entranceway | video;

[ When Sarah comes into view, she's sitting with her elbows on a table, fingers steepled, and she actually looks Very Serious™ while contemplating how best to phrase her question. The conversation has come up privately, and she needs to have a full understanding of one of the parts of Wonderland she's never bothered with - the Vendors. ]

Hey. I know everyone's kind of consumed with what the dormouse had to say or...didn't say. But I really want to see where everyone falls regarding opinions on the Vendors.

Since we can't pick the memory they want, that means somehow they can rifle through our minds to pick the thing they want to take. And it'd probably have to be something meaningful or impactful. If I ever, for whatever reason, had no option but to use the Vendors, I could lose something like the birth of my son. I'd have no choice or say in the matter.

[ Her reason for using the Vendors would have to be extraordinary. Something involving Kurt or Ray and dire circumstances. ]

Anyway, my actual question is...how do we know, if the Vendors can access our minds and memories, that they or someone or something else doesn't do that all the time, on a constant basis? If Wonderland does actually use our memories to fuel the things that happen here, does that mean our brains are constantly being...I don't know. Monitored???

I'd really like some opinions on this.

[ Sarah isn't paranoid at all usually, and she'd say this is more concerned than paranoid, but it feels like such a violation of privacy that she can't help asking the community at large. ]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

But still, those are...mine, you know? I don't want someone being able to dip into my life anytime they want. But for sheer virtue of being here, I don't have a choice.

[Minato understood. He hadn't wanted anyone to go snooping around like that either.]

I don't think they'd take anything so fast if it's running on our memories. If it takes too much, then it won't have anything for later.

The problem is, we just don't know. If it can pull in as many people it wants, and any time it wants, I don't think there actually is an issue of shortage. But I don't know, maybe over-fueling would break the magic.

It must know how much it can hold. No one has been here longer than ten years except maybe for Alice.

That's a good point. I wonder why it held onto her for...the rest of her life? I mean, that's terrifying. She would be ancient by now but when she leaves and goes home she'll be a kid again with no years and years of magical life experience. And for what? I just...I don't understand the point.

I still think that Wonderland is lonely. It pulls people in since it doesn't want to be alone.

You know. When my friends are lonely they don't take me to their houses and then torture me before sending me home without so much as an explanation.

It might not know any better. It sends people home without changing time, so maybe that supposedly makes up for it.

So, you think maybe the...mansion or whatever, is a living...consciously thinking entity or something that can't control itself?

[ She's trying to wrap her head around this new concept, blinking slowly to process it. ]

I don't rule it out. Thinking of it that way though makes me sympathize, so maybe that's what it wants too.

[Some people didn't think it was sentient though. That was fine. Minato wouldn't rule that out either. Who knew what Wonderland really was.]

I definitely don't want to feel sorry for the place that kidnapped me.

[ She's not here for some kind of twisted victim blaming. ]

I honestly don't even know what I would do with any information I did find out. If my questions could be answered, what could I even do with it?

I don't think anything, but maybe it's a matter of accepting it or not.

[If anything.]

I don't mind it here, which is maybe why I'm okay with giving it a chance.

If my brother wasn't here, if I didn't have Ray, I'd be less okay about being here.

[ She thinks that if Kurt left, as long as Sarah had Ray, she'd be okay eventually. ]

It does make it easier to have people close to you here. But do you hope you'll go home before they do?

[So she wouldn't have to stay here and be left behind?]

I think I'd be okay, now that I'm connected to people, here. So, no, especially because I know my brother. He'd completely shut down if I left.

I'll just have to look out for both of you while you're both here.

[And carry on if one of them was left behind.]

[ Sarah smiles softly; it's sweet, he's sweet, and she can see why Jane always talks so highly of him. ]

Thank you, Minato. I appreciate that, and I know Kurt would, too.

It's no problem. I want to, since you've all helped me out too.

[He wanted to be able to repay them for everything.]

Any time; and I know I can speak for my brother and Jane when I say if you ever need anything, don't hesitate to reach out to one of us.

Thank you. Take care, and if I find any answers, I'll let you know too.

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