entrancelogs | Here we are as in olden days, happy golden days of yore

Here we are as in olden days, happy golden days of yore | OPEN

Who: E V E R Y O N E (Including our 4th wall guests!)
Where: Everywhere, one both Mirror and Real Side!
When: December 12th - December 18th (WEEK ONE)
Rating: PG-13, warn if going higher
Summary: This year's Ewaymas celebration rolls out the way it usually does, with intense decorating, a sudden snowfall and...far more arrivals than usual! New faces and old fill the mansion - but why would Wonderland bring so many people at once? And why do some of them remember Wonderland?
The Story:

On the evening before December 12th, the captives of Wonderland might be awoken by a loud commotion. Some of it is typical Ewaymas noise, likely familiar to anyone who has been in Wonderland for more than a year – construction sounds and jingle bells as Wonderland decks its own halls quite literally. Garland and lights race down the walls and down the stairs, and stockings appear on the walls for each and every person in Wonderland, embroidered with their names. There are decorative candles everywhere, and all sorts of decorations for every conceivable winter holiday, even if it does not align perfectly to the dates of Ewaymas. Time isn't real, so there will be menorahs and dreidels and Star of Davids even though Hanukkah ended two days prior. And of course, in the front hall, growing straight out of the floor, is a large decorated tree full of ornaments for everyone. And as always, it will have snowed heavily overnight, bringing all of the snow Wonderland will have between now and spring.

There is a second source of commotion in the night though – the sound of a crowd.

Over the course of the night, dozens of new arrivals will appear in Wonderland. Some for the first time. Some wondering how they managed to return with their memories. Others stumbling in with no recollection of ever having been here. Some might be friends from other timelines, other possibilities, and some might even be doubles of people who are already in Wonderland. It's strange for Wonderland to drag so many people into the mansion at once, but everything seems to indicate that they are supposed to be there. They have their own network devices and even have their own stockings on the wall and their own ornaments on the tree – by all accounts, it seems Wonderland expects that they'll be staying, and is treating them like any other new arrivals. Please, make them feel at home and help them settle in nicely.

The first few days will be for catching up with old friends and enjoying the decorations and settling into Wonderland. However, within a couple of days the decorations will start to glitch, much the way corrupted computer graphics might. Lights might change abruptly from multi-color to blue or white, entire décor styles will abruptly change, candle flames will flicker on and off like broken fluorescent lights, and any singing decorations might loop on a beat or two over and over putting you into an eternal hell. Wonderland doesn't seem to be able to stick to one motif, and it can't stop changing. These glitches are occurring on both the Real Side of Wonderland and the Mirror Side.

By the 15th, these glitches will include entire rooms changing into different holiday scenes. These scenes will all be of characters at various winter holidays in the past, the present (in their world), or a possible future. At this point in the event, characters will still be able to navigate the basic mansion and be able to exit these moments easily. These scenes cannot be interacted with – Wonderland seems to consider them another form of decorating. Unlike previous events of this type, these scenes will not loop at first. They will play once, and then Wonderland will glitch and correct itself to be the room it is supposed to be. The scene might play again, but it will be in a different location if it does.

By this point, Wonderland is having an increasingly difficult time holding itself together in a way that makes geographical sense. You might exit one room, even a room that was not previously playing a scene, and find yourself in the kitchen or on the roof instead of in the hallway. You might open a door that you were sure led to your room only to see a ten foot drop to the grounds outside.

This is the mingle log for WEEK ONE! For more information on this part of the event or any questions, please head over to the plot post, or check out our Fourth Wall Master Post for your other Fourth Wall event needs! Prose or [action brackets] are welcome. Please clearly indicate whether your character is on the Real Side or Mirror Side in your top levels. And of course, have fun! ♥

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[Oh. Well... Probably not a good thing that she has a gun and pretty sure she doesn't like him. Not that he can blame her. He probably wouldn't like it if he met someone chasing him through traffic... Or rather attempting to since Hank stopped him. He just glanced at her and then the gun. He decided to just kneel down to Jericho to pet him and calm him down.]

I don't know what you're talking about... Are you talking about the child that was with you? if that's the case, than the answer is no, I did not take her.

[ It's now she's realizing that Alice had overridden her thoughts so thoroughly that she wasn't thinking logically. She'd caught glances of Connor at the church once or twice just moments ago, and thinking back on it, his clothing had been different. Granted, she hadn't been paying him much mind, considering all he'd put her and Jericho through, but...

Kara's grip on the gun relaxes slightly, but her body's still tense. She looks around again, blinking rapidly, before settling her gaze back on him. ]

This--this doesn't make any sense.

[ A dog. His dog? Jericho? And she'd thought things weren't adding up before.

She doesn't say anything, but her face probably says a lot. Thanks, Wonderland. ]

I don't expect it to make sense for you. Not at first. We're not even in our own world right now.

