#Late to the Jabberwocky

[raveartts]

♥ The queen of Hearts ♥

[aspoonofsugar]

RWBY's Alyx In The Ever After

Here comes a meta on the Alice's inspiration of volume 9! The whole season is packed with allusions to Carrol's two works: Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Alice Through The Looking Glass. I will try to focus on the references most important for our girls' journey and on how Alice's story is used to convey a central theme of the volume: growing up.

TWO WORLDS, ONE ALICE AND THE SAME STORY

Carrol wrote two books about Alice's adventures.

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland tells the story of how Alice falls down the rabbit hole and discovers a magical world. Here are some highlights and key elements (skip them if you already know the story).

Alice sees a white rabbit who keeps repeating they are late. She follows them into a deep hole and arrives in a strange room. There she finds drinks and cakes, which make her big and small. She tries to use them to grow the right size to enter a beautiful garden full of red roses. Still, she messes up, starts crying and almost drawns in her own tears. She survives together with a mouse, a dodo and other animals. The mouse starts telling her a story, but gets offended and scared when Alice mentions her kitty Dinah.

Alice meets the White Rabbit, who confuses her for their housemaid. Alice goes to the White Rabbit's house, but drinks a potion and becomes a giant. She eats some tarts, shrinks and runs into a forest. There she meets a Caterpillar, who gives her a magical mushroom to manage her size. Now in control of how big and small she is, she keeps exploring the world. She interacts with a Duchess, her pig child and her Cheshire Cat. The Cat gives Alice directions to reach the March Hare's House.

Alice arrives at the Hare's house and meets the Hare, the Hatter and the Dormouse, while they are having tea. She joins the party and discusses with them until she gets fed up and leaves. By this point, she sees a small door in a tree, opens it and finally arrives in the garden of red roses. The garden is the Queen of Hearts’ Kindgom and Alice gets invited to play croquet. Alice does her best, but is annoyed by the Queen's cheating. After some other adventures, Alice is forced to take part in a theft trial. The whole thing is a farce and eventually Alice gets angry with the Queen and the other Wonderland people. She grows big, shouts they are all just a pack of cards and destroys the Queen's Castle. She wakes up and tells her sister about the dream.

Alice Through The Looking Glass is about Alice's journey in the Looking Glass dimension, where a chess game takes place. Here is a quick summary (again, skip it if you know the story):

Alice enters a mirror and finds herself in a magical world. First of all, she discovers some living chess pieces and tries to move them around. Then, she tries to read a short poem called the Jabberwocky, but she can't understand it. Finally, she goes outside and talks with the flowers of the garden. They tell her about a flower that wears a crown and Alice soon meets the Red Queen. They have a conversation and Alice discovers the world is a giant chessboard and accepts to play the game as the white pawn. Her objective is to cross the chessboard, so she can become queen (as per the rules of chess). She goes through a square by train. Then she suddenly finds herself in a forest where she forgets who she is. Once out, she meets Tweedledum and Tweedledee, who fight each other. They point Alice towards the Red King who is sleeping and dreaming the whole world.

Later on, Alice meets the White Queen and talks with her. Then she reaches a strange shop and has a boat trip together with a goat. She finds herself in the shop once again and moves towards an egg, which turns into Humpty Dumpty. They chat about the Jabberwocky and the meaning of words, but eventually Humpty Dumpty falls. All the White King's men arrive to try and put him back together, so Alice meets the King and his two messangers (who are the Hatter and the Hare). Together with them she looks at the Lion and the Unicorn's fight.

At this point, Alice is caught by the Red Knight, but the White Knight comes and saves her. The two of them travel together and the Knight sings the Aged aged man song. He helps Alice reach the final square, where she is crowned Queen. A banquet is organized to celebrate Queen Alice, but there is a commotion. Alice loses her temper and reproaches the Red Queen by shaking her. The Queen turns into a small black cat and Alice wakes up in her house with her two kitties. She is left wondering if she is the one who dreamt it all or if the Red King did.

The two worlds get often mixed up in adaptations and Alice's adventures are reduced to a single journey. This happens because the two books tell the same story. They metaphorically show Alice's growth.

In Wonderland, Alice's different sizes represent confusion over who she is, which is normal for children growing up. This insecurity is why Alice initially can't grow the right size to enter the garden. Still, she succeeds by the end and eventually grows big (grows up) in the climax.

In Through the Looking Glass, Alice starts as a pawn, goes through a journey and finally gets crowned queen. This motif conveys her inner growth.

In other words, Alice's story is a coming of age journey. She starts as a child and symbolically develops into a more mature version of herself.

The Girl Who Fell Through the World is the same. Alyx is a selfish kid, who becomes a different person by the end:

A door opened for Alyx at the Tree. Before she goes back home, the girl had a great many questions to ponder. After all the lessons she learned, and the friends she'd made and lost. Who had she become? Would she still be the same Alyx when she went back home? The leaves of the tree rustled, and on the wind, Alyx heard one more question… What… are you?

"What are you?" is the central question of Lewis's fairy tale. Let's try to better understand it by exploring the setting (the Ever After), the protagonist (Alyx) and their connections with Carrol's works.

THE EVER AFTER (THE WORLD)

The Ever After alludes to Wonderland / the Glass World. Here are some examples:

It's made up by acres, like the Glass World is made of squares

People shrink like in Wonderland

Time and space work funnily, like in the Glass World

It has talking animals, like Carrol's stories

It has several characters from Alice's books, like the Jabberwalker (Jabberwocky), the Curious Cat (Cheshire Cat), the Herbalist (Caterpillar), the Red Prince (Red Queen) and the looking glass insects

Its inhabitants use words in peculiar ways, just like the characters in Alice's worlds

It's a dimension full of nursery rhymes and sayings that become real things. For example, the Ever After takes the meaning of metereopatic and inverts it. Here, people's moods are not affected by the weather, but the weather gets influenced by emotions

The name "Ever After" itself comes from two sayings:

Happily Ever After is the ending of most fairy tales. It describes perfect happiness that lasts forever, which is an idea rooted in childhood

Hereafter references the life after death. It ties this dimension with death and grief and makes it a realm of the deads

So, the Ever After combines together the themes of childhood and death. The end result is a world built on the concept of ascension:

Curious Cat: When we break or wear out or simply finish what we were made to do, we’re called back. But Herb… his heart was too weak to listen, so I gave him a little bit of mine. Now that Herb’s properly returned, he’ll be fixed up nice, and made into the Herb he wanted to be when he was still “Herb”. Then he’ll come back and find his purpose. Could be the same as before, or maybe not. I know, I know, where you're from, things… die… but we’re just not like you at all. We… ascend. Herb will have a purpose again.

Afterans don't die, but ascend. They get to live "ever after". Just like in an imaginary world thought up by children. And in a sense, that's exactly what the Ever After is:

It is a proto-dimension, where the brothers play and experiment, as children do. The moment they introduce the Jabberwalker (death) things change, the balance is broken and the Brothers must grow up and find a new equilibrium. This is something that happens to everyone. Growing up means to deal with death and to accept it. It is the only way to embrace life fully. The Ever After is a place that helps the characters do exactly this, which makes it the Underworld of RWBY in three different ways:

It is the world under Remnant. The world that comes before. This is why the characters fall into it. It is a place linked to the past of the universe (the Brothers) and to the past of the characters (a childhood book).

It is the world of the deads, where the characters deal with loss by going through the five stages of grief. In this sense, their fall is a metaphorical death.

It is the world which exists under many piled up emotions. It is where people get in touch with their interiority by falling within themselves:

Inside A new me, I'm ready But who will I find?

So, childhood, death and interiority. These are the three ingredients of this setting. Let's see how they get mixed up in the story of the girl who fell through the world.

ALYX (THE PROTAGONIST)

Alyx alludes to two Carrol's characters, as her design implies:

She is modeled after Alice herself. She wears a blue dress and a bow like her Disney counterpart

She has several details linking her to the White Rabbit. For example, her bow resembles small rabbit ears and she has a gold rabbit-shaped brooch

This isn't surprising because Alice and the White Rabbit are written as foils in the original book. According to Carrol:

"And the White Rabbit, what of him? Was he framed on the "Alice" lines, or meant as a contrast? As a contrast, distinctly. For her 'youth', 'audacity', 'vigour', and 'swift directness of purpose' read 'elderly', 'timid', 'feeble' and 'nervously shilly-shallying', and you will get something of what I meant him to be."

RWBY takes this idea and combines Alice and the Rabbit in one character. The result is an ambiguous young girl:

Oscar: I thought the idea of falling through Remnant into a new world was exciting. I never understood why she was so sad when she finally made it back home. But now it makes more sense. She wasn't the same girl anymore.

Ozpin: I was recently reminded of an old fairy tale. A young girl flees the consequences of a choice, to a magical place. But, having never learned from her initial failure, she only succeeds in spreading it.

Yang: But she was kind of a mean person, right? She lied and cheated her way through most of the book. Weiss: She was trying to survive. The morals of those old stories are so simplistic.

Alyx is described as a lost child, a corward, a mean person and a survivalist. Everybody interprets her differently. This is true also for the two people who know her personally.

Jaune turns Alyx into a villain, who sacrifices her brother and lies to everybody:

Jaune: I think… Alyx traded him to the tree, in order to leave. And then she wrote him out of the story.

Lewis tones down Alyx's negative traits and makes her the heroine of his book:

Blacksmith: Yes. Only Lewis returned home. The Girl Who Fell Through the World is the story as he wished it happened.

A monster and a hero. Everybody makes Alyx black or white, while she is gray, like her small knife:

Weiss: What did Jinxy want from Alyx (for her knife)? Blake: Her saddest memory… and her happiest.

She is gray because she is a real person. Still, she gets reduced to a character. This duplicity is at the root of her two allusions:

-Alyx plays the White Rabbit (a character) in RWBY's story in volume 9. The girls try to re-live her journey, so that they can escape. As they make progress, though, they discover Alyx doesn't meet their expectations. They take detours and find their own path.

Similarly, Alice quickly loses interest in the White Rabbit, after she meets him. She switches goals mid-journey, from the White Rabbit's house to the garden of roses.

-Alyx is Alice (a person) in her own story, which gets turned into a fairy-tale by Lewis. The Girl Who Fell Through the World even comes from a line in Carrol's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland:

Presently she began again. `I wonder if I shall fall right through the earth! How funny it'll seem to come out among the people that walk with their heads downward!

So, Alyx is both an extra (a character) and a protagonist (a person). At the same time, she is the mix of Alice and the White Rabbit in another sense. On the one hand Alice is a young girl who grows up. On the other hand the White Rabbit is "always late". So, Alyx is a child, who matures, but does so too late:

NeoCat: Decided she wanted to fix everything that she had broken in the Ever After! Including poor Jaune! So Lewis went, and in the very last moment… Alyx didn’t…

She mistreats the Afterans throughout her journey and has a heel-realization only in the end. By then, though, the Curious Cat is already broken by her lie and kills her. Still, Alyx does grow up and makes a final choice, who defines what she is:

Blacksmith: When Alyx’s life ended, she chose to leave a part of herself behind. A wish to fix what she had broken.

She truly turns into the heroine Lewis portrays her as. Sure, Alyx never gets the chance to become an adult and to live a long life, but she still grows into herself.

In conclusion, Alyx's story ties together the themes of childhood and death, as it is both a fairy tale and a tragedy. Still, hers is only the first adventure set in RWBY's Wonderland. The second is the one of our protagonists'. How do they fare in this strange dimension?

THE SAME WORLD, NEW PROTAGONISTS AND A SEQUEL

Weiss: Great! So we’re not in the stupid story after all. We’re in its stupid sequel!

RWBY find themselves in Alyx's world and start a journey similar to hers. However, they soon realize they can't leave the Ever After by following into Alyx's footsteps. In other words, RWBY start by thinking they already possess the interpretative key to solve the Ever After:

Blake: In the story, Alyx fell from the sky and met with the Hunter Mice, got trapped in vines, fought a Jabberwalker, and got her knife stolen by… A talking raccoon. Yang: Yeah. And then she beat the Red King at a board game, met the Curious Cat, the Rusted Knight, and finally got out through… Blake: The tree

They follow the Girl Who Fell Through the World, but things go bad and it is only when they start living their own story that they are able to go back to Remnant.

This resembles Alice's adventures, which take place in games. The first book uses cards, while the second is inspired by chess. However, both stories end with Alice refusing the rules. She escapes both dreams by stopping to play. She destroys the card castle in Wonderland and ends the pompous party in Through The Looking Glass. Both books have Alice think with her own head, instead of following someone else's laws.

Alice's two endings tie with the books being an exploration and critique of Victorian society. The strange worlds the girl visits are society seen through the eyes of a child. The end result is a place full of madmen because adults' rules and laws make no sense to kids. Alice is asked to conform to a morality, which is pompous and superficial, but she chooses not to and grows in her own person.

RWBY focuses on the opposite idea. The protagonists aren't children lost in the confusing world of adults, but grown-ups, who find themselves in the universe of their childhood. As a result, they are asked to face their inner children, say goodbye to them, but without betraying their ideals and dreams. They must grow-up to be the heroes they dreamt of as kids. Still, in order to do so they must leave behind a childish vision of the world.

Finally, RWBY's adventure is framed as a sequel to Alyx's, just like Through The Looking Glass is a sequel to Wonderland.

The two Alice's stories are written as mirrors of each other:

Wonderland happens in Summer, while Through the Looking Glass is set in Winter

Wonderland makes use of Alice changing sizes to move the plot. Through the Looking Glass instead has the world act strangely around Alice, with time and space twisting

Wonderland is a game of cards, while Through the Looking Glass is a match of chess

Similarly, RWBY's journey mirrors Alyx's:

Alyx's story is one of broken things that ends in death

RWBY's story is one of healing that ends with a rebirth

In particular, Alyx, just like Alice, becomes friends with a cat, but hurts them and has them change for the worst:

Blacksmith: One act of dishonesty… caused an unfortunate change…

Ruby instead, differently from Alice, grows fond of a mouse and inspires them to become a hero:

Blacksmith: One small kindness in one small moment would be such a marvelous transformation.

A LITTLE SILVER LINING

Little alludes to:

Alice Liddle, the real life counterpart of Carrol's Alice

The Little of Little Red Riding Hood, which is fitting as Ruby carries the mouse in her hood

Stuart Little, a mouse, who is born in/gets adopted by a human family

The dormouse and the mouse of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland

Little alludes to Alice because Ruby herself plays Alice in volume 9. The small mouse simply highlights this role with their presence. As a matter of fact you can read Ruby and Little's foiling as an inversion of Alice and the White Rabbit's:

Alice is a brave and strong-willed child, while the White Rabbit is old and acts cowardly. Moreover, Alice starts her journey by following the rabbit.

Ruby is a teenager hero, who appears big and mature to small and child-like Little. As a result, the mouse leaves everything behind and follows Ruby around.

In other words, Little is Ruby's child-self and is characterized as our protagonist at the beginning of the series. This is why they are the Little of Ruby's Little Red Riding Hood. They embody the small child who sets up to explore the world and help others.

In particular, Little stays true to his Stuart Little movie-counterpart:

A Little always finds a silver lining

Jinxy: Bidding starts at… Enough hope to fill this jar!

Little becomes Ruby's silver lining, as they are the one giving our girl hope throughout her journey in the Ever After. In a sense, they symbolyze Ruby's wide-eyed idealism, which is what activates her silver eyes.

What about Little's Wonderland allusions?

Just like the Dormouse, they often fall asleep, whereas their first meeting with Ruby resembles Alice's interaction with the mouse:

Alice almost drawns in her own tears and survives together with the mouse, a dodo (Carrol's self-insert) and other animals. Alice chats with the mouse, but she upsets them after mentioning her cat Dinah.

Ruby starts crying and makes it rain. Then, she meets Little, helps them and cheers up. However, she gets startled when the mouse starts talking and she unwillingly scares them by mentioning Blake's cat ears. A dodo is also present at the scene.

Ruby and Little's meeting is also loosely similar to Alice's conversation with the live-flowers. There Alice is surprised the flowers can talk, asks them if they have seen other people and has trouble reaching her destination because she moves toward it, instead than in the opposite direction (as per looking-glass logic). Finally, the flowers mention the Red Queen.

Ruby is shocked Little talks, asks them about her friends and can't reach the tree because she lacks acceptance. Finally, the Hunter Mice foreshadow that cats should not be trusted:

Mouse Leader: You have our sincerest apologies! Please understand that our kind is a bit skeptical of cats… and snakes… and cats.

In general, Little and the Hunter Mice are reflections of Ruby and RWBY. Little is a child who dreams of becoming a Hunter, like Ruby. The Mice prey on big and scary monsters, like RWBY fight Grimms. So, these characters set up our heroines' journey through the Ever After. A challenge to redefine who they are and what being Huntresses means. Let's now focus on this adventure and on the strange creatures RWBY meet in their personal version of Wonderland.

THE RED PRINCE HAS A GREAT FALL

The Red Prince alludes to:

The Queen of Hearts, as he is pompous, a cheater and executes his soldiers

The Red Queen, as he meets RWBY at the beginning and challenges them to a game of chess

Humpty Dumpty, as he cracks like an egg, after realizing RWBY are humans

'They gave it me,' Humpty Dumpty continued thoughtfully as he crossed one knee over the other and clasped his hands round it, 'they gave it me — for an un-birthday present.' 'What is an un-birthday present?' 'A present given when it isn't your birthday, of course.'

Humpty Dumpty comes up with the idea of un-birthday and RWBY goes to the Red Prince's birthday party, which celebrates the King's rebirth as a Prince:

Curious Cat: Oh, it was all very sad. The Red King couldn’t cope when he lost to Alyx, a crying mess. Thankfully, he was called back and fixed up, and now he’s the Prince you met.

The Prince represents a psychological regression, an un-growth, which adds an ironic spin to his "royal birthday". Not only that, but Alyx is the one responsible for this transformation:

Blake: So, that’s why he cheats, when the Red King didn’t. But that still doesn’t explain why the Red Prince was so much meaner. Curious Cat: While the Prince may not remember Alyx’s deception after ascending, the heart very rarely forgets.

In Wonderland, the Queen of Hearts cheats in her game of croquet, while in the Ever After Alyx plays dirty to win. In other words:

The Red Prince behaves like the Queen of Hearts because he is imitating Alyx, the player who defeated him

The Red Prince (from king to prince) is the opposite of growth (from pawn to queen)

The Prince is a character who suffers a loss and isn't able to overcome it:

'Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall: Humpty Dumpty had a great fall. All the King's horses and all the King's men Couldn't put Humpty Dumpty in his place again.'

