Absolem "Caterpillar" Pillars's Story

Absolem sat broodingly in the woodlands of wonderland. His eyes were closed, something was going to begin soon. A storm was coming, and not the type caused from nature. He ran his pale fingers through his mint locks, with an irritated sigh of disgust. He needed a way out of this world, this upside down place. There had to be a place better than this, the one the humans came from. A world where his exsistance didn't depend on the Queen. A place where he could be free, no longer caged in this wretched place. Alas, the Queen was the only aware of how to escape Wonderland, to current knowledge. Knowledge, a dangerous thing. Absolem was quite knowledgable. He could do many things, go many places without being discovered. He was soundless when needed. However, there were those who he feared, in silence at best. He threw himself from his perch, literally floating down. Moving himself around freely with Telekinesis was easy, thoughtless like a breathing. Possibly why he got the name Caterpillar in his younger years, he was always striving for freedom, wanting to fly away..and even after obtaining such abilities..he was still caged, a caged butterfly. However, Caterpillar stuck, besides, he didn't literally have wings, and he'd kill someone if they called him Caterpillar, let alone Butterfly. That would be dumb..


Rhiannon woke up, her hand instantly reaching to her blue strands, a hissing sound emitting from the soft-voiced girl. She had one golden eye open as she awoke, looking around. This definately isn't home, I do not live here. Though.. I can't remember where I live, or even my name. What is my name.. she brushed her fingers through her hair, trying to calm herself. Stay calm. Don't lose yourself. No matter what this situation is, don't lose yourself any further than you're forced. I'll..call my self Rhia for the time being. That's what these tennis shoes read at least, so I guess that's a nickname of mine or someone I know at the absolute least, "Hello?" she called out, pushing herself to her feet. Her body hurt, everywhere practically, but that could wait. She needed answers, now. She needed comfort, eventually. This place, it didn't seem natural, "Excuse me, can anyone hear me? Where am I?" she asked. It was too bright for her eyes, at least, after waking up. She checked her pockets, ace bandages.. and a knife? She looked herself over, she had bandages on under her white button-down shirt, was it because she was hurt or just in case her shirt got wet? Possibly, but that didn't seem to be likely.

[OOC: Sorry had to divide the original post into two... If anything confuses you in this post just refer to the one in the Palace of Hearts. Thank ye. :>)



He immediately started travelling on all fours, bounding along the path he knew would lead him into the forests of Wonderland. He darted in between the trees and bushes before noticing Caterpillar – Oops, Absolem – floating in mid-air. He twitched his nose up at him before once again, a mini-tornado came out of nowhere and embraced the small rabbit as he grew back into a human. Rabbit quietly stepped forward and cleared his throat loudly.
"Good day to you, Absolem," said Rabbit flatly, he frowned as he was forced to tilt his head up in order to look at man, "I have a message for you from the Queen."
He then paused, using the time to straighten his waistcoat and tie.
" She proposes a game of some sort," he continued a tad bit quieter, "I don't know the exact details of this game myself so I suggest you go to inquire the Queen herself."

One of Rabbit's ears twitched as he heard a familiar noise from nearby. The sound of feline nails against bark.
"The same goes for you, Cheshire," Said Rabbit sharply, slightly louder.

Why, look at the time!" He said, after peering at his pocket watch briefly, "I must be going, need to inform the others. To both of you, farewell."
And before either of them had time to reply, Rabbit was already scurrying away, the small furry mass still visible from a mile away.

Absolem looked down at the Rabbit. His eyes narrowed slightly, but hey, it wasn't his fault who he served. He sat up, floating down so he didn't reign so much taller than the small looking boy, although, they both were nearly the same age. Your cuteness is almost sickening, Rabbit. He sighed, eyes scanning him. What did that god forsaken Queen want from him now? Was she still trying to break the few chains who held their pride? Was she finally bored? She needed to remember the old riddle, You can see nothing else When you look in my face, I will look you in the eye And I will never lie. What am I?' Your reflection of course. The Queen of Hearts needs an honest to god mirror so she could see her reflection. No other would be so brutally honest. She's unhappy and all of Wonderland can see it, but all fear her far too vastly to call her out. Her sadism is just a form of quenching that loneliness and unhappiness. His pink eyes got a dark sparkle in them when he mentioned a game, "Well, well. She finally proposes something to my interest. A game, a game she says. Now this I must see." He brought himself into the air again, floating effortlessly, now if only he could do this with others so thoughtlessly... He shook off the thought. If, it's a poisonous word. You'd do best to forget it Absolem. He looked to see Cheshire, his eyebrows raising, for a second, he'd forgot he'd been in the cat's company. He thought little of this however, "Do you wish to travel at your own leisure, or would you rather we go together to discuss the commotion with that woman?" His tone was bored, his usual deep voice. He didn't care if the cat came with him or not, he just figured he would be courteous. He waited for the answer, his pink eyes closing as he began to hum a catchy tune. Though, where he'd heard it escaped him.

