seaofhearts | but as I told you... I didn't chase the white rabbit!

but as I told you... I didn't chase the white rabbit!

Who: The Alices and Clock
What: Open the first door and see what you find. Hopefully it's a key... maybe it's something more.
Where: World One - The Country of Clover
Warnings: General violence and disregard for life.

'▒▒▒▒▒, you fool... it was all just a dream'...

If she could have thought that to herself, then she might have believed it. Here were the high vaulted ceilings of Clover Tower that she'd grown so used to since the shift to the Country of Clover. And yet her name was still lost to her. She could not think it... could not say it... It was as though someone had stolen it entirely, as odd of a thing as that sounded. That was all she needed to know to prove she wasn't dreaming. Then that meant it was as the rabbit and cat said-- in order to retrieve the rabbit's keys, they needed to enter the doors and the door took them straight into peoples' hearts.

This one no doubt was supposed to be her own. How else could this place be replicated so accurately? None of the others should know a thing about Wonderland. After all... this was her dream. Her messed-up, embarrassing, dangerous... oh no.

Outside the window the forest, the castle and the Hatter Mansion were all as they should be. But what had happened to the others? If they had been split up, there was no telling what manner of characters they might have met. While they should be safe as Outsiders, Clover has never seen any other Outsiders. Like this, there's no way to be sure they're safe.

Whatever's happened - this is no time to be sleeping. She needs to verify what's going on in this world and the whereabouts of the people that entered with her. If this was a true and accurate reflection of the world that she knew, then she needed to warn them of a great many things.

Down the tower stairs she goes... to investigate the fate of herself and those who had gone with her.

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[An axe; what a weapon. Qilby finds himself wishing he had his other arm (or the Eliacube, so he could approximate one), just so he could wield his own axe - or any sort of polearm, really, would do. There's something satisfying about swinging around a scythe during a fight, the swish it makes slicing through the air... Or slicing through the skin of someone he despises.]

[But he doesn't have his arm, and so he probably looks like the perfect target. That's how it goes.]

Indeed it does - but nobody's heart is really a kind place. [A little hum.] Myself, I'm wondering what those keys are made of, that they could open interdimensional 'doors' like these.

[ Hah, look at this man. C-ta basically wants to laugh at the easy target that he's been given. A hundred images go through the back of his head, the image of an axe breaking through skull, blood and brains spread across the ground. ]

Deep dark secrets-- it never does bring any nice things to mind. [ Now if only C-ta could remember. ] This person's heart though-- it's definitely screwed up. Look at what they're asking us to do, for example.

It's a good question. Maybe it has to do with whatever they took from us? It sounds a bit weird, but this whole situation is unbelievable.

Not so much unbelievable; interdimensional travel isn't unheard of, where I'm from. [Hell, if anyone can be called an 'expert' in interdimensional travel, it's the Eliatropes.] What's unbelievable is that we are seeing a manifestation of the heart, played before us.

And as for what they're asking us to do... [A sigh.] It'd be easier if they gave us knives, rather than guns. We could at least be sanitary about it, rather than trying to tear these clocks out with our bare hands.

[If only he had an axe, or something. Cough, cough!]

Heh, seems like you come from a strange place. In my world, those kinds of things are only read of in fiction novels. Same with the whole heart thing, really.

[ A smile turns into a grin, playful ( and just a little arrogant ) like the teenager he is. ] Maybe this'll just end up being some bizarre dream that I'm having and you're all just characters in it.

[ The ticking in his ears feels louder than ever, and something urges him to attack-- a sudden wave of bloodlust that he's not used to. ] If that's the case, then it shouldn't hurt, right? If I take your heart out, that is?

That's a thought we've all had - 'everyone else is a figment of my imagination.' It's a matter of scope. [And ultimately, Qilby will be very surprised if someone's dreams came up with something like him.]

[There it is. Qilby's hand goes to his gun, tucked away in its stupid little holster; he's ready to draw at C-ta's first sign of hostility. Still, he's smiling, though it's become more of a smirk about the eyes.]

If you take my heart out with an axe, I'll be quite impressed. [He's cocky as ever, not even registering that he might be facing down his first death in this world, for real this time.] Come, now; give it a try.

With an axe? [ He laughs, cold and empty in his ears. ] No way, old man. An axe versus a gun has a clear winner-- and it wouldn't be me. On the other hand...

[ With a flick of his hand, the axe transforms into something much easier to handle-- a gun, of course. Has he ever fired one? No. But it feels so right in his hands, when he readies it to fire, aimed at the older male's head. C-ta's lips curl into a vicious grin.

If only that person was watching him-- who is it, though? ] This is a much fairer battle, don't you think?

[See? Now that's more interesting!]

