Round 1: Returning from Sebastian's Heart to the Hub

[worldkeys]

Who: The usual culprits: The Alices, the White Rabbit.
What: Everyone's back, Sebastian might be a bit sad, so forth.
Where: The World Hub.
Warnings: Typical warnings, you lot could break out into violence, I don't know, it's you lot!

When they return, the White Rabbit seems a bit happier than usual, at least. He has a small smile, for once, anyway. He stands in his usual spot, as always, unmoving. This is hardly surprising.

"Another Key... good. Not many left, is there?"

He glances at everyone around the room, then to Sebastian. He seems to be eyeing him particularly. He then looks at Rei for a long moment, before continuing on.

"I do hope you can continue to retrieve my Keys for me... leaving is on your own shoulders, after all."

He looks at all of them, and his smile widens slightly, his red on black eyes roaming the group in an almost... strange manner. As though he is observing their reactions.

"... You all seem out of sorts. Whyever could that be?"

Comments

[dolosa]

There's no particular reason for that. [ Rei shrugs, almost indifferent. ] But you were staring at me for a bit. Was there something you wanted of me?

[apatheticguide]

No, not at all, Alice.

[ Nothing at all. ]

Simply keep collecting the Keys for me.

[dolosa]

You know, when someone says that, it's usually a lie. Saying "it's nothing" or not at all is generally some ridiculous excuse for hiding something, you know. And I don't like being lied to. Do you?

[ Even though she's smiling, it's a bitter one full of menace and hatred. She just wants to know why she's looked at more than the others, even if it means hearing something horrible. ]

... so apparently my email ate this notif.

[apatheticguide]

[ ... Isn't that cute, how she acts that way. ]

Do you think that, perhaps, you have something you'll intimidate out of me? You're sadly mistaken if you think you do, Alice. But I do hope for your own sake you learn to get over that little problem of yours.

Especially considering that, all told, you're a hypocrite.

[dolosa]

Perhaps.

[ But she masks her expression, fingers digging into her skin as she recalls what happened before. However, she doesn't say what the meaning of that 'perhaps' is for. ]

Why does it matter if I am or not? I no longer have to lie to myself or other people.

[apatheticguide]

Ask them why it would. The only ones you have to answer to are the people around you right now, Alice. Not me.

[ That's all. ]

[stolenface]

[ The Cat is finally seen since his interruption in the hole in the wall. And he's looking none too please--his smile isn't nearly as wide. Most notably, his hood is pulled so far up as to shadow his face--and one of his eyes is now red in iris color. ]

...You guys've been busy, haven't'cha?

[apatheticguide]

[ He ALMOST pities you... almost. ]

Yes, doing their JOB, for ME. Amazing what they get done when they're not distracted by YOU.

[frozentear]

[Once they get back, he gives the key to the rabbit, then does as he's done after all the previous worlds and finds a spot in the corner to sit in. This time, though, if someone tries to talk to him he won't respond right away.]

[notsogreedy]

[Ankh hadn't said much since they arrived at the conclusion of Sebastian's world. Between not knowing what to say and other people reacting, he had decided there wasn't much point. So he just stood back and watched as that all unfolded.

Sebastian going and finding a corner to himself isn't surprising, either. After all that's what Ankh did after the journey through his own "heart." It's only after he's been sitting there a while being generally unresponsive to anything happening around him that Ankh bothers going over to him.]

How long are you planning on sitting there moping?

[And there's no response, so let's try lightly kicking his foot to get his attention.]

Oi.

[frozentear]

[He pulls his foot in slightly, though it probably won't make it harder to kick. It still takes several seconds for him to respond.]

Until the next heart opens up, probably.

[At minimum. Not that he'd really planned out a set amount of moping time.]

[notsogreedy]

[Luckily for him, Ankh decides to leave his foot alone after that since that at least got some reaction. There's a quiet huff at the words, which could reasonably be interpreted as either amusement that the question got a serious answer or relief that Sebastian isn't planning on staying like that forever.]

So you're not planning on zoning out through the next world. Good, cause then you really would be useless.

[Which is a really roundabout way of saying he actually isn't. Backhanded compliments qualify as comfort, right?]

[frozentear]

...Yeah.

[He'll try not zone out so much that he's useless, anyway. It takes him a little longer to process that that was a backwards compliment.

...Wow, Ankh, he never thought you'd say something nice. As much as that can be called nice, anyway. Despite his current mood, there's a tiny thread of amusement at that.]

[notsogreedy]

[Really, Sebastian, he's just trying to make sure you're functional. So they can keep getting through the hearts without your moping being a problem. That's all. Really.

And maybe it's a little bit returning the favor since Sebastian kept him from making what would have almost certainly been a very stupid decision before.

Now that he's said that, he very quickly realises he doesn't have anything else to say. He's not particularly curious about Sebastian's messed up family life, so there's nothing really worth asking. Unless Sebastian has anything else to say, which seems unlikely, he's just going to walk away after a second and let him mope.]

[apatheticguide]

[ He won't acknowledge him this time, not right away, after the Key is handed to him... but he will eye him a bit, perhaps curiously.

Almost like someone would stare at an exhibit in a zoo. ]