----



She ran, not from fear. It also was not from panic, Rhia ran for the sheer purpose of getting around faster. She had to find someone, anyone. Not being able to remember anything, that she could handle, but she could not handle however, being alone. She stopped when she got too tired, biting her bottom lip, "Just what the heck is this?" she hissed, "There is no way I'm here by myself, it's not plausible."[/b] she stated flatly, refusing to believe otherwise. She placed the tip of her thumb inside her mouth, chewing on it as she began trying to think, think of anything basically, "How old are you..?" she asked herself, that one came easy, "Eighteen.." she whispered to herself, smiling a bit. She could remember that much. She couldn't see the walls or the ceiling. Three days without water, fourteen without food.. give or take. She began calculating how long she could possibly survive here if she continued to find no one, and nothing.

Cheshire

The small whirlwind was what caught Cheshire's attention. The air, though alive and unpredictable in its own right wasn't so keen on control. Only one thing created such a contained surge of power, his grin shrunk slightly. What message did the Queen's Rabbit carry now? He stood, taking in the small conversation Rabbit was having with Absolem. He didn't want to be bothered by the White Rabbit, regardless of what the Queen said, but before he could fade away Rabbit's sharp reply caught him: "The same goes for you, Cheshire." He cursed the Rabbit on his quick delivery. The Queen would expect him now. He could always feign ignorance? A little, 'Oh I didn't get the message?' He growled. No. Nothing went unnoticed by her.

Frustrated, he blew at the leaves before him, creating a colourful blaze as they wisped and disintegrated into the air. He glared down at the Rabbit from his naked, heavily marked branches, sure to pass his message of unhappiness. Whatever the Queen was planning had something to do with the change occurring in his Wonderland. He wanted to discover it on his own, make some fun out of it. With the Queen involved, there usually wasn't any fun at all. All 'Do this or else' and there wasn't anything that made Cheshire cringe more than being controlled.

He kept his glare as the horrid thing bounded away. How could one keep happy under such dominance. He shrugged, knowing full well that everyone in his Wonderland was under the Queen's thumb. However, Cheshire chose to do things his own way; this little denial kept him content. To be completely in the Queen's jurisdiction was Rabbit's own Hell to deal with.

"Do you wish to travel at your own leisure, or would you rather we go together to discuss the commotion with that woman?" He raised his eyebrows. He was caught off-guard by the question. It wasn't often people asked for his company. He paused a bit before answering. He really didn't want to visit the Queen. He studied Absolem's face and his grin widened. Perhaps a change in scenery would do him some good. He hopped off his tree, which faded as soon as his touch had gone, and landed with a theatrical bow. And perhaps, if the Queen's anger became known, it would be a great thing to have someone else lose there head instead of his own. The little bit of dust which puffed from his landing grew severely into a miniature cloud, obscuring him. When the dust settled, which only took a matter of moments, the Cheshire's form had taken on more feminine qualities. She stood upright, her ear decor chiming and looked to the Caterpillar. "It would be my pleasure," she grinned.

Absolem's eyes scanned Cheshire, who, under his assumptions seemed to be going through inner turmoil. His eyes flickered with amusement. The cat seemed to spend most of it's time teasing and taunting others, and seeing it leashed into something it didn't wish to comply with, it was almost refreshing to Caterpillar. He was, somewhat sadistic in his humor preference. When he saw Cheshre's mouth curl upwards into a sort of, happier expression, if you could really call it that, he felt the amusement escape him once more. He wasn't even fully aware as to why he'd offered his company, maybe it was the old saying; " there is safety in numbers.." Wonderland was nt a pleasant place afterall, in spite of it's appearance.

Absolem nodded when Cheshire agreed to travel with him, taking no more than three seconds to scan the cat's physical changes, "So which are you really?" he asked simply, "Or can you just choose on a whim? Are you unsure, or is it..optional from birth?" Caterpillar always had so many questions, he always had questions because only the ignorant kept their questions to themselves. Only the Queen was smart to leave unquestioned, with that he lowered himself onto his feet as well. He was tall and skinny, despite his name. He'd give anything, anything to cast away his name, caterpillar. Unlike most in wonderland, he clung to his real name, it was the only sign of his freedoms. It was the only thing the Queen couod not take from him.. He begam his walk, begrudgingly towards the Palace of hearts.

(I'll post from Rhia again when it comes closer to contracting... Not good at only interacting with myself for extended periods.)

