Down the Rabbit-Hole

Destra/Tweedle Dum


Destra stared at the Queen blankly, disbelief running through his mind. The Lower Level, just hearing the name made him want to shiver. What on earth had made the Queen think that anyone would accept playing the game when that was the risk, they'd have to be mad. Then again, considering it was the Queen, he and all the other chains knew there was really no choice.

"Perhaps this isn't all bad," he thought with a smile, "It might mean that I get a chance to put an end to Sinistra, if not personally."

Just the thought of having a legitimate excuse to put an end to his brother sent adrenaline racing through his body. Finally he'd be able to get revenge for the Rattle.

"Well your majesty," he said, bowing his head, "It would be my pleasure to join in this game of yours."

Turning his gaze to Sinistra he wasn't surprised to see the same murderous fire blazing in his eyes that raged within his own. A force within him hungered for blood and only his brother's would suffice.

"I look forward to the games begining" he said with a smile, already planning out different situations in his head.


Sinistra/Tweedle Dee

He shivered excitedly, trying his hardest not to get up and dance, finally he would be able to get rid of Destra and along the way he'd get to play tricks on all the other chains. The prospect of so much fun was almost more than he could handle.

"I'm definitely going to participate," he said, gripping the sides of his chair in an attempt to control the shaking, "When do we start? Where are the humans?? I can't wait any longer."

Taking a deep breath he calmed down a little, aware that his brother was looking at him. As the two locked eyes he tried to show as much rage and hate in his gaze as possible, trying to portray his intent.

"I'm going to destroy you," he thought. Never had he been more certain of anything in his whole life.

He knew that he could and would do this, for the Rattle. Ice flowed through his veins then as the Rattle appreared in his mind, sorrow always seemed to accompany any thought related to that incident and he wasn't surprised. Noticably downcast he returned his attention to the Queen.

Alde barely suppressed a giggle when she noticed the Duchess twitching - it reminded her too much of Little Rabbit, and the thought of the Duchess holding out a pocket watch and running here and there was too amusing to resist.

"They are in the Great Hall." she waved a hand imperiously as the air in front of her shifted and changed, morphing into a scene of the Great Hall, and the nine people in it. "You can talk to them through their mind. Choose one and convince them to contract with you. After and if you manage to contract, you can lead them out of there to wherever you want them to go. You get three days for orientation. After that, the game officially starts. And once it starts, anything and everything is fair game."

She sighed as she finished. Too bad she couldn't execute anyone right now ... but there would be time for that later, right?

Nice to see you have grown up. Its time you did.

Cheshire

She continued to float higher, her body still limp. The words of the Chains were lost to her as she ignored everything below. She was irritated and bored and was almost to the top of the ceiling. She was preparing herself to leave, to disappear back to her tree when the Queen suddenly revealed The Great Hall. She twisted herself around, happily surprised at the change of scenery. Who had done it? Were they fighting already? She looked down upon the Chains with interest, but the new contestants caught her eye. They seemed lost, too uptight to be creatures from Her Wonderland, then again being in the Queen's company does that to people. She twitched her ears and flicked her tail, letting her jewelry sing to her as she studied them. They seemed 'normal', almost dreadfully so and this excited Cheshire immensely. She hadn't seen a 'normal' creature in her Wonderland for quite some time.

Allowing herself to fade, besides her manic eyes and wonderful grin, she makes herself known to the children. Appearing a nose length away before the first child she takes a few seconds to study before moving on to the next. A variously coloured mist follows suit, emphasizing her bright wide eyes and glowing teeth. "Well aren't you all dull," she croons in her ectasy, her eyes changing rapidly from yellow to blue to green and back again. She counted the children. Two males were present in this little crowd, which surprised her. Female's for some odd reason were more common to venture into her Wonderland. Interested in these two, she swept around them, taking note of their traits and composure (or lack of one). The young one with the long silvery hair, put her off, reminding her of that wretched White Rabbit. However, the other seemed boring as well, though the short blue hair was at least something fun. Her eyes widened looking over the blue haired child in sudden recognition. Her grin grew exceptionally larger. "Oh, aren't you the clever one?" she exclaimed, swirling around the kid, "You're not at all what you seem to be are you?"

She decided to try this one out. The surprise was refreshing and hopefully the child would be too. She jumped away from the trailing mist and landed upon the child's shoulders as a cat, nestling against the neck. Pleased to finally be resting against something warm and soft, she can't help but purr. The short hair was a plus. She wouldn't have to dig around to get comfy. Oh yeah, Cheshire decided, this one's a keeper.

Isaiah "Grey" Gris


Grey blinked as the man floated before him, pink eyes locked onto his own. He was asking a riddle, here of all places. Isaiah thought that now was a very odd time to play games but then again, if this 'Absolem' could help him get out of the hall then it would be worth it. Closing his eyes he focused on the question and a few seconds later he had an answer.

