Rhiannon Jakalyn Pierce's Story

Cheshire

She was grateful that the pleasantries in the girl had returned. Things would be much easier to deal with without her snipping. She paused, looking down on the child. Seeing the way she acted, the way she blubbered out her fear without really saying anything, was comical. She tilted her head and giggled, retracting her hand. She squatted down to be eye level with Rhia and studied the girl. "It's adorable when you fidget, you know that?" She poked impishly. The girl was rather cute in a way, she reminded her of Absolem, trying to hide herself in a false persona, though upon realizing this thought it didn't seem so cute anymore, "You manage yourself very well, but you don't need to fear showing your true self. Speak your mind. You had no trouble before. Surely, it feels better not trying to live in a guise."

One caterpillar was enough, she didn't want another. If the child was fearful she wanted to know the reason behind it and for her to cope. The child already unveiled herself, she didn't want inner turmoil plaguing them both later on. "I know it's a frightening situation you're in, but you needn't fear me," Her grip on Rhia's arm tightened slightly as she leaned forward and bore her eyes into the childs, "Remember my previous statement," she spoke earnestly, "When the time comes, you have my protection." Her ears twitched as a small grin began to spread, "I can be your knight in shining armour." Though sincere in her words of protection, this last statement was very much a joke. In a sudden whirlwind of air, she transformed to her male figure. "Now. Since we've wasted enough time, you may meet your allies and possibly later opponents."
In one fluid movement, he pulls her into his arms and jumps out of his tree. With an extravagant display of grace, he lands skillfully in a poof of dirt before the Caterpillar and the boy. After walking out of the small cloud of dust, he sets her down before him, "This is Rhia," he croons, very pleased that he remembered her name. He looked to Absolem and then his boy, "Be careful, she bites."

Duchess Sophie

The Duchess looked away from Belca as the girl claimed that she could defeat the Jaberwocky with ease.

"No, you couldn't," she whispered sadly, feeling tears begin to form in her eyes, tears she hoped the girl couldn't see.

She thought it was admirable that the girl thought she could take on the Jabberwocky and win but that just showed how much she was underestimating the fearsome creature, despite the fact that this girl had a rude streak in her almost as long as the Queen's hair, the Duchess knew that she would rather die than she her taken over by the blight that was the Jabberwocky.

"Fancesco!" exclaimed the Duchess, pulling herself together, "What a marvelous name, we can call him France for short. Now that reminds me of a song."

She absentmindedly began humming the Lobster Quadrille while nibbling on a cake, it really was a lovely song and was a spectacular sight when everybody danced.

"Well now, dinner should be ready soon," said the Duchess, "How about we train a little untill then."

Without waiting for an answer she opened the door to the conservatory and walked outside, picking up her croquet malet on the way. While she waited for the girl to follow she affectionately rubbed a momerath between the ears.

"I expect you to come at me with everything you've got," she called out, "Don't hold back or you'll regret it."

Looking forward to the match she readied herself, smiling. Belca would be in for a rude awakening she was sure.


Isaiah "Grey" Gris

"Well, I think so anyway," said Grey, a little doubtfully, "Sorry if I seemed obsessed with the subject, I just felt that it was an important part of who I am and wanted to know."

Grey looked away, still aware of the heat in his cheeks. He turned his mind to Absolem's riddle, it was a fairly simple one when you thought about it.

"An echo," he said, distracted by the cat jumping down from the tree with a girl in his arms.

He noticed that the girl looked a little scared, perhaps she was nervous about meeting new people too? But then again, he supposed that he would be scared to fall from that hight, especially in the arms of someone a odd as Cheshire.

"I know trust should be an issue," he whispered to Absolem, "But don't you think everyone deserves a chance?"

What was he saying? Absolem probably knew better so why couldn't he just accept what the man was saying but try as he might, he couldn't manage to block off his desire to trust Cheshire and the new girl.

"Rhia," he said quietly, trying to get used to the name, "Um, it's nice to meet you."

Wary of Cheshire's warning, he timidly held out his hand.

Rhia’s nervous reactions came to a halt when Cheshire was at the same level as her, blinking quite a few times to make sure she was still awake, and then she felt her face heat up. Fidget!? I wasn’t fidgeting! She mentally squeaks to herself. She scoots away a bit shaking her head, “I-I didn’t realize I was, sorry.” She replies back avoiding eye contact, and then the unavoidable came to topic. Cheshire wasn’t willing to forget her previous outburst, “It gets nothing done bursting out like that. That’s one side of me, not the only one.” She reassures Cheshire. The quiet more nervous girl she was normally around the cat was also Rhia. This was the side of Rhia that wanted to keep others close, sacrificing her opinions in order to do so. When well rested, Rhia saw nothing wrong with holding her tongue and complying to Cheshire, even if she didn’t always agree. For the most part, she found she could play along, found the dramatics refreshing. Only when tired does the girl reveal her raw thoughts and opinions, not usually the nicer ones either, “I-It’s obvious it’s less cooperative and won’t make anything easier once these psychotic games begin. I’d rather ‘guise’ during daylight hours than get people killed by complaining or whining. That always gets someone knocked off.”

She clenched her jaw, then her fists, “I’m not scared of you, or this place.” She crinkles her nose, looking up at the cat with a serious look upon her face. That's one thing, awake or exhausted I can honestly state either way. “Trust me, if it was only my life at risk.. I’d be a lot more open with my opinions. I just don’t want the guilt on my shoulder if you get killed because of me being difficult.” She sighs, rubbing the back of her head, “Sorry if all of that’s an inconvenience or bore.” She seemed to eventually always apologize, if she spoke her mind even a little, if she thought a single thing she said would provoke anyone. She got nervous when Cheshire leaned closer, actually blushing a bit, “Heh..If you’re a knight, I guess I’m a princess.. though I find both to be quite a stretch of the truth..”

Rhia didn't have as much as a reaction as Cheshire brought her down, she was getting used to it.. though she still was not feeling alright about how high of a drop that was. She blinked when he remembered her name, eyebrows raising impressed, silently laughing, but only once. The smirk and jerk of her figure the only sign of her amusement and overall, surprise. Then she twitched. He had to ruin it.. a moment I truly liked him, and he ruined it with a comment like that!? she stuck her finger at Cheshire, “Definitely the one who bites. “ she retorts, “Bites, claws, bats you around like a pinball~” she smiles cheerfully, teasing the cat this time, but playfully in front of the men, “Sorry, uhm.. nice to meet you both.” She wondered were they gay? She looked to Cheshire, trying to convey her question silently, without being rude. She seriously tried to be polite at times like these. Ever since he returned, she was doing her best to be polite, compliable, helpful, but her curiosity was potent as well. Her curiosity and pride is what got her at wits end with Cheshire. What got them arguing toe-to-toe.

She really didn’t want to, but the look Caterpillar gave her was giving her the creeps so practically placed herself behind Cheshire. His narrow eyes, slim face, and emotionless or sadistic expression sent chills down her spine. How did Cheshire call this an ally? She couldn’t make heads or tails of this man, or his intentions, but he seemed to practically have X-ray vision when it came to her. She peeked from behind her chain when Grey spoke her name, nodding slowly when he pronounciated it properly. She decided to spite Cheshire, and display perfect manners. She curtsied before taking his hand and firmly, but not harshly shaking it. She took note to keep a feminine quality. I can put on a show too. “It’s really nice to meet you..” she giggles in a chipper tone, forcing the second part out to continue her charade, “Both of you.”

---



Caterpillar merely shrugs, “It’s not that it bothers me, or that it’s an inconvenience, I just doubt now is the time or place to explore such thoughts, especially with the possibility of the Jabberwocky. I am however glad you remember something about yourself. Congratulations.” He noted Grey’s blush, placing a hand on the boy’s forehead, mistaking it for a fever instead, although, this was a front. He knew the real cause; he was merely trying to comfort the boy by playing ignorant. He made Grey uncomfortable, he didn’t want the other male to feel that way, especially in this game. They needed to be comfortable with each other, as comfortable as possible actually.

“I knew you’d get that one..” He chuckled, raising an eyebrow, his eyes sparking alive when he saw Rhia. Absolem seemed to enjoy a weak heart as much as the Queen or Jabberwocky; he loved taunting those who could not protect themselves. Ripping apart someone by the mental seams. However, until recently he wasn’t given the okay to do so. With the nature of this game, he could quite possibly return to his favorite pastime. Torture. He loved the pain of another, as long as it wasn’t someone important to him in pain.

Absolem got a snarky smirk upon his face. Let’s see, fear, embarrassment, stubbornness, the desire to prove herself, and now..the desire to be accepted. He narrowed his eyes examining her deeper, eyes seeming to practically bear into her soul. She’s trying to come off as confident and sweet, but we obviously make her nervous.. she truly is a whirlwind of emotions, she herself doesn’t know if she’s coming or going..and by the way she’s apologizing she realizes it, and hates herself for it. You seriously pick a good match for yourself Cheshire. Of course you’d pick the one struggling with herself and social relationships. Two peas of a pod eh?