Cheshire

Cheshire snickered at Absolem's barrage of questions. He reminded her of a child, always wanting to know 'why'. Without hesitation, she quickly slid before the Caterpillar, her nose nearly touching his own. Her pose, though somewhat threatening, endorsed her feminine qualities, "I'm assuming you mean my..gender?" She asked coyly, her eyes brimming with mischief. Within that same moment she disappeared into a whiff of purple smoke, only to appear where she last stood. She couldn't deny the quality of the question. It was, afterall, something she wondered herself at times. She gazed up into the canopy, seemingly lost in thought, her head tilting farther and farther back until it just fell off. Her body then disappears after it, leaving just her eyes and mouth to peer from ground level.

She briefly thought she had gone a bit far with the theatrics, once she realized Caterpillar had began walking without her, but quickly brushed the thought away. "I am what I am," the grin spoke, slowly rising to the Caterpillar's eye level, following his unhappy gait, "Whether I was born male or female is unknown even to me anymore. Being able to change so much for as long as I have..one tends to forget."

She phased back into existence with a yawn. Already she was getting tired and the Queen's palace was so far away.. She gazed yearningly upon the Caterpillar's nape. Although, hard as it was, she decided to not to immediately jump onto the man's shoulders, presuming the end result would probably be something regrettable. She sighed, unable to contain her soft purrs; nothing was more comfortable than napping against a warm neck.

Absolem's eyes narrowed slightly. Did he say something humorous? No, I don't think I said anything particularly amusing.. she's amusing herself again. Joy. You're too kind to strays Absolem.. Ha, kind. That was funny. He sighed to himself, and stopped mid-step when they came almost nose to nose, stepping back without losing his composure, "Yes, that is what I meant exactly. I also advise, you try not taunt me, you shall find your efforts to be quite..fruitless." He smirked at the cat, her feminine allure had little to no effect on the tall male. Caterpillar probably invented the term prude, or his picture would at least be shown next to the definition in the dictionary. He watched her dramatic display, through the corner of his eyes, but did not stop to stare. He was used to such nonsense. Wonderland was full of that. Only humans were unaware of Cheshire's tricks. Only a human would be surprised. She began talking, and he nodded his head. However, it was such a short gesture, it was questionable if he'd done it at all, "I see, it must come in handy sometimes." He left his statement simply at that. Caterpillar was not known for being a man of emotion. He did not see the world like most males, didn't drool at the first sight of curves. Beauty was not in the body, but the soul, in nature. He saw Cheshire no differently as a female than he did a male, or even a cat. His questions were for small talk and curiousity solely, he had no true motives in his inquisitions..

One would wonder, had he ever experienced love at all? The answer was no. Absolem considered it to be too unstable, like science. Unstable compounds weren't reliable, meaning he could not rely on loving someone or someone loving him. He noticed the look in her eyes, then to where Cheshire was looking, "N-no way.. Don't even continue that thought." he stammered, his well kept, stone walls shaken a bit. Infront of the cat his composure cracked, but only for a moment, before his expression returned to ice. Frozen and unforgiving. "Your legs are not broken. You can very well walk on your own." He stated flatly. His tone was cold, as was his facial features. This cat.. might just very well be the end of my last strand of sanity..

He ran his fingers through his hair again, "Over halfway there." he reassured Cheshire, unsure of which gender to call the cat at any given moment, he could become a she within seconds, or vice versa. It was confusing, like the ultimate riddle. His eyes sparked with interest. The ultimate riddle eh? I'll figure this kid out. Truth be told, Absolem didn't know how old Cheshire truly was, but they looked younger than him in human form, so he assumed he was older than her. But we all know what happens when one assumes.. Before he knew it, they were at the entrance to the Palace, "When.." he finished it before he nearly began, this was Wonderland afterall. Nothing ever is as it seems. Something that appeared to be quite a far distance away could quite possibly be right infront of your nose, "Well, no time to prepare a riddle.. blast it all."

Cheshire

Her smirk had gone down quite a bit upon the realization she would be walking the rest of the way. She slumped her body like that of an unhappy child and sighed, "We'll aren't you a fun-sucker.." His talk of taunting and his almost unresponsiveness put a bad taste in her mouth. Was she taunting? She let the thought stew a bit. Maybe she was. She found her smile growing once more, thinking how people lost their composure around her. It was a lovely thing, getting reactions like that. She dared another yearnful glance upon the Caterpillar's neck. Seeing him fumble for those few short seconds was definitely fun. She sighed once more, fighting the temptation to settle upon his shoulders. She may be thought of as crazy, but she was at least polite..to a degree.