None of his horses nor men are able to put the Red King in his place again, which is why he ascends and becomes a Prince. He chooses to run away from his failure and escapes into childhood.

RWBY find themselves in a similar situation:

Weiss: We hatched a crazy plan that put a whole kingdom at risk, and we don't even know if we saved the Relics from… Maybe… Jaune and Winter were able to get them out, despite… everything… despite us…

They suffered a great fall. Will they be able to put themselves back together again? This is the question the Prince embodies, which is why Ruby's match against him mirrors RWBY's journey up until volume 8:

Ruby leads an army of hopeless soldiers, but inspires them to fight

Everything seems to be going well and they conquer more and more space on the chessboard

Still, something unexpected happens and RWBY is targeted by both friends and foes

The girls manage to put up a wonderful fight... only to fall down the table

Isn't it similar to RWBY's experiences in Atlas, where they are let down by Ironwood, have their plan ruined and finally fall because of Cinder?

The Red Prince's game is a metaphor of RWBY's past, which is an inversion of Alice's initial game of chess:

In Through the Looking Glass, Alice sees the chessboard and the pieces she will later on cross and meet throughout her journey. She has an anticipation of the game she is about to play.

In the Ever After, Ruby re-lives her biggest defeat. She plays again a match she has already lost:

Ruby: I don't know how that went so...wrong.

She feels she let Atlas's people and her friends down, so Weiss, Blake and Yang almost die in a fall. Speaking of WBY, their shrinking means two things:

They are turned into pieces Ruby moves around because our leader feels she has to carry her team on her shoulders.

They become small because Weiss, Blake and Yang have all faced their smallest and weakest parts, so they could grow. Ruby instead doesn't change because she has been stagnating.

ADVICE FROM AN HERBALIST - GROWING UP

After the game with the Red Prince, RWBY's priority is to bring WBY to their original size. In their quest, the girls meet the Herbalist:

Who alludes to the Caterpillar:

"Who are you?” said the Caterpillar. “I—I hardly know, sir, just at present—at least I know who I was when I got up this morning, but I think I must have been changed several times since then.” “What do you mean by that?” said the Caterpillar sternly. “Explain yourself!” “I can’t explain myself, I’m afraid, sir,” said Alice, “because I’m not myself, you see.” “I don’t see,” said the Caterpillar. “I’m afraid I can’t put it more clearly,” Alice replied very politely, “for I can’t understand it myself to begin with; and being so many different sizes in a day is very confusing.” “It isn’t,” said the Caterpillar. “Well, perhaps you haven’t found it so yet,” said Alice; “but when you have to turn into a chrysalis—you will some day, you know—and then after that into a butterfly, I should think you’ll feel it a little queer, won’t you?” “Not a bit,” said the Caterpillar. “Well, perhaps your feelings may be different,” said Alice; “all I know is, it would feel very queer to me.” “You!” said the Caterpillar contemptuously. “Who are you?”

Alice meets the Caterpillar, while he is smoking a hookah atop a mushroom. The creature has a key conversation with the girl, as he teaches her how to control her transformations. As a matter of fact he advices Alice to eat the two different sides of the mushroom to turn big and small. In the Disney adaptation, he blows smoke in Alice's face multiple times and ends the scene by becoming a butterfly.

The Herbalist lives in a mushroom and uses the tree leaves to create smoke that forces people to confront "what they are" and "what they wanna become". At the end of his meeting with RWBY, he ascends and is later on reborn as a Butterfly.

Herb's role in the Ever After is to help others become their ideal selves, just like the Caterpillar helps Alice reach her ideal size. At their root, both characters deal with identity and change:

Herbalist: You are making this far more complicated than it needs to be. We all have our titles, our roles to play, but in order to help you become whatever it is you need to become, you should really have a better understanding of what you are now.

It is just that the Caterpillar does so physically, while Herb psychologically. To be more precise, RWBY divides what is united in Carrol's work. Alice's transformations symbolize her inner changes, so to control her size means she understands who she is better. In RWBY, instead:

The girls want to go back to their original size and to reach the tree physically. The Cat frames themselves as the one, who can lead them towards both goals. In fact, they help the girls make the Growgurt Parfait.

The girls need to mature psychologically and to reach acceptance. This is their path to Remnant and to the future. The Herbalist knows it and tries to help RWBY. However, RWBY's ignorance of the Ever After leads to a misunderstanding.

In any case, Herb manages to make the girls self-reflect. In particular, his mist forces them to face their past selves. WBY deal with who they were and show they are ready to bloom into their final selves. Ruby instead is frozen and can't accept who she is:

Past Ruby: So, are you a Huntress? Like the ones you read about in books? Ruby: I… I don’t know…

In order to find herself, she has to go through a deeper exploration and to accept her darkest emotions. This is why she gets invited to a certain tea party.

A MAD TEA PARTY - DEATH AND GRIEF

"In that direction,' the Cat said, waving its right paw round,lives a Hatter: and in that direction,' waving the other paw, `lives a March Hare. Visit either you like: they're both mad."

Alice's Mad Tea Party involves three characters:

The Hatter

The March Hare

The Dormouse (the Mouse in the Disney movie)

The trio is stuck at forever five o' clock because the Hatter killed time, while singing. As punishment, Time traps him and his friends in an everending tea party. In the book, the Hatter and the Hare are both mad and try to put the sleepy Dormouse in a tea-pot. In the Disney adaptation, the trio is celebrating an unbirthday party, which ends with the Mouse reciting a poem and entering a tea-pot.

RWBY has three characters allude to the mad tea trio:

Illusion Roman alludes to the Hatter

Juniper alludes to the Hare

Little alludes to the Dormouse/Mouse

Moreover, each one of them resembles a dead character and accompanies the person who misses this character the most:

Roman is the product of Overactive Imagination and embodies Neo's feelings over her friend. He stays by Neo's side and speaks for her.

Juniper shares Pyrrha's golden color scheme and is called after Jaune's team when Pyrrha was alive. She is Jaune's partner in the Ever After.

Little has a personality similar to Penny's and is excited to be Ruby's friend. They attach themselves to Ruby and tag along in her journey.

So, Neo, Jaune and Ruby travel together with a magical creature who embodies a lost loved one. This fits the Ever After being RWBY's realm of the deads, a place for the characters to face grief. Not only that, but these three traveling companions link Neo, Jaune and Ruby themselves to the mad tea party. In other words, the characters' losses are driving them insane. Neo, Jaune and Ruby are mad out of pain. This is why their unhealthy copying mechanisms are highlighted in scenes involving tea.

Neo's mad tea party

Neo, as the Hatter lashes out at Ruby and organizes a tea-party to celebrate Red's un-birth:

Neo-Roman: You don’t deserve to die, Red. You deserve to be broken down… Torn apart… wiped from existence.

Jaune's not crazy breakfast

Jaune, as the Hare invites RWBY to his house, where he shows his own instability and hero complex:

Jaune: This isn’t crazy… I’m not crazy… This… isn’t crazy, it’s easy!

Ruby trapped in a tea-pot

Ruby, as the Dormouse, gives up a part of herself and seals it in a tea-pot. Or in this case, the Teapot Lady:

Ruby: Here! I’ll give you this! I-It carries a mother’s promise!

What is more, the last time Alice looks at the tea trio, she sees the Hatter and the Hare trying to put the Dormouse in a tea-pot:

Similarly, Ruby's interactions with Neo and Jaune push her to drink the tea-tree and to ascend. In a sense, Neo and Jaune shove Ruby into the tea, as if she were a sugar-cube:

In general, all three characters need to face their loved ones' loss. Only in this way, they can accept themselves and move on. In order for them to grow, they must struggle with death. That is their major conflict in the Ever After and what makes them the three main characters of the volume. Fittingly, they are all major foils of Alyx herself:

Neo plays the part of the villain, but deep down she is a girl, who can't express herself. Like Alyx, she acts selfishly and lets her negative emotions control her. However, by the end she chooses to truly face herself and change.

Jaune plays the part of the hero, but deep down he is a child lost in a magical world, just like Alyx. This is why he needs to reconcile with her to move on.

Ruby plays the part of Alyx, the broken little girl, who loses herself in the Ever After. Still, she is deep down a Huntress and just needs to find herself once again. Her actions heal, whereas Alyx's hurt.

The Alyx who runs away from her responsibilities in a magical world, the Alyx who is saved by a hero and the Alyx who grows up and learns a lesson. Neo, Jaune and Ruby play all these different versions of the Girl Who Fell Through the World. Moreover, they all have additional Carrol's allusions, which define their arcs in the Ever After.

NEO - THE JABBERWOCKY

Neo alludes to the Jabberwocky, which is a nonsense poem Alice finds in Through The Looking Glass. This poem:

Tells the story of a child slaying a monster

It is impossible to fully understand

Both things apply to Neo:

She kills the Jabberwalker, but assimilates them in her illusions. In other words, she is both the child who slays the monster and the monster itself.

She doesn't speak and has trouble communicating with others. Even when her illusions talk for her, she isn't understood:

Say something real Do you only speak in riddles, chatterbox? I'm waiting for your ugly mouth to Say something real Do you only speak in riddles, chatterbox? I'm waiting on your ugly mouth to spit it out

In other words...

The Jabberwalker represents death and dies unheard:

Jabberwalker: Stop… It… Cease! No! NO! NOOOOOO!

Neo is a villain whose grief stays unrecognized:

Ruby: If you’re looking for an apology, you’ve wasted your time! Not only by others, but by Neo too. She kills a part of herself in the Jabberwalker.

Not only by others, but by Neo too. She kills it in the form of the Jabberwalker. And yet, her grief keeps festering and comes to the surface through her semblance (the illusory Jabberwalkers). Neo's refusal of it leads to this feeling consuming her, until she gives up control on her body and life:

Curious Cat: You’ve lost something most important, haven’t you? And now you have nothing left. How delightful! An empty host, perfect for me to fill.

It is only by earnestly facing her own pain and vulnerability that Neo saves herself:

NeoCat: No! These cracks, these feelings! I can’t… I can’t!!!

And is ready to finally change:

So Neo plays a monster (the Jabberwocky/the Jabberwalker), but is deep down a lost child (Alice/Alyx). She is the most negative interpretation of Alyx, as she is selfish, runs from her responsibilities and hurts others. And yet, she is a person and can change if she is given the chance. She is the Alyx our protagonists need to empathize with:

Ruby: She’ll find herself, one way or another.

JAUNE - THE WHITE (KNIGHT) RABBIT

Jaune alludes to:

The White Knight in Alyx's story, as he is a knight, who travels with her and tries to help her

The White Rabbit in RWBY's story, as he tries to guide RWBY, but isn't reliable

The White Knight rescues Alice from the Red Knight and accompanies her to the last square, where the child gets crowned queen. He is described as an odd inventor, but he is one of the kindest people Alice meets. Before separating, he sings Alice a song whose name is The Aged Aged Man. Alice is said to remember this scene vividly in the future.

Jaune becomes an aged aged man in the Ever After and is described by Lewis as an ally to Alyx . As the Rusted Knight, he tries to help the girl and her brother and is remembered fondly by both siblings, despite Alyx's betrayal.

The White Rabbit is a nervous wreck, who is always late and has his home messed up by Alice, who grows big and gets struck in it. Similarly, Jaune is unstable when he reunites with RWBY and even quotes the White Rabbit's famous line:

Jaune: I’m late! I’m late!

Not only that, but RWBY's arrival in the Ever After cracks his heroic persona and he starts showing how hurt he really is:

Jaune: I’m sorry, I… I know I’m not okay. I- I’m not right, but… How am I supposed to be…? I’ve been alone… for SO… LONG! Here… On that bridge… I was the only one that could do it! I was the ONLY ONE!

Until he has his house indirectly destroyed because of Ruby (or so he lashes out):

Jaune: They’re gone… because of you! The Walkers came for you, because Neo. Hates. YOU!

In general, Jaune is late to ascend:

Blacksmith: I’ve been waiting a long time for you. Jaune: Well, I made it.

Which makes him similar to Alyx. This isn't by chance because Jaune and Alyx are tied. For example, the moment Jaune breathes the tree's smoke, he sees Alyx, instead of his past self. Why is that so? Two reasons:

Jaune frames himself as a hero (the White Knight), but is actually just like Alyx (the White Rabbit). He is a person lost in an unknown world, who takes time to mature.

Alyx is Jaune's inner child, the same way Little is Ruby's. Jaune enters the Ever After and meets a child, who accompanies him in his journey. However, he fails to protect this child and she dies (like Ruby sees Little killed by Neo). Still, just like Little comes back as Somewhat, Alyx too returns in an unexpected form:

Jaune: That’s Alyx’s knife. Wait, how did you have this?

And heals Jaune:

So, Jaune and Alyx share the White Rabbit allusion because symbolically Alyx represents a part of Jaune. She is his least idealized and most vulnerable side. She is the child, who is stubborn and cowardly. She is the damsel in distress Jaune tries to negate and control, which is why she rebels against him:

Jaune: She said she wouldn’t let anyone get in the way of her leaving. That she’d do whatever it takes. And then she was gone.

And yet, she is also the part of Jaune who grows and leads him toward a better self:

It is only through accepting Alyx in both her flaws and tragedy:

Jaune: Can you… answer a question for me? I need to know if it’s true what the Cat said that Lewis went back and… Alyx… Blacksmith: Yes. Only Lewis returned home.

That Jaune is able to move on. Just like it is only by letting go of the Paper Pleasers, that he gets to meet the Genial Gems. As a matter of fact the Paper Pleasers' transformation takes inspiration from another fairy-tale: The Three Little Pigs.

Three little pigs build houses to protect themselves from the Big Bad Wolves. The first pig builds a house of straws, which gets destroyed. The second makes a house of sticks, that fares better, but is ultimately blown away. The third one uses bricks and is able to defend himself from the wolf:

Yang: No flood or fire will ever hurt them again.

The Paper Pleasers are made of paper, which makes them vulnerable to fire and water. The big bad wolves come:

And the Paper Pleasers are destroyed, as a result. In the end, though, they are reborn as rocks, which means they are now stronger and more resilient.

Jaune goes through a similar process. He keeps himself together through the frail paper mask of a noble hero. By the end of the volume, though, he is ready to be reborn as a gem, with a stronger self-identity.

So, Jaune plays a hero (the Rused Knight / the White Knight), but is really a child who refuses to grow (Alyx / the White Rabbit). He is the Alyx that is slow to realize her shortcomings, but eventually fixes them. He is the Alyx who starts as a child, but grows into the heroine of her own story.

Alyx: Maybe it’s time for a change, to be the kind of man you always wanted to be.

RUBY - THE RED QUEEN

Ruby alludes to:

Alice, who explores two magical worlds in order to grow up

The Red Queen, who moves faster than other chess pieces

In Wonderland, Alice reaches the garden of red roses through a door in a tree. In Through The Looking Glass, Alice crosses the chessboard and is crowned queen. Similarly, Ruby travels through the acres and finally reaches the tree, which leads her home through a portal. What is interesting is that Alice's two destinations loosely use red rose symbolism:

A large rose-tree stood near the entrance of the garden: the roses growing on it were white, but there were three gardeners at it, busily painting them red. (Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, Chapter VIII)

There’s one other flower in the garden that can move about like you,’ said the Rose ‘but she’s more bushy than you are.’ ‘Is she like me?’ Alice asked eagerly, for the thought crossed her mind, ‘There’s another little girl in the garden, somewhere!’ ‘Well, she has the same awkward shape as you,’ the Rose said, ‘but she’s redder—and her petals are shorter, I think.’ ‘Does she ever come out here?’ ‘I daresay you’ll see her soon,’ said the Rose. ‘She’s one of the thorny kind.’ ‘Where does she wear the thorns?’ Alice asked with some curiosity. ‘Why all round her head, of course,’ the Rose replied. ‘She’s coming!’ Alice looked round eagerly, and found that it was the Red Queen. (Through The Looking Glass, Chapter II)

The Queen of Hearts' garden is full of red roses, while the Red Queen is described as a red flower with thorns. In short, Alice's final goal is either to find red roses (Wonderland) or to become one (Through the Looking Glass). Well, Ruby has to find who she is (a red rose) and to be reborn as a queen (queen Alice).

The Red Queen is characterized by her speed. In particular, in her scene with Alice, she states that:

‘A slow sort of country!’ said the Queen. ‘Now, here, you see, it takes all the running you can do, to keep in the same place. If you want to get somewhere else, you must run at least twice as fast as that!’

Ruby is the same. Her semblance makes her fast, which ties to her being quick-witted and precocious. At the same time, Ruby's speed is a metaphor for her coping mechanism. She keeps pushing forward, so she doesn't have to face her emotions. This makes so she keeps on running, but can't advance or grow. This is why Ruby's development happens in a moment of quiet:

A moment of quiet is all it takes To reclaim a life and a promise made

She stops and has a moment with herself, where she faces her own repressed interiority. She confronts her losses and her ideals in the form of Summer Rose. Ruby's mother is her inspiration and who our little rose wants to resemble. Alice wants to become a Queen. Ruby wants to become a Huntress. And yet, Ruby is at the point, where she doubts she can fulfill her dream. She doesn't know if she can truly grow up. So, she is asked to make a choice.

She can either become a copy of Summer (the Red Queen):

Or she can stay in the Ever After forever, as Alyx (Alice):

Will she grow up by leaving her ideals behind or will she lose herself in childhood? Will she regress like the Red Prince? And what can she become if even Summer isn't perfect?

Ruby: Are you just trying to tell me that it’s useless? That I shouldn’t even try? Is that the big lesson I’m supposed to learn? Just… give up?

Ruby chooses to simply become herself:

Ruby: This one (Crescent Rose). What happens… if I choose me?

She is asked if she wants to become Alice in Wonderland or if she prefers to become the Hunter of Little Red Riding Hood. Her answer is to be Little Red Riding Hood, who is growing into her own Huntress:

I'll be who you were and I'll be even more

She isn't giving up on her dream of saving people. Still, she is the protagonist of her fairy-tale:

I am the reflection of who prevails I'm what inspired the fairytale

Alice's doubt at the end of Through The Looking Glass is if she is the dreamer, or if the Red King is. Ruby is instead unsure of who she is dreaming of:

I know it's you and I, when I look inside

Ruby dreams of Summer, both out of grief and as a hero. In volume 9, she starts dreaming of herself. She becomes her own dream:

Somewhat: You do feel… familiar. Like a happy dream I can’t remember.

