+ FOURTH WALL EVENT: GENERAL NON-PARTY MINGLE POST +

[vitaelamorte]

Who: E V E R Y O N E
Where: Everywhere that isn't one of the parties! Both Sides!
When: Sept 1st to Sept 10th
Rating: G to PG-13 (please label higher ratings, thank you!)
Summary: Wonderful parties are springing up all across Wonderland, but there are still plenty of other places to explore. This is a log for any new arrivals who want to experience different parts of Wonderland life, and any current guests not in the mood for a log or transmission of their own.

Please also see THE FOURTH WALL MASTER POST for rules, information, and all the fun parties you can visit!
The Story:

On the morning of September 1st, everyone in Wonderland, on both Real and Mirror Side, will awake to find one of four possible invitations has been shoved under their doors. The glass has been carefully removed from all mirrors, and everyone will be able to cross to and from Mirror Side with ease, without forcing any sort of swap. The Queen of Hearts' chambers, discovered in the previous event, will be mysteriously inaccessible, leading only to a tearoom.

Additionally, there will be many more Wonderland guests than usual, each of them with their own random invitation and network device (wired to make replies only). As the week goes on, as per the invitations, more and more parties will appear (and everyone is invited to all of them, whether they received an invitation or not). But who brought them here? Why are there so many parties? Who is responsible for all of this exactly?

It's anyone's guess, though if parties or riddles are not your style, then there is always plenty more to see...

Comments

[pielemental]

Dean's eyes narrows at that flinch, his vision going back to normal just in time for him to catch that. "Something happened."

It's not a question. Then, "I don't think I feel up to potentially getting into a fight with another me. So avoiding is fine by me."

[last_liar]

Mine too.

[Yuu chuckled to himself. Minato was cute. He had a much better sense of humor than Yuu did.]

You know, I can't remember which of us left first.

[eatsyourscience]

[Souji looked over at him. He glanced at the curry, then at Minato. It was a little surprising, the amount he'd eaten, but things were different for Minato now. Souji wasn't sure how different, but different enough.

He nodded to that request.]

It hasn't changed.

[Though he knew that wasn't why Minato wanted to go there.]

[mynameisoliverqueen]

Even then, it's worth a try.

[Was she expecting any other answer from him?]

[jivitadana]

I did.

[Minato had known somehow. At that time, he knew that Yuu was still around the moment that he had left.]

I'm sorry.

[jivitadana]

[Minato had changed though. Everyone did. He wanted to see though where Souji had stayed again in this place since it had to have changed, even if just a little bit.]

Thank you.

[For agreeing to let him see it. Among other things.]

Before we go, can I ask if you're afraid?

[It seemed like Souji was. Minato could tell, even if Souji was just a little bit, as it was hinted before. But he asked straight out this time if to give Souji a chance to let anything out that he had to let out.]

well at least there's a save up there

[kairotic]

[The Blasters are gone. She doesn't remember when they dropped, disappeared into nothingness after firing, because all of her concentration has rapidly gone to keeping herself together. The static feeling is moving from her throat, down her back, the tips of her fingers, and it's horrifying. Feels like she's going to vibrate apart, like a virus jolt of electricity, like she's been struck by lightning and she's trying to hold the bolt inside her.

It doesn't even occur to her how much like her Real she must look like right now. The slow, uncertain steps backwards. The shaking hands. Shoving down fear as she looks to a striped-shirted child.

She made a grievous, grievous error in choosing what child to test this on.

Her back hits the doorframe and it feels like the static particles scatter inside her, reaching to her tips, and she surges her magic to keep it together, anything, physically, she can't lose this now. Doesn't know how to go back from here.]

This isn't, this isn't just a͠ ga̛͟m̶̵e̴͡-̀̕-̢̡͟

[She feels something, sickening, churning, and her eyes flick down to her hand.

It's dripping. Determination coming back in the worst way.

She's

fál͘l͖͝l̺͞i̛n͓͎͈̰͓̕g̩͎̣͖̮̤

a̩͍̮͞p̛̼̲a̴͈̯̞̘͓͘͝r̜͢t̖͔̘͈͟͠.̵̢͙͜]

LOAD 1.1

[determinedest]

[They LOAD their SAVE.

A cop-out, maybe. But it's better than dooming her to becoming - becoming whatever it is she was becoming. Something fearful.

Frisk's eyes glint, coldly. Their expression is set. Their jaw is squared. Do not test them further, Mirror. They've about reached the end of their tolerance when it comes to cheap copies.]

I'll count to ten. For real now.

[No point in pretending otherwise, is there?]

One.

1/2

[determinedest]

[They almost think they can leave it at that. Leave it there. Let her wallow in her own outrage, her own gnawing frustration of being wholly unable to grasp her world for what it is.

But then she -

She starts to ｄｒｉｐ...

And Frisk's brow darkens.

They might not like her, not even a little, but they know - they know she doesn't deserve this. No one deserves this. Not even for that kind of poetic justice that coils and curdles viciously in their cut, with that vindictive satisfaction that they hate, that they hate.

Determination.

It can take you so far, can't it.

Not far enough.]

CLAPS LIKE A SEAL

[kairotic]

[This. This isn't right. Nothing about this is right.

She can feel something odd settling on her, like an electricity coursing through her veins, a zero-to-sixty and back sensation she can't describe. She wasn't... here? She was?

They saved. They had just saved.

She's missing something. Something happened. She can't remember.

Alphys curses under her breath, looking at them directly. Something went wrong. Something went very wrong. But by the looks of them, it was her who made the misstep. She pushed something too far, and they LOADed, and she lost. Too outside of boundaries and constrained testing variables.

This isn't sustainable, she thinks. This test can't be completed. She grits her teeth, narrows her eyes, and folds her arms, trying to look like she's not shaken by the experience. Whatever... the experience was.]