"Over halfway there." Absolem's remark jounced her from her thoughts. She gazed upon the Caterpillar and watched a slight transformation take place. His entire being seemed to brighten. Obviously, something awakened in him. Well, at least he has something of a spark in there. There was still hope for the creature yet. She looked away, bored, noting that was the end of his display. Her eyes grazed lazily about the fauna surrounding them.

How did he know where they were? There weren't any special landscapes to support his where-abouts. Everything moved and changed in her Wonderland, even the plantlife. A sudden thought struck her like a block of lead. Did he walk everywhere he went? She snickered at the thought, finding the action hilarious. Why walk when one could sneek rides or take short-cuts. She stopped suddenly, her body seizing. "Shortcuts." She whispered incredulously, "How could I forget?" She was horrified that she had actually forgotten about her secret networks of shortcuts throughout her Wonderland. Why were they walking?! They could've been at the Queen's palace by now!

The light purple hues which tinted her were growing darker and darker, complimenting the gloom she was now feeling. She continued after Absolem, her stature and gait now much slumpier and haggard. She stared hard at the back of man's neck, her yellow eyes narrow. She felt change stirring within her once more and let it ride. Her body twisted and morphed into something much smaller. The dark hues which surrounded her grew substantial, coating her in soft fur. "Screw it," she whispered and leap towards the Caterpillar's nape when he announced "Well, no time to prepare a riddle.. blast it all."

She paused in mid jump and looked before them. Her mood completely flip-flopped. "Hey, It's the palace!" She cheered, happily stating the obvious. "Wonder's never cease to amaze, Absolem. How you do this daily, I'll never understand."

Absolem silently laughed at Cheshire's reactions. This is why I asked for that cat's company, she forgets the fact that she could have easily already been here at the palace ages ago.. for once, he tricked this cat. His eyes twinkled as he smirked, "Did we forget..?" he asked, taking a pale hand through Cheshire's hair teasingly. His lips curled up to match his eyes which were fixated in an amused stare, "That someone could take shortcuts?" he was taunting Cheshire now, instead of being the one taking all of the taunting actions and remarks.. He planned this from the beginning, seeing if he could get her mind off her shortcut attitude, letting her taunt him, only for this moment. Seeing Cheshire's reaction when he finally realized Absolem had cheated him, "Remember Cheshire, not everything in life has a shortcut." he placed his index finger in the air, as if warningly stating something quite important. You may want to remember that, dear Cheshire, otherwise, I'm afraid..you may get hurt in the events to come.. and that's no fun if I'm not the cause of it, now is it?

Caterpillar indeed walked a lot, but he didn't walk everywhere, how could he spy on the Queen if she could hear his every footstep? He'd done it many times, floating around the Palace. It was a wonder how Rabbit never discovered him. He looked to Cheshire, a dark warning in his eyes, "Had you went through with that unwise decision, you would find the Queen quite cuddly and managable compared to what I would do to you. Cutting off your head would be far too..quick and painless. Besides, everyone knows yours pops off.. " his glare was serious, not even a twinge of humor was poking out, but then he did something scarier. He smiled, it was almost suffocatingly sweet. Caterpillar never smiled, ever, "Shall we go inside now? I'm sure our loooovely Queen is getting quite tired and frustrated waiting for us to arrive.." His voice leaked sadistic amusement. Suddenly, Absolem bowed like a gentleman, then the sound of the door opening to the palace could be heard, he used his Telekinesis to be charming, hoping it would further irritate, possibly even anger the cat. He stood, his hand ushering towards the open Palace, allowing Cheshire first entrance, "After you~" He was smiling again, he had been toying with her like a piece on a chessboard the entire time, sneakily, letting her think she was in control, but the whole time keeping her mind off the easy way out of getting to the palace. He made her suffer the walk on purpose, so he could enjoy her whines, complaints, and that delicious distress. Despite his calm and careless nature, he was quite..cruel to those around him, tricking them into doing things they didn't want to do.

Cheshire

She spun slowly in the air, making it seem as if she had just playfully jumped instead of planning to plant herself upon Absolem. It was believable right? She was a random creature, afterall. At least that's what she heard of herself. She stopped, now upside down and locked eyes with the Caterpillar. He didn't seem too pleased. His posture and tone was actually rather threatening. She supposed it was because he caught on to her little plan. Internally, she rolled her eyes. Well, he wasn't dull that much was certain. She definitely didn't want to hear any lectures though, especially knowing she was about to be in the Queen's company. That was all that woman did was lecture. Instead she played dumb, ignoring the harsh remarks and continuing her rotation until she stood upright. Once her paws hit the earth she transformed once more, this time with little dramatics, and stood arms crossed as an alert male.