She becomes her own hero:

(I can guide me, I can guide my way out)

So, Ruby plays the lost child (Alyx), but is strong enough to be a hero (a Huntress). To be precise, she is both. She is Little Red Riding Hood and the Hunter. She is the Alice, who chooses not to give up on her childhood purity, but to grow into an adult in her own way. Without cynism and with hope.

Somewhat: It will be alright, Huntress.

CURIOSITY KILLS THE CAT

Neo, Jaune and Ruby all face death, look inside and grow. Someone else is instead unable to do so:

The Curious Cat alludes to the Cheshire Cat, who is depicted as:

Alice's ally in Carrol's Adventures in Wonderland. The Cat gives Alice directions and chats with her during the Queen's croquet game.

A jerkass in the Disney Adaptation. The Cat frames Alice for a prank to the Queen and gets the girl in big trouble.

RWBY takes both characterizations and shows how the Curious Cat goes from a helper to an enemy because of Alyx's betrayal:

Jaune: Alyx broke her promise to the Cat.

At the same time, the Cheshire Cat owes their name to the saying to grin like a Cheshire Cat. The Curious Cat is instead designed after the proverb curiosity kills the cat. Interestingly, the original form of the saying is care kills the cat, which mirrors the Curious Cat's original purpose:

Blacksmith: And so, using the skills and tools they have been given, they began to design their own creations… in utmost secrecy. The God of Darkness breathes purple fire at the fire. The God of Light picks up a wooden figurine of the Curious Cat and breathes black smoke, thus bringing the Cat to life. Blacksmith: Soon they realized their new creation could do their job for them. Finding the broken parts of the Ever After.

The Brothers make the Cat to care for the Afterans. Their role is to show empathy and help everyone reach the tree, so they can be fixed. In short, an existential pet therapy. However, the Brothers leave their creation and later on the Curious Cat meets Alyx. As a result, their care slowly turns into curiosity for the Brothers' new creations. Still, Alyx's lie quickly changes this neutral curiosity into jealousy:

Curious Cat: I’m not like the other Afterans here, I’m cursed with curiosity. I need to know everything! But more than anything, I need to know why my makers left me here…

The Cat has their heart broken, but there is no-one to care for them:

Blacksmith: A terrible thing to have a broken heart… And there’s nobody to send them back to the Tree for repair.

This makes the Curious Cat a foil to two characters:

Like Salem, they are outside the cycle of life and death. Or in this case the cycle of ascension. They need to go to the tree, so they can heal and be reborn. However, they can't, as they are designed as a mechanism of the cycle itself, rather than a participant.

Both Gods: So long as this world turns, you (Salem) shall walk its face.

NeoCat: Taking a page out of the caterpillar's book, hm? The leaves have no effect on me.

Like Ruby, they give up pieces of their hearts to others. Still, they grow tired and feel there is no-one, who would do the same for them.

Ruby: Why are you asking me? Because I’m the leader? Because I’m just supposed to have something to say? Cuz I don’t… I mean, why do I have to be the leader anyway? Why do I have to always be the one to pick people up? What about me? “No time”, right? “Gotta get home!” “Gotta help Jaune!” Gotta find someone who isn’t just going to screw everything up! “Gotta stay positive!” Right?!

Curious Cat: Mmmm, when we break or wear out or simply finish what we were made to do, we’re called back. But Herb… his heart was too weak to listen, so I gave him a little bit of mine.

Like our heroine, the Curious Cat is left hopeless and empty by a bad experience. Still, they refuse to face their pain. They never reach acceptance of themselves and others, so they spiral. In particular, they are a negative mirror of all the other Ever After characters:

Like the Prince, the Curious Cat is tricked by Alyx, which is why they hold a grudge against humans. Still, the Prince has some hope to change, while the Curious Cat can't.

Like Herb, the Curious Cat has grown tired of their role of guide. Still, Herb manages to ascend and be reborn as a butterfly. The Curious Cat instead dreams of escaping the magical world.

Like Jaune, the Curious Cat is hurt by Alyx's betrayal. Moreover, both Jaune and the Cat refuse to face themselves and ascend. Still, Jaune wishes to help others. The Curious Cat instead starts hurting them.

Like Neo, the Curious Cat targets Ruby and uses her as a scapegoat. Neo blames all her pain on Ruby and thinks that by killing her, she can feel better. The Curious Cat instead thinks Ruby is the perfect host for them to escape the Ever After. By the end, though, Neo gives up on her revenge. The Cat instead fails to understand humanity:

Curious Cat: You’re broken! You break everything you touch! I call Humans… weak! Confused! Incomplete!

The Curious Cat is then the villain of the volume because they share the other characters' conflict, but fail to solve it positively. Ruby looks inside (the tree), while the Curious Cat looks outside (Remnant). Ruby chooses to become herself. The Curious Cat wants to possess another. Ruby starts developing empathy towards others:

Ruby: But what will happen to Neo?

The Curious Cat instead uses their empathy to manipulate others:

Curious Cat: I gave him (the Hawker) something new to do for the moment. Now go! Your friends need to get big again, or we’re all Jabberwalker dinner!

Their obsession towards humans and Remnant leads to his defeat and demise by the Jabberwalkers' hands. So, curiosity kills the cat, indeed. Is that really the Curious Cat's end, though? The proverb curiosity killed the cat has sometimes the added part but satisfaction brought it back. The Curious Cat is dismembered by the Jabberwalkers' clones. Not by the original Jabberwalker. Does it mean the Curious Cat can't ascend anymore, or is there some hope for them?

The Blacksmith whittles a wooden figurine of the Hawker, previously killed by a Jabberwalker's clone, and places it with the other figurines of the Afterans.

The series leaves it ambiguous. Speaking of ambiguity...

WHAT IS THE BLACKSMITH?

What is the Blacksmith? She is known as:

The Blacksmith

The Tree

Ruby: I wasn’t expecting to be here. Are you the Tree? Blacksmith: You could say that. But that is a simplistic understanding of the Tree, and what it does.

The Lively Carpenter (possibly)

Weiss: Of all the characters from the book, why did it have to be the Cat? Why couldn’t we have gotten help from the Lively Carpenter or the Rusted Knight? One was sweet, one was handsome, and neither of them had the attention span of a goldfish!

She is hard to define and is a god-like entity. Symbolically, she serves as the Great Mother, as she is an avatar of the Tree, that gave birth to the Brothers. She guides Ruby and the other characters towards self-actualization and adulthood. At the same time, she explains the balance between life and death, creation and destruction:

Blacksmith: She will have the chance to return her broken heart… And becomes something new. Such is balance.

So, she is tied to both transformation (growth) and death (grief). These ideas are well expressed by her design. On the one hand she appears bigger than humans and is a blacksmith, who molds others. On the other hand she loosely resembles several dead characters:

In her first appearence and in the opening she appears made of golden metal, which makes her look similar to Pyrrha

Se is robotic, like Penny

Her hair resembles a detail of Alyx's outfit

This doesn't mean she is any of these characters, but simply that in a volume focused on dealing with loss, her appearance has missed people come to mind. So, she herself embodies this idea:

Blacksmith: Nothing. No one is ever truly lost.

The deads still exist in the heart of their loved ones and in the stories that are remembered and told.

ALYX'S EVIDENCE

Blacksmith: The Girl Who Fell Through the World is the story as he wished it happened.

The Girl Who Fell Through the World is a children classic written to deal with grief. It is a tragedy turned into a fairy tale, which is what RWBY must do with Remnant itself. It is what they have already done with their sequel to Alyx's story:

Blake: Do you guys think… we might have… made things even worse in the Ever After? Just like Alyx did? Ruby: I’m… not sure. I'd like to think we did at least a little good. Right?

Alyx herself offers some important teachings. Some evidence worth to consider:

Alice grows up by waking up from the fairy tale. Alyx instead grows up the moment she chooses to stay in the fairy tale and fix it.

Alyx is similar to two Maidens our characters have met in their journey.

1- RWBY frames growing up not as forgetting who you were as a child, but as becoming a person your child-self can be proud of. This is why Little becomes Somewhat:

They look similar to Ruby. At the same time they are still far from being complete:

Ruby: Do any of those sound close? Somewhat: Hmmm. Somewhat. Yeah. Somewhat. I’m not any one thing, I’m somewhat of a lot of things!

Otherside, Did you mean to make me half or whole? Will I ever be (complete)? When will I become all of me?

However, they are on the right path. Just like our protagonists.

2- Alyx is a girl all the characters misunderstand and objectify. In the end, though, she manages to affirm herself by leaving behind a part of herself. Doesn't she remind you of anyone?

Penny: I won’t be gone, I’ll be part of you.

Penny is a child, who gets controlled and manipulated and dies too soon. She still self-actualizes and affirms who she is with a final choice and legacy.

Alyx is a girl who is selfish and cruel, but finally opens her eyes and chooses to change. She dies, but manages to fix what she has broken and saves Jaune. Her story probably mirrors the outcome of Cinder's arc. Our Cinderella will have a heel realization and affirm who she is in a final act of selflessness.

In other words, Alyx's story is meant to be a bridge between Penny's tragic death (past) and Cinder's final sacrifice (future). It is used to help the characters overcome Penny and Atlas, so that they are ready to help Cinder and Vacuo:

Ruby: Where will this take us? Blacksmith: Not where, when you are needed most.

[welcometowriteblr]

WTW PRESENTS OUR 40TH EVENT!

CALLING ALL THOSE WHO ARE FEELING SLIGHTLY MAD! JOIN US IN WONDERLAND FROM APRIL 1ST

It’s time to fall down the rabbit hole. While you find your way around the strange yet beautiful world that is Wonderland, meet an array of new friends - and a menagerie of new enemies. Your quest: fulfil the prophecy and slay the Jabberwocky! Do you have what it takes to be the best Alice of them all? Our Oraculum is telling us that it could be you…but who knows what is real and what is a dream, right? Eat the upelkuchen, drink the pishsalver, and take on the wrath of the Red Queen! Make sure to imagine six impossible things before breakfast. Ready to have the best adventure of your life? Come join us at WTW (Welcome to Wonderland) and get yourself ready. Starting APRIL 1ST, it’s up to you to write as many words for Camp Nano as you can! Ready to have the best adventure of your life? Come join us at WTW (Welcome to Wonderland) and get yourself ready. Starting APRIL 1ST, it’s up to you to write as many words for Camp Nano as you can!

EVENT RULES AND DETAILS

With our upcoming event we have had many people join our Discord server. This is the perfect time for us to release our FAQ about how we deal with events and such inside of them. If you are participating, please read through this!

THE SERVER

We have a leveling system in our server. The more you talk, the more you level up. We will kick people from the event if you have yet to reach CROOK aka LVL 5 as it is extremely easy to reach. All you have to do is talk. This is non-negotiable. CROOK is reachable within a day.

You must also give yourself roles from the role menu when you join! If you need help just ask a leader or mod. You will be also be kicked if you do not do this. We only require AGE and PRONOUNS. Other roles beside these DO NOT COUNT! Please do not join and not give yourself roles!

JOINING ONCE THE EVENT HAS STARTED

Please try and join before APRIL 1ST. Anyone who joins a week late (APRIL 8TH) will not be accepted into the event. You must be active. We will be more lenient with the level rule if you have just joined but if you continue to not be active and haven’t reached common within a week you will likely be kicked from the event.

HOW IT WORKS

Most of the information is contained within the document accessible within the server's event channels. Rather than word count, the leaderboard will be based upon the PERCENTAGE of how close you get to your word goal. Anyone who reaches their word count before the final few days will be asked to increase their goal to make it fair for slower writers. Please do not hesitate to speak or join the server. We are extremely welcoming and active, but if you cannot respect our rules then you cannot participate in our events.

HOW IS A RAVEN LIKE A WRITING DESK? JOIN OUR SERVER HERE! (discord.gg/earlgrey)

[spahhzy]

Weiss: Jaune may I have a word with you.

Jaune stopped swinging at the punching bag as he sighed, wiping the sweat from his brow. He grabbed his bottle of water and a towel as he walked over to the heiress.

Jaune: What's up Weiss?

Weiss: I-i was just a bit worried about you. The battle with Cinder was won, but she escaped, and you seemed...

CC: Angry? Frustrated? Depressed? Why is he all that and more!

Weiss: Upset.

Jaune ignored the cat, who was busy prancing around the room.

Jaune: It's nothing Weiss. I know we'll catch her and put an end to this madness, Salem won't have any more pawns left to hide behind.

Weiss: I know Cinder is a 'touchy' subject, Jaune, but you are surrounded by friends you can talk to us.

Jaune: I had no one to talk to for twenty years. I think I'll be okay, Weiss.

Weiss flinched at that, and Jaune felt like a complete jackass. She was only trying to help.

Jaune: I'm s-sorry my mind has been stressed out, I don't mean to take it out on you.

Weiss: it's okay, though you certainly seem to take that frustration out on the Grimm, no doubt. You're a little more...uh brutal in slaying the Grimm lately.

Jaune: Really? I haven't noticed.

CC: All the sublty and nuance of a jabberwocky.

Weiss: You usually are more reserved and tactful, but lately, you've been actively hunting them down relentlessly...n-not that I was p-paying attention or anything!

CC: Oh, I knew there was another reason I didn't like her. She is acting like one of those girls in those comic books you read a tsu...tsunnnn? Ah, hold on, it's at the tip of my tongue, oh ah Tsundere! Icky. Always knew their was something else by sides her smart mouth that made me loooooaath her.

Jaune: I appreciate you checking on me, Weiss, but I'm fine just dealing with some nagging issues, that's all.

CC: How RUDE! I thought we were so much more than that, Jauney!

Weiss: Promise me you'll come talk to any of us about what's going on?

Jaune: I promise.

Weiss: Arc-promise?

Jaune: Hahaha, Yes, I promise under the name of the Arc that if I have anything on my mind I'll go see you guys.

Weiss: Good...have a good night Jaune.

Jaune: Have a good night, Weiss.

Weiss waves and leaves the room as Jaune takes another swig of his water.

CC: You'd think she'd believe you about your chronic case of curiosity~ "Don't worry, Jauney, there is no cure for me.

Jaune said nothing as he got ready to lie down but found it rather difficult to get some sleep.

CC: Aww, feeling tired, well, don't you worry, Jaune, let me whisk you away with a song~

Jaune said nothing just closing his eyes and ignoring the cat.

CC: 'Only you can make this world seem right,

Only you can make the darkness bright.

Only you and you alone can thrill me like you do

And fill my heart with love for only you~

Only you can make all this change in me

For ita true, you are my destiny.

When you hold my hand

I understand the magic that you do

Your my dream come true, my one and only you~

Only you can make this change in me

For its true, you are my destiny.

When you hold my hand

I understand the magic that you do

Your my dream come true my one and only you~'

Jaune didn't get any sleep that night.

[inkstainedchessboard-if]

The Jabberwocky

Name: Fenrir

Gender: Male

Pronouns: he/him

Age: Immortal, physically late twenties (27-29)

Skin Tone: Tanned Olive, Light scarring on face

Eye Color: Grey

Hair Color & Style: Short-ish straight black hair with streaks/highlights of dull blue and green.

Height: 6'5 (196 cm)

Build: Fit, Average

Fenrir:

[monstersdownthepath]

thinking about the Jabberwocky as of late. I found myself combing over their lore last night and, while this thought isn't precisely canon, I wanted to share it anyway:

The final clash between the original Jabberwock and the legendary figure trained to kill it slew both fighters, but echoes of their energy still course throughout the First World. Occasionally, the slain Tane's energy coalesces into a rampaging Jabberwock that must be put down by a hero. Sometimes, the energy from the original, shattered Vorpal Sword infuses a bladed object with Vorpal energy, spontaneously creating a magic weapon.

The non-canon but interesting thought is thus: it's reportedly possible for a powerful entity to force a Jabberwocky into being, but the universe responds to such an upset by creating a new Vorpal weapon to maintain the balance... but this brings to mind the idea that the opposite is also true: enchanting a weapon with the Vorpal ability causes the First World to birth a Jabberwocky to oppose it.

[erina-writes-headcanons]

🥀 🥀🍭 🍭

With jason silver you don’t have to do this if you don’t want to

💔Jason Silver, Nash Gold Jr, and Haizaki Shougo Disregarding Their S/O Hard Work and then Realizes it. 💔

➽───────────────❥➽───────────────❥

A/N: Hello there Anon! I hope you like the final result of this Headcanons and Scenarios. I had a little bit of difficulty writing this characters because I don't really understand their personality one hundred percent but I hope you like the final result. This headcanon was inspired by one of Haikyuu headcanons.

Warning: Angst and Profanities

Gender: neutral

➽───────────────❥➽───────────────❥

Jason Silver - Jabberwocky

I don't know about you or if you have seen the page yet but my friend sent me a picture of Jason Silver harassing a poor woman so in my opinion. Jason would very often be toxic to you and would often disregard your hard work.

If you made a lunch for him and accidentally made the food salty? He's going to make fun of you for being a bad cook even though you're not as bad as Momoi or Riko.

You cleaned his apartment and it's not really clean because you just got home from school workplace? He's going to say you did a horrible job.

You don't take care of yourself because you tried to take care of him and you don't dress up like other boyfriend or girlfriend? He's going to comment on you that he's embarrassed to have a girlfriend/boyfriend like you and that's why he 'didn't bring you out' or show you to his friends.

You didn't give him the gift that he wants so bad even though you don't have much money? He will comment that you're poor and would purposely give you the silent treatment until you give him the gift that he wants.

Nevertheless, Jason Silver is a human being so he can feel guilty after he realizes how much bullshit he gave to you whereas you already treated him nicely.

He is not the best boyfriend and not boyfriend material like Kiyoshi Teppei and Kuroko but he will try his best to control his words even though most of the time he accidentally slips out.

He does apologize to you once he realizes how much shit he is and tries to spoil you to say how sorry he is by protecting you from his friends who try to harass you and bring you to VIP parties.

You cannot say no to him once he tries to spoil you because he would be sent you a glare so you would accept his treatment. Jason Silver would also leave you alone, he would be around you all night at the party and not leave your sight.

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It was late in the afternoon as the sun is going down and the stars are coming up to show up in the sky. It has been such a tiring day for you after working all day inside the small cafe and working as a barista making drinks for the clients. You usually have lots of free time but this day there were lots of people in the cafe and you had to work hard whether you like it or not.

The ride to the apartment was really long around fifteen minutes on foot or ten minutes on a bicycle. Every inch of your body was screaming in pain, especially your feet since you have to stand for more than an hour and walk around to take some ingredients to make the customers drinks or snacks.