"Well all you'd have to do is ask one man which of them the other would point to if you asked which was the sinner," answered Grey, "The saint would point to himself, telling the truth and the sinner would point to the saint telling a lie, therefore, the one they both pointed to would be the saint and the other the sinner."

He paused for a moment, double checking his answer and picking his cards up off the floor, surprised that they weren't wet.

"Or you could just ask them which hand was their left," he continued, "That would be a lot easier."

He looked up at Absolem, confident that his answer was correct and curious as to why the man's hair was such a beautiful mint colour. Perhaps he could explain everything to him. As he checked through the cards to make sure they were in order he began to hum the haunting tune that played through his mind.

"My name is Grey, by the way," he added, "It's very nice to meet you."

Ariana saw other people and creatures of the world she thought to be wonderland. Looking around the room, Ariana didn't make a move. She didn't like to jump into action without knowing what she was jumping into to, and on the other hand she did. Any thrill that was thrown at her she would face it head on. Seeing a cat and a man with mint color hair talking to two of the people that were there, Ariana put her ipod back in her pocket and wondered what was going on. "Last time I recall I wasn't in a room but on a hill...such a fickle world this is," Ariana mumbled to her self.

Cheshire

Her closed eyes seemed to smile in that content way felines do. She stopped purring, her ears twitching as her contractor spoke. "If it's not too rude to ask, who are you...what are you?" If it's not too rude? Was she serious? She opened one eye upon her child and then to the others around. They all seemed to be taking things in stride. Her grin shrunk a bit, assuming their abilities to adapt so quickly was because each child was 'gifted'. Why else were they in her Wonderland? She sighed. At least this Rhia creature wasn't dull. Though fear tinted her voice, she kept it well under control, which would be useful later on.

Lazily, she opened her other eye and began kneading the child's neck. "Your manners are surprising for one who's been kidnapped from their world." The marks in her fur shimmered as several shades of purple and indigo rippled across her form. Unsatisfied in her current state, she faded only to reappear on the child's other shoulder. She snuggled once more against the girls nape. Now that things were finally in motion her mood was lightening up. Now was the time for fun, for molding her future underling. She would not fail in this aspect. She clears her throat ceremoniously before speaking. "I am The Majestic..The Knowing," her smile grew as her list of names rolled smoothly off her tongue, pausing dramatically for emphasis. "I am The Shifter..The Powerful..The Lost-And-Found." She shrugged her head, suggesting her contractor to follow her gaze across their surroundings and the Chains near them. "You, like them, are in my Wonderland." It was difficult remaining composed. Having knowledge over a person who was so 'out-of-the-loop' was exhilarating! She would enjoy it to the fullest. "Call me Cheshire," she said simply, "That name seems to tie everything together."

Isaiah "Grey" Gris

Grey stopped for a moment, it hadn't even occured to him that he had been taken here against his will but now that Absolem mentioned it, everything made a lot more sense.

"You know, I didn't consider the fact that I may have been abducted," he admitted, "I suppose I was more focused on figuring out who and where I was."

He paused for a moment, considering what Absolem had told him.

"So what you're saying is that I've been brought here to play a game I can't say no to," he continued, "And that I have to make a contract with you to have favourable odds in this place."

He wasn't too sure what Absolem meant by how he would recieve powers but having just seen the man float around in the air, he figured it couldn't be a bad thing.

"Ok then," he said, holding out his hand, "I guess you have a deal, though I wish I had a choice in the matter where participation was concerned. I'd appreciate it if you tell me a bit more about this game we have to play too."

Cheshire

She watched impassively as the other Chains met their respective humans. She wondered how long it would be when all the pleasantries would end. The Queen gave everyone three days before battle would ensue, but would everyone be ready in those three days? She answered her contractor's question with a sigh. "Of course you're here for a purpose," The answer was obvious, but she forgot she was dealing with a human. This was something she'd have to get used to she supposed. She slowly dragged her eyes over until they lock on the girl's, "Know one thing girl, you are here for the Queen's pleasure. Her purpose for you is to fight." She looks again, over the others, her blazing eyes narrowing, "Everyone you see here is an enemy..or an ally," She looks out the corner of her eye to the child again, "Though whether you're simply just an enemy to them is an other matter entirely."

