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

[heartgatherer]

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.

Comments

THE TOP OF CLOVER TOWER - LOCKED DOOR

[worldkeys]

[ If and when they deem to explore it, the top of Clover Tower is now home to a large golden door with an inlay of many slots with strange shapes inside it. The bottom crack is glowing faintly.

A small slip of paper is attached to the door that reads interestingly in handwriting Clock might recognize as 'vaguely similar to someone she knows' (perhaps a female of some sort?).

It can be further looked at or left alone. Either way, it is clearly locked.

If inspected, the paper reads as follows:

'I am part of all of you, inside all of your domains, yet I am excepted by one at the same time. You break me, but I continue on.' ]

Somewhere in a tree...

[stolenface]

It's probably not who anyone wants to run into. The face is familiar, but the clothes aren't. Except, to maybe, Clock. But his ears--black as midnight, to contrast to his blond hair--are out in the open, and he seems to be quite content to laze about with his too-wide, sharp-toothed grin. He seems all too pleased with himself, tail twitching with contentment. It's probably weird seeing his hands, confirming that the "paws" were just gloves with claws and not much else.

Do you dare approach the feline?

[bakegarasu]

Tick, tock. Tick, tock. There's a feeling that reaches deep inside of him, compels him - and he has to answer. He has his sword, or a sword, and that's all he needs. He heads out, intent on carrying out his mission.

'Kill', is it? Well. He's only too happy to comply. It's what he's made for, what he's supposed to do. There's nothing to say that he can't, that he shouldn't, so he won't.

The current residents of the Country of Clover should beware the Knave of Hearts... because he has no reason to stop.

[zinit]

Ah, he's the Mad Hatter. Something in him knows this. --Part of him is insulted, both at the insult to his sanity and the one to his now-missing hat, but it's insignificant. What is significant is figuring out where that key is, and how to get his hands on it before anyone else.

Well, and shoving his headwings, along with his new animal appendages, haphazardly under this stupid new hat. Goddess, it feels unnatural, but it's better than walking around with your head hanging out.

(This ticking is going to drive him mad, if he wasn't already.)

He doesn't want to kill the young girl; that's alright enough. There's no need to snuff out the person whose heart it is, when she is likely the key to unlocking its secrets. Anyone else? They're not important, or certainly not as important as the objective.

To that end, you'll probably find him either examining the local flora, satiating his natural curiosity... Or practicing how to use this ridiculous gun one-handed, just so he can make sure he's prepared.

[dolosa]

[ Well, then. Her heart's a clock now and she can't say she's surprised. Her heart is empty, anyway, so you might as well stick a clock in it, to be honest. It doesn't change much except for the annoying ticking that makes her ears ring every now and again, but she pays it no mind.

It isn't really all that important.

This urge to kill is unnerving, however. . . but, whatever. He won't see it. And it's not like the deaths are 'real' in a sense. ]

Forgive me, Hajime.

[ Of course, she is planning on not killing with her own two hands - she has people for that, as a queen - but she won't be stopping the killings anytime soon. ]

[frozentear]

[Sebastian could take the ears and tail. He wasn't fond of the hat, and the ticking in his chest was increasingly irritating. But worst of all, these clothes were just too colorful. Sigh.

The forest was large, but for some reason he had a good sense of where he was. Wandering through the doors brought him to a seemingly isolated area, and he pulled out the gun.

For some reason, it didn't seem repulsive like it usually might have as a reminder of the war. Weapons were needed to get deep in the mines, but usually adventurers used swords or clubs. He didn't really have experience with either, and had never gotten all that far... but right now he felt like he might be able to fight his way through anyway.

He fired it at a tree once, twice, and the recoil was... satisfying. He wanted to fire it again and again.]

[notsogreedy]

The desire for violence is a prevalent one around here. Ankh isn't surprised. He's seen that plenty of times before: humans who repress their desires and then get overtaken by them. In his experience, most people will easily give in to hurting and killing each other given the right incentive.

For Ankh, however, the effect seems to be a little backward. He lives on his desires to begin with, so what is there to repress? If anything, he might seem more peaceful than usual, lacking all his usual reasons for being prickly and reactive. He's probably going to die before the door can open, one way or the other, so why should he care, really? So is everyone else--and he isn't averse to being the person who takes their clocks from them, but for now he's just as content to let them all kill each other without getting involved.

So while some people actively hunt each other down, Ankh has taken to sitting in trees, keeping an eye on the situation while staying relatively hidden. He can sense those murderous desires, and he'll keep a distance from the stronger ones. For those who are less inclined to attack indiscriminately, he might let them approach. He might even strike up a conversation. He doesn't seem to have the same interest in violence that some of the others do, so maybe he's safe to be around.

Or maybe that's just a false sense of security, because in the end, that door needs to open, and that's as good a reason for killing as any.

CLOVER TOWER (for those who have died)

[worldkeys]

[ Those who die will find themselves reawakening inside Clover Tower, the Neutral zone of the areas, on the ground floor, their body simply lying on the floor as though they had fallen asleep there. ]

[mearry]

[ Get the clocks, right? Fine. Fine! No big deal at all. The clock ticks away in his chest, louder and louder as he makes distance from the tower.

C-ta didn't know how to feel, much less what to do. His instincts wanted something, anything to release himself from the strange emptiness in his heart. His lonesome heart wished for violence and blood to cover the land-- and he wanted to be the one to cause it.

The thought of it alone is enough to bring a small smile on C-ta's lips, hand tightening around the hilt of the axe. Rip a heart out? Easy. If it brings him one step closer to what he's missing, he'll do anything. ]

This place just gets stranger and stranger, huh? [ Causal conversation, in order to rope the stranger in. After all, a victim is necessary for this, no? ]

[frozentear]

[After two deaths, talking to the door twice, and being chased by the cat:

Sebastian can be found anywhere within Clock's heart, searching for Clock. He seems a lot more skittish than earlier, and will be harder to spot if there's any cover available. He will take aim at anyone who he notices approaching, and will only potentially lower his gun when he sees who it is. If you're not Otoha, Ankh, or Cheshire, he'll be unlikely to shoot unless threatened. If you're Clock, he'll definitely not shoot.]

Closed to Clock

[worldkeys]

[ When Clock manages to finally bring herself to obtain all of the clock hearts, she will bring them to the door. Hanna, the door, will be utterly silent. There is no coughing, no banging, nothing. Even if Clock tried to speak to her, there wouldn't be anything. Perched nearby is the Cheshire Cat, just grinning. He watches as she places the clocks in the slots, and only then does the door move on its own. It swings open, away from Clock, and a bright light spills forth.

All that's left to do is to step inside. ]