The sudden display of Absolem's telekinesis impressed him some, causing his brows to raise slightly. However, he wouldn't be caught off guard by it. So what if the Caterpillar had secrets of his own. Who didn't? At least now he had slightly more intel on the being. It was a comfort, now that he thought of it, that he didn't travel with Absolem through his secret passages. One less knowledgeable thing for Caterpillar to muse over. He thought back to earlier when Absolem was flirting with his own displays menace and mocks, smiling at the should-have-been-uncomfortable rubbing of hair. True, the pat was caustic, but still the mere contact was..nice. When was the last time someone had actually touched him? He gazed upon the taunting creature before him, for once keeping his features unreadable, besides of course his everlasting grin. Though thin and weak as the man looked his words held weight: 'Not everything in life has a shortcut.' It was this statement that caused Cheshire to take care. Surely with the upcoming distortion of his Wonderland, allies would be welcome and enemies watched closely. In this he would take no shortcuts. Absolem wasn't called Caterpillar for nothing. Even he knew better than to let his words fly. As for the door however, Cheshire took the opportunity on dare, "You're advice, as always, Abs, is much appreciated." He walked confidently, yet cautiously through the door.

She liked the smell - it reminded her of home. But the red colour was too bright, too vivid. She wasn't used to bright colours. She had grown up in a shadowy room, without any colours, and there was no place for red in her monochromatic world. But the palace was a horrible shade of crimson, and that was why she slashed and struck out, wanting to cover the stark red of the walls with something a little darker.
But red on red was still red.

__________

Whispers floated through the air as Alde leaned over the balcony rails. They weren't the usual whispered courtroom conversations though.

"Go away." she flicked her hand idly at the butterflies flocking around her. "I don't need you right now."

"I wouldn't be so sure of that."

Alde turned to stare at the black butterfly that had just fluttered to a landing on her right hand, by far the largest of all those present.

"What to you want, Kuro?"

"Two are here, Your Majesty." the words Your Majesty was spoken in a tone that implied heavy sarcasm or bitterness - or maybe both.

"Really?!" she brightened up. "Which ones?"

"The Form Shifter and the Riddle Maker." Kuro spat, his detestation for the persons in question was evident.

"Aww Kuro, you are always so mean to my dolls! You shouldn't be, though! They amount to nothing - just because they have names and a role doesn't make them People. They are just creatures with nowhere to belong to ... they are not even real." the blonde pouted, flinging Kuro off her hand on to the floor below and stamping him, a smile replacing her pout as she uttered the last few sentences.

"Like you." Kuro hissed, body reduced to a splotch on the white marble floor. "They are just like you." , earning himself another stamp.

"Silly Kuro." Alde sighed, looking genuinely saddened. "You never know when to keep your mouth shut. Now I have to make you again." Leaning down and picking the black splotch that was Kuro, she gently cradled him in her right hand, flitting down the stairs.

"Now where are these two?" she wondered aloud, letting Kuro's body fall from her hand. Just as the little black blotch was about to touch the floor, it shifted into two black wings, which unfurled to show a butterfly.

"You are late, Kuro!" Alde chimed. "Now take me where they are!"

"Yes, Your Majesty." This time around, the words were spoken with genuine admiration and none of the bitterness from last time remained.

Alde smiled gently at Kuro as her body shifted into a storm of butterflies. When she opened her eyes again, she was in front of a male Cheshire and Absolem.

She ran towards them, throwing herself in a hug against both the males, trilling out a "I missed you!"

Withdrawing, she treated them to a hurt look.

"You never visit! But We are so happy you are here now! Shall we retire for some tea while the other Chains ctach up, Cheshire, Caterpillar." she stressed Absolem's role, knowing it would make him angry. But she couldn't do anything about it - he had to remember his role, that he was not human in anyway anymore.

Absolem blinked, he wasn't sure why, but Cheshire turned into a male. He shrugged it off easily however. He had bigger fish to fry. He had to get his mind prepared for the Queen. He wasn't a very tolerant person, and her insistence on calling him Caterpillar was disgustingly annoying. His light-pink orbs scanned the Palace. Why did he even show? There had been many times before that he refused the Queens call, simply exhibiting a blind eye to her notices. It probably wouldn't be wise to do it three times in a row, three times and you're out you know. Ha, I rhymed. I'm a poet and I didn't even know it. Haha, alright that's enough. It's corny now. Once was an accident, twice amusing, thrice annoying. He caught a glimpse of Cheshire's impression on his parlor trick, a smug smirk crossing Caterpillar's lips.

Caterpillar just stared for a moment, his expression baffled, and then he snapped out of his embarrassment, which, he didn't allow to claim his face however, "Absolem! Not 'Abs' or that...other name!" he hissed at the cat, his fist clenching softly. What the hell? Abs? Is he mocking me? I've got them, but he's sure as hell never seen them! Cheshire indeed shook his composition again, but with a chew of his lip and a fidget of his hands, he overcame it, walking in after Cheshire. Calm down, it's her you need to worry about. That woman, not yourself, not Cheshire.