Parking inside the bike in the basement, you locked the bike to keep it safe from the thief and went to your room by a lift before going up with the lift on the third floor. Getting inside the shared room, you began putting the bags on top of the chair and swiping the whole room to clean the dirty floor before mopping it.

Sadly, you don't have much of the energy and strength to continue your job and put the broom along the mop away in the corner before sitting on the couch. The lid of your eyes feely heavier in each second and not realizing what happen, everything turns dark and the dark vision calls you from reality.

‿︵‿︵＼ʕ •ᴥ•ʔ／︵‿︵‿Timeskip

Sounds of footsteps get louder and louder and alarm the other residents of the apartment who immediately shake in fear because of the loud footsteps. From the booming voice, they could tell the Silver-haired basketball player are pissed off, having one in a bad mood for losing one of his basketball games.

It was a miracle for you that you did not wake up to the loud sounds of the door slamming open, showing your angry boyfriend Jason Silver. He was tired from the game and the condition of the apartment still not clear like he hopes made him, even more, angrier than before.

"(Y/N)!! WHAT THE FUCK?! WHY IS THE APARTMENT STILL DIRTY!!" Jason's eyes laid on you.

"H-huh? What?" Your eyes slowly open up. His loud voice definitely woke you up from your slumber.

"BABE! WHAT THE FUCK- WHY IS THE APARTMENT STILL DIRTY?" He snarls as the slit in his eyes gets smaller.

"S-sorry. I just got home and accidentally fell asleep," you tried to reason with him with a shaky voice in fear of him beating you.

"I DON'T CARE! I'M ALSO TIRED BUT I NEVER COMPLAIN!" He shouted back.

"That's because you never clean this apartment while I'm always the one who always clean it while you were drinking your beer.." You stood up at him, not liking that he starts acting like a kid.

"Well, I'm resting! Am I not allowed to have a relaxing time?!"

"I should be the one asking that while you just came home and start screaming at me....You know what? Leave and think about what you just did, Jason Silver. You are basically almost the same as Nash, being a tyrannical piece of shit. I always clean everything in this apartment while you never clean but once I need to rest. You're treating me as if I have never done anything to you," you look at him in the eyes with the glint in your eyes disappearing.

You always call him babe, baby, and darling, and never Jason Silver unless you're pissed. Jason's eyes immediately widened, and he realizes that he hurts your feeling for a small matter and that he can also do it by himself "Uhh B-babe, wait. I'm sorry- I didn't mean-"

"Just leave me alone...I need to rest," you walk away from him.

The silver-haired basketball player hisses in anger as he slumps down on top of the couch, pondering about his recent action and how to make it up to you until a bright light appears on the side of his head and the gear in his head are turning around with an idea popped into his mind.

On the next day when you don't need to go to your working place, the sounds of birds chirping could be heard and your vision was blurry, trying to wake up even though it was really hard for you since yesterday's work. Once the blur was gone from the sight, your eyes widened to see a black blazer with pants/sexy black dress on top of the table.

Next to the table, there was a little note messily written but still readable to your eyes even though you had to blink your eyes repeatedly to read every word correctly, 'I'm not good at saying sorry but I hope you like the suit/dress. That blonde idiot (Nash) helped me by booking a VIP room for the two of us only in the club. Also, the apartment I already clean it.'

Even though he didn't say sorry directly to your face, you could not help but smile a little bit. Jason tries to make up for his yesterday's action and you knew the last words in the note shows that he felt guilty for screaming at you when in fact he's not someone who isn't tidy but he cleans the living room and the kitchen without your help.

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Nash Gold Jr. - Jabberwocky

Nash might not be as loud as Jason Silver when he is angry. Nonetheless, he would still be one of the most toxic characters because his words can be very sharp.

Just like Jason Silver, if you made a lunch for him and you accidentally made it a little bit salty or haven't cleaned the house even though you were tired. He will comment on how much of a slob you are.

He would also comment on how your look even though you don't have much time to take care of yourself and spend your time doing your job so that you look messy.

There is also a chance that Nash is going to compare you with his flings and one-night stands with you, trying to body-shame you and making fun of your look.

He might not be as violent as Haizaki or Jason but he was much more cold-hearted so it takes more time for him to realize he was being toxic and apologize.

Unlike Jason Silver in a term of apologizing, he does feel guilty and bad when he realizes he hurt you really badly and he can make himself more gentle and doesn't have difficulty with it like Jason Silver did.

Nash would apologize directly in front of your face and tries to wrap his arm around you, pulling you to his embrace as his hold gets tighter.

If you are still hurt, he will try to make it up to you the next day by bringing you around the town and spoiling you rotten. He would buy the kinds of stuff that you want since he is rich.

Nash would be also twice more affectionate than Jason Silver as he keeps holding your hand or his hand would be always on your back casually.

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It was like your usual day in your working place where you had to finish all of the important files and send them to your manager as quick as you can. However, it was very unusual for you because the office room isn't usually this loud where most of the days it was mostly filled with the sound of only a few people chatting and ringing phones.

From your sitting place, you hear your friends gushing about their husbands or wive cooking lunches for them and how much their spouse appreciates their sweet treatment. It's not uncommon to talk in gossip where people talk about romance but it made you think about Nash's reaction if you try to cook for him.

You're not a chef like Gordon Ramsey but you're not a horrible cook either like Riko and Momoi since you remember their uncut glazed honey lemons. For this reason, you were a little bit confident to make some healthy and delicious dinner for your boyfriend the golden-haired basketball player to make him happy.

Without anyone noticing you stopped your work for a while, you began writing down the recipe that you need to make for him on a piece of paper and asking some of your friends who can cook on how to make certain foods and their secret recipe to make the food more appetizing before thanking them and ending the chat or the call.

As your eyes land on the clock watches in the corner of the office room, you realize you could go home and quickly make dinner for your husband. Packing up your bags as quick as you can, you began leaving the office room and going back to the apartment on a bus that you share together with Nash.

‿︵‿︵＼ʕ •ᴥ•ʔ／︵‿︵‿Timeskip

Your hands gently scoop the diced tofu along with the seaweed into the pot but you didn't see how much tofu you add into the soup along with the miso powder so it doesn't have a strong flavor before serving it inside of a small bowl after serving the rolled omelet on the plate with the rice on the side.

After it was done, you carefully put the plate and the bowl on the table with Nash looking at the dishes. From the corner of your eyes, you notice he scrunches his nose a little bit but tried not to show it as his eyes land on the miso soup that you made for him. You tried to ignore it but you couldn't help but feel a little bit insulted.

"What's this.." Nash raises his eyebrows at you.

'It's..miso soup with omelet and rice." you told him nervously.

On the table, there was not only omelet, rice, and miso soup but there were also pickled vegetables and grilled salmon on the corner. He was foreign to the soup and the rolled omelet but he didn't want to complain about it so he took a spoon of the soup. Instead of enjoying it, the make spits it back out before he looks at you with such a glare.

"It doesn't taste good, are you even can cook?" He crosses both of his arms.

"I tried...." You mutter.

".. It's better you're not cooking anymore. It's horrible," he looks away, not realizing his words cut your heart like a knife embedded into your heart and shreds it.

"Fine, make your own food and never ask me to make food for you," You were done with his horrible treatment before spilling the soup away right in front of his face, making his eyes widen in surprise as his eyes watches you storming away from the kitchen with such cold eyes.

As you got inside the room, tears slowly slid down from your eyes before you curl yourself up on the bed and wiped the tears away. Those words from his lips instantly made your day change from nice into a bad day as your mind began flooding with thousands of opinions, 'Should I leave him?' and ' I tried to make him happy but is this how he repays me?'

But that thought was interrupted by the door opening to show your basketball player boyfriend, both of his eyes were different than before where it was holding much more tenderness. Nash carefully sat next to you as his arms slowly wrapped around you "Baby....I'm very sorry for what I did. My words really uncalled for, I just had a bad day because my team was beaten and I shouldn't have taken my anger out at you." he whispered to your ear.

"Please...forgive me, baby. I promise I will never do this again" He whispered once again.

"....Fine. If you don't like it, just....tell me what I did wrong instead of insulting me like that again," the tears stop flowing out slowly before your eyes meet with his eyes.

"I promise" the skin of his lips gently touched the skin of your forehead and gently kissing the tear marks on your cheeks.

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Haizaki Shougo - Fukuda Sōgō

Bless whoever his s/o is because he is almost the same level as Jason Silver but with the difference that only SIlver didn't raise his hands to hit the girl in the manga, Haizaki is another level.

He may be a laxer when it comes to not appreciating because I feel like he would only grumble and didn't eat the food if he thinks your food isn't good enough.

Or he wouldn't really comment that his place isn't clean enough when you cleaned your guys' house because I believe he doesn't mind if his place is dirty.

He just doesn't appreciate you enough to dress more sexily and putting more makeup to make yourself look hotter and he starts comparing you with his exes.

Also, he doesn't appreciate it if you keep don't want to have sex with him despite him already having you as his s/o. Without your knowledge, he would have six with another person who he thinks is hotter than you.

If you try to fight him back, he doesn't mind wrapping his hand around your neck and choking you as he did to Alex. He doesn't mind giving another bruise on you.

Despite Haizaki feels guilty after he knows what he did was very harmful to you. He's not like Nash and Silver who would look at you in the eyes when they say sorry.

In fact, he has trouble saying sorry so he would just leave you alone to have your own space and think about all of his actions. He wants to apologize but his ego is HUGE.

However, on the next day, you would find a bunch of other gifts that you like such as food, jewels, books, or other goodies that you really want for an apology and a messy note that he is sorry for what he has done.

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You know Haizaki is quite popular and almost everyone would invite him to their party even though he's a huge asshole, especially to his teammate in basketball and it did not stop those people to like him. You saw all of his friends are those people who would also bring their partner out or those typical 'players'.

You don't have a problem with them since they are either focusing on your boyfriend or their partner because most of them respect your space instead of harassing the two of you. It was your boyfriend with who you have a problem, his eyes would be looking at other girls' busts or asses even if you caught him red-handed.

Even though you wore those types of clothes to impress him and wore dark yet lusty makeup for him only, his eyes would also be landing on other guys or girls before a wolf whistle escapes from him. His actions weren't subtle at all. This makes you insecure a lot even if Haizaki always tells you 'She/he doesn't mean anything. I'm just messing around~" with his stupid grin.

It was not only once but it always happens to you every time he brings you out to the club together as he chases another girl instead of you. Sighing, you glance at your stupid boyfriend with silent anger for a long time until his eyes catch you glaring at him with disdain.

His grin was immediately replaced with a scowl, "What are you looking at? Stop glaring at me."

"I don't like it.."

"You don't like what?" He got more annoyed.

"You keep staring at other guys/girl while I'm here. Am I not enough for you" You hiss.

"What if you are. You look ugly in that dress/suit and it makes me fucking embarrassed for bringing you to this club. You look ugly as hell and those girl/guy looks even better than you. So, why don't you just shut the fuck up and stop embarrassing me," he snaps, clicking his tongue and rolling his eyes at you.

His words were more than hurtful both of your eyes widened in surprise. You didn't expect Haizaki would say that to you right in front of your face as his friends also looks at him with surprise. Sure, they were players but they have much more dignity than him and wouldn't hurt their partner like that.

"I see how it is....Alright, go home by yourself. I'm not gonna drive you home," you stood up before walking away.

A loud 'SHIT!' came out from his mouth as he stood up and tried to catch you but you were already gone in the crowds. He wanted to scream. not only he would go home on his feet instead of using your car but he also realizes that what he has done was totally fucked up. "Bro...you're really messed up. Even though I cheat a lot, I never said that to my girls," one of his buddies said.

"Shut the fuck up! I know! Just leave me alone," He stormed away from the club.

‿︵‿︵＼ʕ •ᴥ•ʔ／︵‿︵‿Timeskip

On the next day, the hallways of the school were dim and it reminded you of how much an asshole of your boyfriend is as your eyes were bloodshot from crying too much along with eye bags underneath your eyes from lack of sleep. Your lips were chapped and your skin was pale from yesterday, it was an understatement that you look miserable.

Sauntering in the hallways, you catch a glimpse of a male looking around from the class before he quickly walks away as fast as he can. From the hair color, you knew it was your boyfriend but it was strange why he looks so scared and ran away, trying not to let anyone see him.

His actions made you curious before you trudges up to your classroom and walked up to your table. Your eyes widened as your eyes landed on top of the table where you usually sit, there were many objects on top of the table. There was a bunch of chocolates and an adorable teddy bear plushie he got from the arcade.

There was also a small note on the table beside the gift as you carefully pick it up and unfold the small letter in your hand. Even though it was a bunch of scribbled words, you were still able to read what was inside the small letter that he gave to you.

"I'm not good at apologizing but I'm fucking sorry what the word I said yesterday. You are fucking beautiful unlike other people, you are smart, funny, and fun to hang out with, and you are so goddamn gorgeous unlike the bitches that I dated, especially that bitch that used to be Kise's ex. I promise I would never say that to you again- from You're amazing boyfriend," You couldn't help but smile at the words in the letters and the promise he made as your eyes landed on the gift he bought for you.

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[george228732]

Fylass Through the Looking Glass -Chapter Three EX - Pathos

Dero, Dolly and Ades came back to the Card Castle, with some of the lanterns inside still giving off its light on the starry sky, which, for some reason, seemed dim and darker.

"...If you don’t mind, I think that Blossom and I will sleep in here; it wouldn’t be a good idea to get home this late."

"Oh! Sure, Mister Ades! Dolly would be happy to have you around, especially tonight! Things seem more… gloomy these days, and company would be great!"

"Now that you think about it, it does feel like the nights are constantly getting darker. Besides, it would be better for us to stay at one place so we can start the search for the Jabberwocky, among… other things." Ades was looking at Dero, which seemed to have a lot in mind, but wasn’t willing to talk it out.

"Indeed, we should go to sleep at this point. We’ll talk tomorrow morning, and start with our journey."

Everyone nodded, and told their goodnights to each other.

Dero walked down to the Knight’s Quarters, being placed right down a set of stairs, being connected to the Dungeon, and the main hall; the place was comfortable, resembling more of a house on its own for all of the guards; sadly, due to how carefree the knights are when they are off duty, it was prone to get cleaned pretty soon by Twilight Knight. Dero didn’t remember the last time he was there, for he had a special room inside the Dungeons, ever since he became the Jailer out of the need for someone to fill that role. 

The place was dark, for obvious reasons, with all of the knights asleep, but some of them woke up at the mere sound of the door opening.

"Eh…? Oh, it’s you, Dero." Verin said with her eyes at the brink of closing between her sleep.

"Greetings, Verin. I am just here to rest at the quarters, do not worry."

"Oh, that’s… alright. There are some spare beds in that one room, so feel free to take one, so your rest can bloom." Even when tired, she always likes to talk in riddles, and Dero couldn’t really tell if she wasn’t able to speak in any other way.

"Much obliged. Goodnight, and may time be with you." Dero tried his best to be as silent as possible to not wake the other guards up, but that scurrying sound coming from his legs did not make that easier. 

Soon enough, Dero was able to find a room with mostly unoccupied beds, and quickly made his way to sleep, leaving his sword right next to the bed. 

"...It’s not complete…"

The creature did his best to be comfortable, and soon enough, closed his multicolored eyes, looking at his sword with sorrow, frustration, and melancholy. 

He still remembered that day vividly.

The days, months and years beforehand were nothing but delightful, as Dero was working for the crown, and he was happy to be part of it; he got friends like Ades or Twilight, he got someone to live for like Giselle, and he got a purpose in a world that the creature didn’t know at all.

Doubts were spread, though, as Dero feared that someone like the Moon of Despair would come back without him even noticing; he didn’t know him in person, but knew what he was capable of by mere listening from his friends, the inhabitants or the Queen. 

He constantly visited Ades’ story to read every book on the shelves, to gain every single bit of information he could get to understand everything about Wonderland and its surroundings, so he could know the dangers it faced, and the ways he had to stop them all; for the inhabitants, the kingdom and above all of them, Giselle. Book after book was read, from the most simple things like the meaning of some words, to the bestiary, containing every single creature known; some entries kept him interested though…

The Jabberwocky, for example, was claimed to be a dangerous and feral creature, only to realize that the current Spade of the kingdom is a domesticated Jabberwocky, Tenebra Knight, someone that Dero had in such high esteem.

Another entry was left unnamed, depicting a creature that Dero had never seen before, resembling a blue mist with floating eyes; his information was scarce, but it’s rumored that changes and distorts everything that stays too close to it for long. The knight would be willing to investigate more about it soon.

The entry that interested Dero the most, though, was a creature known as "Creator", which was rumored to be the creator of everything in this world; maybe that’s why Dero ended up here? The information about them was also scarce, but there were some snippets of information about them that kept Dero interested…

"...It is said that this world was made for the sake of one tortured soul that fell to their own insanity, leaving a trail of chaos on its way, that had to be hidden away in a personal hell…"

"A creature that will be responsible for the destruction, catharsis and salvation of Wonderland and Underland falling into Despair by the Moon Jester himself. They can take on different forms depending on what it needs, from a villager, to a Wolpertinger."

"They are lonely, and they want friends; they are regretful, and they want acceptance; they are frustrated, and they want revenge."

Dero couldn’t help but to be confused by these statements, especially by the second one, revealing that there was another realm that Dero didn’t know at all; Underland…

It was bound to happen that someone else was nearby when Dero was reading these books.

"Oh, here you are."

"Greetings, Pleiades. I was just reading some of these books you had around. I hope you don’t have a problem with it."

"I don’t have a problem with that, don’t worry. Say, you seem hooked to something you just read. What’s up with that?"

"...I didn’t know there was another realm besides Wonderland."

"Ooooooh. Yeah, Underland. Every year, both realms decide to be part of a great festivity; we call it, The Joyful Day Celebration; we share food, drinks, nice moments and more! Hell, you know those "DRINK ME" bottles we have around? Those come from Underland, courtesy of the White and Red Kingdom."

"...Oh, I wasn’t aware of that. It sounds lovely…"

"Yeah… Wait, what day is it?"

"May 25. Why do you ask?"

"You are a lucky man, Dero! The Joyful Day will start in two days; my favorite day of the entire year."

Dero was quite surprised by hearing that; he had some friends around Wonderland, but he was curious to see how Underland looked like, and what he could get from getting there.

"I… I suppose I am a lucky person."

"Right you are!" Ades laughed. "It’s getting kinda late, so I expect myself to sleep now. I would recommend you to get prepared for the celebration day, since it’s tradition to stay in Underland for a while, so you can grab anything on sight!"

"Hm, alright then. Goodnight, Ades."

