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! ♥

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Huh. So you're tellin' me we're dealing with Alice and the Queens being here too.

[Well ain't that a fucking caterpillar trip and a half.]

Heh uh...well look who you're talk too, Connor. I ain't exactly what you'd call a shining beacon of what having healthy proper feelings is like. It's hard having emotions but you get better with them in time. Sometimes you regress and start the climb up again. Everyone who says otherwise is probably lying to you.

[He is interested on the prospect of a mystery. He hadn't gotten to be a detective too much in the other place.]

Right. Well I'll help you out then. Jericho too.

[Hank is resisting the urge to call him Jeripooch. This is probably a good thing.]

Have others shown up just from their world or where they somewhere else before showing up here?

[Hank is not very smooth about these questions.]

[He's got a point. Drinking down his emotions and playing Russian Roulette.... Just know that Connor won't stand for the Russian Roulette. Drinking was bad, but it could be worse. Hank could shoot himself. That's something that he never wanted to happen ever again.]

I'll probably need the help. I spoke to someone about figuring out what it might be and she laughed at me saying that people who have been here for a few years couldn't; What made me different? I can understand what she probably thinks, but the only thing you can do is try.

[By this point, they're finally to his room. It's nothing special, since he hasn't really thought about getting much for himself, although there's a dog bed and a variety of toys for Jericho strewn about the room. Offering Hank a seat, he took a seat as well.]

From what I can tell, they generally show up from their world, but I haven't met too many people yet. [But that poses an interesting question.] But it's probably possible for them to have come from another world before this one. It's hard to believe there are other worlds beyond what we're used to, but seeming as each person is from a different place, maybe it's not so unbelievable?

[Don't worry Connor he couldn't even if he wanted now :)]

Yeah, at worst you might uncover something. [His sarcasm is thick but well, Hank is Hank, after all.

The room is...what he expected Connor's room to be, really. There's a brief thought about the Connor he knew in Falls, but it's a fleeting thought, gone just as quickly even as he sits down.]

Yeah. It's...[Connor would easily be able to detect Hank's rising heart rate.]...fuck. Uh, last place I was before here wasn't Detroit, Connor. I was in Florida amount other states...long story short, I was in a different world before this one.

[Short only because he knew that Connor would have a million questions.]

[And that he does. But he doesn't even have to ask, because Hank just knows it's better to just say it.]

I see. [He doesn't really have any reason to doubt him.] How exactly does that work...? I suppose you probably wouldn't know, knowing how people seem to come at random as is. Was it a bad place to be?

[Because his nerves are making Connor wonder if he should be concerned. Hank was a grown man who could take care of himself, but if Connor had to step in to help him, he would in a heartbeat.]

[I see...Hank knows he shouldn't be surprised by Connor's lack of a reaction, but it just serves to remind him that both of them had been stuck in places long enough that this type of situation wasn't met with disbelief, but an almost silent acceptance, focused only on the details. Jury is still out of that's a good or a bad thing. At the question, he visibly relaxes.]

It was...actually not too bad.

[Translation: It was pretty great. Which is miles from Hank's usual complaining attitude.]

Place was filled with a surprising amount of androids.

[Translation: Hank hung out mostly with androids, robots...and Archie.]

We were allowed to move around most of the United States. Place felt a bit like home, if we were stuck right dab in a cold war with Russia. Well that, and super heroes were everywhere.

[Those were not small details, Hank.]

I need to show you something...

[He lifts up one of his sleeves and moves the hand so that it's easier to see in the light. If Connor does a scan he'd notice thousands of tiny little organisms that appeared to be half organic, half mechanical moving in his bloodstream.]

They call them nanites. Good old Uncle Sam pumped our bodies full of 'em.

[Had Hank confessed this to Connor when he'd been new here, he'd probably have questions, but he didn't. There was a lot he still didn't know, but he was adjusting to Wonderland slowly. As if he had to be prompted, because he was quick to scan and analyze what could be on his arm.]

Nanites... Just what are the purpose of these.

[And what do they do to him..? Did Connor have to be concerned?]

[Connor's calm demeanor brought by his own experiences here is what causes Hank to relax considerably.]

On paper anyway it's a way to be able to keep watch over us since we're not supposed to leave the United States, but they also claimed it was for our protection. If you get a cut it'll heal up faster, that sort of bullshit.

[Hank is not completely convinced, considering it hasn't happened to him.]

There is a sentient gateway in that world...a Porter that brings people from different worlds. Gives us a case of radiation [Connor's scan would have revealed that as well] that's harmless to others but it uh...

[After all of that...and now's the time he finally looks away, briefly scratching the back of his neck.]

...changed us a bit? Christ that makes it sound worse. It gave us powers.

[The words still seem strange to him.]

[Man... If he had not come here, all of this would have sounded like nonsense. Considering the walks of life that came here, could he really say this was strange and uncanny? So instead of questioning everything like he would have done normally, he'll just assume this was par for the course in the world he was in before this.]

And what kind of powers did it give you?

[This concerns him, but Hank is saying that it doesn't affect him, so maybe he's fine. It doesn't change the fact that Connor's going to be keeping a close eye on his condition though.]

[Hank was greatly appreciating that Connor is not playing 20 questions with him in all of this. Which means he feels a little less, well not ashamed but more willing to tell him, strangely enough.]

Uh I can talk with dogs and speak their language.

