Wonderland: Day One

[wonderlandian]

The residents of Paradisa who ventured into the lobby on the 13th would find something new there; a mirror spanning an entire wall. Given recent happenings, who can blame them if they're cautious? Trouble is, this mirror seems to really want to bring people in, because you don't have to get too close before you're through the looking glass.

Once you've gone, you may find that you're not quite yourself.

[Directory:
Mirror|Queen's Courtyard|Queen's Castle|Tulgey Wood
FAQ|Sign-Up List]

[Notes/Reminders: Type 1 and Type 2 characters will believe they are Wonderland natives. All characters, including those not entering Wonderland, will be able to use their journals; Wonderland "natives" will think it is a communication device exclusive to Wonderland, although communication between Paradisa and Wonderland through the journals is absolutely possible. You may NPC any number of Tulgey Wood creatures, except for the Jabberwocky.]

Comments

The Queen's Castle

[wonderlandian]

[Getting through the maze to the castle is tricky, but not impossible! Nothing is impossible, after all. There's a room for everything you can think of and more in this castle, and they all have very strange furniture. There's also a common playing card motif, even in the least expected rooms.

At the center of it all is the rather unique throne room. The two thrones at the center are all that lets one know it's not simply an elaborate dining room. There are also guest rooms throughout the castle.]

[impetuous]

[ Turning a corner and one comes upon a strange, if perhaps somewhat familiar sight: a man dressed in red and pink velvets and furs speaking to a group of cards. The soldiers carry clubs and in their midst a poor shaking card of a gardener, ornamented in spades. ]

No. No. Let him go. Go on then. Go on.

[ The soldiers move aside and the gardener scurries off as quick as his feet can take him. The king (for it was the king speaking) sighs. His head jerks up in annoyance when the soldiers continue standing there doing nothing. ]

The doors. You shan't expect me to open them myself!

[ And the soldiers fall over themselves to open the doors to the throne room for him. ]

[foin]

Ah-!!

[Turning said corner, Asuna comes upon this odd sight, and she lets out a noise of surprise before she can stop herself. Was it loud enough to be heard? She sort of hopes not.]

[impetuous]

Did you hear that? What was that?

[ One of the soldiers answers, "A girl, Your Majesty." ]

Nonsense! How could a girl get doing--ah! A girl!

[ And he moves behind one of the soldiers. ]

And who would you be?

[emboldens]

[ She manages to free herself from the maze just in time to see the unfamiliar man free another, though the card is still shaking so terribly when he flees that she almost follows after him to see if he is entirely well.

If this is someone she should be avoiding, it does not occur to her as she steps into view with a smile. ]

He will not soon forget your kindness, my lord.

[impetuous]

Nor well he shouldn't. Forgetting is a dreadful business. Most dreadful indeed.

[save_the_souls]

[Allen had found his way into the castle, trying to hope to get some idea just what this place is. But he turns this corner and sees this sight. What the- walking cards? With weapons? And more importantly]

- Gwaine?!

[reigne]

[This, Arthur thinks, is definitely the last time he's setting foot into the castle. Ever since he'd accidentally gone near the looking glass, it's all been one unsettling thing after another. Talking cards with arms are...

Well he's sort of started to wonder if he's having the most horrific dream. But no, that little cut he'd gotten on the back of his hand when he'd first stumbled his way through the maze reminds him it's unlikely. Which makes the next sight all the worse.

Gwaine- Giving orders. Gwaine giving orders in pink furs. With a crown. Like-

It's just not computing]

Gwaine?! [Maybe it's just a look alike, and not Gwaine at all, and he can pretend he'd never noticed]

[kingsgambit]

[..Of course there was a castle. And of course Merlin would find it after quite a bit of hunting around that maze, and well cards as people makes him consider this a dream still.

As does that man in red and pink. Ouch his eyes man, his eyes. He's pretty sure no one in their right mind would wear that, hence adding to the dream thing.

But dream or not he can at least act respectful when he sees a man ordering armed, well guards or something around and he confidentially approaches.]

Excuse me my lord, can I bother you for a moment of your time? [He knows how to be polite and in unfamiliar places, even dream ones, it's better to do that then well, get in trouble.]

[huntersdaughter]

[Honestly, Jo should've known better. All the crazy things going on with mirrors and people being their opposite -- a giant mirror should have been a warning. But nope. She tries to do one thing and now she's stuck. Stuck in this weird place with talking flowers and she's trying to find someone, anyone familiar.

She doesn't expect to hear a familiar voice. The voice isn't exactly ... it can't be.]

Wow. Okay... so you've always been sort of on the Medieval times side of things. This is definitely the extreme.

[not_mafia]

[Oh thank god it's the King and not the Queen. He might actually have a sliver's chance of survival with the King.]

Your Majesty!

[He comes over and falls to the ground in front of him.]

I am ever so sorry for my postponed arrival! I know that my behavior is inexcusable and that I have been late one too many a time, but please have mercy on my pitiful soul...

[magicus]

[ It's hard not to be drawn to the commotion near the throne room, what with the soldiers all clamoring to follow orders, and of course Merlin's the last to ignore curiosity.

You'd think he'd have learned his lesson after inspecting the mirror and more or less willingly ending up here, but oh well. Needless to say, the last thing he's expecting is to see a familiar face when he steps around the corner and peers through the mess of soldiers at the flashily dressed fellow beyond, and- ]

Gwaine?! [ Appropriately shocked and thrilled, but quickly followed by a far more judgmental- ] What are you wearing?

[scinlae]

[ She shouldn't have touched it, it was a poor choice, this place is dangerous it has made her fractured and thin, the floor beneath her feet cracking and breaking away.