She stood on the child's shoulder and stretched, her body quickly elongating as she arched her back. She jumps off the girl in a sudden backflip and lands gracefully in her male form. He rests a hand upon the girl's shoulder and looks down upon her. His eyes are manic as he leans forward, leveling his gaze with hers, "You will discover your own purpose here, girl," his eyes flicked to the chains then back again to her, "The others most likely will be to win and leave this world. Yours may be different." He stood, crossing his arms over his chest, "You may discover you like my Wonderland," his grin expands as thoughts of his realm run through his mind. He looks, one last time to the others and disappears behind Rhia. His thin hands are on her shoulders and his face in level beside hers. "Remember them, girl," he whispers into her ear, "Next time you meet either of these creatures, it may not be this pleasant," he straightens, pulling her closer towards him. "Say goodbye. This place is boring."

Without hesitation he pulls her backwards with him and fades back into his Wonderland.

"Our Queen although beautiful, has an eccentric sense of...amusement." he tried to word his thoughts properly, anything the Queen could overhear shouldn't sound offensive, he didn't want to infuriate her this early in the game, she did give him valuable information afterl all. Why..did the Queen share that with Cheshire and myself? Is it to build distrust between us and our human companion? I didn't plan on trusting him from the start, but knowing I'll have to betray him if I wish to leave this place, makes me quite more wary about getting to know this..kid.

His eyes scanned Gray, nodding slowly as his sign of acknowledgement and agreement, "Yes, that is exactly the concept." he sighed, "I cannot say no either." he added informing the boy, he stared at the boy's hand before shaking it firmly. It had been a long time since he'd touched someone so familiarly by choice, Cheshire didn't count. I was teasing that cat, it doesn't count at all. He leaned in towards the boy, his lips almost brushing the younger male's ear, his voice omnious, "Pretty much, get wounded as little as possible...and try to win. Otherwise, both of our fates shall be worse than death.." and he leaned away, doing his best to cause neither of them to feel any further discomfort.

-----


Rhia watched Cheshire with innocent golden eyes, her eyes flickering to each place Cheshire's did, before tensing a little when she recieved an answer, "S-sorry.." she bit her bottom lip nervously. I guess she has a point, but.. it seemed logical to ask at the time. Things happen all the time without cause, so I guess I let curiousity get the best of me.. she bit on her thumb as she tried to ponder, but when she saw Cheshire practically..staring, she looked up, her eyes gazing back, "To fight..? Alright I guess.." she whispered nervously. I know a few of the basic self defensive tactics.. I should at least be able to protect myself.. she thought nervously, then she got even more nervous, there was..a lot of people here. They'd all be participating? She closed her eyes, counting to three slowly, before looking calmly at Cheshire again, "I guess, I have no choice but to handle it."

She looked at him bewildered. Male? Wasn't Cheshire female just moments ago? She slowly dropped the subject, many assumed her to be male, but Cheshire semeed to finally catch on she was quite female. She tilted her head up, not used to having to look up at the confusing chain, "Don't...you want to leave? I don't care, as long as I don't lose who I am along the way.." she asked curiously as he mentioned her looking for a purpose in Wonderland. He seemed like he didn't care about winning at all. She wasn't sure if she wanted to win, did she have something to go back to? She couldn't remember, but she didn't see anything wrong with this world yet. Yet. She was about to ask him something else, her mouth agape when she felt his hands return to her shoulders, however from behind her. How is he doing that!? She wasn't scared, nor did it particularly disturb her, but it was almost giving her whiplash trying to keep her eyes on the chain she'd chose to contract with. She instantly cringed, jerking her head away from his when he whispered. That feels weird now that he's a guy..even if he still don't look very human. She finally felt a blush form across her cheeks, "W-wait what? How?" she asked looking around the room. Then she closed her eyes in realization. He is going to do that little parlor trick he enjoys so much, "N-nevermind."

Isaiah "Grey" Gris

Grey stared at Absolem as he mentioned a fate worse than death. Was he serious? But then that begged the question, what was worse than death. Just thinking about it made him shudder, perhaps it was something that he didn't want to know.

"R-right, got it," he said as the man drifted away.

He began to hum the haunting tune again as he pondered what had just happened. That closeness had been a little odd but then again, what wasn't odd about this place? He had to admit, even though Absolem had been well within his personal space, he hadn't felt threatened by him. Despite the man's curious appearence and his enigmatic nature, Grey felt safe being around him. Could this be because of the contract?

"Well if that's all I need to know then what do we do now?" asked Grey, breaking off the song, cursing the fact that he couldn't remember the lyrics, "Is there somewhere we need to go?"

Cheshire

Once back in the sanctity of his beloved forest he jumped back into his marked tree. A satisfied sigh escaped him as he lay on his familiar branches. His stature was much more relaxed now that he was out from the Queen's palace. He knew when to make a quick get-a-way, especially knowing how his actions were pushing his luck. Not that he was afraid, of course, he was confident in his elusive skills, but nothing beat the ever changing realm he surrounded himself in. Even his tree, though it remained in one place, its leave and markings were in constant flux, as if in dance with eachother. He traced his finger lightly against the bark, savoring the touch.

