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[paigesofanewbook]

@saviorsxn​

Will grimaced. “Right. I - uh, I get that.” He withdrew his hand and tucked it into his pants pocket, hoping it would give him an excuse not to fidget. “Not exactly fun for anyone here.” Which was definitely a prime thing to say to someone offering to help you survive. “But, thank you. Again.”

Paige opened her mouth as if to say something else, then quickly decided against it. She simply hummed in affirmation before she turned and left out the door, immediately breathing a little better once she had. 

Alright, she thought to herself. You have a mission now. Stop worrying about him and do it.

[paigesofanewbook]

@saviorsxn

Will’s lips quirked up at the corners into a small smile, unable to help himself at the odd introduction. Maybe that was just how Wonderland was, full of titles he was meant to understand but couldn’t as an outsider. Maybe his mother had known what they meant, or maybe she’d had to learn too.

The thought sobered him and he accepted the hand, shaking it for only a brief moment. “Nice to meet you, Paige. I’m Willem. You can call me Will though, if you want.”

Paige managed a somewhat genuine smile as he introduced himself, and she gave his hand a small squeeze before letting hers fall back at her side. 

“Nice to meet you, Will. Well, could be better, but... Still.”

[paigesofanewbook]

@saviorsxn​

Will found it a little admirable that she managed to pull herself together that fast. Though, he was sure she was still freaking out inside as badly as he was. “A mutual friend? That sounds…” Shady? A little concerning? He sighed. “Alright. That’s fine, yeah. Don’t worry, I can get myself out of here. I’m more worried about my sister, honestly.” Thea was an adult, she was no damsel in distress, but Will’s heart twisted at the thought of something happening to her because of a rash decision. “I’ll be safe. You be careful too. And thank you…um, I don’t think I got your name, sorry.”

Paige had already turned toward the door and did a quick spin on her heels when she realized she hadn’t even introduced herself. Of course, she couldn’t blame herself. The rest of the night had been pretty distracting. Still, she didn’t want to be rude. Despite his panicky behavior, he still seemed nice.

“Right. Paige. The Fisherman’s Daughter,” she greeted as she held her hand out in a very formal gesture.

[paigesofanewbook]

paigesofanewbook‌:

Only a second or two after Tamar mentioned it, the wind blew that very familiar scent right past her nose as well. She inhaled deeply and her nervous smile was replaced with a much more genuine variation. 

“Yes, it should be the next corner then…”

She quickened her pace just enough to reach the corner before her new acquaintance, peeking down the right to confirm. Then she spun back to face the girl, clasping her hands excitedly in front of her. 

“Here we are!”

          tamar grinned, while her stomach growled in approval and           demanded an end to her wait. she broke into a jog, eager           to scramble around the corner to put an end to her small           quest. she almost skidded around the corner, heedless of           the people around her, but at the last second pivoted and           threw her arms around paige’s shoulders, if only briefly.           then she was gone again, waving and calling a brief and           fading, “thank you!”

                                 「  end of thread. 」

[paigesofanewbook]

@flashfircs​

          tamar had to wonder— was paige usually so contrary?           did she always trip over herself? tamar privately admitted           that it was rather endearing, looking over at the blonde           as if she was some kind of puzzle to sort out.

          her nose soon distracted her eyes, though, as she inhaled           deeply. her mouth watered, almost tasting what she could           smell. “can you smell that, or am i hallucinating?” tamar’s           eyes searched and scanned, hoping for a glimpse of the           elusive scent. “is that the baker? damn, i’m starving.”

Only a second or two after Tamar mentioned it, the wind blew that very familiar scent right past her nose as well. She inhaled deeply and her nervous smile was replaced with a much more genuine variation. 

“Yes, it should be the next corner then...”

She quickened her pace just enough to reach the corner before her new acquaintance, peeking down the right to confirm. Then she spun back to face the girl, clasping her hands excitedly in front of her. 

“Here we are!”

[paigesofanewbook]

@wallacewhite​

“That, I doubt” and whilst his children were his entire universe, he was well aware that he was far from being a good father to them. The fact they even still talked to him was a miracle in his eyes. And also concerning given that he knew they were hardly safe with his own past.

“If you’re sure. Though standing out here might not be the safest thing to do” then again being inside might not be the safest thing, but he wasn’t sure where was.

Paige raked her lower lip with her teeth as she looked toward the door, then quickly back down at her feet. She inhaled deeply, watching her wiggling toes until she finally felt the need to exhale. 

“Yes, I suppose you’re right... It, uh... It probably seems silly, me needing to muster up the courage like this...”

