seaofhearts | Bad Dog

[Harley hadn't seen this coming. She wasn't sure if any of them had seen this coming. After Sasuke's Heart, things had maybe even looked up a little, courtesy of the little pizza party on the beach of Hinata's Heart.

But this... She can only stare in horror as Rahti, Rahti who was always smiling and chasing things... who was always seeing the positive in the grimmest of situations, attacked the Cat. Harley doesn't know what abilities the girl has, but here in the Hub they are all the same and powerless against their guides. She didn't have a prayer, and yet she'd reacted and there was no coming back. The Cat allows her attack, but overpowers and outpaces her, his claws tearing quickly and efficiently through her body.

Harley's hands clamp over her mouth, eyes wide as she chokes back a sound of horror. She hadn't expected the guides to be harmless, but this?]

Oh, kid...

[Sure, she's seen worse... Hell, she's done worse... but never to someone she'd consider an innocent kid. ~~Tim Drake didn't count.~~ But then the Cat defiles Rahti's body and removes her eye, plopping it into his open socket and looking at them with a newly mismatched set.

Unbidden, a jingle comes to mind and she whispers it under her breath.]

Jeepers creepers... where'd you get them peepers... [She laughs, but it's a broken sound and she quickly muffles it under her hands. A competition, huh? One down...]

Edited 2016-01-26 09:08 (UTC)

[In his long years of battles and war Liao has seen death come to all, even children. When on the battlefield he only focuses on the objective, and spares not even a glance behind at the carnage he leaves behind when he charges into the fray. Soldiers have whispered that he's numb to the sight of blood and death, otherwise how could he just rip through the ranks like they're made of paper, no remorse, no disgust, no fear?

They're wrong though. Liao isn't immune to the violence when it's inflicted on the innocent, on those that cannot fight back. He listened to the stories of the sacking of Luoyang with horror, felt sorrow when the streets are lined with begging and starving mothers, and pained at the little bodies trampled on the ground, some in the arms of their broken parents, some perished alone during the mad pursuit of Liu Bei at Changban Bridge.

But he's always borne his grief privately, never allowing a single tear to fall, breathing not a single word of mourning, of questioning his role in all these senseless murders. It is the way of the warrior to be strong. To never show emotions and weakness, to handle sadness and despair within while bravely confronting the sorrows of this world. Being crippled by emotions was the worse way a warrior could go; his world, his time would've swallowed up any lesser man than that.

So that's why when Rahti is brutally eviscerated by the Cat, he doesn't appear to grieve at all. His eyes had widened with horror at how she'd been killed, and when the Cat stood up to greet them with a savage smile and a new red eye his hands had tightened into fists, knuckles white and popping. He's shocked, stunned at how fast it had all played out. Like the harsh winds that swept the Northern Plains, Rahti's death came out of nowhere and slammed into them, leaving them speechless and reeling in the wake of the gale.

Was there a need for her to die? ...no. She did make a stupid, impulsive move to attack the Cat. There would be consequences for provoking forces that they did not fully understand. But there was no need to deliberately egg her on. No need to desecrate her corpse, to take her eye.

He should've stopped her. Why couldn't he stop her? He has all this strength and might in his body, people whisper about him as a demon on the battlefield, and yet he could not even prevent a young girl from such a senseless fate.

Harley's broken laughter shocks him out of his daze. He turns to her, wondering if she's seeking comfort. Can he even comfort her? He couldn't even stop her from snapping and attacking Lalli in Sasuke's heart. If he can't calm down her temper, how can he offer solace? His eyes go back to Rahti's bloody corpse lying behind Chesire. He can't...he can't just leave her there like that. Not out in the open, not anywhere near the Cat.

He begins to walk towards her, and that path will lead him pass the Cat. His voice is controlled and calm, his expression stoic, nearly devoid of emotion.]

You've proven your point. [And if the Cat doesn't stop him, he'll bend down to shut her eyelids, hiding the bloody socket, and then pick up her body with a care that's almost at odds with his callused, rough hands.]

Hey. Where are you going with that? Not like you can do anything with her. There's no way to bury her and you don't have the tools to burn her. And besides, this is a Dream!

[ All of the usual casual mirth and sadism is gone. Instead, this seems to be the Cat at his most serious. With his claws bloody and his newfound eye taking them all in. Ah, it's so good to be able to see out of two eyes again! ]

All you can do is leave her to me. Not like the Rabbit can move! And besides, it's her own fault. Regardless of what I said, she'd still have attacked. This place has rules, after all, and breaking them results in punishment!

[ He'll wave a claw around like it's a finger as he trails after Liao, because that body shouldn't be his. It's the Cat's prize, and really, how is anyone going to dispose of it? ]

No matter what you do, she's not gonna wake up ever again, anyway.

[He'd stayed where he was, watching Rahti. It's not like he hadn't thought of doing the same, but... death is permanent here. Probably. It hasn't proven to be otherwise yet.]