[She was new and bound to be confused.]

Believe it or not, we're currently in Wonderland and there's no known way out yet. People come and go at random.

[Like one of his friends who left recently. He's... sad, but he'd been told that it happens. He just hopes she'll be okay back where she's from, all things considered.]

[ The news must be physically weighing down on her, because she sinks to her knees, her gun flopping into the snow, temporarily forgotten. THANKS, WONDERLAND.

Just to be certain, she does a quick scan of all her systems. Everything comes back normal. Comforting.

Kara raises her head slightly, staring at Jericho's curious face. It's its own weird sort of comfort. And discomfort. The android who'd nearly killed her and Alice, who'd sold them out, seemed to have a pet.

Brow tight, she lifts her gaze higher, up to Connor. ]

Why should I trust you?

I can't tell you how to feel. [Seriously. He has no idea.] Whether or not you trust me is up to you, but I've become who I've been hunting.

[Petting Jericho lightly before letting him curiously sniff the new android out. Will she hurt him or his owner? Meanwhile... How do you deal with this awkward situation? I guess it's time to face the elephant in the room.]

About the highway... I'm sorry. I thought... that I was doing the right thing back then, but I was wrong.[With so many things. Damn.]

[ For a good while, she doesn't say anything, her gaze dropping back to the ground. She knows she can't ignore the truth. There probably wouldn't have been nearly as many survivors if he hadn't joined them.

Still, she thinks of the fear that hasn't left her. Fear for Alice. For Luther. Everyone. ]

You stopped.

[ Her voice is quiet. Thoughtful. It's something she's thought about during her rare, brief moments of respite. If he had chosen differently, what could've happened?

Kara looks up. She can't get rid of all the conflict on her face, but her expression isn't nearly as hard as it has been before. ]

You could've kept going, but you didn't.

[Everyone would have died.... He's seen what might have happened and he's not really too happy about it.]

I think... I've known that I was becoming a deviant over time myself... I just didn't want to believe it. It wasn't logical nor was it something that should have happened. Not to me. Not when I was the key to ending everything.

.... But I've come to realize that I'm glad that I didn't go down that path. [A very difficult way, as well.]

[ That surprises her. A gradual change? Hers had been so sudden. Though, sometimes...she had the nagging feeling that this may not have been her first time.

She studies him closely. She's not ready to fully trust him, and she's sure not ready to forgive him. His words speak to her, however, add a little strength to their weak bond.

Kara stands, taking a moment to tuck her gun away at her back. It's a sign she's willing to listen. ]

Thanks. [ It's not really a full acceptance of his apology, but he deserves to hear it. ] I'm...glad you joined us. No matter how long it took.

[ She finally gives him a hesitant smile. ] You saved us.

[Oh. She put the gun away. That was progress at least.]

.... I'm sorry.. for what I've caused.

[ Her brow knits for a moment, but at least her smile doesn't falter. Definite progress being made here! ]

It's fine.

[ Again, not full acceptance. He put Alice in danger more than once, so.

Suddenly, as if remembering they weren't at home, she glances around at their surroundings. Jericho's frolicking near the fountain. Seems like he'd gotten bored of waiting for her to rub him. ]

You...said we're in Wonderland?

[ How ironic. ]

Yeah. There's no known way about how we came here or how to leave just yet, so leaving on our own devices isn't possible at this moment.

[As long as Jericho is entertained and hasn't gone too far away, he'll leave him be, but he's still keeping an eye on him to make sure he doesn't go too far.]

[ Kara doesn't say anything immediately, just observes. She notes how much Connor seems to keep checking on Jericho's whereabouts, almost like a parent with a child. She can't help but be intrigued.

And at least now she knows he's not lying.

She relaxes some more. He can probably sense her stress levels dip a tad. ]

You seem like you've adjusted okay. [ Her smile's a little wry. ] But I can imagine you're good at that.

[ Did that sound bitter? That might've sounded bitter. ]

Can you...tell me more?

[ Maybe Alice will come. She'll want to know everything, too. ]

I've adjusted, but I can't say how well just yet. It's strange place to get used to.

Well... I was designed to fit into normal human society, so that would be one of my features. [Said in a more joking way than not. No winking this time though.]

I'll tell you whatever you want to know, to the best of my abilities. Were there any specific questions you had?

[ Kara gives him a look at the comment. There's not much amusement there. But hey, she's trying.

A while later, after they've talked, she's sitting on the fountain, lightly stroking Jericho's head. She didn't think having his dog there would give her so much comfort, but life is strange.

A sigh escapes her. ]

What are the humans like?

[ She'd saved that particular question for last. The answer to it worried her the most. ]

[It was times like this that Connor was thankful to have Jericho around. While he seemed more interested in the pretty android giving him pets, it was probably better to comfort her as much as they can.]

