[OTA] Arrival and First Days

[cisskabob]

WHO: Cissie King-Jones
WHERE: The South Village fountain, the Inn, Around & About (Pick-Your-Own-Adventure!)
WHEN: The first few days of her arrival; 12/28-12/30ish
OPEN TO: All!
WARNINGS: None as of yet; will edit if it comes up.

---

i. Fountain Arrival [OTA]

Waking up in unusual places in strange circumstances is not completely foreign or unusual for Cissie, unfortunately. Her first thought, after the initial panic that came with coming to underwater and the ensuing panic to swim to the surface, is that there was no warning this time. She's used to Wonderland announcing the changes it's about to force upon its inhabitants, and the last thing she remembers, she was going to sleep in her room in the Mansion, like she has every night since she'd been brought there from her dorm room over a year before.

Cissie collapses to the ground after pulling herself out of the water, and at first all she can think about is how cold it is, and how being this soaking wet is probably a Bad Idea. She takes a quick moment to make sure she's okay--limbs intact, no bumps or bruises she can feel immediately, no headaches indicating possible concussions--and then begins to take stock of her surroundings. She has a strange white device on her left wrist, which matches the white scrub-like clothing she's wearing. She looks around, taking in her surroundings, and shakes her head. Talking to herself, she mutters, "What now?"

ii. The Inn [OTA!]

Once Cissie finds her way to the Inn, her first order of business is to dry out, and the fireplace is such a relief that she heads straight for it. Eventually, she sets out to get a room, and change into dry, warm clothes. In the Inn, she can be found hanging out by the fire again, or investigating the common areas. Eventually she will find the public records and find a quiet corner to go read and try to make some sense of what she's been swept up in.

iii. Around and About the South Village [OTA!]

Cissie is not one to sit idly by, especially when she's distressed and unhappy about her current situation, which is exactly how she's feeling. She's spent so much time assuming that when she finally escaped Wonderland, she would go home, and here she is... decidedly not at home. She can't spend all of her time in the Inn, so she pulls on the black coat that was in her bag and heads out to explore the South Village. She needs to meet people, and figure out the lay of the land. When she encounters someone, she will usually offer a hesitant smile; she knows that not everyone she meets will be friendly or interested in humoring another newbie and their questions.

iv. WILDCARD [OTA!]

Feel free to encounter Cissie anywhere you'd like! She'll be doing a lot of exploring and trying to get a grasp on the place and meet whoever she can and learn as much as she can.

Comments

Around the south village

[relentlessness]

Despite spending long hours out roaming the village trying to find his sister, at the end of the day, Jacob tends to find himself a roof near the inn, staying up there until it's too dark to see. The night before though he fell asleep rooftop, curled in against the chimney of someone's house for warmth and it's long hours into the day that he finally wakes up.

Shaking off the cold and the pain of another morning without Evie, and he takes three steps to the end of the roof and takes a high leap, spinning in the air to land easily on his feet, turning to head to the inn.

And nearly running straight into someone.

"Oh! Uhmm, sorry?" Obviously he's not had enough sleep for this, or enough to eat over the last few days.

[cisskabob]

Cissie is not unused to people who prefer to spend their time up on rooftops; in fact, that's been most of the company she's been keeping since she was snagged from home and dumped in Wonderland. It feels like forever since she's been home, and now that she's here, it feels somehow worse. She's doing her best not to mope or dwell, but it's not easy, which is part of why she's out and about, taking a walk and exploring the village.

When a man drops to the ground in front of her, she's startled enough to let out a quick shout. She takes a step back involuntarily, and then laughs in surprise.

"It's okay. I was just surprised. I guess I should spend a little more time looking up."

[relentlessness]

He holds up both hands, making sure that she can see he's not armed. As if doing that would truly prove anything about the weaponry that an assassin might actually be carrying. It does look good though, and he's willing to try and at least make it look good.

"You might, but no worries. It's me not being careful,' he admits. "I kind of fell asleep and then... Not quite awake," he says with a wave of his hand, smiling as if that's normal and as casual as he sounds. "I don't think we've met before though," he says, offering his hand. "Jacob Frye, m'dear."

[cisskabob]

Cissie can't help but smile. He's charming, in a way that tells her he knows he's charming, and she knows enough people of that type that she's not about to fall for it, but that doesn't mean she can't appreciate it. She takes his hand. "I'm Cissie. I'm new, as of a few days ago," she admits, wrinkling her nose. "I'm still getting the lay of the land."

She glances up at the roof he just jumped from and raises an eyebrow. "...You fell asleep on the roof, and jumped off when you weren't quite awake? Isn't that kind of dangerous?"

[relentlessness]

"For as small as it seems, there's quite a bit to adjust to," he admits, nodding though he does dip, bending her her hand as he turns it knuckles up rather than shaking her hand and kissing the air just above her knuckles. It's calculated and playful, having been in the village at least long enough to know that isn't the nature of things any longer. "Especially if for you time is not set in sync with this place."