[Ken takes it all in as they watch Rahti attack, and the Cat retaliate. And then the Cat turns back to them with her eye in his socket and he growls slightly. He steps in between Liao and the Cat, trying to block the Cat's way.]

You've done enough, Cat. She was one of us, not your toy. Leave us alone. You've done enough damage.

[The ruckus outside is part of what finally draws him out of his room, the darkness still clinging to him, if not quite to the same extent. He's there to watch the fight - if it could really be called that - with a scowl on his face, and only a mild grimace as Rahti falls. As her eye is taken, he turns away, shutting the door with a quiet click behind his back.

So. This is what happens when he withdraws. People (or creatures, in this case) do reckless things and get themselves killed by the cat. Would it have been any different if he hadn't been hiding away? Maybe, maybe not.

It's another addition to his long list of regrets regardless.

He won't give any indication of his presence, remaining silent where he stands for the time being, refusing to look at the corpse.]

[Coping was something Harley wasn't doing all that well at all, and it's not improving as, one by one, the entire group begins to gather. She feels Liao looking at her, but her gaze is locked in the Cat and she's doing her best to keep from sputtering.

Laughing won't help. Has laughing really ever helped or did she just hide behind it to ignore what was happening around her? To ignore pain in its many forms...

Liao has picked up Rahti's corpse, and Ken has moved between them and the Cat as if to prevent him from claiming the girl. And she can't help herself, because it's almost habitual to throw in some joke or comment. Looking right at the Cat, she speaks softly between the fingers still covering her mouth.]

I tawt I taw a puttytat... [Only Rahti never would... Rahti would never see anything again... A soft sound and a tighter clamping of her hands, until...] What's new, pussycat? [She can't look away from Cat and his newly mismatched pair of eyes, although she doesn't speak the next one, just thinks it.

Eye can't help it if my jokes keep gettin' cornea...]

[Like some others, Lalli Hotakainen is used to death. He's used to quick death. It's not as if the forces of nature are considerate enough to give warning before they sink their unholy claws into you. And yes, the Cat is officially a force of nature in Lalli's mind now; before he was just an enemy, an annoyance at best and a serious problem at worst, but... that implies that he can be defeated somehow. Just like any other enemy. Rahti has showed them all now that this isn't true.]

[The best that can be done now is survive. And for those who didn't survive, give them a proper send-off.]

[For anyone who happened to witness him doing the same thing to the phantom corpses in Hinata's heart, this might seem familiar. Lalli attempts to get the body set gently onto the ground. He kneels next to it... and pulls out a fancy ceremonial knife.]

[If no one intervenes, he's just going to sit down right there and cut her down to the bones.]

[ It's the cat who intervenes. Gone in an instant, he'll now be leaning over Lalli, reaching out with his still-bloody paw to grab his arm and stop him. ]

Hey. Why are you doing that? It's not like her corpse is actually here, you know. That's not how Dreams work, right?

[Lalli stops. The knife is halfway to Rahti's chest. He looks at the smear of blood left by the Cat's paw, and then his gaze turns upward to the Cat itself.]

[Lalli looks him straight in the eyes (he has two eyes now!) and hisses.]

[ That is when the door on the opposite side of the room will open entirely on its own, without anyone's hands on it. The White Rabbit will walk through it.

Lalli will find his hands releasing from what they are doing, and the knife will fall to the ground. An intense pressure settles over the room; everyone, except the Cheshire Cat, of course, will find their bodies incapable of movement, except for speaking and breathing. ]

... I am... disappointed... in all of you. These are not the actions I asked of you while I was attempting to finish what needed to be done. And you... that is quite enough. You have done enough damage here. I think it is obvious how they feel about you.

[ He gives the Cat a pointed look. He will bend down over Rahti's body now, himself, and bring it into his arms, picking her corpse up. ]

... I will take care of her. She need not be defiled any further.

[And here comes Lalli with his big ole knife, looking ready to filet Rahti out like Hannibal fucking Lecter. Harley isn't sure what's going to happen, but his words run a chill down the length of her spine and she falls still. All laughter seems to have slipped free and her hands slowly drop to her sides.

She didn't miss the implication of Cat's words, and it seems like Ken didn't either. She's not moving yet, but she's breathing a little faster.]

It ain't here... [A little louder, because this was a game changer if it meant what she thought it meant.] Wha' d'ya mean... her corpse ain't actually here? Is it there? [Back home in the waking world where they thoughts themselves safe... after all, this was all only a dream at the end of the day, right? Oh, God...

~~Does it matter, Harley? Not like Mistah J ever misses ya anyway... went weeks without talkin' ta ya... Does it matter if this is a dream or real?~~

And then Rabbit walks into the room and she can't move, a sudden pressure building around her in the Hub. Breathing becomes harder and she can't move, but she can see that Rabbit now has Rahti in his arms and can only hope they gat an answer..]