[Hank wonders if Connor had gotten a clue about that one. It's his 'amusing' power, as far as Hank is concerned. The rest, not so much.]

The others are...well I can bench press 2000lbs...my skin's a lot more durable too. The last power's kinda shitty when it comes to androids.

[Now, he can't look at him. Cause he remembers his talk with Markus. It's a power that essentially undoes what makes an Android who they are.]

It lets me temporarily remove someone's power, if I know what it is. For androids uh...being an android was considered a power there so...yeah.

Ah.... [That.... suddenly makes a lot of sense.] Does that make you wonder what Sumo's actually saying half of the time.

[His attempt to making a joke. It's not very good.]

How exactly would you take being an android from an android...? [Would you just like... lose all of your abilities as an android and you're basically plastic human??]

Oh I don't have to wonder. I know. Dogs are fucking chatty once they realize you understand them. I voted for a representative who put his dog up as the front-runner and she told me she was doing it because she was promised bacon.

[It's not much of a joke, but Hank will just go with it. And this is the story of how Hank had ended up with a bunch of strays in his house.

His expression goes right back to being a little more concerned just as quickly.]

Well...in that world at least it turned them human.

[And there are a lot of implications with that.]

Sounds simplistic. If only humans were that simple.

[He'll attempt to humor him at least.]

That must be an experience for them. Does it last forever or just for a certain amount of time?

Christ Connor I...I never used it. After speaking to Markus I just knew that's like removing what makes you, well you. I just knew the potential was there. But if you're talking about removing someone's power, it's only as long as I look at them. I've got human limits so I'd say at most an hour, but I never tried it.

[Hank never was in a situation that needed it.]

You're not wrong. As much as other android have longed for freedom, it would be strange to not be who they are. [He says this as a bystander because he's... an exception to the case.] It's probably better that you hadn't.

Yeah I bet. That would be like me turning into an android, you know?

~~[Hank stares at the camera like if he's on The Office.]~~

Anyway. Like was pretty damn hectic when I was there. Hey uh...is there thirium for you here? Y'know...just in case.

[Connor has been here for three months but still. Hank just wants to make sure. He's not worried at all, no sir.]

[At first he wasn't expecting Hank to remember what it was actually called or to even bring it up, but it does make him chuckle lightly. Was he concerned about him? ~~Of course he was~~. He couldn't say why, but he felt a little relief to hearing it, regardless. Happy?]

Yeah. If need be, I can get whatever I need from the closets here. Biocomponents and Thirium included.

Edited 2018-12-16 11:29 (UTC)

[Hank would indeed worry, as it had been a major concern for Connor and Markus in the previous world. ]

Closets. You get all of your shit from closets. The fuck does that even mean?

[~~Connor get out of the closet~~.]

Yeah... The closets are magical. I didn't believe it until I tried it for myself. [He'll just get up and go over to his closet, pulling out a bag of Thirium to demonstrate.] There's no form of currency here. So most things can come from these closets. Otherwise they have vendors you can go to for things from back home, at the cost of a memory of yours I believe. The kitchen also stocks food, so they'll generally have whatever you need, or so I'm told.

[He doesn't have to eat, so he hasn't tested it. ~~I like it in the closet, Hank.~~]

Edited 2018-12-16 11:38 (UTC)

[This should be fascinating. A place that can essentially end world hunter and give others what they want. But already this world unnerves him. The lost of memories in exchange for items. He briefly imagines forgetting about Cole...fuck he'd never be able to take that type of risk.

He concludes that he might actually enjoy having to fight space missiles shot from the fucking moon than the creepy underlining of what's happening here.]

So you can come in anytime you like, but you can never leave, huh. Well, until they make you.

[Taking a sit again after setting the Thirium bag on a table.]

At the moment, we have no control over it.

Fuck. [Riveting words from Hank Anderson as usual.] Is there anything else apart from this magical closet-filled prison place?

I think those are the basics. I'm still in the process on figuring things out, but this place does do events based off of a resident's memories. Some aren't bad and some are.

Memories...

[Hank repeats the word almost like a curse. Hopefully Connor wouldn't notice too much, but honestly Hank had always worn his emotions on his sleeves.]

...fuck if this place even as much thinks about doing something with my memories of Cole, I'm tearing it all down.

[It wasn't hard to tell that it bugged him. Connor -- on the otherhand -- didn't really have any particular feelings towards them.]

I wouldn't think it would do something with Cole, but I can't say for certainty just yet. [And then he was silent for a moment.] The other Connor around here... There was an event when I first arrived that changed us for a while... Almost as if... you'd gone a down a different route than what you remember... A route that could have happened, had you picked the wrong choices.

[Can Hank see where he's going with this?]

.... I know what happens to the other model... because I remember it from that event myself... [And damn does that trouble him.] I realized... that I'd dodged a bullet, so to speak, but it's really just... strange.

I could have easily ended up like that and I wouldn't have thought that what I did was wrong. I guess that's what happens if I hadn't deviated.

Right and I was some sort of utterly shitty partner.

[Because of Connor's going to go into self-deprivation, he was facing off against the currently raging world champion. He scoffs at the idea, but he knows exactly how a few places could have changed his feelings about Connor...a world where he did pull the trigger on him. A world were Connor pulled the trigger on Chloe, wanting to get the information from Kamski...

Fuck, it's depressing as hell.]

But you didn't, [he concludes,] and you know better. Maybe...he might in time too.

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