19th Card [dictated]

[legacydeck]

It's one thing to know that places have changed in your absence - that time moves on without you, and that particularly in the castle, 'time' is a loose construct at best - and another to actually see it with your own eyes.

To me, the last time I was in Tokyo proper was perhaps six months ago, and the year was, by the Western calendar, 1920. Suffice to say it seems quite a bit has changed since then.

9th Memory ~ [Dictated / Written] ~ Dated to when everyone wakes in Tokyo

[deltacain]

[This morning, there'll be a message written in the journal.]

皆さん、東京へようこそ - (Welcome to Tokyo, everyone.)

[Followed by David's voice filtering out. He sounds... happy. Ecstatic. He was home... more or less.]

It's exactly as I remember it. A few changes, but I was only here last year... from my perspective, with the university. If anyone needs a guide, I'd be happy to. Just let me know.

19. If only my life was more like 1983

[pompous_today]

Today marks one year since I arrived in Paradisa.

I am not quite sure how to feel about it, to be perfectly honest. I suppose I never expected that I would be trapped here for this long, even considering that one year is paltry compared to some of you. I've been taken to so many different times and places, met people from hundreds of years before I was born, from worlds and times where Earth was never left behind... something I would not have thought possible. I've outlasted both of my sister's stays here, and those of two of my friends. I've met two people who look and sound almost identical to people from my world.

I still have things to be thankful for, at least. I appreciate what I have a lot more than I used to.

If I have to stay here another year, here's hoping it is better, at least.

Dictated

[lightbranded]

 [Will was sounding strangely excited today.]

This is marvelous!  My brother sent me a birthday present from Japan once, and I read all of his letters, but I never thought I should see it for myself so soon.

I'm not really sure what to see, though.  Does anyone else want to go out and explore?

Thirty Two Truffula Trees

[whichwayyoulean]

[The Once-ler sounds a lot more chipper than he did when he last used the journals. He's been wandering around, taking in the sights and sounds and smells of this new place]

So another trip to Earth, huh? It's like Paradia's favourite vacation spot. There's something I've been wondering since we visited that Sandyaygo place, me and Ted noticed it and it's pretty weird to us. What's with your buildings? Why are they so plain and boring?

[Even if they can't see him, he waves at a nearby building]

I mean, there are no doors on the second floor just leading out into space. No fancy outside staircases joining windows on different floors, no ledges that go nowhere. You guys do know there are shapes other than squares and rectangles, right? Where's your sense of imagination and fun?

❀ 5th petal [written]

[bravelittlegirl]

[Ib's handwriting is the careful but slightly awkward cursive of someone who hasn't been writing cursive very long.]

How come this keeps happening? I mean the thing where we're suddenly in a new place every couple of weeks. It's really confusing.

[pause...]

And every time it happens, somebody dies. I don't want anyone else to die. It's awful, and it needs to stop. I wish we could just stay at the castle.