[ Action ] (open to all)

[anotherdid]

Who: Everyone is welcome, children and adults alike.
Where: First floor, ballroom.
When: 01/21, from about 9:00 PM on.
Rating: r;
Summary: Formal ball.












[The ballroom's vaulted ceilings are taller than is possible within the realms of reality, and towering, wide windows let in sunlight during the day; at night, chandeliers and wall sconces light up with so many candles, it's hard to believe the light isn't from an electric source.

There are lights strung up around the entrance to the ballroom, and music can be heard playing from within. At the door, Vanessa, with the assitance of the lovely William Whele, will be waiting to meet as many guests as they can. They'll hand each person a small silver box with one of these gifts inside; Wonderland's sense of humor is evident here.]



[Tables line every side of the ballroom, a carefully organized plate setting at each chair with little trays of cookies placed here and there.

One table, set center, is piled high with desserts, Ned's pies, hors d'oeuvres brought by Dr. Lecter, and all manner of food provided by Tohru, Seta, and the diner staff, as well as assistance from Calista, Rebekah, Evelyn, and Lydia. There are numerous drinks available, champagne (thanks to Kol), and liquor, beer, fruit punch, among other beverages, thanks to the closets.]

[Thank you cards will be slipped under the doors of Rebekah Mikaelson, Kol Mikaelson, Tohru Honda, Evelyn O'Connell, William Whele, Hannibal Lecter, Calista, Seta Souji, and Lydia Martin the following day as a way of Vanessa showing gratitude for all of their help.]

Comments

[singloversing]

I don't know...both, maybe?

[He gives a vague shrug, so that he doesn't have to say that other worlds can definitely do that. He's not even really sure if that's true? He doesn't know what the Unknown is really. Or was.]

It seems possible if it brought us here? Or, um. Who knows. That's probably not right. I wouldn't really know anything about it.

[itwouldbeatragedy]

No, it's a really interesting idea.

[Kaneki offers a small smile, trying to reassure Wirt.]

It makes as much sense as anything else, especially considering how little we know.

[singloversing]

[The smile is enough to make him smile back a little bit.]

So...no one really knows much about this place? I've only been here a couple months, so I...I dunno. I thought it might just be me being pretty new to all of this, I guess.

[Or at least the Wonderland edition of it. He never seems to stick around a place long enough to learn the rules of it. It's not like anyone ever really explained the Unknown, after all.]

[itwouldbeatragedy]

[Kaneki shakes his head.] No, it's not just you. I don't think anyone really understands this place or knows much about it. You just kind of...get used to it after awhile and live with it.

[singloversing]

Yeah, that's...that's what I keep hearing.

[He frowns a bit, and doesn't sound super happy about that thought.]

Doesn't that...I don't know, worry you? If people get too used to this place, won't they stop trying to leave?

[itwouldbeatragedy]

It's a possibility. But I think we have to allow for the fact that there may be some people who don't want to leave.

[He sighs quietly, his left hand at his chin.]

Some worlds are a lot worse than being here. Some people may not even be alive at home, or at least, may not have long left to live.

[singloversing]

Huh. I...never thought about it like that. With all the weird things this place does, I just sort of assumed that, well...

[That everyone would be desperate to get home as soon as possible. But, if they're already dead then he guesses that makes sense. It's kind of depressing to think about though.]

...What about you? Do you want to go home?

[itwouldbeatragedy]

[Kaneki takes a few seconds to turn his answer over in his head before speaking, slowly.]

Sometimes. There are people there that I miss a lot. But I can't say that I miss the situation.

[Wonderland has its own challenges, but the seem so much less dire, less black and white than the ones he faces at home.]

[singloversing]

[Wirt can tell he ventured into some sensitive territory, so he seizes up and tries to shift away from it.]

I-I...sorry. I shouldn't have pried.

[That was pretty rude of him in the first place. Why didn't he think about that before he asked?]

My brother and I were already lost somewhere else before we got here. I just...figured that happened to everyone, I guess.

[itwouldbeatragedy]

[Kaneki shakes his head.] It's okay. Really.

[He hasn't said anything he shouldn't have, so far, and for him that's a win. Anything else is open for discussion, as far as he's concerned.]

Your brother? Is he here, too?

[singloversing]

Yeah, my brother Greg. He's around here somewhere. He's the one who wanted to come to this party in the first place, so...here I am.

[That sounds like Wirt was dragged, but honestly he kind of wanted to go too. It's just easier to blame Greg sometimes, especially when he feels out of place.]

But yeah, we turned up together. One minute we were walking in the woods, and then we were here.