Dero spent the night thinking about Underland, and how fascinating it would sound to meet more people in there, but he couldn’t help but think that the Queen might be in danger if he isn’t there to protect her with his might. Not too long ago, some of those distorted, shattered creatures came to invade the Card Castle, and they were a hassle to deal with, but they almost reached the Queen. 

Gladly no one got hurt, but the knight felt as if he almost failed his mission.

…Maybe he could escort the Queen when the celebration happens.

The next day, everyone was preparing for the celebration coming tomorrow; everyone was preparing food and bottles for it, and keeping the Castle clean when it needs to be visited by the Underlanders; it usually is very clean, but in terms of class, Underland is the better land.

That same day, Ades was talking directly to the Royal Guard, about how to behave when the day came, since apparently, they never listen unless Pleiades is the one in charge, and at this point, everyone knew about that. Everything was well and dandy, and the next day followed too.

Tomorrow morning, everyone walked down to a path Dero didn’t know at all; maybe because he wasn’t too on point with every single location, or maybe it was because everyone had strangely enormous bags above them for the celebration; Dero could see that many were struggling to keep it light.

The Knight was always next to the Queen to protect her from any possible threat for her wellbeing, and she seemingly was glad to have Dero with her, for she valued that friendship they had; whether it was faint or not, those moments they had made them bond for a little, or maybe a while, but that sense of friendship was genuine.

Soon enough, the Wonderlanders reached another path reaching to the Memory Lane Cinema, which seemed to be a mansion more than anything, and at the center of the foyer, the Looking Glass was present, with the same odd looking chessboard floating atop.

"...A mirror?"

"This is the Looking Glass. Imagine it as some sort of portal between both realms, you only need to cross it, like if it was water, and you’ll be there." Giselle said as she took some steps towards it, and used her hand to prove that the mirror was indeed, able to be crossed.

The Knight of Dark Matter was quite dumbfounded by what he just saw, but after seeing many other Wonderlanders entering it, he thought that it couldn’t hurt, and so, he crossed it as well.

Dero saw Underland for the first time, and its inhabitants, looking much more formal than the ones in Wonderland, but seemed just as happy to celebrate than the latter. He couldn’t really notice someone that looked familiar, but someone caught his attention; there was a shy, but odd Halcandrian with royal clothing in hand, next to a white humanoid dressed as a tailor.

"W-Welcome to U-U-Underland, people! My n-name is M-M-Magolor but you c-can call me P-Prince B-Buddy!" The Prince said.

Dero only realized that he was talking to royalty, and by instinct, he bowed down to him as well.

Giselle went towards him and shook his hand the best she could. 

After that, there wasn’t too much that Dero could remember clearly, but some snippets of the celebration were on the back of his mind; from eating and drinking with Ades and the rest of the knights and guards of both kingdoms, talking with Buddy and his Tailor, whose name was Shard, looking at the scenery of the White Castle, swearing that he heard a voice coming from a crown in a pedestal, talking with Celeernyx, which was crowned as Princess of the White Kingdom by pure chance, among other things.

Some of Dero’s best memories there though, were with Giselle, since she always feels so free on this day; free of responsibilities for an entire day, only to celebrate the union of both kingdoms for a pretty eternity…

…Such a shame it didn’t last.

Dero woke up from that dream, and it was already morning, with Ades and Dolly waiting right next to them. Dero was… sobbing?

"Sir Dero! What happened? Did you have a nightmare, or something?" Dolly asked with worry for him. Ades on the other hand, was silent, but wanted to talk with him.

"...I’m fine…"

Dero stood up, and was about to leave the Quarters, but was stopped by Dolly.

"Hey! Please, tell Dolly what’s going on! You seem so sad, and Dolly wants to help you!"

"Yeah, Dero… I know what you’re going through, even after all of this time, but rest assured, we will do our best to help you with whatever you need."

"...If so… Please, let’s get going to the Tarot Village…"

"Dolly will send Twilight, Ava and Verin with us, if that’s okay!"

"...That’s okay…" Dero said as he did his best to wipe his tears off. "I apologize for my behavior, deeply."

"It’s okay to have nightmares, sir! Dolly gets nightmares often, too…! They are… not nice, but what matters is that with some effort, we can overcome them, right? Fylass taught me that!"

"...I suppose that’s correct. You are very wise, My Queen…"

Dolly giggled, and afterwards, hugged Dero with all the strength she had in the morning.

"Dolly will be waiting for you in the backyard!"

"I’ll do so, too. We are ready to leave, so don’t worry."

"...Alright. See you outside." Dero said, as Ades and Dolly left the room. 

He took a last peek to the Card Castle, going story after story to see if something was wrong before leaving; everything seemed normal for sure, up until he looked at the Club Door; a door that hadn't been opened in a long time. 

"...I feel that something wrong has happened to the Club… Let’s hope that’s not the case…" Dero left the room, and went towards the empty main hall to use the backyard door to leave.

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@monsterhatdoodles (CREATOR OF THE DRAWINGS)

@ilikesillythingswooo

@loaflovesdoodling

@galakianexplosion

@lostsoulau-ask (CRETOR OF THE PAINTED DOODLE)

@moon-mage

@den-of-the-blue-dragon

@avathestarwarrior

@that-fanperson-meg

@the-chaos-axolotl

[heiressofdoodles]

Journal of the Last Prophet (Part One)

April 16, 1611 - Dear diary,

Hello! This is the first time I'm writing in you, so I'm going to introduce myself! I am Aeon Caldera, I live in Tarot Town with my Mama, and I'm now five years old! Mama got me this for my birthday! She said "writing down your thoughts and feelings every day is a good habit to start early!" I’m so happy to start being like Mama now.

June 1, 1613 - Dear diary,

Mama and I left home to go to Underland today. I don't remember going there before, so I'm super excited for this! We left a bit later than the others, but maybe if we hurry we can catch up with the others before the Queen notices. We'll be going to the festival tomorrow! Wish us luck!

June 2, 1613

We got to Underland a bit late. The Queen seemed a bit upset, but not too upset, I guess. We were just enjoying the festival, and… Mama grabbed me and ran. I saw it. The Jabberwocky. I saw fire all around, and he seemed so angry. I wanted to help, but Mama didn’t let me go. She said that if you make the Jabberwocky angry, you won’t be able to see your friends or your family anymore. I was so scared, but we hid before the Jabberwocky got us. We hid for a long time, but when we came out, there was fire everywhere. Mama tried to hide it from me, but I think some of them aren’t okay. I hope they wake up soon. There were others that were okay, but when everyone got back to the gateway, someone came to us. He was huge and scary, and he was angry and sad. He said “you Wonderlanders left us behind! I won’t let you back here!” I think he was the King. Was one of his friends sleeping as well? We left to go home shortly after. I don’t think anyone knows what’s going to happen next year. I hope he’s going to be okay, though.

June 4, 1613.

We’re all still at the Queen’s Court. Apparently, she wants us to talk about what happened in Underland, and what it means for the Kingdom, or something like that. I didn’t hear a lot of it. Just boring people talking about boring things. Mama said to pay attention, but I couldn’t keep focused. It felt like hours before something actually happened. Someone had opened the doors. He seemed scared and hurt. He just ignored the guards trying to ask him to stay calm. But he didn’t. He was just more scared, asking for help. The Queen was angry at him when he got close to the throne. I didn’t see all of it; Mama covered my eyes. I think the Queen hurt him more, though. She started screaming at him things my mom said were bad to repeat. How could she be so mean to him? She’s an adult like Mama; she should know better than to hurt someone like that!

The Queen ordered her guards to “take him away from me”. If there weren’t so many people, I would’ve followed them. Why didn’t anyone try to stop her? Yeah, she’s scary, but I’ve had bullies before! And can’t we just help him anyways? If the Queen really is like this all the time, why hasn’t someone tried to stop her?

Mama said to stop writing things like this.

I’m scared.

June 5, 1613.

I snuck down to the basement in the middle of the night. It was dark and cold, but I don’t think anyone saw me. The Jailer had walked past while I was sneaking around, so I think I’m okay. I heard a few things in other rooms, but Mama said that there are things even she’s not allowed to see in the castle. Things she doesn’t want to see. I eventually found that boy. He looked like a boy, at least, but when I started talking to him, he was… sad. Much sadder than any kids I’ve talked to before, at least. He was confused why I was here, and I just wanted to cheer him up somehow. I asked his name, and he just said “my name is Shard. I’m the Bishop in Underland.” It… was weird. Why would an Underlander be here in Wonderland? And why would the Queen be so angry at him? I asked him, but he just said he didn’t know either. “The Jabberwocky grabbed me, and it brought me through the portal here. I was scared, but it dropped me, and we both fell to the ground. I’m lucky to have been okay,” he said to me. I still don’t understand why she would be so mean to him.

Mama told me to hide my journal. She said “If the Queen found this, you’ll be like the Underlander.”

June 10th. 1613.

We still haven’t gone home to Tarot Town yet. Mama said we were going to go home last week, but we’re still here. I’ve noticed a few people in the Court had gone missing since earlier this week. I think some of the people are the pretty dragon lady, the grey and blue rabbit girl, and the plum mouse lady. I tried asking what happened, but all the adults were scared of answering. And the Queen didn’t answer when I asked her either, even though I did everything Mama told me I should do when I go to ask the Queen for something. It was weird.

But I’ve been going to see Shard every night. He seemed hungry and thirsty, so I snuck to the basement with something for him. No one else ate it, and it was just left out in the open. Does the Queen not care that much? It’s all going to go to waste if someone doesn’t have it. I would’ve given him my blanket as well because it’s really cold down here, but he said it was too risky. He didn’t want me to get hurt. “You’ve already been so kind to me, even though I told you it was dangerous for you. But taking something like that would be a step too far.” I don’t know what he meant by that. This morning, Shard said something to me. “I don’t want you to come looking for me again. The Queen has been getting more angry the longer I’m here, and I think she’s going to kill me.” He told me to not try to reason with the Queen, and to not follow him if anything happens… I gave him a hug, or at least the best hug I could manage through the cell bars, and left and hid before the Jailer found me.

Shard was taken to the Court today. He looked even worse than when I last saw him. He had bruises, his clothes were ruined, and it looked like he was bleeding. What happened to him in such a small amount of time…? The Queen seemed calm; I was hoping Shard would be able to go home. But he didn’t. She said he was dangerous to her people, and that the sooner he was gone, the sooner Wonderland would be able to heal. That was wrong though! It was all wrong! Not even Shard wasn’t even trying to argue against it! She was lying to everyone, and no one tried to tell her that she was wrong! But who would listen to a little kid, anyways…

I followed Shard and the guards. I know I promised I wouldn’t, but I had to make sure he was okay. It seemed so weird, though. If she was this angry, why didn’t she do what Mama said she did to people that made her angry? I didn’t think that wall or that forest was there earlier, but there it was. The castle was really far away, but Tarot Town was closer. I could get myself and Shard there if something happened. But something did happen. I tried to follow them and stop them from hurting Shard, but the guards caught me at the gate. He seemed surprised that I followed, but when he came over to me, he… he didn’t try to run. He just told me to go, and that he’d be okay. He’d be okay with whatever happened as long as I was okay… I tried to tell him to not go, but one of the guards grabbed me and took me away. We just sat at the gate, waiting for something, anything. But Shard never came back. The group of guards came back, but… I hope my friend is okay.

The guards said they wouldn’t tell the Queen I stowed away, but they’d tell my Mama. I asked why they’d do that, and they just said “we’re afraid of what the Queen would do to us if we didn’t.” Why would they serve her if she made them scared? They didn’t answer me when I asked what they did to Shard. I hope he wasn’t hurt more. Mama was terrified that I’d come back to the castle with the guards. She said we’re going home tomorrow. I could hear her thank the guards before we left for our room.

Shard, please be okay in there.

June 2, 1614.

There wasn’t a celebration this year. Not even an invitation from Underland. I hope the King is okay. Still no word if Shard is okay, either. The blueberry looking man, Chaos as some of the adults call him, has also gone missing from Somnia’s court. I tried to go to the forest for what might be the millionth time again to see if Shard is okay, but there’s still no way to get inside. I hope he and everyone else that’s gone missing are okay…

March 7th, 1619.

I’ve been talking with some of the other townsfolk. It feels like Tarot Town isn’t as safe as it was when I was younger. Some of the other kids are going to school in groups, or asking their parents to go with them. The teachers and the Mayor said they’re doing the best they can to protect the town, but they aren’t doing enough. We’re stuck in a town that is slowly dying, while the Queen and her goons do nothing to help us. The Suits can’t save us, not like they’re trying. There’s been no word of the Diamond, the Club or the Spade. They’ve abandoned us to suffer Queen Somnia’s reign. Well… At least we have each other right now. Galacta, Kamenshi, Kaseki and I have been close before, but I think this is pulling us together. I enjoy their company, and even though we’re forced to live in such a lonely place, it’s something we’re going to live through together.

April 16, 1623.

It’s my sixteenth birthday today. I’m not too sure how I want to celebrate, honestly, other than having some cake and spending some time with my partners. Mom doesn’t seem to mind that Seki, G, Kam and I are actually together as a group, which is more than a relief. She even seems cheerful when I talk about them. I wish that was true of everyone here. But, since this is for writing down my thoughts, I guess I’d better start with something. I’ve never really left Tarot Town after the Jabberwocky incident in Underland. Any time I did, it was mainly to see if there was any way to meet the other Suits… Or get into that forest Queen Somnia had her guards drag that Underlander, Shard, to what was certainly his death. But there was just no getting over or under the wall, and the only gate keeping them in and myself out was locked up tight.

Another thing that I've had on my mind a bit more lately was… well, where I came from. I don't really know who my Dad was, and I thought today, I'd finally have some answers. Nope. Mama said he was an Underlander, but that was almost it, just like always. I asked her why he wasn't with us, or why we weren't with him, and she finally said something more, and told me that he wasn't ready for a family. That and their relationship was "a secret from the monarchs, both of whom would've been extremely displeased upon hearing there was an affair between them at all." Her words, not mine. The subject seemed way too touchy, so I just sorta dropped it after that. I'm curious about him, but if he really didn't care enough about me and my Mama, he probably isn't worth my speculation… I’m still curious about him anyway. I mostly wonder if he even survived the attack from the Jabberwocky. But with so many dead on both sides, I doubt it. 

June Seventh, 1629

Today was the happiest day of my life. I’m now the wife of my three wonderful spouses. Kaseki was worried and stressed about it, but I knew that it was going to be more than just decent. The only thing I wish we did was make it a more private event. Oh well. Galacta wore a long, feathered cape to hide his wings, but I believe all of us were beautiful today. Mama had several pictures taken, and she certainly cried the entire time. I’m certain that she’s overjoyed that I’m going to be with such loving and caring partners. I just wish that Kamenshi and Kaseki’s parents could’ve been here… It feels lonely for them to not be here, but… I suppose they’ll be here in memory. Oh, I’m sorry for turning this so negative. I just don’t really know how to describe how I feel, other than pure bliss and joy that this day has finally come.

We’re going to be so happy together, I can feel it.

May Second, 1631.

I’ve officially been sworn into office today. The other candidates are all more experienced than myself, but they say I can learn as I go. My spouses said that they were so happy for me. I’ve been writing in my journal more frequently, as there have been more and more on my mind. I just hope that I can do my best to serve and protect Tarot Town. From those who wish us harm, and from the wrath of the Queen. I haven’t forgotten what she did to that poor Underlander. And all the others that had somehow incurred her wrath. It’s strange. Today is one of the happiest days of my life, and yet, I’m dreading what might come of today.

May Third, 1631.

The Queen arrived in the town today. I was caught off guard, but when I tried to apologize to her, she… This is going to sound crazy, but she said there was nothing for her to get angry about, because she had arrived without warning. It was purposeful, even… I’m not sure how to think of her anymore. She seems so calm. Too calm, even… Her several royal guards, on the other hand… They seemed tense… Anxious, even. I tried to ask one of her guards, Ava I believe, but… The Queen had strictly ordered both of us to stop. And… That was when I really remembered again what she did. What she has the ability to do to anyone that crosses her. The two of us walked through the town, just quietly talking to each other. When we got to my new office, she just… asked me to sit.

We went over the different terms and agreements that came with me now being in office, and she seemed rather transparent about what she wanted of me and my town. I have to admit, I wasn’t expecting such transparency. It was… in a way… very disturbing… Was she this transparent with all of the other mayors? Or is this just a facade? I can’t tell. Regardless, she… she gave me a written contract. It glowed softly, and I could read over the terms and conditions they laid out. Of course, I read the contract over repeatedly, almost tuning her out. Every word, every letter, every single asterisk. But there was nothing. Not as far as I could see. So… I signed. Hoping those stories from my childhood to have been false. She left me a copy of the contract, and she left Tarot Town shortly after, but… I can’t help but dread the idea of what I might have missed on that contract.

December Twenty Third, 1631.

I've noticed that my powers seem to wax and wane with the sun and moon. I get stronger during winter, and they get weaker during summer. I think even my visions are at their most immersive and more accurate during the Winter Solstice. So much so that it becomes hard for me to distinguish what's actually happening around me. It's strange, but that's just how powerful this magic is. I've been preparing for today though, for quite some time. It's the Winter Solstice, the darkest day of the year, and the strongest my powers will get this year.

Mama said this power is something she's lived through similarly to myself, and it had given her wisdom and experience that was deeply needed by the historians and the Suits. The Club before they disappeared, the Heart before Somnia, the Spade before they were attacked by the Jabberwocky, and the Diamond before their banishment. Apparently, this power is genetic in some capacity. If I were to have a child of my own, this power will become theirs. I’m not sure if I’ll stop having visions if they were to start having them, but I don’t imagine so. Mama said the power might even follow the women better than the men of our family. I’m… sort of curious now, but not curious enough yet. The four of us will have a child when we’re ready for it.

I’ll just leave this here, and write any visions that I may have.

July Thirty First, 1632.

I’m writing this in between my tears, so if something looks wrong, that���s why. The Queen paid Tarot Town a surprise visit, and she seemed to be calm, even a little bit cheerful. I invited her to my office, and offered her a cup of hot chocolate. The conversation was civil and calm, even if her guards seemed a bit on edge… But today was just confirmation that I should never have trusted her. I… I asked too many questions. About her supposed kindness. About why her guards seem so afraid. About the Underlander that I saw when I was a child. She’d tried to deflect the answers, but Shard… Asking her about what she’d done to him was apparently a step too far.

