Roselind's House

Glathia's smile widened as she took Rosalind's hand and slid off her large black mare. "Quite well dear. And I wanted to see you! It DOES get ever so dull in that horrible castle you know. I have only mother to keep me company and as you well know," she giggled at the thought of her mother's mummy in the castle. "She was never one to talk after her little... accident. Still... I do so love keeping her around. Though many seem to not want to be around her. I do wonder why..."

She brushed off her dress and flicked her hair over her shoulder. "Still. I did not come here totally out of reason. There are two new Alices. I am so glad for the new game. The last one was terribly dull." She sighed with a strangely insane air about her. "They died off far too quick. I was hoping they'd stay a little longer. But they didn't seem to like Underland any more. I find it a big improvement from the last queen's reign. Oh by the way, my assassin sends his love. He says that your mother is um... going to find an accident." She giggled gleefully clapping her hands together. "Thank goodness too! That woman is perfectly horrible! Not one ounce of imagination that little brat. But come now. There is much to discuss and little time to do it as the newest Alice approaches his first encounter with Cheshire. Oh and I brought you a gift."

She turned back to her steed and lifted a sack on the side of his powerful flank, pulling out a present wrapped in dark red paper and tied together with a black silk bow. "I remembered how you enjoyed anatomy of certain... objects. I bought these two yesterday. One from Overland and the other from a trader in the far north. He cut me a deal considering how he was drying out at the time." She giggled again, awaiting Rosalind's reaction with apprehension.

She'd taken a good deal of time on these. One of the items was a rather strange creature, something the Overlanders called a bat while the other was a rather peculiar devise that she couldn't her self figure what it did. It appeared to show moon phases but there was more then one moon on it! And they all turned around a bigger yellow moon. It was rather strange but she almost knew the other would enjoy them, the mechanism if not the animal.

Glathia was really to insane to be surprised by the hug as she hugged the other back. She enjoyed moments with Rosalind like this. She sat down in the chair opposite of Rosalind as she picked up her own cup tea. "Oh one of them, he's rather dull. Forgot everything except how to speak I imagine. He's very weak. Name is... Zane I believe. Psh, not that he remembers!" She giggled delightedly as she poured some blood into her cup, finding it far tastier with it then with out. She poured in some cream and a pinch of sugar, spinning it about delicately with her spoon.

"However the other... Her name is or rather hee hee was Allison. She has a tasty bit of darkness in her that she doesn't know about. Oh, she's rather dreary now but believe me I think she will become as wonderful as us!" She giggled over her cup as she took a sip and hummed appreciatively with a sad sigh. "Oh well. Seems my new maid will have to be put to rest. I still have yet to find some one who makes tea as well as you do, Rosalind." She leaned back and took another sip, giggling a little after again. "Ah yes, quite good. The taste blends in perfectly! My recent maid makes it horribly bland. She has no sense of taste about her that one. She makes it so that instead of it being a condiment, all I can taste is the blood! She is rather tragic. Worse then the last one." She shrugged gracefully before taking another sip.

"But anyways, I see you've acquired some new projects haven't you? My dear, I fear that soon we shall need to build you a bigger house!" she teased playfully and smiled. It was as kind as an ordinary woman's but seemed like it had a small sinister edge to it that glinted happily in her eyes. She sighed as she twirled the ring on her finger with a happy smile and took another sip. "In any case, you do manage to keep yourself busy don't you? Pity there isn't as much chaos for me as there is machinery for you but then if there was, the Game wouldn't exist now would it?" She giggled delightedly again as her eyes once again became dreamy.

There was quiet laughter that echoed around the pair, rather deep and masculine in pitch, before a madly grinning Chesh began to fade into existence. Glowing golden eyes and an insanely wide grin that showcased his rather sharp pearly white's were the first to be seen before he allowed the rest of his body to appear. He was in his original cat form, easily making him the smallest being in the room, and was perched atop the back of a chair that was midway between the white and black haired young women, respectively.

" Good afternoon, m'dears," Chesh the Cheshire Cat sang cheerfully, glancing from one to the other as he made himself comfortable. " We were wondering.. Might we join you for a cup of tea, just for a few minutes at least?" He batted his eyes, unafraid of either saying no as he continued. " We really must catch up on my gossip for the day, especially regarding those Alice's." He brought a small grey and magenta striped paw up to his tiny chin before adding, " But were you aware that a third has come to Underland? Hmm?"

" A fair young girl going by the name of Alys Obambulat Grady. And, if we may say so," At this Chesh wiped his paws and leapt to the table, landing on the place mat quite carefully as he looked between the pair with his golden eyes sparkling cheerily, " She does seem to not be entirely there."