“Yes, that’s why I’ve kept Cheshire as close as I have.” Absolem smirks at Grey, “I am just telling you to keep that in mind, for it’s less devastating when you see the downfall coming rather than are never warned at all. I consider it wise advice for all of us to take heed of. Who knows who you can really trust?” He made sure to state this in front of Rhia and Cheshire, hopefully it would put a hinge of doubt in the girl like Cheshire tried to put Grey in about him. He knew the tornado child was more likely to fall victim to his mental trap. Grey was slightly more adapt to Absolem's mind games after all.

Pain

The walls were cracked. A tower had fallen. The castle was doomed.

Gina was scared again. By now she had picked up the doll; as much as it had disturbed her, it was the only thing there she could clutch at. It felt warmer, more alive somehow. Her ears tingled, as whispers filled the air..they told her things she didn't want to hear. Made her afraid. They said things were about to get worse, things were going to hurt again. She didn't wanna hurt anymore though.

"P̓͗͠a͆̏̿͑̚҉in̓͗ͮ̈́̈.̑̐̍ ̏̆͗I̢ͥ̆̅͂ͤt̷ͥͯ͑'͂͗s̀ ̀̏ͯ̇ͬ̑ğ̋͞o̾ͣ̚iͣ͐̇ͫ̃̂͌nͫ̋̈́ͯ̀̚͘gͪ̐ ̀̚t̀ͩ̏ͥ̂ͥͬo̕ ͧ͌̌͒͆͌͞HUR̓͑ͦͤT͐̆!̨̾̂̉̄" the voice told her. "I̞͎̤̖̔̆̂ͤ̌ ̆̓ͫ͆̌́c͌҉̬a̸̙̯̭̻͉n͚ͤͬ̓̒ͫ̐̿ ̬̓̉̈́ͪ̌́̐m̴̼̼̪ͦa̠͕͛͑k̻̺̗̯͊͊̅è̗̱̟̭̣̰̋ͯ̔ ̳̹̫͔ͨͩ͆̎ͩ̑i͓̳ͬͪͫ̽t͉̺̫̜̐͒ͤͣ̚ͅ ͎̞ͭ̂ͨ͑͠h̜̭̫̀̌͡uͣ͘r̦͈̞̪ͪ̍ͭ̎͒ͥ̐́t̜̥̟̦̜̯̰̔ ͚̻̇ͥ̉̌̀l̴̥̭̝̦̠̲e̸͉͓̥͋̾̽̌s͓͎͘s̸̖̙̫̻͑̽̆.̡͑́̔̃.̝̭̩͎͎ͦ͆͛ͬ̚͝" all it wanted was to be let in, it told her. Just let it inside the castle.

But she shook her head, and cried...as pain came like fire.

-------------------------------------------------------------

Bones cracked.

Skin jerked back.

Blood seeped, but there was no helping that. It would help pass off the act.

In the depths of the forest..the Jabberwocky was giving itself a make-over.

The voices let it know where to go; Cheshire's voice was like nails on chalk-board to the being.

---------------------------------------------------------------

The shape ran from the woods, dress torn and filthy, coated with blood. Hair messy, leaves and muddy gore coating it in thick chunks. Fear shown in her eyes, held wide and staring. In the first few moments, the ones that counted, the small group would think it was a little girl; Jabberwocky had pulled the arms and legs back in to the normal lengths, and while nothing could be done about the skin damage..one may think she had been attacked.

All at once a small horde of creatures bursts out behind her, seemingly chasing the tattered figure. Squirrels, chipmunks even a few birds..they all came like a wave after the girl. Screams sounded, one may be from the girl, but it was impossible to tell in the rush of sound. All that one would see at first glace..was a damaged girl fleeing for her life from a monstrous bunch of creatures. A voice calls for help in the din, as others shout for blood.

All the while...Jabberwocky makes Gina feel the pain of holding in her bones...letting the child scream as one of the voices...it was all going so well.

Sinistra/Tweedle Dee

Sinistra had been sitting around patiently sipping tea while all the other chains had rushed off to find someone to contract with. He wanted to wait until his brother made a move before making his selection but annoyingly, Destra had stayed perfectly still.

"No doubt he wants to see the type of person I pair with first." he thought to himself, "As if it would give him any sort of advantage."

He moodily swirled the tea round in his cup, it had long gone cold but he didn't care, he hadn't put enough sugar in it had no desire to finish it. Suddenly he saw a flash of brown out of the corner of his eye. There was a girl wandering around the hall that looked incredibly familiar.

"It can't be," he muttered, "Surely that's not..."

But looking at Destra, he saw the recognition growing in his brothers eyes. Without a word he began to race towards her, he had to get there first, he had no doubt that Destra would be right behind him. Finally he came skidding to a stop infront of the girl, panting.

"You!" he exclaimed, "You look just like the Rattle."


Destra/Tweedle Dum

Detra had followed his brother silently, he had to know if it was the Rattle or not. Standing behind Sinistra he began to examine the girl. Relief and disappointment swept through him as he realised that it wasn't her, though the resemblence was remarkable.

"Contrarywise," he said, "The Rattle looks just like her."

He wasn't sure what to do now although he was of the opinion that contracting with this girl would be in his best interests, even if it was just so he could have a head start on Sinistra.

"I hope my brother didn't frighten you," said Destra, taking the girl's hand, "It's just that you look amazingly similar to someone we both knew once. My name is Destra, might I ask what yours is?"

He smiled to himself, by playing the nice and polite guy he would be more likely to gain her trust, of course, the fact that Sinistra had gone rampaging up to her like a bandersnatch would probably help too.


Isaiah "Grey" Gris

Grey nervously began to fiddle with his ponytail while humming the haunting tune again. He didn't know why but he was feeling panic starting to build up within him.

"I don't think I'm a people person," he whispered to Absolem, hoping that Rhia couldn't hear, "I'm not sure why but I'm feeling really scared."

Surely this wasn't logical, he had been expecting to feel nervous when meeting Rhia but this was just rediculous. Meeting a new person wasn't meant to overwhelm someone with fear.

"Absolem, I don't like it hear, something feels bad," he said, not bothering to lower his voice, he didn't care if Rhia or Cheshire heard him, he just wanted to leave.

He began to shuffle through his cards, trying to keep his mind occupied but his hands were shaking so badly that one of them slipped free. He watched in horror as it began to drift down to the ground. It was the Tower again.

"Danger," he said blankly just before screams began to ring out.

(OOC: Sorry for the length..I had a little too much fun with it..)

Cheshire

He stepped away from the girl, allowing her space to venture out and..socialize. His brows went up in confused amusement, when Rhia retorted his biting comment with a playful jest of her own. Perhaps, things would get better between them, he found himself thinking as his eyes trailed the child. "Well, I am a cat. It's my nature to bite, claw and bat." Seeing the girl creep behind him upon being under Absolem's scrutinizing stare brought about a small chuckle. It was like watching a new pet meet an old one for the first time. You find their uncertainty in their forced situation amusing, yet you hope they get along.

He watched with interest as she stepped, with new confidence, out from behind him. His eyes went wide at first as he watched her little charade, though upon her curtsy, he broke his silence, "A curtsy? You actually curtsied? Ha!" The way she poised herself as the perfect lady was almost too much to bare. He was nearly doubled over from laughing so hard. "Oh," he gasped between breaths, attempting to calm down, "Aren't you the little lady."

As his amusement subsided he listened to the area around him. What caused the horrible blight in his woods was near. He could feel it. He looked over as Caterpillar exchanged words with his child and wondered if he could sense it too.

Using Absolem's words as an excuse to get close to the pair, he manages to stand. Keeping his amused sense about him, he swiftly slides in a wisp of blurring colours before Grey and his chain. Leaning with one arm on the boy's shoulder, he bends down to whisper in his ear. His taunting voice is just loud enough for everyone to hear, "He's right boy. Like I said earlier, you never know who you can truly trust. Keep friends close and enemies closer. Though, with his reasoning, I think he's trying to hide the fact that he just likes me too much," still talking to Grey, he smirks mischievously upon the Caterpillar, though his eye blaze in warning. "Looks like you've got some competition." He stands and retreats quickly to Rhia's side, "I wouldn't worry though. He knows Cheshire's too much for him."

He didn't want to deal with panicked children or better yet let whatever out there feel they've been given away. That would be messy. Thus, his appearance remained that of his usual carefree self, though, he was having difficulty hiding his rising distress.The air was screaming and the already hiding foliage was withering away as the presence came closer. He could only hope Absolem could feel the growing presence and remain calm.

"Perhaps, we should take the conversation elsewhere?" He hoped he was still appearing 'normal'. He wasn't sure he was ready for battle. He knew Rhia wasn't and the last thing he wanted was for them both to die, or worse, become dolls, due to her inexperience. He eyed Absolem's boy, the fearfulness in the child catching his attention. The child could even sense something, he had to act quickly. He was about to speak when the boy muttered 'danger', but his voice was broken by a scream.

