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

[frozentear]

...Accidentally awakening some kind of eldritch abomination will do that to you.

[Honestly he didn't really expect that no one would bother him. It sure would have been nice, though.]

[apatheticguide]

... We have titles for a reason.

[ A small tilt of his head, perhaps. ]

I suggest you use them.

[frozentear]

...I can see the rationale behind that now... Rabbit.

[Looking up at the White Rabbit.]

Can you say anything about why you have titles?

[apatheticguide]

[ ... Uh. Well. ]

... They're... simply monikers? It's because we don't have names. I feel as though I have been over this before.

[frozentear]

[Sigh.]

You did say there was a reason... but okay. I guess you know what that voice was?

[apatheticguide]

... Sometimes the reason is simpler than you'd like it to be.

[ Look, not everything is a ground-shattering revelation, okay. ]

What voice?

[frozentear]

There was a voice in Ankh's heart... it kept reciting rhymes about cats, and said if everyone was Alice then nobody was. It... wasn't pleasant to hear.

[apatheticguide]

[ His eyes fall a little bit, when Sebastian says that. Hmm... ]

Well, it's right. If everyone were Alice, then everyone would be nobody.

[frozentear]

You know what it was?

[That's really what he wants to know. Do the guides know what it was? The cat wasn't surprised by it, so what about Rabbit?]

[apatheticguide]

[ He falls quiet for a moment, as if contemplating something. ]

... I can hazard a guess. There's a few things it could have been. But without having heard it myself, I cannot tell you for certain.

[frozentear]

[Hmm... ]

I don't know about Ankh, but it made me feel sick... It laughed a lot. If that's not enough... if you hear it, you can tell?

[apatheticguide]

... That doesn't really tell me much, unfortunately. It could still have been an aftereffect of the World, or something else.

[ Otherwise, he's not sure. ]

[frozentear]

[Hmmmmmmm.......... ]

I see... So you aren't sure, then, Alice?

[worldkeys]

[ The Hub begins to shake. Everyone inside will suddenly find themselves freezing, a ringing in their ears. A nondescript voice, sounding slightly more distressed this time, will call out: ]

You think it's funny, don't you, to try force me like this? Then how about I force you, Alice?

[ Suddenly, Sebastian's nose will begin to leak blood, and he will start feeling very ill. In a minute or two, he will begin coughing up blood, as well. The voice begins humming. It can be heard by everyone else in the Hub. ]

Mistress Mary, quite contrary,
How does your garden grow?
With cockle-shells, and silver bells,
And pretty maids all in a row.

[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?

[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 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.

[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?

[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?...

[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...

[frozentear]

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

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

[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.]

[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. ]

[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?]