Round 1: Return from Ankh's Heart to the Hub

[worldkeys]

Who: The Alices, and the White Rabbit.
What: Everyone is returned from Ankh's Heart. YOU CHEATERS, YOU.
Where: The World Hub.
Warnings: A lovely bunch of cheating cheaters that Rabbit is, frankly, not sure if he should applaud or be exasperated about.

When they return, the White Rabbit seems like he can't decide if he's annoyed or impressed.

"... Another one, is it? Well... that was at least marginally faster than I'd expected you to go, compared to last time. Maybe I'll get them all back in a decent amount of time. I'll unlock the next Door for you, then."

As always, of course, he fully expects they're going to pester him with random, stupid questions. At the very least, he seems in a better mood than last time.

Comments

[apatheticguide]

[ The White Rabbit freezes when all this happens, turning stone-still, and does not say anything... but rather, turns to look upwards with his eyes.

He says nothing. ]

[frozentear]

[Sebastian feels... positively horrible. But now everyone else is experiencing the voice. Including Rabbit. He absolutely sees that reaction.]

So, you know... [coughing] ...you know who that is, don't you?

[notsogreedy]

He makes a face that's several emotions at once. Frustration at the forefront because of course he was going to bring that up, but a few things hidden behind it. Something sad. Something unsettled.

"Someone I knew a long time ago." Someone he's never once talked about until now, and he won't say much, but he knows he can't get away with saying nothing at all. Damn the cat.

[apatheticguide]

[ ... If what he thinks is happening is, indeed happening, yes. He still doesn't move, aside from turning his eyes back to Sebastian. ]

... Yes.

[ But he looks like he doesn't want to say anything else. As it is, his ears are pressed against his head. What a noise. ]

[frozentear]

He notices that expression and... hmm. It reminds him of their conversation in Alice's heart. Of the way Ankh had seemed then.

"Is she who hurt you so much?"

[frozentear]

[He coughs again, blood spilling onto his hand as he covers his mouth. He wipes it off with his other sleeve. It hurts. It hurts a lot. But more than that, he needs to know who it is, what's going on.]

Who is it? Rabbit. Tell me.

[notsogreedy]

That catches Ankh by surprise and for a second it's plainly visible on his face. He's wrong, but it's an interesting guess.

"She never betrayed me." That was someone else. But that statement hurts in a different way. If anything, it was the other way around, though that wasn't his intention. And now there are the words he heard as that world faded, all too fresh in his mind. He looks to Sebastian, a question suddenly occurring to him.

"Just before we got back here, did you hear anything else?"

[worldkeys]

[ He doesn't respond. It's not surprising, the voice seems to want him to keep quiet. It makes a shushing noise, and the White Rabbit says nothing. ]

Who is it, who is it, who is it? I wonder, I wonder, I wonder...

[ There's laughter. Sebastian's vision will begin to blur. His internal organs are all bleeding and failing. ]

This is the house that Jack built.

This is the malt
That lay in the house that Jack built.

This is the rat,
That ate the malt
That lay in the house that Jack built...

... But have we any room in the house for rats?

[notsogreedy]

[Ankh had only been passively paying attention to their conversation once he overheard them talking about whatever that creature was. It was interesting that the Rabbit seemed to know something, even if it wasn't too specific. What he didn't expect was Sebastian stupidly bringing it back. He might have punched him again if he wasn't feeling like moving was a terrible idea and if whatever it was wasn't already obviously punishing Sebastian for calling it back out.

But at this point, all his attention is on this conversation, even if he plans on staying out of it. He looks at the Rabbit too when Sebastian asks.]

[frozentear]

[He doesn't have the strength to stand anymore, and falls to his hands and knees. He can't see Rabbit clearly. He can't see anything clearly. But knowing he's not going to survive this means he's only pushed further into disobedience. This time, he addresses the voice.]

Are you Alice?...

[apatheticguide]

[ He doesn't say anything. His lack of movement and words should probably say enough for him. He seems to not want to provoke whatever it is. ]

[worldkeys]

[ He won't quite die, not yet, if he was ever going to at all. Maybe it's just making him suffer. But the voice will pause a moment, as if considering his question. ]

You're Alice. They're not.

This is the cat,
That killed the rat,
That ate the malt
That lay in the house that Jack built...

[notsogreedy]

[Good job, Sebastian. Whatever it is, the Rabbit seems to be afraid of it. Ankh keeps silent as well, turning his attention back to
Sebastian and the... thing, as this progresses.

Now that the thing is making itself known while his ability to sense desires is intact, does he feel anything from it?]

[frozentear]

...So someone had betrayed Ankh? It certainly seemed that way from what he'd said so far. But whoever it was, it wasn't the girl that Cheshire insisted Ankh had failed to help.

"Only the cat." There's more to be said, really, but he's not sure where to start.