With that said he leapt back into the air where he floated with ease, wrapping his bushy tail around his body as he stood in the air, the tea long forgotten as he had come what he had actually wanted to do. " Well, it's time we were off," Chesh murmured as his small cat-like form began to fade from sight, leaving his head to hover in the air a moment longer. " Enjoy your tea and we shall visit to share some again some day but, alas, we do believe it is time for us to visit another good friend. Good afternoon, m'dears." And with the exact words he had used in greeting and a slight inclination of his furry head, he vanished with a light feminine sounding giggle.

"Goodbye, dear Chesh," Rosalind said as the cat disappeared. She took another sip musing to herself at how old the Cheshire Cat could be. First, he wants tea and to "sit" a while and chat and then instead just gives them a quick thing of the newest news and scampers off to cause more mayhem. She was, however, used to this and knows that if he stays longer than a minute and stops to take a breath that he really is staying for tea. Though what crossed her as odd was that she normally had a tea cup placed and ready for such impromptu drop-ins, so Chesh could have a sip of tea before he left. She sat wondering why she was so distracted today. Maybe it's because the new Alice's are here, she thought to herself.

"So a new Alice, huh?" Rosalind asked Glathia, "That must be good news for you, my dear. If you want to check up on her, I've still have your back-up looking glass in the attic. Shall we take this upstairs?" She asked, gesturing gracefully to the ceiling.

Glathia giggled at the Cheshire's sudden appearance and then disappearance. Not that it was new to her. He was such a gossiper. "Oh dear Chesh. Do tell me more when you get the chance!" She called as he left then took another sip of tea herself. She giggled at the others' suggestion. "Why what a marvelous idea, Rosalind! I AM so glad you kept it. My mother would have tossed it in an instant! Not that she can now," she amended, giggling softly as she stood and brushed off her white dress. She picked up the tray and smiled at Rosalind. "Lead the way, dear!"

Rosalind grabbed her tea cup and moved her way up the stairs, the old wooden floorboards creaked slightly under her weight as she climbed the stairway, the railing on the side shifting under her weight ever so slightly. That was one thing she had to get used to when she first moved here, everything was so old and worn that if you put your weight on the wrong spot you would go tumbling down and break everything. Once upstairs you could see hanging on the walls in the hallway her more prized projects. Some were strange bugs that had massive pincers, others were of small creatures that no one had ever seen before; all of these were in small picture frame-like boxes with glass protecting them and a small label stating what it is. Though these names seem impressive and realistic, most were just made up by Rosalind herself since she didn't know what the creatures were exactly either, but after checking its anatomy she knew what family, genus, and species it was in so she could make something up.

She moved through the dusty and dim hallway, drinking her tea while she walked. Eventually setting her tea down on a small end table she took out a small silver, spade shaped key. She unlocked a door that was slightly hidden in a crevice in the wall, grabbing her tea again she opened the door and stepped aside.

"After you my dear," she said, allowing Glathia to enter before her. Then she went up behind her, closing the door and climbing the spiral staircase that led to an open attic room. Nothing else was in the room except a very ornate mirror that had silver children's hands as the frame and a small wooden table beside it. She set her tea down again and retracted one of the knives in her shirt. She then cut her hand and smeared it on the tarnished glass of the mirror. The blood bubbled and began to smoke before swirling and spreading over the full length of the mirror.

"Show me the Alices," Rosalind said. The blood broke up into five different blotches all around mirror and then showed the clear images of the Alices, though it wasn't colored but instead designs of the Alices in Rosalind's blood offering.

Glathia stepped lightly over the riggity stairs, having gotten use to them. She smiled as she entered, graceful as ever, and pulled the table around in front of the mirror so they could watch and drink at the same time. She put down the tray and sat on the floor, having the out of it mind enough to be able to sit on a floor with out being ashamed as she brushed off her skirt which seemed to be pooling around her like liquid ice. Yes. If any thing, she was ice and Rosalind was fire. Who knew two people who were so different yet so alike could be the kind of friends they were but the truth was, when she was a child, she use to love to see Rosalind, even being hinged just enough to know they were not meant to be friends but rather fierce foes. Not that she ever followed rules. In fact, she wrote them just to break them, making her quite the hypocrite.

She clapped her hands in glee as the blood began to bubble before instinctively grabbing Rosalind's wrist and pulling the black sash holding her hair up out and bandaging her hand. She just did it and didn't seem to notice after, sipping her tea as she looked at the mirror. "Ooh look there see? There in the clearing is the first Alice I told you about, Zack. I'm sure Cheshire should appear with him soon. And there being poked by the blond Alice or Alys is Maria. That one must be the new Alice! And look! Two more have joined oh this is so exciting! There should be 10 in no time at this rate!" She giggled and drank her tea dreamily. Then a thought struck her.