He looked down below, suddenly remembering the child he procured. She was a boring creature. Her manners and shocking acceptance of her situation frustrated him. He managed to struggle pass that though, knowing it was her acceptance that could possibly save her, Hell, them both, in the future. When everything began it's transformation he wouldn't have to worry because she was flexible and naive, like a little doll. He would guide her when such tasks became apparent, but for now it was interesting watching her cling to his every word and see what she would do with his words later on.

In the meantime, to keep things peaceful between them, no one listens to someone who doesn't give answers, he would keep her complacent. He remembered her questions as he took his leave from the palace: "Don't...you want to leave?" He hung upside-down from his branch, his attention now solely on her. "Don't be silly," he laughed. Flipping off his branch he lands before the girl. Before she has time to react, he takes her by the arms and jumps back up into his tree, "This is a privilege girl. No one comes in Cheshire's tree," he said, sitting her down upon his perch. He blows at the colourful leaves that had grown back since his last 'attack' when the White Rabbit first arrived. "Now look," he ordered, pointing out into his realm. His finger traced the sky, guiding her eyes across the fields of singing flowers to the amusing, arguing clouds and rays of light and over the horribly ugly, yet wildly bright creatures within the hazy mushroom patch. "This is my Wonderland. Tell me, child, why would I leave?"

He looked over his kingdom in pride. Nothing would make him leave this place. He savored the uncertainty of his Wonderland, the beautiful surprises and the just plain strangeness of his realm. His thoughts soon paused however, as he gazed further out into the world. Things were in motion now and though his beloved change was already occurring, something troubled him deeply within. His Wonderland was growing unsteady, not that it wasn't steady to begin with, but he could sense..something. His forest spoke to him, the air and foliage whispering him horrid tales of darkness and decay. There was a disease spreading and force witch accompanied it made him shiver.

He dragged his gaze away and looked over the girl. He hoped she would remain so accepting, regardless of how irksome it was. She would need this..skill. Soon. "Ever heard of the Jabberwocky?"

Scared and alone.

Gina's world was black.

It was not simply dark, for even in darkness there is always some light...no, this was an absence of light so pure..it was just black. And in it there was the t͏̤̣̫h͎̟̥̝i̙͈̟n̨̥͇͓g͉̮̘̯͠. She didn't know what it was...only that it whispered things to her, sometimes it hurt her, but then it made the hurt go away. It told her about how her mother hated her, about how daddy stayed away because she was a filthy pig. She cried sometimes. But the whispers never stopped. It told her how much worse things would be, about how mommy would leave...daddy had a new family someplace else...MrTibbs would get ran over. She cried.

Then it let her feel pain.

First she thought it was like a skinned knee, but it was EVERYWHERE. Her body hurt so much, she felt raw and sore. The skin had to be on fire, her screams couldn't even stop the whispers. Still they went on. And on. a̴͚̙̗n̫̤̯ḍo̡̺̬n̡.̲̮͈̩̭a̤̦̖͈̹̱n̞͉͎̪̹̭d̶o̩n̞̩͙͙͖̫̦͘.̮a͚̰̭n̜d̷̠͉͚̳̬̣̗o͉̲n.̞̩a͕̻̞͈̟͇n̹̣̫͖d͇̹̲͈̭ͅͅơ̦̖̠ͅn̸͕͓͚͕̺͕.̲̼͈̪̦̳̭a̘͝n͓̤͎̮̕ͅḍ̼o͎̤n̙̼̞̻͡.̠̤̠͕̩͎a̷̙nd̸͉̯o̟̩͙͚͘n̙̳̳̳͇͡.̶̗̮̱̟a̲͈͇̣̼̤n̷̳̝̪̦͙̠d̬͔̱ǫ̦n̦̺͇.̨̪a̧͈̳͎̩n̦̞̟̫̪͖ͅd̥̗̗͉̖o̴n̛̝͚̗̞.̮̺̥̰ͅ

Then it stopped. The pain went away. The whispers said it could stay gone. It could feel good instead.

The wind felt warm, like in summer time. Her feet felt wet, like when she was at the beach. It was just like she remembered it. If not for the whispers it would be like when her daddy had surprised her with a trip to the beach! She had so much fun that day, the sand squished between her toes, the sun on her back. The water had been so nice, just cool enough. She built a sand castle that day.

When she opened her eyes there was her castle. And a doll. It was an ugly doll, all black with tatters of white clinging to it like shed skin. It made her scared. She wanted her daddy to take it away, but there was no one. Just her, the doll and her castle. A wall of darkness seemed to press in from all sides, held back by the castle's walls. She didn't know it..but this place was her only hope.

