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

Entry tags:

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

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...

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[Souji squeezed Minato's hand and then let it go for now, his own hand falling to his side. Somehow it was hard to speak, like his breath didn't want to go deep enough into his lungs to give his voice any strength on the way back out.]

Are you happy? Not...not now, but when you're there.

[Minato seemed like it, but he had to ask that. It meant nothing if he was the only one.]

[Souji had to ask. But Minato could understand why because that's the way Souji was. He was so selfless and kind, and that part of him would never change. It made Minato smile again. He had the thought that when he was back home, he always had to rely on Souji for reassurance about living or simply existing after being in a place devoid of time for so long. Now he had to return the favor.]

I am because of you. And I just am too.

[Having all of his happiness just rest on Souji alone was going to be too much pressure. Besides, Minato was happy for so many reasons of which Souji could extrapolate too. Minato was alive again. That should have counted for so much.

Though Souji let go of his hand, Minato didn't let contact break for too long and had to hold onto Souji's again.]

Thank you.

[Souji gripped Minato's hand.]

...Just knowing it happens is enough.

[He was almost afraid of knowing any details. He was still here, he still had to live in Wonderland. Knowing too much would make that much too hard.

But there was something he wanted to know...]

Are we together?

[Minato didn't let go of Souji's hand either as if that would just solidify all that he said, make them that much more real. He could be Souji's anchor for once, just as Souji had always been for him at home.

But that last question, as simple and short as it was, made warmth blossom inside Minato's chest. He smiled again, stepping closer to Souji, never relinquishing Souji's hand.

Then he nodded before leaning a little closer to Souji, getting up on his tiptoes and whispering in Souji's ear how much he loved him.]

[Souji closed his eyes, unable to stop the smile that spread across his face.]

I'm glad.

[He raised a hand and twined his fingers in Minato's hair, stroking it. He knew Minato liked that.]

[And Minato did like that, his own eyes closing for that moment of contact. Souji was doing that thing where he was looking after him again.]

You didn't have to.

[They had this conversation before here and at home. But it wasn't to dismiss what Souji did, it was to emphasize the fact that Souji had at all, that he had given up and sacrificed so much and for who? For someone whom he had never met and might not ever have had it not been for a subtle hint or two or this place? Who was Minato to deserve something like this?

It really was too much. The part that he cherished the most was that he didn't have to be alone anymore. Souji would always be by his side, even until the end and thereafter.]

I did.

[He might not have gotten to it yet, but Souji knew, without a doubt, that it wasn't a choice. It was nothing like a choice. It was just what would happen. If he were the actor who got to make it happen, it was nothing but his destiny to do so. There was no escaping that.]

I wouldn't do otherwise.

[Minato could say a few things about fate and destiny, but then a lot of things too about choosing that fate too. His concern was the same as ever and that was that he was only being a burden on other people, he was taking up too much space in a world he had left behind, he was taking advantage of people's kindness.

But Souji hadn't thought of it along those lines at all. It was as if Souji had given him value again in such a different way than he had experienced it before that it was as though it were new and starting all over.]

I'll be by your side. Always.

[Souji had told him as much. Minato thought that Souji should do the same. It went for Souji achieving his dreams and doing whatever he wished.]

[Souji stroked Minato's hair for a moment before releasing him.]

I should get back to making supper.

[Especially if he wanted to hope to make enough to satisfy Minato.]

I could help.

[But Souji wouldn't really let him. But that was okay too. Minato could watch Souji in one of his normal habitats this way. He settled himself down back on the other side of the counter to observe.]

You'll join me, right?

Of course.

[Souji started to chop the vegetables after rinsing them, especially those he'd dropped.]

Hopefully I can make enough for both of us.

[Minato smiled to himself and then put his hand on his heart for a moment, like he were thinking about someone who did that too.]

It will be. Don't worry.

[Minato wanted Souji to focus on having enough to eat for himself. As for Minato, things had changed and he didn't eat nearly as much as he had before.]

