entranceway | 001; Audio + Action

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001; Audio + Action

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.]

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[Bruce has no constant like Iris in his wife -- unless you count Alfred, but that'
s a little different. even if he does miss his butler/father figure.]

If no one knows where they are, how can they go to them?

[And why would they want to? then again, Bruce has had bad luck with a Mad Hatter in Gotham, he's not sure he'd do better with one here.]

It's been a while since I've read or watched them, but it's good to know there's little similarities, then. I assume I don't have to worry about anything I drink shrinking me then?

[Because he needs a drink.]

Nothing's shrunk me, and I've drunk pretty much everything you can think of. [ he states that proudly. a barry allen who hadn't been hit by the particle accelerator would still be proud over that. even though the experiment would've taken much longer than a few quick minutes if he'd been as a plain as day human, barry still would've tried everything — and found himself just as disappointed he hadn't grown any taller or smaller. ]

I'm sure you could probably find one? But the closets haven't really been delivering. Sometimes they don't even give me the right shoe size even when I think about it really clearly.

Everything? That's impressive, or maybe not, depending on how long you've been here.

[He's caught on enough to see that some people have been here for years which is nothing short of deeply unsettling but he's keeping that paranoia on lock down because he's found you get more answers when you pretend to have your shit together.]

I've heard they can be a little tricky.

I've been here a few months! [ he sounds a little happy about that, but barry doesn't know how else to celebrate such anniversaries. he's been here for a bit, found some delicious free food, and he has a collection of converse shoes. wonderland may be a bitch and a half at times, but he's spoiled. ]

You need to really think about it. Long and hard, kind of like a genie. You know how they kind of warp what you want? The closet's like that, except it doesn't sing about how no one can be a friend like it. [ he purses his lips for a moment. ] I've been trying to get it to do that.

I think I'm okay without my closet singing. [That would be pretty weird if it did, honestly. Not that everything about this whole situation isn't already still really weird, but stil.]

I'll try to be careful what I wish for, then. That seems to be the moral of most stories involving wishes anyway so it's not surprising that it applies here too.

You can't really get things from home. I asked for the new Beyonce CD, and while it's pretty good, I'm missing the whole ultimate Beyonce experience.

[ basically: he's missing her entire marketing campaign. ]

[ but that isn't the point. he has the runaway dinosaur in his room, brand spanking new. he'd wanted the one he used to read with his mother, but he's found himself with empty hands every time he goes to the closet with that wish. ]

The things I've asked for haven't gone awry. Yet. I've asked for converse shoes, and they're actually kind of better than the ones you can get in store. [ they don't burn when he runs, but that isn't something he's willing to share. ] They're just not my ones from home.

So there's always going to be something lacking in what you get?

[That could explain his frustration with asking for the Batsuit so far. He keeps getting their weird jokey versions.]

Even if they're good they're not yours. So I couldn't ask for something I've had for years.

No. I've tried. I just got the newer version of what I wished for.

[ the runaway dinosaur is his favourite book, despite it being written for children. he'd wanted the one he and mom used to read, not one that was brand new with no imprint of her. he can understand any disappointment bruce may have when asking for something of sentimental value from the closets and not receiving it in the exact form he remembers. ]

I don't think anyone knows why Wonderland doesn't let you ask for anything from home. I guess whatever connects it to our worlds breaks off once we're here.

That must have been frustrating.

[Not that he has much in the way of family heirlooms since the Manor burnt down and everything but still.]

Maybe they want that connection broken -- if there were ways to bring things from home here it might help us find a way to get ourselves back out.

Or remember who we are.

[ barry shrugs, not that bruce can see. there's something sinister underlying the whole being of wonderland, something barry can sense, even though he's dug his heels into the ground and chased after the romance of the place instead. ]

I've heard some things, about people losing their memories? I don't think you need to worry about anything you drink, but Wonderland's missing an exit sign leading to a door for a reason. I don't think the Queens really want us to leave, or else we'd be out by now. We're not the best guests ...

[ well, barry isn't. how many cupcakes has he gone through just today? the poor kitchen's been overworked! ]

People have mentioned that, the memory thing. Apparently Alice doesn't remember being anywhere but here now, for whatever that's worth. [The idea of forgetting the things that have shaped him doesn't sit well with Bruce.]

No, I imagine she must have some reason for wanting us here.

[ maybe if wonderland had scooped barry out from where he's set to travel to, he'd be able to tell bruce his theory as to why. for now, however, he has none, but it's slowly beginning to form with the evidence he's been collecting over the last few months. ]

If I find out that reason, I'll let you know, Bruce. [ because bartholomew allen's determined and he'll break the universe if it's the only way he'll find those answers. (or, you know, try not to break the universe.) ]

Sorry, I'm really bad at this whole welcome wagon thing. You'd think we'd be offering a tea party or something instead of ... bad news.

[wonderland you could have made it a little easier on all of us -- but then you wouldn't be wonderland.]

At least the bad news is honest, I suppose. I wouldn't have trusted drinks from a place called Wonderland straight off the bat, I imagine.

[But as soon as he found out it was usually safe he ended up at the bar because alcohol is better than tea anyway.]

[ it's telling how barry had thrown himself at the mercy of any drinks offered by wonderland without much thought. if anyone could survive a "shrink me" drink, it had to be the flash with his quick metabolism many couldn't quite compete against. but barry's beginning to see perhaps he should be more cautious. ]

[ acknowledging that and implementing it are two very different things. ]

The bad news is Barry. [ he winces; god, doesn't that sound like it fits on his business card? ] Anytime you want some, I mean, I can probably deliver. I'm pretty good at carrying trays when nothing good's on it.

Thanks, I think I'm good on bad news for the moment.

[What with being stuck in a new world and all that. It's going to take some adjustment before Bruce lowers his walls around this place. Assuming he does at all.

Cautious is something Bruce is too good at being, sometimes.]

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001; Audio + Action

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