Grabbing Rhia he pulled her behind him. He hissed as his body twisted and morphed, his body becoming longer and gaining mass. His fingers elongated and hardened into sharp claws. His grin became sinister as his teeth curved and spiked, filling his mouth with multiple rows for destructive bite. Fur burst from his skin, coating him in random pulsing hues. The colours and air about him sparked like lightning as he saw the horrible mess of a girl run screaming towards them. The unfamiliarity and wretchedness of the girl caused him to almost attack. If it wasn't for the pursuing creatures he would have dug his claws into her small form. However, seeing as the child was running from the infected animals, he paused. His body was visibly shaking as his theory of the Plague became fact. All his hatred and fear came together fueling his transformation.

"Absolem!" he yelled, quickly throwing Rhia towards the Caterpillar; though it probably wouldn't sit well with the girl, he couldn't worry about that. Caterpillar was a creature he felt he could..trust and he needed to act now "Go! Warn the others!" His ferocity was aimed at the plague creatures, but he didn't know what to make of the child. He kept himself between them and the horrid girl and intruders. Their lives were on the line now. Everything depended on these first few moments. Cheshire was a creature of action and thus, he didn't stop to think if he was being 'heroic' or not. All he was concerned for was the safety of his contractor and for their to be at least on person alive whom other chains trusted if things went sour. He hoped Absolem would listen, he didn't know the full extent of Caterpillar's power, but being as he could levitate and force his will upon others he seemed he could manage a decent defense. Cheshire on the other hand..was more of a hands on persona.

With a roar, he rushed the horde swiping his claws easily through the infected flesh. He hoped the girl, whoever she was, was far enough away to not get mixed up in the action. Last thing they needed was a human for Jabberwockey to contract with.

Rhia wasn't too thrilled her intimidation of the mint haired male fueled amusement for Cheshire, actually, that thought left a bad taste in her mouth, but she was trying to appear civil, so she ignored the laugh altogether. It's not funny.. she mentally pouted.
She didn't even flinch as he attempted to taunt her. I can easily be a lady, but it requires someone of equal manners. She spat back at the cat, however once again in her head of course, "Of course, just what did you tell them I was? You didn't go lying on me now did you?" She turned to look at Cheshire, eyes gleaming with mischevious intent. She wanted to make him look like the laughingstock infront of Absolem's human Grey. She wanted to make him eat his words, whether he liked the flavour or not.

Rhia dropped her head with a sigh, rolling her eyes, putting a hand in front of her mouth to hide her smirk from the cat as she loudly whispered to Grey, "He means to say, no one can handle his narcissistic nature and posessive tendencies." She giggles afterwards.

Rhia's mood however soon changed when she saw how Grey was reacting, a chill running down her spine, her hand slipping into her pocket to reassure herself, even if it were a false reassurance. She tensed when she heard the scream..was she the last to realize the tense situation? She was trying so hard to be likable..she was totally unaware to their surroundings. Crap.. this won't do.. if this was during the game.. I would've burdened Cheshire.. she wasn't even considering her own life except for the fact it would ruin his if she died due to the rules of the game.

Rhia was broke from her self-destructive thoughts when she was pulled behind Cheshire. She felt her eyes widen as he displayed a form she'd never seen before, and it.. kind of .. terrified her to be quite honest. She wasn't awoken from her petrified state until she felt herself hit the tall, ridged man. Is..cheshire going to handle it alone..? Is he going to get himself hurt? She couldn't help but worry about him. It was something instinctive for her to worry about others. She decided to not fuss or argue..she had nothing to throw on the table to help, so she knew she'd just get him hurt trying to protect her.. to be honest it surprised her that he was doing it in the first place. She'd seriously believed he'd of ran away at the first sign of danger. Was this about the game or would he normally protect others anyhow? She only remembered a blur after being levitated, green, brown, the sound of leaves. She closed her eyes, the fast movement was making her sick.. when she felt herself land on her butt, she opened her eyes getting up and dusting off. The green haired male looked..pale, sickly. Did he..over exert himself protecting her? Why? For Cheshire? Did he care so much about the Cat that he would even protect his contractor? Wow, he turned down an upperhand in the game before it started..maybe this guy only wants to appear as the bad guy..



-----




He looked to Grey, he tried to remain reassuring and calm, smiling to the boy. It couldn't be. The man didn't want to accept the fact the Jabberwocky was back, and kicking. He didn't want to accept the fact he, his contractor, Cheshire and the girl were all in for a world of hell if they didn't act soon.

"It takes..patience and tolerence." Absolem gave an odd quirk of a smile, "Shh, she might get offended.." he chuckles a bit, "I'm not going to let anything bad happen to you, nor will Cheshire. His hands are tied, he won't let that girl die. Are you sure it's the girl scaring you, or is it something else?" Absolem inquired. Could Grey be possibly picking up on this sinister air? The Jabberw- no. The sword tamed that plague. There's no way, this disease has to be something else..

"Well we're going to-" He pulled Grey to his side, his eyes were narrowed as he heard the scream, jaw clenched. Reality is the cruelest of all tortures. He muttered it mentally, his grip on the boy was firm, almost painful, but it was out of his frustration, the confirmation of their fears. Jabberwocky. He caught the girl as she was lunged at him as well, nodding at Cheshire, "I'm more concerned with the safety of these two. We'll worry about everyone else later!" he snaps back, picking up Grey bridal style, "It's easier to levitate the girl. If you feel any pain, I apologize. I've never contracted before, so I don't know if me using my telekinesis will effect you before you have obtained your own prowess." he warns the boy.

Within moments Rhia was floating in the air, it looked effortlessly, however, no one could possibly know how much strain it put on Absolem. With one last worried look towards Cheshire, the three of them were off. There was an obvious strain in Absolem's eyes, although he kept his features the same as always; calm and nonchalant. He wasn't used to levitating others for extended time periods, but carrying both humans was out of the question for the tall scrawny man. He just was not strong enough to carry two people. Then option two was also out of the question. All three traveling on foot would lead to obvious disasters. Someone always falls during those types of chases..Cheshire would never forgive me if the girl got hurt.. He's already so protective.. His headache grew worse with every step, it was already at a dull throbbing pain.

Maybe I should have worked on outside levitation first. Hopefully the Jabberwocky won't pursue the three of us and Cheshire will be able to escape in one piece.. Absolem concentrated on keeping the girl up when he felt her almost lower. He felt tree branches whip his face as he sprinted, tearing open the skin, crimson liquid barely surfacing to the cuts. Caterpillar was doing his best to keep Grey and Rhia out of harm's way of the trees, but getting away from the Jabberwocky's reach was his main concern. He felt his face stinging, various cuts along him. Arms, legs, face. They all bore signs he'd been in a rush. He looked like he got in a fight with a tree. Despite getting cut and the pain of carrying Rhia with his telekinesis, it didn't seem to bother the man if one only judged his facial expression. He kept his fast running pace despite him carrying the other male the entire way. He hadn't a choice. It was run or die, simple as that. However, Absolem wasn't indestructable. Even he had a limit.

He cleared a good mile before he was unable to levitate the girl or carry Grey any longer. To avoid completely giving the two humans a crash landing, he quickly lowered Rhia safely to the ground, then gently allowed Grey to stand on his own feet. With a sigh of relief Absolem was holding his head in both hands, his slender frame rested on a tree, "I can't... we can't..travel like this anymore.. we need to keep going though.." he was exhausted, sweating. He overexerted himself mentally through his ability. It could only be guessed how much his head was aching, his face surely never expressed his pain or emotions. Cheshire..don't you die on me or this child.. his eyes looked to Rhia.

Isaiah "Grey" Gris

Grey squeaked as Absolem picked him up, he hadn't been expecting it and the position he was left in was a little embarassing, but he knew now wasn't the time to worry about whether he looked like a blushing bride or not. As Absolem began to run, levitating Rhia as he went, a pain began to grow in the back of Grey's mind.

"Is this what he's feeling?" thought Grey, "Surely it's not that bad."

Suddenly, the pain surged forward in a blinding burst before returning to its previous ache. It was then that he knew that he was only feeling a fraction of what Absolem was feeling, he could share Absolem's pain at a toned down level yet still know how bad it was for him.

"He'll kill himself if he has to do this for too long," he thought in a panic.

He knew that he'd be devastated if that happened, despite only having known the man for a short while, he felt that he had bonded with him, if the truth was told, Absolem was the closest thing he had to a friend. He was relieved when Absolem finally came to a stop.

"Absolem...I..." he said, voice shaking.

Silently he walked up to the man, taking his hands down from his head and holding them for a few moments before wrapping the man in a tight hug and clinging to him like a child, tears threatening to spill from his eyes. He didn't care what Rhia thought, she could never understand what Absolem had done so they could get away, the man had definitely earned his trust now.

"I can't believe you were willing to go through so much pain for us to get away," said Grey, stepping away from the man, hoping he hadn't embarassed him, "Are you going to be ok to walk? Like you said, we need to keep moving."

