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
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[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

Mirror, mirror

[wonderlandian]

[Check out that mirror! Crazy, huh? Where did it even come from? There's only one way to learn more...

The place to play out characters being taken through the looking glass, if you so wish. This can absolutely be handwaved.]

The Queen's Courtyard

[wonderlandian]

[All who arrive in Wonderland, be it as themselves or someone else, will arrive in the courtyard of the Queen of Hearts. It features a hedge maze with many large clearings; the biggest seems to be for holding trials. Many of the rest are for games of croquet, but there are also those fashioned as sitting areas with very impractical looking chairs. There are red roses anywhere, but they don't look quite... Right. Closer inspection will reveal that they are white roses covered in red paint.]

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.]

The Tulgey Wood

[wonderlandian]

[If you escape the maze but don't end up at the castle, you'll find yourself in the Tulgey Wood. Bright and colorful trees and flowers - very large flowers with faces, in some cases - are everywhere, and the signs scattered through the forest are anything but helpful.

There's interesting creatures all around. Many appear related to birds, for some reason.

Go deep enough in the woods, though, and you reach a place where none of the animals go. It is much darker than the rest of the forest, and seems to be beneath a night sky with a full moon even during the day. The trees here all seem to be dying...]

[gottaknockhard]

[As long as he's been here, you'd think Spike would be weary of any obvious changes in the castle. Or at least look around the lobby before making his usual trek towards the kitchen. (His freeloading ways were bound to get the better of him someday...)

The reflection catches his eye as he turns the corner and before he gives it a good once over -- he disappears.]

[gottaknockhard]

[Well, this definitely isn't where he was a second ago. Spike slowly takes in the scenery. Despite living in a magic castle, he still wants to assume that this is a dream brought on by drinking too much the night before.

The roses catch his attention, and he breaks one off to examine, like that's suddenly important. Then his stomach growls. This really could have waited until after breakfast...]

cheshire cat

[nihilo]

[ Wandering in the forest are we? Watch your step, the animals may be harmless (mostly) but they do not take kindly to clumsy stumbling feet. Though this particular one finds lost travelers rather curious.

One can even hear the most contented purr as they walk past a certain empty branch. ]

[cyan_maid]

[Huh! Now what do we have here today? A mirror? As Jane comes down for the day, she catches sight of it, and while her judgement knows better, she curiously makes a beeline for the mirror.

Before she can get too close, though, she's disappeared!]

[foin]

[Having gone from the castle lobby inside to a giant hedge maze outside, the sudden brightness of the sun causes Asuna to lift her arm up in an attempt to block some of it while she looks around to figure out what just happened. As her vision clears, she lowers her arm and stares wide eyed at her new environment.]

What was--

[Asuna cuts herself off and quickly reaches for the rapier at her hip, gripping the hilt tightly. It's better to be safe than sorry at this point.]

Hello?

[deductiongeek]

[Conan's expression was twitching faintly. This reminded him far too much of the time a book had sent him to that place with the ponies.

And given the appearance of this courtyard? He didn't have much hope that this place would be even more logical.

He makes his way around the courtyard inspecting everything he could reach. Eventually he reaches the roses and stops.]

Red paint? They painted the roses? How does that even make sense?

[ftssusstgsetfwe]

[My, well, this isn't her millinery! A young woman with heaps of hair on her head, done into the shapes of hats and animals and flowers, is in the Courtyard, a bit confused as to how she got there and none to pleased about this location. She's not exactly welcome in the Queen's presence, after all. Not since she was killing time. She'll just be slowly making her through the maze, trying to get to the Tulgey Wood.]

That hedge maze picture is from KH isn't it

[cyan_maid]

[And guess who tumbles right into the courtyard?]

WHOA!!

[When Jane gets her bearings back, she looks around, and her eyes narrow as she takes in every new thing.]

Well, I can't say I didn't walk right into this one...

[righttrack]

[Kurt is, to put it simply, Not Amused by this recent flight of fancy. He'd been hoping the next forced trip would be to a big city, not some crazy forest with mutant bird-objects. At least he made his way out of the crazy maze at last...

He's mumbling about "such nonsense" when the purr reaches his ears. He looks around, expecting a cat-slash-coffee maker or something, but he doesn't see anything.]

That's weird...

[schrodingersghost]

[Danny immediately finds an isolated section of the maze to transform into his ghost form. The moment he completes his transformation he jumps into the air and flies up to get a better view of the area.

It doesn't really improve things.]

Okay, seriously now. Why is it always mazes? Nothing good ever happens in those places.

[He slowly drifts back down until he's hovering just above the hedges. And then he starts heading for the castle.]

[nihilo]

[ The cat is only a spiral of blue-green fur first as she unravels into, well, a cat perched most comfortably on a nearby branch, still purring. ]

I've always thought so too.

[righttrack]

[And Kurt just gasps, staring, because what on Earth else is he supposed to do?

After a moment, though, he does find his voice.]

At least you're not half something else.

[holyrabies]

[A young faun, with black fur and hair, is wandering about in the Wood. She does so love to explore it, despite having lived in it her whole life. That's the lovely thing about Wonderland, there's always something new to find wherever you go.

Every once in a while, she calls out the name of a strange creature - Things like "Oh, Jub-Jub Bird!". After all, an adventure is even better with some company.]

[ftssusstgsetfwe]

[The Mad Hatter spots this unfamiliar face and can't help but laugh. Taking up arms in the Queen's Courtyard? Is she looking for trouble?]

My dear girl, don't let's be silly! What do you think you'll be doing with that thing?

[emboldens]

[ A Queen in the court of another. Normally, she would be trying to find the Queen but, right now, she's a little too startled by the fact that she's no longer in the lobby. She lingers near the painted roses. ]

They have been.. painted?

[ Strange, but she's seen stranger things in Paradisa; so they're bypassed in favor of the hedge maze. While she doesn't want to stray too far, she can't help but walk toward the start of the maze. Had she arrived here alone? She reaches out, brushing her fingers against the wall of the maze while murmuring: ]

Perhaps, it would be wise to search for a familiar face..

[foin]

Defending myself if necessary.

[Her grip doesn't loosen, but she doesn't make a move to draw it yet at least. Curiosity gets the better of her, despite her wariness.]

Who are you?

[ftssusstgsetfwe]

That's about the stupidest thing you could do! You'll get yourself into trouble that way, not out of it. [But she laughs some more as she says it, because the Mad Hatter does enjoy trying to get people's goats.]

I! [A slight bow here; it's difficult with all that hair piled on top of her head.] Am the Mad Hatter!

[foin]

I can take care of myself well enough, thank you.

[There's a pause where she tries to figure out what to do next. She settles for a bow in return.]

A pleasure.

[ftssusstgsetfwe]

So you think!

But it is a pleasure, I must agree! I love meeting new people, and people just don't stroll into Wonderland every day!

[foin]

[Asuna decides to let that go, finding no point in arguing.]

Wonderland? Is that where I am?

[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. ]