They're not so bad. They haven't been exposed to us like those in our world, but they're are a lot of different kinds of people here from all walks of life. No one has really given me any trouble since being here.

[Then again, Connor doesn't really try to hide that he's not an android.]

[ Kara's not sure if she should feel comforted or not. Humans had a tendency to be surprising in the worst way. ]

I guess I'll have to see for myself.

[ In other words, she's not convinced. He hasn't had much reason to fear humans, really. It almost makes her feel envious. ]

Just...don't let your guard down.

[ She feels conflicted, showing some concern for him. But in the end, he's an android, too. ]

[Shrugging lightly.]

I don't, so you don't have to worry about that. That's probably something you'll just have to experience for yourself though.

[ Her lips press together. If she had her way, she'd only hang around him and Jericho. Mostly Jericho.

Hell, she'd probably never go inside the mansion. She was resourceful. She'd manage. ]

I'm not sure if I'm ready to.

[He has nothing against that. He needs more friends... Well sort of friends?]

Go at your own pace. It's not exactly an easy thing to adjust to.

[And if she was weary of humans, it would take her longer. He'd never had issues himself, mostly because the way he was designed and programmed to live like.]

[ Again, they're back to the ease of adjusting to Wonderland. To humans. She hates how jealous she feels, even knowing it's wrong. ]

How would you know about how easy it is to adjust?

[ As soon as the words are out, she regrets them. They'd sounded so bitter, like he was still an other.

Her head dips, her gaze locked on Jericho. ]

Sorry, I'm just... [ She lets out a sigh. ] I shouldn't judge. It's not right. It's not like I know what you've been through.

[He didn't show much reaction. Not enough for any normal human to tell, but Kara probably could. His LED turned yellow for a while, with an expression that showed some surprise before going back to how he was.

She had every right to snap at him, and frankly? It made him think back to how he felt he didn't deserve to be free after everything happened, but he'll shake that off for now.]

I'm sorry. Maybe it was how I was designed, but I get it. I'm not... the best example of how to properly live. I don't blame you for how you feel about me but... I hope in time we can get past the past... Maybe become friends?

[He knows that's a tall order, but he's trying to see things from her side and even fix what he's broken.]

[ Slowly, she looks back at him. She'd definitely noticed the LED, and it made her feel worse. In such an unfamiliar place, should she really be pushing away the one person who probably understood her the most?

He needed help, too. She could only imagine deviancy must be terrifying for someone whose only purpose for a while had been getting rid of it.

Her look turns sympathetic. ]

I can't speak on the future, but... [ Which isn't exactly saying there's a possibility for friendship, but who knows? ] I don't want you to have to go through this alone. No matter what happened.

[ She smiles a bit. ] I don't think Alice would appreciate me turning away someone in need.

[This was the AX400 he was put on the job to capture... The AX400 who hurt her master while escaping with his daughter. At the time, it didn't matter to Connor that Todd was abusive towards the two and a drug addict. That didn't matter when a job was a job. Now... He may not have known much about Kara past that, but even this showed him that she must have changed a lot during all of the trouble he'd put her through.

And again the never ending question as to "Why did Markus allow me to live?" was ever present. How could these people forgive him so easily. Honestly, he's glad that she's not completely resisting his attempts to make things right, but he also knows he deserves what he gets. And there's his LED glowing red for a moment while thinking about all of this. "I don't want you to have to go through this alone." Was that what he felt? Lonely? The guilt was ever strong -- per the usual -- but there was a hint of sorrow as he LED changed to yellow again, not bothering to hide it while he was deep in his thoughts.

Eventually, it returned to blue as he let out a sigh of relief.]

Thank you. I know I've screwed things up but... I'm doing my best to fix what I've done.

[ It takes her a moment to respond. Part of it is still distrusting him, but the other part is intrigue. She can't even begin to imagine what he's thinking about, but the change in LED...she's honestly glad hers isn't in anymore. It was capable of saying so much to those who understood it. It's a wonder he still has his.

Before she can debate on doing it any longer, she places her hand on his and gives it a squeeze. She's reminded of the night when she escaped with Alice, when her daughter's small hand crept over and they shared that brief moment of comfort on the bus. It had grounded her when the world felt so terrifying and huge. Hopefully it'd do the same for him.

It's not like she'd be here long, right? At least she could give him that before she left. ]

You're welcome. Just take it one day at a time.

[In a way it did ground him, but it mostly distracted him from his thoughts. It made him stop thinking about it as much because now he sort of snapped out of it for the time being. And all he could think about was how he made her life difficult over the past few days, even if it wasn't solely his fault. And yet here she was trying to comfort a very confused, emotional mess. Before he could even think twice, words sort of spewed out, reflecting on his thoughts.]

I'm sorry. [He deserved all of the hate for what he did, but she was willing to give him a chance.] I'll be fine. I just... need to adjust.

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