[paigesofanewbook]

saviorsxn‌:

Seeing how upset she was as well struck a chord in him, and Will managed to calm himself down a little, taking a few deep breaths as he watched her steady herself too. It made him feel guilty for snapping, but part of him felt reassured that he wasn’t the only one worrying about the dangers they were in. And shit, he hadn’t even thought about what would happen to her for helping him. Will had been assuming up until this point that she would turn him in. Maybe Thea was right and he was too paranoid for his own good.

Will nodded, swallowing down a lump in his throat. “Yeah. Yeah, I can get outside.” I’ve spent years of college learning to be invisible, a small, bitter voice in the back of his mind grumbled. “I can do that. Are you gonna be okay getting Thea? I assume she knows you if you recognized me.”

“Okay... okay...”

She took a few deep breaths until the beating of her heart slowed, and then she smiled as if nothing was happening. After all, if Paige hadn’t managed to master the perfect forced smile by this point in her life, things would have been a lot harder for her.

“Actually, she doesn’t quite know me. I only formally met Whiskey, but a mutual friend filled me in on some details... It will be fine, though. Just... be safe, okay?” Her final question was probably the most serious thing she had said this whole evening. She didn’t know if she would be able to forgive herself if anything happened to these innocent people. She didn’t doubt that she was only digging herself deeper because of it...

[paigesofanewbook]

saviorsxn‌:

Will didn’t mean to alarm her but he was already on edge and his nerves were shot at this point. He sighed, thankful that Thea was at least alive and not beheaded somewhere in a dungeon or…however they handled cases of Wanderers in Wonderland. He didn’t want to find out.

“Like I said, I wasn’t planning on staying! I just need Thea and then I’ll grab her and go. Attire wasn’t exactly a big to-do on my list for tonight.” He frowned. “Whisk - what, no, I’m not trying - hey, I’m just as, if not more, stressed and freaking out about this. We didn’t ask to be here, we just want to go home. I know this is dangerous, but I need Thea. I’m not leaving here without her.”

Paige needed a moment. She leaned her back against the wall, one hand covering her mouth to try to hide the fact that her lip was quivering furiously and tears were surely on their way. She knew she had a habit of being a frustrated crier, but she really didn’t need this right now. She had to fix this. She was just... so scared.

She bit down hard on her lower lip, causing just enough pain to snap herself out of it as she wiped away what water had flooded into her eyes. 

“Okay,” she began, voice on slightly wavering. “Okay, here is what we need to do. I will go back in and find Thea. But if anyone catches you right now, you’re both in trouble. Can you try to get outside without bumping into anyone else?”

[paigesofanewbook]

saviorsxn‌:

Will hoped being pulled around wasn’t going to be the whole story of his night. What was with all the tugging? He was certain he stepped on a few people’s feet as he fought to keep up with her, ducking his head as they hurried through the crowd. Surely no one was going to recognize him but the idea of being watched was enough to make him nervous.

The moment the door shut and her words sank in, however, Will’s heart dropped. “Us two - wait, you know?” He dragged his hands down his face and swore quietly. How many people had his sister run into in this crazy place? But that also meant… “Look, I - never mind. I’m just here to get her out of here, I promise! You think I want to be here? Please tell me you at least saw Thea.”

Paige put her head in her hands, inhaling deeply to try to calm herself from having a completely panic attack at that very moment. Not only were people in danger, but she was putting herself in danger just by helping them and she didn’t even feel like she had a choice in it. She had just done it... Twice now. She could get into so much trouble... But, she had to think about them.

“Yes, I saw her, and she is blending in a lot better than you were. Please tell me Whiskey isn’t here, too... Are you trying to get arrested? I don’t even... I don’t even know what they really do to Wanderers... This is so bad...”

[paigesofanewbook]

saviorsxn‌:

Will squawked louder than he intended when the drink hit him, backing away a few steps to look between her and the now-empty drink. “I - the hell?” He opened his mouth to snap at her, before the moment caught up to him. Was he reading this wrong or…? No matter what, standing still and drawing more attention wouldn’t help the situation at all, so he might as well play along.

“Sure. Yes.” Will’s brow furrowed further as he scrutinized her. “Definitely should clean it… Do you know where the bathroom is?”

Paige couldn’t even say anything in the moment. She wasn’t good at responding to sudden things like this. Half of her brain had definitely shut down at this point, but at least that one focus remained. She set the empty glass down on the table and grabbed him firmly by the arm again, pulling him behind her so that it would be more difficult for people to see him. 