[In lieu of portals (how bitter he still is, that this place took those powers away from him), Qilby resorts to the next best thing: he breaks into a zig-zag run, eyes never breaking from C-ta's position. If he can keep C-ta moving, he thinks, he can exhaust the kid and make him easy prey.]

Nice trick, but can you back it up? [He yells it almost over his shoulder once there's a bit of distance between them.]

[ Shit. This guy's fast. It's a little surprising, actually. The zig-zag run is annoying, too, since it makes it tougher to aim correctly.

But he's a teenager, and has the stamina of one. So he gives chase, his expression furious as he watches the man ( his prey ) get away from him. Oh, how he wants to kick him to the ground fill his head with bullets until the entire ground is dyed in red. How dare this asshole make light of him--!! ]

I'll kill you-- [ He shoots, once, twice. ] I'll fucking kill you!

Give it a tr-- Agh!

[Hubris: the downfall of man.]

[Where there was only amusement before, anger floods hot in his chest when one of the bullets hits his hip. He grits his teeth, falls to his knees, locks hot eyes on C-ta. The kid's going down, damn it, whether he likes it or not.] I guess you're not as useless as you look!

[At least now he's stationary, and so he can aim at C-ta and fire a couple times. Hey, one's bound to hit, and since the next shot C-ta fires will undoubtedly be the final one... He's going to take this child and his disgusting bloodlust with him.]

[ His expression shines with excitement when he sees the man collapse on his own feet, red seeping through the man's clothes. He's ready to gloat, too, maybe kick the man around a little before sending him off before--

A gun fires. It's not his. He forgot about Qilby's gun. The bullet strikes his stomach, piercing through in a nice, clean shot. C-ta barely has a chance to take notice of the wound on his abdomen before he's falling on his knees and his mouth tastes like blood. ]

Ha- ha ha! [ There's anger in his voice, but not because of the death that looms over him, but over the fact that he was taken down. By some four-eyed bastard. ] F-fuck you. I won't die before you. I won't die before you!

[ He lifts the gun again, aimed at Qilby, and shoots the rest of the cartridge. He doesn't care where it lands. Head, shoulder, chest, as long as it hits it doesn't matter.

All through the while, C-ta laughs. ]

It's not a race, brat. [Qilby laughs; it's something acrid, the wheezing noise that comes from his throat. Got him. He's about to snipe in another remark with what strength he has left, but he doesn't get the chance to.]

[The bullet strikes him clean between the eyes. His glasses, those 'four eyes,' shatter. Qilby doesn't get even a scream out before the bullet lodges itself in the left hemisphere of his brain. There's a sense he gets, every time he's died, of his soul separating like an egg; this time is no different.]

[Then, there's nothing to feel.]

[ Like all the ones before them, the strange inky black figures without faces will appear over Qilby's corpse. Some of them will disappear with it, leaving only the clock inside him behind. Several smaller ones remain, and the smallest inky figure picks his clock up.

It looks at C-ta, as if knowing what is coming, before disappearing with Qilby's clock into the shadows. It cannot be taken or interacted with; it is incorporeal.

Qilby will reawaken sometime later in Clover Tower, and when his eyes pop open, a small reign of confetti will appear to congratulate him on his first official death! ]

[ C-ta feels lonely.

As the ticking of the clock in his chest slows down, it's the only emotion in his mind. A heartbreaking loneliness as he waits for someone that just doesn't come. Only the shadows do. Creepy.

His body falls to its side, too heavy to keep up. Maybe, if he keeps on waiting, then someone will come for him, whoever it is that can fill that hole in his heart.

The ticking of his heart stops. That person doesn't come. ]

[ As C-ta's ticking heart comes to a stop, he will hear whispering in his ears. It's a young male's voice, one that seems so familiar to him, he could swear he's heard it someplace before...

"Hey... hey. It's all right. Just go find her. She'll fix it. She'll know what to do. The Foreigner. Don't let anyone else touch her. ... We're guards, aren't we? So go protect her from everyone else, already, especially the Queen's people."

Then, the shadowy figures will arrive and take his body and his clock in the same fashion as they did Qilby's. He will awaken about a minute or two after Qilby inside the ground floor of Clover Tower, body appearing a few feet from him just as the other has gotten to his feet. The feeling that he is missing something will have increased exponentially, and only being around Clock will fix it.

From the top floor of Clover Tower, the Magical Door that is locked has begun to emit thunking noises, and screaming can now be heard occasionally, as well as sobbing, on top of intermittent coughing fits.The voice of two other young women can be heard crying and arguing simultaneously, but cannot be made out into words. ]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

but as I told you... I didn't chase the white rabbit!

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famous last words tbh

UGHHHHH

THE TIME ARRIVES

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