[VIDEO]

[spellcheck]

[ She'd spent her first couple of days lingering in the shadows. Not hiding or lurking, really, and maybe there's a chance you've seen her around, but she did her best to play observer -- to get a feel for the place and the people here. She goes into this skeptically, and by nature it's just hard not to, but it isn't long until she realizes Wonderland's residents are a lot like her.

It becomes a series of questions she needs to answer: who are they? Where are they from and what have they left behind? (And most importantly, because of what she's left behind, why are they here and how do they get back? She isn't satisfied with anything she is finding on that particular subject.)

For a moment, she is out of frame, cursing silently under her breath as she checks the device in her hand to make sure the video feed is on. Lois adjusts the device, holding it out so that her face is now in frame. ]

Okay. Okay. Here we go.

[ She coughs, clearing her throat, and runs her fingers quickly through her hair to tuck her hair behind her ears. Lois manages a pretty impressive "on air" presence, even if she's always been a little more interested in seeing her byline on the front page than she was in being on camera. ]

Hello, Wonderland. From the looks of things, you've all had a... rough week.

My name is Lois Lane and it looks like I will be joining you for the interim. I was hoping there would be a few of you willing to... share your experiences. Maybe help me fill in some blanks here?

We can communicate through... uh, this -- [ She shakes the device a bit, the video going a bit Blair Witch Project for a second. ] -- thing, but I am open to meeting in person for a cup of tea or something, if you'd prefer.

Comments

video;

[kryptomight]

( same voice, same face, everything is exactly as he remembers her but jon's--been fooled before, by this place. by tricks, and while the other clark hadn't meant to, jon had been fooled at first, thinking he was his clark, his dad, when he wasn't quite the same. he's still great and amazing, understanding, he still calls him dad--but.

here he was, just telling teddy how much he missed his mom. and here she is, not the weird sparkly version wonderland gave, but his mom. if he looks hard enough, he could find her in mere moments, but there's some hesitation, a seed of doubt: maybe she's not really here, maybe wonderland's playing with him again, maybe she's his mom but a mom that doesn't remember him at all.

jon's voice is quiet, barely more than a whisper: )

Mom. . ?

video

[spellcheck]

[ She isn't expecting a response so quickly, let alone the one she gets. Seeing her son's face kind of sucks the breath right out of her -- she's scared and relieved all at once. How did he get here, and if Jon is here, who else is here? ]

Oh my God, Jonathan!

[ She's already on her feet, the feed shaky again as Lois begins charging off, although a bit aimlessly. He could probably find her a hell of a lot easier, sure, but trying to find him herself is her first instinct. ]

Oh, sweetie! Oh honey, are you okay? Are you somewhere safe?

video

[kryptomight]

( that's recognition. and concern, not something he would have seen from the fake lois wonderland threw at him. she wouldn't be getting loud and antsy and trying to run to find him because she already knew he was okay, somehow. there wasn't concern coming from her, because in his fantasy land, there wasn't a need for it.

before he can really stop them, there are tears leaking from his eyes, and even jon's not too sure if it's from being so happy to see her or so sad about how long it's been since he last saw her. )

I--y-yeah, Mom, I'm okay. I. . I promise. ( she's looking for him, isn't she? he'd better stop crying and get to concentrating, but it's a little hard when jon's suddenly overwhelmed by her just existing here. his mom's here. he's going to have to introduce her to kon, she'll like him--he's sure. to everyone else, too. )

Don't move, okay? Please? I'll--um. I'll come find you. I've gotten really good at it.

video

[choosetruth]

[Oh.

It was okay when Clark Kent showed up. Having a superhero on her news team has its uses.

But Clark Kent isn't half as cool as Lois Lane. And she thought that before Tim had her read up on the real Lois Lane rather than the pop culture caricature.

She adjusts her sunglasses as she turns on the camera, giving Lois a serious nod.]

Welcome to Wonderland, Ms. Lane. I'm Georgia Mason, Editor-in-Chief of After the End Times and our Wonderland zine, the Shattered Mirror. [Never hurts to show your credentials.] And meeting for tea sounds like an excellent idea.

video

[spellcheck]

[ Lois quirks an eyebrow, equal parts confused and impressed. She's not entirely sure what to expect from the free press in Wonderland, but it's a rough job regardless of the size or volume of the publication if the job means a damn to you. Definitely impressed.

The fact that this Georgia Mason seems to recognize her is not a detail lost on her. It means she's not starting entirely from scratch here, trying to build up a reputation and earn some trust. Lois isn't sure exactly what kind of perks come with recognition, but she'll take it. ]

Ms. Mason, lovely to meet you, and I'm happy to meet. This might sound a little ridiculous, but considering the circumstances, let's go with it: you know me?

video

[choosetruth]

[She's smart and doesn't beat around the bush. Georgia likes her already, though it's hard to tell from how little emotion her face shows.]

In a sense. [This is the sort of situation some might say calls for tact. That's never been Georgia's style, and honestly, she doubts Lois would appreciate it. Honesty is better.] You may have noticed that people come from different worlds here. In mine, you're a fictional character. Simply put, I've read your comics.

video;

[redheadpepper]

[ Pepper can't claim to be an expert on this place, but frankly, this is the most normal person she's seen on the network in a while, and after the event they just had, she can use a little normalcy.

