BETA ROUND 1 WEEK 3: RETURNING TO THE HUB

[apatheticguide]

Who: The White Rabbit, and the Alices.
What: Everyone has returned from Sasuke's Heart. In... a... state. Of some sort.
Where: The World's Hub.
Warnings: None for the moment, although it looks like there might be more potential for violence, given the explosion a supposedly nice easy school break turned into. As before, any powers, strange abilities, items, or effects from Sasuke's World will have worn off or been left behind once back in the main hub, unless a change is otherwise noted to be permanent. All powers will go back to being nullified.

When they all return this time, the White Rabbit is more than unhappy; he's caught between what seems to be hopelessly gloomy, and livid, leaving him in a miserable state to rival the Alices themselves. In particular, when he locks eyes with Harley, Liao, and Lalli, he outright glares, muttering under his breath repeatedly.

"You're finally back. No thanks to SOME of you, it seems you have the next World Key in hand. ... Hand it over already."

He insists this impatiently, tapping his foot, red eyes seemingly boring into whichever one of them ended up with the Key, in the end. For whatever reason, he seems in quite a hurry to get them to hand it over.

"It will take me some time to open the next Door, so the sooner you ignoramuses give it to me, the sooner you can go home and the sooner I can get some peace."

Judging by his current mood, it would probably not be wise to poke at the Rabbit, but you're free to try anyway. He might be a bit unpredictable...

[ OOC: Starting with this log onward, characters will be chilling in the Hub for 3 OOC days, so they may do whatever they please during this time, including revisiting previous places they were just in. Starting from now on, each World will run for 2 weeks. OOC World information and Returning to the Hub Logs will go up 12AM on Friday, giving everyone 3 days to backtag, finish up, get additional CR, plot, and what-have-you. The World will then open up to be posted to with a Mingle log the following Monday, by the character whose Heart they're exploring. ]

Comments

[miseris_socios]

No, but I'm going to try to pull them together, one way or another. If that means I have to drag them into it, then I will.

[He tucks his hands into his jacket, sighing. He... kind of misses the ears and tail.]

They're idiots, but they're idiots that have to work together.

[apatheticguide]

[ He scoffs. ]

It's pointless to continue to do this... bothersome... you continue to create a mess, and I have to clean it up. And now look at what I have to deal with... you are all pushed back...

[miseris_socios]

I've been trying to clean up the mess. It's like herding cats to get them to get in line. I'm the youngest and they're the ones acting childish.

[Though whining about it isn't particularly mature either...]

[apatheticguide]

[ ... He sighs gloomily. ]

What a pointless hassle this has all become. The Alices are a wreck, hanging on by mere threads... I suppose fighting this, too, is pointless. Predetermined outcomes cannot be fought.

[miseris_socios]

... I'll pull them together. They have to see that we can't do this alone. Otherwise we're all going to break down.

[apatheticguide]

I have doubts. A glass half full can't tell a glass half empty how to feel about itself, you know. Trying to tell someone what to do can be impossible. ... But you should try. You will need their help.

[ He knows he will. ]

[miseris_socios]

I know. We're all going to need each other's help. The things we see... aren't easy.

If it's not... against the rules or something... can you tell us which Heart's door is next? It might help us prepare.

[apatheticguide]

I could not. Even if I did know.

[ He has no idea, it seems. Sorry, Ken. ]

[miseris_socios]

I thought I'd ask.

... I don't suppose you know of any way to shut the Cat up either, huh?

[apatheticguide]

If I knew that, I would not have to put up with him, would I?

[ You can practically hear the loathing in his voice, now. This is one of the rare times he shows emotion in it. ]

[miseris_socios]

I figured. At least I can find a bucket somewhere, probably. That cat needs a bath.

[apatheticguide]

[ ... He pinches the bridge of his nose. ]

That... is the result of what he has done. The decay was neither obvious nor disgusting before, but he has always had a penchant for the stealing of things, and he recently decided to take it upon himself to replace what was missing...

I'm afraid it would not help.

[miseris_socios]

So he replaced his own scent with a corpse scent? I dunno, maybe giving him a good dunking could help scrub a little bit of it off...

[He's starting to grin a little bit.]

[apatheticguide]

... If you don't understand... ask him yourself. He will likely only find your attempt amusing.

[ That's all he can say. It's not his place. ]

... He has been this way for a long, long time.

[miseris_socios]

Everyone can change, though... it's definitely possible. I've seen it happen.

[apatheticguide]

[ He falls silent for a long moment. ]

... What makes you believe... we have not changed already?

[miseris_socios]

Maybe you have. That doesn't mean you can't change more.

[apatheticguide]

... It isn't a matter of personality qualities. I do not think you understand what you are talking about.

[ He lets out one of his typical, overly-gloomy sighs. ]

You are one of those "glass half full" sorts, Alice. You would likely never understand. ... But let me pose you a theoretical game a certain irritating Cat likes to play: If faced with a terrible decision, a decision of "change or perish", which would you pick?

Would you not desire to persist? Have you not looked death in its face and laughed? ... Or perhaps sighed, on many occasions. While you may be accustomed to being brought back due to circumstance, not everyone is like you. Not everyone was so fortunate.

[miseris_socios]

[His expression shifts, becoming more serious. Really? Even with that...]

At home I wouldn't be brought back at all. I don't know if I'd count as 'glass half full' yet. I'm trying, but...

[Well. Determination and optimism aren't the same thing.]

A while ago, I would have said 'perish' under a lot of circumstances. Now... 'change'. Probably. It depends what I'd change into.

[apatheticguide]

... Then you're just like him, and have no room to judge him so harshly.

[ He's being honest. ]

I would think about that, next time you talk to him. He might be disgusting, but he, too, is a guide here. He is here for a reason.

[miseris_socios]

... Am I?

[Now there's a thought.]

Oh yeah? What's he supposed to guide us to?

[Is it a hatred of cats?]