She was furious, demanding to know how I knew where he was. She quickly calmed herself, but… I know it was false. I tried to change the subject, but I shouldn't have. Her guards tried to approach to passively separate us, but just a glare was all it took from her to force them away again. She said to me “You have lied to my face for decades on your true loyalties. You swore loyalty to me, all the while you conspired with them.” I tried to calm her, tried to make her think rationally, but nothing I did worked. She revealed the contract that the two of us had signed when I started my job as the Mayor. It was all the same but… it was terrifying what she had done.

With just a snap of her fingers, lines of invisible ink had become visible. She had hidden terms and conditions in that contract. She lied to me, and I was either going to tell her everything I had neglected to inform her of- things that vary from important to the town's health to deeply personal information that could endanger the Kingdom if it fell into her hands -or… I would be cursed. I'd heard several stories as a child of what she'd be able to do to people that angered her; the curses and fates worse than death she could inflict without a second thought. But, despite my fear, I put my foot down. I refused to bow down to her, refused to tell her anything that she demanded to know. She made it clear that it was the worst choice I could’ve made in my entire life. Just as worse as even thinking of helping Shard.

It felt horrible, being dragged outside like I was a criminal, and thrown to the dirt in front of the entire town. I saw Galacta and Kaseki try to run to my side, but when the guards approached me, their weapons at the ready, they just stopped. No one wanted to cross the Queen, and now that I’m writing this, I sincerely don’t blame them. I wouldn’t wish any of this upon anyone else. The Queen stood at the top of the stairs, trying to make herself intimidating and powerful compared to those she thought below her, including myself. She unraveled that golden contract again, holding it out to show to my people.

“Let this be a lesson to those who dare stand against me! In my hand, I hold the contract your Mayor has willfully signed when she took office! The contract she had intentionally violated!” I think she was stalling slightly to decide what to do with me. I prayed that she would have mercy, but I knew that there was nothing I could do anymore. None of us could do anything. Not even her own guards could stop her.

A pair of ghostly hands of pitch and scarlet appeared, and… the next moments, even now, are a complete blur. I don’t know what happened, but I knew that I… In that pain, that feeling of being lost and abandoned, that agony… I thought of my family, I thought of what would happen to me, and what lives we could’ve had if this never happened. And I thought of Shard… Did he go through something like this? This pain, this agony that I was living through at that moment? I… was unconscious for a moment. Again, what happened, I had no idea. It must’ve been so terrifying, so painful if I completely blocked it out, even now. The guards seemed deeply shaken, and the people seemed horrified, but the Queen… Kamenshi tried to help me up, and I saw that… that look on her face… She was so… so… How could she be so happy about this? She wasn’t just happy, she was fucking revelling in this horror show. She walked over to me, and just said to me, “This is just the start, prophet. So long as I hold the throne, you will never know a moment of peace.” She… left soon after…

The curse she placed on me, I don’t quite know how to describe it. I thought, at first, that she had stolen my voice, like the witch from one of those old stories. But she must’ve thought that was too cliche, because she didn’t steal my voice. Rather, she completely distorted my ability to speak normally ever again. Only speaking in riddles and confusing phrases. I.. still don’t know what I’m saying, compared to what I’m thinking of saying. I can’t even say “hello” or “I love you” without getting confused myself. While I so deeply wish I could make her take back this curse… I know that I did the right thing. What I know, the visions I’ve had, the lives I’ve helped, it could all be stolen away at just a moment’s notice if she had gotten her hands on my journals, and especially if I had told her everything she wanted to know.

Galacta is standing guard outside the room. I don’t think he’s going to sleep, and I don’t blame him. He blames himself for letting her even lay a hand on me. I think this is going to be the first in a long line of sleepless nights, with pillows soaked in tears.

January Fifth, 1634.

I was making my daily rounds through the town today, checking in on how everyone was (to the best of my ability with my spouses busy) when I had seen a pair of men wandering around. I hadn't seen them very often as a child, but I believe that they have been here before I was born… Actually, not even Mama is sure of how long they’ve been here. She said they were here before she moved here. Something interesting that she mentioned, however, was that they always took caution to hide themselves from the Queen during her surprise visits, and despite their mockery and joking, they usually keep to themselves. I don’t even think anyone knows their names.

When I greeted them, they said to not worry about apologising immediately about not having a translator or writing out my sentences on a piece of paper instead. “We can understand you even if others can’t,” they said to me. One of the twins walked heavily on the one side, and had to use a cane to relieve the pressure, but the other, despite looking in just as frail of a condition, was walking fine. It was odd to see them walking and moving; despite their movements being completely fluid, there were… moments in which it looked like they were fighting their own bodies in a way. Like they were moving slightly too far or slightly too little than they wanted to.

I didn’t want to be rude through my conversation, but… it was a bit difficult to properly phrase my questions and my answers to their own questions. They didn’t answer a lot of them, though. That was understandable; I was still a complete stranger to them, and if they thought I was still working with the Queen, it… would be more than understandable for them to ignore me. I won’t break my vow to protect my people, however. There is nothing she could do to make that happen. I hope that I can keep this courage I have at the time of writing this.

-

Fylass in Wonderland belongs to @george228732

Aeon and Cresunsa belong to me

Queen Somnia belongs to @stardustshimmer

Tenebra and Celesta Knight belongs to @lucent-nargacuga

Shard/Lucid and Buddy belongs to @lostsoulau-ask

Kurabe and Fettuccine belong to @kachikirby

Dero belongs to @monsterhatdoodles

Chaos belongs to @galakianexplosion

Ava belongs to @avathestarwarrior

[marine-indie-gal]

Decided to make a Fun Parody Edition with the SMG4 cast in an AU of Lewis Carroll's most popular story, "Alice In Wonderland" starting the one and only Meggy Spletzer. I was kinda looking a bit into Old Classic literature lately and then this idea randomly hit Me, so I had to drew it out of my head. Roles in this Story Alice: Meggy White Rabbit: Luigi TweedleDee and TweedleDum: Swagmaster and Chris Dodo: Bowser Bill The Lizard: Shroomy Caterpillar: Jeeves Duchess: Toadette Cook: Toad Cheshire Cat: Niles Mad Hatter: Mario March Hare: Bob Dormouse: Fishy Boopkins Queen of Hearts: Peach King of Hearts: Toadsworth Mock Turtle: Depresso Gryphon: Rob the Scarecrow Walrus and Carpenter: Wario and Waluigi Jabberwocky: Eldritch Zero (If Niles fused with SMG0 that is) SMG4 (c) Luke and Kevin Lerdwichagul Mario and Legend of Zelda (c) Nintendo Alice in Wonderland (c) Lewis Carroll

[sweetums0kitty]

The House Call

Summary: Jonathan has been not quite himself, which naturally worries Edward and Jervis. Who make it their mission to cheer up their beloved boogeyman

Warnings: None!

Author's note: This is my first time writing character x character! Also, first time writing for Hatter and Scarecrow! Please let me know if they're off! This is a gift for my good pal @a-rose-as-sweet for our Discord server's Valentine's exchange

Jonathan Crane did not enjoy the holidays. Christmas was tiring, all the insipid joy combined with the constant barrage of jolly tunes left the Professor with a splitting headache. One that persisted through the new year and well into February. Muddling into sensory overload that was both alleviated and agitated by the professor’s colleagues in crime

In an effort to stave off what Nygma was tentatively calling “Being a depressed spooky bastard.” With all the flourish of an over caffeinated Wayne Brady combined with the twittering tuts of Tetch as the shorter man scurried around the disheveled cave that was Jonathan’s bedroom. Muttering something that flopped between “New cup, move down!” and the dangers of using test tubes as drinking glasses. Needless to say… Crane was beginning to lose his patience. In an exasperated tone he attempted to look intimidating (Which is quite hard to do when wrapped up in a blanket nest, rocking a crow’s nest of bed head) and hissed “What do you want?”

Edward balked looking dead into the steely gaze of the master of fear and scoffed. “We-“ pulling Jervis over to his side as the blonde was still scuttling about the room. “want to check on you, Johnny,” Edward said with a lopsided smile as he poked Jervis in the back to encourage the Hatter to speak up. “Oh yes! Grabbing Crane’s hand gently “you haven’t been yourself as of late.” Tugging his hand away Jonathan rolled over to the other side of the bed, back firmly turned on his companions. “I thank you for your unneeded concern but I am perfectly fine.” His grumbling was muffled by the wall. Maybe, just maybe if he lay there the two pests would grow bored and leave him be. It was a hope in vain unfortunately! The Scarecrow knew well that there was almost no one in Gotham as stubborn as Edward Nygma.

“Bullshit.” Gripping the spindly shoulder of Crane and pulling it so his gangling form was once more facing the pair. Allowing the Professor ample opportunity to glare at the Riddler. “Leave,” Jonathan growled sitting up from the bed to snatch a vial of fear toxin off his disastrous bedside table. “Or I will make you.” Tension filled the room pushing on the two men. Locked into a battle of chicken, seemingly all hell was ready to break loose until Jervis stepped between the pair and attempted to soothe the situation. “Edward really now! We came here to check in and help Jonathan! Not squabble, now apologize!” Lightly pinching the taller man’s ear. The pinching became harder as the ginger rolled his eyes like a petulant child.

“Ow! Ow! Fine-“ Whining shrilly as Tetch released the ear. “Thank you, Cheshire.” Edward groaned rubbing his ear “I’m sorry… or whatever.” Swiftly dodging the swat to the arm the hatter sent his way. Causing an uncontrollable snort to fly out of Jonathan.

Quickly realizing his mistake as Edward and Jervis plopped on the bed beside and slightly below him. “There’s my dear Jabberwocky.” Gently cradling Jonathan’s boney hand in his. Pressing a soft kiss to the back of his palm. Scoffing but not removing the tender grip Jervis had on his hand Crane tilted his thin neck back and looked up at the dingy ceiling. “Why?” The question was barely a whisper but was deafening to the pair that surrounded him.

“Because-“ Edward pulled himself over to the side of the bed facing the wall and wrapped one arm around the Professor’s middle. “We care about you dummy.” Gently flicking the beaklike nose before planting a gentle kiss on the tip. As Jervis let go of his hand Jonathan felt the urge to protest bubble up, but his worries were quickly quelled as the blonde removed his signature hat and nuzzled himself under Crane’s chin. Laying his hand over Edward’s as they gently held their partner in crime and for the briefest of moments it was as if they were gently squeezing Jonathan back together as well.

[codenamehazard]

.:Jabberwocky:.

Chapter 32: Jabberwocky

[TRIGGER WARNING: PSYCHOLOGICAL ABUSE, TORTURE AND TRAUMA]

Hey guys! Sorry I'm a bit late with this chapter! The character voice was giving me serious hell! (Writer's Block, my behated)

Though it's not surprising considering all that I have in store here! Good god, I had to fight to get the words on the document but boy howdy is it worth it!

I hope you've got some water as this is gonna be a doozy. I hope you like this chapter!

Without delay, let's jump in!

---

“No…”

My blood freezes in my veins and my heart races as I stare with wide eyes at the mirror behind me. I’m looking at it, I’m seeing it, but I don’t want to believe it. I refuse to believe it. I refuse to believe that the bastard is here in this hell-maze with me, that he’s here at all. I can deny it all I want, but the mocking smile in the mirror. I know what’s in front of me, replacing my reflection and confirming a fear that I always dread…

Kessler.

“Look what the rabbit dragged in.” The decrypted echo sneers as he begins to circle me in the mirrors that surround me, stepping in front of the other reflections as if they were spectators about to watch a fight. “The coward who denies the truth, even though it’s staring him right in the face.”

“So says the murderer that took everything from me just because he was too much of a fucking coward to face the Beast himself until it was too fucking late.” I snarl back at the twisted reflection, trying to use my rage and hatred to thaw the frozen blood and shake the fear away. “You took away everything I held dear, that we held dear; You killed Trish, you made Zeke betray me! You made my life fall to shambles and even fucking lied about what the Beast was actually doing, all for what?! All because you were too chickenshit to actually protect your family and fight the Beast.” The bastard fucking laughs at me like I was just a yapping ankle biter.

“Oh that is rich coming from you, Cole.” That fucking crone cackles with that sneer. “The one who kills for shits and giggles calling me a murderer. All the pain I caused was done for a purpose while you inflict pain because you are broken inside.” I can feel my blood seeth as he talks, energy gathering in my hand as I keep my eyes on Kessler. “Face the facts, Cole. I would say you’re no better than me, but I dare say you’re worse. All that I did was for a reason while you lash out like a pitiful, sniveling rabid dog who bites and scratches at all who get too close.” I could swear I can feel his stinking breath on my neck as he stops behind me.

“Try as you might, MacGrath… You will always end up alone and you will have no-one to blame but yourself. Because it will always be your fault.”

My rage flares red hot and an Alpha rocket rips from my hand towards the old fuck, but I damn near get blown to bits. In my fury I had forgotten the nature of the very place I’m in. The rocket just bounces off the mirror and I barely have enough time to get out of the way of a direct hit. I curse to myself as I feel the pain from the blast radius, why the fuck did I even think that was a good idea in the first place?! Kesslar cackles at me as I stagger to my feet.

“Still as predictable as ever, Cole!” The crone scoffs as he seems to grow bigger, like a looming shadow. “Lashing out when you know I’m right.” As much as my anger bubbles under my skin, the fear, it creeps back in. Feeling so small, being so helpless. There’s only one thing I can do. I turn and run down the closest hallway to get away from this specter and start looking for a way out.

I can hear the bastard laugh at me over the thumping of my boots and the rapid beating of my heart. Mocking and sadistic.

“There you go! Running away again like the cowering mutt you are! Running from the truth and running from responsibility when it comes to take its due! Breaking the promise you made to yourself so long ago!” I curl my lips at the barbing words, but I have to keep running. I can’t fight, not without obliterating myself in the process! “Maybe it’s for the best that Trish is dead. She isn’t here to see the whimpering coward the man she once loved has become!”

My rage claws inside my chest as I want to scream.

The mirrored halls, I swear they’re messing with my head. I think I could see things changing, I look at one shifting reflection, watching it change into a sight disturbing and familiar. It was myself from years long past, but something’s not right. It’s faded, black and white. Almost like I'm staring at a fading memory, but the eyes I can see, clear as day. They look tired, but also full of pure hatred.

Another reflection, this one more vivid and crisp, one I’m more familiar with. The reflection that greeted me every time I looked into glass windows or puddles back in Empire City. God, I looked like I was walking dead with how pale my skin was, and the black marks that decorated my body didn’t help either. I liked it that way, people left me alone, but now being on the receiving end of that malicious gaze and cruel smile? I’m having second thoughts.

“You!” I hear a new voice ring out as I run. It’s not Kessler’s but mine! It sounded clearer, less gravelly and tired. Oh please don’t tell me the other reflections can talk too!  “I see you, running away, running from the truth! The truth that you’re just as responsible for the destruction of my life! Actually, more responsible!!” I growl at that lie. I didn’t do jackshit to destroy the life I once had, if anything, I was trying to get it back! The blame is Kessler’s and his alone.

“I can hear your thoughts, Cole!” The faded echo barks out with loathing and hate. “You weren’t trying to get life back on track, you were just acting on your own selfish impulses! If you had just sucked it up and been a half-way decent person, Trish would have loved you in her dying moments! But no, your own ego was more important than the woman you claimed to love so much!” I do my best to tune out the venom, but the words cut like knives as I feel a familiar pricking against my eyes. No! I can’t cry, not now! Not when Kessler’s chasing me.

As one voice is tuned out, another erupts in cruel, callous laughter… This voice, it sounds more like how my voice actually is.

“Oh how the mighty has fucking fallen, o’ so called “Demon of Empire City!”” I hear the doppelganger’s voice call out. “Once on top of the world sitting on a throne of scrap, now you’re nothing more than a sniveling weakling running around helpless.” Rage flares in my blood, but I have to keep moving. I can’t fight here, I have to get out! Get away!

“You sicken me. You know that, Cole?” The echo sneers. “You’re a failure. You failed to protect Empire City from the Beast, you were too weak. Running with your tail between your legs to New Marias. Then you bow the knee to the Beast himself just because of some pathetic notion of “the right thing” or some shit like that. Now look at you, you have the power of the Beast yet you’re running scared when you could simply blow this whole place to cinders.” I want to scream at the voice, tell him to shut up, blow up the mirror that the doppelganger hides in, but I know I have to keep going. Doesn’t make the words any less infuriating and painful.

“Why don't you unleash all that power, Cole?” The taunting continues. “Are you too scared? Are you not as powerful as you claim to be or…. Perhaps… Are you getting soft, you pathetic failure?” Shut up, shut up, SHUT UP!!!!

I pick up the pace, my hands covering my ears to drown out the cruel words and venomous barbs as they start to swirl around in my head. Now I am being hunted by three, making my heart frantic. The fear and pain, it was like I was losing Trish with the magnitude of it all. I want to get out of this hell, even if it means disappearing! I just want it to stop!

I think I see something, but I refuse to look at the reflections. I think I hear something, but I refuse to uncover my ears. Enemies everywhere even though they wear my face. All thirsting for my blood and tears. Such things I refuse to give despite the stringing at my eyes. Soon my own voice joins the hellish cacophony, screaming at these demons as that is all I can do.

The more I yell, the more I run around practically blind and deaf, the more confused I get. At this point I’m not sure where I’m running. I can faintly hear laughter every time I clip myself on a corner, ram into a wall or run in circles. I’m lost, so hopelessly lost in my desperation for freedom. My voice is going hoarse from shouting and screaming. The idea of just going fucking nuclear and unleashing hell in the form of the Beast’s Rage is becoming more and more appealing, but with the nature of this hell, that would surely kill me in the process.

I stop at a dead end and fall to my knees, my eyes welling with tears that spill over as I rage inside this mirror nightmare. I just want it all to stop. I want this to be a night terror that I’ll wake up from but I know this is reality. My arms growing tired from holding my hands over my ears, they go slack. I am now exposed to the full brunt of the devils’ venom….

Wait… Who said that?

A voice I didn’t hear before screams with a similar force that I did, but the words they speak aren't venom and hate, but…. Instructions? Directions? I can’t tell at this moment, but it’s something that isn’t loathing and malice. At first I don’t believe these words, thinking them to be a trick or a trap, but with the hateful sounds closing in and with no other option… I follow the directions.

It’s then I see who the voice belongs to. Another faded and blurry reflection, but this one looks unfamiliar. It’s still me, but he shares my tanned skin, his scars barely visible, his shirt grey and white, Amp shining like silver and the sparks off of his hands a brilliant blue… This is what Kessler wanted me to be… A hero.