Also, it's not hard to spot someone like a reporter - not when you're a CEO and public figure and used to reporters asking questions. It's familiar. ]

Hello, Miss Lane. My name is Pepper Potts. I haven't been here all that long, myself, but I'd be happy to discuss what I've learned so far. A cup of tea, frankly, sounds great right now.

video;

[spellcheck]

[ Lois hasn't had the pleasure to meet any of Wonderland's more... unique residents, but she welcomes a friendly face and, let's be honest, someone more her contemporary. Some of the kids here seem so young. Her relief is visible and Lois nods eagerly. ]

Anything you could tell me is helpful, Ms. Potts. I could come to you, if that's easier, or we could pick someplace to meet?

video;

[redheadpepper]

What floor are you on? There are some nice tea rooms on each floor, great place to meet for a chat. I'm all the way up on ten, but I can go down to meet you.

Video

[naughty_nurse]

I, um... I could try, miss Lane. I'll answer any questions you have.

M-My name is Mikan Tsumiki. From the bottom of my heart... I sincerely hope we can get along.

Video

[spellcheck]

Mikan Tsumiki. [ Repeated, trying to commit the face and name to her memory. Lois smiles, nodding her head. ] Let's start simple, shall we? How long have you been in Wonderland?

Video

[naughty_nurse]

[A pause to think.]

... This summer, it will be... three years?

[video]

[punful]

[He tries to always go with video when he's meeting newcomers. No point in hiding what he is, he figures, and it's better to gauge people's reactions to the whole skeleton thing right off the bat. Better than doing it in person and having someone freak out.]

[Plus, the name Lois Lane sounds pretty familiar.]

new here, huh? welcome to wonderland. hope you didn't get caught up in that recent event. always feel bad when people show up mid-event.

[Wonderland is disorienting enough without getting thrown immediately into the deep end.]

don't mind answering some questions, if you want.

[video]

[spellcheck]

Things were just starting to wind down when I arrived, actually. I was spared but it seems like it was quite the uh... event.

[ She's seen enough in just the short time that she's been in Wonderland that she's prepared for this kind of thing and with everything that Lois has seen back home, his physical appearance is hardly shocking to her. Doesn't even seem to faze her.

Her first question is an easy one: ]

Does this sort of thing happen all the time?

[video]

[punful]

well hey, lucky you. yeah, that one was pretty wild, as events go.

[Technically they're all wild in some way, but boy is he never going to look at sugar the same way again. Also his grin widens just a little when he realizes she's not reacting at all to the talking skeleton on her screen. He used to find the freakouts kind of hilarious, but it's been two years now and they've gotten really old.]

couple times a month, yeah. they happen on the weekends usually. they're pulled from different people's memories, so they can be literally anything. usually bad.

[voice]

[scoutsniper]

[Video is for people who aren't paranoid. But don't listen to anyone else: Frank is a Nice Damn Guy, so he's here to be as goddam helpful as he can be. ]

Yeah, sure. What you want to know?

[voice]

[spellcheck]

[ Hey, no judgment on her part. Sometimes you need to work things to your advantage, and if having some semblance of anonymity helps him feel comfortable, she's all for it. ]

Well, how long have you been in Wonderland? Were you apart of this whole... event I've been hearing about?

Voice

[bibliocorn]

Welcome to Wonderland. I've only been here around a month myself, but I'd be only too happy to share what I've learned so far with you. It's for the best- that we're all as informed as we can be.

[He's begun avoiding meeting people right off the bat in person- but the call of tea is a strong one. ]

There is a tea room here, too.

Voice

[spellcheck]

I'm happy to come to you, if that's easier.

[ She understands any apprehension he might have. Strangers arriving all the time like this, you can never be sure of who or what you can trust. And his situation, clearly, comes with complications and concerns all its own. ]

I'm still getting familiar with the layout here, what floor are you on?

( video )

[trabryu]

[ It's hard to figure out what to say whenever he sees one of these newcomer videos, which is why he usually doesn't respond to them. 'Welcome to Wonderland' feels like a huge piece of bullshit because this place isn't one he'd ever feel welcomed to, and it had done many wrong to many people. It could be better than hell, but you know. Humans are never satisfied. ]

Uh, hey. I'm Mondo Oowada. What do ya wanna know 'bout this place? I haven't been here all that long, but I guess I know some stuff.

[ Not that many, but definitely more than someone who just arrived, and probably some useful pointers? He's not against sharing some with her since she seems harmless. Only 'seems', because trusting people here can be such a seesaw game for him. At one point he was feeling more open to trusting, and then one event fucked him over and he didn't know what to think anymore. At the very least, he doesn't want to dismiss a possible ally right off bat, so he'll entertain her and judge as they go. ]

( video )

[spellcheck]

[ She expects for Wonderland's residents to be a little suspicious, because she is too; not just these strangers but of Wonderland itself.

Lois goes into this with a plan: be polite and try not to offend anyone; be friendly without getting too personal and play your cards close to your chest; figure this place out and get a better read on these people; and maybe even make a friend or two. ]

Anything you could tell me is helpful, Mr. Oowada. How long have you been in Wonderland?

video - private

[cloned]

Lois!

[Kon gives her a surprised look, then hurriedly switches it over to private.]

Uh... do you know who I am?

[Cause the answer keeps being no and he doesn't like it.]

video - private

[spellcheck]

[ And it's going to be another "no" over here, unfortunately, but there's... something she can't quite put her finger on. Something familiar. Lois narrows her eyes a bit, trying to figure out just how they know each other. ]

I'm sorry, I... don't believe I do...

voice.

[scathefires]

My experience is that this place sucks.

[Frankly.]

voice.

[spellcheck]

[ She laughs in response, just a hint of bitterness there. ]

No need to hold back. Have you been here long?