entranceway | + Oh dear, oh no. +

[ This was...not expected. When the White Queen decided to decorate both sides it was truly for holiday cheer and not, well.

This is going to require a conversation, to both sides of the glass and so, all devices will have a video from the White Queen as she frantically moves around her own chambers, opening and closing closet doors of which one might glimpse nothing more than beautiful clothes, a few empty jars, a wig or two. The camera is following her, somehow. Magic? ]

Ah, hello all. There is. Happening, yes, there is a thing happening.

[ Her hair is a mess and she spins around, facing the camera. ]

Magic is not supposed to be used in such great amounts in the Mirror Side but I wanted so much to give my dears something normal and just as good.

[ A hand goes to the side of her head like she might swoon with the sheer overwhelmingness of it all. ]

There may be too much now. On both sides. You see, I thought I would put lingering fears to rest so that no one should be afraid I’m taking anything.

[ So many people, afraid of their own dreams from a holiday past. Shame, that. ]

Until I fix this...slight problem, there may be an influx of arrivals. I would like to welcome you, all of you! Some things may not work quite properly for you but the magic...magic. Magic. The magic you see, is a bit muddled.

[ Shaking her head, she continues, finally placing a diamond tiara in her hair. ]

The glass that separates the real side from our mirror side is gone until this all rights itself. Everyone behave! There will still be festivities! And fresh treats and music and stockings and ornaments for all! I am quite new at this. So new. My dearly departed sister left no fond memories regarding a holiday celebration in her wake. I would ask that you go easy on me as I have never been queen before, but then I suppose if you're easy on me, I shall never learn from my mistakes.

[ Something suddenly occurs to her. All of these guests, so many of them, from so far and wide. ]

Oh, there should be a feast! With so many different wonderful flavors that you all bring from your corners of the universe. But how to organize it?

[ The Queen tips her head and taps her chin thoughtfully. She’ll work that out later once the magic is dealt with, and puts on a very beamish smile. ]

We’ll work it all out somehow, but until then, do enjoy making new friends and rekindling former relationships. Isn’t peace and happiness what this season is all about?

[ She’s clearly done with her message, though the camera lingers for a moment as she opens a drawer and a red paper heart tumbles out. The White Queen stares for a moment then picks it up and crumbles it in her hand angrily.

You’d have no love for the sister who betrayed you, either.

The camera does finally turn off. ]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Cisco has tried, and failed, to make any posts to the network himself. But he came across this one in particular and he finds himself a bit frozen, staring at the Queen in the feed. No. No way.

He's back, and not only is he back in Wonderland, it's a Wonderland with the White Queen. One of the last events he was involved in was that freaky whitewashed dream-version of Wonderland where no one knew anything except Wonderland.

And you know. Maybe that version of Wonderland isn't the exact same as this. Because he's run into some of his friends from before, and they aren't all wildly different or forgetful (except the ones that are-- Wonderland has never been anything less than complicated, after all-- but it still doesn't let anything good come up and settle in his chest to see the White Queen addressing the mansion at large.]

Freaky. It's like Wonderland decided to play a rerun.

Whatever do you mean?

[ That goes right over her head. ]

Has this sort of thing happened before? Do you know how to fix it??

[ Oh, the hope on her face! ]

Uhh-- not exactly. [He's still just kind of...staring. He may have spent years dealing with the multiverse and doppelgangers as a concept, but the idea that this is not, in fact, the exact same White Queen from that potential future timeline doesn't even occur to him.] I was here for the last Christmas event. Like-- as a resident, then. It was Wonderland, ruled by, well...you.

[And boy is he uneasy about seeing her around, and the fact that it might mean this is the beginning of that timeline trying to set.]

Oh.

[ The White Queen lets out a soft sigh at that. ]

Whatever that vision was, I had no control over it. Until recently I've been very...well.

Deceased.

At least I think I was. I don't have a very good memory.

Doppelgangers aren't a new concept to me. So I can't really expect you to have memories of a you that wasn't actually you. But you gotta admit, if you were the version of you we saw back then, that's exactly what you'd say to try and gain our trust.

[There's a wave of his hand, though, like a physical dismissal of the thought.]

I've clearly missed some things while I've been gone... [There's a thoughtful frown as he crosses his arms over his chest.] Do you think your memories could have been tinkered with? You know, like ours tend to be, after Events? Maybe someone-- or something?-- messed with your memories of what happened to you.

[Yikes.]

A young woman on the Real side has helped, or rather tried to help with my memories. She's been very kind to me in that regard.

[ The White Queen looks down, forehead creased. ]

The Queen of Hearts most likely...well. Hurt me. At the very least she sent me to a dark place for so very long, and to return again must have taken quite a lot.

[ A lot of fuel for Wonderland, she means: her memories. ]

Is it too much, or too personal, for me to ask who?

[Curiosity and cats, etc...

He frowns at that idea. He may not know this lady from Eve, but... well, he wasn't so much a fan of the Queen of Hearts by any means, and this doesn't really do much to give him a reason to feel any differently.]

Hopefully that won't happen again, since she's gone now. [Where, is the real question.]

No, and in fact, I believe she keeps things quite public. Her name is Georgia Mason, and she's very good at what she does. I...

[ Well, this is a new thought, but. ]

...I trust her. I think.

[That name is familiar and he smiles, nodding.] Georgia is definitely good people. And if there's anything she's good at, it's finding the truth.

That is what I'm hoping.

[ Said with a small smile. ]

I know she doesn't easily let things go and with my memory...

[ The Queen makes a vague gesture. ]

I only hate that everyone has such a terrible impression of me.

Maybe we can find a way to help you remember... somehow. [He won't bring up the memory tech he worked on at home, considering it went awry there, he can only imagine the kind of fun Wonderland itself might have with something like that.]

Maybe in time, people will see you differently. [Not that he'd bet on it, as long as people who were here during that Event were still around. But still. She doesn't seem all that nefarious or anything, even if everything around her is shrouded in mystery and sounds suspicious.]

Unfortunately, prejudices and pre-conceived notions seem quite hard to overcome for humans.

[ So, she's not banking on it. ]

Yeah, that's true... [He doesn't really think he'll be here to see it through, so he decides to just give her whatever positive ending-note he can.] Good luck, though.

+ Oh dear, oh no. +

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