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[outstandingbalance]

[The woman who appears on the feed might be familiar to a few people. She's sitting at a table or a desk and facing the camera, composed, but a little worse for wear. She looks tired.]

You sure know how to make a girl feel at home. [Not that she's faced frost giants or dark elves before, but dropped into the middle of a fight she wasn't expecting and wasn't prepared for? One that probably should be left to gods and super soldiers? That is familiar. The last two days haven't been boring] Is that normal?

[Natasha taps the table in front of her twice, drawing a slow breath as she considers how she's going to play this. If putting her face on the network is a mistake, then she's already made it.]

I think I'm ready for the welcoming committee now.

Comments

[noble_son]

I think it's been... a year and a half, more or less.

[If not exactly. Just how long he has been here isn't something he often thinks about, because when he does it never fails to cause something like anger to start boiling up in the back of his throat.]

Many have been here longer. [And that is what no one wants to hear, but it's unfortunately true. Ehem.]

My name is Nathaniel, and I can try to answer any questions you have.

[outstandingbalance]

Nathaniel. [Natasha smiles slightly at that, a little wry and very tired.] Natasha. I'd say it's nice to meet you, but under the circumstances...

[She gestures around her, a vague, inclusive wave of her hand that indicates Wonderland.]

I appreciate the offer. Questions are about the only thing I have at the moment. I don't want to ask the same things you've answered two dozen times before, but...

[She sighs a little.]

Is it normal to be here that long?

[noble_son]

[He nods in understanding. Many meetings would be made more pleasant by not being held in a place like this.]

There doesn't seem to be any 'normal' for how long a person is here. [Nathaniel tells her after a moment of thought.] I've known people to be here only weeks, a few months.. or far longer than I.

[No one wants to hear that they could be stuck somewhere like this for more than five years, but...]

.. I apologise, that wasn't a very helpful answer.

[outstandingbalance]

No, it was helpful. Not what I wanted to hear, but if it's true, I'd rather you tell me that than that most people leave after a month.

[That is a very dim silver lining, but it is what it is. Natasha isn't trying to be optimistic, but the more she knows the better.

Even if she doesn't like the news.]

Thank you. For being honest.

[noble_son]

I tend to prefer honesty over potentially leaving a person unprepared.

[He could have lied to her, but where would that have got either of them? She would have discovered the truth in short order and then never believed anything he might tell her, and that could only lead to bad things should it ever happen that he needed to be believed.]

No matter how long you're here, I hope you don't find it too taxing.

[outstandingbalance]

[Natasha snorts, almost a laugh, but abbreviated to short for the name.]

I'm find a way to make it work, one way or another. It is what it is, though. Not like we have another choice?

[noble_son]

Unfortunately not. Those holding us here don't seem to have any regard for whether or not we want to be here at all.

[But of course not, or why would they be here in the first place? It's not normal behaviour to abduct people from multiple worlds and keep them somewhere against their will.]

I should warn you about 'events'. Things that happen here that can often be dangerous.

[outstandingbalance]

What kind of events are we talking about. I heard people call the mess with the giants and the elves that—monsters attack a lot?

[noble_son]

[He inclines his head slightly.]

Wonderland draws on the memories of the people in it to create these... scenarios. Not all of them are dangerous, but it's often best to assume that they are.

[Or you get caught in a snowstorm and die, or something like that.]

[outstandingbalance]

So the events are about as likely to be safe as people's memories?

[That may or may not imply something about the people who are brought here; Natasha's more inclined to say not. Just about everyone has at least a few dangerous memories as she figures it.]

Just how true to people's memories are the events?

[noble_son]

[The rogue nods to her first question. Unfortunately, they are only as safe as the memories they spin from... and sometimes less so. He's certain that at times he has seen things combined from people's worlds, or things made to be much worse than they might be otherwise.

Almost like the place wants them to suffer, or worse.]

True enough that some people recognise them before they begin. We often get prior warning, though... usually in riddles.

[outstandingbalance]

[Both of Natasha's brows rise at his answer, her expression curious and a little skeptical.]

When you say riddles... you mean riddles?

[noble_son]

[Nathaniel hesitates, and looks a fraction baffled.]

With the assumption that 'riddles' mean the same thing to you as they do to me.

[outstandingbalance]

You mean literally, not metaphorically? Considering metaphorically this whole place is a riddle.

[noble_son]

Ah... I would say 'both', but I can't imagine that's the kind of thing you didn't want to hear.

[outstandingbalance]

At this point, that's the kind of thing I expected to hear. I'm used to not getting what I want.

[She doesn't even sound bitter about it. She'd be tired, if she let herself.]

I appreciate the confirmation though.