Shouldn't have touched it, shouldn't be here, it is bad, it is dangerous. It is tearing her apart with each step and each moment, she hears voices where there are no people, she sees people where there are no voices. Gwen, Lancelot, Uther. She screamed at the last, throws whatever her trembling hands can find at him, this phantom of her mind. He is dead, stop haunting her.

It feels like it has been months when her feet take her to the Queen's castle, through the hedge maze lined with the sharp whispers in her ears.

The gardener is paid little notice, but the voice ─ the sharp, loud, and very much there voice does.

Morgana does not cry out, she does not exclaim his name, she simply stops and stands and stares at the sight. The cards and the king, all dressed in red and pink, bearing the voice of someone she can remember clearly. Someone who died, for all intents and purposes, someone who she never thought to see again.

Gwaine?

No, it can't be Gwaine is gone. He left, he left her all alone, he cannot return, it is impossible, he cannot. He cannot. You are going mad girl, completely mad, isn't it about time to have some tea?

Turn around, turn and you shan't see his visage, it will fade with puff of smoke. He doesn't exist see? You're simple mad. ]

I ─

[ She doesn't know what she was going to say, so she clamps her mouth shut, hands unconsciously coming up to cover her mouth. Mad, mad mad mad mad, you're just mad.

Instead of words she laughs something short and broken, heavy feet taking one step backwards. That's right, she's mad, this is not real, not real at all. ]

[kungfuwitch]

[The Gryphon steps in behind the king, giving a nod to the card guards as she passes. She looks up at him before bowing her head respectfully]

It is a dismal day for an execution if I say so myself, Your Highness.

[teratologist]

What?

[The Queen stared wide eyed in disbelief at the card who bent low before her, enraged that so insulting an error could possibly be made in her presence.]

Did I not specifically ask for tea that was hot, with honey not sugar, and a single wedge of lemon?

[The shivering card nodded and dared peer up at his ruler.] The kitchen was out of tea, your Majesty. They thought given the circumstances that you might take a coffee-

WHAT?[The poor thing was cut off mid sentence with an indignant roar.] I will not take a coffee, I asked for tea and I will have tea. And if your pathetic cooks cannot find so simple a thing to appease their noble and benevolent Queen than I shall just have to start them on the chopping block to inspire them to look harder.

[The card froze a moment, eyes wide and fearful in their quick darting.] Yes, My Queen. Of course My Queen. I will see to it right away. [He backed away down the long red carpet which lead to her throne, never turning his back to her.]

See that you do, and see that the executioner has his axe sharp and ready just in case. [Her fury passed, for the moment, she reclined in her throne looking half bored as her chin was propped in her palm.]

[impetuous]

There, there, my dear. You'll have it soon.

[ Don't mind him fretting. It's about the only thing he's good for. ]

[unnaturalpause]

[It doesn't take him as long as it probably should to get through the maze, he enjoys puzzles but he knows a story like this and he's a bit paranoid because of it.

Especially when he hits the castle and it's all cards everywhere.

Oh he hates his life, he really does and he's avoiding mirrors for the next decade.

It takes him longer to get near the throne room as he explores though, it's all unfamiliar things in the castle and he tries to memorize what he can of it. But he's just passing by when he hears a very familiar voice yelling about tea.

Which prompts him to actually enter the throne room when he otherwise wouldn't have as it's all garish colors and his head STILL hurts from that trip with Giotto, and he just stands there near the entrance staring.]

Helen? [It's said rather loudly so she can hear him but he's confused. Why is she here?]

[kungfuwitch]

[The Gryphon yawns from her place nearby, regarding the Queen with a vaguely bored expression]

Another execution? It seems that's all there is to be done these days, doesn't it?

[twisted_baroque]

[there is one card soldier here that doesn't look like a card, more like a man dressed with a card theme to him. he might be familiar to some or not. that depends if your head is the same as it was before you came here.

either way, the card soldier is wandering around. it doesn't seem like he knows where he is going. in fact, he may be very lost despite knowing where he is. give him a hand?]

[dupable]

[ Getting through the maze isn't too hard if you cheat the system and go over it instead of through it like most people. Getting into the castle and getting distracted by everything around you is another matter though.

John's already distracted by a particularly weird looking grandfather clock that he keeps fiddling with. Stopping every few moments to look around and making sure no one is gonna yell at him for messing with the furniture.

This of course after poking around at a weird looking table for a good few minutes. Here's to hoping he doesn't do that with ever piece of furniture in the place or he'll be here for awhile. ]

[psych0p0mps]

[Aradia probably cheated on the maze too, lol. She's not quite as easily distracted by weird architecture, though, at least when it doesn't look ancient. And seeing John with his back turned gives her an idea.

It's not really that novel an idea, just... floating up very very quietly behind him and then shouting real loud.]

BOO!

[waterproofed]

[Percy can be found lounging around on his haunches, chewing on some grass. These new people in the courtyard interest him. But then, it's not every day a young centaur gets to see such mad beings interrupting the court]

[kungfuwitch]

[The Gryphon wanders over and sits down next to the centaur]

She does seem to be in quite the mood today doesn't she?

[adorbs]

Cook? Cooooook? [make way kids, THERE'S A DUTHCHESS COMING THROUGH. One familiar looking brunette is stomping through the halls, and she is on a mission! She's decked out in a puffy ass dress and she's hiked up the fluffy skirt a bit so she can walk forward]

I'm hungry, where are you? [yep, she's on an epic POUTING MISSION. Help her track down her personal cook? Or she might go bug her cousin the queen and say that you were unhelpful ;D]

[impetuous]

The Cook is preparing the Queen's tea.

[ So. You know. Gonna have to wait. ]