It nearly was for him, except reminding him of the tiny village he'd grown up in, but he knew that wasn't common for many. One way or another.

His gaze follows hers as he releases her hand, looking up at the roof and then back at Cissie. "Only if you nearly collide with a beautiful woman, which I would call a boon and not a danger."

[cisskabob]

Oh, he's a smooth one. Cissie knows it, but she can't help but be charmed despite herself. She isn't foolish enough to fall for the charm, but she wouldn't be a teenage girl if she didn't appreciate it. She can't quite keep the smile from tugging at the corners of her mouth, even as she's shaking her head.

"Well, Mr. Frye, you do know how to make a girl feel welcome. But you're right; this place is definitely out of sync with the time I'm from, by... oh, I don't know. A hundred years or so? History was never my best subject."

[relentlessness]

"We're all trapped here. The least we can do is be nice to those that find themselves trapped as well." Which is, in part, a large part of it. It's also in part to knowing that right now he's going to catch more flies with honey in this place.

"A hundred years, is it? Well then." He shakes his head, more than amused to think about that. "For me it's about five years off," he admits.

Around and About

[spoileralert]

Steph spends most of her time outside, even in this weather. She has her coat, her shirt's black hood, a handmade scarf and a pair of gloves. That's plenty to get her through the day or night when it's about as cold as Gotham in December. She spent most of her time outside there, too, without nearly as many layers.

Hands in her pockets, she was ready to stroll right past Cissie with a polite smile of recognition in return. Instead she stopped, frowning slightly. No, no she didn't recognize the girl. She may not talk to as many people here as she did in high school but there aren't so many faces around that she can't recognize most of them.

"Hey. You new?"

[cisskabob]

Now that Cissie (and her clothes) are not dripping wet, being outside isn't that bad. It helps with the restless feeling that's creeping in as she begins to realize that she's stuck here. Her smile greeting Steph is somewhat automatic, because that's just what she does--smile at people, be friendly, be approachable. Don't be a threat. But when the other girl does stop, Cissie realizes she was hoping she would.

Cissie's smile turns a bit wry at her question, and she shrugs one shoulder casually. "Yeah. I just got here a day or so ago. I guess you get to know everybody here pretty well, huh? At least by sight." She offers a hand in greeting. "Hi. I'm Cissie."

[spoileralert]

"Steph," she returns, shaking the offered hand. It's weird to shake hands with someone so close to her own age, or anyone, really, but it's whatever.

"We don't have that many blondes, either. Actually, I've met almost all of them." There was the one pretty man with long blonde hair who looked like a vampire or a statue or something else ridiculous, but she wasn't counting him.

"You been to the inn yet?"

[cisskabob]

Cissie laughs a bit, and shakes her head. “Dang, and here I was hoping that my hair would help me blend in in a crowd. There was a hat in my bag, so I guess I’ll have to use that if I want to be incognito.” It’s said with a smirk, because she doesn’t exactly have a reason to hide or blend in, but the thought has definitely crossed her mind.

At the mention of the Inn, she nods and grins. “Yeah, I’m staying there for now, while I get the lay of the land, I guess. I’m a big fan of the fireplace. Have you been here long?”

[spoileralert]

Steph snorts a laugh, glancing around at the all but empty streets. There's no chance of blending in around these parts.

"Since July," is the easy answer to that question. "So..." she counts the months off on her fingers for the harder answer.

"Something like 6 months. It's pretty nice in the summer."

[cisskabob]

Cissie scrunches up her face a bit; six months isn't long, compared to what she saw and experienced herself in Wonderland, but the big difference is that at least there, they knew they would return home at some point, right to the moment they left. No one aged. It was like time wasn't passing, no matter how much it felt like it was.

Here... Cissie isn't sure she's ready to face the reality that time moves normally (maybe?), or that maybe everything she'd thought she knew about Wonderland wasn't actually true.

So instead she focuses on Steph's comment on the seasons. "Yeah? I like summer," she says wistfully, glancing around them. "I'm more of a beach girl than a ski girl, honestly. Unless skiing involves hanging out at the lodge by the fire with hot chocolate, and then I'm in."

fountain arrival since no one else claimed it

[scathefires]

Jason's spent most of his time here not expecting anyone he knows to turn up in the village via the fountain, the same way he did, but Dick's arrival threw that expectation completely out the window. So he stops by the fountain every so often - not obsessively, not even regularly, just when he feels like taking a walk, or a detour on his way back from the library or wherever else he's been.

It's a bit of a shock to see Cissie of all people dripping wet on the ground next to the fountain. It's been months since he last saw her, months since he'd been brought here from Wonderland, and - how likely is it that this is the same Cissie who befriended him despite his doing nothing to intentionally cultivate that relationship? The same Cissie who was nice to him just because she could be, brought him a fruit basket, stitched him up on his first day?