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

The beast made it's way through the woods, riding the monster-dog like one would a horse; it was big enough for the task by now. As the pair moved they spread decay in their wake. Flowers wilted, trees fell black, animals scattered..only to return moments later, infected. Like a plague-bearer the thing that once had been Gina spread the Jabberwocky's essence across Wonderland's forest. Death followed closely for those that seemed immune.

One such individual was a lizard. His name was Bill.

Bill never had good luck. His job had been lost, no need for a chimney sweep, they said, especially one who drank to much. It was in a drunken stupor that the girl-thing came upon him. Bill sat, head between his knees on a stump, bottle in hand. He belched wetly, wiping his mouth before looking up and frowning at the rider. Strong drink kept him numb from fear, as the being extended one hand towards him. And nothing happened.

With a frown, and a second gesture with her hand, the skeletal rider sighed...and moved along. Bill was confused, and was ready for another drink...when they fell on him. What had once been small forest creatures were now violent killing beasts. Teeth, claws..they ripped at him, gouging out great chunks of meat. Blood sprayed everywhere as arteries were shredded. Bill never even knew what had happened. The shredded pulp that remained of his body would be unrecognizable, if not for his hat, left soaking in a pool of blood.

And the rider moved on.

Duchess Sophie

The Duchess had been observing the candidates carefully, trying to decide not which one would have the best chance of winning but which one would need her help the most. At last her eyes fell upon a girl with silver hair. She could tell with one glance that this one needed teaching in the ways of ladylike behaviour.

"Come along my son," she said, stepping forward, "I fear that there is a tremendous amount of work to be done with this girl."

Silently she stopped behind the girl, arranging her dress neatly and tidying her son's hair before coughing quietly to announce her prescence.

"Hello my dear," she said majestically, "My name is Duchess Sophie Vespre but you may address me as the Duchess."

She hoped that she had succeeded in appearing grand and noble.

"This here is my son." she continued, gesturing to her boy and was dismayed to find that he had started reading one of his books again.

It was terribly rude of him to be reading infront of company, she really thought she had taught him better, she had half a mind to set the infernal thing on fire but there were more important things to attend to.

"There is a game about to begin and if you want to have any hope of surviving then you'll need to form a contract with me," said the Duchess, hoping that she wasint sounding too pushy, "I'll explain more once we get to my home, by the way, what's your name dear?"

Belca had been sitting quietly on the floor, trying to get her bearings back. She had been walking for so long without any idea where she was - even the goddamned walls weren't there!

"Wall scum." she snapped at no one in particular, slumping a little more.

"Hello my dear,"

Belca snapped her head around so quickly she could hear her neck crack a bit. Massaging it, she scowled heavily at the woman that had appeared beside her all of a sudden ... how did that even make sense?
That's right, it didn't.

"What the fuck? Where did you come from? And what the hell are you wearing?" she barked, taking in the woman's weird attire. Who the hell wore a dress nowadays anyway? Was this person mad or something?

"My name is Duchess Sophie Vespre but you may address me as the Duchess."

"The heck do I care for your name." she grumbled.

"This here is my son."


Belca appraised the 'son' who had his face buried in a book and smirked. Somehow it seemed familiar ... the pose, that is. Not the boy.

Speaking of which, wasn't the woman too young to have a son?

"There is a game about to begin and if you want to have any hope of surviving then you'll need to form a contract with me, I'll explain more once we get to my home, by the way, what's your name dear?"

A game? She had been right. This woman was a psycho.

"How about you tell me what's going on before that? Lets lay aside the name business for a second and get this out into the open. I think you are an insane person who somehow managed to give me amnesia and get me here. And I highly doubt this 'game' you are talking about is a normal, healthy one. You are probably going to whip out a knife and propose a game of Hide and Seek as soon as I say yes." She vaguely remembered something like that she had read in a book sometime, and although the memory was very faint, like trying to remember a dream you had as a child, it bothered her somewhat that she could remember trivial things like this and yet nothing about herself. She glared at the woman, hand tightening on her sword. It gave her familiarity and comfort - not to mention confidence. She felt that she could take down anything as long as she had it in her hands.

It might have been that added confidence that gave her enough power to snarl at the woman rudely. Who cared? If this was the person responsible for her predicament, she was going to tear her apart, slowly and painfully.

"Also, don't call me dear, you psycho freak with a costume fetish."

The White Rabbit didn't bother to look behind him, he knew the Hare and Dormouse would follow him once he got the pace going. The albino jerked out his pocket watch and looked at it stricken. If he didn't speed up, he might just be late.

Oh dear, oh dear...

