video/action;

[eatsyourscience]

[Souji is, surprise surprise, in the di-- Actually, this time he's in the kitchen. For a change of pace. He's got the device propped up on something so that he can talk at it hands free. Sitting in front of him is a piece of the rainbowiest rainbow cake a person could possibly make.]

Today is my sixth anniversary.

[He nudges the cake a little toward the camera.]

So I made cake. There's plenty of it, so I'll leave it here in the kitchen in case any one wants to have some.

[With a smile that seems quite tired, he shifts the cake to one side, and glances after it. With his gaze still cast away from the camera, he asks:]

How long have you been here? Do you want to go home? [He looks back at the camera again, his expression more thoughtful than tired now.] I'm kind of...doubting myself in that regard.

Comments

[action]

[jivitadana]

[Six whole years. It was too long of a time to be away from home. But the only time that Minato could be with Souji was with here. For now, at least.

He smiled though as he continued to hug Souji from behind.]

... See, I told you no one would notice.

[action]

[eatsyourscience]

Only because of my master camera work.

[action]

[jivitadana]

[Or because Minato is significantly shorter than Souji or something. Minato slowly let go of Souji and peered around him.]

Let's have cake.

[Said with a smile but with a slight tinge of seriousness. Six years really wasn't to be taken lightly and Minato knew that it was something they had to address. At some point.]

[Video]

[cuteshit]

Crap, it's your anniversary?!

[Kanji had no idea it was coming up-- which isn't surprising, considering he missed his own one-year anniversary a little while back.]

Damn it! I should've done that for you, you shouldn't have to make your own cake, senpai.

[Video]

[eatsyourscience]

It's not a big deal. [Although he appreciates the concern. It's endearing.]

I usually miss it. I have for the last few years, anyway.

[Video]

[cuteshit]

[It's a big deal to him, okay.]

It's almost as bad as missin' a birthday.

[He takes celebrations involving cake and potential gifts very seriously, senpai.]

Well, even if you beat me to makin' the cake, I can come help you eat it. Maybe leave dinner to me? Take a night off.

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[heroica]

Six years? [ Robyn seems fairly awed of this fact, blinking into the camera. ] ... This summer, it will only be two for me. I can't imagine -

[ ... But, maybe she can. It isn't as if she has a place to return to when she leaves Wonderland, after all.

The Warden is quiet for a moment before speaking again. ]

What is it you doubt?

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[eatsyourscience]

[He smiles a little, still looking a bit tired. He couldn't have imagined it a few years ago, either. He'd never seen anyone stay so long, except for a couple of people who had arrived before him.]

I doubt whether or not I really want to leave.

[It feels like an odd thing to admit. He should want to go home, right? Wonderland is an alarming brand of terrible even when it's being relatively innocuous.]

video;

[heroica]

I can understand that. [ Robyn replies gently. ] For many, there are things here that we can't find in our homes.

[ Life, for one thing. ]

I imagine you have friends here that you would be sad to lose.

action;

[nextfate]

[ Jane is always down for cake, and she's so excited about the look of it that she doesn't even respond, she just goes to the kitchen. When she gets there she pauses, waiting until he doesn't seem to be mid-chewing before speaking, answering his questions from the video. ]

I've been here a year and one month, and...I'm kind of indifferent. Staying here or going home...both are okay to me. But my answer would have been really different a couple months ago. I actually posted something kind of like this on the network a while ago. It helps to hear what other people have to say and to think it out with them.

[ As she talks, she's kind of casually leaning against the doorframe, arms crossed loosely over her chest. ]

action;

[eatsyourscience]

[Souji looks up, listening to her answer. He nods a little and gestures her over, getting up to cut her a piece of cake.]

What changed? Why is your answer different now?

action;

[nextfate]

[ Sliding down to sit, Jane smiles in thanks before answering. ]

What I was afraid of happening didn't go the way I thought it would. Things got bad, but they got better, too. And now, even if I stay, I still have what I wanted in Wonderland with me, so...if I leave, I'm happy. If I stay, I'm slightly less happy because every now and then this place likes to try and kill us, but I'm still pretty much happy.

video

[naughty_nurse]

I've been here over a year... I think. It's hard to be s-sure, since this place can do anything with our memories.

But... I never want to go back.

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[eatsyourscience]

[The memory issue is something he's considered--he hasn't heard of Wonderland taking memories of a person's time in Wonderland, but that doesn't make it impossible in the least.]

Why not?

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[naughty_nurse]

B-Because I could die in a really horrible way!

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[mr_englishguy]

Oh my. Six years. I know many talk of years, but I hadn't truly thought about how long. Are you the longest stay here in Wonderland then? Do you know?

[He can't help but to be curious.]

It's only been about six months for me, but honestly I don't mind being here knowing that my life is waiting for me. If I can help here for a time, then so be it.

video

[eatsyourscience]

There's one person here who's been here as long as me. I'm not sure which of us arrived first, but I think we came pretty close together.

[He pokes his cake with his fork, but doesn't take a bite.]

Do you know what's going to happen in the future at home? Or do you mean life in general?

video

[mr_englishguy]

But we have no idea why some stay for years and others barely months. Interesting. I wonder if anyone has tried to do a chart to try and track why some and not others.

Not that I think we'll find out but curious nonetheless.

In general for the most part. I left creatures behind I worry for. As for the future though, I've learned a bit about my own and it's fairly promising.

video;

[nomorules]

_{[Once he's finished wrangling Yusuke, going to war against waterproof paper and tape with Akira, and making announcements of a different nature, Ryuji has time to check the network. Monday's a busy day for more than just him.]}

People sure like their colored cake around here.

_{[Ann must be going nuts.]}

Don't imagine you can celebrate an anniversary like this without havin' mixed feelings. Havin' a life back where you came from, startin' a new one here... Must be hard.

video;

[eatsyourscience]

[Souji wonders who else likes colored cake. Aside from Mianto--who really only likes blue cake.]

It's strange.

[He pauses for a second, because normally he'd leave it at that. But he's been told he holds too much in and he's trying not to shut people out, so he goes on.]

Sometimes I think it would be okay to stay here.

[nomorules]

_{[Only people with sunglasses are going to be able to look directly at that aggressively happy cake in order to eat it. It's very... bright...]}

Do you want to stay here?

_{[That seems like the heart of the matter, no pun intended. Or maybe pun intended. This is a phantom thief we're talking about, after all.]}

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[thinblueline]

You're sayin' you're not sure you wanna go home?

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[eatsyourscience]

...Yeah. [He looks at the piece of cake in front of him for a second, then at the camera.] Nothing's wrong at home. It's not anything like that.

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[krmvgivv]

Six years? Is that longer than Evie or not quite as long? Have you been here second longest?

[Don't mind the fact that Dipper's clearly taking notes.]

It's been two years for me. I... [He frowns.] I wouldn't mind coming back, but I'd want to go home long enough to grow up. I'm kind of ready to be done with puberty.

video;

[eatsyourscience]

I don't know for sure. I think we arrived right around the same time. But "person who's been here longest" isn't a title I strive toward.

[Nah, the notes don't bug him. He knows too many detectives for them to.]

I understand. I should be twenty-three, if we count Wonderland years.