(no subject)

[patchworkcat]

Who: The Cheshire Cat and whoever comes across him
What: Cheshire Cat has appeared, as he is wont to do. He's even fishing!
Where: Jabberwock Island, beach
Warnings: Cheshire is being Cheshire, and thus cryptic and mindfucky

[ Some time after they open the music venue, beach house and the ranch, Cheshire can be found on the beach. Sort of. He's waded into the water, and is fishing with his paws. Sitting patiently, he seems to be deep in concentration. ]

Comments

[miseris_socios]

No, I'm good. So where's the Mad Hatter? And who's the Queen of Hearts?

[patchworkcat]

Not here! Just me, the Rabbit, Jabberwock and all you Alices!

[ Whether that means there is an actual Jabberwock here or if he just means the island is ambiguous. But he's going to shove the fish under his hood and slurp it up whole. ]

[miseris_socios]

[Ew. But whatever, he's a cat.]

Have there been Alices here before?

[patchworkcat]

Depends on what'cha mean! Which 'here' are you talking about?

[miseris_socios]

Traveling the Hearts. Finding keys.

[patchworkcat]

Wouldn't be a fun game if you were the only ones to ever play. At least for me! Mweehee!

[ He has no reason to lie. It's obvious, isn't it? From how he and Rabbit act. They've both done this before.

Probably multiple times. ]

[miseris_socios]

I figured, but I had to ask. So is that the only reason you do this? For fun?

[patchworkcat]

I wonder.

[ In other words, he's hit on a subject the Cat won't answer. Instead... ]

...Hey, Alice. You're used to all kindsa horrors, right? Wonder if you've even got enough left to be worth anythin'.

[miseris_socios]

[It's good to know where those topics are, at least.]

To be entertaining to you? I don't know. The others won't take them well. But if you're looking for reactions from me...

[He shrugs. He's... honestly not sure what could horrify him anymore. He's seen too much. He's done too much. He has a brief moment where he can hear a mechanical whirring in the back of his mind, a memory, before it's drowned out by someone hugging him, someone fighting with him. No. He won't be afraid of something like that again, because he's stronger than all of that.]

[patchworkcat]

To be of any real use to anyone.

[ He'll grin, but then quickly change topics again. ]

...Y'know, Alice. I like you. I got all dolled up before for someone else, but they didn't even stop by to say hi as they left. So I've been itchin' to show off. You wouldn't mind it, would you?

[miseris_socios]

[He opens his mouth to protest, but shuts it again. It's probably not worth arguing with the cat. The question makes him suspicious, though. ... This isn't going to be good, is it?]

For the Rabbit, right? ... It depends what you want to show off.

[patchworkcat]

Nah, I hardly do anythin' for that Rabbit unless it directly benefits me.

[ But then he'll reach up and, quite suddenly, push back his hood and reveal the horrifying, patchwork mess that is his face. Discolored flesh has been sewn back in place on half of it, and his eye is quite clearly hollow and gouged out. He has two black cat ears on top of his head--amidst black-and-white hair. His one eye is golden and cat-like, and his mouth is very clearly far too wide and inhuman. And those teeth are awfully sharp. Heck, his skin is far too pale where it's not discolored. ]

That hood gets reeeaaally stuffy, y'know~? But most people can't handle something so grotesque that it looks like a corpse.

[miseris_socios]

[... He just stares for a moment, before his face goes back to a neutral expression. Really? Is that it? That's not nearly as bad as some of Jason's surgeries. Sure, he smells terrible, but how many rotten meals did he fish out of the garbage for three years? How many nutrition bars did he choke down, even knowing what they were made of?]

No, they can't. But for a corpse, you don't look too bad.

[patchworkcat]

Thanks! I worked really hard to piece this face together after that Rabbit took such a big bite out of it!

[ He's really proud. But he does note Ken's internal reaction and grin. ]

And you don't have to hold all that nasty emotion in, either. It doesn't matter with us, Alice.

[miseris_socios]

And I'm sure he's not happy about you taking a bite of his ear either.

[But if that's true, then the Rabbit is probably more dangerous than he appears. ... Of course he is, but more dangerous than Ken thought, at least.]

Well, you smell pretty terrible. Aren't cats supposed to be tidy?

[He's more of a dog person, anyway.]

[patchworkcat]

[ ...A grin flickers further across his face. ]

No, the Rabbit is the worst of them all.

[ That's all he's going to say. ]

[miseris_socios]

[... Right. He can't let his guard down. They're both like the Admins, aren't they?]

Well, I suppose his hair could use more brushing. But you could use a bath.

[And he reaches out to shove the Cat into the water.]

[patchworkcat]

[ In the few seconds it would take to even push the cat, he ducks out of the way--inhumanly fast. And instead, Ken will find there are claws at his neck. ]

Sorry. That's off-limits, Alice.

[miseris_socios]

[He flinches, but then forces himself to calm down and he just smiles. Welp.]

I was only trying to be helpful. You won't make many friends with that stink, Cat.

[NOT HERE]

[apatheticguide]

[ In the distance, the White Rabbit can be heard legitimately giggling with laughter at the situation unfolding in front of him on the beach. It's quiet and contained, but just loud enough to be made out--he didn't succeed, sure, and why would he have, it's Cheshire, but...

Wow, this kid has guts.

That earns some points in his book. ]

[patchworkcat]

Why do ya think I care about something as transient as friends?

[ He'll snicker, meow, then leap back a few feet away. ]

[miseris_socios]

It might be nice. They could be helpful.

[But maybe they'd just go away, like all of the Alices do...]

[patchworkcat]

There's only one person you can ever depend on looking out for you, Alice, and that's yourself. I haven't met a person in the world who doesn't have an ulterior motive.

[miseris_socios]

You must not have met many people, then. There's a lot of good people out there.

[patchworkcat]

I've met plenty of people, kid. Been around an awful long time, after all. But even the people who're being nice? Want somethin'.