"Do hurry up, March!" Shouted Rabbit, his head turned towards his shoulder, "What will the Queen say when she sees that we're.. well, we're... late!"
He shuddered when he said the last word, dread sank into his petite being and the twisting sensation returned to the pit of his stomach. The Palace was only a few metres away, it was in the middle of Lake Lacie, but every minute walking felt like an eternity. Without a moment's warning, picked up his feet and ran towards their destination. Wind tangled about his limbs as the boy somersaulted in the air and landed back down on the earth; white fur had sprouted all over the surface of his extended ears and body, which was only about 30 centimetres long. He bounded towards the entrance of the Palace, transformed back and waited patiently for the Hare to catch up.

Once she did, Rabbit pushed open the large double doors and waved a hand towards one of the black butterflies that were fluttering all around the entrance hall.

"Where is the Queen and the Chains?"
"In the Tea Garden."
"Thank you, Kuro."

Once the quick conversation finished, Rabbit strided hastily in the direction of the desired room. The boy did not have any need for the butterfly's instructions, he knew the Palace of Hearts from the back of his hand. However, the one thing they he couldn't recall being on the back of his hand was the large square of white that seemed to be cutting out a chunk from one of the Tea Garden's dainty white walls. Light spilled from the image and poured into the room, making the room look that much brighter. Rabbit peered into the square and realised that several people had already settled themselves inside the strange room, this included a few chains who were already conversing with the others, they were strangers he had never seen before. If they were residents of Wonderland, Rabbit would've identified them almost immediately; There were no walls or ceiling to speak of. The albino's wide-eyed stare then turned back to the Queen who had still seated herself in the Tea Garden.

"Wha- What..?" Stammered Rabbit, and then glanced back towards the strange area.

Seeing a boy with white hair Ariana's curiosity got the best of her and she walked over to where he was. She was about to speak when she looked behind him and saw a woman with two other people, "Oh...I didn't mean to interrupt anything." Ariana turned around and began walking away looking for a entrance that would lead her out of the place they were in. I'll just find a way out myself.

Duchess Sophie

The Duchess winced as the girl swore at her. It appeared she had her work cut out for her if she was to turn this foul mouthed creature into a real lady.

"Honestly now," she said fixing the girl in her gaze, "There's no need for that kind of language."

She had to admit, the remark about her clothing had cut a little deep, it wasn't nice to insult a lady's appearance.

"I must say, your manners are atrocious," continued the Duchess, "Were you never told that if you have nothing nice to say then don't speak?"

Really, all she had wanted was to politely introduce herself and then explain things once they were somewhere more comfortable, perhaps over a cup of tea. She could see however that the stubborn girl had no intention of going anywhere untill she had some answers.

"I was not the one who brought you here or gave you your amnesia," said the Duchess, trying her hardest to speak warmly and calmly despite the child's verbal offense, "I also have no intention of harming you, such behaviour would be unbecoming of a lady such as myself."

A small noise behind her made her pause as her son shifted his position and turned a page in his book.

"You were right about the game though," added the Duchess, "It's most unusual. Nine others besides you were brought here by the Queen of Hearts and you are each meant to contract with one of the chains of Wonderland, I myself am one such chain. The chains and contracters then have to battle the other pairs untill one pair is left, the ones that lose are sent to the lower levels, let me assure you, it's somewhere you don't want to go. Please believe me when I say that neither of us has a choice in this and it is for both of our benefit that I request you contract with me."

There, she had said all she could with as much passion as she could bear, her eyes were nearly overflowing with tears as she begged the girl to accept but all in all it came down to the girl and whatever decision she made.


Isaiah "Grey" Gris

Grey had to supress a gasp as his body floated into the air, it was a most perculiar feeling but then he realised it was Absolem who was doing it. Soon after, the man explained about his ability and how Grey himself would develop something similar.

"I wonder what kind of ability I'll have," thought Grey before he was nearly dragged off his feet by Absolem.

Hurrying to keep up he began to look around, was it his imagination or was the scenery changing for once? He couldn't be sure. As the pair continued on their way he started trying to think of something to say but all that came to him was another riddle.

"The rich man needs it, the poor man has it and the dead eat it, what is it?" Grey asked Absolem, not really expecting an answer, "Where exactly are we going if you don't mind me asking."

Alde raised her brows as little Rabbit burst in.

"Go on." she muttered, this was going to be interesting. "We see Mad Hatter is not present. We shall deal with him later. For now, why do you not take his place in the Game? Convince one of them to contract you if you don't want to be sent to the Lower Level." She sipped her tea, not bothering to give any further explanation to the bewildered rabbit.



Belca frowned. This lady ....

Well, it was apparent this was all the answer she was going to get, at least for now. And that she couldn't intimidate her. If she couldn't intimidate her, maybe she should try not offending her either, not too much, at least ....

Like Hell that was going to happen! She snorted. Too much being the keyword here.

She weighed the situation silently. She was stuck here, with no memories and no idea how to get out of here. She didn't know if the garbage this woman was spouting was just that ... garbage, or not, but it would seem she didn't really have much of a choice.

