entranceway | 003

[Still not having learned his lesson about showing his face, the feed starts and immediately gives its audience a view of a helmeted face. Despite all the questions he gets about it, he still doesn't even think about it before starting the video.]

So I'm sure this has been asked before. Probably a lot, actually. A lot of you might be sick of answering it, even, but I'm curious.

[That's a good way to start one of these things, right? Let everyone know they'll probably be bored by what's coming? That'll really draw people in.]

How long have you been here? And what's the longest someone's been here, if anyone knows? [His head tilts just slightly, giving him an inquisitive look. However, his voice flattens a little as he continues.] I'm just kind of looking for an idea of how long I'm going to be here. Though with this place, I'm betting the amount of time varies too much for any sort of pattern.

[He'll just huff over that for a minute because man, he'd love for there to be a pattern or some clear schedule to this sort of thing. He hates the disorder of it all so much.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

I've been here almost three years, but there are a few people who have been here longer.

[Souji waits a couple seconds, then adds:] From what I've noticed, most people stay between six months and a year.

...Three years. And longer?

[Nope, that's exactly what he was hoping not to hear. Years is not what he wants to spend here. The addition to the original comment, however, is somewhat reassuring. Compared to the multiple years thing, anyway.]

Well. I guess compared to the possibility of three years, that's not too bad. [A beat.] Uh. No offence.

[Souji shakes his head. None taken.]

It seems pretty rare for people to stay this long.

You think so?

[Hm...]

Well, that's... sort of more of a positive note. I guess.

It's like a slightly-less-dark-side instead of a bright side.

That's exactly what it is. Perfect summary. ...Sorry to hear that this place seems to like you so much, though.

It's alright. In some ways, I've liked being here. [He's just starting to worry about long-term effects, and all that.]

Oh, yeah? What ways? If you don't mind my asking.

[The friendships made here are about the only good things he can come up with about the place.]

I got to meet a lot of people I wouldn't have at home. And I got to know people from home who I didn't get to meet while I was there.

Yeah... The friends we make here are kind of the only real plus to it all. And the only thing that would make it hard to leave.

It's hard to remember that, sometimes, though. Knowing we'll forget everything when we go back makes it all seem kind of pointless sometimes.

Seriously. That, and it feels really...underhanded in a way. Like, if Wonderland can tamper with our memories so easily, who knows what else it's doing? Or might do?

Yeah. Exactly. Even eating the food here can make you paranoid if you think about it too much.

And when you start thinking about it like that, doing just about anything here can make you paranoid... I'm surprised no one's cracked up yet.

[A beat.]

Uhm. ...Has anyone cracked up being here before?

[Souji has to really consider how to answer that.]

It's hard to say. There have been crazy people and sometimes events make people go crazy....but I don't know if anyone's gone crazy because of how Wonderland is normally.

No? Well, I'm impressed. ...I think.

[Okay, hang on, he needs to think for a second now.]

Just-- Seems like if you're here long enough, you'd either get used to it all, or...you might snap completely. But maybe it's just that no one's been here long enough!

Yeah. It does change you, but I've never really seen anyone go completely off the deep end.

...Or at least, not anyone who wasn't going to do that anyway.

...That isn't all that reassuring.

I was thinking that, too, as it was coming out of my mouth.

Well, uh. Thanks anyway. For the information, I mean. It's been helpful, even if it's...not exactly good news.

If I think of a silver lining, I'll let you know.

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