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

[He was glad to see her, but didn't expect the hug. Either way, he just gave a small chuckle before returning the hug.]

Well, it's been.... interesting to say the least. I'm assuming Wonderland is behind it again, but not sure how. [Glancing to her as if to check for any injuries.] I assume you've been well?

[ The question makes her smile falter a bit. ] Um, well. Ahaha. I actually just got back!

[ Monika lets him go with a small sigh, looking down. She didn't like to dwell too much on upsetting things--she was very good at compartmentalizing--but it's never easy to talk about the Void. She deserved to be there, sure, but...

She brings her gaze back up to him. ]

I went back to my game and...I got deleted. [ She shrugs a bit. ] But at least I'm here now! So it's okay!

Oh.

[Which is all he says for the time being. He imagines it's a lot like being decommissioned...]

I'm sorry. [He wished there was some way to help her, but her world was out of his hands.] I imagine it's due to the influx of people, but it's good to see you again. [And a glance.] It must be nice to have a body for however long it lasts.

[ Monika quickly shakes her head. ] Don't worry about it. It was better that way.

[ And that's all she says about that. Her time free was precious, even more so now, and she didn't want to taint it too much with pain and regrets.

So, no sadness! Time for smiles! ]

Honestly? It's weird being this way. I'm so used to time limits! [ Wait. No pain. ] Mm, whatever. It's good to see you, too.

[ With a little grin, she gives him a nudge. ] You adjusting to your freedom okay? You better be~

Well... I'm attempting to. Wonderland is up to some weird stuff, but it's brought quite a good amount of people from my world here.

[And then a moment...]

Oh uh.. Be careful. There's another me around here. To more specific... Do you remember the event where we changed for a while...?

[ Oh, Wonderland. Never change.

No, maybe actually change, because wow. ]

Um, yeah. You were kind of a jerk. [ There's a slight pause. ] Well, ahaha, there's no "kind of" about it. You had a major stick up your butt.

[ One of her eyebrows creeps up. ] Is he like Connor 1.0?

[That does make him give out a light chuckle.]

I can't say I was too fond of talking to him myself. [He won't deny that.] He's here. It's... In Detroit, my memories are uploaded to a type of cloud if you will, just in case something were to happen to me. If I were to be destroyed somehow, they'd just send a new RK800 in, upload my memories, and continue the mission. There are some problems with that, though. There is some memory loss involved.

This other RK800 model that's here... It's not like another model came and took my place. It's more like... he's the original, but if I had carried out my mission. Like.... the way I was during the event.

[It felt weird to think about, but he didn't want Monika to run into him and find out the hard way.]

[ The look on her face is strange as he explains that. Though she was also of the digital persuasion, android technology was still a wee bit out of her grasp. Throw in Wonderland shenanigans and it got even worse.

Eventually, she gives a few shakes of her head and widens her smile. No pain! No regrets! ]

It's fine. That's not you, and you're not an "RK800" anymore.

[ She boops his nose. ] You're Connor! So don't even worry about it. If I see him, I'll give him a good slap, just for you~

[Wow. That was... something that seemed pretty universal at this point. People telling him that he wasn't that person anymore and not to worry. None of them were wrong and it wasn't a bad thought, just still a bit foreign for him.]

I mean, I'm technically still an RK800 model, but...

[Oh. Okay. He wasn't expecting the boop, so he took a moment to finish. But her response does make the faint smile show again, chuckling lightly again. He just didn't want her to be confused about it not being the Connor she came to know and her safety.]

Just... be careful, okay? I'm... who I make myself to be.

[His way of saying that he's not the same. His choices may have been seen as errors or a mistake to his counterpart, but he didn't regret his decisions after he'd woken up. If nothing else, he felt more regret of the damage he's caused already and it was too late to fix them.]

Don't worry! I'll be fine. Between my game and this place? Not much scares me anymore.

[ When you spend nearly a year in digital purgatory with nothing but your thoughts to keep you company, things happen. ]

Still, it's nice to know you care so much about me~

[ She's teasing, but it is nice to have some concern thrown her way after what feels like ages. Hell if she's turning it down. ]

C'mon. Tell me some happy things! I know you've been doing something to keep yourself occupied. [ There's a soft snicker. ] You totally seem like the type who'd go nuts if you weren't busy.

We're friends, right? Before coming here, I only had one friend. I've learned the value of having them along the way.

[Which is to say that, yes, he does care about you. More than he probably understands right now.]

Well... I've adopted a dog, besides that I haven't really done much. [Oh right.] Ah, speaking of. I should really check on him.

[Come with him, Monika.]

[ No pain, right? But the talk of friends makes her heart ache. Literally, for once. Human bodies were so crazy. ] I'm glad I can call you one, Connor. For the longest time...I tried to pretend I didn't have any.

[ Monika's quiet for a moment, but then she perks right back up. Problems immediately stop existing when you don't think about them!

Soon enough, she's bouncing alongside him as they head towards his room, hands clasped from excitement. ]

You, with a dog! Ahaha, oh gosh! Totally not what I expected! [ Shooting things, maybe. Or maybe learning art? One of the two. ] What made you want to do that?

[Listen. He's not trying to push buttons here.]

I can understand that. Rather... back then I had no use for friends. [They were unnecessary for the mission. But things change.]

I used to know a dog named Sumo. His owner is my partner back home on the DPD. I guess I just missed him. [Or Hank in particular, but he did miss the giant, gentle beast just as much.

They weren't too far away, so the moment he opened his door, Jericho was right right waiting for him. How dare you leave him alone for so lon-- Oh! That's a pretty girl. Must sniff her curiously now.]

