[Video/Action]

[cuteshit]

[The video feed shows Kanji leaning against the counter in the diner, his chin in hand as he props himself up on one elbow. He's still wearing his blue apron, but it looks like he's been taking a break from his usual clean-up duties for a little while now, frowning to himself thoughtfully.]

I got a question for you, Wonderland. Riley an' I were talkin' about events awhile back, and I've been thinkin' about it ever since. A lot of 'em have been pretty rough lately, right? But sometimes you hear people say that they're not always bad, that sometimes they're kinda fun. People seem to be havin' a rough time lately, so maybe it's time we thought about some of the positives of Wonderland, instead. Long as we're stuck here, we might as well.

So, tell me: what events have you seen here that you really liked? Maybe someone's asked this before, but if they did, I missed out on it. I heard there were a bunch of puppies once, that sounds like it was probably a good one. I thought Hogwarts was pretty fun, but I know it wasn't like that for everyone. If you can't think of any events you liked, maybe just talk about some of the good stuff that mighta happened to you here. Friends you've made you wouldn't have gotten to meet elsewhere, stuff like that.

I'll be in the diner all day if anyone wants to talk in person.

[Later in the afternoon, anyone who comes into the diner will find that he's abandoned his post at the counter, having taken up residence in a corner booth with his mop and bucket resting against the wall nearby. He's made himself comfortable in the booth itself, sitting length-wise with his feet sticking out of the end, several sheets of paper spread out across the table with the Rabbit Hole's basic menu next to them as a reference. There are a few scrapped attempts already-- sketches in colored pencil of menu designs he's decided he doesn't like, but it's pretty clear that he's undertaken a Project.]

Comments

[cuteshit]

It is kinda weird, huh? I mean, I've got those memories now, too, an' I know they ain't real, but... I kinda like havin' 'em. I know not everyone is gonna feel that way. People don't like their memories bein' messed with. Can't say I blame 'em.

[It's a pretty major violation, in most cases.]

I've almost been here a year now-- I haven't seen a lot of 'fun' events, but sometimes you hear about 'em.

[mimic]

[ Given enough time, he can see how having his memories messed with time and time again might make it difficult to distinguish between what's real and what's not. ]

These events seem to happen a lot. I guess it can get frustrating to deal with.

You gotten used to being here yet? [ A year seems like a long time to be stuck in this bizarre place. ]

[cuteshit]

Pretty regularly, yeah. Couple weeks of quiet, then bam! Event.

[More or less.]

I mean, as much as you can get used to it, yeah. I've got friends here, an' a girlfriend, but-- I think we'd all rather be home. It ain't terrible, but I don't wanna stay forever. I'd really miss the people I met here, though. Makes it harder to say you wanna leave.

[mimic]

[ Peter misses his family and friends, but he's not sure how he feels about going home. It's nothing to do with Wonderland or its residents. There's not much he'd miss about this place just yet as he hasn't been here long enough. It's more that he has an idea about the future; knows he's going to lose his brother and deal with a host of issues involving his abilities back home, and he's not ready for all of that. ]

Your girlfriend... is she from your world?

[cuteshit]

[Kanji shakes his head, frowning a little bit.]

No. So as much as I wanna go home, and I know she wants to go home-- we wouldn't remember each other.

[Which is difficult to think about. They're just kids, but the relationships he's built here still mean a lot to him.]

[mimic]

Just live for the moment, I guess? [ It's a complicated situation made worse by being trapped in a place they can't escape from or return to at will. ]

I think it's good that you have someone. You shouldn't close yourself off if an opportunity for friendship or love presents itself. It'd be a waste. Who knows how long any of us will be here.

[cuteshit]

That's kinda what I figured.

[Although it sounded a lot better when Peter said it, probably. Kanji's not great when it comes to being articulate.]

I mean, we ain't here forever, but... doesn't stop us from carin' about people. The friends I've made here are important to me.

[mimic]

Yeah, but I think the longer we stay here the more messed up our memories are going to get. [ Just how many times have they experienced an event where they're friends with someone they're not actually friends with... ] It makes me think I should start a journal or something. Dear Peter, remember that x and y aren't really your friends. [ Things are bound to get awkward soon enough. ]

[cuteshit]

Probably not a bad idea. I know someone else here who keeps journals to keep track of her memories.

[Not for exactly the same reasons, but still.]

Could be useful.

[mimic]

I've been sketching a lot in a few journals, but I guess I should start writing things down. [ Add that to the list of things to do. ]

You think there's a purpose for these events? I mean, aside from having our minds messed with for some reason. [ As if being here isn't enough of a mind fuck. ]

[cuteshit]

Wish I know. There's gotta be some reason, right? I mean, they wouldn't put us through this crap without a point to it. Not sayin' it's a good point, but...

[He shrugs a little.]

The events come from people's memories, right? Think Wonderland uses those memories for something?

[mimic]

Maybe some... some thing is feeding on memories. [ Nathan would think he's being ridiculous, but what else could it be? There's definitely some weird force at work here. ] Some people have experienced memory loss, right?

[cuteshit]

[Kanji frowns-- he doesn't like the sound of that at all, but it makes sense.]

Yeah. Just a word or two at a time, but that shit adds up. My senpai's been here for years, an' he and I had to sit down to figure out everything he'd forgotten. List got pretty long.

[mimic]

I don't understand. People forget specific words? [ That seems odd. ] So what happens when you mention the word? They just end up not knowing what it means? Like all the time or...? [ That would be frustrating. ]

[cuteshit]

Yup. Like Souji-senpai-- he forgot the word 'yukata.' Doesn't matter how many times I say it to him, he doesn't hear anything at all, it's like static or white noise or somethin'. Just doesn't register.

[Kanji hasn't experienced it himself just yet, but he knows his day has to be coming.]

He could kind of explain what it was when we were trying to figure out what he'd forgotten, but he couldn't say the word itself.

[mimic]

[ That's really disturbing. He can't imagine forgetting the names of those he knows back home or the names of the cities he's visited or anything else that's important, but -- just forgetting something simple like the word spoon or fork would suck. He worked as a hospice nurse before and remembers dealing with a lot of old folks who had problems remembering things. ]

... What's a you-cat-ah?

[cuteshit]

Yukata? It's like-- a kimono, but lighter. You wear 'em at hot springs, or sometimes during summer festivals and stuff-- like Tanabata? The girls do, anyway.

[Yosuke always seemed to get really revved up for any chance to see the ladies of the Investigation Team in traditional dress of any kind. Personally, Kanji was more interested in the food that tended to be a part of those festivals.]

[mimic]

I went to a hot springs once and most of everyone was naked. Never got the chance to see a yukata. [ He's heard of a kimono and he can't imagine anyone wearing anything like that at the hot springs. He was sweating buckets wearing nothing but his boxers. ]