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[radiopalkiller]

[ Philip arrives. He'd rather not have. Moreso, he didn't think weird alternative dimensions could get any less straightforward, and yet... ]

Show of hands if you remember Wonderland¹.

¹ The one where you get endless free drinks within immediate walking distance and all the nightmares of your world come to life to haunt you, while your own reflection laughs at you from a pocket dimension nearby.

(So, not the one from the books.)

PS.: About those endless free drinks. Do you have that feature here? If yes, where? If no, where's the latest group of dedicated heroes looking to find a way out of this place immediately if not sooner, because I'd like to join up.

Comments

[Text]

[drabsolutelynot]

There is no shortage of rampant alcoholics here who can help you out.

[Text]

[radiopalkiller]

[ His people! ]

Sounds perfect, where do I sign?

Or should I just wave my whiskey flask about aimlessly at the nearest street corner?

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[drabsolutelynot]

I'm afraid I'm not the person to ask about that. And I'm not sure people would appreciate me volunteering their names on this matter.

[Though he also half-suspects most would find it funny]

The Speakeasy will be what you are looking for.

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[pocketspa]

[Y'know, if Taako knew there was like, another universe out there named Wonderland that also involved memory loss and suffering, he'd probably answer in a way that was less confusing. However, he doesn't, even if all the pieces don't line up. Time to test if they're talking about the same deal here.]

yeah it sucked
whered you get the free drinks though my version did Not come with that
just bullshit

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[radiopalkiller]

Magical closets? Ominous dining hall? Very nice if somewhat moody kitchen?

The trauma is only half the fun if it doesn't come with free drinks.

[ He... should probably get serious about his inquiry, though. Another Wonderland? Or just someone pulling his le-- No. Hang on. ]

Hang on, are you one of the fairy tale people?

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[pocketspa]

[Well, nevermind, this stopped making sense super quickly.]

fairy tale what
no
seriously though you got free alcohol what the hell
what kind of suffering game is that
seriously i got fuckin jipped my dude

[He’s pretty sure these aren’t the same place by now, considering Phillip had already lost him at “magical kitchen”, but ya never perfectly know. Even after killing the liches who ran it and watching the place disintegrate, there’s no promise they just didn’t end up somewhere else.]

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[hotspurred]

A way out is known to us: the Door. Sorrow, I understand, is the one aware of how it works. Yet as our emotions provide sustenance and power for the gods they would keep us here. We are in no position to contest that. And at current we face greater problems.

You want the Speakeasy. The drinks there are not endless, but nonetheless free and plentiful.

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[radiopalkiller]

[ It's bloody creepy, is what it is. Like a hammer with a wooden head and a metal grip. It's just-- Not quite what it's supposed to be. ]

It's emotions though, not memories? So those gods just prod at us, lap up the reaction, and then we go back to the usual afterwards?

[ And- okay, he did his homework. Half of it, anyway. He flips to the end of his handy welcome guide, grimaces. ]

And bigger problems, that's what? The Null?

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[hotspurred]

Emotions and not memories. Essentially, though such words poorly convey the accompanying distress suffered by us.

Evidently you have found the guide. You are correct. It is possible that the Null shall make themselves known again soon.

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[restinglichface]

considering everything in this place is technically free
and we've had some troublesome reflections as of late
and we all live in a nightmarish hell cave
doesn't exactly sound like wonderland is that far off from hadriel at all. just sayin

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[radiopalkiller]

Honestly, so far I'm not sure they're even different places at all. There's a very decent chance you're all just my temporary hallucinations. No offence.

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[evocation]

i have no idea what that is.
but if you find endless free drinks, hit me up.
and yeah, i'm trying to get out, but usually i do that by kicking something's ass and apparently that's not an option.

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[radiopalkiller]

Did you try though? What happens when you take a good swing at the gods?

[circumitus]

funny, that sounds a lot like here.

drinks aren't endless in that they don't poof out of a god's asscloud, but we make them at the speakeasy.

[radiopalkiller]

I don't know, it's just not the same without divine poof.

When you say a lot like here, does that include the pocket dimension with evil reflections, or is it just the general air of constant psychological trauma?

[Text]

[requiemshark]

plenty of alcohol at the bar if thats your thing

also the guard kills monsters if you're looking for some fun

[Text]

[radiopalkiller]

That definitely is my thing.

The guard probably less so. Anyone who kills monsters as an occupation risks the chance of getting killed right back and that just doesn't sound like a good choice for me right now.

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[braveoff]

[ Drake's text comes with a link that opens the map application on Philip's phone, placing a marker over the speakeasy. ]

That's where you want to be going, the speakeasy... they should be having a party sometime soon, actually. For the newbies.

Where 'the nightmares of your world come to life to haunt you' sounds a lot like this place actually.

And it seems like most people are looking for a way out. It's not really a group of dedicated heroes, it's just.... the state of being. We share information when we get it.

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[radiopalkiller]

[ Huh. Fancy. ]

Appreciate the pointers, cheers.

So I'm gathering. Is it just monsters though? Because in my experience most things from most worlds can be killed without that much of a fuss if you just apply a liberal amount of fire to them.

Really, just the stray bits and pieces? No dedicated secret resistance group? You're lagging behind.

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[toiletseat_girl]

Never heard of it. The endless free drinks sound like fun, but rest of it? Not so much.

And I was gonna ask about the dedicated heroes thing. I know that people who have been here longer know more. I'd like to know what they know.

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[radiopalkiller]

Heard it's been something short of two years for the ones who've been here longest, did I get that right?

Or did you just get here yourself?

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[knifecollecting]

We have the Speakeasy, since the bar got blown up. Don't know anything about Wonderland as a place though.

[She feels like she knows plenty about awful reflections though.]

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[radiopalkiller]

[ He glanced at the sender for every message. One or two names- they sounded familiar. Nothing jumped out. And once a name finally did--Figures he'd get a chance at that familiar gut-wrenching emptiness in his stomach again.

He forces himself to type through it quickly. ]

Delight's bar? Because I've got a great view of the rubble from here.

[ Philip sends a snapshot. A frozen wave of his hand, and a thin smile, atop the ruins of something that must've counted as entertainment once. ]

Unless the local sightseeing tour's got more derelict liquor joints to offer.

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[nonscriptum]

the drink situation here is more of a "finders keepers" one

[Which is why he's trying to be sparing with the bottle of raki he found sitting in some ruins.]

or byob

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[radiopalkiller]

[ There's another familiar name. At least this one doesn't sting. Only raises a few more questions. ]

So other than the Speakeasy, where would most of the finding happen?