entranceway | 001; Audio + Action

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[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.]

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[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.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

You guys went to hell? [That is a little alarming, and his eyebrows climb appropriately in response, though how much of that is genuine and how much is for show is debatable.]

You caught me, I'm a newbie. And you're not the first person to say I have a look.

[Though that isn't always a good thing. Still he clicks his glass against hers, it can't hurt to be friendly, he might learn more that way.]

Bruce.

Or someone's terrible version of it. Though I guess hell, as a rule, is supposed to be terrible.

[ She smiles just a little at the introduction. ]

Nice to meet you. It gets easier but not less....weird and chaotic. 'Expect the unexpected' is really cliche to say, but it applies here.

I would assume so. I've never been. Not physically anyway.

[Mentally, every day is hell!!!!

Or was.

He's doing better?]

I've dealt with the unexpected most of my life, I think I can manage to do so here just fine.

That's actually the feeling I get from most people. All of us are from places that are totally...messed up somehow. That's how this place works. It takes your memories and forces others to live them. I mean, some are less insane and terrifying than others. And then some people come from a zombie apocalypse world so we have to deal with that for a weekend.

[ Not that she has yet, but she has been mentally trying to prepare herself for it ever since she was told there are a lot of people here from that type of world. ]

I wonder if they do that on purpose, prey on people they might conceive as vulnerable or more susceptible to their plans. [Although Bruce wouldn't consider himself vulnerable he's all too aware of how his own trauma can be twisted and used against him. That was, after all, exactly what Lex Luthor did to turn him against Clark.]

Does that mean the recent trip to Hell you all went on came from someone's memories?

Yeah. Which means someone had a really crappy moment in their life. Things that have happened to me so far include thinking I was a witch attending a magical school and a giant monster that eats you if you don't feed it enough Halloween candy.

[ Sarah looks at him like she can't even believe it, but. ]

I swear to you I'm not making this up.

I believe you.

[And his voice is sincere. He does. He's seen aliens battle in the sky. He's seen abominations. A woman who has lived for a hundred years. There are things beyond his understanding, frustrating as that is to admit.]

The magical school doesn't sound as bad as some of the others.

Actually, it wasn't. Hogwarts being real for a while was actually kind of amazing. And that's the other thing that gets me about this place. Everything I thought wasn't real is real. Or exists, somewhere. It's honestly kind of awesome.

[ Unless you're from that Hell world, she guesses. Or the apocalypse. ]

I mean, who thought Alice in Wonderland was real before coming here?

I heard of someone in my city who did but he wasn't exactly of sound mind.

[To say the least.]

I suppose if we can be kidnapped to an alternate dimension anything is possible.

Well, maybe that person wasn't so far off. But the perk I guess is free booze. Free everything. And a vacation from life. If you don't mind your vacation being occasionally insane.

[ Who does, though. ]

Money was never a problem for me, and I tend to be a workaholic, but maybe the vacation will grow on me.

I won't say no to the booze, though.

You sound like my brother. Works all day every day, I rarely see him, and now that he's here he has no idea what to do with himself.

[ Sarah reaches behind the bar herself and grabs blindly for a bottle planning to pour them a shot of whatever she pulls. It turns out to be some kind of whisky and she shrugs, pouring them each a double and sliding one over to him. ]

Booze it is. And here's to being magically kidnapped.

We'd probably get along well. Or we might hate one another. They say that's true of people who are too alike.

[And he can be abrasive to some people, to say the least. Bruce doesn't always make the best first impression.

He takes the shot gladly and gives a sort of ironic smile before knocking it back.]

Not the sort of thing I usually drink to but I figure there's going to be a lot of that going on here.

What do you usually drink? Because I'm here to tell you, any kind of liquor is always appreciated in this place.

[ Especially after an insane event, she won't be choosy. ]

Also, the way my brother gets along with people is mostly by not talking and being broody or something.

[ Wow, way to sell it, Sarah. ]

I tend to be a whiskey or scotch sort of man, but anything will do in a pinch.

[And he's been known to chug expensive wine like it's water, yay healthy coping mechanisms.]

That doesn't sound particularly productive.

Well, he's had a hell of a year, so I'll give him a pass. I mean, not to sound kindergarten teacher and everything but, he could use friends or something. Actually, we could all use people. Especially when things get bad here.

[ Hey, her brother also prefers whiskey and also chugs it when shit hits the fan, so maybe they could figure out other things to relate to. ]

I've been told it's much healthier to create relationships in adversity than to isolate oneself.

[but he's basically the pot calling the kettle black on that one.]

I mean, at the very least, we're not drinking alone so that's a step above Wonderland rock bottom, right?

[ She asks that with a cheeky grin, finding humor in the situation before taking a sip of her drink. ]

There is that. I hear drinking alone is a warning sign.

[It's said wryly as he often does drink alone]

Well then, I'm glad you're here so that at least for tonight we're avoiding all those warning signs.

Me too, if I wasn't careful I could end up the subject of one of those terrible after school specials.

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