[Video]

[mypartnerintime]

Dear Wonderland.

[She says it like she's starting a letter. To all of you Wonderland girls and guys! She's obviously in her room, the wall of pasted-on Polaroid photos behind her, with softly lit lanterns hanging across the surface on thin wires. It's late at night- or rather, it's the wee hours of the morning. Max has no idea how much the old midnight gang of insomniacs still prowls around the network. She used to be pretty active at this time- not so much anymore.]

This is gonna sound kinda weird, but I swear I'm not off my rocker. Maybe groggy and craving for food, but not crazy.

[ Come on Max, stop embarrassing yourself on the network!]

I was just thinking that I would've graduated by now, since it's June. I'd probably be scrambling to find some sort of arts college that I can afford or that I can even get into. [Or not. Spending a year traveling and taking photos sounds great, too, but college seems pretty important.] And it sucks that I don't have school here.

But... obviously a lot of things suck about Wonderland. Nutso mirrors, certain newbies showing up, all kinds of scary mystery type stuff, nasty events. I mean, sometimes it's... just shit. [Like the past few days, for a lot of people. The network's been full of downers. Her brow furrows as she looks to the side, and her mouth curves into a slight frown.] And I'm sure some of us are bringing in a ton of messed up baggage from back home, too.

[She holds up a stack of instant photos, maybe seven or eight. She angles the stack sideways, so only the sides can be seen by the camera. The girl's still a little too shy to show the actual images.] But see this? Each one's a photo of a... a friend I've made here. People I could actually hang out with. [She waves the little stack at the screen, preparing herself for this next admission.] That's more friends than I had- have in my school.

So yeah, Wonderland totally bombs sometimes. But there's some pretty good stuff going on, too. And I know this is gonna be really hard right now, but I want to hear it- what's something you're super grateful for? Something you might never have had if you hadn't fallen down the rabbit hole? [She tries to make it sound like it's fun challenge, smiling timidly at the screen.] Cuz I'm sure you could name at least three things.

[[OOC: After the post, she leaves her room to roam around the mansion, phone light in hand. Feel free to bump into her wherever! Also, she'll be replying to all responses, even the ones after sunrise.]]

Comments

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[howkickassiam]

The free food and shelter thing is pretty nice. And I got to see someone I haven't seen in years. She even apologized for messing up the last time we saw each other. I never would have expected that.

Sometimes I wonder if she actually a...you know, some kind of construct or something. Not really her.

[mypartnerintime]

Free food is always a big plus. [Though she did have food allowance from her parents in Oregon, in Wonderland you can get lobster absolutely free.

Except she doesn't eat lobster. Huh.]

I kinda wonder that too. It seems too good to be true, right? So maybe you're living a fantasy in your head. Under a vanilla sky... [Uh, wait, will this person get the movie reference? Man she's got to remember that not everyone is from the same time and place.]

[howkickassiam]

Is that some kind of metaphor for a dream world, or something?

[mypartnerintime]

[Ugh, she knew it. Dumb Max!] It's a movie. Tom Cruise...? Uhh, what year are you from?

[howkickassiam]

It's 2551 where I'm from. Don't worry, though, I know a lot of the people here are from the past.

[mypartnerintime]

No, you're from the future. [She smiles sheepishly.] So you've never seen Vanilla Sky? Or Tom Cruise? Penelope Cruz, Cameron Diaz...

[Okay, he probably doesn't need to hear all of that.] It's a weird movie, but not bad. Major spoilers if I tell you what it's about, but basically it's a "your-life-is-a-lie" thing.

[howkickassiam]

Never heard of any of 'em, sorry.

Sounds a little depressing though, maybe.

[mypartnerintime]

...I actually dunno if it is. [She shrugs.]

So, you're from 2551. And where...?

[howkickassiam]

I...honestly never knew the name of the last planet I was on.

...It's a long story.

[mypartnerintime]

I bet. So who's the woman you haven't seen in years?

[howkickassiam]

Agent Carolina. Not her real name, but we got used to using code names. I'm Agent York, by the way.

[ A title he hasn't used in years, but ever since he's arrived here it's seemed appropriate to use it again. ]

[mypartnerintime]

Hi Agent York. I'm Max.

I'm guessing you're not FBI though. Do you know Wash?

[howkickassiam]

Yeah, we were in the same unit. Which was definitely not FBI.

[mypartnerintime]

Yeah, Wash kinda made that clear. He was fighting in a war.

[howkickassiam]

Yeah, that's right.

How much did he tell you about it, out of curiosity?

[mypartnerintime]

I don't really remember. There was something about aliens and... he didn't like it very much. He lived on a spaceship.

[howkickassiam]

Yeah, I'm not too surprised he doesn't remember it fondly. Living on a spaceship was pretty cool, though. Is there a lot of space travel where you're from?

[mypartnerintime]

Uh no. [She actually laughs quietly at that.] It was only 2013. Ninety-nine percent of people live with their feet on the ground.

[howkickassiam]

Yeah, it's not like space travel is exactly an everyday thing where I'm from either, unless you're in the military. Difference being, there are a lot of planets colonized. It's not limited to Earth.

[mypartnerintime]

So far I like Earth just fine. [Unless global warming gets even worse, in which case- well Mars seems way too red and boring.]

But I wouldn't mind seeing other places.

[howkickassiam]

We went to a resort planet when I was a kid. Arcadia. It was a lot of fun. Lots of fancy places to eat and amusement parks and, you know, spas and things like that.

[mypartnerintime]

Wowser that's so dope! A whole planet just for having fun.

That's nothing like the Arcadia I'm from. Mine's waaay quieter. [Arcadia Bay to be exact, on the Oregon coast.]

[howkickassiam]

I think home always seems boring until you leave. Then you miss it.

[mypartnerintime]

...Tell me about it.

[The last year she was in Seattle was spent missing Arcadia Bay. And even in Wonderland, once in a while she gets hit with really bad homesickness.]

Should I be hoping you go home someday?

[howkickassiam]

Heh. Well. Things are kind of not the best back where I come from, but I was right in the middle of doing someone a favor when I got transported here, so. I'd kind of like to carry out my role in that.