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

[worldkeys]

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

I'm God. How do you do?

[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 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.

[bakegarasu]

[... Well then.]

Are you the will of this world?

[worldkeys]

[ One gets the feeling the figure would be blinking, had its form any eyes right now. It tilts its misty head. ]

And why should I tell you anything, Alice? You never listen to the Rules or pay attention, all you do is charge on ahead. Such a big lug, you are. A terrible, naughty Alice.

[bakegarasu]

I haven't broken any important rules that I know of. That world told me to kill, so I did. We were supposed to figure out that puzzle, so we did.

[He won't deny that he's a big lug or that he doesn't really pay attention or charge ahead, though.]

[worldkeys]

[ A drawn-out sigh. ]

Alice, Alice, you did it again. You didn't listen. I said you didn't listen or pay attention to them, not that you actively broke them. Heeheehee. You're very bad at this.

Girls and boys, come out to play,
The moon is shining as bright as day.

Leave your supper, and leave your sleep,
And come with your playfellows into the street.

Come with a whoop, come with a call,
Come with a good will or not at all.

Up the ladder and down the wall,
A halfpenny roll will serve us all.

You find milk, and I'll find flour,
And we'll have pudding in half an hour.

[bakegarasu]

Well, if I didn't break them, what's the problem?

[worldkeys]

[ The figure laughs, now, and it's a little bit more... manic. A little more... unhinged, perhaps. ]

You, silly! Shall I find a mirror, Alice? Shall I?

[bakegarasu]

No. I know what I look like.

Though this isn't the first time I've been called a problem.

[He was not a favorite of the teachers.]

[worldkeys]

[ The figure does a little spin in place, then pauses to tilt its entire body to one side, watching Otoha. It's a rather whimsical gesture. ]

I already know that, silly. I'm God. I know everything.

[bakegarasu]

Then you know what I'm missing. And you probably won't tell me what it is, since I'm guessing that's against the rules.

[It's something. Something that's rubbing a ragged hole like a wound, but he can't feel it, doesn't know what it is...]

... I feel pain here. Can you take that away?

[worldkeys]

[ It holds a wispy hand to its 'face', as if in amusement at what he's asking. ]

Whyever would I do any of those things? The first rule of the Alice Worlds is that everyone is Alice, so no one is anyone else. Of course you feel pain. You should hurt.

[ Its tone might be a little more malicious seeming despite the sweet way it says that last part. ]

[bakegarasu]

I'm not supposed to. Even if these aren't our bodies, I don't feel pain when I'm in the armor, either. My soul shouldn't be able to feel it.

[And the truth is that he's afraid of this - afraid of feeling pain. ... Not being able to feel pain was part of why he was called a monster. If he's not a monster... what is he?]

[worldkeys]

[ If they care, they're not really showing much sign of it. ]

... You don't think that's your body, Alice? You don't think that's you? Just because you're dreaming, there shouldn't be any doubt it's you, you know. That's not how the game works.

[bakegarasu]

If it's my body, I shouldn't be feeling pain. If it's not my body and it's my soul, I don't see why I can feel pain, either.

[frozentear]

[Sebastian lets out a scream as the touch begins to dissolve his skin. How is it doing that just by touching him? He knows something awful is happening to his face. What is that going to look like? He...

He'll have to become a supervillain.

The absurdity of that thought in this situation makes him start laughing, but it's abruptly cut off by how painful it is to move his face.]

[worldkeys]

[ The misty figure lets out a silly laugh, watching him. Wow. He's finding it funny? ... Yes, he gets it, they think. ]

You're in the spirit. That's right. It's better to be mad here, isn't it? Didn't Mister Cheshire Cat already tell you as much...? Just become crazy.

[frozentear]

Crazy or not... does it really matter?...

[It's all he can do to get those words out. Does it even matter what they do here, with this being ruling the place? There were so many dead Alices. He'd put on a brave face earlier, but would they even be allowed to leave when they were done?]

I guess... Cheshire's there already.

[worldkeys]

[ The being thinks for a moment, but then shakes its misty head. ]

No, not at all. Nothing really matters, not at all, never. The only thing that matters is that you are all Alice. And that's how it will stay. Please keep playing together, Alices.

[frozentear]

...Got it.

[Even saying that much is painful, damn it. He'll play to the end of the game. And then... He'll deal with whatever happens after that when he gets there. But there's that small thought raising a tendril in the back of his mind - what if there's no way out?

There has to be. There's got to be.]