[itwouldbeatragedy]

It must be a relief that you arrived together, though.

[Kaneki has no siblings so he's not sure how that dynamic works, but he would have been worried if it had been Hide or even Touka.]

Though I guess you have to worry about him during events.

[singloversing]

[Honestly the thought hadn't even occurred to Wirt that one of them could have turned up with the other. He's always felt kind of stuck looking after Greg, even in the Unknown, but...but what if Wirt had turned up without him?]

...Yeah. Uh. I guess it is.

[He feels kind of bad about not having that kind of reaction before though, so he quickly moves on.]

At least we haven't gotten caught in anything too dangerous. I mean, there have definitely been dangerous things, but neither of us have really been in danger yet.

[itwouldbeatragedy]

[Kaneki nods. That is a relief.]

I'm not much, but if you're ever in trouble and I can help, I'll do my best.

[singloversing]

[He smiles, just a little. Maybe he shouldn't trust so easily, especially after Beatrice, but...]

...Thanks. I really appreciate it.

[Who is he kidding? He'll need all the help he can get if he's ever really in trouble.]

[itwouldbeatragedy]

[Kaneki offers a smile back.]

So, what do you do when things aren't dangerous?

[singloversing]

Uh. Well...N-Nothing really interesting. I'm kind of boring, honestly. Everything's still kind of new here, and well...

[He has no idea how he should be spending his time. He feels like he should be constantly trying to leave, but he has no idea where to even begin with that.]

...What do you do?

[itwouldbeatragedy]

I work at the coffee shop sometimes. And I read a lot.

[He also spends a lot of mornings getting trounced out in the woods by Panne, but that's something he's going to keep to himself.]

I'm pretty boring, too. But I think that's the kind of life I prefer.

[singloversing]

Oh! That's neat. I'm not really old enough to be working or anything like that, but I do read a lot!

[There are no less than fourteen books scattered on his floor at home, in fact, and he's spent a lot of time in Wonderland's library, usually tucked into corner chairs where he can forget people might be looking at him.]

After everything here, I definitely can't blame you for that. I'd take a whole lot of boring any day.

[itwouldbeatragedy]

[Compared to Kaneki's home, Wonderland is kind of a cake walk. At least, no one has tried to kill and eat him.

He's pretty pleased to hear Wirt reads a lot, though!]

What kind of books do you like to read?

[That is clearly the best topic. There could not possibly be a better topic.]

[singloversing]

[Yes, agreed. There is not a single better topic in the whole world.]

Oh man, so many different things. I-- I really like world history. And I read a lot of poetry?

[It sounds like a question, like he's not sure whether it's embarrassing to admit that he likes poetry or not. But since Kaneki likes to read, maybe it won't be weird?]

What about you?

[itwouldbeatragedy]

[Poetry is not weird at all. Not to Kaneki, anyway.]

Lately, I've been reading a lot of psychological thriller sort of novels. I like poetry a lot, though, and non-fiction. [He smiles sheepishly and scratches the side of his face with one finger.] Really, there isn't any genre I'm not interested in.

[singloversing]

Oh! Like Stephen King, stuff like that? Carrie was pretty good.

[A lot of Stephen King's most famous titles came out in Wirt's time, so he's pretty familiar. Hearing that Kaneki likes poetry as well makes him open right up like...well, like a book.]

But yeah, definitely! I read a little bit of everything, but poetry's definitely my favorite, and anything about old world cultures. I dunno, I just...I love reading about all these things that no one ever talks about anymore, you know? There's so many good books out there and it's a shame that like, half the people I go to school with will probably never pick up a book again once they don't have to anymore.

[itwouldbeatragedy]

[It's not quite like Stephen King, but the genres are close enough that Kaneki nods, smiling. Besides, he's read a few Stephen King books, as well, and liked them alright.]

I know what you mean. My best friend probably hasn't ever read a novel all the way through. He's not quite as bad with nonfiction, but it has to be a topic he's really interested in for him to do more than skim through it.

[Not that that makes him like Hide any less. It's just exasperating.]

[singloversing]

Oh man, I know people like that. I have like, no idea how anybody can live that way. ...N-No offense to your friend, of course.

[Wow, don't want to be rude the second he's started getting friendly with someone. But...this is kind of nice, actually. He doesn't have a lot of people around his age that he can talk books with. Sure he's a little older, but...it's kind of like having a senior friend, which his something he never thought would actually happen to him.]

Isn't the library here incredible though? It's like, easily the best part of being stuck here. I don't think I've ever seen that many books before, and all from different worlds? It's amazing!

[He could live in there, probably.]