Azura Ravencraft's Story

~ Azura ~

Azura ran down an ally way tuning this way and that she had ticked some boys off that where picking on some one else, her saving grace was she was fast on foot. She spotted the doll shop and it clicked....what a good place to hide and not be found. She opened the door slowing her breath her hair covering her face a long with small cut. " You really did it this time black bird" she smirked slow standing up straight to look around the shop. the dolls where so lovely and breath taking it made her slow her pace down.

The Shop Keeper looked up and saw a young lady in front of his shop. A smile entered his face, "Welcome, my lady!" he caught the attention of the young girl from outside , "Welcome to my beloved shop!" He said as he stood up and and opened the door for her, "My dolls were waiting for their beloved master to fetch them."

~ Azura~

She jumped some when he talked to her but she got control... as she walked around more. "there lovely i would never be able to get one nor would my care givers get me one....if you want me gone I can leave" She was drawn two dolls the Mad Hatter and Alice. "Why is the raven like the writing desk?" She whispered under breath. Alice in Wonderland a book she loved dearly more than she would ever say or let any one know.

"Um..." Megan poked her head inside the shop door. She smiled polietly to the others inside, secretly judging them. The man looked quite young, but what kind of young man would own a Doll Shop? Especially with Alice in Wonderland figures... The other woman was just a customer. Probably of no particular intrest to her. But something caught Megan's eye. A doll, red and holding roses. The Queen of Hearts, she presumed. They were all so beautifully made...

The Shop Keeper looked at the other customer he had that day and smiled, "I have a feeling it's almost time." He thought as he approached the other young lady who was staring at his Queen of Hearts, "Welcome to my doll shop, my lady." He said as he extended his arm towards the shop, particularly on the Queen of Hearts, "I can see you admire my Queen of Hearts," He gently held the doll and carried it close to young girl, "She do has exquisite beauty just like any queen should have, though behind this majestic beauty lies something very dark..."

"Ah! Don't mind me!" He said as he waved one of his hands that wasn't carrying the doll, "So would you like to purchase my doll, my dear?"

Smiling at the man, her smile shifted from him to the doll. Something very dark? She was evil, wasn't she? Tried to behead everyone for the smallest of wrong-doings.There was something strange about the doll. It was so delicate, but dolls aren't made like this now-a-days are they? They're made for people to throw and hit off walls, not as actual things of beauty. Stopping her mind from wandering any further, she nodded to the man, polietly. "I'm sorry. I have no way of paying you at the moment. I'll just leave."

The Shop Keeper waved his hand again, dismissing the thought of paying him, "You don't need to pay for this doll, my dear." He said as he placed the doll in her hands, "I don't need the queen's money." He declared as he goes behind the counter and brought out a piece of paper, "What you have to do is to sign this piece of parchment." He turned to the other young lady, "Same goes to you, my dear." he then turned back to the young girl holding the Queen of Hearts, "So what do you say, my lady?"

"Will you participate in the game?"

Fully aware of scam artists, Megan looked at the other girl in the shop out of the corner of her eye. If he had customers, it had to be safe enough, right...? Plus, if the doll was free she was going to take it anyway. Looking at the parchment and then at the man, she nodded. Picking up a pen from her pocket, she scrawled her name onto the parchment.

The Shop Keeper noticed the short haired girl staring at his two dolls: the Mad Hatter and Alice. He smiled and skipped to her, "I see you like two of my dolls here." Like he did with the Queen of Hearts, he gently got the two dolls, "They are very suitable for each other, aren't they?" He sighed sadly, "Unfortunately, one of them left the other..."

He smiled cheerfully, "But don't mind me!" He place the two dolls into the girl's hands, "Come! Come! Sign these papers and you may have these dolls that will be once mine." He then grabbed two bottles that had a paper attached to them which said, "DRINK ME" and placed it on the counter, "Please enjoy these complimentary drinks." Then went to the inside of the shop.

"The Shakespeare lovers of the wonderland world... always meant to be together but cursed to be part" She was startled when he handed her both dolls. I could never take something like this it is not right" She did want them it would be nice to have something nice for a change that was not a hand me down, something new and shiny that she would get to own first in ways.

The Shop Keeper smiled at the new comer and chuckled at her question, "My dear, I don't want any the queen's money," he said as he handed her the Cheshire Cat doll and went behind the counter again, "What I want you to do is to sign this and that beautiful doll is yours." he then placed a piece of candy beside the contract which said "EAT ME".

He looked at the other young lady with bored eyes, "I told you, my lady. Just sign this paper and you can have that doll." he waved his hands in the air, "I do not desire the queen's money." and went inside his shop that was for authorized personnel only. He smirked at the young lady who was leaving the shop, "Have a safe trip, my dear." a chuckle came after.

She is the first to fall down the rabbit hole.

The Shop Keeper chuckled slightly as he watches his contestants find their way around the Maze of Doors, "I wonder why they haven't heard the song and why hasn't the other little girl fell yet?" he shrugged, "Oh well, let's just put an amplifier, Blood. The other one should come soon." he then stood up and waved his hands like he was conducting an orchestra. Soon two big amplifiers appeared beside his throne and his doll, "Okay, I know that they should hear this. Play the theme song of this game instead, Blood."

Blood nodded and started to play again as well as sing...

The Shop Keeper looked up and smiled at the new comer, "Welcome," he snapped his fingers once more and the contract appeared, "Azura Ravencraft! I must say! You are a bit late for tea." he then pulled out his pocket watch, "The others would come very soon..." he then looked at Blood, "As long as Blood keeps singing, they would come eventually."

He then turned to Saku, "You see, it is okay if you did not go fetch them," he then turned to Blood, "My precious doll always take care of everything."