Probably not likely at all. The universe isn't that kind to Jason Todd. Still, even if she doesn't know him, he knows her, and he wouldn't leave any version of her to sit alone in bewildered sopping cold. He strides over toward the fountain, kneeling near her once he's close enough.

"Hey," he says, gently, "you OK?"

yesssssssss good

[cisskabob]

Cissie's in the middle of one hell of an adrenaline rush, and she knows it, but she's also a little in shock. It's the combination that keeps her from noticing Jason before he's kneeling next to her, before he actually speaks to her. She looks at him, blinks, and her brain kicks in. Her eyes go wide when she recognizes him, and she sits up, reaching out to grab his arm.

"Jason? I--you're here? ...Where is here?"

[scathefires]

His expression warms into a smile when she says his name - it must be the same Cissie. She said she'd only heard of him before Wonderland, never met him in person, wouldn't be able to recognize him on sight, so the obvious conclusion is the one he thought most unlikely: it's her. An unexpected feeling of lightness floats up in his chest. He missed her.

"Yeah," he says, softly, "it's me." He reaches out an arm to collect her into a hug, if she allows it - a rare display of affection, but also practical, since she's wet and shivering and shared body heat will help. And as for the where of their whereabouts ...

"We're not in Wonderland anymore." Of that, he's certain. "It's a weird backwater village, doesn't have a name."

[cisskabob]

Cissie does not so much as hesitate when Jason goes to pull her into a hug. On the contrary, she falls in against him and latches on, hugging him back tightly. She's missed him a lot, and she's so happy to see him, and that he knows her. Usually when people leave Wonderland for as long as Jason's been gone, they don't remember their time there when they return...

And then his words start to sink in. She doesn't let go, just frowns into his shoulder, shivering, at first. "We... what? Not in Wonderland..." She does pull back, just enough to look at him, though she still doesn't let go, and doesn't move far. "How? I--I remember everything... Have you been here? This whole time? Months?"

[scathefires]

He nods to answer her question, frowning slightly. “Yeah ... I dunno how long it’s been for you since I poofed, but I’ve been here about five months.” Including a birthday that only Jason noted - not an especially happy affair. “I remember everything, too.” One side of his mouth curves up, attempting half of a smile as he offers his proof of memory: “No kumquats here, sadly.”

[cisskabob]

Cissie gives a wet laugh and hugs him again, out of relief and just because. "It's been about that long for me, too. I mean, you know how time can be there. Sometimes it's hard to keep track. Where are we, though?"

Inn

[morphogenia]

Kamala hasn't been getting out much lately. Long story that has to do with purple men ruining everything. A tale as old as Marvel time. She has made it to the Inn if only to read through those public records. She hasn't been disturbed at all until today. Even then, sad or not, Kamala feels compelled to say hi. She doesn't recognize her and it's a small village. There is a 9 out of 10 chance she's new.

"FYI: some of that is nightmare fuel so tread carefully. Also do you want something to eat? You look new and almost dying is very hunger-inducing." She has yet to talk to anyone who didn't almost drown in that fountain so forgive her the assumption.

[cisskabob]

Cissie looks up from the journal she was just starting to leaf through, and smiles appreciatively, if a bit wryly. "I'm starting to get that nightmare impression, to be honest, and I've barely started making a dent in these. I thought being forewarned was a good idea, but I'm second guessing myself." She closes the journal and pushes it away, standing and offering her hand in greeting.

"Hi. I'm Cissie. And food sounds like a great idea, honestly. Swimming in winter was not exactly on my bucket list."

[morphogenia]

Kamala steps forward to take it. She shakes Cissie's hand with a surprisingly firm grip for someone as tiny as her. "I'm Kamala." She laughs at her joke before releasing her hand. "Yeah, I don't think anyone put that on their list. How about eating really good fried potatoes? Would that work for you?" She feels she's earned the right to brag after having cooked them for so long. She's troubleshooted the heck out of them.

[cisskabob]

Cissie's smile brightens to an outright grin, and she nods enthusiastically. "That absolutely works for me. Fried potatoes sound amazing, honestly." Cissie is not the kind of blond teenager who snubs carbs, especially in a situation like this, where honestly, beggars cannot be choosers when it comes to food. "Can I help?"

[morphogenia]

She loves the other girl's enthusiasm. Kamala claps her hands together at the offer. The only thing better than cooking is getting a partner to tag in. "Could you? There's so much chopping involved!" She is quickly waving at Cissie to follow. "Kitchen is this way!" No one can memorize that on the traumatic first day of near drowning. Besides, it never hurts to be considerate.

[cisskabob]

"Sure!" Cissie can't help but be thrilled at the prospect of having something to do, a way to help or at least not be a total mooch. It doesn't hurt that Kamala is friendly and energetic herself. Cissie jumps up to follow her, asking questions both to make conversation, and because she's genuinely curious. "How much do you usually make? Do you do this all the time? Did you do a lot of cooking at home?"

...Cissie is not much of a cook; she tried to teach herself, in Wonderland, but there were magical meals there, and before that, she lived in a boarding school.