entranceway | Video

[James pops up o the screen, in what is clearly a pre-planned and perhaps even rehearsed message. By now he's been in Wonderland so long that the network devices are no longer a mystery to him, and he's nicely centered in front of a blackboard and grinning.]

Hullo! I'm James Potter - yes, that one, and if it sounds vaguely familiar it's likely because my future son is going to be a rather famous wizard.

[He waves a hand though, like it isn't a big deal. No one can fourth-wall James Potter harder than he's already fourth-walled himself.]

Now that that's out of the way, I've been thinking a lot about Wonderland lately, and how long it keeps people here. When I first arrived, it was fairly common for people to vanish after a year or less, but lately I've noticed more and more of us have been staying longer and longer. I'm not certain why either, but it does present one awkward problem - counting ages. [James vaguely gestures at himself.] I'll wager a guess that no one would believe I'm in my twenties, right? And it's hard to feel I'm twenty-two when I'll never look the part as long as I'm here.

[He's right. Frankly, he looks like he's barely out of school, and even that's being somewhat generous.And there's the pesky fact that he's only scheduled to live until twenty-one at home, but that's not the point.]

So, I've been thinking about how to reconcile the two ages in a way that won't take ages to explain in casual conversation, and I think I've got it.

[He steps aside and reveals a formula on the board - A (+W).]

The 'A' stands for age - the age you were when you arrived - and the 'W' is the amount of years you've spent in Wonderland. For myself that would be...[Underneath his formula he writes 17 (+5)]. So, I'd write it this way, and in conversation I'd say "seventeen and five" - you know, like that song about the blackbirds and the pies? I forget how it goes, but it'd be like that.

Does that roll off the tongue as well as I think it does? I'll keep trying to make it happen either way, and maybe it'll start to catch on. I could start a trend here! But I'd also welcome theories on why Wonderland seems to be keeping us longer and longer, because frankly that should be alarming everyone at least a bit.

[On that cheery note, he waves the camera goodbye and shuts it off.]

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In that case, congratulations to you and the as yet twinkle in your eye?

_{[Anders appears with a smile at the ready. He's never heard of a James or Harry Potter, but hey, mage solidarity?]}

You've been here five years total? That's one of the biggest numbers I've heard bandied around so far. I agree that this entire "eternal imprisonment in a realm inundated with magic" business is something to be wary of, but you're going to look great for your age when all is said and done.

Thank you! We're very proud of our not-yet-born child and how he'll apparently save the wizarding world, or something along those lines.

[Magical solidarity indeed! James always appreciates it, and really it feels better to not get immediately recognized - which is something he never thought he'd ever say.

The last part catches him by surprise though, and he snickers.]

I suppose I will! Eternal youth isn't the worst side-effect of imprisonment. But...yes, five years. I haven't been here the longest though! That honour goes to Philip, and I believe Evelyn's got me beat as well. If not, then it's very close.

[Five years is a while, so it's hard to keep the chronology straight sometimes.]

Edited (uk spelling :T) 2016-05-28 12:15 (UTC)

That so? No pressure or anything.

_{[For father or son. Sounds like someone else has gotten tangled up in this confusing "past meets future" clusterfuck, too.

Anders isn't sure if he should be grateful or not his supposed future doesn't involve the lives of hypothetical children. He's leaning toward grateful. Fatherhood is something he'd want to embrace at the right time, not be warned in advance about.]}

I wouldn't say sapping our memories instead of our youth is any better, but if there's one thing to be said about Wonderland, it's not doing both at the same time, thankfully. Nothing worse than aging and knowing you're giving your best years to a cause you don't believe in.

_{[Said with chipper good humor. Is that experience talking? Haha... of course not, don't be silly.]}

Well, the three of you don't look a day over newly kidnapped if you ask me. Though that's got me thinking--were you the first to arrive here or have there been others before that? That anyone remembers, that is. Those images from the falling stars would suggest this has been going on a lot longer than just a few years, but I take what I don't remember with a grain of salt.