This is Jericho. Jericho, this is my friend Monika.

[Said as if he could understand Jericho. Sadly, he does not have the same super power as Hank to be a dog whisperer.]

So cute~!

[ Who cares about friends now! There's a fluffy dog in need of pets and she has so! many! to! give! Connor's temporarily forgotten as she goes dog crazy for a while.

She hasn't had the chance to meet any real ones. Give her a break.

Oh, right. Connor. He still exists. ]

I don't think there's any "guess" about it. You totally missed him! [ She giggles at Jericho licking her cheek. ] That's so sweet of you.

[ Which reminds her. ] You said a lot of people you knew from back home had showed up. Is he one of them?

[You know... He's just going to chuckle and take a seat while she does her thing. Jericho is having a blast with all of the love he's getting anyways.

Oh, looks like she noticed he was there again finally. Oh.]

Ah... Yeah.. [Awkwardly rubbing the back of his neck to the first comment. And he was glad to see him again.] Yeah, he's one of the people that arrived here.

[ Well, that's an interesting reaction. She grins to herself. ]

Have you two hung out some, then? Done some cop things? Ahaha, I know it's probably boring here without any crimes to solve...

[ Not that she'd know anything about any crimes in Wonderland!! ]

I'm sure you two could find something to shoot!

We have. I just.. don't think it would be a good idea to shoot something indiscriminately. It's technically illegal for androids to use firearms after all.

[Which... doesn't mean much... Because he used them frequently throughout the time anyway, but he can joke about it at least.]

It's probably better that there is no crime to solve.

Edited 2018-12-18 08:47 (UTC)

Yeah. You're right. No crime is good.

[ She's been hoping to avoid Dr. Fitz. For reasons. Crime reasons. But he doesn't need to know that. ]

A-Anyway! Ahaha! It's just a suggestion. Besides, I'd pay to see someone try to stop you from using a gun~

[ Suddenly, she's walking over to him and tugging on his hands. ] Come on! There's snow outside and I want to enjoy it! Jericho can come, too!

[He was about to comment on the gun, but that became moot to her excitement. He'll just let it slide for now and let her drag him along. It was understandable, considering she didn't get the opportunity to live like this otherwise. Meanwhile Jericho will follow close behind.]

[ So much excitement! She's hardly dressed for the weather, since she normally doesn't even have to think about weather, but who cares? There's snow! Real, crunchy, icy snow that she just can't get enough of. But the thought of it gets slapped out of her mind unexpectedly.

It's right when they're nearly to the entrance hall that her keen eyes pick up on one of the most important things that comes with Christmas. You'd think she'd seen Santa Claus from the way she gasps.

Mistletoe.

Now, they're friends, right? But everyone can be a little more than friends once or twice without any repercussions. And this was practically Christmas law! Connor was very concerned with the legality of things, so it was only right that she made sure he remained a law-abiding citizen!

Monika comes to a stop, making sure she's in the perfect place that he'd end up caught under the precious plant with her. She's not missing an opportunity when it gets handed to her! ]

Hey! Look~

[ She innocently points up. What a coincidence! ]

[He was just letting her do her thing, so seeing her stop before getting outside made him cock his head to the side ever so slightly, gauging just what had caught her attention. Glancing up to see what she was talking about..]

A mistletoe?

[That was pretty common to have hanging around Christmas time from the information he knew of it, but what was so fascinating about it? He was not even thinking about what people do under them just yet though. Hadn't even crossed his mind. He's in for a surprise.]

What about it?

Ahaha, I guess your head's so full of police stuff that the more important things in life wouldn't be there~

[ Seriously, Cyberlife. Get with it.

But it's okay! She's patient. She's had one whole kiss in her life, so she knows what she's doing.

Monika steps closer, taking a moment to marvel at him. She wasn't joking when she first met him--he really is handsome. And if not for the light in his temple, she wouldn't even know he wasn't human.

It's fine, though, him being the way he is. She likes the thought of him as an android so much more. ]

It's sooo romantic, isn't it? [ There's a dreamy sigh. ] Kissing under the mistletoe.

[What..? He's... not sure what to think right now. He's never really thought about what it meant to love someone in that context. It just wasn't in his programming, but if Markus and North could fall for each other, than it couldn't be impossible, right? And then there were the Traci's back at the Eden Club..]

I uh.. wouldn't really know.

[He's not sure what to do right now. The obvious answer is to kiss under the mistletoe, but this is something he has no idea how to handle. He's barely getting the basics of emotions for one. His hesitation had everything to do with getting an error on side and nothing to do with Monika herself. Monika was fine. He liked her.

Just... What do you do?]

[ Another gasp! ] Then that's even better! I can show you!

[ And she's not kidding. She immediately starts adjusting him to her liking, a look of intense focus on her face. Eventually, his hands are placed just so on her waist, and hers have settled onto his shoulders. They could be the cover for a romantic comedy, really.

Her second first kiss was going to be perfect! ]

Do you need some more time to prepare? [ Already, she's leaning in--well, up, considering the height difference. ] I know this is probably the most intense thing you've ever done~

[Oh.

OH.

Uhm... ERROR?

He was way out of his element right now. Oh, and now he's closer to her than he ever thought he'd be. He's conflicted right now. He did like her, but did he like her like this? What was it like to actually feel like it actual love? Is this what Markus and North deal with? How do they do it? He had a million thoughts running through his mind and his LED was clearly showing that.]

Uh. I... don't know about this.

[He's not saying no. Wait, was he actually feeling nervous about all of this? Oh god. Why were emotions so hard to understand. What was this one he was feeling right now?]

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