entranceway | 001 ☆

[Mandy's actually very used to waking up in strange places without having much memory of how she got there, and Wonderland has a leg up on some in that she's still fully dressed. The phone's confusing as all hell, she's not used to one that one can do more than talk on, but she figured that out after punching a few buttons. She really is much more clever than the airhead act she'd been putting on most of the last three years.

Still, the act--The Divine Miss Mandy Slade--doesn't die as easily as she would like. She should have known that it would take far more than a pile of legal mumbo jumbo to get Brian Slade out from under her skin, to stop performing every bloody second of her life. So, what the citizens of Wonderland will hear is certainly not her real voice--which would come out very flat, tired, and American. Instead, they'll hear an almost coyingly-sweet accent anyone with half a brain will know is a very fake British]

Right, since it appears I actually haven't gone completely off my rocker just yet after all, I've just a few questions for all you boys and girls and....whomever else may be inhabiting this lovely little estate. The first being that there are two men I am quite curious to know the whereabouts of. One might be a bit harder to spot, a Mr. Curt Wild. Although, if he's been here for any length of time without access to an electric guitar or certain other--indulgences, I suspect he may have made his presence a bit better known. The other may be going by any number of names, although the most likely would be Mistah Brian Slade. You'd know him by his shockingly blue hair and--

[half a dozen of Brian's other body parts go through her mind, and it hurts, remembering how beautiful he was once upon a time. How beautiful it all was, for a moment.

She clears her throat, before she actually starts crying again. She's done enough of that, and she swears that giving Brian the satisfaction of seeing it as he laughed her out of his life will be the last time it happens. The accent drops, suddenly, and if anyone could see her face they could almost see the mask she'd plastered on fall as well. It was easier to talk about Curt; she doesn't fear what being in his presence might make her do]

My other question is, does anyone happen to have any smokes?

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Oh believe me, I can play subtle better than those two, and that is certainly a feat.

[well, Curt can play it a bit if he's stoned, but he's been clean lately as far as she knows.

She chuckles a little bit at the last remark]

Darling, given the things I've done and seen in the last few years, this would be one of the least questionable things I've ever been asked to try. And I do try everything at least once.

[usually it doesn't involve closets, at least with only one person involved. But she'll bite her tongue a bit about that for now.

She actually tries a more mundane request; she knows she's a mess, and what she found in her purse didnt help much. So when she walks into the wardrobe, her first thought is for something to properly wipe all the smudged mess off her face. When it appears in her hand, she can't help laughing]

Well, isn't that a gas. I've never had a trip quite so vivid before. Not that I'm complaining, I'd much prefer this to the whole melting elephants business.

[this is her 'don't do drugs' kids speech]

Oh good. You're open minded. That helps.

[She didn't miss the implications of that -- but she's not going to touch it for now. Nope, not with a ten-foot-pole. Open minded. She'll stick to that interpretation for now.]

We're short on melting elephants, but you might see something that surpasses them before too long. Depends on Wonderland's moods and what it feels like throwing at us. Sometimes the whole place is like a bad trip.

[Not that she knows from experience.

Well. Not extensive experience, anyway.]

It's one of the very few things I can pride myself on these days.

[being open minded about anything life throws has made this whole business here and back home a bit easier, and hopefully has staved off the actual nervous breakdown for awhile.

She chuckles a bit at Emma's next comment] Well, I shouldn't be surprised by that, given the whole Wonderland business. What's the most interesting thing you've seen around here, then?

You know, it's hard to narrow it down. Awhile back, I would have said time-travel, but I'm not so sure anymore.

[Mostly because she's taken a trip home since then and experienced it firsthand.]

Zombie invasion ranks pretty high on the list. Human chess game, too, though I actually missed out on that one. The stories are interesting, at least.

Zombies? [Mandy does raise an eyebrow at that--she's seen Night of the Living Dead, and while it wasn't really her thing she didn't find it particularly terrifying in theory]

Well, it sounds like quite a few must have stories that would make my hair go properly go white, and I never thought I'd say that. I'm not sure if it's a relief to know I can still be shocked or not.

Wonderland will definitely shock you. More than a few times. No matter where you come from, everyone ends up surprised at some point.

[Even her, which is laughable, considering her origins. Daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming and she still manages to be more surprised and more skeptical than she really has any right to.]

I'm Emma.

Well, that could be a blessing, depending your perspective. Once upon a time, I would have said everyone could use shocked now and again.

Mandy; a pleasure, Emma.

Good to meet you. Sorry it's during a kidnapping. A pretty plush kidnapping, I'll give you, but you know. Call it what it is.

[Really, she's not one of Wonderland's biggest fans, even though her experiences here haven't been completely terrible.]

If you need anything, I've been here a long while. Can probably answer most questions or at least point you in the right direction.

Mmm, well, I'd always hoped if I were abducted it would be for some ridiculously large ransom, but beggars can't be choosers and all that.

Much appreciated. I think for the moment, though, I am just going to have a very long smoke and enjoy being literally a world away from my ex.

If there is one, I haven't heard about it. Not out of the question, though -- not like any of us knows what's going on back home while we're here. For the most part, anyway.

[She's just sayin'.

She winces at the mention of an ex, sympathetic.]

Bad breakup, I take it.

[She's had a few of those herself.]

[Mandy laughs quietly] Well, it's not as if there's terribly many who'd be interested in paying anyone off for me right now, even if they had the means. Although it does beg the question, with all this--interdemensional business--should I find my way home, will I be looking forward to explaining my extended holiday to anyone?

[there will probably be only one person who notices, which is kind of depressing to think about. So she's not going to]

Mmm. Divorce is an even bloodier business than marriage, although it's definitely taught me to be much more careful about who I throw my lot in from here on out.

At the moment, probably not. You won't remember it, and nobody there will remember you being gone. ... we're working on that.

[Sort of.]

Some of us would like to remember.

[She smiles grimly. Marriage and all the crap that came with it -- she's glad she's always managed to avoid it.]

And that's exactly why I live off one-night-stands if I can help it.

Mmm. If I didn't know my own mind better, I would be absoultely certain I'm tripping because it certainly sounds like it.

[she chuckles; she's still not certain the sexual revolution has been all it talked up to be, but she's still grateful it allows a woman to be able to say something like that so freely]

Which makes you a far smarter woman than I , I had to waste five years of my life and a disgusting amount of money to learn my lesson.

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