He was just about to say something more to Cheshire, when he was startled by the Queen. Instantly he felt her arms around him, a shiver of disgust coursing up his spine, his face turning pale. How can a touch as simple as one such as this, make me physically ill? She is potent in every right.. Absolem stepped three steps away from the Queen after she let go, contemplating escaping, but alas, he could only run for so long, a year possibly? If he kept his wits, a year was quite possible. Though, a year of being a fugitive, or a lifetime of dealing with these brief encounters? He would have to make due.

He forced a smile, his face appearing anything but pleasant, " Oh, I didn't realize just how long it's been.. my it felt like yesterday you were holding me like so.." he hissed out behind his smile, the words attempting to catch in his throat. It only felt like yesterday because your touch is so scarring. I doubt I'll recover if you hug me again, you royal twit.. He hated the Queen, loathed her. Though, on his own, he had nothing he could do to oppose her. He literally almost exploded when he was called out of his original name. His face was red with anger, his fists clenched, but he held his tongue, for his own sake. He jumped from the ground, floating above them to avoid her touch, if she tried to touch him again. He couldn't stand too much of that! Only that blasted rabbit could seem to stand her company, and that is primarily out of fear if you ask me, "My...my Queen, you're quite...generous. How can one refuse you?" His tone leaked sarcasm, but his expression contradicted it perfectly, he now looked quite sincere, dropping back down to his feet, giving her a gracious bow. He was running riddles through his head to keep his head on his shoulders, literally, "Though, I think the rest are quite naughty, me and Cheshire came as soon as we heard! What does this say of the others loyalty to our precious Queen?" he was going to damn the others to hell for leaving him and Cheshire to suffocate in her company.

The maker doesn't want it; the buyer doesn't use it; and the user doesn't see it. What is it? A coffin

If you had to choose between white and black, what would you do?

Would you choose the monotony of kindness?

Or would you let yourself go, seeking only the spice of variety, uncaring of who you hurt on the way?

________________________________________________________________________________________________

Alde giggled.

"It means they show what you are too afraid to." she said happily. She knew both of the men would bristle at that remark, which was good, because Caterpillar's words hurt. Just a little, though. She had gotten used to it, after all. And she wouldn't have it any other way - it was simply too boring otherwise.

She knew they all hated her, but it didn't matter, just as her own feelings didn't. They were all prisoners in a messed up world. She had gotten top of food chain, and she was going to have her fun even if it meant damning all of them by using her position.

Its just what He wants you to do.

She dismissed the foreboding voice in the back of her mind with a practised ease. She had been doing it for far too long to try and listen to it now.

"Or maybe they just think separation makes the heart grow fonder?" she added, sickly sweetness back in place again.

If only you could truly believe that, instead of merely pretending for their benefit.

"Shall we proceed to the Tea Room?" she asked, a delicate eyebrow arching. No one could fault the Queen of Hearts' hospitality - at least, not until they incurred her wrath. Things tended to snowball from there on.

Not waiting for an answer, she glided towards a wall without any doors, calling out, "Kuro, show us to the Tea Garden, please!" as she did so.

Immediately, a portion of the wall - roughly the size of a smaller than normal door, was covered with fluttering blue butterflies, before they flew towards the three, revealing a white door with golden trim that opened as the butterflies disappeared into the opposite wall.

She stepped in the room, beckoning the two Chains in over her shoulder, not bothering to look back.

OOC: Please post in the Tea Garden after this, Caterpillar and Cheshire. Just thought I'd point it out in case you missed the new Place^^;

Cheshire

Cheshire shrugged nonchalantly upon Absolem's outburst, continuing through the door. "It's merely a nickname," he spoke evenly, not intending anything by his words, just offering truths, "Everyone has them. Not everyone likes them, but I've never seen anyone complain as much as you." He stopped once inside the palace and turned to face the Caterpillar, "Why is that?" Instead of meeting Absolem's face it he found himself trapped within the arms of Her Majesty. Immediately he stiffened upon contact. Everything within him seemed to scream and stir, demanding him to transform into something to fight against her grasp. Though difficult, he managed to control his alterations. Alright, he thought, disguarding what he previously donned nice upon being touched, If I'm never pet, hugged or prodded again, it would be too soon. The Queen's voice drooled with innocence, just like everything else about her. How one such as her became, ruler of his Wonderland he couldn't recall, but he knew better than to take things by appearances only, especially from her.

