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[ 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.

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( 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. . ?

[ 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?

( 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.

[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.

[ 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.

[ Right, let the half-Kryptonian ten-year-old find you, Lois. It's easier that way.

The feed shakes violently as Lois comes to a halt. She's out of frame again, but she's still on the screen, at least. She breathes in deep, not out of breath but trying to regulate things a bit, and then lifts the device back up. It probably seems silly running around, carrying on this conversation, but she can't really bring herself to take her eye off of him now that she knows he's there. ]

Staying put. [ She glances around, trying to find something identifiable that could help him pinpoint her location. ] I was near the library, I'm... not far from there, at least.

( looking through walls is a little dangerous when he's busy being emotional: he's accidentally gone from using super eyes to heat vision before, and it's not a mistake he intends to make here of all places. not when he's several floors up off the ground and there's so many people inside this building, he doesn't want to hurt anyone. but she's talking, and a few deep, steadying breaths is all he needs to listen to her voice, to focus in on where it's coming from.

jon doesn't turn off the feed, but he does let the device drop to his side for a moment. just that one moment, which is also all he needs to focus in on where she is, shifting a foot on the ground to press the balls of his foot to the floor and push off at fast enough speeds to cause the camera to blur out.

three stories down the staircases takes mere moments when you're half kryptonian. slowing to a stop is a bit more complicated when he's busy trying not to cry, but he manages it regardless--sneakers skidding against the floor hard enough to leave the smell of burnt rubber behind but that doesn't matter. not when he's got his mom within reach, when he's wrapping arms around her middle and shoving his face into her stomach. it's good he didn't put on the black-framed glasses today--because he would have smashed them with no regrets if it meant getting closer to lois. )

You're here. ( his voice shakes a little, still trying to stave off those stupid, dumb tears. dumb eyes, who let this happen!! ) I--I missed you so much, Mom. There's so many things I've gotta tell you--

Edited 2018-01-29 06:14 (UTC)

[ 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?

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.

[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.

[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.

[ 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 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?

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.

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.

[ Bending down a bit, her arms wrapping around him and pull him in close. He's there and she can't quite decide if that's good or bad, but the more selfish side of winning over for the moment. She can get through anything the Wonderland could possibly throw at her as long as she has her family and... well, this is is a start.

She holds him tight, holding onto her son like he might vanish the second she lets go, and it takes a good moment for that fear to let up. There's no hiding the tears in her eyes. Lois pulls away slowly, holding him at arms length to get a better look at him, then reels him back in. ]

Oh, sweetheart! [ She cups his cheeks, pressing a kiss to his forehead, and then just... sort of peppers him in Gross Mom Kisses. You'll have to forgive her here, Jon. She's just... so relieved. It doesn't even occur to her that there might be any kind of discrepancy in the amount of time they've been apart. ] You're here. God, I was so worried about you.

You don't have to worry, okay, kiddo? I'm here and we're together and we're going to figure this out and-- and it's only a matter of time before Daddy finds us. We're going to find our way back to each other, I promise.

( see, jon would say he knows his mom pretty well. and he knows her fussing, knows she's worried about him being stuck here, in this weird place. but he's been here long enough that he's not really worried about wonderland so much as he is worried about what will happen to her here. he's been--mostly okay. damian's been helping him. kon's kept an eye out for him since he got here. there was the stint with the invisible killer dogs and the lack of sunlight, his almost death but not quite.

those kisses would be a lot more annoying if he hadn't missed them. but he's got to be strong, for his mom. he knows what he's doing, here. kind of. he knows what to expect, what kind of weird stuff happens, and she doesn't. jon has his own room and his own stuff and his own safe places, but his mom must've just gotten here, right? so it's way more important that he keeps a tight hold on her, shows he's brave. )

Mom, I'm okay. I promise. I'm not too worried, I've. . um. I've been here for half a year? And Dad's kinda here, but he doesn't know who I am. And Kon's here! Um, but I guess you don't know who that is either. . he's really cool, I like him a lot. He's like my big brother? And Damian's here, so's Tim, and Jason--

( so they're not alone even if it is a little weird, and even if most of those people are from way different timelines. even if he didn't quite know who jason and tim were until someone else explained it to him. )

[ Honesty is always better. She's familiar with the concept of a multiverse, none of this has surprised her, but... somehow the idea of being in a comic book does. ]

You've read my comic books? [ There's a definite uncertainty in her voice. Her eyes narrow and her lips forming a hard line, humming contemplatively as she digests this particular bit of information. ] I can only assume how flattering those are, given the kind of content in the comic books I've read, but... uh... that's kind of cool. We'll have to compare notes some time.

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?

[She nods.]

You, or some version of you, has existed since the 30s. As you can imagine, those earlier stories were, well, a lot more damsely than more modern takes have been. And, of course, the titular character is usually Superman, not you.

[Because the comic industry is run by men.]

We should. I'll bring my brother along too. He's read more comics than I have. For now, though, you wanted to know more about Wonderland?

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?

[ 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?

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?

I've noticed. I still can't decide if it's useful or if I should be concerned with just how complaisant this place seems to want to keep us.

On eight, actually. Compromise and meet on nine?

[A pause to think.]

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

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