M e s s a g e 3 8

[curiousher]

[The first thing anyone sees, even before the person posting...is a little pig, in one of the tea rooms. It snuffles and sniffles and sweeps the room for signs of danger, and once it is satisfied it trots away.

Then in a blink, Alice is standing in the middle of the room, pig cradled in her arms. And for the first time ever on the network, her face has wide blue eyes. She's a bit frantic, but otherwise unharmed.]

I think I'm starting to get used to doing that on purpose... Ah, hello everyone! It's...been some time, hasn't it?

[Even Alice can't seem to hide the fact that it's rather awkward to suddenly have eyes when she did not before. The pig squirms and she lets it down, as she's discovered it's wisest to listen to what the Duchess' pig wants.]

I'm so sorry to interrupt everything, but I need to warn you all! Something-- something terrible is going to happen soon! I don't want to cause anyone alarm, but it may very well be the worst thing that's ever happened to you.

[It's all distressing, and Alice crouches down to the pig's level so she can play with it's ears absently as she talks. It lets her.]

I'm afraid I still can't explain how I know, and the details are...rather distressing. But I promise, I'd never lie to all of you! I could never!

[She's adamant about that much at least. Even if her message isn't clear, there's more clarity in the way she speaks about it - she understands the importance of these messages now, in a way she'd forgotten for so long.]

Please, everyone. Take care of yourselves this weekend. I think it may be all you can do.

Comments

[nomorules]

Er, why not?

<sub>[This is all vaguer than vague, and though he's bitterly used to it coming from anyone mildly associated to Wonderland, he continues to harbor the hope that maybe--maybe--someone will finally have answers.

Plus, it's freakin' Alice!]</sub>

Uh, no, you didn't. You said you saw somethin'. What was it? Does this mean you're, like, psychic?

[curiousher]

Because I didn't have all of my memories, so I wasn't quite myself.

[She was...her, but not all there.]

I don't...know what it means, honestly. And what I saw was the worst thing ever, so forgive me if I don't share it. My worst thing and your worst thing are likely not the same thing, so it won't help you to know mine!

[She's a bit snippy, but she's grown tired of people assuming she's trying to lie to them.]

[nomorules]

--Whoa, is Wonderland stealin' your memories, too!?

_{[Why's she here? What could that mean for the rest of them? He has so many questions???]}

Uh, sorry, I'm havin' a hard time keepin' up. _{[Wait, why is he the one apologizing when she's the one confusing him!?]} So the terrible somethin' was the vision? Aw shit, this is an event, isn't it.

[curiousher]

It is! I'm sorry - I didn't realize you hadn't been here very long. Someone typically announces an event a few days before it happens. They aren't always useful, so...I wanted to do something a bit more helpful.

[It's the least she could do.]

[nomorules]

Depends on what you mean by "very long." I've been here six whole months already! _{[Concern bleeds through his dismay.]} What's your deal!? Have you been stuck in Wonderland, too? Are you okay!?

_{[Bless his heart, he has yet to figure out Alice is older than the hills and more or less a permanent resident here...]}

[curiousher]

[She giggles at that.]

People often catch on about event announcements by then, but you've barely been here long at all! It's been over one hundred and fifty years now for me - though, that's far from average.

I'm...well, "okay" might not be the best choice of words, but I appreciate your concern. I'll be alright, I think.

[nomorules]

<sub>[Oh, a hundred and fifty years, okay...

--!?]</sub>

What the eff, you serious!? You've been trapped in Wonderland for that long?

[curiousher]

I have been! One hundred and fifty two years, to be precise.

[What a funny reaction on his part though!]

[nomorules]

How can you be so casual about that!? I think my heart just stopped!

_{[He's not sure what historical relics disguised as little girls should sound like, but it probably shouldn't be nonchalant about tacking on those two years like a kid insisting they're ten and two months old.]}

But how--? In the books, you found your way out!

[curiousher]

Those books are just books. They aren't true, or this place would be much simpler than it is!

[What, does he know her life better than she does? ...Well. Actually, she's lost quite a few memories, but she's always had this stance on the books.]

[nomorules]

So you didn't come into Wonderland through a rabbit hole and play croquet and all that?

_{[It's a chicken and egg situation--what came first, Wonderland or the books about Wonderland? He'd been wondering which had inspired the other. Alice seems to have answered that in one savvy observation.]}

[curiousher]

No, not at all! I turned up one day just like you did! I just...never wound up leaving, that's all.

[She's been here so long that everyone she arrived with is long gone.]

[nomorules]

Where'd the author dude get all those ideas? It don't seem like all bullshit. Like the Dormouse likin' treacle and all.

_{[To anyone else, hearing Alice didn't make a great escape would be a considerable blow to one's hopes, and it is, but Ryuji's resiliently optimistic if anything. Hopelessly so, some might say.]}

But with your memories back, that must mean you're back to lookin' for a way home, yeah? You must have more of an inside's perspective than anyone. With you workin' with us, we can't lose.

_{[There's that optimism again.]}

[curiousher]

I...

[She looks very sad all of a sudden, now that he's pointed that out. Admittedly, she's been more worried about trying to survive day to day than leave, and she does want to, but...

Well. After 150 years, it's a little hard to be optimistic about her chances. She musters up a smile though.]

I'm certainly going to try.

[nomorules]

_{[Good job, Ryuji, you made the 150-year-old kidnap victim feel even worse.]}

S-sorry, I don't mean to knock you on your ass with questions... It's just--we still got a lot of 'em, you know? And no one here's talkin'.

You ain't gotta try alone. We're all in the same boat.

_{[Otherwise known as the Wonderland Titanic and it's sinking an event at a time--but hey, you know, it's not make this depressing.]}

[curiousher]

[The apology is sincere enough for her and she smiles a bit.]

I suppose we are, aren't we? We can all do our best together then!

[nomorules]

_{[There are probably worse ship-mates to have than an immortal little girl and a... pig??? ... who can appear and disappear at will.]}

I mean, you're the Alice--it don't get much more awesome than that. If you're tapped into this Wonderland hive mind thing, that's a point on our side!