In the distance he could still hear the din from whatever it was that had run out of the wood. He hoped that Cheshire was alright.


Duchess Sophie

"My word child," said the Duchess, shocked, "Have you never played croquet? This is a croquet mallet."

Sometimes the girl seemed so intelligent but then she couldn't even identify something as simple as a croquet mallet.

"Well now, not too bad," said the Duchess glided out of the way of the first slash, "Of course there's always room for..."

She broke of the sentence as she was forced to block the second of Belca's attacks with her mallet, it appeared the girl was a little faster than she anticipated. So the girl was fast and judging by the sound of the impact from the sword, she was reasonably strong too.

"Overall, rather decent on the offensive," thought the Duchess, "But lets see how well she defends."

Without a word she dashed towards the girl, twisting gracefully to the side at the last moment before jumping into the air and spinning around behind the girl.

"Behind you," cried the Duchess in a singsong voice, bringing the mallet down.


Destra/Tweedle Dum

"Well, there are others like you that have been brought here," explained Destra, "And as unpleasant as it sounds, you must eliminate them to win, it's the only chance you have for survival."

Destra wondered how the girl would react to this news, he wasn't sure if she would approve of the concept behind the game, but then again, she had no choice but to play, just like everyone else.

"I know it's a grim prospect but don't worry, you don't actually have to kill anyone," he said, hoping this would make it sound better, "And you get to have someone help you or perhaps protect might be a better word, all you need to do is enter a contract."

This was the moment, if she agreed to join him in a contract then he'd be in the game with a shot at winning.

"I know we've only just met but I was wondering if you might consider me," he said, shyly, taking off his cap and looking away bashfully, "If you contract with me, it'd be in both our best interests."

With luck the nervously cute display would have won her over, after that it'd be game on.


Sinistra/Tweedle Dee

He watched on in disgust as his brother began to act all shy and bashful, if that was how he was going to do things then two could play at that game.

"Co-contrarywise," he stuttered, shuffling his feet nervously, "It'd be in both our best interests if you contract with me."

He was sure that the girl would overdose on cuteness any time soon, who could resist two insecure guys that were too scared to talk to a girl, he always thought this act was brilliant when trying to win someone over, the only thing that seemed to work better was the brotherly love routine that he had used to pull with Destra long ago. In any case, he was sure that he'd be the one she picked, he naturally had the warmer personality.

"Or n-n-not," he mumbled, purposefully stuttering again, "I don't want you to feel like I'm pressuring you or anythng."

He was satisfied that he had milked the act for all it was worth, soon she'd make a decision and then it would all begin.

Absolem would have indeed drove himself to unconciousness had he pushed much further, but it would've took a much larger task to threaten his life. He was trying to calm the throbbing headache that somehow managed to flow a searing pain through it as well. Headaches were one of Absolem's flaws. His strength was his largest weakness. If one could outsmart his Telekenesis, they could easily defeat the Caterpillar. He gripped his hair harder, hearing sound just made the pain increase, but he wasn't the type to complain. He wasn't the type to show weakness when it was avoidable. His eyes remained closed, not trying to ignore Grey, but trying to keep his dignity. I hope that qaulified as keeping my word in protecting you.. do you find me to be a coward for abandoning Cheshire..? I do, but you always seem to notice the finer points in people like me. How do you achieve it? Absolem opened his eyes when his hands were removed from his temples, his pink eyes scanning Grey, widening in shock when he felt a pair of arms slip around him firmly. A hug? Grey was hugging him? He was baffled. Why did he do that? He couldn't understand how he deserved such luxuries.

Absolem put a hand on the boy's head, ruffling the hair, "I'm fine. See?" he forced a small smile upon his face. He was still pale and sweaty, but he did look a little less pained, "I should've helped him, but I had to get you two away. My apologies.." His face slightly flushed it's color back. It wasn't a usual healthy glow, but a faint blush in it's place, "It was..nothing really." Absolem played off the thought. It was an enormous amount of pain, especially as the distance continued. He ran a slender hand through his own hair, pushing off from the tree and nodding, "We really should. Who knows when that abomination will follow. No, I didn't mean Cheshire. I do hope that cat can handle himself." He with a ghost of a smile took the cane, using it as extra support before grabbing Grey by the hand, ushering for him to do the same to Rhia before heading off again, "If the Jabberwocky ever comes... I want you two to stick together.. and run. Don't look back, just run."
---



Once on her feet again, Rhia looked down at the ground. Although she found him creepy, unable to be trusted, the mint hair coloured man did save her life. He put himself in pain to help her.. even if it wasn't for her own sake. She felt guilty. The man wouldn't be in so much pain if she were stronger, if she knew more. She blamed herself completely, "I'm sorry." She whispers almost too low for either Grey or Caterpillar to hear. Rhia did her best to not judge either male. If it wasn't for the boy, she'd of never realized the danger they were about to face..and if it wasn't for Absolem, she'd of never escaped it alive. She owed them both a lot, but she was unsure how to repay them, so she stood quiet, keeping her head facing the ground. She felt so useless, so..pointless.

She loooked around for something useful, then she saw it. Ha, I'm sure that will help him in the long run! Rhia found a stick that resembled a cane, taking her bandages out of her pocket and quickly tying a makeshift 'handle' on it to prevent splinters before bringing it back to Absolem, holding it out to him, one hand on her hip trying to seem tough and disinterested. I don't have to get along with them, but I should probably try, "Sorry.." she whispered with a sweet smile to him. She got worried as the man spoke. Run? Where to..? Does Grey know where to go if that happens? Then her thoughts moved to Cheshire. She felt a knot bunch up inside of her stomach as she began to worry. I wonder if.. no, quit it! She felt herself bite her bottom lip hard to take grasp of her emotions. She didn't need her judgement fogged.. but the thoughts were reoccuring. Every time she had a second to let her mind wander it went to the cat. It's safety. He protected her...like he said he would...like she doubted he would. What is this..guilt?

Destra/Tweedle Dum

He blinked at Moonlight as she suggested contracting with both of them, he didn't really like the idea of having to work with his brother but then again, it would eliminate the risk of losing to him in the game.

"Why that's a lovely idea!," he exclaimed, forcing a smile onto his face, "That means we won't have to fight each other."

Now that he thought about it, if there had been any person more qualified to work with him it would have been Sinistra, even though they couldn't stand each other, there was no denying that they made one hell of a team when they wanted to.

"Don't you think that's great Sinistra?" he said, letting his voice squeak, "Moonlight will be like a princess and we'll be her knights in shining armour."


Sinistra/Tweedle Dee

This was the perfect opportunity, now he'd be able to keep an eye on his pesky brother easilly and without fear of getting eliminated in the game, he'd work with him now but wouldn't stop trying to find a way to cheat Destra out of the prize.

"It's a brilliant idea!" he said, dancing about excitedly, "Contrarywise, We''l ber her knights in shining armour and Moonlight will be like a princess."

He thought back to a time where the contradiction in each others words had been more to defend the other's statement and knew that Destra would be the perfect ally for him.

"We should get out of here though, you can come to our home in the woods," he said, grabbing Moonlight's hand.

He looked Destra in the eye to confirm that they now had a truce, for the time being at least.


Duchess Sophie

The Duchess smiled as Belca pushed her back, the girl had recovered from her awkward position quite fast. She was about to say something when she felt a sting on her wrist, the girl had smaked her wrist with the flat of her blade, causing her to drop the mallet.

"Oh, how rude," she said angrilly, "That hurt."

The girl was in for it now, she wasn't going to hold back any longer. Elegantly she threw her body backwards in a handspring, with luck it would drive a kick in to Belca's face but really, she didn't care if it connected or not. Picking up the mallet she proceeded to throw it at the girl before bringing out a giant pepper grinder.

"You're in trouble now," she said gleefully as she began to turn the handle.

Of course pepper grinder gattling gun wouldn't seriously hurt Belca, it was really nothing more than a distraction in it's current state, but the girl didn't know that, did she?


Isaiah "Grey" Gris

Grey raised a questioning eyebrow as Absolem claimed that he was fine, he didn't look one hundred percent but he was definitely looking a little better.

"Do you think you could have done anything to help Cheshire if you stayed?" he asked, "You did the right thing, I don't think Rhia or I could have got away without your help, I know how hard it must have been for you to leave Cheshire behind and it was just as brave of you to do it as it was for Cheshire to stay behind."

As Absolem grabbed his hand again and set off, he grabbed Rhia's, urging her to move forward too. She looked distracted by something though. Cautiously he gave her hand a squeaze to get her attention.

"Cheshire's going to be ok and he'll come find you us all soon," he said soothingly, "You heard what Absolem said, it was important for the two of us to get away."

He was conflicted inside, he knew that he should be distancing himself from Rhia because eventually they would have to fight each other but seeing her upset coupled with seeing Absolem in pain was overwhelming him with the desire to help.

"Man, I'm really not cut out for this game, am I?" he thought to himself, "But I'm going to have to do what it takes so I don't let Absolem down."

