M e s s a g e 4 5

[curiousher]

[Alice looks thoughtful when she first appears on screen. Even though she's given this a lot of consideration, she's still not sure exactly what she wants to say. After a moment of last-second stalling though, she sighs.]

...I'm very sorry, everyone. I keep trying to think of what this next event could be, but I think I may have stretched myself too thin this time. I don't usually get evently thoughts twice in a row this way, so perhaps that's why? I feel like it's...less, than it was. There isn't much muchness to it at all, I'm afraid.

[She holds her fingers to her temples, as though that might help somehow or make it clearer to see, but it doesn't seem to do anything. The whole thing is terribly frustrating.]

This time it's rarely anything, just a thought that's stuck in my head like a catchy song. It's enough for me to know that it's from something coming our way, but it's such a passing thought that it's not anything helpful or useful or even coherent as something we would be going through! It's so little that it could be nice or Wonderland could twist everyone's hopes around in knots.

[It does tend to do that on occasion. None of this musing is helpful either though, so she tries one more time.]

Maybe it's best given as a question for everyone to ponder with me...

...Do you believe in happy endings? Or happily ever after?

Comments

[adaptiveimmunities]

Do you?

[It's not a totally idle question. In the book she got to go home, but she sure isn't there now.]

[curiousher]

[No, she sure isn't.

The question surprises her, especially so immediately. She gives it a moment of thought though.]

Well...I wouldn't say I don't exactly. That sounds like I don't believe in happiness at all, and that's certainly not true. But it's difficult to believe in happy endings when endings are so rare in Wonderland.

[adaptiveimmunities]

Yeah, I've kind of noticed that. People who should be having their happy endings aren't.

[Like Alice. Like him and George. Now that he knows that there is a happy ending for them, he'd like to get to it. Wonderland is a nice little vacation, but he'd like to get to the part of his life where he and George get to live out their days in peace.]

[curiousher]

That does seem to happen here. Are you one of those people by any chance?

[That's easier than thinking about the fact that she might be one of those people as well, if she could only remember.]

[adaptiveimmunities]

[He shrugs a little, frowning.]

Maybe? From what I hear, there's a happy ending waiting for me and George, but I'm not at a place when I'm from that I can see it. I Guess it's coming, though. If George says it is, I believe her. There's no one I trust more.

[He wants to ask her, but he already knows the answer, and it seems kind of like an unfair question.]

[curiousher]

[She smiles, genuinely happy for him.]

That's good! I'm happy you've got someone to tell you things like that. That way you don't have to wonder about it! You already know, and knowing is such a good feeling.

[entreats]

[ Most of it doesn't make too much sense - as usually when messages from certain people seem to pop up here - but the question at least draws Ange's attention. ]

I don't think anyone could in this sort of place.

[curiousher]

I suppose that's fair. I don't think you can have an ending in a world where nothing ends really. And Wonderland certainly does a good job making us miserable when it wants to.

[Which is often, unfortunately.]

It's a nice thought though, I think.

[entreats]

The thought of happy endings is pretty nice, yeah.

[ Ange likes them too, despite how she acts pretty much all the time. ]

It'd just be nicer if it was more often a reality than a fantasy.

[curiousher]

It really would be. Though, I suppose if it happened all of the time, it wouldn't be as special when it does happen.

[That's profound and all, but she lets out a huff.]

Really, if anyone deserves a happy ending though, it's everyone in Wonderland! We've suffered here long enough.

[entreats]

[ For a moment she's quiet. Ange doesn't figure she has much of a chance for one anymore, but when she tries to turn her brain away from that sad idea, her thoughts focus on Alice instead. ]

Do you think you'll have a happy ending? [ She's genuinely curious, especially since Alice seems more wound up in and connected to this place than anyone else. ]

anonymous text

[tetractys]

IF YOU'RE HAPPY IT'S NOT THE ENDING YET!

[Speaking of which, Bill is going to specifically look for Alice's dreams the next time she goes to sleep. Juuuuuust to sneak around and see what he can see.]

Video

[curiousher]

[Alice is perfectly capable of replying by text, but then how would she make the judge-y face she wants to make at this reply? She'd have to describe it and that just wouldn't be the same.]

Couldn't the ending be something good happening though? I don't see why anyone has to be unhappy just because something's over, unless you're thinking of morbid things.

