004 - video;

[entreats]

So multiple people have been finding riddles in those weird boxes, right?

[ Someone apparently has never seen an advent calendar before in their lives.. That's what happens when you're raised so sheltered, apparently. That's besides the point though - Ange's idly playing with a piece of paper of paper in her hands, presumably the paper the riddle she's talking about was written on. ]

I thought maybe there'd be some sort of clue or secret message, but it seems like they're really just standard riddles. I mean, tell me if you've heard this one before.

"A murderer was condemned to death. He has to choose from one of three rooms: 1) A room full of raging fires, 2) A room full of assassins with loaded guns, 3) A room with lions that hadn’t eaten in years. Which room is safest?"

Isn't that one super old? They could've at least picked a more interesting one.

Comments

[entreats]

Exactly. It's trying to make people think "hadn't eaten in years" means really hungry rather than meaning they're dead. Quite some people fall for that train of thought.

[ It's slightly surprising to see Ryoko get it so easily. So despite the whole problem with her memories, she at least isn't stupid, huh. ]

[testcase]

Oh good, I got it right!

[She's happy about that at least. And nope, not stupid. Sometimes a little airheaded, but she's got a working brain in there somewhere!]

But why would Wonderland give you something like that?

[She'll check her notes really quick before continuing.]

There hasn't been anything like that in mine. Some tea, a camera, a weird jar, but nothing like that.

[entreats]

I think everyone is probably getting different things from the one in their room.

[ Judging by how she saw Dipper getting different stuff than her in his video from the day before.. ]

Although I have no idea how it's decided who gets what. It sounds as if the things you got weren't very personal either, and the same goes for mine except for the photo I got on the first day.

[testcase]

You got a photo? What was it of?

[Probably has nothing to do with Ryoko but she still feels the need to ask.]

[entreats]

My older brother.

[ For a moment Ange moves off screen like she's looking for something, but when she returns, she holds up a photo of a young man to the screen. ]

I'm not sure how they managed to get a photo of him here, but this place has done stranger things than it before, I guess.

[testcase]

That's strange.

[Definitely nothing to do with her, but it's still weird enough for Ryoko to keep talking about it.]

Was he here before? That might explain where it came from.

[entreats]

[ She thinks for a slight moment, but then shakes her head. ]

Not as far as I know. I haven't seen him here. [ And there's no way she would have missed the presence of her brother. She would've gone to him right away. ] Or maybe they're just pulling from my memories.

[testcase]

[She'll think about that one a little.]

That might be it. It'd explain why I don't have anything like that too.

[Since she doesn't really have memories, as far as she knows.]

But I thought when Wonderland pulled from memories, it happened to everyone instead of just being one small thing.

[entreats]

Maybe they put a bit out of everyone's memories in every single one of these. Everyone seems to be getting different things on the same day, so maybe everyone will come across something familiar at some point.

[ But.. yes, that does raise a different problem entirely when Ryoko is involved, huh. ]

.. I wonder if maybe there's something in yours that could somehow help you remember something.

[testcase]

Maybe! But it's okay if there's not. I don't mind.

[She's sure it'll turn out fine either way.]

Even if there was, I probably wouldn't remember it was familiar anyways.

[entreats]

[ Oh, Ryoko. You're making her feel kind of bad for you. Ange has a lot of shitty memories, but it's still doubtful that she'd want to forget them all if it meant forgetting the few nice ones as well.

Which is why she can't help but wonder: ]

Do you really think there's no way to make any of your memories come back or stick around?

[testcase]

Um, I'm sure there is, but no one's found one yet.

[Definitely not back home and...]

And if I was here for years before and no one found a way then, I don't think anyone will find a way this time either.

[She's not getting her hopes up there. She doesn't sound down about it though, more at peace with things.]

[entreats]

[ Maybe she shouldn't dig too much into this if Ryoko is so alright with things being the way they are now.

But this is just how Ange is. Once an idea gets into her head, it's hard to let it go. ]

Maybe it's possible to find a way here though. There's tons of stuff here that they didn't have where I come from. [ And Ryoko seems.. fairly normal, the whole memories issue aside, so Ange's just assuming their worlds can't be that different. ]

[testcase]

[It'll be fine, what's the worst that could happen from digging into her situation?]

...maybe.

[There is a lot of weird stuff in Wonderland that isn't in her world either. Like magic! And..well, magic. But she's still noncommittal about this.]

I wouldn't know who to ask about any of that though. And everyone seems more preoccupied with um...

[Checking her notes again.]

The strange Christmas presents and people coming back with their memories. Except me because I wouldn't remember things anyways.

[entreats]

I can help you if you want.

[ She's trying to make that sound like as casual of an offer as possible.. Because openly caring about anything is terribly uncool, right. ]

It's not like I'm a doctor, or like I can use some sort of magic, but I could help you go through the stuff that's coming out of your advent boxes. Maybe talking about it with someone might help trigger something.

[testcase]

You don't have to do that, but thank you!

[She really means that, as far as she can tell no one else has offered to do something like that for her.]

I don't know if it'll work, but...maybe. And even if it doesn't, I appreciate the help.

[entreats]

[ Hearing that thanks only confirms to Ange that this should be the right thing to do. Ange hasn't been thanked for much in her life, so it says a lot that Ryoko is nice enough to do so over something that might not even work out. ]

It's no problem. I don't really have much else to do with my time anyway, so I might as well do something that has the faintest chance of being productive.

[testcase]

Thank you again! Um, I'll make a note and everything so I don't forget.

[Unfortunately, there's not a lot in there to trigger her memories. But they can both be weirded out as useless crap gives way to roaches and creepy photos. So long as Ryoko's still around by then anyways.]