voice

[projected]

[When the feed clicks on, there is only a faint static sound with what sounds like the microphone being covered a couple times. From the turn of the sound, one can surmise the device is being moved in the hand of the person who turned on the feed.]

This crude device is quite deceptive. At first it looked like an antiquated smart phone of sort, but inspection shows a different story. I'm a bit more impressed to learn it connects to a network that everyone is on. A means of communication is interesting... I'm curious as to why it even exists actually. Maybe that question is intentionally open-ended?

[He huffs a quiet breath of laughter out, the number of possible answers already sprouting to mind.]

If I'm being honest, I never really liked Alice in Wonderland. I can acknowledge it's historical value, and it's why I read it, but Alice herself was... fake. Designed as the perfect image of childhood innocence. She went around this new world so new to her without fear, wondered by all around her. Any flaw with her was never designed, but created by those who read the story. The world, much like this one, was of far more interest.

...What do you think of Alice though? Was she foolish for being too trusting of Wonderland, or can she be absolved for her curious nature? I think the answer you would pick, even if you don't say it aloud, reveals what kind of person you are.

If you don't want to share your answer that's fine. However I am curious about what kind of people are here. A melting pot of universes isn't exactly commonplace. I do hope this place won't be as tedious as reading Alice's adventures.

Comments

[projected]

Yes, exactly. [He chuckles quietly.] I think everyone, at least once in their life, has experienced that. The question is if they regret it or not.

[thisismadfreaky]

Yeah... [If he sounds bitter, maybe it's because he is.] I know what it's like to regret getting what you want.

[projected]

...And why? The only people who regret getting what they want are those who feel their reward was tainted. Their expectations betrayed. But there's a way to combat that feeling.

[thisismadfreaky]

[And now a conversation that had started out mostly innocent and about a character in a children's story is hitting on a lot of things he doesn't want to think about. And yet... he's got no one but himself to blame. But he does. He does know what it's like to have the exact thing he wanted ruined by a betrayal of the worst brand and it hurts to think about.

The way Wells--no. Thawne. had given him so many things he'd wanted, desperately needed, even--all that parental guidance, fatherly care, and for what, other than playing a long game of manipulation--only to rip it away when his literal years of lies were uncovered. And added insult to injury, quite literally, when he shoved his hand through Cisco's chest.]

It's not like you can just turn it off and stop caring that you were betrayed. You give somebody the trust to let them in and let them know what you need and they give it to you, down the letter, only to have to break that trust and rip it all away in one go. How do you stop that? How do you stop something you never saw coming?

[And if this suddenly sounds incredibly personal, it's because it is. The smallest tremble in his voice gives that away, if nothing else. Betrayed by his own emotions, as usual.]

[deathlessness]

Of course. Pleasant conversation is always worth having, in my opinion.

[beatupgrass]

Yeah, I know that feelin'. There's just a limited amount of things to blow up around here, and they just fix it again anyway. Real unsatisfyin'.

[powerofmabel]

[she blows a raspberry] Yeah, 'cause I wanna read about old-timey people doing old-timey things just 'cause adults tell me I should.

sorry for the delay!

[chocolatepudding]

And what's that? It says I'm smarter than most, right?

[ Hey he can dream. ]

[wriggedywrecked]

Save it for Tumblr. Or fuck, go invent Wonderland Tumblr. Wondlr.

[projected]

...You can't. But you can embrace it. Embrace those feelings of betrayal, and never forget the stinging pain that came from it. Do that, and you'll have the power to stop it from happening ever again. That power will make you the new traitor.

[He can understand Cisco's pain. It's the pain that feels like the whole world has collapsed around you, where everything you ever did was built around a lie. Yet all pain, if overcome, turns into a lesson. A hindsight reminder about what caused the pain, and how to avoid it again. Betrayal is a pain that teaches the victim about the truth, and what trust really means.

Betrayal is what made Eobard into the Reverse Flash. And the pain he suffered turned to hatred, which turned to power.]

[thisismadfreaky]

What if you don't wanna be a traitor? [His voice is soft and small. These are ideas he usually tries to keep locked in a box somewhere, but here it is, being presented on a silver platter for him to look at and dissect. Cisco isn't sure how he feels about it. He still has morals, and he'd never want to purposely make anyone else feel what he had felt, but sometimes, just sometimes...there's a part of him that wonders. It's that part that makes him see how easy it was for Reverb to make the choices he did, to fall into the power. It's that part of himself he's scared of.]

Is it just a scenario that's doomed to repeat if you don't cross that line? [That can't be true...can it?]

[projected]

...Hmph. I think that's your decision to make. I only speak from experience.

[He doesn't expect Cisco to ever become a traitor. He's too full of heart, and unwilling to relinquish his humanity. Whether that means Cisco will become a victim is a different story.]

I think this is where we should end our conversation. I'm a little disappointed, but that's my fault. I set expectations too high, believed I left more of an impression. Do forgive me, Cisco.

[thisismadfreaky]

[Something runs cold in his blood at those last words and the casual use of his name like he knew him. There's a thought trying to sink into the back of his mind, but he doesn't want to accept it until he has more definitive proof.

He doesn't bother saying anything else, though, instead he lets the feed go dead and drops the device on the table.]

[catchacold]

See, that could mean just about anything, depending on what pleases you.

[And how he deals with the people who don't get used to it.]

Anyway. Wonderland's going to change things around on you, fair warning.

voice. (ooc: and apologies for my shitty bullshitted science-y stuff)

[quickgenius]

That would still count as Wonderland specific logic, I would think, which means we should still be able to figure out how things work once we determine what it's based on. Unless, of course, there’s some degree of sentience, or it’s controlled by someone else’s thoughts and desires...

In which case the equations would be a little more complicated.

[She’s always liked a challenge...]

No, never permanent. Yet, anyway. But never the same, either. Of course, I haven’t been here as long as some, so it’s possible there has been repetition and my sample size just isn’t large enough.

likewise lol...

[projected]

It says you want easy answers without working for them.

[and no, he doesn't care that he's being blunt to a literal child.]

[projected]

...You don't need to do anything adults tell you. You should want to do those things because it's important. One day you'll understand that.

[projected]

Maybe. Although I'm sure fixing them also takes a certain amount of effort on their end. Constantly destroying things doesn't become unsatisfying until you decide it is. Then you just move onto the next act of chaos.

[projected]

Hm. It's true, you can't blame someone for doing an action outside their autonomy. But that doesn't change the action that was committed. Then it would just be easy to excuse away any action under duress.

[projected]

Isn't that the archaic site where little children used to cry about their feelings? My time doesn't have that anymore - too busy to waste our time.

[projected]

You're a very good listener. [He says with a smirk in his voice, because it doesn't surprise him. Ah, but he can't let on who he is too soon.] I don't mind adapting to change. Sometimes it's better to work in the confines of an unfortunate situation, and change your fortune from within.

[projected]

A large area like this would require someone behind the scenes ensuring everything is kept under control. Though what we define as control may be different from their perspective. It all depends how much they want to limit us.

[catchacold]

What can I say? I'm a people person. [He doesn't realise that there might be any recognition. He doesn't recognise the man and his own time travelling days are - to his knowledge - in the past.]

Sure. Can't wait to see you turned to a child, that one's always fun.

[chocolatepudding]

Bullshit. I just want to see if I can cheat the system.

[testcase]

No, it doesn't change that it happened, that's right. But it's not the same as saying you were forced to in the real world either.

[There's some more pages turning.]

Wonderland can make you forget who you are. Or make you remember liking to do thing you wouldn't normally do. So when it does that, I think you have to make an exception.