"Rosalind..." she said, putting down her cup. "When that wench dies, what do you think about turning this place into a vacation house? I can't imagine any one thinking of what to do with all of this better then you and you've lived here for so long, your name is practically etched in the walls with animal blood," she giggled at this. "So why not keep it? It would be a shame to watch some filthy peasant move in. In fact, I should have them poisoned on the spot if it weren't for the fact that it would be far better to drain their blood for tea. What do you think?"

Rosalind sat watching blankly at the mirror as the images moved, two morphing together as the Alices in them joined. "I think that would be a wonderful idea and I think we could possibly share this as our vacation home. What do you say to that?" though her words would've normally been voiced in an excited tone, but as that isn't her, Rosalind asked this in her usual cold and calculating tone.

Then in one quick movement she took out her compass and looked at it. The tiny brass arrow spun a couple times until it landed on the gold calligraphic words, 'live'. She snapped the compass shut and looked at Glathia with her cold, unwavering eyes. She did respect and like Glathia, but that doesn't exempt her from the possibility that her fate might point to the death. In which case if it did, Rosalind would have to respect the compass and see it through.That was one thing most in Wonderland didn't know was that when she made her compass, she made herself the slave of Fate. She wouldn't be able to explain how she got the compass to work, like most things in Wonderland they just happened, more because of the power of thought rather than actual science. Then when the compass was finished an invisible chain made of a substance that could only be spirits wrapped around her wrist. Letters wrote themselves on the back stating, 'The one who created the bond between human and the almighty Fate, will carry out Fate's will with no questions.'

Glathia was not upset by her cold demeanor. Rather the opposite, she enjoyed it. She giggled and hummed thoughtfully. "Well well..." she said, almost singing. "People would talk but then we could deal with that quickly couldn't we?" She giggled delightedly. "I see no reason why not though as I remember correctly, you like being alone. Perhaps you'd find me a hindrance?" she said and sighed sadly afterward before noting her look at the compass but pretended she didn't see. She knew better then to ask. She respected the others' obsession with Fate as much as she did her anatomy obsession. She never asked partly out of privacy and partly because she didn't honestly care. She understood that if the compass ever pointed toward 'Death' she would be killed but she didn't mind. If that was to be her Fate then she'd make one last venture before it was to be carried out. Still... she sombered as she put down her cup.

"About your compass... I think it would behoove us both if I say this now. I do not care what it says about me. If the day comes when it tells you I am to die, then so be it. I would not rob you of that right. I do not know whether I will fight or not but I will say that I will not be one who goes quietly. I may make one last command as queen before I go and that will be that. Still. I think I'd rather you kill me then some wretched twerp who has no sense of discore in their bones. So... Do not think less of me for this or for the possibility you may one day kill me. I would prefer to just enjoy these days we have while I live rather then dwell on what that Fate teller of yours is telling you. I do hope you understand." She lifted the cup to her lips again, her eyes on the mirror in front of her. She did not like it when the other let her job hinder their time together and sour the air about them. She sighed and let her self wander a bit wistfully. Only the others' sour disposition with her after reading what may come to pass in her compass ever made her this... sad. Sadness and wistfulness were the emotions that people from Overland felt not Underlanders. Oh, they could but it was quite rare. Still, Glathia knew the emotions well when the other began to cut her self away from her because of that little compass. It was the only thing she ever felt resentful of but did nothing about.

"I..." Rosalind didn't even know what to say. She didn't care for disappointing or hurting her friend, but it was part of her job and if she were to be late on delivering Fate's word, who knows what would happen? "I'm sorry," she finally said, she wanted to add 'I won't do it again I promise', but she wasn't sure if she could promise such a thing, so she let the sentence end.

"Shall we go greet some of the Alices?" Rosalind asked, trying to cheer Glathia up. She looked back to the mirror and noticed that it must have been turning to night for two of the Alices, it seemed the two fighting ones, had started a fire. The two that seemed not quite right in the head were talking with each other, one hiding in the bust, 'That must be the one our dear Cheshire said was not right in the head,' Rosalind thought. Then there was the one who couldn't remember anything, talking with the cat and rubbing him about the ears.

"Oh, I bet Cheshire is loving that," Rosalind said, voicing her thoughts out loud and pointing to the blotch where the forgetful Alice was.

She turned to Glathia, setting her tea down on the table, "So what do you say, my dear, should we go introduce ourselves to the Alices?"

Glathia didn't answer just looked into her cup, seeming to loose her self in her red tinted tea for a bit. Then she smiled dreamily as she finished the last of her tea. "That sounds lovely dear!" She giggled as she looked at the cat and Zack. "Ooh yes I dear say he is!" Then she caught sight of one of the Alices and smiled a little wider. "How about that one?" she said, pointing at Mira.