001; Audio + Action

[signalized]

audio

[Being kidnapped isn't comforting for anyone, let alone someone as deeply paranoid as Bruce. He thinks of a rogue from Gotham that kidnaps young blondes and call them Alice. They're all mad in Gotham.

He wonders if they're all mad here too.

But he also knows how to mask that paranoia and rely on his public persona as he speaks over the network, choosing to keep to an audio post for now.]

My name is Bruce Wayne and while it is unlikely that my name has the weight here that it would have had at home but I figured I would put myself out there all the same. I'm sure you get tired of the same questions over and over again from new arrivals so I'll keep it to just this one.

What's the one thing you wish you had known about this place when you arrived? Advice or information that would have made the transition into Wonderland a little bit smoother, assuming such a transition is even possible, of course.

It goes without saying that you're free to leave more than one thing if you feel so inclined, I'm not going to turn away more information.

Thank you.

[And that's it, that's the post.]

Action

[After exhausting himself looking through the library he's managed to find the bar and order himself a drink to try to take to relax himself. Bruce doesn't remember the last time he felt this on edge -- which is saying something for him because he is always on edge in one way or another. This place seems mostly peaceful so far but it has to be some sort of deception. He was taken from his home, after all. And Gotham may not be the best of places but it is home and he'd like to get back to it. But he knows it won't be that easy, no one would bring that many people here without some sort of ulterior motives in play. They want something from all of them, the only question is what.

He throws back his first drink in one go. He can't imagine the catch is anything good but he has a feeling he'll know sooner or later. After all, there's always a catch. Some might call him cynical for jumping to conclusions like this so quickly but he likes to think he's being realistic. While Clark's death may have restored some well needed optimism to Bruce that doesn't mean he's blind to how cruel and ugly the world can be. He just knows now he has to try to be better than that himself.

What that means for him here, however, remains to be seen.]

Comments

action

[postictal]

[Tim doesn't drink. Not really a matter of principle, honestly; he's sure he would if he was able to. It sounds great to be able to tune the world out for a few shots. But alcohol doesn't react real well with the meds he's taking and never has, so the bar's only an infrequent location for him in terms of visiting hours. Mostly he stops by if he needs something flammable in a pinch, which isn't often.

In this case, he's only dropped by to light up a few. His nerves have been shot to hell to befit the whole going to literal hell deal he's still recovering from, and he parks himself at the counter as he clicks on his lighter, sparking up the cigarette at his lips.

He inhales slowly, pausing only to regard the guy at his right.]

Do you, uh...mind if I...? [Probably should've asked before he lit the thing but, uh, whoops.]

Re: action

[signalized]

[It's a great way to self medicate, at least for Bruce it is. And sometimes he's been known to mix it with pills basically he is not a healthy person and no one should be taking life advice from him because he is a disaster at being a human being.

He looks up from his empty glass, shaking his head at the question.]

Not at all.

[Who was he to deny someone else one of their vices?]

[postictal]

[Tim grunts his thanks as he breathes out a long plume of smoke.]

Thanks. Not like there's a lotta "No Smoking" signs around here, but some people don't like it.

[Can't blame them for that, exactly. Smoking is a pretty disgusting habit, he'll be the first to admit it. It just kills you slowly, but at least it's honest about doing it.]

[signalized]

Luckily, I tend to be tolerant of most things.

[Or if nothing else, he's used to things that are really disgusting. smoking has nothing on the sewers of gotham, after all.]

[postictal]

Guess you'll fit right in here.

[His tone is dry. A side of a casual and socially acceptable addiction is pretty tame compared to the literal fires of hell, acid rivers and all.]

Been here long?

[signalized]

[He pauses for a moment as if to mentally count the hours in his head.]

Four or five hours now, I think. I'm guessing you've been here longer?

[postictal]

Jesus, dude.

[That earns Bruce a mildly startled look as Tim's eyebrows lift, clearly taken aback.]

Yeah. Couple months. Just, uh - didn't realize you literally just showed up.

[signalized]

Yeah. I guess not everyone goes straight for drinking. [It's played off like it's just a bad habit and not...a deep seated coping mechanism.]

[postictal]

You might be surprised.

[That seems to be the go-to around here. Or maybe that's just his skewed perception of the place. Not like he's often around here, but it definitely feels like this place has its fill of people every time he stops by.]

Place usually ends up pretty packed. 'Specially after events.

[signalized]

[From what he understands, people get a lot of down time, so.]

I heard you guys went to literal hell this time. That must of been fun.

[postictal]

Yeah, it was a real blast. Acid rivers, demon things trying to eat your face off - it was just a great time all around.

[He shakes his head, taking another drag of his cigarette. It does very little to take the edge off, predictably.]

[signalized]

Oh yeah, I'm real sorry I missed it. [He waits for his glass to be refilled before taking another drink. The mention of demons reminds him of that weird dream he had -- the feeling he can't shake that something even worse than Doomsday is coming --

But that will have to wait, apparently]

So I take the events tend to be on the traumatizing side, then

[postictal]

Have been as long as I've been here. But I've only been around for a couple months, so I'm probably not the best guy to tell you one way or the other.

[Again he has to tamp down the flare of envy that the other guy can actually drink and get drunk. He'll have to make do with nicotine.]

[signalized]

At least it sounds consistent to what I've heard from other people.

[Not exactly comforting, perhaps, but at least consistent is something he can work with.]

[postictal]

So, uh, yeah. Not your average Wonderland. Not like the stories say.

[Though the stories were pretty weird, weren't they? Usually, right? He doesn't have the clearest memory of them. He never got to read them as a kid.]

[signalized]

Not that the place in the stories was exactly average to begin with, but this isn't the first time I've seen someone twist them to their own needs either.

[The Mad Hatter in Gotham was known for doing that as well.]

[postictal]

The first time?

[Has he honestly encountered something like this before? 'Cause, uh...do tell?]

[signalized]

There was someone in my hometown who would dress up as the Mad Hatter, he has mind controlling devices that he would use to control young girls into thinking they were Alice. Or that's what people said, anyway. I never saw him personally.

[spoiler: he did.]

[postictal]

[A moment while Tim processes that quietly.]

Jesus christ, dude.

[He mostly just sounds dully surprised, because legitimate surprise is a hard thing to come by these days. But, uh, still. Jesus christ.]

You've got a weird hometown.

[signalized]

Gotham has a pretty unique quality to it, I can't deny that.

[Some would call it a cesspool for criminals. they wouldn't be entirely wrong]

[postictal]

Gotham.

[Can't say it sounds familiar. Then again, it's not like he ever left Alabama.]

And here all I had to worry about was dudes with shotguns hiding out in pick-up trucks.

[signalized]

You say that like that isn't a big problem of it's own.

[postictal]

I mean, sure, it's not fun. But it's not, like - full-blown supervillainy.

[Which is really the only way he knows how to describe whatever the hell Gotham apparently has going on in it on a semi-regular basis.]

[signalized]

No. Not every town has it's own set of super villains I suppose, just the lucky ones.

[It's a joke, though not a very good one.]

[postictal]

Can't say that sounds normal, no.

[Not that Tim's world had been all that normal either, huh? But it was less a fundamental problem with the world and more like - one specific part of it was simply untethered, or there was a slice of unreality that wound its way in.]