entranceway | fourth ➛ video

Do I have to say hi and do some stupid intro before I say what I've gotta say? Because, really, I'd like to just get to the point.

[ Ellie, the fourteen year-old with the messy hair, clears her throat. ]

So, uh... considering all the crap that's happened... always, I think there's something we can do to make it a little less terrible. I'm hoping someone's suggested this before, so, if not, then... we should definitely do it. Okay? Okay. So, what I think we need to do is to just... put it out there what might be showing up from our own worlds. Like, if you're from a place where giant, sentient bears with poisoned teeth rule the world, maybe let us know? So then, when they show up, or we wake up in Bear Kingdom, we'll know what's going on. I feel like this is a no-brainer, but every time something happens, we're all like, "ah, there are suddenly poison bears everywhere" and we get no warning about it, and then people die.

[ She puffs out her cheeks in a kind of sigh. ]

I can start? Set a good example? I'm one of the people from a zombie... place. Surprise! So... yeah, that's a thing that can happen, like it did when we were in Sam and Simon's town.

Get it? Now you know there's maybe gonna be zombies around sometime. The more you know, right? And- Oh!

[ Hurriedly, she rifles through a nearby drawer, then tugs out a book and flips through it. ]

Parting puns! Don't want to end on a bad note. [ When she seems to find one, Ellie snickers to herself, nodding approvingly. ] Okay, okay... "What did the cannibal get when he showed up late to dinner? The cold shoulder!" [ blink ] Too soon? One more: "Did you hear about the guy who got hit with a can of soda? He was lucky it was a soft drink."

[ There's more chuckling and she gives the camera a thumbs up before clicking it off. ]

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[ Sorry, Kaneki. If she'd known... (but she was making fun of Hannibal, and doesn't know Kaneki well enough to know better). ]

Yeah. D'you mind? [ Better to be safe than sorry, right? ] And, honestly? I wouldn't be surprised if we saw the same things more than once. But, like... changed just enough that we're still screwed.

[He has to agree with her there. Wonderland seems just vindictive enough to do that.]

Alright. [He hesitates, having a feeling that people from zombie worlds aren't going to so much appreciate what he has to say... But after just a second, he goes ahead.]

Were you here for that event where some people turned into ghouls...? They had to eat humans.

... Yeah. I turned into one of them.

[ She scrunches up her nose, looking vaguely uncomfortable. ]

So I definitely remember. That sucked.

[He winces. If she turned into one, she will either really hate him, or be unexpectedly sympathetic. He doesn't know her well enough to predict which.]

Yeah...that was my world. Sorry...about all that.

Oh. [ Okay, now she feels bad about the cannibal comment and wrinkles her nose a little. ] I mean, it's not your fault it just showed up here. ... Sorry about the, um. You know. What I said before.

[ No wonder he looked so put-out. ]

[He shakes his head and holds up one hand like he's holding off her apology.]

Don't worry about it. It's one of those things...if you don't make light of it sometimes, it can get really overwhelming. Besides, you didn't know.

Right. [ It's true that she hadn't known, but, really, the first part of what he's said resonates with her. ] I, um, know the feeling, though. Sometimes things get so serious, and it's hard to feel like you can keep your head above water.

[ So to speak, since she can't actually swim. ]

So... the puns. [ She gestures vaguely. ] They help. And other stuff, too.

My best friend at home is a little like that. He tries to lighten the mood whenever things get too serious. Usually by saying something ridiculous.

[He shrugs a little, trying not to feel homesick by focusing on the topic at hand rather than by the comparison.]

I usually just read to try and forget about it. But that doesn't...really work with some things.

[Like needing to eat human flesh.]

Yeah, I mean, you can't read away everything. Some of it's just too... loud? You know?

[ She pulls a face, shifting in vague discomfort. ]

You read a lot, though?

Loud is a good word for it. [He chuckles a little at that. It's probably the nicest word for it.]

Ah, yeah. I was studying literature at university before I came here. Even before that, though... I've spent most of my time reading since I was a kid.

[Which...really isn't something to brag about, and he seems almost embarrassed by it.]

Oh, cool. [ University is Very Different from military school, she's gathered. ] I don't get a lot of time for it back home, but I've been trying to make up for that here.

[ By scouring the library like a girl with a starving mind. ]

This is a good place for it. [Kaneki chuckles.] The library here is really amazing, isn't it?

Yeah! I mean, there's stuff I've heard of, but never got my hands on. And... there're books that I can't read, because they're in weird languages, but they're still cool to look at. There's enough to keep me reading for the rest of the time I'm here, probably.

[ beat ]

Where do they come from, anyway? The magic closets?

I'm not sure. If you ask for a book from the closet, it won't always give you what you want, so I think they must originate from the library itself...

[Kaneki's expression and voice go thoughtful as he considers.]

Have you noticed how the library changes its shape and size? I've always wondered why that was. Maybe its because the books that are here change depending on who's staying here.

So, the library stocks the closets with books? Where's the other stuff come from, then?

[ Even if the answer's just 'magic,' there has to be a source, right? Or... maybe not. Ellie doesn't get this fantasy stuff. ]

Yeah, now that you mention it. [ That's an interesting point. She sucks on her bottom lip as she mulls it over... but, of course, just thinking about it doesn't answer the question. Not in this case. ]

Could be? But is there anybody who'd know for sure?

I'm...not really sure. I uh...try not to think too much about it.

[Because really, thinking about where the clearly human flesh he's eating came from when the closet or kitchen gives it to him makes it really hard to eat.]

Maybe...Alice or one of the others who comes from Wonderland? Except, I'm not really confident they'd give a real answer if we asked.

Nah, doesn't seem like it. If they did, I think one of the other people around here would've been able to get the answer out of them a while ago. At least, I hope they would.

[ But, who can say? Some of the captives in Wonderland are as nutty as their 'hosts.' ]

fourth ➛ video

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