She somehow managed to smile at one of the servants she passed once they had turned into the hall, then quickly pulled him into the washroom and slammed the door behind them.

“Are you two crazy?”

[paigesofanewbook]

saviorsxn‌:

Will shut his mouth with a click but he had to blow out a deep breath through his nose to calm himself. There was no way to backpedal now. This was supposed to be a simple in-and-out deal: just find Thea and get the hell out of this place before something bad happened. Of course, the universe seemed bent on doing everything in its power to counteract that, especially ever since they’d come to Wonderland.

Was this how his mother had felt during her trips here? The thought made him uncomfortable. And today was her -

No. Not thinking about that. Not right now.

Will realized she was getting down from the table and stepped back to give her some room to get down. He held out her drink, a little stiffly, and searched her expression. “I… I didn’t say, actually. Why?”

There was a part of Paige’s brain that probably broke in that moment. All of the conflict she had felt before about the situation, accidentally helping a Wanderer and all, and wondering where that put her... It was gone now. In that moment she made a split decision that she was sure she would be freaking out over later. But she had to get them out of there.

So without hesitation, Paige reached over to take her drink and then splashed it right across his chest.

“Oh no, oh boy... What a mess... I’m so sorry... We should get that cleaned up...”

[paigesofanewbook]

saviorsxn‌:

Will nearly jumped when she grabbed his arm, but he let her pull him for a moment or two, unsure where this was going. And - oh, that was her drink, okay. He blinked at the drink and then at the stranger who was…on the table now. Very inconspicuous. Will did groan this time, just a little.

“I - I don’t know.” He tried not to raise his voice too loud, fidgeting as a few people started to stare. “I don’t think it’d be too long but… Maybe something form-fitting? Um, is the table necessary?”

She waved a hand toward his face when he kept talking after the answer about the dress, hushing him in the process. She had to focus. Especially with her sugar high kicking in from all of the desserts she had eaten off of this very table. Oh... She should probably be careful not to get cake in her dress.

Oh well, it was probably too late now.

She scanned the crowd, stopping at each blonde to see if she recognized them. She was probably looking for someone unfamiliar--

Or very familiar. Very familiar. Paige may have only seen her from a distance, but she knew exactly who that was and now, looking back down at the strange stranger, she began to put two and two together. 

And this was very not good.

She very gracefully (awkwardly) stepped down from the table.

“What did you say her name was?” she asked, trying not to appear as concerned as she was.

[paigesofanewbook]

saviorsxn‌:

Well, so much for walking away. Willem appreciated her generosity but boy… He prayed she wasn’t the type to turn them in. He didn’t want to meet this Crimson King everyone seemed so afraid of.

“She’s… She’s got blonde hair, I think it’s about your length, maybe more. Blue eyes, a few inches shorter than me. Again, don’t know what she’s wearing but it’s probably not a ballgown.” Thea would be smart enough not to find something she couldn’t run off in. He hoped.

Blond hair... Short... Blue eyes... Well, that was half of her friends. Needless to say, she could rule all of them out so maybe it wouldn’t be so hard.

“Got it,” she said as she grabbed the boy by the arm and pulled him over to one of the dessert tables. When she let go of him, she shoved her drink into his hand. “Hold this, please.” Then, as one does, she lifted up her dress and climbed onto the table to stand at a height which would help her find the mysterious blonde. 

“Any idea what she might be wearing?” she called down to him as she looked around.

[paigesofanewbook]

musetta-mist‌:

Musetta raised an eyebrow, confused. Shit. She scared the girl without even trying. Either land-folk were just really sensitive, or Musetta did some weird shit without realizing. It was probably all of that yelling at that kid. Surveying the girl now, Musetta realized she probably didn’t endear herself to the stranger by doing that. Shouting that she didn’t need babysitting in an unintentionally hostile tone wasn’t doing any favors either.

Musetta wouldn’t have cared how she came across, had her own blunders not gotten in the way of her desire to solve a particular mystery, and that mystery was: what was this girl nervous about, and what was she possibly hiding from?

She forced her face muscles to relax a bit, and even tried on a friendly smile. “Well, whatever’s inside there can’t be that scary, and anybody trying to show off their ‘scary’ can’t be all that smart.” Musetta tried to trot alongside the girl, lifting up part of the front of her skirt so that she wouldn’t trip again. “I’ve met some mean and scary people, and I’ve had to figure out how to beat them,” she said in a slow, odd tone. “I have some stories all about that, and the guys I’ve met make some of these guys seem like a cake hike!” At least, that’s what Musetta thought the expression was. Or… was it cake walk?