"I wouldn't know if they had." she snorted. "And I don't believe you, but since this seems to be the only choice left to me if I don't want to wander around this room forever, I'll go with it for now. What do I have to do and how to do it? Also, who is this Queen of Hearts? She brought me here right? That means she is powerful ... more so than you, probably? WHat are Chains? What's a Contract and what does it ensue?" she fired in rapid succession, before suddenly stifling a yawn. "Man, am I tired. I have been walking around here forever, you know. Maybe I should take you up on that offer of going to your place or somewhere we can sit down. But don't think you can pull a fast one on me. I'm keeping my eyes on you."

Even though they feel like they are about to close any moment now ....

Duchess Sophie

The Duchess blinked at the child before her, really, she was far too direct for her own good. Still, she wasn't going to back down from the challenge. This girl would become a woman whether she liked it or not and the Duchess was determined to enter a contract with her.

"If it's all the same to you, I'd like to start walking back to my home while I explain things to you," said the Duchess, "I'm begining to miss the smell of pepper and would like to rest my feet before this game begins."

Without waiting for an answer she turned on her heels and began to walk away. If the girl chose not to follow her then it would be because of her own stupidity. After a few steps though she looked back and saw that her son had taken the girl by the hand and was leading her along gently.

"Chains are the residents of Wonderland and each of us have certain...abilities," explained the Duchess, if the girl wanted to know more about these abilities then she'd have to compromise, "Before I say another word however, I'd like to know your name,"

The Duchess smiled, she would quite happily give the girl all the information she wanted but she'd have to learn how to use her manners to get it.

Belca spluttered as the boy suddenly caught her hand and began to lead her. Who did he think he was?!

But looking at the woman's retreating back, she decided to stay quite ... for now. What if she decided to leave her behind and vanish? How was she going to get out then? Well, at least this woman wasn't a complete pansy, even if she spoke like one. And dressed like one. And acted like one most of the time. But the fact she hadn't been intimidated by her behaviour must mean there was something else to her... besides, she was curious now. Abilities? What kind of abilities? Where was she?

"I'm Belca. You can call me Your Awesomeness if you want, but its all the same to me, really." she said confidently. She didn't know her real name and couldn't be bothered. She liked this one so all was well. "Where is this? And what's your name?" she directed the last sentence to the boy. The woman hadn't mentioned his name as far as she could remember.

"B-But..." Stuttered Rabbit before sighing in resignation, "Yes, Your Majesty!"

With trembling fingers, he fiddled with his tie - as an attempt to pull it up - before tentatively stepping into the Great Hall. Rabbit would always ponder about the Queen's sometimes reckless decisions but whenever the Lower Level was related, Rabbit understood that no wasn't an option. He had heard terrible stories about the Lower Level and that terrible Jabberwocky; a shiver ran down his spine by just thinking about it. He mentally shook his head, he thanked his tail and whiskers that he was blessed to be living in the more... civilised area of Wonderland.

Where was Hatter anyway? Rabbit knitted his eyebrows together, he couldn't help blaming the odd-bod but if it wasn't for him the small boy wouldn't have to deal with the Queen's game. Even Rabbit had to admit they haven't always been the most fun. If it wasn't for this, all of them could've spent this wonderful afternoon in a tea party. He scanned the area and saw that Absolem had already found his own Contractor - a boy with long silver hair - and watched as the Caterpillar dragged the unlucky fellow out. He had to suppress a chuckle before drifting his attention to the Duchess who was also conversing with another, a girl with a rebellious demeanour. They seemed to be... enjoying themselves. Cheshire was nowhere to be found. He's most likely brought his own child back to that wretched forest. Thought Rabbit.

Only a few where left to be claimed, however one girl brought his interest. She had placed herself quite far away from the rest of them. He strided closer towards her and pushed up the bridge of his gold-rimmed spectacles. Her whole being was themed on the colour white; what with her pale skin, snow-coloured hair and her simple dress. The only exception was her irises, they were a lovely shade of green. Unlike most residents of Wonderland, Rabbit didn't need to tilt his head up in order to look at her. She only looked about one inch taller than himself.

"Why, hello there child." Muttered Rabbit and tried to look as superior as possible; despite being shorter, "I am White Rabbit, it's a pleasure to meet you."
He paused for moment in order to brush minor creases from his shorts.

Now that he was at a distance where he could examine the girl properly, he came to realise that she looked extremely frightened; she was shaking and had kept a firm grip on her dress. Little Rabbit understood how she felt though, he had still managed to hold onto a drop of his humanity. Besides, how else could you react in such circumstances?
"Now don't be afraid." He said tenderly, "What is your name?"

Ivory it has a familiar ring to it, doesn't it?