She noticed how familiar the two boys were, which truly fretted her. Were her and Cheshire supposed to be that in sync and close? She felt completely insufficient, incompetent.

She blinked at the other boy’s statements, nodding slowly, “I know I wouldn’t have.. I didn’t presume it to be quite that.. chilling..” she admitted, “Sure I expected frightening, but that was terrifying. “ she shivered as she confessed this to the males. Then Grey called Cheshire brave. He was brave.. but also stupid. He was risking his own neck for them. If he died, she’d never forgive herself. I thought it was quite spineless for him to leave Cheshire.. but we all have our opinions, and as the saying goes, ‘If you can’t say something nice then don’t say anything at all’.

She lost her trail of thought when she felt someone seize her hand, gazing up to realize it was just Grey. She smiled a bit, even if it looked a little forced. He was trying to soothe her..? Why? He didn’t have to.. No one even told him to.

She nods slowly, feeling a lump in her throat as she went to speak, “It’s just.. I’ve been so cruel to him up until recently.. I called him a coward just a few hours ago.." her voice was even more strained than her smile, it was quivering. She was undeniably feeling guilty.

She looks over to him, “Thanks.. I regret that we have to become enemies in a few days.. you’re really sweet. Let’s make it as painless as possible, shall we? Also.. may the best win..” She was really sweet when she wasn’t being drug and shoved along. The girl although naïve and potentially self-destructive preferred making her own mistakes. “I’m sure he’s proud of you, ne Tall one?” she teased Absolem. He reminded her.. of a Caterpillar… why was that? Maybe because he is skinny. oddly hair coloured, and tall? She noticed his increase of speed, was Absolem worried?


-----



Absolem sighs to himself, he knew Grey wasn’t convinced, but it wasn’t the matter at hand. The matter at hand was getting both of the humans out of harm’s way.

“My home wasn’t built until after the Jabberwocky’s inprisonment. We shall seek refuge there.” Then he spoke quite wisely, laughing to himself. He picked a bright one alright, “It’s hard to not feel like my actions were out of cowardice, and yes, that Cat will likely distract the Jabberwocky’s attention elsewhere and meet up with us shorty. Fret not. You’ll have plenty more time to have your space trampled, neck nuzzled, and nerves scratched to the brim.” He chuckled at the thought. Those two would be interesting. He enjoyed the idea of watching Rhia and Cheshire’s friendship develop, "Cat's have nine lives, remember?"

“Neither am I.” Absolem sighed. He wasn’t sure he could continue on like this knowing he’d have to see the look of betrayal on Grey’s face if they won. Besides, he doubted the Queen would actually allow someone to leave Wonderland. Maybe he was just a skeptic. However he was walking briskly, not taking a single moment to enjoy his steps or relax. His hand gripped Grey's slightly, his other hand gripping the makeshift cane harder. He was terrified, but he couldn't express it infront of the children. He hoped Cheshire would realize he brought them back to his house, and that Jabberwocky wouldn't discover it.

Duchess Sophie

"Oh dearest Cheshire, it's so wonderful to see you again," she exclaimed, hugging the man tight, "I see you've already met my contractor, Belca, she's a lovely girl deep dow..."

She froze, there was something wrong with the cat, looking down she saw blood smeared all over her dress and the stench of decay was all over him.

"Oh no Cheshire, not in my house you don't," she said darkly, "How dare you lead that thing here."

She wanted to slap the cat for doing such a foolish thing but refrained from doing so, it would set a bad example for Belca. Instead she helped the cat to his feet and led him inside, sitting him down by the tea and cakes.

"Although I'm furious at you for endangering my contractor and my son, I can see that you need help and I'm not one to refuse those in need," said the Duchess calmly, "With luck the pepper will keep it away for now."

She wasn't sure if this was true or not but at the very least she hoped that the smell of pepper would distract it long enough for them to get away. Silently her son appeared with a pile of bandages and a bowl of warm water which she used to begin cleaning and binding the cat's many wounds.

"Honestly, how do you get yourself into scrapes like this," she said, trying to cause him as little pain as possible while washing out the cuts, "In any case, you came right on time for dinner, at least we should have some time to discuss what to do."


Isaiah "Grey" Gris

Absolem looked troubled but Grey knew that trying to read the man's mind would be like trying to thread an eyeless needle which was to say, impossible. Still, he didn't like to see Absolem worried. To take his mind off of things he began to sort through his tarot cards again, examining the details of each one. He was in the process of examining the ace of wands when he thought about how useful it would be to have a weapon like the staff depicted on the card. Before he knew it, the card was gone and in his hand was an elegantly detailed staff. Bewildered he looked from Rhia to Absolem and back to the staff.

"Umm...Absolem?" he said uncertainly, "What just happened?"

Was this the ability that Absolem had talked about or was it just the way the cards worked? He remembered back to the place where Absolem had found him, the cards hadn't been wet despite floating around in the water for several minutes. Maybe there was something magical about them.


Sinistra/Tweedle Dee

Smiling he opened the door to the cottage, for some reason it always smelt of fresh baking, even if they hadn't made anything for weeks.

"Come on in and make yourself at home," he said heading towards the kitchen, "I'll make us all some hot drinks, do you like tea?"

The walls of the cottage were lined with all sorts of things, artwork, cross stitch, masks, all of which had been made by either him or his brother in an atempt to outdo the other. Sometimes it just seemed like everything was a waste of time, he wondered what he'd be able to accomplish if he wasn't always trying to best his brother, perhaps he'd have made friends with some of the other chains, then again, probably not, he was too fond of tricks for that to happen.


Destra/Tweedle Dum

Leading Moonlight inside he sat down on a sofa and gestured for the girl to take any seat she felt like. He wanted her to be as comfortable as possible before explaining the game further.

"I'm sure you must be really tired and hungry," he said, "We'll do everything to make you comfortable here,"

He considered telling her the story behind the Rattle but wasn't too sure if it was something she really needed to know, perhaps later on. For now it would just be best for the girl to relax and build her strength up. No doubt he would have to tell her exactly what he and Sinistra were capable of when it came to fighting but he wanted to avoid sharing that information for now incase she asked for a demonstration.

"Fate must think it's hillarious to give us an ability that we're too afraid to use," he thought grimly.

Absolem sighed when he finally saw his home in the distance, the mushroom roof bringing a sense of relief to the man's heart. Safety. That's what he felt when he saw this scene. He blinked when he saw the scene with Grey. Stopping for a moment, "I told you that you'd aqquire certain skills. I defy gravity, so it practically makes sense you're defying reality. That's the best sort of explaination I can give with at such a stressful moment..we'll worry about it later, I'm sure you're both hungry by now. I doubt Cheshire's thought of your humanistic needs.." and he smiles at Rhia. Cheshire did seem to be forgetful in the man's eyes, so he doubted the cat fed the poor child. He led both children to his house, ushering them inside quickly. Once inside he locked all of the doors. The flowers would warn him of anyone approaching. He had a close relationship with the flowers afterall. He loved nature, so the flowers often looked out for Caterpillar, almost like a guard dog. He always knew when someone was approaching his house, who they were, and how many were coming before they even reach eyesight. It was a good advantage to befriend the flowers.

----


Rhia on the other hand blinked as the staff became real, letting go of Grey and looking at him wide eyed, "How did you do that?" she asked in pure shock. Would she soon gain an awesome talent like that? Would she learn something epic? She was half terrified and half of her was..excited. She was such a tomboy at heart. She sighed, tugging at her shirt. Her baggy shirt and pants were getting annoying in the forest heat, but now wasn't a time to complain. She looked around his house, it was..far more spacious and normal than Cheshire's abode. Was his home destroyed by the Jabberwocky..? She felt pressure on her torso, guilt, sorrow. She liked the tree, as much as she pretended to detest it. The changing colors were quite enjoyable and relaxing to the girl. She looked to Grey, "Your contractor is so gentle with you..I bet you're glad.." she smiles a bit, trying to make conversation. Absolem intimidated her, and she felt belittled whenever she spoke to Cheshire, she felt on the same page as this boy. It was kind of refreshing. Though, in the back of her mind as much as she tried to keep her mind off it, she was worried about Cheshire, and would remain worried until she saw him again.

Duchess Sophie

"Dearest Cheshire, you do speak some nonsense," said the Duchess as she finished bandaging up the cat, "As if my boy would make a suitable meal, look at him, he's skin and bone. No indeed, but I trust you'll find the pan fried fish that cook has been preparing to your liking."

She wondered where Belca had disappeared to, perhaps she was still outside practicing with her sword, the Duchess had to admit that she had forgotten about the girl for a few minutes whilst tending to Cheshire's injuries, still, it would be best to have the girl inside, chances were that they would have to leave soon if the pepper didn't work as well as she hoped. At least the pigs and momeraths would give her plenty of warning before the Jabberwocky arrived, they couldn't stand the thing and always rushed away in such a noisy panic as soon as they sensed its approach.