Paige slowed down a bit as the girl walked up beside her, trying to decide what she wanted to do in this situation.

On the one hand, she was already feeling upset and she absolutely hated that feeling. If this girl was mean, then she didn’t want to make herself feel any worse. But also she didn’t want to be mean back because that would be, well... mean. 

On the other hand, the girl seemed to be offering up quite a bit of information there that could lead to some very interesting stories... And if there was one thing that made Paige feel better when she was upset, it was hearing people’s weird and fucked up stories. But... She really should have been inside by now...

She stopped on the top step, turning to face the girl, still shifting between the two thoughts. 

“Um... What kind of scary people exactly have you met?”

[paigesofanewbook]

saviorsxn‌:

“Good. Nice.” ‘Nice’? Really? He rubbed a hand over the back of his neck. He really had come underdressed to this. How dressed up was Thea? And when had she even had time to get a dress? An unspoken groan tickled the back of his throat; he hoped he didn’t have to add “stealing” to their list of crimes here, apart from merely existing, apparently.

Will let out a nervous laugh. “You probably don’t know her.” At least, he hoped not. “I don’t even remember what she was wearing, honestly, she could be anywhere. Thank you, though.”

Paige threw her hand in the air in a gesture that said she refused his refusal to her help. She wasn’t one to give in easily to not helping people. Helping people was her whole purpose. It was the only thing that made her happy. It was the only reason she felt whole. No need to dig deeper there... That was totally normal...

“Nonsense,” she said. “Tell me what she looks like. I’ll be able to spot her her. I’ve got skills with crowds.”

[paigesofanewbook]

saviorsxn‌:

Will hadn’t anticipated anyone stopping him and he paused his retreat to cast another, less fleeting look at the person in front of him. She didn’t seem put out by his behavior, or appearance, simply watching him with what he swore was concern. The frustrated part of him wanted to snap or vent at her, but that wouldn’t be fair - or safe, given the crowded environment. Besides, he didn’t even know her. For all he knew, she could be one of those people he was supposed to be avoiding.

“Oh, uh, I’m just…looking for someone.” Will winced; what a smooth save. “I lost someone on my way in and I need to find her. Crowds and I don’t mix very well, so…” He trailed off awkwardly and glanced behind him. He thought he saw a glimpse of blonde hair, but that could be anyone. When he found Thea, he was going to give her a lengthy lecture on sneaking off to dangerous parties.

“Sorry again, I hope I didn’t make you spill your drink or make a mess.”

“No no no, it’s fine.” She didn’t want him to feel bad. He was nicer than most that had collided with her tonight, and clearly he was in some kind of rush or else he would have dressed properly. So she straightened up and adjusted her dress to try to appear more put together than she probably was... But that had nothing to do with him. She had her own problems.

“So you’re looking for someone... Maybe I know them? I could help you look.”

[paigesofanewbook]

saviorsxn‌:

Every time he thought things might be turning around, going his way, something - usually his sister - upended this notion. Will was hardly in the mood for a party, and certainly not one in full swing, but the moment he’d realized Thea was gone, he knew he couldn’t sit back and wait for her to return. 

It didn’t take a genius to figure out where she’d vanished off to. It seemed most of Wonderland was off celebrating this king’s birthday, and those that weren’t whispered about the festivities under their breath when they thought no one was looking. Part of him found the whole ordeal fascinating, but a louder, more prominent voice in the back of his mind screamed of nothing but danger. He wasn’t here to play, he needed to find Thea and get out of here. What part about people want you dead did she not understand?

He sidestepped a pair of giggling ladies, flashing them an uncomfortably tight smile as he scanned the crowd for his sister. He probably stuck out like a sore thumb, severely underdressed for this celebration. Just as the thought crossed his mind, Will found himself bumping into someone’s back face-first, only just managing to catch himself in time before he took the poor partygoer down with him. “I’m - I’m so sorry,” he ran a hand through his hair and glanced around him once more, already starting to retreat, “I didn’t see you there, so sorry.”

Paige managed to just narrowly avoid getting her very red drink on her very white dress when someone bumped into her. It had honestly been happening pretty frequently at this point in the night, with everyone so intoxicated, so she hadn’t expected to hear an apology.

She turned toward the stranger as he spoke, brow furrowing in confusion as she looked him up and down. Not only did she not recognize him in the slightest, but he was rather dressed down which meant he was probably here for something important.

“Sorry, no, it’s fine... Is something wrong? You look distraught...”