The blue sparked reflection continues to point and shout directions, seeming to be trying to help me, but why?! I make it no secret, I am not a good person. If this is the hero Kessler wanted, he should be hurling abuses at me just like the others. I’d even go as far as to say he’s the one with the most right to hate me as I am the reason he doesn’t exist. Yet here he is, trying to help me.

I open my mouth to question, but my blue twin snaps. “Not the time, Cole! They ain’t gonna stop for you to ask questions.” I get the message loud and clear and keep running.

I follow the instructions, focusing on that as it’s better than the miasma that I’m being subjected to. I have so many questions to ask, what is happening? Why is it happening? Why are you helping me? Just anything to make sense out of this fucking madhouse, but I keep moving, hoping that I’m not falling into another trap.

My heart sinks as I see that I’m at a dead end and I’m about to bolt, but I notice something… At the end of this hallway is another mirror, but with a very different reflection.

I cautiously walk towards it and squint my eyes, it looks… Fuzzy, almost like a photo that hasn’t been developed. On closer inspection, I can see some things that make it look more like a reflection of my current self, black pants with kneepads, my vest. Visible, yet blurry… The only thing I can see clearly are the eyes of this copy. They’re closed, as if sleeping. What could this mean?

As I look over this mirror, I notice something else. The cruelty of the three devils hunting me, it’s gone. This area is quiet, still and peaceful. Here with my heroic twin, but why is this so? At this point, I care little for the question as I slam my back onto a reflective wall and slide down into a sitting position, hands holding my head as my chest shudders and heave with tears I’m fighting back.

“Not giving up on me are you, Cole?” My blue reflection asks. I sniff a bit as I struggle and shake my head. “Nah…” I reply in a voice that’s more strained than I’d like. “I just….. Need a breather.” The white clad hero nods his head and simply sits in a way that mirrors mine, back to back. “Take your time, Cole. Catch your breath.”

This peace is strange, but compared to the hell I was subjected to? It’s a soothing balm on my mutilated soul and I let some of the tears flow freely. A small relief to keep the dam intact, for now at least.

When the peace has passed, the heroic MacGrath pipes up. “I know you have a lot of questions, but since it’s just us, best get them out of your system.” I turn my head and I can see the blurred reflection turn in kind. I start off with a simple “Why?”

“Why what?” My blue twin asks. “Just… Why? Why is this happening? Why am I being tortured? Why are you helping me?” I ask back in kind. The hero frowns and shakes his head. “As much as I want to answer the first two, all I can say is your guess is as good as mine as I have no clue either… But I can answer the last question. I’m helping you because I can’t stand this suffering.”

“But why?” I continue to question. “You out of all the reflections have the most reason to hate me. I’m everything you would stand opposed to, hell I’m the reason you don’t exist. Why help me when you could come after me as some sort of punishment?”

“And subject you to this hell?” He balks “I wouldn’t even wish this on Kessler, let alone myself. Good or evil.” His eyes stare off into whatever silvery void the mirrored world has. “Besides… I got to see where my path leads to. Got to see that even though I did everything right, it meant jackshit in the end.” He turns to glance at me again. “That all I did was pointless. Utterly pointless”

I’m about to ask him to elaborate, but he shakes his head. Something must have gone completely fubar if he doesn’t want to talk about it even if it’s to bitch and vent.

“So…. Where’s the exit out of this hellhole?” I ask, the heroic twin turns his head and points to the mirror at the end of the hallway. I turn to look at him like he’s crazy. “Um, that’s a wall.”

“It’s the way out.” He simply responds. “It’s the only way out. The reason there’s a wall is because you believe there’s a wall.” I shake my head at this crazy talk. “How do you know if that’s a wall or not?” I question the reflection. He looks at me. “You’re going to have to trust me and by extension, trust yourself.”

“I don’t do trust fall-type bullshit.” I point out bluntly. “You should know this as much as I do.”

“Why would I lie to the only one of any of us in this damn mirror hell that has a future at all?” My blue twin points out harshly. “It’s a cold hard fact, Cole. Out of all of us here, you’re the only one who has a chance at living.” I stand and he stands in kind; both of us staring at each-other, man-to-man.

“While you are right, you are everything that I stand against. You’re selfish, egotistical, ruthless, sadistic, irresponsible, downright dangerous and destructive to the point of senselssness, but you’re also fucking honest about it.” He points out. “Then there’s also the fact when it came time to choose between a gamble that if it fell short would leave everyone to suffer slow and agonizing deaths or go with John and the method that was proven to give humanity even the slightest sliver of a chance to come out the other side. You chose what you felt was right. It may not be what Kessler wanted and there may have been selfish motivations behind it, but you still made that choice.” I look at my twin puzzled, but he’s right… Right about everything, good and bad.

“This is your ticket not only to escape this hell, but to escape Kessler for good.” He continues. “That bastard already took two futures away from you, your future with Trish and my future. Don’t let him take this one away from you too.” His words ring out in my head like a gunshot as I look towards the blurry mirror. “I know it’s a leap of faith, but please take it! Take it and get the hell out of here! Live the best life you can… For the both of us… Please…” The last words fall like a pleading whisper. Looking into the same blue eyes we share, I can see it. The same eyes I have, the eyes of a broken man.

I stare at my good twin for a moment longer before I nod my head.

With that, I turn to face the blurred reflection. I step back a few paces and charge up a polarity wall to act as a battering ram, hoping that this won’t backfire. Unleashing all of my emotions in one, booming battle cry, I charge.

I swear I can hear the ghost of a whisper in my mind. A soft “thank you” as I make contact only to fall through thin air.

I roll through the tumble and onto my feet before looking around, panting hard. He was right… It wasn’t a wall, it was an illusion… Was that whole maze and the horrors within an illusion too??

Once I’m not disoriented as shit, I start to look around this new place. I see bleachers, a trapeze and a barrier… Am I in the center stage of this fucking circus? Before I can start to explore, I hear a familiar female voice ring out with an Irish accent.

“It’s about bloody time you showed up!!”

[archaiclumina]

As someone who hasn't done a lot of in-game RP before, I thought I'd just type up a little bit about my experiences so far for folks like me who are a bit newer to that scene! So far I've managed to go to 4 RP events over the past couple of months! 1 was the open world RP at the Gold Saucer, which was just a small gathering but loads of fun! I've also managed to check out three venues now! I'm just going to mention them all here, both for me to keep a record and remember what I've done, but also to link their deets for folks who might be looking for places to peep into! Details below the cut!

Tonight we met up with a German friend to meet their OC and checked out a performance event at The Still and Strings, which was really impressive! It was loads of fun, but not as easy to meet new OCs without prior arrangement like the event at the Saucer. We kept most of our RP to party chat because we didn't want to interrupt the performers and their routines, but it was definitely cool to have the atmosphere of a bar with a "live band" going on while our OCs talked. Also the mix up of songs was a great, eclectic vibe, there was a style of performance for everyone's musical preferences! Last month we visited The Jabberwocky on Zalera, which is a really gorgeous venue with such entertaining bar staff (I used to tend bar so I am always impressed when bartenders can rp some good flair haha) Plus it has a fun little gambling idea which can serve as a neat premise for attending in and of itself! We also checked out The Fireside on Balmung last month, which is just the coziest place with the cutest menu! The staff are super attentive too and very good at giving the place a nice homely atmosphere with their interactions! Also, they run things in the late night NA/OCE/SEA timezone so if you're like me and in a weird part of the world that's very handy c': (They are also having a thing next week which you can find the info about here!) On the actual roleplaying part, if you're very new to in-game RP there are a lot of things that can be overwhelming. The chatscroll being one of the biggest offenders. I like to give the people I know I am going to be interacting with a little icon by using the "Assign Friend Group" function. (You can find that by going to your friends list and right-clicking their name.) That let's me scan easily for their posts between everyone else's. Of course if you don't know anyone there, that won't be an option. In that instance I tend to just make my chatbox as big as possible and pray c': (If I find any good resources for making in-game RP more user friendly, I will post them for sure!) Open world was a bit scary at first, but then once we got started and got into the flow of things, it was really fun. I did keep my shout chat in a different window to keep things from getting confusing and I think that's a very good option for people who are venturing out into open world RP for the first time. Both the Jabberwocky and the Fireside have a bit more of an easy premise for interacting with strangers than the Still and Strings did, so for brand new people to the community, I'd suggest either of those as great venues to dip your toes in without being intimidated by a lot of chat scroll from different directions like the crowd and the performers. But if you're in a little group, the Still and Strings is a really good option where you can enjoy some RP with entertainment as well!

[12timetraveler]

Beware the Jabberwocky

Summary:

Arthur and Hosea go on a boys trip. But when Arthur picks the wrong mushrooms, they take a trip of a different kind

CW: Mushrooms, recreational drug use

Word count: 3936

Notes:

For my dear friend @hoematthews on his birthday. Based on a late-night conversation we had with some other friends. I hope you enjoy!

AO3

~~~~~~~~

"So what are we hunting exactly?" Arthur asked, realizing he really had no idea what they were doing out here.

Hosea had asked if Arthur wanted to go hunting, and after weeks of doing job after job after job, constantly working, he was ready for something different. Any sort of change of pace.

"Moose, didn't I say?" Hosea chuckled, looking over his shoulder at Arthur.

"Oh. So we're just pretending we're going hunting," Arthur chuckled. He and Hosea had gone after moose many times over the years, but never caught one. Arthur had only even seen a moose a handful of times in his life, and never when he was looking for one.

"Nonsense," Hosea huffed. "I've been watching this area for a while. It's a little lake, remote in the mountains. All the wildlife around drink from it. Including a number of moose. We'll catch one this time, you'll see."

"Whatever you say," Arthur huffed. He wouldn't horribly mind if they just wasted time. Hosea was probably his favorite person to waste time with. He always ended up with a story to tell, and came back to camp feeling refreshed. Just getting out of camp with the man, spending a few days watching the lake for the elusive megafauna, that was just fine with him.

~~~~~~

They reached the lake just before nightfall. No time for hunting that night, but just enough time for Hosea to catch a couple fish while Arthur set up camp. Since they'd be there a couple days, Arthur used the canvas of his travel tent to make a sort of lean-to between the trees in case it rained. But he set up their bedrolls around the fire.

He knew his old friend would want to lay out under the stars, weather permitting, and enjoy the view. He'd likely tell Arthur the same stories he always did, legends and myths that made up the constellations. Arthur didn't mind. It was nice to hear Hosea talk about simple things.

It reminded him of the old days when he'd wake up in the middle of the night from nightmares and go sit by the fire only for Hosea to join him and talk his ear off until the sun rose. Back when it was just the three of them, and he was nothing but a gangly little street urchin.

So much had changed, and yet he always found comfort in Hosea's voice. Most of the time nowadays Hosea was busy helping the others in the gang. He was good at talking folks through their troubles. But that meant he didn't have as much time for Arthur as he used to. Arthur didn't get many chances to just sit with him and listen to him talk anymore.

"A feast befitting kings," Hosea crowed, drawing Arthur out of his musing. He approached the makeshift camp holding a pair of sockeye, which he'd already bludgeoned and gutted.

"Nice catch," Arthur hummed, looking up at Hosea from where he sat by the fire. "Here. I can filet 'em,"

"You'll do no such thing," Hosea huffed, swinging the fish away from Arthur's reach before sitting down by the fire. "You'll lose us all the meat the way you butcher fish. I'll do it,"

"Whatever you say," Arthur sighed, but there was no malice behind his voice, only familiar affection.

Hosea was right, it was quite the feast. The fish were so savory and tender, even with the crude ways the men had of seasoning and cooking. When Arthur lay down on his bedroll he felt pleasantly full and sleepy.

Across the fire Hosea was also settling down on his bedroll, grunting and groaning dramatically as he settled in on his back, hands resting on his chest. It was quiet for a moment, just the crackle of the campfire and the sounds of night.

"Do you see those three stars lined up," Hosea started, pointing up at the sky. Arthur couldn't help but smile as his earlier prediction had been right. "That's Orion's belt,"

"Is it?" Arthur hummed tiredly. He knew all the constellations Hosea knew. He'd been shown them time and time again. He didn't even have to look for it, he knew right where it would be.

"Yep," Hosea chirped. "Goes right across the constellation. You can see Orion himself, just around it,"

"So I can," Arthur murmured, his eyes closing.

"And right there, do you see the big dipper? It's crystal clear tonight," Hosea murmured.

"Oh yeah," Arthur mumbled.

"You know, escaped slaves used to call it The Drinking Gourd. They used it to guide them north to freedom,"

"Well I'll... Be," Arthur sighed, barely even awake.

"The big dipper is also part of Ursa Major, the great bear..."

