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

[notsogreedy]

Well, for one, that also hadn't been a question. As for what Ankh meant-

"You believe what you see. No one said this is my normal body, or that we're all supposed to be human." In fact, he's aware of someone else who also isn't, but he'll keep that information to himself for now.

[frozentear]

He sits down near Ankh. As long as he's not outright insulting he probably won't get punched again. And he's expecting to be there a while.

"What is your normal body like?"

[notsogreedy]

Ankh directs a somewhat unfriendly glance in his direction as he sits down, but he won't tell him not to. Everything Sebastian did in there is worth a few questions, probably.

That question, though. Predicatable as it is, Ankh isn't entirely sure how to answer it. A pile of medals, something stronger but very lacking. For a long time, just a hand, and not even that anymore. As much as he wants to, he can't come up with any description that's even remotely flattering. Except for one. "I had wings."

[frozentear]

"A bird, huh?"

That's all he can think of that has wings. All of Cheshire's talk about monsters only made him think of the mines, but Ankh more and more doesn't seem like he'd belong in there.

"They're nicer than anything that lives in the mines."

[notsogreedy]

"A Greeed." Something different from just a bird, though at the same time, he's not wrong. Ankh was the King of Birds, once. But he hasn't been that for a long time.

"What lives in your mines?"

[frozentear]

"Greed?" What does that mean?

"Hmm... there are a lot of creatures that live there. I've heard some horror stories about what lives on the lower levels. Beings made of shadow and the like. I haven't gone far down myself, but everything that lives in there seems to be out to hurt you."

[notsogreedy]

"Maybe you don't belong there." Ankh doesn't know what kinds of things those are, and he probably wouldn't have any sympathy for them if he met them. Still, the way Sebastian put it just sounds very... human.

[frozentear]

"...Probably not. That's the only place in my town I haven't explored all the way, though. I can't help being curious." He can't deny that Ankh is right. He definitely doesn't belong down there. Pretty much anyone would agree... but that only makes him want to explore there more.

"You never did answer what you meant by greed."

[notsogreedy]

And that answer seems very Sebastian. "It's the same reason you don't hate this place, isn't it?" Much as it's obvious that he doesn't like the killing, it's equally obvious to Ankh that something is Sebastian is fulfilled by being here in this mess. Does he like danger or just excitement?

"It's what we're called." Much as he doesn't associate with the rest of them. The cat had made reference to his kind. The label is as simple as that. "Creatures of desire."

[frozentear]

Creatures of desire, huh... and the same reason he didn't hate this place... Even with some memories missing, he knew what reason that was.

"So you're able to tell what people are... thinking? Wanting?"

[notsogreedy]

So Sebastian had put that together. It's not surprising, considering some of the things he's said before. "What they want. I can't read their minds." If he could, there wouldn't have been any challenge to that last set of puzzles at all. Not that they were too difficult to begin with, even if Sebastian hadn't found a way to make it as simple as possible.

[frozentear]

"Hmm."

So Ankh was some kind of creature - a Greeed - that could detect others desires. And apparently he was different from others of his kind... maybe that was why Ankh had wound up here.

"Who was Cheshire talking about?"

[notsogreedy]

"When?" He can guess well enough what he means by it, but a few different things came up in that conversation, and he's not going to just volunteer the one he suspects prompted the question.

[frozentear]

...It is true, there are several times Cheshire referred to others. In truth, he's curious about all of them, but this'll be easier if he's specific. Probably.

"...The blind girl."

[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.

[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?"

[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?"

[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?"

[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]

"Hmm..."

Yeah, that's fair. He was asking a lot, while... actually, if Ankh really could tell what other people wanted, Ankh knew a lot more about him than he did about Ankh. If it was something hurting Ankh, he didn't really want to pry, but still.

"That's not fair. You know more about me than I do about you. At least tell me as much as you're comfortable with."

[notsogreedy]

Well. That gets a slightly incredulous look. It's a true statement, he supposes. On the other hand, he's not sure why he owes Sebastian any sort of explanation about his past, and he's already said as much as he's comfortable with on that subject. So.

"...None of your business."

[frozentear]

Well. Well. If that's how he's going to be. That's really annoying, but there's something else to try.

"Give me something to go off of, or I won't help you next time. Not even to give you information. I don't care if you're a monster, but if I'm going to help you you'd better do the same. ...I'll even tell you something extra about me."

Which wasn't fair, really, but it might be the only way he could get anything at all out of Ankh.

[notsogreedy]

"Heh." There's briefly a small, wry smile at that ultimatum. "If you believe the cat, then you don't want my help, anyway." For a second, he just looks at him, expression flat. It's almost a challenge. Why does Sebastian want to know about him so badly, anyway?

But he supposes he doesn't mind, really.

He glances away. "It wasn't a coincidence that he mentioned someone stabbing me in the back. Does that satisfy your curiosity?" No, he's sure, but it's as much as Sebastian is going to get out of him on that topic. It's not much, since the cat already halfway said that, anyway. But it's something, and that's all he asked for.

[frozentear]

"He tore off the rabbit's ear, acted like he'd eat mine... toyed with me... I don't know that I do believe him."

And no. That does not really satisfy his curiosity. But it's a confirmation, which is more than he'd really expected to get. He's pretty sure that pushing further isn't going to get anything whatsoever.

"I guess you're going to follow up on that offer, then?"

[notsogreedy]

He's not surprised by that response. It's not as if the cat is trustworthy.

There are some things about Ankh's life that he might be willing to share more about, but if Sebastian wants to hear them, he'll have to change his line of questioning. As for questions in return... "What's so bad about where you came from that you want to leave it so much?"