[Honestly, James has gotten used to the news. It's trying to change parts of it that turns it into a clusterfuck.]

Can't say I'm old enough to know, but it sounds dreadful.

[He doesn't envy anyone in that position, and he's sort of glad things haven't gotten that bad for him. He gives the other question a little thought though.]

I wasn't the first, or at least I don't think I was. When I got here, there were many people who had been here for some time. In fact, one of them even said I'd been there before, and that he knew me! Though, I don't remember that myself. However, back then I didn't know anyone who'd been here longer than two or three years. People seem to be staying longer and longer on average lately.

[And that...probably isn't good.]

_{[Anders would say this kid--young man, rather--already is giving his best to this place. Five years is no small sacrifice, but that goes without saying. Wonderland has a lot to answer for.]}

A repeat offender, were you? And they're all gone now, those people you knew?

_{[That's something to chew on and chew on it Anders does, gaze settling on a middle distance in thought.]}

Why send people away at all if you're just going to bring in more to replace them? It never did make sense to me. _{[But this is Wonderland they're talking about. "Sense" doesn't seem to be one of the ingredients that went into making this realm.]} Maybe the longer stays is a sign Wonderland is finally learning how to stage an efficient kidnapping.

_{[Joking. Mostly.]}

They are. There's only a handful of people who've been here as long as I have, and none of them were around long enough to remember the first time I was here - or at least, I don't think they were.

[He's never asked, but he's fairly sure the ones who've been here longer than him haven't been here that much longer.]

It could be - and if that's the case, it's not a good thing for anyone. Especially the more recent arrivals.

[James recognizes a joke when he sees one, but he can't bring himself to joke back this time. The whole thing is too concerning.]

Out with the old and in with the new is a ominous thought.

_{[He hadn't wanted to seriously consider the possibility that they'd all could've been here before and not known, but this guy's story adds fuel to the fire. If it's true, it'd make this place even more dangerous, and he'd already been thinking this is "adult diapers" level of dire.]}

But-- _{[And it's a slim "but," he's aware.]} --it works to our advantage if we're not disappearing into thin air with our memories wiped. I'd rather get to the bottom of this from the inside and stay who I am than Wonderland's pawn.

_{[Not that he isn't already. It's worse when it involves coming and going at random, though.]}

[The bright side is welcome. James has never been one for wallowing.]

Agreed. All of this time is a curse, but it's also a blessing. We might be able to do what the prisoners before us couldn't.

[It could change everything and it's what keeps James going every day.]

I'm counting on it! I'm not normally one to stay in one place for long--and it sounds like you've got some responsibilities to get back to. Fathering heroes and changing diapers and the like.

_{[His smile is teasing but in an amiable manner. Changing diapers is a noble calling in some circles.]}

Nice thinking with the mathematics. You must get a lot of questions for you to resort to equations to save time.

I'm apparently going to be a very busy man!

[He laughs a bit at that, taking the good natured-teasing for what it is.]

I do get a fair amount of questions though - that's what happens when you've been in Wonderland as long as I have.

[Five years is such a long time...]

_{[Apparently so. But someone has to change those diapers.]}

After all this time, I bet you three know more about Wonderland than anyone else. Have there been other changes that have stood out besides people sticking around longer?

_{[Anders doesn't have the same experience as James in order to spot patterns; perhaps there have been other shifts in the way Wonderland operates that he hasn't noticed while he's been busy finding his footing.]}

Hm...it's hard to say. I ought to talk to Evelyn about that, actually. She's got all sorts of research and data and if we went through it we might be able to pinpoint more differences between Wonderland five years ago and Wonderland now.

[It's worth a try, at least. And finding changes might make it easier to figure out how Wonderland changes in the first place.]

_{[He nods along in agreement.]}

Sounds like a good idea. With everything you've managed to document over the years, there has to be something that could help us.

_{[Evelyn's work in the library as certainly been a boon in that regard.]}

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