everyone that while he's certainly no stranger to the world going stupid, he's taking the time to worry about this.

But there's no registering of recognition, in either his face or his tone. He's bad with names, anyway, so even if it were possible, he'd probably not remember it to begin with.]

Well, Abigail, I will be sure to add you to the forwarding list when and if it looks like things might go tits up. Until then, if you happen to notice if there's anything in the forest that looks like we could eat it, let me know.

[thehobbsgirl]

[ Good - one more person who hasn't heard her name. She better be careful or she could start to get used to this. ]

I will.

[ With that, she terminates the connection, glad that she had volunteered, but not glad that she has something new and rather apocalyptic to worry about. ]