Hosea kept talking long after Arthur was snoring. He knew how Arthur liked to hear him ramble.

~~~~~~~

The next morning the hunt began. After a breakfast of bread and some pheasant eggs, they set out from camp along the lakeshore.

The lake was truly stunning. The surface was smooth and sparkling in the morning sun, disturbed only by ripples of fish catching a morning meal of mosquitoes. The image of the trees and mountains reflected off the surface of the lake like a giant mirror.

It didn't take Hosea long to find some large moose tracks. Unfortunately they headed directly into the water, so they couldn't be followed more than a couple yards. There was no sign of the moose on the other side of the lake.

Hosea led Arthur up a slope overlooking the water, and the two sat there for a while watching the wildlife visit the lake, hoping their large friend would stop by. Plenty of other animals came to the lake. Elk and deer, foxes and rabbits, even a pack of wolves drank across the way, but after hours of sitting and watching no moose came to drink.

Some time after noon Hosea sent Arthur down to the lakeshore with some potent herbivore bait, hoping to lure the moose down. It certainly drew in a number of ungulates, but never a moose.

Finally around mid afternoon they decided to circle the lake and look for tracks that might lead them to their quarry. But the only tracks they found were old, or too small for a moose.

Along the way Arthur gathered some plants on the shore. Mint and burdock root and some mushrooms that looked like parasol mushrooms. Arthur was always a little hesitant with mushrooms because he really didn't know what the dangerous ones looked like. But these looked enough like parasols that he was confident in picking them.

By the time they were almost back to their temporary camp, the sun was starting to dip low in the sky. Arthur had a bag full of plants and mushrooms, but no moose.

"Well, seems our friends have eluded us today," Arthur huffed, stretching his shoulders.

"For now," Hosea sighed. "I'll see if I can catch us a rabbit to eat,"

"Alright. I'll get the fire going again," Arthur said, clapping Hosea on the shoulder. He could tell the old man was a little disappointed, but not completely disheartened. Mostly he was just tired after circling the lake. Arthur knew letting him hunt dinner would boost his spirits some.

Arthur had the fire going strong by the time Hosea returned to camp with a rabbit, already skinned and gutted.

"Good catch," Arthur hummed. It had been a big rabbit, he could tell.

"Not bad," Hosea shrugged, passing the rabbit carcass to Arthur. "Any of those plants you picked today good with rabbit?"

"Mmm maybe," Arthur hummed, opening up his satchel. He looked through the bundles of herbs in his bag. "Could stuff the rabbit with some mushrooms and wild carrot to cook. And a couple spices," Arthur pulled out the plants.

"A rare feast," Hosea chuckled, sitting down and pulling out his knife. Arthur handed him the carrots and Hosea chopped them roughly with his knife while Arthur halved the mushrooms and stuffed them and the carrots into the rabbit before sticking it over the fire to roast. As rustic and thrown together as it was, it was fancier than the usual plate of stew.

Soon a nice aroma filled the air as the rabbit meat cooked at the carrots and mushrooms began roasting in what little fat the rabbit had.

Both Hosea and Arthur were feeling a little funny, but both assumed it was likely just from being out in the sun. Neither had made the connection between the funny feeling and when they started handling and cooking the mushrooms.

The fire cooked the rabbit quickly, and soon enough their supper was ready. Arthur carved the rabbit and dished some out onto Hosea's mess-kit plate before dishing some out onto his own.

After a long day of hunting, the men were ravenous, neither worrying much about talking or table manners. Before long they'd scarfed down the rabbit along with the mushrooms and carrots, and licked those plates clean.

"What kind of mushrooms were those, Arthur?" Hosea asked as he licked up the last crumb.

"Just parasol mushrooms," Arthur shrugged.

"Really? Didn't taste much like parasol mushrooms," Hosea hummed. "Must have been something to do with cooking them inside the rabbit,"

Hosea set his plate aside before flopping down on his bedroll with a contented sigh. Arthur followed suit, rolling into his back to look at the stars.

Arthur was starting to feel really funny, almost like he was drunk. But not quite the same. Not any kind of drunkenness he'd ever felt before. He felt floaty and spinny, like he was drifting through a dream, but he was sure he was awake.

The stars above him began to twinkle brighter, and the colors seemed to shift in a beautiful rainbow of colors. The stars rippled like scales on a fish across the sky. It was all Arthur could do to stare open mouthed at the light show above him.

"H-hosea?" Arthur mumbled dumbly. Hosea hummed in response. "The stars look different to you?"

Hosea had been drifting off to sleep, feeling thoroughly relaxed after dinner. He opened his eyes and frowned upat the sky. When had the sun risen? And why was the sky such a strange purple color? But... No, there were stars, and the moon out. But the world was much brighter than it had been a moment before.

"Now that you mention it..." Hosea grumbled, rolling into his side. The world seemed to zoom in and out as he did, before settling into something akin to focus. "W...woah. Arthur you... You've grown!"

Indeed the man laying across the firepit seemed to have grown at least three feet in length.

"I have?" Arthur grumbled, holding up his hands, looking for any sign of growth. Arthur pushed himself up onto his elbows, looking over at Hosea. His eyes widened comically as he took in the sigh of his friend.

"Y... You're a moose!" Arthur gasped.

Indeed before him, instead of his oldest friend, a man who was more father to him than his own blood, an anthropomorphic moose sat on Hosea's bedroll. He had sprouted ears and magnificent antlers. His nose had grown long and looked remarkably squishable. His body had sprouted fur and though he moved like a man, pushing himself to his hind legs and using his front legs as hands, he now had hooves.

"Am I?" Hosea asked, looking down at his hands. And as if by magic, Arthur was right. No longer did he have fingers and hands. Instead he saw two large cloven hooves. He looked back at Arthur, who only seemed to be growing bigger, but was somehow still looking up at him with comically wide eyes.

"What... Are we dreaming?" Arthur mumbled.

"I don't think so..." Hosea hummed, still staring at his hands. "But..." He couldn't help but giggle. "But I'm not sure what else could be happening,"

"Maybe a bear got us," Arthur huffed, starting to panic a little. "Maybe we got mauled to death. Is this heaven?"

"I doubt it," Hosea chuckled, walking over to his giant friend. He practically had to break his neck to look up at Arthur as the man stood up. Hosea settled one cloven hoof on Arthur's giant arm. "Don't worry so much, huh. What's that thing Javier says sometimes? Que sera? Just relax,"

Hosea had a sneaking suspicion of what was happening. He'd tried his fair share of substances. They were very popular among theater troops. He'd never had an experience quite like this, but he was sure it was something in that realm. But telling Arthur would only make him anxious, and he knew during experiences like this, anxiety and fear were not your friends.

The sound of a flock of ducks coming to land on the shore near the lake caught both of their attention. Moose and giant both turned to look at the water.

Hosea gasped as he saw the lake before them, sparkling under the purple sky. The water was a rippling rainbow of colors. Shades and hues Hosea had never seen before. Colors no human had ever witnessed, he was sure.

Arthur was focused on the ducks along the shore, frowning as they laughed at him. They teased him for being so strange, for his hair cut and the scruff of his beard. They mocked the way he could only walk, and couldn't fly like him. None of their words really upset him, or cut him deep. But had they been some barfly he'd likely have smashed their faces in. But fighting ducks just seemed unfair. They were too small. Especially with his new size.

"Come on Arthur, let's get a close look!" Hosea cheered, inexplicably grabbing Arthur's arm with his large hoof and dragging Arthur behind him toward the lake.

"At the ducks?" Arthur grumbled. He wasn't sure he wanted to get even closer to the mean old ducks.

"No at the lake! Look at it!" Hosea gasped, coming to a stop right at the shore.

Arthur blinked, not quite sure what Hosea saw in the water that had him so excited. But as he studied the waves he began to see it. Or at least he saw what he assumed Hosea was also seeing.

To Arthur the water seemed to be made of flower petals. Reds and yellows and whites and oranges all rippled in waves across the water, lapping at the shore in front of him. Arthur bent down and scooped some of the petals up in his hands. They seemed to trickle out between his fingers like water, something between a liquid and a solid.

"Remarkable," Arthur murmured, watching the petals ebb and flow before him.

"Let's go swimming,"

Arthur looked over to see moose Hosea shedding his clothes until he was just down to his drawers.

Hosea tossed his clothes on the shore, ready to leap into the lake of colors before him. He whooped as his feet splashed into the rainbow water. It was crisp, like mountain lake water should be, but something about the cold water seemed to warm him, like the rainbow of colors was filling him with light.

Once he was deep enough, Hosea dove into the water, letting the strands of color and light woosh over him. He was pleasantly surprised to find that even if he swirled the water, the colors never muddied. They just swirled together before pulling back into separate streams.

Hosea surfaced, gasping for air. "Come on in, dear giant boy," he called to Arthur at the shore. "The colors are incredible,"

Arthur shucked his clothes quickly, getting down to his drawers as well. He'd always loved the feeling of flower petals against his fingers. He couldn't wait to see what they felt like as he swam through them.

The water was cold, and the moment he was up to his hips Arthur felt his balls draw up inside him. But against gritted teeth he kept moving through the water. The petals swirled around him moving aside for him but hugging to his body as well.

"Isn't it incredible?" Hosea asked, laying on his back in the water and floating around him.

"It is. I've always wanted to swim among them," Arthur mumbled, still wondering at the petals around him.

"Me too," Hosea admitted, thinking of all the rainbows he'd seen in his life.

The two men spent some time just swimming around, lost in their own hallucinations. Time meant nothing to either of them. It may have been a half an hour, it could have been a week. In fact it seemed to be both combined.

"Ahh. Just listen to the musical sounds of nature," Hosea sighed.

Arthur paused, listening for what Hosea might be hearing. Slowly the ducks, the fireflies, the crickets and frogs and bats, all the creatures around the lake began singing a familiar tune.

<I>The ring dang do

Now what is that?

It's soft and round like a pussy cat

Got a hole in the middle and it's split in two

That's what they call the ring dang do</I>

"I didn't know they knew that song," Arthur mused.

"Of course they do, Arthur," Hosea chuckled loudly, slapping Arthur's bare back. "They wrote this song,"

Hosea of course was referring to the loud symphony of quacks and ribbits and chirps that seemed to drown out all other sounds. It was growing so loud in fact he couldn't even hear Arthur humming along to Ring Dang Do.

"We should go back to camp," Arthur said after a moment. The water was cold, and he wasn't entirely certain but he thought it may have snapped his balls off. He no longer could feel them between his legs.

"What?" Hosea called, as if talking over a great cacophony of sounds.

"Camp," Arthur yelled back, grabbing Hosea's hoof-hand and tugging him back to shore.

Arthur didn't bother trying to find their clothes. He was pretty sure he saw his shirt fly off with a couple of ducks when Hosea started yelling.

Back at camp, the two settled onto their bedrolls once more. Arthur not so subtly pulled at the hem of his drawers, checking to see if his balls had indeed frozen and fallen off. He breathed a sigh of relief when they still seemed to be there, though he swore for a second his scrotum blinked up at him, but he didn't want to think about that too hard.

"Is the sun rising or setting?" Hosea asked.

"Erm... I think it set a while ago," Arthur mumbled, not really trusting himself.

There was a big ball of light in the sky but he wasn't sure if it was the sun or the moon. Or maybe it was gods eye staring down at his miscreant children.

"The stars are still out so it must still be dark," Hosea mused. He easily located Orion's belt in the sky.

But... Wait, had Orion always worn a gun belt? Since when was Orion a gunslinger? Oh shit he was drawing his weapon.

Hosea quickly reached for his rifle next to his bedroll, aiming up at the sky. At the same moment Orion pulled his gun, and the two gunslingers fired.

Hosea wasn't sure where Orion's bullet landed. His own shot seemed to go just over Orion's shoulder. Like gentlemen they'd both shot over each other, neither wanting to take the other's life.

"A draw," Hosea called out, setting his rifle aside.

"Nice shot," Arthur hummed, looking at the new home in the sky that Hosea's bullet had ripped through. He obviously had not seen Orion draw his gun on Hosea, else he likely would have tried to tackle the constellation out of the sky.

"Thank you," Hosea said proudly, laying back on his elbows.

He sighed, staring up at the stars once more.

The two men lay there for a time, lost in their own hallucinations. Eventually they both drifted off to sleep, just before sunrise.

~~~~~~~

When Arthur woke up, the sun was high in the sky. Actually it seemed like it was already on its downward journey, on the western half of the sky. They'd slept through most of the day already.

Arthur took a moment to take stock. He was still in nothing but his drawers, and it was only the shade of the trees they were camped under that had saved him from a terrible sunburn, laying out in the sun all day.

Arthur looked over the smoking coals of their dead campfire. Hosea was curled up around his bedroll like a cat, knees tucked up under his chin. That could not be comfortable, especially on older joints. Carefully, not quite trusting his balance after the night he'd had, Arthur pushed himself to his knees and crawled over to Hosea.

Carefully Arthur guided Hosea to lay on his stomach instead, easing his muscles out. Hosea grumbled and groaned, stirring but not quite waking up. He weakly tried to swat Arthur away.

"Come on, let me sleep," he grumbled.

"Fine, but if you keep sleeping like that your back is gonna seize up," Arthur chuckled.

Slowly Hosea seemed to wake up, rolling into his back and blinking up at the bright sky.

"You know, Arthur," Hosea grunted as he pulled himself to his feet. "I don't think those were parasol mushrooms,"

"Really?" Arthur huffed, rolling his eyes. "What gave you that idea?"

"But you know what?" Hosea sighed, clapping Arthur on the shoulder. "I ain't felt that good in... I don't know how long," he chuckled.

"Yeah, I suppose," Arthur huffed a laugh. He had to admit, he hadn't slept so well in quite some time. True now he had a bit of a hangover. The sun was quite bright and he still felt sleepy. But he also felt relaxed and calm.

"Why don't we take a walk back around the lake to were you found those mushrooms. Take a closer look," Hosea hummed with a little gleam in his eye. Arthur recognized all to well the signs that Hosea was not-so-subtly trying to coax him into going along with something.

"What, you wanna do that again?" Arthur laughed.

"Why not?"

"Well I think it'll be pretty hard to hunt a moose when the trees are dancin',"

"Ah forget the moose," Hosea scoffed, waving his hand dismissively, smiling at Arthur. "You and I hardly ever get to just relax and have some fun. Let's just take a few days and... Let loose,"

"Whatever you say," Arthur shook his head. But Hosea could tell from his big grin that he was on the same page, just as ready as Hosea to have a good time.

~~~~~~~

"Well," Dutch called as the two rode into camp some days later. "You two sure took your time. Did you catch the moose?"

"No?" Hosea mumbled, uncertain. "No I don't... I don't think so,"

"You don't... Think so?"

"We got a little, er... Distracted," Arthur chuckled sheepishly.

"Distracted by what?" Dutch asked, looking between the two. Suddenly Dutch felt like he was faced with a young John and Arthur having just gotten back from doing something they shouldn't have been. "Don't tell me you two spent the entire trip drunk out of your minds," Dutch sighed.

"Er... Something like that," Hosea sighed.

"I did manage to find some mushrooms. You can have some if you want," Arthur mumbled, holding out a handful of the special mushrooms.

In sync Arthur and Hosea burst out laughing, nearly falling over with glee at Dutch's confused face.

[buckybarnesb-tch]

Back to Underland -Klaus M.

Klaus’ Trip to Wonderland Pt7

Klaus Mikaelson x Cheshire Cat (F Human Version)

Part 6

"You'll never have to worry about me daggering you all again...I was a burden to you all our lives and you've all come to hate me I believe, Elijah, you were willing to kill me...in all reality this is probably the best thing that could happen to you. I never really felt like family to you, not once we found out Mikael isn't my father...I love you all but you know you'll be much happier without me." It broke my heart to say it, truly it did, I love all my siblings more than anything else, besides Chess, but they haven't felt the same about me in a long time... "Maybe you can finally be a happy family again." I jumped up, hopping through the mirror behind Chess, pulling her back into my arms as we landed in a garden. "I have missed you so much my precious kitten."

"As have I Niklaus, I was beginning to lose hope in ever seeing you again...thought maybe you would have forgotten about me..." I grabbed ahold of her chin and made her look up at me before connecting our lips.

"I love you Cheshire, nothing will ever change that, do you understand?"

"I understand. I'm so happy you're finally back-"

"As are we." She was cut off and we turned to see our friends all sitting on benches around a tree.

"Hello my Queen." I greeted and she stood to hug me gently.

"It is wonderful to see you again Niklaus, but under such horrid circumstances."

"Oh, yes, what's wrong with the hatter?" I asked, patting the tweedles heads.

"We should wait for Alice." She insisted and I nodded, greeting the others before sitting with Chess in my lap when not a moment later a blonde girl fell straight into the flowers around the tree.

"Alice! Thank goodness you're finally here!" McTwisp hugged her arm slightly before the bandersnatch roared, throwing him into the march hare.

"Don't be nice to her, she's late. So is he!" Mallyumkin pointed at Alice and I and Alice hopped over to hug me and Chess.

"Yes...Yes...that's enough." Chess demanded and I released her, scratching behind my mates ears lightly and eliciting a calming purr, allowing her to relax.

"Have we come at a bad time?"

"On the contrary, we were afraid you weren't coming at all."

"What's the matter?"

"The hatter...he's mad." The tweedles spoke and I snorted.

"You're just figuring that out?"

"Yes, that's his muchness. It's what makes him...him."

"But he's grown darker, less dafter, denies himself laughter."

"And no scheme of ours can raise any sort of smile." Chess explained, holding me slightly tighter. "We rather hoped you might help us save him."

"What happened?"

"There was a great storm." Bayard spoke. "We ventured out into the Tulgey woods to investigate...the hatter was perfectly hatterish until...that blue paper hat somehow put him in mind of his families tragedy. Slain by the jabberwocky on Horunvendush day many years ago." I immediately felt for my friend having to watch his entire family die, I fought for centuries to keep that from happening to me and here he was with the same problem.

"He's just not himself anymore."

"But if anything could bring the hatter back it would be seeing you 2 again." They all pointed at a house shaped like a giant hat and I don't know what else I could have possibly expected from the man. Chess pulled away as I followed Alice.

"He doesn't want to see us now, just go talk to him." I nodded, not liking being away from her when I just got her back.

"Hatter! It's me Alice! And Niklaus!" She called through the door and what I saw on the other side stunned me, my friend wearing a grey suit, his hair looked dull as did his entire face, just nowhere near himself.

"You are you aren't you?" He asked, spinning us around and I nodded, hugging my old friend. "Good...you're the only ones." We were taken into a parlor where he pulled out a small blue paper hat. "It's impossible for it to be here...if it survived...my family must have also. Very serious man my father...we had a terrible fight. I never said I was sorry while I had the chance. Now I have another chance. My Alice could bring them back." I honestly thought I felt my heart shatter as I heard the pain in my friend's voice. Life was so much easier when I didn't have anyone I had to care about.

"Hatter...your family died...long ago, you told us yourself." I tried to explain and he looked up at me. "No one can bring them back."

"No one but you two..."

[airi-of-hearts]

For @andromedagarcia with all my heart ♥️ (thank you @all-mad-hare for organizing this event)

A story about Andro The Jabberwocky and Airi the White Rabbit, set in the frabjously dark Wonderland AU (special thanks to @somatheking and @prosopagn0sis )

“And hast thou slain the Jabberwock?

Come to my arms, my beamish boy!

O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!”

He chortled in his joy.

Jabberwocky by Lewis Carroll

It’s late, it’s so late… I’m running late.

That was the first conscious thought she could hold on to. That sense of urgency. She opened her eyes to find herself lying down amidst a field of withered roses.

Airi sat up and looked around her, trying to ascertain where she was; she took a closer look at the rose bushes and realized the roses were not withered, they were coated with something dark, dripping. She was just outside the Red Queen’s castle then. Airi sighed, her head was still spinning, her head. Was not entirely attached to her shoulders. Then she remembered.

Ah, yes. The beheading. Poorly done, to boot. So the Red Queen’s soldiers had got to her after all. She shook her head in disapproval but had to stop almost immediately to stop the wobbling.

She stood up and tied her scarf tighter around her neck. She ran her fingers through her long white hair to brush out the dead leaves, there was not much she could do about the dirt sticking to it, a royal messenger shouldn’t be so disheveled but that would have to do for now, there was no more time.

Airi dusted her skirt, patted the pockets of her velvet waistcoat and took out her pocket watch. When had she got those things? Who knew, but they felt hers like nothing else did at the moment.

‘The key, where is the key?’ she asked herself and stole another glance at her watch. I’m definitely late, but what for?

She heard a noise and leapt out of the path just in time.

Two of the Red Queen’s soldiers went by, haphazardly throwing blood over the rose bushes. Maybe that was the reason behind all the recent executions, not to pursue a twisted idea of justice but to have fresh blood to paint the roses red.

Because the Red Queen’s roses had been red on their own for a while, but when the King of Hearts gave his Heart to the White Queen, all the roses had started blooming white. And that was not to be tolerated.

The Red Queen had ordered the roses to be painted red, and her soldiers worked night and day to fulfill her command; but there was not enough red paint in her court to keep hiding the truth. So she turned to bloodier means. The roses withered when the blood clotted on their petals, but the new buds still bloomed white.

Airi smiled sadly, so much blood, so many tears. A pool of tears, a sea of blood. Love turning to hate, to despair, to grief.

Flashes of images ran through her head. The Red Queen’s Rage. The King being led to yet another execution. All that blood. The failed secret mission. The White Queen… What had happened to her?

She closed her eyes, forcing herself to remember. Airi had found the remains, she had told someone that the White Queen should have them, and then? Rumor had it she kept them with her at all times. The corpses. But they hadn’t always been corpses, they had once been her beloved siblings.

A pang of guilt wracked Airi. Andrómeda The Jabberwock had definitely not been a corpse when they had plotted to assassinate the Red Queen.

The fearsome Jabberwock wouldn’t have gotten involved at all, Court matters—even Royal affairs—were beneath her attention. Andro was a soldier, a fighter, an assassin. She did what she had to do and she kept her distance from everything, from everyone. A monster, they called her (ah, but Andro was much more than that). But this was her sister, and seeing The White Queen suffering, caught in a cycle of hope and grief and slowly losing her mind over it had been what pushed Andro to consider desperate measures.

‘The Red Queen must pay,’ Andro had said, her lustrous black wings extended menacingly. The meaning behind her words clear to everyone at the private council: The Red Queen must die. ‘Off with her head.’

‘Off with her head,’ her brother declared even before the Plan had been planned. If only he’d known that would be his death sentence.

Sensing their resolve, Airi had spoken. ‘I might know a way.’ And a way she had shared with them. ‘Take the vorpal sword. Take my pocket watch. Follow the ticking and find her as she takes her evening stroll in her favorite garden, and then.’ Airi stopped for a moment, shoving aside the word ‘Treason’ that was running through her mind. ‘Off with her head.’

‘I could just kill her at her next croquet game,’ Andro hissed, flapping her wings, dragging sharp claws across the table.

Airi shook her head. ‘You would have all her soldiers after you a minute later. Get her alone. The soldiers won’t know what to do.’ Treason threatened to throttle her, but Airi pushed the Word aside again.

As if the Jabberwocky could read her thoughts, Andro spoke. ‘We are doing this for our sister, The White Queen. But you? Why are you plotting against your Queen?’

‘I am loyal to the Court of Hearts,’ Airi recited. ‘And the Heart of the Court is no longer with the Red Queen. Just ask the Roses.’

Andro muttered something under her breath but said no more, apparently satisfied with the explanation. The Plan had been planned, regicide plotted over cold tea. They bid each other farewell, not knowing it would be the farewell for good.

The Red Queen had strolled, the pocket watch had ticked and Andro had used the vorpal sword. To no effect. The Red Queen had come out victorious. She tore the Jabberwocky’s wings and slain her and her brother in retaliation.

Airi had found their mangled bodies. She took back her pocket watch, her face—and its face—wet with tears. She sent a message to someone who could take the bodies back to the White Queen and vowed to help whoever dared challenge the Red Queen next. For the King, for the Jabberwocky, for all of them.

Then she’d been caught. And now…

Airi wanted to keep digging into her memories, but she couldn’t, there was no time.

The ticking sound of her watch brought her out of her reverie. It was very important that she hurry now. She had to find Cheshire… why?

It had to do with the King, somehow, but It had escaped her mind again.

Ah, well. Best to get going. Maybe if she walked fast enough, It would come back to her. And if It didn’t, well, perhaps she would find a tea party to join.