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[tetractys]

THAT'S THE NATURE OF ENTROPY, SISTER! GOOD THINGS LIKE LIFE AND HAPPINESS AND BRAIN FUNCTION - THEY DON'T LAST FOREVER!

IN THE REAL WORLD YOU'D HAVE GOTTEN OLD AND CRINKLY AND DEAD BY NOW, AND SO WOULD EVERYBODY YOU EVER KNEW AND LOVED! BUT HERE IN WONDERLAND, THE BAD STUFF CAN JUST GO ON AND ON AND ON!

Video

[curiousher]

I'm sure that's sure, but I can't remember everyone I've ever loved, so I'm not really certain how much I'm missing out on there. It would make sense that everyone would have gotten older, but it's hard to be sad about it when I don't know who they are anymore...

[A melancholy thought, but it's punctuated by a gasp.]

Except Dinah! Oh, I hope that doesn't happen to Dinah for a long time - can cats get crinkly? Or does the fur just sort of cover it up? Maybe she'd be crinkly and no one would ever know, a sort of secret crinkly-ness all for her.

text

[tetractys]

CATS ONLY LIVE ABOUT FIFTEEN YEARS! YOU DO THE MATH!

(a dream)

[curiousher]

[Alice's dreams are remarkably empty. It is not the clean slate of someone who has carefully planned their mind to present that way though - there are no halls, no doors, no place where memories from home would be stored or empty. There's extremely little to make anything out of. Perhaps he might have expected something more imaginative from her, but there's simply no crayons in the box, so to speak.

It's very much a warm white void, with just one chest in the center that Alice is sitting on. In her arms she has a grey tabby cat that she's absolutely fawning over, her precious Dinah. Then one cat becomes two, two become four, and so on and so forth until this empty void of a dream is flooded with grey tabby cats, and Alice has never been so delighted. Every single Dinah is precious and sweet, and there are too many for her to control. The room is eventually more cat than room, though it doesn't seem to be a nightmare for her...]

cw imaginary animal body horror?

[tetractys]

[Calm, orderly void.

The first thing Bill thinks is: this is a trap. He stares into nothing for a bit, not wanting to run away and not wanting to go any further either, and DEFINITELY not wanting to stand still.

The problem gets solved for him when the cats start multiplying. Ah, cool, much better!]

WELL, WELL, WELL! JUST THE HUMAN I WANTED TO SEE!

[One Dinah has wide, bright yellow eyes, and is standing unnaturally still. It lifts off of the floor and turns inside out horribly; there's no actual blood or gore, but there's a lot of grotesque fibers and fur going places where fur shouldn't be. Once it all gets tucked away, what's left is a glowing triangle in a little top hat.]

YOU'RE A TRICKY ONE TO GET AHOLD OF! IN A LOT OF SENSES OF THE WORD!

[curiousher]

[Alice yelps and backs away as soon as she sees one of her many Dinahs rise up in the air, with a look of absolute horror...that fades away the moment it turns into this cute little triangle. And it's dressed up so nicely!]

Wow, you're the strangest cat I've ever seen! And I've seen some very strange cats.

[The immediate change in her makes one thing very clear - she's not terribly lucid in her dreams. She's already accepted this as something that makes perfect sense to be happening right now. She tilts her head.]

You were looking for me?

[tetractys]

SURE WAS. YOU'RE IN THE MIDDLE OF ALL OF THIS SOMEHOW!

[Bill zips in a full circle with Alice in the middle, to examine her all the way around.]

HOW COME YOU NEVER GET DROPPED BACK OUT TO YOUR OWN WORLD LIKE THE OTHERS, HUH? WHAT'S SPECIAL ABOUT YOU?

[choosetruth]

Oh, good. Fairytale bullshit.

[She might have something like a happy ending going on back home, but her life certainly isn't a fairytale. Must be Regina's world, back for more or something.]

[curiousher]

That's awfully rude to fairytales. [Tsk, tsk.] So vulgar! I'm a child, you know.

[A child of more than 150, but who's counting really?]

[choosetruth]

It's educational.

[curiousher]

Educational vulgarity? Does that mean I can say it now?

[choosetruth]

[Georgia does not hesitate.]

Absolutely.