He watched from the corner of his eye as Absolem retreated a few steps, a sharp twinge of panic surging through him thinking the Caterpillar was going to leave him alone with the Queen. Dealing with her was bad enough, but being alone with her was a different story entirely. He did NOT want all her attention on him. Upon seeing the Caterpillar float instead as if fearful of the Queen, he allowed himself a tiny chuckle of both humour and relief. He allowed Absolem to speak for him. Let him have her attention for the time being. His tone and theatrics kept Cheshire curious. He gave the man props for his cruel, yet innocent display. He definitely had courage..or was just stupid. Those things we're so alike it's hard to decipher one from the other.

His smile broadened upon Absolem's calling the other chains out. Aren't we a little rat? He mused to himself. Not that he cared really, as long as it wasn't his head on the line. His eyes went to the Queen, it was her turn in this facade of polite cruelty. He disliked her remark, "It means they show what you are too afraid to." He wasn't a coward. He hated all this round about way of speaking. Tip-toeing on eggshells wasn't for him, but he wasn't stupid enough not to tread carefully. The Queen was quick to anger and though it was hilarious seeing anyone angry, the Queen's wrath was fatal. So he took the comment in stride, not allowing his smile or pose to falter. He did, however, grin more upon the sound of tea. "That sounds wonderful." He spoke with excitement, meaning every word. He couldn't remember when he last had tea, or anything 'civilized' to drink for that matter. Come to think of it when was the last time Hatter invited him for tea? He hadn't seen the bloke in a while.

He leaned towards Absolem, his feet now off the ground, "Ha. It was a good idea to come early. Now look, we get tea." He floated around the Caterpillar and dared to float next to the Queen his happy gaze studying her. Talk of tea sparked his interest, causing him to temporarily forget the care he should be taking. "I can't remember what it tastes like you know. I imagine it must be good, since most all of my Wonderland seems to drink it." He was cut off from his monologue by the thousand or so black butterflies. He couldn't help but swat at the few who flew pass, twirling about in the air using his momentum. It was instinctual, the bit of play, something he couldn't help. Though he knew he might be treading on thin ice he really didn't care..too much. He willing to risk a bit of fun in the Queen's palace. What was life if it wasn't worth risk?

"It is true that Her Majesty can be quite... intimidating at times. Although, if I were truly afraid for my life, I would not have came with merely Cheshire. I would have come in a much larger swarm, that much I can assure you." He faked a hurt expression, he was scared of her, but he was far from being a coward, "If I were so cowardly, would I be this honest with our lovely Queen?" He wasn't actually lying. He found her cruelty to be quite lovely, until it was directed at him or Cheshire. Cheshire was one of few that he enjoyed the company of, "I am quite enjoying your company." he added, his eyes sparkling as he gazed upon the Queen with admiration, as long as she kept the word Caterpillar from her lips. He was good at this game, he was good at pretending, just as she was, but he was only partially pretending. Absolem saw wonders in everyone he met, he just rarely spoke of them. He however knew, his usual quiet broody behavior might anger the Queen, angry was not a good emotion to stir from her. The normally quiet Caterpillar was flirting, trying to charm her, even if only for his own amusement. He liked seeing her irritated, not exactly angry, but he definitely was one who enjoyed stirring up anyone he'd get the chance to have in his grasp, even one that had his neck in her own grasp. Life isn't fun without a little risk afterall.

"Would you like to hear a few riddles Mi'lady?" he asked, his eyes were calm now, and he looked to cheshire floating about. They at least had that much in common. Both could float about the room freely if they wanted. It was a useful antic. It kept you out of others reach, those who were bound to the ground. He followed into the Tea garden, his fuscia eyes darting around before relaxing, his only sign of panic. He gazed at the flowers with admiration. Despite being such a sadistic tease, flowers were a weak spot for him, he was unsure why. Possibly instinct. Possibly because their lives were so short and his was so drawn out..

Oops, double post^^;;

If she could have snorted, she would have. But she had quit doing things like that a long ago, ever since she stepped foot in Wonderland.

.... no, it was a little after that, wasn't it? Right after she had been told who she really was.

"Thank you for the offer, Absolem, but We have something to tell the both of you."

As long as the Caterpillar was trying to be nice, she supposed she could play along. Plus she was feeling a little tired right then, from all the work she had been doing ... opening up portals to the Outer World did require a lot of energy. It was draining, even for her,

"Do sit down." she gestured towards the red velvet sitting stools surrounding the low table set in the middle of the room with a lazy flick of her hand, going to sit in the higher stool at the head of the table. "Kuro, take care of our guests."

Ignoring the sudden storm of butterflies flitting around the table, revealing teacups and sugar bowls. she was feeling generous today. If she hadn't , she would have stamped out each of the beautiful, filthy insects under her heel.