[Souji noticed the gesture and smiled a little at it. He'd never met Ryoji, but remembered Minato telling him about him. When he'd described him, he'd mentioned his habit of putting his hand over his heart--it seemed to be as iconic a part of him as his scarf.

Souji worked on their meal in companionable silence while Minato waited, thinking of the time they'd had a sort of food battle. When the curry rice was finished, he brought it to the counter, along with a couple of colas, before circling around to sit on the stool next to Minato.]

I hope it's as good as what you had at home.

W[Minato quietly thanked Souji for the food. There was plenty of it, although he remembered he could eat maybe three plates of the stuff and still be able to eat some more. Those days were now gone. But that didn't make Souji's food taste any different. He did try it, and it made him smile.]

It's the same.

[Which, of course, meant it was awesome. Souji hadn't lost his touch.]

I love that you're always you no matter where we are.

[It had taken Minato such a long time to find out more about who he was or where he was going. He hoped then that Souji, who was in a similar situation, could take comfort in that his self, that inner part of him despite all the masks was and would remain the same and true.]

[Souji lowered his hand until his spoon resting on the edge of his plate. His eyes were trained downward, but he didn't seem to be looking at the food in front of him.]

...I hope so.

[He and Kanji had recently discovered what he'd lost to the Mansion. Some of it had been expected, but some of it had hurt in a visceral way, the kind of pain that struck suddenly and with crippling intensity.]

Souji.

[Minato had turned toward Souji now, his hand holding onto one of Souji's hands. If Souji was worried about being who he was, then Minato thought he could worry, but he could reassure himself that at home, he would be back to normal.]

You remembered me. That should tell you how you'll be at home.

[That was true. It was hard not to be bothered by these things now, in the moment, but Minato had put it all into perspective.]

Thank you.

[Souji turned his hand to hold onto Minato's.]

Everything will be okay.

[Minato nodded. It would be fine. He knew it would be. Plus they both did have the benefit of being Fools: They always did have some hope in their hearts, something optimistic that drove them to keep going.

He leaned a little closer and kissed Souji's forehead.]

It'll be okay. I believe in you.

[He always would.]

Help me finish this too?

[Since Minato wouldn't be able to finish all the food that Souji had made by himself.]

[Souji nodded and turned his attention back to the food. He ate a few bites before speaking again.]

I'm really glad you came.

[He was grateful not just for the time they could spend together, but for the things Minato was able to tell him.]

[Minato didn't know if he had a choice to come here or not, but he was glad that he came here too. He was happy to see Souji again.]

Souji...

[He smiled and set his spoon down since he was full.]

... Can we go see your room after this?

[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.]

[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.]

Not afraid.

[To him, fear was an alien emotion. He'd felt it a handful of times, like when Nanako was kidnapped and when she almost died, but even then, it was eclipsed by other emotions. Frustration, anger, helplessness. Fear was buried under all of them. Maybe that was a defense mechanism, but he'd never given the reason much thought. He'd never given any of it much thought.

Right now, it was more like trepidation. Something about this moment felt fragile. It wasn't Minato himself, but the place he'd come from. Even now, it felt wrong to hope that he'd manage to remember, when so many others hadn't.]

But...it's something like fear.

[Minato nodded. He could understand how Souji felt about it too, but he had wanted to, if selfishly, hear it from Souji. He didn't have to hold it all inside of him all the time. Minato knew about holding in all of those feelings, like he had to because he had so many people relying on him to be strong. Nothing could or was allowed to faze him.]

I feel that way too.

[About a lot of things. But he could share that with Souji too. He could finally, finally be vulnerable in front of someone and he could learn to be strong too and strong in the right way.]

But I promised. I'll be with you forever.

[Forever was a long time. Yet Minato knew about forever. He knew that he would always be with Souji, even after his last breath.]

[Souji smiled, a slight pull at the corners of his mouth.]

I'll promise that, too, then. Forever.

[If anyone understood him, it was Minato, who'd walked ahead of him. He knew Minato's experience had been very similar to his own.]

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