"Belca!" she called out of the window, "Come in here this instant, dinner is almost ready and you still need to wash up, besides, I want to lock all the doors for the night."

Satisfied that she had done her best and that it was all up to the girl now she turned her attention to the cat.

"So why did you come here Cheshire?" said the Duchess seriously, sitting her son in her lap, "Please tell me that you didn't leave your contractor out there all alone, what is the girl's name by the way?"

She figured that she might as well get some answers from the cat before they started comig up with a plan. The cat had endangered everyone around here so the least he could do would be to tell her what he knew.

Isaiah "Grey" Gris

Grey looked at Rhia, equally as surprised as she was.

"I'm...not entirely sure," he said, gazing at the staff in wonder, "It sure surprised me."

If this was his ability then it would certainly be useful...provided that he could figure out how it worked.

"I am glad, I think we work well together," he said in answer to Rhia's question, "No offence to Cheshire but I don't think we'd get along quite so well, mind you, maybe that's the reason he didn't contract with me in the first place. You two will probably get along really well when you spend more time together, once he comes back to get you, I can feel it."

He meant this, he could just sense some sort of connection between Rhia and Cheshire, even if they weren't aware of it themselves he was sure they'd both discover it soon. He wondered if it was like this with all the contractors. Absolem's talk of food made his stomach rumble, he hadn't realised how hungry he was.

"Food sounds great now that you mention it," said Grey, "I didn't think it was possible for hunger to creep up on you."

Soon after he had entered Absolem's house the staff he had been carrying disappeared and in his hand was the Ace of Wands card again.

"Hm, how odd," he thought hazilly before realising that his strength was draining, "Oh dear, this can't be..."

He never finished his thought. Shadows seemed to rush in from the corners of his eyes as he lost collapsed, losing conciousness. It seemed that his new found ability had a drawback.


Destra/Tweedle Dum

He looked at Moonlight, the girl was full of surprises.

"You like herbal tea too?" he asked, "We have a mountain of different herbal teas, which is your favorite? I like rosehip and hibiscus."

Perhaps getting along with this girl wouldn't be so difficult if she kept on revealing these pleasant surprises.

"Oh I wouldn't say we're artistic nohow," said Destra, eyeing the artwork on the walls, "Rather that we dabble."


Sinistra/Tweedle Dee

"Contrarywise, if we were artistic we would be and if we would be we wouldn't dabble," piped up Sinistra from the kitchen.

He frowned to himself, how very odd, the two of them hadn't used that pattern of speech for a long time, the one where they backed up the other's statement rather than contradicted it.

"My favorite is pommegranate and grape," he said, heating the water.

Herbal tea he had to admit was the one thing that he and his brother could always agree on, of course they each had their favorites but both of them enjoyed it so much that they never bothered to fight about it, especially if it was sweetened with honey. It was nice to know that this girl was interested in it too, he found himself thinking that maybe she wouldn't turn out so bad, it wasn't like Moonlight was her real name, perhaps it was Sol or Sunny? He would have loved to find out right then but there was no way to rush that sort of thing.

“T-That’s cool..” she blinks at him. Did she have a gift yet..if so..why didn’t she feel any different? Was she broken? Did it require her and Cheshire to get along better? Was it’s potency based off their relationship?

“Cheshire is hard to handle, I understand that. I don’t take offense.. We’re not that close actually..” she gazed away from him. The scene where he threw her to Absolem kept running through her head. It brung a nauseous feeling to her stomach. What if I never get to apologize for calling him a coward? She looks down at the floor, the fact making her almost cry, “If it wasn’t for the game, I doubt he would after all the accusations I made.. I wouldn’t come back for me. ”

Rhia felt her eyes widen when she really thought about what Grey was saying. She felt a faint blush cross her cheeks, shaking her head quickly, “T-that’s not going to happen..” she mumbles in denial. She couldn’t fathom her and Cheshire being as close as they were, or close period to be honest. She assumed one of them would always have their arms out, trying to keep the other emotionally or in her case emotionally AND physically distant.

“Yeah, food does sound wonderful right now..” She chimes in almost a sing-song tone, the thought of food seducing her stomach into an excited frenzy. She wasn’t sure how long it had been since she’d had anything to drink or even eat.

Rhia gasped as Grey started falling reaching to help, but Absolem was quick on the draw, “T-thank goodness..” she sighed. The house looked lovely, but she doubted a head first impact would feel the same way. She nodded as Absolem asked her to remain in the room. She did detest the idea, but she understood the reasoning behind it.. He couldn’t protect them in his current state, separating would just make it a thousand times worse on them. She sat down on the couch next to Grey’s head, putting her hand on his forehead to check for a fever, “You can’t get sick at a time like this.. I hope it was just from over-exertion..” she sighs worried for Cheshire, now Grey too? Not to mention Absolem looked like he’d cave in at any given moment as well. She shivered at the thought. She felt so alone already.. yet she knew she wasn’t.

---



“I picked you based on how well you answered my riddle. I chose you knowing I could get along with you better than most humans.” In Absolem’s own way, this was a enormous compliment. He wasn’t good at complimenting others,. It always sounded a bit insulting in the end, but if one repeated his sentence long enough, they could figure out he was attempting to compliment them.

Absolem couldn’t help but smirk hearing the boy’s stomach rumble. Humans are such naïve creatures.. He closes his eyes. He was worried about Cheshire as well, but he had to be stronger than these two. He wasn’t allowed to worry about his friend. He was in charge of protecting them, nurturing them. He couldn’t let emotions sidetrack him from his task. He never allowed such things to happen before. Nothing was accomplished through emotion. It was ever executed right. Emotions always get in the way of judgment.

“Good, then I shall get to work on cooking.” Absolem smiled, then he smirked at the boy, laughing briefly under his breath, “When in such a frightening and confusing situation as you two have been in, one often forgets their stomach.” He informs them both. It’s been some time since I threw a riddle his way, perhaps I should prepare another-

Absolem’s eyes widened and almost instantly he shoved himself behind the other male. Thankfully his hands were successful in catching him, albeit with a faltering grip, but he soon found a steady hold. This would have been a simple task had it happened during any other situation, but he was already physically and mentally worn. Unfortunately, his balance wasn’t the best at the moment. He chews on his bottom lip, moving the boy over to a rather extensive couch, laying him down, panting a bit from the strain he was putting himself through. He knew he probably looked pathetic to the young human girl he was stuck babysitting, but he couldn’t hide his frailty any longer. He was feeling weak, nauseous even, “Please remain in this room while I find you both something quick and suitable to eat..” He requests, “Now is not the time to be proud. I am begging you to not wander.” and with that he walked to the kitchen. His natural grace deserted him, he was barely moving around. He rustled around the kitchen for about ten minutes before finally deciding on soup, grabbing a few ingredients before rustling around, making sure to put in a few soothing herbs to help his own along with Grey’s headaches, possibly even Rhia’s nerves. He took a taste of the soup, adding a bit more pepper, denying himself the urge to sneeze.

Destra/Tweedle Dum

Destra swallowed nervously as Moonlight brought up the Rattle. Looked over at his brother for help but Sinistra had busied himself in the kitchen and clearly didn't intend to chime in any time soon. This situation was his fault, if he'd kept his mouth shut when they'd first met Moonlight then she wouldn't even know about the Rattle.

"Well, I guess I was expecting this," he said slowly, looking Moonlight in the eye, "But it's not an easy thing to talk about."

He remained silent for a few moments as Sinistra brought over a tray of pastries and cake along with a pot of green tea with mint.

"You see, a long time ago, we knew this girl," said Destra, remembering back to when they'd all spent time together, "She wasn't just any girl, she was our older sister, her name was R-R-R-Raven."

He cursed himself for stuttering but his pear of birds was so great that he could barely speak the names of them, even Sinistra had flinched a little.

"We used to spend so much time together and before we started dressing differently, she was the only one that could tell us apart," he continued, "We loved her and she loved us but then one day the was...an incident."

Here was the hard part, neither he nor his brother had spoken about what had happened since.

"As I told you before, we dabble," said Destra, trying to keep calm, "This means anything from artwork and sewing to cooking and...matters of the occult. When we were little we'd try to do anything we could to impress our sister and outdo each other. One day we found a book that had a spell in it, we weren't entirely sure what it would do but it seemed like a big thing to accomplish so we wanted to do it in front of our sister."

He was nearly in tears now, it was so painful to think about.

"Part way through Sinistra and I got into an argument and our sister stepped in to stop us but I was so angry that I threw the bowl of ingrediants we had been using for the spell at her," said Destra, his voice shaking, "There was a big explosion and a ton of smoke, when it cleared, she was gone. We didn't even think the spell would really work but whatever it was, our sister wasn't there anymore. We rushed outside to see if she had gone out there to try and trick us as a lesson for being so mean to each other but we couldn't find her anywhere, we just got chased by a montrous crow and its been following us ever since."

He hoped that Moonlight would never have to see the crow, it was such a horrible sight.

"It's all my fault," he said, tears streaming down his face, "I should have never let myself get so angry."