"You failed at helping her... somehow. I know that much... I don't really need to know more. He said we're similar and if that's true, you're... as much of a failure at social interactions as I am."

Still, he couldn't help wondering... from everything Ankh had said and done...

"But... who was it that did betray you?"

[frozentear]

[He coughs again, blood spilling onto the floor.]

We're Alice. They're not. And who are you?

[worldkeys]

[ ... Well, his tenacity is kind of charming. Maybe the voice is amused. ]

I'm God. How do you do?

[notsogreedy]

So it really was just him that heard that. But what did he hear? And how? It couldn't have really been the girl. This place playing tricks on his mind, somehow or other.

There's an amused huff at the observation about social interactions. He isn't going to confirm or deny that, but it's funny that Sebastian framed it by insulting himself. The next question distracts him from the thought, either way, and his expression immediately turns hard.

"None of your business."

[frozentear]

...Been better, thanks.

[He should probably ask something while God is on the line. It might come in handy later on. Maybe just for everyone else, if he is dying.]

Do you know why all of us are Alice? If anyone should, it'd be you.

[worldkeys]

[ The voice laughs again. ]

Inconsequential lives need an inconsequential title, you know. But just John or Jill or Peter or Jane wouldn't do at all.

[frozentear]

What makes your life of consequence?

[If it seems defiant that's because it is. He coughs again, more blood falling than before.]

[worldkeys]

[ The voice sounds angrier now. Sebastian will feel his entire body freeze. Suddenly, he cannot move, and an ethereal figure with no distinct facial features will approach him. No clothing can be made out on the figure, but its build seems to indicate it is rather lithe. The figure is a silvery, shadowy mass with long flowing hair, height alternating between tall and short. It puts a silver hand on his cheek, and where there was skin, it begins to dissolve as if touched by acid, revealing muscle and sinew underneath.

It's incredibly painful. ]

I'm God. And you... all of you... are just little lost sleepers missing things in your lives. Boring, pointless lives.

[ The figure giggles. ]

... Where is she? Where is the one with the ticking heart? I want to talk to her.

[heartgatherer]

[She's scared-- she's terrified, honestly. That... that... thing was doing all manners of terrible things to Sebastian; most of it without lifting even a figurative finger. Just the voice gave her horrid chills.

But she refused to back down. Instead-- when she was mentioned, she forced her legs to carry her forward-- even shaking as they were-- and stood next to Sebastian.]

...if you want to talk to me, that's fine--

[It's not fine really. She doesn't want to talk to it. But...]

So talk. And let him go.

[Even though it's clear she's frightened; her tone is like steel. It may be a bad decision but regardless, it's the only decision she knows to make and she's going to make it her way. In a strong way.]

[worldkeys]

[ The other senses that generally populate the room seem to have hushed in response to the much larger presence now inside it. Ankh will hear a loud noise like nails on chalkboard, and the whispering of various voices, just repeating the same thing over and over:

... No one came...

He'll be flooded with a will to live so strongly the feeling makes him ill. It fills his very bones and makes his blood boil, makes his hair stand on-end. The walls seem to be whispering, the very air seems to be alive with somethings. Wisps... of something, someones? Somebodies? Nobodies. But no one is there. Who? What? When? How? There's no one. But there's everyone, all at once. For a moment in his mind's eye the entire room distorts and stretches strangely and all he can feel and hear is the sound of indistinct, young screaming over and over.

Someone fighting against something, and the sounds of glass breaking. Then, heavy breathing.

Ownership. This is theirs. The World. This place. It's theirs. This entity--this thing standing before Ankh... is more powerful than any Greeed, any creature, he has ever run across. And the emotions built up inside it are so intense that it will be a miracle he does not throw up just from feeling how split and how many there are at once. Anger. Sadness. Regret. Loneliness. An intense desire to bring in others.

... But, a playful side, too. Something almost... childish. Saccharine. Like it wants to make everyone here dance like little toy soldiers. There is one other phrase that seems to repeat, after the other one, in his mind: I'll bring them to my Wonderland.

He will also feel something weakening in his body the longer he focuses, as if he is... unwell. That focusing on this is making him worse off, health-wise.

And then that name, over and over. Alice. Alice. Alice. It loves Alices. Alice is their favorite... there's something terrifying and sinister inside it. The emotions will continue to build the longer he tries to focus on the figure until he either passes out or stops. ]

[apatheticguide]

... Well. This is a more simplistic answer.

"In a fanciful dream like this one... well. They did not wake up, simply put."

That's all. It's easy enough to answer.

[worldkeys]

[ The figure will turn its attention to Alice, the imprint of a ghostly smile appearing on its face. Considering the otherwise... lack of features, this leaves an odd effect, like something slicing through it, almost. A silvery hand will grab at a strand of her hair and let it go, like it's playing with a curious doll. ]

Heehee... hello... Alice. You're... my favorite.