Ivory's envy-green coloured eyes looked up at the boy, she was sitting down, so she kind of had to tilt her head up, but when she stood, they were practically eye level to eachother. She blinked, he wore shorts, however the rest of the boy in front of her was quite formal. His white hair looked soft and fluffy as if it were fur, and his eyes were red, oddly. She tried not to stare at the boy, her eyes changing their line of sight to the room they were in. I wonder what this place is, how I got here, and why I can't remember any of these things..

She turned her attentoon back to the boy, whom like the others, looked quite strange to be real, but he was far less intimidating, "Rabbit...?" she asked, leaning towards him ever so slightly to begin examining him with child-like awe, then it caught her attention, he was.. She withdrew, puzzled. How did I not notice these features before...? "I see..You are. Nice to meet you I-" she cut off, eyes softening. She didn't really know her true name...how troublesome..

Ivory's eyes widened, her pale cheeks flushing pink, adding a healthy looking gloe to the girl's face when he mentioned her being aftaid. She instantly forced herself to stop trembling, nodding slowly, "S-sorry.." she stuttered. I wonder if he is bothered by it.. I probably made him fee like he's scary looking..

"Ivory I reckon, I don't recall my name..so that was the best I could come up with..but whatever is easiest for you is fine.." She whispered with a small, kind smile, "Why did you call me a child...are you older than you look?" she asked curiously, "I-I hope that wasn't too rude..I just wanted to know also...are you a friend or an enemy?"

The March Hare swung her arms lazily as she followed behind the frantic albino. He was always so hung up on time and tardiness that sometimes she wished that he would just forget about being on time and just waste time like she did nearly everyday. She stretched her arms over her head and paused for a moment before seeing the White Rabbit start to run. Her head tilted to the side and his words drifted over her ears and she sighed. Perhaps she could humor him just this once since they were meeting with the Queen.

“We're not late!” She called as she ran after him. Now the focus of her mind's swimming mess was of the Queen and how much the Hare really hated that woman. She tried to keep her mood calm but it grew more and more difficult. “I like that form better, Rabbit.” She grinned when she saw him transform. She didn't make him wait and quickly caught up and went through the doors after him.

Stepping into the Tea Garden was like stepping into the sun after being underground for far too long. Marchie winced for a moment as her eyes adjusted and she looked around at the people and spotted a couple familiar faces. “Hello!” She smiled brightly saving the Queen for last.

“So,” She turned her body to face the Red Queen, “What is this about a game?” She asked as her head tilted to the side, “And contractors? Why must we be contracted?” She asked curiously. She really wanted to know and rather or not she'd participate with the “game” would all depend on how interesting it sounded.

"S-sorry..."

White Rabbit gazed at her curiously, “Why ever would you be sorry, my dear?” He replied and peered at her from behind his glasses, “It’s hard not to be frightened in such a situation. From my guess, I would think you’re most likely wondering where am I? Who is this weird fellow? How do I get out?”

He slowly treaded a circle around her during his explanation, Rabbit found it extremely difficult to talk without doing anything else. There was always that gnawing thought at the back of his mind that always told him that he was wasting his time or that there was always an important job to do.

His long ears perked up once she had introduced herself, “Ivory, ‘ey? Well, it does fit you almost perfectly,“ Said Rabbit and looked her up once more with a light chuckle, “You don’t remember anything else, you say? That does slightly worry me a bit...”

What has the Queen done to these poor children? He thought forlornly and shook his head. It seemed she has abducted them from their homes and then brainwashed the poor things so that they couldn’t remember even their name. Rabbit used a split second to probe any previous memories where Queen had mentioned such a game before realising that he had been spacing out. He blinked several times before continuing the conversation while still walking around the girl.

“Well, never mind. We can stress about it later. I still have so much to tell you!” Squeaked out Rabbit before coughing it down, “Yes, well, I have probably lived many more years in Wonderland than you have yet to experience as a human!”

That is if you manage to get out of here alive.

“Ho ho, I can assure you that I am as much as a foe than I am blue-eyed!” Said Rabbit and grinned, causing his spectacles to scoot down his nose slightly, “But in all seriousness, I believe I will undoubtedly be one of the most trustworthy companions you will come across around here.”

The albino did a brief glance around the spotless void before reverting his sight back to Ivory,” Hmm, there is still quite a lot to talk about; even I don’t know half of it. Why don’t we pop back in my house? It’ll be much cosier and I’m sure you must be hungry.”

With this, he carefully pressed his gloved hand into the air where it surprisingly melted into the white that was suffocating them from all sides. He reached out his remaining hand towards the girl, indicating that she should grab hold of it.

Once she did, the White Rabbit immediately pull her in along with him; out onto a winding cobblestone path that, which Ivory would soon come to realise, led to his modest abode.