[Ken moves to step closer, but suddenly he can't. He can't and the Rabbit's talking and he could speak but the only thing he could say would be to demand answers from the Cat. But the Rabbit did this and they're both powerful, too powerful and dangerous. And he can't fight them on their own ground, not without more time and resources and he's not sure if he can come up with a big plan on his own and -]

[And the fact that he can't move is making him panic a little, and he can feel it building up in his chest and it's making him have flashbacks to horrible things in the Tower, of being strapped down and forced to watch and he can feel the hands on him, the knife on him, and it's all he can do to force a single choked word past his lips as he tries to calm himself and take deep breaths.]

No!

[He needs to move, he needs to get away, he needs to intervene, but having no movement, no chance to act at all is horrific and he can't stand it.]

[Defiled? Defiled?!]

[Since his face is apparently the only thing still capable of movement, anyone facing him will enjoy an expression of Pure Fury taking over Lalli's features. So pure, in fact, that I don't even have a proper icon for it.]

What are you doing to her?

[ Oh. Oh, this is good. These pesky little Alices got the damn Rabbit to move. But he doesn't miss the implications. ]

...Guess my job here's done. Mweehee! I'll be a good sport and get that girl's Key for you all while you guys get the one in the next World.

[ With a meow, the cat will just vanish, off to do who knows what. ]

[ He straightens, lifting her weight... perhaps too easily for someone as small and young looking as he is, but... when he looks at Lalli in particular, his eyes narrow further.

He ignores Cheshire entirely.

If he feels even the slightest tinge of upset about Ken's reaction, he doesn't comment. There's something else he must address at hand. ]

... Imbecile. You have no idea how this World works. What do you think I'm doing? There's nowhere to take care of it here. Think before you act. Even then... this is just a Dream. But if you die here... what do you think happens?

In the Alice Worlds, the stakes aren't quite so high. But if you die here--outside someone's Heart... I cannot just bring you back. It's against the rules. ... So is attacking the guides.

[Harley doesn't have to see Ken to recognized the sound of his voice, and while there is some crazy shit happening right now, her attention instead focuses on that. While, yes, she is trained to handle this sort of thing professionally, she also understands it personally.

She understands confinement... She understands being strapped down and held against one's will... She's gotten it with a straight jacket and leather cuffs in the past and sometimes, when she was extra good, they didn't include electroshock therapy.]

Ken... Ken, listen ta me... Ya need ta breathe. [Her voice is calm, despite everything happening around them. One might think that this is something she is fairly well versed in and they'd be correct.]

Ya ain't there, Ken... This ain't the Tower. [She didn't know all the horrid he'd faced there, but she was relatively certain it was his current trigger.] Ya ain't there anymore... Focus on me an' the sound of my voice... Ya need ta breathe in slow, okay? I'm going ta count ta ten, and yer gonna breathe in with me... And then exhale the same way, okay?

1...2... [She counts her way up to ten, paying no attention to the others just now. When she hits ten, she begins to count down just as slowly so Ken can slow and time his breathing.]

[Just a dream, huh.]

...so, we're sleeping. Somewhere.

And this is our Dream?

What else would "Dream" imply, Alice?

[ Come on, now. This is child's play, Lalli. ]

... Did you never stop to think why each of you can understand one another with little to no effort? Or how strange the Alice Worlds are? Of course it is.

[Lalli chooses to ignore the Rabbit's criticism, though he definitely hears it.]

[He's angry at himself too now. Why didn't he clarify that sooner? Sure, the two furries had been making allusions to dreams for the entire course of his stay here, but it never felt like he was in a dreamscape. Why? Had they-- had they taken away those senses too?]

[The thought of it forces Lalli to look down, unable to look at the Rabbit. They're breaking him down to nothing here. Thoroughly nothing. So he can run really fast, who cares? His luonto is practically comatose, his dreamy-weamy powers are nowhere to be found, and now there's this bullshit. He was never sure if they were in a dream or not, but he assumed not, because his senses told him so. And he was fucking wrong.]

[He can't even... he can't even save Rahti. He was never overly fond of her, she was annoying and loud -- but she was an innocent who the Cat killed. She didn't deserve to become a vengeful spirit; she didn't deserve to die in the first place! Now this damned rabbit says it's pointless, he can't send her spirit on, this is a dream, there's nothing he can do, but that doesn't even make sense! If this is a dream, Rahti would have become a vengeful spirit already, but she's not... and the 'body' they're seeing isn't even her body, so--]

[ ... ]

[Gods.]

[Maybe her spirit has passed on already, passed on to here. Maybe that's what's happened to all of them. This twisted game is supposed to be an afterlife-- so--]

...Are we dead?

[ One of the White Rabbit's ears twitches in response to Lalli. At first, all he says is... ]

... You overthink matters. No, you are not dead. Don't be foolish. This is a Dream. But it has Rules.

[ With that, Rahti's body disappears suddenly from his hands. He feels... unclean, as he looks down at his now-stained clothing, and sighs. ]

Events are already predecided. They always have been, always will be.

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I'm sorry... mostly.

And I'm totally sorry.

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Well, ain't she just a responsible one when she's gotta be?!

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(Feel free to split the thread if needed)

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