Duchess Sophie

The Duchess watched as Cheshire wandered off.

"That cat could never stay in one place for too long," said the Duchess to her son, "It's a pity, he was nice to have about the house."

So he had left his contractor in capable hands? Well that had to mean Absolem. Who else would the cat trust? He didn't like Rabbit and the twins were often too busy arguing amongst themselves to think of anyone else. The point was that the girl was safe and Cheshire had escaped intact, she knew that she would have to eliminate them at some point in the game but right now all she cared about was everyones safety considering what was prowling around Wonderland at this moment. Silently she beckoned to a momerath and tied a note with a warning about the Jabberwocky around it's neck.

"Take this to all the chains," she said, waving it off, "Make sure they all read it."

She would have watched the green pig wnder off if Belca hadn't chosen that moment to enter the house.

"Ah, there you are, I was wondering what became of you," she said cheerily, there was no need to alert the girl to how close danger lurked just yet, "It would appear that dinner is ready, I hope you like fish."

Smiling she led the girl to the dining room, and then seated herself, prepared to eat.

"Belca, before we begin, I just want to warn you that we may have to leave at a moments notice," she said, trying to sound casual, "Can I trust you to be ready?"


Isaiah "Grey" Gris

Grey woke to the smell of soup cooking, he felt so out of it, like he was still half asleep. He wanted to see what was going on so he sat up only to have his head start throbbing and his vision swim.

"Ok, definitely not a good idea," he thought, bringing his hands to his face, "Too late now, I'll just have too deal with it."

Still, he figured it would be a good idea if he didn't try to stand just yet. The last thing he remembered was walking into Absolem's house and the staff disappearing.

"What happened?" he asked of nobody in particular, "Did I collapse or something? How embarassing."

He was sure that his cheeks would have been burning red if he didn't feel like he was going to fall asleep again at any moment. Everything seemed so hazy, the couch he was on felt as if it was going to melt away. Now there was a thought, how had he wound up on a couch.

"I bet it was Absolem," murmered Grey, "He'd protect me, I'm so glad it would be him, I like Absolem."

He was sure that he was half asleep now because that definitely didn't feel like the sort of thing he would normally say out loud. He could feel the heat rising to his cheeks as he grew more and more awake, despite his reluctance. He really hoped that Absolem and Rhia wouldn't tease him. He didn't know if he could cope with any more embarassment.

Rhia blinked when she saw Grey was awake, blinking a bit when he sat up, "You shouldn't do tha-" but he already was up, so the girl didn't bother finishing her sentence, "Too late.." she sighed a bit, though she blinked when he said something similar, staring at him with a laugh, "Copy cat.." she grinned, but it soon faded. Cat.. everything I say reminds me of him right now.. is it because he protected me and could've died..? She felt her gaze relax, not really looking at anyone or anything as her thoughts wandered on Cheshire. She knew she had to apologize. This time genuinely.

She awoke from her depressing thoughts to hear Grey's question, mentally thanking him as she wiped her eyes. He'd disrupted her and saved her from crying. She really owed this boy at least half of her pride.

"You fainted a little after your staff disappeared.. I think you over-worked yourself for the first time using your powers.." she responded, ruffling his hair, "Are you okay?" she asks curiously, "I don't think it should be embarrassing.. making that staff was really cool.. The look of worry on Absolem's face, you should've seen it.." she added with a grin. She knew the boy had a thing for the man, so she decided to enlighten him that his contractor was scared for his wellbeing and got protective, "He caught you by the way.."

Rhia didn't tease him until he mentioned liking Absolem, "Don't tell me you've fallen for him this quickly~?" she teased, tilting her head at him, then tapping her cheek, "But it was Absolem.. he carried you over here despite it nearly wearing him out to the same point of consciousness as you had." Absolem definitely is going to faint soon.. he can't keep pushing himself like this, regardless of how he feels he needs to protect us.. Her eyes narrowed a bit, "You two are close.. you need to convince him to go lie down after we eat or he'll be the next one on the floor..or sick even."

She merely pet his head again, smiling a bit, "There's nothing to be ashamed of. I'm jealous of your close relationship, although it confuses me. I can't understand how you two got so close in so little time.." Rhia wasn't a very trusting person. She kept most of her relationships skin-deep and allowed little more to penetrate further. Her emotional walls were like a high-security prison, almost impossible to break through. Possibly the reason that her worrying about Cheshire vexed her so. She wasn't even aware he.. she.. erm.. he? She went with he. Cheshire was more often male than female around her anyhow. Though, back to the point, she didn't realize he got through to her at all until now..

---



Absolem tasted the soup again, smiling to himself when it was finally satisfactory. Not too salt or runny, not too bitter. Just the right combination of flavor. He took three bowls and placed them on a platter, then he put a larger bowl in the center with a ladle inside. The center bowl held the soup. He'd let everyone decide their amount on their own. He placed three silver spoons next to each bowl and carried it out to his guests. He felt himself relax a bit when he saw Grey was now conscious. His complexion confirmed Rhia's remarks however.

Absolem was quite pale and weaker looking than usual, "I'll go get you two something to drink. Are you okay?" he inquires but blinks when he notices a stir in the flowers. It was just small animal.. Not many were able to reach his home, Rabbit, Cheshire, Dutchess, and the Queen perhaps, but not because he welcomed her, he doubted the flowers would hide him from someone such as her. She'd probably stomp them for concealing him. He walked out briefly, coming back with glasses filled with something that resembled soda.

He had the luck of coming back in right when Grey mentioned liking him, though despite the slight shade of new colour to his cheeks, he was handling it quite well. He was far too exhausted to come up with a witty remark. He sat down on the couch on the other side of Grey, placing the bowls along the stone coffee table infront of them, "I hope the flavour is to your liking.. personally I describe it as a little salty with a hint of pepper.. Is anyone opposed or allergic to chicken..?" he asked with a ghost of a smile, pouring his bowl before scooting the ladle and bowl filled with the soup down to Grey so he could do the same, followed by Rhia.

I wonder if Cheshire figured out where we are by now, it should've been quite obvious..

Isaiah "Grey" Gris

"I'm not actually sure why we're close to tell the truth," said Grey so only Rhia cold hear, taking a seat and a bowl of soup, "I think maybe it's just the fact that I trust him.

He decided to let the soup cool for a little bit while he undid his ponytail, he was begining to get a headache from it. He almost regretted the decision as all his hair fell about his face, sighing, he flipped his hair back to one side, feeling like a woman in a shampoo advertisement and took a sip of the soup.

"This is delicious!" he said, smiling at Absolem.

Food seemed to be just the thing his stomach needed, he could feel his energy returning bit by bit. He didn't say anything else for a while and just concentrated on the soup. Soon enough it was all gone, now for the next problem. Rhia had been right, Absolem was looking a bit worse for wear and definitely needed to rest but Grey knew that if he asked the man to go and take a nap or something like that then he would just put on a brave face and refuse saying that Grey and Rhia were more important than rest.

"Right," thought Grey, "I'll just have to be firm with him."

Silently he walked over to Absolem and grabbed his hand and tried to pull him up.

"Come with me," he said before dragging the man over to the couch.

Absolem was bigger than him so it took a little effort but he was determined. Once there he pushed the man onto the couch and made him lie down.

"Now stay there and go to sleep," said Grey, firmly, "Don't make me sit on you because I will if you try to get up."

Of course, Absolem probably wouldn't have any trouble pushing him off again but he hoped that he'd made his point clear. To tell the truth, he hoped that Absolem had taken him seriously at all, Grey knew that he wasn't that great at the dominating assertive thing and the fact that he looked like a girl when his hair was down probably didn't help but he was determined to make Absolem rest, not just because of the prospect of what might happen if something bad came along but also because he cared about Absolem.

"Don't think I won't do it," he warned again.

Satisfied he turned to Rhia and nodded decisively.


Sinistra/Tweedle Dee

Sinistra shuddered, his mind stuck on the crow. It had been bad enough just hearing the story again but for Destra to actually have to tell it, he found that his respect for his brother had gone up a little, if only a little.

"R-Raven used to wear a chain around her wrist so we used to call her Rattle," said Sinistra, gloomily taking a sip of his tea, "All of the chains seemed to think it was a joke, it was like our sister had never existed. They made up a rhyme about it but it didn't really explain anything."

Moodily he began to pick at a pastry. His brother had taken the blame but he knew that it wasn't the truth, in reality he was just as guilty for causing the incident as his brother was, he supposed that this just showed that deep down, Destra still cared for him and was trying to protect him, to cover for him like he used to.


Duchess Sophie

The Duchess nearly burst out laughing when Belca suggested the idea of the Queen protecting the chains of Wonderland.

"The Queen rules over us but I don't believe that she would concern herself with protecting us," said the Duchess, "Besides, as powerful as she is, there is only one thing that can put that horrid disease in its place and that is the vorpal blade."

She raised an eyebrow as the girl claimed that fish would work fine. Belca was clearly lying through her teeth.

