39 // video/action // c2hlbmFuaWdhbnMh

[40410]

(ooc: Two for the price of one; tag either, neither or both as you desire! But please specify which you've gone for in your tag somewhere. If you're not sure wtf is going on, feel free to check this ooc post.)

39a // videoHere's a video feed of that good old room which some of you might recognise as Alex's. It's dark, but that's actually

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[RIGHT DOWN TO ACTION!]

[echo_of_utopia]

[ On the one hand there are many places the owner of this empty room could be. The library, the dining hall, perhaps outside or in the kitchen or maybe staying with a friend.

On the other hand this room belongs to Alex Kralie.

Lamb doesn't even bother sending a message. If she finds him she might as well claim that having a friendly surprise chat in one of the tea rooms was part of the plan all along.

And if she doesn't... ]

[YOU DON'T HANG AROUND!]

[40410]

[ She won't find Alex.

She will find a door that's hanging open and has been split by something sharp and heavy, such as, ooh, let's take a wild guess and say an axe. ]

[echo_of_utopia]

[ Well, that's a comforting sight. Lamb waits a moment, making sure she can hear the whirr of her bot close by. ]

Alex?

[ This is not the short version of 'Alex, are you there?'. She has her suspicions on that.

This is an abbreviation for 'Alex, in case you or somebody who is a friend of yours is actually in there, please don't hit me with something sharp and heavy, such as for example an axe'.

She braces herself and steps inside. ]

[40410]

[ She still has the bot! That makes Alex so happy.

Or at least it would were he in the general vicinity, wielding an axe or otherwise.

The crocodile's gone from its terrarium. A cluster of camera wasps is charging on the desk. The drawers of Alex's desk have been rifled through (by two different people now; good lord Alex's friends) and various papers pulled out: papers of scribbled notes and doodled storyboards and printed footage stills with suspicious blurs circled in pen. ]

[echo_of_utopia]

[ This just gets better by the second.

Lamb takes in the mess, special attention going to the camera wasps.

Their presence is the most alarming aspect, although the absence of the crocodile strikes her as the most confusing.

Of course all of Wonderland's residents and then some are after Alex in some fashion or other, but what would they want with the crocodile?

Stepping closer to the desk she glances over the exposed papers. ]

[40410]

[ Not all of the wasps are charging, the narration hastens to clarify. Three are missing, and closer inspection will reveal that one of those three is on a small shelf at the far end of the room, filming unobtrusively.

The papers are varied. There are the print-outs, aforementioned. There are HE MAKES ME FORGET and I WASN'T BORN IN WONDERLAND and what looks like some names, on a sheet tucked underneath them. There are storyboards for adapted plays and so on that a surprising amount of effort has gone into. ]

[echo_of_utopia]

[ Lamb ponders looking into the available material. It certainly won't help her find Alex, but of course that is not exactly the goal associated with it either.

She decides against touching the papers. For now.

Inspecting the room more thoroughly (for any hidden crocodiles in particular) she flips through the network and eventually makes a call. ]