The Shop Keeper then took some muffins and slices of cakes.

The Shop Keeper looked at Azura and chuckled, "I see..." he then smirked, "Quite the Mad Hatter aren't you, Azura? It fits nicely that you picked the Mad Hatter." then he frowned, "Speaking of which, where is he and Alice, hm?" he asked seeing that they weren't with her, "If something happens to those dolls, it's off with her head!" his eyes widen a bit and he chuckled to himself, "I must be going mad if I am talking like her." he said to himself.



Blood repeated the chorus again as he eyed the black haired girl.

Aveline sighed and continued on down the corridor, the music playing in her head seemingly becoming louder and louder with each step she took. She didn't find it unusual, but rather very calming. She soon fell into a pattern, looking at the checkered floor and playing a sort of hopscotch with it. Despite her age, she was still a kid at heart and a tad bit insane. She soon found herself dancing, the music echoing in her head ever louder and soon blocking out her footsteps.

And then it stopped. The teal haired girl looked up, seeing a regal looking door before her. Forgetting her previous adventure, she opened it and walked in, seeing an odd bunch of strangers. "Hello!" she called happily to them, skipping over to the table they were seated at.

"Hello!"

The Shop Keeper looked up and saw a teal haired girl skipping towards the table. He snapped his fingers and the piece of parchment which she signed appeared, "Lady Aveline Mason..." he said as his face was hidden behind the parchment, "You're late for tea!" he said as he threw a cup towards her but missed.

He stood up and smiled, "So glad you were able to make it even though you are late. Please have a seat and don't mind the serious black haired girl named Azura." he sighed, "She's not fun at all." he said while twiddling with his fingers.

Suddenly a ball of glass appeared in front of him, "Oh? What is this?" he asked to himself and peered towards what the glass beholds. The first boy who came to his shop must have accidentally triggered the activation key for his dolls. He sighed deeply, "Why? Oh, why?" he then took a toy robot made out of wood and started to wind it up. Once it was fully winded, he let his lips touch the head of the toy, "Turn them off." he whispered to the toy.

He placed it down and started to walk on its own going to the door. He looked at Blood, "We must hurry." he then took a golden pocket watch, "We don't have that much time anymore."

Blood nodded and went on with the lyrics...

"This place could only be one place Wonderland or depending on the take Underland and if this is so than let me ask this: Why is the raven like the writing desk?"

The Shop Keeper's crimson eyes flickered at Azura. A smirk appeared on his face, "How should I know? Even my dear father did not know the answer to his own riddle." he chuckled a bit, "Pathetic is it not?"

He reached for another slice of cake, "But I can assure you, this is not quite Wonderland." he took a bite, "It is like Wonderland but at the same time is not." then he took a sip of his tea, "You can say it's a Mystery." he said as he smiled a ghostly smile.

Aveline didn't even flinch as the shopkeeper flung a tea cup at her. She simply smiled and sat down at the table with the others. She picked up a tea cup and drank some of its contents, but did not find it sweet enough. "Could you pass the sugar?" she asked, as if she were at a regular affair as apposed to a rather creepy and well, mysterious situation.

"Mystery?" she asked, looking at the girl whom he'd pointed out earlier as being rather boring. She didn't seem too bad. She was pretty enough. Aveline waved to her and took another sip of tea. She looked back at the shopkeeper, trying to determine if he really could be the Hatter's son or not. He acted like it.

The girl then looked at the other person attending their little party. She had pink hair, which made Aveline a bit angry. She liked being the girl with the crazy hair.

Megan raised her eyebrow slightly, stopping her paceing. "One, I said that in my head. Two, Look back at the film or book, b****. He says he's mad himself, but the best people are. If you don't want a copy of Alice in Wonderland shoved down your throat, paper by paper with a some kind of dictionary, I'd suggest you don't insult my intelligence like that." She smiled polietly with an air of ignorance behind it.

"The character was not crazy but super smart, a Savant type of genius. Two there is a huge difference between being mad and being crazy. Need I give the dictionary terms for it?" Azura said.

The Shop Keeper rolled his crimson eyes, "If my father was so smart, then he would know by now the answer to his own riddle. There were many others as well who tried to answer my father's riddle, all are good enough but the creator of the riddle itself does not have the slightest idea." He stirred his tea slightly, "Never understood my old man as well, I love my mother though. She creates lots of things, wonderful and seemingly impossible things." He smiled gently, "I am dear sorry I left home, my mother."



The door suddenly opened revealing the two last players for his game, he grinned widely, "You two are late for tea!" He said as he threw a cups towards them but all missing them. He snapped his fingers revealing two pieces of parchments, "Ah, Rahls Crellin and Megan Robb." He looked at them again and saw they were projecting the looks of murder, the Shop Keeper just ignored this.

"One, I said that in my head. Two, Look back at the film or book, b****. He says he's mad himself, but the best people are. If you don't want a copy of Alice in Wonderland shoved down your throat, paper by paper with a some kind of dictionary, I'd suggest you don't insult my intelligence like that." Megan said.

The Shop Keeper titled his head a bit, "Wonderland? Why should I make that horrible place? You do know my father leaves there." He stood up and walked towards his doll, "Oh no no no. This place was made by yours truly as well this doll," He said as he touched Blood's hat indicating that he should stop, "It is okay now, my dear. You quest is over." Blood nodded and placed down is guitar, "This place is Mystery. Even when I created it, I have no idea what it is." He sighed a bit, "I believe I have inherited my father's intelligence of creating something and not actually sure what the answer is. Moving on, it is best if you all sit down while we discuss this quite serious business with tea." He said as he walked back towards his throne with Blood following him.