"My dear girl, you're as transparent as a window, if you don't like fish then say so," said the Duchess in what she hoped was a kindly tone, "I can easily change it into something else for you but I'm afraid you'd have to eat it quickly."

Really, the girl was a wonder sometimes, was it simply because she was stubborn?

"And to answer your question," continued the Duchess, taking a seat, "Yes, it is the Jabberwocky but we shall have penty of time to get away if it decides to pay a visit.There's probably no point in telling you of all people this but if we do encounter it then keep a strong head about you unless you want to become its plaything."

Absolem felt a stir in his brittle mind, something was coming. An animal? A cat? Oh, Cheshire, of course. He let a pitiful smile cross his thin lips. At least he’s alright. I should probably reassure both the young ones however. He drank at his soup at a calm pace, deciding to caress his pounding headache with the soothing herbs inside it before talking. The man’s eyes were closed as he wordlessly, soundlessly ate. If they were blind, his presence would be next to undetectable. After a few moments of letting both children eat, he quirked his lips up in a smile, “I’ve news. Cheshire should be here in less minutes than you have fingers on your left hand.” He worded it in order to throw them off for a second, he doubted it would work, but awkward wording was Absolem’s hobby. He never liked answering or giving information at all in a direct manner. I hope you remember which mushroom is which Cheshire.. He chuckled at the thought of the cat struggling to find his lovely fungi abode

Absolem raised an eyebrow. He looks just like a female. He coughed at the thought, busying himself with eating, only the clatter of his spoon hitting the bowl coming from the man as he made himself eat quicker, trying to redirect his thoughts to anything else.

That’s gross Absolem! Don’t let Cheshire’s taunt of your sexuality get to your head, you don’t like men!

He was torn from his destructive thoughts when both children complimented his food, smiling a bit, “Why thank you. Hopefully the herbs inside are helping with calming your nerves and headache.” He looked to the human children. You need a few restful days after all. Once this game begins, I don’t see happiness for any of us.

He blinked when he was yanked from his spot and pulled over towards the couch. Just what do you think you’re doing? He thought quirking an eyebrow, This is not going to happen without a reasonable punishment.. He didn’t have the strength to put up a good fight, but he attempted anyhow.. After a moment of decent struggle for his level of exhaustion, Absolem plopped down on the couch. If they didn’t know better, one could suggest he was pouting based on his hint of a frown.

As the other male tried to force him to lay down, he tugged Grey by the wrist and waist towards him on the couch, pulling the blonde boy next to him. I’m going to make you blush in front of this girl. Red hot. He instantly wrapped his hand that held Grey’s wrist around his waist like the other. He’s kind of light weight and skinny.. He was re-asserting his dominance over the boy, nuzzling his face into the nape of Grey’s neck. It wasn’t that cute of a gesture, more of an Alpha male type of move. I’m going to remind you who calls the shots, Grey. I’m the one who is in control in the end, you’ll do best to remember that.

He sighed against the boy’s neck, letting his breath dance along his skin, “You were saying?” He wasn’t sure how long he could hold the other male to him, but watching him squirm away would be just as entertaining. Absolem was naturally controlling and dominant in nature, he’d been suppressing it to make Grey comfortable, but if Grey was comfortable enough to dish it out, he needed to get accustom to paying for his actions. It wasn’t wise to raise him too gently after all. Besides, seeing the blush this would produce on Rhia’s and Grey’s face would be too priceless.

” Don’t think I won’t punish you just because there’s a lady present.” He cooed tauntingly, a mischievous smirk across the man’s lips. Absolem could be quite the tease.

---



Rhia nods with a sigh, “I see. I won’t lie and say I trusted Cheshire before now. I called him a brute and a coward to be blunt about it.. Even if I worded it a bit differently, that’s what I was thinking..” she sighs to herself, “I’m jealous of what you two have..” She didn’t realize she’d come to eat those words. She wouldn’t be able to handle what they had.

Rhia poured her own bowl, taking a sip without making a slurping sound, quickly eating after the first. It was good and the warm broth felt good going down her throat. The pieces of chicken hit the spot as well. There was something else she couldn’t describe, but it just made her feel warm and fuzzy inside. It was.. strange. Absolem mentioned Cheshire being okay, and if she herself had cat ears, they’d of sprang up in excitement at the news he was headed their way. That would be humiliating. I’m glad Cheshire’s the cat and not me.. I think I’d run embarrassed not being able to hide my emotions like that..

Rhia finished her bowl, filling it half-way again, not up for a full seconds, but her it was soothing her sore throat so she wanted a bit more, her cheeks slightly flushed seeming like a cow compared to the guys. Great, they’re going to think I’m a glutton. She took a front row seat watching the boys struggle with each other for a few moments before the older man finally gave into the younger’s assertions. Hah, who’d of figured Absolem would be the one getting dominated by a girly-boy? She snickered at the thought.

Hah, I’ll have to tell Cheshire. He’d enjoy knowing about this. She instantly blushed, shaking her head. Since when.. did I start having thoughts like this.. This whole time I’ve been at Absolem’s..all my conversation and thoughts have been about that cat. Sneaky cat, slipping your furry hide into my inner circle like that. Clever, very clever. Although I have to admit I’m glad he’s okay.. Protecting me like that.. Who does he think he is playing the hero? He didn’t have to make himself look that cool.. Her face was about the shade of Absolem’s eyes, twitching a bit.

She blinked and felt her face heat up as red as an apple as she saw the two boys laying together, having missed the in between sequences. What are they doing?? Why are they so close!? This is getting way out of hand, I’m not sure how to approach this! She felt the back of her hand attempt to hide her intense blush as she watched Absolem’s face caress against Grey’s neck. Nevermind.. I can do without their type of relationship. This is way too out of hand.. If Cheshire did something like this I’d die!

She tried to direct her gaze but Absolem’s last phrase sent a shiver down her spine. Don’t do something like that in front of me! Calm down…he doesn’t seem like the bedroom type..maybe he is implying it to fluster Grey, but literally plans to punish him by other means?

Destra/Tweedle Dum

He was shocked. Moonlight seemed genuinely upset about what had happened in the past and seemed like she wanted to help. The way she was acting really reminded him of Raven but there were subtle differences, still, it was nice to have someone that was almost like his sister back in the house.

"It's ok," said Destra, "You couldn't have known and now that you do it just makes us all the more closer."

He reached for a piece of maple cake, the idea had come to him in a dream long ago and now it was one of his favorite recipes. He wondered if something like this existed in Moonlight's world, no doubt he would find out when he one this game, perhaps he and Sinistra could run a bakery...if they didn't fight too often, Moonlight could help too, it'd be like the family was whole again.


Duchess Sophie

"A dictator?" said the Duchess, "I suppose you could say that, just like how you could say we were given a choice to join the game...of course, the other option wasn't really desirable either."

Picking at her meal she thought back to how the Queen had invited them all to play, Alde hadn't said anything out loud but then again, she never needed to. Everyone knew what became of those that refused any kind of invitation from the Queen.

"The Queen isn't really the type of person you can say no to," concluded the Duchess, "Lets just say, I'd rather risk playing this game than face the consequences."

The Duchess smiled to herself as Belca began to eat the fish, reverse psycology worked every time.

"Well you can fight the Jabberwocky off if you're strong enough," said the Duchess as Belca brought up the horrid creature again, "But the only real hope anyone has against it is the Vorpal Blade and lets just say you'd have to find the thing before you could use it...if you could use it."

It was clear that Alde had no intention of doing anything about the Jabberwocky so it was left to the other chains to take care of it. Would she be able to use the Vorpal Blade if it fell to her? She wasn't sure.


Isaiah "Grey" Gris

Grey squeaked as Absolem pulled him down onto the couch and trapped him in a hug. He hadn't been expecting it. He began to squirm and struggle, kicking his legs feebly as he tried to get away but even exhausted, Absolem was too strong. He froze as the man began to nuzzle his neck, it tickled and soon made him squirm even more. What was Absolem thinking, doing this infront of Rhia. Grey was glad that his hair was flying all around his face, hopefully it would hide the bright red blush that was creeping across his face. He cursed the fact that he was so ticklish as Absolem sighed, the man's breath teasing against his skin was just to much for him to handle, with a final spasm from the tickling sensation he grew limp. It was obvious that he wasn't going to be able to overpower the man. Pleadingly he looked at Rhia for help but she seemed to be just as embarassed as he was.

"You'll do what!" exclaimed Grey, his eyes growing wide as Absolem brought up punishing him.

What on earth could the man mean? Surely this embarassing display was punishing but then again, Absolem probably had something more creative in mind.

"Hurry up Cheshire," he thought, hoping that the cat would make an appearence soon and rescue him.

It occured to him that maybe he could turn this against Absolem and embarass the man right back but decided against it. Absolem didn't seem like the type that could easilly be embarassed and it might prompt the man to initiate whatever the punnishment was, still, he'd be forced to do something if Absolem continued in this way.

"All I wanted was for you to rest," he sighed, as he reluctantly submitted to the man, accepting defeat.