"We'll share a secret with you two, because you were so quick in responding to us." she addressed the other two. "The Queen of Hearts hadn't always been the Queen of Hearts. But it has been so long, We don't even properly remember who or how the person called 'Me' used to be." she paused for a moment to compose her words. It wouldn't do to show them too much weakness. It never did to show anyone her weakness.

"Its the same with you two, isn't it?" she asked gently, waiting for an answer, biding her time so her words could sink in.

Cheshire

He floated into the little garden, appearing and disappering above the patches fauna. In his forest it was the plantlife that kept him company. He rather enjoyed listening to their chatter and songs. He wondered how these plants would be, kept within this domestic environment. It saddened him some, seeing how trimmed and proper they were, unable to grow and spread to their hearts content.

He looked at Absolem and caught his expression upon observing the fauna and appeared beside him. The Caterpillar was definately a hard one to figure out. There was passion within him, that much was certain. Why the creature kept himself bottled up he couldn't understand. Despite the cold demenor, he did feel a strange companionship with Caterpillar. Perhaps it was the trials they endured together? The ridiculously long hike to the palace to sharing a common Queenly enemy.

He hovered above the seats the queen had offered, not wanting to sit just yet. There was a slight paranoia he had being within the palace. Though the palace was big, it was still like being in a cage. He found himself looking everything over, making a mental note of how he could make a quick getaway incase one was needed. Her Majesty's comment drew his attention and he couldn't help but smirk with amusement. He quickly got himself in check, he didn't want her to see how ridiculous her 'revelation' was to him.

"Indeed, I have no memory of my past, Queen," he spoke with mock disappointment, "But, no one is who they used to be. That's hardly a secret."

Caterpillars eyebrows raised impressed when the Queen refused to resort to anger. Either she's grown up a bit, or she has something up her sleeve, "I suppose we all would like to know what we were once like." he proposed, pretending to feel indifferent. He did not need to leak to the Queen just how desparate he was to leave wonderland now did he? That would prove rather poisonous to my exsistance. He nodded running a hand through his hair, taking a drink from the tea before him as well, he wasn't much of a tea person, but his throat was irritated, so he gladly accepted.She took a deep breath. "Through certain means, I have secured ten people from the Outer World. Ten of the most powerful Chains will be Contracting with them. The rules are simple, eliminate the other Contractors - and you and your Contractors are free to go to the Outer World."

"Can one really hide from that...adorable white ball of fuzz?" he asked with a laugh. Rabbit was a character, despite his loyalty to this Queen, he couldn't pull himself to hate someone who seemed so innocent. He nearly choked on his tea when he finally learnt the..truth? No, she would never trust us with the truth. He ran his pale fingers through his hair, then fidgeted a bit, something he did often while thinking, "I suppose, it's interesting. I have no obligation to care about a human afterall. Why should we?" he asked tilting his head. He didn't like them because they were free, but if protecting a human in a game meant freedom, or possible freedom, he would definitely play, "Are there any rules? Also my Queen, if death is not allowed, how shall one judge the winner? I'm quite..curious. This sounds about up my alley. I love a good game, for games are riddles in disguise."

(OOC: Heading off for my art trip sooon, decided to post once more before I leave! I'll be back around 7-8 pm!)

Cheshire

He knew he was pushing his luck with the Queen and was pleasantly surprised when she didn't react in any way. Whether she was planning something horrible worth the 'attitude' he and Absolem were giving made him wary. Either way, he decided that it would be in his best interest to remain quiet and actually listen for a bit, though he couldn't help but snort at Caterpillar's comment of the White Rabbit. What was it that everyone saw in that horrid creature? Something so absent of colour, was unnatural. Rabbit was like a ghost, only showing up to scare people with awful messages. Even his eyes were horrid, like pools of blood. He shook his head from the images and put his mind on the conversation at hand.

Only the Chains get to leave, eh? He humphed. The information was very interesting. "So," he said, now slowly descending onto the previously offered stool, "Kill anyone who stands in the way and the survivor gets to leave?" He couldn't help the doubt which crept into his voice. "How does leaving help us discover our past selves?" In all honesty, Cheshire rather enjoyed living within his wonderland. He had no attachment to the unknown realm Her Majesty spoke of. True, finding out who he once was was..tantalizing, but he was in no hurry to leave. Personally, if he were to win anything, it would just be to have the Queen off his hide. With her out of the picture his Wonderland would be perfect. He grinned widely at this, hoping the others wouldn't catch on to what he was thinking.

His ears twitched upon hearing Absolem's resolve. He supposed the comradely he felt was one way. He found himself shrugging. It's not like he had any real ties anyway, but he still felt his heart sink slightly. He decided he would play along, if just for the competition. It would be an amusing thing, a regular human. A strange twist in Wonderlandian events.