Round 1 Introduction Hub Log

[worldkeys]

Who: The Alices and the White Rabbit.
What: What: Everybody wakes up on the first day of the first round inside the World's Hub, greeted by the White Rabbit, who seems largely unimpressed.
Where: The World's Hub.
Warnings: Rabbit is gloomy and has a bad temper and tends to complain a lot. Otherwise, not much.

You entered a closet. You knew that much. You woke up from... somewhere, and you entered a cupboard or a closet and you followed a strange cat with golden eyes. You blink. You feel assailed by the feeling of your body falling somewhere, the sound of heavy machinery--

And then darkness, before... a wooden pathway, and another cupboard, and a boy in a hood. A cat-boy, with golden eyes, much like the one you followed. He cackles gleefully at everyone before disappearing with a meow. The cupboard behind him is locked. Past this area, you find yourself in a strange room of ruined, cracked cobblestone and oddly-shaped lamps. Dead trees line the path. There are old tombstones scattered about. A gloomy boy with black twigs for hair and strange eyes, dressed in fancy, Victorian-looking garb stands in the middle of the room. There are others like you about, you notice. Not TOO many more, but a fair few.

Something about the boy's eyes carry a dreadful feeling. They're red on black. No whites to them at all. He has two white rabbit ears on his head, but one is distinctly torn off, like something had just taken a bite out of it. He looks at those assembled, cocks his head to the side, as if... curious for a moment, before shaking it and then sighing.

"... Ah. Welcome, Alice." There's a pause, as if he's assessing what he's doing. He particularly stares deeply at Clock. "... Oh? No, not at all... well, you're still ▒▒▒▒▒ to me."

A nod to himself, as if to confirm it.

"More pressing... I have a task for all of you. If you could help me with it, that would be most appreciated."

[ OOC: Feel free to respond in either prose or bracketspam. Also, Cheshire will probably have a thread later you can reply to as well. For now, this is the opening log to badger the NPC with questions. ]

Comments

[mearry]

[ He would say something back, but the unsettlingly wide grin on the cat boy's lips is enough to get him to think otherwise. It's a shame. Part of him just wants to wipe it right off his face. ]

You're the one that stole those keys, right? Is it your fault we're here?

[stolenface]

You're the one who followed me, so I'd think it's more your fault. Curiosity killed the cat, after all.

[ Isn't he just so clever? ]

[mearry]

You're the one that tricked us into coming-- it's not every day we see a cat going into a closet and not coming out. So it's still your fault. Did someone bully you too much in school?

[ Look, he doesn't wanna be That Guy that punches a boy with kitty ears but he's just running out of his patience soooo quickly. So he'll just be sassy right back at you. ]

[stolenface]

Didn't go to school. And it's still your fault for following. How'd you know you weren't hallucinatin'? But hey, ow I get to have fun!

[ Go on, punch him. See what happens. ]

[mearry]

[ No way he has a reputation to hold. ]

Don't you think that this is a little too bizarre for a hallucination? Either way, your idea of fun is warped-- maybe you should have gone to school.

[stolenface]

Sorry, didn't get a choice. And I've heard of way more bizarre hallucinations. At least the walls weren't bleeding with hundreds of eyes lookin' at'cha.

[ IT COULD HAVE BEEN WORSE. Instead you got a creepy cat. ]

[mearry]

[ okay that's pretty bad. bad enough to leave him looking vaguely unsettled. ] .....Right. It sounds like you've...met some strange people. Did they follow you here, too?

[ Is he going to start hallucinating, too? C-ta doesn't want this???? ]

[stolenface]

This place doesn't have hallucinations. It's call real 'cause it's all from your Hearts.

[ Yup, just blatantly read your thoughts. Sorry. ]

[mearry]

[ CAN HE STOP DISTURBING C-TA. ]

How did you just-- how did you know that? What do you mean by our hearts?

[stolenface]

It's pretty obvious, isn't it? And I mean what I mean. Those doors are the way into your Hearts. Every little secret you never wanted seen, every little negative thought or doubt... Gonna have to let everyone see those to get the Keys back.

[ The whole mouth full of sharp teeth and a way-too-big smile are probably even more disturbing now. ]

[mearry]

[ What? Forget about the shark tooth smile, it's the explanation of what they have to do that ends up being the most disturbing for C-ta. There's a sickening feeling in the pit of his stomach and his heart is racing at a hundred miles per hour.

Negative feelings? Secrets? No, no, no, these strangers around him.... seeing all the secrets he's hidden-- wait, but...what secrets? He's just a high-schooler, there's nothing that he should have to hide, right? Why would he have something to hide?

He clenches his fists, to the point that his knuckles are bone white.]

What the hell are you talking about?! What the hell do you find so funny about this?!

[stolenface]

I find lots of things funny, Alice. The pain and sufferin' of you guys most of all! Mweehee!

[ That grin becomes somehow even more cruel over that reaction. Normal, sure. Everyone has nasty secrets they want to hide. ]

[mearry]

[ Christ, this is awful. The frown deepens greatly, his jaw clenched tightly in response to the Cheshire's amusement.

This is awful, it's awful, it's too awful-- but C-ta can't pinpoint why. Why does he have this urgency to hide something that he doesn't know or remember? This is disgusting, this stupid cat thing is disgusting and god he just--!!!! ]

Sorry to say, but I don't have anything to hide. [ Even if he still looks like he's This Close to snapping ]

[stolenface]

You really sure about that, Alice?

[ Oh, the Cat seems to know something you don't. But he's probably not going to tell. ]

[mearry]

Yeah.

[ He knows the look on the Cat's face and he hates it. ] I doubt you know me better than I know myself.

[stolenface]

You really sure? Don't feel like somethin' important's missing or anything, right?

[ Oh, this is just too much. How people cling to their illusions is great. ]

'Cause I took one thing from all of you.

[mearry]

[ C-ta's got a Master's degree in deluding himself. But right now he's just pissed. ]

You what?! [ Could that feeling...that feeling of having something at the tip of the tongue... could it be that?!

C-ta is simply furious at the thought. How dare this- this- thing take away something from him!? Why?! Why would he do that?! ]

Give it back!

[stolenface]

Nah. You gotta find it for yourself. Doesn't mean much if I just hand it back, y'know.

[ Oh goody, that's a lovely reaction! So much anger. It's delicious. ]

[mearry]

You're disgusting.

[ Whatever is missing, whatever this thing took from him, he'll take it back. If force becomes necessary then C-ta will be more than glad to rip an ear or two off. ]

I'll get it back. But I swear I won't let you get in my way, no matter what it is.

[stolenface]

Careful, Alice. We're off limits for hurting. Don't wanna break the Rules, do you?

[ His tone of voice is practically daring him to try something. ]

[mearry]

[ Well, the Cat's lucky because C-ta is mostly bark and no bite. But he's still giving him a vicious glare; if looks could kill-- ]

I'm done here.

[ And he'll be walking away because jesus christ he's fed up with this conversation. Showing his darkest secrets? Bring it on-- it can't be that bad, anyways. ]