You don't n-need to chide me like I'm a child. But I'll go. I don't have t-time for this.

[It's shallow. Her voice is shaking.

She doesn't like not knowing.]

1/2

[determinedest]

[She doesn't have time for this. Well, good. At least she - at least they made sure she won't be going through his things. Frisk tilts their head to one side, outwardly unperturbed.

Inwardly shaking, shuddering at what they just...what they just saw.

What they just caused.

Frisk holds up a hand. Wait just one moment, not-Alphys, if you please.]

You might remember some things, [Frisk says, quietly, the words nearly silent but no less intent, thrumming with a significance that, hopefully, will be lost on her.] It will be like an itch, in the back of your mind.

[Do you want their advice, not-Alphys?]

[determinedest]

[They look at her with such a pointed, blazing intensity that it might as well be a glare. Almost is one, but not quite.

Not quite.]

Don't scratch.

[kairotic]

[She actually takes a step back, away from them when that look appears, and she hates herself for it instantly. Her! Greater, bigger, better than them, being intimidated by a human child!

Curse them. Curse their determination. Curse all of humanity, for having this power, for the one thing she can't quite hack.

And that thought... doesn't feel right, for some reason. She wants to hold onto it, but the panic is setting on too strong, and she swallows it down, sidesteps them, giving them more of a berth than she wanted. But she needs to get out of there. Needs to get out of there.]

Don't t-tell me what to do, human.

[She spits it, with all the vitriol she can manage, before taking incredibly measured steps away, and the first turn she can make to get out of their sights.]

[determinedest]

[* The human is sparing you.

They let her go. She's done here, and so are they. She can snap and snarl all she wants, but they know - they know, with a grim, aching resolve, that she's still in the same state of potential...disintegration that she ended up in before they LOADED.

It's the nature of the game. The nature of determination.

You can never really get rid of it, no matter how much you may try.

They'd know.]

LET ME KNOW IF U EVER NEED TO DROP THREADS OR ANYTHING I J ust love these two so much

[battlefront]

[Maybe that wasn't the proper terminology to use, but what else could they say? A monster? How many other people in this dimension were accustomed to the word 'monster' being used to describe something harmless? Theirs' sure wasn't.

But then again, what was this scientist? What was her species? Was she a monster, or something else?]

he said i might not remember any of this as it is. and that 'him' back home won't even realize i'm gone? or...

i'm just. lost. i don't know what to do.

[eatsyourscience]

[Though he didn't drop his sword, Souji is just about at his limit. He'd really forgotten just how grueling it could be to fight her. He's going to have a bruise that will ache for days where she elbowed him, he knows it, but at least she didn't break anything.]

Do you want to teach me now?

[He relies so much on his healing power that, if he'd ever known any first aid, he's all but forgotten it.]

Or...you know, there are still the puzzles to solve.

[oversight]

Yeah, as long as— [ He nods, oddly awkward the more he thinks about it. ] As long as she's okay, that's all that matters.

Pass on my regards, yeah?

[oversight]

[ However it hits him, he doesn't flinch. He's far too practiced in pain for that, after all. But it's still something he has to swallow, something too big, something that threatens to choke him.

Dead. He guessed that, sure, but that's never meant months. Never has it been that way, not in the years he'd lived in this unforgiving mansion. ]

I'm— I'm here now...

[ It's all he can think to say, particularly at the way she seems to be verging on a total breakdown. ]

See? I said you couldn't get rid of me. Maybe I'm just that lucky.

[ He'll say anything to stop her crying, whether he believes it or not. ]

[oversight]

Then I think we got our marchin' orders. And if it's just you an' me, at least two's still a party, right?

[ He smiles thinly, oddly amazed by this whole exchange. Truly, just when he thinks Wonderland's shown all its cards, another suit shows up and surprises him. ]

See you soon, Ed.

[seekinghome]

Yep. I'll go see who there is to find.

::It's said as Ed gets up.::

I'll see you in a bit then.

[allaboutme]

You're not gonna do it yourself?

[oversight]

Well, no, I— [ John's shuffling a bit. ] Just figured maybe you'd see her before I did. Guess I could send a message or something if I can find my phone...

[nonscriptum]

[She doesn't know know him, and apparently neither does she know him biblically, which makes this entire conversation somewhat more stilted on his end. Hi, I'm Nate, one time we escaped an ancient city crawling with pirates and zombie Nazis and then had a lot of sex on the beach. The act, not the drink. But also the drink.]

Jesus, Nate, get a grip.

[He mutters, rumpling his hair and moving around the other side of the table. The distance isn't what he wants, but it's what she probably needs since he's-

Practically a stranger.]

Yeah, after Francis Drake. We kinda- went on this island adventure, uh, thing. Y'know, treasures and pirates and Renaissance conspiracies, but...you...don't seem to remember that, so I'm just assuming it's something else I can blame on this place. [A beat.] ...this is Wonderland, by the way, and ye- yes, that Wonderland. I know how it sounds.

[tenthstreetbred]

[Shepard gives her counterpart a wry grin.]

If you succeed at that and I'm still here, you better hit me up. I do not want to miss out on the chance to burn my goddamn throat out again.

[She's gotten drunk with Wrex exactly once since the Reaper war started. She can't remember all of it but when she was sober again she had three more breeding requests. Hoo boy.]

Yeah, probably. For one thing, you're pale as fuck with hair as red as a fire engine. Dye job or natural?

[She's thinking dye job. There's no way that's a God given hair color. Usually she's not this crass with someone right off the bat but... this is basically her, isn't it? Why bother pretending to be put together around yourself?]

[last_liar]

[Yuu shook his head quickly.]

If I can't remember you going first, it can't have have been very long after you that I left, too.